duchie of Guien, and countie of Pontieu, to haue and hold to him & his
heires kings of England, with condition, that if he chanced to depart
this life whilest his father liued, those lands should returne to his
father againe, so as the French king might not marrie the kings sonne
at his pleasure, nor appoint vnto him any gardians or gouernours. This
ordinance was made at Douer by the kings charter, with consent of the
prelats and other noble men of the realme there present, the morrow
after the Natiuitie of our ladie, and on the thursdaie following, the
kings sonne tooke the sea, and with him Walter bishop of Excester
and others in competent number, and about the feast of saint Matthew
the apostle, he did homage to his vncle the French king at Bois de
Vincennes, vnder certeine protestations made, as well on the one part
as the other.
[Sidenote: A drie summer.]
[Sidenote: Cattell died.]
[Sidenote: The king sendeth for his wife and son to returne home.]
[Sidenote: The womans dissimulation.]
The summer this yeare prooued excéeding hot and drie, so that springs
and riuers failed to yéeld their accustomed course of waters, by reason
whereof great numbers of cattell and beasts, both wild and tame died,
through lacke of conuenient liquor to asswage their vehement thirst.
In the beginning of the next spring, king Edward sent into France vnto
his wife and sonne, commanding them, now that they had made an end of
their businesse, to returne home with all conuenient spéed. The quéene
receiuing the message from hir husband, whether it was so that she was
staied by hir brother, vnto whome belike she had complained after what
manner she was vsed at hir husbands hands, being had in no regard with
him: or for that she had no mind to returne home, bicause she was loth
to sée all things ordered out of frame by the counsell of the Spensers,
whereof to heare she was wearie: or whether (as the manner of women is)
she was long about to prepare hir selfe forward, she slacked all the
summer, and sent letters euer to excuse hir tarriance. But yet bicause
she would not run in any suspicion with hir husband, she sent diuerse
of hir folkes before hir into England by soft iournies. A lamentable
case, that such diuision should be betwéene a king and his quéene,
being lawfullie married, and hauing issue of their bodies, which ought
to haue made that their copulation more comfortable: but (alas) what
will not a woman be drawne and allured vnto, if by euill counsell she
be once assaulted? And what will she leaue vndoone, though neuer so
inconuenient to those that should be most déere vnto hir, so hir owne
fansie and will be satisfied? And how hardlie is she reuoked from
procéeding in an euill action, if she haue once taken a taste of the
same? As verie truly is reported by the comedie-writer, saieng,
[Sidenote: _Plaut. in Truc._]
Malè quod mulier incoepit nisi efficere id perpetrat,
Id illi morbo, id illi senio est; ea illi miseræ miseria est:
Si bene facere incoepit, eius eam citò odium percipit,
Nimísq; paucæ sunt defessæ, malè quæ facere occoeperint;
Nimísq; paucæ efficiunt, si quid occoeperint benefacere;
Mulieri nimiò malefacere melius est onus, quàm bene.
[Sidenote: A proclamation.]
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
But to the purpose. King Edward not a little offended with king
Charles, by whose meanes he knew that the woman thus lingered abroad,
he procured pope Iohn to write his letters vnto the French king,
admonishing him to send home his sister and hir sonne vnto hir husband.
But when this nothing auailed, a proclamation was made in the moneth of
December, the ninetéenth yeare of this kings reigne, that if the quéene
and hir sonne entred not the land by the octaues of the Epiphanie next
insuing in peaceable wise, they should be taken for enimies to the
realme and crowne of England. ¶ Here authors varie, for some write,
that vpon knowledge had of this proclamation, the quéene determined to
returne into England foorthwith, that she might be reconciled to hir
husband.
[Sidenote: 1326.]
Others write, and that more truelie, how she being highlie displeased,
both with the Spensers and the king hir husband, that suffered
himselfe to be misled by their counsels, did appoint indéed to returne
into England, not to be reconciled, but to stir the people to some
rebellion, wherby she might reuenge hir manifold iniuries. Which (as
the proofe of the thing shewed) séemeth to be most true, for she being
a wise woman, & considering that sith the Spensers had excluded, put
out, and remooued all good men, from and besides the kings councell,
and placed in their roomes such of their clients, seruants and fréends
as pleased them, she might well thinke that there was small hope to be
had in hir husband, who heard no man but the said Spensers, which she
knew hated hir deadlie. Wherevpon, after that the tearme prefixed in
the proclamation was expired, the king caused to be seized into his
hands, all such lands, as belonged either to his sonne, or to his wife.
