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

Capitulum septimum.

IN the fourtenthe yere Sir Iohan of Gaunt, duk of Lancastre, with a grete hooste wente in to Spayne, to clayme and chalenge his right by his wyves tytle vnto the Crowne of Spayne, and he had with hym the Duchesse his wyf and his thre doughters. And therafter grete commynycacion herupon had they were acorded, and concluded that the kynge of Spayne shold marye the duck of Lancastres doughter. And he shold yeve to the duck of Lancastre gold and sylver, whiche was casten in to grete wedgys, and soo many other Iewellys, as moche as eyght chary|ottis myght carye. And every yere after, durynge the lyf of the duc, and his wyf ten thousand marc of gold. Of whiche golde they of Spayne sholde adventure and bere the ieopardye therof, and brynge yerly vnto Bayon to the dukes assygnees by surete made. Also the duc of Lancastre dyde doo marye another of his doughters to the kyng of Portyngale the same tyme. And thenne he retourned and cam ageyne in to Englond with his wyf. In this yere the Turkes made grete warre ageynste Crystendome vnto the cyte of Iene. Wherfore the Ienewayes sente to the kynge of Fraunce for ayde, and also to the kynge of Englond. And soo ther wente oute of Fraunce fyften honderd knyghtes, with the duc of Borbon, and the Erle of Ewe, and other. And oute of Englond went the Erle of Alby, a valyaunt man, with certayne Archers. And they shipped at Marcellis, and wente and besyged Thunes in Barbarye, and made there many skarmuches, and putte oute ofte the Sarasyns: but in thende the Turke fered, and made trewes for a seasonne,

and delyverd alle the Crysten men prysonners, and payd ten thousand ducatis; and soo the Crysten men retorned home ageyne. In the fyftenth yere of kynge Rychardes regne he helde his Crystemas at Wodestok, where therle of Penbroke, a yonge lorde and tendre of age, wolde lerne iuste with a knyght called Syre Iohan saynt Iohan, and rode togeder in the parke, and there the Erle was slayn with the knyghtes spere as he cast it from hym whanne they hadde coped. This yere Iohan Hynde, beynge that tyme mayer of London, & Iohan Shadeworth and Henry Vanner shereves, were dysharged of theyr offyces byfore saynt Iohans day Baptyst, and the kyng seased the fraunchyse and lybertees of the cyte of London, And ordeyned and constitued Syr Edward Dalyngredge wardeyn of the cyte, and endured in his offyce vnto the fyrst day of Juyll the yere xvj. And thenne Syr Bowdwyn Radyngton was made wardeyne to Saynt Symons daye and Iude. The cause therof was for a bakers man beryng a basket with hors brede into Fletestrete, there come a man of the bisshop of Sales|buryes that toke oute an hors loof oute of the baskette, wherfore the bakers man strove with the yoman, so that the Bisshops man brake the bakers mans hede. Thenne neyghbours come aboute to have rescowed hym, and to have arestyd the Bisshops man. But he scope fro hem in to his lordes place. The con|stable cam and wold have had hym out, but they withynne the place kept it that they myght not come in. And thenne come the mayer with moche peple, and sayde they wold have hym oute, or brenne the place and all that were therin. The Bisshop beynge tresorer of Englond, and the archebisshop of Caunter|bury, wente togeder to Wyndesore to the kynge, and made a grete complaynte to the kyng and his counseylle of the cyte of London. And the kynge sente for the mayer and shereves and yaf hem grete rebukes for thoffence that they hadde done ageynst hym and his offycers in his Chambre of London, and deposed the mayer and shereves, and made a wardeyne of the cyte as afore is sayd. In the syxtenth yere the kyng withdrewe his courtes from Westmynstre to Yorke, whiche were there holden and kepte fro the feste of Saynt Iohan Baptyst vnto Crystemasse after. Thenne atte requeste of the goode Quene Anne & of the bisshop of London, thenne callyd Gravesende, the kyng graunted the Fraunchyse and lybertees to the cyte of London; and they of London gaf to seynt Edwards shryne a table of sylver and enameled stondyng on the awter. And after this the mayer, aldermen, and sherevys mette with the kyng, sub|myttynge them humbly to hym as they ought to do, and res|seyvyng the kyng thurgh the cyte with grete tryumphe, and brought hym to Westmynstre. And on the morne after the mayer, aldermen, and shreves presentyng the sayd table &

other yeftes, prayd the kynge of his good and speciall grace to have theyr lybertees and Fraunchyses as they hadde tofore tyme. And soo the kyng graunted to them alle theyr askynge, and wente home ageyne. In this same yere the duc of Lancastre was sente in to Fraunce to demaunde a myllion of scutes whiche was due for the raunson of kyng Iohan, and dyverse places as Peytowe, Rochell and a parte of Guyan. And he was answerd by the counseylle of Fraunce that the men of warre of Englond hadde done harme in Fraunce above the trewes to the somme of thre mylions, whiche oughte to be repayred fyrst, and so departed ageyne. In the sevententhe yere come oute of Scot|lande certayne lordes in to Englonde to gete worship by fete of armes. Therle of Moreyf chalengid the Erle marchal of Englond to iuste with hym on hors back with sharpe speres. And soo they roode to geder certayne courses, but not the full chalenge. For the Scottish Erle was cast, bothe hors & man, & two of his rybbes broken with the same falle, and soo borne home in to his inne, & anone after was caryed homewarde in a littyer, and at York he deide. Syre William Darel, banerer of Scot|lande, and Syre Pyers Courtney, the kynges banerer of Englond, ryden togeder certain courses of warre hitte & assayed. The Scottysshe knyght seyng he myght not have the beter, yave it over, and wold no moo of the chalenge. Thenne one Cokburn Squyer of Scotland, and Syre Nychol Hauberk, rode fyve coursys, and at every cours the Scot was caste bothe hors and man. This same yere the sevententh day of Iuyn deyde the good quene Anne, kynge Rychardes wyf, and lyeth buryed at West|mynstre by saynt Edwardes shryne.