than they by the fyrst metyng had auaūced thē self And yfayde of Guy de Namour sone vnto the erle of Flaunders had nat the soner been comyn vnto them the sayde erle of Artoys had that day wonne the renowne of the felde Thā the sayd Guy with a fresshe compapany of Almaynes and other bolde sowdyours coragyously entred the felde and bete downe y e Frenchemen egerly Than was the medle newe begon in so feruent wyse that men horse fyll downe to the grounde wondersly thycke And euer the erle of Artoys where so euer he wente he slewe moche people before hym But the Flemynges kept them so hole togyder y t he myght neuer dysseuer them and slewe of the nobles of Fraunce great plentye whiche mortalite thus contynuynge y e stremes of blode ran wonders to beholde And alway the Frenche partye weked more more Lastly the erles of saynt Poule and of Boleyn with Robert the sonne of this erle of Cleremounte and other with the nombre of .ii. M. horsemen seynge the rage and woodnes of the Flemynges whiche so cruelly slewe and bet downe the Frenche men settynge a parte all honour and knyght hode shamefully fled out of the feld leuyng the erle of Artoys in y e myddel of his enemyes whiche lyke vnto the lyon rampaunte contynued in one sleynge kyllynge the Flemynges without mercy or pyte But the Flemynges lyke wood tygres were so enraged vpon the Frenchemen y e they wolde neuer leue them tyll they by pure force draue them into theyr tentes where they slewe of theym a a great multytude In this batayll were slayne the foresayd erle of Artoys Godfray de Braban nere kynnesman to the sayd erle lorde of wyrson Adam the erle of Dabenmale Iohn̄ the sonne of y e erle of Henaut Rauf de Neell cōstable of Fraunce Guy his brother marshal of the hoste Renolde de Try Esmer chamberlayne of Cancaruyle Iaques y e sonne of Godfrey de Braban Pyers Floot Iohan Bruillis maister of y e arbalasters knyghtes many mo mē of name to the nombre of CC. and aboue besyde esquyers and other men of lower degrees as yomen gromes pages to the nōbre of .xii. M. The whiche after this vyctorye the Flemynges dyspoyled and suffred the caryns of them to lye in y e felde that all wylde bestes fowles myght them perysshe and deuoure whan this yonge knyght syr Guy hadde thus opteyned vyctorye of the Frenchmen he reioyced not a lytle and soone therafter layde syege vnto the I le or a castell soo named and gat it also were it by trecheri or other wyse Then the townes of Iper of Gaunt of Douaye and diuers other of that countre obeyed to hym and cōdyscended and agreed to take partye eyther of them with other agayne the Frenche kynge Than kynge Phylyp herynge of the great dysconfyture of his men made countenaunce of mournynge and specyally for his true knyght the erle of Artoys Kynge Phylyp then after for to reuenge the foresayd dyspleasure to hym doone by y e Flemynges assembled by our lady day Assumpsion next ensuynge an excedynge nombre of men of armes entendynge to haue entred Flaundres vtterly to haue destroyed a great parte of that countre so drewe towarde his enemyes so that he pyght y e tētes of his vanward within .ii. myles of his enemyes and there lay to his excedynge charge cōsiderynge the great multytude of his hoost by all y e moneth of Septēbre Of y e nōbre of this hoost I haue doubte to wryte For mayster Gagwyn sayth y e nōbre was so great y t it may nat be byleued y t sheweth wel by y e expressemēt of y e nōbre made by y e Frenche cronycle For he saythe they were an hūdreth tyme an C.M .xl. tymes .xl. M. By whiche sayeng somdele appereth how y e Frenchmē cā make men soūge But how it was for all this great excedynge nōbre of Frēchmē y e Flemynges laye styll vnhurte or assawted And fynally vp on a great substancyall cause as ye after shal here this great hoste was dissolued or returned euery mā to his awne kynge Phylyp with smal honour into Fraūce wherof y e Frēchmē sayth y e occasion or cause was thus Kynge Edward of Englāde whiche vnto y e Flemynges bare great affeccion cōsideryng y e great daunger they were in and he at y e tyme myght nat thē ayde nor socour of a pollicy cast in his mynde with an heuy or mornynge coūtenaūce shewed vnto y e quene syster vnto kyng Phylyp y e he was very heuy sorowfull for his brother hers y e kyng of Fraūce wherof whē wherfore she had frayned the cause he answered sayde y t he had certayne knowlege y t at suche tyme as the Flemynges he shulde mete in batayle that his lordes cōpany shulde leaue hym amonge his enemyes for he was solde vnto them before hande wherof whan y e quene was thus ascertayned anone in all possible hast she sent letters messangers vnto the Frenche kynge counfaylynge hym to be well ware of that treason and daunger To the whiche he gyuynge credence shortely after sente frome hym the sayd great company of people and he with a certayne as aboue is sayd retourned īto Fraunce After whyche departynge the flemynges were so bolde y ◠forthe wyth they entred into Pycardy the countre of Artoys and spoyled brent dyuers townes of the same But in the yere folowyng as testyfyeth the sayd frēche cronicle y e Flemynges of Bruges were foughten with of Otthon than duke of Burgoyn to whome by reason of maryage the Frenche kyng had gyuen the erledome of Artoys he of them slewe with the ayde of the Frenchemen .xv. thousande In thys .xvii. yere about mydsosomer Phylyp an other sonne of the erle of Flaundres whyche had by a certayn terme passed ben in the court of Charles de Ualoys by hym put in truste to receyue certayne summes of money in Scicill to y e vse of pope Bonyface the .viii sodaynely departed and with a stronge company of Almaynes came into Flaundres to ayde assiste his brother whome the Flemynges or Brabanders receyued with great ioy by the comforte of hym inuaded the borders landes of the Frenche kyng boldly assautyd the castell of saynt Omers But for they there gat none aduauntage but loste many of theyr men they forsoke that yode vnto a towne belongyng to the Frēche kyng called Thorouan Moryne the whyche in processe they wanne and spoyled About thys tyme dyed Bonyface the .viii. of that name than pope a man of euyll name and fame the whyche by hys trechery caused hys predecessour Celestyne the .v. that was a good holy man to resygne and leue his papacie And by thys meane when thys sayd Celestyne had syttē in Peters chayre a short tyme this Bonyface espyeng hys innocency whyche was all sette to the seruice of
coÌ„forted enforced y t Britons wyth so sharpe fyght that they were compelled to forsake the felde and toke theym to flyght whom the Frenchemen chasyd and slewe wythout mercy In the whyche chase Cramyris wyth hys wyfe and chyldern were taken and presentyd vnto Lotharius The whyche shortly after settynge a parte all faderly loue compassion and pytye causyd a great fyre to be made into the whyche he commaunded to be caste the sayde Cramyris with also hys wyfe and chyldern Or as wytnessyth the frenche cronycle they were all enclosyd in a house and the house and they to gether consumyd wyth fyre Thus the moste cruell father without pyte chastysyd y e inobedyent son to the example and lernyng of other to bere dewe obedyeÌ„ce vnto theyr parentes After this vyctory and cruell chastysement executed by Lothariê° he retourned into Fraunce And so to the sepulcre or shryne of saynte Martyne yeldynge to god and hym thankes of thys vyctorye and offeryd there many ryche gyftes And after spedde hym to Soisons where he as kynge of all Fraunce excepte the lordshyppe of Austracy whyche Theobald sonne of his brother sons Theodorich then helde The father of this Theobald was Theodobert Then Lotharius seynge hys lande in reste and quyetnesse gaue hym to huntynge and chace of wylde bestes a game of great vse amoÌ„g all FreÌ„che prynces In whyche dysporte he beyng one daye greatly trauayled caught some surfet of the whyche ensued a mortall sykenes so that he dyed shortely after when he hadde reygned as before is specifyed ouer the lordshyppe of Soysons and other by the terme of .l. wynter full And was after buryed at Soisons with great pompe leuynge after hym foure sonnes GuÌ„thranus Aribertus Chilpericus Sigebertus It is testyfyed of mayster Robert Gagwyne that saynte Radegunde borne of the countre of Thurynge of a pagan father named Bernigarius was wyfe to this LotharÌ„ whose vertuous lyfe Antoninê° in his boke called SmÌ„ Antonini in the .viii. chapyter .xii. tytle of the seconde parte of his worke shewyth coÌ„peÌ„dyously Anglia THE CIIII. CHAPITER ARthurê° the sonne of Uter Pendragon a strepelynge of .xv. yeres of age beganne his reygne as kynge of Brytayne in the yere of oure lorde v. hundred and .xvii and the thyrde yere of Lotharius then kynge of Fraunce or of a parte therof as before is declared Of this Arthure is by Gaufryde recyted a longe storye and alowed by the englysh cronycle the whyche from other wryters ys greatly dyscordaunte But yet all authours agreen that he was noble an victoryous in all his dedys Fayne I wolde declare the fame of this noble prynce to the comforte of other to folowe his marcyall dedis so that I myght somwhat iustly fye my reporte by some authoure of authoryte But the more I am in doute bycause of the sayenge of Ranulphe monke of Chestre whyche vouchyth yt vppon wyllyam wryter of hystoryes of kynges as ys rehersed at length in the .vi. chapyter of the .v. boke of PolicronicoÌ„ which is there open to euery man that ys desyrous to knowe the sayde reporte or opynyon the whyche for the leÌ„gth therof I ouerpasse And somwhat to the honour of so great a champyon as was thys Arthur I shall lay vnto the reder that he may wyth authoryte shewe vnto the herers and ther wyth gladde the welsheman that he shuld desceÌ„de of so noble a vyctour whych so many dedys of honour executed in his dayes Then as testyfyeth Polycronycon and other Arthur faught .xii. no table batayllis agayne the Saxons and of them all was victour wherfore