Part 12

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. In the meane while the king of England was aduanced forward and come néere vnto Tailborge, lieng with his armie in the faire medow by the riuer side of Charent fast by the castell of Thonay: & he had there with him in campe sixtéene hundred knights, or rather men of armes, and twentie thousand footmen, with seauen hundred that bare crossebows. He made there his two halfe brethren, the sonnes of the earle of March knights, and gaue to the one of them fiue hundred marks, and to the other six hundred marks yearelie, to be paid out of his escheker, till he had otherwise prouided for them in lands and reuenues equall to that pension.

[Sidenote: Tailborge.]

[Sidenote: Xainctes. An encounter betwixt the English and the French.]

Now the French king being aduertised that king Henrie laie thus néere to Tailborge, marched thitherwards with all his puissance latelie réenforced with new supplies, and approching to Tailborge, had the towne deliuered vnto him. This chanced about the latter end of Iulie. Then after the French king had gotten possession of Tailborge, he ment to passe the water, and if by mediation of a truce politikelie procured by the earle of Cornewall (and as it were at a narrow pinch) the king of England had not found means to remooue in the night season, he had béene in great danger to haue béene taken, through want of such aid as he looked to haue had at the hands of the Poictouins and other his confederats. But yet he got awaie (though with some staine of honour) and withdrew to Xainctes, whither also the French king folowed, and comming néere to the towne, there was a sharpe incounter begun betwixt the French and the English, wherein the Englishmen were victors, and in which by the Frenchmens owne confession, if the English power had béene like to theirs in number, they had fullie atchiued the honour of a foughten field, and for a light skirmish a sound and perfect victorie.

[Sidenote: The valiancy of the earle of Leicester and others.]

[Sidenote: Iohn Mansell.]

[Sidenote: Sir Iohn Barris. Wil. de Sey. Gilbert de Clare slaine.]

The high prowesse and valiancie of the earles of Leicester, Salisburie, Norfolke, with other Noble men, as Iohn de Burgh, Warren de Mount Chenill or Cheincie, Hubert Fitz Matthew, and Ralfe Fitz Nicholas did in this fight right well appeare: and likewise other of the English nation bare themselues so manfullie, that they deserued no small commendation. Amongst other also sir Iohn Mansell the kings chapleine, and one of his priuie councell did right worthilie, taking prisoner with his owne hands one Peter Orige a gentleman in good place. There was moreouer taken on the French part sir Iohn de Barris a man of good accompt, by William de Sey, beside sundrie others. On the English part was slaine Gilbert de Clare, and Henrie Hasting taken prisoner, with other, to the number of twentie knights, or men of armes, if I may so call them.

[Sidenote: The earle of March is reconciled to the French king.]

After this incounter, by reason the French armie increased by new bands still resorting to their king, the earle of March secretlie sought meanes to be reconciled vnto him: and finallie by the helpe of the duke of Britaine, his old acquaintance and fréend at néed, his peace was purchased, so that he had his lands againe to him restored, except certeine castels; which for further assurance the French king reteined in his hands by the space of thrée yeares. The king of England, perceiuing himselfe too much deceiued in that he had put such confidence in the earle of March and others of that countrie, which should haue aided him at this present, and againe aduertised, that the French king meant to besiege him within the citie of Xainctes, departed with all spéed from thence, and came to Blaie, a towne in Gascoigne, situat néere to the riuer of Garon, & distant seuen leagues from Burdeaux.

[Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._]

[Sidenote: The countesse of Bierne.]

[Sidenote: Sée Vol. I. pag. 495, 496, 497, 498, & pag. 681, of the historie of England.]

Now whilest he laie here at Blaie, there came vnto him the countesse of Bierne (a woman monstruous big of bodie) bringing with hir to serue the king, hir sonne, and thrée score knights, in hope to get some of his sterling monie, whereof she knew him to haue plentie: and so couenanting for hir interteinment, remained still with him, and receiued euerie daie 13 pounds sterling, and yet she neuer pleasured him the woorth of a groat, but rather hindered him, in making him bare of monie, which she receiued, purssed vp and tooke awaie with hir when she departed from him. But if to hir making and stature she had bin indued with the courage of Voadicia, whom she excéeded (as it should seeme) in proportion, or with the prowesse of Elfleda, hir seruice had béene no lesse beneficiall to the K. than anie skilfull capteins marching vnder his banner. So that we sée in this woman a desire rather to satisfie hir hydropicall humour of couetousnesse, than anie true affection to set forward the kings affaires; therefore it may well be said of hir in respect of hir gréedinesse to get from the king for hir owne commodities sake, that she was

Vt mare, quod das deuorat, nunquam abundat, Nunquam rependit.

[Sidenote: The reuolting of other French lords.]

