trewe defense ¶ The kynge Henry then cōquered all Irelande By papall dome there of his royaltee The profytes and reuenues of the lande The dominacion and the souerayntee For errour whiche agayn the spiritualtee They helde full longe would not been correcte Of heresyes with which they were infecte ¶ He founded then the priory of Newstede Within Shirwod and Waltham founded newe Afore were secular without hede Whiche regular he made in order due And other two houses of order trewe He founded there for his soule to praye Where was holy seruyce kepte euery daye ¶ Geffreye his sonne the thyrde gotten and bore That duke of Britayne was hole create By his wyues right to enioye for euermore Whiche was a prince of royall great estate At Parys dyed that Arthure create To sonne and heyre and Isabell the fayre His doughter was without any dispayre ¶ In the yere of Christ a thousande clere An hundreth and sixty also and one Baudewyn the thyrde died taken priesoner By the Sarysens that were his mortall foone Of his body that yssue then had none To whome his brother Almarike did succede To Ierusalem and there was kyng in dede ¶ By treason of therle Triples then The Christen hoste that had foule betrayed When Bawdewyn was so taken through that false man That great people of Christē had thē reised And on the felde nothyng to be praysed To the Sarysyns went with all his power And discomfyt the chrysten hoost full clere The C .xxxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Geffrey Plantagenet otherwyse called Plantageneth Earle of Angeou elder brother of Bawdewyne and Almaryk shoulde haue ben king of Ierusalem afore and so by consequens thys kynge Henrye shoulde haue be kynge of it BVt yf ryght had lynally procede Geffray Plantagenet Earle of Angeou The elder brother of Bawdwyn so in dede And of Almaryk with mykell blysse and ioye Whiche Geffray so Earle of Angeou Shulde haue be kyng afore of all that realme Both of Surry and also Ierusalem ¶ When duke Robert Ierusalem forsoke For couetyse to haue and ioyse Englande Godfray Boleyne the realme of Surry toke And of Ierusalem eke I vnderstande And erowned was to be kynge of that lande That duke had bene afore of all Loueyne A noble prynce and a worthy Chyefteyne ¶ A thousande was an hundreth sixty syxtene Withoute yssue of his body cōmynge Dyed to whome his brother as was sene Bawdwin succeded and of that realme was king That ruled the lande as was full well semyng Full worthy accompted amonge all estates That chrysten fayth susteyned without debates To whom his sonne king Bawdewin did succede The seconde was that had so borne that name A noble Prynce of all marcyall dede And in that lande greate honoure had and fame Whiche on his wyfe gate without blame A doughter then had vnto his heyre That lande to haue enheryte and repayre Whom then earle Fowke of Angeou wed to wife And kyng was of that lande then by her ryght On whome he gate thre sonnes in his lyfe Worthy knyghtes and men of greate myght The eldest Geffray Plantagenet hyght That gate this same Henry fytz Empryse Kyng of Englande of noble and hye enterpryse The .ii. sonne of Fowke was Bawdewin that thirde Dyed prysoner as it is expressed afore Without yssue of his body betyd The third sonne then of Fowke laste was bore Hyght Almaryk whiche two were kynges thore Where erle Geffrey their elder brother had ryght That suffred them to ioye that lande by myght ¶ Which Almaryk dyed kyng so of that realme After whome then reygned his sonne Bawdwyn That fourth was of that name of Yerlam That impotent was without medecyn To mayntayne warre he myght no more enclyne Who called was Bawdewyn Paraliticus For with the palsye stryken was he full hydeous The C .xxxvi. Chapiter ¶ Howe that kyng Henry the seconde was very heyre of Ierusalem and by consequens Rycharde of Yorke shoulde be the same Wherfore he sent to kynge Henry his crowne His banner also of his armes full fayre Of Ierusalem that were of great renowne As to hym that was then the very heyre Of earle Geffray eldest sonne full fayre Was to kyng Fowke and to his wyfe the quene Doughter and heyre to Baudewin the .ii. clene ¶ This fourth Bawdewyn called Paraliticus This message sent the yere of Christe a thousand An hundreth ful foure score and thre ryght thus When Henry was requyred to haue that lande Whiche he proroged and sent agayne his sounde He shulde be there yf that the kyng of Fraunce And he myght well accorde of gouernaunce ¶ He went so forth anon to Normandye With hoost full great with kyng Philyp to treat Of that voyage and warre accorded on hye But then the death hym felly ganne reherte Wherfore anon he satte vp in his seate And to his sonne Rycharde greate sōme he gaue Thether to go that holy lande to saue ¶ And then he dyed at Pount Euerard buryed The sorowe of herte and great contricyon A prynce chrysten fully notifyed Withouten pere in all comparyson Of worthy knygthode and manly renowne A thousande yere an C lxxx and fourtene And of his reygne was syxe thirty clene The C .xxxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Richard king of England duke of Normādy earle of Angeou reygned .x. yere and beganne the yere of Chryst a. M. an C lxxxxiiii dyed the yere M CC. and .iiii. RYchard his sōne to kīg thē was crowned By Bawdewyn archbyshop primate Of Cauntorbury of England that stound That ruled the churche then by lawe ordynate His brother Geffray of baste so procreate Archbyshop was of Yorke then newe electe The Northren churche vnder him to be protecte ¶ The lorde Lueye that Godfray Lucye hight Afore hym bare a royall pyllyon And Iohn Marshal his spores of gold ful bright Willyam Maundeuile his mighty hye crowne That earle was then of Almarle vp and downe Of his wyues ryght willyam Marshal bolde Earle of Strigeyll the scepter bare of golde ¶ Willyam Patryk that was then Longspee That Earle was then create of Salysbury A staffe of golde for constable then was he Of Englande hole to haue the regeny By ryght of his offyce of constablery For yf the lande were voyde none heire knowe To kepe the realme by his offyce hym owe. ¶ This ylke Willyam was earle also create Of Gloucestre by whiche that offyce grewe To hym of ryght for he was generate Of Roberte Clare earle of Gloucestre trewe Foure Barons bare by theyr seruyce full dewe Aboue his hed then in processyon A cloth of golde by good direccyon ¶ Earle Dauyd then that tyme of Huntyngdon Brother of the kyng Willyam of Scotlande And Iohn the earle of Morten of renowne Kyng Rychardes brother as I vnderstone Ryght worthy lordes that tyme of this lande And Robert Ferrers earle of Leycester tho Thre swordes bare afore the kyng there so Syxe Earls then and Barons of estate A cheker
in matâ—ers of Scotland could better skill Nor which their falshoode and vntrueth to note Had more affection or better wyll Or better knew water woodde toune vale hyll Or was more feruente the Scottes to persue Who to England he knew woulde neuer be true ¶ Neyther anye Chronicler that euer was Eyther dooth or can more largly declare Euen from Brutus howe it came to passe That kynges of Englande the soueraines are And ouer Scotlande oughte rule to beare Hymselfe is wytnes of their subiection And homage vnder Englandes protection ¶ In other thinges the tymes were suche That though this werke haue some spice of blindnesse Yet is the authour not to be blamed much For Popyshe errour that season doubtlesse Did all the worlde ouer go and oppresse Therfore such thinges we must in good part take And pardon that faulte for the tymes sake ¶ Yet haue we thought best the autour to set out Euen in suche fourme as hymselfe dyd endite It wer an vnquod thyng yf we should go about To alter and chaunge that olde men haue wryte Secondly to vs it maye bee greate delyte The blindnesse of those tymes to consider From whiche hathe pleased God vs to delyuer ¶ Fynally the darkenesse of those dayes to see To the honoure of our kyng dooeth redound To whom by goddes helpe geuen it hath bee All Popyshe trumperye for to confounde Which thyng al trew English hertes hath bouÌ„d Incessauntly to praye for kyng Henrye the eyghte Whose godly wisedome hath made all streyghte And for asmuch as Hardyng his boke doth ende With Edward the fourth whose seruauÌ„t he was And to whome also this booke he dyd commende Consideryng also the tyme and space Beyng .lx. yeres and more I coulde not let passe So many goodly statutes and decrees Battayles and stories not good to lese Wherfore I annexed theim by continuacion Begynning wyth Edwarde the fourth of that name Then Edward the fyfth kyng by generation Whom Richard the third to his immortal shame Cruelly murdered the story sayeth the same But plaged he was to hys greate greuaunce With a shamefull death as Goddes vengeaunce Then Henry the .vii. nexte doothe ensue Father vnto our moost dred soueraigne lorde And of Henry the. viii some thyng that is true I haue here set forth as wryters dooe accorde Not in metre but obseruyng worde for worde Myne authours that wrote it all in prose Reportyng the truth without fraude or glose ¶ Now right gentle reader thy parte shal be My good wyll and zele my payne and labour To entreprete and take in good parte and gre Geuing to the same suche good wordes of fauour As may enforce me with all myne endeuour The settyng forth of mo werkes to take in hande To thy solace and honour of Englande ¶ The Proheme of Iohn Hardynge into this his chronycle THe moste substance of power and of myght Through age distilled into debilitee Of me that am this time an aged wight And greate faute haue of habilitee This labour now shuld haue wthold fro me But that my witte would haue some diligence My ghoost to kepe from synne and insolence ¶ This werke is great and loÌ„ge to bryng to fyne So doeth it euer fro tyme to tyme encrease And long hath dooen afore Christ dyd enclyne In Marie mother and mayden without lease To chronicle so men haue theim put in prease Some in meetre and some also in prose Some in Latyn full wysely dyd it close ¶ And some in Frenche they made for intellecte Of men that could no Latyn vnderstande More sufficiently endited and protecte By ferre then I can it nowe take in hande And some in lynes two theyr ryme ay bande But though my witte be not so curious As theirs by ferre to make it glorious ¶ Yet wyll I vse the symple witte I haue To your pleasaunce and consolacion Moste noble lorde and prince so God me saue That in chronycles hath delectacion Though it be farre aboue myne estimacion Into balade I wyll it nowe translate Ryght in this forme with all myne estymate My lorde of Yorke vnto your sapience I wyll remember a notabilyte Of your elders rule and regymence That had this lande of olde prioryte Which ruled were after their dignitee In vertue digne by roiall gouernaunce And in vyce rulyd and misgouernaunce By whiche knowledge your discrete sapience All vyce euermore destroye maye and reproue By vertuous and blessedfull dilygence And vertue loue that maye not ought greue Howe ye shall rule your subiectes while ye lyue In lawe and peace and all tranquyllite Whiche been the floures of all regalyte ¶ Edward the thyrde that was king of this land By ryght title and very iuste discent And kyng of Fraunce as I can vnderstande By his mother quene Isabell the gent Sister and heyre of Charles by hole entent For Charles dyed without any chylde The ryght discent vnto his mother mylde Why shulde that French forbarre you of your right Sith God of heauen in libro numeri Gaue to Moises this lawe that nowe is lyght In the chapiter seuen and twenty By these wordes the doughter ryghtfully Of Salphaat aske the fathers heritage Geue them in possessyon amonge the cosynage ¶ This kyng Edward reignyng in his dayes In mercyall actes tryumphe and victorie Aboue all princes famed was alwayes Fyue sonnes had the worlde out to crye Ther wer no mo suche of one patry monye Edwarde the prince and eldest sonne of age Who gat Richarde that had the heritage ¶ Leonell next borne after in Antwerpe In Brabant lande that wedded vnto his wyfe The erles doughter of Vlster as men do karpe And begatte on her Philip his doughter ryue And also his heire whome he loued as his lyue Whome erle Emonde of Marche the Mortimer Wedded to his wyfe and begatte the erle Roger. Edwarde the thyrd had fyue sonnes Edwarde prince Leonell Iohn duke of Lancastre Edmounde duke of Yorke Thomas of Woodstocke duke of Gloucester ¶ That erle was after of Marche of Vlster With wylde Irishe that slayne wer in Irelande Who had a sonne erle Emonde Mortymer That dyed without yssue I vnderstande To whom dame Anne his syster vnto his land Was veraye heyre whoÌ„ the erle of CaÌ„bridge wed And gatte of her your selfe as I haue red ¶ Why should ye not then be her veraye heyre Of all her lande and eke of all her right Sith Iesu Christe of Iude lande so feire By veray meane of his mother Mary bryght To be kyng claymed tytle and right And so dyd name hym selfe kyng of Iewes So by your mother the right to you acrewes ¶ After Lyonell that was duke of Clarence And of Vlster the erle was by his wyfe And of Italie for his greate excellence Kyng should haue been without any stryfe Of all Europe without comparatyfe The royall lande and to his espousaile The dukes doughter of Melayn without faile ¶ Iohn borne in Gaunt of FlauÌ„ders chief cytee The thyrde
