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

Capitulum 27.

IN the yere thyrtty the duck of York cam oute of the march of Wales with therle of Devenshyre and the lord Cobham with grete puyssaunce, for reformacion of certayne iniuryes and wronges, and also to have iustyce on certayne lordes beynge aboute the kyng, and toke a felde at Brentheth besyde Dertford in Kent, whiche was a stronge felde; for whiche cause the kyng with alle the lordes of the lande went vnto the Blackheth with a grete multitude of peple armed and ordeyned for the warre in the best wyse. And whanne they had musteryd on the Blackheth, certayne lordes were sente to hym for to treate and make appoyntement with hym, whiche were the Bisshop of Ely and the Bisshop of Wynchestre, and the erles of Salysbury and of Warwyk. And they concluded that the duck of Somer|sete sholde be hadde to ward, and to answere to suche artycles as the duk of York sholde putte to hym, And thenne the duc of York shold breke his felde and come to the kyng, whiche was all promysed by the kyng. And soo the kyng commaunded that the duke of Somersete sholde be had in warde. And thenne the duck of York brake vp his felde, and cam to the kynge; and whanne he was come, contrary to the promyse a fore made, the duke of Somersete was presente in the felde awaytyng and chyef aboute the kyng, and made the duke of York ryde tofore as a prysoner thurgh London, and after they

wolde have putte hym in holde, but a noyse aroos that the erle of Marche his sonne was comynge with ten thousande men to London warde, wherof the kynge and his counseyl fered, and thenne concluded that the duc of Yorke sholde departe at his wyl. About this tyme byganne greete dyvysyon in Spruse bytwene the grete maystre and the knyghtes of the Duche ordre, whiche were lordes of that countre. For the comons and townes rebellyd ageynste the lordes, and made so grete warre that at last they callyd the kynge of Pole to be theyr lord, whiche cam and was receyvyd, and layde syege to the castel of Maryenburgh, whiche was the chyef castel and strength of alle the lond, and wanne it, and droofe oute the mayster of Danske, and alle other places of that lond. And so they that had ben lordes many yeres lost all theyr seygnorye and possessions in tho landes.

In the yere of oure lorde a thousand four honderd and thre and fyfty, the cyte of Constantynople, themperyal cyte of Grece, was taken by the Turke, the Emperour slayne, and in|numerable Crysten peple destroyed and put in captyvyte; by whiche pryse Crysten feyth perysshed in Grece, and the Turke enhaunced gretely in pryde. And the yere of our lord a thousand four honderd and thre and fyfty, on saynt Edwardes day, the quene Margaret was delyverd of a fayre prynce, whiche was named Edward. That same day Iohan Norman was chosen for to be mayer of London. And the day that he shold take his othe at Westmynstre, he went thyder by water with alle the craftes; where afore tyme, the mayer, aldermen and al the craftes rode a horsback, whiche was never vsyd after. For syn that tyme they have ever goone by water in barges. Ye have wel vnderstande tofore how that, contrarye to the promyse of the kynge and the duke of York at Brentheth, the duke of Somersete wente not to ward, but abode about the kyng, and hadde grete rewle, and was made capytayne of Calays, and rewlyd the kynge and the royamme as he wolde; wherfore the grete lordes of the royamme and also the comons were not plesyd; for whiche cause the duke of York, the Erles of Warwyck and of Salysbury, with many knyghtes and squyers and moch peple, cam for to remeve the sayd duke of Somersete and other fro the kynge. And the kynge, heryng of theyr comyng, thought by his counseylle for to have gone westward, and not for to mete with hem. And hadde with hym the Duke of Somersete, the Ducke Bokyng|ham, the erle of Stafford, therle of Northumberlond, the lord Clyfford, and many other. And what tyme that the Duk of York and his felawship vnderstode that the kynge was de|parted with these sayd lordes from London, anone he chaunged his wey, and costed the countrey, & cam to saynt Albons the thre and twentyest daye of Maye, and ther mette