[Sidenote: Death in the French camp.]

[Sidenote: Truce renued betwixt the two kings.]

[Sidenote: _Polydor._]

In the meane time the lords de Pons, Mirabeau and Mortaigne suddenlie reuolted, & submitted themselues to the French king, with the vicount of Towars, and all other the lords and knights of Poictou, and the marches therabouts, that not long before had procured king Henrie to come ouer to their aid. The citie of Xainctes was likewise rendred to him immediatlie vpon king Henries departure from thence. At which season the French king meant to haue followed him to Blaie, but by reason of a great death which chanced in his armie, he was constreined to alter his purpose. Suerlie, as authors haue recorded, what through pestilence and vnwholesomnesse of the aire, a great manie of Frenchmen died at that time, and dailie more fell sicke. The number of them that died (as Matth. Paris, & Matth. Westminster affirme) amounted to twentie thousand persons, beside fourescore of the Nobilitie that bare banners or penons. King Lewes himselfe also began to waxe diseased and crasie, so that he was constreined to renew the truce with king Henrie & therewith departed home.

[Sidenote: The quéene of England deliuered of a daughter.]

[Sidenote: William Marisch executed.]

[Sidenote: Sée pag. 385.]

King Henrie remained at Blaie vntill the feast of the Assumption of our ladie, and then went to Burdeaux to visit the quéene, who in this meane while was brought to bed about midsummer of a yoong ladie, whom they named Beatrice after the quéenes mother. Now whilest king Henrie was thus occupied in Poictou and Gascoine, William Marisch the sonne of Geffrie Marisch (by commandement sent from the king) was put to death at London, with sixtéene of his complices on the euen of S. Iames the apostle. This William Marisch falling in to the kings displeasure, got him to the sea, and plaied the rouer, kéeping the Ile of Lundaie in the west countrie, till finallie he was taken and brought prisoner vnto the towre, where he was charged with sundrie articles of treason, as that he should hire that counterfeit mad man which sought to haue murthered the king at Woodstoke, as before ye haue heard. Howbeit when he should die, he vtterlie denied that euer he was priuie to anie such thing. He was first had from Westminster to the towre, & from thence drawne to the gibet, and there hanged till he was dead, and after being cut downe, had his bowels ripped out and burned, and when his head was cut off, the bodie was diuided into foure quarters, and sent vnto foure of the principal cities of the realme. His complices were also drawne through the citie of London vnto the same gibet, and there hanged.

[Sidenote: The seas trobled with men of warre.]

[Sidenote: Escuage gathered 20. shillings of euerie knights fée.]

[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]

[Sidenote: Death of noble men.]

In the time of this warre also betwixt England and France, there was much hurt doone on the sea betwixt them of the cinque ports and the Frenchmen of Normandie, and other: as the Caleis men and the Britons, which did make themselues as strong as they could against the Englishmen by sea. Wherevpon diuerse incounters chanced betwixt them, but more to the losse of the Englishmen, than of the Frenchmen: in somuch that they of the ports were constreined to require aid of the archb. of Yorke the lord gouernour of the realme. 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. Howbeit the king himselfe returned not home, but laie all the winter time at Burdeaux, meaning to attempt manie enterprises, but he brought none to passe, sauing that in protracting the time, he spent much monie, and to little purpose.

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 27.]

[Sidenote: The earle of Cornwal and other returne home.]

About the beginning of the seuen and twentith yeare of his reigne, his brother the earle of Cornewall, misliking the order of things which he saw dailie in the king his brothers procéedings, would néeds returne backe into England, but chieflie when he perceiued that his councell & aduise could not be heard. The king was sore offended herewith, but he could not well remedie the matter, nor persuade him to tarie. And so the said earle of Cornewall, togither with the earles of Penbroke and Hereford, and diuerse other noble men tooke the sea, and after manie dangers escaped in their course, at length on S. Lucies daie they arriued in Cornewall, though some of the vessels that were in the companie were driuen by force of the tempestuous weather vpon other contrarie coasts. ¶ About this season also, that is to saie, on the day of S. Edmund the king, there happened a maruellous tempest of thunder and lightening, and therwith followed such an excéeding raine (which continued manie daies togither) that riuers rose on maruellous heigth, and the Thames it selfe, which sildome riseth or is increased by land flouds, passing ouer the banks, drowned all the countrie for the space of six miles about Lambeth, so that none might get into Westminster hall, except they were set on horssebacke.

[Sidenote: Prouision of graine and victuals taken vp and sent to the king.]

[Sidenote: 1243.]

[Sidenote: The king led by strangers.]

[Sidenote: He is euill spoken of.]

