Northampton and in the third was the King himself The Field being thus ordered the King mounted upon a white Hobby and rode from rank to rank encouraging every one to the performance of his Duty The French Army was at least twice more in number consisting of above 60000 Combatants with the flower of all the French Chivalry whereof the chief was the Duke of Alanzon the King's Brother there were besides the Dukes of Lorain and Luxemburg the Earls of Flanders and Artois with other Foreign Princes The French King was so fierce in Confidence of Victory that he would scarce admit of any previous time for Counsel the old King of Bohemia advis'd that the Army should receive some refreshment before the Fight and that the â—rigade of Genâ—ua whereof there were about 15000 Balestiers or Cross-boâ—â—s should make the first Front and the Cavalry to follow next which being agreed upon the Duke of Alanzâ— did stomack that the Genouese should have the Honour of the first Rank This bred such a discontent that they seem'd to be more incens'd against their Leaders then against the Enemy but in the interim there fell such a huge shower of Rain that wetted their Bow-stâ—ings which they had not the wit to cover all the while as the English did insomuch that for the limmerness thereof when they came to Engage they grew useless at the ceasing of the Shower Heaven appear'd in the Action for the English for the Sun did shine full in the faces of the French thereby dazling their Eyes but on the Back of the English King Edward being got into a Wind-mill all the while whence as from a Watch-tower he might explore and behold the face of the Enemy and discerning the disturbance that happen'd because the Genouese were put to change their post instantly gave order to charge that part which made the Genouese recoil Alanzon perceiving this rides about in a rage crying out Sa Sa le ts make way over the bellies of these Italians for they do but hinder us so riding thorow them he came up to the English wing where the Prince of Wales was the fight grew furious and doubtful insomuch that the Commanders about the Prince sent up to the King for a recruit of Power the King asking the messenger whether his Son was wounded or slain and being answered no he replied Then tell them who sent you that as long as my Son is alive they send no more to me for my will is that he win his Spurs and have the honour of this day so the combattings on both sides being wonderfully eager the French King had his Horse killed under him and so with-drew which being known by the English it added much to their Courage so that soon after they became masters of the Field and being in heat of Blood they made no Prisoners but put all to the Sword so that the number of the French slain surmounted the whole Army of the English for there fell about 30000 of the Enemy the chief whereof was the Duke of Alanzon the Dukes of Bourbon and Lorain the Earl of Flanders the Dauphine de Viennois Son to Imbert who afterwards gave the Province of Dauphiny to the French King provided his first Son should be called Dauphine in perpetuum and as a Corollary to this mighty Victory the next day sending Scouts abroad there was another French Army discovered under the conduct of the Arch-bishop of Roan whom the English encounter'd also and utterly defeated There was one passage very remarkable in this Battle whereof Sir Walter Rawleigh makes mention That a day before the Engagement the King sent one Captain David Gam a Welshman to explore and view the French Army which he did with no less danger than Fidelity and brought word that there were in the Enemies Army men enough to Kill enough to take Prisoners and enough to run away which proved true and so the Welsh Captain was knighted in the Field This mighty Victory was seconded a few years after by another more memorable for the Black Prince having now wun his Spurs and being taper'd up to his full growth was sent to Gascoigny where the truce being expir'd he overruns all the Country as far as Tourain thereupon John the then French King rais'd a potent Army more numerous then that at Cressy and going to find out the Prince of Wales he heard of him about Poictiers having not above 10000 effective Men in his whole Army and they also having been tir'd with long Marches whereas the French were fresh and were 6 times as many whereupon the Prince being advised to turn falls about towards Bourdeaux when he was suddenly surrounded by the French Army upon which a Battle being intended there came two Cardinals to mediate an Accommodation but the French King would hearken to none unless the Prince as a vanquish'd man would render up himself and his whole Army to discretion this was of hard digestion at a Prince of such a Courage therefore he answered That at the Mediation of the Holy Father he was willing to restore such places which he had taken en bonne Guerre provided this might be done without prejudice to his Honour whereof he was accountable to the