Chapter 4

The French king perceiuing he could not bring his purpose about, [Sidenote: Ambassadors from the French king.] neither by inuading England, nor by practising with the Gascoignes, sent a solemne ambassage into England, requiring to haue his daughter the ladie Isabell, sometime espoused to king Richard, restored to him againe. King Henrie gentlie receiued those that were sent to him about this message, [Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._ out of Fabian, pag. 364.] and for answer, promised to send his commissioners vnto Calis, which should further commune and conclude with them. ¶ This séemeth dissonant from the report of Fabian deriued out of Gagwine. For he saith that Charles hearing of the suppression of K. Richard, sent 2 of his houshold knights into England, requiring king Henrie the fourth, then newlie made king, to send home his daughter Isabell, latelie married vnto king Richard, with such dowrie as with hir was promised. In dooing of which message king Henrie took such displeasure, that he threw the said two knights in prison; where through one of them (named Blanchet) died in England, and, the other called Henrie, after great sicknesse returned into France: wherefore if Fabian plaie not the fabler, those that were sent on the said message were not gentlie receiued of king Henrie; vnlesse to be cast in prison and discourteouslie dealt withall stand countable for beneuolence & gentle interteinment. But to remit this and the like variances among writers to such as can reconcile them, let vs returne to the storie.

It was not inough that K. Henrie was thus troubled now in the first yere of his reigne, with ciuill sedition, and the couert practises of Frenchmen; but that the Scots also tooke vpon them to make open warre against him: it chanced (as in the Scotish chronicles more at large appeareth) that George of Dunbar, [Sidenote: George earle of March fléeth into England.] earle of the marches of Scotland, being in displeasure with Robert king of Scots, fled into England, to Henrie earle of Northumberland, whervpon the Scotish king depriued him of all his dignities and possessions, and caused his goods to be confiscate, and after wrote to the king of England, requiring him if he would haue the truce anie longer to continue, [Sidenote: The answer of king Henrie to the Scotish ambassadors.] either to deliuer into his possession the earle of March and other traitors to his person, or else to banish them out of his realmes and dominions. King Henrie discréetly answerd the herald of Scotland, that the words of a prince ought to be kept: and his writings and seale to be inuiolate: and considering that he had granted a safe conduct to the earle and his companie, [Sidenote: Open warre proclaimed by the king of Scots against England. _Thom. Wals._] he should neither without cause reasonable breake his promise, nor yet deface his honor. Which answer declared to the king of Scots, he incontinentlie proclaimed open warre against the king of England, with fire and sword. Herevpon, one sir Robert Logon, a Scotish knight, with certeine ships well appointed for the warre, meant to haue destroied the English fléet that was come on the coasts of Scotland, about Aberden, to fish there: [Sidenote: Robert Logon taken prisoner.] but (as it chanced) he met with certeine ships of Lin, that fought with him, and tooke him prisoner, with the residue of his companie, so that he quite failed of his purpose, and came to the losse himselfe.

[Sidenote: The Iles of Orkenie spoiled by Englishmen.] At the same time, the Englishmen spoiled also certeine of the Iles of Orkenie. [Sidenote: Mortalitie of people.] This summer, great death chanced in this land, manie dieing of the pestilence, wherewith sundrie places were infected. King Henrie perceiuing that policie oftentimes preuenteth perill, [Sidenote: King Henrie inuadeth Scotland.] and vnderstanding the naughtie purposes of the Scots, gathered a great armie, and entred into Scotland, burning townes, villages, and castels, with a great part of the townes of Edenburgh and Léeth, [Sidenote: The duke of Rothsaie.] and besieged the castell of Edenburgh in the end of September, whereof was capteine Dauid duke of Rothsaie, and a prince of the realme, with Archembald earle of Dowglas, [Sidenote: The duke of Albanie.] hauing with them manie hardie men of warre. Robert duke of Albanie, that was appointed gouernour of the realme, because the king was sicke and not méet to rule, sent an herald vnto king Henrie, [Sidenote: _Anno Reg._ 2.] promising him battell within six daies at the furthest, if he would so long tarrie, which king Henrie promised to doo right gladlie, and gaue to the herald for bringing him so acceptable newes, a gowne of silke, and a cheine of gold. But king Henrie staied six daies, and sixtéene too, without hearing any word of the gouernors comming. Then the winter beginning to wax cold, and foule weather still increasing, caused the king to breake vp his siege, and so returned without battell or skirmish offered.

