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THE 


FLOWERS  OF  HISTORY, 

ESPECIALLY    SUCH    AS   RELATE  YO 

THE  AFFAIRS  OF  BRITAIN. 

FKOM  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  WORLD  TO  THE  YEAR  1307. 
COLLECTED    BT 

MATTHEW  OF  WESTMINSTER. 

TRANSLATED     FROM     THE    ORIGINAL 

BY  J'    ^./  \ 

C.  D.  YONGE,  B.A 

IN  TWO  volumes/ -r-' 
VOLUI  • 

FROM    A.D.  I066  TO  A.D.  I307. 

LONDON : 
HENRY  G.  BOHN,  YORK  STREET,  CO  VENT  GARDEN. 

MDCCCLIII. 


^ 


V 


c::. 
'^^^^w 


VI  GOKTSKTS. 

CHAP.  XIV.—From  A.D.  1248  to  a.d.  1250. 

PA  OB 

Increased  dUcoatent  of  the  English  barons— Siege  of  Parma— The 
king  of  France  sets  out  for  the  Holy  Land— -WUliam  of  Holland  is 
crowned  king  of  Germany — ^The  earl  of  Leicester  is  sent  to  Guienne 
— ^The  war  between  Frederic  and  the  pope  continues — ^Louis»  king 
of  France,  is  taken  prisoner  by  the  Saracens — The  number  cSf 
monkish  orders  increases  in  England— A  summary  of  the  events  of 
the  last  fifty  years      .«..*....  292 

CHAP.  XV.— From  a.d.  1251  to  a.d.  1254. 

Frederic  dies — Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  marries  Margaret  of 
England— Alfonzo,  king  of  Spain,  dies— The  Jews  are  banished 
from  France — ^The  citizens  of  Bourdeaux  invite  king  Henry  into 
France — ^He  goes  thither,  leaving  Edward  regent  of  the  kingdom— 
Gaston  de  Biarde  attacks  Bayonne — A  great  battle  is  fought  be- 
tween the  French  and  Germans,  on  the  borders  of  Flanders — Prince 
Edward  marries  Eleanor,  princess  of  Spain — War  between  the  pope 
and  Conrad,  son  of  Frederic 317 

CHAP.  XVI.— From  a.d.  1255  to  a.d.  1258. 

Great  exactions  of  the  king — ^The  first  elephant  is  brought  to  Eng- 
land—War between  the  pope  and  Manfred— Complaints  are  made 
of  the  violation  of  Magna  Charta— The  earl  of  Cornwall  is  crowned 
king  of  the  Romans — ^The  Poitevins  are  expelled  from  England    .  345 

CHAP.  XVII.— From  a.d.  1259  to  a.d.  1260. 

Negodations  between  Henry  and  the  king  of  Scotland — ^The  empire 
is  mffefed  to  the  king  of  Germany — Conference  between  the  kings 
of  England  and  France— War  between  the  English  and  Welch — 
A  treaty  is  made  between  Henry  and  Louis,  by  which  Henry  gives 
up  Normandy— Henry  quarrels  with,  and  is  afterwards  recondled 
to  prince  Edward— Bad  news  from  the  Holy  Land,  in  consequence 
of  the  invasion  of  the  Tartars — Meeting  of  the  kings  of  England, 
France,  and  Scotland,  at  Paris 358 

CHAP.  XVIII.— From  a.d.  1261  to  a.d.  1263. 

Henry  violates  the  provisions  of  Oxford — ^The  pope  is  afraid  of  an 
invasion  of  the  Tartars— Prince  Edward  espouses  the  cause  of  the 
bwons — ^The  earl  of  Leicester  forms  a  confederacy  against  the 
king — Prince  Edward  invades  Wales — ^Treaty  between  the  king  and 
the  barons — ^The  civil  war  breaks  out  again,  and  is  continued  with 
great  fierceness — The  quarrel  is  submitted  to  Louis  of  France,  who 
d^des  in  favour  of  the  king 390 

CHAP.  XIX.— From  a.d.  1264  to  a.d.  1265. 

The  barons  are  defeated  at  Northampton— The  battle  of  Lewes — 
The  king  of  Germany  and  prince  Edward  are  given  as  hostages  for 
peace — The  battle  of  Evesham — A  recapitulation  of  the  events  of 
the  civil  war 412 


coNTEirrs.  vu 

CHAP.  XX.— From  a.d.  1266  to  a.d.  1272. 

.  PAQB 

Henry  prosecutes  his  successes — Bravery  and  generosity  of  prince 
Edwtfd — ^The  king  besieges  Kenilworth — Charles  of  Anjon  defeats 
Manfred,  and  is  crowned  king  of  Sicily— Some  of  the  earl  of  Lei- 
cester's party  still  resist  Henry— Disputes  between  some  of  the 
nobles — Prince  Edward  goes  to  the  Holy  Land — King  Henry  is 
taken  ill— Edward  is  wounded  by  one  of  the  assassins— Richard, 
king  of  Germany,  dies — King  Henry  dies— King  Edward  is  present 
at  the  tournament  at  Chalons— Does  homage  to  Philip  of  France 
for  his  French  dominions ^        .        .441 

CHAP.  XXL— FttOM  A.D.  1278  to  a.d.  1283. 

A  general  council  is  held  at  Lyons — The  pope  praises  king  Edward, 
who  is  on  his  way  to  England — Letters  are  received  by  the  pope 
from  the  emperor  Palaeologus— The  Greeks  reunite  to  the  Latin 
church — Edward  arrives  in  England — Is  crowned — Summons  Lle- 
wellyn, prince  of  Wales,  to  attend  him  at  Westminster — Invades 
Wales — ^The  Tartars  overrun  the  Holy  Land— Llewellyn  is  killed 
in  battle — The  massacre  of  the  Sicilian  vespers — David,  brother 
of  Llewellyn,  is  killed,  and  Wales  entirely  conquered,  and  united 
toEng^d  . *        .  458 

CHAP.  XXn.— From  a.d.  1284  to  a.d.  1292. 

Birth  of  Edward  the  Second — Re-appearance  of  the  emperor  Fre- 
deric— ^Edward  goes  into  France  to  obtain  some  arrears  due  from 
the  king  of  France — The  Welch  begin  to  rebel— The  king  of 
Hungary  turns  Mahometan — The  Tartars  invade  Poland— The 
Saracens  take  Tripoli — The  Jews  are  banished  from  England — 
Edward  is  acknowledged  liege  lord  of  Scotland — The  Scotch 
princes  refer  their  disputes  to  his  arbitration — John  Balliol  is 
crowned  king  of  Scotland 479 

CHAP.  XXIIL— From  a.d.  1293  to  a.d.  1295. 

War  between  England  and  Normandy— The  king  of  England  is  sum* 
moned  to  France — Ambassadors  arrive  in  England  from  the  king  of 
Arrsgon — ^Edward  again  marches  into  Wales— Madoc  is  imprisoned 
in  the  Tower  of  London — The  Soots  make  a  treaty  with  the  king 
of  France— War  between  France  and  England      ....  495 

CHAP.  XXIV.— From  a.d.  1296  to  a.d.  1299. 

Edward  makes  war  upon  Scotland — Imprisons  John  Balliol — The 
count  of  Flanders  is  imprisoned  by  the  king  of  France— King  Ed- 
ward lands  in  Flanders — Retorns  to  England,  and  again  invades 
Scotland— Battle  of  Falkirk— Marries  Margaret  of  France— The 
pope  makes  war  upon  the  king  of  Sicily — Edward  releases  Balliol, 
at  the  intercession  of  the  pope 517 


Vm  COi^TENTS. 

CHAP.  XXV.— From  a.d.  1300  to  a.d.  1301. 

PAGB 

A  law  is  passed  against  base  money — The  king  makes  his  son  Edward 
prince  of  Wales — He  again  invades  Scotland — The  pope  intercedes 
for  the  Scots,  and  claims  Scotland  as  belonging  to  the  Roman 
church — ^The  letters  of  the  pope,  and  the  replies  from  the  king  and 
nobles  of  England 532 

CHAP.  XXVL— From  a.d.  1302  to  a.d.  1304, 

Discontents  in  France — The  king  of  France  summons  Edward  to 
France,  who  declines  compliance — Edward  invades  Scotland — 
Guienne  is  restored  to  Edward — Pope  Boniface  is  imprisoned,  and 
dies — The  war  with  Scotland  continues— Edward  gains  great  vic- 
tories—The siege  of  Stirling 559 

CHAP.  XXVII— From  a.d.  1305  to  a.d.  1307. 

The  merciful  government  of  Edward — Wallace  is  execnted,  and  peace 
established  with  Scotland — ^The  senators  of  Rome  require  the  pope 
to  keep  his  court  there— Robert  Bruce  raises  his  standard  in  Scot- 
land— Is  crowned  at  Scone — Edward  marches  towards  Scotland, 
and  dies  at  Carlisle— End  of  this  History 575 


THE 

PLOWERS   OF   HISTOEY, 

ESPECIALLY   SUCH  AS 

RELATE  TO  THE  AFFAIKS  OF  BRITAIN. 

FROM  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  WORLD  TO  THE  YEAR  1307. 

COLLECTED    BT 

MATTHEW  OP  WESTMINSTER. 


Ch.  I.'— From  a.d.  1066  to  a.d.  1087. 

William  marches  to  London /or  his  coronation — He  distributes 
the  lands  of  the  English  nobles  among  his  principal  folUnoers 
— The  English  nobles  fly  to  Scotland — Edgar  Atheling 
takes  refuge  in  Hungary — Hie  princess  Margaret  marries 
Malcolm — The  sons  of  Sioeyn  invade  England-^^William 
becomes  tyrannical — The  oppression  of  the  English  by  the 
Normans —William  invades  Scotland;  receives  the  homage 
of  Malcolm — (rreat  abuses  in  the  Church — Quarrel  between 
William  and  his  eldest  son — An  earthquake  in  England — 
— Henry,  emperor  of  Germany,  is  excommunicated — The  fa* 
mily  of  William — He  founds  and  endows  monasteries — 
Dies,  and  is  succeeded  by  William  Rufus, 

Coronation  of  king  William  the  First,  the  Conquefor. 
A.D.  1067.*  WilHam.  duke  of  Normandy,  proceeded  to  the  city 
of  London,  was  received  with  great  exultation  hy  both  clergy 
and  people,  and  was  proclaimed  king  by  universal  acclamation, 

*  It  is  not  cleiir  when  our  chronicler  makes  this  year  begin.  For  he 
speaks  here  of  the  year  1067  commencing  before  Christmas  Day,  1066. 
Perhaps  he  dates  the  beginning  of  the  year  from  Advent  Sunday. 

VOL.  II.  .  B 


2  MATTHEW  OP  WESTHIKSTEB.  A.D.  1067. 

and  on  the  day  of  the  birth  of  onr  Lord  he  received  the  crown  of 
the  kingdom  of  EngUind  from  ^Idred,  archbishop  of  York.  For 
he  refused  to  accept  the  office  of  consecration  from  Stigand^  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  although  of  ancient  right  that  solemn 
office  is  known  to  belong  to  that  see,  because  he  had  no  legal 
right  to  occupy  that  pre-eminent  dignity.  Then,  haying  re- 
ceived homage  and  the  oath  of  fealty,  and  hostages  likewise, 
from  the  nobles,  and  being  confirmed  in  his  kingdom,  be  be- 
came the  terror  of  all  those  who  had  aspired  to  the  kingdom. 
And  having  arranged  his  affairs  in  the  different  cities  and 
castles,  and  having  placed  his  own  servants  in  them,  he  sailed 
back  to  Normandy  with  the  English  hostages,  and  with  ines- 
timable treasures.  And,  when  he  put  the  hostages  in  prison, 
and  committed  them  to  the  custody  of  safe  keepers,  he  re- 
turned again  to  England,  where  he  distributed  with  a  liberal 
hand  the  estates  and  possessions  of  the  Epglish  among  his 
Norman  comrades  who  had  helped  him  to  subdue  the  country 
in  the  battle  of  Hastings  ;  expelling  all  the  legitimate  owners 
successively,  and  becoming  a  tyrant  rather  than  a  king,  he 
burdened  the  little  that  remained  to  them  with  the  yoke  of 
perpetual  slavery.  And  when  he  saw  himself  now  raised  to 
such  a  lofty  dignity,  and  confirmed  in  his  proud  kingdom,  he 
became  rapidly  changed  into  another  man ;  and,  alas !  alas ! 
trampled  under  foot  the  nobles  of  the  land,  whom  their  here- 
ditary blood  had  elevated  from  the  times  of  old.  And  the  nobles 
of  the  kingdom  being  indignant  at  this,  fled,  some  of  them  to 
Malcolm,  king  of  Scotland,  others,  preferring  to  end  their 
unhappy  lives  rather  than  to  endure  a  shameful  slavery,  sought 
the  desert  places  and  woods,  and  there  living  the  life  of  wild 
beasts,  and  repenting  of  having  made  submission  to  the  Nor- 
mans, and  being  weighed  down  as  to  their  inmost  hearts  with 
violent  grief,  though  it  was  now  too  late,  had  recourse  to  the 
only  hope  left  them,  and  prepared  secret  plots  and  intrigues. 
But  the  noble  counts,  the  brothers  Edwin  and  Morcar,  and 
many  other  nobles,  and  many  also  of  the  bishops  and  clergy 
and  many  others,  whom  it  would  take  too  long  to  enumerate 
by  name,  when  they  saw  that  theirs  was  the  weaker  side,  and 
as  they  disdained  to  become  slaves,  abandoned  England  alto- 
gether. 

And  as  they  all  fled  to  Malcolm,  king  of  Scotland,  they 
were  all  honorably  received  by  him.  Then  also,  Edgar  Athel- 
ing,  the  legitimate  heir  of  the  kingdom  of  England,  seeing  his 


A.D.  10G7,  THE  ABBET  OF  BATTLE  IB  BTJILT.  3 

country  plundered  and  disturbed  on  all  sides,  embarked  on 
board  ship  with  his  mother  Agatha,  and  his  sisters  Margaret 
and  Christina,  and  endeavoured  to  return  into  Hungary,  where 
he  had  been  bom ;  but,  a  tempest  arising,  he  was  compelled 
to  land  on  the  coast  of  Scotland.  And,  in  consequence  of  the 
occasion  thus  offered,  it  came  to  pass  that  Margaret  was  given 
as  a  bride  to  king  Malcolm,  whose  exemplary  life  and  virtuous 
death  are  pMnly  set  forth  in  a  book  specially  composed  on 
that  subject.  But  his  sister  Christina  became  a  nun,  and  de- 
serves our  benediction  as  one  who  was  married  for  ever  to  a 
heavenly  bridegroom. 

Queen  Margaret  had  six  sons  and  two  daughters,  three  of 
whom,  namely,  Edgar,  Alexander,  and  David,  became  kings, 
as  they  were  entitled  to  by  the  nobility  of  their  famUy,  and 
through  them  the  noble  blood  of  the  kings  of  England,  who 
were  expelled  from  their  own  proper  territories  by  the  Normans, 
devolved  upon  the  kings  of  Scotland. 

Why  hng  William  the  First  was  not  crovmed  by  the  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury, 

William  was  consecrated  king,  and  crowned  on  the  day  of 
the  Nativity  of  our  Lord,  on  the  second  day  of  the  week,  by 
^Idred,  archbishop  of  York,  as  I  have  said  before,  because 
Stigand,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  had  been  suspended  by 
pope  Alexander  as  a  schismatic.  At  that  time  there  was  a 
very  powerful  officer,  Eadric,  sumamed  Silvaticus,  the  son  of 
.Slfric,  the  son  of  Edric  Streona ;  and  the  chatelidns  of  Here- 
ford, and  Richard,  the  son  of  Scrob,  frequently  laid  waste  his 
territories,  because  he  disdained  to  submit  to  the  king,  but,  as 
often  as  they  attacked  him^  they  lost  a  great  number  of  their 
soldiers  and  men-at-arms.  Therefore  Edric  invited  Bleothwin 
and  Biwathe,  kings  of  Wales,  to  come  to  his  assistance  ;  and, 
about  the  day  of  Sie  Assumption  of  the  blessed  Virgin,  he  laid 
waste  the  province  of  Hereford,  as  far  as  the  bridge  over  the 
river  Wye,  and  carried  off  a  large  booty. 

The  abbey  of  Battle  is  built. 
King  William,  exulting  in  his  victory,  gave  praise  to  God. 
The  same  year  also,  the  king  built  an  abbey,  which,  in  reference 
to  the  battle  that  had  been  fought  there,  he  called  Battle,  in 
order  that  glory,  and  praise,  and  thanks,  might  be  offered  up 
in  it  to  God  for  ever  for  the  victory  which  he  had  given  him, 
and  also  that  offices  for  the  souls  of  the  dead  who  were  slain 

B  2 


4  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMINSTER.  A.D.  1070. 

there  might  be  perfonned  by  the  monks  who  were  estabUshed 
in  it,  witi^  the  offering  of  salutary  victims ;  and  he  endowed 
and  enriched  the  church  with  estates  and  priyileges,  and  com- 
mitted it  to  the  patronage  and  protection  of  the  kings  who 
should  reign  in  England  after  him. 

William's  duchess  is  consecrated  queen. 
A.D.  1068.  Matilda,  the  wife  of  king  William,  was  conse- 
crated queen  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  by  iBldred,  archbishop 
of  York,  on  the  twenty-second  of  March.^  This  year  also, 
William  had  a  son  bom  in  England,  who  was  called  Henry. 
For  his  first-born,  William  Rufus,  and  also  Robert,  were  born 
in  Normandy,  before  their  father  had  conquered  England. 

Two  sons  of  Sweyn  came  into  England  to  subdue  it, 
A.D.  1069.  Between  the  time  of  the  two  festivals  of  the 
blessed  Virgin  Mary,  in  the  autumn,  the  two  sons  of  Sweyn 
came  with  three  hundred  ships  from  Denmark  into  England, 
in  order  to  subdue  it  in  a  hostile  manner,  and  to  take  king 
William  prisoner,  or  else  expel  him  from  England.  But  when 
their  arrival  was  noised  abroad,  the  counts,  and  barons,  and 
nobles  of  the  land  went  forth  to  meet  them,  being  oppressed 
by  the  intolerable  arrogance  of  the  Normans ;  and  they  made 
a  treaty  with  them,  and  so  joined  the  army  of  the  Danes,  in 
order  to  overthrow  king  William.  But  William,  that  most  pru- 
dent king,  when  he  saw  the  danger  that  threatened  him,  hum- 
bled himself  to  them,  and  checked  the  insolence  of  the  Nor- 
mans ;  and  having  in  this  way  recalled  many  of  the  English 
nobles  to  their  allegiance,  and  having  sagaciously  made  a  treaty 
with  them  all,  he  took  the  city  of  York  by  storm,  which  was 
a  great  rendezvous  of  the  Danes,  and  made  himself  master  of 
every  thing  in  it,  and  slew  many  thousand  men  there. 

How  king  William,  feeling  secure,  at  length  becomes  a  tyrant 
instead  of  a  king, 
A.D.  1070.  On  the  fourth  day  of  April,  king  William,  being 
now  become  more  secure  on  his  throne,  violated  his  promises 
in  many  respects ;  and  he  caused  the  monasteries  to  be  searched 
throughout  the  whole  of  England,  and  commanded  the  money 
found  in  them,  and  the  charters,  in  the  privileges  granted  by 
which  the  nobles  of  England  placed  their  trust,  and  which  the 

^  There  must,  of  coarse,  be  some  mistake  here.    In  all  probability,  he 
either  means  Easter,  not  Pentecost ;  or  May,  not  March. 


A.D.  1071.   THE  EITGLISH  EXFELLSD  BY  THE  NORMANS.  5 

king,  when  in  a  position  of  difficulty,  had  sworn  to  observe  him- 
self, to  be  carried  off  by  force  from  the  churches  where  they  had 
been  deposited,  and  where  they  had  hitherto  lain  in  security, 
and  to  be  taken  to  his  own  treasury. 

Moreover,  the  whole  Anglican  Church  held  a  great  council 
in  Easter  week,  at  Winchester,  by  the  management  of  the  king, 
where  many  of  the  things  which  concerned  the  kingdom  were 
changed.  At  that  council  too,  Stigand,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, was  ignominiously  degraded,  and  his  brother,  Aylmer, 
bishop  of  East  Angha,  and  many  other  bishops  and  abbots  were 
deposed  at  the  same  time.  iQgelwin,  bishop  of  Durham,  alone, 
of  all  the  prelates  of  England,  seeing  the  unjust  oppression  of 
his  brethren,  and  sympathizing  with  them,  and  feeling  zeal  for 
God,  went  of  his  .own  accord  into  banishment  from  England, 
wishing  to  entangle  the  oppressors  in  the  knot  of  excommuni- 
cation. Stigand  was  succeeded  by  Lanfranc,  a  monk,  a  man 
of  elegant  learning,  and  adorned  with  many  and  various  pohte 
accomplishments,  who,  among  other  magnid&cent  works,  com- 
posed a  treatise  on  the  Sacrament  of  the  Altar,  confirming  the 
Catholic  Faith.  Aylmer  was  succeeded  by  Arfast,  the  king's 
chaplain ;  and  he  transferred  the  seat  of  his  diocese  to  Thetford. 

The  English  being  expelled  by  the  Normans,  are  injuriously 
and  wickedly  treated. 

A.D.  1071.  Lanfranc,  abbot  of  Caen,  was  consecrated  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  April.  And 
this  Lanfranc,  when  archbishop,  established  the  order  of  monks 
according  to  the  rule  of  Saint  Benedict  in  many  of  the  convents 
of  England.  And  he  did  so,  first  of  all,  in  the  church  of  Can- 
terbury ;  after  that,  in  the  church  of  Saint  Alban,  the  proto- 
martyr  of  the  English,  where  also,  when  the  abbot  Frederic 
died,  he  appointed  his  nephew  Paul  as  his  successor ;  who, 
relying  on  the  support  of  his  uncle,  restored  the  church,  and 
reformed  the  brotherhood,  which  had  fallen  into  some  irregu- 
larities. 

This  year  also,  the  English  being  very  injuriously  treated 
by  the  Normans,  fled  to  the  fens  of  Ely,  and  to  the  island  of 
Thomey,  where  they  made  thehiselves  a  camp  of  refuge,  and 
elected  Hereward,  a  warrior  of  great  energy  and  bravery,  as 
their  general.  But  king  William,  alluring  some  by  promises 
and  terrifying  others  by  threats,  and  corrupting  oth^s  again  by 
bribes,  at  last  surrounded  all  the  fugitives  with  a  numerous 


6  MATTHEW   OF  WB8TM1KSTEE.  A.U.   10/3. 

army,  and  compelled  them  to  return  and  to  submit  unto  hU 
authority. 

King  William  received  homage  from  the  king  of  Scotland. 

A.D.  1072.  A  general  council  of  the  kingdom  of  Engkncl 
was  held,  to  discuss  the  question  of  the  primacy  of  the  church 
of  Canterbury,  as  superior  to  the  church  of  York,  on  the 
eighth  of  April.  And  at  last  it  was  decreed  that  the  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  had  the  preeminence,  and  that  the  arch 
bishop  of  York  was  subordinate  to  him  in  everything. 

Moreover,  king  William  went  to  Scotland,  and  invaded  it 
in  a  hostile  manner,  thinking  that  some  of  his  indomitable 
enemies,  and  some  of  the  refugees  were  there  at  the  king's 
court,  and  that  some  of  his  own  subjects  were  sheltered  there. 
But  as  he  found  no  such  persons  there,  when  he  had  received 
the  homage  of  the  king  of  Scotland,  he  returned  to  his  own 
c.ountry. 

In  the  same  year,  king  William  invaded  Scotland  with  a 
great  army,  and  Malcolm,  king  of  Scotland,  came  peaceably  to 
Berwick  to  meet  him,  and  became  his  subject.  At  this  time, 
count  Ranulph  of  Micenis  governed  the  earldom  of  Carlisle, 
who  had  given  efficacious  assistance  to  king  William  in  his  con- 
quest of  England.  He  began  to  build  the  city  of  Carlisle, 
and  to  strengthen  the  citizens  with  many  privileges.  But 
when  king  William  was  returning  from  Scotland  through 
Cumberland,  seeing  so  royal  a  city,  he  took  it  from  count 
Ranulph,  and  gave  him  instead  of  it  the  earldom  of  Chester, 
which  was  endowed  with  many  honours  and  privileges.  And 
king  William  commanded  CarUsle  to  be  fortified  with  yery 
strong  towers  and  ramparts.  Moreover,  king  William  the 
Conqueror,  on  his  return  from  Scotland,  built  a  new  castle  at 
Durham,  to  serve  as  a  protection  against  the  irruptions  of  the 
Scots. 

King  Williain  subdued  Normandy,  which  had  rebelled  against 

him. 
A.D.  1073.  Pope  Alexander  died  on  the  last  day  of  March, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Hildebrand,  who  took  the  name  of 
Gregory.  The  same  year,  the  monks  of  Saint  Ouen  came  with 
a  band  of  armed  men,  and  attacked  John,  archbishop  of  Rouen, 
as  he  was  celebrating  mass,  on  the  festival  of  the  above-named 
saint.  On  which  account  it  was  decided  in  a  council  which 
was  assembled  in  that  city,  over  whichWiUiam,  king  of  England, 


A.D.  1075.       EDITH,   QUEEN  OF  EKGLAKD,   DIES.  7 

presided,  that  the  monks  who  were  guilty  of  this  crime,  should 
be  thrown  into  prison  by  the  abbot. 

Moreover  the  same  year,  king  William,  supported  by  the 
assistance  of  the  English,  reduced  Normandy,  which  Jiad  re- 
belled against  him,  to  submit  to  his  authority  by  force  ot 
arms.  After  that,  having  established  peace  everywhere,  and 
arranged  everything  well,  and  having  received  the  EngUsh 
with  the  fulness  of  his  affection,  he  returned  to  England. 

Some  Priests  who  had  been  guilty  of  Simony,  and  who  had 

taken  wives,  are  excommunicated  by  pope  Gregory.    Wolstan 

is  restored  to  his  bishopric, 

A.D.  1074.  Gregory,  who  is  also  called  Hildebrand,  held  a 
s3nDod,  and  anathematized  those  guilty  of  simony.  Some 
priests  who  had  taken  wives  he  removed  from  their  holy 
office,  by  a  new  example,  and  as  it  seemed  to  many  an  incon- 
siderate prejudice,  in  contradiction  to  the  opinions  of  the  an- 
cient  fathers.  The  blessed  Wolstan,  who  had  been  unjustly 
deposed  by  archbishop  Lanfranc,  was  restored  to  his  diocese, 
in  consequence  of  a  miracle.  After  he  had  fixed  his  pastoral 
staff  on  the  tomb  of  the  blessed  Edward,  no  one  except  him- 
self cDuld  draw  it  out  again. 

But  the  pope,  to  punish  those  priests  who  had  married 
wives  more  rigorously,  and  by  punishing  them  to  recall  them 
from  those  illicit  embraces,  forbade  the  laity  to  hear  mass  from 
them,  and  ordered  also  the  tithes  which  were  due  to  such 
priests  to  be  burnt  in  the  fire. 

The  same  year,  Canute,  son  of  Sweyn,  and  count  Haco,  came 
from  Denmark,  with  a  powerful  and  hostile  army,  and  with 
two  hundred  large  ships  ;  but  their  enterprise  was  frustrated, 
by  the  circumspection  and  prudence  of  the  most  invincible 
king  William. 

Edith,  queen  of  England,  died.  The  king  cursed  his  son 
Robert,  surnamed  Cortehose. 
A.  D.  1075.  Queen  Edith  died  on  the  fifth  of  April.  The 
same  year,  king  William  gave  the  daughter  of  William,  the 
son  of  Osbert,  to  earl  Radolph,  as  his  wife,  and  gave  him  also 
the  government  of  j9ortI)folb  and  duti)folk.  This  Radolph 
was  of  British  extraction,  on  his  mother's  side,  and  his  father 
was  an  Englishman.  He  was  bom  in  Norfolk,  and  there  he 
celebrated  his  marriage,  which  was  the  cause  of  destruction  to 
many  persons.     At  that  wedding  there  were  present  earl 


8  HATTHXW  or  WESTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1078. 

Roger  and  earl  Waltheof;  and  many  bishops  and  abbots ; 
and  they  took  counsel  how  to  expel  king  William  from  his 
kingdom.  And  this  speedily  became  known  to  the  king,  who 
was  in  Normandy,  and  immediately  the  king  returned  to 
England,  and  took  Waltheof,  and  E^Dger,  who  was  his  own 
kinsman,  and  threw  them  into  prison.  As  to  the  rest  who 
were  present  at  the  wedding,  he  deferred  his  determination. 

The  same  year,  on  Easter  day,  the  above-named  king  Wil- 
liam gave  his  daughter  Cecilia  to  be  dedicated  to  the  service  of 
God  with  devout  solemnity  in  the  church  at  Feschamp.  -Also 
king  William  cursed  his  son  Ro1>ert,  because  he  had  often 
provoked  him  to  anger,  and  in*  the  bitterness  of  his  soul  he 
drove  him  from  his  sight  and  presence*  And  Robert  at  the 
end  of  his  hfe  found  out  undeniably  how  great  was  the  effect 
of  the  paternal  malediction,  when  having  become  blind,  he 
was  exposed  to  the  hatred  and  persecution  of  his  brothers, 
and  so  died  miserably  in  prison. 

A  general  Earthquake  in  England, 
A.D.  1076.  On  the  twenty-seventh  day  of  March  the  earth 
trembled,  and  a  general  earthquake  took  place  all  over  England, 
and  a  ^eavy  frost  and  great  abundance  of  ice  continued  from 
the  beginning  of  November  to  the  middle  of  April.  This 
year,  duke  Waltheof  was  beheaded. 

This  is  the  thirteenth  year  of  the  first  cycle  of  nineteen 
years,  after  the  repetition  of  the  great  year  of  Dionysius,  two 
of  which  have  now  elapsed  since  the  passion  of  our  Lord. 

The  monastic  orders  revived  in  England^  ovoing  to  the  example 
and  doctrine  of  archbishop  Lanfranc, 
A.D.  1077.  On  Palm  Sunday,  which  fell  on  the  sixteenth  of 
April,  a  star  appeared  about  six  o'clock,  while  the  sky  was 
quite  clear.  This  year,  Lauzo,  the  prior  of  Saint  Pancras, 
came  into  England,  and  Paul,  a  monk  of  Cadomum,  a  nephew 
of  archbishop  Lanfranc,  was  created  abbot  of  Saint  Alban's. 
And  by  his  means,  with  the  assistance  of  Lanfranc,  the  whole 
monastic  order  in  England  was  again  brought  into  a  flou- 
rishing state.  Likewise  the  abbot  Paul  himself  enriched  his 
church  with  ample  possessions  and  many  privileges. 

The  emperor  is  excommunicated  for  disobedience. 
A.D.  1078.  A  violent  quarrel  arose  between  pope  Gregory 
and  the  emperor  Henry.     At  last  the  emperor  was  excom- 


▲.D.  1080.      A  PALBE  KING  BLAl^T  BY  THE  ZHPEBOB.  9 

manicated.^  After  that,  he  ravaged  the  proyince  of  Swabia. 
King  William  held  his  court  at  Gloucester,  and  conferred 
bishoprics  on  those  of  his  chaplains,  giving  the  diocese  of 
London  to  Maurice,  of  Norwich  to  William,  and  of  Chichester 
to  Robert.  The  same  year,  Gniscard,  tiie  noble  dake  of 
Apolia,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  two  sons,  Roger  and 
Beaumont.  This  year  also,  a  naval  war  of  deadly  animosity 
broke  out  between  the  states  of  Venice  and  Baris,  for  the  sake 
of  the  body  of  Saint  Nicholas.  The  same  year,  count  William 
de  Warenne,  who  had  come  into  England  with  William  the 
Bastard,  founded  the  abbey  of  Saint  Pancras  of  Lewes. 

Wales  is  subdued  by  the  Englishj  and  Antioeh  is  taken  by  the 
Pagans. 