no faile And rayned bloodde the same .iii. dayes also Greate people dyed the lande to mykell woo ¶ Gurgustyus his sonne so reygned then In mykill ioye and worldly celynesse Kepyng his landes from enemyes as a manne But drunken he was echedaye expresse Vnaccordynge to a prince of worthynesse Out of drunkennesse succedeth euery vice Whiche all men shuld eschewe if thei wer wise ¶ Scicilius his sonne then did succede In whose tyme echeman did other oppresse The lawe and peace was exiled so in dede That ciuill warres and slaughter of men expresse Was in euery parte of the lande without redresse And murderers foule through all his lande dayly Without redres or any other remedy ¶ Iago succeded and kyng was of this lande As eiuill as was the kyng of Scicilus The same vices as I vnderstand Orels wourse and more malicious Wherfore our lorde toke vengeaūce of hym thus He smote theim bothe in suche aletargie That sone thei dyed for marrid with frenesie ¶ Kymar his soonne had then the diademe And kyng then was with all kyndes of royalte Kepyng his lande as well did so hym seme In lawe and peace with greate felicite The common weale and their vtilite He did prefer euer in vniuersall Whiche to a prince is a vertu principall ¶ First if he kepe not lawe nor peace certein His people will nothyng dred ne doubt Than stande he moost in parell to bee slaine Orels putte doune right by his vnderlout No better is he bee he neuer so stout Then is his subiect or another wight That with rebell vnlawfull kill hym might ¶ Gorbonyan that was his soonne and heire Was kyng who had that tyme but soonnes twoo The eldre hight Ferrex that was full faire The younger hight Porrex whiche discordid so That either of theim was alwaye others foo For that the father sent Ferrex into Fraunce To kyng Syward that was of greate puisaunce ¶ But after long when he had reigned .xi. yeres Dyed awaye frome all royalte Leuyng his lande by his good rule inclere In sufficiente and all prosperite Ferrex heryng of his mortalite With power strong came to this lande againe And with Porrex faught sore wher he was slaine ¶ For sorow of whiche ther mother that Iudō hight To Ferrex came with hir maydens all in ire Slepyng in bed slew hym vpon the night And smote hym all on peces sette a fyre Loo this cruell mother sett on fyre With suche rancor that she could not ceas Whiche for passyng ire was mercyles The .xxxi. Chapiter ¶ Clotane Pynner Ruddan Stater reigned with barōs warres .xl. yere howe this Isle of Brytaine was departed in foure parties stood departed .xl. yere in barōs warres CLotane that then was duke of Cornwaile Next heire then was by all succession But Pinner thē had Logres ī gouernaile And kyng ther of was by wrong ingression Ruddan had Cambre in his possession And Stater was then kyng of Albany Thus was this Isle then lede by tirannye ¶ Thus Brytain was to foure kynges deuided Echeon of theim warryng on other The barons also on warre were so prouided That all the people to wast father and mother Thei spared none all wer thei sister or brother And eche citee on other bothe towne and tour And eche tyranne was a conquerour ¶ And lordes faine subiectes then to been The poore menne that afore that warre wer desolate Of all honour and worship that was seen Through their manhode with people congregate Lordeship conquered and roose to high astate Laddes and boyes the ladeis tho did wedde Their kynne afore nether lande ne hous hadde ¶ Fourty wynter thus duryng barons warre This Isle so stoode in sorowe and in strife In faute of might the weaker had the wer And suffered wrong that was then their life For who that might aught gette with spere or knife He helde it furth as for his heritage And waxid a lorde that a fore was a page ¶ Defaute of peace lawe sette theim on hight To ouer runne lordes and bee victorious As worthy was for of their wrongfull might The lordes were cause that thei were rygurous That would not so their wronges malicious At first with stande and punishe trespassoures But suffer theim endure in their erroures The .xxx. Chapiter ¶ The conseipt of the maker of this booke touchyng barrons warres in defaute of peace and lawe DEfaut of lawe was cause of this mischief Wronges susteined by mastry by might And peace laied downe that should haue been the chief Through whiche debates folowed all vnright Wherfore vnto a prince accordeth right The peace and lawe euen with equite Within his realme to saue his dignite ¶ What is a kyng without lawe and peace Within his realme sufficiently conserued The porest of his maye so encrease By iniury and force of menne preserued Till he his kyng so with strēgth haue ouerthrowed And sette hym self in royall maieste As tratour Cade made suche an iuoperte ¶ O ye my lorde of Yorke and veraie heire Of Englande so this matter well impresse Deipe in your breste lette it synke softe and feire And suche defautes sette you aye to represse At the begynnyng lette your high noblenes The trespassoures to chastes and to restreine And lette theim not lawe ne peace disobeine ¶ O ye lordes that been in high estate Kepe well the lawe with peace and gouernaunce Lest your hurtes you hurte and depreciate Whiche been as able with wrongfull ordynaunce To reigne as ye and haue also greate puisaunce For lawe and iustices in lordes vnpreserued Causeth many of theim to bee ouerthrowed The .xxxi. Chapiter ¶ Dunwallo Moluncyus kyng of Cornewayle conquerid Logers Lambry and Albanie as right heire of Brytayne he gaue fraunchises to the temple plough merkettes feyres and hie wayes so that none should disturbe by lawe nor by wrong he made sixe temples in Logers Cambre Albanie and also many Flāynes to rule theim of estate as bishoppes nowe dooen KYng Clotein died that reigned in Cornewaile Wherfore his soōne Dūwallo Molūcius Was kyng of all his realme without faile A mannly prince in armes full cuorageous Assembled his hoost and came full vigorous Of kyng Pynner in Logres intrusour And sleugh hym ther as wrongfull gouernour ¶ Kyng Ruddan and kyng Stater Of Albanie with hoostes strong and wyght Gaue hym battaill with mighty power Where Ruddan Stater wer slain downe right With all their hoostes and their greate might And Dunwallo had the victory With muche ioye and manhod mightely ¶ Dunwallo so called Moluncius At Troynouaunt with royall diademe Of gold crouned moost riche and precious Vpon his hede as did hym well besene The first he was as chronicles expreme That in this Isle of Brytein had croune of golde For all afore copre and gilt was to beholde ¶ He graunted pardon vnto all trespasoures Of whiche thei were full glad and ioyus Amendyng all their faultes and errours With all their hertes full beneuolous
his entente For they disobeyed the lettre whiche he sent For they had chosen mayster Stephan Langton An worthy clarke of all disposicion ¶ Whom kyng Iohn then wold not admytte For Romayn bull ne for the prelates prayer But prisoned some and some to death commytte Some he exiled and theyr eyen clere And all personnes and prelates in fere He then put out and seazed theyr benefice Through all the lande as his mortall enemyes The Romyshe byshoppe curssed hym openly And all the realme fully did enterdite That sacramentes none therin should occupie And to the kyng of Fraunce without respite He wrote his letters so full fayre endite To take Englande hole in gouernaunce For kyng Iohn his great misgouernaunce ¶ Many erles also and many great barons Vnto the kyng of Fraunce wrote openly To sende his sonne Lewes the rebellions To helpe to whome they promysed sikerly To croune hym kyng of England worthely If that kyng Iohn would not his trespasse amēd Vnto the churche in whiche he had offend ¶ Wherfore that kyng of Fraūce to England sente His sonne Lewes with hoste and power strong With whom many lordes susteyned his entent And other some maynteyned kyng Iohn in wrōg Thus stode this lande Englande Wales longe Hole enterdite frō all holy sacramentes That none was done without priuelegementes ¶ Lewes the sonne of kyng Philip of Fraunce Had castelles fees and citees many one At his good rule and full wyse gouernaunce In Englande then well mo then had kyng Iohn Tyll on a daye to lordes he made his moone By whose coūcel vnto that Romishe bishop he wrote His letters meke as best he could theim note ¶ Besekyng hym of mercy and of grace Of forgeuenesse and absolucion His defautes all to mend and his trespasse And vndirguage all his punysion For to release thenterdiccion For whiche the Romishe bishop as he that letters see Wepte fore hauyng full greate pitee ¶ Thenterdiccion fully he releassed And to the kyng of Fraunce anone sent To ceasse the warre the peace to be encreassed Betwene hym and kyng Iohn bayssent To whiche he would put so all his entent To Lewes then he sent thesame message And of Englande to haue his hole costage ¶ And for Lewes with Lordes of Englande Obeyde not the byshops commaundement He sent Gwalo his legate I vnderstande To cursse Lewes and all of his assent Then died kyng Iohn in Christen hole entent At Croxton abbey and buried was full fayre At Worcester with lordes and great repayre ¶ Some bookes sayen he poysoned was to dead Of plummes so syttyng at his meate In thabbey of Cistews at Swynsheade With whiche a monke there hym did rehete Wenyng of God greate thanke to gette At Newerke died at Worcester sepultured In chronicles as is playnly scriptured ¶ He gate a sōne that Hēry of Wynchester hight And other after and Richarde was his name That erle was of Cornwayle of great might A Worthy knight and of right noble fame These sonnes on his wyfe that noble dame And gate Isabell the wyfe of Frederyk Emperoure of Rome a lorde full poletyk ¶ In his tymes were these earles in Englande Geffry Maundeuile earle of Essex than Syr Quincy as I can vnderstande Earle of Winchester that was a manly man And the earle of Cornewayle that was than Roger of Clare then earle of Gloucester That in Englande was none his better ¶ Roger Bygot earle of Northfolke then That Marshall was that tyme of Englande Henry Bowne then earle of Herforde as I can Conceyue was then Constable of the lande Aryght worthy knyght of his hande And Dauyd then was of Huntyngdon Willyam Marshall earle of Penbroke full boon ¶ Randolfe of Chester the earle of good estate Robert Veer of Oxenforde full wyse Willyam Groos of Almaryk generate Willyam Lōgspee earle then of great enterpryse In actes marcyall a man knyghtly and wyse Of Salysbury a mighty lorde that daye Through all Englande knowen of greate araye ¶ Willyam the earle of Arundell that hyght Awbeny by his surname full well then knowe At Wimondham in Northfolke buryed ryght Father was of Philyp full yonge vnknowe That full curteous was both to hye and lowe That after hym was earle of Arundell As chronycles wryten can clerely tell ¶ This kyng Iohn dyed in hole creaunce The yere of Chryste a. M was then knawe Two hundreth .xxi. by remembraunce In chronycles as I haue red and sawe And full cumbreous bothe to hye and lawe At Worcester buryed in good araye As a prynce royall of reason ought that daye The C .xliii. Chapiter ¶ Henry the thyrde kynge of Englande duke of Normandye and Guyen and Earle of Angeou that beganne to reygne the yere of Chryste a thousande CC. xxi and dyed in the yere a thousande CC .lxxiii. and of his reygne the .lvi. yere ¶ In his tyme was a batayl at Lincolne where Earle Raudolfe of Chester discomfyted Lewys that sonne of kyng Philyppe of Fraunce HEnry his sonne then was of .ix. yere age At Gloucester crowned with the dyademe By the Legate Gwalo the Baronage Stephan of Langton helpyng as did well seme Archbyshop then as the byshop coulde deme The same yere then the kyng with Lewys faught Besyde Lincolne where Lewys was nere caught ¶ Foure C. knyghtes of Lewis there was slaine Th erle of Perche was slayne on Lewis syde And many fled with Lewys soth agayne Th erle Randolf of Chester knowen wyde The felde there gate that daye with mikell pryde And Lewys then all his ryght relesed And home he went with mony well appesed ¶ In the seconde yere he wedded Alyanor Therls doughter of Prouynce good and fayre Whose elder syster kyng Lewys wed afore This earle was then famed amonge repayre The noblest prynce without any dispeyre That tyme alyue through all chrystente Of all honoure and greate nobilyte And Iohn the sonne of Dauyd of Huntingdon That of Huntyngdon Chester earle had bene Without chylde dyed his erldome to the crowne Then sezed were to tyme that it was sene Howe his systers myght them departe betwene The parliament graunted that wardes to the kyng That helde of hym by knyghtes seruyce doyng ¶ To make statutes at Oxenforde ordynaūce By whiche there shulde none alyence enheryte And put the kyngvnder the gouernaunce Of certayne lordes wysest moste parfyte Whiche after made amonge them great dispyte And batayles stronge greate contrariaunce Through all the lande by longe continuaunce The C .xliiii. Chapiter ¶ Of the byrthe of Edwarde his eldest sonne and heyre was in the .xxix. yere of his father and in the yere of Chryste a thousande CC .xxxix. Howe Symonde Mountforte Earle of Leycester was create HIs eldest sonne and heyre that Edward hyghe At Westmynster of Chrystes incarnacyon The yere a thousand CC .ix. and .xxx. ryght Whome the legate Otho by informacyon Baptyzed in funt saynt Edmondes confirmacy 〈…〉 To hym then made as the churche deuysed In his baptime holy then autoryzed
