saint Albons In this parlement also the duke of Yorke was made protector of the realme and the earle of Salisburie was appointed to be lord chancellour and had the great seale to him deliuered and the earle of Warwike was elected to the office of the capteineship of Calis and the territories of the same and thus the rule of the realme rested in the orders of the duke and chancellour and all warlike affaires remained principallie in the earle of Warwike And so amongest them it was agréed that king Henrie should reigne still in name and dignitie but neither in déed nor in authoritie not minding to destroie him least they might suddenlie prouoke the furie of the common people against them bicause that of the simple sort of people he was for his holinesse of life and abundant clemencie much fauoured and highlie estéemed In this parlement also it was enacted that the king should resume take into his hands againe haue and reteine into his possession all honours castels lordships townes villages manours lands tenements wasts forests chases rents reuersions fées farmes seruices issues profits counties aduousons of priories churches hospitals and free chapels and all other reuenues with their appurtenances the which had passed from him since the first daie of his reigne vnto that present either by his letters patents or authoritie of parlement and manie other meanes whether by grant confirmation or release from him made in fée simple or fée taile for tearme of life or yeares to anie maner of person and persons in England Wales Scotland or the marches in Ireland or in the townes of Calis Guisnes the marches there And likewise all grants made of such things as are aboue mentioned being parcell of the duchie of Lancaster and further all grants of offices roomes fees wages or commodities not accustomed to belong to anie office or charge before the said first daie of the kings reigne were likewise reuoked Diuerse other things were also conteined within this reuocation and generall resumption with certeine exceptions yet and prouisoes had as were thought conuenient and as by the same act it dooth appeare Moreouer now that the duke of Yorke and his adherents had wrested the whole rule gouernement into their hands all such persons as the king either loued or the quéene fauoured were put beside the priuie councell and such put in their places as were knowne to fauour the house of Yorke Also the officers were changed thoroughout the realme at the will and disposition of the protector chancellour and capteine of Calis so that they constituted as it were a triumuirat ruling all things at discretion of these thrée And yet in all their rule I find not that anie mention is made of their deferring of iustice or of anie polling or briberie as was openlie prooued by such as gouerned before their time Onlie they were noted of diuerse spirituall persons and namelie of the abbat of Westminster and his moonks for a great offense bicause they tooke out of the sanctuarie at Westminster Iohn Holland duke of Excester all against the order taken in the last parlement and sent him to the castell of Pomfret But now the lord Henrie Beauford newlie duke of Summerset by the death of duke Edmund his father slaine at the battell of saint Albons as aboue is rehearsed and Humfrie duke of Buckingham who then there lost his sonne and heire and other of estate taking the part of king Henrie whose case line 10 they did much bewaile doubt as perceiuing whereto the courtesie of the duke of Yorke did draw they therefore thinking it necessarie to purueie for a remedie yer the mischeefe happened consulted with the quéene By whose aduise was a great councell called at Gréenewich where the duke of Yorke was discharged of his protectorship the earle of Salisburie depriued also of his office ¶ This sudden change amongst the nobilitie caused alterations and seditious attempts in the commonaltie and in especiall line 20 within London whereof this was one A yoong merchant year 1456 which before time had béene in diuerse cities of Italie and there forbidden by the magistrats as the law and maner is to weare anie weapon now challenged an Italian in Cheapside for wearing a dagger telling him it was against his owne countrie lawes whereto bicause the Italian answered somewhat disdainefullie the merchant not onelie tooke by force from him his dagger but also with the same brake his pate line 30 This Italian in great hast complained to the maior so that at the next court holden at the Guildhall the merchant was sent for and vpon charge of his offense he was commanded to ward Wherevpon diuerse other light persons within the citie assembled togither in great plumps by force constreined the maior to deliuer the prisoner out of Newgate and not so satisfied like mad men ran to the seuerall houses of diuerse Uenetians Lucases and Florentins and them spoiled robbed and rifled without reason line 40 or measure The maior perceiuing this enormious dooing assembled a number of substantiall and graue citizens who not without bloudshed and maiming of sundrie appeased the rage and caused the misruled people to depart to their houses The beginner of this vprore got him to Westminster and there registred himselfe for a sanctuarie man The quéene which now againe ruled all being aduertised of this vnlawfull misdemeanour sent the dukes of Excester and Buckingham with other line 50 noble men to London with a commission oier and terminer for the inquirie and punishment of so seditious an offense But when the maior the two dukes and the two cheefe iustices were set in the Guildhall vpon their commission intelligence was giuen that a number of light persons were approching in armor to rescue the prisoners apprehended for the late robberie and riot as they were caried to their arraignement The two dukes and the other commissioners quickelie thense departed and left their inquirie for line 60 that daie though in déed in no such danger as they doubted for certeine discréet and sage citizens so handled the matter that no misorder followed of that furie The maior on the next daie called a common councell whereof the number was an hundred fourescore and od who ordeined that all wardens of mysteries shuld assemble their companies in their halles where exhortation should be to the obseruation of peace and if they spied any man either readie to stirre a rumor or make to the deliuerance of such as were in prison their names should be secretlie written and so deliuered to the maior which policie well appeased this outrage Where vpon after the commissioners sat in Guildhall where manie of the robbers were attainted put to execution beside diuers great fines set on the heads of diuerse merchants paid for winking at the matter ¶ This yeare Iohn Kempe archbishop of Canturburie departed this life Thomas Burstlier bishop of Elie remooued to
inioied the flattering prosperitie of a king than afterwards to fall and neuer to recouer losse or ruine as is noted by the poet saieng Est melius nunquam felicia tempora nosse Quam post blanditias fortunae fata maligna Nec reparanda pati infortunia sortis iniquae ¶ In this yere 1483 died William Dudleie who by the translation of Laurence Booth bishop of Durham and chancellor of England from the sée of Durham to the citie of Yorke was made bishop of Durham in place of the said Laurence by the popes bulles For by vertue thereof Edward the fourth in the sixtéenth yeare of his reigne and in the yeare of Christ 1476 directed his letters patents to the knights and other free men of that bishoprike with all solemnitie to install the said William Dudleie borne of the honorable house of the lords Dudleies in the said bishoprike of Durham and to deliuer him quiet possession therof who was consecrated therevnto in the yeare of Christ 1477 in which he worthilie gouerned six yeares and died in this yeare as before Now of learned men that liued and wrote in the daies of this vsurper and his nephue king Edward the fift these we find recorded by Iohn Bale First Iohn Penketh an Augustine frier of Warington in Lancashire a right subtill fellow in disputation following the footsteps of his master Iohn Duns whome he chieflie studied he wrote diuers treatises and made that infamous sermon at Paules crosse in fauour of the duke of Glocester then protector to the disheriting of Edward the fift his lawfull king and gouernor Iohn Kent or Caileie borne in Southwales George Ripleie first a chanon of Bridlington and after a Carmelit frier in Boston a great mathematician rhetorician and poet Iohn Spine a Carmelit frier of Bristow that precéeded doctor of diuinitie in Cambridge and such like Thus farre Richard the vsurper vnnaturall vncle to Edward the fift and Richard duke of Yorke brethren Henrie the seauenth sonne to Edmund earle of Richmond which Edmund was brother by the moothers side to Henrie the sixt KIng Henrie hauing thus got the victorie at Bosworth and slaine his mortall enimie there in the field did send before his departure from Leicester sir Robert Willoughbâ—e knight to the manour of Sheriffehuton in the countie of Yorke for Edward Plantagenet earle of Warwike sonne and heire to George duke of Clarence line 10 then being of the age of fifteene yeares whome king Richard had kept there as prisoner during the time of his vsurped reigne Sir Robert Willoughbie receiuing the yoong earle of the constable of that castell conueied him to London wherâ— he was shut vp in the Tower for doubt least some vnquiet and euill disposed persons might inuent some occasion of new trouble by this yoong gentleman and therefore king Henrie thought good to haue him sure There was beside him in the castell of Sheriffehuton line 20 the ladie Elizabeth eldest daughter to king Edward the fourth whome king Richard as ye haue heard meant to haue married but God otherwise ordeined for hir and preserued hir from that vnlawfull copulation and incestuous bed Shortlie after she being accompanied with a great number as well of noblemen as honourable matrons was with good spéed conueied to London and brought to hir moother In the meane season king Henrie remooued forward by soft iournies towards London the people line 30 comming in from all sides to behold him and exceedinglie reioising at his presence as by their voices and gestures it well appeared At his approching néere to the citie the maior and his brethren with other worshipfull citizens being clothed in violet met him at Shordich and reuerentlie saluted him and so with great pompe and triumph he rode thorough the citie to the cathedrall church of S. Paule where he offered three standards In the one was the image of saint George in an other line 40 was a red fierie dragon beaten vpon white and greene sarcenet and in the third was painted a dun cow vpon yellow tarterne After his praiers said and Te Deum soong he departed to the bishops palace and there soiourned a season Anon aâ—ter he assembled togither the sage councellors of the realme in which councell like a prince of iust faith and true of promise to auoid all ciuill discord he appointed a daie to ioine in marriage with the ladie Elizabeth heire of the house of Yorke with his noble personage line 50 heire to the line of Lancaster Which thing not onelie reioised the hearts of the nobles and gentlemen of the realme but also gained the fauours and good wils of all the commons After this with great pompe he rowed vnto Westminster there the thirtith daie of October he was with all ceremonies accustomed annointed crowned king by the whole assent as well of the commons as of the nobilitie and called Henrie the seauenth of that name which was in the yeare of the world 5452 and after the birth of our Lord 1485 in the fortie and sixt yeare of Frederike the third then emperour of Almaine year 1485 Maximilian his sonne being newlie elected king of the Romans in the second yeare of Charles the eight then king of France and in the fiue and twentith of king Iames then ruling the realme of Scotland For the establishing of all things as well touching the preseruation of his owne estate as the commendable administration of iustice and preferrement of the common wealth of his realme he called his high court of parlement at Westminster the seauenth daie of Nouember wherein was atteinted Richard late duke of Glocester calling and naming himselfe by vsurpation king Richard the third Likewise there was atteinted as chéefe aiders and assistants to him in the battell at Bosworth aduanced against the present king Iohn late duke of Norfolke Thomas earle of Surrie Francis Louell knight vicount Louell Walter Deuereux knight late lord Ferrers Iohn lord Zouch Robert Harrington Richard Charleton Richard Ratcliffe William Berkeleie of Welete Robert Middleton Iames Harrington Robert Brakenberie Thomas Pilkington Walter Hopton William Catesbie Roger Wake William Sapcote of the countie of Huntington Humfrie Stafford William Clerke of Wenlocke Geffrie saint Germaine Richard Watkins herald of armes Richard Reuell of Derbishire Thomas Pulter of the countie of Kent Iohn Welsh otherwise called Hastings Iohn Kendall late secretarie to the said Richard late duke of Glocester Iohn Bucke Andrew Rat and William Brampton of Burford In which atteindor neuerthelesse there were diuerse clauses and prouisos for the benefit of their wiues and other persons that had or might claime anie right title or interest lawfullie vnto anie castels manours lordships townes towneships honours lands tenements rents seruices fée farmes annuities knights fees aduousons reuersions remainders and other hereditaments whereof the said persons atteinted were possessed or seized to the vses of such other persons with a speciall prouiso also that the said atteindor should not be
ploughland three shillings In the Lent following year 1200 he went to Yorke in hope to haue met the king of Scots there but he came not and so king Iohn line 50 returned backe and sailed againe into Normandie bicause the variance still depended betweene him and the king of France Finallie vpon the Ascension day in this second yeare of his reigne they came eftsoones to a communication betwixt the townes of Uernon and Lisle Dandelie where finallie they concluded an agréement with a marriage to be had betwixt Lewes the sonne of king Philip and the ladie Blanch daughter to Alfonso king of Castile the 8 of that name néece to K. Iohn by his sister Elianor line 60 In consideration whereof king Iohn besides the summe of thirtie thousand markes in siluer as in respect of dowrie assigned to his said néece resigned his title to the citie of Eureux and also vnto all those townes which the French king had by warre taken from him the citie of Angiers onelie excepted which citie he receiued againe by couenants of the same agréement The French king restored also to king Iohn as Rafe Niger writeth the citie of Tours and all the castels and fortresses which he had taken within Touraine and moreouer receiued of king Iohn his homage for all the lands fees and tenements which at anie time his brother king Richard or his father king Henrie had holden of him the said king Lewes or any his predecessors the quit claims and marriages alwaies excepted The king of England likewise did homage vnto the French king for Britaine and againe as after you shall heare receiued homage for the same countrie and for the countie of Richmont of his nephue Arthur He also gaue the earledome of Glocester vnto the earle of Eureux as it were by way of exchange for that he resigned to the French king all right title claime that might be pretended to the countie of Eureux By this conclusion of marriage betwixt the said Lewes and Blanch the right of king Iohn went awaie which he lawfullie before pretended vnto the citie of Eureux and vnto those townes in the confines of Berrie Chateau Roux or Raoul Cressie and Isoldune and likewise vnto the countrie of Ueuxin or Ueulquessine which is a part of the territorie of Gisors the right of all which lands townes and countries was released to the king of France by K. Iohn who supposed that by his affinitie and resignation of his right to those places the peace now made would haue continued for euer And in consideration thereof he procured furthermore that the foresaid Blanch should be conueied into France to hir husband with all spéed That doone he returned into England ¶ Certes this peace was displeasant to manie but namelie to the earle of Flanders who herevpon making no accompt of king Iohns amitie concluded a peace with king Philip shortlie after and ment to make warre against the infidels in the east parts wherby we may see the discontented minds of men and of how differing humors they be so that nothing is harder than to satisfie manie with one thing be the same neuer so good ô caecis mortalia plena tenebris Pectora ô mentes caligine circumseptas But by the chronicles of Flanders it appeareth that the earle of Flanders concluded a peace with the French king in Februarie last past before that king Iohn and the French king fell to any composition But such was the malice of writers in times past which they bare towards king Iohn that whatsoeuer was doone in preiudice of him or his subiects it was still interpreted to chance through his default so as the blame still was imputed to him in so much that although manie things he did peraduenture in matters of gouernement for the which he might be hardlie excused yet to thinke that he deserued the tenth part of the blame wherewith writers charge him it might seeme a great lacke of aduised consideration in them that so should take it But now to procéed with our purpose King Iohn being now in rest from warres with forren enimies began to make warre with his subiects pursses at home emptieng them by taxes and tallages to fill his coffers which alienated the minds of a great number of them from his loue and obedience At length also when he had got togither a great masse of monie he went ouer againe into Normandie where by Helias archbishop of Burdeaux and the bishop of Poictiers and Scone he was diuorsed from his wife Isabell that was the daughter of Robert earle of Glocester bicause of the néerenesse of bloud as touching hir in the third degrée After that he married Isabell the daughter of Amerie earle of Angolesme by whome he had two sonnes Henrie and Richard and thrée daughters Isabell Elianor and Iane. Moreouer about this time Geffrey archbishop of Yorke was depriued of all his manours lands and possessions by the kings commandement directed to the shiriffe of Yorkeshire for diuerse causes for that he would not permit the same shiriffe to leuie the dutie called Charugage that was thrée shillings of euerie ploughland within his diocesse rated and appointed to be leuied to the kings vse throughout all parts of the realme Secondlie for that the same archbishop refused to go ouer with the king into Normandie to helpe to make the marriage betwixt the French kings sonne and his néece Thirdlie bicause he had excommunicated the same shiriffe and all the prouince of Yorke wherevpon the king tooke displeasure against him and not onelie spoiled him line 10 as I said of his goods but also banished him out of the court not suffering him to come in his presence for the space of twelue moneths after In this yeare also Hubert archbishop of Canturburie held a councell at Westminster against the prohibition of the lord chiefe iustice Geffrey Fitz Peter earle of Essex In the which councell or synod diuerse constitutions were made and ordeined for orders and customes to be vsed touching the seruice and administration of sacraments in the church and line 20 other articles concerning churchmen and ecclesiasticall matters About the same time king Iohn and Philip king of France met togither néere the towne of Uernon where Arthur duke of Britaine as vassall to his vncle king Iohn did his homage vnto him for the duchie of Britaine those other places which he held of him on this side and beyond the riuer of Loir and afterward still mistrusting his vncles curtesie he returned backe againe with the French king and would not commit himselfe to his said vncle line 30 who as he supposed did beare him little good will These things being thus performed king Iohn returned into England and there caused his new married wife Isabell to be crowned on the sundaie before the feast of S. Denise the eight of October At the same time he gaue commandement vnto Hugh Neuill
Yorke tenderlie desiring the wealth rest and prosperitie of this land and to set apart all that might be trouble to the same line 20 and considering the possession of the said king Henrie the sixt and that he hath for his time béene named taken and reputed for king of England and of France and lord of Ireland is contented agréed and consenteth that he be had reputed and taken for king of England and France with the roiall estate dignitie and preheminence belonging therevnto and lord of Ireland during his naturall life And for that time the said duke without hurt or preiudice of his said right and title shall take worship line 30 and honour him for his souereigne lord Item the said Richard duke of Yorke shall promit and bind him by his solemne oth in maner and forme as followeth In the name of God Amen I Richard duke of Yorke promise and sweare by the faith and truth that I owe to almightie God that I shall neuer consent procure or stirre directlie or indirectlie in priuie or apert neither as much as in me is shall suffer to be line 40 doone consented procured or stirred anie thing that may sound to the abridgement of the naturall life of king Henrie the sixt or to the hurt or diminishing of his reigne or dignitie roiall by violence or anie other waie against his freedome or libertie but if any person or persons would doo or presume anie thing to the contrarie I shall with all my might and power withstand it and make it to be withstood as far as my power will stretch therevnto so helpe me God and his holie euangelists line 50 Item Edward earle of March and Edmund earle of Rutland sonnes of the said duke of Yorke shall make like oth Item it is accorded appointed and agréed that the said Richard duke of Yorke shall be called and reputed from hencefoorth verie and rightfull heire to the crownes roiall estate dignitie and lordship aboue said and after the deceasse of the said king Henrie or when he will laie from him the said crownes estate dignitie and lordship the said duke and his heires line 60 shall immediatlie succéed to the said crownes roiall estate dignitie and lordship Item the said Richard duke of Yorke shall haue by authoritie of this present parlement castels manors lands and tenements with the wards marriages reliefes seruices fines amercements offices aduousons fées and other appurtenances to them belonging what soeuer they be to the yearelie value of ten thousand marks ouer all charges and reprises whereof fiue thousand marks shall be to his owne state three thousand fiue hundred marks to Edward his first begotten sonne earle of March for his estate and one thousand pounds to Edmund earle of Rutland his second sonne for his yearelie sustentation in such consideration and such intent as shall be declared by the lords of the kings councell Item if anie person or persons imagine or compasse the death of the said duke and thereof probablie be attainted of open déed doone by folkes of other condition that it be déemed adiudged high treason Item for the more establishing of the said accord it is appointed and consented that the lords spirituall and temporall being in this present parlement shall make oths to accept take worship and repute the said Richard duke of Yorke and his heires as aboue is rehearsed and kéepe obserue and strengthen in as much as apperteineth vnto them all the things abouesaid and resist to their power all them that would presume the contrarie according to their estates and degrées Item the said Richard duke of Yorke earles of March and Rutland shall permit and make other to helpe aid and defend the said lords and euerie of them against all those that will quarell or anie thing attempt against the said lords or anie of them by occasion of agréement or consenting to the said accord or assistance giuing to the duke and earles or anie of them Item it is agréed and appointed that this accord and euerie article thereof be opened and notified by the kings letters patents or otherwise at such times and places and in maner as it shall be thought expedient to the said Richard duke of Yorke with the aduise of the lords of the kings councell The king vnderstandeth certeinelie the said title of the said Richard duke of Yorke iust lawfull and sufficient by the aduise and assent of the lords spirituall and temporall and the commons in this parlement assembled and by authoritie of the same parlement declareth approoueth ratifieth confirmeth and accepteth the said title iust good lawfull and true and therevnto giueth his assent and agréement of his frée will and libertie And ouer that by the said aduise and authoritie declareth intituleth calleth establisheth affirmeth reputeth the said Richard duke of Yorke verie true and rightfull heire to the crownes roiall estate and dignitie of the realmes of England and of France and of the lordship of Ireland aforesaid and that according to the worship and reuerence that thereto belongeth he be taken accepted and reputed in worship reuerence by all the states of the said realme of England and of all his subiects thereof sauing and ordeining by the same authoritie the king to haue the said crownes realme roiall estate dignitie and preheminence of the same and the said lordship of Ireland during his life naturall And furthermore by the same aduise and authoritie willeth consenteth and agréeth that after his deceasse or when it shall please his hignesse to laie from him the said crownes estate dignitie and lordship the said Richard duke of Yorke and his heires shall immediatlie succéed him in the said crownes roiall estate dignitie and worship and them then haue and inioie anie act of parlement statute or ordinance or other thing to the contrarie made or interruption or discontinuance of possession notwithstanding And moreouer by the said aduise and authoritie establisheth granteth confirmeth approueth ratifieth and accepteth the said accord and all things therein conteined and therevnto fréelie and absolutelie assenteth agreeth and by the same aduise and authoritie ordeineth and establisheth that if anie person or persons imagine or compasse the death of the said duke probablie be attainted of open déed doone by folks of that condition that it be déemed and adiudged high treason And furthermore ordeineth and establisheth by the said aduise and authoritie that all statutes ordinances and acts of parlement made in the time of the said king Henrie the fourth by the which he and the heires of his bodie comming of Henrie late king of England the fift the sonne and heire of the said king Henrie the fourth and the heires of king Henrie the fift were or be inheritable to the said crownes and realmes or to the heritage of the same be annulled repealed damned cancelled void and of none effect line 10 And ouer this the king by the said aduise assent and authoritie ordeineth and establisheth that all other
