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

Capitulum xiij.

AFTER kynge Harry the fourth regned Harry his sonne, borne at Monmouthe in Walys. This Harry, whiche was the fyfth, after the Conquest, was a noble and wyse man. For after his faders dethe, whanne he hadde take vpon hym to be kynge, he chaunged al his condicions, and was sodenly chaunged, and lefte al his olde wyld maners, and charged alle them that had ben conversaunt in his wylde lyvynge that they shold avoyde his presence and come no more therynne. This man dyde many greete thynges in his dayes, and regned not fully ten yere. For in the tenth yere of his regne, and syx & thyrtty yere of his age, he deyde, and is buryed worshipfully at West|mynstre. In his fyrst yere, anone after he was crowned, whiche was the nynthe day of Apryll, he sente to the Frerys at Langley, where the body of kyng Rychard was buried, and lete the body take oute of therth ageyne, and dyde do bryng it to Westmynstre in a ryal chare coverd with black velvet and baners of dyvers armes about. And alle the horses in the chare were coverd with blac, and beten with dyverse armes, and many a torche brennyng by the chaar till they cam to Westmynstre. And there he lete make a ryall terment, and buryed hym by quene Anne his wyf, as his desyre was. Aboute whoos sepulcre ther stande foure grete tapers con|tynuelly brennynge. And one day in the weke perpetuelly he hath a Dirige with nyne lessons. And on the morne a masse, bothe by note solempnly, on whiche day is gyven also wekely in pens to poure peple enleven schyllynges & viij.d., all or|deyned by this kyng vpon grete payne. And on the day of his annyversary is yerly gyven twenty pond in pens to pour peple. Also this kynge ordeyned by his lyf and founded the Chartrous at Shene. And the hous of Syon of saynt Brygyttes ordre, and dyde moche good to the newerke of Westmynstre, where he lyeth buryed, and ordeyned thre masses perpetuelly to be songen over hym dayly, & also certayne lyghtes dayly to brenne atte hye masse and at evensong, & twenty pound to be deled in pens yerly at his annyversarye. Al this ordeyned he by his lyve besyde all his warre in Fraunce and other greete actes. On whoos sowle Ihesus have mercy. Amen.

Also in this fyrste yere Syre Iohan Oldecastell, lord Cobham, was take and dampned for an heretyk by al hooly chirche, and commyted to the Tour, and from thennes he brake prysonne and escaped. And anone after, he and his complyses con|spyreden the kynges deth and his bretheren, and also the destruction of hooly chirche, For they hadde purposed to have assemblyd by nyght in saynt Gyles felde for tachyevyd

theyr evyll purpose. But blessyd be God, the kynge and lordes had knowleche of theyr entente, and toke the felde to fore them, and awayted on theyr comyng, and toke many preestes, clerkys, and other lewd men that were of theyr sect fro alle the partyes of Englond, wenyng to have founden theyr Capitayne there, Syre Iohan Oldecastel, but they were deceyved. For there were take many of them, and nyne and thyrtty were hanged on one day vppon a newe payr galowes new made fast by the same felde by the hye waye. And seven of the gretteste heretykes were brente hangyng on the galowes. And anone Syre Rogyer Acton knyght was taken, drawe, and hanged vppon the same galowes for the same cause. In the seconde yere of his regne byganne the generall counseylle at Coun|staunce for the unyon of hooly Chirche, and for to depose theym that were scysmatykes, and to chose one very heede and undubytate pope. Also the same yere Iohan Claydon, skynnar, and Rychard Baker of Lombard strete, were brent in Smythfelde for heresye. Also this same yere by thadvys of hys counseyle, the kynge sente lettres vnto the kyng of Fraunce that he shold rendre & delyver to hym his enhery|taunce whiche his predecessours had holden and had to fore hym, or ellys he wolde do his devoyre to geete it by the helpe of God and of his subgettys with the swerde. To whome it was answerd that the kyng was over yong and tendre of age to vse the warre ageynste hem, and in derysyon sente to hym a tonne full of tenyse balles to playe with. And whanne the kynge vnderstode his answer, anone he lete doo calle a counseylle, and there shewed them this mater. And there it was concluded by the sayd counseylle, and in especiall by the spirituelte, that he sholde goo and geete Normandye, and they wold helpe hym to theyr power. It is sayde that the spyritualte fered soore that yf he hadde not hadde to doo withoute the londe, that he wolde have laboured for to have taken fro the chirche the temporal possessions. And therfor they concluded amonge hem self that they shold stire hym for to goo and make warre over see in Fraunce for to conquere his ryghtful enherytaunce. And soo it was concluded and acorded that the kynge and lordes with al theyr power sholde mete at Southhampton at Lammasse next after. And soo the eyghtenth day of luyn the kyng roode thurgh London with all his hooste ryally toward Southhampton. And there beynge redy for to passe, and alle his lordes assembled, there was taken and arestyd for hye treasonne Syre Rychard, Erle of Cambrydge, brother to the duc of York, the lord Scrope, Tresorer of Englond, and Syre Thomas Gray, knyght, whiche sholde ymagyne the kynges deth. For whiche cause they were iuged and dampned to deth. And there the nyne and twentyest day of Iuyll they were byheded. And thenne the kyng and alle the lordes with theyr armee

