Part 14
The bishop of Lincolne inhibited préests to celebrate diuine seruice in presence of anie laie man within that towne of Oxenford; and the king sending his iustices thither, to take knowledge of this disorderlie riot, there were diuerse, both of the townesmen and scholers indited, and certeine of the burgesses committed to ward. ¶ This yeare, the first sundaie in Lent, the king held a roiall iustes at Woodstoke, for ioy of the quéenes purifieng, after the birth of hir sixt sonne, the lord Thomas, whome the bishop of Durham (named Thomas) held at the fontstone: he was borne the seauenth of Ianuarie last past. In the parlement holden at Westminster this yeare after Easter, the king tooke vpon him to make an end of the quarrell betwixt the scholers and townesmen of Oxenford, and sauing to euerie man his right, pardoned the scholers of all transgressions: and this he signified into euerie shire, by writs directed to the shiriffes, they to proclame the same for more notice of the thing. And so in the summer following, the Vniuersitie began againe to flourish, students resorting thither from each side, and falling afresh to their academicall exercises, which they néeded not to haue discontinued, if either partie, I meane the townesmen or scholers, would haue tolerated and borne one with another, and not so rashlie haue vndertaken the reuenge of one anothers wrath and iniurie; but,
Oderunt pacem stulti & certamina quærunt.
In this parlement, the processe of the iudgement had and made against Roger Mortimer, late earle of March, was reuoked, adnihilated, and made void, so that the lord Roger Mortimer was restored to the title and possessions of the earledome of March, as cousine and heire to his grandfather the said erle of March. Moreouer, to this parlement came the bishop of Carpentras, and the abbat of Clugnie, being sent from pope Innocent the sixt, to make sute to haue the truce proroged betwixt the two kings, of England and France, to whome the king himselfe in person, made this resolute answer, that he would not agrée to anie longer truce; for that, when diuerse times, at the Frenchmens sute, he had consented to haue truce by mediation of two cardinals, sent to him about the same matter, his aduersaries in the meane time, whilest such truces indured, had doone much harme and damage by subtill practises to persons and places beyond the sea, that were vnder his rule and gouernement, yet he said he would deliberate héereof with his councell, and after intimate his pleasure to the pope, and to them of France by messengers which he would send ouer for that purpose: and so these ambassadors within foure daies after their comming, were thus dispatched with answer. Herewith in this parlement it was ordeined, that the prince of Wales, being as then about foure and twentie yeares of age, should passe ouer into Gascoigne, and have with him a thousand men of armes, and two thousand archers, with a great number of Welshmen.
[Sidenote: _Auesburie._]
[Sidenote: A nauie prepared.]
[Sidenote: The duke of Lancaster.]
About the same time the king caused fortie ships to be prouided, rigged, and made readie at Rutherhiue, furnished with vittels for one quarter of a yéere, and euerie of the said ships had principall streamers of the duke of Lancasters armes, who was appointed with a great power of chosen men of armes and archers to passe to the sea with the same ships, but few or none of his companie knew whither; horsses they had none. He had with him two of the kings sonnes, Lionell of Antwerpe, and Iohn of Gant, the elder of them being about sixtéene yeares of age. Also, there went with him the earles of Northampton, March, and Stafford, beside manie lords, barons, & knights. On the tenth of Iulie, he made saile to Gréenewich, and there and at Sandwich he staied, till the Assumption of our ladie, the wind for the most part continuing all that while at west and south, contrarie to his iournie, as it might appeare. At length with much difficultie he came to Winchelsie, & after to the Wight. It was thought, that the dukes purpose was to passe into Normandie, to ioine with the king of Nauarre, who was at variance with the French king. But after it was knowen by espials that they were made fréends, the duke of Lancaster doubting crooked measures, and hauing with him no horssemen, returned home without further attempt.
[Sidenote: _Record. Tur._]
[Sidenote: The end and award made of the quarrell betwixt the Vniuersitie and townesmen of Oxford.]
