he should intimate to the French king, how his maister king Henrie
offered himselfe as a mediator betwixt him and the duke of Britaine,
to make them friends: and if he perceiued that the French king gaue
eare herevnto, then should he go into Britaine, to mooue the duke
there to be contented, that some reasonable order might be taken for a
quietnesse to be had betwixt the French king and him. Whilest Urswike
was trauelling in this matter (according to his commission) the king
came backe againe to London, where he was receiued of the citizens with
great ioy and triumph, they being heartlie glad and greatlie reioising
that he with such good successe had subdued his enimies.
[Sidenote: The marques Dorset deliuered out of the Tower.]
[Sidenote: The kings loue to his wife quéene Elizabeth.]
Shortlie after, he deliuered the lord Thomas marques Dorset out of the
Tower, receiuing him againe to his former fauor and old familiaritie:
bicause his truth and loialtie by diuerse assaies and sundrie arguments
had béene throughlie tried, and sufficientlie prooued. In which meane
time, the king for the great loue that he bare to his wife quéene
Elizabeth, caused hir to be crowned and anointed quéene on saint
Katharins day in Nouember, with all solemnitie, as in such cases
apperteineth. In the meane season Christopher Urswike (according to his
commission) trauelled betwéene the French king and the duke of Britaine
in the king of Englands Name to make them friends. But although the
French king séemed willing enough to haue peace, yet meant he nothing
lesse. For he had as manie subtilties in his heart, as there be faces
in the world, according to the poet.
Pectoribus fraudes tot sunt quot in orbe figuræ.
[Sidenote: The duke of Orleance partaker with the duke of Britaine.]
For whilest he went about with faire words, courteous letters, and
swéet promises to beare the king of England in hand to labour a peace
betwixt him and the Britains, he inforced his whole puissance to subdue
them, and besieged the citie of Nants. And on the other part, the duke
of Orleance being withdrawne to the duke of Britaine, and one that
ruled most about him, had no liking to heare of peace, but did what he
could to hinder it. The English ambassador Christopher Urswike (hauing
thus passed from the French king to the duke of Britaine, and backe
againe to the French king) returned shortlie after into England, and
shewed vnto king Henrie what he had doone betwixt them.
Immediatlie after came to the French king the lord Bernard Daubeneie
a Scot borne, which on the French kings behalfe required K. Henrie
to make some maner of end of those Brittish warres, whatsoeuer it
were. King Henrie being desirous of the same, sent ouer againe into
France, Iohn the abbat of Abingdon, sir Richard Edgecombe knight, and
the forenamed Christopher Urswike, with full and perfect commission &
long instructions how to procéed, in driuing of some agréement betwixt
the Frenchmen and the Britons. These orators (according as they had
in commandement) first went vnto the French king, and after they had
communed with him, sir Richard Edgecombe, and Christopher Urswike
departed streight to the duke of Britaine, in full hope to conclude a
peace, vpon such offers and articles as they had to propone vnto him.
[Sidenote: 1488.]
[Sidenote: Edward lord Wooduile aideth the duke of Britaine without the
kings c[=o]sent.]
But all their hope was vaine, for the duke refused to agrée vpon anie
such articles and conditions as they offered; and so without concluding
anie thing with the duke, they returned backe into France; and from
thence signified to the king of England by letters all that they knew,
or had doone. But in the meane time, Edward lord Wooduile, vncle to the
quéene, sued to king Henrie that he might haue a power of men appointed
to him, with the which he would steale priuilie ouer without licence
or passeport, so that euerie man should thinke that he was fled the
realme, without knowledge of the king, for that no warre should arise
by his meanes betwixt the realmes of France and England, and yet should
the duke of Britaine be aided against the power of the Frenchmen, which
sought to vanquish him, that they might ioine his countrie vnto the
dominion of France: which in no wise ought to be suffered, considering
what annoiance & hurt the same might bring to the realme of England in
time to come.
[Sidenote: Lord Wooduile gathereth a power in the Ile of wight.]
Although this request was vtterlie denied, and that the lord Wooduile
was streightlie commanded by the king to make no such attempt; yet
could not all that staie him, but that withdrawing him into the Ile
of Wight, whereof he was made ruler and capteine, he there gathered
togither a crue of tall & hardie personages, to the number of 400, &
with prosperous wind & weather arriued in Britaine, and ioined himselfe
with the Britons against the Frenchmen. The French king aduertised
herof, was not well plesed in his mind towards the king of England;
till K. Henrie by new messengers informed him how guiltlesse he was
in the matter, and that by plaine and euident proofes. With the which
excuse the French king séemed to be the better pacified, and was
content to dissemble the matter.
