Part 7
Then were sent ouer other ambassadors, as the lord Iohn de Sullie a Frenchman borne, and one maister Iohn de Shordich, but the lord Sullie had so strange interteinment for some displeasure which the French king conceiued against him, that if the French quéene had not the beter intreated for him, he had lost his head; and as for the other, he had also returned home without bringing any thing to passe, of that for the which he was sent. After this, the pope sent the archbishop of Vienna, and the bishop of Orange, to the princes of either realme, to exhort them to some agréement, but they could doo no good, and so taking monie of the cleargie for their expenses, they returned. After this, about the twentith daie after Christmasse, there was a parlement called at London, in the which the king required to haue the aduise of the lords, how he might worke for sauing of the duchie of Guien, sore molested by the French. Hervpon it was concluded, that the bishops of Winchester and Norwich, and Iohn de Britaine earle of Richmond, should go ouer as ambassadors to the French king, who comming into France, after manie argumentations, allegations, and excuses, made on both parts, at length receiued a certeine forme of pacification at the French kings hands, with the which the bishop of Winchester was sent backe to England, the bishop of Norwich, and the earle of Richmond remaining there, till it might be knowen how the king of England would like thereof.
[Sidenote: The quéene is sent ouer into France to talke with hir brother the French king.]
[Sidenote: A peace and concord agréed vpon.]
Finallie it was thought good, that the quéene shuld go ouer to hir brother the French king, to confirme that treatie of peace vpon some reasonable conditions. She willinglie tooke vpon hir the charge, and so with the lord Iohn Crumwell, & other foure knights, without any other great traine, taking sea, she landed in France, where of the king hir brother she was ioifullie receiued, and finallie she being the mediatrix, it was finallie accorded, that the K. of England should giue to his eldest sonne the duchie of Aquitaine, and the countie of Pontieu, and that the French king receiuing homage of him for the same, he should restore into his hands the said countie, and the lands in Guien, for the which they were at variance, and for those countries which had béene forraied and spoiled, the earle of Aniou should fullie sée him satisfied, as right did require.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 19.]
Vpon the couenants the French king wrote his letters patents into England, and other letters also of safe conduct, as well for the sonne as for the king himselfe, if it should please him to come ouer himselfe in person. Upon which choise great deliberation was had, as well at Langdon, as at Douer, diuerse thinking it best that the king should go ouer himselfe: but the earle of Winchester and his sonne the lord chamberleine, that neither durst go ouer themselues with the king, nor abide at home in his absence, gaue contrarie counsell, and at length preuailed so, that it was fullie determined that the kings eldest sonne Edward should go ouer, which turned to their destruction, as it appeared afterward.
[Sidenote: The prince of Wales is sent into France.]
Herevpon the king made a charter of grant vnto his sonne, of the duchie of Guien, and countie of Pontieu, to haue and hold to him & his heires kings of England, with condition, that if he chanced to depart this life whilest his father liued, those lands should returne to his father againe, so as the French king might not marrie the kings sonne at his pleasure, nor appoint vnto him any gardians or gouernours. This ordinance was made at Douer by the kings charter, with consent of the prelats and other noble men of the realme there present, the morrow after the Natiuitie of our ladie, and on the thursdaie following, the kings sonne tooke the sea, and with him Walter bishop of Excester and others in competent number, and about the feast of saint Matthew the apostle, he did homage to his vncle the French king at Bois de Vincennes, vnder certeine protestations made, as well on the one part as the other.
[Sidenote: A drie summer.]
[Sidenote: Cattell died.]
[Sidenote: The king sendeth for his wife and son to returne home.]
[Sidenote: The womans dissimulation.]