King his Father c. the French King not hearkning to this resolved to fight thereupon the Prince also resolv'd for his part to part with his life at as high a rate as he could in such a strait wherefore making a vertue of necessity by a happy providence he makes choice of an advantagious ground for finding that the French Army consisted most in Cavalry he entrench'd among the adjacent Vineyards where when the French Horse furiously entred being wrap'd and entangled amongst the Vines the English Archers did so ply pelt and gall them that being thereby disordered unrank'd and routed the whole Army in a short time was totally defeated But it seems that this Battel was not so fiercâ— as that of Cressy where no quarter was given for in this a great number of Prisoners were made among whom was King John himself and Phillip his youngest Son whom the Princâ— brought to England and as the French Historian themselves confess he was so civil unto him aâ— the while that he knew not whither he was iâ— quality of a free King or of a Captive And here a fair occasion is given to discoverâ— and vindicate a great truth touching the individual person who first took King John and hâ— was a Welsh Gentleman one Howel of the Life-guard to the Prince which Guard used to carry a kind of battle Axes or Partisans thâ— Howel it seems being one of them in the confus'd medley and fury of the Fight did fortunately meet with the King and seis'd upon him but suddenly in the hurly burly there were some Frenchmen of the Prince's Army rush'd in and the King knowing one of them call'd to him whose name was Myrobrecht de Artois who going on with others to present the Prisoner to
the Prince there was a contest who took him first and the King was desired to point at him so he pointed at Howel and said this is the Man who took me There are authentick Records in some Welsh Manuscripts that confirm this Moreover they have a general Tradition and some Songs which continue fresh to this day how Howel did put a Bridle in the French King's Mouth with many other Expressions touching this great Act. Now for that signal exploit the Prince knighted him in the Field and he was ever after call'd Sir Howel y Fuyall Sir Howel with the Axe he had the Constableship of Crikyth Castle given him with the farms of Chester mills and other considerable things conferr'd upon him which surely would not have been but for the merit of some high signal Service The British Records besides Tradition and common Report that mention this were to be found in Sir John Winn's Library an honourable knowing Knight who was a curious collector of Antiquities These and many other glorious exploits were done by this King in France who ceased not his pursuits till he had got the Key of it hanging at his Girdle to wit the Town of Calais that in those days was looked upon to be impregnable which he carried after a long Siege This Kings Reign is also memorable upon many other accounts as for the Institution of the noble Order of the Garter for removing the staple of Wool from Flanders into England for that great Champion against Rome the famous Wickliff and for his own numerous issue by his Heroick Queen Phillipa being no less then seven Sons and five Daughters his Sons were these Edward the Black Prince the hopes of England and who died before his Father William of Hatfield Lioneâ— Duke of Clarence John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Edmund of Langley Duke of York William of Windsor and Thomas of Woodstock Duke of Glocester he died at Richmond in 1377. when he had Reigned 50 Years and odd Months The cause of the War twixt the English and French in Edward the III. time was a claim to the Crown and Kingdom of France in right of his Mother Isabel which they would make invalid by their Salique or distaâ—â— Law to which the greatest Civilians do allow 〈◊〉 essence at all and Du Haillan the great French Historian hath no better Opinion of it but to be a meâ— Chymera or Imaginary thing but of this more presently OF THE Salique Law HERE I judge it no ways impertinent to be a little more particular yet touching the claim of this King Edward to the Crown of France and what grounds the French had by vertue of this Salique Law for the exclusion of him claiming from a Female and first we will briefly state his claim as it then stood and then come to the Law it self and it was thus Phillip the IV. surnamed the Fair had three Sons Lewis the Contentious Phillip the Long and Charles the Fair all these successively reigned after him and died without issue inheritable he had likewise a Daughter named Isabel I purposely omit the other being foreign to the present affair married to Edward the II. King of England and so was Mother to Edward the III. The issue male of Phillip the Fair thus failing Phillip Son and Heir of Charles Earl of Valois Beaumont c. who was Brother to Phillip the Fair laid claim to the Crown as next heir male against King Edward who made answer to the objection of