indictement and line 30 action of trespasse found there the same daie against the said Richard Draiton and others for a like disorder and riot by them committed on the thursday next after the feast of the Purification of our ladie in the same first yeare of this king at what time they did not onelie breake into the abbie and beat the abbats men but also tooke the abbat himselfe being then at home with certeine of his moonks kéeping both him and them as prisoners till the next daie that they were constreined to seale certeine writings line 40 And amongst other a charter in which it was conteined that the abbat and his conuent did grant vnto the inhabitants of the towne of Burie to be a corporation of themselues and to haue a common seale with a gild of merchants and aldermen also they were compelled to seale another charter wherein was conteined a grant to the said inhabitants that they should haue the custodie of the towne gates and likewise the wardship of all pupils and orphans within the same towne beside diuerse other liberties line 50 Moreouer they were in like manner constreined to seale thrée seuerall obligations in which the abbat and conuent were bound to the said inhabitants as to a communaltie of a corporation in seauen thousand pounds as in two thousand by one obligation and in two thousand by an other and in three thousand by the third obligation and further they were driuen to seale a letter of release of all trespasses and other things that might be demanded against the line 60 said inhabitants with a generall acquittance of all debts Beside this the said riotous persons tooke at the same time foorth of the abbie great riches as well in plate armor books apparell as in other things They also brake downe two houses or messuages that belonged to the abbeie and situate within the towne of Burie they also destroied his fish-ponds and tooke out such store of fish as they found in the same they cut downe also thréescore ashes there growing on the soile that belonged to the said abbat and did manie other great outrages and enormities so that it was found by the inquest that the abbat was damnified to the value of other fortie thousand pounds These riots may seeme gréeuous and verie strange but yet the same were not so heinouslie taken as an other which the said inhabitants of Burie attempted against the said abbeie in manner of a plaine commotion vpon saint Lukes day in the same yeare at what time as by the records of that abbeie it should appeare both the abbat and his house were in the kings speciall protection and the said inhabitants prohibited by his letters to attempt anie iniurie against him or his conuent But neuerthelesse we find that not onelie the inhabitants of Burie but also a great number of other misgouerned persons that resorted to them from places there about arraied and furnished with horsse armor and weapons after the manner of warre came and assaulted the abbeie gates set fire on them and burned them with diuerse other houses néere adioining that belonged to the abbeie and continued in that their riotous enterprise all that day and the night following The same night also they burnt a manor of the abbats called Holdernesse barne with two other manors called the Almoners barne and Haberdone also the granges that stood without the south gate and the manour of Westlie in which places they burned in corne graine to the value of a thousand pounds The next daie they entered into the abbeie court and burnt all the houses on the north side as stables brewhouses bakehouses garners and other such necessarie houses and conuenient roomes of offices and on the other side the court they burnt certeine houses belonging to the Almonrie On the next daie they burned the mote hall and Bradford hall with the new hall and diuerse chambers and sollers to the same halles annexed with the chapell of saint Laurence at the end of the hospitall hall Also the manor of Eldhall the manor of Horninger with all the corne and graine within and about the same The next day they burnt the soller of the Sollerer with a chapell there also the kitchin the larder and a part of the farmarie On the thursdaie they burnt the residue of the farmarie and the lodging called the blacke lodging with a chapell of S. Andrew therein In executing of all these riotous disorders one Geffrie Moreman was an aider who with diuerse other persons vnknowne departed foorth of the towne of Burie and by the assent of the other his complices he burnt the manor of Fornham The same day also other of their companie as William the sonne of Iames Neketon Rafe Grubbe Richard Kerie and a great number of other persons vnknowne by the assent and abbetment of the other that committed the said disorders burnt two manors belonging also to the said abbeie in great Berton with all the corne and graine there found Upon knowledge had of these great riots and perillous commotions there was a commission directed from the king vnto Thomas earle of Northfolke high marshall of England to Thomas Bardulfe Robert Morlie Peter Wedall Iohn Howard and Iohn Walkfare authorising them with the power of the countesse of Suffolke and Norffolke to apprehend trie and punish such lewd disordered persons and rebellious malefactors which had committed such felonious enterprises to the breach of the kings peace and dangerous disquieting of his subiects but the said commissioners procéeded not according to the effect of their commission in triall of anie felonies by the same persons committed and doone but onelie caused them to be indicted of trespasse albeit Robert Walkfare and Iohn Clauer with their associats iustices of peace in their sessions holden at Elueden the tuesdaie next after the feast of the apostles Simon and Iude in the said first yeare of this K. Edward the third procéeded in such wise against the said malefactors that Iohn de Berton cordwainer Robert Foxton and a great number of other were indicted of felonie for the misdemenours afore mentioned and the indictements so found were after sent and presented vnto Iohn Stonore Walter de Friskenie Robert Malberthorpe and Iohn Bousser who by vertue of the kings commission of oier and determiner to them directed sat at S. Edmundsburie the wednesdaie next after the feast of saint line 10 Lucie the virgine and then and there sent foorth precepts to the shiriffe commanding him to apprehend the said Berton Foxton and others that were indicted of the foresaid felonies and also to returne a sufficient iurie to trie vpon their arreignment the said malefactors by order of law the fridaie next after the said feast of S. Lucie Herevpon Alane de Latoner and Robert Dalling with seauenteene others being arreigned were found guiltie and suffered death according to the order appointed for felons line 20 One Adam Miniot stood mute and refused
ambitione remotos Inflatos verò ac ventosos deprimit idem Nec patitur secum puro consistere olympo Moreouer through the kings request pope Celestine this yeare made the archbishop of Canturburie legat of all England by his buls directed to him bearing date at his palace in Rome called Lateran the fifteenth kalends of Aprill in the fourth yeare of his papasie Furthermore the pope wrote to the English cleargie giuing them to vnderstand that he had created the said archbishop of Canturburie his legat commanding them so to accept him by vertue of which letters the archbishop Hubert being now both archbishop of Canturburie legat of the apostolike sée and lord chéefe iustice of England appointed to hold a councell at Yorke and therefore gaue knowledge by the abbat of Binham in Northfolke and one maister Geruise vnto the canons of Yorke and to the archbishops officials of his purposed intention The said canons and officials well considering of the popes letters which were deliuered vnto them by the messengers signified for answer that they would gladlie receiue him as legat of the apostolike sée but not as archbishop of Canturburie nor as their primat Herewith he came to Yorke vpon saint Barnabies daie being sundaie and was receiued with procession On the morrow after he held a court of plees of the crowne of assises and such other matters touching the king On the next day being Tuesday he entred into the monasterie of saint Maries in Yorke and deposed the abbat bicause of his infirmitie of bodie at the request of the moonks but the abbat appealed to the popes consistorie Then he assembled the cleargie in the church of Saint Peter in Yorke and there held a synod for reformation of things amisse in the church and amendment of manners line 10 in the cleargie so that diuerse decrées were made the which for bréefenesse we 〈◊〉 to speake of in particular This yeare also the said archbishop 〈…〉 throughout the realme of England to receiue an oth of obseruing the kings 〈◊〉 and to sweare that they should not be robbers nor abbettors of roâ—bers nor in any wise consenting vnto them but should doo what in them might lie to 〈…〉 offendors and to discouer them to the kings officers to be apprehended and to pursue line 20 them vpon hew and crie to the vttermost of their powers and those that withdrew themselues from such pursuit should be apprehended as partakers with the offendors About this time the emperour sent to king Richard requiring him in no wise to conclude any peace with the French king but rather to inuade his dominions promising to aid him all that he might But king Richard to vnderstand further of the emperours mind herein sent ouer his chancellour the line 30 bishop of Elie vnto him in ambassage In the meane time the warre was still continued betwixt him and the French by the which they were commonlie put to the worse and king Richard inuading their borders did much hurt in wasting the countries on each side The French king was at one time so narrowlie chased that as he would haue passed a bridge that laie ouer the water of Saine he was in danger of drowning by the fall of the same vnder him but yet at the length he escaped and got to the line 40 further side After this the two kings came to a communication togither in the which a motion was made that Lewes the French king his sonne and heire should haue the sister of Arthur duke of Britaine in marriage and that king Richard in consideration thereof should surrender vnto them and to their heires the townes of Gisors Bademont with the countrie of Ueulquessine or Ueuxine le Normant Uernon Iuerie and Pascie and further should giue vnto them line 50 twentie thousand marks of siluer On the other side it was mooued that the French king should resigne vnto king Richard all that he could demand in the countie of Engeulesme and should restore vnto him the counties of Albemarle and Augie with the castell of Arkes and all other castels which he had taken in Normandie or in any partie during these last warres But there was a respit taken for the full concluding and assuring of these conditions till the octaues of All saints that king Richard might vnderstand line 60 the emperours pleasure without whose consent he might not conclude any thing concerning that matter bicause he had sent such word vnto him by the lord chancellour who at this time was attendant in his court In the meane time the emperour being aduertised of the whole matter and of the articles afore mentioned gaue knowledge to king Richard by the bishop of Elie at his returning backe that this forme of peace nothing liked him but rather made directlie to his discontentment the which least he might séeme to saie without sufficient ground of reason he alledged that it should sound to king Richards dishonour if he surrendred and gaue vp anie thing that he had not in possession And to encourage him to recouer those things which had beene taken from him â—he emperour pardoned him of the seauentéene thousand marks of siluer which yet remained behind due to him for the kings ransome Howsoeuer the matter passed the two kings met not in the octaues of all saints according to the appointment although they were 〈◊〉 and approched verie néere to the plaâ—e where they should haue communed togither but through the dissimulation of the Frenchmen they departed without seeing one another and 〈…〉 began the warre as fiercelie as at anie time before The French king tooke the towne of Diep which king Richard had latelie repared and burned it with the ships that harbored 〈◊〉 the hauen after this comming to Isoldun he wan the towne and besieged the castell But king Richard aduertised thereof came with quicke spéed making of thrée daies iournie but one and entred into the castell of Isoldun to defend the same against his aduersaries and foorthwith there resorted such numbers of men vnto him when they heard how he was besieged that the French king doubting how to retire from thence in safetie made suit first to haue licence to depart and after when that would not be granted he required at the leastwise to talke with the king of England about some agréement Wherevnto king Richard condescended and so comming togither they concluded vpon a truce to indure from that daie being saturdaie next after the feast of saint Nicholas vnto the feast of saint Hilarie next insuing and then to méet againe néere vnto Louiers with their councels that they might grow by some reasonable way vnto a finall peace and concord And according to this article year 1196 shortlie after the same feast of S. Hilarie they met at Louiers where finallie they were accorded to conclude a peace on these conditions that the French king should release to the king of England Isoldun with the countrie
to be tried by his countrie and so was pressed to death as the law in such case appointeth Diuerse other were saued by their bookes according vnto the order of clerkes conuict as Alexander Brid person of Hogeset Iohn Rugham person of little Welnetham Iohn Berton cordwainer and diuerse other Some were repriued as one woman named Iulian Barbor who being big bellied was respited till she were deliuered of child Benedict Sio and Robert Russell line 30 were repriued and committed to the safe kéeping of the shiriffe as triers or appeachers as we tearme them of other offendors and bicause there was not anie as yet attached by their appeales they were commanded againe to prison One Robert de Creswell was saued by the kings letters of speciall pardon which he had there readie to shew As for Robert Foxton Adam Cokefield and a great number of other whome the shiriffe was commanded to apprehend he returned that he could not heare of them line 40 within the precinct of his bailiffewéeke wherevpon exigents were awarded against them and the shiriffe was commanded that if he might come to attach them he should not faile but so to doo and to haue their bodies there at Burie before the said iustices the thursdaie in Whitsunwéeke next insuing Diuerse also were arreigned at the same time of the said felonies and thereof acquited as Michaell Scabaille Rafe Smeremonger and others Indéed line 50 those that were found guiltie and suffered were the chéefe authors and procurors of the commotion bearing others in hand that the abbat had in his custodie a certeine charter wherein the king should grant to the inhabitants of the towne of Burie certeine liberties whereby it might appeare that they were free and discharged from the paiment of diuerse customes and exactions wherevpon the ignorant multitude easilie giuing credit to such surmised tales were the sooner induced to attempt such disorders as line 60 before are mentioned ¶ Thus haue yée heard all in effect that was doone in this first yeare of king Edward the third his reigne by and against those offendors But bicause we will not interrupt matters of other yeares with that which followed further of this businesse we haue thought good to put the whole that we intend to write thereof here in this place Yée shall therefore vnderstand that diuerse of those against whome exigents were awarded came in and yéelded their bodies to the shiriffes prison before they were called on the fift countie daie Albeit a great manie there were that came not and so were outlawed Robert Foxton got the kings pardon and so purchasing foorth a supersede as the suit therevpon against him was staied The shiriffe therefore in Whitsunwéeke in the second yeare of this kings reigne made his returne touching Benedict Sio Robert Russell Iulian Barbor so that he deliuered them vnto the bailiffes of the libertie of the abbat of Burie by reason of an ancient priuilege which the abbat claimed to belong to his house The bailiffes confessed they had receiued the said prisoners but forsomuch as they had beene arreigned at a Portmane mote which was vsed to be kept euerie thrée wéeks and vpon their arreignment were found guiltie of certeine other felonies by them committed within the towne of Burie and therevpon were put to execution Adam Finchman the kings attournie there tooke it verie euill laid it greeuouslie to the charge of the abbats officers for their hastie and presumptuous proceeding against the said prisoners namelie bicause the said Sio and Russell were repriued to the end that by their vtterance many heinous offenses might haue béene brought to light On the same daie that is to wit the thursdaie in Whitsunweeke the foresaid Robert Foxton and diuerse other came in and were attached by the shiriffe to answer the abbat to his action of trespasse which he brought against them and putting the matter to the triall of an inquest they were condemned in sixtie thousand pounds to be leuied of their goods and chattels vnto the vse of the abbat and in the meane time they were committed to prison But first they made suit that they might be put to their fines for their offenses committed against the kings peace and their request in that behalfe was granted so that vpon putting in sufficient suerties for their good abearing their fines were assessed as some at more and some at lesse as the case was thought for to require Thus rested the matter a long season after vntill the fift yeare of this kings reigne in which the thursdaie next after the feast of the blessed Trinitie the K. being himselfe in person at S. Edmundsburie aforesaid a finall agreement and concord was concluded betwixt the said abbat and his conuent on the one partie and Richard Draiton and others of the inhabitants of that towne on the other partie before the right reuerend father in God Iohn bishop of Winchester and chancellor of England and the kings iustices Iohn Stonore and Iohn Cantbridge sitting there at the same time by the kings commandement The effect of which agreement was as followeth The articles of agreement betweene the moonks of Burie and the inhabitants of Burie FIrst wheras the said abbat had recouered by iudgement before the said Iohn Stonore and other his associats iustices of oier and determiner in the said towne of Burie the summe of seuen score thousand pounds for trespasses to him and his house committed and doone by the said Richard Draiton and other the inhabitants of Burie now at the desire of the said king and for other good respects him moouing he pardoned and released vnto the said Richard Draiton and to other the inhabitants of Burie to their heires executors and assigns the summe of 122333 pounds eight shillings eight pence of the said totall summe of 140000 pounds And further the said abbat and conuent granted and agreed for them and their successors that if the said Richard Draiton other the inhabitants of the said towne of Burie or any of them their heires executors or assignes should paie to the said abbat conuent or their successors within twentie yeares next insuing the date of that present agreement 2000 marks that is to saie 100 marks yearelie at the feasts line 10 of S. Michaell Easter by euen portions that then the said Richard other the inhabitants of the towne of Burie should be acquited discharged of 4000 marks parcell of 17666 pounds thirteene shillings foure pence residue behind for euer Moreouer whereas the said abbat and conuent the said abbat by himselfe since the 19 yeare of the reigne of king Edward line 20 the second vnto that present time had sealed certeine charters deeds writings as well with the proper seale of the abbat as with the common seale of the abbat conuent if the said Richard and the inhabitants of the said towne of Burie did restore vnto the said abbat conuent all the same
haue and worship as if fitteth and séemeth so worthie a prince and princesse to be worshipped principallie before all other temporall persons of the world 2 Also we shall not distrouble diseason or let our father aforesaid but that he hold and possede as long as he liueth as he holdeth and possedeth at this time the crowne and dignitie roiall of France with rents and profits for the same of the sustenance of his estate and charges of the realme And our foresaid moother also hold as long as she liueth the state and dignitie of quéene after the manner of the same realme with conuenable conuenient part of the said rents and profits 3 Also that the foresaid ladie Katharine shall take and haue dower in our realme of England as queenes of England here tofore were woont for to take and haue that is to saie to the summe of fortie thousand scutes of the which two algate shall be a noble English 4 And that by the waies manners and meanes that we without transgression or offense of other made by vs for to speake the lawes customes vsages and rights of our said realme of England shall done our labour and pursuit that the said Katharine all so soone as it maie be doone be made sure to take and for to haue in our said realme of England from the time of our death the said dower of fortie thousand scutes yearelie of the which twaine algate be worth a noble English 5 Also if it happe the said Katharine to ouerliue vs we shall take and haue the realme of France immediatlie from the time of our death dower to the summe of twentie thousand franks yearelie of and vpon the lands places and lordships that held and had Blanch sometime wife of Philip Beasaill to our said father 6 Also that after the death of our said father aforesaid and from thence forward the crowne and the realme of France with all the rights and appurtenances shall remaine and abide to vs and béene of vs and of our heires for euermore 7 And forsomuch as our said father is withholden with diuerse sickenesse in such manner as he maie not intend in his owne person for to dispose for the néeds of the foresaid realme of France therefore during the life of our foresaid father the faculties and exercise of the gouernance and disposition of the publike common profit of the said realme of France with councell and nobles and wisemen of the same realme of France shall be and abide to vs so that from thencefoorth we maie gouerne the same realme by vs. And also to admit to our counsell and assistance of the said nobles such as we shall thinke méet The which faculties and exercise of gouernance thus being toward vs we shall labour and purpose vs spéedfullie diligentlie and trulie to that that maie be and ought for to be vnto the worship of God and our said father and moother and also to the common good of the said realme and that realme with the counsell helpe of the worthie and great nobles of the same realme for to be defended peased and gouerned after right and equitie 8 Also that we of our owne power shall doo the court of parlement in France to be kept and obserued in his authoritie and souereignetie and in all that is doone to it in all manner of places that now or in time comming is or shall be subiect to our said father 9 Also we to our power shall defend and helpe all and euerie of the péeres nobles cities townes communalties and singular persons now or in time comming subiects to our father in their rights customes priuileges freedomes and franchises longing or due to them in all manner of places now or in time comming subiect to our father 10 Also we diligentlie and truelie shall trauell to our power and doo that iustice be administred and doone in the same realme of France after the lawes customes and rights of the same realme without personall exception And that we shall kéepe and hold the subiects of the same realme in tranquillitie and peace and to our power we shall defend them against all manner of violence and oppression 11 Also we to our power shall prouide and doo to our power that able persons and profitable béene taken to the offices as well of iustices and other offices belonging to the gouernance of the demaines and of other offices of the said realme of France for the good right and peaceable iustice of the same and for the administration that shall be committed vnto line 10 them and that they be such persons that after the lawes and rights of the same realme and for the vtilitie and profit of our said father shall minister and that the foresaid realme shall be taken and departed to the same offices 12 Also that we of our power so soone as it may commodiouslie be doone shall trauell to put into the obedience of our said father all manner of cities townes and castels places countries and persons within the realme of France disobedient and rebels line 20 to our said father holding with them which beene called the Dolphin or Arminacke 13 Also that we might the more commodiouslie suerlie and fréelie doone exercise fulfill these things aforesaid it is accorded that all worthie nobles and estates of the same realme of France as well spirituals as temporals and also cities notable and communalties and citizens burgesses of townes of the realme of France that béene obeisant at this time to our said father shall make these othes that followen line 30 14 First to vs hauing the facultie exercise disposition and gouernance of the foresaid common profit to our hests and commandements these shall meekelie obedientlie obeie and intend in all manner of things concerning the exercise of gouernance of the same realme 15 Also that the worthie great and noble estates of the said realme as well spirituals as temporals and also cities and notable communalties and citizens and burgesses of the same realme in all manner line 40 of things well and trulie shall kéepe and to their power shall doo to be kept of so much as to them belongeth or to anie of them all those things that béene appointed and accorded betwéene our foresaid father and moother and vs with the counsell of them whome vs list to call to vs. 16 And that continuallie from the death and after the death of our said father Charles they shall be our true liegemen and our heires and they shall receiue and admit vs for their liege and souereigne and line 50 verie king of France and for such to obeie vs without opposition contradiction or difficultie as they béene to our foresaid father during his life neuer after this realme of France shall obey to man as king or regent of France but to vs and our heires Also they shall not be in counsell helpe or assent that we léese life or limme or be take with euill taking or that we suffer
harme or diminution in person estate worship or goods but if they know anie such thing for to be cast or imagined against vs they shall let it line 60 to their power they shall doone vs to weeten thereof as hastilie as they maie by themselfe by message or by letters 17 Also that all maner of conquests that should be made by vs in France vpon the said inobedients out of the duchie of Normandie shall be doone to the profit of our said father and that to our power we shall doo that all maner of lands and lordships that béene in the places so for to be conquered longing to persons obeieng to our foresaid father which shall sweare for to kéepe this present accord shall be restored to the same persons to whom they long to 18 Also that all manner of persons of the holie church beneficed in the duchie of Normandie or any other places in the realme of France subiect to our father and fauouring the partie of the dukes of Burgognie which shall sweare to kéepe this present accord shall inioy peaceablie their benefices of holie church in the duchie of Normandie or in other places next aforesaid 19 Also likewise all maner of persons of holie church obedient to vs and beneficed in the realme of France and places subiect to our father that shall sweare to keepe this present accord shall inioy peaceablie their benefices of holie church in places next abouesaid 20 Also that all maner of churches vniuersities and studies generall and all colleges of studies and other colleges of holie church being in places now or in time comming subiect to our father or in the duchie of Normandie or other places in the realme of France subiect to vs shall inioy their rights and possessions rents prerogatiues liberties franchises longing or due to them in any maner of wise in the said relme of France sauing the right of the crowne of France and euerie other person 21 Also by Gods helpe when it happeneth vs to come to the crowne of France the duchie of Normandie and all other places conquered by vs in the realme of France shall bow vnder the commandement obeisance and monarchie of the crowne of France 22 Also that we shall force vs doo to our power that recompense be made by our said father without diminution of the crowne of France to persons obeieng to him and fauoring to that partie that is said Burgognie to whom longeth lands lordships rents or possessions in the said duchie of Normandie or other places in the realme of France conquered by vs hither toward giuen by vs in places and lands gotten or to be gotten and ouercome in the name of our said father vpon rebels and inobedients to him And if so be that such maner of recompense be not made to the said persons by the life of our said father we shall make that recompense in such maner and places of goods when it happeneth by Godsgrace to the crowne of France And if so be that the lands lordships rents or possessions the which longeth to such maner of persons in the said duchie and places be not giuen by vs the same persons shall be restored to them without any delaie 23 And during the life of our father in all places now or in time comming subiect to him letters of common iustice and also grants of offices and gifts pardons or remissions and priuileges shall be written and proceed vnder the name and seale of our said father And for somuch as some singular case maie fall that maie not be foreséene by mans wit in the which it might be necessarie and behoouefull that we doo write our letters in such maner case if any hap for the good and suertie of our father and for the gouernance that longeth to vs as is beforesaid and for to eschewen perils that otherwise might fall to the preiudice of our said father to write our letters by the which we shall command charge and defend after the nature and qualitie of the néed in our fathers behalfe and ours as regent of France 24 Also that during our fathers life we shall not call nor write vs king of France but verelie we shall absteine vs from that name as long as our father liueth 25 Also that our said father during his life shall name call and write vs in French in this maner Nostre treschier filz Henry roy d' Engleterre heretere de France And in Latine in this maner Praeclarissimus filius noster Henricus rex Angliae haeres Franciae 26 Also that we shall put none impositions or exactions or doo charge the subiects of our said father without cause reasonable and necessarie ne otherwise than for common good of the realme of France and after the saieng and asking of the lawes and customes reasonable approoued of the same realme 27 Also that we shall trauell to our power to the effect and intent that by the assent of the thrée estates of either of the realmes of France and England that all maner of obstacles maie be doone awaie and in this partie that it be ordeined and prouided that from the time that we or any of our heires come to line 10 the crowne of France both the crownes that is to saie of France and England perpetuallie be togither in one in the same person that is to saie from our fathers life to vs and from the tearme of our life thenceforward in the persons of our heires that shall be one after an other and that both realms shall be gouerned from that we or any of our heires come to the same not seuerallie vnder diuerse kings in one time but vnder the same person which for the time shall be king of both realms and our souereigne line 20 lord as it is before said kéeping neuerthelesse in all maner of other things to either of the same realmes their rights liberties customes vsages and lawes not making subiect in any maner of wise one of the same realmes to the rights lawes or vsages of that other 28 Also that thenceforward perpetuallie shall be still rest and that in all maner of wise dissentions hates rancors enuies and wars betweene the same realmes of France and England and the people of line 30 the same realmes drawing to accord of the same peace may ceasse and be broken 29 Also that there shall be from henceforward for euermore peace and tranquillitie good accord and common affection and stable friendship betwéene the said realmes and their subiects before said The same realmes shall kéepe themselues with their councell helps and common assistance against all maner of men that inforce them for to dooen or to imagine wrongs harmes displeasures or grieuances to line 40 them or either of them And they shall be conuersant and merchandizen fréelie and suerlie togither paieng the custome due and accustomed And they shall be conuersant also that all the confederats and alies of our said father and the realme
Orleance after French king he was with mischarging of a speare by fortunes peruerse countenance pitifullie slaine and brought to death leauing after him one line 50 onelie son named Iohn which being banished Scotland inhabited maried in France and there died How dolorous how sorrowfull is it to write and much more painefull to remember the chances and infortunities that happened within two yeares in England Scotland betwéene naturall brethren For king Edward set on by such as enuied the estate of the duke of Clarence forgetting nature and brotherlie amitie consented to the death of his said brother Iames king of Scots putting in obliuion that line 60 Alexander his brother was the onelie organ and instrument by whome he obteined libertie fréedome seduced and led by vile and malicious persons which maligned at the glorie and indifferent iustice of the duke of Albanie imagined and compassed his death and exiled him for euer What a pernicious serpent what a venemous toade and what a pestiferous scorpion is that diuelish whelpe called priuie enuie Against it no fortresse can defend no caue can hide no wood can shadow no fowle can escape nor no beast can auoid Hir poison is so strong that neuer man in authoritie could escape from the biting of hir teeth scratching of hir pawes blasting of hir breth filth of hir taile Notable therefore is the Gréeke epigram in this behalfe touching enuie of this kind which saith that a worsse thing than enuie there is not in the world and yet hath it some goodnesse in it for it consumeth the eies and the hart of the enuious The words in their owne toong sententiouslie sound thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Although king Edward reioised that his businesse came to so good a conclusion with the Scots yet he was about the same time sore disquieted in his mind towards the French king whome he now perceiued to haue dallied with him as touching the agreement of the mariage to be had betwixt the Dolphin and his daughter the ladie Elizabeth For the lord Howard being as then returned out of France certified the king of his owne knowledge how that he being present saw the ladie Margaret of Austrich daughter to duke Maximilian sonne to the emperor Frederike receiued into France with great pompe and roialtie and at Ambois to the Dolphin contracted and espoused King Edward highlie displeased with such double and vniust dealing of the French king called his nobles togither and opened to them his gréefes who promised him for redresse thereof to be readie with all their powers to make warres in France at his pleasure and appointment But whilest he was busie in hand to make his purueiance for warres thus against France whether it was with melancholie and anger which he tooke with the French kings dooings and vncourteous vsage or were it by any superfluous surfet to â—he which he was verie much giuen he suddenlie fell sicke and was so gréeuouslie taken that in the end he perceiued his naturall strength in such wise to decaie that there was little hope of recouerie in the cunning of his physicians whome he perceiued onlie to prolong his life for a small time Wherefore he began to make readie for his passage into another world not forgetting as after shall appeare to exhort the nobles of his realme aboue all things to an vnitie among themselues And hauing as he tooke it made an attonement betwixt the parties that were knowne to be scant freends he commended vnto their graue wisedoms the gouernment of his sonne the prince and of his brother the duke of Yorke during the time of their tender yeares But it shall not be amisse to adde in this place the words which he is said to haue spoken on his death-bed which were in effect as followeth The words of king Edward vttered by him on his death-bed MY welbeloued and no lesse betrusted fréends councellors and alies if we mortall men would dailie and hourlie with our selues reuolue and intentiuelie in our hearts ingraue or in our minds seriouslie ponder the fraile and fading imbecillitie of our humane nature and the vnstablenesse of the same we should apparantlie perceiue that we being called reasonable creatures and in that predicament compared and ioined with angels be more worthie to be named and déemed persons vnreasonable and rather to be associate in that name with brute beasts called vnreasonable of whose life and death no creature speaketh rather than in that point to be resembled to the angelicall societie and reasonable companie For while health in vs florisheth or prosperitie aboundeth or the glosing world laugheth which is he so reasonable of vs all that can saie if he will not â—r from the truth that he once in a wéeke remembreth his fatall end or the prescribed terme of his induring or once prouided by labour studie or otherwise to set a stedfast and sure order for the securitie profit and continuance either of his possessions dominions or of his sequele and posteritie which after him shall naturallie succéed Such is the blindnesse of our fraile and weake nature euer giuen to carnall concupiscence and wordlie delectations dailie darkened and seduced with that lithargious and deceiuable serpent called hope of long life that all we put in line 10 obliuion our duetie present and lesse remember the politike purueiance for things to come for blindlie we walke in this fraile life till we fall groueling with our eies suddenlie vpon death The vanities of this world be to vs so agreeable that when we begin to liue we estéeme our life a whole world which once ouerpassed it sheweth no better but dust driuen awaie with a puffe of wind I speake this to you of my selfe and for your selues to you sore lamenting and inwardlie bewailing that I line 20 did not performe finallie consummate such politike deuises good and godlie ordinances in my long life and peaceable prosperitie which then I fullie determined to haue begun set forward and completlie to haue finished Which now for the extreame paines and tortures of my angrie maladie and for the small terme of my naturall life I can neither performe neither yet liue to sée either to take effect or to sort to anie good conclusion For God I call to record my heart was fullie set line 30 and my mind deliberatlie determined so to haue adorned this realme with wholesome lawes statutes and ordinances so to haue trained and brought vp mine infants and children in vertue learning actiuitie and policie that what with their roiall puissance your fréendlie assistance the proudest prince of Europe durst not once attempt to mooue anie hostilitie against them you or this realme But oh Lord all things that I of long time haue in my mind reuolued and imagined that stealing théefe death goeth line 40 about to subuert and in the moment of an houre cléerelie to ouertred Wherefore as men saie I now being driuen to the verie
