inioied the flattering prosperitie of a king than afterwards to fall and neuer to recouer losse or ruine as is noted by the poet saieng Est melius nunquam felicia tempora nosse Quam post blanditias fortunae fata maligna Nec reparanda pati infortunia sortis iniquae ¶ In this yere 1483 died William Dudleie who by the translation of Laurence Booth bishop of Durham and chancellor of England from the sée of Durham to the citie of Yorke was made bishop of Durham in place of the said Laurence by the popes bulles For by vertue thereof Edward the fourth in the sixtéenth yeare of his reigne and in the yeare of Christ 1476 directed his letters patents to the knights and other free men of that bishoprike with all solemnitie to install the said William Dudleie borne of the honorable house of the lords Dudleies in the said bishoprike of Durham and to deliuer him quiet possession therof who was consecrated therevnto in the yeare of Christ 1477 in which he worthilie gouerned six yeares and died in this yeare as before Now of learned men that liued and wrote in the daies of this vsurper and his nephue king Edward the fift these we find recorded by Iohn Bale First Iohn Penketh an Augustine frier of Warington in Lancashire a right subtill fellow in disputation following the footsteps of his master Iohn Duns whome he chieflie studied he wrote diuers treatises and made that infamous sermon at Paules crosse in fauour of the duke of Glocester then protector to the disheriting of Edward the fift his lawfull king and gouernor Iohn Kent or Caileie borne in Southwales George Ripleie first a chanon of Bridlington and after a Carmelit frier in Boston a great mathematician rhetorician and poet Iohn Spine a Carmelit frier of Bristow that precéeded doctor of diuinitie in Cambridge and such like Thus farre Richard the vsurper vnnaturall vncle to Edward the fift and Richard duke of Yorke brethren Henrie the seauenth sonne to Edmund earle of Richmond which Edmund was brother by the moothers side to Henrie the sixt KIng Henrie hauing thus got the victorie at Bosworth and slaine his mortall enimie there in the field did send before his departure from Leicester sir Robert Willoughbâ—e knight to the manour of Sheriffehuton in the countie of Yorke for Edward Plantagenet earle of Warwike sonne and heire to George duke of Clarence line 10 then being of the age of fifteene yeares whome king Richard had kept there as prisoner during the time of his vsurped reigne Sir Robert Willoughbie receiuing the yoong earle of the constable of that castell conueied him to London wherâ— he was shut vp in the Tower for doubt least some vnquiet and euill disposed persons might inuent some occasion of new trouble by this yoong gentleman and therefore king Henrie thought good to haue him sure There was beside him in the castell of Sheriffehuton line 20 the ladie Elizabeth eldest daughter to king Edward the fourth whome king Richard as ye haue heard meant to haue married but God otherwise ordeined for hir and preserued hir from that vnlawfull copulation and incestuous bed Shortlie after she being accompanied with a great number as well of noblemen as honourable matrons was with good spéed conueied to London and brought to hir moother In the meane season king Henrie remooued forward by soft iournies towards London the people line 30 comming in from all sides to behold him and exceedinglie reioising at his presence as by their voices and gestures it well appeared At his approching néere to the citie the maior and his brethren with other worshipfull citizens being clothed in violet met him at Shordich and reuerentlie saluted him and so with great pompe and triumph he rode thorough the citie to the cathedrall church of S. Paule where he offered three standards In the one was the image of saint George in an other line 40 was a red fierie dragon beaten vpon white and greene sarcenet and in the third was painted a dun cow vpon yellow tarterne After his praiers said and Te Deum soong he departed to the bishops palace and there soiourned a season Anon aâ—ter he assembled togither the sage councellors of the realme in which councell like a prince of iust faith and true of promise to auoid all ciuill discord he appointed a daie to ioine in marriage with the ladie Elizabeth heire of the house of Yorke with his noble personage line 50 heire to the line of Lancaster Which thing not onelie reioised the hearts of the nobles and gentlemen of the realme but also gained the fauours and good wils of all the commons After this with great pompe he rowed vnto Westminster there the thirtith daie of October he was with all ceremonies accustomed annointed crowned king by the whole assent as well of the commons as of the nobilitie and called Henrie the seauenth of that name which was in the yeare of the world 5452 and after the birth of our Lord 1485 in the fortie and sixt yeare of Frederike the third then emperour of Almaine year 1485 Maximilian his sonne being newlie elected king of the Romans in the second yeare of Charles the eight then king of France and in the fiue and twentith of king Iames then ruling the realme of Scotland For the establishing of all things as well touching the preseruation of his owne estate as the commendable administration of iustice and preferrement of the common wealth of his realme he called his high court of parlement at Westminster the seauenth daie of Nouember wherein was atteinted Richard late duke of Glocester calling and naming himselfe by vsurpation king Richard the third Likewise there was atteinted as chéefe aiders and assistants to him in the battell at Bosworth aduanced against the present king Iohn late duke of Norfolke Thomas earle of Surrie Francis Louell knight vicount Louell Walter Deuereux knight late lord Ferrers Iohn lord Zouch Robert Harrington Richard Charleton Richard Ratcliffe William Berkeleie of Welete Robert Middleton Iames Harrington Robert Brakenberie Thomas Pilkington Walter Hopton William Catesbie Roger Wake William Sapcote of the countie of Huntington Humfrie Stafford William Clerke of Wenlocke Geffrie saint Germaine Richard Watkins herald of armes Richard Reuell of Derbishire Thomas Pulter of the countie of Kent Iohn Welsh otherwise called Hastings Iohn Kendall late secretarie to the said Richard late duke of Glocester Iohn Bucke Andrew Rat and William Brampton of Burford In which atteindor neuerthelesse there were diuerse clauses and prouisos for the benefit of their wiues and other persons that had or might claime anie right title or interest lawfullie vnto anie castels manours lordships townes towneships honours lands tenements rents seruices fée farmes annuities knights fees aduousons reuersions remainders and other hereditaments whereof the said persons atteinted were possessed or seized to the vses of such other persons with a speciall prouiso also that the said atteindor should not be
the towne and hauing lost the suburbes to the Englishmen he fled out in the night and so left the towne without anie souldiers to defend it so that the townesmen yeelded it vnto the earle of Derbie and sware themselues to be true liege men vnto the king of England After this the earle of Derbie passed further into the countrie and wan diuerse castels and towns as Lango le Lake Moundurant Monguise Punach Laliew Forsath Pondair Beaumont in Laillois Bounall Auberoch and Liborne part of them by assault and the residue by surrender This doone he returned to Burdeaux hauing left capteins and souldiers in such places as he had woone This yeare the king sent foorth a commission vnto certeine persons in euerie countie within the realme to inquire what lands and tenements euerie man aboue fiue pounds of yeerelie reuenues being of the laie fée might dispend bicause he had giuen order that euerie man which might dispend fiue pounds and aboue vnto ten pounds of such yeerelie reuenues in land of the laie fee should furnish himselfe or find an archer on horssebacke furnished with armour and weapon accordinglie He that might dispend ten pounds should furnish himselfe or find a demilance or light horsseman if I shall so terme him being then called a hobler with a lance And he that might dispend fiue and twentie pounds should furnish himselfe or find a man at armes And he that might dispend fiftie pounds should furnish two men at arms And he that might dispend an hundred pounds should find thrée men at armes that is himselfe or one in his stéed with two other And such as might dispend aboue an hundred pounds were appointed to find more in number of men at armes accordinglie as they should be assessed after the rate of their lands which they might yearelie dispend being of the laie fée and not belonging to the church About this season the duke of Britaine hauing with him the earles of Northampton and Oxenford sir William de Killesbie one of the kings secretaries and manie other barons and knights with a great number of men of armes passed ouer into Britaine against the lord Charles de Blois where they tarried a long time and did little good to make anie accompt of by reason that the duke in whose quarrell they came into those parts shortlie after his arriuall there departed this life and so they returned home into England But after their comming from thence sir Thomas Dagworth knight that had béene before and now after the departure of those lords and nobles still remained the kings lieutenant there so behaued himselfe against both Frenchmen and Britains that the memorie of his worthie dooings deserueth perpetuall commendation Sir Iohn de Heinault lord Beaumont about the same time changed his cote and leauing the king of Englands seruice was reteined by the French king In this ninetéenth yeare of king Edward I find that about the feast of the Natiuitie of saint Iohn Baptist he sailed ouer into Flanders leauing his sonne the lord Lionell warden of the realme in his absence He tooke with him a great number of lords knights and gentlemen with whome he landed at Sluse The cause of his going ouer was to further a practise which he had in hand with them of Flanders the which by the labour of Iaques Arteueld meant to cause their earle Lewes either to doo homage vnto king Edward or else if he refused then to disherit him and to receiue Edward prince of Wales for their lord the eldest sonne of king Edward King Edward promising to make a dukedome of the countie of Flanders for an augmentation of honour to the countrie there came vnto Sluse to the king Iaques van Arteueld and a great number of other appointed as councellors for their chéefest townes The king with all his nauie lay in the hauen of Sluse where in his great ship called the Catharine a councell was holden vpon this foresaid purpose but at length those of the councellors of the cheefest townes misliked the matter so much that they would conclude nothing but required respit for a moneth to consult with all the cōmunaltie of the countries and townes and as the more part should be inclined so should the king receiue answer The king line 10 and Iaques Arteueld would faine haue had a shorter daie and a more towardlie answer but none other could be gotten Herevpon the councell brake vp and Iaques Arteueld tarieng with the king a certeine space after the other were departed promised him to persuade the countrie well inough to his purpose and suerlie he had a great gift of eloquence and had thereby induced the countrie wonderfullie to consent to manie things as well in fauour of king Edward as to his line 20 owne aduancement but this suit which he went now about to bring to passe was so odious vnto all the Flemings that in no wise they thought it reason to consent vnto the disheriting of the earle At length when Iaques Arteueld should returne vnto Gant king Edward appointed fiue hundred Welshmen to attend him as a gard for the preseruation of his person bicause he said that one Gerard Denise deane of the weauers an vnquiet man maliciouslie purposed his destruction line 30 Capteins of these Welshmen were Iohn Matreuers and William Sturine or Sturrie and so with this crue of souldiers Arteueld returned vnto Gant and earnestlie went in hand with his suit in king Edwards behalfe that either the earle should doo his homage to the king of England to whome it was due or else to forfeit his earledome Then the foresaid Gerard as well of his owne mind as procured thereto by the authoritie of earle Lewes stirred the whole citie against the said Arteueld and gathering line 40 a great power vnto him came and beset Arteuelds house round about vpon each side the furie of the people being wonderfullie bent against him crieng Kill him Kill him that hath robbed the tresurie of the countrie and now goeth about to disherit our noble earle Iaques van Arteueld perceiuing in what danger he was came vnto a window and spake to that inraged multitude in hope with faire and courteous words to appease them but it could not be whervpon line 50 he sought to haue fled out of his house but the same was broken vp and so manie entred vpon him that he was found out and slaine by one Thomas Denise as some write But other affirme that on a sundaie in the after noone being the 17 of Iulie a cobler whose father this Iaques van Arteueld had sometime slaine followed him as he was fléeing into a stable where his horsses stood there with an ax cloue his head asunder so that he fell downe starke dead on the ground And this was the end of the foresaid line 60 Iaques van Arteueld who by his wisedome and policie had obteined the whole gouernment of all Flanders This wofull
preiudiciall to Iohn Catesbie knight Thomas Reuell and William Ashbie esquiers in of vpon the manour of Kirkebie vpon Wretheke in the countie of Leicester nor in of and vpon anie other lands and tenements in Kirkebie aforesaid Melton Somerbie Thropseghfield and Godebie which they had of the gift feoffement of Thomas Dauers Iohn Lie And further notwithstanding this atteindor diuerse of the said persons afterwards were not onelie by the king pardoned but also restored to their lands and liuings Moreouer in this present parlement he caused proclamation to be made that all men were pardoned and acquited of their offenses which would submit line 10 themselues to his mercie and receiue an oth to be true and faithfull vnto him wherevpon manie that came out of sanctuaries and other places were receiued to grace and admitted for his subiects After this he began to remember his speciall freends of whome some he aduanced to honour and dignitie and some he inriched with goods and possessions euerie man according to his deserts and merits And to begin his vncle Iasper earle of Penbroke he created duke of Bedford Thomas lord Stanleie was line 20 created earle of Derbie and the lord Chendew of Britaine his especiall fréend he made earle of Bath sir Giles Daubeneie was made lord Daubeneie sir Robert Willoughbie was made lord Brooke And Edward Stafford eldest sonne to Henrie late duke of Buckingham he restored to his name dignitie possessions which by king Richard were confiscat and atteinted Beside this in this parlement was this notable act assented to and concluded as followeth to the pleasure of almightie God wealth line 30 prosperitie and suertie of this realme of England and to the singular comfort of all the kings subiects of the same in auoiding all ambiguities and questions An act for the establishing of the crowne in the line of Henrie the seauenth BE it ordeined established and enacted by this present parlement that the inheritance of the crown of this realme of England also of France with all the preheminence and dignitie roiall to the same apperteining all other seigniories to the king belonging beyond the sea with the appurtenances thereto in anie wise due or apperteining shall rest remaine and abide in the most line 50 roiall person of our now souereigne lord king Henrie the seuenth and in the heires of his bodie lawfullie comming perpetuallie with the grace of God so to indure and in none other Beside this act all atteindors of this king enacted by king Edward and king Richard were adnihilated and the record of the same iudged to be defaced and all persons atteinted for his cause and occasion line 60 were restored to their goods lands and possessions Diuerse acts also made in the time of king Edward and king Richard were reuoked and other adiudged more expedient for the common wealth were put in their places and concluded After the dissolution of this parlement the king remembring his fréends left in hostage beyond the seas that is to wit the marquesse Dorset sir Iohn Bourchier he with all conuenient spéed redéemed them and sent also into Flanders for Iohn Morton bishop of Elie. These acts performed he chose to be of his councell a conuenient number of right graue and wise councellors ¶ This did he that he might the more roiallie gouerne his kingdome which he obteined and inioied as a thing by God elected and prouided and by his especiall fauour and gratious aspect compassed and atchiued Insomuch that men commonlie report that seauen hundred nintie seauen yéeres passed it was by a heauenlie voice reuealed to Cadwalader last king of Britains that his stocke progenie should reigne in this land beare dominion againe Wherevpon most men were persuaded in their owne opinion that by this heauenlie voice he was prouided ordeined long before to inioy obteine this kingdome Which thing K. Henrie the sixt did also shew before as it were by propheticall inspiration at such time as the earle of Penbroke presented the said Henrie at that time a proper child vnto Henrie the sixt whome after he had beheld and a good while viewed the comelinesse of his countenance and orderlie lineaments of his bodie he said to such peeres as stood about him Lo suerlie this is he to whome both we and our aduersaries leauing the possession of all things shall hereafter giue roome and place so it came to passe by the appointment of God to whose gouernement gift and disposing all realmes and all dominions are subiect as king Dauid confesseth saieng Omnia sunt regno subdita regna Dei Now although by this meanes all things séemed to be brought in good and perfect order yet there lacked a wrest to the harpe to set all the strings in a monocord and perfect tune which was the matrimonie to be finished betweene the king and the ladie Elizabeth daughter to king Edward Which like a good prince according to his oth promise he did both solemnize consummate shortlie after that is to saie on the eightéenth daie of Ianuarie By reason of which marriage peace was thought to descend out of heauen into England considering that the lines of Lancaster and Yorke were now brought into one knot and connexed togither of whose two bodies one heire might succeed to rule and inioie the whole monarchie and realme of England year 1486 which before was rent and diuided into factions partakings whereby manie a mans life was lost great spoiles made of peoples goods wast of wealth worship and honor all which ended in this blessed and gratious connexion authorised by God as our Anglorum praelia saith Hoc Deus omnipotens pacis confecerat author CiuilÃsque habuit tandem contentio finem Shortlie after for the better preseruation of his roiall person he constituted and ordeined a certeine number as well of archers as of diuerse other persons hardie strong and actiue to giue dailie attendance on his person whom he named yeomen of his gard which president men thought that he learned of the French king when he was in France For it is not remembred that anie king of England before that daie vsed anie such furniture of dailie souldiers ¶ In this same yéere a new kind of sickenes inuaded suddenlie the people of this land passing through the same from the one end to the other It began about the one and twentith of September and continued vntill the latter end of October being so sharpe and deadlie that the like was neuer heard of to anie mans remembrance before that time For suddenlie a deadlie burning sweat so assailed their bodies and distempered their bloud with a most ardent heat that scarse one amongst an hundred that sickened did escape with life for all in maner as soone as the sweat tooke them or within a short time after yéelded the ghost Beside the great number which deceassed within the citie of London two
of the crowne and the merchant meant it of a house in Cheapside at the signe of the crowne but your case is not so My case dooth differ I grant but speciallie bicause I haue not such a iudge yet there is an other cause to restreine these your strange and extraordinarie constructions that is to saie a prouiso in the latter end of the statute of Edward the third hauing these words Prouided alwaies if anie other case of supposed treason shall chance hereafter to come in question or triall before anie iustice other than is in the said statute expressed that then the iustice shall forbeare to adiudge the said case vntill it be shewed to the parlement to trie whether it should be treason or felonie Here you are restreined by expresse words to adiudge anie case that is not manifestlie mentioned before and vntill it be shewed to the parlement That prouiso is vnderstood of cases that maie come in triall which hath béene in vre but the law hath alwaies taken the procurer to be a principall offendor The law alwaies in cases of treason dooth account all principals and no accessaries as in other offenses and therefore a man offending in treason either by couert act or procurement wherevpon an open deed hath insued as in this case is adiudged by the law a principall traitor You adiudge me thinke procurement verie hardlie besides the principall and besides the good prouiso and besides the good example of your best and most godlie learned predecessors the iudges of the realme as I haue partlie declared and notwithstanding this grieuous racking extending of this word procurement I am not in the danger of it for it dooth appeare by no deposition that I procured neither one or other to attempt anie act The iurie haue to trie whether it be so or no let it weie as it will I know no meane so apparant to trie procurement as by words that meane is probable inough against you as well by your owne confession as by other mens depositions To talke of the quéenes marriage with the prince of Spaine and also the comming hither of the Spaniards is not to procure treson to be doone for then the whole parlement house I meane the common house did procure treason But sith you will make line 10 no difference betwixt words and acts I praie you remember a statute made in my late souereigne lord and masters time king Edward the sixt which apparantlie expressed the difference These be the words Whosoeuer dooth compasse or imagine to depose the king of his roiall estate by open preaching expresse words or saiengs shall for the first offense loose and forfet to the king all his and their goods and cattels and also shall suffer imprisonment of their bodies at the kings will and pleasure Whosoeuer c for the second line 20 offense shall loose forfet to the king the whole issues and profits of all his or their lands tenements and other hereditaments benefices prebends and other spirituall promotions Whosoeuer c for the third offense shall for tearme of life or liues of such offendor or offendors c and shall also forfet to the kings maiestie all his or their goods and cattels and suffer during his or their liues perpetuall imprisonment of his or their bodies But whosoeuer c by writing ciphering or act c shall for the first offense line 30 be adiudged a traitor and suffer the paines of death Here you maie perceiue how the whole realme and all your iudgements hath before this vnderstood words and acts diuerselie and apparantlie And therfore the iudgements of the parlement did assigne diuersitie of punishments bicause they would not confound the true vnderstanding of words deeds appointing for compassing and imagining by word imprisonment and for compassing and imagining by open déed paines of death line 40 It is agréed by the whole bench that the procurer and the adherent be déemed alwaies traitors when as a traitorous act was committed by anie one of the same conspiracie and there is apparant proofe of your adhering to Wiat both by your owne confession and other waies Adhering and procuring be not all one for the statute of Edward the third dooth speake of adhering but not of procuring yet adhering ought not to be further extended than to the quéenes enimies within line 50 hir realme for so the statute dooth limit the vnderstanding And Wiat was not the quéenes enimie for he was not so reputed when I talked with him last and our speech implied no enimie neither tended to anie treason or procuring of treason and therefore I praie you of the iurie note though I argue the law I alleage mine innocencie as the best part of my defense Your adhering to the quéenes enimies within the realme is euidentlie prooued for Wiat was the line 60 queenes enimie within the realme as the whole realme knoweth it and he hath confessed it both at his arreignement and at his death By your leaue neither Wiat at his arreignement nor at his death did confesse that he was the quéenes enimie when I talked last with him neither was he reputed nor taken in foureteene daies after vntill he assembled a force in armes what time I was at your house master Englefield where I learned the first intelligence of Wiats stirre And I aske you who dooth depose that there passed anie maner of aduertisement betwixt Wiat and me after he had discouered his dooings and shewed himselfe an enimie If I had béene so disposed who did let me that I did not repaire to Wiat or to send to him or to the duke of Suffolke either who was in mine owne countrie and thither I might haue gone and conueied my selfe with him vnsuspected for my departing homewards It is true that you were there at my house accompanied with others your brethren and to my knowledge ignorant of these matters Throckmorton you confessed you talked with Wiat and others against the comming of the Spaniards and of the taking of the tower of London wherevpon Wiat leuied a force of men against the Spaniards he said and so you saie all but in deed it was against the quéene which he confessed at length therefore Wiats acts doo prooue you counsellor and procurer howsoeuer you would auoid the matter My thinke you would conclude against me with a mishapen argument in logike and you will giue me leaue I will make an other The iudges sit not here to make disputations but to declare the law which hath béene sufficientlie doone if you would consider it You haue heard reason and the law if you will conceiue it Oh mercifull God oh eternall father which séest all things what maner of proceedings are these To what purpose serueth the statute of repeale the last parlement where I heard some of you here present and diuerse other of the queenes