the fyrste was vpon the ryuer of Cleuy and .iiii. the nexte were foughten vpon the ryuer Douglys which rynneth vnder the town of wygan vpon ten myles from the ryuer of Merse in Lancashyre The .vi. batayll was vppon the ryuer called Bassa The .vii. besyde LyncolnÌ„ in a wood called CelidonÌ„ The .viii. and the .ix. were foughten about yorke The .x. was about Nycolf towne whyche is named warwyk as after some wryters The .xi. was at Bathe where he longe besegyd Cerdicus kynge of westsaxons The .xii. and last was at a place called Badon or Babowe hyll in which he slewe many Saxons But that notwythstandynge he myght not clerely voyde them his lande but that they kepte theyr couÌ„tes which they were before possessyd of as Kente Southerey and Norff all be it that some authours testyfy that they held these countres as trybutaryes vnto Arthure Thys noble warryour as wytnessyth holy Gildas slew with his own hande in one daye by y e helpe of our ladye saynte Marye whose picture he bare peynted in his shelde a hundred and .xl. Saxons whyche shelde he called PrydwenÌ„ his swerd was called Caliboure and his spere was called RonÌ„ after the brytyshe tunge or speche The thyrde or fourth THE CV CHAPITER ABout the .v. yere of this Arthur after the agrement of moste wryters beganne the lord shyppe of westsaxoÌ„s vnder y e Saxon called Cerdicus Kenricus hys sonne For Denys and other wytnesse that this lordshyppe or kyngdome shulde haue his begynnynge the .lxxi. yere after the fyrste commynge of Hengiste or the yere of oure lorde fyue hundred .xxii. which agreeth wyth the .v. yere of Arthure aforesayde Thys lordshyppe conteyned the weste countre of Englande as wylt wyltshyre Somersetshyre Berkê Dors. and other as Deuonshyre and Cornewayll and hadde in the Eest syde Southampton in y e north Thamys the famouse ryuer in the south and weste the see Occean This foresayde Cerdicus whyche of some authours is named Childricus laÌ„ded fyrst at Cerdyshore which nowe is called yermouth an hauen towne in the countre of Norff. And by helpe of other Saxons then inhabyted in that countre then called eest Anglys the sayd Cerdicus at leÌ„gth obteyned the foresayde countre and named yt westsaxon or westsaxonia and reygned therin as lorde or kyng a certayne of yeres and Kenricê° his sonne after hym The fyrste chrysten kynge of this prouynce was named Kyngilsus and coÌ„uertyd by meanes of that blessed man Berinus byshoppe of Dorchester To whom Quichelinus brother of the foresayd Kyngilsus gaue the sayd cytye to make there hys see after he also had receyued baptyme of the sayde Berinus And as Guydo wytnessyth the sayde Quichelinus gaue after to the byshoppe of wynchester .vii. myles compasse of lande to buylde there a byshoppes see the whyche was accomplyshed and finyshed by Kenwalcus his son Thys kyngdome enduryd longeste of all the other whyche were .vii. in nomber or .vi. besyde thys Some wryters accompte the terme of the duraunce of thys kyngdome from Cerdicus to Egbert and some to the laste yere of Aluredus But Guydo accomptyth the enduraunce of thys kyngdome from the fyrste yere of Cerdicus vnto the laste yere of Edwarde the coÌ„fessour By reason wherof yt shuld endure fyue hundred and .liiii. yeres But moste accordyngly yt shulde be rekened from the fyrst yere of Cerdicus to the laste yere of Aluredus For he
of hys treasoure went vnto y e cyty of Tourney enteÌ„dyng to kepe that for theyr and hys sauegarde But when Sygebert knew therof he was nothyng in the pursuynge of hym fouÌ„de slow but foloweth streyght after and closyd hym wythin the sayde cytye with a stronge syege where Chilpericus was in a maner dyspayred of y e welfare of hym hys Fredegunde But she that was replenyshed of all iniquyte called to her two wycked persones and promysed vnto theym great gyftes yf they wolde by venym or otherwyse slee her brother Sigebert The whyche two felowes dysceyued wyth the fayre speche and great gyftes of the sayde Fredegunda toke vppon theym that vnlefull charge and by theyr subtell false imagynacyon brought theyr cursed purpose to an ende but to theyr owne confusyon For after they had wounded the kynge Sygebert to deth and wolde then haue escapyd the kynges knyghtes espyeng theyr treason fell soone vppon them and all to hewed them And when y e deth of the kynge was knowen a great noyse and crye was areryd in the hoste By meane wherof the kynges deth was blowen in to the cytye and after to the ceres of Chilpericus wherof he was not a lytell ameruayled nor wolde to yt geue ferme credence tyll he was enfourmed of hys wyfe Fredegunde of all hyr subtyle workynge It was not longe after or the knyghtes or some of the captaynes of the hoste of Sygebert presentyd theÌ„ vnto Chylpericus besegynge hym of hys grace and pardon the whych he gladly accepted And when he hadde sette hys charges in order he then commaunded prouysyon to be made for the beryenge of hys sayd brother wythin the monasterye of saynte Medarde of Soysons And when all that besynesse after a kyngely maner where fynyshed and endyd he then exylyd Brunechyeldys and Childebert the wyfe and sonne of hys brother Sygebert vnto the cytye of Roane takynge from theym great treasour that they were possessyd of But shortly after the sonne of Sygebert by helpe of Gun debolde or Gundealde duke of Poy towe here before named was delyueryd from the daunger of the sayde Chilperycus and sent into his owne lordeshyppe of Austracye whych his father Sygebert was lorde of In thys passetyme he hadde sent hys sonne Meroneus into a couÌ„trey called Buturynges to appeace certayne rebellyons there areysyd But when he hard of the deth of his vncle Sygebert and of the beynge of hys wyfe Bruncchyelde at the cytye of Roane he sette a parte all the charge of his father and sped hym streyght thyder kepynge companye wyth her In whome he toke suche consolacoin and pleasure that lastely he maryed her and kepte her as hys wyfe And when hys father was therof warned he feryd leste by the counsayle of hys sayde wyfe he wolde arryse agayne hym wherfore he in all haste assembled hys people and spedde hym towarde Roane when tydynges came to Meroneus of the conunynge of hys father wyth so great araye and he as then vupurucyed of strength of knightes to resyste hys father for hys moste suertye fled wyth hys vnlefull wyfe to the temple or chyrche of saynte Martyne takynge the pryuylege therof for theyr defence And when Chilpericus hadde temptyd by many sondry meanes to haue them out of the sayde pryuylege and myghte not wythout brekynge of the same he to brynge aboute hys cautelouse purpose made to theym assuryd promyse that yf they wyllfully wolde renounce the sayde place and putte theym in hys grace he wolde vtterlye pardon theyr trespace and suffer theym from that tyme for to contynue theyr lyfe to gether as man and wyfe Uppon whyche promyse the sayd Meroneê wyth his wyfe renouÌ„ced the sayde pryuylege and putte theym hole in the kynges mercy the whyche them receyuyd wyth all contenaunce of loue and fauoure and theym festyd and cherysshyd louyngly by the space of two dayes onely But the thyrde daye the feaste was fynyshed for then he sent his sonne vnto Parys vnder sure guydes and there causyd hym to be professyd in a house of relygyon But by the meanes of hys vncle Gunthranus he was after taken thens and so restoryd to hys former knyghthode For the whych his father hym newly pursued and coÌ„strayned hym to take for hys sauegarde y e chyrche of saynt Martyne in Turon And when he was warned that his fader perforce wold take hym thens he then fledde vnto a cytye of Champayne accompanyed wyth .vi. seruauntes onely where he was in so great fere to be taken and in suche despayre to obteyne grace of hys father that he causyd one of the sayde vi persones to slee hym wyth hys sworde the foresayd Bruncchyeldis hys wyfe put in sure kepynge THE CXV CHAPITER CHilpericê° then beynge asserteyned of the doth of hys sonne Meroneus the sure kepyng of Brunechieldis he thoughte hymselfe somdele assuryd for y e mystruste y t he had in them many tymes inquieted hym But yet he was not iÌ„ quiete or reste For shortly after y e peple of Turon rebellyd agayne him Agayn whom he sent his son Clodoueus a noble man of his courte named Desideriê° y e which he sent as a gyde a counsayloure of his sayd son And vpon the party of his enymyes was a captayne of the kynge Gunthranus for so mych as the said Gunthranus claymed parte of those landes about Turon This captayne named Momelues heryng of the coÌ„mynge of the foresayd hoste wyth a chosen coÌ„pany made taward them and gaue vnto Clodoueus a great sharpe fyght and not without great losse of his men wanne of hym the felde and compellyd hym to forsake that countre Thus Chilperyche was wrapped in warre and troubles of the worlde sometyme wyth ryght some whyle wyth wronge so that he some tyme wanne worshyppe and other whyle he loste wherof to tell all the cyrcumstaunce I thynke yt shulde be tedyouse bothe to the reders and also to y e herers wherfore I passe ouer in abrydgynge and shortynge somedele of this storye Then foloweth within y e storye after Chylpericus had by intycemeÌ„t of Fredegunde wrongfully tormentyd the archebyshoppe of Roan named Breteste hym after the sufferaunce of many vylanyes exyled for the whych and other god sent vnto hym some correccyom in takynge awaye by sodeyne deth the chyldern that he had by Fredegunde he then began to knowe god and toke great repentaunce in promysynge to god amendement of his lyfe And to th entent that he might haue the more prayers of the comyn people to stand in state of grace he fyrst releasyd a greuous trybute or imposicyon that he hadde lately sette vpon all vynes thorough his regyon And that done he reedyfyed olde chyrches and some he made newe and endowed them with great possessyons And ouer thys he releuyd greatly y e poore people by enlargynge of his lyberall almes and became very humble and meke where before tyme he was ryght sterne and cruell But lyke as ofteÌ„ it happeneth that
