Prolicionycion [sic]

¶Incipit Liber septimus (Book 7)

¶ Capitulum primum

WHan william cam to london and was crowned at westmynstre of aldredus archebisshop of york and wyded stygandus archebisshop of Caunterbury / & was y crowned in a mydwynter day / that fil that ••ere on a monday / W / de / pon / But the next lente therafter ••e wente in to normandy / & lefte his broder Bisshop of bayon to kepe englond / & had with hym· the gentilmen / & name∣ly the erles edwyn & markarus & edgard adelyng / & moost speci¦ally stygandus tharchebisshop / though he wythstode in that with al that he myght / he ladde hym with hym / as it were for to doo hym worship / but his mening was specially for no treson sholde be done in his absence in englond by auctoryte of stygandus Amonge all other it is harde for to telle / how greete worship he dyde to stygandus for he wolde aryse and come ayenst him with procession and that with grete boost & aray / but all that was clo∣sed & hyd in that doyng / come out afterward clere ynough / whan the popes legat come in to englond / & made a counseyll by thassēt of the kyng / & stygandus was deposed & set a doun / & prayed be∣syly the kyng of his grace / the kyng excused hym self with fayre wordes as he couthe wel ynough / & sayde that he myght not doo ayenste the popes heste / And soo he helde stygandus in boondes at wynchestre terme of his lyf / Alfr / Herafter ayenst wynter kyng will̄iam cam in to englond & putte a trybute vpon englysshe men gretter than they myghte bere / & bes••eged excetre that was rebelle ayenst hym and brake the cyte / ¶Gytha the countesse that was somtyme goodwyns wyf forsoke the cite & sailed in to flaūdres W / d re / li / 3 / In this syege the toune wall fylle doun as it were for the nones / & so the enemyes come in for one of the cyteseyns stode vpon the walle and dyde doun his breche and defowled the eyer with the fowle noyse of his neyther ende / Also that yere the lordes of northūberlond drad the cruelnes of william & toke with theym edgar adelyng & his moder agath & his twey systres mar¦gret & crystiā & sayled to malcolyn kyng of scotlād / R / But som¦mē wol mene that this edgar sygh that the thynges of englyssh¦mē were distourbed in euy side / & toke a ship & cast for to sayle with his moder & his twey systres in to his own countrey there he was y bore / But there come grete tempest and drofe hym in to Scotland / ¶ By occasion therof it was that malcolyn kyng of Scotland wedde edgars syster margret / and

gate on hyr sixe sonnes and twey doughtes / thre of his sonnes were kynges after the fader / Edgar Alysaunder and dauid / Mold malcolyns doughter was maryed to the fyrst henry kyng of Englonde / of hym come mold themperyce / the other doughter mary was maryed to eustas erle of ••oloyne / of hyr come mold / that was maryed to kynge steuen / Also that yere kyng william made a strong castel at snotyngham that now is called notynghā and another at lyncoln and tweyne at york / Also that yere mold the quene cam oute of normandy in to englond and was crow∣ned of aldredus / harald and Canutus the sones of suanus kin∣ge of denmarche come a lande in the mouth of humber with two honderd shippes / Edgar adelyng yaf hym self to hem / Aldredus the archebisshop was so soory for her comyng that he deyde for so∣rowe the / xj / day of September / The eyght day therafter the nor∣mans that kepte castels dradde / leste the houses of the subarbes shuld helpe the danes to fylle the dyches / & therfor they sette hem a fyre / but the lyght aroos to hye / and brente the cyte of yorke / with the mynster of saynt peter / But er the fyre were done cam the strength of the danes and slough by assente of the cyteseyns more than thre thousande normans / Than kynge wylliam was wroth and destroyde soo that prouynce that for grete honger men ete horses flessh / hoūdes flessh / cattes flessh / and mannes flesshe / Also that lond that lyeth bytwene york and durham was nyne yere without tylyer & wonyer / out take only saynt Ioones lond of beuley. for ther fyll a wreche vpō one of the kynges knightes for his hors neck was to broke & his face torned bacword / Also that tyme was brent saynt bedas abbay that was in girmū vpō the brynk of the ryuer wyre / That yere malcolyn destroyed so nor¦thūberlond that he slew all the old mē & feble / & made the strong boonde for reuerence / soo that vnneth ony was hows in scotlande without an englysshe boonde man other woman / kynge william by counsayll of som mē made serche all the abbayes of englond & toke al the money in to his owne tresour / W / d / p / li / 1 / Sone ther after in the vtas of ester was made a counseyll at wynchestre by ass••nt of the second pope alysander / ther were twey cardynals pre¦sent / In that counseyll stygandus tharchebisshop was degraded for thre skylles / first by cause he had holden wrōgfully the bissho∣priche of wynchestre and the Archebisshopriche of Caunterbury whyle Robert the Archebisshoppe was a lyue / and vsed the pal that was there lefte withoute leue of the court of Rome /

For he had receyued the pal of pope benette that was acursyd of the chirche of Rome / And though stygandus sought besyly frēd¦shippe of the kynge the kyng excused hym self swetely as he well couthe by the popes commaundemente and caste stygandus in to bondes at wynchestre to his lyues ende / and yaue hym euery day a lytel what of enchetes / to lyue by / Stygandus was kyndely so hard that he wolde take ryght nought of his owne / and swore by at halowen that he hadde not a peny / but that oth was pre∣ued vntrewe by a lytel key that henge aboute his neck / whan he was deede / For by that keye was founde grete ryches in many places vnder erthe / Also in that counseyll were sette doune many bisshops and abbotes / namely by procurynge of kynge wylliam for he wold brynge in normans in theyr stede / Somme men tro¦wyd that he dyd soo for he wold be the more seker of the kyng∣dome / Also in that counseyl saynt wulstan bisshop of wyrcetre axyd besyly somme possessions of his bisshopryche that were with holde by Aldredus Archebisshop of yorke and y falle in to the kynges hondes after aldredus deth / But for the chirche of york was dombe that tyme / for the see was voide / It was demed that that cause shuld be stylle & not y touched at that tyme / herafter at wyndsor in a whitsonday kynge william yaf tharchebisshoprich of yorke vnto thomas chanon of baiocens / Wd / p / li / 1 / Herafter the kyng had lanfrank abbot of cadomenence out of normandy / this lanfrank was of the nacion of ytaly & was most connyng of holy wryt & of syngler lettrure and moost redy in gouernyng of thynges / In our lady day the assumpcion the king made him archebisshop of caunterbury / ¶R / Of his thewes and of his noble dedes it is wreton Innermo••e / about his deth tyme / W / d / p / li / 1 / ¶Thomas that was y chose archebisshop of york· cam to this lanfrank for to be sacred as the vsage wold. lanfrank axyd of hym an othe & his profession y wryte of his obedyence / Thomas answerd & sayde / that he wold neuer do that but yf he herd ther for auctoryte y wryte / other skylful reasons & byndyng· by the which it were knowe that he shold so do withoute ony preiudyce of his chirch / he saide so more for lewdnes of wyt than of rebel∣nes / & pryde of hert / as he that was a new man & begyled by fla¦teryng wordes / & knewe not the custome and vsages of englond And lanfrank declared and preued resonably / that his axynge was resonable and ryghtful / but yet thomas wold not assente but wthsayde hit and wente his weye vnsacred / the kyng herde

therof and was wrothe and trowyd that lanfrank wolde haue grete thynges wrongfully / and he trusted more in his connynge / than in good feyth and reason / But he answerd therto in presen¦ce of the kyng / and esed the kyngys hert / therfor by commaunde∣mente of the kyng / thomas was compellyd for to come ageyne / and cam ageyne and wrote his profession of obedyence and rad it / In that profession he byhete withoute ony condicion that he shulde be obedyente in al that longeth to the worship of god and Crysten feyth / and soo he was sacred and wente forth his weye Not longe therafter lanfrank axyd and toke profession of alle the bisshops of englond that were sacred of other men bifore hond

¶ Capitulum secundum

THe Erles of mercia / of northumberlonde edwyn and Mar¦kar wente pryuely oute of the courte / For kynge william hadde cast to put hem in bondes / And so they were rebell somwhat of tyme / but it stode hem but lytel in stede / edwyn wente toward the kyng of Scotland / and was slayne in the wey of his men / But markar and Egylwyn Bisshop of durham wente in to the yle of Ely / there the kyng stopped the oute goyng in the eest sy∣de / and made a brydge of twey myle in the west syde / Than they were aferd that were closed withynne / and yelde hem to the kin∣ge / And the kyng sente the Bisshop to the Abbay of Abyndon to be there in warde / there this Bisshop deyde for honger / for he wolde not ete for sorow / Willelmus de pontificibus libro tercio / ¶ Walkerus of lotharynge was bisshop after hym / And Edytha that had be kyng edwardes wyf sawe hym brought to wynchestre for to be sacred and saide here we haue a fayr martir By coniecturynge of the cruel men of northumberlonde she was meoued to telle what shuld afterward byfall she sawe hym why¦tely of heer / rody of face / & huge of body and of stature / W / de p / li / 4 / This yere deyde walter bisshop of herforde / of hym it is said that he lou ed hugely / I not by what mysshappe a shipster of that Cyte / But she wyst not therof / and in caas thowh she had wyst she wold haue sette lytel therby / In the mene tyme yet the bisshop thought that nothyng is more vngracio{us} than a louyng old mā / and withstode as he myght for reuerence of his owne state /

but in a tyme by fraude of the deuyl she came in to the Bisshops chambre in caas for to shape the chamberleyns lynnen clothes Seruauntes that knewe and wyst the Bisshops pryu••te wente oute for the nones ¶ Atte last. ethe Bisshop after vnsyttyng wordes wolde haue take the woman with strengthe ¶ The wo∣man styked the Bisshop bynethe his pryuy membrys wyth the sheres that she hadde in honde and soo the Bisshop dyed After him robert lotharyngus was bisshop ther / he was connyng of al maner artes and scyences / specially he conth skylle in aba•••• that is a table to make by dyuerse fygures and shappes / ••e kne∣we the cours of the mone and of the other sterres and planetes That tyme Marianus Scott and monk was closed at magounce in Almayne / In his long solytarye beyng / he serched cronykes & storyees / & was waar fyrst other alone of denys exyguus dyscord ayenst the sothnesse of the gospel in acountyng of cycles and of yeres / And marianus acounted al the yeres from the begynning of the world and put two and twenty yere that lakked of the forsayd cycles and yeres and made a grete booke of Cronykes the whiche booke this robert defloured solempnly and take oute the beste / soo that it semeth that that defloracion is now more wor¦thy than all the grete volume and longe / ¶Wyllelmus de pon / tificibus / libro primo / Also this lanfrank archebisshop of Caun¦terbury / and thomas Archebisshop of york wente to Rome y fere for to haue the pal / But lanfrank receyued the palles / one of Worship / and anthoer of loue / for lanfrank had suche grace to po¦pe Alexander / that both his felawes that come with hym to Ro∣me thomas of york / and Remigyus of dorchestre that were right fully y pryued of her croyses and rynges / he restored hem to their offyce ageyne / For the fyrste was a preestes sonne / And whyle the seconde was monk of ffyscam / he halpe duk wyllyam in ma∣ny thynges / to his wendyng to Englonde / Soo that the duc by∣hete hym by couenaunt a Bisshopryche yf he hadde the vyctorye and that was preued vpon hym byfore the pope / and therfor he was sette a doun / in the presence of the pope / Thomas of york me¦oued a cause of the chalenge of the prymate of Dorobernia that is caunterbury / and of subiection that shulde longe to hym of thre Bisshopryches / of Lyncolne / of wyrcetre and of lychefeld

¶ And sayde that the Sees of Caunterbury and of yorke were ferre atwene / and that nother of hym by Gregoryes

constitucion shulde be subgette to other / but that the one of he•• is more worthy than the other / for he is of elder•• tyme / Then∣ne lamfrank declared skylfully that that constitucion of grego∣ry maketh noo mencion of Caunterbury / but of york & of londō Than the pope demede that that cause shulde be termyned to fore the kynge and the Bisshops in englond / And though lanfrank held thomas y bounde by the professyon that thomas hadde ma∣de byfore hym byforehonde / yet hym was leuer trauayll for his successours than lete that chalenge abyde to hym to stryue ther∣for afterwarde / ¶ This yere the yere of our lord a thousande thre score and twelue at wyndsore byfore kynge wylliam & the clergye that cause was treated / & there Bedas story was shewde and therby it was shewed that from the fyrst Austyns tyme / to Bedas last tyme aboute an honderd yere and fourty / the Ar∣chebisshopryche of Caunterbury had prymacye ouer alle the lon¦de of Brytayne / and of Irlonde also / And also that he hadd holde coūsayls fast by york / & cleped therto the bisshops of york and made bisshops and punysshed somme bisshops of york for her trespaas / and sette downe many / and putte hem oute of the dyg∣nyte / Herto were rehersed pryueleges that were graunted vpon this maner of doynge / Ayenst al this thomas aleyde the pystle in the whiche pope Gregory demed that the chirches of york and of london shold be euen peres and neyther subget to other / Than lamfrank answerd and sayde I am not bisshop of london nowther the question is not meoued of the chirche of london / Thenne thomas that had many fauctours and moche folke / ga∣dred with hym answerd and sayde that Gregory had graunted to Austyn al one to haue vnder hym all the bisshops of englond and that the bisshops of london and of york shold be good fren∣des / and loue wel eyther other / and he that were fyrst ordeyned sholde be fyrste worshiped / and though Austyn had chaunged the Archebisshops see from london in to kente yef gregory wolde that Austyns successours shuld be aboue the bisshops of yorke / he wolde lyghtly haue sette in his epystle suche maner wordes / I graunte to the Austyn and to thyn successours / But for he wold not that it shold stretche to austyns successours / therfore he made noo mencion of his successours / ¶ Lanfrank answerde herto & sayde / yf that auctoryte was graunted to Austyn alone and not to his successours it was a symple yefte that the pope yaue Au∣styn that was pryue with hym / and namely whyle Austyn

ordeyned noo Archebisshop of york whyle he was a lyue / and also there was no bisshop at york / that shold be ordeyned by au∣styn / Also pryuelege of popes confermeth this dygnyte to Au∣styns successours of caunterbury / and demed that it is skyle and ryght that alle the chirches of Englonde sholde take loore of ly∣uynge of that place for of the welle of that place they hadde the leeme of byleue / But for thou sayst that gregory myghte yf he wolde haue confermed with a worde to austyns successours that he had graunted to seynt Austyn / That is soth but that doth no preiudyce to the see of Caunterbury / For whanne cryst sayde to peter / I shal yeue to the the keyes of the kyngdome of heuene / he myght also haue sayd / yf he wold I graunte the same power to thy success••urs / And though he sayde not soo yet he bynymeth Pe¦ters successours nothynge of reuerence / nother of autoryte / But they hadde lawfully the dispensacion of offyce of hooly chirche / what maketh that but the vertu of god that spryngeth by Cryst of peter in to his successours / Also yf thou kanst knowe bytwe∣ne fals and soth· what hath strengthe in al / hath strengthe in the partye / and what strengthe in the more / hath strengthe in the lasse / The chirche of Rome is as it were al of alle chirches and other chirches both as it were partyes therof / And as for to take hede in one maner wyse / man is the kynde of his syngulers / but in euery syngler man is the kynde of al mankynde / Soo for to take heede in somme maner wyse the chirche and the see of Rome is as it were the kynde and conteyneth al in comparyson to other chirches / and yet in euery chirche regneth the ful holynesse of Crysten feyth / The chirche of Rome is grettest of al chirches / & what hath strengthe in that chirche shal haue strength in lasse chirches / Soo that in euery chirche the power of the fyrste shal sprynge in to al his successours / but ought be namely and spe∣cially oute take / Therfore as Criste sayde to al the Bisshops of Rome that he sayde to peter / Soo Gregory sayde to alle Austyns successours / what he sayde to Austyn / Herof foloweth that as Caunterbury is subget to Rome for he taketh the feyth of Rome Soo shal york be subgette to Caunterbury / that sente thyder pre∣chours to preche hem the feyth / But for thou sayst that Gregory wold that austyn shold haue his see at london. hit maye not ston¦de / who wolde trowe that soo noble a disciple as Austyn was wolde wythstonde / nd do ayenst his maystres wille / that was soo noble a maystre and doo ayenste hooly decrees / But though it

were soo that Austyn as thou sayst passed from london / what is that to me that am not bisshop of london / therfor yef this stryf is ceesed and pees made for a tyme / yef thou desyrest to plede / I shal not be from the dome / but I shal defende myn offyce / and my ryght / By these reasons thomas was ouercome and graunted gladly that the yonder brynke of humber shold be the begynnyng of his dyocesy / Also it was demed that there afterward in thyn∣ges that longeth to worship of god and to the feyth of hooly chir¦che the archebisshop of york shold he subget to the Archebisshop of Caunterbury / Soo that yf tharchebisshop of Caunterbury wol¦de make a counseyl in ony place of englond the Archebisshop of yorke shulde be there at with the bisshops of his prouynce and he shal be obedyente to his lawful heestes / ¶ Yf the Archebisshop of Caunterbury is deede / the Archebisshop of yorke shal come to Caunterbury with bisshops of the forsayd chirche / and sacre the primate that is chosen / And yf tharchebisshop of york is dede his successour shal come co the archebisshop of Caunterbury where he wol assygne in englonde and be sacred of hym / And he shal ma∣ke hym an othe with profession and obedyence / Than lanfranck hopped for ioye and toke al this wreton for that newe doyng shol¦de not slyde oute of mynde and his successours sholde be begyled of the knowleche therof / but he bare hym soo that he loste nought that nother passed in spekynge / For it is hated a man to make hym self curious in his owne praysynge / Than lanfranck sente a pystle to pope alysaunder that conteyned al this doyng with the profession of thomas the Archebisshop of york / This yere kynge wylliam wente in to Scotland with a grete nauey and an hooste of horsmen / And made kynge malcolyn subget / and kynge malco¦lyn bycame his lyege man / and swore hym hommage and feute Sygebertus bisshop of magounce wente to saynt Iames a pyl∣gremage / but in his comyng ageyne he was made monk of clu∣ny / than shīpmen wolde haue bought his Bisshopryche / he sawe that / and wente ageyne to his bisshopriche as his abbot bad hym

¶ This yere Edgar Adelynge wente to kyng wylliam in to normandy and was acord with hym

¶ Capitulum tercium

HIltebrande that was the seuenth pope gregory was somty¦me pryour of cluny / and than Archedeken of Rome / and

than he was made pope enleuen yere / he made a synode and for∣bede clerkes that were sacred wyues / and forbode that they shol∣de haue no wyues nother dwelle with women / but with suche as the synode nycena and hooly lawes suffryth / But for preestes dispreysed his punyschyngis / the pope badde that men sholde not here a preestes masse / that helde openly and comunely a concuby∣ne ayenste the popes ordenaunce / In a tyme this was a Cardy∣nal and the popes messagyer in to Fraunce and made harde pro¦cesse ayenste prelates that were made by Symonye / Than one bis¦shop that was sharply defamed by Symonye chaunge with me∣de the wytnesse that hym had accused / The legate was waare therof and sayde byfore alle the counseyll / now mannes doome is awey that faylyth ofte / lete vs brynge goddes owne dome that faylyth neuer more / Sith that the grace of a Bisshopryche is the yeft of hooly gooste / he that byeth a bisshopryche doth ayenst the hooly goost / than thou bisshop hast not doo ayenst the holy goost / Saye openly here in the counsaylle gloria patri et filio et spiritui sancto / that is the ioye to the fader and to the sonne / and to the hooly goost / he byganne and essayed ofte / but he myght neuer say the hooly goost / But he sayde it pleynly whan he was put oute of the bisshopryche / Also whyle this pope songe his first masse in a myd wynter nyght at saynt marye at presepe domini / one Crescē¦cius the sonne of the prefecte of the cyte toke hym and put hym in prisonne / but anone the Romaynes brake the tour and dely∣uerd the pope / Also in a counseylle of thre honderd bisshops / this pope cursed the thyrdde henry themperour and assoylled al men of her othe that owht hym hommage and feute / For he caste many thynges ayenst the state of holy chirche / And afterward though the emperour stode long tyme barfote vpon snowe and yse vnne∣the he was assoylled / But afterwarde besyeged Rome and me∣ded the cyteseyns and prysonned the pope / and toke one wyber∣tus bisshop of Rauen and made hym pope / and cleped hym Cle∣mente / But Robert duc of Apulea herde therof and delyuerd the pope / Roger the erle of herforde / by whos counsayle kyng will¦iam hadde made serche all thabbayes of Englond for to haue gre¦te tresour / this erle maryed his syster to rauf erle of eestenglond that conteyneth northfolke / ayenst the kynges heeste / And made there conspyracye ayenst the kynge / and made Erle walref assēt therto bygyle· but he wente anone to lanfrank / and toke his pe∣naunce / and wente thenne in to normādy to the kyng & warned

hym of the treasonne / and putte hym wylfully in the kynges grace / the kynge cam ageyne in to Englond and outlawed som and chaced Erle Rauf and prysonned waltef and made after∣warde smote of his heede wyckedly besydes wynchestre / In tyme that cam afterward by thordenaunce of god / his body was beryed afterwarde in the abbaye of crowlond / of hym wytnessyth lan∣frank that he was very repentaunt of his sinnes & saide that wel were hym yf he myght come to waltefs reste after his ende daye ¶In lanfrancus tyme was made a counseyll at london in saynt paules chirche / that doyng had be long tyme lefte of in Englonde / Fyrste there was ordeyned how bisshops shold sytte in counseyll and in Synode / the seconde that the bisshops see shold passe oute of smal townes in to gretter townes and soo the See of Selfey passed to chychester of kyrton to excetre / of welles to bathe / Of shirburn to sabesbury / of dorchestre to lyncolne / Of lychefeld to chestre in bisshop peters tyme / But his successour robert passed from chestre to couentre / ¶ Willelmus de pontificibus libro 2 / ¶This yere deyde hyrmanus the fyrst bisshop of Salesbury / of the whiche it is wreton to fore hond / After hym the kynges chaū∣celer osmundus was bisshop four and twenty yere / he buylded there a newe chirche and brought thyder noble clerkes and con∣nyng of clergye and of songe / soo that this bisshop him self sho∣ned not to wryete and ••ymne and bynde bookes / Also he made the ordynal of the seruyce of hooly chirche / and cleped it the con∣suetudynarie / now wel nigh al englond wales and yrlond. vseth that ordynal / Also he endyted saynt adelins lyf / ¶ This yere Robert courthchose kyng williams oldest sonne / for he myht not haue normandye that his fader had assigned him somtyme / ther∣fore by helpe of the kynge of Fraunce he toke prayes in norman∣dye and dide his fader moche woo / Soo that his fader was woū¦ded and vnhorsed and beganne for to crye / Robert herde his fa∣dere bois / and alighte doune of his hors. and horsed his fader a∣geine· Willelmus de pontificibus libro tercio / The northumbres slewe walkerus bisshop of durham / William that was somtyme abbot of cariles was bisshop after him / This william brought firste monkes at durham / he was myghty in the worlde / & hadde his mouth at his wyll / & had grete trust therinne / and fauoured afterward partyes / Somdele ayenst kyng william the rede / Therfore he fledde oute of englond and cam ageyne to his owne Bisshopryche after two yere and made hym ful besy to haue the

kynges loue ageyne / soo that he folowed the kynges wyll in his ye and nay in al maner wyse / and specially in that stryfe that was bytwene the kyng and ancelm / and hoped therby to geete the kyngys grace other to be archebisshop after ancelm / But he fayled of eyther / for there fylle stryf bytwene him and the kyn∣ge / and he was at gloucestre to defende his cause / This was the fyrst that dyde the pryour of durham that benefet that he shulde be deen and archedeken in all that bisshoprych / waryng erle of shro¦wesbury made twey abbayes / one in the subarbes of shrowesbu¦ry and another at wenlok in worship of saynt mylburgh / Willelmus de Regibus ¶ Whyle a myghty man sate at a fest Myes byset hym sodenly al about / & though he were brouhgt in to the high see it halp hym not / for the myes syewed hym in the see vppon ryndes of pome garuat and were adreynt of the shipmē Nothynge that god hath wrought is al withoute wytte / nother thynge withoute remedy / Than the man was brought ayene to londe and myes al to haaled hym / Me sayth that the same happe byfyl a prynce of polonia that a leopard hadde y bete / Also suche an happe is told of a prynce that myght by noo maner crafte ke¦pe and saue hym self fro lyese in no maner wyse / Henricus lib / sexto / This yere was a cursyd stryf bytwene monkes of glasten∣bury and the vnthriuyng abbot thurstā that kyng wylliam had brought theder oute of the abbay of cadony and made hym abbot of glastenbury that couth noo maner wytte of Redynesse / Among his other lewdnesse and folye he despysed gregoryes son¦ge and offyce / and byganne to compelle the monkes for to vse the songe of one william monk of fyscamen / Willelmus de pontifi∣cibus li 1 / ¶ He wasted and spended the chirches gooddes and catailsin lechery-and chalengyd cruelly the ordre and seruyce of the monkes and withdrewe therwith their mete and their drynk Therof cam chiding & strif of wordes discorde & of wittes and of thoughtes / For lucanus saith fastynge folk can noo drede / Than after chidynge and strif me toke wepne / And the abbot with his men of armes fille armed on the monkes and slough tweyne atte hye auter / & wounded eighten & shotte arowes to ymages and schrines of the chirche / the monkes as they were driue to by ne¦de defended hem self as wel as they might in euery side with for¦mes and stoles and candelstikkes and wounded somme of the knyghtes / This cause was meoued bifore the kyng / and the Ab¦bot was chaunged and torned to his owne abbaye in normandy

But the monkes were to scatred aboute by the kynges heest by dyuers byisshopryches and abbayes / But after kyng wylliās deth this thurstan bought the Abbaye of glastenbury of kynge william the reede for fyue honderd pound and soo he wente about somwhat of yeres by the possessions of the abbay & deyde fer from hym / ¶ This yere kyng wiliam hadde of euery huyde of lond sixe scyllynges of siluer / Also pope hyltebrand laye in his dede bedde and cleped to hym the cardynals that he loued moost / and knowleched that he hadde made wrathe ānd stryf bytwene the Emperour and the other crysten men / Therfor he vndede the boū∣des of the peynes that were sette and deyde

¶ Capitulum quartum /

AFter hyltebrand the thyrd vyctor was pope one yere and fyue monethes / ¶Somtyme he hyght desiderius Abbot of moūt Cassin / he was poysoned with venym that was done in his chalys / that yere canut{us} kyng of dēmark by help of his wyues fader Robert of flaundres arayed hym for to come in to englond with a greete nauey· but kyng wylliam herde therof and gadred a grete hoost and come in to englond oute of normandy / But his enemyes were lette and he helde his court at gloucestre / ther he yaf Bisshopryches to his thre preestes / to morice he yafe the Bissho∣pryche of london / To william the bisshopryche of Tedford / To ro∣bert the bisshoprych̄ of chestre / but he chaunged the see to couentre ¶ Willelmus de pontificibus libro quarto / He rasede of one be∣me of that chirch fyue honderd mark of syluer for to fyll the kin¦ges honde and for to begyle the occupacion of the pope / erle leofrycus hadde made that place ryche of gold and of syluer of relykes and other precious stones / And soo this Robert rob¦bed his owne chirche / and was gylty to make good therfore in his lyf owther with his cataill after his deth yf ony man were that hym wolde accuse / also he fed the monkes of that place with symple mete & drink & suffryd them not to lerne but symple let¦trure / lest lykynge mete and drynke and gretter lettrure wolde make the monks stoute and proude ageynst the bisshop / Netheles at lychefelde he byganne many greete buyldynges. Aboute that tyme bygan thordre of the chartrus in calabria in the bisshoprich

of grannopolytan by one bruno that was y bore at Coloyn of the nacion of Duche men and chanon of Reynes in Champayne in Fraunce and mayster of the scoles / he forsoke the worlde & foun¦ded the heremytage of chartrus aboute saynt ioones fest & ruled it syx yere / Atte last he cam to Rome by heeste of the seconde po∣pe vrban that hadde be somtyme his scoler / there he halpe the pope gretely in dygnyte of hooly chirche / But whanne he myght not suffre the stryf and the maners of the court / he forsoke the courte and the Archebisshoprych of Rysens / to the whiche he was chose by heeste of the pope / And wente to the heremytage that was cal¦led the tour in Calabria / and ended there his lyf / That manere heremytes that be cleped Cellystes also for they woneth in celles and lyuen vnder a pryour and passen not the nombre of twelue in clerkes / but it be for somme worthy persone / but they take leu¦de men anone to the nombre of twenty / euery in his owne celle in symple dayes y seruyd by hym self byddeth his bedes / slepyth and etyth / Eche of theym hath one loof for his brede for all the weke / they ete neuer flessh ne blode / they were neuer lynen cloth nother stamyn but the heer next the flesshe and a boue a kyrtell of wollen and a pylche / they haue thryttene celles / and euery celle is departed a four & to set wythin for the oratory the dortour the fraytour / and the werk hous there they doth her werkes / but they ioyne alle to gyders / On sondayes and other hygh dayes they come to chirche and to a comyn borde and etyn y fere / and talken y fere of goostly tales / they saye theyr seruyce after saynt benets rule / An apostata that breketh his ordre they take hym ne¦uer ageyne / ¶ Kyng wylliam made descryue al englond / For he wold wytte and knowe how moche londe eche of his ba∣rons hadde / how many knyghtes fees how many teme londe / how many townes and men and how many beestes / the lond was gre¦ued with many meschyefs and happes that fyl for that dede / That descrypcion was wryten al in one volume / and y doo in the kynges lyberarye at wynchestre / Also this yere Edgar Ade∣lyng wente in to Apulea with grete strengthe by loue of kyng wylliam and his syster Crystyne wente in to the abbay of Rom¦see / After vyctor the seconde vrban was pope thyrtene yere / Fyrst this was a monk of cluny & archedeken of rome / and hete Odo Therafter he was Bisshop hostyence and pope atte last / Another pope that hete clemente that was in the poperyche with wrong dy∣de this vrban moche woo and teene. ¶ This clemente was

somtyme bisshop of Rauenna / That yere in englond was greet•• deth of beestes and dystemperyng of the eyer by the whiche many men deyd in feuers and for honger / In the same tyme grysely fyre destroyed the pryncipal cytees of Englond and saynt Pau¦les chirche / and a grete dele of london / Alfr / That yere the danes in a chirche slew her kyng Ca••••tus / ¶ Willelmus de Regi∣bus libro tercio / This kynge wylliam lay a bed at Roen Rotho∣mage in the laste ende of his lyf the kynge of Fraunce scorned hym in this maner / kyng williā of Englond lieth now as wym¦men don a chyldebed and taketh hym to sleuthe he bourded soo / For kyng wylliam hadde slaked his grete wombe with a drynke that he hadde dronke / the kyng was displesyd with this scorne / and sayde I shal offre hym a thousand candels whanne I shal goo to chirche of chylde / And not longe therafter in a lamesse moneth whanne the cornes were in feldes Fruyt on trees / and grapes on the vynes / he sette a fuyr the west syde of Fraunce & the Cyte medant and our lady chirche / In that chirche he brente a womā that was closed & trowyd not but she sholde fle in suche a maner nede / In that hete he toke an euyl that myght not be hee∣led other ellys whanne his hors lepe ouer the dyche he brake the entrayls of his fatte wombe / than leches warned hym that he shold dye / than he ordeyned normandy to his eldest sonne Robert And Englond to wylliam the reede. And the moder possessions and tresour / To henry clerk & made delyuere his prisonners that he had in boundes / that were the Erles marcarus Rogyer / wil¦notus / haraldes sonne / his brother odo bisshop of bayon / And so he deyde the yere of his kyngdome one and twenty the tenthe mo∣neth the yere of his duchery two & fyfty / the yere of his lyf nyne and fyfty / the yere of our lord a thousand four score and seuen the eyght day of december / and he was buryed in thabbay of ca∣dony that he had founded / there me myghte see sorowe that he that was soo dredeful and soo worshipful in europa myght not be buryed withoute chalenge / For there a knyght forbede open∣ly his beryeng and seyde that grounde was his owne / and y take of hym with strength / therfor his sonne henry yaf the knyght an honderd pound for to ceese for ther were none of kyng williams sonnes / for his eldest sonne Robert warred than in the countray / and william the reede was sayled in to englond / But at Wyn∣chestre he toke his faders tresorye and yafe moche for his faders mynde / Henricus libro quinto / This william conquerour was a

wyse man and gyleful ryche and couetouse gloryous and loued wel grete loos fayr speker with goddes seruaunces and sterne to hym that wold him withstonde / In the prouynce of hampton in the newe forest in the space of thyrtty myle / he threwe doun chir¦ches & townes and dyde there wyld beestes / Soo that who toke there a wylde beest shold lese his ••ne eye / & who that toke a wo∣man by strengthe shold lese his genetoryes· W / dere / li / 3 / Kynge wylliam was of skylful stature to grete & fat of bodye sterne of face / bar of forheede / grete of strengthe in brawne and armes / soo that vnnethe ony man myyhte bende his bowe / but he wolde on his hors stretche forth his senewys and bende it easyly ynough vpon his one foete / he had skylful strength and yaue hym self to moch to huntyng / soo that he threwe downe chirches & town••s to make wodes / he made grete feestes and reueles in the high fe••••••tes of the yere / he helde his mydwynter tyde at gloucestre / his ees∣ter at wynchestre / whitsontyde at westmynstre / whan he was in Englond / but he passyd and ouerdyde in gaderyng money of the people / other to wythstonde his enemyes / other to make hym a greete name / other to ceese his couetyse / it is· a comyn tale that whan this william was yong he distourbed his came malgerus Archebisshop of Rotomage of his bisshopryche / for he forgēdryd goddes seruyce and yaue hym self to huntyng and to festes / but more verely / for the bisshop had acursid duc william & mold his wyf and his cosyn / for they were vnlaufully y wedded to giders But for that trespaas duc William bylded an abbaye of men / & mold another of wymē at cadony / R / Also william bylded twey abbayes in englond one at bermūdeseye fast by london / & another at bataylle in southsex / there he hadde foughte / Hen / li / 7 / Whan this william was kyng vnnethe was there a lord in englond an englysshman / but englisshmen were made boonde / so that it was shame and despyte to be cleped an englysshman / To bere doune & to destroye englysshman god had ordeyned cruel and sterne / that be of suche kynde that whanne they haue boren downe theyr ene∣myes than they bere doune theyr self /

¶ Capitulum 5

WYlliam the reede was crowned kyng the day of saynt Cos∣ma and damian / him halp wulstan Bisshop of wyrcetre / &

the Archebisshop lanfrank that hadde hym norysshed / and made knyght / This william regned thyrten yere a moneth lāsse / Ro∣bert the eldest sone was that tyme in almayne / & hadd gadred a grete hoost ayenst the fader. & herde herof & cam ageyne in to nor∣mandye / & leyde half normandy / oute take castels to wedde to his broder henry for to wage an hoost ayenst his broder william and cam at last a lond at hampton / Than the kyng sente hym mes¦sagers that sayd in this maner / Thy broder william clepeth him self not kynge / but vnderkyng to regne vnder the / & by helpe of the that art gretter than he / & better & rather y bore / yf it is thy wylle / he bathnot mystake as his owne that he hath take for a ti¦me by cause ofthyn absence. but by cause he is nowe crowned he prayeth that he may regne vnder the & pay to the euery yere thre thousand marc / & he that ouer leueth shal haue the worship of o∣ther / Robert waggng his heede assentyd anon & left his hoost & wente ageyne in to normandy / & had ryght nought but fayr by∣hestes / wel nygh al the noble men of englond wold haue made ro¦bert kyng out take lanfrāk & wulstan / That tyme fell a cruell & grysely tempest in englond / for after winter in the begynnyng of spryngyng tyme kyng williams eame Odo bisshop of bayocens that was byfore delyuerd onte of the fyrst kyng williams pry∣sonne cam in to englond / to hym was yeuen the Erldom of kente He sawe that it yede not al to his deuyse in the londe / as it dyde somtyme in the fyrst kyng wylliams tyme / and was wroth ther¦fore / and forsoke the kynge & enfected many other with the same grutchyng / & namely the bisshop of durham / The erle of northū¦berlond / & rogyer of moūt gomeryk / Erle of shrowesbury / Than this odo wasted and destroyed the kynges rentes and enchetes / And lanfrank the Archebisshops londes / for he was by his coun¦seyll cast in the fyrst kyng williams boundes / for the fyrst kyng william pleined somtyme of his broder that he wold forsake him Take hym quod lanfrank and bynde hym that he greue the not I saye not the bisshop but the erle of kente. That tyme Rogyer Erle of shrowesbury with his walsshmen destroyed the endes of Englond anon to wyrcetre / But by the prayer and curs of seint wulstan / they were soo y febled and blente that he and his men were chaced of a lytel nombre of men of castels of the same Bis¦shops meyne / Kyng wylliam sawe that the normans were nygh all conspyred ageynst hym / Than he plesyd englysshmen with be hestes of bett lawes & fre hūting in his owne wodes / In the same

maner he awelded roger erle of shrowsbury & anō he fil on them that hym hadd forsake & occupyed odoes castels in kent / & toke odo & made hym forswere englonde / & besieged & toke the cyte of rochestre ther the noble men were gadred / Also that yere saint ny¦colas body was brought to the cyte barrus in apulea whan tur¦kes destroyed the cyte mirrea / four & twēty knightes of barrus wente thyder and brought to her owne cyte saynt nycolas bones swymmyng in oile / Also that yere pope vrban had with him an¦celm abbot of becko / & made a coūseil at cleremoūt in gallia that is in fraunce. ther it was ordeygned that the houres of our ladye shold be saide euery day / & fulle seruyce of her the saterday. Kyng william corrūped the wardeyns with money & whan sōme of ro∣bertes castels in normandye & lette the kynge of fraunce / that be shold not fauer his broder robert / & so normandy was longe vn∣stidfast / now fauouryng that one broder / & now the other til that robert had chynon & kyng williams som castel in saynt nycolas moūt & resed vpon either broder now vpon the one & now vpon the other / there in a day kyng william went oute of his tente on war & fyl on many enemyes with fewe men / But his hors was slayne vnder hym / & he was long draw and haled by the fote / But his haberione was so good that it saued hym that he was not hurt / the knyght that had throwe hym downe set his hond to his swerde for to sle the kyng / leue foole quoth kyng william I am kynge of englonde / alle the hoost drad whan they herde that voys / & brought the kyng another hors / he axyd who threwe him doun / I quoth the knyght that had doo the dede / I wende not to throw doune a kyng but a knyght / Per vultum de luca quod the kyng / thou shalt be me the leuer after this / Than whan hen¦••y was so beseged of both his bretherē. that him locked water / he sente to his broder robert that was the more benigne man & sayde that it was an euyl dede for to werne water that is comyn to al men / & beestes / & that it were more lauful to fyght with strength of knyghtes than with vyolens of the elemēs / than he graūted hym water / kyng william herde therof and scorned that dede & say¦de / so thou hast lerned robert to ouercome thyn enemyes & to yeue hem drynke / Thou tellest grete pryce of water quod robert / tellest thou more pryce of water than of our broder / woldest thou suffre hym to deye for defaute of water / where shal we haue another broder yf we leese hym / For this answer the kynge vndyde the werre / and had both his bretheren with hym in to englond /