and yet giuen me no defiance And sith that by the grace of God I haue defended my selfe from him as he hath seene and euerie one line 60 else without that he hath giuen me anie warning or considering the reason and iustification whereon I doo rest my selfe for the which I thinke I haue not otherwise deserued towards God I hope that at this time now you aduertise me of it being aduertised I shall defend my selfe the better in such sort that the king your maister shall doo me no hurt for sith he dooth defie me I am halfe assured And touching that which you spake of the pope none hath béene more sorrowfull than I of that which was doone and it was without my knowledge or commandement and that which hath béene doone was doone by vnrulie people without obedience to anie of my capteins And yet I aduertise you that the pope long since is set at libertie and yesterdaie I had certeine newes of it And touching the sonnes of your maister he knoweth that I haue them for pledges and also my lords his ambassadors know well that the fault hath not lien in me that they haue not béene deliuered And as for that of the king of England my good brother and vncle I beléeue if it be so as you doo say that he is not well informed of things passed and if he were yet could I not saie as your writing conteineth I desire to send him my reasons for to aduertise him of all the truth And I beleeue when he shall know it that he will be vnto me as he hath béene I neuer denied the monie which I borowed of him and I am readie to paie it as by reason right I am bound and thanked be God I haue enough to doo it Neuerthelesse if he will make warre against me it will be to my great displeasure I cannot but defend my selfe I praie to God that he giue me no more occasion than I thinke I haue giuen vnto him And to the rest for that your writing is great and the paper sheweth it selfe to be gentle séeing that they haue written what they would you shall giue me the writing whereby more particularlie I maie answer in another paper wherein shall be nothing but truth This answer being made by his maiestie with his owne mouth vnto Guien king of armes the said Guien tooke his cote of armes that he had on his left arme as before is said and put it on and then Clarenceaux king of armes of England said vnto his maiestie not by writing but by mouth as followeth The English heralds message deliuered by word of mouth SIr the king my souereigne lord hath commanded me to say vnto you that séeing the necessitie of peace in the christian religion as well by reason of the inforcements manie yéers past begun by the great Turke enimie vnto our faith which by force of armes hath taken awaie from the christians the citie and I le of Rhodes one of the principall bulworks of christendome and in Hungarie the fortresse of Belgrad and part of the countrie there as also by heresies and new sects of late risen in diuerse places of christendome and likewise knowing the great warres being kindled in all parts by meanes of which all christendome is in trouble confusion and maruellous diuision and not long since by your people and ministers and souldiers in your armie and vnder your capteins the holie citie of Rome hath béene sacked and robbed the person of our holie father the pope taken prisoner and kept by your people the cardinals likewise taken and put to ransome the churches robbed bishops priests and people of religion put to the sword and so manie other euils cruelties and inhumane facts committed by your people that the aire and the land are infected therewith And it is verie like that God is verrie greatlie stirred and prouoked vnto ire And to speake after the maner of men if by amendment it be not pacified innumerable euils and inconueniences shall happen vnto all christendome And for that the root and increasement of the said warre proceedeth of the contentions and debates betwéene you and the most christened king his good brother and perpetuall alie to make an end of which debates the king my souereigne lord hath sent his ambassadors and others vnto the most christened king his good brother with whome he hath doone so much that for the loue that he hath borne him he hath made vnto you so great offers and so reasonable that you cannot nor ought reasonablie to refuse them as conditions and offers for his ransome excéeding the ransome accustomed of all kings And if in this the consideration of peace had not béene an euill example might thereof grow for other kings and christened princes subiect vnto the like fortune Of which offers and conditions he hath likewise aduertised you by his ambassadours praied and besought you for the honour of God and the wealth of all christendome for the benefits and pleasures that he hath doone vnto you diuerse waies and that in line 10 time of your great néed that it would please you to accept the said offers and make an end of the said warres that haue too long endured Likewise as a christened prince bound to the protection of the pope and sée apostolike and consequentlie to the deliuerance of his holinesse whom you cannot nor ought to kéepe prisoner without great offense that you would restore his holinesse vnto a full and entier libertie Also he hath oftentimes shewed by diuerse obligations line 20 and other meanes how you are indebted vnto him in diuerse great summes of monie that he hath giuen and lent you in your necessitie requiring you to make paiment Of all which things you haue made no account from time to time but deferred it and held in suspense the ambassadours of the king my souereigne without hauing regard to Gods honour and the necessitie of all christendome and the reuerence that ye ought to haue vnto the holie seate and person of our line 30 holie father the pope the vicar of God on earth or vnto the pleasures that you haue receiued of him or vnto your faith and promise that you so oftentimes haue made And for this cause the king my said souereigne by honest reason and iustice constreined by great and ripe deliberation of his councell hoping for a finall conclusion hath caused againe to be presented offers more large and to greater aduantage than the others before to put you in deuoir and to auoid and take awaie all occasion to deferre and dissemble line 40 to come to reason Which offers and the augmenting of the same haue béene made and made againe with all demonstrations and honest resons that haue beene possible And in the end there hath béene made vnto you instance for the deliuerie of our holie father whom you haue restreined or caused to be restreined in place of deliuerie which is very
hazarded and stand to the euent of the like miraculous discoueries Therefore as most humble and instant suppliants they did vpon their knées at hir most gratious féet beséech and request in most earnest maner that aswell for the continuance of Gods religion the quiet of this kingdome preseruation of hir person and defense of them and their posterities it would line 40 please hir highnesse to take order that the said sentence might be published and such further direction giuen as was requisit in this so weightie a cause according to the purport and intent of the said statute Wherein if hir maiestie pursuing hir woonted clemencie should now be remisse besides the imminent danger to hir person she might by the staie thereof procure the heauie displeasure of almightie God as by sundrie seuere examples of his iustice in the sacred scriptures dooth appeare And so line 50 he deliuered to hir maiesties owne hands the petition in writing which he said had béene with great deliberation assented vnto by all the whole parlement A SHORT EXTRACT OF SVCH reasons as were deliuered in speach by maister sargent Puckering speaker of the lower house before the queens most excellent maiestie in hir presence chamber at Richmond the twelfe of Nouember 1586 in the eight and twentith yere of hir line 60 reigne conteining diuerse apparant and imminent dangers that maie grow to hir maiesties most roiall person and to hir realme from the Scotish queene and hir adherents if remedie be not prouided First touching the danger of hir maiesties person 1 BOth this Scotish quéene and hir fauorers doo thinke hir to haue right not to succeed but to inioie your crowne in possession and therefore as shée is a most impatient competitor so will shée not spare anie meanes whatsoeuer that maie bereaue vs of your maiestie the onelie impediment that she inioieth not hir desire 2 She is obdurat in malice against your roiall person notwithstanding you haue shewed hir all fauour and mercie as well in preseruing hir kingdome as sauing hir life and saluing hir honor And therefore there is no place for mercie since there is no hope that she will desist from most wâ—cked attempts the rather for that hir malice appeareth such that she maketh as it were hir testament of the same to be executed after hir death and appointeth hir executors to performe it 3 She boldlie and openlie professed it lawfull for hir to mooue inuasion vpon you And therefore as of inuasion victorie maie insue and of victorie the death of the vanquished so did she thereby not obscurelie bewraie that she thought it lawfull for hir to destroie your sacred person 4 She thinketh it not onelie lawfull but honorable also and meritorious to take your life from you as being alreadie depriued of your crowne by the excommunication of the holie father And therefore it is like she will as hitherto she hath doone continuallie séeke it by whatsoeuer meanes 5 That she is gréedie of your maiesties death and preferreth it before hir owne life and safetie for in hir direction to one of hir laie complices she aduised vnder couert termes that whatsoeuer should become of hir that tragicall execution should be performed vpon you 1 IT is most perillous to spare hir that continuallie hath sought the ouerthrow and suppression of true religion infected with poperie from hir tender youth and being after that a confederat in that holie league when she came to age and euer since a professed enimie against the truth 2 She resteth wholie vpon popish hopes to deliuer and aduance hir and is thereby so deuoted to that profession that aswell for satisfaction of others as for feeding of hir owne humor she will supplant the gospell where and when so euer she maie which euill is so much the greater and the more to be auoided as that it staieth the verie soule and will spread it selfe not onelie ouer England and Scotland but also into those parts beyond the seas where the gospell of God is mainteined the which cannot but be exceedinglie weakened by the defection of this noble Iland 1 As the Lydians said Vnum regem agnoscunt Lydi duos autem tolerare non possunt So we saie Vnicam reginam Elizabetham agnoscunt Angli duas autem tolerare non possunt 2 As she hath alredie by hir allurements brought to destruction more noble men and their houses togither with a greater multitude of the commons of this realme during hir being here than she should haue beene able to doo if she had béene in possession of hir owne crowne and armed in the field against vs so will she still be continuall cause of the like spoile to the greater losse and perill of this estate and therefore this realme neither can nor maie indure hir 3 Againe she is the onelie hope of all discontented subiects she is the foundation whereon all the euill disposed doo build she is the root from whense all rebellions and trecheries doo spring and therefore whilest this hope lasteth this foundation standeth and this root liueth they will reteine heart and set on foot whatsoeuer their deuises against the realme which otherwise will fall awaie die and come to nothing 4 Mercie now in this case towards hir would in the end prooue crueltie against vs all Nam est quaedam crudelis misericordia and therefore to spare hir is to spill vs. 5 Besides this it will excéedinglie greeue and in a maner deadlie wound the hearts of all the good subiects of your land if they shall see a conspiracie so horrible not condignlie punished 6 Thousands of your maiesties most liege and louing subiects of all sorts and degrees that in a line 10 tender zeale of your maiesties safetie haue most willinglie both by open subscription and solemne vow entered into a firme and loiall association and haue thereby protested to pursue vnto the death by all forcible and possible meanes such as she is by iust sentence now found to be can neither discharge their loue nor well saue their oths if your maiestie shall kéepe hir aliue of which burthen your maiesties subiects are most desirous to be reléeued as the same maie be if iustice be doone line 20 7 Lastlie your maiesties most louing and dutifull commons doubt not but that as your maiestie is dulie exercised in reading the booke of God so it will please you to call to your princelie remembrance how fearefull the examples of Gods vengeance be that are there to be found against king Saule for sparing king Agag against king Achab for sauing the life of Benadad both which were by the iust iudgement of God depriued of their kingdoms for sparing those wicked princes whome God line 30 had deliuered into their hands of purpose to be slaine by them as by the ministers of his eternall and diuine iustice Wherein full wiselie Salomon proceeded to punishment when he tooke the life of his owne naturall and elder brother Adonias for the onelie intention
péere as one that neuer wanted desire to doo mischéefe and who to be comparable in crueltie would iudge it a great reproch There commeth also the earle of Mellent a man full of all guile and deceit in whose hart iniquitie is rooted and nothing sounding in his mouth but vnthankfulnesse besides this he is slothfull in déeds presumptuous in words not hastie to fight but swift to run awaie Then commeth earle Hugh who hath not thought it sufficient to breake his oth to my sister the empresse but he must commit periurie the second time in aduouching vpon a new oth that king Henrie granted the kingdome to Stephan and disabled his daughter After him marcheth the earle of Albemarle a man of singular constancie in euill verie readie to attempt and loth to giue ouer a mischeefe whose wife through irkesomnes of his filthie behauiour is gone from him he that keepeth hir cōmeth with him also against vs an open adulterer one well esteemed of Bacchus but nothing acquainted with Mars Then setteth foorth Simon earle of Hampton whose déeds consist in words whose gifts rest in promises For when he hath said he hath doone when he hath promised ye get no more Finallie there come togither a knot of Péeres Noble men like to their king and maister accustomed to robberies enriched with rapines embrued with manslaughters defamed with periurie You therefore most valiant capteins hardie souldiers whom king Henrie hath aduanced and this man hath brought vnder foot whom he made wealthie and this man hath impouerished vpon trust of your worthy valiancie yea rather vpon trust of Gods iustice seeke your reuenge thus offered by God vpon these wicked wretches with manlie stomachs vow to go forward forswere stepping back When the earle had made an end all the armie lifting vp their hands to God abiured all intention to flée and so made themselues readie to set forward King Stephan hauing no pleasant voice of himselfe appointed earle Baldwin to giue an exhortation to his armie wherevpon getting himselfe to an high place where he might be seene heard of them he thus began All such as shall giue battell ought to foresée thrée things first that their cause be righteous secondlie the number of their men to be equall at the least and thirdlie the goodnesse and sufficiencie of them The righteousnes of their cause ought to be regarded least men runne in danger of the soule the number of men is to be respected least they should be oppressed with multitude of enimies and the goodnesse of the soldiers is to be considered least trusting in the multitude they should presume vpon the aid of feeble persons such as are of small valure In all these points we see our selues sufficientlie furnished The iustice of our cause is this that obseruing the thing which we vowed to our king before God we stand to the same against those that haue falsified their faith euen to the perill of death Our number is not much lesse in horssemen and in footmen we excéed them As for the goodnesse or sufficiencie of our men who is able to expresse the noble prowesse of so manie earles of so manie lords and soldiers trained vp euer in warres The passing valiancie of our king may stand in place of innumerable souldiers Sith then he being the lords annointed is here amongst you vnto whom ye haue vowed allegiance performe your vow For the more earnestly and faithfully ye serue your prince in this battell which you are readie to fight against periured persons the more shall your reward be at the hands of God and him Therfore be of good comfort haue in remembrance against whom you doo darraine the battell The force of erle Robert is well knowne his maner is to threaten much to worke little furious in words eloquent of speach but cold or rather dead harted in déeds The earle of Chester what is he A man of vnreasonable boldnesse bent to conspiracie inconstant to performe that which he rashlie taketh in hand readie to run into batell vncircumspect in danger practising things of great importance séeking after things vnpossible bringing with him few good soldiers but gathering a vagarant rout of rascals line 10 There is nothing in him that we ought to be afraid of for looke whatsoeuer he attempteth manfullie the same he giueth ouer womanlie in all his dooings vnfortunate in all encounters either he is ouercome and fléeth awaie or if he get the vpper hand which seldome times chanceth he susteineth greater losse than they whom he dooth vanquish The Welshmen whom he bringeth with him are little estéemed of vs who pretend a naked rashnesse without any vse of armor so that as men without line 20 any knowledge of martiall policie they fall as brute beasts vpon the hunters iaueline The other as well the nobles as the common souldiers are but runnagates and vagabounds of whom I would wish the number greater than it is for the more they be the woorsse in effect their seruice shall prooue in time of need You therefore most worthie cheefetaines you men of honor it standeth you vpon to haue in regard your vertue and dignities This day aduance your line 30 renowme and follow the foresteps of your famous ancestors leaue to your sonnes an euerlasting commendation The continuall successe of victorie ought to be a prouocation vnto you to doo manfullie the continuance of euill speed may be to yonder side an occasion to run away For euen alreadie I dare say they repent them of their comming hither and could be contented to be gone if the nature of the place would suffer them to depart Then sith it is not possible for them either to fight or to flée what other thing line 40 can they doo but as appointed by Gods ordinance offer themselues and all they haue about them presentlie vnto vs. Yée sée then their horsses their armour and their bodies readie here at your pleasure lift vp your hearts therefore and reach your hands to take that with great chearefulnesse of mind which the Lord hath thus offered and freelie presented vnto you Now yer he had all made an end of his words the batels were readie to ioine they met with great line 50 noise of trumpets and other instruments and the fight began with a verie sore and cruell slaughter Hard it was in the beginning to gesse who should haue the better The wing of the disherited men ouerthrew and bare downe their aduersaries which were led by the duke of Britaine and the forenamed earles On the contrarie part the earle of Albemarle and William de Ypres put the Welshmen to flight but by the earle of Chester and his retinue the same earle and William de Ypres were fiercelie assailed line 60 afresh and put out of order Thus was the kings side put to the worse namelie his horssemen who being placed in the forefront
holds which they had fortified About the feast of Peter and Paule the legat departed out of the realme of whom we find that as he granted to the king some liberties against the priuileges line 40 which the cleargie pretended to haue a right vnto so he obteined of the king certeine grants in fauour of them and their order as thus 1 First that for no offense crime or transgression any spirituall person should be brought before a temporall iudge personallie except for hunting or for some laie fee or that for which some temporall seruice was due to be yéelded either to the king or some other that was cheefe lord thereof line 50 2 Secondlie that no archbishops see nor bishops sée nor any abbaie should be kept in the kings hands more than one yeare except vpon some euident cause or necessitie constreining 3 Thirdlie that such as slue any spirituall person and were of such offense conuicted either by euidence or confession before the iustice of the realme in presence of the bishop should be punished as the temporall law in such cases required 4 Fourthlie that spirituall men should not be compelled to fight in lists for the triall of any matter line 60 or cause whatsoeuer It should appeare by Nicholas Triuet that the archbishop of Canturburie procured the bishops of Winchester Elie and Norwich thrée prelats highlie at that present in the kings fauour to further these grants namelie that such as slue any préest or spirituall person might haue the law for it where before there was no punishment for a season vsed against such offendors but onelie excommunication But now to leaue préests we will passe to other matters In this meane time king Henrie the sonne remaining in Normandie began to deuise new practises how to remooue his father from the gouernment and to take it to himselfe but one of his seruants named Adam de Cherehedune being of his secret counsell aduertised king Henrie the father thereof for the which his maister king Henrie the sonne Cereus in vitium flecti monitoribus asper put him to great shame and rebuke causing him to be stripped naked and whipped round about the streets of the citie of Poictiers where he then was vpon his returne from his brother earle Richard with whome he had beene to aid him against his enimies King Henrie the father perceiuing the naughtie mind of his sonne and that he ceassed not from his wilfull maliciousnesse thought to dissemble all things sith he saw no hope of amendment in him but yet to be prouided against his wicked attempts he furnished all his fortresses both in England in Normandie with strong garisons of men and all necessarie munition About this time the sea rose on such a heigth that manie men were drowned thereby Also a great snow fell this yeare which by reason of the hard frost that chanced therewith continued long without wasting away so that fishes both in the sea and fresh water died through sharpenesse and vehemencie of that frost neither could husbandmen till the ground A sore eclipse of the sunne chanced also the sixt ides of Ianuarie The monasterie of Westwood or Lesnos was begun to be founded by Richard de Lucie Lord chéefe iustice The same yeare also at Woodstocke the king made his sonne the lord Geffrey knight In the yeare 1177. king Henrie held his Christmas at Northampton with his two sonnes Geffrey and Iohn year 1177 his other two sonnes the yoong king Henrie and Richard earle of Poictou were in the parts beyond the seas as the king in Normandie and the earle in Gascoigne where he besieged the citie of Aques which the vicount of Aques and the earle of Bigorre had fortified against him but he wan it within ten daies after his comming thither Within the like terme also he wan the citie of Baion which Arnold Berthram had fortified against him and coÌ„ming to the vttermost frontiers of that countrie adioining to Spaine he tooke a castell called saint Piero which he destroied and constreined the Basques and Nauarrois to receiue an oth that from thencefoorth they should suffer passengers quietlie to come and go through their countrie and that they should liue in quiet and keepe peace one with an other and so he reformed the state of that countrie and caused them to renounce manie euill customes which they before that time had vnlawfullie vsed Moreouer king Henrie to auoid further slander placed for bishop in the see of Lincolne a bastard son which he had named Geffrey after hâ— had kept that bishoprike in his hands so long till he had almost cleerelie destroied it And his sonne that was now made bishop to helpe the matter for his part made hauocke in wasting and spending in riotous manner the goods of that church and in the end forsooke his miter and left the sée againe in the kings hands to make his best of it Furthermore the king in times past made a vow to build a new monasterie in satisfaction of his offenses committed against Thomas the archbishop of Canturburie wherefore he required of the bishops and other spirituall fathers to haue some place by them assigned where he might begin that foundation But whilest they should haue taken aduise herein he secretlie practised with the cardinals and with diuerse other bishops that he might remoue the secular canons out of the colledge at Waltham and place therein regular canons so to saue monie in his cofâ—rs planting in another mans vineyard Howbeit bicause it should not be thought he did this of such a couetous meaning he promised to giue great possessions to that house which he after but slenderlie performed though vpon licence obteined at the bishops hands he displaced the preests and brought in to their roomes the canons as it were by waie of exchange The same yeare also he thrust the nunnes of Amesburie out of their house bicause of their incontinent line 10 liuing in abusing their bodies greatlie to their reproch and bestowed them in other monasteries to be kept in more streightlie And their house was committed vnto the abbesse and couent of Founteuered who sent ouer certeine of their number to furnish the house of Amesburie wherein they were placed by the archbishop of Canturburie in the presence of the king and a great number of others Philip earle of Flanders by sending ouer ambassadours to king Henrie promised that he would not line 20 bestow his two néeces daughters to his brother Matthew earle of Bullongne without consent of the same king but shortlie after he forgot his promise married the elder of them to the duke of Zaringes the yoonger to Henrie duke of Louaine Iohn de Curcie lord cheefe iustice of Ireland discomfiting a power of Irishmen wan the citie of Dun in Ulnestre where the bodies of S. Patrike and S. Colme confessors and S. Brigit the virgin are buried for the taking of which citie
it happeneth Twise the French king was put to the worsse line 60 once in September betwixt Gamages and Uernon where he was driuen to saue himselfe by flight loosing twentie knights and thréescore seruitors or yeomen which were taken besides those that were slaine and againe in the same moneth on Michaelmasse euen betwixt Curseilles and Gisors at what time he came to succour Curseilles bringing with him 400 knights besides seruitors and a great multitude of commons But the castell was woone before he could approch it King Richard being aduertised of his comming hasted foorth to méet him and giuing the onset vpon him forced him to flee vnto Gisors where at the entring of the bridge there was such preasse that the bridge brake so that amongst other the king himselfe with his horsse and all fell into the riuer of Geth and with much adoo was releeued and got out of the water no small number of right hardie and valiant gentlemen being taken at the same time which put themselues forward to staie the Englishmen till the king was recouered out of that present danger To conclude there were taken to the number of an hundred knights and two hundred barded horsses besides seruitors on horssebacke and footmen with crossebowes Amongst other prisoners these are named Matthew de Montmorancie Gales de Ports Iollen de Bray and manie other also innumerable King Richard hauing got this victorie wrote letters thereof vnto the archbishops bishops abbats earles and barons of his realme that they might praise God for his good successe ¶ A notable example to all princes that haue the conquest ouer their enimies to referre the happie getting thereof to God and to giue praise vnto him who giueth victorie vnto whom it pleaseth him Which the Psalmograph saw verie well and therefore ascribed all the issue of his prosperous affaires to God as may well be noted by his words saieng expresselie ab illo Munior hic instar turâ—is arcis erat Dura manus in bella meas qui format armat Ad fera qui digitos instruit arma meos Now will we staie the proceedings of the king of France at this time and make no further relation thereof for a while till we haue touched other things that happened in England at the same season And first ye shall vnderstand that Hugh Bardolfe Roger Arundell and Geffrey Hachet to whom as iustices the counties of Lincolne Notingham Yorke Derbie Northumberland Westmerland Cumberland and Lancaster were appointed for circuits held not onelie plées of assises and of the crowne but also tooke inquisitions of escheats and forfaitures of all maner of transgressions and of donations of benefices of marriages of widowes and maids and other such like things as apperteined to the king whereby any aduantages grew to his vse the which for tediousnesse we passe ouer These things were streightlie looked vnto not without the disquieting of manie Herewith came an other trouble in the necke of this former to diuerse persons within the realme through inquiries taken by the iustices of the forrests for Hugh Neuill Hugh Waley and Heruisius Neuill appointed iustices itinerants in that case were commanded by the king to call before them archbishops bishops earles barons knights and fréeholders with the reeue and foure of the substantiall men of euerie towne or village to heare and take knowledge of the kings commandement touching the ordinances of forrests the which were verie straight in sundrie points so that whereas before those that offended in killing of the kings deere were punished by the purse now they should lose their eies and genitals as the lawe was in the daies of king Henrie his grandfather and those that offended in cutting downe woods or bushes or in digging and deluing vp of turues and clods or by any other maner of waie made waste and destruction in woods or grasse or spoile of venison within the precinct of the forrests contrarie to order they should be put to their â—ines He gaue commandement also that it should be lawfull to the forresters to take and put vnder arrest as well préests and those of the cleargie as temporall men being found offenders in forrest grounds and chases Manie other ordinances were decréed touching the preseruation of forrests and the kings prerogatiue aduantages and profits rising and growing by the same as well for sauing of his woods and wasts as in pannage and agistements greatlie to the restraint of them that might vsurpe or incroch vpon the grounds within the compasse of his forrests Ye haue heard before how the moonks of Canturburie did send to exhibit a complaint to the pope for that their archbishop tooke vpon him to deale in exercise of matters belonging to a temporall man and line 10 not to such a one as had rule ouer the spiritualtie but this was not the cause that did gréeue them so much as that he went forward with the erection of that church at Lameth which his predecessor archbishop Baldwine had first begun at Haketon now called S. Stephans as before ye haue heard and after was driuen through the importunate suit of the moonks to leaue off and race that which he had there begun to obeie the popes pleasure and after laid a new foundation at Lameth line 20 The moonks of Canturburie therefore still fearing least that church should greatlie preiudice such rights and liberties as they pretended namlie in the election of their archbishop would neuer rest but still complained and followed their suit in most obstinate maner in the court of Rome as well in the daies of the said Baldwine as now against Hubert when he tooke in hand to continue the worke according to the purpose of his predecessour the said Baldwine which was to haue instituted a colledge there line 30 and to haue placed secular canons in the same and such was the earnest trauell of the moonks herein that in the end now after the deceasse of pope Celestine they found such fauour at the hands of pope Innocent his successor that the same Innocent directed his letters of coÌ„mandement to the archbishop and other bishops of this land to destroie and race the same foundation as a péece of worke derogatorie to the sée of Canturburie and verie preiudiciall to the estate of holie church line 40 The archbishop at the first trusted to be borne out by the king who was highlie offended with the moonks for their presumptuous dealing and therfore refused to obeie the popes commandement The king in deed stomached the matter so highlie that he sent letters vnto the moonks by no worsse messengers than by Geffrey Fitz Peter and Hugh Fitz Bardolfe his iustices signifieng to them not onelie his high displeasure for their presumptuous proceedings in their suit without his consent but also commanding line 50 them to surceasse and not to procéed further in the matter by vertue of any such the popes letters which they had purchased contrarie
degrées Herto assenteth the poet saieng magni regésque ducésque Delirant saepe vitiorum peste laborant Stultitiâ—sque suis saepe vrbes exitio dant Imperiúmque sibi miserorum caede lucrantuâ— Moreouer in this yeare about Candlemasse the K. caused the 13 part of euerie mans goods as well of the spiritualtie as of the temporaltie to be leuied and gathered to his vse all men murmuring at such dooings but none being so hardie as to gainesaie the kings pleasure except onelie Geffrey the archbishop of Yorke who therevpon departing secretlie out of the realme accursed all those that laid any hands to the collection of that paiment within his archbishoprike of Yorke Also vpon the 17 of Ianuarie then last past about the middest of the night there rose such a tempest of wind vpon a sudden that manie houses were ouerthrowne therewith and sheepe and other cattell destroied and buried in the drifts of snow which as then laie verie déepe euerie where vpon the ground The order of frier Minors began about this time and increased maruellouslie within a short season And the emperour Otho came ouer into England in this yeare where he was most roiallie receiued by king Iohn who taking councell with the said emperour to renew the warre against the French king bicause he was promised great aid at his hands for the furnishing of the same gaue vnto him at his departing foorth of the realme great summes of monie in hand towards the paiment of such souldiers as he should leuie for this businesse In this meane while the strife depended still in the court of Rome betwixt the two elected archbishops of Canturburie Reginald and Iohn But after the pope was fullie informed of the manner of their elections he disanulled them both and procured by his papall authoritie the moonks of Canturburie of whome manie were then come to Rome about that matter to choose one Stephâ—n Lâ—â—gton the cardinall of S. Chrysogon an Englishman borne and of good estimation and learning in the court of Rome to be their archbishop The moonks at the first were loth to consent thereto alledging that they might not lawfullie doo it without consent of their king line 10 and of their couent But the pope as it were taking the word out of their mouths said vnto them Doo yée not consider that we haue full authoritie and power in the church of Canturburie neither is the assent of kings or princes to be looked for vpon elections celebrated in the presence of the apostolike sée Wherefore I command you by vertue of your obedience and vpon paine of curssing that you being such and so manie here as are sufficient for the election to choose him to line 20 your archbishop whome I shall appoint to you for father and pastor of your soules The moonks doubting to offend the pope consented all of them to gratifie him except Helias de Brantfield who refused And so the foresaid Stephan Langton being elected of them was confirmed of the pope who signified by letters the whole state therof to king Iohn commending the said Stephan as archbishop vnto him The king â—ore offended in his mind that the bishop of Norwich was thus put beside that dignitie to the line 30 which he had aduanced him caused forthwith all the goods of the moonks of Canturburie to be confiscate to his vse and after banished them the relme as well I meane those at home as those that were at Rome and herewith wrote his letters vnto the pope giuing him to vnderstand for answer that he would neuer consent that Stephan which had béene brought vp alwaies conuersant with his enimies the Frenchmen should now enioy the rule of the bishoprike and dioces of Canturburie Moreouer he declared in the line 40 same letters that he maruelled not a little what the pope ment in that he did not consider how necessarie the freendship of the king of England was to the see of Rome sith there came more gains to the Romane church out of that kingdome than out of any other realme on this side the mountaines He added hereto that for the liberties of his crowne he would stand to the death if the matter so required And as for the election of the bishop of Norwich vnto the sée of Canturburie sith it was profitable to him and to line 50 his realme he meant not to release it Moreouer he declared that if he might not be heard and haue his mind he would suerlie restraine the passages out of this realme that none should go to Rome least his land should be so emptied of monie and treasure that he should want sufficient abilitie to beat backe and expell his enimies that might attempt inuasion against the same Lastlie of all he concluded sith the archbishops bishops abbats and other ecclesiasticall persons as well of his realme of line 60 England as of other his lands and dominions were sufficientlie furnished with knowledge that he would not go for anie néed that should driue him thereto to séeke iustice or iudgement at the prescript of any forren persons The pope greatlie maruelling hereat wrote againe to the king requiring him to absteine from the spoiling of those men that were priuileged by the canons of the church that he would place the moonks againe in their house and possessions and receiue the archbishop canonicallie elected and confirmed the which for his learning and knowledge as well in the liberall sciences as in holie scripture was thought worthie to be admitted to a prebend in Paris anâ— what estimation he himselfe had of him it appeared in that he had written to him thrice since he was made cardinall declaring that although he was minded to call him to his seruice yet he was glad that he was promoted to an higher roome adding further how there was good cause that he should haue consideration of him bicause he was borne within his land of father and mother that were his faithfull subiects and for that he had a prebend in the church of Yorke which was greater and of more dignitie than that he had in Paris Whereby not onelie by reason of flesh and bloud but also by hauing ecclesiasticall dignitie and office it could not be but that he loued him and his realme with sincere affection Manie other reasons the pope alledged in his letters to king Iohn to haue persuaded him to the allowing of the election of Stephan Langton But king Iohn was so far from giuing care to the popes admonitions that he with more crueltie handled all such not onelie of the spiritualtie but also of the temporaltie which by any manner means had aided the forenamed Stephan The pope being hereof aduertised thought good not to suffer such contempt of his authoritie as he interpreted it namelie in a matter that touched the iniurious handling of men within orders of the church Which example might procure hinderance not to one priuat person alone but
