Henry the thyrde.
[ B] HEnry the thyrde of that name / and eldyst sonne to kynge Iohn̄ / was crowned kyng the .xxviii. day of Octobre the yere of Chryst .M.CC.xvi. whan he was but .ix. yeres of age. And after his coronacyon / this Lewis cōtynued in his war / which he had begon / but dyuers of ye lordes toke {per}te agaynst hym. And also Swallo the Legate accursed this Lewys / & in∣terdyted wales / & a cursyd Lewellyn prynce of wales / and all that hylde {per}te agayne this yonge kyng Henry.* 1.1 And the erle of Chester and dyuers other lordes of the kynges parte went to Lyncolne and toke the towne / and slewe many Frenche men beynge there / & forced this Lewys to take a peace / whiche peace was thus concluded yt Lewys shulde go agayne into Fraunce / and to haue a .M. markes for his trauayle / whiche he had and so de{per}ted. Also in the thyrde yere of this kynge / began ye newe worke of the churche of westmyster. ¶About the .viii. yere of this kynges reyne / the charter called Magna carta was cōfyrmed / and dyuers artycles addyd therto / howe the kynge shulde haue the warde and maryage of the lordes heyres beynge within age / and the fyrst statute of Mortmayne than made / and about that tyme the plees of the crowne were holden in the Towre of London.* 1.2 And this kynge also graunted many lybertes to the citye of London. Sone after this kynge Henry with a great hoost sayled into Normandye / by the excytynge of a Frenche man named the erle of Marche: where betwene the Frēche kyng Lewys and hym was fought a great battell / but in the ende the Fren∣chemen had the victory / & toke .xxii. knyghtes and noble men prisoners / & .v.C. meane people / yt kynge Henry for feare fled and turned backe to Burdeux / but after a peace was made / & kynge henry returned into Englande. About this tyme was a great yerthe quake in Englande / and also in the .xxxi. yere of this kynge / the kynge seasyd the franches of London into his handes for a iugemēt gyuen by one Piers Alyn the Mayre & Aldermen / agaynst a wedowe called Marga∣rete Vyell / which iugemēt as it was sayd was after foūde good / wherfore the Citezyns inioyed agayne theyr lybertes.* 1.3 About the .xxxv. yere of this kynge / the order of the freres Augustynes began in Englande in a place in wales called wodhouse. And about this tyme the kyng maryed Margarete his doughter / to Alexāder the kyng of Scottes / which Alexander dyd homage to ye kynge at yorke. This kynge Henry ofte tymes for dyuers cōplayntes made agaynst ye Mayres offycers of London / seasyd the lybertes of the citye into his owne handes / & set other offycers to rule the citye / but euer they were restored agayne.* 1.4 Also about this tyme Rycharde the kynges brother erle of Cornewall was electe kyng of Almayne & kynge of Romayns / whiche toke shyp∣pynge & went thyder / & there was crowned in ye citye of Aquisgranū. About the .xli. yere of kyng Henryes rayne / a greuous byll of complaynt of the cōmynalte of London was put agaynst the Mayre & Aldermen and gouernours of the citye / for wronges & extorcyons done by them to the cōmynalte / by settynge of taxes / & alterynge of tolles & customes to theyr owne singuler ••ucr•• / whiche byll was cast in the kynges wardrobe / whiche after came to the kynges handes / that the kynge sent downe his Iustyce & other of his counsell / whiche discharged the Mayre / Sheryffes / & Chamberlayne / and made inquisicyon of the truthe / but the offenders by theyr lerned counsell longe tyme defended them selfe / and delayde the tryall. And yet dyuers places of syttynge were appoynted / aswell in the Guylhalle and at the Folkemo••e at Poules crosse / & in the Escheker ye kynges grace there beynge present / where in the ende the Mayre & Aldermen were arrested and cōpelled to put in great suertyes / & at the last they put them in the kynges mercy / and made theyr ende / and lastly restored agayne to theyr roumes / but nat without great fynes payenge. Also about this tyme there was a great derth / that whete was worth .xxiiii. s. a quarter. [ B]