A.D.  1079.  John,  archbishop  of  Rouen,  died,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  William,  who  had  been  abbot  of  Cadomum.  The 
restoration  of  the  church  of  the  bishopric  of  Winchester  was 
commenced.  On  the  night  of  the  nativity  of  our  Lord  a 
violent  storm  of  wind  shook  several  solid  buildings. 

This  year  also,  king  William  led  a  powerful  army  into 
Wales,  and  subjugated  it ;  and  received  homage  and  hostages 
for  their  fidelity  from  the  petty  kings  of  the  viscounty.  The 
same  year,  Antioeh  was  taken  by  the  pagans,  together  with 
the  adjacent  province,  which  had  been  a  Christian  land  ever 
since  the  time  of  Saint  Peter,  without  any  disturbances.  The 
same  year,  Malcolm,  king  of  Scotland,  became  furious  a 
second  time  after  the  Assumption  of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary, 
and  ravaged  the  whole  of  Northumberland,  as  far  as  the  river 
Tyne.  But  when  he  heard  of  this,  the  king  of  England  sent 
his  son  Robert  with  an  army  into  Scotland,  who  returned 
without  having  succeeded  in  his  objects,  and  built  a  new 
castle  in  the  river  Tyne,  and  then  returned  to  his  father.  The 
same  year  also,  the  king  sent  his  brother  Odo,  bishop  of 
Bayeux,  with  a  large  army,  to  lay  waste  Northumberland, 
the  people  of  which  district  had  risen  in  insurrection  against 
the  king,  and  had  murdered  Walcher,  bishop  of  Durham,  a 
man  of  exemplary  character,  at  Gateshead. 

A  false  King  is  slain  by  the  Emperor, 
A.D.  1080.  Pope  Hildebraud,  who  is  also  called  Gregory, 
predicted,  as  if  he  had  been  informed  of  it  by  divine  revela- 
tion, that  a  false  king  would  die  this  year.     His  prediction, 
^  This  was  the  origin  of  the  wars  between  the  Guelfs  and  Ghibelins. 


10  MATTHEW  01  WSSTMIKBTISU.  ^^ 

indeed,  wa.  true ;  but  ^.^iTkiul  Wo^^^^^""^^ 
conjeciure  a.  to  fho  the  f alw  kin^^'    '     if  it  ««"*'^'^*LSl 

The  BHine  yew,  the  town  of  Wewcw 

by  kin«5  ■William.  ,  ,j  „  -«,««ctl  at   Lia»«^^- 

muJL  arcktiskcp  <>/ «^^'^^,YJ^li..  took  place 
An  earthquake,  aceotnpamed  mm 

in  England.  ,  x^^en,  held  a  council 

^.B.  1081.    William  «rchb|J.op^o^B^u^^.^^  ^^ith  maBy 

at  Li89eber.  at  which  'Su!  T^yTan  a  ^at  earthquake,  ac- 


rareTra-itPlieved  th^;:  SCla^nsThich  took 

the  changes  of  decrees,  and  »^»' *°*     » 

place  in  the  before-mentioned  councd.  ^^^^^^.^^^ 

Jtfar/to.,  the  hUtorio9rapl^,a^^f^CJJity  of  Christ  to 
has  written  chr<mcle»  extending  Jrom 

this  time.  ,  descendant  9f  the  holy 

A.D.  1082.  Marian,  a  Scotia hneaiae^^^j^  ^^^ 

Bede.  examined  all  the  books  ^f  ^f^^^e  him  in  purityof 

many  others,  and  e^d^'^^J'^:^!  VSg  ^^^  «'l^«'''^*'^^'7/n 
life  and  learning.  This  Manf '  °!8^^"gving  a  true  and  fuU 
the  nativity  of  Christ,  ««?:^«t!Xk&fe8peoial  pai^  to  cor- 
account  of  everything  to  this  y«««' *f^"*  arl  that  bad  elapsed 
rect  the  errors  in  chronology  m  to  tne  >  ^,e„ity  of  opinions 
during  the  lifetime  of  our  Lord.     *or  v  ^^  ^^^ 

on  thS  subject  had  created  suspense  m  the  mm 

Queen  3tatiiaa  aiei,  and  King  Y^'^^ZZZT^ 
^.j>.   1083.    Queen  Matilda  died  on  th^A^lJ^^^^^ 
She  was    rather  old,  and  the  wife  °*^^f"J,igi,ewU  buried 
daughter  of   Baldwin,  count  of  Fland^s.  and  sh^w 
at  Cadomuxn,     in  the  monastery  of  t''«,™;V..-\  gaihsd 
which  she  herself  had  built  from  ite  very  fomidawnan 

nobly  endowed.  The  same  year,  l^^g^'^f  ^I'^^^iS. 
ticia^  throughout  the  whole  of  England,  tj™"^*"^^ 
and  coninxa^ed  him  to  enquire  and  make  dibgeut  mrestiga 


A.  D.  1084.  WALTH£OF  BEHEADED.  11 

don  as  to  how  many  acres  or  roods  of  land  there  was  in  each, 
and  how  much  was  sufficient  for  the  maintenance  of  one  soldier. 
He  also  caused  inyestigation  to  be  made  into  the  revenues  of 
the  different  cities,  and  towns,  and  villages,  to  ascertain  what 
they  usuallj^  amounted  to.  He  also  inquired  how  much  stock 
was  sufficient  for  the  cultivation  of  one  hide  of  land,  and 
also  what  was  the  yearly  income  derived  from  the  rivers  and 
fens,  and  woods,  and  how  many  soldiers  there  were  in  each 
county,  that  he  might  know  what  number  of  men  there  were 
in  whom  he  Qould  rely  in  a  case  of  urgent  necessity;  all  which 
things  were  set  down  in  writing,  and  the  documents  were 
brought  to  Westminster,  and  laid  up  carefully,  to  be  preserved 
in  the  royal  treasury.  Then,  as  he  became  older,  he  also  be- 
came more  covetous,  and  more  like  a  tyrant  than  a  king,  so 
that  he  cruelly  extorted  six  shillings  from  every  plough  or 
hide  of  land  throughout  the  whole  kingdom. 

In  the  same  year,  Maurice,  bishop  of  London,  began  the 
great  church  which  is  not  finished  to  this  day.  In  this  year, 
the  privileges  of  the  church  of  Durham  were  granted,  and  con- 
firmed by  Thomas,  archbishop  of  York. 

The  brave  Waltheof  is  put  to  death,    Tfie  emperor  Henry 
recovers  his  power, 

A.D.  1084.  Waltheof  was  beheaded.  He  was  a  count  of 
noble  family,  of  great  bodily  strength,  strong  in  his  chest, 
and  of  a  lofty,  and  imposing  stature  ;  b^ing  the  son  of  Siward, 
that  most  noble  count,  whom,  in  the  Danish  language,  they 
called  Droggers,  that  is,  **  Brave."  He  was  buried  at  Croy- 
land.  The  same  year,  the  Romans  received  Henry  as  their 
emperor,  and  Hildebrand  also  was  deposed  from  his  papacy 
by  their  decision.  Wibert,  bishop  of  the  city  of  Ravenna, 
was  enthroned  in  the  Apostolic  See,  and  assumed  the  name 
of  Clement,  and  every  one  exclaimed  that  Hildebrand  had 
been  rightly  deposed,  as  guilty  of  JSse  majestS,  inasmuch  as 
he  had  presumed  to  set  up  another  emperor  in  opposition 
to  the  emperor,  Henry.  The  same  year,  Desiderius,  abbot 
of  Monte  Cassino,  was  made  pope,  in  opposition  to  Clement, 
but  very  soon  after  he  died  of  a  dysentery.  The  same  year, 
William,  king  of  England,  with  great  ceremony,  invested  his 
younger  son,  Henry,  with  the  military  belt  at  Westminster, 
on  the  Day  of  Pentecost.  After  that,  he  received  the  homage 
and  oath  of  fealty  of  all  the  English,  to  whatever  fee  or  tenancy 


12  11ATTH1EW  OF  WE8TMI1SBTEE.  A.I).  1085- 

thcy  belonged,  and  he  levied  large  anms  of  money  from  every- 
one against  whom  he  could  find  any  pretence  of  any  sort.  After 
that,  he  crossed  the  sea  to  Normandy. 

Now,  therefore,  in  requital  of  their  sins,  the  ancient  nobi- 
hty  of  the  English  began  to  decay  under  its  oppression,  and 
the  souls  of  the  nobles,  in  accordance  with  the  prophecy  of 
the  blessed  Edward,  drew  sorrowful  sighs  from  the  bottom  of 
their  hearts. 

King  William  prosj}ers  in  his  ways,  and  founds  two  convents. 

A.D.  1085.  King  William,  after  he  had  banished  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  nobihty  of  England,  gave  full  vent  to  his  tyran- 
nical temper,  and  became  savage  and  inhuman,  having  no 
affection  for  anything  but  wild  animals,  for  the  sake  of  which 
he  mutilated,  and  plundered,  and  imprisoned,  and  executed 
men.  He  enriched  Normandy,  he  subdued  and  made  himself 
master  of  Maine,  and  reduced  Brittany  to  submit  to  his  autho- 
rity, and  he  united  Scotland  to  England.  He  was  a  most 
sagacious  confiscator  of  the  possessions  of  robbers  and  ban- 
ditti, and  a  merciless  condemuer  of  the  men  themselves.  So 
that  merchants,  and  foreigners,  and  travellers  could  travel 
throughout  the  whole  lengUi  and  breadth  of  England  without 
injury,  even  if  they  had  been  seen  to  be  loaded  with  treasures 
of  gold ;  though  at  aU  previous  times  every  wood  abounded  with 
wolves  and  highwaymen.  For  the  English  of  noble  and  gene- 
rous birth  being  expelled  from  their  possessions,  and  being 
ashamed  to  b^  and  not  knowing  how  to  dig,  lurked  in  the 
woods  with  their  sons  and  brothers,  thirsting  only  for  booty 
and  plunder,  as  they  were  deprived  of  hunting,  and  had  no 
other  means  of  obtaining  food. 

This  year,  king  William  gave  the  bishopric  of  Dorchester 
to  a  man  named  Remigius,  a  monk  of  Feschamp,  by  whose 
salutary  warnings  the  &ng  was  taught,  for  the  atonement  of 
his  transgressions,  to  found  two  monasteries,  one  in  honour 
of  Saint  Martin,  in  England,  where  the  battle  had  been  fought, 
and  to  which  he  gave  the  name  of  Battle,  as  has  been  said 
before.  The  other  monastery  he  founded  in  Normandy,  at 
Caen,  in  honour  of  Saint  Stephen,  the  protomartyr,  and  he 
ordered  it  to  be  consecrated.  By  queen  Matilda  he  had  several 
children,  namely,  Robert  and  Richard,  WiUiam  and  Henry, 
from  whom  afterwards  the  line  of  the  kings  of  England  de- 
scended. 


..D.  1087. 


PESTILENCE   TS  E» GLAND. 


13 


William 
the  Conqueror. 


Robert  Curthose. 

William  Bofas,  king. 

Richard. 

Henry  Beauclerc,  king. 
I  Adela  (married  to  Ste- 
^phen,  of  Blois,  whose 

son  was  afterwards 

king). 

And  four  other  daugh- 
ters. 


Matilda,  their  mo- 
ther, and  the  queen, 
/  was  the  daughter  of 
Baldwin,  count  of 
Flanders. 


King  William  endows  two  monasteries^  which  he  has  founded^  to 

wit,  that  of  Saint  Martin,  in  England,  and  that  of  Saint 

Stephen,  in  Normandy. 

A.D.  1086.  King  William  founded  a  second  monastery  in 
Normandy,  and  when  it  was  finished,  he  enriched  it  with 
estates  and  privileges. 

Robert,  the  first-born  son  of  king  William,  being  discon- 
tented at  Normandy  being  refused  to  him  even  while  his 
father  was  still  alive,  departed  into  Italy  in  great  anger,  where 
he  married  the  daughter  of  the  marquis  Boniface,  in  order  to 
gain  additional  power  to  attack  his  father ;  but,  when  he  was 
disappointed  in  this  expectation,  he  excited  Philip,  king  of 
France,  to  enmity  against  his  father ;  for  which  conduct  he 
was  deprived  of  his  father's  blessing,  and  of  his  inheritance  ; 
and  after  the  death  of  William,  he  lost  the  kingdom  of  Eng- 
land, being  scarcely  permitted  to  retain  the  dukedom  of  Nor- 
mandy. 

^ng  William  had  one  most  excellent  custom,  by  which  he 
is  said  to  have  escaped  divine  vengeance  for  his  tyrannical 
conduct.  He  attended  mass,  and  all  the  hours  of  divine  ser- 
vice diligently,  and  with  the  simplicity  of  a  child,  and  would 
never  permit  himself  to  be  hindered  from  so  doing  by  the 
most  urgent  or  perplexing  business,  and  while  so  engaged, 
he  did  not  cease  to  bend  his  knees,  and  pray  devoutly. 

King  William  dies.  Divides  his  substance  in  a  marvellous  man- 
ner. Robert,  the  first-born,  is  rejected,  William  succeeds. 
A.D.  1087.  A  great  disaster  happened  in  England.  For  the 
nation  was  attacked  by  such  a  great  disease  and  pestilence, 
that  those  who  escaped  the  fevers  died  of  famine.  For  God 
sent  tempests,  and  thunders,  and  lightnings,  by  which  many 
men  perished^  and  He  spared  neither  animals  nor  cattle ;  but 


14  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMINSTEE.  A.D.  1087. 

even  the  domestic  birds  of  England,  the  peacocks,  and  poultry 
and  geese,  fled  from  the  hoases,  and  idl  became  wild  birds. 
This  year,  king  William  was  in  France,  and  ravaged  the  king- 
dom of  king  PhiUp,  and  slaughtered  many  of  his  subjects. 
He  also  burnt  a  noble  castle  called  Mathaunte,  and  all  the 
churches  which  were  in  that  district,  and  burnt  alive  a  number 
of  the  common  people,  and  two  holy  anchorites ;  afler  which, 
he  departed  into  Normandy^  and  sojourned  there. 

But  king  William,  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  while  dwell- 
ing in  Normandy,  rested  for  awhile,  after  he  had  contracted  a 
league  of  friendship  with  Philip,  king  of  France.  And  king 
Philip,  ridiculing  his  patience,  is  reported  to  have  said,  "  Wil- 
liam, king  of  England,  is  lying  at  Rouen,  keeping  his  bed  like 
women  who  have  just  been  delivered  from  travail."  And  king 
WilUam,  being  irritated  at  this  sarcasm,  replied,  "  When  I  go 
to  mass,  after  my  confinement,  I  will  light  him  up  a  hundred 
thousand  candles."  And  not  long  afterwards,  in  the  month 
of  August,  he  assembled  an  immense  army,  and  entered 
France,  subduing  everything,  and  laying  waste  everything. 
Last  of  all,  he  set  fire  to  the  city  of  Nantes,  and  burnt  it,  and, 
being  elated  at  its  destruction,  while  he  was  encouraging  his 
men  boldly  to  add  fuel  to  the  flame,  he  came  too  near  the 
fire,  and,  owing  to  the  heat  of  the  flames,  and  the  unequal 
temperature  of  the  autumn,  he  caught  an  illness,  in  conse^ 

Snence  of  which  he  withdrew  his  army,  and  returned  to  Rouen, 
ut,  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  March,  when  he  felt  that  the 
day  of  his  death  was  at  hand,  king  William  released  his  brother 
Odo,  and  all  those  whom  he  had  committed  to  prison  in  Eng- 
land or  Normandy,  and  performed  a  severe  penance,  for  the 
fact  that  any  one  who  in  his  time  had  caught  a  wild  boar,  or  a 
stag,  without  Ucense,  had  been  deprived  of  his  eyes.  He  was 
an  inviolable  preserver  of  peace  and  justice,  so  that  a  maiden 
loaded  with  gold  might  have  traversed  the  kingdom  of  Eng- 
land in  security. 

King  William  divided  his  territories  in  the  following  strange 
manner.  Against  his  will,  and  because  he  was  compelled  to 
do  so,  he  left  Normandy  to  Robert  his  eldest  son,  to  WilUam, 
his  second  son,  he  bequeathed  the  monarchy  of  England,  and  to 
Henry  he  left  all  his  mother's  possessions  and  a  large  treasure. 
So  king  William  left  both  his  kingdom  and  his  life  on 
the  ninth  of  September,  afler  he  had  reigned  over  the  English 
nation  twenty  years,  ten  months,  and  twenty-eight  days.  His 
body  was  carried  to  Caen,  and  buried  there. 


A.p.  1087.         OF  THB  SACBAMSITT  07  THE  ALTAB.  15 

William,  the  son  of  king  William,  hastened  with  all  speed 
to  England,  and  was  consecrated  king,  on  the  twenty-seventh 
day  of  September,  on  the  Lord's  day,  at  Westminster,  by 
Lan&anc,  archbishop  of  Canterbury.  He  endowed  the  abbey 
of  Saint  Martin  of  Battle,  and  loved  it,  and  confirmed  every- 
thing that  had  been  established  there  by  his  father,  and  paid 
reverence  to  his  tomb,  and  to  the  day  of  his  anniversiftry ; 
which,  however,  Robert  obstinately  refused  to  do ;  and  so, 
moved  by  his  example,  did  his  other  sons  too.  There  were 
present  at  his  funeral  three  persons  who  had  been  his  chap- 
lains, and  on  whom  the  king  had  conferred  the  dignity  of 
bishop ;  namely,  Maurice,  bishop  of  London,  William,  bishop 
of  Norwich,  and  Robert,  bishop  of  Winchester. 
Of  the  Sacrament  of  the  Altar, 

The  same  year,  Berengarius  of  Tours,  who  had  fallen  into 
heretical  error,  had  corrupted  nearly  all  the  Grauls,  and  Ita- 
lians, and  the  English  with  his  own  erroneous  sentiments, 
asserting  new  and  unheard-of  and  false  doctrines  concerning 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  and  the  transubstantiation,  both  of 
the  bread  into  flesh,  and  also  of  the  wine  into  blood.  But  the 
prudence  of  Lanfiranc  detected  all  the  wiles  of  his  adversaries, 
and  confirmed  the  catholic  truth  in  every  point.  Paul  also, 
of  whom  we  have  already  made  mention,  sufiered  not  the  ec- 
clesiastical truth  to  fall  to  the  ground.  And  thus  the  Christian 
religion,  as  to  the  sacrament  of  the  altar,  was  irrefragably  es- 
tablished. 

The  Venetians,  who  were  designing  to  carry  away  the  body 
of  Saint  Nicholas  from  Mirrhea,  in  Lycia,  which  had  been 
destroyed  by  the  Turks,  were  anticipated  by  the  citizens  of 
Bari,  who  came  to  the  number  of  forty-seven  from  Antioch  to 
Mirrhea,  and  who  compelled  four  monks,  who  were  still  found 
there,  to  show  them  the  tomb  of  the  saint ;  and  when  they  had 
broken  it  open,  they  found  the  bones  of  the  holy  Nicholas 
swimming  in  liquid  oil,  complete  in  number,  and  they  took 
them  out,  and  carried  them  to  Ban  with  great  glory.  And 
this  removal  of  the  bones  of  the  saint  took  place  seven  hundred 
and  fifty-five  years  after  his  burial. 

The  same  year,  while  some  men  of  patrician  rank,  debating 
at  Milan  on  affairs  of  state,  were  sitting  together  in  a  tower  in 
that  city,  a  voice  soimded  in  the  ears  of  all  them,  calling  one 
of  them  by  name,  and  begging  him  to  depart  with  all  speed. 
And,  as  he  delayed  to  comply,  a  certain  person  appeared  to 


16  HATTH£W   OF   WE8TMINSTEB.  A.D.  1088. 

him,  who,  having  called  him,  preyailed  upon  him  by  entreaty 
to  depart.  And,  when  he  had  gone  out,  the  tower  suddenly 
fell,  and  crushed  all  who  were  there  miserably. 

Ch.  II.— Fbom  A.D.  1088  TO  A.D.   1100. 

Many  of  the  nobles  prefer  the  claim  of  Robert — Prudence  of 
William — Hia  coronation — He  makes  war  on  Robert — 
Malcolm  does  homage  to  him  for  Scotland — Death  of  Mal- 
colm— A  great  council  is  held  at  Clermont — The  first  cru- 
sade— Valour  of  Robert,  and  of  Tancred  and  Bohemond — 
Robert  mortgages  Normandy  to  king  William — Alexius, 
emperor  of  Constantinople — Soliman  is  defeated — Nice  is 
taken,  and  Antioch — jS'i^^  of  Jerusalem — King  William  is 
killed,  and  succeeded  by  Henry — Baldunn  is  crowned  king 
of  Jerusalem^Robert  returns  to  Europe. 

William,  king  of  England,  the  great  conqueror,  being  dead, 

William  Rufus  succeeds  to  the  kingdom,  being  the  second 

son  of  the  late  king, 

A.D.  1088.  Many  of  the  nobles  of  England  disdaining  to 
be  subject  to  the  younger  brother,  and  to  desert  the  cause  of 
Robert,  the  eldest  son,  said  it  would  be  too  unworthy  a  pro- 
ceeding to  be  subject  to  the  younger  brothers,  while  aban- 
doning so  gallant  and  noble  a  soldier.  But  the  prudence  of 
the  king,  as  he  was  not  able  to  bend  every  one  at  once,  pro- 
ceeded cautiously  to  propitiate  individuals,  and  at  first  he 
promised  privileges  according  to  his  own  discretion ;  after- 
wards he  ytfA  not  slack  in  recalling  what  it  was  not  hb  to 
give ;  and  thus  he  promised  cunningly,  with  a  crafty  mental 
reservation  of  his  own ;  conduct  which  did  not  escape  the 
notice  of  God. 

Victor  was  elected  pope,  and  governed  the  papal  see  one 
year,  four  months,  and  four  days. 

The  coronation  of  William  Rufus, 
Therefore  the  new  king  was  crowned  at  London,  being  both 
in  name  and  fact  William  Rufus.  And  there  were  present  at 
his  coronation,  Lanfranc,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  who  had 
consecrated  him  king,  and  Thomas,  archbishop  of  York,  and 
Maurice,  bishop  of  London,  and  Walkelm,  bishop  of  Win- 
chester, and  Galfrid,  bishop  of  Chichester,  and  Alnoth,  bishop 
of  Worcester,  and  William,  bishop  of  Thetford,  and  Robert, 
bishop  of  Chester,  and  William,  bishop  of  Durham,  and  Odo, 


A.D.  1089.  LAWTBAITC,  ABCHBI8H0P  OF  CANTBBBiniT,  DIBS.    17 

bishop  of  Bayeaux,  the  justiciary  of  all  England,  and  Remigius, 
bishop  of  Lincoln,  which  bishopric,  by  the  management  of 
Bemigius,  was  transferred,  as  far  as  its  site  is  concerned,  to  the 
place  where  the  seat  of  the  diocese  now  is.  For  as  that  bishop- 
ric was  one  of  exceedingly  large  extent,  reaching  from  the 
Thames  to  the  Humber,  he  thought  it  not  fitting  that  the 
cathedral  city  should  be  in  a  small  town  at  one  end  of  the 
diocese,  when  Lincoln  was  much  superior,  both  in  situation 
and  in  its  buildings.  Accordingly,  haying  bought  some 
lauds,  he  caused  a  church  to  be  built  in  the  highest  part  of 
the  city,  near  the  castle,  and  canons  to  be  ordained  to  the  ter- 
ritory. But  now,  returning  from  our  digressions  from  the  main 
subject,  let  us  resume  that  main  subject.  The  evil  which  had 
affected  the  English,  now  in  some  degree  returned  to  the 
English.  For  aU  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom  whom  William 
the  Great  had  promoted  became  proud,  being  indignant  at  a 
younger  soli  reigning  oyer  them,  Bobert,  the  first-born,  a 
noble  and  magnanimous  prince,  being  set  aside ;  and  so  they 
made  war  upon  William,  not  without  laying  themseWes  open 
to  the  imputation  of  perjury.  But  within  three  years  they 
were  all  put  down,  and  their  estates  distributed  among  more 
faithful  people. 

Lanfranc^  the  noble  Prelate  of  the  Church  of  Canterbury^  died, 
A.S.  1089.  Lanfranc,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  died  on 
the  twenty-fourth  of  March,  who  had  restored  the  large 
church  in  Canterbury,  and  all  its  offices.  He  procured  many 
additional  dignities  for  that  church ;  he  restored  its  manors,  he 
established  two  receiving  houses  for  strangers,  by  condemning 
heresies  he  confirmed  &e  faith,  he  established  in  an  admi- 
rable manner  the  monastic  order  there,  by  the  assistance  of 
Paul,  his  nephew,  who  was  a  monk,  and  whom  he  brought 
with  him  out  of  Normandy,  and  appointed  to  be  abbot  of  Saint 
Alban's  ;  he  restored  the  church  at  Rochester ;  he  diligently 
corrected,  by  a  comparison  with  the  ancient  copies,  the  books 
which  the  rude  simpHcity  of  the  English  had  corrupted ;  in 
the  confirmation  of  which  the  church  delights  to  feel  itself 
strengthened.  This  year,  king  William  began  to  wage  war 
against  his  brother  Bobert,  duke  of  Normandy.  The  same  year, 
an  earthquake  took  place,  and  the  monks  of  Bermondsey  came 
into  £ngland,  at  the  invitation  of  Lanfranc.  That  Bemigius 
was  a  monk  of  Feschamp,  who  also  founded  a  new  convent  of 
monks  at  Saint  Mary  de  Stoke,  and  a  second  at  Harden. 

VOL.  II.  0 


18  IIATTHEW  OF  TfESTMnrSTEB.  A.D.  1091. 

King  WiUiam  wages  war  against  his  brother  Robert. 

A.D.  1090.  King  William,  waging  war  against  his  elder  brother, 
Robert,  took  the  castles  of  Saint  Yaleri  and  Albemarle.  For  he 
was  eager  to  avenge  the  injuries  which  he  had  done  to  his 
younger  brother,  from  whom  he  had  treacherously  obtained  a 
large  sum  of  money,  by  selling  to  him  apart  of  his  estate  and 
taking  it  away  afterwards,  and  by  circumveBting  his  brother's 
simplicity  by  other  similar  frauds  and  acts  of  cunning.  For  this 
prince  Robert  was  of  a  perfectfigure  of  body,  vigorous,  bold,  and 
fearless,  of  great  muscular  strength,  of  large  bone,  of  lofty  sta- 
ture, and  a  manly  expression  of  countenance  ;  but  insatiably 
avaricious,  very  cunning,  and  out  of  arrogance  disobedient  to 
his  father,  magnanimous  sovereign  as  he  was  ;  he  had  no  de« 
votion  to  God,  no  fidehty  to  his  brother  William.  At  last, 
indeed,  much  against  his  will,  he  did  become  faithful  to  liim. 
For  being  compelled  by  necessity,  he  sought  some  great  friends 
to  make  his  brother  friendly  to  him,  and  he  himself  was  re- 
conciled to  him  after  a  fashion. 

The  same  year,  the  church  of  the  blessed  Mary  of  Castilacra 
was  founded  by  William,  count  de  Warenne. 

Malcolm,  king  of  the  Scots,  did  homage  to  king  William.  The 
king,  becoming  ill,  made  good  promises,  but  did  not  keep  them. 
A.D.  1091.  A  violent  and  mischievous  wind  struck  London, 
shaking  the  towers,  and  buildings,  and  ^it-bearing  trees. 
Remigius,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  when  he  had  arranged  to  dedi- 
cate the  church  which  had  been  completed  with  so  much 
magnificence,  after  he  had  prepared  everything  that  was  neces- 
sary for  such  a  solemnity,  died  the  day  before  that  on  which 
it  was  to  have  taken  place.  Thomas,  archbishop  of  York, 
resisted  and  contradicted  him  in  this  matter,  affirming  that  it 
was  built  in  his  diocese.  On  which  account,  the  consecration 
was  delayed,  because  an  appeal  was  pending,  and  because  of 
the  untimely  death  of  the  bishop.  The  same  year,  the  body 
of  the  blessed  Clement,  the  first  bishop  who  was  ordained  by 
the  Apostles,  was  found  at  Mechi.  About  the  end  of  this 
year,  or  the  beginning  of  the  next,  king  William  became  re- 
conciled to  his  brother  Robert,  having  been  prevailed  on  by 
the  entreaties  of  many  of  his  friends,  on  condition,  however, 
that  the  castles  which  the  king  had  obtained  from  his  brother, 
should  remain  his  property ;  and  that  the  king  should  assist 
him  in  obtaining  all  the  things  which  his  father  had  be- 


A.D.  1091.  .    ausslm  .sees  Jl  yision.  19 

qneathed  to  bim,  receiving  similar  assistance  from  him.  And 
they  made  an  inyiolable  agreement,  that  if  either  of.  them 
died  before  the  other,  without  a'  son«  the  other  should  be  his 
heir.  And  some  nobles,  selected  for  the  purpose,  swore  to  this 
agreement  on  the  part  of  the  king,  and  an  equal  number  on 
the  part  of  count  Robert. 

In  the  meantime,  Malcolm,  king  of  the  Scots,  overran  the 
borders  of  England,  plundering  and  ravaging  them ;  but  when 
the  king,  in  union  with  his  brother  Robert,  marched  with 
speed  towards  that  district,  with  an  army,  Malcolm  became 
alarmed,  and  met  him  with  peaceful  professions,  and,  having 
done  him  homage,  swore  fealty  to  him. 

Also,  about  the  end  of  this,  or  the  beginning  of  the  suc- 
ceeding year,  the  church  of  Saint  Oswin  of  Tynemouth  was 
put  in  order  for  the  reception  of  monks,  who  were  established 
there,  under  the  regular  discipUne  of  Saint  Benedict,  under 
Paul,  the  abbot  of  Saint  Alban's.  After  this,  king  William 
becoming  very  ill,  promised  to  pass  some  good  laws,  and  to 
have  peace  with  the  church.  But  when  he  recovered,  he  re- 
pented of  having  made  such  promises,  and  oppressed  the  king- 
dom and  the  church  more  severely  than  he  had  previously 
done,  so  that,  on  a  false  pretext,  he  extorted  five  hundred 
thousand  marks  from  one  church,  namely,  from  Lincoln. 
He  appointed  Anselm  archbishop  of  Canterbury :  but  sub- 
sequently he  persecuted  him  illegally,  and  drove  him  into 
banishment.  Accordingly,  Anselm  went  into  exile,  and  re- 
mained there  till  he  saw  in  a  vision  of  the  night  that  all  the 
saints  of  England  were  complaining  to  the  Most  High  of  the 
tyranny  of  king  William,  who  was  destroying  his  churches. 
And  God  said,  "Let  Alban,  the  proto-martyr  of  the  English, 
come  hither ; "  and  he  gave  him  an  arrow  which  was  on  fire, 
saying,  "Bebold  tlie  death  of  the  man  of  whom  you  com- 
plain before  me."  And  the  blessed  Alban,  receiving  the 
arrow,  said,  "  And  I  will  give  it  to  a  wicked  spirit,  an  avenger 
of  sins  ;*'  and  saying  this,  he  threw  it  down  to  earth,  and  it 
flew  through  the  air  like  a  comet.  And  immediately  arch- 
bishop Anselm  perceived  in  the  spirit  that  the  king^  having 
been  shot  by  that  arrow,  died  that  night.  And  accordingly, 
at  the  first  dawn  of  the  morning,  having  celebrated  mass,  he 
ordered  his  vestments,  and  his  books,  and  other  moveables,  to 
be  got  in  readiness,  and  immediately  set  out  on  his  journey  to 
his  church.     And  when  he  came  near  it,  he  heard  that  king 

c  2 


20  MATTHEW  OF  WBSTMIKSTBE.  A.D.  1093. 

William  had  been  shot  by  an  arrow  that  very  night,  and  was 
dead.  Bat  this  event  will  be  mentioned  hereafter  in  its  pro- 
per place.  The  same  year,  lord  Herebert,  abbot  of  Ramsey, 
received  the  bishopric  of  Thetford. 

