also begynnynge of the thyrde yere of kynge Rycharde and so came to Soysons and passed the ryuers of Oyse and of Marne and other so went before Troys and wanne it and after lodged them atwene newe towne and Sens. And euer as they passed the countreys other they toke great fynaunces or elles fyred the townes as they went And all be it that the Frenche kynge hadde sente agayne them an armye of Frenchemen to withstande them they letted them nothinge of theyr purpose but and they had any skyrmysshes with them the Frenchemen were put vnto the wors so that they bette them toke of them dyuers prysoners and raunsomed them at theyr pleasures And thus holdynge theyr iourneye they passed by the countrey of Gastinoys and so into Brytayne where they were ioyously receyued of syr Iohn̄ de Mountforde duke of that prouince than newly comyn thyther Anno domini M.CCC.lxxx  Anno dn̄i M.CCC.lxxxi Fysshemonger walter Doket  wyllyam walworthe  Anno. iiii  wyllyam Knyghthode  IN this Mayres yere and ende of the thyrde yere of kyng Rycharde towarde the somer season in dyuers places of the lande the commons arose sodainly and ordeyned to them rulers and capytaynes and specially in Kent Essex The whiche named their leders Iacke straw wylwawe watte Tyler Iacke Shepeherde Tomme Myller Hobbe Carter These vnruled companye gathered vnto them great multitude of the commons after spedde them towarde the cytie of London and assembled them vpon Blacke hethe in Kent within .iii. myles of Lōdon And vppon corpus Christi daye beynge thanne the .xi. daye of Iune they entred the Towre of London and there the kynge beynge thanne lodged toke frome thens parforce mayster Sudberye than archebysshoppe of Caunterbury syr Robert Halys lorde or pryour of saynte Iohannes and a whyte frere cōfessour vnto the kynge whiche .iii. persones with houge noyse crye they ladde vnto the Hylle of the sayde Towre and smote of theyr heddes And whan they hadde so done they returned into Suthewarke by botes and barges there slewe and robbed all straungers tha they myghte fynde And that done they wente to westmynster toke with them all maner of Seyntwarymen so came vnto y e duke of Lācasters place standing without y e Temple barre called Sauoye spoyled that was therin and after sette it vpon a fyre and brent it And from thens they yode vnto y e hede place of saynt Iohn̄s in Smythefelde dispoiled that place in lyke wyse Than they entred the citye and serched the temple other Innes of courte and spoyled theyr places brent theyr bokes of lawe and slewe as many men of lawe and questmongers as they myght fynde And that done they went to saynte Martyns the Graunde toke with them all sayntwary men and the prisoners of Newgate Ludgate of bothe counters and distroyed theyr registers and bokes and in like maner they dyd with the prysoners of the Marshalsy and kinges benche in Southwerke whan Iacke Strawe had thus done all thyng at his wyll sawe y t no resistence was made agayne him he was smytten with so houge a presumpcion that he thought no man his pere And so beynge enflamed with y t presumpcion pryde he rode vnto the Towre where y e kyng was beynge smally accompanyed of hys lordes caused hym to ryde aboute some parte of the cytie and so conueyed hym into Smythfelde where in the kynges presence he caused a proclamacyon to be made and dyd full small reuerence vnto the kynge which mysordre presūpcyon whan wyllyam walworthe than Mayre of London behelde of very pure dysdayne that he had of his pryde ran to him sodainly with his swerde and wounded hym to dethe forthwith strake of his hede and areryd it vpō a speres poynte and therewith cryed kynge Rycharde kynge Rycharde whan the rebelles behelde theyr capytaynes hede anone they fledde as shepe Howe be it many were taken and many were slayne and the remenaunt chased that the cytie and subbarbes of y e same was clene voyded of them y t nyght whiche was mondaye and the .xv. day of Iune whan the kyng had beholden the great manhode of the Mayre and assystence of his bretherne the Aldermen anone in rewarde of that dede he dubbed the sayde wyllyam walworthe Nycholas Brembre Iohn̄ Philpot Nycholas Twyfforde Robert Laūdre and Roberte Gayton aldermen knyghtes And in this season also called the hurlynge tyme the cōmons of Norfolke and Suffolke came vnto the abbey of Burye there slewe one of the kynges Iustyces called Iohn̄ Caundysshe and the pryour of the place with other and after spoyled bare awaye moche thyng out of that sayd place But after this aswell the one as the other of these rebelles were taken in dyuers and sondry places and put in execucyon by .x. by .xii. by .xv. and .xx. so that one of them accused y e other to the distruction of a great noumbre of them Anno dn̄i M.CCC.lxxxi  Anno dn̄i M.CCC.lxxxii  Iohn̄ Rote  Iohn̄ Northampton  Anno. v.  Iohn̄ Hynde  IN this Mayres yere and moneth of Aprell landed in Kent dame Anne the doughter of Charles the .iiii. late Emperour of Almayne lately dede and syster vnto wensyslaus at that day Emperour the whiche of the Mayre cytezyns of London was honorably met vpō blacke hethe and conueyed with great tryumphe vnto westmynster the .viii. day of the moneth of Maye shortely after there solemply maryed vnto kyng Richarde And about the same season or after some wryters in the later ende of Iune was an erthequaue in Englange that the lyke therof was neuer sene in Englande before that day nor sen. Anno dn̄i M.CCC.lxxxii  Anno dn̄i M.CCC.lxxxiii  Adam Bame  Iohn̄ Northampton  Anno. vi  Iohn̄ Sely.  IN this yere mayster Henrye Spencer bisshope of Norwyche with a great power of spirituall men and other croysed by the commaundement of the pope than Clement the .vii. enduryng the scisme before touched in the laste chapyter of Charles y e .vi. than kynge of Fraūce This sayd pope gaue this auctoryte to the sayd bysshoppe to make warre vpon the kynge of Spayne as some wryters haue for so moche as he contrarye the sayde popes commaundement withhelde certayne possessions belongynge of ryght vnto the duke of Lancastre syr Iohn̄ of Gaunte and specially vnto dame Constaūce his wyfe In perfourmaunce of whiche acte the said bysshoppe entryng the countrey of Flaunders fande there y e flemynges with dyuers myscreauntes suche as the foresaid king of the countrey of Spayne had thyther sent makyng resystence agayne hym wherfore he made to thē sharpe warre and wanne vpon them certayne townes as Grauelyng Burburgth and Dunkyrke and wanne great and ryche pyllage so that he his souldyours stuffed and freight with it as testyfyeth Policronycon xli shyppes But soone after the Flemynges assembled wyth suche strength that
in lawe wyllyam son of kynge Henry whyche hadde maryed hys doughter About the .xx. yere of the reygne of kyng Henry quene Molde or Mawde hys wyfe dyed in Normandy the whyche in her youthe was set by her father kyng of Scottes into a nunry and there ware vsed the vayle and habyte of a nunne For the whiche cause when kynge Henry was agreable to take her vnto wyfe thys mater fell in great despucyon Anselme then archebyshop of Caunterbury was sore agayne that maryage a season of tyme. But at length yt was suffycyeÌ„tly proued that she was there as a fygure a woman worynge that habyte wythoute professyon of order And this was thus ordered by her father to the ende to put by vnworthy wowers Thys of wryters was reputed for a blessyd and holy woman after the lyuynge of a worldly woman when kynge Henry had contynued in Normandy vppon the season and terme of .iii. yeres he toke shyppyng at Haterflete in Normandy and sayled happely into Englande the same day that is to meane y e .xxiiii. day of Nouember as sayth some wryters And shortly after willyaÌ„ duke of Normandy wyth Rycharde his brother Notha the countesse of Persye Rycharde erle of Chester with his wyfe the kynges nyce and the archdekyn of Herforde and other to the nomber of a hundred .lx. persones toke shyppynge at the sayde porte were all drowned a bocher onely excepte whyche mysfortune fell by the ouersyght of the maister and other which fell at a dyssencyon in the nyghte amonge them selfe by reason wherof they ranne vppon a rocke as shewed the foresayde bocher From this dauÌ„ger wyllyam duke of NormaÌ„dy was escaped and was in the shyppe bote nere vnto the lande But when he harde the lameÌ„table crye of the CouÌ„tesse Notha he commaunded the rowers to returne and saue the sayd Countesse whych done by what mysfortune I can not saye after she was receyued into the bote were it by tempeste or ouer chargynge of the bote or otherwise they were all swalowid of the see so that none of them was after fouÌ„de but ê‘te of theyr goodes Of this duke wyllyaÌ„ some desclaunderous wordes are lefte in memory both in the englyshe cronycle and also of other wryters the whyche I ouerpasse THE CCXXIX CHAPITER IN the .xxi. yere of hys reygne kynge Henry made y e parke of wodestoke be syde Oxenforde with other plesures to the same And Fouques erle of Angiers returned out of the holy land and maryed the syster of her that before he had maryed vnto wyllam duke of Normandye vnto the son of Robert Curthose and gaue wyth her the erledome of Conomanna And stryfe began to kyndell betwene kynge Henry the sayd Fouques for the wytholdyng of the dowre or ioynture of hys fyrste doughter maryed wnto wyllyam the kynges sonne In the .xxiii. yere of kynge Henry dyed Raufe archbyshoppe of Caunterbury and one named wyllyaÌ„ was set in y e see after hym And the kynge in thys yere beganne the foundacyon of y e abbay of Redyng And IohnÌ„ a cardynall of Rome was sente from Calyxte the seconde of that name theÌ„ beynge pope for certayne maters coÌ„cernynge the pope In the tyme of whyche hys so beynge here the cardynall made sharpe processe agayne prestes that norysshed Crysten moyles and rebuked them by open publyshement and otherwyse so that he wan hym here but small lytle fauoure But this dyssymuled doctour toke so great feruence in the correccyon of the iudgement of prestes of Englande that he forgate the lore and couÌ„sayll of his famous pope Caton whyche in the boke of his counsayll or of wysedome thus sayth Quae cuspare soses ea tu ne feceris ipse Turpe est doctori cum cuspa redarguit ipsum The whyche two verses maye be englyshed as foloweth Auyse y e well let reason be thy guyde when other folke thou arte aboute to blame That suche defaute in the be not espyed For yf there be then shalt thou haue the shame A mannes honoure suche thynges woll reclayme It ys full foule when that a man woll chese If that hys dede agayne hys wordes preche This couÌ„sayll was not remembred of the sayd Cardynall For in the euenynge after he had lewdely blowen his horne and sayde it was a detestable synne to aryse from the syde of a strumpet sacre the body of Cryste he was taken wyth a strumpet to his open shame and rebuke In the .xxv. yere of kynge Henry was called a counsayll at London where the spyrytualty condescended that the kynges offycers shulde punyshe prestes that cheryshed the foresayde mulys But the sayd offycers toke money and sufferyd the prestes to spurre theyr mulys at theyr pleasure whyche offyce at this daye is so clerely renouÌ„ced of al spyritual men y t neyther kyng nor bishop taketh for yt any synes nor yet correccyon necessarye to be done for the same In the .xxvii. yere of his reygne as reporteth an olde Cronycle the gray freres by procuryng of y e kyng came fyrste into Englande and had theyr fyrst house buylded at Caunterbury And aboute this tyme by moste accorde of writers dyed Henry the .iiii. emperour of that name whyche as before is touched maryed Molde the doughter of kyng Henry After whose deth the sayde empresse came vnto her father into Normandye when kyng Henry was ascertaynted of the deth of Henry the emperour for so myche as he hadde none heyre male he caused soone after the more party of hys lordes of England as well spirytuall as temporall to swere in his presence that they shuld kepe y e land of Englande to the vse of Mawde y e empresse yf he dyed wythoute yssue male and she then suruyued In the .xxviii. yere of kyng Henry Geffrey PlaÌ„tagenet erle of Angeou maryed Molde the empresse Of the whyche two descended Henry the second that after Stephan was kyng of Englande In this yere also the kynge had dyuers monycyons and vysyons For amonge other ferefull dremys he saw a great company of clerkys with dyuerse wepons whyche manassed hym for dette that he shuld owe vnto them And when they were passed he thought y t he was manassed to deth of his own knyghtes And lastely apperyd to hym a great company of byshoppes whych thretened hym and wolde haue smytten hym wyth theyr crosses By this monicyon he toke remorce in his conscyence and dyd great dedes of charyte in Normandye where he hadde sene these visyons And after his coÌ„myng then into Englande in satysfaccyon of wronges done to the chyrche as affermeth Guydo he then founded the abbay of Redynge before spoken of And ouer that he releasyd vnto Englyshe men the Dane gelt that was by his father his brother renewed In the .xxx. yere of this kyng Henry dyed the erle of Flaundres and kynge Henry as sayth Ranulfe was by agrement of Lewys the Frenche kyng made erle as next heyr enherytour to the sayde erledome But it is not there expressed by
For thys sentence arose mortall warre betwene the sayde syr Charles syr IohnÌ„ In the whych the .ii. kynges of Englande FrauÌ„ce toke partye so that kyng Edwarde ayded syr IohnÌ„ de MouÌ„tfort kynge Philip hys neuew syr Charles Thanne syr Iohanne de Mountforte before the sentence gyuen feryng the sequell of the same departed froÌ„ the court and gat hym into a stroÌ„ge towne of Brytayne there held hym wherof kyng Philip beynge aduertised sente syr IohnÌ„ his sonne duke of NormaÌ„dy hys brother syr Charles erle of Alenson for to warre vpon y e sayd syr IohnÌ„ de MouÌ„tsort The which sped theym with a noÌ„bre of people into BrytaynÌ„ besieged a stroÌ„ge castell staÌ„dyng in an yle by y e ryuer of Loyer And after the wynning therof they yode vnto y e citie of NauÌ„tes the which y e cytezyns yelded vnto theÌ„ without stroke And soon after as testifieth y e FreÌ„ch story vpoÌ„ certayne coÌ„dicioÌ„s couenaÌ„tes y e sayd syr IohnÌ„ de MouÌ„tfort yelded hiÌ„ vnto y e duke of NormaÌ„dy y e whyche seÌ„t hym vnto y e kyng his father to Parys where by the sayd kynge he was imprysoned in the castell of Louure But how it was by fauour or otherwyse â–ª he escaped prysoÌ„ after .ii. yeres prysonemeÌ„t Or after some wryters he was after .ii. yeres deliuered vpon certayn coÌ„dicions wherof one was y t he shulde nat come in Brytayne nor any thynge medle or haue to do in y e couÌ„tre But thys prysonemente of syr IohnÌ„ de MouÌ„tfort nat withstaÌ„ding the warre was maynteyned in BrytaynÌ„ by y e freÌ„des of the sayd syr IohnÌ„ many townê castelles therof was holdeÌ„ to the vse of y e sayde syr IohnÌ„ wherof to shew vnto you y e circuÌ„stauÌ„ce proces it wolde aske a loÌ„ge tyme. But y e coÌ„clusion fyne of this warre shal be shewed in y e story of y e .vi. Charles sonnÌ„ of kyng IohnÌ„ In the .xv. yere of this Philip the erle of Salysbury accoÌ„panied with syr Roberte of Artoys other noble meÌ„ entred Brytayn ayded the freÌ„des of syr IohnÌ„ de mouÌ„tfort in doyng great domage to y e couÌ„tre breÌ„t moche of y e French kynges nauy In assaylyng wherof syr Robert of Artoys was wouÌ„ded in the thygh with a gunne whereupoÌ„ he laye syke vpoÌ„ y e ensued a flux so therof dyed after coÌ„ueyed into EnglaÌ„de there buryed And soon after kyng Edward entred FrauÌ„ce wyth a stroÌ„g army But a peas was at wene hym the FreÌ„che kyng condiscended for a certayne terme by laboure of .ii. cardinales as before in y e .xvi. yere of kyng Edward is declared and in this yere kynge Philip arered a taske of his people called a Gabell in FreÌ„che This was prouyded y t no subiect of y e kynges nor other within hys laÌ„de shuld bye any salt but of the kynge at hys pryce And ouer that he arered lowed the coynes moneys of hys lande to the greate auauÌ„tage of hym selfe and enpouerisshyng of his sayd subiectes by meane wherof he fyll in great hatered of hys people In the .xvi. yere of hys reygne a great dyscencion grewe amonge the nobles of NormaÌ„dy by reason of partyes takyng some wyth IohnÌ„ of Harecourt and other wyth syr Roberte Barthran than Marshal of FrauÌ„ce for couenauÌ„tes of maryge apoynted betwene y e sonne of the sayde syr Robert vpoÌ„ that one partye y e doughter of syr Roger BaconÌ„ whose wyfe or maydes mother was than maryed vnto syr Godfrey de Harecourt brother of that aboue sayd syr IohnÌ„ vppon the other partye For varyauÌ„ce wherof greate warre was lykely to haue ensued yf the kynge the sooner had nat sent strayt commauÌ„dement that eyther partye shulde kepe hys peace to apere before hym and hys lordes at Parys and there to haue theyr greuauÌ„ce by hym hys lordes determyned At whyche day of apperaunce the sayde syr Godfrey appered nat nor none for hym but coÌ„trary the kyngê commauÌ„dement assyeged syr wyllin Berthran bysshop of BaynÌ„ and brother to the foresayd syr Roberte than beyng in a castell And whan he sawe he myght nat preuayll agayne hym he than drewe vnto the EnglysshmeÌ„ and ayded them agaynst the Frenche kynge In thys yere also kynge Phylype entendynge to releue the duchye of Burgoyn wyth whete whyche there than was scaÌ„t ordeyned that certayn quarters of whete shulde be gadered in the countrees of Terroner of Orleaunce Gastenoys so sent into Burgoyn But y e studyauÌ„tes of Orleaunce with the burgeyses comons of the cytie toke therwith such grefe that of one mynde they wente downe vnto the ryuer of Loyer where at y e season certayne shippes laye freyght wyth vytayll to be had vnto the sayd countre there fet out the grayen spoyled it in suche wyse that moche therof came neuer to good And that done many of that company beynge nedy and poore yode vnto vyllages there by and robbed y e people dyde moche harme whaÌ„ the prouost or ruler of OrleauÌ„ce behelde thys rage ryot of the people and coÌ„sydered the multytude of theym he forbare for a tyme tyll they were somdele asswaged And than wyth suche company as he had of hys offycers and other he toke a certayne of theym and put theym in sondrye prysons tyll he knew farther of the kynges pleasur But it was nat longe after that the other of that affynyte herynge of the enprysonement of theyr felowes asseÌ„bled theym of newe and lyke woode men ranne vnto the prysons nat a lonely delyuered theyr felowes but also many other whych laye there for great causes crymes some suche as were coÌ„dempned to deth for theyr transgressyons whan noticioÌ„ of this great outrage and ryot came vnto y e kyng anone he sent thyder .ii. knyghtes of hys court with a puyssaunt army chargyng them to take all suche as were occasyoners and begynners of thys Riot and as many as were founde culpable to be put vnto deth The whych knyghtes accordyng to theyr commission wyth ayde of y e prouost of OrleauÌ„ce toke suche as were dempte gylte of thys cryme haÌ„ged them vpon the common gybet or galous of the cytye amonge the whych were dyuers clerkes and one a deaken within orders And in the same yere and moneth of Auguste a noble knyght of Brytayne called syr Olyuer de ClyconÌ„ for treason y t he hadde conspyred agayne kyng Philippe or for he had fauoured kyng Edwardê partye was taken by a trayne at a iustes or tournameÌ„te holden for y e same cause at Parys and shortly after iudged to deth as fyrst drawen through the cytye vnto the place of iugement theruppon a scaffold purposely ordeyned was byheded and after hys body with chaynes hanged vpon the gybet hys hed standyng there ouer vpoÌ„ a stake or after an other auctour had vnto y e cytye of Nauntes in Brytayne there pyght vpon a gate of y e
about Dunkyrke they gaue vnto hym suche assaute that he was constrayned to gyue backe And for the said shippes and goodes shulde nat come vnto the possessyon of his enemyes he sette them on fyre within the hauen and so was wasted bothe shyppes and goodes And all be it that after this mysse happe he recouered his strengthe layed syege vnto y e towne of Ipre and wrought the flemynges moche care and trouble shortely after suche syckenesses fell amonge his people as the flyre and other that his souldyours dyed of them great noumbre for the whiche he was compelled to leaue hys iourney and to retourne into EnglaÌ„de In this yere also was a batayle or feates of armes done in the kynges palays of westmynster atwene one called Garton Appellaunt and syr IohnÌ„ Ansley knyght defendauÌ„t of whiche fyght at length the knight was vyctor and caused his enemye to yelde hym For the whiche the sayd Garton was from that place drawen vnto Tyburne and there hanged for his false accusacyon and surmyse Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.lxxxiii  Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.lxxxiiii Grocer Symonde wynchecombe  Nycholas Brembre  Anno. vii  IohnÌ„ more   Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.lxxxiiii  Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.lxxxv  Nycholas Exton  Nycholas Brembre  Anno. viii  IohnÌ„ Frenshe  THis yere king Rycharde holdynge his Christmas at Eltham thyther came vnto hym the kynge of Ermony whiche was chased out of his lande by the Infydels and Turkes and required ayde of y e kynge to be restored vnto his dominyon The kynge fested and comforted him according to his honour after couÌ„sell taken with hys lordes concerninge that mater he gaue vnto him great sommes of money and other ryche gyftes with the whiche after he had taryed in Englande vpoÌ„ ii monethes he departed with glad countenaunce And soone after Ester the kynge with a greate armye yode towarde ScotlaÌ„de But whan he drewe nere vnto the borders such meanes were sought by the Scottes that a peace was concluded atwene bothe realmes for a certayne tyme. After whiche conclusion so taken the kynge returned vnto yorke and there restyd hym a season In which tyme varyaunce fell atwene IohnÌ„ HolaÌ„de brother to the erle of Kent and the erles sonne of Stafforde by reason of whiche varyaunce in conclusion y e sayd sonne of the erle was slayne of the hande of the same syr IohnÌ„ HolÌ„ade for the whiche dede the kynge was greuously amoued departed shortely after with his company toward London Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.lxxxv  Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.lxxxvi Grocer IohnÌ„ Organ  Nycholas Brembre  Anno. ix  IohnÌ„ Chyrcheman  THis yere kynge Rycharde assembled at westmynster hys highe court of parliameÌ„t Durynge the whiche amonge other many actes in the same counsell concluded he created .ii. dukes a marques and .v. erles Of the whiche firste syr Edmonde of Langley the kynges vncle and erle of Cambrydge was created duke of yorke syr Thomas of woodstoke his other vncle erle of Buckyngham was create duke of Gloucester syr Lyonell Uere y t was erle of Oxenforde was made marques of Deuelyn sir Henry Bolingbrooke sonne and heyre of IohnÌ„ of GauÌ„t duke of Lancastre was made erle of Derby syr Edwarde sonne heyre vnto the duke of yorke was made erle of Rutlande syr IohnÌ„ Holande brother to the erle of Kent was made erle of Huntyngdone syr Thomas Monbraye was made erle of Notyngham and Marshall of Englande and syr Mychaell de la Poole was made erle of Suffolke ChauÌ„celler of EnglaÌ„de And by auctoryte of the same parlyamente syr Roger Mortymer erle of the Marche and sonne and heyre vnto syr Edmonde Mortymer and of dame Philyppe eldest doughter and heyre vnto syr Lyonell y e seconde sonne of Edward the thyrde was soone after proclaymed heyre paraunt vnto the crowne of Englande The whiche sir Roger shortely after sayled into Irelande there to pacifye hys lordeshyppe of wulster whiche he was lorde of by his foresayde mother But whyle he was there occupyed aboute the same the wylde Irysshe came vpon hym in noumbre and slewe him and moche of his company This sir Roger hadde Issue Edmonde and Roger Anne Alys and Elynoure that was made a nunne The .ii. foresaid sonnes died without issue and Anne eldest doughter was maryed to Rycharde erle of Cambrydge whiche Rycharde was sonne vnto syr Edmonde of Langley before named The which Rycharde hadde issue by the sayde Anne Isabell ladye Bouchier Rycharde that after was duke of yorke father to kynge Edwarde the .iiii. whiche sayd Richarde erle of Cambridge was put to deth by Henry the .v. as after shall appere In this yere also syr HeÌ„ry Bolingbroke erle of Derby maryed the Countesse doughter of Herforde by whome he was lorde of that countrey And by her he had issue Henry that after him was kynge Blaunche duches of Barre and Philippe that was wedded to the kynge of Denmarke Also Thomas duke of Clarence IohnÌ„ duke of Bedforde Humfrey duke of Gloucester Anno domini M.CCC.lxxxvi  Anno domini M.CCC.lxxxvii Goldesmythe wyllyam Stondon  Nycholas Exton  Anno. x.  wyllyam More  IN this .x. yere the erle of Arundell was sent into the duchye of Guyan for to strengthe suche soudyours as the king at that tyme had in those parties or after some wryters to scoure the see of rouers enemyes The whiche erle in kepynge his course or passage encountred a myghtye flote of Flemynges laden with Rochel wyne set vpon them and distressed them theyr shyppes and so broughte them vnto dyuers portes of EnglaÌ„de By reason wherof the sayde wyne was so plenteous in Englande that a tonne thereof was solde for a marke and .xx. s. the choyse And amonge other in that flote was taken the Admyralle of Flaunders whyche remayned here longe after as prysoner Anno domini M.CCC.lxxxvii  Anno dnÌ„i M.CCC.lxxxviii Goldesmythe wyllyam Uenour  Nycholas Exton  Anno. xi  Hughe Fostalfe  THis .xi. yere of kyng Rycharde syr Thomas of woodstocke duke of Gloucester the erle of Arundell with the erles of warwyke of Derby and of Notyngham consyderynge howe the king and hys lande was mysse ladde by a fewe persones aboute the kynge entendyng reformacion of the same assembled them to haue a counsell at Radecoke brydge and after arrered great people so with a stronge power came to London there caused y e king to call a ê‘liament wherof herynge maister Alexander Neuyle than archebysshop of yorke sir Lyonell Uere marques of Deuelyn and syr Mychaell de la Poole Chaunceller and erle of Suffolke fearyng punisshement fledde the lande and so died in straunge countreys Than the kynge by counsell of the other aboue named lordes durynge the parlyament caused to be taken syr Roberte Treuylian chefe Iustyce of Englande syr Nycholas Brembre late mayre of the cytie of London sir IohnÌ„ Salysbury knyghte of housholde sâ—r IohnÌ„ BeauchaÌ„p stewarde also of the kynges house
