Richard perceiued that no excuses would serue, though neuer so iust, but
that he must néeds paie to his couetous host some great summe of monie
for his hard interteinment, he sent the bishop of Salisburie into
England, to take order with the barons of the realme to prouide for the
paiment of his ransome, which bishop (as yée haue heard) after the peace
concluded with Saladine, went vnto Jerusalem to visit the holie
sepulchre, and now comming into Sicile, as he returned homewards, had
knowledge there how king Richard was taken prisoner in Austrich, and
remained in the emperours hands: wherevpon he turned that waie foorth,
and comming to him, was now sent into England with commission (as I haue
said) to leauie monie for the kings ransome. He landed here the twentith
day of Aprill, [Sidenote: _Ger. Dor._] by whose comming the land was the
sooner brought in quiet: for the agréement which earle John tooke (as
before yée haue heard) was cheefelie procured by his meanes. For till
his comming, the castell of Windsore was not woone, the siege being but
slackelie followed by the archbishop of Rouen, who had diuerse of his
fréends within it, and therefore was not verie earnest against them.
[Sidenote: _Rog. Houed._ The bishop of Elie commeth to the king.] When
the bishop of Salisburie was departed towards England, the bishop of
Elie came to the king and trauelled so earnestlie betwixt the emperour
and him, that finallie the emperour (partlie through his suit, & partlie
for that he had beene verie much called vpon by the pope and other for
his deliuerie) tooke order with him for the redéeming of his libertie,
[Sidenote: The emperor agréeth with king Richard for his ransome. _N.
Triuet._ _Matth. Paris._] and appointed what summe he should pay for his
ransome, which (as some write) was two hundred thousand markes: other
saie that it was but 140 thousand marks of the poise of Cullen weight.
But William Paruus, who liued in those daies, affirmeth it was one
hundred thousand pounds, and Roger Houeden saith an hundred thousand
marks of Cullen poise, to be paid presentlie at the kings first comming
into England, and fiftie thousand marks afterwards, that is to say,
thirtie thousand to the emperour, and twentie thousand to the duke of
Austrich, as it were in recompense of the iniurie done to him in the
holie land; where king Richard ouerthrew his ensignes: and for the same
to deliuer sufficient suerties.
[Sidenote: _R. Houed._ Lands assigned to king Richard.] Moreouer, we
find in Roger Houeden that the emperour amongst other the articles of
this agréement thus concluded betwixt him and king Richard, gaue and
granted, and by his letters patents confirmed vnto him these lands
hereafter mentioned, that is to saie: Prouance with the citie of Vienne,
and Viennois, the citie of Marseils, Narbon, Arles and Lion vpon the
Rhone, with the countrie vp to the Alps, and all those possessions which
belonged to the empire in Burgoine, with the homages of the king of
Aragon and of the earle of S. Giles: wherein is to be noted, that with
the precinct of the premisses thus granted to king Richard, fiue
archbishops sées, and thirtie three bishops sées are included. Howbeit
the truth is, that the emperour neuer had possession of these countries,
cities, and towns himselfe, neither would the inhabitants receiue any
person so by him appointed to their lord and gouernour, wherefore the
king made small account of that his so large grant. But after he once
vnderstood the certeintie of the summe that he should paie for his
ransome (which businesse he most attended) he sent one with letters by
and by and in great hast into England to his treasurers, requiring them
with all conuenient spéed to prouide monie, [Sidenote: _Polydor._] and
to send it to him by a day, that he might be set at libertie with spéed.
[Sidenote: _Rog. Houed._ Order taken for leuieng monie to paie the kings
ransome.] These letters being come to the quéene mother, and other that
had charge in gouernance of the realme, tooke order that all maner of
persons as well spirituall as temporall, should giue the fourth part of
their whole reuenues to them for that yeare accrewing, and as much more
of their mooueable goods, and that of euerie knights fée there should be
leuied the sum of twentie shillings. Also that the religious houses of
the orders of the Cisteaux and Sempringham should giue all their wools
for that yeare towards the kings ransome.
