Raphael Holinshed

“ In the eight and twentith yeare of king Henries reigne, the quéenes mother the ladie Beatrice countesse of Prouance arriued at Douer on the fouretéenth day of Nouember, bringing with hir the ladie Sanctia hir daughter, and in the octaues of S. Martine they were receiued into London in most solemne wise, the stréets being hanged with rich clothes, as the maner is at the coronations of princes. ”

“ The king would faine haue had them foorth, that he might haue punished them according to their deserts, and therefore to bring his purpose the better to passe, he sent for an armie of soldiers into Ireland, and tarried for their comming at the castell of Brecknoke, but the yeare was farre spent yer his people could be gathered, so that by the aduise of his lords he strengthened certeine castels, and so returned for that yeare into England, leauing the lord Roger Mortimer his lieutenant in Wales, to resist the rebels. ”

“ The king proclaimed them traitors.
Strangers sent for.
This answer of the bishop so pricked and wounded the minds of the English Nobilitie, that manie of them (amongst whome the said earle of Penbroke was the chéefe) began an open rebellion, some of them resorting to one place, and some to an other, to gather people for their purpose. ”

“ In the 24 yeare of his reigne, king Henrie held his Christmasse at Winchester, where he made Baldwine de Riuers knight, and inuested him with the right of the earledome of the Ile of Wight, in the presence of the earle of Cornewall, who procured him this honour, bicause he had the wardship of him, and married him to his daughter in law the ladie Amicia, that was daughter to his wife the countesse of Glocester by hir former husband. ”

“ The bishop of Winchester, the earle of Kent, Gilbert Basset, Stephan Siward & others were by him accorded, who had borne secret grudge ech to other a long time, which hatred was at point to haue broken foorth, and shewed it selfe in perilous wise at a tornie holden at Blie in the beginning of Lent, where the Southernmen stroue against the Northerne men, and in the end the Southerne men preuailed, and tooke diuerse of their aduersaries, so that it séemed not to be a triumphant iustes, but rather a sharpe challenge and incounter betwixt enimies. ”

“ Moreouer, king Henrie sent other ambassadours to Rome, who purchased a bull of the pope, whereby he was adiudged to be of age sufficient to receiue the gouernement of the kingdome of England into his owne hands, thereby to order and dispose all things at his pleasure, & by the aduise of such councellours as he should elect and choose to be about him. ”

“ Thus whiles the barons with the Frenchmen were much busied about the siege of Lincolne castell, W. Marshall earle of Penbroke, by the aduise of the legat Gualo or Walo, and of Peter bishop of Winchester, and other of the councell with king Henrie, caused summons to be giuen to all capteins and chateleins on the kings part, to be at Newarke vpon mondaie in Whitsunwéeke, with such power as they might make, from thence to march to Lincolne, there to raise the siege, and deliuer the countrie from imminent oppression. ”

“ The French king aduertised that the king of England was come ouer into France, to the aid of the earle of March, and other his subiects against him, prepared a mightie armie, in the which were reckoned to be to the number of foure thousand men of armes, well prouided and armed at all points, besides twentie thousand esquires, gentlemen, yeomen and crossebowes: and with the same immediatlie he entred the dominions of the earle of March, and tooke from him diuerse townes and castels, as Fountney, wherein he tooke one of the earls sonnes: also Meruant with diuers other. ”

“ When the French affaires were thus at a staie, within a few moneths after, Richard earle of Cornewall returned foorth of Gascoigne into England, and shortlie after, bicause he heard and was crediblie informed, that a certeine manour place which Walerane the Duchman, capteine of Berkhamstéed castell held, by the gift and assignement of king Iohn, apperteined to his earledome of Cornewall, he seized the castell into his hands. ”

“ When the feast of saint Hilarie was come, the cleargie met againe at London, and fell to intreat of their former businesse, at what time one maister Leonard aliàs Reignold that was chosen prolocutor for all the prelats, amongst other answers made to the legat Ruscand, when the same Ruscand alledged that all churches were the popes; "Truth it is," said Leonard, "to defend, and not to vse and appropriate them to serue his owne turne; as we saie, that all is the princes, meaning that all is his to defend, and not to spoile: and such was the intent of the founders." ”