[Sidenote: Sir Robert Walkfare.]
[Sidenote: The bishop of Excester c[=o]meth from the quéene.]
About the same time, one sir Robert Walkfare knight, a right hardie man
of his hands, but craftie and subtill (who being taken in the warres
which the lords raised against the king, had béene committed to prison
in the castell of Corfe) found means now to kill the constable of that
castell most cruellie, and escaping awaie, got ouer to the quéene into
France, and so the number of them that ran out of the realme vnto hir
dailie increased. This sir Robert Walkfare was a great procurer of the
discord betwixt the king and the lords, and a chéefe leader, or rather
seducer of that noble man Humfrie de Bohune earle of Hereford: and
whilest other gaue themselues to séeke a reformation in the decaied
state of the common-wealth, he set his mind vpon murders and robberies.
Diuerse other about the same time fled out of the realme vnto the
quéene, and vnto hir sonne the earle of Chester. But in the meane time,
Walter Stapleton bishop of Excester, which hitherto had remained with
the quéene in France, stale now from hir, and got ouer into England,
opening to the king all the counsell and whole mind of the quéene:
which thing turned first of all vnto his owne destruction, as shall
after appeare.
[Sidenote: Sir Oliuer de Ingham lieutenant of Gascoine.]
[Sidenote: Agenois recouered out of the Frenchmens hands.]
[Sidenote: Ships of Normandie taken.]
About the same time, one sir Oliuer de Ingham, a yoong, lustie, and
valiant knight, was by the kings sonne the duke of Aquitaine (not
without his fathers consent) established lord warden of the marches
of Guien, the which sir Oliuer gathering an armie of hired soldiers,
Spaniards, Aragons, and Gascoins, inuaded the countrie of Agenois
(which the French king held yet in his hands contrarie to couenant)
and recouering it from the French, cléerelie reduced it to the English
dominion. Moreouer, sir Iohn Oturum, sir Nicholas Kiriell, and sir Iohn
Felton, admerals by the kings appointment, with the fléets of the east,
south, and west parts, went to the sea, to apprehend such Frenchmen as
they might méet withall. They according to their commission bestirred
themselues so, that within few daies they tooke six score saile of
Normans, and brought them into England, wherevpon the displeasure sore
increased betwixt the two realmes.
The king of England stood not onelie in doubt of the Frenchmen, but
more of his owne people that remained in France, least they thorough
helpe of the French should inuade the land, and therefore he commanded
the hauens and ports to be suerlie watched, lest some sudden inuasion
might happilie be attempted, for it was well vnderstood, that the
quéene meant not to returne, till she might bring with hir the lord
Mortimer, and the other banished men, who in no wise could obteine anie
fauour at the kings hands, so long as the Spensers bare rule. ¶ The
pope lamenting this matter, sent two bishops into England, to reconcile
the king and quéene, and also to agrée the two kings. These bishops
were reuerentlie receiued, but more than reuerence here they obteined
not, and so departed as they came.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 20.]
[Sidenote: The lord Beaumont of Heinault.]
[Sidenote: The quéene of England with hir son goeth into Heinault.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
King Edward vnderstanding all the quéenes drift, at length sought the
French kings fauour, and did so much by letters and promise of bribes
with him and his councell, that quéene Isabell was destitute in manner
of all helpe there, so that she was glad to withdraw into Heinault,
by the comfort of Iohn the lord Beaumont, the earle of Heinault his
brother, who being then in the court of France, and lamenting quéene
Isabels case, imagined with himselfe of some marriage that might be had
betwixt the yoong prince of Wales, and some of the daughters of his
brother the earle of Heinault, and therevpon required hir to go into
Heinault, and he would be glad to attend hir. She gladlie consenting
hereto, went thither with him, where she was most ioifullie receiued
with hir sonne, and all other of hir traine.
