béene some fishermen of those parts, came verie néere the French ships
lieng at anchor, and perceiuing them to be vnfurnished of people
necessarie to defend them, came backe to their companie, and declared
what they had séene, certifieng their capteins that the victorie was
in their hands, if they would make spéed. The capteins glad of these
newes, commanded their men to make them readie to giue battell, and
causing their mariners to make saile directlie towards the French
fléet, at their first approch they wanne those tall ships that laie
at anchor abroad before the hauen, without any great resistance, the
mariners onelie making request to haue their liues saued. The other
smaller vessels which (after the tide was gone) remained vpon the sands
(spoiling them first of their tackle and other things that would serue
to vse) they consumed with fire, the mariners escaping by flight.
[Sidenote: The English men wanne the French ships.]
Thus the Englishmen hauing dispatched this businesse with good
successe, did set vpon those ships that laie in harbrough within the
hauen. But here was hard hold for a while, bicause the narrownesse of
the place would not giue any great aduantage to the greater number. And
those Frenchmen that were gone abroad into the countrie, perceiuing
that the enimies were come, by the running awaie of the mariners,
returned with all spéed to their ships to aid their fellowes, and so
made valiant resistance for a time, till the Englishmen getting on
land, and ranging themselues on either side of the hauen, beat the
Frenchmen so on the sides, and the ships grapling togither on front,
that they fought as it had bin in a pitcht field, till that finallie
the Frenchmen were not able to susteine the force of the Englishmen,
but were constreined (after long fight and great slaughter) to yéeld
themselues prisoners.
The English capteins glad of this victorie gotten, contrarie to
expectation, first gaue thanks to God for the same, and then manning
thrée hundred of those French ships, which they had taken fraught with
corne, wine, oile, flesh, and other vittels, and also with armour, they
sent them awaie into England, and afterwards they set fire vpon the
residue that laie on ground, which were aboue an hundred, bicause they
were drawne vp so farre vpon the sands, that they could not easilie get
them out, without their further inconuenience. After this, comming on
land with their power, they marched foorth into the countrie in good
order of battell, to the end that if they should encounter with king
Philip by the way comming to the rescue of his ships, they might be
readie to giue them battell, which thing was not deuised, without good
and great consideration.
For king Philip being certified of the danger wherein his ships stood
by the sudden comming of his enimies, and therewithall being in good
hope to come to their succours in time, and yer the Englishmen had
wrote their full feat, he raised his siege, and made hast toward
the coast: but as he was comming forward towards his nauie, he was
aduertised that the enimies had woone all his whole fléet, and were
now marching foorth to méet him, and to giue him battell. Also it was
told him, how Ferdinando the earle of Flanders, being certified of the
victorie atchiued by his fréends, followed at his backe. Wherefore,
least he should séeme ouer rashlie to commit himselfe into manifest
perill, he staied a little from Bruges, and there incamped for that
day, as if he ment to abide the comming of his enimies.
[Sidenote: The French K. returneth into France.]
The next morrow he raised and returned towards France, the verie same
waie that he came, no man pursuing him. For the Englishmen contented
with that victorie which they had gotten, thought it not necessarie
to follow him with their further hazard. In the meane time, king John
receiuing newes of this prosperous victorie thus gotten by his people,
did woonderfullie reioise for the same, conceiuing an hope, that all
his businesse would now come forward and growe to good successe.
[Sidenote: _Matt. Paris._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: _Iacob. Meir._]
¶ This is the truth of this historie, as some authors haue set it
foorth. But Iames Meir in his discourse of Flanders declareth the
matter somwhat otherwise, as thus: Vpon the thursdaie before the
Pentecost (saith he) the English fléet setting vpon the French nauie,
which laie at anchor in the hauen of Dam, drowned certeine of the
French vessels, and tooke to the number of foure, which they conueied
awaie with them. Ferdinando the earle of Flanders hauing an armie of
men readie by land, was lodged the same time not far off from the coast
and therefore hearing what had chanced, came the next day, and ioined
with the Englishmen.
[Sidenote: The Englishmen and Flemings vanquished by the French force.]
