force and shortly after deceased The Emperour to make himselfe the stronger against his successors enters into aliance with the King of England takes to wife his daughter Maud being but fiue The Emperor Hen. 5. marries Maud. yeares of age After this Calixte sonne of the Conte de Burgogne comming to be Pope and being French vnto their great applause assembles a Counsell at Reimes were by Ecclesiasticall sentence Henry the fift is declared enemy of the Church and degraded of his Imperiall Dignity The King of England seeing this Counsell was held in France and composed chiefely of the Galicane Church desirous to ouer-maister Louys incenses his sonne in law the Emperour stung with this disgrace to set vpon him as the Popes chiefe piller on one side and he would assaile him on the other The Emperour easily wrought to such a businesse prepares all his best forces the King of England doth the like The King of France seeing this storme comming so impetuously vpon him wrought so with the Princes of Germany as they weighing the future mischiefe of a warre vndertaken in a heate with the importance of a kind Neighbour-hood aduise the Emperour not to enter thereinto till hee had signifyed to the King of France the Historie of France cause of his discontent Whereupon an Embassage is dispatched The King of Fraunce answers That hee grieued much to see the two greatest Pillars of the Church thus shaken with these dissentions whereby might bee feared the whole frame would bee ruined that hee was friend to them both and would gladly bee an inter-dealer for concord rather then to carry wood to a fire too fierce already which hee desired to extinguish for the good and quiet of Christendome This Embaslage wrought so as it disarmed the Emperour glad to haue Louys a mediator of the accord betweene the The King of France accords the Pope and Emperour Pope and him to the great displeasure of the King of England who expected greater matters to haue risen by this businesse The accord is concluded at Wormes to the Popes aduantage to whom the Emperor yeelds vp the right of inuestitures of Bishops and other Benefices But this was onely to appease not cure the malady The King of England disappointed thus of the Emperours assistance proceeds notwithstanding in his intentions against Louys And seeing he failed of outward forces he sets vp a party in his Kingdome to confront him aiding Theobald Conte de Champaigne King Henry aides Conte Theobald against the king of France with so great power as he stood to do him much displeasure besides he obtained a strong side in that Kingdome by his aliances for Stephen Earle of Blois had married his sister Adela to whom this Theobald was Brother and had wonne Foulke Earle of Aniou an important neighbour and euer an enemy to Normandy to be his by matching his sonne William to his daughter Louys on the other side failes not to practise all meanes to vnder-worke Henries estate The King of France combines with the Earle of Flanders against King Henry in Normandy and combines with William Earle of Flanders for the restoring of William the sonne of Robert Curtoys to whom the same appertained by right of inheritance and had the fairer shew of his actions by taking hold on the side of Iustice. Great and many were the conflicts betweene these two Princes with the expence of much bloud and charge But in the end being both tyred a peace was concluded 1116. Anno. Reg. 17. by the mediation of the Earle of Aniou And William sonne to King Henry did homage to Louys for the Duchy of Normandy And William the sonne of Robert Curtoys is left to himselfe and desists from his claime Vpon the faire cloze of all these troubles there followed presently an accident which seasoned it with that sowernesse of griefe as ouercame all the ioy of the successe William the young Prince the onely hope of all the Norman race at seuenteene yeares of Queene Maud liued not to see this disaster age returning into England in a ship by himselfe accompanied with Richard his base brother Mary Countesse of Perch their sister Richard Earle of Chester with his wife the Kings Neece and many other personages of honour and their attendants to the number of 140. besides 50. Marriners setting out from Barbfleete were all cast away at Sea onely a Butcher escaped The Prince had recouered a Cock-boat and in possibility to haue bene saued had not the compassion of his sisters cryes drawne him backe to the sinking ship to take her in and perish with his company Which sudden clap of Gods iudgement comming in a calme of glory when all these bustlings seemed past ouer might make a conscience shrinke with terror to see oppression and supplantation repayd with the extinction of that for which so much had bin wrought and the line Masculine of Normandy expired in the third inheritor as if to beginne the fate layde on all the future succession hither vnto wherein the third heire in a right discent seldome or neuer inioyed the Crowne of England but that either by vsurpation or extinction of the male bloud it receiued an alteration which may teach Princes to obserue the wayes of righteousnesse and let men alone with their rights and God with his prouidence After this heauy disaster this King is sayd neuer to haue bene seene to laugh though within fiue moneths after in hope to restore his issue he married Adalicia a beautifull yong Lady daughter to the Duke of Lovaine and of the house of Loraine but neuer had child by her nor long rest from his troubles abroad For this rent at home crackt all the chaine of his courses in France Normandy it selfe became wauering and many Robert de Mellents conspiracie adhered to William the Nephew his great confederates are most regayned to the King of France Foulke Earle of Aniou quarrels for his daughters dower Robert de Mellent his chiefe friend and Councellor a man of great imployment fell from him conspired 1123. Anno. Reg. 25. with Hugh Earle of Monfort and wrought him great trouble But such was his diligence and working spirit that he soone made whole all those ruptures againe The two Earles himselfe surprizes and Aniou death which beeing so important a neighbour as we may see by matching a Prince of England there the Maud the Empresse maried to Geffery Plantagenet King fastens vpon it with another aliance and discends to marry his daughter and now onely child which had beene wife to an Emperour and desired by the Princes of Lumbardy and Loraine to the now Earle Geffery Plantagenet the sonne of Foulke The King of Fraunce to fortifie his opposition entertaines William the Nephew 1126. Anno. Reg. 27. where now all the danger lay and aides him in person with great power to obtaine the Earledome of Flanders whereunto he had a faire Title by the defaillance of issue in
notwithstanding himselfe graunted the same in his agreement with Stephen alledging They were of the Demaynes of the Crowne and could not be alieâ—ed Onely he suffered him to inioy such lands as his father King Stephen held in England in the time of Henry the first Then goes he Northward and recouers the Citty of Carlile seizes all Cumberland into his hands and after takes the Towne of New-castle with the Castle of Bamberge and so resumed all Northumberland which his Mother the Empresse had before granted to Dauid King of Scets her Vnkle Grand-father to Malcolin who now reigned as being not in his Mothers power nor his to giue away any part of the Kingdome Notwithstanding he was content Malcolin should inioy the Earledome of Huntingdon which King Stephen had giuen to Henry Prince of Scotland father to Malcolin as being a peece in the heart of England whereof he could make no vse but at the Kings pleasure and besides was a meanes to hold him his Homager and to performe those seruices belonging to that Earledome And the same course tooke he with the Alienations and vsurpations formerly made of the Demaines of the Duchy of Normandy and forced Theobald Earle of Blois to resigne into his hands two Castles and Petroch Earle of Perch other two These reuocations whereby so many were indamaged in their estates and Grants both of his Predecessors and his owne vtterly nullified might seeme to be an act of great iniustice and in a new Gouernment of little safety But in regard the Common-wealth had thereby a benefit and but few though great interessed it passed as a worke vniuersally necessary seeing his Maintenance otherwise must be made vp out of publicke taxations which would turne to a generall grieuance But the resuming of the Earledome of Aniou The King resumes the Earledome of Aniou out of his brother Geffryes hands contrary to his Oath cannot but be held a strayne beyond conscience and good nature For his father Geffrey Plantagenet desirous to leaue some estate to his second sonne Geffrey ordained by his Testament That when Henry had recouered the Kingdome of England the other should haue the County of Aniou and in the meane time put Geffrey in possession of the Castles and Townes of Chinon Lodun and Mirabel whereby he might both haue maintenance for his estate and a readier meanes to come to the rest when occasion serued And least his sonne Henry should not performe this Will he got certaine Bishops and other Nobles to sweare that they would not suffer his body to be interred till Henry who was then absent had sworne to fulfill his Testament Henry rather then to suffer his Fathers body to lye vnburied With great vnwillingnesse takes this oath But afterward being inuested in the Crowne of England and Geffrey seazing vpon the Earledome of Aniou he passes ouer into France and not onely takes from him the Earledome but also those three Townes he had in possession alledging It was no reason a forced Oath vpon such an occasion should bind him to forgoe the inheritance of his Birth-right being all the Patrimony that was to discend vnto him from his Father and though he had recouered the Kingdome of England that was not his Fathers worke but by an other right And although he held his brother deere vnto him yet hauing Children of his owne he was to prouide that what was his should discend to them But yet was content to allowe his brother an honorable pension of a thousand pounds English and two thousand pounds of Aniouin money yearely for the maintenance of his estate and obtained of Pope Adrian the seuenth an English man borne a dispensation for his Oath made in this case 1156. Anno. Reg. 2. And now the first occasion that put him here into action of warre was the rebellion of the Welsh who according to their vsuall manner euer attempted some thing in the beginning of the Raigne of new Princes as if to try their spirits and their owne fortunes Against whom hee goes so prepared as if hee ment to goe through with his worke Wherein at first he had much to doe passing a streight among the Mountaines His first expedition into Wales where he lost with many of his men Eustace Fitz Iohn and Robert Curcy eminent persons and himselfe noysed to be slaine so much discouraged that part of the Army which had not passed the Streights as Henry an Earle of Essex threw downe the Kings Standard which he bare by inheritance and fled but soone the King made it knowne hee was aliue discomfited his enemies and brought them to seeke their peace with submission The Earle of Essex was after accused by Robert de Monfort The punishment of Corwardize for this misdeed had the Combat was ouercome pardoned yet of life but condemned to be shorne a Monke put into the Abbay of Reading and had his Lands seised into the Kings hands It was now the fourth yeare of the raigne of this King when all his affaires were in 1158. Anno. Reg. 4. prosperous course his State increasing his Queene fruitefull and had borne him three sonnes in England Henry Richard and Geffrey his eldst sonne William to whom hee had caused the Kingdom to take an Oath of fealty died shortly after his comming to the Crowne so that now the same Oath is tendred to Henry and all is secure and well on this side The King of France who would gladly haue impeached the mighty current of this Kings fortune was held in and fettered with his owne necessities his iourney to the Holy Land had all exhausted his Treasure and since his comming home the Pope had exacted great summes of him for dispensing with his second marriage which was with Constantia daughter to Alphonso King of Galicia a feeble alliance and farre off so that all concurred to increase the greatnesse of this King of England who The resignation of Nants to the King of England hauing now almost surrounded France by possessing first all Normandie with a great footing in Brittaine by the resignation of Nants with the Country there about which Conan the Duke was forced lately to make vnto him then the Earledome of Maine Poictou Touraine Aniou with the Dutchy of Guien he also laies claime to the rich Earledome of Tholouse vpon this Title William Duke of Aquitaine granfather to Queene Elioner married the daughter and King Henries claime to the Earldome of Tholouse heire of the Earle of Tholouse and going to the holy warres ingaged that Earldome to Raymond Earle of Saint Gayles and neuer returned to redeeme it William his sonne father to Queene Elionor either through want of meanes or neglect delayed likewise the redemption thereof so that the Earle of Saint Gyles continuning in possession whilst hee liued left it to his sonne Raymond of whom King Louys of France hauing married Elionor the daughter and heire of the last William demanded the restitution with tender of the summe for which
Country but being not able to resist the Kings forces in the field they with all the great men in those parts and that side of France recouered the Castle of Dole where they fortified and kept themselues till King Henry the Father came in person besieged and tooke it and with them about foure score Lords men of name and action Whereupon all the rest of the Countrey yeelded themselues This ouerthrow being of such import so terrified the aduersaries as they negotiate a Peace and a Parle is appointed betweene Gisors and Try wherein the King of England though hee had the better of the day condiscended to make offer to his sonne of halfe the reuenues of the Crowne of England with foure conuenient Castles therein or if hee had rather remaine in Normandy halfe the reuenues thereof and all the reuenues of the Earledome of Aniou c. To his sonne Richard hee offers halfe the reuenues of Aquitaine and foure Castles in the same To Geffrey the Land that should come vnto him by the daughter of the Earle Conon Besides hee submitted himselfe to the arbitration of the Archbishop of Tarento and the Popes Legates to adde any allowance more as in their iudgements should be held fit reseruing vnto himselfe his Iustice and royall powre which yeelding grants shewed how much he desired this peace But it was not in the purpose of the King of France that the same should take effect for such peruersnesse and indignitie was offred to King Henry in this Treaty as Robert Earle of Lecester is sayd to haue reproched him to his face and offered to draw his sword vpon him so that they breake off in turbulent manner and their troupes fell presently to bickering betweene Curteles and Gisors but the French had the worse The Earle of Leicester with an Army makes ouer into England is receiued by Hugh Bygot into the Castle of Fremingham Richard de Lucy chiefe Iustice of England and Humfrey Bohun the Kings Constable being vpon the borders of Scotland hearing thereof make truce with the King of Scots And haste to Saint Edmondsburie where the Earles of Cornwall Glocester and Arundell ioyne with them they encounter the Earle of Leicester at a place called Farnham ouerthrew his Army slue tenne thousand Flemings tooke him his Wife and diuâ—â—s great prisoners which were sent vnto the king in Normandie who with his Army was not thereidle but dayly got Castles and Forts from his Enemies vntill Winter constrained both kings to take truce till Easter following and the like did the Bishop of Duresme with the king of Scots for which hee gaue him three thousand Markes of siluer to bee payed out of the Lands of the Barons of Northumberland The Spring come on and the truce expired king Henrie the Sonne and Phillippe Earle of Flaunders are readie at Graueling with a great Armie for England 1174. Anno. Reg. 20. The King of Scots is entred Norththumberland and sends his brother Dauid with a powre to succour the remnant of the forces of the Earle of Leicester which held the Towne of Leicester but without successe for Richard Lucy and the Earle of Cornwall had before rased the Citie and taken Robert Moubray comming likewise to ayde those of the Castle King Henry the Father vpon his Sonnes preparation for England drawes his forces Henry the fathers arriuall in England from his other imployments and brings them downe to Barbfleet ariues at Southampton with his prisoners Queene Elioner Margueret the wife of his sonne Henry the Earles of Leicester and Chester and from thence goes to Canterbury to visit the Sepulcher of his owne Martyre and performe his vowes for his victories And they write how comming within sight of the Church Hee alights and went three miles on his bare feere which King Henry visits Beckets Sepulcher with the hard stones were forced to yeeld bloudie tokens of his deuotion on the way And as if to recompence the merit of this worke they note How the verie daie when hee departed from Canterburie the King of Scots to bee ouerthrowne and taken at Alnwick by the forces of the Knights of Yorkeshire which are named to bee Robert de Stuteuile Odonel de Humfreuile William de Vescy Ralph de Glanuile Ralph de Tilly and Bernard Baliol. Lewis King of France hearing of King Henries passage into England and the taking of the King of Scots calls backe Henrie the sonne and the Earle of Flaunders from Grauelin where they stayed expecting the winde and besieged Roan on all sides sauing that of the Riuer The whilst King Henrie is quieting and settling the State of England where hee had first the Castle of Huntingdon rendred vnto his mercie sauing the liues and members of the defendants then the Castles of Fremingham and Bungaie which the Earle Bygot helde by force of Flemings for whom the Earles submission could hardly obtaine pardon but in the ende they were sent The King of Scots his prisoner home From thence hee goes to Northampton where hee receiues the King of Scots his prisoner and the Castles of Duresme Norham and Aluerton rendred into his hands by the Bishoppe of Duresme who for all his seruice done in the North stood not cleere in the Kings opinion There came likewise thither Roger de Mowbray yeelding vp himselfe with his Castle of Treske the Earle Ferrers his Castles of Tutsburie and Duffield Anketill Mallory and William Diue Constables of the Earle of Leicester the Castles of Leicester Montsorill and Groby so that within three weekes all England was quieted and all without drawing of sword which in those manly daies seemed only reserued for the field This done and supplied with one thousand Welshmen King Henry with his prisoners the King of Scots the Earles of Leicester and Chester passes ouer into Normandie to the releefe of Roan where those thousand Welshmen sent ouer the riuer Siene entred and made way through the Campe of the King of France slue a hundred of his men and recouered a wood without any losse of theirs After which exploit the King of England causing the gates of the Citie to be set open the Barracadoes taken away the trenches they had made betweene the French Campe and the Cittie to bee filled King Henry fauours the French army vp againe with rubbish and timber marched foorth with troupes to prouoke the enemy but without any answere at all In the end the King of France sends away the weakest of his people before and followed after with the rest vpon sufferance of the King of England by the mediation of the Archbishop of Sens and the Earle of Bloys who vndertooke that hee should the next day come to a parle of peace which hee performed not But shortly after seeing this action had so little aduantaged either him or those for whom hee pretented to haue vndertaken it hee imployes the former Agents The King and his sonner reconciled as the Charter of Peace shewes Reg. Houed againe
committing rapin and sacrelidge to supply their necessities feed their followers And in the end the young King hauing much strugled in vaine through griefe and vexation of spirit which caused the distemprature of body fell into a burning His death feuer with a fluxe whereof within few dayes he died A Prince of excellent parts who was first cast away by his Fathers indulgence and after by his rigor not suffering him to be what himselfe had made him neither got he so much by his Coronation as to haue a name in the Catalogue of the Kings of England The sorrow of the Father although it be sayd to be great hindred not his reuenge vpon the Barons of Aquitaine whom he now most eagerly persecuted seazed on their Castles and rased to the ground that of Limoges Geffrey vpon his submission is receiued into grace and the yeare after died at Paris Earle Geffreys submission and death hauing in a conflict bene troden vnder horses feete and miserably crushed so that halfe the male issue wherein this King was vnfortunate he saw extinct before him and that by deaths as violent as were their disposition The other two who suruiued him were no lesse miserable in their ends Now the young King of France Phillip the second in whose fate it was to do more then euer his father could effect vpon the death of Henry the sonne requires the deliuery of the Countrey of Vexin which was giuen in dowre with his Sister Margaret but the King of England not apt to let go any thing of what he had in possession was 1184. Anno. Reg. 30. content to pay yearely to the Queene dowager 17050. pounds Aniouin And the more to hold faire with this young King whose spirit he saw grew great and actiue and with whom he was like to haue much to do did homage vnto him for all he held in Fraunce which he neuer did to the Father being the first discent of Maiestie he euer Henry the second doth homage to Phillip King of France made to any secular power And beside tooke his part against Phillip Earle of Flanders who opposed against him and was in those dayes a Prince of mighty power and had euer stood fast vnto King Lewes the father But now Phillip the sonne otherwise led or affectioned quarrels with him and demaunds the Countrey of Vermendois as appertaining to the Crowne of Fraunce and withall vpon allegation of consanguinity repudiates his wife Neece to this Earle of Flanders giuen vnto him by his Fathers choyce a little before his death The Earle followed by Odo Earle of Borgogne the Earles of Champague Hainalt Namur Saint Pol and others warres vpon the King of The Earle of Flanders compels the King of France to compound France and commits great spoyles within his territories so that hee was faine in the end to compound with him to his disaduantage After this the Kings of England and France meete betweene Gisors and Tri where the King of England sweares to deliuer Alise vnto Richard his sonne And the King of France her brother graunts her in dower the Countrey of Velxin which Margueret his other Sister had before But these tyes held them not long together for the yong King of France so wrought with Richard as hee drew him from his Fathers obedience and they liued together in 1185. Anno. Reg. 31. that amitie as on bed and boord is sayd to haue serued them both which so iniealosed the olde King as he called home his sonne and before his Bishops and Nobility caused him to sweare vpon the Euangelists to obserue fealty vnto him against all persons whatsoeuer which hauing done and ready to passe ouer into England hee is informed of the great preparation made by the King of France who gaue out that hee would spoyle and ransacke both Normandie and the rest of the Kings of Englands territories in France vnlesse he would presently deliuer vp his Sister Alice vnto Richard or render Gisors and the Countrey of Velxin into his hands Whereupon the King returnes backe and comes againe to a parle betweene Gisors and Try Where the Archbishop of Tyre sent from the East to call vp ayde for the Holy warre did with that powre of perswation so vrge his message as it let out all the humour of priuate rancor and contention The Kings of England and France accorded and prepare for the holy war betweene these two great Kings altred their whole Councells their pretentions their designes turned them wholly to vndertake in person this laborious action and resolue to leaue their Kingdomes their pleasures and all the things of glorie they had at home to prosecute the same through all the distempratures of climes and difficulties of passages whereunto that voyage was obnoxious so that now no other thing was thought or talked on but onely preparations and furnishments for this businesse And to distinguish their people and followers who all stroue which should bee most forward it was ordred that they who followed the King of England should weare a white Crosse France a red and Flaunders a greene And for a further ingagement in the businesse the King of England writes to the Patriarch of Antioch a most comfortable and pious letter in the end whereof he hath these words Amongst other Princes I and my Sonne reiecting the glory of this world and dispising all the pleasures thereof in proper person with all our strength will God willing visit you shortly Then to rayse money to defray this great enterprise it was ordained by the two Kings their Archbishops Bishops Earles and others in France that all whosoeuer as well Clerke as Lay sauing such as went the voyage should pay the tenth of all their reuenues of that yeare and the tenth of all their Moueables and Chattles as well in gold as filuer And many excellent orders were made for restraynt of licentiousnesse both in apparell and manners as was fitting for the vndertakers of so ciuile and deuout an action The King of England hauing layde this imposition vpon all his Dominions in France comes ouer calls a Councell of his Bishops Abbors Earles Barons both 1186. Anno. Reg. 33. of the Clergie and Layty at Gayntington and by their consents imposes the same taxation vpon his Subiects of England Sub Eleemosinae titulo vitium rapacitatis includens sayth Walsingham and presently sends foorth his Officers into euery Shire to collect the same according as it was done in France But of euery Citie in England he caused a choice to be made of the richest men as in London of two hundred in Yorke a hundred and so according to the proportion of the rest and caused all these at a certaine time and place to appeare before him of whom he tooke the tenth of all their Moueables by the estimation of credible men which knew their Estates such as refused hee imprisoned till they had payde it of which example and exaction we must
onely hold Pietie guilty otherwise those times had not yeelded it The King sends likewise Hugh Bishop of Duresme with other Commissioners to William King of Scots to collect the tenthes in his Countrey which he would not permit Prouision by king Henry in England but offered to giue the King of England fiue thousand Markes of siluer for those tenthes and the Castle which he claimed but the King of England refused the same Whilst these preparations were in hand and the mony collecting a quarrell arises betweene Richard Earle of Poictou and Raymond Earle of Tholouse vpon this occasion 1187. Anno. Reg. 33. The Earle of Tholouse by the perswasion of one Peter Suillar had taken certaine Merchants of Aquitaine and vsed them hardly The Earle of Poictou surprises this Peter imprisons him and would not suffer the Earle of Tholouse to redeeme him vpon any condition Whereupon the Earle imprisons two Gentlemen seruants of the King of Englands Robert and Raph Poer trauelling through his Countrey as Pilgrimes from S. Iames de Compostella which Earle Richard tooke so ill as he enters into the Earles countrey with an Army prepared for a better act wastes it with fire and sword besieges A meane quarell dashes and diuerts the great preparation for the holy warre and layes it vpon the selfe kingdomes and takes his Castles about Tholouse The King of France vpon the lamentable complaint of the Tholousians sends to the King of England to vnderstand whether his son Richard did these things by his will and Councell The King of England answers That he neither willed nor counselled him thereunto and that his sonne sent him word by the Archbishop of Dublin that he did nothing but by the consent of the King of France Who not satisfied with this answer enters presently into Bery with his Army seases vpon the Countrey takes in diuers Castles of the King of Englands who makes himselfe ready to recouer the same And thus that great intended enterprise vndertaken with such feruor became dasht and ouerthrowne at the very time they appointed to haue set forward All the meanes the Pope could vse by his Legates nor all the perswasions of other Princes might preuaile to reconsile these two inraged Kings though diuerse enteruiewes 1188. Anno. Reg. 34. were procured diuerse ouertures propounded yet none tooke effect they euer depart more incensed then they met in so much as at length the King of France in a rage cut downe the great Elme betweene Gisors and Try vnder which the Kings of France and Dukes of Normandy were euer vsed to parle and swore There should be The King of France cuts downe the most eminent Elme of Princely parley no more meetings in that place But yet after this they were brought to another parle elsewhere and therein the Popes Legate threatned to interdict the King of France vnlesse he made peace with the King of England The King of France told him that he feared not his sentence being grounded vpon no equity and that it appertained not to the Church of Rome by sentence or otherwise to chastice the Kingdome or King of France vndertaking to reuenge the demerits of the rebellious that dishonored his Crowne and flatly told the Cardinall That he smelled of the Sterlings of England This enteruiew wrought a worse effect then all the rest for here the King of England absolutely refuses to render Alice to his sonne Richard but offered to the King Earle Richard with the King of France com bine against his father king Henry 2. of France to giue her to his sonne Iohn with larger conditions then should be granted with the other which so much alienated the heart of his sonne Richard as he becomes wholly Liegeman to the King of France did homage vnto him for Aquitaine and they both ioyne their forces against the father And here now comes this mighty King of England the greatest of all the Christian world in his time or that the Kingdome euer saw to fall quite asunder forsaken both of his subiects and himselfe letting downe his heart to yeeld to any conditions whatsoeuer he who neuer saw feare but in the backe of his enemies leaues now the defence of Mans and flies away with seuen hundreth men hauing promised the Citty neuer to giue it ouer in regard his Father was there buried and himselfe borne and afterward comes to his last parle with the King of France betweene Turwin and Arras where at their first meeting no man suspecting the wrath a thunder-bolt with so terrible a cracke lighted iust betweene them as it parted their conference in a confused manner for that time Within a while after they came together againe when suddenly began as fearefull 1189. Anno. Reg. 35. a thunder as the former which so amased the King of England as he had falne off from his horse had he not beene supported by those about him And in this sort beganne the Proem of that Treaty wherein the King of England yeelds to all whatsoeuer conditions the King of France required did him homage againe for all his dominions on that side both kings hauing at the beginning of this warre renounced their mutuall obligation in that kind renders vp Alice for whom he had beene so much loden with scandall and turmoyle vpon condition she should be giuen in marriage to his sonne Richard at his returne from the holy warre and in the meane time to remaine in the custody of any one of fiue whom Richard would nominate grants that fealty be giuen vnto him of all his Dominions and pardons all his partakers Besides couenants to pay the King of France 20000 Markes of siluer for dammage done during these last warres And that if he should not performe these Articles his Barons should sweare to renounce him and betake them to the part of the King of France and Earle Richard And for more caution hee yeeldes to deliuer vp the Cities of Mans and Tureyn with diuerse Castles into their Hands c. And here was an end of this businesse and within three daies after of this kings life whose heart not made of that temper to bow burst with the weight of a declining fortune Some few howers before he died he saw a list of their names who conspired with the King of France and Earle Richard against him and finding therein his sonne Iohn His death to be the first fals into a grieuous passion both cursing his sonnes and the day wherein himselfe was borne and in that distemprature departs this world which so often himselfe had distempered hauing reigned 39. yeares 7. moneths and 5. dayes His sonne Richard approching the Corps as it was carrying to be interred adorned according to the manner of Kings with all royall ornaments open faced the bloud 1189. Anno. Reg. 35. gushed out of the nostrils of the dead a signe vsually noted of guiltinesse as if Nature yet after death retained some intelligence in the veines to giue
Norwich Bath Salisbury Ely Chester and others which came vnto him to Rouen where hee commits the especiall charge of this Kingdome to William Longshamp Bishoppe of Ely vnder the Title of Chiefe Iustice of England and giues him one of his Seales and the Custodie of the Towre of London and confers vpon Hugh Bishop of Duresme the Iustice-ship of the North from Humber to Scotland with the keeping of Windsor Castle which after gaue occasion of dissention to these two ambitious Prelates impatient of each others greatnesse Hugh Bardolph William Marshall Geffrey Fitz Peter and William Brewer are ioyned in commission with the Bishop of Ely And least his brother Iohn whose spirit hee well vnderstood might in England worke vpon the aduantage of his absence hee first caused him to take an Oath not to come within this Kingdome for the space of three yeares next following Which after vpon better consideration hee released leauing him to his libertie and naturall respect But hereby hauing giuen him first a wound by his distrust his after regard could neuer heale it vp againe nor all the Honours and State bestowed on him keepe him within the limmits of obedience For this suspition of his Faith shewed him rather the waie to breake then retaine it whensoeuer occasion were offered and the greater meanes hee had bestowed on him to make him content did but arme him with greater powre for his designes For this Earle Iohn had conferred vpon him in England the The great Estate left to Earle Iohn Earledomes of Corwnewall Dorcet Sommerset Nottingham Darby Lancaster and by the marriage with Isabell Daughter to the Earle of Glocester had likewise that Earledome moreouer the Castles of Marlborow and Lutgarsall the Honours of Wallingford Tichill and Eye to the valew of foure thousand Markes per annum besides the great commaunds hee held thereby which mighty Estate was not a meanes to satisfie but increase his desires and make him more daungerous at home Then the more to strengthen the reputation of his Viceroy the Bishop of Ely the King gets the Pope to make him his Legate of all England and Scotland and to the end his Gouernment might not bee disturbed through the emulation of another hee confines the elect Archbishoppe of Yorke his base brother whose turbulency hee doubted to remaine in Normandie till his returne and takes his Oath to performe the same Hauing thus ordered his affaires hee sends backe into England this Great Bishop furnished with as great and absolute a powre as hee could giue him to prouide necessaries for his intended iourney Wherein to please the King hee offended the people and committed great exactions Clerum populum opprimebat Exactions by the Viceroy confundens fasque nefasque saith Houeden Hee tooke of euery Cittie in England two Palfryes and two other Horses of seruice and of euerie Abbay one of each likewise of euery Mannor of the Kings one of each for this seruice And to shewe what hee would prooue hee tooke the Castle of Windsor from the Bishoppe of Duresme and confined him within his Towne of Howedon questions his Authoritie and workes him much vexation and for all his meanes made to the King ouertopt him The King takes order for a Nauie to conuay people and prouision to the Holy land and commits the charge thereof to the Archbishop of Auxere and the Bishop of Bayon Robert de Sabul Richard Canuile which done both Kings the latter end of Iune with their powres together take their iourney to Lyons where their numbers growing so great as bred many incomberments and distemprings betweene the nations they part companies the King of France takes the way of Genoua by Land the The Kings quarrell in the lsle of Sicile King of England of Merseilles where after he had stayed eight daies expecting in vaine the comming about of his Nauie withheld by tempest hee was forced to hire twentie Gallies and ten other great vessels to transport him into the Isle of Sicilia The King of France takes shipping at Genoua and by tempest was driuen to land in the same Isle and arriued there before the King of England where those mighty companies of both these powrefull Kings fell fowle on each other and themselues taking part with their people enter in quarrell and rancor so that being of equall powre and stomacke and alike emulous of honour and reuenge they began to shew what successe their enterprise was likelie to yeeld The King of France repayring his wracked Nauie and the King of Englands long staying for his forced them both to Winter in Sicilia to the great pesture and disturbance of that people themselues and theirs William late king of Sicile who had married Ioane sister to the King of England was dead which made the intertaynment of the English there the worse and Taneredi base sonne of Roger grandfather to that William was inuested in the kingdome contrary to the will of the late King dying without yssue and the fidelitie of the people sworne to Constantia the lawfull daughter of the sayd Roger married to Henry King of Almaine sonne to the Emperour Frederic Barbarossa by which occasion Tancredi was forced to vse all meanes to hold what hee had gotten by strong hand and had much to doe against the Emperour and his sonne Henry The King of England after great contention with him to make the conditions of his sisters dowre the better enters into league with Tancredi against all men to preserue his Estate and gets in conclusion 20000 Ounces of Gold for his Sisters dowre and 20000 more vpon a match to bee made betweene Arthur Earle of Brittaine sonne to Geffrey his next brother who was to succeed him in the Crowne of England if himselfe died without yssue and the daughter of Tancredi At the opening of the Spring both kings hauing beene reconciled and new Articles The Kings reconciled of Peace and concord signed and sworne the King of France sets first forward to the Holy Land but the king of England stayes in Sicile vntill Whitsontide after And during his abode which might therefore bee the longer his Mother Queene Elionor who in her youth had well knowne the trauaile of the East came vnto him Berenguela fianced to King Richard bringing with her Berenguela daughter to the king of Nauarre who has there fianced vnto him Which done Queene Elionor departs home by the way of Rome and the young Lady with the Queene Dowager of Sicile take their iourney with the king who sets forth with an hundred and thirty ships and fifty Gallies and was by tempest driuen to the Isle of Cyprus where being denied landing he assailes the Isle on all sides subdues it palces his Granisons therein and commits the custody of the same to Richard de Canuile and Robert de Turnham taking halfe the goods of the Inhabitants from them in Lieu whereof hee confirmed the vse of their owne Lawes And here our Histories say hee
married the Lady Berenguela and caused her to bee Crowned Queene These mischiefes suffred these two famous Isles of Christendome in the passage of these mighty Princes against Pagans who peraduenture would haue as well vsed them for their goods and treasure as these did but Armies and powre know no inferior friends it was their Fate so to lie in the way of great attempters who though in the cause of Piety would not sticke to doe any iniustice From hence passes this famous king to the Holy Land with the spoyles and treasure of three noble rich Islands England Sicile and Cyprus besides what Normandy and Guien could furnish him with all and there consumes that huge collected masse euen as violently as it was gotten though to the exceeding great renowne of him the nation Heere for the better vnderstanding this businesse it is not amisse to deliuer in what sort stood the Estate of those affaires in Asia which so much troubled these mighty Princes and drew them from the vtmost bounds of Europe thus to aduenture themselues and consume their Estates It was now foure score and eight yeares since Godsrey of Bologne Prince of Lorraine with his company recouered the Citie of Ierusalem with the Countrey of Palestina and a great part of Siria out of the hands of the Sarazins obtayned the Kingdome thereof and was Crowned with a Crowne of Thornes in example of our Sauiour raigned The State of Palestina one yeare died and left to succeed him his brother Baldwin who gouerned eighteene yeares and left the Crowne to another of that name Balwin de Burgo who raigned thirteene yeares and left a daughter and his Kingdome in dissention Fulke Earle of Aniou marries this daughter and enioyes the Kingdome eleuen yeares and left two young sonnes Baldwin and Almerique Balwin raignes foure and twenty yeares and after him his brother Almerique twelue and leaues Baldwin his sonne to succeed him who being sickly and dispayring of yssue made Baldwin his Nephew sonne to the Marquesse of Monferrato and Sibilla his Sister his successor and commits the charge of him with the administration of the Kingdome to Raymond Earle of Tripoly whom Guy de Lusignan who had married Sibilla the Widdow of Monferrato put from that charge and vsurped the Gouerment and at length the Kingdome not without suspition of poysoning the young King Raymond making warre vpon him Lusignan drawes in Sultan Saladin of Egipt to his ayde who glad of that occasion to augment his owne State destroyed them both with their Kingdome and wonne the Citie of Ptolomeide Asoto Berytho Ascalon and after one months siege the Citie of Ierusalem foure score and eight yeares after it had beene conquered by Godfrey Now to recouer this confounded State come these two Great Kings from a farre and a different clyme with an Army composed of seuerall Nations and seuerall humours English French Italians and Germaines against a mightie Prince of an vnited powre within his owne ayre neera at home bred and made by the sword inured to victories acquainted with the fights and forces of the Christians and possessed almost of all the best peeces of that Countrey And heere they sit downe before the City of Acon defended by the powre of Saladin The Kings of England and France besiege Acon which had beene before besieged by the Christians the space of three yeares and had cost the liues of many worthy Princes and great personages whose names are deliuered by our Writers amongst whom I will remember these few of especiall note Conradus Duke of Suenia sonne of Frederic the Emperour which Frederic was also drowned comming thither with the Earles of Perch Puntif and olde Theobald Earle of Bloys that famous Stickler betweene the Kings of England and France Stephen Earle of Sancerre the Earle of Vandosme Bertoldus a Duke of Germany Reoger and Ioselin Earles of Apulia c. And lastly Phillip Earle of Flaunders and of our Nation Baldwin Archbishoppe of Canterbury Robert Earle of Leicester Ralph de Glanuile Chiefe Iustice of England Richard de Clare Walter de Kime c. And notwithstanding all the forces of these two kings they held out foure monthes after and then rendred themselues vpon composition At their entring into the Citie the Ensignes of Leopold Duke of Austrich beeing planted on the walles were with great scorne taken downe by the commandement of King Richard and those of the two Kings erected which bred great rancour and was afterward the occasion of much mischiefe to the king of England Besides during this siege diuers stings were ministred or taken of displeasure and malice betweene the two kings apt to bee set on fire by the least touches of conceipt The king of France full of disdaine for the reiection of his Sister and the marriage of the king of England with Berenguela besides competition of honour which their equality was subiect vnto made any iot of the least disproportion thereof a wounde without cure And daylie occasions in so great hearts fell out to worke the same The Article of equall deuiding their gaines in this voyage concluded between them is questioned The king of France claimes halfe the Isle of Cyprus the king of England halfe the Treasure and goods of the Earle of Flaunders whereon the King of France had seised and therein neither is satisfied Then are there two pretenders to the Crowne of Ierusalem Guy of Lusignan and Conrade Marquis of Monferrato Guy pleads the possession thereof which he had by his wife Sibilla the King of England takes part with Guy the King of France with Conrade And with these differences are they kept in imbroylements and continually distempered in so much as by their owne heats and the contagion The Kings of England and France dangerously sicke of the Country they fell into a most daungerous sicknesse that cost them both their haire being more then they got by the voyage But being recouered the King of France had no longer will to stay there where hee saw no more likelihood of honour or profit and at home hee knew was better good to be done with lesse danger and the rather by the death of the Earle of Flaunders whose state lay so neere as it tooke vp part of his whereof he had a purpose to abridge his successor and therefore craues leaue of the King of England for without leaue of each other it was couenanted neither of them should depart to returne home which King Richard was hardly wonne to grant in respect he knew the daunger it might worke him in his absence to let such an offended Lyon loose But in the end through the earnest sollicitation of the King of France and his assurance The King of France departs from the Holy warre confirmed by Oath not to doe anything offensiue to his Dominions in France during his absence he yeelds thereunto And so departs this great Prince leauing the Earle of Borgogne Lieutenant of his forces And King Richard betakes him
