earle of Cornewall, and the quéene in charge with gouernance of the
realme, and of his sonne the lord Edward. There departed with him from
Portesmouth thrée hundred sailes of great ships, besides a number of
other smaller vessels. And thus accompanied, he tooke his course to
Gascoigne, & about our ladie day named hir Assumption, he arriued at
Burdeaux, where he was of the citizens honorablie receiued. Immediatlie
after his arriuall there, he caused the towne of the Rioll to be
compassed about with a strong siege, within the which a great number of
rebels were inclosed, which valiantlie defended the place in hope of
rescue, which Gaston de Bierne that was fled to the king of Spaine had
promised to procure for them. But the king of England to preuent them
in that point, sent the bishop of Bath, and his trustie chapleine sir
Iohn Mansell vnto the said king of Spaine, to conclude fréendship and
aliance with him, so that the lord Edward his eldest sonne might marrie
the king of Spaine his daughter.
[Sidenote: A marriage concluded betwixt the K. of Englands sonne & the
K. of Spaines daughter.]
[Sidenote: A dearth in the kings campe.]
After long treatie, by the diligence of the said ambassadors, a full
conclusion followed of their motion. And whereas the king of England
had giuen and assigned the dominion of Gascoigne to his said sonne the
lord Edward, the king of Spaine in the instrument that conteined the
couenants of the marriage, resigned and quite claimed all the right and
title within Gascoigne which he had or might haue by the gift of king
Henrie the second, and by confirmation of the kings, Richard and Iohn.
In this meane while, the townes and castels which the rebels held,
were won and deliuered into the kings hands, and herewith followed a
great dearth in the kings armie, so that a hen was sold for six pence
sterling, a pound weight in bread was at two pence or thrée pence, a
gallon of wine at two shillings, a coome of foure bushels of wheat at
twentie shillings, so that a knight with his esquire, and coistrell
with his two horsses, might scarse be competentlie found for two
shillings in siluer. Wherefore the king to relieue his people there
with him on that side the sea, sent the prior of Newbourgh with other
into England, to cause prouision of vittels and other necessaries to be
conueied and brought vnto him into Gascoigne, and so there was a great
quantitie of graine and powdred flesh taken vp and sent awaie with all
conuenient spéed.
[Sidenote: The Gascoigns begin to humble themselues.]
The earle of Leicester came to the king, bringing with him out of
France where he had remained for a time a faire companie of souldiers
and men of warre to the kings aid, and was verie courteouslie receiued.
The Gascoignes then perceiued the kings power to increase, and saw how
not onelie the castels wherein they trusted to haue refuge were woone
and gotten out of their hands by the king of England, but also that
their vines (wherein chéeflie consisted their hope of sustentation)
were burned vp and destroied, they began to humble themselues, and so
by little and little returned to their due obedience, after that the
authors of their seditious tumults were either apprehended, or chased
out of the countrie.
[Sidenote: The bishop of Chichester Richard Witz and Grosted b. of
Lincolne depart this life.]
[Sidenote: The praise of Grosted.]
This yeare died Richard Witz the bishop of Chichester, a man of
great vertue and singular knowledge. Also that famous clearke Robert
Grosted bishop of Lincolne departed this life on the day of S. Denise
in the night, at his manor of Bugdon, whose learning coupled with
vertue and vprightnesse of life wan to him perpetuall commendation.
He was a manifest blamer of pope and king, a reproouer of prelats, a
corrector of moonks, a director of préests, an instructor of clearkes,
a susteinor of scholers, a preacher to the people, a persecutor of
incontinent liuers, a diligent searcher of the scriptures, a contemnor
and a verie mallet of such strangers as sought preferment in this
realme by the popes prouisions: in housekéeping liberall, in corporall
refection plentifull, and in ministring spirituall food, deuout and
godlie affected: in his bishoplike office diligent, reuerend, and neuer
wearied: a singular example of a bishop, speciallie in those daies, and
at whose life our reformed bishops may fetch light to abandon their
darkenesse, and to amend that which is amisse in them, sith
[Sidenote: _Leo papa._]
Validiora sunt exempla quàm præcepta,
Et pleniùs docemur vita quàm verbo.
[Sidenote: The L. Wil. Vescie departeth this life.]
[Sidenote: Great wet.]
[Sidenote: Great drout.]
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 38.]
