experimentes it is manifest that some of your graces assistaunces haue reported to your maiesty many lyes of vs working mischiefe as much as in them lyeth not onely agaynst vs but agaynst you also and your whole Realme Be it knowne to your highnes that we haue bene alwayes willing to defend the health and sauegarde of your person with all our power and fealty due to your grace purposing to vexe to the vttermost of our power and estate not onely our ill willers but also your enemies and the enemies of your whole Realme If it be your good pleasure geue no credite to theÌ„ we shall be alwayes found your faithfull And we the Earle of Leiceister and Gilbert of Clare at request of the other for vs them haue put to our seales These letters being read and heard there was a counsell called and the king writ back to them and specially to the two Earles of Leicester and Glocester in maner and forme following HEnry by the grace of God king of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Aquitanie c. To Simon Mountfort and Gilbert de Clare and their confederates For as much as by the warre generall disquietnes by your meanes raised vp in our whole realme and also the burninges and other hurtfull enormities it appeareth manifestly that you keepe not your fidelitie to vs ward nor care any thing for our health or safety And for that ye haue inorderly greued our nobles and other our faythfull subiectes sticking faythfully and constantly to vs as you haue certified vs we accounting their losse as our owne and their enemies as ours And seing these my aforesayd faithfull subiects for the keeping of their fidelitie do assist vs manfully and faythfully agaynst your vnfaithfulnes we therefore care not for your fidelitie or loue but defie you as our and their enemies Witnes myselfe at lewes the day yeare abouesayd Also Richard king of Almaine and Lord Edward the sonne of king Henry writ also to the Barons in this wife Richard by the the grace of God king of the Romaynes alwayes Augustus and Edward the eldest sonne of the noble king of England al the other Barons and nobles constantly and faythfully in hart deede cleauing to the foresayd king of England to Simon Mountfort and Gilbert de Clare and to all and singuler other their adherents in their conspiracie By your letters whiche you sent to our Lord the noble king of England we haue vnderstanding that you defie vs although before any such word your defiaunce towardes vs was apparant inough by your cruell persecution in burning our possessions and spoyling our goodes we therefore geue you to witte that we all and euery one of vs as your enemies doe defie you all as our open enemies And farther that we will not cease where soeuer it shall lye in our power to the vttermost of our force and might to subuert your persons and all that you haue As touching that you laye to our charge that we geue neyther faythfull nor good counsell to our Lord the king you say not the truth And if your Lord Simon Mountfort or Gilbert de Clare will affirme the same in our Lord the kinges court we are ready to get safe conduit for you to come to the sayd Court to try and declare the truth of our innocency and the falsehood of you both as forsworne traytors by some man equall with you in nobilitie and stocke All we are contayned with the seales of the aforesayd Lordes the Lord Richard and the Lord Edward Dated the day aforesayd Both which letters beyng read they drew neare to the king for they were not farre distant from the place whiche is called Lewes And for that there wanted to the Kinges store prouision for their horses it was coÌ„manded them on tewsday to go forth to seeke for hay and prouender Which when they were gone forth were preuented most of them of their enemies and killed but the residue returning saw their enemies comming very early on that wednesday morning and making outcries stirred vp the king his hoste to arme themselues Then the Barons comming to the full playne descended there and girding trunming their horses made fit their harnies to them And there the Earle Simon made the Earle of Glocester and Robert Deuer and many other new knightes which being done he deuided and distincted his host into foure seueral battails And he appointed noble men to guide gouern euery battaile And ouer that first battayle were ordayned Captaines Henry Mountfort the eldest sonne of the Earle Simon Buidd his brother Lord Iohn de Bruch the younger Lord Humfry de Boun. Ouer the second battaile Lord Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester Lord Iohn the sonne of Lord S. Iohn and Lord William of Mouncherisi And ouer the third in whiche the Londiners were at their request the Lord Nicholas Segraue was assigned Which required also very instanntly that they might haue that first stroke in the battayle at the aduenture come what come woulde But ouer the fourth battayle the Earle himselfe was captayne with the Lord Thomas of Pilnestone In that meane season came forth the kinges host preparing themselues to the field in three battayles of whiche Edward the kynges sonne led the first with the Earle of Warwicke and Malence the kings brother and the secoÌ„d the king of Alinaine guided with hys sonne Henry but the king with hys nobles guided the third And the fourth legion the king appoynted not by reason that he had left many of hys chiefe souldiours behinde him to keepe the Castell and towne of Tunebridge agaynst the Earle of Glocester And the most part of the kinges army were but young men for the king thought not that his BaroÌ„s had bene come so nigh hand Theyr armes being on both sides set in aray order they exhorted one an other on eyther party to fight valiantly after they buckled together the battaile was great many horsemen were ouerthrown euen in a moment But by and by Edward the kings sonne with his band as a fierce young gentlemen valiant knight fell vpon his enemies with such force that he compelled them to reâ—ule backe a great way so that the hinmost thinking by reason of their geuing backe that the foremost were slayne ran many away of them and taking water to passe ouer were almost threescore souldiours drowned a few of the being slaine all the rest fled Straight way the Londiners whiche had asked the first fight knowing not howe the battaile went tooke them to theyr hecles Whom Edward pursued with his band killing the himmost of them by the space of two or three miles For hee hated them because they had rebelled agaynst his father and disgraced his mother wheÌ„ she was caryed by barge vpon the Temse froÌ„ the tower to Windsore as is aboue touched pag. 000. Whilest that Prince Edward was thus in the chase of the LoÌ„doners who had the