[Sidenote: The league renewed betwéene England and France.]
[Sidenote: The king calleth a parlement.]
Then the English ambassadors, renewing the league and amitie betwixt
king Henrie & the French king, for the space of twelue moneths, they
returned into England, and shewed the king all things that they had
either heard or séene; so that he perceiued that the French king dealt
craftilie in this matter of Britaine, still motioning peace when he
meant nothing else but warre. He therefore called his high court of
parlement, in the which it was not onelie determined that the duke of
Britaine should be aided with a power of men against the wrongfull
inuasions of the Frenchmen, but also there were diuerse summes of
monie granted to the furnishing foorth and maintenance of the same.
And immediatlie herevpon, the king sent his ambassadors into France to
certifie the French king what the estates assembled in parlement here
in England had decréed.
[Sidenote: A peremptorie ambassage out of England into France.]
Wherefore he required him either to surceasse the warres which he
had in hand against the Britons, or else not to be gréeued though he
condescended to the iudgement and determination of the lords both
spirituall and temporall, and commons of his realme, in taking vpon him
the defense of the duke of Britaine; promising neuerthelesse that the
English armie should onelie take land within the duchie of Britaine,
and séeke to defend the same against all those that did inuade it, and
not to make anie warre within the French dominions. This message was
nothing regarded of the French king, in so much that the French armie
procéeded in oppressing the Britons, destroieng the countrie, and
besieging townes.
[Sidenote: The battell of saint Aulbin in Britaine, betwéene the duke
of Britaine and the French king.]
[Sidenote: Lord Wooduile slaine.]
At length on the seuen and twentith, or (as the chronicles of Aniou
haue) the eight and twentith daie of Iulie, the duke of Britains armie
gaue battell to the French host néere to a towne called saint Aulbin,
hauing apparelled a thousand and seuen hundred of the Britons in coates
with red crosses, after the English fashion, to make the Frenchmen
beléeue that they had a great number of Englishmen, although they had
but foure hundred onelie with the lord Wooduile. The victorie in this
battell fell to the Frenchmen, so that almost all the Englishmen were
slaine with the lord Wooduile, beside six thousand Britons. The duke
of Orleance and the prince of Orainge were taken prisoners, which were
there on the Britons part. The Frenchmen lost twelue hundred men, and
amongst other, that valiant Italian capteine Iames Galeot.
[Sidenote: King Henrie sendeth foorth his armie against the French.]
These newes being brought into England, caused king Henrie to make
hast in sending foorth his armie, and therefore was the lord Brooke,
with sir Iohn Cheinie, sir Iohn Middleton, sir Rafe Hilton, sir
Richard Corbet, sir Thomas Leighton, sir Richard Laton, and sir Edmund
Cornewall sent ouer into Britaine with all conuenient spéed, hauing
with them an eight thousand men, well armed and furnished in warlike
wise, to aid the duke of Britaine against the Frenchmen. These lustie
capteins being arriued in Britaine, after they had a little refreshed
them, marched forward, and comming néere to their enimies, pitched
downe their field, not farre from the Frenchmens campe.
[Sidenote: When the French be inuincible.]
[Sidenote: Francis duke of Britaine dieth.]
The Frenchmen by experience knowing the Englishmen (so long as they be
fresh and lustie) in maner to be inuincible, thought not good to match
with them in open battell, till they were somewhat wearied lieng and
lingering abroad in the field. And therefore at the first they sought
to wearie them with light skirmishes, appointing their horssemen to
giue them alarmes, & some skirmishes; in the which the Frenchmen, by
reason of the English archers (which galled both men and horsses) were
euer put to the worsse. But behold the mutabilitie of worldlie chances!
Whiles this warre was thus set forward, Francis duke of Britaine
departed this life, & then the chéefe rulers of Britaine, falling
at dissention among themselues, tendered not the defense of their
countrie, but rather minded the destruction thereof.
[Sidenote: The duchie of Britaine incorporated to the realme of France.]
[Sidenote: _Iohn Stow._]
[Sidenote: The birth of prince Arthur.]
