prisoner to Roan He is drowned This Warre ended was taken prisoner and sent to the Castle of Roan where leaping from the walls with an intent to escape he was drowned in the Ditch And thus ended his Life his Title and those Warres But the next yeare following the French King himselfe pretending Title to the said Duchie of Normandie raysed an exceeding great power and so sodainely and with such furie The French King sodenly wâ—â—â—eth all Normandie did inuade it that wanting present meanes of resistance the whole Duchie to preuent vtter desolation and ruine yeelded and subiected it selfe to the French king And now began the Kings other Enemie The quarrell bâ—twâ—xt the King and the Pope Pope Innocent the third to play his part and to vexe him more dangerously than Philip of France had done And the occasion which he entertained to effect his purpose was this Hubert the Archbishop of Canterburie died and the Monkes of Saint Augustines in that Citie without the kings Licence or knowledge and about midnight elected Raynold a brother of their owne to succeed him and tooke of him an Oath forthwith to trauaile vnto Rome and there to procure his inuesture and to receiue his Pâ—lâ— from the Pope The king being thereof informed by manifest shewes made knowne his inward dislike of those their vnaduised doings So that vpon his motion and to appease his wrath they newly elected Iohn Gray who was then Bishop of Norwich And incontinently the king vpon his owne charge sent Letters and Embassadours vnto the Pope entreating him to ratifie his last choice But in the meane time a new Schisme or Faction did appeare For the Suffragan because hee was not made acquainted nor an actor in either of the said two Elections made suit to the Pope to displace them both Popes doe seldome or neuer grant to any Kings their reasonable requests But the Pope imitating the proud example of his Predecessors who coueted to swimme against the Streame and seldome or neuer granted anie kings request least they should in some sort be thought to be yeelding neglected the kings entreatie and confirmed him that was chosen first The king stormed because he was so slenderly regarded And diuers of those Monkes to please the king refused to receiue him that was by the Pope confirmed contesting against their owne choice because it was made in the night and not in the open day But the rest affirmed That such a choice was not meerely voide and in it selfe a Nullitie but remayned good vntill by Iudiciall proceedings and by a Sentence it were pronounced to be void At length this question and this doubt was controuerted and disputed on in Rome and thereupon the Pope making a colourable shew to content the King to please the Monkes and to end this Schisme but indeede to preferre Stephen Langton the Cardinall of Chrisogone to that Dignitie aduised the said Monkes to elect the said Stephen Stephen Langton is chosen Archbishop of Canterburie on the Popes motion and against the commandement of the King The King perceiuing well what was intended and meant thereby required the said Monkes not to proceed to the said Election nor to deale anie further in that businesse But verie vndutifully they neglected to content or to obey the King and with them the Papall Commandement tooke place and Stephen Langton a man plyant to the Popes humour was elected Archbishop of Canterburie This later choice so sharpely exasperated the king that by his Letters to the Pope he protested plainely That from thenceforth he would take a strict account of all such of his subjects whatsoeuer as for anie matters concerning Right or Iustice should be gadding vnto Rome The King forbiddeth Appeales to Rome And did alledge That he had Bishops Prelates Nobles and Magistrates of his owne who could and should according to the Lawes and Customes of his Kingdome decide and determine all Controuersies and Doubts which should arise either in the Church or in the Commonweale And that he would rather expose himselfe to a thousand deaths then basely as hee was required make himselfe and his Kingdome seruile and subject to the Popes insolent and peremptorie Commands The Pope according to his custome and fashion not onely answered prowdly The Popes prowd and peremptorie answer Foure Bishops authorized to interdict the King That the Election of the Cardinall should stand but required the King to giue him the quiet possession of his See to recall such Monks from banishment as he had exild and to restore to them their goods on which hee had seized by reason of their last choice and did authorize foure Bishops within this Land to interdict and to curse the King and his Realme if hee refused to doe as by the Pope he was enioyned The King perceiuing that those foure Bishops were much elated by reason of their new authoritie and that they thought the time to be long ere the King had replied and signified his intent and resolution seized vpon their lands and goods The King seizeth on the foure Bishops lands and goods and did proclaime That he resolued to take the like course with all such as receiued any Promotions Inuestitures or Ecclesiastical degrees from the said Cardinall or went vnto Rome vpon any occasion without his license or did appeale for any cause thither or did attempt to put in execution any commaund from the Pope within his Kingdome The Pope being aduertised hereof sent into England his two Legats Pandulphus and Durant men of prowd spirits and prone to put in practise al things as they should be required These two perswaded the King to be reconciled to Stephen Langton The Popes Legats curse the King and his ayders to the foure Bishops and to the Prior and the Monks of his Couent of S. Austins and to restore to them their Places Lands and Goods that peace and amitie by meanes of his so doing might be renewed betwixt the Pope and him The King fearing to be accursed and being desirous to preuent future inconueniences yeelded and promised to perform all whatsoeuer was required except it were to allow the said Election of the said Cardinall and protested faithfully That if another might be chosen hee then would with all speed and expedition preferre him to some other Bishoprique or better place of Dignitie within his Realme But the two Legats in steed of gratifying the Kings request pronounced the Popes curse not only against him but also against all such as gaue him attendance or things necessarie or kept him company They likewise absolued all his subiects from their oathes dutie and seruice towards him and required all Christian Princes to make warre vppon him as vpon the arch and grand enemy of the Church of God This Kingdom is giuen to the French King The Pope also pronounced and published against him his sentence of depriuation and gaue his Crown and his Kingdom to Philip the French King if by any
as if hee onely waited for a fit oportunitie to depart Yet in the meane time king Philip his father with great care and cost prepared new Forces for his aide and shipped them for this Realme But Hugh de Burgh being a man prouident Hugh de Bergh preuaileth on the sea and truly valiant and being chiefe Master of the fiue Ports hauing fitted a strong Fleete of good Shippes and furnished them to the proofe with choice Mariners and expert men of Warre encountred them brauely vpon the Sea and with such hardie blowes so fiercely did assayle them that beeing altogether vnable to resist him they submitted themselues and all their Shippes vnto his mercie The French are absolued and doe returne This noble Exploit being thus attended by Victorie forthwith drew Prince Lewis to a milde entreatie of Peace So that being absolued by Guallo and receiuing good summes of money to further his returne he surrendred all such Forts Castles and Townes as hee had taken and with his companies sayled into France leauing his English friends who had supported his Estate and part in all these Warres to the censure of the Lawes and to end their miserable dayes with sundrie executions and strange deaths The Common-weale being now suffered to breath A Parliament and hauing found some leisure to prouide fitting medicines to cure such maladies as distempered her estate required that a Parliament might be sommoned which was graunted King Edwards lawes restored and in it the ancient Lawes of King Edward were reduced and restored to their former vigor and strength And the Grand Charter in those dayes called Magna Charta comprising sundry laws Magna Charta which were both easefull and commodious to the common people was ratified and confirmed And whereas the Wardships of the heires of such of the Kings tenants as died Warships marriages Ann. 902. Ann. 1056. seized of any lands by them holden in Knights seruice was graunted to King Edgar during their minorities and their marriages were afterwards granted to King Edward the Confessor Those lawes which a long time had lien asleepe were now reuiued and awaked and were restored to their former vse In the same Parliament also a voluntarie Taxe was frankely giuen to the King A voluntarie Taxe partly to discharge such debts as former warres had occasioned and partly to leuie new forces to be conducted by Richard the kings brother for the recouering of Poyters and of Gascoyne which of late yeers most iniuriously and with too much violence had been vsurped and taken from King Henries predecessors by the French King The Parliament being ended the said Taxe An Armie transported into Gascoyne c. with great celeritie and