alle ye other noble princes and other puissaunt lordes and nobles of divers
astates olde or yong, of so auncien a stok and of so worthy a lineage, as
of the noble Trojan is blode descendid, as it is auctorised and may appere
by many croniclers and histories of noble doctours enacted and registred,
that ye alonly have ever ben halden without note of errour or deformite of
the law withe the most puissaunt and of power thoroughe alle regions
cristen or hethen, haveng alway under youre regencie and governaunce the
habondaunce of noble men of chevalrie, passing alle othir landes after the
quantite and afferaunt of youre roiaume, lete then be as a mirrour noted
and had before youre eyen by contynuell remembraunce to thentent that the
excersising of theire noble actis in conquestis may the more vigorously
endeuce you to succede the prowesse and vaillauntnesse of youre highe
predecessoures in armes, like as it shewethe welle at this tyme of what
worship they have bene by here victorious dedis, for they in difference of
other nacions have ever ewred and shewed the renomme and excellence of
youre highe and mighty antecessours' corages, aswelle in straunge regions
as among the Sarrazyns in the region of Sirie and Turkie, as in the said
neere regions of Fraunce, Spayne, Lumbardie, Spruce, and other countrees.
And therfor ye shulde yeve laude and praisingis alway to God, for, sithe
the trespassement of prince Edwarde and good Henry duc of Lancaster that
was, [ther wer but few like to hem in armys.[137]]
Here is brieflie made mencion of the recomendacion of acyn[138] worship of
Henry the .v^{the}. and his bretheryn Thomas, Johan, and Humfrey, .iiij.
noble princes.
Where was he of late daies descendid of noble bloode that was so corageous
in dedis of armes as was that mightifull prince of renommee of {44} youre
noble lynage Henry .v^{te}. and his said thre full mighty and noble princes
his brethern, and next .ij. cosyns germayns of youre kynne, that in here
daies were as the pilours and chief postis of the holders up of the [last
conquest, and of the[139]] possession of youre rightfulle enheritaunce,
bothe of youre roiaumes of Fraunce as of justice keping, tranquillite and
pease in youre roiaume of Englonde, also of the duchies of Normandie,
Gascoigne, Guyen, and of the counte of Mayne.
[Sidenote: Dux Clarence.]
[Sidenote: Conciderandum est.]
For as for a brief advertisement and remembraunce how Thomas the duc of
Clarence in his yong age, the yere of Crist M^l.cccc.iij., lieutenaunt of
alle Irelonde, and after that lieutenaunt and governoure of youre duchees
of Gascoyne and Guien, defending the true subgettis frome theire
adversaries, holding up youre right and keping youre peple and subgettis
under youre lawes. And after [the seyd duc,[139]] in company of the
victorioux prince Henry the .v^{te}., labourid in armes upon that noble
conquest in Fraunce and the duchie of Normandie, there being lieutenaunt
for that marchis, where as he in bataile among youre adversaries in the
duchie of Anjou at Bowgee most worshiplie at a sodeyn recountre fighting
withe a few felouship of lordes and nobles, levyng his hoste behynde, not
abiding theire comyng, ayenst a gret multitude of fighters, the yere of
Crist M^l.cccc.xxj. among the Frenshemen and Scottis was slayne; whiche not
long after God thoroughe power suffred the seid capteyns of Scottis to be
overthrow bothe at the batailes of Cravant, also at the bataile of
Vernelle, and [also[139]] at the bataile of Rouverey.
[Sidenote: J. dux Bedfordie regens regni Frauncie.]
[Sidenote: Conquestus comitatus de Mayn.]
[Sidenote: .1435.]
