Kent also was commanded to seize into his hands all the tenements and
possessions that belonged to the moonks (a frie of satan and as one
saith verie well of them and the like leuen of lewdnesse,
---- sentina malorum,
Agnorum sub pelle lupi, mercede colentes
Non pietate Deum, &c.)
who neuer the lesse were so stout in that quarell, that they would not
prolong one daie of the time appointed by the pope for the racing of
that church. Herevpon the king for his part and the bishops in their
owne behalfes wrote to the pope. Likewise the abbats of Boxeley, Fourd,
Stratford, Roberts-bridge, Stanlie, and Basing Warke, wrote the matter
to him: and againe the pope and the cardinals wrote to the king, to the
archbishops, and bishops: and so letters passed to and fro, till at
length the pope sent a Nuncio of purpose, to signifie his full
determination, as in the next yeare it shall be shewed at full.
[Sidenote: Welshmen vanquished. _Ger. Dor._ ascribeth this victorie vnto
Hubert archb. of Canturburie and saith there were slaine about 500 of
the enimies.] About the same time Geffrey Fitz Peter, lord cheefe
iustice of England, raised a power of men, and went into Wales to
succour the tenants of William de Brause, which were besieged of the
king, or rather prince of that countrie, named Owen, the brother of
Cadwalaine, [Sidenote: Mauds castle.] in Mauds castell: but the lord
chéefe iustice comming to the reskue of them within, gaue battell to the
aduersaries, and vanquishing them slue three thousand of them, and
seauen hundred of those that were taken prisoners and wounded. And all
the while the warres continued in France, the losse for the most part
still redounded to the Frenchmen. Earle John burnt Newburg, and tooke
eighteene knights of such as were sent to the reskue.
[Sidenote: The earle of Leicester.] The earle of Leicester with a small
companie came before the castell of Pascie, which (although the
Frenchmen held it) did yet of right belong vnto the said earle. The
souldiors within issued foorth, and being too strong for the earle,
caused him to flee, for otherwise he had béene taken. But returning on
the morrow after with more companie about him, and laieng ambushes for
the enimie, he approched the said castell, and trained the Frenchmen
foorth till he had them within his danger, and then causing his men to
breake out vpon them tooke an eightéene knights, and a great multitude
of other people. [Sidenote: Marchades.] Also Marchades with his rout of
Brabanders did the Frenchmen much hurt, in robbing and spoiling the
countries.
About this season the archbishop of Canturburie went ouer into Normandie
to speake with king Richard, and at the French kings request he passed
into France, to common with him of peace, which the French king offered
to conclude, in restoring all the townes and castels which he had taken
(Gisors onelie excepted) and touching the possession and title thereof,
he was contented to put the matter in compremise, to the order and award
of six barons in Normandie to be named by him; and of six barons in
France which king Richard should name. But king Richard would not thus
agrée, except the earle of Flanders and others which had forsaken the
French king to take his part, might be comprised in the same peace. At
length yet in Nouember, there was truce taken betwixt the two kings till
the feast of S. Hilarie next insuing.
In the meane time pope Innocent the third, vnderstanding in what present
danger things stood in the holie land, and on the other side,
considering what a weakening it was vnto christendome, to haue these two
kings thus to warre with mortall hatred one against the other:
[Sidenote: A truce taken betwixt the two kings.] he thought it stood him
vpon to trauell betwixt them, to bring them vnto some peace and
agreement. Héerevpon he dispatched one Peter the cardinall of Capua into
France, as legat from the sée of Rome, vnto the two foresaid kings, to
instruct them in what present danger the state of the christians in Asia
presentlie stood, so that without the aid of them and of other christian
princes, it could not be holpen, but needs it must come to vtter ruine,
and the Saracens yer long to be possessed of the whole. Therefore both
in respect hereof, and also for the auoiding of the further wilfull
spilling of christian bloud in such ciuill[17] and vngodlie warre, he
besought them to staie their hands, and to ioine in some fréendlie band
of concord, whereby they might with mutuall consent bestow their seruice
in that necessarie and most godlie warre, wherein by ouercomming the
enimies of Christ, they might looke for worthie reward at his hands,
which is the frée giuer of all victories.[18]
[Sidenote: 1199.] The cardinall comming into France, and dooing his
message in most earnest wise, was present at the interuiew appointed
betwixt the two kings in the feast of S. Hilarie, but yet could not he
bring his purpose to full effect: [Sidenote: _R. Houed._ A truce
concluded for fiue yeares.] onelie he procured them to take truce for
the term of fiue yeares, farther he could not get them to agrée. ¶ The
fault by authors is ascribed aswell to king Richard, as to king Philip:
for king Richard being first euill vsed, and put to hinderance,
determined either to vanquish, or neuer to giue place.
