Part 9
A tous ceux que cestes lettres verront ou orront, &c. To all those that these present letters shall sée or heare, we Iohn Comin of Badenaw, &c. Bicause that we at the faith and will of the most noble prince, and our dearest lord, Edward by the grace of God king of England, lord of Ireland, and duke of Aquitaine, doo vow and promise for vs and our heires, vpon paine of bodie and goods, and of all that we may haue, that we shall serue him well and trulie against all men which may liue and die, at all times when we shall be required or warned by our said lord the king of England or his heires, and that we shall not know of any hurt to be doone to them, but the same we shall let and impeach with all our power, and giue them warning thereof: and those things to hold and kéepe, we bind vs, our heires, and all our goods, and further, receiue an oth thereof vpon the holie euangelists: and after all, we and euerie of vs haue done homage vnto our souereigne lord the king of England in words as followeth; I become your liegeman of life, members, and earthlie honour, against all men which may liue and die. And the same our souereigne lord the king receiued this homage vnder this forme of words; We receiue it for the land of the which you be now seized, the right of vs, or other saued, and except the lands which Iohn Balioll sometime king of Scotland granted vnto vs, after that we did deliuer vnto him the kingdome of Scotland, if happilie he hath giuen to you any such lands.
Moreouer, all we, and euerie of vs by himselfe haue done fealtie to our said souereigne lord the king in these words; I as a faithfull & liege man, shall kéepe faith and loialtie vnto Edward king of England, and to his heires, of life, member and earthlie honor, against all men which may liue and die, and shall neuer for any person beare armour, nor shall be of counsell nor in aid with any person against him, or his heires in any case that may chance, but shall faithfullie acknowledge, and doo the seruice that belongeth to the tenements the which I claime to hold of him, as God me helpe and all his saints. In witnesse wherof, these letters patents are made and signed with our seales. Yeuen at Warke the foure and twentith of March, in the 24 yeare of the reigne of our said lord the king of England.
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[Sidenote: Officers appointed in Scotland by king Iohn.]
[Sidenote: Iohn Balioll sent to London.]
[Sidenote: A parlement at saint Edmundsburie.]
[Sidenote: A subsidie granted.]
Then was Iohn Warren earle of Surrey and Sussex made by king Edward warden of Scotland, Hugh Cressingham treasurer, and William Ormesbie high iustice, whome the king commanded, that he should call all those before him which held any lands of the crowne, and to receiue of them in his name their homages and fealties. Iohn Balioll the late king of Scotland was sent to London, and had a conuenient companie of seruants appointed to attend him, hauing licence to go any whither abroad, so that he kept himselfe within the circuit of twentie miles néere to London. Iohn Comin of Badenaw, and Iohn Comin of Lowan, and diuerse nobles of Scotland were brought into England on the south side of Trent, being warned vpon paine of death not to returne into Scotland, till the king had made an end of his wars with France. After this, at his returne into England, king Edward held a parlement at saint Edmundsburie, which began the morrow after the feast of All saints, in which the citizens & burgesses of good townes granted vnto him an eighth part of their goods, and of the residue of the people a twelfth part.
[Sidenote: The pretended excuse of the cleargie.]
The cleargie by reason of a constitution ordeined and constituted the same yeare by pope Boniface, prohibiting vpon paine of excommunication, that no talages nor other exactions should be leuied or exacted of the cleargie in any manner of wise by secular princes or to be paid to them of things that perteined to the church, vtterlie refused to grant any manner of aid to the king, towards the maintenance of his wars. Wherevpon the king, to the intent they should haue time to studie for a better answer, deferred the matter to an other parlement to be holden on the morrow after the feast of saint Hilarie.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 25.]
[Sidenote: 1297.]
[Sidenote: The earle of Holland marrieth Elizabeth the kings daughter.]
[Sidenote: _N. Triuet._]
[Sidenote: _Abington._]
[Sidenote: The archbishop his words.]
