Florus Anglicus: or An exact history of England, from the raign of William the Conqueror to the death of the late King. / By Lambert Wood gent.

HENRY the third, King of England.

Anno 1517.

AFter Johns decease his first born sonne Henry, not yet passed nine years old, ob∣tain'd the Kingdom, not without some contro∣versie of the Nobles: Some of the Nobility fal∣ling off to him, who a little before had made a defection, and swear to King Lewis, yet Lewis with those that followed him from London, with an Army of twenty thousand men, wone many Towns, till at last he came to the Castle at Lincoln, which a certain noble woman did manly defend, and caused him to stop, and an Army of the English coming on in the mean time, he was repulsed and conquered. Many of the English Nobility being taken that stood with him, besides the Count of Perch, who preferred an honourable death before a disho∣nourable life, yet he did not despair, but sent for new forces out of France, which were all al∣most destroyed in a fight at Sea. By these mis∣fortunes he was forced to take Conditions, whereby there were granted to King Lewis in respect of his charge he had been at, a hundred and five thousand franks, he renouncing all

Right to the Kingdom of England, and pro∣mising faithfully to prevail with his Father to restore all the Provinces in France that belong∣ed to the English. But the King restored to the Rebel Nobility all the Lands that belonged unto them, and so Lewis leaving England set sail at Dover for France, having waged war unhappily in anothers Land.

The union and rest of the Kingdome being thus established for a time, suddenly there arose a new faction of the Conspirators. It was known to all what the intention was, but what hopes they had was unknown to none, because it was fortified but with small forces, and was unprosperously suppressed, those being punish∣ed that refused to submit. At last all care is converted to the recovering of those Provinces in France, that belonged to the English, large Tributes and Imposts being granted to the King. For though the French had promised restitution of them, yet he would not yeeld them up, but by force of arms, yet it was deferred untill the King being of riper years, should stand upon his own Right, and should governe the whole matter himself. In the mean while, those fields that were fenced in for Parks by his Ancestors, he laid them open, and restored them for hus∣bandry, and to the common good. But when he was grown up, he recalled again those grants,

and what he gratified the people with in his minority, he revoked, turning those fields for his pleasure into Parks again. And not content with this injury, he alienated the hearts of his Subjects from him by many more unlawfull acts. He abolished the old Seal, and made a new one, and so extorted a great summe of money from his Subjects; Also he greatly drained them under a pretence of a warre with France, and managing the matter slothfully, he returned without a victory, bringing with him out of France many of Poictou, that what reward they had not desired in France, he might pay them in England, whereby the best men were discharged of their Offices, and these vagabonds and strangers were possessed of them. The King being now of ripe years took to wife Eleonor the daughter of Raymound Earl of Province, whereby there grew no profit to his affairs, but rather by reason of a thredbare and beggarly Family, and her Kindred coming from all parts, as Crows to the prey, he suffer∣ed great detriment, which yet were highly esteemed by him, the people much murmuring at it.

But whilst the King thus goes about to over∣throw his Subjects Rights, which they labour to preserve, all the Nobility being offended at the promotion of strangers, they enter into a

conspiracy; The Ringleader whereof was Ri∣chard Marshall, who durst freely tell the King of his injustice, and required satisfaction. But the King to punish their arrogancy, muster'd a great Army of strangers, and withall cals a Parliament, which is an Assembly of several Orders. The Nobility refuse to be present, un∣lesse he would command the Bishop of Winche∣ster Peter de Rupibus of Poictou, and all his gang to forsake the Court, threatning withall, that unlesse satisfaction were made unto them, they would depose the King, and all strangers that were his Adherents, and would choose another King, the King therefore commands all that were upon Knights service, and the Nobility to be present to fight for him, which they all re∣fuse to do, whereupon he confiscated all their goods, and distributed them amongst those of Poictou, and their persons to be banished, wheresoever they could be found. By which threats they being frighted or corrupted by re∣wards, the chief of them fall off, whereby the rest were weakned, and flie into Wales, to the Prince of that Countrey Lionel, drawn to hold part with them, to whom Hugh Burgies came, escaping out of a Castle where he was unjustly imprisoned. The King follows those fugitives into Wales, but came back with disgrace doing nothing. But Richard Marshall when he would

not return into the Kings favour, being drawn cunningly into Ireland, to look to his Estate, and there being accused of Treason, was killed, though the King strove to remove the envy of that deed from himself.

