preposterouslie, that euen naturall dutie and affection quite forgotten,
they vndertake what mischéefe soeuer commeth next to hand; without
exception of place or person; and all for the maintenance of statelie
titles, of loftie stiles, of honorable names, and such like vanities
more light than thistle downe that flieth in the aire. A vice that hath
beene noted to reigne in all ages, among all péeres and people of all
nations, both at home and abroad, as one verie well noteth and giueth
his verdict therevpon, saieng,
[Sidenote: _M. Pal. in virg. & sag._]
---- proh dij, mine nomina tantùm
Magnifica, & claros titulos sibi quilibet optat,
Arrogat, affectat, sequitur, rapit; vt meritò iam
Et se asinus pardum vocet & formica leonem.
Quid tituli illustres præclaráq; nomina prosunt?
Quæ citò mors rapit, & lethæas mergit in vndas.
[Sidenote: King Henrie the father knoweth not whome he may trust.
_Polydor._] King Henrie the father perceiuing hereby that warres would
follow, prepared the best he could for his owne defense: but he was in
great doubt on euerie side, not knowing whome he might trust. And to
increase this mischéefe, his wife quéene Elianor studied to mainteine
the strife betwixt hir sonnes. The yoong king then getting an armie
togither entred into Guian.
[Sidenote: Richard Bart chancellor to the young king, also his
chaplaine, Sir Walter Ailward with others. _Rog. Houed._] King Henrie
was not hastie to go against him, but sought rather with gentlenesse and
all courteous meanes to reconcile him: insomuch that whereas diuerse
graue personages being of the yoong kings counsell, and doubting to
runne into the displeasure of his father, reuolted from the sonne to the
father, and brought with them the sonnes seale, which he vsed in sealing
of letters. Howbeit, the father receiued them not, but sent them backe
againe to his sonne, commanding them to continue faithfull in seruing
him as he should appoint them, and herewith he sent ambassadours vnto
his sonne to entreate with him of peace and concord.
Now whilest the father went about to asswage the sonnes displeasure, the
mother quéene Elianor did what she could to pricke him forward in his
disobedient attempts. For she being enraged against hir husband bicause
he kept sundrie concubines, and therefore delited the lesse in hir
companie, cared not what mischéefe she procured against him. Herevpon
she made hir complaint so greeuouslie vnto hir sons Richard and Geffrey,
that they ioined with their brother against their father, & came to him
into Guien, to aid him to the vttermost of their powers.
¶ This may well séeme to be brought vpon the king as a plague of his
incontinent, vnchast and libidinous life; who hauing Chara coniugij
pignora, a notable motiue to kindle and to continue honest loue in
wedlocke, did not notwithstanding most inordinatelie abandon his bodie
to beastlie and vnlawfull companie kéeping with strange flesh. Note
heere how God stirreth vp the wife of his owne bosome, & the sonnes
descending of his owne loines to be thornes in his eies and godes in his
sides for profaning so diuine and holie an ordinance; which the verie
pagans did so honour and reuerence, that they did not onlie giue
precepts touching the due obseruation thereof, but denounced vndoubted
vengeance for the violation of the same, as appeareth in this old
testimonie,
[Sidenote: _Hesiod. in lib. cui tit. op. & di._]
Patrat & ingraditur quicunq; cubilia fratris
Vxorem maculans, & sancta cubilia stupro
Hunc pater ipse deûm Saturnius odit, & ipsi
Hunc malè dij vexant, &c.
But we will remit this to the readers consideration, and note the issue
of this mischéefe now broched. The yoong king reioicing that he had his
brethren thus on his side, readie to take his part, became more stout
than before, and for answere vnto the messengers that came to him from
his father, he declared that if his father would deliuer vp the whole
gouernment into his hands, he would be content to breake vp his armie.
As for such souldiers as would willinglie take his part in this quarell,
he caused them to sweare that they should faithfullie serue him against
his aduersaries: and those that had rather serue on the other side, he
licensed them fréelie to depart and go to his father.
King Henrie the father receiuing such a rebellious answer from his
sonne, much lamented the matter, and so much the more, for that he saw
there was no remedie, but to haue the controuersie decided by the sword.
[Sidenote: Twētie thousand Brabanders were reteined by king Henrie the
father as saith _R. Houed._ _Wil. Paruus._ _N. Triuet._ _Polydor._]
Therefore least he should be taken vnprouided, he kept his armie in a
readinesse about him, hauing reteined certeine bands of Brabanders
called the Rowts.