Malcolm,  king  of  the  Scots,  is  slain.      The  holy  Margaret,  his 
mfe,  seeing  this  and  other  misfortunes,  died* 

A.D.  1092.  Malcolm,  king  of  Scotland,  invaded  England  for 
the  sake  of  plunder,  but  was  suddenly  intercepted  and  slain. 
And  when  Ins  queen,  the  God-beloved  Margaret,  heard  this, 
she  from  that  day  forth  wasted  away  with  grief,  and  soon 
after  ender  her  life,  amid  prayers  and  tears ;  for  the  Lord 
chastened  her  with  a  double  aflliction.  For  Edward,  the  son 
of  Malcolm  and  this  queen,  and  the  heir  of  Scotland  if  he 
had  Uvedy  was  slain  with  his  father  Malcolm.  Then  the  Scots 
elected  Dunewal,  the  brother  of  Malcolm,  king ;  but  Duncan, 
the  son  of  Malcolm,  who  had  been  a  hostage  at  the  court  of 
king  William,  advanced  his  claim  by  the  assistance  of  William, 
and  put  his  uncle  to  flight,  and  succeeded  his  father  in  the 
kingdom.  The  same  year,  John,  bishop  of  Wells,  a  native  of 
Tours,  transferred  the  cthedral  seat  of  his  diocese  to  Bath. 
King  William  gave  the  bishopric  of  Lincoln  to  his  chancellor, 
Robert  Bloet.  King  William  restored  the  city  of  Caerleon, 
which  had  been  destroyed  long  before  in  the  Danish  persecu- 
tion, and  brought  inhabitants  to  it  from  the  southern  districts 
of  England.  This  year  also  a  great  deal  of  rain  fell,  and  an 
inundation  took  place,  a  greater  than  which  had  never  been 
seen.  King  William  oppressed  the  whole  kingdom,  and  also 
the  clergy,  with  various  exactions,  and  imposed  many  badges 
of  slavery  on  men,  for  which  he  incurred  the  curse  of  many 
whom  he  oppressed. 

Some  of  the  acts  mentioned  at  the  end  of  this  year  belong 
partly  to  the  preceding  one. 

Frost  and  snow,  such  as  were  never  seen  before, 
A.B.  1093.  After  some  excessive  inundations  which  had  been 
caused  by  the  rain,  even  the  large  rivers  were  covered  with 
such  a  thick  ice,  which  lasted  a  long  time,  that  they  became 
passable  for  men  and  loaded  carriages  and  waggons.  At  last, 
when  the  snow  melted,  the  fragments  of  ice  floating  down  the 
river  left  scarcely  one  sound  bridge  in  the  whole  country. 
This  year  also,  Suho,  provost  of  Beauvais,  was  consecrated  by 
the  pope  bishop  of  Chartres.     In  this,  or  rather  in  the  end  of 


A.D.  1094.       TTILLIAIC  UOTDB  AS  JlBMY  TS  WALES.  21 

the  former  year,  king  "William  gave  the  diocese  of  Canterbury 
in  peace  to  Anselm,  whose  ordination  took  place  on  the  fourth 
of  December. 

The  seat  of  the  bishopric  w  transferred  from  Thetfordto  Norwich, 
A.D.  1094.  On  the  ninth  of  April,  the  seat  of  his  bishopric 
was  remoYed  from  Thetford  to  Norwich  by  Herebert  Loseng. 
Alvin,  the  founder  of  Bermondsey,  died.  The  before-men- 
tioned Herebert  became  bishop  of  Ilietford  by  the  purchase  of 
the  episcopal  dignity,  having  formerly  been  abbot  of  Ramsay. 
But  afterwards  he  repented,  and  went  to  Rome,  and  restored  to 
the  pope  the  staff  and  ring  which  he  had  acquired  by  simony. 
But,  by  the  favourable  indulgence  of  the  Apostolic  See,  he 
was  restored. 

The  same  year,  king  William  sent  his  brother  Henry  into 
Normandy  with  a  large  sum  of  money,  on  purpose  to  subdue 
it.  The  count  of  Northumberland  having  become  elated  at 
having  defeated  the  king  of  Scotland,  as  has  been  mentioned 
already^  treated  the  king's  court  with  insult ;  and  therefore 
the  king  marched  his  army  into  Northumberland  to  attack 
Robert,  and  took  prisoners  in  Newcastle  all  the  more  powerful 
members  of  the  king's  household,  and  loaded  them  with 
chains.  The  castle  of  Bamborough  was  restored  to  the  king, 
and  all  the  favourers  of  the  count  were  ill  treated ;  for  William 
of  Anjou  was  deprived  of  his  eyes,  and  Odo,  count  of  Cham- 
pagne, and  many  others,  had  their  property  confiscated.  The 
same  year,  king  William  led  an  army  into  Wales,  because  the 
year  before  the  Welch  had  slain  many  of  the  Normans,  and  had 
broken  down  their  strongholds,  and  the  castle  of  Montgomery, 
and  put  all  that  they  found  in  it  to  death.  Therefore,  king 
William  traversed  the  country  of  the  Welch  with  a  hostile 
army ;  but,  finding  himself  unable  to  pursue  them  amid  the 
lurking  places  of  their  mountains  and  their  thick  woods,  esta- 
blished some  forts  on  the  borders,  and  returned  to  his  own 
country.     The  same  year,  stars  were  seen  to  fall  from  heaven. 

<<  A  monster  bom  of  Losing  rises  up 
Within  the  church ;  the  base  Simoniac  sect 
Which  tramples  on  the  virtues  of  the  canons. 
Peter,  why  slumberest  thou  ?    For  Simon  seeks 
Too  high  preferment  in  his  wicked  flight. 
If  thou  wert  present  he  would  flf  less  high. 
Alas,  alas !  for  money,  for  base  dross, 
The  church  is  sold.    Lo !  here  a  son  is  bishop : 
A  father  abbot.    Simon  both  at  once. 


22  MATTHEW  OF  WXSTMIIfSTEB.  A.D.  1095. 

What  is  beyond  our  hopes  if  we  have  money  ? 
Money  has  all  the  world,  does  what  it  wills ; 
Bestows  and  takes  away ;  and,  shameful  thing. 
For  money  bishops  and  abbots  are  created." 

During  this  year,  king  William  went  into  Normandy,  and  from 
thence  he  sent  into  England,  and  ordered  twenty  thousand 
English  to  come  to  him.  But  after  they  had  reached  the 
sea-shore,  he  ordered  them  to  return,  and  to  send  the  king  the 
money  which  they  had  brought  with  them«  amounting  to 
twenty  shilUngs  a  man. 

The  holy  Wolstan  died,  and  a  great  council  was  held. 

A.D.  1095.  On  the  twenty-fifth  of  March,  a  man  of  exem- 
plary character,  Wolstan,  bishop  of  Worcester,  died ;  and  as 
he  was  passing  from  life,  he  appea^d  to  Robert,  bishop  of 
Hereford^  in  a  vision,  who  immediately  hastened  to  Worcester 
to  bury  him.  But  that  holy  man  Wolstan,  to  whose  holiness 
the  blessed  king  Edward,  as  has  heen  already  mentioned,  even 
after  he  was  dead,  bore  witness,  became  afterwards  so  eminent 
for  signs  and  wonders,  that  the  times  of  the  Apostles  seemed 
to  have  returned. 

The  same  year,  that  is  to  say,  in  the  thousand  and  ninety- 
fifth  year  of  the  Divine  Incarnation,  a  great  council  was  held 
under  the  presidency  of  the  pope,  at  Clermont,  a  city  of  Au- 
yergne ;  where  the  lord  pope  himself  made  a  speech  to  the 
people  on  the  subject  of  the  Holy  Land,  of  such  hoUness  and 
of  such  convincing  efficacy,  that  he  animated  many  illustrious 
princes  to  undertake  an  expedition  to  Jerusalem,  and  to  make 
a  return  to  Christ  by  dying  for  him.  Therefore  the  pope's 
speech  was  not  void  of  effect,  and  many  nobles  took  the 
sign  of  the  cross,  whom  it'  would  be  tedious  to  enumerate. 
Among  whom  Robert,  duke  of  Normandy,  assumed  the  cross, 
with  the  purpose  of  entering  on  that  holy  expedition,  and 
mortgaged  Normandy  to  his  brother  William  for  ten  thousand 
pounds  of  silver.  And  he'  was  joined  by  Robert,  count  of 
Flanders,  and  Eustace,  count  of  Boulogne.  There  also  took 
part  in  the  expedition  duke  Grodfrey,  Baldwin,  earl  of  Monte, 
and  another  Baldwin,  destined  to  be  the  future  kings  of  Jeru- 
salem. A  third  body  was  composed  of  Raymond,  count  of 
Saint  Giles,  Adelmar,  bishop  of  Puy,  a  man  eminent  for  his 
skill  in  arms,  but  still  more  so  for  the  purity  of  his  life^  and 
the  bishop  of  Hostia,  who  were  the  prelates  of  the  army. 
There  were  also  Hugh  the  Great,  brother  of  the  king  of  France, 


A.D.  1095.        THE  CHBISTIAirS  DEFEAT  THE  FAGAIfS.  23 

Stephen,  count  of  Blois,  Bohemond,  the  nephew  of  Taiy;red, 
and  others  whose  names  this  page  is  insufficient  to  contain. 

Peter  the  Hermit  was  the  first  actually  to  set  out  for  Jeru- 
salem, at  the  head  of  an  innumerable  army.  But,  as  thirty  thou- 
sand of  his  men  were  slain  before  he  reached  Jerusalem,  he 
incurred  an  irreparable  loss.  The  first  battle  of  the  Christians 
was  at  the  bridge  over  the  rirer  Pharphax,  on  the  twenty-first 
of  February.  The  second  was  before  rf ice,  which  they  took  on 
the  nineteenth  of  June.  They  also  took  Laodicea.  But  though 
more  than  three  hundred  thousand  armed  men  had  taken  the 
Yow,  there  was  such  plenty  in  their  camp,  that  a  sheep  was 
sold  for  a  shilling,  and  an  ox  for  less  than  twelve.  When, 
therefore,  after  seven  weeks  and  three  days,  they  divided  the 
army,  and  proceeded  onward  to  Antioch,  that  division  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  body  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  cavalry,  and  an 
innumerable  host  of  Arabs.  They  sent  to  the  other  division 
for  assistance,  and  a  terrible  battle  took  place,  in  which  the 
Christiaus  were  very  severely  handled ;  and,  as  they  were  be- 
ginning to  think  of  flight,  Robert,  duke  of  Normandy,  met 
them,  and  shouted,  ''  Oh,  soldiers,  whither  are  you  fleeing  ? 
Their  horses  are  more  speedy  than  ours  ;  we  must  not  flee, 
for  it  is  better  to  die  honourably  than  to  flee  disgracefully. 
Follow  me."  There  was  a  man  of  great  and  marvellous 
prowess !  Scarcely  had  he  finished  speaking,  when  he  directed 
the  point  of  his  spear  against  a  certain  king  of  the  pagan  host, 
which  pierced  through  wood  and  iron  and  body  of  the  man. 
Then  he  overthrew  a  second  and  a  third,  and  many  more  who 
were  fated  never  to  rise  again.  In  like  manner,  Tancred,  Bo- 
hemond, Richard,  and  Robert  dealt  valiant  blows  among  the 
enemy.  When  lo !  Hugh  the  Great  and  Anselm  de  Ribeau- 
mont  came  with  a  numerous  force,  in  advance  of  the  other 
division  of  the  army,  and,  being  fresh,  completely  routed  the 
wearied  pagans ;  who,  when  they  saw  such  a  number  of  ene- 
mies coming  up  unexpectedly,  ^ook  to  flight.  So  the  Chris- 
tians gaihed  the  victory,  though  it  was  but  a  disastrous  one, 
on  the  first  day  of  July.  From  thence  they  marched  onwards 
to  Heraclea,  and  from  thence  to  Tarsus,  which  became  subject 
to  the  noble  count  Baldwin.  Athenae  and  Mamistra  were  sub- 
dued by  Tancred.  The  duke  of  Normandy  took  a  certain  city 
called  Simeon ;  and  Raymond  and  Bohemond  took  another, 
which  they  entrusted  to  Peter  of  the  Alps.  At  last,  they  ar- 
rived at  Iron  Bridge ;  and,  on  the  twentieth  of  October,  they 


24  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMI3fSTi:B.  A.D.  1097. 

laid  siege  to  Antioch,  which  is  the  metropolis  of  Syria.  In 
February,  a  wonderful  army  of  the  pagans  assembled  at  Iron 
Bridge,  near  the  castle  of  Areth,  and  our  six  commanders 
hastened  to  attack  them ;  but  the  great  numbers  of  the  pagans 
encountered  them  with  such  vigour,  that  they  retreated  a  little  ; 
and  Bohemond,  the  decider  of  battles,  and  Robert,  the  standard- 
bearer,  the  son  of  Gerard,  rushed  like  lions  upon  the  enemy. 
In  that  conflict  the  duke  of  Normandy  clave  one  man  of 
gigantic  stature  through  the  head,  and  teeth,  and  neck,  and 
shoulders  down  to  his  breast.  And  duke  Godfrey  cut  another 
through  the  middle ;  and  when  one  part  of  him  had  fallen  to 
the  ground,  the  other  part  still  remained  firm  on  the  horse, 
and  was  carried  back  among  the  pagans.  And  whenr  they  saw 
this,  they  became  frightened,  and  fled,  and  departed  to  the 
wrath  of  damnation. 

At  this  time,  Alexius  was  the  emperor  of  the  Greeks,  acun> 
ning  man,  and  one  who  was  always  devising  injury  and  trea- 
chery against  our  men.  This  year,  the  church  of  Saint  John 
the  Baptist  was  founded  at  Colchester,  by  £udo,  the  king's 
steward. 

Duke  Robert  goes  to  JerusaJem,     Normandy  is  mortgaged. 

A.D.  1096.  While  pope  Urban  was  still  sowing  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  with  the  co-operation  of  many  other  divines  and  pre- 
lates, eminent  for  learning,  and  virtue,  and  eloquence,  the 
business  of  the  cross  went  on  prosperously ;  and,  as  the  coun- 
cil was  not  yet  dissolved,  a  general  indulgence  from  their  sins 
was  granted  by  the  pope,  to  whom,  as  vicar  of  the  blessed 
Peter,  all  power  of  binding  and  loosing  upon  earth  has  been 
granted,  to  all  who  had  assumed,  or  should  hereafter  assume, 
the  sign  of  the  cross.  This  year,  duke  Robert  proceeded  to 
the  Holy  Land  ;  and  the  same  year  a  great  slaughter  of  the 
Jews  took  place  at  Rouen.  Stars  were  seen  to  fall  from 
heaven.  King  William  received  Normandy  as  mortgaged  to 
him.  The  count  of  Toulouse,  with  the  legions  that  accom- 
panied him,  began  his  march  towards  the  Holy  Land.  This 
year  also,  the  city  of  Nice^  was  besieged  by  our  Christians. 

Duke  Godfrey  begins  his  march  to  Jerusalem,     Antioch  is  besieged, 

A. D.  1097.  On  the  fifth  of  April,  a  certain  marsh  at  Fin- 

1  It  will  be  observed  here,  that  our  chronicler  has  stated  Nice  to  have 
been  already  taken.  In  reality  it  put  itself  under  the  protection  of  Alexias 
in  June  1097.    See  Gibbon,  c.  Iviii.  vol.  xi.  p.  59. 


A.D.  1098.      ANTIOCH  TAKEN  BY  THE  CHBI8TIAXS.  25 

dunnstede,  in  Berkshire,  flowed  with  blood.  Godfrey,  duke 
of  Brabant,  began  his  march  towards  Jerusalem,  and  joined 
our  army  ;  and  a  great  battle  was  fought  between  the  Chris- 
tians and  the  Turks,  the  latter  hoping  to  relieye  the  city  of 
Mce,  which  was  besieged  by  our  troops.  SoHman,  the  lord  of 
that  city,  and  of  the  extensive  and  fertile  country  which  lay 
around  it,  was  defeated  with  the  pagans,  of  whom  he  was  the 
sovereign  and  the  general ;  and  the  glorious  city  of  Nice  was 
taken  in  the  month  of  July,  on  the  twentieth  day  of  the  month. 
The  same  year,  the  most  noble  city  of  Antioch  was  besieged. 
The  surrounding  country  was  subdued,  with  many  towns  and 
castles  which  belonged  to  Antioch,  and  another  very  powerful 
city  in  the  heighbourhood.  In  this  year  also,  Anselm,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  consecrated  Samson,  bishop  of  Worces- 
ter, bishop  of  London.  The  same  year,  Richard  was  appointed 
abbot  of  Saint  Alban's.  This  year,  the  church  of  the  Holy 
Trinity,  at  Norwich,  was  founded. 

Antioch  is  taken  by  the  Christiana, 

A.D.  1098.  In  the  month  of  June,  on  the  third  day  of  the 
month,  Antioch  was  taken  by  the  Christians,  in  the  ninth 
month  from  the  commencement  of  the  siege.  And  after  that, 
the  Christians  were  besieged  in  the  same  city  by  Corbaran, 
prince  of  Persia,  who  advanced  against  it  with  a  countless 
multitude  of  pagans.  The  Lance  of  the  Saviour  was  found  in 
the  city,  in  the  church  of  Saint  Peter,  where  it  was  concealed ; 
and  the  Christians  marched  out  of  the  city,  bearing  the  lance 
before  them,  and  a  battle  took  place,  than  which  a  more  ter- 
rible one  was  never  seen,  between  the  Christians  and  Saracens, 
and  the  victory,  by  the  divine  mercy,  was  on  the  side  of  the 
Christians ;  Corbaran  fled,  and  his  whole  army  was  routed,  in 
which  there  were  very  many  of  the  kings  and  chiefs  of  the 
pagans.  And  this  fortunate  battle,  full  of  all  joy,  took  place 
in  the  month  of  June,  on  the  twentieth  day  of  the  month. 
This  year,  the  convent  of  the  Charter  House  was  began  by  the 
brotherhood,  who  were  seeking  a  suitable  dwelling.  And  a 
voice  was  heard  from  above,  saying  in  the  language  of  the 
country,  "  Ciestavus,"  that  is  to  say,  "  Stop  here ;"  on  which 
they  stopped  where  they  were,  and  founded  a  church  and  other 
buildings,  which  daily  prospered  and  increased  in  temporal 
and  spiritual  things. 


26  MATTHEW  OF  WSSTMII78TEB.  A.B.  llOO. 

I%e  Holy  City  of  Jerusalem  was  besieged  by  the  Christians. 

A.B.  1099.  The  most  holy  city  of  Jerusalem  was  besieged 
by  the  Christians.  This  year  also,  the  sea  broke  its  bounds, 
and  did  such  a  quantity  of  mischief  as  no  one  had  ever  seen 
or  heard  of  before.  The  great  church  of  the  convent  of  the 
Charter  House,  with  its  barrier,  was  begun,  in  the  presence  of 
a  large  body  of  the  brethren  then  assembled.  Adelmar,  bishop 
of  Puy,  died,  a  man  eminent  for  his  vigour  in  the  use  of  both 
spiritual  and  material  weapons,  and  very  skilful  in  all  matters 
of  military  discipline.  And  by  his  death  the  Christian  army 
lost  a  great  hope  and  comfort.  On  the  tenth  of  April,  Jeru- 
salem was  taken  by  the  Christians.  The  number  of  Christians 
who  besieged  it  was  forty  thousand  picked  infantry,  and 
fifteen  hundred  knights,  without  counting  those  who  flocked 
to  join  the  army  from  day  to  day.  And  the  Christians  offered 
the  kingdom  of  Jerusalem  to  Robert,  duke  of  Normandy,  and, 
because  he  refused  it,  G^d  was  offended  with  him,  nor  was  he 
ever  prosperous  in  any  subsequent  undertaking.  Then  our 
princes,  by  common  consent,  having  first  invoked  the  grace  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  appointed  a  king  and  patriarch,  appointing 
duke  Godfrey  king,  and  Amulph,  bishop  of  Maturanum,  in 
Calabria,  patriarch. 

The  same  year,  king  William  held  his  court  in  the  new  Hall 
at  Westminster,  which  he  had  built  himself. 

King  William  dies,  being  slain  by  an  arrow,  and  his  brother 

Henry  is  crowned. 

A.B.  1 100.  William,  king  of  England,  while  he  was  hunting 

in  the  New  Forest,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Peter  ad  Vincula,  was 

shot  by  an  arrow  by  Walter  Tyrell,  who  did  not  intend  to  do 

so,  and  so  died.     But  the  day  before  he  departed  this  life,  he 


saw  in  a  dream  that  he  was  losing  blood  by  the  wound  of  a 
phlebotomist,  and  that  a  ray  of  blood  reached  up  into  heaven, 
and  covered  the  light  vnth  a  cloud,  and  obstructed  the  day. 
And  so  he  awoke  from  sleep,  and  called  on  the  Holy  Mary, 
ordered  a  light  to  be  brought,  and  forbade  his  chamberlains  to 
leave  him.  But  when  Aurora  began  to  bring  day  upon  the 
earth,  a  certain  monk  related  to  Robert,  the  son  of  Hamo,  a 
dream  which  he  had  seen  respecting  the  king  the  same  night. 
He  had  seen  a  vision  of  the  king  entering  a  certain  church  vrith 
haughty  gait,  as  was  his  custom,  despising  all  who  stood 
around.     Then  taking  hold  of  the  crucifix  with  his  teeth,  he 


A.D.  1100.      COBOKATTOK  OV  XXSQ   HENBT  THE  TIBST.  27 

gnawed  its  arms,  and  nearly  cut  off  its  legs.  The  crucifix 
endured  this  treatment  for  a  time  ;  but  at  last  it  struck  down 
the  king  with  its  foot,  so  that  he  fell  on  his  back.  And  while 
he  was  lying  in  this  posture,  such  an  abundant  flame  came 
forth  out  of  his  moutii,  that  the  quantity  of  smoke  darkened 
even  the  stars.  Robert,  thinking  that  his  dream  ought  not  to 
be  neglected,  immediately  reported  it  to  the  king.  But  he 
langhed  exceedingly  at  &rst ;  afterwards,  being  a  good  deal 
affected,  he  hesitated  for  some  time  whether  he  would  go  into 
the  forest,  as  he  had  intended  ;  and  whether,  as  his  friends  ad- 
Tised,  he  should  test  the  truth  of  these  dreams  at  his  own  risk. 
And  so  before  dinner  he  abstained  from  hunting,  but  soon 
after  dinner  he  proceeded  to  the  wood.  And  there  Walter 
Tyrell,  intending  to  pierce  a  stag  with  an  arrow,  unintentionally 
shot  the  king  in  the  heart,  as  I  have  said  before ;  who  fell 
down,  and  never  spoke  a  word,  but  ended  his  cruel  life  by  a 
miserable  death,  and  was  buried  at  Winchester.  And  when 
Anselm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  knew  this  by  the  spirit,  he 
hastened  to  return  to  his  country,  ^as  I  have  said  before  ;  for 
he  had  been  living  in  exile,  having  fled  from  the  persecution 
of  the  king.  And  on  the  day  when  the  king  died,  he  had  in  his 
own  country  the  archbishopric  of  Canterbury  and  the  bishop- 
rics of  Winchester  and  Salisbury,  and  nine  abbeys,  the  reve- 
nnes  of  which  had  been  given  to  him.  A  marvellous  thing. 
Whatever  displeased  God,  and  those  who  love  Crod,  pleased 
him.  And  the  next  day,  he  was  buried  at  Winchester,  in  the 
church  of  Saint  Peter,  in  that  city ;  and  his  brother  Henry 
was  elected  king,  to  whom  Almighty  Grod  gave  three  gifts, 
wisdom,  victory,  and  riches ;  and  by  which  he  prospered  m 
everything,  and  was  superior  to  all  his  predecessors. 

7%e  coronation  of  King  Henry  the  First. 
Therefore  after  the  death  of  king  William  Bufus,  his  bro- 
ther Henry  was  elected  and  consecrated  king  of  England,  at 
Westminster,  by  Maurice,  bishop  of  London,  as  Anselm  was 
still  absent,  on  the  fifth  of  August,  and  with  Maurice,  Thomas, 
archbishop  of  York,  placed  the  crown  on  the  king's  head. 
This  year  many  disasters  happened.  And  the  devil  appeared 
™bly  in  out-of-the-way  places  and  woods,  and  accosted 
passers-by.  Besides  this,  in  the  county  of  Berkshire,  in  the 
^lUage  of  Hampstede,  blood  flowed  out  of  the  ground  for  fif- 
teen days  together ;  and  flowed  from  so  abundant  a  spring, 
that  it  made  a  horrible  pool. 


28  MATTHEW  or  WESTMOrSTSS.  A.D.  llOl. 

Anselm,  retomlDg  from  basishment,  performed  the  ceremony 
of  marriage  between  Matilda,  daughter  of  Malcolm,  king  of 
Scotland,  and  Henry,  king  of  England,  of  which  marriage 
were  bom  a  son  named  William,  and  one  daughter,  by  name 
Matilda,  the  very  image  of  her  mother.  And  when  this  maiden 
was  five  years  old,  the  emperor  Henry  asked  her  in  marriage, 
and  obtained  her. 

But  at  this  coronation  it  was  no  derogation  from  the  just 
claims  of  the  church,  or  of  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  that 
the  bishop  of  London,  who  is  the  dean  of  the  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  and  indeed  of  aU  England,  filled  his  place  in  the 
performance  of  this  office,  and  this  his  own  charter  testifies. 

This  year,  Robert,  duke  of  Normandy,  sumamed  Curthose, 
returned  from  the  Holy  Land,  and  with  him  returned  Robert, 
count  of  Flanders.  But  duke  Robert  did  not  as  yet  come  to 
England,  king  Henry  having,  as  has  been  said  before,  been 
crowned  king,  gave  the  bishopric  of  Winchester  to  William 
Gifiard.  Anselm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  was  entirely  re- 
conciled to  the  king.  Pope  Urban  died,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Paschal.  Baldwin  was  crowned  king  in  Jerusalem,  because 
Robert,  duke  of  Normandy,  refused  that  dignity. 

Ch.  II.— FbOM  A.D.  1101  TO  A.D.  1135. 

Treaty  between  Henry  and  his  brother  Robert — Dispute  be- 
tween Henry  and  the  Church  of  Rome  about  investitures 
— The  Crusaders  take  Ccesarea — Victories  of  Baldwin — 
Robert  comes  to  England — Is  taken  prisoner — Anselm^  the 
archbishop,  holds  a  great  council  —  The  emperor  Henry 
throws  pope  Pascal  into  prison — Tancred  dies — The  nobles 
swear  allegiance  to  Henry,  eldest  son  of  William — War  be- 
tweenHenry  and  Louis,  king  of  France — The  order  of  Knights 
Templars  is  founded — Henry's  sons  are  drowned  in  a  storm 
— Henry  marries  again — The  Normans  fortify  their  chief 
cities — The  Christians  make  themselves  masters  of  Tyre — 
The  emperor  Henry  dies — The  empress  Matilda  marries 
Geoffrey  of  Anjou — Henry,  afterwards  Henry  the  Second, 
is  born-^Death  of  Robert  of  Normandy — Death  of  king 
Henry — Stephen  succeeds. 

King  Henry  and  duke  Robert  of  Normandy  made  a  treaty. 

A.B.  1101.  Anselm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  warned  king 
Henry  of  the  arrival  of  Robert,  duke  of  Normandy,  and  of  his 


A.D.  1102.       A   OBEAT  POUITCIL  HELD  BY  AITSELM.  29 

crafty  design,  and  advised  the  king  to  send  a  naval  expedi- 
tion against  him.  Bat  the  friends  of  both  princes  arranged 
a  treaty  between  them,  on  condition  that  the  king,  on  account 
of  the  evident  right  that  he  had  to  the  possession  of  the  king- 
dom, should  every  year  pay  Robert  three  thousand  marks  of 
silver  out  of  the  English  revenues,  and  that,  whichever  of  the 
two  lived  the  longer,  should  be  the  heir  of  the  other  if  he 
died  without  a  son.  And  this  was  sworn  to  by  twelve  nobles 
on  each  side.  Duke  Robert  stayed  with  the  kmg,  his  brother, 
till  the  time  of  the  festival  of  St.  Michael,  and  after  that  re- 
tamed  to  his  own  country. 

In  the  same  year,  the  king  gave  the  bishopric  of  Hereford 
to  Kemelin,  wiUiout  any  election  having  taken  place,  in  con- 
travention of  the  decrees  of  the  new  council,  and  he  invested 
him  publicly,  which  was  another  thing  that  he  did  contrary 
to  his  oath.  For  he  had  solemnly  sworn  in  the  first  place  that 
he  would  preserve  the  privileges  of  the  church  unimpaired, 
and  also  the  good  laws  of  the  kingdom  which  were  established 
in  and  observed  ever  since  the  time  of  Saint  Edward. 

A  great  council  is  held  by  archbishop  Anselm, 

A.I).  1102.  Henry,  king  of  England,  besieged  the  castle  of 
Arundel,  which  belonged  to  Robert  de  Belesme,  who  held  it 
out  against  the  king ;  and,  at  last,  the  king  made  himself 
master  of  it,  and  banished  Robert  from  England.  The  same 
year,  Anselm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  held  a  council  at 
London,  in  the  church  of  Saint  Paul,  in  the  presence  of  the 
king  and  many  sufiragan  bishops,  about  the  time  of  the  feast 
of  Saint  Michael,  at  which  council  he  excommunicated  those 
priests  who  kept  concubines,  unless  they  put  them  away  from 
that  time  forth.  After  that,  becoming  more  secure  of  the 
friendship  both  of  Henry  and  also  of  Malcolm,  king  of  Scot- 
land, he  formed  a  design  of  governing  the  church  with  greater 
strictness,  and  of  eradicating  all  the  seeds  of  vice.  For  he 
bad  formally  married  anew,  that  is  to  say,  after  he  had  re- 
tamed  from  exile,  Matilda,  the  daughter  of  the  above-men- 
tioned king  Malcolm  and  Uie  holy  Margaret,  to  king  Henry, 
as  has  been  mentioned  before,  which  was  a  service  very 
agreeable  to  both  the  kings  and  to  both  the  kingdoms,  on 
account  of  the  virtues  of  the  queen.  Anselm,  therefore,  being 
confident  in  the  favour  of  God,  and  these  two  kings,  wrote 
out  in  plain  language  the  decrees  which  he  had  received  at 


30  HATTHSW  07  WIBTMHrSTEB.  A.D.  1103. 

Rome,  in  a  general  council  reapecting  the  inyestitares  to 
churches ;  ordaining,  forsooth,  that  no  prekte  of  the  church, 
no  hishop  or  ahhot,  and  none  of  the  secular  clergy,  should 
receive  investiture  of  any  ecclesiastical  dignity  from  the  hands 
of  the  laity.  On  which  account  the  archbishop,  also,  assert- 
ing that  this  was  for  the  advantage  of  their  souls,  degraded 
some  abbots  and  priors,  who  had  obtained  preferments  from 
the  hands  of  the  laity,  and  in  consideration  of  the  payment  of 
money,  as,  for  instance,  Richard  of  Ely,  Aldwin  of  Ramsay, 
the  prior  of  Burgh,  and  many  others,  both  priors  who  had  no 
superiors,  and  also  abbots  themselves.  And  since  he  had  re- 
fused to  consecrate  some  bishops  by  desire  of  the  king,  who 
had  received  institution  from  the  king,  or  even  to  allow  them 
to  communicate  with  him,  the  king  fell  into  evil  ways,  and 
became  full  of  vehement  wrath  against  him.  So  the  king 
commanded  Gerard,  archbishop  of  York,  to  consecrate  them. 
But  William  6i£fard,  fearing  €ie  rigour  of  the  holy  Anselm, 
disdained  the  consecration  of  the  archbishop  of  York.  For 
which  conduct  he  was  banished  the  kingdom,  by  an  unjust 
sentence  of  the  king.  But  Kemelin,  bishop  of  Hereford, 
fearing  for  his  own  conscience,  because  he  had  received  insti- 
tution from  the  king,  resigned  his  diocese  to  Anselm.  This 
year,  also,  Roger  was  elected  to  the  bishopric  of  Salisbury,  on 
the  thirteenth  of  April. 