¶ Capitulum sextum /

THis yere dyed lanfrank Archebisshop of Caunterbury / the fourth day of Iuyn after that he had be archebisshop / xviij yere / And than the see was voyde four yere / W / de p / li / p / This lanfrank of the nacion of lombardes was a noble man of lettru∣re / he hadde y yeue al his yought to free artes and scyences and spente his elde al in hooly bookes / he was connyng therof / and despysed the smokyng and schyllyng speche of mysbyleuyd men And of al thabbayes of normandy he chose becco· and was y cap¦ped by the pouert & relygyō of that place / there he was monk vn¦der abbot herlewing / & was a man that couth do no grete werkes to gete his lyuelode therwith / therfor he helde open scole of arte to releue the nedy place by fredome of his scolers / the loos of hys praysynge & of his worship sprang out among wykked men / soo that they had grete enuye to the good man and to the preestes of the coūtray meoued so william duc of normandye that he comaū¦ded to putte oute lanfrank out of normandy for his vnnesynesse W / li / 2 / By cause herof duc williams preeste was holden a man of grete scyence byfore the comyng of lanfrank / And he cam in a daye to lanfrank scole with greete bragge and boost / than by hys fyrste speche lanfrank was waar that the man couth wel nygh•• ryght nought / and toke hym a thyng with lettres for to spede / And soo he ouercome the wyldenes of the man by cunnynge of ytaly / therfor he was wroth / and made duc willyā put lanfrank out of al normandy / But occasion to haue grace of the duc was for lanfrank wente to the dukes courte / and his hors halted & made the duc laugh / The duc toke hede of courtosye of lanfrācks answer and of the fayrenesse of his face / and made hym pryour of becco / abbot of caen and afterward archebisshop of Caunterbu¦ry / W / de / pon / li / 1 / This man was so famous of lore that Pope alysaunder aroos worshipfully ayenst hym whan he cam to rome and sayde that he dyde not to the archebisshop that worship / but to his clergye / therfore the pope axyd that / syth that he hadde doo / what was worshipful lāffrāk shold do what was rightful that is that he shold falle doun to the feet of saynt peters vyker / whan he had doo soo / the pope by cause of hym restored his felawes bis¦shops that come with hym to theyr state croyses & Rynges that were bifore y preued as it is said bifore / Also this lanfrāk tretid

and byladde kyng wylliam conquerour by an hooly crafte / not with grymchydynge / but somtyme an ernest & somtyme in good myrthe / Kyng william was sterne and dradde no man & ruled both temporalyte & spiritualyte at his own wyll / he toke no man fro the pope in his lande but he come & plesyd hym / he suffred no counseyll made in his owne countrey without his own leue / Al¦so he wold no thyng suffre to be ordeyned in suche a counseyll but as he wold assente / Also no lord of his londe shold be punysshed but at his owne heest / Somtyme lanfrank toke money for to spa¦re the more the trespas of his subget / That dyd he not for lyght the charge of synne / but for to gete the more grace of the kyng / The nede why it most be doo excused somwhat the kynges dede in gadryng of money / For with grete money one may make peas / in the londe that is wonne thith dedes of armes and with streng∣the / And though it be lytel acounted amonge men to rauysshe of men of the londe and yeue to enemyes / yet byfore god I holde it ryght nought / Thenne kynge wylliams dedes in comparyson of dedes of kinges. that nowe ben be worthy to be preched for ensam¦ple of free and lordely herte / That was sayde trespaas of presūp∣cion / Lanfrank suffryd it ageynste his wylle / And whanne ••e sawe his tyme he wold speke plesauntly and warned hym and wythsayde hym in skylful manere / Lanfrank hadde fylled his wytte with alle vertues and specially in / almesse deedes / he pas∣sed other menne in wordes and in deedes / and vsyd ofte that worde of hooly wrytte yeueth almesse and al thynge is cle∣ne to you / And though c••uetyse be a speciall vyce to lombardes he put that gleymyng fer from his persone / soo that he spence on pore men mete & drynk & cloth / he shamed hym not to gyrde him self high and fede and serue pore men and make pore stolers stry¦ue and dispute / and whanne they hadde done eyther sholde goo gladde aweye / the vyctor for he hadde the maystrye / and he that was ouercome for comforte and solace of shame / he aduanced na¦mely the place of monkes and of clerkis / he brouht manly a••en possessions that were alyened / Sharpnes of wytte and dunstās fauour comforted him ofte / for as oft as he was thoughtful for suche doynges and abode with the sentence / Saynt dunstā wold come to lanfrank whan he was a slepe / and warne hym of al the sleyghte of his aduersaryes / and teche the weyes how he shold escape / Also in a tyme lanfrank was seke and hym s••med that dunstan warstled with hym and delyuerd hym of his sekenesse

and made hym al hoole / And as it is take oute of saynt Dun∣stans lyf / lanfrank was soo mylde and soo fayr of speche in he∣rynge of shryfte that whanne the shryfte were doo he wold kysse theyr hondes that were y shryue to hym / and saye these haue ma¦de me hooly this daye / Also in his tyme the monkes of Caunter∣bury as wel nyghe al other monkes in englond were not vnlyk to seculer men saue that they lefte not theyr chastyte / but they v∣syd haukynge / and huntyng and playeng at dees and grete dryn∣kers also / ¶Soo that thou woldest wene that they were con¦suls rather than monkes for they had soo many seruauntes of so grete arraye / lanfrank suffryd theyr outrage a space of tyme / but he fered hit awey wyth the staf of couenable sternesse / The wyse mayster of soules knewe and wyst wel the customme is the seconde from kynde / ¶ And he knewe also that sodayne chaungyng of maner & thewes greueth thoughtes & wyttes / ther for otherwhiles emonge he putte awey somwhat of suche maner doyngis with fayr speche and softe / and whette the ruyde soules to good with the whestone of vertues / So that they forsooke the braunches of shrewdnesse and euyll maners of lyuyng and de∣syred the kynde cours of vertues and of thewys by theyr own good wylle / therfore yet they haue the hooly man in mynde and greete deuocion to god and fayr speche to ghestes and charyte a∣mong them self / this lanfrank lete neuer mā go fro him ••lenge or sory / yf he saw ony man discomforted he wolde besyly axe and wyte the cause and yeue comfort and medicyn / he wolde frely pro¦fre penyes to yonge childeren / he ordeyned to monkes what theym neded in euery syde / soo that they shold not lacke of what that them neded / & out of rule they shold not blenche / that tyme sprā¦ge enuye among bisshops that wold put out mōkes of their pla¦ces / & bringe in seculer clerkes / auctor of that doyng was walke linus bisshop of winchestre a good man in other dedes / though he were bade in that doing & brought therto by coūseyl of bacbitres Also he had cōutid kyng williā to the same entēt / but lāfrāk her¦de therof & destroyed the castes of the mighty mē as who destroyeth attercops nestes / so they that comen afterward shuld not be har∣dy to begynne that doyng ne none other lyke / he made that pope alisander forbode it by his wrytyng / he restored thabbay of roches¦tre frō the nōbre of four clerkes to the nōbre of fifty mōkes that had ynough to lyue by. his wytte is y wyst that he translated gundulphus monk of cadony to the bisshoprych of rochestre as I

trowe by the election of god / For this gundulphus lerned ho∣ly wrytte of lanfrank at cadony while his mayster toke heede to other thynges he and his felawe walter with the thyrde helde on honde the booke of the gospels / & sayde now essaye we be tur¦nynge of the leues whiche of vs shal be abbott & whiche shal be Bisshop / than gundulphus fonde this place true seruaunt wyse & redy that our lord ordeyneth ouer his meyne / but walter fonde this place goddes seruaunt and true entre in to the Ioye of thy lorde / The thyrde felaw fonde I not what hard word that greued hym soore / and though I haue herde it / I foryete it gladly for it is a gentil herte to make noo game and scorne of other mennes woo / thenne they made ioye of that happe / and lanfrank axyd what they had of murthe / & whan he knewe how it stode / he told theym wythout doubte that gundulphus shold be a bisshop and walter an abbot / and that the thyrdde shold torne to the slidyng of the world / as it fylle afterward / the soth was preued / for gū¦dulphus was bisshop of Rochester / & walter abbot of euesham / & the thyrd passed in veyne / whan lanfrank acorded not in maners with kyng wylliam the reede / he lay atte last seke of the feuer•• & was shryuen and houseled and dranke a medecinale drank and so he yelde vp the goost as he hadde desyred / he knowleched that he had prayde god that he myghte deye in the feuers or in the flux / for these euyls dystourbith not the mynde nowther letteth the speche

¶Capitulum 7

THis yere whan the counseyll was made in the cyte turon in gallia / in fraunce pope vrban exyted nygh al the west lon¦des to socour of the holy lande / therfor the thyrd henry emperour Reymund erle of saynt Gyles and beamund of apulca toke the crosse and passed the see of myddel erthe at that place that is cal¦lyd saynt georges arme and had with hem two honderd thousād of Crystē men / & so the holy lond was wonne at that tyme & cry¦stes spere was founde by reuelacion of saynt andrew that was shewed to a clerke / with hem wente Robert duc of normandy & therfor he made acorde with his broder kynge william the reede & leyde to hym normandy to wedde for ten thousande pounde / But be cause therof kyng wylliā toke a greuo{us} trybute of englisshmen

so that prelates melted theyr vessel / and lordes spoylde their sub¦gettes / Malcolyn kyng of Scotland toke prayes in northumber¦lond / therfore kynge william and his broder Robert wente in to Scotlande / his nauey was nygh al adreynt & his hoost marryd with ••old and with honger. Malcolyn cam ayenst hym with ade¦lyng and made pees by medyacion / Soo that malcolyn sholde be obedyente to kyng william / as he was somtyme to his fader / and kyng william shold yeue hym euery yere twelue mark of golde and he sholde yelde hym twelue cytees / in englond / but sone ther after the kyng fayled and Robert toke with hym edgar & went ageyne in to normandy / ¶ This yere the fyfte day of October a grete strook of lyghtnyng smote the chirche toure at wynchecom be and thyrled the walle and threwe the crucifyxe hede doune to the erthe and brake the ryght thygh and threwe downe our lady ymage that stode by the roode / therafter cam a stynkynge smoke that fylled all the chirche / and dured till the monkes hadde goo a procession aboute all the places and offyces of the abbay with hooly water and relykes of hooly sayntes and with the Letanye

Also at london a whyrle wynde threwe doune six honderd hou¦ses or moo / and many chirches therto / and slewe two men in seint marye chirche atte bowe / and lyfte vp sixe reftres of the chirche / and stroke theym soo deepe in the grounde / that vnnethe the sixte part of hem was seen aboue the erth / ¶ Also a whyrlwynde threwe doune the heelyng of the chirche of Salesbury / the fyfth day after that osmundus had halowed that chirche / ¶ Willelmus de pon / libro quarto / ¶ Remigius the Bisshop that translated the see from Dorchestre to lyncolne / cast for to ha∣lowe the chirche that he had newely buylde / But thomas bisshop of york wythstode hym and sayde / that that place was of his pa∣rysshe / And kyng wylliam for money that Remigius hadde yeuen pryuely commaunded nyghe alle the bisshops of Englonde that they sholde come to that dedycacion the fyftenth day of may / but twey dayes byfore that daye of the dedycacion Remygyus dyed by goddes preuy doome / Robert Bisshop of herford aloone wolde not come to the halowyng of that chirche / for he knew by certayn syght of the steres that that chirche shold not be halowed in Re¦mygius tyme / This Remygius semed nygh a wonder forbodyng for his bodye was soo lytel / but he ouercome kynde and shewed outeward a noble hert and wytte / Soo that gracious and noble vertue come of that litel body / After this Remigius Robert bloet

was Bysshop a full lecherous man / he fulfylled ryally the halo∣wyng of that chirche / Atlast at wodestok he wēte from the kyng & deyde and his bowels were take oute of his bodye & beryed in the abbay of euesham that he hadde founded / the other dele was buryed at lyncolne / there it was well knowe that the wardeyns of the place were ofte dysesed with shadowes by nyghte / till that the place was clensyd with hooly prayers and be dys / That ye∣re kyng william wente in to northumberlonde / and repayred the cyte of lugubalia / that now is called caercol and made a Castell therynne / that cyte hadde ben destroyed from the comynge of the danes two honderd yere / ¶And sone therafter at gloucestre the kynge was take with a grete sekenesse and byhete that he wolde amende his lyf by counseyll of the lordes / ¶ Henricus libro sexto ¶And he yaf that yere the Archebisshopryche to Ancelm / but he myght not take therof but as the kyng wold / er the tribute was payd that the kyng had sette / Also he sayde that the Bisshopriche of lyncolne longed to the See of york / till that Robert bloet had yeue the kynge fyue thousand marc / ¶Also this yere deyde Ro∣gyer erle of shrowesbury / whanne he lay seke he made hym mōk for to haue somme socoure by assente of countesse Adelysa / for he hadde sente Reynald pryour of shrowesbury to cluny for to haue saynt Hughe / the abbots kyrtel to were it aboute hym / Treuisa ¶A wyseman wold mene that erle Rogyer had as moche mede of that he was monke / as malkyn of her maydenhode / that noo man wolde haue and not adeel more / Thenne it foloweth in the story / after Rogyer his sonne hugh was erle / ¶ Also that ye∣re was grete reyne and flodes / And soone therafter soo grete fro••t that one myghte ouer all lede cartes and waynes ouer waters & ryuers / And whanne the frost byganne to. thawe and to melte it brake nygh al the bridges in euery syde / Rees kyng of wales was slayne in fyghtynge faste by brechnok / and soo ceesed the kyngdome of wales / ¶ Malcolin kyng of Scottes come to gloucestre ayenst king williā on a saynt barnabas daye / to acorde with him / But they departed in wrath / for king william wolde that malcolin shold be demed in his court where euer it were in Englond / But malcolin wolde not but in the marches of bothe the kingdoms there it was wonte / but that yere vppon saint bri∣cius daye malcolin and his eldest sonne edward and many other were slaine in northumberlond of Erle Robartes knightes / mar¦grete quene of Scottes that loued and worshiped god with her

myght / toke soo grete sorowe that she fyll seke as she had prayd god and deyde the thyrde day therafter / whanne she was dede / the Scottes made dunwald malcolyns broder kynge / But duncan malcolyns sonne by helpe of kyng wylliam put oute dunwalde and toke the kyngd••me of Scotland / ¶Willelmus de pontifici∣bus / it was tolde this malc••lyn in a tyme that one of the lordes of his londe hadde conspyred to brynge him to deth / he badde hym be stylle that tolde hym that tale and he helde it preuy with hym self tyll the traytour was comen / Atte laste the traytoure cam to the kynge to awayte his tyme to doo that cursed dede / the kynge bad erly in a mornyng that all the hunters shold come with their houndes / ¶ Whyle they were an huntynge the kynge wente with this traytoure to a broode pleyne / that was bysette with thykk wode al aboute as a garland / In the myddel of that pla∣ce was a lytell toote as it were an hylle / these tweyne stode alone on that toote / loo sayd the kyng / I and thou ben here alone / eche wel y horsed and wepened· and eche well arrayed / Now is noo man that seeth vs that myght helpe other lette / yf thou myght & yf thou darrest doo now as thou haddest thought / I can not see whan it myghte be better nother more frely done / yf thou hast or∣deyned venym that is the doyng of wymmen and not of knygh∣tes / yf thou desyrest my wyf soo may spouse brekers / yf thou cas∣test to stele vpon me with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that is a theues doyng & not a knyghtes / Therfor do 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and as a knyght shold / that thy tresonne he withoute shame of cowardyse for withoute fals∣heede may it not be / Anone he fylle doune to the kynges feet and swore tha he wolde therafter be trewe to the kyng to his liues ende & promysed hym pledgys whiche he wolde cheese / And soo the traytour was made trewe and wente ageyne to his felawes whanne he sawe his tyme / Also this yere Ancelm abbot of bar¦ro cam oute of normandy in to Englond atte request of hugh er∣le of chestre for thre causes / one bycause he shulde releue abbayes that he hadde byfore founded in englond of greuous trybute that the abbayes payed to the kyng / the second for to visyte erle hugh that was sore seke that tyme / The thyrdde by cause he sholde foūde an abbaye at chestre / In that place he assygned his preeste Ry¦chard fyrste abbot and chaunged seculer chanons in to monkes But in the comyng ageyne thennes he was made Archebisshop of Caunterbury /

¶ Capitulum 8

THis yere Englond and Normandye were greued with a greuous trybute and with moreyn of men / soo that erth ty∣lyenge ceesed / and therafter come grete honger and walsshe men forsoke the yok of thraldome and of subiection and toke prayes in the shyres of Chestre / of shrowesbury and of herford and toke the castel of meuema / That tyme the Scottes slewe theyr kynge duncanus and made dunwald efte kynge / Sterres were seen 〈◊〉〈◊〉 doune from the skye as it were fyghtyng to geders / Kyng Williā cam oute of normandy and sente an hoost in to wales / there he los¦te many horses and men / than the kynge sawe that the walshmen myght not be ouercome for streytnesse of dyuerse places / and for thykke wodes / therfore the kynge made stronge castels in places by the see syde and hewed doune a grete dele of the wodes / and therafter he beete doune many walshmen / Wulstan Bisshop of wyrcetre deyde the eyghtenth daye of Ianuary / Willelmus de pon / li / tercio / This wulstan in the hour of his dyyeng appe¦red to his wel byloued frende Robert bisshop of he••ford in the towne of Cryklade and chargyd hym that he shold araye for his beryeng / and efte the thyrtenth day therafter he appered to ••ym & warned that he shold amende hym of the neglygence of hym s••lf and of his also / And sayde that he shold not longe in his chayr sytte / And soone therafter Robert deyde / Also this wulstan wol••de suffre noo man whanne he was deede to take of hym his ryng that he had fyrst whanne he was sacred bisshop / he hadde ofte sa••∣de whyle he was a lyue that he wolde neuer leue that ryng / Also he sayde ofte to egnlysshmen / It is goddes chastysynge that ye suffre / Englysshmen answerd hym and sayde that the normās were wors than euer were englysshmen / god almyghty quod he vsith wel the wykkednesse of hem in you and by hem that be vn¦worthy he takyth wreche of hem that haue trespaced and a gylt

So god by his good wylle the fende by his euyll wylle tor∣mentyth euyll men in helle and is tormented with theym also / Ensample may be yeuen / thou art wroth and smytest a man with a staf / of the brekyng of the staf thou rechest but lytel / Willelmus de pontificibus likro quarto / Wulstan was borne in warwyk shyre. and lerned lettrure and offyce of hooly chirche in the abbaye osburgh / Atte laste he was made preeste and songe a

longe masse / and heelde hym apayed with only the offrynge of crysten men / and he was holden a clene mayde / he dyde no outra¦ge in drynke / Flessh / he ete somtyme / but he f••rsoke etynge of flessh / by cause of this happe / In a day whanne he shold goo for to plede / hym semed that he sholde fyrst synge his masse / and than toke somme mete to releue with his neede / Thenne a goos was leyd to the fyre / & he smelled the rosted flessh / while he was at masse and was lette of his deuocion by the smell of the flessh and so he strof long tyme & myght not torne awey his thought at this wyll / therfor he swore on the hooly sacramente that he had on hond / that he wolde neuer ete suche maner mete after that ty¦me / and sayde his masse and ete and wente forthe to the ple as he must / Atte laste his deuocion encreaced and he auowed chas∣tyte / and forsooke the worlde by ensample of his forfaders that hadd auowed chastyte before his deth tyme / and in the abbay of wyrcetre there his fader had serued bifore that tyme / he was ma¦de monke / there he wente vpward by al the offyces of the hous / He was euer besy in fastyng waking and in bedes / he was wōt to laye his hede on a fourme of the chirche / there he badde his beedes and slepte there / he laye byfore the aulter in a nyghte / in his bedes / and there cam a fende in a mannes lykenesse / and warstled with hym / whether he wold or noo. and cast him thry∣es to the grounde / therfor he hadde afterward grete penaunce in an euyl that is called yleos and greueth fast by the reynes / the fende cam to hym in a seruauntes lykenesse of the courte. as ofte as wulstan sawe that seruaunt afterward he wexyd al pale for drede / he wolde not lyght doune from his hors for noo brekyng of brydges / but he wolde ryde surely ynough vpō the hyghe brin¦kes of the bridge· though it were ryght strayte / Atte last whan the forsayde aldredus was translated to the bisshoprych of york wulstan was chosen Bisshop of wyrcetre specially by the procu∣ryng of aldredus that hoped to blynde his rebberye by the sym∣plenesse of wulstan / but he had more helpe of vertue than of let¦trure / and defended manly the ryght of his chirche / But he was not so lewde of lettrure as he was holden / for he couth what hym neded for to kunne / oute take fables of poetes / and wyly and Slyʒ Sylogismes / that he wolde not on cas / vouche sauf for to lerne / wulstan wolde not assente to his owne election / Thenne one wulsius an hooly man hadde be fourty yere closed / blamed hym sharply for he wold not assente / Also he was warned

of god that he shold assente to the election / In his consecracion were two legates of the court of Rome / and though he made pro¦fession to Stygandus the Archebisshop / he toke his consecracion and his sacryng of aldredus the Archebisshop of york / but for to auoyde chalenges that myghte falle afterward / Aldredus made protestacion that he chalengyd no ryght of subiection in wulstā after that tyme / though he hadde be his monk byfore that tyme / Than wulstan was made bisshop and spared both mete and dryn¦ke in his halle alle the houres after mete / as the vsage was of en¦glisshmen / he wold sytte by hym and frote his palmes and feyne to drynke as his tyme come and comforted hym that wolde dryn∣ke / but he dyd that more for vsage of the countraye / than for ony lykynge that he had therynne / and he lefte not of the boost of the normans but he had knyghtes aboute hym where he wold wēde He sayde his masse euery day and the sauter also / and memoryes and myndes of famous sayntes departed a seuene by the seuene houres of the day / As ofte as he was at wyrcetre he wolde syng the hye masse / and sayde that he wolde not leue that offyce for to resygne the bisshopriche / he wold be at collaciō of monkes / & made the general confession with other / and yaue the beneson / and goo in to his chambre / whan he rode on his hors he wold say his saw∣ter / and beneson that englissh men makyth on the cuppe. he spared it not atte kynges borde / yf nede droof hym to plede in ony ma∣ner tyme / he wolde bydde crstes curs to al euyl arbytrours and moyens / but to alle the good he wold bydde crystes blessynge / he vsed furres of symple pryce / and rought but lytel of wh••t maner skynnes / but be vsid more skynnes of lambe than of other beestes / and yf one hadde counseyled hym somtyme that he sholde vse skynnes of cattes / he answerd in his game and sayde / I her∣de synge in the chirche of goddes lambe and not of goddes catte / therfor I loue better the heete of the lambe than I doo the beete of a catte / In a tyme his monkes wente in the more chirche that he hadde buylded / and he sawe that the old chirche was destroyed that saynt oswald hadde bylded and wepte ful soore teres / He was in fayr maner wythsayd of that dede / and it was sayd vnto hym that he shold rather be gladde that his chirche hadde so grete worship in his tyme / And also as the houses were more / so were the moo of monkes / He answerd and sayd I mene al other wyse than ye do / we wreches destroye the werkes of hooly sayn¦tes for to gete vs a grete name and praysyng of men In that

tyme they vsed not to buylde / no hostful buyldynges / But they vsed to offre them self to god vnder that roof what it euer ewre / & and to drawe theyr subgettis to theyr owne ensamples / but we doo the contrary and gader stones to hepe and retche not of soules In a tyme he made a sermon of the pees to the peple / and many men tourne to loue and to pees / But one ther was that wolde not be acorded in noo wyse / nother for reasonne nother for skyll nother for prayeng of the bisshop / he stode byfore the bisshop / and the bisshop sayd to hym / It is y wryt••n that men of pees ben bles¦syd / Than they that ben not men of pees be wr••tches and the de∣uyls children / Than till thou amende the / I betake the to hym that hath the as his owne chylde / And anone as he was made the enemyes manciple / he byganne to lygge and to fome / to grysbyte and to grynde with his teth / and to caste hys hede about Wulstan heeled hym ageyne / but he wold not of peas / Than the fende hadde hym efte and the thyrd tyme till he had foryeuen all maner trespaas / ¶ In a tyme lanfrank putte ageynst wul-stan of lettrure / And the archebisshop of york Aldredus chalen∣gyd of hym lawful subiection / and he wente oute of the palays / and sayde the houre of none that he had behynde and cam ageyne boldely / and answerd and had the mastrye / ¶ One Alwyn that leuyd as an anker at maluerne hylles had grete wylle to ta¦ke the weye to the hooly londe and tolde his counseyll to Bisshop wulstān / the bisshop answerd nay / & sayde leue of Alwyn with thy good wylle / trowe thou me / thow woldest haue grete wonder yf thou wyst / what god thynketh to do by the / he dyde by his re∣de / and wente thennes· and gadred thyrtty monkes in the same place / A shipman that hight Sewulphus shroof hym to wulstā ofte of the same synnes / than the bisshop sayde I see wel that ese maketh a theef / therfore I counseyll the that thou be a monk / He wold not for it was an hard lyf / Go quoth the bisshop / whether thou wolt or noo thou shalt be a monk / and soo it happed after∣ward / ¶In a tyme wulstan groped the heede of one nycol that was his owne nory / that byganne to wexe balled ryght in his yongthe / wulstan sayd to hym / I trowe sonne that thou shalt be balled in short tyme / Than sayd he / fader why kepyst thou not my here and make it abyde. Sone quod the bisshop trowe thou me / the other dele of thy here shal abyde whyle I am alyue / and it happed that the same weke the bisshop deyde / That here of Ny∣cols heede fyll awey and lofte not on his heede but the bare skyn

After wulstans deth whanne al the chirche was a fyer / ther fell neyther ysel nor spark nother soote vpon wulstans graue / and soo it ferde of the matte that was vnder hym / whanne he badde his bedes / Of hym it is sayd that kynge william the conquerour wolde haue pryued for vnsuffysaunt lettrure / And also for he couth no Frenssh and cast in that maner to brynge in somme nor mans in his stede / Thenne wulstan toke his crosse / & pyghte it in the harde stone at saynt edward the kynges feete that lay the∣re in his graue / he pyght soo the crosse / that noo man it myght ta¦ke oute of the stone er he toke it hym self at the kynges heeste / While he pyght there the crosse / he sayde to kyng william a better man than thou art / betoke it to me / and I take it to hym ageyne / take it awey now yf thou myght /

¶ Capitulum 9

THis yere was the goyng to Ierusalem / in the which iour¦ney was beamund / and Robert duc of normandy / By cau¦se of that iourneye Robert leyde normandy to wedde to his broder william for ten thousand pound of syluer / Therafter twelue dayes byfore Iuyl Crysten men toke the cyte Acon / & in the mo∣neth of october stella cometa that is a sterre with a bryghte bla∣syng creest was seen fyften dayes / and many men sawe the sygne of the crosse brennyng in heuen / That tyme saynt steuens heede was brought to Cadony in normandy and that with many gre∣te myracles / Amonge that hyght Odo brought thyder that hooly heede / Henricus libro septimo / There fyll stryf bytwe¦ne kyng William / and ancelm the archebisshop for Ancelm most make no synodes nother correcte trespaas / Also the kyng cha¦lengyd the inuestiture of prelates and pylled and shaued the pe¦ple with trybute / and specially to spende aboute the toure of lon∣don / and aboute the grete hall of westmynstre / Also the kyn∣ges meyne greued the peple ouer all where they wente /

Willelmus de Regibus libro quarto / And yet herto the rote and norysshyng of couetyse of Ranulph that was somtyme the fyrste kynge williams preest and his chapellayne was made thus his procuratour in euery place / Yf this Ranulph sholde gadre the kynges trybute / he wolde take suche two as reasonn

wolde / He pylled the ryche / & bare doune the pore / & dysperagid herytages & toke hem in to the kynges honde / therfore the kynge bourded in a tyme and sayd that he was a man alone / for he couth soo torne his wytte that he rought of noo mannes wreche whyle he myght plese his ••orde atte ful / By his doyng hooly dignytees were sold / and sone therafter he bought the bisshopryche of dur∣ham for a thousande pounde / That tyme they vsed strowtyng loc¦kes and longe blasyng clothes / gay sporres and sharp / tho men yede tryppyng shewyng the sides / Ancelm wold amende al this and had noo help of his suffragans / and therfor he wente out of englond / but by heste of the kyng in his goyng in a hauen of kēt he was pylled and robbed and faren with as it were a theef / His males were serched / his bouges and his trussyng coffers & all that he had / Thenne ancelm wente to pope vrban in grete coū¦seyll at barus in apulea / he declared clerly ayenst thoppynyon of the grekes that tellyn that the hooly gooste cometh of the fader and not of the sonne / ¶ Willelmus de pontificibus li∣bro secundo ¶ That tyme Raf bisshop of Chichestre spared not the kynge nother the bisshops that holde ageynste ancelm / but he spak for Ancelm and wythsayde the kyng to his owne face / and dradde ryght nought / he shewed forth his crosse and his rynge & cesed neuer nether slaked the grete doyng of his wytte / er ancelm in his goyng hadde brought his cause to a good ende / And also this wold he not assente that the kyng shold take tribute of pre¦stes that vsyd fornycacion / but in al his dyocesy the seruyce of hooly chirche was suspendyd and the chirche dores were stopped with thornes / the kyng was awelded by grymnesse of that dede Soo that he graunted to hym aloone the trybute of his preestes / Also he aleyde that the chirche that is destroyed and brente shold not be pylled and robbed with trybutes. but it sholde be releued and holpen with fre yeftes / And the kyng that hadde take from al chirches / he yaue gladly to raufes chirche many grete yeftes / This Rauf spared not to blame mysdoers for her synnes and yf his blamyng halp but lytel / he wolde destroye the synne wyt¦tyly / with game and wyth myrth· he wolde go aboute his dyocyse thryes a yere / but he pylled not his subgettis by myghte or by maystry / but what they wold frely yeue him he toke it with good wyll / Herof wold I not speke at this tyme nether that it shold be acounted a myracle now in oure age to fynde in a bisshop besi∣nesse of prechyng and resonable receiuyng / Willelmus de re / li / 4

Will / de regibus libro quarto / In a tyme whan kyng william went an huntyng / there cam a messager and sayde that Cenemo∣nia was besyeged· Anone the kyng torned his hors heede and to∣ke the wey streyght to the see / the lordes counseylled hym to gader an hoost / I shal see quoth he who wyll folowe me / and wente so to the see wel nyghe alone / The weder was derke and the wynde was ageynst hym / but he wold nedes sayle ouer / & shipmen coū¦seylled hym for to abyde the wynde & the weder / I herde neu{er} of a kynge said he that was adreynde / but take vp your ankers / & aray you for to sayle / and ye shal see that the elemētes make hem redy to my seruyce / Soo he passed the see / and they that besyeged Cenomania herde of his comyng and brake the syege / Helyas the mayster of that treson was take and brought byfore the kyng & the kyng spak gamely to hym & sayde mayster now I haue the yet is by happe quoth he that thou hast take me / I wote what I wolde do myght I ones escape / The kyng was wroth and sayde go thy wey and flee / I graunte the to doo what thou mayst and yf thou ouercomest me / I shal acorde with the / For the kyng dy¦de suche dedes / that yf it myght stonde with the feyth of holy chir∣che / ye wold wene / that Iulius cesars soule were passed and comē in to this kyng as I trowe somtyme that euforbins soule pas∣sed in to pyctagoras / Hen. li / 4 / This yere at fynchamstede in bar¦rockshyre a welle was y see welle blode fyften dayes / And al a nyght heuen was seen brennyng a fyre / Also this yere hugh and hughe erles of shrowesbury and of chestre toke the ylande mon that hight Anglesye also / and slewe walsshmen that were therin and of many they cutte of theyr genetoryes / and putte oute her eyen / Among the whiche they toke a preest that hyght kynredus and drewe hym out of the chirche and put oute his one eye / and kytte of his genetoryes and his tonge / But by myracle of god he hadde his speche afterward the thyrde day /

That tyme the grete kyng of the norganes the sonne of Olanus toke with hym harald that was somtyme kyng haraldes sonne / and toke the ylandes orcades and menanies / and thennes in to mon / there the twey forsayde erles were. the erle of shrowesbury wente ageynst hym and was smyte with an arow right in to the eye & deyde the eyght daye after that he had kydde his wodenesse of the forsayd preeste / & he was beryed at shrowesbury / / W / de p li / 2 Aboute that tyme Robert losang that had be somtyme abbot of ramsey and was thenne bisshop of tedford was a grete nory for

symony for he had bought the bisshopryche of the kyng / but af∣terward he was sory & bywepte the vnskylful rest of his yongth and toke the wey to Rome and come home agayne and chaūged and tornyd his see from Tedford to norwiche / And he founded a solempnel abbaye with his owne catell and not with the catel of his bisshopryche / But at Tedford he ordeyned monkes of cluny that were ryche in the world and clere of relygion to god ward And soo herbart was amended by double sawe of warnynge / that one was of his predecessour herfast / and was this / not this but barabas / And the other was his owne and was this / fren∣de wherto art thou come / He herde this and wepte and sayde / I come in an euyl maner / but by goddes grace / I shal goo oute in good manere / and had ofte in mynde the worde of Ierom that sayde we erryde in our yongth / amende we vs in our elde / Henricus libro quarto / ¶ Than kyng william cam oute of normandy / and whanne he sawe fyrst the grete halle of westmyn¦stre / he sayde that it was to lytel by the halfe / and therfore he had cast to ordeyne it for his chambre /

¶ Capitulum 10 /

ABoute this tyme beganne thordre of whyte monkes in bur¦goyne in the dyocyse of Cabyloneus / that ordre is cleped or¦dre Cystersiensis in latyn and bygan in this maner / W / de r / li / 2 One steuen hardyng of the nacion of englond monk of shyrburn from his childholde wente in to scotland and afterward in to fraū¦ce / there he lerned lyberal scyences and toke the pryckes of the lo¦ue of god and wente to Rome at last with one of his scole feres Noo greef myght departe them tweyne / Noo thyng them letted that they nold euery day say the sauter / It sprange in his wytte as it cam forth afterward / For he cam in to burgoyne and in to molys in the grete newe abbaye / he threwe awey the here / there he toke lyghtly the poyntes of the rule that he had seen byfore / And whanne he sawe other put forth to be holden and kepte that he hadde neuer seen / nother herde in seynt benets rule / he enquyred the skylle & the reason therof soberly as a monk sholde & said / the higher worcher made al thyng by reson & gouneth al thyng that he made by reason / by reson the elementis haue theyr beyng & the sterres also meoueth by reason and kepyn theyr cours by reson /