toke the see with fyften honderd sayllys, and arryved at Kyd|kaws in Normandy. And fro thennes went and leyd syege to Harflete be lande and by water, and leyd his ordenaunce to the toune. And the twoo and twentyest daye of September the toune was gyven over to hym. Thenne ordeyned he there capytayne his vncle the Erle of Dorsete, and putte oute the Frensshmen, and stuffyd it with Englisshmen. Thenne the kynge sente in to Englond, and lete crye in every good towne that what crafty man wolde come theder for to dwelle and en|habyte the toune there sholde have hows and houshold to hym and his heyres for evermore. Thenne come theder many craftes men and enhabyte them there. The kynge seynge the toune wel stuffyd with vytaylle and men, he passyd forthe by lande toward Calays. Thenne the Frensshmen heerynge of his comyng brake the brydges, that he sholde not come over the ryver of Somme. Thenne the kynge wente soo fer vp|ward that he gate over and cam in to Pycardye. And thenne were the Frensshmen at Agyncourt, Rolandcourt and Blangy, wyth all the ryal power of Fraunce, excepte the duc of Bur|goyne, whiche wolde not come theder, ne suffre his sonne the lord Chareyles to come theder. And whanne the kynge sawe that he myght not passe, he toke his felde with suche peple as he hadde, whiche were not passynge seven thousand fyght|ynge men. And the mooste parte of hem were seeke of the flyxe, and the yemanry hadde theyr hosen terven or bounden bynethe the knee, havynge long iackys. But every man had a good bowe, a sheef arowys, and a swerd. Thenne he sette his felde, and sette the duc of York in the vauntward, and ordeyned in the nyght tofor the bataylle, that eche man sholde make a stake sharp on both thendes, and pytche it a slope in the grounde to fore hym. And soo on the morne he hadde his confessour, that made hem to saye a general confession, and gaf them general absolusion. And thenne the kynge roode thurgh the felde and comforted hem, promysynge to them that he wold rather deye that day than yelde hym. And thenne every man toke good herte and courage, and soo abode the comynge of Frensshmen, whome they resseyved on her stakys, stomblynge and fallynge doune hors and man, in suche wyse that our men shotte on hem, and soo fought that thurgh the grace of God the vyctorye abode with the kyng, and the Frensshmen overthrowen, and were slayn of them enleven thousand and moo, and many grete lordes and gentyls take prysonners. And whanne the kynge hadde thus goten the felde, tydynges cam that ther was comynge a newe batayll of Frensshmen towardes hym. And thenne he dyde doo crye, and comaunded that every man shold slee his prysonners. And whanne the duc of Orleaunce herde that, and other greete lordes, they sente worde to the Frensshmen that yf they cam

on they shold be slayne. And thenne the Frensshmen for savacion of the prysonners lyves withdrewe them. And soo the kynge hadde and kepte the felde, and wanne the worshippe of the bataylle. And there were slayne in the felde thre Dukes, nyne Erlys, and Barons nyghe an honderde, and gentylmen in cote armoure xlv. C. And of the Englysshe partye, the Duc of Yorke and therle of Suffolke, and not twenty personnes moo, blessyd be God; the duc of Braban was taken alyve, but whan the kynge commaunded that every man shold slee his prysonner, he was slayne, on whos sowle and alle other God have mercy. Amen. Thus by the helpe of Almyghty God, the kynge of Englond with vij. M. Englysshmen won the felde vpon the Frensshmen, whiche were nombred moo than foure score thousand men, with all the ryall lordes of Fraunce except the kynge and Dolphyn. And whanne al was done, the kynge demaunded the herowdes the name of the next place to the felde. And they answerde, Agyncourt. Thenne sayd he, we wille that the bataylle be callyd and named the bataylle of Agyncourt. Thenne the kynge kepynge the felde with his hoost al nyghte after, on the morne departed towarde Caleys with his prysonners, that is to wete, the Duck of Orleaunce, the Duck of Borbon, the erles of Ewe and of Vendon, Bur|cicaught the marchal of Fraunce, with many other lordes and gentill men, whome he brought alle in to Englonde with hym, where he was receyved in every place worshipfully with alle the honoure, ioy, and solempnyte that myght be. And the foure and twentyeste daye of Novembre the kyng cam to Lon|don; and it is to wete that every Englisshman that had ben in that bataylle gate good prysoners or good iewellis. For the Frensshmen were richely and costlew arrayed, wherof oure peuple had good pyllage.

Notes

• Sic.