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

Capitulum trisesimum.

THENNE kynge Harry beynge with his hooste in the felde, not knowynge of this sodayne departynge, on the morne fonde none in the felde of the sayde lordes, sente oute in all haste men to folowe and poursiewe after to take hem, but they mette not with them, as God wold; and thenne the kyng wente to Lud|lowe, and dispoylled the castel and the toune, and sent the duchesse of York with her children to my lady of Bokyngham her suster, where she was kepte longe after. And forthwith the kynge ordeyned the duc of Somersete capytayne of Calays. And these other lordes, soo departed as afore is sayd, were proclamed rebellys and grete traytours. Thenne the duke of Somersete toke to hym alle the soudyours that departed fro the felde, and made hym redy in alle haste to goo to Calys and take possession of his offyce. And whanne he cam he fonde the Erle of Warwyck therin as capytayne, And therles of Marche and Salysbury also. And thenne he londed by Scales, and wente to Guysnes, and there he was resseyved. And it fortuned that somme of tho shippis that cam over with hym came in to Calays haven by theyr free wylle, for the shipmen ought more favoure to the Erle of Warwyck than to the Duke of Somersete.

In whiche shippes were taken dyverse men, as Ienyn Fynk|hyll, Iohan Felaw, Kaylles and Purser, whyche were byheded sone after in Calays. And after this dayly cam men over see to thyse lordes to Calays, and byganne to wexe strenger and strenger. And they borowed moche good good [Sic.] of the staple. And on that other syde the duc of Somersete beyng in Guysnes gate people to hym, whiche cam oute and scarmusshed with them of Calays, and they of Calays with them, whiche endured many dayes: duryng thus this dayly scarmuchynge, moche people dayly cam over vnto thyse lordes. Thenne on a tyme

by thadvys of counseylle the lordes at Calays sente over Mayster Denham with a grete felawship to Sandwyche, whiche toke the toune, and therynne the lord Ryvers and the lord Scales his sonne, and toke many shippes in the haven, and brought hem alle to Calays, with whiche shippes many maronners of theyr free wylle cam to Calays to serve the Erle of Warwyck. And after this the Erle of Warwyk by thadvys of the lordes toke alle his shippis and mannyd them wel, and sayled him self in to Irlond for to speke with the duke of Yorke, and to take his advys how they sholde entre in to Englond ageyne. And whanne he hadde ben there and done his erandes, he re|tourned ageyne toward Calays, and brought with hym his moder the Countesse of Salysbury. And comyng in the west countraye vpon the see, the duk of Excetre, admyral of Englond, beyng in the Grace a Dieu accompanyed with many shippes of warre, met with therle of Warwyck and his flote, but they fought not. For the substaunce of the peple beynge with the duke of Excetre ought better wyll and more favour to therle of Warwyck than to hym. And soo they departed and cam to Calays in saefte, blessyd be God.

Thenne the kynges counseylle seynge that these lordes had goten these shippes from Sandwiche to abyde and kepe the toune, and made one Mountford capytayne of the Toune, and that noo man ne vytaylle ne marchaunt that sholde goo in to Flaundres shold not goo to Calys. Thenne they of Calays seynge this, made out mayster Denham and many other to goo to Sandwiche. And soo they dyde, and assaylled the toune by water and by lande, and gate it, and brought Mountford theyr Capytayne over see to Rysebank, and there smote of his heede. And yet dayly men cam over to them oute of alle partyes of Englond.