side and perceiuing the citie would not be woone within any short time began to wax wearie and to repent himselfe as afore for taking in hand so chargeable and great a warre for another mans quarell Wherevpon he caused William bishop of Sens and Theobald earle of Blois to go to king Henrie and to promise vpon forbearance from warre for a time to find means to reconcile him and his sonnes betweene whome vnnaturall variance rested Whereof K. Henrie being most desirous and taking a truce appointed to come to Gisors in the feast of the natiuitie of our ladie there to meet king Lewes that they might talke of the matter and bring it to some good end The French king so soone as he knew that truce was taken raised his siege and returning home within a few daies after according to the appointment came to Gisors and there communed with king Henrie but bicause he could not make any agréement betwixt him and his sonnes at that time he appointed another time to meet about it King Henrie the father whilest the truce continued with the French king and his sonne Henrie went to Poictou where his sonne Richard whilest his father had beene occupied in other places had gotten the most part of the countrie into his possession But now hearing of his fathers comming and that a truce was taken with the French king and with his brother he considered with himselfe that without their assistance he was not able to withstand his fathers power Howbeit at length choosing rather to trie the matter with force of armes than cowardlie to yéeld he prepared for defense furnishing diuerse townes and castels with garisons of men and assembling togither all the other power that he was able to make câ—me into the field pitched his tents not far off from his father In the meane while which way soeuer his father passed the townes and castels submitted themselues vnto him so that Richard began to despaire of the matter insomuch that he durst line 10 not approch néere his father but kept aloofe doubting to be entrapped At length when he had considered his owne state and weled how vnthankefullie the French king and his brother had dealt with him in hauing no consideration of him at such time as they tooke truce he determined to alter his purpose and hauing some good hope in his fathers clemencie thought best to trie it which he found to be the best waie that he could haue taken For oftentimes it chanceth that latter line 20 thoughts are better aduised than the first as the old saieng is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Herevpon Richard laieng armour aside came of his owne accord vnto his father on the 21. of September and asked pardon His father most courteously receiuing him made so much of him as though he had not offended at all Which example of courtesie preuailed much to the alluring of his other sons to come to a reconciliation For the bringing whereof line 30 to speedie effect he sent this Richard vnto king Lewes and to his other sonne Henrie to commen with them of peace at which time earle Richard did so effectuallie his message that he brought them both in good forwardnesse to agree to his fathers purpose so that there was a daie appointed for them to meet with their father betwixt Towres in Touraine and Ambois King Henrie reioising hereat kept his daie being the morrow after the feast of S. Michaell and line 40 there met him both king Lewes and his two sonnes Henrie and Geffrey where finallie the father and the sonnes were accorded he promising to receiue them into fauour vpon these conditions 1 First the prisoners to be released fréelie without ransome on both sides and their offenses which had taken either the one part or the other to be likewise pardoned 2 Out of this article were excepted all those which before the concluding of this peace had alreadie line 50 compounded for their raunsomes as the king of Scots the earles of Leicester and Chester and Rafe Fulgiers with their pledges 3 It was also agréed that all those castels which had beene builded in time of this warre should be raced and throwne downe and all such cities townes castels countries and places as had beene woone by either part during these wars should be restored vnto those persons that held the same and were in possession of them 15. daies before the departure of the line 60 sonnes from king Henrie the father 4 That king Henrie the father should assigne to his sons more large reuenues for maintenance of their estates with a caution included that they should not spend the same riotouslie in any prodigall sort or maner 5 To the king his sonne he gaue two castels in Normandie with an increase of yearelie reuenues to the summe of 15. thousand pounds Aniouin 6 To his sonne Richard he gaue two houses in Poictou with the one halfe of all the reuenues of the countie of Poictou to be receiued and taken in readie monie 7 And to his sonne Geffrey he granted in monie the moitie of that which he should haue by the mariage of earle Conans daughter and after he had maried hir by licence purchased of the pope he should enioy all the whole liuings and reuenues that descended to hir as in hir fathers writing therof more at large was conteined 8 On the other part king Henrie the son couenanted to with the king his father that he would performe and confirme all those gifts which his father should grant out of his lands also all those gifts of lands which he either had made and assured or hereafter should make and assure vnto any of his men for any of their seruices likewise those gifts which he had made vnto his sonne Iohn the brother of king Henrie the sonne namelie a thousand pounds in lands by yeare in England of his demaine and excheats with the appurtenances and the castell and countie of Notingham with the castell of Marlebrough the appurtenances Also a thousand pounds Aniouin of yearelie reuenues in Normandie and two castels there And in Aniou a thousand pounds Aniouin of such lands as belonged to the earle of Aniou with one castell in Aniou and one in Touraine and another in Maine Thus were the father and sons agréed and made freends the sonnes couenanting neuer to withdraw their seruices and bounden dueties from their father but to obeie him in all things from that day forward Herewith also the peace was renewed betwixt king Henrie and king Lewes and for the further confirmation a new aliance was accorded betwixt them which was that the ladie Adela the daughter of king Lewes should be giuen in mariage vnto earle Richard the sonne of king Henrie who bicause she was not yet of age able to marie she was conueied into England to be vnder the guiding of king Henrie till she came to lawfull
ploughland three shillings In the Lent following year 1200 he went to Yorke in hope to haue met the king of Scots there but he came not and so king Iohn line 50 returned backe and sailed againe into Normandie bicause the variance still depended betweene him and the king of France Finallie vpon the Ascension day in this second yeare of his reigne they came eftsoones to a communication betwixt the townes of Uernon and Lisle Dandelie where finallie they concluded an agréement with a marriage to be had betwixt Lewes the sonne of king Philip and the ladie Blanch daughter to Alfonso king of Castile the 8 of that name néece to K. Iohn by his sister Elianor line 60 In consideration whereof king Iohn besides the summe of thirtie thousand markes in siluer as in respect of dowrie assigned to his said néece resigned his title to the citie of Eureux and also vnto all those townes which the French king had by warre taken from him the citie of Angiers onelie excepted which citie he receiued againe by couenants of the same agréement The French king restored also to king Iohn as Rafe Niger writeth the citie of Tours and all the castels and fortresses which he had taken within Touraine and moreouer receiued of king Iohn his homage for all the lands fees and tenements which at anie time his brother king Richard or his father king Henrie had holden of him the said king Lewes or any his predecessors the quit claims and marriages alwaies excepted The king of England likewise did homage vnto the French king for Britaine and againe as after you shall heare receiued homage for the same countrie and for the countie of Richmont of his nephue Arthur He also gaue the earledome of Glocester vnto the earle of Eureux as it were by way of exchange for that he resigned to the French king all right title claime that might be pretended to the countie of Eureux By this conclusion of marriage betwixt the said Lewes and Blanch the right of king Iohn went awaie which he lawfullie before pretended vnto the citie of Eureux and vnto those townes in the confines of Berrie Chateau Roux or Raoul Cressie and Isoldune and likewise vnto the countrie of Ueuxin or Ueulquessine which is a part of the territorie of Gisors the right of all which lands townes and countries was released to the king of France by K. Iohn who supposed that by his affinitie and resignation of his right to those places the peace now made would haue continued for euer And in consideration thereof he procured furthermore that the foresaid Blanch should be conueied into France to hir husband with all spéed That doone he returned into England ¶ Certes this peace was displeasant to manie but namelie to the earle of Flanders who herevpon making no accompt of king Iohns amitie concluded a peace with king Philip shortlie after and ment to make warre against the infidels in the east parts wherby we may see the discontented minds of men and of how differing humors they be so that nothing is harder than to satisfie manie with one thing be the same neuer so good ô caecis mortalia plena tenebris Pectora ô mentes caligine circumseptas But by the chronicles of Flanders it appeareth that the earle of Flanders concluded a peace with the French king in Februarie last past before that king Iohn and the French king fell to any composition But such was the malice of writers in times past which they bare towards king Iohn that whatsoeuer was doone in preiudice of him or his subiects it was still interpreted to chance through his default so as the blame still was imputed to him in so much that although manie things he did peraduenture in matters of gouernement for the which he might be hardlie excused yet to thinke that he deserued the tenth part of the blame wherewith writers charge him it might seeme a great lacke of aduised consideration in them that so should take it But now to procéed with our purpose King Iohn being now in rest from warres with forren enimies began to make warre with his subiects pursses at home emptieng them by taxes and tallages to fill his coffers which alienated the minds of a great number of them from his loue and obedience At length also when he had got togither a great masse of monie he went ouer againe into Normandie where by Helias archbishop of Burdeaux and the bishop of Poictiers and Scone he was diuorsed from his wife Isabell that was the daughter of Robert earle of Glocester bicause of the néerenesse of bloud as touching hir in the third degrée After that he married Isabell the daughter of Amerie earle of Angolesme by whome he had two sonnes Henrie and Richard and thrée daughters Isabell Elianor and Iane. Moreouer about this time Geffrey archbishop of Yorke was depriued of all his manours lands and possessions by the kings commandement directed to the shiriffe of Yorkeshire for diuerse causes for that he would not permit the same shiriffe to leuie the dutie called Charugage that was thrée shillings of euerie ploughland within his diocesse rated and appointed to be leuied to the kings vse throughout all parts of the realme Secondlie for that the same archbishop refused to go ouer with the king into Normandie to helpe to make the marriage betwixt the French kings sonne and his néece Thirdlie bicause he had excommunicated the same shiriffe and all the prouince of Yorke wherevpon the king tooke displeasure against him and not onelie spoiled him line 10 as I said of his goods but also banished him out of the court not suffering him to come in his presence for the space of twelue moneths after In this yeare also Hubert archbishop of Canturburie held a councell at Westminster against the prohibition of the lord chiefe iustice Geffrey Fitz Peter earle of Essex In the which councell or synod diuerse constitutions were made and ordeined for orders and customes to be vsed touching the seruice and administration of sacraments in the church and line 20 other articles concerning churchmen and ecclesiasticall matters About the same time king Iohn and Philip king of France met togither néere the towne of Uernon where Arthur duke of Britaine as vassall to his vncle king Iohn did his homage vnto him for the duchie of Britaine those other places which he held of him on this side and beyond the riuer of Loir and afterward still mistrusting his vncles curtesie he returned backe againe with the French king and would not commit himselfe to his said vncle line 30 who as he supposed did beare him little good will These things being thus performed king Iohn returned into England and there caused his new married wife Isabell to be crowned on the sundaie before the feast of S. Denise the eight of October At the same time he gaue commandement vnto Hugh Neuill
the statute of Mortmaine was established Frier Iohn Peckham whome the pope had alreadie consecrated archbishop of Canturburie being the 47 in number that had gouerned the said sâ—â— came this yeare ouer into England to supplie the roome ¶ Also Walter Gifford archbishop of Yorke departed this life in whose place succéeded William Wickham the 37 archbishop there The archbishop of Canturburie held a synod at Reading about the latter line 10 end of Iulie wherin he renewed the constitutions of the generall councell as thus That no ecclesiasticall person should haue aboue one benefice to the which belonged cure of soule and againe that all those that were promoted to any ecclesiasticall liuing should receiue the order of priesthood within one yere after his being promoted therevnto In this yeare the king tooke order for the amending of his monie and coine which in that season was fowlie clipped washed and counterfeited by those line 20 naughtie men the Iewes and other as before you haue partlie heard The king therefore in the octaues of the Trinitie sent foorth commandement to all the shiriffes within the land that such monie as was counterfeited clipped or washed should not be currant from thencefoorth and furthermore he sent of his owne treasure good monie and not clipped vnto certeine cities and townes in the realme that exchange might be made with the same till new monie were stamped About the third daie of August the line 30 first exchange was made of the new monie of pence and farthings but yet the old monie went all this yeare togither with the new and then was the old coine generallie forbidden and commandement giuen by publike proclamation that from thencefoorth it should no more be allowed for currant Herewith also halfpence which had beene stamped in the meane time began to come abroad the same day in which the old monie was thus prohibited The lord Roger Mortimer kept a great feast at line 40 Killingworth with iusts and triumphs of an hundred knights and as manie ladies to the which resorted lords knights gentlemen from diuerse countries and lands to shew proofe of their valiancie in the practise of warlike feats and exercises In the meane season king Edward standing in need of monie deuised a new shift to serue his turne as this namely that wheras he was cheefe lord of many lordships manours possessions and tenements he well vnderstood that partlie by length and proces of time line 50 and partlie by casualties during the troubles of the ciuill warres manie mens euidences as their charters déeds copies and other writings were lost wasted and made awaie he therfore vnder colour to put the statute of Quo waranto in execution which was ordeined this yeare in the parlement holden at Glocester in August last past as some write did now command by publike proclamation that all such as held any lands or tenements of him should come and shew by what right and title they held the same line 60 that by such meanes their possessions might returne vnto him by escheat as cheefe lord of the same and so to be sold or redeemed againe at his hands This was thought to be so sore a proclamation as that a more greeuous had not lightlie beene heard of Men in euerie place made complaint and shewed themselues gréeuouslie offended so that the king by meanes thereof came in great hatred of his people but the meane sort of men though they stood in defense of their right yet it auailed them but little bicause they had no euidence to shew so that they were constreined to be quiet with losse rather than to striue against the streame Manie were thus called to answer till at length the lord Iohn Warren earle of Surrie a man greatlie beloueâ— of the people perceiuing the king to haue cast his net for a preie and that there was not one which spake against him determined to stand against thâ—se so bitter and cruell procéedings And the â—eâ—â—re bâ—ing called afore the iustices about this matter he appeared and being asked by what right he held hâ—â— laâ—â—s suddenlie drawing foorth an old rustie sword By this instrument said he doo I hold my lands 〈◊〉 by the same I intend to defend them Our ancestors comming into this realme wiâ—h William the Conquerour conquered their lands with the sword and with the same will I defend â—e from all those that shall be about to take them from me he did not make a conquest of this realme alone our progenitors were with him as participants and helpers The king vnderstanding into what hatred of his people by this meanes he was fallen and therfoâ—e desâ—rous to auoid ciuill dissention and war that might thereby insue he left off his 〈◊〉 practise so that the thing which generallie should haue touched and béene hurtfull to all men was now suddenlie staied by the manhood and couragious stoutnesse onelie of one man the foresaid earle who in his rare act of defending coÌ„mon equitie against the mightie in authoritie who spared not to offer extreme iniurie shewed himselfe a verie true and naturall branch of nobilitie cupit quae grandia semper Vilia contemnit quae sursum tendere vt ignis Nititur summas penetrat velut ardea â—ibes The archbishop of Canturburie held an other synod at Lambeth in the which he receiued and confirmed the orders and constitutions decréed and established by the legats Otho and Othobone in councels by them kept here within this realme adding diuerse other of his owne in the same councell he went about to adnihilate certeine liberties belonging to the crowne as the taking knowledge of the right of patronages and the kings prohibitions In placitis de catallis and such like which séemed méerlie to touch the spiritualtie But the king by some in that councell withstood the archbishop openlie and with menaces staied him from concluding any thing that might preiudice his roiall liberties and prerogatiues King Edward held a parlement at London in the which he demanded a fifteenth of the cleargie which latelie before he had got of the temporaltie The archbishop of Yorke was content at the first to grant this fifteenth to be paid of the cleargie within his diocesse in two yeares but the archbishop of Canturburie held off and required reâ—pit till the next parlement to be holden after Easter and then he granted vnto the king the dismes of all his cleargie for thrée yeares that in some point he might be different from the archbishop of Yorke In the ninth yeare of king Edwards reigne the feast of the round table was kept at Warwike with great and sumptuous triumph Whilest these things were in dooing Dauid brother to Leolin prince of Wales forgetting the great benefits which he had receiued at the hands of king Edward became his aduersarie and caused his said brother the prince of Wales with a great number of other noble men of that countrie
Bruce that onelie stood in his waie it was verie likelie that he should haue found none other to haue raised banner against line 10 him about the quarrell or title to the claime of that realme For as he was a right warlike prince of him selfe so was he furnished with capteins and souldiers answerable to his desire who being able to lead and command them of himselfe had them at length obedient inough to serue him although as partlie yée haue heard some of the peeres shewed themselues at times disobedient and stubborne whom yet in the end he tamed well inough as the earles of Hereford line 20 and Northfolke the which in the thirtith yeare of his reigne resigned their castels and manours into his hands as by the records of the tower it further may appeare Now to follow as in other kings I haue doone heretofore for learned men these I find to haue flourished in this kings daies Henrie de Henna a Carmelite frier Goodwine the chantor of the church of Salisburie Adam de Marisco or Mareis borne in Summersetshire an excellent diuine as he was reputed line 30 in those daies Gregorie Huntington a monke of Ramesey verie expert in the toongs Seuall archbishop of Yorke a man singularlie learned and stout in defending the cause of his cleargie against the pope Haimo de Feuersham Peter Swanington Helias Trickingham Helias de Euesham Radulfe Bocking borne in Sussex Alphredâ— surnamed Anglicus Iames Cisterciensis William of Ware Robert Oxenford Thomas Docking Iohn surnamed Grammaticus Robert Dodeford but the more line 40 part of these are rather to be ascribed vnto the time of Henrie the third the father of this king Edward where these that follow are thought to flourish in the time of king Edwards reigne after the deceasse of his father king Henrie Thomas Spot a chronographer Peter de Ickeham a Kentishman borne as Bale thinketh Iohn Beckton a doctor of both the lawes William Hanaberge a Carmelite frier prouinciall gouernour of his order heere in England Robert Kilwarbie bishop of Canturburie and after made a cardinall and bishop of Portua Glbert surnamed Magnus a moonke of the Cisteaux order Helias Ros Walter Recluse Hugh le Euesham Iohn Euersden a writer of annales whome I haue partlie followed in this kings life William Pagham Henrie Esseborne Iohn de Haida Roger Bacon a Franciscane frier an excellent philosopher and likewise a mathematician Iohn Derlington a dominike frier Iohn Chelmeston Thomas Borstale a Northfolke man borne Gregorie Cairugent a moonke of Glocester a writer of annales Gregorie de Bredlington Thomas Bungey a frier minor borne in Northfolke an excellent mathematician prouinciall ruler of his order heere in England he flourished in the daies of king Edward the first although there were another of the same name that liued in the time of king Edward the third Hugh de Manchester a Dominike frier prouinciall gouernour of his order héere in England Richard Knapwell a Dominike frier Iohn Peckham borne in the dioces of Chichester a Franciscane frier excellentlie learned as by his workes it appeareth he was aduanced by pope Honorius the third to the archbishops sée of Canturburie Thomas de Illey a Suffolke man borne and a white or Carmelite frier in the house of Gippeswich Michaell surnamed Scot but borne in the bishoprike of Durham as Leland saith an excellent physician and likewise verie expert in the mathematicals Hugh de Newcastell a frier minor professed in the same towne Thomas Sutton a blacke frier that is of the order of S. Dominike Iohn Read an historiographer William de la Mare a frier minor Thomas Wicke a chanon of Osney in Oxenford Simon de Gaunt William Hothun prouinciall of the friers Dominiks in England Iohn de Hide a moonke of Winchester Robert Crouch a cordelier or a Franciscane frier Richard Midleton a frier minor Thomas Spirman a blacke frier William Lidlington a doctor of diuinitie and a Carmelite frier in Stanford Iohn Fiberie or Beuer a moonke of Westminster William Makelesfield borne in Cheshire in a market towne whereof he beareth the name a blacke frier by profession and an excellent philosopher Thus farre Edward the first surnamed Longshanks Edward the second the sonne of Edward the first EDward the second of that name the sonne of Edward the first borne at Carnaruan in Wales began his reigne ouer England the seauenth day of Iulie year 1307 in the yeare of our Lord 1307 of the world 5273 of the comming of the Saxons 847 after the conquest 241 about the tenth yeare of Albert emperour of Rome and the two and twentith of the fourth Philip surnamed Le Beau as line 10 then king of France and in the third yeare after that Robert le Bruce had taken vpon him the crowne and gouernement of Scotland His fathers corpse was conueied from Burgh vpon Sands vnto the abbeie of Waltham there to remaine till things were readie for the buriall which was appointed at Westminster Within three daies after when the lord treasurer Walter de Langton bishop of Couentriâ— and Lichfield thorough whose complaint Péers de Gaueston line 20 had beene banished the land was going towards Westminster to make preparation for the same buriall he was vpon commandement from the new king arrested commiâ—ted to prison and after deliuered to the hands of the said Péers being then returned againe into the realme who sent him from castell to castell as a prisoner His lands and tenements were seized to the kings vse but his mooueables were giuen to the foresaid Peers Walter Reignold line 30 that had beene the kings tutor in his childhood was then made lord treasurer and after when the fée of Worcester was void at the kings instance he was by the pope to that bishoprike preferred Also Rafe bishop of London was deposed from the office of lord Chancellour and Iohn Langton bishop of Chichester was therto restored Likewise the barons of the excheker were remooued and other put in their places And Amerie de Ualence earle of Penbroke was discharged of the wardenship of Scotland line 40 and Iohn de Britaine placed in that office whom he also made earle of Richmond But now concerning the demeanour of this new king whose disordered maners brought himselfe and manie others vnto destruction we find that in the beginning of his gouernement though he was of nature giuen to lightnesse yet being restreined with the prudent aduertisements of certeine of his councellors to the end he might shew some likelihood of good proofe be counterfeited a kind of grauitie vertue line 50 and modestie but yet he could not throughlie be so bridled but that foorthwith he began to plaie diuers wanton and light parts at the first indeed not outragiouslie but by little and little and that couertlie For hauing reuoked againe into England his old mate the said Peers de Gaueston he receiued him into most high fauour creating him earle of Cornewall and lord of Man his principall secretarie