the Salique Law that admitting it was as they asserted yet he was heir-male though descended of a Daughter and this in a publick assembly of the States of France first about the Protectorship of the Womb for Queen Joan Dowager of Charles the Fair was left with Child and delivered of a Daughter named Blanch afterwards Dutchess of Orleans was had in solemn dispute by Lawyers on both sides and applied at length also to the direct point of inheriting the Crown and so adjudged against King Edward What followed hereupon we have in some measure traced in the Preceding History of his Wars and are more at large recorded in Walsingham Froissart Aemilius and a multitude of more modern Writers whereby it appears and will in the Wars of this King's Successors in France how the denial of this Soveraignty to him by the French cost the lives of many thousands of their Men and involved that Country into long and miserable Calamities But as for the Law it self whereby they pretended such an exclusion of him it may well be said with Drayton in his Poly-Albion that every mouth speaks of it but few understand the thing it self or so much as the Etymology of its name and therefore to clear this point as well as we can we are necessitated to ascend a little higher then these times wherein it was made use of in prejudice to the English claim and to begin with the Original of the Francks with whom they affirm it was brought into France The Francks therefore according to many modern Historians came originally from Asia into Germany though others and perhaps upon better grounds make their original to be in Germany it self but this is certain that upon the decline of the Roman Empire they inhabited Franconia a Province of Germany and about the year 413 or according to Davila 119 invaded France under Pharamond whom they chose to be their King and Leader which Pharamond they make to be Son to Marcovir a Prince that governed them in Franconia but first before they began their Expedition they held a general Assembly near unto a River named Sala and there by the advice of the Salij their Priests or as others of the Salians whom they make to be the same with Francks enacted Laws for Government and amongst the rest one for the Exclusion of Females from inheriting the Crown which from the aforesaid appellations whether one or all it matters not came to be denominated the Salique Law But Goropius that fetches all our of Dutch and this perhaps more tollerably then many of his other Etymologies deriving the Salians name from Sal which in contraction he makes to be from Sadel inventors whereof says he the Salians were interprets them to be as much as Horse-men a name fitly applied to the War-like and most noble Persons of any Nation as Equites in Latin Chevaliers in French and Marchog in Welch do very well agree to so that upon the whole the Salique Law is made by him to be as much as a Chivalrous Law and Salique Land Quae ad equestris ordinis dignitatem in capite summo in caeteris membris conservandam pertinebat which very well agrees with a sentence given in the Parliament at Bourdeaux upon an ancient Will devising all the Testator's Salique Lands which was in point of Judgment interpreted to be a Fief and who knows not but that Fiefs were originally military Gifts but if things be so how then comes Salique to extend to the
Crown which is held to be meerly without Tenure therefore saith a later Lawyer Ego scio legem salicam agere de privato Patrimonio tantum I know the Salique Law intends only private Possessions Again there are some who pretend to give us the names of the Compilers of this Law and not this alone but of many others as they say viz. Wisogast Bodogast Salogast and Windogast wise Councellors about that Pharamonds Reign the text of it in this part is offered us by Claude de Seissell Bishop of Marseilles Bodin and other French Writers as if it were as ancient as the original of the name in these words De Terra Salica nulla Portio Haereditatis Mulieri veniat sed ad virilem sexum tota terrae Hereditas perveniat No part of the Salique Land can descend to the Daughter but all to the Male and in substance as if referr'd to the person of the Kings Heir Female so much if remembred by that great Civilian Baldus and divers others but rather as a custom then any particular Law as an Author of that Kingdom hath expresly Written Ce n' est point vne loye ecritte mais nee auec nous que nous n' avons point inventer mais l' avons puisse de la nature meme qui le nous a ainsi apris donne cet instinct that is this is no Law Written but learned of Nature But why the same Author dares affirm that King Edward yielded upon this point to the French Phillip de Valois I wonder seeing all storie and carriage of state in those times is so manifestly opposite Becanus undertakes a conjecture of the first cause which excluded Gynaecocracie among them guessing it to be upon their observation of the misfortune in War which their Neighbours the Bructerans a