The lords that tooke part with his sonne, being aduertised by espials of
the dooings of the father, and hearing that he was readie (if he were
constreined) to defend himselfe by battell, and yet willing to receiue
his sons into his fauour againe, if they would be reformed, they tooke
great care how to cause his sons to persist in their enterprise, till
the father were compelled by force to resigne the gouernment vnto them.
But none more than the French king coueted to mainteine the discord,
till it might be ended by force of armes: and therefore sent vnto king
Henrie the sonne, willing him to come to Paris, where he caused a
councell to be called, & there made a league betwixt the said Henrie and
himselfe, [Sidenote: _N. Triuet._ _Polydor._] with William king of
Scotland, Hugh earle of Chester, William Patrike the elder, the thrée
sons of Robert earle of Mellent, whose castels king Henrie the elder had
in possession, Roger Moumbray, Hugh Bigot, and diuerse other complices
of the conspiracie, Flabella seditionum, that tooke part with Heurie the
sonne.
Here after they had consulted of the maner how to mainteine warre,
bicause they would assure the yoong king that they ment not to forsake
him, [Sidenote: The French king taketh an oth to aid Henrie the sonne.
_Rog. Houed._ _Ger. Dor._] first king Lewes, and after that all the
residue tooke an oth to aid him with men and monie, till his father
should either be driuen out of his kingdome, or brought to agrée with
him at his will and pleasure. On the other part, he sware neuer to
conclude any peace with his father without their consent and good will.
He also promised vpon his oth to giue, [Sidenote: Philip earle of
Flanders.] & by his charter vnder his scale he confirmed vnto Philip
earle of Flanders (for his homage) a thousand pounds of yearlie reuenues
in England, and the countie of Kent, with the castles of Douer and
Rochester. [Sidenote: Matthew earle of Bullongne.] And to Matthew earle
of Bullongne (for his homage) he likewise promised and confirmed the
Soke of Kirketon in Lindsey, and the earledome of Morton, with the
honour of Hey. Also to Theobald earle of Blois (for his homage) he gaue
and granted fiue hundred marks of yearlie reuenue in Aniou with the
castell of Ambois, and all that which he claimed as his right within the
countrie of Touraine, [Sidenote: Chateau Reignold.] and surrendred to
him all the right which he and his father claimed and demanded to haue
in Chateau Reignold. To the K. of Scots (for his assistance) he gaue and
granted all Northumberland as far as the riuer of Tine. [Sidenote: Earle
Dauid.] And to his brother Dauid (to haue his seruice) he granted the
counties of Huntingdon and Cambridge. [Sidenote: Hugh Bigot.] To Hugh
Bigot (for his seruice) he gaue the castell of Norwhich. All these gifts
and grants (with diuerse other to other persons) promised & granted, he
confirmed with his new seale, which the king of France had caused him to
make. [Sidenote: _Polydor._[4]] These things being thus ordered at
Paris, euerie man resorted to his charge, that he might prouide for the
warre with all spéed conuenient.
King Henrie the father aduertised of this new league of the conspirators
against him, was in great perplexitie of mind, for that he saw himselfe
in danger, not onelie of outward enimies, but also of his owne subiects
at home. Yet bicause the winter season was alreadie at hand, taking
awaie all conuenient occasions of attempting any great exploit by war
for that time, he was in hope to compasse some agréement with his sons
yer the spring of the yeare should returne, and therefore he made not so
great prouision for his defense, as had béene necessarie in so dangerous
a case. But the Frenchmen who were bent to set forward this war with all
diligence, were readie in the field immediatlie vpon the comming of the
spring with king Henrie the sonne, [Sidenote: The confederats inuade the
dominions of king Henrie the father.] and euen at one instant made their
inuasions vpon the lands of king Henrie the father in three seuerall
parties; namelie, in Normandie, Guien, and Britaine, which (against the
will of his sonne Geffrey duke thereof) king Henrie the father did hold
and reteine in his owne hands. The Frenchmen thus inuading the foresaid
countries, did much hurt with robbing and spoiling, and also tooke
diuerse castels and townes.