Culpepper knight at Windsor the lord Francis de Aldham baron and at Canturburie the lord Bartholomew de Badelismere and the lord Bartholomew de Ashbornham barons Also at Cardiffe in Wales sir William Fleming knight was executed diuerse were executed in their countries as sir Thomas Mandit and others But now touching the foresaid earle of Lancaster great strife rose afterwards amongst the people whether he ought to be reputed for a saint or no. Some held that he ought to be no lesse esteemed for that he did manie almesdéeds in his life time honored men of religion and mainteined a true quarell till his liues end Also his enimies continued not long after but came to euill end Others conceiued an other opinion of him alledging that he fauoured not his wife but liued in spouse-breach defiling a great number of damosels and gentlewomen If anie offended him he slue him shortlie after in his wrathfull mood Apostataes and other euill dooers he mainteined and would not suffer them to be punished by due order of law All his dooings he vsed to commit vnto one of his secretaries and tooke no heed himselfe thereof and as for the manner of his death he fled shamefullie in the fight and was taken and put to death against his will bicause he could not auoid it yet by reason of certeine miracles which were said to be doone néere the place both where he suffered and where he was buried caused manie to thinke he was a saint howbeit at length by the kings cōmandement the church doores of the priorie where he was buried were shut and closed so that no man might be suffered to come to the toome to bring any offerings or to doo any other kind of deuotion to the same Also the hill where he suffered was kept by certeine Gascoines appointed by the lord Hugh Spenser the sonne then lieng at Pomfret to the end that no people should come and make their praiers there in worship of the said earle whome they tooke verelie for a martyr When the king had subdued the barons shortlie after about the feast of the Ascension of our lord he line 10 held a parlement at Yorke in which parlement the record and whole processe of the decree or iudgement concerning the disheriting of the Spensers ordeined by the lords in parlement assembled at London the last summer was now throughlie examined and for their errours therein found the same record and processe was cléerelie adnthilated and reuersed and the said Spensers were restored to all their lands and offices as before And in the same parlement the lord Hugh Spenser the father was made earle of line 20 Winchester and the lord Andrew de Herklie earle of Carleill Moreouer in the same parlement all such were disherited as had taken part with the earls of Lancaster Hereford except the lord Hugh Audelie the yoonger and a few other the which lord Hugh was pardoned bicause he had married the kings néece that was sister to Gilbert de Clare earle of Glocester which was slaine in Scotland at the battell of Bannockesborne as before is mentioned At this time also master Robert Baldocke a man line 30 euill beloued in the realme was made lord chancellour of England This Robert Baldocke and one Simon Reding were great fauourers of the Spensers and so likewise was the earle of Arundell wherby it may be thought that the Spensers did helpe to aduance them into the kings fauour so that they bare no small rule in the realme during the time that the same Spensers continued in prosperitie which for the terme of fiue yeares after that the foresaid barons as before is expressed were brought to line 40 confusion did woonderfullie increase and the quéene for that she gaue good and faithfull counsell was nothing regarded but by the Spensers meanes cléerelie worne out of the kings fauour Moreouer we find that in this parlement holden at Yorke the kings sonne Edward was made prince of Wales and duke of Aquitaine Also the king caused the ordinances made by the earles and barons to be examined by men of great knowledge and skill and such as were thought necessarie line 50 to be established he commanded that the same should be called statutes and not ordinances Beside a great subsidie granted to the king by the temporaltie the cleargie of all the prouince of Canturburie granted fiue pence of euerie marke and they of the prouince of Yorke foure pence Aimer earle of Penbroke being returned home from this parlement holden at Yorke was arrested by certeine knights sent with authoritie therevnto from the king who brought him backe to Yorke where at length thorough line 60 suit of certeine noble men he was vpon his oth taken to be a faithfull subiect and in consideration of a fine which he paied to the king set at libertie The occasion of his imprisonment came for that he was accused and detected to be a secret fauourer of the barons cause against the Spensers in time of the late troubles Moreouer shortlie after the king gathered the sixt penie of the temporall mens goods thorough England Ireland and Wales which had beene granted to him at the foresaid parlement holden at Yorke towards the defending of the realme against the Scots This ta◠was not gathered without great murmur and grudge the realme being in such euill and miserable state as it then was ¶ This yeare also the sunne appeared to mans sight in colour like to bloud and so continued six houres to wit from seuen of the clocke in the morning of the last daie of October vntill one of the clocke in the afternoone of the same daie Here is to be noted that during the time whilest the ciuill warre was in hand betwixt king Edward and his barons the Scots and Frenchmen were not idle for the Scots wasted destroied the countrie of the bishoprike of Durham as before ye haue partlie heard the Frenchmen made roades incursions into the borders of Guien alledging that they did it vpon good and sufficient occasion for that king Edward had not doone his homage vnto the king of France as he ought to haue doone for the duchie of Aquitaine and the countie of Pontieu But the true occasion that mooued them to attempt the warres at that present was for that they were in hope to recouer all the lands which the king of England held within France cleerelie out of his hands for so much as they vnderstood the discord betwixt him and his barons and how infortunatlie he had sped against the Scots by reason whereof they iudged the time to serue most fitlie now for their purpose In the octaues of the natiuitie of saint Iohn Baptist Robert Bruce entring into England by Carleill kept on his waie through Cumberland Coupeland Kendall and so into Lancashire till he came to Preston in Andernesse which towne he burnt as he had doone
for felonies should incontinentlie be buried which ordinance hath béene euer since obserued The earle of Kent and the archbishop of Dubline going ouer into France could not light vpon anie good conclusion for the matter about the which they were sent bicause the same time or rather somewhat before the lord Rase Basset of Draiton being the kings seneshall in Guien had ouerthrowne a certeine towne newlie fortified by the Frenchmen on the frontiers for that the inhabitants trusting on the French kings fauour and maintenance refused to obeie the lawes and ordinances of the countrie of Aquitaine and séemed to despise and set at naught the authoritie of the said lord Basset in that countrie contrarie to all right good order or reason Neuerthelesse the French king tooke the matter so greeuouslie that except the lord Basset might be constreined to come vnto Paris and there make answer to his offense he would not hearken to anie other satisfaction And therevpon when the ambassadours were returned he sent his vncle the lord Charles de Ualois earle of Anio◠with a mightie armie against the English subiects into Guien where entring into Agenois he tooke and seized all that countrie into the French kings hands The earle of Kent being now gotten into those parts with a great number of other capteins and men of warre sent thither by the king of England resisted the enimies verie manfullie in so much that vpon their approch to the Rioll a strong towne in those parts the earle of Kent as then being within it did issue foorth and giuing them battell slue as some write fouretéene hundred of their men so that they were glad to lodge at the first somewhat further off the towne Whilest this siege remained before the towne of the Rioll the king of England wrote his letters to the duke of Britaine as one of the péeres of France declaring the iniurious dealing of the French king who had sent his vncle the earle of Aniou with an armie against his people in Agenois where he had taken manie townes destroied his people and now had besieged his nephue Edmund earle of Kent within the towne of the Rioll inforsing his whole puissance wrongfullie to bereaue him of all the duchie of Guien and against all reason and the prerogatiue of the peeres of France to an euill president or example in time to come of the perpetuall seruitude of the said péeres And although saith the king of England that the French alledge that we haue béen lawfullie summoned to come and doo homage and haue refused so to doo that is not so for we were neuer in due order required as was conuenient neither could we doo homage by reason of the great iniuries and hard dealings practised against vs from the feast of Easter last till the date of those his present letters which was the sixt of October in this eighteenth yeare of his reigne and yet saith he there was neuer anie lawfull processe had against vs before our péeres in the great chamber at Paris as had béene requisite Herevpon he requested the duke of Britaine that for the preseruation and maintenance of the honorable estate of the péeres of France for iustice sake he would helpe to aid him either by waie of request or other conuenient meanes so as the said streict dealings and iniurious wrongs may ceasse and the estate of the péereship may be mainteined as was requisite He wrote likewise to the lord Iohn the infant the lord of Biskie and to the ladie Marie of Biskie gouernesse of the king of Castile and Leon and to Iames king of Aragon requesting them to aid him with men of warre as well horssemen as footmen against his aduersarie the French king that most vniustlie went about to depriue him of his inheritance But howsoeuer the matter went no aid came to the earle of Kent from any part till at length the Frenchmen so reinforced the siege that the towne was deliuered to the earle of Aniou and a truce taken vpon certeine conditions that further talke might be had for the conclusion of some peace Then were sent ouer other ambassadors as the lord Iohn de Sullie a Frenchman borne and one maister Iohn de Shordich but the lord Sullie had so strange interteinment for some displeasure which the French king conceiued against him that if the French quéene had not the beter intreated for him he had lost his head and as for the other he had also returned home without bringing any thing to passe of that for the which he was sent After this the pope line 10 sent the archbishop of Uienna and the bishop of Orange to the princes of either realme to exhort them to some agréement but they could doo no good and so taking monie of the cleargie for their expenses they returned After this about the twentith daie after Christmasse year 1325 there was a parlement called at London in the which the king required to haue the aduise of the lords how he might worke for sauing of the duchie of Guien sore molested by the French Hervpon line 20 it was concluded that the bishops of Winchester and Norwich and Iohn de Britaine earle of Richmond should go ouer as ambassadors to the French king who comming into France after manie argumentations allegations and excuses made on both parts at length receiued a certeine forme of pacification at the French kings hands with the which the bishop of Winchester was sent backe to England the bishop of Norwich and the earle of Richmond remaining there till it might be knowen how the king line 30 of England would like thereof Finallie it was thought good that the queene shuld go ouer to hir brother the French king to confirme that treatie of peace vpon some reasonable conditions She willinglie tooke vpon hir the charge and so with the lord Iohn Crumwell other foure knights without any other great traine taking sea she landed in France where of the king hir brother she was ioifullie receiued and finallie she being the mediatrix it was finallie accorded that the K. of England should giue to his eldest sonne the duchie of Aquitaine and line 40 the countie of Pontieu and that the French king receiuing homage of him for the same he should restore into his hands the said countie and the lands in Guien for the which they were at variance and for those countries which had beene forraied and spoiled the earle of Aniou should fullie see him satisfied as right did require Upon the couenants the French king wrote his letters patents into England and other letters also of safe conduct as well for the sonne as for the king line 50 himselfe if it should please him to come ouer himselfe in person Upon which choise great deliberation was had as well at Langdon as at Douer diuerse thinking it best that the king should go ouer himselfe but the earle of Winchester and his
sonne the lord chamberleine that neither durst go ouer themselues with the king nor abide at home in his absence gaue contrarie counsell and at length preuailed so that it was fullie determined that the kings eldest line 60 sonne Edward should go ouer which turned to their destruction as it appeared afterward Herevpon the king made a charter of grant vnto his sonne of the duchie of Guien and countie of Pontieu to haue and hold to him his heires kings of England with condition that if he chanced to depart this life whilest his father liued those lands should returne to his father againe so as the French king might not marrie the kings sonne at his pleasure nor appoint vnto him any gardians or gouernours This ordinance was made at Douer by the kings charter with consent of the prelats and other noble men of the realme there present the morrow after the Natiuitie of our ladie and on the thursdaie following the kings sonne tooke the sea and with him Walter bishop of Excester and others in competent number and about the feast of saint Matthew the apostle he did homage to his vncle the French king at Bois de Vincennes vnder certeine protestations made as well on the one part as the other The summer this yeare prooued excéeding hot and drie so that springs and riuers failed to yéeld their accustomed course of waters by reason wherof great numbers of cattell and beasts both wild and tame died through lacke of conuenient liquor to asswage their vehement thirst In the beginning of the next spring king Edward sent into France vnto his wife and sonne commanding them now that they had made an end of their businesse to returne home with all conuenient speed The queene receiuing the message from hir husband whether it was so that she was staied by hir brother vnto whome belike she had complained after what manner she was vsed at hir husbands hands being had in no regard with him or for that she had no mind to returne home bicause she was loth to see all things ordered out of frame by the counsell of the Spensers whereof to heare she was wearie or whether as the manner of women is she was long about to prepare hir selfe forward she slacked all the summer and sent letters euer to excuse hir tarriance But yet bicause she would not run in any suspicion with hir husband she sent diuerse of hir folkes before hir into England by soft iournies A lamentable case that such diuision should be betwéene a king and his quéene being lawfullie married and hauing issue of their bodies which ought to haue made that their copulation more comfortable but alas what will not a woman be drawne and allured vnto if by euill counsell she be once assaulted And what will she leaue vndoone though neuer so inconuenient to those that should be most déere vnto hir so hir owne fansie and will be satisfied And how hardlie is the reuoked from procéeding in an euill action if she haue once taken a taste of the same As verie truly is reported by the comedie-writer saieng Malè quod mulier incoepit nisi efficere id perpetrat Id illi morbo id illi senio est ea illi miserae miseria est Si bene facere incoepit eius eam cito odium percipit Nimisque paucae sunt defessae male quae facere occoeperint Nimisque paucae efficiunt si quid occoeperint benefacere Mulieri nimiò malefacere melius est onus quà m benè But to the purpose King Edward not a little offended with king Charles by whole meanes he knew that the woman thus lingered abroad he procured pope Iohn to write his letters vnto the French king admonishing him to send home his sister and hir sonne vnto hir husband But when this nothing auailed a proclamation was made in the moneth of December the nineteenth yeare of this kings reigne that if the quéene and hir sonne entred not the land by the octaues of the Epiphanie next insuing in peaceable wise they should be taken for enimies to the realme and crowne of England ¶ Here authors varie for some write that vpon knowledge had of this proclamation the queene determined to returne into England foorthwith that she might be reconciled to hir husband Others write and that more truelie how she being highlie displeased both with the Spensers and the king hir husband that suffered himselfe to be misled by their counsels did appoint indéed to returne into England not to be reconciled but to stir the people to some rebellion wherby she might reuenge hir manifold iniuries Which as the proofe of the thing shewed séemeth to be most true for she being a wise woman considering that sith the Spensers had excluded put out and remooued all good men from and besides the kings councell and placed in their roomes such of their clients seruants and freends as pleased them she might well thinke that there was small hope to be had in hir husband who heard no man but the said Spensers which she knew hated hir deadlie Wherevpon year 1326 after that the tearme prefixed in the proclamation was expired the king caused to be seized into his hands all such lands as belonged either to his sonne or to his wife About the same time one sir Robert Walkfare knight a right hardie man of his hands but craftie and subtill who being taken in the warres which the line 10 lords raised against the king had beene committed to prison in the castell of Corfe found means now to kill the constable of that castell most cruellie and escaping awaie got ouer to the quéene into France and so the number of them that ran out of the realme vnto hir dailie increased This sir Robert Walkfare was a great procurer of the discord betwixt the king and the lords and a chéefe leader or rather seducer of that noble man Humfrie de Bohune earle of Hereford and whilest other gaue themselues to line 20 seeke a reformation in the decaied state of the commonwealth he set his mind vpon murders and robberies Diuerse other about the same time fled out of the realme vnto the queene and vnto hir sonne the earle of Chester But in the meane time Walter Stapleton bishop of Excester which hitherto had remained with the queene in France stale now from hir and got ouer into England opening to the king all the counsell and whole mind of the queene which thing turned first of all vnto his owne destruction line 30 as shall after appeare About the same time one sir Oliuer de Ingham a yoong lustie and valiant knight was by the kings sonne the duke of Aquitaine not without his fathers consent established lord warden of the marches of Guien the which sir Oliuer gathering an armie of hired soldiers Spaniards Aragons and Gascoins inuaded the countrie of Agenois which the French king held yet in his hands contrarie to
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
battell the next day being fridaie or else on saturdaie following at the Frenchmens choice but the constable of France and his companie continuing in their first offer refused both line 50 those daies Then the English lords accepted the daie by them assigned with condition that if they brought not king Edward to giue battell that day they would yeeld themselues prisoners so that the Frenchmen would likewise vndertake for their king The constable hauing no answer readie staied a while and after flatlie refused to make any such couenant Finallie when the English lords perceiued their aduersaries not to meane battell as their words at the first pretended line 60 they brake off and both parties returned home The king of England staied till the tuesdaie and paid the strangers their wages and so came backe into England On the sixt of Nouember whilest the king was thus abroad in Picardie the Scots verie earlie in the morning of that daie came priuilie to Berwike entred by stealth into the towne and sleâ—ing three or foure Englishmen tooke it with all the goods and persons within it those excepted which got to the castell In a parlement summoned this yeare the mondaie after the feast of saint Edmund the king the lords and commons granted to king Edward fiftie shillings of euerie sacke of wooll that should be caried ouer the sea for the space of six yeares next insuing By this grant it was thought that the king might dispend a thousand markes sterling a day such vent of wools had the English merchants in that season ¶ The parlement being ended the king about S. Andrews tide set forward towards Scotland and held his Christmasse at Newcastell About which time by letters sent from the prince the king was aduertised of his proceedings after his arriuall in Gascoigne where being ioifullie receiued of the nobles and other the people of that countrie as before yée haue heard he declared to them the cause of his thither comming and tooke aduise with them how to procéed in his businesse and so about the tenth of October he set forward to passe against his enimies first entring into a countrie called Iuliake which togither with the fortresses yeelded to him without anie great resistance Then he rode through the countie Armignac wasting and spoiling the countrie and so passed through the lands of the vicounts de la Riuiere and after entered into the countie de l'Estrac and passing through the same came to the countie of Commiges finding the towne of S. Matain void being a good towne one of the best in that countrie After this he passed by the land of the earle of Lisle till he came within a league of Tholouse where the earle of Armignac being the French kings lieutenant in those parts and other great lords and nobles were assembled The prince with his armie tarried there two daies and after passed ouer the riuer of Garonne and after ouer an other riuer the reabouts a league aboue Tholouse lodging that night a league on the other side of Tholouse and so they passed thorough Tholouse dailie taking townes castels wherein they found great riches for the countrie was verie plentifull Upon Alhallowes éeuen they came to castell Naudarie and from thence they tooke the waie to Carcasson into the which a great number of men of armes and commons were withdrawne But vpon the approch of the Englishmen they slipt awaie and got them to a strong castell that stood néere at hand The third day after the Englishmen burnt the towne and passing forth trauersed all the countrie of Carcassonoâ—s till they came to the towne of Narbonne The people there were fled into the castell in which the vicount of Narbonne was inclosed with fiue hundred men of arms The prince staied there two daies The pope sent two bishops towards the prince to treat with him of peace but bicause the prince would not hearken to anie treatie without commission from his father they could not get anie safe conduct to approch néerer The prince hauing aduertisments heere that his enimies were assembled and followed him he turned backe to meet them but they had no will to abide him for although the earle of Armignac the constable of France the marshall Cleremont and the prince of Orange with diuerse other néere to Tholouse made some shew to impeach the prince his passage yet in the end they withdrew not without some losse for the lord Bartholomew de Burwasch alias Burghersch sir Iohn Chandois the lord Iames Audeley and sir Thomas Felton being sent foorth to view them skirmished with two hundred of their men of armes and tooke of them fiue and thirtie After this they had no mind to abide the English power but still shranke awaie as the prince was readie to follow them and so he perceiuing that the Frenchmen would not giue him battell he withdrew towards Burdeaux after he had spent eight weekes in that his iournie and so comming thither he wintetered there whilest his capteins in the meane time tooke diuerse townes and castels abroad in the countrie ¶ And now to the end yee may haue more plaine information of the princes dooings in those parties I haue thought good to make you partakers of a letter or two written by sir Iohn Winkefield knight attendant on the prince there in Gascoigne The copie of sir Iohn Winkefields letters MY lord as touching the newes in these parts may it please you to line 10 vnderstand that all the earles barons baronets knights and esquiers were in helth at the making hereof and my lord hath not lost either knight or esquier in this voiage except the lord Iohn Lisle who was slaine after a strange manner with a quarrell the third day after we were entered into our enimies countries he died the fiftenth of October And please line 20 it you to vnderstand that my lord hath ridden through the countrie of Arminac and hath taken many fensed townes and burnt and destroied them except certeine which he hath fortified After this he marched into the vicountie of Rouergne where he tooke a good towne named Pleasance the chiefest towne of that countrie which he hath burnt and destroied with the countrie line 30 round about the same This doone he went into the countie d'Astrike wherin he tooke manie townes wasted and destroied all the countrie After this he entred into the countie of Cominge and tooke manie townes there which he caused to be destroied burnt togither with all the countrie abroad He tooke also the towne of S. Matan which is the cheefest towne of that countrie being as large in compasse as line 40 Norwich Afterward he entered into the countie of Lisle and tooke the most part of the fensed townes therin causing diuerse of them to be burnt and destroied as he passed And after entring into the lordship of Tholouse we passed the riuer of Girond and an other a league aboue Tholouse which is verie