A  great  mortality  among  men  took  place.     The  city  of  desarea  is 
taken. 

A.D.  1103.  A  deadly  and  too-fatal  mortality  took  pUce, 
both  of  men  and  animals.  That  year,  the  city  of  Csesarea, 
the  most  celebrated  and  opulent  city  in  the  Holy  Land,  was 
surrendered  to  the  Christian  power,  and  an  archbishop  was 
placed  in  it,  by  name  Baldwin,  and  in  that  city  our  great 
father,  the  holy  Basil,  that  glorious  archbishop,  formerly  pre- 
sided over  the  people  of  God.  Moreover,  in  that  city  a  noble 
temple  to  the  Gods  was  immediately  destroyed  by  the  Chris- 
tians :  and  a  very  great  slaughter  of  the  pagans  was  made. 
But  Jerusalem  was  assigned  to  the  government  and  liberality 
of  some  of  the  Christian  princes.  But  the  most  worthy 
caliph  of  the  pagans  sent  an  infinite  multitude  of  Turks  to 
the  deliverance  of  that  city,  all  men  completely  armed,  under 
a  most  mighty  general.  But  Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem,  met 
him,  and,  having  invoked  the  assistance  of  God,  slew  them 


A.B.  1106.  DU^  BOBXBT  TAKEK  FBISOKXB.  31 

all  -with  the  edge  of  the  sword.  And  in  that  glorious  eonfiict 
there  fell  of  the  enemy  five  thousand  armed  cavalry,  but  of 
our  men,  seventy  knights  and  two  hundred  foot-soldiers.  And 
the  city,  to  the  glory  of  God,  was  delivered  from  the  domi- 
nion of  the  pagans. 

Four  circles  appear  round  the  sun. 

A.D.  1104.  On  the  seventeenth  of  April,  four  circles  were 
seen  round  the  sun,  white  and  spotted,  and  marvellously  en- 
twined together.  A  comet  appeared  in  the  month  of  Febru- 
ary. The  same  year,  dissensions  arose  between  king  Henry 
and  Robert,  duke  of  Normandv,  two  brothers.  And  no  smaU 
disasters  and  losses  ensued  that  year.  King  Henry  ordered 
the  property  and  possessions  of  Anselm,  that  virtuous  man,  to 
be  confiscated,  nor  could  reason,  or  the  intercession  of  the 
king  of  Scotland,  and  of  his  own  queen,  restrain  him.  But 
Anselm  went  to  Uve  in  banishment  at  Lyons. 

Achon  was  given  up  to  king  Baldwin. 

Ihke  Robert  came  to  England  to  be  reconciled  to  his  brother ^ 
but  in  vain. 
A..D.  1105.  On  the  thirteenth  of  April,  king  Henry  burnt 
Bayeux.  Bobert,  duke  of  Normandy,  came  to  |9otti)ampton, 
to  the  king,  his  brother,  entreating  of  him,  in  a  suppliant  man- 
ner, to  restore  to  him  what  he  had  taken  from  him.  But  God 
did  not  will  that  they  should  be  friends.  For  the  king  re- 
fused his  requests ;  on  which  account  the  duke  retired  in 
anger,  uttering  threats.  And  the  king  pursuing  him,  vigor- 
ously besieged  him  in  the  castle  of  Tenchebray,  and  cooped 
him  up  in  a  very  small  space.  But  he  escaped  by  night  by  a 
postern  door,  and  levied  a  numerous  army  to  resist  his  brother. 

Ihike  Robert  is  taken,  and  is  put  in  prison  with  the  count  of 
Mortaigne. 

A.D.  1106.  On  the  twenty-fourth  of  April,  while  Henry, 
king  of  England,  was  besieging  Tenchebray,  duke  Robert 
marched  against  the  king  with  his  army  in  battle  array,  on  the 
vigil  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Mark,  and  fought  a  very  undecided 
battle.  The  duke  himself,  though  surrounded  with  many 
guards,  and  himself  an  invincible  lion  in  arms,  and  a  second 
Mars,  as  it  were,  and  skilful  in  military  discipline,  neverthe- 
less, being  no  longer  able  to  endure  the  burden  of  the  war, 
the  main  brunt  of  which  fell  on  him  personally,  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  committed  to  close  custody  in  England,  and 


32  ICATTHEW  OF  WSSTIONSTEB.  A.D.  1107. 

with  him  the  count  of  Mortaigne,  and  many  other  nobles ; 
and  80,  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  April  in  this  year,  the  pro- 
phecy was  fulfilled  which  the  king,  when  d^g,  had  said  to 
ids  son  Henry,  and  to  his  brother — "  I  will  give  you  five  thou- 
sand pounds  from  my  treasury,  bear  it  patiently  ;  in  due  time 
you  shall  haye  all  the  honours  which  I  have  arrived  at,  and 
you  shall  be  superior  to  your  brothers  in  riches  and  power." 
But  the  king,  being  mindful  of  his  relationship  to  his  brother, 
caused  his  brother  to  be  preserved  safely  in  free  custody,  with- 
out being  exposed  to  any  want  of  food,  and  allowing  him  the 
use  of  light,  and  the  adornment  of  handsome  clothes.  He 
also  allowed  him  to  play  at  chess  and  at  dice :  he  also  per- 
mitted him  to  wear  royal  robes,  such  as  the  king  himself 
wore ;  and,  by  the  king's  permission,  he  walked  about  and 
visited  the  neighbouring  orchards,  and  groves,  and  pleasant 
places.  And  one  day,  when  he  was  strolling  about  in  this 
manner,  he  suddenly  seized  a  horse,  when  his  guards  were 
suspecting  no  such  proceeding,  and  leaped  on  it,  and  so  escaped 
unexpectedly.  And  lo !  the  guards,  raising  a  shout  to  the 
skies,  pursued  him  rapidly,  and  caught  him  in  a  muddy  mea- 
dow, where  his  horse  sunk  in  up  to  his  belly,  and  there  kept 
him  close  prisoner  till  the  matter  was  reported  to  the  king. 
Then  the  king  commanded  him  to  be  secretly  deprived  of  the 
light  of  his  eyes,  though  without  doing  any  injury  to  their 
orbs.  And  after  this,  the  duke  wasted  away  by  himself  in 
anguish,  and,  cursing  the  day  of  his  birth,  he  did  not  protract 
his  miserable  life  for  any  great  length  of  time.  The  same 
year,  in  token  of  this  event,  two  moons  were  seen  in  the 
heaven,  one  in  the  east  and  the  other  in  the  west,  and  a  comet 
about  one  cubit  distant  from  the  sun,  about  three  o'clock. 

This  year,  also,  an  order  of  canons  was  established  in  the 
church  of  the  Holy  Virgin  Mary  of  Southwark,  near  London. 

A  great  council  is  held  under  the  presidency  of  Anselm^  arch-^ 
bishop  of  Canterbury. 

A.D.  1107.  On  the  fourteenth  of  April,  the  prior  Norman 
founded  the  Church  of  Christ,  in  London,  for  the  maintenance 
of  a  body  of  regular  canons,  which  is  called  the  Church  of 
the  Holy  Trinity. 

Henry,  son  of  the  emperor,  succeeded  his  father  Henry, 
who  afterwards  married  Matilda,  daughter  of  Henry,  king  of 
England,  when  she  was  hardly  five  years  old.     This  year. 


A.D.   1109.     AITSEIM,  AJttCEBISHOP  OF  CAIfTEEBUIlT,  DIES.      33 

Maurice,  bishop  of  the  Church  of  London,  died ;  and  king 
Henry,  because  he  had  supplied  his  enemies,  gave  thanks  to 
God,  and  coming  to  Beck,  he  there  found  Anselm,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  and  made  peace  with  him.  The  same  year,  a 
great  council  was  held  at  London,  in  the  king's  palace,  over 
which  Anselm  presided,  to  the  decrees  of  which  the  king 
consented,  and  made  a  regulation  that,  from  that  time  forth 
for  ever,  no  one  in  England  should  be  invested  with  the  pas- 
toral staff  or  ring  of  any  bishopric  or  abbacy  by  the  king,  or 
by  any  lay  person.  The  archbishop  also,  on  his  part,  con- 
ceding, that  no  one  who  was  elected  to  any  ecclesiastical  pre- 
ferment should  be  denied  consecration  to  the  honour  which 
he  had  obtained,  on  account  of  any  homage  that  he  should 
pay  the  king.  Then  the  following  bishops  were  consecrated 
by  Anselm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  namely,  WiUiam,  bishop 
of  Winchester,  Roger,  bishop  of  Salisbury,  Kenelm,  bishop 
of  Hereford,  William,  bishop  of  Exeter,  and  Urban,  bishop  of 
Bangor  ;  at  Canterbury,  on  the  Lord's  day,  on  the  eleventh 
of  August,  Maurice  was  succeeded  by  Richard  de  Beaumes. 

Tliis  year,  Edgar,  king  of  Scotland,  died,  and  was  succeeded 
by  his  brother  Alexander. 

Gerard^  archbishop  of  York,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Thomas. 

A.D.  1 108.  On  the  fifth  of  April  died  Philip,  king  of  France, 
who  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Louis.  This  year,  also,  Gerard, 
archbishop  of  York,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Thomas. 
Also,  Robert  de  Beaumes,  bishop  elect  of  London,  was  conse- 
crated by  Anselm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  at  Pageham,  in 
the  presence  of  many  suffragan  bishops. 

Anselm,  archbishop  of  Canterbury^  died, 

A.D.  1 109.  Some  ambassadors  of  vast  stature,  and  eminent 
for  the  splendour  of  their  appointments,  were  sent  by  Henry, 
emperor  of  the  Romans,  to  demand  the  daughter  of  Henry, 
king  of  England,  in  marriage  for  their  master ;  from  whom 
king  Henry  received  oaths.  The  same  year,  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  April,  the  noble  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  Anselm, 
died.  King  Henry  changed  the  abbacy  of  Ely  into  an  epis- 
copal see,  and  caused  Hervey  to  be  ordained  bishop  there.  The 
same  year,  they  met,  by  command  of  the  king,  in  the  city  of 
London,  in  the  church  of  tlie  blessed  Paul,  Richard,  bishop 
of  London,  William,  bishop  of  Winchester,  Radulph,  bishop 
of  Rochester,  Herebert,  bishop  of  Norwich,  Radulph,  bishop 

VOL.  II.  D 


34  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMINSTEB.  A.D.  1112. 

of  Chichester,  Ranulph,  bishop  of  Durham,  and  Hervey,  bishop 
of  Bangor,  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  June,  at  the  consecration 
of  Thomas,  archbishop  elect  of  York,  where  also  having  per- 
formed all  the  observances  of  the  canonical  obedience,  he  was 
consecrated  by  the  archbishop  of  the  church  of  Canterbury,  who 
had  been  duly  ordained  according  to  the  rites  of  the  Catholic 
religion.  This  year,  Easter  day  fell  on  the  day  of  Saint 
Mark  the  Evangelist.  Hugh,  bishop  of  Cluny,  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Poncius. 

llie  holy  Ostein,  king  and  martyr,  was  removed  to  Tynemouth, 
A.D.  1110.  On  the  tenth  of  April,  king  Henry  gave  his 
daughter,  Matilda,  to  Henry,  emperor  of  Germany  ;  the  moon 
appeared  as  if  extinguished.  The  holy  king  and  martyr  Oswin 
was  removed  to  Tynemouth.  The  same  year,  the  holy  Godric 
commenced  the  life  of  a  hermit,  and  after  having  continued  it 
in  an  exemplary  manner  for  sixty  years,  he  departed  happily 
to  the  Lord.  This  year  also,  a  comet  appeared  in  a  marvel- 
lous manner ;  for  it  rose  in  the  east,  and  when  it  had  as- 
cended into  the  firmament,  it  appeared  not  to  advance,  but  to 
retrograde.  The  same  year,  Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem,  took 
Beyrout,  a  city  of  Phoenicia,  on  the  sea  coast,  by  force,  and 
caused  it  to  embrace  the  Catholic  faith. 

Henry,  king  of  the  Germans,  held  the  pope  in  custody, 
A.D.  1 1 11 .  On  the  second  of  April,  a  terrible  mortahty  of  ani- 
mals began,  and  likewise  a  great  famine  in  Normandy.  Henry, 
king  of  Germany,  threw  Paschal  the  pope  into  prison.  Henry, 
king  of  England,  went  into  Normandy  to  attack  the  count  of 
Anjoy,  who  retained  Maine  without  his  consent,  and  carried  on 
a  vigorous  war  against  him  with  fire  and  sword. 

A  quarrel  arose  between  the  pope  and  the  emperor. 
A.D.  1112.  There  was  a  great  mortality  of  men.  This  year 
also,  a  great  quarrel  arose  between  pope  Paschal  and  the  em- 
peror Henry.  The  emperor  desired  to  avail  himself  of  the 
|)rivilege  of  his  predecessors,  which  they  had  enjoyed  for 
three  hundred  years  under  sixty  Roman  pontiffs,  by  virtue  of 
which  they  had  lawfully  given  away  bishoprics  and  abbacies 
by  the  donation  of  a  pastoral  staff  and  ring,  which  the  pope 
thought  unjust ;  the  emperor  thought  the  contrary,  and  in  this 
way  they  came  to  a  violent  quarrel.  At  last  peace  was  made 
between  them,  on  condition  that  the  bishops  and  abbots 
should  for  the  future  receive  institution  from  the  emperor  and 


A.D.  1114.  TEAIiTT  8W0BN  TO  WILLIAM,  SON  OF  KING  HBNBY.  35 

his  successors  by  the  staff  and  ring,  and  should  afterwards  vow 
canonical  obedience  to  the  pope  or  to  some  bishop,  and  receive 
the  customary  consecration.  And  these  things  were  done 
before  the  altar  of  the  apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  in  the  sight 
of  all  who  stood  by,  and  then  the  lord  the  pope  absolved  the 
emperor,  and  administered  to  him  the  sacrament  of  the  body 
of  Christ. 

The  same  year,  that  illustrious  man  Tancred,  so  renowned 
for  his  exploits  at  Jerusalem,  died.  He  was  prince  of  Antioch 
and  count  of  Edissa ;  he  was  succeeded  by  Roger,  the  son  of 
Richard,  a  noble  man,  on  condition  that  whenever  Bohemond 
the  Younger  should  demand  the  restoration  of  Antioch,  Roger 
should  resign  it  to  him  without  any  opposition. 

King  Henry  gave  the  archbishopric  of  Canterbury  to  Richard, 
bishop  of  London. 
A.D.  1 1 13.  On  the  sixth  of  April,  Henry,  king  of  England, 
led  an  army  into  Wales,  and  the  Welch  submitted  them- 
selves to  his  pleasure.  King  Henry  gave  the  archbishopric 
of  Canterbury  to  Richard,  bishop  of  London,  and  gave  him 
investiture  by  the  staff  and  ring.  Thomas,  archbishop  of 
York,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Thurstan.  Moreover,  a  vio- 
lent quarrel  arose  between  Richard,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, and  Thurstan,  archbishop  of  York,  because  the  arch- 
bishop of  York  reused  to  consider  himself  subordinate  to 
the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  as  his  predecessors  had  been 
used  to  do,  and  their  cause  was  often  discussed  before  the 
king  and  the  lord  tlie  pope,  although  it  was  not  as  yet  pro- 
perly terminated.  The  same  year,  in  the  month  of  May,  a 
great  comet  appeared,  and  a  little  afterwards  there  was  an 
earthquake,  which  threw  down  part  of  the  city  of  Manistre, 
not  far  from  Antioch,  with  two  castles,  called  Triphalet  and 
MariscuB.  Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem,  and  Medusa,  prince 
of  Persia,  fought  a  battle,  in  which  Baldwin  was  defeated,  and 
with  difficulty  saved  himself  by  flight.  In  that  battle,  there 
fell  of  the  Christians,  thirty  knights  and  fifteen  hundred  foot 
soldiers.  But  the  victory  which  they  afforded  to  the  enemy 
was  far  from  being  a  bloodless  one. 

Fealty  is  sworn  to  William,  the  son  of  king  Henry, 
A.D.  1114.  Henry,  king  of  England,  caused  all  the  nobles 
in  his  dominions  to  swear  fealty  to  his  son  William,  whom  his 
queen  Matilda  had  borne  to   him.     The  same  year,  in  tlie 

d2 


36  MATTHEW   OF   WESTMHTSTEB.  A.D.  1117. 

month  of  December,  the  heaven  suddenly  appeared  red,  as  if 
it  were  on  fire,  and  the  moon  was  eclipsed  at  the  same  time. 
On  the  twenty-ninth  of  March  the  Thames  was  dried  up,  and 
80  was  the  sea  for  twelve  miles,  and  this  lasted  for  two  days. 
Radulph,  bishop  of  Rochester,  was  elected  to  the  archbishop- 
ric of  Canterbury,  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  April.  A  comet 
appeared  in  the  month  of  May. 

Radulph  is  consecrated  archbishop  of  Canterbury.     He  conse- 
crates other  bishops, 

A.D.  1115.  Maria,  countess  of  Boulogne,  died.  Radulph  was 
consecrated  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  by  Anselm,  the  legate 
of  the  lord  the  pope,  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  June,  and  re- 
ceived the  pallium  from  him.  The  same  day,  the  same  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  consecrated  Theulf,  bishop  of  Worcester, 
and  Bernard,  bishop  of  Saint  David's.  Lofstan,  the  Domes- 
man,  died,  and  was  buried  at  Bermondsey. 

The  church  of  Saint  Alban,  the  proto-martyr  of  the  English,  is 
dedicated  in  a  magnificent  manner, 

A.D.  1116.  The  city  of  Rouen  was  almost  entirely  burnt  to 
the  ground.  In  the  same  year,  in  the  presence  of  king  Henry 
and  his  queen,  and  of  Robert,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  and  many 
other  bishops,  on  the  day  of  the  Holy  Innocents,  the  church 
of  Saint  Alban,  the  proto-martyr  of  the  English,  was  dedicated 
in  a  magnificent  manner  by  the  venerable  man  Geoffrey,  arch- 
bishop of  Rouen,  ahd  placed  under  Richard  the  abbey  of  that 
place.  And  the  king  and  queen,  with  a  multitude  of  arch- 
bishops, bishops,  counts,  barons,  and  other  nobles,  celebrated 
the  days  of  lie  Nativity  with  the  aforesaid  abbot,  in  that 
place,  with  all  joy  and  cheerfulness.  The  same  year,  there 
was  a  quarrel  between  the  kings  of  France  and  England,  which 
was  excited  by  Theobald,  count  of  Blois.  This  year  also,  be- 
cause of  the  necessities  of  the  king's  condition,  England  was 
oppressed  by  various  exactions,  and  the  English  were  plundered 
of  their  property  in  many  ways,  not  without  great  injustice. 

There  are  various  and  terrible  commotions  in  the  air, 
A.D.  1117.  On  the  first  day  of  November  a  terrible  storm  of 
lightning,  thunder,  and  hail  alarmed  mankind.  There  was  an 
earthquake,  and  the  moon  was  turned  into  blood,  on  the 
eleventh  of  December.  Both  these  events  took  place  at  mid- 
night. Robert  began  to  inhabit  the  convent  of  Merton,  as  its 
first  prior,  with  a  few  brethren.     The  same  year,  Ivo,  a  man 


A.D.  1120.      THE  SONS  OF  KING  H£NEY  AEE  DEOW>'£J).  37 

of  venerable  character,  bishop  of  Chartres,  a  man  of  profound 
learning  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  an  illustrious  doctor,  died. 

Pope  Paschal  died. 
A.D.  1 1 18.  Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem,  died,  as  did  Matilda 
the  Second,  the  good  queen  of  England,  and  pope  Paschal,  who 
was  Buceeeded  by  Gelasius.  This  year,  the  order  of  the  Tem- 
plars began  in  the  following  mannf^r.  Some  men  of  the 
Equestrian  order,  fearing  God,  put  themselves  ia  the  hands  of 
the  patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  devoting  themselves  to  the  service 
of  Christ,  and  professing  to  live  in  chastity  and  obedience,  re- 
nouncing their  own  inclinations. 

Calirius  succeeded.  Louisy  king  of  France ,  and  king  Henry  fought. 
A.i>.  1119.  On  the  -first  of  April,  pope  Gelasius  died,  at 
Cluniacum  ;  and,,  on  the  tenth  of  January,  he  was  succeeded 
by  Calixtus.  Peter,  the  first  prior  of  Bermondsey,  died.  The 
same  year,  a  battle  took  place  in  the  open  field  between  Louis, 
king  of  France,  and  Henry,  king  of  England.  In  which  ter- 
rible conflict  king  Henry  was  twice  wounded  on  the  head,  so 
that,  although  he  was  weU  defended  by  breast-plate  and  hel- 
met, yet  he  was  so  stunned  by  the  weight  of  the  mighty  blow 
that  he  received,  that  he  was  with  difficulty  cured,  and  not  till 
after  a  long  time.  At  last,  he  gained  the  victory,  and  over- 
threw the  man  who  wounded  him,  and  took  him  prisoner,  and 
threw  him  into  prison.  The  same  year,  Richard  of  Albinet, 
the  noble  abbot  of  Saint  Alban's,  died,  whose  praiseworthy 
actions  would  require  a  special  treatise.  Herebert,  bishop  of 
Norwich,  died,  a  man  illustrious  both  in  his  life  and  death. 
This  year,  pope  Calixtus  came  into  Normandy  to  king  Henry ; 
and  tlie  great  king  and  the  Supreme  Pontiff  conferred  for  some 
time  at  Gisors. 
William  and  Richard^  the  sons  of  king  Henry,  and  his  daughter 

and  niece,  are  drowned. 
A.D.  1120.  On  the  nineteenth  of  March,  the  light  fell  twice 
on  the  tomb  of  the  Lord.  The  same  year,  king  Henry,  having 
subdued  all  his  enemies,  and  arranged  everything  in  Normandy 
according  to  his  pleasure,  found  that  joyful  things  were  not  to 
be  unmixed  with  sad  ones  in  this  world.  For,  when  his  sons 
William  and  Richard,  and  his  daughter  and  niece,  and  Richard, 
earl  of  Chester,  and  the  stewards,  and  chamberlains,  and  cup- 
bearers of  the  king,  and  many  other  nobles  with  them,  were 
sailing  joyfully  to  England,  they  were  all  wrecked  at  sea,  and 


33  MATTHJEW  OP   WEBTMUrSTEE.  A.D.  1123. 

died  by  drowning,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  December,  miserably, 
yet  not  so  as  to  be  pitied ;  for  their  lives  had  been  devoted  to 
irrehgious  licentiousneBS.  On  which  account,  it  is  considered 
that  they  perished  thus  in  a  moment  by  a  strange  accident  in 
a  most  tranquil  sea.  This  year,  the  Prsemonstratensian  order 
was  instituted. 

JEthelicia  is  betrothed  to  Henry,  king  of  England. 
A.D.  1121.  King  Henry  married  JBthelicia,  the  daughter  of 
the  duke  of  Lovaine,  because  of  her  beauty  and  the  excellent 
graces  of  her  person,  on  the  tenth  of  April ;  and,  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost,  she  was  solemnly  consecrated  queen,  by  Bu« 
dolph,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  in  London,  and  sat  at  table 
with  the  king,  wearing  a  magnificent  crown.  After  that,  when 
the  king  went  to  Wales  with  a  powerful  army,  the  Welch 
came  to  meet  him  in  a  suppliant  manner,  and  made  a  treaty 
with  him,  according  to  the  terms  dictated  by  his  own  liberality 
and  will.  The  same  year,  £verard  was  consecrated  bishop  of 
Norwich.  The  same  year,  pope  Calixtus  took  a  man  named 
Maurice,  whom  the  emperor  Henry  had  set  up  as  anti-pope, 
and  ordained  him  a  monk.  This  year,  there  was  an  ecUpse  of 
the  moon.  At  Reading  some  monks  began  to  establish  a 
monastic  order  under  the  holy  regulations  of  Benedict. 

Radulph,  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  died,  and  was  succeeded 
by  William, 
A.D.  1122.  Radulph,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  John, 
bishop  of  Bath,  paid  the  debt  of  human  nature.  Radulph 
was  succeeded  by  William  de  Carboile  in  the  archbishopric 
of  Canterbury.  The  same  year,  the  admiral  Balac  took  pri- 
soners Jocelin,  count  of  Edessa,  and  his  kinsman,  Galeran. 

Normandy  is  strengthened  by  impregnable  castles.- 
A.D.  1123.  On  the  fifteenth  of  April,  Hugh,  prior  of  Saint 
Pan  eras,  was  made  abbot  of  Reading.  The  sun  appeared  like 
a  new  moon.  The  same  year,  Henry,  king  of  England,  held 
his  court  at  Christmas  at  SunfUtabU,  taking  with  him,  accord- 
ing to  custom,  his  chancellor,  Amulph,  a  man  who  was  too 
solicitous  to  plunder  men  of  their  substance.  But  he,  falling 
from  his  horse  on  his  journey,  ended  his  hfe  miserably.  The 
same  year,  Robert,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  died,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Alexander.  The  tower  of  Rouen  was  strengthened  and  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall.  The  tower  of  Caen,  too,  was  fortified. 
King  Henry  gave  the  archbishopric  of  Canterbury  to  William 


A.D.  1125.  A  COUNCIL  IS  HELD  AT  LONDON.  39 

de  Curboile,  prior  of  Chieche,  and  the  bishopric  of  Bath  to 
Godfrey,  the  queen's  chaplain.  The  castles  of  Arques,  of 
Gisors,  of  Falaise,  of  Argefiton,  of  Damfronte,  of  Oximum,  of 
Ambrecas,  of  Waverle,  of  Wirle,  and  the  tower  of  Vernon, 
were  aU  fortified  by  king  Henry,  so  as  to  be  impregnable. 
Also,  the  castle  of  Robert  de  Mellent,  who  had  abandoned  the 
king  in  a  seditious  manner,  was  taken  by  the  same  Henry. 
Also,  the  king  of  Jerusalem,  Baldwin,  was  taken  by  Balak, 
prince  of  the  Turks.  This  year  also,  the  church  of  Saint  Bar- 
tholomew began  to  be  buUt  in  the  suburbs  of  London,  by 
Racher,  who  was  formerly  the  first  prior  of  that  church. 

Tyre,  the  metropolis  of  Syria,  is  restored  to  the  Christians, 
A.D.  1124.  On  the  sixth  of  April  pope  Galixtus  died,  and 
was  succeeded  by  Honorius.  The  sun  appeared  resembling  a 
new  moon.  Justice  was  done  in  the  matter  of  the  coinage  at 
Winchester.  Gount  Robert  de  Mellent,  having  united  with 
himself  Hugh  de  Montfort,  his  sister's  husband,  and  another 
Hugh  de  Montfort,  the  son  of  Grervaise,  entered  Normandy  in 
a  hostile  manner.  But  William  de  Tankatville,  fighting  against 
them,  took  them  prisoners ;  and,  having  taken  them,  presented 
them  to  king  Henry.  The  same  year,  Theulph,  bishop  of 
Worcester,  and  Amulph,  bishop  of  Rochester,  died. 

The  same  year,  Tvre,  the  metropolis  of  Syria,  was  besieged 
by  Michael,  duke  of  Venice,  both  by  sea  and  land,  who  was 
aided  by  the  unanimous  assistance  of  the  princes  of  Jerusalem, 
and  the  siege  was  commenced  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  February, 
and  the  city  was  taken  and  happily  restored  to  Ghristianity  on 
the  twenty-ninth  of  June.  Also,  king  Baldwin,  who  had  been 
detained  as  a  prisoner  by  Balac,  prince  of  the  Turks,  was  re- 
leased from  captivity  on  giving  hostages,  and  returned  to  his 
own  country.  The  same  year,  the  king  caused  all  the  EngUsh 
soldiers  to  cut  their  hair  after  the  fashion  of  the  French,  as 
previously  they  wore  long  hair  like  women. 

A  council  is  held  at  London  under  cardinal  John, 
A.D.  1125.  On  the  twenty-eighth  of  March,  the  cardinal 
John  of  Gremona  held  a  council  at  London.  This  year  also, 
there  was  a  great  famine.  Gilbert,  the  founder  of  the  abbey 
at  Merton,  died.  The  said  John,  who  in  the  council  had  most 
especially  condemned  all  priests  who  kept  concubines,  being 
detected  himself  in  the  same  vice,  excused  the  vice  because  he 
said  that  he  was  not  himself  a  priest,  but  a  reprover  of  priests. 


40  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMINSTER.  A.D.  1128, 

King  Henry  bestowed  the  bishopric  of  Worcester  on  Simon, 
one  of  the  queen's  clergy  ;  that  of  Rochester  on  John,  arch- 
deacon of  Canterbury ;  and  that  of  Chichester  on  Sigefred, 
abbot  of  Glastonbury. 

The  same  year,  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  his  brother  David,  a  man  of  great  piety  and 
liberality.  Also,  Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem,  fighting  against 
the  Turks,  gained  a  happy  victory,  after  a  very  severe  battle. 

Henry,  emperor  of  the  Romans^  dies.     The  count  of  Flanders 
is  stripped  of  his  inheritance. 

AD.  1126.  On  the  eleventh  of  April,  the  emperor  Henry 
died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Lothaire,  who  reigned  as  his  suc- 
cessor for  twelve  years.  Then  the  empress  Matilda,  returning  to 
her  father  Henry,  dwelt  with  the  queen  in  her  apartments ;  for 
the  king  loved  her  greatly,  because  she  was  the  only  heir  that  he 
had.  And,  about  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael  he  returned  into 
England,  bringing  with  him  his  daughter,  the  widow  of  so 
illustrious  a  husband.  And  immediately,  by  command  of  the 
king,  all  the  nobles  of  England  and  Normandy  took  the  oaths 
to  her,  and  the  first  of  all  to  do  so  was  Stephen,  count  of 
Boulogne,  the  son  of  Adela,  the  king's  sister,  and  the  count  of 
Blois. 

The  empress  Matilda  marries  Geoffrey,  count  of  Anjou. 

A.D.  1127.  On  the  third  of  April,  Geoffrey  Plantagenet, 
count  of  Anjou,  married  the  empress  Matilda.  Richard, 
bishop  of  London,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  universal 
Gilbert.  This  same  year  the  count  of  Anjou  departed  for 
Jerusalem  without  any  hope  of  returning.  But  king  Henry 
held  his  court,  on  Christmas  day,  at  Windsor^  with  great  solem- 
nity ;  and  when  Thurstan,  archbishop  of  York,  endeavoured 
on  that  occasion  to  place  the  crown  on  the  king's  head,  to  the 
prejudice  of  William,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  he  was  re- 
pulsed by  the  unanimous  judgment  of  every  one,  and  his 
staff  and  crosier,  which  he  had  rashly  set  up  on  high  in  the 
king's  chapel,  were  turned  out.  The  same  year,  king  Henry 
caused  all  the  soldiers  of  England  to  cut  their  hair  a  proper 
length,  as  previously  they  vied  with  women  in  the  length  of 
their  hair. 

William,  count  of  Flanders  died.    Louis,  king  of  France^ 
yielded  to  king  Henry. 
A.D.  1128.  William,  count  of   Flanders,   son  of  Robert, 


A.D.  1131.        GEKEEAL    STPTOD   HELD  AT  EHEIMS.  41 

coant  of  Normandy^  after  he  had  subdued  the  almost  unspeak- 
able wickedness  of  the  Flemings,  was  wounded  in  the  right 
hand  by  a  lance,  while  he  was  besieging  a  castle  in  the  territo- 
ries of  the  duke  of  Lovaine,  and  so  died^  on  the  twenty-seyenth 
of  July.  The  same  year,  Henry,  king  of  England,  marched 
into  France  in  a  hostile  manner  with  a  powerful  army,  because 
Louis,  king  of  France,  upheld  the  cause  of  the  count  of  Flan- 
ders, the  nephew  and  enemy  of  the  king ;  and  he  compelled 
king  Louis  in  a  short  time  to  refuse  aid  to  the  count.  The 
same  year,  Ranulph,  bishop  of  Durham,  and  William,  bishop 
of  Winchester,  died. 

