Fabyans cronycle newly prynted, wyth the cronycle, actes, and dedes done in the tyme of the reygne of the moste excellent prynce kynge Henry the vii. father vnto our most drad souerayne lord kynge Henry the .viii. To whom be all honour, reuere[n]ce, and ioyfull contynaunce of his prosperous reygne, to the pleasure of god and weale of this his realme amen

THE .CLXVI. CHAPITER

IN the tyme of thys Charlys the Ballyd, as wytnessen ma∣ny wryters, began the erledome of Flaunders / the whyche euer before these dayes, the ruler therof was cal¦led the forester of the kynge of Fraū∣ce. whyche erledome had hys begyn¦nynge by thys meane.

ye haue harde before in the story of Adeulphus kynge of westsaxons / how in hys retornynge from Rome, he maryed the doughter of Charlys y^e Ballyd named Indith. The which Indyth after the deth of her sayde husbonde retornyd by Flaunders to¦warde Fraunce / thynkynge to passe wythout daunger, bycause the sayde countrey was vnder the obedyence or her father. But at those dayes was ruler or forester in that partyes a noble yonge amerous man callyd Bawdewyne / the whyche herynge of the great beautye of thys Indith, gaue attendaunce vppon her. And receyued her in hys best maner, ma∣kyng

to her all the chere that to hym was possyble / and fynally cast to hyr suche loue, that whan she supposed to departe and to haue gone into Fraunce / he delayed the mater in su∣che curteys and wyse maner, that he wan such fauour of her, that she ma∣de no greate haste to departe frome hym / all be it that moste authours agre, that he kepte hyr perforce.

whan Charlys hadde wyttynge that Bawdewyne thus helde hys doughter Indith / he sent to hym, straytly chargynge hym to sende ho∣me hys doughter / but that holpe not the mater. Thā he purchasyd agayn hym the censures of holy chyrch, and accursed the sayd Bawdewyne. But whan the kynge conceyued that the yonge man hadde suche loue to In∣dyth that he sette not by that punys∣shement / and also was certeynly en∣formed that hyr harte was gyuen vnto hym: he in processe by y^e meane of some bysshoppes and frendes of the sayd Bawdewine, agreed that he shulde take hyr to wyfe / and in the name of hyr dowar, he shulde holde and enioye the sayd countre of Flaū¦ders. And for he wolde haue hys doughter to be the more honoured / he creatyd the sayde Bawdewyne an erle, and commaunded hym to be cal¦led after that daye erle of Flaūders.

It is also shewyd in the Frenche cronycle and of other wryters / that thre dayes before hys deth, hys spi∣ryte shulde be rauysshed from hys body, and vnto places of payne and turment / where thys Charlys by the ledynge of an aungell, shulde se hyl∣les and mountaynes brenne, & pyt∣tes full of sulphyr, pytche, and hote boylynge lede. In whyche paynes the sayde Charlys shulde se many of hys progenytours and bysshoppes, that counceyled prynces to debate or stryfe, or gaue counceyle to them to rayse of theyr subiectys vnlefull tas∣kys or imposycyons / wyth many other thynges, whyche I passe ouer for length of the mater.