people about the now over Issel in the Netherlands from near whom he as many others first derive the Franks endur'd in the time of Vespasian under the Conduct and Empire of one Velleda a Lady even of Divine Esteem amongst them The learned Drayton who has particularly treated of this Subject leaves it at last in suspence and concludes thus But howsoever the Law be in Truth or Interpretable for it might ill beseem me to offer determination in a matter of this kind it is certain that to this day they have an usage of ancient time which commits to the care of some of the greatest Peers that they when the Queen is in Child-birth be present and warily observe left the Ladies privily should counterfeit the inheritable Sex by supposing some other made when the true Birth is Female or by any such means wrong their ancient Custom Royal. But by his favour this is a custom in England as well as in France where the Females do notwithstanding inherit the Crown and never any Law pretended to the contrary I shall therefore conclude upon the whole with this one Remark that notwithstanding the many Volumes that have been writ to justifie King Edward and his Successors Title to France tho' its true the English in that age were better skilled in the Sword then in the Pen and the great dust that has been raised by the French under pretence of this Salique Law to impede his way to their Crown Yet after all it appears clearly to me that the aforesaid Dutchess of Orleans had a better Title then either King Edward or Phillip de Valois for she was Daughter to Charles the Fair the last King of the Caputian line whereas Edward was descended only from Isabel Sister to this same King And as for Phillip de Valois his pretentions had little of reality in them when'tis plain Hugh Capet descended from a Female of the Carolovinian line yet succeeded to the Crown of France and where was their Salique Law then whereof they afterwards so much boasted that it was born with them and never Writ but taught by Nature RICHARD II. SOn to Edward the Black Prince by Joan his Wife Daughter to Edmund Earl of Kent the youngest Son of King Edward I. succeeded his Grand-Father King Edward III. being but eleven years old but had neither his Wisdom nor good Fortune from Bourdeaux his Birth-place where his Father kept his residence as Duke of Aquitaiâ— he was called Richard of Bourdeaux in his Minority he was governed by his Unkles the Dukes of Lancaster and Glocester his Reign was first much disturbed with the Scots and there were also divers traverses of War especially by Sea with France for the French began to improve in Navigation and did us much mischief for they burnt a good part of Rye Hastings and Portsmouth advancing into the River as far as Gravesend where they likewise took booties and burnt almost all the place they also took footing in the Isle of Wight but were soon repell'd Sir John Arundel being sent with a considerable Fleet to Bretaign was disastrously cast away with above 1000 Persons more whereof some were of Rank and Gallantry but a little after Sir Hugh Caverley and Sir Thomas Percy being made Admirals they so scowr'd and secur'd the Seas and they took such a World of Prises that French Wines were sold in London for a Mark a Tunn and 't is a passage of some remark how one John Philpot a Citizen of London mann'd out a Fleet at his own charge took Prises and did many exploits against the French yet at his return he was questioned for setting forth Men of War without a Warrant from King and Council This Reign is also remarkable for the famous Rebellion of Wat. Tyler and Jack Straw for the expeditions of the Duke of Lancaster into Spain but especially for that famous interview between the Kings of England and France between Calais and St. Omers manag'd with all the Ceremony Pomp and Grandeur that could be imagined and where a knot of Friendship was tied by King Richards taking the Lady Isabel to Wife the King of France's Daughter he being then a Widdoer as having buried Queen Anne the King of Bohemia's Daughter about two Years before this King after much male-administration was at length deposed when he had reigned 22 Years and about 3 Months and was soon after murder'd in Pomfret Castle in Yorkshire HENRY IV. COmmonly called Henry of Bullingbrook the first King of this line was Son to John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster 4th Son of Edward III. he came to the Crown by the power of the Sword but with the consent of the People the issue of Lionel Duke of Clarence 3 Son to the said King Edward being laid aside that had a precedent right he was a Prince of singular Prowess but most part of his time was taken up in suppressing of Rebellions at home and in the old trade of warring with Scotland whereat the French grew insolent fitted out divers Fleets and attempted the Coasts of England first under the count of St. Paul who landed at the Isle of Wight with 7000 Men where he burnt some Villages