This yeare after the feast of the Epiphanie, Elizabeth the kings daughter was married vnto king Iohn earle of Holland. Humfrey de Bohun earle of Hereford and Essex was sent to conueie them into Holland, there to take possession of the earledome, as then descended vnto the said Iohn, by the death of his father latelie before slaine by his owne subiects, bicause he would haue disherited this Iohn, and made a bastard sonne which he had to be his heire. ¶ The day appointed for the parlement to be holden at London being come, and the cleargie continuing in their deniall to grant any subsidie, the king excluded them out of his protection, for the redéeming whereof, manie by themselues, and manie by mediators, did afterwards giue vnto the king a fift part of all their goods. The archbishop of Canturburie being found stiffe in the matter, the king seized all his lands, and commanded all such debts as were found of his in the rolles of the excheker, to be leuied with all spéed of his goods and cattell. Some write, that when the archbishop of Canturburie in name of all the residue, had declared to them whom the king had appointed commissioners to receiue the answer, that whereas they of the cleargie had two souereigne lords and gouernours, the one in spirituall matters and the other in temporall, yet they ought rather to obeie their spirituall gouernour than their temporall. Neuerthelesse, to satisfie the kings pleasure, they would of their owne charges send to the pope, that by his licence and permission, they might grant the king some aid, or else receiue some answer from him, what to doo therein: "for (saith the archbishop) we beléeue that the king feareth the sentence of excommunication, and would be as glad to auoid it as we."
[Sidenote: The declaration of the lord chéefe iustice.]
When the commissioners heard this answer, they required that they would appoint some of their owne companie to beare this message vnto the king, for they durst not report it to him: which being doone as the commissioners had required, the king in his furie procéeded against them, in such rigorous manner as ye haue heard, in somuch that the lord chéefe iustice sitting vpon the bench, spake openlie these words; "You sirs that be attornies of my lords the archbishops, bishops, abbats, priors, and all other the cleargie, declare vnto your masters, and tell them, that from hencefoorth there shall no iustice be doone vnto them in the kings court for any manner of thing, although neuer so heinous wrong be doone vnto them: but iustice shall be had against them, to euerie one that will complaine and require to haue it."
[Sidenote: The clearkelie handling of the matter by the archbi. of Yorke his suffragans.]
[Sidenote: The miserie of churchmen.]
Henrie de Newarke the elect bishop of Yorke, with the bishops of Durnam, Elie and Salisburie, with certeine other, fearing the kings indignation thus kindled against them, ordeined to laie downe in the churches, a fift part as ye haue heard, of all their goods, towards the defense of the realme, and maintenance of the kings warres in such time of great necessitie, and so the king receiuing it, they were restored to the kings protection againe. The fréends of the bishop of Lincolne found means, that the shiriffe of the shire leuied and tooke the fift part of all his goods, and restored to him againe his lands and possessions. Also, all the monasteries within his diocesse, and within the whole prouince of Canturburie, were seized into the kings hands, and wardens appointed, which onelie ministred necessarie finding vnto the moonks and other religious persons, and conuerted the ouerplus vnto the kings vse. Wherevpon the abbats and priors were glad to follow the court, and sued to redéeme, not their sins, but their goods, with giuing a fourth part thereof. The cleargie suffered manie iniuries in that season, for religious men were spoiled and robbed in the kings high waie, and could not haue any restitution nor remedie against them that thus euill intreated them, till they had redéemed the kings protection. Persons and vicars, and other of the cleargie, when they rode foorth any whither, were glad to apparell themselues in laie mens garments, so to passe through the countrie in safetie.
[Sidenote: The archbish. of Canturburie his goods confiscate.]
[Sidenote: The obstinate maner of the archbishop of Canturburie.]
The archbishop of Canturburie lost all the goods that he had, for he would neither agrée to giue any thing, nor to laie any thing downe in the church, that the king might receiue it. Wherevpon he was brought to such extreme miserie, that all his seruants went from him, & commandement was giuen foorth, that no man should receiue him, neither within monasterie nor without, and so not hauing any one place of all his bishoprike where to laie his head, he remained in the house of a poore person, onelie with one priest and one clearke: yet he stiffelie stood in the matter, affirming certeinlie, that all those which granted any thing, either to the king, or to any other temporall person without the popes leaue, ran without doubt into the danger of the sentence pronounced in the canon.