[Sidenote: King Henrie returneth home. The Scots burne in Northumberland.] In the meane time that the king was thus in Scotland, the Scots made a rode into Northumberland, and burned diuerse townes in Bamburroughshire. At the kings comming backe to Yorke, there were two strangers, the one a Frenchman, [Sidenote: Iusts at Yorke.] and the other an Italian, requiring to accomplish certeine feats of armes, against sir Iohn Cornewall, and Ianico de Artois. [Sidenote: Sir Iohn Cornewall marrieth the kings sister.] Their request was granted, and the strangers were put to the worst, whereby sir Iohn Cornewall obteined the kings fauour so farre foorth, that he married the kings sister, the widow of Iohn Holland, earle of Huntington. Yet some said, that the knight and the countesse were agréed aforehand, without the kings consent. In the kings absence, [Sidenote: The welshmen rebell by the setting on of Owen Glendouer.] whilest he was foorth of the realme in Scotland against his enimies, the Welshmen tooke occasion to rebell vnder the conduct of their capteine Owen Glendouer, [Sidenote: _Iohn Stow._] [Sidenote: Owen Glendouer what he was.] dooing what mischeefe they could deuise, vnto their English neighbours. This Owen Glendouer was sonne to an esquier of Wales, named Griffith Vichan: he dwelled in the parish of Conwaie, within the countie of Merioneth in North Wales, in a place called Glindourwie, which is as much to saie in English, as The vallie by the side of the water of Dée, by occasion whereof he was surnamed Glindour Dew.

He was first set to studie the lawes of the realme, and became an vtter barrester, or an apprentise of the law (as they terme him) and serued king Richard at Flint castell, when he was taken by Henrie duke of Lancaster, [Sidenote: _Tho. Walsi._] though other haue written that he serued this king Henrie the fourth, before he came to atteine the crowne, in roome of an esquier, and after, by reason of variance that rose betwixt him and the lord Reginald Greie of Ruthin, about the lands which he claimed to be his by right of inheritance: when he saw that he might not preuaile, [Sidenote: The ocassion that mooued him to rebell.] finding no such fauor in his sute as he looked for, he first made warre against the said lord Greie, wasting his lands and possessions with fire and sword, [Sidenote: The king entreth into wales, meaning to chastise the rebels.] cruellie killing his seruants and tenants. The king aduertised of such rebellious exploits, enterprised by the said Owen, and his vnrulie complices, determined to chastise them, as disturbers of his peace, and so with an armie entered into Wales; but the Welshmen with their capteine withdrew into the mounteines of Snowdon, so to escape the reuenge, which the king meant towards them. The king therefore did much hurt in the countries with fire and sword, sleing diuerse that with weapon in hand came foorth to resist him, and so with a great bootie of beasts and cattell he returned.

[Sidenote: The emperor of Constantinople cõmeth into Englãd.] The emperour of Constantinople comming into England to sue for aid against the Turkes, was met by the king on Blackeheath, vpon the feast day of saint Thomas the apostle, and brought vnto London with great honor. The king bare all his charges, presenting him with gifts at his departure, [Sidenote: 1401] [Sidenote: A Parlement.] meet for such an estate. After the feast of the Epiphanie, a parlement was holden, in which an act was made, against those that held opinions in religion, contrarie to the receiued doctrine of the church of Rome; ordeining, that wheresoeuer any of them were found and prooued to set foorth such doctrine, they should be apprehended, and deliuered to the bishop their diocesane; and if they stood stiffelie in their opinions, and would not be reformed, [Sidenote: One burnt in Smithfield.] they should be deliuered to the secular power, to be burnt to ashes. The first that tasted the smart of this statute, was one William Hawtrée or Sawtrée a priest, that being apprehended was burnt in Smithfield, in time of this parlement.