without contradiction by any was soone leuied so that the Kings Coffers were replenished with siluer and with gold and all requisits were carefully prouided and a gallant Armie of couragious men of warre were assembled and safely transported Richard recouereth Poyters and Gascoine With which Richard the Kings brother did almost wonders subduing where he found resistance and seizing vpon Lordships Towns Forts Castles and other defenced places quietly and without blowes where no head was made against him So that within few moneths such was his valor and good fortune he recouered both those Prouinces wholly for the king and returned with much honor into England But the kings absence from those places The French King winneth Poyters Perigot c. ministred opportunity to the French king to be vnfriendly and daily to make wars roads incursions and inuasions into those Prouinces which without colour of right he endeuored to subdue So that hee refusing no aduantage which might in any sort further his desires suddenly led a new Armie into Poyters and quickly made himselfe the Lord thereof And then he marched into Pierigot and Aluerne and other places in Guian where he did the like But king Henry sent thither another Armie A new Army transported with which his brother Richard Earle of Cornwall fought many cruell and sharpe battailes and in the most of them Fortune assisted him with good successe and all things afforded him great hopes A peace is concluded that hee should recouer whatsoeuer in his absence had been lost But in the height of all these broyles a friendly peace was concluded betwixt the two Kings and Richard returned safely into England The causes of dislike betwixt the K. and his Barons These troubles being thus ended and peace gladding the hearts of all such as had been tired with those warres vnkinde iealousies began to breed much hart-burning betwixt the King and his own Barons for that as they conceiued the King reposed little confidence in their faith neglected their seruice and societie and applied himselfe and his fauours wholly vnto strangers whom neither alliance nor Countrie bound to performe any dutie towards him nor would be found trustie when the hand of his bountie and liberalitie was closed vp The King reconcileth himself to his Barons And the King perceiuing their discontent entered into the secret closet of his owne breast and tooke a strict examination of his owne dealings And finding them to bee such as iustly might displease he reformed his error remoued the causes of those dislikes and louingly reconciled himselfe to his Nobles Iohn Scot Earle of Chester dieth About this time Iohn Scot Earl of Chester died without issue male hauing foure daughters heirs From them the king resumed into his own hands that Earledom and all the Territories belonging thereunto which he augmented with large additions of yearely reuennues and many Regall Priuiledges Liberties and Honours And for a recompence and by way of exchange he gaue vnto those Ladies many Honors Lordships Castles and Mannors which exceeded their owne in true value And hauing married Prince Edward Chester and Wales annexed to the Kings eldest sonnes his sonne to Elyanor sister vnto the King of Spain he gaue vnto him the Prouince of Guyan the Lordship of all Ireland and created him Earle of Chester and Prince of Wales which two later dignities he then annexed to the eldest sonnes of the Kings of this Realme The murdering of the King is attempted And not long after a Clerk dwelling in Oxford counterfeiting a kind of madnesse attempting to murther the King for which purpose in the depth of the night he crept in at the window of the Kings chamber in which most commonly hee lodged But failing of his purpose because the King lay not then there hee was taken examined confessed his villanie and by the course of law being condemned he was put to a cruell death The French King breaks the league We haue heard before that a peace was concluded between the Kings of England and of France but the French kings were alwaies secretly or openly malicious to the Kings of this Realme because they had certaine Territories and Prouinces in France which bordered on their Countries And
this malice made them little respectiue of the sanctitie of such solemne Oathes and honest promises as more strongly than bonds of yron should binde Kings For no sooner was anie gappe open into which they might thrust a foote nor anie oportunitie were it neuer so little was offered but that they threw behind their backes the remembrance of all Truces Leagues and Conuentions of Peace whatsoeuer and made all things to be lawfull which either by sleight or by violence they could enterprise or doe And as common experience oftentimes made it manifest so did it now For about the foure and twentieth yeare of King Henries Raigne Lewis the ninth with a deuouring Armie entred into Guyan Lewis the ninth inuadeth Guyan and spoyled and wasted that Countrey in all places where hee came And King Henrie intending their quicke reliefe and purposing if he might to regaine all Normandie and such other Prouinces as the kings of France vnjustly had detained from him sayled thither with a puissant Armie King Henrie carrieth an armie thither and oftentimes bickered with his enemies against whome sometimes he preuailed and at other times had the worser hand Yet his haughtie courage abandoned all feare and no perils whatsoeuer could make him shrinke for in all those skirmishes he performed stout resolution and the noble valour of a worthie king But Fortune no further fauouring those his endeauours He steppeth the French Kings courses but beats him not back than onely enabling him to stop the French Kings proceedings hee returned into England But shortly before his departure the French king married his brother Alphonsus vnto the daughter of the Earle of Tholouse and gaue to him the Earledome of Poytiers and all king Henrie Territories in Aluerne and plotted cunningly to haue procured the Earle of March to doe him homage for such Lands as hee affirmed he held of the said Earledome of Poytiers But hee stoutly refused to yeeld vnto him anie such dutie or seruice And this his denyall so enraged the French king The Earledome of March is inuaded by the French that he entred with an Armie into the Earledome of March and daily spoyled it without sparing But king Henrie hauing carefully employed his labors to withstand this violence and hauing raised a faire Armie which himselfe conducted transported it vnto Burdeaux And not farre from thence due preparations on all parts being made both the Armies met in which the bloud of the most valiant men of Warre was freely sold and dearely payed for But in the end Fortune extending more fauour to the French King Henrie leaues the field than to King Henrie he was enforced with the losse and slaughter of his best men to leaue the Field The Earle of March submits himselfe And the Earle of March grieuing at this mishap and being loth that King Henrie should be engaged in a greater danger submitted himselfe and obtained Peace on faire conditions with the French King And then King Henrie returned into England and married one of his sisters vnto Alexander then King of Scots because hee would the better assure himselfe of his friendship in time of neede 41. 1256. The Barons Warre And now began those mischieuous broyles and turmoyles within this Realme which vntill the kings death daily yea almost hourely vexed and molested him and his whole kingdome For the King of later yeares lending too pleasing an eare to manie lewd and euill Officers whome aboue all others he best loued and fauored The causes thereof and by whose counsell and aduice both himselfe and his whole Estate was guided and directed made little account and reckoning of the best of his subiects loue and tooke from them in diuers things such libertie and freedome as by the Lawes and Ordinances of this kingdome they justly claymed and ought to haue enioyed Hee also pinched his people with manie vnnecessarie Impositions and grieuous Taxes which by those lewd and bold Officers were with much rigor and sharpenesse leuied to their great dislike And the king following their humours assembled his High Court of Parliament in Oxford In which his designes were altogether crossed and the prosecution of businesses was so vnfortunate to the whole Estate of this Realme that ab euentu it was euer after named Insanum Parliamentum Insanum Parliamentum or the Madde Parliament For when multitudes of such as were grieued swarmed thither and complained of manie iniuries and wrongs which daily did oppresse them the Lords and the Commons endeauouring to redresse what was amisse established manie things profitable as they intended them for the Commonweale but highly derogating from the Prerogatiue of the king The Kings Prerogatiue crossed And to the end that those things which they had so contriued and concluded should be inuiolably kept and obserued choise was there made of twelue of the grauest and most worthie persons of this kingdome whereof the Earles of Leicester and of Glocester were the chiefest and they were stiled with the title of Les douze Piers Les douze Piers. or the Twelue Peeres to whom complete and absolute authoritie and power was largely giuen to support and to maintaine those Lawes For which cause they publikely receiued their Patent and a solemne Oath All which was sealed and ratified by the King himselfe The King ratifieth their Commission although vnwillingly he did it So that the Parliament being ended the said Commissioners began by strict execution to giue life vnto those Ordinances and Lawes For which purpose The Commissioners displace the Kings Officers and Attendants they first of all dismissed and did clearely thrust from their Places Offices and Attendance manie of the Kings meniall seruants and appointed others in their stead And this their doing was aboue all other things most distasted and grudged at For the King perceiuing that such as waited on his person should rather be trusted by others than by himselfe and that hee himselfe should be furthest off from chusing such as should be neerest vnto him waxed infinitely melancholie and sad And hoping that vpon further aduice and counsell hee should receiue better contentment and be more kindly vsed 43. 