which the lords came with great retinues of armed men for the better safegard of their persons manie things in the same yeare enacted contrarie to the kings pleasure and his roiall prerogatiue For the lords at the first determined to demand the confirmation of the ancient charter of liberties which his father king Iohn had granted and he himselfe had so often promised to obserue and mainteine signifieng plainelie that they meant to pursue their purpose and intent herein not sparing either for losse of life lands or goods according to that they had mutuallie giuen their faiths by ioining of hands as the manner in such cases is accustomed Besides the grant of the great charter they required other things necessarie for the state of the common-wealth to be established and enacted It was therefore first enacted that all the Poictouins should auoid the land togither with other strangers and that neither the king nor his sonne prince Edward should in anie secret manner aid them against the people Moreouer that the king his sonne should receiue an oth to stand vnto the decrees and ordinances of that parlement and withall spéed to restore the ancient lawes and institutions of the realme which they both did rather constreined therevnto by feare than of anie good will Thus not onelie the king himselfe but also his sonne prince Edward receiued an oth to obserue the ordinances of that parlement But Iohn earle Warren and the kings halfe brethren namelie the earle of Penbroke refused that oth and likewise the lord Henrie sonne to the king of Almaine excused himselfe by his fathers absence without whose consent he would not receiue it vnto whome this answer was made that if his father would not consent to the agréement of the baronage he should not possesse one furrowe of land within this realme Also whereas the earle of Leicester resigned the castels of Killingworth and Odiham into the kings hands which he had latelie receiued by his gift and newlie repaired the earle of Penbroke and his other brethren sware déepelie that they would for no mans pleasure giue ouer such castels rents and wardships of theirs as they had of the kings gift But the earle of Leicester told the earle of Penbroke flatlie and plainlie that he should either render them vp or else he should be sure to lose his head This saieng was confirmed by the generall voices of all other the barons bicause it was a speciall article concluded amongst other in that parlement The kings halfe brethren perceiuing which waie the world went stood in doubt of themselues and secretlie therevpon departing from Oxenford first withdrew vnto Winchester where Odomare one of the same brethren was bishop through whose support and by reason of the strength of such castels as he held they trusted to be in more safetie but finallie perceiuing themselues not to be so out of danger sith the barons minded to pursue them about the eighteenth daie of Iulie they departed the realme with a great number of other of their countriemen and amongest those William de saint Herman the kings caruer was one Henrie Montfort sonne to the earle of Leicester vnderstanding of their departure out of the realme followed and hearing that they were arriued at Bullogne he landed in those parts by such freendship as he found there amongst those that bare good will vnto his father he got togither a power and after a manner besieged the Poictouins within Bullogne laieng watch for them in such sort both by sea and land that there was no waie left for them to escape When they saw themselues in that danger they sent a messenger with all post hast to the French king requiring his safe conduct to passe fréelie through his realme as they trusted he would be content to grant vnto such as for refuge and safegard of life should repaire vnto him for comfort The French king courteouslie granted their request and so they were in safetie permitted to passe quietlie through the countrie In the meane while one Richard Gray chatellaine of Douer castell a right valiant man and a faithfull suffered no man to passe that waie vnsearched according to that which he had in commandement wherevpon he tooke seized into his hands line 10 a great portion of treasure which was brought thither to be transported ouer to the Poictouins that were fled out of the realme Also there was found a great quantitie of treasure in the new temple at London which they had gathered hoorded vp there which also was seized to the kings vse But now to returne vnto the doings in the parlement holden at Oxford It was ordeined as some write that the king should choose twelue persons of the realme and the communaltie of the land should line 20 choose other twelue the which hauing regall authoritie in their hands might take in charge the gouernance of the realme vpon them should from yeare to yeare prouide for the due election of iustices chancellors treasurors and other officers and see for the safe keeping of the castels which belonged to the crowne These foure and twentie gouernours appointed as prouiders for the good gouernement of the realme began to order all things at their pleasure in the meane time not forgetting to vse things chéeflie line 30 to their owne aduantages as well in prouiding eschets and wards for their sonnes and kinsfolks as also in bestowing patronages of churches belonging to the kings gift at their pleasures so that these prouiders séemed to prouide all for themselues in so much that neither king nor Christ could receiue ought amongst them and as for iustice they regarded nothing lesse their minds were so rauished with desire of priuat wealth which who so hunteth after being in place of magistracie he must néeds neglect the law line 40 and course of equitie and therefore this counsell is good which a good writer giueth in this behalfe saieng Si iustus vult esse aliquis non vtile quaerat Iusticia est multis laudata domestica paucis There be that write how there were but twelue of these gouernours chosen whose names were as followeth First the archbishop of Canturburie the bishop of Worcester Roger Bigod earle of Northfolke and marshall of England Simon de Mountfort earle of Leicester Richard de Clare earle of line 50 Glocester Humfrey Bohun earle of Hereford the earles of Warwike and Arundell sir Iohn Mansell cheefe iustice of England sir Roger lord Mortimer sir Hugh Bigod sir Peter de Sauoy sir Iames Audâ—ley and sir Peter de Mountfort To these was authoritie onelie giuen to punish and correct all such as offended in breaking of any the ordinances at this parlement established It was not long after the finishing of this parlement but that strife and variance began to kindle line 60 betwéene the king and the earles of Leicester and Glocester by reason of such officers as the
certeine ships passing by the towre with wheat and other vittels into the towre making the price thereof himselfe The matter was had before sir Philip Basset lord cheefe iustice and others who vpon the sight and hearing of all such euidences and priuiledges as could be brought foorth for the aduantage of both the parties tooke order that the constable should when he lacked prouision of graine or vittels come into the market holden within the citie and there to haue wheat two pence in a quarter within the maiors price and other vittels after the same rate Prince Edward the kings sonne returning from line 10 the parts beyond the sea went with a great power as well of Englishmen as strangers against the Welshmen towards Snowdon hils but the enimies withdrawing themselues to their strengths within the woods and mounteines he could not much indamage them wherevpon after he had fortified certeine castels in those parts with men numition and vittels he returned being sent for backe of his father The archbishop of Canturburie foreseeing the trouble that was like to insue betwixt the king and his line 20 barons got licence of the king to go vnto Rome about such businesse as he fained to haue to doo with the pope and so departed the land and kept him awaie till the trouble was appeased Upon Midlent sundaie at a folkemote holden at Paules crosse before sir Philip Basset and other of the kings councell the maior of London was sworne to be true to the king and to his heires kings of England and vpon the morrow at the Guildhall euerie alderman in presence of the maior tooke the same oth And vpon line 30 the sundaie following euerie inhabitant within the citie of the age of 12 yeares and aboue before his alderman in his ward was newlie charged with the like oth Then began the displeasure betwéene the king and his barons to appeare which had béene long kept secret diuers of whom assembling togither in the marches of Wales gathered vnto them a power of men and sent a letter vnto the king vnder the seale of sir Roger Clifford beséeching him to haue in remembrance line 40 his oth and manifold promises made for the obseruing of the statutes ordeined at Oxford But although this letter was indited and written verie effectuallie yet receiued they no answer from the king who minded in no wise to obserue the same statutes as by euident takens it was most apparant Wherevpon they determined to attempt by force to bring their purpose to passe The king and the quéene for their more safegard got them into the towre of London and prince Edward laie at Clerkenwell line 50 but in such necessitie and discredit for monie that neither had they any store to furnish their wants neither was there any man that would trust them with a groat Prince Edward not able to abide such dishonor in the feast of the apostle Peter and Paule taking with him Robert Waleran and certeine others went to the new temple and there easling for the kéeper of the treasure-house as if he meant to see his mothers iewels that were laid vp there to be safelie line 60 kept he entred into the house and breaking the coffers of certeine persons that had likewise brought their monie thither to haue it in more safetie he tooke away from thence the value of 1000 pounds ô quantum cogit egestas Magnum pauperies opprobrium iubet Quiduis facere pati Virtutisque viam deserit arduae The citizens of London were so offended herewith that they rose in armour against him and other of the kings councell in somuch that they assailed the lodging of the lord Iohn Gray without Ludgate and tooke out of his stables 32 horsses and such other things as they might laie hold vpon kéeping such stur that the lord Gray himselfe was forced to flie beyond Fleetbridge The like rule they kept at the house of Iohn de Passelew Iohn Mansell departing foorth of the towre to the Thames with the countesse de Lisle and other ladies that were strangers borne sailed into France and landed at Whitsand where the said Mansell hearing that the lord Henrie sonne to the king of Almaine that then held with the barons was in those parts he caused the lord Ingram de Fines to staie him as prisoner and so he remained till king Henrie vpon the agreement betwixt him and the barons found meanes to get him released and so then he returned into England But now touching the barons they procéeded in their businesse which they had in hand with all earnest diligence of whome these were the chéefe that vndertooke this matter yoong Humfrie de Boun the lord Henrie son to the king of Almaine Henrie Montford Hugh Spenser Baldwin Wake Gilbert Gifford Richard Gray Iohn Ros William Marmion Henrie Hastings Haimon le Strange Iohn Fitz Iohn Godfrey Lucie Nicholas Segraue Roger de Leiborne Iohn Uesie Roger de Clifford Iohn de Uaus Gilbert de Clare Gilbert de Lacie and Robert Uepont the which with one generall consent elected for their chéefe capteins and generall gouernours Simon de Mountfort earle of Leicester Gilbert of Clare earle of Glocester and Robert Ferreis earle of Darbie and Iohn earle of Warren On the kings part these persons are named to stand with him against the other First Roger Bigod erle of Norffolke and Suffolke Humfrie de Boun earle of Hereford Hugh Bigod lord cheefe iustice Philip Basset William de Ualence Geffrey de Lucignan Peter de Sauoy Robert Walrand Iohn Mansell Geffrey Langley Iohn Gray William Latimer Henrie Percie and manie other The barons notwithstanding hauing assembled their powers resolued to go through with their purpose The first enterprise they made was at Hereford where they tooke the bishop of that sée named Iohn Breton and as manie of his canons as were strangers borne After this they tooke sir Matthew de Bezilles shiriffe of Glocester a stranger borne and kéeping on their waie towards London with baners displaied so manie as came within their reach whom they knew to be against the maintenance of the statutes of Oxford they spoiled them of their houses robbed them of their goods and imprisoned their bodies hauing no regard whether they were spirituall men or temporall In diuerse of the kings castels they placed such capteins and soldiers as they thought conuenient 〈◊〉 placed others whom they either knew or suspected to be aduersaries to their purpose About Midsummer when they drew néere to London they sent a letter to the maior and aldermen vnder the seale of the earle of Leicester willing to vnderstand whether they woulâ—â—bserue the acts and statâ—tes establishâ—d at Oxford or else aid and assist such persons as meant the breath of the same And herewith they sent vnto them â— copie of those articles with a prouiso that if any of them were preiudiciall or in any wife
beene mooued rashlie betwixt the Englishmen and the Normans without any commission of their princes their minds therefore were not so kindled in displeasure but that there had béen good hope of agréement betwixt them if Charles earle of Ualois the French kings brother being a man of a hot nature desirous of reuenge had not procured his brother to seeke reuengement by force of armes Wherevpon the French fléet made toward the Englishmen who minding not to detract the batell sharplie incountred their enimies in a certeine place betwixt England and Normandie where they had laid a great emptie ship at anchor to giue token where they meant to ioine There were with the Englishmen both Irishmen and Hollanders and with the Normans there were Frenchmen and Flemings and certeine vessels of Genowaies The fight at the first was doubtfull and great slaughter made as in the meeting of two such mightie nauies must néeds insue Yet in the end the victorie fell to the Englishmen and the French ships put to the chase and scattered abroad The number of ships lost is not recorded by such writers as make report of this conflict but they write that the losse was great King Philip being aduertised of this discomfiture of his fléet was sore displeased and as though he would proceed against king Edward by order of law he summoned him as his liegeman to appeare at Paris to answer what might be obiected against him but withall bicause he knew that king Edward would not come to make his appearance he prepared an armie In the meane time king Edward sent his brother Edmund earle of Lancaster to be his attornie and to make answer for him before all such iudges as might haue hearing of the matter but the iudges meaning nothing lesse than to trie out the truth of the cause admitted no reasons that the earle could alledge in his brothers behalfe and so pronounced king Edward a rebell and decreed by arest that he had forfeited all his right vnto the duchie of Guien These things thus doone he sent priuie messengers vnto Burdeaux to procure the citizens to reuolt from the Englishmen and appointed constable of France the lord Arnold de Neale to follow with an armie who comming thither easilie brought them of Burdeaux vnder the French dominion being alreadie minded to reuolt through practise of those that were latelie before sent vnto them from the French king for that purpose After this the said constable brought the people néere adioining vnder subiection partlie mooued by the example of the chéefe and head citie of all the countrie and partlie induced therevnto by bribes and large gifts The Englishmen that were in the countrie after they perceiued that the people did thus reuolt to the French king withdrew incontinentlie vnto the townes situat néere to the sea side but speciallie they fled to a towne called the Rioll which they fortified with all speed Thus saith Polydor Nicholas Triuet writing hereof declareth the beginning of this warre to be on this manner The English merchants being diuerslie vexed vpon the seas made complaint to the king for losse of their line 10 merchandize The king sent Henrie Lacie earle of Lincolne vnto the French king instantlie requiring that by his assent there might some waie be prouided with speed by them and their councell for some competent remedie touching such harmes and losses by sea as his people had susteind In the meane time whilest the earle taried for answer a nauie of the parts of Normandie conteining two hundred ships and aboue being assembled togither that they might the more boldlie assaile their enimies and the more line 20 valiantlie resist such as should encounter them sailed into Gascoigne determining to destroie all those of their aduersaries that should come in their waie But as these Normane ships returned backe with wines glorieng as it were that they had got the rule of the sea onelie to themselues they were assailed by thréescore English ships which tooke them brought them into England the friday before Whitsunday all the men were either drowned or slaine those onelie excepted which made shift to escape by botes The line 30 newes hereof being brought into France did not so much mooue the king and the councell to woonder at the matter as to take thereof great indignation Ambassadors were appointed to go into England which on the behalfe of the French king might demand of king Edward restitution of those ships and goods thus taken by his subiects and conueied into his realme without all delaie if he minded to haue any fauour in the French court touching his affairs line 40 that belonged to his countrie of Gascoigne The king of England hearing this message tooke therein deliberation to answer and then sent the bishop of London accompaned with other wise and discréet persons into France to declare for answer vnto the French king and his councell as followeth that is Whereas the king of England hath his regall court without subiection to any man if there were therefore any persons that found themselues hurt or indamaged by his people they might come to his court and vpon declaration of their receiued iniuries line 50 they should haue speedie iustice and to the end they might thus doo without all danger whosoeuer minded to complaine he would giue vnto them a safe conduct to come and go in safetie thorough his land but if this waie pleased not the French king then he was content there should be arbitrators chosen on both sides who weieng the losses on both parts might prouide how to satisfie the complaints and the king of England would for his part enter into line 60 bonds by obligation to stand to and abide their order and iudgement herein so that the French king would likewise be bound for his part and if any such doubt fortuned to arise which could not be decided by the said arbitrators let the same be reserued vnto the kings themselues to discusse and determine and the king of England vpon a sufficient safe conduct had would come ouer to the French K. if he would come downe vnto any hauen towne néere to the sea coast that by mutuall assent an end might bée had in the businesse but if neither this waie should please the French king nor the other then let the matter be committed to the order of the pope to whom it apperteined to nourish concord among christian princes or bicause the see was as then void let the whole colledge of cardinals or part of them take order therein as should be thought necessarie that strife and discord being taken awaie and remoued peace might againe flourish betwixt them and their people as before time it had doone and bring with it the blessings therevpon depending namelie althings that may make an happie fortunat state according to the nature of peace whereof it is said Pax est cunctorum mater veneranda bonorum Fit sub
he had of the said archbishop of Yorke within one yeare nine thousand and 500 markes besides the expenses which he was at whilest he laie there and so when this archbishop was returned into England through pouertie he was driuen to gather monie of the persons préests and religious men within his prouince at two sundrie times in one yeare as first in name of a courtesie and gratious beneuolence and the second time by waie of an aid line 40 Moreouer pope Clement ordeined Anthonie bishop of Durham patriarch of Ierusalem dispensing with him so as he held still the bishoprike of Durham notwithstanding his other promotion and this was bicause the bishop was rich and the pope poore For this bishop might dispend in yearelie reuenues by purchases inheritances besides that belonged to his miter aboue fiue thousand marks and he gaue great rewards to the pope and to his cardinals by means whereof he obteined in suit against the prior line 50 of Durham so that he had the charge and ouersight of the monasterie of Durham both the spirituall gouernement and temporall through informing the pope that the prior was not able in discretion to rule the house At his returning home he caused a crosse of siluer and gilt adorned with an image of the crucifix to be borne afore him But where he appointed certeine persons as his deputies to enter into the priorie of Durham and to take charge thereof in place of the prior the moonks line 60 shut the gates against them appealing to the pope and pretending the kings protection which they had purchased But those that thus came in the bishops name accursed the moonks so departed The king héerewith was highlie offended so that he caused them to answer the matter afore the iustices of his bench and for their presumption in pronouncing the cursse without making the king priuie to their dooings they were put to their fines And whereas the bishop was summoned to appeare before the king in person at a certeine daie he made default and departing out of the realme got backe againe to the pope contrarie to the kings prohibition wherevpon the liberties of the see of Durham were seized into the kings hands and the king placed his iustices and chancellor there and in the yeare next insuing he exacted of the tenants of the archbishoprike the thirtéenth penie of their goods and otherwise vexed them with sundrie talages The conclusion of this matter was this that the prior was cited by the pope to appeare at his consistorie whither he went hauing the kings letters in his fauour directed to the pope wherevpon when the pope had examined the matter and heard the prior speake in his owne person he perceiued him to be otherwise than he was informed a sober and discréet man and therefore restored him againe to the gouernment of his house but he remained in the popes court till after the kings death and finallie died there himselfe in the yeare 1307. But now to returne to other dooings of king Edward We find that whilest he lay still at Lauercost he gaue to the earle of Warwike Bernards castell the which he had by escheat through forfeiture thereof made by Iohn Balioll late king of Scotland He also tooke and seized into his hands Penreth with the appurtenances In the octaues of S. Hilarie the king held a parlement at Carleill in the which by the peeres of the realme great complaint was made of the oppressions doone to churches abbeies and monasteries by reason of paiments latelie raised and taxed by one maister William or Guilelmo Testa the â—â—pes chapleine Commandement therefore was giuen to the same chapleine that from thencefoorth he should not leauie anie such paiments and for further remedie messengers were made foorth vnto the pope to declare vnto him the inconuenience thereof This Testa was sent from pope Clement into England with bulles in the contents whereof it appeared that the pope had reserued to himselfe the first fruits of one yeares reuenues of euerie benefice that fell void by anie manner of meanes within the realme of England Scotland Wales and Ireland and likewise of all abbeies priories and monasteries so that it may well be said of him his retinue according to the processe of all their actions as it was said of old Curia Romana non quaerit ouem sine lana But the king and lords of the land thought it against reason that the pope should take and receiue the profits of those abbeies and monasteries which had beene founded by their predecessors for the seruice of God and the maintenance of almesdeeds and good hospitalitie to be kept and so the pope changed his purpose touching abbeies but granting to the K. the tenth of the English churches for two yéers he obteined the first fruits of the same churches for himselfe as before he required In the same parlement were statutes made concerning religious men which had their head and chéefest houses in forren regions There came also at the same time a cardinall from the pope named Petrus Hispanus to procure the consummation of the mariage betwixt the prince of Wales and the French kings daughter for the same was delaied by reason that all couenants were not kept on the French kings behalfe touching the deliuerie of the townes in Gascoine For whereas in times past the French king had giuen one of those townes that were taken from the Englishmen named Mauleon vnto a French knight he kept the same still and would not deliuer it now at the French kings commandement where-through as was said the marriage had béene hitherto deferred The same cardinall by vertue of his bull would haue had of euerie cathedrall church colledge abbeie and priorie twelue marks of sterling monie and of euerie person of parish churches eight pence of euerie marke of his reuenues But the English cleargie appealed from this exaction so that by the king and his councell it was ordeined that he should haue no more than in times past cardinall Othobon did receiue that is to saie the halfe of his demand Moreouer this cardinall being at Carleill and hauing made a sermon in praise of peace vpon the conclusion of marriage betwixt the prince of Wales and the French kings daughter in the end he reuested himselfe and the other bishops which were present line 10 and then with candels light and causing the bels to be roong they accursed in terrible wise Robert Bruce the vsurper of the crowne of Scotland with all his partakers aiders and mainteiners Neuerthelesse Robert Bruce in this meane while slept not his businesse but ranging abroad in the countrie flue manie that would not obeie him and sent foorth his two brethren Thomas that was a knight and Alexander that was a préest with part of his armie into an other quarter of the countrie to allure line 20 the people vnto his obedience
le Beau sister to Charles the fift king of France began his reigne as king of England his father yet liuing the 25 daie of Ianuarie after the creation 5293 in the yeare of our lord 1327 year 1327 after the account of them that line 10 begin the yeare at Christmasse 867 after the comming of the Saxons 260 after the conquest the 13 yeare of the reigne of Lewes the fourth then emperour the seuenth of Charles the fift king of France the second of Andronicus Iunior emperour of the east almost ended and about the end of the 22 of Robert le Bruce king of Scotland He was crowned at Westminster on the day of the Purification of our ladie next insuing by the hands of Walter the archbishop of Canturburie line 20 And bicause he was but fourteene yeares of age so that to gouerne of himselfe he was not sufficient it was decréed that twelue of the greatest lords within the realme should haue the rule and gouernment till he came to more perfect yeares The names of which lords were as followeth The archbishop of Canturburie the archbishop of Yorke the bishops of Winchester and of Hereford Henrie earle of Lancaster Thomas Brotherton earle marshall Edmund of Woodstoke earle of Kent Iohn earle of Warren the lord Thomas Wake the lord Henrie Percie the line 30 lord Oliuer de Ingham the lord Iohn Ros. These were sworne of the kings councell and charged with the gouernement as they would make answer But this ordinance continued not long for the quéene and the lord Roger Mortimer tooke the whole rule so into their hands that both the king and his said councellors were gouerned onelie by them in all matters both high and low Neuerthelesse although they had taken the regiment vpon them yet could they not foresee the tumults and vprores that presentlie vpon line 40 the yoong kings inthronizing did insue but needs it must come to passe that is left written where children weare the crowne beare the scepter in hand Vaepueri terrae saepissimè sunt ibi guerrae He confirmed the liberties and franchises of the citie of London and granted that the maior of the same citie for the time being might sit in all places of iudgement within the liberties thereof for cheefe iustice aboue all other the kings person onelie excepted and that euerie alderman that had béene maior line 50 should be iustice of peace through all the citie of London and countie of Middlesex and euerie alderman that had not béene maior should be iustice of peace within his owne ward He granted also to the citizens that they should not be constreined to go foorth of the citie to anie warres in defense of the land and that the franchises of the citie should not be seized from thenceforth into the kings hands for anie cause but onelie for treason and rebellion shewed by the whole citie Also Southwarke was appointed to be vnder the rule of the citie and the maior of London to be bailiffe of Southwarke and to ordeine such a substitute in the same borough as pleased him In the first yeare of this kings reigne we find in records belonging to the abbeie of S. Edmundsburie in Suffolke that the inhabitants of that towne raised a sore commotion against the abbat moonks of the same abbeie and that at seuerall times as first on the wednesdaie next after the feast of the conuersion of S. Paule in the said first yeare of this kings reigne one Robert Foxton Richard Draiton and a great number of other assembling themselues togither in warlike order and araie assaulted the said abbeie brake downe the gates windowes and doores entered the house by force and assailing certeine moonks and seruants that belonged to the abbat did beat wound and euill intreat them brake open a number of chests coffers and forssets tooke out chalices of gold and siluer books vestments and other ornaments of the church beside a great quantitie of rich plate and other furniture of household apparell armour and other things beside fiue hundred pounds in readie coine also three thousand florens of gold All these things they tooke and caried awaie togither with diuerse charters writings miniments as thrée charters of Knute sometime king of England foure charters of king Hardiknute one charter of king Edward the confessor two charters of king Henrie the first other two charters of king Henrie the third which charters concerned as well the foundation of the same abbeie as the grants and confirmations of the possessions and liberties belonging thereto Also they tooke awaie certeine writings obligatorie in the which diuerse persons were bound for the paiement of great summes of monie and deliuerie of certeine wines vnto the hands of the said abbat Moreouer they tooke awaie with them ten seuerall buls concerning certeine exemptions and immunities granted to the abbats and moonks of Burie by sundrie bishops of Rome Furthermore not herewith contented they tooke Peter Clopton prior of the said abbeie and other moonks foorth of the house and leading them vnto a place called the Leaden hall there imprisoned them till the thursdaie next before the feast of the Purification of our ladie and that daie bringing them backe againe into the chapter-house deteined them still as prisoners till they had sealed a writing conteining that the abbat and conuent were bound in ten thousand pounds to be paid to Oliuer Kempe and others by them named And further they were constreined to seale a letter of release for all actions quarels debts transgressions suits and demands which the abbat might in anie wise claime or prosecute against the said Oliuer Kempe and others in the same letters named For these wrongs and other as for that they would not permit the abbats bailiffes and officers to kéepe their ordinarie courts as they were accustomed to doo as well thrée daies in the wéeke for the market to wit mondaie wednesdaie and fridaie as the Portman mote euerie tuesdaie thrée wéeks line 10 and further prohibit them from gathering such tols customes and yearelie rents as were due to the abbat for certeine tenements in the towne which were let to farme the abbat brought his action against the said Foxton Draiton and others and hauing it tried by an inquest on the fridaie next after the feast of saint Lucie the virgine in a sessions holden at Burie by Iohn Stonore Walter Friskney Robert Maberthorpe Iohn Bousser by vertue of the kings writ of oier and determiner to them directed line 20 the offendors were condemned in 40000 pounds so that the said Richard Draiton and others there present in the court were committed to prison in custodie of the shiriffe Robert Walkefare who was commanded also to apprehend the other that were not yet arrested if within his bailiwike they might be found and to haue their bodies before the said iustices at Burie aforsaid on thursdaie in Whitsunwéeke next insuing Beside this there was an other
should trie out in whose hands the wools and monie remained which were taken vp to his vse and that vpon a line 10 iust accompts had at their hands it might appeare who were in fault that he had not monie brought to him whilest he laie at siege before Tournie as he had appointed and that when the truth was knowne they that were in fault might be worthilie punished And as for his owne cause he signified that he was readie to be tried by his péeres sauing alwaies the state of holie church and of his order c. Further he besought the king not to thinke euill of him and of other good men till the truth might be tried for otherwise line 20 if iudgement should be pronounced without admitting the partie to come to his answere as well the guiltlesse as the guiltie might be condemned The king neuerthelesse still offended towards the archbishop caused Adam bishop of Winchester to indite a letter against him directed from the king to the deane and chapiter of Paules openlie to be published by them the effect whereof was to burthen the archbishop with vnthankfulnesse and forgetting of line 30 his bounden duetie towards his souereigne lord and louing maister namelie in that where he promised the king to sée him throughlie furnished with monie towards the maintenance of his warres when it came to passe none would be had which turned not onelie to the hinderance of the kings whole procéedings but also to his great discredit and causing him to run greatlie in debt by interest through borrowing of monie for the paiment of the wages of his men of warre when through the archbishops negligence line 40 who had the chéefe rule of the land the collectors and other officers slacked their duetie whereby there was no monie sent ouer according to that was appointed and wheras now since his comming ouer he had sent to the archbishop to come vnto him that by his information he might the better learne who they were that neglected their duetie he disobedientlie refused to come pretending some feare of bodilie harme through the malice of some that were about the king Wherevpon when Rafe lord Stafford line 50 lord steward of the kings house was sent with a safe conduct for him to come in all safetie to the court he flatlie made answer that he would not come except in full parlement Manie other misdemeanors was the archbishop charged with towards the king in that letter as maliciouslie slandering the king for vniust oppression of the people confounding the cleargie and greeuing the church with exactions leuies of monie tolles and â—allages Therefore sith he went about to slander the line 60 kings roiall authoritie to defame his seruants to stirre rebellion among the people and to withdraw the deuotion and loue of the earles lords and great men of the lanâ— from the king his highnesse declared that he meant to prouide for the integritie preseruation of his good name whereof it is said trulie Dulcius est aere pretiosum nomen habâ—re and to meet with the archbishops malice And herewith diuerse things were rehersed to the archbishops reproch which he should doo procure and suffer to be doone by his euill and sinister counsell whilest he had the rule of the realme in his hands vnder the king wherein he had shewed himselfe not onelie an acceptor of gifts but also of persons in gratifieng diuerse that nothing had deserued sundrie waies foorth and presuming to doo rashlie manie other things to the detriment of the kings roiall state and hurt of his regall dignitie and to no small damage of the people abusing the authoritie and office to him committed so that if he persisted in his obstinate wilfulnesse and rebellious contumacie the king by those his letters signified that he meant to declare it more apparantlie in due time and place and therefore commanded the said deane and chapiter of Paules to publish all those things openlie in places where they thought conuenient according to their wisedome giuen to them by God so as he might haue cause to commend therein their carefull diligence ¶ This letter was dated at Westminster the tenth of Februarie in the fifteenth yeare of his reigne ouer England and second ouer France Where the Londoners would not permit the kings iustices to sit within the citie of London contrarie to their liberties the king appointed them to sit in the tower and when they would not make anie answer there a great tumult was raised by the commons of the citie so that the iustices being in some perill as they thought feigned themselues to sit there till towards Easter Wherevpon when the king could not get the names of them that raised the tumult no otherwise but that they were certeine light persons of the common people he at length pardoned the offense After this those iustices neither sat in the tower nor elsewhere of all that yeare In the quindene of Easter the king held a parlement at London in the which the prelats earls barons and commons presented manie petitions as to haue the great charter of liberties and the charter of forrests dulie obserued and that they which brake the same should be discharged of their offices if they were the kings officers and that the high officers of the king should be elected and chosen by their peeres in parlement The king withstood these petitions a certeine time yet at length he granted to some of them but as concerning the election of his officers he in no wise would consent but yet he was contented that they should receiue an oth in parlement to doo iustice to all men in their offices c. Upon which article and others a statute was made and confirmed with the kings seale In the meane while the French king had with bribes woone Lewes of Bauaria that named himselfe emperour from further fauouring the king of England in so much that vnder a colourable pretense of finding himselfe greeued for that the king of England had without his knowledge taken truce with the French king he reuoked the dignitie of being vicar in the empire from the king of England but yet signified to him that where the French king had at his request put the matter in controuersie betwixt him and the king of England into his hands to make an end thereof if it so pleased the king of England that he should treat as an indifferent arbitrator betwixt them he promised to doo his indeuour so as he doubted not but that by his means he should come to a good agréement in his cause if he would fâ—llow his aduise And to receiue answer hereof he sent his letters by one Eberhard a chapleine of his the reader of the â—riers heremits to S. Augustins order requesting the king of England to aduertise him by the same messenger of his whole mind in that behalfe The king for answer signified againe by his letters to the emperour that for