batayl was many a noble man slayne vpoÌ„ eyther partye And it was the more to be noted vengeable for there the father was slayn of the sonne the son of the father and brother of brother neuewe of neuewe And in the moneth of August folowynge the duchesse of Brytayne landed at Fulmouth in the prouince of Cornwayll from theÌ„s was conueyed to wynchester where in shorte tyme after kyng HeÌ„ry maryed her in the cathedrall churche of the sayde cytye And soone vpoÌ„ was the eldest doughter of kyng HeÌ„ry named dame BlaÌ„che maryed at Coleyn to the dukes sonne of Bayer Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.ii  Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.iii  Rycharde Merlewe  IohnÌ„ walcot Draper  Anno .iii.  Robert Chichele  IN this yere and .xiiii. day of the moneth of Septembre was y e foresayd duchesse of Brytayne and wyfe of y e kyng receyued wyth great honour into the cytye of London so by the mayre and the cytezyns conueyed vnto westmynster where vpoÌ„ the morowe folowyng she was crowned quene of Englande wyth greate honoure and solempnite the cyrcumstaunce wherof I passe ouer In this yere also Rupertus which after the deposynge of wessenselans was by the electours of the empyre and by auctoryte of Bonyface theâ—â—r â–ª than pope admytted for Emperoure of Rome and came into Englande wyth a goodly companye onely to se the countre and commodytyes of the same The whyche of the kynge was honourably receyued and fested and lastely conueyed by the kynge towarde the see syde where eyther departed from other wyth exchaunge of ryche and precious gyft For thys Rurpartus was named of wryters a man of excellente bounte and largesse And he gaue more lyberally for so moche as all the tyme of hys beynge in EnglaÌ„de he laye here at the kynges costes And whyle he was at LondoÌ„ he was lodged at the house of saynte Iohannâ—s in smythfelde Thys yere also vpoÌ„ saiÌ„t LaureÌ„ce euyn or the .ix. day of August a lorde of Brytayne named the lorde of Castyle in Frenche laÌ„ded within a myle of Plymmouth wyth a great coÌ„pany of NormaÌ„s and Brytons and came vnto the sayd town and lodged there all night and spoyled and robbed the sayd towne And vpon the day folowynge whan they had done what they wolde they retourned agayne to theyr shyppes with plente of pyllage and prysoners suche as they fande Anno domini M. CCCC.iii  Anno domini M. CCCC.iiii  Thomas Fawconer  wyllyam Askam  Anno .v.  Thomas Pooll  IN thys yere soone after CaÌ„delmasse the foresayd lorde of Castyle trustynge to wynne a lâ—ke enterpryse as in the yere passed he hadde done he beynge accompanyed wyth a stronge nauy of FreÌ„che men Brytons was encountred wyth the Englyshe floot within .ii. myles of Deermouth at a place called Blakâ—pooll â–ª where after loÌ„ge and cruell fyghte y e sayd lord was slayne wyth the more partye of the people and dyuers of hys shyppes takeÌ„ as wytnesseth the Englysshe cronycle wyth dyuers other Englysshe auctours But the FreÌ„che boke excuseth thys scomfyture of FreÌ„chmen and sayeth that by treason oâ— a Gascoyne named Peâ—yâ— or Perot de Languyle whyche shewed vnto the sayd lorde Castyle that he had espyed certayne Englysshe shyppes in a Greke lyghtly wythout resystence to be takeÌ„ caused the sayd lorde to make sayle towarde the sayd towne of Dartmouthe where after he had contynued a certayne tyme hys course he espyed the hotefloâ—e of Englyshe men whyche made toward hym and so at the sayde Blake pool encountâ—â—d and faughte and lastely escaped the daunger of hys enemyes as testyfyeth the sayde French cronycle â–ª but â—atte unhurt for he was so wouÌ„ded in that fyght that he dyed shortly after And the moneth of Apryll folowynge the duke of Clarence wyth the erle of KeÌ„t many other lordes toke shyppynge at Meregate so sayled vnto Scluce in FlauÌ„ders And after the sayde duke had there refresshed hym hys company he toke shyppynge agayne and holdynge hys course towarde SwynÌ„e he was encouÌ„tred wyth .iii. greate carykes of Ieane the whyche he assayled and after longe bekerynge them toke beynge laden wyth marchauÌ„dyse so wyth that pray retourned to Cambre before wynchelsee in the whyche hauen the sayd goodes were caÌ„ted and shared But how it was by varyauÌ„ce amonge them selfe or otherwyse one of the sayde carykes was sodeynly fyred so coÌ„sumed For restytucyon of whyche goodes shyppes y e marchauÌ„tes IanueÌ„ce made after great longe sute to the kyng his couÌ„sayl in whyche passetyme they borowed cloth wolle other marchaundyses amountyng vnto great and notable sommes of dyuers marchauntes of Englande And whanne they sawe that they myghte haue none hope of recouery of theyr loste they sodeynly auoyded the laÌ„de and lafte y e foresayde notable summes vnpayde to the great hynderaunce and vtter vndoynge of many Englysshe marchauntes In thys yere a yoman named wyllyam Serle somtyme yomaÌ„ of kyng Rychardes Robys was takeÌ„ in the marches of ScotlaÌ„de and broughte vnto LondoÌ„ there in the guildhall areygned for the murder of the duke of Glouceter at Calays UpoÌ„ which murder he was attaynt conuyct vppoÌ„ the .xx. daye of Octobre he was draweÌ„ from the towre vnto tyborne and there haÌ„ged and quartred hys hed was after set vpoÌ„ LondoÌ„ brydg hys .iiii. quarters were sent to .iiii. sondry good townes Anno domini M. CCCC.iiii  Anno domini M. CCCC.v  wyllyam Lowfte  IohnÌ„ Hyende Draper  Anno .vi.  Stephen Spylman  IN thys yere and moneth of Ianuary were certayne courses of warre ron in smythfelde betwene syr EdmuÌ„de erle of Kent the lorde Moryfa BaroÌ„ of ScotlaÌ„de vppoÌ„ y e chaleÌ„ge of the sayd scottysshe lorde But the erle of KeÌ„t bare hym so valy auntly that to hym was gyueÌ„ y e price of that iourney to hys great honour And in the same yere syr Rycharde Scrope than archebisshop of yorke and y e lorde Moubraye thaÌ„ marshal of EnglaÌ„d with other to them allied for grudge that they bare agayn the kynge gadered vnto theym greate streÌ„gth enteÌ„dyng to haue put downe the kynge as the â—ame than wente wherof the kyng beyng enfourmed in all haste sped towarde theym and met wyth them on thys syde yorke where after askyrmysshe by the sayd lordes made they were thaÌ„ takeÌ„ and after presented vnto y e king at yorke where they were bothe demed to suffre deth for theyr rebellyoÌ„ Than whan the bysshoppe came vnto the place of execucion he prayed y e bowcher to gyue to hym .v. strokes in the worshyp of christes fyue woundes for hys more penauÌ„ce At eueryche of whyche .v. strokes kynge Henry beynge in hys lodgyng had a stroke in hys necke in so moch that he demed that some persone there beynge with hym present hadde stryken him And forthwyth he was stryken wyth the plage of lepyr so that than he knewe it was the hande of god and
y e kyng in mynde to clayme his right in Fraunce And for the exployte thereof they offcede vnto hym great and notable summes By reason whereof the sayde byll was agayne put by and the kynge set hys mynde for the recouery of the same so that soone after he sente hys letters vnto the Frenche kynge concernyng that mater and receyued frome hym answere of dirision as affermeth the Englysshe boke And Gaguynus sayeth in hys Frenche cronycle that kynge Henry sente hys oratours vnto Charles the vii thanne kynge of Fraunce for to haue dame Katheryne hys doughter in mariage with other requestes touchynge hys ryght and enherytaunce whereunto it was answered by the counsayll of Fraunce that the kyng hadde no leyser to entende suche idelnesse wherupon kynge Henry made quycke prouision for to warre vpon the Frenche kynge as after appereth In thys yere also by procuremeÌ„t of Sigismunde thanne Emperour a greate counsayll or synod of bysshoppes were assembled at a cytye in hygh Almayne called constaunce for the vnion of the churche And for to auoyde the Scisme whyche began in the .xiiii. yere of Charles the .vi as before in the sayde .xiiii. yere is touched In the sayd synode or generall counsayll was the .xxiii. IohnÌ„ than pope put downe or resygned by hys volunte And by auctoryte of y e same couÌ„sayll the opynyons and heresy of wyklyf were vtterly anulled dampned and two of hys disciples there presente named IohnÌ„ Hus or Husse and Ierom the herytyke were there brente And many notable actes for the we le of y e church there were enacted And fynally whan the sayde couÌ„sayl had endured nere vpon the terme of iiii yeres they there by an hole asset chase a newe pope and named hym the .v. Martyne whyche occupyed Peters chayre .xiiii. yeres and odde monethes as indubitat pope and so other after hym Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.xiiii  Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.xv  IohnÌ„ Mychell  Thomas Fawcomer Mercer  Anno .iii.  Thomas Aleyn  IN thys yere after the kynge had made suffycient prouision for all thynges coÌ„cernyng his warre to be made vpon the Frenche kyng he wyth hys lordes honourably accoÌ„panyed rode thorugh London vpon the .xviii. daye of Iuny towarde the porte of SouthamtonÌ„ where he had appoynted hys hoste to mete wyth hym And whyle the kyng there was shyppynge of hys people dyuers of hys lordes that is to say syr Richard erle of Cambrydge and brother vnto y e duke of yorke whyche syr Rychard beryng the name of Langley hadde wedded dame Anne the doughter of syr Roger Mortymer erle of March and wolster by whome he had yssue Isabell whyche after was maryed vnto the lorde Boucher erle of Essex Rycharde whyche after was duke of yorke father to kynge Edward y e iiii To whome also wasasseÌ„tyng syr Rycharde Scrop than treasourer of Englande and syr Thomas Graye knyght were there arrestyd for treason and areygned and so examyned vppon the same that the .xxix. day of Iuly folowynge they were all thre behedyd After whyche execucyon so done the kynge vpon the morowe or shortely after wyth hys lordes toke shyppynge there landed at a place called Kydcaus in Normandy And the .xvi. daye of Auguste he sayde syege vnto the towne of Harflew assayled them by land and by water and contynued so hys syege vnto the xxii daye of September At whyche daye as sayth the French Gaguinê° it was delyuered by Albert thaÌ„ there capytayne vppon condycyon that kynge Henry myghte sauely wynne or passe to Calayes and so he beyng there the towne to be yolden vnto hym But the Frenche wryter Gaguinus vpholdeth the honour of the Frenchemen in all that he maye and boroweth of hys conscyence for sparynge the trouth in reporte of many thynges For after moste wryters y e sayde towne after sondry appoyntementes of rescouse was delyuered vnto the kynge wythout any condycyon the daye aboue sayde where after the kynge had ordeyned syr Thomas Beauforde hys vncle and erle of Dorser capytayne of that towne he spedde hym towarde Calays Than the dolphyn with other lordes of Fraunce whyche at that tyme hadde the realme of Fraunce in gouernaunce for so moche as the Frenche kynge was vysyted wyth suche malady as before I haue shewed brake the brydge to let y e kynge of his passage ouer y e water of Sum. wherfore he was coÌ„strayned to draw towarde Pycardy so passe by y e ryuer of PeronÌ„ wherfore the FreÌ„chmeÌ„ beynge ware assembled and lodged theÌ„ at certayne townes named Agyncourt Rolandcourt and Blangy wyth all the power of Fraunce And whan kyng Henry sawe that he was so besette wyth hys enemies he in the name of god saynt George pyght hys felde in a playne betwene the sayd townes of Agyncourte and BlaÌ„gy hauyng in hys companye of hoole men that myght fyght nat passyng the nombre of .vii. M. But at those dayes the yomen hadde theyr Lymmes at lybertye for theyr hosyn were than fastened wyth one poynt and theyr iackes were loÌ„ge easy to shote in so that they myghte drawe bowes of great strength shote arowes of a yerde longe besyde the hedde Than the kyng consyderynge the great nombre of hys enemyes that the acte of FrenchmeÌ„ standeth moch in ouer rydyng of theyr aduersaryes by force of speremeÌ„ he therfore charged euery boweman to ordeyne hym a sharpe stake to pytche it a slope before hym and whaÌ„ y e sperys came somdeale to drawe bak so to shote at the horsemen And at the proper requeste of the duke of yorke he ordeyned hym to haue y e vawewarde of y e felde And whaÌ„ kyng HeÌ„ry had thus prouydently ordered for hys batayll ouer night vpon the morowe beyng the .xxv. daye of Octobre and y e daye of the holy martyrs Cryspyne Cryspinian the kyng caused dyuers masses to be songen And where that nyghte before the Englysshe hoste was occupyed in prayer and confessyon he thanne caused the bysshoppes and other spyrytuall men to gyue vnto theym generall absolucyon And that done wyth a comfortable chere ordered hys people as they shuld fyght hauyng vnto theÌ„ good comfortable wordes so abode y e commynge of theyr enemyes whych of dyuers wryters were and are remembred to be about .xl. thousande fyghtynge men The whyche aboute .ix. of y e cloke in the mornynge wyth greate pryde set vppon the Englysshe hoste thynkynge to haue ouer ryden them shortely But the archers lyke as before they were taught pyght theyr sharpe stakes before them And whan they sawe the French galantes approche they a lytell yode backe receyued them as here after ensueth The batayll of Agyncourt THat is to meane they shotte at theym so feruently y t what wyth the shotte and goryng of theyr horses wyth the sharpe stakes they tumbeled one vpon an other so that he or they which ranne formest were the confusyon of hym or them that folowed so y t in a shorte
ryght well the state whan thou by meanes whyche were inordynat Put vnto deth many an innocent man By cruell malyce and well remembred than That of lowe byrth Flaundres thy mother the fledde And taught the a crafte the here well to shaue Lutecia that cytye where thou thy lyfe ledde wytnesseth the a seruaunt therin thy lyuynge to craue And for thy dayes an honest lyfe to haue But whan thou were in Lowys court vp brouht Than had thou no mynde that thou were come of nought But lyke the helle hounde thou waxed full furyous Expressynge thy malyce whan thou to honour styed Thynkynge for so moche as that prynce bounteuous Hys hed and berde to the he nought denyed And wyth all worldly pleasure he also the allyed The before hys prynces makynge hys gouernour Thy selfe thou blyndest wyth wordly vayne honour whyche made the so proude thou sonne of harde Neron That none myght lyue that thou accused of cryme No man was cursed nor none had punyssyon That wolde thy hande wyth golde of gyftes lyme And who that nat hys gyfte offred in tyme Other deth or exyle to hym was soone applyed For as iuge and hangman thou all thynge excercysed Thou reygned longe ynough but now are sprongeÌ„ newe Sterrys to the worlde and fled is nowe clerely The scelerat flokke wherfore thou barbour yet rewe Thyne odyous actes whyche haue the sodaynly Cast downe from welth in snares vytterly For also Daniell thy moste odyous fere Dampneth the of cryme whyche wyth the dyeth here I knowe nat what of the the vpper bodyes aboue Haue defyned whether by sworde or by gybet Thou shuld ende the lyfe But one thynge I approue The sentence hooly of the people is sette That on a galowe thou shuld paye deth hys dette Inwardly therfore bewayll so thyne offence That by thys deth to god thon mayste make recompence THus execucyon of thys Damman hys felowe ended and fynysshed to the lytell compassion of the people wythin fewe dayes after another of the affeccionat seruauÌ„tes of kyng Lowys named IohnÌ„ Doyacon for trespasse and hatered by hys occasyon and deserte vnto the common people was wyth all shame brought vnto y e market place of Parys there beraft of bothe hys erys After whych vylony to hym done he was there ryght banysshed the court for euer And thus two of the moste special and derest beloued seruauntes and counsayllours of kyng Lowys were shortly after hys deth broughte vnto confusyon By reason wherof as affermeth myne auctoure Gaguyne arose a prouerbe among the Frenche men sayeng Principibus obsequi haereditariuÌ„ non esâ—e The whyche is to meane the seruyce of princes is nat hereditable Thys tyme thus passed wyth many other matyers whych I ouer passe the season approched that variaunce and â—nny began to moue amoÌ„g some nobles of the laÌ„de in so moche that y e duke of Orleaunce dysdayned that Anne syster to the kynge wyth suche as she wolde call to counsayll hadde all the rule about the kyng wherfore he entendyng to haue the sayde rule for so moche as he had maryed that other doughter of Lowys gadered vnto hym strength of knyghtes purposely to remoue from the kyng such as he lyked and to sette aboute hym suche persones as he thought conuenyente But how it was for lacke of wyse orderynge of hys people or other neglygence at a place called saint Albynys he was taken of hys aduersaryes so by the kyng commaunded to pryson to the castel of ByturiceÌ„ce where he remayned loÌ„ge tyme after It was nat longe after that Marymylyan the whych had maryed duke Charles doughter of Burgoyne gathered hys soudyours to haue releued the foresayd duke of Orleaunce out of pryson but he preuayled nat Durynge whyche warre Fraunceys duke of Brytayn dyed whose doughter named Anne enherytour of that duchye Maxymylyan hadde before trouth plyted for hys lawfull wyfe wherfore he herynge of the deth of y e sayd Fraunceys shortely entred the terrytory of Brytayne and seased it for hys But Charles with his FreÌ„chmen wythstode hym by suche force y t he was constrayned to axe helpe of our soueraygne lord kynge Henry y e vii The whyche in moste bounteous maner ayded assysted hym bothe wyth men and money to the kynges excedyng great charge and coste Howe be in the ende the French kyng had his entent than maryed y e said Anne duchesse of Brytayne and refused Margarete y e doughter of Maâ—imylyan whyche he before had maryed at Ambasy as before I haue shewed to you in the ende of the story of hys father Lowys After whych vyctory thus opteyned by thys Charles in Brytayn he made clayme and pretence vnto the lande of Scicilia or Scicilie And by the exortacion and styrryng of the pope AlexaÌ„der the .vi. he wyth a strong hoste entred y e same bothe by lande and by water To whome was a great ayde the duke of Mylayne by whose meanes he shortly wan a stroÌ„ge citie or towne named Campania and diuers other townes and in processe Naples the chyef citie that belonged vnto the kyng of Naples In so moche that he constrayned Alphounce that than was kynge of Naples and of Scicile to forsake that countre and so had the dominioÌ„ of the more parte of bothe the sayde countrees The whyche when he had set in suche order as he thoughte conuenyent he toke hys iournaye home warde into FrauÌ„ce thorough Italy In whyche passage thys Charlys was beset of the Uenecyans other Italyans the whyche entendyd to haue stoppyd hys waye and metyng wyth hym at a place called in latyne Fornouiences gaue vnto hym batayle wherof as sayth myne authour he wan the vyctory to hys greate honour consyderynge his fewe sowdyours agayne theyr multytude and strength But to thys sayenge repugne the Italyans dwellyng in London and say that yf the sayd Charlys had not spedde hym fastly into Fraunce he had not comen there that yere But how so it was he eetourned home in sauete And soone after pope AlexaÌ„der foresayd toke such dyspleasure agayne y e sayd Charlys that he styrred almost all crysten prynces of the worlde agayne hym he hadde such hatred to the great honoure of y e FreÌ„che kynge as sayth myne authour Gagwyne y t whyche in all hys werkes extolleth the dedes of Frenchemen forther thaÌ„ maye be veryfyed in moch of his wrytynge But what so he wryte of the pope it is to be demyd that he wolde not take so great partye agayne this Charlys and exite other prynces to do the same excepte it hadde ben for great and vrgeÌ„t causes and not for malyce as he affermeth onely And thus the sayde Gagwyne endeth the story of the sayd Charlys in the yere of our lorde god M.iiii C. xcv and the .xi. yere of the reygne of the same Charlys thanne presently reygnynge and guydyng the realme of Fraunce whyche was the .x. yere of our most redoutyd prynce kynge Henry the .vii. Henry the seuenth HEnry the
at Caerbrāk or yorke leuynge after hym a sonne named Leyll THE XI CHAPITER LEillus or Leyr son of Brute Greneshielde was made ruler of Brytayne in y e yere of y e world iiii M.CC. liiii This was a iuste mā a louer of peace equyte in his tyme made the town of Caerleyr or Carlyle and ruled this lande well and honourably by the terme of .xxv. yeres as testyfyeth the forenamed Gaufryde and after dyed and was buryed at Caerleyr be foresayde But of this Leyr speketh some dele the aboue named authour Floure of historyes sayeng y t in the ende of his reygne he fyll to slowth and vnlefull lykyng of his body by meane wherof cyuyle stryfe began to grow with in this realme y e which was not pacifyed by some termes after his dayes the whyche sayenge is not denyed by the foresayd authour Gaufrid This Leyll lefte after hym a sonne named Lud or after some wryters he was named Lud Hurdibras THE XII CHAPITER LUd or Lud Hurdibras y e son of Leyll was made ruler of the lande of Brytayne in the yere of the worlde .iiii. thousande .ii. hūdred and ixxix This also of Gaufryde is called Hurdibras the whyche after he was stablyshed in his reygne appeasyd and drewe to accorde of the dyscorde and varyaunce that hadde spronge in his fathers lyues tyme. The whych discretely appeasyd and endyd he buylded the towne of Kaerkyn nowe called Caunterbury the towne also of Kaerguen now callyd wynton or wynchester and also a towne called Moūt Paladour now named Septon or Shaftisbury In the tyme of buyldyng of which town of Septon as affermyth myne authour Gaufride an egle there spake certayn wordes y e which he sayth he wyll not declare or wryte for any certaynte Thus when this sayde Lud hadde ruled this lande nobly by the terme of .xxxix. yeres he dyed lefte after hym a sonne named Baldud THE XIII CHAPITER BAldud y e sonne of Lud Hurdibras was made gouernoure of Brytayne in the yere of the world iiii thousand .iii. hundred and .xviii. This as testyfyed Gaufryde Polycronica and other was well and suffycyently instructe in the connynges or scyēces of astronomy nigromancye By thē he made the hote bathes wythin the town of Caerbadon now named Bathe the whyche towne or cytye he also buyldyd But to that repugnyth wyllyam de Malmesbury saynge that the foresayd hote bathes were made by the industrye or of the industry of Iulius cesar fyrste emperour of Rome This Baldud as affermyth the foresayd authour Gaufride taught this lore of nigromācy thorough his realme fynally toke in yt such pryde presumpsyon y t he toke vpō him to fle in y e ayer But he fyll vpon the temple of his god Apolyn theron was all to torne when he had ruled Brytayne by the space of .xx. yeres leuynge after hym a son named Leyr THE XIIII CHAPITER LEyr y e sonne of Baldud was made ruler ouer y e Britōs the yere of y e world .iiii. M.ccc xxxviii This Leyr was noble of cōdicyōs guyded his land subiectes in great welth He made y e towne of Caerleyr nowe called Leyceter or Leycester And all be yt y t this man helde longe the pryncypate of Brytayne yet of hym is nothynge left worthy memory excepte that Gaufryde sayth y t he receyued of his wyfe .iii. doughters onely wythout any son whych were named Gonorilla Ragan and Cordeilla the whych he mych loued but moste specially he loued the yongest Cordeilla by name whē this Leyr or Leyth after some wryters was fallen in competente age to knowe the mynde of his thre doughters he fyrst asked Gonorilla the eldeste howe well she loued hym the whych callyng her goddes to recorde sayd she loued hym more then her owne soule wyth this answere the father beynge well contented demaunded of Ragan the seconde doughter howe well she loued hym To whom she answered and affermynge wyth great othes sayde that she coude not wyth her tong expresse the great loue that she bare to hym affermynge furthermore that she loued hym aboue all creatures After these pleasaūt answeres had of those two doughters he called before hym Cordeilla y e yongest The whych vnderstādyng y e dyssymulacyō of her .ii. susters entēdyng to proue her fader sayd most reuerent fader where my ii systers haue dyssymuled wyth the with their pleasaūt word fruteles I knowyng y e great loue faderly zele that toward me euer before this time thou hast borne for y e whych I may not speke to the otherwyse thē my cōscyence ledyth me therfore I saye to the father I haue loued the euer as my fader shall cōtynually whyle I lyue loue the as my naturall father And yf thou wylt further be inquisytyfe of the loue that I to the bere I ascertayne the that asmyche as thou arte worthy to be beloued euen so myche I loue the and no more The fader wyth this answere beynge discōtent maryed his .ii. elder doughters that one vnto the duke of Cornewayll that other vnto the duke of Albania or Scotlande deuyded wyth thē two in maryage his lande of Britayne after his deth and the one halfe in hand duryng his naturall lyfe And for the thyrde Cordeilla reserued nothynge It so fortuned after that Aganippus whych the cronycle of England named Agamp and kyng of Fraūce harde of y e beaute and womāhode of Cordeilla and sent vnto her fader axyd her in maryage To whome yt was answered that the kynge wold gladly gyue to hym his doughter but for dowar he wolde not departe with for he had all promysed vnto hys other two doughters Aganippus thus by his messagyers enfourmed remembred the vertues of the forenamed Cordeilla wythoute promesse of dowar maried the sayde Cordeilla But here is to be noted y t where this Aganippus or Agamp is called in dyuerse cronicles kyng of Fraūce yt can not agre with other hystories nor wyth the cronycle of Fraunce For yt is testyfyed by Polycronica by Peter Pictauyēce by mayster Robert Gagwyne by byshop Antonyne and many other cronicles that lōge after thys daye was no kynge in Fraunce nor longe after yt was called Frauce but at this daye the inhabytauntes therof were called Galli and were trybutaryes vnto Rome wythoute kynge tyll the tyme of Ualentinianus emperour of Rome as hereafter in this worke shall be manyfestly shewed The storye of Britons sayth that in the tyme that Leyr reygned in Britayne the land of Fraunce was vnder the domynyon of .xii. kynges of the whych Aganippus shuld be one The whyche sayenge is full vnlyke to be trew whych myght be prouyd by many reasons which I passe ouer for length of tyme. THE XV. CHAPITER tHen yt foloweth in the story after this Leyr was fallen in age these forsayde two dukes thynkyng longe or the lordshyp of Brytayne was fallen to theyr handes arrose agayne theyr father as testifyeth