1258. Another Parliament hee assembled another Parliament in which with great griefe and extraordinarie Passion he complained of the hard measure which was offered to his owne Person by the Twelue Peeres So that much labour was taken by his neerest friends The King complaineth not onely to abolish their Authoritie and Power but also to cancell and to make void those new Ordinances and Lawes But such was the determinate resolution of the Lords in generall and of the Commons of that Assemblie The former Lawes and Ordinances are confirmed that in stead of pleasing the King with Reformation answerable to his desires they ratified and confirmed whatsoeuer was formerly concluded on and by the Archbishop of Canterburie and nine other Bishops of this Kingdome A Curse a solemne Curse was
of London by their Letters they importuned the answer of the Mayor and Citizens thereof Their Letter to the citie of London whether they resolued to support the said Ordinances and Lawes and the authoritie of the Twelue Peeres or no protesting before God and assuring them that they themselues meant not nor intended any other thing And that if any matters of substance contained in them were defectiue or could iustly be condemned it should receiue sound reformation with all conuenient speede That Letter was sent by the citie to the King These Letters being thus receiued were postingly sent vnto the King who demaunded of the said Mayor and Citizens whether they would support those lawes and the Twelue Peers or no who stoutly answerd that they would in regard that by the Kings consent they had taken their oathes to that purpose The cities answer to the King and also to the Barons They are ioyfully receiued into London The Kings deuice faileth him The King vnmeasurably stormed at this answer but none other could hee get and the same answer was by them sent vnto the Barons who therupon proceeded in their march and were with much ioy and kindnesse receiued into the Citie The King plotting to defeat those Lords and to dissolue their Companies by a slight proclaimed that himselfe and the greater number of the Barons were agreed and did require that in regard thereof all Armes might be laid aside that his peace might be preserued and no further feare or terror might amaze his people But this notwithstanding the Barons marched with their whole Armie vnto the Kings Castle of Windsor where they found many alians whom the Prince had placed there in seuerall Offices and roomes Officers remoued those they rifled of their goods and remoued them from thence whereat the King was much displeased And the Lords of his Councell labouring to content him ordered that those goods should be restored to those alians The Councels order disobeied The controuersie is referred to the French kings censure and that from thenceforth none but the King himselfe should presume to place or to displace any of his meniall seruants But the Barons vtterly refused to obey their order yet vpon the Kings motion they gaue consent that all those debates controuersies and sharp displeasures should be referred to the censure and iudgment of the French king Lewis the ninth This conclusion sheathed all swords The French Kings decree appeased for the present time all those Iarres and gaue good contentment to eyther part and as time gaue leaue those businesses were controuerted before the said King and reasons were vrged to the proofe on either side vntil at length it was by him decreed that all the said Ordinances and Lawes should be anihilated and made voide and that from thenceforth no authoritie or power should be left in the Twelue Peers This sentence was so displeasing to the Barons The French King is accused of partialitie His Decree is reiected that they publikely accused the French King of grosse partialitie and smoothing with King Henrie and so absolutely did they refuse to obey his order and so strongly were they bent to maintaine whatsoeuer had been in Parliament established that they repaired againe to the marches of Wales and leuied a new Armie The Barons leuie a new Armie and in their passage toward London they robbed spoyled and burnt the houses Lordships and goods of Sir Roger Mortimer who aboue all others counsailed the King to withstand them and the Prince whose lustie youth was furnished with much valour leuied another Armie with which hee marched towards the Barons The Prince doth the like and each of them so fitted and disposed their iournies that those two Armies greeted each other with warlike salutations and fought together without remorse or pittie so that in the end The Prince is ouerthrown diuers of the Princes most potent friends and best souldiers being slaine and his part discomfited they all were enforced to flight to saue their liues and to leaue the Barons masters of the field After this victorie they marched forth and came to London where they were receiued with as great kindnesse as before The Barons are receiued into London A mad tumult The two Captains called the two Constables of London Richard king of the Romans being grossely wronged is thereby made the Barons enemie but some of the vnder sort of the inhabitants of the Citie despising gouernment and intending vnder the colour of these broiles to doe some mischiefe elected two brain-sicke Captaines and called them the Constables of the Citie and did agree that at the toling of the great Bell in Paules Church as many as would partake with them should be in a readinesse to put into execution whatsoeuer those Constables should command and though much paine and labour was taken to disswade them from their wicked purpose and intent yet their longing desires after spoyles and their resolution to bee lawlesse vpon the touling of the said Bell transported them furiously eight miles Westward from London to the house and possessions of the Kings brother Richard King of the Romans which they ruinated and carried away with him all his moueable goods there found whatsoeuer This insolent outrage thus wickedly committed by the headles multitude furthered the succeeding warres For whereas before that time the vertuous and milde king Richard king of the Romans and brother to king Henrie in regard of his neere alliance with Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester had with all his power and best endeuours mediated a peace betwixt the Barons and the King now was he so exasperated and rowsed from his peacefull humor that he became a professed enemie both to the Barons and also to the Citie of London And King Henrie hauing intelligence that Sir Peter Mountfort had raysed a strong Armie at Northampton on the Barons behalfe The King obtaineth a victorie and being resolued to make some tryall of his fortunes in regard of the apparant iniuries and wrongs which daily were practised to his disgrace leuied a strong Armie and marched thither and by maine assaults he tooke the Towne surprized Sir Peter Mountfort and Symon the eldest sonne of the Earle of Leicester and manie others and sent them all to sundrie Prisons to be disposed of as he should please And on the other side the Barons who being exceeding strong and nothing at all discouraged with this pranke of vncertaine fortune but preferring the dutie of worthie subiects to their Soueraigne before their hopes which expected fortunate successe wrote their Letters to the King The Barons Letter to the King and with all humilitie and submissiue protestations confirmed their fidelities and assured him That they intended nothing but the performance of their Oaths by supporting those Ordinances and those Lawes which in Parliament had beene established at Oxford for his Highnesse good and for the welfare and profit of the Commonweale But the King