Robert Earle of Leycester to declare to him what was his iudgement To whom the Archbyshop answereth heare my sonne good Earl what I say vnto you how much more precious the soule is more then the body so much more ought you to obey me in the lord rather then your terrene king Neither doth any law or reason permit the children to iudge or cōdemne their father Wherfore to auoid both the iudgement of the king of you and all other I put my selfe only to the arbitrement of the Pope vnder God alone to be iudged of him and of no other To whose presence heere before you all I doe appeale committing the ordering of the Church of Cant. my dignitie with all other things appertaining to the same vnder the protection of God and him And as for you my brethren fellow Byshops which rather obey man then god you also I call and cite to the audience and iudgement of the pope and depart hence foorth from you as from the ennemies of the Catholike Church and of the authoritie of Apostolike see While the Barons returned with this aunswere to the king the Archbishop passing through the throng taketh to him his Palfrey holding his Crosse in one hande and his bridle in the other the courtiers following after and crying traytor traytor tary heare thy iudgement But he passed on till he came to the vttermost gate of the Courte which being fast locked there had ben staid had not one of his seruants called Peter surnamed Demunctorio finding ther a bunche of keyes hanging by first prooued one key then an other till at last finding the true key had opened the gate and let him out The archbishop went straight to the house of Chanons where hee did lie calling vnto hym the poore where they could be found When supper was done making as though he would go to bed which he caused to be made betwixt two altares priuely while the king was at supper prepareth his iorny secretly to escape away and chaunging his garment and his name being called Derman first went to Lincolne from thence to Sandwiche where he tooke ship and sailed into Flaunders and from thence iourneyed to Fraunce as Houedenus sayth All be it Alanus differing something in the order of his flight sayth that he departed not that night but at supper time came to him the bishop of London Chichester declaring to him that if he would surrender vp to the king his two maners of Oxforde wyngecham there were hope to recouer the kings fauour to haue all remitted But when the Archbishop would not agree therunto forasmuch as those maners were belonging to the Churche of Canterburie the king hearing thereof great displeasure was taken In so much that the next day Becket was faine to sende to the king two bishops and his chaplein for leaue to depart the realme To the which message the king answered that he would take a pause therof til the next day then he should haue an answere But Becket not tarying his answere the same day conueied himselfe away secretely as is aforesayde to Ludouicus the French king But before he came to the king Gilbert the bishop of London William the earle of Arundel sent frō the king of England to Fraunce preuented him requiring of the said French king in the behalf of the king of England that he would not receiue nor retaine in his dominion the archb of Canterbury Moreouer that at his instance he wold be a meanes to the pope not to shewe any familiaritie vnto him But the King of England in this point semed to haue more confidence in the French king then knowledge of his disposition For thinking that the French king would haue bene a good neighbour to him in trusting him to much he was deceiued Neither considered he w e himselfe inough the maner nature of the Frenchmen at that tyme agaynst the realme of England who then were glad to seeke and take all maner of occasions to doe some act agaynst England And therefore Ludouicke the French king vnderstanding the matter thinking percase therby to haue some vauntage against the king and realme of England by the occasion hereof contrary to the kings letters and request not onely harboreth and cherisheth this Derman but also writing to the pope by his Almener and brother entreateth him vpon al loues as euer he would haue his fauor to tender the cause of the Archbishop Becket Thus the kinges Ambassadours repulsed of the French king returned at what tyme he sent an other ambassage vpō the like cause to Alexander the pope thē being at Sene in France The Ambassadours sēt in this message were Roger archbishop of Yorke Gilbert bishop of London Henry Bish. of Winchester Hilary Bish. of Chichester Bartholomew byshop of Exceter with other doctors clerkes also william Earle of Arundell with certayne moe Lordes Barons Who comming to the popes court were friendly accepted of certayne of the Cardinals amongst the which cardinals rose also dissention about the same cause some iudgyng the Bishop of Canterbury in the defence of the liberties of the Church as in a good cause to be mayntayned Some thinking agayn that he being a perturber of peace and vnitie was rather to be bridled for hys presumption then to be fostered incouraged therein But the P. partly bearing with his cause which onely tended to his exaltation and magnificence partly again incensed with the letters of the French king did wholy incline to Becket as no maruell was Wherfore the next day following the pope sitting in consistory with his Cardinals the ambassadours were called for to the hearing of Beckets matter and first beginneth the bishop of London next the Archbishop of Yorke then Exceter and the other Bishops euery one in their order to speake Whose orations being not well accepted of the Pope and some of them also disdayned the Earle of Arundel perceauing that and somewhat to qualifie and temper the matter to the Popes eares began after this maner ALthough to me it is vnknowen sayth he which am both vnlettered and ignorant what is that these Byshops heere haue sayde neither am I in that toung so able to expresse my minde as they haue done yet being sent and charged thereunto of my Prince neither can nor ought I but to declare as well as I may what the cause is of our sending hether Not truely to contende or striue with any person nor to offer any iniurie or harme vnto any man especially in this place and in the presence here of such a one vnto whose becke and authoritie all the world doth stoupe and yeelde But for this intent is our legacie hether directed to present here before you and in the presence of the whole church of Rome the deuotion and loue of our king and maister which euer he hath had and yet hath still toward you And that the same might the better
