Part 8
[Sidenote: _Abington._]
On the same thursdaie, king Edward with his armie passed the riuer of Twéed, and so entring into Scotland, sent to the burgesses of Berwike, offering them peace vpon certeine conditions, and staied a whole day for an answer: but when he could haue none that liked him, nor that sounded in anie thing to peace, he approched the towne, and lodged in the monasterie of Caldestreime. His armie consisted as some write of foure thousand men of armes on horsbacke, and thirtie thousand footmen, besides fiue hundred men of armes on horssebacke, and a thousand footmen of the bishoprike of Durham. At the same time, there came foure and twentie English ships, the mariners whereof, beholding where the English armie was placed in battell raie, vpon a plaine, the king making there certeine knights, they thought his meaning was to haue giuen forthwith an assalt, and so entring the hauen, and approching to the land, began to fight with the townesmen, where they lost foure of their ships, and were constreined to withdraw with the residue, with helpe of the falling water. Some haue written that they lost but thrée ships which were consumed with fire, and that the mariners and souldiers of one of those ships, after they had defended themselues by great manhood from the first houre of the daie, till eleuen of the clocke, escaped awaie, some by the bote of that ship, and some leaping into the water, were saued by the botes of other ships that made in to succour them.
[Sidenote: Berwike woone.]
[Sidenote: This sir Richard Cornewall was brother to the erle of Cornewall.]
[Sidenote: _Abington._]
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
The rumor of the mariners attempt being bruted through the armie, the king passing forward towards the towne, got ouer a ditch, which the Scots had cast to impeach his passage, and so comming to the towne, wan it not losing any man of renowme, sauing sir Richard Cornewall, the which was slaine by a quarell which a Flemming shot out of a crossebowe, being in the red hall, which the merchants of Flanders held in that towne, and had fortified it in manner of a tower: but when they would not yéeld, and could not easilie otherwise be woone, the house towards euening was set on fire, and so they being thirtie in number were burned to death within it. Vpon the same night, the king lodged in the castell, which was yéelded vnto him by them that kept it, their liues and limmes saued, and receiuing an oth, that they should not from thencefoorth beare armour against the king of England, they were permitted to depart whither they thought good, their capteine sir William Dowglas excepted, whom the king still kept with him, till the end of the warres. Some write that there should be slaine of Scotishmen at this winning of Berwike, aboue the number of twentie thousand men, Abington saith 8000, but Richard Southwell saith 15000 at the least one with an other, with small losse of Englishmen, not past eight and twentie of all sorts. Yée may read more hereof in the Scotish historie.
[Sidenote: _Abraham Fleming._]
[Sidenote: _R. Grafton_, pag. 176.]
[Sidenote: _G. Buchanan rer. Scotic. lib. 8. pag. 243, prope finem._]
¶ But before I passe ouer this slaughter, so lamentable and woonderfull, I haue bethought my selfe of a promised apologie for and in the behalfe of Richard Grafton, mentioned before in the reigne of Henrie the second, page 194 where I shewed how vnaduisedlie and with vnséemelie modestie for a man of learning, George Buchanan the Scot dooth shoot his bolts at the said Grafton, as now by occasion of the matter conuenientlie occurrent shall be shewed. The said Grafton in his large volume of English chronicles, falling vpon the affaires betwéene king Edward the first, and Iohn Balioll king of Scotland, among other things there remembred, maketh report that in the said battell of Berwike, the slaughter was so great, that a mill might well haue béene driuen by the space of two daies, with the streames of bloud which at that time ouerranne the ground. At which words George Buchanan giueth a snatch, emboldened so to doo, bicause the said Grafton referreth this record to Hector Boetius in his fourtéenth booke and second chapter.
