England whom we shall shortly bring home with the King her Husband was soon m Walsingh hist p. 135. after in the Tower of London deliver'd of a Fair Daughter named Blanch who to temper King Edwards Felicities unfortunately died before she was weaned and lies buried at Westminster CHAPTER the EIGHTEENTH The CONTENTS I. King Edward in great Displeasure comes privately over into England where he displaces and imprisons several of his Chief Ministers of State. II. His Quarrel with the Archbishop with the full State of the whole Case in Epitome III. The Archbishop's Letter to the King. IV. The Archbishop's Letter to the Lord Chancellour V. His Remonstrance to the King and his Council VI. His Letter to the Bishop of London VII His Articles of Excommunication which he publishes over all his Province VIII A Copy of the King's Letters to the Bishop of London in Defence of his Proceedings against the Archbishop IX The Archbishops Answer to the King wherein he defends himself against all his Objections X. The King's Reply to the Archbishop's Defence which he sends to all the Suffragans of that Province with absolute Command to obey the Archbishop in nothing contrary to his Pleasure wherein we shall find a notable Instance even in those Times of the King's Supremacy and Jealousie of his Rights and Royal Prerogatives XI The Particulars of a Parliament at Westminster wherein at the last the Archbishop upon his Submission is fully pardon'd and received into Favour I. WE said before that upon the Truce taken before Tournay King Edward went to Gaunt and how thence he returned into England But now we are to take up that Thread again and so to proceed in a further Discourse of his Affairs While a Holingshead Engl. Chron. p. 912. b. he lay at Gaunt Lewis Earl of Flanders being now by vertue of the Truce restored to his Country came thither to visit him And for several Days he made great Cheer to him and his Queen caressing and entertaining them with magnificent Feasts and Banquets But King Edward took small Delight in such matters now his Mind ran upon the Mony which he dayly expected from England to pay off his Debts contracted beyond Sea which having long look'd for in vain pretending b Stow p. 237. that he would ride abroad for his Pleasure he went suddenly into Zealand where he took Ship privately with only his Queen and Eight more Persons of Quality in his Company designing for England But upon the Sea he met with a Storm which for three days together tossed him too and fro with great fury to the utter hazard of his Person It is said c Grafton p. 247. Fabian p. 216. that the Tempest was rais'd by certain Necromancers of France who purpos'd thereby to destroy him or at least to cool his Courage from passing the Seas any more Whatever was the Occasion this is certain that as if King Edward had been only destin'd for the Kingdom of France which he so greatly desired it seem'd fatal for him always in his Passage thither to have calm Seas and Wind at will but in his Return all things contrary so that often he endur'd many great Losses and Shipwrecks And this was his Fate while his Fortune stood fair but when he began to decline he found the Wind so contrary to him that by no means he could once set his Foot more in France However now at last this storm being happily abated on the third Night being d 30 Novem. St. Andrews he arrived safe at shoar and landed at the Tower of London about the Cock-crow The Lords that came with him and the Queen were the Earl of Northampton the Lord Nicolas Cantilupe the Lord Walter Manny the Lord Reginald Cobham the Lord John Darcy the Lord Guy Beauchamp Eldest Son to the Earl of Warwick with the Lord John Beauchamp his Uncle and two Chaplains which were also his Secretaries Dr. William Killesby and Dr. William Weston with their Servants only Upon the King's entring the Tower he found there no Guard ready but only his Children and three Servants waiting on them Wherefore in great e Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 127. Anger he sent for the Lord Nicolas de la Beche Constable of the Tower and committed him to Prison in the said place As also he served at the same time Andrew Aubry Lord Mayor of London the Lord Thomas Wake Sr. John St. Paul Keeper of the great Seal Sr. John Stonore Lord Chief Justice of the Kings Bench Michael Wath Henry Stratford and Robert Chickwell Clerks of the Chancery and Philip Thorp Clerk of the Exchequer All whom he sent for and imprison'd as he had done also to the Archbishop of Canterbury if he could have got him After this in several Parts of the Kingdom he caused to be taken and clapt up in divers Prisons Sr. John Poltney Alderman of London Sr. William de la Pole Baron of his Exchequer Sr. William Shareshull one of the Justices of the Kings Bench Sr. Richard Willoughby Deputy Lord Chief Justice Sr. John Shardelow and Sr. Thomas Ferrers Thô within a while after the Lord Wake was deliver'd with Honour having no Fault fix'd upon him The City of London during the Imprisonment of their Mayor was at the Kings Command govern'd by a Bayliff as will appear hereafter As for Dr. f Philipot's Catal Chancell Treas p. 34. Robert Stratford Bishop of Chichester who was then Lord Chancellour of England and Robert Northborough Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield then Lord Treasurer he immediately discharged them of their Offices threatning to send them into Flanders there to lie as Pledges for Money which he owed or if they refus'd to go to lay them in prison in the Tower. But upon the Bishop of Chichester's Remonstrance to him g Holinshead Engl. Chron. p. 912. that he would then be in danger to incure the Penalty of Pope Clements Canon De non incarcerandis Episcopis he relented and let them go free thô deprived of their Offices Sr. Robert h Philipot's ibid. p. 34. 38. Bourchier succeeding in the Place of Lord Chancellour and Sr. Richard Saddington in that of Treasurer and Dr. Killesby in the Place of Privy Seal Sr. John St. Paul the late Keeper being also discharged All the Sheriffs also of Shires and other Publique Officers were at this time removed and new ones put in their Places And certain Justices were appointed to enquire into the Faults of Collectors and other Officers concerned in the Gathering the Taxes so that few or none escaped unpunished so strictly these New Justices proceeded in their Commissions As for the i Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 146. b. Lord John Molins a Great and Noble Baron of the Realm the incensed Prince in the heat of his Displeasure flang his Body into Prison and seised all his Lands into his own Hands which thereupon were committed to the custody of Sr. John Eldred his Offence having been judged
Grievance to the whole Kingdom Among other of their Licentious Practises the Lord Chief Justice e Knighton p. 2559. n. 60. Sr. Richard Willoughby going after Christmas towards Grantham was taken by one Richard Fulvile and by force carried into a Wood hard by where being siesed by certain of these Lawless Fellows he was compell'd to lay down immediately Ninety Marks as a Ransom for his Life and also to swear never to discover them Upon News of these and the like Insolencies the Young King resolving now to be Master of his Crown sends forth his Justices of Trailebaston two and two with Power to enquire after all Mayors Sheriffs Bayliffs Escheators and others who had abused or neglected their Offices by Extortion Bribery Fear or Favour and after all such as had failed in the due Execution of the Laws whereby these Licentious People began first to take such Boldness upon them The form of the Writ thô of moment I forbear to transcribe because 't is already Extant in f Holinshead Engl. Chron. p. 840. Holinsheads Chronicles and elsewhere But least the Law should fail of Power to maintain it self the Young King takes to him some choice Troops of Armed Men with many Light-Horsemen well mounted and marches forth in Person to discover these Enemies to Government Some Parties of these Audacious Villains were met with by him nor did they much decline the matter Success had made them so Impudent But Majesty and Vertue are more Valiant than Vice and Rebellion so that they are all soon Worsted by the Brave Young King and become an Example to others some of them being slain in Skirmish many Hang'd and Quarter'd a few Beheaded others imprison'd and put to great Fines and in short such Order taken with all that the whole Kingdom was kept in Peace and quiet at Home all his Reign after VI. On the Thirtieth g M.S. p. 14. Sr Rob. Cotton Statute Bock c. of September or the Morrow after St. Michael being a Monday the King held his High-court of Parliament at Westminster to consult about the Affairs of Guienne and other his Lands beyond the Seas as also concerning a Peace to be had with France and to conferr about the Matters of Ireland These were by John Stratford Bishop of Winchester and then Lord Chancellour of England offer'd as the reasons inducing the King to call that Parliament The Affairs of Guienne were not in so ill a posture the h Knighton p. 2563. Earl of Vlster being now there and Sr. John Darcy Justice of Ireland having been sent thither the Year foregoing i Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 371. especially because of the late Composure between England and France the French being also at this time about a Treaty with England Yet because then a Peace is most likely to be made on good Conditions when he that treats is in a posture of Defence it was thought fit to provide something for the Defence of those Parts however And therefore Sr. John k Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 151. a. St. Philibert a Baron of great prudence and valour was now by the King appointed to be Major of the City of Bourdeaux having an assignation of an 100 l. allow'd him for the Expences of his journey thither thô this Worthy Gentleman deceased about two Years after Sr. Oliver Ingham a mighty Baron and One of the Twelve appointed for a Guide and Counsellour to this King at his Coronation had now his l Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 104. Patent which had been granted him seven Years before for the Seneschalsie of Aquitain renewed and not long after he was sent over with pretty considerable Forces Of whose valourous Exploits this Book will not be silent At the same time the Lord m Dugd. 2 Vol. p 34. Ashmole p. 693. Bartholomew Burwash senior was constituted Seneschall of Ponthieu in Picardy which King Edward held in right of his Mother with whom that Earldom was given upon her Marriage with the King his Father As for Ireland it was resolved that the King in Person should go thither that to prepare his way a certain power of Armed Men should go before him under able Commanders and that those especially who held any Lands there should make speedy repair thither for Defence of that Kingdom as also that all learned Men in the Law who should be appointed as Justices or otherwise to serve in Ireland should by no means be excus'd on any pretence whatsoever And further 't was order'd that search should be made into his Majesties Records to see what Methods had been formerly taken for the civilizing and governing that Country As to the Affairs n M. S. p. 14. §. 3. Sr Rob. Cotton's Abridgement p. 9 §. 3. with France the King by his Chancellour demanded whether he had best treat with that Crown by way of Amity or Marriage The Commons humbly conceived that Marriage would be the best way whereupon certain were appointed to consult about this Treaty and a o Ashmole p. 675 Commission was given to Sr. John Darcy and Sr William Trussel to treat and agree with King Philip or his Deputies upon the Premises Now for the better understanding of this Matter it appears from the Records as we shall more fully shew hereafter that near this time King Philip being taken up with thoughts about the Holy War that he might be sure of King Edward of whose pretences to that Crown he was jealous had offer'd to enter into a strict Alliance with him by p Ashmole p. 675 Sandferd p. 184. a Marriage between a Daughter of his and the young Prince Edward of England And lest that might not suffice had importun'd him to be his Fellow in Arms and in Person to accompany him into Palestine or as q Odoric Rainald Add. tâ—ad Annal. Barerâ—i 1331. â— 29 c. Others say into Spain to fight against the Moors of Granada But because nothing was done in this Matter yet only it was refer'd to the foresaid Commissioners to advise about it we shall remitt the further prosecution hereof to the next Year to which it more properly belongs Yet this we must not pass over that now upon Occasion of the King 's being invited into France the former Resolution that he should personally go into Ireland took not effect this Year and as for the next other Business put it off and the Scotch Affairs the Year following wholly null'd it so that the King went not thither at all as it had been here resolved only an Armed Power was sent thither the Year after this In this Parliament St. Hugolin the Granchild of the Lord Hugh Spencer the Elder who with his Son Sr. Hugh had in the late Revolution been illegally executed by Queen Isabell having first by his great Valour r Holinshead Engl. Chron. p. 880. in holding his Castle against the said Queen compounded for his life and since that Obtaining his Majesties Gracious Pardon was now