[Sidenote: Additions of the chronicles of Flanders.] About the same time, king Henrie according to promise made (as ye have heard) vnto the French ambassadors, sent ouer into the countrie of Guisnes, [Sidenote: There was also the erle of Deuonshire, as _Froissard_ saith.] Edward earle of Rutland, otherwise in king Richards daies intitled duke of Aumarle, son to Edmund duke of Yorke, Henrie earle of Northumberland, and his sonne the lord Henrie Persie, the lord Yuan Fitzwarren, the bishops of Winchester and Lincolne: where the duke of Burbon, [Sidenote: The hath _Froissard_. Commissioners met to treat of peace.] the lords Charles d'Albert, Charles de Hangest, Iohn de Chastelmorant, the Patriarche of Ierusalem, and the bishops of Paris and Beauuois, were readie there to commune with them, and so they assembling togither at sundrie times and places, the Frenchmen required to haue queene Isabell to them restored, but the Englishmen séemed loth to depart with hir, requiring to haue hir married to Henrie Prince of Wales, [Sidenote: The French king troubled with a frensie.] one in bloud and age in all things to hir equall; but the Frenchmen would in no wise condescend thereto, without their kings consent, who at that present was not in case to vtter his mind, being troubled with his woonted disease. The commissioners then began treat of peace, [Sidenote: Truce for 26 yeares.] and at length renewed the truce to endure for six and twentie yeares yet to come; wherevnto the foure yeares passed being added, made vp the number of thirtie yeares, according to the conclusion agreed vpon, in the life time of king Richard.

[Sidenote: _Hall._] Some authors affirme, that there was a new league concluded, [Sidenote: The Frenchmen demand a dower for quéene Isabell.] to continue, during the liues of both the princes. The Frenchmen diuerse times required to haue some dower assigned foorth for queene Isabell, but that was at all times vtterlie denied, for that the marriage betwixt hir and king Richard was neuer consummate, by reason whereof she was not dowable. Neuerthelesse, she was shortlie after sent home, vnder the conduct of the earle of Worcester, associat with diuerse other noble and honorable personages, both men and women, hauing with hir all the iewels, ornaments, [Sidenote: Additions of the chron. of Flanders.] and plate which she brought into England, with a great surplusage besides giuen to hir by the king. She was deliuered betwixt Bullongne and Calis, to Valeran earle of saint Paule, [Sidenote: She is deliuered home.] the French kings lieutenant in Picardie, who being accompanied with the bishop of Chartres, the lord de Hugueuile, the ladie of Monpensier sister to the erle of March, the ladie of Lucenburgh sister to the said earle of saint Paule, & diuerse other ladies and gentlewomen, which receiued hir with great ioy and gladnesse, and taking leaue of the English lords and ladies, they conueied hir to the dukes of Burgognie and Burbon, [Sidenote: She is conueied to Paris.] that attended for hir, not far off, upon a hill, with a great number of people. They first conueied hir to Bullogne, & after to Abuile, from whence the duke of Orleance conueied hir to Paris, vnto the presence of the king hir father, [Sidenote: Hir second marriage.] and the queene hir mother: she was after giuen in marriage vnto Charles, sonne to Lewes duke of Orleance. [Sidenote: _Anno Reg._ 3. Owen Glendouer.] About the same time, Owen Glendouer and his Welshmen did much hurt to the kings subiects. One night as the king was going to bed, [Sidenote: The danger of the king to haue béene destroied.] he was in danger to haue beene destroied; for some naughtie traitorous persons had conueied into his bed a certeine iron made with smiths craft, like a caltrop, with three long prickes, sharp and small, standing vpright, it such sort, that when he had laid him downe, & that the weight of his bodie should come vpon the bed, he should have beene thrust in with those pricks, and peraduenture slaine: but as God would, the king not thinking of any such thing, chanced yet to féele and perceiue the instrument before he laid him downe, and so escaped the danger. ¶ Howbeit he was not so soone deliuered from feare; for he might well haue his life in suspicion, & prouide for the preseruation of the same; sith perils of death crept into his secret chamber, and laie lurking in the bed of downe where his bodie was to be reposed and to take rest. Oh what a suspected state therefore is that of a king holding his regiment with the hatred of his people, the hart grudgings of his courtiers, and the peremtorie practises of both togither? Could he confidentlie compose or setle himselfe to sleepe for feare of strangling? Durst he boldly eat and drinke without dread of poisoning? Might he aduenture to shew himselfe in great méetings or solemne assemblies without mistrust of mischeefe against his person intended? What pleasure or what felicitie could he take in his princelie pompe, which he knew by manifest and fearfull experience, to be enuied and maligned to the verie death? The state of such a king is noted by the poet in Dionysius, as in a mirror, [Sidenote: _Hor. lib. ca. 3, Ode. 1._] concerning whom it is said,

Districtus ensis cui super impia Ceruice pendet, non Siculæ dapes Dulcem elaborabunt saporem, Non auium cytharæq. cantus.