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
The Spensers (some write) procured hir banishment out of France, and
that she was aduised by the earle of Arthois chéefelie to repaire into
Heinault. Also I find, that the Spensers deliuered fiue barrels of
siluer, the summe amounting vnto fiue thousand marks, vnto one Arnold
of Spaine a broker, appointing him to conueie it ouer into France, to
bestowe it vpon such fréends as they had there of the French kings
counsell, by whose means the king of France did banish his sister out
of his relme. But this monie was met with vpon the sea by certeine
Zelanders, and taken, togither with the said Arnold, and presented to
the earle of Heinault, vnder whose dominion the Zelanders in those
daies remained, of which good hap the earle and quéene Isabell greatlie
reioised.
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: A marriage concluded.]
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
[Sidenote: Prouision made in England to resist the quéene.]
In the time that the quéene and hir sonne laie in the court of the
earle of Heinault, a marriage was concluded betwixt the prince of
Wales, and the ladie Philip, daughter to the said earle, vpon certeine
conditions, whereof one was, that the said erle should at his proper
costs set ouer into England the said prince of Wales, with a crue of
foure hundred men of armes. But whether there was any such mariage
as then concluded, and that in consideration thereof, the earle of
Heinault aided quéene Isabell and hir sonne, it may be doubted, bicause
other writers make no such report. Neuerthelesse, certeine it is, that
the earls brother sir Iohn de Heinault lord Beaumont, was appointed
with certeine bands of men of arms, to the number of foure hundred
or fiue hundred, to passe ouer with the said quéene and hir sonne
into England, and so therevpon began to make his purueiance for that
iournie, which thing when it came to the knowledge of king Edward and
the Spensers, they caused musters to be taken through the realme, and
ordeined beacons to be set vp, kept and watched, as well in the vallies
by the sea side, as within the countries, vpon hilles and high grounds,
that the same vpon occasion of the enimies arriuall, might be set on
fire, to warne the countries adioining to assemble and resist them.
[Sidenote: _Tho. Walsin._]
[Sidenote: The quéene with hir son land in Suffolke.]
[Sidenote: _Tho. Walsi._]
[Sidenote: The readinesse of the prelats to assist the quéene.]
But quéene Isabell and hir sonne, with such others as were with hir in
Heinault, staied not their iournie for doubt of all their aduersaries
prouision, but immediatlie after that they had once made their
purueiances, and were readie to depart, they tooke the sea, namelie
the quéene, hir sonne, Edmund of Wodstoke earle of Kent, sir Iohn de
Heinault aforesaid, and the lord Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, a man of
good experience in the warres, and diuerse others, hauing with them a
small companie of Englishmen, with a crue of Heinewiers and Almains,
to the number of 2757 armed men, the which sailing foorth towards
England, landed at length in Suffolke, at an hauen called Orwell
besides Harwich, the 25 daie of September. Immediatlie after that the
quéene and hir sonne were come to land, it was woonder to sée how fast
the people resorted vnto them; and first of all, the earle Marshall,
in whose lands she first came on shore, repaired vnto hir, so did the
earle of Leicester, and diuerse barons & knights of those parts, with
all the prelats in manner of the land, as the bishops of Lincolne,
Hereford, Dubline, and Elie, the which being ioined with the quéene,
made a great armie. The archbishop of Canturburie and others aided hir
with monie.
[Sidenote: The answer of the Londoners to the king.]
After that she had refreshed hir people a little space at saint
Edmundsburie, she marched foorth to séeke the aduersaries of hir and
of the realme, as she bruted it; but they still kéeping themselues
néere to the kings person, that vnder the shadow of the wings of his
protection they might remaine in more safegard, durst not depart from
his presence. At the time of the quéenes landing he was at London, and
being sore amazed with the newes, he required aid of the Londoners.
They answered, that they would doo all the honour they might vnto the
king, the quéene, and to their sonne the lawfull heire of the land: but
as for strangers & traitors to the realme, they would kéepe them out of
their gates, and resist them with all their forces: but to go foorth of
the citie further than that they might returne before sunne-setting,
they refused, pretending certeine liberties in that behalfe to them
granted in times past, as they alledged.
[Sidenote: The king forsaketh London, and goeth towards the marches of
Wales. A proclamation set forth by the king.]
[Sidenote: The quéenes proclamation.]