The summer this yeare prooued excéeding hot and drie, so that springs and riuers failed to yéeld their accustomed course of waters, by reason whereof great numbers of cattell and beasts, both wild and tame died, through lacke of conuenient liquor to asswage their vehement thirst. In the beginning of the next spring, king Edward sent into France vnto his wife and sonne, commanding them, now that they had made an end of their businesse, to returne home with all conuenient spéed. The quéene receiuing the message from hir husband, whether it was so that she was staied by hir brother, vnto whome belike she had complained after what manner she was vsed at hir husbands hands, being had in no regard with him: or for that she had no mind to returne home, bicause she was loth to sée all things ordered out of frame by the counsell of the Spensers, whereof to heare she was wearie: or whether (as the manner of women is) she was long about to prepare hir selfe forward, she slacked all the summer, and sent letters euer to excuse hir tarriance. But yet bicause she would not run in any suspicion with hir husband, she sent diuerse of hir folkes before hir into England by soft iournies. A lamentable case, that such diuision should be betwéene a king and his quéene, being lawfullie married, and hauing issue of their bodies, which ought to haue made that their copulation more comfortable: but (alas) what will not a woman be drawne and allured vnto, if by euill counsell she be once assaulted? And what will she leaue vndoone, though neuer so inconuenient to those that should be most déere vnto hir, so hir owne fansie and will be satisfied? And how hardlie is she reuoked from procéeding in an euill action, if she haue once taken a taste of the same? As verie truly is reported by the comedie-writer, saieng,
[Sidenote: _Plaut. in Truc._]
Malè quod mulier incoepit nisi efficere id perpetrat, Id illi morbo, id illi senio est; ea illi miseræ miseria est: Si bene facere incoepit, eius eam citò odium percipit, Nimísq; paucæ sunt defessæ, malè quæ facere occoeperint; Nimísq; paucæ efficiunt, si quid occoeperint benefacere; Mulieri nimiò malefacere melius est onus, quàm bene.
[Sidenote: A proclamation.]
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
But to the purpose. King Edward not a little offended with king Charles, by whose meanes he knew that the woman thus lingered abroad, he procured pope Iohn to write his letters vnto the French king, admonishing him to send home his sister and hir sonne vnto hir husband. But when this nothing auailed, a proclamation was made in the moneth of December, the ninetéenth yeare of this kings reigne, that if the quéene and hir sonne entred not the land by the octaues of the Epiphanie next insuing in peaceable wise, they should be taken for enimies to the realme and crowne of England. ¶ Here authors varie, for some write, that vpon knowledge had of this proclamation, the quéene determined to returne into England foorthwith, that she might be reconciled to hir husband.
[Sidenote: 1326.]
Others write, and that more truelie, how she being highlie displeased, both with the Spensers and the king hir husband, that suffered himselfe to be misled by their counsels, did appoint indéed to returne into England, not to be reconciled, but to stir the people to some rebellion, wherby she might reuenge hir manifold iniuries. Which (as the proofe of the thing shewed) séemeth to be most true, for she being a wise woman, & considering that sith the Spensers had excluded, put out, and remooued all good men, from and besides the kings councell, and placed in their roomes such of their clients, seruants and fréends as pleased them, she might well thinke that there was small hope to be had in hir husband, who heard no man but the said Spensers, which she knew hated hir deadlie. Wherevpon, after that the tearme prefixed in the proclamation was expired, the king caused to be seized into his hands, all such lands, as belonged either to his sonne, or to his wife.
[Sidenote: Sir Robert Walkfare.]
[Sidenote: The bishop of Excester c[=o]meth from the quéene.]
About the same time, one sir Robert Walkfare knight, a right hardie man of his hands, but craftie and subtill (who being taken in the warres which the lords raised against the king, had béene committed to prison in the castell of Corfe) found means now to kill the constable of that castell most cruellie, and escaping awaie, got ouer to the quéene into France, and so the number of them that ran out of the realme vnto hir dailie increased. This sir Robert Walkfare was a great procurer of the discord betwixt the king and the lords, and a chéefe leader, or rather seducer of that noble man Humfrie de Bohune earle of Hereford: and whilest other gaue themselues to séeke a reformation in the decaied state of the common-wealth, he set his mind vpon murders and robberies. Diuerse other about the same time fled out of the realme vnto the quéene, and vnto hir sonne the earle of Chester. But in the meane time, Walter Stapleton bishop of Excester, which hitherto had remained with the quéene in France, stale now from hir, and got ouer into England, opening to the king all the counsell and whole mind of the quéene: which thing turned first of all vnto his owne destruction, as shall after appeare.