This forbearance from warre was concluded and taken in the yeare 1199
after the incarnation, and tenth of king Richards reigne. But
immediatlie after, there arose matter of new displeasure betwixt these
two kings to kéepe their minds in vre with secret grudges, though by
reason of the truce they outwardlie absteined from declaring it by force
of armes. [Sidenote: Contention about the choosing of the emperour.] It
chanced that in the election of a new emperour, the electors could not
agrée, one part of them choosing Otho duke of Saxonie, nephue to king
Richard by his sister Maud, and another part of them naming Philip duke
of Tuscaine, and brother to the last emperour Henrie.
King Richard (as reason was) did procure what fauour he could to the
furtherance of his nephue Otho: and king Philip on the contrarie part,
did what he could in fauour of the foresaid Philip. At length Otho was
admitted by the pope to end the strife: but yet the grudge remained in
the harts of the two kings: Philip finding himselfe much gréeued in that
he had missed his purpose, and Richard being as little pleased for that
he had woone his so hardlie, and with so much adoo. And thus matters
passed for that yeare.
[Sidenote: _R. Houed._ The popes letters to the king for the church of
Lameth.] In the beginning of the next, the popes Nuncio came with
letters, not onlie to the archbishop and bishops of England, but also to
the king himselfe, signifieng the popes resolute decree touching the
church and colledge of Lameth to be broken downe and suppressed.
Wherevpon the king and archbishop (though sore against their willes)
when they saw no waie longer to shift off the matter, yéelded to the
popes pleasure: and so the archbishop sent his letters to Lameth, where
the 21 daie of Januarie they were read, and the 27 daie of the same
moneth was the church cast downe, & the canons which were alreadie these
placed, had commandement to depart from thence without further delaie.
[Sidenote: The moonks borne out by the pope.] Thus the moonks in dispite
of the king and archbishop had their willes, but yet their vexation
ceassed not, for the king and archbishop bearing them no small euill
will, for that they had so obteined their purpose contrarie to their
minds and intents, molested them diuerse waies, although the moonks
still vpon complaint to the pope, were verie much releeued, and found
great freendship both with him and likewise with his court. ¶ So that it
may be obserued that these dishclouts of the popes kitchen haue in all
ages, since their first quickening béene troublesome and mutinous,
sawcie and insolent, proud[19] and malapert. But,
[Sidenote: _M. Pal. in suo sag._]
Proh pudor! hos tolerare potest ecclesia porcos,
Cùm sint lasciui nimiùm, nimiúmq; superbi,
Duntaxàt ventri, veneri somnóq; vacantes?
In this meane time, king Richard being now at rest from troubles of
warre, studied busilie to prouide monie, meaning to make a new voiage
into the holie land. Therefore finding himselfe beare of treasure, by
reason of the French warres had emptied his cofers, [Sidenote: A tax.
Fiue shillings of euerie plough land, as saith _Matt. Westm._] he set a
great tax vpon his subiects, and by that meanes, hauing recouered a
great summe, he builded that notable strong castell in Normandie, vpon
the banke of the riuer of Saine, [Sidenote: Chasteau Galiard built.]
named Chateau Galiard: which when it was finished he fell a iesting
thereat and said; "Behold, is not this a faire daughter of one yeares
growth." The soile where this castell was builded, belonged to the
archbishop of Rouen, for which there followed great strife betwixt the
king and the archbishop, till the pope tooke vp the matter (as before ye
haue heard.)
After this, he determined to chastise certeine persons in Poictou, which
during the warres betwixt him and the French king, had aided the
Frenchmen against him: wherevpon with an armie he passed foorth towards
them, but by the waie he was informed, that one Widomer a vicount in the
countrie of Britaine, had found great treasure: [Sidenote: Images of an
emperour and of his wife & children all of fine gold. The annales of
Aquitaine.] and therefore pretending a right thereto by vertue of his
prerogatiue, he sent for the vicount, who smelling out the matter, and
supposing the king would not be indifferent in parting the treasure,
fled into Limosin, where although the people were tributaries to the
king of England, yet they tooke part with the French king.