“ The bishop of Lincolne got authoritie of the pope to institute vicarages in churches impropriat to religious men, where no vicars were; and where such were as séemed too slenderlie prouided of sufficient allowance, to augment the same as he thought expedient: which his authoritie he vsed more largelie than stood with the pleasure of religious persons, bicause he shewed great fauour to the vicars. The copie of the letters which the bishop had procured of the pope, authorising him herein, followeth as we find the same in the chronicles of Matthew Paris. ”

“ The Frenchmen which escaped with life from the slaughter of Lincolne, as the Marshall of France, the chateleine of Arras, with others, made towards London with all possible spéed, in hope to escape so well as they might: but manie of them, and namelie the footmen were slaine by the countrie people where they passed, and that in great numbers: for the husbandmen fell vpon them with clubs and swords, not sparing those whom they got at aduantage. ”

“ In the meane time bicause he would leaue things in more suertie at home, he sent the bishop of Durham into Scotland, by whose diligence a marriage was concluded betwixt the lord Alexander eldest sonne to the king of Scots, and the ladie Margaret daughter to king Henrie. Moreouer the marshes of England adioining to Scotland were committed to the king of Scots as warden of the same, to kéepe and defend whilest king Henrie should abide in the parts beyond the seas. The archbishop of Yorke, in the kings absence, was also appointed chéefe gouernour of the realme. ”

“ For whereas in wars nothing can be more expedient than to haue one head, by whose appointment all things may be gouerned: so nothing can be more hurtfull than to haue manie rulers, by whose authoritie things shall passe and be ordered. ”

“ This yeare after S. Lukes daie, the king assembled a great number of the nobilitie at London, and thither came the bishop of Bologna la grasse from the pope, bringing with him a ring, with the which he inuested Edmund the kings sonne king of Sicill and Naples. About the same time, the burgesse of Darbie obteined of the king for a summe of monie to haue the iustices itinerants to hold their assises at Darbie for the countie of Darbie, and likewise the shiriffes to kéepe their tournies there, and not at Nothingham, as before they had béene accustomed for both the shires. ”

“ The cause was, for that they suspected him that he would take part with the king against them. The castell of Warwike they raced downe, least the kings people should take it for their refuge. In the Passion wéeke the Iewes that inhabited in London being detected of treason, which they had deuised against the barons and citizens, were slaine almost all the whole number of them, and great riches found in their houses, which were taken and caried awaie by those that ransacked the same houses. ”

“ On the fourth nones of Aprill (as some saie) or in the moneth of Februarie (as other write) in the six and fiftith yeare of K. Henries reigne at Berkhamstéed, died Richard king of Almaine and earle of Cornewall, and was buried in the abbeie of Hailes which he himselfe had founded: he was a worthie prince, and stood his brother king Henrie in great stead; in handling matters both in peace and warre. He left behind him issue begotten of his wife Sanctla two sonnes, Edmund and Henrie. ”

“ In this parlement, the lord Edmund the kings yoonger sonne was shewed as king of Naples and Sicill, for the obteining of the possession of which dominions and kingdoms, his father king Henrie demanded no small subsidie and aid of monie, both of the temporaltie and also of the spiritualtie, but namlie, he required to haue the tenths of spirituall mens liuings for the terme of fiue yeares, according to the new taxations without any deductions to be allowed except necessarie expenses: also, the fruits for one yeare of benefices that chanced to fall void within the said terme of fiue yeare. ”

“ But now that the king was in the barons hands, and that such a multitude of horssemen and footmen were assembled on Barham-downe (as a man would not haue thought had béene possible to haue found within the whole relme) to resist the landing of those strangers, the said strangers were sent home againe, without hauing doone anie pleasure to the quéene, other than spent hir monie. The king held his Christmas at Woodstoke; and the earle of Leicester, who séemed then to rule the whole realme, kept his Christmasse at Killingworth. ”