[Sidenote: Sir Oliuer de Ingham lieutenant of Gascoine.]
[Sidenote: Agenois recouered out of the Frenchmens hands.]
[Sidenote: Ships of Normandie taken.]
About the same time, one sir Oliuer de Ingham, a yoong, lustie, and valiant knight, was by the kings sonne the duke of Aquitaine (not without his fathers consent) established lord warden of the marches of Guien, the which sir Oliuer gathering an armie of hired soldiers, Spaniards, Aragons, and Gascoins, inuaded the countrie of Agenois (which the French king held yet in his hands contrarie to couenant) and recouering it from the French, cléerelie reduced it to the English dominion. Moreouer, sir Iohn Oturum, sir Nicholas Kiriell, and sir Iohn Felton, admerals by the kings appointment, with the fléets of the east, south, and west parts, went to the sea, to apprehend such Frenchmen as they might méet withall. They according to their commission bestirred themselues so, that within few daies they tooke six score saile of Normans, and brought them into England, wherevpon the displeasure sore increased betwixt the two realmes.
The king of England stood not onelie in doubt of the Frenchmen, but more of his owne people that remained in France, least they thorough helpe of the French should inuade the land, and therefore he commanded the hauens and ports to be suerlie watched, lest some sudden inuasion might happilie be attempted, for it was well vnderstood, that the quéene meant not to returne, till she might bring with hir the lord Mortimer, and the other banished men, who in no wise could obteine anie fauour at the kings hands, so long as the Spensers bare rule. ¶ The pope lamenting this matter, sent two bishops into England, to reconcile the king and quéene, and also to agrée the two kings. These bishops were reuerentlie receiued, but more than reuerence here they obteined not, and so departed as they came.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 20.]
[Sidenote: The lord Beaumont of Heinault.]
[Sidenote: The quéene of England with hir son goeth into Heinault.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
King Edward vnderstanding all the quéenes drift, at length sought the French kings fauour, and did so much by letters and promise of bribes with him and his councell, that quéene Isabell was destitute in manner of all helpe there, so that she was glad to withdraw into Heinault, by the comfort of Iohn the lord Beaumont, the earle of Heinault his brother, who being then in the court of France, and lamenting quéene Isabels case, imagined with himselfe of some marriage that might be had betwixt the yoong prince of Wales, and some of the daughters of his brother the earle of Heinault, and therevpon required hir to go into Heinault, and he would be glad to attend hir. She gladlie consenting hereto, went thither with him, where she was most ioifullie receiued with hir sonne, and all other of hir traine.
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
The Spensers (some write) procured hir banishment out of France, and that she was aduised by the earle of Arthois chéefelie to repaire into Heinault. Also I find, that the Spensers deliuered fiue barrels of siluer, the summe amounting vnto fiue thousand marks, vnto one Arnold of Spaine a broker, appointing him to conueie it ouer into France, to bestowe it vpon such fréends as they had there of the French kings counsell, by whose means the king of France did banish his sister out of his relme. But this monie was met with vpon the sea by certeine Zelanders, and taken, togither with the said Arnold, and presented to the earle of Heinault, vnder whose dominion the Zelanders in those daies remained, of which good hap the earle and quéene Isabell greatlie reioised.
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: A marriage concluded.]
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
[Sidenote: Prouision made in England to resist the quéene.]