his Brother King Richard and Edward the young Prince beleeuing nothing what was written and deepely disdaining that Subiects should rule and correct their Soueraigne Lord and Master and determining to reuenge those disgraces which their stomacks no longer could endure proclaymed an vtter defiance to the Barons and with their Armie met them in Sussex neere to the Towne called Lewys The battaile of Lewis where betwixt them was fought so fierce and so cruell a battaile that the father spared not the sonne nor the sonne the father All kindred and alliance was there forgotten 47. 1262. the common Souldior held himselfe to be as good a man as the greatest Lord. Honour was there set at nought and Manhood being oppressed with Multitude could make no shew Hee who was most valiant was soonest made breathlesse and the Coward found no oportunitie to runne away He who could strike deepest wound manie and kill most obtained the chiefest praise Pitie and Compassion were skorned and laughed at and all remorse was vtterly exiled from them None mediated betwixt them but their swords and their best Reconciler was death Lamentable were the sighes and the groanes the plunges and the pangs of such as bleeding breathed forth their liues and euerie man fought with such an obstinate resolution as if but one onely man at the last should be left aliue At length the two kings The two Kings and the Prince with manie others are taken prisoners Prince Edward and manie Knights and Gentlemen of choice account and of the best worth were taken prisoners and more than twentie thousand men were slaine in this Battaile And thus Furie triumphing in bloud was contented at length to hearken vnto Reason and they who could scarcely set their feete vpon the ground by reason of the multitude of dead carkasses which as thicke as stones lay before them 20000 men are slaine were now pleased to take breath and to conferre vpon conditions of Peace And in the end it was agreed That the King should by new Articles A new conclusion for Peace and by the renewing of his Oath confirme the authoritie graunted to the Twelue Peeres and all the said Ordinances and Lawes with this Caution notwithstanding That two Lords of the Spiritualtie and two Lords of the Temporaltie should take a strait examination and view of them and if in their judgements it were needfull that anie of them should be reformed full power to them was giuen to alter and to change what they thought fit And if they dissented in their opinions it was then further ordered that the Duke of Britaine as Vmpier should haue power to arbitrate and to end the doubt The two Kings are set at libertie Hâ—stages giuen and the Prince was one This being on both parts consented to and concluded the two Kings left both their eldest sonnes for hostages with the Barons who sent them to the Castle of Douer where they remained about nine moneths Then did the King with all conuenient expedition summon his High Court of Parliament In which so strongly was the continuance of the said Lawes and Ordinances made at Oxford vrged A Parliament that they were then againe ratified and confirmed and the king though much against his will tooke an Oath to maintaine them and the authoritie of the Twelue Peeres The former Lawes and Ordinances are againe confirmed vntill according to the said former referment they should be reformed if anie thing in them were found to be amisse And all such as in those Warres or otherwise had in anie sort maintained them receiued their pardon from the king And hereupon the two yong Princes were enlarged The Hostages are enlarged But not long after so great a variance touching those Ordinances grew betwixt the two Earles of Leicester and of Glocester the two Generals of the Barons Faction that nothing but mortall Warre had decided their controuersie Discord betweene the Earles of Leicester and of Glocester if the King had not interposed his authoritie and mediation to make them friends A faire oportunitie well watched and taken But the young Prince Edward taking much aduantage by reason of this jarre departed secretly from the Kings Court consorted to his companie the Earles of Glocester and Warreyne Sir Roger Mortymer and manie other renowned men for the Warre And all these raysed a new Armie in Wales The Prince rayseth an Armie ANNO 48. 1263. The Barons doe the like And the Earle of Leicester conceiuing that his surprisall and ruine was conspired to preuent his owne danger and misfortune did the like And not long after the two Armies met neere to Euersham in Worcestershire and fought together so maliciously and with such bloudie resolutions that in short time manie thousands among them were slaine For Death taking part with both spared neyther but striuing to make her gaine by their losse The battaile of Euersham insulted proudly in the Armie and bragged most when she did most harme But in the end the Barons were discomfited The Barons are ouerthrowne and Symon Earle of Leicester with his eldest sonne and Sir Hugh le Spencer and manie others of great account were slaine and the rest fled The common souldiors that preuailed despightfully mangled the dead carkasse of the Earle cutting off both hands and feete and sending them into diuers Shires to their friends as Trophies of their Victorie And others among them being more inhumane and barbarous cut off his head and his priuie members and placed them on eyther side of his nose This ouerthrow did vtterly defeat the Barons and depriued them of all their hopes and it so reuiued the melancholie King that now he began againe to be sensible of his owne strength and resolued with all speede possible to breake those chaynes with which so lately hee was so strongly bound And for the effecting thereof A Parliament hee assembled his High Court of Parliament In which no man dared to speake otherwise than as the King spake So that those former Ordinances and Lawes which were made at Oxford in the Madde Parliament The former Decrees are all made void and the authoritie of the Twelue Peers and all Patents Commissions and Instruments whatsoeuer which tended to the establishing or ratifying of those affaires were by the Kings expresse commaundement brought forth and were publikely damned cancelled and made void And thus King Henrie regained his former libertie and power to say and to doe in all things as he pleased The King resolueth to burne the citie of London When this Parliament was ended the King perhaps by the instigation of his brother Richard King of the Romans who was cruelly wronged by the baser sort of the inhabitants of London without anie cause by him giuen as before it is mentioned resolued vtterly to wast and to consume with fire his Citie of London because as hee alledged the Rulers and the Inhabitants thereof had alwaies despised him and
Spencers who were more deer to him then his Queen and children How the king loued the two Spencers The two Spencers are banished for euer and all his friends beside and in the end among many other things it was by the whole Parliament enacted That they should bee exiled during their liues and neuer bee licensed by the king to returne againe into England This being thus concluded the Barons who longed to see the two Spencers vnder saile caused certaine Ships to bee prepared in which they were embarked and sent away So that now all men were well pleased except the King whome their absence vexed at the heart The King hateth his Barons and in all things he endeuoured plainely to expresse his hatred and his anger towards the Barons who had enforced him to consent vnto their banishment And to expresse the same more fully he was informed that the younger Spencer had strengthened himselfe with a few good Shippes The younger Spencer becomes a Pyrate and that he lay as a Grand Pyrate coasting vpon the Narrow Seas robbing ransacking and spoyling the Marchants and all Nations who passed by them but especially and chiefely such as were of this Kingdome And although great sute was made vnto the King that a conuenient Fleet might be prepared for his surprizall and that hee might be produced vnto judgement The grieued Lords complain but the King laughs and receiue such punishment as the Lawes of this Kingdome appointed for the cutting off of such a notorious Theefe yet the King smyled and was inwardly glad to heare this newes and turned a deafe eare to their request and was so farre off from prouiding to fetch him in that pardoning all his offences The Spencers are recalled and honored and to despight his Barons hee recalled them both from their Banishment and honoured them with more Dignities Offices and Authoritie than euer he had done before ANNO 13. This thing being thus strangely performed by the King and the daily vnsufferable injuries and insolencie of the two Spencers who skorned and derided the Nobles as being vnable to controll them The Spencers doe skorne and deride the Nobles or to doe them anie harme were sufficient warnings to the Barons to looke vnto themselues and to prouide for their owne safetie before it were too late Wherefore seeing that neither entreatie nor Law could right their wrongs they raysed a strong Armie The Barons doe rayse a strong armie and boldly marched into the field And the King with the two Spencers and some others of the Nobles did the like And after manie sharpe Bickerings and Encounters both their Armies met The King doth the like and fought on either part with such obstinate desire to reuenge that he was supposed to be the most valiant man among them who could and did drench his sword deepest in the most bloud A cruell Battaile The Noblemen now forgat that vndutifully they fought against their Soueraigne Lord and the King would not by anie meanes know that his Tyrannie had compelled them to take Armes Kindred Alliance Countrey Religion Neighbourhood nor anie other respect now preuailed to winne fauour but furie made them trust to their weapons and death stickled the controuersie betwixt them The Barons are ouerthrowne In the end when manie of the Barons and thousands of their adherents were slaine they fled and were pursued by the King who obtaining the victorie neuer ceased the pursuit vntill he had taken the Earles of Lancaster Hereford and manie other Lords of which hee caused two and twentie to loose their heads in sundrie places of this Realme Twentie and two Lords beheaded to the great