Archimbald Douglas on the 20 of March being the Sunday after the Annunciation had enter'd the Marches of England as we u L. 1. c 5. §. 4. p. 68. shew'd before where he continued four days in great Outrage without any encounter and after that got off safe thô with no great Booty But now King Edward had order'd Reprisals to be made upon the Enemy and soon x Knighton p. 2562. n 40. 50. after the Lord William Montague Ralph Lord Nevill the Lord Henry Plantagenet Son to the Old Earl of Lancaster and Richard Fitz-Alan Earl of Arundel passed with King Bailiol into Scotland where they did much Damage to the Enemy and among the Rest they took a certain Fortress wherein they found the Lord Robert Colvile a Baron y Dugd. Bar. 1 Vol. p. 626. of England Prisoner whom they released with many other English Gentlemen and several great Ladies of the Country all whom they deliver'd Here also they found a vast quantity of Provision of all sorts which they kept for themselves and so ras'd the Castle to the ground From hence they March'd directly for Barwick which they began to lay Siege to both by Sea and Land. A little before to retaliate those Hostile Incursions made by the Scots upon the Marches the Lord z Knighton p. 2563. n. 10. Walsingh Hist p. 114. n. 20. Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 565. Anthony Lucy of Cockermouth and William of Loughmaban with only 800 Resolute Men had enter'd Scotland in Hostile manner for above twenty Leagues when they were met by the Lord William Douglas Captain of the Fortress of Loughmaban attended with a great Multitude of Men of War. However at last the Victory fell to the English the Lord Humphry Gurdon Sr. William of Carlile and more than an hundred and sixty Men of Arms being slain the Lord Douglas himself with Sr. William Ward and about an hundred others were taken Prisoners with a great deal of Booty But the Lord Anthony Lucy on the English part was very much wounded in the Fight thô not mortally and so they all return'd with their Prey and Prisoners into England About the same time another party of the English Borderers made a sudden Inroad into Scotland and coming to Haddington in the time of a great Fair they slew and took all they found there seising on all their Cattle and other Commodities that were of any Value V. But now while the Siege of Barwick was carrying on King Edward himself comes thither in Person with a well appointed Army and there resolutely invests the Town declaring he would never depart thence till he had reduced the Place or the King of Scots should come thither to give him Battle Some five Weeks before he had been before Barwick but a Frois c. 26. fol. 16. then he was advised not to spend his time in a tedious and uncertain Siege but to ride up in the Land and Destroy and Conquer as his Grandfather had done in the furthest parts of Scotland the Forces of King Bailiol being judg'd sufficient to hold a formal Siege thô not to carry the place by force Upon this reason and hoping thereby to draw King David or his Lieutenant to a Battle he follows the advice Wasting and Destroying all the plain Country of Scotland and taking in several fortified Towns and the strong Castle of Edenburgh particularly wherein he placed a Garrison Thence passing the Frith at Queens-ferry he came to Dunfermlin and destroy'd the Town but not the least harm was done to the Abbey the King giving special Command to the contrary hence he over-ran all the Country about Scone as far as Dundee and on the left hand as far as Dunbritton an impregnable Castle about five Miles from Glascow standing on the River Cluid in the Marches bordering on the wild Scots To this place King David with his Queen was now retired for safety for he had been advised by his Council not to hazard a Battle seeing that beside the common uncertainty of War he had but few good Captains remaining and himself was little more than ten Years Old the Lord William Douglas also now being Prisoner in England But wait a while say they till this Tempest is of it self blown over another time we may recover these Losses more easily Hereupon the King being thus secur'd the rest of the Scots of those parts had withdrawn themselves and the best of their Moveables into the Forest of Gedworth which was impassable but to those who were well acquainted with the Country King Edward therefore having thus ravag'd over all Scotland at his pleasure without the least proffer of Battle made to him except that some Knights and Gentlemen of Scotland would frequently Skirmish with any small detachments from his Army and finding it fruitless to expect any just Opposition from King David intends back again for Barwick But in the way thither he took the Castle of Blacknes belonging to Earl Douglas which being about 10 Leagues or 20 Scotch Miles from Edinburgh he Garrison'd also for himself as he had done divers other Castles before intending thereby to make constant War upon Scotland within its own Bowels Just as the King of England was return'd to the Siege before Barwick with a Resolution not to stir thence till he had taken the Place or that King David should raise his Siege by Battle about the same time came to Barwick the Lord b Thoroten's Notting p. 264. John Darcy Justice of Ireland with a Gallant small Body of Men to the King his Masters Assistance He had three Years c Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 371. before been sent by King Edward into Aquitain to the Reinforcement of William de Burgo alias Burgh Earl of Vlster then Guardian of that Dutchy But the said Earl being this Year d Knighton p. 2563. Holinshead Chron. Ireland p. 70. ad An. 1333. desirous to pass into Scotland to wait upon the King his Lord as he was riding to Knockfergus near the Fords of Vlster and talking familiarly with his Followers about the subject matter of his present Undertaking an Irishman called Robert Fitzmartin Mandevil suddenly drew his sword and ran it into his belly so that there the young Valorous Earl was slain only because he had imprison'd one Henry Mandevil of that Family leaving behind him e Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 167. one Daughter Elizabeth Heir of all his vast Possessions which afterwards was Married to a Son of King Edward's not yet Born. To Revenge his Death the Lord Darcy leaving Aquitain came now for Ireland with this small Army but understanding that the Men of the Country had already done that Work to his hand by putting the foresaid Mandevil and his Fellows to due Execution he set Sr. Thomas Burgh in his place as Lieutenant of Ireland and so made directly for Scotland whither he came just in time to give a Specimen both of his Loyalty and Valour For in this very juncture
Religious Persons nor Places but put all that came in their Reach to Fire and Sword. The mean while the Mariners of Newcastle with part of the Kings Fleet which Hector vainly makes to be so dreadfully shipwrack'd made shift to come in at the Mouth of the River Tay where they burnt a great part of the Town of Dundee which stands between Brechin and St Andrews And at the same time m Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 371. John Lord Darcy Justice of Ireland having well settled Affairs at home sailed with a Fleet of 56 Ships with the Chief of the Irish Nobles in his Company making a short cut to the Parts of Scotland next adjoyning to Ireland where having wasted the Isles of Aran and Bute he return'd with great Prey and Glory For which his Voluntary and Signal Services a while after King Edward granted unto him and the Heirs Male of his Body Lawfully begotten the Mannors of Rathwar and Kildalk in Ireland V. But however thô thus the poor Scots were Harassed on all sides yet were they resolved not to betray their Country either for want of Care or Courage but being in strength unequal to these Forces they were obliged to act more wisely and to lie chiefly upon the Catch nor altogether without Success For about this time n Knighton 2567. n 30. 500 Archers of England with other Footmen upon some occasion returning homeward in great Security as having seen no appearance of an Enemy in Scotland were suddenly set upon being intercepted by Andrew Earl of Murray Patrick Earl of Dunbar and Sr. William Douglas by whom they were all put to the sword In this season John the young Earl o Holinshead Engl. Chron. p. 898. of Namur whom the Scotch Writers by mistake call the Earl of Gueldre with his Brother Sr. Robert of Namur came into England to serve King Edward for the Sake of Sr. Robert of Artois their Uncle and boldly undertook to enter Scotland only with a Choice Band of an Hundred Men of Arms and seven or eight Knights and Barons their Leaders which came over with them and a few English from Barwick for their Guides But before the Earl could recover Edenburgh he was so hotly assaulted by the Earl of Murray and Dunbar and the Lord William Douglas that althô the Strangers bare themselves Right Worthily yet being oppressed by Multitude they were compelled to give back thô honourably by little and little still maintaining the Fight and by sudden Chargings defending themselves till they reached Edenburgh and recovered the Hill whereon the Castle had stood thô now it lay in ruines Here they most manfully kept their Ground till the next day when despairing of any Succour and utterly destitute of either Meat or Drink they were content to yield themselves on certain Conditions The Scots not willing to drive these Men to despair whose Natural Valour they found scarce matchable and knowing that the weak Estate of their Country required them to be frugal of their Persons accepted their Conditions And here the Earl of Murray either of Generosity or Policy or for the sake of the Leader the Noble Earl of Namur whom he admired or hoped by obliging to gain to his Side quitted them all of their Ransom and gave them present liberty of returning into their own Country he himself for their further Security and desirous to gratifie the King of France whose near Kinsman the Earl of Namur was conducting them as far as the Borders But this Compliment was ill-timed for upon his Return p Walsingh hist p. 116. Holingshead p. 898 being unhappily encountred by an English Party belonging to the Garrison of Roxborough he was by them overthrown himself being taken Prisoner by Sr. William Priestwood and the Lord William Douglas escaped very narrowly but his Brother Sr. James Douglas was there slain upon the Spot with many more Among the q Holingshead Scotland p. 236. Bodies of those few Strangers that were slain in the passage to Edinburgh 't is reported that there was found the Body of a Woman of exact Beauty but more than ordinary Stature She had been observed in the beginning of the Battle to step forth before all her Companions where singly she overthrew a strong Esquire of Scotland named Richard Shaw and long and well she fought with the Scots till finally she not flinching and her Company not able to come up to her being encompassed by the Scots unknown as she was she was there slain 'T is thought because she was left in so desperate a condition that her own Party was ignorant of her Sex and it might be that for the love of Sr. Robert of Namur who was a Batchelour young beautifull and couragious or thrô some Heroical Disposition proceeding from high Birth or Conscience of unusual Strength or desire to emulate the ancient Viragoes called Amazons she thus adventur'd to take the Field But her indiscreet Obstinacy to the Death