And so shold our kynde stonde by reson & falleth of the reson by sleuthe and vnconnyng and is y cleped ageyn by law to reson / & also by saynt benets rule / in the whiche rule is somwhat contey∣ned of the whiche I am not of power to conceyue the reasonne / but yet I holde that it be resonne to assente to auctoryte / For the auctorytees of holy scripture ben alone though it seme somtyme / that they discorde and god doth nothyng withoute reasonne / how shal I than trowe that hooly fader that folowyd cast ordeyned ought withoute reasonne / As though we shold yeue feyth to all̄ one auctoryte & nought to reson / Than of that ye doo shewe sōme auctoryte other reason / and sheweth ensample of seynt benets ru¦le / yf ye mow not / it is al ydel that ye make profession / that is so noble & despyse to folowe the lore therof / the sentence of this spe∣che passed from one to other & meoued many on lest / they hadde ronne in veyn other shold renne in veyn / than it was demed that the su{per}fluyte of the rule shold be take awey & only the marouh shold be holde / thabbot made hym besy to make all assente / but it is harde to wreche vp on thoughtes that is roted in of long ty¦me / Only eyghten mōkes & abbot hardyng left that abbay & sai∣de that the clennes of the rule myght not be holden in place there ryches were gadred & ther plente of mete & deynk stoffed the sou¦le & the wyt that sholde withstande / than they wente to cisterus a place that was to fore hond ful of wode & of lādes / but now ther is a famo{us} abbay / the which abbay is hugely aduaūced by help of the bisshop of yvē / & aft{er}ward by help of the pepe· R / Theraft the yere of our lord a / M· an C / & xxxv / one walt espek brouʒt that ordre of whyte monkes in to englond / & made at Ryual an abbay of thordre of Cysteraus that is thordre of whyte monkes W / de regibus li / quarto / These ben the obseruauntes that semyn hard in that ordre / they shal were no maner furres nother lynen cloth nother wollen that is smal and softe as stamyn nother bre∣che / but in the wey one of hem shal haue on him twey curtels & a coule / though it be wynter but yf they wol they may haue lesse in somme maner tyme / they slepe clothed & gyrde & aft{er} mateyns they go neu{er} to bed ageyn· they dispose so the houre and tyme that before laudes the day lyght begynneth to sprynge / anon aft{er} lau∣des they sing prime / after that they go to hādwork that they do by day they make an ende therof withoute candel light / none of hem shal be from houres nother frō cōplyn / but yf he be seke / aft{er} com¦plin y^e selerer & y^e hosteler go stilly out & serue the ghestes / thabbot

doth not hym self / but nygh as he graunteth to other monkes / he is oueral present with his flok / but only at mete & that by cause of ghestes / & thēne he is serued but only with twey messes / none of hem eteth blode nother flessh but yf he be seke / frō the thyrtenth day of September to the eester tyde / they ete but ones a. day out take the sonday / they go neuer out of theyr cloystre / but by cause of hondwerk / they speke in noo place but to theyr pryour or the abbot / they putte no gybletes to the houres of goddes seruice out take placebo and dirige for the deede / they vse Ambros offyce & haue charge of ghestes and of seke men / Fyrst this abbot of mo∣lyce helde streytely these ordenaunces and compellyd other to hol∣de hem also / but in tyme that come afterward the man thought•• that he hadde be lykyngly nourysshed and somme of the monke•• knewe wel his lust and lykyng / and procoured lettres of the po¦pe of reuokyng by the whiche lettres this abbot was brought ageyne to his fyrst abbay and al the monkes with hym oute ta¦ke eyght and made alberyk her abbot and hardyng her pryour / But therafter this steuen hardyng was abbot there and bylded sixten abbayes / and byganne the seuententh / That ordre encreced so that tyme / that the monkes of Cyste{us} were espyed / of al mon¦kes the myrour of hem that were goodly besy and repreef / and chastyng of sleuth / here they be clepyd ostrum of the slowe oostrū hight tanu in frensshe

¶ Capitulum 11

AFter vrbā the second pascalis was pope eyghtene yere and fyue monethes / In his thyrtenth yere he was prysonned / & his cardynals also / by the fourth henry the Emperour that as¦saylled Rome / & the pope myght not be delyuerd er he had sworn fewte to henry the Emperour and byhight hym the inuestiture & prelates with the cros and with the ryng / and also that he shol∣de neuer curse themperour / and herof he wrote him a pryuelege in this maner I enbrace and take al hooly wrytte the olde testa∣mente and the newe lawe and the prophetys the gospels / and the hooly pystels / alle the general counsayle and decrees of Bis¦shopes of Rome what they helde / I holde / And what they dampne / I dampne also / And namely that pryuelege that is

more veryly a pryuelege that is an euyl lawe that was somty∣me graunted to henry we dampne it withoute ende / W / de p / li / 3 Whan william bisshop of durham was dede the kyng yaf the bis¦shopryche to one walter that had be the elder williams preest / & his chapellayn / the kyng yaf him the bisshopryche for a thousand pound / Euyl doers that fledde to saynt cuthberts chirche / this dre¦we hem oute of chirche and made monkes sytte with hym speci∣ally in his halle atte mete and seruyd hem with mete that was forbode / and ordeyned wymmen to serue hem with her heere sprad byhynde that semed wowyng gyglotes in clothyng face and sē∣blaunt / ther vnnethe escaped ony that he was vndertake / For yf he turned awey his eye he was clepyd an ypocryte and yf be we¦re assentyng or accordyng with the myrthe he was cleped a nyse man and a foole / but this is worthy to be gretely preysed for by his procuryng saynt Cuthberts body was take onte of the graue and clothed in newe clothynge / and kynge of waldes ••eede was founden bytwene his armes / Osmund bisshop of Salesbury de∣yed / Also this yere the see floode sprange vp by temse / and drow∣ned many townes / the deuyl was seen and spak with many mē of the kyngys malyce and of his hasty deth / Willelmus de Regi¦bus / libro quarto / The kyng was warned therof and sette lytel therby / Also this yere hugh abbot of cluny sygh in his suenene kyng william brought byfore god almyghty and y dampned / Hugh the Abbot t••lde that to ancelm that was so ••xyled / Also this met that he was y lette blode and bledde blode that dymmed the sunne / therfore he cryed ofte saynt mary and saynt mary· and awoke of his sleepe and badde brynge lyght / and commaunded that the chamberlayus shold with hym abyde / than the thyrdde daye of August / the yere of oure lorde enl••uen honderd / and his kyngdome thyrtene / and his age foure and fourty / in the newe forest he was shotte of one walter tyrel that was his owne mey∣neal that wolde haue shotte to an herte and soo the kynge deyd & fewe men wepte for sorowe / walter tyrel escaped and noo man hym pursued / & so the kyng was layde in an hors bere & ladde to wynchestre / and his blode dropped doune in the weye as he was ladde / and he was buryed within the toure of the bisshopryche / That toure fyl doune withynne a yere therafter / this man toke vppon him grete dedes and caste to doo wel gretter yf the destyne of his lyf had be scaped to make therof a good ende / Before the nexte daye of his deth one axyd him where be wolde holde his

myd wynters tyde / at peyters quoth he / For the erle of that place arayeth him for to wende to Ierusalem and wolde borow money of him and laye his londe to wedde / he wold suffre no counseylle of Bisshops shold be made / he solde dygnytees of hooly chirche in dyuers maner wyse and helde somme in his owne honde / For on the day of his deth he helde thre bisshopryches in his handes caun¦terbury wynchester and Salesbury / and twelue abbayes also And somme he lete to ferme also· He desyred to be euery mannes heyre / he werned the trybute to rome for stryf that was in the chirche of Rome bytwene pope Vrban and wybert the Antypo∣pe / ¶ Henricuslibro septimo /

And though he were lyght of dedes he was stable and stydfaste of werkes / soo that yf he byhyght ony man good other euyl / he myght be full syker of that he hadde by hyght / And though he was moost coueytous of money / yet he dyde one dede that is wor¦thy to be kepte in mynde / For in a tyme an abbot was deed in en¦glond / and twey monkes gadryd a grete somme of money / and wente to the kynge eyther to supplante other / to geete the Abbots offyce / and the thyrdde wente with hem in that entente to bryng hym home mekely that sholde be abbot / These tweyne stode before the kynge / and the one behyghte more than that other / and the thyrdde stode stylle and spak neuer a worde / ¶ And the kynge axyd hym what he wolde yeue / nothynge sayd he / For I wol neyther yeue neyther promysse / Come nere quoth the kynge / for thou art worthy and none other to take soo hooly a charge /

The other dedes that longeth to kynge williams lyf loke hem within Ancelms lyf / Capitulo 14

¶ Capitulum 12

KYng wylliā the rede vsed lēmans alwey & deyde without children / & his yonger broder henry was kyng after hym / And waschose at wynchestre the fyfthe daye of August / and crowned at •• westmynstre of morys bisshop of london for Ancelm was not there / this was gete in wedlok the thyrdde yere of his faders kyngdome / He spente his fyrst yougthe in lyberal artes and scyences / ¶ His broder wylliam hadde greued hym

in a tyme & his fader conforted him in this maner / Sonne wepe thou not for thou shalt be a kynge / Than in the laste yere of his faders kyngdō / & in the / xix / yere of his age he was made kniʒt of his owne fader and wente with his owne fader in to norman¦dy and was at his faders dyeng / Sone therafter as it is sayd by fore / and his other bretheren were goon euery in his syde as it happed hym at that tyme / therfore he had his faders blessyng & his moders herytage and tresoure and drad the pryde of his br••∣theren but lytel / he bowyd hym alweye to his brother robert fo•• myldenesse of hert / but robert groned alwey and trowyd lyghtly tale tellers· and also Robert spente in his knyghtes soudyou•••• thre thousand pounde that were byquethe henry in his fad•••••• testamente / Thenne henry was made kynge moost by the helpe of henry Erle of warwyk that was byfore his meyneal / He made hooly chirche free / but he helde the forestes in his owne hand / he helde edwardes lawe with the amendyng therof he yaue the gre¦uous pencions / he put oute of his court the men that vsed wim∣mens maner & restored ageyn in his court candel lyght / by night that was lefte of in his faders tyme. & closed ranulph bisshop of durham in the toure of london & reconcyled ancelm archebisshop of caunterbury that was so exiled / he chasted the fals mesures of marchauntes and brought forth the length of his owne arme / he wold fyght more gladly with counseyl than with swerd / he wol¦de ete to staunche his honger and not for gloteny / he wolde neuer drynke but he were a thurste / In him self and in his meyne al∣weye he hated outrage of mete and of drynke / After grete stryf that was bytwene hym and ancelm the archebisshop / he resigned to god and to saynt peter the inuestiture of prelates that was ••••∣ne by seculer honde / Atte last was made a counseyl of bisshops at london / and strompettes were put awey and remeoued & he wed∣ded mold the doughter of malcolyn kynge of Scotland / Ancelm crowned her quene vpon a saynt martyns day / Willelmus de p / li / tercio / This yere deyd thomas archebisshop of york & gyralde was archebisshop after him a lecherous man a wytche and euyl doer as the fame tellyth / For vnder his pyle whan he deyde in an erber was founde a book of curyous craftes / the booke hight Iulius frumeus / In that booke he radde pryuely in the vnder tydes / therfor vnnethe the clerkes of his chirche wold suffre him be buryed vnder heuene without hooly chirche / Willelmus de re / li / 5 / In the mene tyme Erle Robert the kynges broder herde of

the deth of kynge william the reede / and cam ageyne oute of the hooly londe in to apulea and thennes in to normandy and arayed hym to wende in to englond / Than it was knowen / and many of the lordes fayned somme smale occasions and withdrew hem pri¦uely and openly from kyng henry & clepyd hym godryche god∣fader and sente pryuely for erle Robert / And herto Rauf bisshop of durham that had ben byfore prysonned / gate a roope and esca¦ped oute of the toure of london / and wente in to normandy and encouraged duc Robert ayenste kyng henry / Will de regibus libro quarto ¶This Robert was kyng william the conque∣rours eldest sonne a lytel man of bodye with a fatte wombe / In his fyrst knyghthode he vsyd his faders maners / but afterward by heete of his yong blode and coūseyll of fooles prycked hym & he founded to haue normandy while his fader was alyue / and whanne his fader warned it hym / he wente awey for wreche and made ofte restes vpon the countray. Fyrst his fader scorned hym but afterward he swore by the resurection of Cryst and sayde Ro¦bert schort boot my sonne shal be a noble man / For ellys had ro∣bert not that shuld he blamed / For he was curtoys and fayre of face of shap and of speche / myghty of strength and sad of coun∣seyl / but at laste his fader was so wroth with hym that he pry∣ued hym of the herytage of englond and lefte hym vnnethe ther••¦dom of normandy / he dyde many grete dedes in the hooly londe / & was so wonderful in euery place that he myght neuer be vnhor¦sed by crysten man nother by paynym / ¶Also at Ierusalem in an ester euen he stoode amonge other men and abode the fyere that was wonte to come from heuene and tende somme mannes taper / Than his taper was y tende by doyng and vertu of god / Ther∣for al men chose hym kynge of Ierusalem· But whanne he herde of the deth of his broder william kyng of englond / he refused the kyngdome of Ierusalem / not by cause of reuerence but for drede of trauaylle or couetyse of the kyngdome of Englonde / Therfore hym happed neuer wel therafter in batayll / Also in the comyng ageyne from Ierusalem he wedded the doughter of william de a¦uersana in Apulea a fayre woman of shap and loste hyr by an euyl after fewe yeres / yet was sayd that he was begyled by coū∣seyll of a mydwyf that kytte her brestes for grete plente of mylk that ranne of her brestes whanne she hadde childe / but she hadde a sone tha thight william noble mā of wit / Robert toke grete mo¦ney for that maryage & wasted it sone therafter / Than he gadryd

a grete hooste in euery syde and cam in to englond for to reue his broder henry the kyngdome / and londed at portesmouth but by mene of the wysest men of the kyngdome pees was made vppon such a condicion that Robert shold haue euery yere thre thousand marc / and whether of hem lyued longest shold be others heyr / yf he deyde withoute heyr male / but the nexte yere after Robert cam in to englond / and atte request of molde the quene he forya•• that pension of thre thousande marc / Thenne Robert wente ageyne & was lytel y told of amonge the normans / soo that the normans prayed kynge henry to come ageynst Robert / The kyng c••m and bynam hym al normandy lytel and lytel / Rone / Cane and fa∣leys in the whiche cytees Robert wente burethely vp and doun Therfor they of ca••e were wroth and prayd kyng henry for to co∣me to them and closed theyr yates ayenst Robert / Thenne Robert fledde to Rone with one squyer alone and prayd help of the kyn∣ge of Fraunce / and of the Erle of Flaundres / but Robert was helpeles for theym and founded to yeue his broder a batayll and was ouercome and taken and kepte in warde seuen yere to his lyues ende / and deyd in the castel of Cardef and. was buryed at Gloucestre

¶ Capitulum 13

THis yere Robert de Bolysme roos ayenst kyng Henry / This Robert was the grettest of the sonnes of Rogyer de mount Gomeryk erle of shrowesbury / Robert strengthed his cas∣tels of shrowesbury of brugges of Arundel of tykenhyl / And encouraged many walsshmen ayenst the kyng / But wythin four¦ty dayes the kyng wan and toke al these strengthes and ouerco¦me the walsshmen with yeftes and fayr byheestes / And compel∣lyd this Erle Robert to forswere englonde / and he sayled in to normandy / and sone therafter williā Erle of mortom in norman¦dy and of Cornewayle in Englond sayled to Robert in to nor∣mandy / For the kyng had warned hym the erldome of kente / These tweyne fautours werryd and dyde grete harme in normā¦dy / Kyng henry herde therof and bynam the erle of mortom alle that he had in englond and sayled therafter in to normandy / & made it subgette not wythoute shedyng of bloode / And prysoned the twey forsayd Erles to theyr lyues ende that were men full

of gyle and stryf & of wyles / than kynge henry left•• grete pees in normandy and cam ageyne in to englond and made sharp la∣wes ayenste fals men and theues / in the whiche lawes is con∣teyned loste and lesyng of eyen of pryny stones of fustes and of hondes / Than he made subgette the Scottes the walsshmen / the bri¦tons of beyonde see / and lowys kyng of Fraunce / Than kynge henry lay in normandy and pope Calyxtus cam nygh to norman¦dy amōg other causes for to haue king henry sharply at answer for the prysonnement of his broder Robert pylgrym of Ierusa∣lem / But he hadde semely answers and ceesed of that cause / Al maner arguynge may be bonde toward other syde by the facunde of the pleder the whiche facunde is with presentes specially lygh¦ted / And for no pompe and boost shold fayle / the kyng made the yong sonnes of the erle of mellent appose the cardynals that we¦re tho present / and embryge hym. and smar••e hym with s••tyl so¦phyms / therfore the Cardynals shamed not to knowleche / that there was more wytte and cunnyng of clergy in the west londes than they had herde of speke / ¶ Hugh erle of chestre kyng wyll∣iam the conquerours neuewe in his systres syde deyde / and his sonne Rychard a childe of seuen yere old was Erle after hym / Ancelm made a coūseyll at london and put doune many abbotes and forbade setting of dygnytees to ferme / and demed that So∣domytes sholde be acursyd euery sondaye / but afte••ward he vndi¦de that doynge for pupplycacion of vyce / that was norysshynge of more hardynes to wycked hert••s to doo suche dedes / Also he forbede preestes wyues / strif fyll bytwene the kyng and ancelm by cause that he wold not sacre the prelates that had take inues∣titure of lewde mennes handes / namely bicause that the pope had forbode hit vppon peyne of cursynge / but giralde Archebisshop of of york sacred suche prelates / therfore ancelm was meoued and went to the pope / The countray of flaundris was destroyed with castyng vp the grauel of the see / therfore the flemynges yede a∣boute long tyme and had no place to dwelle in / therfore they pra¦yd and had y graunted of kyng henry a place for to dwelle in fast by twede in the eest syde of englond / but in the enleuenth ye∣re they were tourned in to west wales / For the mysbyleue of somme prelates / Seynt Cuthberts body was founden hoole and soūde the yere after his beri••ng / CCCC & xiiij yere / and bytwe¦ne his armes saynt Oswaldes heede was founden al hoole and sounde / The seuenthe day of Iuyn were seen foure whyte cercles

aboute the sonne / That yere the first weke of lenten on the fryday at euen was an vncouthe sterre seen schyne bytwene the souche and the west and schoone so euery day in the same houre fyue & twenty dayes / Also a grete beame was seen come ayenst that ster¦re oute of the eest syde / therafter in cene thoursday that somme mē clopyn chere thoursdaye were seen twey ful mones a lytel byfore day one in the eest and another in the west / That yere was a ga¦sely stryf bytwene the fader henry emperour and his owne sonne henry / soo that the sonne prysonned the fader / That yere kyng hen¦ry cam to becco / and ancelm was acorded with hym / and sente thennes in to englond /

¶ Capitulum 14 /

THis yere the fourth henry the sonne of the thyrdde henry be¦ganne to be emperour among duche men / and regned nyntē yere / he cast his owne fader in boundes in the which his fader de••d Also he toke and prysonned pope paschal and the cardynals as it is sayd byfore / therfor men trowyd that he deyde withoute childrē though he hadde wedded mold whan she was but fyue yere old Henryes doughter kyng of englond / At last he reputed and re∣sygned vp the ryghtes of hooly chirche frely to pope calyx•• / and so as the sothe oppynyon tellyth ••e exyled hym self by his owne fre wylle vnwyttyng his wyf and deyd at chestre / Ancelm made a counseylle at london and there it was ordeygned by assente of the kynge that neuer after that tyme the kynge shold not nother other lewd persone make inuestiture with croos other with ryng

That tyme gyrald archebisshop of york / put his hondes bytwe¦ne the hondes of Ancelm Archebisshop of caunterbury / and dyde hym obedyence. Than the tenth day of August at london Ancelm sacred fyue bisshops in one day / the bisshop of wynchestre / Of sa∣lesbury of excetre / of herford and of glamorgan / That happed not after plegyndus tyme This yere kyng henry ordeyned that theues shold be hanged and that fals money and fals seel ma∣kers shold l••se theyr eyen and her pryuy stones / and that penyes and half penyes shold be rounde / Philip kyng of fraunce deyed / and his sonne lowys was kyng after hym / Girald archebisshop of york deyd and thomas the neuewe of the elder thomas was archebisshop after hym seuen yere / kynge henry made a bisshops

see at Ely and ordeyned there henry that had be bisshop of bangor And for in that doyng hee toke a grete dele of the bisshopryche of lyncoln / and gaf Cambryggeshire to the see of ely / therfore he yaf the bisshop of lyncoln his owne ryal towne of spaldyng That yere dyed saynt hugh abbot of cluny in the eester weke / After that oure lady and saint peter and saynt hillarye had apey¦red to hym ¶ Willelmus de pontificibus libro primo / / That yere dyed ancelm Archebisshop of Caunterbury / And the next day after that fyll the Cene thoursday / he was enoynt with bawme that god sente downe from heuene / And so he was bery¦ed / And than the see of Caunterbury was voyde ful fyue yere / And in the mene tyme holy chirche good was spente in the kyn¦ges vse / ¶ And whanne the kynge was meoued to helpe the chirche that soo was hedles as it were a wydowe / he wold putte it of with a meke answer / and say that his fader and his broder hadde made Archebisshops the best men that they coude fynde / and that he wold not goo oute of kynde / but he wold make archebis∣shop the best man that he myght fynde / Suche answer semed ful of lawe & of ryght / but the grete sōme of money that was ar••red of the archebisshoprych•• plesyd the kyngis herte· though emerus monk of Caunterbury had wryte and descryued saynt ancelms lyf at full / yet by the help of william malmesbury somwhat mot be sayde of soo noble a man / Than ancelm was born in the Cyte August fast by the hilles that hight Alpes / and was lettred & chaste of his childehode & had his fader•• wrethe and myght plese hym in no maner wyse / wherfor he fledde awey fer from his fader and cam to becco in normandy / And was fauoured vnder lāfrāk priour of becco / and was made monke there in his six and twen¦ty yere / After thre yere lanfrank pryour of becco was translated to the abbaye of Cadony / And ancelm was made pryour vnder abbotte herlewyn / Thenne Ancelm yaf hym to penaunce and to fastyng and to techyng of children namely fyften yere and wold say ful oft that hym was leuer to be in helle without synne than in heuen with synne / he made many bokes of clergy in the which oure byleue that other men make hem besy to wynne with aucteri¦te / he strengthed with reasons and argumentes that maye not be assoylled / Soo that he passyd not only her werkes that were by¦fore him· but also be gadred her werkes al in to one hepe / Also ly witte & pacyence he ouercome the malyce of his enemyes / Af∣ter the fyftenthe yere of his priory herlewin Abbot of becco deide

and ancelm was made abbot in his stede and helde hym fyue ye¦re oute of englonde / though his comynge were nedeful for many maner causes lest that it shold be demed that he conuerted the ar¦chebisshopryche of caunterbury that wided tho by lanfranks deth But atte last for thre maner causes he was compellyd for to co∣me in to englond as it is sayd byfore / That tyme in ••nglonde was Robberye vnder kyng william the reed and pr••scripcions / and exylynges and takyng in to the kynges honde / For it were esyer to by waill the Empyre of one man alone than be vnder ne¦we lordes that comen one after other / Amonge al this was gre¦te sylence amonge the bisshops / The ryghtful dome was choked within the conscience of hem that might not other durst not spek•• for drede of one man / For what prouffyt is hit for to speke there thou shalt arere wreth / and wynne noo proufyt / thenne was ho∣pe for to escape al this meschyef yf the banyonr ancelm that was fyrst comyn childe were made archebisshop / Kyng William put of al that was wel said to him with swellyng wreth other with myrthe and curtosye of speche / he suffryd doo noo bedes for hym / nother for the state of hooly chirche / but he sayde praye ye what ye wol / I shal do what me lyketh / ¶At last he was take with a grete sekenesse and sent for Ancelm / and by assent of bisshops he ordeyned that he sholde be Archebisshop and he wythsayde it / & alayde for hym in this maner / yf a yonge shepe that is Ancelm shal be coupled and yocked to a wylde boole that is william the reede / for they drawe not al lyke / the solouh of hooly chirche shal not goo a ryght / But Ancelm toke the inuestiture and was sa∣cred / but he recouered of his sekenesse and was wors after than before / his frendes coūseylled hym to good / and he vsed to answe¦re and saye / per vultum de luca / god shal neuer haue me good / for the harme that he doth me / Also this kyng was a Raue∣nour in gadryng and a grete waster in spendyng / he fered despy¦tously euery man that proferyd hym ought / but the yefte were grete and acordyng to his owne hert / So in a tyme seynt ancelm profered the kyng fyue honderd pounde / and he wold not take it / Than Ancelm deled it to pore men / dyuers wondres were seen in to al englond / for at shrowesbury was a grete erth shakyng / & a•• notyngham from the erly morow tyde to vnder of the daye / The Ryuer of Trente was so fordryed that men myght goo therouer drye foote / And stella cometa that is a sterre with bright bemyng creste was seen thre hoole wekes in the moneth of Iuyn /

Than was an hard wynter / strong honger. deth of men / pestylence of beestes & fyghtyng of foules that fought to geders / kyng hen¦ry buylded the abbay of hyde withoute the walles of wynchestre that was byfore within the cyte / This yere the fourth henry em∣perour of almayne / wedded molde kyng henryes doughter at ma¦gounce the syxth day of Ianuar /

¶ Capitulum 15

THe fyftenthe day of October fylle grete defaute of watre in Englond / so that hors and men myght wade bytwene temse brydge and the toure of london that dureth a day and a nyghte / ¶ Willelmus de pontificibus libro tercio / ¶ This yere was a counseyl at wyndesore and the kyng ordeyned faricius abbotte of abyndon to the see of Caunterbury / but the charge of that deede come to the examynynge of bisshops / and they putte byfore hym Raaf bisshop of Rochestre / Also that yere one thurstan was chose archebisshop of york / the kyng charged hym ofte that he shold do lawful subiection to rauf Archebisshop of Caūterbury / but hym was leuer leue the dignyte than be obedyente to the Archebisshop of Caunterbury / But whaune he was pryued and had no ser∣uyce as he was wonte / he was agreued and for thought that dede ful soore / and folowyd the kyng ouer see / there by procurynge of thurstynes clerkes / pope pascal sente a letter to the kyng for to re¦store thurstan ageyn / whanne he was efte come to the see of york yet he hadde scorn to doo lawful obedyence to the Archebisshop of Caunterbury / than the old stryf was renewed ageyn / fyrst there the pope promysed to the kyng of englond and to Raaf Archebis∣shop of Caunterbury that he wold nothyng ordeyne ageynst the dygnyte of hooly chirche of Caunterbury / ¶ Willelmus libro secundo / But it semed that he graunted a pryuelege in this maner / ¶ Of all the autentyk grauntes that your chirche hath y graunted of our predecessours / we wol nothyng wythdra¦we. but will that it stande and be kepte withoute ony wemme / Here yf the pope hath sayde your chirche hath these. dygnytees & these he had assoylled the plee and the stryf / but now he leueth / the stryf al vnassoylled / Soo the gyleful speke of Romaynes can torne hym self to the walles of pleders / So that hym lyketh he wolde suspende in veyn and leue hit in doubte / and spareth net

the cost and trauayll of other men whyle he casteth for his owne prouffyte and auauntage / therfor whan the kynges messagers were goo / the pope was bowyd other for fauour other for yeftes more gylefully than soo grete a man sholde and forsoke the rule of olde tyme and sacred thurstan and yaf hym the pal / Willelmus de pontifici••us libro tercio ¶ Kyng henry had gre¦te indignacion therof and forbede thurstan his lond / but he was aferd by the popes lettres / in the whiche it was conteyned / the kynge shold take thurstan owther be acursyd and suspended by the dygnyte of the offyce of Caunterbury· Willelmus de pontifi∣cibus libro primo / Kyng henryes fyrst wyf was dede / Than he wedded the dukes doughter of lotharyngia / In the day of the weddyng Raaf Archebisshop of Caunterbury that was wreth¦ful and acombred with the palesey and sygh the bisshop of Sa¦lesbury reuested to doo the solempnyte of that weddyng / and ma¦de hym leue of that deede / and ordeyned the bisshop of wynchestre to doo that offyce / than the next day therafter he sawe kyng hen∣ry crowned ageynst his conscyence / and wente to him and sayde / thou art vnryghtfully crouned / therfor thou shalt leue thy crou¦ne other I shal leue the masse / Fader quoth the kynge / amende thou that is mysdoo / Than Raaf spared vnnethe for prayers of lordes / but he had smyten doune the crowne of the kyngis heede He was a stedfast man of good lyuyng of lettrure and of fayre speche withoute suspection of ony trespaas that was knowen / but that he vsyd more laughyng and playeng than it semed his state and his age / and he was nygh cleped a Iaper / the wynter was harde / so that many brydges in englond were broke in tha∣wynge of the yse / ¶ In the moneth of may cam so many flyes / and flyed aboute in the londe of Ierusalem that they ete and des¦troyed vynes trees and corn / And whanne they hadde doo her iourney a day somme flye and somme yede on her fete to her herbe row at euen / In ytaly was an erth shakyng that dured fourty dayes / so that many houses were throwen doune / and a grete tow¦ne was meoued and heue fer oute of one place in to another / Pope pascal deyd / Iohan gaytanus was pope after hym / This was the rather popes chaunceler and was cleped the seconde ge¦lasius and was pope a yere and an half / Henry the emperour herde that his pryuelege of the inuestiture of prelates was with cleped and wente to Rome to take more greuous wreche of pope paschal and herde of pope paschalis deth / And▪ putte one morys

burdyn in to the poperyche / This morys was bisshop of bache•• / and the emperour cleped this moris the seuenth gregory / For dre¦de of the emperour pope gelasius lefte Rome / and sayled to geue and wente thens on his feet to cluny / and deyd there / the Cardy¦nals than there toke Gy / Archebisshop of vyen / and made hym pope / and cleped hym the second kalyxte. R / Also this yere dy∣ed florencius monk of wyrcetre / by his studye and trauayll this story is gretely y hight / Grete stryf was bytwene the kynges of Englond and of fraunce and henry kyng of Englond ouercome the kyng of fraunce ryally in batayll / ¶ Willelmus de p••. libro quinto / ¶ Here after kyng henry maryed his eldest sone william to ful••oes doughter duke of angeo / Than was pees made bytwene the kynges / For this william helde normandy of the kyng of Fraunce / and dyde hym homage / For that londe by graunte of his fader kyng henry / For the kyng was so grete / that he wold not doo homage to the kyng of fraunce for normandy / Than kyng henry made his fre men of englond and of normandy to doo homage to his sonne william / than men hoped therby that kyng edwardes profecye shold be fulfylled in this william / In that prophecye it was sayde that whan the tree that is kytte cometh to the stok ageyne and spryngeth / than shal be hope of re∣medye / but that was blende by chaungyng of the happe of man∣kynde / For after that the kyng had dwellyd thre yere in norman¦dy / this william was adreynt / Also that tyme this Erle Fulco wente to Ierusalem and bytoke the erldom of angeo to the kyng of englond to kepe to the prouffyte of his sonne in lawe yf he co∣me not ageyne /

¶ Capitulum 16 /

THe second calyxt was pope fyue yere and fyue monethes / ••e gadred strengthe in euery syde and toke and prysonned morys the forsayd antipope and made fyrst sette hym vpon a ca∣mel and turne his face toward the camels tayle / And soo he ro∣de / and helde the tayle in his honde in stede of a brydel and roode before the pope / Willelmus de regibus libro quinto ¶ •• Aboute th••s tyme beganne thordre premostracensis / that is the ordre of whyte chanons and bygan in the dyocesy laudunensy· vnder the fader nothbert of the nacion of Coloyn / Aboute this tyme deyd

mold quene of englond / Fyrst she was lerned lettrure and was nourysshed among menchons / at wynchestre / for to putte of vn∣worthy maryage / that her fader profered her ofte tyme / she bare the veyle of hooly auowe / therfor kyng henry wold haue her to wyf / that doyng fylle in grete desputyson / and ancelm wythstode that maryage till it was preued by lawful wytnesse that she to¦ke the veyl for to put of wowers and for none other cause / This had twey children at one byrthen a sonne and a doughter / and cessed of children beryng / than she dwellyd at westmynstre & was founde as a quene by the kynges wyll / But she were the heer vnder the ryal araye and yede barfote to chirche in the lente tyme and was not squaymes to wesshe seke mēnes fete and gro¦pe soore botches with her hondes and kysse the seke men and sette to hem a mete borde and serue hem / Also she loued moche goddes seruyse / therfor she spente moche on clerkes that couth wel sin¦ge / therfor famo{us} men of scole come to her with versus and with songe as it were oute of al londes / ¶ Also she spente largely in comers that cam of euery syde / Desyre of praysynge is so kyndely pyghte in mennes hertes / that vnnethe ony man though he be of good Conscyence holde hym apayd with the fruyt of his good werkes / but yet he hath lykynge that the peple kno¦we of his good dedes / by cause of suche dedes she pyled her plowe men / but that may be wyst by the counseylle of hyr mynystres

¶ Willelmus de Regibus libro quinto / The syxthe day byfore december at harfleet In normandy vp goo the ankers / and the kyng sayled graciously in to englond / His sonne william wolde sayle after hym / and was adreynte and many noble men not fer from londe. / ¶ The kynges sonne Rychard bastard was among hem and nota the contesse of Percy / and Rychard Erle of Chestre and his wyf that was the kynges neece / and the Archedeken of Herford / and other in the nombre of an honderd and fourty / Of hem alle escaped none but one chorle bochour that swamme al nyghte vppon a broken maste / and cam to the clyue in the morowe tyde / and told alle the geste / how it was byfalle / ¶ Alle these wente by nyghte in to a newe ship with dronken shipmen / and fylle anone vppon a rock not fer from the lande / and the ship to cleef / And william the kynges sone was do in a bote in the which he might haue be saued wel ynough / but whan he. cam to the clyf he herde his syster wepe & crye / than he torned ageyn and toke her in to his

bote / Than other men starte in to that boote / and ouerlode it and drowned the bote and al that was therynne oute take the forsa∣yd chorle / But it was wonder that grete tresoure was founden fast by the clyues in the morowe / and none of the dede bodyes we¦re founde / but they were al eten of the ffysshes of the see / Henr / libro septimo / And it was sayde that nygh al these were sodomytes / ¶ William / And also this william the kynges eldest sonne had manaced Englyssh men that yf euer he were lord ouer hem / he wold make hem draw as oxen at plowe / ¶ R / Also Rychard erle of Chestre had manaced that whanne he were ••••me oute of normandy / he wold destroye the monkes of Chestre that his fader had ordeyned there / W / de re / li / 5 ¶ Herafter ful∣co erle of Angeo / whoos doughter william that was drowned hadde wedded come oute of the holy land and maryed his other doughter to Robert short hooses sonne / and yaf with her the Erl∣dome of Cenomannia / For kynge henry withhelde his dower in Englond / Herafter / ¶ Henry maryed his doughter mold to the fourth henry Emperour of Almayne / ¶ This yere kyng henry made a greete parke at Wodestode / Whanne Rychard Erle of Chestre was drowned / the fyrst Ranulph de mescheues / the so¦ne of the fyrst hughe was erle eyght yere after hym / Raaf Archebisshop of Caunterbury dyed and william Canoni¦cus was Archebisshop after hym / ¶ Aboute this tyme be∣ganne the ordre of the templers / These were gadred of the Re∣leef of the hospytalers / & ordeygned hem a place in the porche of the temple of Ierusalem / therfor they be cleped knyghtes of the temple / these were susteyned by the Releefe of the hospytalers bothe in mete and in armure / and waxe soo ryche that it semed that the doughter passed and wyryed the moder / Atte laste for vyle apostasye and despysyng of Cryst / they were destroyed in the fyfth pope Clements tyme· the yere of oure lord a thousand thre honderd and twelue / ¶ Henricus libro septi∣mo / ¶ Iohan Cardynal of Rome cam in to Englond and made a greuous processe ageynst preestes concubynes & said that it is a foul•• synne and a grete to aryse from a strompettes syde to sacre crystes body / but the same day after that he had songe mas¦se he was taken with a strompet at euen / thynge that was open∣ly y knowe myghte not be forsake / Hit moste nedes be knowen yf this dysplesyth ony man / I reede hym holde his peas / and be stylle lest it wold be demed that he folowe Iohan in wordes /

and in dedes / After kalixt the second honorius was pope fyue ye¦re / The fourth henry the Emperour of almayn is dede / & som men tellyn that he is buryed at spyre with his forfaders with such wrytynge on his tombe / Here lyeth the sonne and the fader and the grauntsyr and the faders grauntsyre. R / But it semeth / that Gyrald in his booke itinerario wallie hath the more soth vnder∣standyng / there he sayth that this henry after that he had empry∣soned his flesshely fader / and his goostly fader the pope / and the Cardynals also / hym repented atte last and wente awey vnwy∣tyng his wyf mold of Englond / & exyled hym self by his good wylle / and lyued at Chestre ten yere as an heremyte / and by cau∣se he wold not be knowen the whyle he was alyue / he cleped him self godestal that is goddes clepyng / whanne the emperour was soo pryuely goone / mold the Emperyce cam ageyne to her fader kyng henry in to normandy / there she was soone maryed to gef∣froy plantagenet Erle of Angeo / and hadd by hym the second henry that after hym was kyng of Englonde /