[Sidenote: The hard dealing of officers in the collection.] Now those
that had commission to leuie this monie, being poisoned with
couetousnesse, and incensed with a gréedie desire (than the which as the
poet saith,
---- nulla est hac maior Erinnys,
Hanc memorant Acheronte satam, per tristia Ditis
Regna truces agitare faces, &c.)
vsed much streightnesse in exacting it, not onelie leuieng it to the
vttermost value and extent of mens lands, goods, and possessions, but
after their owne willes and pleasures: so that vnder colour of the kings
commission, and letters to them directed, there séemed not a tribute or
subsidie to be raised, but by some publike proclamation all the goods
and substance of the people to be appointed as a prey to the kings
officers, whereby it came to passe, that not onelie priuate mens goods,
[Sidenote: Church iewels.] but also the chalices, iewels, and vessels
belonging to the church were turned into monie, and a farre greater
summe made than was at the first commanded, a great part of the ouerplus
being conuerted to the vse of those, through whose hands the receipt
passed. There was no priuilege nor freedome allowed to exempt any person
or place for being contributorie towards the paiment of this monie. The
order of Cisteaux that were neuer charged with any paiment before, were
now assessed more déepelie than the rest.
[Sidenote: The bishop of Norwich.] The bishop of Norwich lamenting the
iniurious dealings of the pettie officers, and pittieng the people of
the church, collected halfe the value of all the chalices within his
diocesse himselfe, and to make vp the other halfe of the whole summe, he
spared not to giue a great portion of his owne treasure. [Sidenote: The
abbat of saint Albons.] The abbat of S. Albons acquitted all those
churches within the compasse of his iurisdiction, by the gift of an
hundred marks. [Sidenote: The bishop of Chester.] But the bishop of
Chester had verie ill lucke with his collections; for hauing gathered a
great summe of monie to the kings vse, he was spoiled thereof in one
night, as he lodged neere vnto Canturburie, being vpon his iournie
towards the king. [Sidenote: Matthew de Cléere.] And bicause Matthew de
Cléere that laie in the castell of Douer was knowne to aid those that
robbed the said bishop, the archbishop of Canturburie pronounced him
accurssed.
[Sidenote: _R. Houed._ The bishop of Elie.] About this time, and on the
morrow after the natiuitie of saint John Baptist, the bishop of Elie
lord chancellour arriued in England, not shewing himselfe in any
statelie port (for he tooke vpon him neither the dignitie of chancellour
nor legat, nor yet of iustice) but onelie as a simple bishop and
messenger sent from the king. The quéene mother, the archbishop of
Rouen, and such other as had gouernment of the land, hearing of his
comming, met him at saint Albons, where he shewed to them the emperours
letters, conteining the agreement made betwixt him and king Richard, and
withall appointed certeine lords & barons to go with him at his returne
backe to the king, as Gilbert bishop of Rochester, Sifrid bishop of
Chichester, Bennet abbat of Peterborow, Richard earle of Clare, Roger
Bigot earle of Norfolke, Geffrey de Saie, and diuerse other. It was also
ordeined at this same time, that the monie gathered towards the paiment
of the kings ransome should remaine in custodie of Hubert bishop of
Salisburie, Richard bishop of London, William earle of Arundell,
Hameline earle of Warren, and of the Maior of London, vnder the seales
of the quéene mother, and of the archbishop of Rouen.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 5.] ¶ But sée the hap of things, whilest ech one was
thus occupied about the aforesaid monie; [Sidenote: _Wil. Paruus._] it
chanced that king Richard was at the point to haue béene deliuered into
the hands of his deadlie aduersarie the French king, as hereafter you
shall heare, noting by the waie the dangerous estate of princes, the
manifold distresses whereinto by sinister fate (as well as the inferior
& rascall rout of common drudges) they be driuen. For what greater
calamitie, what gréeuouser hartach, what more miserable casualtie could
haue happened vnto a bondman, than to be deliuered to and fro from the
hand of one enimie to another, to be bought and sold for monie, to stand
to the courtesies of forren foes, of a king to become a captiue?
whervnto the poet did right well allude, when he said,
[Sidenote: _Hor. lib. car. 1. ode 10._]
Sæpius ventis agitatur ingens
Pinus, & celsæ grauiore casu
Decidunt turres, feriúntq; summos
Fulmina montes.
The emperour vpon displeasure conceiued against the bishop of Liege,
which latelie had atteined to that benefice contrarie to the emperours
pleasure, who wished the same rather to an other person, [Sidenote: The
bishop of Liege murthered.] hired certeine naughtie fellowes to go into
France, where the bishop remained for feare of the emperours malice, and
there to find meanes traitorouslie to slea him, which they accordinglie
did, by reason whereof the duke of Louaigne that was brother to the
bishop, and other of his kinsmen, vpon knowledge had thereof, meant to
haue made the emperour warre, in reuenge of that murther: insomuch that
the emperour, to haue the French kings aid against them, was minded to
haue deliuered K. Richard vnto him.
