In this twentith yeare of his reigne king Richard receiuing the summes
of monie (for the which the strong towne of Brest was ingaged to
him) by euill counsell (as manie thought) deliuered it vnto the duke
of Britaine, by reason whereof no small sparke of displeasure arose
betwixt the king and the duke of Glocester, which kindled vp such a
flame (as it was easie to doo) finding matter inough to féed vpon in
both their brests, that finallie it could no longer be kept downe, nor
by any meanes quenched. In the moneth of Februarie, the king holding a
sumptuous feast at Westminster, many of the soldiors that were newlie
come from Brest preased into the hall, and kept a roome togither.
Whom as the duke of Glocester beheld, and vnderstood what they were,
to remember how that towne was giuen vp contrarie to his mind and
pleasure, it grieued him not a little: and therefore as the king was
entred into his chamber, and few about him, he could not forbeare, but
brake foorth, and said to the king: “Sir, saw ye not those felowes that
sate in such number this daie in the hall, at such a table?” The king
answered that “he saw them,” and asked the duke what they were? To whom
the duke made this answer: “Sir, these be the soldiors that came from
Brest, and haue nothing now to take to, nor yet know how to shift for
their liuings, and the worse, for that (as I am informed) they haue
béene euill paied.” Then said the king; “That is against my will, for
I would that they should haue their due wages; and if anie haue cause
to complaine, let them shew the matter to the treasuror, and they shall
be reasonablie answered:” and herewith he commanded that they should be
appointed to foure certeine villages about London, there to remaine,
and to haue meate, drinke, and lodging vpon his charges till they were
paied.
Thus as they fell into reasoning of this matter, the duke said to the
king: “Sir, your |835| grace ought to put your bodie in paine to win
a strong hold or towne by feats of war, yer you take vpon you to sell
or deliuer anie towne or strong hold gotten with great aduenture by the
manhood and policie of your noble progenitours.” To this the king with
changed countenance answered and said: “Vncle, how say you that?” And
the duke boldlie without feare recited the same againe, not changing
one word in anie better sort. Wherevpon the king being more chafed,
replied; “Sir, thinke you that I am a merchant, or a verie foole, to
sell my land? By saint Iohn Baptist no: but truth it is, that our
coosine the duke of Britaine hath satisfied vs in all such summes of
monie as our progenitors lent vnto him, and to his ancestors, vpon
gage of the said towne of Brest, for the which reason and conscience
will no lesse but that the towne should therevpon be to him restored.”
Vpon this multiplieng of woords in such presumptuous maner by the duke
against the king, there kindeled such displeasure betwixt them, that it
neuer ceassed to increase into flames, till the duke was brought to his
end.
[Sidenote: The earle of saint Paule his counsell to K. Richard.
_Polydor._]
The earle of saint Paule at his last comming into England to receiue
king Richards oth for obseruing the truce, had conference with the king
of diuerse matters. The king by waie of complaint, shewed vnto him
how stiffe the duke of Glocester was in hindering all such matters as
he would haue go forward, not onlie séeking to haue the peace broken
betwixt the realmes of England & France, but also procuring trouble
at home, by stirring the people to rebellion. The earle of saint
Paule hearing of this stout demeanor of the duke, told the king that
it should be best to prouide in time against such mischéefs as might
insue thereof, and that it was not to be suffered, that a subiect
should behaue himselfe in such sort toward his prince. The king marking
his woords, thought that he gaue him good and faithfull counsell,
and therevpon determined to suppresse both the duke and other of his
complices, and tooke more diligent regard to the saiengs & dooings of
the duke than before he had doone. And as it commeth to passe that
those which suspect anie euill, doo euer déeme the woorst; so he tooke
euerie thing in euill part, insomuch that he complained of the duke
vnto his brethren the dukes of Lancaster and Yorke, in that he should
stand against him in all things and seeke his destruction, the death of
his counsellors, and ouerthrow of his realme.
[Sidenote: The dukes of Lancaster & Yorke excuse the duke of Glocester
to the king.]
The two dukes of Lancaster and Yorke to deliuer the kings mind of
suspicion, made answer, that they were not ignorant, how their brother
of Glocester, as a man sometime rash in woords, would speake oftentimes
more than he could or would bring to effect, and the same proceeded of
a faithfull hart, which he bare towards the king, for that it grieued
him to vnderstand, that the confines of the English dominions should
in anie wise be diminished: therefore his grace ought not to regard
his woords, sith he should take no hurt thereby. These persuasions
quieted the king for a time, till he was informed of the practise
which the duke of Glocester had contriued (as the fame went amongst
diuerse persons) to imprison the king. For then the duke of Lancaster
and Yorke, first reprouing the duke of Glocester for his too liberall
talking, vttering vnaduisedlie woords that became not his person, and
which to haue concealed had tended more to the opinion of vertue, than
to lash out whatsoeuer his vnstaied mind affoorded, which is a great
fault (as in effect the poet noteth:
Eximia est virtus præstare silentia rebus,
At contra grauis est culpa tacenda loqui)
and perceuing that he set nothing by their woords, were in doubt least
if they should remaine in the court still, he would vpon a presumptuous
mind, in trust to be borne out by them, attempt some outragious
enterprise. Wherefore they thought best to depart for a time into their
countries, that by their absence he might the sooner learne to staie
himselfe for doubt of further displeasure. But it came to passe, that
their departing from the court was the casting awaie of the duke of
Glocester. For after that they were gone, there ceassed not such as
bare him euill will, to procure the K. to dispatch him out of the way.
|836|
[Sidenote: A conspiracie betwéene the duke of Glocester, and the abbat
of saint Albons.