Barons as Lord Iohn Fitze Iohn L. Hastings L. Geoffrey Lucie Lorde Iohn Uescy L. William Segraue Hugh Spencer L. Roberte Uespoynt with diuers and many mo whose aunswere to y◠king againe was this That the prouisions made at the counsaile of Oxforde whereunto they were sworne they would hold defend and maintaine to their liues end forso much as they did sound and also were agreed vpō both to the honor of God to the profit of the prince stable wealth of the Realme c. And thus partes on both sides discording among themselues would so haue departed had not certaine of the Bishops comming betwene both laboured betwene thē to take vp the matter By whose meane saith Gualt Gisburn and procurement the determination of the cause was brought in comprimis and referred to Ludouick y◠French king to iudge betwene them who hearing both the allegations sayth he like no equal iudge but a partial frende inclined wholy and fully to the kings sentence and condemned the nobles But the author of Flores Hist. sayth that by the mediation of certaine discrete men two were chosen one for one side the other for the other To whome the thirde also was adnexed who hearing as well what was brought of the kings part as also what was aunswered of the other should define betweene them both And so peace was betwene them cōcluded til the comming of Edward Al this while as yet the Popes absolution for the king although it was graūted and obtained at Rome yet was it not brought downe in solēne wryting neither was prince Edward as yet returned out of Fraunce to England At length the wryting of the kings absolution being brought from Rome the king eftsoones commaunded the same to be published throughout the Realme and sendeth to the French king and other straungers for helpe Moreouer sesseth all his Castels into his owne hand reiecting the counsaile of the Lords to whose custody they were before committed Also remoouing the former officers as instices and the Chancelour with other placed afore by the Lordes he appoynted new in their stead To this foresald absolution procured frō Rome for the king and his sonne Edward returning out of Fraunce at that time did not geue his consent but held with the Lordes Who then putting themselues in armes with a great power repaired vp to London keping there in the suburbes and places about while the king kept wtin the tower causing the citie gates to be watched and lockt and all within the said citie being aboue the age of 12. yeares to be sworne vnto him But at length through the meanes of certaine comming betweene this tumultuous perturbation was somwhat appeased at least some hope of peace appeared so that the matter was takē vp for that time without war or bloudshed Notwtstanding some false pretensed dissemblers there were which secretly disclosing all the counsails and doings of the Lords vnto the king did all they coulde to hinder concord and to kindle debate By the meanes of whom the purpose of the Lords came not to so good effect as otherwise it might Ex Flor. Hist. In this present yere as affirmeth that forenamed author it was rumored abroade that all the Bishops of England went about to recouer againe out of that handes of religious men all such churches and benefices which were to them improperated or appropriated and y◠they for the expeditiō of the same had sent vp to Rome both messengers mony nothing misdoubting to obteine their purpose But as a litle good fruite in those daies vsed to spring out of that sea so I do not finde that godly sute and labour of the bishops to take any fruitfull effect The same yere died Pope Alexander after whom succeeded Pope Urban the fourth Of the which Pope Urbane the king also obtained or rather reuiued a new releasemēt from hys oth made to the prouisiōs and statutes of Oxford Which being graunted he commaundeth incontinent all the foresaid lawes prouisions through England to be dissolued and brokē This done the King with the Queene taketh hys voiage into Fraunce where he fell into great infirmitie of sicknes and the most part of his familie taken with the fener quartane of which many died In the number of whome beside other died Richard the worthy Earle of Glocester and Heriord after whom succeeded Gilbert Clare his sonne The Welshmen this yere breaking into the borders of England did much annoyance in the lands of Roger lord Mortimer but mightely again by him were expulsed not without great slaughter of the inuaders About which time the king through some discrete counsaile about hym inclined to peace and concorde with his nobles graunting of his mere voluntarie will the constitutions and prouisions of Oxforde to take place in the Realme directing his commaundement to euery shire All be it the Realme yet was not altogether pacified for all that In the latter end of this yere the kings palace at westminster was brent and for the most part was al consumed with fire which seemed to many an euill prognosticate against the king Ex Flor. Hist. In some English Chronicles it is also recorded that the same yeare 500. Iewes at London were slaine for taking vsurie more then 2.d a weeke for 20. s. being before forbid by the king to take aboue that rate by the weeke After this foloweth the yeare 1263. in which the Barons of England confederating themselues together for maintaining the statutes and lawes of Oxford and partly moued with the old grudge conceiued against the straungers maintayned by the King and the Queene and Edward their sonne in the realme of England ioyned powers in all forceable wise and first inuaded the sayd straungers namely thē which were about the king Their goods and manors they wasted and spoyled whether they were persons ecclesiasticall or temporall Among whom besides other was Peter a Burgundian Bishop of Hereford a rich prelate with al his treasure apprehended and spoiled also his coūtreymen whom he had placed to be Canons of the same church With like order of handling other alienes also to whom was cōmitted the custody of diuers castels as of Gloucester of Worcester of Brignorth were spoiled imprisoned and sent away Briefly whatsoeuer he was in all the land that could not vtter the English toung was of euery rascall disdained and happy if he might so escape By reason where of it so came to passe that a great number as wel of other foreners as especially religious men and rich Priestes which here had gathered much substance were vrged to that extremitie that they were glad to flee the lande In the catalogue of whō was one most principally named Iohn Maunsel a priest notoriously growen in riches and treasures not to be told hauing in his hand so many rich benefices that neare no bishop of this realme might compare with him in riches Who notwtstanding