[Sidenote: The ladie Katherin the kings daughter borne.]
Moreouer there died in Gascoigne, William de Vescie a baron of great
fame in the north parts. Also in the spring and summer of this yeare
was a great drought, and in the haruest season fell such wet, that
great floods by the rising of the riuers, and ouerflowing their banks,
did much hurt in sundrie places of the realme. Againe in the later end
of haruest about Michaelmasse, there was eftsoones such a drought,
that men could get no grinding at the milles, but were constreined to
go in some places a daies iournie off, to haue their corne groond. In
the eight and thirtith yeare of king Henries reigne, the quéene was
deliuered of a daughter which was called Katherin, bicause the same was
borne on saint Katherins daie.
[Sidenote: Winter thunder.]
[Sidenote: 1254.]
[Sidenote: The quéenes liberalitie towards the K. A strang sight in the
aire.]
[Sidenote: Redborne.]
[Sidenote: A death of shéepe.]
On S. Lucies daie, there fell a great snowe, and withall a winters
thunder, for a token of some euill to follow. The king to settle the
state of the countrie of Gascoigne in better order, tarried there all
the winter, and repared certeine decaied townes and castels. The quéene
kept hir Christmasse at London, where she laie in child-bed, and was
purified on the euen of the Epiphanie, making a roiall feast, at the
which manie great lords were present, as the archbishop of Canturburie,
the bishop of Elie, the earls of Cornewall and Glocester, and manie
other. She sent ouer at the same time to hir husband for a new yéers
gift the summe of fiue hundred marks of hir owne reuenues, towards the
maintenance of his warres. On the euen of the Circumcision of our Lord,
in the night season, whilest the aire was most cleare and bright with
shining starres, the moone being eight daies old, there appeared in
the element the perfect forme and likenesse of a mightie great ship,
which was first séene of certeine moonks of saint Albons, who remaining
at saint Amphibalus, were got vp to behold by the starres, if it were
time for them to go to mattens; but perceiuing that strange sight, they
called vp such of their acquaintance as lodged néere at hand, to view
the same. At length it séemed as the bourds and ioints thereof had
gone in sunder, and so it vanished awaie. There followed a maruellous
sore later end of a winter, through cold and ouersharpe weather, which
continued till the feast of S. Gregorie in March next insuing. Also
there chanced the same yeare a great murren and death of shéepe and
déere, so that of whole flocks and heards scarse the one halfe escaped.
[Sidenote: The king demandeth a subsidie.]
Whilest the king remained still in Gascoigne, he sent for his wife
quéene Elenor, with his eldest sonne Edward, but bicause he could not
make an end of all his businesse that winter, he continued there the
summer also. And forsomuch as he stood in néed of monie, to haue some
reasonable pretense to demand a subsidie, in the beginning of March, he
sent to his brother Richard the earle of Cornewall (which was come ouer
before chéefelie for that purpose) certeine instructions, to declare
how there was like to follow great warre, by means of Alfonse the tenth
of that name king of Castile, who manaced verie shortlie to inuade the
confines of Gascoigne perteining to the English dominion, and therefore
he required of his faithfull subiects some aid of monie, wherby he
might be able to resist his aduersarie the said K. of Castile. Earle
Richard did what he could to persuade the people to this paiment, but
he cast his net in vaine before the face of the feathered foule, as the
old prouerbe saith,
Apparens rete fugêre volucria quæq;.
For though he set forth the matter to the vttermost in the presence of
the Nobles and other estates, yet would they not heare of anie paiment
to be made, as those that smelled out the feined fetch and forged
tale of the kings néed. For they had intelligence that there was an
agréement concluded betwixt him and the king of Spaine. And for the
same cause the quéene and the lord Edward were gone ouer, that the
king of Spaine might haue a sight of him, as he had required, when the
couenants of the marriage were accorded.
[Sidenote: The king offended with them that refused to helpe him with
monie.]
[Sidenote: Edward the kings sonne is sent to the K. of Castile.]