About the same time the king sent ouer into England to the archbishop of Yorke lord gouernour of the realme, to cause prouision of graine and bakon, to be conueied ouer vnto him, which he appointed to be taken out of the possessions of the archbishoprike of Canturburie, and other bishoprikes that were vacant, and out of other such places as séemed to him good to appoint. Herevpon were sent ouer to him ten thousand quarters of wheat, fiue thousand quarters of otes, with as manie bakons. Also there was sent vnto him great prouision of other things, as cloth for apparell and liueries, but much of it perished in the sea by one meane or other, that little thereof came to his vse, who remained still at Burdeaux to his great cost and charges, and small gaine, sauing that he recouered certeine townes and holds there in Gascoigne that were kept by certeine rebels. At which time, bicause he was inclined rather to follow the counsell of the Gascoignes and other strangers than of his owne subiects, and gaue vnto them larger enterteinment, not regarding the seruice of his owne naturall people: he was maruellouslie euill spoken of here in England, and the more in déed, bicause his iournie had no better successe, and was yet so chargeable vnto him and all his subiects. The Noble men that remained with him, as the earles of Leicester and Salisburie, with other, were constreined to borrow no small summes of monie to beare out their charges: and so likewise the king himselfe ran greatlie in debt, by taking vp monie towards the discharging of his importable expenses.

[Sidenote: A truce taken for fiue years.]

[Sidenote: Nicholas de Mueles his lieutenant in Gascoigne.]

At length by mediation of such as were commissioners a truce was concluded betwixt him and the French king for fiue yeares, and then he returned toward England, but he arriued not there till the ninth of October, although the truce was concluded in March vpon S. Gregories day; for beside other occasions of his staie, one chanced by such strife and debate as rose amongst the Gascoignes, which caused him to returne to land, that he might pacifie the same when he was alreadie imbarked, and had hoised his saile immediatlie to set forward. He left in Guien for his lieutenant one Nicholas de Mueles or Moles, to defend those townes, which yet remained vnder his obeisance, for he put no great confidence in the people of that countrie, the which of custome being vexed with continuall warre, were constreined not by will, but by the change of times, one while to hold on the French side, and an other while on the English. Indéed the townes, namelie those that had their situation vpon the sea coastes, were so destroied and decaied in their walles and fortifications, that they could not long be any great aid to either part, and therefore being not of force to hold out, they were compelled to obeie one or other, where by their willes they would haue doone otherwise.

This was the cause that the K. of England, oftentimes vpon trust of these townes, which for the most part were readie to receiue him, was brought into some hope to recouer his losses, and chéefelie for that he was so manie times procured to attempt his fortune there, at the request of the fickle-minded Poictouins, who whilest they did séeke still to purge their offenses to the one king or to the other, they dailie by new treasons defamed their credit, and so by such means the king of England oftentimes with small aduantage or none at all, made warre against the French king, in trust of their aid, that could, or (vpon the least occasion conceiued) quickelie would doo little to his furtherance. And so thereby king Henrie as well as his father king Iohn, was oftentimes deceiued of his vaine conceiued hope.

[Sidenote: Death of Noble men.]

[Sidenote: Hugh Lacie.]

In this seauen and twentith yeare of king Henries reigne, diuerse noble personages departed this life, and first about the beginning of Ianuarie, deceassed the lord Richard de Burgh, a man of great honour and estimation in Ireland, where he held manie faire possessions, by conquest of that noble gentleman his worthie father. Also that valiant warriour Hugh Lacie, who had conquered in his time a great part of Ireland. Also the same yere on the seauenth of Maie, Hugh de Albenie earle of Arundell departed this life, in the middest of his youthfull yeares, and was buried in the priorie of Wimundham, which his ancestours had founded. After his deceasse, that noble heritage was diuided by partition amongst foure sisters.

[Sidenote: _Fabian._]

[Sidenote: _Matth. Paris._]

[Sidenote: Stars fallen after a strange manner.]

About the same time, to wit, on the twelfth day of Maie, Hubert de Burgh earle of Kent departed this life at his manor of Banstude, and his bodie was conueied to London, and there buried in the church of the Friers preachers, vnto the which Friers he had béene verie beneficiall. Amongst other things, he gaue vnto them his goodlie palace at Westminster adioining néere to the palace of the earle of Cornewall, which the archbishop of Yorke afterwards purchased. The moonks of the Cisteaux were this yeare somewhat vexed by the king, bicause they had refused to aid him with monie towards his iournie made into Gascoigne. Also the plées of the crowne were kept and holden in the towre of London. And in the night of the six and twentith day of Iulie, starres were séene fall from the skie after a maruellous sort, not after the common manner, but thirtie or fortie at once, so fast one after another and glansing to and fro, that if there had fallen so manie verie starres in déed, there would none haue béene left in the firmament.

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 28.]

[Sidenote: The countesse of Prouance mother to the quéene commeth ouer into England.]