to the siege of Ascalon writes inuectiue letters against the King of France for leauing him who likewise defames King Richard amongst his neighbours at home And it may be doubted whether the periurie of these two Kings did not adde more to their sinne then the action they vndertooke for the remission thereof could take away for that a good worke impiously managed meretts no more then an ill Ten moneths the King of England stayes behind in these parts consuming both his men and treasure without any great successe though with much noble valor and exceeding courage finding euer great peruersuesse in the Earle of Borgogne who according to his maisters instructions shewed no great desire to aduance the action where another must carry the honour but willing alwaies to returne home pretending his want drew backe when any businesse of importance was to bee done and at length falls sicke and dies at Acon Conrade who was so much fauoured by the King of France in his title for that Kingdome Conrade murthered was murthered by two Assassini whereof the King of England was but very wrongfullie taxed and the Earle of Champagne martying his Widdow Sister to Queene Sibilla was by King Richard preferred to the Crowne of Ierusalem and Guy of Lusignan the other pretender made King of Ciprus and so both contented During this businesse abroade in the East the state of England suffred much at home vnder the gouernment of Lonshamp who vsurping the whole authority to himselfe without communicating Longshamps traine and pompe any thing either with the Nobility or the rest of the Commissioners ioyned with him did what hee listed and with that insolencie carried himselfe as hee incurred the hatred of the whole Kingdome both Clergie and Lay. His traine was said to be so great and the pompe of attendants such as where hee lay in any religious house but one night 3 yeares reuenues would scarce suffice to recouer the charge Besides being a stranger himselfe and vsing only French men about him made his courses the more intollerable to the English in so much as at length the whole Clergie and Nobility oppose against his proceedings and the Earle Iohn taking aduantage vpon these discontentments to make himselfe more popular and prepare the way to his intended vsurpation ioynes with the state against this B. being the man that had euer crossed his courses hauing an especially eye vnto him as the most dangerous person of the Kingdome both in respect of the kings charge and his owne saftie And now there fell out a fit occasion to ruine the Chancellor by this meanes Geffrey 1191. Anno. Reg. 3. the Elect Archbishop of Yorke base sonne to Henry the 2. to whose preferment in Eng. King Richard was auerse therfore had confin'd him within Normandy during his absence had by great labour to Pope Celestine obtained a powre to bee inuested in that Sea whose comming into England being aduertised to the Chancellor Long shamp Geffrey the Elect of Yorke taken and imprisoned by the Chancelor he was at his landing at Doner apprehended and drawne by force out of the Church which hee had recouered and from the Altar in his Pontificall habit trailed into the Castle in most vile manner Of which violence the Earle Iohn and the Bishop taking notice they command the Chancellor not only to release him but also to answere the matter before the assembly of the Bishops and Nobilite at Pauls where they Article and vrge against him many hainous actions committed contrarie to the Comission giuen him and the Weale of the King and Kingdome The Archbishop of Roan and William Marshall Earle of Striguile shewed openly the Kings Letters pattents dated at Messena in Sicile whereby they were made Commissioners with him in the gouernment of the Kingdome which notwithstanding hee would neuer suffer them to deale in any businesse of the same but by his owne violent Longshamp the Chancellor deposed from his office and headlong will doe all himselfe wherefore in the end hee was by the Assembly deposed from his Office and the Archbishop of Rouen who would doe nothing without the Councell of the State instituted therein The Towre of London and the Castle of Windsor are taken from him and deliuered to the Archbishop And so this great Officer presuming to much in his place hauing enuie so neere him and a maister so sarre off was throwne downe from his State faine to resigne his Legantine Crosse at Canterbury and to take vp that for the Holy warre and priuily seekeing to escape ouer Sea was in the habit of a woman with a webbe of Linnin cloth vnder his arme taken vpon the shore at Douer and most opprobriouslie made a spectacle to the people and conducted with all derision to the Castle whence after He flies and is taken eight daies hee was by the Earle Iohn released and suffered to goe on his iourney wherein being the messenger of his owne misusage he had the aduantage of his aduersaries and preuailed against them with the Pope who tooke very tenderly the powre Legantine should be so vilified The Earle Iohn the Archbishop of Rouen and the other Iustices of the King grant vnto the Citie of London their Common or liberties and the Citizens Swore fealtie to King Richard and his haire and that if he died without issue they would receiue the Earle Iohn for their Lord and King and likewise swore fealty vnto him against all men reseruing their faith to King Richard In this forwardnesse was the Earle Iohn for his brothers Crowne whilst hee is beleagaring Ascalon and grapling with Saladin Sultan in the East But hauing notice of this proceeding in England and how the King of France had taken in Gisors and King Richards departure from Palestina the Country of Vexin contrarie to his Oath hee takes the oportunity of an offer made by Saladin of a truce for three yeares vpon condition that hee should restore Ascalon to the same State wherein hee found it before the siege which hee did by the Councell of the Templars and the whole Armie And presently leauing Wife Sister and people to come after him as they could prouide takes a shippe with some few followers and returnes from this action with as great precipitation as hee vndertooke it hauing consumed therein all that mightie Treasure left him by his father and all that otherwise hee could teare from his subiects and others by violent extortion or cunning practises Pardon vs Antiquitie if we miscensure your actions which are euer as those of men according to the vogue and sway of times and haue onely their vpholding by the opinion of the present wee deale with you but as posteritie will with vs which euer thinkes it selfe the wiser that will iudge likewise of our errors according to the cast of their imaginations But for a King of England to returne in this fashion cannot bee but a note of much inconsideration and had as pittifull
an euent For hauing taken vp by the way three Gallies to conduct him to Ragusa for three hundred Markes of Siluer disguised vnder the names of Pilgtimes hee was by his lauish expences discouered to bee the His discouery King of England which note once taken it was impossible for him to lay anie couering thereon that could euer hide him more though vpon warning thereof he presently left all his company and with one man onely takes horse and through all the daungers of a wilde desart and rocky Country trauayling day and night passes into Austrich where Fame that was a speedier post then himselfe was before him And comming to a Village nere to Viena and reposing himselfe in a poore hosterie was taken a sleepe by meanes of his companion going forth to prouide necessaries for him King Richard taken prisoner who as hee was changing money was knowne taken and brought before the Duke of Austrich and vpon examination confessed where his maister was of which prise the Duke was most ioyfull in respect of his reuenge for the disgrace hee did him at the entring of Acon and presently sends him to the Emperour Henry the sixt whom likewise he had offended for ayding Tancredi the base sonne of Roger in the vsurpation of the Crowne of Sicilia against Constantia the lawfull daughter of the same Roger whom this Emperour had married Newes hereof is presently sent by the Emperour to the King of France that he might likewise reioyce at this fortune and hee tells him That now the Enemy of his Empire and the disturber of the Kingdome of France was fast in holde and all the manner how The State of England is likewise soone certified of this heauie disaster and great meanes is made to redeeme their King out of captiuitie who is sayd to haue borne his fortune with that magnanimitie and so cleered himselfe of the scandalls layd on him for the death of Conrade the Emperours kinsman other his actions in the East in such sort as he won the affection of the Emperor so that he professed a great desire to restore him and reconcile him to the King of France But yet wee finde That King Richard deposed King Richard deposed himselfe of the kingdome of England himselfe of the Kingdome of England and deliuered the same to the Emperour as his supreame Lord and inuested him therein by the deliuering vp his hat whch the Emperour returned vnto him in the presence of the Nobility of Germany and England to hold this Kingdom from him for 50 thousand pounds sterling to be payed as an annuall tribute And yet notwithstanding all this the King of France combining with the Earle Iohn preuailed so much with the Emperour as hee held him his prisoner a whole yeare and sixe weekes through their offer of mighty summes they made vnto him For he and the Earle Iohn fully accounted that he should haue beene held a perpetuall prisoner and vpon that reckning the Earle Iohn did his homage to the King of France for the Dutchy Earle Iohn doth homage to the King of France for Normandy of Normandy and all the rest of those transmarine territories and for England as it is sayd and besides resignes vnto him Gisors with the Country of Vexin sweares to marry his sister Alice and to bee diuorsed from his other Wise the Daughter of the Earle of Glocester The King of France couenants to giue him with his sister that part of Flanders which hee had taken from that Eareldome and sweares to ayde him in the attayning both of England and whatsoeuer else the Lands of his brother Then goes the Earle Iohn ouer into England carrying many strangers with him and presently the Castles of Wallingford and Windsor are rendred vnto him then comes hee to London and requires of the Archbishop of Rouen and other the Commissioners the Kingdome of England and that fealty bee made vnto him affirming his brother was dead but they not giuing credit vnto him and denying his desire with rage and strong hand hee fortifies his Castles and in hostile manner inuades the Lands of his brother finding many partakers to ioyne with him The Queene mother the Iustices of England and all the faithfull seruants of the King guard and defend the ports against the inuasion of the French and Flemings who in great numbers seeke to ayde the Earle Iohn and also they labour the redemption of the King whose ransome the Emperour rates at 100 thousand Marks with the finding of fiftie Gallies ready furnished and two hundred souldiers to attend his seruice in the holy warres for one yeare In Normandie the Officers and Seruants of the King of England defend with no lesse faith and courage the right of their Maister against the King of France who withall his powre labours to subdue them and by his large offers to the Emperour prolongs his redemption and inhaunces his ransome This toyle and charge is the world put into through the misfortune and weakenesse of their hardy King who onely in respect of his valour being otherwise not worth so much and the Holy worke hee vndertooke whereby hee obliged the Clergie which then managed all got the opinion and loue of his subiects in such sort as they straine euen beyond their ability to recouer and preserue him and so wrought in the end that the Emperour compounds with King Richard in this manner that hee should send his Commissioners to London and receaue an hundred thousand Markes of pure siluer of Cologne The Emperors composition with King Richard waight to be sealed vp and safely conducted to the bounds of the Empire at the perile of the King of England and other fifty thousand Markes of siluer whereof twenty thousand for the Duke of Austrich and thirty thousand for the Emperour to be payd at seauen monethes after and pledges to be giuen three score to the Emperor and seauen to the Duke Besides the King of England sweares to send his Neece the sister of Arthur Earle of Brittaine to be married to the Duke of Austrich c. And the Emperour granted to the King of England by his Charter the Soueraignty of the Prouince Vienne and Viennoys Merseilles Narbona Arls Lyons and whatsoeuer hee had in Burgogne with the Homages of the King of Arragon the Earles of Dijon and Saint Giles In which countries were fiue Archbishop-ricks thirty three Bishopricks but the Emperour could neuer haue domination ouer them nor they receaue any Lord that hee presented them So that this great gift consisted but in title which yet pleased King Richard that hee might not seeme to part with all his substance for nothing And the same wind he sends to Hubert the new Archbishop of Canterbury lately made his Vicegerent in England to be blowne ouet all the Kingdome by a letter he wrote vnto him wherein he hath these words For that sure I am you much desire our deliuerance and greatly reioyce therein we will that you be
desires hee might not receiue detriment whence hee expected fauour as a brother and friend Adding in the end that if the King would be aduised by him hee would by powre free this Kingdome from that vniust tribute which Innocentius the 3 and other Popes had layde vpon it These letters pleased the Assembly and animated them the rather to deny the Popes Mandate The interposition of this businesse tooke vp so much time as nothing else was done in this Parliament onely they granted an Ayde to the King for the marriage of his daughter twenty shillings of euery Knights fee and that with much adoe and repetition of all former Aydes After this vpon a light occasion the King vndertakes an expedition of great charge against Alexander King of Scots for which euery Baron which held in Capite Spirituall and Lay were commanded to bee ready withall Military prouision due for that seruice Whereunto likewise repaires Thomas Earle of Flaunders with three score Knights and a hundred other seruants thirsting for the Kings money whose vnnecessarie Another Greeuanees of the Barons comming was ill taken by the Barons of Eng. as if the strength of the Kingdome without him were not sufficient for that Action which was as sodainely ended as vndertaken by a faire conclusion of Peace with King Alexander a Prince highly commended for his vertues by the Writers of that time Vpon his returne againe that Winter he assembles another Parliament wherein hee moues for an Ayde vpon a designe he had for Wales and to supply his wants and pay 13 Parliament his debts which were vrged to be so great as he could not appeare out of his chamber for the infinite clamor of such to whom he owed for his Wine Wax and other necessaries of House But they all to his face with one voyce refused to grant him any thing Wherevpon other violent courses are taken An ancient quarrell is found out against the city of London for which they are commanded to pay fifteene thousand Markes And Passeleise the Kings Clerke is imployed with others in a most peremptory commission to inquire of all such lands as had beene inforrested and either to fine the occupiers An inquirie about Lands inforested which bred great greeuances thereof at their pleasure or take it from them and sell the same to others Wherein such rigor was vsed as multitudes of people were vndone So vnsafe are priuate mens estates where Princes fall into so great wants Passeleue for his good seruice in this businesse should haue beene prefeired to the Bishopricke of Chichester but the Bishop withstood the king therein Now in regard to shew the King the Estate of his kingdome and the oppression of Popes Inquiry was made of the reuenues which the Romans and Italians had in England which was found to be annually sixty thousand Markes being more then the An inquiry of the Popes reuenues in Eng yearely reuenues of the Crowne of England which so moued the King as hee caused the same to be notified withall other exactions by his procurators to the general councell now assembled at Lyons Which with the ill vsage of Martin so vexed the Pope as he is said to haue vttered these words It is fit that wee make an end with the Emperor that 1245. Anno. Reg. 29. we may crush these Petty Kings for the Dragon once appeased or distroyed these lesser snakes wil be soone troden downe Which impious speech proceeding from such a mouth whence the Oracles of peace and charity ought to be vttered was as ill taken bred great scandall and gaue warning to Princes of preuention who though they maligned the corruptions of the Court of Rome they were yet euer at one with the Church And the Clergy of England were most forward to vindicate the State from that miserable oppression which of late by degrees they were drawne vnto through the humility of their zeale For such is the nature of Domination wheresoeuer it sits that finding an yeeldingnes to indure it neuer thinkes it hath power sufficient vnles it hath more then enough for if the Popes the professed souraignes of piety vpon the aduantage of mens zeale and beliefe grew to make their will and their power equall so that to question their sanctions was taught to be sinne against the Holy Ghost no meruaile if secular Princes whose consciences are vntyed striue to breake out into the wildnesse of their wills from those bounds wherein by the law of the state they are placed But vpon the Popes reiecting the consideration of these greeuances of England which were particularly deliuered in this councell at Lyons and dispising the Kings Vide Append. message who he said began to Frederize it was absolutly here ordayned vnder great penalty that no contribution of money should be giuen to the Pope by any subiect of 1246. Anno. Reg. 30. England and the King for a time bustles against these forraine exactions in such sort as it gaue some hope of redresse But being of an irresolute and wauering nature and a feard of threats soone womanlike giues ouer what hee manfully vndertooke so that the Pope continues his former rapine though hauing by the continuall exclamations of the Clergy bene brought to promise neuer to send any more Legats into England yet imployes he other ministers vnder the the title of Clarkes who had the same power as had his former Agents and effected vnderhand his desires Now the other part of the state haue new occasions of complaynt offered Peter of Sauoy Earle of Richmond brings ouer certaine maydes to be married to young noble 1247. Anno. Reg. 31. men of England the Kings Wards of which Edmond Earle of Lincoln hath one and Richard de Burgh another And the same yeare 3. of the Kings brothers by the mother Guy de Lusignan William de Valence and Athelmar Clarke are sent for ouer to be prouided of Estates in England Thomas of Sauoy sometimes Earle of Flanders by right of his wife comes with his sister Beatrix Countes of Prouince the Queenes Mother 1248. Anno. Reg. 32. and they are againe feasted and guifted for which the King is taxed in the next Parliament conuoked at London in Candlemas Tearme and besides sharply reprehended for his breach of promise vpon his requiring of another ayde hauing vowed and declared vpon his last supply by his Charter neuer more to iniury the state in that kinde Besides 14 Parliament they blame him for his violent taking vp of prouisions for dyet Wax Silkes robes c. and especially for wine contrary to the will of the sellers whereby Merchants both of this and other That he tooke from his subiects quicquid habuerlint in esculentis poculentis Rusticorum enim Equos Bigas Vina Victualia ad libitum capit Rishanger Kingdomes withdraw their commoâ—ities in so much as all traffique and commerce vtterly cease to the detriment and infamy of the Kingdome That his Iudges were sent in
it halfe Denmarke and liue Knute BVT by this meanes Knute attained the absolute dominion of the whole An. 1018. Kingdome which hee gouerned with better Iustice then he got it conforming Knute the first Daâ—ique King his natiue roughnesse to a more ciuill and regular fashion of life And to haue England see that now he was hers he sends away his Nauie and stipendary souldiers home to their countries and puts himselfe wholy vpon this people taking the way of mildnesse a better meanes for his establishment then force but the Land paid for the remuneration of 83000. pounds paide to King Knute fot euacuation of Strangers his people this euacuation of Strangers 83000 pounds of sisuer which it rather consented to doe at once then to haue them a daily burthen to pester the State for euer At his first comming to the Crowne he sought to rid himselfe as well of his friends as of those might prooue his enemies Edric who came first to salute him sole King of England as if to tell that he made him so hee caused his head to be set on the highest part of the Towre of London therein performing his promise of aduancing him aboue any Lord of the Land and thereby discharged himselfe of such a debt which though he should haue paide would neuer yet bee held fully cleered giuing a generall satisfaction therby to the people that reioyced to see Treason so iustly rewarded Like compensation had shortly after the Earles Turkil Erick who being banished the Land were executed vpon their arriuall in Denmarke But the loue and high opinion of Iustice he got in these were lost againe in those actions wherein he tooke counsell onely of his feares for the extirpation of all those of the Royall bloud of England As of Edwin and Edward the sonnes of the late King Edmond to whom appertained the moietie of the Kingdome by contract and of Edwin his brother which three he sent to be murthered abroad to beguile the rumor at home But which is strange those times though rough affoorded not yet an instrument for the execution of his desire and all these Princes were preserued and conueyed out of danger by those who should haue made them away The two last were bred by Salomon King of Hungarie where Edward suruiuing his brother married Agatha sister to that Queene and daughter Edward married to Agatha the Queene of Hungaries sister to the Emperour Henry the second by whom hee had two sonnes Emond and Edgar daughters Margaret and Christina Aelfred and Edward sonnes of King Ethelred by Emme were preserued by Richard Duke of Normandie their Vnkle and so lay out of his way This priuate iniustice which often may be more in compassion then hurt to the State hee sought to recompence with all publique satisfactions repairing the naufrage of the common-wealth made by the rage of warre both in ornament and order erecting Churches and Monasteries with large patents of prouisions both for the expiation of his immanities fore-committed and to memorize the places of his victories with his thankefulnesse to God The Constitutions Ecclesiasticall and Ciuile diuulged in the language of that time testifie his tender piety and care of Iustice and are so full of religious admonitions His erection of Churches and of Church gouernment as it seemes he held the best meanes to haue lawes obserued was by hauing them first enacted in the consciences of men Amongst others hee inflicted exact punishment on all intempetances of his people and offences committed against publique manners Seuere he was but not cruell few of his lawes sanguinarie as being not the custome of the time which though rough yet found meanes to maintaine publique order without that luctuall remedie of bloud No punishments capitall vnlesse conspiracies the rest were all pecuniarie mulcts banishments bondage or imprisonment To shew his clemeucy this amongst many is one example there was a law that Whosoeuer had committed theft and the goods found in his house all his family were made bond euen to the child in the cradle This he abrogates as most vniust and ordaines That onely the malefactor and such as should aide him should endure the punishment and that the wife vnlesse the things stolne were found vnder her locke should not be guilty ef her husbands offence Thus was hee to his people with whom hee is sayd to haue so well cleered himselfe howsoeuer he did with God that he became King of their affections as well as of their Countrie And to maintaine this opinion hee did many popular acts as first all Rites of Honor and reuerence to the memorie of the late King Edmond his confederate besides the executing all such as could bee found to haue had any hand in that murther Then married he here at home Emme late wife to King Ethelred though it were more for his honour then hers to accept his bed that had beene the persecutor of her husband and children whereby hee held the Duke of Normandie from attempting any thing for his Nephewes in regard his sister might haue other by him Hauing thus established this mightie Kingdome occasion prepares him another The people of Norway contemning the debilitie of their King and conspiring to depose him grew into faction whereupon hee fastens and with the great forces hee brought out of England the might of money and high estimation of his worthinesse so preuailed as hee soone obteyned that Kingdome and was now the most renowned and potent Prince in all these parts of the world intitled King of England Denmarke Knute King of England Denmarke and Norway and Norway Herewithall grew his magnificence as wide as his power and was especially extended to the Church which hee laboured most to gratifie either for the conscience of his deedes or that his people generally addicted to deuotion might be made the more his And holding it not enough to powre out his immense bounty heere within the land seekes to make Rome also feele the fulnesse thereof whither he went in person and performed many workes of charitie and honour both there and in all his voyage Hee freed the Saxon schoole his predecessors of England had founded from all imposition as he did likewise all Streights and passages where trauailers were with rigor constrained to pay toll Of his entertainment at Rome with the Pope Conrade the Emperour and diuerse other Princes of the Christian world himselfe writes to the Bishops and Nobility of England and withall exhorts them very powerfully To haue an especiall regard to the due administration of Iustice to all his subiects alike without doing the least wrong for The effect of King Kautes Letter his gaine hauing no neede as hee sayd to aduance his reuenue by sinne And also charges them to see all Church-scot Rome-scot fully cleered before his returne The actiue vertue of this Prince being the mightiest and most absolute Monarch that euer yet appeared in this Kingdome the author
beganne to disturbe his new gouernment was his owne yonger brother Toustayne who in the time of the late King Edward hauing the Gouernment The Kings brother Toustayne banished of Northumberland was for his pride and immanities shewed in those parts banished the Kingdome and now by reason of his former conceiued hatred against his brother easily set on by the Duke of Normandy and Baldouin Earle of Flanders whose two daughters the Duke and he had married assailes first the Isle of Wight and after sets vpon the coast of Kent whence he was chased by the power of Harald and forced to withdraw into the North parts and there seeking to land was likewise repulsed by the Earles Morchar and Edwyn Then craues he aide of the Scots and after of Harald surnamed Harfager King of Norwey being then taking in the Orchades and exercising piracy in those parts whom he induced with all his forces to inuade England And landing at Tinmouth discomfeiting their first incounters they marched into the heart His death with the King of Norwey of the Kingdome without resistance Neere Stamford King Harald of England met them with a puissant Army and after long and eager fight ended the day with victory and the death of his brother Toustayne and the King of Norwey But from hence was he called with his wearied and broken forces to a more fatall businesse in the South For now William Duke of Normandy pretending a right to the Crowne of England by the testament of the late King Edward his Kinsman vpon the This Battell was fought in Sussex 7 miles from Hastings vpon Saterday the 14 of October 1066. aduantage of a busie time and the disfurnishment of those parts lauded at Pemsey not farre from Hastings in Sussex neere to which place was tried by the great Assize of Gods iudgement in battell the right of power betweene the English and Norman Nation A battell the most memorable of all other and how socuer miserably lost yet most nobly fought on the part of England and the many wounds of Harald there slaine with 60 thousand 9 hundred 74 of the English shew how much was wrought The King valor and death to haue saued their Countrey from the calamity of forraine seruitude And yet how so great a Kingdome as England then was could with one blow be subdued by so small a Prouince as Normandy in such sort as it could neuer after come to make any generall head against the Conquerour might seeme strange did not the circumstances fore-noted and other concurrent causes hereafter to be declared giue vs faire and probable reasons thereof Besides the indisposition of a diseased Williā Malmsbury time as it is described by such as liued neerest it may giue vs great euidence in this examination For they say the people of this Kingdome were by their being secure from their former enemie the Dane and their long peace which had held in a manner from the death of King Edmond Ironside almost fifty yeares growne neglectine of Armes and generally debaushed with luxurie and idlenesse the Cleargie licentious William Malmsburie and onely content with a tumultuarie learning The Nobility giuen to Gluttonie Venety and Oppression The common sort to Drunkennesse and all disorder And they say that in the last action of Harald at Stamford the brauest men perished and himselfe growing insolent vpon the victory retaining the spoyles without distribution to his souldiers not inured to be commanded by Martiall discipline made them discontent and vnruly and comming to this battell with many mercinary men and a discontented Army gaue great occasion to the lamentable losse thereof Besides the Normans had a peculiar fight with long bowes wherewith the English then altogether vnacquainted were especially ouerthrowne And yet their owne Writers report how the maine Battallion of the English consisting of Bils their chiefe and antient weapon held in a body so close lockt together as no force could dissolue them till the Normans faining to flye drew them to a disordered a route And so they excuse the fortune of the day The body of King Harald which at the sute of his mother who sent two Monkes of the Abbey of Waltham to intreate the same of the Conqueror was after much King Harold buried at Waltham search amongst the heapes of the dead found and interred in the same Abbey which himselfe had founded He was a King who shewes vs nothing but misery raigned least and lost most of any other He left foure sonnes Godwin Edmond Magnus and His Issue Wolfe the two eldest fled after this battell into Ireland and from thence made some attempts vpon the Westerne coasts of England but to little effect And here ended the line of the Saxon Kings about fiue hundreth yeares after the first comming in of Hingist and their plantation in this Kingdome And thus haue I in the streightest coutse wherein that vneuen Compasse of Antiquity could direct me got ouer the wide and intricat epassage of those times that lay beyond the worke I purpose more particularly to deliuer And now The Life and Raigne of William I. I Come to write of a time wherein the State of England receiued an alteration An. 1066. of Lawes Customes Fashion manner of lining Language-Writing with new formes of Fights Fortifications Buildings and generally an innouation in most things but Religion So that from this mutation which was the greatest it euer had we are to begin with a new accompt of an England more in dominion abroad more in State and ability at home and of more honour and name in the world then heretofore which by being thus vndone was made as if it were in the fate thereof to get more by loosing then otherwise For as first the Conquest of the Danes brought it to the intyrest Gouernment it euer possest at home and made it most redoubted of all the Kingdomes of the North so did this of the Norman by comming in vpon it make a way to let out Englands territories ouershootes the Ocean and stretch the mighty armes thereof ouer the Seas into the goodly Prouinces of the South For before these times the English Nation from their first establishment in this Land about the space of 500. yeares neuer made any sally out of the Isle vpon any other part of the world but busied at home in a deuided State held a broken Gouernment with the Danes and of no great regard it seemes with other Nations till Knute lead them forth into the Kingdome of Norwey where they first shewed effects of their valour and what they would be were they imployed But the Normans hauing more of the Sunne and ciuility by their commixtion with the English begat smoother fashions with quicker motions in them then before And being a Nation free from that dull disease of drinke wherewith their former Conquerours were naturally infected induced a more comely temperance with a neerer regard of reputation and honour For
in Normandy by Duke Richard the second Grandfather to them both gaue him most Royall entertainement And here he shewed himselfe and here no doubt hee found matter for his hopes to worke on In this enteruiew hee discouered England being to be presupposed he came not to gather cockle-shels on the shore Nor was it long after ere Harold whether of purpose to ratifie some paction closly contriued betwixt them or by casualty of weather driuen into France and so faine to make it seeme a Harald goeth ouer into Normandy iourney of purpose to the Duke is not certainely deliuered was gallantly entertained in Normandy presented with all shewes of Armes brought to Paris and there likewise feasted in that Court. And at his returne to Rouen something was concluded either His entertainment in likely-hood to deuide the Kingdome betweene them or that Harold being a coast-dweller and had the strongest hand in the State should let in the Duke and doe his best to helpe him to the Crowne vpon conditions of his owne greatnesse or whatsoeuer it was promises were made and confirmed by oathes vpon the Euangelists and all the sacred Reliques at Rouen in the presence of diuers great persons Besides for His promises to the Duke more assurance Harald was fyanced to Adeliza the Dukes daughter and his brother Wolnot left a pledge for the performance This intercourse made the trans-action of the fate of England and so much was done either by King Edward or Harald though neithers act if any such were was of power to preiudice the State or alter the course of a right succession as gaue the Duke a colour to claime the Crowne by a donation made by Testament which being against the Law and Custome of the Kingdome could be of no validity at all For the Crowne of England being held not as Patrimoniall but in a succession by remotion which is a succeeding to anothers place it was not in the power of King Edward to collate the same by any dispositiue and testamentary will the right discending to the next of bloud onely by the Custome and Law of the Kingdome For the Successour is not sayd properly to be the heire of the King but the Kingdome which makes him so and cannot bee put from it by any act of his Predecessour But this was onely his claime the right was of his owne making and no otherwise For as soone as hee had heard of the death of King Edward with the Election and Coronation of Harald for they came both together hee assembles the States of Normandy and acquaints them with the right he had to England Soliciting an extention of their vtmost meanes for The Dukes speech to the assembly of the States of Normandie his recouery thereof and auengement of the periured Vsurper Harald shewing them apparant probabilitie of successe by infallible intelligence hee had from the State his strong partie therein with the debility and distraction of the people What glorie wealth and greatnesse it would adde to their Nation the obtayning of such a Kingdome as was thus opportunely layd open for them if they apprehended the present occasion All which remonstrances notwithstanding could enduce but very few to like of this attempt and those such who had long followed him in the warres exhausted their estates and content to runne vpon any aduenture that might promise likelyhood of aduancement The rest were of diuers opinions some that it was sufficient to hold and defend their owne Country without hazarding themselues to conquer others and these were men of the best ability others were content to contribute but so sparingly as would little aduance the businesse and for the most part they were so tyred with the former warres and so desirous to embrace the blessing of peace as they were vnwilling to vndergoe a certaiue trouble for an vncertaine good And with these oppositions or faint offers the Dukes The subtil proceeding of the Duke with his Nobles purpose at first had so little way as did much perplex him At length seeing this protraction and difficulty in generall he deales with his neerest and most trusty friends in particular being such as he knew affected the glory of action and would aduenture their whole estates with him As William fitz Auber Conte de Bretteuile Gualier Guifford Earle of Logueuille Roger de Beaumont with others especially his owne brothers Odo Bishop of Bayeux and Robert Earle of Mortaigne these in full assembly hee wrought to make their offers which they did in so large a proportion and especially William fitz Auber who made the first offer to furnish forty ships with men and munition the Bishop of Bayeux forty the Bishop of Mans thirty and so others according or beyond their abilities as the rest of the assemblie doubting if the action succeeded without their helpe the Duke aryuing to that greatnesse would beare in minde what little minde they shewed to aduance his desires beganne to contribute more largely The Duke finding them yeelding though not in such sort as was requisite for such a worke dealt with the Bishops and great men a part so effectually as at length hee gote of them seuerally which of altogether hee could neuer haue compassed and causing each mans contribution to bee registred inkindled such an emulation amongst them as they who lately would doe nothing now striued who should doe most And not onely wan he the people of his owne Prouinces to vndertake this action The French likewise ayde the Duke but drew by his faire perswasions and large promises most of the greatest Princes and Nobles of France to aduenture their persons and much of their estates with him as Robert fitz Haruays Duke of Orleance the Earles of Brittaine Ponthien Bologne Poictou Mayne Neuers Hiesms Aumal Le Signior de Tours and euen his mortall enemy Martel Earle of Aniou became to bee as forward as any All which hee sure could neuer haue induced had not his vertues and greatnesse gained a wide opinion and reputation amongst them Although in these aduancements and turnes of Princes there is a concurrency of dispositions and a constitution of times prepared for it yet is it strange that so many mighty men of the French Nation would aduenture their liues and fortunes to adde England to Normandie to make it more then France and so great a Crowne to a Duke who was to great for them already But where mutations are destined the counsels of men must be corrupted and there will fall out all aduantages to serue that businesse The King of France who should haue strangled this disseigne in the birth was a The reason of the Dukes powre child and vnder the curature of Baldouin Earle of Flanders whose daughter the Duke had married and was sure to haue rather furtherance then any opposition that way Besides to amuze that Court and dazella young Prince he promised faithfully if hee conquered this Kingdome to hold it of that King as he
of Oath and all other respects brake out againe The Earle Edwyn making towards Scotland was murthered by his owne people The Lords Morchar and Hereward betooke them to the Isle of Eley meaning to make good that place for that Winter whether also repaired the Earle Syward and the Bishop of Durham out of Scotland But the King who was no time-giuer vnto growing dangers besets all the Isle with flat boates on the East and made a bridge of two miles long on the West and safely brought in his people vpon the enemy who seeing themselues surprized yeelded all to the Kings mercy except Hereward who desperatly marched with his people through the Fennes and recouered Scotland The rest were sent to diuerse Prisons where they died or remained during the Kings life Those Lords who persisted loyall vpon this last submission were all imployed and well graced with the King as Edric the Forrester and first that rebelled in his Raigne was held in cleere trust and neere about him Gospatrice he made Earle of Northumberland and sent him against Malcolin who in this time subdues the Countries of Tisdall Cleueland and Comberland Waltheof sonne to the Earle Syward he held so worthy to be made his as he married him to his Neece Iudith though he had beene a principall actor in the Northerne commotion and in defending the Citty of Yorke against him is sayd to haue striken off the heads of diuerse Normans one by one as they entered a breach to the admiration of all about him shewing therein that true touch of the noblest nature to loue vertue euen in his enemies And now seeing Scotland to be the especiall retraite for all conspirators and discontented in his Kingdome yeelding them continuall succour and assistance and where his compecitor Edgar liued to be get and nurse perpetuall matter for their hopes and at hand for all aduantages he enters that Kingdome with a puissant Army which incountring with more necessities then forces soone grew tired and both Kings considering of what difficulties the victory would consist were willing to take the safest way to there ends and vpon faire ouertures to conclude a peace Articling for the bounds of each Kingdome with the same title of Dominion as in former tunes All delinquents and their partakers generally pardoned Heere with the vniuersoll turne of alteration thus wrought in England Scotland being Scotlād before this time gene rally spake a kind of Irish. a part of the body of this Isle is noted to haue likewise had a share and as in the Court of England the French tongue became generally spoken so in that of Scotland did the English by reason of the multitude of this Nation attending both the Qacene and her brother Edgar and daily repairing thither for their safety and combination against the common enemy of whom diuerse abandoning their natiue distressed Countrey were by the bounty of that King preferred and there planted spread their off-spring into many noble families remaining to this day The titles for distinguishing Titles of honor in Scotland degrees of honour as of Duke Earle Baron Rider or Knight were then as is thought first introduced and the nobler sort began to be called by the title of their Signories according to the French manner which before bate the name of their Father with the addition of Mac after the fashion of Ireland Other innouations no doubt entred there likewise at the opening of this wide mutation of ours fashion and imitation like weedes easily growing in euery soyle Shortly after this late made peace Prince Edgar voluntarily came in and submitted Edgar Atheling submitted him selfe to King William himselfe to the King being then in Normandy and was restored to grace and a faire maintenance which held him euer after quiet And it made well at that time for the fortune of the King howsoeuer for his owne being thought to haue ill-timed his affaires either through want of seasonable intelligence or dispaire of successe in making 1075. Anno. Reg. 9. too soone that submission which was latter or neuer to be done For in this absence of the King Roger Fits Auber the young Earle of Hereford contrary to his expresse commandement gaue his sister in marriage to Raph Waher Earle of Northfolke and Suffolke and at the great Solemnization thereof the two Earles conspired with Eustace Earle of Boloigne who secretly came ouer to this festiuall and with the Earle Waltheof and other English Lords to call in the Danes and by maine power to keepe out and dispossesse the King Who hauing thus passed ouer so many gulfes of forraine 1076. Anno. Reg. 10. dangers might little imagine of any wracke so neere home and that those whom he had most aduanced should haue the especiall hand in his destruction But no rewards are benefits that are not held so nor can euer cleere the accounts with them that ouer-value their merits And had not this conspiracy bene opportunely discouered which some say was by the Earle Waltheof moued with the vglinesse of so soule an ingratitude they had put him againe to the winning of England But now the fire bewrayed before it flamed was soone quenched by the diligence of Odon the Kings Vice-gerent the Bishop of Worcester and others who kept the Conspirators from ioyning their forces So that they neuer came to make head but were either surprized or forced to flye The Earle Roger Fitz Auber was taken and some say executed and so was shortly after the Earle Waltheof whose dissent from the act could not get him pardon for his former consent though much compassion in respect of his great worthinesse But the 1077. Anno. Reg. 11. wide distent of these tumors fed from many secret vaines seemed to be of that danger as required this extremity of cure especially in a part so apt for infection vpon any the like humours For this Conspiracy seemes to take motion from a generall league of all the neighbour Princes here about as may well be gathered by their seuerall actions First in the King of Fraunce by defending Dole in Brittaigne a Castle of Raph de Waher against the King of England and in likelihood imploying the Earle of Boloigne to wards the Conspirators In Swayne King of Denmarke by sending a Nauy of two hundreth saile vnder the conduct of his sonne Knute and others In Drone King of Ireland by furnishing the sonnes of Harald with 65. ships In Malcoline and the Kings of Wales by their readinesse to assist But the Danes being on the coast and hearing how their confederates had sped with the great preparations the King had made after some pillage taken vpon the coast of England and Flanders returned home and neuer after arriued to disturbe this land Though in Anno Reg. 19. Knute then King of Denmarke after the death of Swaine intending to repaire the dishonour of his two last aduentures past and to put for the Crowne of England his predecessors had holden prepared a Nauie
King of France who gaue him a faire entertainement in his Court Where he remained not long but that a Knight of 1093. Anno. Reg. 6. Normandy named Hachard vndertaking to put him into a Fort maugre his brother Robert within the Duchy conueyed him disguised out of the Court and wrought so as the Castle of Dampfront was deliuered vnto him whereby shortly after he got all the Countrey of Passays about it and a good part of Constantine by the secret aide of King William Richard de Riuteres and Roger de Manneuile Duke Robert leuies forces and eagerly wrought to recouer Dampfront but finding how Henry was vnderset inueighes against the perfidie of his brother of England in so much as the flame of rankor burst out againe more then euer And ouer passes King William with a great Army but rather to terrifie then do any great matter as a Prince that did more contend then warre and would be great with the sword yet seldome desired to vse it if he could get to his ends by any other meanes seeking rather to buy his peace then winne it Many skirmishes interpassed with surprisements of Castles but in the end a treaty of peace was propounded wherein to make his conditions what he would King William seemes hard to be wrought and makes the more shew of force sending ouer into England for an Army of thirty thousand men which being brought to the shore ready to be shipped an offer was made to be proclaimed by his Lieftenant that giuing ten shillings a man whosoeuer would might depart home to his dwelling Whereby was raised so much as discharged his expence and serued to see the King of France vnder-hand for his forbearing aide to Duke Robert who seeing himselfe left by the French must needes make his peace as the other would haue it Now for his affaires at home the vncertaine warres with Wales and Scotland gaue him more businesse then honour Being driuen in the one to incounter with mountaines in stead of men to the great losse and disaduantage of his people and in the other with as many necessities Wales he sought to subdue Scotland so to restraine as it might not hurt him For the last after much broyle both Kings seeming more willing to haue peace then to seeke it are brought to an enteruiew Malcolin vpon publicke faith and safe-conduit came to Glocester where vpon the haughtinesse of King William looking to be satisfied in all his demaunds and the vnyeeldingnesse of King Malcolin standing vpon his regality within his owne though content to be ordered for the confines according to the iudgement of the Primate of both Kingdomes nothing 1084. Anno. Reg. 7. was effected but a greater disdaine and rankor in Malcolin seeing himselfe dispised and scarce looked on by the King of England So that vpon his returne armed with rage he raises an Army enters Northumberland which foure times before he had depopulated and now the fifth seeking vtterly to destroy it and to haue gone farther The King of Scots his son Edward slaine causes Queene Margaret to dy with griefe Roger Houeden was with his eldest sonne Edward slaine rather by the fraude then power of Robert Mowbray Earle of that County The griefe of whose deaths gaue Margaret that blessed Queene hers After whom the State elected Dufnald brother to Malcolin and chased out all the English which attended the Queene and were harbored or preferred by Malcolin King William to set the line right and to haue a King there which should be beholding to his power aides Edgar the second sonne to Malcolin who had serued him in his wars to obtaine the Crowne due vnto him in right of succession by whose meanes Dufnald was expeld and the State receiued Edgar but killed all the aide he brought with him out of England and capitulated that he should neuer more entertaine English or Norman in his seruice This businesse setled Wales strugling for liberty and reuenge gaue new occasion of 1085. Anno. Reg. 8. worke whither he went in person with purpose to depopulate the Countrey but they retiring into the Mountaines and the Isle of Anglesey auoided the present furie But afterward Hugh Earle of Shrewsbury and Hugh Earle of Chester surprising the Isle their chiefest retreit committed there barbarous examples of cruelty by exoecations and miserable dismembring the people which immanity was there suddenly auenged on the Earle of Shrewsbury with a double death first shot into the eye and then tumbling ouer-boord into the sea to the sport and scorne of his enemy the King of Norway who either by chance or of purpose comming vpon that coast from taking in the Orchades encountred with him and that force he had at sea These were the remote businesses when a conspiracy brake out within the body of the Kingdome complotted by Robert Mowbray Earle of Northumberland William d'Ou and many others who are sayd to haue sought the destruction of the King and the aduancement of Stephen Earle of Albemare his Aunts sonne to the Crowne which gaue the King more trouble then danger for by the speedy and maine prosecution of the businesse wherein hee vsed the best strength of England it was soone ended with the confusion of the vndertakers But it wrought an ill effect in his nature by hardening the same to an extreme rigor for after the feare was past his wrath and cruelty were not but which is hideous in a Prince they grew to bee numbred amongst incurable diseases The Earle was committed to the Castle of Windsor William d' Ou at a Councell at Salisbury being ouercome in Duell the course of triall had his eyes put out and his priuie members cut off William de Alueric his Sewer a man of goodly personage and allyed vnto him was condemned to be hanged though both in his confession to Osmond the Bishop there and to all the people as hee passed to his execution hee left a cleere opinion of his innocency and the wrong hee had by the King But now whilst these fractures heere at home the vnrepairable breaches abroad were such as could giue the King no longer assurednesse of quiet then the attempters would and that all the Christian world was out either at discord amongst themselues or in faction by the schisme of the Church Pope Viban assembling a generall Councell at Cleirmont in Auergne to compose the affaires of Christendome exhorted all the Princes thereof to ioyne themselues in action for the recouery of the Holy Land out of the hands of infidels Which motion by the zealous negotiation of Peter the Hermit of Amiens tooke so generally meeting with the disposition of an actiue and religious world as turn'd all that flame which had else consumed each other at home vpon vnknowne Nations that vndid them abroad Such and so great grew the heate of this action made by the perswasion of the Iustice thereof with the state and glory it would bring on earth and the assurednesse of heauen