The states of the realme were twise assembled at London about the grant
of this paiment, but all in vaine; so that they were constreined to
passe it ouer with silence, and to surceasse in the matter to their
great gréefe, and namelie the earle of Cornewall, who had taken great
paines therein. Yet for that he would not returne with emptie hand, he
leuied by rigorous means a great summe of the Iewes (of whom a maine
multitude inhabited at that season in London) and therewith returning
to his brother king Henrie, shewed him how he had sped. The king was
not a little offended with them that thus had denied to helpe him
with monie, insomuch that vpon euerie light occasion, he was readie
to reuenge his displeasure towards them, in taking awaie such grants
of priuileges and liberties as before he had made. But now to auoid
suspicion of his feined pretense of war betwixt him and king Alfonse,
he sent his sonne Edward into Castile vnto the same Alfonse, vnder a
color to compound with him for peace, wheras the verie occasion of his
going thither, was to purchase him the ladie Elenor to wife, that was
sister to the said king Alfonse.
[Sidenote: He marrieth the ladie Elenor daughter to K. Alfonse.]
[Sidenote: _Ran. Higd._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: Edward the kings sonne created prince of Wales, and earle of
Chester.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._]
[Sidenote: Edmund the kings yoonger sonne created duke of Lancaster.]
At his comming to the court of Spaine, he was verie honorablie receiued
of the king, and in the end, vpon conference had of his message,
obteined his suit, so that king Alfonse was content to bestow vpon
him his daughter in marriage, with the countie of Pontieu in France,
which she held in right of hir mother quéene Ione, the second wife of
Ferdinando the king of Castile, father vnto this king Alfonse, which
Ione was the onelie daughter and heire of Simon earle of Pontieu, and
had issue by hir husband the said Ferdinando two sonnes, Ferdinando
and Lewes, with one daughter; to wit, the foresaid Elenor, the which
by reason hir brethren died yoong, was heire to hir mother. The lord
Edward hauing dispatched his businesse according to his desire,
returned with a ioifull hart to his father, and declared to him what he
had doone. His father most glad thereof, for an augmentation of honour,
created him prince of Wales and earle of Chester, and appointed him to
be his deputie and generall lieutenant both in Guien and in Ireland,
and gaue to him the townes of Bristow, Stamford and Grantham. Hereof
came it, that euer after the kings eldest sonne was made immediatlie
vpon his birth prince of Wales and earle of Chester. He created also
his other sonne named Edmund earle of Lancaster.
[Sidenote: Ships of a strange mold.]
About this season were certeine ships driuen by force of wind and
weather into certeine hauens on the north coasts of England towards
Barwike, which ships were of a verie strange forme and fashion, but
mightie and strong. The men that were aboord the same ships were
of some farre countrie, for their language was vnknowne, and not
vnderstandable to any man that could be brought to talke with them. The
fraught and balast of the ships was armour and weapon, as habergeons,
helmets, speares, bowes, arrowes, crosbowes and darts, with great store
of vittels. There laie also without the hauens on the coast diuerse
other ships of like forme, mold and fashion. Those that were driuen
into the hauens were staied for a time by the bailiffes of the ports.
But finallie, when it could not be knowne what they were, nor from
whence they came, they were licenced to depart without losse or harme
in bodie or goods.
[Sidenote: Gaston de Bierne attempteth to take the citie of Baion.]
[Sidenote: A mutinie in the English armie.]
About Candlemasse, Gaston de Bierne, assembling togither a multitude of
the kings enimies, thorough the intelligence of some of the citizens
of Baion that fauoured not the king, wrought so, that certeine of
his number entred that citie, meaning to haue bereft the king of the
dominion thereof. But other of the citizins (namelie those of the
meaner sort which fauoured the king) made such resistance, that the
enimies which were entred, were apprehended, and diuerse of them
suffered punishment, as they had well deserued. After this, there
chanced a mutinie in the English armie, bicause the kings brethren and
the bishop of Hereford tooke vpon them to punish certeine Welshmen,
for that without commission they had béene abrod to spoile within
the French confines. Therfore in asmuch as the punishment séemed to
excéed the degrée and qualitie of the offense; and againe, for that the
earle of Hereford being constable of the host by inheritance ought to
haue had the order of all corrections in cases of such offenses, the
Englishmen were in mind to haue slaine all the Poictouins in despite of
the kings brethren, if the king had not in humble wise sought to haue
appeased their furie.
[Sidenote: A mightie storme of haile.]
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 39.]
[Sidenote: The king returneth homewards thorough France.]
[Sidenote: The countesse of Cornewall.]