began to take place as after shal be shewed THE CXIX CHAPITER IN thys tyme also after the accorde of moste wryters as wytnessyth Polycronyca other Ethelbertê° reygned in Kent by knyghthode and greate myghte bare hym and behaued hym so victoryously that he enlarged hys kyngdome to the boundys of Humbyr In which tyme Gregory whyche for hys notable dedes was surnamed great was made pope of Rome The whych as before is touchyd in the precedynge chapyter hauynge compassyon that the couÌ„tre from whens so fayre chylderne came as he before had seyne shulde be inhabyte wyth Pagans or people of mysbyleue sent into Brytayne that holy man Austayne wyth other of hys bretherne to preche to the Anglis the fayth of Cryste But as wytnessyth Antoninus in the .iii. chapyter .xii. tytle of hys foresayde worke when Austayn was .iii. dayes iourney gone and passed suche a sodeyne fere entryd in hym and hys feloushyppe that they turned agayne Then Gregory coÌ„forted the sayd coÌ„pany and sent them wyth letters to the bysshop Arelatensis wyllynge hym to helpe and ayde Austayne in all that in hym nedyd The tenoure of whyche letters and other sent to Ethelbert kynge of Kent wyth theyr answeres are wryteÌ„ with other questyons in the regester of Gregory in the bokes of Beda and other Austayne thus comfortyd sped his iourney and landed in the Eest syde of Kent in the I le of Thauet wyth .xl. felowes wherof some were interpretours or such as cowde speke all langages Nere vnto the place before named where holy Austayne landed stode at those dayes the manoyre or palayes of the sayd kyng Ethelbert wherof at thys daye appere somme of the ruynous walles is called of the inhabytaunces of that ile Rychbourgh It is apparent betwene the ile the towne of Sandwych vpon a myle a halfe from the sayd towne Eestwarde from Caunterbury TheÌ„ when Austayne was landed he sent the sayde interpretours vnto Ethelberte sayenge y t they were sent from Rome for the hele and saluacyon of the kynge hys realme The kynge before tyme had herde of the fayth of Cryst for he hadde to wyfe as sayth Polycronycon a french woman that was cristened and had receyued hyr vppon condycyon that he shuld suffer hyr to lyue after hyr lawe Then after a certeyne tyme y e kyng spoke with Austayne but that was without y e house after the maner of hys lawe Agayn his comyng he arreryd a baner of y e crucifyx sange y e lateny preachyd to hym the worde of god Then y e kyng sayd it is fayre that ye promyse But for it is to me vncowth new I may not so soone assent to you But for ye be comen so farre for my sake ye shal be fayre entreatyd and haue all thynge y t is to you necessary we graunte to you leue to torne of our people whom ye maye when they had receyued thys coÌ„fort of the kynge they went wyth processyoÌ„ to the cytye of Dorobernia or CauÌ„terbury syngynge Alleluya where they lad theyr lyues as holy faders dyd in the begynnynge of the chyrch as in fastyng prayeng watchyng preachynge of the worde of helth sange masses and crystened such as they coÌ„uertyd in y e Eest syde of the cytie in the old chyrch of saynt Martyne vnto the tyme y t the kyng was coÌ„uertyd At length when the kyng had well consyderyd the coÌ„uersacyoÌ„ holy lyfe of Austayn and his felowes he harde them more gladly and lastly by theyr good exortacyoÌ„s and gostly loue was by them coÌ„uertyd crystened in y e yere of our lorde after moste accorde of wryters .v. C. lxxx xvi and the .xxxvi. yere of hys reygne as affermeth Policronicon Then he gaue to Austayne a place for his bishoppes see at Cristes chyrche in Dorobernia and buylded the abbey of saynte Peter and Paule in the eest syde of the sayde cytye where after Austayne and all the kynges of Kent were buryed and that place is nowe called saynte Augustyne In thys whyle Augustyne saylyd into Fraunce to the byshoppe ArelatensÌ„ and was of hym sacryd archebyshoppe when holy Gregory was certyfyed of the good expedycyon of Augustyne he sent then to him mo helpers as Melytê° Iustê° Paulinus with bokes and relykes of holy sayntes and answeres to saynte Augustynes questyons that was that all suche goodes as fell to the chyrche shulde be deuyded in fouÌ„re ê‘tes that is to meane the fyrste shuld go to the housholde of the byshoppes house and charge of the same the seconde to the clergy the thyrde to the amendemeÌ„t of chyrches the fourth to the relyfe of the poore people and other dedys of mercye when Austayne hadde baptyzed a great part of the kyngdome of Kent he after made two archebyshoppes by the coÌ„maundement of saynte Gregorye as wytnessyth Polycronicon that one at London and that other at porke and by the helpe of Ethelbert he assembled and gatheryd together the byshoppes and doctoures of Brytayne that were before dysperkled The place of assemble was callyd longe after Austeyns oke whych is expowned to be Austeyns streÌ„gth and is in the marche of wykeres and of the westsaxons In thys place he charged the sayd byshoppes y t they shulde wyth hym preache the worde of god to the Anglys and also that they shuld amoÌ„g them selfe amende certayne errours then vsyd in the chyrche and specyally for kepynge of theyr Ester tyde where agayne the byshoppes of Brytayne helde opynyon tyll Austayne by hys prayers shewyd there a myracle by a blynde Angle or Saxon. After the whyche myracle shewed y e sayd byshoppes applyed them to the wyll of Austayne in that cause But for all this there was of theym that sayd that they myghte not leue the custome whych they so longe hadde continued wythout assent of all such as hadde vsyd the same Then he gatheryd a synode to the whyche came seuen byshoppes of Brytons wyth the wysest meÌ„ of that famouse abbey of Bangor But fyrste they toke couÌ„sayle of an holy man and heremyte whether they shulde be obedyent to Austayne or not The heremyte sayd yf ye fynde hym humble or meke as to Crystes dyscyple belonged y t then they shulde assent to hym whych mekenesse they shulde perceyue in hym yf he at theyr commynge into the synode or councell arose agayne them when the sayde byshoppes entred y e sayde synode Austayne sate styll in the chayre and remouyd not wherfore they were wroth and dysdaynyd hym and wolde not obey to hys requestes Then he sayd to them syns ye woll not assente to my hestes generally assent ye to me specyally in thre thynges The fyrste is y t ye kepe Ester daye in due fourme and tyme as yt is ordeynyd The seconde that ye geue crystendome to the chyldern in the maner y t is vsed in the chyrche of Rome And the thyrde is that ye preache vnto the Anglys the word of god as a fore tymes
on euery syde and there fell vppon the CrysteÌ„ men and slew them wythoute mercy or pytye In the whyche fyght not wythstandynge the great slaughter that they made of the Sarasyns fynally was there slayne the sayd Rowlande Olyuer and many of the nobles of Fraunce But this Gauelon scapyd not wythoute punyshement For he was after taken and wyth other to hym condesceÌ„dyng were put to moste cruell deth at the cytye of Aquisgrany Of thys great vyctory of Charlis in subduynge of Spayn are dyuers opynyons For the Frenche cronycle and Antoninus agreen that it shuld be after that Charlis was ennoynted emperour of Rome But mayster Robert Gaywyn and other say that yt was before he was emperour Thus this victoryous prynce retournynge into Fraunce subdued thaÌ„ after diuerse couÌ„treys as Gallia Narbonensis Campania or Champayn and Beneuentana and other whych of one mynde hadde rebellyd agayne hym Aboute the .xxxi. yere of his reygne as moste wryters agre certayne persons of Italy conspyred agayn Leo the .iii. then Pope of Rome and hym vngoodly entreatyd But he lastely escapyng theyr daunger came vnto Charlis and requyryd hym of hys coÌ„fort and ayde wherof he was not daungerous But when he had well serchyd and vnderstode that y e pope had susteyned wrong he wyth all dylygence spedde hym thyther And after he had subdued y e popes enimies he restoryd the sayd pope to hys former dignyte For the which dede and other that he had done for y e defence of the chyrch of Rome he was by the sayd pope Leo or Leon sacryd or enoyntyd emperour of Rome THE CLVI CHAPITER CHarlis then thus sacryd as emperour in the yere of oure lord .viii. hundred and one when he hadde accomplyshed hys nedys for the weale of the chyrch and the pope he then wyth great gyftes retourned into Fraunce In this tyme or soone after as witnessyth the Frenche cronycle landed in Fraunce the famous clerkes Alcinnus or Albinus Rabanus Iohannes and other of the discyples of Beda The whych Charlis receyued wyth great honour and by theyr couÌ„saylys instytuted and ordeyned fyrst the scole of Paris and an other at Papia in Italy before minded wherfore yt shulde seme that the sayde Alcinnus was not sent for any entreatyse of peace betwene the two realmes of Fraunce and great Britayn as in the storye of Kenulphus before is shewyd After this tyme and season many great and noble dedis were done by this sayd Charlis and by his sonnes and capytaynes vnder hym and by his commaundement And for the personage of so noble a prynce shuld be had in mynde therfore dyuerse authours testyfye y t he was fayre welfaryng of body and sterne of loke of face His body was viii fote long his armes legges well lengthed strengthed after the proporcyon of the body His face of a spaÌ„ne brede his berde very long Of hys strength wonders are tolde He wold at one mele ete an hole hare or two hennes or a hole gose or lyke quaÌ„tyte of other mete drynke ther to a litle wyne mynglyd with water Amonge his other notable dedis he made a brydge ouer the ryuer of Ryne of .v. huÌ„dred pace longe by the cytye of Magunce And he buylded as wytnessyth Antoninê° and other as many abbayes or monasteryes as there ben letters in the crosse row of the A.B.C. And