Anonymous

“ And after, in the same yere, Richard Plantagenet duke of Yorke came out of Irland unto Westm’, with roial people, lowely bisechyng the kyng that justice and execucion of his lawes myght be hadde upon alle such persones about him and in al his realme, frome the highest degree unto the lowist, as were long tyme noisid and detectid of high treason ageinst his137 persone and the wele of his realme, offring hymself therto, and his service at the kings comaundement, to spend bothe his body and goodes: and yet it might not be perfourmed. ”

“ This same yere, the xvj day of Decembre, G beynge the dominical lettre, kyng Herry the vjte was crowned kyng of Fraunce at Parys, in the chirche of Notre Dame, with gret solempnyte and rialte; and anoon after he turned ayen into Engelond, and landed at Dovorr the ix day of Feverer’, and come to London the xxj day of the same month, where he was ryally resceyved, alle the craftes rydynge ayens hym all in white. ”

“ In the year one thousand xvij, the coronation of king Knute at Westminster, and in the xixth year of his reign, his burial at Wynton. In the year one thousand xxxv, the coronation of king Harold the first; he in the fifth year of his reign was buried at London. In the year one thousand xl, the coronation of king Hardeknute, and in the second year of his reign, his burial at Wynton. From the nativity of Jesus Christ until the reign of Edward the second, king and confessor, there passed separately in England a hundred kings, and lxty and five kings ”

“ In this monthe of Feverer was the parlement at Schrovesbury, at whiche parlement was ordeyned the deth of the duke of Gloucestre the kynges uncle, whiche was foule mordred at Caleys, in the prynces inne, with two towayles made in snare wyse, and put aboughte his nekke; and so was that worthy knyght strangled to the deth. Also the lord Cobham was jugged to perpetuel prison: and forasmoche as the erle of Derby thanne mad duke of Hereford was of counseill and assent of the deth of lordes and knyghtes don to dethe in the xj yere of the kyng, he was also exiled. ”

“ Too cardenals comen into Engelond to make pees.
The same yere, that is to sey the yere of oure lord a mlcccxvj, upon Midlentyne Soneday, the toun and the castell of Berewyk was lost thorugh treson of Piers of Spaldyng, thanne beynge kepere of the same toun and castell. In this yere too cardenales comen into Engelond for to make pees betwen Engelond and Scotlond, whiche weren robbed upon the more of Wygelysdon; of whiche robbery Sr. Robert of Middelton was ateynt, and jugged to be drawe an hanged and beheded at London, and his hede sett up at Neugate ”

“ The fraunchise of London is sesed into the kynges hond.
This yere upon seynt Petyr day and Poule the fraunchise of London was sesed into the kynges hand; forasmoche as Gregory Rokesby maire yelde up the seal at Berkynge chirche, and toke it to Rauf Asshewy; and thanne was Rauf Sandwych mad wardeyn of the citee. And in this yere the kyng of Fraunce wente into Aragon with a gret powere. Edward the kynges sone was born.Also in this yere Edward the kynges son was borne. [19] And the kyng dwelled in Walys tyl ayens Cristemasse, and he held his Cristemasse at Bristoll. ”

“ In this yere, about Midsomer, therles of March, Warwik and Salisbury, landed at Sandwich, gadred people in Kent, and went thurgh London to Northampton; and the kyng had taken a felde, and was slayne on his partie the duke of Bukyngham, therle of Shrowisbury, the lord Beaumont and the lord Egremond, mych peple drowned in the river, the kyng taken and brought to London, and callid a parliament; and the duke of Yorke came out of Irland, and to Westm’ the xth day of Octobre, and there made clayme to the crowne ”

“ This same yere, [114] the iij day of Novembre, deyde the worshipfull Sire Thomas de Mountagu erle of Salisbury before Orlyons, thorugh schetyng of a gonne as he lay at the sege before the forseid cite; God have mercy on his sowle. Forthermore duryng that sege, at the begynnyng of Lenten neste folwynge, vii ml of Frensshmen and mo with many a Scot fel upon oure men as they wente thiderward with vitailes be sydes a town that is called Yamvyll, where Sr. John Styward and his brother with mo than vijc Scottes that thei were governours of, lighten a fote, and were sclayn every modir sone be Sr. ”

“ In this yere, aboughte the feste of Al Halwen, Isabell the kynges doughter of Fraunce was spoused to kyng Richard at Caleys, whiche afterward, on the viij day of Januer, was crowned quene at Westm’; at whos comynge to London the81 priour of Typtre in Essex, with othere viij persones, upon London bregge in the gret prees weren crowsed to the deth. ”

“ John Oldcastell, and othere diverses men also: and there was muche folk arested and put into the Tour of London, of whiche folk there were xij men drawen fro the Thoure of London as a Fryday at nyghte thorughe the town to Neugate, and there they were tyl on the morwe; and they with othere xxv men, that is to seye xxxvij persones, were drawen, hanged, and brent ”

“ This yere was the rysyng of the co’es of Essex and of Kent, for a talaye ordeyned that every man and woman betwen the age of lx and xvj yere schulde paye to the kyng xij d.; the whiche comones brenden the chirche and the houses of seynt Jones at Clerkenwelle, and at the Tour hill they beheded maistre Simond Sudbury, than erchebysshop of Caunterbury and chaunceller of Engelond; and frere Robert Hales priour of seynt Jones hous, thanne tresorer of Engelond; and frere William Appulton a grey frere, because he was phisicion to the duke of Lancastre, and Roger Leche sergeaunt of armes ”