¶ Capitulum 17 /

WHanne the fourthe Henry was goo Lotharius duke of Saxon was made Emperour / At london was made a counseylle / and it was graunted to kyng henry / that he shold doo ryght of preestes fornycaryes / and of her concubynes But he dyde not ellys but toke money in euery syde· That yere in presence of the kyng the lordes of Englonde swore / that they wold kepe the kyngdom to his doughter molde the empe¦ryce / yf she lyued after his daye / and yf he deyde withoute other children / ¶ Saynt mathys the Apostles body was founden in the Cyte Treuer / the whiche bodye Agricius the ar¦chebisshop hadde broughte thyder oute of Constantinople in the elder Constantynes tyme / and he hadde that body of the yefte of Helene the quene / ¶ After Honorius the Seconde Innocencius was pope thyrtene yere and seuene mo∣nethes / ¶ Peter leonis that hight Anacletus also assaylled the Poperyche / and soo fylle greete stryfe in hooly Chirche / ¶This Anacletus was chosen of the lasse deele

and partye / and chaced Innocencius oute of the cyte / And spoy∣led the chirches of Rome and meded the Romayns with the mo¦ney of the chirches / But Innocencius and the Cardynals wo∣ned with the kyng of Fraunce / and made a counseyll at Rome and in his comyng ageyne he crowned lotharius duc of Saxon / and sacred hym Emperour / ¶By his helpe he chaced Rogyer duck of Sycilya and of Apul••a that was rebell to this Inno∣cencius the pope / whanne the fyrste Ranulph Erle of Chestre was deed / his sonne the second Ranulph Gercious by his surna¦me was Erle after hym fyue and twenty yere /

The Erle of Flaundres deyd / and Henry kynge of Englond by the assent of the kynge of Fraunce hadde the Erldome after hym by ryght of bloode and of kynrede / Mold the emperyce was soone forsake of her husbond Geffroy / and wente to her fader in to normandy / there the kyng sawe thre wondre syghtes / Fyrsts he sawe in his sleepe many clerkes assaylle hym with toles and axe of hym dette / Efte he sawe a Route of men of Armes that wolde refe on hym with al maner wepen / the thyrde tyme he sa∣we a grete company of prelates manace hym with theyr croyses And at euery tyme the kyng start vp of his bed and caught his swerde and cryed help / as though he wold slee somme men / but he myght noo man fynde / ¶ Also a phisician grymbald by his name sawe alle these syghtes / and told hem to the kynge erly in the morow / And as danyel had somtyme chargyd Nabu∣godonosor / Soo he chargyd the kyng that he shold doo almesse de¦des in remedye of his synnes / Thenne the kyng wente in to En∣glond and was sore trobled with tempest in the see / & made his auowe that he wold relece the danes trybute for seuen yere / and that he wold vysyte saynt edmund / and doo and vse ryghtwyse¦nesse / ¶ In Fraunce was soo grete drought / that Ryuers and welles were fordryed / ¶ Also fyere come in to the chynes of the erth that myght not be quenched nother with wete nother with cold / nother with doyng of crafte / ¶ This yere at kerdef dyed the kynges broder Robert that was somtyme Er∣le of normandy and was beryed at gloucetre byfore the hye Au¦ter / ¶ William the sonne of nychellus founded the pryorye of norton in the prouynce of chestre / ¶Also thabbay of Cum¦bremer was founded in the same prouynce / ¶ And henry short mantel is born the sonne of the Emperyce / Kynge Henry

deyd in normandy / Of hym one moeued in metre in this maner / Kyng henry deyd fayrenesse somtyme now deol of the world / Goddes now wepyn for her god that is now dede / marcurius the lasse. in speche / hert strong as appollo / Iupiter in hest and mars in strength / greueth Englond in childhode and kyngdome ryght of this godde was high in shynyng for derk now falleth a doune This lond with his kyng / normand with his duke wel with a∣wey / This londe nouryssheth the child / that other now lesyth the man / Henr / li / 8 / Whan kyng henry was dede men demed of hym and spake frely / what they wold as they doo of other men whan they be deede / Somme sayde that he passed other men in thre thyn∣ges in wytte / in spech and in fortune of batayl / Other sayde that he was ouercome with thre vyces / with couetyse with cruelnesse / and with luste of lecherye / Also the kynges bowels were drawe oute of his bodye / and his brayne taken oute of his heede / and the body salted with moch salt / and for to auoide the stenche that had infecte many men it was at last closed in a boole skyn / & yet myghte not the noyful odour be lette / But he that toke oute the brayne of the heed deyd of the stenche / he hadde eten of a lamprey whyle he was old and feble and he loued it alwey though it gre¦ued hym euermore / The kynges body was brought in to englōd and beryed in the abbaye of Redynge that he had founded oute of the grounde / Henricus libro septimo / In this kynges tyme one Symon the sonne of Robert bisshop of lyncolne was in his floures deen in the same chirche / he was sharpe of wytte / clere of speche / fayre of face / and of shap and gracious with all / yong of age and wyse and redy / as an olde man / but he was spytted with the vyce of pryde / In hym of his pryde sprang enuye of en¦uye. wreth of wreth / stryf and bakbytynge / he spake in a tyme of hym self and sayde / I am sette among mē of court as salt amōg quyck elys / he toke heede of one proprete of that sawe and was not war of that other / For als salt among eles greueth ful sore· Soo he greued men of the court with bacbytyng and euyl speche But at last whan salt is destroyed by moysture of the el••s / So was he by hate of all men / For at last he had the kynges wrethe and was prysonned and escaped aweye by a gonge / and was flemed and deyde so exyled /

WHan the fyrst kyng henry was dede / steuen Erle of boloyn was kynge after hym / This steuen was the erle of blesens sonne / kynge henryes neuewe in his susters syde / and he regned seuentene yere a noble man and hardy / but ageynst his oth that he had made to the emperyce he was crouned at london on a saynt Steuens day of william archebisshop of Caunterbury that was swore to the Emperyce also / Therfor this william leued not ouer one yere / Also al the grete that were sworen to steuen made a wre¦chyd ende / Also men sayde that in the day of his crownement the sacrament of crystes body was brought to the kyng & it vanys¦shed awey sodeynly / kyng steuen was crowned and swore byfo∣re the lordes at oxenford / that he wold not holde in his honde the prelacyes that voyded / and also that he wold foryeue the dane gylt and that he wold emplede no man for his owne wodes / Al¦so for he drad the comyng of the emperyce he graunted euery lord leue to bylde a Castel other a strength vpon his owne grounde / & sone therafter he toke to acorde dauid kyng of Scottes / that had before by gyle taken the castel caerlel / and the castel vppon tyne and he yaue hym huntyng in englond and had hommage / and sente to the Emperyce / than kyng steuen toke excetre and william Archebisshop of Caunterbury deyd / and theobald abbot of becco was Archebisshop after hym / Lotharius Emperour of almayne deyd / and Conradus was Emperour after hym fyftene yere of Almayns and of Romayns / And though he toke not the Bene¦son of the pope / yet atte prechyng of Abbot bernard he toke the ho¦ly lande in pope eugenius tyme and dyde many grete dedes / Gir / d / p / ca / 19 / That tyme theobald the mylde erle of Campa∣nia was in his floures / he wolde myldely vysyte poure men and lepres / One praysed hym in metre passyngly in this maner / This felowe Erle this was that mylde man theobaldus / Heuen maketh ioye / that hym hath / and sorowful is the worlde / that hym leueth / I may calle hym man / hym dar I not clepe God / Deth preueth hym man his owne lyf hym preueth goode / Aboue man / vnder God / more than man / lasse than God / I not what maner thynge is bytwene the weyne / /

Dauid kyng of Scotland cam the thyrdde tyme in to Englond and destroyed the lond anone to the Ryuer of theyse in the mouth of the prouynce of york / and brende / and slewe and slytte wym∣men with childe / thurstan the archebisshop cam pryuely ageynst hym with the kynges knyghtes / & chaced hym and slewe / x / M

of his men and toke many prayes and gret•• / kyng steuen toke the Castel of bedford that was ageynste hym / and herafter he wente in to scotland / and dyde there fewe dedes at his owne wyll / and cam home ageyn / but in his comyng homeward / he toke alysaun∣der bisshop of lyncolne and putte hym in boundes / til that he had yeue hym the castel of newerk / ¶ Also ••e chaced nygellus bisshop of hely / and Roger bisshop of salesbury that hadde doo hym moche good / he toke hym and put hym in pryson and helde hym there till that he had yeue hym two castels of the vyse and of shirburn / And for this Roger was a greete bylder of houses and of Castels / he bycam seke and deyd for sorowe / After that he lefte in his castels of moneye as it were a fourty thousande marc / that was spente in the kynges vse / and not to gods seruyce / For with that moneye the kyng bought to his sone Eustace / Constaunce the kynges syster of Fraunce / Thurstan the Archebisshop of york was a grete foundour of ab∣bayes of hagustald of Founteynes / and of eyght other / and to∣ke the habyte of monk / and pountfret / and deyd in good elde / After two yere his bodye was founden hoole and sounde smel∣lyng ful swete / ¶ That tyme the kyng toke the Castels of Gloucestre of herford / of webbely of Brystow / of Dudely / and of shrowesbury / ¶ Robert Erle of gloucestre kyng Henryes bastard sonne herde therof and sente for his syster mol∣de the Emperyce that dwellyd at Angeo / and prayd her to come in to englond and byhyght her helpe ageynst kyng steuen /

¶ Henricus libro 9 ¶ Than in the moneth of Iuyll Robert and mold cam fyrst to portesmouth and thennes to Bri∣stow / and dyde men of the Countray grete harme and dommage Than the kyng besyeged the castel of wallyngford / and herde herof and lefte the syege and wente ageynste them and besyeged lyncolne soone after that tyme / ¶ Than aboute Can¦delmasse Ranulph Erle of Chestre and Robert erle of gloucestre cam with many walsshmen to breke the kynges syege /

And whan they were vnnethe passyd a reedy mareys. and had arrayed the sheltrons / The Erle of Chestre spake to his men in this maner and sayd I thanke you and praye you besyly that I that am cause of youre perylle mot be the fyrst that shal entre in to the peryl / ¶ Erle Robert answerde hym / and sayde· It is not vnworthy that thou axyst the dygnyte of the fyrst stroke both for noblesse of bloode & for vertu of strength

in the whiche thou passyst other men / But the kynges fals ••the and his wodenesse meoueth men to warre / and to fyght / But we may not torne ageyne by the wey that we come / Than we must haue here the maystry other be ouercome / he that hath none other socour muste nedes flee to bolde dedes of armes and manhode of strength / but take hede ageynst hem and what maner mē ye must feyght / Robert erle of mellent stondyth ageynst you / he is crafty of fraude and of gyle and hath wyckednes in his herte / treason and gyle in his mouthe and sleuthe in his dedes / there cometh al¦so the erle of Albemarl / he is deuoute to bachus and not knowē of mars / he smellyth of the wyn and vsyth noo warre / ¶ Treuisa Po••tes feyneth a god of wyn and clepyn hym ba∣chus / and another of batayl and clepyn hym mars and so forth to speke / he that is a good drynker is deuoute to bachus / and he that is not worth in batayll is vnknowen to mars / Than he tel∣lyth forth his tale in the story in this maner / There stondeth Sy∣mon of hampton / his dedes ben but wordes his yefte is but a by hest whan is worde is sayd he hath done his dede / / whanne he hath behyght he hath yeuen his yeftes / In this grete heete kynge steuē herd alysaunder the bisshops masse and the tayre that the kynge offred brake in the Bisshops hande / and the cheyne brake and the box fyl there gods body was in / that was a token of the kynges fayllyng / than the kyng wente forth and baldwyn the erle had the wordes to comfort men for to fyght / and he spake to other men in this maner / Men that must fyght must knowe thre thynges / the ryghtfulnes of the cause lest men shold falle in peryll of sou¦le / The quantite of the company that they be not boren doun with to many enemyes / And the effecte of myght and of strength lest men lene vpon feble helpe / and falle to the grounde touchyng these thre poyntes / I trowe that we be spedde / But take heede fer∣thermore What maner enemyes we haue / Loo Roberts coūseyll that vsyth grete menace and doth lytel in deede / in mouth he is a lyon and in herte an haar / he is clere of speche and derke by vn∣cunnyng / Also there stondeth therle of chestre a man of vnresona¦ble hardynesse redy & prest to conspyracy / and vnstydfast to ful∣fyll in dede / hasty of herte and vnware of peryls / he casteth ful grete dedes and essayeth dedes that he maye not awelde / what he begynneth fresshely / he forsaketh i•• feyntly / as a woman vnhap∣py and vngracious in euery place and is alwey ouercome other chaced / he hath with hym flemed men & sculkers about the walsshe

men euer the more ben of hem / the wors they ben in fyghtynge / But er he had made ende of the wordes come the crye of the ene∣myes the noyse of the trompes and the gruntng of horses / & the sheltrons smytyn to geders and forth goon tharowes / The king was take and brought to the emperyce and was kepte in boūdes at brystow from candelmasse to the holy rode day in heruest / ther∣for the emperyce wexeth swyth proude / and occupyed surcetre and than wynchester / there they cam ageynst her with procession and that alowyd the popes legate / than she wente to wylton / to Ox∣enford to Redyng and to saynt albon and in euery place all men toke her with good wyll oute take kentyssh men alone / But theo¦baldus the Archebisshop cam specially ageynste her / Than she cam to london to trete of the state of the lande / there the quene of Englond kyng Steuens wyf prayd the emperyce that the kyng myght be delyuerd oute of bondes vppon that condicion that the kyng shold yelde vp the kingdom to the emperyce and somwher become a monke other be a pylgrym to his lyues ende / But the emperyce wold not here this bone / Also the cyteseyns of lon∣don prayd hyr that they myght vse saynt edwardes lawes / and not the lawes of hyr fader kyng henry / for they were ful harde / But she wold not assente / therfor the peple was meoued and or¦deyned for to take her / she was ware therof and lefte al her store of houshold & fledde to oxenford / & there she abode her knyghtes that were al y shed or dyuyded / thenne she toke with hir her ow∣ne came dauid kyng of scotland and strength of knyghtes / and went to wynchestre / there she besyeged strongly the bisshops toure there the kynges broder was / At last cam the quene with will∣iam I prens and the emperyce was so aferd that she was born to gloucestre in an hors bere as it were a dede body / her broder erle Robert was take and putte in pryson in the mene tyme / than the quene on that one syde was besy for the kyng / and the emperyce in that other syde for her owne broder / and suche delyueraunce was y procured and ordeyned that the kyng shold be restored a∣geyne to the kyngdome and the Erle to his lordship / and bothe shulde make pees in the kyngdome as they had dystourbed it / But the erle wold not assente / than al the yere was in the lan∣de Robbyng & reuyng / manslaughter and sellyng of Ryche men / than aboute hooly Rode day in heruest the kyng was dely∣uerd and besyeged the emperyce in the cyte of Oxenford from mychelmesse to mydwynter and destroyed alle that was without

Atte last fyll a grete honger and the Emperyce was couerd in whyte and byspronge with snowe and escaped ouer Temse that was froren and hylled with snow and cam to walingford / Ther¦for the men of the syege were begyled and y blend with the bla¦syng of the snowe / And soo the cyte of oxenford was yolden to the kyng / Aboute this tyme one mayster arnold prechyd at ro∣me ageynst ryche men and ageynste superfluyte that men vsen / therfore many men pursued hym / at last he was taken and han∣gyd for wreth of clerkes / Also that tyme deyd Iohannes de temporibus that had lyued thre honderd yere thre score and one / and had be squyer with the grete charles /

¶ Capitulum 19

AFter the second Innocencius the seconde celestyn{us} was pope fyue monethes / after hym lucius enleuen monethes / The thyrdde eugenius was pope eyght yere and fyue monethes / This was fyrst saynt bernardes disciple and afterward Abbotte of saynt anastasy besydes Rome. and cam vnware to saynt Cesa∣rius chirche and was chocen by the Cardynals / but for drede of the Senatours he was sacred withoute the cyte / This sygned lo∣wys kyng of Fraunce with cros and made a counseyll at Reme in Fraunce. ¶ Also to hym saynt bernard the Abbot wrote the bookes de considere / ¶ Henricus libro nono ¶ Ranulph Consul of Chestre cam to walyngford with many knyghtes / and was acorded with the kyng / But soone therafter he was gylefully ta¦ken in the parlement of northampton and myght not be delyuerd er he had yolden vp the castel of lyncolne / ¶ That tyme the walsshmen destroyed the prouynce of Chestre / but at wycumalbā they were kylde / Soone therafter kyng steuen was crowned at lyncolne / and soo happed noo kyng byfore / Also that yere con∣radus the emperour lowys kyng of Fraunce the Erle of flaun∣dres and many other that hadde take the cros to the hooly londe / chesed the lond weye and not the water weye / And passed by hongary and were bytrayd by fraude of the emperour of Constā¦tinople / For many of them tasted mele medlyd with lyme / and deyde and many other were deed by swerde and honger / For robbyng and reuyng and lechery / Giraldus de p / capitulo 18

¶ Loys kyng of Fraunce come homeward out of the hooly lon∣de / and wexed seke for long continence and defaute of women as leches sayde / and leches and prelates counsayled hym to take a wenche· by cause he was so fer from the quene / Me is leuer deye sayd he chaste than lyue in spousebrekyng / and soo he putte all in goddes hande and was hoole anone / In a tyme a clerke cam to hym / and brought to hym ā pryuelege of the pope that he shol¦de in euery cathedral chirche of his Reme haue the fyrst Bene∣fyce that voyded with the fruyte and prouffytes in the mene ty∣me / Anone he threwe the lettres in to the fyre / and sayde that hym was leuer brenne suche lettres than haue his soule tormen¦ted in helle / the same prynce fasted euery frydaye to brede and water / and men counseylled hym to fede an honderd poure men on the fryday and leue that fastyng / We wold gladly fede so many poure men other more / but our fastyng will we not breke / For al withoute the prouffyte that it doth to the soule / hit profyteth moche to the body also / we do euery weke soo moche and so many superfluytees in to the body / that the purgacion and reste of one daye helpyth moche to putte of superfluyte / and also to make the sharper appetyte / Whan this lowys was dede a vercifyour wro∣te on his tombe in short style a wrytyng y hight with faire spech of rethorik & torned his speche as it were to his sone phelip / & she¦wed hym his fader that lay beryed there / and sayde / Nunc super tu qui superes successorum honoris / Degener es si degeneris a lau¦de prioris / that is to saye thou ouerlyuest this that art aboue suc∣cessour of worship / thou art vnkynde / yf thou goost oute of kynde of the praysyng of thy forfader / Aboute that tyme deyd mayster hughe de saynt vyctor monk and pryour of saynt vyctor besydes paris a parfyght man of lettrure and of Relygyon / Of hym it is sayde that whanne he was seke in his deth euyl / and myght hol¦de no mete nother drynke he axyd besyly and prayed to yeue him gods body / his bretheren wold ceese his cryeng and brought him an oubleye that was not sacred / he knewe hit in his spyryte and sayde god foryeue it you bretheren why wol ye begyle me this is not my lord / Anone they brought an obley that was sacred / he sawe it and myght not hold and hened vp his handes and sayde I praye that the sonne goo vp to the fader. and the spyrite to god that made hym of nought / And so he yelde vp the goost / and our lordes body vanysshed oute of syght / R / But somme men wol me¦ne that this hughe myght not holde for he was castyng aweye /

and therfor his bretheren wolde not brynge hym the veray sa∣crament / And he prayd hem specially that they wold sette the sa¦crament vpon his syde / and whanne they hadde soo done the seke mannes syde opened and the sacrament went in by hit self / This made many good bookes de sacramentis de Archa noe / de institu¦cione nouiciorum / de arra anime / de studio sapiencie / dydascaly∣con and de laude crucis / he made a booke also / Fr••st and yse was soo stronge that horses myght passe ouer temse / This yere mayster gracianus de Tuscia / monk of Bononia was borne / He compy¦led and gadred the book of decrees so sayth hugh / 296 / forma / His broder germayne mayster peres lombard Bisshop of parys compyled and made the foure bookes of sentence· and gloosed the sauter and poules pystles also

¶ Capitulum 20

AFter Conradus the fyrst frederyk was Emperour of Al∣mayns and of Romayns seuen and thyrtty yere / After pope adryans deth that hym had crowned this was a gre∣uous enemy to pope alysau ndre / for in preiudyce of hym / he hel∣de with four fals popes eche after other / ¶ Also by cause that the pope was fledde to the kyng of Fraunce / he fought ageynste the kyng of Fraunce with grete strength of boemes and of danes but he was put of by help of rychard kyng of Englond / Than the yere of our lord enleuen honderd thre score and tweyne he cam to mylan that was the hyghest walled of ony toune / and destroyed it downe to the grounde / At last after that this had do the pope many greues / he drad the rebelnesse of the lombardes / And prayd foryeuenesse of the pope / and toke the crosse in his flessh to the holy land as it were in amendemente of his synnes / And he was drowned in a lytel ryuer besydes armenye / and be¦ryed at Tyrus / And his sonne a noble yonglyng deyde at the sie¦ge of tholomayda that is Aron and nygh al̄l the noble of cristen men deyde that tyme / After Eugenius Anastasius was pope as it were two yere / ¶ That yere deyd saynt bernard abbot of cler∣uaulx that was borne in burgoyne in the Castel of Founteyns He was a noble knyghtes sonne and was fyrst fedde with his owne moders mylk and afterward norysshed with greter metes

Than the yere of oure lord enleuen honderd and twelue after the begynnynge of the ordre Cistersiensis that is the ordre of whyte monkes fyftene / of his owne age two and twenty / He entred with thyrtty felawes in to Cystercy / and after the fyfte yere of his conuersacion he was ordeyned abbot of Clereuaus / There he vsed wakynge passyng the vsage of mankynde / he sayde that he lost no tyme more than whanne he slepte / he lykened slepe to deth / vnnethe that he myghte suffre hym that routed and aferde foule in his slepe / he wente to mete as it were to tormente for grete ab∣stynence that he vsed / he hadde loste his taste and sauour of mete & of drynke / Soo that he wold take oyle in stede of wyn and blo∣de in stede of botter / he wold say that hyin sauoured water for hit keled his mouth and his Iowes al that he lerned of Scryptu∣re / he dranke hit in wodes and in feldes in his medytacions and and beedes / he knowleched none other maystres that he hadde but¦okes and beches / In his clothyng was pouert without ony fylth He sayde that clothynge is Iuge and wytnesse of herte and thought of negligence other of pryde and veyne glorye / that pro¦uerbe he had oft in his mouth and alwey in his herte al men wō¦dryth of hym that doth that as none other doth / To the ••ouyce that sholde come to the Relygyon / he wolde saye yf ye hye to that is within / leueth here without the bodyes that ye broughte of the world / the spyryte shal entre / the flesshe doth no prouffyte As ofte as. men prayd hym to be Bisshop he sayde that he was not his owne / but that he was ordeyned to seruyce of other men / Alwey he was founde other byddynge other redyng / other wry∣tyng other in medytacions other prechyng and techyng his bre¦theren / The yere of oure lord enleuen honderd and thre & fyfty / whanne his deth neyghed he bytoke his bretheren thre poyntes to kepe / and sayde that he had kepte hem in his wyse al his lyf ty∣me· and sayde / I wold noo man sklaundre / but yf ony sklaun∣der were aryse / I ceesed it what I myghte / I trowe myn owne wyt lasse than other mēnes dome / yf I were greued I axed no wreche of hym that had greued me / Bernard wrote many noble bookes and specially of the incarnacion of cryst / and dyde many myracles / and buylded thre score Abbayes / and passed oute of this world to oure lord of heuene / Also that yere deyd the Se∣cond Ranulph that hight Gercious by his surname / he was the fourth Erle of Chestre / after the conquest / his sonne second hughe was lord after hym in that Ducherye nyne and twenty

and dyde many grete dedes / ¶ Also that yere deyd kyng ste∣uen in kente in the abbaye of Feuersham that he buylded vp of the grounde / In this steuens tyme a knyght that hight owen wente in to the purgatory of the second patryk abbot and not bis¦shop / he cam ageyne and dwellyd in the nedes of the Abbaye of ludene of whyte monkes in Irlond and told of ioye and of pay¦nes that he had seen as it is sayd byfore in the fyrst capitulo / 34 / of the wondres of Irlond

¶ Capitulum 21

WHanne steuen was dede / the second henry was kyng / This henry was the fyrste henryes neuewe / the eldeste sonne of his doughter the Emperyce / and of geffroy plantegeneti Erle of angeo. his maners and his dedes his vertues and his vyces gy¦rald Cambrensis in his dystinctions descryueth and saith in this maner / Dredeful it is to allegge ageynst hym that may put out of londe / and to descryue hym with many wordes / that may exyle a man with a worde / that were a gracio{us} thyng and passyng oure wytte and our strength to telle oute the soth in all his dedes and offende the prynces hert in noo maner poynte / ¶ This henry was somwhat redyssh with large face and brest / and yelowe eyen and a dym voys / and flesshy of body / and toke but scarcely of me¦te and of drynke / and for to alledge the fatnesse / he trauaylled his body with besynesse / with hunting with stondyng / with wan¦dryng / he was of mene stature / Renable of speche / and wel y let¦tred / noble and orped in knygthode / and wyse in counseyll and in batayll / and drad doutful desteny / more manly and curtoys to a knyght whanne he was dede than whanne he was alyue / he she¦wyd more sorow for men whanne they were dede than loue while they were alyue / Noo man was more goodly than he in meschyef And whan he hadde efte seurte / noo man was more sterne than he / he was cruel to theym that were not chasted / and somtyme mylde to his subgettis / harde to his famylers and free herted to straungers / large in yeftes outward and skars in pryuyte / Whome he hated other loued ones vnnethe he wolde tourne to the contrary / he wold wylfully passe his owne word / slowe in al maner answere / and loued wel pees and quyete / he bare doune

gentilmen and sold and taryed ryghtwysenesse / vnstydfast of feyth / chaungeable and gyleful of word open spousebreker / the hamer of holy chirche alwey vnkynde to god / He norysshed strif amonge his sonnes with al besynesse and hoped to haue peas al¦one by stryf of his children / yf men axyd of al his grete dedes the world shold rather faile than we shold make an ende / laudes may ceese to a bold herte but vyctoryes can not ceesse tryumphes / and praysyng shal not fayle but the mater of wynnyng of wor¦ship may fayle / he was pereles and passyng in chyualry in wer¦re and in lechery / he pesed myghtly the landes of his herytages / and wanne Irlond myghtly by strength / he toke william kyng of Scotland and ioyned the kyngdome of Scotland to his own From the southe occean to the north Ilandes of Orcades he clo∣sed al the londes as it were vnder one principate / And spradde so nobly his Empyre and made it ful wyde / After Iulius Cesar men rede of noman that soo happed by yonde the see withoute nor¦mandy / Gyan / Angeo / and Chynon in toureyne that fil to hym by the ryght of his fader and also peytow and gascoyne anone to moūtes pyrenes the hylles of spayne that fyll to hym by ma¦ryage / He made subget to his lordship aluerne and other londes / He vsyd for to saye that alle the worlde is lytel ynough for a man that is stronge and myghty / The kynges of spayne for to ceesse stryf put her querel vppon this kynges dome / many of his dedes that were al ageynst the pees he brought to ende at his ow∣ne wylle as it were by warnyng of gracious ••ur and by a cho¦sen worcher of fortune / but many thynges happyd hym as it we¦re vngraciously to his owne mekenesse / yf he wold be repentaunt and ellys for he sholde be tormented in his owne flessh / the cruell bochour / Fyrste he toke wrongfully Elyanor the quene from her lorde lowys kynge of fraunce and wedded her in dede / though he myght not by the lawe and his owne fader geffroy forbad him and sayd that he shold not touche her for he had lay by hyr him self whyle he was the kynges steward of Fraunce / Netheles this henry gate on hyr thre doughters and syx noble sonnes / The fyrst doughter mold he maryed to the duk of Saxon / The se¦cond Elyanor to the kyng of spayne and the thyrdde Iohan to william kynge of Scicil. Also his twey sonnes were hastely take from hym and he was worthyly distourbed and greued by the other four to his lyues ende / he regned nygh fiue and thyrtty yere and so he had thyrtty yere y yeue hym to wordly blesse / and

lykyng to suffraunce of Conuersacion and to assay of deuocion / & the yeres that were ouer the thyrtty yere / were yeuen hym to greef and to wreche as to an euyl man and vnkynde / For in the second yere of these fyue yere the strength vanysshed aweye that he had ordeyned aboute the sendyng of his sonne Iohan in to Ir¦lond / & the thyrde he that lost neuer thyng loste aluerne ageynst the kyng of Fraunce / the fourth yere he lost bytu rycam / the fyfth yere the cytees Cenomānea & Turon & many castels therto & him self also / This kyng vsed to haue in his speche of Tr••iys Rely∣gyous bisshops and lad hem with hym beyonde the see in dedes of armes / and dyde more by counseylle of hem than by counseyll of knyghtes / and that he dyde for twey skylles / Fyrst for his court sholde seme the more ryal and noble to messagers and legates / that come therto / the seconde skylle for alweye he assayed rather pees than wepen and armour / therfor he made suche medyatours with puttyng to of money / Also for he had somtyme yeuen dyg∣nytees of hooly chirche to vnworthy persones for to wynne his fa¦me ageyne / he made baldwyn the whyte monke Archebisshop of Caunterbury / & hugh pryour of the chartherous bisshop of lyn¦colne / he had these tweyne as it were alwey to Conseyl / For eue¦ry man that redyth in booke sholde haue the lasse wondre of the vngracious yssue / and ende of this kyng and of his sones / Men shal take heede of this kynges begynnynge / and wherof he come both in fader and in moder syde. Also of the Condicion of his lif / on whome he gate his sonnes / Geffroey plantagenet come of the children of a countesse of Angeo that was spoused only for fay¦renesse of body / She wold selde come at chirche / and than vnneth she wold abyde the secreet of the masse / The Erle her husbond to∣ke heede and was waar of that doyng and ordeyned four knygh¦tes to holde her in chirche / and she threwe awey her mantel that she was holden by / and lefte there hyr twey sonnes vnder the ryght side of the mantel / & with her twey other sones that she had than vnder the lifte side of her mantel / she fleuh out atte chirche wyn¦dow in sight of all men / and was neuer seen after that tyme / / Afterward Richard king of englond tolde ofte this tale & saide that it was no wonder though they that come of suche kynde gre∣ned euery other / as they that come of the deuel / and shulde goo to the deuyl / ¶ Also in a tyme kinge henry sente a clerke to his sonne gaufred erle of britaine for to reforme and make full pees and the sonne answerd the clerk in this manere / Why art thou

come to dysheryte me of my kynde byrthe knowest thow not that it longed to vs proprely by kynde and it is pyghte on vs by kynde of fornforfaders that none of vs shold loue other than trauayll thou not in ydel to put awey kynde also this kyng henryes moder was wedded to this geffrey lyuynge hyr rather husbonde that was a pylgrym and lyued as an heremyte / & this kyng henry come of hem tweyne in this latter maryage / Also of henry whyle he was a childe nourysshed in the kynges court of Fraunce / saynt bernard the abbot prophecyed and sayd in presen∣ce of the kyng / of the deuyl he come / and to the deuyl he shal / and moeued therby both the tyrauntrye of his fader geffrey that gel¦ded the bisshop of sagre & his owne cruelnesse that slew saynt tho¦mas of Caunterbury / and yet his fader geffrey had laye by this Elyanor that his sonne this henry wedded afterward / Also this Elyanors fader erle of Peytowe rauysshed his owne shyrreues wyf and wedded hyr lyuyng· her husbond / In a tyme an hooly man blamed hym for that dede and it auailed not / than the good mā prayed that neuer childe that come of hym shold bryng forth gracious fruyt / It happed in a tyme at wynchestre in this kyng henryes chābre that was dyuersly y peinted / that one place was lefte vnpaynted by the kynges beeste / there the kyng badde after∣ward peynte an Egle with four byrdes the thre birdes cratched and torent the fader with billes and with clawes but the fourth byrde besyed hym strongly to cratche oute the faders eyen / Men axyd hym what this sholde meene / these four byrdes quoth the kyng be my foure sonnes that wol not ceesse to poursue me vn¦to the deth / And namely this last Iohan whom I loue now most shal moost sharply awayte and cast for my deth /

¶ Capitulum 22

AFter anastasius the fourth Adryan a man of englysshe na¦cion was pope foure yere / the comyn fame tellyth that this was the abbots bonde man of saynt albon in englonde and that he prayed somtyme that he myght be monk in that abbay & was putte of and forsake / but he yaf hym to clergye and to good the∣wes & was made bisshop alban••ses / In a tyme he was made le∣gate to wormacia / & conuerted that prouynce to the ryght byleue

¶ Atte laste he was· māde pope / and for the woundynge of one Cardynal he enterdyted al the cyte of Rome / He cursed william kyng of Scicile & compellyd hym to submytte hym to his grace / ¶This was the fyrst pope that dwellyd with the Cardynals in the old cyte / ¶ The kyng of Scotland dyed and neyghe alle the lordes of Englonde· In the moneth of October the sygne of the crosse was seen in the mone / ¶ Saynt Iames the A∣postles hond is brought to the abbay of Redyng / That yere kyn∣ge henry ladde fyrst an hoost in to wales and made a stronge Cas¦tel at Rutland and founded the abbaye of basyng werk / After Adryan the thyrdde alysaunder was pope two and twen¦ty yere / he ouercome four fals popes that Frederyck the Empe∣rour had sette vp / Also this acorded Frederyk and emanuel of Constantinople / and the kyng of Scicile and socured thomas of Caunterbury whanne he was exyled ¶Henry this kynges eldest sonne wedded the kynges doughter of Fraunce ¶ At Gloucestre Iewes nayled a child to the roode / ¶ Theobald the Archebisshop dyed and thomas of london the kynges chaū∣celer was sacred Archebisshop the second daye of Iuyn / /

