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| Anno domini .M.CC.lvi. | Anno domini .M.CC.lvii. | |
| Rycharde Ewell. | ||
| Rycharde Hardell. | Anno .xii. | |
| wyllyam Ashewy. |
IN this .xli. yere & begynnynge of the same, was founden in the kynges warderobe at wyndesore a byll or rolle closyd in grene waxe, and not knowē from whens yt shuld come / in the whyche rolle was cōtey¦ned dyuerse articles agayne ye mayre and rulers of the cytye of London, and that by theym the comynaltye of the cytye was greuously tasked and
wrongyd. whyche byll was presen∣tyd at length to the kynge. wherup∣pon he anon sent Iohn̄ Mancell one of his iustycys vnto London / and there in the feaste of the conuersyon of saynt Paule by the kynges autho¦ryte, callyd at Paulys crosse a Folk∣mot / beynge there presente syr Ry∣charde de Clare erle of Glouceter, & dyuerse other of the kynges coun∣sayll. where the sayde Iohn̄ Man∣cell causyd the sayde rolle to be redde before the comynaltye of the cytye / & after shewyd to the people that ye kyn¦ges pleasure and mynde was, that they shuld be rulyd with iustyce / and that the lybertyes of the cytye shuld be maynteyned in euery poynte. And yf the kynge myghte knowe those persones that so hadde wrongyd the cominaltye of the citye / they shuld be greuously punyshed to the example of other. And that done, the sayde Iohn̄ Mansell chargyd the mayre, that euery Alderman in hys warde shulde vppon the morowe folowyng assemble hys wardemote / & that all those wardemotys shuld assemble in one place, and chuse of theym selfe wythout any counsayll or aduyse of any of theyr aldermē .xxxvi. persons, and them to present before the lordes and hym, at the same houre of ye next day in the byshoppes paleys at Pau¦lys. Then vppon the morow all thynge was done accordynge to hys commaundement. And when ye sayd xxxvi. persones were presentyd be∣fore the sayde Iohn̄ Mansell, Henry Baa iustycys & other / the sayd Iohn̄ sayde vnto theym, that they vppon theyr othe shuld certyfye all such per¦sones as they knewe gylty in the ar∣tycles before vnto the comynaltye shewyd. wherunto the sayde .xxxvi. cy¦tesyns answeryd, yt yt was contrary theyr lybertyes to be sworne so ma∣ny, for any mater of trespas betwene the kynge and any of hys cytezyns / wherfore they requyred a sparynge. wyth whych answere the sayd Iohn̄ Mansell beynge dyscontentyd / war∣nyd theym to appere before the kyn∣ges coūsayll at ye Guyldehall vppon the morowe folowynge / where they kepte theyr daye. And thyther came the sayde iustycys Iohn̄ Mansell, & Henry Baa, syr Henry wengham chaunceller of Englande, Phylyppe Louell vndertreasorer, and dyuerse other of the kynges counsayll.
Then the sayde Iohn̄ Mansell exor¦tyd the sayde personys to be sworne by many meanys, as he the other daye hadde done. But all was in vayne / for they excusyd theym alway that yt was contrary theyr othe and lybertye of theyr cytye. wherfore the kynges counsayll departed from the hall in partye dyscontentyd, & shew∣yd vnto the kynge the demeanour of the sayde cytesyns.