soonne was of good kyng Edwarde That wedded dame Blaunch ful of feminytee Duke Henryes doughter and heire afterwarde Of Lancastre by lawe of kynde and forwarde Who gat and bare the fourth kyng Henry That kyng Rycharde deposed wrongfully ¶ Who gatte Henry the fyfth lyke conqueroure Of Normandy and mykill parte of Fraunce That excelled bothe kyng and Emperoure In marcyall actes by his gouernaunce Who gatte Henry the sixte at Gods pleasaunce Of suche symplenesse and disposicion As menne maye se by his discrecion 〈◊〉 For when Henry the fourth first was crouned 〈…〉 ny a wyseman sayd then full commenly 〈…〉 third heyre shuld not ioyse but be vncrouned And deposed of all regalitee To this reason they dyd there wittes applye Of euill gotten good the third should not enioyse Of longe agone it hath bene a commen voyse ¶ Howe the maker of this booke saieth his auyse in briefe for the duke of Yorke ¶ O my lorde of Yorke God hath prouyde In this for you as men sayen commenly So that no slouth you from his grace deuyde But take it as he hath it sent manly And rule well nowe ye haue the remedye But neretheles let euery man haue the right Both frende and foo it may encrease your might ¶ Treate well Percy of marchys lyne discended To helpe your right with might and fortifye By tender meanes to holde hym well contented Remembryng hym by wyttie polycye Howe by processe of tyme and destenye Your right might all bene his as nowe is yours Through gods might make thē your successours ¶ Edmoūde was then the .iiij. sonne at Langlay Borne as knowen was well in the lande A noble prince after as men might say At battayle of Orray that fought sore with his hāde And Iohn of Gaunt his brother I vnderstande That fought ful sore for Ihō of Mountfortright Agayne Charles of Bloys a manly knight ¶ This Edmoūde was after duke of Yorke creat And had a sonne that Edward had to name Whom kyng Richarde made to be denominate In all his writtes exaltyng his fame Kyng of Portyngale his father yet at hame Lyuyng in age I trawe of .lxxx. yere A fayre person as a man might se any where ¶ Thomas Woodstoke the .v. sonne was in dede Duke of Gloucester that tyme made and create By kyng Richarde murdered whom for his mede Kyng Henry quyt with death preordinate By Goddes dome and sentence approbate Who sleeth so shall he be slayne by his sentence Well more murder whiche asketh ay vengeaunce ¶ Who laye afore Paris amoneth daye With hoste royall without any batell Of all enemyes moste dred he was alwaye And Scottes moste hym bred without any fayle For as they trowed by theyr owne rehersaile Of prophecyes he shulde theyr lande conquere And make the kyng to Englande homegere ¶ Nowe haue I made vnto your owne knowlege A remembraunce of Edwardes sonnes fyue Your exampler to geue you a corage So noble princes I trowe were none alyue After my wytte as I can discryue The eldest sonne whose lyfe I haue lefte oute Who that in Fraunce all landes was moste doute ¶ Of the ryghte and tytles that my Lorde of Yorke hath to Fraunce and Spayne with Portingale other landes by yonde the sea Ierusalem and other landes ¶ At batell of Poytiers tooke kynge Iohn With greate honoure triumphe and vyctory By merciall actes and verteous life aloone And in Spayne as made is memorie The kyng Petro by knightly victorie To his kyngdome he did restore again By his brother putte out with muche pain ¶ The appoinctement bytwixt duke Iohn duke Emund who should bee kyng of Castle and Lyon and what the maker of this booke sawe and red at Londō to syr Robert Vmfrewill then lorde Vmfrewill ¶ This kyng Petro to giue hym to his mede Had nothyng els but doughters twoo full faire Whiche he betooke to that prince in deede For his wages for cause thei where his heire With whome he did to Englande so repaire And Constaunce wedde vnto his brother Iohn Emund his brother the younger had anone ¶ Dame Isabell the younger hight by name Bytwene these brethren was appoinctment The first heire male whiche of the sisters came The kyng should been and haue the regiment To you my lorde of Yorke this dooeth appent For your vncle Edwarde was first heire male To whome your father was heire with out faile ¶ So kyng of Spayne and also of Portyngall Ye should nowe bee by lyne of bloodde discent By couenaunt also and appoinctement whole As I haue seen of it the mununent Vnder seale wryten in all entent Whiche your vncle to my lorde Vmfrewill At London shewed whiche I red that while ¶ For Spayne Portyngale beare the renoume And commen name as I haue herde expressed Both to the realmes of Castyll and Lyon And so the kynge of Spayne hath aye adressed His royall style in wrytyng well impressed Kyng of Castill and also of Lyon Accompted both so for his region ¶ Nowe be ye knowe of your title to Englande By consequens to Wales and Scotlande For they perteyne as ye maye vnderstande Of auncient tyme to the crowne of Englande By papall bull ye haue the right to Irelande Gascowe Paitowe and Normandye Pountyf Bebuile Saunxie and Sauntignye ¶ And all the lande beyonde the charente Of Dangolesme Dangolismoys Luyre zyne Of Caoure Caourenō Pyridor Pirygūt coūtre Of Rodis Ronegeauis Dagō Dagenoyse that fine Tharbe Wigor Gaure shoulde to you enclyne With all the fraunchyses and all souerayntie As hath the kyng of Fraunce in his degre ¶ Nō that I Ihon Hardyng maker of this booke delyuered to kyng Henry the syxte the copie of the treatie of this land as kyng Edward the thyrd treated and had them after the battayll of Poytours ¶ Calys Marke Colne Hāmys Oye Wale Sandegate Guysons with all the whole coūtre With all the landes and townes betwene thē all With all fraunchyses and royall souerayntie All those of right be yours in propertie What by treate and what by veraye right As kyng Edwarde them had of mykyll might ¶ To Ierusalem I saye ye haue great right For erle Geffraye that hight Plantagenet Of Aungeoy erle a prince of passyng might The eldest sonne to Fouke and first begette Kyng of Ierusalem by his wife dewly sette Whose sonne Geffray foresaide gatte on his wyfe Henry the seconde that knowen was full ryfe ¶ Yet haue ye more fro Bawdewyn Paraliticus Kyng afterward to thesame kyng Henry The croune sente and his banner precious As veraye heyre of whole auncestrie Descent of bloode by tytle lynyally From Godfray Boleyn and Robert Curthose That kynges were therof and chose ¶ He sente hym also the Sepulture keyes Resygnyng wholy vnto hym all his ryght For to defende the lande from Sarizenes For he was sicke and had therto no might And all the lande destroyed was to sight By the
Soudyan to great lamentacion Of Goddes people and all Christen nacion ¶ He sente hym also the keyes of Dauids towre With Heraclye that of Ierusalem Was Patriarke and greatest of honour And with templers which brought hym into this realme Besekyng hym that he would thē susteine Full humbly askyng supportacion For the cytiee and christen consolacion ¶ All these titles the chronicles can recorde If they be seen by good deliberacion Many of theim to these full well accorde As I haue seen with greate delectacion By clerkes wrytten for our informacion As in olde feldes cornes freshe and grene grewe So of olde bookes cōmeth our cunnyng newe ¶ Of this I wyll nowe cease and forth procede To my mater wher fyrst I beganne To chronicles of this lande for worthihed To remembre in balade as I can To that entent to please both God and man And eke to please good femynitie Of my lady your wife dame Cecely ¶ That in Latyn hath litell intellect To vnderstande the great nobilytie Of this like lande of whiche she is electe Tyme commyng like to haue the souerayntie Vnder your rule as shulde feminitee Whiche if it maye please her ladyshippe My hert will reioyse of her inward gladshippe ¶ For well I wote your great intelligence That in latyn hath good inspeccion Will pleased bee of your hie sapieuce My lady that is vnder your proteccion Your heyre also maye rede at theyr eleccion Whiche if it may please your nobilitee Of my laboure I would reioysed bee ¶ Also for your heyres and for your successours In tyme commyng to haue a clere knowledge How of this realme the noble gouernours Haue kept with helpe of Baronage In victorye tryumphe and surplusage Sith Brute it wanne in his prioritee It hath been kept in worthy dignitee ¶ But howe this ysle enbrased with this sea Vnedefied was knowne first and founde That Albion was named of propertee Of dame Albione that first therein had ground And after long how Brute therof was crowned That of his owne name called it Brytayne And buylded it wher all before was playne ¶ The ende of the Proheme Here begynneth the Chronycle of Iohn Hardynge The firste Chapter ¶ Of the .xxx. susters that first inhabited this lande named it Albion that nowe is Englande Wales Scotland THe whyle that Troye was reignyng in his might In Greece there was a kynge right excellente That Dioclesiā some booke sayeth he hight And of Surray that had the regimente Dame Albyne hight his wife a lady gente Who doughters had .xxx. wedded to there degree To kynges all of greate nobilitee ¶ Whiche fell in pryde and hye elacion Thynkyng to be in no subieccion Of husbandes more ne dominacion But only by a fell conieccion Toke hole purpose and full affeccion To kyll there lordes slepyng sodaynly Soueraynes to be and lyue all seuerally The .ij. Chapter ¶ Note that wemen desyre of al thynges soueraynte to my conceypt more in this land then in any other for they haue it of the nature of the saied susters THe youngest suster the mater all discured To her husbande and to her father gent For whiche she was of al that dede assured But they were putte in exile by iudgement So rightfull were the princes of there entente They iudged them to be put in the see In shyppe topasse echeone fro there countree ¶ As fortune would to make there auenture Which by processe with streames to and fro And tempestes greate and sore disauenture Of sickenes great and mykell other wo And moste of all they knewe not whether to go Tyll at laste they came vnto this ysle That then was waste as chronicles do compile ¶ But I dare saye this chronicle is not trewe For in that ylke tyme in Surraye was no kyng Ne afterwarde to tyme that Saul grewe Ne no kyng was in Surray euer lyuyng That had that name for Saule was the first kyng Of Surray realme at the ende of the thyrde age In Samuels tyme the prophete wyse and sage The .iij. Chapter ¶ Note that Hughe de Genesis a Romayne historiographier declareth in his chronicle all the kyngdomes of the worlde and all the names of suche kynges as ruled in theim from Noes floude vnto the byrthe of Christ In whiche chronicle the foresayed Hughe writeth that