of Romaynes as wytnessyth Policronica coÌ„queryd and wanne agayne the sayde trybute wythout great fyght And y t done he also subdued the yles of Orchades or Orkeys whych stande beyonde ScotlaÌ„d within the great Occean and after tourned agayne to Rome the .vi. moneth after that he came thens The cronycle of Englande and also Gaufryde saye that in the hoste of the Romaynes was a captayne named Hame or Hamo the whych entendynge hurte and destruccyon of y e Brytons chaunged his shelde or armure dyd vppon hym the armure of a Britayne And by that meane as a Briton mysclad he entred into the thyckest of the hoste and lastely vnto the place where as kynge Guyderius faught shortly after slewe the kynge But Aruiragus seynge this sodayne myschyefe to the ende y t the Brytons shulde not gyue backe he hastely causyd hym selfe to be armed wyth the cognysaunce of the kynge And so for kyng coÌ„tynued the fyght wyth such maÌ„hode that the Romaynes were put to flyght Thus by accorde of wryters Guyderius was slayne of the foresayde Hamo when he hadde reygned ouer the Brytons by the concordaunce of other hystoryes .xxviii. yeres leuyng after hym none heyre of his body to guyde the lande after his deth THE LV. CHAPITER ARuiragus the yongest sonne of Kymbelyne and brother to Guyderius before slayn was ordeyned kyng of Brytons in the yere of our lorde .xliiii. This in the englyshe boke is named Armager the whyche as there is shewed well and knyghtly maynteyned the warre agayne the Romayns and after slew the forenamed Hamo nere vnto an hauen or porte of the see And hym so slayne threwe gobet meale into the same see And for this skyll was this haueÌ„ longe tyme after called HamoÌ„s hauen whych at this daye is called Southampton Then yt foloweth in the .viii. chapyter of the .iiii. boke of Policronicon that Claudius after dyuers happes of batayll toke Aruiragê° to his grace brought his doughter Gennissa by name from Rome and maried her vnto Aruiragus And for he wolde make the place of y e maryage more solemne he therfore called the towne of mariage Claudiocestria after his name the whych before was called in bretyshe tunge Caerleon after Glouernia after a duke of Demecia that hyght Glorio but nowe this towne is named Glouceter All otherwyse telleth the englyshe cronycle sayth that Armager scomfyted Claudius and compelled hym to gyue his doughter GeÌ„nissa or GeÌ„nen to the sayde Armager to wyfe wyth condycyon that the Romayns shulde neuer after that daye clayme any trybute of Brytayne excepte alonely feawte whyche sayenge appereth doutefull for dyuers causes wherof one is that the sayde Armager shulde not constrayne Claudius to gyue his doughter to hym for so myche as the sayde Armager hadde neuer seen the sayde Gennen before tyme nor knewe not of her coÌ„uersacyon Then meruayle yt were that he shulde force her father to gyue hym a wyfe that he hadde cast no loue vnto before tyme. One other reason is that the sayde cronycle testyfyeth that after he hadde maryed the sayd Gennen he was at London crowned kynge of Englande For I wold thinke if he had ouercomeÌ„ Claudius as there is surmytted he wold fyrste haue crowned hym selfe kyng and then haue maried his doughter But by the same reason yt certifyeth more strenger the former sayenge of Policronica For by all lykelyhode Claudius wold not suffer hym to be crowned kyng tyll he hadde full perfourmed his promyse in maryage of his doughter And all be yt that myne authoure Gaufryde varyeth not myche from the englyshe cronicle I thynke in y e doynge he toke example of Homerê° that wrote the dedis and actes of the Grekes the whyche shewed and put in memory all the noble actes by theÌ„ done and specyally in the recuyll or boke made by hym of the syege of Troye But the other dedys concernynge theyr dyshonoure he hyd yt as mych as he myght And in lyke maner do many other writers which I passe ouer And so Gaufride for he was a Bryton he shewed the beste for Brytons Then yt foloweth after the solemnysacyon of this maryage whyche was with all honour finyshed Claudius sente certayne legyons of his knyghtes into Irlande to rule that countre and retourned hym selfe to Rome THE LVI CHAPITER IT was not longe after the departynge of Claudius but y t Aruiragus rode aboute his realme and wyth great dylygence repayred cytyes and townes before decayed broken wyth the strength of the Romaynes and entreated his subiectes wyth suche iustyce and good order that they loued and drad hym more then any of his progenitours This in tracte of tyme made hym welthy And by meane of this welthynes ensued pryde so y t hym thought great shame to be vnder the rule or guydynge of y e Romayns wherfore lastly he denyed the tribute before grauÌ„ted wherof when knowlege came vnto y e senate of Rome in all hast was sent a duke of Rome called Uespasyan wyth a certayne of legyons to subdue Aruiragus ye shall vnderstand that a legyon of knyghtes is .vi. thousande .vi. hundred .lxvi. when Uespasyan was landed in Brytayne as testyfyeth Polycronica he spedde hym so that in shorte whyle he subdued Aruiragus to the empyre and causyd hym to graunte payment of the foresayde trybute which was done as sayth Gaufride by entreatye of the quene Gennissa and of no constraynt nor coaccyon when Uespasyan hadde thus recoueryd the trybute he then also made subiecte to the empyre an I le in the see lyenge vpon the southsyde of Britayne now called the yle of weyght and after retourned to Rome when Aruiragus was thus secondely brought vnder the yocke of y e Romayns he became more mylde towarde them so that whyle he lyued after he payed hys trybute wyth lesse grudge and contynued hym in theyr fauours in suche wyse that he was of theym well beloued And so lastely dyed when he hadde ruled the BrytoÌ„s well and nobly by the terme of .xxx. yeres and was buryed at CaerglonÌ„ CaerleonÌ„ Claudiocestria or Glouceter leuynge after hym a sonne named Marius ⸫ THE LVII CHAPITER MArius the sonne of Aruiragê° was ordeyned kynge of Brytons in the yere of our lorde .lxxiiii. This in the cronycle of Englande is named westmer whych Marius as wytnessyth Gaufryde was an excellent wyse man and guyded his Brytons moste honourably and in grete prosperyte and welthe In the tyme of the reygne of this Mariê° a duke or kynge of a nacyon called Pyctes whych as wytnessyth Uirgilius are descendyd of a people called of olde tymes Scythis They also are named Gothis or Hunys This foresayde leder of Pictes is named of Gaufryde Londricus the which landed wyth a great nauy in the prouynce of Albania now called Scotlande and yt beganne to waste with iron and wyth fyre wherof wheÌ„ Marius was warned he in all haste assembled his knyghtes and made towarde his enymyes and gaue vnto them stronge batayll In the whych
and retourned vnto Rome where after he had a season restyd he was by the senate of Rome assygned for his sternesse vnto the rule of Brytayne wyth the ayde of .iii. legyoÌ„s of knyghtes And so beynge garnyshed wyth all abyly mentes of warre entred this yle of Brytayne and wyth great trauayle subdued them to the empyre and so contynued the lyues tyme of the emperour Bassianus But so sone as he was assertayned that y e emperour was slayne at Edessa as before in the story of Bassianê° is shewed thynkynge that amonge the Romaynes shuld growe stryfe dyssencyon for the electyon of a new emperour by reason of whych stryfe he myght the rather lyue so farre froÌ„ them wythout any correctyon confederyd wyth the Scottes and certayne other of the Britons and slew many of the Romaynes suche of theÌ„ as he thought wolde not consent to his treason and by that meane fynally was made kynge of Brytayne And so contynued as affermeth the sayde authour to accompte from his fyrst hauyng rule vnder the Romaynes vnto the tyme y t he was slayne of Alectus .viii. yeres not wythout exercysynge of his olde accustomed tyrannyes and other vnsyttynge condycyons THE LXIIII. CHAPITER ALectus a duke or consull of Rome sent as before is sayd from the senate begaÌ„ne to rule the Brytons in the yere of our lorde .ii. hundred .xxvi. This in the englysh cronycle is named Allec whych wheÌ„ he had restoryd the lande to the subieccyon of Rome he theÌ„ pursued certayne of the BrytoÌ„s that had fauoured Carassiê° agayne the Romayns And in that doynge vsed and exercysyd many tyrannyes and exaccyons by reason wherof he fyll in greate grudge of y e Brytons wherfore they entendynge to oppresse and subdue the power of the Romaynes purchasyd and excyted a noble man of y e Britons called Asclepiodotus and duke of Cornewayle The whyche gatheryd a great hoste of the Brytons and made warre vppon the Romaynes and chasyd them from couÌ„tre to couÌ„tre from towne to towne and lastly Alectus wyth his Romayns drew hym to London and there kept hym for his most suertye wherof beynge warned Asclepiodotus he with his Brytons came nere vnto the sayde cytye where by meanes of prouocacyon on eyther partye vsed lastely y e Romaynes issued oute of the cytye gaue batayll to the Brytons In the which fyght many fyll on eyther partye but y e more on the party of y e Romaynes amonge the whyche was also slayne Alectê° wherfore a captayn of the Romaynes called Liuius Gallus aduertysynge this myschyef the great dauÌ„ger that the Romayns were in drewe backe into the cytye with the Romaynes that were lefte on lyue and defendyd yt wyth theyr powers Thus then appereth that Alectus was slayne of the Brytons whyche was by most accorde of writers wheÌ„ he had ruled this lande vnder y e Romaynes by the terme of .vi. yere THE LXV CHAPITER ASclepiodotus duke of Cornewayle as sayth Gaufryde but after the sayeng of Eutropius and Beda he was presydente of the Pretory of Rome began his domynyon ouer the Brytons in the yere of our lorde two hundred and .xxxii. The whych as before is sayde wyth his Brytons gyrt the cytye of London wyth a stronge syege and kepte the forsayde Liuius Gallus and his Romayns in streyte holde finally as affermyth myne authour Gaufride with knyghtly force violeÌ„ce entred the sayde cytye and slewe y e forenamyd Liuius Gallus nere vnto a broke there at that daye rynnynge and hym threwe into the sayd broke By reason wherof long after yt was called Gallus or wallus broke And at this day y e strete where some tyme ranne the sayde broke is nowe called walbroke And after he hadde thus venquyshed the Romayns he helde this lande a certayn of tyme in peasyble wyse and ruled the BrytoÌ„s wyth good iustyce in rewardynge exaltynge the good men and punysshynge of the euyll In this whyle by styrynge of dysclaunderous dyuylyshe persons a grudge was arreryd attwene the kynge and a duke of his land called Coill or Coillus the whyche was duke or erle of Kaercolym or Colchester wherof the cause is not apparaunt But how it was great people were assembled on both parties and fynally mette in the feld where was faughteÌ„ a great and stronge batayll In the whyche Asclepiodotus was slayne when he had reygned to the concordaunce of other histories and after the affermaunce of the olde cronycle by the space of .xxx. yeres THE LXVI CHAPITER COelus erle of Colchester began hys domynyon ouer the Brytons in the yere of the incarnacyon of Cryste .ii. houÌ„dred .lxii. This in the englyshe boke is called Coyll the whiche guyded the lande to the pleasure of the Brytons a certayne tyme. But as wytnesseth Gaufryde when the senate of Rome had vnder standynge of the deth of Asclepiodotus they were ioyous of the deth of hym for so myche as he hadde euer ben an enemye to y e empyre But for so mych as at that dayes was great dyssencyon amonge them selfe as wytnesseth y e cronycle of Rome they coude not conuenyently sende any armye of knyghtes for to warre vppon this Coelus wherfore he contynued y e longer in reste good peas After the cronycle regestred within the monastery of saynt Alboon the sayd holy martyr suffered his passyoÌ„ in the yere of our lorde .ii. houndred lxxx .vi whych shulde be the .xxiiii. yere of this present kynge But thys dyscordeth from suche wryters as affermen the holy man to be martyred in the .x. persecucyon vnder Dioclesian and Maximian emperours Neuerthelesse at length was sente from y e senate a noble wyse man called Constancius the whiche as affermeth the forenamed auctour had before tyme subdued to the empyre a great part of the couÌ„tre of Spayne But that sayenge dysagreeth to the wrytynge of Eutropius For the couÌ„tre of Spayne was not subdued by hym tyll after y t he was emperour Than it foloweth whan this Constancius was arryued in Brytayne with his army anone Coelus assembled his Brytons But for he dredyd the strength and fame of thys ConstaÌ„cius he sent to hym an enbassad affyrmynge vnto hym coÌ„dycyons of peace wyth graunte of paymentes of the trybute whych before was denyed or ellys as meaneth Polycroniâ—a wythin a moneth after the landynge of this Constancius Coelus was dede wherfore the Brytons to haue the more peace wyllyd this knyghte to take to wyfe Heleyn the doughter of Coelus wyth the possessyon of the lande of Britayne which by hym was graunted Then as before is sayde Coelus dyed when he had ruled the Brytons after most accorde of wryters .xxvii. yeres THE LXVII CHAPITER COnstancius a senatoure of Rome as sayth Policronica beganne to rule the Brytons in the yere of oure lorde two hundred .lxxx. and .ix. This as before is shewed maryed Heleyn the doughter of Coelus last kyng of Brytayne But ye shall vnderstande that this Constancius was fyrste maryed vnto Theodora
entende in the declarynge of thys story of Clothayre to expresse the remanaunte in as shorte wyse as I goodly may And fyrst ye shall vnderstaÌ„d that after thys fredegunde had as before is shewed causyd her lorde to be slayne she ferynge that at length her vntrouth shulde be dyscoueryd wyth all her goodes in shorte tyme after yode vnto Paris and there in the monasterye or house of our ladye held her And for she wold be in more suerty and also her son the sayd Clotharius shuld be the streÌ„ger in his domynyon and kingdome therfore she sent messengers vnto Gunthranus kynge of Orleaunce brother to her lorde Chilperich requyryng hym of fauoure and ayde that he wolde of his goodnesse be tutour defendour of her yonge sonne Clotharius The whych not denyenge the requeste of Fredegunde spedde towarde Paris in all haste where wyth the assent of other nobles of the realme he toke the gydynge of the yonge kynge By whose aduyse and coÌ„maundement the sayde Clotharius was conueyd shewyd thorough many of the chefe cytyes of his lande But in lykewyse as Gunthranus wyth other bysyed theym selfe to strength Lotharius in hys ryghte euen so were other of the nobles of FrauÌ„ce by the meanes of Brunechyeldis wyfe some tyme of Sygebert yongest sonne of Lothayre the fyrst the whyche Sygebert receyued of hys sayde wyfe two sonnes named Chilperich and Chyldebert of the whych two Chilperich suruyued the other that dyd all theyr entent to promote Chyldebert to the porcyon of hys father that Chilpericus father of Lotharius occupyed after the deth of Sigebert forenamed Here dyscordeth the frenche cronycle froÌ„ myne authour Gagwyne For there yt is sayd y e Brunechield with the other of her assent wold then by theyr meanes haue pÌ„ferred a bastard son of the forenamed Sygebert called Theodoricê° to the kyngdome of FrauÌ„ce An other authour sayth that this Theodorich was the son of Childericê° afore named whyche was the sonne of Sygebert But to folowe mayster Gagwyne This Childebert whych by y e former sayeng rehersyd in y t C. and .xiiii. chapiter of this treatyse was delyueryd from y e handes of Chilperich his vncle by meanes of the erle of Poytow named GuÌ„debald this with a small coÌ„pany came vnto Paris where of y e cyteseÌ„s he was kept out For y e which soon after he sent a noble man of his named Gillon with other as ambassadours vnto GuÌ„thranê° And where among other thynges of hym requyred they axed of him FredeguÌ„d to suffer deth for y â— she had by her subtylty caused to be murdred bothe Sygebert father to theyr kynge and also Chilpericus her owne husbande yt was of him vtterly denyed Wherfore this sayd Gyllon sayd vnto GuÌ„thranus syr kynge knowe thou for certayne synnes thou haste refused this peace to the offeryd of thy neuewe that the deth of thy brother shall cleuâ— to thy hedde wyth these wordes the kynge beynge greatly amoued commaunded the ambassadours to be putte oute of his court and when they were in the strete all fylthe and ordoure to be caste vppon theym as enymytyes And varyaunces thus kyndelyng betwene these two kinges Gunthranus soone after sent Fredegunde into Neustria or Normandy caused her there to be kepte not farre from y e citye of Roan whyther to her came many noble men of FrauÌ„ce in coÌ„fortynge her and also mouynge her for the trouble she was in promysynge to her ayde to the vttermoste of theyr power But when that Fredegunde apperceyuyd the great fauoure that Brunechyelde stode in of the nobles of Orleaunce or Fraunce she enuyenge her welth and honoure called to her an homycyde a felon called Holderyche to whom the sayde FredeguÌ„de pmysyd great treasour yf he coude by venyme or otherwyse brynge to deth the sayde Brunechieldis By meane of whych promyse he grauÌ„ted to brynge her entent about shortely after drewe vnto the court of the sayde Brunechyeldis where he fyll in suche famylyaryte wyth dyuerse of her courte that he came many seasons to the pÌ„sence of y e quene But by what happe I can not saye lastely he was taken in suspeccyon and so tormentyd pyned that he coÌ„fessyd y e cause of his thyder coÌ„myng and by whom he was sent with all y e other cyrcuÌ„staunce of the matter After whych coÌ„fessyon so made he was to betyn arrayed in moste vyle maner and so sent agayn to FredeguÌ„d And when he was comen to her presence and shewed what tourment he had suffred for her cause she incontyneÌ„t in fulfyllyng of her malycyous purpose commaunded that his handes and fete shulde be stryken of and so lette go to the ende that yt shulde be thought that she had not desyred hym to that besynesse Aboute thys tyme season arose a yonge maÌ„ in a corner of Fraunce the whych by his subtyle wytte named hym selfe to be the sonne of the fyrst Lotharius and brother vnto Gunthranê° The which by synystre meanes and crafty gatte the fauoure of the lordes of Guyan and by theyr assystence held and occupyed a great parte therof And after somdele of hys counsay les to Gunthranus by hys espyes disclosyd this sayde yonge man beyng named GuÌ„doaldus sent vnto Gunthranus an ambassade and requyryd hym to be restoryd to a porcyon of hys faders goodes Addyng therto that yf he denyed the sayde Gundoaldus wolde wyth a strong armye repayre out of Gwyan and get hys ryght wyth strength that to bryng about he shulde also haue great ayde of Chyldebert his neuewe aboue named whan kynge Gunthranus had at leyser herde the message he in dysdaynyng the same coÌ„maunded them to be sette vppon horse backes theyr facys towarde the tayle and so with betynge and vylanye to be dryuen thorough the town It was not long after that a daye was appoyntyd betwene Gunthranus and Childebert at whych day both prynces met with great companyes lordes And wheÌ„ they were sette in theyr counsayll Gunthranê° coÌ„maunded the foresayd messyngers of Gundoaldus to be brought to fore them there agayne to recyte theyr foresayde message whych done he shewyd furthermore that the sayd Gundoalde had before tyme dispoyled the doughter of I hil peryche named Rygonde of all such rychesse as she wyth her conueyed when she went towarde Spayne to be maryed of the whyche some lordes of Childebert were of counsayll whyche vnto the sayde two prynces was thought trewe for so myche as the sayde lordes then accusyd were absent from that great counsayll THE CXXIII CHAPITER AFter many and great actes concludyd by thys counsayll betwene these two foresayd prynces Gunthranus in open audyence admytted hys neuewe Chyldebert for his heyre for so mych as he had none heyre of hys bodye commyttynge the rule therof to hym before all that were there And after toke hym aê‘te and shewyd to hym whych of his nobles he shulde take to counsayll and whyche he shuld refuse And specyally he warnyd hym to be well ware
bare hym so well that he causyd his enimyes to lese grounde and at length put them to flyght the whyche he foloweth to the gates of Parys to the great damage of y e people of Lothary In this chase was taken Meroneus the sonne of Clotharye wyth many other but Laundry was goten wythin the cytye And when Theodobert had thus goten the vyctory of hys enemyes he lyste no lenger to tary about them at that season but shortly after retourned to hys countre In the court of Theodorich broder of this Theodobert was at this day dwellynge an Italian named Prothadiê° the whyche as myne authour sayth was paramour vnto Brunechyeld before sayd The which Brunechyeld by hyr meanes had exalted from poore estate vnto hyghe authoryte the whyche was of a subtyle far castynge wytte and therwyth excedynge couetous and in greate fauour of the kynge but to all hys lordes odyous hatefull for the which vnlefull meanes by hym to the nobles and comons of the lande vsed for the yll condycyons and bad counceyll that Brunechyelde thys Prothadiê° vsed within y e court of Theodobert he bannysshed them both as well of hys lande as of hys courte wherfore euer after they malygned agayne Theodobert And for the execucyon of theyr malicious purpose they tolde vnto Theodoryche that hys enemy and not brother Theodobert had wythdrawen from hym the chefe of hys faders treasoure alledgyng also that he was not the sonne of Chyldebert hys fader but gotten of a gardener and wyllyd hym therfore to sende vnto hym and to aske restytucyon of the sayde goodes By the whyche wycked counceyle Theodoryche was so lad that he sent vnto hys brother and in suche wyse so vexyd and styryd hym that dedely malice was kyndelyd betwene them In so myche that eyther of them assembled great hostes and lastely met nere vnto a towne named Carysse where the sayde hostes beynge redy to haue runne togyders the lordes of Theodoberte so demeaned them vnto hym that by theyr wyse counsayle he agreed to sende to hys brother and to haue a coÌ„municacyon of peas And whan the embassade was comen to the pauylyon of Theodoryche and there had shewyd the vnkyndnesse of thys warre wyth the ieopardy that myghte ensue of the same anone the foresayde Prothadius toke vppon hym the answere sayd it is not requysyte so lyghtly to graunte peas but necessary it is to attempte the wyll of our enemye by batayle whether he woll be agreable to condescende to our desyres The whyche wordes thus expressyd of hym anone the more party of the lordes dysdayned it and conspyryd wythin them selfe howe they myghte putte hym to deth And forthwyth arose amonge them such a murmur that y e kynge apperceyued well that they entendyd some harme to Prothadius For the whyche he called vnto hym a knyght named Uselyne chargynge hym to go vnto the lordes commaundynge them that they in no wyse shulde do any harme to Prothadius The whyche Uselyne beynge of the mynde of the other sayd that the kynge wolde that they shulde slee Prothayde After whyche message done they ranne in all haste and hym slewe as he sate playenge at dyce or tables wyth one Peter a physicyon and that done all hoolly ranne vnto y e kynges tent besechyng hym to take no dyspleasure of y e deth of so euyll a man that as well was knoweÌ„ was enemye to all frendshyp and peas But for Theodoryche apperceyued well that he cowde not reuenge hys deth wythout ponyshemeÌ„t of a multytude he therfore toke pacience and suffred the offence to passe vnpunysshed After whyche man thus murdered bothe prynces without notable acte deê‘ted eyther into hys countree THE CXXV CHAPITER TO thys daye Theodoryche had taken no wyfe all be yt of hys concubyne he receyued two sonnes He therfore by thaduertysement of hys frendes set hys mynde to mary some noble woman soone after sent certeyne ambassadours vnto Berthricê° then kyng of Spayne wyllyng to grauÌ„te vnto hym Memberge his doughter in mariage The whiche vppon certeyne condicyons was perfourmed and wyth greate ryches to hym shortly after sent and maryed â— by a certayn tyme well entreated cheryshed But that season roÌ„ne spent Brunechyeld so turned the kynges mynde from the quene that lastely he wyth suche treasoure and iewellys as he of her receyued sent her home agayn The whych iniury Berthricus her father toke at herte greuously shortly after sente hys messengers vnto Clothary kyng of Soysons requiryng hym of ayde to warre vppon Theodoriche which hadde done vnto hym great dyspleasure and the rather for y e warre that the sayde Theodoryche wyth his brother lately made agayne hym the whyche wyth both theyr strengthes they myghte then well reuenge To whome Clotharius grauÌ„ted And to haue hys party the stronger he sente vnto hys neuewe Theodobert and brother to Theodoriche to styre hym agayne hys sayde brother wherof when Berthricus hadde receyuyd knowlege of hys sayde messengers he theÌ„ sent vnto Agon king of Longobardys or more veryly Adoaldus the .v. kynge after Alboynus requyryng hym in lyke maner And he desyrous of wreche made faste and sure promyse to gyue ayde to the vttermoste of his power when Theodoryche was warned of the coÌ„spyracy of these .iiii. kynges that entendyd to warre ioyntly vppon hym he was therwyth greatly amoued and prouyded for hys defence in his bestâ— maner Then Theodobert trustyng the appoyntmeÌ„t before made assembled a great hoste and made spede fyrst toward y e place bytwene theym appoynted whyche was nere to y e castell of Salas. But or any preparacyon was made towarde batayle a meane was founde that the forenamed two bretherne shulde mete eyther wyth other accoÌ„panyed wyth .x. thousand knyghtes But Theodobertus enterâ—â—ynge to dysceyue hys sayd brother to force hym to grauÌ„te to his pleasure broughte wyth hym ferre aboue y e noÌ„ber wherfore Theodoricus beynge ouersette wyth strength graunted all his brothers wyll whych was that ouer certeyne thynges and appoyntementes concluded bytwene Berthricus and hym Theodobert shulde holde to hym and his heyres two lordshippes called Champayne and Turon whych conclusyon fynysshed eyther takynge leue of other departyd vnto theyr countreys but not wythout greate vnrestfulnesse of the sayde Theodorych berynge in mynde the wronge doynge of hys brother wherfore he shortly after made meanes to hys neuewe Clothayre desyrynge hym that he wolde not assyste hys brother agayne hym but to suffer hys quarell to be demyd by dynt of swerde bytwene theym two This requeste Lothayre by the aduyse of saynte Columbane munke of Irelande than beynge in those costes graunted And the french cronicle sayth that he was warned of thys foresayd holy munke and abbot that he shulde not medle bytwene the sayd two bretherne for so myche as yt was prouyded of god that he shuld be heyre to them bothe whan Theodorych had receyued thys answere he gaderyd his streÌ„gth and spedde hym vppon hys iourney to the cytye of Langresse and