There were yet remaining also diuerse other of the French ships
(besides those which the Englishmen had sunke and taken) which were
drawne vp further into the land ward. The earle of Flanders therefore,
and the English capteins iudged, that it should much hinder the French
kings attempts, if they might win those ships also with the towne of
Dam, wherin the king had laid vp a great part of his prouision for the
furniture of his warres. Héerevpon the Englishmen were set on land,
and ioining with the earls power, they marched strait towards Dam.
This was vpon Whitsun éeuen, on the which day, as they were most busie
in assaulting the towne and ships which laie there in the hauen, the
French king being come awaie from Gaunt, suddenlie set vpon them, and
though in the beginning he found sharpe resistance, yet in the end,
the Englishmen and Flemings ouerset with the great multitude of the
Frenchmen, were put to flight, and chased to their ships, with the
losse of two thousand men, besides those that were taken prisoners,
amongst the which were found to be 22 knights.
[Sidenote: The French king burneth his ships.]
The earle of Flanders with the earles of Bullen and Salisburie,
doubting to lose their ships, and late gotten bootie, sailed strait
into one of the Iles of Zeland called Walkeren. Then the French king
constraining them of Gaunt, Bruges, and Ypres, to deliuer vnto him
pledges, caused the towne of Dam, and his ships lieng there in the
hauen to be burned, doubting least they should come into the hands of
his enimies. This doone, he returned into France, leauing his sonne
Lewes and the earle of S. Paule in garrison at Lisle and Doway, and
for great sums of monie, which by agréement he receiued of the townes
of Gaunt, Bruges, and Ypres, he restored vnto them their pledges. Thus
saith Meire: and Matthew Paris differeth not much from him touching the
successe which chanced to the Englishmen by land. ¶ Héere will I staie
a while in the further narration of this matter, and touch by the way a
thing that happened to king John about this present time.
[Sidenote: An hermit named Peter of Pontfret, or Wakefield as some
writers haue.]
[Sidenote: _Sée M. Fox, tome first, pag. 331._]
There was in this season an heremit, whose name was Peter, dwelling
about Yorke, a man in great reputation with the common people,
bicause that either inspired with some spirit of prophesie as the
people beléeued, or else hauing some notable skill in art magike, he
was accustomed to tell what should follow after. And for so much as
oftentimes his saiengs prooued true, great credit was giuen to him
as to a verie prophet: which was no good consequence that therefore
his predictions comprised vndoubted euents. Naie rather, sith in this
pseudoprophet or false foreteller of afterclaps, these necessarie
concurrents (namelie,
Si sensus atq; affectus compresserit omnes,
Si spernens prorsus mortalia gaudia, sese
Abdicet a curis terrenis, assiduóq;
Conetur studio ad superos extollere mentem,
Tunc etenim sapiens fiet, poterítq; futura
Cernere, vel vigilans vel somno oppressus inerti,
Hoc pacto cecinêre olim ventura prophetæ)
[Sidenote: The heremit and his sonne hanged.]
were wanting, and that he was contrarilie qualified to that which this
heptastichon comprehendeth, necessarilie it foloweth, that he was not
as he was taken, but rather a deluder of the people, and an instrument
of satan raised vp for the inlargement of his kingdome: as the sequele
of this discourse importeth. This Peter about the first of Januarie
last past, had told the king, that at the feast of the Ascension it
should come to passe, that he should be cast out of his kingdome. And
(whether, to the intent that his words should be the better beléeued,
or whether vpon too much trust of his owne cunning) he offered himselfe
to suffer death for it, if his prophesie prooued not true. Herevpon
being committed to prison within the castell of Corf, when the day by
him prefixed came, without any other notable damage vnto king John, he
was by the kings commandement drawne from the said castell, vnto the
towne of Warham, & there hanged, togither with his sonne.
The people much blamed king John, for this extreame dealing, bicause
that the heremit was supposed to be a man of great vertue, and his
sonne nothing guiltie of the offense committed by his father (if any
were) against the king. Moreouer, some thought, that he had much wrong
to die, bicause the matter fell out euen as he had prophesied: for the
day before the Ascension day, king John had resigned the superioritie
of his kingdome (as they tooke the matter) vnto the pope, and had doone
to him homage, so that he was no absolute king indéed, as authors
affirme. One cause, and that not the least which mooued king John the
sooner to agrée with the pope, rose through the words of the said
heremit, that did put such a feare of some great mishap in his hart,
which should grow through the disloialtie of his people, that it made
him yéeld the sooner. But to the matter againe.