astonishment of the rest and to the terror of the vulgar sort Thus when this hauock was made of the Nobilitie and when this victorie had puffed vp the two Spencers with intollerable insolencie and pride they made no good vse of their good fortune The two Spencers wax more insolent and proude for the amendment of their liues or better counsailing of the King but as tyrants they now did all in all as they themselues listed and their will was the best law And then presuming that all things should be ordered as they listed they procured the King to holde his high Court of Parliament at Yorke The Prince of Wales created Sir Hugh Spencer the elder made an Earle A great tax in which hee created Edward his eldest sonne Prince of Wales and Duke of Aquitaine He also created Sir Hugh Spencer the Father Earle of Winchester and Sir Andrew Harkley whose extraordinary seruice was a principall meanes of the Barons late ouerthrow Earle of Care-Liele He also exacted the sixt pennie of all Temporall mens goods and moueaables inhabiting in England Wales and in Ireland to defray and to support his intended warres against the Scots The people doe murmur but the leuying therof enforced the common people to grudge and to murmure affirming That they were altogether impouerished by dearth and famine and almost vndone by reason of the disordred gouernment of the King The Scots being secretly informed that King Edward was resolued to inuade their Countrey ANNO 15. The Scots do inuade Ireland The Scots are ouerthrown and to reuenge those indignities and those wrongs which by the incursions and inuasions of Robert le Bruse their vsurping King he had receiued endeuoured to diuert his purpose another way so that they entred into Ireland with a copious Armie But the king who was not ignorant of their determination made such prouision against their landing there that the greater number of those assailants were slaine and the rest being vtterly ouerthrowne were compelled to flie vnto their Ships and shamefully to returne into their owne Countrey The King entereth into Scotland with an Armie The king was now perswaded that scarcely any strength could withstand so great a power as hee had leuied and that the Scots should now be called to a strict account for all their inroades incursions inuasions murthers robberies and spoyles And for the effecting thereof he conducted his Armie into Scotland where the Nobles and the other inhabitants of that land being armed well and being in number many thousands for many daies by continuall preparations made a shew to giue battaile to king Edward when as indeede they meant nothing lesse The Scots do retyre into the Woods Mountaines For when King Edward approached neere vnto them they craftily yet stoutly and strongly retyred manie myles and at length withdrew themselues into the Woods Forests and Mountaines where they soone cloyed wearied and wasted the English forces The English Armie is tyred out partly with the vneasinesse of those passages and partly with such Stormes Tempests Raine Hayle Snow Frosts and other distempered weather as vsually in those places were too bitter and too sharpe The Kings Armie is afflicted And besides all this the want of victuals and other necessaries so
and Robert Tresilian the chiefe Iustice was hanged at Tiborne and the rest of those Iudges had beene hanged in like sort Execution if vpon the importunate and vncessant request of the Queene their liues had not beene redeemed by their banishment Banishment And thus were the threatnings of ciuil wars conuerted into some assurance of prosperitie and of peace ANNO. 12 The Scots do inuade But the next yeare following the Scots inuaded this realme and did much harme against whom great preparations were made by the King who resolued to recompence his owne damage by iust and seuere reuenge A Truce betwixt England France and Scotland for seuen yeares ANNO. 13 Iohn of Gant goeth with an Armie into Spaine But the wisdome and discretion of manie great Estates were such that a Truce was concluded to endure for three yeares betwixt England France and Scotland which shortly after was enlarged for foure yeares more So that now all matters betwixt those three Kingdomes and their Kings being blessed with tranquilitie and with peace the Kings fourth Vncle Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster was suffered by the King to leuie a strong Armie which hee transported into Spaine where he demanded his right to the Kingdome of Castile in the behalfe of Constance his wife who was the eldest daughter of Peter the deposed and slaine king ANNO. 14 How his bran attempts succeeded there His two Daughters are married to the Kings of Spaine and of Portingall In those Warres the Duke and his Armie performed manie honourable seruices and with the assistance of the king of Portugale so preuailed that to conclude a sued for peace the king of Spaine married with Constance the Dukes eldest daughter by his said wife and gaue vnto him eight Waggons loaden with massie Gold and secured him and his wife of the yearely payment of ten thousand Markes during both their liues And then the Duke went into Portugale where he married Anne his yonger daughter to the king of that Countrie and then returned into England with great riches and much honour ANNO. 16 Lawes against the Popes vsurped Authoritie This time of peace betwixt England other nations bred some quarrelling betwixt the king and the Pope who vsurped too too much authoritie and iurisdiction within this Realme Wherefore to preuent such mischiefes as this intolerable sufferance mght beget in a Parliament vpon graue and great aduise it was enacted That the Popes pretended authoritie within this kingdom should cease and be determined and that no appeale for anie matter or cause whatsoeuer should from thenceforth bee made to the See of Rome vpon the penaltie of a premunire which did extend to perpetuall imprisonment and to the forfeiture of the Lands and goods of such as contrarie to that law presumed to offend ANNO. 17 In the seuenteenth yeare of king Richards Raigne his faire and vertuous Queene Anne died ANNO. 19 And about two yeares after the king married the Ladie Isabel daughter to the French king Charles the sixth By reason whereof a peace was concluded betwixt those two kings King Richard marrieth the French kings daughter A Peace for thirtie yeares Brest is yeelded vp The Duke of Glocester reprooues the King for it The death of the Duke of Glocester the Kings Vncle is plotted A Machauillian pollicie Ambition makes euill Princes confident that their Vertues doe deserue much The King intendeth the destruction of his Barrons being gulled with an vntrue report Certaine Lords surprised A ParliameÌ„t A grosse flâ—ttering Speaker The Archbishop of Canterburie is accused of Treason How the king wronged the Archbishop to endure for thirtie yeares And king Richard being too kind but too little aduised of his owne accord and free will surrendred and gaue vp to the Duke of Brittaine the strong Towne and Castle of Brest which verie much grieued and discontented his Nobilitie especially his Vncle Thomas of Woodstocke Duke of Glocester who told him plainly that it was not conuenient that without blowes with the said Duke of Brittaine hee should haue departed with that strong Towne and Castle which his ancestors had wonne with the expence of much bloud Whereat the king was so much displeased that in his heart hee causelessely vowed seuere reuenge and in this his hastie passion he was abused and furthered by such of his Fauourites as enuied the estate the vertues and honour of the Duke causing strangers to informe the king flateringly and malitiously that diuers of the Princes Electors intended to haue made him Emperor had not some others of them gainsaid it and alleadged that he was altogether vnfit to gouerne the dispersed Segniorieâ— and Dominions of the Empire who could not rule and command his owne subiects at home The greedie desire which king Richard had to bee magnified and made great by being dignified with the name and power of the Empire and his strong reliance vpon the vntrue report which was suggested vnto him by such as only endeuoured to whet his anger against his Lords armed him with subtletie and with a heartie desire to circumuent his Barons though it were done with the breach of his oath and with the shipwracke of his honour So that pretending much loue and fauour towards them but especially to the Duke of Glocester his Vncle and to the two Earles of Arondell and Warwicke hee caused them to be apprehended when as they imagined they had least cause to feare And hauing so done he assembled his High Court of Parliament In which his basest and his grossest flatterer the speaker of the Lower House named Sir Iohn Bush who was a man of a most proud insolent and aspiring spirit irreligiously profanely and dishonestly in a formall and in a tedious speech attributed vnto the King the highest titles of diuine honour and therefore condemned almost to Hell all such as traiterously had conspired against his Maiestie Among whom hee particularly impeached Thomas Lord Archbishop of Canterburie sitting next vnto the King who made no answere at all thereto because the King himselfe vnder pretence of more then ordinarie loue and fauour had priuatly enioyned him vnto silence and vnto future absence from that Assembly promising and protesting that nothing should be attempted or done against him by anie meanes Yet notwithstanding for want of his presence and of his answere to the said vntrue obiections he was with the Kings consent banished this Realme He is banished Warwicke and Arundell are condemned as Traytors Arundell is beheaded Salisburie is banished and dieth miserably The Duke of Glocester murdered at Callice by Thomas Mowbray Earle of Notingham A weake parliament to grant such an vnreasonable Commission And the two Earles of Arundell and of Warwicke were also condemned of High Treason and shortly after the former of those two lost his head And so had Thomas Beauchamp Earle of Warwicke if by his humble confession of thinges vntrue and vpon his great submission steeped in teares and much