reygne the Sarasyns entred the lande of Burgoyne wyth a grete armye and dyd mych harme in that duchy wherfore the kynge gaderynge his hoste met wyth them at a place called in latyne Carrolas and in French Callo the lasse where the Frenchmen were vyctours but nat wythout greate losse of theyr people Than it foloweth whanne thys Rauff had ruled the lande of FrauÌ„ce by y e space of .xii. yeres he dyed with out issue male And was buryed in the chyrche of saynte Calumb in the prouynce of Senys Anglia THE CLXXXIIII CHAPITER EThelstanÌ„ y e son of Edwarde the elder began hys reygne ouer the more part of Englande in y e yere of our lorde .ix. hundred .xxv and the thyrde yere of Rauff than kynge of Fraunce In the fyrst yere of the reygne of EthelstanÌ„ the holy chyld Dunstane was borne in the couÌ„tre of Glastenbury whose lyfe shone after wyth many myracles This was somtyme abbot of GlasteÌ„bury lastly archbyshop of Caunterbury whose holynes ê“phecyes are shewed at length in the .vi. chapyter of the .xvi. tytle of the worke called SinÌ„ Antonini and in the legende of the chyrche also In the seconde yere of the reygne of Ethelstane for an vnytye and a peace to be hadde betwene the kyng and the Danis of Northumberland he maryed to Sithyricê° theyr kyng his suster But after .v. yeres this Sithyricus dyed After whose deth he seasyd the countrey into hys owne hande and put oute the sonne of the foresayd Sythyricus And when he hadde thus accorded wyth the Danys of Northumberlande he shortly after made subiect to him CoÌ„stantyn kynge of Scottes But the sayd CoÌ„stantyne meked hym so lowely to the kynge that he restoryd hym to hys former dygnytye wherfore the sayd Constantyne sayde in prayse of the kynge that yt was more honour to make a kynge then to be a kynge whyche acte was done by the affyrmaunce of Polycronycon in the yere of grace .ix. hundred .xxvi which then after that saynge shuld be the seconde yere of the reygn of this Ethelstane It is testyfyed of Policronica that thys Ethelstane shuld marye one of his susters named Editha or Edyth vnto Otto the fyrst of that name emperour of Almayne and receyued from hym many precyous iewellys and relyques But of this speketh nothyng the cronicle of Romaynes Howe be yt yt is shewyd there that the foresayd Ottho or Otto had a wyfe named Alunda whych as before is sayde in the storye of Edward the elder myght be the doughter of the sayd Edward and of Edgina his seconde wyfe But Uincentius historialis sayth that Henry duke of Saxony whyche was father vnto the fyrste Otto sent vnto Ethelstane requyrynge of hym hys suster to mary vnto his sonne Otto By whych reason I maye folowe that this Ottho maryed the suster of Ethelstane but not Edythe Of these foresayde iewelles sent by Otto one was a precyouse vessell of stone called Onechynus whych was of suche clerenesse also so subtily craftely wrought that yt apperyd to mannes syght as grene corne hadde growen wythin yt and moued and waued as corne doth standyng in the felde More ouer in yt apperyd vynes burgenyng and berynge fruyte and men also to syght mouynge and styrynge He also receyued the great Constantynes sworde wherin was grauen wyth great letters of golde the name of the owner And the hyltes therof were coueryd wyth great plates of golde And one of the nayles was fastenyd to the crosse of the sayd sworde that Criste suffred with his passyon But in thys reporte or saynge Polycronycon varyeth from his former sayng were he reporteth two of the sayd nayles to be spent vppon the brydell of the sayde Constantyne and the thyrde nayle to be caste into a dauÌ„gerous swalowe of the see as before is rehersed in the .lxix. chapiter of thys worke He also receyued the spere of Charlys the gret whych after the opynyon of some wryters was the spere that Longeus opened wyth Crystes syde And the baner of saynte Morys a relyque of greate pryce wyth a part of the holy crosse and a parte of the crown of thorne of our sauyoure Of the whych iewellys kyng Ethelstane gaue a parte vnto saynte Swithunys of wynchester and some he gaue vnto y e abbay of Malmesbury I haue sene a cronycle of EnglaÌ„d which testyfyeth that this EthilstanÌ„ was y e fyrst kynge that euer was enoynted in this land All be yt I fynd therof lytell authorytye excepte that Guydo and other testyfyen that he was crowned at the kynges towne nowe called Kyngestone x. myles from London of Athelyne their archbyshoppe of Caunterbury But that proueth not or argueth hym to be the fyrste for that reason For ryghte so was his fader Edwarde crowned of Plemounde archbyshoppe of the sayde see But Guydo aforesayd affyrmeth that Alurede graund fader to thys Ethylstane was enoyntyd kyng by authoryte of Leo y e .v. then pope wherfore it agreeth better that he shulde be the fyrste Then yt foloweth in the story that aboute the .viii. yere of the reygne of thys Ethilstane dyed Frystane byshoppe of wynchester and Brystane was byshoppe after hym Of whom yt is radde that he sange euery daye masse for all Crysten soules And as the byshoppe Brystane went vppon a nyght about a chirch yerde and sayde hys deuocyons for all crysten soules and lastly sayde requiescant in pace he harde a voyce as yt hadde ben a great hoste of people saynge Amen Soone after Constantyne kynge of Scottes brake couenaunt wyth kynge Ethylstane wherfore he assembled his knyghtes and made towarde Scotlande And in hys way he tourned to saynte IohnÌ„ of Beuerley and offeryd there hys knyfe vppon the aulter sayenge that yf he retourned wyth vyctorye he shulde redeme hys knyfe wyth a noble pryce and that done proceded vppon hys iourney and in coÌ„clusyon scomfyted the Scottes and broughte theym agayne vnto dewe subieccyon And after accordynge to the promyse before made he retourned to yorke and so to the chyrche where the corps of saynt IohnÌ„ of Beuerley laye redemynge his knyfe worthely as he before hadde promysed In the .vi. chapyter of the .vi. boke of Polycronycon yt is remembred that kynge Ethilstane after this subduynge of the Scottes beyng wyth hys lordes and famylyers nere vnto the castell of Dunbar prayed to god and saynte IohnÌ„ yf Beuerley that in that countrey he myght leue some remembraunce or token that those that then were lyuynge and also suche as shulde come after myghte knowe that the Scottes by ryghte shulde be subiectes to Englyshmen And soone after wyth hys sworde he smote vppon a great stone standyng nere vnto the sayd castell with whyche stroke the stone was ryuen to an elle in length that in the tyme of Edwarde the thyrde was there remaynyng to be sene And whyther at this daye yt is so that I am in doute ye haue harde before that kynge Ethilstane after the deth of Sythericus kynge of Northumberlande seasyd
orderyd in his lande deuyded his sayd lande in foure partes That is to meane the fyrst princypall which at those dayes was westsaxon he helde vnder hys owne gydyng Eestenglande whych coÌ„teyned Norff. Suff. he betoke to the rule of y e erle Turkyllê° a Dane of whome somwhat is in the .iii. chapyter of y e story of Egelredê° Mercia he betoke to the subtell erle Edricus And the .iiii. Northumberlande vnto a Dane named Hircius But lyke as the man of Inde at no tyme chauÌ„ged his colour so this Edricus chauÌ„ged neuer his fals maners But not wythstandynge the great benefytes that he dayly receyued of his prynces there as he to other hadde ben false and dysceyuable in dayes past euen so nowe he demeaned hym agayne Canutus wherfore he beynge accused proued wyth defaute was commauÌ„ded of the kyng to haue iudgement The whyche was done immediatly his hedde for dyuerse causes smyten of and yt wyth the bodye for spyte caste into a fowle and fylthy place But Ranulf sayth that he was slayne by the kynges agrement wythin his paleys at London and his body wyth the hed throwne after into the towne dyche Thus wyth shame he ended that in falshode dyssymulacyoÌ„ had contynued myche of his lyfe Aboute the .ix. yere of his reygne Canutê° called a parliament at Oxenford where amonges other thynges yt was enacted that Englyshmen Danys shuld holde the lawes of Edgar lately kynge In this pastyme dyed Swanus brother to Canutus kynge of Denmarke wythout issue wherfore that lande fyll to Canutus For the which cause he wyth a stronge army sayled thyther to take the possessyon and to set the countrey in an order or after some wryters to apeas wythstande the wandelys y t then had perced that lande and done therin myche harme where GoodwynÌ„ the erle whose doughter Edwarde the confessour after maryed wyth a certayne nomber of Englyshmen fyll vpon y e wandalys by nyght dystressed theym in suche wyse that Canutus had of them his pleasure For this dede the kyng had erle GoodwynÌ„ euer after in good fauoure and loued Englyshmen more specyally And when he was returned into Englande he shortely after or before maryed Emma the wyfe lately of Egelredus Of the whych he receyued in processe of tyme a son named hym Hardicunitus or after some Hardykynitus after the Englyshe boke Hardyknough And aboute this tyme fyll voyde y â— see of Lyndesser or Durham to the whyche by dyuyne inspyracyon and knowlege receyued by a voyce from the tumbe of saynt Cuthbert blessed EdmuÌ„de after thre yere of vacacyon was electe to that see But ye shal vnderstande that thys was not saynte Edmunde of Ponteney For he was archbyshoppe of Caunterbury in the dayes of Henry the thyrde THE CXCVI. CHAPITER CAnutus about the .vii. yere of his reygne by exhortacyon of Egelnothus then archbishop of CauÌ„terbury translated the body of saynt Elphegus late archbyshoppe of the sayd see martyred by the Danys as before is shewed in the seconde chapiter of the storye of Egelredus and shryued hym in hys owne chyrche of Caunterbury foresayde In the tyme also of thys Canutus aboute the .xvi. yere of hys reygne the Scottes rebelled agayne hym wherfore he with a great army entred Scotlande at length ouercame the kynge of that lande named then Malcolyne and brought them agayne to hys subieccyon as is recorded in the bokes of Marianus the Scot. By reason of whych vyctory Canutus was then kynge of .iiii. kyngdoms of England of ScotlaÌ„d of Denmarke and Norwaye Then as wytnessyth dyuerse authours after he had betaken this lande of Englande to the gydynge of Leofricus Egelnothus and other he then returned into Denmarke And from theÌ„s he yode to Rome in the .xv. yere of his reygn made there great offerynges to saynte Peter and Poule redemed the scole of Saxons fre of all former trybute graunted as before in the storyes of Iue and Offa and other kynges of Saxons is som deale more touched whyche redempcyon of tribute as sayth Guydo was called Rome Scot. But it shall seme in that sayenge some douteth for so myche as at thys daye in dyuers places of EnglaÌ„d as in Northamptonshyre and other the peter pens are yet gaderyd Canutus also after he had in Rome accomplyshed his purpose he in hys returne towarde Englande executed wonderfull dedes of almes in releuynge of the poore and other goftly workes payde great good for raunsom of crysten prysoners amonges other of his dedes It is wytnessyd that he shulde agree with the pope that was called Benet the .viii. of that name pay to hym certayne summes of money that his archbyshoppes after y t daye myghte haue the pall wythoute payenge of money therfore And wheÌ„ he was comen in the citye of Papia in Italy in hys way home warde he there brought the arme of saynte Augustyne the doctour for a hundred pounde of syluer and a talent of golde And here is to be noted that there be thre maners of taleÌ„tes The fyrst and grettest is of y â— weyght of .vi. score pounde weyghte the seconde of the weyght of .lxxii pounde and the thyrde and leest of .l. pounde weyght Then yf we reken this talent with the leest in a pouÌ„de of gold after troye weyght is .xii. vuces and in .l. pounde is .vi. huÌ„dred vnces and euery vnce of fyne golde is worth xl s. By whyche reason this talent shulde be in value to the summe of xii hundred pounde This precyous relyque y e kyng gaue vnto his trusty frende Leofricus y e whych he myche loued and trusted and remayned at Couentre many yeres after whyle Canutus was occupyed in thys iourney coÌ„playnt was brought vnto hym of some mysse demeanurs and rule that were occupyed and exercysed in his absence wythin this realme wherfore he wrote home letters to the lordes chargynge theym straytely that all such defautes were redressed agayne hys coÌ„myng home Thys kynge as wythnesseth Guydo was of great magnyfycence and vsed suche iustyce and temperaunce that in his dayes in the weste partes of the worlde was no prynce of renowne as was Canutus And ouer that he was gretly beloued dradde of hys subiectes In the tyme of this Canutus as tessyfyeth Guillelmus de pontificibus a munke of GlasteÌ„bury named Bryghtwolde whyche was after bysshop of wylton beynge in hys contemplacyon and prayer bethoughte hym on the lynage of Englyshe kynges And in that thought fyll into a slumber in whyche tyme of his slepe he sawe saynte Peter the apostle standynge by hym and holdynge in hys hande Edwarde the sonne of Egelredus which then was in Normandy the whyche to his thynkynge he saw saynte Peter saker y e sayde Edward as kynge of Englande And shewed to hym farther how holy this Edwarde shulde be in hys lyuynge and how he shuld reygne as kynge .xxiii. yeres Then thys monke frayned saynt Peter of the ofsprynge of thys Edwarde and who shulde be
and was anone after the deth of hys brother sent for into Denmarke and receyued ioyously and crowned at Londō of Ethelnotus than archybysshop of Caunterbury But this was of suche cruelty that he sent Alfrycus archbysshoppe of yorke and erle Goodwyne vnto westmynster commaundynge them for the iniury by hys brother Harolde before done vnto his moder Emma that they shuld drawe the corps out of y e place where it was buryed and to be throwen into the ryuer of Thamys which was done accordynge to hys wyll whych corps after as testyfyeth Guydo and other was founden by a fyssher and buryed vnreuerently within the chyrcheyarde of saynt Clement standyng wythout the Temple barre of London And as Polycronycon sayth for a more curelty he caused fyrst the hed of hys sayd brother to be smyten from the body and than throwen in to the sayd ryuer Lette the herers to thys gyue credence as them lyke for to me it semeth though the kyng had ben of suche cruelty that the bysshop forenamed wolde not haue ben the executour of so fowle a dede Thys kyng also leuyed the forenamed trybute named Dane gelt spent it to the lytell comforte of the realme but gaue vnto shypmen and maryners and other lewde persons greate and vnsyttynge fees and wages and was of suche prodegalyte that his bourdes and tabelles of his courte were spred .iiii. tymes in the daye and the people serued of great excesse both of mete also of drynke wyth leuyeng of the foresayd try bute the comons greatly grudged so that in worceter two of hys seruauntes whyche were assygned to gader that money were there slayne For the whyche dede the kynge was so sore dyspleased y t he brent a great parte of that towne Thys Hardykynutus after some authours maryed hys syster named Gunylda vnto the thyrde Henry emperour The whych was of passyng beaute and was the doughter also of Emma laste wyfe of Canutus But in processe of tyme thys Gunylda was falsely accused of spowsebrech for tryall wherof she was put to her champyon wherfore she beynge in greate agony lastely trustyng to god and knowyng her selfe without gylte of that offence putte a chyld that she wyth her had brought out of Englande in stede of the champyon The whyche fought wyth a man of geauntes stature and fynally hym slew and broughte vnto confusyon when Gunylda by dyuyne power hadde thus clered her selfe she vtterly refused the emperours company and ended her lyfe in the seruyce of hym the onely god that so hadde defended her ryght But yt shulde appere by Polycronycon and also by Antoninus that thys mayden was maryed to y e sayde Henry by the lyfe of her father Canutus and also durynge the lyfe of the sayde Henryes father named Conradus the second as before is touched in the storye of the sayde Canutus and not by thys Hardykinytus her brother It is rad that the kynge betoke all the rule of the lande vnto hys moder and erle Goodwyn the whyche had maryed as wytnessyth the englyshe cronycle the doughter of Canutus gotten vppon hys fyrste wyfe Elgina By whome many thynges were mysse orderyd and specyally by the subtylyte of this erle Goodwyn This erle had many sonnes as wytnesseth Polycrony con in the .xxv. chapyter of hys .vi. boke By his fyrste wyfe that was kynge Canutus syster not hys doughter as is aboue sayde he hadde one sonne The whyche by vndyscrete strykynge of an horse was throwen into the Thamys and drowned And the mother was lastely smyttē wyth lyghtenyng and so dyed Of whome yt is there remembred that she was so vngracyous and of so vyle condycyon that she set yonge womē to horedome for to gader by that vnlefull meane ryches After the whyche wyfe so dyed he maryed the seconde of whome he receyued .vi. sonnes That is to wyt Swanus Harolde Tostius wylnotus Sirthe or Surthe and Leoffricus and a doughter named Goditha whych after was maryed to Edwarde the confessour The two sonnes of Egelredus Alphredus and Edwarde whych as ye before haue hard were sent into Normādy by Emma theyr mother came in y e tyme of the reygne of thys kyng into Englande for to vysyte and se theyr mother brought wyth them a great nomber of Normans Then thys Goodwyne ymagyned in hys mynde howe he myght preferre hys doughter Godyth to one of these bretherne and thoughte in his mynde y t the eldest wold dysdayne that maryage And for he thought to ioyne her vnto the yonger and to make hym kynge and her quene he compassed the deth of y e elder And by this mean Goodwyn warned the lordes of Englande and sayde yt was a great ieoperdye for the lande to suffer so many straungers to entre the land without lycence wherfore yt were necessary that they were punyshed to the example of other By whych meanes he gat authoryte to order that mater as to hym semed beste or of his owne power because he was of moste myght nexte the kynge wherfore he yode and mette wyth the sayde Normans and slewe of theym the moste nomber For vppon Guylde downe he slewe alway .ix. saued the .x. And yet for he thoughte to many by that meane lefte a lyue he eft agayne tythed agayne the sayd tythe and slew euery tenth knyght of them and that by cruell deth as wyndynge theyr guttes out of theyr bodyes as sayth Polycronycon and amonge other put out the eyen of the elder brother Alphredus sent hym to Ely where he dyed in short tyme after all be it y e englyshe boke sayth y t he was slayne by the forenamed tormente And Edwarde was conueyed and by some other waye broughte to hys mother But she ferynge the treason of Good wyne sente hym soone ouer the see agayne Howe be yt the ynglyshe cronycle telleth all otherwyse when Goodwyne was after accused for thys cruell dede he sware depely y t he was forced of the kynge so for to do But in one cronicle I fynde that thys dede was executed by Goodwyne in the tyme of Harolde Harefote beynge kynge Then yt foloweth in the story this kynge Hardykynytus beynge at a feste at Lambehyth besyde London mery and iocande whyle he stode drynkynge he fyll downe sodaynly and dyed or waxed dumbe and lay tyll the .viii. daye after the whyche was the .viii. daye of the moneth of Iune and then dyed when he hadde reygned after moste wryters two yeres leuynge after hym none yssue of his bodye lawfull and was buryed by his father at wynchester Thus here endeth the lyne or ofsprynge of Swanus and all other Danys so that after thys kynge the blood of Danys was clerely extyncte and putte oute from all kyngly dygnyte wythin thys realme of Englande And also the persecution of thē seased clerely after thys kynges deth The whyche had contynued to rekē from theyr fyrst landynge in tyme of Brightricus kyng of west Saxon the .ix. yere of his reygne as in y e storye
he toke a myghty and stronge captayn of the sayde erle Guy named Hombolde the whyche he sente to the castell of Stampes there sauely to be kepte Durynge whyche warre Philyppe the kynge sykened and dyed the yere of grace M. a hundred .vi when he hadde rygned full .xlviii. yere and was buried at saint Benet sur Loyt THE CCXVI CHAPITER HArolde y e second son of erle Goodwyne and laste kynge of Saxons began to rule the realme of Englande y e v. daye of Ianuary and the yere of our lorde M. and .lxvi and the .viii. yere of Phylyp the fyrst then kynge of Fraunce This as moste myghty for so myche as the blessyd kynge Edwarde dyed wythout yssue not myndyng the promysse of hym before made vnto wyllyam duke of NormaÌ„dy as before I haue shewed toke vpoÌ„ him as kyng and was crowned of Aldredus then byshoppe of yorke All be yt as affermeth Guydo and other some of the lordes entended to haue made Edgare Adelynge kynge whyche Edgare as affermeth y e sayde authours was sonne to Edwarde that was the sonne of Edmund Ironsyde and named of some Edwarde the outlawe But for this Edgare was yong and specyally for Harolde was strong of knightes and rychesse he wanne the reygne Howe be yt Marianus sayth that kyng Edwarde ordeyned before his deth that Harolde shuld be kyng after hym By reason wherof the lordes crowned hym therupppon at westmynster Anon as he was crowned he beganne to fordoo euyll lawes and customes before vsed and stablysshed the good lawes and specyally suche as were for the defence of holy chirch and punyshed the euyll doers to the fere and example of other In shorte tyme after that Harolde was thus made kynges Tosty or Costy hys brother whyche as before is sayde was of the Northumbers chased into Flaundres made hym a nauy of .lx. small sayles and sayled about the I le of wyght toke prayes wythin the sayd yle and other places of Kent And from thens he sayled in to Lynsey dyd there myche harme both with fyre and sworde But soon after he was chased thens by EdwynÌ„ and Malcharus erles of Mercia of Northumberlande And then he sayled into Scotland taryed there tyll the somer after when Tostius was thus wyth hys robbers chased then Harolde Harfagar kynge of Northganys or Norways wyth a great nauy of .iii. hundred shyppes or mo entred y e mouth of the ryuer of Tyne Thys Harolde Harfagar as sayth Guyde was the sonne of Canutus and kyng of Denmarke and of Norway The whych heryng of the deth of holy Edward purueyed y e sayd great armye to wyn Englande as his ryghtfull enherytaunce when Harolde was warned of thys great flote of Danys he sent vnto the forenamed erles or dukes of Mercia and of Northumberland commaundyng them to wythstande theyr landrynge whyle he gadered hys strength Then the foresayde dukes spedde theym towarde the Danys and gaue vnto them a sharpe stronge fyght But in conclusyon the Englyshemen were put to the worse and were fayne to gyue backe so y t the enymyes entred farther into the lande The kyng herynge of the scoÌ„fyture of hys people made the more haste towarde hys enymyes so that the .vi. day after he came to Stemysforde brydge In thys whyle was Tostius before named come oute of Scotlande and gone to the partye of the Danys agayne hys owne brother In thys foresayde place bothe hostes ioyned and faught then there a sharpe cruell batayll wherin fyll many a sturdy knyght vppon the englyshe partye but mo vppon the Danys syde so that in the ende Harolde theyr kynge was slayne and that of the hande of Harolde kynge of Enlande as sayth Guydo and Tostius was also slayne in the same fyghte Olanus broter to the sayth Harolde Harfagar with Paulus duke of the yles of Orkeys were there taken prisoners The whyche the kynge caused to hym to be sworne to kepe such promises as they to hym there made and toke good pledges for performaunce of the same and after suffred theym to retourne from thens they were comen It ys also specyally remembred of the sayd authour that one knyght stode vppon the foresayde brydge and wyth his axe defended the passage maugre the hole hoste of y e Englyshemen and slew .xl. Englyshmen or mo wyth hys axe and myght not be ouercomen tyll an Englysheman went vnder the brydge and stycked hym vpwarde wyth hys spere thorough an hole of the brydge For thys vyctory Harolde was suppressed wyth pryde and also wyth couetouse so that he dyuyded not the prayes of hys enymyes amonge hys knyghtes but kepte theym to hym selfe or gaue parte vnto suche â—nyghtes as he fauoured and spared to them that had well deserued by reason wherof he loste the fauour of many of hys knyghtes In thys passetyme the doughter of duke wyllyam the whych Harold shuld haue maried dyed within age wherfore Harold thought hiÌ„ y e more discharged of his ê“mise before made to her fader But duke willyam warned Harolde of couenauntes broken and medled menasses wyth prayers by sondry tymes wherunto Harolde answered that a nyce folyshe couenaunte ought not to be holden namely y e behest of other mennys ryght and kyngdome wythout the hole assent of the senatours of y e same land And farthermore a lewde othe might and ought to be broken and specyally when yt is compelled to be sworne for nede or for drede Uppon these answers receyued by duke wyllyam from Harolde in the whyle that messangers went came duke wyllyam gadered hys knyghtes and prepared his nauy and all other thinges necessary to the warre had assent of the lordes of his land to ayde and assyste hym in his iourney And ouer that he in such wise enformed the pope then beynge named Alexander the second y t he coÌ„formed hym in takynge of that vyage and sent vnto hym a banner the whyche he willed hym to bere in the shyp that he hym self shuld sayle in And so beynge purueyed of all thynges concernyng his iourney he sped hym to the see syde toke shyppynge in the hauen of faynt Ualery where he taryed a longe tyme or he myght haue a couenable wynde For y e whych his soldyours murmured grudged and sayd it was a woodnesse great dyspleasynge to god to desyre an other mannâ—s kyngdome by strength namely when god wythsayde yt by the workynge of his element At the laste when duke wyllyam had longe bydden and houed for the wynde he commaunded to brynge forth y e body of saynt Ualery and to be sette vppon the see stronde The whyche done the wynde shortely after came about and fylled the sayles Then wyllyam thanked god saynt Ualery and toke shortely after shyppynge and helde his course to warde Englande vppon thys grounde tytle folowynge The fyrste and pryncypall was to chalenge his ryghte and to haue the domynyon of the lande that to hym was gyuen as he affermed of kyng