when Retreating was not inglorious shew'd her unwife and too much a Woman But of the Fight wherein the Earl of Murray was taken Others report a little otherwise saying r Knighton p. 2567. How these Scotch Lords now in their passage toward the Borders were no less than ten thousand strong as resolving upon some notable Exploit either thereby to requite their Losses at home or to oblige King Edward to leave Scotland for the Defence of his own People and especially for his Queens sake whom hearing to be as then in Bamburg an impregnable Castle of Northumberland they went thitherward to invest the Place But being on their way met by 5000 English 't is probable as appears by and by under the Conduct of Prince John of Eltham who was coming this way at that time either before parted from the King his Brother or not till now come to joyn him however after a sharp Conflict the Scots were wholly broken and routed leaving 5000 of their Companions on the ground with Sr. James Douglas only the Earl of Murray of their Captains being taken Prisoner but Earl Patrick and Sr. William Douglas escaped This Victory however cost the English 400 Men 't was fought so obstinately before the Day inclin'd to them It is certain Å¿ Aug. 1. Holinshead p. 899. that about Lammas-tide Prince John of Eltham Earl of Cornwall and the Kings Brother with the Forces of Yorkshire and Northumberland and the Lord Anthony Lucy of Cockermouth with the Men of Cumberland and Westmorland entring Scotland t Hector Bâ—eth l. 15. fol. 320. n. 40. ravag'd and destroy'd in Galloway Carrick Kyle and Cunningham and all the Western Parts which held against the Bailiol or had lately revolted from him The Lord William Douglas indeed with certain Troops of light Horse still coasted them from far waiting for some Advantage but by the Policy of their Princely General they ever kept good close Order so that at last without any considerable loss Prince John with his little Host passing by
with the said Emperour the Year following V. Thus strongly did King Edward prepare before he would Commence a War against so Powerfull a Monarch all which thô it prov'd in a manner unprofitable and thô little or nothing of all his Glorious Actions was really performed but by his own Forces as we shall shew hereafter Yet his great Prudence appears sufficiently from these Instances of his Foresight and Conduct and that he was not Rash nor Presumptuous but Resolute with Deliberation Yet next to God he reposed his chief Confidence in the Valour of his own Subjects and now as well to Reward past Services as to give Encouragement to new Ones in a Parliament held at Westminster * Knighton p. 2568. n. 50. about the Feast * â— e 12 Martii of St. Gregory the Pope and Confessor he converted the Earldom of Cornwall void by the Death of the Lord John of Eltham his Brother into a Dukedom and confer'd it on his Eldest Son and Heir Prince Edward who was now but six Years of Age x Ashmole p. 671. investing him by the sword only together with the County Palatinate of Chester adding shortly after such Mannors and Priviledges to this Title y Dugd. Warw. p. 90. which were for the future to be inseperable and to descend perpetually to the Eldest Sons of the Kings of England his Successors but upon the Death or Non-existence of such Dukes to revert unto the Crown And z Ashmole ibid. this was the first Precedent for the Creation of the Title of Duke with us in England The Charter of this Creation bears date the 17 of March but other particulars of this Matter I have already spoken of when I was about the Birth of this young Prince On the day preceding the King created the Lord Henry a Vid. Dugd. Bar. ad horum singulerum nâ—nana c. Knighton p. 2568 n. 60. Adam Muriâ—â—uth Will. Shâ—psteed Sr Tâ—â— de la Mâ—re Plantagenet Son to the Earl of Lancaster Earl of Darby and the Lord William Montague at the same time he made Earl of Salisbury with a grant of the yearly Rent of 20 l. out of the Profits of that County also the Lord William Clinton Earl of Huntingdon with a grant of a 1000 Marks Land per annum for him and his Heirs-male for ever besides 20 l. Rent also issuing out of the Profits of that County for his better support in that Dignity At the same time the Lord Hugh Audley Cosin to the Lord James Audley was created Earl of Glocester the Lord Hugh Courtney an old tough Souldier of almost Fourscore was now created Earl of Devonshire thô he was made so by Writ two Years before as we have shewed Besides these the Lord Robert Hufford was made Earl of Suffolk and the Lord William Bohun Earl of Northampton to the Earl of Northampton shortly after the King gave a Grant of the Castle Mannor and Town of Stamford with the Lordship of Grantham in Lincolnshire which John Warren Earl of Surrey held for Life also of the Castle and Mannor of Fotheringhay in Northamptonshire and of the Castle and Mannor of Okeham in Rutland with the Sheriffalty of the said County to hold to himself and the Heirs-Male of his Body under certain conditions in the said Grant expressed The extent whereof may be f Esc 14. Ed. 3. n. 67. Linc. seen in the Record To the Earl of Suffolk the King gave over and above an annuity of twenty pounds sub nomine honore Comitis pro tertio Denario Comitatûs illius which anciently belonged to all Earls the Honour g Mill's Catal. Honor. p. 528. of Eay in Suffolk and the Mannor of Base-Court in the Parish of St. Giles without Cripplegate in London commonly called the Barbican * Stow's Survey of Lond. Hist p. 233. because of old it had been a Burgkenning or Watch-Tower for the City Many like Advantages together with their Honours the King at this time heap'd on the rest of these Noble and Valiant Earls at which time also the young Duke of Cornwall afterwards Prince of Wales made h 24. Adam Marim Stow p. 233. Holinsh p. 900. twenty new Knights to wit Sr. Edward Montague Brother to the Earl of Salisbury and Simon i Godw. Catal. Dpps. p. 268. Montague Bishop of Ely Sr. Thomas Somerton Sr. John Lisle Son to Robert Lord Lisle Sr. Richard Darcy Sr. Damorie Sr. John Poultney Sr. Peter de la Mere Sr. Roger Banant Sr. Roger Hilary Sr. Bolingbroke Sr. Buterell Sr. Simon Swanland Sr. William k Weevers Fun. Monum p. 269. Scott Sr. William Basset Sr. Robert Sodington Sr. William de la Zouch Sr. Cogshall Sr. Roger Sangraville Sr. John Strachie and Sr. Thomas de la More who wrote in French the Life and Death of Edward the Second and also of our Edward the Third both which are Extant in Latine thô the latter is not yet published What we said of the Woollen Manufacture in the Fourth Paragraph of the preceding Chapter some will have to have been done in this Parliament the matter is all one let the time be now or then for by these l Vid. Statute Book An. xi Ed. 3. p. 77. Laws which gave so great Encouragement to Foreign Clothworkers to come hither and also prohibited that none should buy any Cloth made beyond Sea the occupation of Cloth-Weevers soon came in quest more than ever before in this Nation Sr. John Charleton m Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 72. Senior Lord of Powys a Man highly Esteemed for his Fidelity Prudence and Valour was at this time constituted Justice of Ireland the Lord n Id. 1 Vol. p. 371 Darcy being then Steward of the Kings Houshold and otherwise employ'd in the Kings Affairs and accordingly in October following o Chron. Job Clinne i.e. 14 Octob. E Dom. Lit. on the Festival of St. Calixt the Pope and a Tuesday he arrived safely there with his Brother Thomas Bishop of Hereford Chancellor and Thomas Rice Treasurer of Ireland and two Hundred lusty Welchmen But whether for any just cause or no in the Year following the Bishop p Godw. Catal. Bpps. p. 458. Holinshead Ireland p. 71. his Brother complaining to the King by Letters of Sr. Johns Misgovernment was himself appointed in his Room and further made Guardian or Deputy of that Realm But the Affairs of Ireland I shall not prosecute because I haste to more Considerable and Weighty Matters referring the Reader to Holinshead and others who may satisfie them of those things And forasmuch as there were sundry q Ex Bundello Pricrat Alienigenarum Ano. 11. Ed. 3. fisco applicaterum Vid. Clem. Reyneri Apâ—stel Benedictinerum in Appen Par. 2. p. 71. Weever's Fun. Monum p. 328. Priories at that time in England belonging to Foreign Abbeys and thereupon called Aliens because they were Cells to some Monastery or other beyond the Seas the Number whereof
King Edward being fully in earnest sends Dr. John Stratford Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Richard Bury Bishop of Durham Henry Burwash Bishop of Lincoln and the Earls of Salisbury Northampton Huntingdon and Suffolk with Sr. Geoffry Scroop Lord Chief Justice of England and John Lord Darcy Steward of the Kings Houshold his Commissioners to the French King not now to demand Restitution of a few Castles or Towns unjustly taken and detain'd but to declare King Edwards Rightfull Claim to the Crown of France it self as also by the by to propose some Conditions for a Treaty with c Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 185. David Bruce the exil'd King of Scotland then in France But if the French King should prove untractable and averse to Reason then to proceed to the Court of Prince d Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 646. Rupert Count Palatine of the Rhine Duke of Bavaria and the Emperours Brother to engage him also on the Behalf of England against King Philip. These e Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 531. Ambassadours being arrived at Bologne received there Advice that King Edwards Mind was alter'd as who justly conceived that their journey might be hazardous and expose them to the Fury of a passionate Prince who in his displeasure made no difference between Just and Unjust Sacred or Profane and had before threatned his Negotiators with Death if ever they came again when before his Coronation they were pleading the King of Englands Right to that Crown in the Chamber of France Wherefore leaving off their design of visiting Paris they bent their course for Heinalt where they renewed the League with f Dudg 1 Vol. p. 531. William the young Earl of Heinalt the Earl of Gueldre and the Marquis of Juliers And proceeding to Colen made a like Agreement with Rupert Duke of Bavaria he undertaking to serve King Edward against all Men Living the Emperour his Brother only excepted with an hundred and fifty Men of Arms the whole number amounting to a thousand Men in lieu whereof the English Commissioners engag'd before their Return for England to pay unto him at Dort 2700 Florens of Florence or their equivalent Value in Sterling and moreover upon the Feast of St. Michael next ensuing the summ of 15000 Florens of good Gold viz. for every Souldier 15 Florens for the two first Months Service Nay it appears by one of Pope Benedicts g Extant apud Odoric Raynald ad An. 1337. §. 