to all the pious vndertakers that none were esteemed to containe any thing of worth which would stay behind Each giues hand to other to leade them along and example addes number The forwardnesse of so many great Princes passing away Peter the Hermit gets 300000 men to recouer the Holy Land their whole estates and leauing all what the deerenesse of their Country contained drew to this warre 300000 men all which though in armes passed from diuerse Countries and Ports with that quietnesse as they seemed rather Pilgrimes than Souldiers Godefrey of Bouillon Nephew and heire to the Duke of Lorraine a generous Prince bred in the warres of the Emperour Henry the fourth was the first that offered vp himselfe to this famous voyage and with him his two brothers Eustace and Baudouin by whose examples were drawne Hugh le Grand Count de Vermondois brother to Philip King of France Robert Duke of Normandy Robert le Frison Earle of Flanders Stephen Earle of Blois and Chartres Aimar Bishop of Puy William Bishop of Orange Raimond Earle of Tholouse Baudouin Earle of Hainaut Baudouin Earle of Rethel and Garnier Earle of Gretz Harpin Earle of Bourges Ysoard Earle of Die Ramband Earle of Orange Guillaum Conte de Forests Stephen Conte de Aumaul Hugh Earle of Saint Pol Rotron Earle of Perche and others These were for France Germany and the Countries adioyning Italie had Bohemond Duke of Apulia and England Beauchampe with others whose names are lost Spaine onely had none being afflicted at that time with the Sarazins Most of all these Princes and great personages to furnish themselues for this expedition 1097. Anno. Reg. 10. sold or ingaged their possessions Godefrey sold the Dutchie of Bologne to Aubert Bishop of Liege and Metz to the Citizens besides he sold the Castle of Sarteney and Monsa to Richard Bishop of Verdun and to the same Bishop Baudouin his brother sold the Earledome of Verdun Eustace likewise sold all his liuelihood to the Church Herpin Earle of Bourges his Earledome to Philip King of France and Robert morgaged his Dutchie of Normandie the Earledome of Maine and all hee had to his brother King William of England Whereby the Pope not onely weakened the Empire with whom the Church had to the great affliction of Christendome held a long and bloudie businesse about the inuestitures of Bishops tooke away and infeobled his partisans abated as if by Ostrocisme the power of any Prince that might oppose him but also aduanced the State Ecclesiasticall by purchasing these great tempo more honorable for the sellers then the buyers vnto a greater meanes then euer For by aduising the vndertakers seeing their action was for CHRIST and his Church rather to make ouer their estates to the Clergie of whom they might againe redeeme the same and bee sure to haue the fayrest dealing then vnto Lay men he effected this worke Whereby the third part of the best Fiefs in France came to bee possest by the Clergie and afterward vpon the same occasion many things more sold vnto them in England especially when Richard the first vndertooke the voyage who passed ouer diuers Mannors to Hugh Bishop of Durham and also for his mony created him Earle of Durham as appeares in his life This humor was kept vp and in motion almost 300 yeares notwithstanding all An Emperour of Germany 2 Kings of France with their wiues a King of England and a King of Norwey went all thither in person the discouragements by the difficulties in passing the disasters there through contagion arising from a disagreeing clime and the multitudes of indigent people cast oftentimes into miserable wants It consumed infinit Treasure and most of the brauest men of all our West world and especially France For Germanie and Italie those who were the Popes friends and would haue gone were stayed at home by dispensation to make good his partie against the Emperour who notwithstanding still strugled with him but in the end by this meanes the Pope preuailed Yet these were not all the effects this voyage wrought the Christians who went out to seeke an enemy in Asia brought one thence to the daunger of all Christendome and the losse of the fairest part thereof For this long keeping it in a warre that had many intermissions with firs of heates and coldnesses as made by a league consisting of seuerall Nations emulous and vnconcurrent in their courses taught such as were of an entire bodie their weakenesses and the way to conquer them This was the great effect this voyage wrought And by this meanes King William here was now ridde of an elder brother and a Competitor had the possession of Normandy during his raigne and more absolutenesse and irregularity in England Where now in making vp this great summe to pay Robert he vsed all the extreme meanes could be deuised as hee had done in all like businesses before Whereby he incurred the hatred of his people in generall and especially of the Clergie being the first King which shewed his successors an euill precedent of keeping their Liuings vacant and receiuing the profits of them himselfe as he did that of Canterbury foure yeares after the death of Lanfranc and had holden it longer but that being dangerously sicke at Glocester the sixth yeare of his raigne his Clergie in the weakenesse of his body tooke to worke vpon his minde so as hee vowed 1099. Anno. Reg. 12. vpon his recouerie to see all vacancies furnished which he did but with so great adoe as shewed that hauing escaped the daunger hee would willingly haue deceiued the Saint And Anselme an Italian borne though bred in Normandy is in the end preferred to that Sea But what with his owne stiffenesse and the Kings standing on his regalitie he neuer enioyed it quietly vnder him For betweene them two began the first contestation about the inuestitures of Bishops and other priuiledges of the Church which gaue much to doe to many of his successors Anselme not yeelding to the Kings will forsooke the Land whereupon his Bishopricke was re-assumed and the King held in his hands at one time besides that of Canterburie the Bishoprickes of Winchester Sarum and eleuen Abbayes whereof he tooke all the profits He vsually sold all spirituall preferments those would giue most and tooke fines of Priests for fornication he vexed Robert Bluet Bishop of Lincolne in suite till hee payd him 5000 pounds And now the Clergie vpon this taxe complaying their wants were answered That they had Shrines of Gold in their Churches and for so holy a worke as this warre against infidels they should not spare them Hee also tooke money of Iewes to cause such of them as were conuerted to renounce Christianity as making more benefit The Kings shew of religion by their vnbeleefe then their conuersion Wherein hee discouered the worst peece of his nature Irreligion Besides his great taxations layd on the Layetie he set informers vpon them and for The antiquity of
mutinous Earles and by their instigation was set into that flame as he raised all his vtmost forces to be reuenged on his brother The King touched in Conscience with the fowlenesse of a fraternall war which the world would take he being the mightier to proceed out of his designes stood douotfull what to doe when Pope Paschall by his Letters written with that eloquence saith Malmesburie wherein hee was quicke perswaded him That herein hee should not make a ciuill Warre but doe a Noble and memorable benefit vnto his Countrey Whereby paide for remitting the Inuestitures hee held himselfe countenanced in this businesse Whereon now he sets with more alacrity and resolution And after many difficulties and losse of diuers worthy men in a mighty battaile neere the Castle of Tenechbray his England wins Normandic enemies with much adoe were all defeated Whereby England won Normandy and on the same day by Computation wherein forty yeares before Normandy ouer-came England such are the turnings in the affaires of men And here Robert who stood in a faire possibility of two Crownes came to bee depriued 1106. Anno. Reg. 7. of his Dutchy and all hee had brought prisoner into England and committed to the Castle of Cardiffe Where to adde to his misery hee had the misfortune of a long life suruiuing after he lost himselfe 26 yeares whereof the most part he saw not hauing his eyes put out whereby he was onely left to his thoughts a punishment barbarously Robert Duke of Normandy is imprisoned by King Hen. inflicted on him for attempting an escape He was a Prince that gaue out to the world very few notes of his ill but many of his Noblenesse and valour especially in his great voyage wherein hee had the second command and was in election to haue beene the first preferred to the Crowne of Ierusalem and missed it hardly Onely the disobedience in his youth shewed to his Father which yet might proceed from a rough hand borne ouer him and the animation of others rather then his owne Nature sets a staine vpon him and then his profusion which some would haue liberality shewed his impotency and put him into those courses that ouerthrew him All the Reuenues of his Dutchy which should serue for his maintenance hee sold or engaged and was vpon passing the City of Roan vnto the Cittizens which made him held vnfit for the gouernment and gaue occasion to his Brother to quarrell with him And thus came Henry sreed from this feare and absolute Duke of Normandy had King Henry Duke of Normandy many yeares of quiet gathered great Treasure entertained good intelligence with the Neighbour Princes Scotland by his Match and doing their Princes good hee held from doing him hurt clearing them from vsurpations Wales though vnder his Title yet not subiection gaue him some exercise of action which he ordered with great wisdome First he planted within the body of that Countrey a Colony of Flemings who at that time much pestred this Kingdome being admitted heere in the raigne of King William the first marrying their Country woman and vsing their helpe in the action of England where they dayly encreased in such sort as gaue great displeasure to the people But by this meanes both that grieuance was eased and the vse of them made profitable to the State for being so great a number and a strong people they made roome for themselues and held it in that sort as they kept the Welch all about them in verie good awe Besides the King tooke for Ostages the chiefe mens sonnes of the Country and hereby quieted it For France hee stood secure so long as Phillip the first liued who wholly giuen ouer to his ease and Luxury was not for other attempts out of that course but his sonne he was to looke vnto whensoeuer he came to that Crowne With the Earle of Flanders he had some debate but it was onely in words and vpon 1107. Anno. Reg. 8. this occasion King William the first in retribution of the good his father in law Baldouin the fift had done by ayding him in the action of England gaue him yearely three hundred markes and likewise continued it to his sonne after him Now Robert Earle of Flaunders of a collaterall line returning empty from the Holy warres and finding this summe paide out of England to his Predecessors demaunds the same of King Henrie as his due who not easie to part with money sends him word that it was not the custome of the Kings of England to pay tribute If they gaue pensions they were temporary and according to desert Which answere so much displeased the Earle that though himselfe liued not to shew his hatred yet his Sonne did and ayded afterward William the sonne of Robert Curtoys in his attempts for recouery of the Dutchy of Normandy against King Henry Thus stood this King in the first part of his raigne in the other hee had more to doe abroad then at home where hee had by his excellent wisdome so setled the gouernment as it held a steady course without interruption all his time But now Lewis le Grosse succeeding his father Philip the first gaue him warning to looke to his State of Normandy and for that he would not attend a quarrell he makes one taking occasion about the City of Gisors scituate on the Riuer Epre in the confines of Normandy King Henry quarrels with the King of France whilst Louys was trauailed with a stubborne Nobility presuming vpon their Franchises within their owne Signories whereof there were many at that time about Paris as the Contes of Crecy Pissaux Dammartin Champaigne and others who by example and emulation would bee absolute Lords without awe of a Maister putting themselues vnder the protection of Henry wo being neere to assist them fostred those humors which in sicke bodies most shew themselues But after Louys by yeares gathering strength dissolued that compact and made his meanes the more by their confiscations Now to entertaine these two great Princes in worke the quarrell betweene the Pope and the Emperour ministred fresh occasion The Emperor Henry the fift hauing 1108. Anno. Reg. 9. by the Popes instigation banded against his Father Henry the fourth who associated him in the Empire and held him prisoner in that distresse as hee died toucht afterwards with remorse of this act and reproach of the State for abandoning the rights of the Empire leauies sixty thousand foote and thirty thousand horse for Italy constraines the Pope and his Coledge to acknowledge the rights of the Empire in that forme as Leo the fourth had done to Otho the second and before that The Popes Oath to the Emperour Adrian to Charlemaigne according to the Decree of the Counsell of Rome and made him take his Oath of fidelity betweene his hands as to the true and lawfull Emperour The Pope so soone as Henry was departed home assembles a Counsell nullifies this acknowledgement as done by
the late Earle Baldouin slaine in a battell in Fraunce against King Henry But William as if heire also of his fathers fortunes admitted to the Earledome miscarried in the rule was deptiued and slaine in battaile and in him all of Robert Curtoys perished And now the whole care of King Henry was the setling of the succession vpon Maude of whom he liued to see two sonnes borne for which he conuokes a Parliament in England wherein an oath is ministred to the Lords of this Land to bee true to her and her heires and acknowledge them as the right inheritors of the Crowne This oath was first taken by Dauid King of Scots Vncle to Maude and by Stephen 1133. Anno. Reg. 34. Earle of Bollogne and Mortaine Nephew to the King on whom hee had bestowed great possessions in England and aduanced his brother to the Bishopricke of Winchester And to make all the more fast this oath was afterward ministred againe at Northampton in another Parliament So that now all seemes safe and quiet but his owne sleepes which are said to haue beene very tumultuous and full of affrightments wherein hee would often rise take his sword and be in act as if hee defended himselfe against assaults of his person which shewed all was not well within His gouernment in peace was such as rankes him in the list amongst our Kings of His gouernment in peace the fairest marke holding the Kingdome so well ordred as during all his raigne which was long hee had euer the least to doe at home At the first the competition with his brother after the care to establish his succession held him in to obserue all the best courses that might make for the good and quiet of the State hauing an especiall regarde to the due administration of Iustice that no corruption or oppression might disease his people whereby things were carried with that euennesse betweene the Great men and the Commons as gaue all satisfaction Hee made diuers progresses into remote parts of the Land to see how the State was ordred And for that purpose The first vse of Progresses when so euer he was in England hee kept no certaine residence but solemnized the great festiuals in seuerall and farre distant places of the Kingdome that all might pertake of him And for that he would not wrest any thing by an Imperiall power from the Kingdome which might breed vlcers of dangerous nature hee tooke a course to obtaine The beginning of Parliaments their free consents to serue his occasions in their generall Assemblies of the three Estates of the Land which hee first conuoked at Salisbury Anno Reg. 15. and which He assembles the first Parliment after the Conquest had from his time the name of Parliament according to manner of Normandie and other States where Princes keepe within their circles to the good of their people their owne glorie and securitie of their posteritie See Appen His reformations He was a Prince that liued formally himselfe and repressed those excesses in his subiects which those times entertained as the wearing of long haire wich though it were a gayetie of no charge like those sumptuous braueries that waste Kingdomes in peace yet for the vndecencie thereof hee reformed it and all other dissolutenesse His great businesses and his wants taught him frugalitie and warinesse of expence and His meanes to raise monies his warres being seldome Inuasiue and so not getting put him often to vse hard courses for his suppliments of treasure Towards the marriage of his daughter with the Emperour and the charge of his warre he obtained as it might seeme at his first Parliament at Salisbury Anno. Reg. 15. three shillings vpon euery hide-land but hee had no more in all his raigne except one supply for his warres afterward in France Hee kept Bishopricks and Abbayes voide in his hands as that of Canterbury fiue yeares together By an act of Parliament at London Anno. Reg. 30. he had permission to punish Vide Append. marriage and incontinencie of Priests who for fines notwithstanding hee suffred to enioy their wiues but hereby hee displeased the Clergie and disappointed that reformation Punishments which were mutilation of member hee made pecuniarie And by reason of his often and long being in Normandie those prouisions for his house which Tilburiensis de Scaccario were vsed to bee paide in kinde were rated to certaine prices and receiued in money by the consent of the State and to the great content of the subiect who by reason that many dwelling farre off throughout all shires of England were much molested with satisfying the same otherwise He resumed the liberties of hunting in his Forests which tooke vp much faire ground of the Kingdome and besides renuing former penalties made an Edict That if any man in his owne priuate woods killed the Kings Deere should forfeit his woods to the King But he permitted them inclosures for Parkes which vnder him seemes to haue had their originall by the example of that of his at Woodstocke the multitude whereof grew to be afterward a disease in the Kingdome His expences were chiefly in his warres and his many and great fortifications in His expences Normandy His buildings were the Abbey of Reading the Mannor of Woodstocke and the great inclosure of that Parke with a stone wall seuen miles about The most eminent men of his Councell were Roger Bishop of Sarum and the Earle His Councellors of Mellent both men of great experience in the affaires of the world Roger was euer as Viceroy had the whole management of the Kingdome in his absence which was sometimes three and foure yeares together He had managed the Kings money and other affaires of his house when he was a poore Prince and a priuate man whereby he gained an especiall trust with him euer after and discharged his part with great policy and vnderstanding had the title of Iusticiarius totius Anglioe Of whose magnificence The magnificent buildings of Roger Bishop of Sarum and spacious mind we haue more memorials left in notes of stone then of any one Man Prince or other of this Kingdome The ruines yet remaining of his stately structures especially that of the Deuises in Wiltshire shewes vs the carkasse of a most Roman-like Fabricke Besides he built the Castles of Malmsbury and Shirburne two strong and sumptuous peeces new walled and repaired the Castle of Salisbury and all these he liued to see rent from him and seased into the next Kings hands as being things done out of his part and lye now deformed heapes of rubble Besides he walled old Salisbury and repaired the Church there Robert Earle of Mellent was the son of Roger Beaumont who of all the great men which Robert Mellent an especiall Councellor to Hen. 1. followed William the first in his ciuill warres of Normandy refused to attend him in his expedition for England though with large promises inuited thereunto saying
it was ingaged Raymond refuses it and stands to his possession as of a thing absolutely sold or forfeited but being too weake to contend with a King of France fell to an accord and married his sister Constans widdow of Eustace sonne to King Stephen and so continues the possession Now King Henry hauing married this Elionor and with her was to haue all the Rights shee had tenders likewise as the King of France had done in the same case the summe formerly disbursed vpon the morgage of that Earledome And with all makes ready his sword to recouer it and first combines in league and amity with such whose Territories bordred vpon it as with Raymond Earle of Barcelona who had married the daughter and heire of the King of Arragon a man of great Estate in those parts intertayning him with conference of a match betweene his second sonne Richard and his daughter with couenant that Richard should haue the inheritance of the Dutchy of Aquitaine and the Earledome of Poictou Besides hee takes into his protection William Lord of Trancheuille possessing likewise many great Signories in the Countrey and one who held himselfe much wronged in his Estate by the Earle of Tholouse These ay des prepared he leauies an Army and goes in person to besiege the Citie of Tholouse and takes along with him Malcolin King of Scots who comming to his 1159. Anno. Reg. 5. Court to doe him homage for the Earledome of Huntingdon and to make claime for those other peeces taken from his Crowne was entertayned with so many faire words and promises of King Henry as drew him along to this warre The Earle of Tholouse vnderstanding the intentions of the King of England craues ayde of his brother in Law the King of France who likewise with a strong Army comes downe in person to succour Tholouse and was there before the King of England could arriue with his forces whereupon seeing himselfe preuented and in disaduantage King Henry fell to spoyling the Countrey and takes in Cahors in Quercy where he places a strong Garrison to bridle the Tholousains and so returnes into Normandy gaue the order of Knight hood to King Malcolin at Tours augments his forces and enters the Countrey of Beauuoisin where he destroyes many Castles and commits great spoyles And to adde more anoyance to the King of France he obtained of the Earle de Auranches the two strong Castles Rochfort and Monfort which furnished with Garrisons impeached the passage twixt Orleance and Paris in so much as the warre and weather grew hote betwixt these two great Princes and much effusion of bloud was like to follow but that a mediation of peace was made and in the end concluded With a match betweene the young Prince Henry not seuen yeares of age and the 1160. Anno. Reg. 6. Lady Margaret eldest daughter to the King of France scarce three weake linkes to hold in so mighty Princes The yong Lady was deliuered rather as an Ostage then a Bride to Robert de Newburge to be kept till her yeares would permit her to liue with her Husband In the meane time notwithstanding many ruptures hapned betweene the Parents The first whereof Prince Henry contracted to Margaret daughter to the King of France grew vpon the King of Englands getting into his owne hand the Castle of Gisors with two other Castles vpon the Riuer Eata in the confines of Normandy deliuered vp before the due time By three Knights Templars to whom they were committed in trust till the marriage were consummated And this cost some bloud the Knights Templars are persecuted by the King of France and the King of England receiues them But now the aduantage of power lying all on this side and the King seeing himselfe at large and how much he was abroad beganne to be more at home and to The King seekes to abate the power of the Clergy the cause therof looke to the Prerogatiues of his Crowne which as he was informed grew much infringed by the Clergy which since the time of Henry the first Were thought to haue inlarged their iurisdiction beyond their vocation and himselfe had found their power in the election of King Stephen with whom they made their owne conditions with all aduantages for themselues whereby they depriued his Mother and her issue of their succession to the Crowne And though afterwards by their mediation the peace twixt him and Stephen was concluded and his succession ratified yet for that might he thanke his Sword the Iustice of his cause and strong party in the Kingdome What they did therein shewed him rather their power then their affection and rather put him in mind of what they had done against him at first then layed any obligation on him for what they did afterward And his owne example seeing them apt to surprise all aduantages for their owne aduancement made him doubt how they might deale with his Posterity if they found occasion and therefore is he easily drawne to abate their power in what he could To this motion of the Kings dislike the Lay Nobility emulous of the others authority layed more waights alledging how the immunities of the Clergie tooke vp so much Complaints against the Clergie from the Royalty as his execution of Iustice could haue no generall passage in the Kingdome the Church held their Dominion apart and free from any other authority then their owne and being exempt from Secular punishments many enormious acts were committed by Clergie-men without any redresse to be had and it was notified to the King that since the beginning of his Raigne There had beene aboue a hundreth Man-slaughters committed within the Realme of England by Priests and men within Orders Now had the King a little before vpon the death of Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury 1161. Anno. Reg. 7. preferred Thomas Becket a creature and seruant of his owne to that Sea A man whom first from being Arch-deacon of Canterbury he made his Chancelor and finding him Diligent Trusty and Wise imployes him in all his greatest businesses of the State by which tryall of his seruice and sidelity he might expect to haue him euer the Thomas Becket preferred to the Sea of Canterbury readier to aduance his affaires vpon all occasions And besides to shew how much he respected his worth and integrity he commits vnto him the education of the Prince a charge of the greatest consequence in a Kingdome which shall be euer sure to find their Kings as they are bred At the beginning of this mans promotion this reformation of Ecclesiasticall iurisdiction is set vpon a worke in regard of that time of deuotion of great difficultie the Bishops hauing from the beginning of Christianitie first vnder the Saxon Kings principally swaded the State and though at the entrance of the Norman they were much abriged of their former liberties they held themselues if not content yet quiet For albeit they had not that power in temporall businesses as
the cause of Thomas of Canterbury against the Tyrant of England King Henry sends likewise with all speed Roger Archbishop of Yorke the Bishop of Winchester London Chichester and Excester Guido Rufus Richard Iuechester and Iohn of Oxford Clerkes William Earle of Arundell Hugh de Gundeuile Bernard de Saint Walleric and Henry Fitz Gerrard to informe the Pope of the whole cause and preuent the Archbishoppes complaint The multitude and greatnesse of the Commissioners shewed the importance of the Ambassage and the Kings earnest desire to haue his cause preuaile They finde the Pope at the Citie of Sens to whom they shewed how peruers and disobedient the Archbishoppe had behaued himselfe to his Soueraigne Lord the King of England how hee alone refused to obay his Lawes and Customes which hee had sworne to doe and that by his peeuish waywardnesse the Church and Kingdome were like to bee disturbed which otherwise would agree in the reformation thereof as was fit and necessary and therefore they besought him as hee tendred the peace of the Church of England and the loue of the King their Soueraigne not to giue credit or grace to a man of so turbulent and dangerous a spirit This Information notwithstanding earnestly vrged they found mooued not any disposition in the Pope to fauour the Kings cause so that in the end They besought him to send two Legats ouer into England to examine the particulars of this businesse and how it had beene carried and in the meane time to admit no other information of the cause but referre it to their relation The Pope refuses to send any Legat the commissioners depart without any satisfaction And with in foure dayes after comes the Archbishop and prostrates himselfe at the Popes seete deliuers him a coppie of those Lawes which the King called his Grandfathers Lawes which being openly read in the presence of all the Cardinals Clergie and many other people the Pope condemned them for euer and accursed those who obeyed or any way fauoured them Those Lawes among the Statutes of Clarendon which the Archbishop so much oppugned and most offended the Clergie were as by his owne letter to the Bishop of London appeares these especially That there should bee no appeale to the Apostolike Sea without the Kings leaue That no Archbishoppe or Bishoppe should goe out of the Realme but by the Kings permission That no Bishoppe excommunicate any who held of the King in Capite or interdict any officiall of his without the Kings leaue c. That Clergie men should bee drawne to secular iudgements That Lay men as the King and other should handle causes of the Church Tythes and such like And these were daungerous incrochments vpon their liberties But now the King seeing his Ambassage to take no effect and withall in a manner 1166. Anno. Reg. 12. contemned presently makes his heauie displeasure and the scorne hee tooke knowe by his seuere Edicts both against the Pope and the Archbishoppe that they might see what edge his secular powre had in this case ordayning That if anie were found carrying Letter or Mandat from the Pope or Archbishoppe contayning any The Kings Edicts against the Pope and his agents interdiction of Christianity in England should bee taken and without delay executed as a Traytor both to the King and Kingdome That whatsoeuer Bishop Priest Monke or Conuerser in anie Order Clerke or Layman should haue and retaine any such letters should forfeit all their possessions goods and chattells to the King and bee presently banished the Realme with their kinne That no Clergie men Monke or other should bee permitted to passe ouer Sea or returne out of Normandie into England without letters from the Iustices here or from the King being there vpon paine to bee taken as a Malefactor and put in hold That none should appeale to the Pope That all Clerkes which had any reuenue in England should returne into the Realme within three monethes vpon paine of forfeiting their estates to the King That Peter Pence should bee collected and sequestred till the Kings pleasure were farther knowne Besides this hee banishes all that were found to bee any way of kinne to the Archbishop without exception of condition sex or yeres And withall takes occasion vpon the Scisme which was then in the Church to renounce Pope Alexander and incline to the Emperors faction which stood thus After the death of Adrian the fourth Rouland a Geneuese and a great enemy of the The Election of two Popes Empire is by two and twenty Cardinalls elected Pope by the name of Alexander the third to which election foure Cardinals opposed and made choyce of Octauian a Citizen of Rome that would be called Victor the first The Emperor Frederic Barbarossa summons these two Popes to a Concel at Pauia to vnderstand determin their right Alexander makes the old answere that the Pope could not be iudged by any man liuing refuses to appeare before the Emperour and withdrawes into Anagnia Victor consents to appeare there or wheresoeuer the Emperour would appoint so that he was the man for that side But all the other Princes of Christendom except those of the Emperours faction acknowledge Alexander for Pope as elected by most voyces And especially by the King of France who called him thither and at Cocy vpon Loyr he and the King of England receiued him with all honour and reuerence in so much as they are sayd to haue attended vpon his Stirrop the one on the right hand the other on the left after this he calls a Councell at Tours whether the Kings of England Spaine and Hungarie send their Ambassadors and there are the constitutions of the Councell of Pauia and the Emperours confirmation of Victor nullified so that Alexander hauing his party dayly increasing in Italy was shortly after receiued into Rome Notwithstanding all this the King of England finding him so auers in this businesse Falls off from him renounces his Authority turnes to the Emperours faction seekes to strength himselfe with the Princes of Germanie consents to match his daughter Maude to the Duke of Saxony at the motion of Reginald Archbishop of Collen sent ouer by the Emperour for that purpose and intertaines a motion for another daughter to bee matched with the Emperours sonne But now by reason this contrary faction to Pope Alexander grew to bee but feeble all this working did the King no good but exasperates the Pope and sets him on the more to support the cause of the Archbishop who sollicites the Clergie of Pope Alexanders letter to the Clergie of England England threatnes intreats adiures them not to forsake their hold nor giue way to the inuador of their liberties which sought to confound the Priesthood and the Kingdome and if they opposed not mainely at the first but suffered the least breach to bee made vpon them they were vndone Then excommunicates hee all the especiall Ministers of the King that adhered to the Teutonicque faction or held
intelligence with the Archbishop of Collen As Iohn of Oxford Richard Iuechester Richard de Lucie Iosslin Balliol Alan de Neuile and with these all such as had entred vpon the goods of the Church of Canterbury which hee called the patrimony of the Crusifex and the foode of the poore and these were Ralph de Brocke Hugh Saint Clare and Thomas Fitz Barnard Thus are both sides busied in this drie warre wherein though there were no sword yet it gaue vexation ynough And yet this was not all the worke that tooke vp the Kings time for during this dissention the Welsh againe reuolt and to supresse them he spent much labour with The King represses the Welch the losse of many great men and was himselfe in that daunger as had not Hubert Saint Clere receiued a wounde for him by an Arrow aymed directly at his person hee had there finished his part In this expedition hee is sayd to haue vsed extreame crueltie After this hee passes into Normandie to bee neere his businesse which now lay all on that side And first to entertaine the opinion of Pictie though hee were falne out with the Pope hee obtaines at an Assembly of his Bishops and Barons of Normandie 1166. Anno. Reg. 13. two pence in the pound of euery mans Lands and goods to beepayde that yeare 1166. and a penny of euery pound to be payde for foure yeares following which was leuied for the reliefe of the Christians in the Holy warre and sent vnto them Then hee raises forces and takes in certaine Castles in the Countrey of Maine and Marches of Brittaine from diuers Lords and Barons that had disobayed him And whilst he was busie abroade Mathew sonne to the Earle of Flanders who had married the Lady Marie Abbesse of Ramsey daughter to King Stephen had by her the Country of Bologne attempted something on the Coast of England either to try the affections of the people or to make spoyle and booty but without any effect at all the King being to mighty for any such weake vndertaker And to distend his powre yet wider falls out this occasion Conan Earle of Britaine dies and leaues one onely daughter which hee had by his wife Constance daughter to the King of Scots to succeed him in his State The King of England being then in armes vpon the Marches of Brittaine deales with the Guardians of the young Ladie to match her to his third sonne Geffry The nobility of that Country being then of a rough and haughty disposition giuen to fewds and perpetuall quarrelling one with another were wrought vpon and a side is wonne of such as could doe most in this businesse which is effected to the great contentation of the King of England This fell out to be in the 13 yeare of his raigne wherein as some write died his Mother Maud the Empresse a Lady of an high and actiue Spirit illustrious by her birth but more by her first match and most by her sonne whom she liued to see established in all these mighty States in the glory of Greatnesse Peace Fertile in issue hauing now The death of Maude the Empresse had 4 sonnes and 3 daughters linkes of loue and strength oftentimes in priuate families though seldome in Princes and shee left him in the best time of his daies before any great tempest ouertooke him Three yeares after this hee imployes most in France about the ordering and cleering the bounds of his Dominions from vsurpation or incrochments of neighbour Lords whom his greatnesse held all in awe and they must haue no more then hee would especially hee settles and reformes the State of Brittaine which was much out of order and in muteny about the late Match which being appeased hee keepes a solemne Christmas at Nants and Royally feasts the Nobilitie of the Countrey 1169. Anno. Reg. 16. Then returnes he into England where least Peace by reason of his long and often absence might afflict and corrupt his subiects he lookes to that Diuine and Almighty worke of Kings the administration of Iustice appoynting certaine commissioners as Syndicqs to examine the abuses and excesses committed by his Officers and grieuously Extortion and Bribety punished punishes the Shriefes of the Land for extortion and bribery His Easter he keepes at Windsor whither repaires vnto him William King of Scots who lately succeeded Malcom his brother and brings with him his younger brother Dauid both to congratulate the King of Englands returne and also continue his claime to those peeces in the North which hee pretended to bee vniustly detained from that Crowne The King entertaines him as hee had done his brother with faire words and tells him How it was not in his powre to doe any thing therein without the consent of the State in Parliament which if hee would attend there should bee that course taken as hee hoped might giue him satisfaction In expectation whereof this King came often into England and once attended the King in an expedition into France as his Predecesor had done But now all this while the wrath of the Church continues and the clowde hangs still ouer him dayly threatning the great thunder-bolt Although it seemes the Pope of himselfe was not verie forward to proceede to that extremity but would gladly haue quieted the Archbishoppe otherwise Who hee sayd had taken an ill time for this businesse the King being mighty and the Church in trouble and therefore writes The Pope writes to the Bishops of England he his letters to the Bishop of London and Hereford willing them to deale effectually with the King and to admonish him to desist from intruding vpon the liberties of the Church and to restore the Archbishop to his Sea and Dignity The Bishops wisely answere the Popes Letter in substance thus Wee haue sayd they done your Holinesse message and as much as was decent for the Maiestie The Bishops answere to the Popes Letter if a King instantly vrged him to satisfie your desire made by vs and if hee had erred from the way of truth and Iustice that hee would not delay to returne thereunto that hee would not inhibit such as were desirous to visit the Church of Rome hinder Appeales oppresso Churches and Churchmen or suffer others so to doe that hee would call home our Father the Archbishoppe c. and persist in the workes of Pietie that hee by whom Kings raigne might preserue vnto him his temporall Kingdome and giue him an eternall in Heauen and that vnlesse hee would yeelde to your Holy admonitions you who had hitherto indured could in patience forbeare no longer Besides we added this of our selues how it was to bee feared if hee amended not his errours his Kingdome would not long stand nor his prosper The King receiued your admonitions with manie thankes much Temperance and Modestie and answeres to euerie point First hee protested that in no sort hee auerted his minde from your Holinesse nor euer purposed so to
and by the vniuersall Councell of the Kingdome graunted his daughter to the King of Sicile to whom shee was shortly after sent and there honourably indowed with many Cities and Castles as may appeare by the Charter of that King But the great Match that was prouided for Earle Iohn became frustrate by the Vide Append. death of Alice daughter to the Earle of Mauriana and hee is married to the daughter of William Earle of Glocester by whom hee was to haue that Earldome This William was sonne to Robert brother to Maude the Empresse The same yeare also hee marries Elionor another of his daughters to Alphonso King of Castile and takes vp the controuersie betweene him and his Vncle Sanctio King of Nauarre about the detention of certaine bordering peeces of each others Kingdome both the Kings hauing referred the businesse to his arbitration Likewise the marriage which should haue beene betweene his sonne Richard 1178. Anno. Reg. 24. and Alice daughter to the French King committed heretofore to his custodie was againe treated on and vrged hard by the Popes Legat to bee consummated vpon paine of interdiction But yet it was put off for that time and both Kings notwithstanding concluded a perpetuall League and amitie to ayde each other against all men and to bee Enemies to each others Enemies Besides they both vowed an expedition to the Holy Land in person which they liued not to performe The King of France vpon a daungerous sicknesse of his sonne Philip vowes a visitation of the Sepulcher of Thomas the Martire of Canterbury and vpon licence and safe conduct of the King of England performes the same with great deuotion and Rich presents First offering vpon his Tombe a massie Cup of Gold and after gaue and confirmed by his Charter twenty eight Tunne and a halfe of wine for the Monkes annually to bee receiued at Possi at the charge of the King of France and beside freed them from all Tolle and Custome for whatsoeuer they should buy in his Kingdome After hauing stayed there three dayes hee returnes towardes France conducted 1179. Anno. Reg. 25. by the King of England to Douer The Sonne recouers health but the Father lost his in this iourney for comming to Saint Denise hee was taken with a Palsie and liued not long after The weaknesse of his Age and disease mooued him presently to haue his sonne Philippe beeing but fifteene yeares of Age to bee 1180. Anno. Reg. 26. Crowned King in his life time which was done at Reines Anno 1179. Henry Duke of Saxonie who had married Maude daughter to King Henry was expelled his Dutchie and banished by the Emperour Frederic the third for seuen yeares for detayning the reuenues which the Archbishop of Cologne had out of Saxonie and refusing to come vnto tryall at the Imperiall Chamber according to his faith and promise made to the Emperour so that hee was driuen to come for succour with his Wife and Children to his Father in Law into England where hee remained three yeares and vpon the comming of the Archbishoppe of Cologne to visit the Sepulcher of Thomas of Canterburie meanes was wrought to restore him to his Dutchie and a motion is made of marriage for Richard the Kings sonne with the daughter of the Emperour Frederic notwithstanding the contract made with Alice daughter to the King of France long before but this last intention was made frustrate by the death of the Emperours daughter King Henry sends his sonne Iohn to reside in Ireland to the end that the Maiestie of a Court and the number of attendants which the same would draw thither might both a we and ciuilise that Countrey but hee being accompaned with many gallants young as himselfe who scorning and deriding the Irish in regard of their rude habits and fashions wrought an ill effect For it turned out three of their greatest Kings Limmeric Conact and Corke into open act of rebellion Gens enim haec sicut natio quauis barbara quanquam honorem nesciant honorari tamen supra modum affectant saith Giraldus Cambrensis Now this faire time of peace which King Henry enioyed gaue him leasure to seeke out all meanes to supply his coffers wherein hee was very vigilant and hearing of the great summes which Roger Archbishoppe of Yorke had giuen by his Testament to godly vses sends Commissioners to finde out and to seize the same to his owne vses Alledging that the Archbishop had giuen Iudgement in his life time that it was against Law any Ecclesiasticall person should dispose any thing by will vnlesse before hee The King sends after monies giuen to pious vses by Testators of the Clergie were sicke and that himselfe had done contrary to his owne Decree The Commissioners hauing found out that Hugh Bishop of Durham had receiued of the Archbishop three hundred Markes of siluer to bee bestowed in those vses demaund the same for the King The Bishop replies that hauing receiued it from the hands of the Archbishoppe hee had according to his will distributed the same amongst the Leprous Blinde and Lame in repayring Churches Bridges and Hospitalls so that who would haue it must gather it vp againe of them Which answere so displeased the King as besides the seizing vpon the Castle of Dures'm hee wrought this Bishop much vexation His meanes certaine besides the reuenue of his Demesne and the benefit of the Forests were not then great in England which caused him oftentimes in The Vacancie of Lincoln held 18 yeares to the Kings vse his necessities to bee bould with the Church and to hold their benifices vacant as hee did the Bishopricke of Lincolne eighteene yeares Hee made a new Coyne in England which was round decryed the Olde and put all the Coyners to great ransome for corrupting the olde money And besides to saue his purse in regard the continuall charge of Horse and Armour was heauie vnto him hee caused euerie mans Lands and substance to bee rated for the furnishing thereof And first beganne the same in his Dominions beyond the Seas ordayning That whosoeuer had a hundredpounds Aniouin money in goods and chattles should finde a Horse and all Militarie furniture thereunto and whosoeuer had in chattle fortie thirtie or twentie pounds Aniouin money should finde a Corslet Head-peece Launce and Sword or Bow and Arrowes with a strict prohibitition that no man should sell or pawne this Armour but bee bound to Vide Append. leaue it when hee died to his next heire And this Order afterward hee established in England 1181. Anno. Reg. 17. by consent of the State The King of France and the Earle of Flaunders by his example did the like in their Countreys Great and manifold were the expences of this mightie King in respect of his entertainments pensions and rewards hauing so wide an Estate and so many euer in his worke both of his owne and others who must alwaies be seed And besides oftentimes hee is faine to