with the kyng; to whome the kyng sente certayne lordes and desyred hem to kepe the pees and departe; but in conclusion, whiles they treated on that one syde, therle of Warwik with the Marche men and other entrid the toune on that other, and fought ageynst the kyng and his partye, and soo byganne the bataylle and fyghtyng, whiche endured a good whyle; but in conclusion the duck of York obteyned and had the vyctorye of that Iourneye. In whiche was slayne the duke of Somersete, therle of Northumberlond, the lord Clyfford, and many knyghtes and squyers, and many moo hurt. And on the morne after they brought the kyng in grete astate to London, whiche was lodged in the bisshops palays of London. And anon after was a grete parlament. In whiche parlement the duke of York was made protectour of Englond, And therle of Warwik Capy|tayne of Calays, And therle of Salysbury chaunceler of Eng|lond, and alle suche personnes as had the rewle to fore aboute the kynge were sette apart, and myght not rewle as they dyde to fore. In this yere deyde pope Nycholas the fyfthe, and after hym was Calyxte the thyrdde. This Calyxte was a Catalane, & an old man whanne he was chosen, and continuelly seke; wherfor he myghte not performe his zele and desyre that he had ageynste the Turkes conceyved; and the cause of lettynge therof was his age and sekenesse. This Calyxte institued and ordeyned the feste of the Transfyguracion of our Lord to be halowed on saint Sixtes day in August, by cause of the grete vyctorye that they of Hungary had ageynste the Turkes that same day: he was chosen pope the yere of our Lord thousand four honderd and fyve & fyfty, And deyde the yere thousand four honderd and eyght and fifty, that same day that he ordeyned the feste of the Transfyguracion to be halowed. In this yere fyll a grete affraye in London ageynst the Lombardes. The cause bygan bycause a yong man toke a daggar from a Lombard and brake it; wherfor the yong man on the morn was sente for to come to fore the mayer and aldermen; and there, for the offence, he was commytted to warde. And thenne the mayer departed from the Gyldhalle forto goo home to his dyner, but in Chepe the yonge men of the mercerye, for the most parte prentyses, helde the mayer and shreves styll in Chepe, and wold not suffre hym to departe vnto the tyme that theyr felaw, whiche was commytted to warde, were delyverd; and soo by force they rescowed theyr felawe from prysonne, and that done the mayer and shrevys departed, and the prysoner delyverd, which yf he had be put to pryson had ben in ieopardy of his lyf, & thus beganne a rumour in the cyte ageynst the Lom|bardes; and the same evenyng the handcrafty peple of the toune aroos, and ranne to the Lombardes howses, and despoylled and robbed dyverse of hem: wherfor the mayer and aldermen cam with the honest people of the toune, and droof them thens,

and sente somme of them that had stolen to Newgate. And the yong man that was rescowed by his felaws sawe this grete rumour, affraye and robberye ensiewed of his fyrst mevyng to the Lombard, departed and went to Westmynstre to sayntuarye, or ellys it had costed hym his lyf. For anone after cam doune one Oyer determyne, for to doo iustyce on alle them that soo rebellyd in the cyte ageynst the Lombardes; on which satte with the mayer, that tyme William Marowe, the duke of Bokyngham and many other lordes for to see the execucion done. But the comyns of the cyte secretely made them redy, and dyde arme them in theyr howses, and were in purpose for to have rongen the comyn belle, whiche is named Bowe belle. But they were lette by sad men: whiche cam to the knowleche of the ducke of Bokyngham and other lordes, and incontynent they aroos, for they durste noo lenger abyde. For they doubted that the hoole cyte wolde have arysen ageynste them. But yet nevertheles, two or thre of the cyte were iuged to deth for this robbery, and were hanged at Tyburne. And anone after the kynge, the Quene, and other lordes rode to Coventre, and withdrewe hem from London for these causes. And a lytel to fore the duke of Yorke was sente fore to Grenewych, and there was dyschorged of the protectourshippe, and my lord of Salysbury of his chauncelership. And after this they were sente fore by prevy seal for to come to Coventre, where they were almoost deceyved, and therle of Warwyck also, and shold have ben destroyed yf they had not seen well to, &c.