neuew vnto Edward the confessour as before is shewed beganne hys domynyon ouer thys realme of Englande the .xv. daye of October in the yere of our lordes incarnacyon a thousand .lxvii and y e ix yere of the fyrste Phylyppe then kyng of Fraunce and was crowned kynge of the same vppon Crystmas daye nexte folowynge of Aldredus archbyshoppe of yorke for so myche as at that tyme Stigandus archbysshoppe of Caunterbury was then absent or durste not come in the pÌ„sence of the kynge to whome he ought no great fauour as in the sequele shall appere when wyllyam had sette in quyet a great parte of thys lande he betoke the gydyng therof to his brother the byshop of Bayon and in lent folowynge sayled into Normandye and led wyth hym the chefe rulers of England for doute of sturryng in tyme of his absence Amonge the whyche the two erles Marcarê° and Edwyne rulers of Northumberlande Mercia were two wyth also Stigandus and Edgare Ethelynge To the why the Stigandus wyllyam shewed great reuerence and couÌ„tenaunce of fauoure But all proued to great dissymulacyon after as was shewed by the depryuynge of the sayd Stigandus and prysonment of hym in wynchester towne by a longe terme and season In the next wynter whan wyllyam had sped hys besynesse in Normandy he retourned into England wyth greate pompe and sette a greuous trybute vpon the Englyshmen By reason wherof some partyes of the lande rebelled agayne hym and specyally the cytye of Excetour the whyche defended hym for a certayne of tyme. But lastly by force he wanne the sayde cytye and punysshed the cytesyns greuously For thys and other sterne dedes of wyllyam Marcharus erle of Northumberlande wyth Edgare Athelynge and dyuers other as hys moder and two systers Margarete and Crystyan sayled into Scotlande But another cronycle telleth y t Edgare entendynge wyth Agatha hys moder and hys two systers to haue sayled into Almayne where he was borne was by tempest of the see dryuen into Scotlande where of Malcolyne than kynge of Scottes they were ioyously receyued And in processe of tyme the sayde Malcolyne caste suche loue vnto the sayd Margaret that he toke her to wyfe as before is touched in the fyrste chapyter of the story of Canutê° Of the which Margaret the sayde Malcolyne receyued .ii. doughters and .vi. sonnes wherof thre named Edgare AlexauÌ„der Dauyd were kynges of Scotlande nexte folowynge theyr fader And Molde one of y e foresayd doughters was after maryed vnto the fyrst Henry kynge of Englande And the other doughter Mary was maryed to Eustace erle of Bolongii Of Molde the fyrste doughter Henry receyued .ii. sonnes named wyllyam and Rychard the whych bothe dyed before theyr fader as after in y e story of the sayd Henry shall appere And he receyued also two doughters named Molde and Mary whych Molde or Mawde was maryed to y e fyfte Henry emperour of Almayne After whose deth she was agayne maryed to Godfrey of Geoffrey PlaÌ„tagenet erle of Aungeowe Of whom descended Henry surnamed shorte mantell and kynge of Englande called Henry the seconde And the other doughter Mary was maryed vnto the erle of Blaynes of whoÌ„ descended Molde or Mawde that was wyfe vnto kynge Stephen Than it foloweth that thys wyllyam after thys foresayd trybute so leuyed of the Englysshemen and knowynge of the depertynge of the lordes foresayde kepte the other the streyter But it was not longe after that Marcharus was reconsyled to the kynges grace and fayled agayn as folowynge shall be shewed For thys and other causes whyche were tedyous to shewe wyllyam exalted the Normans and gaue vnto them the chyefe possessyons of the lande so that they dayly encreased in great honour and welth and the Englysh men as faste decayed Kynge wyllyaÌ„ also made .iiii. stronge castels where of two be sette at yorke the thyrde at Lyndetyngham or Notynghm and manned them wyth Normans and the .iiii. at Lyncolne About the thyrde yere of his reygne Harolde Canutus sonnes of Swanus kynge of Denmarke came on lande in the North of Humber wyth a stronge nauy and in all haste drew them towarde yorke Than the Normans whyche hadde the rule of the towne and castelles feryng that the Englysshemen wolde ayde the Danys and wyth the houses of the suburbes of the towne haue fylled the towne dyches sette the suburbes on fyre wherof y e flame was so bygge and wyth the wynde so stronge that it toke into the cytye brent a parte therof wyth the mynster of saynt Peter In tyme wherof the Danys by fauour of some of the citesyns entred the cytye and slewe more than thre thousande of the Normans But it was not longe or kynge wyllyam chased the Danys to theyr shyppes and toke so greate dyspleasure wyth the inhabytauntes of that prouynce that he destroyed the land lyenge bytwene yorke and Durham in suche wyse that .ix. yeres after or there about the lande laye vnlabored vntylled onely out taken saynt IohnÌ„s lande of Beuerley the which was for borne by reason of a wreche done by dyuyne power vpon one of kynge wyllyams knyghtes The whych as he was besyed in wastyng and spoylynge of the sayde countre fyll sodeynly wyth hys horse so that hys horse brake hys necke and the knyghtes face was turned to his backe And of the famyne that the people of that countre susteyned wonders are reported that they shuld eate all maner of vermyn as cattes rattes dogges other so harde they were kepte by the warre of the kyng And in that yere also Molde or Mawde the wyfe of kynge wyllyaÌ„ was crowned quene of England of Aldredus archebysshop of yorke In the .iiii. yere of the reygne of thys kynge the Scottes with Malcolyne theyr kynge entred Northumberlande and wasted and destroyed sore that countre and slewe there in myche people and many they toke prysoners helde theÌ„ as bonde men But in the .vi. yere of hys kyngdome wyllyam made such warre vppon the Scottes that he lastely forced the sayde Malcolyne to swere to hym bothe homage and feauty as it is wytnessed of wyllyam of Malmesbery and other wryters THE CCXX CHAPITER Kynge willyam by counsayle of the erle of Hortford and other caused the abbeyes of Englande to be serched And what money in them at that season was founde he caused it to be brought to hys treasour For the whyche dede after the exposycyoÌ„ of some authours the sayd erle was punysshed as after shall be shewed Soone vpon thys in the tyme by twene Easter and wytsontyde was holden a solempne counsayle at wynchester of the clergy of Englande At the whyche counsayle were presente two cardynalles sent from y e second Alexaunder than pope In thys couÌ„sayle Stygandus archebysshop of CauÌ„terbury was depryued from his dygnytye and that for thre skylles The fyrste was for that he had holden wrongfully that bysshopryche whyle Robert the archebysshop was lyuynge The seconde cause was for that he hadde receyued the Paule
abode her people the whyche was deuyded and scateryd And in thys whyle she sente vnto Dauyd kynge of Scottes and her vncle for to ayde her the whyche in all haste came vnto her and so yode to wynchester where she layde syege to the byshoppes towre the whyche the kynges brother at that tyme helde wyth strength Then the quene wyth ayde of her frendes of Kentyshemen and other made a stronge hoste wherof was capytayne a knyght named Guyllyam de Pre. wheÌ„ the empresse harde of y e great strength of the quene and saw that her owne mynyshed rather then encreasyd she fled secretely and escaped vnto Glouceter And erle Robert her brother was taken soone after and put in pryson Then Dauyd kynge of Scottes herynge of thys returned into Scotland Then meanes was made vpon eyther syde for deliuery and exchaunge of the prysoners so that fynally yt was agreed that the kynge shulde be delyueryd for erle Robert But or thys agrement were concluded myche sorowe was wroughte wythin thys realme For the empresse pylled and spoyled on hyr partye and the quene by promyses and manaces borowed toke vppoÌ„ y e other syde the soudyours stale and extorcyoned vpoÌ„ both partyes so that riche men were made nedy and the poore were oppressed In thys meane whyle the empresse retourned agayne to Oxynforde vytayled and manned yt in her beste maner Then lastely the kyng was delyuered vpon holy Roode day in haruest and soon after he becleped Oxynford wyth a stronge syege from the tyme of Mychelmasse vnto the season of Crystemas at whyche tyme and season the empresse vsed a new gyle for constraynte and necessyte of vytayle In that tyme was great plente of snow fallen vppon the grounde and the frost was therwyth so great that Thamys wyth other great ryuers were then frosen ouer so that man horse myghte passe y e water vppoÌ„ the yse The empresse then constrayned of nede as before is sayd apparayled her and her companye in whyte clothynge whych a farre of apered lyke the snow and so vpon a plumpe goyng to gyther as nere as they myght escaped the daunger of theyr fone so came to walyngforde And thens in processe of tyme she wyth a small companye departed and retourned fynally into Normandye vnto her husbande So soon as the empresse was thus departed from Oxenforde the town was yelden vnto y e kynge where the kyng had mich of the empresse stuâ—â—e as wel harnes as other stuffe of housholde TheÌ„ he entendyd to haue pursued her But tydyngê° were brought vnto hym y t Ranulfe erle of Chester wyth an hoste of walshmen was commyng towarde hym But by medyacyon of frendes thys Ranulfe in the ende to the kynge was reconcyled and was wyth hym agreed About this tyme and season as yt is testyfyed of dyuerse authours the Iewes vpon Ester euyn crucyfyed a chylde named wyllyam in the cytye of Norwyche And in the tyme of Henry the second about y e .vi. yere of his reygn as sayth Policronicon they crucified an other at Glouceter In the .xxii. yere of his reygn kyng Stephan was agayne crowned at Lyncolne And soon after he toke froÌ„ Ranulphe erle of Chester the castell of Lyncolne Robert erle of Glouceter made also newe warre vppon the kynge had the better of the kynge at wyltone so that the kynge was lyke to haue fallen in Robertys dauÌ„ger But yet the kynge escaped wyth myche payne And there was taken a baron of the kynges named syr willyam Martel for whose delyuery the kynge gaue after to the sayde erle the castell of Shyrbourne And that done y t sayd erle Robert began to fouÌ„de a stronge castell at Faryngdone wherof the kynge beynge enfourmed assembled his knyghtes and sped hym thytherwarde by meane wherof the worke was for that tyme empeached let In the .xv. yere of the reygne of kynge Stephan the ryuer of Thamys was so strongely ouerfrosen that horse and carte passed ouer vppon the yse In the .xvi. yere Ranulphe erle of Chester dyed that was surnamed Gercyous and was the .iiii. erle after the conqueste and his sonne Hughe was erle after hym which was a maÌ„ of great strength and vertue And in the same yere as wytnessyth Guydo and other dyed Geffrey Plantagenet husband of Molde the empresse After whose deth Henry short mantell that was the son of the sayde Geffrey and Molde was made duke of Angeous Normandye The which in few yeres after maryed Elyanour the doughter of the erle of Poytow the whych Elyanour was before maryed vnto Lewys kynge of FrauÌ„ce and from hym deuorced for nerenes of blood when he hadde receyued of her .ii. doughters named Mary and Alys as wytnessyth the frenche cronycle And so this Henry was erle of Angeous by his fader duke of Normandy by his mother erle of Poytowse by his wyfe It was not longe after that Eustace the sonne of kynge Stephan wyth ayde of the Frenche kyng warred vppon Henry duke of Normandye the whyche after some wryters was ymagyned by Stephan his father to the entent to let or stop hym y t he shuld not come into England to clayme his enherytaunce But duke Henry defended hym so knyghtly y t the sayde Eustace wanne therby lytle honour or profyte An old cronycle sheweth that kyng Stephan entended to haue crowned the sayde Eustace his sonne kyng of Englande by his dayes but the bysshoppes of Englande refused y e dede by coÌ„maundement of the pope In the .xxvii. yere the kynge layd syege vnto the castelles of Newebery of walyngforde and of warwyke or warwell the whyche hadde ben kepte by the empresse frendes from the tyme of her departyng vnto that daye and hoped of rescous by Henry duke of Normandy But y e kynge then wan the castellys of Newebery and of warwell and walyngforde defended the holders tyl the coÌ„myng of Henry the duke The whyche in the ende of y e sayde yere wyth a great armye entred Englande and fyrste wanne the castell of Malmysburye And thens he yode to London and wanne the towre as myche by Polycy and by fayre ê“myse as by streÌ„gth And suche stuffe of vytayle and armoure as he fande therin he sent to walyngforde And that done he weÌ„t to the towne of walyngforde wan such holdes as were there about Then kyng Stepan wyth his power drewe towarde the duke and fynally by meane of medyatours as Thybaude archbyshoppe of CauÌ„terbury and other both prynces to comon of peace met nere vnto y e water of Uryn or Urn. But as fast as some laboured to haue peace so fast other laboured to haue warre so that at that communacacyon the peace was not concluded After the kynge and the duke were departed the kynge yode towarde Epyswyche in Suff. And the duke toke the way to Srewesbury where he wan the castell of the sayde town From thens the duke wente to Nothyngham and wan the towne wherfore the soldyours that helde the castell seynge that the
towne toke ê‘tye wyth the duke brake out vppon the nyght and fyred the town and brent a great parte therof In this while dyed and was drowned Eustace the sonne of kynge Stephan and was buried at Feuersham in Kent in the abbay that his father before had buylded Thybaude archbyshop of Caunterbury left not to labour conclude y e peace betwene y e kyng the duke endeuored hym selfe therin so dylygently wyth the assystence of other that in the yere folowynge the peace was coÌ„cluded vppon dyurese condycyons wherof one was that y e kyng shulde contynue as kynge durynge his lyfe and immedyatly after y e conclusion of this peace the sayd Henry shuld be proclaymed in all the chefe cytyes and townes of Englande for heyr apparant be kynge after the deth of the sayde Stephan and that the kynge shulde take hym for hys son of adopcyon and ryghtefull heyr vnto the crowne To the whyche couenauÌ„tes iustly to be holden y e kyng was fyrste sworne and after his lordes spyrytuall and temporall and so yode bothe to London where they were royally receyued And when y e kyng had fested the duke and gyuen to hym ryche gyftes he toke leue of the kynge and so returned into Normandye as affyrmeth the sayde authour the Floure of historyes Howe be yt the cronycle of England sayth that the accorde was made vpon dyuysyon of the lande betwene theym that is to meane that both shuld reygne to gyther and eyther of them to enioye halfe the lande But how that dyuysyon was made or whych parte of the lande eueryche of them shulde hold no meÌ„cion therof is made And the former accorde shuld be as abue is sayde concluded .viii. days folowynge the Epyphanye of our lorde in the towne of Oxenford And y e kyng dyed in the moneth of October folowyng when he had reygned .xviii. yeres full and odde monethes and was enterred in theforsayde abbay of Feuyrsham Of dyuers authours as Ranulfe and other yt is recorded that thys Stephan lyued in great vexacyon and trouble all the terme of hys reygne It is sayde also that thys Stephan maryed Molde or Mawde the doughter of Mary the whyche was the doughter of Henry the fyrst and countesse of Boloyne by whome he claymed the tytle to be crowned as by the yonger doughter of Henry the fyrst and Henry shorte mantell claymed by the elder But after most certenty of wryters this Stephan was sonne of Eustace erle of Boloyne and of Mary syster vnto Molde that was maryed vnto Henry the fyrste whych Molde and Mary were doughters of Margarete wife of Malcolyn kyng of Scottes whyche Margaret was syster to Edgare Ethelynge and doughter of Edwarde the outlawe that was the sonne of Edmunde Ironsyde Then the eldest syster Molde bare Molde the empresse by Henry the fyrste And Molde y e empresse doughter of Henry the fyrst hadde by her second husbande Geffrey Plantagenet Henry the seconde And so by Henry shorte mantell or Henry the seconde returneth the bloode of the Saxons to the crowne of Englande and so it dyd by Stephan but moste conuenyently by Henry the fyrst as by the dyssent of his mother By whych reason yt foloweth that the blood of willyam conquerour continued but .lxx. yeres yf it be accompted from y e fyrst yere of wyllyam Conquerour vnto the laste yere of Henry the fyrste Thys kynge Stephan at the request of Molde hys wyfe buylded in the yere of grace .xi. hundred .xl y e abbey of Coggeshale in Essex and set therin whyte muÌ„kes Also about the same tyme he founded the abbay of Feuersham in Kent where he nowe corporally resteth And the thyrde he founded in Furneys in Lancashyre and all he garnyshed wyth munkys of Cysteaux order dyed as before is sayde wythout yssue of his body Francia THE CCXXXIIII CHAPITER LEwys the .viii. of that name son of Lewys y e great began his reygn ouer the Frenche men in y e yere of our lord .xi. hundred .xxxvi y e fyrst yere of Stephan then kyng of Englande This also is called the yonger Lewys in whose begynnynge Iohannes de teÌ„poribus dyed Thys IohnÌ„ was somtyme a squyer in the house of Charlys the conquerour the whyche lyued ouer .iii. hundred yeres for whyche cause he was named IohnÌ„ of tyme as he y t myght remeÌ„ber thinges done of longe tyme passed This Lewys at y e tyme of his fathers deth was in the countrey of Guyan for to receyue the dower of his wyfe Elyanour as before in the storye and seconde chapyter of kyng Stephan is touched But when he harde of y e deth of his father he sped hym into FrauÌ„ce where after the necessaryes for the weale of his realme ordeyned he maryed his wyues syster named Alys vnto Arnolde erle of Uermendoze After whyche maryage solempnysed tydynges were broughte vnto hym that the crysten people beynge in the holy lande as warryours vppon the Turkes and Sarasyns were dystressed and ouerthrowen and dyuerse stronge holdes from them taken and wonne wherfore by the exhortacyon of that holy muÌ„ke Bernarde whych at this day is called saynt Bernard y e sayd Lewys wyth also Conradus the .iii. of that name then emperour of Almayne wyth Alphon then kynge of Spayne wyth dyuerse other nobles of Fraunce other prouynces toke vpon them the crosse and prouyded for the expedycyon of that iourney in the .iiii. yere of hys reygne after some wryters But of the takyng of hys iourney dyuers writers holde diuers oppinyons so that the doute resteth betwene the yere of our lord .xi. hundred .xl and the yere of .xi. hundred and .l. when all thynges were redy for that iourney the kynge the quene wyth the floure of the chyualry of FrauÌ„ce set forthwarde vppon that iourney and came in processe of tyme vnto Constantyn the noble where he met wyth Conradus the emperour and Alphons kynge of Spayne whom the prynce Emanuell then emperour of Constantyne the noble receyued ioyusly and made to theym by his outwarde contenaunce louynge and frendely chere and promised vnto theym ayde in that iourney bothe of vitayll and also for guydes for the nexte and surest waye But he contrary to his promyse dyd dysapoynte theym and nothynge ayded theym For he delyueryd vnto theym meale myngeled wyth lyme wherof grewe myche harme to the crysten hoste after And also he assygned vnto them suche guydes as brought them into places and couÌ„treys of sterylyte and other daunger so that hastely the Frenche kyng wyth great dyffyculte and losse of his men came vnto the citye of Danas and becleped yt with a stronge syege the whych he assauted and enpayred very sore and was lykely to haue wonne yt yf he had assauted y e place styll where he began But by counsayll of some false crysten men the whyche as wytnesseth Peter Dysroye and other had taken mede of the Turkes the kynge by theyr counsayll remoued the ordynaunce from the weker place vnto y
e stroÌ„ger where after dyuers assautes made the kyng conceyued well y t he was dysceyued A cause of this treason as sayth y e foresayde Peter was this The erle of FlauÌ„dres which by dyuerse experymeÌ„tes saw that the cytye was lyke to be goten made supplycacyon to the kynge and the lordes that he myghte haue the rule of the cytye at suche tyme as yt were wonne the which to hym was grauÌ„ted wherof beynge aduertysed dyuerse Suryons of y e couÌ„trey borne dysdayned that a straunger shuld be lorde of theyr enherytaunce and for that condesceÌ„ded and agreed to that treason by mean wherof the crysten prynces loste theyr trauell Then the crysten prynces seynge y t they were thus deluded toke theyr aduyce howe they myght contynewe theyr pylgrimage vnto the holy citye of Hierusalem But in this counsayl sourded and quykened so many opynyons that eche was contraryous vnto other By mean wherof the emperour was so dyscontented that he toke leue of the Frenche kynge and other and so returned into hys own countrey But the Frenche kynge taryed there in that costes a yere after and dyd there but lytle worthye any memory All be yt of this vyage the frenche boke maketh a great longe processe touchynge the wynnyng of the cytye of Anteoche wyth hys beynge and counsayllys kepynge wythin Hierusalem other thinges there rehersed But for I se the mater dysagreable to other wryters and also thynke that myche therof is fayned I therfore passe yt ouer howe be yt that to some persones suche fablys ben full pleasaunte to here wherfore all suche I remytte vnto the sayde french cronicle somwhat I shall folowe the authour Gyraldê° y t which wyth other testyfyen that Lewys in his returne towarde Fraunce waxed syke for y e long forberyng of his wife wherfore by thaduyce of phisycyons also of byshops he was couÌ„sayled to take a wenche because his wyfe was so farre from hym But y e kyng wythstode that counseyll and sayde that hym hadde bene leuer to be syke and dye of goddes hande then to lyue in spouse brekynge offende hys lawes And so the kyng put himselfe to the mercy of god and receyued helth shortly after Also it is told of hym that he vsed to faste euery frydaye brede and water and by his famylyers he was counsayled that he shulde leue that faste for wekynge of hym selfe fede a hundred of poore men euery frydaye the whyche vnto god shuld be myche more acceptable To this he answered and sayde we wold gladly fede so many poore men or mo but our fastynge woll we not breke For wythout the profyte that yt doth vnto the soule yt profyteth also right myche to the body For the purgacyon and reste of one daye helpeth myche to put of the superfluyte of the other and also yt maketh the sharper apetyte when Lewys was retourned into Fraunce for what happe yt is of the frenche cronycle made doutefull he was from Elyanour hys wyfe deuorced of the whych he hadde receyued before .ii. doughters as before is touched the whyche in processe of tyme folowynge was maried vnto Henry duke of Normandy whych maryage was a new occasyon of the warre betwene Englande and Fraunce For the landes of Poytowe wyth Gascoyne and Guyan Lewys claymed by his former possessyon Henry by reason of the maryag of y e sayd Elyanour as heyr to the sayde landes Of the whyche warre shal be shewed in the story of y e sayde Henry folowyng After whyche deuorce thus made kynge Lewys maryed the yongeste doughter of the kynge of Spayne that was named CuÌ„staunce and she dyed of her fyrst chylde Then for so myche as kynge Lewys hadde none heyr male by couÌ„sayll of his barony he maryed the thyrd wyfe the whych was the yongeste doughter of Thybaude erle of Bloys was named Alys This sayde erle dyed and left after hym .iiii. sonnes and .v. doughters The eldest sonne named Henry was erle of Troys the seconde named Thybaude was erle of Bloys the thyrd named Stephan was erle of Sancorum or Sauncorer and y e fourth named wyllyam was archbysshoppe of Raynes The eldeste of the doughters was duches of Burgoyne the seconde was countesse of Barre the thyrde was maryed fyrst to the duke of Puell and after to a knyght named syr william de Goer the fourth was countesse of Perche and the fyfte as before is sayd quene of FrauÌ„ce whych was a woman garnyshed wyth many vertues as the storye declareth THE CCXXXV CHAPITER IN processe of tyme after the solemnisacyon of this maryage complaynte was brought before the kynge of the erles of CleremouÌ„t and Puy or Puyll sonne of the duke before rehersyd and of the erle of Plomet that they shuld spoyle and wast the chyrches and landes to the sayde chyrches belongynge For the which dedys the kynge commaunded the sayd .iii. erlys to warde but not with out warre and shedynge of blood And after the subduynge of y e sayd thre erlys a knyght or great man of myght called wyllyam y e erle of Chalon wyth a company of tyrauntes assembled for to robbe and spoyle the chyrche of saynte Peter of Cluny in Burgoyne wherof herynge the prestes and mynysters of the chyrche to the entent to mytygate to appeace the cruelty of the sayde tyrauÌ„tes dyd vpon them the ornamentes of y e sayd chyrche and yode agayne them with processyon wyth a great companye them folowynge of the people of the towne and the countrey there about in peseable and charytable wyse But when the sayde tyrauntes approched vnto the sayde coÌ„pany with out compassyon and pyty as turkes ranne vppon crysten men or wyth lesse Pytye so ranne they vppon the prestes and other and spoyled them of all the sayde ornameÌ„tes and slew of that coÌ„pany to the nomber of .v. huÌ„dred or mo after spoyled the sayde chyrche of suche stuffe as was therin lefte It was not longe after or kynge Lewys had wyttynge of this cruell dede wherfore in auengynge the chyrche he gatheryd a conuenyent power and spedde hym thyther But the sayde wyllyam erle of Chalon herynge of the kynges coÌ„mynge fled y e couÌ„trey so y t the kyng myght haue no certayne knowlege where he became wherfore the kyng entred and seased his landes and gaue the moyty therof to y e duke of Burgoyn as chefe lorde of that soyle and that other halfe he gaue vnto the erle of Neuers to whose auncetry in tyme passed the sayd moyty apperteyned And that done he commaunded inquyry to be made of his accessaryes the prebensons or prebendars of the whyche he punyshed by dyuerse maner of tormentes and dethes to the great contentacyon of the countrey when the kynge hadde thus fynished this vyage and was returned into Fraunce soon after was knowlege brought vnto him that the Burgonyons men of the towne of Uerdeley rebelled agayne the hed chyrch or abbay of that towne and enteÌ„dyd to haue done some vylany to the
solet The whythe versys to our vnderstandynge may thus as folowyth be englyshed and expowned The Rose of the worlde but not the clene floure Is here now grauen to whom bewtye was lent In thys graue full darke nowe ys her bowre That by her lyfe was swete and redolent But now y t she is frō this lyfeblente Though she were swete nowe fowly doth she stynke A myrrour good for all that on her thynke Longe tyme after the deth of the sayde Rosamounde in the sayde abbaye was shewed a cofer of the sayd wenches of the length of two fote in whych apperyd fyghtynge geaūtes stertlynge of bestes swymmynge of fyshes and flyenge of fowlys In the forsayde .xx. yere after the opynyon of Guydo the kynge had the seconde monicyon of mendynge of hys lyfe by an Iryshe man y t told vnto hym many secret tokens whyche the kynge supposyd no man had knowen but hym selfe But yet the kynge toke lytell hede therunto In the .xxii. yere of his reygne after the forsayde takynge of y e Scottyshe kynge and .ii. erlys the .xi. day before Septēber wyllyam kynge of Scottys by assent of the lordes spyrytuall and temporall dyd homage to kyng Henry at hys cytye of yorke where the sayde wyllyam graunted by hys letters patentys that he and his successours kynges of Scotland shuld make theyr homage and fydelyte vnto the kynges of Englande as often as they shal be necessaryly requyred And in sygne and token of that subieccyon the kyng of Scottes offered hys hatte his sadell vppon the aulter of saint Peter in y e chyrch of york whyche for a remembraunce of that dede the sayd hat sadell were there kepte many yeres after And ouer y t the lordes of Scotland swore that if theyr kynge at any tyme wold wythdrawe hym from allegeaunce they wold all aryse agayn hym and be to hym as enymyes tyll he were returned to his fayth kepyng of his promyse And for the more strēgth of the sayd cōposycyon the kynge of Scottis came after to y e kyng Henries parlyament holden at Northāpton and a nother season into Normandye Ranulfe munke of Chester sayth that Lewys the .viii. of that name kynge of Fraunce delyueryd vnto kynge Henry a doughter of hys to haue in guydynge and to haue ben maryed vnto Rycharde hys son the whyche after the deth of Rosamoūde he defloured of her vyrgynyte After whyche dede as affermyth the sayde authoure the kynge was in wyll to haue wedded that damoysell For expedicyon wherof he made great meanes ta Hugūcia a cardynall then beynge in his land that he wold make a dyuorce betwene hym and Elyanoure the quene And thys he dyd to the ende to haue the more fauoure of the Frenchemen that by theyr ayde he myghte the better dysheryte hys sonnes But he fayled of his purpose and also yt turned to hys owne harme For by this means he caused the sayde Rycharde hys sonne to shewe all hys demeanour vnto the Frenche kynge so that by hys informacyon vnkyndnesse kyndled betwene them two therof ensued mortall warre as sayth the englyshe cronycle and also Polycronycon But of thys warre speketh nothynge the frenche cronycle nor of none other durynge the lyfe of the sayd Lewys after this daye which dyed in the .xxiiii. yere of thys Henry But the warre that was betwen the two kynges of England and of Fraunce was betwene thys Henry and Phylyppe sonne of thys Lewys as after shal be shewed About the .xxiiii. yere of thys kyng as wytnessen dyuerse wryters fell wonderfull wederynge and tempest of thunder in myddewynter tyme in Hampshyre and other places by violence wherof a preste amonges other was slayn And in the somer folowynge about Mary Magdalene tyde fell hayle of suche bygnesse y t yt slew both men and bestes And about this tyme were the bonys of kynge Arture and his wyfe Gueynour founde in the vale of Aualon whose here of the hed of the sayde Gweynour was then hole and of freshe coloure but so soone as yt was touched yt fell in powder whyche bonys were translated and buryed wythin the chyrche of Glastenburye and were founden by a synger of gestis vnder an holow oke .xv. fote wythin the grounde whyche fyndynge and translatynge is an obiecte to y e fantastycall sayeng of the walshemen that afferme hys commynge agayne to reygne as he before dyd Then hadde kynge Henry the seconde monycyon by a knyghte called syr wyllyam Chesterby or Lyndesey the whyche warned hym specyally for the reformacyon of .vii. artycles The fyrste was that he shuld sette better dylygence to the defence of holy chyrche and maynteynynge of the same The seconde that he shulde se hys lawes executed wyth better iustice then at those days was vsed The thyrd was that he shuld surmyse no mater agayn ryche men and by that mean plucke from them theyr landes goodes The fourth that he shulde restore all suche landes and goodes gotten by suche vnlawfull meanes or by any other The fyfte that he shuld for no medetarye ryghtfull sentence but suffer the ryght to haue hys processe The vi that he shulde se to the payment of hys subiectes for suche stuffe as was dayly taken to his vse also to the payment of hys seruauntes and souldyours wages whych dayly fell to robbynge for defaute The .vii. and the laste was that he shulde in all haste voyde the Iewys of hys lande whyche dayly wrought great sorowe to his commons and to leue theym somwhat to spende in theyr iourney But as he toke the other monycyons so he toke thys and cōtynued hys lyfe as he before hadde done THE CCXXXIX CHAPITER IN the .xxviii. yere of his reygn after moste writers dyed Henry his eldeste sonne then lyuynge y e whych as before is sayde was crowned to the derogacyon of the martyr saynte Thomas And in thys yere whyche shulde be the .iiii. yere of Phylyppe the seconde or of Phylyppe surnamed Gyuen of god the warre beganne betwene kynge Henry and hym wherof was occasyon as testyfyeth the sayd Frenche cronycle the denyenge of the deferrynge of homage that shuld be done to the sayde Phylyppe of Rycharde then eldest sonne of kyng Henry for the lādes of Poytow An other cause also was that where certayne couenauntes were stablyshed and enrolled betwene kynge Henry and Lewys father of thys Phylyp at the maryage of Henry his sonne and Margarete syster of Phylyppe for certayne holdes and castellys wherof y e castell of Gysours was one whych were delyueryd in dower wyth the sayde Margarete vppon condycyon that yf the sayde Henry hadde yssue by y e sayde Margarete then the sayde castellys to remayne to the sayde heyres and yf the sayde yonge Henry dyed without yssue of y e sayde Margarete that then the sayde castellys and holdes to be reuerted vnto the crowne of Fraunce and for that kynge Henry denyed or deferred these two poyntes and wold not answere when he was called the Frenche kynge therfore entred the