partaker of our ioy and thought fit to signifie to your be louednesse that the Lord the Emperour hath prefixd the day thereof to be vpon Munday after the Feast of King Richards letters into England the Natiuity and the Sunday after we shall receiue theCrowne of the Kingdome of Prouince which he hath giuen vs whereof we send his Letters Patents vnto you and other our friends and well willers and doe you in the meane time as much as in you lyeth comfort those you know loue vs and desire our promotion Teste me ipso apud Spiram 22. Sep. The Emperour likewise writes to the Bishops Earles Barons and other the Subiects of England how he purposed to aduance and magnificently to honour his especiall friend their King and in this Coyne are they payd at home for what they were to lay out King Richard sends after this for his mother Queene Elionor who is still a trauailer and for the Archbishop of Rouen with many others to come vnto him about the time and businesse of his deliuerance for which There is imposed vpon euery Knights Fee twenty shillings the fourth part of all lay mens reuenues and the fourth part of all the reuenues of the Clergie with a tenth of their goods is inioyned to be payd The Chalices and treasure of all Churches are taken to make vp the summe the like is done in all his territories beyond the Seas so dearely cost the returne of this King from his Easterne voyage And this Queene Berenguela had likewise her part of affliction in this iourney for shee with her sister in law the Queene Dowager of Sicilia fearing the Emperours malice were a whole yeare in trauayling from Palestina and at length were conducted vnto Poictou The King of France hearing of this conclusion made betwixt King Richard and The King of France and Earle Iohn proffer great sums to hold King Richard prisoner the Emperour writes to the Earle Iohn how the Diuell was got loose willing him now to looke to himselfe and it vexed them exceedingly both being disappointed thus of their hopes And there vpon the Earle Iohn leauing his Castles in England well defended and incouraging his Soldiers to hold out and credit no reports departes into Normandy where he with the King of France whilest King Richard is yet in the Emperours hands solicites him with the proffer of a hundred and fifty thousand Markes or else a thousand pounds a moneth so long as he held him his prisoner But it preuayled not though it staggered the Emperour for a time who in the end shewed this letter to King Richard that he might see what care was taken for him and then deliuers him to his mother Elionor receiuing the pledges for obseruation of peace and the rest of the ransome vnpayd The Archbishop of Rouen the Bishop of Bath with the sonnes of many principall Earles and Barons And so in February King Richards returne into England one yeare and sixe weekes after his Captiuity in the fourth yeare of his raigne he returnes into England where the Bishops in whose grace especially he was had excommunicated the Earle Iohn and all his adherents and taken in his Castles of Marleborow Lancaster and a fortresse at Saint Michels mount in Cornewall defended by Henry de Pumeroy But his Castle of Nottingham though strongly assailed by Ralph Earle of Chester and the Earle Ferrers and the Castle of Tichill by the Bishop of Duresme held out for the Earle Iohn and found the King some worke to doe vpon his returne who presently without any stay otherwhere came before Nottingham Castle withall the shew of state and greatnesse he could make which yet could not so terrifie the defen dants as to make them yeeld confident either in their owne strength or in opinion that there 1193. Anno. Reg. 5. was no King euer to returne to assault them and supposiing it but a meere shew resolued to hould out for their maister which put the King to much trauayle and great expence of blood before they rendred themselues which was also vpon pardon Those of the Castell of Tichill yeelded to the Bishop of Duresme their persons and goods saued The King assembles a Parlement at Nottingham where Queene Elionor was present and sat on his right hand The first day of the Session he disserseth Girard de Canuile of A Parlament at Notingham the Castle of Lincoln and the Shriefwike of that Shire from Hugh Bardolph hee takes the Shriefwicke of Yorkshire the Castles of Yorke Scarborow and the custody of Westmerland and exposes them all to Sale The Archbishop of Yorke giues for the Shriefwicke of Yorkeshire three thousand Markes with one hundred Markes of annuall rent The second day of the Session the King requires iudgement vpon the Earle Iohn for hauing contrary to his Oath of fealty vsurped his Castles c. and contracted confederacy with the King of France against him And likewise iudgement against Hugh de Nauant Bishop of Couentry for adhering to the Earle Iohn and the Kings enemies And it was adiudged they should both appeare at a peremptory day to stand to the law Which if they did not the Earle Iohn to deserue banishment and the Bishop to vnder goe the iudgement both of the Clergie as being a Bishop and of the Layety being the Kings Shriefe But this Bishop two years after was restored to the Kings fauour and his Bishopricke for fiue thousand Markes The third day of this Session was graunted to the King of euery ploughland through out England two shillings besides the King required the third part of the seruice of euery Knights Fee for his attendance in Normandy and all the Wooll that yeare of the Monkes Cisteaux Which for that it was grieuous and insupportable vnto them they fine for money The fourth and last day was for the hearing of grieuances and accusations and so this assembly brake vp But here either to adde more Maiesty after calamity or else to nullifie his act done to the Eemperour is appointed the Kings recoronation to be solemnised Richard againe crowned at Winchester at Winchester presently vpon the Feast of Easter next following Whilest the king was in these parts William King of Scots repaires to him and required the dignities and honours his predesessors of right had in England and with all the counties of Northumberland Cumberland Westmerland and Lancaster To whom the King of England first answered that he would satisfie him by the aduice of his Councell with shortly after was assembled at Northampton where after deliberation he told him that his petition ought not in reason to be graunted at that time when almost all the Princes of France were his enemies for it would be thought rather an act of feare then any true affection and so put it off for that time with faire promises yet graunts he by the aduice and consent of the Councell vnder his Charter to William King of Scotts and his heires
for euer that when by sommons they should come to the Court of the king of England the Bishop of Duresme and the Shriefe of Northumberland should receaue them at the riuer of Tweed and bring them vnder safe conduct to the riuer of Teis and there the Archbishop of Yorke and the Shriefe of Yorkshire should receiue and conduct them to the bounds of that county and so the Bishops and Shriefes of other Shires till they came to the Court of the King of England and from the time that the King of Scots first entred into this Realme hee should haue an hundred shillings a day allowed of guift for his charge and after he came to the Court thirty shillings a day and twelue Wastells and twelue Simnells of the Kings foure quartes of the Kings best wine and six of ordinary wine two pounds of pepper and foure pounds of Cinamon two pounds of Waxe or foure Wax lights forty great long perchers of the Kings best candles and twenty foure of other ordinary and at his returne to be safely conducted as he came and with the same allowance From Northampton both the Kings go to Woodstock and thence to Winchester where the Coronation is sumptuously solemnised And there King Richard resumes the two Resumptions Mannors he sold to the Bishop of Winchester at his going to the holy Warre and likewise the Castle of Winchester and that county with whatsoeuer sales he had made else of the Demaynes of the Crowne alledging that it was not in his power to aliene any thing appertayning to the same whereby his State was to subsist The Bishop of Duresme seeing these reuocations did voluntarily deliuer vp the Castle of Duresme with the County of Northumberland which the King willed to be deliuered to Hugh Bardolph Hugh Bishop of Lincoln gaue for the liberty of his Church one thousand Markes of siluer redeeming thereby the custome of giuing to the King of England euery yeare a cloke furred with Sabells Here all such who had taken part with the Earle Iohn and defended his Castles were sommoned to appeare and all the rich were put to their ransome the poorer sort let go at liberty but under sureties of an hundred Markes a peece to answere in the Kings Court whensoeuer they should be called The King of Scots seeing the King of England vse all meanes for money offers fifteene thousand Markes for Northumberland with the appurtenances alledging how King Henry the second gaue the same to Henry his Father and that after him King Malcom inioyed it fiue yeares This large offer of money tempted King Richard so as againe hee consulted with his Councell about the matter and in conclusion was willing to yeeld the same to the King of Scots reseruing to himselfe the Castles but that the King of Scots would not accept and so with much discontent departs into Scotland yet two yeares after this King Richard sends Hubert Walter Archbishop of Canterbury to Yorke there to treate with the King of Scots of a marriage betweene Otho his Nephew and Margaret daughter to the said king to haue for her dowre all Lynox and he would giue with his Nephew Northumberland and the Earldome of Carlile with all the Castles but the Queene of Scots in the time of this treaty being knowne to be with Childe it tooke no effect From Winchester king Richard departs into Normandy with an hundred ships so that his stay in England was but from the latter end of February to the tenth of May and that time onely spent in gleaning out what possible this kingdome could yeeld to consume King Richord departs into Normandy with 100 ships the same in his businesses of France which tooke vp all the rest of his raigne being in the whole but nine yeares and nine months whereof he was neuer aboue eight moneths in England Nor doe wee finde that euer his wife Berenguela was here or had any dowry or honour of a Queene of England or otherwise of any regard with him how much souer she had deserued And now all affaires that either concerned the state in generall or any mannes particular was to the great charge and trauayle of the Subiects of England to be dispatched in Normandy and that game we had by our large dominions abrode The first action that king Richard vndertooke vpon his comming ouer was the relieuing of Vernoul beseiged by the king of France and there his brother Iohn by the mediation of their mother Queene Elionor is reconciled vnto him and abiures the part of the king of France And to make his party the stronger in those countries hee first giues his sister Ioane Queene Dowager of Sicile to Raymond Earle of Toulouse being the neerest neighbour of power to his Dutchy of Guien and might most offend him Then enters league with Balduine Earle of Flanders from whom the king of France had taken Artois and Vermandois and on all sides seekes to imbroyle his enemy Foure yeares at least held this miserable turmoyle betwixt these two kings surprising recouering ruyning and spoyling each others Estate often deceuing both the world and themselues with shew of couenants reconciliatorie which were euer more broken againe vpon all aduantages according to the mistery of war and ambition King Phillip of France to strengthen himselfe with shipping to oppose the English marries Botilda the sister of Knut king of Denmark but this match made for his ends and not affection turned to his more trouble for the next day after his wedding hee put her away pretending besides other things propinquity of bloud and for this had he long and great contention with the Church and the king of Denmarke The Emperor sends to the king of England a massie Crowne of gold and offers to come and ayde him against the king of France and to inuade his kingdome but the king returnes him onely thankes not willing to haue him stire in this busines and in regard hee suspected the Emperour affected to adde France to the Empire which would not be safe for him or that the King of France dealing with the Emperour might win him with mony and so in the end ioyne both together against him Now to supply the charge of this great 1194. Anno. Reg. 6. worke England was sure still to beare the heauiest part and no shift is leaft vnsought that might any way rayse meanes to the King from hence Witnesse the Commission giuen to the Iustices Itnerants sent into euery Shire of England for exaction vpon pleas of the Crowne for Escheats wardships marriages c. with the improuement of the Demaynes and the order taken for the exact knowing of the Estates of men and especially of the Iewes on whom the King Vide Append. would haue none to prey but himselfe Then the raysing an imposition vpon allowance of Turnements which was for euery Earle twenty Markes of siluer euery Baron ten euery Kinght hauing Meanes vsed for money lands foure and for such as
mindefull of the subuersion of Sodome and to abstaine from things vnlawfull therby to auoyd the vengeance of God he vpon an insuing sicknes a sounder Counsailor then health remembring this aduertisment vowes a reformation of his life and did afterward vpon his recouery euery morning rise early to heare deuine seruice For which Houeden hath this note how glorious it is for a Prince to begin and end his actions in him who is beginning without beginning and iudges the ends of the Earth Besides he growes hospitable to the poore and made restitution of much Church vessell that had beene taken and sold for his ransome Though this King had no issue yet was hee told by a Priest in France that he had three euill His yssue daughters and admonished to put them away and bestow them abroad to auoyde the punishment of God The King gaue him the lie and sayd he knew none he had Yes Sir replied the Priest three daughters you haue and they are these Pride Couetousnesse and Lecherie The King calling those who were present about him and relating what the Priest had said willed them to be witnesses how he would bestow these his 3 daughters which the Priest charged him withall The 1. which is Pride I giue to the Templars and Hospitallers Couetuousnesse to the Monkes of Cisteaux Order and Lecherie to the Clergie this sodaine retortion shewes vs his quicknesse and what kinde of men were then muligned and out of his grace The end of the Life and Raigne of Richard the first The Life and raigne of King Iohn IOHN hauing his brothers Army in the field with all his Seruants and followers intertaines them generally with promises of large rewards 1199. Anno. Reg. 1. and thereby had the aduantages of time power and opinion to help him on to his desires Hubert Archbishop of Canterbury being vpon busines in those parts and the most potent minister he could wish for so mighty a worke he presently dispatches for England with William Marshall Earle of Striguil Geffery Fitz Peter c. to prepare the people to receiue him for their King who especially dealing with those were most doubted would oppose him and vndertaking for him that he should restore vnto them their rights and gouerne the Kingdome as hee ought with moderation wrought so as they were all content vpon those conditions to sweare Fealte vnto him against all men These vndertakers likewise send word to William King of Scots to hold him in from any attempt that hee should also haue full satisfaction for what hee claymed in England vpon the returne of their new Maister And so were all things made cleare on this fide But on the other the right of succession which was in Arthur the Elder brothers Sonne stirred affections of another nature the nobility of Aniou Maine and Tureine maintayning the vsuall custome of inheritance adhere to Arthur whom his mother Constance puts vnder the Protection of the King of France who receiues him and vndertakes the defence of his right Iohn hauing his chiese ayme at the Crowne of England could haue no time of stay to close those ruptures that so violently brake out there but hauing receiued the inuestiture King Iohns Coronation of the Dutchy of Normandy and performed all those rites he speedily with his mother Elionor who must haue her part in euery act of her Sonnes passes ouer into England and by way of election receues the crowne vpon the Assention day at the hands of Hubert Archbish. of Canterbury who in his Oration as it is recorded in Mat. Pa. before the whole Assembly of the state shewed that by all reason deuine humaine none ought to succeed in the Kingdome but who should be for the worthynesse of his vertues vniuersally chosen by the state as was this man c. which then seemes especially vrged in respect his title of succession would not carry it And the Archbishop afterward vpon this poynt being questioned confessed to his friends that he foresaw this man would what bloud and mischiefe soeuer it should cost in the end obtayne the crowne And therefore the safer way was to preuent confusion that the land should rather make him King then he make himselfe and that this election would be some tye vpon him So came Iohn to the crowne of England which he gouerned with as great iniustice as he gat it and imbraked the state and himselfe in those miserable incombrances thorow his violences and oppression as produced desperat effects and made way to those great alterations in the gouernment which followed The Queene Mother a woman of an high and working spirit was an especiall agent in this preferment of her Sonne Iohn in respect of her owne greatnesse knowing how shee should be more by him then shee could be by her grand-childe Arthur who had a mother would looke to become Regent here and so ouer-shaddow her estate which was a thing not to be indured Besides Arthur was a child borne and bred a stranger and neuer shewed vnto the Kingdome so that he had nothing but his right to draw a party which could not be such in regard of the daunger of the aduenture things standing as they did that could doe him any great good Men being content rather to embrace the present though wrong with saftie then seeke to establish anothers right with the hazard of their own confusion The state of England secured King Iohn returnes into Normandy vpon intelligence giuen England secured to King Iohn of the defection wrought in those parts by Phillip the French King who had giuen the order of Knighthood to Arthur and taken his homage for Aniou Poctou Main Turein and also for Normandy in regard as he pretended that King Iohn had neglected to come and doe him homage for the same as members held of the crowne of France King Iohn not willing vpon his new and doubtfull admission to the gouernment to ingulph 1200. Anno. Reg. 2. himselfe into a sodaine warre mediates a Parle with the King of France who well vnderstanding the time and his owne aduantages requires so vnreasonable conditions as King Iohn could not without great dishonor yeeld vnto and so they fall to the sword The King of France vnder pretence of working for Arthur gets for himselfe which being discouered Arthur with his mother Constance are brought by the perswasion of their chiefe Minister William de la Roche to commit themselues to the protection of King Iohn of whom likewise conceiuing a sodaine iealofie or else informed of his purpose Prince Arthur and his mother flie to Angiers to imprison them the next night after their comming got secretly away fled to Angiers So this yong Prince borne to be crusht betweene these two potent Kings intending only their owne ends gaue occasion by leauing them both to make both his enemies After many attempts and little gaine on either side another treaty is mediated by the Popes Legats wherein King Iohn
executions who vnderstands not as well the Counsailors as the Councell Resolued he is giuen ouer to confusion and reuenge to dissolue this tye and priuily withdrawes himselfe into the Isle of Wight from whence hee sends his Agents to Rome Retires into the Isle of Wight writes to the Pope where now he could doe any thing to complaine of this inforced act to the Pope who by a definitiue Sentence first condemnes and nullifies what was done and after excommunicates the Barons who during this absence and retire of their King knowing the violence of his nature and doubting their owne danger keepe in and about the The Pope excommunicates the Barons Citie of London and there vnder collour of Turnements and exercise of armes inuite those who were abroad to resort vnto them and so retaine themselues together in a combination for their owne defence without seeking farther to interrupt their Kings courses either by surprise of his person which they being of so great strength might easily haue done or vsing meanes to intercept his Agents and take from him those Limbes of his powre that might worke to offend them But this must either argue that their end was onely to haue but what they had obtayned The error of the Barons the restitution of the Liberties of the Kingdome which though thus recouered by violence they seemed desirous to hold with peace or els their negligence which may be thought strange in those wakefull and actiue times to be such as to leaue a displeased King alone to his owne working especially remoued to a place where the sea being open vnto him his outsendings might bee without view or noting vnlesse either they presumed of his little credit abroad or their owne powre at home But during this his retyre in the Isle which was three monthes he slacks no time to put his desires in execution and besides his dispatch to Rome sends the Bishop of Worcester Chancellor of England the Bishop of Norwich and others with his seale to procure The King sends to leauy forraine forces him forraine forces out of such parts beyond the seas as held correspondency with him appoynting them to make their repaire to Douer about Michaelmas next In the mean time without any royall shew or stir attended with some borrowed seruants of the Bishop of Norwich marriners of the Cink-ports whom he intertayned he as they write fell to piracy exercised himself at sea whiles various reports are made of him here on land some giuing out that he was turned Fisher some a Merchant others a Pirate But at the time appoynted he meetes at Douer with those forraine forces drawne He meetes with them at Douer together out of Poictou and Gascony vnder the Conduct of Sauarie de Malleon Geffrey and Oliuer Buteuile brothers with others out of Louayne and Brabant vnder Walter Buck Gerrard Sotin and Godshall all desperate aduenturers leading an excecrable sort of people whose miserable fortunes at home easily drew thē to any mischiefes abroade with these is King Iohn furnished to set vpon his owne people And had not Hugh Hugh de Boues with forty thousand men c. comming out of Flanders drowned de Boues to whom the Countries of Suffolke Norfolk were allotted for seruice to be done setting foorth from Calice with 40 thousand more men women and children beene by sodaine tempest drowned in the Sea hee had made an vniuersall Conquest of the Kingdome far more miserable then the Norman considering that with those hee had he wrought so much as we shall heare presently he did For after he had recouered the Castle of Rochester which William de Albinet with memorable courage held out three monthes against all that mighty powre of his the The King in halfe a yeare recouers all his Castles Barons not able or not aduenturing to succour him hee marched ouer the most of the Kingdome and within halfe a yeare got in all the Castles of the Barons euen to the borders of Scotland and was absolute Maister of all England except the Citie of London on which he forbare to aduenture in regard of the close vnited powre of the 1216. Anno. Reg. 18. Barons that resolutely held and vowed to die together and seperate them hee could not and therefore from Rochester he marches to Saint Albones where the first publication of the Popes excommunication of the Barons is pronounced And here hee deuides his Army consisting most of rauenous strangers in two King Iohn at Saint Albons deuides his armie in two parts parts appoynting his brother William Earle of Salisbury with Falcasius Sauarie de Malleon leader of the Poictouins Briwer and Buc of the Flemings and Brabantines to gard the Countries and Castles about the Citie of London to cut off all prouisions and anoy the Barons by all meanes possible himself with the other part of his forces drawes Northward and layes waste all the Countries before him and both these Armies set onely vpon distruction inflict all those calamities that the rage of a disorderly war could commit vpon a miserable people that made no head at all against them All Countries suffer in this affliction and King Iohn marching as farte as Berwike had purposed to haue carried it farther threatning Alexander King of Scots that hee would hunt the Foxe to his hole alluding to his red haire had hee not beene called from that attempt to come backe to these parts vpon discouerie of new designes practised by the Barons who seeing themselues depriued of their Estates giuen away to Strangers The Barons sollicit Louys the French Kings sonne to take vpon him the Crowne of England their wiues and daughters violated all their substance consumed desperatly fall vpon another extreme making out for succour to Louys the French Kings sonne solliciting him to take vpon him the Crowne of England wherein they promised by their free Election to inuest him and to send pledges for the performance thereof being perswaded that those forces of the French which King Iohn had intertayned would vpon the comming of those aides from the King of France being their Soueraigne forsake him This message is intertayned a Parliament is called at Lions by King Philip the father of Louys the businesse consulted and resolued vpon Louys besides the assurance made of this proffered election relies vpon a title which he claymes by his wife Blanch daughter to the Sister of King Iohn and writes to the Barons that hee would shortly send them succour and not be long behinde to be with them in person The intelligence of this designe is soone intimated to the Pope who presently sends The Pope writes to diuert Louys from the enterprise his Agent to the King of France with letters to intreat him not to suffer his sonne to inuade or disquiet the King of England but to defend him in regard he was a vassall of the Roman Church and the Kingdome by reason of Dominion
them doubtfull what to resolue vpon in regard of the tender youth of Henry and their Oath made to Louys But such was the insolence of the French making spoyle and prey of whatsoeuer they could fasten on and now inuested by Louys contrarie to his Oath in all those places of importance they had recouered as made many of the English to relinquish The confession of the Viscont Melun at his death their sworne fidelitie and forsake his part Which more of them would haue done but for the shame of inconstancie and the daunger of their pledges remayning in France which were great tyes vpon them Besides the popular bruit generally divulged concerning the confession of the Viscont Melun a Frenchman who lying at the point of death toucht with compunction is said to reueale the intention vow of Louys which was vtterly to extinguish the English nation whom he held vile neuer to be trusted hauing forsaken their own Soueraign Lord wrought a great auersion in the hearts of the English which whither it were indeed vttered or giuen out of purpose it was so to be expected according to the precedents of all in-brought farreiners vpon the deuisions of a distracted people And first William Earle of Salisbury mooued in bloud to succour his Nephew tooke Diuers Lords reuolt from Louys away a maine peece from the side of Louys and with him the Earles of Arundle Warren William sonne and heire to the great Marshall returne to the fidelity of Henry after 6 months they had reuolted to the seruice of Louys which now may be thought was don but to temporise and try the hazard of a doubtfull game otherwise a brother would not haue forsaken a brother nor so Noble a father and sonne haue deuided their starres Notwithstanding Louys found hands enow to hold London withall the Countries about it a whole yeare after so that the young King was constrained to remaine about Glocester Worcester and Bristow where his wakefull Ministers faile not to imploy all means to gather vpon whatsoeuer aduantages could be espied at length so wrought as they draw the enemy from the head of the kingdome downe into the body first into Leceister-shire to releeue the Castle of Montsorell a peece apertayning to Saer de Quincy Earle of Winchester a great partisan of Louys and after by degrees to Lincoln where a Noble Lady called Phillippa but of what famely time hath iniuriously bereft vs the knowledge had more then with feminine courage defended the Castle the space of a whole yere against Gilbert de Gant the French forces which were possest of the town The Earle Marshall Protector of the King and kingdom with his sonne William the Bishops of Winchester Salisbury and Chester the Earles of Salisbury Ferrers and Albemarle William de Albinet Iohn Marshall William de Cantelupe Falcasius Thomas Basset Robert Veypont Brent de Lisle Geffrey Lucy Philip de Albinet and many other Barons and marshall men being with all the powre of the young king whose forces as he marched grew dayly greater come to a place called Stow within 8 miles of Lincoln the Legat Guallo to adde courage resolution to the army caused vpon confession of their sinnes the Eucharist to be ministred and giues them a plenary absolution solemnly The forces of Louys ouerthrowne accursing Louys with all his adherents as seperated from the vnity of the Church which done they set forth and with such violence assaile the City on all sides as the defendants after the Earle of Perch valiantly fighting was slaine were soone defeited and all the principall men taken prisoners whereof these are nominated Saer Earle of Winchester Henry de Bohun Earle of Hereford Gilbert de Gant lately made Earle of Lincoln by Louys Robert Fitz Walter Richard Monfichet William Moubray William Beauchamp william Maudit Oliuer Harcort Roger de Cressy William de Coleuile William de Ros Robert de Ropsley Ralph Chandnit Barons besides foure hundred Knights or men at Armes with their seruants horse and foot The number and quality of the persons taken shew the importance of the place and the greatnesse of the victorie which gaue Louys his maine blow and was the last of his battailes in England The spoyles were very great being of a City at that time rich in Marchandize The spoyle of Lincolne whereupon the winners in derision tearmed it Louys his Faire Many of those who escaped and fled from this ouerthrow were slaine by the Country people in their disorderly passing towards London vnto Louys who vpon notice of this great defeat sends presently ouer for succours into France and drawes all the powre he had in England to the Citie of London whether the Earle Marshall with the young King bend their course with purpose either to assaile Louys vpon this fresh dismay of his losse and the distraction of his partakers or induce him by agreement to relinquish the Kingdome The first being found difficult the last is propounded whereunto Louys would not The Peace was concluded the 11 of Sep. be brought to yeeld vntill hearing how his succors comming out of France were by Phillip de Albenie and Hubert de Burgh with the forces of the Cinke-ports all vanquished at sea he then hoplesse of any longer subsisting with safty condiscendes to an accord takes fifteene thousand markes for his voyage abiures his claime to the Kingdome promises by Oath to worke his father as farre as in him lay for the restitution 1218. Anno. Reg. 3. of such Prouinces in France as appertayned to this Crowne and that when himselfe should be King to resigne them in peaceable manner On the other part King Henry takes his Oath and for him the Legat and the Protector to restore vnto the Barons of this Realme and other his Subiects all their rights and heritages with those liberties for which the discorde beganne betweene the late King and his people Generall pardon is granted and all prisoners freed on both fides Louys is honorably attended to Douer and departs out of England about Michelmas aboue two yeares after his first atiuall hauing beene here in the greatest part a receiued King and was more likely to haue established himselfe and made a Conquest of this Kingdome being thus pulled in by others armes then the Norman that made way with his owne had not the All-disposer otherwise diuerted it Such effects wrought the violence of an vnruly King and the desperation of an oppressed people which now notwithstanding the fathers iniquitie most willingly imbrace the sonne as naturally inclyned to loue and obey their Princes And in this recouery the industrie of Guallo the Legate wrought much though what he did therein was for his owne ends the pretended interest of the Pope whose ambition 1219. Anno. Reg. 4. had beene first an especiall cause of this great combustion in the Kingdom but as they who worke the greatest mischiefes are oftentimes the men that can best repaire them
so was it in this and therefore the lesse worthy of thankes The Legat was well payed for his paynes and notwithstanding the great distresse of the Kingdome carries away twelue thousand Markes with him to Rome But thus the long afflicted state began to haue some peace and yet with many distemp ratures at the first ere those virulent humors which the warre had bred were otherwise diuerted For many of the Nobles who had taken part with the King either vnsatisfied in their expectations or knowing not how to maintaine themselues and theirs but by rapine fall to mutinie surprizing of Castles and making spoyles in the Country as the Earle of Albemarle Robert de Veypont Foulke de Brent Brian de Liste Hugh de Bailioll with many other but at length they are likewise appeased And seeing the warre must nurse whom it had bred an Action is vndertaken for the Holy Land whither Ralph Earle of Chester Saer de Quincy Earle of Winchester William de Albeny Earle of Arundle Robert Fitz Walter William de Harcort with many other are sent with great forces Besides to vnburthen the Kingdome all strangers vnlesse such as came with Merchandize are commanded to auoyde the Land and all meanes vsed for the regayning the ability it had lost And no sooner had this prouident Protector the Earle of Pembrooke setled the The death of the Protector Earle Marshall Kings affaires but he dies to the great regrate of the Kingdome leauing behinde him a most Noble memorie of his actiue worth and is to bee numbred amongst the examples of the best of men to shew how much the Wisdome and Valour of a potent Subiect may steed a distracted State in times of danger The Bishop of Winchester imparting the charge with many other great Councellors is made Protector of the young King who in An. Reg. 4. is againe Crowned and the next yeare after hath by Parliament graunted for Elcuage two Markes of Siluer of euery Knights fee for the affaires of the Kingdome and recouery of his transmarine The King againe crowned 1. Parliament Dominions which now is designed and Malleon de Sauerie the Poictouine with William Long sword Earle of Salsburie sent ouer into Guien to try the affections of that people whom they finde for the most part inclinable to the obedience of this Crowne The King of France is required to make restitution of what hee had vsurped but returnes answere that what hee had gotten both by forfeiture and Law of Armes hee would holde To retayne amitie with Scotland and peace at home Ioan the Kings Sister is giuen 1220. Anno. Reg. 5. in marriage to Alexander King of Scots and Margueret sister to the same King to Hubert de Burgh now made Iusticiar of England and the especiall man who guided the greatest affaires of the Kingdome Wales reuolting vnder their Prince Lewelin gaue occasion of great charge and trouble to this State in the beginning of this Kings raigne and long after till it was wholy subdued And a commotion in Ireland made by Hugh Lacy is appeased by William Earle of Pembrooke sonne to the late great Marshall 1221. Anno. Reg. 6. and some few yeares after hath the Kingdome a kinde of quietnesse sauing that Falcasius or Foulke de Brent with certaine Chatelaynes the dregs of war fortifying the Castle of Belford with some other peeces of strength and committing many outrages gaue occasion of businesse till they were gotten by hard assault But now the King being come to some yeares of vnderstanding was in a Parliament holden at London put in minde by the Archbishop of Canterbury in behalfe of the State of his Oath made and taken by others for him vpon the peace with Louys for confirmation of the liberties of the Kingdome for which the warre began with his father and being the mainebase wheron his owne good and that of his people must subsist without which the whole State would againe fall a sunder they would haue him to know it betime to auoyde those miserable inconueniences which the disvnion of 1222. Anno. Reg. 7. Rule and Obedience might bring vpon them all which though it were impiously there oppugned as Princes shall euer finde mouthes to expresse their pleasures in what course soeuer they take by some ministers of his amongst whom one William Brewer a Councellor is named who vrged it to haue beene an act of constraint and therefore 2. Parliament not to be performed was notwithstanding promised at that time by the King to bee ratifyed and twelue knights or other Legall men of euery shire by writs charged to examen what were the Lawes and Liberties which the Kingdome enioyed vnder his Grandfather and returne the same by a certaine day and so by that vsuall shift of Prolongation the businesse was put off for that time to the greater vexation of that following For during all his raigne of sixe and fifty yeares the Longest of any King of England this put him to the greatest imbroylement made him ill beloued of his paople euer crost in his intendements and farre a lesse King onely by striuing to be more then he was the iust reward of violations And euen this first pause vpon the lawfull requisition thereof turnd the bloud shew'd how sensible the state was in the least stoppage of that tender vaine For presently the Earles of Chester Albimarle with many other great men assemble at Lecester with intent to remoue from the K. Hugh de Burgh chiefe Iusticiar and other officers supposed to hinder this motion But the Archbishop of Canterbury by his spirituall power and the rest of the nobility more carefull to preserue the peace of the Kingdome stood to the King and would not suffer any proceeding in this kind so as the Lords effected nothing at that time but were constrained to come in and submit Resumptions themselues And here the king by parliament resumes such alienations as had bin made by his Ancesters of what had apertayned to the Crowne whereby he might haue the 1223. Anno. Reg. 8. more meanes of his owne without pressing his subiect but this serued not his turne The next yeare after another Parliament is held at Westminster wherein is required the fiftieth part of all moueables both of the Clergy and Layetie for the recouery of those parts in France withheld from this crowne by Louys now King contrary to his 3 Parliament oath and promise made here in England at his departure Which motion though it concerned the honour and dignity of this Kingdome being the inheritance of the King and the Estates of most of the Nobility and other the subiects who had lands and possessions in those parts which no doubt they desired to recouer with their vtmost means yet would they not yeeld to the graunt of this subsidy but vpon confirmation of their liberties which in the end they obtayned in the same words and forme as King Iohn had graunted them in the
to the Prince being now their Lord and shew him How they were better to trade with Sarazins and Infidels then thus to be vsed here as they were The Prince addresses him to his father and craues redresse herein but the Officers hauing beene with An ill Office of Officers the K. before to preuent the clamors of the Gascoignes and telling him how they falsely exclayme relying wholly vpon the Princes fauor who tooke vpon him their vniust cause and that there ought to be but one in England to whom the ordring of Iustice appertayned put him into so great a rage with the Prince as he breakes out into these words See now my bloud and mine owne bowells impugne mee behold my sonne as my brother hath done is bent to afflict mee the times of my grandfather Henry the second are againe renued what will become of vs but this passion being allayed by Councell he dissembles the matter and giues order that these iniuries should bee redressed But yet the Prince for more caution amplyfing his trayne rode with 200 horse So easily are iealosies by euill Ministers infused into Kings who are of themselues too apprehensiue in that kinde being a thing that soone turnes the bloud And now to adde to the misery of these times there are new mischiefes committed by the insolence of the Seruants of the Prince who being himselfe young was attended by many youthfull and violent spirits many strangers and men without meanes who wheresoeuer he went made spoyle and tooke for their owne whatsoeuer Insolencies committed by the Princes seruants they could fasten on to the extreame vexation of the subiect And they report how this Prince meeting a young man trauayling on the way caused one of his eares to bee cut off and one of his eyes put out which foule act made many to suspect his disposition and what hee would proue here after And indeed had hee not beene indued with an innated Noblenesse of Nature which with his long experience in trauaile and great actions ouercame the Vices the loosenesse of the time and his owne breeding contracted hee might haue prooued as bad as any other For vnlesse Princes of themselues by instinction from aboue bee not indued with a naturall goodnesse they shall gaine little by their education wherein they are rather shewed what they are then what they should be and are apter to learne to know their greatnesse then themselues being euer soothed in all whatsoeuer they doe These youthfull actions of this Prince with his ryotous trayne which are said to be more rauenous then those which Louys brought out of France with him put out the Welsh of whom he had now the gouernment into open act of rebellion and to make spoyle of the English as his did ofthem whereupon he craues meanes of his father the Queene and his Vncle Richard to suppresse them But all was vented already the Kings treasure was gone ouer the Alpes Earle Richard had lent more then hee could get in and the Earle of Sauoy in his warres had spent that of the Queenes The King is still at his shifts to supply his euerlasting necessities Now he comes himselfe into his Exschequer and with his owne voyce pronounced That euery Shriefe which appeared not yearely in the Octaues of Saint Michel with his money as well of his Farmes as amercements and other dues for the first day should be amerced fiue Markes for the second ten for the third fifteene for the fourth to bee redeemed at the Kings pleasure In like sort that all Cities and Freedoms which answere by their Bayliffes vpon the same default should bee amerced and the fourth day to loose their freedomes Besides euery Shriefe through out England is amerced in fiue Markes for that they did not distraine within their Counties vpon whomsoeuer held 10 pound land per annum and came not to be made knight or freed by the King Then falls he to the examination of measures for Wine and Ale for Bushels and Weights which likewise brought in some small thing and euery yeare commonly hath one quarrell or other to the Londoners and gets some thing of them But now there fell out 2 businesse that intertayned some time and gaue occasion to amuze the world with conceipts of some great aduantage and honor to the Kingd by the Election of Richard Earle of Cornewall to bee King of Romans which was as our The Earle of Cornwall Elected King of the Romans Writers say by the generall consent of all the Electors and by them is he sent for to receiue that Crowne the matter is here debated in Councell Some who thought his presence necessary to sway businesses in the Kingdome were vnwilling and diswade him by example of the miserable distruction of two lately elected to that dignity Henry the Lantgraue of Turing and William Earle of Holland but others and especially the King who was willing to be rid of him as one he had often found too great for a subiect and being a King abroad hee might make vse of him perswades him to take it vpon him which he is easily though seeming otherwise induced to doe But the Germaine Writers who are best witnesses of their owne affaires declare how after the murther of the Earle of Holland the Electors were deuided about the choyce of a successor Some stiffe to vphold their auncient Custome in Electing one of their owne Country which was more naturall Others of a stranger who might better support their declyning State which was more politike Long were the conflicts of their Councells hereupon in the end their voyces who stood for strangers were most but they likewise disagreed among themselues some would haue Richard brother to the King of England others Alphonsus King of Spain both of them not only contending who should haue it but who should giue most to buy it in the end Richard being nerest at Richard Crowned at Aquisgraue hand his mony the redier is preferred by the Bishop of Metz the Bishop of Cologne and the Palsgraue whose voyces he is said to haue bought and afterward is crowned at Aquisgrane Now to confirme himselfe say they in his State he proceeds in all violent and hostile manner according as he was set on against those who opposed his Election and hauing consumed himselfe both by his excessiue guifts in purchasing the suffrages he had and by this prosecution he came to bee dispossessed forsaken and forced to returne into England to his brother Henry then in warre with his Nobles Thus they deliuer it But before the Earle departed out of England the Earle of Glocester and Sir Iohn Mansel were sent into Germany to sound their affections and how they stood disposed towards him They returne well perswaded of the businesse and shortly after the Archbishop of Cologne comes to conduct him ouer on whom the Earle bestowes 500 Markes towards his charges and a rich Miter set with precious stones This Prince the Earle of Cornwall