Also youre second cousyn Johan duc of Bedforde, that in his grene age was
lieutenaunt of the marchis, werrid ayenst the Scottis, keping them in
subgeccion, havyng gret journeis and batailes ayenst them. After that made
admirall and kepar of the see, havyng a gret mortal bataile and victorie
ayenst the carrakes, galeis, and othir gret shippis. Beyng also a certayn
tyme lieutenaunt and protectoure in this lande; and sethe yeede upon youre
said conquest into Fraunce and {45} Normandie, therof being regent and
gouvernoure in the daies of the devout prince Henry the sext over alle the
subgeitis of Fraunce and Normandie .xiij. yeris, and conquerid the counte
of Mayne, defending, keping, and gouvernyng the said countreis in gret
tranquillite and peace, to the gret worship of bothe roiaumes, and there
made his faire ende at Rone, where he liethe tombid, the yere of Crist
M^l.cccc.xxxv., the .xiiij. day of Septembre.
[Sidenote: Dux Glouc'.]
[Sidenote: Comes de Marche. Comes Suff'.]
[Sidenote: Calix.]
[Sidenote: .1436.]
[Sidenote: .1447.]
And how the thrid brother Humfrey duc of Gloucestre, withe a notabille
power, was upon youre conquest in Normandie withe his said brother, and at
the bataile of Agyncourt was sore woundid, and after he wanne [with help of
the noble erle of Marche and the erle of Suffolk acompanyed,[140]] brought
in subjeccion, beforce of siegislieng among youre adversaries, base
Normandie, the castelle of Chierbourgh, the cite of Bayeux, Costances,
withe all the close of Costantyne and Averances, Seynt Lowe, Carenten, and
Valoignez, withe alle othir forteressis and villages in that marcher. And
over that sithe he was protectoure and defendoure of your roiaume of
Englond, in the tyme of the said Henry the sext of grene age, keping gret
justice, tranquillite, and peace withyn youre saide roiaume. And after whan
youre nobille castelle and towne of Calix was beseigid in the yere of Crist
M^l.cccc.xxxvj., without long respit or tarieng, he puissauntly rescued it.
And many other souvereyne and princely condicions he used in this youre
roiaume of Englonde, as in [bokys yovyng as yt ys seyd to the value of M^l.
marks of all the .vij. sciences, of dyvinite, as of lawe spirituell and
cyvyle, to the universite of Oxford, and[140]] cherisshing the noble
clergie of youre said roiaume. And also havyng gret charge and cost aboute
the gret tendirnesse and favoure shewed and done to alle straungiers, were
they ambassatours, messangiers, and other noblesse that sought worship of
armes, that of divers regions visited this lande, for whiche favoure and
bounteous chier, withe gret rewardes done to theym, the renome of his noble
astate and name sprad thoroughe alle cristyn roiaumes {46} and in
hethynesse. And after he had by many wyntris lyved in worship, he making
his ende at the towne of Bury, the yere of Crist M^l.cccc.xlvij., the .xxv.
day of Februarie.
And over alle these puissaunt dedis done and meynteyned by the foreseid
.iiij. noble princes in theire daies, and now sithen many of youre noble
bloode, as cosins germayns and other allie[gh] of youre nere kyn, as dukis,
erlis, barons, bene deceasid sithe the tyme of the last conquest of Fraunce
and Normandie.
[Sidenote: Nota de ordine militum de la Gartere.]
For what cause the knightys of the order and felouship of saint George was
ordeigned.
[Sidenote: Non sunt oblivio tradend'.]
[Sidenote: Nobilitas Johannis Chaundos de comitatu Herefordie, senescalli
de Peytou.]
[Sidenote: Senlys]
[Sidenote: .1431.]
[Sidenote: Parys.]