A Parliament being called, some men that had care of the Commonwealth, were those that perswaded the King to leave off war, and to make Peace with his Nobility, the King hearkned to their councel, and recalling the Nobles out of Wales, he treats with them, whereby they are restored to their former dig∣nities, and strangers that possessed their places, were removed from all places, and a great pe∣nalty laid upon them, yet some of them (as Fortune is inconstant) were re-admitted into the Kings favour.

The King then feigning that all favour was for his own Subjects, extorted a great Summe of money from them; which yet he distributed amongst the poor kindred of the Queen, and her Father a poor Prince: And having promi∣sed before to exclude all strangers from favour, (and alwayes to take counsell of his Subjects) he began now to esteem them more; with which indignity the Nobility offended, enter upon a new conspiracy, to which, as the Lead∣er and Chief, Richard the Kings brother had given his Name, who being so bold as to tell

the King of his faults to his teeth, doth forcibly dehort him from such fallacies. The King was much incensed with this, and seeing the inclina∣tion of the Londoners toward the Conspiratours, calling a Parliament, and publishing the Con∣ditions, he treats with them for Peace. But before it was come so far, the Earl of Cornwall the Kings brother was drawn off to the contrary part, whereby the Nobility urged their matters more faintly, and so the Treaty could come to no conclusion. The King now free from all impediments, tyrannizeth more over the Nobles, the chief of the Conspiratours were banished, or turned out of their places. Nor did he lesse oppresse the Clergy, putting stran∣gers into Church-Offices, at the Popes re∣quest, dispossessing the Nations, and lay∣ing heavy Taxes upon them, so that all hated him.

Henry purposing to make a new expedition for France, asks Subsidies from his Parliament, which being denied, he was forced to bor∣row otherwhere; Nor yet did he spend it successefully, after a years delay, and having done nothing well, concluding a disgracefull peace with the French.

But returning for England, he tyrannized over the Jews, and wrested a great Summe of money from them, which he yet consumed

with unseasonable gifts very indiscreetly; And so his Exchequer being consumed, and Subsi∣dies denied him from the Parliament, gave him occasion of new oppressions, and so drawing the means of the Church to himself, was a cause of great differences between him and the Pope. But the King being inconstant laid down the Bucklers, and yeelded to the Pope, who recovering his goods in England, did againe pole the poor people of the Kingdome with continual sucking.

To this may be added, that there was a daily conflux out of France, and other parts into England of this new Family, having some relation to the King, this or that way, whose wants must be magnificently supplied to the great detriment of the Commonwealth. The King grew still poorer by it, and so applied himself to rapines and extortions, and sold such furniture as belonged to the Crowne, wresting all the moneys he could to pay those he stood indebted to.

Then when he could no longer do it by such inconvenient wayes, he obtained a small Summe of money from the Londoners, by threats and violence. And then turning to the Nobility, he asked a Subsidy of them in vain, and he found his Church-men as backward, with whom he could do little or nothing.

Then enterprizing an Expedition to the holy Land to free the King of France, he called an Assembly of his Bishops and Peers, from whom when he could not obtain one mite of money, being like a mad man, he drove them all out of the Chamber; The Bishop of Ely for that inju∣ry was excepted against by him. At last some help was afforded him, whereupon he was for∣ced to confirm solemnly Magna Charta, but that money which he had appointed for the holy Warre was quickly wasted, partly by gifts, partly by banquetting, and other frauds in∣vented for his own destruction. Also he had upon a vain hope redeemed the Kingdomes of Sicily for his son Edmund, paying a great summe of money to the Pope.

In the interim, the Welsh vexed with great injuries, fall away from the Prince, and to sup∣presse these, and reduce them to obedience, he stood in need of a new supply of money, which at last by neat devices and inventions he wrung from them.

