Here begynneth a shorte and abreue table on the Cronycles ...

¶Of the deth of syr Roger Mortymer Erle of Marche.

ANd so it befell at that tyme that syr Ro¦ger Mortymer erle of y^e Marche / was so proude and so hauteyne that he helde no lor∣de of the reame his pere. And tho became he so coueytous / that he folowed dame Isabell the quenes courte that was kynge Edwards mo∣der and beset hys peny worth with the offycers of the quenes house holde in the same manere that the kynges offycers dyde. And so he made his takynge / as touchynge of vytayle and also of caryages / and all he dyde for bycause of ex∣pencys / and to gadre tresoure / And so he dyde without nombre in all that he myght. ¶Tho had he made hym wonder preuy wyth the que∣ne Isabell / And so moche lordshyppe and rete we had / that all the grete lordes of Englonde of hym were adrad wherfore the kyng and his counseylle / to warde hym were agreued / And ordeyned amonge them to vndo hym thorou∣ghe pure reason and lawe for cause that kynge Edwarde that was y^e kȳges fader traytoursly thrugh hym was murdred in the castel of Corf as before is sayde more playnly in some parte of his boke / of his deth. ¶And some that were of the kynges counseyll louyd Mortymer / & tol¦de hym in preuyte / how that y^e kynge & counsel were aboute from daye to daye / hym for to dy∣stroye and vndo wherfore Mortymer was so¦re anoyed & angry as the deuyll ayenst them of the kynges counseyll / & say he wolde of them be auenged / how so euer he toke on. ¶It was not longe afterwarde / that kynge Edward & dame Phylyp his wyf / & dame Isabell the kyn¦ges moder. and syr Roger Mortymer / ne wen∣te vnto Notyngham there for to soiurne / And so it befell that quene Isabel thrugh coūseyll of Mortymer / toke to her the keyes of the yates of the castell of Notyngham. So that no man myght come nother in ne out but thrugh com∣maundement of Mortymer / ne the kynge / ne none his coūseylle. ¶And that tyme it fel. that the Mortymer as a deuyll for wrath bolled / & also for wrathe that he had ayenst the kynges men Edward / and pryncypally ayenst theym that had hym accusyd to the kynge / of the deth of syr Edwarde his fader. ¶And pryuely a coū¦seyll was take bytwene quene Isabell and the Mortymer and the bysshop of Lyncoln & syre Symōde of Bedford / and syr Hugh of Trom∣pyngton / & other preuy of theyr counseyll / for to vndo theym all that the Mortymer had ac∣cusyd vnto the kynge of his faders deth / of tre¦ason & of felonye. ¶Wherfore all tho that we∣re of the kynges coūseyll / whan they wist of the Mortymers castynge: pryuely came to kynge Edwarde and sayd / that Mortymer wold the¦ym dystroye / bycause that they had hym accu∣syd of kynge Edwardes dethe. his fader \ And prayed hym that he wolde mayntene them in theyr ryght. ¶And thyse were the lordes that pursued this quarell / Syr wyllyam of Moun¦tagu / syr wyllyam de Bohum / Syr wyllyam his broder / syr Rauf Stafforde / syr Robert of Herforde / syr wyllyam of Clynton / syr Iohan Neuell of Hornby and many other of theyr cō∣sent. And all thyse swore vpon a boke to mayn¦tene the quarell / in as moche as they myghte. And it befell so after· that syr wyllyam Moun∣tagu ne none of the kynges frendes muste not be herberowed in the castell for the Mortyme•• but went and toke theyr herberowe in dyuerse place of the twone of Nothyngham. And tho were they sore a ferde / leest that mortymer shol¦de theym dystroye. And in haste they came vn¦to kyng Edward syr wyllyam of Mauntagu and other that were in the castell. And pryuely hym tolde / that he ne none of hys cōpany. shol¦de not take the Mortymer. without counseyll & helpe of wyllyam of Elande. constable of the same castell. ¶Now truelye sayd the kynge I loue you well· & therfore I counseyl you that ye go to the forsayd conestable / & commaūde hym in my name / that he be your frende and youre helpe / for to take the mortymer / al thynge yleft vpon peryll of lyf & lym̄e. ¶Tho sayd Moun¦tagu Syr my lorde graunt mercy ¶Tho wen¦te forthe the forsayd Mountagu / and came to the Conestable of the castell / and tolde hym the kynges wyll. ¶And he answerde and sayde· The kynges wyll sholde be doone in as moche as he myghte. and that he wolde not spare for no manere of dethe / And that he swore and ma¦de his othe. ¶Tho sayde syr wyllyam of Moū∣tagu to the constable / in herynge of them alle. that were helpynge to the same quarell. Now certes dere frende / vs behouyth to werke & do