was forsaken tooke great displeasure herewith But sith the king allowed of all the duke of Irelands dooings the duke of Glocester dissembled such iniuries doone to his neece for the time till opportunitie might serue to reuenge the same The duke of Ireland vnderstood all these things and therefore was the more circumspect for his owne safetie and studied how by some meanes he might dispatch the duke of Glocester out of the waie as the line 20 man whom he most feared least his life should be his destruction by one means or other Easter was now past the time as ye haue heard appointed before the which the duke of Ireland should haue transported ouer into Ireland yet was he not set forward But least somewhat might be thought in the matter and for feare of some stir to be raised by the lords of the realme that wished him gone according to the order prescribed at the last parlement the king as it were to bring him to the water side went with him into line 30 Wales where being out of the waie they might deuise how to dispatch the duke of Glocester the earles of Arundell Warwike Derbie and Notingham with others of that faction There were with the king beside the duke of Ireland Michaell de la Poole earle of Suffolke Robert Trisilian lord chiefe iustice and diuers other which doubtfull of their owne safegards did what they could as writers report to mooue the king forward to the destruction of those noblemen After the king had remained in those parties a good line 40 while he returned and brought the duke of Ireland backe with him againe so that it seemed his voiage into Ireland was now quite forgotten About the same time Robert Trisilian lord chiefe iustice of England came to Couentrie and indicted there two thousand persons The king and the quéene came to Grobie and thither came by his commandement the iustices of the realme There were also with him at the same time Alexander archb of Yorke Robert Ueere duke of Ireland Michaell de la Poole line 50 earle of Suffolke Robert Trisilian his fellowes of whom it was demanded if by the lawes of the realme the king might reuoke the ordinances made in the last parlement to the which he had giuen his consent in manner by constraint and they made answer that he might Then were the iustices commanded to come vnto Notingham where the king appointed to meet them and thither he came according to his appointment and held a solemne councell in the castell of Notingham the morrow after S. Bartholomews line 60 day In this councell were the aforesaid archbishop of Yorke the duke of Ireland the earle of Suffolke Robert Trisilian iustice Robert Bramble iustice and sundrie other all which iustices were commanded to set their hands vnto the question vnder written that by meanes thereof those persons that were about the king thought they might haue good occasion to put the duke of Glocester and other lords that were his complices vnto death which in the last parlement were ordeined to haue the gouernance of the realme and all such as were consenting to the same Diuerse of the iustices refused to subscribe but yet they were consâ—reined to doo as the rest did among the which was Iohn Belknap who vtterlie refused till the duke of Ireland and the earle of Suffolke compelled him thereto for if he had persisted in the refusall he had not escaped their hands and yet when he had set to his seale he burst out into these words Now said he here lacketh nothing but a rope that I might receiue a reward worthie for my desert and I know if I had not doone this I might not haue escaped your hands so that for your pleasures and the kings I haue doone it and deserued thereby death at the hands of the lords Which indéed shortlie followed for in the next parlement he was condemned and executed All this remained in record An act of councell touching this matter in manner as followeth MEmorandum that on the fiue and twentith day of August in the 11 yeare of the reigne of king Richard the second at the castell of Notingham aforesaid Robert Trisilian lord chiefe iustice of England Robert Belknap lord chiefe iustice of the coÌ„mon plees Iohn Holt Roger Fulthorpe William Borough knights and associats of the said Robert Belknap and Iohn Lockton one of the kings sergeants at the law being personalie required in presence of the lords and other witnesses vnder written by our said souereigne lord the king in that faith and allegiance in which to him they were bounden that they should trulie answer to certeine questions vnderwritten and vpon the same by their discretions to saie the law 1 First it was asked of them whether the new statute ordinance and commission made in the last parlement held at Westminster be hurtfull to the kings prerogatiue Wherevnto all of one mind answered that they were hurtfull and speciallie bicause they be against the kings will 2 Item it was inquired of them how they ought to be punished that procured the said statute ordinance and commission to be made Wherevnto with one assent they answered that they deserued death except the king of his grace would pardon them 3 Item it was inquired how they ought to be punished which moued the king to consent to the making of the said statute ordinance and commission Wherevnto they answered that vnlesse the king would giue them his pardon they ought to lose their liues 4 Item it was inquired of them what punishment they deserued that compelled the king to the making of that statute ordinance and commission Wherevnto they gaue answer that they ought to suffer as traitors 5 Item it was demanded of them how they ought to be punished that interrupted the king so that he might not exercise those things that apperteined to his regalitie and prerogatiue Wherevnto answer was made that they ought to be punished as traitors 6 Item it was inquired of them whether that after the affaires of the realme and the cause of the calling togither of the states of the parlement were once by the kings commandement declared and opened and other articles on the kings behalfe limited vpon which the lords and commons of the realme ought to intreat and proceed if the lords neuertheles would line 10 proceed vpon other articles and not meddle with those articles which the king had limited till time the king had answered the articles proponed by them notwithstanding the king inioined them to the contrarie whether in this case the king might rule the parlement and cause them to proceed vpon the articles by him limited before they proceeded any further To line 20 which question it was answered that the king should haue in this part the rule for order of all such articles to be prosecuted vntill the end of the parlement And if any presumed to go contrarie to
him that he at his going into Ireland exacted manie notable summes of monie beside plate and iewels without law or custome contrarie to his oth taken at his coronation 20 Item where diuerse lords and iustices were sworne to saie the truth of diuerse things to them committed in charge both for the honor of the relme and profit of the king the said king so menaced them with sore threatenings that no man would or durst saie the right 21 Item that without the assent of the nobilitie he caâ—â—ed the iewels plate and treasure ouer into Ireland to the great impouerishment of the realme and all the good records for the common-wealth and againsâ— his extortions he caused priuilie to be imbesiled and conueâ—ed awaie 22 Item in all leagues and letters to be concluded or sent to the sée of Rome or other regions his writing was so subtill and darke that none other prince once beléeued him nor yet his owne subiects 23 Item he most tyrannousâ—ie and vnprincelie said that the liues and goods of all his subiects were in his hands and at his disposition 24 Item that contrarie to the great charter of England he caused diuerse lustie men to appeale diuerse old men vpon matters determinable at the common law in the court Martiall bicause that line 10 there is no triall but onelie by battell wherevpon the said aged persons fearing the sequele of the matter submitted themselues to his mercie whome he fined and ransomed vnreasonablie at his will and pleasure 25 Item he craftilie deuised certeine priuie othes contrarie to the law and caused diuerse of his subiects first to be sworne to obserue the same and after bound them in bonds for kéeping of the same to the great vndooing of manie honest men line 20 26 Item where the chancellor according to the law would in no wise grant a prohibition to a certeine person the king granted it vnto the same vnder his priuie seale with great threatenings if it should be disobeied 27 Item he banished the bishop of Canturburie without cause or iudgement and kept him in the parlement chamber with men of armes 28 Item the bishops goods he granted to his successor vpon condition that he should mainteine all line 30 his statutes made at Shrewesburie anno 21 and the statutes made anno 22 at Couentrie 29 Item vpon the accusation of the said bishop the king craftilie persuaded him to make no answer for he would be his warrant and aduised him not to come to the parlement and so without answer he was condemned and exiled and his goods seized These be all the articles of anie effect which were laid against him sauing foure other which touched onelie the archbishops matter whose working line 40 wroong king Richard at length from his crowne Then for so much as these articles and other heinous and detestable accusations were laid against him in open parlement it was thought by the most part that he was worthie to be deposed from all kinglie honor and princelie gouernement and to bring the matter without slander the better to passe diuerse of the kings seruants which by licence had accesse to his person comforted him being with sorrow almost consumed and in manner halfe dead in the best wise line 50 they could exhorting him to regard his health and saue his life And first they aduised him willinglie to suffer himselfe to be deposed and to resigne his right of his owne accord so that the duke of Lancaster might without murther or battell obteine the scepter and â—iademe after which they well perceiued he gaped by meane whereof they thought he might be in perfect assurance of his life long to continue Whether this their persuasion procéeded by the suborning of line 60 the duke of Lancaster and his fauourers or of a sincere affection which they bare to the king as supposing it most sure in such an extremitie it is vncerteine but yet the effect followed not howsoeuer their meaning was notwithstanding the king being now in the hands of his enimies and vtterlie despairing of all comfort was easilie persuaded to renounce his crowne and princelie preheminence so that in hope of life onelie he agreed to all things that were of him demâ—nded And so as it should seeme by the copie of an instrument hereafter following he renounced and voluntarilie was deposed from his roiall crowne and kinglie dignitie the mondaie being the nine and twentith daie of September and feast of S. Michaell the archangell in the yeare of our Lord 1399 and in the thrée and twentith yeare of his reigne The copie of which instrument here insueth A copie of the instrument touching the declaration of the commissioners sent from the states in parlement vnto king Richard THis present indenture made the nine and twentith daie of September and feast of saint Michaell in the yeare of our Lord 1399 and the three and twentith yeare of king Richard the second Witnesseth that where by the authoritie of the lords spirituall and temporall of this present parlement and commons of the same the right honorable and discreet persons heere vnder named were by the said authoritie assigned to go to the Tower of London there to heare and testifie such questions and answers as then and there should be by the said honourable and discreet persons hard Know all men to whome these present letters shall come that we sir Richard Scroope archbishop of Yorke Iohn bishop of Hereford Henrie earle of Northumberland Rafe earle of Westmerland Thomas lord Berkeleie William abbat of Westminster Iohn prior of Canturburie William Thirning and Hugh Burnell knights Iohn Markham iustice Thomas Stow and Iohn Burbadge doctors of the ciuill law Thomas Erpingham and Thomas Grey knights Thomas Ferebie and Denis Lopeham notaries publike the daie and yeere aboue said betweene the houres of eight and nine of the clocke before noone were present in the cheefe chamber of the kings lodging within the said place of the Tower where was rehearsed vnto the king by the mouth of the foresaid earle of Northumberland that before time at Conwaie in Northwales the king being there at his pleasure and libertie promised vnto the archbishop of Canturburie then Thomas Arundell and vnto the said earle of Northumberland that he for insufficiencie which he knew himselfe to be of to occupie so great a charge as to gouerne the realme of England he would gladlie leaue of and renounce his right and title as well of that as of his title to the crowne of France and his maiestie roiall vnto Henrie duke of Hereford and that to doo in such conuenient wise as by the learned men of this land it should most sufficientlie be deuised ordeined To the which rehearsall the king in our said presences answered benignlie and said that such promise he made and so to do the same he was at that houre in full purpose to performe and fulfill sauing that he desired first to haue personall speach with the said
disobeieng the arrest he should be dispatched out of life And in this maner ye imagined his death To the which I answered that it were conuenient the king should send for his councell and if they agréed herevnto I would not be against it and so I departed To this Bagot made no answer line 50 After this the king commanded that the lords Berkleie and Louell and sir knights of the lower house should go after dinner to examine the said Hall This was on a thursdaie being the fiftéenth of October On the saturdaie next insuing sir William Bagot and the said Iohn Hall were brought both to the barre and Bagot was examined of certeine points and sent againe to prison The lord Fitzwater herewith rose vp and said to the king that where the duke of Aumarle excuseth himselfe of the duke line 60 of Glocesters death I say quoth he that he was the verie cause of his death and so he appealed him of treason offering by throwing downe his hood as a gage to proue it with his bodie There were twentie other lords also that threw downe their hoods as pledges to proue the like matter against the duke of Aumarle The duke of Aumarle threw downe his hood to trie it against the lord Fitzwater as against him that lied falselie in that he had charged him with by that his appeale These gages were deliuered to the constable and marshall of England and the parties put vnder arrest The duke of Surrie stood vp also against the lord Fitzwater auouching that where he had said that the appellants were causers of the duke of Glocesters death it was false for they were constrained to sue the same appeale in like manner as the said lord Fitzwater was compelled to giue iudgement against the duke of Glocester and the earle of Arundell so that the suing of the appeale was doone by constraint and if he said contrarie he lied and therewith he threw downe his hood The lord Fitzwater answered herevnto that he was not present in the parlement house when iudgement was giuen against them and all the lords bare witnesse thereof Moreouer where it was alledged that the duke of Aumarle should send two of his seruants to Calis to murther the duke of Glocester the said duke of Aumarle said that if the duke of Norfolke affirme it he lied falselie and that he would proue with his bodie throwing downe an other hood which he had borowed The same was likewise deliuered to the constable and marshall of England and the king licenced the duke of Norfolke to returne that he might arraigne his appeale After this was Iohn Hall condemned of treason by authoritie of the parlement for that he had confessed himselfe to be one of them that put the duke of Glocester to death at Calis and so on the mondaie following he was drawne from the Tower to Tiburne and there hanged bowelled headed and quartered his head being sent to Calis there to be set vp where the duke was murthered On wednesdaie following request was made by the commons that sith king Richard had resigned and was lawfullie deposed from his roiall dignitie he might haue iudgement decréed against him so as the realme were not troubled by him and that the causes of his deposing might be published through the realme for satisfieng of the people which demand was granted Wherevpon the bishop of Carleill a man both learned wise and stout of stomach boldlie shewed foorth his opinion concerning that demand affirming that there was none amongst them woorthie or meet to giue iudgement vpon so noble a prince as king Richard was whom they had taken for their souereigne and liege lord by the space of two twentie yeares and more And I assure you said he there is not so ranke a traitor nor so errant a théef nor yet so cruell a murtherer apprehended or deteined in prison for his offense but he shall be brought before the iustice to heare his iudgement and will ye procéed to the iudgement of an anointed king hearing neither his answer nor excuse I say that the duke of Lancaster whom ye call king hath more trespassed to K. Richard his realme than king Richard hath doone either to him or vs for it is manifest well knowne that the duke was banished the realme by K. Richard and his councell and by the iudgement of his owne father for the space of ten yeares for what cause ye know and yet without licence of king Richard he is returned againe into the realine and that is woorse hath taken vpon him the name title preheminence of king And therfore I say that you haue doone manifest wrong to procéed in anie thing against king Richard without calling him openlie to his answer and defense ¶ As soone as the bishop had ended this tale he was attached by the earle marshall and committed to ward in the abbeie of faint Albons Moreouer where the king had granted to the earle of Westmerland the countie of Richmond the duke of Britaine pretending a right thereto by an old title had sent his letters ouer vnto the estates assembled in this parlement offering to abide such order as the law would appoint in the like case to anie of the kings subiects Wherevpon the commons for the more suertie of the intercourse of merchants besought the king that the matter might be committed to the ordering of the councell of either of the parties and of his counsell so as an end might be had therein which request was likewise granted After this the records of the last parlement were shewed with the appeales the commission made to twelue persons to determine things that were motioned in the same last parlement Héerevpon the commons praied that they might haue iustice Markham and maister Gascoigne a sergeant at the law ioined with them for counsell touching the perusing of the records which was granted them and day giuen ouer line 10 till the next morrow in the White-hall where they sat about these matters thrée daies togither On the morrow following being the éeuen of Simon and Iude the apostles the commons required to heare the iudgement of king Richard Wherevpon the archbishop of Canturburie appointed to speake declared how that the king that now is had granted king Richard his life but in such wise as he should remaine in perpetuall prison so safelie kept that neither the king nor realme should be troubled with line 20 him It was also concluded that if anie man went about to deliuer him that then he should be the first that should die for it After this the commons praied that the lords and other that were of king Richards counsell might be put to their answers for their sundrie misdemeanors which was granted On Wednesday following being the morrow after the feast of Simon and Iude all the processe of the parlement holden the 21 yéere of king Richards reigne was read openlie in which
part of a bridge from the enimies and kept watch and ward vpon and about the same The earle of Warwike had also taken a Uaumure from them of the market place built on the southside thereof able to receiue and lodge a good number of men which seruing to good purpose for the better brideling of them within he caused to be kept and thus were they within Meaux sore oppressed on euerie side Herevpon in Februarie the capteins doubting least the citie could not be defended long caused all the vittels and goods to be conueied into the market place and retired all the men of warre into the same leauing none in the other part of the citie but the commons and such as were not able to doo any auaileable seruice in the warre The king aduertised hereof commanded in all hast to assault the citie which was quicklie doone so that the citie by fine force was within thrée houres taken and spoiled and the same daie the market place besieged round about and a mill woone adioining vnto the same In Aprill the quéene passed ouer into France with a faire retinue of men vnder the conduct of the duke of Bedford the duke of Glocester remaining lord gouernour of the realme in his place At hir comming thither she was so welcommed and honorablie receiued first of hir husband and after of hir father and mother that she appeared to be no lesse loued of hir noble husband than of hir déere and naturall parents Whilest the siege still continued before Meaux Oliuer Mannie a valiant man of warre of the Dolphins part which before was capteine of Faleise and yéelding it sware neuer to beare armour against the king of England assembled a great number of men of warre as well Britaines as Frenchmen that is to saie the lord Montborchier the lord of Coinon the lord of Chatelgiron the lord Tintignace the lord de la Howssaie and diuerse other which entered into the countrie of Constantine in Normandie and robbed and killed the Englishmen where they might either espie or take them at their due aduantage But the earle of Suffolke kéeper of the marches hearing of their dooings sent for the lord Scales sir Iohn Aston bailiffe of Constantine sir William Hall sir Iohn Banaster and many other out of the garrisons within that territorie the which incountred with line 10 their enimies at a place called Le parke leuesque in English The bishops parke There was a sore fight and a long betwixt them but finallie the Frenchmen were put to flight so that in the conflict and chase were slaine the lord of Coinon the lord of Chatellgiron and thrée hundred other and there were taken prisoners the lord de la Howssaie and sir Oliuer Mannie with threescore others The king pardoned sir Oliuer Mannie his life though he ill deserued so great a benefit for that he line 20 had broken his oth and promise but he was sent into England there to learne to speake English and so being brought to London shortlie after died being as then a verie aged man was buried in the white friers ¶ But here note by the waie the roiall hart of this king who as he tempered all his actions with singular circumspection so with a pitifull mind he pondered the miserie of his enimies so that when he might Iure belli by the law of armes haue spoiled them of goods and life he diuerse times spared both line 30 with clemencie cōmonlie making conquest of them who séemed by open hostilitie scarse conquerable The king lieng still before the market place at Meaux in Brie as ye haue heard sore beat the wals with his ordinance and cast downe bulworkes and rampiers on euerie side the towne so that he had made an open breach for his people to enter Wherof the lord of Offemont being aduertised with a companie of chosen persons sent by the Dolphin assaied in the night season to enter the towne to the succours of them within But though diuerse of his people line 40 got ouer the walles by helpe of ladders which they had set vp yet such was his chance that as he passed a planke to haue come to the walles he fell into a déepe ditch and in the meane time the Englishmen perceiuing by the noise what the matter meant came running to the ditch tooke the lord of Offemont and slue diuerse of his companie that stood in defense The capteins within perceiuing in what case they stood by reason their succours were thus intercepted and doubting to be taken by assault for that they line 50 wanted munition and weapon began to treat with the king of England who appointed the earle of Warwike and the lord Hungerford to commune with them and in conclusion an accord was taken and so the towne and market place with all the goods were deliuered into the king of Englands hands the tenth daie of Maie in the yeare 1422. The appointment taken with them of this towne was this that they should yéeld themselues simplie vnto the kings pleasure their liues onlie saued and herevpon line 60 manie of them were sent ouer into England amongst whome was the bishop of that towne which shortlie after his arriuall here fell sicke and died There were also foure persons excepted against whome the king might by order of law and iustice procéed as he saw cause for their faults and trespasses committed As first the capteine of the towne named the bastard of Uauren the which had doone manie gréeuous oppressions to the people of the countrie thereabouts in spoiling them of their goods and ransoming them at his pleasure He had also put diuerse to death most cruellie when they were not able to paie such finance and ransomes as he demanded Wherevpon being now put to death himselfe his bodie was hanged vpon a trée that stood on an hill without the towne on the which he had caused both husbandmen and townesmen with other prisoners to be hanged before time His standard also which was woont to be borne before him in battell was set vp in the same trée The bailiffe also of the towne and two of the chéefest burgesses that had béene of counsell with him in his vnlawfull dooings were likewise executed Also beside these there were found in this towne diuerse that were accused to be guiltie of the duke of Burgognies death wherefore they were put to their triall in the parlement at Paris and some of them being found guiltie were executed When the deliuerie of the strong towne of Meaux was published thorough out the countrie all the townes and fortresses in the I le of France in Lannois in Brie in Champaigne yéelded themselues to the king of England which appointed in the same valiant capteins and hardie soldiers After that he had thus got possession of Meaux and the other fortresses he returned againe to Bois de Uincennes and being there receiued of the king and quéene of France and of the
sir Francis called the Aragoignois a noble capteine of the English part in Normandie tooke by force and policie the towne of Montargis with a great preie of treasure and prisoners and put therein a garrison leauing it well furnished with vittels and munition About the same time the earle of Arundell being truelie informed that the lord Bousac marshall of France was come to Beauuois intending to doo some feat in Normandie assembled the number of thrée and twentie hundred men and comming néere to the said towne of Beauuois sent a great number of light horssemen to run before the towne to traine out the Frenchmen within the which issuing out and following the English horssemen vnto their stale were so inclosed and fought with that in maner all the number of them saue a few which fled backe into the towne with the marshall were slaine or taken Amongst other of the cheefest prisoners that valiant capteine Pouton de Santrails was one who without delaie was exchanged for the lord Talbot before taken prisoner at the battell of Pataie There was also taken one called the sheepheard a simple man and a sillie soule but yet of such reputation for his supposed holinesse amongst the Frenchmen that if he touched the wall of any of their aduersaries townes they beléeued verelie it would incontinentlie fall downe This chance succéeded not fortunatlie alone vnto the English nation for Richard Beauchampe earle of Warwike had a great skirmish before the towne of Gournie where he discomfited and repelled his enimies and beside those that were slaine he tooke fortie horssemen all being gentlemen of name and armes Like chance happened to the fréends of king Charles towards the marches of Lorraine where Reigner duke of Bar besieged the towne of Uaudemont perteining to the earle thereof named Anthonie cousine to the same duke Reigner This earle before the dukes approching left a conuenient crue within the towne to defend it and with all spéed rode to the dukes of Bedford and Burgognie being then at the foresaid great triumph at Paris where he purchased such fauour at their hands bicause he had euer taken their parts that not onelie sir Iohn Fastolfe was appointed to go with him hauing in his companie six hundred archers but also the duke of Burgognies marshall named sir Anthonie Toulongon accompanied with fiftéene hundred other men of warre When the duke of Bar heard that his enimies were thus comming towards him like a hardie capteine he raised his siege and met face to face with the earle and his companie betwéene whome was a cruell and mortall battell The horssemen of the French side endured long but in conclusion the English archers so galled their horsses and so wounded the men that the Barrois Almains and other of duke Reigners side were compelled to flee In the chase was taken the duke of Bar the bishop of Metz the lord of of Roquedemaque sir Euerard of Salseburgh the Uicont Darcie and two hundred other beside three thousand which were slaine In this luckie time also no lesse occasion of victorie was offered to the Englishmen in an other part if they could haue vsed it with such circumspect warinesse as had beene expedient For Robert lord Willoughbie and Matthew Gough a valiant Welshman with fifteene hundred Englishmen laid siege to a towne in Aniou called saint Seuerine Whereof line 10 Charles the French king being aduertised sent with all speed the lord Ambrose de Lore with manie noble men to the succours of them within the towne wherof the same lord Ambrose was capteine and therefore made the more hast to releeue his deputie and the other being streictlie besieged but yet staied at the towne of Beaumont till his whole power might come to him The Englishmen aduertised of this intent of the capteine came vpon him in the night and found the line 20 Frenchmens watch so out of order that a thousand men were entered into the campe before they were espied by reason whereof the Englishmen found small resistance But when the daie began to appeare and that the sunne had set foorth his bright beames abroad that all things might be seene the Englishmen giuen wholie to spoile followed not their enimies in chase but being contented with their preie and gaine began to retreit toward the siege againe line 30 which the lord Willoughbie still mainteined with a part of the armie But sée the chance The Frenchmen which were coÌ„ming after hearing by the noise of the people that some fraie was at hand put spurres to their horsses and set on the Englishmen pestered with bag and baggage of the spoile and preie which they had gotten in the French campe The other of the Frenchmen which before had fled returned againe and aided their fellowes so that the Englishmen being taken out of order were compelled to flée of whome line 40 Matthew Gough and diuerse other were taken prisoners And yet of the other part manie were slaine and a great number taken amongst whom was the lord de Lore who for all that the Frenchmen could doo was kept and not deliuered The lord Willoughbie hearing of this mishap raised his siege and departed verie sore displeased in his mind but could not remedie it About this season Nicholas the cardinall of the holie crosse was sent into France as a legat from line 50 Eugenie the fourth as then bishop of Rome to treat a peace betwéene the Englishmen and Frenchmen But when after great instance and labour made betweene the parties he saw their obstinate and froward minds nothing inclined to anie agréement he wan so much at their hands by earnest sute that a truce was granted to indure for six yeares to come but as the same was hardlie granted so was it of the Frenchmen soone and lightlie broken For the bastard line 60 of Orleance newlie made earle of Dunois tooke by treson the towne of Chartres from the Englishmen affirming by the law of armes that stealing or buieng a towne without inuasion or assault was no breach of league amitie or truce In which towne he slue the bishop bicause he was a Burgognian Hereby did new malice increase and mortall warre began eftsoones to be put in vre Whilest these things were dooing in France the cardinall of Winchester was come backe againe into England to appease certeine commotions and sturres aâ—tempted by sundrie persons vnder colour of religion but after that William Mandeuile and Iohn Sharpe the chéefe authors thereof were apprehended and executed by the gouernour and the kings iustices the residue yeelded and confessed their offenses whereof two articles were these as some write that priests should haue no possessions and that all things by the order of charitie among christian people should be in common Other thought their opinions were not such errours but that their enimies spread abroad such rumors of them to make them more odious to the people After that a parlement was called by
this his forceable entering of the realme as himselfe pretended maie appeare by certeine letters by him written to the king and also the kings answers vnto the same both which I thinke good here to set downe as I find them recorded Richard duke of Yorke his letter to king Henrie PLease it your highnesse to conceiue that since my departing out of this your realme by your commandement and being in your seruice in your land of Ireland I haue beene informed that diuerse language hath béene said of me to your most excellent estate which should sound to my dishonour and reproch and charge of my person howbeit that I haue béene and euer will be your true liegeman and seruant And if there be anie man that will or dare saie the contrarie or charge me otherwise I beséech your rightwisenesse to call him before your high presence and I will declare me for my discharge as a true knight ought to doo And if I doo not as I doubt not but I shall I beseech you to punish me as the poorest man of your land And if he be found vntrue in his suggestion and information I beséech you of your highnesse that he be punished after his desert in example of all other Please it your excellencie to know that as well before my departing out of this your realme for to go into your land of Ireland in your full noble seruice as since certeine persons haue lien in wait for to hearken vpon me as sir Iohn Talbot knight at the castell of Holt sir Thomas Standleie knight in Cheshire Pulford at Chester Elton at Worcester Brooke at Glocester and Richard groome of your line 10 chamber at Beaumaris which had in charge as I am informed to take me and put me into your castell of Conwaie and to strike off the head of sir William Oldhall knight and to haue put in prison sir William Deuereur knight sir Edmund Malso knight withouten inlarging vntill the time that your highnesse had appointed their deliuerance Item at such time as I was purposed for to haue arriued at your hauen of Beaumaris for to haue come to your noble presence to declare me your true line 20 man and subiect as my dutie is my landing was stopped and forebarred by Henrie Norice Thomas Norice William Buckleie William Grust and Bartholomew Bould your officers in Northwales that I should not land there nor haue vittels nor refreshing for me my fellowship as I haue written to your excellencie here before So farre foorth that Henrie Norice deputie to the chamberlaine of Northwales said vnto me that he had in commandement that I should in no wise haue landing refreshing line 30 nor lodging for men nor horsse nor other thing that might turne to my worship or ease putting the blame vpon William Saie vsher of your chamber saieng and affirming that I am against your intent and as a traitor as I am informed And moreouer certeine letters were made and deliuered vnto Chester Shrewesburie and to other places for to let mine entrie into the same Item aboue all wrongs and iniuries aboue said doone vnto me of malice without anie cause I being line 40 in your land of Ireland in your honourable seruice certeine commissions were made and directed vnto diuerse persons which for the execution of the same sat in certeine places and the iuries impanelled and charged Unto the which iuries certeine persons laboured instantlie to haue me indicted of treason to the intent for to haue vndoone me and mine issue and corrupted my bloud as it is openlie published Beséeching your maiestie roiall of your righteousnesse to doo examine these matters and therevpon to doo such line 50 iustice in his behalfe as the cause requireth for mine intent is fullie to pursue to your highnesse for the conclusion of these matters The ansvver of king Henrie to the duke of Yorke COosine we haue séene the bill that ye tooke vs late and also vnderstand the good humble obedience that ye in your selfe line 60 shew vnto vs as well in word as in deed wherefore our intent is the more hastilie to ease you of such things as were in your said bill Howbeit that at our more leasure we might answer you to your said bill yet we let you wit that for the causes aforesaid we will declare you now our intent in these matters sith it is that a long time among the people hath béene vpon you many strange language and in especiall anon after your disordinate and vnlawfull slaieng of the bishop of Chester diuerse and manie of the vntrue shipmen and other said in their maner words against our estate making manace to our owne person by your saiengs that ye should be fetched with manie thousands and ye should take vpon you that which ye neither ought nor as we doubt not ye will not attempt so farre foorth that it was said to our person by diuerse especiallie we remember of one Wasnes which had like words to vs. And also there were diuerse of such false people that went on and had like language in diuerse of our townes of our land which by our subiects were taken and dulie executed Wherefore we sent to diuerse of our courts and places to hearken and to take héed if anie such maner comming were and if there had béene for to resist it but comming into our land our true subiect as ye did our intent was not that ye nor lesse of estate of our subiects nor none of your seruants should not haue beene letted nor warned but in goodlie wise receiued howbeit that peraduenture your sudden comming without certeine warning caused our seruants to doo as they did considering the causes aboue said And as to the indictement that ye spoke of we thinke verelie and hold for certeine warning caused our seruants to doo as they did considering the causes aboue said And as to the indictement that ye spoke of we thinke verelie and hold for certeine that there was none such And if ye may trulie prooue that anie person was thereabouts the matter shall be demeaned as the case shall require so that he shall know it is to our great displeasure Upon this for the easing of your heart in all such matters we declare repute and admit you as our true and faithfull subiect and as our faithfull coosine Richard duke of Yorke to king Henrie againe PLease it your highnesse tenderlie to consider that great murmur and grudging is vniuersallie in this your realme in that iustice is not dulie ministred to such as trespasse and offend against you lawes and in especiall of them that be indicted of treason and other being openlie noised of the same whereby great inconueniences haue fallen and great is like to fall hereafter in your said realme which God defend but if by your highnesse prouision conuenable be made for due reformation and punishment in this behalfe Wherefore I your humble subiect and true liegeman Richard duke of Yorke willing as
effectuallie as I can and desiring the suertie and prosperitie of your most roiall person and the welfare of this your noble realme counsell and aduertise your excellencie for the conseruation of good tranquillitie and peaceable rule among all other subiects for to ordeine and prouide that true iustice be had against all such that so be indicted or openlie named wherein I offer my selfe and will put my indeuour for to execute your commandement in the premisses for the punishing of such offendors and redresse of the said misrules to my might and power And for the hastie execution hereof like it your highnesse to addresse these letters of priuie seale and writs to your officers and ministers to doo take and arrest all such persons so noised and indicted of what estate degree or condition soeuer they be and them to commit to the Tower of London and to other of your prisons there to abide without baile or maineprise vntill the time they be vtterlie tried and determined after the course of your lawes The ansvver of king Henrie to the duke of Yorke COosine as touching your bill last put vp to vs we vnderstand well that ye of good heart counsell and aduertise vs to the setting vp of iustice and to the speedie punishing of some persons indicted or noised offering your seruice to be readie at commandement in the same sith it is that for manie causes moouing vs to haue determined in our soule to stablish a sad and a substantiall councell giuing them more ample authoritie and power than euer we did before this in the which we haue appointed you to be one But sith it is not accustomed sure nor expedient to take a conclusion conduct by aduise or counsell of one person by himselfe for the conseruation line 10 it is obserued that the greatest and the best the rich and the poore in libertie vertue and effect of your voices be equall We haue therfore determined within our selfe to send for our chancellour of England and for other lords of our councell yea and all other togither within short time ripelie to common of these and other our great matters In which communication such conclusion by the grace of God shall be taken as shall sound to his pleasure the weale of vs and our land as well in these matters as line 20 in anie other After all this adoo it was so agreed vpon by aduise for the auoiding of bloudshed and pacifieng of the duke and his people that the duke of Summerset was committed to ward as some say or else commanded to kéepe himselfe priuie in his owne house for a time But it should seeme by that which some haue written that the duke of Yorke was deceiued of the hope which he had to be aided of the Kentishmen line 30 insomuch that when he saw himselfe ouermatched by the king in number of people who had got togither thrice as manie men as the duke had there with him the duke was the more easie to be dealt with And so comming to the king and submitting himselfe by mediation of certeine of the nobilitie he obteined pardon of that his former presumptuous enterprise And within a few daies after his comming to London with the king he openlie in the church of S. Paule the king being present receiued a line 40 solemne oth that from thenceforth he should no more commit any such offense nor attempt anie thing either against the king or any other of his liege people contrarie to the order of law and iustice Howsoeuer the matter went truth it is that the duke of Yorke the first of March dissolued his armie brake vp his campe came to the kings tent where contrarie to his expectation against promise made by the king as other write he found the duke of Summerset going at large and set at libertie line 50 whome the duke of Yorke boldlie accused of treason briberie oppression and manie other crimes The duke of Summerset not onelie made answer to the dukes obiections but also accused him of high treason affirming that he with his fautors and complices had consulted togither how to come by the scepter and regall crowne of this realme By meanes of which words the king remooued streight to London and the duke of Yorke as prisoner rode before him and so was kept a while line 60 The king assembled togither a great councell at Weminster to heare the accusations of the two dukes the one obiecting to the other manie heinous and greeuous crimes But the duke of Summerset which now conceiued in his mind the thing that shortlie followed incessantlie exhorted the councell that the duke of Yorke by compulsion or otherwise might be driuen to confesse his offense that so being attainted of treason he might suffer execution and his children to be taken as aduersaries to their natiue countrie to the intent that by the extinction of him and his sequeale all ciuill warre and inward diuision might ceasse and be repressed beséeching almightie God that so great an enimie to the king and his bloud might neuer escape punishment nor continue long in life The duke of Summerset set foorth this matter the more vehementlie bicause he knew perfectlie that the duke of Yorke dailie imagined with himselfe how to get the crowne and to depose and destroie both the king and him But destinie cannot by anie mans deuise be letted and manie things to appéerance declared the duke of Yorkes innocencie in this case First his frée and voluntarie comming to the king without constreint when he was partlie of puissance able to haue incountred with the kings whole power Secondlie his humble submission and reasonable requests as well on his owne behalfe as for the poore commons which might argue that he sought for no souereigntie Whilest the councell treated of sauing or dispatching of this duke of Yorke year 1452 a rumor sprang through London that Edward earle of March sonne and heire apparant to the said duke with a great armie of Marchmen was comming toward London which tidings sore appalled the quéene and the whole councell Beside this the verie same daie came ambassadours from the cheefe citizens and magistrats of the citie of Burdeaux whereof the chéefe were the earle of Kendale and the lord de Lesparre which signified to the councell that if they would send an armie into Gascoigne the people of the countrie would reuolt from the French part and eftsoones become English These two things sore troubled the heads of the councell which least inward sedition might hinder outward conquests set the duke of Yorke at libertie and permitted him to go to his castell of Wigmore in the marches of Wales by whose absence the duke of Summerset rose in such high fauour both with the king and quéene that his word onelie ruled and his voice alone was heard ¶ Neuerthelesse the said duke of Yorke had first made his submission and tooke his oth to be true