Howbeit after that the matter was taken vp, and a concord made betwixt
the emperour and his nobles, he changed his purpose also touching the
deliuering ouer of king Richard, who perceiuing that till his ransome
were paid (which would amount to the summe of an hundred & fiftie
thousand marks) he should not get libertie: and putting great confidence
in the dexteritie and diligence of Hubert bishop of Salisburie (whome he
sent as ye haue heard into England to deale for the leuieng of the same)
he thought good to aduance the same bishop to the metropolitane sée of
Canturburie, which had beene vacant euer sithence the decease of
archbishop Baldwine, that died (as ye haue heard) in the holie land.
[Sidenote: _Wil. Paruus._] Herevpon writing to the bishops of the
realme, and to the moonks of Canturburie, he required them to procéed to
the election of an archbishop for that see, and withall commended vnto
them the foresaid Hubert, as a man most sufficient and méet for that
roome. [Sidenote: Hubert bishop of Salisburie elected archbishop of
Cāturburie.] He wrote likewise to the queene to further that matter, and
easilie hereby obteined his desire. For shortlie after, the same Hubert
was elected by the bishops and moonks, which assembled togither for that
purpose. He was the 41 archbishop that gouerned that see: for although
Reginold bishop of Bath was elected before him, yet bicause he died yer
he was installed, he is not put in the number.
The king being now put in good hope of his spéedie deliuerance, sent
into England, willing his mother quéene Elianor, the archbishop of Rouen
and others, to come ouer vnto him into Almaine, [Sidenote: Hubert
archbishop of Cāturburie, lord chéefe iustice.] and in the meane time he
ordeined Hubert the archbishop of Canturburie to remaine at home as lord
cheefe iustice. After this, the emperour with the aduice of the princes
of the empire, assigned a day to king Richard, in which he should be
deliuered out of captiuitie, which was the mondaie next after the
twentith day of Christmasse. Wherevpon king Richard wrote vnto Hubert
archbishop of Canturburie in forme as followeth.
The tenour of king Richards letters to the said archbishop.
Richardus Dei gratia rex Angliæ, & dux Normaniæ & Aquitaniæ, &
comes Andigauiæ, venerabili patri nostro in Christo, & amico
charissimo Huberto eadem gratia Cantuariensi archiepiscopo
salutem & sinceræ dilectionis plenitudinem. Quoniam certiores
sumus, quòd liberationem nostram plurimùm desideratis, & quòd
liberatio nostra admodum vos lætificat, scripto volumus quòd
lætitiae nostræ participes sitis. Inde est quòd dilectioni vestræ
dignum duximus significare, dominum imperatorem certum diem
liberationis nostræ nobis praefixisse, in die lunæ proxima post
vicessimum diem natiuitatis Domini, & die dominica proxima
sequenti coronabimur de regno prouinciæ, quod nobis dedit. Vnde
mittimus in Angliam literas domini imperatoris super hijs
patentes, vobis & cæteris amicis nostris beneuolis. Vos autem
interim pro omni posse vestro quos scitis nos diligere, consolari
velitis, & quos scitis promotionem nostram desiderare. Teste
meipso apud Spiram 22. die Septembris.
The emperour also signified by his letters to the lords of England his
resolute determination in this matter, as followeth.
The tenour of the emperours letters to the States of England
touching king Richard, and the day of his deliuerance, &c.
Henricus Dei gratia Romanorum imperator, & semper Augustus,
dilectis suis archiep. episcopis, comitibus, baronibus,
militibus, & vniuersis alijs fidelibus Richardi illustris regis
Anglorum gratiam suam & omne bonum. Vniuersitati vestræ duximus
intimandum, quòd dilecto amico nostro Richardo illustri regi
Anglorum domino vestro certum diem liberationis suæ statuimus, Ã
secunda feria post diem natiuitatis domini in tres septimanas
apud Spiram siue apud Berenatiam, & inde in septem dies posuimus
ei diem coronationis suæ de regno Prouinciæ, quod ei promisimus:
& hoc certum habeatis, & indubitatum, nostri siquidem propositi
est, & voluntatis, præfatum dominum vestrum specialem promouere
sicut amicum nostrum, & magnificentiùs honorare. Datum apud
Theallusam vigilia beati Thomæ Apostoli.
Before this king Richard had sent the bishop of Elie into France vnto
his brother earle John, who preuailed so much with him, that he returned
into Normandie, and there sware fealtie vnto his brother king Richard,
and so was contented to forsake the French king. But whereas king
Richard commanded that all such castels and honours as he had giuen to
him afore time, should now be restored to him againe, as well those in
England, as the other on the further side the sea: such as had the same
castels in kéeping would not obeie the kings commandement herein,
[Sidenote: The kings commandement not obeied.] refusing to make
restitution of those places, according to the tenour & purport of the
kings writ, vnto the said earle of Mortaigne, by reason of which
refusall, he returned againe to the French king, and stucke to him.