chancellor of Burgognie Iaques de Uienne and other lords of the countrie being sent from their duke to agrée with the king for the sparing of the lands and seigniories apperteining to the duchie of Burgognie The chancellor and the other Burgognian lords found the king so agréeable to their request that a composition was made betwixt him and the countrie of Burgognie so that he should make to them an line 50 assurance for him and all his people not to ouerrun or indamage that countrie during the space of thrée yeares and he to haue in readie monie the summe of two hundred thousand florens of gold which of sterling monie amounted to the summe of fiue and thirtie thousand pounds When this agreement was ingrossed vp in writing and sealed the king dislodged and all his host taking the right waie to Paris and passing the riuer of Yonne entered into Gastinois line 60 and at length by easie iournies vpon a tuesdaie being the last of March in the wéeke before Easter he came and lodged betwéene Mont le Herie and Chartres with his people in the countrie there abouts Here the duke of Normandie made meanes for a treatie of peace which was laboured by a frier called Simon de Langres prouinciall of the friers Iacobins and the popes legat he did so much that a treatie was appointed to be holden on good fridaie in the Malederie of Longegimew where appeared for the king of England the duke of Lancaster the erls of Warwike and Northampton with sir Iohn Chandois sir Walter de Mannie and sir William Cheinie knights and for the French king thither came the earle of Eu constable of France and the marshall Bouciquant with other but their treatie came to none effect wherfore the king vpon the tuesdaie in the Easter wéeke remooued neerer vnto Paris and vpon the fridaie following being the tenth of Aprill by procurement of the abbat of Clugnie newlie come from pope Innocent the sixt the foresaid commissioners eftsoones did meet to treat of an agréement but nothing they could conclude the parties in their offers and demands were so farre at ods Upon the sundaie next following a part of the kings hoste came before the citie of Paris and imbattelled themselues in a field fast by saint Marcilles abiding there frō morning till three of the clocke in the after noone to sée if the Frenchmen would come foorth to giue battell but the French would not taste of that vessell For the duke of Normandie well considering what losse had insued within few yeares past vnto the realme of France by giuing battell to the Englishmen and taught by late triall and féeling of smart to dread imminent danger for Vulneribus didicit miles habere metum would not suffer anie of his people to issue foorth of the gates but commanded them to be readie onelie to defend the walles and gates although he had a great power of men of warre within the citie beside the huge multitude of the inhabitants The Englishmen to prouoke their enimies the sooner to saile forth burnt diuerse parts of the suburbs and rode euen to the gates of the citie When they perceiued that the Frenchmen would not come foorth about three of the clocke in the afternoone they departed out of the field and withdrew to their campe and then the king and all the English host remooued towards Chartres and was lodged at a place called Dones Thither came to him the bishop of Beauuois then chancellor of Normandie with other and so handled the matter with him that a new daie of treatie was appointed to be holden at Bretignie which is little more than a mile distant from Chartres vpon the first day of Maie next insuing In which daie and place appointed the foresaid duke of Lancaster and the said earles and other commissioners met with the said bishop and other French lords and spirituall men to him associate on the behalfe of the duke of Normandie then regent of France to renew the former communication of peace in full hope to bring it to a good conclusion bicause king Edward began to frame his imagination more to accord with his aduersaries than he had doone of late chéefelie for that the duke of Lancaster with courteous words and sage persuasions aduised him not to forsake such reasonable conditions as the Frenchmen were contented now to agrée vnto sith that by making such manner of warre as he had attempted his souldiers onelie gained and he himselfe lost but time and consumed his treasure◠and further he might warre in this sort all the daies of his life before he could atteine to his intent and loose perhaps in one daie more than he had gained in twentie yeares Such words spoken for the wealth of the king and his subiects conuerted the kings mind to fansie peace namelie by the grace of the Holie-ghost chéefe worker in this case For it chanced on a daie as he was marching not farre from Chartres there came such a storme and tempest of thunder lightening haile and raine as the like had neuer béene séene by anie of the English people This storme fell so hideous in the kings host that it seemed the world should haue ended for such vnreasonable great stones of haile fell from the skie that men and horsses were slaine therewith so that the most hardie were abashed There perished thousands thereby as some haue written Then the king remembring what reasonable offers of agréement he had refused vpon remorse of conscience as by some writers should appeare asked forgiuenesse of the damage doone by sword and fire in those parts and fullie determined to grant vnto indifferent articles of peace for reléefe of the christian inhabitants of that land and so shortlie after by the good diligence of the commissioners on both line 10 parts an vnitie and finall peace was accorded the conditions whereof were comprised in fortie and one articles the chiefe whereof in effect were these 1 First that the king of England should haue and enioy ouer and beside that which he held alreadie in Gascoigne and Guien the castell citie and countie of Poictiers and all the lands and countrie of Poicton with the fée of Touars and the lands of Belleuille the citie and castell of Xainctes and all the lands and countrie of Xaonctonge on both sides the riuer of line 20 Charent with the towne and fortresse of Rochell with their appurtenances the citie and castell of Agent and the countrie of Agenois the citie and castell of Piergort and all the land and countrie of Perigueux the citie and castell of Limoges and all the lands and countrie of Limosin the citie and castell of Cahors and the lordship of Cahorsin the castell and countrie of Tarbe the lands countrie and countie of Bigorre the countie countrie and lands of Gaure the citie and castell of Angolesme and the countie line 30 land and countrie of Angolesmois the
citie towne and castell of Rodaix and all the countie and countrie of Rouergne and if there were in the duâ—â—ie of Guien any lords as the earles of Foiz Arminacke Lisle and Perigueux the vicounts of Carmain and Limoges or other holding any lands within the foresaid bounds it was accorded that they should doo homage and other customarie seruices due for the same vnto the king of England 2 It was also agreed that Calis and Guines with line 40 the appurtenances the lands of Montreuill on the sea with the countie of Ponthieu wholie and entirelie should remaine vnto the king of England All the which countries cities townes and castels with the other lands and seigniories the same king should haue and hold to him and his heires for euer euen as they were in demaine or fee immediatlie of God and frée without recognizing any maner souereingtie to any earthlie man In consideration whereof king Edward renounced all such claimes titles and interest line 50 as he pretended vnto any part of France other than such as were comprised within the charter of couenants of this peace first agréed vpon at Bretignie aforesaid and after confirmed at Calis as appeareth by the same charter dated there the foure twentith daie of October in the yeare of our Lord 1360. 3 It was also couenanted that the French king should paie vnto the king of England thirtie hundred thousanâ— crownes in name of his ransome for assurance of which paiment performance of all the line 60 couenants afore mentioned and other agreed vpon by this peace the dukes of Orleance Aniou Berrie and Burbon with diuerse other honorable personages as earles lords and burgesses of euerie good towne some were appointed to be sent ouer hither into England to remaine as hostages 4 It was further agréed that neither the French king nor his successors should aid the Scots against the king of England or his successors nor that king Edward nor his heirs kings of England should aid the Flemings against the crowne of France 5 And as for the title or right of the duchie of Britaine which was in question betweene the earles of Blois and Mountfort it was accorded that both kings being at Calis the parties should be called before them and if the two kings could not make them fréends then should they assigne certeine indifferent persons to agree them and they to haue halfe a yeeres respit to end the matter and if within that terme those that should be so appointed to agrée them could not take vp the matter betwixt the said earles then either of them might make the best purchase for himselfe that he could by helpe of freends or otherwise but alwaies prouided that neither of the kings nor their sonnes should so aid the said earles whereby the peace accorded betwixt England and France might by any meanes be broken or infringed Also to whether of the said earles the duchie of Britaine in the end chanced to fall by sentence of iudges or otherwise the homage should be doone for the same vnto the French king All these ordinances articles and agréements with manie mo which here would be too long to rehearse were accorded and ratified by the instruments and seales of the prince of Wales on the one part and of the duke of Normandie regent of France on the other part as by their letters patents then sealed further appeared bearing date the one at Loures in Normandie the sixteenth daie of Maie in the yeare of Grace 1360 and the other at Paris the tenth day of the same moneth and in the yeare aforesaid Ouer beside this both the said princes tooke on them a solemne oth to see all the same articles and couenants of agreement throughlie kept mainteined and performed This doone king Edward imbarked himselfe with his foure sonnes and the most part of his nobles at Hunfleu the twentith daie of Maie and so sailed into England leauing hehind him the earle of Warwike to haue the gouernement of all the men of warre which he left behind him either in Gaien or in any other place on that side the sea There died in this iournie diuerse noble men of this land as the earles of March and Oxford the lord Iohn Graie then steward of England and the lord Geffrie de Saie with diuerse other The eight of Iulie next insuing the French king hauing licence to depart landed at Calis and was lodged in the castell there abiding till the king of England came thither which was not till the ninth day of October next after On the foure and twentith daie of October both the kings being in two trauerses and one chappell at Calis a masse was said before them and when they should haue kissed the pax either of them in signe of greater fréendship kissed the other there they were solemnelie sworne to mainteine the articles of the same peace and for more assurance thereof manie lords of both parts were likewise sworne to mainteine the same articles to the vttermost of their powers Whilest these kings laie thus at Calis there was great banketting and chéere made betwixt them Also the duke of Normandie came from Bullongne to Calis to visit his father and to sée the king of England in which meane time two of king Edwards sonnes were at Bullongne Finallie when these two kings had finished all matters in so good order and forme that the same could not be amended nor corrected and that the French king had deliuered his hostages to the king of England that is to saie six dukes beside earles lords and other honorable personages in all to the number of eight and thirtie on the morrow after the taking of their oths that is to saie on the fiue and twentith daie of October being sundaie the French king was freelie deliuered and the same daie before noone he departed from Calis and rode to Bullongne The king of England brought him a mile foreward on his waie and then tooke leaue of him in most louing maner The prince attended him to Bullongne where both he and the duke of Normandie with other were eftsoons sworne to hold and mainteine the foresaid peace without all fraud or colourable deceit and this doone the prince returned to Calis Thus was the French king set at libertie after he had beene prisoner here in England the space of foure yeares and as much as from the nineteenth daie of September vnto the fiue and twentith of October When the king of England had finished his businesse at Calis according to his mind he returned into England and came to London line 10 the ninth daie of Nouember ¶ Thus haue yée hard the originall begining the processe and issue of sundrie conflicts and battels and speciallie of two one of Iohn the French king vnluckilie attempted against England the other of Dauid the Scotish king as vnfortunatlie ended For both kings were subdued in fight vanquished
other places of the kingdome of Spaine came in and did homage vnto king Peter promising him to be true to him euer after for they saw that resistance would not auaile so long as the prince should be in the countrie After this the prince was in hand with king Peter for the souldiers wages by whose aid he was thus restored into his former estate King Peter went vnto Siuill to make shift for monie accordinglie promising to returne againe within a few weekes and to sée euerie man paid according as he had couenanted For when he was driuen out of his realme and came to Burdeaux to craue aid of the prince he promised that so soone as he should be restored to his kingdome he would see the souldiers contented of their wages and bound himselfe thereto both by his oth and writing giuen vnder his seale But when he obteined his purpose he forgat all fréendlie dutie and was so farre from performing his promise that he cloaked his ill meaning with a feigned tale and sent the prince a message spiced with hypocrisie and vnthankfulnesse two foule faults in a priuat man much more odious in a prince and great state as the poet wiselie and truelie saith in this distichon Omne animi vitium tantò conspectius in se Crimen habet quantò maior qui peccat habetur The prince tarried for the returne of king Peter both weekes and moneths but could not heare anie tidings of him He therefore sent vnto him to vnderstand the cause of the staie his answer was that he had prouided monie and sent it by certeine of his men toward the prince but the companions that serued vnder the prince had met with it by the way and taken it from them that had the conueiance of it he therefore required the prince to rid the realme of those snaphances and to leaue behind him some of his officers to whome in name of him he would make paiment of such monie as was due This answer pleased not the prince but there was no remedie for other at that present he could not haue for anie likeliehood he saw and therefore taking order with king Peter how the paiment should be made he prepared to returne into Gascoigne The order therefore taken betwixt them was this Within foure moneths next insuing king Peter should paie the one halfe of the wages due to the soldiers for this iournie vnto such as the prince should leaue behind him to receiue the same and the other halfe within one yeare The prince was compelled to breake his plate and to make monie thereof to paie his soldiers namelie the companions which he had called foorth of France so that he left himselfe bare of all riches to line 10 kéepe touch with them although king Dampeter failed in his promise each waie foorth For where the prince should haue had in recompense towards his charges the countie of Algezara and other lands by the said Dampeters assignement so that he sent one of his knights to take seizine of the same lands he was neuertheles disappointed for he could not come by any peaceable possession of those lands and so returned greatlie impouerished hauing spent in this iournie all that he could make In the meane time line 20 the bastard Henrie hauing escaped out of the field by flight got him into France and there through fauor of the duke of Aniou so purchased for himselfe that he got togither a certeine number of Britains and other soldiers comming to the frontiers of the princes land in Gascoigne got a towne in Bigore called Bannieres and made war vpon the princes subiects The prince obteining passage for himselfe and his men of the kings of Aragon and Nauarre returned line 30 to Burdeaux and then did the bastard Henrie forsake his garrison at Bannieres and went into Arragon and there got the king of Arragons assistance finallie in the yeare 1369 returning into Spaine recouered the kingdome and slue his brother king Peter as in the historie of Spaine it may appeare which for that it apperteineth not to this historie of England I doo here passe ouer This yeare in the moneth of March appeared a blasing starre betwixt the north and west whose beames stretched towards line 40 France as was then marked threatning as might be thought that within a small time after it should againe be wrapped and set on fire with new troubles of warre and euen then that countrie was not in quiet but harried in diuerse parts by such soldiers as had béene with the prince in Spaine were now out of wages The leaders of which people were for the more part Englishmen and Gascoignes as sir Robert Briquet sir Iohn Tresmelle Robert Cenie sir Gaollard Uigier the bourge of Bertueill the line 50 bourge Camois of Cominges as Denise Sauage thinketh the bourge of Lespare Nandon or Nawdon of Bargerant Bernard de la Salle Ortigo Lamut and manie other In this 42 yeare of king Edwards reigne his second son the lord Lionell duke of Clarence and earle of Ulster passed the sea with a noble companie of lords knights and gentlemen and went thorough France into Lombardie there to marrie the ladie line 60 Uiolant daughter to the duke of Millane He was honorablie receiued in all places where he came and speciallie at Paris by the dukes of Berrie and Burgognie the lord Coucie and other the which brought him to the court where he dined and supped with the king and lodged within the palace On the next day he was had to a place where the quéene lodged and dined with hir and after was conueied to the court againe and supped that night with the king and on the morrow following he tooke his leaue of the king and quéene the which gaue to him great gifts and likewise to the noble men of England that came ouer with him to the value of twentie thousand florens and aboue he was conueied from place to place with certeine of the French nobilitie till he came to the borders of the realme and then entring into Sauoy he came to Chamberie where the earle of Sauoy was readie to receiue him and there he remained foure daies being highlie feasted amongst the ladies and damosels and then he departed and the earle of Sauoy brought him to Millaâ—e to doo him the more honor for his sister was mother to the bride which the duke should marrie To speake of the honorable receiuing of him into the citie of Millane and of the great feast triumph and banketting and what an assemblie there was in Millane of high states at the solemnizing of the mariage betwixt him and the said ladie Uiolant it were too long a processe to remember The gifts that the father of the bride the lord Galeas gaue vnto such honorable personages as were there present amounted in value to an inestimable summe ¶ The writers of the Millane histories affirme
his men without honour or spoile returned line 30 into France After this the admerall of Britaine highlie incouraged for that the last yeere he had taken certeine English ships laden with wines acompanied with the lord du Chastell a valiant baron of Britaine and twelue hundred men of armes sailed foorth with thirtie ships from S. Malos and came before the towne of Dartmouth and would haue landed but by the puissance of the townesmen and aid of the countrie they were repelled in the which conflict the lord du line 40 Chastell and two of his brethren with foure hundred other were slaine and aboue two hundred taken prisoners and put to their ransoms amongst whom the lord of Baqueuille the marshall of Britaine was one All this summer Owen Glendouer and his adherents robbed burned and destroied the countries adioining néere to the places where he hanted and one while by sleight guilefull policie an other while by open force he tooke and slue manie Englishmen line 50 brake downe certeine castels which he wan and some he fortified and kept for his owne defense Iohn Trenor bishop of Assaph considering with himselfe how things prospered vnder the hands of this Owen fled to him and tooke his part against the king About the same time the Britaines and the Flemings tooke certeine ships of ours laden with merchandize and slue all the marriners or else hanged them Also the old countesse of Oxford mother to Robert line 60 Ueere late duke of Ireland that died at Louaine caused certeine of hir seruants and other such as she durst trust to publish and brute abroad thorough all the parts of Essex that king Richard was aliue and that he would shortlie come to light and claime his former estate honor and dignitie She procured a great number of harts to be made of siluer and gold such as king Richard was woont to giue vnto his knights esquiers fréends to weare as cognizances to the end that in bestowing them in king Richards name she might the sooner allure men to further hir lewd practises and where the fame went abroad that king Richard was in Scotland with a great power of Frenchmen and Scots readie to come to recouer his realme manie gaue the more light credit vnto this brute thus set foorth by the said countesse The persuasions also of one Serlo that in times past was one of king Richards chamber greatlie increased this errour for the same Serlo hearing in France whither he was fled that his maister king Richard was in Scotland aliue conueied himselfe thither to vnderstand the truth of that matter and finding there one indéed that greatlie resembled him in all lineaments of bodie but yet was not the man himselfe as he well perceiued vpon malice that he bare to king Henrie aduertised by letters sent vnto diuerse of king Richards freends that he was aliue indéed and shortlie would come to shew himselfe openlie to the world when he had once made his waie readie to recouer his kingdome to the confusion of his enimies and comfort of his fréends These forged inuentions caused manie to beleeue the brute raised by the countesse of Oxford for the which they came in trouble were apprehended and committed to prison The countesse hir selfe was shut vp in close prison and all hir goods were confiscat and hir secretarie drawen and hanged that had spred abroad this fained report in going vp and downe the countrie blowing into mens eares that king Richard was aliue affirming that he had spoken with him in such a place and in such a place apparelled in this raiment and that raiment with such like circumstances About the feast of saint Iohn Baptist at the kings commandement the earle of Northumberland came to Pomfret and brought with him his nephues and his nephues sonnes whereby he cleared himselfe of a great deale of suspicion manie doubting before his comming that he had giuen euill counsell to the yoong men whereby to mooue them to rebellion and to withstand the king Sir William Clifford also came with the earle and brought the foresaid Serlo with him whom he had apprehended vpon his comming to him at Berwike in hope to haue found succour at his hands in consideration whereof the king pardoned the said sir William Clifford of his disobedience shewed in keeping the castell of Berwike against him in which dooing he had committed manifest treason This Serlo being knowen to be the man that had béene the chiefe murtherer of the duke of Glocester when he was made awaie at Calis was diligentlie examined who were helpers with him in the execution thereof and after what sort they made him awaie Serlo knowing there was no waie with him but death would not vtter any other but confessed for his owne part he was worthie for that wicked déed to die ten thousand deaths and shewed such outward appearance of repentance that manie sore lamented his case and promised to hire priests to sing masses as the maner was for his soule of their owne costs and charges He was condemned to die at Pomfret and was drawen from thence through euerie good towne through which those that had the conueiance of him passed with him till they came to London where he was executed confessing euerie thing to be true concerning his wicked pretense as before is recited and further that when he perceiued how their counterfeit practise would come to light and he openlie reuealed he meant to haue returned into France but wanting monie he thought to haue béene relieued with some portion at the hand of the said sir William Clifford and this caused him to come vnto Berwike to shew him his necessitie who to make his owne peace did apprehend him and present him to the king as before ye haue heard King Henrie wanting monie in the feast of saint Faith the virgine assembled at Couentrie his high court of parlement in the which the lord Stephan Scroope of Masham and the lord Henrie Fitz Hugh obteined first to haue places of barons Moreouer it is to be noted that this was called The laie mans parlement bicause the shiriffes were appointed to haue a speciall regard that none should be chosen knights for the counties nor burgesses for the cities and townes that had any skill in the lawes of the land This was doone and when they came togither to talke of the weightie affaires of the realme speciallie line 10 how the king might be relieued with monie to beare such charges as he was knowen to be at as well in defending the realme from the Scots and Welshmen at home as from the Britains Flemings and Frenchmen abroad it was thought most expedient that the spiritualtie should be depriued of their temporall possessions to the reliefe of the kings necessitie Herevpon rose great altercation betwixt the cleargie and the laitie the knights affirming that they had oftentimes serued the king not onelie