omitted for that euen from and about the beginning of this kings raigne sprang vpp the very welspringes of all mischiefe and sectes of Monkish religions and other swarmes of Popish orders which with their grosse and horrible superstition haue encombred the Church of Christ euer since First to omitte the repeticion of Pope Innocent the third the great Graundsire of that fowle monster Transustantiation and auriculer Confession with the fryers Dominick and Franciscane Fryers Thomas Aquinas Iacobus de Uoragine Uincentius with Pope Honorius the third coyner of the Cannon Lawe and the Cardinall Hostiensis as also Bonauenture Albertus magnus with Pope Urbane the 4. first founder of the feast of Corpus Christi and procuror of the adoration of the body of Christ in the Sacrament besides Durandus and many moe followeth further to be noted that the Tartarianes aboute the yeare 1240. issuing out of Moscouia into the partes of Polonia made great waste in Christendome so muche the rather because the Princes about Polonia beyng at variaunce amongest themselues vsed none other remedie for theyr defence but heapes of Masses Inuocation of the dead and worshipping of Images whiche in deede dyd nothing relieue them but rather encrease theyr trouble The next yeare following the whole nation of the Scithians mustering like Locustes inuaded the partes of Europe with two mightye armyes whereof the one entring vppon Polonia made great hauocke and caryed away many Christians from thence Captiues the other ouerrunning Hungaria made no lesse spoyle there Adde hereunto an other freshe armye of Tartarianes to the number of 5000000. Who at the very same tyme ioyninge themselues together entered into Muscouia and Cracouia and made most horrible slaughter sparing neyther sexe nor age noble nor vnnoble within the Land From thence passing to Uratislauia made great spoyle there also and thinkyng there to winne the Castle were by the miraculous workyng of the Lorde at the instaunce and prayers of good people discomfited beyonde all expectation of man by thundringe and lightning falling vpon them from heauen in most terrible wise The same yeare immediately after Easter an other armye of Tartarians were gathered agaynst Lignicium drawing neere to Germnany By the bruyte whereof the Germaynes being put in great feare were altogether dismayed but yet not able to helpe themselues by reason they lacked a good guyde and gouernour amongest them All which came to passe specially by the mischieuous practize of the Romayne Popes raysing variaunce and discorde amongst them notwithstanding Dentry prince of Polonia and Silicia gathering a power as well as he coulde dyd encounter with him but in fine hys whole armye was vanquished and the kyng hymselfe slayne Notwithstanding whiche ouerthrowe of Christians it pleased God to strike such a feare into the heartes of the sayd Tartarianes that they durst not approche anye further or nearer into Germany but retired for that tyme into they Countrye agayne who recounting theyr victory by taking each man but one eare of euery of the Christians that were slayne founde the slaughter so great as that they filled it great sackes full of eares Neuertherles after this viz the yeare 1260. the same Tartarianes hauing the Moskouites to theyr guides returned agayne into Polonia and Cratonia where in the space of three monethes they ouerranne the land with fire and sword ouer to the coastes of Silesia And had not the princes of Germany put to theyr helping hand in this lamentable case they had vtterly wasted the whole lande of Polonia and the Coastes thereaboutes This yeare also in the month of Aprill Richard Kyng of Almayne dyed at the Castell of Barchamsted and was buryed at the Abbey of Dayles whiche he built out of the ground The same yeare also at Norwich there fel a great controuersie between the monks and the citizens about certayn tallagies and liberties At last after much altecration and wrangling wordes the furious rage of the Cittizens so much increased and preuayled and so litle was the feare of God before theyr eyes that altogether they set vpon the Abbey and Priory and burned both the church and Byshops Pallace whē this thing was heard abroad the people were very sory to heare of so bold naughty an enterprise much discommended the same At the last K. Dēry calling for certayne of hys Lords and Barons sent thē to the city of Norwich that they might punish and see execution done of the chiefest malefactors in so much that some of them were condemned and burnt some of them hanged and some were drawne by the heeles with horses throughout the streetes of the Citty and after in muche misery ended theyr wretched liues The same yeare Adam the prior of Canterbury and Bishop elect in the presence of pope Gregory the 10. refused to be archbishop although he was elect wherefore the pope gaue the same archbishopricke to Frier Robert Kilwardby the Prouost of the preaching Friers a man of good life and great learning He was cōsecrated at Caunterbury the fourth day of March by sixe bishops of the same Prouince The same yeare also at Michelmas the Lord Edmund the sonne of king Richard of Almaine maryed the sister of Gilbert Erle of Gloucester Also in this yeare of our Lord 1273. the 16. day before the Calendes of December vpon S. Edmundes day the archbishop and confessour died King Henry in the 56. yeare of his raigne and was buryed at Westminster leauing after him two sonnes and two daughters to wit Edward the Prince and Edmund Earle of Lancaster and Leicester Beatrice and Margaret whiche Margaret was maryed to the king of Scottes This king Henry in his life tyme beganne the building of the Church steeple at westminster but did not throughly finish the same before his death King Edward the first IN the time of the death of K Henry Edward his eldest sonne was absent in Dasconia as a little before you heard yet notwithstanding by Robert Kilwarby Archb. of Caunt and other bishops nobles he was ordeined heire and successour after hys father who after he had heard of hys fathers death retourned home to his Countrey and was crowned the yeare of our Lord 1274. who then layd downe his crowne saying he woulde no more put it on before he had gathered together all the landes pertayning to the same This Edward as he had alwayes before bene a louing and naturall Childe to his Father whom he had deliuered out of prison and captiuity afterward hearing both together of the death of his sonne of his father wept and lamented much more for his father then for his sonne saying to the French king which asked the cause thereof that the losse of his child was but light for Children might after increase and be multiplied but the losse of his parent was greater which could not be recouered Robert Auesbury So almighty God for the same his pietie to his father shewed rewarded