true and infallible heire to the wise and politike prince king Henrie the third as sonne and heire to king Edward the second sonne and heire to king Edward the first the very heire and first begotten sonne of the said noble and vertuous prince king Henrie the third Which king Richard of that name the second was lawfullie iustlie possessed of the crowne and diadem of this realme and region till Henrie of Derbie duke of Lancaster and Hereford sonne to Iohn of Gant duke of Lancaster the fourth begotten sonne to the said king Edward the third and yoonger brother to my noble ancestor Lionell duke of Clarence the third begotten sonne of the said king Edward by force line 10 and violence contrarie both to the dutie of his allegiance and also to his homage to him both doone and sworne raised warre and battell at the castle of Flint in Northwales against the said king Richard and him apprehended and imprisoned within the Tower of London during whose life and captiuitie he wrongfullie vsurped and intruded vpon the roiall power and high line 20 estate of this realme and region taking vpon him the name stile and authoritie of king and gouernour of the same And not therewith satisfied and contented compassed and accomplished the death and destruction of his naturall prince and most worthie souereigne lord not as a common homicide and butcherlie murtherer but as a regicide and destroier of his king After whose pitious death and execrable line 30 murther the right and title of the crowne and superioritie of this realme was lawfullie reuerted returned to Roger Mortimer earle of March sonne and heire to ladie Philip the onelie child of the aboue rehearsed Lionell duke of Clarence vnto which Rogers daughter called Anne my most deerest and welbeloued moother I am the verie true and lineall heire which descent line 40 all you can not iustlie gainesay nor yet trulie denie Then remember this if the title be mine why am I put from it If I be true heire to the crowne as I am in deed why is my right withholden If my claime be good why haue I not iustice For suerlie learned men of great science and knowledge say and affirme that lineall descent nor vsurped possession can nothing line 50 preuaile if continuall claime be lawfullie made or openlie published For the auoiding of which scruple and ambiguitie Edmund earle of March my most welbeloued vncle in the time of the first vsurper in deed but not by right called king Henrie the fourth by his coosines the earle of Northumberland the lord Persie he being then in captiuitie with Owen line 60 Glendouer the rebell in Wales made his title righteous claime to the destruction of both the noble persons Likewise my most deerest lord my father so farre set foorth that right and title that he lost his life worldlie ioy at the towne of South-hampton more by power than indifferent iustice Since whose death I comming to my full age haue neuer desisted to pursue my title and require my right which by meanes of sinister counsell and vniust detention I can neither obteine nor recouer So that of fine force I am compelled to vse power in steed of praier and force in steed of request not as I said before for my priuat emolument and peculiar profit but to restore peace loue and quietnesse to this our naturall region which euer since the first vngodlie vsurpation of the aforenamed Henrie vntrulie called king Henrie the fourth hath beene cleerelie banished and out of the same vniustlie exiled What murthers and manslaughters haue beene perpetrated and committed within this countrie since the beginning of that vngratious vsurpation What number of noble men haue beene slaine destroied executed since that infortunate daie It is too lamentable and manifest For although Henrie of Lancaster earle of Derbie tooke vpon him the scepter and the crowne and wrongfullie bare the name and stile of a king and was not much tickled with mine vncle the earle of March at that time being within age yet was he neuer in suertie of himselfe nor had or inioied any profit quietnesse either in mind or in bodie For suerlie a corrupt conscience neuer feeleth rest but looketh when the sword of vengeance will descend and strike His sonne also called king Henrie the fift obteined notable victories and immortall praises for his noble acts doone in the realme of France yet God for the offense of his vntrue parent suddenlie touched him vnbodieng his soule in the flower of his youth and in the glorie of his conquest And although he had a faire sonne and a yoong heire apparant yet was this orphan such a one as preachers say that God threatned to send for a punishment to his vnrulie and vngratious people saieng by his prophet Esaie I shall giue you children to be your princes and infants without wisedome shall haue the gouernance of you The prophet lied not if you note all things in an order for after this Henrie the fift whose fame no man can iustlie reprooue or deface succeeded his sonne whom all we haue called our naturall prince and obeied as his heire In whose time and wrongfull reigne I require you diligentlie to consider with what great torments and afflictions God hath whipped scourged this miserable I le yea with such and so manie scourges and plagues as no nation the Aegyptians onelie excepted were euer tormented or afflicted withall I will not speake of rebellious murthers and oppressions which of late haue beene doone and exercised heere among vs. But I will declare manifest to you how the crowne and glorie of this realme is by the negligence of this sillie man and his vnwise councell minished defaced and also dishonoured Is not Normandie which his father gat regained conquered againe by the insolencie of him his couetous councell Is not the whole duchie of Aquitaine by two hundred and odyeares peaceablie possessed by the kings of this realme in one yeare and a little more gotten out of our hands seigniorie What should I speake of Aniou Maine or the losse of the I le of France with the rich citie of Paris Alas it is too apparant Neither will I molest you with the recitall of all the particulars thereof But now in the middest of this affliction and to make an end of the same God of his ineffable goodnesse looking on line 10 this countrie with his eies of pitie mercie hath sent me in the truth to restore againe his decaied kingdome to his ancient fame and old renowme whereof heere in open parlement according to my iust true title I haue and doo take possession of this roiall throne not putting diffidence but firme hope in Gods grace that by his diuine aid and assistance of you the peeres of this realme I shall beautifie mainteine line 20 the same to the glorie of him honour of my bloud and to the publike wealth as well of you
a little groue adioining to the mansion of Humfreie Banaster and in great hast and euill speed conueied him apparelled in a pilled blacke cloake to the towne of Shrewesburie where king Richard then kept his houshold Whether this Banaster bewraied line 60 the duke more for feare than couetous manie men doo doubt but sure it is that shortlie after he had betraied the duke his master his sonne and heire waxed mad so died in a bores stie his eldest daughter of excellent beautie was suddenlie striken with a foule leprosie his second sonne maruellouslie deformed of his lims and made lame his yoonger sonne in a small puddle was strangled and drowned and he being of extreame age arreigned and found guiltie of a murther and by his cleargie saued And as for his thousand pounds K. Richard gaue him not one farthing saieng that he which would be vntrue to so good a maister would be false to all other howbeit some saie that he had a small office or a farme to stop his mouth withall The duke being by certeine of the kings councell diligentlie vpon interrogatories examined what things he knew preiudiciall vnto the kings person opened and declared franklie and fréelie all the coniuration without dissembling or glosing trusting bicause he had trulie and plainelie reuealed and confessed all things that were of him required that he should haue licence to speake to the king which whether it were to sue for pardon and grace or whether he being brought to his presence would haue sticked him with a dagger as men then iudged he sore desired and required But when he had confessed the whole fact conspiracie vpon All soules daie without arreigment or iudgement he was at Salisburie in the open market place on a new scaffold beheaded and put to death This death as a reward the duke of Buckingham receiued at the hands of king Richard whom he before in his affaires purposes and enterprises had holpen susteined and set forward aboue all Gods forbode By this all men may easilie perceiue that he not onelie loseth both his labour trauell and industrie and further staineth and spotteth his line with a perpetuall ignominie and reproch which in euill and mischiefe assisteth and aideth an euill disposed person considering for the most part that he for his freendlie fauour should receiue some great displeasure or importunate chance Beside that God of his iustice in conclusion appointed to him a condigne paine and affliction for his merits and deserts Auailable therefore and for his best aduantage had it béene to haue followed the wise counsell of him that willed him and such as he to kéepe them from the man that hath power to slaie so shalt thou doubt saith he the feare of death And if thou come vnto him make no fault least he take awaie thy life remember that thou goest in the middest of snares that thou walkest vpon the towers of the citie Which aduise a learned man in good place and necessarie seruice about the prince neatlie comprised in these few veries Vtere principibus modicé nimis esse propinquus Si cupis in vitae multa pericla rues Situa te fortuna facit seruire potenti Dispice ne titubes atque repentè cadas Sollicicè vigiles laquei sunt vndiquefusi Turribus in summis es situs ergo caue While these things were thus handled and ordered in England Henrie earle of Richmond prepared an armie of fiue thousand manlie Britons and fortie well furnished ships When all things were prepared in a readinesse and the daie of departing and setting forward was appointed which was the twelfe daie of the moneth of October the whole armie went on shipbord and halsed vp their sailes and with a prosperous wind tooke the sea But toward night the wind changed and the weather turned and so huge and terrible a tempest so suddenlie arose that with the verie power and strength of the storme the ships were disparkled seuered separated asunder some by force were driuen into Normandie some were compelled to returne againe into Britaine The ship wherein the earle of Richmond was associat onelie with one other barke was all night tossed and turmoiled In the morning after when the rage of the furious tempest was asswaged and the ire of blustering wind was some deale appeased about the houre of noone the same daie the earle approched to the south part of the realme of England euen at the mouth of the hauen of Pole in the countie of Dorset where he might plainelie perceiue all the sea bankes shores garnished and furnished with men of warre and souldiers appointed and deputed there to defend his arriuall and landing as before is mentioned Wherefore he gaue streict charge and sore commandement that no person should once presume to take land and go to shore vntill such time as the whole nauie were assembled and come togither And while he taried and lingered he sent out a shipboate toward the land side to know whether they which stood there in such a number and so well furnished in apparell defensiue were his foes and enimies or else his fréends and comfortors They that were sent to inquire were instantlie desired of the men of warre keeping the coast which line 10 thereof were before instructed admonished to descend and take land affirming that they were appointed by the duke of Buckingham there to await and tarie for the arriuall and landing of the earle of Richmond and to conduct him safelie into the campe where the duke not far of laie incamped with a mightie armie and an host of great strength and power to the intent that the duke and the earle ioining in puissances and forces togither might prosecute and chase king Richard being destitute of men and in maner line 20 desperate and so by that meanes and their owne labours to obteine the end of their enterprise which they had before begun The earle of Richmond suspecting their flattering request to be but a fraud as it was in déed after he perceiued none of his ships to appeare in sight he weied vp his anchors halsed vp his sailes hauing a prosperous and streinable wind and a fresh gale sent euen by God to deliuer him from that perill and ieopardie arriued safe and in all securitie in the duchie line 30 of Normandie where he to refresh and solace his soldiers and people tooke his recreation by the space of thrée daies and cléerelie determined with part of his companie to passe all by land againe into Britaine And in the meane season he sent ambassadors to the French king called Charles the eight which newlie succéeded his father king Lewes the eleuenth not long before departed to God requiring of him a safe conduct and licence to passe thorough his countrie of Normandie into Britaine line 40 This yoong king hauing compassion of the misfortune of the earle of Richmond not onelie gentlie granted and assigned
the father to whose cursed counsels he became a wicked instrument Thus much by waie of digression of Alexander a pope as you heare well qualified and therefore forward enough to creat cardinals both in England and elsewhere of like disposition But to returne to the storie After that the king had got the vpper hand of his enimies he remooued to Lincolne and there taried thrée dais causing euerie of the same daies solemne processions to be made in rendering thanks to God for his fortunate victorie Then caused he execution to be done of such rebels traitors as were taken in the field either at the battell or in the chase And shortlie after he went into Yorkshire there coasted the countrie ouerthwart searching out such as had aided his enimies and were thought to be seditious persons whome he punished some by imprisonment some by fines and some by death according to the qualitie of their offenses and as was thought most expedient not by extremitie of rigor inclining to tyrannie but by due moderation of iustice tempering execution with clemencie according to the good rule of iustice prescribed by the wise man saieng Sobria commissum plectat clementia crimen Parua neg at poenam culpa subire grauem About the middest of August entering into the third yere of his reigne he came to Newcastell vpon Tine and from thence sent in ambassage into Scotland Richard Fox latelie before made bishop of Excester and with him Richard Edgecombe knight controller of his house to conclude some peace or truce with king Iames of Scotland The English ambassadors were honorablie receiued and louinglie interteined of the said king who gladlie would haue concluded a perpetuall peace with the king of England if he might haue bene licenced so to haue doone but his people being stedfast in their old accustomed vsage would not agrée to anie peace but yet were contented to gratifie their king that he should take truce with England for the tearme of seuen yeares which was concluded Then was secret promise made by king Iames that he would not onlie obserue peace continue in perfect amitie with the king of England during his life but also would renew againe this truce new taken for other seuen yeers before the first seuen yeers were fullie expired The king of Scots indéed was as desirous of the king of Englands friendship as the king of England was of his bicause that his subiects bare him much euill will misliking with all things that either he could doo or saie So that his regiment was no longer liked than they were in a good mood which was when they were well minded and that was neuer for that if by gentlenesse he allured them they esteemed him a flatterer if by seueritie a tyrant And therefore it stood him vpon to strengthen himselfe against such a people of whose line 10 pleasure displeasure depended his estate K. Henrie after the returne of his ambassadors out of Scotland came from Newcastell to Yorke and so toward London and in the way being at Leicester there came to him ambassadors from Charles the French king which declared both the recouerie of certeine townes out of the hands of Maximilian king of Romans which he had wrongfullie deteined from the crowne of France before that time and also that their maister king Charles had now wars line 20 in hand against Francis duke of Britaine bicause that he succoured and mainteined diuers noble men as the duke of Orleance and others that were rebels and traitors against him and the realme of France Wherefore his request was that for the old familiaritie that had bene betwixt them he would either assist and helpe him or else stand neuter betwixt them neither helping nor yet hurting the one nor the other Upon good and deliberate aduise taken in this matter bicause it was iudged weightie the king for line 30 answer told the French ambassadors that he would neither spare paine nor cost to set some reasonable staie betwixt their souereigne lord king Charles and the duke of Britaine so that a finall end and some perfect conclusion of friendship might be had betwixt them And so as soone as the French ambassadors were returned home the king sent his chapleine Christopher Urswike ouer into France to king Charles as well to shew that he was glad of the victorie which he had against Maximilian as to declare line 40 what a tempestuous storme of ciuill rebellion himselfe had escaped ouercome heere in England But the chiefest point of Urswikes errand consisted in this that he should intimate to the French king how his maister king Henrie offered himselfe as a mediator betwixt him and the duke of Britaine to make them friends and if he perceiued that the French king gaue eare herevnto then should he go into Britaine to mooue the duke there to be contented that some reasonable order might be taken for a line 50 quietnesse to be had betwixt the French king and him Whilest Urswike was trauelling in this matter according to his commission the king came backe againe to London where he was receiued of the citizens with great ioy and triumph they being heartilie glad and greatlie reioising that he with such good successe had subdued his enimies Shortlie after he deliuered the lord Thomas marques Dorset out of the Tower receiuing him againe to his former fauor and old familiaritie bicause his line 60 truth and loialtie by diuers assaies and sundrie arguments had béene throughlie tried and sufficientlie prooued In which meane time the king for the great loue that he bare to his wife quéene Elizabeth caused hir to be crowned and anointed quéene on saint Katharins day in Nouember with all solemnitie as in such cases apperteineth In the meane season Christopher Urswike according to his commission trauelled betwéene the French king and the duke of Britaine in the king of Englands name to make them friends But although the French king séemed willing enough to haue peace yet meant he nothing lesse For he had as manie subtilties in his heart as â—here be faces in the world according to the poet Pectoribus fraudes tot sunt quot in orbe figurae For whilest he went about with faire words courteous letters and swéet promises to beare the king of England in hand to labour a peace betwixt him and the Britains he inforced his whole puissance to subdue them and besieged the citie of Nants And on the other part the duke of Orleance being with drawne to the duke of Britaine and one that râ—led most about him had no liking to heare of peace but did what he could to hinder it The English ambassador Christopher Urswike hauing thus passed from the French king to the duke of Britaine and backe againe to the French king returned shortlie after into England and shewed vnto king Henrie what he had doone betwixt them Immediatlie after came to the
gaue the pope to drinke of the same wine which Ualentinois had sent who arriuing while his father was drinking drunke also of the same wine being but iust that they both should tast of the same cup which they had brued for the destruction of others All the towne of Rome ran with great gladnesse to saint Peters about the dead bodie of the pope their eies not satisfied to sée ded and destroied a serpent who with his immoderate line 50 ambition and poisoned infidelitie togither with all the horrible examples of crueltie luxurie and monstruous couetousnesse selling without distinction both holie things and prophane things had infected the whole world And yet was he accompanied with a most rare almost perpetuall prosperitie euen from his yoong age to the end of his life desiring alwaies great things and obteining most often that he desired An line 60 example of much importance to confound the arrogancie of those men who presuming to know and sée perfectlie with humane eies the depth of Gods iudgements doo assure that what happeneth either good or ill to mortall men procéedeth either of their merits or faults as though we saw not dailie manie good men vniustlie tormented wicked persons aboue their deseruings liue in case and honour wherein who makes an other interpretation derogates the iustice and power of God the greatnesse of which being not to be conteined within any scripts or tearms present knoweth how well and largely to discerne in an other time and place the iust from the vniust and that with rewards and eternall punishments In the meane time he powreth out his vengeance vpon the imaginers of mischéefe in this life so prouiding as that they are caught in their owne snares and ouertaken with such destruction as they had prepared for others according to that saieng of the Psalmist Effodit puteum foueámque eduxit ab imo Et miser in latebras incidit ipse suas In verticem ipsius recurrit Pernicies recidúntque fraudes At the same time died Giles lord Dawbenie the kings chéefe chamberleine whose office Charles bastard sonne to Henrie last duke of Summerset occupied and enioied a man of good wit and great experience Soone after the king caused Guidebald duke of Urbine to be elected knight of the order of the garter in like maner as his father duke Frederike had béene before him which was chosen and admitted into the order by king Edward the fourth Sir Gilbert Talbot and the other two ambassadors being appointed to kéepe on their iournie vnto pope Iulie the second elected after the death of the said Pius the third bare the habit and collar also vnto the said duke Guidebald which after he had receiued the same sent sir Balthasar Castalio knight a Mantrian borne as his orator vnto king Henrie which was for him installed according to the ordinances of the order This yeare that worthie prelate Thomas Sauage archbishop of Yorke departed this life at his castell of Cawood a man beside the worthinesse of his birth highlie estéemed with his prince for his fast fidelitie and great wisedome He bestowed great cost in repairing the castell of Cawood and the manor of Scrobie His bodie was buried at Yorke but he appointed by his testament that his hart should be buried at Macclesfield in Cheshire where he was borne in a chapell there of his foundation ioining to the south side of the church meaning to haue founded a college there also if his purpose had not béene preuented by death After him succeeded doctor Benbridge in the archbishops sée of Yorke being the fiftie and sixt archbishop that had sat in that see About this same time Lewes the French king the twelfe of that name who succéeded Charles the eighth that died at Amboise the night before the eighth daie of Aprill of a catarrhe which the physicians call an apoplexie the same rising in him with such aboundance as he beheld a match plaied at tennisse that in few houres he ended at the same place his life during the which he had with greater importunitie than vertue troubled the whole world with great apparance of danger to kindle eftsoones new fiers of innouation and troubles maried his eldest daughter named Clare vnto Francis de Ualois Dolphin of Uienne and duke of Angolesme which ladie was promised vnto Charles the king of Castile wherevpon by ambassadors sent to and fro betwixt king Henrie and the said king of Castile a mariage was concluded betwixt the said king of Castile and the ladie Marie daughter to king Henrie being about the age of ten yeares For conclusion of which mariage the lord of Barow other ambassadors were sent into England from the emperor Maximilian which with great rewards returned ¶ William Browne mercer maior of London this yeare deceassed year 1508 and foorthwith sir Laurence Ailmer draper was chosen and sworne and went home in a graie cloake with the sword borne before him on the eight and twentith daie of March. Item he tooke his oth at the Tower and kept no feast William Capell was put in sute by the king for things by him doone in his maioraltie Also Thomas Kneisworth that had beene maior of London and his shiriffes were sent to the kings Bench till they were put to their fines of foureteene hundred pounds In the moneth of Iune the citie of Norwich was sore perished neere consumed with fier that began in a Frenchmans house named Peter Iohnson a surgian in the parish of saint George Stephan Genings merchant tailor maior of London founded a free grammar schoole at Wlfrunehampton in Staffordshire with conuenient lodgings for the maister and vsher in the same place where he was borne He gaue lands sufficient line 10 for the maintenance leauing the ouersight thereof to the merchant tailors in London who haue hitherto iustlie dealt in that matter and also augmented the building there Maister Nichols who maried the onelie daughter and heire of the aforesaid Stephan Genings gaue lands to mainteine the pauements of that towne Also Iohn Leneson esquier about Anno 1556 gaue lands whereof foure pounds should be dealt euerie yeare on good fridaie to the poore people of Wlfrunehampton and six and twentie line 20 shillings eight pence yéerelie towards the reparation of the church there Moreouer about Anno 1566 sir Iohn Ligh a préest which had serued in that church there the space of thréescore years for fiue pounds six shillings eight pence the yeare without anie other augmentation of his liuing who would neuer take anie benefice or other preferment gaue twentie pounds to purchase twentie shillings the yeare lands the same to be giuen yearelie for euer to the poore of Wlfrunehampton line 30 vpon good fridaie twelue pounds thirteene shillings foure pence to purchase a marke a yeare lands the same to be giuen to the poore of Chifnall in the countie of Salope where the said Ligh was borne This man liued
the countie of Kent began an insurrection in disobedience of the statute of labourers and were atteinted therfore of high treason and had iudgement line 40 to be drawne hanged and quartered He shewed where and when this chanced It was further determined by the said Fineux and all the iustices of the land that vpon the said commission of oier and terminer in London the iustices named in the said commission might not arreigne the offendors and proceed to the triall in one selfe daie no more than might the iustices of peace But iustices in oier might so doo aswell as the iustices of gaole deliuerie and as the sufficiencie of the iurors within the citie line 50 to passe betwixt the king and the said traitors the iustices determined that he that had lands and goods to the value of an hundred marks should be inabled to passe vpon the said indictments And this by the equitie of the statute of Anno vndecimo Henrici septimi the which will that no man be admitted to passe in anie inquest in London in a plée of lands or other action in which the damages shall passe the value of fourtie shillings except he be woorth in lands or goods the value of an hundred markes line 60 On saturdaie the second of Maie in this ninth yeare all the commissioners with the lord maior aldermen and iustices went to the Guildhall where manie of the offendors were indicted as well of the insurrection as of the robberies by them committed against the truces Herevpon they were arreigned pleading not guiltie had day giuen till monday next insuing On which daie being the fourth of Maie the lord maior the duke of Norffolke the earle of Surrie and others came to sit in the Guildhall to procéed in their oier and terminer as they were appointed When the lords were set the prisoners were brought through the stréets tied in ropes some men and some lads of thirtéene yéeres of age Among them were diuerse not of the citie some priests some husbandmen and labourers The whole number amounted vnto two hundred thrée score and eightéene persons This daie was Iohn Lincolne indicted as a principall procurer of this mischieuous insurrection and therevpon hée was arreigned and pleading not giltie had daie giuen ouer till wednesdaie or as Hall saith till thursday next insuing He was charged with such matter as before ye haue heard concerning his sute vnto doctor Standish and doctor Bele for the reading of this bill in their sermons and opening the matter as before ye haue heard all which matter with the circumstances he had confessed on sundaie the third of Maie vnto sir Richard Cholmleie sir Iohn Dansie sir Hugh Skeuington Diuers other were indicted this mondaie and so for that time the lords departed The next daie the duke came againe the erle of Surrie with 2000 armed men which kept the stréets When the maior the duke the earles of Shrewesburie and Surrie were set the prisoners were arreigned and thirtéene found guiltie and adiudged to be hanged drawne and quartered For execution whereof were set vp eleuen paire of gallowes in diuerse places where the offenses were doone as at Algate at Blanchappelton Gratious stréete Leaden hall and before euerie counter one also at Newgate at saint Martins at Aldersgate and at Bishopsgate Then were the prisoners that were iudged brought to those places of execution and executed in most rigorous maner in the presence of the lord Edmund Howard son to the duke of Norffolke knight marshall who shewed no mercie but extreme crueltie to the poore yoonglings in their execution and likewise the dukes seruants spake manie opprobrious words some bad hang some bad draw some bad set the citie on fire but all was suffered On thursdaie the seuenth of Maie was Lincolne Shirwin and two brethren called Bets and diuerse other adiudged to die Then Lincolne said My lords I meant well for if you knew the mischiefe that is insued in this realme by strangers you would remedie it manie times I haue complained and then I was called a busie fellow now our Lord haue mercie on me They were laid on hardels drawne to the standard in Cheape and first was Iohn Lincolne executed And as the other had the ropes about their neckes there came a commandement from the king to respit the execution Then the people cried God saue the king and so was the oier and terminer deferred till another daie and the prisoners sent againe to ward the armed men departed out of London and all things set in quiet On the eleuenth daie of Maie the king came to his manor of Gréenwich where the recorder of London and diuerse aldermen came to speake with his grace and all ware gownes of blacke colour And when they perceiued the king comming out of his priuie chamber into his chamber of presence they knéeled downe and the recorder said Our most naturall benigne and souereigne lord we know well that your grace is displeased with vs of your citie of London for the great riot late doone we ascerteine your grace that none of vs nor no honest person were condescending to that enormitie and yet wée our wiues and children euerie houre lament that your fauour should be taken from vs. And forsomuch as light and idle persons were the dooers of the same we most humblie beséech your grace to haue mercie of vs for our negligence and compassion of the offendors for their offense and trespasse Trulie said the king you haue highlie displeased and offended vs and you ought to waile and be sorie for the same And where as you saie that you the substantiall persons were not consenting to the same it appeareth to the contrarie For you neuer mooued to let them nor stirred once to fight with them which you say were so small a number of light persons Wherefore we must thinke and you can not denie that you did winke at the matter but at this time we will grant to you neither our fauour nor good will nor to the offendors mercie but resort to the cardinall our lord chancellour and he shall make you an answer and declare our pleasure And with this answer line 10 the Londoners departed and made relation to the maior On the eightéenth day of this moneth the quéene of Scots which had béene at the court and at Bainards castell a whole yeare at the kings charge and was richlie appointed of all things méet to hir estate both of iewels plate tapistrie arras coine horsses all other things of the kings gift liberalitie departed out of London toward Scotland with great riches albeit she came into England with great pouertie line 20 and she entered into Scotland the thirtéenth daie of Iune whome hir husband receiued at Berwike but the Englishmen smallie regarded him All hir charges within the realme comming to the court and returning were of the kings pursse On thursdaie the
line 30 death his hart was buried in the friers minors of Oxford and his bodie committed to the earth in the monasterie of Hales being Charterhouse moonks which he had builded at his charge of 10000 marks which at this daie at fiue shillings the ounce of siluer amounteth to the summe of twentie thousand pounds He had two sonnes the one called Henrie by his first wife Isabell the other called Edmund de Almania by his second wife Sinthia Henrie was slaine by Simon and Guie of Montfort sonnes line 40 of the last Simon Montfort earle of Leicester in the life of his father Richard in Italie at Uiterbo in the yere of our redemption 1270. Which fact being doone in saint Syluesters church as he was at masse occasioned the townesmen to paint the maner of his death on the wall of the church and that picture being beheld by a certeine versifier he was vrged therevpon to compose these following verses Regis Theutonici Richardi clara propago line 50 Sternitur Henricus velut haec designat imago Dum redit à Tripoli regum fultus comitiua In crucis obsequio patitur sub gente nociua Irruit in templum post missam stirps Guenâ—lonis Perfodit gladius hunc Simonis atque Guidonis Disposuit Deus vt per eos vir tantus obiret Ne reuocatis his gens Anglica tota periret Anno milleno Domini cum septuageno Atque duceno Carolo sub rege sereno Vrbe Viterbina fit in eius carne ruina line 60 Coeli regina precor vt sit ei medicina His bones were brought into England and buried in the monasterie of Hales where his father was after also buried but his hart was bestowed in a guilt cup and placed beside the chaine of saint Edward the Confessor in Westminster abbeie The other sonne to this Richard earle of Cornwall was Edmund of Almaine who after the death of his father was inuested with the honor of the earledome of Cornwall being borne at Berkhamsted in the yéere of our redemption 1250 being the foure and thirtith yeare of the reigne of king Henrie the third to whome his vncle Bonifaâ—ius bishop of Canturburie was godfather and called him Edmund in the honor of saint Edmund archbishop of Canturburie and Confessor This Edmund earle of Cornwall married the daughter of Richard earle of Clare of whome shall be more spoken when we come to treat of him as protector of England Boniface the archbishop of Canturburie with others which follow were protectors of the realme after this maner as I haue gathered It was ordeined in the parlement at Oxford called Parlementum insanum that the king should choose foorth twelue persons of the realme and the communaltie of the land other twelue the which hauing regall authoritie in their hands might as gardians of the kingdome take in charge vpon them the gouernment of the realme should from yeare to yeare prouide for the due election of iustices chancellors treasurors and other officers and further prouide to sée to the safe kéeping of the castels belonging to the crowne These foure and twentie persons appointed to that function began to order all things at their owne plesure in the meane time not forgetting to vse things chieflie to their owne aduantage as well in prouiding excheats and wards for their children and kinsfolks as also in bestowing of patronages of churches belonging to the kings gift vnto their owne liking So that these prouiders which shuld haue made carefull and beneficiall prouisions for the realme made spéedie and plentifull prouision for them and theirs insomuch that neither king nor Christ could get anie thing from these protectors There be that write how that there were but twelue or thirtéene chosen to be gouernors at this time which for this present I déeme to be the truer opinion whose names are as follow Boniface archbishop of Canturburie the bishop of Worcester Roger Bigod earle of Norffolke and marshall of England Simon de Montfort earle of Leicester Richard de Clare earle of Glocester Humfreie Bohune earle of Hereford Richard Fitzalane earle of Arundell sir Iohn Mansell chiefe iustice of England sir Roger lord Mortimer sir Hugh Bigod sir Peter de Sauoie sir Iames Audleie sir Peter de Montfort To these as some saie was authoritie onlie giuen to punish all such as trespassed in the breach of anie of the constitutions of the parlement of Oxford Others say that they were made rulers protectors of the realme and to dispose thereof because the king was much misseled in the gouernment of the kingdome by the peruerse councell of his flatterers Which twelue gouernors I suppose did not long continue for being euerie one priuatlie for himselfe and so not iointlie for the common-wealth they grew diuided and what the one labored to set vp the other sought to pull downe Boniface archbishop of Canturburie the second time the bishop of Worcester with sir Philip Basset or rather sir Hugh Bigod made chiefe iustice of England by the barons were appointed in the yeere of our redemption 1260 being the fortie and fourth of king Henrie the third to haue the gouernment of the realme in the absence of the king whilest he remained in France at Paris about the affaires of Normandie at what time a peace was made betwéene the kings of England and France Gilbert de Clare the second of that name that was earle of Glocester and Hertford was the sonne of Richard de Clare erle of Glocester and Hertford which died in the yeere of our redemption 1262 being the fortie sixt yeare of the reigne of king Henrie the third and was buried at Tewkesburie with a great image of siluer and gilt vpon his toome and the same sword and spurres which he did weare in his life time Of which Richard these verses were composed for his probitie and rarenesse of vertuous maners and conditions and set vpon his toome Hîc pudor Hyppoliti Paridis gena sensus Vlyssis Aeneae pietas Hectoris ira iacet This Gilbert I saie the sonne of the said Richard was after the death of Henrie the third which happened in the yeare of our Lord 1277 in the seuen fiftith yeare of the reigne of the said king Henrie in the absence of king Edward the first in the holie warres made gouernour of the realme vntill the returne of the said king Edward into England to which function he was appointed by king Henrie the line 10 third lieng on his death-bed who caused the said Gilbert to sweare to kéepe the peace of the land to the behoofe of Edward his sonne Which he did most faithfullie vntill the second daie of August in the second yeare of the said king in which the said king Edward landed in England being in the yeare of our redemption 1274 at what time the king was honorablie interteined of the said Gilbert and Iohn earle of Warraine a supporter to him in the charge of the line