preiudiciall to Iohn Catesbie knight Thomas Reuell and William Ashbie esquiers in of vpon the manour of Kirkebie vpon Wretheke in the countie of Leicester nor in of and vpon anie other lands and tenements in Kirkebie aforesaid Melton Somerbie Thropseghfield and Godebie which they had of the gift feoffement of Thomas Dauers Iohn Lie And further notwithstanding this atteindor diuerse of the said persons afterwards were not onelie by the king pardoned but also restored to their lands and liuings Moreouer in this present parlement he caused proclamation to be made that all men were pardoned and acquited of their offenses which would submit line 10 themselues to his mercie and receiue an oth to be true and faithfull vnto him wherevpon manie that came out of sanctuaries and other places were receiued to grace and admitted for his subiects After this he began to remember his speciall freends of whome some he aduanced to honour and dignitie and some he inriched with goods and possessions euerie man according to his deserts and merits And to begin his vncle Iasper earle of Penbroke he created duke of Bedford Thomas lord Stanleie was line 20 created earle of Derbie and the lord Chendew of Britaine his especiall fréend he made earle of Bath sir Giles Daubeneie was made lord Daubeneie sir Robert Willoughbie was made lord Brooke And Edward Stafford eldest sonne to Henrie late duke of Buckingham he restored to his name dignitie possessions which by king Richard were confiscat and atteinted Beside this in this parlement was this notable act assented to and concluded as followeth to the pleasure of almightie God wealth line 30 prosperitie and suertie of this realme of England and to the singular comfort of all the kings subiects of the same in auoiding all ambiguities and questions An act for the establishing of the crowne in the line of Henrie the seauenth BE it ordeined established and enacted by this present parlement that the inheritance of the crown of this realme of England also of France with all the preheminence and dignitie roiall to the same apperteining all other seigniories to the king belonging beyond the sea with the appurtenances thereto in anie wise due or apperteining shall rest remaine and abide in the most line 50 roiall person of our now souereigne lord king Henrie the seuenth and in the heires of his bodie lawfullie comming perpetuallie with the grace of God so to indure and in none other Beside this act all atteindors of this king enacted by king Edward and king Richard were adnihilated and the record of the same iudged to be defaced and all persons atteinted for his cause and occasion line 60 were restored to their goods lands and possessions Diuerse acts also made in the time of king Edward and king Richard were reuoked and other adiudged more expedient for the common wealth were put in their places and concluded After the dissolution of this parlement the king remembring his fréends left in hostage beyond the seas that is to wit the marquesse Dorset sir Iohn Bourchier he with all conuenient spéed redéemed them and sent also into Flanders for Iohn Morton bishop of Elie. These acts performed he chose to be of his councell a conuenient number of right graue and wise councellors ¶ This did he that he might the more roiallie gouerne his kingdome which he obteined and inioied as a thing by God elected and prouided and by his especiall fauour and gratious aspect compassed and atchiued Insomuch that men commonlie report that seauen hundred nintie seauen yéeres passed it was by a heauenlie voice reuealed to Cadwalader last king of Britains that his stocke progenie should reigne in this land beare dominion againe Wherevpon most men were persuaded in their owne opinion that by this heauenlie voice he was prouided ordeined long before to inioy obteine this kingdome Which thing K. Henrie the sixt did also shew before as it were by propheticall inspiration at such time as the earle of Penbroke presented the said Henrie at that time a proper child vnto Henrie the sixt whome after he had beheld and a good while viewed the comelinesse of his countenance and orderlie lineaments of his bodie he said to such peeres as stood about him Lo suerlie this is he to whome both we and our aduersaries leauing the possession of all things shall hereafter giue roome and place so it came to passe by the appointment of God to whose gouernement gift and disposing all realmes and all dominions are subiect as king Dauid confesseth saieng Omnia sunt regno subdita regna Dei Now although by this meanes all things séemed to be brought in good and perfect order yet there lacked a wrest to the harpe to set all the strings in a monocord and perfect tune which was the matrimonie to be finished betweene the king and the ladie Elizabeth daughter to king Edward Which like a good prince according to his oth promise he did both solemnize consummate shortlie after that is to saie on the eightéenth daie of Ianuarie By reason of which marriage peace was thought to descend out of heauen into England considering that the lines of Lancaster and Yorke were now brought into one knot and connexed togither of whose two bodies one heire might succeed to rule and inioie the whole monarchie and realme of England year 1486 which before was rent and diuided into factions partakings whereby manie a mans life was lost great spoiles made of peoples goods wast of wealth worship and honor all which ended in this blessed and gratious connexion authorised by God as our Anglorum praelia saith Hoc Deus omnipotens pacis confecerat author CiuilÃsque habuit tandem contentio finem Shortlie after for the better preseruation of his roiall person he constituted and ordeined a certeine number as well of archers as of diuerse other persons hardie strong and actiue to giue dailie attendance on his person whom he named yeomen of his gard which president men thought that he learned of the French king when he was in France For it is not remembred that anie king of England before that daie vsed anie such furniture of dailie souldiers ¶ In this same yéere a new kind of sickenes inuaded suddenlie the people of this land passing through the same from the one end to the other It began about the one and twentith of September and continued vntill the latter end of October being so sharpe and deadlie that the like was neuer heard of to anie mans remembrance before that time For suddenlie a deadlie burning sweat so assailed their bodies and distempered their bloud with a most ardent heat that scarse one amongst an hundred that sickened did escape with life for all in maner as soone as the sweat tooke them or within a short time after yéelded the ghost Beside the great number which deceassed within the citie of London two
knights readie armed their bases and bards of their horsse gréene sattin embrodered with fresh deuises of bramble branches of fine gold curiouslie wrought powdered all ouer And after them a great number of hornes blowne by men apparrelled in gréene cloth with caps and hosen of like sute as foresters or kéepers a pagent made like a parke paled with pales of white and gréene wherein were certeine fallow deare and in the same parke curious trees made by craâ—â— with bushes fernes and line 60 other things in likewise wrought goodlie to behold The which parke or deuise being brought before the quéene had certeine gates thereof opened the deare ran out therof into the palace the greiehounds were let slip and killed the deare the which deare so killed were presented to the quéene and the ladies by the foresaid knights Crocheman which the daie before brought in the speare of gold there declared that the same knights were seruants to Diana and being in their pastime of hunting newes were brought vnto them that dame Pallas knights were come into those parts to doo déeds of armes wherefore they had left their hunting and chase and repaired also thither to encounter with the knights of Pallas and so to fight with them for the loue of ladies to the vtterance saieng that if Pallas knights vanquished the other or made them to leaue the field then they to haue the deare killed and the greiehounds that slue them And in case Dianas knights ouercame the other they to haue their swords and none other thing more Wherevpon the queene and ladies sent to the king to haue his aduise and pleasure in this behalfe His grace conceiuing that there was some grudge and displeasure betwéene them thinking if such request were to them granted some inconuenience might insue would not therevnto agrée so that for the appeasing thereof it was awarded that both parties should tourneie togither giuing but some certeine strokes which doone they departed and so these iusts brake vp and the prises giuen to euerie man after his deserts The king pardoned the lord Henrie brother to the duke of Buckingham committed to the Tower as yee haue heard vpon suspicion of treason but when nothing could be prooued against him he was set at libertie and at the parlement after created earle of Wilshire Also this yeare the king ordeined fiftie gentlemen to be speares euerie of them to haue an archer a demilance and a custrell and euerie speare to haue thrée great horsses to be attendant on his person of the which band the earle of Essex was lieutenant and sir Iohn Pechie capteine This ordinance continued but a while the charges was so great for there were none of them but they and their horsses were apparrelled and trapped in cloth of gold siluer goldsmithes worke This yeare also was a great pestilence in the towne of Calis so that the king sent one sir Iohn Pechie with thrée hundred men to tarrie there vpon the defense of that towne till the sicknesse was ceassed Furthermore this yeare the king summoned his parlement in the moneth of Nouember to begin in the moneth of Ianuarie next ensuing whereof sir Thomas Inglefield was chosâ—â— speaker At this parlement sir Richard Empson knight and Edmund Dudleie esquier late councellors vnto king Henrie the seauenth were atteinted of high treason They were charged with manie offenses committed in the late kings daies as partlie before yée haue heard who being brought before the councell as they were graue and wise personages and both of them learned and skilfull in the lawes of the realme so had they vtterance verie readie whereby to deliuer the conceipts of their minds with singular dexteritie speciallie in a case of importance in so much that when the said parties were conuented before the assemblie of the lords they alleged for themselues right constantlie in their owne defenses much good and sufficient matter of whome Empson being the elder in yeares had these words A speech vttered by Empson to the lords of the councell to find fauour I Know right honorable that it is not vnknowne to you how profitable and necessarie lawes are for the good preseruation of mans life without the which neither house towne nor citie can long continue or stand in safetie Which lawes heere in England thorough negligence of magistrates were partlie decaied and partlie quite forgotten and worne out of vse the mischeefe whereof dailie increasing Henrie the seauenth a most graue and prudent prince wished to suppresse and therefore appointed vs to see that such lawes as were yet in vse might continue in their full force and such as were out of vse might againe be reuiued and restored to their former state that also those persons which transgressed the same might be punished according to their demerits Wherein we line 10 discharged our dueties in most faithfull wise and best maner we could to the great aduantage commoditie no doubt of the whole commonwealth Wherfore we most humblie beseech you in respect of your honours courtesie goodnesse humanitie and iustice not to decree any greeuous sentence against vs as though we were worthie of punishment but rather to appoint how line 20 with thankfull recompense our paines trauell may be worthilie considered Manie of the councell thought that he had spoken well and so as stood with great reason but yet the greater number supposing that the reuiuing of those lawes had procéeded rather of a couetous meaning in the king and them than of anie zeale of iustice and hauing also themselues felt the smart latelie before for their owne offenses and transgressions had line 30 conceiued such malice towards the men that they thought it reason that such as had béene dealers therein were worthie to lose their heads in like sort as they had caused others to lose their monie Héerevpon their accusors were mainteined and manie od matters narrowlie sought out against them as by two seuerall indictments framed against sir Richard Empson the copies whereof I haue séene it may well appeare line 40 In the one he is charged that to win the fauour and credit of the late king not weieng his honor nor the prosperitie of him or wealth of his realme hee had in subuersion of the lawes of the land procured diuerse persons to be indicted of diuerse crimes and offenses surmised against them and therevâ—on to be committed to prison without due proces of law who not suffered to come to their answers were kept in durance till they had compounded for their fines to their great importable losses and vtter impouerishment Also diuerse vntrue offices of intrusions and line 50 alienations made by sundrie the late kings liege people into manors lands and tenements were found it being vntrulie alleged that they held the same of the king In capite And when such persons as were thus vexed offered to trauerse those offices they could not be admitted thereto in
Canturburie a vacant place hauing manie broken neere walles 〈◊〉 to the towne gate in Sandwich called Canturburie gate In which void toome adioining to the riuer of Delfe is now erected a faire schoolehouse for the schoolemaster vsher certen boording scholers framed all of bricke stone For perpetuall continuance of which schoole the said sir Roger Manwood now lord chiefe baron in this yeare of our Lord 1586 procured letters patents from the quéene for incorporating and assurance of the same schoole with other lands and reuenues thereto belonging to the maior and his brethren of Sandwich and to their successors for euer by the name of the gouernours of the frée grammar schoole of Roger Manwood in Sandwich assuring to the said gouernors of his owne land the cleere yearelie value of 22 pounds and more Further thervnto procuring of his brother Thomas Manwood sometime maior of Sandwich the cleere yearelie value of ten pounds of lands and tenements and also of one Thomas Tompson iurat of Sandwich eight pounds by yeere De claro of his owne lands and tenements in the grosse summe amounting to fourtie pounds by yeare which lands being sufficientlie assured to the said gouernours with conuenient dwelling for the master and vsher lodging for sixteene boording scholers and with some beneuolence of parents for the teaching of their children is a large endowment for perpetuall maintenance of the same grammar schoole Besides which for the further benefit of the same schoole the same sir Roger Manwood hath obteined two scholers roomes in Gonuile and Caius college in Cambridge and two other scholers roomes in Lincolne college at Oxford with pension of foure markes yearelie to euerie of the said foure scholers to be remooued from that schoole of Sandwich and to be placed in those colleges from time to time as often as anie of the same college scholers roomes shall be void and that anie scholer shall be méet to come from that schoole of Sandwich Beyond all which that he hath doone for recompense of his birth place with a frée grammar schoole for the education of the youth there he also for reliefe of age hath néere vnto his dwelling place of saint Stephans in Hackington parish adioining to Canturburie built in the yeare of our redemption 1573 a faire row of seuen almes houses of bricke placing in euerie of the same almes houses poore folkes such as are counted to be honest good For perpetuall maintenance of which almes persons he hath endowed that building with a yéerelie allowance of the value of foure pounds by yeare to euerie of the same almes men houses in monie bread fewell And in the same parish church néere to those almes houses he hath newlie erected an Ile where his toome is made and placed in that church a new roome of seuen pewes and seates for the almes people to be bestowed in togither by themselues Likewise for setting to worke of middle age whereby they may eschew idlenesse this sir Roger Manwood did in the yeare of Christ one thousand fiue hundred seuentie and eight build a new house of correction in the Westgate street in the suburbs of Canturburie And moreouer whereas Rochester bridge standing on the riuer of Medweie being famouslie built of stone in the time of king Richard the second as is most likelie though some attribute the same to the time of Edward the third by one sir Robert Knolles knight with the helpe of Iohn lord Cobham of Cobham and Margaret Courtneie his wife being two of the principall benefactors therevnto after the decaie of a woodden bridge first erected ouer the same riuer some hundred yeares before that of stone had for the perpetuall maintenance of the same stone bridge the ancient contributarie lands giuen for the support of the woodden bridge after the ruine of the same woodden bridge reduced by act of parlement holden in the one and twentith of Richard the second to the maintenance of the same new stone bridge and that sundrie manors lands tenements rents in Kent London Essex were by deuise of sundrie persons assured for the vpholding of the same new stone bridge yet by want of due circumspection this new stone bridge became in so great decaie that in the latter time of quéene Marie and beginning of hir maiestie now reigning line 10 collection was made vpon all horssemen carriages passing ouer that bridge in manner of a tole or tax and more by reason of the queenes commission an vniuersall taxation was made in nature of a tenth and fiftéenth ouer all the countrie of Kent and the citie of Canturburie for and towards the reparations of the same bridge All which being an vnwilling burthen griefe to the people togither with the reuenues of the bridge lands did not yet suffice to saue the ruine of that famous line 20 stone bridge vntill by the carefull trauell of the said sir Roger Manwood then a iustice in the common plées a remedie was sound therefore without iniurie to anie person and without exaction of anie passenger Which remedie was that all the manors lands tenements and rents belonging vnto the bridge should be fréed from all leases thereof made at small rents and the same lands so let to be dulie improoued to a higher rate the same being a matter answerable to right and reason considering line 30 the cause of the first gift of those lands then sufficient and the now dearth of things which made it insufficient to support the said bridge the stone timber and other stuffe for repare of the same bridge with the works wages and carriages concerning it being now growne to farre greater prices than in old time they were Which deuised remedie to vndoo the old leases was much impugned by manie persons of wealthie hauior receiuing great profit by those old vnder rented leases line 40 All which notwithstanding this Roger Manwood prosecuted the same to a good successe for he making to appeare before the lords of the councell and the rest of the iudges of the realme in the presence of such as inioied these old leases and of their learned councell and other fauourers that the said manors lands and tenements belonging to the said bridge were giuen to the wardens communaltie owners of the contributorie lands and that their old leases line 50 made by the wardens onelie without consent of the communaltie were not good in law the farmers submitted themselues to surrender their old insufficient leases and to take such as might be auailable in law of the same lands Whereby the yearelie reueneues of the bridge lands grew to be of more value than triple that which they were before and yet the old farmers had new leases vnto their owne contentation bicause the same are not so improoued but that they are as reasonablie letten as other priuat line 60 mens lands be To which deuise a further remedie was then
Nec sunt sub modio facta pudenda tuo Vernolium sumit testem fuga prima secunda Vindocinum noctem prima secunda diem Nocte fugam primam rapuisti manè secundam Prima metus vitio vÃque secunda fuit France twice thou fledst while Philip reignd the world dooth know thy shame For Vernueil witnesse beares of th' one next Vandosme knowes the same The first by night the next by day thy heart and force doo showe That first through feare and next by force was wrought thine ouerthrowe In this meane while certeine rebels in Guien as the lord Geffrey de Rancin or Rancon and the earle of Engolesme with their complices vpon confidence of the French kings assistance sore disquieted the countrie Howbeit the sonne of the king of line 10 Nauarre and brother to Berengaria the quéene of England entring into Guien with an armie wasted the lands of both those rebels till he was called home by reason of his fathers death which chanced about the same time Shortlie after Geffrey Rancin died and king Richard comming into his countrie wan the strong castell of Tailleburge by surrender which apperteined to the same Geffrey with others and then going against the other rebels he wan the citie of Engolesme from him by force of assault All line 20 which time the French king stirred not by reason that there was some communication in hand for a truce to be taken betwixt him and king Richard which by mediation of certeine bishops was shortlie after concluded to endure for twelue moneths The bishop of Elie was chéefe commissioner for the king of England and this truce was accorded about Lammas and serued to little purpose except to giue libertie to either prince to breath a little and in the meane time to prouide themselues of men munition line 30 ships monie that immediatlie after the terme was expired they might with greater force returne to the field againe for they had not onelie a like desire to follow the warres but also vsed a like meane and practise to leuie monie For whereas they had alreadie made the temporaltie bare with often paiments and calling them foorth to serue personallie in the warres they thought best now to fetch a fleece from the spiritualtie and churchmen considering also that they had béene by reason line 40 of their immunitie more gentlie dealt with and not appointed to serue themselues in any maner of wise To colour this exaction which they knew would be euill taken of manie they bruted abroad that they leuied this monie vpon purpose to send it into the holie land towards the paiment of the christian souldiers which remained there vpon the defense of those townes which yet the Saracens had not conquered King Richard therfore comming to Towrs in Touraine required a great summe of monie of the cleargie line 50 in those parts and the like request he made through out all those his dominions on that further side of the sea King Philip for his part demanded likewise intollerable tithes and duties of all the churchmen in his territories and those that had the gathering of that monie serued their owne turne in dealing most streightlie with sillie préests making them to paie what they thought good though sometime beyond the bounds of equitie and reason In September the iustices itinerants made their line 60 circuits thorough euerie shire and countie of this realme causing inquisitions to be taken by substantiall iuries of plées of the crowne both old and new of recognisances of escheats of wards of mariages of all maner of offendors against the lawes and ordinances of the relme and of all other transgressors falsifiers and murtherers of Iewes of the pledges goods lands debts and writings of Iewes that were slaine and of other circumstances touching that matter Likewise of the accompts of shiriffes as to vnderstand what had béene giuen towards the kings ransome how much had beene receiued and what remained behind to receiue Also of the lands that belonged to erle Iohn and what goods he had and what he held in demaine in wards escheats and in gifts and for what cause they were giuen Furthermore of his fautors and partakers which had made fines with the king and which not with manie other articles touching the same earle Also of vsurers and of their goods being seized of wines sold contrarie to the assise of false measures and of such as hauing receiued the crosse to go into the holie land died before they set forward Also of grand assises that were of an hundred shillings land or vnder and of defaults and of diuerse other things the iurats were charged to inquire and present the same The iustices also were appointed to cause the manours farmes and lands which the king held in demaine or by wards and escheats to be surueied by a substantiall iurie and to take order for the conuerting of them to such vse as the king might be answered of the gaines rising by the same at the farmers hands Also the Iewes were appointed to inroll all their debts pledges lands houses rents and possessions Moreouer inquisition was taken of iustices shiriffes bailiffes conestables foresters and other officers belonging to the king to vnderstand in what maner they had behaued themselues in taking and seizing of things into their hands and of all such goods gifts and promises had and receiued by occasion of leasure made of the lands of earle Iohn and his fautors and who receiued the same and what delaie was granted by commandement of Hubert archbishop of Canturburie then lord chéefe iustice In this meane time whilest these inquisitions were thus taken in England king Richard comming foorth of Poictou into Aniou caused all the bailiffes and officers of that countrie and also of Maine to fine with him for their offices After this when he came downe into Normandie he seemed in shew to be offended with his chancellour the bishop of Elie about concluding of the truce with the French king where as ye haue heard he was cheefe commissioner misliking greatlie all that was doone therein and therefore he tooke the seale from him and caused a new seale to be made commanding to be proclaimed thorough all his dominions that whatsoeuer had béene sealed with the old seale should stand in no force both for that his chancellor had wrought more vndiscreetlie than was conuenient and againe bicause the same seale was lost when Roger Malus Catulus his vicechancellour was drowned who perished among other by shipwracke néere to the I le of Cypres before the king arriued there being as then on his iournie into the holie land Therefore all men had commandement to come to this new seale that they might haue their charters and writings confirmed Furthermore whilest the truce yet lasted king Richard sailed ouer into England where he caused turneis to be exercised in diuerse places for the better training vp