The wind continuing this yeare for the space of thrée moneths and
od daies northerlie, did greatlie hinder the growth and increase of
floures and fruits: and about the first of Iulie there fell such a
storme of haile and raine, as the like had not béene séene nor heard
of in those daies, breaking downe the tiles and other couerings of
houses, with boughes of trées, by the violent aboundance and force of
the water and hailestones, which continued aboue the space of an houre
powring and beating downe incessantlie. After this, when the king
had remained a whole yeare in Guien, he returned homewards through
France, and comming vnto Charters, was honorablie there receiued of
Lewes the French king, as then latelie returned out of the holie land,
and from thence he was roiallie by the same king Lewes brought vnto
Paris. The countesse of Cornewall went ouer with a noble traine of
lords, gentlemen, and others, to be present at the méeting of hir two
sisters, the quéenes of England and France, so that the roialtie of the
assemblie on ech part was great.
[Sidenote: 1255.]
After that king Henrie had continued there for his pleasure certeine
daies, he returned to England, landing at Douer in Christmasse wéeke.
This iournie into Gascoigne was verie costlie, and to small purpose (as
writers haue recorded) for the kings charges amounted to the summe of
27 hundred thousand pounds and aboue, except lands and rents, which he
gaue vnaduisedlie to those which little deserued, but rather sought the
hinderance both of him and his realme, besides the gift of 30 thousand
marks, which he bestowed vpon his halfe brethren by the mothers side,
not reckoning the lands nor rents, neither yet the wards nor the
horsses, nor iewels which he gaue to them besides, being of price
inestimable. Thus in two iournies which he made, the one into Poictou,
which countrie he lost; and the other into Gascoigne, which he hardlie
preserued; he spent more treasure than a wise chapman would haue giuen
for them both if they had béene set on sale (as Matthew Paris writeth)
so that it might be verified in him that is meant by the old prouerbe,
Qui procul excurrit, sed nil mercatur ibidem,
Si via longa fuit, rediens tristatur hic idem.
[Sidenote: The pope offereth ye kingdome of Sicill vnto the king of
England.]
[Sidenote: The K. maketh great shift for monie to send to the pope.]
Moreouer to increase the kings vaine charges, so it fell out, that pope
Innocent bearing grudge towards Conrade king of Sicill, offered that
kingdome (as before is partlie touched) to Richard duke of Cornewall,
who refused the offer, as well for other causes, as chieflie for that
the pope would not agrée to such conditions as earle Richard thought
necessarie for his assurance. Wherevpon the pope granted that kingdome
vnto king Henrie, with manie goodlie promises of aid to his furtherance
for atteining the possession thereof. King Henrie ioifullie receiued
that grant, and called his sonne Edmund openlie by the name of K. of
Sicill, and to furnish the pope with monie for the maintenance of his
war against Conrade, he got togither all such sums as he could make, as
well out of his owne coffers, and out of the excheker, as by borrowing
of his brother earle Richard, and likewise what he could scrape
from the Iewes, or otherwise extort by the rapine of the iustices
itinerants: all which he sent to the pope, who not content herwith
(when he began eftsoons to want) wrote againe to the king for more.
[Sidenote: He sendeth to the pope a warant to take vp monie.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._]
[Sidenote: The pope is liberall of an others mans pursse.]
[Sidenote: Manfred proclaimed king of Sicill.]
The king through the instinct of the diuell, to answer the popes
auarice, sent him letters patents obligatorie, signed with his roiall
seale, by which he might take by way of lone such summes of monie, as
would largelie serue his turne of the merchants Italians, willing him
not to sticke at the disbursing of treasure, nor at the great quantitie
of the interest rising vpon the vsurie, for he would discharge all:
and herevnto he bound himselfe vnder paine to forfeit his kingdome
and other his heritages. The pope consenting herevnto, accepted this
large offer. If he did well herein (saith Matthew Paris) the Lord the
iudge of all iudges iudge it, to whom apperteineth the care of all
things. To conclude, much monie was spent, for the pope spared not the
king of Englands pursse, though little good was doone therewith. At
length Conrade died, not without suspicion of poison. The pope being
aduertised of his death, reioised greatlie, as he well vttered in
plaine words, saieng; "Let vs all that be the children of the Romish
church reioise, for now two of our greatest enimies are dispatched out
of the waie; the one a spirituall man, that is to saie, Robert bishop
of Lincolne; and the other a laie-man, that is Conrade king of Sicill."