12. Letters to King Philip bearing Date at Avignon VIII Id. Novemb. Anno Pontificatûs III how there were Treaties on foot at this time that Lewis the Emperour laying aside his Right to the Roman Empire and only retaining to himself the Kingdom of Almain the Secular Electors therefore giving him some good Equivalent the King of England on Consideration of no small Summs of Mony should be made King of the Romans and elected Emperour Or if this might not be done that however he should be irrevocably deputed for his Life Vicar of the Empire as to the Lower Part thereof that by reason of the Neighbourhood he might the more opportunely and powerfully infest the Kingdom of France King h Frois c. 30. Philip of Valois was not ignorant of all this Diligence of King Edward's both at home and abroad But it chiefly fretted him that he had made so great Progress among the Flemings whom he repented he had not more early by way of Prevention sought to fasten to himself But remembring how i Fabian p. 205. firm the Earl of Flanders was to his side he did not wholly despair of bringing them over especially knowing them to be a People inconstant mercenary and likely to turn any way for Advantage He therefore sends to Gaunt the Bishop of St. Denis with Others to propose on his behalf very advantageous Offers both to that and other the good Towns of Flanders of which one was that King Philip would release unto them all such Seignories and Lordships of theirs as either he or any of his Progenitors had taken or withheld from them But he came too late For now Jacob van Arteveld bore such sway that none durst contradict his Opinion and the k Frois c. 30. Earl himself had been already forced to withdraw his Wife and Children into France for their Security So that Gaunt and Bruges Ipre Courtray and Cassel with other Towns thereabout rejected utterly the Offers of the French King and adhered firmly to King Edward especially bearing an l Fabian p. 205. old Grudge to King Philip for the War he made against them in the beginning of his Reign whereof we made some mention in the Second Year of this our History VIII The mean while in the Isle of m Frois c. 30. Holinshead p. 901. Stâ—w p. 234. Walsing hist p. 132. n. 1. Cadsand lying between the Haven of Sluce and Flushing certain Knights and Esquires of Flanders who held with the Earl against the Towns made a strong Garrison by command of King Philip and their Lord Earl Lewis The chief Captains were Sr. Guy of Rijckenburgh Bastard-Brother to the Earl Sr. Duras Halvin Sr. John Rhodes Sr. Giles Son to the Lord Lestriefe Sr. Nicholas Chauncy and Others These Men kept the Passage in hopes to meet some English against whom already they made Covert War Whereof the English Lords in Heinalt having Notice knew they should receive no very kind Salute if they went home that way But while they were in Flanders they rode about at their pleasure for Jacob van Arteveld had assured them of all Respect and Honour But however because King n Ashmole p. 647. Edward understood that the Flemings and French not only kept this Garrison in Cadsand but also had set out several Men of War to Sea to wait for his Ambassadors in their Passage home he directed his Writ to John Lord Roos Admiral of the Fleet from the River of Thames Northward to fit up a Convoy of 40 Stout Ships well Mann'd and to be with them at Dort in Holland on the Monday after Midsummer-day to secure their Return They lay ready for them at Dort and so took ship at their leisure for England having effectually perform'd their Business In their passage o Walsingh hist p. 118. Dug 1 Vol. p. 531. Knighton p. 2570. n. 30. homeward they took two Flemish Men of War with an hundred and fifty Scots on board among whom was the Bishop of Glascow Sr. John Stuart and other Noblemens Sons of Scotland as Sr. David Hay Sr. Hugh Gifford Sr. John de la More Sr. William Bayly Sr. Alexander Frasier with two Clerks Thomas Ferguson and William Muffet and a Monk of Dunfermlin besides certain Noble Ladies These with 4000 Souldiers for their Guard were sent by the French King to aid the Brucean Scots with Arms Horse Gold and Silver to the value of 15000 l. all which was now taken by the English Admiral the Souldiers being most slain and the
Defence of the North even as they had already done And then several were appointed to follow this device and to prepare the Commissions for Array into divers Countries It is agree'd that the Inhabitants of Holderness in Yorkshire should be Arrayed and grant Aid for the Defence of those Marches as well as others of the County of York altho they be appointed by Commission to keep the same It is agree'd that the Commissions of Sr. William Wallingford and all other Commissioners for Purveyance for the King be utterly void And that all Officers of the Ports by the Kings Writ do refrain the exporting of k Alii legunt Coyne Corn. That the Earl of Richmond the Lord Clifford the Lord Roos of * M.S. Wake male Werke the Lord Moubray and Sr. William Daubeny should be commanded by Writ to repair towards their Lands for the Defence of the North Marches or if unable or otherwise occupy'd in the Kings Service then to send their Quota's thither to the Lords who were Captains there That the Writs of Summons for the next Parliament should charge every Sheriff to return for his County two Knights girded with Swords That every Archbishop and Bishop do before the next Session of Parliament take a Certificate of all Benefices being in the Hands of Aliens of the Value of each of them and of Residence or Non-Residence thereon That two Writs be issued out the One to call a Convocation of the Clergy of the Province of Canterbury and the other of York against Hilary Term following It is also determin'd that the Parliament should be Summon'd against the Octaves of St. Hilary then ensuing Of which we shall now take leave to discharge our selves that our following Discourse may find no Interruption When the time of the next Sessions of Parliament approached l Rot. Parl. M. S. ibid. p. 25. Sr Rob. Cotton p. 19. because the Duke of Cornwall Warden of England was busied about the Kings Weighty Affairs being as I shew'd with his Father beyond Sea there were appointed to preside in Parliament John Stratford Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Chancellour and William de la Zouch Archbishop of York m Philipet's Catal p. 33. Lord Treasurer with the Dean of York and Sr. John Willoughby Deputy Lord Chief Justice Sr. John Stonore Justice of the Kings Bench and Sr. John St. Paul any Four Three or Two of these by the Kings Letters Patents were appointed to begin continue and end the Parliament for and in the Name of the King and the Lord Warden of England and there to do all things which the said Guardian should do until his or the King his Fathers coming The Commission began Edvardus D. Gr. c. and ended Teste Edvardo Duce Cornubiae Com. Cestr Filio nostro Charissimo Gardiano de Angl. These n Jan. 20. Commissioners aforesaid caused sundry of the Lords and Commons to assemble in the Presence Chamber AN. DOM. 1340. An. Regni XIV because several of both Houses were not yet come they continued the Parliament from day to day till the * Dom. Lit. B. A. Monday next after the Octaves aforesaid during which time Merchants Owners of Ships and Mariners did attend That o Jan. 24. same day the Causes of the Parliament were declared to be the same as before namely for Granting the King an Aid for keeping of the Sea and for Defence of the North Marches whereunto the Commons require Respit until Saturday the 19 of February And then they unanimously offer'd to the King for Aid 30000 Sacks of Wooll on certain Conditions expressed in a pair of Indentures But for the better Expedition after some Debate they yielded to give the King presently 2500 Sacks of Wooll so as if the King liked the Conditions aforesaid the same should go in part of Payment if not they were freely offer'd unto him The Lords promised to send unto the King to know his Pleasure and in the mean time they also for their Parts grant that such of them or of their Peers as hold by a Barony should give to the King the Tenth of their Grain Wooll and Lambs and of all their own Demesnes As for the Merchants their Day was put off till p i.e. 6 Martii nam Pascha hoc ano. 16. April Monday in the First Week of Lent but the Mariners of the Cinque Ports promised to make ready their Ships before q i.e. 26 Martii Midlent viz. 21 Ships of their own and 9 of the Thames and to bear half the Charges themselves the other half the Privy Council promised to bear of their own good Will to their King and Country but not of Duty or that it should stand for a Precedent The Mariners of the West promise to set forth 90 Sail and 10 Ships of the Burthen of one Hundred Tunn or more and to bear the whole Charges if they could Two Sufficient Scholars were appointed to compute the Charges the One for the West and the Other for the Cinque Ports It was here order'd that all Ships of Portsmouth and from thence toward the West of the Burthen of one Hundred Tunn or upward should ride at Dartmouth the Admiral to be Richard Fitz-Alan Earl of Arundel and that the Ships of the Cinque Ports and the Thames being of that Burthen should ride at Winchelsea the Admiral to be William Clinton Earl of Huntington The whole Fleet to be ready before the end of Lent. Command was given to the Admirals to stay all other Ships which might pass the Seas and to warn them to go into safe Harbours And to Furnish this Fleet with Souldiers beside those whose Duty was to attend and also those who were prest general Proclamation was order'd to be made that all Persons who had received of the King Charters of Pardon should now repair to the Sea-coasts for the Kings Service on pain of forfeiting the same The Lord Richard Talbot that Noble Warrier some of whose Valiant Acts we have mention'd in the Scotch War having in Parliament undertaken for the security of the Town of Southampton is now appointed Captain of the Town and allow'd for that Service 20 Men of Arms and an 100 Archers extraordinary at the Kings Wages and more upon occasion All which Souldiers to have one Months Pay beforehand and Sr. Richard one 100 Pounds by way of Gratuity Being also appointed to see the said Town forthwith fortified according to Covenants in a pair of Indentures and to levy the Charges of the Neighbours bordering thereabouts and if that shall not suffice of the Inhabitants The Bishop of Winchester who at that time was Adam Orleton the Traytor the Prior of St. Swithens and the Abbot of Hyde were order'd to keep at their Mannors near Southampton with all their Powers to be ready to assist the said Sr. Richard at his Call Also that two Pinaces the one at r Itâ— cerrigo pro Welbroâ—k in M. S. Sr. R. Cotton Milbrook
at the East-end of his Cathedral toward the North At whose Feet there lies his Brother Sr. Robert who was a Great Souldier in his time and also a Son of Sr. Robert's Named Bartholomew There died also this Year two Famous Old Barons of England the a Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 639. One was Hugh Courtney Senior Earl of Devonshire of almost 90 Years of Age who left behind him his Son and Heir of the same Name then about Thirty three Years Old. The Other was the * Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 52. Lord Henry Vicount Beaumont Earl of Buquhan in Scotland He left behind him John his Son and Heir then Twenty two Years of Age and a young Daughter Named Elizabeth afterwards Married to Sr. Nicolas Audley Son and Heir to the Lord James Audley of Heley Besides these two there Died about the same Time at Gaunt in the Kings Service the Lord Chief Justice of England Sr. Geoffry Scroop He had been very Loyal to King Edward the Second as appeared by the joynt Testimonies of the Prelates Earls and Barons in b Pat. 1. Ed. 3. p. 1. m. 22. Parliament whereupon he Obtain'd much Grace with King Edward the Third whom he also Served till his Death with Indefatigable Industry Admirable Discretion and Untainted Loyalty In Consideration whereof among other Princely Favours bestow'd on him we find that the King Advanced him to the Degree of a c Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 658. Knight Banneret with a Gift of two Hundred Marks per annum for his better Support and that but this very Year he d Stow's Survey Lond. p. 249. gave unto him the Great House call'd the Erbar by the Church of St. Mary Bothaw near Dowgate-Street in London He lest behind him together with a Good Name and a Plentifull Estate Henry his Son and Heir at that Time Twenty five Years of Age who prov'd a Valiant and Noble Knight in his Days and John a Younger Son who many Years after Married Elizabeth one of the Daughters and Coheirs of David Strabolgi Son to David Earl of Athol slain in Scotland five Years before We shall conclude this Chapter with a short Relation of a most signal Victory obtain'd this Year on the 30 of October over the Saracens Moors and Africans in Spain In the foregoing Year e Câ—â—â—â—n Victorell de PP Reman p. 884. p. 887. Alphonso XI King of Castille and Leon being hardly put to it by the Barbarians begg'd aid of the Pope and all the Great Princes of Christendom From France and England went but few or none because of the Wars then hot between the two Realms But from other Parts many gallant Knights and Gentlemen went against those Enemies of God being especially encouraged thereto by the Pope's Bulls wherein he granted large Indulgences to those who undertook this Expedition Alphonso therefore being now reinforced with a small but well-compacted Army and joyned with his Neighbour Alphonso the Brave King of Portugall gave Battle to the Moors in the Plains of Tartessos vulgarly called Tariffa from a Town of that Name in the Boetic Province which enclines to the River called Rio Salado near the Herculean Sea. The Forces of Alphonso were 35000 Foot and 14000 Horse but the Army of Allibohacen King of Morocco with those of Granada under their Miramolin and three other Kings of the Moors consisted of 600000 Foot and 80000 Horse And yet thrô the Divine Assistance the Christians wan the Day f Jos Teixera de Orig. Reg. Port. and with the Loss of no more than g Joh. Mariana l. 16 c. 7. 