The pastyme of people The cronycles of dyuers realmys and most specyally of the realme of Englond breuely co[m]pylyd [and] empryntyd in chepesyde at the sygne of the mearemayd next to pollys gate. Cum priuilegio.

[illustration]

Henricus .iij.

¶Honore. Gregory. Celestyne.

[ P] ¶Honore was nexte pope / the yere of Chryst .M·CC.xvi. he hylde the see .x. yere and more. ¶Gregory hylde the see nexte .xiiii. yere. ¶Celestyne hylde the see nexte .xviii. dayes. [ P]

¶Fredrycke. Henry.

¶Fredrycke was nexte Emperour / the yere of Chryst .M.CC.xii. he dyd persecute the churche [ E] but at a counsell at Lyon / he was deposed by the pope Innocent that .xxvii. yere. after the elec∣tours were in varyance who shulde be Emperour / he hylde the Empyre .xxxii. yere. ¶Henry was nexte Emperour / he hylde the empyre .v. yere. [ E]

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 y^e 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 y^t 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 y^e 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 / y^t 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 y^e kynge at yorke. This kynge Henry ofte tymes for dyuers cōplayntes made agaynst y^e 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 y^e 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 y^e 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]

¶Lewys.

[ F] ¶Lewys the .viii. son th the seconde Philyppe / was nexte kynge of Fraunce / the yere of Chryst .M.CC.xxii. he beseged the towne of Auynnion and wanne it. [ F]

¶Guy.

[ T] ¶Guy son to Margaret / was nexte erle of Flaunders. [ T]

Innocent. Alexander.

[ P] ¶Innocent was next pope / he hylde y^e see .xi. yeere. ¶Alexander hylde the see nexte .vii. yere. [ P]

Wyllyam.

[ E] ¶wyllyam was nexte Emperour / he hylde the see .vii. yere. [ E]

[ B] ¶Also about the .xliii. yere of this kynges reyne / the kynge at a court of Folkemote at Paulys / axed lycence of the cōmons of the citye accordynge to the sayd ordynauace to passe the see / and so went vnto Burdeux & into Fraūce / and had great chere of the Frenche kynge Lewys / & or that he came agayne / he gran̄ted all his ryght that he had in Normandye / Gascoyn / & Guyon / to the said Lewys / & toke agayne Guyon / Angeo / and Mayn / to holde of the Frenche kynge / and was called in Fraunce duke of Guyon / & dyd homage to the Frenche kynge therfore. Also about the .xlv. yere / y^e Barons of Englande by force of those forsayd ordynances / toke vpon them to chaūge the kynges Iustyce & the kynges Sheryffe / and dyuers other offycers y^t the kyng had admytted and put other in theyr places / wherwith the kynge was nat content / & publysshed his bull of a••∣solucion. wherfore the barons assembled to gether in the marches of wales with a strōge power / & sent a letter to the kynge / praynge hym to obserue the said ordynaūces wherto he was sworne / to whome the kynge sent no answere.* 1.5 Then the barons came forwarde with banners displayde and moche people resorted to them / & they put in prison and punysshed all them that toke the cō∣trarye parte / and at the last came into London / for the citye toke y^e barons parte. But sone after agrement was made betwene the kynge and his lordes / whiche contynued nat longe / for y^e hyng caused syr Edwarde his eldyst son to take the castell of wyndesore by a trayne / and the kynge se∣cretely departed from westmyster / and rode into the sayd castell / & many of the lordes that toke his parte came to hym. And the barons and the other that toke their parte drewe to London / but yet by some well disposed persons a concorde was takyng thus / that bothe partes shulde abyde the iugement of Lewys the Frenche kynge / concernynge the kepynge of the sayd ordynances. wherfore the kynge and syr Edwarde his eldyst son went ouer to the sayd Lewys / and for the barons parte there went syr Peter de Mountforde and other / before whiche kynge Lewys the mater was argued / but in conclusion kynge Lewys gaue sentence that the sayd statutes & ordy∣nances shulde be clerely voyde and the kynge set at lyberte. After whiche sentence gyuen / y^e kyng & all the other returned into Lpndon / but the barons nat content with this sentence (reputynge parcialyte in kynge Lewys) departed and went into the Marches of wales & gathered a great nombre of people and came into London / and than because some varyaunce was betwene some of the rulers of the citye and the cōmons. The cōmons made them two captaynes / callynge them Constables of the citye / at whose cōmaundement all the cōmyns by tollynge of the great bell of Polles / shulde be redy in harnes to wayte vpon them. whiche Constables with the cōmons (by the exortynge of Hughe Spencer Constable of y^e Towre) went to Thystelworth beyonde west∣myster / and there spoyled the maner of the kynge of Romayns / whiche dede was the great cause of the warre / for the kynge toke it greuously and gathered great power / and at the last came to the towne of Lewys in Sussex / but the wardens of the fyue partes kept the see with shyppes / y^e no straungers shulde entre to ayde the kynge. And than the barons with a great multytude of y^e citye of Lōdon / and with a great hoost of other people came agaynst the kynge / betwene whome the .xxiii. day of May was fought a maruelous cruell battell at Lewys / and the Lōdoners that gaue the fyrst assent / by reason of the sharpe shot of Arowes and strokes gyuen by them of the kynges partes began to drawe backe.* 1.6