In the time that the quéene and hir sonne laie in the court of the earle of Heinault, a marriage was concluded betwixt the prince of Wales, and the ladie Philip, daughter to the said earle, vpon certeine conditions, whereof one was, that the said erle should at his proper costs set ouer into England the said prince of Wales, with a crue of foure hundred men of armes. But whether there was any such mariage as then concluded, and that in consideration thereof, the earle of Heinault aided quéene Isabell and hir sonne, it may be doubted, bicause other writers make no such report. Neuerthelesse, certeine it is, that the earls brother sir Iohn de Heinault lord Beaumont, was appointed with certeine bands of men of arms, to the number of foure hundred or fiue hundred, to passe ouer with the said quéene and hir sonne into England, and so therevpon began to make his purueiance for that iournie, which thing when it came to the knowledge of king Edward and the Spensers, they caused musters to be taken through the realme, and ordeined beacons to be set vp, kept and watched, as well in the vallies by the sea side, as within the countries, vpon hilles and high grounds, that the same vpon occasion of the enimies arriuall, might be set on fire, to warne the countries adioining to assemble and resist them.
[Sidenote: _Tho. Walsin._]
[Sidenote: The quéene with hir son land in Suffolke.]
[Sidenote: _Tho. Walsi._]
[Sidenote: The readinesse of the prelats to assist the quéene.]
But quéene Isabell and hir sonne, with such others as were with hir in Heinault, staied not their iournie for doubt of all their aduersaries prouision, but immediatlie after that they had once made their purueiances, and were readie to depart, they tooke the sea, namelie the quéene, hir sonne, Edmund of Wodstoke earle of Kent, sir Iohn de Heinault aforesaid, and the lord Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, a man of good experience in the warres, and diuerse others, hauing with them a small companie of Englishmen, with a crue of Heinewiers and Almains, to the number of 2757 armed men, the which sailing foorth towards England, landed at length in Suffolke, at an hauen called Orwell besides Harwich, the 25 daie of September. Immediatlie after that the quéene and hir sonne were come to land, it was woonder to sée how fast the people resorted vnto them; and first of all, the earle Marshall, in whose lands she first came on shore, repaired vnto hir, so did the earle of Leicester, and diuerse barons & knights of those parts, with all the prelats in manner of the land, as the bishops of Lincolne, Hereford, Dubline, and Elie, the which being ioined with the quéene, made a great armie. The archbishop of Canturburie and others aided hir with monie.
[Sidenote: The answer of the Londoners to the king.]
After that she had refreshed hir people a little space at saint Edmundsburie, she marched foorth to séeke the aduersaries of hir and of the realme, as she bruted it; but they still kéeping themselues néere to the kings person, that vnder the shadow of the wings of his protection they might remaine in more safegard, durst not depart from his presence. At the time of the quéenes landing he was at London, and being sore amazed with the newes, he required aid of the Londoners. They answered, that they would doo all the honour they might vnto the king, the quéene, and to their sonne the lawfull heire of the land: but as for strangers & traitors to the realme, they would kéepe them out of their gates, and resist them with all their forces: but to go foorth of the citie further than that they might returne before sunne-setting, they refused, pretending certeine liberties in that behalfe to them granted in times past, as they alledged.
[Sidenote: The king forsaketh London, and goeth towards the marches of Wales. A proclamation set forth by the king.]
[Sidenote: The quéenes proclamation.]
The king not greatlie liking of this answer, fortified the tower, and leauing within it his yoonger son Iohn of Eltham, and the wife of the lord Chamberleine Hugh Spenser the yoonger that was his néece, he departed towards the marches of Wales, there to raise an armie against the quéene. Before his departure from London, he set foorth a proclamation, that euerie man vnder paine of forfeiting of life & goods, should resist them that were thus landed, assaile, and kill them, the quéene, his sonne Edward, and his brother the earle of Kent onelie excepted; and whosoeuer could bring the head or dead corps of the lord Mortimer of Wigmore, should haue for his labour a thousand marks. The quéenes proclamations on the other part willed all men to hope for peace, the Spensers publike enimies of the realme, and the lord chancellor Robert Baldocke, with their assistants onlie excepted, through whose meanes the present trouble was happened to the realme. And it was forbidden, that no man should take ought from any person, and who so euer could bring to the quéene the head of Hugh Spenser the yoonger, should haue two thousand pounds of the quéenes gift.
[Sidenote: The bishop of Excester left in charge with the citie of London.]