saint Albons In this parlement also the duke of Yorke was made protector of the realme and the earle of Salisburie was appointed to be lord chancellour and had the great seale to him deliuered and the earle of Warwike was elected to the office of the capteineship of Calis and the territories of the same and thus the rule of the realme rested in the orders of the duke and chancellour and all warlike affaires remained principallie in the earle of Warwike And so amongest them it was agréed that king Henrie should reigne still in name and dignitie but neither in déed nor in authoritie not minding to destroie him least they might suddenlie prouoke the furie of the common people against them bicause that of the simple sort of people he was for his holinesse of life and abundant clemencie much fauoured and highlie estéemed In this parlement also it was enacted that the king should resume take into his hands againe haue and reteine into his possession all honours castels lordships townes villages manours lands tenements wasts forests chases rents reuersions fées farmes seruices issues profits counties aduousons of priories churches hospitals and free chapels and all other reuenues with their appurtenances the which had passed from him since the first daie of his reigne vnto that present either by his letters patents or authoritie of parlement and manie other meanes whether by grant confirmation or release from him made in fée simple or fée taile for tearme of life or yeares to anie maner of person and persons in England Wales Scotland or the marches in Ireland or in the townes of Calis Guisnes the marches there And likewise all grants made of such things as are aboue mentioned being parcell of the duchie of Lancaster and further all grants of offices roomes fees wages or commodities not accustomed to belong to anie office or charge before the said first daie of the kings reigne were likewise reuoked Diuerse other things were also conteined within this reuocation and generall resumption with certeine exceptions yet and prouisoes had as were thought conuenient and as by the same act it dooth appeare Moreouer now that the duke of Yorke and his adherents had wrested the whole rule gouernement into their hands all such persons as the king either loued or the quéene fauoured were put beside the priuie councell and such put in their places as were knowne to fauour the house of Yorke Also the officers were changed thoroughout the realme at the will and disposition of the protector chancellour and capteine of Calis so that they constituted as it were a triumuirat ruling all things at discretion of these thrée And yet in all their rule I find not that anie mention is made of their deferring of iustice or of anie polling or briberie as was openlie prooued by such as gouerned before their time Onlie they were noted of diuerse spirituall persons and namelie of the abbat of Westminster and his moonks for a great offense bicause they tooke out of the sanctuarie at Westminster Iohn Holland duke of Excester all against the order taken in the last parlement and sent him to the castell of Pomfret But now the lord Henrie Beauford newlie duke of Summerset by the death of duke Edmund his father slaine at the battell of saint Albons as aboue is rehearsed and Humfrie duke of Buckingham who then there lost his sonne and heire and other of estate taking the part of king Henrie whose case line 10 they did much bewaile doubt as perceiuing whereto the courtesie of the duke of Yorke did draw they therefore thinking it necessarie to purueie for a remedie yer the mischeefe happened consulted with the quéene By whose aduise was a great councell called at Gréenewich where the duke of Yorke was discharged of his protectorship the earle of Salisburie depriued also of his office ¶ This sudden change amongst the nobilitie caused alterations and seditious attempts in the commonaltie and in especiall line 20 within London whereof this was one A yoong merchant year 1456 which before time had béene in diuerse cities of Italie and there forbidden by the magistrats as the law and maner is to weare anie weapon now challenged an Italian in Cheapside for wearing a dagger telling him it was against his owne countrie lawes whereto bicause the Italian answered somewhat disdainefullie the merchant not onelie tooke by force from him his dagger but also with the same brake his pate line 30 This Italian in great hast complained to the maior so that at the next court holden at the Guildhall the merchant was sent for and vpon charge of his offense he was commanded to ward Wherevpon diuerse other light persons within the citie assembled togither in great plumps by force constreined the maior to deliuer the prisoner out of Newgate and not so satisfied like mad men ran to the seuerall houses of diuerse Uenetians Lucases and Florentins and them spoiled robbed and rifled without reason line 40 or measure The maior perceiuing this enormious dooing assembled a number of substantiall and graue citizens who not without bloudshed and maiming of sundrie appeased the rage and caused the misruled people to depart to their houses The beginner of this vprore got him to Westminster and there registred himselfe for a sanctuarie man The quéene which now againe ruled all being aduertised of this vnlawfull misdemeanour sent the dukes of Excester and Buckingham with other line 50 noble men to London with a commission oier and terminer for the inquirie and punishment of so seditious an offense But when the maior the two dukes and the two cheefe iustices were set in the Guildhall vpon their commission intelligence was giuen that a number of light persons were approching in armor to rescue the prisoners apprehended for the late robberie and riot as they were caried to their arraignement The two dukes and the other commissioners quickelie thense departed and left their inquirie for line 60 that daie though in déed in no such danger as they doubted for certeine discréet and sage citizens so handled the matter that no misorder followed of that furie The maior on the next daie called a common councell whereof the number was an hundred fourescore and od who ordeined that all wardens of mysteries shuld assemble their companies in their halles where exhortation should be to the obseruation of peace and if they spied any man either readie to stirre a rumor or make to the deliuerance of such as were in prison their names should be secretlie written and so deliuered to the maior which policie well appeased this outrage Where vpon after the commissioners sat in Guildhall where manie of the robbers were attainted put to execution beside diuers great fines set on the heads of diuerse merchants paid for winking at the matter ¶ This yeare Iohn Kempe archbishop of Canturburie departed this life Thomas Burstlier bishop of Elie remooued to
Yorke tenderlie desiring the wealth rest and prosperitie of this land and to set apart all that might be trouble to the same line 20 and considering the possession of the said king Henrie the sixt and that he hath for his time béene named taken and reputed for king of England and of France and lord of Ireland is contented agréed and consenteth that he be had reputed and taken for king of England and France with the roiall estate dignitie and preheminence belonging therevnto and lord of Ireland during his naturall life And for that time the said duke without hurt or preiudice of his said right and title shall take worship line 30 and honour him for his souereigne lord Item the said Richard duke of Yorke shall promit and bind him by his solemne oth in maner and forme as followeth In the name of God Amen I Richard duke of Yorke promise and sweare by the faith and truth that I owe to almightie God that I shall neuer consent procure or stirre directlie or indirectlie in priuie or apert neither as much as in me is shall suffer to be line 40 doone consented procured or stirred anie thing that may sound to the abridgement of the naturall life of king Henrie the sixt or to the hurt or diminishing of his reigne or dignitie roiall by violence or anie other waie against his freedome or libertie but if any person or persons would doo or presume anie thing to the contrarie I shall with all my might and power withstand it and make it to be withstood as far as my power will stretch therevnto so helpe me God and his holie euangelists line 50 Item Edward earle of March and Edmund earle of Rutland sonnes of the said duke of Yorke shall make like oth Item it is accorded appointed and agréed that the said Richard duke of Yorke shall be called and reputed from hencefoorth verie and rightfull heire to the crownes roiall estate dignitie and lordship aboue said and after the deceasse of the said king Henrie or when he will laie from him the said crownes estate dignitie and lordship the said duke and his heires line 60 shall immediatlie succéed to the said crownes roiall estate dignitie and lordship Item the said Richard duke of Yorke shall haue by authoritie of this present parlement castels manors lands and tenements with the wards marriages reliefes seruices fines amercements offices aduousons fées and other appurtenances to them belonging what soeuer they be to the yearelie value of ten thousand marks ouer all charges and reprises whereof fiue thousand marks shall be to his owne state three thousand fiue hundred marks to Edward his first begotten sonne earle of March for his estate and one thousand pounds to Edmund earle of Rutland his second sonne for his yearelie sustentation in such consideration and such intent as shall be declared by the lords of the kings councell Item if anie person or persons imagine or compasse the death of the said duke and thereof probablie be attainted of open déed doone by folkes of other condition that it be déemed adiudged high treason Item for the more establishing of the said accord it is appointed and consented that the lords spirituall and temporall being in this present parlement shall make oths to accept take worship and repute the said Richard duke of Yorke and his heires as aboue is rehearsed and kéepe obserue and strengthen in as much as apperteineth vnto them all the things abouesaid and resist to their power all them that would presume the contrarie according to their estates and degrées Item the said Richard duke of Yorke earles of March and Rutland shall permit and make other to helpe aid and defend the said lords and euerie of them against all those that will quarell or anie thing attempt against the said lords or anie of them by occasion of agréement or consenting to the said accord or assistance giuing to the duke and earles or anie of them Item it is agréed and appointed that this accord and euerie article thereof be opened and notified by the kings letters patents or otherwise at such times and places and in maner as it shall be thought expedient to the said Richard duke of Yorke with the aduise of the lords of the kings councell The king vnderstandeth certeinelie the said title of the said Richard duke of Yorke iust lawfull and sufficient by the aduise and assent of the lords spirituall and temporall and the commons in this parlement assembled and by authoritie of the same parlement declareth approoueth ratifieth confirmeth and accepteth the said title iust good lawfull and true and therevnto giueth his assent and agréement of his frée will and libertie And ouer that by the said aduise and authoritie declareth intituleth calleth establisheth affirmeth reputeth the said Richard duke of Yorke verie true and rightfull heire to the crownes roiall estate and dignitie of the realmes of England and of France and of the lordship of Ireland aforesaid and that according to the worship and reuerence that thereto belongeth he be taken accepted and reputed in worship reuerence by all the states of the said realme of England and of all his subiects thereof sauing and ordeining by the same authoritie the king to haue the said crownes realme roiall estate dignitie and preheminence of the same and the said lordship of Ireland during his life naturall And furthermore by the same aduise and authoritie willeth consenteth and agréeth that after his deceasse or when it shall please his hignesse to laie from him the said crownes estate dignitie and lordship the said Richard duke of Yorke and his heires shall immediatlie succéed him in the said crownes roiall estate dignitie and worship and them then haue and inioie anie act of parlement statute or ordinance or other thing to the contrarie made or interruption or discontinuance of possession notwithstanding And moreouer by the said aduise and authoritie establisheth granteth confirmeth approueth ratifieth and accepteth the said accord and all things therein conteined and therevnto fréelie and absolutelie assenteth agreeth and by the same aduise and authoritie ordeineth and establisheth that if anie person or persons imagine or compasse the death of the said duke probablie be attainted of open déed doone by folks of that condition that it be déemed and adiudged high treason And furthermore ordeineth and establisheth by the said aduise and authoritie that all statutes ordinances and acts of parlement made in the time of the said king Henrie the fourth by the which he and the heires of his bodie comming of Henrie late king of England the fift the sonne and heire of the said king Henrie the fourth and the heires of king Henrie the fift were or be inheritable to the said crownes and realmes or to the heritage of the same be annulled repealed damned cancelled void and of none effect line 10 And ouer this the king by the said aduise assent and authoritie ordeineth and establisheth that all other
Cornewall and earle of Chester his second sonne the duke of Yorke and with them the earle of Lincolnes sonne and heire the duke of Suffolke the lord Thomas Greie the quéenes sonne and Richard his brother the earle of Shrewesburie the earle of Wilshire master Edward Wooduile the lord Neuill the lord Barkleis sonne and heire the lord Audelies sonne and heire the lord saint Amand the lord Stanleis sonne and heire the lord Suttons sonne and heire the lord Hastings sonne and heire the lord Ferrers of Charleis sonne and heire master Herbert brother to the earle of Penbroke master Uaughan Brian chiefe iudge Litilton one of the iudges of the common plées master Bodringham master Brian Stapleton Kneuit Pilkinton Ludlow Charleton c. The same daie the king created the lord Thomas marquesse Dorset before dinner and so in the habit of a marquesse aboue the habit of his knighthood he began tho table of knightâ— in saint Edwards chamber At that time he ordeined that the kings chamberleine should go with the ancient and well nurtered knight to aduertise and teaâ—â— the order of knighthood to the esquiers being in the baine The king himselfe came in person and did honour to all the companie with his noble councell This yeare the duke of Burgognie was slaine by the Switzers before the towne of Nancie in Lorraine after whose death the French king wan all the townes which the said duke held in Picardie and Artois And bicause that the towne of Bullen and countie of Bullenois apperteined by right of inheritance vnto the lord Berthram de la Toure earle of Aâ—uergne the French king bought of him his right and title in the same and recompensed him with other lands in the countie of Forests and in other places And bicause the forenamed towne and countie were holden of the earledome of Artois he changed the tenure and auowed to hold the same towne countie of our ladie of Bolongne and therof did homage to the image in the great church of Bolongne offering there an hart of gold weieng two thousand crownes ordeining further that his heires and successors at their entrie into their estates by themselues or their deputies should offer an hart of like weight and value as a reliefe and homage for the same towne and countie ¶ This yeare was Robert Basset maior of London who did sharpe correction vpon bakers for making of light bread he caused diuerse of them to be set on the pillorie in Cornehill And also one Agnes Daintie a butterwife for selling of butter new and old mingled togither being first trapped with butter dishes was then set on the pillorie ¶ The countesse of Oxford deceassed and was buried at Windsore ¶ Also this yeare Richard Rawson one of the shiriffes of London caused to be builded one house in the church yard of S. Marie hospitall without Bishops gate of London where the maior of that citie and his brethren the aldermen vse to sit and heare the sermons in the Easter holie daies as in times past appeared by an inscription on the front of the same house now by wethering defaced which I haue read in these words Praie for the soules of Richard Rawson late Mercer and alderman of London and Isabell his wife of whose goods this worke was made and founded Anno Dom. 1488. By the diligence of Ralph Iosseline maior of London year 1477 the wall about London was new made betwixt Algate and Creplegate he caused the Moore field to be searched for claie and bricke to be made and burnt there he also caused chalke to be brought out of Kent and in the same Moore field to be burnt into lime for the furtherance of that worke The maior with his companie of the drapers made all that part betwixt Bishops gate and Alhalowes church in the same wall Bishops gate it selfe was new built by the merchants Almans of the Stilliard and from Alhalowes church toward Moore gate a great part of the same was builded of the goods by the executors of sir Iohn Crosbie somtimes an alderman of London as may appeare by his armes in two places fixed The companie of Skinners made that part of the wall betweene Algate and Buries markes towards Bishops gate as may appeare by their armes in thrée places fixed the other companies of the citie made the other deale of the said wall which was a great worke to be doone in one yeare Also this yeare Thomas Burdet an esquier of Arrow in Warwikeshire sonne to sir Nicholas Burdet who was great butler of Normandie in Henrie the sixt daies was beheaded for a word spoken in this sort King Edward in his progresse hunted in Thomas Burdets parke at Arrow and slue manie line 10 of his deere amongst the which was a white bucke whereof Thomas Burdet made great account And therefore when he vnderstood thereof he wished the buckes head in his bellie that moued the king to kill it Which tale being told to the king Burdet was apprehended and accused of treason for wishing the buckes head hornes and all in the kings bellie he was condemned drawne from the Tower of London to Tiburne and there beheaded and then buried in the Greie friers church at London Wherefore it line 20 is good counsell that the wiseman giueth saieng Kéepe thy toong kéepe thy life for manie times we sée that speech offendeth procureth mischéefe where silence is author neither of the one nor the other as it is trulie and in praise of silence spoken by the poet nulli tacuisse nocet nocet esse loquutum About this season through great mishap the sparke of priuie malice was newlie kindled betwixt the king and his brother the duke of Clarence insomuch line 30 that where one of the dukes seruants was suddenlie accused I can not saie whether of truth or vntrulie suspected by the dukes enimies of poisoning sorcerie or inchantment and thereof condemned and put to execution for the same the duke which might not suffer the wrongfull condemnation of his man as he in his conscience iudged nor yet forbeare but to murmur and reproue the dooing thereof mooued the king with his dailie exclamation to take such displeasure with him that finallie the duke was cast into the line 40 Tower and therewith adiudged for a traitor and priuilie drowned in a butt of malmesie the eleuenth of March in the beginning of the seuententh yeare of the kings reigne Some haue reported that the cause of this noble mans death rose of a foolish prophesie which was that after K. Edward one should reigne whose first letter of his name should be a G. Wherewith the king and quéene were sore troubled and began to conceiue a greeuous grudge against this duke and could not line 50 be in quiet till they had brought him to his end And as the diuell is woont to incumber the minds of men which delite in such diuelish fantasies
knights readie armed their bases and bards of their horsse gréene sattin embrodered with fresh deuises of bramble branches of fine gold curiouslie wrought powdered all ouer And after them a great number of hornes blowne by men apparrelled in gréene cloth with caps and hosen of like sute as foresters or kéepers a pagent made like a parke paled with pales of white and gréene wherein were certeine fallow deare and in the same parke curious trees made by craâ—â— with bushes fernes and line 60 other things in likewise wrought goodlie to behold The which parke or deuise being brought before the quéene had certeine gates thereof opened the deare ran out therof into the palace the greiehounds were let slip and killed the deare the which deare so killed were presented to the quéene and the ladies by the foresaid knights Crocheman which the daie before brought in the speare of gold there declared that the same knights were seruants to Diana and being in their pastime of hunting newes were brought vnto them that dame Pallas knights were come into those parts to doo déeds of armes wherefore they had left their hunting and chase and repaired also thither to encounter with the knights of Pallas and so to fight with them for the loue of ladies to the vtterance saieng that if Pallas knights vanquished the other or made them to leaue the field then they to haue the deare killed and the greiehounds that slue them And in case Dianas knights ouercame the other they to haue their swords and none other thing more Wherevpon the queene and ladies sent to the king to haue his aduise and pleasure in this behalfe His grace conceiuing that there was some grudge and displeasure betwéene them thinking if such request were to them granted some inconuenience might insue would not therevnto agrée so that for the appeasing thereof it was awarded that both parties should tourneie togither giuing but some certeine strokes which doone they departed and so these iusts brake vp and the prises giuen to euerie man after his deserts The king pardoned the lord Henrie brother to the duke of Buckingham committed to the Tower as yee haue heard vpon suspicion of treason but when nothing could be prooued against him he was set at libertie and at the parlement after created earle of Wilshire Also this yeare the king ordeined fiftie gentlemen to be speares euerie of them to haue an archer a demilance and a custrell and euerie speare to haue thrée great horsses to be attendant on his person of the which band the earle of Essex was lieutenant and sir Iohn Pechie capteine This ordinance continued but a while the charges was so great for there were none of them but they and their horsses were apparrelled and trapped in cloth of gold siluer goldsmithes worke This yeare also was a great pestilence in the towne of Calis so that the king sent one sir Iohn Pechie with thrée hundred men to tarrie there vpon the defense of that towne till the sicknesse was ceassed Furthermore this yeare the king summoned his parlement in the moneth of Nouember to begin in the moneth of Ianuarie next ensuing whereof sir Thomas Inglefield was chosâ—â— speaker At this parlement sir Richard Empson knight and Edmund Dudleie esquier late councellors vnto king Henrie the seauenth were atteinted of high treason They were charged with manie offenses committed in the late kings daies as partlie before yée haue heard who being brought before the councell as they were graue and wise personages and both of them learned and skilfull in the lawes of the realme so had they vtterance verie readie whereby to deliuer the conceipts of their minds with singular dexteritie speciallie in a case of importance in so much that when the said parties were conuented before the assemblie of the lords they alleged for themselues right constantlie in their owne defenses much good and sufficient matter of whome Empson being the elder in yeares had these words A speech vttered by Empson to the lords of the councell to find fauour I Know right honorable that it is not vnknowne to you how profitable and necessarie lawes are for the good preseruation of mans life without the which neither house towne nor citie can long continue or stand in safetie Which lawes heere in England thorough negligence of magistrates were partlie decaied and partlie quite forgotten and worne out of vse the mischeefe whereof dailie increasing Henrie the seauenth a most graue and prudent prince wished to suppresse and therefore appointed vs to see that such lawes as were yet in vse might continue in their full force and such as were out of vse might againe be reuiued and restored to their former state that also those persons which transgressed the same might be punished according to their demerits Wherein we line 10 discharged our dueties in most faithfull wise and best maner we could to the great aduantage commoditie no doubt of the whole commonwealth Wherfore we most humblie beseech you in respect of your honours courtesie goodnesse humanitie and iustice not to decree any greeuous sentence against vs as though we were worthie of punishment but rather to appoint how line 20 with thankfull recompense our paines trauell may be worthilie considered Manie of the councell thought that he had spoken well and so as stood with great reason but yet the greater number supposing that the reuiuing of those lawes had procéeded rather of a couetous meaning in the king and them than of anie zeale of iustice and hauing also themselues felt the smart latelie before for their owne offenses and transgressions had line 30 conceiued such malice towards the men that they thought it reason that such as had béene dealers therein were worthie to lose their heads in like sort as they had caused others to lose their monie Héerevpon their accusors were mainteined and manie od matters narrowlie sought out against them as by two seuerall indictments framed against sir Richard Empson the copies whereof I haue séene it may well appeare line 40 In the one he is charged that to win the fauour and credit of the late king not weieng his honor nor the prosperitie of him or wealth of his realme hee had in subuersion of the lawes of the land procured diuerse persons to be indicted of diuerse crimes and offenses surmised against them and therevâ—on to be committed to prison without due proces of law who not suffered to come to their answers were kept in durance till they had compounded for their fines to their great importable losses and vtter impouerishment Also diuerse vntrue offices of intrusions and line 50 alienations made by sundrie the late kings liege people into manors lands and tenements were found it being vntrulie alleged that they held the same of the king In capite And when such persons as were thus vexed offered to trauerse those offices they could not be admitted thereto in