[Sidenote: King John writeth to the archbishop & the other bishops to
returne.]
King John (after his capteins in Flanders had sped so well as before
yée haue heard) prepared to make a voiage into Guien, not much
regarding the matter, in that the realme stood as yet interdicted. But
when he vnderstood by his lords, that they would not go with him except
the interdicting might first be released, and he clearlie absolued of
the popes cursse, to the end that Gods wrath and the popes being fullie
pacified towards him, he might with better spéed mooue and mainteine
the warres, he was constreined to change his purpose, and so comming
to Winchester, dispatched foorth a messenger with letters, signed with
the hands of foure and twentie earles and barons, to the archbishop
of Canturburie, and the bishops of London, Lincolne, and Hereford, as
then soiourning in France, requiring them with all the other banished
men to returne into England, promising them by his letters patents, not
onelie a sure safeconduct for their comming ouer, but that he would
also forget all passed displeasures, and frankelie restore vnto euerie
man all that by his means had béene wrongfullie taken from them, and as
yet by him deteined.
[Sidenote: The bishops doo returne.]
[Sidenote: They came to Winchester y^e 20 of Julie.]
[Sidenote: The K. knéeleth to the archbishop.]
The archbishop and the other bishops receiuing the kings letters, with
all spéed made hast to come into England, and so arriuing at Douer
the sixtéenth day of Julie, with other the banished men, they went to
Winchester, where the king yet remained, who hearing that the bishops
were come, went foorth to receiue them, and at his first méeting with
the archbishop of Canturburie, he knéeled downe at his féet, and
besought him of forgiuenesse, and that it would please him and the
other bishops also to prouide for the reléefe of the miserable state
of the realme. Herewith the water standing in diuerse of their eies on
both sides, they entred into the citie, the people greatlie reioising
to behold the head of the common-wealth agrée at length with the
members. This was in the yeare after the birth of our Sauiour 1213.
[Sidenote: The king praieth to be absolued.]
[Sidenote: He is absolued.]
[Sidenote: A quest of inquirie.]
King John required of the archbishop (hauing as then the popes power
in his hands, bicause he was his legat,) to be absolued, promising
vpon his solemne receiued oth, that he would (afore all things) defend
the church and the order of priesthood from receiuing anie wrongs.
Also, that he would restore the old lawes made by the ancient kings of
England, and namelie those of S. Edward, which were almost extinguished
and forgotten. And further, that he would make recompense to all men
whom he had by anie meanes indamaged. This doone, he was absolued
by the archbishop, & shortly after he sent his oratours to Rome, to
intreat with the bishop to take awaie the interdiction of the land. On
the morrow after also, the king sent his letters vnto all the shiriffes
of the counties within the realme, commanding them to summon foure
lawfull men of euerie towne belonging to the demeans of the crowne, to
make their appearance at S. Albons, vpon the 4 daie of August, that
they and other might make inquisition of the losses which euerie bishop
had susteined, what had béene taken from them, and what ought to be
restored to them as due for the same.
[Sidenote: The archbishop taketh possession of his sée.]
[Sidenote: The lords refuse to follow the king into France.]
The archbishop for that time taking his leaue of the king, went to
Canturburie, where he restored the moonks to their abbie, and then
tooke possession of his sée, being the two and fortith archbishop
that had ruled the same. In the meane time, the king repaired to
Portesmouth, there so take the sea to saile ouer into Poictow,
committing the rule of the realme vnto Geffrey Fitz Peter or Fitz
Péers, lord chéefe iustice, and to the bishop of Winchester, commanding
them to vse the counsell and aduise of the archbishop of Canturburie,
in governing things touching the common-wealth. Herewith there came
also to the king a great multitude of men of warre, alledging, that
they had spent in staieng for him, and his going ouer sea all their
monie, so that he must now néeds giue them wages, if he would haue them
to passe ouer with him into France. The which when he refused to doo,
he was constreined to take the water with his owne seruants, arriuing
about a thrée daies after at the Ile of Jersey: but perceiuing that
none of his lords followed him according to his commandement, as one
disappointed of aid, he returned backe againe into England, there to
take further order for this their misdemeanour.