in the front of eyther of y e sayd abbayes after the tyme of theyr fouÌ„dacion he pight or set a letter of gold of the value of an hundred pounde turnoys whych is nere to the value of englysh money now curraunt .xx. mark For a pouÌ„de turnoys is mych lyke .ii. s. viii. d. starlyng and a pouÌ„d Parysyen is nere vppon .xl. d. starlyng But it standyth at no certaynte for hyghtynge lowynge of theyr coynes He also buylded or new reedyfyed the cytye of Aquisgrany endowyd the chyrch of our lady there wyth many great gyftes and precyouse relyques whyche yet remayne there to this daye in whych cytye and nere aboute he vsyd myche to abyde lye And for his great dedes vyctoryes he deserued to be named Charlis y e great And for all his great myght and honour yet y t not wythstaÌ„dynge he was meke and lowly in herte and mylde gracyous to the poore and mercyfull to wretches nedy sette his sonnes to lerne as wel letters as marcyall knyghtly featys And his doughter he set to spynnynge woll worke And he was expert in all spechys so that he neded none interpretours to explane or expresse to hym y e message of straunge ambassatours And in the tyme of his dyner or meales he vsyd to haue red before hym lessons and pystles and specyally of the workes of saynte Austayne de Ciuitate dei In hym was nothynge to be dyscommendyd but that he helde his doughter so longe vnmaryed This noble man Charlis .iii. yeres before his deth he hadde peace wyth all countreys as well suche as were obeysaunt vnto y e empyre as such as longed to his domynyon of FrauÌ„ce In the tyme of reste amonge other goodly vertuous dedys he made hys testameÌ„t dystrybuted his temporall mouable goodes in .iii. ê‘tes wherof two part he gaue to y e maynteynynge of bishoppes and other mynysters of the chyrch and for the reparacion of chyrches necessaries to the same and to the maynteynynge of the dyuyne seruyce of god with also ayde and fedynge of poore nedy people and the thyrde parte to hys chyldren and other of his allye ye shall vnderstande this Charlis had in his treasory specyally noted before hys other iewellys iiii tables or bordes wherof thre were of syluer and the fourth of gold In one was graueÌ„ the lykenes of the cytye of CoÌ„stantyne the noble the whych he bequath to the chyrche of RomeÌ„ In an other was grauen or wrought the lykenysse of the cytye of Rome that he gaue to the byshop of Reynes and to his chyrche And the thyrd table of syluer wherin was grauen the mappa mundi and the fourth of gold he gaue to his sonnes Many thynges there were and causys of the exaltyng of y e fame of this prynce But among other one is specyally remembryd of myn authoure Gagwyne that the kynge of Percye then rulynge a great parte of y e Orient sent vnto Charlis an ambassad honorable wyth many ryche presentis Amonge the whyche was an horologe of a clocke of laten of a wonder artyfycyall makyng that at euery oure of the daye and nyghte when the sayd clocke shuld stryke images on horse backe apperyd out of sondry places and after departid agayn by meane of certayne vyces He sente to hym also tentys of ryche sylke and balme naturall with certayne Olyfauntys requyrynge hym of amyty and frendshyppe And in lyke wyse dyd the emperour of CoÌ„stantyne the noble all be yt thathe in his mynde was not well contentyd that the pope had in y e wyse dyuyded the
to the emperoure that hys sonne Lothayre had greued y e chyrch of Rome and takyn from it certeyne possessyons wherewyth Lewys beynge before amoued sent vnto hys sonne cōmaundynge hym in sharpe wordes y t he shulde haue in mynde the othe before by hym made that he shulde in exchewynge his dyspleasure make restytucyō of all thynges that he before hadde taken from the chyrch the whyche cōmaundement Lothayre promysed to obey in all wyse And where Lewys was determyned to haue gone vnto Rome to haue sene y e sayd promesse fulfylled also to haue spoken wyth the pope for dyuers maters nedefull for the chyrche he was lette by occasyon of Danes or Normannes y t than had newly inuaded the lōdes of Fraūce the whyche he shortly after expellyd and droue out of hys londys And that done the emperour yode vnto Aquysgrany where by the frendes of Indith other of the nobles of Fraunce the emperour gaue vnto hys yongest sonne Charlis a porcyō of y e empyre whyche after shall more clerely appere And soone after at a counsayle holdyn at Cirycyake before namyd in the presence of his son Lewys he gaue to hym the order of knyghthode adournyd hym wyth kynges clothynge And ouer all thys in the presence of many lordes of Fraunce he gaue to the sayde Charlys the hole countrey of Neustria that now is named Normandye Of whyche honoure and gyftes though hys moder were ioyous and gladde yet hys brother Lewys was therewyth nothynge contentyd whyche of Indith and of hyr frendes was well apperceyuyd and knowen wherefore as she before tyme had done than of newe she made request vnto hyr lorde and husband that he wolde of hys moste especyall grace graunte vnto hyr that Lothayre myghte haue the gouernaunce of hyr sonne Charlys the whych of hym was the seconde tyme graunted Uppon whyche graunte thus to her made the emperour sent vnto hys son Lothayre pleasaūt letters wyllyng hym in all goodly hast to resorte vnto hys court The which obeyenge hys fathers commaundement retourned into Fraunce shortly after the receyte of the said letters and came vnto his father to the citye of Uernayse of whome he was ioyously receyued And after he hadde a season dwellyd with the emperour he gaue vnto hym the coūtrey of Austracy the whyche countrey as shall after be shewyd in thys Lotharius story was after his name named Lorayne But a parte of the sayde prouynce or countrey that stretchyd towarde Hungrye the sayde Lowys gaue vnto his yongest son Charlys And immedyatly after thys gyftes before many lordes confermyd the emperoure in presence of the sayd lordes toke Charlys by the hande and delyueryd hym vnto his brother Lothayre wyllynge and straytly chargynge hym that he shulde take hym vnto his cure and be to hym as curyouse as he wolde be vnto hys own chyld and to guyde hym and his possessyons as the father shulde guyde the chylde And to Charlys he commaunded that he shulde take obey hym as his father and loue and worshyppe hym as his brother y e whych vppon eyther partye was promysyd to be obseruyd And shortly after the sayd Lothayr with his brother Charlys toke congy of father and mother and returned agayn into Italy About this tyme dyed Pepyn the seconde sonne of Lewys and duke of Guyan the whych yf all shuld be expressyd putte his father to great trouble and vexacyon wherfore for hym was made the lesse mournynge This left after hym a son named Pepyn of whome somwhat the storye spekyth after But now I wyll retourne to Lewys the thyrde sonne of the emperoure THE CLXI CHAPITER TRouth yt is that whē the yonger brother Lewys sawe the bountye of his father so largely extende towarde his two brethern and to hym nothynge he was therwyth in his mynde greatly dyscontent all be yt that for the tyme he kepte yt secrete to hym selfe But when he was departyd from hys father and returnyd to his owne lordshyppe he gaderyd a myghty power and began to make warre vpon the dwellers nere about the Ryne wherfore the emperour wyth a conuenyent power approchyd vnto the citye of Dodayng and sent from thens vnto hys sayde sonne wordes of reconcylyacyon by meane wherof the sayde Lowes put hym holy in the grace of hys father and was to hym reconcyled without shedynge of mannys blood But whyle the emperour was besyde at the citye of Cleremoūt in the countye of Auerne to set a dyreccion amonge the Gascoynes for opynyons that were reryd amonge theym for the sonne of Pepyn there lately kynge or duke dyscessyd whyche son as aboue is sayde was also named Pepyn and there about had taken great payne and labour thyther to hym tydynges were newly brought that hys sayde sonne Lewys hadde wyth y e Saxons or Soysons with the Thorynges made alliaunce and was entryd into Germany and therin made warre in moste cruell wyse wyth whyche tydynges Lowis was so greuously passyoned that to hys great age was by meane of thys vnkynde anger fyxyd a sykenes that lefte hym not whyle he lyued After yet thys not wythstandyng he lyke a strong hartyd knyght shewyd forth a good and comfortable coūtenaunce And after he hadde in knyghtly wyse preparyd all thynge necessarye to the warre he spedde hym towarde Almayne and contynued hys iourney tyll he came vnto Thorynge where a season he restyd hym and his people tyll he myght be better assuryd where his sonne Lewys restyd hym But the sonne hauynge knowlege of the great power of hys father and also beynge in despayre of purchasynge of mercy consyderyng his many offences fled by the coūtrey of Sclauony and so by that costes retourned into Bayon or Bauery and so escapyd the daunger of hys father Then the emperoure beyng surely enformyd of the scape of hys sonne helde on his iourney tyll he came to Magoūce And after came vnto the cytye of Uermayse where he called a counsayle of his lordes spyrytuall and temporall and ordeyned there dyuerse thynges for the state of the empyre And more entendyd to haue done but sykenesse increasyd so sore in hym that by the space of .xl. days he toke no temporall sustenaunce But in that tyme he vsyd often to take the blessed sacrament the which as he often sayde strengthyd bothe the soule and the bodye Then he sent for Lothayre to come vnto hym the whyche wythoute taryenge obeyed his commaundemēt and abode styll wyth hym Of this Lewys Policronicon maketh a shorte rehersall and sayth y ◠by his fyrste wyfe named Hermyngarde he had .iii. sonnes Lothayre Pepyn and Lewys The fyrst beyng felowe with his father of the empyre was crowned of pope Pascall vpon an Ester daye and he was also kyng of Italy And Pepyn he made duke of Gascoyne and Guyan And Lewys was made ruler of Bauary And by his second wife named Indyth and doughter of y e duke of Bayon he hadde Charlis the Ballyd to whome he gaue the countrey of Burgoyn as the