of our lord M.iiii C. .xxii and y e fyrst yere of Charles the .vii. or viii y e thaÌ„ne amonge the FrenchemeÌ„ was allowed for kyng and reygned yeres .xxxix. folio clxxix Henry of Derby wyth other landed at RaueÌ„spore as is shewed fo cli Henry the fyfte foresayd sayled into Fraunce loke in fo clxxii Henry Derby forenamed and of hys issue is shewed fo cxliiii Henry the .iiii. aforesayd maryed the duchesse of Brytayne fo clxvi Heresye of IohnÌ„ wyclyf apereth folio cxlvii Heretykes taken in saynt Gyles feld and after brent fo clxxi Homage done by lordes of Almayne to Rycharde erle of Cornewayll brother to kyng Henry the thyrde folio xxxviii Homage done by the kyng of Scottes to kyng E. the .iii. fo lxxxix Hughe holy bysshoppe of Lyncolne dyed fo xi IohnÌ„ brother to Rycharde the fyrste was ordeyned kynge of Englande in the moneth of Apryll yere of our lord M.C.xcix the .xx. yere of the second Phylyp than kyng of Fraunce and reygned yere .xvii. The interdiccion of thys lande begaÌ„ in the .vi. yere of thys kynge endured tyll the .xiii. yere Henry the sonne of Alwyn in the .x. yere of thys kynge was admytted for the fyrste mayre of LoÌ„doÌ„ And in the sayd .x. yere of king IohnÌ„ London brydge was begon to be made of stone fo x IohnÌ„ the fyrst in Fraunce of that name sonne of Phylyp de Ualoys began hys reygne ouer the lande of Fraunce in the moneth of August yere of our lord M.iii. C. .l and the xxxiiii yere of y e thyrd Edward kyng of England reygned yeres xiiii Thys kynge was taken prysoner of Edwarde the prynce of Englande at the batayll of Poytyers in FrauÌ„ce folio cxxiii Iaphet was gotten by kynge Rychard fo v Iakys de Artyuyle fauoured the Englysshe partye fo xciii Iacke Strawe wyll waw made an insurreccyon fo cxlii Iacke Sharpe was taken and putt to deth folio clxxxv Iacke Cade and hys felowes folio cxcvi Iacke Cade wroughte moche of hys wyll in London after robbed so slayne fo cxcvii Iewes were banysshed thys lande folio lx Iewes were spoyled slayne fo clv. IohnÌ„ brother of kyng Rychard was prowd fo iii IohnÌ„ reconcyled to hys brother apereth in fo viii IohnÌ„ duke of Lancaster dyed as is shewed fo c.l. IohnÌ„ duke of Bedforde dyed folio clxxxviii Inquysycyons were made vpon the rulers of London as is shewed in folio xxix Iordan of the I le of Gascoyne grewe out of kynde fo lxxxv Inglysshe lordes wanne fyrst vppon Frenchmen fo xcviii Inglysshe soudyours slayne vnder safe conduyt fo cxxii Itenerarii plees were holden in South werke fo xxxi Ile of Ely holdeth banysshed men folio xlii Ile of Rodes fyrst wonne fo lxxv Isabell late wyfe vnto kynge Rycharde was maryed to the eldest sonÌ„ of the duke of Orleaunce fo clx Issue dyssent of syr Roger Mortymer fo cxliiii Iustyces or iuges punysshed fo lx Iustes holden in Smythfelde folio cxliiii KInge IohnÌ„ and hys laÌ„de was enterdyted fo x Kynge IohnÌ„ was reconcyled to the churche fo xvi Kyng Henry the .iii. sayled into Normandy fo xxiiii Kynge Henry the .iii. in proper ê‘sone sat in iugement fo xxix Kynge IohnÌ„s fury serche in fo xiiii Kynge IohnÌ„ of Fraunce was taken prysoner folio ciii Kyng IohnÌ„ was delyuered fo cvii Kyng IohnÌ„ dyed in Englande folio cviii Kyng Rychard sought many prouysyons folio iiii Kynge Rycharde sayled into y e holy lande folio iiii Kynge Rychard was takeÌ„ prysoner folio vi Kyng Rychard was delyuered folio vii Hynge Rycharde sayled into Normandy folio ix Kynge Rycharde assayled the castell of Gysors folio x Kynge Rycharde was slayne fo x Kynge Henry the thyrd frayneth couÌ„sayll of the mayre folio xxxiiii Kynge Henry sayled into Fraunce to be presente at the Frenche kynges parlyament folio xxxv Kynge Henry was taken of hys barons folio xxxvii Kynge Henry layd hys syege to London as it is shewed folio xliii Kynge Henry chosed shyrefes folio xliii Kynge Lowys toke vppon hym the crosse folio xlviii Kynge Edwarde the fyrst buylde castelles in walys folio lviii Kynge Edwarde sayled into FrauÌ„ce folio lix Kynge Edwarde the .ii. was taken also resygned the crowne fo lxxxii Kynge Edward the .iii. came secretly to London folio xcvi Kynge Edwarde warred sharply in Fraunce folio xcvii Kynge Edwarde chased the Spanyardes from the see fo ci Kynge Edwarde yode into Scotlande fo cii Kynge of Scottes was delyuered folio ciiii Kynge Edward spedde hym toward Parys fo cv Kynge of Nauerne was sodaynly taken as it is shewed fo cxxiii Kynge of Nauerne was set at large folio cxxvii Kynge Edwarde warred newly in Fraunce fo cxxxv Kynge Iohan was receyued into Fraunce fo cxxxv Kynge of Nauerne became feodory vnto the French kynge fo cxxxvi Kynge of Ermonye asked ayde of kynge Rycharde the .ii. fo cxliii Kyng Rychard ayded the Ianuayes folio cxlv Kyng Rychard maryed the Frenche kynges doughter fo cxlvii Kyng Richard sayled into Irelande folio cli Kyng Richarde was myserably put to dethe fo clxv Kyng Henry the .iiii. maryed the duchesse of Brytayne fo clx Kyng Henry the .v. sayled into Normandy fo clxxiii Kynge Henry maryed the Frenche kynges doughter fo clxxv Kynge Henry was receyued into LoÌ„don fo clxxvi Kyng Henry and hys wyfe sat crowned in Parys fo clxxvii Kyng Henry the .vi. shewed hys vertue beholde fo clxxix Kyng Henry was dubbed knyghte folio clxxxii Kinge HeÌ„ry was crowned fo clxxxiii Kynge Henry was crowned at Parys fo clxxxv Kynge of Scottes was murdered folio cxc Kyng HeÌ„ry the .vi. was taken fo ccv Kyng Edward the .iiii. was receyued into London fo ccvii Kynge Edwarde ayded the duke of Burgoyne fo ccxiii Kyng Edwarde spoused dame Elizabeth Graye fo ccxvi Kynge Edwarde fledde thys lande folio ccxviii Kynge Henry was taken oute of the towre fo ccxviii Kynge Edwarde was proclaymed vsurper fo ccxix Kynge Edwarde landed at Rauynspore fo ccxix Kynge Edwarde repossessed as apereth folio ccxx Kyng HeÌ„ry the .vi. dyed in the towre of London fo ccxx Kyng Edwardes chyldren were takeÌ„ out of seyntwary fo ccxxiiii LAzars of Languedok were brent fo lxxxiiii Letter sente by the barons to kynge Henry fo xxxvii Lewelyn prynce of walys rebelled folio lvi Lewelyn was slayne as appereth folio lvii Letter takked vpoÌ„ the crosse in chepe folio lxxxi Lordes assemble at Arundell as apereth folio cxlix Lordes put to deth fo clxxii Lordes fledde from Lodlowe feelde folio cciii Lordes proclaymed traytours as is shewed folio cciiii Lordes came to London fo cciiii Lordes of Fraunce warre vpoÌ„ theyr kynge fo ccx Lordes contynue theyr malyce as is shewed fo ccxi Lordes dyscorde wythin them selfe folio ccxii Lorde Morley appeled the erle of Salysbury as it is shewed in folio clxv Lorde Straunge and syr Iohanne Trussell fyghte in the churche for cause
versys folowynge Christe tui calicis praedo fit praeda caducis re breui reiecis qui tollit aera crucis Viscera Carleolum corpus fons seruat Ebardi Et cor Rothamagū magne Richarde tuum In terra diuiditur vnus quia plus fuit vno Non superest vno gratia tanta viro The which versys may be englysshyd as foloweth Cryste of the these whyche on the ryght hande was And axyd mercy to vs thou made a praye That we lyke wyse shulde for our trespasse Axe of the mercy and shewe no delay Nor for erthly thynges caste our self away For who of thy crosse accompteth lyttell store The meryte of thy passyon he losyth euermore Thys manfull knyghte thys prynce vyctoryouse whyche toke thy crosse on hym wyth great payne He folowed the thefe and axyd mercy thus For hys offence he warred thy foes agayne And shadde theyr blood on hyll and eke on playne And all for loue good lorde he hadde to the. wherfore swyte Iesu on hym thou haue pytye Of whom the bowellys at Carleyll and the trunke At fount Ebrarde full rychely ys dyght The harte at Roan into the erthe ys sunke Of the worthy Rycharde And so in thre is twyght That more than one whylom was in myght In erthe is separate that lyuynge more then one was and of grace founde lyke to hym none IOhn̄ brother of y e aboue named Rycharde yongeste son of Henry the seconde was ordeyned or proclamed kyng of England the tenth day of Apryll in the begynnynge of the yere of our lorde .xi. hundred .lxxx. .xix and the .xx. yere of the seconde Phylyppe then kynge of Fraunce Thys Iohn̄ at the daye of his brothers deth was in Normandy where at Chynon as soon as his brother Rycharde was dyseasyd he possessyd hym of hys brothers treasour and sent Hubert archbyshoppe of Caunterbury into Englande to make prouisyon for his coronacyon And vppon Ester daye folowyng he was gyrde with the sworde of the duchy of Brytayne sayled soon after into Englād where he was crowned kynge at westmynster vppon holy thursday next folowynge of the forenamed Hubert After whyche solemnitye done he ordeyned the same Hubert chaunceller of Englande In thys whyle the Frenche kynge helde a counsayll at Cenomannia in Turon where to the derogacyon of kynge Iohn̄ Arture the son of Geffrey Plantagenet and neuewe to the sayde Iohn̄ was made duke of Brytayne whyche incontynently after wyth a great army entryd the countrey of Angeou and toke possessyon therof And kynge Phylyppe wyth hys people entryd the duchy of Normandy and layde syege to the cytye of Euroux and wanne yt wyth all the stronge holdes there about and stuffyd theym wyth vytayll strengthed them with his owne knyghtes and that done wasted spoyled the the countrey tyll he came to the cytye of Meaus where met wyth hym the forenamed Arture dyd to hym homage for the countrey of Angiers In the moneth of May Elyanour somtyme wyfe of Henry the seconde and mother to kyng Rycharde came into Fraunce and so to the kynge to Meaus foresayde and made to hym homage for the coūtrey of Poytiers as her enherytaunce And soone after the kinge retourned into Fraūce and the duke of Britayne wyth hym whyche as yet was within age Kynge Iohn̄ heryng of this warre in Normandy and losse of the countreys aboue named assembled a coūsayll and axid ayde of his lordes and cōmons to wynne agayne y e foresayd landes had it graunted after some wryters .iii. s. of euery plough land thorough Englande besyde y e subsydy of y e spyrytuall landes And when he hadde made redy for that belonged to hys voyage he about heruest sayled into Normandy where he taryed tyll Octobre folowynge spendynge the tyme to hys losse and dyshonoure Anno domini M.CC.  Anno domini M.CCi.  Arnolde fyz Arnolde  Balliui  Anno primo  Rycharde fyz Darty  AFter Mychelmas in the moneth of October and fyrste yere of the reygne of kynge Iohn̄ a trewce or peace was concluded betwene the two kynges of Englande and of Fraunce from that daye tyll mydsomer nexte folowynge and in lyke wyse betwene the French kyng and Baldwyne erle of Flaundres And thys yere was made a deuorce betwene kynge Iohn̄ and hys wyfe the erle of Glocetyrs doughter because of nerenesse of bloode And after was he maryed vnto Isabell the doughter of the erle of Engolesym in Fraunce and had by her two sonnys Henry and Rychard and .iii. doughters Isabell Elyanoure and Iane. Thys yere dyed at London blessyd Hugh byshop of Lyncoln̄ and was conueyed to his owne chyrch there enterryd For whom god hath shewyd many myracles so that at thys daye he ys authorysed by the chyrche for a saynte At mydlent after kyng Iohn̄ sayled agayne into Normandy And after Ester he mette with kynge Phylyppe betwene Uernon and the yle Audeley where the peace betwene both realmes was stablyshed and cōfermed for terme of theyr two lyues and the landes deuyded betwene the two kynges as eyther of them shuld holde theym contentyd for theyr lyues after And in shorte tyme after Lewys the eldest son of kynge Phylyppe maryed dame Blanch doughter to Alphons kynge of Castylle and neuewe to kynge Iohn̄ To the whyche Lewys kyng Iohn̄ for loue of that woman shewyd to hym great bountye and gaue vnto her many ryche gyftes In the moneth of Iuly folowyng kyng Iohn̄ rode into Fraūce where he was receyued of the Frēche kynge wyth myche honour and so cōueyed into saynte Denys where he was receyued wyth processyon And vppon the morow the Frenche kyng accompanyed hym vnto Parys where he was receyued of the cytezens wyth great reuerēce and presentyd by the prouoste of the towne in name of the hole cytye wyth ryche presentis And there kynge Phylyppe festyd hym in hys owne paleys gaue vnto hym and hys lordes and seruauntes many ryche gyftes and after conueyd hym forth of that citye and toke leue of hym in moste louynge wyse And when kynge Iohn̄ hadde spedde his maters in Normandy he then returned into Englande Anno domini M.CCi.  Anno domini M.CCii  Roger Desert  Balliui  Anno secun  Iamys fyz Barth  IN y e moneth of december and seconde yere of kynge Iohn̄ Ranulphe erle of Chestre by the example afore shewed by kynge Iohn̄ lefte hys owne wyfe named Constaūce and countesse of Brytayne whych before he had maried by counsayll of kynge Henry the seconde wedded one Clemens One cronycle sayth he dyd so because he wolde haue yssue But the sayd authour sayth that after hys opynyon he dyspleased god so greatly that god wolde suffer hym to haue none yssue but the rather for that dede dyed wythout About thys tyme after opynyon of moste wryters the people or nacyon callyd Tartares beganne theyr domynyon These men dwellyd vnder the hyllys of Inde y t belonged to prester Iohn̄
there in hys owne persone they were the more egre vppon the Aragons to the entente to haue taken or siayne theyr kynge So that fynally they compelled theym to forsake the felde to saue them selfe by flyght by reason wherof the kynge with the more parte of his knyghtes were saued from the daūger of theyr enemyes But in this fyght Peter kyuge of Aragone was so hurte that he dyed shortly after whan these foresayd knyghtes with theyr prysoners were returned vnto the Frenche kynge had shewed vnto hym of that vyctory he reioyced therof greatly more wolde haue done yf he had knowen how sore his enemy Peter was woūded But to brynge to fyne his purpose he dayly more and more assauted the towne In y e tyme that Gereonde or Gyrōde was thus besyeged of y e Frēche kynge the erle of Foyz that to the capytayne of the towne ought great fauour many tymes by lycence of y e kynge yode into the towne and had dyuers comunycacyons with hym so that he lastly knowynge the sayde towne to be bare of vytayle shewed to the kynge that he wolde laboure the sayde capytayne named syr Raymōde de Cerdon y t the towne myght be gyuē vp into the kynges handes so that soone after y t sayde capytayne desyred a respyte of .viii. dayes to send vnto y e king of Aragō to knowe whether he wolde rescowe the towne or nat Upon y ◠whiche graūte made the messangers were sente and returned with a certaynte of the kynges dethe Upon whiche knowledge had the sayde capytayne agreed to delyuer the towne vpon cōdicion to haue with thē suche mouables as he with y e cytezyns sowdyours had within the towne All whiche condicions assured the kynge receyued the towne of Geronde into his possessyon The whiche whan he had manned with knyghtes of his owne he the by cousayle whiche tourned after to his harme diuided his nauy and sente a parte of them into Fraunce and the other into Tholous wher the kynge entended to tary the wynter folowynge But so spone as his nauy was thus deuyded the Aragons mette with them that rested in the hauen of Russilian and gaue to them suche batayle that they toke many of them and slewe the kynges admyrall and many other noble men of Fraunce and helde the Frenchemen so shorte that for so moche as they wolde nat that so good shyppes shulde come to the handes of theyr enemyes they set fyre vpon the remenaūt brent thē and after resorted vnto the kynge whē kynge Phylyp was ascertayned of the losse of his nauy he toke it greuously in somoche that for that and other thynges that he myght not brynge to his purpose he fyll into a feuer was therwith greatly anoyed Than for strengthe of his enemyes whiche kepte the passage of the mountaynes called in latyn Mōtes Pireni and for wekyng of hym selfe by reason of his sekenesse he passed by the strayte places tyll he came to Parpynyan where his sekenes encreased so sore that he dyed in shorte tyme of his thyder cōmynge in y t moneth of October whā he had regned xv yeres lackynge certayne dayes whose bowelles were buried at Nerbon and his body at saynt Denys This Phylyp had .ii. wyues By the fyrst Isabel by name and doughter of the kynge of Aragon Iaques or Iames by name he had .iii. sōnes Lewes whiche was poysoned Phylyp whiche for his beaute and fayre shappe was named Phylyp le Beau or Phylyp the fayre Charles the Ualoys And by Mary his wyfe and doughter of the duke of Braban he had Lewes Margaret Blaūche whiche Margarete was after maryed to Edwarde the fyrste than kynge of Englande Thus endeth Phylyp the .iii. of Fraunce Anglia EDwarde y e fyrst of that name sone of Henry y e thyrde surnamed lōge shāke begā his reygne ouer Englāde in the moneth of Nouember and .xvii. day of y e same and the yere of our lorde .xii. C.lxxii seconde yere of the thyrde Phylyp than kynge of Fraunce This Edwarde as before is shewed in the .lv. yere of his father was in y e holy lāde whan his father dyed there at the cytie of Acon or Acris he dyd many feates of warre wherof the cronycle maketh certayne mencyon where he beynge so exercysed in Marciall actes tidīges was brought vnto hym that his father was deed wherfore in all hast he spedde hym into Englād so that he came to London the secōde day of August and was crowned at westmynster the .xiiii. day of December folowyuge whiche was in the begynnynge of the seconde yere of his reygne Anno dn̄i M.CC.lxxii  Anno dn̄i M.CC.lxxiii  Iohan Horne  Syr walter Heruy  Anno primo  walter Potter  IN this fyrst yere of kynge Edwarde the fyrst vpon the daye of Symon and Iude were certayne attemptes made by some of the cytyzyns to haue made suche a mayre as they had lysted but for they were dyspoynted of theyr accessaryes they let for that tyme whiche in the yere folowyng vpon the same day toke further effecte as in the begynnynge of the nexte yere shal be towched In y e ende of this yere and seconde day of Auguste kynge Edwarde came to London from his great iourney of y e holy lande where of the cytezyns he was receyued with all ioy honour and so conueyed vnto westmynster where he kepte great obseruaunces for his father by a certayne tyme after Anno dn̄i M.CC.lxxiii  Anno dn̄i M.CC.lxxiiii  Nicholas wynchester  Henry waleys  Anno .ii.  Henry Couentre  IN thys seconde yere of this kynge and daye of Symon Iude whan Phylyp le Tayloure which before was chose to be mayre shulde as that daye haue taken his charge in the Guyldehall of Londō dyuers cytezyns put hym besyde the mayres seet and set therin syr walter Heruy that the yere before had been mayre For the whiche great rumour and grudge arose amonge the cytezyns wherfore the mater was after brought before the kyng the whiche herynge the reasons of bothe partyes for somoche as he coude not agre theym he putte bothe the sayde syr walter and the sayd Phylyp asyde and chase Henry Forwyk for custos of the cytye the whych so contynued tyll Cādelmas after At whych tyme by dyscrete and wyse peasyble meanes the forenamed syr walter Heruy was set in auctorite as mayre and so contynued the full of the yere after Thys yere vppon the .xiiii. daye of Decembre was the kynge crowned at westmynster of mayster Roberte kylwarby than archebisshop of Caūterbury For Bonyface hys predecessour dyed the yere that kynge Henry dyed At thys coronaciō was present Alexandre kynge of Scottes the whyche vpon the morowe folowyng dyd homage to kyng Edward for the kyngdome of Scotlande After the Solempnytie of the coronacyon was ended the kyng heryng of the rebellyon of Lewelyne prynce of walys that dysdayned to come to hys coronacyon anone
assygne begynnynge at Gaunt so to Bruges other places more ouer they shulde yelde vnto Robert theyr erle y e castell of Courtray with all abylemeÌ„tes of warre other necessaries theruÌ„to belongyng Al whych coÌ„dicions to obserue they shuld deliuer vnto y e kyng of FrauÌ„ce good hostages But al this came to small effect as after shal appere IN the .xxvii. yere of thys Phylyp Iacob the mayster of y e teÌ„plers with an other greate ruler of y e sayd ordre whych was named Uisytour of the same after longe prysonment were brent at Parys And in the same yere kynge Phylyp arrered a taxe thorugh Fraunce whyche before that dayes was neuer herde nor spoken of Thys was so greuous that al NormaÌ„dy Picardy Champeygne allied them togyder vtterly denayde the paymeÌ„t therof wherof heryng other countrees toke the same opynyon so that a greate rumour murmour was reysed thorugh out y e realme of FrauÌ„ce in such wyse that the kyng for pacyfyeng of the people was fayne to repeale the sayd taxe In the .xxviii. yere of the reygne of kyng Philip in y e weke of Easter the iii. wyfes of the .iii. sonnes of kynge Philip that is to say Margarete the wyfe of Lowys hys eldest sonne and kyng of Nauerne Iohanne or Ione the wyf of hys seconde sonne Philip erle of Poytyers and Blaunche the wyfe of hys thyrde sonne Charles erle of Marches were accused of spouse brekyng and sent froÌ„ a place of nunnes where they lay and conueyed vnto more streyghter kepyng y e whych .iii. wyfes were al .iii. doughters vnto the duke of Burgoyn ThaÌ„ vppon strayte examynacyon made Margaret and Iohanne were gyltye of that cryme fouÌ„d wherfore they were sent vnto the castell of Gaylard in NormaÌ„dy there to be kept as prysoners terme of theyr lyues And the forenamed Blanche for so moche as she was foundeÌ„ gyltles was agayn restored vnto her lorde Charles erle of the Marches And in shorte tyme after the two paramours of the sayd Margaret Iohanne that is to saye Philip DaÌ„noy and Gautyer DaÌ„noy or waltier Dannoy knyghtes men of fame and goodly personage bretherne at the kynges commaundement were fyrst brent in the vysage with hote ireÌ„s after draweÌ„ to the gybet at PoÌ„toyse there hanged whyche mysfortune the kynge toke so greuously that he reioysed neuer after About the feast of saynte Peter or the begynnyng of August the kynge herynge of the rebellyon of the Flemynges by Engwerram hys mooste secrete couÌ„saylour made an assemble of the cytezyns of Parys and by the mouth of the saynd Enguerram desyted a subsydye of the sayd cytezeyns to mayntayne hys warre agayne the Flemynges the whyche by StephaÌ„ Barbet in the name of the hole cytye was graunted By precideÌ„ce wherof all the great cyties good townes of FrauÌ„ce were charged in lyke maner whyche caused greate vnkyndnes grudge of the people towarde y e sayd Enguerram Than prouysyon was made for a newe iourney into Flaunders so that the kynge sent hys twoo sonnes and many other nobles of his lande in the moneth of Septembre folowynge into the sayd countre of FlauÌ„ders The whyche made good spede layde fyrste theyr siege to the castel of the I le and wanne it after that entred towarde other stroÌ„ge holdes But the flemynges put them of and gaue vnto the Frenche hoost so sharpe assautes that in processe they were constrayned to retourne into Fraunce wyth smal honoure wherof the great defaute was layde vpoÌ„ Enguerram and vpoÌ„ one of the sonnes of the erle of Flaundres whych lytel tofore by meanes of y e sayd EnguerraÌ„ was made erle of Neuers In the moneth of Nouembre folowyng kynge Phylyp beyng at fouÌ„tayne Beliaunt in the prouynce of Gastenoys was taken with suche sykenesse and dyed shortly after when he had reygned .xxviii. yeres and more and hys body after caryed vnto saynt Dionise and there buryed leuing after hym y e thre forenamed sonnes Lowys Philyp Charlys a doughter named Isabell whych before tyme was maryed vnto the seconde Edwarde thaÌ„ kyng of Englande Anglia EDwarde the seconde of y t name soÌ„ne of Edwarde the fyrst born at Carnaruan in a towne of walys beganne his reygne ouer Englande in the moneth of Iulii .viii. day of the sayd moneth in the yere of our lord .xiii. C. .vii the .xxi. yere of the .iiii. Phylip than kyng of Frauce The whych was crowned at westmynster the .xiiii. daye of Decembre after the oppinioÌ„ of dyuers wryters But Ranulph moÌ„ke of Chester in his boke of Policronicon sayth y t he was crowned in the forsayd monastery of the bisshop of wynchester the sonday in quinquagesima whych is the .xiiii. day after the closyng of Alleluya of the bisshoppe of wynchester for so moche as Robert than archebisshope of CauÌ„terbury was than out of Englande Thys Edwarde was fayre of body great of strengthe but vnsted faste of maners vyle in coÌ„dicions For he wolde refuse the company of lordes men of honour hauÌ„te hym with vylayns vyle ê‘sones He also gaue hym to great drynkyng lightly he wolde dyscouer thiÌ„ges of great couÌ„sayl with these many other disalowable condicions he was exercysed whych tourned hym to great dishonour hys lordes to great vnrest as by the sequele of thys hys story shall appere Anone as hys father was buryed and hys exequy scantly fynysshed he forgettynge the hyghe chargeable commauÌ„dement of hys sayd father sent in all haste for hys olde compere Pyers of Gauâ—stone The whych he receyued wyth all ioy gladnesse auaunced hym to moche honour And thus passed the season of y e olde mayre and shyreffes of London so y t at the feastes of Myghelmas Symon Iude folowyng y e olde mayre and shyreffes that is to meane syr Iohan Blount Symon Bolet Godfrey at the conduyt were dyscharged and the newe as vnder foloweth admytted Iuno domini M.CCC.vii  Anno domini M.CCC.viii  Nycholas Pygotte  Syr IohnÌ„ Blount  Anno primo  Myghell Drury  IN thys begynnynge of thys mayres yere and fyrst yere of y e kynge the sayd kynge Edwarde in the moneth of Decembre sayled into FrauÌ„ce and the .xv. day of Ianuarii folowynge at Boleyn in Pycardy maryed Isabell the doughter of Philyp le Beaw than kyng of Fraunce soon after retourned with her into Englande so vnto London where of the cytezeyns they were ioyously receyued and so conueyed vnto west mynster where as before is shewed vpon the sonday in quinquagesima they were bothe solemply crowned At whyche coronacyon was so excedynge prease that a knyghte called syr IohnÌ„ Bakwell was thrested to deth Than the kynge gaue shortely after vnto Pyers of Gauestone the erledome of Cornewayl and the lord shyp of wallyngford was ruled all by hys wanton counsayll folowed the appetite and pleasure of his body nothynge orderynge by sadnesse nor yet
