The Brut, or The chronicles of England. Edited from Ms. Raw. B171, Bodleian Library, &c., by Friedrich W. D. Brie, with introduction, notes, and glossary ...

How Kyng Edward went into Scotland wiþ an C^ml men of Armes, and might nouȝt spede. ¶ Capitulo Centesimo Nonogesimo ¶ Nono.

ANd when Kyng Edward of Engeland hade brouȝt þe flour of chiualry vnto þis deþ, þrouȝ conseil of Sir Hughe þe Spensers þe fader, & Sir Hugh his sone, he bicome as wood as a lyoun; and what-so-euer the Spensers wolde haue done, it was don. And so wel the [MS Rawlinson B 171 129b] Kyng louede ham, þat þai might do wiþ him al þat þai wolde; wherfore the King ȝaf vnto Sir Hugh þe Spenser þe fader, þe Erldome of Wynchestre, and to Sir Androv of Herkela þe Erldome of Carlele, in preiudice and harmyng of his croune. ¶ And Kyng Edward þo, þrouȝ conseil of

þe Spensers, disheritede alle ham þat hade bene aȝeins him in eny querell wiþ Thomas of Lancastre; and meny oþere wer disherited also, for encheson þat þe Spensers coueitede forto haue her londes; and so þai hade al þat þai wolde desire, wiþ wronge, and aȝeyns al resoun.

¶ þo made þe Kyng, Robert of Baldok, a false pilede clerc, Chaunceller of Engeland, þrouȝ conseil of þe forsaide Spensers; and he was a false rybaude and a couetous; and so þai conselede þe Kyng so miche, þat þe Kyng lete take to his owen ward alle þe godes of þe lordes þat wrongefully were put vnto þe deþ, into his owen honde; and aswel þai token þe godes þat were in holy cherche, as þe godes þat were wiþout, and lete ham ben put into his tresorie a[t] London, and lete ham calle his forfaitȝ; and by her conseile þe Kyng wrought, and disheritede al ham þat þe gode oweden; and þrouȝ her conseil lete arere a talliage of alle þe godes of Engeland; wherfore he was þe richest Kyng þat euer was in Engeland, after William Bastard of Normandy, þat conquerede Engeland. ¶ And ȝitte, þrouȝ consell of ham, him semede þat he hade nouȝt ynouȝ, but made ȝitte euery toun of Engeland fynde a man of Armes oppon her owen costages, forto gon and werr oppon the [MS Rawlinson B 171 130a] Scottes þat Wer his enemys.

Wherfore þe Kyng went into Scotland wiþ an hundred þousande men of Armes at Whitsontide, in the ȝere of our Lord God M^l CCC & xxij. But þe Scottes went and hud ham in Mounteyns and in Wodes, and tariede þe Englisshe-men fro day to day, þat þe Kyng myght for no maner þing ham fynde in pleyn felde; wherfore meny Englisshe-men, þat few vitailes hade, for hunger þere deiden wonder faste, and sodeynly, for hunger in goyng and in comyng, and nameliche þo þat hade bene aȝeyns Thomas of Lancastre, and hade robbet his men oppon his landes. ¶ When Kyng Edward saw þat vitailes failede him, he was þo wonder sore discomfortede, for enchesoun also þat his men so deide, and also for he might nouȝt spede of his enemys; so at þe

last he come aȝeyne into Engeland. And anone after come Iames Douglas and Thomas Randolf wiþ an huge ost into Engeland, into Northumberland, and wiþ ham þe Englisshe-men þat wer dryuen out of Engeland, & come and robbet the contre, and quellede þe peple, and also brent þe toun þat was callede Northallertoun, and meny oþer tounes vnto Ȝork. ¶ And when þe Kyng herd þis þing, he lete [sompne] alle maner men þat might trauaile. And so þe Englisshemen mette þe Scottes atte þe Abbay of Beiheland, þe xv day after Michelmasse in þe same ȝer abouesaide; And þe Englisshe-men wer þere descomfited; & at þat scomfiture was tak Sir Iohn of Britaygn, Erl of [MS Rawlinson B 171 130b] Richemonde, þat helde þe contre and the Erldome of Lancastre; and after, he paiede an huge raunsoun, and was lete gone; and after þat he went into Fraunce and come neuer after aȝeyn.