sayd Policronica sayth And for this Lewys was mylde he was often troubled of hys own men and of other tyll he delte wyth them more sharpely and wysely and ruled the people more straytly It is there also shewyd that when this Lewys had promotyd a yonge man named Frederyke to the see of Utryke and to hym hadde gyuen sadde and good exhortacyon that he shuld folowe the stablenes of hys antecessours and that he shulde purpose the sothe and trouth wythoute excepcyon of persones and punyshe mysdoers as well the ryche as the poore the sayde byshoppe shulde answere to hym and saye I beseche thy magestye syr emperour to take in pacyence that I maye dysclose to the that thynge that hath long walowed turned in my mynde Say thy plesure sayd the emperour I praye thy syr emperour shewe me thy mynde whyther is more accordynge to attame thys fyshe here presente fyrste at the hedde or at the tayle The emperour answered shortely and sayd at the hedde the fyshe shall be fyrste attamyd So yt is lorde emperoure sayd the byshoppe that crysten fayth maye cause the to cease of thyne erroure that thy subiectes be not boldyd to folowe thy mysdoynge wherfore fyrste forsake thou thy vnlawefull wedloke that thou haste made wyth Indyth thy nere kynnes woman By meane of those wordes the kyng was reconcylyd and lefte the company of his wyfe tyll he hadde purchasyd a lycence of the pope And the emperour forgaue the sayde byshop all trespassys but the woman hyred two knyghtes that slewe hym in his vestymentes when he hadde ended hys masse After thys the empresse was falsely accused of wronge cryme and made a menchon But the same yere the emperoure delyueryd her from that habyte when he hadde suffycyently prouyd the sayde cryme to be false Then to retorne where I lefte whā this Lewys had longe lyen in thys agonyous sykenes and knewe well that he amendyd nothynge but feblyd more and more he commaundyd his iewellys to be broughte before hym wherof by hys owne hand he haue a parte vnto the chyrche of Rome and to Lotharius his sonne there presente he gaue his crowne his sworde commaundynge hym straytly vppon his blessynge that he shuld haue in honour hys moder Indith that to Charlis his brother he shulde owe true loue amyte that he shuld hym his lādes deffende to the vttermoste of his power Then the lordes spirituall and temporall and specyally the archebysshoppe of Meaws made a lamentable requeste to the emperoure for his sonne Lewys that he wolde accepte hym to his grace and mercye and to forgyue hym hys insolente and wanton wylde dedys wherof when the emperour harde he fell in suche wepynge that he myghte not speke of a good whyle after And when he hadde refrayned hym therof he remembryd to y e lordes the many and great benefytes y t he had done to hym and the innaturall vnkyndnes that the sayd Lewys had agayn shewyd vnto hym how often tymes he had perdoned his vnkynd sonnes trespasse And finally all this not wythstandyng he was at y e oure in perfyte charite wyth hym and forgaue hym as he trusted to be forgyuen prayenge the lordes there present and specyally chargynge y e sayd byshop that he wold shew vnto hys sayd son that great daunger that he was in agaynst god for the dyspleasures done to him and specially that he was a cause of the abrygement or shortynge of hys dayes Then to brynge this story to effect wherof yf I shuld declare the special tyes therof wolde aske a longe tyme for ye shall vnderstand that these .ii. storyes of the great Charlis and of this Lewys occupye in Frenche of leuys of great scantelyn ouer .lxiiii wherfore I conclude y t he dyed lyke a good crysten prynce when he had ben emperour of Rome and kynge of Fraunce by the terme of .xxvi. yeres and was buryed wyth great solemnyte at Meaws or at Mettis by hys mother Hyldegarde as sayth mayster Robert Gaguyne in the yere of hys age .lxiiii leuynge after hym the foresayde thre sonnes Lothayre Lewys and Charlys the Ballyd Anglia THE CLXII CHAPITER ADeulpus or Ethelwolphus the son of Egbertus beganne hys reygne ouer the westesaxons or Anglys in the yere of oure lordes incarnacyon .viii. hundred and .xxxii and the xvii yere of Lewys the mylde then kynge of Fraunce Thys in his youth was wyllynge to be a preste and was enteryd the order of subdeacon But there after by dyspensacyon of Pascall the fyrst of that name pope he was maryed to Osburga a woman of lowe byrthe By whome he hadde foure sonnes that is to meane Ethelwalde Ethelbert Etheldrede and Alurede the whyche after theyr father reygned as kynges of Englād that one after that other as after shall appere This Adeulphus after he hadde a certayne tyme ben kyng he went to Rome and toke wyth hym his yongest sonne Alurede or Alphrede and taryed there by the space of a yere In the whyche season he repayred the Saxon scole the whyche before tyme was there founden by Offa kynge of Mercia as Guydo sayeth and other but more veryly of Iue kynge of westsaxons as sayth the authoure of the Floure of historyes And for that he graunted of euery house of his kyngdome a peny as in his storye is before shewyd But thys scole was sore decayed and the house therof lately brent the whyche thys Adeulphus newely repayred and sette yt in better order then yt before was vsyd Thys kynge also to refourme the greuouse correccyons that he sawe there executyd to Englyshe men for spyrytuall offensys as in werynge of irons and guyues he graunted of euery fyre house of hys lande .i. d as Iue foresayde hadde done By the whyche sayenge yt shulde seme that by these two kynges shuld be grauntyd vnto Rome .ii. d. of euery fyre house thorough theyr lande But that maye not be so vnderstande for thys Rome scot ys gaderyd of euery house a peny wythout more wherfore yt muste folowe that yt is mysse taken of wryters that allege this dede to that one kynge for that other How be yt yt maye stande by reason that Iue made the fyrste graunte and this kynge after confermyd the same But the authoure of Cronica cronycarum sayth that thys Adeulphus graunted to saynte Peter these sayde Peter pens and spekyth no word of Iue nor of none other It is also shewyd of this kynge by Policronica that he shulde for the acquytynge of the chyrches of Englād of all maner of kynges trybute payed yerely to Rome thre hundred markes That ys to meane to saynte Peters chyrche a hundred markes to the lyghte of saynt Paule a hundred marke and to the popys treasorye a hundred marke And ouer all thys of hys pure deuocyon he offred to god to saynte Peter the .x. parte of hys moueable goodes And also one cronycler sayth that thys kynge founded fyrste the vnyuersytye of Oxynforde whyche was lykely to be
story a marques of Italy For thys Barnarde wyth one Helberde had before tyme taken from the chyrche of Rome certeyne possessyons whyche by meane of thys Lewys the sentence of the chyrche denounced agayne them by the foresayd pope IohnÌ„ were agayn restored and the partyes also reconcyled But now of newe thys Barnarde rebelled agayne wherfore the pope as to Lewys for the defensour of the chyrch of Rome sent for ayde for as before I haue shewed you thys Lewys of the sayde pope IohnÌ„ was authorysed for emperoure But for he was not crowned at Rome wyth the imperyall dyademe he is not accoÌ„pted amonge y e emperours For thys newe rebellyon of Barnarde Lewys assembled hys armye at CoÌ„payne foresayd and froÌ„ thens rode to y e cytye of Troyes in UinceÌ„t where he was taken wyth sodayne malady of y e whyche he dyed shortly after and not wythout suspeccyon of venym whan he had ben kynge of Fraunce fully two yeres leuyng after hym two sonnes that is to saye Lewys and Charlys or after some wryters Charlemayne THE CLXXV CHAPITER LEwys and Charlys the sonnes of Lewys Balbus or Lewys y e stamerer began theyr reygne ouer the Frenchemen in the yere of oure lordes incarnacion .viii. C.lxxx and the .viii. yere of y e reygne of Alurede than kynge of Englande The whyche for they were yonge of age were put vnder tuyssyoÌ„ and gydyng of Barnarde the erle of Auuergii to whom the father by hys lyfe had theÌ„ commytted wherfore the sayd Barnarde wyth other of hys affynyte assembled shortly after at Meaux in Lorayne thyder called vnto them the lordes of the lande to treate maters for the comon weale of y e same In those dayes was a man of grete myght in FrauÌ„ce named GosseleynÌ„ the whyche enuyed the foresayd erle Barnarde other for certayne harmes to hym by them done in tyme be fore passed In auengynge wherof the sayd GosseleynÌ„ intended to putte hym and other from the rule of the land whych he knew well they shuld occupye whyle the sayd two childern had rule of the same And thys euyll purpose to brynge to effecte he went vnto Conrade erle of Parys and shewed to hym moche of his wyll And amonge other thynges lette hym wytte that yf Lewys kynge of Germany myght with hys helpe be made kynge of FrauÌ„ce that he shulde by hym be greatly auaunced By whych meanes he caused the sayde Conrade to take hys parte so that he other of hys affynyte whan they came vnto the foresayde counsayle at Meaux sayde that Lewys kynge of Germany was more apte to rule the lande of FrauÌ„ce than any other was And also after some wryters these Lewis and Charlys afore sayde were not the legyttymate sonnes of the forenamed Lewis Balbê° but gotten in baste of a concubyne of the sayd Lewys Thys mater thus debated and argued amonges the couÌ„sayle lastly by moste in nomber it was agreed that Lewys kynge of Germanye shulde be by ambassade requyred to come and take vppon hym the rule of the lande of myddell Fraunce The whych wyth small request was agreable and in shorte tyme after came vnto the sayd cytye of Meaux and after to Uerdune But as soone as the knowlege was come to Barnarde and other of hys affynyte by counceyle of Hughe