such due and lawfull forme as in such cases the law prouideth till they had compounded to paie great fines and ransomes line 60 Moreouer the kings wards after they had accomplished their full age could not be suffered to sue their liueries till they had paied excessiue fines and ransomes vnto their great annoiance losse and disquieting and to no lesse contempt of the said king And further whereas diuerse persons had béene outlawed as well at the sute of their aduersaries as of the said late king they could not be allowed to purchase their charters of pardon out of the chancerie according to the law of the realme till they were driuen to answer halfe the issues and profits of all their lands and tenements by the space of two yeares which the king receiued to his vse by the said Richard Empsons procurement who informed him that hée might lawfullie take the same although he knew that it was contrarie to the lawes and customes of the realme Wherevpon the people vexed and molested by such hard dealings sore grudged against the said late king to the great perill and danger of his person and realme and subuersion of the lawes and ancient customes thereof Also it was alleged against the said Empson that he had sent foorth precepts directed vnto diuerse persons commanding them vpon great penalties to appeare before him and other his associats at certeine daies and times within his house in S. Brides parish in a ward of London called Farringdon without where they making their appearances according to the same precepts were impleaded afore him and other his said associats of diuerse murthers felonies outlawries and of the articles in the statute of prouisors conteined also of wilfull escapes of felonies and such like matters and articles apperteining to the plées of the crowne and common lawes of the realme And that doone the said persons were committed to diuerse prisons as the Fléet the Tower and other places where they were deteined till they had fined at his pleasure as well for the commoditie of the said late king as for the singular aduantage of the said sir Richard Empson Moreouer whereas the said Empson being recorder of Couentrie and there sate with the maior and other iustices of the peace vpon a speciall gaole deliuerie within that citie on the monday before the feast of saint Thomas the apostle in the sixtéenth yeare of the late kings reigne a prisoner that had beene indicted of felonie for taking out of an house in that citie certeine goods to the value of twentie shillings was arreigned before them And bicause the iurie would not find the said prisoner giltie for want of sufficient euidince as they after alleged the said sir Richard Empson supposing the same euidence to be sufficient caused them to be committed to ward wherein they remained foure daies togither till they were contented to enter bond in fortie pounds a péece to appeare before the king and his councell the second returne of the tearme then next insuing being Quindena Hilarij Wherevpon they kéeping their daie and appearing before the said sir Richard Empson and other of the kings councell according to their bonds were adiudged to paie euerie of them eight pounds for a fine and accordinglie made paiment thereof as they were then thought well worthie so to doo But now this matter so long past was still kept in memorie and so earnest some were to inforce it to the vttermost against the said Empson that in a sessions holden at Couentrie now in this first yeare of this kings reigne an indictment was framed against him for this matter and thereof he was found giltie as if therein he had committed some great and heinous offense against the kings peace his crowne and dignitie Thus haue I thought good to shew what I find hereof to the end ye may perceiue how glad men were to find some colour of sufficient matter to bring the said sir Richard Empson and maister Edmund Dudleie within danger of the lawes whereby at length they were not onelie condemned by act of parlement through malice of such as might séeme to seeke their destruction for priuat grudges but in the end also they were arreigned as first the said Edmund Dudleie in the Guildhall of London the seuentéenth of Iulie and sir Richard Empson at Northampton in October next insuing and being there condemned was from thence brought backe againe to the Tower of London where he remained till the time of his execution as after yée shall heare This yeare the plague was great and reigned in diuerse parts of this realme The king kept his Christmas at Richmond The twelfe of Ianuarie diuerse gentlemen prepared to iust and the king and one of his priuie chamber called William Compton secretlie armed themselues in the little parke of Richmond so came into the iustes vnknowne to all persons The king neuer ran openlie before and did exceeding well Maister Compton chanced line 10 to be sore hurt by Edward Neuill esquier brother to the lord of Aburgauennie so that he was like to haue died One person there was that knew the king and cried God saue the king and with that all the people were astonied and then the king discouered himselfe to the great comfort of the people The king soone after came to Westminster and there kept his Shrouetide with great bankettings dansings and other iollie pastimes And on a time the king in person accompanied line 20 with the earles of Essex Wilshire and other noble men to the number of twelue came suddenlie in a morning into the queenes chamber all apparelled in short coates of Kentish Kendall with hoodes on their heads hosen of the same euerie one of them his bow and arrowes and a sword and a buckler like outlawes or Robin Hoods men Whereat the queene the ladies and all other there were abashed as well for the strange sight as also for their sudden comming and after certeine danses and pastime made they departed On Shrouesundaie the same line 30 yeare the king prepared a goodlie banket in the parlement chamber at Westminster for all the ambassadors which then were here out of diuerse realmes and countries The banket being readie the king leading the quéene entered into the chamber then the ladies ambassadours and other noble men followed in order The king caused the queene to keepe the estate and then sate the ambassadours and ladies as they were marshalled by the K. who would not sit but walked line 40 from place to place making cheare to the quéene and the strangers suddenlie the king was gone And shorlie after his grace with the earle of Essex came in apparelled after the Turkie fashion in long robes of baudekin powdered with gold hats on their heds of crimsin veluet with great rolles of gold girded with two swords called cimiteries hanging by great bauderiks of gold Then next came the lord Henrie earle of
schoolmaister for his yearelie wages six pounds thirtéene shillings foure pence and to euerie one of the said almes folke seuen pence a weeke and fiue pounds to be bestowed yearelie amongst them in coles And ordeined that the said almes priest should on sundaies and festiuall daies be helping and assistant to the vicar or curat line 40 there in celebration of diuine seruice on the wéeke daies fréelie to applie and teach yoong children of the said parish to the number of thirtie in a schoolehouse by him there builded for that purpose Moreouer hée gaue to the parish clearke there for the time being a yearlie stipend of twentie six shillings eight pence for euer and a chamber by the said almes house to the intent he should helpe the said schoolemaister to teach the said children And hath giuen faire lands and tenements in the citie of London for the perpetuall line 50 maintenance of the premisses to Gods glorie for euer He also for the great commoditie of trauellers on foot made a continuall causie of timber ouer the marshes from Walthamstow to Locke bridge towards London In the moneth of Maie the king and the new duke of Suffolke were defenders at the tilt against all commers The king was in a scopelarie mantle an hat of cloth of siluer and like a white hermit and the duke apparelled like a blacke hermit all of blacke line 60 veluet both their berds were of damaske siluer and when they had ridden about the tilt shewed themselues to the quéene then they threw off their apparell and sent it to the ladies for a larges Then was the king in blacke and the duke in white with blacke staues on the staues was written with white letters Who can hold that will away this posie was iudged to be made for the duke of Suffolke and the duchesse of Sauoie At these iustes were the duke of Longuile the lord Cleremont and there the king duke did so valiantlie that they obteined the prise At these iustes were broken an hundred and fourteene speares in a short space The king at this season sent againe into Flanders for the performance of the mariage of the yoong prince of Castile and the faire ladie Marie his sister and shewed how he had prepared all things necessarie and conuenient for such an high estate The councell of Flanders answered that they would not receiue hir that yeare with manie subtill arguments by reason wherof the perfect loue betwene England and the low countries was much slaked On the nineteenth daie of Maie was receiued into London a cap of maintenance a sword sent from pope Iulie with a great companie of nobles and gentlemen which was presented to the king on the sundaie then next insuing with great solemnitie in the cathedrall church of saint Paule Touching this pope saith Guicciardine disappointed of so manie hopes we may laie him in comparison with that which is written by the poets of Anteus that being tamed by the forces of Hercules as often as he was throwne to the ground so often did appeare in him a greater strength and courage such wéening had the pope amidst his aduersities for when he seemed most abased and oppressed it was then that he did most lift vp him selfe with a spirit more constant and resolute promising better of his fortune than euer After he had plaied all his troublesome pageants and had got by sundrie aspiring practises I wot not what péerelesse primasie he fell sicke And happilie he was then more full of high conceipts and trauelling thoughts than at anie time before for notwithstanding he had brought his fortune to be equall with his desires obteined the thing he aspired vnto yet his deuises and plots did nothing diminish but grew increasing by the same meane which should haue satisfied them He had determined in the beginning of the spring and first opening of the yeare to send to the enterprise of Ferrara which he so much desired and his opinion was that that state was able to make no resistance both for that it was naked of all succours and bicause the Spanish armie was to ioine with his companies he had secretlie bought of Cesar for the price of thirtie thousand duckets the citie of Sienna for the behoofe of the duke of Urbin to whome except Pesera he would neuer giue anie thing of the estate ecclesiastike to the end to reserue to himselfe the whole glorie to haue simplie and onelie studied for the exaltation of the church He agreed to lend to Cesar fortie thousand duckats receiuing Modona in gage He threatned them of Lucquoie who in the heat of the affaires of the duke of Ferrara were become lords of Garsagnana making instance that they would deliuer it to him He was out of conceit with the cardinall of Medicis for that he thought him to cleaue more to the king catholike than to him And bicause he knew he was not able to dispose of the citie of Florence as he thought he studied alredie new plots and new practises to alter that estate He was ill contented with the cardinall of Sion from whome he tooke the name of legat and inioined him to come to Rome for that in the duchie of Millan he had appropriat to himselfe a yearelie rent of more than thirtie thousand duckats of the estates and goods of diuerse persons The better to assure the duke of Urbin of Sienna by intelligences of his neighbours he had of new taken into his paie Charles Baillon to chase out of Perousa Iohn Paule who by affinitie was verie neere ioined to the sonnes of Pandolffe Petruccio successours to the greatnesse of their father He would of new create duke of Genes Octauian Fregosa deposing Ianus from that dignitie an action wherevnto did consent the others of the house of Fregosa bicause for the degrée that his ancestors held in that state it séemed best to apperteine vnto him He studied continuallie either how he might worke out of Italie the Spanish armie or cut it in péeces by the aid of the Swizzers whome aboue all others he exalted and imbraced In this deuise hée had this intention that the kingdome of Naples being occupied by him Italie should remaine frée from strangers a speach that often passed out of his mouth and to that end hée had hindered that the Swizzers did not confederate with the king catholike And yet as though it had beene in his power to line 10 batter all the world at one time he continued his accustomed rigour against the French king And notwithstanding he had hard a message from the queene yet he stirred vp to make warre the king of England to whome he had transferred by publke decree of the councell of Lateran the name of Christianissimo whereof there was alreadie a bull written and in it likewise was conteined the priuation of the dignitie name of the king of France giuing his kingdome to who could occupie it
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
On fridaie the thirteenth daie of Iulie the emperour did intend to haue departed from Calis but the counsell was such that he departed not that night On saturdaie the fouretéenth of Iulie the emperour tooke his leaue of the queene of England his aunt and departed toward Graueling being conducted on his waie by the king of England to a village towards Flanders called Waell and there line 30 they imbraced and tooke their leaue either of other in most louing maner They did not altogither spend the time thus while they were togither in vaine pleasures and sporting reuels for the charters before time concluded were read ouer and all the articles of the league tripartite agréed betwixt the emperour the king of England and the French king were at full declared to the which the French king had fullie condescended And for the more proofe thereof and exemplification of the same he sent monsieur de Roch line 40 with letters of credence to signifie to the emperour that in the word of a prince he would obserue fulfill performe and kéepe all the same articles for him his realme and subiects Shortlie after that the emperour and the king had taken leaue each of other and were departed the king shipped and with the quéene and all other the nobilitie returned safelie into England The king kept his Christmas at Greenwith this yeare with much noblenesse and open court And the tenth daie of Februarie in his owne person iusted line 50 with all commers On Twelfe daie his grace and the earle of Deuonshire with foure aids answered at the tourneie all commers which were sixtéene persons noble and rich was their apparell but in feats of armes the king excelled the rest About this time the king hauing regard to the common welth of his realme year 1521 considered how for the space of fiftie yeares past and more the nobles and gentlemen of England being giuen to grasiâ—â— of cattell and kéeping line 60 of shéepe had inuented a meane how to increase their yearelie reuenues to the great decaie and vndooing of husbandmen of the land For the said nobles and gentlemen after the maner of the Numidians more studieng how to increase their pastures than to mainteine tillage began to decaie husband tacks tenements and to conuert arable ground into pasture furnishing the same with beasts and shéepe and also deere so inclosing the field with hedges ditches and pales which they held in their owne hands ingrossing woolles and selling the same and also shéepe and beasts at their owne prices and as might stand most with their owne priuate commoditie Hereof a thréefold euill chanced to the common wealth as Polydor noteth One for that thereby the number of husbandmen was sore diminished the which the prince vseth chieflie in his seruice for the warres an other for that manie townes and villages were left desolate and became ruinous the third for that both wooll and cloth made thereof and the flesh of all maner beasts vsed to be eaten was sold at far higher prices than was accustomed These enormities at the first begining being not redressed grew in short space to such force and vigour by euill custome that afterwards they gathered to such an vnited force that hardly they could be remedied Much like a disease which in the beginning with litle paine to the patient and lesse labour to the surgeon maie be cured whereas the same by delaie and negligence being suffered to putrifie becommeth a desperate sore and then are medicines nothing auailable and not to be applied according to his opinion that said Helleborum frustra cùm iam cutis aegratumescit Poscentes videas venienti occurrite morbo The king therefore causing such good statutes as had beene deuised and established for reformation in this behalfe to be reuiued and called vpon tooke order by directing foorth his commissions vnto the iustices of peace and other such magistrats that presentment should be had and made of all such inclosures and decaie of husbandrie as had chanced within the space of fiftie yeares before that present time The iustices and other magistrates according to their commission executed the same And so commandement was giuen that the decaied houses should bée built vp againe that the husbandmen should be placed eftsoones in the same and that inclosed grounds should be laid open and sore punishment appointed against them that disobeied These so good and wholesome ordinances shortlie after were defeated by meanes of bribes giuen vnto the cardinall for when the nobles and gentlemen which had for their pleasures imparked the common fields were loth to haue the same againe disparked they redéemed their vexation with good sommes of monie and so had licence to keepe their parks and grounds inclosed as before Thus the great expectation which men had conceiued of a generall redresse prooued void howbeit some profit the husbandmen in some parts of the realme got by the moouing of this matter where inclosures were alreadie laid open yer mistresse monie could preuent them and so they inioied their commons which before had beene taken from them After that this matter for inclosures was thus dispatched the cardinall boiling in hatred against the duke of Buckingham thirsting for his bloud deuised to make Charles Kneuet that had beene the dukes surueior and put from him as ye haue heard an instrument to bring the duke to destruction This Kneuet being had in examination before the cardinall disclosed all the dukes life And first he vttered that the duke was accustomed by waie of talke to saie how he meant so to vse the matter that he would atteine to the crowne if king Henrie chanced to die without issue that he had talke and conference of that matter on a time with George Neuill lord of Aburgauennie vnto whome he had giuen his daughter in marriage and also that he threatned to punish the cardinall for his manifold misdooings being without cause his mortall enimie The cardinall hauing gotten that which he sought for incouraged comforted and procured Kneuet with manie comfortable words and great promises that he should with a bold spirit and countenance obiect and laie these things to the dukes charge with more if he knew it when time required Then Kneuet partlie prouoked with desire to be reuenged and partlie mooued with hope of reward openlie confessed that the duke had once fullie determined to deuise meanes how to make the king away being brought into a full hope that he should be king by a vaine prophesie which one Nicholas Hopkins a monke of an house of the Chartreux order beside Bristow called Henton sometime his confessor had opened vnto him The cardinall hauing thus taken the examination line 10 on of Kneuet went vnto the king and declared vnto him that his person was in danger by such traitorous purpose as the duke of Buckingham had conceiued in his heart and shewed how that now there is manifest
vpon the table nothing but gilt plate and vpon a cupbord and in a window was set no plate but gold verie rich and in the councell chamber was all white and parcell gilt plate and vnder the table in baskets was all old broken siluer plate and bookes set by them purporting euerie kind of plate and euerie parcell with the contents of the ounces thereof Thus were all things prepared giuing charge of all the said stuffe with all other remaining in euerie office to be deliuered to the king to make answer to their charge for the order was such that euerie officer was charged with the receipt of the stuffe belonging to his office by indenture To sir William Gascoigne being his treasuror he gaue the charge of the deliuerie of the said goods and therwithall with his traine of gentlemen and yeomen he tooke his barge at the priuie staires and so went by water vnto Putneie where when he was arriued he tooke his mule euerie man tooke their horsses and rode streight to Asher where he and his familie continued the space of three or foure weekes without either beds shéets table cloths or dishes to eat their meat in or wherwith to buie anie the cardinall was forced to â—orow of the bishop of Carleill plate and dishes c. After this in the kings bench his matter for the premunire being called vpon two atturneis which he had authorised by his warrant signed with his owne hand confessed the action and so had iudgement to forfeit all his lands tenements goods and cattels and to be out of the kings protection but the king of his clemencie sent to him a sufficient protection and left to him the bishoprikes of Yorke and Winchester with plate and stuffe conuenient for his degrée The bishoprike of Duresme was giuen to doctor Tunstall bishop of London and the abbeie of saint Albons to the prior of Norwich Also the bishoprike of London being now void was bestowed on doctor Stokesleie then ambassadour to the vniuersities beyond the sea for the kings mariage The ladie Margaret duches of Sauoy aunt to the emperour and the ladie Lâ—is duchesse of Angolesme mother to the French king met at Cambreie in the beginning of the moneth of Iune to treat of a peace where were present doctor Tunstall bishop of London and sir Thomas Moore then chancellor of the duchie of Lancaster commissioners for the king of England At length through diligence of the said ladies a peace was concluded betwixt the emperour the pope and the kings of England and France All these met there in the beginning of Iulie accompanied with diuerse great princes and councellors on euerie part And after long debating on both sides there was a good conclusion taken the fift daie of August In the which was concluded that the treatie of Madrill should stand in his full strength and vertue sauing the third and fourth and the eleuenth and fourtéenth articles which touch the duchie of Burgognie and other lordships 1 Item it was agréed that the French king should haue his children againe paieng to the emperour two millians of crownes of gold whereof hée should paie at the deliuering of the children twelue hundred thousand crownes 2 Item that the French king should acquit the emperour against the king of England of fourescore and ten thousand crowns which the emperour owght line 10 to the king of England and the king of England to deliuer all such bonds and gages as he had of the emperours 3 Item as touching the remnant which was fiue hundred and ten thousand crownes the emperour should haue fiue and twentie thousand crownes rent yearelie for which he should haue the lands of the duchesse of Uandosme lieng in Flanders and Brabant bound 4 Item that Flanders and diuerse other countries line 20 should not behold in chiefe nor haue resort to the crowne of France 5 Item that the realme of Naples the duchie of Millan and the countie of Ast should for euer remaine to the emperour 6 Item that the French king should withdraw all such souldiors as he had out of Italie 7 Item that the ladie Eleanor should be brought into France with the French kings children and in time conuenient should be maried to the French line 30 king 8 Item that the French king should aid the emperour with twelue gallies to go into Italie 9 Item that all prisoners on both parties should be acquited 10 Item that the French king should not aid Robert de la March against the bishop of Luke 11 Item that all the goods mooueable and vnmoouable of Charles duke of Burbon should be restored to his heires they paieng to lord Henrie marquesse of Dapenete and earle of Nassaw lord chamberleine line 40 to the emperour ten thousand ducats which he lent to the said duke of Burbon 12 Item that Iohn earle of Panthieure should be remitted to all such goods as were earle Rene his fathers 13 Item the lord Laurence de Gorowood great master to the emperor should be restored to the lordships of Chalmont Monteualle which he bought of the duke of Burbon or to haue his monie againe 14 Item Philip de Chalon prince of Orenge and line 50 viceroy of Naples to be restored to all his lands in Burgognie 15 Item that the duches of Uandosme and Lois earle of Nauers should haue all such right and actions as they should haue had before the warre began In the emperours countries when all things were written sealed and finished there was a solemne masse soong in the cathedrall church of Cambreie the two ladies ambassadors of the king of England sitting in great estate and after masse the peace was line 60 proclamed betwéene the thrée princes and Te Deum soong and monie cast to the people and great fires made through the citie The same night the French king came into Cambreie well and noblie accompanied and saluted the ladies and to them made diuerse bankets and then all persons departed into their countrie glad of this concord This peace was called the womens peace for bicause that notwithstanding this conclusion yet neither the emperour trusted the French king nor he neither trusted nor loued him and their subiects were in the same case This proclamation was proclamed solemnelie by heralds with trumpets in the citie of London which proclamation much reioised the English merchants repairing into Flanders Brabant Zeland and other the emperors dominions For during the wars merchants were euill handled on both parties which caused them to be desirous of peace On the foure twentith of Nouember was sir Thomas Moore made lord chancellor the next day led to the Chancerie by the dukes of Norffolke and Suffolke and there sworne At the daie appointed the parlement began on which daie the king came by water to his place of Bridewell and there he and his nobles put on their robes of parlement and so came to