demanded of him to the kings vse ran so farre into his displeasure that he durst not abide his sight line 50 but for safegard of himselfe got him to the abbeie of Merton and there tooke sanctuarie The king hearing of this his demeanor was so highlie offended withall that he sent to the Londoners willing them to go thither and fetch him to his presence The Londoners which in no wise loued him bicause of the death of their citizen Constantine were verie readie to accomplish this commandement insomuch that where the maior ouernight late declared to them the effect of the kings commission there were line 60 twentie thousand of them in armor gotten forward earlie in the morning towards Merton in full hope now to be reuenged of him for the small good-will that he had borne vnto their citie heretofore But the king being informed by the earle of Chester and others that if the Londoners being thus in armor and in so great a number should commit any other outrage by the way the matter might grow to some such inconuenience as would not easilie be staied he sent to them a countermand to returne backe to the citie againe which they did though sorie in their hearts that they might not go through with their desired enterprise Furthermore sée héere the mutabilitie of fortune and hir inconstancie whereof complaint hath béene made by our forefathers time out of mind saieng Passibus ambiguis fortuna volubilis errat Et manet in nullo certa tenáxque loco Sed modò laeta manet vultus modò sumit acerbos Et tantùm constans in leuitate sua est now that the erle of Kent was thus out of the kings fauour there were few or none of those whome he had before beene beneficiall vnto that shewed themselues as fréends and louers vnto him but all forsooke were readie to saie the worst of him the archbishop of Dubline excepted who yet obteined of the king respit for him to make answere vnto such things as should lawfullie be obiected against him both for the debt which should be due to the king and also vpon points of treason which were now laid to his charge ¶ Wherin we may see what hath béene the course of the world in former ages touching fréends who in the spring of a mans felicitie like swallowes will flie about him but when the winter of aduersitie nippeth like snailes they keepe within their shels wherevnto the poet verie well alluding saith diffugiunt cadis Cum faece siccatis amici Ferre iugum pariter dolosi After this as the said Hubert would haue gone to S. Edmundsburie in Suffolke where his wife as then remained he was apprehended at Burntwood in Essex within a chappell there as saith Fabian But as Matthew Paris saith sir Robert de Cranecombe with thrée hundred armed men was sent to apprehend him by the kings commandement and so he was taken in a village belonging to the bishop of Norwich in Essex and by the kings commandement cast into prison but yet afterwards he was reconciled to the kings fauor when he had lien foure moneths in prison and thirtéene moneths banished the court In this yeare on the exaltation of the crosse at Lambeth in the assemblie of the states there a subsidie was granted to the K. of the fortith part of euerie mans goods towards the discharge of his debts which he owght to the earle of Britaine Also in the beginning of the seauentéenth yeere of his reigne Ranulfe earle of Chester and Lincolne departed this life the six and twentith day of October whose bodie was buried at Chester and his bowels at Wallingford where he died This earle Ranulfe was thrice married first to Constance daughter and heire to Conan earle of Britaine and Richmund and so in right of hir was intituled earle of those two places which Constance had beene first married vnto Geffrey the third sonne of king Henrie the second by whom she had issue Arthur as before yée haue heard But by earle Ranulfe she had no issue at all but was from him diuorced and afterwards married vnto Guy vicount de Towars Then after earle Ranulfe was so diuorsed from the said Constance he married a ladie named Clemence and after hir deceasse he married the third time the ladie Margaret daughter to Humfrey de Bohun earle of Hereford and Essex constable of England Howbeit he neuer had issue by any of those his wiues so that Iohn Scot his nephue by his sister Mawd succéeded him in the earldome of Chester and William Dalbenie earle of Arundell nephue to him by his sister Mabell had the manour of Barrow and other lands that belonged to the said Ranulfe of the yerelie value of fiue hundred pounds Robert Quincie he that married his sister Hauise had the earledome of Lincolne and so of a baron became an earle who had issue by his wife Margerie countesse of Lincolne that was maried to Edmund Lacie earle of Lincolne William earle Ferrers and of Darbie that had married Agnes sister to the said Ranulfe had the castell and manour of Chartley togither with other lands for his pourpart Here is also to be remembred that the afore mentioned earle Ranulfe or Randulfe whether ye list to call him atchiued manie high enterprises in his time as partlie in this booke ye haue alreadie heard he held sore warres against the Welshmen till at length an agréement was concluded betwixt him line 10 and Leolin prince of Wales I remember I haue read in an old record that vpon a time as this earle passed into Wales with an armie his chance was to be ouerset by the Welshmen so that he was driuen to retire into a castell wherein the Welshmen did besiege him And as it fortuned at that time Roger Lacie the constable of Chester was not then with him but left behind at Chester to see the citie kept in order for as it should séeme their solemne plaies which commonlie are vsed at Whitsuntide line 20 were then in hand or else their faire which is kept at Midsummer Wherefore the earle sent a messenger in all possible hast vnto his constable praieng him with spéed to come to his succour in that extreame point of necessitie Lacie made no delaie but assembling all the forreners plaiers musicians and others which he could find within that citie fit to weare armor went foorth with them and in most speedie maner marched toward the castell where the Welshmen kept the line 30 earle besieged who now perceiuing such a multitude of men comming towards them incontinentlie left the siege and fled awaie The earle then being thus deliuered out of that present danger came foorth of the castell returned with his constable vnto Chester and in recompense of that seruice gaue vnto his said constable Roger Lacie the rule order and authoritie ouer all the forreners plaiers musicians and other strangers resorting to Chester at the time
paie for the bonds made to the merchants by the bishop of Hereford as before is recited In this season the deuotion which manie had conceiued of the pope and the church of Rome began to wax cold reputing the vertue which he shewed at his entring into the papasie to be rather a colourable hypocrisie than otherwise sith his proceedings answered not to his good beginnings for as it was manifest where sutors brought their complaints into the court of Rome such sped best as gaue most bribes and the two priors of Winchester the one expelled and the other got in by intrusion could well witnesse the same and all the world knoweth that the viperous generation of Romanists reckoning from the ringleader to the simplest shaueling haue made gaine the scope of their holinesse and as it is truelie said Quae libet arripiunt lucri bonus est odoâ— ex re Qualibet imponunt hos scelus omne iuuat Accipiunt quoduis si non sonat aere crumena Siue siligo adsit sordida siue pecus c. This yeare died William of Yorke bishop of Salisburie which had beene brought vp in the court euen from his youth This bishop first caused that custome to be receiued for a law whereby the tenants of euerie lordship are bound to owe their suit to the lords court of whom they hold their tenements In the feast of Easter this yeare the king adorned Magnus king of Man with the order of knighthood and bestowed vpon him great gifts and honors ¶ The countesse of Warren Auesia or Atesia as some bookes haue sister to the king by his mother line 10 departed this life in hir flourishing youth vnto the great griefe of hir brother but speciallie of hir husband Iohn earle of Waren that loued hir intierlie ¶ About the midst of Maie the Iewes that were in the towre and in other prisons for the murther of the child at Lincolne and had béene indited by an inquest vpon the 〈◊〉 of him that had suffered at Lincolne were 〈…〉 and set at libertie to the number of 〈…〉 of them ¶ In Whitsuntide was holden a 〈…〉 at Blie where the line 20 lord Edward the 〈…〉 sonne first began to shew proofe of his chiualâ—â—â— There were diuerse ouerthrowen and hurt and aâ—â—â—gst other William de Longspee was so brused 〈…〉 neuer after recouer his former strength The king caused a proclamation is be set foorth that all such as might dispend â—â—â—eene pounds in lands should receiue the 〈◊〉 of knighthood and those that would not or could not should paie their fines This yeare thrée daies after the feast of S. line 30 Ciricus a maruellous sore tempest of wind raine haile and thunder chanced that did excéeding much hurt Mill-whéeles by the violeâ—â—e of waters were carried away and the wind-milles were no lesse tormented with the rage of wind Arches of bridges stackes of haie houses that stood by water sides and children in cradels were borne awaie that both woonderfull and no lesse pitifull it was to see At Bedford the riuer of Duse bare downe six houses togither and did vnspeakeable hurt thereabouts line 40 Alexander the third king of Scots with his wife quéene Margaret came about the beginning of August into England and found the king at his manor of Woodstoke where he solaced him a season and had the lands of the earle of Huntington restored vnto him which his grandfather king William in his time lost and forfeited Here he did homage to king Henrie Upon the day of the decollation of S. Iohn the two kings with their quéenes came to London where they were honorablie receiued and so conueied line 50 vnto Westminster On the day of S. Augustine the bishop being the eight and twentith of August Iohn Mansell the kings chapleine besought the two kings and other states to dine with him on the morrow following which they granted and so he made a maruellous great dinner There were seuen hundred messes serued vp but the multitude of ghests was such that scarse the same sufficed his house was not able to receiue them all and therefore he caused tents and booths to be set vp for theâ— The like dinner line 60 had not beene made by any chapleine before that time All those that came were worthilie receiued feasted and interteined in such sort as euerie man was satisfied About foure daies before the feast of S. Edward K. Henrie came into the excheker himselfe there deuised order for the appearance of shiriffes and bringing in of their accompts At the same time also there was fiue marks set on euerie shiriffes head for a fine bicause they had not distreined euerie person that might dispend 15 pounds land to receiue the order of knighthood as was to the same shiriffes commanded The king of Scots after he had remained a while with the king of England returned backe into Scotland and left his wife behind with hir mother till she should be brought to bed for she was as then great with child In the 41 yeare of the reigne of king Henrie his brother Richard earle of Cornewall was elected emperour by one part of the Cornosters and diuerse lords of Almaine comming ouer into this land vpon the daie of the innocents in Christmasse presented vnto him letters from the archbishop of Colen and other great lords of Almaine year 1257 testifieng their consents in the choosing of him to be emperour and withall that it might stand with his pleasure to accept that honor Finallie vpon good deliberation had in the matter he consented therevnto whervpon the lords that came with the message being right glad of their answer returned with all spéed to signifie the same vnto those from whom they had béene sent The treasure of this earle Richard now elected king of Almaine was esteemed to amount vnto such a summe that he might dispend euerie day a hundred marks for the terme of ten yeares togither not reckoning at all the reuenues which dailie accrewed to him of his rents in Almaine and England In this meane time the vnquiet Welshmen after the death of their prince Dauid chose in his stéed one Leolin that was son to the same Griffin that brake his necke as he would haue escaped out of the towre of London and herewith they began a new rebellion either driuing out such Englishmen as laie there in garisons within the castels and fortresses or else entring into the same by some traitorous practise they slue those which they found within them to the great displeasure of their souereigne lord Edward the kings eldest sonne who coueting to be reuenged of their rebellious enterprises could not bring his purpose to passe by reason of the vnseasonable weather and continuall raine which fell that winter so raising the waters setting the marishes on flouds that he could not passe with his armie Moreouer his father the king wanted monie and treasure
the statute of Mortmaine was established Frier Iohn Peckham whome the pope had alreadie consecrated archbishop of Canturburie being the 47 in number that had gouerned the said sâ—â— came this yeare ouer into England to supplie the roome ¶ Also Walter Gifford archbishop of Yorke departed this life in whose place succéeded William Wickham the 37 archbishop there The archbishop of Canturburie held a synod at Reading about the latter line 10 end of Iulie wherin he renewed the constitutions of the generall councell as thus That no ecclesiasticall person should haue aboue one benefice to the which belonged cure of soule and againe that all those that were promoted to any ecclesiasticall liuing should receiue the order of priesthood within one yere after his being promoted therevnto In this yeare the king tooke order for the amending of his monie and coine which in that season was fowlie clipped washed and counterfeited by those line 20 naughtie men the Iewes and other as before you haue partlie heard The king therefore in the octaues of the Trinitie sent foorth commandement to all the shiriffes within the land that such monie as was counterfeited clipped or washed should not be currant from thencefoorth and furthermore he sent of his owne treasure good monie and not clipped vnto certeine cities and townes in the realme that exchange might be made with the same till new monie were stamped About the third daie of August the line 30 first exchange was made of the new monie of pence and farthings but yet the old monie went all this yeare togither with the new and then was the old coine generallie forbidden and commandement giuen by publike proclamation that from thencefoorth it should no more be allowed for currant Herewith also halfpence which had beene stamped in the meane time began to come abroad the same day in which the old monie was thus prohibited The lord Roger Mortimer kept a great feast at line 40 Killingworth with iusts and triumphs of an hundred knights and as manie ladies to the which resorted lords knights gentlemen from diuerse countries and lands to shew proofe of their valiancie in the practise of warlike feats and exercises In the meane season king Edward standing in need of monie deuised a new shift to serue his turne as this namely that wheras he was cheefe lord of many lordships manours possessions and tenements he well vnderstood that partlie by length and proces of time line 50 and partlie by casualties during the troubles of the ciuill warres manie mens euidences as their charters déeds copies and other writings were lost wasted and made awaie he therfore vnder colour to put the statute of Quo waranto in execution which was ordeined this yeare in the parlement holden at Glocester in August last past as some write did now command by publike proclamation that all such as held any lands or tenements of him should come and shew by what right and title they held the same line 60 that by such meanes their possessions might returne vnto him by escheat as cheefe lord of the same and so to be sold or redeemed againe at his hands This was thought to be so sore a proclamation as that a more greeuous had not lightlie beene heard of Men in euerie place made complaint and shewed themselues gréeuouslie offended so that the king by meanes thereof came in great hatred of his people but the meane sort of men though they stood in defense of their right yet it auailed them but little bicause they had no euidence to shew so that they were constreined to be quiet with losse rather than to striue against the streame Manie were thus called to answer till at length the lord Iohn Warren earle of Surrie a man greatlie beloueâ— of the people perceiuing the king to haue cast his net for a preie and that there was not one which spake against him determined to stand against thâ—se so bitter and cruell procéedings And the â—eâ—â—re bâ—ing called afore the iustices about this matter he appeared and being asked by what right he held hâ—â— laâ—â—s suddenlie drawing foorth an old rustie sword By this instrument said he doo I hold my lands 〈◊〉 by the same I intend to defend them Our ancestors comming into this realme wiâ—h William the Conquerour conquered their lands with the sword and with the same will I defend â—e from all those that shall be about to take them from me he did not make a conquest of this realme alone our progenitors were with him as participants and helpers The king vnderstanding into what hatred of his people by this meanes he was fallen and therfoâ—e desâ—rous to auoid ciuill dissention and war that might thereby insue he left off his 〈◊〉 practise so that the thing which generallie should haue touched and béene hurtfull to all men was now suddenlie staied by the manhood and couragious stoutnesse onelie of one man the foresaid earle who in his rare act of defending coÌ„mon equitie against the mightie in authoritie who spared not to offer extreme iniurie shewed himselfe a verie true and naturall branch of nobilitie cupit quae grandia semper Vilia contemnit quae sursum tendere vt ignis Nititur summas penetrat velut ardea â—ibes The archbishop of Canturburie held an other synod at Lambeth in the which he receiued and confirmed the orders and constitutions decréed and established by the legats Otho and Othobone in councels by them kept here within this realme adding diuerse other of his owne in the same councell he went about to adnihilate certeine liberties belonging to the crowne as the taking knowledge of the right of patronages and the kings prohibitions In placitis de catallis and such like which séemed méerlie to touch the spiritualtie But the king by some in that councell withstood the archbishop openlie and with menaces staied him from concluding any thing that might preiudice his roiall liberties and prerogatiues King Edward held a parlement at London in the which he demanded a fifteenth of the cleargie which latelie before he had got of the temporaltie The archbishop of Yorke was content at the first to grant this fifteenth to be paid of the cleargie within his diocesse in two yeares but the archbishop of Canturburie held off and required reâ—pit till the next parlement to be holden after Easter and then he granted vnto the king the dismes of all his cleargie for thrée yeares that in some point he might be different from the archbishop of Yorke In the ninth yeare of king Edwards reigne the feast of the round table was kept at Warwike with great and sumptuous triumph Whilest these things were in dooing Dauid brother to Leolin prince of Wales forgetting the great benefits which he had receiued at the hands of king Edward became his aduersarie and caused his said brother the prince of Wales with a great number of other noble men of that countrie
armie of men with the which he approched néere to saint Iohns towne into the which the earle of Penbroke was a little before entred to defend it with thrée hundred men of armes beside footmen Then R. Bruce sent to the earle to come out and giue battell the earle sent line 50 vnto him word againe that he would not fight that daie being sundaie but vpon the next morow he would satisfie his request Robert Bruce herevpon withdrew a mile backe from the towne determining to rest himselfe and his people that night About euening tide came the earle foorth of the towne with his people in order of battell and assailing his enimies vpon a sudden slue diuerse yer they could get their armour on their backs Robert Bruce and others line 60 that had some space to arme themselues made some resistance for a while but at length the Englishmen put them to the worse so that they were constreined to flee The earle following the chase pursued them euen into Kentire not resting till he vnderstood that a great number of them were gotten into a castell which he besieged in hope to haue found Robert Bruce within it but he was fled further into the countrie Howbeit his wife and his brother Nigell or Neall with diuerse other were taken in this castell and sent in safetie vnto Berwike Also shortlie after the earle of Atholl was taken being fled out of the same castell ¶ But some write that this earle was taken in the battell last remembred after long fight and great slaughter of Scots to the number of seuen thousand and also that in the chase the lord Simon de Friseill was taken with the bishops of saint Andrews and Glasco the abbat of Scone and the said earle of Atholl named sir Iohn Chambres The bishops and abbat king Edward sent vnto pope Innocent with report of their periurie but others write that the foresaid bishops and abbat being taken indéed the same yeare were brought into England and there kept as prisoners within sunbrie castels The wife of Robert le Bruce being daughter to the earle of Ulster was sent vnto the manour of Brustwike and there honorablie vsed hauing a conuenient number of seruants appointed to wait on hir The earle of Ulster hir father in the beginning of these last wars sent vnto king Edward two of his owne sonnes to remaine with him in such wise as he should thinke conuenient to assure himselfe of him that he would attempt nothing against the English subiects Also it was said that the ladie hir selfe the same daie hir husband and she should be crowned said that she feared they should proue but as a summer king and quéene such as in countrie townes the yoong folks choose for sport to danse about maipoles For these causes was she the more courteouslie vsed at the kings hands as reason no lesse required It should appeare by Robert Fabian that the king was present himselfe at this battell but other affirme that prince Edward was there as generall and not his father and that the battell was fought at Dunchell vpon the riuer of Tay. But neither the Scotish chronicles nor Nicholas Triuet whom in the historie of this king Edward the first we haue most followed make any mention that either the king or prince should be at the foresaid battell but that the earle of Penbroke with Robert lord Clifford and Henrie lord Percie were sent before as ye haue alreadie heard with an armie by whome as appeareth this victorie was obteined at a place called Methfen After this was the castell of Lochdore taken and within it Christopher Seiton that had married the sister of Robert le Bruce and bicause he was no Scot but an Englishman borne the king commanded that he should be led vnto Dunfrise where he had killed one of the kings knights and there to be hanged drawen and quartered The wife of this Christopher Seiton he appointed to be kept in the monasterie of Thixell in Lindsey and the daughter of Robert le Bruce which was also taken about the same time was sent to the monasterie of Waiton Moreouer the manour of Seiton in Whitebestroud he gaue vnto the lord Edmund de Mauley and those other lands that belonged vnto the said Christopher Seiton in Northumberland he gaue vnto the lord William Latimer The lands that belonged to the new Scotish king he bestowed in this wise to Henrie Bohun earle of Hereford which had married one of king Edwards daughters he gaue the lordships of Annandale Hert Hertnes he gaue vnto the lord Robert Clifford sauing alwaies the right yet that belonged to the church of Durham Totenham and Totenhamshire and the maner of Wrothell in the south parts he gaue to other noble men and the earledome of Carrike which R. Bruce had holden as by inheritance from his mother the king gaue to the lord Henrie Percie the earledome of Atholl he gaue to Rafe de Monthermer earle of Glocester who had also married as before yee haue heard an other of the kings daughters after the decesse of hir first husband Gilbert de Clare earle of Glocester About the feast of saint Michaell the new Scotish king Robert le Bruce returned foorth of the Iles into the which he had fled with manie Irishmen and Scots in his companie and remained a certeine time in Kentire he sent certeine of his officers to leuie and gather vp the rents of the fermes due at the feast of saint Martine for such lands and possessions as they held in that countrie wherof the lord Percie being aduertised hasted thither but the new king comming vpon him slue certeine of his men tooke his horsses and plate with other things and droue him into a castell within the which he besieged him line 10 till at length by a power sent from king Edward Bruce was constreined to depart The king in this meane time was come to Lauercost néere to Carleill and there remained a long time From thence he sent his iustices vnto Berwike where they sate in iudgement vpon Nigell Bruce and the other prisoners taken with him which were condemned to die and so they were hanged drawen and quartered The earle of Atholl was conueied to London and although he sued for pardon in respect of that he was line 20 of kin to the king yet was he hanged vpon a gibbet higher than all the residue his bodie burned vnder the same gibbet and his head first cut off was set vpon a pole ouer London bridge for example sake that traitors should looke for no pardon The elect archbishop of Yorke William Gréenefield was confirmed this yeare by pope Clement the fift at the citie of Lions in France where the same pope was crowned about the same time and held his court there liuing cheeflie by the monie which he got line 30 of bishops that came to him for their confirmations