20 Men slew in the Fight and in the Chace above h Vasaus Hist Hisp Genebr l. 4 Chronog vid. Odâ—ric Raynal ad hunc annum §. 40. usque ad §. 56. 200000 of the Infidels besides an incredible number of Prisoners taken Thô Others reckon no less than 450000 to have fallen that Day among whom were two of the Sons of Allibohacen In Memory of which Miraculous Victory the said 30 of October hath ever since been kept as an high Festival in Spain being dedicated to the Honour of the Holy Cross which was at this time so successfully advanced against the Enemies of Christendom King Alphonso after this Exploit having first and chiefly return'd his Thanks to Almighty God now also in token of his Gratitude to the Pope sends him for a Present to Avignon out of the Spoils he had taken an 100 gallant Horses of Barbary in rich Trappings with an 100 Saracen Slaves to lead them an 100 Morisco Cimitars and an 100 Shields of Tann'd Leather plated Also 24 Military Ensignes and the Horse and Standard of King Allibohacen which he used in this War together with many rich Vessels of Gold and Silver and Jewels of great Price besides his own Horse on which he fought and his own Royal Standard which he follow'd in that Battle i Ita Literae Pontis gratulatoriae ad Alphonsum neminant John Martin Don Leyva and Pedro Didaci de Corduba the Spanish Ambassadors who brought all these Presents were received with extraordinary Pomp by the Cardinals and other Prelates at their entrance into Avignon And the next day his Holiness k Victorell ib. himself celebrated Mass and after that made a notable Sermon wherein with great Eloquence he magnifi'd the Kings Victory and exhorted all present to praise God therefore and to pray for the Kings Health and Perseverance in Prosperity And to enable him the better to maintain his Wars against the Moors he then granted unto him the Thirds of the Tithes of all his Subjects which the Kings of Spain enjoy to this Day From this happy Success of the two Alphonso's Kings of Spain and Portugal against Jutzeph King of Granada and Allibohacen King of Morocco the Pope took an Occasion to exhort our King Edward of England to dispose himself towards a l Odoric Raynald ad ann 1340. §. 55. Peace with his Rival of France that they might both unite their Forces against the general Enemies of Christendom These Letters bear Date from Avignon the xv of the Kalends of January i. e. 18 of December in the Close of this Year being the VI of his Pontificate The Copy of which Letter is to be seen in the Ecclesiastical History of Odoricus Raynaldus at this Year 1340. King Alphonso presently after this Victory lays Siege to the great Town of Algezira belonging to the Moors and lying upon the Streights of Morocco on the Frontiers of Granada Which after a long Siege was enforced at last thrô Famine to yield to the Christians Thô still the Saracens held Footing in that Kingdom till having lost the City of Granada to Ferdinando and Isabella Kings of Spain they were at last finally expelled that Kingdom by Philip III. Because we may not disturb the intended Order of our Discourse which follows in the next Chapter we take leave in this place to tell the Reader that the Fruitfull Young Queen of
subtle and crafty insinuations he made himself Necessary to this Queens Counsels than that his Person could ever render him acceptable to her Bed She her self being accounted one of the most Delicate Ladies of that Age. Whereas He was not only a Married man but a Father of Eleven Children by most of whom he was at his Death a Grandfather Howbeit near this time the King being sensible of her Wickedness to the King his Father p Holinshead Engl. Chrâ—n p. 895. c. confin'd her to perpetual Imprisonment at Riseings near London being in Filial Piety obliged to do no more against the Mother nor no less for the Sake of his Father The Greek Tragedians might have sav'd Orestes from his Mothers Furies had they given him the Discerning Justice of this Young English Prince to Revenge indeed his Fathers Death but not so as by shedding of his own Mothers Blood. Nay herein he not only transcended the Vertue of a Pagan Heroe but shew'd himself both more Pious and more Discreet than that Christian Prince his Predecessor Edward the Confessor who only upon a bare suspicion of Adultery in his Mother Emma caused her to pass q Milton's Hist Engl. l 6. p. 287 Antiqu. Britann p. 98. Blindfold over Nine Burning Plow-shares after the Law of the Ordeal a Fiery Tryal indeed before any Proof made Immediately upon this Confinement of the Old Queens all her Vast and Immoderate Dowry was siesed into the King's Hands but some Plate and Jewels with other Furniture convenient for her Estate were still left unto her and besides the King her Son allow'd her during Life three Thousand Marks or a Thousand Pounds sterling which was afterwards Augmented to four Thousand Pounds per annum for her Maintenance and went himself constantly whilst she lived which was almost Twenty Eight Years after to visit her Once or Twice a Year Nevertheless He often sent her many Goodly Presents and Granted several Advantages as of Fairs and the like and for her Greater Diversion would frequently cause many Rare and Pleasant Shews to be Represented before her both within and without the Castle to which upon Occasion she was permitted to come But certain Limits were appointed and the Keeper of the Castle on Peril of his Head was to secure his Royal Prisoner CHAPTER the FOURTH The CONTENTS I. Henry Earl of Lancaster founds the New Hospital at Leicester The Popes Grant to King Edward with his Opinion about the Souls of the Departed II. The Lord James Douglas of Scotland kill'd in Spain III. Edward Baliol claims the Crown of Scotland against David Bruce with the Event IV. Hector and Buchanan found tardy V. King Edward represses the Licence of certain Outlaws VI. A Parliament at Westminster VII Robert Vere the Good Earl of Oxford dies King John of Bohemia his Victories in Italy I. THUS at last the Nation being by this due course of long-intermitted Justice cleans'd from the sin of shedding so much Royal Blood AN. DOM. 1330 An. Regni IV. began to smile again with new Hopes And now that the Heavy load of Rebellion and Murder was lay'd on the Heads of the Authors of either the whole Kingdom sprang out with new Joy and the Royal Throne became fixed and settled being arm'd with the Sword of just Authority and from this time all publique Transactions succeeded with an uninterrupted serenity For no doubt if we look seriously into the Dispensations of Providence we may safely conclude from a prospect of these Affairs that one Reason why hitherto our Arms were improsperous and so various Misfortunes daily encroached upon the rising Glories of this Young King was that Judgments were still owing to the Land for the late Rebellion and Treason which till now could not be throughly expiated The Good old a Knighton p. 2559. n. 40. Henry Plantagenet Earl of Lancaster High-Steward of England being now almost blind with age but having first seen the Redemption of his King and Country from the slavery go which Mortimer's Insolence and Cruelty had well nigh brought it in pious Gratitude to Divine Providence and in contemplation of his own Deliverance built and founded to the Honour of God the New-Hospital by the Castle of Leicester which he also endow'd with sufficient Maintenance for one Hundred Impotent and Aged People of whose Wants his own Age made him not a little sensible Which pious Work received its Completion from his Son Henry the first Duke of Lancaster This Year Pope b Walsing Hypod p. 112. n. 10 John the XXII to ingratiate himself with our Young King grants him the Tythes of all Spirituals for four Years reserving however one Moiety to himself So wisely liberal was his Holiness both to himself and others of what was not his own This c Victerel p. 871 Pope was of Opinion that the Souls of the Blessed shall not see the Face of God till the Day of Judgment as were also all the Cardinals of his Court except d Victerel p. 879 James Furnere Priest-Cardinal titulo Sanctae Priscae commonly called the White Cardinal who also immediately succeeded this Pope by the name of Benedict the XII Now it e Thorne's Chr. p. 2067. n. 20. ad n. 60. happen'd that Ralph de Berne alias Barnes Abbot of St. Austen's in Canterbury being dead Thomas Poncy D. D. was chosen Abbot whereupon he went to Avignion to be Consecrated of the Pope There being look'd upon as a Man famous for Learning and of deep knowledge in Divinity he was by the Pope enjoyned among many Others to study the Point and to deliver his Thoughts thereupon openly in the Consistory He would fain have excus'd the Matter as fearing thereby to disoblige the Pope and so to retard his own Business by saying That he had not his Books about him and that he came not thither to engage in Disputations but to dispatch his Business and that he could not make any long stay in those Foreign parts without being at vast expences But all this notwithstanding he was not suffered to depart till he should declare his mind as to the Premises the Pope offering him a free use of his Library Hereupon thô for the most part Others approv'd of the Pope's Opinion even against their Consciences least otherwise they should incurr his Displeasure our Doctor Thomas Poncy resolving rather to hazard all things than to contradict the Catholick Faith or his own Conscience held the Affirmative of the Question and stifly maintain'd it by Word of mouth and by Writing Which afterwards turned to his great Honour this same Pope upon his Death recanting his former Opinion as erroneous But for this small Digression we crave pardon II. Thô not much more to our purpose yet not altogether impertinent were those two memorable Battels fought this Year between the Pagans and Christians the One in f Knighton p. 2559. n. 30. c. Armenia upon the Plains of Lyas where Cassanus the King of Tharsis
wholly acquitted thereupon As indeed by this time both his Father and Grandfather too might have been had not the too speedy violence of their Enemies taken them both out of the way Yet 't is observable by this Sr. Hugh the younger whose Manuprizors were Sr. Ebulo le Strange and eleven other Knights as also by Thomas Lord Barkley who had as many Manuprisors thô he was acquitted the last year that it was a custome to say no more in those days when any one had been tryed as an Offender against the King thô he were thereof acquitted or had his Pardon yet ſ M. S. p. 15. 16. Sr Rob. Cotton p. 10. notwithstanding he was to provide Twelve of his Peers to be Sureties for his Forth-coming during the Kings pleasure The Discontinuance of which custom has been too usefull to Traytors in our days It was also here moved by the whole Parliament either in compassion of Innocence or because all their Rancour was satisfied in the execution of Mortimer that the King's Majesty would be graciously pleased to extend some Favour to Sr. Edmund Eldest Son to the late Earl of March. At which bold request the King being offended as imagining they petition'd for his full Restoration to his Fathers Lands and Honours asked them with some Emotion What they would have since the King his Father had been murder'd by the procurement of the said Earl The Parliaments Answer was they only spake in the Young Man's behalf for some certain Lands Intail'd to which the King replied That he himself would do what to him should seem best at his Pleasure Which severity went so near to the heart of the young Lord that before the end of the Year t Dugd. 1 Vol. p. 147. he died in the Flower of his Age leaving behind him Roger his Son and Heir then but three Years of age which Roger three and twenty Years after was fully restor'd to all the Lands and Honours of his Grandfather It is u M.S. p. 14. §. 5. Sr Rob. Cotton p. 10. §. 