eius deuotionem pertinet timorem passus sit quicquid pati potuit who had as much as to deuotion and feare apperteined suffered already what he might or could suffer as Cyprian said by Cornelius That he I say which a little before in the moneth of September stoode so constant in defence of Christes faith would now in the moneth of Ianuary rise to destroy adnull subuert Christes faith and the law of God and holy Church within the Realme of England How can it be not like only but possible to be true that he which neuer denied the faith which euer confessed the faith so constantly which was for the same faith condemned yea and at last also burned for the faith would euer fight against the faith and law of God to adnull and to subuert it Let vs proceed yet further and see when that he should haue to destroied and adnulled the Christian faith and law of God in England what faith or law then could he or did he entend to bring into the realme of England The Turks faith or the Iewes faith or the Popes faith or what faith else I pray you For he that will be an enemie to the faith of Christ and will shew himselfe frend to no other faith beside I accompt him not out of his right faith but out of his right wits And therfore euen as it is true that sir Iohn Oldcastle with his coÌ„federates abertours were vp in armes to subuert and extinguish the faith of Christ and law of God in the realme of England so by the like truth it may be estemed that the same persons rose also to destroy their soueraigne Lord the king and his brethren First thanks be to God that neither the king nor any of his brethren had any hurt by him But his intent saith the preface was to destroy his soueraigne Lord the king Whereunto I aunswere with this interrogatorie whether his intent was priuily to haue destroied him or by opeÌ„ force of armes If priuily what needeth then such a great army of xx thousand men to atcheue the secret feate Rather I would think that he needed more the help of such as were neare about the king as some of the kinges priuie chamber or some of his secret counsaile whereof neither Chronicle nor record doth insinuate any mention If his intent was openly to inuade the kyng You must vnderstand M. Cope that to withstand a king in his owne Realme many thinges are required long time great preparation many frendes great assistance and ayd of kindred money horse men armour and all other things apperteining for the same Earle Godwin of Westfaxe who had maried Canutus daughter being a man both ambitious and as false a traitour for al his sixe sonnes and great alliance yet durst not set vpon king Edward to inuade him within his Realme although he sought manye occasions so to do yet neuer durst enterprise openly that which his ambition so greedely presumed vnto page 163. In the time of King Henry the third Symon Montford Earle of Glocester Gilbert Clare Earle of Leicester Humfrey Rone Earle of Ferrence with a great number of Lords and Barons thought themselues to haue great right on their sides yet durst not for all their power openly assaile the King in his Realme before great debatemeÌ„t and talke first had betweene page 330. Likewise what murmuring and grudging was in the realme against king Edward the second among the peres and nobles and also prelates only Walter Bishop of Couentry except first for Gaueston then for the Spensers at what time Thomas Earle of Lancaster Guido Earle of Warwike with the most part of al other Earles and Barons concordly consenting together to the displacing first of Gaueston then of the Spensers yet neither rashly nor without great feare durst stirre vp warre in the land or disquiet or vexe the king but first by all meanes of moderate counsaile and humble petition thought rather to perswade then to inuade the king page 308. In like maner and with like grudging mindes in the reigne of King Richard 2. Thomas Wodstocke Duke of Glocester the kings vncle with the Earles of Arundell of Warwike and Darby with the power almost of the whole commons stood vp in armes against the king And yet notwithstanding all their power ioined together being so great and their cause seming to them so reasonable yet were they not so hardy straightwayes to flee vpon the king but by way of Parliament thought to accomplishe that which their purpose had conceiued and so did without any warre striking against the king page 513. After King Richard 2. was deposed and was in prison yet liuing diuers noble men were greatly inflamed against K. Henry the fourth as Sir Iohn Holland Earle of Huntington Thomas Spenser Earle of Glocester the Earles likewise of Kent and of Salisbury with sir Iohn Cheney other mo wherof diuers had beene Dukes before now deposed by King Henry 4. although they had conceiued in their harts great grudge and malice against the said King Henry yet had they neither hart nor power openly with mans force to assaile the king but secretly were coÌ„pelled to atchieue their conceiued inteÌ„t which notwithstanding they could not accomplish Ex hist. D. Alban Thus you see Maister Cope or els maister Harpsfield or whatsoeuer ye be to gainstand a king and with open force to encounter with him in his owne land and in his owne chamber of London where he is so sure and strong what a matter of how great cheuance it is wherin so many and so great difficulties do lye the attempt so dangerous the chances so vncertaine the furniture of so manie things required that fearce in any kings daies heretofore any peeres or nobles of the Realme were they neuer so strongly assisted with power wit or counsaile yet either were able or els well durst euer enterprise vpon the case so dangerous notwithstanding were they neuer of themselues so far from all feare of God and true obedience And shal we then thinke or caÌ„ we imagine maister Cope that Syr Iohn Oldcastle a man so well instructed in the knowledge of Gods word beyng but a poore Knight by his degree hauing none of all the peeres and nobles in all the world to ioyne with him being prisoner in the Tower of London a litle before in the moneth of December could now in the moneth of Ianuary so sodenly in such an hoat season of the yeare start vp an army of xx thousand fightyng men to inuade the kyng to kill two Dukes his brethren to adnulle Christen fayth to destroy Gods law and to subuert holy Church 〈◊〉 why doth not he adde moreouer to set also all London on fire and to turne all England into a fishe poole Beliue these men which geue out these â—igmentes of Syr Iohn Oldcastle dyd thinke him to be one of Deucations stocke who castyng of stones ouer his shoulder