And also of the vaillaunt chosen knightes of the noble and worshipfulle
ordre of the Garter, founded by the right noble prince king Edward thrid,
and to bere about his legge a tokyn of the Garter, in the castelle of
Wynsore, the .xxiij. yere of his reigne. And [as yt ys seyd[141]] in token
of worship that he being in bataile what fortune fille shuld not voide the
feeld, but abide the fortune that God lust sende. Whiche for gret prowesse
and here manlynesse approved in armes was founded for her gret labouris in
werre and vaillaunt dedis of armes be now passid to God and ought be put in
memorialle, that in what distresse of bataile or siege that they have ben
yn for the righte title in the crowne of Fraunce they alway avaunsid hem
forthe withe the formost in example of good corage gyvyng to alle theire
felouship, to opteyne the overhande of here entreprise. He allas! sethe
that none suche were never sene withdrawers or fleers frome batailes or
dedis of worship, but rather vigorouslie foryeting theymsilfe, as did the
full noble knight, a felow of the Garter, ser Johan Chaundos, as a lion
fighting in the feelde [at the bataylle of Fizar, yn Spayn, wyth prince
Edward[141]] of the lion condicion, and defendid youre roiaume of Fraunce
frome youre adversaries, preservyng theire prince's right and theire
subgettis, avaunced youre conquest of Fraunce and Normandie, Angew, and
Mayne, and the noble duchie of Gascoigne and Gyen, {47} and maynteyned
theire honoure and astate, to the welle of youre bothe roiaumes and relief
of youre treu subgettis of this lande. And thereto they have ben of the
condicions of lyons fighting withe gret strenght, puissauntlie and stifly
sett to withestande youre ennemies, notwithestanding gret part of the said
adverse partie have voided, fledd, and forsake the feeld and theire
felouship at suche tyme as they sought to abide. In example, of the fulle
noble jorney late had in the yere of Crist M^l.cccc.xxxj., at Senlys, where
youre lieutenaunt and youre power being present, and Charlis the
.vij^{the}, youre gret adversarie of Fraunce withe alle his power to the
nombre of .l^{ti}.M^l. fighters on his side, and embatilled by thre daies
in the feeld, fled and voided unfoughten at the said jorney of Senlis,
youre saide kynnesman Johan duc of Bedford being then lieutenaunt, and
present in the feeld before hym thre daies. And also sone after the saide
worshipfull journey of Senlis, your saide adversarie of Fraunce, after that
made his entreprise, comyng before the noble cite of Paris, with alle his
roialle power to have entred the said cite, and to put out youre saide
cosyn duke of Bedford; whiche havyng knowlege therof incontinent disposed
hym (albeit he had upon so soden warnyng but a few felouship) to mete ayen
withe youre saide adversarie, and put hym in gret aventure, and entred in
youre saide cite of Paris to relief and defende theym as he promised, and
sent worde unto hem late before to theire grettist yoie and comfort. And
youre said adversarie, that ententid to gete the saide cite, besieging
theym withe a grete nombre, mightilie resisted withe men and ordenaunce, so
grevously hurt, being fayne to voide incontinent.
And as in this maner it shewithe evidently that youre true obeisaunt
lordis, and noble chieveteins, also true subgettis, have abandonned theire
bodies, putting them in gret jupardie unto the parelle of dethe, or to be
taking prisoneris, and yet God hathe served hem soo, that thoroughe His
grace and theire manhod withe wise governaunce [they] have had the
overhande of youre adversaries, and kept bothe the saide citee and the
feelde withe other good men that aboode, whan theire partie contrarie have
ben nombred double or treble {48} moo than youris, as is before expressid.
And at whiche tyme the saide citee was so mightly besegid, ser John Radclif
knight, withe his felouship, had gret worship.
[Sidenote: Exclamacio.]
[Sidenote: Nota. 1449, 1450.]
[Sidenote: Tempus ultimi conquestus.]
[Sidenote: De pace finali apud Bretygnye.]
[Sidenote: .1371.]