Bruce that onelie stood in his waie it was verie likelie that he should haue found none other to haue raised banner against line 10 him about the quarrell or title to the claime of that realme For as he was a right warlike prince of him selfe so was he furnished with capteins and souldiers answerable to his desire who being able to lead and command them of himselfe had them at length obedient inough to serue him although as partlie yée haue heard some of the peeres shewed themselues at times disobedient and stubborne whom yet in the end he tamed well inough as the earles of Hereford line 20 and Northfolke the which in the thirtith yeare of his reigne resigned their castels and manours into his hands as by the records of the tower it further may appeare Now to follow as in other kings I haue doone heretofore for learned men these I find to haue flourished in this kings daies Henrie de Henna a Carmelite frier Goodwine the chantor of the church of Salisburie Adam de Marisco or Mareis borne in Summersetshire an excellent diuine as he was reputed line 30 in those daies Gregorie Huntington a monke of Ramesey verie expert in the toongs Seuall archbishop of Yorke a man singularlie learned and stout in defending the cause of his cleargie against the pope Haimo de Feuersham Peter Swanington Helias Trickingham Helias de Euesham Radulfe Bocking borne in Sussex Alphredâ— surnamed Anglicus Iames Cisterciensis William of Ware Robert Oxenford Thomas Docking Iohn surnamed Grammaticus Robert Dodeford but the more line 40 part of these are rather to be ascribed vnto the time of Henrie the third the father of this king Edward where these that follow are thought to flourish in the time of king Edwards reigne after the deceasse of his father king Henrie Thomas Spot a chronographer Peter de Ickeham a Kentishman borne as Bale thinketh Iohn Beckton a doctor of both the lawes William Hanaberge a Carmelite frier prouinciall gouernour of his order heere in England Robert Kilwarbie bishop of Canturburie and after made a cardinall and bishop of Portua Glbert surnamed Magnus a moonke of the Cisteaux order Helias Ros Walter Recluse Hugh le Euesham Iohn Euersden a writer of annales whome I haue partlie followed in this kings life William Pagham Henrie Esseborne Iohn de Haida Roger Bacon a Franciscane frier an excellent philosopher and likewise a mathematician Iohn Derlington a dominike frier Iohn Chelmeston Thomas Borstale a Northfolke man borne Gregorie Cairugent a moonke of Glocester a writer of annales Gregorie de Bredlington Thomas Bungey a frier minor borne in Northfolke an excellent mathematician prouinciall ruler of his order heere in England he flourished in the daies of king Edward the first although there were another of the same name that liued in the time of king Edward the third Hugh de Manchester a Dominike frier prouinciall gouernour of his order héere in England Richard Knapwell a Dominike frier Iohn Peckham borne in the dioces of Chichester a Franciscane frier excellentlie learned as by his workes it appeareth he was aduanced by pope Honorius the third to the archbishops sée of Canturburie Thomas de Illey a Suffolke man borne and a white or Carmelite frier in the house of Gippeswich Michaell surnamed Scot but borne in the bishoprike of Durham as Leland saith an excellent physician and likewise verie expert in the mathematicals Hugh de Newcastell a frier minor professed in the same towne Thomas Sutton a blacke frier that is of the order of S. Dominike Iohn Read an historiographer William de la Mare a frier minor Thomas Wicke a chanon of Osney in Oxenford Simon de Gaunt William Hothun prouinciall of the friers Dominiks in England Iohn de Hide a moonke of Winchester Robert Crouch a cordelier or a Franciscane frier Richard Midleton a frier minor Thomas Spirman a blacke frier William Lidlington a doctor of diuinitie and a Carmelite frier in Stanford Iohn Fiberie or Beuer a moonke of Westminster William Makelesfield borne in Cheshire in a market towne whereof he beareth the name a blacke frier by profession and an excellent philosopher Thus farre Edward the first surnamed Longshanks Edward the second the sonne of Edward the first EDward the second of that name the sonne of Edward the first borne at Carnaruan in Wales began his reigne ouer England the seauenth day of Iulie year 1307 in the yeare of our Lord 1307 of the world 5273 of the comming of the Saxons 847 after the conquest 241 about the tenth yeare of Albert emperour of Rome and the two and twentith of the fourth Philip surnamed Le Beau as line 10 then king of France and in the third yeare after that Robert le Bruce had taken vpon him the crowne and gouernement of Scotland His fathers corpse was conueied from Burgh vpon Sands vnto the abbeie of Waltham there to remaine till things were readie for the buriall which was appointed at Westminster Within three daies after when the lord treasurer Walter de Langton bishop of Couentriâ— and Lichfield thorough whose complaint Péers de Gaueston line 20 had beene banished the land was going towards Westminster to make preparation for the same buriall he was vpon commandement from the new king arrested commiâ—ted to prison and after deliuered to the hands of the said Péers being then returned againe into the realme who sent him from castell to castell as a prisoner His lands and tenements were seized to the kings vse but his mooueables were giuen to the foresaid Peers Walter Reignold line 30 that had beene the kings tutor in his childhood was then made lord treasurer and after when the fée of Worcester was void at the kings instance he was by the pope to that bishoprike preferred Also Rafe bishop of London was deposed from the office of lord Chancellour and Iohn Langton bishop of Chichester was therto restored Likewise the barons of the excheker were remooued and other put in their places And Amerie de Ualence earle of Penbroke was discharged of the wardenship of Scotland line 40 and Iohn de Britaine placed in that office whom he also made earle of Richmond But now concerning the demeanour of this new king whose disordered maners brought himselfe and manie others vnto destruction we find that in the beginning of his gouernement though he was of nature giuen to lightnesse yet being restreined with the prudent aduertisements of certeine of his councellors to the end he might shew some likelihood of good proofe be counterfeited a kind of grauitie vertue line 50 and modestie but yet he could not throughlie be so bridled but that foorthwith he began to plaie diuers wanton and light parts at the first indeed not outragiouslie but by little and little and that couertlie For hauing reuoked againe into England his old mate the said Peers de Gaueston he receiued him into most high fauour creating him earle of Cornewall and lord of Man his principall secretarie
whereby any hurt might insue either to the king or to the realme ¶ Thus haue we thought good to shew the cause of this earles death as by some writers it hath béene registred although there be that write that the ouerthrow at Beighland chanced through his fault by misleading a great part of the kings host and that therefore the king being offended with him caused him to be put to death albeit as I thinke no such matter was alleged against him at the time of his arreignement About this season was the foundation begun of S. Michaels colledge in Cambridge by one sir Henrie Stanton knight chancellour of the excheker About the feast of the Ascension there came as commissioners from the king of England vnto Newcastell Aimerie earle of Penbroke and the lord chamberlaine Hugh Spenser the yoonger and other foure personages of good accompt And from the king of Scots there came the bishop of saint Andrews Thomas Randulfe earle of Murrey and other foure of good credit to treat of peace or at the leastwise of some long truce and through the good will and pleasure of God the author of all peace and quietnesse they concluded vpon a truce to indure for thirteene yeares and so about the feast of saint Barnabe the apostle it was proclaimed in both realmes but yet so that they might not traffike togither bicause of the excommunication wherewith the Scots were as yet intangled although as some write about the same time the interdict wherein the realme of Scotland stood bound was by pope Iohn released The French K. being latelie come to the crowne sent certeine ambassadors vnto king Edward to wit the lord Beouille and one Andreas de Florentia a notarie to giue summons vnto him from the French king to come and doo homage for the lands which he held in France as for the duchie of Aquitaine and the countie of Pontieu And though the lord chamberleine Hugh Spenser the sonne and the lord chancellour Robert Baldocke did what they could to procure these ambassadors not to declare the cause of their comming to the king yet when they should depart they admonished the king to come and doo his homage vnto the French king and vpon this admonition the said Andreas framed a publike instrument by vertue whereof the French king made processe against the king of England and â—eized into his hands diuerse townes and castels in Aquitaine alledging that he did it for the contumacie shewed by the king of England in refusing to come to doo his homage being lawfullie summoned although the king was throughlie informed that the summons was neither lawfull nor touched him anie thing at all About the same time the lord Roger Mortimer of Wigmor giuing his kéepers a drinke that brought them into a sound and heauie sléepe escaped out of the tower of London where he was prisoner This escape of the lord Mortimer greatlie troubled the king so that immediatlie vpon the first news he wrote to all the shiriffes of the realme that if he chanced to come within their roomes they should cause hue and crie to be raised so as he might be staied and arrested but he made such shift that he got ouer into France where he was receiued by a lord of Picardie named monsier Iohn de Fieules who had faire lands in England and therefore the king wrote to him reprouing him of vnthankfulnesse considering he had beene euer readie to pleasure him and to aduance his profits and commodities and yet notwithstanding he did succour the said lord Mortimer and other rebels that were fled out of his realme In Lent this yeare a parlement was holden at London in the which diuerse things were intreated amongst other the cheefest was to determine for the sending of some honorable ambassage to the French king to excuse the king for not comming to him to doo his homage according to the pretended summons line 10 ¶ In the same parlement Adam bishop of Hereford was arrested and examined vpon points of treason for aiding succouring and mainteining the Mortimers and other of the rebels This bishop was reckoned to be wise subtill and learned but otherwise wilfull presumptuous and giuen to mainteine factions At the first he disdeined to make anie answer at all and finallie when he was in manner forced thereto he flatlie told the king that he might not make any answere to such matters as he was charged with except by the licence and consent of his line 20 metropolitane the archbishop of Canturburie and other his péeres Héerevpon the said archbishop and other bishops made such sute that he was committed to the kéeping of the said archbishop with him to remaine till the king had taken order for his further answer Within few daies after when the king called him againe before his presence to make answere to the matters laid against him the archbishops of Canturburie line 30 Yorke Dublin and ten other bishops came with their crosses afore them and vnder a colour of the priuilege and liberties of the church tooke him awaie before he had made anie answere forbidding all men on paine of excommunication to laie anie hands vpon him The king greatlie offended with this bold procéeding of the prelats caused yet an inquest to be impauelled to inquire of the bishop of Herefords treasons and vpon the finding of him giltie he seized into his hands all the temporalties line 40 that belonged to his bishoprike and spoiled his manours and houses most violentlie in reuenge of his disloiall dealings Moreouer in this parlement the lands and possessions that belonged sometime to the Templers and had beene deliuered vnto the knights Hospitalers otherwise called knights of the Rodes by the king in the seauenth yeare of his reigne according to the decrée of the councell of Uienna were by authoritie of this parlement assured vnto the said knights to enioy line 50 to them and their successors for euer Also it was concluded that the earle of Kent and the archbishop of Dubline should go ouer as ambassadours into France to excuse the king for his not comming in person to the French king to doo his homage for the lands he held in France Moreouer in the same parlement the king granted that all the dead bodies of his enimies and rebels that had suffered and hanged still on the gallowes should be taken downe and buried in the churchyards next to the places where line 60 the same bodies were hanging and not elsewhere by such as would take paine to burie them as by his writs directed vnto the shiriffes of London and of the counties of Middlesex Kent Glocester Yorke and Buckingham it appeared And not onelie this libertie was granted at that time for the taking down of those bodies but as some write it was decréed by authoritie in the same parlement that the bodies of all those that from thenceforth should be hanged
the towne and hauing lost the suburbes to the Englishmen he fled out in the night and so left the towne without anie souldiers to defend it so that the townesmen yeelded it vnto the earle of Derbie and sware themselues to be true liege men vnto the king of England After this the earle of Derbie passed further into the countrie and wan diuerse castels and towns as Lango le Lake Moundurant Monguise Punach Laliew Forsath Pondair Beaumont in Laillois Bounall Auberoch and Liborne part of them by assault and the residue by surrender This doone he returned to Burdeaux hauing left capteins and souldiers in such places as he had woone This yeare the king sent foorth a commission vnto certeine persons in euerie countie within the realme to inquire what lands and tenements euerie man aboue fiue pounds of yeerelie reuenues being of the laie fée might dispend bicause he had giuen order that euerie man which might dispend fiue pounds and aboue vnto ten pounds of such yeerelie reuenues in land of the laie fee should furnish himselfe or find an archer on horssebacke furnished with armour and weapon accordinglie He that might dispend ten pounds should furnish himselfe or find a demilance or light horsseman if I shall so terme him being then called a hobler with a lance And he that might dispend fiue and twentie pounds should furnish himselfe or find a man at armes And he that might dispend fiftie pounds should furnish two men at arms And he that might dispend an hundred pounds should find thrée men at armes that is himselfe or one in his stéed with two other And such as might dispend aboue an hundred pounds were appointed to find more in number of men at armes accordinglie as they should be assessed after the rate of their lands which they might yearelie dispend being of the laie fée and not belonging to the church About this season the duke of Britaine hauing with him the earles of Northampton and Oxenford sir William de Killesbie one of the kings secretaries and manie other barons and knights with a great number of men of armes passed ouer into Britaine against the lord Charles de Blois where they tarried a long time and did little good to make anie accompt of by reason that the duke in whose quarrell they came into those parts shortlie after his arriuall there departed this life and so they returned home into England But after their comming from thence sir Thomas Dagworth knight that had béene before and now after the departure of those lords and nobles still remained the kings lieutenant there so behaued himselfe against both Frenchmen and Britains that the memorie of his worthie dooings deserueth perpetuall commendation Sir Iohn de Heinault lord Beaumont about the same time changed his cote and leauing the king of Englands seruice was reteined by the French king In this ninetéenth yeare of king Edward I find that about the feast of the Natiuitie of saint Iohn Baptist he sailed ouer into Flanders leauing his sonne the lord Lionell warden of the realme in his absence He tooke with him a great number of lords knights and gentlemen with whome he landed at Sluse The cause of his going ouer was to further a practise which he had in hand with them of Flanders the which by the labour of Iaques Arteueld meant to cause their earle Lewes either to doo homage vnto king Edward or else if he refused then to disherit him and to receiue Edward prince of Wales for their lord the eldest sonne of king Edward King Edward promising to make a dukedome of the countie of Flanders for an augmentation of honour to the countrie there came vnto Sluse to the king Iaques van Arteueld and a great number of other appointed as councellors for their chéefest townes The king with all his nauie lay in the hauen of Sluse where in his great ship called the Catharine a councell was holden vpon this foresaid purpose but at length those of the councellors of the cheefest townes misliked the matter so much that they would conclude nothing but required respit for a moneth to consult with all the cōmunaltie of the countries and townes and as the more part should be inclined so should the king receiue answer The king line 10 and Iaques Arteueld would faine haue had a shorter daie and a more towardlie answer but none other could be gotten Herevpon the councell brake vp and Iaques Arteueld tarieng with the king a certeine space after the other were departed promised him to persuade the countrie well inough to his purpose and suerlie he had a great gift of eloquence and had thereby induced the countrie wonderfullie to consent to manie things as well in fauour of king Edward as to his line 20 owne aduancement but this suit which he went now about to bring to passe was so odious vnto all the Flemings that in no wise they thought it reason to consent vnto the disheriting of the earle At length when Iaques Arteueld should returne vnto Gant king Edward appointed fiue hundred Welshmen to attend him as a gard for the preseruation of his person bicause he said that one Gerard Denise deane of the weauers an vnquiet man maliciouslie purposed his destruction line 30 Capteins of these Welshmen were Iohn Matreuers and William Sturine or Sturrie and so with this crue of souldiers Arteueld returned vnto Gant and earnestlie went in hand with his suit in king Edwards behalfe that either the earle should doo his homage to the king of England to whome it was due or else to forfeit his earledome Then the foresaid Gerard as well of his owne mind as procured thereto by the authoritie of earle Lewes stirred the whole citie against the said Arteueld and gathering line 40 a great power vnto him came and beset Arteuelds house round about vpon each side the furie of the people being wonderfullie bent against him crieng Kill him Kill him that hath robbed the tresurie of the countrie and now goeth about to disherit our noble earle Iaques van Arteueld perceiuing in what danger he was came vnto a window and spake to that inraged multitude in hope with faire and courteous words to appease them but it could not be whervpon line 50 he sought to haue fled out of his house but the same was broken vp and so manie entred vpon him that he was found out and slaine by one Thomas Denise as some write But other affirme that on a sundaie in the after noone being the 17 of Iulie a cobler whose father this Iaques van Arteueld had sometime slaine followed him as he was fléeing into a stable where his horsses stood there with an ax cloue his head asunder so that he fell downe starke dead on the ground And this was the end of the foresaid line 60 Iaques van Arteueld who by his wisedome and policie had obteined the whole gouernment of all Flanders This wofull