Herevpon the French king gaue vnto him the castels of Dreincourt, and
Arques, the which ought to haue béene deliuered vnto the archbishop of
Reimes as in pledge, who had trauelled as a meane betwixt the French
king to whom he was vncle, and the king of England to whom he was
cousine, procuring a meeting for agreement to be had betwixt them at a
certeine place betwixt Vaucolur and Tulle in the borders of Lorraine.
But notwithstanding all that he could doo, matters were so farre out of
frame, and such mistrust was entred into the minds of the parties, that
no conclusion held. So that all the hope which king Richard had, was by
paiment of his ransome to redéeme his libertie, and then to shift with
things as he might. [Sidenote: 1194.] And so finallie when the monie was
once readie, or rather a sufficient portion thereof, the same was
conueied ouer into Germanie, and paiment made to the emperour of the
more part of the kings ransome, and sufficient pledges left with him for
the rest, as the archbishop of Rouen, the bishop of Bath [Baldwin Wac]
and other which were of late come out of England to see and salute the
king.
[Sidenote: _Rog. Houed._ King Richard released out of captiuitie.]
Herevpon king Richard, after he had beene prisoner one yeare, six
weekes, and thrée daies, was set at libertie on Candlemasse day (as most
writers agrée) and then with long and hastie iournies, not kéeping the
high waies, he hasted foorth towards England. It is reported that if he
had lingred by the way, he had béene eftsoones apprehended. For the
emperour being incensed against him by ambassadors that came from the
French king, immediatlie after he was set forward, began to repent
himselfe in that he had suffered him so soon to depart from him, and
herevpon sent men after him with all speed to bring him backe if they
could by any meanes ouertake him, meaning as then to haue kept him in
perpetuall prison.
[Sidenote: _R. Houed._ The offers of the French K. and erle John to haue
the K. of England kept still in prison.] Some write that those
ambassadours sent from the French king, with other from earle John, came
to the emperor before king Richard was deliuered, offering in the French
kings name fiftie thousand marks of siluer, and in the name of earle
John thirtie thousand, vpon condition that K. Richard might remaine
still in captiuitie vntill the feast of S. Michaell next insuing; or
else if it might so please him, he should receiue a thousand pounds of
siluer for euerie moneth, whilest king Richard should be deteined in his
prison, or otherwise fiftie thousand marks of siluer more than the first
offer, at one entire paiment, if he would deliuer him into their hands,
or at the leastwise to kéepe him prisoner by the terme of one whole
yeare.
The emperour hearing of such large offers, and yet hoping for more,
contrarie to his promise and letters patents therefore granted, proroged
the day in which king Richard should haue béene set at libertie, till
Candlemasse after, at which daie he was brought from Haguenaw vnto
Spiers, where the emperour had called a councell to intreat further of
the matter touching his redemption. Here the emperour shewed the letters
which he had receiued from the French king and earle John vnto king
Richard, who vpon sight and perusing of the same, was maruellouslie
amazed, and began to despaire of all speedie deliuerance.
Indéed the emperour sought delaies vpon a couetous desire of the monie
offered by the French king and earle John, [Sidenote: The princes that
had vndertaken for the emperor to performe the couenants.] but yet such
princes and great lords as had vndertaken for the emperour, that the
couenants and articles on his part agréed vpon in the accord passed
betwixt him and king Richard, should be in ech behalfe performed [that
is to saie, the archbishops of Ments, Cullen, and Saltzburge, the
bishops of Wormes, Spiers, and Liege, the dukes of Suaben, Austrich, &
Louain, the Palsgraue of the Rhine, and others] came to the emperour,
and reproouing him for his couetous mind, in that he deferred the
restoring of king Richard to his libertie, contrarie to the composition,
did so much preuaile, that the emperour receiuing pledges for the
paiment of the monie yet behind (as before ye haue heard) released king
Richard out of captiuitie on the second or (as Roger Houeden saith) the
fourth day of Februarie, being a dismall day and an infortunate (as they
note them in kalendars.) [Sidenote: Robert de Nouant.] And where the
king would haue left Robert de Nouant the bishop of Couentries brother
for a pledge amongst the other, he refused to be one of the number,
alledging that he was seruant to earle John. King Richard greeuouslie
offended herewith, commanded that he should be apprehended, and
committed to prison, & so he was. This Robert was one of those that came
with the letters from the French king and earle John to the emperour,
about the staieng of king Richards deliuerance.