Pope  Honoriv^  died.  Innocent  the  First  succeeded  him.  Also, 
the  king  of  France  died, 
A.D.  1129.  Pope  Honorius  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  In- 
nocent the  First.  Also,  William,  bishop  of  Winchester,  died, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Henry,  abbot  of  Glastonbury,  who  was 
the  nephew  of  king  Henry.  The  same  year,  Philip,  son  of  the 
king  of  France,  who  had  been  invested  with  the  crown,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  recent  death  of  his  father,  while  he  was  exer- 
cising his  horse  for  his  amusement,  by  chance  fell  in  with  a 
pig ;  and  as  the  pig  ran  under  the  feet  of  the  horse,  who  was 
galloping,  the  new  king  was  thrown  to  the  ground  and  broke 
bis  neck,  and  so  died.  Behold  how  speedily  and  how  easily 
that  high  rank  is  brought  to  nothing !  The  sun  was  turned 
into  darkness,  and  the  day  into  night,  for  nearly  half  an  hour, 
and  the  stars  were  visible. 

LouiSi  brother  of  Philip,  Jcing  of  France,  is  crowned, 
A.D.  1130.  Christ  Church,  at  Canterbury,  was  dedicated. 
Hugh,  abbot  of  Reading,  was  elected  to  the  archbishopric  of 
Rouen.  Algod,  the  first  prior  of  the  convent  of  Saint  Mary 
of  Southwark,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Algar.  Pope  In- 
nocent fled  to  the  countries  on  this  side  of  the  Alps,  having 
been  expelled  by  the  family  of  his  rival ;  and,  when  he  arrived 
in  France,  he  was  honourably  received  at  Chartres  by  king 
Henry,  and  a  second  time  at  Rouen,  where  he  was  received  as 
pope  by  universal  acclamation ;  and  by  the  management  of 
king  Henry  he  crowned  Louis,  the  brother  of  Philip,  king  of 
France,  who  was  lately  dead,  at  Rheims,  as  king. 

Innocent  the  First  died,  and  was  succeeded  hy  Innocent  the  Second. 
Bohemond,  prince  ofAntioch,  died, 
A.D.  1131.  A  general  synod  was  held  at  Rheims.    Pope  In- 


42  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMINSTER.  A.O.  1134. 

nocent  died.  The  church  at  Cliiniacam  was  dedicated  by 
that  pope.  The  same  year,  Rhodoan,  prince  of  Halapia,  en- 
tered the  territory  of  Antioch  in  a  hostile  manner,  and  when 
Bohemond,  prince  of  Antioch,  encountered  him  to  check  him, 
he  slew  him  with  the  sword.  As  Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem, 
an  illustrious  soldier,  was  now  an  old  man,  he  called  to  him 
his  son-in-law,  and  his  daughter,  and  their  son,  whose  name 
also  was  Baldwin,  and  committed  to  them  the  care  of  the 
kingdom,  and  full  power  over  it ;  and  when  he  had  arranged 
matters  in  this  way,  he  yielded  up  his  spirit  to  God. 

Kenry  is  horn.  The  hishoprie  of  Carlisle  is  estahlished. 
A.D.  1 132.  On  the  eleventh  of  April,  the  city  of  London  was 
almost  entirely  destroyed  by  fire.  King  Henry  established  a 
new  bishopric  at  Carlisle,  on  the  borders  of  England  and 
Scotland,  and  placed  there,  as  the  first  bishop,  the  prior  of 
,St.  Oswidd's,  a  priest  of  the  name  of  JSthelwolf,  to  whom  he 
was  accustomed  to  confess  his  sins.  The  same  year,  there 
was  bom  to  Godfrey,  count  of  Anjou,  by  his  wife,  the  daughter 
of  king  Henry,  a  son,  who  was  Hkewise  named  Henry.  This 
year  also,  the  bishop  of  Chester  died. 

After  the  birth  ofEenry,  terrible  darkness  took  place  in  England. 
A.D.  1133.  Ail  the  soldiers  of  the  temple  were  slain.  Also, 
after  the  birth  of  Henry,  the  eldest  son  of  Geoffrey  Pkntage- 
net,  and  the  empress  Matilda, ^darkness  took  place  in  Eng- 
land, and  there  was  an  earthquake,  and  the  sun  became  like 
the  moon,  that  is  to  say,  there  was  a  terrible  earthquake.  At 
last,  king  Henry  crossed  the  sea,  and  sent  the  hand  of  Saint 
James  to  Blading.  The  empress  Matilda  here  bore  another 
son,  whom  she  called  Geoffrey,  on  which  account  king  Henry 
crossed  over  into  Normandy,  and  abode  there  some  time,  be- 
ing overjoyed  at  his  grand-children..  The  same  year,  the 
bishops  of  Tilandaff  and  of  London  died,  while  they  were  oa 
the  other  side  of  the  Alps.  Hervey,  bishop  of  Ely,  died,  and 
the  king  gave  his  bishopric  to  Nigel,  and  Uiat  of  Durham  to 
Geoflfrey  his  chancellor. 

Bjobert  Corthetise,  king  of  Normandy,  died  in  prison. 
A.D.  1134.  Robert  Cortheuse,  the  king's  brother,  died  in 
the  confinement  in  which  he  was  detained,  from  weariness  of 
Ufe,  and  because  he  was  deprived  of  the  sight  of  his  eyes. 
For  sadness  absorbed  him  too  much,  owing  to  which  he  died. 
It  happened  also,  that  the  king  sent  him  a  robe  of  scarlet,  as  he 


A.D.  1135.         SAINT  Paul's  chuhch  bubnt.  43 

was  accustomed  to  do ;  bat  the  king  had  first  of  all  put  on  the 
cap,  and  as  he  found  the  cap  too  small,  he  said,  ''  Take  it  away, 
let  this  cap  be  given  to  my  brother,  because  he  has  a  smaller 
head  than  mine/'  And  when  it  was  given  to  him  in  com- 
pliance to  the  king's  command,  the  servant  incautiously,  when 
he  was  asked  if  any  one  had  worn  it  before,  said  "Yes,"  and 
related  what  had  happened.  And  Robert  said,  '*  Now,  indeed, 
have  I  protracted  my  wretched  life  too  long,  when  that  inju- 
rious king  sends  me  his  old  clothes  as  an  abject."  And  from 
that  time  forth  he  would  not  take  any  food,  but  wasted  away 
both  in  mind  and  body,  and  so  died,  and  was  buried  at  Glou- 
cester. 

Senry,  king  of  England^  dies,     Stephen  %%  crowned. 

A.D.  1 135.  Henry,  king  of  England,  died,  when  he  had 
reigned  thirty-five  years  and  three  months,  on  the  second  of 
December,  at  Saint  Denis,  in  the  Lion's  Wood.  For  the  day 
before  he  had  been  eating  the  flesh  of  lampreys,  against  the 
advice  of  liis  physicians.  Henry,  archbishop  of  Huntingdon, 
ends  his  Chronicles  with  this  year. 

Here  we  may  dwell  on  some  unimportant  events.  Henry 
established  in  his  dominions  the  monastery  of  Reading,  the 
monastery  of  the  canons  of  Cirencester,  the  monastery  of  Prat 
at  Bouen,  the  monastery  of  Mortimer,  and  he  did  many  other 
admirable  actions  worthy  of  all  praise,  which  are  more  fully 
related  in  the  book  of  his  life.  And  the  irreparable  loss  which 
England  suffered  was  foreshowed  by  a  violent  storm  of  wind 
on  the  vigil  of  the  Feast  of  the  Apostles  Simon  and  Jude, 
which  overthrew  in  a  terrible  manner  towers,  buildings,  and 
trees.  But  Stephen,  the  king's  nephew,  by  his  sister,  being 
the  count  of  Boulogne,  was  consecrated  king,  by  William, 
archbishop  of  Canterbuiy,  on  the  twenty-second  day  of  De- 
cember, in  London,  at  Westminster,  being  the  twenty-second 
day  after  the  death  of  his  uncle. 

The  same  year,  the  church  of  St.  Paul  was  burnt  by  a  fire, 
which  began  at  London  Bridge,  and  extended  as  far  as  the 
church  of  the  Danes.  At  the  coronation  before  mentioned, 
there  were  present  three  bishops  with  the  archbishops.  But 
the  king,  as  soon  as  he  was  crowned,  took  possession  of  the 
treasure  which  his  uncle  had  collected,  amounting  to  a  hun- 
dred thousand  pounds,  without  counting  the  vessels  of  gold 
and  silver,  plate  and  jewels,  of  inestimable  value.  But  the  day 


44  MA.TTHBW  OF  WESTMIirSTER.  A.D.    1137. 

that  Stephen  landed  there,  was,  what  is  contrary  to  nature  in 
winter,  a  terrible  thunderstorm,  accompanied  with  dreadful 
lightning,  which  was  heard  all  over  England,  so  that  the 
whole  world  was  thought  to  be  come  to  an  end.  The  king's 
body  was  brought  from  Normandy  to  Reading,  and  embalmed 
with  spices,  and  at  the  end  of  three  months,  buried  with  gr€»t 
reverence  in  the  same  church,  which  he  himself  had  built 
from  its  foundations,  and  during  his  lifetime  had  laid  the 
first  stone  in  the  presence  of  king  Stephen  and  many  of  the 
nobles. 

Ch.    IV.— Fbom  A.D.   1136  TO  A.D.    1154. 

Louis  the  Gross  dies — The  emperor  Lothaire  dies — The  Scots 
invade  England — The  empress  Matilda  comes  to  England — 
London  is  surrendered  to  her — War  between  her  and  Stephen 
— Conrad,  the  emperor,  and  Louis,  king  of  France,  go  to 
Jerusalem — Geoffrey  of  Anjou  gives  up  Normandy  to  his' 
son  Henry — Henry  marries  Eleanor — Peace  is  made  be- 
.  tween  Stephen  and  Matilda  and  Henry — Stephen  dies, 
and  Henry  comes  to  England. 

William,  archbishop  of  Canterbwry,  died, 
A.D.  1 136.  William,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  died.  Bishop 
Henry  carried  off  the  hand  of  Saint  James  from  Reading.  The 
same  year,  after  Easter,  Robert,  earl  of  Gloucester,  came  into 
England,  a  man  whose  prudence  and  power  king  Stephen 
held  in  especial  respect.  After  his  arrival,  the  bishops  swore 
fealty  to  the  king,  and  the  king  swore  inviolably  to  maintain 
the  liberties  of  the  Church  and  all  good  laws  ;  and  then  he 
composed  his  charter :  and,  in  like  manner,  count  Robert  did 
him  an  homage,  that  is  to  say,  on  condition  that  he  was  to 
preserve  all  his  dignity  unimpaired. 

Louis,  king  of  France,  died.     King  Stephen  crossed  the  sea. 

A.D.  1 137.  Louis  the  Gross,  king  of  France,  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Louis,  his  son,  who  received  in  marriage  Eleanor, 
the  daughter  of  William,  duke  of  Aquitaine,  a  woman  richer 
in  the  endowments  of  her  person  than  in  those  of  her  mind. 
At  the  beginning  of  Lent,  king  Stephen  crossed  the  sea ;  and 
on  the  following  Easter-day,  the  count  also  crossed  the  sea, 
whose  voyage  was  more  prosperous  than  his  landing,  for  the 
king  laid  a  plot  against  him,  and  contrived  that  he  should  be 
taken  prisoner ;  but  he  was  forewarned  by  those  who  were  the 


A.D.  1139.      POPE  INirOCENT  HOLDS  A  COUNCIL  AT  PISA.  45 

agents  of  the  plot,  and  so  lie  escaped.  Nevertheless^  the  king, 
still  retaining  treachery  in  his  heart,  pretended  to  be  glad  that 
it  was  well  with  the  count. 

Conrad  sticceeda  Lothaire  as  emptor. 
A.p.  1138.  Conrad  succeeded  Lothaire  in  the  empire.  The- 
obald was  elected  to  the  diocese  of  Canterbury,  in  the  presence 
of  Alberic,  the  legate.  This  year,  count  Robert,^  by  ambassa- 
dors, as  Stephen  was  in  England,  renounced  all  allegiance  to 
the  king,  and  he  did  this  on  many  accounts,  because  the  king 
did  not  keep  towards  him  the  oath  which  he  had  taken,  nor  to 
his  sister.  And  when  he  did  this,  the  king  deprived  him  of 
all  liis  possessions  in  England.  Tlie  same  year,  Stephen,  king 
of  England,  on  the  very  day  of  the  Nativity,  besieged  the 
castle  of  Bedford,  saying  that  he  would  not  grant  the  enemy 
peace  for  a  single  hour,  till  the  castle  was  surrendered.  The 
king  of  Scotland  led  an  army  into  Northumberland,  and  with 
his  men  committed  detestable  atrocities.  For,  in  revenge  for 
the  empress,  to  whom  that  same  king  had  sworn  fidelity,  they 
cut  open  women  with  child,  tore  out  the  untimely  offspring, 
tossed  little  children  on  the  points  of  their  lances,  and  slaugh- 
tered priests  on  the  altars.  Therefore,  the  king  of  England 
hastened  thither,  but  before  he  arrived,  the  king  of  Scotland 
had  retreated  to  his  own  country. 

A  Council  is  held  at  PUa  under  pope  Innocent, 
A.D.  1139.  The  empress  Matilda  came  into  England,  and 
with  her,  Robert,  earl  of  Gloucester,  her  brother,  with  a  pow- 
erful army,  on  the  festival  of  Saint  Michael.  Henry,  bishop 
of  Winchester,  the  brother  of  king  Stephen,  at  that  time  the 
legate  of  the  Apostolic  See,  being  indignant  at  the  unworthy 
treatment  which  prelates  and  their  possessions  received  at  the 
hand  of  the  king,  grieved,  and  devised  a  remedy.  At  that 
time,  a  council  was  being  held  at  Pisa,  by  pope  Innocent. 
King  Stephen,  in  his  care  to  arm  himself  against  the  royal 
dignity,  compelled  many  of  his  prisoners  to  surrender  their 
castles.;  and,  among  them,  he  compelled,  by  force,  Roger, 
bishop  of  Salisbury,  to  surrender  his  castles  of  Sherborne,  ^ind 
of  Devizes,  and  of  Malmesbury.  Therefore,  by  the  manage- 
ment of  archbishop  Theobald,  and  Henry,  bishop  of  Winches- 
ter, the  brother  of  the  king,  and  other  bishops  and  prelates, 
a  council  was  held  at  Winchester,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  Au- 
*  I  suppose  this  to  be  the  person  called  Brian  Fitz  Count  by  Hume. 


46  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMTN8TEB.  A.D.  1141. 

gust,  to  which  they  caused  the  king  to  be  inyited,  who  sent 
earl  Alberic  de  Yere,  a  man  of  great  experience  in  many  kinds 
of  causes,  to  the  council,  to  allege,  with  respect  to  the  taking 
of  the  said  bishops,  which  was  tihe  matter  about  which  he  was 
attacked,  that  he  could  do  as  he  did  by  right,  and  to  defend 
the  conduct  of  the  king.  On  the  thirtieth  of  August,  the 
council  was  dissolved.  The  same  year,  Roger,  bishop  of  Salis- 
bury, died.  .  King  Stephen  also  persecuted  Nigel,  bishop  of  Ely. 

•  Alberic,  earl  de  Vere,  is  put  to  death  in  the  city  of  London. 

A.D.  1140.  On  the  fifteenth  of  May,  Alberic  de  Vere  was 
put  to  death  in  London.  Aldwin,  founder  of  the  abbey  of 
Malvern,  died.  Stephen,  king  of  England,  laid  siege  to  the 
city  of  Lincoln,  about  the  time  of  the  Nativity,  the  strong- 
holds of  which  had  been  entrusted  to  Ranulph,  earl  of  Ches- 
ter, a  little  before;  and  he  prevented  king  Stephen  from 
entering  the  city  till  the  day  of  the  Purification  of  the  blessed 
Virgin  Mary ;  and  a  terrible  battle  was  fought  with  the  king 
before  the  city ;  and,  at  last,  it  was  taken  by  many  stratagems, 
on  the  second  of  February.  During  Lent,  on  the  twentieth 
of  Mardi,  a  terrible  eclipse  took  place  throughout  all  England, 
so  that  it  was  said  to  be  a  sign.  The  week  after,  on  the  twenty- 
sixth  of  April,  Badulph,  the  son  of  Hubert,  a  savage  and 
barbarous  man,  and  one  fond  of  all  the  stratagems  of  war, 
took  the  castle  of  Devizes,  by  surprise,  and  did  not  fear  to 
boast  that,  by  means  of  that  castle,  he  would  make  himself 
master  of  the  whole  district  from  Winchester  to  London ;  and 
that  he  would  send  for  soldiers  from  Flanders  to  be  his  own 
guard.  But  soon  afterwards,  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  John, 
a  man  of  exceeding  cunning,  who  was  dwelling  in  the  castle  of 
Marlborough,  and  was  put  in  chains,  because  he  refused  to 
surrender  the  castle  of  Devizes  to  his  mistress,  the  empress  ; 
and  he  was  hanged  like  a  thief. 

The  same  year,  at  Pentecost,  a  conference  was  brought 
about  between  the  empress  and  the  king,  with  the  object  of 
restoring  peace.  But  when  th^y  came  to  the  place  appointed, 
which  was  near  Bath,  the  plenipotentiaries  who  were*on  the 
part  of  the  empress,  her  brother,  count  Robert,  and  on  the 
part  of  the  king,  the  pope's  legate,  and  the  archbishop,  they, 
after  a  long  debate,  effected  nothing. 

The  dty  of  London  is  surrendered  to  the  empress. 
A.D.  1141.  In  this  year,  king  Stephen  was  taken  prisoner. 


A.D.  1142.      KlSQt  STEPHEN  BESIEGES  THE  EMPBESS.  4/ 

in  battle,  on  the  aecond  of  February,  by  William  de  Kahaynes, 
near  Lincoln.  (And  Winchester  was  destroyed  on  the  four- 
teenth of  September.)  The  king  was  conducted  to  the  em- 
press, and  placed  in  custody,  in  the  castle  of  Bristol.  The 
city  of  London  was  surrendered  to  the  empress,  but  soon 
afterwards,  she  was  driven  from  thence,  namely,  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  June.  Immediately  afterwards,  during  the  same 
summer,  the  tower  of  London  was  besieged  by  the  Londoners, 
and  it  was  held  and  defended  stoutly  by  William  de  Mande- 
ville.  The  empress,  also,  with  her  uncle,  the  king  of  Scotland, 
David,  and  her  brother  Robert,  besieged  the  castle  of*the 
bishop  of  Winchester.  But  William  of  Ypres  and  the  Lon- 
doners compelled  her  to  retire  from  that  city.  Robert,  earl  of 
Gloucester,  was  taken  prisoner,  on  the  day  of  the  festival  of 
the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross.  But,  in  return  for  his  re- 
lease, the  king  also  was  released  on  the  feast  of  All  Saints, 
and  was  restored  to  his  kingdom.  The  same  year,  Hugh  de 
Saint  Victor  died,  on  the  tenth  of  February.  About  this 
time,  Valeran,  count  de  Mellent,  who  was  the  chief  of  all  the 
nobles  of  Normandy,  made  peace  with  Geoffrey  of  Anjou,  and 
gave  him  the  castles  of  Montfort  and  Yalaise,  and  then,  all 
the  powerful  chiefs  about  the  river  Seine,  as  far  as  Ripa  Risle, 
submitted  to  him,  and  acknowledged  fealty  to  him.  The  same 
year,  Gilbert,  bishop  of  London,  died,  who  was  called  tlie 
Universal,  and  was  succeeded  in  his  bishopric  by  Robert  de 
Sigil. 

iuw^  Stephen  lesieged  the  empresSy  who,  howevery  escaped. 
Robert y  bishop  of  London  was  taken  prisoner.  King  Stephen 
took  prisoner  William  de  MdndeviUe, 

A.D.  1142.  King  Stephen  besieged  the  empress  at  Oxford 
for  a  long  time,  but  at  length  she  escaped.  Robert,  bishop  of 
London,  was  taken  prisoner  at  Fulham,  by  Geoffrey  de  Man- 
deville,  on  the  twenty-third  of  June.  William,  bishop  of  Lin- 
coln and  legate  of  the  Apostohc  See,  held  a  council  in  the 
middle  of  Lent,  the  king  and  many  bishops  being  present. 
No  honour  or  reverence  was  paid  to  the  church  of  God  or  to 
men  in  holy  orders,  but  clergy  and  laity  were,  all  alike,  taken, 
imprisoned,  and  put  to  death.  But  at  that  council,  a  decision 
was  given,  that  if  any  one  violated  the  sanctity  of  a  church  or 
cemetery,  or  laid  violent  hands  on  a  man  belonging  to  a  mo- 
nastic order,  he  could  be  absolved  by  no  one  but  the  pope. 


48  MATTHEW   OF  WXSTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1144. 

Abput  the  same  time  king  Stephen  took  prisoner  Willliara  de 
Mandeville  at  Saint  Alban's,  when  he  restored  to  the  king  the 
Tower  of  London^  with  the  castles  of  Walden  and  Pleiset. 

The  same  year,  died  Fulk,  king  of  Jerusalem ;  and  also  in 
this  year  pope  Innocent  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Celestin, 
who,  after  he  had  occupied  the  Roman  chair  for  five  months, 
died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Lucius,  who  ruled  that  see  eleven 
months  and  thirteen  days.  William^  bishop  of  Winchester, 
died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Henry.  To  this  Henry,  pope 
Lucius  sent  the  pallium,  wishing  to  erect  a  new  archbishopric 
at  Winchester,  and  to  assign  to  him  seven  sufiGragan  bishops. 

jMctus  dm-'^Ia  succeeded  hy  Eugenius — King  Stephen  besieges 
Lincoln, 
A.D.  1143.  Pope  Lucius  died,  and  Eugenius  was  placed  in 
the  Roman  chair,  which  he  filled  eight  years,  four  months, 
and  thirteen  days.  The  same  year,  Stephen,  king  of  England, 
besieged  Lincoln,  and  when  he  was  constructing  an  engine 
against  the  castle  which  was  held  by  Randulph,  earl  of  Chester, 
eighty  of  his  workmen  were  slain  by  the  count,  and  so  the 
king  retreated  without  succeeding  in  his  object.  The  same 
year,  Robert  Marmion,  a  warlike  man,  who  had  expelled  the 
monks  of  Coventry  from  their  monastery,  and  had  turned 
that  church  into  a  castle,  while  one  day  he  was  fighting  against 
the  enemy,  in  the  very  thick  of  them,  in  front  of  the  monas- 
tery itself,  was  slain,  while  in  an  excommunicated  state. 
About  the  same  time  Geoffrey  de  Mandeville,  who  had  com- 
mitted the  very  same  crime  in  the  church  of  Ramsay,  was  slain 
in  front  of  the  church  itself,  being  pierced  with  an  arrow  by 
one  of  the  meanest  of  the  people,  while  fighting  in  his  own 
line  of  battle.  Likewise,  Axnulph,  the  count's  sou,  who  after 
his  father's  death  held  that  church  as  a  castle,  was  taken  pri- 
soner by  the  king,  and  banished. 

King  Stephen  banished  the  Karl  of  OloiAcester  and  many  others. 

A.D.  1144.  Stephen,  king  of  England,  banished  the  earl  of 
Gloucester  and  many  others  of  his  enemies  from  the  castle  of 
Flanders,  and  made  himself  master  of  that  place.  Geoffrey  de 
Mandeville  died  on  the  fourteenth  September.  Geoffrey, 
count  of  Anjou,  reduced  Normandy.  The  same  year,  Alex- 
ander, bishop  of  Lincoln,  going  a  second  time  to  Rome,  be- 
haved himself  most  munificently,  as  he  had  done  before.  There- 
fore, he  was  honourably  received  by  the  pope,  and  returning 


A.D.  1147.         ETNa  OP  FBAirOB    GOES  TO  J£BUSAL£M.  -49 

the  next  year,  after  having  gained  the  entire  favonr  of  the 
pope  and  his  whole  court,  he  so  thoroughly  repaired  and  re- 
stored his  own  church,  which  had  been  destroyed  by  fire,  that 
the  damage  so  done  to  it  appeared  afterwards  to  have  been  no 
damage  at  all. 

Banulph,  earl  of  Chester,  (a  taken  prisoner  hy  Stephen,  king  of 


A.D.  1145.  The  king  of  England  took  Ranulph,  earl  of 
Chester,  at  Northampton,  as  he  was  coming  to  him  in  a  peace- 
able manner,  and  thrust  him  into  prison,  and  detained  him 
there,  until  he  surrendered  to  him  the  castle  of  Lincoln,  and 
the  other  castles  which  were  under  his  power ;  and  then,  being 
joyful  and  elated  at  his  success,  though  so  discreditably  ob- 
tained, he  wore  his  crown  in  Lincoln.  This  year  a  boy  was 
crucified  at  Norwich,  by  the  Jews. 

The  emperor  Conrad,  and  Louis,  king  of  France,  went  on  a  journey 
to  Jerusalem, 

A.B.  1146.  The  emperor  Conrad  and  Louis,  king  of  France, 
and  many  other  nobles  and  chiefs,  assumed  the  sign  of  the 
cross,  that  they  might  go  to  Jerusalem,  and  adore  the  traces 
of  the  Saviour.  William  of  Saint  Barbara,  dean  of  York,  was 
made  bishop  of  Durham.  The  same  year  died  Galfric,  of 
venerable  memory,  abbot  of  Saint  Alban's.  This  year,  there 
died  also,  Anselm,  bishop  of  Rochester,  Roger,  bishop  of 
Chester,  and  Robert,  bishop  of  Hereford.  Anselm  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Walter,  archdeacon  of  Canterbury  Roger,  by  Wal- 
ter, prior  of  Canterbury,  and  Robert,  by  "Gilbert,  abbot  of 
Gloucester. 

The  same  year,  Henry,  a  Cistercian  monk,  obtained  the 
archbishopric  of  York,  after  the  death  of  Thurstan. 

The  same  year,  a  comet  appeared  in  the  west,  diffusing  mar- 
vellous rays  on  all  sides. 
The  emperor  of  Germany  and  the  king  of  Franee  go  to  Jerusalem, 

A-D.  1147.  There  was  a  motion  made  by  the  emperor,  and 
by  the  king,  and  many  others  who  were  proceeding  in  an  ex- 
pedition to  Jerusalem.  The  emperor  Conrad,  after  the  end  of 
the  winter,  reached  the  port  of  Acre  with  his  companions. 
And  from  thence  he  went  to  Jerusalem,  where  he  was  received 
with  exceeding  joy.  And  about  the  same  time  the  king  of 
France  followed  him  with  seventy  thousand  fully  armed  troops, 
but  in  his  march  he  suffered  many  attacks  and  distresses  and 

VOL.  n.  B 


50  ILiLTTHEW  OF.  WJfiSTMIXSTEB.  A.D.  1149. 

irreparable  losaes,  and  deplored  the  unheard-of  sufferings  of 
1^'rance.    The  city  of  Damascus  was  besieged,  but  in  vain. 

The  same  year,  Robert,  archdeacon  of  Leicester,  was  created 
bishop  of  Lincoln,  as  successor  to  Alexander,  by  the  hand  of 
Theobald,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and,  after  the  fast  in  the 
month  of  S^tember,  he  was  consecrated  bishop. 
The  emperor  and  the  kiiig  of  France  return,  and  king  Noureddin 
actifwriously. 

A.D.  1148.  After  the  departure  of  the  emperor  and  of  the 
king  of  France  from  the  Holy  Land,  Noureddin,  the  son  of 
Zenghi,  the  most  powerful  prince  of  the  Turks,  invaded  the 
territories  of  Autioch,  and  laid  siege  to  the  castle  of  Nepa ; 
against  whom,  Raymond,  prince  of  Antioch,  led  an  army  with 
too  great  a  want  of  caution,  and  fought  him  in  an  unequal 
battle.  Owing  to  which,  it  happened  that  he  and  some  other 
men  of  noble  birth  were  slain.  Noureddin  proceeding  with- 
out meeting  with  any  resistance,  besieged  the  castle  of  Hareng, 
and  made  himself  master  of  it,  and  after  that  overran  the  whole 
district  as  he  pleased,  laying  it  waste,  till  the  king  of  Jerusa- 
lem arriving,  checked  his  ravages  by  force. 

The  king  of  Scotland,  David,  invested  Henry,  his  eldest  son, 
with  arms  on  the  day  of  Pentecost.  The  same  year,  on  the 
fourteenth  of  November,  the  removal  of  the  holy  bishop,  Erken- 
wald,  took  place.  Likewise,  a  council  was  held  in  the  city  of 
Rheims,  under  the  presidency  of  pope  Eugenius.  The  same 
year,  Gilbert  was  made  bishop  of  Hereford. 

Geoffrey,  duke  of  Normandy,  ga/oe  up  Normandy  to  his  son 
Henry. 

A.D.  1 149.  Geoffrey,  duke  of  Normandy,  gave  up  Normandy 
to  his  son  Henry,  (which,  indeed,  was  his  inheritance  from  his 
mother,)  in  spite  of  the  prohibition  of  the  king  of  France. 
On  which  account  there  arose  a  quarrel  between  the  king  and 
the  duke.  For  the  king  returned  ingloriously  this  year  from 
the  Holy  Land,  and  so  did  the  emperor  of  Germany.  Duke 
Geoffrey  laid  siege  to  the  castle  of  Vinstabel,  and  built  there 
three  pits  of  stone,  and  that  siege  lasted  three  years. 

Everard,  bishop  of  Norwich,  died.  That  Everard,  while 
bishop,  divided  the  archdeaconry  of  Suffolk  into  two.  This 
year  it  began  to  freeze  on  the  tenth  of  December,  and  the 
frost  lasted  till  the  nineteenth  of  February,  and  the  Thames 
was  so  frozen  over,  that  it  was  rendered  passable  for  foot  pas- 
sengers and  horses,  and  even  for  loaded  waggons. 


AD.  1151.   BUKE  OF  N0B3CANDT  MABB1E8  XLEANOB.  51 

The  king  of  France  received  the  homage  of  duke  Menry  for 
Normandy, 

A.D.  1 150.  Louis,  king  of  France,  and  Eustace,  the  son  of 
king  Stephen,  came  with  a  numerous  army  to  the  castle  of 
Argues,  on  account  of  the  quarrel  which  I  have  mentioned 
above,  and  Henry,  duke  of  Normandy,  was  also  present  there, 
and  his  father,  GeofiPrey,  count  of  Anjou,  with  a  great  army  of 
Anjouins,  Bretons,  and  Normans ;  but  the  chiefs  on  each  side, 
seeing  that  those  legions  could  not  meet  in  a  hostile  manner 
without  a  great  effusion  of  blood,  began  to  treat  of  peace,  and 
by  the  intervention  of  mutual  friends,  the  king  of  France  re- 
ceived the  homage  of  Henry,  duke  of  Burgundy,  and  so  the 
two  armies  separated  peaceably.  After  this,  while  duke  Henry 
was  with  his  nobles,  discussing  the  question  of  the  expedition 
into  England,  his  father  being  seized  with  a  severe  illness  at 
the  castle  of  Beri,  departed  this  life,  on  the  seventh  of  Sep- 
tember, and  so  Henry,  his  son,  became  count  of  Anjou,  and 
duke  of  Normandy.  The  same  year,  Robert  de  Gorham  was 
created  abbot  of  St.  Alban's,  as  Bodolph  had  resigned  that 
post  from  ill  health.  Louis,  king  of  France,  and  Eleanor,  his 
queen,  were  formally  divorced,  for  they  were  too  near  of  kin,  in 
the  fourth  degree  of  consanguinity.  King  Stephen  fortified 
the  castle  of  Reading  on  the  twentieth  of  January.  The  same 
year,  William  Turbus  was  consecrated  to  the  bishopric  of 
Norwich. 

