Edwarde the seconde.
[ B] EDwarde the seconde of that name / and son to Edwarde the fyrst borne at Carnaruan / was crowned kynge the .xxiiii. day of Febru∣ary / the yere of Chryst .M.CCC.vii. after the countynge of Englande. This kynge was fayre stronge of body but vnstydfast of condicyons / for he refused the company of his lordes and wyse men / and haunted the com∣pany of vyle persons / and gaue hym to great drynkyng / and lyghtly wolde discouer thynges of great counsell / whiche turned hym after to great hurte / and the realme to great vnquietnesse. This kynge as sone as his father was buryed / sent for Piers of Ganeston his olde compyre / and aduaunced hym to great honour / con∣trary to the promyse that he made to his father. This kynge in the seconde yere of his reyne went ouer into Fraunce and maryed Isabell doughter to Philyppe le Belle kynge of Fraunce / and after with her returned into Englande. This kynge for the displeasure done before to hym / by ye bysshop of Chester / put the sayd bysshop in the Towre in strayte prison / but the lordes whiche ye kynges father in his dethbede sware to be trewe to his son / came to the kynge and spake so to the kynge / * 1.1 that contrary to the kynges mynde / this Piers was banysshed into Irelande / but the kynge secretely comforted hym with great gyftes / and made hym chefe ruler of the contrey / but after that for the auoydynge of grudge betwene ye kynge and the lordes / the sayd Piers was suffered to come into Englande agayne and had the rule of all the kynges iewels / and spende & wasted moche of the kynges treasure / that shortely after by ye labour of the lordes / he was exyled agayne into Flaunders to the kynges displeasure.* 1.2
¶About this tyme the knightes of saynt Iohans wanne the citye of the Rodes from ye Turkes. Also the Templers landes for that they vsed thyng{is} contrary to the faythe of Christ / were gyuen to them of saynt Iohans / and the Templers were distroyed thorowe out all Chrystendome / and about this tyme the order of the Crossyd freres came fyrst into Englande.* 1.3 This Piers of Ga∣neston was suffered to come agayne into Englande / whiche than demeaned hym selfe moche wors than euer he dyd before / and waxed proude / and reuyled so the iordes that they were sore moued agaynst hym / that sodaynly they rose and beseged hym in the Castell of Scarbrugh / and at the last wanne it and toke it and brought hym to a place besyde warwyke / and there stroke of his hede / wherwith the kynge was greatly displeasyd.* 1.4
¶About the .vi. yere of this kynge / Robert le Bruse herynge of the dyuisyon betwene the kynge & his lordes / came agayne into Scotlande / & there was admytted as kynge: wherfore kyng Ed∣warde prepared a great armye and went into Scotlāde / agaynst whome came Robert le Bruse with a great power of Scottes / & they met at a place nyghe a ryuer called Bannokisborne / where was fought a great batell / but the Englysshemen lost the fylde / and many of the lordes and great men of Englande were slayne and taken / and the kynge with a fewe of his hoost fled and escaped with great daunger into Berwyke / wherfore the Scott{is} were so inflamed with suche pryde / that they made this eyme.* 1.5
ye maydens of Englande nowe may ye morne For ye haue lost your ••emans at Bannokes borne with heue a lowe what weanes the kynge of Englande So sone to wonne Scotlande with rumbelowe.
¶In the .ix. yere of kynge Edwarde / Robert le Bruse kynge of Scottes gatte Berwyke / which was by treason as the fame went. And the nexte yere after the Scottes entred Northūberlande / and brent and slewe man / woman / and chylde / and the contrey therby greatly hurte. And yet to [ B]