Gascoigne where he remained steward vntill the comming of Henrie the third at what time the said Henrie surrendered his office but the king importunate with him still to reteine the same he flatlie denied it and would no longer remaine there suddenlie returning into England without licence line 50 or knowledge of the king for which contempt the king greeuouslie incensed in reuenge and for satisfaction of the same made the same lands to be extended by Thomas Paslew and others who by the kings processe extended part thereof to a â—reble value after which extent returned into the chancerie the king seized the manour of Bremesgraue Bolesoure Strattondale in Norton left in his hands the manours of Lierton Oswardbecke Cundoner Wourfeld and Wigutton whereof the said Henrie line 60 died seized Two yeares before which grant of the lands before said to this Henrie to wit in the twentith yeare of Henrie the third the said Henrie Hastings made his petition to serue in the pantrée as he was bound by tenure at the coronation of euerie prince the record whereof in the ancient written booke of the earls of Huntington is in these words following The record by which Henrie Hastings executed the office of the panteller VIcesimo Henr. tertij quo coronata fuit regina Elionara filia Hugonis comitis Prouinciae apud Westm. factae sunt contentiones magnae de seruitijs ministralibus de iuribus pertinentibus ad eorum ministeria sed respectuatur iuribus singulis saluis vt tumultus requiesceret vsque ad quindena Paschae sequeÌ„tis c. Et Henricus de Hastinges cuius officium seruiendi de mappis à veteri vendicauit officiuÌ„ illud habuit Nam quamuis Thurstanus vendicauit officium illud asserens suum esse debere à veteri tamen rex repulsat admisit Henricum de Hastinges ea die assignans eisdem diem de contentione finienda ad praedictum terminum Extractas verò post prandium mappas tanquam suas ad officium pertinentes recepit This Henrie had by Ada his wife his sonne heire Henrie Hastings from whome Buchanan dooth saie that Henrie Hastings now earle of Penbroke is descended whereof I will not now heere dispute Henrie Hastings knight sonne of Henrie after the death of his father finding himselfe greeued that the inheritance which should haue descended vnto him from his mother was so withholden from him for the offense of his father contrarie to law and iustice and without iudgement but by the kings power pursued a bill against the king therby to haue remedie and restitution for the supposed false returne of the extent which was made against his father and vpon the same bill this Henrie Hastings obteined a new writ to make a fresh extent directed to maister Thomas of Wimundham Robert de la Laie Robert de Solham Hugh Peeche Thomas de Braie to vnderstand if the remnant of the lands to him descended beside that by the king extended would counteruaile the value of such lands as he should haue by descent from and of the earle and earledome of Chester which maâ—ter neuer being ended in his time was afterward prosecuted of the Hastings from parlement to parlement vntill the thirtie fourth yeare of Edward the first as more plainelie shall after appeare Of this Henrie Hollingshed intreateth much in the reigne of Henrie the third this man being he that in the time of Edward the first made title to the crowne of Scotland maried Ione one of the daughters of William Cantulpe lord of Aburgauenie in the right of Eua one of the daughters and heires of William Bewsa or Brewcusa for I find both written of which Ione this Henrie had issue Iohn Hastings his sonne and heire Edmund which maried Isabell had great possessions in Wales Ada first maried to Robert de Champane Lora maried to sir Thomas the sonne of sir Iohn de Latimer and Ione which was a nun at Notingham Iohn Hastings knight sonne of the last Henrie was borne at Asleghe in the yéere of our Lord 1262 and in the six fortith yeare of the reigne of Henrie the third This man after his fathers death did in the yeare of our Lord 1274 and the second yeare of the reigne of Edward the first being the kings ward demand the execution of his office of the pantrie at the coronation of queene Elianor wife to Edward the first but could not execute the same by reason of his nonage and also for that he was in ward to the said king After when he was growne to full yeares there arose in the yeare of our Lord 1305 and in the thirtie third yeare of the reigne of Edward the first great contention betweene Antonie Beake bishop of Durham this Iohn Hastings Iohn Balioll and Robert Bruse for the manors of Penrith Castlesoure Salgkill regis Lange Worthbie Carlaton and of Werkine Tinehale whereof Henrie king of Scots kinsman of the said Robert Bruse Iohn Balioll and Iohn Hastings whose heire they were died seized in his demesne of fee. In which sutes after manie delaies made and manie summons against the said bishop the plée went without daie bicause the bishop must go to Rome But after his returne the sute being reuiued and continued it went once more without daie bicause the king seized the same into his hands and held it all the time of his reigne These things thus doone and Edward the first departed this Iohn Hastings as yet not hastie to renew his sute of the land but rather to execute his right of the pantrie did in the first yeare of Edward the second demand the executing of that office line 10 at the coronation of the said Edward the second and Isabell his wife at Westminster which he obteined and laid the clothes and napkins in the great hall by him and other his knights one the tables whereat the king the quéene and other great states should dine which according as I haue seene noted was in this sort The order and number of clothes laied line 20 at the kings table and how Iohn Hastings had them for his fee. AD altam sedem ipsius regis tres mappas super alias mensas in eadem aula 28 mappas vnde quaelibet pecia continebat 4 in parua aula coram regina alibi in illa parua aula 14 quaruÌ„ quaelibet pecia continebat 3. Et dum fueruÌ„t ad comestum mappas per se suos custodiebat line 30 post comestum illas trahebat deferre faciebat seruientes ad seruiendum istas cum suis loquelis â—abebat sine voluntate vel cum voluntate eas deâ—inebat per totum festum coronationis licèt petitae erant deliberatione primò à senescallo regis postea ab ipso rege per quod idem rex praecepit domino Willielmo Martin alijs senescallis suis quòd plenam celerem iusticiam ei facerent deliberationem de mappis praedictis
well affected towards some good conclusion by treatie to be had of a full and perfect peace About the same time by the king with the aduise of his councell proclamation was made and published at London that all beneficed men abiding in the court of Rome being Englishmen borne should returne home into England before the feast of S. Nicholas vnder paine to forfeit all their benefices and such as were not beneficed vnder a paine likewise limited The Englishmen hearing such a thunder clap a farre off fearing the blow left the popes court and returned into their natiue soile The pope troubled with such a rumbling noise sent in all hast as abbat as his nuncio vnto the king of England as well to vnderstand the causes of this proclamation as of statutes deuised and made latelie in parlement against those that prouided themselues of benefices in the court of Rome by the popes buls which séemed not a little preiudiciall to the church of Rome in consideration whereof the said nuncio required that the same statutes might be repealed and abolished so farre as they tended to the derogation of the church liberties but if the same statutes were not abolished the pope might not said his nuncio with a safe conâ—â—ience otherwise doo than procéed against them that made those statutes in such order as the canons did appoint Moreouer the said nuncio declared to the king certeine dangerous practises betwixt the antipape and the French king as to make the duke of Touraine the French kings brother king of Tuscane and Lombardie and to establish the duke of Aniou in the kingdome of Sicile Moreouer he gaue the king to vnderstand that if the French king might compasse by the antipapes meanes to be chosen emperour he would séeke to vsurpe vpon ech mans right and therefore it stood the line 10 king of England chieflie in hand to prouide against such practises in time And as for the treatie of peace which the Frenchmen séemed so much to fauour it was to none other end but that vpon agreement once had they might more conuenientlie compasse their purpose in the premisses Furthermore the nuncio earnestlie besought the king of aid in the popes behalfe against the French king if as he threatned to doo he should inuade him in Italie with open force The king séemed to giue fauourable eare vnto line 20 the nuncio and after aduise taken appointed to staie till after Michaelmasse at what time a parlement was appointed to be assembled wherein such things as he had proponed should be weied and considered and some conclusion taken therein About this time or in the yeare 1391 according to Henrie Knightons account there was a prophane statute made against the church churchmen namelie that no ecclesiasticall person or persons should possesse manors glebeland houses possessions lands line 30 reuenues or rents whatsoeuer at the hands of the feoffer without the kings licence the chiefe lords And this statute extended it selfe as well to parish-churches chappels chanteries as abbeies priories other monasteries whatsoeuer likewise to citizens of cities to farmers burgesses hauing such rents or possessions for the common profit For men in those daies that would bestow land or liuelod vpon church fraternitie or conuent and were notable for cost and charges to procure a mortmane vnder the line 40 kings licence and chiefe lords were woont to feoffe some speciall men in whom they had confidence and trust vnder whose name and title churchmen or anie other fraternitie or conuent might inioy the profit of the gift and might haue the commoditie thereof in possession And it was prouided by that statute that all and euerie as well persons ecclesiasticall as parishioners both citizens burgesses and farmers or anie other whatsoeuer hauing such rents possessions manors or anie reuenues whatsoeuer in the hands line 50 of such feoffers without the licence of the king and chiefe lords that either they should obteine and get a licence of the king and the chiefe lords to make it a mortmaine or else set such things to sale raise profit of them on this side or before the feast of Michaelmasse next insuing or the said feast being past and expired that then the king and the chiefe lords in things not ordered and disposed accordinglie may enter and seize vpon the same and them haue and hold at his and their pleasure line 60 About the same time the duke of Glocester went into Prutzen land to the great griefe of the people that made account of his departure as if the sunne had beene taken from the earth doubting some mishap to follow to the common wealth by his absence whose presence they thought sufficient to stay all detriments that might chance for in him the hope of the commons onelie rested In his returne home he was sore tormented with rough weather and tempestuous seas At length he arriued in Northumberland and came to the castell of Tinmouth as to a sanctuarie knowen to him of old where after he had refreshed him certeine daies he tooke his iournie homewards to Plaschie in Essex bringing no small ioy for his safe returne to all the kingdome ¶ On the ninth of Iulie the sunne séemed darkened with certeine grosse and euill fauored clouds comming betwixt it and the earth so as it appeared ruddie but gaue no light from noone till the setting thereof And afterwards conâ—â—nualliâ— for the space of six weeks about the middest of the daie clouds customablie rose and sometimes they continued both daie and night not vanishing awaie at all ¶ At the same time such a mortalitie and death of people increased in Northfolke and in manie other countries of England that it seemed not vnlike the season of the great pestilence In the citie of Yorke there died eleuen thousand within a short space ¶ Henrie Persie earle of Northumberland lieutenant of Calis was called home from that charge and created warden of the marches against Scotland and Robert Mowbraie was sent to Calis to be the kings lieutenant there On friday next after All soules day the parlement began at London in which the knights would in no wise agrée that the statute made against spirituall men for the prouiding themselues of benefices in the court of Rome should be repealed but yet they agréed thus much that it should be tollerated so as with the kings licence such spirituall men might purchase to themselues such benefices till the next parlement ¶ In this parlement aforsaid there was granted vnto our lord the king one tenth of the clergie and one fiftéenth of the people towards the expenses of Iohn duke of Lancaster who in Lent next following went ouer into France to the citie of Amiens for a finall peace betweene the kingdoms of England and France where the king of France met him with a shew of great pompe and honor sending before him first of all to welcome him thither the citizens of
it was found how the earle of Warwike had confessed himselfe guiltie of treason line 30 and asked pardon and mercie for his offense but the earle denied that euer he acknowledged anie such thing by woord of mouth and that he would prooue in what manner soeuer should be to him appointed Therein was also the appeale found of the dukes of Aumarle Surrie and Excester the marquesse Dorset the earles of Salisburie and Glocester vnto the which ech of them answered by himselfe that they neuer assented to that appeale of their owne frée wils line 40 but were compelled thereto by the king and this they affirmed by their othes and offered to prooue it by what manner they should be appointed Sir Walter Clopton said then to the commons If ye will take aduantage of the processe of the last parlement take it and ye shall be receiued therevnto Then rose vp the lord Morlie and said to the earle of Salisburie that he was chiefe of counsell with the duke of Glocester and likewise with king Richard so discouered the dukes counsell to the king line 50 as a traitor to his maister and that he said he would with his bodie prooue against him throwing downe his hood as a pledge The earle of Salisburie sore mooued héerewith told the lord Morlie that he falslie béelied him for he was neuer traitor nor false to his maister all his life time and therewith threw downe his gloue to wage battell against the lord Morlie Their gages were taken vp and deliuered to the constable and marshall of England and the parties were arrested and day to them giuen till another time line 60 On mondaie following being the morrow after All soules day the commons made request that they might not be entred in the parlement rols as parties to the iudgement giuen in this parlement but there as in verie truth they were priuie to the same for the iudgement otherwise belonged to the king except where anie iudgment is giuen by statute enacted for the profit of the common-wealth which request was granted Diuers other petitions were presented on the behalfe of the commons part whereof were granted and to some there was none answere made at that time Finallie to auoid further inconuenience and to qualifie the minds of the enuious it was finallie enacted that such as were appellants in the last parlement against the duke of Glocester and other should in this wise following be ordred The dukes of Aumarle Surrie and Excester there present were iudged to loose their names of dukes togither with the honors titles and dignities therevnto belonging The marquesse Dorset being likewise there present was adiudged to lose his title and dignitie of marquesse and the earle of Glocester being also present was in semblable maner iudged to lose his name title and dignitie of earle Moreouer it was further decréed against them that they and euerie of them should lose and forfeit all those castels lordships manors lands possessions rents seruices liberties and reuenues whatsoeuer had beene giuen to them at or since the last parlement belonging aforetime to any of those persons whom they had appealed and all other their castels manors lordships lands possessions rents seruices liberties and reuenues whatsoeuer which they held of the late kings gift the daie of the arrest of the said duke of Glocester or at any time after should also remaine in the kings disposition from thencefoorth and all letters patents and charters which they or any of them had of the same names castels manors lordships lands possessions and liberties should be surrendred vp into the chancerie there to be cancelled Diuerse other things were enacted in this parlement to the preiudice of those high estates to satisfie mens minds that were sore displeased with their dooings in the late kings daies as now it manifestlie appéered For after it was vnderstood that they should be no further punished than as before is mentioned great murmuring rose among the people against the king the archbishop of Canturburie the earle of Northumberland and other of the councell for sauing the liues of men whom the commons reputed most wicked and not worthie in anie wise to liue But the king thought it best rather with courtesie to reconcile them than by cutting them off by death to procure the hatred of their freends and alies which were manie and of no small power After that the foresaid iudgement was declared with protestation by sir William Thirning iustice the earle of Salisburie came and made request that he might haue his protestation entered against the lord Morlie which lord Morlie rising vp from his seat said that so he might not haue bicause in his first answer he made no protestation and therefore he was past it now The earle praied day of aduisement but the lord Morlie praied that he might lose his aduantage sith he had not entered sufficient plee against him Then sir Matthew Gournie sitting vnderneath the king said to the earle of Salisburie that Forsomuch as at the first day in your answers ye made no protestation at all none is entered of record and so you are past that aduantage and therefore asked him if he would saie any other thing Then the earle desired that he might put in mainprise which was granted and so the earle of Kent sir Rafe Ferrers sir Iohn Roch sir Iohn Draiton knights mainprised the said earle bodie for bodie For the lord Morlie all the lords and barons offred to vndertake and to be suerties for him but yet foure of them had their names entered that is to saie the lords Willoughbie Beauchampe Scales and Berkelie they had day till the fridaie after to make their libell After this came the lord Fitzwater and praied to haue day and place to arreigne his appeale against the earle of Rutland The king said he would send for the duke of Norffolke to returne home and then vpon his returne he said he would proceed in that matter Manie statutes were established in this parlement as well concerning the whole bodie of the common-wealth as by the booke thereof imprinted may appeare as also concerning diuerse priuate persons then presentlie liuing which partlie we haue touched and partlie for doubt to be ouer-tedious we doo omit But this among other is not to be forgotten that the archbishop of Canturburie was not onelie restored to his former dignitie being remooued from it by king Richard who had procured one Roger Walden to be placed therein as before ye haue heard but also the said Walden was established bishop line 10 of London wherewith he séemed well content Moreouer the kings eldest sonne Henrie alreadie created as heire to his father and to the crowne prince of Wales duke of Cornewall and earle of Chester was also intituled duke of Aquitaine and to auoid all titles claimes and ambiguities there was an act made for the vniting of the crowne vnto king
such due and lawfull forme as in such cases the law prouideth till they had compounded to paie great fines and ransomes line 60 Moreouer the kings wards after they had accomplished their full age could not be suffered to sue their liueries till they had paied excessiue fines and ransomes vnto their great annoiance losse and disquieting and to no lesse contempt of the said king And further whereas diuerse persons had béene outlawed as well at the sute of their aduersaries as of the said late king they could not be allowed to purchase their charters of pardon out of the chancerie according to the law of the realme till they were driuen to answer halfe the issues and profits of all their lands and tenements by the space of two yeares which the king receiued to his vse by the said Richard Empsons procurement who informed him that hée might lawfullie take the same although he knew that it was contrarie to the lawes and customes of the realme Wherevpon the people vexed and molested by such hard dealings sore grudged against the said late king to the great perill and danger of his person and realme and subuersion of the lawes and ancient customes thereof Also it was alleged against the said Empson that he had sent foorth precepts directed vnto diuerse persons commanding them vpon great penalties to appeare before him and other his associats at certeine daies and times within his house in S. Brides parish in a ward of London called Farringdon without where they making their appearances according to the same precepts were impleaded afore him and other his said associats of diuerse murthers felonies outlawries and of the articles in the statute of prouisors conteined also of wilfull escapes of felonies and such like matters and articles apperteining to the plées of the crowne and common lawes of the realme And that doone the said persons were committed to diuerse prisons as the Fléet the Tower and other places where they were deteined till they had fined at his pleasure as well for the commoditie of the said late king as for the singular aduantage of the said sir Richard Empson Moreouer whereas the said Empson being recorder of Couentrie and there sate with the maior and other iustices of the peace vpon a speciall gaole deliuerie within that citie on the monday before the feast of saint Thomas the apostle in the sixtéenth yeare of the late kings reigne a prisoner that had beene indicted of felonie for taking out of an house in that citie certeine goods to the value of twentie shillings was arreigned before them And bicause the iurie would not find the said prisoner giltie for want of sufficient euidince as they after alleged the said sir Richard Empson supposing the same euidence to be sufficient caused them to be committed to ward wherein they remained foure daies togither till they were contented to enter bond in fortie pounds a péece to appeare before the king and his councell the second returne of the tearme then next insuing being Quindena Hilarij Wherevpon they kéeping their daie and appearing before the said sir Richard Empson and other of the kings councell according to their bonds were adiudged to paie euerie of them eight pounds for a fine and accordinglie made paiment thereof as they were then thought well worthie so to doo But now this matter so long past was still kept in memorie and so earnest some were to inforce it to the vttermost against the said Empson that in a sessions holden at Couentrie now in this first yeare of this kings reigne an indictment was framed against him for this matter and thereof he was found giltie as if therein he had committed some great and heinous offense against the kings peace his crowne and dignitie Thus haue I thought good to shew what I find hereof to the end ye may perceiue how glad men were to find some colour of sufficient matter to bring the said sir Richard Empson and maister Edmund Dudleie within danger of the lawes whereby at length they were not onelie condemned by act of parlement through malice of such as might séeme to seeke their destruction for priuat grudges but in the end also they were arreigned as first the said Edmund Dudleie in the Guildhall of London the seuentéenth of Iulie and sir Richard Empson at Northampton in October next insuing and being there condemned was from thence brought backe againe to the Tower of London where he remained till the time of his execution as after yée shall heare This yeare the plague was great and reigned in diuerse parts of this realme The king kept his Christmas at Richmond The twelfe of Ianuarie diuerse gentlemen prepared to iust and the king and one of his priuie chamber called William Compton secretlie armed themselues in the little parke of Richmond so came into the iustes vnknowne to all persons The king neuer ran openlie before and did exceeding well Maister Compton chanced line 10 to be sore hurt by Edward Neuill esquier brother to the lord of Aburgauennie so that he was like to haue died One person there was that knew the king and cried God saue the king and with that all the people were astonied and then the king discouered himselfe to the great comfort of the people The king soone after came to Westminster and there kept his Shrouetide with great bankettings dansings and other iollie pastimes And on a time the king in person accompanied line 20 with the earles of Essex Wilshire and other noble men to the number of twelue came suddenlie in a morning into the queenes chamber all apparelled in short coates of Kentish Kendall with hoodes on their heads hosen of the same euerie one of them his bow and arrowes and a sword and a buckler like outlawes or Robin Hoods men Whereat the queene the ladies and all other there were abashed as well for the strange sight as also for their sudden comming and after certeine danses and pastime made they departed On Shrouesundaie the same line 30 yeare the king prepared a goodlie banket in the parlement chamber at Westminster for all the ambassadors which then were here out of diuerse realmes and countries The banket being readie the king leading the quéene entered into the chamber then the ladies ambassadours and other noble men followed in order The king caused the queene to keepe the estate and then sate the ambassadours and ladies as they were marshalled by the K. who would not sit but walked line 40 from place to place making cheare to the quéene and the strangers suddenlie the king was gone And shorlie after his grace with the earle of Essex came in apparelled after the Turkie fashion in long robes of baudekin powdered with gold hats on their heds of crimsin veluet with great rolles of gold girded with two swords called cimiteries hanging by great bauderiks of gold Then next came the lord Henrie earle of