In the mean while Richard Earl of Cornwall the Kings brother, at the suit of the Princes of Germany, is chosen King of the Romans, but shortly when he grew insolent with importunate oppressions and revenges, he was put out of the place, and returned for England a poor Empe∣rour, who went out a rich Earl.

But Henry that he might make up that mo∣ney which the Pope had wiped him of, by a vain boast of the Kingdom of Sicily, he asks once more a Subsidy from his Nobles, who refusing stifly, and the King pressing for it, they fall to odds, afterwards calling a new Parliament, which the Lords had procured for the safety of the Kingdom, he was compelled by Oath, and his Son also to confirm it. At which time it was Enacted that the Kings Bro∣ther, with the men of Poictiers that remained in England should presently depart the King∣dom. But a contagious pestilence arising, ei∣ther naturally, or by some venom these stran∣gers scattered when they departed. Many of the Nobility died, whereupon many were put to death out of bare suspicion, some are cast in∣to prison, and some are banished. Nor did less evils for this afflict the English, for they that had the charge of correcting the errors of others, did with all cruelty weed up the misera∣ble English, that now so many Lords as there were, so many Tyrants there were, and the servants were grown like their Masters. And that they might stirre up the envy of the sub∣jects against the King, they cast all the fault upon him, which he endeavoured to free him∣self from by his publick Writ, but all in vain, when he was compelled in a solemn Parliament

to give that power he had given to twenty four chosen men before, to the Earls Montfort, and of Glocester, and to Spencer, taking an Oath to confirm it unto them.

In the mean while, Richard King of the Ro∣mans being landed in England, Henry growing bolder by the return of his Brother, though he were poor, first demands a discharge of his Oath from the Pope; then he opposed himself against the insolency of the Nobility: He flies to help from the French King, who is chosen Umpire between Henry and his Nobles, to end the controversie, but when he did nothing they break forth on all sides into open Warre. The Count of Leicester drives forth the Earl of Glo∣cester and storms his Castle, and laid a great fine upon the Citizens. Then he took the Fort at Worcester, and afterwards the Isle of Ely, and the Castle of Windsor. But the King fear∣ing least he should come so farre as London, thought it concerned him to make peace with him. They agreed at last on these conditions, That all the Castles should be delivered up to the Lords, and all strangers at a day appointed, should forthwith depart the Kingdom, only those excepted who had a Licence given them to stay.

But the King calling a new Parliament, he drew some of the Nobility, especially his own

sonnes to his party, to whom John Comminus, Bayly, Robert Bruse, and others from Scotland joyn'd themselves: with these being not a little confirmed, he denounceth Warre against the Earls of Leicester and Glocester, who did not at all excuse themselves: who seeing the King daily increase in Forces, levying a sudden but farre less Army, oppose the King; and here fraud supplied the parts of vertue, for setting their Banners behinde without Souldiers, they made a shew of a greater Army than they had. And fortune helped a good cause, for the Kings Forces being dispersed, the greatest part of them was oppressed and slain, the rest saved them∣selves by flight: But the King, the Prince and Earl of Cornwall, and his Sonne Henry, and all the Scotch Nobility fell into the enemies hands.

There had been an end of the King and his fortune, least a contention arising between the Earls of Leicester and Glocester, had given cause to a hot contest, and afterwards to a sharp Warre, where Leicester being too weak, yet fell valiantly with wonderfull glory.

By the same fortune, Simon and Guide Mont∣forts, the Sonnes of the Earl of Leicester, were banished one into Italy, the other into France, where afterwards they gave their name to most illustrious families. Also their Mother a gallant

woman, being gone a little before into France, ended her life in a Nunnery.

A new contention being risen amongst the Nobles, they sound the Trumpet to Battell again; also the Welsh who had helped Earl Monifort, are remanded to be slain. But peace being confirmed on all sides, this trouble aba∣ted without blood.

Rest now obtained at home, Edward Prince of Wales, at the request of the French King, goes forth toward the Warre in Palestina: but Richard once King of the Romans died in the mean time, whom Henry himself followed short∣ly after, whilst he studied to repair the losses he sustained by Warre.