Herevpon the Englishmen, perceiuing in what danger they were, and
considering that it was in the middest of winter, a time not méet for
men of warre to lie in the cold and frostie fields, they returned into
England, within fiue monethes after their first setting foorth. So that
finallie the French king got the vpper hand of the Britons, and did
incorporate that duchie to his realme and crowne of France, as in the
historie of France it may appéere at large. ¶ In Iuly this yéere was
a prest leuied for the king in the citie of London, of foure thousand
pounds, which was repaied the yeare next following. In September, the
quéene was deliuered at Winchester of her first sonne, named prince
Arthur; and the fiue and twentith of Nouember (next insuing) she was
crowned at Westminster with all due solemnitie.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 4.]
[Sidenote: The collectors of the subsidie complaine to the earle of
Northumberland that they cannot get in the tax monie.]
Yée haue heard, how there was in the last parlement monie granted for
the furnishing foorth of the armie into Britaine; that is to wit, it
was agréed, that euerie man should be taxed after the rate of his
substance, to paie the tenth penie of his goods. Which monie the most
part of them that dwelled in the bishoprike of Durham, and in the
parties of Yorkeshire refused vtterlie to paie: either for that they
thought themselues ouercharged with the same; or were procured to shew
themselues disobedient, thorough the euill counsell of some seditious
persons, which conspired against the king, to put him to new trouble.
Therefore such as were appointed collectors, after that they could not
get the monie, according to their extract deliuered to them by the
commissioners, they made their complaint priuilie to Henrie the fourth
earle of Northumberland, chiefe ruler of the North parts.
[Sidenote: 1489.]
[Sidenote: The earle of Northumberland murthered by the northerne
rebels at the instigation and setting on of Iohn a Chamber.]
The earle foorthwith signified to the king all that matter, and the
king not willing to pardon them of anie one penie (least the example
might doo hurt by incouraging others to shew the like stubbornes in
other parts of the realme) c[=o]manded the earle either by distresse
or otherwise, to leuie the monie as he should thinke most méet. The
rude and beastlie people hearing of this answer from the king, by and
by with great violence set vpon the earle by the exciting of a simple
fellow named Iohn a Chamber, whome the erle with faire words sought to
appease. But they like vnreasonable villaines, alledging all the fault
to be in him, as chiefe author of the tax, furiouslie and cruellie
murthered both him and diuerse of his houshold seruants. Diuerse
affirme that the Northerne men bare against this earle continuall
grudge euer since the death of king Richard, whom they entirelie
fauoured.
[Sidenote: A rebellion in the north for a tax granted by parlement.]
[Sidenote: Sir Iohn Egremond capteine rebell.]
Although this offense was great and heinous; yet there succéeded a more
mischiefe: for incontinentlie (to cloke this presumptuous murther) the
Northerne men got them to armour, and assembling togither, chose them
a capteine, no lesse seditious than desirous of trouble, called sir
Iohn Egremond knight; and passing by the countries, they published and
declared that they would bid the king battell onlie in defense of their
liberties & common fréedome, of the which he went about to béereaue
them. But when the matter should come to be tried with blowes, their
harts so fainted that they scattered awaie, euerie man séeking to saue
himselfe by flight: but that little auailed them.
[Sidenote: Thomas erle of Surrie sent with a power against the north
rebels.]
[Sidenote: Iohn a Ch[=a]ber hanged like an archtraitor.]
For the king hearing of this businesse, sent foorth Thomas earle of
Surreie (whome not long before he had deliuered out of the Tower,
and receiued to his speciall fauour) with a crue of men, to chastise
those rebels of the north parts, who skirmished with a certeine
companie of them, and them discomfited, and took aliue Iohn a Chamber,
the first beginner of this rebellion. The king himselfe road after
into Yorkeshire, of whose comming the sturdie rebels were so abashed
and afraid, that they fled more and lesse; which afterward were
apprehended, and punished according to their demerits. Yet the king of
his clemencie pardoned the innocent people, and executed the chiefe
procurers. For Iohn a Chamber was hanged at Yorke on a gibbet set vpon
a square paire of gallowes like an archtraitor, and his complices and
lewd disciples were hanged on the lower gallowes round about their
maister, to the terrible example of other.
[Sidenote: Sir Iohn Egremond flieth into Flanders.]
[Sidenote: The king boroweth a gret summe of monie of the ch[=a]ber of
Lond[=o].]