handfull so much disturbed the patient disposition of the Scottish King that with melancholy and inward griefe he dyed within few weekes after Marie queen of Scots Leauing behinde him as to succeed his only daughter and heire Queene Marie a child who was then but newly borne When the newes of this Kings death was voiced to the Scottish Prisoners it is not to be maruailed at if pensiue sorrow and anguish much appaled them for a while But at length making a vertue of necessitie and recomforting themselues with some hope which they conceaued of future happinesse they counsailed king Henrie to procure their said yong Queene to be by the State of Scotland A motion for mariage giuen in mariage vnto Prince Edward his son For the furtherance whereof they all protested swore and promised to imploy their best trauailes and their chiefest friends Scottish prisoners released The King so thankfully entertayned this their motion and profered seruice for the furtherance thereof that he not only enlarged them all without ransoms but also gaue vnto them rich and great gifts for which they were exceeding thankfull and departed ioyfully into their owne Countrie The French men breake the peace Now must we know that as the Scots without cause had made breach of the former peace so did the French King who suffered his subiects vpon the Seas to robbe and spoile the Marchants of this kingdome And thereupon King Henrie permitted his subiects to doe the like Diuers complaints for these iniuries and wrongs The Marchants are vexed were first made vnto the French King because his subiects had first transgressed but he neither afforded answere redresse or recompence therein And by reason of this debate and variance betwixt the two Kings the Marchants of either Nation were arrested and imprisoned and their goods and marchandizes were attached and seised on in each Kingdome Likewise the French and English Embassadors were for a time restrayned of their liberties but were quickly set at large againe yet still the poore Marchants on either part were compelled to pay the reckoning although they fared ill and were enforced to sustaine punishment for the faults of other men Such was the iniquitie of those times wherein Warre and Rapine did beare the chiefest sway Vnthankefull Frenchmen and such were the miseries which harmelesse men sustayned because Peace and Iustice were not suffered to moderate betwixt Right and Wrong For the French King did vtterly forget in what a desperate case his kingdome stood when King Henrie vpon the humble supplication of the Queene Regent and of his Nobles when he and his children were prisoners in Italie gaue vnto him peace Wherefore to correct his monsterous ingratitude and to be reuenged of daily wrongs The King to defie him sent his Heralds towards France But the French King would not in any sort permit them An Armie sent into France to come into his kingdome Whereupon King Henrie vnder the principall command of Sir Iohn Wallop Sir Thomas Seymour and Sir Richard Cromwel transported a strong Armie who presently vpon their landing besieged the Towne of Landersey Landersey besieged and by continuall battries and fierce assaults brought it into some necessities and danger but the French king knowing well the distressed estate in which the Towne then stood in his owne person with a huge Armie came to releeue it by meanes whereof the English Generals raised the siege The siege abandoned and made themselues strong and ready to encounter the French King in battaile of which hee made great brags This expectation of a bloudy skirmish caused the English Armie who would not then disorder nor incumber themselues with other imploiments to suffer the said Towne to be newly victualled and releeued But in the middest of the night before it was intended by the English Armie that this battaile should haue beene fought the French King being shrowded in the darke ran away and all his companies returned with speede vnto their owne Countries insomuch that for that time no more was done but by command the English Armie returned into England In this meane while A mariage concluded with Scotland the aforesaid motion concerning the mariage of the young Prince with the Infant Queene of Scotland was so well applauded and entertained by the Scots that in their Parliament it was first concluded and then confirmed by an Instrument in writing vnder the hands and seales of their Nobilitie and ratified by their oathes that the said intended match should bee effected and that their young Queene for that purpose should bee conueied into England But within few moneths after by the secret and cunning plots and practises of the French King the Nobilitie of Scotland neglected their Law their promise and their oath which occasioned King Henry with all speed to make new and vnwonted preparations and prouisions The Scots doe breake their oath not onely to inuade that Countrey but also to make warre vpon his enemie the King of France And to effect his purpose in that behalfe first he sent a puissant Armie which was transported in two hundred warlike ships into Scotland An Armie spoileth Scotland vnder the generall command by Sea of his high Admirall the Viscount Lisle and vnder the generall command by land of the noble and right valiant Earle of Hartford All these ships safely entred into the Fryth where they tooke many good Vessels which were exceeding seruiceable to their proceedings And then was the whole Armie set on land and being well ordered into three battailes and marching towards Leyth they first tooke view of six thousand Scottish horsemen with whom they encountred for a while But when the Scots perceiued that the Englishmen tooke more delight to fight with courage then to dallie as being fearefull of their liues they made a quicke retrait and suddenly fled away leauing their Artillerie and that Towne to their enemies who appropriated to themselues euery good thing which they found there and then consumed the towne with fire From thence they marched towards Edenborough the principall Citie of that Kingdome But on the way the Prouost and some of the chiefest Burgesses of that Towne made offer to the Earle of Hartford Generall of the Field to deliuer to him the keies conditionally that he would preserue it from fire and suffer the souldiers and the Inhabitants thereof with bagge and baggage to depart But the Generall made answere thus That hee was sent into that Countrey to take reuenge vpon that Nation because their Nobilitie with one consent by the peruerse and vnfriendly instigation of the French King had violated their owne Law their promise and their oath touching the mariage agreed on to be solemnized betweene Prince Edward and their young Queene And therefore if all the Souldiers and all the Inhabitants of that Citie would come disarmed into the open Field and yeeld their substance and their liues to bee ordered according to his pleasure and will he
made him Duke of Norfolk he being altogether vnworthie of so great honor 8. Item that the King to further his last Expedition for Ireland without law without iustice tooke from the Clergie and many Religious houses great store of monie plate iewels and rich ornaments not hauing the owners consent so to doe 9 Item that in the same iournie without the approbation of his Counsell of Estate hee carried with him into Ireland the plate and rich iewels belonging to the Crowne which might haue tended to the great inpouerishment of this Realme 10 Item that in euerie Shire he had secret Intelligencers vpon whose bare information that ane man had repined at the Kings bad gouernement the partie so accused without examination or triall was enforced to procure his pardon by the payment of a grieuous fine 11 Item that by the lewd aduise of his wicked Counsellours hee had deuised manie subtle and craftie Oathes by meanes whereof manie of his honest Subiects had beene vndone 12 Item that by the like aduise and counsell he procured Ruffians and desperate companions to accuse rich but weake men of sundrie falsly-supposed crimes and imagined offences and by meanes thereof enforced them to redeeme the combate with much monie 13 Item that he gaue large gifts vnto wicked and lewd companions who malitiously to aduance their owne Estates animated him against diuers of his Barons who only desired a good reformation of his euill gouernment and imposed diuers Taxes vpon his people to enrich them 14 Item that hee had procured such Records to bee cancelled and imbeselled as testified his extortions and his oppressions vniustly imposed vpon his people 15 Item that he had oftentimes said that the Lawes of his Kingdome were in his owne breast and that vpon this opinion hee had put to death manie of his noble men and some of his inferiour subiects without