and Terry two nobles of Fraunce the bysshop of Orlyaunce with an erle and other were sent to Uerdune vnto the sayd kynge of Germany wyth thys message That yf he were contente to take vnto hym all suche parte of the prouynce of Lorayne as Charlys the Balled kepte from hys fader Lewys wythout more clayme of the lande or realme of Fraunce he shuld gladly haue it And yf nat he shulde abyde the iugement of Mars and hys batayle wyth whyche offer Lewys was well contented and beyng of it in a suertye departed agayne into Germanye Thorough that doynge the forenamed Gosselyne and Conrade with other of theyr freÌ„dê were with yt sore dyscoÌ„tentyd of the departure of Lewys forsayde But the sayd Bernarde with other of his syde in goodly hast after coÌ„ueyed the sayd two chyldren vnto the citye of Ferrer there crowned and proclaymed theym for kynges as wytnessyth mayster Robert Gaguyne But the forenamed Gosselyne and Conrade not leuynge so the mater sente messengers vnto y e quene of Germanye coÌ„playnynge theym vnto her of the vnstablenesse and tymerousnesse of her lorde wherby he had not alonely loste the possessyon of the realme of Fraunce but also he hadde put them and all theyr frendes in great fere and daunger wherof herynge the quene in her mynde was sore dyscontentyd wyth her lorde and husbande and as she durste shewyd yt to hym as his reproche and dyshonour And fynally to satysfye the myndes of the sayde GosselynÌ„ and Conrade she sent into Guyan her brother named Boso by whose aydes and assystence he was of that prouynce proclaymed kynge Endurynge whyche trouble 's the Danys entred the lande and came vnto the ryuer of Lyger and robbed and spoyled the countrey wythoute mercy wherfore the kynges assembled theyr people and gaue to them batayll nere vnto the ryuer of Uyen where they dystressyd the sayde Danys and slewe of them .ix. thousand and drowned of theÌ„ ouer that a grete multytude in the sayde ryuer After whyche vyctory by the kynges obteyned a new vexacyon trouble was to them ascertayned y t Lewys kyng of Germany with a great puysaunce was comen vnto a place called Ducy and to hym was gone the forenamed GosselynÌ„ and Conrade with all the power that they myghte make by theyr ledynge was from thens coÌ„ueyed vnto Rybemaunt But howe so yt was for lacke of performaunce of promyse made by the sayde two erles vnto the kyng of Germany not obserued he herynge of the kynges of Fraunce drawynge towarde hym wyth stronge hoste coÌ„cluded a peas and retourned into Germany And the two bretherne rode to gyder vnto the citye of Damens or Demeus where they deuyded the lande of Fraunce betwene theym So that Lewes held to hym the couÌ„trey nere about Parys with the prouince of Neustria or Normandye and Charles had vnto his part Burgoyn and Guyan with promyse made assured on eyther partye that eyther of them shulde ayde and assyste other THE CLXXVI CHAPITER AFter this partycyon betwene the two bretherne thus made by the meanes of Lewys kynge of Germany the foresayde erles GosselynÌ„ Conrade were vnto the sayde bretherne recouncyled and agreed And for to theym redy worde was brought y â— Bose before named kyng of Guyan hadde wonne the cytye of Uyen therin lefte his wyfe whyle that he occupyed y e hylles and mountaynes beynge there aboute they ioyntly assembled theyr knyghtes sped theÌ„ thyther layde theyr seage aboute the cytye But durynge this syege the Danis often wasted y e land of Fraunce wherfore Lewys the elder brother departed froÌ„ that syege leuynge there his brother Charlys But or the sayde Lewis myght wyn to
versys folowynge Christe tui calicis praedo fit praeda caducis re breui reiecis qui tollit aera crucis Viscera Carleolum corpus fons seruat Ebardi Et cor Rothamagū magne Richarde tuum In terra diuiditur vnus quia plus fuit vno Non superest vno gratia tanta viro The which versys may be englysshyd as foloweth Cryste of the these whyche on the ryght hande was And axyd mercy to vs thou made a praye That we lyke wyse shulde for our trespasse Axe of the mercy and shewe no delay Nor for erthly thynges caste our self away For who of thy crosse accompteth lyttell store The meryte of thy passyon he losyth euermore Thys manfull knyghte thys prynce vyctoryouse whyche toke thy crosse on hym wyth great payne He folowed the thefe and axyd mercy thus For hys offence he warred thy foes agayne And shadde theyr blood on hyll and eke on playne And all for loue good lorde he hadde to the. wherfore swyte Iesu on hym thou haue pytye Of whom the bowellys at Carleyll and the trunke At fount Ebrarde full rychely ys dyght The harte at Roan into the erthe ys sunke Of the worthy Rycharde And so in thre is twyght That more than one whylom was in myght In erthe is separate that lyuynge more then one was and of grace founde lyke to hym none IOhn̄ brother of y e aboue named Rycharde yongeste son of Henry the seconde was ordeyned or proclamed kyng of England the tenth day of Apryll in the begynnynge of the yere of our lorde .xi. hundred .lxxx. .xix and the .xx. yere of the seconde Phylyppe then kynge of Fraunce Thys Iohn̄ at the daye of his brothers deth was in Normandy where at Chynon as soon as his brother Rycharde was dyseasyd he possessyd hym of hys brothers treasour and sent Hubert archbyshoppe of Caunterbury into Englande to make prouisyon for his coronacyon And vppon Ester daye folowyng he was gyrde with the sworde of the duchy of Brytayne sayled soon after into Englād where he was crowned kynge at westmynster vppon holy thursday next folowynge of the forenamed Hubert After whyche solemnitye done he ordeyned the same Hubert chaunceller of Englande In thys whyle the Frenche kynge helde a counsayll at Cenomannia in Turon where to the derogacyon of kynge Iohn̄ Arture the son of Geffrey Plantagenet and neuewe to the sayde Iohn̄ was made duke of Brytayne whyche incontynently after wyth a great army entryd the countrey of Angeou and toke possessyon therof And kynge Phylyppe wyth hys people entryd the duchy of Normandy and layde syege to the cytye of Euroux and wanne yt wyth all the stronge holdes there about and stuffyd theym wyth vytayll strengthed them with his owne knyghtes and that done wasted spoyled the the countrey tyll he came to the cytye of Meaus where met wyth hym the forenamed Arture dyd to hym homage for the countrey of Angiers In the moneth of May Elyanour somtyme wyfe of Henry the seconde and mother to kyng Rycharde came into Fraunce and so to the kynge to Meaus foresayde and made to hym homage for the coūtrey of Poytiers as her enherytaunce And soone after the kinge retourned into Fraūce and the duke of Britayne wyth hym whyche as yet was within age Kynge Iohn̄ heryng of this warre in Normandy and losse of the countreys aboue named assembled a coūsayll and axid ayde of his lordes and cōmons to wynne agayne y e foresayd landes had it graunted after some wryters .iii. s. of euery plough land thorough Englande besyde y e subsydy of y e spyrytuall landes And when he hadde made redy for that belonged to hys voyage he about heruest sayled into Normandy where he taryed tyll Octobre folowynge spendynge the tyme to hys losse and dyshonoure Anno domini M.CC.  Anno domini M.CCi.  Arnolde fyz Arnolde  Balliui  Anno primo  Rycharde fyz Darty  AFter Mychelmas in the moneth of October and fyrste yere of the reygne of kynge Iohn̄ a trewce or peace was concluded betwene the two kynges of Englande and of Fraunce from that daye tyll mydsomer nexte folowynge and in lyke wyse betwene the French kyng and Baldwyne erle of Flaundres And thys yere was made a deuorce betwene kynge Iohn̄ and hys wyfe the erle of Glocetyrs doughter because of nerenesse of bloode And after was he maryed vnto Isabell the doughter of the erle of Engolesym in Fraunce and had by her two sonnys Henry and Rychard and .iii. doughters Isabell Elyanoure and Iane. Thys yere dyed at London blessyd Hugh byshop of Lyncoln̄ and was conueyed to his owne chyrch there enterryd For whom god hath shewyd many myracles so that at thys daye he ys authorysed by the chyrche for a saynte At mydlent after kyng Iohn̄ sayled agayne into Normandy And after Ester he mette with kynge Phylyppe betwene Uernon and the yle Audeley where the peace betwene both realmes was stablyshed and cōfermed for terme of theyr two lyues and the landes deuyded betwene the two kynges as eyther of them shuld holde theym contentyd for theyr lyues after And in shorte tyme after Lewys the eldest son of kynge Phylyppe maryed dame Blanch doughter to Alphons kynge of Castylle and neuewe to kynge Iohn̄ To the whyche Lewys kyng Iohn̄ for loue of that woman shewyd to hym great bountye and gaue vnto her many ryche gyftes In the moneth of Iuly folowyng kyng Iohn̄ rode into Fraūce where he was receyued of the Frēche kynge wyth myche honour and so cōueyed into saynte Denys where he was receyued wyth processyon And vppon the morow the Frenche kyng accompanyed hym vnto Parys where he was receyued of the cytezens wyth great reuerēce and presentyd by the prouoste of the towne in name of the hole cytye wyth ryche presentis And there kynge Phylyppe festyd hym in hys owne paleys gaue vnto hym and hys lordes and seruauntes many ryche gyftes and after conueyd hym forth of that citye and toke leue of hym in moste louynge wyse And when kynge Iohn̄ hadde spedde his maters in Normandy he then returned into Englande Anno domini M.CCi.  Anno domini M.CCii  Roger Desert  Balliui  Anno secun  Iamys fyz Barth  IN y e moneth of december and seconde yere of kynge Iohn̄ Ranulphe erle of Chestre by the example afore shewed by kynge Iohn̄ lefte hys owne wyfe named Constaūce and countesse of Brytayne whych before he had maried by counsayll of kynge Henry the seconde wedded one Clemens One cronycle sayth he dyd so because he wolde haue yssue But the sayd authour sayth that after hys opynyon he dyspleased god so greatly that god wolde suffer hym to haue none yssue but the rather for that dede dyed wythout About thys tyme after opynyon of moste wryters the people or nacyon callyd Tartares beganne theyr domynyon These men dwellyd vnder the hyllys of Inde y t belonged to prester Iohn̄