[Sidenote: Chalus Cheuerell. _R. Houed._] There is a towne in that
countrie called Chalus Cheuerell, into which the said vicount retired
for safegard of himselfe, and then gaue the townesmen a great portion of
treasure, to the end they should defend him and his quarell for the
rest. King Richard still following him, as one that could not auoid his
fatall ordinance, hasted into the confines of Limosin, fullie
determining either to win the towne by force, if the inhabitants should
make resistance, or at leastwise, to get into his hands the preie, which
he so earnestlie pursued. [Sidenote: K. Richard besiegeth Chalus.] At
his first approch he gaue manie fierce assaults to the towne, but they
within hauing throughlie prouided aforehand for to defend a siege, so
resisted his attempts, that within thrée daies after his comming, he
ceassed to assaile the towne, meaning to vndermine the walles, which
otherwise he perceiued would verie hardlie be gotten; considering the
stoutnesse of them within, and withall, the naturall strength and
situation of the place it selfe.
Herevpon therefore on the 26 of March, whiles he (togither with capteine
Marchades) went about vnaduisedlie to view the towne (the better to
consider the place which waie he might conueie the course of his mine)
they came so farre within danger, [Sidenote: He is wounded.] that the
king was stricken in the left arme, or (as some write) in the shoulder,
where it ioined to the necke, with a quarell inuenomed (as is to be
supposed by the sequele.) [Sidenote: _Ra. Niger._] Being thus wounded,
he gat to his horsse, and rode home againe to his lodging, where he
caused the wound to be searched and bound vp, and as a man nothing
dismaid therewith, continued his siege with such force and assurance,
that within 12 daies after the mishap, the towne was yéelded vnto him,
although verie little treasure (to make any great accompt of) was at
that time found therein.
In this meane season, the king had committed the cure of his wound to
one of Marchades his surgions, who taking in hand to plucke out the
quarell, drew foorth onelie the shaft at the first[20], and left the
iron still within, and afterwards going about most vnskilfullie to get
foorth the head of the said quarell, he vsed such incisions, and so
mangled the kings arme, yer he could cut it, [Sidenote: The king
despaired of life.] that he himself despaired of all helpe and longer
life, affirming flatlie to such as stood about him, that he could not
long continue by reason of his butcherlie handling. To be short féeling
himselfe to wax weaker and weaker, preparing his mind to death, which he
perceiued now to be at hand, [Sidenote: He ordeineth his testament.] he
ordeined his testament, or rather reformed and added sundrie things vnto
the same which he before had made, at the time of his gooing foorth
towards the holie land.
Vnto his brother Iohn he assigned the crowne of England, and all other
his lands and dominions, causing the Nobles there present to sweare
fealtie vnto him. [Sidenote: _R. Houed._] His monie, his iewels, and all
other his goods mooueable he willed to be diuided into thrée parts, of
the which Otho the emperor his sisters sonne to haue one, his houshold
seruants an other part, and the third to be distributed to the poore.
Finallie remembring himselfe also of the place of his buriall, he
commanded that his bodie should be interred at Fonteurard at his fathers
feet, [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._] but he willed his heart to be conueied
vnto Rouen, and there buried, in testimonie of the loue which he had
euer borne vnto that citie for the stedfast faith and tried loialtie at
all times found in the citizens there. His bowels he ordeined to be
buried in Poictiers, as in a place naturallie vnthankefull and not
worthie to reteine any of the more honorable parts of his bodie.
Moreouer he caused the arcubalistar that wounded him, to be sought out,
whose name was Barthram de Garden[21], or Peter Basill (for so he named
himselfe as some write) who being brought before the king, [Sidenote:
_Rog. Houed._] he demanded wherein he had so much offended him, that he
should so lie in wait to slea him, rather than Marchades, who was then
in his companie, and attendant on his person? The other answered boldlie
againe, saieng; "I purposed to kill thee, bicause thou sluest my father,
and two of my brethren heretofore, and wouldest also now haue slaine me,
if I had happened to fall into thy hands. Wherefore I intended to
reuenge their deaths, not caring in the meane time what became of my
selfe, so that I might in anie wise obteine my will of thée, who in such
sort hast bereft me of my freends." The king harkening vnto his words,
and pondering his talke by good aduisement, [Sidenote: A notable example
of forgiuing an enimie. _Matth. Paris._] fréelie pardoned him, and
withall commanded that he should be set at libertie, and thereto haue an
hundred shillings giuen him in his pursse, and so to be let go.