both In the Fift a Twentieth of their goods His many supplies means for Money towards the Welsh Warres In the seauenth the Old Money was called in and New coyned in regard it had beene much defaced by the Iewes for which 297. were at one time executed at London and this brought him in a great benefit In Anno Reg. 8. seeking to examine Mens Titles to their Lands by a Writt of Quo Warranto which opposed by the Earle Warreine who drew out his Sword vpon the Writt saying How by the same hee held his Land and thereby would make good his Tenure the King desists obtaines a Fifteenth of the Clergie In the Eleauenth he had a Thirtieth of the Temporaltie a Twentieth of the Clergie for the Welsh Warres In the Thirteenth Escuage forty shillings for euery Knights fee for the same purpose In the Fourteenth he had a Thousand Marks of certaine Marchants fined for false Weights In the Seauenteenth those fines fore-declared of the Iudges In the Eighteenth this Confiscation of Iewes a Fifteenth of the English After this Anno Reg Nineteenth pretending a Voyage to the Holy-Land the Clergie grants him an Eleauenth part of all their Moueables and shortly after the Pope procures him a Tenth for Six yeeres to bee collected in England Scotland and Ireland and laid vp in Monasteries vntill hee were entred into Mare Maggior But hee made the Collectors pay him the money gathered for Three yeeres without going so farre hauing occasion to vse it at home about the purchase of a new Kingdome For the crowne of Scotland vpon the death of King Alexander of the Daughter of Reg. 17. Anno. 1290. his daughter Margaret who was to inherit was now in controuersie Six Competitors pretend title thereunto all discending from Dauid earle of Huntingdon younger brother to William King of Scots and great Vncle to this late King Alexander This title King Edward takes vpon him to decide pretending a right of Superioritie from his Ancestors The occasion of his Warres with Scotland ouer that Kingdome The Scotts which swayed the Interregnum are constrayned for auoyding further inconueniences to make him Arbiter thereof and the Six Competitors bound to stand to his Award Two are especially found betweene whome the Right lay Iohn Baliol Lord of Galloway and Robert Bruce the one descending King Edward chosen by the Scots to arbitrate the right of the pretenders to that Crowne from an elder Daughter the other from a Sonne of a younger Daughter of Alan who had Married the Eldest Daughter of this Dauid Brother to King William The Controuersie held long Twelue of eyther Kingdome learned in the Laws are elected to debate the same at Berwick All the best Ciuilians in the Vniuersities of France are sollicited to giue their oppinions the differences and perplexednes whereof made the decission more difficult According to the Nature of Littigation that euer begetts rather Doubts then Resolutions and neuer knows well how to make Reg. 18. Anno 1291. an End King Edward the better to sway this businesse by his presence takes his Iourney Northward and whilst hee sought to compasse greater felicitie hee lost the better part of what hee had in this world his deere consort Elionor who had euer attended Queene Elionor dies Her Prayse him in all his Fortunes the Paragon of Queenes and the honor of Woman-hood who is said to haue sucked the Poyson out of the Wound giuen him by the Assasin in the East when no other meanes could preserue his Life dies by the way in Lincolnshire With whose Corps in extreame griefe hee returnes back to Westminster causing at all especiall places where it rested by the Way goodly engrauen Crosses with her Statue to bee erected As at Stamford Waltham West-Cheape Charing and others Gratefull Monuments of his Affection and her renowned Faithfulnes Her Funeralls performed back hee returnes to his Scottish businesse And now Six yeeres it was since the Death of King Alexander and much time hauing beene Scottish Hist. spent and nothing concluded in this controuersie King Edward that would be sure whosoeuer preuailed to haue the hand that should make him deales priuately with Bruce who had the weaker Title but the more friends and promises him if he would yeeld Fealtie and Homage to the Crowne of England he would inuest him in that of Scotland Bruce answeres Hee was not so desirous of Rule as thereby to infringe the Liberties of his Countrie Then with the like offer hee sets vpon Baliol who hauing better right but lesse loue of the people and more greedy of a Kingdome then honour Bal ol made King of Scotland yeelds thereunto is Crowned King at Scone hath Fealty done him of all the chiefe Nobility except Bruce comes to New-castle vpon Tyne where King Edward then lay and there with many of his Nobles sweares Fealtie and did Homage vnto him as his Soueraigne Lord. Which Act as hee thought done to secure him ouer-threw Reg. 21. Anno. 1294. him For being little beloued before hereby hee became lesse such as stood for Bruce and others of the Nobility more tender of the preseruation of their Countries libertie grew into Stomack against him as hauing not onely discontented them in this Act but shortly after in his Iustice in the case of the Earle of Fife one of the sixe Gouernours in the time of the Anarchie who had beene slaine by the Famelie of Aberneth And the brother of this Earle now prosecuted in Law before King Balioll in his high Court of Parliament where hauing no right done him King Baliol giuing Iudgement on the side of the Aberneths the wronged Gentleman appeales to the Court of the King of England King Baliol is thither summoned appeares sits with King Edward in his Parliament till his cause was to be tried and then is hee cited by an Officer to arise and stand at the place appointed for pleading He craues to answere by a Procurator it is denied then himselfe arises and discends to the ordinary place and defends his cause With which Indignity as hee tooke it hee returnes home with a brest full Baliol discontented returnes into Scotland charged with indignation Meditates reuenge renewes the ancient League with France Confirmes it with the marriage of his sonne Edward with a daughter of Charles brother to King Philip glad in regard of late offences taken against the Reg. 23. An. 1296. King of England to imbrace the same Which done Baliol defies King Edward renounces his Allegiance as vnlawfully done being not in his powre without the consent of the State to doe any such act Hereupon brake out that mortall dissention betweene the two Nations which during the raigne of the three last Scottish Kings had held faire correspōdence together that consumed more Christian bloud wrought more spoyle and distruction and continued longer then euer quarrell wee read of did betweene any two people of the World For hee
Kingdome might seeme as if quite ouercome Most of the estates of the Earles and Barons of Scotland with their titles that had stood out were bestowed on the English Nobility to make them the more egar to maintaine A Parliament at St. Andrewes prosecute this Conquest And a Parliament is called at Saint Andrewes where all the great men of that Kingdome except onely Wallice againe sweare Fealtie to the King of England The Scottish writers here set a wide marke of Tyrannie vpon King Edward in this The Scotish writers inueigh against the tyranny of K. Ed. expedition as not content to carry away captiue all such as might seeme to haue any the least ability to stirre but also endeauours to extinguish if it were possible the very memory of the Nation abolishing all their ancient lawes traducing their Ecclesiasticall rights to the custome of England dispoiling them of their Histories their instruments of State their Antique Monuments left either by the Romanes or erected by themselues transporting all their Bookes and Bookemen into England Sending to London the Marble stone wherein as the Vulgar were perswaded the Fate of the Kingdome consisted and left them nothing that might either encite them to remember their former fortune or instruct generous spirits in the way of Vertue and worthinesse So that he bereaued them not onely of their strength but of their mindes supposing thereby to est ablish a perpetuali Domination ouer that Kingdome This iourney ended a Parliament is called at Westminster wherein the promised confirmation A Parliament at Weatminster of the Two Charters and the allowance of what disforrestation had heretofore beene made was earnestly vrged and in the end with much a doe granted with omission of the Clause Saluo Iure Coronae nostrae which the King laboured to haue inserted but the people would not indure the same the perambulation of the Forrests of England is committed to Thre Bishops Three Earles Three Barons In this little pause of Peace at home a Concord is by the mediation of Pope Boniface Reg. 28. Anno. 1301. concluded with the King of France whose sister Margeret the King of England takes to wife in the Sixty two yeare of his age somthing too late for so young a Match and the Daughter of the same King is likewise affianced to the Prince And thereupon restitution made of what had been vsurped by the French King in Gasconie Burdeaux returnes to the obedience of the King of England to the Merchants of which Citie he paid 150 Thousand poÌ„uds for his brother Edmonds expences in the late wars all is well on that side Besides the same Pope obtained permission for Iohn Baliol the captiue King of Scots to depart and liue in France vpon certaine lands he had there and vndertooke for his obseruation of the Peace and his confinement who shortly after dies hauing had little ioy of a Crowne or scarce leasure to know hee was a King The Decrying and calling in of certaine base Coine named Crocard and Pollard with the new stamping them againe yeelded something to the Kings Coffets which must be emptied in Scotland whither againe hauing beene scarce Eighteene moneths at home he makes his Third expedit but did little besides the regaining of Sterling Castle which held out Three moneths siege against all his power and Ingines reared with insinite charge and labour And in the end not wonne but yelded vp by the Defendant William Oliuer vpon promise which was not kept with him The rest of the Scots made no head but kept in the Mountaines and Fastnesses of their Country whereby the Kings Armie hauing more to doe with barrennesse then men suffered much affliction and many Horses were starued Now vpon this Peace with France the Scots being excluded and hauing none to relieue them send their lamentable complaints to Pope Boniface shewing him the afflicted state of their Countrie the vsurpation of the King of England vpon them and his most tyrannicall proceeding with them contrarie to all right and equity Protesting they neuer knew of any Soueraigntie he had ouer them but that they were a free kingdome of themselues and so at first hee dealt with them vpon the death of their last King Alexander both in the treaty of the mariage for his sonne Edward with Margaret the beire of Scotland and also after her death for the decision of the Title wherein he sought by their consents to be made Arbitror as hee was Howsoeuer afterward they were constrained to giue way to his will yet what they euer yeelded vnto was by reason they were otherwise vnable to resist c. Vpon this remonstrance of the Scots the Pope writes his powerfull letters to the King of England to forbeare any further proceeding against them Claiming withall the Soueraintgie of that Kingdome as belonging to the Church The King answeres the Popes Letters at large Alledging from all Antiquity how the direct and superiour Dominion of Scotland had euer appertained to this Crowne euen from Brute to his owne time And withall the whole Nobilitie write to the Pope auowing the same right And absolutely conclude that the King their Lord should in no sort vndergoe his Holinesse iudgement therein Neither send his Procurators as was required about that businesse whereby it might seeme that doubt were made of their Kings Title to the preiudice of the Crowne the Royall Dignity the Liberties Customes and Lawes of England which by their oath and dutie they were bound to obserue and would defend with their liues Neither would they permit nor could any such vn-usuall vn-lawfull and detrimentall proceeding Nor suffer their King if hee would to doe or any way to attempt the same And therefore besought his Holinesse to intermeddle no more in this matter These Letters subscribed with all their Vid. Apend names were dated at Lincolne where then was held the Parliament Anno Domini 1301. The Pope vpon this answere or rather hauing his hands full of other businesse stirs no more in this The King of France whom hee had excomunicated and giuen away his Kingdome to the Emperour Albert of Austrich shortly after so wrought as his Spiritualty was surprized at Anagne a City of Abruzzo whither he was retyred from the troubles of Rome and so violently treated by Sciarra Colonesse a Banditto of Rome and Nogâ—ret an Albigioye whom he had both persecuted as in extreame rage and anguish within few daies after he ends his turbulenr life And the King of England hauing been supplied with a Fifteenth vpon Confirmation Reg. 32. Anno. 1305. of the Charters againe at the Parliament at Lincolne hee makes his Fourth expedition into Scotland and as it were the Fourth Conquest thereof hauing had Foure times Homage and Fealtie sworne vnto him Which might seeme sufficient to confirme his Soueraingtie whereof now he rests secure and home returnes in triumphant manner Remoues his Eschequer from Yorke Feasts his Nobilitty at Lincolne with all
Magnificense From thence he comes to London and renders solemne thanks to God and Saint Edward for victory Which to make it seeme the more intire shortly after William Wallice that renowned Guardian of Scotland betrayed by his Companion is sent vp prisoner to London adiudged according to the Lawes of England to be drawne hangd and quarterd for his treasons committed against the King whom at his Araignement hee would not yet acknowledge to bee his King protesting neuer to haue sworne Fealty vnto him Thus suffered that worthy man for the defence of his owne in a strange Countrie and remains amongst the best examples of Fortitude Pietie in that kinde And now King Edward being as hee supposed at an end of all his businesse an vniuersall Lord at home strong in Alliance and Peace abroad beginnes to looke more seuerely to the gouernement of this Kingdome and to draw profit out of those disorders which the Licence of Warre and Trouble had bred therein And first amongst The case of Sir Nicholas Segraue other examples of his power which it seemes hee would haue equall to his will is the case of Sir Nicholas Segraue one of the greatest Knights then of the Kingdome who being accused of treason by Sir Iohn Crombwell offers to iustifie himselfe by Duell which the King refuses to grant in regard of the present Warre then in hand Whereupon Segraue without licence and contrary to the Kings prohibition leaues the Kings Campe and goes ouer Sea to fight with his enemy for which the King as against one that had not only contemned him but as much as in him lay exposed him to death and left him to his enemies would haue Iustice to proceed against him Three daies the Iudges consulted of the matter and in the end adiudged Segraue guilty of death and all his moueables and immouables forfeited to the King Notwithstanding in regard of the greatnesse of his blood they added Hee went not out of England in contempt of the King but only to bee reuenged of his accuser and therefore it was in the Kings power to shew mercy vnto him in this case The King hereto in great wrath replyed haue you been all this while consulting for this I know it is in my power to conferre grace and on whom I will to haue mercy but not the more for your sakes then for a dogge Who hath euer submitted himselfe to my grace and had repulse but let this your iudgement bee recorded and for euer held as a Law And so the Knight for example and terrour to others was committed to prison though Mat. West shortly after by the labour of many Noble men of the Kingdome Thirty of his Peers guirt with their swords standing out to be bound body for body and goods for goods to bring him forth whensoeuer hee should be called the King restored him to his estate Shortly after the King likewise sends out a new writ of inquisition called Trailbaston For Intruders on other mens lands who to oppresse the right owner would The inquisiti on of Trailbaston make ouer their lands to great men For Batterers hired to beate men For Breakers of the Peace For Rauishers Incendiaries Murthercrs Fighters False Assisors and other such Malefactors Which Inquisition was so strictly executed and such Fynes taken as it brought in exceeding much treasure to the King So did likewise another Commission the same time sent forth to examine the behauiour of Officers and Ministers of Iustice wherein many were found Delinquents and paide dearely for it Informers here as fruitfull agents for the Fiske and neuer more imployed then in shifting times were in great request Besides these meanes for treasnre aboue ground this King made some profit of certaine Siluer mynes in Deuonshire as is to be seene in Hollingshead but it seemes the charge amounting to more then the benifit they afterwards came discontinued The King likewise now beginnes to shew his resentiment of the stubborne behauiour of his Nobles towards him in times past and so terrefies Roger Bigod Earle-Marshall Reg. 33. An. 1306. as to recouer his fauour the E. made him the heire of his lands though hee had a brother liuing reseruing to himselfe a Thousand pounds pension per annum during his life Of others likewise hee got great summes for the same offence The Earle of Hereford escapes by death But the Archbishop of Canterbury whom hee accused to haue disturbed his Peace in his absence he sends ouer to Pope Clement the Fift who succeded Boniface that he might be crusht with a double power This Pope was Natiue of Burdeaux and so the more regardefull of the Kings desire and the King more confident of his fauour which to intertaine and encrease hee sends him a whole Furnish of all Vessels for his Chamber of cleane golde which great gift so wrought with the Pope as hee let loose this Lion vntied the King from the couenants made with his Subiects concerning their Charters confirmed vnto them by his three last Acts of Parlement and absolued him from his oath an Act of little Pietie in the Pope and of as little conscience in the King who as if hee should now haue no more need of his Subiects discouered with what sincerity hee granted what hee did But sodainely hereupon there fell out an occasion that brought him backe to his right Orbe againe made him see his error reforme it finding the loue of his people lawfully ordered to be that which gaue him al his power meanes he had to know how their subsistances were intermutuall The newes of a new King made crowned in Scotland was that which wrought the effect hereof Robert Bruce Earle of Carrick sonne to that Robert who was Competitor with Baliol escaping out of England becomes head to the confused body of that people which hauing beene so long without any to guide them any intire Councell scattered in power disunited in minde neuer at one together were cast into that miserable estate as they were For had they had a King as well as their enemies to haue led them held them together managed their affaires accordingly that which they did in this distraction shewes how much more they would haue done otherwise And therefore no sooner did Bruce appeare in his designe but he effected it had the Crowne and hands ready to help him at an instant and that before Rumour could get out to report any thing of it Although Iohn Comyn his Cosen german being a Titeler himselfe a man of great loue Alliance in Scotland wrote to haue bewrayed Brucos intention to the King of England in whose Court they both had liued and were his Pensioners But Bruce as great vndertakers are euer a wake and ready at all houres preuents him by speede Bruce murthers Iohn Cumyn in the Church and either to be auenged on him for his falshood or rid of him as a Competitor finding him at Dunfraies sets vpon and
who assembling together at the instant when he was to be Crowned with his Queen at Westminster Anno Reg. 2. require him that Gaueston might bee remoued from The Lords displeased with Gauest. out the Court and Kingdome otherwise they purposed to hinder his Coronation at that time Whereupon the King to auoide so great a disgrace promises on his faith to yeeld to what they desired in the next Parlement and so the Solemnitie with much festination and little reuerence is performed Wherein Gaueston for carrying Saint Edwards Crowne before the King aggrauates the hatred of the Cleargie and Nobility against him Shortly after his Coronation all the Knights Templats throughout England are at once arrested and committed to prison They were an order of Knights iustituted by Balduin the Fourth King of Ierusalem about 200 yearts past first appointed for The Knights Templers arrested committed to prison the defence of that Citie and the safe conuaying of all such as trauailed thither afterwards they were dispersed through all the Kingdoms of Christendom by the pious bounty of Princes others inriched with infinite possessions which made them to degenerate frō their first institution become execrably vitious So that all the Kings Their dissolution of Christendom at one instant combining together caused them to be apprehended within their Dominions and put out of their order and estates The King of France began hauing a purpose to make one of his Sonns King of Ierusalem possesse him of their reuenues Their accusation followes their apprehension and condemned they are rather by fame then proofe in the generall Councell at Vienna as apeares by the condemnatory Bull of Pope Clement the Third Wherein he hath this clause Quanquam de iure non possumus tamen ad plenitudinem potestatis dictum ordinem reprobamus Their estates are after giuen to the Hospitaliers These businesses passed ouer the Lords prosecute their purpose against Gaueston The Lords prosecure Gaueston whose insolencie and presumption vpon the Kings fauour made him so farre to forget himselfe as hee scorned the best of them all as much as they hated him Tearming Thomas Earle of Lancaster the Stage player Aymer de Valence Earle of Pembrooke Ioseph the Iew and Guy Earle of Warwicke the blacke dogge of Ardern Which scoffes leauing behinde them the sting of reuenge especially where they touche drew such a partie vpon him as in the next Parlement the whole Assemblie humbly besought the Reg. 3. Anno. 1310. King to aduise and treat with his Nobles concerning the State of the Kingdome for the auoiding of eminent mischiefe likely to insue through neglect of the Gouernment and so farre vrges the matter as the King consents thereunto and not onely grants them libertie to draw into Articles what was requisite for the Kingdome but takes his oath to ratisie A Parlement The king takeshis oath to rate fie whatsoeuer Articles the Lords would conclude in Parlement whatsoeuer they should conclude Whereupon they elect certaine choyce men both of the Cleargie Nobility and Commons to compose those Articles Which done the Archbishop of Canterbury lately recalled from exile with the rest of his Suffragans solemnly pronounce the sentence of excommunication against al such who should contradict those Articles which are there publiquely read before the Barons and Commons of the Realme in the presence of the King Amongst which the obseruation and execution of Magna Charta is required with all other ordinances necessary for the Church and Kingdome And that as the late King had done all Strangers should bee banished the Court and Kingdome all ill Councellors remoued That the businesse of the State should be treated on by the Councell of the Cleargie and the Nobles That the King should not begin any war or goe any where out of the Kingdom without the common Councell of the same Which Articles though they seemed harsh to the King yet to auoide further trouble Gaueston banished into Ireland hee yeelds vnto them but especially to the banishment of his Minion as if that would excuse him for all the rest and away is hee sent into Ireland where hee liued a while not as a man exiled but as the Lieutenant of the Countrie The King not enduring to be without his company neuer ceased working till hee had recalled him backe againe which within a few moneths after hee did And to make him as hee thought to stand the faster on his feete hee marries him to his Neece the Daughter of Ioan de Acres Sister to Gilbert de Clare Earle of Glocester a man beloued and highly esteemed of all the Nobility for whose sake hee hoped Gaueston should finde the Gaueston recalled more fauour amongst them but all this could not shelter him Either his behauiour or their malice was such as they could not endure to haue him about the King who by making him so great lessened him and the more hee was enriched the worse was his estate The Subiects spectators of their Kings immoderate gifts held it to bee taken out of the bowels of the Common-wealth as it were of their substance that was so wasted For it is reported the King gaue him the Iewels of the Crowne which hee sould to Marchant strangers and conuayed much treasure out of the Kingdome whereby the King sustained great wants and the Queene is abridged of her allowance whereof she complaines to the King of France her Father These stingues put the Barons on to send plaine word to the King that vnlesse hee The Lords threaten the King put from him Pierce Gaueston and obserue the late Articles they would all with one consent rise in armes against him as a periured Prince The King whom they found was apt to be terrified yeelds againe vpon this message to the banishment of his Minion whose fortune beeing to haue a weake maister was driuen to these sodaine extreamities Gaueston again banished mities and disgracefull expulsions at their will who were his enuiers and who now obtaine this Clause that if hereafter hee were found againe within the Kingdome he should be condemned to death as an enemy of the State Ireland was now no more to protect him France most vnsafe for him wait being their laid to apprehend him in Flanders he luiks a while but in great danger and finding no where any securitie back againe hee aduentures vpon England and into the Kings bosome the sanctuary he thought would Gaueston returnes not be violated hee puts himselfe and there is hee receiued with as great ioy as euer man could bee And to be as farre out of the way and eye of enuy as might be the King carries him into the North parts where notwithstanding the Lords shortly after found him out For no sooner had they heard of his returne and receiuing into grace but they presently combine and take armes electing Thomas Earle of Lancaster The Lords take armes for their Leader
Hugh Spencer the father hanged at Bristol gallowes in his Coat armour cut vp before hee was dead headed and quartered This done shee passes to Hereford and the King beeing not to bee found Proclamation is made that if hee would returne and conforme himselfe to rule the State as hee ought to doe hee should come and receiue the gouernment thereof by the generall consent of his people But hee either not daring as destitute both of courage and counsell to trust to this offer or not well informed thereof keepes himselfe still concealed Whereupon as may seeme was intended aduantage is taken to dispose of the gouernment and the Prince who is now vnder their guard is made Guardian of the Kingdom hath Fealtie sworne vnto him and a new Chancelor and Treasurer are appointed Long it was not ere the King came to be discouered as a person too great for any couer and was by Henry Earle of Lancaster brother to the late Thomas William The King taken prisoner Lord Zouch and Ries ap Howell taken and conuayed to the Castle of Kenelworth The younger Spencer with Baldocke the Chancelor and Simon Reading apprehended with him are sent to the Queene to Hereford Spencer who was now Earle of Glocester is drawne and hangd on a gallowes Fifty foote high wherein hee was exalted aboue his father otherwise had the like execution and likewise in his Coat armor whereon was written Quid gloriaris in malitia psal 52. Simon Reading was hanged Ten foote lower then hee But Baldocke in regarde hee was a Priest had the fauour to bee pined to death in Newgate And here likewise a little before was the Earle of Arundell with two Barons Iohn Danyll and Thomas Micheldeuer executed as Traytors by the procurement of Roger Mortimer for adhering to the Kings part To accompanie these mischiefes of the Countrey the Commons of London made insurrection and force their Maior who held for the King to take their part let out all prisoners possesses them of the Tower put to death the Constable thereof Sir Iohn Weston murther the Bishop of Excester to whom they bare an especiall hatred for that being the Kings Treasurer hee caused the Iustices Itenerants to sit in London A Parlement at London where the Prince is elected King by whom they were grieuously fyned and thus all is let out to libertie and confusion After a moneths stay at Hereford the Queene with her sonne returning kept Christmas at Wallingford their Candlemas at London where the Parlement being Reg. 20. Anno. 1327. assembled agreed to depose the King as vnfit to gouerne obiecting many Articles against him and to elect his eldest sonne Edward which they did in the great Hall at Westminster with the vniuersall consent of the people there present and the Archbishop of Canterbury makes a Sermon vpon this text Vox populi vox Dei exhorting the people to inuoke the King of kings for him they had there chosen The Queene either out of the consideration of the difference of a husband and a sonne whom now shee was not like long to guide or through remorse of conscience looking backe vpon what shee had done takes this election grieuously to heart insomuch as her sonne to recomfort her swore hee would neuer accept of the Crowne without the consent of his father whereupon by a common decree three Bishops two Earles two Abbots foure Barons three Knights of euery Shire with a certaine number of Burgesses of euery Citie and Borough and especially of the Cinque-Ports are sent to the imprisoned King at Kenelworth to declare vnto him the election of his sonne and to require the renuntiation of his Crowne and royall dignity whereunto if hee would not consent the State was resolued to proceed as it thought good The King beeing first priuately made acquainted with the Message The King is brought to resigne his Crowne the most harsh to Nature that could bee imparted and by two whom hee especially hated for hauing especially offended them the Bishoppes of Hereford and Lincolne was brought forth before the assembly to whom as soone as his passion wherewith hee was ouercharged would giue him leaue hee confessed how he had beene misguided the common excuse of a poore spirit and done many things whereof now hee repented which if hee were to gouerne againe hee would become a new man and was most sorrowfull to haue so much offended the State as it should thus vtterly reiect him but yet gaue them thankes that they were so gracious vnto him as to elect his eldest sonne for King Hauing spoken to this purpose they proceed to the Ceremony of his resignation which chiefly consisted in the surrender of his Crowne for the forme whereof beeing the first that euer was seene in England they could followe no precedent but must make one and William Trussell a Iudge put it into the Stile of Lawe to render it the more authenticall and pronounced the same in this manner I William Trussell in the name of all men of the Land of England and of all the Parlement The forme of his resignatiō Procurator resigne to thee Edward the Homage that was made to thee sometime and from this time forwards now following I defie thee and priue thee of all royall power and I shall neuer be tendant on thee as King after this time This was the last act and the first example of a deposed King no lesse dishonorable to the State then to him He was a Prince more weake then euill and those exorbitances of his met with as great or greater in his people who as wee see delt ouer roughly and vnciuilly with him Hee is reported by some to haue been learned which perhaps might make him the softer to haue written verses when hee was in prison to haue founded Oriall Colledge and Saint Mary Hall in Oxford He had by his wife Isabell two sonnes Edward borne at Windsor who succeeded Misissue him and Iohn Surnamed of Eltham who was created Earle of Cornewall An. 1315. and died in the Flower of his youth in Scotland And also two daughters Ioan married to Dauid Prince of Scotland and Elionor to the Duke of Gelders The end of Edward the second The Life and Raigne of Edward the third VPpon the resignation of Edward the second Edward his sonne of the 1327. An. Reg. 1. age of fourteene yeares beganne his Raigne the twentith of Ianuary 1327 and sends forth Proclamations of his peace into all Shires in this form Edward by the grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Aquitaine to N. N. our Shirife of S. greeting Whereas the Lord Edward late King of England our father by the common councell and assent of the Prelates Earles Barons and other chiefe men with the whole Communaltie of this Realme did voluntarily amoue himselfe from the gouernement thereof willing granting that we as his eldest son and heire should assume the same c. which proclamation made
Edmond Earle of Kent brother to the late deposed King is accused and condemned vpon his confession for intending the restoring of his brother and conferring with divers great men concerning the same but without any matter of fact This miserable Earle stood on the Scaffold from one till fiue and no Executioner could bee found to dispatch him at length a silly wretch of the Marshalsey cut off his head These violences and vnpleasing courses in a new alteration could not long hold without effecting another which the next yeare produced A Parlement is held at Nottingham wherein all the power and glory of the Queen and Mortimer being scarce A Parlement at Nottingham of three yeares growth were overthrowne the Queene hath all her great Ioynture taken from her and put to her pension of 1000 pounds per annum Mortimer is accused to haue procured the late Kings death to be the authour of the Scots safe escaping from Articles against Mortimer Stanhope Parke corrupted with the gift of twenty thousand pounds to haue procured the late marriage peace with Scotl. so dishonourable to the King and Kingdom to haue consumed the Kings treasure besides all what was taken from the Spencers to haue beene too familiar with the Queen c. And for these haynous offences is condemned of high treason sent vp to London drawn and hanged at the common Gallowes at the Elms now called Tyburne He is hanged at Tyburne where his body remained two daies as an opprobrious spectacle for all beholders Such were the tragicall and bloudy returnes those ambitious supplanters of others got by exchange of the times which now may seeme made the world weary of such violences and more wary to runne into them And the King growing to yeares of more Ability to governe of himselfe wrought a greater respect of his service in those who were of power about him seeing him to be of a spirit likely to go through with his work and therefore they vse their best advice to put him into courses that might be most honourable for him and the Kingdome The staines which his youth had received by such as governed the same are now discovered and meanes devised how to take them of And withall occasions fall out to put him into Action And first a new King of France lately crowned vpon the death of Charles le Bel King Edward is summoned to do his homage to Phillip de Valois K. of France without issue Male requires his homage according to the custome for the Duchy of Guien and his other lands in France held of that Crowne whereunto though King Edward was supposed to haue the better right yet seeing Phillip de Valois was now in possession of the same and himselfe then yong his owne Kingdome factious turbulent and vnsettled he was not as yet otherwise then by Law which seldome gets a Crown able to debate his title and therefore is content to temporise and goe ouer in person to performe this ceremony which did much preiudice his after claime layde an imputation vppon the iustnesse of his cause hauing thereby acknowledged and made good the right of his Competitor The difference betweene them stood thus Philip le Bell father to Isabell Mother The Title of K. Ed. to the Crowne of France to King Edward had three sonnes Louys Philip and Charles which all were successiuely Kings of France and died without any issue male to inherite the kingdome and notwithstanding Louys the eldest sonne had a daughter whom Eudes Earle of Bologne her vncle by the mother laboured to haue crowned Queene yet for that it was adiudged contrary to the Salicque Lawe which debarred women from the succession Phillip the younger brother of Louys is ad admitted to the Crowne This Phillip likewise left foure daughters and yet doth Charles his brother succede him by the force of the same lawe which passed now as a case adiudged without any controuersie Charles dying leaues his wife young with childe difference arises about the Regencie of that kingdome betweene King Edward of England the Nephew and Phillip de Valois Cosen-german to the last King Charles This Phillip was the first Prince of the blood sonne to Charles de Valois brother to Phillip le Bell. And though King Edward was in degree nearer then hee yet was the Regencie adiudged to Phillip if the Queene brought forth a sonne as descending from a brother more capable of the Crowne then King Edward descending from a daughter that was vncapable as they alleadged The Queene at length deliuered of a daughter the processe is ended and Phillip receiued and crowned King of France by their Salicque Lawe maintained to be vnviolable Robert de Artois a Peere of great power was a speciall meanes of his pre ferment and the exclusion of King Edward who shortly after vppon Sommons giuen 1331. An. Reg. 5. as is aforesaid goes ouer and meetes King Phillip at Amiens where by the Councels of both Kings two especiall points are debated the one concerning the quallity of the Homage pretended liege by the Councell of King Phillip but denied by that of King Edward The second point for the lands in Guiene which the last King Charles had detayned as his whereof the Councell of King Edward demanded restitution as appertaining to that Duchy The Composition for this last point was easie in regard of the treatie of Peace made betweene the saide King Charles and Edward the second the last of May 1325. wherein their rights were saued by protestations reciprocall aduised and receiued in offer and acceptance of Homage made to the saide King Charles by this Edward before hee was King which protestations were agreed to be followed and repeated in this with Couenant that if King Edward would pursue his right in Parlement he should haue iustice done him accordingly for those things in controuersie Now for the first point concerning the quallity of his Homage it was accorded without specifying the same that it should be done and receiued according to the vsuall manner of former kings with sufficient time granted to King Edward to inquire of the said quallity and to make his declaration thereof And thereuppon Iean Tilet the sixt of Iune 1329. King Edward in a Crimson veluet gowne imbroydered with K. Ed. doth Homage to the French K. Leopards with his Crowne on his head his sword by his side and golden spurres on his heeles presents himselfe in the body of the Cathedrall Church at Amiens before King Phillip sitting in his chaire of estate in a veluet gowne of violet colour imbroydered with floures de lis of gold his Crowne on his head and his Scepter in his hand with all his Princes and Peeres about him The Viscount Melun Chamberlaine of France first commands King Edward to put off his Crowne his sword and his spurres and to kneele downe which hee did on a crimosine veluet cushion before King Phillip and then the Viscount putting both his
hands together betweene the hands of the King of France pronounced the words of the Homage which were these You become Liegeman to the King my maister here present as Duke The forme of the Homage of Guyene and Peere of France and you promise to beare saith and loyalty vnto him Say yea and King Edward said yea and kisses the King of France as the Lord of the Fee in the mouth the like Homage hee then did for the Earle do me of Ponthieu This act of submission performed in the person of a King young actiue hauty and powerfull who held himselfe wronged in doing it to whom hee did bred that rancour in his heart as it had beene better for all Christendome that Ceremony had beene spared at this time and not so punctually beene exacted by King Phillip whom their owne Historians blame for standing so much vpon his Regality with one as mighty as himselfe and more able and likely to shake his new gotten Throne then any other whatsoeuer to whose passion considering the fiery heat of his youth hee should rather haue ministered Oyle then Vinegar and more hospitably intertertained him in his Court comming with that State and Magnificence as hee did attended with the best of all the kingdome of England to shew what he was and to beget a respect of his high estate But these are the errours of improuident Princes who carried with the sway of their owne will imbroyle themselues and their subiects that euer suffer the worst and are sure to pay dearely for others faults And now thus wounded in reputation with a minde swolne for reuenge the King K. Ed. returns out of France intertaines the Scottish businesse of England returnes to settle his affaires at home where Scottish businesses fall out to intertaine him The late peace concluded with them is held so dishonourable as it must not holde and to breake the same followed an occasion begunne vppon their owne quarells The tender age of their King the affliction of kingdomes with the emulation and factions in great men put Edward Balliol sonne to Iohn Balliol sometime King of Scotland thirtie two yeares after his fathers deposition to attempt Ed. Balliol comes out of France defeited his opposers is crowned King of Scotland the recouery of that Crowne and out of France where hee had all that while remained hee comes by the solicitation of his friends into England where hee was permitted vnderhand to get ayde and had all such Scots and English who were of the faction against Bruce to take his part and with them hee sodainely assailes those who had the gouernment of that kingdome during the nonage of the young King Dauid beeing at that time with the King of France and ouercame them in a battayle with the slaughter of many Noble men and Thousands of the common people and thereuppon was immediately crowned King of Scotland at Scone But his party being not so potent as they could maintaine and defend his quarrell against all those which opposed it hee was forced notwithstanding this great defeit to retire him into England to get more ayde of King Edward who now shewes himselfe in the action Berwick recouered ioynes with Baliol against his brother in law king Dauid goes in person with a strong Army to recouer Berwicke which after three moneths siege being valiantly defended The bataile of Halidown hil by the Lord Seton was againe taken in and the Army of the Scots which came to the rescue thereof at Halidowne hill vtterly defeited where were slaine seuen Earles 900 Knights and Baronets foure hundred Esquires and about two and thirty thousand common souldiers as our writers report theirs fourteene thousand And with this effusion of blood is Baliol returned to his miserable kingdome In this oppugnation of Berwicke though my haste bee great I must not so much A memorable act in the oppugnation of Berwicke trespasse vertue as to ouerpasse one memorable perticular recorded by the Scottish writers which is how the Lord Seton seeing all reliefe failing and the assaults so violent as hee could not long holde out conditions with king Edward if rescue came not at such a day to render him vp the towne and for assurance deliuers him two of his sonnes Shortly after king Edward hauing notice of the Scottish Army approaching with greater power and speed then hee expected and likely to bee there before the day sommons the Lord Seton to render the towne presently otherwise he should see his two sonnes executed before his face and withall a Gallowes is made ready within sight of the towne the young Gentlemen brought forth and vnder the hand of the Executioner wherewith the distressed Lord rent betweene those powerfull passions of Nature and Honour standing doubtfull what to doe his wife the mother of those sonnes a Lady more then a woman comes vnto him exhorts him to remember his Fealty sworne to the King his Charity to his Countrie the dignity of his noble Familie that they had other children left though these were destroyed and besides themselues were not so olde but that they might haue more How those if they should bee preserued from death at this time might otherwise shortly perish by some worse occasion And what a staine he should lay on the name of Seton and their posteritie for ever by a base act of yeelding and betraying the place committed vnto him whereby also hee was not certaine whether he should preserue his children or no for how could hee hope that this King who had violated his first promise with him would performe the last And therefore besought him that hee would not prefer an vncertaine and momentany benefite before a certaine and perpetuall ignominy And so recovering her Lords resolution for holding out withdrew him from the walles into some other parts aside that he might not be Spectator of the execution of his innocent children The next yeare after this defeit at Hallidown Hill Edward Baliol King of Seots at 1333. An. Reg. 7. Newcastle doth Homage to the King of England as his superiour Lord and takes his oath of Fealty Binding himselfe and his heires to hold that Kingdome of him and his successors for ever with the inheritance of fiue Countries next adioyning to the Borders So large a part yeelds hee to forgoe rather then to be in danger to loose the whole which Edward Baliol doth Homage for the Kingdome of Scotl. yet could not secure his estate but rather imbroyled it the more by reason of the discontent which most part of the Nobles of Scotland conceived vpon this act of Alienation and subiection of their Country Insomuch as it gaue both Kings continuall occasion of trouble for a long time after with the expence of infinite treasure A Parlement holden at London There was granted to the King of England for these warres a Fifteenth of the Temporalty a Twelfe of Cities and Boroughes and a Tenth of the Clergie in