Uppon the euen of ye Purificacyon of our lady, yt mayre beyng warned yt the kyng shuld come to westmynster / he wyth the more parte of the Alder∣men rode vnto Knyghtbrydge, and houyd there to salute the kynge, and to knowe his forther pleasure. But when the kynge came nere that place and harde of theyr beynge there / he sent vnto them a squyre of houshold and chargyd theym that they shulde not presume to come in hys syght. wyth whyche message they beynge greatly dyscōfortyd, retourned home to the cytye. Afterwarde in the Octa¦uys of the puryfycacyon of our La∣dye, returned from the courte My∣chaell Tony and Adam Basynge / the whyche before were sente by the mayre to such frendes as they had in the courte, to knowe the cause of the kynges hyghe dyspleasure. The whych brought worde that the kyng was well mynded vnto the citye / but
he was in full purpose to haue suche persones chastised that hadde oppres¦syd the comynaltye of the same. Up∣pon the morow folowynge, came vn∣to ye Guyldhall Iohn̄ Mansell wyth other of the kynges counsayll / the whych to the people there assembled, shewyd many fayre & plesaunt wor∣des. Amonge the whych he declared that the kynges mynde & wyll was, to correcte all suche persones as had oppressyd the comynaltye of that his deryste belouyd cytye / and asked of the commons whyther they wolde be agreable vnto the same. The whych incontynently many suche as knewe litle what the mater ment, cryed with out dyscrecyon, ye, ye, ye, nothynge re¦gardynge the lybertye of the cytye. And after ye graūt thus had of the cō∣mons / the sayde Iohn̄ Mansell dys∣chargyd the mayre, shryues, & cham∣berleyn of theyr offyces / and delyue∣ryd the custodye therof vnto the con∣stable of the towre / and putte in the rome of the shryues Mychaell To∣ny and Iohn̄ Audryan. And ouer that, all rollys of tollys and talla∣ges before made, were delyueryd vn¦to the sayd Iohn̄ Māsell / the whych he there sealyd and redeliueryd them vnto the chamberleyne. when the cō∣mons hadde beholden all thys besy∣nesse, they retourned vnto theyr hou¦sys all confusyd.
This mater thus orderyd / the sayd Iohn̄ Mansell wyth dyuerse of the kynges counsayll kept theyr courtes dayly the sondayes excepte, tyll the fyrste sondaye of lent, the whych that yere was the .xxv. daye of February / callyng before hym .xii. wardes, of ye cytye. Of the whyche .xii. wardes of eueryche of them was takē thre men, so▪ that of those .xii. wardes .xxxvi. mē were impanellyd and sworne, for to enquyre of the foresayd artycles, and what personys of the cytye had offen¦dyd in them. This courte thus kept and holden at Guyldehall / no man was callyd to answere, nor no ques∣tyon put vnto any person by the sayd enquest or by any other. Uppon the sayd sonday of lent, the mayre, alder¦men, and shryues, wyth the sayd en∣queste, & foure men of euery warde, were chargyd to appere at westmyn∣ster before the kynge / at whych appe∣raunce they were coūtermaūdyd tyll vppon the nexte morowe. At whyche season they commyng into the kyn∣ges exchekyr / fonde syttyng there the erles of Glouceter, and of warwyke, Iohn̄ Mansell, Henry Baa iusticys, the cōstable of the towre, the custos of the cytye, and dyuers other of the kynges counsayll. Then was callyd by name Rafe hardell that yere may ••e, Nycholas Batte, Nycholas fyz Iosne, Mathew Bokerel, Iohn̄ To¦lesham, and Iohn̄ le Mynoure alder¦men. Then sayde Iohn̄ Mansell, yt the kynge by his lawes and inquysy¦cyon of the cytesyns of the cytye, had founden theym culpable, that they had wronged and hurte the comynal¦tye of hys cytye by dyuers meanes, as by the sayde inquysycyons appe∣ryd / and forthwyth causyd yt to be redde before them. And whē the more parte therof was redde, he sayd vnto theym: thus may you se that the co∣mynaltye of the sayde cytye hath ben by you greuously oppressyd / and by your meanys and counsayll the com¦mon weale of the same dystroyed, as by alterynge of the tollys and other good auncyent customys, turnynge them to your synguler auauntage & lucre. All whyche maters the sayde Rafe and his company denyed / and that the commons was not by any suche meanys by them nor none of them greuyd or hurte / and that they offryd to be iustyfyed and iudged by the lawe and customys of the cytye.
Then Henry Baa iustyce, askyd of them whyther they wolde byde the aduenture of the enquery that they hadde harde redde before / or ellys stande vppon the sayeng of the other wardes, that yet had not ben sworne, but they kepte theym to theyr fyrste answere. Then Iohn̄ Mansell fray¦ned of ye mayre what was theyr lawe and custome. The mayre answered and sayde, that for trespace of a cyte∣syn done agayne ye kynge, he shulde defende hym by .xii. of the sayde cyte∣syns / and for murder or sleynge of a man by .xxx. cytesyns / & for trespace agayn a straunger by the othe of .vi. and hym selfe. Then after many rea¦sons made by the sayde Iohn̄ Man∣sell, and also by the mayre and his al¦dermen / daye was gyuen to them to appere vppon the morow before the kynge and his counsell.