le Beawe then kynge of Fraūce The whyche Margarete whyle the kyng was in Scotlāde was brought vnto Douer and so vnto Caunterbury where the kyng spoused her in the moneth of Septembre as wytnesseth the Frenche cronycle and receyued of her in processe of tyme folowyng two sonnes named Thomas and Edmunde and a doughter named Margarete The fyrste of the sonnes was surnamed Thomas of Brothertō and the seconde Edmūde wodestoke Anno domini M.CC.xcix  Anno dn̄i M.CCC  Iohn̄ Armenter  Elys Russell  Anno .xxviii.  Henry Fryngeryth  IN thys .xxviii. yere the kynge herynge of the vntrowth and rebellyon of the scottes made the .iii. vyage into Scotlāde and bare hym so knyghtly that in shorte processe after hys commynge he subdued the more parte of the lande And after he sped hym vnto the castell of Estryuelyn wherin were many of the greate lordes of Scotlande and enuyroned the sayd castel with a strōg siege But he laye there somwhat oftyme without wynnynge of any great aduauntage or hurte doynge vnto the scottes wherfore of polycy he caused to be made .ii. payre of galowes in y e syght of the castell and after cōmaūded proclamacyons to be cryed that yf the scottes by a certayn day wolde yelde that castell to the kynge they shuld haue lyfe lym̄e And yf nat but that he wanne it by strength as many as were within the sayd castel shuld be hāged vpon those gybettes none astate nor persone to be excepted In processe of tyme whan y e scottes had well dygestyd thys proclamacyon and sawe the strength of theyr enemyes cōsydered theyr owne feblenes lak of socoure they assented fynally to yelde theym theyr castell vnto the kyng whyche shortly after was done wherof kyng Edwarde beyng possessed stuffed it with Englissh knyghtes after toke a newe othe of the lordes and capytaynes the whyche he founde closed within that castell of trewe feythfull allegeaūce after sufferyd them to go where theym lyked And whan wyllyam walys whych as before is sayd pretended the rule gouernaunce of Scotlande harde tell that the stronge castell of Estryuelyne was yelden vnto kynge Edwarde that lordes and knyghtes therin founden in whyche he moche affyed were sworne to the kynges allegeaunce he feryd sore leste y e sayd company wolde betray hym bring hym vnto y e kyng wherfore he with hys adherentes withdrewe hym into the mareyses other daūgerous places where he thoughte he was in suertye for pursuynge of the kynges hooste Then the poore commons of the lande presented theym by great companyes and put theym holy in the kynges grace mercy so that the kynge thought then that he was in peasyble possessyon or in a greate suertye of the lande wherfore after he had caused to be sworn vnto hym the rulers of dyuers borughes cytyes townes with other offycers of the lande he retourned vnto Berwyke so into Englande and lastly vnto westmynster In thys tyme season that y e kyng was thus occupyed aboute his warres in Scotlande the quene was cōueyed vnto London Agayne whom the cytezyns vpon the nombre of .vi. C. rode ī one lyuerey of rede whyte with the conysaunce of dyuers mysteryes brodered vpon theyr sleues and receyued her .iiii. myles without the cytie so conueyed her thorugh y ◠cytie whiche then was garnysshed and behanged with tapettes arras and other clothes of sylke and ryches in most goodly wyse vnto westmynster and there lodged whan the kynge this yere retourned out of Scotlande he caused shortly after an inquysycyon to be made thorugh his lande the whiche after was named Troilbaston̄ This was made vpon al offycers as mayres shyreffes baylyffes excheters many other that had mysborne them in theyr sayd offyces and had extorcioned or mystreated y e kynges lyege people otherwyse than was accordynge with the good ordre of theyr sayd offyces By meane of whiche inquisicyon many were accused and redemed theyr offyces by greuous fynes to the kynges great lucre and auauntage Other meanes were foūdē also as forfaites again y e crowne the whiche broughte great summes of money to the kynges cofers towarde the great charge of his warres y t he susteyned in wales Fraūce and Scotlande as before is shewed this yere also the kynge for cōplaynt that was brought vnto hym by mayster walter Langton bysshop of Chester of syr Edwarde his eldest sone for that he with Pyers of Gaueston̄ and other insolent persones had broken the sayde parke of the sayde bysshop ryottously destroyed y e game within it he therfore inprysoned the sayd syr Edwarde his son̄e with his complyces And in processe of tyme after when the kynge was thorughly enformed of y e lassiuyous wantō disposiciōs of the sayd Pyers of Gaueston̄ for that he shulde nat enduce the forenamed syr Edwarde to be of lyke dysposycyon he therfore banysshed the sayd Pyer of Gaueston̄ out of Englande for euer But after the dethe of kynge Edwarde y e banysshmente was soone denulled by Edward his sone wherof ensued moche harme and trouble as after shal be shewed Anno domini M.CCC  Anno dn̄i M.CCCi  Luke Hauerynge  Elys Russell  Anno .xxix.  Rycharde Champeis  IN this .xxix. yere of kynge Edwarde dyed Edmunde erle of Cornewayle the sonne of Rycharde somtyme erle of the sayd coūtre and kynge of Almayne without yssue wherfore that erledome retourned agayne to the crowne of Englande And in this yere the kynge gaue vnto syr Edwarde his sone the pryncypate of wales and ioyned there vnto the sayd erledome of Cornewayle Anno dn̄i M.CCC.i  Anno dn̄i M.iii. C.ii.  Robert Caller  Iohn̄ Blount  Anno .xxx.  Peter Bosham  IN thys .xxx. yere the kyng helde hys greate counsayll of parlyamente at hys cytye of Caunterbury Anno domini M.CCC.ii  Anno domini M.CCC.iii  Hugh Pourt  Iohn̄ Blount  Anno .xxxi.  Symon Parys  Anno domini .xiii. C.iii.  Anno domini .xiii. C.iiii.  wyllam Combmartyn  Iohn̄ Blount  Anno .xxxii.  Iohn̄ de Burfforde  Anno domini M.CCC.iiii  Anno domini M.CCC.v.  Rogyer Parys  Iohn̄ Blount  Anno .xxxiii.  Iohn̄ Lyncoln̄  IN this .xxxiii. yere wyllyā waleys that vnto the kyng hadde done so many dyspleasures and treasons agayne the trouth and allegeaunce of hys othe as some deale before is shewed was takē at the town named saint Domynyk in Scotlād and sent vnto London and there arraygnyd and vpon the euyn of saynt Bartylmewe drawen hanged and quartered and hys hedde set vppon London brydge and hys .iiii. quarters sent into Scotlande there hāged vpon the gates of certayne townes of the lāde And at Myghelmas folowynge the kynge holdynge hys parlyament at westmynster thyder came out of Scotlande the bysshop of saint Andrewes Robert le Bruze syr Symon de Frysell erle of Dunbarre syr Iohn̄ of
god as he before had vsed hym ī ledyng of an ankers lyfe thoughte howe he myght bryng hym in mynde to resigne hys hyghe office to him And it to bring about he fyrst made hym frendes secretely after hyred one of the cubyclers of y e pope that he in the dede nyght shuld speke in a rede and saye Celestyne yf thou wylt be sauyd be partyner of blysse renounce thys pōpe of the worlde serue me as thou before dyd Or after the latyn storye yf Celestynus wyl be sauyd let hym clerely the papall dygnyte resygne whych voyce this ghostly mā sundry tymes heryng thought veryly it had ben a deuyne mocyon wherfore in all that he myghte he laboured to be dyscharged so that at y e ende of .v. monethes he resigned And shortly after was the foresayd Bonyface admytted The whyche nat beynge contented with hys synystre opteynyng of thys hygh dygnyte but y e he for fere lest y e sayd Celestyne shuld repent hym of hys insolent dede and by strengthe of some prynces be restored agayne to hys former dygnite he therfore wolde nat suffre the sayd Celestine to retourne to wildernes there to contynewe hys olde accustomed lyfe but helde hym in a castell as prysoner where for sorowe and euyll kepynge he dyed shortly after For the whyche thys Bonyface was nat vnpunysshed For over the sorow trouble that he durynge the terme of hys papacy suffred whyche was nat a lytell in the ende of .viii. yeres he was taken by strēgth and put in pryson where so miserably cruelly he was entreated that or he dyed what for madnesse or for hunger he ete hys owne handes so in mysery ended hys lyfe within .xxiiii. dayes of hys inprysonement Than to retourne where I laft to shewe you ferther of the warre atwene Fraūce Flaundres trouth it is that the Frēche men with y e ayde of the Henaudours made sondry many tymes assautes vpon the Flemynges In the whiche dyuers chaūces of y e warre fyll so that yf that one had the better at one tyme that other had as moche aduauntage the nexte tyme. For reformacyon of whiche warre syr Guy with his son̄e before-named erle of Flaundres that by all this season had cōtynued in y e Frēche kynges pryson were suffred to go in to Flaunders vpon condycyon that yf they myght pacyfye the countre to the kynges pleasure that then they shulde styll enioye theyr lyberte and go at large or els to retourne againe as prysoners The whiche erle with his sayd sonne dyd what they cowde to reconcyle the sayde Flemynges But al theyr trauayle was in vayne so that by y ◠day to them appoynted they retourned to theyr former pryson wherfore the kynge in the .xviii. yere of his reygne assembled a mesurable hoste of people In the whiche were accompted for noble capytaynes vnder the kynge syr Charles de Ualoys brother to the kyng Lewys erle of Euroux that othe brother to y e kyng Guy erle of saint Paule Iohn̄ erle of Dampmartyn whiche noble men with many other mette with the kyng at a towne called Mount And whē they had a season rested there by meane of messangers goyng atwene kynge Phylyp and the Flemynges a day of batayll was atwene theym appoynted to be foughten vppon the .xvi. daye of Auguste in y e