schoolmaister for his yearelie wages six pounds thirtéene shillings foure pence and to euerie one of the said almes folke seuen pence a weeke and fiue pounds to be bestowed yearelie amongst them in coles And ordeined that the said almes priest should on sundaies and festiuall daies be helping and assistant to the vicar or curat line 40 there in celebration of diuine seruice on the wéeke daies fréelie to applie and teach yoong children of the said parish to the number of thirtie in a schoolehouse by him there builded for that purpose Moreouer hée gaue to the parish clearke there for the time being a yearlie stipend of twentie six shillings eight pence for euer and a chamber by the said almes house to the intent he should helpe the said schoolemaister to teach the said children And hath giuen faire lands and tenements in the citie of London for the perpetuall line 50 maintenance of the premisses to Gods glorie for euer He also for the great commoditie of trauellers on foot made a continuall causie of timber ouer the marshes from Walthamstow to Locke bridge towards London In the moneth of Maie the king and the new duke of Suffolke were defenders at the tilt against all commers The king was in a scopelarie mantle an hat of cloth of siluer and like a white hermit and the duke apparelled like a blacke hermit all of blacke line 60 veluet both their berds were of damaske siluer and when they had ridden about the tilt shewed themselues to the quéene then they threw off their apparell and sent it to the ladies for a larges Then was the king in blacke and the duke in white with blacke staues on the staues was written with white letters Who can hold that will away this posie was iudged to be made for the duke of Suffolke and the duchesse of Sauoie At these iustes were the duke of Longuile the lord Cleremont and there the king duke did so valiantlie that they obteined the prise At these iustes were broken an hundred and fourteene speares in a short space The king at this season sent againe into Flanders for the performance of the mariage of the yoong prince of Castile and the faire ladie Marie his sister and shewed how he had prepared all things necessarie and conuenient for such an high estate The councell of Flanders answered that they would not receiue hir that yeare with manie subtill arguments by reason wherof the perfect loue betwene England and the low countries was much slaked On the nineteenth daie of Maie was receiued into London a cap of maintenance a sword sent from pope Iulie with a great companie of nobles and gentlemen which was presented to the king on the sundaie then next insuing with great solemnitie in the cathedrall church of saint Paule Touching this pope saith Guicciardine disappointed of so manie hopes we may laie him in comparison with that which is written by the poets of Anteus that being tamed by the forces of Hercules as often as he was throwne to the ground so often did appeare in him a greater strength and courage such wéening had the pope amidst his aduersities for when he seemed most abased and oppressed it was then that he did most lift vp him selfe with a spirit more constant and resolute promising better of his fortune than euer After he had plaied all his troublesome pageants and had got by sundrie aspiring practises I wot not what péerelesse primasie he fell sicke And happilie he was then more full of high conceipts and trauelling thoughts than at anie time before for notwithstanding he had brought his fortune to be equall with his desires obteined the thing he aspired vnto yet his deuises and plots did nothing diminish but grew increasing by the same meane which should haue satisfied them He had determined in the beginning of the spring and first opening of the yeare to send to the enterprise of Ferrara which he so much desired and his opinion was that that state was able to make no resistance both for that it was naked of all succours and bicause the Spanish armie was to ioine with his companies he had secretlie bought of Cesar for the price of thirtie thousand duckets the citie of Sienna for the behoofe of the duke of Urbin to whome except Pesera he would neuer giue anie thing of the estate ecclesiastike to the end to reserue to himselfe the whole glorie to haue simplie and onelie studied for the exaltation of the church He agreed to lend to Cesar fortie thousand duckats receiuing Modona in gage He threatned them of Lucquoie who in the heat of the affaires of the duke of Ferrara were become lords of Garsagnana making instance that they would deliuer it to him He was out of conceit with the cardinall of Medicis for that he thought him to cleaue more to the king catholike than to him And bicause he knew he was not able to dispose of the citie of Florence as he thought he studied alredie new plots and new practises to alter that estate He was ill contented with the cardinall of Sion from whome he tooke the name of legat and inioined him to come to Rome for that in the duchie of Millan he had appropriat to himselfe a yearelie rent of more than thirtie thousand duckats of the estates and goods of diuerse persons The better to assure the duke of Urbin of Sienna by intelligences of his neighbours he had of new taken into his paie Charles Baillon to chase out of Perousa Iohn Paule who by affinitie was verie neere ioined to the sonnes of Pandolffe Petruccio successours to the greatnesse of their father He would of new create duke of Genes Octauian Fregosa deposing Ianus from that dignitie an action wherevnto did consent the others of the house of Fregosa bicause for the degrée that his ancestors held in that state it séemed best to apperteine vnto him He studied continuallie either how he might worke out of Italie the Spanish armie or cut it in péeces by the aid of the Swizzers whome aboue all others he exalted and imbraced In this deuise hée had this intention that the kingdome of Naples being occupied by him Italie should remaine frée from strangers a speach that often passed out of his mouth and to that end hée had hindered that the Swizzers did not confederate with the king catholike And yet as though it had beene in his power to line 10 batter all the world at one time he continued his accustomed rigour against the French king And notwithstanding he had hard a message from the queene yet he stirred vp to make warre the king of England to whome he had transferred by publke decree of the councell of Lateran the name of Christianissimo whereof there was alreadie a bull written and in it likewise was conteined the priuation of the dignitie name of the king of France giuing his kingdome to who could occupie it
On fridaie the thirteenth daie of Iulie the emperour did intend to haue departed from Calis but the counsell was such that he departed not that night On saturdaie the fouretéenth of Iulie the emperour tooke his leaue of the queene of England his aunt and departed toward Graueling being conducted on his waie by the king of England to a village towards Flanders called Waell and there line 30 they imbraced and tooke their leaue either of other in most louing maner They did not altogither spend the time thus while they were togither in vaine pleasures and sporting reuels for the charters before time concluded were read ouer and all the articles of the league tripartite agréed betwixt the emperour the king of England and the French king were at full declared to the which the French king had fullie condescended And for the more proofe thereof and exemplification of the same he sent monsieur de Roch line 40 with letters of credence to signifie to the emperour that in the word of a prince he would obserue fulfill performe and kéepe all the same articles for him his realme and subiects Shortlie after that the emperour and the king had taken leaue each of other and were departed the king shipped and with the quéene and all other the nobilitie returned safelie into England The king kept his Christmas at Greenwith this yeare with much noblenesse and open court And the tenth daie of Februarie in his owne person iusted line 50 with all commers On Twelfe daie his grace and the earle of Deuonshire with foure aids answered at the tourneie all commers which were sixtéene persons noble and rich was their apparell but in feats of armes the king excelled the rest About this time the king hauing regard to the common welth of his realme year 1521 considered how for the space of fiftie yeares past and more the nobles and gentlemen of England being giuen to grasiâ—â— of cattell and kéeping line 60 of shéepe had inuented a meane how to increase their yearelie reuenues to the great decaie and vndooing of husbandmen of the land For the said nobles and gentlemen after the maner of the Numidians more studieng how to increase their pastures than to mainteine tillage began to decaie husband tacks tenements and to conuert arable ground into pasture furnishing the same with beasts and shéepe and also deere so inclosing the field with hedges ditches and pales which they held in their owne hands ingrossing woolles and selling the same and also shéepe and beasts at their owne prices and as might stand most with their owne priuate commoditie Hereof a thréefold euill chanced to the common wealth as Polydor noteth One for that thereby the number of husbandmen was sore diminished the which the prince vseth chieflie in his seruice for the warres an other for that manie townes and villages were left desolate and became ruinous the third for that both wooll and cloth made thereof and the flesh of all maner beasts vsed to be eaten was sold at far higher prices than was accustomed These enormities at the first begining being not redressed grew in short space to such force and vigour by euill custome that afterwards they gathered to such an vnited force that hardly they could be remedied Much like a disease which in the beginning with litle paine to the patient and lesse labour to the surgeon maie be cured whereas the same by delaie and negligence being suffered to putrifie becommeth a desperate sore and then are medicines nothing auailable and not to be applied according to his opinion that said Helleborum frustra cùm iam cutis aegratumescit Poscentes videas venienti occurrite morbo The king therefore causing such good statutes as had beene deuised and established for reformation in this behalfe to be reuiued and called vpon tooke order by directing foorth his commissions vnto the iustices of peace and other such magistrats that presentment should be had and made of all such inclosures and decaie of husbandrie as had chanced within the space of fiftie yeares before that present time The iustices and other magistrates according to their commission executed the same And so commandement was giuen that the decaied houses should bée built vp againe that the husbandmen should be placed eftsoones in the same and that inclosed grounds should be laid open and sore punishment appointed against them that disobeied These so good and wholesome ordinances shortlie after were defeated by meanes of bribes giuen vnto the cardinall for when the nobles and gentlemen which had for their pleasures imparked the common fields were loth to haue the same againe disparked they redéemed their vexation with good sommes of monie and so had licence to keepe their parks and grounds inclosed as before Thus the great expectation which men had conceiued of a generall redresse prooued void howbeit some profit the husbandmen in some parts of the realme got by the moouing of this matter where inclosures were alreadie laid open yer mistresse monie could preuent them and so they inioied their commons which before had beene taken from them After that this matter for inclosures was thus dispatched the cardinall boiling in hatred against the duke of Buckingham thirsting for his bloud deuised to make Charles Kneuet that had beene the dukes surueior and put from him as ye haue heard an instrument to bring the duke to destruction This Kneuet being had in examination before the cardinall disclosed all the dukes life And first he vttered that the duke was accustomed by waie of talke to saie how he meant so to vse the matter that he would atteine to the crowne if king Henrie chanced to die without issue that he had talke and conference of that matter on a time with George Neuill lord of Aburgauennie vnto whome he had giuen his daughter in marriage and also that he threatned to punish the cardinall for his manifold misdooings being without cause his mortall enimie The cardinall hauing gotten that which he sought for incouraged comforted and procured Kneuet with manie comfortable words and great promises that he should with a bold spirit and countenance obiect and laie these things to the dukes charge with more if he knew it when time required Then Kneuet partlie prouoked with desire to be reuenged and partlie mooued with hope of reward openlie confessed that the duke had once fullie determined to deuise meanes how to make the king away being brought into a full hope that he should be king by a vaine prophesie which one Nicholas Hopkins a monke of an house of the Chartreux order beside Bristow called Henton sometime his confessor had opened vnto him The cardinall hauing thus taken the examination line 10 on of Kneuet went vnto the king and declared vnto him that his person was in danger by such traitorous purpose as the duke of Buckingham had conceiued in his heart and shewed how that now there is manifest
vpon the table nothing but gilt plate and vpon a cupbord and in a window was set no plate but gold verie rich and in the councell chamber was all white and parcell gilt plate and vnder the table in baskets was all old broken siluer plate and bookes set by them purporting euerie kind of plate and euerie parcell with the contents of the ounces thereof Thus were all things prepared giuing charge of all the said stuffe with all other remaining in euerie office to be deliuered to the king to make answer to their charge for the order was such that euerie officer was charged with the receipt of the stuffe belonging to his office by indenture To sir William Gascoigne being his treasuror he gaue the charge of the deliuerie of the said goods and therwithall with his traine of gentlemen and yeomen he tooke his barge at the priuie staires and so went by water vnto Putneie where when he was arriued he tooke his mule euerie man tooke their horsses and rode streight to Asher where he and his familie continued the space of three or foure weekes without either beds shéets table cloths or dishes to eat their meat in or wherwith to buie anie the cardinall was forced to â—orow of the bishop of Carleill plate and dishes c. After this in the kings bench his matter for the premunire being called vpon two atturneis which he had authorised by his warrant signed with his owne hand confessed the action and so had iudgement to forfeit all his lands tenements goods and cattels and to be out of the kings protection but the king of his clemencie sent to him a sufficient protection and left to him the bishoprikes of Yorke and Winchester with plate and stuffe conuenient for his degrée The bishoprike of Duresme was giuen to doctor Tunstall bishop of London and the abbeie of saint Albons to the prior of Norwich Also the bishoprike of London being now void was bestowed on doctor Stokesleie then ambassadour to the vniuersities beyond the sea for the kings mariage The ladie Margaret duches of Sauoy aunt to the emperour and the ladie Lâ—is duchesse of Angolesme mother to the French king met at Cambreie in the beginning of the moneth of Iune to treat of a peace where were present doctor Tunstall bishop of London and sir Thomas Moore then chancellor of the duchie of Lancaster commissioners for the king of England At length through diligence of the said ladies a peace was concluded betwixt the emperour the pope and the kings of England and France All these met there in the beginning of Iulie accompanied with diuerse great princes and councellors on euerie part And after long debating on both sides there was a good conclusion taken the fift daie of August In the which was concluded that the treatie of Madrill should stand in his full strength and vertue sauing the third and fourth and the eleuenth and fourtéenth articles which touch the duchie of Burgognie and other lordships 1 Item it was agréed that the French king should haue his children againe paieng to the emperour two millians of crownes of gold whereof hée should paie at the deliuering of the children twelue hundred thousand crownes 2 Item that the French king should acquit the emperour against the king of England of fourescore and ten thousand crowns which the emperour owght line 10 to the king of England and the king of England to deliuer all such bonds and gages as he had of the emperours 3 Item as touching the remnant which was fiue hundred and ten thousand crownes the emperour should haue fiue and twentie thousand crownes rent yearelie for which he should haue the lands of the duchesse of Uandosme lieng in Flanders and Brabant bound 4 Item that Flanders and diuerse other countries line 20 should not behold in chiefe nor haue resort to the crowne of France 5 Item that the realme of Naples the duchie of Millan and the countie of Ast should for euer remaine to the emperour 6 Item that the French king should withdraw all such souldiors as he had out of Italie 7 Item that the ladie Eleanor should be brought into France with the French kings children and in time conuenient should be maried to the French line 30 king 8 Item that the French king should aid the emperour with twelue gallies to go into Italie 9 Item that all prisoners on both parties should be acquited 10 Item that the French king should not aid Robert de la March against the bishop of Luke 11 Item that all the goods mooueable and vnmoouable of Charles duke of Burbon should be restored to his heires they paieng to lord Henrie marquesse of Dapenete and earle of Nassaw lord chamberleine line 40 to the emperour ten thousand ducats which he lent to the said duke of Burbon 12 Item that Iohn earle of Panthieure should be remitted to all such goods as were earle Rene his fathers 13 Item the lord Laurence de Gorowood great master to the emperor should be restored to the lordships of Chalmont Monteualle which he bought of the duke of Burbon or to haue his monie againe 14 Item Philip de Chalon prince of Orenge and line 50 viceroy of Naples to be restored to all his lands in Burgognie 15 Item that the duches of Uandosme and Lois earle of Nauers should haue all such right and actions as they should haue had before the warre began In the emperours countries when all things were written sealed and finished there was a solemne masse soong in the cathedrall church of Cambreie the two ladies ambassadors of the king of England sitting in great estate and after masse the peace was line 60 proclamed betwéene the thrée princes and Te Deum soong and monie cast to the people and great fires made through the citie The same night the French king came into Cambreie well and noblie accompanied and saluted the ladies and to them made diuerse bankets and then all persons departed into their countrie glad of this concord This peace was called the womens peace for bicause that notwithstanding this conclusion yet neither the emperour trusted the French king nor he neither trusted nor loued him and their subiects were in the same case This proclamation was proclamed solemnelie by heralds with trumpets in the citie of London which proclamation much reioised the English merchants repairing into Flanders Brabant Zeland and other the emperors dominions For during the wars merchants were euill handled on both parties which caused them to be desirous of peace On the foure twentith of Nouember was sir Thomas Moore made lord chancellor the next day led to the Chancerie by the dukes of Norffolke and Suffolke and there sworne At the daie appointed the parlement began on which daie the king came by water to his place of Bridewell and there he and his nobles put on their robes of parlement and so came to
and was princelie rewarded at that present was the marriage concluded betwixt the king and the ladie Anne sister vnto duke William of Cleue great preparation was made for the receiuing of hir ¶ The twelfe of October the nunnerie of Haliwell foorthwith the priorie of S. Marie oueries in Southworke and S. Bartholomews in Smithfield were suppressed all their lands goods taken to the kings vse Thomas Huntlow of London for this yeare shiriffe gaue the habardashers certeine tenements for the which they be bound to giue to ten poore almes people of the same companie euerie one of them eight pence euerie fridaie for euer and also at euerie quarter dinner kept by the masters to be line 10 giuen to euerie one of those ten poore people a penie loafe a pottell of ale a péece of beefe worth foure pence in a platter with porage and foure pence in monie The fouretéenth of Nouember Hugh Feringdon abbat of Reding and two priests the one called Rug and the other Onion attainted of high treason for denieng the supremacie of the king ouer the church of England were drawne hanged and quartered at Reding The same daie was Richard Whiting line 20 abbat of Glastenburie likewise hanged and quartered on Towre hill beside his monasterie for the same matter and other treasons whereof he had beene conuicted The first of December was Iohn Bech abbat of Colchester put to death for the like offense In December were appointed to wait on the kings person fiftie gentlemen called pensioners or speares vnto whome was assigned the sum of fiftie pounds yeerelie a péece for the maintenance line 30 of themselues and two horsses or one horsse and a gelding of seruice The eleuenth daie of December at the turne pike on this side Graueling was the ladie Anne of Cleue receiued by the lord deputie of the towne of Calis and with the speares and horssemen belonging to the retinue there When she came within little more than a mile of the towne of Calis she was met by the erle of Southampton high admerall of England who had in his companie thirtie gentlemen of the kings houshold as sir Francis Brian sir Thomas line 40 Seimer and others beside a great number of gentlemen of his owne retinue clad in blue veluet and crimsin satin and his yeomen in damaske of the same colours The mariners of his ship were apparelled in satin of Bridges cotes slops of the same colour The lord admerall brought hir into Calis by Lanterne gate There was such a peale of ordinance shot off at hir entrie as was maruellous to the hearers The maior presented hir with an hundred markes in gold the merchants of the staple line 50 with an hundred souereignes of gold in a rich purse She was lodged in the kings place called the Checker and there she laie fiftéene daies for want of prosperous wind During which time goodlie iusts and costlie bankets were made to hir for hir solace and recreation And on S. Iohns daie in Christmasse she with fiftie saile tooke passage about noone and landed at Dele in the Downes about fiue of the clocke where sir Thomas Chenie lord Warden of the ports receiued hir line 60 She taried there a certeine space in a castell newlie built and thither came the duke of Suffolke and the dutches of Suffolke and the bishop of Chichester with a great number of knights and esquiers and ladies of Kent and other which welcomed hir grace and brought hir that night vnto Douer castell where she rested till mondaie on which daie notwithstanding it was verie foule and stormie weather she passed towards Canturburie and on Baram downe met hir the archbishop of Canturburie with the bishops of Elie S. Asse S. Dauies and Douer and so brought hir to S. Augustins without Canturburie where she laie that night The next daie she came to Sittingburne and laie there that night As she passed towards Rochester on Newyeares euen on Reinam downe met hir the duke of Norffolke and the lord Dacres of the south and the lord Montioie with a great companie of knights and esquiers of Norffolke and Suffolke with the barons of the escheker which brought hir to Rochester where the laie in the palace all Newyeares daie On which daie the king longing to sée hir accompanied with no more but eight persons of his priuie chamber year 1540 both he and they all apparelled in marble cotes priuilie comming to Rochester suddenlie came to hir presence wherof at the first she was somewhat astonied but after he had spoken to hir and welcomed hir she with louing countenance and gratious behauiour him receiued and welcomed him on hir knées whom he gentlie tooke vp and kissed and all that after noone communed and deuised with hir supped that night with hir and the next daie he departed to Gréenewich and she came forward to Dartford On the morrow the third daie of Ianuarie being saturdaie in a faire plaine of Blackeheath more neere to the foot of Shooters hill than the ascendent of the same called Blackheath hill was pitched a pauilion of rich cloth of gold and diuerse other tents and pauilions in which were made fiers and perfumes for hir and such ladies as were appointed to receiue hir and from the tents to the parke gate of Greenewich all the bushes and fixs were cut downe and a large open waie made for the shew of all persons And first next to the parke pale on the east side stood the merchants of the stilliard and on the west side stood the merchants of Genoa Florence and Uenice and the Spaniards in cotes of veluet Then on both sides the waie stood the merchants of the citie of London and the aldermen with the councellors of the said citie to the number of a hundred and thréescore which were mingled with the esquiers then the fiftie gentlemen pensioners and all these were apparelled in veluet and chaines of gold trulie accounted to the number of twelue hundred aboue beside them that came with the king and hir which were six hundred in veluet cotes and chaines of gold Behind the gentlemen stood the seruingmen in good order well horssed and apparelled that who so euer had well viewed them might haue said that they for tall and comelie personages and cleane of lim and bodie were able to giue the greatest prince in christendome a mortall breakefast if he had béene the kings enimie About twelue of the clocke hir grace with all the companie which were of hir owne nation to the number of an hundred horsse accompanied with the dukes of Norffolke and Suffolke the archbishop of Canturburie and other bishops lords and knights which had receiued and conueied hir came downe Shooters hill towards the tents and a good space from the tents met hir the earle of Rutland appointed lord chamberlaine to hir grace sir Thomas Denise hir chancellor and all hir councellors and officers amongst whome doctor