and was princelie rewarded at that present was the marriage concluded betwixt the king and the ladie Anne sister vnto duke William of Cleue great preparation was made for the receiuing of hir ¶ The twelfe of October the nunnerie of Haliwell foorthwith the priorie of S. Marie oueries in Southworke and S. Bartholomews in Smithfield were suppressed all their lands goods taken to the kings vse Thomas Huntlow of London for this yeare shiriffe gaue the habardashers certeine tenements for the which they be bound to giue to ten poore almes people of the same companie euerie one of them eight pence euerie fridaie for euer and also at euerie quarter dinner kept by the masters to be line 10 giuen to euerie one of those ten poore people a penie loafe a pottell of ale a péece of beefe worth foure pence in a platter with porage and foure pence in monie The fouretéenth of Nouember Hugh Feringdon abbat of Reding and two priests the one called Rug and the other Onion attainted of high treason for denieng the supremacie of the king ouer the church of England were drawne hanged and quartered at Reding The same daie was Richard Whiting line 20 abbat of Glastenburie likewise hanged and quartered on Towre hill beside his monasterie for the same matter and other treasons whereof he had beene conuicted The first of December was Iohn Bech abbat of Colchester put to death for the like offense In December were appointed to wait on the kings person fiftie gentlemen called pensioners or speares vnto whome was assigned the sum of fiftie pounds yeerelie a péece for the maintenance line 30 of themselues and two horsses or one horsse and a gelding of seruice The eleuenth daie of December at the turne pike on this side Graueling was the ladie Anne of Cleue receiued by the lord deputie of the towne of Calis and with the speares and horssemen belonging to the retinue there When she came within little more than a mile of the towne of Calis she was met by the erle of Southampton high admerall of England who had in his companie thirtie gentlemen of the kings houshold as sir Francis Brian sir Thomas line 40 Seimer and others beside a great number of gentlemen of his owne retinue clad in blue veluet and crimsin satin and his yeomen in damaske of the same colours The mariners of his ship were apparelled in satin of Bridges cotes slops of the same colour The lord admerall brought hir into Calis by Lanterne gate There was such a peale of ordinance shot off at hir entrie as was maruellous to the hearers The maior presented hir with an hundred markes in gold the merchants of the staple line 50 with an hundred souereignes of gold in a rich purse She was lodged in the kings place called the Checker and there she laie fiftéene daies for want of prosperous wind During which time goodlie iusts and costlie bankets were made to hir for hir solace and recreation And on S. Iohns daie in Christmasse she with fiftie saile tooke passage about noone and landed at Dele in the Downes about fiue of the clocke where sir Thomas Chenie lord Warden of the ports receiued hir line 60 She taried there a certeine space in a castell newlie built and thither came the duke of Suffolke and the dutches of Suffolke and the bishop of Chichester with a great number of knights and esquiers and ladies of Kent and other which welcomed hir grace and brought hir that night vnto Douer castell where she rested till mondaie on which daie notwithstanding it was verie foule and stormie weather she passed towards Canturburie and on Baram downe met hir the archbishop of Canturburie with the bishops of Elie S. Asse S. Dauies and Douer and so brought hir to S. Augustins without Canturburie where she laie that night The next daie she came to Sittingburne and laie there that night As she passed towards Rochester on Newyeares euen on Reinam downe met hir the duke of Norffolke and the lord Dacres of the south and the lord Montioie with a great companie of knights and esquiers of Norffolke and Suffolke with the barons of the escheker which brought hir to Rochester where the laie in the palace all Newyeares daie On which daie the king longing to sée hir accompanied with no more but eight persons of his priuie chamber year 1540 both he and they all apparelled in marble cotes priuilie comming to Rochester suddenlie came to hir presence wherof at the first she was somewhat astonied but after he had spoken to hir and welcomed hir she with louing countenance and gratious behauiour him receiued and welcomed him on hir knées whom he gentlie tooke vp and kissed and all that after noone communed and deuised with hir supped that night with hir and the next daie he departed to Gréenewich and she came forward to Dartford On the morrow the third daie of Ianuarie being saturdaie in a faire plaine of Blackeheath more neere to the foot of Shooters hill than the ascendent of the same called Blackheath hill was pitched a pauilion of rich cloth of gold and diuerse other tents and pauilions in which were made fiers and perfumes for hir and such ladies as were appointed to receiue hir and from the tents to the parke gate of Greenewich all the bushes and fixs were cut downe and a large open waie made for the shew of all persons And first next to the parke pale on the east side stood the merchants of the stilliard and on the west side stood the merchants of Genoa Florence and Uenice and the Spaniards in cotes of veluet Then on both sides the waie stood the merchants of the citie of London and the aldermen with the councellors of the said citie to the number of a hundred and thréescore which were mingled with the esquiers then the fiftie gentlemen pensioners and all these were apparelled in veluet and chaines of gold trulie accounted to the number of twelue hundred aboue beside them that came with the king and hir which were six hundred in veluet cotes and chaines of gold Behind the gentlemen stood the seruingmen in good order well horssed and apparelled that who so euer had well viewed them might haue said that they for tall and comelie personages and cleane of lim and bodie were able to giue the greatest prince in christendome a mortall breakefast if he had béene the kings enimie About twelue of the clocke hir grace with all the companie which were of hir owne nation to the number of an hundred horsse accompanied with the dukes of Norffolke and Suffolke the archbishop of Canturburie and other bishops lords and knights which had receiued and conueied hir came downe Shooters hill towards the tents and a good space from the tents met hir the earle of Rutland appointed lord chamberlaine to hir grace sir Thomas Denise hir chancellor and all hir councellors and officers amongst whome doctor
how prone the people are to rise by routs vpon occasions of discontentments how hastie and headie to vndertake dangerous enterprises how wilfull and obstinate to persist in their pernicious proceedings how cold-harted and hopelesse when they see the course of their plots of perilous policie line 60 either interrupted vndermined or ouerthrowne and finallie what a reprochfull reward redoundeth both to the ringleaders in rebellions as also what falleth to the shares of all such as shake hands and become confederats to the furthering and strengthening of riots mutinies insurrections commotions and hurlieburlies Wherby the state is disquieted that more is the prince drawne into a conceipt of suspecting his subiects loialties besides a wicked president to posterities without feare of shame remorse of conscience regard to allegiance or foresight of afterclaps to attempt the like Now it resteth that for the further truth and knowledge hereof we adde a new report new I meane in respect of the publication hauing not heretofore béene printed though old enough and sufficientlie warranted by the reporter who vpon his owne notice hath deliuered no lesse in writing than himselfe vpon verie good and infallible grounds obserued and hath left testified in the discourse following wherein there is not one word either added or inuerted but all things from point to point agreeable to the written copie The description of the citie of Excester and of the sundrie assaults giuen to the same collected and gathered by Iohn Vowell alias Hooker gentleman and chamberleine of the same Excester or Exceter is a famous and an ancient citie being the metropole and Emporium of the west parts of England situated and lieng in the prouince sometime called Dumnonia that is to saie the countrie of vallies for whereas are manie hilles as that countrie is full of hilles and mounteins there are manie vallies But neâ—â— corruptlie it is named Deuonia or Deuonshire and not Daneshire of the Danes as some would haue it Of the first foundation thereof by reason of the sundrie inuasions of forren nations who with their hostilities and cruell warres did burne and destroie the same there remaineth no certeine memoriall neither among the records of the said citie ne yet in anie one other writer But most certeine it is that it was first builded and founded by the Britons or Brutes For the names which they gaue and vsed are yet at this present had in remembrance as well among the chronographers of this land as also among the Cornish people who were sometimes one with this prouince but now in a countie of themselues and next bordering to this and in the same diocesse And they are the remanent of the bloud of Brutus For when Cadwallader king of this land by reason of a great famine and pestilence was driuen to forsake the same to flie into little Britaine named Armorica which is now vnder the dition of the French king diuers the most part of his people fled some into Wales and some into Cornwall where euer since they and after them their posteritie haue remained and continued The old chronographers searchers and writers of antiquities doo find that this citie was called Corinia and thereof the cathedrall church of the same was as Bale saith named Ecclesia Coriniensis which name if it were first giuen by Corinus as Leland writeth who after the arriuall of Brutus into this land was made the first duke of this whole west countrie of Deuon and Cornewall which were both comprised vnder the name of Corinia and wherof this citie euer hath beene and is the metropole and alwaies parcell sometime of the kingdome then of the duchie and after of the earledome and now againe of the duchie of Cornwall then out of doubt this citie is of no lesse antiquitie than the said names doo import It was also called Augusta Of this name there were diuerse cities so named by the Romans but this onelie was named Augusta Britannorum and so called as some thinke by the Romans at the conclusion of the peace made at the siege of this citie betwéene king Aruiragus and Uespasian coronell of the Romane armie vnder Claudius Augustus The Britons in their toong or language doo call this citie by sundrie names the first and eldest in remembrance is cair Penhulgoile that is to saie the prosperous chiefe towne in the wood as dooth appeere by Geffreie of Monmouth and Ponticus Virunnius It was also called Pennehaltecaire that is the chiefe citie or towne vpon the hill as dooth appéere in a trauerse betweene the bishop deane and chapiter of this citie of the one partie and the maior bailiffe and communaltie of the other partie concerning their liberties But the names which the Cornish people doo at these presents remember reteine are speciallie thrée Pennecaire Caireruth Caireiske Pennecaire line 10 signifieth and is to saie the chéefe citie Caireruth signifieth the red or reddish citie so called and taking the name of the ground and soile wherevpon it is situated which is a red earth Caireiske is the citie of Iske being so called of the riuer which the Britons name Iske and flotesh fast by the same And of this name Houeden in his chronicle maketh mention saieng thus Anno Domini 877 exercitus Danorum ab Wareham nocte quadam foedere dirupto ad Exeancestre diuerterunt quod Britannicè dicitur Caireiske line 20 Ptolomeus the famous astronomer who was about the yéere of our Lord 162 Coell being king of this land nameth this citie Isca and the riuer Isaca And Bale the searcher of antiquities following the same opinion dooth also name the citie Isca and the inhabitants therein Iscans But vnder correction be it spoken a man maie well thinke that Ptolomeus being in Alexandria and so farre distant from this land was misinformed or the print mistaken For it is most likelie that the riuer should be named Isca according to the British spéech wherein line 30 it was called Isca and which name by transposing of the two middle letters dooth at this present remaine being now named Icsa or Era. But whatsoeuer the censures and opinions of Ptolomeus and of Bale who wrote onelie vpon report be herein it is certeine that the names which the Brutes or Britons gaue were of longest continuance And this citie was called by their denominations by the space of fiftéene hundred yéeres vntill the comming line 40 of the Saxons the Picts and the Scots into this realme which was about the yéere of our Lord foure hundred and fiftie For they where and whensoeuer they preuailed in anie place did for the most part alter and change the names of all places townes accounting it a great renowme as also a perpetuall memoriall of their chiualrie to giue new names either of their owne deuises or of their owne natiue countries for so is it writen of them Picti Scoti Angli Daci Normanni in hac insula rerum
poore The poore by impotencie Poore by casualtie Thriftlesse poore 1 The poore by impotencie are also diuided into three kinds that is to saie 1 The fatherlesse poore mans line 60 child 2 The aged blind and lame 3 The diseased person by leprosie dropsie c. 2 The poore by casualtie are of thrée kinds that is to saie 4 The wounded souldier 5 The decaied housholder 6 The visited with gréeuous disease 3 The thriftles poore are three kinds in like wise that is to saie 7 The riotor that consumeth all 8 The vagabond that will abide in no place 9 The idle person as the strumpet and others For these sorts of poore were prouided thrée seuerall houses First for the innocent and fatherlesse which is the beggers child and is in déed the séed and breeder of beggerie they prouided the house that was late Graie friers in London and now is called Christes hospitall where the poore children are trained in the knowledge of God and some vertuous eâ—ercise to the ouerthrowe of beggerie For the second degrée is prouided the hospitall of saint Thomas in Southworke saint Bartholomew in west Smithfield where are continuallie at least two hundred diseased persons which are not onelie there lodged and cured but also fed and nourished For the third degrée they prouided Bridewell where the vagabond and idle strumpet is chastised and compelled to labour to the ouerthrow of the vicious life of idlenes They prouided also for the honest decaied housholder that he should be relieued at home at his house and in the parish where he dwelled by a wéekelie reliefe and pension And in like manner they prouided for the lazer to kéepe him out of the citie from clapping of dishes and ringing of bels to the great trouble of the citizens and also to the dangerous infection of manie that they should be relieued at home at their houses with seuerall pensions Now after this good order taken and the citizens by such meanes as were deuised willing to further the same the report therof was made vnto the kings maiestie and his grace for the aduancement hereof was not onelie willing to grant such as should be the ouerséers and gouernors of the said houses a corporation and authoritie for the gouernement thereof but also required that he might be accounted as the chiefe founder and patrone thereof And for the furtherance of the said worke and continuall maintenance of the same he of his méere mercie and goodnesse granted that where before certeine lands were giuen to the maintenance of the house of the Sauoie founded by king Henrie the seuenth for the lodging of pilgrims and strangers and that the same was now made but a lodging of loiterers vagabonds and strumpets that laie all daie in the fields and at night were harboured there the which was rather the maintenance of beggerie than the reliefe of the poore gaue the same lands being first surrendred into his hands by the maister and fellowes there which lands were of the yearelie value of six hundred pounds vnto the citie of London for the maintenance of the foundation aforesaid And for a further reliefe a petition being made to the kings maiestie for a licence to take in mortmaine or otherwise without licence lands to a certeine yearelie â—alue and a space left in the patent for his grace to put in what summe it would please him he looking on the void place called for pen and inke and with his owne hand wrote this summe in these words foure thousand marks by yeare and then said in the hearing of his councell Lord God I yeeld thée most hartie thanks that thou hast giuen mée life thus long to finish this worke to the glorie of thy name After which foundation established he liued not aboue two daies whose life would haue béene wished equall to the patriarchs if it might haue pleased God so to haue protracted the same But he was too good a prince for so bad a people and therefore God remooued him and translated him to his owne kingdome foreséeing the euent of something which in his secret counsell he had purposed against a nation that knew not the benefit of the acceptable time of grace wherein God by this péerelesse princes means ment all good to this land as might be gathered by the reformation of religion wherin the kings care was exceeding great as his desire to establish Gods glorie was zealous according to that notable allusion of Iohn Leland recorded in praise of this most excellent prince as followeth in this epigram Quisquis Eaduerdum Romano expresserat ore Custodem fidei dixerit esse sacrae Hoc ego crediderim puero feliciter orto A superis nomen coelitùs esse datum Est pater antiquae fidei defensor amicus Degener nullo tempore natus erit But to returne where we left By example of the charitable act of this vertuous yoong king sir William Chester knight and alderman of London and line 10 Iohn Calthrop citizen and draper of the said citie at their owne proper costs and charges made the bricke walles and way on the backeside that leadeth from the said new hospitall vnto the hospitall of saint Bartholomewes and also couered and vauted the towne dich from Aldersgate to Newgate which before was verie noisome and contagious to the said hospitall This hospitall being thus erected and put in good order there was one Richard Castell alià s Casteller line 20 shoomaker dwelling in Westminster a man of great trauell and labor in his facultie with his owne hands and such a one as was named the cocke of Westminster for that both winter and summer he was at his worke before foure of the clocke in the morning This man thus trulie and painfullie labouring for his liuing God blessed and increased his labours so abundantlie that he purchased lands and tenements in Westminster to the yearelie value of fortie and foure pounds And hauing no child with the line 30 consent of his wife who suruiued him was a vertuous good woman gaue the same lands wholie to Christs hospitall aforesaid to the reliefe of the innocent and fatherlesse children and for the succor of the miserable sore and sicke harbored in the other hospitals about London whose example God grant manie to follow ¶ The third of August at Midlenton eleuen miles from Oxford a woman brought foorth a child which had two perfect bodies from the nauill vpward and line 40 were so ioined togither at the nauill that when they were laid in length the one head bodie was eastward and the other west the legs for both the bodies grew out at the midst where the bodies ioined and had but one issue for the excrements of both bodies they liued eightéene daies and were women children The eight of August were taken at Quinborow thrée great fishes called dolphins the weeke following at Blackewall were six more taken and line
learned councell grieuouslie inueie against the cruell bloudie lawes of king Henrie the eight and against some lawes made in my late souereigne lord and masters time king Edward the sixt Some termed them Dracos lawes which were written in bloud some said they were more intollerable than anie laws that Dionysius or anie other tyrant made In conclusion as manie men so manie bitter tearmes and names those lawes had And moreouer the preface of the same statute dooth recite that for words onelie manie great personages and others of good behauiour haue béene most cruellie cast awaie by these former sanguinolent thirstie lawes with manie other suggestions for the repeale of the same And now let vs put on indifferent eies and throughlie consider with our selues as you the iudges handle the constructions of the statute of Edward the third with your equitie and extentions whether we be not in much woorse case now than we were when those cruell laws yoked vs. These lawes albeit they were grieuous and captious yet they had the verie propertie of a law after saint Paules description For those lawes did admonish vs and discouer our sinnes plainelie vnto vs when a man is warned he is halfe armed These lawes as they be handled be verie baits to catch vs onlie prepared for the same and no laws for at the first sight they ascerteine vs we be deliuered from our old bondage and by the late repeale the last parlement we liue in more securitie But when it pleaseth the higher powers to call anie mans life and saiengs in question then there be constructions interpretations and extentions reserued to the iustices and iudges equitie that the partie triable as I am now shall find himselfe in much woorse case than before when those cruell lawes stood in force Thus our amendment is from Gods blessing into the warme sunne But I require you honest men which are to trie my life consider these opinions of my life iudges be rather agréeable to the time than to the truth for their iudgements be repugnant to their owne principle repugnant to their godlie and best learned predecessors opinions repugnant I saie to the prouiso in the statute of repeale made in the last parlement Master Throckmorton quiet your selfe and it shall be the better for you Master atturnie I am not so vnquiet as you be and yet our cases are not alike but bicause I am so tedious to you and haue long troubled this presence it maie please my lord chiefe iustice to repeat the euidence wherewith I am charged and my answers to all the obiections if there be no other matter to laie against me ¶ Then the chiefe iustice remembred particularlie all the depositions and euidences giuen against the line 10 prisoner and either for want of good memorie or good will the prisoners answers were in part not recited wherevpon the prisoner craued indifferencie and did helpe the iudges old memorie with his owne recitall My masters of the iurie you haue to inquire whether sir Nicholas Throckmorton knight here prisoner at the barre be giltie of these treasons or anie of them whereof he hath beene indicted and this daie arreigned yea or no. And if you find him giltie you line 20 shall inquire what lands tenements goods and cattels he had at the daie of his treasons committed or at anie time since and whether he fled for the treasons or no if you find him not giltie Haue you said what is to be said Yea for this time Then I praie you giue me leaue to speake a few words to the iurie The weight and grauitie of my cause hath greatlie occasioned me to trouble you here long and therfore I mind not to interteine you here long with anie prolix oration you perceiue notwithstanding line 30 this daie great contention betwixt the iudges and the quéenes learned councell on the one partie and me the poore and wofull prisoner on the other partie The triall of our whole controuersie the triall of my innocencie the triall of my life lands and goods and the destruction of my posteritie for euer dooth rest in your good iudgements And albeit manie this daie haue greatlie inueied against me the finall determination thereof is transferred onelie to you How grieuous horrible the shedding of line 40 innocents bloud is in the sight of almightie God I trust you doo remember Therefore take héed I saie for Christs sake doo not defile your consciences with such heinous notable crimes They be grieuouslie and terriblie punished as in this world and vale of miserie vpon the childrens children to the third and fourth generation and in the world to come with euerlasting fire and damnation Lift vp your minds to God and care not too much for the world looke not line 50 backe to the fleshpots of Aegypt which will allure you from heauenlie respects to worldlie securitie and can thereof neither make you anie suertie Beléeue I praie you the queene and hir magistrats be more delighted with fauourable equitie than with rash crueltie And in that you be all citizens I will take my leaue of you with S. Paules farewell to the Ephesians citizens also you be whom he tooke to record that he was pure from sheding anie bloud a speciall token doctrine left for your instruction line 60 that euerie of you maie wash his hands of innocents bâ—oud shed when you shall take your leaue of this wretched world The holie ghost be amongest you Come hither sergeant take the iurie with you and suffer no man to come at them but to be ordered as the law appointeth vntill they be agreed vpon their verdict It may please you my lords and maisters which be commissioners to giue order that no person haue accesse or conference with the iurie neither that any of the quéenes learned councell be suffered to repaire to them or to talke with anie of them vntill they present themselues here in open court to publish their verdict ¶ Upon the prisoners sute on this behalfe the bench gaue order that two seargeants were sworne to suffer no man to repaire to the iurie vntill they were agreed according vnto order Wherevpon then the prisoner was by commandement of the bench withdrawne from the barre and the court adiourned vntill thrée of the clocke at afternoone at which houre the coÌ„missioners returned to the Guild-hall and there did tarie vntill the iurie were agréed vpon the verdict And about fiue of the clocke their agréement being aduertised to the commissioners the said prisoner sir Nicholas Throckmorton was aâ—â—ine brought to the barre where also the iurie did 〈◊〉 and being demanded whether they were agréed vpon their verdict answered vniuersallie with one voice Yea. Then it was asked who should speake for them they answered Whetston the foreman Nicholas Throckmorton knight hold vp thy hand Then the prisoner did so vpon the summons You that be of the iurie looke vpon