5. c. agreed that all Feats of Arms shall be defended as well by the Justices as Others untill the King and his Council do otherwise appoint It is agreed that Queen Isabell the King's Mother shall have yearly four thousand Pounds in Rents or Lands All the Estates in full Parliament do agree that none of them shall retain sustain or avow any Felon or other common Breaker of the Law. It is enacted that no Purveyance be made but for the King Queen and their Children and that by good Warrant and ready Payment The King shall appoint certain Persons to determine the Office of Thomas de Ferrers and Other his Brethren of the Parsonage of Marleston in the County of Leicester Commandment is given to the Abbot of Crowland and Thomas Lord Wake of Lidel between whom there had been debate to keep the Kings Peace The like command was given to Sr. William de la Zouch of Ashby and Sr. John Grey of Rotherfield Stephen Gravesend Bishop of London was taken into the Kings Privy Council and took his Place at the Board accordingly At the request of the whole Estate the King now at last dischargeth the Lord Thomas Barkley of his Mainprisors day being given to him to appear at the next Parliament Whereas Sr. Henry Percy for the Yearly Fee of 500 Marks stood bound to serve the King with a certain number of Men as well in Peace as in War The King in release of the said Fee granteth to the said x In my M.S. and Sr. Rob. Cotton too he is here called an Earl thô the First Percy Earl of Northumberland was not till the Coronation of King Richard the Second An. 1377. vid. Mills Catal. He p. 718. Sr. Henry in Fee the Castle of Workworth in Northumberland and the Mannor of Rochbury In this Parliament Sr. Robert y Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 154. Benhale who was then or soon after a Baron of the Realm and a most noble and couragious Knight in his time as we shall have Occasion to see hereafter with William Clopton and John Clopton all young spritely Gentlemen having been convicted before the Justices of Assize in Norfolk and Suffolk of certain Ryots and other youthfull Extravagancies were brought to appear in full Parliament with several Knights and Esquires their Sureties where each of them was fin'd and further bound with other Sureties for his good Behaviour For at this time Justice being provok'd by the Insolence of those who took too great liberty during the Kings Minority was every where severely administred as in the next years Parliament we shall see more particularly Sundry Merchants of Brabant having been arrested by English Merchants for Wools taken up to the use of the Duke of Brabant upon the said Duke's request the King commands all the said English Merchants to appear before the Council and abide further Order therein About this time King Edward z Dugd. 2 Vol. p. 148. confer'd on the young Sr. Walter Manny Carver to his Queen the Honour of Knighthood here in England by Bathing and other sacred Ceremonies with allowance of Robes for that Solemnity out of the Kings Wardrobe as for a Baneret And in the Sequel of this History we shall see how worthily he behav'd himself in this Honour VII There a Mill's Catal. Hener p. 683. departed this life on the 19 of April this Year the Lord Robert Vere called the Good Earl of Oxford Lord of Bolebec Samford and High-Chamberlain of England So Valiant that King Edward the First often employ'd him in his greatest Affairs with equal success so Temperate that he had the common Repute of a Saint He was solemnly interred at the Priory of Colne and because he left no Issue of his Body was succeeded in his Honours by his Nephew Sr. John Vere son of his Brother Alphonso who was now about Nineteen years of Age The Arms of this Honourable Family are Quatterly Gules and Or in the First a Mullet Argent which have belonged to the Earls of Oxford of that House and Name from the Year of our Lord 1140 even down to our days In these days John of Luxemburgh Son and Heir to Henry of Luxemburgh once Emperour of Germany the most valiant King of Bohemia * Lanquets Chread hunc annum invading Italy brought under his subjection Brescia Bergamo Lucca Parma Reggio and Modena of whose noble Exploits and Death we shall have Occasion to speak hereafter But the Occasion of his Wars in Italy may be seen in the Writers of that Nation and no where more particularly than in Odoricus Rainaldus his Continuation of Baronius his Annals of the Church at the Year of our Lord 1330 and after CHAPTER the FIFTH The CONTENTS I. A Parliament at Westminster II. The true Grounds of the Scotch War enquired into III. A Recapitulation of the Scotch Affairs from the first Invasion of Bailiol to this time IV.
and delighteth in peace-full-minded Men thereby to put an end to the foresaid Evils which no doubt do now grievously offend him Furthermore We have great cause to marvell that our Reverend Brother Annibald Bishop of Tusculum and our Beloved Son Stephen of the Title of St. John and St. Paul Priest and Cardinal of the Apostolick See being sent as Legates from Us and the said Apostolick See to treat of Peace thô they diligently and faithfully labour'd for the same as Lovers of Verity Justice and Equity and therewithall had an high regard to your Honour could not yet for all that obtain Licence as touching any Treaty relating to the said Peace to be admitted into your Royal Presence Wherefore We more earnestly desire your Princely Majesty and for the Mercies of God with more Ardency require the same that by taking up and preventing with the sweetness of Piety and Compassion the foresaid horrible Evils You may avoid the Vengeance of Gods indignation which were much to be feared if you should still persevere to foment those Evils which God forbid And as touching the Treaty of Peace for which the foresaid Cardinals were sent unto You howbeit secretly lest it might have been any Derogation to your Honour We desire You again to condescend thereunto and with your Affections to encline your Mind unto the same since Peace is so pleasing unto God so desirable to the World and so profitable both to You and the foresaid King and the whole Catholick Faith That so the said Peace being by Gods Assistance established and settled You may assay your puissant Valour about the Service of God in the foresaid Eastern Parts so good occasion as we said before being at this time offer'd which would be an apt Advancement of your Honour and no doubt a prosperous Augmentation of your Princely Name For We have heard of You that You are wont to behave Your Self servently and vigorously in all your Undertakings Thus We doubt not but that You will write unto Us again concerning the Premises and the Purport of your Intentions touching the same Dat. e e Ita Odor Rainald ex Copia Vatican malè ergo Fox 18 Febr. Avenion xviii Kal. Februarii Anno Pontificatus nostri V. This Letter was answer'd by King Edward in this Manner To the most Holy Father in God CLEMENT by Divine Providence Chief Bishop of the Holy Roman and Catholick Church EDWARD by the Grace of God King of France and of England and Lord of Ireland Devout Kissings of his Holy Feet Most Holy Father We understand by the Letters of the Reverend Fathers in God Annibald Bishop of Tusculum and Stephen of the Titles of St. John and St. Paul Priest Cardinals and Legates of the Court of Rome as also by your Holinesses Letters sent unto Us that you have great marvel for that your said Legates being sent unto Us to treat of an Accommodation between Us and our Adversary of France We would not yet suffer them to talk with Us secretly for the safeguard of our Honour the intention of your Heart being in that manner to have made the foresaid Accommodation Wherein also You complain and bewail the Death of Christian People the loss of their Goods and danger of their Souls the dolefull Cries and Lamentations of the Poor Orphans and Widows and the Destruction of other wretched People with the sacrilegious Robbings of Churches and other Mischiefs innumerable especially the Decay of the Christian Faith in the East which by the Wars between Us and our Adversary of France is deplorably impaired as the said Letters do import And that forasmuch as God hath given unto Us Triumphant Fortune We ought so much the rather to abase and humble our Heart and be the readier to accept of and encline to Peace Now as concerning all these Things most Holy Father We give your Holiness to understand that both to your foresaid Legates and other your Messengers sent unto Us to every of them We have still offer'd Reasonable ways of promoting of Peace and We every Day declare the same and that not secretly but openly For We are not afraid nor asham'd to make our Purpose manifest For He that is the High Judge both of ſ Philip King of France Him and Us in whose Dispose all things are hath given unto Us the Crown of France as our Right and Heritage The which Right our foresaid Adversary hath for a long time by Force detained from Us thô We sought in peaceable Manner to obtain the same and yet do if by any Reasonable way We may obtain the same And this the rather for the Benefit of Christendom and that the foresaid Evils might cease which by His Injustice only have had their Birth and Continuance Yet notwithstanding as you know before this time We assented to a Truce upon certain Articles contained in Writing all this he hath infringed Neither doth the Wrong which he offereth unto Us in our foresaid Heritage suffice but he endeavoured also during the said Truce to invade our Realm of England and other our Lands and furthermore maintaineth the Scots and aideth them for the utter Destruction of Us our People and Lands aforesaid So that We were enforced for the safeguard of our People and Lands by such Lawfull means as We might to defend Our Selves and frustrate his wicked Design For which intent committing our Quarrel to the Hands of God We are come against him to conquer our Heritage of France since when God hath given Us divers Victories over him as We trusted he would in his most Righteous Judgment and as We knew he was able by his Almighty Power Which indeed he hath graciously manifested unto Us all Chance of Fortune set aside in respect only of our Just Title and without the least of our Deserts Whereface with all Humility of Soul We always give him Thanks praising his Holy Name most devoutly both Night and Day For We acknowledge that these things were not brought to pass by our Strength and Force Wherefore most Holy Father We desire your Holiness and as much as in us lies earnestly require You that You who supply the Place of the Son of God on Earth and have the Care of the Souls of all Christians and therefore ought to be Indifferent Upright and Equal towards all Men without any Respect of Persons that You I say will receive good and true Information concerning the foresaid Objections and will put to your holy helping Hand that as much as in You lies our said Adversary of France may be brought to acknowledge the Wrong which in this Point he hath done unto Us and which by your Aid may be redressed But that especially he may receive no Aid nor Countenance from You in this his wrongfull Dealing For if it be so We then appeal unto the Supream Judge of Judges who for a time may permit Wrongs to be done for the sins of Mankind but in the end redresseth the same neither leaving