Moreouer, he gaue strait charge that no[22] man should hurt him, or séeke
any reuenge for this his death hereafter. Thus the penitent prince not
onelie forgaue, but also rewarded his aduersarie. Howbeit after his
deceasse, Marchades getting him into his hands, first caused the skin to
be stripped off his bodie, and after hanged him on a gibit.
[Sidenote: King Richard departed this life.] At length king Richard by
force of sicknesse (increased with anguish of his incurable wound)
departed this life, on the tuesdaie before Palmesundaie, being the ninth
of Aprill, and the xj. daie after he was hurt, in the yeare after the
birth of our Sauiour 1199. in the 44 yeare of his age, and after he had
reigned nine yeares, nine moneths, and od daies: he left no issue behind
him. [Sidenote: His stature & shape of bodie. _Gal. Vinsaf._] He was
tall of stature, and well proportioned, faire and comelie of face, so as
in his countenance appeared much fauour and grauitie, of haire bright
aborne, as it were betwixt red and yellow, with long armes, and nimble
in all his ioints his thighes and legs were of due proportion, and
answerable to the other parts of his bodie.
[Sidenote: His disposition of mind.] As he was comelie of personage, so
was he of stomach more couragious and fierce, so that not without cause,
he obteined the surname of Cueur de lion, that is to saie, The lions
hart. Moreouer he was courteous to his souldiors, and towards his
fréends and strangers that resorted vnto him verie liberall, but to his
enimies hard and not to be intreated, desirous of battell, an enimie to
rest and quietnesse, verie eloquent of speech and wise, but readie to
enter into ieopardies, and that without feare or forecast in time of
greatest perils.
[Sidenote: The vices that were in king Richard.] These were his vertuous
qualities, but his vices (if his vertues, his age, and the wars which he
mainteined were throughlie weied) were either none at all, or else few
in number, and not verie notorious. He was noted of the common people to
be partlie subiect vnto pride, which surelie for the most part foloweth
stoutnesse of mind: of incontinencie, to the which his youth might
happilie be somewhat bent: and of couetousnesse, into the which infamie
most captieins and such princes as commonlie follow the warres doo
oftentimes fall, when of the necessitie they are driuen to exact monie,
as well of fréends as enimies, to mainteine the infinit charges of their
wars.
Hereof it came, that on a time whiles he soiourned in France about his
warres, which he held against K. Philip, [Sidenote: Fulco a préest.]
there came vnto him a French préest whose name was Fulco, who required
the K. in any wise to put from him thrée abhominable daughters which he
had, and to bestow them in marriage, least God punished him for them.
Thou liest hypocrite (said the king) to thy verie face, for all the
world knoweth that I haue not one daughter. I lie not (said the préest)
for thou hast thrée daughters, one of them is called pride, the second
couetousnesse, and the third lecherie. With that the king, called to him
his lords & barons, and said to them; "This hypocrite heere hath
required me to marrie awaie my thrée daughters, which (as he saith) I
cherish, nourish, foster and mainteine, that is to say pride,
couetousnesse, and lecherie. And now that I haue found out necessarie &
fit husbands for them, I will doo it with effect, and seeke no more
delaies. I therefore bequeath my pride to the high minded templers and
hospitallers, which are as proud as Lucifer himselfe. My couetousnesse I
giue vnto the white moonks, otherwise called of the Cisteaux order, for
they couet the diuell and all. My lecherie I commit to the prelates of
the church, who haue most pleasure and felicitie therein."
[Sidenote: Baldwine & Hubert archbishops of Canturburie.] There liued in
the daies of this king Richard, men of worthie fame amongst those of the
cleargie, Baldwine archbishop of Canturburie, and Hubert who succeeded
him in that sée, also Hugh bishop of Lincolne, a man for his worthinesse
of life highlie to be commended. Moreouer, William bishop of Elie, who
though otherwise he was to be dispraised for his ambition and pompous
hautinesse, yet the king vsed his seruice for a time greatlie to his
profit and aduancement of the publike affaires. Also of learned men we
find diuerse in these daies that flourished here in this land, as
Baldwine of Deuonshire that came to the bishop of Worcester in this
kings time, and after his deceasse, he was aduanced to the gouernment of
the archbishops sée of Canturburie, who wrote diuerse treatises, namelie
of matters perteining to diuinitie. [Sidenote: _Iohn Bales._] Daniell
Morley well seene in the Mathematicals, Iohn de Hexam, and Richard de
Hexham two notable historicians; Guilielmus Stephanides a moonke of
Canturburie, who wrote much in the praise of archbishop Becket. Beside
these, we find one Richard, that was an abbat of the order
Premonstratensis, Richard Diuisiensis, Nicholas Walkington, Robert de
Bello Foco, an excellent philosopher, &c. ¶ See Bale in his third
Centurie.