“ About the same time, Lewes the French king sent vnto king Henrie for a present an elephant, a beast most strange and woonderfull to the English people, sith most seldome or neuer any of that kind had béene séene in England before that time. The French quéene also sent for a present vnto the king of England an ewer of pearle like to a peacocke in forme and fashion, garnished most richlie with gold, siluer, and saphires to furnish him foorth in all points of fine and cunning workemanship, to the verie resemblance of a liuing peacocke. ”

“ In this yeare died Richard the Clare earle of Glocester, and his sonne sir Gilbert de Clare was earle after him, vnto whome his father gaue great charge that he should mainteine the ordinances of Oxford. In the 47 yeare of king Henries reigne, by reason that a Iew had wounded a christian man at London within Colechurch, in the ward of cheap, not onelie the said Iew was slaine by other christians that followed him home to his house, but also manie other Iewes were robbed and slaine in that furie and rage of the people. ”

“ In this while, the lords of the realme practised sundrie drifts likewise, as men that would faine haue béene rid of the legats companie: but the king did what he could on the otherside (by sending to the pope for licence) to haue him remaine still here, who began now indéed to look to his owne profit, as by waie of procuracies and other meanes, so that he got togither great summes of monie, although in the beginning he séemed to forbeare, and not to séeke for anie such gaine. ”

“ This Ruscand also absolued the king of his vow made to go into the holie land, to the end he might go against Manfred king of Sicill. He also preached the crosse against the same Manfred, promising all those remission of their sins which should go to war against Manfred, as well as if they should go into the holie land, to warre against Gods enimies there, whereat faithfull men much maruelled, that he should promise as great méed for the shedding of christian bloud, as the bloud of infidels. ”

“ Whilest king Henrie thus prouided himselfe of an armie, the lords with their capteine Richard Marshall ioined themselues to Leolin prince of Wales, & doubting the comming of the king, spoiled all the marshes next adioining to England, leauing no vittels nor cattell any where about in those parts wherby the kings armie might haue reléefe, and further made all things readie for their owne defense so well as they could deuise. The earle of Kent about the same time, by helpe of two yeomen that attended vpon him, escaped out of the castell of Vées. ”

“ The pope being aduertised of his death, reioised greatlie, as he well vttered in plaine words, saieng; "Let vs all that be the children of the Romish church reioise, for now two of our greatest enimies are dispatched out of the waie; the one a spirituall man, that is to saie, Robert bishop of Lincolne; and the other a laie-man, that is Conrade king of Sicill." But yet the pope missed of his purpose, for Manfred the bastard sonne of the emperour Frederike the second, was shortlie after proclaimed king of Sicill, and so the second errour was greater than the first. ”

“ About which time, and after the king was withdrawen to Burdeaux, diuerse noble men, as the earles of Norffolke and Winchester, with others, got licence to returne into England. Soone after whose arriuall, escuage was gathered through the realme towards the bearing of the kings charges. Moreouer, in this yeare of the king there died sundrie noble men of naturall infirmities, as the earle of Warwike, Gilbert de Gaunt, Baldwine Wake, Philip de Kime, and Roger Berthram of the north, with diuerse other. ”

“ After this (as by Nicholas Triuet it appeareth) there was a great assemblie of men of warre made out of all parts of the realme, to resist such strangers as the quéene (remaining in the parts beyond the seas) had got togither, meaning to send them into England to aid the king against the barons, and for that purpose had caused a great number of ships to be brought into the hauen of Dam. ”

“ A parlement. The king demandeth the tenths of the spiritualtie.
The 17 of September the cathedrall church of Elie was dedicated, which the bishop of that sée named Hugh had builded of his owne proper costs and charges, togither with the palace there. The king and a great number of the péeres & nobles of the realme both spirituall and temporall were present at this solemne feast, which was kept in most plentifull manner. ”