[Sidenote: _Caxton._]
The king at his departure from London, left maister Walter Stapleton the bishop of Excester behind him, to haue the rule of the citie of London. Then shortlie after, the quéene with hir son, making towards London, wrote a letter to the maior, and the citizens, requiring to haue assistance for the putting downe of the Spensers, not onelie knowne enimies of theirs, but also common enimies to all the realme of England. To this letter no answer at the first was made, wherefore an other was sent, dated at Baldocke the sixt daie of October, vnder the names of Isabell by the grace of God quéene of England, ladie of Ireland, and countesse of Pontieu, and of Edward eldest sonne to the king of England, duke of Guien, earle of Chester, of Pontieu and of Muttrell. This letter being directed to the maior and communaltie of London, conteining in effect, that the cause of their landing and entring into the realme at that time, was onelie for the honor of the king and wealth of the realme, meaning hurt to no maner of person, but to the Spensers, was fastened vpon the crosse in Cheape, then called the new crosse in Cheape, on the night before the ninth daie of October. Diuerse copies of the same letter were set vp, and fastened vpon windowes and doores in other places of the citie, and one of the same copies was tacked vpon the lord maiors gates.
[Sidenote: _Fabian._]
[Sidenote: _Thom. Walsi._]
[Sidenote: The lord maior forced to take an oth.]
[Sidenote: Iohn Marshall taken & beheaded.]
After which letter thus published in the citie, a great number of artificers, and other that loued not to sit in rest vpon such occasion of discord offered, now that things were in broile in other parts of the realme, assembled in great numbers, & with weapon in hand came to the lord maior of the citie, whom they knew to fauour the kings part, & therefore they forced him through feare of some iniurious violence, to receiue an oth to stand to their ordinance, which was to put to death all those that were aduersaries to the quéene, or had by any meanes procured the hinderance of the cities liberties, vnder pretext of which oth they ran and tooke one of the citizens, called Iohn Marshall, who bicause he was verie familiar with the earle of Glocester, and therefore suspected to haue accused the citizens, they stroke off his head, and spoiled all his goods.
[Sidenote: The bishop of Excester beheaded.]
On the same day, being the fourtéenth of October, continuing their rage, they ran to the house of the bishop of Excester, Walter de Stapleton, and setting fire on the gates, they entred and spoiled him of all his plate, iewels, monie and goods. And as it chanced in an infortunate houre for him, the bishop being at the same time returning from the fields, would not séeme to shrinke, although he was admonished of these outragious attempts of the people; but sitting on horssebacke, came to the north doore of S. Paule, where foorthwith the furious people laid violent hands on him, threw him downe, and drew him most outragiouslie into Cheapeside, where they proclamed him an open traitor, a seducer of the king, and a destroier of their liberties. The bishop had vpon him a certeine cote of defense, which was called an aketon, the same therefore being plucked beside his backe as all other his garments, they shore his head from his shoulders, and to the like death they put two of his seruants, the one an esquire, and the other a yeoman. The bishops head was set on a pole for a spectacle, that the remembrance of his death, and the cause thereof might continue. His bodie was buried in an old churchyard of the pied friers, without any manner of exequies of funerall seruice doone for him.
The chiefest cause of the enimitie which the Londoners bare towards this bishop, rose hereof. He being lord treasuror, procured that the iustices itinerants did sit in the citie of London, and where manie of the citizens were found offendors, and iustlie punished, as well by loosing their fréedoms, as by paieng their fines, and suffering corporall punishments, they conceiued a great displeasure towards him. Moreouer, it was said, that he had raised a great multitude of armed men against the quéene, and hir son the duke of Aquitaine, and therefore did the Londoners (as they affirmed) séeke to preuent his procéedings. ¶ The morrow after that they had thus beheaded the bishop of Excester, they tooke by chance sir Iohn Weston constable of the tower, and from him they tooke the keies of the same tower, and so entering the tower, they set all the prisoners at libertie, and in like case all those that were imprisoned in maner through the land were permitted to go at large, and all the banished men and outlawes were likewise restored home.
[Sidenote: The king sailed into Wales.]
[Sidenote: _Polydor._]
[Sidenote: His fauour towards the Welshmen.]