of Guien who being no sooner remoued from thence but Henry of Lancaster Earle of Derby became master of the field hauing an Army consisting of twelue hundred men at armes two thousand Archers and three thousand other foot English and Gascoines takes in most of the Townes of Yaintonge and Poictou in the end besieged and sacked Poytiers and so returnes to Burdeaux with more pillage then his people could well beare Thus the French suffer euery where Their King not being able to approach to grapple with the king of England sends to solicite him to appoint some place of battaile and hee would incounter him King Edward returnes answere If hee would make his owne way to come thither vnto him there hee should finde him for from thence hee would not part hauing there layne so long to his great labour and charge and being now so neere the point of gaining the place The two Cardinals sent from the Pope labour to mediate a peace and Commissioners on either side meete to treate but nothing could bee effected So that the French King was forced to breake vp his Armie and retire to Paris leauing Callais and the defendants vnrelieued to the mercy of the Besieger which when they vnderstood they sent to desire Parle had it granted and therein receiued this finall sentence that sixe of the chiefe Burgesses should be sent to the King bare-headed bare-footed in their shirts with halters about their necks the keyes of the Towne and Castle in their hands and submit themselues to the Kings will for the residue hee was content to take to mercy This sentence intimated to the miserable townsmen Conditions for the rendering of Callis they all in lamentable manner looking each on other who should bee chosen for this sacrifice one amongst the rest stands vp and boldly spake to this effect Fellow citizens for mine owne part I that haue so often exposed my life in this long fiege for my Countrie and haue beene euery day to die am now most willing to sacrifice the same for my last oblation thereunto and will cherefully carry my head to the victory of the King of England not desiring to suruiue the perdition of my miserable Countrie Which free and resolute speech so wrought with this amazed people as now they striue who should bee one of the six and cryed Let vs goe let vs goe vnto death it is the last daty wee ought to render to our natiue soyle Six are presently chosen and sent according to the sentence presenting themselues on their knees to the King and beseeching him to shew mercy vnto them The King commands them instantly to be carryed to their execution and would not although great supplication was made for them by his Counsel be diuerted in regard as he said of his oath till the Queene great with Childe fell The Queene obtaines pardon for the Burgesses of Calais on her knees before him and with teares obtained their pardon and had them giuen vnto her which done she caused them to be clothed gaue them their dinner and sixe nobles a man appointing them to be safely conuayed out of the Armie and set at libertie An Act worthy of so great a Queene and the greater by this her deed of mercie The King though in this he were sterne yet was he more sparing of blood than his Grand-father Edward 1. and had more of Compassion as shewed an Act in this Seige When victuals within the Towne began to faile and all vnusefull persons as King Edwards Clemencie olde men women and children put out of the gates hee forced them not backe againe which hee might haue done the sonner to consume their store but suffered them to passe thorow his Armie gaue them to eate and two pence a peece to euery one And thus was that strong Towne of Callais the thirde of August 1347. gotten The Conquest of the Towne of Calais after almost an yeeres siege with infinite cost and labour all the inhabitants are turned out and sent away to seeke newe dwellings a Colonie of the English planted therein and so it remained in the possession of the Crowne of England 210. yeeres after And now this tryumphant King hauing made truce for some few moneths and taken order for the safe-keeping of his hard gotten prize returnes with his Queene the Prince and his people into England to make Holy-day and inioy the benefite King Edward returnes into England of their booties brought home out of France which are said to be so great as euery house had some part and the wiues of England now flourish with the stuffe and ornaments of those of France who in the meane time lament their losses and heere is nothing but Feasts and Tryumphes throughout the Kingdome And to adde to this glorie the Princes Electors send to signifie that they had chosen King Edward King Edward refuseth the Election of King of the Romans King of the Romans which great dignitie notwithstanding he refused being it seemed out of his way or cumbersome to deale withall But before that yeare ended this great iollitie heere in England turned to the saddest mourning that could be possible The invisible Sword of Heauen makes such a The first great Pestilence rauage vpon Mankinde as had not been knowne before A contagious Pestilence ariseth in the East and South parts of the Worlde that dispreads it selfe ouer all Christendom And in England they write that it tooke away more then the halfe of men as if the Diuine prouidence seeing them thus violently bent to destroy and massacre one another would lessen their numbers for their fieldes and take to it selfe the vengeance of blood-shed in his terrible maner Churchyards could not heere suffice to burie the dead new grounds are purchased for that purpose It is noted there dyed in London betweene the first of Ianuary and the first of Iuly 57374. persons Other Cities and Townes suffered the like according to their portions All which calamitie notwithstanding could not deterre those egar Princes frō prosecuting their quarel nor yet so vnfurnish their fieldes but that they found still fresh hands for blood-shed as shewed their many conflicts shortly after But yet it gaue some pawse till the feruour of the contagion asswaged which was also attended with a miserable famine murraine of Cattle and sterrilitie of the earth caused through the indisposition of the Heauens and want of culture The first Action after this was the Kings going ouer to Caluis vpon an information Anno Reg. 23. of a practise to surprise the Towne contriued by the French which was thus Monsieur de Charmy Gouernour of Saint Omers had dealt with Americo de Pauia whom King Edward had left Captaine of the Castle of Callais offring him 20. thousand King Edward goes ouer to Calais Crownes to be receiued into the Castle Americo accepts the offer and appoints a night for the businesse In which night by aduertisement from Americo King
Edward arriues with 300. men at Armes and 600. Archers Monsieur Charmy sets out The French circumuented in their practise likewise the same night from Saint Omers with his Forces and sent 100. armed men before with the Crowns to Americo and to possesse the Castle The men are let in at a Posterne Gate the Crownes receiued and themselues layd in hold Which done the gates of the Towne are opened and out marches the King before day to encounter Monsieur de Charny comming on with his forces who perceiuing himselfe betrayed put his people to the best defence hee could and the king of England to a hard bickring who for that hee would not bee knowne there in person put himselfe and the Prince vnder the colours of the Lord Walter Manny and was twice beaten downe on his knees by Monsieur de Riboumont a hardy Knight with whom hee fought hand to hand and yet recouered and in the end tooke Riboumont prisoner Charny was likewise taken and all his forces defeited King Edward the night after which was the first of the new yeare feasted with the prisoners and gaue Riboumont in honour of his valour wherein he honoured his owne a rich chaplet of Pearle which himselfe wore on his head for a New-yeares-gift forgaue him his ransome and set him at liberty The rest pay dearely for what they got not and were well warned how to trafficke in that kinde Yet the English not long after in the like practise had better successe and got the Castle of Guisnes a peace of great importance neere Calais for a summe of mony giuen to one Beauconroy a French man Of which Castle when the French King demanded restitution in regard of the Truce King Edward returnes answer That for things bought and sold betweene their people therein was no exception and so held it Shortly after the French king not borne to liue to see any better fortune dyes leauing that distressed kingdome to his sonne Iohn who found farre worse For An. 1305. Reg. 24. these fore noted wounds were but as scratches to that State compared with those horrible maimes it indured in his and after in the Raignes of Charles 6. and 7. till the sword of England was turned home vpon it selfe to let out the blood of reuenge The French King dies with as tragicall mischiefes on the fuccessours of these great actors who now thus wrought others ruines aboade King Edward the next yeare after is againe in person with a Fleet on the Sea to incounter certaine Spanish shippes passing from Flanders loaden with cloth and other King Edward in action at sea against the Spaniards commodities whom after a great fight and much blood shed on either side hee tooke with all their substance for that the Spaniards the yeare before entered the Riuer Garonne and tooke away certaine English ships loaden with wines and slew all the English His forces in Guien were not idle this while but many conflicts passed betweene the French and them notwithstanding the Truce which was renewed The warres in Brittaine likewise continue and are hotly maintained betweene the two Ladies the widdow of Monfort and the wife of Charles de Bloys whose husband remaynes prisoner in England eager defenders of eithers pretended right Diuerse ouertures of peace had beene made by Legates sent from the Pope and Commissioners often met to the great expence of both Kings but nothing could be cōcluded the winner the loser seldom agreeing vpon cōditions in regard the one wil haue more then the other is willing to yeeld vnto so temporary Truces which Alterations of moneys were but slenderly obserued are onely taken to winne time These actions not only consumed our men but the treasure of the kingdome The warre though inuasiue could not maintayne it selfe The monyes here are altred and abated in weight and yet made to passe according to the former value Before this time there were none other peeces but Nobles and halfe Nobles with the small peeces of siluer called sterlings but now grotes of foure-pence and halfe grotes of two pence equiuolent to the sterling money are coined which inhansed the prices of things that rise or fall according to the plenty or scarcity of Coine Which made seruants labourers to A Parlement raise their wages accordingly Whereupon a Satute was made in the Parliament Anno Reg. 27. now held at Westminster to reduce the same to the accustomed rate which was giuen before the late great Mortality This caused much murmuring amongst them imputing the cause thereof to William Edington Bishop of Winchester the Kings Treasurer whom they held to be the Author of the abatement of the Coyne The King conceiuing displeasure against the Flemmings for being disappointed of the Match betweene a Daughter of his and their yong Earle Louys who was escaped into France and bestowed on a daughter of the Duke of Brabant with-drawes the Mart or Staple of Woolls from their Townes greatly inriched thereby and can The Staple established in England sed the same to be kept at Westminster Chichester Canterbury Lincolne Warwick Yorke New-castle Excester Carmarden Bristoll and Hull Holding it fitter to aduance his owne Townes then Strangers by the commodities of the Kingdome And here are prouident Ordinances enacted for the gouerning and ordering this Staple An Act is also made in this Parliament that all Weares Milles and other stoppages Walsinham of Riuers hindring the passages of Boates Lighters and other Vessels should be remooued An Act most commodious to the Kingdom but it tooke little effect saith my Authour by reason of bribing and corrupting Lords and great men who regarded more their owne then the publike benefite A mischiefe fatall to all good Ordinances and yet is it an honor to that time that so behoufull an Act was ordained For this eafie conuaying and passing of Commodities from place to place to impart the same more generally would no doubt be an infinite benefit to this State And seeing God hath made vs Riuers proper for the same it is our negligence or sloth if we marre them or make them not vsefull in that kinde as other Nations doe with farre lesser Streames There is mentioned also an Act to bee made at the instance of the Londoners that Stow. no common Whore should weare any Hood except rayed or striped with diuers colours nor Furres but garments reuersed the wrong side outward wherein they did well to set a deformed marke vpon foulenesse to make it appeare the more odious After this Parliament Henry Earle of Derby is created Duke of Lancaster and The Earle of Derby created Duke of Lancaster Ralfe Lord Stafford Earle of Stafford and heere Charles de Bloys a long Prisoner in England agreed for his Ransom which was 40. thousand Florins and was permitted to returne into Britagne to prouide the same Great mediation is made by the Pope to accord the two Kings and Commissioners meet on both
for the reformation of the State Besides they compose a Councell of themselues whereof the Bishop of Laon the Primier President the Prouost with some of the Vniuersity were chiefe assuming a Soueraigne power to order all affaires of the State as a Common-wealth So that wee see in what a miserable confusion that kingdome stood being without a head and how apt it was then to shake off all authority and dissolue the gouernement into parts shewing vs that it was no new proiect amongst them to Cantonize as the great Townes and the Princes of late practised to doe in their leagues during their ciuile combustions The Dauphin thus disgraced with much a doe gets out of this tumultious City and retyres into Champagne and at Vertus assembles the States of the Countrie whom hee found loyall and ready to yeeld him all succour The rest of the great Townes refusing with much disdaine to ioyne with the City of Paris offer him likewise their ayde So that hee was put into some heart and likly to effect his desires in short time had not the King of Nauarre who sought his destruction still raysed new broyles in the State and taken Armes against him Now besides these confusions greater mischiefes arose in that miserable kingdome the poore Paysants that had beene eaten out by the Souldiers and troden vnder foote by their Lords colleague and arme themselues in the Country of Beauuoysis France spoyled by the souldiers and others on all sides and turne head vpon the Gentry and such as had done them wrong spoyling sacking burning their houses killing their wiues and children in most outragious manner This was not all troupes of souldiers which had no work or meanes to liue ioyne together in mighty Companies ouer-runne and rauage other parts of the kingdome The forces in Brittaine vnder the conduct of Sir Robert Knoles breake out vpon the confining Countries and returne loaden with inestimable booties of wealth All which miserable calamities enough to haue vtterly dissolued a State prolong the imprisonment of their King in England so that nothing could bee effected for his ransome which King Edward thinkes long till he haue in his Treasury and vrges likewise for his part very hard conditions requiring say they besides infinite summes that King Iohn should doe homage and holde the kingdome of France of the Crowne of England which hee with great disdayne refuses as being not in his power to alien what was vnalienable vowing that no misery of his should constrayne him to doe any thing preiudiciall to his successors to whom hee would leaue the State as hee receiued it But yet at length offers other and more large conditions then the French were willing to yeeld vnto which being long in debating and nothing concluded after foure yeares expectation King Edward in great displeasure resolues to make an end of this worke with the sword and to take possession King Edward goes to take possession of the kingdome of France of the kingdome of France And ouer hee passes to Calais with a Fleete of eleuen hundred Sayle His Army hee diuides into three battailes one hee commits to the Prince of Wales another to the Duke of Lancaster and the third hee leades himselfe And first hee marches to the City of Aras which hee takes within three dayes Thence into Champagne where the Cities of Sens and Neuers are rendered Anno Reg. 34. vnto him The Duchy of Burgogne terrified with these examples redeemes it selfe from spoyle vpon paying two hundred thousand Florins of gold Furnished with which treasure and booties by the way vp King Edward marches to Paris where the Dauphin who had now the title of Regent hauing lately ouercome the faction and executed the principall of the Mutiners was with great forces which in the common danger flocked together to defend their Countrie and would not by the example of his father and Grand-father be drawne out to hazard vpon any attempt but stood onely vpon his defences which the King of England seeing after many prouocations raysed his siege and returnes into Brittaine to refresh his Army In the meane time the Regent layes in mighty store of victualls prouides that the Souldiers should haue enough without pressing the inhabitants and with extreame dilligence so fortifies the City as King Edward returning with all his refreshed power was vtterly disappoynted of his hopes to doe any good there Thus that great Citty which was like to haue endangered the whole kingdome of France was the onely meanes to preserue it From hence King Edward takes his way towards Chartres with purpose to besiege that City but being by an horrible tempest of haile thunder and lightning that fell vpon his Army so terrified as hee vowed to make peace with the French King vpon any reasonable conditions as he shortly after did at the treaty of Britigny The Treatie of Accord concluded at Britigny neere Chartres vpon these Articles That the country of Poicton the Fiefs of Thouars and Belleuille the Countrie of Gascoigne Agenois Perigort Limosin Cahors Torbe Bigorre Rouergne Angoulmois in soueraigntie with the Homages of the Lords within those Territories Monstruel on the Sea Ponthieu Calais Guines La Merk Sangote Boulogne Hames Vales and Onis should bee to the King of England who besides was to haue three Millions of Scutes of gold whereof sixe hundred thousand presently in hand foure hundred thousand the yeere following and the Surplus in two yeeres after insuing vpon reasonable payment And for this the King of England and his Sonne the Prince of Wales as well for them as their Successors for euer should renounce all their right pretended to the Vid. Append. Crowne of France the Duchy of Normandie the Countryes of Touraine Aniou Maine the Soueraigntie and Homage of the Dutchy of Britagne and the Earldome of Flanders and within three weekes King Iohn to bee rendred at Callais at the charge of the King of England except the expences of his House For assurance of which Accord should be giuen into his hand Hostages Louys Duke of Aniou Iohn Duke of Berry King Iohns sonnes Phillip Duke of Orleance his brother Iohn Duke of Burgogne the Conts of Bloys Alenson Saint Pol Harcourt Poncian Valentinois Grand Pre de Brenne des Forrests the Lords Vaudemont Couscy Piennez de Saint Venant de Preaux de Momerancy de Garanciecis La Roche guion Estou-teuille Le Dauphind ' Auergne d' Andrigil de Craon sufficient cautions for the sayd Summes and conditions The Scots not to be ayded by the French King nor the Flemmings by the English Charles King of Nauarre and his brother Phillip are comprehended likewise in these Articles c. This Treatie of good accord and finall Peace signified by both Kings was ratified King Iohn deliuered by their two eldest Sonnes Edward and Charles and sworne vnto by the Nobilitie of both Kingdomes The Hostages are deliuered vnto King Edward who departing from Honfleur brought them into England leauing the
Earle of Warwick in France to haue a hand in the execution of the Accorde King Iohn is honourably conducted to Calais attending the promised Summe the first gage of his libertie Anno Reg. 35. 1361. The Citie of Paris yeelds one thousand Royals by whose Example other Cities contribute according to their proportions And thus is King Iohn deliuered after hauing remained Prisoner in England neere about fiue yeeres And both Kings depart in kinde manner with all demonstrations of brotherly Loue. King Edward returning with his Crownes calles a Parliament wherein the forme of the Accord was read and allowed of all the Estates and an Oath taken by the Nobles to obserue the same for their partes Heere the King restorees to the Priors Aliens their Houses Lands Tenements which he had taken from them Anno Reg. 12. for the maintenance of his French Warres which now being ended he grants by his Letters Pattents in as free manner as before they helde them A rare Example of a iust King being seldome seene that Princes let go any thing whereon they haue once fastned Now againe was the ioy and glorie that England receiued by their gettings seasoned The second great Pestilence with the sowrenesse of another mortalitie called The second Pestilence whereof dyed many Noble men the chiefe was Henry Duke of Lancaster of the Royall blood a Prince of great note for wisedome and valour who had beene an especiall Actor in all these Warres and a principall Pillar of the Crowne of England whose Daughter and Heyre was a little before marryed to Iohn of Gaunt by dispensation being neere of consanguinitie whereby hee is made Duke of Lancaster And shortly after by the like Dispensation the Prince of Wales marryes the Countesse Anno Reg. 36. of Kent Daughter to Edmond brother to Edward the second And so both are prouided of Matches within the Kingdome The King giues to the Prince of Wales the Duchy of Aquitaine reseruing to himselfe Homage and Fealtie and shortly after sends him ouer with his wife and Court to liue there His sonne Lionell Earle Vlster is sent into Ireland with a regiment of 1500 men to guard his Eatledome against the Irish and was created Duke of Clarence in the next Parliament held at Westminster in Nouember which continued vntill the feast of Saint Brice King Edwards Birth-day and the Fiftith yeare of his age Wherein for a Iubilie hee shewes himselfe extraordinarily gracious to his people freely pardoning many offences releasing prisoners reuoking Exiles c. And vpon petition of the Commons causes Pleas which before were in French to be made in English that the subiect might vnderstand the Lawe by which hee holdes what hee hath and is to know what hee doth A blessed act and worthy so great a King who if hee could thereby haue rendered the same also perspicuous it had beene a work of eternall honour but such is the Fate of Law that in what language soeuer it speakes it neuer speakes plaine but is wrapt vp in such difficulties and mysteries as all professions of profit are as it giues more affliction to the people then it doth remedy Here was also an act passed for Purueiors as there had beene many before in his time that nothing should bee taken vp but for ready money vpon strict punishment For retribution of which relieuements the Parliament granted sixe and twenty shillings eight pence for tranportation Vid. Stat. of euery sacke of woole for three yeares Thus all were pleased sauing the remouing of the Saple from the Townes of England to Calais was some grieuance to those whom it concerned Yet the Kings desire to inrich that Towne being of his owne acquisition and now a member of the Crowne of England might herein be well borne withall And sure this King the most renowmed for Valour and Goodnesse that euer raigned in this kingdome not onely laboured to aduance the State by enlarging the Dominions thereof but to make his people as well good as great by reforming their vices whereunto fortunate and opulent States are euermore subiect as may be noted in the next Parliament held at Westminster Anno Reg. 37. wherein for the publique Good certaine Sumptuary lawes the most necessarie to preuent Ryot that dissoluing sicknesse the feuer Hectique of a State were ordayned both for Apparell Diet appointing euery degree of men from the Shepheard to the Prince the Stuffe Habits they should weare prohibiting the adornements of gold and Siluer Silkes and rich Furres to all except eminent persons Vid. Stat. Whereby forraine superfluities were shut out home-made Cōmodities only vsed The Labourer and Husbandman is appointed but one meale a day and what meates he should eate c. whereby Gluttony Drunkennesse those hideous euils which haue since vtterly disfashioned infeebled the English Nation were auoided So carefull was this frugall King for preseruing the estates of his subiects from Excesse And as prouident was hee for the ordering of his owne committing his treasure to the safest Chest that Religion could keepe lockt For by a certificat Anno Cleargy men Officers to the King Reg. 39. sent to Pope Vrbane concerning Plut alities and the estates of Church-men in England there were found more of the Spirtualty which bare office about this King then any other of Christendome beside As first Simon Langham Archbishop of Canterbury was Chancelor of England William Wickham Archdeacon of Lincolne Keeper of the Priuy Seale Dauid Weller Parson of Somersham Maister of the Rolles Ten beneficed Priests Ciuilians Maisters of Chancery William Mulse Deane of Saint Martins le Grand Chiefe Chamberlayne of the Exchecquer Receiuer and Keeper of the Kings treasure and Iewels William Askby Archdeacon of Northampton Chancelor of the Exchecquar William Dighton Pribendary of Saint Martins Clarke of the Priuy Seale Richard Chesterfield Prebend of Saint Staphans Treasurer of the Kings house Henry Snatch Parson of Oundall Maister of the Kings Ward-robe Iohn Newnham Parson of Fenni-stanton one of the Chamberlaines of the Exchequer and keeper of the Kings Treasurie and Iewels Iohn Rousbie Parson of Harwick Surueior and Comptroler of the Kings works Thomas Britingham Parson of Asbie Treasurer to the King for the parts of Guisnes and the Marches of Calais Iohn Troys Tresurer of Ireland a Priest and beneficed there These men being without those Feminine Ginnes of attraction and consumption deuoted onely to Sanctitie were thought then fittest to be husbands for his profit Shortly after three Kings came to visite the King of England The King of France the King of Scots and the King of Cypres The occasions that mooued the French king might be diuers but it seems the especial wereto free some Hostages that remained heere and to cleare such imputations as were had of him for not obseruing in all points the late Accorde wherewith his Nobles were much discontented and many dissiculties arose among them so that in an Assembly of the States at Paris certaine
perticular Lords whose Homages were passed ouer to the King of England protested against it Alledging how that the King could not dispose of the Soureigntie of the Kingdome nor alien his Domaine and therefore they would not obey it The French King notwithstanding least King Edward should thinke this but a collusion betweene him and his subiects publishes his Commandement for the obseruation of the Accord and thereof certifies King Edward Besides he had vndertaken a iourney for the Holy warres and desired to settle all things in peace at home before his going And this might be the occasion of his comming and not his loue to the Conntesse of Salisburie as is reported But howsoeuer this King shewed a Strange disposition to returne to the Gaole where he had indured so much affliction and where shortly after his comming The death of King Iohn of France hee ended his life much lamented of the King of England who sole mnly attended his Corps to Douer whence it was conuayed to Saint Denys and entombed with his Ancestors An. 1364. Reg. 38. The debate for the Duchie of Britaigne is about this time determined by the death of Charles de Bloys slaine in a Battaile neere Vannes by Iohn de Monfort and the English Forces led by the Lord Latimer Sir Iohn Chandos and Sir Hugh Cauerley The businesse of Britayne accomdated for a time Iohn de Monfort marries Mary Daughter to King Edward and by his consent doth his homage for the Duchie to Charles now King of France compounding with the widdow of Charles de Bloys for a summe of money and some estate in land And heere we haue some time of rest which the Souldier whom the warre had bred could not well brooke The cast Companies in France though they had no Head yet had strong Bodies and did much mischiefe in many parts of that Kingdom till they were imployed in the Warres of Spaine which fell out shortly after A Company of them passed over into Italie vnder the conduct of Sir Iohn Haucut a great The Italians call him Iohannos de Acuto Warriour who found such entertainement with the Princes there where hee reuiued Militarie discipline that had layne long vnused among them and got such honour and estate by his valour as his fame remaines to this day and his Statue amongst their memorable Princes for action and vertue though hee went but a Taylorout of this Kingdome which in those dayes could haue furnished the whole world with Leaders and expert Militarie men And now heere haue we brought this mightie King to the Fortieth yeere of his Anno Reg. 40. Raigne which had it beene his last wee had left him the most glorious and tryumphant Prince in the world to whom Fortune neuer yet shewed her back neuer was retrograd But now these last ten yeeres present vs with a turning of the Beame a declination from that height of glory with certaine blemishes that age and frailtie brought vpon him This new King of France Charles the fift Intituled The wise recouered great aduantages vpon him hauing in the life time of his Father strugled so with affliction a better Mistresse of wisedome then prosperitie and learned so well to know a Crowne before he had it as now hee manages the same with great temperance and vigilancie and finding the preseruation of that State consisted more in counsell then force which had beene too aduenturously imployed by his Father and Grand-father he workes his fortune by lying still hauing excellent aydes and ministers to execute his designes and labour for him of whom for his warres Guesclin a Brittaine whom hee made Constable of France was of especiall note and first shewed the way how that State was to be recouered The Prince of Wales remayning in his Duchy of Aquitayne with a great Court which required great expences and many military attendants without worke is Anno Reg. 41. 1367. solicited by Peter King of Castile chased out of his kingdome by his bastard brother Henry to ayde him to recouer the same which the Prince vpon great promises of remuneration vndertakes by the consent of his father The cause was better then the person For this Peter sonne to Alphonso 11. King of Castile had cōmitted so tyrannicall outrages as were intollerable to his subiects oppressing and destroying The Prince of wales aides the King of Castile his Nobles to inrich himselfe putting away and after murthering his wife which was daughter to Peter Duke of Burbon sister to the now Queen of France by the instigation of his Concubine Maria de Padilla whom he afterwards married Whereupon the State adhering to his brother Henry who though he were a bastard by his birth was more Legittimate by his vertues then hee who was more a bastard by his vices crowned him King of Spaine at Bargos and forced Peter to fly the kingdome This Peter thus reiected the Prince of Wales with an Army of thirty thousand attended by his brother Iohn Duke of Lancaster and many Lords of England goes to re-inuest in his kingdome Henry is ayded by the French and those floting companies fore-remembred led by Guesclin Constable and Dandrehen Marshall of France hauing besides of Castilians Christians and Sarasins so many as his Army consisted of neere an hundred thousand men Vpon the borders of Castile it came to a Battayle the Prince of Wales hath the victory Henry is put to flight the French Leaders taken prisoners and Peter put into his Throne againe at Bargos The worke done reward for the same is required by the Prince which Peter could not or cared not to prouide but staruing him with delayes inforced him in the end to returne to Burdeaux without mony to pay his Army which was worse without health which he neuer after recouered This successe had this vnfortunate action vndertaken to right an vngratefull Tyrant who afterwarde notwithstanding was The Prince obtaines the victory in Spaine againe dispossessed taken and put to death by his brother Henry It is written that to strengthen himselfe hee combined with a Prince of the Sarazins married his daughter and renounced the Christian faith but it is commonly the reward of euill princes to be made worse then they are The Prince of Wales returning thus out of Spaine charged with more debts then before and destitute of meanes to content his people fals vpon another misfortune The il successe of that iourny as commonly men in these declinations seeking remedies increase maladies imposing a new taxation vpon the Gascoignes of Feuage or Chymney mony so discontented the people as they exclaime against the gouernment of the English and appeale to the King and Court of France for redresse The King of France at the instance of the great Lords and others who were turned ouer by the accord to hold of the Crowne of England sends a Gentleman to the Prince of Wales at Burdeaux with sommons to answere before him and his
of an intention was banished and their estates seized the Earldome of Mortaigne he gaue to Robert that of Eu to Odo after Bishop of Bayeux both his brethren by the mother These assaults from abroade these skornes conspiracies and vnder-workings at home he passed before he was full 32 yeares of age and thus his enemies made him that sought to vndoe him But now more to vnderset and strengthen his State against future practises hee conuokes an assemblie of his Prelates Barons and Gentlemen causing them to receiue their oath of Fealtie and raze their Castles which done he married Matilde the daughter of Baldouin the sift Earle of The Duke marries Matilde daughter of Balaouine the fift Earle of Flanders Flaunders but not without contrast and trouble for his Vncle Mauger Arch-bishop of Roan excommunicates him for matching within the forbidden degrees of kindred she being daughter to Elinor daughter to Richard the second and so his fathers sisters daughter To expiate for which offence vpon a dispensation from Pope Victor they were enioyned the building of certaine Hospitals for blind people and two Abbeyes the one for men the other for women which were erected at Caen. This match and the ouer-matching his enemies set him so high a marke of enuie in The reasons why the King of France warres with the Normans the eye of France which naturally loued not the Normans whom in reproach they vsually called Trewans as they easily incensed their King who of himselfe was forward enough to abate a power growne so out of proportion with the rest of the Princes of his Dominions to finde a quarrell which confiners easily doe to set vpon him and to make it looke the fairer pretends to correct the insolencies of the Normans committed on his territories and to releeue Count Martel opprest by the Duke besides alleadging It concerwed him in honour and iustice to haue that Prouince which held of his Crowne to bee gouerned by a Prince of lawfull bloud according to Christian order and Lawes Ecclesiasticall And therefore resolueth vtterly to exterminate the Duke and establish a legittimate Prince in the Dutchie For which effect two armies are gathered from all parts of his Kingdome the one sent along the riuer Sein the other into the Country of Bessin as meaning to incompasse him The Duke likewise deuides his forces into two parts sends his brother Odo Earle of Eu Walter Guifford Earle of Longueuill and others with the one to the Country of Caux himselfe with the other takes towards Eureux to make head to the King that was at Mante and withdrawes all cattle and prouisions out of the flat Country into Cities and Fortresses for their owne store and disfurnishment of the enemie The Kings army marching from Beanuois to Mortimer and finding there a fat Country full of all prouisions betooke them to make good cheere and rests there all that night thinking the Norman forces were yet with the Duke at Eureux which the army in Caux conducted by Odo vnderstanding marched all night and by breake of day gaue them so hot an alarme and so sodaine as put them all in rout leauing horse and armour The defeiture of the Armie of the King of France by the Normans and all to the assaylants who made such a distruction of them as of forty thousand not the fourth part escaped With this defeiture the King of France is againe returned home with great rage and griefe and the Duke with the redemption of the prisoners recouers his peace and the Castle of Thuilliers taken from him in his vnder-age Cont Martell though much dismayd with the Kings ouerthrow yet leaues not to make some attempts for the recouering his Townes but with no successe The Duke he saw was to well beloued followed for him to do any good without a stronger arme Wherfore the next spring he goes againe to importune the King of France to aide him against the Duke who he said Was now growne so insolent vpon this peace and the victorie he had stolne and not wonne that there was no liuing for his neighbours neere him Besides the Normans had the French in such derision and base esteeme as they made their act at Mortimer their onely sport and the subiect of their rimes as if a King of France vpon the losse of a few men was retired and durst not breake a dishonourable peace With which instigation and being stung with the touch of reproach hee raises another Army far mightier then before wherein were three Dukes and twelue Earles and notwithstanding the sollemne peace made and so lately sworne with the Duke hee enters Normandie in the haruest time ouer-runnes and spoiles all the Country along the Coast to Bessin from whence marching to Bayeux and Caen with purpose to paste the riuer Diue at Varneuille to destroy the Countries of Auge Liseux and Roumoys euen to Roan and finding the case-way long and the bridge narrow caused his vantguard to passe ouer first and to secure his Arierguard conducted by the Duke of Berry himselfe stayes behind in Caen till his people and their carriages were passed Duke William whom all this while stores his sortresses with men and victuall makes himselfe as strong in the Towne of Falaise as he could hath no army in the field but a running campe to be readie to take all aduantages le ts the fury of the storme spend it selfe and hauing aduertisement of this passage marched all night with 10 thousand men and in the morning early sets vpon the Arierguard with so sodaine a cry and fury as they who were before on the Case-way hearing this noise behinde thrust forward their fellowes hasting to get ouer the bridge with such a crowd and presse as they brake it many were drownd in the riuer They who were gotten ouer could not returne to aide the rest nor the King by reason of Marishes on both sides yeeld any succour to his people but stood a spectator of their slaughter and the taking of sixe of his Earles of whom one was the exiled Earle of Eu whom the King fauouring his great worth had made Conte De Soissons The griefe of this ouerthrow shortly after gaue the King of France his death and The Armie of the King of France ouerthrowne at Varneuille by the Normans the Duke of Normandy a ioyfull peace which hee nobly imployed in the ordering and adorning his State building endowing and decking Monasteries and Churches gathering reliques from all parts to furnish his Abbeyes at Caen where hee also erectted a Tombe for himselfe and his wife feasting and rewarding his Nobles and men of worth whereby hee so possest him of the hearts of all his people generally as they were entirely his for what he would During this calme of his life hee makes a iourney ouer into England as if to visite The Duke comes to visit his kinsman King Edward his kinsman who in regard of the preseruation and breeding hee had
alteration though in the best kinde with this change of State And to giue entertainment to deuotion hee did all he could to furnish his Church with the most exquisite ornaments might be procured added a more State and conueniencie to the structure of religious houses and beganne the founding of Hospitals Hauing long struggled with indefatigable labour to hold things in an euen course during the whole raigne of this busie new state-building King and after his death seeing his successor in the Crowne established especially by his meanes to faile his expectation out of the experience of worldly causes deuining of future mischiefes by present courses grew much to lament with his friends the teadiousnesse of life which shortly after hee mildly left which such a sicknesse as neither hindred his speech nor memory a thing he would often desire of God William Fiz Auber as is deliuered was a principall councellor and instument in this action for England wherein hee furnished forty ships at his owne charge A man of great meanes yet of a heart greater and a hand larger then any meanes would well suffice His profuse liberalities to men of armes gaue often sharpe offence to the King who could not indure any such improuident expences Amongst the Lawes hee William Fitz Auber Earle of Hereford made Lawes in his Prouince made which shewes the power these Earles then had in their Prouinces he ordained That in the Countie of Hereford no man of or souldiour should bee fined for anie offence whatsoeuer aboue seuen shillings when in other Countries vpon the least occasion of disobeying their Lords will they were forced to pay 20. or 25. shil But his estate seeming to beare no proportion with his minde enough it was not to be an eminent Earle an especiall Councellor in all the affaires of England and Normandie a chiefe fauorite to so great a Monarch but that larger hopes drew him away designing to marrie Richeld Countesse dowager of Flanders and to haue the gouernment of that Countrie during the non-age of Arnulph her sonne of whom with the King of France he had the tutelarie charge committed by Baldouin the sixth Father to Arnulph whose estate Robert Le Frison his Vncle called by the people to the gouernment vpon the exactions inflicted on them by Richeld had vsurped And against him Fitz Auber opposing was with Arnulph surprized and slaine And this was in the fate of the Conqueror to see most of all these great men who had beene the especiall actors in all his fortunes spent and extinct before him As Beaumont Monfort Harcourte Hugh de Gourney Vicount Neele Hugh de Mortimer Conte de Vannes c. And now himselfe after his being brought sicke to Rouan and there disposing The death of William the first his estate ended also his act in the 74 yeare of his age and the one and twenty of his raigne Three dayes the Corpes of this great Monarch is sayd to haue layne neglected while his seruants attended to imbessill his moueables in the end his yongest sonne Henry had it conueyed to the Abbey of Cane where first at the entry into the Towne they His Corps lay vnburied 3. dayes who carried the Corpes left it alone and ran all to quench a house on fire Afterward brought to be intombed a Gentleman stands sorth and in sterne manner forbids the interment in that place claiming the ground to be his inheritance descended from his His interment hindered Ancestors and taken from him at the building of that Abbey appealing to Row their first founder for Iustice whereupon they were faine to compounded with him for an Annuall rent Such adoe had the body of him after death who had made so much in his life to be brought to the earth and of all he attained had not now a roome to containe him without being purchased at the hand of another men esteeming a liuing Dogge more then a dead Lyon He had a faire issue by Maude his wife foure sonnes and sixe daughters To Robert His issue his eldest he left the Duchy of Normandy to William the third sonne the Kingdome of England to Henry the yongest his treasure with an annuall pension to be payd him by his brothers Richard who was his second sonne and his darling a Prince of great hope was slaine by a Stagge hunting in the new Forrest and began the fatalnesse that followed in that place by the death of William the second there slaine with an arrow and of Richard the sonne of Robert Duke of Normandy who brake his necke His eldest daughter Cicilie became a Nunne Constance married to the Earle of Brittaine Adula to Stephen Earle of Biois who likewise rendred her selfe a Nunne in her age such was then their deuotion and so much were these solitary retires affected by the greatest Ladies of those times Gundred married to William de Warrein the first Earle of Surrey the other two Ela or Adeliza and Margaret died before marriage Now what he was in the circle of himselfe in his owne continent we find him of The description of William the first an euen stature comely personage of good presence riding sitting or standing till his corpulency increasing with age made him somewhat vnwildy of so strong a constitution as he was neuer sickly till a few moneths before his death His strength such as few men could draw his Bow and being about 50. of his age when he subdued this Kingdome it seemes by his continuall actions he felt not the weight of yeares vpon him till his last yeare What was the composition of his mind we see it the fairest drawne in his actions and how his abilities of Nature were answerable to his vndertakings of Fortune as pre-ordained for the great worke he effected And though he might haue some aduantage of the time wherein we often see men preuaile more by the imbecility of others then their owne worth yet let the season of that world be well examined and a iust measure taken of his actiue vertues they will appeare of an exceeding proportion Nor wanted he those incounters and concurrencies of sufficient â—â—â—le Princes to put him to the triall thereof Hauing on one side the French to grapple withall on the other the Dane farre mightier in people and shipping then himselfe strongly sided in this Kingdome as eager to recouer their former footing here as euer and as well or better prepared His deuotion and mercy For his deuotion and mercy the brightest starres in the Spheare of Maiesty they appeare aboue all his other vertues and the due obseruation of the first the Clergie that loued him not confesse the other was seene in the often pardoning and receiuing into grace those who rebelled against him as if he held submission satisfactory for the greatest offence and sought not to defeit men but their enterprises For we find but one Noble man executed in all his Raigne and that was the Earle Waltheof who But
one Noble man executed in all the time of this Kings Raigne had twice falsified his faith before And those he held prisoners in Normandy as the Earles Morchar and Siward with Wolfnoth the brother of Harald and others vpon compassion of their indurance he released a little before his death Besides he was as farre from suspition as cowardize and of that confidence an especiall note of his magnanimity as he gaue Edgar his competitor in the Crowne the liberty of his Court And vpon his suite sent him well furnisht to the holy warre where he nobly behaued himselfe and attained to great estimation with the Empetours of Greece and Almaine which might haue beene held dangerous in respect of his alliances that way being graund-child to the Emperour Henry the third But these may be as well vertues of the Time as of Men and so the age must haue part of this commendation He was a benefactor to Nine Abbeys of Monkes and one of Nunnes founded by his Predicessors in Normandy and during his owne time were founded in the same Prouince seuen Abbeys of Monkes and sixe of Nunnes with which fortresses as he His workes of piety sayd he furnisht Normandy to the end men might therein fight against the flesh and the Diuell In England he founded a goodly Abbey where he fought his first Battell whereof it had the Denomination and two Nunneries one at Hinching-Brooke in Huntingdon shire and the other at Armthewt in Cumberland besides his other publique workes Magnificent he was in his Festiuals which with great solemnity and ceremony the formall entertainers of reuerence and respect he duly obserued Keeping his Christmas at Glocester his Easter at Winchester and Penticost at Westminster whither he summoned his whole Nobility that Embassadors and Strangers might see his State and largenesse Nor euer was he more milde and in dulgent then at such times And these Ceremonies his first Successor obserued but the second omitted The end of the Life and Raigne of William the first The Life and Raigne of William the second WILLIAM second sonne to William the first not attending his Fathers funerall hasts into England to recouer the Crowne where by the especiall 1087. Anno. Reg. 1. mediation of the Arch-bishop Lanfranc his owne large bounty and wide promises he obtained it according to his Fathers will to whom by his obsequiousnesse he had much indeered himselfe especially after the abdication of his elder brother Robert He was a Prince more gallant then good and hauing beene bred with the sword alwayes in action and on the better side of fortune was of a nature rough and haughty whereunto his youth and Soueraignty added a greater widenesse Comming to succeed in a Gouernment fore-ruled by mature and graue Counsell he was so ouer-whelmed with his Fathers worth and greatnesse as made him appeare of a lesser Orbe then otherwise he would haue done And then the shortnesse of his Raigne being but of thirteene yeares allowed him not time to recouer that opinion which the errors of his first Gouernment had lost or his necessities caused him to commit For the succession in right of Primogeniture being none of his and the elder brother liuing howsoeuer his fathers will was he must now be put and hâ—â—â— in possession of the Crowne of England by the Will of the Kingdome which to purchace must be by large conditions of relieuements in generall and profuse guifts in particular Wherein he had the more to do being to deale with a State consisting of a two fold body and different temperaments where any inflammation of discontent was the more apt to take hauing a head where-to it might readily gather Which made that vnlesse he would lay more to their hopes then another he could not hope to haue them firmely his And therefore seeing the best way to winne the Normans was by money and the English with liberties he spared not at first to bestow on the one and to promise the other more then befitted his estate and dignity which when afterward failing both in supplies for great giuers must alwayes giue and also in performances got him farre more hatred then otherwise he could euet William the second resumes his owne Graunts haue had being forced to all the dishonorable shifts for raising moneys that could be deuised and euen to resume his owne former graunts And to begin at first to take the course to be euer needy presently after his Coronation he goes to Winchester where his Fathers Treasure laye and empties out all that which with great prouidence was there amassed whereby though he wonne the loue of many he lost more being not able to content all And now although his brother Robert had not this great Engine mony he had to giue hopes and there were here of the Normans as Odon his Vnkle Roger de Mongomery Earle of Shrewesbury with others who were mainly for him and worke he doth all hee can to batter his brothers fortunes vpon their first foundation And for this purpose borowes great summes of Robert of Normandy borrowes summes of his brother Henry to purchase the kingdome of England his younger brother Henry to whom the father and mother had left much Treasure and for the same ingages the Country of Constantine and leauies an Army for England But William newly inuested in the Crowne though well prepared for all assaults had rather purchase a present peace by mediation of the Nobles on both sides till time had better setled him in his gouernment then to raise spirits that could not easily bee allayed And an agreement betweene them is wrought that William should hold the Crowne of England during his life paying to Robert three thousand Markes Per annum Robert hauing closed this businesse resumes by force the Country of Constantin out of his brother Henries hands without discharge of those summes for which hee had ingaged it Whereupon King William obrayds Henry with the great gaine hee had made by his vsurie in lending money to depriue him of his Crowne And so Henry got the hatred of both his brothers and hauing no place safe from their danger where to liue surprized the Castle of Mount Saint Michel fortifies him therein gets ayde of Hugh Earle of Brittaine and for his money was serued with Brittains who committed great spoyles in the Countries of Constantin and Bessin Odon Bishop of Bayeux returning into England after his imprisonment in Normandie Odon for malice to Lanfranc seekes to distract the Kings forces and restored to his Earledome of Kent finding himselfe fo farre vnder what he had beene and Lanfranc his concurrent now the onely man in councell with the King complots with as many Norman Lords as hee found or made to affect change and a new maister and sets them on worke in diuers parts of the Realme to distract the Kings forces as first Geoffery Bishop of Constans with his nephew Robert de Mowbray Earle of Northumberland fortifie themselues in Bristow