In martiall renowme there flourished in this kings daies diuerse noble
capteines, as Robert earle of Leicester, Ranulfe de Fulgiers, two of the
Bardulphes, Hugh and Henrie, thrée Williams, Marshall, Brunell, and
Mandeuill, with two Roberts, Ros and Sabeuile. [Sidenote: A great
derth.] Furthermore, I find that in the daies of this king Richard, a
great derth reigned in England, and also in France, for the space of
three or foure yeares during the wars betwéene him & king Philip, so
that after his returne out of Germanie, and from imprisonment, a quarter
of wheat was sold at 18 shillings eight pence, no small price in those
daies, if you consider the alay of monie then currant.
Also immediatlie after, that is to say, in the yeare of our Lord, a
thousand, one hundred, nintie six, which was about the seuenth yere of
the said kings reigne, [Sidenote: A great mortalitie of people. _Wil.
Paruus._] there followed a maruellous sore death, which dailie consumed
such numbers of people, that scarse there might be found any to kéepe
and looke to those that were sicke, or to burie them that died. Which
sickenesse was a pestilentiall feuer or sharpe burning ague. The
accustomed manner of buriall was also neglected: so that in manie places
they made great pits, and threw their dead bodies into the same, one
vpon an other. For the multitude of them that died was such, that they
could not haue time to make for euerie one a seuerall graue. This
mortalitie continued for the space of fiue or six months, and at length
ceassed in the cold season of winter.
[Sidenote: Two sunnes.] In the octaues of Pentecost before this great
death, in the first houre of the day, there appeared two sunnes, the
true sunne & another, as it were a counterfeit sunne: but so
apparentlie, that hard it was to the common people, to discerne the one
from the other. The skilfull also were compelled by instruments to
distinguish the one from the other: in taking their altitudes and
places, whereby in the end they found the new apparition, as it were, to
wait vpon the planet, and so continued by the space of certeine houres.
At length when the beholders (of whom Wil. Paruus that recorded things
in that age was one) had well wearied their eies in diligent marking the
maner of this strange appearance, the counterfeit sunne vanished awaie.
¶ This strange woonder was taken for a signification of that which
followed, that is to say, of war, famine and pestilence: or to say the
truth, it betokened rather the continuance of two of those mischiefs.
For warre and famine had sore afflicted the people before that time, and
as yet ceassed not: but as for the pestilence, it began soone after the
strange sight, whereof insued such effect, as I haue alreadie rehearsed.
Thus farre king Richard.
Transcriber's notes
There are no footnotes in the original. The original spelling and
punctuation have been retained, with the exception of obvious errors
which have been corrected by reference to the 1587 edition of which
the original is a transcription.
[1] Original reads 'where'; corrected to 'were'.
[2] Original reads 'whith'; corrected to 'with'.
[3] Original reads 'were'; corrected to 'where'.
[4] Original reads 'be Camuille'; corrected to 'de Camuille'.
[5] Original reads 'which tossed them them'; corrected to
'which tossed them'.
[6] Original reads 'connterfet'; corrected to 'counterfet'.
[7] Original reads 'holié'; corrected to 'holie'.
[8] Original reads 'easile'; corrected to 'easilie'.
[9] Original reads 'forfied'; corrected to 'fortified'.
[10] Original reads 'wearie dwith'; corrected to 'wearied with'.
[11] Original reads 'Houden'; corrected to 'Houeden'.
[12] Original reads 'a might bréed as'; corrected to 'as might bréed a'
[13] Original reads 'Lancastsr'; corrected to 'Lancaster'.
[14] Original reads "de' Rancin"; corrected to "de Rancin".
[15] Original reads 'aud'; corrected to 'and'.
[16] Original reads 'wherepon'; corrected to 'wherevpon'.
[17] Original reads 'eiuill'; corrected to 'ciuill'.
[18] Original reads 'victories,'; corrected to 'victories.'.
[19] Original reads 'insolent,ro ud'; corrected to 'insolent, proud'.
[20] Original reads 'at he first'; corrected to 'at the first'.
[21] Original reads 'be Garden'; corrected to 'de Garden'.
[22] Original reads 'that no no'; corrected to 'that no'.