O ye right noble martirs! whiche that for youre verray righte of the
coroune of Fraunce, and for the welfare of the kingis highenesse, and for
the worship of his bothe roiaumes of Englond and Fraunce, ye forto susteyne
righte and forto wynne worship, have ben often put in gret aventure, as was
often tymes of the worshipfulle Romayns. And therfore of you may be saide
that ye were alway stedfast and obeieng youre souvereyn unto the jupardie
and perille of dethe. So wolde Jhesus that in the brief seson of the
sodeyne and wrecchid intrusion late had by the unmanly disseising and
putting oute of Fraunce, Normandie, Angew, and Mayne, withe the duchies of
Gasquien and Guyen, whiche is done bethin the space of .j. yere and .xiiij.
wekis, that is to wete frome the .xv. day of Maij in the yere of Crist
M^l.cccc.xlix. unto the .xv. day of the monithe of August the yere of Crist
M^l.cccc.l, that every castelle, forteresse, and towne defensable of the
said duchiees [were delyvered upp by force or composicion to the adverse
partye.[142]] And if they had be alway furnished and stuffed withe suche
suffisaunt nombre of men of armes, with ordenaunce, vitaile, and wages
duely kept and be paied, that they myght couraged and enforced hem to have
bene kept stille the possession,[143] and they so being of the lyonns kynde
as to have bene of soo egir courage and so manly and stedfast as they were
before this tyme in that parties of Normandie, conquering, keping, and
defending it as they did by the space of .xxxv. yeris complete and .vij.
daies frome the begynnyng of the last conquest the thrid yere of king Henry
the .v^{the}., and not the whele of fortune turned ayenst this lande as it
hathe. Notwithestanding king Edwarde the thrid occupied not in his conquest
of Fraunce and Normandie passe .xxxiiij. yere, whiche that after undre
certayne condicions upon apoyntement of a smalle pease made atwix hym and
king Johan of Fraunce was {49} graunted that the saide king Johan shulde be
seased and possessid ayen of a part of the said roiaume and duchie for
certeyne countees, baronnyes, and seignories that we shulde in chief halde
in Guien and other contrees, whiche is more amplie declared in the saide
finalle trety of pease made at Bretygny; yet for alle the othes,
sacrementis, seles of bothe kingis and here lordis made, the said trety of
pease was sone broken by the adverse partie when they couth take theire
avauntage, about the yere of Crist M^l.ccc.lxxj.
[Sidenote: Exclamacio alia.]
[Sidenote: De amicicia per maritagia et alias alligancias fienda.]
[Sidenote: Nota bene.]
[Sidenote: Nota et concidera ad honorandum extraneos.]
He allas! we dolorous parsones suffring intollerabille persecucions and
miserie, aswelle in honoure lost as in oure[144] lyvelode there
unrecompensid, as in oure meveable goodes bereved, what shalle we doo or
say? Shalle we in this doloure, anguisshe, and hevynesse contynew long
thus? Nay, nay, God defende that suche intrusions, grete wrongis, and
tiranye shuld be left unpunisshed, and so gret a losse unpunysshed and not
repared! For one good moyen, undre correccion, may be this, and if youre
lordis wolde enforce hem to renew theire olde allie[gh] of straunge regions
and countrees, as the Romayns did whan they werrid in Auffrik ayenst the
Cartages, and of late daies king Edwarde the thrid gafe example and sithe
king Harry the .v^{te}. in oure daies, and also his noble brothir Johan
duke of Bedford after hym; whiche allies be almost werid out and foryete to
oure grete desolacion, whiche and they were renewed by meane of mariages of
gret birthe, by cherisshing of lordis, nobles, and marchauntes of the
regions that we have been allied unto, or desire to be gyvyng renomme and
honoure in armes to the princes that we desire alliaunce, or[145] sending
at suche tymes as the cas shalle require to the princes ambassiatours that
be halden worshipfulle men of astate and degree that have sene worship in
divers contreis, whiche prudently can purpose and declare the urgent cause
and necessite of this royaume, it wolde be to think verralie than that tho
yowre[146] people true subgettis of Fraunce were mynusshed or abated as it
is, but oure saide allies wolde enforce hem withe alle hir power and might
to the {50} reformacion of the saide intrusions, and under colour of trewes
wrought ayenst us. In example of this matier, it bathe bene specified
herebefore, and how it hathe be rad among the Romayne stories that, whan
Haniballe, prince of Cartage, had so gret a descomfiture ayenst Camos,
governour of the Romayne ooste, that the men of Cartage gaderid of the
fingers of the ded Romayns three muys fulle of golde ringis. So it shewed
that the power of Rome was gretly mynusshed and febled. Than, whan this
tidingis come to Cartage, one Hamon, a wise man, a senatoure, demaunded if
it so were that for alle so gret a discomfiture is
[At this place a leaf of the MS., or more, has been lost.]