“ Richard erle of Arundell, Sr. Thomas erle of Warrewyk, Moubray the erle marchall, and Sr. Thomas the erle of 78Notyngham, ayens othere certeyn lordes, that is to weten, Sr. Robert de Veer erle of Oxenford, that was mad markys of Develyn and after duke of Irlond, whiche fledde into Loveyne in Braban, and there he deyde; Sire Mich’ of Pole erle of Suffolk, whiche also fledde to the same place, and there deyde; Sire Alexander Nevyll erchebysshop of York, the whiche fledde to Scotlond, and there deyde; Robert Tresilian the kynges justice and Nicholl Brembre knyght were drawe to Tyborne and hanged. ”

“ Lyke it your maistership to wyte, that as for tidings, the Counsell is, the fornone, at the blake Frires, for the ease of resortyng of the Lordes that ar withinne the toun; and at afternon at the white Frirers in Fletstrete, for the Lordis with owte the town; and all things shall come to a good conclusion with God is grace; for the Kyng shall come hidre this weke, and the Quene also, as some men sayn, and my Lord Buk and Stafford with hire, and muche puple. My Lord of Caunterbury takith grete peyne up on hym daily, and will write unto yow the certeynte of suche tidings as falle ”

“ Alle the bellys of London were ronge for yoye.And anoon as they hadde tydynges therof, they wente to alle the chirches in the citee of London and rongon alle the belles of every chirche; and solempnely alle the prestes of every chirche, and othere men that were lettered songen Te deum Laudamus, &c. And ayens ix of the belle were warned alle the ordres of relygeous men of the citee of London, for to go a procession fro seynt Poules unto seynt Edward schryne at Westm’. ”

“ Also the same yere was the newe cunduyt in Fletstret begonnen to make. A gret derthe of corn.Also this yere was so gret derthe of corn that men were fayn to ete rye bred and barly, the whiche nevere ett non before; and rather thanne fayle, bred mad of benes, peses, and fecches, and wel were hym that might hav ynowe therof; for a bushel of whete was worth iii s. at London, and in sum cuntre derrere; and that mad bakers lordes: but y prey God nevere let us see that day no more yf his wille be. ”

“ John Oldcastell with gret multitude of Lollers and heretykes were purposyd with ful wyll and myght for to have distroyed the kyng and hyse brethern, whiche ben protectours and defendours of Holy Chirche, and them also that ben in degre of holy ordre in the service of God and of his chirche, the which will and purpos, as God wolde, was lette; and98 Sr. John Oldcastell fledde and escaped. Obiit Thomas Arundell arch’ep’us Cantuar’. ”

“ And the kyng seyng wele that thei wolde not suffre hym to passe withouten bataile, seid to his title mayny, ’Sires and felawes, the yonder men letten us of oure wey; and if thei wol com to us, let every man preve hymself a good man this day, and avaunt banere in the best tyme of the yere.’ And he rode furth with his basnet upon his hedde, and all other men of armes went upon theire fete a fast paas in holle arraie, an Englisshe myle er thei assemblid. And thrugh the grace of God the kyng made his heigh wey thrugh the thikkest prees of alle the bataile. ”

“ The mordryng of a widewe be a fals Breton.Furthermore, this same yere betwen Estren and Witsontyd a fals Breton mordred a wydewe in here bed, the whiche fond hym for almasse withoughte Algate in the subbarbes of London, and bar awey alle that sche hadde, and afterward he toke socour of Holy Chirche at seynt Georges in Suthwerk ”

“ Nicholl Brembre was chosen maire ayeyne, be the said craftes and be men of the contre at Harowe and the contre there aboughte, and not be fre eleccion of the citee of London as it owith to be: and the oolde halle was stuffed with men of armes overe even, be ordinaunce and assente of Sr. Nicholl Brembre for to chese hym maire on the morwe ”

“ For weteth wele in certein that we, and alle thoo that ben comen with us into this realme, think not to doo, ne we shulle not done if it like God, eny thing but that shal be for the comon profite of the realme, but onely to distroie Hugh Spencer our enymy, and enymy to alle the seid realme, as ye well knowe ”

“ And thanne the kyng and the duke and the othere seid lordes reden in fere to Londonward: and in the firste day of Septembre they comen to London everych on: Kyng Richard was put into the tour of London, and anon after he resigned his dignyte.and in the morwe suynge kyng Richard was put into the tour of London tyl tyme that the parlement, whiche began at Westm’ on seynt Jeromys day the laste day of Septembre; [80] whiche day, in the tour of London, kyng Richard resigned his dignyte in this yere of his regne xxiij ”

“ Thomas Rempston, and othere capitayns of oure syde, the whiche hadde nought passyng vc fytynge men with them at all withoughte chartres; but Charles of Burbon and the bastard of Orlions, with alle the Frensshmen sittynge on horsbak seynge the governaunce, trussed them and wente away. Also a lytel before Witsonday nest folwynge, was the forsayd sege broken up be the duke of Launson and his power ”

“ And anon after that, the kyng ostered from thens xxj daies thurgh the realme of Fraunce, fro Harflete toward Caleys; and the Friday, that is to sey the day of the holy seints Crispyn and Crispinian, alle the roial power of Fraunce, excepte the Frenssh kyng, the dolphyn, the duke159 of Bourgoyne, and the duke of Barre were bifore the kyng in his heigh weie, as he shulde passe to Caleis, faire embatailed in iij batailes, to the nombre of lx ml men of armes, and the fairist armed men that eny man saugh ever in any place. ”

“ Thomas Baggeley, prest and vyker of Mabenden in Essex, besyde Walden, dysgraded of his presthod and dampned as for an heretyk, and afterward brent in Smythfeld. Lollardes.Also the same yere, in somer, the kyng beynge in Fraunce with alle hise temperall lordes for the most partye, the lollardes, with manye mo othere that119 weren enclyned to there secte, casted billes aboughte in every good town in Engelond, and purposed for to have made a rysyng and distroyed Holy Chirche and the reaume ”