from his Barons and Clergy prevented his further designs yet about the 15th Year of his Reign having entred into a strong confederacy with other Foreign Princes he set sail for Bretaign and laid Siege to Nantes where a bloody Battle was fought the French King being once in great danger of his Life but at length proved victorious and took many Prisoners whereof of Note were the Earls of Brabant Holland Flanders and Bolloign the Emperor who was also at the Battle being driven out of the Field and 6000 marks on the King of Englands part was the purchase of a Truce for Five Years Commotions in England soon followed upon the neck of this and for male-Administration in so much that aâ— length Lewis the Dauphine was invited over by the Barons to take upon him the Crown of England who came accordingly with little opposition but being soon after displeased with their new King they resolved to cast him off and so he was fain at last to depart from whence he came This was an unhappy Reign but memorable for Magna Charta and for building of London Bridge of Stone This King dyed at Lyn as he was marching with his Army to Fight the Dauphine when he had reigned Seventeen Years and about five Months and was Aged 51 Years Anno. 1216. The first ground of this War was That Phillip of France did infringe the Truce made with England for 5 Years and invaded Normandy Then another Truce being made he violated that also and still fomented the Barons Wars HENRY III. COmmonly called Henry of Winchester from his Birth Place succeeded his Father King John at the Age of Nine Years as next heir maugre all the attempts of Lewis the Dauphine of France whose Forces were defeated at Lincoln by the Kings Guardian and Brother-in-Law the famous Earl of Pembrook and so from that time forward things went worse and worse with him most places yielding by Land and his Fleet utterly destroyed by Sea by Hubert de Burg Eustace a Monk that commanded it being slain by Richard a Bastard Son of King John he yielded up his claim to the Crown and so returned with a glimmering of it into France Henry about the 14th Year of his Reign determined to make War upon France and to that purpose he assembled at Portsmouth all his Nobility Knights and such a vast number both of Horse and Foot as never was done by any of his predecessors designing to have recovered all those Territories his Father had lost but when they came to be Shipped they had not Carriages enough for half the Army which he imputed to the Treachery of Hugo de Burg his chief Justice and in a rage drawing his Sword would have killed him had it not been for the Earl of Chester that interposed the Earl of Bretaign who was present and bound by an Oath to conduct the King to his Country and others perswaded him to defer his Expedition for that Season and so his mighty Preparations for the present vanished But the Year following King Henry with a mighty Army sailed into Bretaign and after he had ravaged and committed great Spoil in the Country laid Siege to the City of Nantes but after the Consumption of a vast Treasure and the loss of many Men by sickness and otherwise returned into England the same Year but set all things first in order for the Conservation of the Country of Bretaign The French making use of the Opportunity of the King's absence took the City of Rochel and so pushing on their Conquest reduced the whole Province of Poictiers to their obedience which King John his Father had Conquered whereat Henry being nettled prepared for another mighty Expedition but with the same fatal success as before For after several Bickerings wherein were lost many of his Men he made a Peace and returned re infecta but recovered at last the Province of Aquitain The later part of his Reign was so taken up with intestine Broils in the Barons Wars wherein sometimes he was worsted and imprisoned sometimes prevailed against his Enemies that he had no leasure to look after his Territories abroad and call the French to an Account for them till at last after he had lived 65 Years and of them Reigned 56 and odd Days and lavished away an immense Treasure he resigned his Breath to him that gave it at Edmundsbury in Suffolk was buried at Westminster Anno. 1272 and was happy in nothing so much as in the hopes of his eldest son Edward 1. One Cause of his Wars with France was that the French assisted the Scots against him 2. Another was the Recovery of those Towns and Provinces the French unjustly took from him and his Ancestors EDWARD I. SUrnamed â—ong-shanks the Son of Henry was in the Holy Land with Eleanor his Wife when the Crown fell to him being then about 33 Years old He began his Reign the 16th oâ— November and arrived with his Queen in England the 15 of Aug. following being in the Year 1273 He proved a warlike wise and victorious Prince and may justly be stiled The best Law-giver He made several Expeditions against Wales and Scotland the latter became Tributary to him and the former he reduced entirely under the Obedience of the Crown of