But the barons incurraged theyr men in suche wyse y^t they nat onely set vpon them with fresshe cheu••en / but incurraged so them that gaue backe / y^t they turned agayne & fought so fersly that the kyng{is} {per}te gaue backe / & the kyng lost the fylde. where the kyng hym selfe & the kyng of Romayns & Edwarde the kyng{is} son were takyn prisoners & many other mo / and .xx.M. men slayne for this battell cōtynued y^e more part of the day. After whiche battell endyd / they brought their prisoners to London / where the kynge agreed y^t all the said ordynaūces shulde stonde in effecte / and if any were thought vnresonable to be correctyd by .iiii. noble men of the realme. s. ii. spirytuall men / & ii. temperall men / & many instrument{is} and wrytynges were made for the assurance of the same.

¶Lewys.

[ F] ¶Lewys the .ix. called saint Lewys / was next kyng of Fraūce / the yere of Chryst .M.CC.xxvii. he made two voyages into y^e holy lande / & in the fyrst he was takyn prisoner / & in the .ii. he dyed. [ F]

[ T] [ T]

¶Vrban. Clement.

[ P] ¶Vrban was nexte pope / he hylde the see .iii. yere and more.

¶Clement was nexte pope / he hylde the see .iii. yere. [ P]

Rychyrde.

[ E] ¶Rycharde and Alfons were in discorde / by the electours who shulde be Emperour / which dis∣corde so contynued .xvi. yere. [ E]