Iesu, how the Scot taketh vp the Englishman for halting in his allegation, first for the chapter, conuincing him that Hector Boetius diuided not his booke into chapters, and therefore, where is the second chapter, sith the whole fourtéen booke is a continued discourse without distinction by chapters? Secondlie the said Grafton hath the checke, for setting a lie aflote, Buchanan flatlie affirming that Hector Boetius hath no such matter once mentioned in his annales. Touching the first fault, wherewith the Scot chargeth the Englishman, this is note-worthie, that it should séeme to anie man of meane iudgement, that Buchanan of a prepensed malice and purposed wilfulnesse hath sharpened his stile in this nipping sort against Grafton. For sith it was Graftons meaning to record the truth, so farre foorth as he was warranted by the auerment of writers; why should he be cast in the téeth with Effrænis maledicendi libido, or dishonestlie termed Indoctus & impudenter mendax? Which opprobrious epithets, if they were deserued by an vntrue report of the author; then should Buchanan haue sharpened his toong against Belenden his countriman, the translator of Hector Boetius into their mother toong, from whom Grafton hath deriued his words; sense for sense vnmangled (as he found the same written.)
Now who knoweth not that Bellenden distinguished Hectors annales into chapters, vpon whose authoritie Grafton relieng, and citing his authoritie according to the quotation of his diuision, whie should he rather than Bellenden be barked at, who is the principall in this controuersie? Againe, it could not be hidden from Buchanan, that Bellenden had distributed Boetius into chapters; considering that they were ~synchronoi~, both liuing in the reigne of Iames the fift of that name king of Scots: so that it might haue pleased him to haue tried Grafton by the Scotish Boetius, and so to haue béene resolued for the second chapter of the fouretéenth booke, according to the archdeacon of Murries translation.
[Sidenote: _Hector Boetius, pag. 294, lib. impress. Parisijs à Iacobo du Puys, 1574._]
Now for the matter itselfe, touching the effusion of bloud, wherewith a mill might well haue béene driuen for two daies space; Hector Boetius his owne words are these; Riui sanguinis toto oppido adeo fluxere, vt cum æstu decurrente minor aqua quàm ad molendina circumagenda fuerit, adiuuante aquam sanguine aliqua circumagi sponte coeperint. Which place, Bellenden hath interpreted after this manner; So lamentabl' slaughter wes throw all the parts of the toun, that ane mill might haif gane two daies ithandlie be stremis of blude. Now examine Graftons words by Bellenden, and Bellendens by Boetius (besides that, marke what Grafton annexeth to the report of this slaughter, who saith that he will not inforce the credit therof vpon any man, but counteth it a Scotish lie rather than a matter of truth) and then conclude according to equitie, that Grafton is altogither excusable and fautlesse, and Buchanans curious & furious challenge reproueable. But admit Grafton had fetcht his report from Boetius, as he had it from Bellenden; séemeth it a lie or an vnlikelihood, that the bloud gushing out of the bodies of 25000, or (as Hector Boetius saith) 7000, would not increase to a streame sufficient & able to driue a mill or two about, without any water intermingled therwithall. The Latine copie hath Riui sanguinis, riuers of bloud, noting by the word the abundance and also the streaming course of the same, which was able with the violent current thereof to beare awaie the verie bodies of the slaine. To conclude this matter, & to set our Englishman by the truth, and let the Scot go with his lieng toong, which I would he had had the modestie to haue tempered, & to haue proffered a practise of that which himselfe paraphrasticallie preacheth and teacheth others to obserue, saieng;
[Sidenote: _In paraph. super psal. 39._]
(Linguæ obseraui claustra fræno, pertinax Obmutui silentio, Ac temerè ne quid os mali profunderet, Verbis bonis clausi exitum.)
[Sidenote: K. Edward fortifieth Berwike.]
[Sidenote: A scotish frier sent to king Edward.]
[Sidenote: The Scotish king renounceth his homage and fealtie vnto the king of England.]
And now to the storie. K. Edward remaind at Berwike 15 daies, & caused a ditch to be cast about the towne of 80 foot in breadth, & of the like in depth. In the meane time, about the beginning of Aprill, the warden and reader of the frier minors of Rockesborough called Adam Blunt, came vnto him with letters of complaint from king Iohn, for the wrongs doone and offered vnto him and his realme, as well in claiming an vniust superioritie, and constreining him to doo homage by vndue and wrongfull meanes, as also by inuading his townes, slaieng and robbing his subiects: for the which causes he testified by the same letters, that he renounced all such homage and fealtie for him and his subiects, as he, or any of them owght for any lands holden within England. The king hearing the letters red receiued the resignation of the homage, and commanded his chancellor, that the letter might be registred in perpetuall memorie of the thing.
[Sidenote: The Scots inuade the English borders.]