the contents of whych his wrytings do folow Hubertus Dei gratia Cant. Archiepiscop totius Angliae primas dilectis in Christo frat Episco per prouinciam Cant. Sal grat benedictionem D. Papa sicut ex literis ipsius manifestè perpéditur de conuersatione meritis moribus b. Gilberti magistri ordinis de Sempringham miraculis a Deo per eum factis per testes testimonia sufficienter instructus de consilio fratrum Cardin. ipsum mag Catalogo sanctorum decreuit ascribi solemnitatem eius constituit mandauit per Cant. prouinciam solemniter celebrari Insuper corpus eius cum requisiti fuerimus praecepit ad honorem Dei gloriam eleuari Vestra igitur vniuersitas huic mandato cum deuotione congaudeat secundum formam in ipso mandato praescriptam praedicti confessoris Domini depositionem annuam faciatis cum reuerentia solemniter obseruari vt apud Dominum ab illo vestra debeat possit deuotio commēdari necnon ipsius sancti supplex intercessio vobis proficiat ad salutem Valete The summe of the whiche wryting of the Archb. tendeth to thys effecte That forsomuch as the Pope hearyng of the life and myracles of Gilbert Maister of the order of Sempringham by sufficiēt witnes and testimonies hath in his letters commanded him by the aduise of hys Cardinals that the sayde Gilbert should be canonised ascribed in the Cataloge of saintes and that his solemnity shoulde be celebrate solemnely throughout al the prouince of Canterb And also hys body to be taken vp and shrined to the honour and glory of God He therefore at the Popes commaundement wryting vnto them wylleth all the Suffraganes within his prouince of Canterb. yearely to solemnise and cause to be solemnized reuerētly the deposition of the sayd Saint Gilbert Confessor to the entent that theyr deuotion may be commended of the Lord and of him And also that the humble intercession of the sayd Saint may profite them to their saluation Furthermore for the more full canonising canuising I had almost sayd of this new made saint the saide Pope Innocent writing to Hubert aforesayd adioyneth withall a collect of his owne making which is this Plenam in nobis aeterne saluator tuae vertutis operare medelam vt qui praeclara beati Gilberti confessoris tui merita veneramur ipsius adiuti suffragijs a cunctis animarum nostrarum languoribus liberemur Quiviuis regnas c. That is worke in vs O eternal sauior full remedy of thy vertue that we which worship the worthy merites of blessed Gilbert thy confessour being succoured by his suffrages may be deliuered from all languors diseases of our soules who liuest and raignest c. The cōsecration of this one Saint who perhaps was not the worst I thought here to cōmemorate to the intent that the reader measuring by this one the Canonisation of al the rest may iudge the better vpō this cōparison of master Cope whether of vs doth vendicate more impudent authoritie the Pope in his Callender or I in mine or to make the comparison more fit whether is more impudent the pope in his Callendar or els maister Cope in his Dialogues more doltishe But briefly to make an end of this matter with you to canonise or to authorise any saintes for man it is presumptuous to prescribe any thing here to be worshipped beside God alone it is idolatrous to set vp any mediatours but Christ onely it is blasphemous And whatsoeuer the pope doth or hath done in his Calendar my purpose in my Calendare was neither to deface any old saint or to solemnise any new In my booke of Actes and Monuments entreating of matters passed in the churche these latter fiue hundreth yeares I did regulate out a Callendare not for any Canon to constitute Saintes but onely for a table of them which within the same time did suffer for the testimony of the word whom I did and doe take to be good and godly men If any haue other iudgement of them I binde no man to my opinion as the pope doth to his The day will come which shall iudge both them and you In the meane season it shall be best for you M. Cope in my iudgement to keepe a good thing in your head and to quiet your rayling mode A hard thinge it is to iudge before the Lord. Mans iudgement may faile and is vncertayne the iudgement of God is alwayes sure Best is therfore either to be sure by the word and iudgement of God before what you do say or els to say the best Of such slaunderous and intemperate rayling can come no good neither to whome ye rayle vpon nor to your selfe whiche rayleth nor to the church of God that heareth you rayle For them you can not hurt they are gone To your selfe and thoughe your matters be true yet little honesty it will bring to be counted a rayler and if it be vncertayne your state is daungerous and if be false most miserable And as to the Church what great edification can proceede of suche contentions brawling and barkinge one against an other I doe not greatly see And if the zeale of the bishop of Romes church haue so much swallowed you vp that ye cannot but stamp and stare at traytours when ye see them put in Calenders first M. Cope be ye sure first that they be traytours wisdome would whome you call traytours And if ye can so proue thē as ye haue not yet then let your Irenaeus or Critobulus tell me why doth not this flagrant zeale of yours as hote as purgatory burne out and flame as wel against your owne traytors hauing so many in your own Calendare and Church at home And if there be such a Catholicke zeale in you that hath set your gentle brest on such a pelting chase why then is not this your Catholicke zeale equally indifferent Why take ye on so fell on the one side agaynst sir Iohn Oldcastle sir Roger Acton M. Browne c A man wold think you played Hercules furens in Orchestra On the other syde agayne ye are Oleo tranquillior What indiffirencie maister Cope call you this Or what zeale make you this to be Albeit your zeale I iudge not as I know it not Swifte iudgement shall not become me which go about to correct the same in you But this I exhorte you to beware maister Cope that by your owne fruites and doinges euident ye do not bewray this zeale in you to be Non secundum scientiam nor such a zeale as fighteth Pro Domo Dei sed pro demo Pontificis As I sayde I iudge you not You haue your iudge to whome ye stand or fall My counsayle is that ye do not so zeale the Byshop of Rome that for his sake ye lose your owne soule Ye remember the olde vulgar voice it is not good Ludere cum sanctis worse it is Illudere