[ B] After this a great discencyon fell betwene y^e erle of Glocester & the erle of Leyceter / whiche were two of the barons y^t were agaynst the kynge. wherfore sone after syr Edwarde the kynges son de{per}ted to the marches of wales / & accōpanyed the erle of Glocester & the lordes of the marches / & assembled a great power & came to Glocester / wherfore syr Symon the erle of Leyceters son / by his fathers cōmaundement assembled a great power & came to wynchester & toke it by force / and after came to Kyllingworth where syr Edwarde the kyng{is} son mete them & dyd discōfort them / and syr Symon fled & dyuers of his cōpanye were takyn prisoners.* 1.7 But after that syr Symon Mounforde the erle of Leyceter hym selfe / gatheryd a great cōpany & met with the sayd syr Ed∣warde at Enesham / where betwene them was fought a cruell battell / where syr Symon the erle was slayne / and many other that toke the barons parte.* 1.8 And after at a {per}lyment holden at wyn∣chester / all the statutes & ordynaūces made at Oxenforde / were vtterly adnulled / & all bondes & wrytynges made for the same were cancelled & brokyn. And after y^t the kynge came to wyndsore & intendynge to haue dystroyed the citye of London / but the Mayre & Aldermen / & other of cite∣zyns put them into the kynges mercye and grace at wyndsore / whervpon they were cōmytted to prison & put out of theyr offyces / & the Cōstable of the Towre made custos of the citye.* 1.9 But after they were restored and pardoned / and the citye payde to the kynge for a fyne .xx.M. markes. ¶After this at a parlyament holdyn at Northampton / many y^t toke the barons parte were dis∣inheryte / whiche therfore gathered them to gyther / & went to the yle of Elye & kept it w^t strength. ¶Also about the .l. yere of his reyne / he ordayned the statut{is} of Marlebryge. And about the .li. yere the statu{is} were made & ordayned / for weyghtes & mesures: that is to say / that .xxxii. greynes of whete drye & rounde / & takyn in the myddes of y^e ere / shulde wey a sterlynge peny / & .xx. of those sterlyng pens shulde make an vnce / & .xii. vnce shulde make a pounde troy / and .viii. pounde troy shulde wey a galon of wyne / & .viii. galons of wyne shulde make a busshell of London / whiche is the .viii. {per}te of a quarter.* 1.10 Also that .iii. barly cornes drye & rounde shulde make an ynche / & .xii. ynches to a fote / & .••iii. fote to a yarde / & .v. yardes & a halfe to a {per}che or pole / & .xl. pole in lengthe & foure in brede / to make an acre of lande / & this stādardes of weyght were cōfyrmed the xv. yere of Edwarde the .iii. And also in the tyme of henry the .vi. and Edwarde the .iiii. and lastly cōfyrmed in the .xi. yere of Henry the .vii. Howe be it in the tyme of kynge Henry the .vi. it was ordayned y^t the same vnce shulde be deuyded in .xxx. {per}tes called .xxx. pens / & in kyng Edwarde the .iiii. his tyme into .xl. partes called .xl. pens. And in kynge Henry the .viii. his dayes into .xliiii. partes / called .iii. ••. viii.d. but the weyght of the vnce troy / & the mesure of the fote was ordayned euer to be at one stynt. In the .lii. yere of his reyne / y^e erle of Glocester refused the kyng / & in the mar∣ches of wales gatheryd moche people / & many of the cōpany disinheryted / drewe to hym whiche came to the citye of London / & by intretye and fayre meanes & polecye came into the citye / and many of the cōmons toke his parte & fortefyed the citye with Bulwark{is} & Barbycans / & shortely after the kynge came to Stretforde of the bowe / with a great cōpany. But by the meanes of one Octobanus y^• popes Legate / whiche than lay in London a peace was takyn / & so the warre was endyd. Also durynge the whyle of all this sayd besynesse / after that syr Edwarde the kynges son had the victory tyll almost the later ende of this kynges reyne. There were but fewe Mayres of the citye of London / but the franches of London were seasyd into the kynges handes / and there were ordayned custodyes & gardens and no mayres / & who that was cōstable of the Towre was also c••stos of the citye.* 1.11 In the .lv. yere of this kynge syr Edwarde the kyng{is} son toke his iourney into the holy lāde / whiche went to the citye of Acres / & defended it from the Soudan of Surrey / whiche after his cōmynge beseged it with .C.M. Sarazyns / whiche citye had byn lost if the sayd syr Edwarde had nat come / & manfully defendyd it. Also in the .lvi. yere of this kynges reyne his son Edwarde thus beynge in the holy lande / kyng Henry fell sicke at westmyster / & dyed the .xvi. day of Nouerbre / the yere of Chryst .M.CC.lxxii. and is buryed at westmyster. [ B]

[ F] [ F] [ T] [ T]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lewys returnd īto Frāce
• * 1.2

  battel in Fraunce
• * 1.3

  The Em¦perour de¦posed.
• * 1.4

  Libertes of lōdon seasyd.
• * 1.5

  The ba∣rons rose agaynst the kyng
• * 1.6

  The ba∣tell at Lewys.
• * 1.7

  battel at Kyllyng¦worth.
• * 1.8

  battel at enesham
• * 1.9

  The ly∣bertes of London seasyd.
• * 1.10

  the stan∣dardes of wey∣ghtes & mesures
• * 1.11

  lybertes of Lon∣don. voyage into the holy lāde