of the castell y t they wolde yelde the castell theyr lyues and goodes saued And finally it was agreed theyr bodies onely to departe to be cōueyed .x. miles vpon theyr waye towarde such place as they wolde appoynt vpō y e which appoyntement .ii. knyghtes Brytons y t is to saye syr Syluester de la Fulle and syr wyllm̄ de Stratton receyued them in theyr cotes and cōueyed thē with great payne nat without losse of some For theyr enemies of y e hoste caste stones at theym and bete them so with theyr staues that dyuers of theym dyed the remenaunt were broughte nere vnto a castell than in the power of Englysshemen named Quyntyne But whan the commōs of y e town there nere harde of the cōmynge of suche Englysshmen vnder saufe conduyt the whiche before in the batayl of the roche of Arian where syr Charles de Bloys was taken had slayne theyr lord that is to meane the lorde of Quyntyne anone they issued oute of the towne and for they fonde lytel resystence in theyr guydes they slew theym there excepte one whych was capytayne of the Englyshmē whych one of y e sayd knyghtes caused to be set vpon hys horse so fledde frō the peryll And whā the cruell Brytons had thus shamefully slayne the Englyshmen they gadered y e cariens vp on an hepe suffered theym there so to lye to y e ende that beastes foules myght deuoure them And in shorte tyme after y e erle of Flaūdres by meanes of the Frēch kyng left the doughter of kynge Edwarde and was maryed vnto the doughter of y e duke of Brabant In the .xx. yere of Phylyp y e town of Calays was goten lyke as the circumstaūce thereof is declared in the xxii yere of kyng Edward the thyrd And in the same yere the mortalite or sykenes whych after reygned in Englande reygned nowe feruentely in Fraunce and moste specially in the cytye of Auynyon by force wherof y e thyrde parte of the people of y e cytye dyed And frome thens it came vnto saint Denys and so vnto Parys In which coost it was so feruent y t there dyed in those .ii. townes ouer the nōbre of .lvi. M. within y e space of .xviii monethes And in thys yere the dolphyne of Uyen named syr ymberte solde hys dolphynage vnto the Frēch kyng became a freer at Lyon vpō the rosne of the ordre of the freer prechours or blacke freers In the .xxi. yere of thys Phylyp Charles the fyrste begotten sonne of Iohn̄ duke of Normādy eldest sonne of thys Phylip toke possession of the sayd dolphynage of Uyen And in the moneth of August folowyng dyed y e duchesse of Normādy and mother of the sayd Charles And in the moneth of Decembre folowynge dyed dame Iane quene of Fraūce doughter of Robert duke of Burgoyn And in thys yere was the treason wroughte by syr Godfrey de Charny to haue agayne wonne the towne of Calays lyke as I to you before haue shewed in the .xxiiii. yere of kyng Edward y e iii. And in y e moneth of Ianuary next ensuynge .ix. day of the same kyng Phylyp spoused hys .ii. wyfe Blaūche somtyme y e doughter of y e quene of Nauerne lately dyscesed whyche was syster vnto the erle of Foyze whyche espousayles were secretely done in the manour of Robert erle of Bray And so the sayde kyng Philip was wydowe frome the .xii. daye of Decembre to the nynthe daye of Ianuary whyche was by the space of xxviii dayes And vpon the .ix. day of the moneth of February Iohn̄ duke of Normandy eldeste sonne of thys Philippe spoused hys seconde wyfe Iohanne Countesse of Boloygne at a towne called Miriaux nere vnto Meulene And so he morned for hys wyfe whych was named y e good Duchesse of Normandy by the terme of vi moneths .ii. dayes lackynge In the .xxii. yere of kyng Philip moneth of Iuly syr Thomas de Agorne befornamed was by chaūce medly slayne of a Brytō knyght called syr Raufe de Cuours And vpon the .xxiii. daye of August folowynge dyed syr Phylyp de Ualoys kyng of Fraūce whā he had reygned ouer y e Frēchmen in great vexaciō trouble by the space of .xxii. yeres lackynge v. monethes odde dayes and was after enterred at saynt Denis by his fyrste wyfe left after hī Iohn̄ duke of Normandy for hys heyre ¶ Of kynge Iohn̄ IOhn̄ the fyrste of that name sonne of Phylype de Ualoys began to raygne ouer the Frenchmē in the moneth of August yere of our lord M.CCC and .l .xxiiii. yere of Edwarde the .iii. than kyng of Englande was crowned at Raynes the xxvi day of Septembre folowynge wyth dame Iohanne hys wyfe In tyme of the whych solempnite kyng Iohn̄ dubbed hys eldeste sonne dolphyne of Uyen and Lowys hys .ii. sonne erle of Alēson knyghtes with other noble men And vpon the .xvi. daye of Nouēbre folowynge syr Rauffe erle of Ew and cōstable of Guynes whā it was Frenche the whych was newly commen out of Englande where he had ben longe prysoner was accused of treason and so commaūded vnto pryson at Parys within whyche pryson he was shortly after byheded in y e presence of the duke of Burgoyne and other nobles In the thyrde yere of kyng Iohn̄ viii day of Ianuary Charles kyng of Nauerne caused to be slayne with in the towne of Aygle in Normandy syr Charles de Spayne cōstable of Fraūce For the whych murdre sourdyd great warre betwene kynge Iohan the sayde kynge of Nauerne whych contynued many yeres after natwithstādyng that the sayd kynge of Nauerne had maryed the doughter of y e sayd kyng Iohn̄ Thā by meditaciō of frendes a peas was dryuē betwene theym so that kyng Iohan shuld gyue vnto y e kyng of Nauerne for contētacyon of certayne summes of money yet owynge vnto hym for the dower of hys wyfe certayne landes within the duchy of Normandy and ouer that the Frēche kyng shuld pardone all suche persones as were consentynge to the deth of the constable before murdred After whych treaty thus concluded the kynge of Nauerne vnder assuraunce of hostage came vnto kyng Iohn̄s presence at Parys And after he had taried there a season he departed with dyssymulacion on eyther partye vsed as after shall appere In the .iiii. yere of kyng Iohn̄ syr Godfrey de Harecourt whych wyth hys sonne other hadde ben consentynge vnto the deth of the constable of Fraunce were reconsyled agayne to the kynge The whyche ensensed hym agayne the kynge of Nauerne by meanes of theyr sinister report so that the peace betwene theym before cōcluded was dysapoynted brokē And soone vpon thys syr Robert de Loryze that was chamberlayn vnto kynge Iohn̄ auoyded the courte for fere leste the sayde syr Godfrey hadde shewed of hym any thynge to the kynge and so yode vnto the kynge of Nauerne in Normandy After whose commyng the kynge of Nauerne departed
be chosen y e Romayns beyng in harnesse made suche exclamacions vpon the cardynalles beyng in y e coÌ„claue for to haue an ItaliaÌ„ pope y t the cardynalles for fere to be slayn elected and chase one named Bartholmew a Napolytan archebysshop of Barre named UrbaÌ„ the .vi. But thys after he was admytted was so proude so coÌ„brous that he ruled all by wyll nothynge by right or goodly ordre of reason or coÌ„scyence wherfore the cardynalles beyng repeÌ„taunt of y t they had done a certayne of them in the cytye of FoÌ„des the .xx. day of Septembre elected chase an other named Roberte cardyuall of Basyle and named hiÌ„ Clement the .vii and by theyr auctorites publysshed hym for very pope dysalowed that other before choseÌ„ But the Romaynes wolde nat thereunto be agreable but helde theÌ„ vnto theyr former pope wyth whome also helde y e prouinces of Germany PaÌ„nony with y e more parte of Italy And with the laste chosen pope helde Fraunce Spayne Cateloyne EnglaÌ„d And thus began y e scysme whyche contynued by the terme of .xxxix. yere after In the .xv. yere of kynge Charles he for so moche as syr IohnÌ„ de MouÌ„tforte duke of Brytayne toke partye wyth the EnglyshemeÌ„ agayn hym wolde nat apere at such dayes as to hym were assygned therfore y e sayde kyng Charles sent into the duchy of Brytayn to sease y e lande into y e kynges haÌ„des the duke of BurboÌ„ syr Lewys de SaÌ„cer marshall of Fraunce syr Iohanne de Uyenne admyrall of FrauÌ„ce syr BeriaÌ„ de Ryuyer hys chaÌ„berleyne wyth other meÌ„ of name with a great coÌ„pany of meÌ„ of armes the whych at theyr coÌ„myng into Brytayne faÌ„de y e countrey all otherwyse dysposed thaÌ„ they supposed For where as they at theyr comyng thought to haue receyued y e possessioÌ„ of y t townes castelles in peasyble wyse they were denayed playnly answered y t they were sworn to theyr duke to bere to hym trew fidelite seruice which they enteÌ„ded to obserue kepe wyth whych answere y e sayde duke hys company were fayne to returne vnto y e French kynge The whyche shortly after sent thyder y e duke of Angeou with a stroÌ„ge army to warre vppon the couÌ„trey In whych season syr IohnÌ„ de MouÌ„tfort heryng of y e freÌ„ch kynges enteÌ„t arryued in Brytayne wyth a coÌ„pany of Englyshe archers To whome drewe such multitude of Brytone â–ª y t the duke of Angeou was fayn to retourne into Fraunce without worshyp there thaÌ„ wynnyng In the moneth of Octobre the Flemyngê of GauÌ„t other for greuous exaccyon vpoÌ„ theÌ„ set rebelled agayn theyr erle slew hys bayly offycer assigned by y e erle to gather his tolles after besyeged other townes which toke party with y e erle agayne theÌ„ as Audenarde Terremonde other wherof heryng y e duke of Burgoyn whose doughter the sayd duke hadde maryed assembled hys BurgonyoÌ„s sped hym into the marchys of FlauÌ„ders and so layed hys syege vnto Tourney But the Flemynges defended the duke in suche wyse that the duke was agreable to fal to a treaty In the whyche it was fyrst accorded and agreed that the erle at y e request of the duke shulde pardoÌ„ forgyue clerely to hys subiectes all offences by them to hym done before y t day also y t he shuld graunt vnto them all theyr former lyberties pryuyleges in as ample large wyse as they had them grauÌ„ted at hys fyrste coÌ„mynge in maynteyn vpholde theyr auncyent customes to rule theym after the same Secondarily if any letters haue ben made sealed coÌ„trary theyr pryuyleges sen y e tyme of thys rebellyon that the erle shall reuoke theym cancell them for euer Thyrdely y t all suche capytaynes of Almayne as at thys tyme haue ben in y e dukes or erles wagys agayn the Flemynges shal be solemply sworne that for any hurt or harme by them in thys warre receyued they nor none of theyr nacion as farre as they may lette it shal nat hurt nor harme any man of y e couÌ„trey of Flaunders at any tyme here aftâ—r in reuengemeÌ„t of thys warre And so fourthly that of .iiii. of y e best townes of FlauÌ„ders xxv men to be chosen by the burgesys of the same the whych shall haue correccion of al defautes nat touchynge lyfe dethe done by y e Flemynges also to haue power to correcte all such as be fouÌ„d culpable of the erles counsayll in coÌ„playntes or offences crymynall Fyftly that the sayde .xxv. persones shall haue auctoryte and power to make inquysycyon from yere to yere of the gouernaunce of the lande and what fawtes ben to them presented as of ten as .xiii. of theym be syttynge togyther in one counsayll they shal haue full power to gyue senteÌ„ce vppon the same that seÌ„teÌ„ce to be obeyed without interrupcioÌ„ And what by theym is senteÌ„sed the erle to vpholde and maynteyne wyth all hys myghte and power Syxtely it was desyred but nat concluded that for so moch as y e town of Audenarde of TerremouÌ„d toke party agayn theyr neyghbours that the walles of theym in certayne places shuld be euened with y e grouÌ„d in tokeÌ„ of theyr vnnaturall dealyng And seuently lastly it was coÌ„cluded that the prouost of Brugys shuld after y t daye be put out of the erles couÌ„sayll and nat after therunto to be admytted wythout coÌ„sent of the forenamed .xxv. persones All whych artycles were agreed vnto by the erle passed auctorysed by hys lettre seale all be it thys accorde coÌ„tynued no whyle as here after shall apere In the .xvi. yere moneth of Octobre the inhabytauntes of the cyty or towne of Mountpyller in the countrey of Languedoke for an inposicioÌ„ or ayde that was put to them by the duke of Angeou arose by one accord agayne y e mynisters counceyllours of the duke whyche duke was lewtenaunt generall vnder hys brother the Frenche kyng and wythout reason or dyscrecyoÌ„ in theyr furye and rage slewe syr Guyllyam Poncell knyght and chaunceller to the duke syr Guy Desseryke stuarde of Rouerge mayster Arnolde gouernour of Mountpyller mayster Iames de Chainy secretary to the duke many other offycers and seruauntes of the sayde duke to the nouÌ„bre of .lxxx. persones And whaÌ„ they had them slayn as tyrauntes natte beynge contente wyth that cruelnesse they threwe the dede bodyes into dyuerse foule and stynkynge pyttes nat sufferynge theÌ„ to be buryed as crysteÌ„ men shulde wherof whaÌ„ knowlege was broughte vnto y e duke he was therewyth greuously amoued and made hys othe that he shulde punysshe theym to the fere and example of all other and therupoÌ„ gathered hys people for to reuenge thys cruel dede whan the rumour of thys myscheuouse dede was some deale apeased and y e wyse men auncyent of the towne had degested thys hasty and cruel dede
waters whyche they myghte sonest attayne â—nto and so wyth greate dyffyculte saued theym selfe In meane tyme whereof the chauÌ„ber beynge wyth the same tyred grewe in so greate a flame that in shorte whyle the more parte of that lodgynge was consumed to y e great fere of y e kynge and other astates thaÌ„ there beynge presente and augmentynge agayne of his former sykenes so that certayne appoyntementes to be holdeÌ„ betwene hym and Rychard kynge of Englande were for that tyme put of IN the .xvi. yere of thys Charles the maryage of peace betwene bothe realmes was concluded and fynysshed at Calays as before I haue shewed to you in the .xix. yere of kyng Rycharde And that triumphe fynysshed Charles at the coÌ„templacyon and prayer of the kynge of Hungry sent vnto hym Phylyp erle of Arroys wyth dyuers other knyghtes in good noumber to ayde y e sayd kynge agayne the Turkys The whyche after that they hadde there a season warred the capytaynes the more party of the Frenchemen of the Turkys were dystressed slayne many taken prisoners to theyr great charge Thys Charles thus contynuyng hys lykenesse two freres of saynte Augustynes order beynge desyrous of money toke vppon theym to cure the kyng And after they had shauen hys hede and mynistred to hym medicyns the kynge dayly febled in suche wyse y t he was nye dede For whiche coÌ„syderacyon they examyned by phylosophers and doctours of physyke founden vncunnynge were degraded of theyr presthode after behedded To thys folye were these fretes broughte by the excytynge of the duke of Burgoyne as the common fame went In the .xix. yere of thys Charles the lande of Fraunce was greuously vexed wyth the plage of ipydymye of whyche sykenesse a greate multytude of people dyed And that yere was there also sene a blasynge starre of wonderfull bygnes wyth stremes apperynge to meÌ„nes syghte of moste feruent brennynge In thys yere also Charles herynge of y e subduyng of kynge Rycharde sente into Englande two of hys housholde knyghtes requyrynge kynge Henry the fourth than newelye made kynge to sende home hys doughter Isabell latelye maryed vnto kyng Rychard wyth suche do war as wyth hyr was promysed In doynge of whyche message kynge Henry toke such dyspleasure that as sayeth Gagwinus myne auctour he threwe the sayde twoo knightes in prysone where through one of theym named Blanchet dyed in Englande and that other called Henry after greate sykenesse retourned into Fraunce And shortely after kynge Henry sente the sayde dame Isabell vnto Calays where she was ioyously receyued of the Frenchemen and so conueyed vnto hyr sayde father whyche as yet was nat of hys sykenesse cured By reason whereof among the lordes of FrauÌ„ce eueryche of them coueytyng to haue rule great dyssencion malyce begaÌ„ to kendle and specyallye betwene the dukes of Orleaunce of Burgoyne and of Berry Than the duke of Orleaunce enteÌ„dyng to promote hys cause vnknowyng the other lordes allyed hym wyth y e duke of Geldre streÌ„ghthed hym wyth .v. C. men of hys so entred the feeldes of Parys And in lyke maner y e duke of Burgoyne wyth a stronge coÌ„pany kept an other cooste of y e countrey Natwythstandyng by meanes of other lordes these two dukes were kept a sunder at lenghte y t duke of Orleyaunce by the kynges comaundement that somewhat was than amended was ordayned regente of the realme The whiche anone as he was sette in auctoryte fell to all rauyne and oppressed the people with cotydyan taskes and tallages and y e spirituall men with dymes other exaccyons wherfore by reason of the studyentes of Parys he was at lengthe discharged of that dignyte and the duke of Burgoyne for hym put in auctoryte Than the duke of Orleyaunce beynge discontented yode vnto LuceÌ„bourgth a towne in highe Almayne sought agayne ayde of the duke of Geldre foresayd But by his frendes he was so aduertysed y t with his owne folkes he returned into Fraunce But yet the malyce and stryfe a twene hym and the duke of Burgoyne seased nat About this season or soone after dyed the duke of Brytayne And as affermeth the auctour afore named kyng Henry y e .iiii. maryed his wyfe wherof hering y e duke of Burgoyne with a company of .vi. M. knyghtes entred Brytayne there by strength toke from her her .iii. sonnes named IohnÌ„ Richard Arthure presented them vnto kynge Charles In y e xxii yere of this Charles was borne of Isabell hys wyfe a man chylde which also was named Charles the which after the deth of his father vnto y e great aduersyte of all the realme of FrauÌ„ce was king of that realme contrary the appointment taken a twene Henry the .v. after kynge of Englande and thys Charles the father nowe of Fraunce kynge as after shall more appere in the story of the sayde kynge Henry the fyfte In this yere also was dame Isabell somtyme wyfe of Rycharde latelye kynge of Englande maryed vnto Charles eldeste sonne of the duke of Orleyaunce And IohnÌ„ the eldyste of the .iii. forenamed sonnes of the duke of Brytayne lately dede toke to wyfe Margarete y e doughter of kynge Charles And Phylyppe duke of Burgoyne dyed soone after leauynge an heyre after hym named IohnÌ„ The whyche after he was gyrde with the swerde of the duchye of Burgoyne he anone by euyll entysynge and counsell areryd warre agayne the duke of Orleyaunce to the great dysturbaunce of all the realme For the sayde duke of Orleyaunce was a prynce of a wonderfull hyghe courage and desyrous of great honoure and after the sayenge of Gagwynus coueyted to be kynge of Fraunce The whyche went to Auyngnyon where as than sate the .xiii. Benet thaÌ„ pope duryng the scisme and admytted by some of the Cardynalles after the dethe of Clement y e .vi. To whiche Benet the said duke made great labour to depryue the Uniuersite of Parys from y e great auctoryte y t it at those dayes stode in whiche was of merueylous auctoryte than as sayeth the forenamed auctour In thys whyle thus endurynge the lande full of myseryes aduersites the quene which y t moche fauoured the dukes partie accompanyed with the sayd duke rode to take her dysporte of huntynge in to the countrey of Meldon To whiche place she sente letters vnto the Dolphyn by y e duke of Bauary her brother that he with hys wyfe whiche was doughter vnto the duke of Burgoyne shulde come for to dysporte theym whereof IohnÌ„ thanne duke of Burgoyne beynge warned suspected the quene that she wyth ayde of the duke wolde conueye the Dolphyn into Germanye and there to holde hym at theyr pleasures And to eâ—peche that purpose he iÌ„ all haâ—e sped him towarde y e Dolphyn and contrary the mynde of the duke of Bauarye whiche than was vpon his waye with the sayd Doulphyne towarde the quene retourned hym and lodged him in a stronge castell called Lupar whereof herynge the duke
of Orleyaunce assembled to hym a coÌ„pany of .vi. thousande knyghtes came agayne towarde Parys where as that tyme the duke of Burgoyne was And he herynge of y e dukes coÌ„myng made him stronge to receyue hym To whome the cytezens of Parys were fauourable aydynge for the euyll wyll that they before bare vnto the duke of Orleyaunce also for they hoped by hym to be defended from taskes and tallages Thus contynuynge the prouisyon vpon bothe partyes to mete shortely in playne batayle suche polytike meanes was fouÌ„de by a noble man called Mountague that a concorde and vnyte was for that tyme by hym sette atwene the sayd dukes And for that newe occasyon shulde nat by preseÌ„ce kyndle atwene them therfore y e duke of Orleyaunce with hys company was sent into Guyan to warre vpon the englysshemen that other vnto Calays to lay syege vnto that towne The which before had prepared a wonderfull engyne sette vpon whelys by the strength wherof he thoughte to wreke greate dysturbaunce vnto the sayd towne as sayth myne auctour Gagwyne was in great hoope to recouer it agayne to the subieccyon of the house of FrauÌ„ce But that hope was soone dyspayred for it was nat longe after or the sayd duke by the kynge was countermaunded and returned And the duke of Orleyaunce after he knewe that rescous were commyng froÌ„ Burdeaux he remoued his siege layde by hym to Burgus a towne of Guyan so returned into Fraunce to his coÌ„fusyon as after shall appere IN the .xxvii. yere of this Charles the former malyce and enuye contynuyng in the brestes of the sayd dukes of Orleyaunce and of Burgoyne as the sayd duke of Orleyaunce was goynge towarde hys lodgynge in the nyght of the .x. daye of Decembre fell vpon him certayne knyghtes of the whiche one named Rafe Auctouyle was leder slewe hym nere vnto a gate of the cytie of Parys named Barbet gate After whyche murder fynysshed y e sayde sir Rafe with hys adherentes fledde vnto the place of the erle of Artoys where the duke of Burgoyne vsed accustomably to resorte And y e dede corps was soone after by suche as came to y e exclamacyoÌ„ with also a seruauÌ„t of his with him slaine borne into y e next houses whan the rumour of this murder was blowen about y e cytie anone Lewys vncle vnto the kynge and than kynge of Scecyle the dukes of Berry and of Burbon with other drewe thyder and there with lamentacyon beholdynge the corps commaunded prouisyon to be made for the buryenge of it within the monastery of Celestynes where vpon the seconde day folowynge he was buryed wyth great pompe whome amoÌ„ge other lordes folowed to his buryenge the duke of Burgoyne nat without great suspicyon of the sayd murder And that enterrement with due obseruaunce fynysshed auctoryte was gyuen vnto .ii. knyghtes named Roberte Tuyller Peter Orpheuer to make enquery for the murder of this prince wherof the duke of Burgoyne beynge ascertayned voyded the cytie brake the brydge of saynte Maxence after hym that pursute after hym shulde nat be made and so hastely spedde hym that that nyght folowynge he came to Andwarpe whiche is vpon an C. myle from Parys whan Charles the kyng harde of the escape of y e sayd duke feryng leste he wolde accuse hym to be consentyng vnto that euyll dede sent vnto hym comfortable messages so that the sayde duke without warre restyd all that wynter sometyme in Arthoys and an other whyle in Flaunders at his pleasure In the whiche pastyme he sente into dyuers places of Fraunce sondry accusacyons of the duke before slayne that he enteÌ„ded to depose the kyng and to take vpon hym the rule gouernaunce of the realme and to haue poysoned the sayd kyng as by dyuers tokens by hym affermed for perfourmauÌ„ce of the same And also that the said duke of OrleyauÌ„ce was cause of fyrynge of y e disguysers garmentes before shewed to the ende to brynge the kyng in more daunger of syckenes or els to be consumed with the same fyre with sondry other distamacyons as leuyenge of taskes and imposicyons of the people to his singuler auauntage and hougely enrychynge wherby he myghte the soner attayn vnto his said purpose Thus contynuyng this great vnkyndenes atwene the duke of Burgoyne and the sonne and other of his blode of y e duke of Orleyaunce the said duke agayne the begynnynge of the yere herynge that the king and the quene were departed from Parys to Charters asseÌ„bled to hym a stroÌ„ge power of HolaÌ„ders other and came vnto Parys in which cytie he moch trusted to the ende to cause the kynge y e quene and the Doulphyn to whome he hadde maryed hys doughter for to retourne vnto Parys And to strengthe hys partye he broughte with hym wyllyam erle of Hanster which wyllyam was a man of great strengthe and allyaunce and hadde maryed hys syster vnto the duke of Burgoyne foresayde and hys doughter and heyre vnto one of kyng Charles sonnes and was gossyppe vnto the quene For whyche sayde consyderacyons the sayde erle entendynge the weale of that realme of Fraunce laboured suche wayes and meanes that by hym for that tyme a concorde and vnytie was dryuen and made atwene the two dukes of Orleyaunce and Burgoyne wyth assured othes and necessary actes to that concorde belongynge and the king with his retynewe was agayne retourned vnto Parys These dukes thus appeased and the duke of Burgoyne agayne restored to the gouernaunce of the realme assocyate vnto hym the kynge of Nauerne whyche varyed nat from his fathers vnstable condycyons so that by him newe occasyons of stryâ—e and varyaunce were moued atwene the sayde dukes and theyr allyes For fyrste they soughte occasyon agayne the forenamed Mountague a man of great wysedome and honoure in the kynges courte and especyall frende vnto the duke of Orleyaunce and by theyr malyce and vntrewe surmyses fynally putte to dethe And one named Peter Essayer or Sayer thaÌ„ prouoste of the cytie of Parys or gouernoure they admytted to the rule of the kynges treasoury and other dyuers offyces suche as were any thynge fauoured of the duke of OrleauÌ„ce they clerely dyscharged The whyche for theyr relefe and comfort resorted vnto the sayde duke shewynge to him all y e demeanure of their aduersaryes addynge thervnto y e all suche conuencyons concernynge the amyte atwene hym and the duke of Burgoyne before sworne enacted were clerely adnulled broken with these tydynges the duke beyng fyred with newe malyce accompanyed to hym the dukes of Berry of Burbon and of Alenson the erles of Rychemounte of Alyberte and of Armenake with other nobles nat a fewe by whose counsels he determyned to be auenged vpon the duke of Burgoyne other his fautours wherof the sayde duke beynge monisshed drewe him towarde Parys and strengthed the fortresses as he yode To thys duke of Burgoyne was brother the duke of Brabande named Anthony a man of great polycye and