The king not greatlie liking of this answer, fortified the tower, and
leauing within it his yoonger son Iohn of Eltham, and the wife of
the lord Chamberleine Hugh Spenser the yoonger that was his néece,
he departed towards the marches of Wales, there to raise an armie
against the quéene. Before his departure from London, he set foorth
a proclamation, that euerie man vnder paine of forfeiting of life &
goods, should resist them that were thus landed, assaile, and kill
them, the quéene, his sonne Edward, and his brother the earle of Kent
onelie excepted; and whosoeuer could bring the head or dead corps of
the lord Mortimer of Wigmore, should haue for his labour a thousand
marks. The quéenes proclamations on the other part willed all men to
hope for peace, the Spensers publike enimies of the realme, and the
lord chancellor Robert Baldocke, with their assistants onlie excepted,
through whose meanes the present trouble was happened to the realme.
And it was forbidden, that no man should take ought from any person,
and who so euer could bring to the quéene the head of Hugh Spenser the
yoonger, should haue two thousand pounds of the quéenes gift.
[Sidenote: The bishop of Excester left in charge with the citie of
London.]
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
The king at his departure from London, left maister Walter Stapleton
the bishop of Excester behind him, to haue the rule of the citie of
London. Then shortlie after, the quéene with hir son, making towards
London, wrote a letter to the maior, and the citizens, requiring to
haue assistance for the putting downe of the Spensers, not onelie
knowne enimies of theirs, but also common enimies to all the realme
of England. To this letter no answer at the first was made, wherefore
an other was sent, dated at Baldocke the sixt daie of October, vnder
the names of Isabell by the grace of God quéene of England, ladie of
Ireland, and countesse of Pontieu, and of Edward eldest sonne to the
king of England, duke of Guien, earle of Chester, of Pontieu and of
Muttrell. This letter being directed to the maior and communaltie of
London, conteining in effect, that the cause of their landing and
entring into the realme at that time, was onelie for the honor of the
king and wealth of the realme, meaning hurt to no maner of person,
but to the Spensers, was fastened vpon the crosse in Cheape, then
called the new crosse in Cheape, on the night before the ninth daie of
October. Diuerse copies of the same letter were set vp, and fastened
vpon windowes and doores in other places of the citie, and one of the
same copies was tacked vpon the lord maiors gates.
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: _Thom. Walsi._]
[Sidenote: The lord maior forced to take an oth.]
[Sidenote: Iohn Marshall taken & beheaded.]
After which letter thus published in the citie, a great number of
artificers, and other that loued not to sit in rest vpon such occasion
of discord offered, now that things were in broile in other parts of
the realme, assembled in great numbers, & with weapon in hand came to
the lord maior of the citie, whom they knew to fauour the kings part, &
therefore they forced him through feare of some iniurious violence, to
receiue an oth to stand to their ordinance, which was to put to death
all those that were aduersaries to the quéene, or had by any meanes
procured the hinderance of the cities liberties, vnder pretext of which
oth they ran and tooke one of the citizens, called Iohn Marshall,
who bicause he was verie familiar with the earle of Glocester, and
therefore suspected to haue accused the citizens, they stroke off his
head, and spoiled all his goods.
[Sidenote: The bishop of Excester beheaded.]
On the same day, being the fourtéenth of October, continuing their
rage, they ran to the house of the bishop of Excester, Walter de
Stapleton, and setting fire on the gates, they entred and spoiled
him of all his plate, iewels, monie and goods. And as it chanced
in an infortunate houre for him, the bishop being at the same time
returning from the fields, would not séeme to shrinke, although he was
admonished of these outragious attempts of the people; but sitting on
horssebacke, came to the north doore of S. Paule, where foorthwith the
furious people laid violent hands on him, threw him downe, and drew him
most outragiouslie into Cheapeside, where they proclamed him an open
traitor, a seducer of the king, and a destroier of their liberties. The
bishop had vpon him a certeine cote of defense, which was called an
aketon, the same therefore being plucked beside his backe as all other
his garments, they shore his head from his shoulders, and to the like
death they put two of his seruants, the one an esquire, and the other
a yeoman. The bishops head was set on a pole for a spectacle, that the
remembrance of his death, and the cause thereof might continue. His
bodie was buried in an old churchyard of the pied friers, without any
manner of exequies of funerall seruice doone for him.