England and has so continued to this day but the Stratagem he used for to satisfy those unruly Spirits and keep theâ— in Subjection may be worthy of observation Having about the 12th Year of his Reign reduced all Wales and by a Statute made at Ruthyn incorporated and annext it to the Crown of England but finding he could not win the good will of the People unless he would engage to reside amongst them or allow them a Prince of their own Nation to govern them and that after several Conferences no English Deputies would do but that they were content to submit to any Man he should name provided he were a Welchman at length he privily sends for his Queen then big with Child and caused her to remain at Carnarvaâ— Castle where she was brought to bed of a Son at which time he sends for the Barons and chief Men of Wales to come to him to Ruthyn to deliberate about the affairs of the Country and when they came he told them he had now occasion to go out of that Country but before he went he was determined to name them a Prince if they promised to obey him they replyed They would proviâ—â—d he were one of their own Nation wherefore 〈◊〉 King rejoined he would name one born in 〈◊〉 m and that could speak never a word of â—â—glish and who was of unspotted Life and Conâ—â— Csation and when all was agreed to he namâ—d his Son Edward born as aforesaid But notwithstanding this King had so much to do with Wales and Scotland yet he was no ways â—egligent of his Affairs and Interest in France 〈◊〉 as soon as he had any leasure which was 〈◊〉 the 22d Year of his Reign first like a wise
〈◊〉 takes care to have sufficient Treasure for such an undertaking and therefore in a Parliamentary way raised a vast Summ of Money and so provides an Army and Fleet of Ships suitable to such an Expedition the Army rendevouz'd at Portsmouth the command whereof he gave to his Nephew John de Brytain Earl of Richmond with whom he joined in Commission John St. John and Robert Tripot two prudent Knights from whence they set Sail and Landed at St. Matthews in Bretaign and in the mean time set out three Fleets for the guard of the Seas and to prevent the Depredations of the Enemy they entred the Mouth of the Garonne towards Burdeaux and took two good walled Towns Burgo and Bleya from whence they marched to Lyons and had the town delivered to them about four years after he generously goes over in Person into Flanders for the relief of Guy Earl of that Country who was grievously assaulted by the French King and after many Noble atchievments performed a Peace was concluded Edward taking to Wife Margaret sister to Phillip the fair then King of France This King dyed in 1307 when he had reigned 34 Years 7 Months and odd days Aged 68 and was buried at Westminster 1. One cause of this Breach with France was the Depredations that were committed at Sea 2. The Relief of Guy Earl of Flanders who was in danger of losing his Country EDWARD II. COmmonly called Edward of Caernarvan the first Prince of England that bore in his Fathers life time the Title of Prince of Wales proved an unworthy Successor to so brave a Father for he was a dissolute Prince and wholly guided by his favourites the first whereof was Pierce Gaveston who was bred up with him and on whom he conferred two and thirty Towns and as many Castles in Gascoigny besides great Summs of Money out of the Earldom of Cornwall during his life which together with his arrogance the Barons being not able to brook combined to force the King to banish him and so little did this Prince understand his true interest herein that instead of parting with such a pernicious Man and thereby securing his Interest at Home and taking measures for the same in France and elsewhere he intended to give up Gascoigny to the French King Scotland to Robert Bruce and Ireland and Wales to others as hoping thereby to obtain such aid as might secure him his favourite against all the just attempts of his Barons to the Contrary but no sooner was this Man removed but he had two others the Spencers Father and Son that were as pernicious as he and proved more fatal to Edward every way for though they received at length condign Punishment yet it was through their advice chiefly that Edward refused to go to the French King to do Homage for Aquitain and other lands he held of him and thereby lost Anjou and the Country of Poictiers and 't was his adherence to them that raised his Barons and Queen against him which ended in a sad Catastrophe first in his being deposed next in making a formal Resignation of the Crown and lastly in being soon after barbarously Murdered at Berkley Castle by the procurement of Roger Mortimer Earl of March the Queens favourite He reigned 19 Years 6 Months and odd days and died in 1327. EDWARD III. COmmonly called Edward of Windsor the eldest Son of Edward the Second succeeded his Father upon his Resignation of the Crown being then about the Age of 14 his Reign commencing from the 25 of January in the year of our Lord 