Henry y  duke  of  Normandy,  married  JEleanor,  formerly  wife  of 

Louie. 

A.B.  1151.  Count  Theobald  of  Blois,  the  brother  of  king 
Stephen,  died.  Henry,  duke  of  Normandy,  married  Eleanor, 
who  had  formerly  been  the  wife  of  Louis.  Queen  Adehcia 
died,  the  wife  of  king  Stephen.  The  castle  of  Reading  was 
pulled  down.  The  same  year,  John,  a  monk  of  Sagium,  was 
appointed  the  second  bishop  of  the  Isle  of  Man,  which  is  be- 
tween England  and  Ireland.  The  first  bishop  was  Raymond, 
a  monk  of  Savinaim.  The  same  year,  William,  bishop  of 
Durham,  died,  and  G^of&ey  Arthur  was  appointed  bishop  of 
St.  Asaph,  in  North  Wales  ;  he  it  was  who  translated  the  his- 
tory of  the  Britons  from  the  British  language  into  Latin.  The 
same  year,  Gratian,  a  monk  of  the  city  of  Guise,  and  a  native 
of  Tuscany,  composed  decrees  according  to  Hu.  2.  q.  6;  C.  form. 

B  2 


52  UATSBXW  OF  WSBTMJITSTEll.  A.B.  1154. 

Eugmim  dies.  Anastasim  sitceeeds  him.  Saint  JBemard  de- 
parts to  the  Lord. 
A.D.  1152.  The  connts  and  barons  of  England  made  a  league 
with  and  promised  fidelity  to  Eustace,  the  son  of  king  Stephen. 
Queen  Matilda,  the  mother  of  Eustace,  died  on  the  secdnd  of 
May.  Richard  of  BeauYais,  the  nephew  of  another  Richard, 
was  appointed  bishop  of  London  at  the  beginning  of  October. 
The  same  year,  Bernard,  abbot  of  Clairvaux,  departed  to  the 
Lord.  Also  then  died,  the  pope  Eugenius,  who  was  succeeded 
by  Anastasius,  and  David,  king  of  Scotland,  who  was  suc- 
ceeded in  his  kingdom  by  his  nephew,  Malcolm.  This  year, 
also,  duke  Henry  had  a  son  borne  him  by  Eleanor,  his  wife, 
who  was  called  William,  which  is  an  usual  name  of  the  dukes 
of  Aquitaine  and  counts  of  Anjou.  Eustace,  son  of  king 
Stephen,  died ;  and  peace  was  made  between  king  Stephen 
and  Henry,  duke  of  Normandy.  The  same  year,  Bernard, 
abbot  of  Clairvaux,  departed  to  the  Lord. 

Step?ien,  king  of  Mtgland,  and  Senry,  duke  of  Normandy ,  make 
peace, 
A.B.  1153.  Justice  looked  down  from  heaven,  and  through 
the  diUgence  of  Theobald,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  t^e 
bishops  of  the  kingdom,  Stephen,  king  of  England,  and  Henry, 
duke  of  Normandy,  made  a  treaty  with  one  another  at  Wfd- 
lingford,  on  the  following  conditions.  King  Stephen,  having 
now  no  other  heir,  save  only  duke  Henry,  recognised  in  this 
congress  of  bishops  and  other  nobles  of  the  kingdom,  that 
duke  Henry  had  an  hereditary  right  to  the  kingdom  of  Eng- 
land ;  and  the  duke  on  his  part  hardly  consented  that  king 
Stephen  should  possess  the  kingdom  in  peace  for  the  whole  of 
his  life.  And  this  agreement  was  confirmed  by  the  king 
himself,  and  the  bishops  who  were  there  present,  and  the  other 
nobles  of  the  kingdom,  swearing,  that  after  the  death  of  the 
king,  duke  Henry,  if  he  survived  him,  should  obtain  the  king- 
dom vdthout  any  opposition ;  and  for  the  inviolable  obser- 
vance of  that  treaty,  a  solemn  writing  was  drawn  up,  and  pre- 
served in  a  secure  place.  This  year,  Peter  the  Lombard  flou- 
rished, who  composed  a  book  of  sentences.  Pope  Eugenius 
died,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  aged  Anastasius. 

Anastasius  dies,  and  is  succeeded  hy  pope  Nicholas, 
A.]).  1154.  Henry,  duke  of  Normandy,  crossed  the  sea  into 
Normandy,  and  resumed  all  his  seignorial  privileges  which  bis 


A.D.  1154.  HBITBT  AKOINTED  KUTO.  63 

father  had  granted  him ;  and  from  thence  he  proceeded  to 
Aqaitaine,  where  he  vigoroasly  repressed  a  rebeUion  of  some 
of  Ids  barons.  The  same  year,  pope  Anastasius  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Nicholas,  bishop  of  Albania,  who  took  the  name 
of  Adrian  the  Fourth.  He  was  a  just  and  religious  man,  an 
Englishman,  as  to  his  nation,  deriving  his  origin  from  parents 
of  noble  birth,  in  the  district  of  St.  Alban's.  He  invested  the 
chorch  of  St.  Alban's  with  especial  privileges,  so  that  as  the 
blessed  Alban  is  the  proto-martyr  of  England,  so  his  abbot 
also  should  be  the  first  among  the  abbots  of  England  in  order 
and  dignity. 

The  same  year,  peace  was  made  between  Lonis,  king  of 
France,  and  Henry,  duke  of  Normandy,  on  these  conditions. 
The  king  gave  up  to  the  duke,  Vemeuil  and  Nouveau  March^, 
and  the  duke  gave  him  two  thousand  marks  of  silver  for  the 
reparation  of  the  injuries  which  the  king  had  suffered.  The 
same  year,  the  holy  anchorite,  Wilfrid  de  Heselberg,  whose 
life  and  death  would  require  a  special  treatise,  departed  to  the 
Lord. 

The  same  year,  Stephen,  king  of  England,  an  illustrious 
soldier,  and  a  man  of  the  most  pious  mind,  died  on  the  twenty- 
fifth  of  October,  and  his  body  was  reverently  buried  in  the 
monastery  of  Feversham,  which  he  himself  had  built  from  its 
foundations.  And  when  Henry,  duke  of  Normandy,  heard  of 
this  event,  he  came  to  Barfleur,  and  there  he  waited  one  whole 
month  for  a  fair  wind,  and  on  the  seventh  of  December  he  set 
sail,  and  arrived  in  England,  and  on  the  nineteenth  day  of  the 
same  month,  which  was  the  Sunday  before  the  Nativity  of  our 
Lord,  he  was  anointed  king  at  Westminster,  by  Theobald, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury.  The  same  year,  Reginald  was  ap- 
pointed abbot  of  Reading. 

Ch,  v.— Fbom  A.D.   1155  TO  A.D.   1189. 

Frederic  is  elected  emperor — Henry  prepares  to  invade  Ireland — 
Henry  subdues  Wales — War  between  England  and  Scotland — 
A  new  coinage  is  issued  in  England — Thomas  cL  Becket  is  made 
archbishop — Malcolm  of  Scotland  does  homage  to  Henry — 
The  council  of  Clarendon — Slaughter  of  Christians  in  the 
Holy  Land — Quarrels  between  Henry  and  Becket — Henry  has 
his  eldest  son  Henry  crowned — Sedition  of  the  younger  Henry 
— Death  of  Becket;  he  is  canonized — Henry  invades  Ireland, 
and  is  acknowledged  king  of  the  country — William^  king  of 


54  MA.TTH£W  OF  WX8TMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1155. 

Scotland,  does  homage  to  Henry — Henry  vitits  the  tomb  of 
Bechet — Loui$  of  France  comes  to  Engltmdfor  the  same  pur- 
pose — PhiUp  Augustus  succeeds  to  the  throne  of  France — 
Story  of  Prester  John — Prince  Henry  dies — The  Saracens 
invade  Spain — Saladin  makes  himself  master  of  the  Holy  Land 
— Philip  Augustus,  Henry,  and  the  emperor  Frederic  assume 
the  cross — Quarrels  between  Henry  and  his  sons — Death  of 
Henry, 

Frederic  is  created  emperor, 
A.D.  1155.  Frederic  was  elected  emperor,  and  crowned. 
Prince  Henry,  son  of  Henry  the  Second,  was  bom  in  London, 
on  the  last  day  of  February.  This  year  also,  the  hand  of 
Saint  James  was  restored  to  Reading.  About  this  time  also, 
Henry,  king  of  England,  sent  formal  messengers  to  Rome, 
and  requested  pope  Adrian,  who  had  lately  been  elected,  and 
whose  favour  he  confidently  hoped  to  obtain,  inasmuch  as  he 
was  an  Enghshman,  to  allow  him  to  enter  Ireland  in  a 
hostile  manner,  and  to  reduce  it  under  his  own  power,  and  to 
recall  those  men  sunk  in  brutish  ignorance  to  the  more  be- 
coming faith  of  Christ,  and  to  inchne  them  to  obey  the  church 
of  Rome  with  fidehty.  And  the  pope  cheerfully  granted  the 
king  this  permission,  and  gave  him  also  additional  privileges. 
The  same  year,  Robert,  bishop  of  Exeter  died,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Robert,  dean  of  Sherborne.  The  same  year  also, 
Henry,  king  of  England,  confiscated  the  property  of  William 
of  Peverel  for  sorcery,  because  he  had  poisoned  Ranulph, 
earl  of  Chester.  And  there  were  said  to  have  been  several 
others  privy  to  and  accomplices  in  that  deed  of  wickedness. 
About  that  time,  Hugh  de  Mortimer,  a  most  arrogant  man, 
fortified  his  castles  of  Gloucester,  Worcester,  and  Briges, 
against  the  king ;  but  the  king  marched  against  him,  and 
levelled  them  all  with  the  ground.  The  same  year,  Louis, 
king  of  France,  married  the  daughter  of  Alphonso,  king  of 
Spain.  This  year,  Thomas,  a  Londoner  by  birth,  and  who  was 
hereafter  to  become  bishop  and  martyr,  received  the  first  be- 
nefice which  he  ever  had  from  the  house  of  Saint  Alban ; 
namely,  the  church  of  Sra^eblH,  and  not  long  afterwards,  he 
transferred  himself  to  the  service  of  Theobald,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury ;  by  whose  management  he  was  soon  afterwards 
promoted  to  the  archdeaconry  of  Canterbury.  This  year,  Peter, 
sumamed  Comerstor,  flourished  in  France,  who  wrote  that 


J.       A.D.  1157.       HEXBT  KKPELS  TUB    KING  OF   SCOTLAND.  55 

10    book  which  is  called  the  Scholastic  History  of  the  Old  and 
^;    New  Testament. 

^f^      The  rohe  of  the  Lord,  mihout  seamy  is  discovered  in  France, 
^*^'       A.D.  1 1 56.  The  tunic  of  Christ,  which  was  without  seam,  was 
^^    discovered  in  France  by  a  divine  revelation,  which  robe,  as  the 
^    letters  which  were  found  with  it  indicated,  his  mother  had 
^     made  for  him,  and  it  had  grown  as  he  himself  grew.    The  same 
year,  king  Henry  passed  into  Normandy,  and,  after  a  pro- 
tracted and  expensive  siege,  took  some  castles  which  rebelled 
^.     against  him,  such  as  that  of  Chynon  and  others.     The  same 
^     year,  William,  king  of  Sicily,  utterly  overthrew  the  city  of 
^      Baruth,  defeated  the  Greeks,  and  by  his  vigour  compelled  the 
'^.     city  and  the  castles  which  had  been  taken  from  him  to  return 
1^^.     under  his  dominion,  and  granted  to  the  pope  the  right  of  con- 
I     secrating  the  bishops  of  his  kingdom.     At  this  time,  Eleanor, 
queen  of  England,  bore  the  king  a  daughter,  whom  he  caUed 
\      Matilda.     In  a  war  that  took  place  between  Henry  and  his 
■      brother  Greoffrey,  Henry  wrested  by  force  from  the  before- 
mentioned  (}eoffirey  three  castles,  namely,  those  of  Mirabel  and 
..      Losdun,  and  Chynon,  which  was  spoken  of  above.    This  year 
also,  William,  the  eldest  son  of  king  Henry,  died,  and  was 
I      buried  at  Reading. 

King  Henry  subdues  Wales — Repels  the  king  of  Scotland, 
A.D.  1157.  King  Henry  led  his  army  into  Wales,  and  by 
his  vigour  subdued  that  country,  and  at  Snowdon  he  com- 
pelled king  Cenus  to  surrender.  He  likewise  crossed  the  sea 
^  to  Normandy.  But  having  heard  that  Malcolm,  king  of  Scot- 
land, had  invaded  his  territories  in  a  hostile  manner,  and 
rashly  occupied  what  did  not  belong  to  him,  he  returned  and 
repelled  Midcolm  by  force.  Then  Uie  king  of  Scotland  sur- 
rendered Carlisle  to  him,  and  the  castle  of  Bamburgh,  and 
Newcastle  on  the  river  Tyne,  and  the  whole  county  of  Laudon ; 
and  king  Henry  restored  to  him  the  earldom  of  Huntingdon. 
At  this  time  also,  William,  the  son  of  the  king  before-men- 
tioned, that  is,  the  bastard  son  of  king  Stephen,  earl  of  More- 
ton  and  Warenne,  restored  to  the  king  Pevensey,  and  Norwich, 
and  all  his  fortresses  in  EngUnd  and  Normandy,  which  he 
possessed  as  having  been  given  him  hj  king  Stephen.  And 
king  Henry  gave  him  all  the  possessions  which  his  father 
Stephen  had  had  on  the  day  that  king  Henry  the  First  died. 


56  MATTHEW  OF  WE8TMXN8TEB.  A.D.  1160. 

The  same  year,  Hugh  Bigod  resigned  his  castles  to  the  king. 
The  same  year,  in  the  month  of  September,  a  son  was  bom  at 
Oxford  to  king  Henry  by  his  queen  Eleanor,  and  he  was 
named  Richard. 

A  new  coinage  was  struck  in  Migland,  Hmry^  king  of  England, 
went  to  Paris, 
A.D.  1158.  King  Henry  was  crowned  at  Worcester,  and 
after  the  celebration  of  the  dirine  ceremonies,  he  placed  his 
crown  on  the  altar,  and  was  not  crowned  any  further.  A  new 
coinage  was  struck  in  England.  Geoffrey,  brother  of  king 
Henry,  died.  Reginald,  abbot  of  Reading,  resigned  his  office 
on  account  of  the  hatred  of  the  king,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Roger.  The  same  year,  Thomas,  the  king's  chancellor,  went 
to  Paris  with  great  magnificence,  to  receive  Margaret,  the 
daughter  of  the  king  of  France,  as  a  wife  for  Henry,  son  of 
the  king.  The  king  too  crossed  the  sea,  and  having  been  in- 
vited, went  to  Paris ;  and  he  also  received  the  submission  of 
the  city  of  Nantes. 

A  quarrel  arose  between  Alexander  and  Odavian. 
A.n.  1159.  Henry,  king  of  England,  led  an  army  towards 
Toulouse,  and  took  some  strong  castles  in  the  neighbourhood, 
while  the  king  of  France,  in  the  meantime,  was  constantly 
abiding  in  the  city.  But  the  king  of  England  did  not  besiege 
the  city  itself  in  a  hostile  manner,  on  account  of  his  respect 
for  the  king  of  France,  whose  sister,  Constance,  the  count  of 
Toulouse  had  married,  and  had  had  children  by  her ;  on  which 
account  the  two  kings  became  enemies  to  one  another.  The 
same  year,  pope  Adrian  died,  and  a  quarrel  arose  between  the 
competitors,  Alexander  and  Octavian.  For  the  emperor  and 
his  clergy  received  Octavian,  but  others  would  not  do  so  by 
any  means.  At  last,  Alexander  succeeded.  The  enmity  be- 
tween the  kings  of  France  and  England  was  still  increasing. 

Theobald,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  dies.  FeaUg  is  sworn  to 
the  younger  Senrg, 
A.J).  1160.  Henry,  king  of  England,  having  returned  from 
Toulouse,  caused  Margaret,  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  France, 
whom  he  had  under  his  own  guarSanship,  to  be  espoused  to 
his  son  Henry,  and  he  recovered  the  castle  of  Gisors,  which  he 
had  long  desired.  And  when  the  king  of  France  heard  this, 
he  fortified  Chaumont.  But  the  king  of  England  came  in 
haste,  and  put  the  king  of  France  and  his  army  to  flight,  and 


A.D.1161.  THOMAS  ELECTED  ABCHBISHOP  OP  CANTEHBUBT.  57 

took  the  castle  and  all  who  were  in  it.  And  there  were  taken 
prisoners  in  that  fort  fifty-five  men-at-arms.  And  then  the 
marriage  was  celebrated  between  the  son  of  the  king  of  Eng- 
land, who  was  seven  years  old,  and  the  daughter  of  the  king 
of  France  who  was  three,  by  the  authority  of  Henry  of  Pisa 
and  William  of  Papia,  cardinal  priests,  and  legates  of  the 
Apostolic  See,  on  the  second  of  November,  at  Burgh.  The 
same  year,  Theobald,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  died.  About 
this  time,  Maria,  abbess  of  Romsey,  daughter  of  king  Stephen, 
married  Matthew,  count  of  Boulogne,  by  whom  she  had  two 
daughters.  On  account  of  which  sin  of  theirs,  Thomas,  the 
king's  chancellor,  who  was,  like  John  the  Baptist,  opposed  to 
this  illicit  marriage,  suffered  many  evils  from  the  intrigues 
and  persecutions  of  this  same  count. 

Henry  J  son  of  king  Henry  the  Seeond,  e^Mused  the  daughter  of  the 
king  of  France.     Thmae  is  elected  arehhiehop  of  (Janterhury. 

A.D.  1161.  Henry,  son  of  king  Henry,  espoused  the  daugh- 
ter of  the  king  of  France,  and  peace  was  made  between  them. 
Nearly  all  Canterbury  was  destroyed  by  fire.  The  same  year, 
the  news  of  the  death  of  Theobald,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
having  been  received,  the  king  began  with  all  diligence  to  ar- 
range that  his  chancellor  Thomas  should  succeed  him  in  the 
archbishopric,  and  sent  Richard  de  Lacy  into  England  with 
letters  from  himself  to  ensure  this  with  the  chancellor,  Tho- 
mas himself,  and  so  the  matter  was  effectually  brought  to  the 
end  the  king  wished.  The  same  year,  Bartholomew,  a  religious 
man,  and  one  of  great  learning  in  books  of  theology,  was  con- 
secrated bishop  of  Exeter.  The  same  year,  at  Westminster, 
Thomas,  the  king's  chancellor,  was  elected  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury. Therefore  the  election  having  taken  place  on  the 
Sabbath  at  Pentecost,  he  was  ordained  priest  by  Walter,  bishop 
of  Rochester,  in  the  church  of  Canterbury.  This  year,  the 
quarrel  between  the  church  of  Lincoln  and  the  abbey  of  Saint 
Alban's  was  made  up  in  the  presence  of  king  Henry  and  the 
archbishop  Thomas  of  Canterbury,  and  Roger  of  York,  and  a 
great  number  of  other  bishops  and  nobles  of  the  land.  The 
same  year,  Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem,  died,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  brother  Almaric. 

The  same  year,  the  kings  of  France  and  England  prepared 
for  a  war  by  land  ;  but  it  was  immediately  terminated,  and 
they  became  friends. 


58  KATTHEW  OF  WESTMIirSTEB.  A.D.  1163. 

Thoma%  «  consecrated  archbishop  of  Canterlury,     Richardy  bishop 
of  London,  dies. 

A.D.  11 62.  Tbomas,  the  chancellor,  and  archdeacon  of  Can- 
terbary,  was  consecrated  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  on  the 
third  of  June,  on  the  first  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  Louis, 
king  of  France,  and  Henry,  king  of  England,  haying  collected 
two  powerful  armies  from  all  quarters,  but  when  a  battle  be- 
tween them  was  impending,  near  Farcival,  they  suddenly 
became  friends.  The  same  year,  Eleanor,  queen  of  England, 
was  delivered  of  a  daughter  at  Rouen,  and  gave  her  her  own 
name.  This  year,  also,  Richard,  bishop  of  London,  went  the 
way  of  all  flesh. 

About  the  same  time,  king  Henry  caused  the  oath  of  fealty 
to  be  taken  to  his  son  Henry,  a  youth  of  a  most  exceUent  dis- 
position, and  Thomas,  the  chancellor,  who  was  soon  after 
made  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  took  the  oath  of  fealty  first 
among  all  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom,  saving  his  allegiance  to 
the  king,  as  long  as  he  should  live.  Thomas  resigned  the 
custody  of  the  king's  seal,  which  the  king  was  greatly  vexed 
at.  Also,  archbishop  Thomas  suddenly  changed  his  courtier- 
like way  of  a  life  for  most  strictly  religious  conduct  The 
abbot  Joachim  flourished  at  this  time. 

A  Council  is  held  at  Tours  under  pope  Alexander, 

A.D.  1 163.  King  Henry  turned  away  his  heart  and  affections 
from  Thomas,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  from  that  time 
forth  intrigued  against  him,  and  threw  obstacles  in  his  way. 
Gilbert  Fohoth,  bishop  of  Hereford,  was  translated  to  London. 
The  same  year,  Robert  de  Montfort  fought  in  single  combat 
with  Hienry  of  Essex,  on  an  appeal  of  treason.  The  same  year, 
pope  Alexander  held  a  council  at  Toiirs,  in  the  church  of  St. 
Maurice,  at  which  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  many 
other  prelates  were  present.  About  this  time,  Malcolm,  king 
of  Scotland,  and  Rhesus,  prince  of  Demecia,  that  is  of  South 
Wales,  and  many  other  nobles  did  homage  to  king  Henry  at 
CmoHeitftok.  This  year  also,  Thomas,  earl  of  Clare,  was  sum- 
moned by  Thomas,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  to  Westminster, 
to  do  him  homage  for  the  castle  of  Cunbrtge.  But  when  the 
king  heard  of  this,  he  fraudulently  forbade  the  homage  to  be 
done,  and  this  was  the  first  evident  token  of  the  king's  en- 
mity. 


A.D.  1165.  THE  CHBI8TIAKB  TAKXK  OAPTITE.  59 

A  record  of  the  privileffes  of  the  king  ie  made  at  Ciarendan,  to 
which  archbishop  Thomas  does  not  consent, 
A.D.  1 164.  A  record  of  the  royal  privileges  and  cuBtoms  was 
enrolled  at  Clarendon,  in  the  presence  of  the  king,  and  of  the 
chief  nobles  of  the  kingdom.  And  because  Thomas,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  did  not  give  his  consent  to  them,  he 
retired,  having  drawn  upon  himself  the  great  indignation  of 
the  king.  The  church  of  Reading  was  dedicated,  and  the 
body  of  St.  Edward  was  removed  out  of  the  earth  and  placed 
on  a  bier  by  the  blessed  Thomas,  archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
The  same  year,  the  archbishop  was  subjected  to  many  insults 
in  Northampton  ;  he  withdrew  by  night,  and  went  into  exile, 
and,  having  encountered  many  dangers  by  land,  he  crossed 
the  sea  in  a  small  boat.  The  count  of  Flanders  and  the  cpunt 
of  Boulogne  plotted  against  him,  in  consequence  of  the  machi- 
nations of  the  king.  But,  under  the  protection  of  Gk>d,  he  es- 
caped all  their  plots. 

A  slaughter  and  eaptwity  of  the  Cfhristians  took  place  in  the 
Holy  Land. 
A.D.  1 165.  There  was  an  earthquake  took  place  throughout 
Ely,  and  Norfolk,  and  Suffolk,  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  January, 
which  threw  down  persons  who  were  standing  up,  and  made 
bells  ring.  The  king  made  an  expedition  into  Wales.  Queen 
Eleanor  bore  a  daughter,  whom  she  called  Joanna,  after  whom, 
she  bore  a  son,  whom  she  called  John.  The  same  year,  Gk>d- 
firey  of  St.  Asaph  made  at  the  Lord's  Supper,  in  the  church 
of  St.  Alban,  the  proto-martyr  of  the  English,  at  the  greater 
altar,  a  chrism  and  some  holy  oil,  being  supported  by  the 
authority  of  the  privileges  of  that  church,  in  the  presence  of 
Robert  the  abbot.  The  same  year,  Noureddin,  the  most 
powerful  prince  of  the  Turks,  laid  siege  to  the  castle  of  Ha- 
reng,  on  the  borders  of  the  territory  of  Antioch ;  and  when 
he  heard  of  this,  Bohemund,  prince  of  Antioch,  with  what  as- 
sistance he  could  procure  in  Uie  neighbourhood,  namely,  Ray- 
mond, count  of  Tripoli,  Salamon,  governor  of  Sicily,  and 
Charos,  prince  of  Armenia,  proceeded  with  vigour  to  raise  the 
si^;e,  and  to  put  Noureddin  and  his  army  to  flight.  But  as  they 
pursued  him  with  too  much  rashness  as  he  fled,  he  turned  back 
upon  them  as  they  followed  him,  and  took  all  those  who  have 
been  mentioned  prisoners,  and  loaded  them  with  chains,  and 
committed  them  to  custody  at  Akpia,  and  easily  reduced  the 
castle  which  he  had  been  compelled  to  leave. 


60  MATTHEW  07  -VnCSTMHrSTEB.  A..D.  1167. 

AU  the  ohaerv&ra  of  the  Kin^B  ordinances  are  exeommunicated  hy 
the  blessed  Thomas. 

A.D.  1166.  Eleanor,  queen  of  England,  brought  forth  a  son 
named  John,  at  the  end  of  the  year.  Also,  king  Henry  crossed 
the  sea  into  Normandy.  Thomas,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
excommunicated  all  the  observers  of  the  king's  customs  and 
prerogatives,  which  had  been  recited  at  Clarendon,  which  he 
called  execrable  abuses,  rather  than  customs  or  liberties.  And 
he  excommunicated  by  name  some  of  those  who  took  the 
king's  part  in  this  matter,  both  clergy  and  laity.  The  same 
year,  a  short  time  after,  the  king  procured  the  removal  of 
archbishop  Thomas  from  Pontigny.  For  he  knew  that  the 
place  and  the  abode  there  pleased  him,  especially  as  there  was 
a  Cistercian  chapter  there.  And,  not  long  afterwards,  he  mer- 
cilessly banished  his  whole  family  from  England,  not  merely 
from  London,  but  from  the  whole  kingdom. 

About  the  same  time,  for  the  assistance  of  the  Holy  Land, 
fourpence  were  granted  and  collected  from  every  plough-land 
of  land  throughout  the  whole  of  England.  Robert,  ^bbot  of 
Saint  Alban's,  died,  after  he  had  governed  his  church  there 
twenty-four  years.  The  bishops  of  England  became  favourers 
of  the  king's  party,  and  persecutors  of  the  blessed  Thomas  in 
his  cause.  Louis,  king  of  France,  was  the  only  comforter  of 
the  blessed  Thomas  :  on  which  account,  the  two  kings  spoke 
of  one  another  with  secret  hatred. 

Pope  Alexander,  and  Louis,  Jcing  of  J^anee,  became  comforters  of 
the  blessed  Thomas. 

A.D.  1167.  Pope  Alexander,  being  aware  of  the  justice  of 
the  cause  of  the  blessed  Thomas,  became  his  comforter  and 
assistant,  and  the  partner  of  his  exile.  For  both  of  them 
were  driven  from  their  country  at  the  same  time,  for  the  sake 
of  the  hberty  of  the  Church.  The  same  year,  Robert  of 
Lincoln  died. 

This  year,  the  kings  of  France  and  England  quarrelled : 
and,  in  consequence,  Chaumont,  Gisors,  and  other  castles  and 
fortifications,  with  many  towns  and  cities,  were  seized  and 
burnt  by  the  Normans.  Also,  the  empress  Matilda  died. 
Matilda,  the  daughter  of  king  Henry,  married  Henry,  duke  of 
Saxony. 

At  this  time,  now  that  the  blessed  archbishop  Thomas  was 
driven  into  banishment,  his  manors,  and  woods,  and  preserves, 


A.D.  1169.  £LSAl!rOB  HABEDES  ALFOITBO,  KIKO  OF  CASTILE.    61 

and  serfs,  and  other  possessions  were  confiscated  and  destroyed, 
and  what  was  not  destroyed,  was  committed  to  the  custody  of 
Banulph  de  Broke,  a  man  very  skilfol  in  scraping  np  money, 
the  seeds  of  discord  haying  been  sown  by  Gilbert,  bishop  of 
London,  and  many  other  bishops,  and  Robert  de  Broke  him- 
self, who  was  one  of  the  secidar  clergy,  and  who  was  the 
guardian  of  the  archbishopric  under  lUnulph.  The  same 
year,  Simon,  the  prior  of  the  church  of  Saint  Alban's,  was 
elected  to  the  abbacy  of  that  church,  and  was  solemnly  conse- 
crated, on  Ascensionrday,  by  the  bishop  of  London.  Count 
Patrick  died  in  Aquitaine.  Bobert,  the  second  prior  of  Win- 
chester, died. 

King  Sewry  caused  a  schism,  through  hatred  of  the  blessed  Thomas 
the  Martyr, 
A.D.  1168.  Emg  Henry,  whose  anger  against  the  blessed 
Thomas,  and  against  the  pope,  who  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
blessed  Thomas,  was  turned  to  hatred,  sent  to  the  emperor 
Frederic,  to  intimate  to  him  that  he  would  be  his  assistance  in 
ejecting  Alexander  from  the  dignity  of  the  papacy,  because  he 
had  become  his  enemy,  and  because  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
traitor  and  runaway,  Thomas,  who  had  formerly  been  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  agamst  his  king.  And,  throughout  all 
Enghmd,  the  king  caused  the  obedience  due  to  pope  Alexander 
to  be  abjured  by  every  one,  from  the  boy  of  twelve  years  of 
age  to  the  old  man.  He  also  sent  to  Louis,  king  of  France, 
earnestly  entreating  him  not  to  maintain  his  enemy  and 
traitor,  the  fugitive  Thomas.  But  as  he,  as  it  seemed  to  him, 
was  requiring  of  him  what  was  not  creditable,  the  pious  king, 
Louis,  would  not  comply.  The  same  year,  Richard,  prior  of 
Norwich,  died. 

Meanor,  daughter  of  king  Henry,  married  Alfonso,  king  of  Castile, 
A.i>.  1169.  Eleanor,  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  England, 
married  Alfonso,  king  of  Castile.  The  archbishop  Thomas 
excommunicated  Gilbert,  bishop  of  London.  But  the  king,  a 
vain  comforter,  cheered  him,  threatening  the  blessed  Thomas 
severely. 

The  same  year,  two  legates  d  latere  were  sent  by  the  pope, 
by  name  Yeneian  and  Gratian,  to  bring  about  a  peace  between 
the  king  and  archbishop  Thomas.  But  not  being  able  to  suc- 
ceed in  their  principal  business,  they  were  intent  only  on 
plunder,  and  so  they  returned  after  their  unsuccessful  exertions. 