weather and heauinesse could not speake to them nor they to him for teares At length recouering themselues they saluted one another so togither entered the house God knoweth full ioifullie master Bertie changing of his apparell with the goodman the duchesse with the good wife and their child with the child of the house Within few daies after by master Perusels means they hired a verie faire house in the towne and did not let to shew themselues what they were in such good sort as their present condition permitted It was by this time through the whole towne what discourtesie the inholders had shewed vnto them at their entrie in so much as on the sundaie following a preacher in the pulpit openlie in sharpe termes rebuked that great inciuilitie towards strangers by allegation of sundrie places out of holie scriptures discoursing how not onelie princes sometime are receiued in the image of priuat persons but angels in the shape of men and that God of his iustice would make the strangers one day in an other land to haue more sense of the afflicted heart of a stranger The time was passing foorth as they thought themselues thus happilie setled suddenlie a watchword came from sir Iohn Mason then quéene Maries ambassadour in Netherland that my lord Paget had fained an errant to the baths that waies and whereas the duke of Brunswicke was shortlie with ten ensignes to passe by Wesell for the seruice of the house of Austricke against the French king the said duchesse and hir husband should be with the same charge and companie intercepted Wherefore to preuent the crueltie of these enimies master Bertie with his wife and child departed to a place called Winheim in high Dutchland vnder the Palsgraues dominion where vnder his protection they continued till their necessaries line 10 began to faile them and they almost fainting vnder so heauie a burthen began to faile of hope At what time in the middest of their despaire there came suddenlie letters to them from the Palatine of Uilua and the king of Pole being instructed of their hard estate by a baron named Ioannes Alasco that was somtime in England offring them large curtesie This puruison vnlooked for greatlie reuiued their heauie spirits Yet considering they should remooue from manie their countriemen and acquaintance to line 20 a place so farre distant a countrie not haunted with the English and perhaps vpon their arriuall not finding as they looked for the end of their iornie should be worse than the beginning they deuised therevpon with one maister Barlow late bishop of Chichester that if he would vouchsafe to take some paines therin they would make him a fellow of that iournie So finding him prone they sent with him letters of great thanks to the king Palatine and also with a few principall iewels which onlie they had left of manie to solicit for them that the king would line 30 vouchsafe vnder his seale to assure them of the thing which he so honourablie by letters offered That sute by the forwardnes of the Palatine was as soone granted as vttered Upon which assurance the said dutchesse and hir husband with their familie entred the iournie in Aprill 1557 from the castell of Winheim where they before laie towards Francford In the which their iournie it were long here to describe what dangers fell by the waie vpon them their whole companie by reason of the Lantgraues line 40 capteines who vnder a quarrell pretensed for a spaniell of maister Berties set vpon them in the high waie with his horssemen thrusting their borespears through the wagon where the children and women were maister Bertie hauing but foure horssemen with him In the which brabble it happened the capteins horsse to be slaine vnder him Wherevpon a rumor was sparsed immediatlie through townes and villages about that the Lantgraues capteine should be slaine by some Wallons line 50 which incensed the ire of the countriemen there more fiercelie against maister Bertie as afterwards it prooued For as he was motioned by his wife to saue himselfe by the swiftnes of his horsse and to recouer some towne thereby for his rescue he so dooing was in worse case than before for the townesmen and the capteines brother supposing no lesse but that the capteine had béene slaine pressed so egerlie vpon him that he had beene there taken and murthered among them had not he as God would spieng a ladder leaning line 60 to a window by the same got vp into the house and so gone vp in to a garret in the top of the house where he with his dag and rapier defended himselfe for a space but at length the Burghmaister comming thither with another magistrate which could speake Latine he was counselled to submit himselfe vnto the order of the law Maister Bertie knowing himselfe cléere and the capteine to be aliue was the more bolder to submit himselfe to the iudgement of the law vpon condition that the magistrate would receiue him vnder safe conduct and defend him from the rage of the multitude Which being promised maister Bertie putteth himselfe and his weapon in the magistrates hand and so was committed to safe custodie while the truth of his cause should be tried Then master Bertie writing his letters to the Lantgraue and to the earle of Erbagh the next daie erlie in the morning the earle of Erbagh dwelling within eight miles came to the towne whither the dutchesse was brought with hir wagon maister Bertie also being in the same towne vnder custodie The earle who had some intelligence of the dutches before after he was come had shewed such courtesie as he thought to hir estate was séemelie the townesmen perceiuing the earle to behaue himselfe so humblie vnto hir began to consider more of the matter and further vnderstanding the capteine to be aliue both they and especallie the authors of the stir shrunke awaie and made all the friends they could to maister Bertie and his wife not to report their dooings after the woorst sort And thus maister Bertie and his wife escaping that danger procéeded in their iournie toward Poleland where in conclusion they were quietlie interteined of the king and placed honorablie in the earledome of the said king of Poles in Sanogelia called Crozan where maister Bertie with the dutchesse hauing the kings absolute power of gouernment ouer the said earldome continued both in great quietnesse and honor till the death of queene Marie Whose troublesome time sauoring altogither of bloudshed mercilesse murthering of Gods saints wherof the poet saith full trulie tellus madefacta cruore Christicolûm regerit decursus sanguinis atros Heu carnem mollem puerorum deuorat ignis Foemina másque perit nulla ratione virilis Foeminei aut sexus habita being expired and the peaceable reigne of gratious quéene Elizabeth established the said dutchesse and hir husband returned into England where they liued in libertie
capteine Parkinson capteine Saule master Whéeler and capteine Fisher with his band each of them with his hundred and capteine Pelham with the labourers were imbarked in the rode at Newhauen and sailed foorth towards Caen to come to the siege which the admerall of France had laid to the castell there The same daie as the counte Montgomerie had imbarked at the hauen of Diepe in an English vessell and was comming towards Newhauen there came out from Festampe thrée shallops by the appointment of the Reingraue as was said which made towards Montgomerie whose meaning when he perceiued he set vpon the strongest of the same shallops so that there followed a sharpe conflict betwixt them but in the end the victorie fell to Montgomerie the shallop being taken the capteine and maister slaine and three English vittellers rescued which the said shallops had taken Montgomerie herewith arriuing at Newhauen and bringing his prise with him was ioifullie receiued and after he had talked a while with the lord lieutenant and the councell he went aboord againe and sailed to Caen there to confer with the admerall line 10 The first of March in the morning they began to batter the castell of Caen in such wise that about foure of the clocke in the afternoone they within began to parlée but it tooke none effect and then went off the artillerie againe till night and in the morning the batterie eftsoones began And before that two tires of the said artillerie had gone off they within offered to parlee againe and finallie agréed by composition to yéeld and so on that tuesdaie by ten of the clocke the castell was surrendred into the hands of line 20 the French admerall and the marquesse Dalbeuf and other that had the place in keeping departed in safetie On wednesdaie the third of March the towne of Baieulx was also yeelded vnto the lord admerall of France and on the morrow following Faleise and afterwards S. Lo with diuerse other townes and castels yeelded likewise vnto him The tenth of March the great gallie and the foists were sent awaie from Newhauen with a canon and shot and powder vnto Hunflue where they met with monsieur line 30 de Mouie that came thither with a faire companie of horssemen and diuerse footmen French and of Englishmen capteine Tuttie with his two hundred and capteine Fisher with his hundred The canon which came from Newhauen was immediatlie planted and about ten of the clocke in the forenoone it was shot off and after it had beene six times discharged they within began to parlée and in the end they agréed to yéeld vp the castell vnto monsieur de Mouie with condition that their souldiers line 40 and men of warre might depart onelie with their rapiers and daggers leauing all the residue of their mooueables behind them And according to this capitulation capteine Lion with his hundred souldiers and capteine Nicholas with his hundred and fiftie other souldiers which were within departed and left the castell vnto monsieur de Mouie whereby his souldiers as well English as others gained greatlie by the spoile The twelfe of March proclamation was made in name of the lord lieutenant that no souldier should line 50 draw weapon to doo hurt therewith vnto anie of the French within the towne of Newhauen or limits of the same nor to molest them nor to spoile nor take anie thing violentlie awaie from anie of them nor to breake downe their houses nor to carrie awaie their timber on paine of death There was also a proclamation made in the name of the king admerall that no capteine burgesse souldier mariner or other of the French nation within the towne or without should draw anie weapon nor picke anie line 60 quarrell nor vse anie iniurious words against anie man to mooue them to wrath speciallie against the Englishmen on paine of death nor that anie burgesse or inhabitant of what qualitie or condition soeuer except capteins gentlemen and souldiers receiuing paie should beare anie weapon on the like paine The fiue and twentith of March sir Adrian Poinings knight marshall of Newhauen departed from thence and returning into England remained there still Whereas monsieur de Beauuois had by the admerall Chatillions commandement charged by publike proclamation all strangers forreners and French souldiers to depart the towne by the 23 of March last past and that all other hauing their wiues and families should depart with them within foure daies after the same proclamation to giue aid for the conseruation and keeping of the townes of Hunflue Caen Baieulx Faleise S. Lo and other places latelie brought into the obedience of the king vnder the authoritie of the prince of Conde vnder paine for making default to be taken as good prisoners of warre to those that should apprehend them Proclamation was also therevpon made in the lord lieutenants name the six and twentith of March being fridaie that it should be lawfull to the quéenes maiesties subiects and fréends to apprehend and take as their good and lawfull prisoners all such as contrarie to the former proclamation should remaine in the towne of Newhauen after fiue of the clocke after noone of the daie then next following being saturdaie those persons onelie excepted whose names had beene presented and inrolled in bils remaining with the lord lieutenants secretarie Prouided that no person seizing vpon the bodie of anie such offendor should by vertue or colour therof spoile anie of their houses meddle with their goods or mooueables without order and meane of iustice vpon paine of death On the sundaie yet being the eight and twentith of March another proclamation was made to giue respit to the said strangers forreners and French souldiers vntill foure of the clocke in the afternoone of the same daie And further there was another proclamation published this sundaie that none should seize vpon anie of those strangers forreners or French souldiers by colour of the two former proclamations vntill the lord lieutenants pleasure should more fullie be knowen therein The thirtith of March being tuesdaie proclamation was eftsoones made that whereas all forreners being not anie of the burgesses or proper inhabitants of the said towne of Newhauen nor of the garrison or armie of the Englishmen in the same towne had béene warned by seuerall proclamations to depart the towne and yet the same proclamations notwithstanding a great number made their abode still in the towne in contempt of those proclamations the lord lieutenant by this proclamation gaue full power and authoritie to the said prouost marshall of the garrison of the Englishmen in that towne to apprehend and take as good and lawfull prisoners all such forreners as well souldiers and mariners as other without exception which should be found in the towne at anie time after fiue of the clocke in the afternoone on saturdaie then next comming monsieur Beauuois and his familie
discharged of such their oth and also from all fealtie and seruice which was due to hir by reason of hir gouernment c. Héere hath euerie true subiect to sée whether Felton was not a fréend to Pius Quintus in so easilie being induced and drawne to prefer his procéedings against the lords annointed for whose sake if he had had a thousand liues true loialtie would haue inuited him to the losse of them all if occasion had so required considering that hir maiestie hath alwaies deserued well of hir people for whome she euer had a tender care as one reporteth that saith he heard with his owne ears hir maiestie commending hir subiects to the carefull and wise gouernment of hir councell and iudges when shée spake thus vnto them Haue care ouer my people You haue my place Doo you that which I ought to doo They are my people Euerie man oppresseth them and spoileth them without mercie They cannot reuenge their quarell nor help themselues See vnto them see vnto them for they are my charge I charge you euen as God hath charged me I care not for my selfe my life is not deare to me my care is for my people I praie God whosoeuer succéed me be as carefull as I am They which might know what cares I beare would not thinke I tooke anie great ioie in wearing the crowne Could a mother speake more tenderlie for hir infant than this good quéene speaketh for hir people And shall the people be so vngratious to a prince so gratious as to attempt anie thing that should discontent hir highnesse A mercifull hart shée hath alwaies had before shee atteined the crowne a mercifull hart shée hath now possessing the scepter manie times remitting and pardoning offenses intended and practised against hir owne person which C. O. noteth in his Eirenarchia siue Elisabetha speaking of hir maiestie in this point verie trulie vncontrollablie Nobilis praestans est ignoscentia virtus Haec quanquam potis est si vult excelsior vis Mentis inest iram strictis compescit habenis Delictis mulctam grauibus quandóque remittens Hoc priuata priùs nondum diademate sumpto Fecerat hoc facit princeps diademate sumpto The seauen and twentith of Male Thomas Norton and Christopher Norton of Yorkshire being both condemned of high treason for the late rebellion in the north were drawen from the tower of London to Tiborne and there hanged headed and quartered In this yeare also conspired certeine gentlemen with other in the countie of Norffolke whose purpose was on Midsummer daie at Harlestone faire with sound of trumpet and drum to haue raisâ—d a number and then to proclame their diuelish pretense against strangers and others This matter was vttered by Thomas Ket one of the conspiracie vnto Iohn Kenseie who foorthwith sent the same Ket with a conestable to the next iustice before whome and other iustices he opened the whole matter Wherevpon maister Drue Drurie immediatlie apprehended Iohn Throckmorton and after him manie gentlemen of the citie of Norwich and the countie of Norffolke who were all committed to prison and at the next sessions of goale deliuerie at the castell of Norwich the seauentéenth of Iulie before sir Robert Catlin knight lord chéefe iustice Gilbert Gerard the quéenes attornie generall and other iustices ten of them were indicted of high treason and some others line 10 of contempt Diuerse of them were condemned and had iudgement the one and twentith of August and afterward thrée of them were hanged bowelled and quartered which were Iohn Throckmorton of Norwich gentleman who stood mute at his arreignment but at the gallows confessed himselfe to be the chéefe conspirator and that none had deserued to die but he for that he had procured them With him was executed Thomas Brooke of Rolsbie gentleman on the thirtith of August and George Dedman of Cringleford line 20 gentleman was likewise executed the second of September The fourth of August the duke of Norffolke was remooued from the tower of London to the Charterhouse néere vnto Smithfield The same daie was arreigned at the Guildhall of London Iohn Felton for hanging the foresaid bull of pope Pius Quintus on the gate of the bishop of Londons palace and also two yoong men for coining clipping of coine who all were found guiltie of high treason and had line 30 iudgement to be drawne hanged quartered The eight of August Iohn Felton was drawen from Newgate into Paules churchyard and there hanged on a gallows new set vp that morning before the bishops palace gate and being cut downe aliue he was bowelled and quartered After this the same morning the shiriffes returned to Newgate and so to Tiborne with two yoong men which were there executed for coining and clipping as is aforesaid The two and twentith of August the earle of Sussex line 40 lord lieutenant generall for the queenes maiestie in the north and the lord Scroope warden of the west marches with diuerse others marched from Carleill with the quéens armie and force of the north as well of horssemen as footmen into Scotland passing ouer the riuers of Eske Leuine Sarke which riuer of Sarke parteth England and Scotland and so to Dornocke wood belonging to Edward Urone the lord of Bonshow and then to Annan a strong house of the lord Harris which they rased and ouerthrew line 50 with others thereabouts from thense to Hodham which they burnt and blew vp from thense to Kennell a towne belonging to the lord Cowhill which they burnt from thense to Donfrise which they sacked and spoiled of such paltrie as the fugitiues had left and also rased and ouerthrew a sumptuous house belonging to the quéene of Scots in the kéeping of the lord Harris Then passing the riuer of Longher they burnt and spoiled Cowhilles and Powtracke and returned to Donfrise and so to the towne of Bankend which they burnt with another house perteining line 60 to william Maxwell of the Iles and so to the castell of Carlauarocke standing in a marish iust to an arme of the sea which parteth Annerdale and Gallowaie which castell they blew vp and returned homeward transporting their ordinance ouer quick-sands and bogs where neuer the like was doone before and so came to Dornocke wood The eight of August they marched towards Carleill where by the waie they burnt and ouerthrew two houses the one being Arthur Greams alià s Carleill the other rich George two notable théeues The same daie at night after the lord lieutenants comming to Carleill he made knights sir Edward Hastings sir Francis Russell sir Ualentine Browne sir William Hilton sir Robert Stapleton sir Henrie Curwen sir Simon Musgraue This yéere the fift of October chanced a terrible tempest of wind and raine both by sea and land by meanes whereof manie ships perished much hurt was doone in diuerse parts of the realme as by a little pamphlet set foorth
of men haue to deale with in this world This noble erle was of great wisedome deepe iudgement graue consideration and so blessed with vnderstanding experience and manifold vertues and gifts of God that he was right worthie to serue hir maiestie in princelie and weightie affaires both in warre and peace He was of such prudent and excellent discretion that he had a speciall grace to interteine all states of men superiour equall and inferiour with such comelinesse and decencie that for ciuilitie line 10 humanitie maners and honorable behauior he was a paterne and an example for nobilitie to imitate and to follow In his youth he bestowed not the time in vanitie idlenesse or voluptuousnesse but in atchiuing and winning of such sciences properties and vertues which might beautifie and increase his nobilitie and preuailed therin so effectuallie that be became excellent in all kinds of knowledge and qualities méet commendable or necessarie for a man of honour Concerning diuine matters I haue line 20 in my time conferred with his lordship and therefore can saie somewhat therein and amongst others one thing is notable which in conference I receiued at his mouth He affirmed this in effect that there was nothing in the world that could blemish and abase the heroicall nature of nobilitie so much as to haue the eies of vnderstanding so closed and shut vp that a man in honour should not be able to discerne betwixt true religion and the hypocriticall false religion betwixt the right worshipping of God idolatrie line 30 betwixt the traditions of men and Gods word but remaine subiect to lies and superstition and to call bad good and good bad and concluded that to be frée from this seruile state was a necessarie point of true nobilitie He therefore in his time had diligentlie trauelled in the scriptures and so furnished himselfe with principles of christian religion that he was able readilie to discerne sermons and disputations and to find out who had veritie on their side and also probablie line 40 to speake with authoritie of scripture in matters of controuersie His vnderstanding by the especiall worke of the holie ghost was so illumined that he claue drew to true christian religion as the adamant stone cleaueth and draweth to stéele His lordship therefore furthered and fauoured all preachers of Gods word so that whosoeuer will iudge of the successe of Christs religion by humane reason must confesse that the gospell hath lost a mightie protector and an earnest defender But God in setting out of his line 50 word vseth to worke beside the expectation of man and beyond the reach of reason I haue yet further to speake of his lordship that I beléeue there be verie few noble men in England more readie and expert in chronicles histories genealogies and pedegrées of noble men and noble houses not onlie within the realme but also in forren realmes than this noble earle was in his time He excelled in describing and blasing of armes and in all skill perteining thereto and to be short his vnderstanding and capacitie was line 60 so liuâ—lie and effectuall that it reached to all kind of matters that a perfect nobleman shall haue to deale withall in this world Fortitude is another founteine from whense nobilitie floweth of Cicero In Tusculanis quaestionibus thus defined Est affectio animi qua grauia patiendo legibus obteÌ„peratur It is an affection of the mind whereby to satisfie the lawes a man is content to suffer hardnesse he meaneth mans lawes and not Gods law It séemeth therefore that it may be thus more euidentlie and fullie defined Fortitude is an affection of the mind wherby a man is made hardie and couragious to suffer difficulties and dangers auoiding on the one side rashnesse expelling on the other side feare to performe that which Gods law and honestie prescribeth and commandeth Although by this definition we find that the effect of fortitude resteth much in banishing of feare of bodilie hurts yet dooth it agrée verie well with the feare of God Iethro therefore counselling Moses to choose men to gouerne vnder him saith Prospice viros fortes timentes Deum Séeke out men indued with fortitude fearing God c. Whereby we perceiue that fortitude and the feare of God varie not but are linked togither Déepe was the floud of nobilitie that this valiant earle had fetched out of this founteine For in this togither with the well of prudence he found that excellent knowledge of chiualrie the cunning to lead an armie to guide and to rule soldiors that experience of stratagems warlike policies that notable magnanimitie and inuincible courage whereby he indured and ouercame so manie dangers and perils for the which he is renowmed in England and Ireland and shall neuer be forgotten He was by nature the sonne of Mars and by practising feats of war and exercise aforehand he had made himselfe in manner a perfect warrior afore that euer he came to the wars and was for prowesse magnanimitie and high corage to be compared to the old Romane capteins that be so much in stories commended This fortitude is no lesse necessarie for nobilitie in time of peace than in time of war For it belongeth vnto them to minister iustice betwixt partie and partie without respect of persons which cannot be performed without the assistance of this vertue I haue good cause to thinke of this noble earle that there was no subiect in England that could feare or corrupt him from executing of iustice He was to the proud and arrogant a lion and to the méeke and humble a lambe neither is there anie contrarietie in this for true nobilitie discerneth a due and conuenient time and place to vse both the one and the other Iustice is the third well of nobilitie it is a constant and a perpetuall will to giue euerie man his owne This is a diuine vertue pretious and commendable in all men and especiallie in the nobilitie who by reason of authoritie may doo iniurie without remedie for the same We sée by experience that great is the number of them that would oppresse if they had authoritie we see also the iniuries that are doone dailie by them that haue colour of authoritie be it neuer so simple But examine the life of this earle who will and I beléeue there is no man liuing that can iustlie complaine of anie iniurie or wrong doone by him I once in my time heard him not a litle offended with one of his men that was complained vpon saieng that his seruant could doo him no greater dishonor than by pretense of his authoritie to doo anie poore man wrong Iob in the time of his authoritie wealth was commended to be a iust a righteous man And in the explication of part of that iustice Iob hath these words Fui oculus caeco vice pedum claudo c I was the eies to the blind and I
10 them as they should not be disappointed of the hope which they had conceiued of his gouernement which he would fashion out after the paterne of his predecessors and great vncles who had gouerned these countries so happilie And he thanked them for their good will loue praieng them to continue the same and promising to take them into his protection togither with the rest of the people in generall that as he had heretofore a singular regard of learned men so would he be willing to continue the same line 20 hereafter After this maner began this great prince to gouerne that people with great authoritie and modestie and the people to yéeld vnto him verie willing and honorable obedience and all men hope both generallie and particularlie that God will giue him the grace so to hold on in that so holie and commendable gouernement as that by his example he shall shew to all princes and to all others that come after him how greatlie the iust and lawfull gouernement line 30 auaileth and that the people on their side shall shew what maner of obedience loue and constancie is due to good princes in which vertues there was neuer yet anie people that could skill to surmount them neither shall anie hereafter by the helpe of the great God and euerlasting father of our sauiour Iesus Christ to whome with the vnitie of the holie spirit be all glorie for euer and euer Amen Iohn Paine priest being indicted of high treason line 40 for words by him spoken was arreigned and condemned at Chelmsford on the last daie of March and was there executed on the second daie of Aprill according to the qualitie of his offense and as law had awarded In the moneth of Maie namelie on the fifteenth daie at night about ten of the clocke a blasing starre appeared descending in the northwest the beard whereof streamed into the southeast On mondaie being the eight twentith of Maie line 50 Thomas Foord Iohn Shert and Robert Iohnson priests hauing beene before indicted arreigned and as well by their owne testimonie as also sufficient witnesses produced to their faces found giltie and condemned for high treason intended practised and appointed against hir maiesties most roiall person as also for the vtter ruine ouerthrow and subuersion of hir peaceable and well gouerned realme themselues being sent as instruments to deale for and in the behalfe of the pope in this disloiall and traitorous cause according as iustice had before determined line 60 were drawne vpon hurdles from the Tower of London to the place appointed for execution hauing béen so long time spared by hir maiesties most roiall and princelie regard of mercie to trie if either the feare of God would take place in them consideration and respect of their owne duties mooue them or the meere loue and accustomed clemencie of hir maiestie might win them to acknowledge hir to be their lawfull souereigne and themselues hir subiects bound to serue hir notwithstanding any pretense or authoritie to the contrarie not for matter of their popish superstition All this notwithstanding they remained giuen ouer to their owne wickednes and swallowed vp in the gulfe of their vndutifull affection which caused iustice to step before mercie committing them to the reward of their lewd and vnnaturall dealing All the waie as they were drawne they were accompanied with diuers zealous and godlie men who in mild louing spéeches made knowne vnto them how iustlie God repaieth the reprobat how fatherlie againe he receiueth the obedient how he ouerthroweth the vngodlie in their owne deuises and protecteth his chosen in all stormes and afflictions In remembrance of all these to bethinke themselues of their wickednesses passed and to shew such hartie and zealous repentance for the same that albeit they had so gréeuouslie trespassed yet in contrite and humble sorrowing they might be gratiouslie receiued into his heauenlie fauour whome they had mooued and stirred by their vnreuerent regard to smite and chasten with the rod of his furie Among which godlie persuasions maister shiriffe himselfe both learnedlie and ernestlie labored vnto them moouing all good occasions he might deuise to change the obstinacie he perceiued in them into a christianlike humilitie and repentance but these good indeuors tooke no wished effect their owne euill disposition so blinded them that there was no waie for grace to enter When they were come beyond saint Giles in the field there approched vnto the hurdle one of their owne sect and a priest as himselfe had confessed who in this maner spake vnto the prisoners O gentlemen be ioifull in the bloud of Iesus Christ for this is the daie of your triumph and ioie Being asked whie he vsed such words he said vnto the prisoners againe I pronounce vnto you yea I pronounce a full remission and pardon vnto your soules Using these and other traitorous spéeches hold was laid on him When as maister shiriffe demanded what he was he answered He was the voice of a crier in the wildernesse and that he was sent to prepare the Lords waie And notwithstanding such meanes of resistance as himselfe vsed he was deliuered vnto Thomas Norris purseuant who brought him vnto Newgate where he confessed vnto him that he was a priest and that he had so long dissembled as he would now leaue off and doo so no more Being come to the place of execution Thomas Foord was first brought vp into the cart when as he began in this maner Whereas I am come hither to die for matters laid vnto my charge of treason which should be conspired against the queene within these two yeares or somewhat more I giue you to vnderstand that of anie such matter I am innocent frée for that I can prooue my comming into England to be fiue yeares since Wherevpon maister shiriffe spake vnto him and said Foord haue mind on God and aske him and hir maiestie heartilie forgiuenesse whome thou hast so highlie offended thou doost but delude the people for it is manifestlie knowen how thou art guiltie of the matters laid to thy charge here be thine owne answers to shew affirmed vnder thine owne hand and other witnesses to reprooue thee Wherevpon I my selfe was called foorth who iustified the causes to his face that at his arreignement was laid to his charge and he euidentlie and plainelie found guiltie thereof Then were his answers whereto he had subscribed read vnto him which is in the booke latelie set foorth by authoritie Wherevpon he tooke occasion to tell a long circumstance of a certeine question mooued at Oxford as concerning taking armes against hir maiestie which horrible treason he séemed to approoue thereby Then maister shiriffe willed him to aske hir maiestie forgiuenesse offering him to stand his friend in atteining hir graces mercie if he would change his former traitorous mind to become a true and faithfull subiect acknowledging hir to be his lawfull souereigne ladie
and such like but yet so warilie they crept into the land as none brought the markes of their priesthood with them But in diuers corners of hir maiesties dominions these seminaries or séedmen and Iesuits bringing with them certeine Romish trash as of their hallowed war their Agnus Dei their graines and manie kind of beads and such like haue as tillagemen laboured secretlie to persuade the people to allow of the popes foresaid buls and warrants of his absolute authoritie ouer all princes and countries and striking manie with pricks of conscience to obeie the same whereby in processe of small time if this wicked and dangerous traitorous craftie course had not béene by Gods goodnesse espied and stated there had followed imminent danger of horrible vprores in the realmes and a manifest bloudie destruction of great multitudes of christians For it can not be denied but that so manie as should haue béene induced thoroughlie persuaded to haue obeied that wicked warrant of the popes and the contents thereof should haue béene forthwith in their harts and consciences secret traitors and for to be in déed errant and open traitors there should haue wanted nothing but opportunitie to féele their strength to assemble themselues in such numbers with armour and weapons as they might haue presumed to haue beene the greater part and so by open ciuill warre to haue come to their wicked purposes But Gods goodnesse by whome kings doo rule and by whose blast traitors are commonlie wasted and confounded hath otherwise giuen to hir maiestie as to his handmaid and deare seruant ruling vnder him the spirit of wisedome and power whereby she hath caused some of these seditious séedmen and sowers of rebellion to be discouered for all their secret lurkings and to be taken and charged with these former points of high treason not being dealt withall vpon questions of religion but iustlie by order of lawes openlie condemned as traitors At which times notwithstanding all maner gentle waies of persuasions vsed to mooue them to desist from such manifest traitorous courses and opinions with offer of mercie yet was the canker of their rebellious humors so déepelie entered and grauen into line 10 the harts of manie of them as they would not be remooued from their traitorous determinations And therefore as manifest traitors in mainteining and adhering to the capitall enimie of hir maiestie hir crowne who hath not onelie béene the cause of two rebellions alreadie passed in England and Ireland but in that of Ireland did manifestlie wage and mainteine his owne people capteins and souldiers vnder the banner of Rome against hir maiestie line 20 so as no enimie could doo more these I saie haue iustlie suffered death not by force or forme of anie new lawes established either for religion or against the popes supremasie as the slanderous libellers would haue it séeme to be but by the ancient temporall lawes of the realme and namelie by the laws of parlement made in king Edward the third his time about the yeare of our Lord 1330 which is aboue two hundred yeares and more past when the bishops of Rome and popes were suffered to haue line 30 their authoritie ecclesiasticall in this realme as they had in manie other countries But yet of this kind of offendors as manie of them as after their condemnations were contented to renounce their former traitorous assertions so manie were spared from execution doo liue still at this daie such was the vnwillingnes in hir maiestie to haue anie bloud spilt without this verie vrgent iust and necessarie cause procéeding from themselues And yet neuerthelesse such of the rest of the traitors as remaine in forren parts continuing still line 40 their rebellious minds and craftilie kéeping themselues aloofe off from dangers ceasse not to prouoke sundrie other inferiour seditious persons newlie to steale secretlie into the realme to reuiue the former seditious practises to the execution of the popes foresaid bull against hir maiestie and the realme pretending when they are apprehended that they came onelie into the realme by the commandement of their superiors the heads of the Iesuits to whome they are bound as they saie by oth against either king line 50 or countrie and here to informe or reforme mens consciences from errors in some points of religion as they thinke meet But yet in verie truth the whole scope of their secret labours is manifestlie prooued to be secretlie to win all people with whom they dare deale so to allow of the popes said buls and of his authoritie without exception as in obeieng thereof they take themselues fullie discharged of their allegiance and obedience to their lawfull prince and countrie yea and to be well warranted line 60 to take armes to rebell against hir maiestie when they shall be therevnto called and to be readie secretlie to ioine with any forren force that can be procured to inuade the realme whereof also they haue a long time giuen and yet doo for their aduantage no small comfort of successe And so consequentlie the effect of their labours is to bring the realme not onelie into a dangerous warre against the forces of strangers from which it hath béene frée aboue three and twentie or foure and twentie yeares a case verie memorable and hard to be matched with an example of the like but into a warre domesticall and ciuill wherein no bloud is vsuallie spared nor mercie yéelded and wherein neither the vanquishor nor the vanquished can haue iust cause of triumph And forsomuch as these are the most euident perils that necessarilie should follow if these kind of vermine were suffered to créepe by stealth into the realme and to spred their poison within the same howsoeuer when they are taken like hypocrits they colour and counterfeit the same with profession of deuotion in religion it is of all persons to be yéelded in reason that hir maiestie and all hir gouernours and magistrats of iustice hauing care to mainteine the peace of the realme which God hath giuen in hir time to continue longer than euer in anie time of hir progenitors ought of dutie to almightie God the author of peace and according to the naturall loue and charge due to their countrie and for auoiding of the flouds of bloud which in ciuill warres are séene to run and flow by all lawfull meanes possible as well by the sword as by law in their seuerall seasons to impeach and repell these so manifest and dangerous colourable practises and works of sedition and rebellion And though there are manie subiects knowne in the realme that differ in some opinions of religion from the church of England and that doo also not forbeare to professe the same yet in that they doo also professe loialtie and obedience to hir maiestie and offer readilie to hir maiesties defense to impugne resist anie forreine force though it should come or be procured from the pope himselfe none of