of the realme onely rest in this For the king now hauing lost his frendly vncle as the stay staffe of his age whiche had brought him vp so faythfully from his youth was now therby the more open to his enemies they more emboldened so set vpon him As appeared first by Iacke Cade the Kentishe Captayne who encamping first in Blackheath afterward aspired to LondoÌ„ and had the spoyle therof the king being driuen into Warwickshyre After the suppressing of Cade ensued not long after the duke of York who being accompanied with 3. Erles set vpon the king next to S. Albons where the king was taken in the field captiue the Duke of York was by ParliameÌ„t declared protector which was in the yeare of our Lord 1453. After this folowed long diuision and mortal warre betwene the two houses of Lancastar and Yorke continuing many yeares At length about the yeare of our Lord 1459. the Duke of Yorke was slayne in battell by the Queene neare to the towne of Wakefield and with him also his sonne Earle of Rutlande By the which Queene also shortly after in the same yeare were discomfited the Earle of Warwicke and Duke of Northfolk to whom the keeping of the king was committed by the Duke of Yorke and so the Queene agayne deliuered her husband After this victory obteined the Northren men aduauÌ„ced not a litle in pride and courage began to take vpon theÌ„ great attemptes not onely to spoyle and robbe Churches and religious houses villages but also were fully enteÌ„ded partly by themselues partly by the inducemeÌ„t of theyr Lords and Captaynes to sacke waste and vtterly to subuert the City of London and to take the spoyle therof and no doubt â—ayth my history woulde haue proceeded in thyr coÌ„ceiued gredy inteÌ„t had not the oportune fauor of God prouided a speedy remedy For as these mischiefes were in bruing sodenly commeth the noble Prince Edward vnto LoÌ„don with a mighty army the 27. day of February who was the sonne and heire to duke of Yorke aboue mentioned accompanyed with the Earle of Warwicke and diuers moe King Henry in the meane time with his victory went vp to York when as Edward being at London caused there to be proclaymed certayn articles concerning his title to the crowne of England which was the 2. day of March. Wherupon the next day following the Lords both teÌ„porall spirituall being asseÌ„bled together the sayd articles were propouÌ„ded and also well approued The fourth day of the sayd moneth of March after a solemne generall procession according to the blinde superstition of those dayes the Bishop of Exceter made a Sermon at Paules Crosse wherin he commended and proued by manifold euideÌ„ces the title of Prince Edward to be iust and lawfull aunswering in the same to all obiections whiche might be to the contrary This matter being thus discussed Prince Edward accompanied with the Lordes spirituall temporall with much concourse of people rode the same day to Westminster Hall and there by the full consent as well of the Lordes as also by the voyce of all the Commons tooke his possession of the Crowne was called K. Edward the fourth These thinges thus accomplished at London as to such a matter apperteined and preparation of money sufficiently being ministred of the people and commons wyth most ready and willing mindes for the necessary furniture of his warres he with the Duke of Northfolke and Earle of Warwicke and Lord Fauconbrige in all speedy wise tooke his iourney toward king Henry who being now at Yorke and forsaken of the Londoners had all his refuge onely reposed in the Northren men When king Edward with his army had past ouer the Riuer of Trent and was commeÌ„ nere to Ferebrig where also the host of king Henry was not far of vpoÌ„ Palm sonday betwene Ferebrig and Tadcaster both the armyes of the Southren and Northren men ioyned together battell And althoughe at the first beginning diuers horsemen of king Edwardes side turned theyr backes and spoyled the king of cariage victuals yet the couragious prince with his Captayne 's little discouraged therewith fiercely and manfully set on theyr aduersaryes The whiche battell on both sides was so cruelly fought that in the same conflict were slayne to the nuÌ„ber as is reported beside men of name of 30000. of the poore commons Notwithstanding the coÌ„quest fell on king Edwardes part so that king Henry hauing lost all was forced to flye into Scotland where also he gaue vp to the Scottes the towne of Barwicke after he had raigned 38. yeares and a halfe The clayme and title of the Duke of Yorke and after him of Edward his sonne put vp to the Lords coÌ„mons wherby they chalenged the crowne to the house of York is thus in the story of Scala mundi word for word as hereunder is conteyned The title of the house of Yorke to the crowne of England EDward the 3. right king of Englande had issue first prince Edward the 2. W. Hatfield 3. Lionell 4. Iohn of Gaunt c. Prince Edward had Richard the 2. which dyed without issue W. Hatfielde dyed without issue Lionel duke of Clarence had issue lawfully begot Phillip his onely daughter and heyre the which was lawfully coupled to Edmund Mortimer Earle of March and had issue law fully begotte Roger Mortimer Eare of March and heyre Whych Roger had issue Edmund Earle of March Roger Anne and Alienor Edmund and Alienor died without issue and the sayd Anne by lawfull matrimonye was coupled vnto Richard Earle of Cambridge the sonne of Edmund of LaÌ„gley who had issue lawfully bare Richard Plantagenet now Duke of Yorke Iohn of Gaunte gate Henry which vnrightfully entreated king Richard then being aliue Edmund Mortimer Earle of Marche sonne of the sayde Philip daughter to Lionell To the which Richard duke of Yorke and sonne to Anne daughter to Roger Mortimer Earle of March sonne and heyre to the sayde Philip daughter and heyre to the sayd Lionel the 3. sonne of king Edward the 3. the right dignity of the crowne apperteyned belonged afore any issue of the sayd Iohn of Gaunt Notwithstanding the sayd title of dignity of the sayde Richard of Yorke the sayd Richard desiring the wealth rest and prosperity of England agreeth and consenteth that king Henry 6. should be had and taken for king of England during his naturall life from thys time without hurt of his title Wherefore the king vnderstanding the sayd title of the sayde duke to be iust lawfull true and sufficient by the aduise and assent of the Lordes spirituall and temporall and the commons in the Parliament and by the authoritye of the same Parliament declareth approueth ratifieth confirmeth accepteth the sayde title for iust good lawfull and true and there unto geueth his assent and agreement of his free will and liberty And ouer that by the sayde aduise and