1326. he proved a blessing to England and was a Prince of great Wisdom and very successful in his enterprises the younger part of his Reign was much ecclipsed by Roger Mortimer Earl of March the Queen his Mothers paramour but he got quickly rid of him for he was seised at Notingham by the Kings order and concurrence just as he was going to bed to the Queen and for all the Queens crying out to him Bel Fils Bel Fils ayes pitie de gentil Mortimer i.e. Good Son Good Son take pitty upon gentle Mortimer he was forthwith carryed away to London committed to the Tower condemned by his Peers in Parliament at Westminster hanged at Elmes and left hanging upon the Gallows two â—ays and Nights and all this unheard because he had done so by others before this King made several successful expeditions into Scotland and made the King thereof do him homage but the feat of his Wars was in France for Charles King of France dying the Masculine line of Hugh Capet failed and the Crown descended to Edward the Third as he alledged in right of his Mother Isabel who was Sister to the said Charles but Phillip de Valois Uncle to Charles intruded himself by force of Arms and took Possession and was not only Aggressor in this respect but grew so confident of his power that nothing would serve him but he must have all our King had left in France and therefore bends his Force against all the King's Castles and Towns in Aquitain and Poictiers and exercises abominable cruelties upon the English Inhabitants and all this under pretence of taking revenge for his Friends the Scots The King in the mean time holds a Parliament obtains considerable supplies and writes Letters to the French King exhorting him to continue his old amity but neither this nor the Pope's Mediation for a Peace would do so King Edward makes mighty preparation both by Sea and Land and the first Action happened to be by Sea and as memorable an one as any in the records of time for he took and sunk 200 Sail of French ships which Phillip de Valois had prepared in the Haven of Sluce for the Invasion of England which Fleet like that of 88 was held invincible but King Edward had equipp'd another as formidable a Fleet in opposition whereof he was Generalissimo and Admiral himself It was one of the most glorious Victories that ever was got at Sea for the Chronicles mention that the whole French Navy perished and 30000 Men Wounded Slain and Taken This great Naval Battel was fought upon Midsummer Eve and Heaven appeared much for the English for they had Wind and Sun favourable to them in the Fight and to make it more glorious King Edward himself was wounded in the Thigh with an Arrow whereof he was quickly cured He then goes in Person to France with 8000 common Soldiers 15000 Archers but he raised most of his Horse in France he took over with him his Son the Prince of Wales then but 15 years Old called afterwards the Black Prince He enters Normandy like a Whirle-wind and carries all the Countrey before him as far as Poissy about 10 miles from Paris and after divers hot Skirmishes a main Battel is appointed The English Army encamped near a Village called Cressy where it was divided into 3 Battallions the first was led by the Prince of Wales the second by the Earls of Arundel and
but the Island grew quickly too hot for him Plymouth also was plundered and divers Houses burnt whereupon the Western men were permitted to set out Ships of War whereby they sufficiently revenged themselves of the French and at one time took 40 Sail. The French take footing again in the Isle of Wight with 1000 Men but they were repelled with the slaughter of many hundreds afterwards the Admiral of Britany with the Lord of Castile and 30 sail attempt Dartmouth where at a fierce assault du Castile was slain with his two Brothers The English during this Reign had occasion also to signalize themselves by Land in France upon two several occasions for a great Feud happening between the Duke of Burgundy whom the French King and his eldest Son favouredâ— and the Duke of Orleans whose Father had been put to death by the procurement of the former it came at last to open Wars between them but Burgundy finding his adversary had powerful assistance from the Kings of Navarre and Arragon the Dukes of Bituria Bretaign and others makes his application to King Henry for aid who aâ—â— first gave him good Counsel and afterwards seâ—â— him good force under the command of Thomas Earl of Arundel the famous Sir John Old-castâ—â— Lord Cobham and others with which reinforcement he prevailed powerfully against his Enemy insomuch that about a year after Orleans also becomes a Suiter to the same King Henry for assistance against Burgundy which the King also granted and dispatched away under the command of Thomas Duke of Clarence Edward Duke of York c. many valiant Men who landed in Normandy where Orleans was to meet them but did not at the time appointed however they prosecuted their design and took many strong places and at length