Cardinal by the Will and Consent of the said King of France and his Council To which o Leco supra citate Odoricus Rainaldus adds these Words What dreadfull slaughters King John brought upon himself thereby with a like event as his Father Philip had revoked the Peace made with the English Commissioners from whence we said the English War brake forth whereby France was embroil'd for so many Years will appear hereafter IX Since we spake a little above of the Death of Dr. William Batemanâ— it is fit that we take our leave something more solemnly of so Worthy a Person of whom many commendable things are to be said thô only to excite Vertue in a Degenerate Age by the example of others whose Liberality have embalmed their Names to late Posterity He was p Godw. Catal. Bâ—s p. 426. born at Norwich bred at Cambridge and being Dr. of the Civil Law and Arch-Deacon of Norwich was at last elected Bishop by the General Consent of the Convent He was the first Founder of Trinity-Hall in Cambridge appointing it as it remains to this day a perpetual Seminary of Learned Civilians and giving certain Lands toward the Maintenance thereof He founded also the Hall of the Annunciation of our Lady in the said University and gave one of the Publick Chests And provoking others to follow his good Example he perswaded one Edward Gonwell alià s Gonvill to found another Hall in the same English Athens which afterwards was much augmented at the Cost and Charges of one John Caius a Learned Physician and is now after both their Names called Gonvill and Key 's College Dr. Bateman was succeeded in the See of Norwich by q Dagd 1 Vol. p. 275. Richard Piercy younger Brother to Henry Lord Piercy which Henry was never Earl of Northumberland thô Godwin by mistake calls him so and gives unto this Richard the Name of Thomas as Stow also doth but Father to the first Earl of that Name X. About this time r Stow p. 255. Walsing Hyped p. 122. hist p. 161. Foâ— p. 361. Holinshead p. 948. there fell a Cruel Dissention in the Famous University of Oxford between the Scholars and the Townsmen The occasion whereof was this On the Tenth Å¿ Anton. Wood's Antiqâ— Oxon. of February t L. 1. p. 174. ad annum 1354. ex Reg. Synwell dicto fol. 67 68 69 c. Dom. Lat. D. ad an 1354 / 5. which in the Year 1354 / 5 happen'd on a Tuesday and the Feast of St. Scholastica the Virgin Walter Sprinheuse and Roger Chesterfield with other Scholars went to a Tavern called Swindlestock or Swinstock at the Sign of the Mermaid in the Street named Quatervois and there finding fault with the Wine called for John Croydon the Vintner and demanded better Wine Here Words being multiply'd and the Vintner not at all complying the Scholars went so far as to strike the Pot and Wine and all about his Head. Upon this Affront he ran down made his complaint to his servants and family and afterward to his Neighbours so that in short a great part of the Town conspired the Destruction of the Scholars and rang the Town Bell at St. Martins Whereupon the University Bell of St. Maries was rung also and so the Scholars and Townsmen being armed with Bows and other Weapons had a scuffle till the Evening parted them and as yet no great harm was done But the next day the Countrymen near Oxford to the Number of about 2000 came in to the Assistance of the Townsmen with a Black-Banner born before them Whereupon the Scholars fled to their Colleges but the enraged Multitude breaking in upon them slew many whom they flung in their Bog-houses and then rent and tare their Books and Writings to pieces and carried away the College-Plate and what else they pleased There were the Names of more than 28 University men slain and wounded that day given in to the Bishop of Lincoln a few days after besides those who being secretly buried were not heard of any more For this Riot the King * Ret. Claus 29. Ed. 3 m. 9. seised on the Liberties of the City the greater part whereof were granted to the University which they enjoy to this Day However for that time the University was in a manner dissolved all Scholars but those of Merton College going to their Friends and Relations where they continued for a Year or two after The mean u Holinsh Engl. Chron. p. 949. Anton. Wood's Antiqu. Oxon. l. 1. p. 174. 176. while the Bishop of Lincoln inhibited all Priests to celebrate Divine Service in presence of any Layman within the City of Oxford and the King sending his Justices thither to take knowledge of this disorderly Riot there were divers both of the Townsmen and Scholars endited and certain of the Burgesses as Richard Forester and Robert Lardiner and the Mayor himself John Bereford were committed to Prison And the High-Sheriff named Richard Williamscote because he did not according to his Duty in helping the University and the Vicechancellour was removed and John Laundels put in his Place The x Anton Wood's Antiqu. Oxon. l. 1. p. 176 c. former Mayor and Bailiffs being now clapt up in the Tower at the y In Minâ—r Rubr. Libr. Civ Oxon. C. fol. 27. Kings Command another Mayor was chosen whose Name was John de St. Frideswide and two new Bailiffs William Somerford and Hugh Yeftele alià s Eifley who were to hold for the remainder of the Year The next day after their Names were carried to the King and Attourneys sent to beg in their behalf his Majesties Pardon for the foresaid Sedition About which time certain Advocates for the University were also at Court solliciting an end of these Matters Whereupon both Parties being cited up to London sent thither their several Advocates The University wholly resign'd both her self and Privileges into the Kings hands Then also the Townsmen produced their Resignation and rendred up all their Privileges and Liberties their Persons and Goods moveable and immoveable and their Gilds whatsoever as well general as special and all their Rights they entirely submitted to the Kings disposal and this they did as they confess in the form of their Surrender because if they should be proceeded against by any other way of Law and solemnly the examination of their cause would tend to their greater Confusion and Punishment c. These Surrenders were made on the Wednesday next after the Feast of St. Dunstan the Bishop before John Archbishop of York Chancellour and William Bishop of Winchester Treasurer and the Justices and others of the Kings Council in the Council Chamber by the Exchequer at Westminster At which time both Parties humbly petition'd that the Kings Majesty would accept of their Resignations But the King commanded them to be deliver'd into the hauds of David Wollere Master of the Rolls of Chancery to be kept until such time as upon due
Esquire and others of his Domesticks and interred in the said Church of the Augustine-Fryars at Clare aforesaid near unto the Pody of his First Wife Elizabeth de Burgh But the Lord Edward Spencer who doubted some foul play had been used towards him tarried still in Italy and together with Sr. John Hawkwood and his Englishmen called the White-Company * Walsingh Hyped p. 131. n. 23 Frois c. 242. fol. 146. made fierce War upon the Dukes of Milain in Revenge of his Masters Death till at last he was fully satisfied of their Innocence as to that point and their great and unfeigned sorrow for the untimely loss of so Noble a Kinsman This was the first unkind Stroke of Fortune that ever King Edward felt and that no small one neither But he bore it with such Courage as might have obliged her if that Fickle Goddess was to be won by Gallantry to be more Respectfull unto Him for the future Though generally she is observed when once she grows Adverse to be much more extream in her Hate than before she had been in her Love. The Young Lady Violantis tried indeed to tast of Happiness after this Loss of her First Husband and was again m Elias Reasnerus ΒΑâ—ΙΑΙΚΩΠGenealegici Auctarium p. 196. Married to Otho Palaeologus Marquess of Monferrato But she did not long enjoy him neither for he was stabb'd by the hands of a base Hostler on the Mountains of Parma III. Before these things fell out namely on the n M.S. Rot. Par. p. 100 c. Sr. Rob. Cotton p. 105. 24 of February King Edward had issued forth his Summons for his Parliament to sit at Westminster on the First Day of May then next ensuing On which Day being a Monday Dr. Simon Langham Archbishop of Canterbury declared to the Lords and Commons then assembled in the Painted-Chamber that it was His Majesties Pleasure to adjourn them to the Thursday following At which time the said Arch-bishop in Presence of the King Lords and Commons then all assembled in the said Painted-Chamber declared how the King yielded unto God Almighty his most hearty Thanks for having given him Victory over all his Enemies also for the peaceable and flourishing Condition of his Realm and for the great Loyalty of his Subjects and their constant Readiness to serve Him both in Body and Goods all which Blessings as he desired what in him lay to continue or rather to encrease so that he might the better succeed in that Resolution he had at this time called his Parliament to confer with them in Matters relating to the Premises So the remainder of that Day was spent in appointing Receivers and Tryers of Petitions for England Ireland Wales Scotland and Gascogne with other Foreign Places and Isles The next Day the said Arch-bishop declared how after a long Treaty between the Kings Commissioners and David Bruce King of Scotland King David at last made this Offer To preserve a perpetual Peace with England so that he might freely enjoy to Him and his Heirs for ever the whole Realm of Scotland in Fee without any Subjection or Vassalage which might be accounted a perpetual Reproach to that Kingdom Of which Terms of Peace the Lords and Commons being demanded their Advice gave in their Answers severally that they could not assent to any such Peace without Disherison of the King and his Crown and to the great Danger of their own Souls as who were sworn to uphold and maintain the same to their Power After which the said Arch-bishop in the Kings Name gave thanks to the Three Estates for their ready Compliance in assisting the Kings Wants by their Aids and Subsidies and shew'd them farther how at that time the King stood in as great need of a Considerable Supply as ever Whereupon the Lords and Commons granted unto the King for two Years of every Wooll-Pack 36 s. 8 d. for every Twelve Score of Fells as much and of every Last of Skins 4 l. over and above the usual Custom of 6 s. 8 d. for every Wooll-Pack and the same for every Twelve Score of Fells and of 13 s. and 4 d. for every Last of Skins Then certain New Statutes were prepared and made Law by the King and certain Old ones explained and confirmed as may be seen in the Printed Books referring to those Days which for the most part agree exactly with the Records The Londoners by their Representatives desired that no Foreigner should retail any Merchandise as Wine or any other Provision but this was not granted On the 21 of May the King gave Thanks to the Lords and Commons for their Coming and Aid granted and that Day all the Lords and sundry of the Commons dined with the King. After which Dinner Sr. John Leigh was brought before the King Lords and Commons such as dined there to answer certain Objections made against him and first to the Complaint of William Latimer as followeth The King had granted the Wardship of Robert Latimer the Son and Heir of Sr. Robert Latimer with certain Mannors during his Minority to Dr. Robert Wyvill Bishop of Sarum which Estate descending to the said William Latimer the King afterward granted to Sr. John Leigh during the said William's Minority The said William surmised that the said Sr. John being then Steward of the Kings House and of Power sent for him to London where by duress of Imprisonment he compelled the said William to surrender his Estate up into his Hands But the same Sr. John by Recognisance excuseth himself for that the Grant was made unto him which was not allowed foâ—â—hat the said William was not put out by due Process of Law. Another Matter was objected against the said Sr. John forasmuch as during the time he was Steward of the Kings House he should cause sundry Men to be attached and to come before him as before the Kings Council in such Places as he pleased where being out of Council he caused Men to answer as in Council And that he as Steward having Authority only within the Verge did notwithstanding cause sundry to be attached out of the Verge as John Goddard and Others making them to answer in the Marshalsea for things done out of the Verge and other some he had committed to the Tower of his own Authority as John Sibill Edmund o Urdsales Sr. Rob. Cotton Vrdsalls and others That he had also of his own Head against the Justices Command discharged out of Newgate Hugh Lavenham Purveyor who had appealed sundry Men of Felony That he had bargain'd formerly with Sr. Nicolas Lovaine for the Keeping of the Mannor of Raynham in Kent the which the said Sr. Nicolas claimed to hold during the Minority of the Son and Heir of John Staunton whereas the said Sr. John Leigh knew that the said Mannor was holden of the King in Capite as of the Castle of Dover Of all which Points because the said Sr. John could not purge himself he was