Dissolute persons expelled the Court. forbidden them vpon great penalty since the beginning of William the first Many other good orders for the gouernment of the Kingdome are ordained and besides to make him the more popular and beloued hee matches in the Royall bloud of England taking to wife Maude daughter of Margueret late Queene of Scots and Neece to Edgar Atheling descended from Edmond Ironside A Lady that brought with her the inheritance of goodnesse shee had from a blessed mother and with much adoe was won from her Cloister and her vow to God to discend to the world and be a wife to a King Thus stood he entrenched in the State of England when his brother Robert returning from the holy warres and receiued with great applause into his Dutchy of Normandy Robert Duke of Normandy returnes from the holy warre shakes the ground of all this businesse the first yeare threatning the second arriuing with a strong Army at Portsmouth to recouer the Crowne appertayning vnto him by the course of succession hauing a mighty partie in England of the Norman Nobility who either mooued with Conscience or their discontent a sickenesse rising of selfe 1101. Anno. Reg. 2. opinion and ouer expectation made any light occasion the motiue of reuolt The Armies on both fides meete and are readie to encounter when for auoyding Christian bloud a treatie of peace was moued and in the end concluded with these Articles 1. That seeing Henry was borne since his father was King of England which made him the The agreement between Henry and his brother eldest sonne of a King though the last of a Duke and now inuested in the Crowne by the act of the Kingdome hee should enioy the same during his life paying to Robert 3000 markes per annum 2. And Robert suruiuing to succeed him 3. That all who had taken part with Robert should haue their pardon and receiue no detriment 1102. Anno. Reg. 3. This businesse thus fairely passed ouer Robert of a generous and free Nature staies and feasts with his Brother here in England from the beginning of August till Michaelmas and then returnes into Normandy When Henrie ridde of this feare takes Henry claymes the inuestituâ—es of Bishops to a higher straine of Regality and now stands vpon his Prerogatiue for the inuestitures of Bishops and collation of other Ecclesiasticall estates within his kingdome oppugned by Anselme who refused to consecrate such as he preferred alledging it to Anselm oppugnes the Kings prerogatiue be a violation of the Sacred Rites and Ceremonies of the Church lately Decreed concerning this businesse in so much as the King dispatches an Ambassage to Pope Paschal with declaration of the right hee had to such inuestitures from his Predecessours the Kings of England who euermore conferred the same without interruption till now The King sends to the Pope of late Anselme followes after these Ambassadours goes likewise to Rome to make good the opposition The King banishes him the Kingdome and takes into his hands his 110. Anno. Reg. 4. Bishopricke The Pope stands stifly to the power assumed by the Church but in the end seeing the King fast strong and lay too farre off out of his way to bee constrained and hauing much to doe at that time with the Emperour and other Princes about the same businesse takes the way of perswasion to draw him to his will solliciting him Anselme followes Vide Append. with kind Letters full of protestations to further any designes of his that might concerne his State if he would desist from this proceeding The King prest with some other occasions that held him in and hauing purposes of The King and Anselm accorded that Nature as by forbearance of the Church might be the better effected consents to satisfie the Popes will and becomes an example to other Princes of yeelding in this case Anselme is re-called after a yeares bannishment and the Ambassadours returne with large remunerations Whilest these things were managing at Rome there burst out here a flame which The Earle of Shrewsburies combination consumed the parties that raised it and brought the King more easily to his ends then otherwise he could euer haue expected Robert de Belesme Earle of Shrewsbury sonne to Roger de Mongomerie a very fierce youth presuming of his great estate and his friends fortifies his Castles of Shrewsburie Bridgenorth Tickhill and Arundel with some other peeces in Wales belonging to him and combines with the Welch to oppose against the present State out of a desire to set all in combustion for his owne ends that were altogether vncertaine which put the King to much trauell and charge but within thirty dayes by employing great forces and terrors mixt with promises hee scattered his complices and tooke all his Castles except that of Arundell which rendred vpon condition that the Maister might bee permitted to retire safe into Normandie which the King easily granted seeing now hee was but the body of a silly naked Creature that had lost both Feathers and wings And it made well for the King his going thither For from the loosing of his owne estate in England and thereby aduancing the Kings reuenues hee goes to loose Normandy also and brings it to this Crowne For as soone as he came thither hee fastens amity with one of like condition and fortunes as himself an exiled man whose insolency had likewise stript him out of all his estate in 1104. Anno. Reg. 5. England and much wasted that in Normandy which was William Earle of Mortaigne sonne to Robert halfe Brother to King William the first Who being also Earle of Cornewal made sute likewise to haue that of Kent which his Vncle Odon lately held but being denied it and also euicted by Law of certaine other parcels of Land which hee claimed retires with great indignation into Normandy where not only he assaults the Kings Castles but also vsurpes vpon the State of Richard the yong Earle of Chester then the Kings Ward These two Earles combine themselues and with their Adherents committed many outragious actions to the great spoile and displeasure of the Countrey whereof though they complained to Duke Robert they found little remedy For he being now growne poore by his out-lauishing humour began it seemes to be little respected or else falne from action and those greatnesses his expectation had shewed him was as commonly great mindes dasht with ill fortunes are falne likewise in spirit and giuen ouer to his ease Wherupon the the people of Normandy make their exclamations to the King of England who sends for his Brother Robert Reprehends him for the sufferance of these disorders aduises him to act the part of a Prince and not a Monke and in conclusion whither by detention of his pension or drawing him being of a facile Nature to some act of releasing it sends him home so much discontented as hee 1105. Anno. Reg. 6. ioynes with these
The inheritance left him by his predecessors was sufficient to maintaine his estate at home and he desired not to thrust himselfe into other mens possessions abroad But his sonne Robert was of another mind and had a mighty estate both in England and Normandy Was a man of great direction in councell and euer vsed in all the weighty affaires of the State His The example of frugallitie in great men doth much good in a Kingdome frugallity both in apparell and diet was of such example being a man of eminent note as did much good to the Kingdome in those dayes But in the end he fell into disgrace the fate of Court and eminency opposed against the King and died berest of his estate Besides these this King was serued with a potent and martiall Nobility whom his spirit led to affect those great designes of his in France for the preseruation of his state in Normandy Whither in the 32. yeare of his raigne he makes his last voyage to dye there and in his passage thither happened an exceeding great Ecclips of the Sunne King Henries death which was taken to fore-signifie his death for that it followed shortly after in the thirty fiue yeare of his raigne He was of a gracefull personage quick-eyed browne haire a different complexion His personage from his brothers and of a close compacted temperament wherein dwelt a mind of a more solide constitution with better ordered affections He had in his youth some taste of learning but onely as if to set his stomake not to ouer-charge it therewith But this put many of his subiects into the fashion of the Booke and diuers learned men flourished in his time He had by Maude his wife the daughter of Malcolin the third King of Scotland none His issue other children but Maude and William of whom any certaine mention is made but he is said to haue had of children illigitimate seuen sonnes and as many daughters which shewes vs his incontinencie two of which sonnes of most especiall note Robert and Raynold were Earles the one of Glocester a great Champion and defender of his Sister Maude the Empresse the other Earle of Cornwall and Baron of Castle-combe His daughters were all married to Princes and Noble men of France and England from whom discended many worthy families as diuers writers report The end of the Life and Raigne of Henry the first The Life and Raigne of King Stephen THE Line Masculine of the Norman extinct and onely a daughter left 1135. Anno. Reg. 1. and she married to a French-man Stephen Earle of Bologne and Mortagne sonne of Stephen Earle of Blois and of Adela daughter to William the first was notwithstanding the former oath taken for Maud elected by the State and inuested in the Crowne of England within thirty daies after the death of Henry Vpon what reasons of Councell wee must gather out of the circumstances of the courses held in that time Some imagine The state refused Maude for not being then the custome of any other Kingdome Reasons why Maude was not crowned Christian whose Kings are annoynted to admit women to inherit the Crowne and therefore they might pretend to bee freed from their oath as being vnlawfull But Roger Bishop of Salisbury one of the principall men then in councell yeelded another reason for the discharge of this oath which was That seeing the late King had married his daughter out of the Realme and without the consent thereof they might lawfully refuse her And so was Stephen hauing no Title at all but as one of the bloud by meere election aduanced to the Crowne For if hee should claime any right in the Succession as being the sonne of Adela then must Theobald Earle of Blois his elder brother haue beene preferred before him and Henry Fitz Empresse if they refused the mother was neerer in bloud to the right Stem then either But they had other reasons that ruled that time Stephen was a man and of great possessions both in England and France had one Reasons why Stephen Earle of Bollogne was crowned King brother Earle of Blois a Prince of great estate another Bishop of Winchester the Popes Legat in England of power eminent was popular for his affability goodly personage and actiuenesse and therefore acceptable to the Nobility who at that time were altogether guided by the Clergy and they by the working of the Bishop of Winchester induced to make choyce of him hauing an opinion that by preferring one whose Title was least would make his obligation the more to them and so they might stand better secured of their liberties then vnder such a one as might presume of an hereditary succession And to be the more sure thereof before his admittance to the Crowne he takes a priuate oath before the Bishop of Canterbury To confirme the ancient liberties of the Church and had his brother to vndertake betwixt God and him for the performance thereof But being now in possession of the Kingdome and all the Treasure his Vncle had King Stephen possesses the Treasure of Hen. 2. in many yeares gathered which amounted to one hundred thousand pounds of exquisite siluer besides plate and iewels of inestimable value After the funerals performed at Reading hee assembles a Parliament at Oxford wherein hee restored to the Clergie all their His first Parliament at Oxford former liberties and freed the Layetie from their tributes exactions or whatsoeuer grieuances opprest them confirming the same by his Charter which faithfully to obserue hee tooke a publique oath before all the Assembly where likewise the Bishops swore fealty vnto him but with this condition So long as hee obserued the Tenour of this Charter And now as one that was to make good the hold he had gotten with power and his sword prepares for all assaults which hee was sure to haue come vpon him And first graunts licence to all that would to build Castles vpon their owne Lands thereby to fortifie the Realme and breake the force of any ouer-running inuasion that should maister the field Which in setled times might bee of good effect but in a season of distraction and part-takings very dangerous And being to subsist by friends hee makes all he could Creates new Lords giues to many great possessions and hauing a fullpurse spares for no cost to buy loue and fidelitie a purchase very vncertaine when there may bee other conueyances made of more strength to carry it Two waies hee was to looke for blowes from Scotland on one side and France on the other Scotland wanted no instigators Dauid their King mooued both by Nature and his oath to his Neece turnes head vpon him Stephen was presently there with the show of a strong Army and appeased him with the restitution of Cumberland and his sonne Henry Prince of Scotland with the Earledome of Huntingdon which with that of Northumberland as the Scortish writers say was to discend vnto him by the right
I of granting And sure the King had great reason to suspect his adhering to Maude whose part he beganne to fauour onely out of the hatred he bare to Winchester who yet was content to forsake his owne brother in regard by his ingagement he was preferred to the Crowne rather then to loose his good will and the rest of the Clergie But yet this breaking of the King into the Church which had made him vtterly dissolued him For presently hereupon all his power fell asunder the Empresse found now away open to let her in and the Earle of Glocester presuming of a sure side Maude the Empresse conducted into England conducted her into England onely with 150 men puts her into the Castle of Arundell and himselfe attended but with twelue horse passed away cleere through all the Country to Bristow and from thence to Glocester where he had leisure without opposition to raise all the Country to take part with the Empresse who from Arundell Castle was afterward by the Legate himselfe and the Kings permission conueyed to Bristow receiued with all obedience grew daily in strength as she went and came at length to her brother who had taken in Hereford made himselfe strong with the Welsh and setled those parts to gather vp more of the Kingdome by shewing herselfe and her power in diuers places Stephen hauing no part cleere by reason the Castles vpon which he spent both his time and meanes lay so thicke blockes in his way as he could not make that speed to stop this streame as otherwise he would holding it not safe to goe forward and leaue dangers behinde that might ouer-take him And first hee layes siege to the Castle of Wallingford which Brian sonne to the Earle of Glocester held against him then to the Castle of Bristow and other places working much but effecting little which seeing to get time and stagger the swift proceeding of this new receiued Princesse he causes a treatie of peace to be propounded at Bathe where the Legat who likewise earnestly solicited the same with the Arch-bishop of Canterbury were appointed Commissioners for the King and the Earle of Glocester for the Empresse but nothing was effected both returne to make good their sides The Empresse seekes to recouer more the King what he had lost And least the North parts might fall from him and the King of Scots come on hee repaires thitherward and finding the Castle of Lincolne possest by Ralph Earle of Chester who had married a daughter of the Earle of Glocester and holding it not safe to bee in the hands of such a maister in such a time seekes to take it in by force The Earle of Chester who held Newtall attempting nothing against the King tooke it ill and stood vpon his defence but being ouer-layd by power conueyes himselfe out of the Castle leaues his brother and wife within to defend it and procures ayde of his father in law the Earle of Glocester to succour him The Earle takes in hand this businesse sets out of Glocester with an Army of Welshmen and others attended with Hugh Bigod and Robert de Morley ioynes with the Earle of Chester marches to Lincolne where in the battaile King Stephen was taken carried prisoner to Glocester presented to the Empresse and by her sent to bee kept in the Castle of Bristow but in all honourable fashion till his attempts to escape layd fetters on him Hereupon the Empresse as at the top of her fortune labours the Legat to hee admitted She labours the Legat for the Crowne of England to the Kingdome as the daugher of the late King to whom the Realme had taken an oath to accept for soueraigne in the succession and wrought so as a Parle was appointed for this purpose on the Plaine neere to Winchester where in a blustring sad day like the fate of the businesse they met and the Empresse swore and made affidation to the Legat That all the great businesses and especially the donation of Bishoprickes and Abbeys should bee at his disposing if he with the Church would receiue her as Queene of England and hold perpetuall fidelitie vnto her The same oath and affidation tooke likewise her brother Robert Earle of Glocester Brian his sonne Marquisse of Wallingford Miles of Glocester after Earle of Hereford with many others for her Nor did the Bishop sticke to accept her as Queene though she neuer came to bee so and with some few other make likewise affidation for his part that so long as shee infringed not her couenant hee would also hold his fidelity to her The next day shee was receiued with solemne procession into the Bishops Church at Winchester the Bishop leading her on the right hand and Bernard Bishop of Saint Dauids on the left There were present many other Bishops as Alexander Bishop of Lincolne and Nigel Bishop of Ely the Nephewes of Roger lately imprisoned Robert Bishop of Bathe and Robert Bishop of Worcester with many Abbots Within a few dayes after came Theobald Archbishop of Canterbury to the Empresse inuited by the Legat but deferred to doe fealty vnto her as holding it vnworthy his person and place without hauing conferd first with the King And therefore hee with many Prelats and some of the Layety by permission obtained went to the King to Bristow The Councell brake vp the Empresse keepes her Easter at Oxford being her owne towne Shortly vpon Easter a Councell of the Clergie is againe called to Winchester where the first day the Legat had secret conference with euery Bishop apart and then with euery Abbot and other which were called to the Councell The next day hee makes a publicke speech Shewing how the cause of their Assembly was to consult The Legats speech to the Clergie to Crowne the Empresse for the peace of their country in great daunger of vtter ruine Repeates the flourishing raigne of his Vncle the peace wealth and honour of the Kingdome in his time and how that renowned King many yeares before his death had receiued an oath both of England and Normandy for the succession of his daughter Maude and her Issue But said he after his decease his daughter being then in Normandy making delay to come into England where for that it seemed long to expect order was to bee taken for the peace of the Countrey and my brother was permitted to raigne And although I interposed my selfe a surety betweene God and him that hee should honour and exalt the holy Church keepe and ordaine good Lawes Yet how hee hath behaued himselfe in the Kingdome it grieues mee to remember and I am ashamed to repeate And then recounts he all the Kings courses with the Bishops and all his other misgouernments And then said hee euerie man knowes I ought to loue my mortall brother but much more the cause of my immortall Father and therefore seeing God hath shewed his iudgement on my brother and suffered him without my knowledge to fall into the hand
of all the great men in the West and from other parts comming in vnto him Stephen now resolued to put it to the tryall of a day brings thither all the power hee could make and far ouer-went his enemy in number but flouds and stormes in an vnseasonable Winter kept the Armies from incountring till the Bishops doubtfull of the successe and seeing how daungerous it was for them and the whole State to haue a young Prince get the maistry by his sword mediated a peace which was after concluded in a Parliament at Winchester vpon these conditions 1 That King Stephen during his naturall life should remaine King of England and Henrie inioy the Dukedome of Normandie as discended vnto him from his mother and bee proclaymed heire apparent to the Kingdome of England as the adopted sonne of King Stephen 2 That the partizans of either should receiue no damage but inioy their Estates according to their ancient Rights and Titles 3 That the King should resume into his hands all such parcels of inheritance belonging Resumptions to the Crowne as had beene aliened by him or vsurped in his time And that all those possessions which by intrusion had beene violently taken from the owners since the dayes of King Henry should bee vestored vnto them who were rightly possessed therein when the said King raigned 4 That all such Castles as had beene built by the permission of Stephen and in his time which were found to be 1117 should be demolished c. There is a Charter of this agreement in our Annals which hath other Articles of reseruation for the Estates of particular persons And first for William the second sonne Vide Append. of Stephen to enioy all the possessions his father held before hee was King of England and many other particulars of especiall note After this pacification and all businesse here setled Duke Henry returnes into Normandy and likewise there concludes a peace with the King of France and for that hee would be sure to haue it buyes it with twenty thousand markes And now King Stephen hauing attained that hee neuer had Peace which yet it seemes he enioyed not a yeare after vses all the best meanes he could to repaire the ruines of the State makes his progresses into most parts of the Kingdome to reforme the mischiefes that had growne vp vnder the sword and after his returne cals a Parliament An. 1154. at London to consult of the best meanes for the publicke good After the Parliament He raigned 18 yeares and 10 moneths he goes to meete the Earle of Flanders at Douer who desired conference with him and hauing dispatcht him fals presently sicke dies within few dayes after and was buried in the Abbey he founded at Feuersham with the vnfortunate Princes A man so continually in motion as we cannot take his dimension but onely in passing and that but on one side which was warre on the other we neuer saw but a glaunce of him which yet for the most part was such as shewed him to bee a very worthy Prince for the Gouernment He kept his word with the State concerning the relieuement of Tributes and neuer had Subsidy that we find But which is more remarkeable hauing his sword continually out and so many defections and rebellions against him He neuer put any great man to death Besides it is noted that notwithstanding all these miseries of warre There were more Abbeys built in his Raigne then in an hundreth yeares before which shewes though the times were bad they were not impious The end of the Life and Raigne of King Stephen The Life and Raigne of Henry the Second And first of the Line of Plantagenet THAT short time of peace before the death of Stephen had so allayed 1154. Anno. Reg. 1. the spirit of contention and prepared the Kingdome wearied and defaced with warre to that disposition of quietnesse as Henry Plantagenet though a French-man borne and at that time out of the Land long detained with contrary winds yet a Prince of so great possessions abroad as might make him feared to be too mighty a maister at home or doubtfull where hee would set his seate whither carry England thither or bring those great States to this was notwithstanding generally admitted without any opposition or capitulation other then the vsuall oath to the Crowne of England which he receiued at the hands of Theobald Arch-bishop of Canterbury the twentieth day of December Anno 1154 about the three and twentieth yeare of his age And though he where a Prince Yong Actiue Pawerfull and had all that might make him high and presuming yet the necessity of his owne affaires were so strong raines to hold him in from all exorbitant courses as made him wary to obserue at first all meanes to get and retaine the loue and good opinion of this Kingdome by a regular and easie Gouernment being sure to haue the King of France perpetually awake for all aduantages both in regard of daily quarrels commune to mighty neighbours as also for matching with her that came out of his bed and brought away those mighty Prouinces from that Crowne whereby he comes now to ouer-match him being thus inuested in this powerfull Kingdome of England Where after hauing made a choice of graue Councellors such as best vnderstood the state thereof he began at a Councell or Parliament held at Wallingford with an Act that both serued his owne turne and much eased the stomakes of his people which was the expulsion of Strangers wherewith Expulsion of Strangers the Land was much pestered by reason of the late warres that had drawne great numbers of them and especially of Flemings and Picards whom King Stephen especially trusted in his greatest actions after he grew doubtfull of the English fidelity and had made their Leader Williamd ' Ipres Earle of Kent who likewise was turned home and his estate seized into the Kings hands Then that he might subsist by his owne meanes without pressure of his subiects Resumption of Crowne Lands whose voluntary seruices and contributions would yeeld him more in measure then if exacted He lookes to the State and ordering of his reuenues reformes the Exchequer and reuokes all such Lands belonging to the Crowne as had any way bene alienated or vsurped And though some of the great Lords stood out for the holding what they had in possession as Hugh de Mortimer for his Castles of Clebury Wigmore and Bridgenorth and Roger Fits Miles Earle of Hereford for the City and Land of Glocester Yet the King tooke them by force as appertaining to the Crowne Besides he resumed the Castle of Skarborough which William Earle of Albemarle held and diuers other Lands and Castles in Yorkeshire possessed by priuate men Hugh Bigot resigned his Castles into the Kings hands And more he tooke from William Earle of Mortaine and Warren base sonne to King Stephen the Castle of Pemsey the City of Norwitch with other Townes and Castles
then giues him powre to inuade the same and to execute whatsoeuer should bee to the Honour of God and good of the Countrey with reseruation of Church-rights and Peeter-pence a penny of euery house yearely which hee had promised by his Ambassadors and so concluds with an exhortation to plant men of good and examplar life in the Clergie c. But the King at that time hauing other occasions left off the purpose of this which comes now of late to bee againe imbraced by this meanes Dermot Mac Marrgh one Dermot complains against O Conor to King Henry of the fiue Kings which then ruled that Island comes vnto him into Aquitaine to craue his ayde against Rodorick the Great called O Conor Dun King of Connaught who contending for the Soueraigntie of the whole had chaced him out of his Dominion of Lemster The King of England glad to finde a doore thus opened to his intention that might yeeld passage of it selfe without being broken vp intertaines this eiected King with promises of ayde and though hee could not as then furnish him being ingaged in other great affaires he yet permits such of his subiects as would to aduenture their fortunes with him But the occasion of the dissention betweene these two Irish Kings was indeed fowle on the part of Dermot who had corrupted and stolne away the wife of Rodoricke and for that odious iniury with his iniustice to his people the common causes Dermots offences of ruininge and transferring Kingdomes hee was by strong hand chaced out of his Dominion of Lemster and thereupon makes out for forraine aide And hauing thus delt with the King of England he betakes him into Wales where first he wrought one Robert Fits Stephen a man of a desperate fortune yet able to draw many voluntaries to contract with him and afterward Richard of the house of Clare surnamed Strong-bow Earle of Pembrooke commonly called of his chiefe seate in Monmoth-shire Earle of Chepstow or Strigil a Lord of high courage and worthinesse which made him well followed and of great possessions both in England and Normandy which gaue him meanes for his entertainements Fits Stephen was perswaded by promise of rich rewards The Earle of marriage with Eua the daughter of Dermot the succession of the Kingdome of Lemster Fits Stephen with Maurice Fits Gerard his halfe brother by the mother passed ouer The conqnest of Ireland first with a small company and landed at the place called by the Irish Bagg-bun which in English signifies Holy and therefore interpreted as presaging good successe whereof this time retaines yet the memory At the head of Bagge and Bun Ireland was Triginta Mili tibus lost and wonne And the next day after arriued at the same place Maurice de Prendergast with other men at armes and many Archers in two ships parcell of Fits Stephens forces which from thence marched to the Citty of Weishford with Banners displayed The beginning of May. in so strange a forme and order though their number were not foure hundreth as the Irish vnacquainted with so vnusuall a face of warre were ouercome with 1170. Anno. Reg. 16. feare and rendred vp themselues to their mercy with their Citty of Wcishford which with the Countrey about was giuen by Dermot to Robert Fits Stephen for an encouragement to him and hope to others And there was planted the first Colonie of the English which euer since hath continued retaining still in a sort our antient attire and much of our language proper onely to that Citty and Countrey about and called by a distinct name Weisford speech The next yeare are new supplies sent out of Wales and after vpon intelligence of 1171. Anno. Reg. 17. good successe the Earle of Pembrok ariues in the Bay of Waterford with two hundred men at armes and a thousand other souldiours takes the towne which was then called Porthlarge puts the inhabitants to the sword to giue terror to others and make roome for his owne people and there Dermot giues him his daughter in marriage with the dowry of his Country which after his wickednesse had vndone hee liued not to see more yeares hauing had to many by this and dies miserably leauing the Stile of Ningal which signifies the strangers friend added to his name in memory of his vnnaturall forsaking his owne Nation Strongbow after hauing secured the places gotten marches with those small forces he had ouer the Island without resistance Rodoricke the Great shewing himselfe but a little Prince kept in the Wildes and fastnesses of Connaught and neuer came to appeare before the enemy who passing through the Country at his pleasure takes what pledges he would of the inhabitants to secure their obedience and with as little labour possest himselfe of the Citie of Dublin the head of the Island Thus Wales got vs first the Realme of Ireland and which is most strange without stroke of battaile a thing scarce credible that a Country so populous a Nation of that disposition should not lift vp a hand to defend it selfe hauing it seemes either neglected the vse of Armes or else neuer beene acquainted with them other then in a naked manner of domesticke fight one with another whereby the terror of strange and neuer before seene forces in order of warre layd them prostrate to the mercy of the Ouer-runner But the King of England aduertised of the prosperous successe of these Aduenturers and the Estate of the Country grew in iealousie of them thinking they presumed farther then their subiection would allow and would make themselues that which they must bee made by him and take away the glory of the worke that should bee onely his causes proclamation to be made That no vessell should carry any thing out of his Dominions into Ireland and that all his subiects should returne from thence and leaue off their attempts otherwise to forfeit their Estates at home And withall sends ouer William Fitz. 1172. Anno. Reg. 18. Adelm and Robert Fitz Bernard with some forces to prepare the way for him who followed shortly after and lands eight miles from Waterford the Eue of Saint Luke Anno 1172. being the third yeare after the first Inuasion made by Fitz Stephen At his first landing a white Hare starting out of a bush was taken and presented to him interpreted as a presage of a white victory The next day hee marches to Waterford where he staied fifteene dayes and thither came to him of their owne accord the Kings of Corke Limricke Oxerie Meth and all of any powre in Ireland except Rodoricke King of Connaught who still kept himselfe in the fastnesse of his Countrey and submitted themselues withall the Clergie taking their Oath of Fealty to him and the young King The Irish kings submission and their Successors for euer so these deuided Princes holding no common Councell for the publique safty rather then to ioyne those hands that had so often scratched each other
of all the neighbor Princes which subsist by other then their owne powre now follow And being returned from concluding this Match in Piemont there comes vnto him lying at Limoges Raymond Earle of Saint Gyles by whom was giuen the first affront he had in France now to doe homage vnto him for the Earledome of Tholouse and there became the man of the King of England and of his sonne Richard Earle of Poictou to hold Tholouse from them by hereditary right for seruice of comming vnto them vpon their sommons and remayning The homage of Raymond Earle of Saint Gyles for the Earld of Tholouse in their seruice fortie daies at his owne charge and if they would intertaine him longer to allow him reasonable expenses Besides the Earle should pay yearely for Tholouse and the appertinances a hundred markes of siluer or ten Horses worth ten Markes a peece About the same time also came the Earle Hubert to Limoges to know what Land the King of England would assure his sonne Iohn who resolued to giue vnto him the Castles of Chinon Lodun and Mirabell Where with King Henry the sonne grew much Henry the son takes displeasure against his father displeased and here mooued his Father either to resigne vnto him the Dutchie of Normandie the Earledome of Aniou or the Kingdome of England for his maintenance in which motion hee was the more egar being incensed by the King of France and the discontented Lords both of England and Normandie who were many and falne or wrought from the Father vpon new hopes and the aduantage of a deuided Soueraignty And though there were many other occasions of this defection of the sonne from the Father yet that this for these Castles should first bee taken may seeme to bee the worke of Gods especiall iudgement being those peeces which himselfe had taken from his owne brother Geffrey contrary to his Oath made vnto his Father as is before related so as if to tell iniustice that it must bee duely repayed the same Castles are made to bring mischiefe vpon him and to giue a beginning to the fowlest discorde that could bee wherein hee had not onely the Children of his owne bodie but the Wife of his bedde to conspire and practise against him For hereupon the sonne sodainely breaking away from the Father came to Paris where the King of France who had no other meanes to preuent the ouergrowing of a neighbour but to deuide him sommons and solicites the Princes of France and all the friends he could make to ayde King Henry the sonne against the father and to take thir Oath either to disposses him of his Estate or bring him to their owne conditions The young King likewise sweares vnto them Neuer to haue peace with his father without their consents and all sweares to giue vnto Philip Earle of Flanders for his ayde a thousand pounds English by the yeare with the County of Kent Douer and Rochester Castles To Mathew Earle of Bologne brother to the sayd Earle for his seruice Kerton Soak in Lindsey the Earldome of Morton with the Honour of Heize to Theobald Earle of Bloys two hundred pounds by yeare in Aniou the Castle of Amboys with all the right hee pretended in Tureine c. and all these Donations with diuers other he confirmed by his new Seale which the King of France caused to be made Besides by the same Seale He confirmed to the King of Scots for his ayde all Northumberland vnto Tyne and gaue to the brother of the same King for his seruice the Earldomes of Huntingdon and Cambridge To the Earle Hugh Bigot the Castle of Norwich other Earles of England as Robert Earle of Leicester Hugh Earle of Chester Roger Mowbray c. had likewise their rewards and promises of the Lions Skin that was yet aliue Besides they draw into their partie Richard and Geffrey whose youths apt to bee wrought on for increase of their allowance are easily intised and with them their mother inraged with iealosie and disdaine for her husbands conceiued abuses of her bed So that this great King in the middest of his glory about the twentith yeare of his raigne comes sodainely forsaken of his owne people and is driuen through distrust to hire and intertaine strange forces procuring twenty thousand Brabansons which were certaine Mercinaries commonly called the Routs or Costerels for the recouery and holding of his Estate And some few faithfull Ministers he had notwithstanding this generall defection who tooke firmly to him as William Earle Mandeuile Hugh de Lacy Hugh de Beauchamp c. But how soeuer we haue seene the best of this Kings glorie and though he had after this good successes hee had neuer happinesse labour hee did by all meanes to haue qualified the heat of his distempered sonne by many mediations of peace offring all conuenient allowances for his Estate but all would not preuaile his sword is drawne and with him the King of France with all his forces enters vpon his territories on that side the Sea on this the King of Scots seizes vpon Northumberland and makes great spoyles The olde King complaines to the Emperour and all the neighbour Princes his friends of the vnnaturall courses of his sonne and of his owne improuident aduancing him William King of Sicile writes and condoles his misfortunes but lay too farre off to helpe him The King of France besieges Vernoul a place of great strength and importance which Hugh de Lacy and Hugh de Beauchamp valiantly defended and after a monthes siege they of the towne victualls fayling obtained truce of the King of France and permission to send vnto their Soueraigne for succour Which if it came not within three daies they would render the Cittie and in the meane time their Ostages The peremptorie day was the Eue of Saint Laurence The King of France with King Henry the sonne and with diuers great Lords and Bishops swore if they rendred the Citie at the day appointed their Ostages should bee redeiiuered and no dammage done to the Citie King Henry the Father with all the forces he could make came iust at the limitted day disposes his Army to strike battaile with his enemies but the King of France to auoyde the same sends the Archbishoppe of Sens and the Earle of Bloys to mediate a parle which was appointed the morrow this day lost lost Vernoul For to the morrow Parle the King of France neither comes nor sends but had entrance into the Towne according to couenants which contrary to his Oath hee sackes takes with him the Ostages and spoyle thereof remoues his Campe and leaues the King of England disappointed who that night after hauing persued the flying Army with some spoyle enters into Vernoul and the morrow surprises Danuile a Castle of his enemies with many prisoners Thence he goes to Rouen whence hee sent his Brabansons into Brittaine against Hugh Earle of Chester and Ralph Fulgiers who had possest themselues almost of the whole
to the King of England and peace with a reconciliation is concluded betweene him and his sonnes But with more reseruation on his part then had beene by the former treatie offered as hauing now more of powre and the aduantage of fortune and yet yeelding so much as shewed the goodnesse of his Nature was not ouer swayed by his ambition all his proceeding in this warre witnessing that necessity did euer worke more then his will And at the signing of the Charter of this Peace when his sonne Henry would haue Vide Append. done him homage which is personall seruice he refused to take it because hee was a King but receiued it of Richard and Geffrey Yet after this Henry the sonne to free his father of all scruple became his Liege-man and swore Fealty vnto him against all men in the presence of the Archbishop of Rouen the Bishop of Bayeux the Earle Mandeuile and a great Nobilitie At the concluding this Peace the Earle of Flaunders yeelded vp to King Henrie the Father the Charter made vnto him by the Sonne for his remuneration and had another confirmed for the pension hee had yearely out of England before this warre which was one thousand Markes out of the Eschequer afterward granted vpon condition of Homage and for finding the King of England yearely fiue hundred souldiours for the space of fortie daies vpon summons giuen This businesse ended the Father and Sonne make their Progresses into all their Prouinces on that side to visit and reforme the disorders of Warre and to settle their affaires there Richard is sent into Aquitaine and Geffrey into Brittaine vpon the same businesse and there left with their Counsells to looke to their owne The two Kings Father and Sonne shortly after returne into England where reformation 1175. Anno. Reg. 21. in the Gouernment needed as much as in France and here had the Archbishoppe of Canterburie sommoned a Councell of the Clergie wherein were manie enormities of the Church reformed as may bee seene in the Canons of that Synod The King supplies all Vacancies and giues to Iohn de Oxenford that great Minister Vide Append. of his the Bishopricke of Norwich then takes hee into his hands all the Castles hee could seize on amongst other the Towre of Bristoll which was rendred by All Vacancies supplied by the King the Earle of Glocester and was neuer in his hands before Hee takes penalties both of Clerkes and Lay-men who had trespassed his Forests in time of Hostility for which hee is taxed of wrong Richard Lucy Iustice of England hauing warrant by the Kings precept to discharge them for the same But the profit which they yeelded him made him take the stricter regard therein For after the death of Alain de Neuile which had beene chiefe Iustice of all the Forrests of England hee deuides them into diuers parts appointing to euerie part foure Iustices whereof two to bee Clerkes and two Knights and two Seruants of his Houshold to bee Keepers of the Game ouer all other Forresters either of the Kings Knights or Barons whatsoeuer and gaue them power to implea according to the Assiese of the Forrest The King beeing at Yorke there came vnto them William King of Scots with almost all the Bishoppes Abbots and Nobilitie of Scotland and confirmed 1176. Anno. Reg. 22. the Peace and finall concorde which had formerly beene in the time of his imprisonment at Faleise in Normandie before all the greatest Estates of both Kingdomes the Tenour whereof is to bee seene in Roger Houeden After this a Councell is called at Windsor whither repaire certaine Bishoppes Vide Append. of Ireland and the Chauncelour of Rodoric King of Conaught for whom a finall concord is concluded vpon doing Homage Fealty and a tribute to bee paide which was of euerie tenne Beasts one sufficient Hide within his Kingdome and those Prouinces that held thereof Within a while after a Councell or Parliament is assembled at Nottingham and by aduice and consent thereof the King caused The Kingdome to bee deuided into sixe parts and constitutes for euerie part three Iustices itinerants causing them to The Kingdom deuided into sixe parts for Iustice. take an Oath vpon the Holie Euangelists faithfullie for themselues to obserue and cause inuiolablie to bee obserued of all his Subiectes of England the Assises made at Claringdone and renued at Northamton which Assises were chiefly for Murther Vide Append. Theft Roberie and their receiuers for deceipts and burning of Houses which facts if found by the Verdict of twelue men the accused were to passe the tryall of Water Ordeil Vide Append. whereby if not acquitted their punishment was losse of a legge or banishment that Age seeming to hold it a greater example of a Malefactor miserably liuing then of one dead for as yet they came not so farre as bloud in those cases And yet wee finde in the raigne of this King that one Gilbert Plumton Knight accused for a Rape before Ranulph de Glanuile chiefe Iustice of England desirous sayth Houeden by vniust sentence to condemne him was adiuged to bee hanged on a Gibbet whereunto when hee was brought and in the hands of the Executioner the people ranne out crying that an innocent and iust person ought not so to suffer Balduin Bishoppe of Worcester a religious man and fearing God hearing the clamor of the people and the iniury done to this miserable creature came foorth and forbad them from the part of the Omnipotent God and vnder paine of Excommunication that they should not put him to death that day being Holy and the Feast of Saint Mary Magdelene whereupon the excution was put off till the morrow That night meanes was wrought to the King who commanded a stay to bee made till other order were taken being informed that for the enuie which Glanuile bare to this Plumton hee was desirous to put him to death in regard hee had married the danghter of Roger Gulwast an inheritrix whom hee would haue had Reiner his Shriefe of Yorkeshire to haue had which act leaues a foule staine of Iniustice vpon the memory of this Chiefe Iustice Glanuile in the time of whose Office a tract of the Lawes and Customes of the Kingdome of England was composed which now passes vnder his name The charge giuen for businesses in these Assises consisted but of very few points Vide Append. besides those felonies and was especially for taking Homage and Ligeancie of 1177. Anno. Reg. 13. all the Subiects of England demolishing of Castles the Rights of the King his Crowne and Eschequour The multitude of actions which followed in succeeding times grew out of new transgressions and the increase of Law and Litigation which was then but in the Cradle William King of Sicile sends and craues to haue Ioan the Kings daughter in marriage William King of Sicile matches with Ioan the Kings Daughter Rog. Houed Vide Append. Whereupon the King calls a Parliament