[Sidenote: 1402.] [Sidenote: The earle of Warwike depareth this life. A blasing starre.] This yeare, the eight day of April deceassed the lord Thomas Beauchampe earle of Warwike. In the moneth of March appeared a blasing starre, first betwéene the east part of the firmament and the North, flashing foorth fire and flames round about it, and lastlie shooting foorth fierie beams towards the north, foreshewing (as was thought) the great effusion of bloud that followed, about the parts of Wales and Northumberland. For much about the same time, Owen Glendouer (with his Welshmen) fought with the lord Greie of Ruthen, comming foorth to defend his possessions, which the same Owen wasted and destroied: and as the fortune of that daies worke fell out, [Sidenote: The lord Greie of Ruthen taken in fight by Ow[=e] Glendouer] the lord Greie was taken prisoner, and manie of his men were slaine. This hap lifted the Welshmen into high pride, and increased meruelouslie their wicked and presumptuous attempts.

About Whitsuntide a conspiracie was deuised by certeine persons, that wished the kings death, [Sidenote: A brute was spred abroad that king Richard was liuing.] mainteining and bruting abroad, that king Richard was aliue, and therefore exhorted men to stand with him, [Sidenote: A priest tak[=e].] for shortlie he would come to light, and reward such as tooke his part with iust recompense. Herewith, there was a priest taken at Ware, or (as some books haue) at Warwike, who had a kalendar or roll, in which a great number of Names were written, more than were in any wise guiltie of the fact, as afterwards appeared by the same priests confession. For being examined, whether he knew such persons as he had so inrolled, & were there present before him, he said he neuer knew them at all; and being demanded wherefore he had then so recorded their names, he answered, because he thought they would gladlie doo what mischief they could against king Henrie, vpon any occasion offered in reuenge of the iniuries doone to king Richard, by whom they had beene aduanced, and princelie preferred. When therefore there appeared no more credit in the man, [Sidenote: He is executed.] he was condemned, drawen, hanged, and quartered, and diuerse that had beene apprehended about that matter, were released, and set at libertie. [Sidenote: The prior of Laund apprehended.] Shortlie after, the prior of Laund (who for his euil gouernment had béene depriued of his state and dignitie) was likewise executed, not for attempting any thing of himselfe, but onlie for that he confessed, that he knew euil counsell and concealed it. His name was Walter Baldocke, a canon sometime in Dunstable, and by king Richard promoted to the priorship of Laund.

[Sidenote: Greie friers apprehended.] Also the same time, certeine greie friers were apprehended for treason which they had deuised to bring to passe, and one of them, whose name was Richard Frisebie, being asked what he would doo if king Richard had béene aliue, and present with them, answered stoutlie, that he would fight against any man in his quarrell; euen to death. [Sidenote: A greie frier hanged in his habit.] Herevpon, he was condemned, drawen, and hanged in his friers wéed, to the great confusion of his brethren; but they made earnest instance to haue his bodie taken downe, and buried with diriges and exequies, and had their sute granted. [Sidenote: Sir Roger Claringdon.] Sir Roger of Claringdon knight was also put to death about this conspiracie, with two of his seruants, the one an esquier, the other a yeoman. He was base sonne (as was reported) vnto Edward, eldest sonne to king Edward the third, [Sidenote: The diuell appeareth in likenesse of a greie frier.] surnamed the blacke prince. On Corpus Christi daie at euensong time, the diuell (as was thought) appeared in a towne of Essex called Danburie, entring into the church in likenesse of a greie frier, behauing himselfe verie outragiouslie, plaieng his parts like a diuell indéed, so that the parishioners were put in a maruellous great fright.