they did Or giue power to doctor Sanders a naturall borne 〈◊〉 but an vnnaturall worne priest to take armes and moue warres as he did in Ireland Fourthlie whether the pope may discharge the subiects of hir maiestie or of anie other princes christened of their oths of obedience Fiftlie whether the said traitorous priest doctor Sanders or one Bristow a rebellious fugitiue did in their bookes writâ— trulie or falslie in approuing the said bull of line 30 〈…〉 and the contents thereof Lastlie what were to be doone if the pope or anie other assigned by 〈◊〉 would inuade the realme of England and what part they would take or what part anie faithfull subiect of hir maiesties ought to take To these few questions verie apt to trie the truth or falshood of any such seditious persons being iustlie before condemned for their disloialtie these lewd vnarmed traitors I say would in no wise answer directlie herto as all other faith full subiects to anie christian prince ought line 40 to doo And as they by refusall to answer directlie to these questions onelie might haue béene iustlie conuinced as guiltie of treason so yet were they not therevpon condemned but vpon all their other former actions committed both abroad in the relme which were no lesse traitorous than the actions of all other the spies and traitors and of Iudas himselfe afore remembred which had no armor nor weapon and yet at all times ought to be adiudged traitors For these disguised persons called scholers or priests hauing line 50 beene first conuersant of long time with the traitors beyond the sea in all their conspiracies came hither by stealth in time of war and rebellion by commandement of the capitall enimie the pope or his legats to be secret espials and explorers in the realme for the pope to deliuer by secret Romish tokens as it were an earnest or prest to them that should be in readines to ioine with rebels or open enimies and in like sort with their hallowed baggages from Rome to line 60 poison the senses of the subiects powring into their hearts malicious and pestilent opinions against hir maiestie and the lawes of the realme and also to kindle and set on fire â—he hearts of discontented subiects with the flames of rebellion to search sound the depths and secrets of all mens inward intentions either against hir maiestie or for hir and finaâ—â—ie to bring into a beadroll or as it were into a mâ—â—â—er roll the names and powers with the dwellings of all them that should be readie to rebell and to aid the forreine â—â—uasion These kinds of seditious actions for the seruice of the pope and the traitors and rebels abroad haue made them traitors not their bâ—â—ks nor their â—eads no nor their cakes of ware which they call Agnus Dei nor other their relikes no nor yet their opinions for the ceremonies or rites of the church of Rome and therefore it is to be certeinelie concluded that these did iustlie deserue their capitall punishments as traitors though they were not apprehended with open armour or weapon Now if this latter repetition as it were of all the former causes and reasons afore recited may not serue to stop the boisterous mouthes and the pestifâ—râ—us toongs and venemous breaths of those that are infected with so grosse errors as to defend seditious subiects stirrers of rebellion against their naturall prince and countrie then are they to be left without anie further argument of the almightie God as persons that haue couered their eies against the sunnes light stopped their eares against the sound of iustice and oppressed their hearts against the force of reason and as the psalmist saith They speake lies they are as venemous as the poison of a serpent euen like the deafe adder that stoppeth his eares Wherefore with christian charitie to conclude if these rebels and traitors and their fautors would yet take some remorse and compassion of their naturall countrie and would consider how vaine their attempts haue béene so manie yeares and how manie of their confederats are wasted by miseries and calamities and how none of all their attempts or plats haue prospered and therefore would desist from their vnnaturall practises abroad and if these seminaries secret wanderers and explorators in the darke would imploie their trauels in the works of light and doctrine according to the vsage of their schooles and content themselues with their profession and deuotion and that the remnant of the wicked flocke of the seedmen of sedition would cease from their rebellious false and infamous railings and libellings altogether contrarie to christian charitie there is no doubt by Gods grace hir maiestie being so much giuen to mercie and deuoted to peace but all colour and occasion of shedding the bloud of anie more of hir naturall subiects of this land yea all further bodilie punishment should vtterlie cease Against whose malices if they shall not desist almightie God continue hir maiestie with his spirit and power long to reigne and liue in his feare and to be able to vanquish them all being Gods enimies and especiallie hir rebels and traitors both at home abroad to mainteine preserue all hir naturall good louing subiects to the true seruice of the same almightie God according to his holie word will Manie other things might be remembred for defense of other hir maiesties princelie honorable and godlie actions in sundrie other things wherein also these and the like seditious railors haue of late time without all shame by fained and false libels sought to discredit hir maiestie hir gouernement but at this time these former causes and reasons alleaged by waie of aduertisements onelie for maintenance of truth are sufficient to iustifie hir maiesties actions to the whole world in the cases remembred Magna est veritas prâ—ualet Great is truth and she ouercommeth On the two and twentith of Ianuarie Iohn Watson bishop of Winchester deceased at Woolseie and was buried at Winchester on the sixtéenth daie of Febâ—uarie a man he was well taught by the art which he professed and practised to esteeme this life as it is euen tranâ—itorie verie vaine wherin as men are the further sâ—epf in age so should they be the lesse desirous to liue and take death comming timelie which is when as naturall heate and the moisture radicall are decaied in such good part as nothing more acceptable But who thinkes his death to come timelie but the godlie wise who haue learned that as men haue daies of life decreed so they haue daies of death determined according to the tetrastichon which that famous man Ioachimus Camerarius an excellent man and of singular note made a little before his departing out of this world Morte nihil tempestiua esse optatius aiunt Sed tempestiuam quis putat esse suam Qui putat ille sapit quoniam vt solatia vitae line 10 Sic quisque suae tempora
Parrie the same mondaie in the euening though not so knowne to him should be sent vnto maister secretaries house in London he being then there who according vnto such direction as he receiued from hir maiestie did let him vnderstand that hir highnesse in respect of the good will she knew he line 40 bare vnto the said Parrie of the trust that Parrie did outwardlie professe to repose in maister secretarie had made especiall choice of him to deale with him in a matter that concerned hir highlie and that the doubted not but that he would discharge his dutie towards hir according vnto that extraordinarie deuotion that he professed to beare vnto hir And therevpon he told him that hir maiestie had béene aduertised that there was somewhat intended presentlie against hir owne person wherwith she line 50 thought he could not but be made acquainted considering the great trust that some of hir woorst affected subiects reposed in him and that hir pleasure therefore was that he should declare vnto him his knowledge therein and whether the said Parrie himselfe had let fall anie spéech vnto anie person though with an intent onelie to haue discouered his disposition that might draw him in suspicion as though he himselfe had anie such wicked intent But line 60 Parrie with great and vehement protestations denied it vtterlie Whervpon maister secretarie the rather to induce him to deale more plainelie in a matter so important declared vnto him that there was a gentleman of qualitie euerie waie as good or better than himselfe and rather his friend than enimie that would auouch it to his face yet Parrie persisted stubbornelie in his former deniall and iustification of his owne innocencie and would not in anie respect yéeld that he was partie or priuie to anie such motion enterprise or intent Being lodged that night at M. secretaries house the next morning he desired earnestlie to haue some further spéech with maister secretarie which granted Parrie declared to him that he had called to remembrance that he had once some spéech with one Neuill a kinsman of his so he called him touching a point of doctrine conteined in the answer made to the booke intituled The execution of iustice in England by which booke it was resolued that it was lawfull to take awaie the life of a prince in furtherance of the catholike religion but he protested that they neuer had anie speech at all of anie attempt intended against hir maiesties person Which deniall of his at two sundrie times after so much light giuen him dooth set forth most apparantlie both the iustice and prouidence of God his iustice for that though he was one of a sharpe conceipt he had no power to take hold of this ouerture thereby to haue auoided the danger that Neuils accusation might bring him into by confessing the same as a thing propounded onelie to féele Neuils mind whome before he had reported vnto maister secretarie he found a person discontented and therefore his confession might to verie great purpose haue serued to haue cléered himselfe touching the intent his prouidence for that of his great mercie he would not suffer so dangerous and wicked a member to escape and liue to hir maiesties perill The same daie at night Parrie was brought to the earle of Leicesters house and there eftsoons examined before the said earle of Leicester maister vicechamberlaine and maister secretarie he persisted still in his deniall of all that he was charged with Wherevpon Neuill being brought before him face to face iustified his accusation against him He notwithstanding would not yet yéeld to confesse it but verie proudlie and insolentlie opposed his credit against the credit of Neuill affirming that his no was as good as Neuils yea as by way of recrimination obiected the crime to Neuill himselfe On the other side Neuill did with great constancie affirme all that he had before said and did set downe manie probable circumstances of the times places and maners of their sundrie conferences and of such other accidents as had happened betwéene them in the course of that action wherevpon Parrie was then committed to the Tower and Neuill commanded by their honors to set downe in writing vnder his hand all that which before he had deliuered by words which he did with his owne hand as followeth Edmund Neuill his declaration the tenth of Februarie 1584 subscribed with his owne hand WIlliam Parrie the last summer soone after his repulse in his sute for the maistership of saint Katharins repaired to my lodging in the White friers where he shewed himselfe a person greatlie discontented and vehementlie inueighed against hir maiestie and willed me to assure my selfe that during this time and state I should neuer receiue contentment But sith said he I know you to be honorablie descended and a man of resolution if you will giue me assurance either to ioine with me or not to discouer me I will deliuer vnto you the onelie meanes to doo your selfe good Which when I had promised him he appointed me to come the next daie to his house in Feuterlane repairing thither accordinglie I found him in his bed wherevpon he commanded his men foorth and began with me in this order My lord said he for so he called me I protest before God that thrée reasons principallie doo induce me to enter into this action which I intend to discouer vn to you the replanting of religion the preferring of the Scotish title and the aduancement of iustice woonderfullie corrupted in this common-wealth And therevpon entred into some discourses what places were fit to be taken to giue entrance to such forren forces as should be best liked of for the furtherance of such enterprises as were to be vndertaken And with these discourses he passed the time vntill he went to dinner after which the companie being retired he entered into his former discourses And if I be not deceiued said he by taking of Quinborough line 10 castell we shall hinder the passage of the quéenes ships foorth of the riuer Wherevnto when he saw me vse no contradiction he shooke me by the hand Tush said he this is nothing if men were resolute there is an enterprise of much more moment and much easier to performe an act honorable and meritorious to God and the world Which séeing me desirous to know he was not ashamed to vtter in plaine termes to consist in killing of hir maiestie wherein saith he if you will go with me I will line 20 loose my life or deliuer my countrie from hir bad and tyrannous gouernment At which spéeches finding me discontented he asked me if I had read doctor Allens booke out of which he alledged an authoritie for it I answered no and that I did not beléeue that authoritie Well said he what will you saie if I shew further authoritie than this euen from Rome it selfe a plaine dispensation for the killing of hir wherein you shall find
bring two of the wicked persons to iustice Now knowing how men are maliciouslie bent in this declining age of the world both to iudge speake and write maliciouslie falslie and vnreuerentlie of princes and holding nothing so déere vnto vs as the conseruation of our reputation and honor to be blamelesse we found it verie expedient not to suffer two such horrible imputations to passe vnder silence lest for lacke of answer line 60 it might argue a kind of guiltinesse and did therefore thinke that what might be alledged by vs for our iustification in that behalfe might most aptlie be ioined vnto this former declaration now to be published to laie open before the world the maner and ground of our procéeding in the causes of the low countries And for answer of the first point wherewith we are charged touching our ingratitude towards the king of Spaine as we doo most willinglie acknowledge that we were beholding vnto him in the time of our late sister which we then did acknowledge verie thankâ—fullie and haue sought manie waies since in like sort to requite as in our former declaration by our actions maie appeare so doo we vtterlie denie as a most manifest vntruth that euer he was the cause of the sauing of our life as a person by course of iustice sentenced vnto death whoeuer carried our selfe towards our said sister in dutifull sort as our loialtie was neuer called in question much lesse anie sentence of death pronounced against vs a matter such as in respect of the ordinarie course of proceeding as by processe in law by place of triall by the iudge that should pronounce such sentence and other necessarie circumstances in like cases vsuall especiallie against one of our qualitie as it could not but haue beene publikelie knowne if anie such thing had beene put in execution This then being true we leaue to the world to iudge how maliciouslie and iniuriouslie the author of the said pamphlet dealeth with vs in charging vs by so notable an vntruth with a vice that of all other we doo most hate and abhorre And therefore by the manifest vntruth of this imputation men not transported with passion maie easilie discerne what vntruth is conteined in the second by the which we are charged to haue béene acquainted with an intended attempt against the life of the said prince a matter if anie such thing should haue béene by vs intended must haue procéeded either of a misliking we had of his person or that the prosecution of the warres in the low countries was so committed vnto him as no other might prosecute the same but he And first for his person we could neuer learne that he hath at anie time by act or speach doone anie thing that might iustlie bréed a mislike in vs towards him much lesse a hatred against his person in so high a degree as to be either priuie or assenting to the taking awaie of his life Besides he is one of whom we haue euer had an honorable conceit in respect of those singular rare parts we alwaies haue noted in him which hath woone vnto him as great reputation as anie man this daie liuing carrieth of his degree and qualitie and so haue we alwaies deliuered out by speach vnto the world when anie occasion hath béene offered to make mention of him Now touching the prosecution committed vnto him of the warres in the low countries as all men of iudgement know that the taking awaie of his life carrieth no likelihood that the same shall woorke anie end of the said prosecution so is it manifestlie knowne that no man hath dealt more honorablie than the said prince either in dulie obseruing of his promise or extending grace and mercie where merit and desert hath craued the same and therefore no greater impietie by anie could be wrought nor nothing more preiudiciall to our selfe so long as the king shall continue the prosecution of the cause in that forcible sort he now dooth than to be an instrument to take him awaie from thense by such violent meanes that hath dealt in a more honorable and gratious sort in the charge committed vnto him than anie other that hath euer gone before him or is likelie to succéed after him Now therefore how vnlikelie it is that we hauing neither cause to mislike of his person nor that the prosecution of the warres should cease by losse of him should be either author or anie waie assenting to so horrible a fact we referre to the iudgement of such as looke into causes not with the eies of their affection but doo measure and weigh things according to honor and reason Besides it is likelie if it had béene true that we had bin anie waie chargeable as the author reporteth the confessions of the parties executed importing such matter as by him is alledged would haue béene both produced and published for malice leaueth nothing vnsearched that maie nourish the venome of that humor The best course therefore that both we and all other princes can hold in this vnfortunat age that ouerfloweth with numbers of malignant spirits is through the grace and goodnesse of almightie God to direct our course in such sort as they maie rather shew their wils through malice than with iust cause by desert to saie ill or deface princes either by spéech or writing assuring our selues that besides the punishment that such wicked and infamous libellors line 10 shall receiue at the hands of the almightie for deprauing of princes and lawfull magistrats who are Gods ministers they both are and alwaies shall be thought by all good men vnwoorthie to liue vpon the face of the earth Giuen at Richmount the first of October 1585 and the 27 yeare of the reigne of our souereigne ladie the queene to be published In the moneths of Nouember and December line 20 manie horsses and men were shipped at the Tower wharffe to be transported ouer into the low countries And on the sixt of December the right honorable lord Robert Dudleie earle of Leicester lord lieutenant generall after he had taken his leaue of hir maiestie and the court with his traine entred the towne of Colchester in Essex where the maior his brethren all in scarlet gownes with multitudes of people met him and so with great solemnitie entred line 30 the towne where he lodged that night and on the next morrow set forward to Harwich into the which towne he was accordinglie receiued and interteined On the eight of December accompanied with diuers lords and knights he arriued at Flushing where he was interteined by sir Philip Sidneie gouernour the Graue Morris the states of the towne and others passing honorablie The next day he sailed to Middleborough where his receiuing was answerable to his person and after certeine daies there spent as occasions then moued he came to Williamstat line 40 then to Rotherodam then to Delph where he lodged euen in the house where the prince
of the wall it selfe which neuer left sinking till it came to the foundation of the rocke except by some ouersight of the workemen some part thereof were set vpon the beach which should by order haue béene first remooued in that case they benched it digging a trench at the foot of that part of line 10 the wall and filling the same with earth they made it verie tight and so might anie such place be perfected and amended if need should require But at this houre there leaketh not a drop of water vnder or through anie part of the wall that anie man maie perceiue or see so as a full pent shrinketh not anie whit at all betwixt tide and tide whereas the allowance of one foot leakage or fall at the least was required of them which exhibited the plot of the woodden line 20 wall which being measured from the top or face of the high pent diminisheth almost one quarter thereof And thus betwixt the first of Maie and midst of August this pent which was thought vnpossible to be doone in three yeares was perfectlie finished in lesse than thrée months and remaineth in so good and sure state as the longer it standeth the better and tighter it will be If neuer anie thing should be added herevnto this pent by reason of the abundance of water reteined therein and issuing out of the sâ—use would mainteine line 30 a good hauen in that place for the violent course therof will alwaies open the hauens mouth and make a fret there euen downe to the rocke although it be distant from the same threescore rods in so much as at this instant there maâ—e come in at quarter floud a barke of fortie or fiftie tun and at full sea a ship of thrée hundred tun and vpwards But when the two iustie heads are once finished which are now in hand so as the hauens mouth be perfected anie ship what soeuer maie enter in thereat line 40 and remaine within that rode in good safetie But as at manie other times heretofore there hath béene sure triall had of the good effects of this pent so now in this last moneth of October one thousand fiue hundred fourescore and six one gate of the sâ—use being by mischance broken so as by the space of foure daies there could be no water reteined within she pent to scowre the mouth of the hauen the same was so choked and swarued vp with sand and beach line 50 in that space as no bote could enter in or passe out of the same insomuch as Edward Wootton esquire being then at Douer to passe thense in an ambassage from hir maiestie to the French king was forced to send to Sandwich for a craier to transport him to Calis because no bote of Douer lieng within the rode could passe out at the hauens mouth But assoone as the said gate of the sluse was repared euen the next tide following a vessell of thrée hundred tun might and did easilie passe in and out thereat line 60 one pent of water had so scowred and depthened the same Whereby it maie appeare that neither the cost bestowed nor the worke performed hath béene vnprofitablie imploiâ—d or vnnecessarilie vndertaken Now you shall vnderstand that the small sluse which was first made and laied in the crosse wall in such sort and for such purpose as hath béene declared was taken vp after the said walles were finished and a sluse of far greater charge was made by the aforesaid Peter Pet who vndertooke to doo it by great and had for the same foure hundred pounds the laieng whereof did cost two hundred pounds more at the least This sluse conteineth in length fourescore foot in bredth sixtéene foot in depth thirtéene and hath in it two draw gates It was one whole moneth in laieng all which time the said lord Cobham made his abode there and kept a most honorable and costlie table furthering those works not onelie with his continuall presence and countenance but also with his good direction and that not at starts but from morning till night and from daie to daie vntill the full accomplishing thereof And in the meane time sir Francis Walsingham hir maiesties principall secretarie was not vncarefull of this action as being the man without whom nothing was doone directing the course and alwaie looking into the state thereof and gaue continuall life thervnto by prouiding monie for it whereof when anie want approched he neuer failed to see or rather to send a sure supplie Since the finishing of these wals and sluses there hath beene much worke and charge imploied about one of the iuttie heads and beautifieng of the harborough wherin one George Carie of Deuonshire esquire and one Iohn Hill an auditor haue béene the principall directors But because that worke remaineth as yet vnperformed the report thereof shall also remaine to be made by others that shall hereafter haue occasion to write of such affairs ¶ At the assises kept at the citie of Excester the fourteenth daie of March in the eight and twentith yeare of hir maiesties reigne before sir Edmund Anderson knight lord chiefe iustice of the common plees and sargeant Floredaie one of the barons of the excheker iustices of the assises in the countie of Deuon and Exon there happened a verie sudden and a strange sickenesse first amongst the prisoners of the gaole of the castell of Exon then dispersed vpon their triall amongst sundrie other persons which was not much vnlike to the sickenesse that of late yeares happened at an assise holden at Oxford before sir Robert â—ell knight lord chiefe baron of the excheker and iustice then of that assise and of which sickenesse he amongst others died This sickenesse was verie sharpe for the time few escaped which at the first were infected therewith It was contagious and infectious but not so violent as commonlie the pestilence is neither dooth there appeare anie outward vlcer or sore The origen and cause thereof diuerse men are of diuerse iudgements Some did impute it and were of the mind that it procéeded from the contagion of the gaole which by reason of the close aire and filthie stinke the prisoners newlie come out of a fresh aire into the same are in short time for the most part infected therewith and this is commonlie called the gaole sickenesse and manie die thereof Some did impute it to certeine poore Portingals then prisoners in the said gaole For not long before one Barnard Drake esquier afterwards dubbed â—â—ight had béene at the seas and meeting 〈◊〉 certeine Portingals come from New found land and laden with fish he tooke them as a good prise and brought them into Dartmouth hauen in England and from thense they were sent being in number about eight and thirtie persons vnto the gaole of the castell of Exon and there were cast into the deepe pit and stinking dungeon These men had béene before a
long time at the seas and had no change of apparell nor laine in bed and now lieng vpon the ground without succor or reliefe were soone infected and all for the most part were sicke and some of them died and some one of them was distracted and this sickenesse verie soone afâ—er dispersed it selfe among all the residue of the prisoners in the gaole of which disease manie of them died but all brought to great extremities and verie hardlie escaped These men when they were to be brought before the foresaid iustices for their triall manie of them were so weake and sicke that they were not able to go nor stand but were caried from the gaole to the place of iudgement some vpon handbarrowes and some betwéene men leading them and so brought to the place of iustice The sight of these mens miserable and pitifull cases being thought and more like to be hunger starued line 10 than with sickenesse diseased mooued manie a mans hart to behold and looke vpon them but none pitied them more than the lords iustices themselues and especiallie the lord chiefe iustice himselfe who vpon this occasion tooke a better order for kéeping all prisoners thensefoorth in the gaole and for the more often trials which was now appointed to be quarterlie kept at euerie quarter sessions and not to be posted anie more ouer as in times past vntill the assises These prisoners thus brought from out of the line 20 gaole to the iudgement place after that they had béene staied and paused a while in the open aire and somewhat refreshed therwith they were brought into the house in the one end of the hall néere to the iudges seat and which is the ordinarie and accustomable place where they doo stand to their trials and arreignments And howsoeuer the matter fell out and by what occasion it happened an infection followed vpon manie and a great number of such as were there in the line 30 court and especiallie vpon such as were néerest to them were soonest infected And albeit the inâ—ection was not then perceiued because euerie man departed as he thought in as good health as he came thither yet the same by little and little so crept into such as vpon whom the infection was seiâ—oned that after a few daies and at their home comming to their owne houses they felt the violence of this pestilent sickenesse wherein more died that were infected than escaped And besides the prisoners manie line 40 there were of good account and of all other degrées which died thereof as by name sargeant Floredaie who then was the iudge of those trials vpon the prisoners sir Iohn Chichester sir Arthur Basset and sir Barnard Drake knights Thomas Carew of Haccombe Robert Carie of Clouelleigh Iohn Fortescue of Wood Iohn Waldron of Bradféeld and Thomas Risdone esquires and iustices of the peace The losse of euerie of them was verie great to line 50 the commonwealth of that prouince and countrie but none more lamented than these two knights sir Iohn Chichester and sir Arthur Basset who albeit they were but yoong in yeares yet ancient in wisedome vpright in iudgement and zealous in the ministration of iustice Likewise Robert Carie a gentleman striken in yeares and a man of great experience knowledge and learning he had béene a student of the common lawes of the realme at the temple and verie well learned both therein and vniuersallie seene in all good letters an eloquent man line 60 of his spéech effectuall in deliuerie déepe in iudgement vpright in iustice and consider at in all his dooings The more worthie were these personages the greater losse was their deaths to the whole common wealth of that countrie Of the plebâ—ian and common people died verie manie and especiallie constables réeues and tithing men and such as were iurors and namelie one iurie of twelue of which there died eleuen This â—icknesse was dispersed through out all the whole shire and at the writing hereof in the fine of October one thousand fiue hundred fourescore and six it is not altogither extinguished It resteth for the most part about fouretéene daies and vpwards by a secret infection before it breake out into his force and violence At the first comming it made the people afraid and dismaid manie men then pretending rather than performing the amendement of life So long as the plague was hot and feruent so long euerie man was holie and repentant but with the slaking of the one followed the forgetfulnesse of the other euen as it is with a companie of shrewd children who so long as the rod is ouer the head so long feare of correction frameth them to aptnesse conformitie and obedience ¶ In the chronicles of Ireland vpon occasion of seruice in the highest office there mention was made here and there of sir Henrie Sidneie his saiengs and dooings where promise did passe by means of discoursing his death that the reader was to loâ—ke for a full declaration of his life and death in the chronicles of England as course of time should giue direction Now therefore hauing entred into the eight and twentith yeare of hir maiesties gratious gouernment and the yeare of Christ 1586 the time most fitlie openeth a readie waie into the historie concerning that nobleman penned by one that could not be ignorant of his affaires considering the neerenesse and necessarinesse of his seruice and therefore as a truth to be receiued This right famous renowmed worthie vertuous and heroicall knight by father and mother verie noblie descended was from his infancie bred and brought vp in the princes court and in neerenesse to his person vsed familiarlie euen as a companion and manie times a bedfellow After that by course of nature and lawfull descent this yoong prince was inuested in the kingdome and imperiall crowne he aduanced this gallant noble gentleman partlie as it seemed for the singular loue and entire affection he formerlie bare him to be a principall gentleman of his priuie chamber For he was then reputed for comelinesse of person gallantnesse liuelinesse of spirit vertue qualitie beautie good composition of bodie the onelie od man paragon of the court And from time to time this good and most godlie king held such delight in his pleasant modest and swéet conuersation and companie as he would sildome or neuer giue him leaue to be absent from him till his last breth that he departed this life in his armes at Greenwich Such excéeding expectation hope was conceiued of this honorable gentleman in his yonger yeares as he was speciallie chosen and sent ambassador to Henrie the first then French king concerning matter verie important being at that time not fullie one and twentie yeares old and performed his charge with that singular commendation wisedome spirit and dexteritie as at sundrie times not long after he was emploied in ambassage both in France Scotland yea somtime twise in one yere He
these parts of christendome And therefore willed him to stirre the people and worke the meanes to make some faction to giue them landing interteinment at their comming speciallie to preserue the Scotish Q. in that confusion line 50 letting the catholiks vnderstand that in case they did not assist the inuaders they would then enter as conquerors put no difference betwixt man man With this dispatch Ballard by the speciall direction of Morgan a notorious traitor to this state yea a professed sworne seruant vnto the Scotish quéene repaired to Anthonie Babington a gentleman to whom the said Scotish Q. vpon the commendation of Morgan the bishop of Glascow had long before line 60 written letters of gratulation with whom she had secret intelligence by sending of letters other messages the space almost of two yeares before To this gentleman Ballard discouered at large the whole purpose of Mendoza Paget Morgan and said as he had in charge that if happilie a strong partie could be made here to assist the inuasion and aduance the Scotish queene men munition monie and vittels should be abundantlie supplied from beyond the seas and therefore persuaded Babington to sound the whole realme and to vndertake the action Babington at the first proposed manie difficulties but principallie this that the inuaders or their assistants could haue no hope the state being so well setled to preuaile during hir maiesties life Wherevpon Ballard presentlie replied that hir life could be no hinderance therein For vpon like doubts mooued beyond the seas by meanes alreadie laid Iohn Sauage a conspirator conuicted hereof by his owne confession through the persuasion and procurement principallie of one William Gifford an English fugitiue and reader of diuinitie in the English seminarie at Rheims had vowed and sworne to kill hir maiestie as a thing resolued vpon to be lawfull honorable and meritorious This difficultie being thus remooued and Ballard from daie to daie continuing his persuasions and highlie commending the murthering of hir maiestie as a deed of great honor singular merit and easie to effectuat Babington vndertooke the managing of the whole action and hauing first with his complices entred into manie seuerall propositions of sundrie treasonable natures as to surprise hir maiesties person by force to kill the lord treasuror the earle of Leicester and sir Francis Walsingham to remooue hir councellors and to place new to murther the nobilitie whilest they were set in administring iustice to sacke the citie of London to fire the nauie of the realme to surprise some forces and hauens to furnish the paie of their forces by an vniuersall spoile and robbing of the richer sort hauing I saie first entred into these and such like propositions in fine he with Ballard and others resolued vpon these thrée principall points first that the inuaders should be assisted by a prepared readinesse in the people to rebell in diuerse places and to ioine with them vpon their first landing that hir maiestie should be murthered by six gentlemen of resolution and lastlie that the Scotish quéene should be aduanced to the crowne of England For the better performance of these resolutions Ballard and Babington sounded diuerse and dealt with manie and so farre Babington proceeded in short time that a choise was made by him of the six that should execute the attempt against hir maiesties person that some others were especiallie assigned by him to attend and assist the inuasion with direction from Babington to be popular vnto their vttermost and that himselfe resolued vpon the first assurance either of hir maiesties death or of the strangers arriuall to proclame the quéene of Scots queene of England Things standing in these terms and Babington deferring onelie the execution of this plot vntill signification therof were giuen to the Scotish queene and hir good pleasure knowne therein God so ordeining it the Scotish quéene in Iune last wrote vnto Babington a short letter in cipher signifieng hir discontent for the breach of their intelligence and requiring him to send by that bearer a packet receiued for hir in Aprill before and vntill that time reteined by Babington as wanting good meanes of conueieng and therefore fearing the danger of that seruice Wherevpon Babington vsing that opportunitie both deliuered hir packet vnto that messenger and by him wrote vnto hir touching euerie particular of this plot aboue mentioned and how farre he had procéeded therein signifieng amongst manie other things how desirous he was to doo hir some seruice how well it might be performed if assurance were giuen from beyond the seas for that which was vndertaken thense and how necessarie it were that rewards were promised vnto the chéefe actors for their better incoragement and to be giuen to their posterities in case they miscaried in the execution And therefore he required that she would grant authoritie to some such as it might like hir to giue certeine offices and dignities necessarie for this action Unto this letter Babington about twentie daies after in the same cipher by which he did write before receiued answer from the Scotish quéene with which she also sent inclosed as hir secretarie now confesseth a new alphabet in cipher to be vsed betwéene them from that time forward And in this hir letter she not onelie declared hir good opinion of Babington gaue him due thanks for his readinesse to doo hir seruice promised correspondencie in all that she might and willed line 10 that the resolution being taken he should with all spéed impart it to Barnardino de Mendoza considering first what forces on foot or horssebacke he could make what place for their assemblie what leaders in euerie shire what generall or chéefe leaders but also amongst infinit other traitorous directions apparant by the verie letters she aduised that vpon returne of answer from Mendoza with assurance that all things were in a readinesse then and not before it should be conuenient to sound the line 20 countrie And to colour the prouision and preparation it should be giuen out that what they did was not vpon anie euill or disloiall disposition towards hir maiestie but for the iust defense of catholikes their bodies liues lands against the violence of the Puritans the principall wherof being in the low countries with the chéefe forces of the realme purposed at his returne to ruine not onelie the whole catholikes but also meant to depriue hir maiestie of the crowne And that they should giue it out that line 30 therefore the preparation was for the defense of hir maiestie and hir lawfull successors not naming the Scotish quéene vnder which pretense an association also might be made amongest the catholikes Which being doone and all things in readinesse both within and without the realme it should be then time for the six gentlemen to worke taking order that because the time would be somewhat vncerteine of the exploit vpon hir maiesties person there should be continuallie some men