marshall of England was consecrated bishop by Hubert archbishop of Canturburie in the yeare one thousand one hundred ninetie and one he finished the building of his church according to the plot and foundation which his predecessors had laid and that doone he purchased the patronage and lordship of Woodburie of one Albemarlie which he gaue and impropriated vnto the vicars chorall of his church In this mans time in the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred and one one line 60 Simon Thurnaius a Cornish man borne brought vp in learning did by diligence and studie so prosper therein that he became excellent in all the liberall sciences and in his daies none thought to be like him He left Oxenford where he had béene a student and went to Paris and there became a priest and studied diuinitie and therein became so excellent and of so deepe a iudgement that he was made chéefe of the Sorbonists at length he became so proud of his learning and did glorie so much therein that he would be singular thought himselfe to be another Aristotle and so much he was therein blinded and waxed so farre in loue with Aristotle that he preferred him before Moses and Christ. But behold Gods iust iudgement For suddenlie his memorie failed him and he waxed so forgetfull that he could neither call to remembrance anie thing that he had doone neither could he discerne read or know a letter of the booke This Henrie after that he had spent and liued twelue yeares in his bishoprike he died and lieth buried in the north side of the chancell of his church in a verie faire toome of marble in the yeare one thousand two hundred and six 21 Simon de Apulia in the yeare one thousand two hundred and six was installed bishop of this sée of him there remaineth no memoriall at all In his time were famous Ioseph Iscanius and Alexander Neckam the one was verie well learned in the Latine and Gréeke toong and in the liberall sciences the other was prior of saint Nicholas and was an vniuersall man being a profound philosopher an eloquent orator a pleasant poet and a déepe diuine In this bishops time the doctrine of eleuation adoration reseruation and praieng for the dead being established by pope Honorius the third the parish churches within this citie were limited in the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred twentie two In this mans time in the yeare one thousand two hundred and twelue one Iohannes Deuonius so surnamed because he was borne in Deuon being well bent to good studies was much commended for his learning and modestie He was familiar and of great acquaintance with Baldwin archbishop of Canturburie and being made abbat of Ford was in such fauor with king Iohn that he chose him to be his confessor and chapleine he was a writer and compiled diuerse bookes which were then accounted of Being dead he was buried in his abbeie the people much lamenting the want of so good a man This bishop hauing spent eightéene yeares died in the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred twentie and foure was buried in his owne church 22 William Brewer verie shortlie after the death of the foresaid Simon was elected bishop and consecrated by Stephan Langton archbishop of Canturburie in the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred twentie and foure He was borne and descended of a noble house and parentage being brother to sir William Brewer knight the husband of the eldest daughter one of the heirs to William de Uerona erle of Deuon and who also was founder of the abbeies of Tor of Hartland and other monasteries This bishop so wiselie and discréetlie behaued himselfe that he was had in great reputation among all men and in speciall fauour with the king For king Henrie hauing giuen his sister ladie Isabell to wife vnto Frederike the emperor did commend and betake hir to this bishop to be conueied and conducted to the emperor And such was the fame and good report spred of him that as he passed through the countries they were from place to place receiued with great honor and being come to the citie of Coleine the archbishop there did not onelie verie honorablie receiue them but also accompanied them vnto the citie of Wormes where the mariage was solemnized When this bishop had séene the marriage and all things performed he tooke his leaue and was dismissed with great presents and honorablie accompanied homewards by the archbishop and others At his returne he was ioifullie receiued of all the noble men about the king and most thankfullie by the king himselfe and whome the king vsed as his speciall and most trustie councellor in all his weightie causes This bishop being come home to his owne house andminding as his predecessors had doone to leaue some good memoriall behind him he made a deane and constituted twentie foure prebendaries within his church To the one he impropriated Brampton and Coliton Rawleie for the others he purchased so much land as out whereof he assigned to euerie prebendarie foure pounds by the yeare and of these he ordeined his chapter Also in this mans time in the yeare one thousand two hundred and fortie Gilbert Long and Robert his brother citizens of this citie builded and founded the hospitall of saint Iohns within the east gate of this citie for the sustenance of certeine poore folks called afterwards the poore children of saint Iohns gaue all their lands and tenements to the same which was line 10 sufficient The yeare following the cell of Alexius was remooued and adioined to saint Iohns and then the founders being dead the charge and gouernement of that house was by those founders commended to the maior of this citie they thenseforth were founders and patrons thereof In the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred fortie and foure there grew a contention concerning the poore lazer sicke people of the Magdalen without the south gate of this citie whose maner and vsage was then with line 20 a clapdish vpon euerie market daie to resort and come to the markets and there to beg euerie mans deuotion but by reason of their sicknesse which was lothsome and abhorred the peoples deuotion waxed short and scant against them as also euerie man murmured against their going begging at large Where vpon the matter being brought into question betwéene the bishop and this citie it was concluded that a perimutation should be made and that therefore the bishops should be patrones and haue the line 30 gouernement of saint Iohns and the maior and his successors to be gardians and founders of the hospitall of the Magdalen with a prouiso that the proctor of the hospitall of the Magdalen should on one daie in euerie moneth come with his box to saint Peters church at the time of seruice and there receiue and gather the deuotion of the canons which is vsed at these presents This poore house remaineth
towne of Sutton Ualens in Kent this worshipfull gentleman at his owne costs and proper expenses erected a grammar schoole for the education of youth in the feare of God in good maners in knowledge and vnderstanding He also weieng with himselfe that the labourer ought of right to haue his hire and that no man goeth to warre of his owne proper charge besides other commodities which he thought méet and necessarie hath allowed the master twentie pounds and the vsher ten pounds from time to time as either place shall be supplied by succession for their yearelie stipends and perpetuall pensions To continue the rehersall of his good déeds in Sutton aforesaid note his tender pitifull heart toward the poore for whose sustentation maintenance and reliefe he hath builded six almes houses for the impotent and hath giuen six pounds to be yearelie paied vnto them for their necessarie prouision Moreouer besides this charitable déed to keepe still within the compasse of Kent marke the singular loue which this gentleman did beare vnto learning for the furtherance wherof and the more incouragement of poore scholers he hath giuen to the schoole of Maidstone ten pounds a yeare for euer with this caueat or prouiso that néedie mens children should be preferred to the enioieng of this singular benefit That this gentleman had not onelie a regard for the seed-plots of learning to haue them watered with the springs of his bountie but also a prouident eie and a carefull hart for the profit of the common-wealth the particulars following substantiallie doo prooue For séeing in his life time the decaie of sundrie trades the ruine of diuerse occupations and other inconueniences which are like to grow to the vndooing of a multitude except by policie they be preuented of a méere affection if I said fatherlie I were not controllable he hath freelie giuen to the poore clothiers in Suffolke to the poore clothiers of Bridgenorth in Shropshire and to the poore clothiers at Ludlow in the said countie thrée hundred pounds to be said by euen portions to each seuerall towne of the said counties one hundred pounds a péece for their supportation and maintenance at their worke and occupation So litle estéemed he the mucke of this world in respect of dooing good speciallie when he saw old age drawing him to his graue of which mind it were to be wished all richmen would be whom God hath made his stewards when they wax crooked bow backt and as the poet saith Obrepit canis rugosa senecta capillis Furthermore the well of his weldooing not yet waxing drie but yéelding liquor of reliefe verie largelie hath watered other places For as the countrie so likewise the citie the citie I meane of London hath cause yea iust cause with open mouth to magnifie the goodnesse of God so mightilie working in this praiseworshie esquier The memorable monuments which shall liue when he is dead and shall flourish when he is rotten are witnesses of the loue which he being a citizen bare vnto this citie For let vs begin with the conduit which he of his owne costs not requiring either collection or contribution founded of late in Holborne not sparing expenses so it might be substantiall not pinching for charges so it might be durable and plentifull as they can testifie which saw the seeking of the springs the maner of making the trenches the ordering of the pipes lieng in length from the head to the said conduit more than two thousand yards and finallie the framing of euerie necessarie appurtenance therevnto belonging Besides this means is made by a standard with one cocke at Holâ—orne bridge to conueie the wast which doth such seruice the water thereof being both swéet pleasant and wholsome as neither rich nor poore can well misse Which great worke as he aduisedlie attempted so he commendablie finished hauing disbursed therabouts of his owne costs charges to the sum of 1500 pounds And yet further note the wisedome and prouidence of this gentleman who considering that the right vse of a good thing might cut off manie occasions line 10 of vnthristines and idlenesse and knowing that we are placed in this world to follow the vocation wherevnto we are called besides that séeing the hardnesse of this age wherein we liue that manie would worke if they had meanes manie neglect and care not for worke though they haue meanes some would willinglie withstand pouertie if they might some had rather beg and doo woorsse than giue themselues to labour hath béene thus beneficiall to poore women that are glad to take pains as to bestow vpon line 20 them a hundred and twentie pales wherewith to carrie and serue water an honest shift of liuing though somewhat toilesome To descend and come downe to other his almesdeeds you shall vnderstand that he being a member of the right worshipfull corporation and societie of Clothworkers was not forgetfull of that companie vnto whome he hath giuen his dwelling house in London with other lands and tenements to the value of thirtie pounds or thereabouts by them to be thus bestowed to wit for the line 30 hiring of a minister to read diuine seruice thrise a weeke that is euerie sundaie wednesdaie and fridaie throughout the yeare in the chapell or church belonging to his house called by the name of saint Iames in the wall by Criplegate and for foure sermons there yéerelie to be made and preached a competent allowance Out of which sum also of thirtie pounds it is prouided that a deduction be made by the said Clothworkers for apparelling twelue men and as manie women line 40 in forme as followeth that is to saie to euerie one of the twelue men one fréeze gowne one locorum shirt a good strong paire of winter shooes to twelue women likewise one fréeze gowne one locorum smocke a good strong paire of winter shooes all readie made for their wearing remembred alwaies that they must be persons both poore and honest vnto whome this charitable déed ought to be extended Prouided also that the execution hereof be done the first daie of October orderlie from yeare to line 50 yeare for euer whiles the world dooth last Moreouer he hath giuen to those of his companie foure pounds fréelie not for a time but perpetuallie and thus doth his bountifulnesse manie waies appeare To the parish of S. Giles without Criplegate he hath giuen fiftéene pounds to the bels and chime hauing meant as it seemeth if they had taken time to be more liberall in that behalfe The said bels chime were in his life also after his deth kept in good order according to his will but afterwards vpon occasion some of line 60 them newlie cast became ill of sound out of tune a fault in some which would be amended The poore of the parish aforesaid by their reliefe in his life time secretlie ministred haue iust cause to lament the
Thomas Throckemorton his brother made him priuie to his negotiation at his last being here in England and that therevpon Francis Throckemorton tooke vpon him to be a follower and meane for the effectuating thereof among the confederats in England with the helpe of the Spanish ambassadour whome he instructed how and with whome to deale for the preparing of a conuenient partie here within the realme for that himselfe would not be séene to be a sounder of men least he might be discouered and so indanger himselfe and the enterprise knowing that the ambassadour being a publike person might safelie deale therein without perill That the duke of Guise and other heads of the enterprise had refused some landing places and made speciall choise of Sussex and about Arundell in Sussex both for the néere cut from the parts of France where the duke did or best could assemble his force line 10 and for the oportunitie of assured persons to giue assistance c. That he taking vpon him the pursute of this course shewed the whole plot and deuise of the hauens for landing to the Spanish ambassadour who did incourage him therin he promising that if he might haue respit vntill the next spring the same should be doone more exactlie That at the time of Thomas Throckemortons being here least the negotiation of the enterprise by line 20 sâ—me casualtie might faile in the onelie hand of one man Thomas Throckemorton there was also from the confederats sent ouer into Sussex Charles Paget vnder the name of Mope alià s Spring and therof an aduertisement couertlie sent vnto Thomas Throckemorton both that Thomas might vnderstand it and not be offended that an other was ioined with him in his labour That the Spanish ambassador by aduertisements from the confederats was made priuie to this comming line 30 of Charles Paget vnder the name of Mope and yet knowne to him to be Charles Paget That the said ambassador did according to his said aduertisements know affirme that Charles Paget was come ouer to view the hauens and countrie for landing of such forren forces about Arundell and speciallie to sound and conferre with certeine principall persons for assistance The same ambassadour also knew and affirmed that Charles Paget had accordinglie doone his message line 40 and had spoken with some principall persons here according vnto his commission and was returned He moreouer confessed that there was a deuise betwéene the Spanish ambassadour and him how such principall recusants here within the realme as were in the commission of the peace in sundrie counties might vpon the first brute of the landing of forren forces vnder colour and pretext of their authoritie and the defense of hir maiestie leuie men whome they might after ioine to the forren forces and conuert line 50 them against hir maiestie In these few articles is brieflie comprised the whole effect of his confession made at large without anie interrogatorie particularlie ministred other than vpon the two papers before mentioned conteining the names of men and hauens And here you are to note that at the time of his apprehension there was no knowledge or doubt had of these treasons or of his priuitie vnto them but onelie an information and suspicion deliuered and conceiued of line 60 some practise betwéene him and the Scotish quéene as is before mentioned For the discouering whereof after he had béene sundrie times vpon his allegiance commanded to declare his dooings in conueieng and receiuing of letters to and from hir he did voluntarilie confesse that he had written diuerse letters vnto hir and had conueied manie to and fro betwéene hir and Thomas Morgan in France by whose meanes he was first made knowne to hir and that he had receiued as manie letters from hir He also declared the effect of his letters to hir of hirs to him which letters betwéene them were alwaies written in cipher and the cipher with the nullities and marks for names of princes and councellors he sent vnto the queenes maiestie written with his owne hand He also deliuered the names of some by whome he conueied his letters vnto the Scotish quéene as by one Godfrie Fulgeam who fled the realme immediatlie vpon Throckemortons apprehension and one other person whome he described by his stature shape and apparell and the man since apprehended and examined hath confessed the same the mans name is William Ardington The summe and effect of the most part of these confessions although they were at the time of his arreignement opened and dilated by hir maiesties sergeant atturneie and solicitor generall at the bar and therefore seeme not néedfull to be repeated here yet because the purpose of this discourse is to shew sufficient proofe that the matters conteined in his said confessions are neither false nor feigned as Francis Throckmorton most impudentlie affirmed at his triall alledging that they were méere inuentions of himselfe by policie to auoid the torture they haue béene here inserted to the end you may the better iudge of the proofes presumptions and circumstances following by comparing the matters with their accidents and consequentlie sée the falshood of the traitor the iust and honorable procéedings of hir maiestie and the honest and loiall indeuors of hir ministers imploied in the discouering of the treasons First it is true and not denied by himselfe that he was at Spaw about the time by him mentioned and had conference with Ienneie in that place and with sir Francis Englefield in Flanders and that he hath written letters to sir Francis and receiued letters from him for if he should denie the same he were to be conuinced by good proofe for it hath béene noted in him by manie of his countriemen English subiects that both in those parts and in France he did continuallie associat himselfe with English rebels and fugitiues If then you consider with whome he hath conuersed beyond the seas and compare his religion with theirs you will iudge of his conuersation accordinglie And it is to be supposed that those men knowne to be continuall practisers against the quéenes maiestie and this realme from whense for their treasons and vnnaturall demeanours they are woorthilie banished will not in their conuenticles and méetings forget to bethinke them of their banishment and how they might be restored to their countrie where vnto no desert in hir maiesties life time which God long continue can well without hir maiesties great mercie restore them Then I praie you what conferences might maister Throckemorton haue with sir Francis Englefield with Ienneie with Liggons with Owen and with such like who were his dailie companions in France and in the low countries He hath written letters to sir Francis Englefield To what purposes He haunted continuallie two ambassadors in London by whose meanes he sent and receiued letters to and from beyond the seas dailie To whome and from whome Euen to and from Thomas Morgan and Thomas Throckemorton at Paris men knowne to
Canturburie a vacant place hauing manie broken neere walles 〈◊〉 to the towne gate in Sandwich called Canturburie gate In which void toome adioining to the riuer of Delfe is now erected a faire schoolehouse for the schoolemaster vsher certen boording scholers framed all of bricke stone For perpetuall continuance of which schoole the said sir Roger Manwood now lord chiefe baron in this yeare of our Lord 1586 procured letters patents from the quéene for incorporating and assurance of the same schoole with other lands and reuenues thereto belonging to the maior and his brethren of Sandwich and to their successors for euer by the name of the gouernours of the frée grammar schoole of Roger Manwood in Sandwich assuring to the said gouernors of his owne land the cleere yearelie value of 22 pounds and more Further thervnto procuring of his brother Thomas Manwood sometime maior of Sandwich the cleere yearelie value of ten pounds of lands and tenements and also of one Thomas Tompson iurat of Sandwich eight pounds by yeere De claro of his owne lands and tenements in the grosse summe amounting to fourtie pounds by yeare which lands being sufficientlie assured to the said gouernours with conuenient dwelling for the master and vsher lodging for sixteene boording scholers and with some beneuolence of parents for the teaching of their children is a large endowment for perpetuall maintenance of the same grammar schoole Besides which for the further benefit of the same schoole the same sir Roger Manwood hath obteined two scholers roomes in Gonuile and Caius college in Cambridge and two other scholers roomes in Lincolne college at Oxford with pension of foure markes yearelie to euerie of the said foure scholers to be remooued from that schoole of Sandwich and to be placed in those colleges from time to time as often as anie of the same college scholers roomes shall be void and that anie scholer shall be méet to come from that schoole of Sandwich Beyond all which that he hath doone for recompense of his birth place with a frée grammar schoole for the education of the youth there he also for reliefe of age hath néere vnto his dwelling place of saint Stephans in Hackington parish adioining to Canturburie built in the yeare of our redemption 1573 a faire row of seuen almes houses of bricke placing in euerie of the same almes houses poore folkes such as are counted to be honest good For perpetuall maintenance of which almes persons he hath endowed that building with a yéerelie allowance of the value of foure pounds by yeare to euerie of the same almes men houses in monie bread fewell And in the same parish church néere to those almes houses he hath newlie erected an Ile where his toome is made and placed in that church a new roome of seuen pewes and seates for the almes people to be bestowed in togither by themselues Likewise for setting to worke of middle age whereby they may eschew idlenesse this sir Roger Manwood did in the yeare of Christ one thousand fiue hundred seuentie and eight build a new house of correction in the Westgate street in the suburbs of Canturburie And moreouer whereas Rochester bridge standing on the riuer of Medweie being famouslie built of stone in the time of king Richard the second as is most likelie though some attribute the same to the time of Edward the third by one sir Robert Knolles knight with the helpe of Iohn lord Cobham of Cobham and Margaret Courtneie his wife being two of the principall benefactors therevnto after the decaie of a woodden bridge first erected ouer the same riuer some hundred yeares before that of stone had for the perpetuall maintenance of the same stone bridge the ancient contributarie lands giuen for the support of the woodden bridge after the ruine of the same woodden bridge reduced by act of parlement holden in the one and twentith of Richard the second to the maintenance of the same new stone bridge and that sundrie manors lands tenements rents in Kent London Essex were by deuise of sundrie persons assured for the vpholding of the same new stone bridge yet by want of due circumspection this new stone bridge became in so great decaie that in the latter time of quéene Marie and beginning of hir maiestie now reigning line 10 collection was made vpon all horssemen carriages passing ouer that bridge in manner of a tole or tax and more by reason of the queenes commission an vniuersall taxation was made in nature of a tenth and fiftéenth ouer all the countrie of Kent and the citie of Canturburie for and towards the reparations of the same bridge All which being an vnwilling burthen griefe to the people togither with the reuenues of the bridge lands did not yet suffice to saue the ruine of that famous line 20 stone bridge vntill by the carefull trauell of the said sir Roger Manwood then a iustice in the common plées a remedie was sound therefore without iniurie to anie person and without exaction of anie passenger Which remedie was that all the manors lands tenements and rents belonging vnto the bridge should be fréed from all leases thereof made at small rents and the same lands so let to be dulie improoued to a higher rate the same being a matter answerable to right and reason considering line 30 the cause of the first gift of those lands then sufficient and the now dearth of things which made it insufficient to support the said bridge the stone timber and other stuffe for repare of the same bridge with the works wages and carriages concerning it being now growne to farre greater prices than in old time they were Which deuised remedie to vndoo the old leases was much impugned by manie persons of wealthie hauior receiuing great profit by those old vnder rented leases line 40 All which notwithstanding this Roger Manwood prosecuted the same to a good successe for he making to appeare before the lords of the councell and the rest of the iudges of the realme in the presence of such as inioied these old leases and of their learned councell and other fauourers that the said manors lands and tenements belonging to the said bridge were giuen to the wardens communaltie owners of the contributorie lands and that their old leases line 50 made by the wardens onelie without consent of the communaltie were not good in law the farmers submitted themselues to surrender their old insufficient leases and to take such as might be auailable in law of the same lands Whereby the yearelie reueneues of the bridge lands grew to be of more value than triple that which they were before and yet the old farmers had new leases vnto their owne contentation bicause the same are not so improoued but that they are as reasonablie letten as other priuat line 60 mens lands be To which deuise a further remedie was then