iust cause 16 Item that most of his writings and letters vnto foraigne Princes and Estates were so craftie ambiguous doubtfull and vncertaine that they could not relie confidently vpon anie thing which he had written 17 Item that in his Parliament holden in the one and twentieth yeare of his Raigne his Cheshire Guard who onely were permitted and suffered to weare weapons committed many Robberies and Murders and yet not one of them was punished or reproued for the same 18 Item that to insinuate fauour with those loose and lewd companions the King had basely and fondly dishonoured his High Estate and Soueraigntie by entitling himselfe The Prince of Cheshire 19 Item that whereas in the same Parliament sundrie great Lords intended liberally and dutifully to haue spoken of such things as were not well ordered to the end that they might haue beene reformed the King in such sort threatned them that for feare of ensuing dangers they held themselues silent and spake not at all 20 Item that hee exacted great fines from the wealthiest of his Subiects for adhearing to the Barons notwithstanding that in full Parliament he had before granted them his free pardon 21 Item that by himselfe and his owne authoritie he had displaced diuers Burgesses of the Parliament and had placed such other in their roomes as would better fit and serue his owne turne 22 Item that contrarie to his solemne Oath and instrument in writing vnder the great Seale of his Kingdome Hee had not only disallowed the Commission granted in the same Parliament to the thirteene Lords to enquire of and to reforme the great abuses and the apparant misgouernment of the Common-Weale But also had exiled beheaded and otherwise executed diuers Noble Men and others who for the Kings honour and for the safetie and welfare of the Common-Weale had procured the said Commission or had executed the said Authoritie according to the trust and confidence in them reposed 23 Item that whereas hee had caused certaine Lawes in the same Parliament to bee made for his owne gaine and to serue his owne turne hee procured the Popes Bulles to curse such as should withstand or disobey them which thing greatly tended to the derogation of his Crowne and was done expressely against his owne law made against the Authoritie of the Pope within this Realme but seuen yeares before 24 Item that hee had displaced lawfull and good Shiriffes and had elected others whom he suffered to continue and to hold the said Office two yeares together and more because their vniust oppressions augmented and encreased his gaine King Richard confesseth all the Articles The transcript of all these Articles and Obiections were by both the Houses of Parliament authentically sent vnto the king who not only confessed them to bee true and acknowledged his owne insufficiencie to rule and to gouerne better but also by a plaine He resignes his Crowne King Richard is deposed Henrie Duke of Lancaster is made King Thomas Arundell restored to the Archbishopprick of Canterburie and exact instrument in writing vnder his hand and Seale hee resigned his Crowne and kingdome to his Cousin Henrie of Bullinbrooke Duke of Lancaster which being read publikely and beeing generally ratified approoued and confirmed by the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and by the Commons in the same Parliament assembled they deposed king Richard and made the said Duke king And his true and faithfull friend and his companion in Banishment Thomas Arundell Archbishoppe of Canterburie being then and there restored to his place and dignitie installed the said Henrie in the kingly Throne And the late King Richard was sent to Pomfret Castle there to bee safely kept and with Princely honour to bee maintained but verie shortly after by the new kings direction and commaundement who feared least his Estate might bee shaken so long as Richard liued hee was wickedly and villanously assaulted in his Lodging King Richard is cruelly murdered by Sir Pierce Exton and eight other armed men from one of which with a Princely courage hee wrested a browne-Bill and therewith slewe foure of his Mischieuous and Vngodly Assailants He was very valiant and with admirable resolution fought with all the rest vntill comming by his owne Chaire in which the base Cowardly Knight himselfe stood for his owne safetie hee was by him striken with a Polle-axe in the hinder part of his head Though hee were an euill King yet no religion warranted those vniust proceedings so that presently he fell downe and died And thus was hee wicredly and treacherously murdered and his bodie buried at Langley but was afterwardes remoued vnto Westminster where it now lieth THE HISTORIE OF KING HENRIE THE FOVRTH ALTHOVGH the Crowne of England ANNO. 1. 1399. in right if Richard the deposed king should die without issue was by succession to descend vnto Edmund Mortimer Earle of March the Son and heire of Edmund Mortimer by Philip his wife who was the daughter and heire of Lionel Duke of Clarence the third sonne of Edward the third Yet his Cousin Henrie of Bullinbrooke Duke of Hartford and
great victorie He thanketh and praiseth God and with promises of large rewards the whole Armie was dissolued and the Earle and his Nobles departed to their rest Thus liued and thus died King Richard when he had raigned as a Tyrant two yeares two moneths and one day THE HISTORIE OF KING HENRIE THE SEVENTH AS after a sharpe winter men doe receiue the sweet comforts of a pleasant Spring and like as Aduersitie is fully recompenced with more ioifull tidings when abundance of Prosperitie doth follow so the hearts of all such as were sad and heauie by reason of the ciuill wars were now cheered and made iocund by the happie peace and concord which at this instant blessed all England in the succession of King Henrie The King marieth â—he Ladie Elizabeth who being crowned King according to his oath and promise maried the faire and vertuous Ladie Elizabeth eldest daughter to King Edward the fourth ioining thereby in one the two great Families of Lancaster and of Yorke betwixt whom for Principalitie and for the Crowne infinite contentions and mortall warres had formerly consumed and destroied many thousands of braue and valiant men Now that the state of this Kingdome might be confirmed in its happinesse by the safetie of the Kings person The King chuseth a Guard and by other requisites King Henrie taking his President and ensample from the Kings of France selected a certaine number of warlike men in all places to attend vpon him Rewards giuen Noblemen created whom he termed the Yeomen of his Crowne He also rewarded with great bountie all such as for his sake had beene eminent in his seruice and created his vncle Iaspar Earle of Pembroke Duke of Bedford His father in law Thomas Lord Stanley was made Earle of Darbie He also made his faithfull and firme friend and fauourite the Lord Chandew of Britaine Earle of Bath Sir Giles Dawbeney was made Lord Dawbeney Sir Robert Willoughbie Lord Brooke and Edward Stafford the eldest sonne of Humfrey Duke of Buckingham who in his quarrell lost his head was by him restored to his fathers dignitie and possessions A Parliament Acts repealed The Crowne is intailed New Lawes His Pardons Then hee assembled his High Court of Parliament at Westminster in which hee frustrated cancelled and made void all former Acts which conuicted him and his adherents as guiltie of High Treason The Crowne of this Kingdome was entailed to him and to the heires of his bodie Hee also caused such Lawes and such Statutes to bee made as were behoouefull and beneficiall to this Common-weale Hee pardoned all such as hauing conspired or borne armes against him submissiuely by their oathes acknowledged and receiued him for their true and lawfull King His Counsellors Hee elected the most noble graue and wise men of this Kingdome to be of his Priuie Counsell by whose direction and aduice the gouernment of this Realme was established in prosperitie and in peace The Duke of Britaine is recompenced Hee bountifully recompenced the Duke of Britaine for all his former courtesies towards him and also paid vnto him all such summes of money as at any time hee had disbursed for his maintenance and releefe So is the French king The like he did to the French King and thereby redeemed his two Hostages the Lord Marquesse Dorset and Sir Iohn Bourchier whom he left there 1486. 