end of the collegiat chapell to the making whereof he defaced as it is said without licence a peece of the line 10 kings lodging on the east end of the chapell The deane hath a faire lodging of timber within the castell and to it is ioined a place for the ministers of the chapell Thus much Leland for Wallingford thus much I for Edmund earle of Cornewall and lord of Wallingford Edward of Carnaruan prince of Wales sonne to Edward the first was in the yeare of our redemption 1295 being the fiue and twentith yeare of Edward the first protector of England in the absence of his father in Flanders who because he was line 20 of tender yeares had as tutors and gouernours appointed vnto him Richard bishop of Durham Eulogium hath the bishop of London William Montacute with diuerse other knights as Reignold Greie Iohn Giffard Alane Plunket being wise discreet and expert soldiers Piers or Peter de Gauestone a Gascoine borne whome king Edward the second so tenderlie loued as that he preferred him before all men was appointed gardian of the realme in the first yeare of the line 30 said king Edward the second being the yeare of our redemption 1308 when the king went into France and there aboad to marrie Isabell daughter to Philip king of France before that the said Edward was crowned king of England as hath Radulphus Higden Of this Piers I will here saie litle bicause I haue spoken more largelie of him in my pantographie of England Iohn de Drokensford bishop of Bath and Wels was in the yeare of our redemption 1313 being the line 40 sixt yeare of king Edward the second made protector of the realme in the absence of the said king Edward the second and his wife quéene Isabell who went into France to solemnize the coronation of Philip sonne to Philip king of France who was at that instant created king of Nauarre This Drokensford was the fourtéenth bishop of Bath Wels. Great contention was there betwéene him and the deane and priests of that church He succéeded in the bishoprike Walter Houelshaw This Drokensford line 50 held the bishoprike about ninetéene yeares he beautified the same with manie goodlie buildings procured manie priuileges vnto it and greatlie exalted his kindred He was buried at Welles before the high altar of saint Iohn Baptist. Henrie Lascie or Lacie earle of Lincolne and of Salisburie baron of Halton and of Pontfrait corruptlie called Pomefret and constable of Chester was made protector of the realme in the fift yeare of Edward the second being the yeare of our redemption line 60 1310 whilest the king remained in the warres of Scotland Which Henrie died shortlie after in the same yeare and was buried in the new worke of Paules who carried for his armes the purple lion cōtrarie to the cote his ancestors had borne before This man had doone great seruice in the warres in the time of Edward the first he married Margaret the daughter and heire of William Longespée earle of Salisburie and had by hir a daughter named Alice married to Thomas Plantagenet earle of Lancaster Leicester and Darbie This Henrie as I haue learned of other and read in Leland had issue a bastard sonne and hauing amongst manie other lordships the manour of Grantcester besides Cambridge he gaue the same with other lands vnto that bastard and commanded that the same Lacie so set vp in Grantcester should for himselfe and his successors euer name their sonnes and heires by the names of Henrie which hitherto hath béene religiouslie obserued amongst them And this was the originall of the houses of the Lacies in Grantcester as Leland learned of him which was then heire of those lands Gilbert de Clare the third earle of Glocester of that name after the death of Henrie Lacie was chosen gouernour of the realme the king being still in Scotland during the time that the king shuld make his abode in that countrie Of this man see before in the discourse of his father Gilbert the second earle of Glocester and Hertford and protector of the realme Edward prince of Wales and duke of Aquitane comming out of France with Isabell in the second yeare of Edward the second his father was after his landing in England and the taking of his father made gardian of England vnder his father which office he did not long continue for deposing his father from the kingdome in the yeare of Christ 1326 he assumed the crowne himselfe in his fathers life Walter Reinolds archbishop of Canturburie was with others appointed gardian of England on this sort Edward the third as before atteining to the crowne in the yeare of our redemption 1327 or as some others more trulie saie 1326 being fourteene years of age did then begin his reigne But bicause he was so yoong not being of power or policie to weld so great a charge it was decréed in this first yeare of his reigne that twelue gouernors of the greatest lords within the realme should possesse the gouernement vntill he came to riper yeares whose names were as insueth Walter archbishop of Canturburie the archbishop of Yorke the bishop of Winchester the bishop of Hereford Henrie earle of Lancaster Thomas Brotherton earle marshall Edmund of Woodstocke earle of Kent Iohn earle of Warren the lord Thomas Wake the lord Henrie Persie the lord Oliuer de Ingham and the lord Iohn Rosse who were sworne of the kings councell and charged with the gouernement of the kingdome as they would answere for the same But this ordinance continued not long for in the second yeare of this king Isabell the kings mother and the lord Roger Mortimer tooke the whole rule into their hands in such sort that the king and his councellors were in all affaires of state and otherwise onelie gouerned by their direction Of this Walter Reinolds the archbishop bicause he was sometime chancellor and sometime treasuror is more mention made in the large volume of the liues of the chancellors Iohn of Eltham earle of Cornewall sonne to Edward the second had in the fourth yeare of king Edward the third being the yeare of our redemption 1330 the gouernement of the realme committed vnto him whilest king Edward the third had passed the seas onelie fiftéene horsses in his companie apparelled in clokes like vnto merchants which office the said Iohn of Eltham executed vntill the returne of the said king and before that also when the said Edward the third in the second yeare of his reigne did before this time go into France to doo his homage He was made earle of Cornewall in the second yeare of king Edward the third being the yeare of Christ 1328 and died at Barwike others saie at S. Iohns towne in Scotland in the moneth of October 1336 being the tenth yeare of Edward the third and was honorablie buried at Westminster for the solemnization of whose buriall the king came out of Scotland
poore The poore by impotencie Poore by casualtie Thriftlesse poore 1 The poore by impotencie are also diuided into three kinds that is to saie 1 The fatherlesse poore mans line 60 child 2 The aged blind and lame 3 The diseased person by leprosie dropsie c. 2 The poore by casualtie are of thrée kinds that is to saie 4 The wounded souldier 5 The decaied housholder 6 The visited with gréeuous disease 3 The thriftles poore are three kinds in like wise that is to saie 7 The riotor that consumeth all 8 The vagabond that will abide in no place 9 The idle person as the strumpet and others For these sorts of poore were prouided thrée seuerall houses First for the innocent and fatherlesse which is the beggers child and is in déed the séed and breeder of beggerie they prouided the house that was late Graie friers in London and now is called Christes hospitall where the poore children are trained in the knowledge of God and some vertuous eâ—ercise to the ouerthrowe of beggerie For the second degrée is prouided the hospitall of saint Thomas in Southworke saint Bartholomew in west Smithfield where are continuallie at least two hundred diseased persons which are not onelie there lodged and cured but also fed and nourished For the third degrée they prouided Bridewell where the vagabond and idle strumpet is chastised and compelled to labour to the ouerthrow of the vicious life of idlenes They prouided also for the honest decaied housholder that he should be relieued at home at his house and in the parish where he dwelled by a wéekelie reliefe and pension And in like manner they prouided for the lazer to kéepe him out of the citie from clapping of dishes and ringing of bels to the great trouble of the citizens and also to the dangerous infection of manie that they should be relieued at home at their houses with seuerall pensions Now after this good order taken and the citizens by such meanes as were deuised willing to further the same the report therof was made vnto the kings maiestie and his grace for the aduancement hereof was not onelie willing to grant such as should be the ouerséers and gouernors of the said houses a corporation and authoritie for the gouernement thereof but also required that he might be accounted as the chiefe founder and patrone thereof And for the furtherance of the said worke and continuall maintenance of the same he of his méere mercie and goodnesse granted that where before certeine lands were giuen to the maintenance of the house of the Sauoie founded by king Henrie the seuenth for the lodging of pilgrims and strangers and that the same was now made but a lodging of loiterers vagabonds and strumpets that laie all daie in the fields and at night were harboured there the which was rather the maintenance of beggerie than the reliefe of the poore gaue the same lands being first surrendred into his hands by the maister and fellowes there which lands were of the yearelie value of six hundred pounds vnto the citie of London for the maintenance of the foundation aforesaid And for a further reliefe a petition being made to the kings maiestie for a licence to take in mortmaine or otherwise without licence lands to a certeine yearelie â—alue and a space left in the patent for his grace to put in what summe it would please him he looking on the void place called for pen and inke and with his owne hand wrote this summe in these words foure thousand marks by yeare and then said in the hearing of his councell Lord God I yeeld thée most hartie thanks that thou hast giuen mée life thus long to finish this worke to the glorie of thy name After which foundation established he liued not aboue two daies whose life would haue béene wished equall to the patriarchs if it might haue pleased God so to haue protracted the same But he was too good a prince for so bad a people and therefore God remooued him and translated him to his owne kingdome foreséeing the euent of something which in his secret counsell he had purposed against a nation that knew not the benefit of the acceptable time of grace wherein God by this péerelesse princes means ment all good to this land as might be gathered by the reformation of religion wherin the kings care was exceeding great as his desire to establish Gods glorie was zealous according to that notable allusion of Iohn Leland recorded in praise of this most excellent prince as followeth in this epigram Quisquis Eaduerdum Romano expresserat ore Custodem fidei dixerit esse sacrae Hoc ego crediderim puero feliciter orto A superis nomen coelitùs esse datum Est pater antiquae fidei defensor amicus Degener nullo tempore natus erit But to returne where we left By example of the charitable act of this vertuous yoong king sir William Chester knight and alderman of London and line 10 Iohn Calthrop citizen and draper of the said citie at their owne proper costs and charges made the bricke walles and way on the backeside that leadeth from the said new hospitall vnto the hospitall of saint Bartholomewes and also couered and vauted the towne dich from Aldersgate to Newgate which before was verie noisome and contagious to the said hospitall This hospitall being thus erected and put in good order there was one Richard Castell alià s Casteller line 20 shoomaker dwelling in Westminster a man of great trauell and labor in his facultie with his owne hands and such a one as was named the cocke of Westminster for that both winter and summer he was at his worke before foure of the clocke in the morning This man thus trulie and painfullie labouring for his liuing God blessed and increased his labours so abundantlie that he purchased lands and tenements in Westminster to the yearelie value of fortie and foure pounds And hauing no child with the line 30 consent of his wife who suruiued him was a vertuous good woman gaue the same lands wholie to Christs hospitall aforesaid to the reliefe of the innocent and fatherlesse children and for the succor of the miserable sore and sicke harbored in the other hospitals about London whose example God grant manie to follow ¶ The third of August at Midlenton eleuen miles from Oxford a woman brought foorth a child which had two perfect bodies from the nauill vpward and line 40 were so ioined togither at the nauill that when they were laid in length the one head bodie was eastward and the other west the legs for both the bodies grew out at the midst where the bodies ioined and had but one issue for the excrements of both bodies they liued eightéene daies and were women children The eight of August were taken at Quinborow thrée great fishes called dolphins the weeke following at Blackewall were six more taken and line
of the crowne and the merchant meant it of a house in Cheapside at the signe of the crowne but your case is not so My case dooth differ I grant but speciallie bicause I haue not such a iudge yet there is an other cause to restreine these your strange and extraordinarie constructions that is to saie a prouiso in the latter end of the statute of Edward the third hauing these words Prouided alwaies if anie other case of supposed treason shall chance hereafter to come in question or triall before anie iustice other than is in the said statute expressed that then the iustice shall forbeare to adiudge the said case vntill it be shewed to the parlement to trie whether it should be treason or felonie Here you are restreined by expresse words to adiudge anie case that is not manifestlie mentioned before and vntill it be shewed to the parlement That prouiso is vnderstood of cases that maie come in triall which hath béene in vre but the law hath alwaies taken the procurer to be a principall offendor The law alwaies in cases of treason dooth account all principals and no accessaries as in other offenses and therefore a man offending in treason either by couert act or procurement wherevpon an open deed hath insued as in this case is adiudged by the law a principall traitor You adiudge me thinke procurement verie hardlie besides the principall and besides the good prouiso and besides the good example of your best and most godlie learned predecessors the iudges of the realme as I haue partlie declared and notwithstanding this grieuous racking extending of this word procurement I am not in the danger of it for it dooth appeare by no deposition that I procured neither one or other to attempt anie act The iurie haue to trie whether it be so or no let it weie as it will I know no meane so apparant to trie procurement as by words that meane is probable inough against you as well by your owne confession as by other mens depositions To talke of the quéenes marriage with the prince of Spaine and also the comming hither of the Spaniards is not to procure treson to be doone for then the whole parlement house I meane the common house did procure treason But sith you will make line 10 no difference betwixt words and acts I praie you remember a statute made in my late souereigne lord and masters time king Edward the sixt which apparantlie expressed the difference These be the words Whosoeuer dooth compasse or imagine to depose the king of his roiall estate by open preaching expresse words or saiengs shall for the first offense loose and forfet to the king all his and their goods and cattels and also shall suffer imprisonment of their bodies at the kings will and pleasure Whosoeuer c for the second line 20 offense shall loose forfet to the king the whole issues and profits of all his or their lands tenements and other hereditaments benefices prebends and other spirituall promotions Whosoeuer c for the third offense shall for tearme of life or liues of such offendor or offendors c and shall also forfet to the kings maiestie all his or their goods and cattels and suffer during his or their liues perpetuall imprisonment of his or their bodies But whosoeuer c by writing ciphering or act c shall for the first offense line 30 be adiudged a traitor and suffer the paines of death Here you maie perceiue how the whole realme and all your iudgements hath before this vnderstood words and acts diuerselie and apparantlie And therfore the iudgements of the parlement did assigne diuersitie of punishments bicause they would not confound the true vnderstanding of words deeds appointing for compassing and imagining by word imprisonment and for compassing and imagining by open déed paines of death line 40 It is agréed by the whole bench that the procurer and the adherent be déemed alwaies traitors when as a traitorous act was committed by anie one of the same conspiracie and there is apparant proofe of your adhering to Wiat both by your owne confession and other waies Adhering and procuring be not all one for the statute of Edward the third dooth speake of adhering but not of procuring yet adhering ought not to be further extended than to the quéenes enimies within line 50 hir realme for so the statute dooth limit the vnderstanding And Wiat was not the quéenes enimie for he was not so reputed when I talked with him last and our speech implied no enimie neither tended to anie treason or procuring of treason and therefore I praie you of the iurie note though I argue the law I alleage mine innocencie as the best part of my defense Your adhering to the quéenes enimies within the realme is euidentlie prooued for Wiat was the line 60 queenes enimie within the realme as the whole realme knoweth it and he hath confessed it both at his arreignement and at his death By your leaue neither Wiat at his arreignement nor at his death did confesse that he was the quéenes enimie when I talked last with him neither was he reputed nor taken in foureteene daies after vntill he assembled a force in armes what time I was at your house master Englefield where I learned the first intelligence of Wiats stirre And I aske you who dooth depose that there passed anie maner of aduertisement betwixt Wiat and me after he had discouered his dooings and shewed himselfe an enimie If I had béene so disposed who did let me that I did not repaire to Wiat or to send to him or to the duke of Suffolke either who was in mine owne countrie and thither I might haue gone and conueied my selfe with him vnsuspected for my departing homewards It is true that you were there at my house accompanied with others your brethren and to my knowledge ignorant of these matters Throckmorton you confessed you talked with Wiat and others against the comming of the Spaniards and of the taking of the tower of London wherevpon Wiat leuied a force of men against the Spaniards he said and so you saie all but in deed it was against the quéene which he confessed at length therefore Wiats acts doo prooue you counsellor and procurer howsoeuer you would auoid the matter My thinke you would conclude against me with a mishapen argument in logike and you will giue me leaue I will make an other The iudges sit not here to make disputations but to declare the law which hath béene sufficientlie doone if you would consider it You haue heard reason and the law if you will conceiue it Oh mercifull God oh eternall father which séest all things what maner of proceedings are these To what purpose serueth the statute of repeale the last parlement where I heard some of you here present and diuerse other of the queenes
learned councell grieuouslie inueie against the cruell bloudie lawes of king Henrie the eight and against some lawes made in my late souereigne lord and masters time king Edward the sixt Some termed them Dracos lawes which were written in bloud some said they were more intollerable than anie laws that Dionysius or anie other tyrant made In conclusion as manie men so manie bitter tearmes and names those lawes had And moreouer the preface of the same statute dooth recite that for words onelie manie great personages and others of good behauiour haue béene most cruellie cast awaie by these former sanguinolent thirstie lawes with manie other suggestions for the repeale of the same And now let vs put on indifferent eies and throughlie consider with our selues as you the iudges handle the constructions of the statute of Edward the third with your equitie and extentions whether we be not in much woorse case now than we were when those cruell laws yoked vs. These lawes albeit they were grieuous and captious yet they had the verie propertie of a law after saint Paules description For those lawes did admonish vs and discouer our sinnes plainelie vnto vs when a man is warned he is halfe armed These lawes as they be handled be verie baits to catch vs onlie prepared for the same and no laws for at the first sight they ascerteine vs we be deliuered from our old bondage and by the late repeale the last parlement we liue in more securitie But when it pleaseth the higher powers to call anie mans life and saiengs in question then there be constructions interpretations and extentions reserued to the iustices and iudges equitie that the partie triable as I am now shall find himselfe in much woorse case than before when those cruell lawes stood in force Thus our amendment is from Gods blessing into the warme sunne But I require you honest men which are to trie my life consider these opinions of my life iudges be rather agréeable to the time than to the truth for their iudgements be repugnant to their owne principle repugnant to their godlie and best learned predecessors opinions repugnant I saie to the prouiso in the statute of repeale made in the last parlement Master Throckmorton quiet your selfe and it shall be the better for you Master atturnie I am not so vnquiet as you be and yet our cases are not alike but bicause I am so tedious to you and haue long troubled this presence it maie please my lord chiefe iustice to repeat the euidence wherewith I am charged and my answers to all the obiections if there be no other matter to laie against me ¶ Then the chiefe iustice remembred particularlie all the depositions and euidences giuen against the line 10 prisoner and either for want of good memorie or good will the prisoners answers were in part not recited wherevpon the prisoner craued indifferencie and did helpe the iudges old memorie with his owne recitall My masters of the iurie you haue to inquire whether sir Nicholas Throckmorton knight here prisoner at the barre be giltie of these treasons or anie of them whereof he hath beene indicted and this daie arreigned yea or no. And if you find him giltie you line 20 shall inquire what lands tenements goods and cattels he had at the daie of his treasons committed or at anie time since and whether he fled for the treasons or no if you find him not giltie Haue you said what is to be said Yea for this time Then I praie you giue me leaue to speake a few words to the iurie The weight and grauitie of my cause hath greatlie occasioned me to trouble you here long and therfore I mind not to interteine you here long with anie prolix oration you perceiue notwithstanding line 30 this daie great contention betwixt the iudges and the quéenes learned councell on the one partie and me the poore and wofull prisoner on the other partie The triall of our whole controuersie the triall of my innocencie the triall of my life lands and goods and the destruction of my posteritie for euer dooth rest in your good iudgements And albeit manie this daie haue greatlie inueied against me the finall determination thereof is transferred onelie to you How grieuous horrible the shedding of line 40 innocents bloud is in the sight of almightie God I trust you doo remember Therefore take héed I saie for Christs sake doo not defile your consciences with such heinous notable crimes They be grieuouslie and terriblie punished as in this world and vale of miserie vpon the childrens children to the third and fourth generation and in the world to come with euerlasting fire and damnation Lift vp your minds to God and care not too much for the world looke not line 50 backe to the fleshpots of Aegypt which will allure you from heauenlie respects to worldlie securitie and can thereof neither make you anie suertie Beléeue I praie you the queene and hir magistrats be more delighted with fauourable equitie than with rash crueltie And in that you be all citizens I will take my leaue of you with S. Paules farewell to the Ephesians citizens also you be whom he tooke to record that he was pure from sheding anie bloud a speciall token doctrine left for your instruction line 60 that euerie of you maie wash his hands of innocents bâ—oud shed when you shall take your leaue of this wretched world The holie ghost be amongest you Come hither sergeant take the iurie with you and suffer no man to come at them but to be ordered as the law appointeth vntill they be agreed vpon their verdict It may please you my lords and maisters which be commissioners to giue order that no person haue accesse or conference with the iurie neither that any of the quéenes learned councell be suffered to repaire to them or to talke with anie of them vntill they present themselues here in open court to publish their verdict ¶ Upon the prisoners sute on this behalfe the bench gaue order that two seargeants were sworne to suffer no man to repaire to the iurie vntill they were agreed according vnto order Wherevpon then the prisoner was by commandement of the bench withdrawne from the barre and the court adiourned vntill thrée of the clocke at afternoone at which houre the coÌ„missioners returned to the Guild-hall and there did tarie vntill the iurie were agréed vpon the verdict And about fiue of the clocke their agréement being aduertised to the commissioners the said prisoner sir Nicholas Throckmorton was aâ—â—ine brought to the barre where also the iurie did 〈◊〉 and being demanded whether they were agréed vpon their verdict answered vniuersallie with one voice Yea. Then it was asked who should speake for them they answered Whetston the foreman Nicholas Throckmorton knight hold vp thy hand Then the prisoner did so vpon the summons You that be of the iurie looke vpon