On saint Kenelmes daie being fridaie, and the 17 of Iulie, master Humfrie Carleton professor of diuinitie, and Iohn Carleton the yoonger, doctor of the lawes, on the behalfe of the Vniuersitie of Oxford, and Iohn saint Frideswide maior, Iohn Bereford, and Iohn Norton, burgesses of the said towne of Oxford, on the behalfe of the communaltie of the same towne, came before the kings councell at Westminster in the councell chamber there, néere to the excheker, where the allegations on both parties being heard, and vpon request made, that it might please his maiesties councell, according to the submissions by both parties made vnto the king and to his councell, to take order in the matter in controuersie betwixt them, concerning the late tumult and businesse which had chanced in the said towne, by the disorder of the communaltie of the same, in breaking downe, and burning vp of houses, in taking awaie the bookes and other goods of the said masters and scholers, & in committing other transgressions. The councell hauing consideration thereof, to auoid the decaie that might haue insued to the said towne, made this end betwixt them, that the said towne (Iohn Bereford, being in the kings prison, and Robert Lardiner onelie excepted) should be bound to paie vnto the said masters and scholers, damnified in the said tumult and businesse, for amends, and reformation of iniuries and losses susteined (death and maime excepted) two hundred and fiftie pounds, beside the goods taken and borne awaie, to be restored againe, and this monie to be paid to the said chancellor, masters and scholers, on that side the mondaie next before the feast of saint Iames, or else sufficient suerties put in for the paiment thereof, at certeine termes, as the parties should agrée vpon: and in respect thereof, the said Iohn Bereford, and Iohn Norton, shall be releassed out of prison of the Marshalsea, at the baile of the said maior, and of Robert de Menkes, and Iohn Dimmoks, till the next sessions of gaole deliuerie, with condition, that the said summes of monie be paid, or suerties put in for the paiment thereof, as before is said, or else the bodies of the said Iohn Bereford, & Iohn de Norton, shall be returned to the said prison, within thrée daies after the feast of Peter ad Vincula, there to remaine in manner as before they did.
It was also ordeined by the councell, with the assent of the said Humfrie and Iohn Carleton, that all and euerie manner of persons of the said towne of Oxford, and the suburbes of the same, indited and arreigned of the fellonies and transgressions before mentioned, that should yéeld themselues to the kings prison to be tried by law, and also all other that were at that present in prison, which the said Humfrie and Iohn de Carleton should name (Iohn de Bereford and Robert Lardiner excepted) might be let to baile, vpon sufficient suerties, that should vndertake for them, bodies for bodies, to appeare at the next sessions of gaole deliuerie, there to be tried, according to the order of law. And further it was ordered, that all such goods and cattels as were taken and carried awaie from the said masters and scholers in the said tumult and businesse, by the men of the said towne and suburbes, in whose hands, and in what places soeuer within the said towne and suburbes, by inquisitions, informations, or other meanes, they should or might be found, should be deliuered to the said chancellor, and procurators of the said Vniuersitie, to be by them restored vnto those persons, to whome they belonged. This was the effect of the order taken at that day and place, before the reuerend fathers, Iohn archbishop of Yorke primat and chancellor of England, William bishop of Winchester lord treasuror, Thomas de Brembre lord kéeper of the priuie seale, and Dauid de Wollore master of the rolles, Henrie de Ingelbie clearke, and other of the kings councell then and there present.
[Sidenote: _Tho. Walsi._]
[Sidenote: The prince of Wales goeth ouer into Gascoigne.]
[Sidenote: The citie of London.]