Uppon the day folowynge ye kyng wyth many of his lordes syttynge in the sayde exchekyr, the foresayde in∣quysycyon was redde. And that done the mayre and aldermen were called in by name / and two aldermen more whyche before were not callyd / that is to saye Arnolde Thedmare & Hen¦ry walmode. when Rafe Hardell had harde the kynge speke in the mater / he toke suche fere that he and Nycho¦las Batte wythout farther answere, put them in the kynges grace / sauyd to theym theyr lybertyes and fraun∣chyses of the cytye. But the other .vi. besought the kyng of his ryght wyse¦nes that they myghte then be demyd after the lawes and customys of the cytye. Then was layde vnto theyr charge that ouer many wronges by theym done to the kynge and the co∣mynaltye of the cytye, they had alte∣ryd ye kynges beame, and orderyd it to the aduauntage of them selfe and other ryche men of the cytye. wherun to the partyes answeryd, and sayde that the alteracion of the beame was not done by them onely / but by ye ad∣uyce and consente of .v. hundred of the beste of the cytye. For where be∣fore tyme the weyer vsyd the lene hys draught towarde the marchaundyse so that the byar hadde by that meane x. or xii. pounde in a draught to hys aduauntage, and the seller so myche dysauauntage / nowe for indyfferen∣cye and egalytye of both personys or marchaūtys, was ordeyned that the beame shulde stand vpryght, ye cle••••e therof enclynynge to neyther partie / as yt doth in weyenge of golde and syluer / and the byer to haue alowed of the seller for all thynges .iiii. poūde onely in euery draught.
After these reasons and other by theym made / the kynge commaun∣ded that vpon the mornynge folow∣ynge, a folkmoot shulde be callyd at Paulys crosse / & so that courte was dyssoluyd, and the mayre & the other returned to London. Uppon the mo∣rowe the folkmoot beynge at Paw∣les crosse assemblyd / these .vi. alder∣men heryng the murmuracion of the common people, and knowynge that the aldermen nor the worshypfull of the city shuld haue litle or no sayeng in thys mater, ferynge theyr cause yode into a chanons house of Pow∣lys / where at that tyme the sayde Io¦han Mansel and other sent from the kynge taryed the assemblynge of the people / and shewyd vnto theym that they entedyd not any lenger to plede wyth the kynge, but were contentyd to put them fully in the kynges gra∣ce and mercy / sauyng alway to them and all other cytesyns theyr lybertye and fraunchyse of the cyte. After whyche agrement the sayde. Iohan Mansell wyth the other came vnto the courte of Folkmoot / where vnto the people was rehersyd a fayre and a pleasaunt tale, promysyng to them
that theyr lybertyes shulde be hooly and inuyolatly preseruyd by ye kyng, wyth many other thynges to ye great comforte of the common people. And lastely was axyd of them wheter the law and custome were such as aboue is rehersyd or no. wherunto lyke vn∣dyscret and vnlerned people they an¦sweryd & cryed rabbyshely nay, nay, nay / not wythstādynge that the sayd law and custome hadde before tymes ben vsed tyme oute of mynde. But to thys was nother mayre nor alder∣men nor other of the great of the cy∣tye that myghte impugne or make any reason, for the vpholdynge of theyr auncyent lawys or customys.