But sir Iohn Egremond fled into Flanders to the ladie Margaret duchesse
of Burgognie, that euer enuied the prosperitie of king Henrie. After
this the king returned to London, leauing the earle of Surreie to rule
the north parts, and appointed sir Richard Tunstall, a man of great
wit and policie, to gather the subsidie to him due of the people.
This yeare the king borrowed of euerie alderman of London two hundred
pounds, and of the Chamber nine thousand eightie two pounds seuentéene
shillings foure pence; which he repaied againe to the vttermost, with
great equitie and thankefulnes. [A vertue verie laudable in this good
king, and so much the more noteworthie as it is rare; speciallie in
mightie men and great estates of the world, that count what soeuer they
can catch their owne, as though the pursses of their people were theirs
to possesse at pleasure & vse at lust, without conscience or care of
restitution. Which foule fault Ecclesiasticus noteth (affirming that
all is lost that is lent them) in expresse words, saieng:
[Sidenote: _Gu. Ha. in Eccle. cap. 8._]
Reddere magnates nolunt, quæ mutua sumunt,
Mutua quæ trades interiisse scias.]
[Sidenote: A rebellion in Flanders.]
[Sidenote: Maximilian king of Romans imprisoned at Bruges by the
townesmen.]
In this season, the emperour Frederike made warre against the Flemings,
namelie against Bruges and certeine townes of Flanders, which had
rebelled against his sonne Maximilian king of Romans, their liege
and souereigne lord; in so much that they of Bruges had not onelie
slaine his officers but imprisoned him within their towne, till they
had caused him to pardon all their offenses, and also to sweare neuer
to remember, nor reuenge the same in time to come. But his father
Frederike the emperour could not suffer such a reproch & dishonour
doone to his sonne (whose fame & princelie estate as he tendered and
had in gelosie; so was it his hart gréefe and immoderat vexation that
he should be abused of open contemners, in such villanous sort as
tended highlie to the indignitie of his person, and the aggrauating of
their offense and punishment) to passe vnreuenged, & therefore scourged
the countrie of Flanders with sharpe and cruell warre.
[Sidenote: The lord Cordes maketh aduanage of occasion.]
The lord of Rauenstein being driuen to take the same oth, that his
master Maximilian tooke at Bruges, to shew that the warre was not begun
with his assent, forsooke Maximilian his lord, and tooke the townes of
Ipre and Sluis, with both the castels of the same hauen, and further
did not onelie stir the Cantois, Brugeans, and other towns of Flanders,
to rebell against their souereigne lord; but also sent to the French
kings lieutenant in Picardie, the lord Cordes, to aid him to conquer
such townes of Flanders, as were not of his opinion. The lord Cordes,
otherwise called monsieur de Querdes, was glad to haue so good occasion
to set foot in Flanders, as he that had sufficient instructions of his
maister the French king, vpon anie such offred occasion so to doo,
sent foorthwith to the aid of the Flemings eight thousand Frenchmen,
commanding them to conquer such townes, as were in the waie betwixt
France and Bruges.
[Sidenote: King Henrie sendeth the lord Daubeneie and the lord Morleie
against the French.]
The capteins, according to his deuise, besieged a little walled towne
called Dixmew, to whome came foure thousand Flemings with vittels and
artillerie, sent from the lord of Rauenstein. They laid siege on the
north side of the towne, in a marish ground then being drie, and so
déepelie ditched and rampired their campe about (on which rampire they
laid their ordinance) that it was in maner impossible to enter their
campe, or doo them anie displeasure or damage. The K. of England was
dailie aduertised of these dooings, which nothing lesse desired than
to haue the English pale inuironed with French fortresses. Wherefore
to preuent that mischiefe in time, with all expedition he sent ouer to
the lord Daubeneie, then his deputie of Calis, the lord Morleie, with a
crue of valiant archers & souldiers, to the number of a thousand men,
with priuie instructions what they should doo.
[Sidenote: Sir Humfrie Talbot with his six score archers.]
At their comming ouer it was bruted abroad, that they were sent onelie
to defend the English pale, against all attempts that might vpon
the sudden in anie wise be made by the Frenchmen, or Flemings: but
their enterprise was all otherwise. For on a tuesday at the shutting
of the gates at night, the lord Daubeneie chiefeteine of the armie,
the lord Morleie, sir Iames Tirrell capteine of Guisnes, sir Henrie
Willoughbie, sir Gilbert Talbot, and sir Humfreie Talbot marshall of
Calis, with diuerse other knights, and esquiers, and other of the
garisons of Hammes, Guisnes, and Calis, to the number of two thousand
men or thereabouts, issued priuilie out of Calis, & passed the water
of Graueling in the morning betimes; and left there for a stale, and
to kéepe the passage, sir Humfreie Talbot, with six score archers, and
came to Newport, where they found the souereigne of Flanders with six
hundred Almains, and there they staied that night.