[Sidenote: A parlement at Salisburie.]
About the feast of S. Matthew in Februarie, the king called a parlement of his nobles (not admitting thereto any of the cleargie) at Salisburie, and there required certeine of his Nobles to passe ouer into Gascoine, but euerie of them séemed to excuse himselfe, whereat the king being mooued, threatened that they should either go, or he would giue their lands to other that would go, with which words manie of them were gréeuouslie offended, in so much that the earles of Hereford and Marshall, Humfrie Bohun, and Roger Bigod, declared that they would be readie to go with the king if he went himselfe, or else not. And when the earle Marshall was eftsoones required to go, he answered, "I will willinglie go with the king, and march before him in the fore ward, as by right of inheritance I am bound." "Yea (saith the king) and you shall go with other though I go not." "I am not so bound (saith the earle) neither doo I purpose to take the iournie in hand with you."
[Sidenote: The disloiall demeanor of the two erles.]
The king then in a great chafe burst out & sware, "By God sir earle, either thou shall go or hang." "And I sweare (saith the earle) the same oth, that I will neither go nor hang:" and so he departed from the king without leaue taking. Immediatlie herevpon those two earles assembled manie noble men, and other of their fréends togither to the number of thirtie banerets and aboue, so that in all they were found to be fiftéene hundred men of armes appointed and readie for battell, and herewith they withdrew into their countries, and kept such stir there, that they would not permit the kings officers to take neither wools, leather, nor any thing against the owners will, but forbad them on paine of loosing their heads to come within their roomes, and withall prepared themselues to resist if néed were.
[Sidenote: They had with them 600 men of armes, and 10000 footmen as _Abington_ saith.]
[Sidenote: Battell betwixt the earle of Lincolne and the earle of Arthois, who had with him 1500 men of armes, as _Abingt[=o]_ saith.]
In this meane time the warre was prosecuted in Gascoine. ¶ The thursdaie before the Purification of our ladie, Henrie earle of Lincolne, and the lord Iohn saint Iohn departing from Baion towards Bellegard, a place besieged as then by the earle of Arthois, to succour them within the same with vittels, (whereof they stood in néed) as they approched to a wood distant from the fortresse thrée miles, they diuided themselues into two seuerall battels, the lord Iohn saint Iohn leading the first, and the earle of Lincolne the second. The lord saint Iohn therefore hauing passed the wood with his battell, and entring into the plaine fields, was incountred by the earle of Arthois, who tarried there for him with a great power, where immediatlie at the first ioining of the battels, the earle of Lincolne retired backe: so that the lord Iohn saint Iohn and his companie ouerset with preasse of enimies were vanquished: and the said lord saint Iohn with sir William de Mortimer, sir William Burmengham and other to the number of eight knights, and diuerse esquires were taken, the which were sent to Paris as prisoners.
Other write somewhat otherwise of this battell, as that vpon the first incounter the Englishmen droue backe one regiment of the earle of Arthois his men of armes, whom he diuided into foure parts; but when they once ioined with the second regiment, to the which they were beaten backe, forward they came againe, and so charging the Englishmen, with helpe of their third squadron, which was now come to them also, they easilie put the Englishmen oppressed with multitude vnto flight, & followed them in chase. After this came the Englishmen which were in the rereward, and incountring with the fourth squadron or regiment of the Frenchmen, streightwaies brake the same. Herewith was the night come vpon them, so that one could not know an other, a fréend from an enimie, and so both the Englishmen and Frenchmen were dispersed till the moone rose, and the Frenchmen withdrew to their fortresses, and amongst them certeine Englishmen were mingled, which being discouered were taken prisoners, as the lord Iohn saint Iohn, and others.