2 Thus whilest King Henry was carefull willing and endeuoured to please all men and by his vertuous imploiments laboured to settle things in peace A Rebellion the malignant spirits of such as tormented themselues at his happinesse and placed their owne hope for preferment in rebellious attempts and seditious courses would not permit him to liue at rest and quietly to performe the duties of a gratious King For Francis Lord Louel Humfrey Stafford and Thomas his brother leauing the Sanctuarie at Colchester which for their safetie they had taken seduced and animated much people in the North against King Henry and caused them vpon vntrue surmises rashly and without aduice or counsell to put themselues in armes The King who was not farre away from them being somewhat troubled with this newes The Kings celeritie in raising an Armie began to raise an Armie to withstand them and such was his strange and wonderfull celeritie and expedition to preuent the increase of their further strength that hastily he sent against them his Vncle the Duke of Bedford with three thousand men whose breast-plates were made of tanned leather for want of other armour and he himselfe trauailed day and night to second his souldiers with a better strength But when the Lord Louel and his associates perceiued that King Henry resolued to make them fight before they were sufficiently prepared and that fresh forces would giue them a second onset if at the first they should happen to bee victorious their courage failed The Rebels flie their hearts fainted so that in the darknesse of the night they fled and left their vnarmed Armie to the mercie of King Henry the two Staffords taking Sanctuarie in the Abbie of Culnham not farre from Oxford and the Lord Louel being shrowded by Sir Thomas Broughton in the North. The next day the poore distressed Rebels being destitute of their Leaders humbly submitted themselues to the Kings mercie and receiued his free pardon But because no Sanctuarie could protect malefactors in cases of High Treason therefore the two Staffords were by violence seized on and the said Humfrey being indicted arraigned found guiltie Humfrey Stafford is executed and condemned was put to death but his younger brother was preserued by the Kings fauour because it was conceiued that his transgression was not hatched by his owne malice but by the peacelesse instigation of his brother No sooner was this flame quenched but a greater fire was presently kindled by a Priest whose name was Sir Richard Symond a man very leaud but well learned and in all his actions vniust Richard Symonds conspiracie against K. Henry craftie and too too cunning Hee knowing that Edward Plantagenet Earle of Warwicke and sonne and heire vnto George Duke of Clarence brother to King Edward the Fourth being now of the age of seuenteene yeares had from his infancie beene kept as a Prisoner by the two last Kings in the Castle of Sherry-hutton in the Countie of Yorke and that King Henry had secretly remoued him to the Tower got into his tutorship a young boy Lambert the counterfet Duke of Yorke prettie and wittie yet borne of a base parentage and stocke whose name was Lambert Him hee instructed with as much varietie of learning Court-like complements and Gentleman-like behauiour as his yeares would suffer him to comprehend and then hee informed him that by his birth and linage hee was not onely noble but descended of the royall bloud that hee was the onely sonne of the Duke of Clarence and the first heire male of the house of Yorke and therefore
their deserts The next yeare the King in Parliament was made and acknowledged to be the supreme head of the Church within all his Countries and Dominions The Supremacie of the King in all Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall things and causes and the Popes Bulles Pardons Indulgences and other Instruments of the like nature were vtterly banished frustrated made void and of none effect validitie or force concerning the King and his Subiects And likewise the First Fruits and Tenths of all Benefices and Ecclesiasticall dignities and promotions were in the same Parliament giuen and granted to the King and to his heires and successors for euer And not long after Queene Anne sometimes the Kings dearest wife was beheaded yet innocently as at her death shee religiously protested and as all men present did beleeue Queen Anne Bulleine beheaded for that it was vniustly surmised and falsly testified that she had incestuously conuersed with and prostituted her bodie to the Lord Rochford her owne brother Execution who likewise with some others receiued the like sentence and were put to death This Tragedie being thus ended The King marieth the King within twentie daies after maried a vertuous and a faire Gentlewoman whose name was Iane the daughter of Sir Iohn Seymor Knight who bare vnto him a goodly Prince named Edward who succeeded and was King But within few daies after his birth the good Queene died We haue formerly heard that Iames the Fourth King of Scots was slaine at Flodden Field And wee must now know that Queene Margaret his wife being the eldest sister of King Henry was maried afterwards vnto Archibald Douglas Earle of Angus who by her had a daughter named Margaret This Ladie the Lord Howard without the Kings notice or consent tooke to wife The Lord Th. Howard is beheaded for which vnaduised boldnesse and offence she being of the bloud royall he was condemned as a Traitor and lost his head The King who within his owne Territories and Dominions daily furthered his owne intentions to abrogate the authoritie power and iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome The 32. Commissioners procured it by Parliament to be enacted that thirtie and two such persons spirituall and temporall as his Maiestie should vnder his great Seale nominate and appoint should haue authoritie and power to make and establish Lawes and Ordinances Ecclesiasticall which should binde the Subiects of this Kingdome And by the same Parliament all religious houses Petit houses of Religion suppressed whose possessions in yearly reuenue exceeded not the summe of two hundred pounds were suppressed and dissolued and all their scites and possessions whatsoeuer were giuen for euer to the King The booke of Articles The Clergie also at the same time of their owne accord and to insinuate themselues into grace and fauour with the King composed and published in printed bookes certaine Articles for the ordering and gouerning of the Church in which mention was made of three Sacraments only and the rest of them which former times superstitiously receiued and did maintaine were left out of the said bookes A rebellion in Lincolnshire These proceedings of the King and Clergie against the Pope and holy Church were so generally disliked by the rude ignorant and wilfull people that in many places their lauish tongues were witnesses of their inward griefe and discontent so that they publikely affirmed that the Kings Counsell irreligiously and absurdly aduised and directed him amisse and that the soothing smoothing and temporizing Clergie of this Land prophanely and wickedly practised by all meanes possible to extinguish all deuotion and vtterly to subuert the ancient rites ceremonies and commendable gouernment of the Church And in madde humour and franticke fashion the rude and vnrulie people in Lincolnshire to the number of 20000. assembled themselues in armes taking vpon themselues to frame and to deuise better orders for the gouerning of the Church and Common-weale The King marcheth against the Rebels The King who scorned to be thus checked by his owne Vassals and loathing to proue himselfe a coward at home seeing that forraine Nations had found him to be valiant and full of courage leuied a strong and a puissant Armie with which in his owne person he marched with princely magnanimitie against those rebellious people The Rebels petition who as he drew towards them by their petition craued a reformation of those things which lately had beene done and concluded against Religious Houses and against the former and ancient gouernment of the Church which things being consented and yeelded to they solemnly protested their humble dutie and seruice to the King The King is stout But hee who highly disdained that such plaine Swads and rusticke people should presume to giue instructions vnto him and vnto his whole Clergie and Court of Parliament in matters so farre aboue their vnderstanding and capacitie reiected their petition and resolued by an exemplarie course of iustice to be by the sword martially vsed in the open Field to punish and to correct them except one hundred of those their chiefest Conspirators might be sent and deliuered absolutely into his hands This resolution and quicke demand so appalled the fainting hearts of the rude and headlesse multitude that they suspecting each other of being to be sent vnto the King forsooke the Field The Rebels flie Captaine Cobler Execution and with all speed resorted to their owne houses But Captaine Cobler their chiefest Ring-leader being indeed Doctor Makarell with some others were shortly after apprehended and executed according to their merits and deserts The King who now supposed that all things had beene settled in a sure and in a firme peace was suddenly informed of another Insurrection in the North A rebellion in the North. and that their greeuance was grounded vpon the same points and that the number of those Rebels exceeded the number of 40000. men The holy Pilgrims who termed themselues the Holy Pilgrims who intended nothing but the establishing of true Religion and the reformation of great abuses which defaced the gouernment of the Church To encounter these men The Kings Armie and to correct their braine-sicke humour and foolish madnesse the King appointed the two Dukes of Norfolke and of Suffolke and some other Lords with a strong and well appointed Armie to march against them with all speed And the Rebels expressing much ioy because they were to fight came neere vnto the Dukes Armie and before them expressed many signes and tokens of vndaunted courage and desperate boldnesse But in the night before the two Armies intended to haue ioined together in handie strokes A strange accident a little brooke which ranne betwixt them and which with a drie foot might the day before haue beene passed ouer grew so outragiously great and violent by the fall of immoderate and continuall showres of raine that the Armies could not meet as they determined This miraculous pitie and this mercifull compassion