[Sidenote: King Henrie the first his lawes.]
Whilest these things were thus in dooing, Geffrey Fitz Peter, and
the bishop of Winchester were come to S. Albons, togither with the
archbishop of Canturburie, and other bishops and péeres of the realme,
where the kings peace being proclaimed to all men it was on his behalfe
streitlie commanded, that the lawes of K. Henrie his grandfather should
be obserued vniuersallie within his realme, and that all vniust lawes
and ordinances should be abrogated. It was also commanded, that no
shiriffe, nor forrester, nor other minister of the kings, should vpon
paine of life and limme, take violentlie anie thing of any man by waie
of extortion, nor presume wrong anie man, or to fine anie man, as they
had afore time béene accustomed to doo.
[Sidenote: The archbishop menaceth to excommunicate those y^t assist
the king.]
After this, the king being come backe from his iournie, which he
purposed to haue made into Poictow, assembled an armie, and ment to
haue gone against those lords which had refused to go with him, but
the archbishop of Canturburie comming to him at Northampton, sought to
appease his mood, and to cause him to staie, but yet in his furious
rage he went forward till he came to Notingham, and there with much
adoo, the archbishop following him with threatning to excommunicate all
those that should aid him, procured him to leaue off his enterprise.
Then the archbishop (about the fiue and twentith day of August) came to
London, there to take aduise for the reformation of things touching the
good gouernement of the common-wealth. But here whilest the archbishop,
with other péeres of the realme deuised orders verie necessarie (as was
thought) for the state of the common-wealth, the king doubting least
the same should be a bridle for him to restreine his authoritie roiall
from dooing things to his pleasure, he began to find fault, and séemed
as though he had repented himselfe of his large promises made for his
reconciliation: but the archbishop of Canturburie so asswaged his mood,
and persuaded him, by opening vnto him what danger would insue both to
him and to his realme, if he went from the agréement, that he was glad
to be quiet for feare of further trouble.
[Sidenote: _RCog._]
[Sidenote: The earle of Tholouse.]
In this hurlie burlie also the lords and péeres of the realme (by the
setting on of the archbishop) were earnestlie bent to haue the king to
restore and confirme the grant which his grandfather king Henrie the
first had by his charter granted and confirmed to his subiects, which
to doo, king John thought greatlie preiudiciall to his roiall estate
and dignitie. The earle of Tholouse hauing lost all his possessions,
the citie of Tholouse onelie excepted, came ouer into England, &
rendred the said citie into the hands of king John, and receiued at
his departure, the summe of ten thousand marks as was reported, by the
bountifull gift of king John.
[Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._]
[Sidenote: Geffrey Fitz Péers or Fitz Peter departeth this life.]
Vpon the second of October, Geffrey Fitz Peter earle of Essex and lord
chéefe iustice of England departed this life, a man of great power and
autoritie, in whose politike direction and gouernement, the order of
things perteining to the common-wealth chéefelie consisted. He was of
a noble mind, expert in knowledge of the lawes of the land, rich in
possessions, and ioined in blood or affinitie with the more part of
all the Nobles of the realme, so that his death was no small losse to
the commonwelth: for through him and the archbishop Hubert, the king
was oftentimes reuoked from such wilfull purposes, as now and then he
was determined to haue put in practise, in so much that the king, as
was reported (but how trulie I cannot tell) séemed to reioise for his
death, bicause he might now worke his will without anie to controll him.
[Sidenote: A cardinall sent into England.]
[Sidenote: The burgesses of Oxford require absolution.]
The same time, to wit, about the feast of saint Michaell, came Nicholas
the cardinall of Tusculane into England, sent from the pope, to take
awaie the interdiction, if the king would stand to that agréement which
he had made and promised by his oth to performe. King John receiued
this cardinall in most honorable wise, and gladlie heard him in all
things that he had to saie. This legat at his comming to Westminster,
deposed the abbat of that place, named William from his roome, for
that he was accused both of wasting the reuenues of the house, and
also of notable incontinencie. Moreouer the burgesses of the towne of
Oxford came vnto him to obteine absolution of their offense, in that
through their presumption, the thrée schollers (of whom ye haue heard
before) were hanged there, to the great terror of all the residue.