62  MATTHEW  OF  W2STMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1171. 

Hmry  the  yimnger  is  crowned  king,  and  the  blessed  Thomas  %s  made 
a  martyr, 
A.D.  1170.  Henre,  the  eldest  son  of  king  Henry,  was 
crowned  lung  at  Westminster,  on  the  day  of  Saint  i^il,  by 
Roger,  archbishop  of  York,  contrary  to  the  custom  and  privi- 
lege of  the  church  of  Canterbuiy.  On  which  account,  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury  suspended  the  archbishop  of  York, 
who  had  presumed  to  crown  the  king's  son,  and  some  other 
bishops  likewise,  who  were  present  at  the  solemnity ;  and  he 
excommunicated  many  other  persons.  But  the  archbishop  of 
York  and  the  suspended  bishops  crossed  the  sea,  and  came  to 
Normandy,  to  the  king,  making  grave  complaints  against  the 
blessed  Thomas.  At  which,  the  king,  being  immoderately 
CLQgiy)  complained  bitterly  of  this  archbishop  Thomas,  in  the 
hearing  of  some  of  his  friends.  And  they,  when  they  heard 
this,  hastened  speedily  to  vengeance,  and  coming  to  Canter- 
bury, they  irreverently  knocked  out  the  brains  of  the  arch- 
bishop himself  in  his  own  church.  They  were  four  soldiers, 
too  vigorous  in  every  military  work,  that  is  to  say,  in  the 
shedding  of  blood.  Their  names  were  Reginald  Fitz-Urse, 
Hugh  de  Moreville,  William  de  Tracy,  and  Richard  Brito. 
The  martyr  perished  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  December.  But 
all  those  soldiers  died  within  four  years,  dying,  however,  in 
penitence ;  but  Robert  de  Broke,  being  one  of  the  secular 
clergy  of  Banulph  de  Broke,  who  had  charge  of  the  bishopric, 
was  excommunicated,  and  when  he  was  at  dinner,  the  dogs, 
though  hungry,  would  not  eat  anything  that  he  had  touched, 
though  they  took  anything  greedily  from  the  hands  of  others. 
The  same  year,  the  bones  of  a  giant  were  discovered  in  Eng- 
land, the  length  of  whose  body  was  fifty  feet. 

Henry f  hishop  of  Winehester,  dies,  8aint  Godrie,  the  bishop, 
departs  to  the  Lord. 
A.I).  1171.  Henry,  bishop  of  Winchester,  died.  King  Henry 
crossed  the  sea  to  Ireland,  where  the  archbishops  and  bishops 
received  him  as  king  and  lord,  and  swore  ieaky  to  him ;  and 
the  king,  who  was  called  Monoculus,  did  homage  to  him. 
King  Henry  was  reconciled  to  the  church  of  Canterbury. 
On  the  tiight  of  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord,  a  violent  tempest 
arose.  Gilbert,  bishop,  of  London,  and  the  others  who  had 
been  excommunicated,  were  absolved.  The  king  gloriously 
showed  his  repentance  for  the  sin  that  had  been  committed. 


▲.B.  1173.  SAINT  THOMAS  IS  CAKONIZfiD.  63 

Miracles  increased  in  the  matter  of  Saint  Thomas,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  throaghout  the  whole  world.  That  glorious 
man  of  revered  and  exemplary  life,  Godric  de  Michali,  a  her- 
mit, having  finished  the  conflict  of  his  course  of  life  in  this 
world,  departed  from  this  life  to  the  Lord,  to  receive  a  crown 
of  glory  in  heaven ;  a  man  whose  life  and  death  would  require 
a  special  treatise. 

The  same  year,  on  the  festival  of  Saint  Nicholas,  at  Albe* 
marie,  Roger,  archbishop  of  York,  having  taken  an  oath  that 
he  had  in  nowise  received  letters  of  prohibition  from  the  lord 
the  pope  before  the  coronation  of  the  new  king,  and  that  he 
had  not  bound  himself  to  the  king  in  the  matter  of  the  obser- 
vance of  the  customs  of  the  kingdom,  and  that  he  had  not 
knowingly  procured  by  word,  or  writing,  or  deed,  the  death 
of  the  blessed  archbishop  Thomas,  was  mercifully  restored  to 
the  full  discharge  of  his  duties.  The  same  year,  the  church 
at  Norwich  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

EJsnry  the  Younger  wages  war  against  Henry,  his  father. 

A.D.  1172.  On  the  night  of  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord,  a 
sudden  and  terrible  thunderstorm  was  heard  in  England  and 
Ireland,  and  throughout  the  whole  kingdom  of  France,  so 
that  it  was  plainly  seen  that  the  blood  of  the  blessed  Thomas 
was  crying  out  aloud  to  the  Lord.  The  same  year,  the  heart 
of  the  younger  Henry  was  turned  away  from  affection  to  his 
father,  and  he  waged  war  against  him,  so  that  the  king,  in 
token  of  his  enormous  guilt,  which  he  had  not  yet  atoned  for, 
felt  even  his  own  bowels  rise  up  in  resistance  to  him.  Also, 
Gilbert,  bishop  of  London,  having  by  an  oath  cleared  himself 
of  all  accession  to  the  death  of  the  blessed  Thomas,  was  re- 
stored to  his  office. 

Saint  Thomas  is  canonized,  and  his  festival  celebrated. 

A.D.  1 1 73.  The  feast  of  the  blessed  Thomas  was  celebrated 
by  the  authority  of  the  Apostolic  See  throughout  all  England,* 
in  such  a  way,  that  besides  the  usual  service  which  is  per- 
formed at  Christmas,  a  special  service  was  chaunted  for  the 
Saint  himself,  and  a  special  collect  was  repeated.  The  king 
increased  his  penances,  and  invoked  Thomas  in  special  prayers. 
The  king  of  Scotland  and  the  count  of  Leicester,  who  were 
renewing  war  against  the  king,  were  taken  prisoners,  and  the 
young  prince  Henry  was  reconciled  to  his  father.  The  king 
came  to  Canterbury,  and,  in  a  chapter,  was  absolved  of  aU 


66  MATTHEW  OP  WBSTMIKSTXS.  A.D.  1177. 

ingdon,  of  Walton,  of  Groby,  of  Stedsbniy,  of  Hay,  and  of 
T^Bt,  and  a  great  many  more,  to  be  levelled  to  the  ground, 
in  revenge  for  the  injuries  which  the  lords  of  those  castles  had 
often  done  the  king.  After  this,  the  king,  by  the  advice  and 
consent  of  his  son,  appointed  justiciaries  over  six  divisions  of 
the  kingdom,  six  in  each  division,  who  swore  to  preserve  to 
all  the  inhabitants  their  rights  unimpaired. 

The  same  year,  Joanna,  the  king's  daughter,  being  about  to 
marry  the  king  of  Sicily,  was  given  up  to  her  husband  at  Saint 
Giles's,  on  the  ninth  of  November.  Hugh  Petroleon,  the 
business  of  his  legateship  having  been  terminated,  returned 
home  across  the  sea.  Also,  king  Henry  the  Second  gave  his 
younger  daughter  in  marriage  to  the  king  of  Apulia,  and  on 
the  twenty-seventh  of /August  she  sailed  to  her  new  country. 
Richard,  earl  of  Str^^oil,  died.  WiUiam,  earl  of  Arundel, 
died  on  the  twelfth  of  October,  at  Waverley,  and  was  buried 
at  Wymondham,  of  which  place  he  was  the  patron,  on  the 
nineteenth  of  October.  Walter,  the  prior  of  Winchester,  was 
appointed  abbot  of  Westminster.  The  same  year,  the  secular 
canons  were  removed  from  Waltham,  and  regular  canons  were 
introduced  in  their  stead,  but  it  was  towards  the  end  of  the 
year,  and  the  business  was  not  entirely  completed  in  this  year. 
The  third  prior  of  Merton  died. 

Frederic  came  to  the  feet  of  pope  Alexander  to  make  Batisf action, 

A.D.  1177.  The  church  of  Waltham  was  restored  to  the 
regular  canons,  and  the  rule  of  the  most  blessed  Augustin'e, 
the  great  doctor,  most  honourably  established  and  maintained 
titerein  ;  and  indeed  that  church  of  Waltham  from  that  time* 
forth  evidently  went  on  prospering  and  increasing  as  well  in 
temporal  as  in  spiritual  matters ;  and  this  business  was  suc- 
cessfully completed  in  this  one  year.  But  it  was  commenced 
on  the  vigil  of  Pentecost. 

Philip,  count  of^anders,  and  Philippe  of  Grandeville, 
went  to  Jerusalem.  The  emperor  Frederic  came,  and  threw 
himself  at  the  feet  of  pope  Alexander,  to  make  satisfaction  for 
his  transgressions,  and  thus  the  schism  that  had  existed  was 
terminated.  The  same  year,  a  most  violent  storm  of  wind 
tore  up  trees  from  their  foundations  and  buildings  by  their 
roots,  and  did  almost  irreparable  damage  to  many  things.  This 
year  also,  the  king  of  England  having  arranged  everything  in 
his  territories  according  to  his  pleasure,  on  the  eighteenth  of 


A.D.  1178.    THE  Klira  VISITS  THE  TOMB  OF  SAI5T  THOMAS.    6/ 

August  crossed  tlie  sea  to  Normandy,  and  having  immediately 
held  a  conference  with  the  king  of  France,  they  made  a  treaty 
in  the  following  manner : — 

**  I,  Louis,  king  of  France,  and  I,  Henry,  king  of  England, 
wish  it  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  all  men,  that  we,  acting 
under  the  inspiration  of  Gk>d,  have  promised,  and  have  con- 
firmed that  promise  hy  an  oath,  that  we  will  go  together  in  the 
service  of  the  crucified  one,  and  heing  ahout  to  go  to  Jerusalem, 
we  have  assumed  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  we  determine  to  he 
exceeding  Mends  to  one  another,  so  that  each  of  us  will  faith- 
fully strive  to  preserve  the  life  and  maintain  the  honour  of  the 
other." 

The  king  eheerfuUy  visits  the  tomb  of  the  blessed  Thomas  the 
Martyr, 

A.D.  1178.  A  great  fall  of  snow  filled  the  valleys,  and 
buried  the  thickets  and  trees.  And  when  it  melted  away,  many 
cattle  and  some  men  were  carried  away  by  the  flood,  and  so 
perished.  On  the  eighth  of  January  the  sim  sufiered  an 
ecUpse.  This  year,  Henry,  king  of  England,  decorated  his 
son  QteoSrej  with  the  belt  of  a  knight,  at  Woodstock,  on  the 
seventh  of  August.  And  when  the  king  had  arranged  every- 
thing according  to  his  wish,  then,  recognizing  the  virtue  of 
the  blessed  Thomas  the  Martyr,  he  went  humbly  and  cheer- 
fully to  visit  his  tomb,  intending  to  o£fer  thanks  at  it. 

And  from  that  time  forth  the  two  kings  of  France  and  Eng- 
land made  preparation  of  treasure  and  all  other  necessary 
things,  for  embarking  on  the  expedition  to  Jerusalem  in  a 
magnificent  manner,  in  such  a  way  that  the  whole  of  the  east 
was  shaken  with  fear.  The  same  year,  Richard  de  Lucio,  the 
justiciary  of  England,  on  the  eleventh  of  June  laid  the  foun- 
dation towards  the  building  a  conventual  church,  in  honour 
of  the  blessed  martyr,  Thomas,  in  the  pkce  which  is  called 
Westwood,  in  the  territory  of  Rochester.  The  same  year,  the 
blessed  Alban  came  forth  visibly  from  his  church,  and  came 
to  a  man  dwelling  in  the  town  of  Saint  Alban's,  and  said  to 
him,  "  Follow  me."  But  the  man,  seeing  him  shining  hke 
the  sun,  feared,  and  obeyed,  and  followed  him  as  he  went 
along  the  road  which  leads  to  the  north  (and  the  road  shone 
with  his  brightness  as  he  went)  ;  and  then  the  man  said  to  the 
martyr,  "  Lord,  who  art  thou  ?"  He  said,  "  I  am  Alban,  the 
proto-martyr  of  England,  and  I  am  leading  you  to  the  burial- 
place  of  Saint  Amphilabus,  by  whose  teaching  I  was  converted 

r2 


68  MATTHEW  OF  WSSTMIKBTSB.  A.D.  1179. 

to  the  Lord,  and  made  a  martyr,  in  order  thai  his  bones  may 
be  reverently  discovered,  and  taken  up  out  of  the  earth.  The 
place  of  his  burial  is  about  three  miles  from  my  church.'*  And 
thus  they  conversed  as  one  hiend  might  do  with  another ;  and 
he  pointed  out  the  place  to  him,  and  the  man  made  a  careful 
mark  to  enable  him  to  recognise  the  spot,  and  fixed  it  in  his 
mind  by  placing  some  stones  in  a  particular  order.  And  when 
he  had  done  this,  the  martyr  conducted  the  man  back  again ; 
and  when  they  came  in  front  of  the  doors  of  the  churchy  the 
martyr  admonished  him  to  relate  everything  to  the  abbot  and 
to  the  brotherhood,  and  having  bade  him  farewell,  the  martyr 
departed,  and  entered  his  church ;  but  the  man,  Robert,  (for 
that  was  his  name,)  returned  to  bis  own  house.  And  that  all 
these  circumstances  are  to  be  believed  to  be  true,  and  not  the 
creations  of  fancy,  the  evidence  of  the  facts  that  ensued  proves. 
For  after  those  discreet  men,  the  abbot  and  the  brethren  of 
the  convent,  were  certified  of  these  things,  they  went  to  the 
place  which  was  mentioned  to  them,  and  there  they  found  the 
blessed  martyr,  Amphibalus,  with  his  companions ;  and  Qod 
celebrated  unheard-of  miracles  in  the  place,  one  of  which  we 
have  thought  worthy  of  inserting  in  this  book,  namely,  that  a 
certain  person,  who  had  been  dead  four  days,  in  fact  four  days 
and  a  half  had  elapsed  since  he  had  expired,  was  there  re- 
stored to  life,  and  efi^ectually  led  all  the  beholders  to  give  glory 
to  God,  and  praise  to  the  martyrs  who  assisted  in  such  a 
work. 

Louis,  hmg  of  France,  came  mto  England,  to  offer  adoratum  to 
Saint  Thomas. 
A.D.  1179.  Louis,  king  of  France,  although  old  aiid  infirm 
of  body,  being  nevertheless  active  in  his  faith  and  devotion, 
came  into  England,  and  was  not  hindered  by  the  necessity 
of  crossing  the  sea,  although  he  dreaded  it  above  all  things, 
from  offering  veneration  and  adoration  with  prayer  to  the  holy 
martyr,  the  blessed  Thomas,  at  his  sepulchre  in  the  church  of 
Canterbury ;  in  order,  that  after  that,  when  he  had  evidently  be- 
come a  friend  of  God,  he  might  with  his  prayers  prevail  upon 
God  in  behalf  of  the  king  and  kingdom  of  France,  inasmuch 
as  he  had  meritoriously  received,  and  protected,  and  comforted 
the  man  whom  Bngland  had  persecuted  and  expelled.  And 
because  the  most  Christian  king,  Louis,  heard  that  the  glorious 
promises  of  Ood  were  being  fulfilled  in  the  case  of  the  most 
blessed  Amphibalus  and  his  companions,  he  proposed  to  visit 


A.]>.  1180.  UOmS,  KDXGt  OF  FBAITGS,  DIJBS.  69 

that  spot;  bat  the  adyice  of  his  friends  prerented  him  from 
being  absent  from  his  comitry  for  such  a  length  of  time ;  griev- 
ing at  which,  though  he  was  unwilling  to  act  in  opposition  to 
them,  he  sent  his  diaplain  thither,  in  his  stead,  as  it  were,  to 
bear  splendid  presents  as  an  offering  on  his  part,  to  that,  and 
to  certain  other  holy,  pkces  which  existed  in  England.  Having 
therefore  performed  his  vow  of  pilgrimage  according  to  his 
wish,  the  king  returned,  and  sailing  firom  between  Dover  and 
Whitsaod,  he  had  a  fair  voyage,  and  reached  his  own  country 
without  meeting  with  any  hindrance.  And  because  he  was 
very  fearful  by  sea,  and  apprehensive  of  danger,  as  he  said 
that  to  cross  the  sea  was  an  act  of  more  than  human  daring, 
he  entreated  the  blessed  Thomas  that  from  that  time  forth  no 
one  should  suffer  shipwreck  in  that  passage,  by  which  prayer 
the  pious  king  is  believed  to  have  obtained  the  favour  of  the 
saint,  which  continues  effectual  to  this  day.  These  events 
took  place  in  the  beginning  of  September,  and  in  all  these 
things  king  Henry  showed  himself  favourable  and  sociable  to 
bim,  as  he  ought. 

Ttns  year,  Philip,  son  of  the  king  of  France,  was  crowned. 
Likewise  pope  Alexander  held  a  council  at  Rome,  in  the  middle 
of  Lent,  at  which  three  hundred  and  ten  bishops  assembled 
in  the  Lateran  palace.  Roger,  bishop  of  Worcester,  died.  A 
boy  was  martyred  at  Wenlock.  In  these  days,  the  abbot  of 
Joachin  wrote  a  book  on  the  Apocalypse  ;  and  his  writings, 
because  f^om  a  simple  man  of  little  more  learning  than  a  lay- 
nuin,  he  suddenly  and  miraculously  became  a  profound  theo- 
logian, were  very  much  greeted  among  the  great,  and  were 
consideitd  works  of  great  authority.  But  because  he  appeared 
to  incline  to  the  idea  of  a  quatemity,  rather  than  that  of  the 
Trinity,  the  church  condemned  his  writings,  of  which  circum- 
stance pope  Innocent  made  mention  in  the  council  which  was 
held  by  him,  and  also  in  the  beginning  of  his  decretals. 

Zauia,  king  of  Franeey  dies,     Philip  becomes  very  friendly  to  king 
Simry. 

A.i>.  1180.  Louis,  king  of  France,  of  pious  memory,  died 
on  the  eighteenth  of  September,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
Philip.  The  coinage  was  renewed  in  England.  John,  bishop 
of  Chichester,  died.  Philip,  king  of  France,  placed  his  whole 
kingdom  at  the  disposal  of  king  Henry,  as  his  faithful  friend, 
because  he  knew  hun  to  be  a  most  faithful  and  prudent  king  ; 


70  MATTHXW  OF  WSSTHHirSTEB.  A.D.  1182. 

and  they  became  the  greatest  friends,  without  any  evil  suspi- 
cion of  one  another,  and  withont  any  remembrance  of  past 
grievances,  as  this  document  testifies. 

"  I,  Philip,  king  of  the  French,  &c. :— " 

This  year  also,  Richard,  count  of  Poictiers,  a  man  famous 
for  military  prowess,  cruelly  ravaged  the  territories  of  Geoffrey 
de  LuneviUe,  scarcely  sparing  the  sanctity  of  churches.  And 
when  he  had  finished  his  war  according  to  his  wish,  he  came 
into  England,  and  was  received  with  exceeding  honour  by  his 
father  on  account  of  his  glory,  which  had  become  famous 
throughout  all  the  countrieer  on  this  side  of  the  Alps. 

Pope  Alexander  dies,  and  is  succeeded  hy  Lfmus.  Frester  John 
writes  to  the  Pope,  and  the  Pope  to  him,  * 
A.D.  1181.  Roger,  archbishop  of  York,  went  the  way  of  all 
flesh  on  the  twenty-first  of  December.  The  same  year,  pope 
Alexander  wrote  a  letter  to  Prester  John,  king  of  India,  in 
elegant  language,  expressing  a  hope  that  they  might  be  united, 
being  of  one  belief  in  all  things  in  the  Catholic  faith,  which, 
indeed,  John  himself  had  previously  entreated  in  a  letter  of  his 
own,  and  by  a  messenger  whom  he  had  sent  himself,  namely, 
his  physician  Philip.  In  which  arduous  business,  the  matter 
would  have  had  a  happy  termination,  if  the  fame,  or  rather  the 
infamy,  of  the  Roman  avarice  had  not  filled  the  whole  earth  to 
the  very  extremities  of  the  world,  in  consequence  of  which  the 
devotion  of  the  prince  above  mentioned  grew  cold,  as  he  was 
unwilling  to  put  himself  in  devout  subjection  to  the  church  of 
Rome.  The  same  year,  pope  Alexander  died,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Lucius.  The  king  came  from  Normandy.  An 
eclipse  of  the  sun  took  place  on  the  vigil  of  the  exaltation  of 
the  holy  cross,  at  three  o'clock.  The  same  year,  Baldwin,  ab- 
bot of  Ford  Abbey,  of  the  Cistercian  order,  succeeded  bishop 
Roger,  in  the  church  of  Worcester.     The  earl  of  Chester  died. 

Henry y  for  the  expiatitm  of  the  death  of  Saint  Thomas,  yave  forty- 
two  thousand  marks  of  silver  and  five  hundred  marks  of  gold  to 
the  Holy  Land. 

A.D.  1 182.  The  duke  of  Saxony  came  with  his  duchess  into 
Normandy.  Geoffrey,  bishop  elect  of  Lincoln,  and  son  of  the 
king  of  England,  after  his  election  had  been  confirmed  by  the 
pope,  and  after  he  had  peaceably  presided  over  that  church  for 
a  period  of  seven  years,  without  any  one  compelling  him  to  do 
so,  resigned  his  preferment  at  the  epiphany  of  the  Lord  at 


A..J).  1184.  BICHABDy  ABCHBISHOP  Or  CAITTSBBUIIT,  DIES.      71 

Marlborough^  in  the  presence  of  the  king  and  the  bishops  of 
the  kingdom.  The  same  year,  king  Henry,  at  Waltham,  in 
the  presence  of  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom,  munificently  gare 
forty-two  thousand  marks  of  silver,  and  five  hundred  marks  of 
gold,  to  procure  assistance  for  the  Holy  Land.  For,  in  secret 
confession,  he  had  inviolably  promised  this  gift,  in  atonement 
of  the  death  of  the  blessed  Thomas,  the  punishment  for  which 
he  dreaded  above  all  things,  for  himself  and  his  posterity. 

The  same  year,  Walter  de  Constance,  archdeacon  of  Oxford, 
was  consecrated  bishop  of  Lincoln,  by  Richard,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  in  the  city  of  Angers,  in  the  church  of  Saint 
Laud.  Geoffrey,  the  king's  son,  prior  elect,  who,  out  of  fa- 
mily pride,  was  not  at  all  inclined  to  submit  himself  to  epis- 
copal authority,  from  that  time  forth  became  reprobate  and 
detestable  in  the  eyes  of  Ctod  and  man,  according  to  the  divine 
sentence  :  "  Whosoever  is  ashamed  of  me  before  men,"  etc. 
The  same  year,  Walter,  bishop  of  Rochester,  went  the  way  of 
all  flesh. 

Ths  Prince  Senry  the  younger  dies.  Walter  de  Constance  is 
installed  in  his  see, 
A.D.  1 183.  Prince  Henry  the  younger,  a  youth  of  a  delight- 
ful disposition,  the  son  of  king  Henry  the  Second,  died  on  the 
day  of  Saint  Barnabas  the  apostle ;  and  he  was  buried  at  first 
in  Mayenne,  and  afterwards  in  Rouen.  Walter  de  Constance, 
a  bishop  of  Lincoln,  came  to  England,  and  was  installed  in  his 
diocese.  The  same  year,  Gerard,  sumamed  the  Maiden,  was 
consecrated  bishop  of  Coventry,  who,  having  gone  through 
many  labours  with  Saint  Thomas  the  Martyr,  was  worthily 
raised  to  the  dignity  of  pontiff  by  his  prayers,  many  others 
being  passed  over. 

Richard,  archbishop  of  Canterhuryy  dies.     The  Saracens  invade 


A.B.  1184.  Richard,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  died  at 
Hailing,  which  is  a  town  in  the  bishopric  of  Rochester.  Also 
Jocelin,  bishop  6f  Salisbury,  died.  The  same  year,  king  Henry 
conducted  the  duke  of  Saxony  and  his  family  into  England, 
and  a  few  days  afterwards  the  duchess  brought  forth  a  son, 
whom  she  called  William.  The  same  year,  Baldwin,  bishop  of 
Worcester,  was  elected  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  Walter, 
bishop  of  Lincoln,  was  elected  archbishop  of  Rouen.  This 
same  year,  PhiUp,  archbishop  of  Cologne,  and  Philip,  count  of 


72  HATTHXW  OW  WBSTiaKBTSB.  A.B.    1184. 

Flanden,  came  into  England  to  offer  Tows  and  prayen  to  the 
blessed  Thomas,,  as  fSunoos  miracles  irere  constantly  increasing 
to  his  great  honour.  When  the  objects  of  the  pilgrimage  of 
these  nobles  had  been  accomplished,  the  king  coorteonaly^went 
to  meet  them,  and  accompanied  them  to  London,  irha«  they 
feasted  with  him  for  several  days.  And  at  |heir  arrival  in 
London,  by  command  of  the  king,  the  whole  city  was  made 
yeiy  splenc&d,  and  decked  with  every  kind  of  ornament 

The  same  year  also,  a  multitude  of  Saracens  landed  on  the 
Spanish  territories,  and  attacked  the  Christians  in  a  hostile 
manner,  under  the  command  of  a  great  general  and  sovereign 
king  Macemuth ;  and  when  they  had  done  much  irreparable 
mischief  to  the  Christians,  the  king  was  smitten  by  Ood,  as  an 
avenger  of  his  guilt,  in  a  miraculous  manner,  and  died  in  a  hor- 
rible manner ;  on  beholding  which,  all  the  enemies  <^  GK>d 
were  terrified  and  fled. 

In  those  days,  Baldwin,  son  of  Almnrie,  the  former  king, 
reigned  in  Jerusalem,  but  being  afflicted  with  leprosy,  he  had 
already  lost  the  use  of  his  eyes.  Havmg  therefore  sununoned 
the  nobles  of  his  kingdom,  he  appointed  Guy  de  Lusignan, 
count  of  Joppa,  and  Ascalon,  governor  of  his  kingdom.  About 
the  same  time,  Saladin,  soldan  of  Damascus,  having  reduced 
all  the  kings  of  the  Saracens  under  his  authority  throughout 
nearly  all  die  territories  of  the  east,  so  that  he  might  be  called 
king  of  kings,  and  lord  of  lords,  threatened,  with  a  loud  voice, 
that  he  would  subdue  all  Christendom  under  his  feet,  and  for 
this  purpose  he  had  prepared  many  warlike  machines,  being  a 
man  of  the  greatest  experience  and  skill  in  warlike  matters. 
At  this  time,  Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem,  died,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Baldwin,  a  boy  of  five  years  of  age,  his  nephew, 
being  the  son  of  his  sister,  Sibylla,  and  William,  marquis  of 
Montserrat,  who  was  immediately  crowned  king,  and  com- 
mitted to  the  care  of  Raymond,  count  of  Tripoli,  to  be  brought 
up  by  him. 

The  same  year,  king  Henry,  as  he  had  for  some  time  in- 
tended, brought  about  the  transference  of  the  whole  kingdom 
of  Ireland  to  John,  his  younger  son,  who,  with  the  consent  of 
his  father,  had  long  since  received  the  homage  of  all  the  nobles 
of  that  country ;  and  he  sent  John,  archbishop  of  Dublin,  into 
Ireland,  as  the  forerunner  of  his  son's  arrival,  about  the  be- 
ginning of  August. 


A.S.  1186.  BALDWHT  BE0SITE8  THB  FALLIirM.  73 

The  Patriareh  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  Master  of  the  Hospital^ 
arrwe  in  England, 

A.D.  1 185.  Eraclios,  the  patriarch  of  the  Holy  Be8urrection» 
and  lord  Roger,  the  master  of  the  hospitallers,  came  to  Henry, 
king  of  England,  at  Reading.  And  when  they  had  related  to 
him  the  catise  of  their  journey,  they  excited  the  king  and  all 
their  hearers  to  tears,  for  the  unheard-of  desolation  of  the 
Holy  Land.  They  also  brought  to  the  king  many  memorable 
tokens  in  confirmation  of  their  petition,  namely,  relics  of  the 
nativity  and  passion  of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and  the  keys 
of  the  tower  of  David  and  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  They  also, 
with  tears,  related  to  him  the  rash  and  wicked  purpose  of  Sa- 
ladin,  showing  him  moreover  the  papal  letters  which  contained 
the  entire  series  of  those  events,  with  a  great  multipUcity  of 
testimonies.  But  the  king  having  taken  counsel,  replied, 
*'  that  for  him  to  accept  the  kingdom  of  Jerusalem  which  they 
offered  him,  and  to  go  thither,  and  to  desert  the  kingdom  of 
England,  and  expose  it  to  its  hostile  neighbours,  would  not  be, 
as'  he  imagined,  acceptable  to  God,  since  this  kingdom  was  as 
pleasing  to  God,  and  as  devout  as  the  other.''  So  the  patri- 
arch being  disappointed  in  his  hope,  returned  to  his  own 
country.  And  when  Saladin  heard  of  this,  he  began  in  a 
most  merciless  manner  to  ravage  those  territories  of  the  Chris- 
tians which  bordered  on  his  own. 

Pope  Lucius  died  this  year,  and  was  succeeded  by  Urban. 
A  great  earthquake  was  felt  at  Lincoln,  on  the  fifteenth  of 
April.  John»  the  younger  son  of  king  Henry,  was  knighted 
by  his  father,  and  sent  into  Ireland.  Baldwin,  bishop  of  Wor- 
cester was  made  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  John,  pre- 
centor of  Exeter,  was  made  bishop  of  the  same  church.  About 
this  time,  the  young  Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem,  died,  nor 
was  there  any  one  who  could  then  succeed  him  in  the  king- 
dom,  except  Sibylla,  the  sister  of  the  leprous  king,  Baldwin, 
and  mother  of  the  youthful  king,  Baldwin  ;  on  which  account, 
the  desolate  state  of  the  kingdom  increased,  and  the  audacity 
of  Saladin  against  the  Christians. 

Geoffrey y  count  of  Brittany ^  dies,     JETttgh,  a  Carthusian  nMnk, 

is  made  bishop  of  Lincoln. 

▲.]>•  1186.  Baldwin,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  received  the 

paBimn,  and  also  the  ofBcp  of  legate  in  the  province  which 

was  subject  to  him,  from  the  Church  of  Rome.     The  same 


74  KATTHJSW  07  WXSTMnrSTER.  A.J).  1187. 

year,  William  de  Yere  was  created  bishop  of  Hereford,  on 
the  feast  of  Saint  Lawrence.  The  same  year,  Geofirey,  count 
of  Brittany,  son  of  the  king  of  England,  died  on  the  eighteenth 
of  September,  and  was  buried  at  Paris,  in  the  church  of  the 
blessed  Virgin  Mary,  within  the  choir  of  the  canons.  He  left 
two  daughters,  whom  he  had  by  his  wife  Constance,  daughter 
of  Conan,  count  of  Brittany,  and  she  was  with  child  at  the 
time  that  her  husband  died,  and  afterwards  she  was  dehvered 
of  a  sou,  whom  she  named  Arthur. 

The  same  year,  Hugh,  a  Burgundian  by  birth,  and  a  prior 
of  the  Carthusian  order,  was  appointed  bishop  of  Lincoln. 
William  de  fioxt^SLlt  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Worcester, 
and  John  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Exeter.  About  the  same 
time,  terrible  signs  appeared,  namely,  a  very  general  earth- 
quake ;  also,  an  image  of  the  child  Jesus  being  broken,  flowed 
with  blood.  Sakdin  ravaged  the  Holy  Land  more  cruelly 
every  day. 