And no wonder though the kynge were thus hedy or greuouse to the cy¦tye / for by suche euyll dysposyd and malycyouse people as he had aboute hym, the lande was yll rulyd, & mych myschefe was vsyd. wherof ensuyd myche sorow after, as ye shall here in the sequele of the storye. Then Iohn̄ Mansell callyd the mayre and alder¦men before hym / and chargyd them to be at westmynster the morowe fo∣lowynge, to gyue attendaunce vp∣pon the kynges grace. Uppon the morow the mayre and aldermen ta∣ryenge the kynges commynge in the great hall at westmynster / lastely the kynge came into saynte Stephaus chapell. where a season he helde a coū∣sayll wyth his lordes / and after yode into the chekyr chamber, & there sat hym downe and hys lordes aboute hym. Anon after the mayre and alder¦men were callyd into the sayde cham¦ber, and soone there after callyd by name, and commaundyd to stande nere to the barre. Then Henry Baa iustyce sayde vnto the mayre and the vii. aldermen, that for so myche as by fourme of the kynges lawes, they were founde culpable in certayne ar∣ticles touchynge trāsgressyon agayn the kynge / therfore the courte awar¦dyd that they shulde make fyne and raunsome after the dyscrecyon of the sayde courte. But for they hadde put theym in the kynges grace and mer∣cy / the kynge hath commaundyd the fyne to be put in respyte, that ye be not payned so greuously as ye haue deseruyd. After whyche iudgement gyuen, they kneled downe / and then the mayre wyth wepynge terys, than¦ked the kynge of his bountye & good¦nesse, and besought hym to be good and gracyous lorde vnto the cytye, and vnto them as hys faythfull sub∣iectys. whereunto the kynge made none answere, but rose streyght vppe and so yode hys waye leuynge them there. Anon as the kynge was depar¦tyd, they were all arestyd and kepte there, tyll they had founden suerty / and eueryche alderman of theym dys¦charged of his warde & offyce yt they had wythin the cytye. But shortly af∣ter they put in suertyes, and so retur¦nyd heuely to London And shortely after was wyllyam fyz Rycharde by the kynges commaundement made mayre, and Thomas fyz Thomas and wyllyam Grappysgate shryues. After this, daye by daye the chamber¦layn was callyd to accōpte before the sayde Iohn̄ Mansell, of all suche tol¦lys as were gadered in tyme of the mayraltie of Iohn̄ Tolesham and of Rafe Hardell / beynge present to here the sayde accompte dyuerse of the co¦mynaltie of the cytye, but none of the heddys. By the whyche accompt no defaute myght be arrectyd vnto any of the forenamed persones conuycte afore the kynge. By reason wherof dyuerse of theym were admyttyd to the kynges fauour shortly after, and restored to theyr offyces agayne / but not wythout payeng of money, wher of the certaynte is not knowen. And in this yere whete was so scāte,
yt was solde at London for .xxiiii.s. a quarter. And scanter shulde haue ben, yf plenty hadde not come out of Almayne / for in Fraunce and Nor∣mandye yt fayled in lykewyse. By meane of this derth & scarcytie, mych poore people dyed for hunger / and many of dyuerse countreys of En∣glande came vnto the citye, and nere there aboute for comforte of vytayll / for yt then was better chepe in Lon∣don then in many shyres of England there aboute. And soone after was the forenamed Iohn̄ Mansell made knyghte & chefe iustyce of England.
IN thys .xli. yere also / ye kynge about the feast of saynt Barna be in the moneth of Iuny, kepte hys hyghe courte of parlyament at hys towne of Oxenforde. Thys of some wryters is named insane parliamen¦tum) that is to meane the woode or madde parlyament. For at this coun¦sayll were made many actys agayne the kynges prerogatyue & pleasure, for the reformacion of the state of the lande / whyche after prouyd to the cō¦fusyon and hurte of the lande, & deth and destruccyon of many noble men / so that by occasyon therof began the famouse stryfe callyd at thys day the Barons warre. wherof ensued mych myschefe as hereafter shalbe shewyd and declared more at large.
