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

Capitulum quadragesimum octavum. [Sic.]

KYNGE Edwarde kepede a parliamente at Wynchestre in the ix^the day of the monethe of Iunius, durynge by viij. daies. Unto whiche parliament iiij. bischoppes and iiij. abbottes were citede oonly to appere, whiche parliamente was hade for merchandes of London, of Norwiche, and of oþer cites, in that hit was seide that thei wolde rebelle ageyne hym. The duke

of Lancastre and the erle of Cauntebrigge commynge in this yere from Gascoigne, maryede ij. doȝhters of Petyr somme tyme kynge of Speyne, the duke the elder doȝhter and the erle the yonger doȝhter. Two cardynalls were sende from the pope in this yere to trete of pease betwene ij. realmes, whiche taryenge longe, returnede as withowte eny effecte as for that purpose. A grete batelle was hade on the see betwene men of Ynglonde and of Flaundres, but men of Ynglonde hade victory, and toke xxv^ti shippes chargede with men of Ynglonde, knowynge not that thei were of Flandres. Neverthelesse grete hurte wolde have commyn þerby, but that pease was reformede soone betwene the parties. In whiche yere men of Fraunce segede the towne of Rochelle, wherefore the erle of Penbroke was sende to Gascoigne with a grete multitude off peple to dissolve that sege. But a fleete of schippes of Speyne mette with theym, and toke theyme, or did sle theym, and brouȝhte the erle with theym into Speyne with a grete treasure, abowte the feste of seynte Iohn Baptiste. But hit is not to be mervaylede of this infortune, for that erle was an open advouturer, and laborede in the parliamente but late afore ageyne the liberte of the churche movynge the kynge that he scholde take rather goodes of the churche then the goodes of eny oþer peple: where|fore [folio 397b] fortune beynge contrarious, the kynge hade not so noble victorys of his adversaries after that tyme as he hade afore, in that he folowede his wikkede cownsayle. Kynge Edwarde entrede the see in this yere with a grete hoste to dissolve the sege at Rochell, but the wynde wolde not suffre hym; whiche taryenge longe by the costes nye to Ynglonde, returnede ageyne. Maister Thomas Trillek, bischop of Rowchestre, diede in this yere, whom Thomas Brompton, monke of Nor|wich and penitentiary of the pope, succedid by provision of the pope. The duke of ffr [Sic.] Lancastre saylede to Fraunce in this yere with a grete hoste, and passede by Paryse into Burguyn, and so thro alle Fraunce into Burdews, with owte eny resistence of men of Fraunce, and withowte eny hurte to hym or his hoste. But the seide duke toke grete rawnsons of cites, townes, and castells as he went thro that cuntre. Kynge Edwarde sende in the same yere certeyn enbassiatours to the pope, preyenge hym to leve after that tyme the provision made in his cowrte of benefices in Ynglonde, and that men electe to be bischoppes in Ynglonde may enjoye their eleccion, and be confermede of theire metropolitans as the use was afore. But the pope commaunded the ambassiatours to certifye hym firste in wrytynge of the wille of the kynge and of the realme, or that he scholde make eny determinacion of the articles afore|seide. Maister Iohn Thoresby archebischop of Yorke, maister

Iohn Barnette bischop of Ely, and maister William Lynne bischoppe of Worcestre diede in this yere; whom maister Alexander Nevyle did succede at Yorke, Thomas Arundell at Ely, and Sir Henricus Wakefelde at Worcestre. A decrete was made in the parliament in this yere that cathedrall churches scholde enjoye their eleccions, and that the kynge scholde not wryte ageyn men electe, but helpe theym to theire confermacion, but this statute profite not. Oon dyme was grawntede to the kynge by the clergy in this yere and parlia|ment, and a xv^tc of lay men. Alle Gascoigne rebellede ageyne the kynge of Ynglonde in this tyme, Burdews and Baio ex|cepte, and turnede to the kynge of Fraunce. William With|lesey archebischop of Cawnterbery diede in this yere, the v^the day of Iunius, wherefore the monkes of the seide place askede the cardinalle of Ynglonde into archebischop. The kynge [folio 398a] movede in grete wrathe þerfore, was in purpose to have putte the seide monkes into exile; neverthelesse thei spende grete goodes or that thei cowthe obteyne the favor of the kynge. And the kynge wolde not consente in eny wise to theire desire, neiþer the pope neither the cardinalls. Abowte þe monethe of Auguste a tretys was made at Brugges of certeyne articles towchynge the kynge of Ynglonde and the pope, whiche en|trety endurede by allemoste ij. yere. But at the laste acorde was made that the pope scholde not use from that tyme reserva|cion of benefices in Ynglonde. The noble men of Ynglonde and of Fraunce mette in this yere at Brugges, abowte the Puri|ficacion of oure Lady, to trete for pease betwene the seide realmes; whiche trety endurede by ij. yere to grete charges of bothe realmes, and departede withowte eny effecte. The seete of Cawnterbery vacant unto this tyme, maister Symon Sudde|bury, bischop of London, succedid in that seete of Cawnterbery; maister William Cowrteney bischop of Herford succedid in the church of London, and the bischop of Bangor unto the seete of Herforde. Truse were taken from the feste of Iohn Baptist unto that day twelvemoneþe betwene the realmes of Ynglonde and of Fraunce. Abowte the begynnynge of the monethe of April the duke of Briteyne, with mony erles, barons, and mony oþer noble men, saylede into Briteyn, where thei hade doen mony grete victorys, but that truse was taken oversoone. Grete hete and pestilence was in Ynglond in this yere, and in mony oþer partes of the worlde, by whom peple as with owte nowmbre pereschede and was extincte. Robert Wyfeld bischop of Salisbery diede in this yere, whom Rawfe Argum, doctor in civile, succedid; and Edward lorde De|spenser diede in this yere, and was beryede at Theokesbery, in the churche of monkes. The pope grawntede, at the instance of the cardinalle off Ynglonde, to alle men and women in Ynglonde truly contrite and confessed by vj. monethes in that

tyme of pestilence plener remission of theire synnes. The erle of Penbroke, redemede this tyme be Bertrandus Cleykyn, dyede betwene Parys and Caleys, as he travaylede towarde Ynglonde. The duke of Lancastre, the duke of Andegavy, with mony lordes and prelates of eiþer realme, mette in this yere in the [folio 398b] monethe of November at Brugges, to trete for pease betwene realmes of Ynglonde and of Fraunce.