And the thyrdde yere therafter he wente oute of Englond / and cam ageyne the seuenth yere of his ex{per}lyng / and was martred / Foure famous men descryued his lyf & his dedes as it is writen in his lyf / Aboute that yere abbot Ioachyn was in his floures in Calabria / he wrote the exposicion vpon the Apocalypsis / and vpon the bookes of prophetes / ¶ Also he warned Frede∣ryk the Emperour and other kynges that wente to the hooly lon¦de that they sholde not profyte there but a lytel at that tyme / for the tyme of the delyueraunce was not yet come / Men seyn also of this Ioachyn that he descryued as it were by prophecye / the maners and dedes of nombre of al popes that shold be in hoo¦ly chirche / But there he wrote ageynst the maystre of sentence / his opynyon was repreued as it is wryten in the begynnyng of decretals by the nynth gregory / The twellifth day byfore october aboute prime were seen thre cercles in heuen and twey sonnes That yere aroos the stryf bytwene the kyng and thomas / That tyme was mayster pyers comestor in his floures in fraunce he wrote a storye of eyther testamente that hight historia Scolasti¦ca / He wrote allegorias vppon eyther testamente that is a book of goostly vnderstandynge / ¶ Also he made a noble boke of Sermons and made afterward his Allegorias

in a booke of me••re and cleped the booke Auroica / ¶ Raaf Bisshop of Coloyn brought the bodyes of the thre kynges to co∣loyne oute of melan that was destroyed by Frederyk / These bodyes were fyrst brought out of Perse to Constantinople and than by pope Sergius they were brought to Melan / This yere was thomas of Caunterbury martred / Of hym one sayth in this manere / Anno milleno Centeno / Septuageno An∣glorum primas corruit ense thomas / / That is to menynge / The yere of our lord enleuen honderd and seuenty / thomas deyde / by a swerde prymate of englysshe men / ¶ Another sayth in this maner / quis moritur / presul / cur / pro grege / qualiter ense / Quando / natali / quo loco / ara dei / In Englysshe who dyeth / a Bisshop / why / for the flock / how / with a swerde / whan / at myd∣wynter / in what place / at goddes aulter ¶ Another sayth in this maner / Pro Crysti sponsa / Crysti sub tempope Crysti / In templo Crysti verus amator obijt / That is to menynge / For Crystes spouse in Crystes tyme / In Crystes temple crystes tre∣we louer dyeth / ¶ Giraldus / ¶ After his deth the kyn¦ges fortune beganne to withdrawe / for the yere after the kynge wente in to Irlond that he had myghtely wonne and made there counseyls in many places by the popes wylle / and namely at cas¦sil / there was not the primate of arnach for febelnesse of his bo¦dy / This prymate ladde with hym a whyte cowe alwey aboute / and was susteyned only by the mylke of that whyte cowe / he re∣formed al that yland with all his myght / specially in thre poyn¦tes in rulynge of thoffyce of hooly chirche / in the trewe payeng of tethyng to hooly chirche and in lawful vsage of wedlok / than it was there ordeyned that men dyed that shold make theyr testamente in presence of theyr neyghbours· & yf the man that dyeth hath wyf and children / he shold fyrst cast what he oweth / and his dettys to other mē / and to seruauntes for theyr hyre and the other deele of his meobles shold be deled in thre / The one partye sholde be ordeyned to his children / the other partye to his wyf / and the thyrdde to brynge hym in erthe and for to doo for his soule / yf he bee withoute wyf or withoute children / his catell shold be deled in tweyne / ¶ Whanne the kynge come oute of Irlond he byganne to haue reuelacions and specially by cause that he shold amende his lyf / fyrst in the Castel of cardef in wa∣les the sonday next after eester day whan the kyng had herd mas¦se / and wente to his hors / there stonde a pale man with rounde

tonsour lene and long barfoote in a whyte kyrtel he spak to the kyng in duche speche in this maner and sayde / Good old kynge And than he told forth his tale in this maner / Cryst greteth the and his moder myld and Iohan baptist and peter and comman∣deth hyghly that no chepynges be holden nother seruyle werkes / doon on the Sonday in the londes of thy lordshipe oute take do∣ynge that nedith to the vsage of dyghtynge of meete / yf thou dost as I telle / alle that thou begynnest / thou shalt brynge to a gracious ende· the kynge spake Frensshe to the knyght that helde his brydel & sayde / Axe of this chorle yf he hath y dremed al this that he tellyth / And he expowned it in Englysshe / Thenne the man spake in the forsayde tonge / and sayde / whether I haue mette this tale or noo / take thou heede what day it is to daye / For but yf thou doo as I telle and amende thy lyf / thou shalt here suche tydynges within this yere that thou shalt be soory ther¦fore to thy lyues ende· The man vanysshed whanne this was say¦de / and within the thre yeres the kynges sones henry Gaufred & Rychard torned to the kyng of Fraunce ageynst theyr owne fa∣der / ¶ The kynge of Scotlande the Erle of Chestre / and the Erle of leycetre reysed ageynst the kynge / And the kynge had many warnynges / but he sette lytel therby / For the second tyme an Irysshe man warned hym and told hym tokenes that were moste pryuy / the thyrdde tyme a knyght of lyndeseye Phelyp of Chestreby passed the Frensshe see / and come to the kynge in nor∣mandye / and expowned hym there seuen artycles that he sholde amende / and yf he dyde he shold regne worshipfully seuen yere / and he shold wynne the holy crosse and his enemyes / and ellys he shold shamely dye in the fourth yere / ¶ Thre the fyrste were the Artycles that he hadde swore in his crownynge that he shold hold / One was of the mayntenyng of hooly chirch The other of ryghtful lawes / the thyrdde that he shold no man dampne withoute dome / The fourthe that he shold restore agey∣ne herytages that he hadde byn••me / the fyfthe that he sholde doo ryght withoute meede / the syxthe that he sholde paye the wages of his seruauntes / The seuenth that he shold doo the Iewes oute of Englond and leue hem som what of moneye to wende oute of the lande / ¶ But the kynge was not amended / Therfore aroos ageynste hym thre stronge men and myghty his owne thre sonnes with the kynge of Fraunce / But whanne

kynge henry hadde vysyted mekely thomas the martiris tombe / William kyng of Scotlande and the twey Erles of Chestre and of lyncoln were taken at Alnewyk / ¶ This meschyef dured two yere and was vnnethe ceessed / and he acounted the ce••ssyng therof to his owne strengthe / and not to goddes mercy / And he that hadde prysonned his wyf Elyanor the quene and was pry¦uely a spouche breker / and lyued now openly in spousebrekyng and is not ashamed to mysuse the wenche Rosamund / To this fayre wenche the kyng made at wodestoke a chambre of wonder crafte slyly made by dedalus werke / leste the Quene sholde fynde and take Rosamund / but the wenche dyed soone / and is beryed in the chapyter hows at Godestow besydes Oxen¦ford with suche wryting vpon her tombe / Hic Iacet in tumba / r••sa¦mundi / non rosa munda· Non redolet / sed olet / que redele••e sole•• / That is to saye / Here lyeth in tombe the Rose of the world / not a clene rose / It smellyth not swete but it stynkyth that was wōt to smelle ful sweete / This wenche had a lytel Coffre scarsely of twey fote longe made by a wonder crafte that is yet seen there / Therin it semyth that geauntes fyghtyn / beestes startlyn / foules fleyn / and Fysshes leepe withoute ony mannes moeuynge /

¶ Capitulum 23

ALso this yere at yorke the twellyfth daye byfore september william kyng of Scotland by assente of lordes and prela∣tes of his lande dyde hommage to henry kyng of Englond / Also this kynge william seyth in his lettres patente that he and his successours and men of Scotland shold doo hommage lege∣ance and fewte to the kynges of Englonde / as ofte as they be therto requyred / In token of this subgettion the kynge of Scot∣lande offred his hat and his sadel vpon saynt Peters Aulter / in the chirche of york that be yet there kepte vnto this day / And yet herto the lordes of Scotland swore that yf the kynge of Scotlande wold withdrawe hym in ony tyme from that feyth / they wolde ryse ageynste hym and be ageynst hym alweye / till that he were torned ageyne / ¶ Pope Gregory in dyuers wrytynges that he sente to the kynges of englond and of scotland charged heyhely / that this composicion sholde bee stydfastly

holde / And for the declaracion of this subgection / the kynge of Scotland and his prelates come to northampton to kyng henryes parlement / And therafter he cam to kyng henry in to normandy Also this yere by assente of the kyng the Couent of Caunter∣bury cheese Rychard pryour of douer to be Archebisshop / In the enleuenth yere of his bisshopryche our lord appered to hym and sayde / thou hast wasted the goodes of my chirche / and I shal rote the oute of the erth / thenne he was aferd and deyd the eyght day therafter / the charge of the trauayl of the takynge of the crosse that henry the kyn••e hadde y take somtyme beyonde the see and swore afterward ••yfore two cardynals that he wold poursue it after thre yere / whanne thre yere were passed / he sent to Rome for to haue lenger delaye in ydel of his gyleful doynge / And that by suche a feyned colour that he shold make thre abbayes in englōd And soo he dyde in this maner of Seculer chanons of waltham he made chanons reguler & dyde awey menchons of Ambresbu¦ry and brought thyder other menchons from beyonde the See / & restored symply the chartrous at wythā besydes salesbury / Also he hadde taken somtyme the kepynge of the kynges doughter of fraunce for he shold mary hyr to his sonne rychard of peytow / But after the deth of Rosamund he laye by this mayde / therfor his sonne Rychard refused the maryage / therfor the kynge caste to wedde this wenche / and therfor he prayd huguncio the cardy¦nal for to come and make dyuorse bytwene hym and elyanor the quene / for he hoped so to haue the more helpe & fauour of frensshe men to dyssheryte his owne sonnes / Afterward fyll warre by∣twene hym and the kynge of Fraunce for Castel Raph· and kyng henry axyd this wenche to wedde hyr to his sonne Iohan / And axyd with her the erldoms of Peytow and of Angeo / but the kyng of Fraunce assentid not to this axynge. but he sente the lettres to Rychard by cause he sholde hem see / Therfore aroos a grisely wreth bytwene the fader and his owne sonne / Grysly thundryng was herd in a mydwynter nyght at andeuer In hamptshyre a preeste was smyten to deth with lyghtnynge in the myddel of the people / and none other man was touched / & swyne were seen amonge hem renne vp and doune / Tempest of hayel slewe foules beestes & men in a ma••deleyn nyght / Gir / 16 This tyme that was in our tyme kyng arthures body was foū¦den that was acoūted as it were fantastyk / & brought as it were a fer at an ende & a fable of Brytons feyned / that he shold eft••

come and be kyng / at glast••nbury bytwene two pylers that we¦re arered of stone somtyme in the hooly chirche hygh by wonder tokenes and warnynges / this Arthures body was foūde beryed and marked in an holow oke depe in the erthe / and than he was take vp and translated worshypfully in to the chirche and y l••y¦de honestly in a tombe of marbelstone / there was founden a croys of leede / and a stone therupon / and lettres y wryte within in the crosse tourned toward the stone / the whiche lettres I radde and handled in this maner fourme / Hic iacet sepultus inclitus Rex Arthurus cum wennenera vxor sua secunda in Insula Aualona That is here lyeth beryed the noble kyng Arthur with his second wyf wennener in aualon / The bones were leyd in the graue / soo ••hat the twey deles of the graue toward the heede conteyned the mannes bones / and the thyrdde dele toward the feete conteyned the womans boones / there the yelow tresses of the womans heere was founden hoole and sounde with Fresshe colour and hewe as ••t had somtyme / but a monk touched it coueytously with his han¦••e / and anone it fyll all in to pouder / ¶ This kynge hen¦••y hadde herde somtyme of a bryton that knewe storyes and was a synger of gestes that kynge Arthures bodye sholde be founden 〈◊〉〈◊〉 an holow oke aboute fyftene fote depe in the erthe / He was beryed soo deepe lest he were lyghtly founde of the Sax∣ons that were his enemyes / And therfore lett••••s were wryten and grauen within toward the stone / to be Iuge and wytnesse of the sothnesse and truthe / And also haue mynde that Arthures schyn bone that was thenne shewed was l••nger by thre ynches than the legge / and the knee of the lengest man that was than founde / Also the space of his forheede bytwene his twey eyeen was a spanne brode. Also in his heede were seen wemmes of ten woūdes / and it semed that they come al in to one wemme oute ta¦••e the wemme of one wounde / ¶ Ierusalem was take and destroyed of the Sarasyns / ¶ After Alysaunder the thyrdde lucins was pope a yere and four monethes / ¶ That yere dyed hughe Erle of Chestre at l••••k / his sonne the thyrdde Ranulph was Erle after hym fyfty yere / Also that ye∣re deyde henry that was the kynges eldest sone / of hym one sayde in this maner / Omnis honoris honor decor et decus vrbis & orbis That is worship of all worship fayrenesse and worshipe of the Cyte and of the world wyde / Milicia splendor gloria lumen apex that is shynynge and blysse lyghte and heede of Chyualrye

Iulius ingenio / virtutibus hector / achylles viribas / Augustus moribus / ore parys / that is iulius in wytte / hector in vertues •••• Achilles in strengthe / Augustus in thewes / Parys in mouthe /

¶ Capitulum 24

THis yere whanne Rychard Archebisshop of Caunterbury was dede / baldwyn bisshop of wyrcetre was Archebisshop after by assente of the kyng and of alle the bisshops / but the mō¦kes of Caunterbur•• withsayde it with all that they myght / Of hym it is sayd that he ete neuer Flesshe from the fyrste daye that he was made ••hyte monke to his lyues ende / In a tyme by the wey an old lene womman met hym and axyd yf it were sothe that he ete no maner flessh / It is sothe quoth he / It is fals sayde she / For thou hast ete my flesshe vn to the bones / For I had but one cowe that I was sustened by / and thy deenes haue bynome me that cowe / he answerd and sayde truly by the grace of god thou shalt haue as good a cowe as she was / The four•••• yere of his bisshopryche fyl stryf bytwene hym and the Conu•••• of Caunterbury / for newe houses and chirches that were buyld fast by the monkes walles / in the which chirche he had ordeyned seculer clerkes and ordeyned hem prouendres of the monkes chir¦ches / that he was compellyd to take awey the byldyng / and they were translated to lambhythe fast by london byfore westmynstre The yere of our lord enleuen honderd four score and eyghte / thi•• baudwyn had the offyce of the legacy of the cros and wente in to wales and songe in euery cathedral chirche of wales a masse in pontificalibus / and that was neuer seen byfore that tyme / After lucius the thyrd vrban was pope as it were two yere / he deyd for sorowe that Ierusalem was take of the sarasyns / That tyme cam heraclius patriarke of Ierusalem in to Englond to kyng henry and prayd hym help ageynst the saraseyns in the na¦me of all the Crysten men of the eest londes / and profered the keyes of the hooly Cyte / and of our•• lordes graue with the kyn∣ges baner and lettres of lucius the pope that coūseylyd and char¦gyd hym that he shold take that iourney / and made mynde of the othe that he had made / but the kyng put ouer his answer till he cam at london / and by the prechyng of the patryark and of bald¦wyn the Archebisshop many toke the crosse to the hooly lande

But henry answerd and sayde that he myght not forsake and le¦ue his landes / withoute warde and kepyng nother sette hym to the pray to the Robberye of Frensshmen / But he wold yeue lar¦gely of his to theym that wold thyder wende / kyng sayth the pa¦triark / It is nought that thou dost / we seke and axe a prynce and not money / Neygh euery londe of the world sendyth vs moneye / but no man sendeth vs a prynce / Than we axe a man that nedeth money and not money that nedyth a man / And so the patriarck•• wente his wey / & his hope was lost and the kyng folowid him vn to the see / For he wolde with fayr wordes as he wel couthe plese the patriark that was greued but the patriark spake to the kynge and sayde / hederto thou hast regned gloryously / but heraf∣ter he wold forsake the that thou ••ast forsake / Thynke and ha∣ue mynde what our lord hath yeuen the and what thou hast yol¦den hym ageyne / how thou were fals to the kynge of Fraunce & slowe saynt thomas and now thou forsakest the defence and pro∣tection of crysten men / The kynge was wroth with thyse wordes The Patriark sawe that and profered hym his heede and his nek and sayde doo by me ryght as thou dydest by saynt thomas· For me is as leef be slayne of the in Englond as of Sarasyns in si∣ria / for thou art wors than ony sarasyn / though all my men said the kyng were one body and spake with one mouth / they durste not speke to me suche wordes / Noo wonder sayd the Patriarke for they loue thyn and not the / this peple folowyth pray and not a man / than the kyng sayde I may not wende out of my landes For myne owne sonnes wold aryse ageynst me / whanne I we∣re absente / No wonder seyd the patryark for of the deuyl they co¦me and to the deuyl they shal / This yere the kyng sente his sone Iohan in to Irlonde / but he dyde lytel prouffyt there and come home ageyne / This yere the fyrste day of may sarasyns toke Ie∣rusalem and bare awey the hooly crosse / and slew the mayster of chyualrye of the temple and many noble men / whanne that was wyst amonge crysten men / many toke the crosse to the hooly lande in al the world wyde / Among the whiche Rychard of pey¦tow kyng henryes sone toke the crosse also. And for the same cau¦se baldwyn the Archebisshop wente in to wales as it is touchid before hande / In his Company was girald Cambrensis archede¦ken of landaf that descryued the maners of walsshe men in his booke that is called Itinerarius as he had before descryued the state and the maners of Irisshe men in his booke / that highte

Topographia / whanne he was sente with Iohan kyng Henryes sonne in to Irlond / ¶After vrban the eyght gregory was pope four monethes / He sente many lettres and pystles for socour of the hooly land / After hym the thyrdde clemente was pope thre ye¦re / ¶ This yere at dunstaple in englonde many men sawe our lord Ihesu Cryst in the eyr honge on the crosse / Also this yere ••••ng henry made Ranulph erle of Chestre knight and yaf hym 〈◊〉〈◊〉 wyf constance the contesse of brytayne the wy∣dowe of his sone gaufred with al lytel brytayne / & the erldome of Rychemond / the kynges of Englond and of Fraunce and Rychard erle of peytow and many other noble men to the nom∣bre of an honderd thousand & four score thousand toke the crosse on· saynt Gregoryes daye / that yere Frederyk the emperour wente acursed to the hooly land / and ladde his hooste by Constantino∣ple / but for grete hete he bathed hym in a ryuer in armenye that is called gula Sathane that is Sathanas throte / and there Fre¦derik was drowned / other as some men tellyn his hors stombled and fel in to the water and soo he was drowned and beryed at Tyrus / his eldest sonne was dede in the same iourneye / and his other sonne the fyfthe henry was Emperour of Almayne after hym and regned eyght yere / and wanne Apulea and Scicilia / and was acursed of Pope Celestinus / For Rychard kynge of Englond was take whanne he come from the hooly lande / and holden in the Emperours prysonne and myghte not be delyuerd without a grete somme of money / And the emperour dyed in the same cursyng / and myght not be beryed without assente of kyn∣ge Rychard / Also that yere fyll stryf bytwene the twey kynges of englond and of Fraunce / and alle the moneye was wasted that was arered of dymes for the iourneye and goyng to Ieru∣salem / For atte Cyte Cenomanna the kyng of Fraunce and Ry¦chard erle of Peytow come ageynst the kyng of Englond / and kyng henry made sette the subarbes a fuyer for a cautel / by cause his enemyes sholde haue noo socour therin / but the strengthe of the wynde droof the layte of the fyer in to the cyte & brente vp all the cyte· and compellyd kyng henry to goo oute of the Cyte / And the kyng in his goyng from the cyte spake suche wordes / & sayde for thou hast bynome me this day the cyte that I moost lo¦ue in this worlde I shal quyte the / For after this tyme I shal benyme the thyng that sholde moost plese the in me that is myn herte / Atte last at Turon he was take with a feuer and desyred

to haue pees with the kynge of Fraunce in suche manere that he wold gladly put hym self in the kyng of Fraunce grace / sauyng his owne worship and the crowne and his Royamme / But all for nought for he myght geete no pees / but yf he wold withoute ony condicion putte hym in the kynges grace / And it was well worthy / for he graunted not to thomas this worde sauynge the worship of god and the dygnyte of his ordee and the Fredom of hooly chirche / Than kyng henry deyd in the Castel Cynon••us / & alle that were aboute hym yaue hem soo to Robberye and to bry∣brye that the kynges body lay naked long tyme / til that a chil¦de coueryd the nether partyes of his body with a short cloke / Than hit semed that his surname was fulfylled that he hadde of his childhode / henry short cloke that hight short mātel beyonde the see / For this was the fyrste that brought shorte clookes oute of Angeo in to englond / Also they that were there as he was dede told that al the whyle that his sonne stode by his faders body / the faders both nosetherles bledde dropes of blode / Eyght dayes byfo¦re this kynges deth fysshes leepe out of a ponde in normandy and fought strongly to gyders with soo greete noyse that men of the contraye aboute come thyder oute of euery syde for to see the won∣der and founde vnnethe ony fysshe alyue

¶ Capitulum 24

KYnge henry is dede at Fontreuerard / And his sonne Ry∣chard was kyng after hym and regned ten yere / Steuen of Caunterbury descryued clerely his maners and his dedes And by cause this storye shold not mysse the noble dedes of soo grete a duke / I haue studyed to take the floures of steuens boo¦ke / This kynge ordeyned redyly his thynges beyonde the See / & cam in to Englond for to be crowned / In his comynge prisones were opened and he was crowned at london of Baldwyn Ar∣chebisshop of Caūterbury the thyrde day of September the whiche daye is acounted an euyl daye by the veyne byleue and vsage of mysbyleuyd men / and is clepyd in the kalender Dies Egypci∣aca / and dies mala an euyl daye as it were a day of bodynge of euyl happes to the Iewes for the Iewes of Englond had euyl happe that daye / Many Iewes cam to this solempnyte leste the welthe that they hadde vnder the olde kynge sholde be withdrawe

in the newe kynges tyme / But the kyng heet and commaunded that the I••wes shulde not come in to the chirche / while he were crowned nowther in to the palays whyle he were at mete / But while the kyng was at mete / somme of the Iewes pressed amōg other / and come within the palays gate / and one of hem was smyten with a mannes fyste / Than the Rabyssh peple wende that the kyng had soo commaunded / and vp with staues battes and stones / and layde on the Iewes and made them to flee / Herof sprang lykyng thynges in to al the Cyte / as though the kynge had commaund••d to dystroye the Iewes / and the peple resxny & cryeng brake vp the houses there the Iewes were fledde for dre¦de / and brente and spoylled and toke what they myght / & wolde not leue for the kynges sendyng / The outrage of▪ soo grete wode¦nesse yf it were suffred shold passe many cruel dedes and blemys¦shed moche the kynges begynnyng / But for the grete multitude of hem that were gylty he must lete passe what he myght nought take of ful wreche / ¶ Atte last the Iewes had pees graū¦ted / And anone the kyng ••eueth dygnytees that auoydeth / And all withoute that his broder Iohan hadde of his faders yefte in Irlond & in normandy. he yaf hym the prouynces of Cornewail Of Deuenshyre / of notyngham and of lancastre / Also he yafe hym the erles doughter of Gloucestre to wyf that was his Cosyn in the thyrde degree with all her faders lordship / The lordship of the fourth dele that was yeuen hym made him vnkynde and vn¦trewe and desyre the hoole kyngdome / The kyng commytted the gouernaunce of the Royame to the Bisshop of Durham / that shold more skylfully and semely occupye hym self in goddes ser¦uyce than in the kynges seruyce / For the Gospel sayth that noo man may serue twey lordes at ful as he shold / though the Bys∣shop wold to dele hym self for to plese eyther kyng of heuen and of erthe / Certaynly the kyng ef heuen aloweth not seruice that is so deled For he wolde be seruid with all the might of the soule / And what yf the Bisshop that is but half yeuen to Goddes ser∣uyce doth not his office as he shold / but ordeined vnworthye and recheles persones in his steede for he wold serue ho••ily in the pa∣lais other in the feire and courte / For in none half man makith God atte full of the acountes of an erthely prince / ¶ Also the king for to haue the more large spence toward Ierusalem he re¦signed the Castels of Berwick and Rokesburgh to the kinge fo Scotland for ten thousand pounde / ¶Also he begiled the

olde man the ryche bisshop of durham and made hym bye his owne prouynce for a greete somme of moneye / therfor the kynge sayde ofte in his game / I am a wonder crafty man / For I ha∣ue made a newe erle of an old bisshop by suche maner wyle and speche he empted many mannes purses and bagges / and solde dygnytees and lordshipes that longed to the kynge as though he thought neuer for to come ageyne / In a tyme his frendes that were homely with hym blamed hym therfore and he answerd & sayde I wolde selle london and I myghte fynde a chapman that myght wel paye / many men bought with the better wylle / For they trowed that the kyng wold neuer come ageyne / he had take power of the pope that he myghte byneme the crosse whome that he wolde / and therby he gate many thousande pounde / than the kyng as it semed betoke rechelesly the gouernyng of the kyng¦dom to his chaunceler bisshop of hely / and sayl̄ed in to Norman∣dy byfore mydwynter tyde / That tyme at dunstaple the sygne of the crosse was seen in heuene / and soone therafter the sh••p of the crosse was seen forsake the baner and passe somwhat of space therfrom / Telle who that wyll what it myght mene / For I haue lerned to telle this wonder and not to descryue what hit shold mene / Than the kynges of Englond and of Fraunce after that they had made suerte bytwene hem tweyne they dwellyd at Tu∣ron in Fraunce for to abyde somer to wende in the wey to the ho¦ly land not only for hooly entente and for cause of the feyth / But for desyre of her owne welthe and hope of grete happe and fortune / but the ryghtwysenesse of God aloweth not suche maner doyng / but semely god ordeineth that outrageo{us} pryde of mysby¦leuyd men shold be alayd in that maner / Also withoute the me¦schyef that Iewes suffryd in her body and catel at lyncolne and at lynne / yet at york after a long siege and grete meschyef and woo / Raby mayster of Iewes forkytte the veynes of four hon∣derd Iewes & of his owne veynes also and his veynes throte Also at staūford Iewes were beten / slayne and pylled / And one Iohne mooste hardy of Crysten men come to Northampton with many grete prayes / there the hostiler slowe hym pryuely by nyght for couetyse of moneye that he hadde brought / And threw the body by nyght withoute the cyte and fled aweye as a theef sholde / Than old wiues mette and there were seen wonder fals sightes of fals tokenes / and the sely men bare on honde / that it was for the holinesse of that man that they helde a very martir

and worshiped the sepulcre of the dede man with solempne wat¦ches / and yeftes / But wyse men lough hem to scorne / but clerkes of the places were wel apayd therwith / for they had prouffyte therby / this was told to the bisshop / & anone he forbad the doyng of symple men vppon payne of cursyng & the grete boost of couey¦tōs mē & hir fals martir / in the mene tyme whyle kyng rychard was absent williā bisshop of hely the kynges chaūceler procura¦tour of the Reme the popes legate in englonde made for money he helde lowe the clergye / and spake by the kynges power / and bare doune the comyn people and shewyd auctoryte of the pope of Rome / and roode with a thousand horses / he greued abbayes with paymentes and with gyftes / and made his allyes the grettest of the lond / Eyther prymates see he helde lowe ynough / at his owne wyll / For Baldwyn tharchebisshop of Caunterbu¦y dyed at Troys byfore the comyng of the kyng fro the holy lon¦de and the kynges broder geffrey electe of york / he had lette ten yere that he was not sacred / And also geffrey landed at Douer / and he bynam his cateyt and drewe hym oute of saynt martyns abbaye and put hym in the kynges toure / And made a counseyll at westmynstre as the kynges procuratour / and the popes legate There his fautour hughe nouaunt bisshop of Chestre put forth a playnt that the monkes of Couentre had shadde his bloode right byfore the hygh aulter / Therfore william bisshop of hely demed that monkes shold be put awey from Couentre / & that clerkes shold be brought thyder that lyueth by prouendes by occasiō her of this hughe that was gyleful of wytte / shameles and hardy in euyl dedes cunnynge in lettrure & faire speche / and had alweye made debate and strif bitwene the priour and the Couent of Co∣uentre / nowe with strengthe of men of Armes he putte oute the monkes as passing euil doers / and gilty of hughes tr••spaas / and sente anone to the court of Rome men of answere ful enformed with lettres of bisshops witnessyng that the monkes had forsake Cristes chiualrye and were falle to wordly liking / therfor he pra¦yed the pope of free ordenaunce of that Abbay•• / The pope abode six monethes with the sentence for to abide if ony man wold come and speke for the monkes / but defaute of spences lette the mon¦kes and made that the bisshop had al his wille / the monkes come vnnethe at laste whanne they had longe wepte the wrong of her violent out puttinge. But the bisshops might and power hadde the maistrye by moneye and sleight and many yeres the monkes

were disparpled / and what they had was ordeyned to prouen∣des of clerkes and they lyued porely▪ and gate theyr lyflode as they myght / therfor whanne this bisshop hughe was seke at bec∣co in normandy on a good fryday / and myght noman fynde that wolde sette hym penaunce as it is sayde / ¶ Than he sayde / and I deme my self to lye in the peyne of purgatorye for myn euyll dedes vn to the day of dome /

¶ Capitulum 26▪

AFter Clement the thyrdde Celestinus was Pope syxe yer•• and eyght monethes / the seconde day of his consecracion he crowned the fyfth henry Emperour Frederycks sonne / In this maner / Fyrst byfore the grees of the chirche of Rome he toke ••n oth of this henry that he shold defende and mayntene holy chirch and the ryghtes of hooly chirches / and yf ought were bynome o•• saynt peters londes he shold restore it ageyne / with al his myg••t Thenne he saate in his chayr / and helde the Emperours crowne with his feete and the emperour bowyd doune his heede / and the pope leete falle the crowne vppon the Emperours heede / and smo¦te it of ageyne of the Emperours heede anone with his feete / in token that the pope hath power to make the emperour and to sette hym doune yf he be worthy / The Cardynals stoode by and toke vp the crowne and sette it vpon the Emperours heede ageyne / Whyle the kyng was absent the forsayd wylliam de longchamp Bisshop of hely pryued hugh bisshop of durham of all manere worship / and greuyd the Bisshop of wynchestre / and wrethyd neygh alle / In the mene tyme / many were arayd for to passe the see to haue and axe remedye of the kynge and helpe ageynste the comyn tyraunte / but he was waare th••rof and come before all o∣ther / and had al his wyll and come ageyne er other men come to the kyng / but other men had lettres also suche as they wold and one of hem that was bisshop of lyncolne cam ageyne and pursu¦ed william bisshop of hely vn to lyncolne / There was sette a daye to answere in the castel of tykhylle / there whanne the bisshop of durham was come / this william spake to hym and sayde / / I ta¦ke the bisshop not a bisshop / but I chaunceler take the Castellan till that thou yeue pledges to yelde vp the kynges Castels / The

fame of this euyl man william fulfylled al englond / Soo that the grete grutchyd ageynst hym and the smale cursed wel fast / The kynges broder Iohan was wroth for the takyng of his bro¦der Geffrey erle of york / and gadred grete strengthe of his owne prouynce and of walsshemen with many bisshops / and chaced this william from wyndesore to the toure of london / and from thennes to douer / there this william dradd left he shold not freely passe the see and toke a womans cloth aboue his owne clothyng and coueryd his hede and the moost part of his face with kerche¦ues and wymples and walked on the clyf / and bare on his lift arme a webbe of lynnē cloth as it were to sellyng and bare a me∣te yerde in his ryght hande / for he wold slyly escape and passe by that crafte and not be espyed / But by cause he couth not selle and vndo his cloth as a woman shold he was take by his pryuy mē¦bris & despytously espyed / but at last he passed the see / and the bisshop of Rothomage had the reulyng of the Royamme by cō∣maundemente of the kyng that was than in Scicilia / Also the bisshop of bathe was choce Archebisshop / but he was so∣ne deed / and yet william bisshop of hely purchaced a wel stron∣ge maundement of Celestinus the pope / and had the same Auc∣toryte and power that he had rather as it were for amendemence of the kyngdome of englond / and for to wythstōde Iohan that wold byneme his broder the kyngdom whyle he was absent But in al this he was begyled for he conspyred and was assen¦tynge to Iohan other for yeftes other for fayr byhestes / And yet al for nought for though he shewed at douer the grete waraūt of his legacye / yet the quene Elyanor and the Archebisshops of Rothomage and of yorke / and many other compellyd hym for to sayle ageyne. thenne after that they had abyde spryngynge ty¦me at Turon the kynges of Frannce and of Englond wente / the one by water and the other by land and come to Scicilia / There the kyng of Fraunce lete passe the trespaas of his men vn¦punysshed and was cleped a lambe / but the kyng of Englond l••te no trespaas vnpunysshed / therfor he was cleped a lyon / Also kynge Rychard fought with griffons in Calabria / and in Scicilia / and had the maystrye / He made a Castel of tree to bee ladde aboute and he rered that Castel ageynst the cyte of messā and cleped that Castel mategryffons / with that castel afterward he toke the cyte of Acres / Also there his moder brought hym a fayre mayde of speche and of shap Berengaria that was the

kynges doughter of nauarn / and kyng rychard wedded her to wyf / Than the kyng of fraūce wēt forth in to siria / & the kyng of Englond abode somwhat after that he w••s goon / but in that aby¦dyng he was not ydel· but he sente forth vytayls & made engyns Than he went oute of Scicile and come in to Cypres & bythouht hym that tweyne of the kynges shippes were broke with tempest of the see and spoylled by men of Cypres / therfor kyng rychard chaced the kyng of the londe that wold not doo amendes / from Cyte to Cyte till that the kynge yelded hym to kyng Rychard / And the kyng yelde hym self vpon couenaunt that he shold not be put in boundes of yren / kynge Rychard graunted hym / but he putte hym in boundes of syluer and dwellyd there twey mone∣thes / and had the lande at his wyll / than he wente to acres and toke in the see one of the soudans greete shippes lade with greete ryches / and bulgyd and thyrled it in the nether syde / whanne he come to akres fyl stryf bytwene hym and the kynge of Fraū∣ce in this maner / by couenaunt that was made bytwene him at Turon / The kynge of Fraunce chalengyd half that was wonne in Cypres / kynge rychard ayene sayde & sayde that the couenaūt was made of the wynnyng of the hooly lond and ageynst the sa¦rasyns / Also ther was another cause of stryf for the kyng wol∣de lene nothyng to therle of champayn that was than ful nedy and in grete meschyefs / but he wold laye champayne to the kyng to wedde / than the erle sayde / I haue doone that I shold do heraf¦ter / I shal doo that me nedyth / Myn owne lorde takyth me not but for of myne / therfor I shal goo to hym that is more redy to yeue than to take / Than he cam to kyng rychard / and was ryche y nough / Also kyng Rychard fauoured guy kynge of Ierusa∣lem ageynste Conradus markys kyng of Tyrus that the kyng of fraūce fauoured on that other syde / But they cam to the si••ge of acres that was besyeged two yere & al theyr trauayll lost / For the engyns that were broughte ageynst the cyte were brent with Grekysshe fyer that noo water myght quenche nother other Ele∣ment / ¶Also the Crysten hoost waxed lasse and lasse somdele by sekenes and somdele for other defautes and meschyefs / Also it was to deled in partyes for the stryf that was bytwene guy and the markys / Also somme grete of our syde hadde recey∣ued money and mede of the Soudan

¶ Capitulum 27

THan the yere of our lord enleuen honderd foure score and ten / the enleuenth day of Iuyl / the thyrtenth day after the comyng of kyng Richard / the cyte thelomayda was take that is called acres / In that takyng the duk of austrych folowyd kyn∣ge rychard for he wold on caas chalenge part of the prayes that were take / but I can not telle whether by hap other by the kyn¦ges wyll the duk of austryche baner was troden in the feen / Therfor the duk was wroth and torned home ageyne for to take afterwarde gretter wreche of kynge rychard / Than al that there was wonne was departed bytwene the kynges of englond and of Fraunce / and the kyng of Fraunce sold his prysoners and the kyng of englond henge his own prysonners / Herfor and for other suche deedes the kyng of Fraunce byganne for to stryue / & had grete enuye to the name that kyng rychard had and sayde that the eyer was dystempered and wente home ageyne and swo¦re that he wold do no damage to kyng rychard before his comyng oute of the hooly lande / than he had good wynde and sayled in to ytaly / and cam to the pope & prayed to be assoylled of an oth that he had made ageynst his wyll / but the pope wold not assēt Than Conradus the markys was slayne of twey theues in his owne Cyte Tyrus / And the kyng of fraunce founded for to put that cursed dede vpon kyng Rychard / & made a counseyll at Pa¦ris / & ther he sayde that he wold be wroken vpon kyng rychard / but the wisest men coūseyled him to leue his purpos / & take none hasty wreche / & sayde / though it were soth that was bore kyng ri∣chard on hand / yet men shold not hastly and vnskylfully worche but men shold abyde by cause of honeste till he were come home a∣geyn / for it was knowen that he was in pylgremage for crystes sake / Also yf he wold whan he were come home purge hym of that men bare hym on honde other make good for the trespaas / than it shal be wel ynough / & ellys it is ryghtful to axe wreche and that in skylfull tyme / & yf this counseyl plese you not / axe coūseyl of the pope / the kyng ceessed for a tyme / but he cast a cruel doyng & blody for the kyngdome of Englond / For the kynge of Fraunce sent messagers for to haue to his wyf the kynges suster of denmarke vpon suche a couenaunt that he shold haue graūted with her alle the ryght that the danes had somtyme in Englond and nauey and strengthe for one yere to helpe wynne that right

That condicyon was denyed for the Wandales that were

ageynst hym in the other syde / but the kyng had with the wen∣che ten thousand marc of syluer / But after the fyrste nyght of the weddyng / the kyng forsoke hyr and put her awey vnsemely other by cause her breth stank / other for he fonde her not mayde / That tyme in the eeste landes was greete defaulte of spence and also kyng Rychard was wyckedly defamed that he was vntre¦we to the kyng of Fraunce and had doone hym wrong. and also that he had hyred theues to slee conradus the markys and that he had conspyred with the soudan to bytraye the hooly lond / and that it was therfor that kyng rychard wold not go to for to ta¦ke the hooly cyte / therfore kynge rychard arayed hym hom ward Also for the more dele of the crystē host was destroyed with swer¦de / with sekenesse with honger and with hard trauayll / In that doynge take hede that the hygh wysedom of god that ret••••••th but lytel as it semeth of the wordly heel and sauacion of his seruaū∣tes whyle he maketh hem come wysely by meschyefs and sorow to fulfyll the cyte of heuē / I tell it for they that passed so ther sped more graciously than they that come home ageyn to her foule ma¦ner of liuyng of old tyme / soo cryst our kyng vseth wel the euil dedes of mankynde whyle he takyth the erthly Ierusalem in to the handes of enemyes for the synne of hem that dwellyd th••rynne and bryngyth forth wysely large wynnyng of hygh Ierusalem of heuen / for the defaulte / and shame of oure tyme the hooly Cyte mot be defouled of mysbyleuyd men vn to that tyme / that god knowyth alone / For without ony doubte whan tyme cometh the holy land shal cast oute euyll mē that dwelle therin as it dyd somtyme & on caas with wel lasse strength / for goddes owē strēg¦the shold be more knowen in that man dede / So amōg the macha¦beys one sayde it is but lytel maystrye to god almyghty to ouer∣come many men with the myght and strengthe of fewe men and that was shewed and declared whanne one pursued a thousand and tweyne chaced ten thousand / And gedeon dyde aweye the greete multitude / and hadde the vyctorye of a greete multitude with thre honderd men that laped water in to theyr owne mou∣thes / But Crysten men shal not assaye god and start forth rab¦byschly and vnwisely fewe ageynst many enemyes / as who saith we haue a good lorde and a myghty / For god wo•• that his ser∣uauntes truste so on hym that they be not recheles and neglygēt but worche wysely /

