Prolicionycion [sic]

¶ Capitulum 28

THan trewes were take for thre yere bytwene kyng richard & the soudan / & hubert bisshop of Salesbury yede to the se∣pulcre for hym self / and for the kyng and offred there an hooly oyst / and cam thennes and sayled with the kynge to Cypres / Thennes the kynge sente forth to Scicile twey quenes / his wyf / and his suster neygh with al̄ his meyne / and he myght not wel endure in the softe see / but he sayled with a strong wynde toward the countray of hystria with fewe men / and was dryuen til that he cam bytwene Aquila & venyse / & ther he houed & bleynt hider and thyder / & hyd hym somwhat of tyme & men made grete pur∣ueaunce of vytayls for hym / and so he was aspyed and take of the dukes men of Austryche / whan that was knowen the kyng of fraūce made Iohan kyng Rychardes broder to torne lyghtly ageynst kyng rychard / ānd exyted also themperour of almayn a∣geynst kyng rychard / than themperour made couenaunt with the duk of austryche for to haue the thyrdde part of the prouffyte & wynnyng that come of kyng rychard and had kyng rychard in to his owne warde / yet whyle kyng rychard bare the crosse and the sygne of our lord / And the emperour putte hyin in a place that is called Tryuallis / there arystotle seith it were good a mā to sle his owne fader / but about palmsonday themperour brought forth kyng rychard to yeue his answer before many lordes of the emperours land / and he cam forth with so glad chere & answerd to alle thynge that was putte ageynst hym / that the Emperour was bowed not only to mercy / but also for to doo hym grete re∣uerence & worship / than cam to the kyng that was so holden wil¦liam bisshop of hely that was put oute of englond for his grete extorciōs & outrages / he cam to the king for to espye what wil the kyng had to hym ward / & whanne he myght not begyle the king with gyle of blynde flateryng he had euyl trust to hym self and torned ageyne to Fraunce with hoope of grace / But Hubert bisshop of Salesbury come oute of Scicile to the kynge and was sente in to englond for gouernyng of the Royame and also for to spede the kynges raunsone whan he was comen in to englōd he was chosen archebisshop by assente of the monkes of Caunter¦bury and of the Bisshops / and noo wonder / He toke the pal & and was stalled / and toke anone the habyte of Chanon at

Marton / and was not greuous to the monkes of Caunterbury / but the sharpnesse of baldwyn had somwhat vnwysely greued theym byfore / Though this baldwyn was a good man and ho∣ly in other dedes / yet he founded to torne the ryght and the prero∣gatyf of the election of the Archebisshop from the monkes of Caunterbury / by cause therof fast by the monkes chirche by fa∣uour of the kyng he byganne to bylde a place and grete housyng not withoute shedyng of bloode for to haue there prouendes for seculer chanons / and for bisshops suffrygans sholde come thy¦der for to trete therwith clerkes of the election of the archebisshop and for to do awey the monkes / but in the oth••r side the monkes appellyd to the pope and compellyd to ceesse the werke that was begonne / and after baldwyns deth they threwe it downe streight to the grounde / In that doyng it is wonder of soo greete a man / that was fyrst archedeken and than whyte monke / and than ab¦bot / and than bisshop of wyrcetre and than Archebisshop that ••e wolde brynge men of more wnparfyghte lyf / seculer chanons in stede of men of more parfyht lyf / For somtyme holy prynces and bisshops in englond wold not haue to many of suche maner cler¦kes / & yeue theym choyse / whether they wold leue theyr benefyce other chaunge theyr lyf and goo in to Relygyon / ¶ Treuisa / It semeth that baldwyn was wel aduysed that cryst was hede of hooly chirche / and his apostles heyghe bisshops / and none of them all was neuer monk nother freer / and soo it myght seme that he knew wel that other clerkes were more parfyht than eu was monke other freer / but for it is sayd that the clerk••s had•••• choys whether they wold leue theyr benefice or go in to Relygi¦on / of that choys it myght seme grete wonder / for it semyth therby that they shold leue theyr benefyce / how it euer were / for yf they yede in to relygyon they shold leue theyr benefyce / & yf they ye∣de not in to relygyon they must leue the benefyce by the rule of re¦lygyon / other they speke other wyse of relygyō than al men in co∣myn spech•• wol mene & so it semeth more wonder of that wōder than of his menynge / but men wold wonder that baldwyn that was a mōk wold not flater with mōkes but helde other clerkes more holy than mōkes / syth he knew the degre of eu eyther. than it folowith in the story / aft{er} the wo & tene that kyng rychard had in prison in almayn a yere & thre monethes / he was delyuerd in the moneth of Ianuar for an / C / thousād poūd of siluer / & lefte

with themperour pledges / the Bisshop of Rothomage and of bathe for somme of the money that was not yet payd / And for to pay that somme of money al the woll of whyte monkes & of chanōs was take / & also rynges of prelates vessels croyses and chalyces were take & gold of seuentene shrynes y shaue & molten and noo pryuelege of persone nother of hooly chirche no¦ther fredom was spared / the kyng dwellyd two monethes ful at swynne in Fl̄aundres other to abyde the wynde other for to ara¦ye what hym neded / There the emperours men had almost take hym eftsones / for the Emperour thought thāt he hadde latte goo the kyng as phaaro forthought somtyme that he had lete go the children of Israel / But in the moneth of marche the kyng cam a lande at Sandwyche / and dwellyd a whyle at london and wente and toke the strengest castel that his broder Iohan hadde The Castels of nothyngham and of tykkehylle / and putte the wardeyns therof in prysonne / & by counseyl̄ & dome of l̄ordes he pryned his broder Iohn of al maner worship / For he helde hym vntrewe and vnkynde / And heelde his eester at hampton / And so at wynchester whan the meschyef of his takyng was wyped of / he was newely crowned as a newe kynge the fyfthe yere of his kyngdome / After the solempnite of that crownyng the kyn∣ge axyd ageyne al that was byfore lygh••ty yeuen or greuously sol̄de / and he acounted for the sorte all the fruyte that was take in the meane tyme and spared for no couenaunt nother for char¦ter / nother for dede / nother for instrumente / And soo he dwellyd a whyle and sayled in to fraunce for to werre ageynst the king of Fraunce / than the kynges fought and eyther sped dyuersly / And trewes were graunted for one yere / and that was prouffy¦table for kynge Rychard for to gader both ryches and strengthe / though hit wolde not stonde with reason of honeste / Iohan kyn∣ge Rychardes broder that torned to the kyng of fraunce ageynst his owne broder for he hadde ryght nought / he myght do ryght nought / therfor he was forsake of the kynge of Fraunce / But by helpe of his moder Elyanor he cam mekely ageyn to kyng ri¦charde & was aft{er}ward his trew knyght / for vse of ong knygh¦tes as it were to make hym al to fyghte in a batayl / that tyme tornementes that were lefte of longe tyme were made & vsed a∣geyne not withstondyng the popes forbedyng