The prince of Wales (as ye haue heard) being appointed to passe ouer into Gascoigne, set forward from London the last daie of Iune, and comming to Plimmouth, where his nauie was appointed to be made readie, he staied there, for want of conuenient wind and weather a long time after. Finallie, hauing with him the earles of Warwike, Suffolke, Salisburie & Oxford, also the lord Iohn Chandois, sir Robert Knols, sir Franke de Hall, the lord Iames Audelie, with diuerse other of the nobilitie, and of men of armes and archers a great number, then in parlement to him assigned, he first set from Plimmouth on the daie of the Natiuitie of our ladie. They were in all thrée hundred saile, and finding the wind prosperous, they passed ouer into Gascoigne, where of the Gascoignes they were ioifullie receiued. In August, the Englishmen that were in Britaine, warring against the Frenchmen, that tooke part with the lord Charles de Blois, slue manie of them, & tooke the lord of Beaumanor, the vicount of Roan, and diuerse other. ¶ This yeare also, about Michaelmasse, the king hauing summoned an armie to be readie at Sandwich, passed ouer to Calis with the same. There went ouer with him his two sonnes, Lionell of Antwerp earle of Vlster, and Iohn of Gant earle of Richmond. He found at Calis a thousand men of armes that came to serue him for wages, foorth of Flanders, Brabant, and Almaigne, so that he had about thrée thousand men of armes and two thousand archers on horsebacke, beside archers on foot a great number. The citie of London had sent to him fiue hundred men of armes, and fiue hundred archers all in one sute or liuerie, at their owne costs and charges. On the second of Nouember, he set from Calis, marching foorth towards saint Omers, wasting the countrie by the waie as he passed.
[Sidenote: The king inuadeth Fr[=a]ce. The lord Bousicant.]
[Sidenote: _Froissard._]
[Sidenote: The king for want of vittels returneth.]
The French king being at the same time within the towne of saint Omers, sent the lord Bousicant vnto the king of England, that vnder colour of communication, he might view the kings power, who made such report thereof, vpon his returne backe to the French king, that he determined not to fight with the king of England, but rather to passe before him, and so to destroie vittels, that for want thereof, the king of England should be constreined to returne. And as he determined, so it came to passe, for the vittels were so cut off, that the Englishmen for thrée full daies togither, dranke nothing but water. When therefore king Edward had followed his enimies so for as Heiden, where he brake the parke, and burnt the houses within and about the parke, although he entred not into the towne nor castell, at length, for default of vittels, he returned backe, and came againe to Calis on saint Martins day, being the tenth after his setting foorth from thence.
[Sidenote: _Auesburie._]
[Sidenote: The constable of France demandeth battell.]
[Sidenote: The answer made to him.]
[Sidenote: Berwike taken by Scots.]
The morrow after being thursdaie, and the twelfe of Nouember, the constable of France, and other Frenchmen, came to the end of the causie of Calis, with letters of credence, offering battell on tuesdaie next following vnto the king of England, in presence of the duke of Lancaster, the earles of Northampton, and the lord Walter de Mannie, who in the kings behalfe declared to the constable, that the king of England, to eschew shedding of bloud, would fight with the French king bodie to bodie, so to trie their right: and if he liked not of that match, then if he would choose thrée or foure knights to him that were néerest to him in bloud, he should choose the like number. But when this offer would not be accepted, the English lords offered battell the next day, being fridaie, or else on saturdaie following, at the Frenchmens choice: but the constable of France and his companie, continuing in their first offer, refused both those daies. Then the English lords accepted the daie by them assigned, with condition, that if they brought not king Edward to giue battell that day, they would yéeld themselues prisoners, so that the Frenchmen would likewise vndertake for their king. The constable hauing no answer readie, staied a while, and after flatlie refused to make any such couenant. Finallie, when the English lords perceiued their aduersaries, not to meane battell, as their words at the first pretended, they brake off, and both parties returned home. The king of England staied till the tuesdaie, and paid the strangers their wages, and so came backe into England. On the sixt of Nouember, whilest the king was thus abroad in Picardie, the Scots verie earlie in the morning of that daie, came priuilie to Berwike, entred by stealth into the towne, and sleaing thrée or foure Englishmen, tooke it, with all the goods and persons within it, those excepted, which got to the castell.
[Sidenote: A parlement.]