¶ 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

¶ Capitulum 29

ABoute that tyme one steuen procurator of Angeo that had wysely y bore hym in the seconde kyng henryes tyme / and in this kyng Richardes tyme also / he supposed thāt the kyng that was tendre of body shold be ou{er}come with long wey & perylle that he shold neuer come ageyne / other yf he come ageyne it shold be vnnethe / therfore he bygan rabbysshly to passe his warraunt in absence of the kynge / than one that was homely with hym con¦seylled hym to axe of a nygromancer / whether kynge Rychard shold come ageyne or no / the nygromancer ladde steuen in to a pri¦uy place and shewed hym a brasen heede in the whiche was a spy¦rite closed / Axe of this what thou wolt quoth the nygromancer but fewe and shortly / For he answerd not to grete ianglyng / Shal I euer see kynge Rycharde quoth steuen / naye quoth the spyryte / how longe shal myn offyce dure quoth steuen / To thy ly¦ues ende quoth the spyryte / wher shal I dye quoth steuen in plu¦ma quoth the spyryte / Than myght he axe no more but he wente from his prophete and forbad his men and badde theym that they sholde brynge noo fetheres nyghe hym in noo maner wyse / and that by cause that a fether is pluma in latyn / ¶ Therafter he byganne to worche the more boldly and greued his subgettis full soore / and namely a noble man that fledde somtyme in to his owne castel by cause steuen pursued hym / ¶ This man aspyed whanne steuen was Recheles in the syege and toke hym and al to hakked hym / ¶ That Castel was called pluma / And so the cautel of the gyleful spyryt was knowen / And so it felle of gerebertus the fals pope as it is sayd byfore

Ranulphus And so it bef••ll of one alberycus erle of north thumberlond that was a myghty man with all and heelde hyin not apayd with his owne state / but he counseyled with a fende / that told hym that he shold haue grecia that is grece / Therfore he wente eftward and cam in to grece / Whan the Grekes herde telle that he shold regne ouer them they toke of hem al that he bad / And put hym oute of theyr londe / But afterwarde somwhat of yeres this was wery of trauaylle and of woo and cam to kyng henry in to normandy / and had of hym a noble wydowe to wyf / And whanne the preeste shold wedde theym / he axyd of the wo¦man and sayde / dame grecia hast thou wyll to this man· Thenne

Albericus knewe the gyle and the fraude of the fals spyryt that arered his owne coueytous herte in to veyne hope / whan kyng Ry¦chard had made redy to pay to the duc of austryche twenty thou¦sand ponde that was behynde of Raunson / the pledges that kyn∣ge rychard had left with hym come sodenly and tolde that the ty¦raunt was ouertorned by wreche of goddes dome and his lande byfore his deth was greued with many grete meschyefs / For Cy¦tees were sodenly brente / and the Ryuer dannbyus passed the brynkes and dyde grete harme fer aboute / Sedes that were sowē fordryed in the erthe / Also this duke was acursyd of the Pope / for the takyng of kyng Rychard and scorned the cursyng / Also on a saynt steuens day he roode to the feeldes and hurte so his foote that it moost be kytte of / And he withoute hope of lyf sawe that he muste dye / and in presence of the lordes of his lond he prayd to be assoylled of the sentence that he was in bounden / The clergy answerd and sayd that it myght not be / but he wold swere to stonde to holy chirches ordenaunce touchyng the wrong that he had done to kyng Richard / the duc swore and delyuerd kyng Rychardes pledges anone after his othe / Than the kyng amended his lyf / and had also another warnyng for to amende his lyf / For a man of Cenomania wente to saynt Iames for grete deuocion and cam home ageyne sauf and sound / Therafter he had a greete deuocion to wende and wente to the hooly land to see oure lordes graue / As he wente by the wey vpon caas aloone He sawe one with a dredeful face and was aferd ful soore / and blessyd hym self welfast with the sygne of the crosse in euery side Than the other as it were despysyng the signe of the crosse seid / thou miʒt not defende the / in that maner but thou shalt be myne / & yf thou wolt falle doun to the grounde & worshipe me / I shall make the Ryche / now quoth the man it semeth that thou art cō∣trarye and of the other syde / take thou thyn owne / crystes owne yefte is ynough for me / I worship hym aloone / wolt thou nylt quoth he / thou moost haue somwhat of myne / And threwe anon vpon the mannes heede as it were a thynne mantel / that brente the here of his heede and made the skyn of his hede al black / the man was soore aferd and cryed to saynt Iames Saynt Iame came anone and arouted the fende and axed what he was and wherof he serued / I am a fende quoth he and greue mankynde / I letted the Crysten kynges in the iourneye in the eest landes / I toke kyng Rychard prysoner by my seruaunt the duc of austrich

Aft{er} that king richard was deliud I beset him al about & namely about his chambre & his tresour that he gadred besyly / whanne these wordes were sayde the fende vanisshed awey & the man was comforted and lefte his weye that he had mente and torned ho∣me ageyne to Cenomannea and told kyng rychard what he had seen and herde / and shewed hym his heede that was swelled and scalded / than the kyng amended his owne lyf and his maners / Aboute that tyme Hubert archebisshop of Caunterbury was lieu¦tenant •• of the pope and of the kyng in englonde / The Arche∣bisshop of yorke was deede. and hubert made a greete counseyll at york /

¶ Capitulum 30 /

ABoute that tyme were tweyn that foūded as it were to do the kynges prouffyte al by one entente but by dyners cau¦ses of doyng / For the Abbot Cadonencis warned the kynge of the fraude of his offycers / therfore he wolde that theyr outrage shold be chasted that men of the contrayes myght lyue in pees / But william with the long berd warned the kyng of the outra¦ge of ryche men that spared theyr owne Rychesse & pylled pore men / Thenne this abbot had a warraūt and cam to london in the moneth of Februar and made somme to come byfore hym / the of¦fycers of countrayes and of prouynces to yelde ful ac••untes / But deth hym lette soo that he sawe not eesterdaye / ¶Men sayn that this william was borne at london / and had 〈…〉〈…〉 of his longe berde that he vsed / and was cleped william with the long berde / He vsed that longe berde bycause that he wolde seme the more worthy / & semely in speche and gaderyng of many mē He was sharp of wytte and somwhat y lettred and ouer mesu∣re a grete speker and by a maner kyndly Rabbysshnesse of wyt and of thewes. he wolde geete hym a grete name and caste hym to doo newe dedes and byganne to here grete doyng and dedes / Also his wreched and shamely deedes ageynste his owne broder was sygne and token of his wodenesse in his other dedes / For he accused his owne broder of treson to the kyng / for he yaf hym no more large spence of solace & cost than he was wont / His broder was a bourgeys of london / & had founde hym to Scole / He was scorned of the prynce for that deede / & yet by fauoure of somme

men he hadde place among the grete of london / Also amonge the people he blamed venymously the pryue deedes and outrage of ryche men that mysferde with poure men and soo he excited hugely· the mene men to loue and desyre fredome oute of mesure Soo that he socyed many to hym as though they were bywyt∣ched ryght with wytchecraft / For there he hadde tendaunt to his heestes fyue honderd thousand and two thousand men of london / as it were to the comyn puruyour of al / whanne he had so many fautours as he that wolde stonde for the pore people and for the kynges prouffyt he wold in euery gaderyng and counseyll with stonde gentylmen and say that by her fraude the kynge lost many grete enchetes / they grutchyd ageynst hym therfor / and he sayled to the kyng and sayde hym / that Ryche men dyde hym greete wrong by cause he was trewe to hym / Thenne he cam ageyne and byganne to worche with fraude as he was wont more besyly and more trustly / and comforted his fautours as it were by fa∣uour of the kyng. Noyse and tydynges of this conspyracy sprā∣ge oute and hubert Archebisshop of Caunterbury that hadde the rule of the Royamme herde therof / and sente for the peple / and rehersed how it was tolde / and for to put of all euyl suspection / he prayd wel fayre and axed pledges / The peple was plesyd with his fayr speche and yaf and delyuerd hym pledgys / but this wil¦liam helde forth as he hadde bygonne and had moch folke about hym and went with grete boost and aray and made openly Con∣uentycles and counseyls and gadrynge of m••n and cleped hym self the sauyour of poore men / and made grete boost and bragge and sayde that the frowardnesse and outrage of myghty men sholde be alayd / and that in a short tyme / And he toke a teme of hooly wrytte and byganne to preche in this maner / Haurietis a∣quas in gaudio de fontibus saluatoris / that is drawe vp water with ioye of the welles of the sau eour / I am said he the saueour of pore men / ye be pore men and haue essayed the harde handes of Ryche men / now drawe ye and laue vp water of heelefull lore vp of my welles / and that for ioye for the tyme of your vysy¦tacion is come / I shal quoth he departe and dyuyde watres from watres / the people is water / than shal I dyuyde and departe the people that is trewe and meeke from the peple that is fal•• and proude / I shal departe good men from euyl men as lyghte from derknesse / than by counceyll of lordes this hubert sente for williā for he shold stande and answere to that m••n shold putte ageynst

hym / he come at that tyme as he was somned / but he had soo moch peple aboute hym that he that had sent for hym was aferd and the softer in his doyng and putte o•• the dome for that tyme Afterward oportunyte was aspyed by two burgeys of london / whanne he myghte be founde aloone withoute peple aboute hym & men of armes were sente for to take hym / But william with his axe slewe one of the bourgeys that had espyed hym / Anone william with fewe of his men and with his concubyne that wol¦de neuer from hym wente in to a chirche / that was there fast by that is saynt mary chirch at bowe / ther he wold not defende him as it were in a chirche but as it were in a Castel with strengthe and hoped in veyn that his peple wold come and delyuer hym / The people was soory for the peryll that he was Inne / and is no wonder but by cause of the pledgys that they had yeuen hym / & for drede of the knyghtes that they sawe armed they cam not to his delyueraunce / than william was boden come oute but he wol¦de not / than he was compellyd by fyer and smoke to come oute maugre his teeth / whanne he cam oute the bourgeys sonne / that he had slayne forkytte his wombe with a knyf / but by d••me of the court whanne he was taken he was fyrst drawē with horses and than he was hanged with nyne felawes that wolde neuer leue hym / but fautours defamed the Archebisshop as a mansle••r and not only that but alfo for to wype awey the shame of their owne conspyracye and for to preue that they that dampned will¦iam were wycked men and euyl doers / By crafte and by frau¦de and gyle they fonded to make william to haue the name and worship of a martir ¶ Also men seyn that a preest of will∣iams kyn leyde the cheyne that william was with bounden vn∣der a mannes hede that was seke of the feuers and preched open¦ly that the man was hool anone / Ryght this sprang oute amōg the people / and the peple cam pryuely by nyght and toke aweye his gybet and pared awey lytel and lytel the erth that was by bled with his bloode / And made a grete dyche and kepte the erth as it were holy relyques to hele with seke men / Name and tydyn¦ges herof sprang wel̄ wyde and grete company both of slye men and of fooles cam to the place and woke there by nyght / Alwey cam theder greete multitude of lewdmen and of fooles / and as moche worship as they dyde the dede man soo moche vylonye they put vppon hym that hym hadde dampned / This errour had soo his forth whanne it was bygon that it wold haue by witched

wyse mē & redy nad they redyly take h••ede to the doyng that they knew of this williās dedes / for he slewe a mā a lytel byfore his takyng / and that is ynough for a wise man to knowe that he shol¦de not be worshiped as a martir / & yet his last confession that he made whanne he shold dye / shold sham•• al that worshiped hym / for a martir. Many counseylled hym to be shreuen mekely of his sinnes / and to worship god / he shroof hym / though it were laate and knowleched that he had defouled saynt mary chirche and lay there by a woman whyle he was therynne / Also by cause his men come not at his wylle to delyuere hym / he forsoke mary sone and called the deuyl to help and prayd that he wold delyuer him Williams fautours denyed al this and sayde that it was falsly feyned / also the vanyte of this tale fyll doun sone & dured but a whyle and alayde the stryf / For sothnesse is stedfast and is str ē¦ger in long tyme / but falsenesse feyned vanysshed awey in short tyme / ¶ Than hubert the Archebisshop ruler of the Royamme cursed that preest and sette men of Armes to kepe that place / by cause men shold not c••me thyder a pylgremage / And soo the sleyght that was feynyd fyll awey in short tyme / And thoppyny¦on of the peple byganne for to reste

¶ Capitulum 31

THat tyme one Fulco an holy preest in Gallia cam to kyng Rychard and sayde kyng / to the I saye in the name of god almyghty that thou marye soone thyn thre euyl doughters· leste somme worse happe the befall / thou lyest ypocryte quoth the kyng for doughter haue I none / yes sayd he / thou hast pryde Couety∣se and lechery / The kynge had lordes to geders and sayde I ye••e my pryde to the templers and hospytalers / my couetyse to whyte monkes / and my lechery to prelates of hooly chirche / They that sawe this Fulco toke and putte hym in boundes / but he myghte not be bounden / This yere deyd Rees prynce of wales / Of hym one sayde in this maner / O blysse of batayll child of chyualrye Defence of contraye worship of armes / Arme of strenght hand of largenesse / eye of reson / bryghtnesse of honeste / beryng in brest Hectors prowesse / Achilles scharpnesse / Nestors sobrenesse / Ty∣deus hardynesse / Sampsons strength / hectors worthynesse / Euri¦alius swyftnesse / vlyxes fayre speche / Salamons wysedome /

Aiax hardynesse / O clothynge of naked / the hungryes mete / ful¦fyllyng al mennes bone / that hym wold ought bydde / O fayre in speche / felawe in seruyce / honneste of dede and sobre in worde / glad of semblaunt and loue in face / goodly to euery man and ryght¦full to all / The noble dyademe of fairenes of wales is now fal¦len / that is Rees is dede / al wales groneth / Rees is dede / the na¦me is not lost but blysse passeth / The blisse of wales passeth / rees is dede worship of the world goth awey / Res al praysynge sla∣kyth / wales lyueth in gronyng / Rees is dede / Rees is awey / the enemye is heere / for Rees is not here / Nowe wales helpyth not it self / Rees is dede and y take awey / But his noble name is not dede for it is alwey newe in the world wyde / This place hol∣dyth grete worshipe yf the byrth is byholde / yf men axe what is the ende / It is asshes and pouder / here he is hyd / but he is vnhyl¦led for nam•• dureth euermore / And suffreth not the noble duc be hyd of speche / his prowesse passed his maners / his wytte pas∣sed his prowesse / his fayre speche passed his wytte / his good the∣wes passed his feyr speche

AFter Celestinus the thyrd innocent that was callyd lot••a¦rius also was pope eyght yere and fyue monethes· This was a lettred man and made the bookes de miseria humane con∣dicionis and speculum misse and many constitucions / he damp∣ned Abbot Ioachyms booke that he had made ageynste Pyers lombard mayster of sentence / he dampned also amary Carnoten∣sis with his heretyk loore ¶Also that yere whan the Emperour was dede / the prynces of almayn discorded for somme chose otho and somme phelip the fifth henryes brother / but phelip was tray¦tourly slayne / and otho was crowned of Pope innocent in fraū¦ce / he fought anone with the Romaynes / by cause they had don hym noo worship / And than he byname frederyk the kyngdome of apulea ageynste the popes wylle / and therfor he was acur∣sed of the Pope / than the fourth yere of his regne the prynces of Almayne made Frederyk Emperour / and he had worshipfully the victory of otho / this last yere of kyng richard one wydoma¦rus vycecounte of lemonke in brytayne the lasse / the kyng ofen∣glondes owne man fonde greete tresoure of gold and syluer in his owne grounde / and sente a greete dele of the tresour to kynge Rychard / and he refused it and sayde that he sholde haue alle by

the ryght of his lordship / and the other withsayd hym / Than the kynge besyeged the vycecountes castel that is called Calux / and trowed that the tresour was therin / the mynystres of the Castel come oute to the kyng and profered hym the castel with al that was therin sauynge theyr lyf and lyme and armour / But the kyng wold not / but had theym goo ageyne and defende theym self with al the strength that they couth and myght / Thenne on on a day the kyng and the duc of brabant wente aboute for to espye the feblenesse of the Castel / and one bertrand guedon an al balastrer hyt the kyng in the arme with a dart / therfor the king hadde that the Castel sholde be take in al wyse and al men that were therinne shold be hanged oute take hym that. hym had woū¦ded and soo it was done / the shafte was take oute / but the yron abode withynne and veynes and senewes were forkytte / & the nynthe daye after whanne the kyng shold dye / he sente for hym that hym had wounded and spake to hym and sayde / what dyd I euer to the that thou haste wounded me to deth / thou slewe quoth he my fader and my twey bretheren and now thou wol∣dest haue slayne me also / therfor it plesyth me what peyne I euer suffre / so that thou be deede / than the kynge commaunded that he shold goo free / and yaf hym an honderd schyllynges sterlyng / But after the kynges deth the duck of brabant made hym hee flayn al quyk / and hanged / than kyng rychard dyed the syxth day of apryl and his body was deled in thre and beryed in thre places / therfor one sayde in metre in this maner / vyscera carleo∣lum corpus fons seruat ebardy / et cor Rothomagum magne Ry¦carde tuum / In terra diuiditur vnus quia plus fuit vno / Non superest vno / gracia tanta viro / that is thy bowels ben at carl••el Thy bodye at font ebrard. and thyn hert at Roon thou grete Ry∣chard / he is departed in thre for he was more than one and so gre¦te grace is not in one man alyue / Another metriour sayd in this maner / Cryste tui calicis predo fit preda calucis / Ere breui denis / qui tulit era crucis / Hic Richarde iaces / sed mors si cederet armis Victa timore tui cederet armis tuis / that is Cryst the theef of the chalys is caluxes praye / For short metal thou throwyst him dou∣ne that toke the metal of the croys / Here thou lyest Rychard / but yf deth wold spare for wepē ou{er}come with drede of the he wol¦de voyde thy wepen / Treuisa / Here kyng rychard is cleped Ca∣luxes pray for he was slayne at a Castel that was callyd calux

¶ Capitulum 32

KYng Rychard deyd withoute children / and his brother Io¦han withoute lond was kyng after hym / Anone he occupy∣ed kynge rychardes tresour at chynon and sente hubert the Ar∣chebisshop to ordeyne thynges in englond / but thomas of thorney bytoke angeo to Artur duk of Brytayne the sonne of the elder broder geffrey / there come to geders the lordes of Angeo of Ceno¦mannia and of Chynon in Tureyn / And helde with Artur as the maner is of the londe / there the elder broder sonne shal be eyer yf the eldest sonne dyeth withoute sonne / Constans Geffr••ys loue countesse of brytayne betoke the warde of her sonne Arthur and his herytage to the kynge of Fraunce / but Iohan ouertourned soone Cenomannea / for he helde with Arthur / Than at Eester at Roen Iohan was gyrd with the swerde of the ducherye of Bry¦tayne / And on hooly thursday at westmynstre he was crowned kyng of Englond of hubert Archebisshop of Caunterbury / That daye Iohan made hubert his owne chauncel••r / Hubert was to proude of that offyce· and afterward one spake to hym and said Syre thou sholdest not be proude of the yok of thraldome / Of••e we haue herde of an Archebisshop made of a chaunceler / but ne∣uer a chaunceler made of an Archebisshop / herafter aboute saynt Iohns feste the natyuyte kynge Iohan sayled in to normandy There were trew••s y take bytwene the kynges of Englond and of Fraunce / and assured with oth and with wrytyng / So that whether of hem brake fyrst that pees his men sholde be assoylled of his hommage and fewte and torne to the other kyng / But af¦terward kyng Iohan wold slee his owne neuewe Arthur· thenne the kynge of Fraunce occupyed many londes beyonde the see / ¶ Also this yere the erle of Flaundres bycam kyng Iohns lege man / And the kynge of Fraunce made Arthur knyght / & toke of hym hommage for the landes of Angeo / of Cenomanne∣a / of Peytow and of toreyn / Of lytel britayne and of normandy Also this yere was made dyuorse solēpnly bytwene kyng Iohn and his wyf the erles doughter of gloucetre by cause of kynred in the thyrdde degree / And by counseyl of the kyng of Fraunce kyng Iohan wedded Isabel the doughter of engolosym / and ga¦te on hir henry and Rychard duk of cornewayle and thre dough¦ters / and toke anone tribute of euery teme lond in englond thre

schyllynges / and wente ageyne in to normandy / That tyme the thyrd Ranulph erle of Chestre on caas by ensample of the kyng lefte his wyf Constance countesse of brytayne that he hadde w••d∣ded somtyme by counseylle of henry / and wedded one Clemencia Rauffes doughter of Feneger / therfor he dyed withoute childe∣ren as somme men wenen / Men trowyn that this yere bygan the lordship of Tartres / Thise m••n dwellyd vnder the hylles of In¦de that was preter Iohns sone and wente to robbyng and reuing and toke prayes of other nacion•• / Also that yere Frensshe men toke Constantinople / and made there Emperour baldwyn Erle of Flaundres / Men of the countrey aboute long tyme therafter myghte vnnethe leue that that cyte was take / and that for old prophecye that sayde that that Cyte myght not be take but by an angel / but the enemyes entred in to the cyte by a place of the wal there an Angell was peynted / and soo the men of the contraye knewe atte last that they were begyled by double entendment of an angel / The second Frederyk was Emperour thre and thyr∣ty yere / This was crowned of Pope honorius / fyrst he fauoured hooly chirche as it were his owne moder. but afterward he spoyl¦led hooly chirche as it were his stepdame / therfor Pope Honori{us} cursed hym and assoylled men of his fey and feute / The nynthe po¦pe gregory renewed the same sentence / this frederyk toke his own sonne henry kyng of almayne and slewe hym in pryson / Also the prelates that the nynth Gregory had sente for to c••me to a general counseyll he made theym to be take / And whyle he was so acursed he wente to the hooly lond and lefte there more desola¦cion and discomforte than consolacion and comfort / Atte laste he was sette doune of the fourth pope innocent / & whyle he be syeged a cyte of ytalye he loste his tresour / and the popes legate chaced hym in to Apulea / and there he eueled and dyed / ¶ Aboute this yere fyll so grete reyn thonder / and hayl / that hay•• stones fill doune from heuen as grete egges y medled with reyn / And des¦troyed vynes and cornes / Men were shende and foules were se∣yn flee in the eyer and bere fuyer coles in theyr bylles and sette houses a fyer / ¶ Also this yere at london dyed saynt hugh bis∣shop of lyncolne but he was beryed at lyncolne / To his beryeng cam the popes legate and thre Archebisshops of Caunterbury of deuelyn and of Ragne and thyrten bisshops and twey kynges of Englond and of Scotland that was soo comen thyder for to swere feute vpon the hubert archebisshops crosse and for to do••

hommage to kyng Iohan. That day a woman had her syght that had be seuen yere blynde / and a purskeruer in kyttyng of purses was lame in his handes till that he was delyuerd by prayeng of the Clergye of the peple / This hughe was of the nacion of be¦yonde the see / he was made pryour of the chartrous at wycham / besydes Salesbury and thenne he was made bisshop of lyncolne / Whanne he was stalled at lyncolne by the Archedeken men axyd an hors other a Cowe for his stallyng / And he sayd he were le∣uer forsake the bisshoprich than yeue ony maner thinges for such a doynge / Wilde foules wolde fetche mete at his hond /

This yere eustace abbot of flaye cam in to englond for to preche goddes worde / and dyde many myracles amonge the other my∣racles he blessyd the welle of wy bysydes Caunterbury / and se∣ke men that dronk therof had theyr heele / For a woman that had a fende within her drank therof and cast vp twey black todes / that turned anone in to houndes and thenne in to grete Asses / and flyed vp in to the eye and lefte foule foores after hem / This eustace by his prechyng made many man leue vserye and Chepynge and feyres on the sondaye / He made that lyght sholde brenne alweye in chirches byfore goddes bodye / and that lordes at borde sholde haue almesse dysshes / At last somme prelates had enuye to this Eustace and sayde / thou hast noo leue to sette thyn hooke on other mennes rype / there is moche corne quoth he / and fewe werkmen. and soo he wente in to Normandye /

Also this yere in the prouynce of york in the moneth of Decem∣ber were seen fyue mones in heuene / one in the Eeste / Another in the west / The thyrdde in the south. the fourth in the north / And the fyfthe in the myddel of heuene / And yede syxe sythes aboute the other mones / as it were in an houre / and vanysshed awey atte laste /

¶ Capitulum 33

AT lammesse at the castel of myrabel kyng Iohan toke and slew his neuew Arthur and prysonned his syster elyanor at Brystowe to her lyues ende / therfor as it were for felonye / the kyng of fraunce occupyed normandy brytayn peytow / angeo / &

Cenomannea / This yere that was the syxth yere of the thyrdde Innocencius began thordre of frere prechours in the countray of tholons vnder the duc dominik / but it myht not be confermed before the fyrste yere of honorius / than fylle a sharp wynter and grysly / and dured from Ieres daye to the annunciacion / Also kynge Iohan maryed his baast doughter to lewelyn prynce of wales / and yaf with her the castel and all the lordship of Elles¦mer in the marche of wales / this yere whan hubert archebisshop of Caunterbury was dede fyll grete stryf in the ehirche of Caun∣terbury / For some chose the suppryour / and somme the bisshop of norwyche / by the kynges heeste / but Innocencius the pope vndyd eyther election and sacred steuen of langton / Houndes and mais¦tynes ben slayne in al the forestes of englond / Gir In southe wales in morgons land a knyght appered to one mayster moris in his sleepe that was wonte to playe with hym / and to make versus eyther with other now begynnyng and eft endyng / So that eyther shold ende others verse / In that apperyng the knyht spake to maystre morys and sayde / Mayster morys I wole that thou ende this verse / Destruet hoc reguum Rex regum / But en∣de thou it quoth morys for thou hast almoost made a ful verse / As I see quoth the knyght / thou art old and slowe / Therfore ende in this maner / Destruet hoc regnū rex regum duplici plaga That is kyng of kynges shal destroye this Royamme with dou∣ble meschyefs / Also this yere was henry borne kyng Iohns ol¦dest sone y gete on ysabel / he gate on hyr this henry and rychard Erle of Cornewayle and thre doughters / Isabel the emperyce & Elyanor that was fyrste maryed to william marchal Erle of Penbroke and afte••ward to symon de montford erle of leycetre that gate on hyr six children / ¶ Also the thyrd Iane was maryed to the kyng of Scotland / ¶ This yere bygan the enterdytyng of Englond that dured seuen yere contynuelly / For kynge Iohan refused and wold in noo wyse take Steuen of langton Archebisshop of Caunterbury / that was confermed by the Pope· Also kynge Iohan chased the monkes of caūterbu¦ry and toke their goodes in his owne honde / therfor the pope as∣soylled kyng Iohans men of his hommage and fewte / and wro¦te to the kynges next Iohan that they shold arryse ageynst Iohn Heretiks that hight albygensis come in to englond / and some of them were brent alyue / Sarasyns cam oute of affryca with thre thousand men of armes al without / lx / M / Lauendres /

and occupyed a grete dele of spayne / therfor Innocencius the po¦pe sente messagers to dyuerse nacions for helpe and socour of the holy landes / for the sarasyns had bylded strengthes in the hylle mount Tabor for to werre ageynste Acres / Also this yere saynt Fraunceys bygan the ordre of frere menours bysides assyse / The kyng of Fraunce with a grete hoost occupyed the clyues of nor∣mandy ageynst kyng Iohan / The popes legate pandulphus cam in to englond and spake to kyng Iohan and chargyd hyghely / that he shold be buxom and obedyente to the chirche of Rome / the kynge sawe peryll in euery syde by the kynge of Fraunce & also by lordes of his owne landes / that had by wrytyng torned hem self to the kyng of Fraunce / than the kyng oblegyd al his kyng¦dom of englond and Irlond also for hym and his heyers to pope Innocencius and his lauful successours for euer / so that after that tyme he and his heyres sholde be feodaryes to the chirche of Rome / and pay euery yere seuen honderd mark / for englond and two honderd mark for Irlond / Soo that yf he or ony of his hey∣res fayled of this condicion other of the payemente he shold falle of the ryght of the kyngdome / herafter pandulphus wente forth and compellyd the kyng of Fraunce to wende oute of normandye Steuen tharchebisshop / and they that were exyled with hym cam in to englonde and assoylled the kyng and his fautours in the chirche of wynchestre / but he made hem swere that they shold re∣store al that was wrongfully taken / About that tyme kyng Io¦hn caused to hange & drawe an holy man that hight pyers of pon¦fret / for he had warned hym of many myshappes that him shold fal for his cruelnes and for his fornycacion. Also for he had war¦ned hym that he shold regne but / xiiij / yere / & he regned almoost xviij / yere / but he knewe not in that doyng that he regned frely but xiiij yere / but he regned thre yere not frely for thylke thr•• ye¦re he was trybutary to the pope / cryst appered twyes to this pyers at yorke and ones at ponntfret and taught hym many thynges that he tolde afterwarde to bisshops and peple that were of euyll lyf / Also in a tyme he lay thre dayes and thre nyghtes as he we¦re in swonyng and was rauysshed and sawe the Ioyes and pey∣nes of good men & of euyl / On saint andrews euen kyng Iohn toke the Castel of Rouchestre / there many gentilmen were conspy¦red ageynste hym / Also lowys that was the kynges broder of Fraunce cam in to englond atte prayer of the lordes and hadde hommage and fewte of Frensshe men and Englysshe / and of

the kynge of scotland at london / But the Popes legate Gna•••• was than in englond / and cursed lowys and his fautours / nethe lesse lowy•• toke wynchestre and besyeged douer and wyndesore· Pope Innocencius deyd / and the thyrdde honorius was pope af∣ter hym ten yere and eyght monethes / In his fyrst yere he confer¦med the ordre of frere prechours / For the thyrd Innocencius was loth to conferme that ordre / kyng iohn deyd at newerk of the flux on saynt Calyxtes day the pope / the seuententh yere of his kyng∣dom in the syxth moneth / but he was ••oweld in the Abbaye of whyte chanons at Croghton / and beryed at wyrcetre in the mid¦del of the quere of monkes / R / But the comyn fame tellyth that he swore there at meete that the loof that was than there worth an half peny / shold be worth twelue pens within that yere yf he myght lyue / A monke of that hous herde that / and made hym drynke of venym and shroof hym and was houseled and drank to the kyng as it were his tastour / and soo the kynge / and he deyd both attones

¶ Capitulum 34 /

ANon vpon saynt symons day & Iude kyng Iohns sone hen∣ry a child of ix yere old was made kyng / he was holpen by strength & wyt of the Popes legate of the bisshop of wynchestre / of therles of penbroke / & of chestre / for ranulph erle of chestre had than take lyncoln ageynst lowy•• & slayn ther many frenssh men Than lowis saw that his party was febled & toke money & yel¦ded vp the strengthes that he had holde / & was assoilled of the po¦pes legate / & went ageyne in fraunce / Lewyd men that helde with lowys were not disheryted but clerkes as the trespas wa•• grete were pryued of her benefyces / other sente to the court of ro∣me for to be assoylled / Ranulph erle of chestre went to ierl̄m af∣ter that he was acorded with lewelyn prync•• of wales / & damye∣ta was taken of crysten men / This yere fyrst the abbotes of blac ordre come to geders at oxenford for to tr••te of thordre / kyng hen¦ry began the newe werk at westmestre / & ranulph erle of chestre cam oute of the hooly lande and bylded the castels of charteley & of beston & thabbay of delacresse of the whyte ordre / for the cos¦tes of these castels / he toke tollage of & in all his lād / Also this yere seint thomas of caunterbury the martir was translated by

Steuen the Archebisshop duryng the solempnyte he fond hey and prouende to al men that wold axe hit in the wey bytwene lōdon and Caunterbury / ¶Also in the day of the translacion he made wyn to renne in pypes contynuelly in dyuers places of the Cy∣te / & so the cost that steuen made in thi•• solempnite / his fourth suc¦cessour bonefacius payed it vnnethe / Alysander kyng of scotlād wedded Ione kynge henryes syster / On saynt luk the euāgelystes day cam a wynde oute of the north syde / that brake doune houses orchardes and wodes / belhous / and belfrayes / Also fyry dragōs & euyl spirites were seen fle aboute in the whyrlwynde / At ox••¦ford in the counseyl of bisshops was one taken that hadde in his body woundes as oure lord Cryst had y nayled to the crosse / This sayde that he was Ihesus / but by dome of holy chirche he was take to be punysshed & at abburbury he was nayled to the crosse / Dauid an erle of Scotland had a sonne Iohan that wed¦ded lewelins doughter prince of wales as it were for final acor¦de bytwene him and lewelyn and his eme Ranulph Erle of ches¦tre / Iohan kyng of Ierusalem cam in to Engl̄and for socour of the hooly land / the lordes of englonde graunted kyng henry ••he wardes of heyres and of her ••andes and that was begynnyng of moche harme in englond / and sone therafter kyng henry toke the fyftenth peny in al englond / This yere fyrst come frere menours in to englond two yere byfore saynt Fraunceys deth / After hono¦rius the nynthe gregory was Pope fourten yere / this strengthed the sentence of cursyng ayenst Frederyk the Emperour / Therfore the Emperour toke many prelates and two Cardynals that we•• to the counseyle / This Pope made broder Raymund to compyl•• fyue bookes of decretales that were gadred of many constituciōs pystles and decretales / Also in a tyme this Pope was besyeged of the emperour in the cyte of Rome / & he saw that the romayns had takē mede of thēperour / than he toke in his hādes the hedes of thappostles petir & paul̄ / & made a processiō frō seint iohns chirch the lat{er}an to seint pet{er}s chirch & so he awelded the hertes of the roma¦mayns / therfor thēperour was aferd & wēt thens a ferre wey / Steuen tharchebisshop deyd he quoted the bible at paris & marked the capytres / & endited kyng rychardes lif / & left aft{er} him many good bokes that he had made / the grete deen of lōdon maist richard of wethershed was archebisshop aft{er} him / also thi•• yere deid williā of alune a lettred mā / first he was chaūceler & than bisshop of pa¦ris / & lefte after him many bokes that he had made de sacramentis

Cur deus homo / de fide et de legibus / & de vniuso corporali & spū∣ali / gregory toke the dyme ••f holy chirche / while the Bisshop o•• london sayde his masse in saynt paules chirche fyl so grete thyck∣nesse of cloudes derknesse of the sonne / with thundryng & lyght∣nyng and stenche that no man myght suffre / so that the peple wēt oute of the chirche / & lefte the bisshop there with his seruaunte•• aloone / This yere kynge henry graunted englysshmen many Fre∣doms / but he toke of hem the fyftenth dele of her goodes / & catail for to wynne landes beyonde the see that the kyng of fraunce had occupyed in kyng henryes tyme / & so he sayled ouer see with gret•• strength & dyd•• lytel prouffyte / william de brewes was blamed for lewillyns wyf prynce of wales / & prysoned and hanged / therfor fyl grete stryf bitwene the kyng and lew••lyn / Ranulph erle of chestre. of lyncoln & of huntyngdon deyd at walyngford & was beryed at Chestre in the chapytre of monkes with his for faders / his sistres sonne Iohan scot was erle after hym / This ra¦nulph dyed withoute children / & had four sustres / the eldeste of hem mold was maryed to dauyd an erle of scotland / of hym cā Iohn scot / the second sister mablye was maryed to therle of arū∣del / the thyrdde agnes to therle of derby william de Ferraus / the fourth hawys was maryed to therle of wynchestre robert quy∣nycy / kyng henry made the hospytal of saynt Iohan withoute eest yate at oxenford & layd the fyrst stone / whan rychard archebis∣shop of caunterbury was dede / saynt edmond of abendon was ar¦chebisshop after hym that was at that tyme tresorer of salesbury. he dyed beyonde the see the eyghtenth yere of his bisshoprych and was bury••d at poūtney in burgoyn / & the seuenth yere therafter he was translated by fauour of the fourth innocent the pope