good Fortune irriding and mocking the mindes and iudgemeÌ„ts of men which beleue that God by his prouidence gouerneth and regardeth the state of humaine things on earth After that this Mahumete heard of the victories and conquests of other his predecessours and had vnderstanding how Baiazetes lay eight yeares about Constantinople and could not winne it he dispraising Baiazetes and disdaining that so long time should be spent aboute the siege thereof and yet no victory gotten bent all hys studie and deuice how to subdue the same But first hauing a priuie hatred against the Citie of Athens and hauing his hands lately embrued with the bloud of his brethren this murthering Mahumete first of all taketh his vâ—age to subuert and destroy the Citie aforesaid being a famous Schoole of all good learning and discipline Against the which Citie he did so furiously rage for the hatred of good letters that he thought he ought not to suffer the foundation thereof to stand because that Citie was a good nursse and fosterer of good Artes and Sciences wherefore he commaunded the Citie to be rased and vtterly subuerted and wheresoeuer any monuments or bookes could be found he caused them to be cast into durty sinkes and the filthiest places of the Citie or put to the most vile vses that could be deuised for extirping and abolishing of all good literature and if he vnderstood any to lament the case and ruine of that noble place those he greeuously punished and put to death Thus the famous and auncient Schoole of Athens being destroied and ouerthrowne he returned his army power into Thracia where in all haste he gathering hys power together both by sea by laÌ„d with a mighty multitude compassed the Citie of Constantinople about and began to lay his siege against it in the yeare of our Lord 1453. and in the 54. day of the said siege it was taken sacked and the Emperour CoÌ„stantinus slaine As touching the cruelty and fearcenes of the Turkes in getting of this City and what slaughter there was of men women and children what calamitie and misery was there to be sene for somuch as sufficient relation with a full description thereof hath bene made before pag. 708. it shall be superfluous now to repeate the same This only is not to be omitted touching three principall causes of the ouerthrow of this City whereof was the first the filthy auarice of those Citizens which hiding their treasures in the grouÌ„d would not imploy the same to the necessary defence of their City For so I finde it in story expressed that when the Turke after the taking of the City had found not so much treasure as he looked for suspecting with himselfe as the truth was the treasures and riches to be hidden vnder the ground commaunded the earth to be digged vp and the foundations of the houses to be searched where when he had found treasures incredible what quoth he how could it be that this place could euer lacke inunition and fortification which did flow and abound with such great riches as heere is and plenty of all things The second cause was the absence of the Nauy of the UenetiaÌ„s which if they had bene ready in time might haue bene a safegard against the inuasion of the enemies A third cause also may be gathered vpon occasion incident in stories either for that the City of Constantinople fifteene yeares before did yeeld to the Bishop of Rome as is before to be seene pag. 76. or else because as in some writers it is euident that Images were there receaued mainteined in their Churches and by the Turkes the same time destroyed Ioannes Ramus writing of the destructioÌ„ of this Citie amongst other matters maketh relation of the Image of the Crucifixe being there in the high temple of Sophia which Image the Turke tooke and writing this superscription vpon the head of it Hic est Christianorum Deus 1. This is the God of the Christians gaue it to his souldiours to be scorned and commaunding the sayde Image with a trumpet to be carried through all his army made euery man to spit at it most contumeliously Wherein thou hast good Reader by the way to note what occasion of selaunder and offence we Christians geue vnto the barbarous Infidels by this our vngodly superstition in hauing Images in our temples contrary vnto the expresse commandement of God in his word For if Saint Paule writing to the Corinthians faith we knowe Christ now no more after the flesh how much lesse then is Christ to be knowne of vs in blind stockes and Images set vp in our Temples seruing for none other purpose but for the Infidels to laugh both vs our God to scorne and to prouoke Gods vengeance which by the like example I feare may also fall vpon other Cities where such Images and Idolatrous superstition is mainteined whereof God graunt Uienna to take heede betime which hath bene so long and yet is in such great danger of the Turke and polluted with so many Images and plaine Idolatric In summa to make the story short such was the cruelty of these Turkes in winning the Citie that when Mahumete had geuen licence to the souldiours three dayes together to spoile to kill and to do whatsoeuer they listed there was no corner in all Constantinople which did not either flow with Christian bloud or else was polluted with abhominable abusing of maids wiues matrones without al reuereÌ„ce of nature Of the which CitizeÌ„s some they murthered some they rosted vpon spits of some they fleyed off their skin hanging theÌ„ vp to consume with famine of othersome they put salt into their wouÌ„ds the more terribly to torment them insomuch that one of them contended with another who could deuise most strange kinds of new torments and punishments exercising such crueltie vpon them that the place where the Citie was before seemed now to be no citie but a slaughter house or shambles of Christian mens bodies AmoÌ„g the dead bodies the body also of Constantine the Emperour was found whose head being brought to Mahun 〈◊〉 he commaunded to be caried vpon a speare through the whole City for a publike spectacle decision to all the Turkish army And because he would diminish the number of the captiues which seemed to him to be very great he neuer rose from his table but he put euery day some of the nobles to death no lesse to fill his cruell minde with bloud then his body was filled with wine which he vsed so long to do as any of the nobles of that Citie was left aliue And of the other sorte also as the stories do credibly report there passed no day in the which he did not orderly slay more then three hundreth persons the residue he gaue to his rascal souldiours to kill and to do with them what they would Where is to be noted that as