repeÌ„ted hym of that hasty iugement without auctoryte of the churche And soone after god shewed many myracles for the sayde bysshop whyche called the kynge vnto the more repentaunce Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.v  Anno dnÌ„i M.iiii C.vi  Henry BartonÌ„  IohnÌ„ woodcok Mercer  Anno .vii.  wyllyam Crowner  IN thys yere dame Lucye the duke of Myllanys syster came into Englande and was maryed vnto syr Edmunde Holande erle of Kent in the churche of saynte Mary ouerey in Southwarke vppon the xxiiii daye of Ianuary where the kyng was present and gaue her that daye vnto the preest And after the solempnyzacion of the maryage was fynysshed she was wyth greate honour conueyed vnto the bysshoppe of wynchesters palays there fast by where that daye for her was holden a sumptuous and pumpous feaste And in the same yere and moneth of May dame Phylyppe the yongeste doughter of kynge Henry accompanyed wyth dyuers lordes spyrytuall and temporall was shypped in the Northe and so conueyed into Denmarke where in a towne or cytye called London she was maryed vnto y e kynge of the sayde countre In thys yere also syr Thomas RamstonÌ„ than constable of y e towre by ouersyghte of hys botemen as he wold haue passed the brydge toward the sayde towre was drowned And in the same yere for the greuous coÌ„playntes that before tyme hadde ben shewed and euydently proued before the kynges counsayl and also before the mayre and hys bretherne of the great dystruccion of frye and yonge fysshe by reason of werys standynge in dyuers places of the ryuer of Thamys wherby the fysshe of the sayde ryuer was greately mynysshed and wasted and that also yf the sayd werys so contynued the sayde ryuer shuld in shorte processe be dystroyed wherfore the mayre hys bretherne the aldermen as conseruatours of y e ryuer made suche laboure vnto the kynge and hys counsayll that they opteyned commyssyon to pull vp all the werys that stode betwene LondoÌ„ and .vii. myles beyoÌ„de KynstonÌ„ and in lykewyse for suche other as stode betwene London and Grauysende aswell crekes or seuerall groundes and other the whyche commyssyon by the sayde mayre and hys offycers was thys yere putte in execucyon And in thys yere syr Robert Knolles knyght the whyche in Fraunce and Brytayne hadde before tyme done so many victorious actes as in y e .xxxiii yere of Edward the thyrde and other yeres of hys reygne is somdele towched made an ende of hys werke at Rochester brydge and chapell at the sayde brydge fote and dyed shortely after whanne he hadde newe reedyfyed the body of the whyte fryers churche standynge in Fletestrete done to that house many notable benefytes where after he was buryed in the body of the sayde churche whyche churche and place was fyrste founded by the auncetoures of the lorde Gray Cotnore Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.vi  Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.vii  Nycholas wotton  Rycharde whytyngtonÌ„ Mercer  Anno. viii  Godfrey Brook  IN thys yere moneth of Nouembre one named the walche clerke apeched a knyghte called syr Perâ—yuall Sowdan of treason for tryall wherof daye was gyuen to theÌ„ to fyght in smythfylde the day aboue sayde At whych daye eyther apered and there faught a season But in the ende the clerke was recreauÌ„t wherefore immedyately he was spoyled of hys armour layde vpoÌ„ an hardyl and so drawen to tyborne and there hanged And in thys yere also syr Henry erle of Northumberlande the lorde Bardolf commyng out of ScotlaÌ„de wyth a stronge company to the dyspleasure hurt of the kynge as they entended were met and encountred wyth the gentylmen and comons of the northe and foughten wyth and dystressed and after strake of theyr heddes and sente theym to London whyche thanne were pyghte vppon the brydge amonge many other Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.vii  Anno dnÌ„i M.iiii C.viii.  Henry Ponfreyt  wyllyam StondonÌ„ Grocer  Anno. ix  Henry Halton  IN thys yere and moneth of Decembre begaÌ„ a frost the which contynued by the space of .xv. wekes after or therupoÌ„ so that byrdes were woÌ„derly famysshed and dystressed by violence of the same And in the same yere syr EdmoÌ„de of Holande erle of Kente was by the kynge made admyrall of the see The which scowred skymmed y e see ryght well and manfully lastly landed in the coost of Brytayne besieged there a castell named Briak and wan it by strength But in the wynnyng therof he was so dedely wounded wyth an arowe in the hede that he dyed shortly after And than hys corps was brought agayn into EnglaÌ„de buryed amoÌ„ge his auÌ„cetours And in the begynnyng of thys yere was slayne murdered the duke of OrleauÌ„ce in Parys lyke as before it is more at leÌ„gthe shewed in y e .xxviii. yere of Charles y e .vii. kyng of frauÌ„ce Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.viii  Anno dnÌ„i M.iiii C.ix.  Thomas Duke  Drewe Barentyne Goldsmyth  Anno. x.  wyllyam NortonÌ„  IN thys yere the seneshal of Henaude came into thys lande wyth a goodly companye of Henauders other straungers for to do parfourme certayne faytes of armes agayne dyuers nobles gentylmen of thys laÌ„de And fyrste the sayd Seneshall chalenged the erle of Somerset and other of hys company other geÌ„tylmen of thys laÌ„de as after shall apere For executyng of whyche dysporte the place of smythfelde by the kynge was appoynted and barred fensed for the same entent and daye set for euery maÌ„ to be redy by the .xi. daye of At whych daye the seneshall as chalenger entred y e felde pompously And after with a goodly company of men of honour was the erle of Somerset broughte into the same where they ranne togyder certayne courses and executed other faytes of armys wherof the pryse honour was gyuen by the herawdes vnto the erle so that he wanne that day great honour Than the seconde daye came in a knyght Henauder as Chalengeoure To whome as defendaunt came syr Rycharde of Arundell knyghte the whyche ranne certayne courses on horsebak after went togyder with axes on fote where syr Rychard was putte to the worse for the Henauder brought hym vpoÌ„ hys kne Than the thyrde daye came in an other knyght of Henaude ChaleÌ„ger To whome as defendaunte came in syr IohnÌ„ Cornewayl knyght and so well bare hym that he put the straunger to the worse Upon the .iiii. daye came into the felde an esquyre Henauder Agayne whome ranne the sonne of syr Iohan Cheyny The whych at the seconde course sette hys stroke so egerly that he ouer threw the Henauder horse and maÌ„ for whyche dede y e kyng dubbed hym forthwith knight Upon the .v. day played togyder an Henauder and a squyre called IohnÌ„ Stewarde whyche daye also the Englyssheman wan the worshyp Upon the .vi. daye skyrmysshed there togyder an Henauder and an Englysshe esquyer named wyllmÌ„ Porter the whyche gatte suche
as foloweth Upon the .ix. day of October dyed IohnÌ„ Bryan sheryfe and for hym was chosen to that offyce IohnÌ„ Parnes Draper Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.xviii  Anno dnÌ„i M. CCCC.xix  IohnÌ„ Bryan  wyllyam Seuenoke Grocer Rauffe Barton Anno .vii.  IohnÌ„ Parnesse  THys yere the foresayde syege aboute the cytye of Roan coÌ„tynuynge vpon the .xii. daye of Ianuary foresayde the Frenchmen offeryd to treate whych treaty y e kyng admytted vnto the erlys of warwike and Salysbury wyth other And for the Frenche party was appoynted the captayne of the cytye named syr Guy de Bocyer other By reason of whyche treaty it was agreed that y e sayd capitayne vpon the .xix. day of the sayd present moneth of Ianuary at such an houre as it shuld please y e kynge to assygne shulde delyuer vnto suche persons as the kynge wolde appoynte the cytye castell of Roan in all peasyble wyse excepte the sayd cytye and castell be rescowyd by the dolphyne of Fraunce before the sayd xix daye And the .xxii. daye of the sayd moneth the inhabytauntes of the sayde cytye to paye vnto the kynge .xv. C. scutes of golde wherof two shulde alwaye be worth and englysshe noble And other .xv. huÌ„dred of lyke scutes they shulde paye vpon the .xxiii. daye of February next folowynge whiche couenauntes with many and diuers other coÌ„prysed to .xxv. artycles were by the assuraunce of both partyes surely ratifyed and assured And for no rescouse by the sayde dolphyn or any other Frenchman was made by the daye aboue lymytted therfore y e said capytayne accordynge to hys bonde and promysse delyuered the sayd cytye and castell vppon the .xix. day of Ianuary afore sayde beyng the daye of saynt wolstan The wynnynge of thys cytye of Roan ascrybeth Gaguinus vnto y e ciuyle dyscord that was bytwene the cytesyns and theyr fyrste capytayne named erle of Danmale whom they expulsyd y e cyty with a strong power of Normans But yet as he affermeth the cytesyns helde the cyty tyll they were coÌ„strayned for lacke of vytayll to eate horses dogges cattes rattes and other vermyn whan kynge Henry had set y e cyty of Roan in an order he then passed y e countrees towarde Fraunce so that he subdued the cityes and townes as he rode And the .xx. daye of Maye he came to Troys in ChaÌ„payne where he was honourably receyued In whyche passetyme IohnÌ„ duke of Burgoyne that before tyme had ben the occasyon of the murder of the duke of Orleaunce was now slayne in the presence of the dolphyn lyke as before I haue shewed to you in y e xxxix yere of Charles the .vii. wherfore Phylyppe hys sonne and duke after hym refused the dolphyns partye and drewe hym vnto kynge Henry and delyuered to hym the possessyon of Charlys the Frenche kynge and dame Katheryne hys doughter as affermyth Gaguinus Then were meanes of concorde and vnyte soughte and laboured by the Frenchemen in so effectuall maner that shortely after for a fynall peas to be hadde bytwene both realmes kynge Henry at Troys in ChaÌ„payne forsayde by the meanes of the sayde Phylyppe duke of Burgoyn maryed the forenamed Katheryne vppon Trynite sondaye than beyng the .iii. daye of Iuny Before solempnysacyon of which maryage a treaty and conclusyon of a peas conteynyng .xxxvii. artycles bytwene bothe kynges was concluded wherof y e effecte was that kyng Henry shulde be admytted and named regent of Fraunce and y t Charles shulde be kynge for terme of hys lyfe and receyue the issues and profytes of the same and quene Isabell hys wyfe to enioye her dower for terme of her lyfe to quenes of FrauÌ„ce due and accustomed And quene Katheryne kynge Henryes wyfe to haue her dower in Englande to the value of .xl. thousande scutes whyche shulde be in value tenne thousande marke Englysshe And yf the ouerlyued kynge Henry then she to haue dower of the realme of Fraunce to y e value .xx. thousande frankes yerely to beleuyed of suche lordshyppes as Blaunche somtyme wyfe to Phylyple Beaw helde And after the dethe and tyme of the forsayde Charlys the crowne wyth all ryghtes belongynge to the same of the realme of Fraunce to remayne vnto kynge Henry and to hys heyres kynges Bâ—d for the sayde Charlys was vysyted wyth sykenesse the kynge as regent shulde haue the hole gouernaunce of the sayde realme and defence of the same specyally agayne the dolphyne whyche entended and dyd hys vttermost power to distourbe the sayde peas And that the lordes and nobles of Fraunce as well spyrytuall as temporall shall make othe vnto kynge Henry to be obedyent vnto his lefull commaundmentes concernynge the foresayd gouernaunce and defence and they with y e hedes and rulers of cytyes castelles and townes to mayntayne vphold the sayde peas to the vttermost of theyr powers and after the dethe of y e sayd Charles to become his trewe subiectes and lyege men And that al suche lordshyppes as after that daye shulde be be conquered or wonne fro the Dolphyn and other dysobedyentes that they shulde remayne to the vse of the sayd Charles durynge his naturall lyfe Prouyded that yf any were wonne within y e duchy of Normandy that they shulde incontynently remayne to kynge Henryes vse And that after the dyscease of the sayde Charles the duchy of NormaÌ„dy all other lordshyppes therunto belongynge to be as one monarchye vnder the crowne of FrauÌ„ce And also that durynge the lyfe of the sayde Charles kynge Henry shulde nat name or wryte hym selfe kynge of Fraunce And that the sayd Charles shulde in all his wrytynges name kynge Henry his moost derest sonne Henry kynge of Englande and enherytour of the crowne of FrauÌ„ce And that none imposycyon or taske shuld be put vpon the comons of Fraunce but to the necessary defeuce weale of the realme And that by the aduyce of bothe couÌ„sayles of the realmes of Englande and of Fraunce suche stablysshed ordynauÌ„ces myght be deuysed that when the sayde realme of Fraunce shulde fall to the possessyon of kynge Henry or his heyres that it myght with suche vnyte ioyne vnto the realme of EnglaÌ„de y e one kynge myght rule both kyngdomes as one monarchye reserued alwayes to eyther pryncypate or realme all ryghtes lybertyes fraÌ„chyses and lawes so that nother realme shulde be subiecre vnto other And that perpetuall amyte and frendshyp with all famylyer conuersacion aswell by byenge sellynge and all other lefull to be coÌ„tonued atwene bothe subiectes for euer all customes and pryuyleges to eyther realme to be payde and obeyed And that kynge Charles nor Phylyp duke of Burgoyne shulde make any concorde or peaâ— with the Dolphyn of Uyen without the assent agrement of kynge Henry Nor he in lykewyse without the consent of the sayde Charles and Phylyp And the sayd Charles duryng his lyfe shulde honorably be founde and entreated and to haue in his housholde and aboute hym noble men of his owne nacyon with all other
them was fynally coÌ„cluded he y e sayd Lewys all suche as wyth hym were reteyned or allied were for thys offeÌ„ce by y e sayd Charles clerely pardoned one persone all only excepted named Iaket or Iakis by whose treason the castell of Maxente was loste and taken for whyche offence he was after drawen hanged also quartered ThaÌ„ in processe of tyme folowyng the flemynges of GauÌ„te rebelled agayne theyr duke or erle named Philyp The cause of whyche rebellyon was for that he areryd a greuouse taske vpoÌ„ salte put the people ther by to greuouse charge wherevppon dedely warre betwene the duke and hys subiectys arose to the dystruccioÌ„ of moche people vpoÌ„ bothe partyes wherof the cyrcumstauÌ„ce were loÌ„g to wryte Howe be it in the ende y e duke or erle by ayde of the FreÌ„che kynge was vyctour helde them of GauÌ„te so streyghte that they were compelled by force to bye theyr peace wyth great summes of money to theyr other many folde domages About the .xxxi. yere of thys sayde Charles came vnto hym from pope Nycholas the .v. of that name an ambassade for to requyre ayde agayne the Turkys for the defeÌ„ce of CoÌ„stantyne the noble whyche the Turkys purposed shortly after to assayle To whyche ambassade by the sayd Charlys it was answeryd that to hym it was right greuouse to here of the intollerable persecucyoÌ„ whych y e cristeÌ„ dayly susteyned of the Turkys But he was of y e Englysh nacyoÌ„ so vexed and warred that he myghte nat leue hys laÌ„de wythout an hedde to the coÌ„forte of other to lose hys owne But to the entent that he before tymes myght haue warred vppon the sayd Turkys he for that cause onely had offered vnto the kynge of Englande many reasonable offers And if of the Englysshe party any lyke offers myghte be to hym profered he wolde gladly theym accepte turne hys spere incoÌ„tyneÌ„tly agayn the fore named Turkes And ouer that he wolde for the furtherauÌ„ce of the matter sende wyth them vnto the kynge of EnglaÌ„de certayne ambassadours to se yf that as yet any reasonable peace myght be betwene them coÌ„cluded For accomplisshemeÌ„t wherof as testyfyeth myne auctour Gaguynus he sente the archebysshop of Raynes wyth other honorable persones The whych whan they to kyng Henry and hys counsayll hadde shewyd theyr legacyoÌ„ it was to them shortly answered that at suche season as the EnglysshemeÌ„ hadde wonne agayne so moche laÌ„de as the Frenchemen by cawtelys had woÌ„ne from theym thaÌ„ were it good tyme season to treate of accorde nat before By reason of whiche answere the popes ambassade retourned to Rome wythoute ayde or comforte And thus y e FreÌ„che wryters lay euer the charge froÌ„ theyr prynce put it vnto other But of thys ambassade or answere fynde I no memory of any Englysshe wryters Aboute the .xxxiiii. yere of y e reygn of thys Charlys Lewys hys sonne before named beynge a maÌ„ of greate lyberalitye and largesse thought his father departed nat wyth hym of his mouables possessyoÌ„s as he hadde cause to do For the whych by coÌ„fort of yoÌ„ge persones as he had aboute hym he rebelled thys seconde tyme agayne hys sayde father by reason of hys largesse lyberalyte drewe vnto hym moche waÌ„ton wylde people wyth theyr assystence warred vppoÌ„ hys fathers freÌ„des entendyd to depryue hys father of all gouernauÌ„ce of the realme wherof herynge hys father in all possyble haste gathered to hym greate strengthe and spedde hym towarde hys sayd sonnÌ„ But whaÌ„ Lewys was warned of the coÌ„myng of hys father wyth so great an hoste consydered hys quarell wekenesse he wyth a fewe persones fledde towarde Burgoyne whereof herynge the father sente in all â—haste people to kepe the passages and dyd that he myghte to haue stopped hym of hys waye But that prouysyon notwythstandynge the sayd Lewys escaped and came sauely vnto the presence of Phylyppe then duke of Burgoyne the whyche hym receyued wyth gladde chere and entreatyd hym accordyng to his estate and so kepte hym durynge his fathers lyfe Nowbeit he made for hym great sute and labour to wynne him to his fathers grace But all was in vayne For what by obstynacy of the same y t he wolde not submytte hym to his father and comme vnto hys presence when he was sente for for the great stomacke of the father that he wold not be condycyoned with of the son thys varyaunce contynued bytwene them as aboue is sayd y e terme of his fathers lyfe In the whyche passe tyme thys Charlys concluded a maryage bytwene hys doughter called Magdaleyne and Ladyslaus kyng of Beme Hungary and of Polayne But whyle the bryde wyth great apparayle and pompe was conueyed towarde her husbande to be maryed her sayde husbande was taken sodenly with sykenesse and dyed with in .xxiiii. houres after that he fyrste coÌ„playned hym whych was by force of poysone as most wryters agreen Of whych tydynges when Charlys was asserteyned he therwyth toke such a peÌ„syffenesse that he dyed shortely after whan he had ruled a parte and the hole realme to reken from y e deth of hys father .xxxvi. yeres How be it of Frenche wryters no certeyne terme of hys reygne to hym is assygned for so myche as kyng Henry the vi longe after the deth of hys father was alowyd in Parys and many other Cytyes of FrauÌ„ce for souerayne and kynge of that regyon Thys Charlys thus beynge dede lefte after hym two sonnes that is to saye Lewys that after hym was kynge and a yonger named Charlys wyth y e forenamed doughter named Magdaleyne or after some Margarete And after wyth greate pompe hys corps was conueyed vnto saynt Denys and there buryed Francia Lewys the .xi. LEwys the .xi. of y â— name after the accompte of thys boke and .x. after the Frenche accompte whereof y e cause is before shewed sonne to Charles last dede beganne his dominyon ouer the realme of Fraunce in the moneth of October in the yere of grace M.iiii hundreth and .lviii. and the .xxxvi. yere of Henry the .vi. than kynge of Englande This of Gaguinus is called the sturdy or fel Lewys The whiche at the tyme of his fathers deth beyng as aboue is sayd vnrecouÌ„syled in the prouynce of Burgoyne herynge of the deth of his father wyth ayde of the foresayd duke Phylyp shortly entred y e realm of Fraunce toke vpon hym y e rule in euery good cytie town as he passyd as kyng of y e same so y t many lordes hed offycers drewe vnto hym By meane wherof he was stronge put such vnto sylence as after y e wyll purpose of his father wolde haue preferred his yoÌ„ger son named Charlys Than this Lewys by strengthe of his frendes was shortely after at Raynes crowned kynge of Fraunce After whyche solempnyte fynysshed he repayred vnto Parys and there by consent of hys counceyll made a law y t no man of what degre
sayde IohnÌ„ the sayd Itery prouided y e poyson delyuered it vnto hys sayd seruauÌ„t The whych incontyneÌ„tly sped hym vnto Ambasye where the FreÌ„ch kyng than laye where thys IohnÌ„ de Boldy beynge of famylyer acqueyntaunce wyth one named Popyn to y e entent to brynge hys entent y e better to effecte after assurauÌ„ce of othe to hiÌ„ made to kepe hys counsayll shewyd vnto hym all hys mynde promised to hym .xx. M. florynes yf he wolde helpe to brynge to conclusyon hys purpose The whyche Popyn made vnto hym assured promyse sayde y â— to brynge thys mater aboute it was very expedyent to haue of counsayll the kynges mayster cooke named Colynet whome he knewe well to wyn for the great fauoure that eyther of them owed vnto other And after coÌ„munycacyon had wyth the sayd Colynet the sayd poysone to hym was delyuered wherwyth the sayd Colynet Popyn hys felowe went a conuenyent tyme vnto the kynge shewyd to hym the compasse of all y e mater where after anone the sayde IohnÌ„ de Boldy was taken confessed the cyrcumstauÌ„ce of all the hoole treason for the whyche at Parys he was after drawen hanged and quartered Soone vpoÌ„ thys Frederyke y e iii. of y e name than emperoure of Almayne sente vnto thys Lewys wyllyng requyryng hym that he wolde nat endeuer hym to any peace or accorde with y e duke of Burgoyne For he enteÌ„ded in suche wyse to ayde hys partye y t he trusted in god to brynge the sayde duke to hys due conuenyent obeysauÌ„ce subieccioÌ„ But the kyng regarded nothynge the emperours request but coÌ„cluded a trewys wyth the duke for a yere folowynge by auctoryte of a great counsayll or parlyament At the whyche the duke of AleÌ„son was iuged to lose hys hed hys heredytamentes to be forfayted vnto the kynge Than it foloweth in the story or thys foresayde trewys betwene the kynge Charles the duke were fully expyred y e sayd Charles made warre vpon the sayd Lewys and procured kynge Edwarde of Englande whose syster he had maryed to make also warre vpon hym For expedycyon wherof the sayd kyng Edwarde landed at Calays shortly after wyth a competente noumber of soudyours as after in the .xiiii. yere of the reygne of the sayd Edwarde the .iiii. it shal be to you more clerely shewed wyth coÌ„clusyon of a peace other thynges After y t which peas betwene the sayd ii kynges agreed a vnyte and concorde was also stablysshed betwene thys Lewys the duke of Burgoyn for .ix. yeres About the .xvii. yere of thys Lewys y e steward of NormaÌ„dy named Lewys Brysey y t which had maryed the nece of kyng Lewys beyng warned of y e waÌ„ton rule of his wyfe of her auouÌ„try wyth one named IohnÌ„ Louyr vpoÌ„ a day to proue his sayde wyfe weÌ„t on huÌ„ting at his retournÌ„ feyned hym wery feynt for labour weÌ„t to his bedde And she anone demyng her husbaÌ„d to be at his naturall rest yode streyght vnto y e chaÌ„ber of y e sayd Iohn Louyr wherof y e husbaÌ„d beyng warned wyth hys swerde in haÌ„de sped hym vnto y e sayd chaÌ„ber after y e dore brokeÌ„ vp by violeÌ„ce fyndyng theÌ„ in bedde or other suspeciouse maner with his sayde swerde slewe first y â— sayde IohnÌ„ after natwythstaÌ„dyng her miserable lameÌ„table cryeÌ„g askynge forgyuenes vpoÌ„ her knees he also slewher after fled tyll he had made hys peace wyth the kyng LoÌ„ge it were also tediouse to folowe myne auctour in declaryng of euery particuler dede done by this Lewys wherfore to shorteÌ„ this story trouth it is y t after thys Lewys had by loÌ„g tyme exercised him in warres he lastly fell in a greuouse sykenesse The whych coÌ„tinued so encreased vpoÌ„ hym y t he knewe well he shulde nat loÌ„g endure wherfore he disposed there after caused many dedes of alinesse to be done for hym AmoÌ„ge y â— whych within saiÌ„t IohnÌ„s church the Baptist within Parys he fouÌ„ded certeyn preestes to syng for hym in perpetuyte For susteÌ„tacion of whome he gaue of yerely reÌ„te a M. li. of Parys money And so laÌ„guysshyng by y e space of .iii. yeres more before he died passed hys tyme wyth great tribulacyon In the whyche passe tyme oratours were sent from the Flemynges for to conclude a maryage betwene Charles hys eldest sonne Margarete than doughter of Maxymylian sonne of Frederyke the emperoure which MaximiliaÌ„ before those days had maryed Mary the doughter of Charles duke of Burgoyne After whych coÌ„clusyon ended fynysshed the kyng gaue vnto the sayd orators xxx M. scutes of golde whych amouÌ„teth to .v. M. li. sterlyng money And ouer that gaue to them in plate purposely made to the value of .v C. li. sterlynge And in the .xxv. yere of the reygne of the sayd Lewys the forenamed Margarete a chyld of tender age wyth great sumptuouse poÌ„pe was broughte vnto Parys And froÌ„ thens she was conueyed vnto Ambasye and there in the moneth of Iuly cowpeled by maryage vnto the forenamed Charles sonnÌ„ vnto the kyng After whyche solempnyte fynysshed the sayd Lewys felyng hys sykenesse more and more encreasyng vppon a season called hys sayd sonnÌ„ Charles before hym and exorted hym in thys wyse as after foloweth My mooste deryst chylde I feele knowe well y t I shall nat tary longe in thys countrey for I am more nerer myne ende than thou knowest For I am so contynually greuyd wyth sykenesse that no medecyne may or can releue me And thou art he that muste rule this laÌ„de after me wherfore to the it is specyally behoueful necessary to haue trewe seruauÌ„tes Amonge many y t I haue proued in my dayes ii there ben the whych I specyally coÌ„mende vnto the that is to meane Olyuer Damman and IohnÌ„ Doyacos whose seruyces I haue in suche wyse vsed that by theyr meanes and counsayll I thynke my lyfe hath ben long preserued And therefore specially these .ii. kepe nere about y t nothynge mynysshyng to them of theyr offices or possessyons that I before tymes to them haue gyuen And after these ii take to the for thy counsaylours Guyot Bochage for to guyde y t warres Phylyp Desquyer y t whych in featys of warre as I haue wel pâ—oued hath passyng experieÌ„ce And other which I haue auauÌ„ced to offyces within thys realme lette them so remayne And the commons of the lande the whych by occasyoÌ„ of warres I haue greuously tarid greatly weked enpouerysshed socoure and fauour to thy power To the BurgonyoÌ„s me thought euer good to shew fauoure or elles me thought it shuld haue sounded to my dyshonour So I thynke it shal be good that thou so do After that kyng Lewys had thus exorted and counsayled hys sonnÌ„ he than retourned vnto Turon where for the mytygacyon of thys paynfull sykenesse whyche of myne auctour is called in latyne Morbus Elephantie he commaunded to be brought