[Sidenote: _Matth. West._]
[Sidenote: _Abington._]
The slaughter was not great, for there were no footmen on either part, to spoile or kill the men of armes that were throwne beside their horsses: for the English footmen remained in the wood, or were withdrawne backe, as before ye haue heard, without attempting any exploit worthie of praise. Indéed some laie the blame in the Gascoine footmen for the losse of this battell, bicause that they withdrew backe, and left the English horssemen in danger of the enimies which had compassed them about on euerie side. Thrée hundred of the men of armes came through to the towne of Bellegard, but bicause it was night, so that they could not be discerned whether they were frends or foes, they within the towne would not suffer them to enter: wherevpon they departed, and went to S. Seuere foure leagues off. Yet further in the night, other of the Englishmen were receiued into Bellegard, which came thither after the other, and so in the morning they of the garison with their assistance issued foorth, and comming to the place where the battell had béene, gathered the spoile of the field, and conueied into their towne such prouision of vittels as they found there.
[Sidenote: The earle of Lincolne escaped.]
[Sidenote: He commeth home.]
[Sidenote: He inuadeth the countrie about Tholouse.]
The earle of Lincolne with a great manie of other wandred a great part of the night and knew not whither to go. At length about thrée of the clocke in the morning he came to Perforate, where he had lodged with his armie the night before, & there found a great number of his people right glad of his comming and happie escape out of danger. From thence he returned vnto Baion with the earle of Richmond sir Iohn de Britaine and all his companie that were left. And such was the hap of this iournie. In Lent following, those that were dispersed here and there abroad, resorted to the earle of Lincolne, soiourning at Baion, and in the summer season made a iournie towards Tholouse, spoiling and wasting the countries of Tholouse and other there abouts, and remoued also the siege which those of Tholouse had laid vnto a fortresse called S. Kiternes, in chasing them from the same siege: and towards Michaelmasse they returned to Baion, and there laie all the winter till after Christmasse, and then by reason of the truce concluded, as after appeareth, betwixt the two kings of England & France, they returned home into England.
[Sidenote: The custome of wool raised.]
[Sidenote: _Abington._]
[Sidenote: _Euersden._]
[Sidenote: Prouision for the kings iournie into France.]
[Sidenote: _Ia. Meir._]
[Sidenote: The French king inuadeth Flanders.]
In the same yeare the king raised the custome of wooll to an higher rate than had béene paid at any time before: for he tooke now fortie shillings of a sacke or sarpler, where before there was paid but half a marke. Moreouer he commanded, that against his iournie which he meant to make ouer into France, there should be two thousand quarters of wheat, and as much of oates taken by the shiriffe in euerie countie within the realme to be conueied to the sea side, except where they had no store of corne, and there should béeues and bakons be taken to a certeine number. In the meane time the earle of Flanders was sore vexed by war which the French king made against him, being entred into Flanders with an armie of thrée score thousand men, as some authors haue recorded.
[Sidenote: Lisle besieged.]
[Sidenote: The earle of Arthois vanquisheth the Flemings in battell.]
[Sidenote: _N. Triuet._]
About the feast of the natiuitie of S. Iohn Baptist, he laid siege to Lisle, and shortlie after came the earle of Arthois, being returned out of Gascoine with his power vnto that siege, and was sent foorth to kéepe the Flemings and others occupied, which laie at Furneis, and in other places thereabouts in low Flanders, with whome he fought and got the victorie. King Edward therefore, to succour his fréends prepared to go ouer into Flanders, and therevpon summoned all those that owght him any seruice, & such also as held lands to the value of twentie pounds and aboue, to be readie with horsse and harnesse at London about Lammas to passe ouer with him in that iournie.
[Sidenote: A rebellion in Scotland by the means of one William Waleis.]
[Sidenote: Englishmen slaine in Scotland.]
In the meane time about the moneth of Maie, there began a rebellion in Scotland by the setting on of William Waleis: for the king of Englands iustice William Ormsbie, accordinglie as he had in commission, confined and put to outlawrie a great sort of such Scotishmen, as refused to doo fealtie and homage vnto the king of England, the which Scotishmen being thus condemned as outlawes, elected the foresaid William Waleis for their capteine, with whome William Douglas being once associated, the number of them increased hugelie. The earle of Surrey and the treasurer being in England, those outlawes purposed to haue taken the iustice at Scone: but he being warned though almost too late, escaped himselfe with much adoo, leauing the most part of his people as a spoile to the enimies. For William Waleis and his companie killed as manie Englishmen as fell into his hands, and taking certeine religious men, he bound their hands behind them, and constreined them to leape into the riuer, taking pleasure to behold how they plunged.