But yet the pope missed of his purpose, for Manfred the bastard sonne
of the emperour Frederike the second, was shortlie after proclaimed
king of Sicill, and so the second errour was greater than the first.
[Sidenote: A parlement.]
[Sidenote: The states refuse to grant a subsidie.]
About the quindene of Easter, there was a parlement holden at London,
at the which were assembled all the states of the realme in greater
number than had béene commonlie séene. This parlement was chéefelie
called, to let them vnderstand the kings necessitie of monie for
discharging of his debts, and to require them of their aid towards
the same. But whereas he requested more than was thought stood with
reason, they would not agrée therevnto, but desired that he would
confirme, and without all cauillation sweare to obserue the liberties
which by the charter he had promised to hold. Moreouer they required,
that by the common councell of the realme they might choose to them the
chéefe iustice, the chancellour and treasuror, but they were answered
plainelie by some of the priuie councell, that this request would at no
hand be granted.
[Sidenote: The parlem[=e]t adiourned.]
[Sidenote: Rob. de Ros & Iohn Bailioll accused.]
[Sidenote: Reignold de Bath a physician.]
Furthermore, the prelats complained, that they were driuen to paie the
tenths which they promised conditionallie, as it were now by constreint
and of dutie, to the preiudice of the liberties of the church. The
Nobles also found themselues gréeued for the exactions which they saw
at hand, but finallie, after manie things had béene debated touching
these matters, the parlement was adiourned till Michaelmas next, and
euerie man departed to his home, with no great trust of the kings
good will towards them, nor anie hartie thanks receiued of him for
their paines, as may be thought by that which writers haue recorded.
Two Noble men, to whom the custodie and guiding of the king and
quéene of Scots was committed, that is to say, Robert de Ros, and
Iohn de Bailioll, were accused, for misusing themselues in the trust
and charge which they had taken vpon them. King Henrie was the same
time at Notingham. The information came foorth by a physician, who
was sent from the quéene of England, vnto hir daughter the quéene of
Scots, to be about hir for gard of hir health, but bicause the same
physician (whose name was Reignold of Bath) perceiued the quéene of
Scots to be impaired in health through anguish of mind, by reason of
the misdemeanor of such as had the gouernement of hir and hir husband,
he sticked not to blame and reprooue them in their dooings, for the
which he was poisoned, as some thinke: for the truth was, he shortlie
after sickened and died, signifieng vpon his death-bed vnto the quéene
of England what he misliked and thought amisse in those that had the
dooings about hir daughter and hir husband the Scotish king.
[Sidenote: An eclipse.]
[Sidenote: The earle of Glocester & Iohn Mansell sent into Scotland.]
The moone suffered a maruellous eclipse on the night following the day
of S. Margaret in Iulie. It began afore midnight, and continued foure
houres. The king in the behalfe of his daughter the quéene of Scots
raised a power, and drew northwards, sending before him the earle of
Glocester, and Iohn Mansell that was his chapleine and one of his
councell. These two so vsed the matter, that they came to Edenburgh,
where the king and quéene of Scots then laie in the castell, into the
which they entred, and altered the order of the houshold, so as stood
with the contentation of the king and quéene, which were in such wise
vsed before that time, that they were not suffered to lie togither, nor
scarse come to talke togither.
[Sidenote: Robert de Ros summoned to appeare.]
Robert de Ros was summoned to appeare before the king of England, to
answer to such things as might be laid to his charge. At the first he
withdrew himselfe, but afterwards he came in, and submitted himselfe
to the kings pleasure. Diuerse of the nobles of Scotland tooke it not
well, that the earle of Glocester and Iohn Mansell should thus come
into the castell of Edenburgh, and order things in the kings house in
such sort at their pleasure: wherevpon they assembled a power, and
besieged the castell, but at length perceiuing their owne error, they
raised their siege and departed. Iohn de Bailioll being accused of the
like crime that was laid to the charge of his fellow Robert de Ros, for
a péece of monie bought his peace and was pardoned, but the lands of
Robert de Ros were seized into the kings hands. Finallie, the king and
quéene of England came to an enteruiew with the king of Scots and the
quéene their daughter, and setting all things with them in such order
as was thought conuenient, they returned towards the south parts.
[Sidenote: A shift to get monie of the bishops deuised by the bish. of
Hereford.]