Furthermore before the said parlement was dissolued, newes came foorth
of the north parts, that the Scots had woone the castell of Berwike:
for which the earle of Northumberland, that was capteine thereof, was
put in high blame, for that he had not committed the kéeping thereof
to more circumspect persons. The duke of Lancaster, who bare no |765|
good will to the said earle, was well appaid that he had so good
matter to charge his aduersarie withall, so that through his meanes
the earle of Northumberland was sore accused, and had much adoo to
escape the danger of being reputed a traitor. Wherevpon great occasion
of malice and displeasure grew betwixt those two noble personages,
as after it well appeared. But howsoeuer the matter was handled, the
earle was licenced by the king to go into his countrie, and séeke to
recouer possession of the castell thus latelie lost. Wherevpon raising
an armie, & besieging the Scots that were within the castell, he so
constreined them, that for the summe of 2000 marks they surrendred the
fortresse into his hands, their liues and goods saued: and so the earle
of Northumberland recouered the castell out of the Scotishmens hands,
being taught to commit it to more warie keepers than the other before.
[Sidenote: 1385.
The duke of Lancaster getteth him to his castell of Pomfret, and
fortifieth it.
The princesse of Wales maketh an atonement betwéene the king and the
duke of Lancaster.]
The king being incensed against the duke of Lancaster, meant that he
should haue béene arrested and arreigned of certeine points of treason
before sir Robert Trissillian cheefe iustice (as Thomas Walsingham
saith) and peraduenture there might be some such report, that such
was the kings meaning: but yet how this may stand, considering he was
to be tried by his peeres, in case that any the like matter had beene
pretended, I sée not. But how soeuer it was, he being warned thereof
by some of the councell, got him to his castell of Pomfret, which he
fortified, and banded himselfe so with his fréends, that it appeared he
would defend his cause with force of armes, rather than to come to his
triall by order of law afore such a iudge: and by reason hereof, it was
greatlie doubted, least some ciuill warre would haue broken foorth. But
through the earnest labour of the kings mother, that (notwithstanding
hir indisposition of bodie to trauell, by reason of hir corpulencie)
riding to and fro betwixt them, made an agréement betwixt the king hir
sonne, and the duke, to hir great comfort and contentation of mind, and
no lesse suertie of quietnesse to the whole realme.
[Sidenote: The ships of Portsmouth & Dartmouth did better seruice than
the kings great nauie.]
About the same time the French king had a great fléet of ships in
Flanders, so that it was doubted least he meant some inuasion into
England. Wherevpon there was sent to the sea the lord of S. Iohns, and
sir Thomas Percie with a strong nauie, but they did no good, suffering
the French fléet diuerse times to passe by them, and not once offering
to set vpon them. But the ships of Portesmouth & Dertemouth, bestirred
themselues better: for entering into the riuer of Saine, they drowned
foure of their enimies ships, and tooke other foure, with a barke of
the lord Clissons, one of the fairest that was to be found either in
France or England. In these vessels the Englishmen had a rich preie
of wines, and other merchandizes. ¶ The king vpon some occasion tooke
great displeasure against William Courtnie archbishop of Canturburie,
so storming against him, as few durst speake anie thing in his excuse.
The lord chancellor Michaell de la Poole seeming to fauour his cause,
was likelie to haue run in high displeasure. Sir Thomas Triuet, and sir
Iohn Deuereux intreating for him, were sore rebuked at his hands. Yet
at length, after that the archbishop was withdrawne, and had kept him
close for a time, he was thorough mediation of some fréends reconciled
to the kings fauour.
[Sidenote: _Iac. Meir._ _Froissard._ The French king aideth Scots
against Englishmen.
The Scots inuade the frontiers of England.
An. Reg. 9.
The K. goeth with an armie against the Scots.
Variance betwéene sir Iohn Hollands seruāts and the lord Richard
Stafford.]
About the same time the French king sent into Scotland the admerall of
France, with a thousand men of armes, knights, and esquiers, besides
crossebowes and other to ioine with the Scots, and to make warres in
England. The Scots incouraged with this new aid, sent to them out of
France, leuied a power, & so togither with the Frenchmen, entered
into the English confines, and began to rob & spoile, and further
tooke certeine castels and houses of defense. The king of England
aduertised hereof, assembled an huge power of men of warre, and first
sent before him the duke of Lancaster with part of the armie, and
afterward followed himselfe, with all conuenient spéed that might be.
At his comming into the parts about Yorke, he was informed that the
Scots and Frenchmen were withdrawne vpon the duke Lancasters approch
towards them, but the king thought to kéepe on his iournie. Whilest he
was lodged in those parts, a great mischance happened, by reason of
variance that fell betwixt certeine persons of the retinue of sir Iohn
Holland brother vnto the earle |766| of Kent and halfe brother to the
king, and other of the retinue of the lord Richard Stafford sonne to
the earle of Stafford.
[Sidenote: The lord Richard Stafford slaine by sir Iohn Holland.]
The cause of their falling out was about a knight of Boheme, called sir
Miles, that was come to see the queene. This knight kept companie most
an end with the lord Richard Stafford: and chancing to be at words with
two of sir Iohn Hollands seruants, there came two archers perteining
to the lord Stafford, which blamed them, that were so about to misuse
the stranger in words, as they tooke it: the strife hereby grew to
that point in the end, that one of the archers shot at one of sir Iohn
Hollands seruants, and slue him. This mishap being reported to sir
Iohn Holland, set him in such a furie (by reason of the loue which he
had to his seruant) that immediatlie he rushed foorth of his lodging,
to reuenge his death, and through misfortune méeting with the lord
Stafford, slue him, and doubting in what sort his déed might be taken,
fled straight vnto Beuerlie, and there tooke sanctuarie. The earle of
Stafford tooke this misaduenture right heauilie, as reason was: yet
bicause he would not trouble the host, nor disappoint the iournie which
they had in hand, vpon the kings promise that he would doo vpright
iustice in the matter, as should be thought meet and conuenient, he
bare his gréefe so patientlie as he might, so that he wan himselfe much
praise for his wisedome therein shewed.
[Sidenote: _Hect. Boetius._