The chiefest cause of the enimitie which the Londoners bare towards
this bishop, rose hereof. He being lord treasuror, procured that the
iustices itinerants did sit in the citie of London, and where manie
of the citizens were found offendors, and iustlie punished, as well
by loosing their fréedoms, as by paieng their fines, and suffering
corporall punishments, they conceiued a great displeasure towards
him. Moreouer, it was said, that he had raised a great multitude of
armed men against the quéene, and hir son the duke of Aquitaine, and
therefore did the Londoners (as they affirmed) séeke to preuent his
procéedings. ¶ The morrow after that they had thus beheaded the bishop
of Excester, they tooke by chance sir Iohn Weston constable of the
tower, and from him they tooke the keies of the same tower, and so
entering the tower, they set all the prisoners at libertie, and in like
case all those that were imprisoned in maner through the land were
permitted to go at large, and all the banished men and outlawes were
likewise restored home.
[Sidenote: The king sailed into Wales.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: His fauour towards the Welshmen.]
The Londoners hauing the tower thus at their commandement, remooued all
the officers therein placed by the king, and put other in their roomes,
in the name of the lord Iohn de Eltham the kings son, whom they named
warden of the citie and land. And yet they ceassed not to commit manie
robberies & other outragious & most insolent parts. In the meane time,
the king being come to Bristow, left that citie in the kéeping of the
earle of Winchester. And with the earles of Glocester and Arundell, and
the lord chancellor sir Robert Baldocke, he sailed ouer into Wales,
there to raise a power of Welshmen in defense of himselfe against the
quéene and hir adherents, which he had good hope to find amongest
the Welshmen, bicause he had euer vsed them gentlie, and shewed no
rigor towards them for their riotous misgouernance. Againe, he drew
the rather into that part, that if there were no remedie, he might
easilie escape ouer into Ireland, and get into some mounteine-countrie,
marish-ground, or other streict, where his enimies should not come at
him.
[Sidenote: The quéene following the king commeth to Oxenford.]
[Sidenote: _Tho. de la More._]
[Sidenote: The bishop of Hereford maketh an oration to the quéenes
armie.]
But now to speake of the quéene, yée most vnderstand, that after she
had receiued knowledge from the Londoners, that they were wholie at
hir deuotion, she being glad thereof, turned hir iournie toward Wales
to follow the king, and comming to Oxenford, staied there a while, and
still came people to hir from all sides. Héere Adam de Torleton the
bishop of Hereford, which latelie before had béene sore fined by the
king, for that he was accused to stirre the people to rebellion, and
to aid the barons (as yée haue heard) made a pithie oration to the
armie, declaring that the quéene and hir sonne were returned onelie
into England, to the intent to persecute the Spensers, & reforme the
state of the realme. And sith then that they now were come in maner to
an end of the tyrannie of most naughtie men, and of the danger that
might growe dailie thereof, he exhorted them with patient minds to
beare the small trauell that remained in pursuit of the enimies; and as
for reward, they might looke for all things by the victorie, and the
quéenes liberalitie, whose loue was such towards the common-wealth, as
she onelie applied all hir endeuours and dooings to the aduancement
thereof.
[Sidenote: The quéene goeth to Glocester.]
These words spoken, the quéene accompanied with a great power, departed
from Oxenford, and went straight vnto Glocester, and sent before
hir vnto Bristow the earle of Kent, the kings brother, sir Iohn of
Hennegew, with other, to take the earle of Winchester. They did their
endeuour with such diligence, that the townesmen, compounding to be
saued harmlesse in bodie and goods, deliuered the towne and castell
vnto the quéene, & to hir sonne the prince. In the meane time, there
came to the quéene at Glocester, the lord Percie, the lord Wake, and
diuerse other, as well from the north parts, as foorth of the marches
of Wales, so that hir armie hugelie increased.
[Sidenote: The lord Berkley.]
[Sidenote: The quéene commeth to Bristow.]
[Sidenote: The earle of Winchester executed.]
From Glocester she passed by Berkley, and restored the castell of
Berkley (which the earle of Glocester, Hugh Spenser the yoonger had
held) vnto the lord Thomas Berkley, heire to the lord Maurice Berkley
latelie before deceassed in prison, within the castell of Wallingford,
togither with all the appurtenances to the honor of Berkley belonging.
From thence she went to Bristow, and the morrow after hir thither
comming, being the euen of the apostles Simon and Iude, through the
instant calling vpon of the people, the earle of Winchester was drawne
foorth in his cote armor vnto the common gallows, and there hanged. His
head was after cut off, and sent to Winchester, whereof he was earle.
[Sidenote: Sir Thomas Blunt, lord Steward to the king, reuolteth to the
quéene.]