At the same instant, there chanced such a tempest of wind, thunder, and lightning, that the highest part of the roofe of that church was blowen downe, and the chancell was all to shaken, rent, and torne in péeces. [Sidenote: Eight friers executed.] Within a small while after, eight of those greie friers that had practised treason against the king were brought to open iudgement, and conuicted were drawen and headed at London; and two other suffered at Leicester, all which persons had published king Richard to be aliue. Owen Glendouer, according to his accustomed manner, robbing and spoiling within the English borders, caused all the forces of the shire of Hereford to assemble togither against them, vnder the conduct of Edmund Mortimer earle of March. But cõming to trie the matter by battell, [Sidenote: The earle of March taken prisoner in batell by Owen Glendouer.] whether by treason or otherwise, so it fortuned, that the English power was discomfited, the earle taken prisoner, and aboue a thousand of his people slaine in the place. The shamefull villanie vsed by the Welshwomen towards the dead carcasses, was such, as honest eares would be ashamed to heare, and continent toongs to speake thereof. The dead bodies might not be buried, without great summes of monie giuen for libertie to conueie them awaie.

[Sidenote: The suspicion of K. Henrie grounded vpõ a guiltie conscience.] The king was not hastie to purchase the deliuerance of the earle March, bicause his title to the crowne was well inough knowen, and therefore suffered him to remaine in miserable prison, wishing both the said earle, and all other of his linage out of this life, with God and his saincts in heauen, so they had beene out of the waie, for then all had béene well inough as he thought. But to let these things passe, [Sidenote: The kings daughter maried into Germanie.] the king this yeare sent his eldest daughter Blanch, accõpanied with the earle of Summerset, the bishop of Worcester, the lord Clifford, and others, into Almanie, which brought hir to Colin, and there with great triumph she was married to William duke of Bauier, sonne and heire to Lewes the emperour. About mid of August, the king to chastise the presumptuous attempts of the Welshmen, went with a great power of men into Wales, to pursue the capteine of the Welsh rebell Owen Glendouer, but in effect he lost his labor; for Owen conueied himselfe out of the waie, into his knowen lurking places, and (as was thought) through art magike, [Sidenote: Intemperat weather.] he caused such foule weather of winds, tempest, raine, snow, and haile to be raised, for the annoiance of the kings armie, that the like had not beene heard of; in such sort, that the king was constreined to returne home, hauing caused his people yet to spoile and burne first a great part of the countrie. [Sidenote: The deceasse of the duke of Yorke.] The same time, the lord Edmund of Langlie duke of Yorke departed this life, and was buried at Langlie with his brethren. [Sidenote: Scots ouerthrowen.] The Scots vnder the leding of Patrike Hepborne, of the Hales the yoonger, entring into England, were ouerthrowen at Nesbit, in the marches, as in the Scotish chronicle ye may find more at large. This battell was fought the two and twentith of Iune, in this yeare of our Lord 1402.

Archembald earle Dowglas sore displeased in his mind for this ouerthrow, procured a commission to inuade England, and that to his cost, [Sidenote: Scots vanquished at Homildon.] as ye may likewise read in the Scotish histories. For at a place called Homildon, they were so fiercelie assailed by the Englishmen, vnder the leading of the lord Persie; surnamed Henrie Hotspur, and George earle of March, that with violence of the English shot they were quite vanquished and put to flight, on the Rood daie in haruest, with a great slaughter made by the Englishmen. We know that the Scotish writers note this battell to haue chanced in the yeare 1403. But we following Tho. Walsingham in this place, and other English writers, for the accompt of times, [Sidenote: The number slaine.] haue thought good to place it in this yeare 1402, as in the same writers we find it. There were slaine of men of estimation, sir Iohn Swinton, sir Adam Gordon, sir Iohn Leuiston, sir Alexander Ramsie of Dalehousie, [Sidenote: Prisoners taken.] and three and twentie knights, besides ten thousand of the commons: and of prisoners among other were these, Mordacke earle of Fife, son to the gouernour Archembald earle Dowglas, which in the fight lost one of his eies, Thomas erle of Murrey, Robert earle of Angus, and (as some writers haue) the earles of Atholl & Menteith, with fiue hundred other of meaner degrées. After this, the lord Persie, [Sidenote: The castell of Cocklawes besieged by the lord Persie.] hauing bestowed the prisoners in suer kéeping, entered Tiuidale, wasting and destroieng the whole countrie, and then besieged the castell of Cocklawes, whereof was capteine one sir Iohn Grenlow, who compounded with the Englishmen, that if the castell were not succoured within three moneths, then he would deliuer it into their hands.