¶ Capitulum 35

FRederik themperour wedded ysabel kyng henryes sust / that yere iewes were brought bifore the kyng at westmestre / for they had hyd a child al a yere at norwich / & aft{er} that they had cir¦cumcyded hym they cast for to naile hym to the crosse / kyng henry wedded the erles doughter of prouynce / Iohn scot erle of Chestre and of huntyngdon deyd without children at derēhal•• the seuēth day of Iuyn & was beryed at chestre / but bycause that this lādes

had prerogatyues of realte / his erldō fyll in to the kynges hond & his systres that were his eyres had other lādes / therfor in cōpē¦sacion by cause that so feyr a lordship shold not be deled bytwene dystanes of women / this Iohan had four systres / one of hem mar¦garet was wedded to aleyn of galwey and bore the mayde deuer∣goyl / This mayde was wedded to Iohn bayllol / & bare Iohn bail¦lol / kyng of scotlād / the other syster Isabel was maryed to robert de bruys / the third sister wold dyed without childrē / the fourth sis¦ter alda was maryed to henry de hastyngys / Also this yere Octo¦bonus the legate cam in to englond / & ordeyned many good orde¦naūces for the prouffyte of hooly chirche / whyle he passed thurgh Oxenford was grete fyghtyng bytwene the scolers and som of his meyne / so that one of his men was slayne / & he hym••self octo¦bonus was besyeged in the belfray at osenay till euensonge tyme / & myght vnneth be delyuerd by many of the kynges mynystres that cam thider from abyndon / than he was brought at walyng∣ford & cursed the mysdoers & suspended the studie of oxenford til that the abbot & chanons of osenay & maystres regentes of oxen∣ford cam barfote & bare legged and vngird thurgh london to the legate and had foryeuenes vnneth / that yere a fals clerk feyned hym self mad / & espyed the pryuyte of the kynges court / & cam by a wyndowe in to the kynges chambre at wodstock for to slee the kyng / but by the crye of an holy woman he was taken & dra∣wen at Couentre / Edward kyng henryes eldest sonne is borne at westmynstre / hym cristned octoban the legate and confermed ed¦mond archebisshop / This yere the kynges of Tartres whan th••y had ouercome the eest landes they departed hem in twey compa∣nyes / that one party therof destroyed so hūgary & pannonia that men of the coūtray ete the flessh of their own childrē / & many scra¦pyd of the pouder of an hyll and ete it as it were mele / Af••er the nynth gregory the fourth Celestinus was pope one moneth / & the see was voyde one yere / And after him the fourth innocent was pope enleuen yere and syx monethes / Oure saueours crowne of thornes wa•• brought in to Fraunce / Octobonus went oute of en¦glond and was take in the see of the emperours men / At Chestre kyng henry entred in to wales / & dauid the prince cam to him at ruthlād / that yere dyed seint edmōd at pōteny & bonefas was ar¦chebisshop aft{er} him / this edmōd was born at abendon besides oxē¦ford / & had an holy fader & moder / his faders name was edward rych̄ by his surname / by assēt of his wif he lad relygyous lyf at

eueshā / his moders name was mablye / she vsed the heer & an ha¦berion / & fought in her flesshe ageynst the fflesshe / Edmond was born cleene of al wem of childhode on saynt edmondes daye the kyng and martir / and lay al that day from the morow tyde to e∣uen as though he were a swowne / So that they that were there wold haue buryed hym yf his moder had not withsayd hym / he was cleped edmond that is gracyous and clene / for he was bor∣ne on a saynt edmondes daye / And also whyle his moder was with childe with hym / she wente a pylgremage / and badde her bedes at saynt edmondes tombe / and there she was first ware that the childe was alyue / ¶ From his fyrste childhode this vsed his wytte to the studye of goodnesse by occupacion of goostly / lyuynge / For good vsage and customme shold afterward haue the maystrye / and voyde al wycked dedes / though he were shy∣nyng with al the floures of vertues / yet he chose the clennes that makyth man be next god / In token therof he made his auowe to oure ladye by his moders counseyl / he vsed the heer and fasted euery fryday with brede and water / and vsed euery sonday and holy day to saye al the sauter er he wold dyne / In his childhode he lerned his gramer and was soo dysesed with the hede ache that he had no hope to spede afterward in lore / his moder spak to hym and sayd sone I trowe that the lewd and vnsemely tonsour that thou vsest is cause of thy woo / Than afterward he vsed tonsoure of a clerk / and was hool of al that woo / In a tyme he walked by hym self in a meede / besydes oxenford / and a fayr childe appe¦red to hym and sayde / hayl my leef / I wonder that thou knowest me not. and namely whyle I am alwey by thy syde in scole and in other places / therfor what thou seest in my forheede wryten / prente it euery nyght in thyne owne forhede / The wrytinge was Ihesus Nazarenus Rex Iudeorum / that is Ihus of Nazareth kyng•• of Iewes / Therafter he lerned alwey to haue oure lordes passion in his mynde / Ones for besynes of a lesson that he muste rede he forgate it / ¶ Thenne whan the day byganne to spryn¦ge the old enemy bond fast his hondes / by cause that he shold not blesse hym self / and he prayd in his herte / and the enemy fyl dou∣ne from hym bytwene the bedde and the wal / and he coniuryd hym by the shedyng of goddes bloode that he shold telle wherwith he myght be moost y chasted / with that thou hast now nempned quoth the fende / Another tyme he had foryete to saye this oryson / O beata et intemerata / And saynt Iohan the ewangelyst appered

to hym in his slepe / and manaced him to smite with a pawmer And for hooly wrytt sayth that he that rectheth not of the smale fallyth awey lytel / and litel / and he wold euery day shryue him and clense him of venyal synnes / by entysyng of the old enemy his hoostes doughter not only with sygnes and bekkes / but also with wordes auentred her to tempte saynt Edmond for to do a¦mysse and wold not cesse / er she cam to the hooly mans chambre and was strypte and scourged and soo she putt of her utchyng and whan the enemy myght not spede by the wenche he auentred by the wyf to assaylle hym / but edmōd wold not take her yeftes withoute leue of the husbond / and put her of soo ashamed / and though he was not infra sacros / he was a mayster of Art / and vsed to here a masse / and saye his houres euery day / er he wolde rede / and was prouffytable to his scolers / for he taught hem here masse also / whanne he toke moneye of his scolers he leyde it in a wyndowe and seyd powder to pouder / & asshes to asshes / but the money was ofte take awey / with his felaws in game other els pryuel̄y with theeues / whanne he radde arithmetryk / his moder that was deede appered to hym in his sleepe and axyd of hym & sayde what fygures be these that thou studiest yune / & he answer¦red suche and suche / than she peynted thre cerkles in hyr ryght honde as though she wold mene the fader and sonne and hooly goost and sayde / Sonne studye thou in these fygures after this tyme / Selde he sate in chirche but he bad his bedes other standyng other knelyng / For he was a noble precheour / a sharp arguer & a mylde lyster. For he was auysed and toke heede of falace / and was waare and wyse in assoylynge of questions / and did grete prouffyte in redyng ¶ For greete abstynence his heer fyll aweye from his berde and heede / soo that his lyppes semed y cloue / he vsed alwey grete mete & lefte flesshe on mon∣daye and wonesdaye / and also in septuagesima that is al the len¦te from tyme that Alleluya is closed / he wold taste noo Flesshe the daye before that he wold singe his masse / and soo ofte it hap∣ped that he ete noo Flesshe in a moneth al hoole / he ete but selde twyes a daye / he rought not of lectuaryes and of medecyns / For grete knelyng his knees were harde as the sooles of his feete / Euery daye he said thre paire of matyns and of houres of the da¦ye of our ladye and of the hooly goost with Placebo and dirige A night after his firste sleepe he wolde aduise and saye certeyne prayers and psalmes / Yf ony enuious worde. come in place / he

wolde not be in pledynge of causes / he wold haue men 〈◊〉〈◊〉 s••culer court with hym to the mete / For he wold wynne hem 〈…〉〈…〉 blesse of heuene / he wold not vysyte his houses of offyce / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 heere acomptes of his mynystres / he spente alwey more ••han he hadde He chalengyd of his seruanntes clennesse of body by couenaunte wryten / Soo that yf ony of hem fyll in to lecherye / he shold take his hyer and take his leeue / and goo his wey / Tethynges and offrynges and redempcion̄ of his synnes / he spente only in myl∣de vses / he had byfore hym paynted the ymage of oure lady and al aboute hym the passion of our lord / And soo the lesson come of the booke / and byfore the ymage he had his hedes / and of ey∣ther come grete deuocion / the tyme of etyng and slepyng and re∣dyng whanne he myght not studye he tolde hit al lost / As ofte as he opened his bible / he wold worship it with a crosse / whanne the legacy of the crosse was commytted to hym he toke noo procura¦toryes that hym were graunted but ayenste the vsages of other suche legates he trauaylled on his owne coste / he prechyd at oxen¦ford at gloucestre / at wyrcetre / and Reyn. that fyll on the people he made turne ageyne with his prayers· It happed as he slepte in his studye that a candel fyll doune on his byble and brente / but whanne he awoke he sawe / noo brennynge was seen / Al¦so with hys penne he made thre crosses on a kybe that he hadde / & it vanysshed awey / his heeris that he wered were throwen in to the fyer whan they were old / but they myght not brenne and in the heres that he wered myght vnnethe ony worme be founde / Somtyme messagers were sent from Caūterbury to Salesbury For edmond tresorer of that place shol̄de come and be Archebis¦shop of Caunterbury / the deen of Salesbury spake to hem and sayde ye be welcom and euel come / ye be welcome for ye do wor¦ship to oure chirche / but ye be euyl come / for ye take oure tresoure with the tresorer / hym shamed not to drawe of his owne hosen & shone / Euery man that he met in the wey / that wolde be shryuen to hym· he wolde lyght doune of his hors / and here his shryfte / & spare for no let of comyng to his ynne / nother for wynde nother for reyne / ne for other weder / he ferde as the olif tree that holdith to yt self the bytternesse in the rynde and heldeth oute toother the swetnesse of the oyle / soo he was harde to hym self / and easy and goodly to other men / he beete his brest ofte with his honde & his knees ageynst the grounde / Soo that clerkes that lay in se∣ler•• vnder hym myght vnneth slepe For worship of oure lady he

worshiped al wymmen / but therby he was neuer y wemmed / but in a tyme one blamed hym that was hoomely with hym / For a fayr wyf that he wold ofte speke with / And he answerde and sayde / Sawe thow not how fayr she was / y know••••che / she hath ofte sette by me / but by her was I neuer more temp••ed / that I was by the wal / and yet more th••ugh all that I haue trespaced in that maner synne were wryten in my forhede I shol̄de not be ashamed / he hated takers of yeftes and sayde in Frensshe Entre¦prendre / and prender is but one lettre aloone / At last by exytyng of the deuyl kyng henry and the chapytre hous of Caunterbury was rebel ageynst hym / In that hurlyng he made it as though he knewe it not / and kyssed hem and preserued hym and dyde to hem al other homely dedes / and whanne his frendes sayde he was to mylde / and yafe ensample to other men for to aryse in the same wyse / he answerd and sayd the swellyng of the see as mylk / we shal souke and ete wylde hony in the wyldernesse of this world with Iohan baptist the forgoer of our lord / the power of takyng wreche moote be withholde only in goddes hande / I wol not of other mennes defautes gete me loenge and vnprouffytable c••st & trauayll / than he had prelates to geders & axyd how he might releue hooly chirche that was made subgette and thral / It was counseyled that the kyng and other men that were rebell shold be warned / and yf they wolde not amende / than the wreche of C••n¦sures of hooly chirche / sholde not sl••pe / the hooly man assenteth & & goth to the kyng / the kyng axith auysement / and he abideth but al for nought / therfor the kyng was spared aloone and all other that were rebell were denounsed acursed / but therby wolde not the euel doers be amended / Than hym was leuer suffre the maly¦ce for a tyme than kyth his myght in plee and in stryf / for be to¦ke heede that though he hadde doone al that he myght / hit myghte happe that the Popes legate that was than in englond / wol¦de vndoo al his sentence and dedes and so comforte the kyng to wors dedes / but yf the Archebisshop were presente and corrected not her trespas and errours / hit myght seme that he wolde alo¦we his dedes by a maner feyned suffraunce / therfore hym was leuer be absente for a tyme for to shewe ther by the sorowe of his herte and that he was soore agreued with her malyce / than his last sekenesse byganne to waxe greuous and strong / and he wēt oute of poyntney / to soysy / and he byhyght hem that he wold come ageyne on saynt Edmondes day / whanne the sacramente of the

auter was brought hym he sayde thou art my lord / the I haue loued. in the I haue trowed / the I haue prechyd / the I haue sought and none other / Men tellyn that it goth in to the wombe / but I telle that it goth in to the soule and thought / than he we∣sche the woundes of the ymage of the crucyfyx / and kyssed hem full swete / and sayde / ye shal drawe vp water in Ioye of oure sa∣ueours welles /

¶ Capitulum 36

AFter Celestinus the fourth innocencius was Pope enleuē yere and six monethes / he put honest and noble persones in the Cardynals sees that were voyde / he made Cardynal Frere hughe of the ordre of prechours that expowned all the byble and made grete concordaunces vpon the byble / This Pope made a coū¦seyl at lugnum in Fraunce / . there he canonysed saynt Edmond the Archebisshop the seuenth yere after his deth / And demed that the rebel Emperour Frederyk shold be deposed and sette doune / At tholet in spayne a Iewe dygged in his orchard to make him a more vyneyerde / there he found a stone hool and sound in eue¦ry syde / In the myddel of that stone / he founde a booke as grete as a sauter with treenleues wrytten in grue ebrue and latyn / & spake of thre worldes / From adam to Antecryst and declared the proprete of men and sette the begynnyng of the thirdde world in Cryst in this maner / In the thyrdde world goddes sone shal be borne of mayde marye / and he shal suffre deth for sauacion of mankynde. the Iewe radde this / and was crystned anone / In englond was so grete derth that a busshel of Corne was sol∣de for twelue schyllynges / That yere was seynt edmond tranlas¦ted / and Frederyk the Emperour dyed acursyd / After hym his sone manifred assaylled the kyngdom / and the tresour of Scicile till that charles that was the kynges broder of Fraunce pryued hym bothe of the kyngdome and of his lyf / Whanne this Frede∣rik was dede / innocencius the Pope procured the chesers of them∣pyre for to chese many / and so were y chosen the duk of Turing and the Erle of Holande / but they dyed soone / and some cheese the kynges brother of englonde Rychard duk of Eornewayle / This stryf dured wel many yeres with wel grete coste / a ver••y∣fiour d••uyded the sillables of this name frederic{us} in this maner

Fre fremit in mundo / de deprimit alta profundo / Res rimatur / cus cuspyte cuncta minatur / ¶ That yere at london was ma∣de a solempnel procession towarde crystes bloode that the patry∣ark of Ierusalem had sente to kyng henry / the thyrtenthe day of October lowys kyng of Fraunce wente to the hooly land and to¦ke damyeta / but in the yere after he was take of the soudan in a batayll in the felde / and william longa spata was dede / Longa spata is a long swerde / An honderd thousand and fyfty thousand huerdes marked with the sygne of the hooly crosse come to paris and destroyed hughely the vnyuersyte & slewe many Clerkes / Kyng henry yaf to to his eldest sonne Edward gascoyn / I••lond wales and Chestreshyre / ¶ That yere for grete hete the erth was so drye that it bare noo fruyte / but in the ende of heruest fyl so grete rayne that the erth myght not swolowe therof cam many meschyefs ¶ Also that yere deyd saynt Robert grosthed bis¦shop of lyncoln the nynth day of october / He was connyng in all the lyberal artes and specially he expowned many thynges in in logyk etyks & astrologye / he sente to the fourth pope innocent a pystle sharp ynough that begynneth in this maner / Our lord Ihesus Cryste he sente that pystle by cause the Pope greued the Chirches of englonde with taxes and payementis vndue and vncustumable / Also for he had yeuen his lytel neuewe a chanon¦rye with the fyrste that voyded in the chirche of lyncolne / But this Robert wold not receyue the childe but he wrote to the pope and sayde that he nother wold nor shold receyue suche to the cu∣re of soule that couth not rule hym self / therfor this Robert was somned to the court and acursyd / Thenne from Innocents courte he appellyd to Crystes owne trone / Than after Robertus deth it happed on a nyght that the Pope lay in his bedde and reste / A bisshop appered to hym arayd as a bisshop / and spak to the pope and sayde Aryse wretche and come to the dome / and smote hym with his crosse on the lyft syde right to the h••rte / than in the mo¦row the popes bed was founden blody and the pope dede / Herfor though robert was a noble man and did oft myracles / the court suffryd hym not to be canonysed / ¶ After Innocencius the fourth alysaunder was Pope seuen yere and four monethes / Pees is reformed bytwene kyng henry and l••welyn prynce of wales at mont gomeryk in this forme / that lewelyn and his successours after that tyme shold doo hommage to the kynges of Englond / And kyng henry toke of hym thre thousand marck /

Herupon henry made his chartre confermed by auctoryte of the po¦pe / Sone therafter fyl so grete honger that a busshel of Corn was solde for syxtene schyllynges / that tyme kynge henry made his four half bretheren so ryche that they despysed other lordes / Therfor come to geders at oxenford at fest of the trynyte Symon de montford / erle of leycetre / Rychard de clare / Erle of gloucetre and other lordes and chose twelue peres / and by counseyll of hem these chaungyd the kynges mynystres and put these the kynges foure half bretheren oute of the l̄and / That dede was cause of the barons werre / kyng henry sayl••d in to Fraunce / and made sha¦mely acorde with the kynge of Fraunce / and foryafe hym Nor∣mandy with other landes of beyonde see / soo that hym shold leue hoole the lond of gascoyn / After Alysaunder the fourth vrban was pope neygh four yere / This was fyrst patriark of Ierusalem Than by helpe of hem that hadde y take the signe of the crosse he chas••d the hooste of Rome that manyfredus had putte in saynt peters lande / Also the pope yaf the kyngdome of Scicile to Char¦les that was the kynges broder of Fraunce yf he put thens ma¦nyfredus. and soo hit was done / Aboute that tyme at Teukes¦bury a Iewe fylle in to a gonge on a saterday and wold suffre noo man to drawe hym vp for the reuerence of his hooly daye. But Rychard of Clare erle of gloucetre wold suffre noo man to drawe hym vp in the morow on the sonday / For reuerence of his hooly day / And soo the Iewe deyd /

¶ Capitulum 37

THis yere fylle stryf bytwene the kynge and the lordes of Englond for the kynge wolde not holde the ordenaunces / that were ordeyned at parleament at ••xenford / Aboute saynt Iohns f••ste the natyuyte the lordes helde in warde the bisshop of herford the pryour of wenlok and other prelates that were alye∣nes / other that were next the kyng they chased oute of Englond and occupyed theyr goodes and catayll / therfore henry putte the vniuersyte oute of oxenford / At last the kynge and the barons put hem self touchyng the articles in the ordenaunce of the kyng of Fraunce / and he repreued these articules euerychone / but the lordes of Englond forsoke his vnskylfull dome and stode forth as they had bigōne / than lordes that maintened these ordenaūces

cam to geders at lewys in southsex the / xiiij day of may / and yaf a batayle and toke kyng henry and his broder Rychard duck of Cornewayle / and edward kyng henryes eldest sonne and many other grete / And soo they compellyd the kyng to holde these orde∣denaūces that they had made and helde edward eyght monethes at herford in warde / That tyme the prouynce of Chestre was ye∣uen to Symon of montford erle of leycetre in the Trynyte euen / The kynges sonne Edward of herford escaped oute of warde by help of Syr Rogyer mortymer / for he had leue by cause of solace to prycke a courser and so he escaped vnto the hylle Dūnemore / there he sawe this Rogyer mortymers baner displayd / Herafter aboute lammasse was an hard bataylle at Euesham bytwene the kynge and the barons / there by gyleful withdrawyng of the Erle of gloucestre that helde with Symon byfore / This rightful Symon was dede / and many other noble personnes / Of him grete fame tellith that he dyde many myracles / but they were not shewed for drede of the kynge / Thenne Symons knyghtes helde the Castel of kenelworth half a yere ageynst the hoost of all en∣glonde / After vrban the fourth Clement was Pope as it were four yere / After hym the Popes see voyded thre yere and twey monethes / This Clement had fyrst wyf and children / and was afterwarde aduocate and cheef of Counseyls with the kynge of Fraunce / whanne his wyf was dede he was made bisshop of pue and than Archebisshop of narbon and than bisshop of Sabyn / & Cardynal and legate sente in to Englond / there whyle he was absente he was chosen Pope / therafter as men trowyd with his mylde lyuynge and hooly bedes he aqueynt many trybulacions of hooly chirche / Also whanne Conradynus wente in to Scicile to werre ageynst charles / this pope told openly in a sermon. that cōradin{us} dede shold come to nought / That yere aboute all halowē tyde Octobon the legate cam in to englond & ordeyned many thyn¦ges for the prouffyte of hooly chirche / By his counseylle kynge henry graunted that they must raunsonne her landes that were dysheryted for the arisyng ayenst the kyng oute take the Erle of derby Robert de ferrer for it semed that he hadde moost greued the kyng ¶ than the next yere therafter he greued the kyng / & was taken and diherited till he / other his heyres / other somme who for hym myghte pay on a daye / l / M / pounde / At London octobon the legate denounsed the londoners and the portnens acursyd / and sayde that they were acursyd in pope Clements counseyll and he

enterdyted hem and forbode hem the conpany of Crysten men / Thenne he suspended the bisshops of london and of Chycestre of her offyce till they were assoylled of the pope / therfore the london∣ners besyeged octobon in the toure of london till many bisshops ar¦med had hym aweye / This octobon toke dymes of hooly chirche for thre yere whyle he was in englond and so he wente hi•• weye and of a deken Cardinal he was made Pope / That yere the sou∣dan of Babylon destroyed ermonye and toke antyo••he and slewe the men that dwellid therinne and destroyed the noble cyte / Kyng henry laye with his hoost withoute london at stratford til that pees was made bytwene hym and the barons / Octobon wē¦te oute of englond with huge tresour / And edward the kynges sonne and many other toke the sygne of the crosse / Pope Clemēt deyd / And saynt edward kyng and confessour is translated the fourthe daye of october in kynge henryes tyme / And kyng henry had the twentyest peny of lewd mennes catayl & the dymes of ho¦ly chirche for thre yere by assente of the Pope / This yere edward the kynges eldest sonne and his wyf / wente to the hooly land / After Clement the tenthe gregory was pope four yere / the thyrd yere of his poperyche he made a counseyl at lugdnum for the pro¦fyte of the hooly lande / For he caste to wende theder in his owne person / In that counseyll were messagers of the Tartres and of the grekes / the grekes promysed that they wolde come ageyne to the vnyte of hooly chirche / there were syx honderd bisshops and a thousand prelates / therfor one sayde / gregorius denus congre∣gat omne genus / he wolde by these versus mene that the tenthe gregory gadered al manere men / there was ordeyned that noble statute that neuer was herde afore that alle personnes with cure sholde be preestes after that tyme / And that after that tyme noo man sholde haue leue to assigne his tethynges as he dyd byfore at his owne wylle / but al tethynge sholde be payed to the moder chirche / ¶Also this gregory charged hooly chirche with dymes for six yere / he dampned pluralyte of benefyces with cure / Also he approued somme states of the ordres of beggers as prechours & menours and somme he suffryd as Carmes and austyns / and somme he reproued as sacfreres / that were callyd de penitencia / and de valle viridi and other suche ¶ Also this yere deyd henry kyng of englond on saynt edmondes day of Pon∣tenay / & men trowyd that skylfully he ended his lyf in his day for he had trauayled hym wrōgfully whyle he was alyue / he had

regned fyue an•• fyfty yere / Also this yere dyed bonefas archebis¦hop of caunterbury / and the pryour of Caunterbury was chosen archebisshop / but the pope forbadde that election and made Ar∣chebisshop Frere Robert of kylwerby of the ordre of prechours & mayster of dyuynyte / ¶Among his other noble wrytynges he made noble wrytynge vpon precian / and vpon logyk / Sone her¦after lowys kyng of Fraunce and his twey sones the kynge of nauern and many prelates wente efte to the hooly lond / But by greete sekenesse and euyll••. that was stronge in the see costes of that land / The Crysten hoost that was of two honderd thousand was disparpled and to shed / for the popes legate that was ruler of pylgryms in the hooly lande dyed and the kyng of Fraunce also / This kyng while he laye seke prayd besyly in this maner / Lord I pray that thou make vs despyse the welth of this world and drede none of his meschyefs / And for the peple he prayd in this maner be thou lord to thyn own peple ha••ower and wardeyn And he putte to at the ende I shal entre in to thyn hows / and I shall pray to thyne hooly temple /

¶ Capitulum 38 /

EDward kynge henryes sonne cam oute of the holy londe in to englond / the second day of august / & was crowned kyn¦ge the threttenth day byfore december. and the morow after his co¦ronacion / he toke openly hommage and fewte of alysaunder kyng of Scotl̄and / ¶ Thenne the second yere he made lawes / After the tenth gregory the fyfte Innocent was Pope fyue mo∣nethes / ¶This hyght byfore Tarentasius of the ordre of pre∣chours / a doctor of dyuynyte / ¶ After hym the fyfthe Adryan was Pope twey monethes / Somtyme this was sente of Pope Clement in to englond for to alledge the stryf bytwene the kynge and the barons / After hym the / xxj Iohn was pope eyght monethes / he hight byfore peter / & was famous in many & dyuerse scyences / but after that h•• was Pope he doted so that it se¦med that hym lacked a grete dele of kyndly wyt netheles he auaū¦sed clerkes ofte in presence of many men / this byhyght hym self lōg lif / but he fyl doun sodenly of a new chābre that he had byld

a•• vit••rbe / and deyd after the syxth daye of the fallynge / After Iohn the thyrdde nychol was pope as it were thre yere / ¶ This yere for lewelyn prynce of wales wold not come to the kynges parlemente in to englond / kynge edward wente in to wales and foūded the castel of the flynte and strengthed the cāstel of Ruth¦land / There lewelyn submytted hym to the kyng and yaf hym fyfty thousand poūd for the trespaas and for the yland of mon a thousande mare by the yere / ¶ Pope nychol made f••rere Ro∣bert of Culwarbye archebisshop of Caunterbury Cardynal / and made frere Iohan pecham Archebisshop in his stede / Kyng ed∣ward punysshed the Iewes and her assentours for clyppyng of moneye / and for euyl chaunges. So that he made all the Iewes to be taken in on•• day and somme he henge & put awey the other Kyng edward and the lordes made a statute ageynst maynmort Soo that after that tyme no man shold yeue nother selle nother byquethe nother chaunge nother by other tytle assygne landes tenemētes / nother rentes to no man of relygyon withoute the kynges l••ne / ¶ The kynge made smyte in co••n newe moneye / halfpeny & ferdynges al rounde / theron it semeth that marlyns prophecye is fulfylled that sayth the haluendele shal be round / After nychol the fourth honorius was Pope as it were seuen yere In his fourth yere he chaunged the copes of Frere Carmes in to cleene whyte that were to fore ray barred and bemed. The fals walshe dauyd ro••s ageynst kyng edward on a Palm∣sonday / and dyde englysshe men grete harme and damage / But kyng Edward cam aboute saynt Iohans feste / and wanne wa¦les and yaf tounes and landes that were in the myddel of wa∣les to lordes of his land and helde to hym self the Castels / that were on the see syde / Of that doynge cam grete pees and reste af¦ter that tyme / Herafter aboute saynt lukes feste lewelyns heede was smyten of and brought to the kyng and sente to london & sone therafter this lewelyns broder dauid was take that was ex¦yter of all the wo / In the grete parlement at shrowsbury he was first dāpned / & than to draw with horses & than hanged by the throte and than quartred and deled in dyuerse places of englond Of this lewelyn twey men of relygyon wrote versus in metre / of the walshmen in this manere / Hic Iacet Anglorum tortor / tu∣tor venedorū / Princeps wallorū lewelinus regula morū / Gēma coeuorū flos regū pret{er}itorū / Forma futurorū dux laus lex lux ppl̄o{rum} / that is here lyeth the tormētour of englissh men wardeyn &

Tutor of walsshemen / prynce of wallsshmen / lewelyn ruler of go¦de thewes / Cheef precious stone of hem that were in his time flou¦re of kynges that were byfore / Ensample of hem that shall be after this tyme / leder praysynge lawe and lyght of peple / But the englysshmen sayde in thys maner / Hic Iacet errox prynceps predo virorum / proditor anglorum / fax liuid•• / secta reorum / Nu∣men wallorum / trux dux homicida piorū / F••x troianorum stirp•• mendax causa malorum / That is here lyeth the prynce of errours Theef and robber of men / Traytour of englisshmen / a dym brond and set of euyll doers / God of walsshmen a cruel duk / a slee•• of good men / Drastes of Troianes / a fals rote cause of euyll de••es

Kyng Edward made englisshe lawes to be holden in 〈…〉〈…〉 sette shirreues there / ¶ Kynge Edward hath a sonne borne at Carnaruan in wales on a tuesdaye / ¶ After the fourth honorius / the fourth nycol of the ordre of menors was ••ope as 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were syx yere / ¶ That yere Iohan Peccham the Archebis¦shop cam by chestre in to wales to reforme the state of holy chirch•• That yere was so grete drouth and hete that men dyed for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Also that yere was marchādyse brente at saynt botulphs by 〈◊〉〈◊〉 deuels children / that sette fyer in dyuers places of the t••une / for they wolde the more frely Robbe and reue in other places / 〈◊〉〈◊〉 sayde that vnnethe alle the moneye of englond sholde restore t••e harme that was there done / For stremes of golde of syluer and of other metal that was molten ranne vnto the see / That yere a bushel of whete was sold for four pens / on saynt margrets 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fil tempest of reyn / of thundryng & of lyghtnyng so that m••n 〈◊〉〈◊〉 herde of none suche byfore that tyme / for it bete doune & drowned corne and gras that stode on the grounde· & so corne wexed der••rer & derrer / so that at london a busshel was sold for twey s••yl¦lynges that was afore sold for thre pens / & so derth of corne d••••red about a fourty yere vnto the deth of kyng edward the second after the Conquest / so that tyme at london a bushel was sold fo•• x / shyllynges / Aboute this yere by heeste of pope nychol the chir¦ches of englond were taxed to the very value / & syth voyded the taxacion of norwiche that was made by the fourth Innocencius / the Iewes were put out of englond & cam neuer ageyn / after the fourth nychol the fifth celestin{us} was takē from ankers lyf & was pope fewe yeres as it were thre yere / Somdele for stryfe t••at was in the court / somdele by counseyll of his successour bonefas he was y meued and resygned vp the poperyche and toke ageyn

his rather maner of lyuyng / ¶ Also that yere dyed alysan∣der kynge of Scotland / Than was ther grete stryf bytwene the Scottes / who shold be kyng after hym /

¶ Capitulum 39

AFter the deth of alysaunder kynge of Scotlānd that dyed withoute children grete stryf was y moeued who shold be kyng of Scotland after hym / & for many chalengyd that kyng∣dome by cause of nygh kynred & of bloode and that myght not be determyned al full withoute the presence of the cheef lord / Than it was founde by wrytyng autentyk and old that the kyng of englond is cheef lorde of scotland / and that he shuld knowe and deme in suche a maner caas / and for that it shuld be knowen af∣ter his tyme / This yere kyng edward made serche all thabbayes of Englond of Scotland and of wales for to wytte and kno∣we what ryght he had in that maner dede / Than in the cronykes of maryan the scotte / of william of malmesbury / of Rogyer of huntyngdon & of raph le bruys hit was founde that in the yere of oure lord nyne honderd and ten kyng edward the elder made subgette the kynges of scotland and of Cumbres / Also in the sa¦me cronykes it was founde that in the yere of our lord nyne / C / and one and twenty these forsayd men scottes and Cumbres che¦se the forsayd edward the elder to be her lord and her patrone / Also there it was founde that the yere of our lord nyne honderd and syx and twenty Adelstan kyng of englond ouercome Con∣stantyn kyng of scotland and suffryd hym eft to regne vnder him Also Adelstans broder Edredus kyng of englond ouercome the scottes & the northumbres / & they submytted hem self to hem and swore hym feute / Also there it was found that edward kyng of englond ou{er}come alpin{us} sone kynadius kyng of scottes that swore hym feute / Also there it was foūd that canutus kyng of englōd & of denmarche the yere of his kyngdom xvj ouercome malcolin kyng of scotland & therafter he was kyng of four kyngdoms of englond of scotland of denmarche and of norwey / Also there it was founde that saynt edward yaf the kyngdom of scotland to malcolyn that was the kynges sone of cumbres to holde of him Also williā bastard the syxt yere of his kyngdom ouercome mal¦colyn kyng of scotland & toke of hym an oth of homage & feu∣te / also williā the rede did in the same wise as his fader had don

to m••lcolyn kyng•• of Sco••land and to mal••olyns twey sonnes that regned on•• after other / Also Alysander was his brothers successor edgar in the royam of scotland by assente of kyng henry the fyrst / Also dauyd kyng of scotland dyd homage to kyng ste∣uen / Also william kyng of scotland dyd homage to the thyrdde henry / the second henryes sone in his coronacion / And also to hen¦ry the fader in his twentyest yere of his kyngdome / as it is wry∣ten in a couenaunte that was wryten bytwene hem tweyne / Also rogyer of hūtyngdon sayth / that william kyng of scoland cam to his lord kyng henry in normandy / & dyd homage also to kyng rychard / & to kyng Iohn at lyncolne / Also on saynt albōs cronykes it is foūde that alisander kyng of scotland wedded mar¦garet kyng henryes doughter at york & dyd hym homage the ye∣re of kyng henry xxxv / the same is foūde in the kynges chartr••s of scotlād / also in the popes bulles that were sent in to scotlād it is foūd that the kinges of scotlād were acursid for they wold not be buxom & be obedient to her lordes kinges of englond / than cam to geders at norham in thendes of englond toward scotlande the kyng of englond with his wise men / & the kyng of scotland with the redyest men & worthyest that he had / there the kyng of englōd axed fyrst that the scottes shold pesybly assente 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is ordenaū¦ce / touchyng the kyng of scotlād / namely for it longed to him by cause by his cheef lordship / the scottes sayde that they knewe none suche soueraynte that longed to the kyng of englond / & saide that they myght not answer to such thinges without an hede & a king to whom it longeth to here such tretynges / & y^t they shold yeue no¦ne other answer at that tyme for her oth that they had made eche to other after kyng alysanders deth / the whiche oth they must bol¦de vpon peyn of cursynge / than kyng edward toke aduisement & made his lettres patēt to the scottes & knowleched that the coming of the scottes in to englond a this half the water twede shold not eftsones be to him preiudice of comyng eft in to englond ••eraft••r the grettest of scotlond & of englond that chalengid right of the succession in the kyngdome of scotland knowleched / & graūted by theyr lettres patent that they wold with good wyll receyue right byfore this kyng / as before the cheef lord / & they wold holde fer∣me & stable al that he wold ordeyne in this forsaid dede / but for it semed wise men at that tyme that king edward myght yeue no right of succession in the kyngdom to no man but yf he had erst right and possession in the kyngdome of scotlande / Therfore in

the kynges syde of englond surete was made to the scottes that the kyngdome sholde be restored within twey monethes to hym that had ryght therto vpon peyn of an honderd thousand pound sterlyngis that shold be payd at Rome in helpe of the hooly lond And also vpon peyne of cursyng and enterdytyng of the kynge and of the Royamme of englond yf he wold not restore the kyn∣gedom as it is sayd / And so the scottes with her chartres yafe & bytoke to kyng edward the kyngdome of Scotlond / with Cas∣tels with ryght with custommes and vsages / & sette wardeynes that sholde saue to hym that had ryght al the auaūtage & profite of the land in the mene tyme / whan this was don after long ple and disputacion in eyther syde of hem that chalengyd that kyng∣dom the kyng of englond toke heede of the strength of the resons and euydences in eyther syde and yaf the dome for Iohan de bail¦lol / & Iohn knowleched that the king of englond is cheef lorde of Scotland· and dyde hym hommage and swore hym fewte / This yere deyd Frere Iohan pecham archebisshop of Caunterbu¦ry / ¶ Mayster Robert of wynchestre was Archebysshop after hym / a••so that yere madoc a walshman rered warre in wales on a mychelmesse day / therfor kynge edward cam to Chestre aboute saynt nycolās feste / and toke the yle of mon that is callyd Angle¦sia in latyn and bylded newe the cyte and castel de beel marys / That tyme the wodes in wales were hewen doune that were gre¦te socour to men of the contray to hyde hem self in warre tyme / & strong castels were made in dyuers places by the see syde / And sone herafter this madoc was taken and brought to london / After that tyme werre cessed in wales and walsshmen lyued as englysshe men and gadred tresour and dredde lost of catayl / that tyme kynge edward made serche alle the abbayes of Englond & bryng to london all̄ the money that was y founde / Also he made arrest all the wulles and felles / & therafter fyll a grete derthe of Corne and of wyn