by your aduys for to take the Mortymer / syth that ye be keper of the castell. and hath the key¦es in your warde. ¶Syr sayd the Constable / wyll ye vnderstonde / that the castell yates ben lockyd with the keyes that dame Isabell sent hyther. and by nyght she hath the keyes ther of and layeth them vnder the lursell of the bedde vnto the morowe. and so ye maye not come in to the castell by the yates / by no manere of wy¦se / But I knowe an aleye that stretchythoute of the warde vnder the erthe in to the for sayde castell / that gothe in to the weste. whiche aleye dame Isabel the quene / ne none of her men ne the Mortymer / ne none of his company kno∣with it not. And so I shall lede you thrugh y^e a∣ley / & so ye shall come in to the castell withoute aspyenge of ony man y^t are your enmyes. And the same nyghe syr wyllyam Mountagu / & all the lordes of his quarell / & the same Constable also went theym to hors / & made semblaūt as it were for to go out of Mortymers syght But anone as Mortymer harde thys tydynges / he wende y^t they wolde haue gone ouer see for fere of hym. ¶And anone ryght he & his cōpanye toke a coūseyll amonge theym for to lete theyr passage / & snetelletters anone to the porters so that none of the grete lordes sholde go home to theyr owned coūtrees / but yf they were arested & take. And amonge other thynges wyllyam Elande Conestable of the for sayd castell. pry∣uely ladde syre wyllyam of Mountagu & hys company by the for sayd waye vnder the erth / tyll they came in to the castell & went vp in to the toure that Mortymer was in. But syr Hu¦ghe of Trompynton theym ascryed hydously and sayd a traytours it is all for nought. that ye ben comyn in to this castell ye shall deye yet an euell dethe euerychone. And anone one of theim that was in Mountages company vp wyth a mace / and smote the same Hugh vpon the heed / that the brayne braste out and fell on the grounde / and soo was he deed of an euyll deth. ¶Tho toke they mortymer as he armyd hym at the toures dore / whan he herde the noy¦se of theym for drede. ¶And whan the quene Isablell sawe that the Mortymer was taken she made moche sorowe in herte / & thyse wor∣des vnto theym she sayd / Now fayre syres / I praye you that ye doo noo harme to his body a thy knyght our welbeloued frende and our de¦re cosyn. ¶Tho wente they thens / and came and brought Mortymer / and presentyd hym vnto kynge Edwarde / & he commaunded to brynge hym in saue warde. ¶But anone as they that were consentynge vnto mortymers doynge / herde tell that he was taken they wen¦te & hydde them / and pryuely by nyght wente out of the towne eche one his waye / with heuy herte and mornynge chere & lyued vpon theyr londes as well as they myghte. ¶And that sa∣me yere that Mortymer was take. He hadde .ix. score knyghtes without quyres and sergaū¦tes of armys / & fote men / And then̄e was mor¦tymer ladde to London / and syr Edmonde of Bedforde was ladde wyth hym / and was ta∣ken to y^e constable of the toure to kepe. ¶But after warde was the Mortymers lyfe examy∣ned at westmestre before the kynge / and befo∣re all the geate lordes of Englonde / for peryll that myght falle to the reame / And to enquer•• also whiche were consentynge to syr Edwar∣des dethe the kynges fader / & also thrugh who¦me the Scottes escaped fro Stanhope in scot¦londe / without leue of kynge Edwarde. And also how y^e chartre of ragman was delyuered vnto the Scottes them the homages and feau¦tees of the lordes of Scotlōde were conteyned that the Scottes sholde doo euer more to the Englysshe kynge for the reame of Scotlond / wherfore he was Iugyd to be drawen and han¦gyd for his treason / And this myscheyf came vnto hym on saynt Andrewes euen. In the ye¦re of the Incarnacyon of our lorde Ihesu cry∣ste .M.CCC.xxx.