The chronicle of Iohn Hardyng. Containing an account of public transactions from the earliest period of English history to the beginning of the reign of King Edward the Fourth. Together with the continuation by Richard Grafton, to the thirty fourth year of King Henry the Eighth. The former part collated with two manuscripts of the author's own time; the last, with Grafton's duplicate edition. To which are added a biographical and literary preface, and an index, by Henry Ellis.

The. CC.xxxii. Chapiter.

¶ Howe Edmonde, duke of Somerset, was made keper of Normandy.

THe kyng then made y^e marquis of Dorset, Edmōd Beauford, at y^e cardinals request, Without delay, then duke of Somerset, And sent hym fourth anon withoute [withoutyn.] reste, To Normandye, to kepe it for his beste; But in his tyme Fastolfe and Kyriell Discomfyte were, in batayle sore and fell:

¶ Where. vii. M. Englyshe were ouerthrowe, Wherfore the Frenche assembled newe eche daye, And gate the lande ay by and by on rowe, For whiche the duke wrote his letters ay Vnto the kyng and his councell alwaye For more power, & elles he myght not byde, To kepe the lande, y^e French were of suche [suche a.] pryde.

¶ He coulde [couthe.] none get, this land was thē so pylde, Through war of Fraūce, they wolde not hī releue; So was the lande w^t Frenchmen wonne [& welde,] [ad. . . .] With siege eche daye, and sautes fell and breue,

The Frenche nought reste y^t tyme a [oone.] daye to eue, We loste more then certayne within two yere, Then kyng Henry [Henry the fiveth.] gate in seuen clere.

¶ Then was the kyng come [comyn.] vnto mannes age, Wherfore the lordes wolde no protector, Wherfore the duke loste his great auauntage, And was no more [then after] [after than.] defensour; But then he fell [in a greate] [into a foule.] errour, Moued by his wyfe Elianor Cobham; To truste her so, men thought he was to blame.

He waxed [waxe.] then straunge eche day vnto y^e kyng, For cause she was foriudged for sossery, For enchauntmentees, y^t she was in workyng Agayne the churche, and the kyng cursedly, By helpe of one mayster Roger Oonly, And into Wales he went of frowardnesse, And to the kyng had [he had.] greate heuynesse.

¶ Wherfore y^e lordes then of the kinges coūsaile, Made the kyng to set his hye parlyament At Burye then, whether he came without fayle, Where in parlesey he dyed incontynent For heuynesse, and losse of regyment; And ofte afore he was in that sykenesse, In poynt of death, and stode in sore destresse.

¶ When [Than.] of the kyng was. vii. and twenty yere, [Fol. CC.xxiiii.] Then [Whan.] he so dyed in full and hole creaunce, As [a] Christen prince of royall bloude full clere, Contryte in herte with full greate repentaunce, With mouth confessed to Goddes hye pleasaunce, Vnto the earth that is all fleshe his neste, His body went, his soule to heauens [Heven.] reste.

¶ And of the kyng, the. xxix. [the nyne and twenty.] yere, In Maye, the duke of Suffolke toke the sea, On pilgramage to passe, as dyd apere, With brigauntes then with compassed enmyte,

Hym slewe and heded with [full] great cruelte, Agayne assuraunce of the kynges proteccyon, That worthy were the death for insurreccyon.

¶ That [The.] same yere then, at the hye parlyament, Was made a playne and [a] hole resumpcyon Of all the landes by sad and hole aduysement, Whiche the kyng had geuen [yeve.] of his affeccyon, To any wyght by patent or [and.] concessyon; Then taxe ceased and dymes [divers dymes. edit. alt.] eke also, In all Englande then [longe.] raysed were no mo.