Danays kyng of that Grekes had .l. doughters and that Egistus his brother kyng of Egypte had as many sonnes that maryed together which doughters kylled theyr owne husbandes and for that cause were banyshed and saylyng on the sea were dryuen vnto a certain ysle which Albina beyng the eldest suster of theim named accordyng to her name Albiō and Brute after that called it accordyng to his name Brytayne NE afore Brute was in no realme that name No kyng on liue that hight ne called so But of Arginos the kyng of full hye fame Had doughters fifty whose name was Danao The kyng of Egipte his brother Egisto Had soonnes also fifty together wedde In chronicles of olde as I haue redde ¶ Whiche doughters slew their husbandes echone Long before Brute was of his mother bore So fynde I by these women alone And by these soonnes thus slain before The chronicle trewe in their persones more Then in the doughters of Dioclesian Were in no lande that tyme so hight kyng none ¶ So in the yere of Aioth Iudge of Israell These ladies here landed full weery and sore Seuenty and twoo as Hugh dooeth tell Whiche was I saie an hundred yere afore That Brute came into this lande and more By fyue yeres trulye and well accompted Of yeres ode so muche more amounted ¶ Also in Surray there was no kyng before Kyng Alexaunder dedde and expired For Seleucius was the first kyng thore By all chronicles that I haue enquired That chronicle should not bee desired Seyng that it is not trew ne autenticke By no chronicle vnto the trewth oughte like ¶ I dare well saie he sawe neuer Hugh Genesis Ne he redde neuer the chronicles of Surry Of Israell Iude ne of Egipciis Of Argiuos of Athenes ne Thessaly Of Macedon Cesile ne of Assery Of Lacedemon of Lyde ne yet of Latyn Of Affrique of Asis ne yet of Babelyn ¶ Of Perce ne Meede Italye ne Albany Of kyng Alexaunder ne of his successors That afore tyme reigned dyuersly In dyuerse realmes citees castelles and toures Of Romany ne of state of emperours For had he seene all these and their stories Of Dioclesian he would make no memories The .iiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe these ladies had this Isle in the yere of Aioth .lxxii. in the third age of the world and she called it Albion of hir name and toke feauty seruice of theim all as souerayne ladie of this Isle that nowe is Englande Scotlande and Walis as Hugh Genesis wryteth in his Dyaloge THese ladies so ay dwellyng in this Isle The yeres of Aioth seuenty two no lees Dame Albyne was as mēne can
Iohn to vexe and noye wylfryde But tender loue they helde on eyther syde The .xcvii. Chapiter ¶ How Cadwalader fel in greate impotencye that he might not gouerne the lande wherfore in defaute of lawe peace fell Barons warre and ciuyle discorde in all the realmes THe kyng Cadwaladre beyng impotent So euery daye helde no gouernaunce Nether lawe ne peace wtin his regiment Wherfore Britons dred none ordynaunce But eche one toke on other great vengeaunce Fro that time forth eche countre on other warred And euery cytee agaynste other marred ¶ Thus in defauee of lawe and peace conserued Cōmon profyte was wasted and deuoured Percyall profyte was sped and obserued And Venus also was cōmonly honoured For lechery and aduoutry was moste adoured Amonge them was cōmon as the carte waye Ryot robbery oppressyon nyght and daye Of which came then manslaughter homicide And cyuyle stryfe with sore contencyons Through Britons land euery where on eche side With batayles greate and fell discencions As Bede wryteth amonge his mencyons They dred nother the kyng ne god almyght Wherfore he sent vengeaunce on them full ryght That through the warre the tylth was all destroied Churches all and husbandrye vnoccupyed That with hunger the people were sore anoyed That people great in stretes and feldes dyed And muche folke as Bede hath specifyed The fayth of Chryste for hunger then forsoke And drowned thē selues so sore the payne thē toke ¶ Their catell dyed for faute of fode eche daye Without meate or any sustenaunce In townes and feldes and the cōmon waye Through which their enfecte was with that chaūce That multitude of folke in greate substaunce On hepys laye full lyke vnto mountaynes That horryble was of sight aboue the playns Vnburyed hole withoute Sacrament By pestylence also many one dyed Some woode some raynage went And some were in lytargie implyed An other some with batayle mortifyed With murther also amonge themselues dispent Full many were that none an other lament Through which defautes not amēded nor correct The bishoppes fled the prestees clerkes anoyed To Walys went there to be protecte In cauys hyd accombred and accloyed Full heuely deseased and full greatly anoyed With saynctes bones and relyques many one Morning full sore and makyng there their mone ¶ Then fel a yere of pardone and of grace At Rome where the kyng Cadwaladrus All desolate and sory for that case In pylgrymage thyther purposed thus With herte deuoute and wyll beneuelous With his Brytons together consociate Of worthy bloude so borne and generate ¶ To haue pardone and playne remissyon Of theyr trespasse synnes and neglygence That they put nought reddour ne punissyon By lawe payne and discrete prouidence On trespassours that dyd violence Through which their land they were so mischeued That with law kept might wel haue bene acheued To Rome they came of whom the bishop was glad Sergio that hyght who them graunt remissyon Of all their synnes with herte and wyll glad Saue onely then of their omissyon And neglygence of hole punissyon That they put nought vpon the trespassoures Of cōmon people that were destroyours Whiche was not in his power to relese Without amendes made and restitucyon To common weale and theyr due eucrease As they were hurte in faute of due punissyon He charged them for theyr playne remissyon The cōmonte to supporte and amende Of as 〈…〉 te good as they were so offende In the meane whyle whyls they at Rome so were The Saxons hole and Englyshe consociate Toke all theyr lande liuelod and other gere To Saxon they sente ambassyate To Angulo to be assocyate With many mo of theyr countree men For Britons all at Rome were bidyng then ¶ And bad them come in haste and tary nought For theyr owne helpe and for their waryson The whiche they dyd and hither fast they sought The Brytons lande they toke in possessyon And kepte it forth with many a garyson For Brytons came no more therto agayne For king Cadwallader thē dyed at Rome certain His Brytous also dyed homewarde by the waye In dyuerse places and some went to Britayne Other some to Fraunce there to abyde for aye And some also to Normandy and to Spayne That to theyr owne they came no more agayne But Saxons hole and Englyshe it occupyed Euer more after and strongly edifyed ¶ Some chroniclers saye he had by visyon No more to come into Britayne the more But to the bishop of Rome with great contricion Confesse hym and take his penaunce thore And absolucyon for his synnes sore And howe the bishop of Rome buryed him royally And on his tombe set his Epitaphye ¶ In laten letters in marble stone well graue Declared hole his conuersacyon Forsakyng all the worlde heuen to haue And howe the byshop of Rome by his confyrmaciō Called hym Peter whome Bede by relacyon Calleth a saynt in blysse hole disposed Fro whiche he may in no wyse be deposed ¶ This Cadwalader of Britons was the kyng That reygned full as souereygne lorde .xii. yere And in the yere .vi. hundreth and nynte beyng And dyed so as sayeth the chronyclere That of westsex then had be kyng two yere Of whome walshemen holden opinyon Of Englande yet to haue the reuercyon ¶ When that his bones be brought fro rome again Amonge them all haue suche a prophecye And Englande then efte synce called Britayne Thus stande they yet in suche fonde matesye In truste of whiche vayne fantasye They haue full ofte Englande sore anoyed And yet they wyll proue yf it maye be destroyed The .xcviii. Chapiter ¶ The lamentacyon of the maker of this booke and his counsayle to my Lorde of Yorke for good rule in the realme of Englande O Gracyous lorde O very heyre in ryght Of great Britayne enclosed with a sea O very heyre of Logres the now England hyght Of wales also of scotland which all thre Britayne so hyght of olde antiquyte O very heyre of Portyngale and Spayne Whiche castell is and Lyons soth to sayne ¶ O very heyre of Fraunce and Normandye Of Guyan Peytowe Bayen Man Angeoy Membrys of Fraunce of olde warre openly O very heyre of Ierusalem and Surry All this meane I by you that should enioye Ye or your heyres my lorde of Yorke certayne That wrongefully haue bene holde out to seyne ¶ But O good lorde take hede of this mischieue Howe Cadwaladore not kepyng lawe ne peace Sufferyng debates and cōmon warrys acheue And fully reygne and put hym nought in preace By lawe nor myght to make it for to cease For whiche there fell so great diuisyon That he was put vnto deheryteson ¶ Not he alone but all his nacyon Deuolued were and from theyr ryght expelled Full fayne to flee with greate lamentacyon From greate Britayne in which they had excelled In which their aūcetour afore lōg time had dwelled And knew their foes mortal shuld it occupy For euermore without remedye ¶ Which is the payne most fell aboue all payne
A man to haue bene in hye felycite And to fall downe by infortune agayne In myserye and fell aduersyte Howe maye a man haue a thyng more contraye Then to haue been well and after woo begone Incomperable to it bee paynes echone ¶ Wherfore good lord the peace euermore mainteine And ryottes all chastyce by prouisyon And lawe vpholde ryghtfully and sustene And ouer all thyng se there bee no deuisyon But reste and peace without discencyon For where a realme or a cytee is deuyded It maye not stand as late was verified ¶ In Fraunce as fell full greate diuision Through whiche that first Henry kyng of EnglaÌ„de Ouer rode their lande by greate prouision And conquered theim thei might not hym with staÌ„de All their citees were yeld into his hande For cause of their cruell descencion Emong theim sustened by contencion ¶ Roome Carthage and many other citees And many realmes as clerkes haue specified Haue been subuert and also many countrees By diuision emong theim fortified Wher vnite and loue had been edified Might theim haue saued in all prosperite Frome all hurt and all aduersite ¶ Whexfore good lord thynke on this lessoÌ„ nowe And teache it to my lorde of Marche your heire While he is young it maye bee for his prowe To thynke on it wheÌ„ that the wether waxeth faire And his people vnto hym dooeth repaire And litill hath theim to releue and pease Then maye it hap with it his people case ¶ For what sauour a newe shell is taken with When it is olde it tasteth of the same Or what kynd of ympe in gardein or in frith Ymped is in stocke fro whence it came It sauourith euer and it nothyng to blame For of his rote frome whiche he dooth out spryng He must euer tast and sauour in eatyng ¶ While he is young in wisedome hym endowe Whiche is full hard to gette without labour Whiche labour maye not bee with ease nowe For of labour came kyng and emperour Let hym not bee idill that shall bee your successor For honour and ease together maye not been Wherfore writh nowe the wand while it is grene ¶ Endowe hym nowe with noble sapience By whiche he maye the wolf werre frome the gate For wisedome is more worth in all defence Then any gold or riches congregate For who wanteth witte is alwaye desolate Of all good rule and manly gouernaunce And euer enfect by his contrariaunce ¶ Endowe hym also in humilitee And wrath deferre by humble pacience Through whiche he shall increace in dignitee And catch alway full greate intelligence Of all good rule and noble regymence And to conclude wrath will euer sette a side All maner of thyng whiche wisedome would prouide ¶ Behold Bochas what prices haue through pride Be cast downe frome all their dignitee Wher sapience and meekenes had bee guyde Full suerly might haue saued bee And haue stand alwaye in might greate suertee If in their hartes meekenes had bee ground And wisedome also thei had not be confound ¶ Nowe foloweth of the Englyshe kynges and Saxones The .xcix. Chapiter THis Cadwalader nowe laide in sepulture That some tyme was that kyng of great Brytain And of Westsex also ther with full sure To whome succedid Iuore his soonne certain Reignyng ouer Brytons that did remain In Wales then without any socour But onely he became their gouernour ¶ With