To be short, they were absolued and penance inioined them, that they
should strip them out of their apparell at euerie church in the towne,
and going barefooted with scourges in their hands, they should require
the benefit of absolution of euerie parish préest within their towne,
saieng the psalme of Miserere.
[Sidenote: A c[=o]nuocation called by the cardinall.]
After this, the said cardinall called a councell or conuocation of the
cleargie, to reforme such things touching the state of the church as
should be thought requisite. And though he handled not this matter with
such fauour and vprightnesse as the bishops wished on their behalfes,
yet he caused king John to restore the most part of all those goods
that remained vnspent, and also the value of halfe of those that
were consumed and made awaie, vnto those persons as well spirituall
as temporall, from whom they had béene taken in time of the discord
betwixt him and the pope. But before all things could be thus quieted
and set in order betwixt the king and the bishops, manie méetings were
had, as at London, Reading, Wallingford and in other places.
Now the archbishop and prelates for their parts thought this recompense
to be but small, in respect of the great losses and hinderances which
they had susteined: and to haue the whole restitution delaied, they
tooke it not well. Howbeit the cardinall leaned so to the kings side
(hauing receiued of him to the popes vse the charter of subiection of
the realmes of England and Ireland, now bulled with gold, where at the
first it was deliuered to Pandulph sealed onelie with wax.) But their
suit came to little effect, and in the end it fell out in such wise,
that their complaint was lesse regarded. Moreouer, the rating of the
value which the king should restore vnto the archbishop, and the other
bishops, was by agréement of the king and them togither, appointed vnto
foure barons indifferentlie chosen betwixt them.
[Sidenote: Restitution to be made to the bishops.]
[Sidenote: King John commended to the pope for an humble prince.]
At length notwithstanding that deuise took no place: for it was
otherwise decréed by the pope, that the king should restore to them
the summe of fortie thousand marks, of the which he had paid alreadie
twelue thousand, before the returne of the said archbishop and bishops
into the realme, and fiftéene thousand more at the late méeting had
betwixt them at Reading, so that there remained onelie 13000 behind:
for not onelie the king, but also the cardinall had sent to the pope,
requiring him to take direction in the matter, and to aduertise him,
that there was a great fault in the archbishop and his fellowes. In so
much that Pandulph which was sent to him from the legat, declared in
fauour of the king, that there was not a more humble and modest prince
to be found than king John, and that the archbishop and his fellowes
were too hard, and shewed themselues too couetous in requiring the
restitution that should be made to them for losses susteined in time of
the interdiction.
[Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._]
[Sidenote: The presumption of the cardinall.]
[Sidenote: _1214._]
[Sidenote: Burton vpon Trent.]
[Sidenote: Dunstable.]
[Sidenote: A Synod.]
[Sidenote: Discord betwixt the cardinall and the archbishop of
Canturburie.]
Now the cause wherefore the legat and the king did send vnto the pope,
was this. There was some grudge betwixt the legat and the archbishop,
for that where the pope had written to the legat, how he should
(according to the order of the ancient canons of the church) place in
euerie bishops sée and abbeie (that was void) méet and able persons to
rule and guide the same, the legat presuming on that authoritie granted
him by the pope, without the aduise of the archbishop or other bishops,
tooke onelie with him certeine of the kings chapleins, and comming with
them to such churches as were vacant, ordeined in them such persons as
were nothing méet to take such charge vpon them, and that according
to the old abuse of England, as Matthew Paris saith. Wherevpon the
archbishop of Canturburie repining at such dooings, sent to the legat
as then being at Burton vpon Trent, two of his chapleins from Dunstable
(where he and his suffragans held as then a synod, after the feast of
the Epiphanie) commanding him by waie of appeale, in no wise to meddle
with instituting any gouernours to churches, within the precinct of his
iurisdiction, where such institutions belonged onelie to him.