[Sidenote: Harbotell.]
[Sidenote: _Rich. South._]
[Sidenote: The earle of Boghan. The crueltie of the Scots.]
The earles of Scotland before remembred, being assembled togither with their powers at the castell of Iedworth, entred into England the eighth of Aprill, and with fire and sword did much hurt in the countries as they passed. In Riddesdale they besieged the castell of Harbotell by the space of two daies, but when they could not preuaile, they remoued, and passing foorth by the east part of the riuer of Tine, thorough Cokesdale, Riddesdale, and Northumberland, vnto Hexham, they did much mischéefe by burning and harrieng the countries. At Hexham they spoiled the abbeie church, and got a great number of the cleargie, as well moonks, priests, as scholers, and others, whom they thrust into the schoolehouse there, and closing vp the dores, set fire on the schoole, and burned all them to ashes that were within it. It is wonderfull to read, what beastlie crueltie the Scots vsed in that road which they made at that time in two seuerall parts. For the earle of Boghan, with them of Galloway, entred by Cumberland in like manner as the other did in Riddesdale, burning and murthering all that came in their waie. For whereas all those that were of able age and lustie to get awaie, fled, & escaped their hands; the aged & impotent creatures, women in childbed, and yoong children that could not shift for themselues, were vnmercifullie slaine, and thrust vpon speares, and shaken vp in the aire, where they yéelded vp their innocent ghosts in most pitifull wise.
[Sidenote: The nunrie of Lamelaie burnt.]
Churches were burned, women were forced without respect of order, condition or qualitie, as well the maids, widowes and wiues, as nunnes that were reputed in those daies consecrated to God, and when they had béene so abused, manie of them were after also murthered, and cruellie dispatched out of life. At length, they came to the nunrie of Lamelaie, & burned all the buildings there, sauing the church, and then returned backe into Scotland with all their pillage and booties by Lauercost, an house of moonks, which they likewise spoiled. So that the cruell & bloudie desolation whereof Lucan speaketh in his second booke of ciuill warres, may aptlie be inferred here, as fitlie describing the mercilesse murther of all states and sexes without parcialitie vnder the hand of the enimie: for saith he,
[Sidenote: _Luc. lib. 2._]
Nobilitas cum plebe perit, latéque vagatur Ensis, & à nullo reuocatum est pectore ferrum, Stat cruor in templis, multáque rubentia cæde Lubrica saxa madent, nulli sua profuit ætas, Non senis extremum piguit vergentibus annis Præcipitasse diem, non primo in limine vitæ Infantis miseri nascentia rumpere fata.
[Sidenote: The castel of Dunbar rendred to the Scots.]
[Sidenote: Beside 2000 barded horsses they had in that armie 10000 footmen.]
[Sidenote: _N. Trivet._]
[Sidenote: _Matth. Westm._]
[Sidenote: _Abington._]
[Sidenote: A sore battell fought at Dunbar. The number slaine.]
[Sidenote: _Matth. Westm._]
[Sidenote: _Abington._]
Patrike earle of Dunbar came to the king of England, and submitted himselfe, with all that he had into his hands; but the castell of Dunbar vpon saint Markes day, being assieged of the Scots was rendered vnto them, by treason of some that were within it, of whome, the countesse (wife to the same erle) was the chéefest; for recouerie whereof king Edward sent Iohn earle of Warren, Surrey and Sussex, & William earle of Warwike with a great power, the which laieng siege to that castell, a great host of Scotishmen came vpon them to the rescue of them within, so that there was foughten a verie sore and terrible battell. At length, the victorie abode with the Englishmen, and the Scotishmen were put to flight, the Englishmen following them in chase eight mile of that countrie, almost to the forrest of Selkirke: the slaughter was great, so that (as was estéemed) there died of the Scotishmen that day, to the number of ten thousand.
[Sidenote: Rockesborough yéelded.]
The morrow after being saturdaie, which was the eight and twentith day of Aprill, at the kings comming thither the castell was surrendred vnto him. There were taken in the same castell thrée earles, Menteth, Cassels, and Ros; six barons, Iohn Comin the yoonger, William Sanclere, Richard Siward the elder, Iohn Fitz Geffrey, Alexander de Morteigne, Edmund Comin of Kilbird, with thirtie knights, two clearks, Iohn de Someruile, and William de Sanclere, and thrée and thirtie esquires, the which were sent vnto diuerse castels in England, to be kept as prisoners. After the winning of Dunbar the king went to the castell of Rockesborough, which incontinentlie was yéelded by the lord Steward of Scotland, the liues and members of all such as were within it at the time of the surrender.
