Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden maonachi Cestrensis; together with the English translations of John Trevisa and of an unknown writer of the fifteenth century.

Capitulum quadragesimum secundum.

A SOORE batelle was hade in the thridde day of Aprile nye to the towne of Naser betwene Edward prince of Aquitanny and Henricus Bastarde occupyenge the crowne of Speyne. But fortune favorynge, prince Edward hade victory; amonge whom the erle of Deen was taken, and Bertrandus Cleykyn, chef causer of that trowble and duke or governoure of the firste warde. And after that this noble prynce Edward restorede Petyr kynge of Speyne into his realme, where mony noble men of Ynglonde dyed off the flix. In the same yere, in the begynnynge of the monethe of Maii, pope Urban þe v^the come with alle his cowrte from Avinon to Rome, where he did londe abowte the feste of seynte Luke the evangeliste, receyvede þer with grete solennite. Whiche repairede anoon hooly places falle down, and onornede the relikes of seyntes with golde, silvyr, and with precious gemmes, and did mony other noble thynges þer; wherefore his memoriall schalle be in lawde for ever. A blasynge sterre was signe in this yere betwene the partes of the northe and of the weste, directynge his beames towarde Fraunce. Leonell son of kynge Edward the thrydde and duke of Clarence, takynge with hym a grete multitude of the noble men of Ynglonde, wente to Mediolan to mary the doȝhter of the lorde of þat cuntre, with whom he scholde have halfe of that lordeschippe. That matrimony complete with grete glory, the seide duke diede abowte the feste of the nativite of oure Lady nexte folowynge. Symon Langham, archebischop of Cawnterbery, was create into a cardinall in the same yere, and in the monethe of October; and in the yere nexte folowynge he wente unto þe cowrte of Rome. Whiche tyme þe pope translate maistyr William Withlesey from the seete of Worcestre to the seete of Cawnterbery, and maister William Lynne, bischop of Chichestre, to þe seete of Worcestre, and confermed maister William Reed to be bischop of Chichestre. Men of Fraunce brake peas in the same yere, rydynge in the cownte Pontif and doynge grete hurte in that cuntre, puttynge the blame as of brekynge of peas of men of Ynglonde. The duchesse of Lancastre, doȝhter of Henricus somme tyme duke of Lancaster, diede in this yere, and was beryede at London in the churche of Seynte Paule. Kynge [folio 396a] Edward kepede a parliament in this yere at Westemynstre in the ende of the monethe of Maii, in whom he movede of þe promisse broken by men off Fraunce, and how he myȝhte venge þat injury beste. A grete pestilence of men was in this

yere, and a moreyn of grete bestes; whom a grete habundaunce of reyne folowede, destroyenge cornes, in so moche that a buschelle of whete was solde for iij. s. in the yere folowynge. Philippa qwene of Ynglonde diede in this yere, and was beryede at Westemynstre with grete solennite. In whiche yere maister Henricus Percy bischop of Norwich, maister Lewes Charleton bischop of Herford, and Iohn Grauntson bischop of Excestre, diede in this yere also. And by provision of the pope maister William Courteney was made bischop of Herford, maister Henricus Despenser bischoppe of Norwich, and Syr Thomas Brantyngham was made bischop of Excestre. In the same yere, abowte the feste of seynte Iohn Baptiste, the duke of Lancastre and the erle of Herford, takenge with theyme a noble hoste, saylede unto Fraunce, where the seide hoste, and an other myȝhty hoste of men of Fraunce, lay nye to Chalk|hull by a longe season. And mony men of Ynglonde seide hit was schame for the hostes to lye so nye togedre, and not to fiȝhte; but the governoures wolde not soe in eny wise. After that the hoste of Fraunce, herynge of the commynge of the noble erle of Warwyk, fledde prively, levynge theire tentes fulle of vitells. That noble erle commen to londe, made haste to Normandy, and destroyede the yle of Caws by swerde and fyre. But allas! in returnynge towarde Ynglonde, that noble erle dyede at Caleys of the pestilence, levynge not after hym so noble a lorde in Ynglonde. Then the churche of Rome kepede batelle ageyne the lordes of Mediolan, in that thei occupiede diverse londes longynge to þe churche of Seynte Petyr, with whom the lorde Despenser was, and did mony laudable thynges in those partes after the dethe of the duke of Clarence. In whiche tyme the famose knyȝhte off Ynglonde, callede Syr Iohn Hawkewode, was havynge with hym the white hoste, rehersede afore, whiche ȝafe batelle oþer while with the churche ageyne the lordes of Mediolan, and oþerwhile ageyne the [folio 396b] churche, doynge mony mervellous thynges in that cuntre with his companye. Abowte the conversion of Seynte Paule kynge Edward kepede a parliament at Westemonastery, where a x^the was desirede of the clergy of iij. yere; but the clergy differede to grawnt theym untylle after Ester. And after that tyme thei made grawnte þerto, so that thei scholde pay the seide dymes in diverse tymes in the thre yere. And a xv^the was graunted of lay men in lyke wise. Sir Iohn Chaundos, a noble knyȝhte and discrete, was sleyne in this yere in Gascoigne. Kynge Edwarde, folowynge the cownsaile of wickede men in this yere, borowede a grete summe of goode of prelates, merchandes, and of other ryche men, seyenge that hit scholde be spende into the defense of the churche and of the realme. Abowte the feste of seynte Iohn Baptist folowynge, a grete hoste was gedred of diverse costes of Ynglonde, amonge whom was

the lorde Fuzwater, lorde Graunteson, and oþer noble knyȝhtes, makynge a knyȝhte, Syr Robert Knolles, gretely experte in Marte, governoure of that hoste. But soone after envy and discrecion movede, the hoste was departede, wherefore Syr Robert Knolles wente with his men to a castelle in Briteyne, and so men of Fraunce comme and ȝafe batelle to that oþer parte of men Ynglonde, where thei were sleyn or taken in captivite. Pope Urban þe v^the returnede from Rome to Avinon to make a finalle concorde betwene the kynges of Ynglonde and of Fraunce, but he diede soone after on the xxj^ti day of December, and was beryede þer in the cathedrall churche afore the hye awter; but after oon yere paste he was taken from the erthe and beryede in the monastery of Seynte Victor, nye to Marsilia, afterwarde, where he was abbot afore, in whiche place mony miracles be doen by hym unto the lawde of Godde; whom Gregory the xj^the did succede, cardinalle diacon afore. The cite Lemovicense began to rebelle ageyne prince Edwarde, which prince wontynge moneye made grete haste to Ynglonde and in his iourney he allemoste destroyede that cite to the grownde, and toke into captivite and did slee men fownde in hit. And abowte the begynnynge of Ianiver he londed in Ynglonde with his wife and peple, levynge in Gascoigne the duke of Lancastre, and Edmunde erle of Cawntebrigge, with mony other noble men. In this yere a parliamente kepede at [folio 397a] Westemonastery, the kynge askede of the clergy a subsidye of l^ti M.li., whiche was grawntede by deliberacion after the feste of Ester, and other l^ti M.li. was grawntede of lay peple. The chawnceller of Ynglonde and the treasurer, bischoppes bothe were amovede from theire offices, and the clerke of the prive seale, at the peticion of lordes in that parliament in the hate of the clergy, and other laymen were subrogate in the places of theyme. Solenne ambassiators were sende from the pope to the kynge in this parliamente to trete with the kynge for pease, but with owte dowte noon effecte folowede þeron to eny purpose.