[Sidenote: The good service of a wretch that should haue béene hanged.]
[Sidenote: A policie.]
On the next daie they went toward Dixmew, and by the guiding of a
prisoner, that should haue béene hanged on the next morning, they
issued out of the south gate of the towne of Dixmew, and were conueied
by their said guide by an high banke set with willowes; so that the
Cantois could not well espie them, and so secretlie gat to the end of
their enimies campe, and there paused. The lord Daubeneie commanded all
men to send their horsses and wagons backe, but the lord Morleie said
he would ride till he came to hand strokes. Thus they marched foorth
till they came to a low banke, and no déepe ditch, where the ordinance
laie; and there the archers shot altogither, euerie man an arrow, and
so fell prostrate to the ground. The enimies herewith discharged their
ordinance, and ouershot them.
[Sidenote: The lord Morleie slaine.]
[Sidenote: The number of the slaine on both parts.]
The Almains lept ouer the ditch with their morice pikes. The Englishmen
in the fore-front waded the ditch, and were holpen vp by the Almains,
and set on their enimies, and tooke manie prisoners. The other
Englishmen hasted by the causie to enter in at the north gate of the
campe, where the lord Morleie being on horssebacke in a rich coate,
was slaine with a gun. When his death was knowen, euerie man killed
his prisoner, and slue all such as did withstand them, to the number
of eight thousand men; in so much that of two thousand that came out
of Bruges (as the Flemish chronicle reporteth) there came not home one
hundred. On the English part was slaine the lord Morleie, and not an
hundred more.
[Sidenote: The English souldiers inriched.]
[Sidenote: Newport besieged by the Frenchmen.]
The Englishmen tooke their ordinance and sent it to Newport, with
all the spoile and great horsses. And by the waie hearing certeine
Frenchmen to be at Ostend, they made thitherward: but the Frenchmen
fled, and so they burned part of the towne, and came againe to Newport,
where the lord Daubeneie left all the Englishmen that were hurt and
returned to Calis, where he buried the bodie of the lord Morleie. The
Englishmen got great riches at this field, for they that went foorth in
cloth, came home in silke, and those that went out on foot, came home
on great horsses. The lord Cordes being at Ipre with twentie thousand
men, was sore displeased with this ouerthrow; & therefore thinking to
be reuenged, besieged the towne of Newport right stronglie, and shot
dailie at the wals, breaking them in manie places.
[Sidenote: English archers.]
But the Englishmen that were hurt at Dixmew field before, and might
either stand or draw bowe, neuer came from the wals. On a daie the
Frenchmen gaue a great assault to a tower, and perforce entered it,
and set vp the banner of the lord Cordes. But sée the chance! During
the time of the assault, there arriued a barke with foure score fresh,
English archers, which came streight to the tower, and did so much,
that what with the helpe of such as before were wounded and hurtmen,
and of the couragious harts of the new come archers incouraged greatlie
by the women of the towne, crieng; Shoot Englishmen, shoot: the tower
was regained out of the Frenchmens hands, and the banner of the lord
Cordes rent in péeces, and in place thereof the penon of saint George
set vp. Then the Frenchmen, supposing a great aid of Englishmen to haue
béene come to the towne by sea, left the assault.
[Sidenote: The malicious and foolish words of the lord Cordes.]
[Sidenote: Iames king of Scots slaine by his owne subiects.]
And the night following, the enuious lord Cordes (which so sore longed
for Calis, that he would commonlie saie that he could be content to
lie seuen yeares in hell, so that Calis were in possession of the
Frenchmen) brake vp his siege, and returned to Helding with shame.
And the Englishmen glad of this victorie returned to Calis. This
yeare Iames the third of that name king of Scots was slaine by his
owne subiects, after they had vanquished him in a pight field. About
the same time one Adrian an Italian was sent in ambassage from pope
Innocent the eight into Scotland, to haue taken vp the variance betwixt
the king there and his people. But being arriued here in England, he
was informed that king Iames was slaine, and therfore taried here
certeine moneths.
[Sidenote: Adrian an Italian made bishop in Hereford, and after of Bath
and Welles.]