whome Iue his cousin was at nede That warred sore the Englishe and Saxonye Many winters and nought preuayled in deede Sauyng thei reigned vpon the Vasselry That wer out castes of all Brytany But Ingils and Iue his brother dere In westsex reigned which CoÌ„rede his sonnes were ¶ Whom Englishe then and all the Saxonye Theim chose and made to bee their protectours Again Iuor and his cousin Iuy That were that tyme the Brytons gouernours To Wales fled for helpe and greate socours But Ingils and Iue of Englishe bloodde discent Then kept Englande full well by one assent ¶ A yere all whole and then this Ingils dyed And Iue was kyng of Westsex fully cround That reigned then full greately magnified Eyght and thyrty wynter full well and sounde With his brother and what alloen that stouÌ„de In whose tyme Theodore then dyed Of Cauntorbury archebishop signified ¶ Whiche Ingile Iue did call this lande Englande After Inglis as thei had harde afore After Engest it called was Engestes lande By corrupt speach Englande it hight therfore And afterwarde so that name it hath euer bore As Gurmound also afore it had so named Whiche sith that tyme hath been ful hougely famed ¶ Kyng Iue and Ingils in Westsex first began The yere sixe hundred foure score therto nyne So did Iuo and Iue in Wales then Ouer the Walshe that were of Brytons line In muche trouble and woo as fill that tyme Kyng Alfride in all Northumberlande Wittred and Welbard in Kent I vnderstande ¶ In Englande yet were kynges seuen Vnder kyng Iue that twenty battailes smote Vpon Iuor and Iue accompted euen But in the yere as Bede hath saied and wryte That euery manne his debte to kynd paye mote Kyng Iue dyed at Roome then was the yere Seuen hundred and seuen and twenty clere ¶ And at his death he gaue to Roome eche yere The Roome pence through Westsex all about Perpetually to bee well payed and clere For vnto Roome he went without doubt And with theim lordes and gentils a greate route In pilgrymage for Eld and impotence When he might not the lande well defence The C. Chapiter ¶ Etheldred kyng of Westsex protector of Englande that reigned thyrty yere ETheldred in Westsex to hym gan succede And kyng was then and held the royalte Protector was of EnglaÌ„de their in deede And helde his tyme euer furth the souereingtee In heritage and perpetualitee That thyrten yere reigned in good astate Whiche cherished peace and chastised all debate ¶ Wher any wrath was growyng in his lande Emong prelates or lordes temporall In citees or in cuntrees wher he fande Accordid theim in euery place ouer all And in his tyme the kynges inspeciall Vnder his rule and sure proteccion He kept in peace by lawfull direccion ¶ Who dyed so of Christ his incarnacion The yere sixe hundreth fourty accompted tho Entombed at Bathe with sore lamentacion Of all Englande as well of frende as foo Which Bathe citee some tyme was called soo Achamany in Brytain language By Achaman that had it in heritage ¶ In his tyme was Oswyk in NorthumberlaÌ„d And dyed then to whome Colwolphe did succed Edbertpren in Kent I vnderstand And Ethelbald in Mers was theÌ„ I rede In Essex also was then reignyng Selrede And Ethelrede in Estangle that daye All these wer kynges and vnder hym alwaye ¶ So fro that tyme furth fro the Scottish sea To Sulwath â—loud and to the water of Tyne The Peightes had and kept without lee Wher kyng Edwin their kyng was by right line Rulyng that lande in peace and lawe
Ierusalem he reserued the resort to hym to his heires THe Soudā toke a trewce with kyng Richard For thre yere whole to bye all marchandise And sell and passe saufly thitherward To the sepulcre in all maner wyse With entercomen as then it did suffice And home he went for cause his brother Iohn Then purposed had for to bee crouned anon ¶ He sent his mother and wife to Cisile And of Acres he made then capitain The baron bold sir Rychard Vmfreuile Ierusalem to Henry erle of Champein With all Surry to haue and to demain And made hym kyng therof without delay For his susters soonne he was without nay ¶ For the marquis Wyllyam Mountferrate That kyng therof was by his wife enherite Was slain in Tire his citee by debate All sodeinly for cause of greate dispite Vetulo de Mount his brothers death to quite His bretherne twoo to Tire with power hath sent That slewe hym there by Vetulo his assent ¶ Whose wife he gaue to Henry his cousyn For she was heire of Ierusalem He made kepers in euery place full fyne And homeward came then by the sea stream Hoostyng by diuerse countres and realme To Romany Tuskan and Lumberdy In to Oistrich and there was take in hye ¶ Thēperour led home thē to Mēske he brought In strong ward brought to tyme that his finaūce Was fully payed emong his commons sought Of holy churche vnto ful greate greuaunce The marchaūtes also thē made great cheuisaūce Of all the shryues was take full greate riches Through all England to raūsom with his highnes ¶ And home he came Iohn his brother chastised And his fautours emprisoned all full sore To Normandy then went and there supprised The kyng Philip and werred hym euer thore That stroyed his land of Normandy afore Against his othe and his hie assuraunce Whilest he labored vpon the miscreaunce ¶ He then appeled the kyng Philip to fight Thei twoo alone hand for hand in feld That he was false of his promise and hight Whiche kyng Philip graunted but not it held But cowardly with royall hoste hym beld Vpon hym came all sodeinly to fight Within three dayes then for their brothers right ¶ Beside Gysours thei faught with hostes sore Wher kyng Rychard had the victorie Kyng Philip fled fro his baner thore With muche shame reproffe and vilanie Kyng Rychard segid a castell then in hie That Caluce hight not ferre fro Lymosyne Wher hurt he was full sore and dyed fyne ¶ An arblaster with a quarell hym smot As he about the castell went to spie But then he made therto a saute full hote On euery syde about full cruelly And gatte the place so then full myghtely And slewe theim all without any grace Agayn hym so that holden had that strong place ¶ He shroue hym then vnto abbots three With great sobbyng and hye contricion And wepyng teares that pitee was to see Mekely askyng penaunce and absolucion That it might please God at his peticion To forgeue his offences tyll domysday So afterwarde in blysse he might been ay ¶ He quethed his corps then to bee buried Al Fount Euerard there at his fathers feete To whom he graunted and made it notifyed Traytour he was and false of his behete His herte inuyncyble to Roan he sent full mete For their greate truth stedfast great constaunce His bowelles lose to Poytou for deceyuaunce ¶ Whose soule from the body dyd departe And into heauen went where is eternall ioye Because from synne he did conuerte Longyng for that blessed daye To see Christ that for his synne dyd paye That crucyfied was vpon the roode Redemyng his synne by the shedyng of his blode ¶ And of his reigne he died the .x. yere And in the yere of Christes incarnacion A thousande hole two hundreth and .iiii. clere As written is by clere computacion Who in his life had hole dominacion In Normandy Guyen Cypers and Surry Whose honoure shone aboue all other clerely The C .xli. Chapiter ¶ Iohn kyng of Englande duke of Normandy and Guyan 〈◊〉 erle of Angeou began to reygne the yere M CC. and .iiii. and reigned .xvii. yere and died the yere M CC .xxi. HIs brother Iohn was kyng then of Englande And crouned was at westminster ful faire By all estates and lordes of his lande And sone therafter deuorced full vnfayre From his wife wedded that there afore was heyre Vnto therle of Gloucestre full wyse That sonnes had that tyme of great enterprise ¶ For cause of whiche and of consanguinitye Deuorce was made and toke another wyfe Dame Isabell therles doughter fayre and free Of Englande and his heyre knowen ryfe Whiche after made hym ful great warre stryfe For she was wyfe of Hugh Brune of Toreyn The Viscount then toke fro hym a virgyne ¶ Wherfore Hugh Brune nomore of hym wolde hold But warred hym on euery side aboute Tyll he hym toke with other many folde And slewe theim all were thei neuer so stoute In his first yere a taxe he tooke full out Of eche plough land thre shyllynges fully payed For whiche the people bitterly for hym prayed The C .lxii. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Wyllyam of Scotlande did homage leege to kyng Iohn at Lyncolne the duke Arthure of Britayne all the lordes of Irelande did the same IN his first yere kyng Wylliā of Scotlād Made hys homage in Lyncolne his citee And Arthure duke of Britayne I vnderstande Sone after made hys homage feautee At London then with great humilitee The prince of Wales there made his homage For Wales then that was his heritage ¶ The great a Neele and Makmurre also And al the lordes and kynges of Irelande Therles also of Vlster did right so Of Ormond and Desmond for there lande And all estates there as I vnderstande Wer sworne to hym and to hym did homage For theyr lyuelodes and theyr heritage ¶ The kyng Philip confedered with Arthure To rebell sore agayne his eme kyng Iohn And graunte hym men power stronge and sure To gette Guyan Poytou and Angeou anon Wherfore kyng Iohn to Normandy gan gone And there he tooke Arthure duke of Britayn In castell Mirable dyed in mykell payne ¶ Dame Isabell the suster also of Arthure In the castell of Bristowe was then holde And died there in pryson then full sure As kyng Iohn hir vncle so it wolde A lady of greate beautee she was hold Beshet in pryson in paynes strong So endeth her life for sorowe liued not long ¶ Thus slewe he both Athure and Isabell The chyldren of his brother duke Geffrey To ioye the croune of Englande as men tell Wherfore moste parte of all his landes that daye Beyonde the sea forsoke hym then for ay Retournyng to the kyng of Fraunce in hye To holde of hym and his perpetually ¶ Bishop Hubert of Cauntorbury tho died Wherfore kyng Iohn vnto the couent sente To chose his clarke whiche they refused denied Wherfore the kyng was wroth in
The Leden hall there helde full strong that tyde Which with wylde fyre was brent might not byde That same night then syr Wyllym Duglas yald Barwyke castell to kyng Edwarde and salde The C .lxi. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Iohn of Scotlande surrendred his homage to kyng Edwarde and disclaymed to holde of hym IN this same tyme .vii. erles of Scotlande Sieged Carleile and so to Hexham brent And home again harmeles out of EnglaÌ„d They went anone and none harmes hent Worse to haue dooen was there entent But then kyng Iohn surrendred vp his homage To kyng Edwarde for hym and his linage ¶ By letters whiche the kyng Edward then sent To abbeys great in Englande of recorde To be remembred of his false entente RenouÌ„cyng kyng Edwarde for his souerayn lord The seuen erles at Dunbarre by concorde Then sieged it fro whiche earle Patrike went And graunted to holde of hym at his entent The C .lxii. Chapiter ¶ Of the battayle of Dunbarre where that kyng Edwarde preuayled WHiche castell so then the kyng rescowed And droaue therles there out of the felde And much people vnto the deth ther bowed Without helpe there slayne vnder shelde To Ronkesburgh the kyng Edward so held That sone was yelde to hym without stryfe Their good saufe also and theyr lyfe ¶ So he forth to Edenburgh went anone That yelden was on thesame condicion Then was Stryuelyn voyde and lefte alone Without defence or any garyson That Edwarde toke in his possession Whiche kyng Edwarde toke into his power And saued the people both farre and nere ¶ Then came therle of Vlster with great power Of Iryshemen and so to saynt Iohns towne The kyng theÌ„ went with host through Fyfe ful cher And brent that shire throughout both vpoÌ„ downe When then kyng Iohn by good direccion To Edwarde sent and prayed hym then of peace And to his grace submytte hym or he would cease ¶ TheÌ„ kyng Edwarde toke his submyssion At Brighyn then vpon the water of Taye And gaue hym there his realme without condicioÌ„ Of Scotlande so to hym and his for ay The lordes all made hym homage that daye The .x. daye was of Iuly and in the yere Of kyng Iohn then the .iiii. was counpted clere ¶ And therupon he sent hym to the toure Of London then with certeyne rebelles moo Kyng Iohn he kept in worshyp and honoure Like his estate where he would ride or god Ten myle about for his disport there so Then kyng Edwarde on the mountaynes went That monthes there bee called in theyr entent ¶ And as he