Then as aboue is sayde, to auoyde the enormytes and to refourme the euyll rule then vsyd in the lande, by suche personys as dayly were about the kynge / many and dyuerse ordy∣naunces were made, wherof the te∣noure is sette oute in the ende of this boke. wherunto the kynge somdeale agayne hys wyll, wyth syr Edwarde hys sonne and other agreed. And for these actys shulde be holden ferme & stable / at thys parlyament was cho∣syn .xii. Perys, whyche were named Douze Peris / to whō authorite was gyuen by strength of this parliamēt. to correcte all such as offendyd in bre¦kynge of these ordinaūces and other, by the sayd twelue Perys after to be deuysed and orderyd, touchyng and cōcernynge ye same mater & purpose. Of whyche .xii. Perys the names en¦sue. Fyrste the archebyshop of Caun¦terburye, the byshoppe of worceter, syr Roger Bygotte then erle of Norf¦folk and marshall of Englande, syr Symonde de Moūtforde erle of Ley¦ceter, syr Rychard Clare erle of Glou¦ceter, syr Humfrey Bothum-erle of Herforde, of warwyke, and of Arun¦dell, syr Iohn̄ Mansell chefe iustyce of Englande, syr Roger Mortymer, syr Hugh Bygraue, syr Petyr de Sa¦uoy, syr Iamys Audeley, and syr Pe¦ter de Mountforde. And for the kyn¦ges brother vppon the moders syde, that is to saye syr Eym erle of wyn∣chester, syr wyllyam de Ualaūce, syr Godfrey de Lindesey, and syr Guyde Lyndesey, wold not assente vnto the foresayde ordynaunces / they wyth∣drew them toward the see syde wyth suche stuffe as they hadde, and wold haue departyd ye land yf they myght then haue had shyppynge / for lacke wherof they were fayne to retourne, and so yode vnto wynchester. But yt was not longe after that they were lycensyd to departe the lande wyth a certayne companye, and a certayne summe of money to paye for theyr co¦stys / and theyr daye sette by Bartyl∣mew tyde to auoyde vppon payne of prysonement, whyche daye by them was kepte.
It was not longe after the fynys∣shynge of this parlyament, but that stryfe and varyaūce began to kyndle betwene the kynge and the erlys of Leyceter and of Glouceter, by meane of such offycers as the sayd erles had remouyd and put other in theyr ro∣mys.
Amonge the whyche Iohan Māsell was dyscarged of his offyce. and syr Hugh Bygotte then admyt∣ted for hym. And for the foresayde Pyers harde of the murmure in the courte, ferynge that the kynge shuld be aduertysed shortely to alter from his promyse / therfore they entēdyng to make theyr partye the strōger, vp∣pon the morowe folowynge Marye Magdaleyns daye / the kyng beyng at westmynster, the erle Marshall, the erle of Leyceter, wyth dyuerse other came vnto the Guyldehall of Lōdon, where the mayre, aldermen, and comynaltye of the cytye were as∣sembled / where the sayd lordes shew¦yd an instrument or wrytynge, at the whyche hynge many labellys wyth sealys, as the kynges seale, syr Ed∣warde hys sonnes seale, wyth many other of the nobles of the lande, the whyche was the contente of the arty¦cles whych were ordeyned and made at Oxenforde / wyllynge the mayre and aldermen (cūsyderynge the sayd actys were made to the honoure of god, fydelyte vnto the kynge, & pro∣fyte of the realme) that they wold al∣so in vpholdynge of the same, sette theyr common seale of the cytye. Af∣ter which requeste thus to the mayre and the cytesyns made, after aduyse and counsayll amonge theym selfe taken / they desyred a sparyng of the lordes, tyll they myght speke wyth ye kyng and know his pleasure in that behafe. But fynally no sparynge at that tyme myghte be graunted / so that in the ende by the laboure that the lordes made, wyth helpe of suche solycytoures as they hadde wythin the cytye, the common seale was put to, and the mayre and dyuerse of the cytye sworne to maynteyne the same / theyr allegeaunce sauyd to the kyng wyth preseruacyon of the lybertyes and fraunchyses / and so departed.
Then daye by daye after the sayd douze Perys assemblyd at the newe temple in where they kept theyr counsaylys and courtes for the reformacyon of the olde greuys / and remoued from the kynge dyuerse of hys menyall of houselde, and sette in theyr places and offycys suche as lyked theym.
And vppon the .ix. daye of August / proclamacyon was made in dyuerse accustomyd places of the sayde cy∣tye, that none of the kynges takers shulde take any thynge wythin the cytye wythout the wyll of the owner, excepte two tunne of wyne, whyche the kyng accustomably hadde of eue¦ry shyppe commynge from Burde∣aux, payenge but .xl.s. for a tunne. By meane of whyche proclamacyon nothynge was taken by the kynges offycers, but yt were streyght payed fore wythin the cytye and lybertye of the same / whyche vsaunce conty∣nued but a whyle.