This doctor Storie saith he being an Englishman by birth and from his infancie not onelie nuzled in papistrie but also euen as it were by nature earnestlie affected to the same growing somewhat to riper yeares in the daies of quéene Marie became a most line 50 bloudie tyrant and cruell persecutor of Christ in his members as all the stories of martyrs almost doo declare Thus he raging all the reigne of the foresaid quéene Marie against the infallible truth of Christs gospell and the true professors thereof neuer ceased till he had consumed to ashâ—â— two or thrée hundred blessed martyrs who willinglie gaue their liues for the testimonie of his truth And thinking their punishment in fire not cruell inough he went 〈…〉 line 60 〈…〉 raging against Gods saints with fire and sword Insomuch as he growing to be familiar and right deere to duke Dalua in Antwerpe receiued a speciall commission from him to search all the ships for goods forfeited and for English bookes and such like And in this fauour and authoritie he continued there for a space by the which meanes he did much hurt and brought manie a good man and woman to trouble and extreme perill of life through his bloudthirstie crueltie But at the last the Lord when the measure of his iniquitie was full procéeded in iudgement against him and cut him off from the face of the earth according to the praiers of manie a good man which came to passe in order as followeth It being certeinlie knowne for the brute thereof was gone foorth into all lands that he not onelie intended the subuersion and ouerthrow of his natiue countrie of England by bringing in forren hostilitie if by anie means he might compasse it but also â—ailie and hourelie murthered Gods people there was this platforme laid by Gods prouidence no doubt that one maister Parker a merchant should saile vnto Antwerpe and by some means to conueie Storie into England This Parker arriuing at Antwerpe suborned certeine to repaire to doctor Storie and to signifie vnto him that there was an English ship come sâ—aught with merchandize and that if he would make search thereof himselfe hée should find store of English bookes and other things for his purpose Storie hearing â—his and suspecting nothing made hast towards the ship thinking to make the same his preie and comming aboord searched for English hereticall books as he called them going downe vnder the hatches bicause he would be sure to haue their bloud if he could they clapped downe the hatches hoised vp their sailes hauing as God would a good gale and sailed awaie into England where they arriuing presented this bloudie butcher and traitorous rebell Storie to the no little reioising of manie an English heart He being now committed to prison continued there a good spaceâ— during all which time he was laboured and solicited dailie by wise and learned fathers to recant his diuelish erronious opinions to confirme himselfe to the truth and to acknowledge the quéenes maiesties supremasie All which he vtterlie denied to the death saieng that he was sworne subiect to the king of Spaine and was no subiect to the quéene of England nor shée his souereigne queene And therefore as he well deserued he was condemned as a traitor to God the quéenes maiestie and the realme to be drawne hanged and quartered which was performed accordinglie he being laid vpon an hurdle and drawne from the tower along the streets to Tiburne where he being hanged till he was halfe dead was cut downe and stripped And which is not to be forgot when the executioner had cut off his priuie members he rushing vp vpon a sudden gaue him a blow vpon the eare to the great woonder of all that stood by And thus ended this bloudie Nemrod his wretched life whose iudgement I leaue to the Lord. The eighteenth of Iune in Trinitie terme there was a combat appointed to haue beene fought for a certeine manour demaine lands belonging therevnto in the I le of Hartie adioining to the I le of 〈◊〉 in Kent Simon Lâ—w Iohn Kimâ—were plaintifs and had brought a writ of right against Thomas Paraâ—â—re who offered to defend his right by battell Whervpon the plaintifs aforsaid accepted to answer his challenge offering likewise to defend their right to the same manour and lands and to proue by battell that Paramore had no right noâ— good title to haue the same manour and lands Herevpon the said Thomas Paramore brought before the iudges of the common plees at Westminster one George Thorne a big broad strong set fellow the plaintifs Henrie Nailer maister of defense and seruant to the right honourable the earle of Leicester a proper slender man not so tall as the other Thorne cast downe a gantlet which Nailer tooke vp vpon the sundaie before the battell should be tried On the next morow the matter was staied the parties agréed that Paramore being in possession shuld line 10 haue the land was bound in fiue hundred pounds to consider the plaintifs as vpon hearing the matter the iudges should award The quéenes maiestie abhorring bloudshed as the poet verie well saith Tristia sanguinei deuitans praelia campi was the taker vp of the matter in this wise It was thought good that for Paramores assurance the order should be kept touching the combat and that the plaintifs Low and Kime should make default of appearance but that yet such as were suerties for Nailer line 20 their champions appearance should bring him in and likewise those that were suerties for Thorne should bring in the â—ame Thorne in discharge of their band and that the court should sit in Tuthill fields where was prepared one plot of ground of one and twentie yards square double railed for the combat Without the west square a stage being set vp for the iudges representing the court of the common plées All the compasse without the lists was set with line 30 scaffolds one aboue another for people to stand and behold There were behind the square where the iudges sat two tents the one for Nailer the other for Thorne Thorne was there in the morning timelie Nailer about seauen of the clocke came thorough London apparelled in a dublet and gallie gascoine bréeches all of crimsin sattin cut and rased a hat of blacke veluet with a red feather and band before him drums and fifes plaieng The gantlet cast downe by George Thorne was borne before the said Nailer line 40 vpon a swords point and his baston a staffe of an ell long made taper wise tipt with horne with his shield of hard leather was borne after him by Askam a yeoman of the queenes gard He came into the palace at Westminster and staieng not long before the hall doore came backe into the Kings stréet and so along thorough the Sanctuarie and Tuthill street into the field where he staied till past
déepe in the shallowest and otherwise being driuen by the wind verie boisterous in the northeast on banks one ell or a yard a half déepe In the which drifts of snow farre deeper in the countrie manie cattell and some men and women were ouerwhelmed and lost It snowed till the eight daie of that moneth and frised till the tenth and then followed a â—haw with continuall raine a long time after which caused such high waters and great flouds that the marishes and low grounds being drowned for the time and the water of the Thames rose so high into Westminster hall that after the fall thereof some fishes were found to remaine in the said hall The seuentéenth of Februarie an Irishman for murdering of a man in a garden of Stepenheth parish was hanged in chaines on the common called Mile end gréene This common was sometimes yea in the memorie of men yet liuing a large mile long from White chappell to Stepenheth church and therefore called Mile end greene but now at this present by gréedie and as séemeth to me vnlawfull inclosures and building of houses notwithstâ—nding hir maiesties proclamation to the contrarie it remaineth scarse halfe a mile in length The twentith daie of Februarie deceased sir Nicholas Bacon lord kéeper of the great seale of England who was honourablie buried vnder a sumptuous monument or toome by him in his life time erected in S. Pauls church of London on the ninth daie of March This sir Nicholas Bacon in his life time gaue for six scholers to be found in Bennets college in Cambridge to each of them three pounds six shillings and eight pence the yeare for euer ¶ The said sir Nicholas Bacons toome aforesaid bearing certeine representations of his wiues and children in imagerie worke is adorned with a notable epitaph wherein is pithilie described the meanes whereby he grew to be noble as also immortall The same being conteined in these verses following and iustifiable by the verie epitaph whereof this is a true transcription great pitie but it shuld be perpetuall Hic Nicolaum ne Baconum conditum Existima illum tam diu Britannici Regni secundum columen exitium malis line 10 Bonis asylum caeca quem non extulit Ad hunc honorem sors sed aequitas fides Doctrina pietas vnica prudentia Non morte raptum crede qui vnica Vita perennes emerit duas agit Vitam secundam coelites inter animus Fama implet orbem vita quae illi tertia est Hac positum in ara est corpus olim animi domus Ara dicata sempiternae memoriae This yeare in the moneth of Aprill to wit on the line 20 foure and twentith daie fell such a snow betwéene the hours of foure of the clocke in the morning nine of the clocke before noone of the same daie that in London the same snow was found to lie one foot déepe The 25 daie of Aprill sir Thomas Bromleie knight was made lord chancellor of England The chancellors of England collected out of sundrie ancient line 30 histories THe creation of this sir Thomas Bromleie lord chancellor hath occasioned me to treate of the chancellors of England a matter which I haue béene the willinger to set downe because I would minister cause to others who haue long wanted of their cunning in this matter to impart to the world some of their great knowledge herein to the benefit of their countrie But since I doubt that they will line 40 not accept this in good part till that come And as I may perhaps doo in this somewhat more largelie than in the iudgement of others shall seeme answerable to the most receiued opinion touching the chancellors treat of the antiquitie of them so yet I haue no mind to erre or to leade anie other into error Wherefore if things be not in perfection vpon this first rough hewing as nothing is at the first so exquisit as time dooth not after amend it yet disdaine it not sith this may giue more light than line 50 before was knowen And I determine God willing either to amend or to confesse and auoid in the large description of their liues whatsoeuer imperfections haue now distilled out of my pen either for mistaking or misplacing of name person or time and so to the matter It hath beene some question amongst the best antiquaries of our age that there were neuer anie chancellors in England before the comming of Edward the confessor out of Normandie whome they line 60 suppose to haue brought the same officer with him from thense into this realme But sith I am with manie reasons and ancient authorities led to beleue the contrarie I will imbrace the contrarie opinion therevnto and hold in this discourse as the order thereof shall prooue that there were chancellors before saint Edwards time for the confirmation whereof and for the authoritie of them for the etymologie and originall of the name and for the continuance of their office thou shalt find an ample discourse in my booke purposelie written of the liues of the chancellors whervnto I wholie refer thée who I hope shall within these few yeares be partaker thereof and in the meane time giue thee this tast of the age and names of the chancellors and vicechancellors and such keepers of the great seale as serued in place of chancellors For euerie one that was kéeper of the great seale was not intituled chancellor no more than euerie chancellor was intituled the keeper of the greatseale But because the one did serue in the vacancie of the other so that after a certeine sort the kéeper of the great seale was vicechancellor and possessed the place though not the name of a chancellor as in our age sir Nicholas Bacon did we therefore haue set downe the names of the one and the other as they followed in succession of time after this manner Turketill chancellor to Ethelbald who began his reigne about the yeare of Christ 718 which Turketill gaue six manours to the abbeie of croâ—Croâ—land as I haue séene noted Saint Swithin bishop of Winchester was chancellor and chiefe of councell to the great monarch king Egbert though some attribute him to Edgar which Egbert began his reigne about the yeare of Christ 802. Wlfinus chancellor to king Athelstan who began his reigne in the yeare of our redemption nine hundred and foure and twentie Adulphus chancellor to king Edgar who began his reigne in the yeare that the world became flesh nine hundred fiftie and nine of this man speaketh Hugo Petro Burgensis and Leland calleth this Adulph Cancellarium archigrammatum chancellor or chiefe secretarie Alsius or Aelsius the second abbat of Elie chancellor to king Etheldred who began his reigne in the yeare of Christ nine hundred seuentie and eight this man being by Ethelwold bishop of Winchester consecrated abbat at the appointment of the said king Ethelred or Egelred
marshall of England was consecrated bishop by Hubert archbishop of Canturburie in the yeare one thousand one hundred ninetie and one he finished the building of his church according to the plot and foundation which his predecessors had laid and that doone he purchased the patronage and lordship of Woodburie of one Albemarlie which he gaue and impropriated vnto the vicars chorall of his church In this mans time in the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred and one one line 60 Simon Thurnaius a Cornish man borne brought vp in learning did by diligence and studie so prosper therein that he became excellent in all the liberall sciences and in his daies none thought to be like him He left Oxenford where he had béene a student and went to Paris and there became a priest and studied diuinitie and therein became so excellent and of so deepe a iudgement that he was made chéefe of the Sorbonists at length he became so proud of his learning and did glorie so much therein that he would be singular thought himselfe to be another Aristotle and so much he was therein blinded and waxed so farre in loue with Aristotle that he preferred him before Moses and Christ. But behold Gods iust iudgement For suddenlie his memorie failed him and he waxed so forgetfull that he could neither call to remembrance anie thing that he had doone neither could he discerne read or know a letter of the booke This Henrie after that he had spent and liued twelue yeares in his bishoprike he died and lieth buried in the north side of the chancell of his church in a verie faire toome of marble in the yeare one thousand two hundred and six 21 Simon de Apulia in the yeare one thousand two hundred and six was installed bishop of this sée of him there remaineth no memoriall at all In his time were famous Ioseph Iscanius and Alexander Neckam the one was verie well learned in the Latine and Gréeke toong and in the liberall sciences the other was prior of saint Nicholas and was an vniuersall man being a profound philosopher an eloquent orator a pleasant poet and a déepe diuine In this bishops time the doctrine of eleuation adoration reseruation and praieng for the dead being established by pope Honorius the third the parish churches within this citie were limited in the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred twentie two In this mans time in the yeare one thousand two hundred and twelue one Iohannes Deuonius so surnamed because he was borne in Deuon being well bent to good studies was much commended for his learning and modestie He was familiar and of great acquaintance with Baldwin archbishop of Canturburie and being made abbat of Ford was in such fauor with king Iohn that he chose him to be his confessor and chapleine he was a writer and compiled diuerse bookes which were then accounted of Being dead he was buried in his abbeie the people much lamenting the want of so good a man This bishop hauing spent eightéene yeares died in the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred twentie and foure was buried in his owne church 22 William Brewer verie shortlie after the death of the foresaid Simon was elected bishop and consecrated by Stephan Langton archbishop of Canturburie in the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred twentie and foure He was borne and descended of a noble house and parentage being brother to sir William Brewer knight the husband of the eldest daughter one of the heirs to William de Uerona erle of Deuon and who also was founder of the abbeies of Tor of Hartland and other monasteries This bishop so wiselie and discréetlie behaued himselfe that he was had in great reputation among all men and in speciall fauour with the king For king Henrie hauing giuen his sister ladie Isabell to wife vnto Frederike the emperor did commend and betake hir to this bishop to be conueied and conducted to the emperor And such was the fame and good report spred of him that as he passed through the countries they were from place to place receiued with great honor and being come to the citie of Coleine the archbishop there did not onelie verie honorablie receiue them but also accompanied them vnto the citie of Wormes where the mariage was solemnized When this bishop had séene the marriage and all things performed he tooke his leaue and was dismissed with great presents and honorablie accompanied homewards by the archbishop and others At his returne he was ioifullie receiued of all the noble men about the king and most thankfullie by the king himselfe and whome the king vsed as his speciall and most trustie councellor in all his weightie causes This bishop being come home to his owne house andminding as his predecessors had doone to leaue some good memoriall behind him he made a deane and constituted twentie foure prebendaries within his church To the one he impropriated Brampton and Coliton Rawleie for the others he purchased so much land as out whereof he assigned to euerie prebendarie foure pounds by the yeare and of these he ordeined his chapter Also in this mans time in the yeare one thousand two hundred and fortie Gilbert Long and Robert his brother citizens of this citie builded and founded the hospitall of saint Iohns within the east gate of this citie for the sustenance of certeine poore folks called afterwards the poore children of saint Iohns gaue all their lands and tenements to the same which was line 10 sufficient The yeare following the cell of Alexius was remooued and adioined to saint Iohns and then the founders being dead the charge and gouernement of that house was by those founders commended to the maior of this citie they thenseforth were founders and patrons thereof In the yeare of our Lord one thousand two hundred fortie and foure there grew a contention concerning the poore lazer sicke people of the Magdalen without the south gate of this citie whose maner and vsage was then with line 20 a clapdish vpon euerie market daie to resort and come to the markets and there to beg euerie mans deuotion but by reason of their sicknesse which was lothsome and abhorred the peoples deuotion waxed short and scant against them as also euerie man murmured against their going begging at large Where vpon the matter being brought into question betwéene the bishop and this citie it was concluded that a perimutation should be made and that therefore the bishops should be patrones and haue the line 30 gouernement of saint Iohns and the maior and his successors to be gardians and founders of the hospitall of the Magdalen with a prouiso that the proctor of the hospitall of the Magdalen should on one daie in euerie moneth come with his box to saint Peters church at the time of seruice and there receiue and gather the deuotion of the canons which is vsed at these presents This poore house remaineth
towne of Sutton Ualens in Kent this worshipfull gentleman at his owne costs and proper expenses erected a grammar schoole for the education of youth in the feare of God in good maners in knowledge and vnderstanding He also weieng with himselfe that the labourer ought of right to haue his hire and that no man goeth to warre of his owne proper charge besides other commodities which he thought méet and necessarie hath allowed the master twentie pounds and the vsher ten pounds from time to time as either place shall be supplied by succession for their yearelie stipends and perpetuall pensions To continue the rehersall of his good déeds in Sutton aforesaid note his tender pitifull heart toward the poore for whose sustentation maintenance and reliefe he hath builded six almes houses for the impotent and hath giuen six pounds to be yearelie paied vnto them for their necessarie prouision Moreouer besides this charitable déed to keepe still within the compasse of Kent marke the singular loue which this gentleman did beare vnto learning for the furtherance wherof and the more incouragement of poore scholers he hath giuen to the schoole of Maidstone ten pounds a yeare for euer with this caueat or prouiso that néedie mens children should be preferred to the enioieng of this singular benefit That this gentleman had not onelie a regard for the seed-plots of learning to haue them watered with the springs of his bountie but also a prouident eie and a carefull hart for the profit of the common-wealth the particulars following substantiallie doo prooue For séeing in his life time the decaie of sundrie trades the ruine of diuerse occupations and other inconueniences which are like to grow to the vndooing of a multitude except by policie they be preuented of a méere affection if I said fatherlie I were not controllable he hath freelie giuen to the poore clothiers in Suffolke to the poore clothiers of Bridgenorth in Shropshire and to the poore clothiers at Ludlow in the said countie thrée hundred pounds to be said by euen portions to each seuerall towne of the said counties one hundred pounds a péece for their supportation and maintenance at their worke and occupation So litle estéemed he the mucke of this world in respect of dooing good speciallie when he saw old age drawing him to his graue of which mind it were to be wished all richmen would be whom God hath made his stewards when they wax crooked bow backt and as the poet saith Obrepit canis rugosa senecta capillis Furthermore the well of his weldooing not yet waxing drie but yéelding liquor of reliefe verie largelie hath watered other places For as the countrie so likewise the citie the citie I meane of London hath cause yea iust cause with open mouth to magnifie the goodnesse of God so mightilie working in this praiseworshie esquier The memorable monuments which shall liue when he is dead and shall flourish when he is rotten are witnesses of the loue which he being a citizen bare vnto this citie For let vs begin with the conduit which he of his owne costs not requiring either collection or contribution founded of late in Holborne not sparing expenses so it might be substantiall not pinching for charges so it might be durable and plentifull as they can testifie which saw the seeking of the springs the maner of making the trenches the ordering of the pipes lieng in length from the head to the said conduit more than two thousand yards and finallie the framing of euerie necessarie appurtenance therevnto belonging Besides this means is made by a standard with one cocke at Holâ—orne bridge to conueie the wast which doth such seruice the water thereof being both swéet pleasant and wholsome as neither rich nor poore can well misse Which great worke as he aduisedlie attempted so he commendablie finished hauing disbursed therabouts of his owne costs charges to the sum of 1500 pounds And yet further note the wisedome and prouidence of this gentleman who considering that the right vse of a good thing might cut off manie occasions line 10 of vnthristines and idlenesse and knowing that we are placed in this world to follow the vocation wherevnto we are called besides that séeing the hardnesse of this age wherein we liue that manie would worke if they had meanes manie neglect and care not for worke though they haue meanes some would willinglie withstand pouertie if they might some had rather beg and doo woorsse than giue themselues to labour hath béene thus beneficiall to poore women that are glad to take pains as to bestow vpon line 20 them a hundred and twentie pales wherewith to carrie and serue water an honest shift of liuing though somewhat toilesome To descend and come downe to other his almesdeeds you shall vnderstand that he being a member of the right worshipfull corporation and societie of Clothworkers was not forgetfull of that companie vnto whome he hath giuen his dwelling house in London with other lands and tenements to the value of thirtie pounds or thereabouts by them to be thus bestowed to wit for the line 30 hiring of a minister to read diuine seruice thrise a weeke that is euerie sundaie wednesdaie and fridaie throughout the yeare in the chapell or church belonging to his house called by the name of saint Iames in the wall by Criplegate and for foure sermons there yéerelie to be made and preached a competent allowance Out of which sum also of thirtie pounds it is prouided that a deduction be made by the said Clothworkers for apparelling twelue men and as manie women line 40 in forme as followeth that is to saie to euerie one of the twelue men one fréeze gowne one locorum shirt a good strong paire of winter shooes to twelue women likewise one fréeze gowne one locorum smocke a good strong paire of winter shooes all readie made for their wearing remembred alwaies that they must be persons both poore and honest vnto whome this charitable déed ought to be extended Prouided also that the execution hereof be done the first daie of October orderlie from yeare to line 50 yeare for euer whiles the world dooth last Moreouer he hath giuen to those of his companie foure pounds fréelie not for a time but perpetuallie and thus doth his bountifulnesse manie waies appeare To the parish of S. Giles without Criplegate he hath giuen fiftéene pounds to the bels and chime hauing meant as it seemeth if they had taken time to be more liberall in that behalfe The said bels chime were in his life also after his deth kept in good order according to his will but afterwards vpon occasion some of line 60 them newlie cast became ill of sound out of tune a fault in some which would be amended The poore of the parish aforesaid by their reliefe in his life time secretlie ministred haue iust cause to lament the