to describe naie not so much as to delineat or shadow out this incomparable line 10 pitie and pietie of hir highnesse tender heart to hir commons I will surcease to intermedle therein reseruing the same vnto the due consideration of euerie particular member of this bodie politike whereof hir maiestie is the souereigne head by the view and perusall of the proclamation and orders here annexed A true copie of the said proclamation concerning corne c. THe quéenes most excellent maiestie line 20 foreséeing the generall dearth growne of corne other vittels partlie through the vnseasonablenesse of the yeare past whereby want hath growne more in some countries than in others but most of all generallie through the couetousnes vncharitable gréedines of such as be great cornemasters ingrosers of corne vsing all the subtill meanes they can to worke their owne present vnconscionable gaine against the rules of charitie which hir maiestie of hir princelie line 30 care and loue towards hir people vtterlie condemneth and earnestlie desireth to remedie for the reléefe of the poorer sort And therefore hir maiestie with hir princelie care towards hir people hauing with the aduise of hir councell had good consideration hereof dooth by this hir proclamation giue expresse commandement and charge vnto all such to whom it shall or maie apperteine that such good orders as hir maiestie hath commanded to be deuised for that purpose and now also are sent to all parts line 40 of hir realme be diligentlie and effectuallie put in spéedie execution signifieng withall vnto all hir good and louing subiects that if anie shall be found obstinat or negligent in the due execution or otherwise in the obseruation thereof that then vpon due information and proofe thereof made vnto hir highnesse said councell which she requireth not to be spared by anie hauing iust cause of complaint for respect of anie person she hath giuen speciall commandement and order that they shall be spéedilie line 50 called to answer therevpon according to the qualitie of their offenses shall receiue sharpe punishment whereby others maie take example to auoid the like contempt negligence or other defaults And although this dearth hath in sundrie parts of the realme first growne by the visitation of almightie God in the alteration of seasonable weather this last yeare which neuerthelesse of his great mercie hath not beene so extreme in this realme as in manie other countries adioining where the line 60 dearth is by manie occasions manifestlie knowne to be far greater than is in this relme hitherto or by his goodnesse is like to be yet it is manifestlie knowne the said dearth to haue bin wilfullie increased in verie manie places of this realme not onelie by through the couetousnes of manie ingrosers of corne cornmasters but also by vnlawfull transportation of graine lacke also of preseruation of store in time requisit Hir highnesse acknowledging this maner of Gods mercie and fauour in a more fauourable measure towards hir countrie and hir people than to other forren parts neere adioining hath thought good and necessarie for a further remedie against the vncharitable couetousnesse of the cornemasters as cause shall require to notifie that if such as be the great cornemasters and owners of graine or of other necessarie vittels for food of the poore shall not be willing or doo not performe these orders whereby the poorer sort maie be releeued in the markets at reasonable prices or that it shall appeare that other néedfull vittels shall by couetousnesse of anie persons grow to excessiue prices to the pinching of the poorer sort then hir highnesse dooth hereby signifie that she will not onelie seuerelie punish the offendors for their cruell couetousnesse and offenses against hir orders but will also for redresse of the excessiue prices of other néedfull vittels giue order that reasonable prices shall be set both on corne and other vittels to be sold for the reléefe of hir maiesties poore subiects according both to hir prerogatiue roiall and to the order of iustice as by speciall law of parlement therefore made in the fiue and twentith yeare of the reigne of hir late noble and deare father king Henrie the eight is speciallie in such cases prouided Giuen at Greenewich the second daie of Ianuarie one thousand fiue hundred fourescore and six in the nine and twentith yeare of hir highnesse reigne Now the said orders before specified being a matter of coherence deuised by the speciall commandement of hir maiestie for the releefe and staie of the present dearth of graine within the realme and published at large doo here follow agréeable to that which was sent from the court at Gréenewich abrode into the realme the second daie of Ianuarie one thousand fiue hundred foure score and six in the nine and twentith yere of hir maiesties reigne by hir maiesties priuie councell but abridged according to the annotations And first That the iustices shall diuide themselues into sundrie parts to execute these orders To appoint sundrie iuries to inquire of things hereafter following The oth of the iurors with charge to inquire what number of persons be in the houses of them that haue store of corne For badgers broggers and carriers of corne Maltmakers bakers and brewers Buiers of corne to sell againe Buiers of corne vpon the ground Against such as shall refuse to declare the truth of the matters inquirable Parties offending to appeare afore the councell A consideration of all persons that haue corne to determine how they shall serue the markets with such portions as they maie spare The forme of the recognisance to be freelie taken Orders to be obserued by such as shall be appointed to serue the markets with corne for the reléefe of the poore people first To whome corne shall be sold after that the poore are serued No corne brought to the market vnsold to be caried out of the towne None to buie such kind of corne as they shall bring to sell but by warrant vpon reasonable cause No corne to be bought to sell againe No corne to be bought but in open market Inquirie to be made against ingrosers An order for all licences from the iustices of the peace to be kept in a record Regard to the bakers for kéeping of the sise of bread Bread faultie in anie excesse to be sold towards the reléefe of the poore No badger to buie corne but in open market and with a sufficient licence in writing The badgers to shew wéekelie their books of buieng No iustices seruant to be a badger nor none other but such as shall be licenced in open sessions No badger baker brewer or purueior to buie graine vntill an houre after the full market begin Some iustices to be present in the market to sée the poore reléeued vpon reasonable prices Where iustices are wanting in anie hundred for to appoint some rich persons to suppâ—â—e the want That ministers and preachers exhort the rich sort to be liberall
to helpe the poore with monie or vittels needfull To make malt of oates in countries where there hath béene vse thereof No waste of bread corne superfluouslie nor anie expense thereof but for féeding of people None suffered to make starch of anie graine Able poore people to be set to worke Stocks of monie for prouision of works for poore people Clothiers to continue their worke-folks line 10 Souldiors hurt and impotent people to be relieued in their dwelling places That no millers be suffered to be common buiers of corne nor to sell meale but to attend to the true grinding of the corne brought to vse measurable tole these deare seasons Conferences to be had betwixt the iustices of peace in the shires and the principall officers of cities and townes corporat for prouisions of graine for the inhabitants in cities and corporat towns Order for places exempted from the iurisdiction line 20 of the iustices of peace in the bodies of the shires Regard to staie all transportation of graine out of the realme Certificat to be made of the execution of these orders monethlie to the shiriffe and he to certifie the same to the priuie councell within euerie fortie daies To certifie what iustices be absent from the seruice that such as without iust excuse shall not attend maie be displaced and their rooms if there be need supplied The conclusion of these orders is this Ad verbum That if anie shall offend against the true meaning line 30 of these instructions or of anie part thereof or shall vse anie sinister meane to the defrauding thereof that such be seuerelie punished according to the lawes and for such obstinat persons as shall not conforme themselues the iustices shall at their plesure bind them to appeare before the quéenes maiesties priuie councell by a daie certeine there to be further delt with by seuere punishment for the better example of all others Now as Holinshed and such as with painfull care and loue to their countrie haue thought good before me to knit vp the seuerall reigne of euerie seuerall king with a generaltie of the seuerall writers in that princes daies So haue I béene importuned by manie of my friends to knit vp the said whole historie with a particular catalog of all such as haue purposelie in seuerall histories of this realme or by the waie in the histories of other countries written of England and English matter For which cause line 50 with the title of other anonymall chronicles I haue here for that purpose by order of alphabet set downe the same Wherein although I shall not set downe euerie mans name nor of what time qualitie euerie one was for he is not liuing I suppose that can doo the same yet hauing doone my good will therein and that more than perhaps some others would haue doone I praie thée to beare with the defaults and accept that which I haue doone and could doo And although perhaps I maie set downe line 60 one man twise as first by his name and then set downe the worke without his name as another seuerall thing yet is it not of purpose doone or to the end that I would make a great shew and séeme ambitious of names or knowledge but for that I haue not as yet atteined to that perfection which hereafter I hope to doo in distinguishing of the same For Rome was not built in one daie yet if one daies foundation thereof had not beene first laid it had neuer béene after builded and so to the matter A Abbo Floriacensis liued in the time of Dunstane archbishop of Canturburie to whome he dedicated his booke Abbas Wiseburgensis Nicholaus Adams liued in the daies of king Edward the sixt Alfric Abbas Alfric that gathered the liues of the saints in Saxonie which I sometimes had it maie be that these two were all one man Alfridus Beuerlacensis thesaurarius whom Leland calleth Aluredus Fibroleganus Alanus abbat of Teukesburie one of the foure that writ the Quadrilogium of Thomas Becket in the time of king Iohn Alexander Hessebiensis he writ Epitome Britannicae historiae Alexander Somersetensis Alexander Staffordiensis Aelius Spartianus Alured or Alfred king of England in the yeare of Christ nine hundred and thrée Adam Merimuth canon of Paules in the reigne of Richard the second Anianus Marcellinus Richardus Angeruil surnamed De Berie bishop of Durham died in the yeare of our Lord one thousand thrée hundred fortie and fiue Antoninus Arnold of London in the time of king Henrie the eight Asserius Meneuensis Aurelius or Aluredus Riualensis Robert Auersberie B Sir Nicholas Bacon knight lord kéeper of the great seale vnto queene Elisabeth Benedictus Claudiocestrensis Balantine a Scot William Baldwin liued in the time of king Edward the sixt Stephan Batemaine died in the yere one thousand fiue hundred eightie and foure Beda an English Saxon died in the yere of Christ seuen hundred thirtie and two G. de Barrie archdeacon of S. Dauids writ the life of Remigius bishop of Lincolne Iohn Bale flourished in the time of Edward the sixt Barnardus Andreas writ a chronicle intituled Liber Barnardi Andreae Tolosati poetae laureati regij historiographi de vita atque gestis Henrici septimi in whose time he flourished Robert Boston in the time of Edward the second Rafe Baldocke bishop of London vnder Edward the second Peter Basset in the time of Henrie the fift whose life he did write Robert Bale recorder of London he died in the yere of our Lord one thousand foure hundred thrée score and one about the latter end of the reigne of Richard the second Edmund Bedenhame writer of the chronicles of Rochester Iohn Bramus and not Bromus as saith Bale a moonke of Tedford Iohn Bracklow a Benedictine moonke in the yeare one thousand two hundred fourtéene Iohannes Brompton historiae vetus quam contulit Iornal monasterio as hath Mathew Parker In vitis episcop Cantu Ferdinando Blake liued in the yeare of Christ one thousand fiue hundred foure score and foure Bodinus Iohn Bouchet a Frenchman of Aquitaine Nicholas Brodingham or Brodringham Iohn Bosue of Burie Blondus Foroliuiensis Henrie Bradshaw borne in Chester a blacke moonke there in the time of Henrie the eight Iohn Burgh a moonke in the daies of K. Edward the third Nicholas Bungeie borne in a towne of the same name in Northfolke in the daies of king Henrie the sixt sir Iohn Bourchier knight lord Barnes translated Froissard Bullerus Roger Bond Thomas Buckhurst lord Buckhurst now liuing Stephan Birchington George Buckhanan liued in the yere of our Lord one thousand fiue hundred and foure score C Thomas Castleford sir William Cicill knight lord Burleigh lord treasuror of England now liuing William Caxton liued in the daies of king Edward the fourth Campbell Carion a Germane Caradocus Lancarnauensis liued in the daies of K. Stephan Iulius Caesar a Romane Iohn Capgraue borne in Kent an Augustine frier died in the fourth yere of king
to haue the gouernement of the realme vnder the king The king of Armenia sueth for a safe conduct to come into England which is denied him Two of the FreÌ„ch kings ships taken with a great price in them Guns were inuented little more than six yeares before this time to wit An. 1380. Restitution of merchants goods taken The French fléet setting forward towards England is driuen backe by contrarie winds The kings inordinate affection towards the duke of Ireland and the earle of Suffolke The earle of Arundell goeth to the sea with 500 men of armes and a thousand archers as Froissard noteth A great abuse in choise of souldiers A good pâ—licie A great victorie of the English nauie against the Flemish fléet Ia. Meir Tho. Walsi Ia. Meir Thom. Wals. The liberalitie of the earle of Arundell Diuers rodes made into Flanders by the Englishmen great spoâ—le doone Wine sold for thirteene shillings foure pence the tun The earle of Arundell saileth into Britaine with a great power Enuie yâ— followers of vertue â— prowesse The lord Percie sent to the seas Frier Pateshull forsaking his profesâ—â—on preacheth openlie against his owne order Wickleuists A libell by frier Pateshull against his brethren The fauourers of frier Pateshull Dissention betwixt the king the nobles 1388 Anno Reg. 11. Grafton Certeine questions in law demanded of the iustices A councell 〈◊〉 at Notingham Iustice Belknap â—â—â—â—pelled to â—â—â—scribe Iustice Belknaps words Additions to Polychron Questions to law demaÌ„ded of the iustices Thom. Wals. The lords indicted of diuerse offenses Why the shiriffes of all shires were sent â—or to the court Soldiers reteined on all sides by the king against the lords The duâ—e of Glocestâ—rs procestaâ—ion vpon his oth Stout words of the bishop of London The lords confer how to preueÌ„t the perils pretended against them The earle of Northumberland sent to apprehend the earle of Arundell The earle of Arundell ioineth with the other lords Councell taken how to deale against the lords The lords send messengers to the king A rash answer of the maior of London The Londoners refuse to fight against the lords The earle of Northumberlands and the lord Bassets words to the king in the behalfe of the lords The lords take an oth togither to prosecute their purposed enterprise The lords séeke the fauour of the Londoners Thom. Wals. An ambush at Mewes The lords come before the kings presence in Westminster hall The lord chaÌ„celor speaketh for the king to the lords The answer of the lords their gréefes The king reprooueth the lords doings The king taketh both parties into his protection Grafton The earle of Suffolke fleeth ouer to Calis Grafton A commission to the shiriffe of Cheshire to safe 〈◊〉 the duke of Ireland to the kings presence The lords seeke to stop the passage of the duke of Ireland The duke of Ireland his souldiers reuolt froÌ„ him The duke of Ireland flieth froÌ„ his armie Virg. Aeneid 9. Thomas Molineux slaine The duke of Ireland flieth into Holland Letters fouÌ„d in the duke of Irelands trunks Burford Tho. Walsi A brute raised that king Richard meant to yeéld vp Calis into the French kings hands The lords come to London with a great armie K. Richard kéepeth his Christmas in the Tower of London The lords send to the Maior and citizens of London to vnderstand their meaning The Londoners in great perplexitie which part to take The Londoners incline to the lords The lordâ—â—â—ter into Lâ—â—don The kings Words touching the lords proceedings The lords refuse to come into the Tower but after search made they come thither to the kings presence R. Grafton Thom. Wals. The lords open their gréefes to the king R. Grafton Tho. Walsing The incoÌ„stancie of the king The K. is coÌ„pelled to condescend to the lords request Certeine persons put out of the court Certeine ladies expelled the court The parlemeÌ„t that wrought woonders R. Grafton Thom. Walsin R. Grafton The iustices arrested sent to the tower Why the iustices were apprehended The duke of Ireland his associats attainted of treson by this parlement Trisilian chéefe iustice descried by his owne man is executed at Tiburne Sir Nicholâ—s Brambre 〈◊〉 with an oxe of his owne deuise Ouid. li. 1. de art Diuerse that stood against the lords executed The duke of Glocester a seuere man Sir Simon Burlie * Abr. Fl. out of Henrie Knighton fol. 191. Froissard Thom. Walâ— Grafton The iustices condemned to perpetuall exile The king taketh an oth to performe the lords orders The earle of Arundell sent to the sea with a great nauie in aid of the duke of Britaine PeradueÌ„ture Maluere it may be Mongoinerie Anno Reg. 12. The earle of Arundell returneth out of France Abr. Fl. out of Henrie Knighton canon of Leceister abbeie O Scotish crueltie and more than barbarous bloudthirstinesse An ouerthrow giuen to the Englishmen by the Scots at Otterburne Fabian Caxton A parlement at Cambridge Sir Thomas Triuet slaine with the fall of his horsse Abr. Fl. out of Henrie Knighâ—on canon of Leicester abbeie Battell and slaughter betweene flies Commissioners sent to treat a truce betweene England France and Scotland Froissard Abr. Fl. out of Henrie Knighton canon of Leceister abbeie Scholers of Oxford togither by the eares Truce of 3. yeâ—rs betweéne six kings The Scots in the time of treatie spoile the countrie of Northumberland The Scots hauing prouided an armie to inuade England are hardly persuaded to accept the truce The kings question to his lords and others in the councel chamber Claudian The king taking vpoÌ„ him the gouernement of all things displaceth diuers officers setteth others in their roomes Wickham bishop of Winchester made L. chancelor Abr. Fl. out of Henrie Knighton canon of Leicester abbeie Anno Reg. 13. Wickleuists increase The duke of Lancaster returneth into EnglaÌ„d foorth of Gascoigne A councell holden at Reding where the duke of Lancaster reconcileth the king and the lords The earle of Penbroke as he was learning to iust is wounded to death Francis Thin out of diuerse ancient monuments belonging to the Hastings and others Strattondale Registrum comitum de Huntington The earle of Lancaster canonized for â— saint A bill against wearing of badges No reteineâ—â— to weare badges An act agaâ—â—â— mediators is wilfull murderers The duke of Lancaster made duke of Aquitaine Great tempest Great plague Great dearth Ab. Fl. out of Henrie Knighton canon of Leicester abbeie A roiall hunting A iournie against the Saracens Anno Reg. 14. The English archers good seruice Thom. Wals. The earle of Derbie his exploits in his iournie against the infidels of Prutzenland A roiall iusts holden in Smithfield at London The manner of the iusts in Smithfield Siluer saith Froissard The king kept opeÌ„ houshold in the bishop of London his palace by Paules church The K. festeth the strangers The duke of Lancaster feasteth the strangers Abr. Fl. out of Angl. prael sub Rich. 2. * Smithfield * Smithfield Thom. Wals.
The oth of the threé estates of FraÌ„ce King Henrie taketh vpon him the office of regent of France The coine salute The duke of Bauier 〈◊〉 troope with the kings â—â—uor departed Sentence against the Dolphin These counties they inioied of the kings gift He landed at Douer vpon Candlemasse eéue saith Tho. Walsingham King Henrie returneth into England with his 〈◊〉 wife Thomas Walsingham saith she was câ—â—â—ned the first in Lent which that yere fell vpon the ninth of Februarie The coronation of 〈◊〉 Katharine Abr. Fl. out of Fabian pag. 4â—2 403. A roiall banket The first course The second course The third course Iustice ministred by king Henrie in progresse Abr. Fl. Anno Reg. 9. The duke of ClareÌ„ce made a rode into Aniou Uiell Bauge or Baugie Forgusa a Lumbard betraâ—â—th the duke of Clarence The English men discomfited The duke of Clarence and diuerse nobles of England slaine The earle of Mortaigne â—ade lieutenant of Normandie A parlement The 〈…〉 Winchester lent the 〈◊〉 20000. King 〈◊〉 saileth into France againe He tooke sea at Douer 〈◊〉 fourth of Iune as Tiuâ— Liuius saith and so saie the chronicles 〈◊〉 Flanders The king oâ— Scots serueth king Henrie Dreux besieged rendred to the Englishmen King 〈◊〉 pursueth the Dolphin The Dolphin why called king of Berrie Titus Liuius Les histories des ducz de Normandie Abr. Fl. The strong towne of Meaux besieged by the Englishmen A parlement called by the duke of Bedford the king being in France Windsore The birth of king Henrie the sixt King Henrie prophesieth of his sonne Titus Liuius Meaux taken by assault Anno Reg. 10. Queéne Katharine saileth into France Oliuer Mannie A sore coÌ„flict Abr. Fl. Continuation de la chronicles de Flanders Titus Liuius The conditions of the surrender of Meaux into the kings hands The roiall port of the K. of England Cosneie besieged by the Dolphin The king â—â—â—leth sicke Cosneie rescued by the duke of Bedford Titus Liuius The duke 〈◊〉 Britaine sâ—â—deth ambassadors to the â— of England The king of England is â—rought sicke to Bois de Uincennes His aduise vpon his death bed Titus Liuius Chéeflie Chiâ—helie archb of Cantur for dashing yâ— bill against the cleargie as appeares before pag. 545 546. He departed this life the last of August 1422. The commeÌ„dation of king Henrie the fiâ—â— as is expressed by maist Hall Abr. Fl. out of Angl. prael sub Hen. â— * A pestilent feuer * A pestilent feuer Lord Crumwell W. P. Abr. Fl. out of Angl. prael W. P. 1422 Anno Reg. 1. Buchan lib. 10. Pont Meulan surprised by the FreÌ„ch Enguerant Lord Grauile falsified his oth Affinitie an interteiner of friendship The Parisiens preuented of their practises The English armie entreth the riuer and winneth the banke Anno Reg. â— Ann. 1423 per Buchanan Homage doone by the king of Scotland to king Henrie the sixt Buchan lib. 10. An. 1425. W. P. Compiegne surrendred to the English by a policie Compeigne Crotoie recouered from the French * Or rather Goche * Goche Uerneuil gotten from the Englishmen by crediting a lie The ordering of their battels The battell of Uernoâ—â—e the 28 of August 1424. Fiue thousaÌ„d saith Aâ—milius but Nicholas Giles saith there died but foure thousaÌ„d on both parts Dâ—dley and Charleton two of the English nobilitie were slaine at the battell as Ia. Meir saith The lord Scales sent to conquer Aniow and Maine Man 's deliuered to the Englishmen * Or rather Goche Generall processions after victorie Anno Reg. 3. A subsidie of tunnage and poundage The prince of Portingale commeth to London Alias Bâ—â—â—ron Twentie thousand 〈◊〉 Nicholas Giles S. Iames de Beuuron besieged Sir Nicholas Burdet Enguerant de Monstrellet Dissentiâ—â— betwixt the duke of Glocester and the bishop of Wâ—â—chester A parlement holden at Leicester Articles set foorth by the duke of Glocester against Henrie bishop of Winchester * Or hanging Frier Randolph 1424 Anno Reg. 4. * Or hanging The duke of Excester dieth Fr. Thin * Or rather Goche Iohn Winter The earle of Warwike made gouernour of the yoong king Anno Reg. 5. The 〈…〉 Winchester made a 〈◊〉 W. P. The lord of Rustinian taken and his people slainâ— and discoâ—â—â—ted A hot skirmish On the 〈◊〉 thursdaie Engueraâ—â— Pontorson rendered to the Englishmen * Or rather Goche Hostages executed for promise broken The lord Talbot a valiant capteine * Or rather Goche A great slaughter by negligence of the watch at Montargis Sir Nicholas Burdet Polydor. Man 's lost by treason of the citizens * Or rather Goche * Goche Man 's recouered Abr. Fl. Traitors executed Anno Reg. 6. Duke of Excester deceassed Montacute earle of Salisburie a politike and valiant man W. P. Les grandes chroniques de Britaigne Anno Reg. 7. Orleance besieged Bastard of Orleance A bulworke at Orleance taken Abr. Fl. The earle of Salisburie slaine Engueranâ— 1500 English did slaie and vaÌ„quish 10000 French The battell of herrings W. P. W.P. IehaÌ„ de Tillâ—â— Les chroniâ— de Bretaigne Le Rosier câ—â—leth him Robert Ione de Are Pusell de diâ—â— In vita Bundvicae Grand chro 4. * From head to foot This salutation appeareth after héere Les grand chronic The siege of Orleance broken vp Prisoners slaine by the French as they were taken Nichol. Giles Fiue thousaÌ„d saith Hall Great losse on the English side The lords Talbot Scales and Hungerford taken The French king crowned Ione taken to be a witch The French armie fled in the night Boheme Anno Reg. â— Boheme The pope 〈◊〉 vnlegat the cardinall of Winchester K. Henrieâ— coronation at Westminster Thom. Wiâ—â— A parlement at Rone called by the duke of Bedford The French got saint Denis Ione had a hurt in the leg and a fall drawen all dâ—rtie out of the mire Saint Denis by vs recouâ—red againe La Hire Laignie besieged by the Englishmen W. P. Le Rosier Campiegne besieged Abr. Fl. ex Gesnero Richard Fleming bishop of Lincolne The books that he wrote Ione the Pusell taken W. P. Chroniques de Britaigne Le Rosier In lavie 〈◊〉 Charles septiesme Fiue thousand poundâ— freÌ„ch crowns in monie An hundreth and fiftie crownes renâ— Polydo 23. in H. 6. Les grand chron Les grandes chronicle 4 liure Christianissimus rex Tillet This prelate at his death left a hundred and fiftéene crownes in gold that vnder colour of warres with the infidels he had fléesed from christen princes Platina Li. 23. in vita H. 6. Anno Reg. 9. King Henrie the sixt in person goeth with an armie into France S. Albons Ed. Hall Abr. Fl. ex Polychron A widow without Algate murthered in hir bed by a Breton whome she charitablie reléeued * O fowle ingratitude The murther reuenged by women at the appointment of Gods iustice King Henrie the sixt crowned in Paris Le Rosier historiall Montargis recouered by the English The lord Talbot ransomed by exchange The holie shéepheard Uaudemont besieged * Or rather Goche Saint
great bearer of Frenchmen in their occupiengs and trades contrarie to the lawes of the citie If the people had found him they would suerlie haue striken off his head but when they found him not the watermen and certeine yoong préests that were there fell to rifling and some ran to Blanchapelton and brake vp line 40 the strangers houses and spoileâ— them Thus from ten or eleuen of the clocke these riotous people continued in their outragious dooings till about three of the clocke at what time they began to withdraw and went to their places of resort and by the waie they were taken by the maior and the heads of the citie and sent some of them to the Tower some to Newgate and some to the Counters to the number of thrée hundred line 50 Manie fled and speciallie the watermen preests seruingmen but the prentises were caught by the backs and had to prison In the meane time whilest the hottest of this ruffling lasted the cardinall was aduertised thereof by sir Thomas Parre wherevpon the cardinall strengthened his house with men and ordinance Sir Thomas Parre rode in all â—ast to Richmond where the king laie and informed him of the matter who incontinentlie sent foorth hastilie to London to vnderstand the state of the citie and line 60 was truelie aduertised how the riot was ceassed and manie of the misdooers apprehended The lieutenant of the Tower sir Roger Cholmeleie no great fréend to the citie in a frantike furie during the time of this vprore shot off certeine péeces of ordinance against the citie And though they did no great harme yet he wan much euill will for his hastie dooing bicause men thought he did it of malice rather than of anie discretion About fiue of the clocke the earles of Shrewesburie and Surrie Thomas Dokerciâ— lord of saint Iohns George Neuill lord of Aburgauennie and others which had heard of this riot came to London with such strength as they could make vpon that sudden and so did the Innes of court But before they came whether with feare of the brute of their comming or otherwise the riotous assemblie was broken vp and manie of the misdooers taken as ye haue heard Then were the prisoners examined and the sermon of doctor Bele called to remembrance and he taken and sent to the Tower Herewith was a commission of oier and determiner directed to the duke of Norffolke and to diuerse other lords to the lord maior of London and the aldermen and to all the iustices of England for punishment of this insurrection The citie thought the duke bare them a grudge for a lewd preest of his which the yeare before was slaine in Cheape insomuch that he then in his furie said I praie God I maie once haue the citizens in my danger And likewise the duke thought that they bare him no good will wherefore he came into the citie with thirtéene hundred men in harnesse to keepe the oier and determiner Now vpon examination it could neuer be prooued of anie méeting gathering talking or conuenticle at anie daie or time before that daie but that the chance so happened without anie matter prepensed of anie creature sauing Lincolne and neuer an honest person in maner was taken but onelie he Then proclamations were made that no women should come togither to babble and talke but all men should kéepe their wiues in their houses All the stréets that were notable stood full of harnessed men which spake manie opprobriâ—us words to the citizens which gréeued them sore and if they would haue béene reuenged the other had had the woorsse for the citizens were two hundred to one but like true subiects they suffred patientlie Now for the due correction according to law of this disorder all the iustices with all the kings councell learned in the lawes assembled at the house of sir Iohn Fincur lord cheefe iustice of England néere to saint Brides by Fléetestréet to take aduise and conclude vpon the order which they should follow in this matter and first there was read the statute of the third yeare of Henrie the fift the effect whereof insueth in these words following The statute made in anno tertio of Henrie the fift BIcause that diuers nations comprised within the truces concluded as well by our souereigne lord the king that now is as by his right noble father haue beene robbed and spoiled by the kings lieges and subiects as well on the maine seas as within the ports and coasts of England Ireland Wales by reason whereof the truces and safe conducts haue broken and violated to the damage dishonour and slander of the king and against his dignitie the manslaiers spoilers robbers violaters of the same truces and safe conducts as before is declared haue beene recetted procured counselled vpholden and mainteined by diuerse of the kings liege people vpon the coasts our said souereigne lord the king by the aduise and assent abouesaid and at the praier of the said commons hath ordeined and established that all such manslaiers robbers spoilers breakers of truces and safe conducts granted by the king and the wilfull recetters abbetters procurers counsellors susteiners and mainteiners of such persons hereafter in time to come being anie of the lieges subiects of this realme of England Ireland Wales are to be adiudged and determined as giltie of high treason committed against the crowne dignitie of the king And further in euerie hauen and port of the sea there shall be from hense-foorth made and assigned by the king by his letters pattents one lawfull officer named a conseruator of truces and safe conducts granted by the king which line 10 officer shall dispend at the least ten pounds in land by yeare c as in the statute more at large is expressed The which statute being read and well considered of bicause there was diuerse leagues of truces betwixt the king and diuerse other princes as one betwixt him and the French king and another betwixt him and the archduke of Burgognie and another betwixt him the king of Spaine all the which truces line 20 were violated by the said insurrection it was determined by the whole councell there assembled that the kings sergeants and attournies should go to the lord chancellor to haue a sight of all the said leagues and charters of truces to the intent they might frame their indictments according to the matter And note that iudge Fineux said that all such as were parties to the said insurrection were guiltie of high treason as well those that did not commit anie robberie as line 30 those that were principall dooers therein themselues bicause that the insurrection in it selfe was high treason as a thing practised against the regall honour of our souereigne lord the king And the same law holdeth of an insurrection said Fineux made against the statute of laborers For so said he it came to passe that certeine persons within
countrie in the minoritie of the yoong king there haue risen some inward troubles which for the most part we haue in fauor of the king and his gouernors vsed meanes to pacifie so as at this daie such is the quietnesse in line 60 Scotland as the king our deare brother cousine by name Iames the sixt a prince of great hope for manie good princelie respects reigneth there in honor and loue of his people and in verie good and perfect amitie with vs and our countrie And so our actions at that time came to so good successe by the goodnesse of God as both our owne realme and that of Scotland hath euer since remained in better amitie and peace than can be remembred these manie hundred yeares before and yet nothing hereby doone by vs nor anie cause iustlie giuen but that also the French kings that haue since succéeded which haue béene thrée in number and all brethren haue made and concluded diuerse treaties for good peace with vs which presentlie continue in force on both parties notwithstanding our foresaid actions attempted for remoouing out of Scotland of the said French forces so transported by the onelie direction of the house of Guise And therefore to conclude for the declaration of our present intention at this time we hope it shall of all persons abroad be well interpreted as we know it will be of such as are not led by parcialitie that vpon the often and continuall lamentable requests made to vs by the vniuersall states of the countries of Holland Zeland Guelders and other prouinces with them vnited being desperat of the king of Spaines fauours for our succours to be yéelded to them onelie for their defense against the Spaniards and other strangers and therewith finding manifestlie by our often and importunat requests and aduises giuen to the king of Spaine no hope of reliefe of these their miseries but rather an increase thereof by dailie conquests of their townes and slaughter of their people though in verie truth we cannot impute the increase of anie late cruelties to the person of him that now hath the title of generall gouernor shewing his naturall disposition more inclinable to mercie and clemencie than it seemeth he can direct the hearts of the Spaniards vnder him that haue béene so long trained in shedding of bloud vnder the former Spanish gouernors and ioining therevnto our owne danger at hand by the ouerthrow and destruction of our neighbours and accesse and planting of the great forces of the Spaniards so néere to our countries with precedent arguments of manie troublesome attempts against our realme we did therefore by good aduise and after long deliberation determine to send certeine companies of souldiors to aid the naturall people of those countries onelie to defend them and their townes from sacking and desolation thereby to procure them safetie to the honor of God whome they desire to serue sincerelie as christian people according to his holie word and to inioie their ancient liberties for them and their posteritie and so consequentlie to preserue and continue the lawfull and ancient commerce betwixt our people and those countries and ours And so we hope our intention herein and our subsequent actions will be by Gods fauour both honorablie interpreted of all persons sauing of the oppressors themselues and their partizans in that we meane not hereby either for ambition or malice the two roots of all iniustice to make anie particular profit hereof to our selfe or to our people onelie desiring at this time to obteine by Gods fauour for the countries a deliuerance of them from warre by the Spaniards and forraines a restitution of their ancient liberties and gouernement by some christian peace and thereby a suertie for our selues and our realme to be frée from inuading neighbors and our people to inioie in those countries their lawfull commerce and intercourse of friendship merchandize according to the ancient vsage and treatâ—ies of intercourse made betwixt our progenitors and the lords and earles of those countries and betwixt our people and the people of those countries And though our further intention also is or maie be to take into our gard some few townes vpon the sea side next opposite to our realme which otherwise might be in danger to be taken by the strangers enimies of the countrie yet therein considering we haue no meaning at this time to take and reteine the same to our owne proper vse we hope that all persons will thinke it agreeable with good reason and princelie policie that we should haue the gard and vse of some such places for sure accesse and recesse of our people and souldiors in safetie and for furniture of them with vittels and other things requisit and necessarie whilest it shall be néedfull for them to continue in those countries for the aiding thereof in these their great calamities miseries and imminent danger and vntill the countries may be deliuered of such strange forces as doo now oppresse them and recouer their ancient lawfull liberties and maner of gouernement to liue in peace as they haue heretofore doone and doo now most earnestlie line 10 in lamentable manner desire to doo which are the verie onelie true ends of all our actions now intended howsoeuer malicious toongs maie vtter their cankred conceits to the contrarie as at this daie the world aboundeth with such blasphemous reports in writings and infamous libels as in no age the diuell hath more abounded with notable spirits replenished with all wickednesse to vtter his rage against professors of christian religion But thereof we leaue the reuenge to God the searcher of hearts line 20 hoping that he beholding the sinceritie of our heart will grant good successe to our intentions whereby a christian peace may insue to his diuine honor and comfort to all them that loue peace trulie and will séeke it sincerelie An addition to the declaration touching the slanders published of hir maiestie AFter we had finished our declaration there came to our hands a pamphlet written in Italian printed at Milan intituled Nuouo aduiso directed to the archbishop of Milan conteining a report of the expugnation of Antwerp by the prince of Parma by the which we found our selfe most maliciouslie charged with two notable crimes no lesse hatefull to the world than most repugnant and contrarie to our owne naturall inclinâ—â—ion line 40 The one with ingratitude towards the king of Spaine who as the author saith saued our life being iustlie by sentence adiudged to death in our sisters time the other that there were some persons procured to be corrupted with great promises and that with our intelligence as the reporter addeth in a parenthesis in these words as it was said that the life of the prince of Parma should be taken awaie And for the better proouing and countenancing of this horrible lie it is further added in line 50 the said pamphlet that it pleased the Lord God to discouer this and