¶ Capitulum 40

AFter the fyfth Celestinus the eyght bonefas was Pope enleuen yere / This popes fyrst yere was a yere of grace / that yere he graūted large & grete pardō to pilgrims that

wolde come to Rome and vysyte the Apostles Peter and paule / He made the syxth boke of decretales therin he determyned many grete doutes / he encorpored many grete constitucions extrauagāt / as the Constitucion of honorius of adrian / of innocencius of cle∣ment and of other popes / and dyde awey al that was wrongful A constitucion that is not put / in the cours of lawe is cleped a cō¦stitucion extrauagant / This begyled his predecessour Celestinus & made hym to resygne vp the poperyche and torne eft to ankers lyf / men seyn that therfor celestin{us} prophecyed of hym in this ma¦ner / thou come vp as a fox / thou shalt regne as a lyon / and dye as an hound / for he made pope Celestinus make a cōstituciō that he & euery pope myghte frely resygne vp the poperyche / & whan he was pope he reuoked the same constitucion / ¶ than he ruled strongly & sette doune somme Cardynals & som gentilmen de co∣lumpna / and withstode the kyng of Fraunce in many poyntes & not only that but h•• founded with all his myghte to set doune the kyng of Fraunce / therfor the stuward of fraunce william de lon¦garet a wyse man and f••r castynge / and the forsayd bretheren de columpna conspyred to geders· And toke pope bonefas and se••t hym vpon a wylde hors withoute brydel and torned his face to∣ward the tayl and made hym prycke so aboute to the last brethe & slewe hym so with pryckynge & with honger / Iohn de baylloll that was made kyng of Scotland aroos ageynst the kyng of en¦glond & ageynst his owne othe / and that by counseyll of somme men of Scotl••nd & namely of the abbot of menros / But Iohan was take and dissheryted / ¶ Thenne the yere after williā waleys of the nacion of Scottes arrayd werre ageynst kyng ed∣ward / but he was chaced the second yere after ¶ kyng edward slew / lx / M / Scottes at fouchirch on a mary maudelyn day but the Scottes wexed stronger & stronger / xxx / yere to geders vnto kyng edwardes tyme / the thyrd after the conquest / & beete doune englysshemen oft and englysshe places that were nygh to her mar¦ches / Somme sayde that that myshappe fylle for softenesse of englyssh men / and somme sayde that it was goddes owne wrech as the Prophecye sayde that englysshe men shold be destroyed by danes / by Frensshe men & by scottes / as it is touched in the ende of the fyrst book / The kyng made seyse in to his hond al the tempo¦ralyte of clerkes & put hem oute of his protection for they wold not reward him of her catail the yere before aiēst the scottes for by assēt of the clergy robert tharchebisshop had purchaced an inhibiciō

of the pope that no clerke shold rewarde the kyng of holy chirche goodes / but many clerkes purchaced for drede the kynges protec¦tion withoute the counseyl of the lordes / kyng edward with ly∣tel serengthe of englysshe men / and walsshmen sayled in to flaū∣dres as it were ageynst the kyng of Fraunce / It was a co∣myn sawe that kyng edward loued so blaūche the kynges dough¦ter of Fraunce / that he wold gladly yelde vp gascoyn to the kyn¦ge of Fraunce for his doughter blaunche / but for Edward was olde and blaunche wās a yonge wenche / kyng edward wedded margaret the kynges syster of Fraunce / and gate on hir twey sonnes thomas and Edmonde / kynge edward dampned sodanly fals money that was slyghtly brought vp / Men clepin that mo¦neye pollardes / Crokardes / and Rosoryes and were putte forthe lytel and lytel & pryuely in stede of shyllynges / Fyrst he made one of hem worth an halfpeny / and than he forbad hem aboute / Also this yere edmond erle of Cornewayle deyd without chil¦dren / This edmond was the sonne of Rychard Erle of Corne∣wayle / and kyng of almayne and soo that erldome fyll ageyne to the crowne / This yere was a yere of grace / in the whiche wēt many pylgryms to Rome / kyng edward yaf his sonne edward the pryncypate of wales and the Erldome of Chestre / At london william waleys leeder of scottes was honged and dra¦wen / his heede was smyten of and sette vpon the brydge of lon∣don al men to beholde that there wolde passe· His body was quar∣tred and sente in to dyuerse places of englond / this yere kyng ed¦warde sente to pope bonefas lettres to declare the ryght and the lordship that Englonde hath ouer the Royamme and kynges of Scotlande / For Robert le bruys had pleyned to the Pope that kynge edward greued wrongfully the Royamme of Scotland Therfor the pope wrote to the kyng of englond that he sholde le∣ue of suche greuynge / but he myght shewe clerly his ryght / After the eyght bonefas the enleuenth benette of the ordre of pre¦chours was pope not fully one yere / Of hym one sayde in this maner / A re nomen habe benedic benefac benedicite / Aut rem per¦uerte maledic / malefac maledicite / that is / haue thy name of thy dede / say wel / doo wel y blessyd. Other torne the dede / say euyl / do euyl acursyd / he sayth thus for benet is benedictus in latyn bles¦syd in englysshe / After benet the fyfte Clement was Pope as it were twelue yere / he trauayled aboute byldynge of Castels and gaderyng of tresour / he dampned thordre of Templers / & ordeyned

the seuenthe booke of decretales that hyghte Clementynes / And soone therafter in a counseyl that he made at vyen / he reuoked the same booke / but his successour the two and twentyest pope Io¦hn renewed efte that boke / and publysshed it and putte it to the cours of lawe canon / ¶ This Clement was the fyrst that chaungyd the popes see from Rome to Auinion / Men wondren of that dede whether it were done by goddes ordenaunce / other by mannes foule hardynesse ¶ Also that yere kyng edward made hard inquisicion ageynst euy•• doers and ageynst hem that trespassed ageynst the crowne / that maner inquisicion hight tra∣ylbaston / Robert de bruys toke wronfully the kyngdome of scot∣lande / and aboute Eester he slowe Iohan le comyn at dunfre in the chirche of frere menours / for he wold not assēt to hym in that trayson / but the kyng of Englond cam and chasid this Robert and benge the sleers of this Iohan ¶ That yere kyng Ed¦warde deyd at Carleel and made piers of ganeston that was pryuy with his sonne forswere the londe of Englond

¶ Capitulum 41

KYnge edward deyd on saynt thomas day the translacion be sides Carleel at burgh vpon the Sond / the yere of his kyn¦gedome fyue and thyrtty ¶ Robert Archebisshop of caunter∣bury was exyled and he sawe his deth in his slepe at Rome / After the fyrst edward his sonne was kyng the second Edward after the conquest / Anone he had home ageyne his leef pyers of Ganeston and yaf him the ducherye of Cornewayle / and made hym wardeyn of englond whyle he was aboute his owne mary¦age by yonde the see at boloyn / he wedded ysabel the only dough∣ter of phelyp kynge of Fraunce / And cam thens ageyne / and was crowned kyng at westmynstre the sondaye in quinquagesi∣ma / that is the day a fourtenyght after that alleluya is closed / He was crowned of the bisshop of wynchestre / by Auctoryte of pope Clemente / For Robert Archebisshop of Caunterbury was at that tyme at Rome exyled oute of englond / This edward was fayre of body and grete of strengthe and vnstydfast of ma∣ners and of thewes / yf men shal trowe the comyn tale / For he forsoke the company of lordes and drewe hym to harlottes / To

syngars / to gestours / to carters / to deluers / and to dykers / to ro¦wers bote men / and ship men / and to other craftes / and yaf hym to grete drynkyng / he wolde lyghtly telle oute pryuy counseyll and smyte men that were aboute hym for wel lyght trespaas / And dyde more by other mennes counseyll than by his owne / He was to large of yeftes and solempnel in makyng of festes Redy to speke and varyaunt of deedes / vnhappy ageynste his enemyes / and cruel to his meyne / and loued strongly one of his whistrers and dyde hym grete reuerence & worship / and ma∣de hym grete and ryche / Of this doyng fyll vylony to the louyer / euyll speche and bakbytyng to the leef / sklaundre to the peple / harme and dammage to the Royamme / he auaunced to states of hooly chirche / hem that were vnable and vnworthy that was afterward a stake in his eye and a spere in his syde / In his tyme was soo grete derth of whete / and continual mo∣reyn of beestes that none suche was seen byfore that tyme / Than were dymes alwey gadred and contribucions payed / Spiritua∣le and temporale was alwey pylled and by suffraunce of the po¦pe and by coloure to wythstonde the scottes / moche good fyll to the kynges encheytes but by the kynges outrage all was was∣ted and spente in ydel / but in one poynt this kyng happed wel that wales was neuer rebell ageynst hym / In other sydes hym myshapped alwey / In his begynnyng he loued Piers of ganes∣ton and had bifore forswore his company at his faders heeste / but he sente after hym ageyne from beyonde the see by cause of hym / he was recheles of ysabel the quene / and rought not of the lordes of the lande / therfore the lordes had indignacion and putte oute this Piers ouer see in to yrlond / there the kynges tresoure was rabbyshly wasted and spente / yet for hope of more pees Pyers was brought ageyne / but the kynges tresour was wasted and spente as it was byfore. and the lordes aroos and putte pyers from the kyng and toke his horses and iis tresour in northumber∣lond and chacyd pyers / and besyeged hym in the Castel of scard¦burgh and toke hym / and smote of his heede at gaueressyche be sides warwyck / but whanne pyers was dede / yet the kynge vsyd his old maners and drewe to other men / therfor Robert archebis∣shop of Caunterbury made a solemynel counseyll of the prouyn∣ce / there were ordeyned many noble statutes in helpe of the Ro∣yamme / the kynge was sworne to holde these ordenaunces / And Robert the Archebisshop yaf his blessynge to al that wolde hem

holde and his curse that wolde hem breke / But than as alweye the kyng drewe to his fautours and dyde not as he had promy∣sed / therfor was grete speche among the comyns and grutchyng emong the grete ayenst the kyng / ¶ And hem that were nygh the kynge / ¶ And specially Robert the Arche¦bisshop. and thomas Erle of lancastre by confort of this Robert fonded with hym many yere to wythstonde the kynges nycete till that he yelde vp the brethe in that stryf at the last ende / By ••or∣des ageynst the kynges wyl pyers of ganeston was exyled in to Irlond / and the yere after aboute the natyuyte of oure lady 〈◊〉〈◊〉 was sente after ageyne and the kyng came ageynst him at ch••••¦tre / But aboute midwinter Pyers was exiled in to Flaundres & aboute Candelmasse y sente after ageyne ageinst hir wille The kyng was with him a while & lefte him in the castel of scard∣burgh / there lordes besyeged him / & toke him / & brought him to dadynton & slewe him besides warwick. ¶Pyers was heeded a•• gan••ressiche vpon the daye of saynt Gernacius & Prothacius And the same yere on on saint brices daye the kinges eldest sonne the thyrd edward after the conquest was borne at windesore / Tharchebisshop of winchestre deide & mayster thomas of Cob•••• was chosen awel noble clerke / by Instaunce of the kyng he was put of and translated to wyrceire and waltre Reynald the kyn¦ges tresorer was made Archebisshop ¶ & sone therafter the kyng wente in to Scotland with grete boost and grete aray and 〈…〉〈…〉 he and his were shamely ouercome on a saynt Io••ans day / Gentilmen were slayn and taken / and tresour lost / Somme threw awey her wepen and toke socour only by flyght / Herafter twelue yere contynuelly whyle this kyng regned the north coun¦treys of englond were destroyed by the scottes / edward le bruys Robert le bruys brother wente in to Irlonde for to wynne that londe· but the fourth yere therafter he was slayne / on a saynt Ca¦lyxtes day / ¶ Also this yere aboute mychelmasse a knyght of lancastreshyre moeued werre ageynst his owne lorde Thomas er¦le of lancastre / but aboute martynmesse he was t••ken and beded

¶Capitulum 42

AFter the fourth clement the two and twentyest Iohan was pope aboute an eyghtene yere / He renewyd the seuen bokes

of decretales & auaunced clerkes and ordeyned general studyes lore of thre langages of hebrue / grue· and latyn / And fyrst by¦cause that hit shold seme that he hated takyng of yeftes / he damp∣ned pluralyte of benefyces / Soo that euery creatuure sholde hold hym appayd with one benefyce with cure / and this pope shold ha¦ue the fruytes of the other benefyces that voyded long tyme of ye∣res ¶ Also he reserued to hym self the fyrst benefyce that voyded by deth resygnacion other by translacion / Soo that the personne that were institute shold chese whether he wold haue the taxe of the benefyce other the ouerpluys / by that cautel come hu∣ge tresour to the popes hande / ¶ But the duc of bauaria / that clepyd hym self emperour werryd ofte ageynst hym and ba∣re hym doune alwey / ¶ Also this yere was greete deth of men and of beestes and greete fallyng of reyne in somer and in heruest / therof cam grete derth of Corn•• so that a quarter whete was sold for fourty shillyngys / ¶ A wryter that hyghte Iohn had a catte that was homely with hym aboute pentecost at oxenford / this Iohn sayde openly that he was heyr of englond Therfor at northampton byfore the kyng and lordes he was pre¦ued fals / and hanged and drawen / ¶ That yere twey car¦dynals come in to englond and cursyd Robert le bruys and his fautours / and enterdyted scotland / kynge edward fauoured the twey spensers hugh the fader and hugh the sonne ageynste the wyll of lordes / therfor thomas erle of lancastre and many other withdrewe soo the kynges strengthe / Soo that they made hem a colour as it were by assent of the kyng and exyled these spensers and threwe doune her castels in wales / they ladde awey the bees¦tes and gadred tresour and occupyed gloucestre in the wynter ty¦me / and sone therafter withoute counseyll of other men the king sente ageyne for eyther hughe / than wreth and stryf encreaced from day to day / Among al this twey lordes de mortimer toke ha¦stely Cytees in the marche er the erle of lancastre myghte be re∣dy / and pursued the kynges knyghtes till that the kyng come a¦boute by shrowesbury vppon hem with a grete multitude of fote men / there for defaute of money / and by cause that therle of lan∣castre was to long behynde / the knyghtes wente awey / and the two mortyners must nedes yelde hem and soo they dyde and we¦re prysoned at london / than the kyng wente to Gloucestre / and had with hym thens eyther spenser / Than he wente to lyche feld aboute saynt Chedde day for to take the erles of lancastre and of

and her fautours that were at Tutbury and at burton but whi¦le the kyng passed the waterr out of the toun at afoorde / the erle of lancastre and his men fled oute of the toune of burton to the Cyte of burghbrydge / there cam andrew of herkeley in the kyn∣ges syde and slewe the Erle of herford ryght vpon the brydge the syxtenth day byfore apryll and toke the erle of lancastre & many other noble men / the most dele of hem were in dyuers pla¦ces hanged by the throte / but the Erle was byheded at his own Castel of Poūfret / the tenth day byfore Apryl· Of this Erle and of his dedes it is ofte grete stryfe among the comyn people / whether he shold be acounced amonge sayntes or noo / Somme sayde yes for he dyde many almes dedes and worshiped men of re¦lygyon and mayntened a trewe quarel as it semed to his lyues ende / Also his enemyes dured afterward but a whyle and de∣yde in shameful deth / Other seyn the contrary and tellyn that he was an husbond man / and rought not of his wyf and de∣fouled a grete multitude of gentil wymmen and wēches / yf ony man offended hym a lytel he lete hym sle anon / Apostatas and euill doers he fauoured strongly for they sholde not be punisshed by the lawe· Also he wolde commytte alle his doynges to one of his secretaryes to doo with as he wolde / ¶ Also that be fled shamely in tyme of fightyng for the right vnto the deth / and suche one sholde not be acounted a saynt namely whyle le was ta¦ke and slayne maugre his trethe / But offrynges and likynes of myracles that ben now done in the place there he was by••••d••d what yssue they shal take it shall be knowen after this tyme / From that tyme to the syx••h yere after the fortune of the spen∣cers beganne to encreace / and the condicion of the quene drough̄ toward seruage till that the kyng of Fraunce pursued hugely the kyng of Englond / for hommage of Gascoyne was not done / ¶ About the Ascencion of oure lord the kyng helde a parlemente at yorke / there he made hugh the spenser the elder / Erle of wynchestre and Andrewe of harkley erle of Carleell / The same yere aboute Lammasse the kyng wente in to Scotlond And though he had none withstandyng / yet he loste many men with sekenesse and with honger / ¶ Aboute the Natyuy¦te of oure lady the kyng cam homewarde ageyne. and the scot∣tes come after hym and toke the castell norham· and afterward aboute saynt lukes tyde at the abbay of bella lauda vpon blak∣hammor / they hadde nyghe take the kyng at mete yf he had not

fledde / but they toke the Erle of Rychemond / and the kynges tresour was lost / th•• same yere the morow after saynt chaddes day Andrew of harkeley was taken at Carleel / as a traytour han∣ged and drawen and heded and his bowels brente and quartred and his heede set••e vppon london brygge / ¶ At lammasse Rogyer mortimer the yonger / that was in prisonne escaped oute of the toure of london by a slepyng drynke that his wardeynes hadde dronke / Aboute mydlente for to make pees the quene of en∣glond was sente to her brother kyng of Fraunce / that had assayl¦led a grete dele of gaskoyn / ¶ Aboute the natyuyte of our lady the kyng sente his sonne edward in to Fraunce for to do the kynge of Fraunce homage for the ducherye of guyan that was yeuen hym / and the kyng of Fraunce made hym abyde with his moder in the coūte of Pontyeu / the moder and the sone dwellyd soo by yonde see / and wold not come ageyne other durst not for drede of the spensers / ¶ Thenne the kyng of englond by counseil of the twey spensers outlawed and banysshed his wyf and his sonne openly at london in cheepe as traytours of the Royamme /

¶ Capitulum 43 /

THis yere aboute mychelmasse the Quene of englond & her sonne edward and Rogyer mortymer that escaped oute of the tour of london cam in to englond with lytel strengthe of He∣newers and londed in estsex and wente toward london / there the kyng was that tyme / and wonder it was that the lond was still all aboute withoute noyse and shedyng of blood / And the kyng fledde oute of london in to west wales and they folowyd hym ea¦syly a foote pas / That tyme the morow after of saynt Calyxtes daye by counseylle of the bourgeys of london the kynges tresorer bisshop of excetre was heded withoute the north dore of saynt pou¦les chirche / And in the morowe the toure of london was take by bourgeys of london in helpe of the quene and of hyr sonne / Sone therafter on saynt Symons euen and Iude the quene and her men toke the castel of Brystow / there hugh the spenser the elder was hanged and drawen and his heede sente to wynchestre / The same yere on saynt hughes day the erle of Arundell was ta¦ke in· the countray of shrowesbury / but he was heded at Herford

The same weke the kynge of englond was take in the Castel of neth in west wales / & putte in warde in the castel of kenelworth ¶ Hugh the spencer the yonger was take with the kynge and drawen / at herford byheded and quartred / & his hede was sent to london bridge Also that yere in the octaues of twelue day was made a parlement at london / there by comyn ordenaunce were so∣lempne messagers sente to the kyng that was in prysonne / Thre Bisshops / Thre Erles / Twey Barons / twey Abbottes / Twey Iustyces for to resygne to the kynge that was than in war¦de the hommage that was made to hym somtyme / For they wol∣de no lenger haue hym for theyr lord / One of hem syre william trussel / knyght and procuratour of alle the parlemente spake to the kyng in name of all the other and sayde these wordes / ¶ I william trussel in name of all men of the lond of englond and of alle the parlement procuratour / I resygne to the edwarde the ho∣mage that was made to the somtyme / And from this tyme forth¦ward I dyffye the / and pryue the of all Ryall power / and I shal neuer be tendaunt to the as for kynge after this tyme / Also this was openly cryed at london / The same yere on Candel∣masse euen / edward the kynges sonne was made knyght /

¶ Capitulum 44

EDwardes sone the thyrd edward after the Conquest a yōg childe of fyftene yere old vnderward yet lyuynge his fa∣der was crowned kyng at westmynstre on a Candelmasse daye /

¶ In his begynnyng come forth gracious happes and fortune / ¶ Thenne the erthe toke plente / the eyer temprure / the see quyete and pe••s and hooly chirche fredome· The thyrdde daye of Apryl the old kynge was brought oute of the Castel of kenelworth to the castel of barkley / ther many mē conspyred for to helpe for his delyueraunce / but he deyd about the feste of saynt mathew the ewangelyste / Of his lyuyng and of his dedes / it is yet stryf among the peple / as was somtyme of tho¦mas of lancastre whether he shold be acounted among sayntes or noo / For nother prysonement nother persecucion / and greues preueth a man a saynt / but the holynesse of the rather lyf acorde therto / For suche ben indiffrent to good and to euyl / For euer

synful man it is a fayr grace of suche peynes with contricion do∣ne awey his synnes & lassen his peynes in purgatorye / though they make hym not flee anone to heuene withoute ony payne of purgatory / but presumpcion and pryde of euyll men and synfull trusteth and hopeth an ydel that they and other suche sholde haue no payne in purgatory / Also lykyng and wylle that wyues ha¦ue to wende aboute make tydynges sprynge and sprede hugely of suche worshipynge till the byldyng vpon suche vnsyker groū¦de begynne to slyde / At the parlemente of wynchestre Edmond of wodestok was heded for he had conspyred ageynste the kynge as it was sayd / ¶ The forsayd Edmond was the kynges eme and erle of kent / the syxtenth day byfore Iuyn this thyrd kyng edward after the Conquest had his eldest sonne edward borne of his wyf the quene the erles doughter of henaud / ¶ Also that yere on the morow after saynt lukes daye / Rogyer mortimer that made men clepe hym erle of the marche was taken at notyn∣gham and sente to london / And there by dome af the parlemente he was hanged and drawen on saynt Andrews euen / ¶ About lammasse Edward de bayllol that was somtyme kyng of Scot∣land entred in to scotland for to recouer his kyngdome with ly¦tel strengthe of englysshe men vnnethe two thousand and slewe syxty thousand of scottes at gledesmore / The kynge of Englond ••ome for hel̄pe of the kyng of scotland and besyeged Barwyck / the twellyfth day of Iuyll ¶William de reth a scottiss••e knyght promysed th•• kynge that he wolde at a certayne day brynge the hoost of scottes to fyght with hym and to remeue the syege / And but yf he soo dyde he wolde yelde to the kynge the Cyte of berwyk / In the mene tyme the Scottes brente in northumberlond as traytours shold / and besyeged the Castel of banburgh / ther in laye the quene of englond yf they myght in that wyse br••ke the syege of barwyk / ¶ Thenne at the day that was sette the seuententh day byfore lammasse anon at full see / the Scottes cam ageynste englysshmen in thre bataylles all a foote and vn∣gyrd in a place fast by barwyk that is called bothhull besydes Halydon ¶Englysshe Archers bete doune the Scottes and hors¦men pursued hem and chaced hem till it was nyghte / Soo that there were dede of Scottes eyght erles / a thousand and thre hon¦honderd horsmen and of other men fyue and thyrtty thousand / Whanne this was seen barwyk was yolden vp to the kyng of en¦glond / ¶And wonder it is to telle / there were none deede of the

Englysshe mennes sydes / but a knyght and a squyer and twe∣lue foote men / In the feeste of geruasius and prothasius / Ed∣ward le bayllol verry kynge of Scotland dyde homage for the Royamme of Scotland to edward kyng of Englond at the Cas¦tel vppon Tyne in presence of thre bisshops / of erles / of Barons and of grete multitude of peple / And soone therafter the Scottes were rebell ¶ Therfore in a cold wynter the kyng of En∣glonde wente in galweye and destroyed the Countraye vnto the scottisshe See / and repayred the Castel of Rokesburgh / and there he socoured hym and his men alle the wynter tyme / The two and twentyest pope Iohan deyd in the aduente of our lorde / And anone in the same weke the twelueste Benet was made pope / That was fyrse monk / and thenne Abbot of whyte monkes / and thenne bisshop in his owne dyosyce / and than Car¦dynal / and att last pope / ¶ Anone he made Constituci∣ons to relygyous men of dyuerse ordres touchynge her Rules and her ordres / ¶ Aboute on saynt Gregoryes day in the lente kynge Edward in ful parl̄emente at London made a Ducherye of the erldome of Cornewayle / and yafe it to his eldest sonne Edward / and the Erldome of Chestre yet therto ¶Also there he ordeyned fyue Erles / One to Derby / another to northampton / the thyrdde to huntyngdon. the fourth to Sales∣bury / and the fyfthe to gloucestre / ¶ Grete stryf fyll bytwe∣ne the kynges of Englond and of Fraunce / For the kynge of Fraunce bad wrongfully in gaskoyne many londes and tounes Therfore the kynge of Englond profered the kyng of Fraunce many fayre proferes and meke / for he wolde haue his londes a∣geyne / but al for nought / Than the kynge gadred money in eue¦ry syde / and arayde hym to passe the see / And aboute saynt mar¦garets daye kyng edward passed in to flaundres & went thens to Coloyn / there he socyed to hym the Emperour benarrus the bra¦bans & the flemyngys / & by coūseil of hem he medled the armes of fraunce among his owne armes & brente & destroyed the north coūtrayes of fraūce vn to tournay / About Candelmasse kyng edward cam in to Englond ageyn / His wif & his childeren that he had gete in that syde / he lefte hem at andwerp in braband as it were for surete of his comyng ageyn / & he made a parlement at lōdon & ordeined for the nedes & chargid englisshmē with tribute of the fyfthe parte of her good and catayll and all mens wolle /

And the nynthe scheef of euery glebe of englond / he ordeygned for his owne iourneyes / and made lordes of the nexte townes aboute answere hym of the prouffyte that come therof / Also this yere was soo grete scarsyte of moneye / and plente of other thynges that men solde a quarter whete at london for twey schyllynges / And a fatte oxe for an half mark /

Kynge Edward tokē the see toward Flaundres with two hon∣derd shippes on saynt Iohans baptiste euen / But by the coost of Flaundres he mette the grete nauey of Fraunce strongly arayd Therfor all that day he auysed hym and his men what were beste to rede / And in the morowe hym cam to helpe a noble knyght Robert of moreleye with the north nauey of englond / There was a stronge bataylle / in the See / Suche a bataylle was neuer sene in the Costes of Englond / There by Goddes helpe and fauour / Frensshe men & normans were sharpely shoten / Sōme slayne with strokes / somme / drowned by her owne good wyll and somme were take and her shippes also / oute take fewe that fledde awey as fast as they myghte / ¶ Thenne the Kyng of Englond cam in to Flaundres and had a grete hoost and destroyed the northsyde of fraunce / And besyeged the strong Cyte of tourneye somwhat of tyme / But atte last for defaulte of moneye that his slowe procuratours sente hym not oute of En∣glonde trewes were take bytwene the kynges in eyther syde / and soo eyther wente his wey / kyng edward with his naueye wente in to lytel Brytayne / There he loste many of his men by vnhol∣somme meete and drynke / ¶ But twey Cardynals were sente by the pope and made trues to be take bytwene the kynges for thre yere in the whiche tyme the ryght that the kynge of En∣glonde chalengyd in the Royamme of Fraunce myght be decla∣red atte full / In his comyng ageyne oute of Brytayne / kyng edward had grete dysese by tempest of the see / ¶And men sayde that the kynge of Fraunces reygromancers hadde made that tempest / ¶Pope Benette deyde / And the Archebisshop of Rom was Pope after hym / and was cleped the syxt clement a man of grete Clergy / but a grete wastour / and spender / so that he yaf his cardinals dignitees of holy chirch that voided in en¦glond / & fonded to put therfor other tytles in englonde / Therfor the kynge of englond was wroth / and the yere of our lord a / M thre honderd / & four & fourty / The kyng fordyde the prouysyons that the pope had graūted / and bad that no man shold after that

tyme brynge suche prouisions vppon peyne of prisonnemente and of lesynge of his heede / ¶ In the feste of the trans¦lacion of saynt thomas of Caunterbury kynge Edwarde toke the See vnwyttynge all his men whether he wold wende / But by ledynge of a knyght of Harecourt / that was somtyme outlawed oute of Fraunce the kyng londed at hoggys bysydes the Ryuer of seyn in the south syde of normandy / And spoylled Cadony and other Cytees and so his men were made full ryche / But the kynge of Fraunce had broke the brydges of Ryuers in euery syde / For the hoostes shold not come to geders and fyght Ther for kynge Edwarde roode in normandye and toke prayes in euery syde / ¶ On saynt Rufus daye the martir that is on saynt Austyn the dectours euen that is the seuen and twentyest day of lammasse monethe / at Cressy in pycardy kynge Edward gloryously ouercome the kyng of Fraunce· & chaced hym / & sle¦we twey kynges of boheme & of mayorck the duk of lotheryng Twey Bisshops / eyght erles / many noble lordes / two thousand knyghtes / And other men withoute nombre / and chaced the pe∣ple that fl••dde awey alyue / ¶There phelyp kynge of Fraunce was wounded in the thyghe. and in the throte / and twyes vn∣horsed of the kynge of Englond as it was sayd / and escaped aweye vnnethe / ¶ T••erafter the kyng of Engl̄ond besyeged Caleys twelue monethes and more / For Cal̄eys was somtyme grete enemye to englysshe men / ¶That yere in the morow after mychelmasse day in monte tumba that is the seuententh day of Octobre englyssh men and specially of the dyosyce of york secule¦res and rugulers bete doune the Scottes that were come by enty¦cyng of the kynge of Fraunce vnto Durham / There dauyd be bruys kynge of Scotland william douglas and other grete lor∣des were take / and the other were dede and chaced ¶ Aboute saynt bartholomeus feste Phelyp kyng of Fraunce that had ara¦yed hym as it were for to fyghte / and namely for to breke the sie¦ge of Caleys he fledde awey pryuely in the dawnyng / and left there his tentes and a greete dele of vytayls therin / the men of Caleys saw that and yelded vp that Cyte to kyng edward / than kyng edward was there a moneth and ordeined for Cal̄eys and wente in to englond ageyne aboute mychelmasse / And graunted trewes for nyne monethes at the Instaunce of the Pope / But as he had somtyme in comyng out of lytel brytayne so he had at this tyme greete tempeste in the see / and loste therby many noble

knyghtes / therfore this kyng edwarde made a wonderfull com∣pleynt / and sayde my good lady saynt marye / what is hit and what bodeth it that at my wendyng in to Fraunce / I haue wyn¦de and weder and al thyng at my wylle / and in my comynge a∣geyne toward englond I haue tempest and many hard happes / This yere fylle grete reyne from the feste of the natyuyte of sa∣ynt Iohan / and dured till mydwynter next therafter / Soo that vnnethe passed ony day but it rayned by day or by nyght / That tyme fyll grete deth of men in all the world wyde / & bygan in landes oute of the southeest sides / Soo that vnnethe lefte half the people alyue / And somme hous of relygyon of twenty lefte but tweyne / The syxthe Pope Clement dyed on saynt nycholas day / And anon the Popes cheef penitancer steuen bisshop hostien¦sis was chose pope and was cleped the sixth Innocent / Also that yere byganne grete derth of thynges that shold be solde. soo that the sale of thynges was for double pryce to that it was wonte / ¶Also the see and the lande byganne to wex more bareyn than they were byfore / ¶ This yere it was acorded and sworne by¦twene the kynges of englonde and of Fraunce / oute take that the kynges seeles were not sette to the indentures that were wry¦ten / the acorde was that the kyng of englond shold haue alle his londes of the ducherye of guyan that were taken from hym by∣fore by the kynge of Fraunce / Soo that the kyng of Englond sholde leue and resygne vp to the kyng of Fraūce all the right and clayme that he had to the Royamme of Fraunce vpon that doyng were solempnel messagers sente in the kynges half of en¦glond ¶ Henry the noble duk of lancastre / henry erle of arū¦del / mychel of northburgh bisshop of london and guy de bryan / These were sente to the popes courte for to haue the couenauntes / Recorded by the popes bulles / but by sodayne fraude of Fraunce and by assente of the pope the couenauntes were put of and vn¦doo / Therfore englonde arayeth for to fyghte / for to rekeuer and wynne the landes that were take with wrong / And the kyng of englond entred in to Fraunce with grete strength of knyghtes But he herde telle that barwyk was y take / and cam ageyne & delyuerd barwyk of the power of scottes / ¶ This yere was so greete drought to geder that in thre monethes Apryl / May and Iuyn vnnethe fyll a drope of reyne doune to the erth / On a Fryday in a whi••sonweke were twey Freres of the ordre of menours brente at Auinion / for somme fals oppynyons / As

it semed by the pope & the cardynals / the same yere at the natiuite of our lady the king of englonds eldest sone edward sailed in to gascoyn with many men of armes & archers to recouer & wyn¦ne the landes of the ducherye of guyan that the kynge of Fraū∣ce had long tyme wrongfully withholde / there edward dwellyd all a yere withoute ony rees of enemyes / But in the me∣ne tyme he toke and bete doune and spoylled and brente huge Cytees that were rebelle ageynst hym / as narbon Carcason and other / but in the ende of the yere of his comynge the one & twen day of the moneth of septembre / whyle the duc of lancastre besy¦eged the Cyte Breuens in brytayne / Edward passed by the brynkes of the Ryuer l••yr that is of the ducherye of guyan / There cam the kyng of Fraunce with a grete hooste and fought with hym / but the kynges men of Fraunce were slayne and cha¦sed / And the kyng of Fraunce was take and brought to Bur¦deaus in gascoyne / and there he was till whitsontyde / This yere aboute whitsontyde the forsayd edward sayled oute of Gaskoyn in to englond with Iohan kyng of Frensshe men / And anone the Pope sente twey Cardynals in to englond for to trete of pees bytwene the twey kynges / The Cardynals dwel¦lyd in englonde a full yere / and the thyrdde Cardynal come of his owne hede to comfort the kynge of Fraunce / and dwellyd with the other Cardynals at london ¶ Also this yere that was the yere of oure lord a thousand thre honderd and seuen & fyfty aboute al halowen tyde / dauyd le bruys kyng of Scotlond was deliuerd that hadde be long tyme in warde enleuen yere in the Castel of odyham / and he payed a grete raunsonne / Also this yere at the court of Rome beganne grete stryf bytwe∣ne the primate Armacan and Freres beggers / Also the same yere was grete destruction in britayne and in normandy by phe∣lip that was the kynges broder of nauerne / And by sire Ia∣mes pipe and Robert knolles / and many other Englisshe men withoute he de and withoute warraunt of the kinge of Englond This yere a bo ute the assumpcion of oure ladye Edward kinge of Englond and his eldest sonne Edwarde prince of wales / the duck of lancastre / and neighe alle the lordes of Englond with a grete hooste of horsmen and of archers gadred with aboute a thousand chariottes dwellyd somwhat long time at Sandwich̄ and aboute Michelmasse nexte therafter / the forsaide duk sailed to Caleys / the kyng & the prynce sayled to the same place about

about Candelmasse / And bygnnae anone to ryde in the Royam of Fraunce / but they lay in the feelde in burgoyn / And in chā¦payne to the annunciacion of our lady / In the mene tyme the normans landed at wynchelsee with a lytel nauey in englond the fytenthe day of marche and assaylled that toune / and slewe men and brente somme of the toune / But there many of the see theues were slayne and drowned / and the other part of the See theues fledde to theyr shippes and wente oute of Englond as they were compellyd by the Abbot of bataylle and strength that was with hym / ¶ This yere aboute saynt dunstans feest ed∣ward kyng of englond toke trues with the kyng of Fraunce in hope of pees / & cam with his hoost ageyn in to englonde / But he lost many men horses and charyottes besydes parys the / xviij day after eester by a storme of weder that fyll there that tyme / Aboute lammasse nexte therafter Armacan and the ordre of beg∣gers / of the stryf that was bytwene hem ceessyd by heeste of the pope / Also the same tyme the prynce of wales / the duc of lancas¦tre / and many other lordes of englond and the kyng of Fraunce wente to caleys to reforme the pees bytwene Englond and Fraunce / there the pees was reformed and assured with surete of oth on eyther syde / And the kynges of englond and of fraū∣ce wente home ageyne to her owne kyngdoms aboute mychelmasse And sone therafter were messagers sente to Auinion to the pope to conferme the pees and the couenauntes on eyther syde /

God be thanked of al his dedes / This translacion is ended on a thursdaye the eyghtenthe daye of Apryll the yere of our lord a thousand thre honderd and / lvij / The xxxj yere of kyng Edward the thyrd after the Conquest of Englond / the yere of my lordes age Syr thomas lord of berkley that made me make this trans∣lacion fyue and thyrtty /

THus endeth the book named Proloconycon made & compiled by Ranulph monk of chestre / whiche ordeyned it in latyn & atte request of the ryght worshipful lord / Thomas lord of berke¦ley it was translated in to englisshe by one Treuisa thenne vyca¦rye of the Paryssh of barkley / And for as moche as syth the ac¦complysshemente of this sayd booke made by the sayd Ranulph ended the yere of oure lord a / M / CCC / lvij / many thynges ha¦ue fallen whiche ben requysyte to be added to this werke / by cause mennes wyttes in this tyme ben oblyuyous and lyghtly forge¦ten many thyngys dygne to be putte in memorye / and also there can not be founden in these dayes but fewe that wryte in theyr regystres suche thynges as dayly happen and falle· Therfore I William Caxton a symple persone haue endeuoyred me to wryte fyrst ouer all the sayd book of proloconycon / and som what haue chaunged the rude and old englyssh̄ / that is to wete certayn wor¦des / which in these dayes be neither vsyd ne vnderstanden / & fur¦thermore haue put it in emprynte to thende that it maye be had & the maters therin cōprised to be knowen / for the boke is general touchyng shortly many notable maters / & also am auysed to ma¦ke another booke after this sayd werke whiche shal be sett here after the same / And shal haue his chapytres & his table a parte For I dar not presume to sette my booke ne ioyne hit to his / for dyuerse causes / one is for as moche as I haue not ne can gete no bokes of auctoryte treatyng of suche cronykes / except a lytel bo∣ke named fasciculus temporum / and another callyd Aureus de vniuerso / in whiche bookes I fynde ryght lytel mater syth the sayde tyme ¶ / And another cause is / for as moche as my rude symplenesse and ignorant makyng ought not to be compared / set ne ioyned to his boke / Thenne I shal by the grace of god set my werke after a parte for to accomplysshe the yeres syth that he fy∣nysshed his book / vnto the yere of our lord / M / CCCC / lx / and the fyrst yere of the Regne of kyng edward the fourthe / whiche amoūte to an honderd and thre yere /