Orleans and Clarence meâ— and having settled their Affairs the English departed to their Winter Quarters in Aquitain Henry like a wise Prince designed to make use oâ— these Dissentions in France and exprest as much to the Archbishop of Canterbury saying Behold now is the acceptable time let us go into France and win with small adâ— that which is our right but being then labouring under a great Sickness he was by his Lords with much difficulty perswaded to the contrary and thus ended his Wars in France he himself dying soon after this last expedition under Clarence to wit on the 20th of March Anno 1412. Aged 46. when he had Reigned 13 Years and about 6 Months and was buried at Canterbury by his first Wife the Lady Mary Daughter to Bohun Earl of Essex he had issue four Sons Henry that succeded him Thomas Duke of Clarence John Duke of Bedford and Humphry Duke of Glocester of whom it was said they could not be distinguished for their excellency save that Henry was the Eldest He had also 2 Daughters Blanch Dutchess of Bavaria and Phillipa Queen of Denmark The causes of this War was first self-preservation and that the French assisted the Scots against England and had also sent 12000 Men to Owen Glendower a Brittish Prince who was up in Arms against the King but a few daies after they landed at Milford Haven they ran again back to their Ships HENRY V. COmmonly called Henry of Monmouth the eldest Son of Henry IV. proved a great Prince was a mirror of Magnanimity and stands to this day one of the greatest Ornaments of our English Chronicles he no sooner mounted the Throne but he had his Eye presently upon France for recovering his Royal Right to that Crown in order whereunto he alter'd in his Arms the bearing of Semy Deluces and quarter'd the 3 full Flower Deluces as France her self did bear them thereupon he sent the Duke of Exeter in a magnificent Embassy attended with 500 Horse to Paris to demand the Crown and receiving no satisfactory answer but rather a jeer the Dauphine sending King Henry a sackful of Racket Court-balls to employ his time he replied that for every one of those Balls he had so many fiery Bullets to bandy at the proudest Towers of France as he should quickly find and so he presently got over and encounter'd the French Army at Agen-Court the French King himself being at the head of it which he utterly overthrew and took more Prisoners then he had common Soldiers the battel was fought upon a Sunday Morning about the time of high Mass for having sent notice to England before that extraordinary prayers should be made in all Churches about ten a Clock in the Morning he stood upon the defensive part all the while till then but then making a moving oration to his whole Army and among other strains telling them how all England was praying for them at that very hour he obtained a most glorious and compleat Victory Besides that great Act of Piety another of Policy was us'd for the King to prevent the fury of the French Cavalry appointed divers stakes studded with Iron at both ends of about 6 foot long to be pitch'd behind the Archers and ordered that Pioners should attend to remove them as they should be directed which invention conduc'd much to the good success of the Action The King himself charged the Duke of Alanzon who being beaten off his Horse was slain there was also a great slaughter of all kind of French Prisoners because the number was so great that nothing could give assurance of safety but by making them away At length after many wonderful Feats and Successes performed especially by himself and noble Brothers the Dukes of Clarence Bedford and Glocester he was upon Articles agreed between him and Charles VI. then King of France made Regent of that Kingdom and proclaimed both there and in England Heir Apparent to the French Crown and did thereupon take Katherine the said Kings Daughter to Wife but the Dauphin afterwards Charles VII who judged himself much aggrieved hereby made a strong Party in the Kingdom and with a great Army laid Siege to the Town of Cosney which King Henry was so concerned at that he resolved to go in person to the raising of it but he was so eager and over-hasty in his March that he could reach no further then Senlis trusting to his Brother the Duke of Bedford's care in the prosecuting of that design who relieved the Town and obliged the Dauphine to retreat and there his Fever so increased upon him that he made his last Will and appointed his Jewels to be sold for the payment of his Debts and ordained his Brother the Duke of Bedford to be Regent of France and Normandy and so died at Vincennes leaving no issue but a young Son whose Education he left to the Cardinal of Winchester and the Government of England during his Minority to Humphrey Duke of Glocester being the year of our Lord 1422. Aged 38 and having Reigned 9 Years and odd Months he had the mortification to have his Brother Clarence slain with many fine Soldiers at the Siege of Bauge in Anjou before he died but