came homewarde by Skone awaye The regall there of Scotlande then he brought And sent it forth to Westmynster for ay To be there in a cheire clenely wrought For a masse preaste to sytte in when he ought Whiche there was standyng besyde the shryne In a cheire of olde tyme made full fyne ¶ TheÌ„ made the kyng Iohn Wareyn his regeÌ„t That erle was then of Sussex and Surray And treasorer he made at his entent â—ugh Cressyngham and Wyllyam Ormesby The chiefe iustice through Scotlande generally His chaunceler at Skone and tresorer Abydyng wer to rule the land full clere ¶ TheÌ„ went kyng Iohn to FlauÌ„ders for socoure Of the dukes of Geldre and Brabant And also of the noble Emperoure That hym had hight great helpe socoure then But none he had and home agayn he want For in that meane tyme whyle he in FlauÌ„ders abode Wyllyam Valoys all Scotlande ouer rode ¶ He slewe the iudge and the chaunceler Thofficers also and the chaumberleyn The Capitaynes and the treasorer And gatte the lande fro Englyshmen agayn And slewe theim all with cruell death and payn Wherfore the kyng vpon the Maudeleyn day At Fowkirke fought with Scottes in great aray ¶ Where Scottes fled and fourty M. slayn And into Fiffes he went and brent it clene And Andrewstoune he wasted then full playn And Blakmanshire Menteth as men mene And on the ford of Trippour with hoste I ween To Bothbile Glascowe and to the towne of Are And so to Lanarke Longhmaban Anand thare ¶ Whiche all he had euer wher he came And then he wed kyng Philippes suster Margarete A fayre lady and full of noble fame Hir sonne and heire Edwarde Carnauan hete A mayden wed kyng Philippes doughter swete Whom his father then prince of Wales create Duke of Cornewayle erle of Chester nominate ¶ Then went the kyng to Scotlande agayn And wan the lande and had there all obeysaunce Sauyng Wales that would not hym obeyn But fled hym euer for drede of mischaunce He ordeyned then by statute ordinaunce That none should bee the prince of Wales more Excepte of the kyng his eldest sonne first bore The C .lxiii. Chapiter ¶ How the byshop of Rome at the suggestion of the Scottes wrote to kyng Edwarde vnder this fourme ANd in the yere a thousande CCC one Bishop Boniface at that Scottes suggestioÌ„ To kyng Edward by lettre wrote anone Chargyng hym then vpon his beneson For to delyuer the Scottes out of pryson Whiche in Englande he had holden with wrong And his officers call home that there had be long ¶ Alledged all howe Scotlande hole was holde Of Peters churche of Rome nought of hym But by great wrong and oppression bolde He theim ouerled with warres sore and brym And theim compelled in payn of lyfe and lymme To become his men the realme of hym to holde By homage leege whether they wold or nolde ¶ And bad hym also afore hym then appere At the courte of Rome his right there for to shewe And yf it myght beknowe his right were clere Without delay by iudgement iuste and trewe He shulde it haue by execucion due By sensours of theyr churche and hole sentence For to obeye his hie magnificence The C .lxiiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Edwarde wrote agayn an aunswer of his lettre THeÌ„ kyng Edward wrote vnto hym agayn An aunswere by his letters meke and due All his tytles and duties full playne Nought in fourme neuer in effecte to sue Nor in his courte no iudgement to pursue Remembryng well his fatherhede Nowe Brutus had Albian and dyd it possede ¶ In Hely tyme whiche to his sonnes he deuyde Vnto his sonne Locryne fyrste propogate He gaue Logres that hath this tyde To Albanacte the seconde procreate He gaue Albanye Scotlande nowe denomynate And to Cambre his yongest sonne he gaue Cambre that nowe is Wales to ioye and haue ¶ To kyng Locrine of Logres and to his heires The soueraynte and homage ay reserued Of Albanacte and Cambre and all theyrs Perpetually Troyan lawe obserued By which lawes Bryton hath bene conserued Sith hitherwarde without interrupcyon Afore the tyme that Rome had prescrypcion ¶ Afore the tyme also that Chryste was bore By many yeres the kynges of Logres had Scotlande by eschete for faute of heyres thore And remeued kynges that were there knowen bad And other kynges there made with hertes glad
Whiche that land couth there gouerne mikel better And seruyce dyd to Logres ofte by letter ¶ Also the same Iohn Baylioll I made Kyng of Scotlande as lawe and reason wolde Who made homage to me with hert full glad And afterwarde was false manyfolde He stroyed my lande with hostes stoute and bolde Wherfore I made hym warre tyll he were fayne To my presence to come and hym obeyne ¶ Where then for trespasse and rebellyon He surrendred to me and to my heyres The realme of Scotlande also the crowne The lordes of all Scotlande for them theyrs Made me homage for theyr proper landes By theyr letter wryten and theyr bandes ¶ Wherfore then hauyng therof possessyon The pryde of my subiectes and insolence Where I dyd fynde theyr false rebellyon As ryght and lawe wolde be my regence I chastysed ay at myne intellygence Wherfore please it to youre fatherhede Myne aunciente rightes to haue coÌ„mend in dede The C .lxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe the lordes wrote to the byshop of Rome for the same cause THe date was of this letter a. M. yere Thre hundreth also one the. viii daye of Mayr And of his reygne .xxix. clere With that the lordes in Englande were that daye By theyr letter and the byshop dyd praye The kynges ryght not to put in questyon Of eldest tyme longyng to his crowne ¶ For in theyr letter the bishop they did remeÌ„ber They wolde not suffer his disherityson His crowne so foule to hurte and dismembre His royalty to put in questyon For desyre of his rebels false suggestyon The whiche ryghtes for death or lyfe mayntaine They wer so bound they could none other meane ¶ So seased the byshop and the mater lette And kyng Edwarde then in to Scotlande went Through all Catnesse destroyed it in greate hete The monthes hye oute ysles strayte he shent Tyll they obeyed all hole his regiment And wyntred then at Dunfermlin abbey Where saint Margarete is worshpped euer ay The C .lxvi. Chapiter ¶ Of the batayle of Argyle where Vmfreuyle tooke Wyllyam Waleys and Iohn Waleys ANd then therle of Angos Robert Vmfreuile That regeÌ„t was of ScotlaÌ„d coÌ„stitute Toke william Wales then at Argyle His brother Iohn also without resute With rebelles mo that were all destytute By batell sore there smyten full cruelly Where Vmfreuile then had the victorye ¶ And to London them brought to iudgement Where they were draweÌ„ hanged on galowe tre And quartred then their quarters home were seÌ„t At certayne townes hanged vp there to be Theyr traytourhede and falshede for to se Theyr heddes also full hye vpon the towre At London brydge were set to great terroure The C .lxvii. Chapiter ¶ How Peirs of Gauerstone erle of Cornwaile was exyled ANd in the yere a thousand .iii. C. and fyue He exyled out Peyrs Gauerston of Cornewayle That Earle was then for treason knowen ryue And in the yere after without any fayle Earle Robert Bruis of Carrike ganne assayle Earle Iohn Comen of Bongham at Dunfryse And slewe hym there in feueryere wheÌ„ it did fryse ¶ Bycause he wolde not to hym there assent To be crowned then kynge of Scotlande And forthe he fled to se who wolde consent And many one drewe to hym in that lande Became his men and made syker bonde To whome Walter Wareyne the yonger sonne Of therle of Surrey that then dyd wonne ¶ With the lorde Vesty that had his syster wed That fro her went vnto this Robert Bruys Eyther of other were fayne for they were fled Out of Englande their liuyng had such Guris For their ryotous lyuyng and male auentures Thus went they aboute harkening euery where Who were foes and who their frendes were ¶ All Scotland through this Robert weÌ„t about On fote to spye who wolde with hym holde And who wolde not he warred them all oute And kylled them downe in places manifolde And muche harme dyd in chronycle as is tolde And with hym was alwaye Walter Wareyne That with hym went through mountaynes woode and playne ¶ On nightes they lay in woodes in mouÌ„taine At morowe on theyr foes came downe and kyll On day they were thousaÌ„des at euen but twayne There knews no moo at eueÌ„ where they drewe tyl So were they euer at nyght of lodgyng wyll For drede of guyle and of greate traytourye They lodged them on nyghtes full priuely ¶ But on the feaste of the Annuncyacion Of our lady saynt Mary the virgyne Robert Bruys with greate supportacyon Was crowned at Skone as he coulde ymagyne To whom great folke with good wyl did enclyne Full glad of his welfare his coronacyon With greate hoste came to Perch with prosperacion The C .lxviii. Chapiter ¶ Howe syr Robert Vmfreuile Earle of Angeou and syr Aymer Valence Earle of PeÌ„broke discomfyted kyng Robert Bruys besyde saynte Iohns towne and put hym vnto the flyghte ON the morowe sir Robert erle Vmfreuile Of Angeous then that regent was by north The Scottes sea and Aymer Valence that while Erle of PeÌ„broke by south the water of Forth Wardayne was of Scotlande forsoth That daye faught with kyng Robert Bruis Beside Iohnstoune where he fled wtout rescowes ¶ Vnto the Kentir many Scottes there slaine Where then they toke the wyfe of kyng Robert And his brother Nygell the sothe to sayne And the earle of Athels myght not a sterte And sent them to the kyng with full glad hert Whome the kyng kepte after theyr estate At London well together consoâ—yate ¶ Henry Percy toke the brethren two Of kyng Robert Alexaunder Thomas that hight To the Iustes them sent that hanged were tho His other brother at London hanged ryght Kyng Roberte then sieged the Percy full wyght But Vmfreuyle hym anon rescowed And the syege from hym anone remoued ¶ Kyng Robert Bruys faught with Aimer ValeÌ„ce Earle of Penbroke and put hym to the flyght At Methfen so and slewe with violence All Englyshemen in batell there downe ryght Th erle of Gloucester Gylbert Clare that hight Thre dayes after he syeged hym in Are But kyng Edward therle then rescowed thare ¶ The king Edwarde with hoost hym sought full sore But ay he fled into woodes strayte forest And slewe his men at straytes daungers thore And at marreys and mires was ay full prest Englyshmen to kyll without any rest In the mountaynes cragges he slewe ay where And in the nyght his foes he frayde full sere The king Edward with hornes houÌ„des him soght With meÌ„ne on fote through marris mosse myre Through wodes also mouÌ„teÌ„s wher thei fought And euer that kyng Edward hight men greate hyre Hym for to take and by might conquere But thei might hym not gette by force ne by train He satte by the fyre when thei in the rain ¶ The kyng Edward for anger fell in accesse And homeward came full sycke and sore annoyed And bade his soonne he should for no distresse No trewce take with Scottes that sore