[Sidenote: The king of Scots inuadeth Cumberland.] Moreouer about the
same time, William king of Scotland entred with a great power, first
into Cumberland, and besieged Carleil: but hearing that an armie was
prepared against him in the south parties of the realme, and readie to
set forward, he raised his siege, and entred into Northumberland (which
prouince king Henrie the sonne had giuen him in the last assemblie
holden at Paris) endeuouring to bring it into his possession. But the
more earnestlie he went about to inforce the people to his will, the
more stiflie did they withstand his purpose, hating him so much, that in
no condition they were willing to come vnder his rule, whereby the Scots
were put backe and repelled, and that to their great losse. [Sidenote:
_Wil. Paruus._] The kings power also comming into the countrie followed
them, and passing ouer the water of Tweed, which diuided then (as it
dooth at this daie) the two realmes, made the like spoile in the land of
the enimies, as they had made in the countries of Northumberland and
Cumberland.
But in Normandie, whilest others in other places, made their hand in
fetching preies and booties out of the enimies countrie, [Sidenote:
Vernueil besieged. _R. Houed._ Hugh Beauchampe.] king Lewes besieged
Vernueil, which towne being strong of it selfe, Hugh Beauchampe and
others that had charge thereof valientlie defended, so that the
French[5] king was a moneth before it, yer he could win anie part
thereof. This towne of Vernueil was in those daies diuided into three
portions, beside the castell, euerie of them apart from other with
mightie wals and déepe ditches full of water. One of these parts was
called the great Burrow without the wals, where the French king had
pitcht his field & planted his engins. About a moneth after whose coming
thither, vittels began to faile them within, so that at length they
required a truce onelie for thrée daies, & if no succour came within
those thrée daies, they promised to yeeld that part of the towne called
the great Burrow, & the peremptorie daie was the vigill or eeue of S.
Laurence. Herevpon were hostages deliuered by the burgesses vnto the
French king. Now it was agréed that if they yéelded the towne at the
daie appointed for want of succor, king Henrie the son, and Robert the
French kings brother, with the earles of Trois & Blois, Henrie and
Theobald, and William archbish. of Sens, vndertooke vpon their othes
that the hostages should then be restored free & without any hurt or
damage.
King Henrie being certified from them within of the composition thus
made, was driuen to a verie hard shift: for he doubted nothing lesse
than that any such thing should haue chanced. Yet considering with
himselfe, that the sauing of the towne stood in his speedie comming to
the rescue, he hasted thither without any staie, and came to the place
the daie before the third and last daie of the truce. [Sidenote: The
French king requireth to talke.] King Lewes perceiuing him to be come,
doubting least he should loose the preie which he looked for, sent vnto
the king, and required that he might common with him on the next daie,
touching some means of agréement to be had betwixt him and his sons.
This did he of policie, to féed him with hope of some end to be made in
the troubles betwixt him and his sons, till he had gotten possession of
the towne.
Now as he forecast that matter, euen so it came to passe, for whilest a
great péece of the next daie was spent in feined talke about an
agréement; K. Lewes appointed a great part of his host to close the
towne about, and to declare vnto them within, that king Henrie was put
to flight; which talke they within Vernueil beléeuing, yéelded the towne
& themselues to the Frenchmen. Soone after, king Lewes mistrusting least
he should not be able to kéepe it, set it on fire, and so burnt it,
contrarie to the composition betwixt him and them agréed and concluded
vpon. [Sidenote: _Rog. Houed._ The ninth of August being thursdaie
saieth _R. Houed._ king Lewes fléeth awaie in the night.] He kept also
the souldiers that had yeelded it into his hands, togither with the
hostages as prisoners, and doubting to cope with his enimie, went awaie
in the night with as still noise as was possible. Which euill dealing
had not inuaded his hart, but that euill meaning had possessed it
before, euen at the composition making: but he neuer learned that,
[Sidenote: _Pub. Mim._]
Fidem qui perdit nihil potest vltra perdere.
King Henrie at length perceiuing the fraud, sent certeine bands of his
horssemen after to persue the enimie: but for that king Lewes was
alreadie gotten into the inner parts of his owne countrie, those which
were sent, turned vpon those that were left in the hindermost ward, of
whome they slue a great number both horssemen and footmen.
K. Henrie following his men, came to Vernueil, and staieng there that
night, tooke order for the repairing and new fortifieng of the towne. On
the morrow after he went to the castell of Danuille, and wan it, taking
diuerse knights and yeomen within it: [Sidenote: Danuille. Gilbert de
Tileres.] this castell belonged to one Gilbert de Tileres. And thus it
came to passe touching the attempt of the French king for the winning of
Vernueil, as in some authors we find reported. [Sidenote: _Wil.