Furthermore, king Richard the same day in which he was restored to
libertie, summoned by his letters Hugh Nouant bishop of Couentrie, to
appeare in his court, to answer such things as were to be obiected
against him, both before spirituall iudges in that he was a bishop, and
also before temporall in that he had holden and exercised a temporall
office. On the verie same day also the emperour and the princes of the
empire, sent letters vnder their hands and seales to the French king,
and to John erle of Mortaigne, commanding them immediatlie vpon sight of
the same letters, to restore vnto king Richard all those castels,
cities, townes, lands, and other things, which they had taken from him
during the time of his remaining in captiuitie, and if they refused thus
to doo, then they gaue them to vnderstand by the same letters, that they
would aid king Richard to recouer that by force, which had beene
wrongfullie taken from him.
Moreouer king Richard gaue and by his deed confirmed vnto sundrie
princes of the empire for their homage and fealtie, [Sidenote: Yéerelie
pensions giuen by the king to certeine princes of the empire.] certeine
yearelie pensions, as to the archbishop of Ments and Cullen, to the
bishop of Liege, to the dukes of Austrich and Louaine, to the marquesse
of Mountferrat, [Sidenote: Memburge.] to the duke of Meglenburge, to the
duke of Suaben the emperors brother, to the earle of Bins, to the earle
of Holland, and to the sonne of the earle of Henault, of all the which,
and other mo, he receiued homage, or rather had their promise by oth to
aid him against the French king, which French king, now that he sawe no
hope nor likelihood remaining to bring the emperour to the bent of his
bowe for the deteining of K. Richard still in captiuitie, raised a power
foorthwith, [Sidenote: _Wil. Paruus._ The French king inuadeth
Normandie.] & entring into Normandie (the truce notwithstanding) tooke
the towne of Eureux, with diuerse other fortresses thereabouts, and
after he had doone mischéefe inough, as it were wearied with[10] euill
dooing, he granted eftsoones to stand to the truce, and so returned
home.
Finallie after king Richard had dispatched his businesse with the
emperour, and the princes of Almaigne, he set forward on his iournie
towards England, and hauing the emperours passeport, came to Cullen,
where he was ioifullie receiued of the archbishop, the which archbishop
attended on him till he came to Antwerpe, where king Richard tooke the
water in a gallie that belonged to Alane de Trenchmere, but in the night
he went into a ship of Rie, being a verie faire vessell, and so laie
aboord in hir all the night, [Sidenote: _Rog. Houed._] and in the
morning returned to the gallie, and so sailed about the coast, till he
came to the hauen of Swin in Flanders, and there staieng fiue daies, on
the six day he set foorth againe, [Sidenote: He landed the 20. of March
being sundaie as _R. Houeden_[11] and _Rafe de Diceto_ write.] and at
length in good safetie landed at Sandwich the twelfe daie of March, and
the morrow after came to Canturburie where he was receiued with
procession, as Ger. Dor. saith. From thence he went to Rochester, and on
the Wednesday being the sixteenth of March, he came vnto London, where
he was receiued with great ioy and gladnesse of the people, giuing
heartie thanks to almightie GOD for his safe returne and deliuerance.
¶ It is recorded by writers, that when such lords of Almaine as came
ouer with him, saw the great riches which the Londoners shewed in that
triumphant receiuing of their souereigne lord and king, they maruelled
greatlie thereat, insomuch that one of them said vnto him; "Surelie oh
king, your people are wise and subtile, which do nothing doubt to shew
the beautifull shine of their riches now that they haue receiued you
home, whereas before they seemed to bewaile their need and pouertie,
whilest you remained in captiuitie. For verelie if the emperour had
vnderstood that the riches of the realme had bin such, neither would he
haue beene persuaded that England could haue béene made bare of wealth,
neither yet should you so lightlie haue escaped his hands without the
paiment of a more huge and intollerable ransome."
The same yeare that king Richard was taken (as before is mentioned) by
the duke of Austrich, one night in the moneth of Januarie about the
first watch of the same night, the northwest side of the element
appeared of such a ruddie colour as though it had burned, without any
clouds or other darknesse to couer it, so that the stars shined through
that rednesse, and might be verie well discerned. Diuerse bright strakes
appeared to flash vpwards now and then, diuiding the rednesse, thorough
the which the stars séemed to be of a bright sanguine colour. In
Februarie next insuing, one night after midnight the like woonder was
séene, and shortlie after newes came that the king was taken in
Almaigne.