[Sidenote: The vnfaithfull dealing of the Scots.]
The king sent the bishop of Durham into Scotland, to vnderstand the certeintie of this rebellion, who returning from thence, informed him of the truth. The king not minding to breake his iournie which he had purposed to make into Flanders, appointed that the earle of Surrey should haue the leading of all such men of warre as might be leuied beyond Trent, to represse the Scotish rebels, and also wrote vnto Iohn Comin earle of Boughan, that remembring their faith and promise, they should returne into Scotland, and doo their best to quiet the countrie: they according to his commandement, went into Scotland, but shewed themselues slow inough to procure those things that perteined to peace and quietnesse.
[Sidenote: _Abington._]
[Sidenote: Robert Bruce.]
[Sidenote: Thomas Beckets sword.]
In the meane time, whilest these things were a doing, the bishop of Carleill, and other which laie there vpon the gard of that citie and castell, hauing some mistrust of the loialtie in Robert Bruce the yoonger, that was earle of Carrike by his mother, they sent him word to come vnto them at a certeine daie, bicause they had to talke with him of matters touching the kings affairs. He durst not disobeie but came to Carleill togither with the bishop of Gallowaie, & there receiued a corporall oth vpon the holie and sacred mysteries, and vpon the sword of Thomas Becket, to be true to the king of England, and to aid him and his against their enimies in all that he might: and further to withstand that the said king receiued no hurt nor damage so far as in him might lie.
[Sidenote: Robert Bruce reuolteth to the rebels.]
[Sidenote: _N. Triuet._]
[Sidenote: Thrée hundreth men of armes, and fiftie thousand footmen saith _Abington._]
[Sidenote: Henrie Percie sent before.]
[Sidenote: Irwin.]
This doone, he returned againe into Scotland, and for a colour entred into the lands of William Douglas, and burnt part of them, bringing the wife and children of the same William backe with him into Annandale: but shortlie after, he conspired with the Scotish rebels, and ioined himselfe with them, not making his father priuie to the matter, who in the meane while remaind in the south parts of England. He would haue persuaded such knights, gentlemen and other as held their lands of his father in Annandale, to haue gone with him, but they would not breake their faith giuen to the king of England, and so left him. The earle of Surrey assembling togither his power in Yorkeshire, sent his nephue the lord Henrie Percie with the souldiers of the countrie of Carleill before into Scotland, who passing foorth to the towne of Aire, went about to induce them of Gallowaie into peace, and hearing that an armie of Scotishmen was gathered togither at a place about foure miles from thence called Irwin, he made thitherward, and comming néere to the Scotish host, might behold where the same was lodged beyond a certeine lake. In that armie were capteins, the bishop of Glasco, Andrew de Murreie steward of Scotland, and William Waleis which (as it should séeme) were not all of one mind.
[Sidenote: Discord in the Scotish armie. Sir Richard Lundie.]
[Sidenote: The Scots sue for peace.]
There was in the same armie a knight named sir Richard Lundie, which neuer yet had doon homage to the king of England, but now flieng from his companie, he came to the English armie, and submitted himselfe with his retinue vnto the king of England, saieng that he ment not to serue amongst them any longer that could not agrée togither. The residue of the Scotishmen sued for peace, vpon condition to haue liues, members, goods, cattels and lands saued, with a pardon of all offenses past. The lord Percie vpon pledges & writings héerof deliuered, was contented to grant their requests, so that the king his maister would be therewith pleased, who being hereof certified, bicause he would not gladlie be staied of his iournie into Flanders, granted vnto all things that were thus required.
[Sidenote: The bishop of Glasco and William Douglas.]
[Sidenote: _Abington._]