remaine in the obedience of an excommunicated King and so without The Archd. of Norw forsakes the kings seruice his torture death leaue retired himselfe home and was the first subiect of his maisters wrath Who presently sent Sir William Talbot with force to apprehend him and lay him fast in fetters in a most straight prison and afterward vpon the kings commandement he was put into a sheete of lead wherein with the waight and want of victualls he soone perished This excommunication of the King of England was accompained the same yeare with that of the Emperour Otho his Nephew and are noted to be straines of an vniust nature especially for being both done in cases of the Popes owne particular interrest seeking to extend The Emperor Otho excom a predomination beyond the bounds allowed vnto piety which was onely to deale with means soules and not their Estates For in the aduancement of this Emperour Otho the third the Pope had an especiall hand opposing for his owne ends the Election of Phillip Sonne to the Emperour Frederick Barbarossa And in the vancancy of the Empire had seised vpon certaine peeces in Italy appertayning therevnto which Otho seeking to reuoke procured vndeseruedly the Popes displeasure who sent vnto him diuers messages willing him to desist both from the prosecution of this recouery as also from that which Frederick King of Sicile who was vnder the tuition of the Apostolike Sea had seised vpon The Emperour is said to haue answered the Popes Nuncij in this manner If the Pope vniustly desires to vsurp what apertaines to the Empire let him absolue me from the Oath he caused me to take at my Coronation Which was that I should reuoke whatsoeuer rights were distracted from the same and I will desist But the Pope refusing the one and the Emperour not yeelding vnto the other the sentence of excommunication is pronounced against him And all the states as well of Germany as the rest of the Roman Empire are absolued of their fealty vnto him Thus were these two mighty Princes the greatest of all the Christian world leaft to the mercy of their subiects who though they were by this meanes all vntyed from obedience yet many were not so from their affections or other obligations that held them firme vnto their Souraignes For there are so many ligaments in a state that tye it together as it is a hard thing to dissolue them altogether vnlesse it is by an vniuersall concurrency of causes that produce a generall alteration thereof And it is seldome seene of what temper soeuer Kings are but they finde an eminent party in the greatest defections of their people As this King the first of England we finde put to this straight had yet many noble members of power besides the chiefe officers of the kingdome whom their places confirme that stuck vnto him Whose names are recorded in Mat. Par. and other writers And the better to hold his reputation and his people in action hauing now no imployment abrode hee seekes to secure all other members of the Crowne of England 1210. Anno. Reg. 12. which were vnder his dominion And hauing ransackt great treasure from the Iewes makes an expedition into Ireland vpon intelligence of some reuolt and disorder there And at his first ariuall all the great men which held the maritime Castles and the Champion countries came in and did homage and fealty vnto him at Wublin such as inhabited the remote partes and fastnesses of the Kingdome kept them selues away and refused King Iohn reformes Ireland to come Here to reduce the country into better order he ordaines the same to be gouerned by the lawes and customes of England causes English money to be coyned there and to be of equall valew with that of this Kingdome and currant alike in both With many other orders which had they beene with that care continued as they were aduisedly begun would as wise men deeme haue setled that Kingdome in an intire obedience and saued all that great toyle and expence which the neglect thereof cost this state in succeeding ages And now hauing deputed Iohn Gray Bishop of Norwich Iusticiar there after onely three moneths stay hee returnes into England The Clergy pay to the K. 100000. ster where presuming now vpon his new gathered strength hee summons all the Prelates of the kingdome to appeare before him at London of whom saith Mat. Par. he extorted for their redemption the summe of an hundred thousand pounds sterling And the next yeare being the twelfe of his raigne with this treasure hee reduces Wales that had rebelled to his obedience and takes eight and twentie children of 1211. Anno. Reg. 13. the best famelies for pledges of their future subiection Returning thence exacts of euery Knight that attended not his Army in that expedition two marks and at Northampton is pleased to receiue the Popes Agents Pandolphus and Durandus sent to make peace betweene the Kingdome and Priesthood by whose exhortation and the consideration of the State of his Kingdome hee consented that the Archbishop and the Monkes of Canterbury with all the exiled Bishops should in peace returne to their owne But refusing to make satisfaction for their goods confiscated the Agents depart vnsatisfied to the greater preiudice of the King whom now the Pope finding to be yeelding in any thing falls to bee more imperious to constraine him to all whatsoeuer he desired And absolues all the Kings subiects of what condition soeuer from their obedience strictly forbidding them vnder paine of excommunication his Board 1212. Anno. Reg. 14. Councell and Conference Which notwithstanding preuayled not to diuert the subiect from the seruice of their King Who about this time takes occasion vpon the breaking out of certaine poore Mountainers of Wales that make pillage vpon the Borders to raise another Army to inuade the whole Countrey And being at Nottingham prepared for this action before he would sit downe to dinner caused those eight and twenty children the innocent pledges of the Welsh to be all hanged in his presence But before hee had dyned letters came that gaue him intelligence of a conspiracie intended for his owne distruction and that if he went forward in this warre he would be either slaine of his owne people or betrayed to the enemy Whereupon he returnes to London againe requires and hath pledges of those Nobles he suspected and here Eustace de Vescy and Robert Fitz Walter are accused of the conspiracie who fled the one into Scotland the other into France But now the Pope for the last and greatest sentence that euer yet was giuen against 1213. Anno. Reg. 15. any Soueraigne King of this Kingdome pronounces his absolute deposition from the Royall gouernment thereof and writes to the King of France that as hee looked to haue remission of his sinnes hee should take the charge vpon him and expell King Iohn out of the Kingdome of England and possesse the same for him
and his heires for euer To the same effect The Pope giues the Kingdome of England to the King of France sends he likewise his letters to the Princes and great men of other Nations That they should ayde the King of France in the deiection of this contumacious King of England in reuenge of the iniuries done to the Vniuersall Church granting like remission of their sinnes as if they vndertocke the Holy warre And with this Commission is the Archbishop of Canterbury and the other exiled Bishop of England with Pandolphus dispatched to the King of France for the execution thereof Which notwithstanding seemes rather done to terrefie King Iohn then any way to aduance the King of France whom the Pope desired not to make greater then he was howsoeuer to amuse the world hee made shew to ingage him in this businesse For he gaue a secret charge to Pandolphus a part that if vpon the preparation and forces gathered by the King of France for this deiection hee could worke the King of England to such conditions as hee should propound absolution and restorement should bee graunted vnto him The King of France vpon this act of the Pope and the sollicitation of his Ministers The King of France assembles his forces for England commaunds all the Princes and Nobilitie within his Dominions to assemble their forces with Horse Armor and all Munition to assist him in this businesse and bee readie vnder paine of exheredation at the Spring of the yeare preparing likewise a great Nauie for the transportation of these forces into England King Iohn vpon intelligence hereof sends to all the Ports of his Kingdome commandement to haue all shipping whatsoeuer possible to bee made readie with all expedition summoning likewise all Earles Barons Knights and who else could beare Armes of any condition to bee ready at Douer presently vpon Easter furnished with horse armour and all military prouision to King Iohns preparations for defence defend him themselues and the Kingdome of England against this intended Inuasion vnder paine of Culuertage and perpetuall seruitude Whereupon so great numbers resorted to Douer Feuersham Ipswich and to other places suspected as exceeded the meanes both of furnishment and prouision to intertaine them So that multitudes were sent home againe of vnnecessarie men and onely a choyce reserued of the abler sort which arose to the number of sixty thousand well appointed for battaile Besides so mighty a nauy was made ready as exceeded that of France And thus prepared King Iohn expects his enemies when secretly two Knights Templars sent by Pandolphus so wrought with him as notwithstanding all this great power of his he discends to accept of a treatie with him whereof Pandolphus is presently aduertised and withdrawes himselfe out of the French Kings army comes ouer and so terrifies King Iohn with the mighty forces bent against him and the eminent daunger wherein he stood as he yeelds to any conditions whatsoeuer propounded vnto him And not onely graunts restitution and satisfaction of what euer had beene taken from the Archbishop and the Monks of Canterbury the Bishops of London Ely Bath and Lincoln who were sled to the Archbishop But also laies downe his Crowne K. Iohn deliuers vp the kingdome of England with his Crowne to Pandolphus Scepter Mantle Sword and Rring the ensignes of his royalty at the feet of Pandolphus deliuering vp there with all the Kingdome of England to the Pope and submits himselfe to the iudgement and mercy of the Church Two daies some wright sixe it was before the Legat restored him his Crowne at the receiuing whereof he swore and his Earles vndertaking for him that hee and his successors should hold the Kingdome of England and Lordship of Ireland from the Sea of Vide Append. Rome at the annuall tribute of a thousand Markes of siluer And this with his homage and fealty he confirmed by his Charter at a house of the Templars neere Douer The The causes that moued K. Iohn to this act especiall waights that moued King Iohn to this extreame lowenes they of those times note to be First the consideration of his offences to God hauing liued fiue yeares excommunicated to the great deformity of his Kingdome Secondly the greatnesse of his enemy the King of France and his adherence Thirdly the doubtfull fayth of his Nobilities whom he had offended Fourthly for that the Assencion day was at hand after which one Peter an Hermit and Southsayer had prohesied he should be no more King of England Which though mistaken in the manner was fulfilled in a sort by this resignation and a new condition of Estate But the Southsayer with his Sonne suffered shortly after the penalty of death for his otherwise interpreted diuination Now notwithstanding this act and submission of King Iohn the interdiction of the Pandolplus forbids the French Kings proceedings Kingdome continues and his owne absolution deferred till restitution and full satisfaction were performed to the Clergy of which eight thousand markes of siluer was presently deliuered to Pandolphus who at the receiuing thereof tramples it vnder his feete as contemning that base matter in respect of the grace conferred vpon the transgressor and returnes with the same into France Where hee declares what had passed in England and forbids the King of France vpon paine of excommuication to proceed any farther in this enterprise seeing King Iohn had thus submitted himselfe to the Church The King of France now all in readinesse for this great inuasion inuasion and full with hope of victory receiuing this sodaine and vnexpected Message grew into great rage and was in regard of his honour and infinite charge hardly diuerted from this enterprise Yet in the end seeing his confederates and followers quailed with this menace of the Church extreamely discontent he giuesit ouer Notwithstanding for his owne reputation and desire of reuenge hauing all these great forces on foote his nauie ready in the mouth of Seine would vndertake something The French K. sets vpon Flan. to giue satisfaction both to the aduenturers and his owne people interressed in this action And for that Ferrand Earle of Flanders adhering to king Iohn refused to follow him in this expedition on him he falls as being next him enters into his port of Dam vowing that flanders should either be Erance or France Flanders Ferrand seeing this tempest come to light vpon him sends for ayd to king Iohn who glad hauing escaped at home the occasion of a defensiue War to enter into an offensiue abroad both to imploy this great collected Nauie of his and also put his people in action whose dismission without some satsfaction he knew would breed no safe humor dispatches fiue hundred sayle with seauen hundred knights into Flanders vnder the conduct of his base brother William Long-sword Earle of Salisbury Reginald Earle of Bologn whom he had lately intertayned with a pension being for some demerit driuen out of France And these
to be Maister of the Kingdome yea of the King the Rector and Disposer of Court is throwne out with disgrace the Seale taken from him and giuen to the Abbot of Euesham In like sort his brother Geffrey a Knight Templar is put out of the Councell both of them much maligned by the Nobilitie who had often before laboured their amouement as held to be corrupt Councellors and wrongers of the State and now are they falne off themselues But the cause of this their deiection may shew that oftentimes Officers vnder weake Princes are not so much faulty as the World holds them to be for not yeelding to passe a Grant from the King made vnto Thomas Earle of Flaunders the Queenes Thomas of Sauoy marrieth the inheretrix of the Earledome of Flanders which he held but during her life Vncle of 4 pence vpon euery sacke of Wooll an enormious act then accompted they both lost their places though not their reputations in this their fall discouering what the Enuie that attended their fortune hindred men to see To this Earle of Flanders the next yeare after the King grants notwithstanding 300 Markes to bee payd out of his Eschequer annually for his homage Now besides the great exactions of the King and his wastes The Sea of Rome extorts huge summes as if one Gulph sufficed not to swallow vp the substance of the Kingdome which opened the mouthes of our Clergie so wide as they let out many exclamations against the auarice of the Popes of that time and the Roman Factors who by permission of the King or by his negligence presumed so farre vpon the easi-yeeldingnesse of the State as they wrung out what they listed In so much as besides the fleece they would now haue the bodies of their possessions And the Pope sends his Mandat to haue three hundred Romans preferred to the benefices which should bee first vacant in England which so amazed the Clergie and especially Edmond Archbishop of Canterburie as hee seeing no end of these concussions of the State and Liberties of the Church and himselfe on whom the Scandall of all must light vnable by reason of the Kings remissnesse to withstand it tyred with the vanity of worldly actions giues ouer all and betakes himselfe to a voluntarie exile in the Edmond Archbishop of Canterbury giues ouer his Sea Abbay of Pontiniac in France and there applies him to the contemplation of a better life But before his departure he yeelds as a ransom for his Church 800 Markes to the Pope The Clergie although thus left by their head generally oppose what they could against the Popes rapine who to get money for his wars with the Emperor vsed dayly Pope Gregory the 9. new and insolent pressures vpon them in so much as they repaire to the King declare how preiudiciall and detogatory it was to his royaltie and the liberty of the Kingdom to suffer this proceeding which none of his Predecessors heretofore euct did and of how dangerous consequence it was to his successors The King either not apprehensiue of the mischiefe or content to ioyne with the Pope to punish and awe the Kingdome not onely refers them to the Legat but offers to deliuer the chiefe opposers vp vnto him Whereupon they seeing themselues forsaken and no powre to succor them but their owne did what they could to withstand the Legats proceeding who now by the Kings animation presumes more peremptorily to vrge them to supply the Popes present occasion and holds a Conuocation at London for effecting the same Wherein the Clergie declare how this contribution now required by the Pope for the destruction of the Emperor and effusion of Christian bloud was vnlawfull hee being not an Heretike nor condemned by the iudgement of the Church although excommunicated That it was against the Liberties of the Church of England being required vnder paine of Ecclesiasticall censure as a thing of seruitude and compulsion That they had heretofore giuen a Tenth to the Pope on condition that neuer any such exaction should againe be made least it might be drawne to a Custome for as much as binus Cod. de Episcopal L. Nemo actus inducat consuetudinem That for their businesse in the Court of Rome they were to passe through the Emperours Countries and the daunger they might haue thereby That it was not safe for the Kingdome to impouerish the King who had many enemies against whom hee must haue to sustaine warre And besides how for the furnishing of diuers Noble men vndertaking of late the businesse of the Crosse great contributions had beene made That the Church of England was poore and hardly able to sustaine it selfe That a generall contribution was to bee made by a generall Councell c. Notwithstanding these reasons though at first they staggered the Legat yet such course was taken by winning some of them vpon hope of preferment as the rest could not without the note of contumacie but yeeld perforce so by this treason of deuision the body of the Councell is entred into and the Pope preuailes in this businesse The King hath now a sonne lately borne and Richard his brother Earle of Cornwall Edward eldest sonne to King Hen. hauing likewise issue by permission of the State which heretofore hee could not obtaine vndertakes the Crosse and with him his Vncle William Longsword Earle of Salibury and many other Noblemen These departing out of England Peter of Sauoy another Richard Earle of Cornwall vndertakes the Crosse. Vncle to the Queene comes in and hath the Earledom of Richmond bestowed on him with many other gifts he is knighted and feasted suptuously for which the poore Iewes by way of redemption pay 20 thousand Markes at two tearmes of that yeare Boniface the sonne of Peter of Sauoy Nephew to the Queen is preferred to the Archbishoprick of Canterbury After this the King makes an expedition into Wales which had often put him to great charge and trouble hauing beene very vnfortunate in his many attempts 1241. Anno. Reg. 25. against Lewellin intituled Prince or King of North-Wales who being lately dead had left his two sonnes Dauid and Griffin by deuision of State to bee at discord betweene themselues whereby hee came to make an easier end of that businesse and now onely but with the shew of his powre got that which heretofore hee could not with much bloud hath submission and fealty rendred vnto him by Dauid withall his charges for that iourney but now this ended another attempt of greater expence but lesse benefit is in hand The Earle of March with his wife the Queene Mother and many other Great Lords of Poictou so worke by their earnest solieitation with assurance of successe as the King is induced to vndertake another expedition into France The 11 Parliament matter is mooued in Parliament generall opposition made against it the great expence and the ill it last brought to the Kingdome vehemently vrged How it was vnlawfull to
the operations of the minde as they make men neglect the ease of their bodies especially in times not dissolued with those softnings of Luxurie and Idlenesse which vnmannes them And we cannot but admire the vndauntable constancie of this Prince whom all the sad examples of others calamities crossing euen the beginning of this action could not deterre from proceeding therein For first the King of France who with two of his sonnes the King of Nauarre and a mighty Army being set out before and by the way besieging the Citie of Tunis in Affrica possest then by the Sarazines that infested Christendome perished miserably by the Pestilence that raged in his Army and with him one of his sonnes and many of his Nobles whereby all their enterprise was dasht and vtterly ouerthrowne Besides Charles King of Sicile brother to this King of France who likewise came to ayde him returning home lost the greatest part of his Nauie by tempest Moreouer many of this Princes owne people were desirous to leaue him and returne home Whereupon he is sayde to haue stricken his brest and sworne that if all his followers The resolution of Prince Edmond forsooke him he would yet enter Tolemais or Acon though but onely with his Horse-keeper Fowin By which speech they were againe incenced to proceed but yet his Cozin Henry sonne to the King of Romans obtaines leaue of him to depart and was set on shore in Italie where notwithstanding hee found what hee sought to auoyde Death and was slaine in the Church at Viterbo being at deuine seruice by his owne Cozin German Guy de Monfort sonne to Simon late Earle of Leicester in reuenge of his fathers death The newes of which vnnatural murther seemes to hasten the 1274. Anno. Reg. 57. end of Richard King of Romans who died shortly after and the next yeare following finished likewise Henry the 3 of England his act in the 65 of his age hauing reigned 56 years and 20 daies A time that hath held vs long taken vp more then a tenth part from the Norman Inuasion to this present and yeelded notes of great varietie with many examples of a crasie and diseased State bred both by the inequality of this Princes manners and the impatience of a stubborne Nobility He had by his wife Elionor sixe sonnes wherof only two suruiued him Edward and Edmond His issue and two daughters which liued to be married Margueret the eldest to Alexander King of Scots Beatrice the other to Iohn the first intituled Duke of Brittaine Heere endeth the Life and Raigne of Henry the third The Life and Raigne of Edward the first VPon the death of Henry the State assembles at the new Temple and 1272. Anno. Reg. 1. proclaimes his sonne Edward King though they knew not whether he were liuing sweares fealty vnto him causes a new Seale to be made and appointes fit ministers for the custody of his Treasure and his Peace whilst himselfe remaines in Palestine where by an Assasin making shew of deliuering letters he receiues three dangerous wounds with a poysoned knife whereof he was hardly recured After three yeares trauell from the time of his setting forth and many conflicts without any great effect disappointed of his aides and his ends he leaues Acon which he went to relieue well fortified and manned returnes homeward lands in Sicile is royally feasted by Charles the King thereof passes through Italy with all the honour could be shewed him both by the Pope and the Princes there Thence descends into Burgogne where at the foote of the Alpes hee is met by many of the Nobilitie of England and there challenged by the Earle of Chabloun a fierce man at Armes to a Turneament Wherein againe hee hazards his person to shew his valor which may seeme to be more then became his Estate and dignitie From thence he comes downe into France where hee is sumptuously entertayned and feasted by Phillip 3. surnamed the Hardy to whome hee doth homage for all the Territories he held of that Crowne Thence hee departs into Aquitayne where hee spent much time in setling his affaires His Coronation And after six yeeres from his first setting out hee returnes into England Receiues the Crowne without which hee had beeene a King almost three yeeres at the hands of Robert Archbishop of Canterburie in Septemb. 1275. And with him is Elionor his Reg. 3 An. 1274. Queene likewise Crowned at Westminster Alexander King of Scotts and Iohn Duke of Brittaine who both had married his Sisters beeing present at the Solemnitie The spirit and abilities of this Prince shewed in the beginning of his Actions vnder his Father after the great Defeit hee gaue the Barons at Euesham The prosecution of the disherited Mutiners of the Kingdome The exposition of his Person to all hazards and trauaile His single Combat with Adam Gordun the Outlaw neere Farnham His great aduenture and Attempts in the East And finally his long experience in the affaires of the World with his Maturitie of yeeres being about 35. before he came to the Crowne might well presage what an able Master hee would proue in the mannage thereof And how by these aduantages of Opinion and Reputation he was likely as he did to make a higher Improuement of the Royaltie hauingwonne or worne out the greatest of those who heretofore opposed the same In so much as hee seemes the first Conqueror after the Conqueror that got the Domination of this State in that emminent manner as by his gouernment appeares And euen at his first Parliament held shortly after his Coronation at Westminster he Quintam Decimam omnium bonorum Temporalium tam Clericorum quam Laicorum in audito more ad vnguem taxatam Rex iusserat confiscari Mat. West made triall of their patience and had the Fifteenth of all their goods Cleargie and Lay granted vnto him without any Noyse as we heare off The Cleargie hauing yeelded before a Tenth for two yeers to be paid to him his brother Edmond toward the charge of the Holy Warre But yet all this could not diuert the Designes hee had to abate the power Ecclesiasticall which by experience of former times hee found to be a part growne to strong for the Soueraignety whensoeuer they combined with the Lay Nobilitie and therefore now at first whilst hee was in the exaltation both of opinion and estimation with the World hee beganne to set vppon their priuiledges And in Anno Reg. 6. to extend saith the Monkish Historie the Royall Authoritie hee depriued many famous Monasteries throughout England of their Liberties and tooke His proceeding against the Clergie from the Abbot and Couent of Westminster the Returne of Writts granted them by the Charter of his Father King Henry 3. The next yeere after hee got to be inacted the Statute of Mortmaine to hinder the increase of their temporall possessions which made them so powerfull as beeing detrimentall to the Kingdome and the Militarie seruice
the person of the sonne of a Prince or any other Nobleman that we read of in our Historie But this example made of one of another grew after to bee vsuall to this Nation And euen this King vnder whom it began had the bloud of his owne and his brothers race miserably shed on many a scaffold And iust at the sealing of this Conquest Alphonsus his eldest sonne of the age of 12. yeares a Prince of great hope The death of the Prince Alphonsus is taken away by death And Edward lately borne at Carnaruan an Infant vncertaine how to prouo is heire to the Kingdome and the first of the English intituled Prince of Wales whose vnnaturall distruction wee shall likewise heare of in his time But thus came Wales all that small portion leaft vnto the Brittaines the auncient Wales vnited to England possessors of this Isle to bee vnited to the crowne of England Anno Reg. 11. And strange it is how it could so long subsist of it selfe as it did hauing little or no ayde of others little or no shipping the hereditarie defect of their Auncestors no Alliance no confederation no intelligence with any forraine Princes of powre out of this Isle and being by so potent a Kingdome as this so often inuaded so often reduced to extremitie so eagerly pursued almost by euery King and said to haue beene by many of them subdued when it was not must needs shew the worthinesse of the Nation and their noble courage to preserue their libertie And how it was now at last gotten and vpon what ground wee see But the effect proues better then the cause and hath made it good For in such Acquisitions as these the Sword is not to giue an Account to Iustice the publique benefit makes amends Those miserable Mischiefes that afflicted both Nations come hereby extinguished The Deuision and Pluralitie of States in this Isle hauing euer made it the Stage of bloud and confusion as if Nature that had ordained it but one Peece would haue it to bee gouerned but by one Prince and one Law as the most absolute glory and strength thereof which otherwise it could neuer enioy And now this prudent King no lesse prouident to preserue then subdue this Prouince established the gouernment therof according to the Lawes of England as may bee seene by the Statute of Ruthland Anno Reg. 12. This worke effected and settled King Edward passes ouer into France vpon notice of the death of Philiple Hardy to renue and confirme such conditions as his State Reg. 13. Anno. 1286. required in those parts with the new King Philip 4 intituled le Bel to whom he doth Homage for Acquitaine hauing before quitted his claime to Normandie for euer And afterwards accommodates the differences betweene the Kings of Sicile and Aragon in Spaine to both of whom hee was allied and redeemes Charles entituled Prince of Achaia the sonne of Charles King of Sicile prisoner in Aragon paying for his ransome thirtie thousand pounds After three yeares and a halfe being abroade hee returnes into England which must now supply his Coffers emptied in this Voyage And occasion is given by the generall Reg. 16. An. 1289. complaints made vnto him of the ill administration of Iustice in his absence to inflict penalties vpon the chiefe Ministers thereof whose manifest corruptions the hatred to the people of men of that profession apt to abuse their Science and Autoritie the Necessitie of reforming so grieuous a mischiefe in the Kingdome gaue easie way thereunto by the Parliament then assembled wherein vpon due examinations and proofe of their extortions they are fined to pay to the King these summes following First Sir Ralph Hengham Chiefe Iustice of the higher Bench seuen thousand Marks Sir Ralf Henghans a chiefe Commissioner for the gouernment of the Kingdome in the Kings absence Sir Iohn Loueton Iustice of the lower Bench three thousand Markes Sir William Bromton Iustice 6000 Markes Sir Solomon Rochester foure thousand Markes Sir Richard Boyland 4000 Markes Sir Thomas Sodington two thousand Markes Sir Walter Hopton 2000 Markes these foure last were Iustices Iâ—enerants Sir William Saham 3000 Markes Robert Lithbury Master of the Rolls 1000 Markes Roger Leicester 1000 Markes Henry Bray Escheater and Iudge for the Iewes 1000 Markes But Sir Adam Stratton Chiefe Baron of the Exchequer was fined in 34000 Markes And Officers fined for briberie extortion Thomas Wayland found the greatest delinquent and of the greatest substance hath all his goods and whole estate confiscated to the King Which were it but equall to that of Sir Adam Stratton these fines being to the Kings Coffers aboue one hundred thousand Markes which at the rate as money goes now amounts to aboue 300 thousand Markes A mighty treasure to bee gotten out of the hands of so few men Which how they could amasse in those daies when Litigation and Law had not spred it selfe into those infinite wreathings of contention as since it hath may seeme strange euen to our greater getting times But peraduenture now the number of Lawyers being growne bigger then the Law as all trades of profit come ouerpestred with multitude of Traders is the cause that like a huge Riuer dispersed into many little Rilles their substances are of a smaller proportion then those of former times and Offices now of Iudicature peraduenture more piously executed Of no lesse grieuance this King the next yeare after eased his people by the banishment of the Iewes for which the Kingdome willingly granted him a Fifteenth Hauing before in Anno Reg. 9. offred a fift part of their goods to haue them expelled The banishment of the Iewes but then the Iewes gaue more and so stayed till this time which brought him a greater benefit by confiscating all their Immouables with their Talleis and Obligations which amounted to an infinite valew But now hath he made his last commoditie of this miserable people which hauing beene neuer vnder other couer then the will of the Prince had continually serued the turne in all the necessarie occasions of his Predecessors but especially of his father and himselfe And in these reformations that are easefull and pleasing to the State in generall the Iustice of the Prince is more noted then any other motiue which may bee for his profit And howsoeuer some particular men suffer as some must euer suffer yet they are the fayrest and safest waies of getting in regard the hatred of the abuses not only discharges the Prince of all imputation of rigor but renders him more beloued respected of his people And this King hauing much to doe for money comming to an emptie Crowne was driuen to all shifts possible to get it and great supplies wee finde hee had alreadie drawne from his Subiects As in the first yeere of his Raigne Pope Gregorie procured him a Tenth of the Clergie for 2. yeeres besides a Fifteenth of them and the Temporalty In the third likewise another Fifteenth of
markes sterling a day Such vent of wools were there in that time And presently after the Parliament in winter to shew that hee was for all weathers he goes with an Armie to recouer Barwicke which had beene surprised by the Scottes whilst he was last at Calais and heere hath he not onely his Towne but the whole Kingdome of Scotland resigned vnto him by Edward Baliol who held himselfe King Edward Baliol resignes the Kingdome of Scotland to King Edward reseruing to himself a pension therof by the best Title but not best regarged For King Alexander though now Prisoner in England had the most powerfull Partie there so both were Kings to their seuerall sides that held them so a miserable distraction to that poore Kingdom And euery where dwelt affliction but in England and here was nothing but Tryumphes Vanquishings and Recouerings in all parts The Prince enters Guien passes ouer Longuedoc to Tholouse Narbonne Burges without any encounter in the field sacks spoyles destroyes where hee goes and loaden with bootie returnes to Burdeanx The French King thus assaulted on all sides gathers what power hee possibly Anno Reg. 30. 1336. could and first makes against his enemies in Normandie recouers many of his lost Townes and was likely to haue there preuailed but that he was drawne of force to oppose this fresh Inuador the Prince of Wales who was again abroad come vp into Toureyne against whom he brings his whole Armie causing all the Townes and passages The French King hath the Prince of Wales at an aduantage vpon the Riuer Loyr to be strongly garded Whereupon the Prince whose forces were not to encounter those so mightie was aduised to withdraw again thorow Toureyne and Poyctou towards Burdeaux The French King to preuent his course followes and within two Leagues of Poyctiers hath him at a great aduantage Two Cardinalls at that instant came from the Pope to mediate a peace The French King supposing he had his Enemie now in his mercie would accept of none other conditions but that the Prince should deliuer him foure Hostages and as vanquished render himselfe and his Armie to his discretion The Prince was content to restore vnto him what hee had gayned vpon him but without preiudice of his honour wherein he sayd Hee stood accomptable to his Father and his Conntry So the Legates perswasions though earnestly vrged could preuaile nothing vpon the French Kings obstinacie who presuming of victorie in regard his Armie was sixe to one would instantly as loath to loose time to loose himselfe set vpon the Prince who reduced to this Straight takes what aduantage he could of the The Battayle of Poytiers fought the 19. of September 1336. ground and prouidently got the benefit of Vines Shrubs and Bushes on that part he was like to be assayled to impester and intangle the French Horse which hee sawe were to come furiously vpon him The successe answered his expectation for behold the Cauallarie of his Enemies vpon their first assault wrapt and incumbred amongst the Vines so that his Archers without danger gall and annoy them at their pleasure For the French King to giue the honour of the day to his Cauallarie whereof hee had caused a choyse to bee selected out of euery companie to the discontent of the rest imployed them onely without his Infantery So that they being disordered and put to rout his whole Armie came to be vtterly defeited The errors committed in the Battaile of Cressie could not warne this King to auoyd the like For had he had the patience to haue tymed it out awhile the Prince could not haue possibly subsisted being thus inuironed shut vp from all succours as he was and now thus furiously assaulted and hauing no safetie but what was to be The French King taken prisoner wrought by the Sword which desperation euer makes the sharper Hee and his shewed that admirable courage that day as purchased them the most memorable glorie that euer any Mattiall action did that was at chiued by the English with so fewe handes Here was now the Head of that great Kingdome-claymed taken Prisoner with his yongest sonne Phillip who valiantly defending his father when his other brothers forsooke him had afterwarde the Title of Hardie and became Duke of Burgogne Iaques de Borbon Conte de Ponthieu the Arch-byshop of Sens Iohn d' Artoys Conte d' Eu Charles d' Artoys his brother Conte de Longnevitle Charles Conte de Tancarville The number of Prisoners taken the Conts of Vendosme Salbourg Dampmartin and La Roche with many other Lords of markes besides 2000. Knights Esquires and Gentlemen in so much as the Conquerors holding it not safe to retaine so many let many of them goe The French who can giue best account of their owne losses report there dyed in the battaile a thousand seauen hundred Gentlemen amongst which were fifty two Bannerets the most eminent Peter de Borbon the Duke d' Athens Constable of France Ian de Clermont Marshall Geoffrey de Charny High Chamberlaine The slaine in the battaile There escaped from this battayle three of the French Kings sonnes for hee brought them all thither Charles Prince Dauphin and the first so intitled Lonys after Duke of Aniou Iohn Duke of Berry all great actours in the time following This blow might seeme to haue beene enough to haue vtterly ouerthrowne that kingdome and absolutely subdued it to the Crowne of England but that is was a body which consisted of so many strong limbs had such store of spirits dispersed in seuerall parts and contayned so wide an extent of state as all this blood letting could not dissolue it or make it faint to giue ouer And sure these powerfull kingdomes howsoeuer they may be diseased and suffer either through the distemperature of their Heads or distractions of their other parts can neuer vnlesse by a gene rall dissolution be so low brought but they will recouer againe in the end their frame holdes by many nayles which neuer fayle all together The Prince of Wales in this battaile hath a double victory the one by the sword the other by his Curtesie first hee visits the captiue King with all reuerence and regarde of Maiesty comforts him by examples of the fortunes of warre and assures him of all faire entertainement according to his dignity The especiall great men who were actors in this worke must not passe vnremembred the Earles Warwicke Suffolke A memorable act of Iames Lord Audley Salisbury Oxford Stafford the Lords Cobham Spencer Barkley Basset Of Gescoignes Le Capital de Beuf the Lords Pumier Chaumont and others And here the Lord Iames Audley is renowned both for his valour and bounty who hauing vowed to bee formost in this fight performed his word sealed it with many wounds for which the Prince hauing rewarded him with the gift of Fiue hundred markes Fee-simple in England he presently gaue it to foure of his Esquires who had with
Court at Paris to these complaints Now had the Lords of Arminiaque D'Albert Peregort Cominges and many others Anno Reg. 43. 1369. made their protestations against the King of England for the Crowne of France which they say they were by nature to obey and not to a strange Soueraigne that it was absolutely against the Fundamentall Law of the Kingdome to disseuer them from the Crowne that the Contract was made in prison and therefore inciuile and not to be held by the right of Nations So that they were resolued to spend their liues and estates rather then bee vnder the gouernment of England By their example the Cities of the County of The Emperor Charles 4. makes a iourny into France to reconcile the two Kings Ponthieu rendered themselues to Guy Conte de Saint Poll and Guy de Chastillon The King of England complaines of this breach of accord to the Pope and the Emperour Charles 4. who made a iourney into France to reconcile the two Kings and determine the businesse Before whom our Ambassadours first declare how this Accord hauing beene more for the good of France then vs in regard we resigned thereby not The allegations of the English Ambassadours before the Emperour onely our Title to Normandie Touraine and Aniou the fairest and richest Countreys of France But also our Title to the Crowne to the end we might hold in Souraigntie the Duchy of Aquitayne the Country of Ponthieu with some other peeces which by Hereditary right appertained to the Crowne of England whereby the effusion of Christian blood was stayed France had peace and their King restored in faire manner after a faire imprisonment and vpon the most resonable Conditions could bee deuised Notwithstanding the French King who Vid. Appen himselfe with the whole Councell of France contracted the Accord and solemnly swore to obserue the same hath contrary to the Law of God and Nations after he had recouered his Hostages by fraud seazed both vpon the Duchy of Aquitayne and the Country of Ponthieu without denouncing Warre by his Heraldes c. The French Reply How we by the Accord were bound immediately to with draw our The Reply of the French Army out of France which they say wee did not during all the Reigne of their King Iohn That the Peace was thereby made more offensiue then the Warre they being constrained to purchase the departure of our Souldiers with greater charge then would haue maintained an Armie That the breach was on our side for that the Souldiers were ours That King Edward was bound to renounce his Title to the Crowne of France in open Assembly of the States of both Realmes which they say was not done And concerning the releasing of their King they say it cost France more gold then the redeeming of Saint Louys their King his brother the Peeres and the whole Armie taken by the Soldan an Infidell Thus both sides defend their cause being easie for Princes who will breake out of their Couenants to finde euasions The French King it seems though willing to get in what he could yet was very loath to renue a Warre and therefore with many Presents courts the King of England Who seeing himselfe thus deluded prepares to haue out his Sword And Anno Reg. 44. hauing borowed great Summes of the Clergie sends ouer Iohn Duke of Lancaster and Humphry Bohun Earle of Hereford with a mightie Armie to Calais to inuade France on this side whiles the Prince of Wales works to recouer the reuolted Townes on the other But little was effected The Duke shortly returnes And then Thomas Beauchamp Earle of Warwicke with fresh supplyes is sent ouer who dyes in the iourney Forces sent into France Sir Robert Knoles a man renowned in those times for valour and counsaile is made Leader of an Armie Consisting of many great Lords who disdayning to bee commanded by him whom they helde their inferiour ouer-threw themselues and the Action Thus all went backe and the French King growes both in State and Alliance Anno Reg. 45. Margueret sole daughter and Heire to Louys Earle of Flauders to whom King Edward sought to match his sonne Edmond is wonne to marrie Phillip Le Hardy Duke of Burgogne brother to the French King And this much vexes King Edward who A Subsidie granted by Parliament the maner of seyzing the same the better to furnish himselfe for reuenge calles a Parliament at Westminster wherein he resumes his claime to the Crowne of France and requires ayd of his Subjects and hath it The Clergie graunted him 50. thousand poundes to be payd the same yeere and the Laitie as much For the leuying whereof euery Parish in England was rated first to pay 23 shillings foure pence the great helping the lesse vpon supposition there had beene Parishes ynough to haue made vp that summe But by certificate vpon the Kings Writs sent out to examine what number of Parish Churches were in euery Shire they found it came short and then rated euery Parish at fiue pound sixteene shillings the greater to helpe the lesse and so of 8600. Parishes found to be in the 37. Shieres 50. thousand 181. pound 8. peence was raised But in regard of the great pouertie of Suffolk and Deuon Shire the 181. pound was abated and the King answered 50. thousand pounds for the Laytie Vpon this Supply the King grants that the great Charter and the Charter of The Duke of Lancaster sent into Aquitaine Forrests should bee obserued in all points which in most Parliaments of his is euer the first Act as may be seene in the printed Statutes And now Iohn Duke of Lancaster and Edmond Earle of Cambridge are sent with Forces into Aquitayne to ayde the Prince of Wales who after he had sacked the Citie of Limoges that was reuolted his health failing to performe any more leaues the prosecution of the Warre to his brother and with his wife and young sonne Richard borne at Burdeaux returnes The Prince of Wales returnes into England home into England and here resignes vnto his father the Duchy of Aquitayne The Duke of Lancaster after the departure of the Prince did little but being now a widdower his wife dying two yeares before in the third great Pestilence in which yeare also Phillippe wife to King Edward ended her life hee marries Constance eldest daughter to Peter King of Castile by whom hee had the empty title of King The Duke of Lancaster marries Constance daughter to the King of Castile and was after the death of his father-in-law stiled King of Castile and Leon. This Constance though shee were the daughter of a wicked father and infamous mother yet was so happy that the daughter shee had by this Duke of Lancaster named Katherine became after Queene of Castile and Leon being married to Henry 3. in possession before and in her right King of both those Realmes and left her posterity Kings of Spaine Edmond Earle of