[Sidenote: Tullius Cicero.]
[Sidenote: Boecius.]
[Sidenote: Constellacio non necessitat sed forte disponit mores hominum
altor' bene vel contra, ac impressiones aeris et causa mere naturalia
concernencia.]
[Sidenote: Contra fiduciam adhibendam in prophesiis. Nota conclusionem.
Nisi fuerit sanctissimis viris.]
[Sidenote: Josephus. Orosius. Titus Livius.]
[Sidenote: Gyldas.]
[Sidenote: Deexpulsione Britonum in Walliam et Cornewaylle propter peccata.
Destruccio regnorum.]
[Sidenote: Nynyve. Babylon. Troye. Thebes. Athenes.]
[Sidenote: Rome.]
[Sidenote: Jerusalem.]
[Sidenote: Picti gentes.]
[Sidenote: Saxones.]
[Sidenote: Danii. Normanni. Andegavenses.]
[Sidenote: Galfridus Plantagenest.]
[Sidenote: Lucius Valerius.]
[Sidenote: Boicius.]
[Sidenote: De republica custodienda.]
[Sidenote: De justicia.]
whiche may noie be, for Cicero seicthe in the booke that he made of
Divinacion, and the famous doctour seint Austyn in the book of Fre wille,
and also Boecius in his booke of Consolacion, or[147] Comforte ayenst
mysfortune, accorden to the same, that we shuld not only trust that the
thinges whiche sounethe to adversite or infortune, and the whiche comethe
to us adversarily or on the lift side, for oure offenses not keping the
lawes of God, that oft tymes comythe, they dyvynyng that they fallithe be
casuelte of fortune, by prophesies, orellis thoroughe influence and
constellacions of sterris of hevyn, whiche jugementes be not necessarilie
true, for and if it were like to trouthe it were but as contingent and of
no necessite, that is to sey, as likely to be not as to be. And if a
constellacion or prophesie signified that suche a yere or bethin suche a
tyme there shulde falle werre, pestilence, or deerthe of vitaile to a
contree or region, or privacion of a contre, it is said but dispositiflie
and not of necessite or certente, for than it shulde folow that the
prophesies, constellacions, and influence of sterris were maistris over
Goddis power, and that wolde soune to an herisie orellis to a gret erroure.
And if suche {51} prophesies and influence of the seide constellacions
might be trew, yet God hathe gyve that souvereynte in mannys soule that he,
havyng a clene soule, may turne the contrarie disposicion that jugement of
constellacion or prophesies signified. As it is verified by the famous
astrologien Ptolome in his booke called Centilogie, the capitalle, seieng
_quod homo sapiens dominatur astris_, that a man is sovereyn abofe suche
domes of constellacions. And therfor ye oughte not deme ne conceyve the
gret adversite that fallithe to us is not falle to us by prophesie or by
influence of constellacion of sterris, but only for synne and wrecchidnes,
and for lak of prudence and politique governaunce in dew tyme provided, and
havyng no consideracion to the comen wele, but rathir to magnifie and
enriche oure silfe by singler covetise, using to take gret rewardis and
suffring extorcions over the pore peple, for whiche inconvenientis by the
jugementis and suffraunce of God, and of his divine providence, the whiche
by divers and of his secretis and as misteries unknowen to us he hathe
suffred this mysfortune among us here, and privacion of the saide roiaume
of Fraunce and contreis ther to falle upon us. And who so wolle considre
welle the histories of olde croniclers, as of Josephas, libro Antiquitatum,
Orosius de Ormesta Mundi, Titus Livius of the Romayne battelis, and such
othirs, how that gret chaunge of roiaumes and countreis frome one nacion to
another straunge tong hathe be, for synne and wrecchidnesse and
mysgovernaunce reignyng in the roiaume so conquerid. And as it is made
mencion in the olde historien called Gildas that for pride, covetice, and
flesshely lustis used amongis the olde Breton bloode lordis of this
roiaume, God suffred the Saxons of Duche ys tung, a straunge nacion, to
dryve them out of this land in Angle in Cornewale and Walis. And where is
Nynnyve, the gret cite of thre daies? and Babilon, the gret toure,
inhabited now withe wilde bestis? the citeis of Troy [and] Thebes, .ij.