[Sidenote: _Rich. Southw._]
Then went king Edward vnto Edinburgh, where he planted his siege about the castell, and raised engines, which cast stones against and ouer the walles, sore beating and brusing the buildings within. But as it chanced, the king writing letters, to aduertise his councell at home of his procéedings, and concerning other businesse, deliuered that packet vnto a Welshman named Lewin, commanding him to go with the same to London in all hast possible, for he knew him to be a verie spéedie messenger and a trustie also (as he tooke it.) But hauing the letter thus deliuered him, togither with monie to beare his charges, he got him to a tauerne, where riotouslie c[=o]suming the monie (which he had so receiued) in plaie, & making good chéere, in the morning he caused one of his companions to take a target, and beare it afore him in approching the castell, for that he meant (as he colourablie pretended) not to depart, vntill he had wrought some displeasure to them within with his crossebow, which he tooke with him for that purpose, so that comming vnto the castell gates, he called to the wardens on the walles to cast downe to him a cord, that they might plucke him vp to them therewith, for that he had somwhat to say to their capteine touching the secrets of the king of England.
They fulfilling his desire, when he came in, and was brought afore the captein sitting then at breakfast, he said vnto him: "Behold sir, here ye may peruse the king of Englands secrets," and withall raught to him a box, wherein the packet of the kings letters were inclosed, and "appoint me (saith he) to some corner of the wall, and trie whether I can handle a crossebow or not, to defend it against your aduersaries." Héere when others would haue opened the box, and haue read the letters, the capteine would in no wise consent thereto, but going into a turret, called to the Englishmen béelow, and willed them to signifie to the king, that one of his seruants being fled to him, sought to bewraie his secrets, wherevnto he would by no means agrée, and therefore meant to restore both the traitor and the letters. Herevpon, the lord Iohn Spenser, comming to heare what the matter might meane, the capteine caused Lewin to be let downe to him, togither with the letters safe, and not touched by him at all.
[Sidenote: A Welshman hanged.]
When the king vnderstood this, he much commended the honest respect of the capteine, and whereas he had caused engins to be raised to annoie them within (as yée haue heard) he commanded the same to ceasse, and withall, vpon their capteins suit, he granted them libertie to send vnto their king Iohn Balioll, to giue him to vnderstand in what sort they stood. As touching the Welshman, he was drawne and hanged on a pair of high galowes, prepared for him of purpose, as he had well deserued. A notable example of a traitorous villaine, so to offer the secrets of his souereigne to be known to his enimies: and no lesse excellent a president of an honest and faithfull harted foe, that would not himselfe nor let anie other haue a sight of the contents therein written; a rare point of good meaning and vpright dealing in a souldier, and speciallie in an enimie; but
---- multo optimus ille Militiæ cui postremum est primúmq; tueri Inter bella fidem.
[Sidenote: Striueling castel left void.]
[Sidenote: Edenburgh castell deliuered to the king of England.]
Now while the messengers were on their waie to Forfair, where the Scotish king then laie, king Edward with a part of his armie went vnto Striueling, where he found the castell gates set open, and the keies hanging on a naile, so that he entred there without any resistance, for they that had this castle in gard, were fled out of it for feare before his comming. The messengers that were sent from them within Edenburgh castell, comming to their king, declared to him in what case they stood that were besieged. King Iohn, for that he was not able to succor them by any manner of means at that present, sent them word, to take the best waie they could for their owne safetie; with which answer the messengers returning, the castell was immediatlie deliuered vnto the lord Iohn Spenser, that was left in charge with the siege, at the kings departure towards Striueling, with the like conditions as the castell of Rockesborough had yéelded a little before.
Thus was that strong castell of Edenburgh surrendred by force of siege, to the king of Englands vse, on the 15 daie, after he had first laid his siege about it. A place of such strength by the heigth of the ground whereon it stood, that it was thought impregnable, and had not béene woone by force at any time, since the first building therof, before that present, so farre as anie remembrance either by writing or otherwise could be had thereof.