[Sidenote: The procéedings of the prince of Wales in Aquitaine.]
In a parlement summoned this yeare, the mondaie after the feast of saint Edmund the king, the lords and commons granted to king Edward fiftie shillings of euerie sacke of wooll, that should be caried ouer the sea, for the space of six yeares next insuing. By this grant it was thought, that the king might dispend a thousand markes sterling a day, such vent of wools had the English merchants in that season. ¶ The parlement being ended, the king about S. Andrews tide set forward towards Scotland, and held his Christmasse at Newcastell. About which time by letters sent from the prince, the king was aduertised of his procéedings after his arriuall in Gascoigne, where being ioifullie receiued of the nobles, and other the people of that countrie (as before yée haue heard) he declared to them the cause of his thither comming, and tooke aduise with them how to procéed in his businesse; and so about the tenth of October, he set forward to passe against his enimies, first entring into a countrie called Iuliake, which togither with the fortresses yéelded to him, without anie great resistance. Then he rode through the countie Armignac, wasting and spoiling the countrie, and so passed through the lands of the vicounts de la Riuiere, and after entered into the countie de l'Estrac, and passing through the same, came to the countie of Commiges, finding the towne of S. Matain void, being a good towne & one of the best in that countrie.
[Sidenote: Carcasson.]
[Sidenote: Narbonne. Two bishops sent from the pope to the prince of Wales.]
After this, he passed by the land of the earle of Lisle, till he came within a league of Tholouse, where the earle of Armignac, being the French kings lieutenant in those parts, and other great lords and nobles were assembled. The prince with his armie tarried there two daies, and after passed ouer the riuer of Garonne, and after ouer an other riuer thereabouts, a league aboue Tholouse, lodging that night a league on the other side of Tholouse: and so they passed thorough Tholouse, dailie taking townes & castels, wherein they found great riches, for the countrie was verie plentifull. Vpon Alhallowes éeuen, they came to castell Naudarie, and from thence they tooke the waie to Carcasson, into the which a great number of men of armes and commons were withdrawne. But vpon the approch of the Englishmen, they slipt awaie, and got them to a strong castell that stood néere at hand. The third day after, the Englishmen burnt the towne, and passing forth, trauersed all the countrie of Carcassonois, till they came to the towne of Narbonne. The people there were fled into the castell, in which the vicount of Narbonne was inclosed, with fiue hundred men of arms. The prince staied there two daies. The pope sent two bishops towards the prince, to treat with him of peace, but bicause the prince would not hearken to anie treatie without commission from his father, they could not get anie safe conduct to approch néerer.
The prince hauing aduertisments héere, that his enimies were assembled, and followed him, he turned backe to méet them, but they had no will to abide him: for although the earle of Armignac, the constable of France, the marshall Cleremont, and the prince of Orange, with diuerse other néere to Tholouse, made some shew to impeach the prince his passage, yet in the end they withdrew, not without some losse, for the lord Bartholomew de Burwasch aliàs Burghersch, sir Iohn Chandois, the lord Iames Audeley, and sir Thomas Felton, being sent foorth to view them, skirmished with two hundred of their men of armes, and tooke of them fiue and thirtie. After this, they had no mind to abide the English power, but still shranke awaie, as the prince was readie to follow them, and so he perceiuing that the Frenchmen would not giue him battell, he withdrew towards Burdeaux, after he had spent eight wéekes in that his iournie, and so comming thither, he wintered there, whilest his capteins in the meane time tooke diuerse townes and castels abroad in the countrie. ¶ And now to the end yée may haue more plaine information of the princes dooings in those parties, I haue thought good to make you partakers of a letter or two, written by sir Iohn Winkefield knight, attendant on the prince there in Gascoigne.
The copie of sir Iohn Winkefields letters.