grete magnified citeis? also Athenes, that was the welle of connyng and of
wisdam? and Cartage, the victorioux cite of gret renomme, most doubtable,
by the Romayns was brent to asshes. {52} And also Rome, so gloriously
magnified thoroughe alle the world, overthrow the gret part of it; aswelle
as was Jerusalem. And to take an example of the many overthrowes and
conquestis of this lande by straunge nacions sithen the Breton bloode first
inhabited, as withe peple callid Pictics, commyng out of ferre northe
partie of the worlde. Then after the Saxones drove out the olde Breton
bloode. Than after the Danys peple conquerid the Saxons, and than the
Normans conquerid the Danys. And sone after the Angevyns of highe Fraunce,
full noble knightis of renomme, Geffrey erle Plantagenet erle of Angew
maried withe dame Maud, doughter of the duke of Normandie and king of
Englande, Harry the second, whych doughter, called dame Maude emperesse,
and so haldyn stille the Normandie bloode and the Angevyns into this tyme.
And Job in his booke seithe that nothing fallithe or risithe on the erthe
without a cause, as who saiethe that none adversite fallithe not to us, but
only for wikkidnesse of lyvyng and synne that reignithe on us; as pride,
envye, singuler covetice, and sensualite of the bodie now a daies hathe
most reigned over us to oure destruccion, we not havyng consideracion to
the generalle profit and universalle wele of a comynalte. And to bring to
mynde how the worshipfulle senatours Romayns did gife us many examples, as
Lucius Valerius, and also the noble juge cenatoure of Rome Boecius, [of the
grete lofe[148]] had alway to the cite of Rome. For the saide Lucius
Valerius despendid so gret good upon the comyn profit of the said cite, to
kepe and maynteyne the honoure of the citee, defending the cite and
contreis about from here ennemies, that he died in gret povertee, but by
the cenatours relevyng, and for his worshipfulle dedis they buried hym in
the most solempne wise according to his worship. And the said juge Boecius
loved rightwisnesse to be kept, and the pore comyns of Rome in that
susteyned and maynteyned that he spared nothir lord ne none astate. But
suffred hym to stande in the daunger of the hethyn king of Rome, and to be
in exile rathir {53} than he wolde offende justice. Notwithestanding the
saide adversite and tribulacions felle unto hem for avaunsing and tendring
the comyn wele, and alle men of worship may put hem in worshipfulle
remembraunce among worthy princes to here gret renomme and laude. Also it
is to be noted that was one of the gret causis that the princes Romayns
were so gret conquerours and helde the straunge roiaumes so long in
subjeccion, but only using of trouthe and justice keping in here
conquestis.
[Sidenote: De justicia Camilli in obcidionibus historia gloriosa.]
A fulle noble historie how that Camillus the duke of Rome wolde use justice
in his conquest.
[Sidenote: Quod princeps debet vincere cicius per justiciam quam per
traditionem.]
[Sidenote: Titus Livius decade primo.]
[Sidenote: Florens cytee.]
[Sidenote: Camillus.]
[Sidenote: Conciderandum.]
[Sidenote: Proposicio ad Romanos gentes.]