Paruus._] ¶ Other write otherwise of the mater, as thus, the French K.
being summoned by K. Henrie the father, either to depart from the seige
of Vernueil or to looke for battell; & hearing also that in performance
of the message K. Hearie approched with his power, he sent a bishop & an
abbat vnto him to vnderstand if he meant to giue battell in deed. The
messengers met king Henrie as he was aduanced before his host vpon some
occasion with a small companie about him, vnto whome they declared that
their maister the French king, required to be assured whether he should
haue battell or no. [Sidenote: K. Henrie his short answere to the French
kings messengers.] King Henrie armed as he was, with fierce countenance
and dreadfull voice made this short answere; "Get you hence, and tell
your king that I am here at hand." The messengers returning to their
maister, declared what they had séene and heard. Wherevpon (without
longer staie) he raised his field, and with a gallant and mightie armie
departed home to his great dishonour, not winning the towne at all, as
by the same author it should appeere.
About the same time the earle of Flanders, one of the confederats
besieged the towne of Albemarle, and the earle therof within it, which
earle was thought to betraie the towne, [Sidenote: Albemarle woon by the
earle of Flanders.] bicause it was so easilie woone, and both he
himselfe, and those which king Henrie the father had sent thither to
defend the towne were taken prisoners. Diuerse other places which
belonged to the same earle were also immediatlie deliuered into the
enimies hands, which increased the suspicion.
After this towne of Newcastell (otherwise called Drincourt) in those
frontiers was besieged, and finallie woone by surrender, by the said
earle of Flanders, who reioised nothing at the gaine of that towne: for
his brother Matthew; [Sidenote: _R. Houed._ _Ia. Meir._ _Ger. Dor._ The
earle of Bullongne wounded, and dieth.] the earle of Bullongne who
should haue béene his heire, was shot into the knée with an arrow, as he
approched to the wals, and died of the hurt within a few daies after.
The earle of Flanders was so pensife for his brothers death, that he
brake vp his iournie and returned, blaming his euill hap and follie in
that he had attempted war against his coosen germane king Henrie, who
neuer had harmed him, but rather had doone him manie great and singular
pleasures from time to time.
¶ Good cause had the earle to giue ouer the prosequuting of violence
against[6] his souereigne, being dawnted with so heauie a chance, &
griped also with the grudge of conscience, in so vnkindlie rewarding his
welwiller, at whose hands he confessed himselfe to haue receiued manie a
benefit. Wherein we are to note, that ingratitude neuer hurteth anie so
much as him or them in whom it is nestled. And hereto alludeth the
comedie-writer, when he saith verie neatlie,
[Sidenote: _Plaut. in Ca._]
---- morem hunc homines habent, quod sibi volunt
Dum id impetrāt, boni sunt: sed id vbi iam pene se habet,
Ex bonis pessimi & fraudulentissimi sunt.
Moreouer Henrie the elder (after the iournie of Vernueil ended) came
backe to Rouen, and there vnderstanding that Hugh earle of Chester, and
Rafe de Foulgiers, men of singular prowesse (who long before were
reuolted to his sonne Henrie) had taken the castell of Dole in Britaine,
and there making warre, brought all the countrie into trouble, he sent
foorth streightwaies certeine of his capteines with the Brabanders to
aid his people in those parts who on the twentieth day of August (being
monday) encountring with the enimies, [Sidenote: _Rog. Houed._]
discomfited them in battell, tooke seauenteene knights, beside diuerse
others both horssemen and footmen, slue aboue fifteene hundred of the
enimies being Britaines, and pursuing the residue, entred the towne
which they wan, and droue their aduersaries into the castell, where
they besieged them, and with all spéed aduertised the king of that
enterprise, who immediatlie with all possible hast came thither,
applieng his whole diligence to win the place, that he might haue them
which were within the same at his commandement.
To be short, it was not long yer he had his desire, for being such a
multitude, that they were not able long to continue within so streict a
roome, for want of vittell they fell to a composition, yeelding the
castell vnto the king, their bodies, liues, and lims saued, on the 25.
day of August. There were within this castell 80. knights, besides
yeomen and other common souldiers. In like maner, and with the semblable
good fortune, about the same time, his capteins in England ouercame his
enimies: for whereas Robert earle of Leicester that tooke part with king
Henrie the sonne, had assembled at the towne of Leicester a great host
of men, in purpose to set vpon Reignold earle of Cornewall and Richard
Lucie capteines on the side of king Henrie the father: they
vnderstanding his meaning, marched streight towards Leicester, and by
the waie met with their enimie earle Robert, whome they so fiercelie
assailed, [Sidenote: The earle of Leicester put to flight.] that they
put him to flight, and after approching the towne, had it surrendered
vnto them, permitting the inhabitants to depart with bag and baggage,
and then burned the towne: but the castell (which in those daies was of
great strength by reason of the situation) they could not win.