[Sidenote: Saint Iohns towne.]
[Sidenote: The king of Scots sueth for peace.]
[Sidenote: The bishop of Durham.]
[Sidenote: The king of Scots submitteth himselfe to the K. of England.]
Here at Edenburgh, or rather at Rockesborough (as Abington saith) a great number of Welshmen came vnto the king, who sent home the like number of English footmen, of those that séemed most wearie. Moreouer, at Striueling, there came to the king the earle of Ulster, with a great number of Irishmen. Then passing ouer the riuer of Forth, the king came vnto saint Iohns towne about Midsummer, and there tarried certeine daies. Whilest these things were a dooing, Iohn king of Scotland, perceiuing that he was not of power to resist king Edward, sent ambassadors vnto him to sue for peace: king Edward was content to heare them, and therevpon appointed, that king Iohn should resort vnto the castell of Brechin, there to commen with such of his councell as he would send thither within fiftéene daies next ensuing, to treat of an agréement. King Edward sent thither Anthonie bishop of Durham, with full commission to conclude all things in his name. And within the appointed time came king Iohn, and diuers of his nobles vnto him, the which after many & sundrie treaties holden betwixt them and the said bishop, at length they submitted themselues and the realme of Scotland, simplie and purelie into the hands of the king of England, for the which submission to be firmelie kept and obserued, king Iohn deliuered his son in hostage, and made letters thereof, written in French as followeth.
The instrument of the said submission.
Iehan per la grace de Dieu, roy de Escoce, à tous ceulx quæ cestes præsentes letres verront ou orront, saluz, &c. Iohn by the grace of GOD king of Scotland, to all those that these present letters shall sée or heare, sendeth gréeting. Bicause that we through euill counsell and our owne simplicitie, haue gréeuouslie offended our souereigne lord, Edward by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitane, in many things; that is to saie, in that, whereas we béeing and abiding vnder his faith and homage, haue bound our selues vnto the king of France which then was his enimie and yet is, procuring a mariage with the daughter of his brother Charles du Valois, and that we might gréeue our said lord, and aid the king of France with all our power by warre and other means, we haue at length by aduise of our peruerse counsell defied our said lord the K. of England, and haue put our selues out of his allegiance and homage, & sent our people into England, to burne houses, to take spoiles, to commit murther, with many other damages, and also in fortifieng the kingdome of Scotland, which is of his fée, putting and establishing armed men in townes, castels, and other places, to defend the land against him, to deforce him of his fée, for the which transgressions our said souereigne lord the king, entring into the realm of Scotland with his power, hath conquered and taken the same, notwithstanding al that we could do against him, as by right he may do, as a lord of his fée, bicause that we did render vnto him our homage, and made the foresaid rebellion. We therfore as yet being in our full power and frée will, doo render vnto him the land of Scotland, and all the people therof with the homages. In witnesse whereof, we haue caused these letters patents to be made. Yeuen at Brechin the tenth day of Iulie, in the fourth yeare of our reigne, sealed with the common seale of the kingdome of Scotland.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: K. Edward passeth forward through Scotland.]
[Sidenote: K. Edward bringeth the marble stone out of Scotland.]
[Sidenote: The nobilitie of Scotland submit themselues to the king.]
After this, king Edward went forward to sée the mounteine countries of Scotland, the bishop of Durham euer kéeping a daies iournie afore him. At length, when he had passed through Murrey land, and was come to Elghin, perceiuing all things to be in quiet, he returned towards Berwike, and comming to the abbeie of Scone, he tooke from thence the marble stone, wherevpon the kings of Scotland were accustomed to sit as in a chaire, at the time of their coronation, which king Edward caused now to be transferred to Westminster and there placed, to serue for a chaire for the priest to sit in at the altar. The king comming to Berwike, called thither vnto a parlement all the nobles of Scotland, and there receiued of them their homages, the which in perpetuall witnesse of the thing, made letters patents thereof, written in French, and sealed with their seales, as the tenor here followeth.
The instrument of the homages of the lords of Scotland to K. Edward.
[Sidenote: The forme of their homage.]
[Sidenote: The words of K. Edward accepting it.]