In the Lent season of this sixt yeare of king Richards reigne, an other
parlement was called at London, in the which there was hard hold about
the buls sent to the bishop of Norwich from pope Vrbane, concerning his
iournie that he should take in hand against the Clementines (as we may
call them, for that they held with pope Clement) whome the Vrbanists
(that is, such as held with pope Vrbane) tooke for schismatikes.
Diuerse there were, that thought it not good that such summes of monie
shuld be leuied of the kings subiects, and the same togither with an
armie of men to be committed vnto the guiding of a prelat vnskilfull
in warlike affaires. Other there were that would needs haue him to go,
that the enimies of the church (as they tooke them) might be subdued.
And although the more part of the lords of the vpper house, and
likewise the knights and burgesses of the lower house were earnestlie
bent against this iournie; yet at length those that were of the
contrarie mind, preuailed; & so it was decreed, that it should forward,
and that the said bishop of Norwich should haue the fiftéenth granted
to the king in the last parlement, to paie the wages of such men of
warre as should go ouer with him; for soldiers without monie passed
not much of par dons, nonot in those daies, except at |757| the verie
point of death, if they were not assured how to be answered of their
wages, or of some other consideration wherby they might gaine. ¶ The
tenth that was granted afore by the bishops at Oxford, was now in this
same parlement appointed to remaine to the king for the kéeping of the
seas, whilest the bishop should be foorth of the realme in following
those wars.
[Sidenote: The crossed souldiers.]
These things being thus appointed, the bishop sent foorth his letters
firmed with his seale into euerie prouince and countrie of this land,
giuing to all parsons, vicars, and curats, through this realme, power
and authoritie to heare the confessions of their parishioners, and to
grant vnto those that would bestow any parcell of their goods, which
God had lent them towards the aduancing of the iournie to be made by
the crossed souldiers against pope Vrbans enimies, the absolution and
remission of all their sinnes by the popes authoritie, according to
the forme of the bull before mentioned. The people vnderstanding of
so great and gratious a benefit (as they tooke it) thus offered to
the English nation, at home in their owne houses, were desirous to be
partakers thereof, and those that were warlike men, prepared themselues
to go foorth in that iournie with all spéed possible. The residue that
were not fit to be warriors, according to that they were exhorted by
their confessors, bestowed liberallie of their goods to the furtherance
of those that went: and so, few there were within the whole kingdome,
but that either they went, or gaue somewhat to the aduancing foorth of
the bishop of Norwich his voiage.
[Sidenote: The capteins that wēt with the bishop of Norwich against the
antipape.
_Froissard._]
This bishop chose diuerse to be associat with him, as capteins that
were expert in warlike enterprises. The first and principall was sir
Hugh Caluerlie an old man of warre, and one that in all places had
borne himselfe both valiantlie and politikelie; next vnto him was sir
William Farington, who stoutlie spake in the bishops cause, when the
matter came in question in the parlement house, touching his going
ouer with his croisie. Besides these, there went diuerse noble men and
knights of high renowme, as the lord Henrie Beaumount, sir William
Elmham, and sir Thomas Triuet, sir Iohn Ferrers, sir Hugh Spenser
the bishops nephue by his brother, sir Matthew Redman capteine of
Berwike, sir Nicholas Tarenson or Traicton, sir William Farington, and
manie other of the English nation: & of Gascogne there went le sire
de Chasteauneuf, and his brother sir Iohn de Chasteauneuf, Raimund
de Marsen, Guillonet de Paux, Gariot Vighier, Iohn de Cachitan, and
diuerse other. Sir Iohn Beauchampe was appointed marshall of the field,
but bicause he was at that present in the marches of the realme towards
Scotland, he was not readie to passe ouer when the bishop did. The duke
of Lancaster liked not well of the bishops iournie, for that he saw how
his voiage that he meant to make into Spaine was hereby for the time
disappointed, and he could haue béene better contented (as appeareth
by writers) to haue had the monie imploied vpon the warres against the
king of Castile that was a Clementine, than to haue it bestowed vpon
this voiage, which the bishop was to take in hand against the French
king, and other in these néerer parts. Herevpon there were not manie of
the nobilitie that offered to go with the bishop.
[Sidenote: The statute against fishmongers repealed, they are restored
to their liberties.]
But to saie somewhat of other things that were concluded in this last
parlement, we find, that the fishmongers, which through meanes of the
late lord maior Iohn of Northampton and his complices were put from
their ancient customes and liberties, which they inioied aforetime
within the citie, were now restored to the same againe, sauing that
they might not kéepe courts among themselues, as in times past they
vsed, but that after the maner of other crafts and companies, all
transgressions, offenses, and breaches of lawes and customes by them
committed, should be heard, tried, and reformed in the maiors court. ¶
All this winter the matter touching the gathering of monie towards the
croisie, was earnestlie applied, so that there was leuied what of the
disme, and by the deuotion of the people for obteining of the pardon,
so much as drew to the summe of fiue and twentie thousand franks.
[Sidenote: The bishop of Norwich setteth forward with his armie.
_Polydor._
_Froissard._