sufficience Of people stronge at Orwell with her lande Where lordes many her mette I vnderstande ¶ To London then she hir sonne tho wrote The councellours and traitours for to take That ruled had in mykell mysryote The kyng Edwarde her lorde also hir make And in prieson to kepe theim for hir sake Wherfore they voyded out of the citee then The quenes enemyes echone ay when when ¶ The kyng then fled into the west countree She and the prince full sore hym then pursued And at Bristowe she headed as men might see Syr Hugh Spenser the father that was renewed And syr Hugh his sonne that was transumed In hye estate and erle had be create Of Wynchester wher he stode all mate ¶ Syr Hugh SpeÌ„ser his sonne at Herforde take Was headed then and vnto London sente So was Edmond there headed for hyr sake That was erle of Arondel there present His hed smote of for treason so was shent Theyr hedes set vp in dyuerse sere place In recompence of all theyr great trespasse ¶ And at London they heded the Chaunceler With dyuers other whiche they founde vntrewe So dyd they also the kynges tresourer And there set they a parlyament all newe But fyrste they put the kyng as all men knewe In Killyngworth there to be holde in warde To tyme they se howe lordes wolde awarde ¶ At which parlyameÌ„t .iii. bishoppes erles thre Thre Barons also thre Banarettes electe To Kyllyngworth to ryde with the cominalte All homage leege by parliament hole directe To surrender vp without any reiecte The which they dyd for his mysgouernaunce With heuy chere and mournyng countenaunce ¶ The kyng full sad with wordes well auysed Thanked them all knowynge his hye trespasse And that he was of rule not well prouysed To the pleasure of God whiles he had space Ne coÌ„mon wele to kepe in-euery case Ne to his wyfe had bene a trewe husbande But falsly had her exyled oute of lande ¶ Mekely he prayed the lordes at parlyament His sonne to admytte vnto the regyon Syth he vnable was to the regyment And foule had ruled the lande withoute reason He them besought for gylte of his caryon His sonne were not refused ne chastyzed But set in rule by councell well aduyzed ¶ These lordes twelue with heuy countenaunce Reported vnto the quene and lordes all The sorowfull chere and wordes with repentaunce Of kyng Edwarde as then it was befall His prayer meke and his desyre fynall Of whiche the lordes in that same parlyament Reioysed were of his noble agrement The C .lxxvii. Chapiter ¶ Edwarde the thyrde kynge of Englande and of Fraunce beganne to reygne the yere a thousand thre hundreth twentye and syxe and dyed the yere a thousande thre hundreth thre score and seuentene and of his reygne one and fyftye yere EDward his sonne that prince of wales was In tender age that time of .xiii. yere Was crowned on saint Brice day begaÌ„ than The yere of Christ was then accompted clere A thousande hole thre C. and syxe and .xx. were Whose father then had reygned .xix. yere oute And in his twenty yere withouten doute ¶ From the third daye of Iuly by computacyon Of the yere vnto sayncte Brycez daye So muche in his twenty by relacyon He reygned had then put downe for aye From Kyllingworth to the castell of Berkeley By nyght he was caryed and translate From wyfe and chylde forsake and repudyate Where he was slayne with an hote brenning spyt Through his towayle vp to his herte within In September his bowelles brent for hete That deed he was without noyse or dyn On saynt Mathewes daye so they dyd hym breâ— The fyrste yere was it then accompted wonne Of kyng Edward the third that was his sonne ¶ At Gloucester entombed fayre and buryed Where some say god shewed for him great grace Sith that tyme with miracles laudifyed Ofte tymes in dyuerse many case As is wryten there in that same place For whiche kyng Richard called the seconde To translate hym was purposed hole and sounde ¶ Sir Iames Douglas in EnglaÌ„d with an hoste Destroyed the lande wherfore the kyng Edward With Frenche henauldes Englysh for that moste In myghty hoste great then came northward The seconde yere of his reygne to regarde Whome in Stanhope parke he besieged then That compted were of Scottes ten M. menn◠¶ By .xv. dayes that syege there endured He helde them in they myght not passe oute But through a mosse that all men trowed was sured So depe of myre and brode it was aboute No siege was layde for there they had no doute By which that Scottes cast them what so betyde To escape awaye in the nyghtes tyde But Iames Douglas their flekes fell dyd make Whiche ouer the mosse echeone at others ende He layde anon with fagottes fell ouer the lake There gate awaye and passage to pretende On whiche by nyght they led their horse vnkend And home they went to Scotlande harmelesse Wherof the kyng was heuy there doutlesse ¶ When they were ouer that quaking mosse mire They drewe the flekes ay after as they went That Englyshe should not them sue ne conquere This was a poynt of warre full sapyent But on our syde there was by consequent But lytell wytte that lefte the myre vnwatched And by good watch that Scottes myght haue be cached ¶ And in the yere a thousande â—ompted clere Quene Isabell her doughter maryed Dame Iane of the towre to Dauid Bruis her pere Kyng Robertes sonne and heyre hole notifyed At Berwyk towne the seconde daye signifyed Of Iuill and of kyng Edwarde then was thre By cause of whiche the kynge in pryuite The C .lxxviii. Chapiter ¶ Of the relesse that kynge Edwarde made in his tender age to kynge Robert of his seruyce of Scotlande whiche Iohn Hardinge delyuered to kyng Edwarde the .iiii. at Leycester with a patent by which the earle of Dunbar bound him and his heyres to holde his landes of that kinges of Englande BY councel of his mother the Mortymer were Relesed there the hole soueraynte And seruyce dewe that to the crowne then â—t Berwike then without autorite Or any parlyament in especialte In tender age and youthes intelligence In his third yere so of his hie regence ¶ He sent 〈…〉 th then to Henauld for a wife A bishop 〈…〉 other lordes temporall Wher in chaumbre preuy and secretife At discouerit dischenely also in all As semyng was to estate virginall Emong theim selfes our lordes for hie prudence Of the bishop asked counsaill and sentence ¶ Whiche doughter of fiue should bee the quene Who counsailled thus with sad auisement Wee will haue hir with good hippis I mene For she will bere good soonnes at myne entent To whiche thei all accorded by one assent And chase Philip that was full feminine As the bishop moost wise did determyne ¶ But then emoÌ„g theim selfes thei laugh fast ay The lordes then saied the bishop
enquired At Westmynster buried in royall wyse As to suche a prince of reason ought suffice ¶ Who was the first of Englyshe nacion That euer had right vnto the croune of Fraunce By succession of bloode and generacion Of his mother without variaunce The whiche me thynketh should be of moste substaūce For Christ was kyng by his mother of Iudee Whiche sykerer side is ay as thynketh me ¶ And of his pedegre vnto the croune of Fraūce With his bloode wherof he is discent Within this booke without any varyaunce Mencion is made only to this entente That reders by all good auysemente The title of his right and heritage May well conceyue and haue therof knowlage The C .lxxxviii. Chapiter ¶ Richarde the seconde kyng of Englande and of Fraunce began to reigne the yere a thousand thre hundreth .lxxvii. and was deposed by parliamente in the yere a. M CCC .cxix. and the .xxii. yere of his reygne RIchard his heyre that sōne of prīce Edward Crowned was then with all solempnitee By all the lordes and barons hole award Obeying hole vnto his maiestee Who that tyme was in tendre iuuensee Of eleuen yere fully accompted of age When he had so his croune and heritage ¶ And kyng was called of Englāde of Fraūce In Iune the .xxii. daye full clene Of Christes death without variaunce A thousande was thre hundreth sixty to neuen And .xvii. yere therwith to beleuen When the two realmes fell to hym by discente As nexte heyre to kyng Edwarde thexellent ¶ And in the yere a thousande thre hundreth mo Sixty adioynt and therwith all nynetene The thyrde pestilence reigned in Englande so So sore that moste parte of the people clene Dyed awaye as through the realme was sene And of his reignes of Eglande and of Fraunce The thyrde yere was by very remembraunce ¶ And of his reigne in Iune then the .v. yere And of our Lorde a thousande then accompted Thre hundreth eke .iiii. score and one full clere The commons rose an hūdreth thousād amoūted Of Kent and Essex whiche that tyme surmounted The kynges power and all the hie estates For whiche the lordes fled then as exulates ¶ And lefte the kyng alone then in the toure With tharchbyshop of Cauntorbury there so And the priour to been his gouernoure Of Clerken well whiche the commons heded tho And brought the kyng forth with theim to go They asked hym all bondmen to bee free And taxe none euer after payed to bee ¶ They asked eke Iake Strawe Wat Tiler To bee made dukes of Essex and Kente To rule the kyng thens forth in peace and warre For they bee wyse of royall regiment Thus tolde they the kyng all theyr entent The whiche he graunte in all thyng by and by For he durste no poynt then theim denye ¶ Afore Iake Strawe that kyng thē stode hodlesse Of which Walworth the Mayre of Londō trewe Areasoned hym then of his greate lewdenesse With a dagger in Smythfelde then hym slewe The citezens with hym then strongly drewe And slewe theim downe and put theim to flight And brought the kyng into the citee right ¶ The cōmons brent the Sauoye a place fayre For eiuill wyll they had vnto duke Iohn Wherfore he fled northwarde in great dispayre Into Scotlande for socoure had he none In Englande then to whō he durste make moone And there abode tyll commons all were ceased In England hole and all the lande well peased ¶ The .xx. daye of Maye nexte folowyng And one therwith as calculers it knowe The date of Christ a thousande then beynge Thre hundreth also foure score two on rowe Th earth quake was whiche that tyme I sawe That castelles walles toures and steples fyll Houses and trees and cragges fro the hyll ¶ And in the yere afore kyng Richarde wed Quene Anne vpon saynt Agnes day that floure That doughter was as I haue sene and red Vnto the kyng of Beeme and Emperoure And suster also vnto his successoure Themperour of Rome that Segemond hight Who to kyng Henry in Englāde came full right The C .lxxxix. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Richard wente into Scotlande in the yere a thousande three hundreth and .lxxxvi. and in his reygne the .x. yere and howe he create two dukes of Yorke and of Gloucestre ANd in the yere of Christ a thousande so Thre hūdreth also foure score .vi. ther tyl And of his reigne the .x. yere and mo The kyng Richard with hoste went at his wyl In to Scotlande his corage to fulfyll To Edinburgh and brent the lande also Without lettyng there of any foo ¶ At London so then at his parlyament He made therle of Cambrydge his vncle dere The duke of Yorke to be incontynent And so he was proclaymed there full clere That Edmonde hyght of Langley of good chere Glad and mery and of his owne ay lyued Without wronge as chronicles haue breued When all the lordes to councell and parlyament Went he wolde to hunte and also to hawekyng All gentyll disporte as to a lorde appent He vsed aye and to the pore supportyng Where euer he was in any place bidyng Without suppryse or any extorcyon Of the porayle or any oppressyon ¶ He made also the earle of Bokyngham Thomas Wodstoke that same daye and create His other vncle duke of Gloucester by name Proclaymed hole and so denominate With his brother to be consociate The foxe tayle he bare ay on his spere Where he so rode in peace or elles in warre ¶ The kyng then made that duke of yorke by name Maister of the mewhouse his haukes fayre Of his venery and mayster of his game In what countree he dyd repeyre Which was to hym without any dispeyre Well more comforte and great gladnesse Then bene a lorde of worldly greate rychesse ¶ His vncle Thomas the duke then of Gloucester And wed the doughter then of therle of Herforth By whiche he had by writyng by letter The Constablery of Englande then ay forth Both by South Est West and North By herytage of his wyues lande and ryght Of auncyent tyme by kynges graunt hyght ¶ And in the yere of kyng Richarde elleuen The duke Thomas that was of Gloucester Henry the earle of Derby dyd beleuen With hym by worde and also by his letter The earle Marshall did so then for the better Th erle Beanchampe of Warwyk by his name Of Arundell the earle dyd the same ¶ These lordes fyue together boldely sworne Agayne Robert Veer then duke of Irelande The kinges pleasure one of age both like borne Whom he loued moste as they could vnderstand With batayl stronge at Rotcot bryge toke on hād To fyght with hym where then he fled awaye Ouer Thamis without retourne for ay The C .xc. Chapiter ¶ Of the great parlyament where the fyue lordes foriuged that duke of Irelande and his compeers AT Lenton nexte accompted in the yere At London then the king set his parliamēt At westminster to hold