when the News of this Treason was brought to the Lord Thomas Felton and the Captal of Busche These two Lords were mightily surprised at this Treachery of Sr. Thomas Batefoile but they said however they would be present at the Delivery of the Town by the Grace of God. And so before it was light they rode from Bergerac towards la Linde whither they came by break of Day and having caused the Gate to be open on that side rode quite thrô the Town in silence till they came to the other Gate where the Frenchmen were to enter at which very instant the Gate was opening for the French and Sr. Thomas Batefoile stood ready to receive them Then Sr. John Greilly Captal of Busche alighted from his Horse and stept forward with his Sword in his Hand to the Gate and said Ah! thou Perfidious Traitor Batefoil thou shalt first die by my hand and never more commit Treason against thy Good Lord and Master And with those Words gave him so sure a Blow that he fell Dead to the Earth When the Frenchmen perceived the Captal and his Banner and Sr. Thomas Felton with him they saw plainly how their Plot was discovered whereupon they hastily withdrew from the Gates like one that found a Lion in his way and then turn'd their Backs and fled to their main Host Then were the Gates closed again for none pursued them because of their great Army which lay near and so the Town continued English but was in great Danger of being plunder'd and burnt by these Captains who were enclin'd to do so and to put all the Inhabitants to the Sword because they consented to this Treason But they excus'd themselves by laying all the Fault upon Sr. Thomas Batefoile who they said over-aw'd them to it by Threats and how they did nothing but for Fear being compelled thereto and so at last they were pardon'd But these two Lords tarried there till the Duke of Anjou had remov'd his Siege and taken another way as we shall shew when we have cleared our Hands of other Matters which naturally fall in at this Place XIV On the h Hector Boet. l. 15. f. 327. n. 50. Buchan l. 9. p. 306. Holinsh Scotl. p. 244. Odor Rainal ad hunc ann §. 27. Favine le Paris Theatre of Honour l. 5. c. 3. p. 89. Seventh Day of May David Bruce King of Scotland departed this Mortal Life at his Castle of Edenburgh leaving no Lawfull Issue behind him wherefore the Lord Robert Stuart Eldest Son of the Lady Margaret aliàs Margery his Eldest Sister by True Right of Succession came to the Crown and Kingdom of Scotland Which have ever since continued in that Glorious Family down to our Most Gracious Sovereign His Present Majesty King JAMES the Seventh of Scotland and of England the Second To whom may God Almighty grant a Long Happy and Victorious Reign and of his Race and Name to wear the United Crowns of Great Brittain till all Earthly Kingdoms shall be swallowed up in the Eternal Kingdom of Heaven The Original of this Illustrious Family is thus traced by i Favine le Paris l. 5. c. 3. p. 89. c. Favine in his Theatre of Honour Banquho who was Thane i. e. President or Governor of Loquhaber in Scotland being slain by the Tyrannical Usurper Mackbeth his Son Fleance made shift to escape into Wales where of the Daughter of Prince Griffith he begat a Son named Walter and Sirnamed also Banquho as his Grandfather was At that time the Arms of this Family are said to have been Or a Fefs Checkie Argent and Sable of Four Pieces This Walter long after the Death of Mackbeth returning into Scotland fought valiantly for his King against the Island Rebels and the Savages of Scotland and was in recompence of his extraordinary Vertue and eminent Services made Great Provost and Treasurer of the Houshold Royal which the Scots signifie by the Name of Stuart or Steward And he so faithfully discharged the Trust reposed in him without the least Reproach or Embezling of the Kings Money that the Sirname of Stuart was imposed on him and transmitted to all his Posterity Walter begat Alan Stuart who was in the Expedition of Godfrey of Boulogne Alan begat Alexander I his Son was Walter who begat Alexander II and Robert Stuart by whom the Family ran into many Noble Branches Alexander the II Eldest Son of Walter the II begat John Stuart James and other Children by whom Scotland hath been replenished with a Numerous Encrease of Generous Souls John Stuart Eldest Son of Alexander the Second left one Daughter named Jane Stuart who brought unto her Husband the Lord of the Isle of Bute Walter Stuart Third of that Name who taking to Wife the Lady Margery Eldest Daughter to King Robert the First and Sister to King David Bruce gat of her this Robert Stuart King of Scotland by the Name of Robert the Second But because there is a gross Error in all the Scotch Historians concerning the immediate Successor of this King Robert of which many Wicked Men have in our days thought to make Advantage for the sake of Truth and Justice and the Honour of Majesty We shall here fairly state the Matter and faithfully and truly settle it It is the Assertion of all the Scotch Writers whom I have seen thô in some particulars they differ one from another that this Robert before he was King had by a certain Mistress named Elizabeth More Three Sons and Two Daughters that after by his Wife Euphemia Ross who was also Queen he had two Sons and a Daughter that upon the Death of his Queen his Former Mistress being then also by the Death of her Husband Giffard at Liberty was by him taken to Wife her Children legitimated and the Right of Succession by Act of Parliament settled first upon them This is the Effect of what the Scotch Writers say wherein there are many abominable Falsities as We shall make appear for We shall most evidently prove that the Lady Elizabeth More was his First and Lawfull Wife and died before he Married Euphemia that John who succeeded him by the Name of k When he came to the Crown he laid by the Name of John as unfortunate to two Kings of England and France and took upon him that of Robert Fortunate to his Father and Great Grandfather Robert Bruce Robert was his true and lawfully begotten Eldest Son and so reputed both by his Father and King David himself all along and that this Act for settling the Succession was only a Declaration of what was Right and Equity and done in the Life time of Queen Euphemia as is abundantly * P. 189. ad p. 201. made out in Sr. George Mackenzies Jus Regium and l Dr. Brady's True c. p. 309. ad p. 311. Dr. Brady's True and Exact History of the Succession of the Crown of England to whom I shall refer the Reader for the Original Record
37 of Ed. 3. tit 18. shall be executed And for exacting Money of them at the Bridges aforesaid or elsewhere against their Franchises they shall make their Suit in the Chancery and have their Writs grounded on their Liberties to stay such takings The Commons of the County of Kent complain against the Officers of the Castle of Dover for arresting them by their Catchpoles to answer before them whereunto they are g M.S. Sr. Rob. Cotton hâ—c vocula not intercidit not bound The Officers shall have no Jurisdiction out of the Fee of the Honour and Castle of Dover nor shall make any Process by Capias out of the Liberties of the Cinque-Ports Certain of the Sea-Coasts complain to the King that whereas they by the King 's Appointment with their Ships transported Sr. Thomas Felton Steward of Gascogne and Sr. William Elman Governour of Bayonne unto Bourdeaux and from thence went to the Baye where certain Spanish Gallies notwithstanding the Truce taken between the King the Spaniards and Frenchmen boarded and took them viz. on the tenth of August last past before herein therefore they pray Remedy The King hath done and will do his best for Redress and Restitution The Inhabitants of the Town of Southhampton pray the King to take the Town into his own Hands for that they are not able to pay the Fee-Farm by reason of the great Charge about the Fortification of the same and that he would send thither Men of War for the Defence of the same The King will be advised The Mayor and Commonalty of Winchester pray the King to confirm and grant to them their Liberties in such wise as was last granted to London and that towards the Murage of the same he would give them some Aid of Custom or otherwise The Answer to this is not to be read The Commons of divers Cities and Towns require the payment of certain Moneys lent the King in the time of Thomas Brantingham Bishop of Excester and Treasurer of England They shall be paid as soon as may be The Lords of the Realm and their Tenants pray the King of Remedy against the Riots of divers Cities and Towns for that they enter upon their several Grounds therein claiming Common considering the Wasts thereunto adjoyning may suffice therefore and namely that such of the Townsmen as have not Lands lying with any of the said Lords may have no Common in any of their Lands This Matter is before the Council The Inhabitants of Bath complain that whereas they had a Fair there at the Feast of St. Calixtus the Town of Bristow being but ten Miles from them have raised a Fair at Bristow the same Day and forbidden all their Townsmen of Bristow upon certain Penalties to bring any Wares to the said Fair of Bath for this they pray Remedy It is before the Great Council The Commons of Essex and Suffolk pray that certain Clothes there or elsewhere called Cogware and Kersies made in the said Counties be not within the compass of the Statute of Clothes made in the 47 Ed. 3. h In M.S. c. 41. sed eâ— Statutis câ—rrâ—ge c. 1. The King willeth that they have such Words that the Straight-Ware called Cogware and Kersies made in the said Counties shall not be intended to be comprised in the said Statute nor under the penalty therein The Mayor Aldermen and Commons of the City of London pray that they may enjoy all their Liberties and that no Stranger do keep House or be a Broker or sell Merchandise by Retail The King hath granted thereto conditionally that the same City be well governed saving to the Merchants of the Hans their Liberties The Citizens and Burgesses of divers places there mention'd complain for and in the Name of their respective Cities and Towns that divers of the King's Tenants having i Vide de hâc vece Cowell Spelman Skinner c. Burgage within them do suffer them to fall to decay whereby they are the less able to pay their Fee-farms for which they pray Remedy The Citizens of * M.S. Chester Chichester pray Remedy for that they are impleaded out of the same City for their Freeholds and for that they are driven to appear at Assizes and Sessions contrary to the general Words of their Liberties Let them shew their Charters in the Chancery and they shall have Right They require also Confirmation of their Charters according to that purport Let them also shew their Charters and they shall have Right The Commonalty of Surrey and Sussex pray Remedy that whereas the King out of his Fee-farms paid for the said Counties hath granted to Richard Earl of Arundel the two k M.S. Towns c. in Sr. Rob. Cotton Turns of Sheriffs in the Rapes of Chichester and Arundel worth by the Year 30 l. and certain Rent called Sheringdeld to the Yearly value of 14 l. 19 s. 1 d. yielding therefore yearly 3 l. 6 s. 8 d. The Sheriff may upon his Accompt be discharged thereof Let it be shewed to the King and if it please him that the Earl enjoy the same the Sheriff shall be discharged according to the Quantity if not the Sheriff shall be at his Answer The Burgesses of Southwark pray a Confirmation of their Charter lately burn'd by Casualty Let them make their pursuit in the Chancery and they shall have Right The Mayor and Commons of New-Castle upon Tine complain that whereas the Prior of Tinemouth Parcel of St. John of Jerusalem in England by cautelous and suborned means brought his Writ of Freehold in Fernham and put in View and Plaint the greater Parcel in Value of the same Town holden in Farm of the Crown time out of Mind and recovered Whereupon Order was taken that the same Justice of Assize should not in that Assize have a procedendo but that the Chancellor should grant a Commission for the Examining of the Truth untill which time the Matter should stay they therefore require that the Assize be no further proceeded in untill the Commission return Remedy is provided in this Parliament as appeareth by another Bill thereunto indorsed The Commons of the Marches m an Estriveling of Estritheng require that Commission may be made to the Lord Percy the Prior of Bridlington Sr. Robert Boynton Sr. Robert Constable Sr. John Snaresby and John Almaric that they may appoint able Persons for the Defence of the same and namely an Arrival between a Place called Earl-Dikes and the Town of Whitby It pleaseth the King. The Commons of the Counties of Essex and Hertford pray that the Sheriff upon his Account be allowed an 100 l. yearly of that which he cannot receive Let them search the Exchequer or Treasury or elsewhere for the Causes of the Distress of those Farms for two years now ensuing and in the mean time the Sheriff shall have pardon of an Hundred Marks The Commons of the City of Rochester pray that the n Ità Sr. Rob. Cotton sed in