aboue sayd .xviii. yere At whiche day y e Flemynges of Brugys and y e other townes set forthe theyr ordenaunce and made them a stronge felde and enbatayled them in suche wyse that the Frenchemen made daūgerous to set vpon them Then meanes of treatye were offered so that the daye passed without stroke strykynge But in the euenynge the Flemynges thynkynge to take auauntage vpon theyr enemyes came so sodenly vpon the Frenchmen that hardly the kynge myght be armed or they had slayne two men within his tent wherfore hasty spede was made so that the kynge was goten to horsbacke and forthwith by his marcyall power made waye thorough his enemyes and slewe theym without mercy And by the knyghtly example of hym the remenaunt of his lordes quytte theym so honorably that the poore Flemynges were layde in the feld bathynge in theyr owne blode to a great nombre and lastly cōstrayned to flee shamefully and to leue theyr ordenaūce behynde them And yf nyght hadde nat fallen on it is to deme that many mo of theym shulde haue ben slayne consyderynge the great fyersnesse of theyr enemyes and the excedyng rancour of malyce that the Frenchmen to theym bare But yet the Frenchemen escaped not without losse of some noble men For in that batayll was slayne the erle of Ancerre and dyuers other knyghtes and men of fame After whiche scomfyture and chasynge of the Flemynges the kynge for darknesse was set vnto his tentes with torche lyghte where after he hadde buried the dede bodyes slayne in that felde and also garnysshedde some stronge castelles with his knyghtes to the ende that the Flemynges shulde nat breke toferre abrode knowynge that with his enemyes he shulde that yere haue no mo playne batayles he retourned agayne into Fraunce IN y e .xix. yere of kyng Phylyp by meanes of Enguerrā a mā in especyall fauoure with the kynge a peas betwene Fraunce and Flaundres was concluded the whych as ye shal after here dured but short whyle Nat withstandynge by the reason of thys peas Robert de Bethune and wyllyam hys brother whyche by all thys seasō with theyr father syr Guy erle of Flaundres had contynued in pleasaunt or esy pryson were now delyuered But the father was dede in the moneth of February before the cōclusyon of thys peas passed by licēce of the French kyng caryed to Marquet a town in Flaundres and there buryed In the .xx. yere of thys kyng Phillip a great dyssencyon stryfe fylle betwene the ryche mē or gouernours of Parys y e comynaltie of the same for heythyng of y e rent of dyuers houses aparteynyg to y e sayd cominaltie wherfore the sayd comons secretely accōpanyed them in greate nombre and yode vnto the house of Stephan Barbet that was accused to be occasyoner of that dede spoyled it And after that they yode to a maner of his in the counntre named Courtile Barbet and it in lykemaner spoyled and that done set it in fyre and brent it And the orcharde of the same whych was passynge commodious and pleasaunt they defaced and vtterly dystroyed And nat yet with thys beyng content they retourned agayne vnto the house of the sayde Stephan and all such wynes as were within hys sellers dranke of them tyll they were wood drunkē And what they myght nat in that wyse deuoure they bette out the heddes and let the wyne rōne in the strete And all formys stolys other vtensillis in the house by them foundyn all to brake in peces and of federbeddes rypped y e tykys helde theym in the wynde that the fethers myght be blowyn a way and
â—saiâ— 36 Et dabo pueros principes corum effeminati dominabuntur eis I shall sayeth our lorde gyue chyldren to be theyr rulers and prynces and weke or ferefull shall haue domynyon ouer them But of hys greate mercy he hath vysyted vs I truste hys peculier people and sente vs a man to haue the rule of vs and putte by chylderne y t before tyme ruled thys lande after chyldysshe condycyons as by y e werkes of theym it hath ryght lately appered to the greate dysturbaunce of all thys realme and for want or lack of a man For as sayeth the apostell Paule ad Coryntheos primo capitulo .xiii. Cum essem â–ª paruusus sapiebam vt paruusus soquebar vt paruusus c. Quam so autem factus sum viâ— euacuani quae erant paruusi That is to meane whanne I was a chylde I sauoured and spake as a chylde But at the tyme whanne I came vnto the state of a man thanne I putte by all my chyldysshe condycyons The apostell sayth he fauoured and spake as a chylde in whome is no stedfastnesse or constancy For a chylde wyll lyghtely promyse and lyghtly he wyll breke hys promyse do all thynges that hys appetyte gyueth hym vnto forgeteth lyghtely what he hath done By whych reason it foloweth that nedely great inconuenyence muste fall to that people y t a chylde is ruler and gouernour of Nor it is nat possyble for that kynge dome to stande in felicite where such condycyons reygne in the hede and ruler of the same But now we ought all to reioyse that all suche defautes ben expelled and that a man and nat a chylde shall haue lordshyp ouer vs. To whome it belongeth to haue a sure rayne vpon hys tunge that he maye be knowen fronra chylde or a man vsyng chyldysche condycyons Of whome I truste I may say as y e wyse man sayeth in hys Prouerbys Prouerbiorum tercio capitulo Bea tus homo qui inuenit sapientiam et qui affluit prudentia The whyche is to meane Blessed be the man y t hathe sapyence or wysedome and that haboundeth in prudence For that man that is ruled by sapience must nedes loue and drede our lorde god And who so loueth and dredeth him must consequentely folowe that he muste kepe hys commaundementes By force wherof he shall mynyster trewe iustyce vnto his subiectes and do no wronge nor iniury to any maÌ„ so that than shall folowe the wordes of the wyse man the whyche ben rehersed Prouerbiorum decimo Benedictio domini super caput iusti os autem impiorum operit iniquitatem which is to meane The blessynge of oure lorde god shall a lyght vpon the hede of our kyng beyng a iuste and rightwyse man for the tunge of hym worketh equyte iustyce But the tunge of wycked and of synners couereth iniquyte And who that werketh or mynystreth iustyce in due ordre he nat allonely sauegardeth hym selfe but also holdeth y e people in a surete of restfulnesse of the whyche ensueth peace pleÌ„te And therfore it is sayde of the wyse kyng SalomoÌ„ Ecclesiastes decimo Beata tetra 〈◊〉 tex nobilis est 〈◊〉 principes vescuntur in tempore sun whyche is to be vnderstande that blessed and happy is that lande of the whych the kynge or ruler is noble and wyse the prynces ben blessed that lyue in hys tyme. As who wolde say they may take exaumple of hym to rule guyde theyr subiectes For by the discressyon of a noble wyse maÌ„ beyng in auctorite many euylles be sequestred and put a parte and all dyssmilers put vnto sylence For the wyse man coÌ„sidereth noteth well the great inconuenyences whyche dayly nowe growe of it where the chylde or insypyente drynketh the swete delycyous wordes vnauysydly perceyueth nat entoxycacion whyche they ben mynged or myxte with tyll he be inuyroned and wrapped in al daunger as lately the experyence therof hath ben apparent to all our syghtes knowleges and nat without the great daunger of all this realme And all was for lacke of wysedome in the ruler whych demed taught as a chylde gyuyng senteÌ„ce of wylfulnes and nat of reason So that whyle a chylde reygned selfe wyll iuste reygned reason wyth good conscyeÌ„ce were outlawed with iustyce stedfastnesse many other vertuys But of thys parell daunger we ben delyuered by the especyal helpe grace of god Quia vir dominabitur tur in populo that is to meane he that is nat a chylde but perfyght in reason For he commeth natte to execute hys owne wyll but hys wyll that sente hym that is to wytte goddes wyl as a man to whome god of hys habundaunte grace hath gyuen perfyghte reason and dyscrescyon to dyscerne deme as a perfyght man wherefore nat alonely of thys man we shall say that he shall dwell in wysedome but as a perfyght man and nat a chylde he shall thynke deme haue suche a cyrcuÌ„specte wyth hym that he shall dylygently foreloke se that goddes wyll be done and nat hys And therefore nowe I truste the wordes of the wyse man Ecclesiastici decimo shal be veryfyed in our kynge sayenge index sapiens iudicabit populum suum principatus sensati stabilis erit that is as sayeth the wyse man A wyse and dyscrete iuge shall now deme hys people the domynyon or lordshyppe of a dyscrete wyse man shall stande stedfast wher upon shall than folowe the seconde verse of the same chapyter sayenge Secundum iudicem populi sic ministri eius c. that is Lyke as the hede and soueraygne is replenysshed wyth all sapyence and vertue in guydynge of hys people admynistrynge to theym lawe wyth due conuenyent iustyce so shall the subiectes agayn warde be garnysshed wyth awe and louynge drede bere vnto hym nexte god all honoure trouthe allegeaunce So that than it maye be concluded wyth the resydue of the foresayde verses Qu alis rector est ciuitatis tales inhabitantes in ca. whyche is to meane Suche as y e ruler of the cytye is suche than be the inhabytauntes of the same So that consequentely it foloweth a good mayster maketh a good dyscyple And in lykewyse an euyll kynge or ruler shall lose hys people and the cytyes of hys kyngedome shal be left desolate and vnhabyted wherefore thus I make an ende in stede of a chylde wylfully doynge hys luste and pleasure wythout reason nowe shall a man be lorde and ruler y t is replenysshed wyth sapieÌ„ce and reason and shall gouerne the people by skylfull domys settynge a parte all wylfulnesse and pleasure of hym selfe So that the worde that I beganne wyth maye be veryfyed of hym Ecce quia vir dominabitur in populo The whyche our lorde graunte and that he maye prosperously reygne to the pleasure of god and welthe of his realme Amen The whyche oracion beyng thus fynyshed the people answerynge wyth greate gladnesse Amen the kynge