Northumberland But failed hym foule without witte or rede But to the kyng he came I vnderstand Holy submittyng hym vnto his royall hand Whom then he putte to hold in sore prisone With twoo menne of his owne in Bagyngton ¶ His castelles all his meÌ„ne held then full stroÌ„g To tyme the kyng had graunt hym plener grace But the lordes in counsaill then emong Hight hym to help the sixte yere at the Pasche But none durst come that tyme so fell the case But bishop Scrop and therle marshall The lord Bardolfe then of our lordes all The CC .iiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe in that yere of his reigne in that yere of Christ a thousand foure hundred and fyue master Rychard Scorpe archebishop of Yorke Thomas Mombrayâ—â—rle marshall sir Iohn Lamplewe and sir Wyllyam Plompton were hedded byside Yorke IN lenton after he came home to his land By perliameÌ„t whole deliuered and acquit And twoo yere after in peace I vnderstaÌ„d With kyng Henry full peasebly did sitte Then in the yere as menne remembre it Of his reigne the sixte the bishop Scorp went Th erle marshall with hym of one entent ¶ To Yorkes More and ther assembled power Of their owne and their frendes also Of therles menne of Northumberland that were To the nombre of twenty thousand tho Afore the daye assigned that was so By therle then of Northumberland That there Cheften with theim should haue staÌ„d ¶ With other lordes that were to theim assent But the bishop and therle marshall Wher slain afore the daye of assignement Betwene theim made afore in speciall Hedded were then nere Yorke as then did fall Sir Iohn Lamplewe and sir Wyllyam PlomtoÌ„ With the bishop were hedded there for treson The CC .v. Chapiter ¶ Howe the lord Hastynges the lord Fauconbridge and sir Iohn Coluile of the Dale and his make and sir Iohn Ruthyn were hedded at Duresme by the kyng for therles of Northumberland then he gate therles castelles and stroke of seuen heddes at Berwyke THe lord Hastynges at Duresme was then take The lord FaucoÌ„brige together in coÌ„pany Sir Iohn Coluile of the Dale his make Sir Iohn Ruthyn that knightes were full maÌ„ly To therle of Northumberland openly Were hedded there all foure vpon a daye And to Werkworth remeuid in greate araye ¶ Wher the castell with in a weke was yolde Vnto the kyng after assautes fell and sore The casteleyns to passe free wher thei would With horse and harnes without chalenge more Then to Alnwike the kyng remeued thore Wher the capitains vnto the kyng then sent Wyn Berwyke ones he should haue his entent ¶ So went he then to Berwyke without delaye With assaut and shotte of gonnis strong that were He had it then and ther hedded on a daye The barons sonne of Graistoke taken there Sir Henry Bowton and Blenkensop therfore And Prendirgest ran on the sea also And Tuwile with other squiers twoo ¶ To Alnwike then the kyng laied siege again Without assaute by whole conuencion Henry Percy of Athel with hert fain And Wyllyam Clifford without discencion The castell yeld at the kynges entencion With horse and harnes without enpechement Or forfeture or els impediment ¶ Prodhow Langley and also Cokirmouth Alnham Newsted deliuered were anone Thei remoued then furth in to the south Th erle of Northumberland was then gone Afore Northward to Scotland with great mone The lord Bardolf with hym thither went And there abode with their suppowelment ¶ The sommer next by sea to Wales thei went Vnto Glendour and after then to Brytain And so by sea to Flaunders or they stent The other sommer to Scotland came again By thest sea and ther thei did remain To the winter then of snowe full depe That thei were slain for whom that folke sore wepe ¶ The nynth yere was then of the kyng Henry In Feueryer afore the fastyngange Of Christ his date a thousand certainly Foure hundred and eight counted emong At Bramham more with speres sharp and long In Yorkshire so the Rokeby with theim mette Shrief of the shire with power that he gette The C. C .vi. Chapiter ¶ Howe the kyng his soonne of ScotlaÌ„d heire Iames was taken on the sea and brought vnto the kyng and then dyed Owayn and the kyng of Scotland THe same yere also that prince theÌ„ of ScotlaÌ„d Vpon the sea sailyng then in to Fraunce Was taken brought to that kyng of EnglaÌ„d Eleuen yere old was he then by remembrauÌ„ce Whom the kyng then putte in gouernaunce For like a prince as to a kyng appent In all honour as was conuenient ¶ The tenth yere then of the kyng his date The kyng of Scotland and Owayn of Glendor His soonne also the world forsoke then algate And dyed awaye of theim then was no more The prince of Scotland then was kyng therfore And Wales all became the kyng his menne In rest and peace without rebellion then ¶ In that same yere Gilbert Vmfreuile Lord was then of Riddisdale in keyme That passid not seuentene yere that while And ward was to the kyng that tyme But seuentene yere of age was that tyme At Arrays then faught full worthely Wth George Turnuile in lyestes syngulerly ¶ With axe and sworde and dagger vpon foote Twenty strokes with euery wepen smyten Vndeparted without any mote And on the morowe there they syten Twenty coursses with speres together hitten A quarter bare vnarmed and vnarayed Saue there serkes slewe with speres vnasayed The CC .vii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Robert Vmfreuile went into Scotlande and lay in the Scottishe sea .xiiii. dayes and euery daye faught with that Scottes somedaye on the northsyde and some daye on the southsyde and gatte .xiiii. greate shippes brent there Galiot with ordinaunce and sore battayll in the Scottishe sea afore Edynburghe and at the Blakenesse THe yere eleuenth of this same kyng Henry Syr Robert Vmfreuile toke the see With .x. sayles to kepe it notably When trewce was taken in specialtee Betwene Scotlande and vs in ceâ—tentee To the Scottishe sea both by sea and lande And to Monshole on our syde I vnderstande ¶ In the Scottishe sea with his shippes he laye Where .xiiii. shippes he toke with his manhede And faught full sore at full sea euery daye Sometyme vpon the northside so in dede And some tyme on the southsyde out of drede With the duke of Albany and of Fyffe And his proude scottes that faught then full ryffe ¶ With therle of Douglas and theim of LothiaÌ„ And brought his fiers brennyng vpon the sea In botes and cogges ordened by theim than With other botes with meÌ„ of armes in propertee And archers good well pauyÌ„shed in specialitee That brent theyr shippes and theyr galiot A shyppe of auantage was then God wote ¶ When he had ben there .xiiii. dayes to th ende With his prises he came to Englande Full of cloth wollen lynnen that land to amend Pytche and tarre both for fre and bonde For to amende the shepes of
dyd lye And shortlye after folowed his wife quene Iohan. After they two had coÌ„moned of many thinges together at the laste they beganne to treate of a league and perpetuall amitee to bee had And firste Kynge Henrye desired to haue Edmonde Poole banished man vnder his captiuitee and bondage To whome the Earle aunswered saied that it was not in his power to restore hym yet after muche entreating and praiyng the kyng graunted at the laste that he shoulde hee sente to hym righte shortly After thus for prolonginge of time that he might haue his desyre he brought Philyp the Earle to London and there shewing hym his citie retourned frome thence with hym Then Edmonde Poole seyng that there was no more hope to bee had in foren Princes and trusting that kyng Henry would put hym at libertee came to Englande willingly to proue his gentlenes that yf vpon this expectacyon and hope he were deceiued yet he might at the laste dye and be buryed in his natiue countree weare when he had receyued this garment he did send Balthesar Castillio a Mantuan borne vnto kyng Henry whiche receiued of the knightes a garter in token that he should be a knight of the same ordre When this busines was dooen Lewes the Frenche kyng mistrustyng that he shoulde neuer haue manchild maryed his eldest doughter Lady Anne to Frances Valese Dolphine Duke of Engosye which was sure a litle before to Charles the kyng of Castell And when kyng Henry knewe of this he thought beste to mary his doughter Lady Mary to this Charles kyng of Castell which mariage was confirmed and made at Calise by the byshop of Winchester the ambassadours of Flaunders the Ladye beyng but .x. yeres of age And now were the thre yeres expired at whiche tyme kyng Henry thought his fatal daye to draw nyghe Therfore to the entente that the people myghte wyshe and praye for hym after his deathe for his kindnesse that he shewed to theim he caused a generall pardon to bee geuen vnto all offendours sauinge onely theues and murderers because that they dyd not offende hym but another manne For this goodnesse shewed to the people processyon was in euerye place of the Realme for the safegarde of the kyng Neuerthelesse his time was come the God would haue hym so that he died the .xxi. daye of Apryll in his palaice of RichemouÌ„de the whiche was the yere of oure Lorde a thousand fyue hundreth and eyght His corps was buryed at Westminster in a chappell the whiche he caused to bee buylded He reigned thre and twentye yeres and more then seueÌ„ monethes liued .lii. Also he had by his wife the quene .viii. children .iiii. menchildren .iiii. women children of the whiche .iii. remained aliue HeÌ„ry prince of Wales ladie Margaret ladie Marie He was a manne of bodie but leane spare albeit mightie strong therwith of personage stature some what higher then the meane sorte of menne be of a wondrefull beautie and faire complexion through al his bodie of a merie laughyng countenaunce especially in his coÌ„municacioÌ„ thinne tethed thinne heared of witte in all thynges like Salomon of a princely redoubted stomake and in greate affaires and matters of weightie importaunce verie wittie For suche thynges as he went aboute he did theim warely not without greate deliberacion breathyng Besides this he was sobre moderate buxome bounteouse without all pride highnes of stomake in so muche that he was hard rough with theim the were noted of that crime for no man had so great autorite with him that either durst or could dooe any thyng as his owne faÌ„tasie did serue hym without the consent agrement of other Yea he kept this point so wel that he would not suffre his owne mother to haue her will For this was his saiyng * that a kyng was a ruler that should rule not be ruled He was also verie iust defended the matters causes of many poore people froÌ„ the power of greate menne And so liuyng all his tyme in vertue renowne glorie and valiauntnes of merciall prowesses gaue vp his ghoste at the laste whiche vndoubtedly is in that place where euerlastyng ioye and gladnes remaineth for euer and euer ¶ Henry the eyght OVRE MOSTE GRACIOVS souereigne lorde kyng Henry the eyght the soonne of Henry the seuenth beganne his reigne the .xxiiii. daie of Appryll in the yere of our Lorde M ccccc ix was crouned at Westminster in the feast of the natiuite of saâ—net Ihon Baptist then nexte folowyng Aboute the midle of the moneth of Iuyn the 〈…〉 nges highnes was maried and the .xxi. daie of thesame moneth he came froÌ„ Grenewiche by land so roade through Graschurch strete to the towre with whom came many noblemen and gentlemen well apareled but specially the duke of BuckynghamÌ„ whiche roade in a goune of goldsmythes woorke a thyng of greate richesse and so the kyng â—ested there from Thursdaie till Saterdaie in the whiche season he created certain knightes of the Bathe And vpon Saturdaie aboute foure of the clocke at after noone the kyng came ridyng through cornehill in moste honourable wise before whom roade thesaid knightes of the Bathe in blewe loÌ„g gounes with hoodes vpoÌ„ their shoulders spreade after the maner of masters of arte and tasselles of white and blewe silke fastened vpon one of their shouldres The duke of BuckynghamÌ„ roade next before the kyng except the mayre of London certain sergeauntes and herauldes The whiche duke roade in a long goune of nedle woorke right costly and riche bare a litle white staffe of siluer in his hand in signe and token that he was high and chief steward of the feast of coronacion And thesaid duke had aboute his necke a broade and flat close chein of a newe deuise not before vsed fret with precious great rubies and other stones of greate value And ouer the kyng was borne a riche canapie by the foure barones of the foure portes and there folowed seuen foloers wherof the first was trapped in the armes of sainct Edwarde the second in the armes of sainct Edmond the third in the armes of S. George the fourth in the armes of EnglaÌ„d the fifth in the armes of FrauÌ„ce the sixth the. vii in sondry trappors of riche cloth of gold with costely deuices After the foloers came a gentlemaÌ„ ledyng a spare horsse moste richely garnisshed And after hym sir Thomas Brandon then maister of the kynges horsse right well goodly apointed and well horssed and richely trapped the whiche horsse with the apparell was to the kyng belongyng And when the coÌ„paignie was thus with all honoure passed ymediatly ensued a goodly compaignie of gentlemen well apointed And after theim came the quene sittyng in a horsse litter alone clothed in a riche mantell of tissue in her heare with a circulet of silke golde and perle aboute her head But wheÌ„ her grace was a litle passed