[Sidenote: The earle of Cornewall maried to the ladie Sanctia.]

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. On S. Clements day, Richard earle of Cornewall the kings brother married the said ladie Sanctia, which marriage was solemnized in most roiall wise, and with such sumptuous feasts and banketings, as greater could not be deuised. Finallie, the quéens mother the countesse of Prouance, being a right notable and worthie ladie, was honored in euerie degrée of hir sonne in law king Henrie in most courteous and sumptuous manner, and at hir departure out of the realme, which was after Christmasse, shée was with most rich and princelie gifts honourablie rewarded.

[Sidenote: William Ralegh bishop of Norwich.]

[Sidenote: He is consecrated bish. of Winchester by the pope.]

About the same time also, whereas William de Ralegh was requested to remooue from the sée of Norwich vnto Winchester, and consenting therevnto, without the kings licence, obteined his confirmation of the pope: the king was highly displeased therewith, bicause he ment it to another. Wherevpon when the said William Ralegh was returned from Rome to be installed, the king sent commandement to the maior and citizens of Winchester, that they should not suffer him to enter the citie. Wherevpon he being so kept out, accurssed both the citie and cathedrall church with all the moonks and others that fauoured the prior, which had intruded himselfe onelie by the kings authoritie, and not by lawfull election and means, as was supposed.

[Sidenote: 1244.]

[Sidenote: He steleth out of the realme.]

[Sidenote: He giueth to the pope 6000 marks.]

At length the said bishop vpon gréefe conceiued that the king should be so heauie lord vnto him, got into a ship at London, and stale awaie into France, where he was well receiued of the French king, and greatlie cherished. Also he found such means that the pope in fauour of his cause wrote letters both to the king and to the quéene, naming hir his coosen, but which waie that kindered should come about, as yet it was neuer knowen. The bishop to shew himselfe thankefull for such fréendship, gaue the pope aboue six thousand marks (as is said) and the pope bicause he would not be accompted a disdainefull person, turned not backe one pennie of that which was so gentlie offered him. At length partlie at contemplation of the popes letters, and partlie by reason the bishop humbled himselfe in answering the articles which the king had obiected against him in cause of the controuersie betwixt them, he granted him his peace, and receiued him into the land, restoring to him all that had béene taken and deteined from him.

[Sidenote: Martine the popes collectour.]

Moreouer, in this meane while the pope trusting more than inough vpon the kings simplicitie and patience, who indéed durst not in any case séeme to displease him, had sent an other collector of monie into England named Martine, not adorned with power legantine, but furnished with such authorities and faculties as had not béene heard of. He was lodged in the temple, where he shewed what commission he had to gather vp the popes reuenues, and to exact monie by sundrie maner of meanes, and so fell in hand therewith, vsing no small diligence therein, vnto the great gréefe and hurt of conscience of manie: he had power to staie the bestowing of benefices, till he was satisfied to the full contentation of his mind. Benefices of small value he regarded not greatlie, but such as were good liuings in déed felt his heauie and rauenous hands extended towards them. He had power also to excommunicate, to suspend, and to punish all such as should resist his will, although neuer so wilfullie bent, in so much that it was said, he had sundrie blankes vnder the popes bulled seale, bicause that vpon the sudden he brought foorth such as séemed best to serue for his purpose. He vsed this his vnmeasurable authoritie to the vttermost, and therein did not forget his owne profit, but tooke palfries and other presents of religious men.

¶ But to declare all the practises of this the popes agent, as it would be too long and tedious a processe, so it is nothing strange that these his landloping legats and Nuncios haue their manifold collusions to cousen christian kingdoms of their reuenues. For if they were not furnished with foxlike fraud and wooluish rauine, they were no fit factors for him; sith it is required that like maister haue like man. And therefore he is aptlie described in the likenesse of a man, his head and face excepted, wherein he resembleth a woolfe; besides that, he is set foorth with a crosiers staffe in his hand, at the hooke whereof hangeth his Iudas pursse, wherein are powched vp his pilfered Peter pence, and I wot not what extorted paiments and pretended duties. As for his deceits and crafts, he hath more varietie of them, than the cat of the mounteine hath spots in his skin, or the pecocke hath eies in his taile. Wherevpon it is trulie said of a late poet,

[Sidenote: _Antithesis de Christi & papæ facinorb. sub authore anonymo._]

Sydera nemo potest quot sunt numerare polorum, Quot neq; vere nouo gramina campus habet, Sic quoq; nemo potest vafri ludibria papæ Eius & innumeros commemorare dolos: Huic scopus immensum seducere fraudibus orbem, Huic scopus humanum ludificare genus.

[Sidenote: The nobles complaine to the king of the popes collector.]

[Sidenote: The king writeth to the pope.]