Howbeit some write, that by vndermining, the walles of the towne were
subuerted and throwne downe, [Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._ Leicester won by
force.] so that the towne was entred by force, although they within
withdrew themselues into the castell and other strong houses, which they
defended for a time, till at length they surrendered all, one parcell of
the castell excepted, for the which by composition they paied by way of
a fine the sum of thrée hundred pounds to the vse of K. Henrie the
father. The siege began the seauenth day of Julie, and on the 28. day of
the same moneth the armie departed from thence, a truce being granted to
those that still defended a certeine tower of the castell into the which
they were withdrawne.
[Sidenote: The king of Scots inuadeth Northumberland.] William also the
Scotish king, with an armie of Scots and Gallowaimen inuaded
Northumberland, and passing by the confines of the bishoprike of Durham,
did much hurt by slaughter, burning and spoiling the countrie.
Neuerthelesse, hearing of a power raised by the English lords in those
parts to resist him, [Sidenote: He retireth.] he withdrew into his
countrie. The English armie [Sidenote: The English spoile Louthian. A
truce.] folowing him, wasted the countrie of Louthian, till at length by
mediation of certeine religious men, a truce was granted to the Scots to
indure till the feast of S. Hilarie. For the which truce happilie some
rewards went betwixt, and so the English lords with spoiles and gaines
returned homewards.
A few daies after these luckie chances thus happening to king Henrie,
king Lewes perceiuing fortune to be on that side, determined to assaie
whether he could obteine his purpose by some means of treatie, or at the
least put king Henrie in hope of a peace for a time, knowing that he
would rather suffer all discommodities whatsoeuer, than once to trie the
matter by battell with his sonnes: [Sidenote: _Rog. Houed._ A treatie of
peace.] wherefore he offered to come to a communication with him betwixt
Gisors and Trie, shewing bread in the one hand (as they say) and hiding
a stone in the other.
King Henrie was easilie intreated to heare of anie talke for peace, and
therefore comming to the place on tuesdaie the fiftéenth daie of
September, made so large offers, that he had almost conuerted the yoong
mens minds vnto concord. [Sidenote: _Rog. Houed._ The offer of K. Henrie
the father to his sonnes.] First he offered to his sonne Henrie the
yoong king, the moitie or one halfe of all the reuenues belonging to the
demaines of the crowne within England, and four conuenient castels
within the same. Or if his sonne had rather remaine in Normandie, he
offered the halfe of all the reuenues of that dutchie, with all the
rents and profits that were his fathers perteining to the earledome of
Aniou, with certeine castels in Normandie, one castell in Aniou, one in
Maine, and one in Towraine. To his sonne Richard, he offered halfe the
reuenues of Guien, and foure conuenient castels in the same. And to his
sonne Geffrey he offered all those lands that belonged by right of
inheritance vnto the daughter of Conan earle of Britaine, if he might by
the popes good licence marrie hir. And further king Henrie the father
yéelded himselfe to stand to the order of the archbishop of Tharent and
other the popes legats, not refusing to giue his sonnes what rents and
reuenues soeuer they should say were reasonable, reseruing onelie to
himselfe the administration of iustice, and the power roiall.
These séemed to be large offers, but yet they could not be accepted. For
certeine sonnes of Beliall, set vpon nothing but mischéefe, troublers of
common peace and quietnesse, wrought so with them, that no conditions of
peace (were the same neuer so reasonable) could content them, so that
without effect this communication brake vp, but not without contumelious
words passed betwixt the parties, insomuch that the earle of Leicester
(who being put from all his aid in England, was come ouer to the French
king to purchase aid at his hands) could not refraine but giuing credit
to the old adage,
[Sidenote: _Pub. Mim._]
Homo extra corpus suum est cùm irascitur,
[Sidenote: The earle of Leicester offred to strike the king.] after many
opprobrious words vttered against king Henrie the father, laid hand on
his sword to haue striken him but the standers by would not suffer him
and so they, departed; which rash attempt or rather disloiall
enterprise,
Non sani esse hominis non sanus iuret Orestes.