My lord, as touching the newes in these parts, may it please you to vnderstand, that all the earles, barons, baronets, knights, and esquiers, were in helth at the making hereof, and my lord hath not lost either knight or esquier in this voyage, except the lord Iohn Lisle, who was slaine after a strange manner with a quarrell, the third day after we were entered into our enimies countries, he died the fiftenth of October. And please it you to vnderstand, that my lord hath ridden through the countrie of Arminac, and hath taken many fensed townes and burnt and destroied them, except certeine which he hath fortified. After this, he marched into the vicountie of Rouergne, where he tooke a good towne named Pleasance, the chiefest towne of that countrie, which he hath burnt and destroied, with the countrie round about the same. This doone, he went into the countie d'Astrike, wherin he tooke manie townes, wasted and destroied all the countrie. After this, he entred into the countie of Cominge, and tooke manie townes there, which he caused to be destroied & burnt, togither with all the countrie abroad. He tooke also the towne of S. Matan, which is the chéefest towne of that countrie, being as large in compasse as Norwich.
Afterward, he entered into the countie of Lisle, and tooke the most part of the fensed townes therin, causing diuerse of them to be burnt and destroied as he passed. And after entring into the lordship of Tholouse, we passed the riuer of Girond, and an other a league aboue Tholouse, which is verie great: for our enimies had burnt all the bridges, as well on the one side of Tholouse, as the other, except the bridges with in Tholouse, for the riuer runneth through the towne. And the constable of France, the marshall Cleremont, and the earle of Arminac, were with a great power within the towne the same time. And Tholouse is a great towne, strong, faire, and well walled, and there was none in our host that knew the foord there: but yet by the grace and goodnesse of God we found it. So then we marched through the seigniorie of Tholouse, & tooke manie good townes inclosed, and burnt and destroied them, and all the countrie about.
[Sidenote: He meaneth the Merantine sea.]
Then we entred into the signiorie of Carcason, and we tooke manie good towns, before we came to Carcason, which towne we also tooke, which is greater, stronger, & fairer than Yorke. And as well this towne as all other townes in the countrie were burnt and destroied. And after we had passed by manie iournies through the countrie of Carcason, we came into the seigniorie of Narbon, and we tooke manie townes, and wasted them, till we came to Narbon, which towne was holden against vs, but it was woone by force, and the said towne is little lesse than London, and is situat vpon the Gréekish sea, for that the distance from the said towne vnto the Gréekish sea is not past two leagues, and there is an hauen and a place to arriue at, from whence the water c[=o]meth vp to Narbon. And Narbon is not but eleuen leagues distant from Mountpellier, & eightéene from Eguemortz, & thirtie from Auignion. And may it please you to vnderstand, that the holie father sent his messengers to my lord, that were not past seuen leagues fr[=o] him, and they sent a sergeant at armes, that was sergeant at armes attendant on the doore of our holie fathers chamber, with their letters to my lord, praieng him to haue a safe conduct to come to declare to his highnesse their message from the holie father, which was to treat betwixt my L. and his aduersaries of France: and the said sergeant was two daies in the host before my lord would sée him, or receiue his letters. And the reason was, bicause he had vnderstanding, that the power of France was come foorth of Tholouse toward Carcason, so that my lord was driuen to turne backe towards them suddenlie, and so did.
On the third daie when we should haue come vpon them, they had knowlege giuen before day, and so retiring, got them to the mounteins, hasting fast toward Tholouse; and the countrie people that were their guides to lead them that waie, were taken as they should haue passed the water. And bicause the popes sergeant at armes was in my kéeping, I caused him to examine the guides that were so taken; and for that the guide which was thus examined, was the constables guide, and his countrieman, he might well sée and know the countenance of the Frenchmen vpon this examining him. And I said to the same sergeant, that he might well declare to the pope, and to all them of Auignion, that which he had heard or séene. And as touching the answer which my lord made to them that were sent to treat with him, you would be well apaied if you vnderstood all the maner; for he would not suffer in any wise that they shuld come néerer vnto him. But if they came to treat of anie matter, he would that they should send to the king his father: for my lord himselfe would not doo any thing therin, except by commandement from my lord his father.