ITis  Holy  Land  is  ruined  hy  devastation.     The  Holy   Cross  is 

lost, 

A.D.  1187.  Saladin  assembled  Parthians,  Bedouins,  and 
Turks  and  Arabs,  and  Medes  and  Curds,  and  Egyptians,  and 
accompanied  by  an  army  of  all  those. nations,  he  attacked  and 
made  himself  master  of  many  noble  castles,  and  slew  the  Mas- 
ter of  the  Knights  of  the  Temple,  with  the  host  of  his  brethren. 
They  again  appointed  a  fresh  master  or  preceptor  of  the 
Temple,  and  as  he  was  desirous  to  avenge  his  slaughtered 
brethren,  and  to  dehver  those  who  had  been  taken  prisoners 
in  company  with  Guy  de  Lusignan,  regent  of  the  kingdom, 
the  count  of  Tripoli,  and  many  other  nobles,  the  intrepid  Sa- 
ladin met  him  in  battle,  and  as  our  troops  encountered  him 
vigorously  with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  a  terrible  conflict  took 
place,  and  both  armies  fought  manfully.  At  last,  our  men 
advancing  incautiously  among  difficult  ground,  and  terrible 
defiles  of  rocks,  were  intercepted,  so  that,  sdthough  they  fought 
gloriously,  nevertheless  the  party  of  the  enemy  prevailed. 
They  say,  that  the  count  of  Tripoli,  having  been  corrupted 
by  bribes,  traitorously  permitted  the  royal  standard  to  fall, 
which  he  unfortunately  carried.  In  that  battle,  the  lord  Guy, 
the  vice  regent  of  the  king,  was  taken  prisoner  with  the  Holy 
Cross,  and  the  whole  multitude  of  Christians  was  miserably 
routed  and  put  to  flight,  and  the  greater  part  of  them  were 


A.D.  1187.    THE  CITY  OF  OHICHESTISB  DK8TE0TED  BY  FIRE.    75 

put  to  the  sword,  and  so  perished.  This  melancholy  and  dis- 
astrous hattle  took  place  on  the  third  and  fourth  of  July,  in 
the  week  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul.  However,  Theodoric, 
the  new  Master  of  the  Temple,  escaped  from  this  defeat, 
though  on  that  day  he  lost  two  hundred  and  thirty  of  his  most 
distinguished  brethren.  The  count  of  Tripoli  escaped  unhurt 
and  sound,  on  which  account  he  was  the  more  suspected. 
Moreover,  with  the  cross,  there  were  taken  its  bearers,  the 
bishop  of  Acre,  and  the  precentor  of  the  Lord's  Sepulchre, 
the  latter  of  whom  was  slain  at  once,  the  other  taken  prisoner, 
and  soon  after  slain  in  the  battle.  After  that,  Sakdin,  in- 
creasing in  audacity,  attacked  Acre  and  took  it ;  then  he  in- 
vaded Galilee,  and  after  that,  he  attacked  the  Holy  City  of 
Jerusalem. 

The  same  year,  pope  Urban  died,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Gregory;  who,  after  he  had  ruled  the  Papal  See  for  two 
months,  died,  and  Clement  the  Third  was  elected  in  his  room, 
on  the  twentieth  of  December.  About  this  time,  Gilbert, 
bishop  of  London,  paid  the  debt  of  nature ;  and  the  same 
year,  Richard,  count  of  Poitou,  hearing  of  the  disasters  of  the 
Holy  Land,  and  especially  the  capture  of  the  cross,  was  seized 
with  great  consternation  in  his  mind,  so  that,  without  waiting 
for  the  preaching  of  any  one,  or  for  the  advice  of  his  father, 
he,  the  first  of  all  the  nobles  beyond  the  sea,  devoutly  received 
the  sign  of  the  cross  from  the  hand  of  the  archbishop  of  Tours, 
murmuring  at  and  reproaching  his  father  because  he  declined 
to  take  upon  himself  the  defence  of  the  kingdom  which  was 
offered  to  him ;  and  thus  shamefully  shook  the  yoke  of  the 
Lord  from  off  his  neck. 

This  year,  the  mother  church  of  Chichester  and  the  whole 
city  was  destroyed  by  fire,  on  the  first  of  November.  Hugh 
de  Mihaute  was  made  bishop  of  Chester.  The  citizens  of  the 
captured  city  of  Jerusalem,  for  the  sake  of  preserving  their 
lives,  agreed  to  pay  Saladin  a  poll-tax,  at  the  rate  of  ten  bezants 
for  each  man,  five  for  each  woman,  and  one  for  each  child,  to 
the  number  of  fourteen  thousand  persons  of  both  sexes.  This 
year,  Richard,  bishop  of  Winchester,  died,  on  the  twenty- 
second  of  December.  And  about  the  same  time,  after  t&e  ex- 
ample of  Richard,  count  of  Poitou,  many  men  fiew  to  assume 
the  sign  of  the  cross,  to  avenge  the  great  injuries  done  to  their 
crucified  Saviour. 


7Ci  KATTHEW  01*  WSSTMIirSTEB.  A.D.  1188. 

27ie  emperor  I^ederie,  and  the  kings  of  lirance  and  Migland^ 
assume  the  cross, 

▲.D.  1188.  Frederic,  emperor  of  the  RomaiiB.  aasumedthe 
crou,  being  urged  by  the  preaching  of  Henry,  bishop  of 
Albany,  and  legate  of  the  Apostolic  See,  who  was  sent  by  pope 
Clement  for  this  object.  The  same  year,.  Philip,  king  of  France, 
and  Henry,  king  of  England,  came  to  a  conference,  having 
for  its  object  the  relief  of  the  Holy  Land,  in  Normandy,  be- 
tween Trippe  and  Gisors,  and  after  a  long  discussion,  in  the 
presence  of  PhiUp,  count  of  Flanders,  they  agreed  together  in 
this,  that  having  assumed  the  cross,  they  would  undertake  the 
expedition  to  Jerusalem  In  company.  Therefore,  the  king  of 
Enghmd  first  received  the  cross  at  the  hands  of  the  archbishop 
of  Rheims,  and  William  of  Tyre.  After  him,  the  king  of 
France,  and  Phihp,  count  of  Flanders,  and  many  other  counts 
and  barons,  and  a  very  great  number  of  nobles,  archbishops, 
and  bishops,  and  of  common  people  an  absolutely  countless 
multitude. 

About  those  days,  the  emperor  Frederic  wrote  an  el^ant 
letter  to  Saladin,  which,  however,  was  couched  in  threaten- 
ing language ;  and  Saladin,  not  being  at  all  alarmed,  wrote 
back  one  in  a  similar  tone.  In  that  letter  there  was  contained 
a  defiance  and  a  declaration  of  war.  This  year,  Guy,  king  of 
Jerusalem,  having  been  detained  in  chains  at  Damascus  for  a 
year,  in  the  prison  of  Saladin,  was  compelled  to  renounce  the 
kingdom  of  Jerusalem,  and  scarcely  escaped  with  his  Ufe. 
About  this  time,  Baymond,  count  of  Tripoli,  died,  who,  when 
at  the  point  of  death,  from  the  alienation  of  his  mind,  did  not 
receive  the  viaticum  of  salvation.  But  the  valiant  sovereign, 
Guy,  when  released  from  prison,  as  if  awakening  from  a 
heavy  slumber,  as  no  one  else  had  taken  upon  himself  the 
task  of  holding  the  reins  of  his  oppressed  kingdom,  broke  his 
disgraceful  oath,  resumed  his  spirits,  and  gurded  himself  lor 
the  contest,  and  taking  the  helm  of  tJie  vessel  which  was  now 
nearly  sunk  by  the  violence  of  the  storm,  he  summoned  his 
dispersed  followers  to  unite,  and  associating  with  himself  the 
Templars,  and  Hospitallers,  and  Venetians,  and  Genoese,  and 
all  th£  noble  pilgrims  who  had  as  yet  arrived,  having  a  good 
hope  of  the  arrival  of  more  allies,  laid  siege  to  Acre,  to  the 
deliverance  of  which  Saladin,  without  any  ahurm,  came  in 
haste,  and  after  a  fierce  battle  had  continued  for  three  days, 
lo !  they  beheld  an  innumerable  fieet  of  Danes  and  Frieslanders 


A.D.  1189.  BICHABD  DOSS  HOMAGE  TO  THE  KING  OF  TBANGE.  77 

entering  the  harbour  without  any  hindrance ;  and  when  Sala- 
din  saw  this,  he  immediately  fled,  leaving  the  city  without 
hope  of  relief.  The  strength  of  the  city  was,  however,  im- 
pregnable, and  the  garrison,  on  the  side  of  Saladin,  consisted 
of  nine  thousand  armed  men. 

About  the  same  time,  the  devil,  the  enemy  of  the  human 
race,  seeing  the  success  of  this  important  affair  that  had  now 
been  vigorously  begun,  and  envying  that  success,  sowed  dis- 
cord and  the  seeds  of  ruinous  war,  and  begot  hostility  between 
the  king  of  the  French,  and  Richard,  count  of  Poitou,  and  the 
long  of  England  too,  to  such  a  degree,  that  they  attacked  one 
another  with  slaughter  and  conflagration,  and  breathed  no- 
thing but  anger  and  hatred.  At  last,  they  came  to  Normandy 
to  a  conference,  but  as,  after  many  debates,  they  could  not 
find  the  way  of  peace,  they  departed  more  at  variance  with 
one  another  than  before.  Henry  had  several  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, namely,  William,  who  died  as  a  child,  Henry  the  Younger, 
who  had  been  crowned  as  king,  Richard,  the  king,  Matilda, 
6eofi&ey,  Eleanor,  Joanna,  and  John,  the  king. 
Count  MieJwrd  adheres  to  the  king  of  France.  King  Henry ^  worn 
out  by  eorroWy  dies, 

▲.B.  1 1^9.  A  great  famine  and  mortality  caused  the  human 
race  to  waste  away  in  a  horrible  manner.  The  war  between 
the  kings  of  England  and  France  grew  fiercer  every  day ;  and 
now  Richard,  count  of  Poitou,  began  with  all  his  heart  to 
espouse  the  side  of  Philip,  king  of  France,  against  his  father, 
by  which  the  heart  of  Henry  was  afflicted  with  great  bitter- 
ness. Many  also  forsook  king  Henry  and  adhered  to  count 
Richard,  especially  the  Bretons.  Pope  Clement  sent  John 
d'Anagni,  the  cardinal,  witii  full  powers  to  settle  the  disputes 
and  quarrels  between  the  two  kings,  in  which  he  succeeded  to 
some  extent,  but  not  entirely.  As  a  crown  to  his  miseries,  it 
happened  that  Saladin,  having  made  a  treaty  with  the  emperor 
of  Constantinople,  surrendered  all  the  churches  of  the  Holy 
Land  which  he  had  reduced  under  his  own  dominion  to  the 
emperor  and  his  prelates,  that  the  rites  of  the  Greek  church 
might  be  observed  m  them.  Moreover,  Saladin  also  sent  to  Con- 
Btaatinople  some  rites  of  his  own  law,  to  be  observed  therein. 

Biehflsd,  count  of  Poitou,  becoming  moie  and  more  carried 
away  by  his  anger,  did  homage  to  the  king  of  France,  by  way 
of  an  insult  to  hiB  father.  About  that  time,  the  emperor 
Frederic,  being  about  to  visit  the  places  of  our  Lord's  suffer- 


78  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMIKST^B.  A.D.  1189. 

ings,  began  his  pilgrimage  on  the  day  of  the  festival  of  Saint 
George,  starting  with  great  magnificence  from  Bemisbargh, 
meaning  to  pass  through  Hungary  and  Bulgaria,  according  to 
his  original  intention.  In  the  same  year,  Geofi&ey,  bishop  of 
Ely,  died  intestate,  on  the  twenty-first  of  August. 

In  the  same  year,  king  Henry,  being  utterly  overwhelmed 
in  the  abyss  of  melancholy,  cursing  the  day  on  which  he  was 
bom,  and  his  own  nativity,  died  at  Chinon,  on  the  sixth  of 
July,  and  was  buried  at  Fontevraud,  after  he  had  reigned 
thirty-four  years,  seven  months,  and  five  days. 

The  following  territories  king  Henry  had  in  his  own  power, 
namely,  the  counties  of  Anjou  and  Maine,  by  right  of  succes- 
sion to  his  father ;  and,  as  his  mother's  inheritance,  England, 
Ireland,  and  the  duchy  of  Normandy.  In  right  of  his  wife, 
he  possessed  the  duchy  of  Aquitaine  ;  and  we  must  remark, 
that  the  dignity  of  seneschal  belongs  to  the  count  of  Anjou. 

This  is  the  account  of  Trevetus. 

Ch.  VI.— Fbom  a.d.  1189  TO  a.d.  1199. 

Richard  sticceeds  to  the  throne — Progress  of  the  war  in  the 
Holy  Land — Richardts  liberality  to  his  relations — He  ap- 
points Arthur  his  heir — He,  mth  the  Mng  of  France,  sets 
out  to  join  the  crusade — Acre  is  taken — Exploits  of  Richard 
— Richard  returns  from  the  Holy  Land,  and  is  taken  pri- 
soner— The  pope  interferes  for  his  release — He  returns  to 
England — Fulk  preaches  to  Richard — Otho  becomes  em- 
peror— Death  of  Richard, 

The  coronation  of  Richard  at  Westminster, 

Henby,  the  most  pious  king  of  England,  being  thus  dead  in 
great  bitterness  of  spirit,  Richard,  count  of  Poitou,  his  son, 
succeeded  him  in  the  kingdom,  and  was  crowned  at  West- 
minster the  same  year  by  Baldwin,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
on  the  third  of  September,  in  the  presence  of  Walter  de  Con- 
stance, archbishop  of  Rouen,  John  Comin,  archbishop  of 
Dublin,  and  the  archbishop  of  Treves.  The  next  night  a  mas- 
sacre was  made  of  the  Jews  in  London.  After  that,  Grodfrey 
de  Lucy  was  elected  bishop  of  Winchester,  Richard,  the  trea- 
surer, bishop  of  London,  Hubert  Walter,  bishop  of  Salisbury, 
and  WiUiam  Longchamp,  bishop  of  Ely.  This  year  also, 
William  de  Mandeville  died.  On  the  seventh  of  March  a 
most  terrible  thunderstorm  was  heard. 


A.D.  1189.       KISQ  BICHABB   SAILS  FOB  ITOBMANDT.  79 

The  same  year,  a  severe  battle  took  place  between  Saladin 
and  the  Christians,  in  which  most  bloody  conflict  the  son  of 
Saladin  and  many  of  his  troops  perished,  and  likewise  the 
brother  of  Saladin  was  mortally  wounded  ;  and  seven  squad- 
rons of  the  infidels  were  routed.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
master  of  the  temple,  and  a  great  many  Christians,  were  slain. 
Bat  the  emperor  of  Constantinople,  being  greatly  perplexed, 
could  not  for  awhile  recover  his  courage.  The  same  year,  on 
the  first  of  November,  Godfrey  de  Lucy,  bishop  elect  of  Win- 
chester, and  Hubert  Walter,  bishop  elect  of  Salisbury,  re- 
ceived consecration  at  Westminster,  in  the  chapel  of  Saint 
Catharine,  at  the  hands  of  Baldwin,  archbishop  of  Canterbury. 
John  d'Anagni,  the  cardinal,  in  the  month  of  November, 
landed  in  England  at  Dover,  and  by  his  means  peace  was  re- 
established between  the  archbishop  and  the  chapter  in  the 
matter  of  the  chapel  of  Haketun.  And  accordingly  the  chapel 
was  determined  to  be  pulled  down.  Roger,  who  had  been 
appointed  prior  by  the  archbishop  contrary  to  the  will  of  the 
chapter,  was  at  once  deposed,  and  the  king,  on  the  petition  of 
the  archbishop,  gave  the  deposed  prior  the  abbey  of  Evesham. 
Afterwards  the  sentence  about  the  before-mentioned  chapel 
was  modified,  at  the  entreaty  of  the  archbishop,  so  that  it  was 
reduced  to  a  small  one,  not  having  any  baptistery  or  cemetery 
attached  to  it,  or  any  regular  service,  excepting  only  such  as 
could  be  performed  by  one  secular  priest.  The  king  of  Scot- 
land did  homage  to  king  Richard,  for  the  rights  of  which  he 
was  possessed  in  England.  And  king  Richard  gave  him  the 
castles  of  Berwick  and  Roxburgh.  And  for  tins  restoration 
of  those  castles,  and  for  a  discharge  from  any  acknowledgment 
of  fealty  and  allegiance  due  from  the  kingdom  of  Scotland, 
and  for  the  confiraiation  of  his  charter,  he  gave  the  king  of 
England  ten  thousand  marks  of  silver.  The  same  year,  Richard 
gave  to  John,  his  brother,  the  counties  of  Somerset  and 
Dorset.  He  also  gave  to  Eleanor,  his  mother,  the  customary 
dowry,  and  besides  that,  he  conferred  on  her  many  estates  and 
ample  honours,  and  on  the  fifth  day  of  December,  he  crossed 
over  the  sea  to  Normandy.  Archbishop  Baldwin  placed  under 
an  interdict  the  lands  of  count  John,  the  brother  of  the  king, 
because  he  had  taken  for  hi&  wife  the  daughter  of  the  earl  of 
Gloucester,  who  was  related  to  him  in  the  third  degree  of  re- 
lationship. The  same  year,  the  tenth  part  of  all  moveables 
was  granted  and  collected  throughout  England,  for  the  assist- 


80  MATTHEW  OF  WE8THIKBTEB.  A.D.  1189. 

ance  of  the  Holy  Land,  which  was  in  great  dang^.  And  in 
those  days,  on  the  thirty-first  of  December,  Richard,  bishop 
of  London,  and  William,  bishop  of  Ely,  received  eonseciation 
at  Lambeth  from  archbishop  Baldwin. 

*'  Richard,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  England,  duke  of 
Normandy  and  Aquitaine,  and  count  of  Anjou,  to  the  arch- 
bishops, bis'hops,  abbots,  earls,  barons,  justiciaries,  viscounts^ 
and  to  all  his  servants  and  faithful  subjects  throughout  the 
whole  of  England,  sendeth  greeting — 

"  Know  ye,  that  we  have  restored  to  our  dearest  kinsman 
William,  by  the  same  grace  of  God,  king  of  Scotland,  his  castles 
of  Roxburgh  and  Berwick  as  his  own,  to  be  held  by  him  and 
his  heirs  in  perpetuity  as  theirs  by  hereditary  right.  Moreover, 
we  have  discha^d  lum  from  all  the  agreements  and  covenants 
which  our  father  of  blessed  memory,  Henry,  king  of  England, 
extorted  from  him  by  novel  claims  of  equity,  in  consequence  of 
his  capture,  on  condition  that  he  performs  to  us  in  dl  its  an- 
tiquity and  fulness,  all  that  king  Malcolm,  his  brother,  did  of 
right,  and  was  of  right  bound  to  perform  to  our  predecessors, 
and  that  we,  on  our  part,  do  to  him  whatever  our  prede- 
cessors did  of  right,  and  were  bound  to  do  to  the  aforesaid 
Malcolm ;  that  is  to  say,  with  respect  to  his  safe  conduct  when 
coming  to  our  court,  and  returning  from  our  court,  and  while 
sojourning  at  our  court,  and  in  all  matters  of  administration, 
and  in  all  privileges,  and  dignities,  and  honours  which  are 
rightfully  his  due,  and  for  these  purposes  recognizances 
shall  be  given  by  four  of  our  nobles  selected  by  William  him- 
self, and  by  four  of  his  nobles  selected  by  us.  And  if  after 
the  aforesaid  king  William  was  taken  prisoner  by  our  father, 
any  one  of  our  subjects  has  without  legal  judgment  seized 
upon  any  of  the  territories  or  marches  of  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland,  we  will  that  that  be  restored  in  fall,  and  reinstated 
in  that  condition  in  which  it  was  before  his  capture.  More- 
over, as  to  the  estates,  or  lordships,  or  fees,  which  he  has  in 
England,  to  wit,  in  the  county  of  Huntingdon,  or  in  any 
other  county,  he  and  his  heirs  shall  possess  them  in  perpe- 
tuity with  the  same  liberties  with  which  Malcolm  possessed, 
or  ought  to  have  possessed  them  ;  unless  the  said  Malcolm, 
or  his  heirs,  shall  have  subsequently  bound  them  by  any  feudal 
tenure,  though  still,  if  any  of  such  fees  are  bound  by  any  such 
service,  it  sludl  apply  to  him  and  to  his  heirs.  Aiid  if  our 
father  has  given  any  thing  to  the  aforesaid  William,  king  of 


A. B.  1190.    BALDWnr,  ARCHBISHOP  or  CAirTEBBUBT,  DIES.    81 

Scotland,  we  will  that  such  gift  be  ratified  and  secured.  We 
also  restore  to  him  the  allegiance  of  his  own  subjects,  and  all 
the  charters  which  the  lord  king  our  father  obtained  from  him 
in  consequence  of  his  capture,  and  if  any  other  which  were 
granted  out  of  forgetfulness  shall  be  detained  or  discoyered* 
we  ordain  that  all  such  shall  be  wholly  devoid  of  validity. 
Bat  he  himself  is  our  liegeman  for  all  the  lands  for  which  his 
predecessors  have  been  Hegemen  to  our  predecessors,  and  for 
which  he  has  sworn  fealty  to  us  and  to  our  heirs.  Done  before 
Baldwin,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  Walter,  archbishop  of 
Rouen,  witnesses,  &c.  &c." 

Baldwin,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  lumng  held  a  eouncU  at 
Westminster,  sets  out  on  his  Journey  to  Jerusalem. 

A.B.  1 1 90.  Baldwin,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  held  a  council 
at  Westminster,  on  the  nineteenth  of  February ;  and  there  bidding 
farewell  to  his  brethren,  he  set  out  on  his  journey  to  Jeru- 
salem, from  which  he  was  never  to  return,  as  he  died  in  the 
Holy  Land.  Richard,  king  of  England,  and  PhiUp,  king  of 
France,  set  out  on  their  expedition  to  Jerusalem,  after  the 
feast  of  the  nativity  of  Saint  John.  WiUiam,  bishop  of  £ly» 
received  the  appointment  of  legate,  and  held  a  council  at  West- 
minster. Walter,  abbot  of  Westminster,  and  William,  bishop 
of  Worcester,  died.  The  same  year,  Frederic,  emperor  of  Ger- 
many, died;  also  Ranulph  de  GlanviUe,  and  Baldwin,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  died.  A  terrible  massacre,  of  the  Jews 
took  place  at  York,  which  was  besieged  on  all  sides  by  the 
legions  of  the  Christians,  and  was  closely  blockaded.  The 
chapel  of  Saint  Thomas  the  Martyr  was  built,  where  he  died. 
The  bishop  of  Ely  was  appointed  by  the  king's  letters  chief 
justiciary,  and,  as  it  were,  regent  of  England.  The  king  ap- 
pointed Arthur  his  heir.  King  Richard  and  the  king  of  the 
French  met  at  Vezeli^,  where  the  body  of  the  blessed  Mary 
Magdalene  rests,  on  the  week  of  the  festival  of  John  the 
Baptist,  where  the  king  of  JBngland  assumed  the  wallet  and 
itsk  of  a  pilgrim,  in  the  church  of  the  blessed  Mary  Magda- 
lene. Then  the  kings,  being  now  in  harmony  and  friends, 
and  confederate  together  in  the  sacred  bond  of  charity,  pro- 
ceeded to  the  coast,  for  the  purpose  of  crossing  the  sea.  But 
the  two  armies  were  divided  on  account  of  the  dearness  of 
provisions.  And,  at  Messina,  a  quarrel  arose  between  the  king 
of  Engbnd  and  the  king  of  France.    However,  the  same  day, 

TOL.  II.  o 


82  HATTHXW  OT  'WESTHHTSTEB.  A.B.  1191. 

peace,  though  a  hollow  one,  was  re-established  between  them, 
but  it  could  never  be  restored  on  its  former  footing.  About 
that  time,  by  the  consent  of  king  Richard,  the  Norman  church 
was  relieyed  from  the  long  yoke  of  slavery  by  which  it  had 
been  oppressed,  to  the  extent  that  thenceforth,  on  no  ground 
whatever,  were  any  of  the  clergy  to  be  tak«n  by  the  secular 
power,  as  they  hitherto  had  been,  except  for  homicide,  theft, 
arson,  or  some  similar  enormous  crime.  The  bishop  of  Ely, 
indulging  in  excessive  arrogance,  consumed  a  vast  treasure  in 
surrounding  the  Tower  of  London  with  a  marvellous  wall, 
and  he  also  designed  to  bring  the  Thames  entirely  round  it ; 
and  he,  in  many  ways,  put  the  king  to  vast  expense,  and 
caused  him  great  loss  of  money.  And,  therefore,  at  last,  he 
was  precipitated  from  his  elevation  into  the  depths  of  confusion. 

Aore  18  taken.     Cyprui  is  subfugated  hy  king  Richard,    Pep^ 
Clement  dies,  and  is  succeeded  hy  Cdestine. 

A.D.  1191.  Richard,  king  of  England,  and  Philip,  king  of 
France,  set  sail  for  Messina,  on  Pahn  Sunday.  And,  ad^r 
that,  the  king  of  France  landed  at  Acre,  on  the  twenty-first  of 
April,  and  the  king  of  England  on  the  second  of  June  ;  and 
Acre  was  taken  on  the  twelfth  of  July,  and  there  a  quarrel 
broke  out  a  second  time  between  the  two  kings.  This  year, 
also,  Geoffrey,  archbishop  of  York,  having  been  consecrated 
at  Tours,  came  to  England,  and  landed  at  Dover.  But  finding 
there  that  designs  were  formed  against  him  by  the  partisans 
of  the  chancellor,  he  took  refuge  in  the  church,  from  which 
he  was  dragged  by  the  chancellor's  guards,  and  conducted  to 
Dover  Castle,  where  he  was  detained  some  days,  till  he  was 
released  by  count  John,  his  brother,  and  the  justiciaries  of  the 
land.  About  the  same  time,  the  aforesaid  chancellor  being 
deprived  of  the  high  dignity  which  he  had  before,  came  to 
Dover,  and,  wishing  to  cross  the  sea  secretly,  disguised  him- 
self irreverently  in  a  female  dress,  which  some  people  detected, 
and  treated  him  with  deserved  contumely,  and  gave  notice  of 
his  conduct  to  the  justiciaries;  but,  however,  immediately 
afterwards,  he  crossed  the  sea.  Re^nald,  bishop  of  Bath, 
was  elected  archbishop  of  Canterbury  by  the  monks  of  that 
church,  but  soon  afterwards  died.  This  year,  also,  Robert, 
son  of  William,  son  of  Radulph,  seneschal  of  Normandy,  was 
made  bishop  of  Worcester.  Pope  Clement  died,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Celestine,  by  whom  the  emperor  Henry  was  crowned. 


A.l>.  1192.  BICHABS  IB  TAKIEK  PSXSOirSB.  83 

on  the  yigil  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist.  William  Postard  was 
promoted  from  being  prior  of  Westminster  to  be  abbot  of 
the  same  phice.  Hngh  de  Minaont,  bishop  of  Chester,  ex- 
pelled the  monks  from  the  church  of  Coyentry,  and  instituted 
secnkr  clergy  in  their  phices.  King  Richard  subdued  Cyprus, 
▼here  he  married  Berengaria,  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Na- 
varre. The  bones  of  Arthur,  that  most  famous  king,  were 
found  at  Glastonbury,  a  place  which  was  formerly  called  in  the 
British  Linguage  the  Isle  of  Avallon,  that  is  to  say,  the  Isle  of 
Apples.  The  same  year,  king  Richard  redeemed,  for  an  enor- 
mous sum  of  money,  the  relics  of  the  saints  which  Saladin 
had  carried  off  in  the  Holy  Land,  in  order  that  he  might  have 
those  persons  as  intercessors  in  heaven  for  him,  whose  relics 
he  had  ransomed  from  the  hands  of  the  infidels.  On  the  vigil 
of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  being  the  Lord's  day,  an  echpse  of 
the  son  took  place  about  six  o'clock,  and  lasted  till  eight.  The 
same  year,  an  oath  of  fealty  to  king  Richard  was  taken  at 
London,  in  the  chapter-house  of  Saint  Paul,  for  the  king  had 
suspicions  of  his  chancellor.  William,  archbishop  of  Rouen, 
was  appointed,  by  letters  of  king  Richard,  chief  regent  and 
governor  of  EngLand^  and  the  c^incellor  was  ignominiously 
deposed. 

Eing  Richard  is  taken  prisoner  ly  the  duke  of  Austria^  and  sold  to 
the  emperor. 

A.i>.  1192.  King  Richard,  returning  from  the  fiol^  Land, 
was  arrested  by  the  duke  of  Austria,  in  a  town  which  is  called 
(}ynaciam,  in  Austria,  and  delivered  up  to  the  emperor  Henry. 
The  bishop  of  Worcester  died ;  and  Savaric  was  consecrated 
bishop  of  Bath«  The  same  year,  the  chalices  and  treasures  of 
the  churches,  and  a  fourth  part  of  the  revenues  of  the  whole 
of  England,  were  taken  for  the  purpose  of  furnishing  the 
long's  ransom.  The  king  of  France  returned  to  Paris  from 
his  pilgrimage,  where  he  was  received  with  a  solemn  proces- 
sion by  the  clergy  and  people.  The  same  year,  after  the  feast 
of  Easter,  the  emperor  Henry  brought  many  accusations 
against  Richard.  First  of  all  that,  by  his  assistance  and  counsel, 
he  had  lost  the  kingdom  of  Sicily  and  Apulia,  which  belonged 
to  him  by  hereditary  rieht  after  the  death  of  king  William, 
for  the  acquisition  of  which  he  had,  at  an  infinite  expenditure 
of  money,  assembled  a  vast  army,  when  the  same  king  Richard 
had  promised  faithfully  to  contribute  his  assistance,  to  enable 

o2 


84  ICATTHXW  01*  WXBTKQrSTXS.  A.O.  1192. 

him  to  obtain  that  kingdom  from  Tancred.  Secondly,  he  ad- 
Tanoed  a  charge  in  the  matter  of  the  king  of  Cypnu,  who  was 
united  to  him  by  rektionship,  nrging  that  he  had  nnjustly 
deposed  him  from  his  Bovereignty,  and  thrown  him  into  pri- 
son, and  had  violently  seized  on  his  territories  and  treasures, 
and  had  sold  the  island  to  a  stranger.  And  afterwards  he  ac- 
cused him  of  the  death  of  the  marquis  of  Montserrat,  his 
heir,  as  if  it  had  been  owing  to  his  treachery  that  the  marquis 
was  slain  by  the  assassins,  whom  he  had  also  sent  to  slay  his 
superior  lord,  the  king  of  France,  to  whom  also  he  had  pre- 
served no  fidelity,  as  he  ought  to  have  done,  in  their  common 
-pilgrimage,  though  such  fideUty  had  been  confirmed  by  each 
one  to  the  other  by  a  mutual  oath.  Next,  he  complained  that 
he  had  thrown  the  standard  of  the  duke  of  Austria,  his  kins- 
man, while  fighting  in  the  Holy  Land  in  the  cause  of  God, 
into  a  common  sewer,  to  show  his  contempt  for  the  duke,  and 
that  he  had  insulted  his  Teutonic  knights  by  word  and  action. 
To  all  these  charges  king  Richard  eloquently  and  distinctly 
replied,  taking  the  charges  in  their  regular  order,  in  such  a 
manner  that  he  appeared  to  all  his  hearers  to  have  completely 
exculpated  Idmself.  Moreover,  he  sent  an  imperial  embassy 
to  the  Old  Man  of  the  Mountain,  requiring  him  and  his  assas- 
sins to  write  a  letter  which  should  prove  his  innocence  of  the 
crime  with  which  he  was  charged ;  and  such  a  letter  was  sent 
the  following  year.  And  so  the  fame  of  the  king  was  cleared 
before  all  men  with  respect  to  all  the  accusations  that  had 
been  brought  against  him,  and  from  that  time  forth  the  emperor 
began  to  deal  more  mildly  with  him ;  and  his  ransom  was  taxed 
at  a  hundred  and  forty  thousand  marks  of  silver  of  the  standard 
of  Cologne.  To  pay  which,  all  the  chalices  in  England^  and 
a  fourth  part  of  the  revenues  of  the  realm,  as  I  have  said 
before,  went  into  the  possession  of  foreigners  to  procure  the 
king's  liberation,  which  was  a  ruin  tod  irreparable  loss  to  Eng- 
land. But  still,  for  the  redemption  of  such  a  great  king,  it 
appeared  slight  to  the  loyal  subjects  of  the  kingdom,  and  to 
the  king's  friends.  But  count  John,  the  brother  of  king 
Richard,  believing  that  king  Richard  would  never  be  released, 
but  rather  that  all  the  money  paid  for  his  ransom  would  be 
lost  as  well  as  the  king  himself,  entered  into  a  treaty  of  friend- 
ship with  the  king  of  France,  to  the  injury  of  the  king,  his 
brother.  For  he  knew  that  Philip  hated  him,  and  he  designed 
to  be  crowned  himself,  but  he  was  hindered  by  the  virtue  of 


A.D.  1194.  KOra  BICHABD  IS  BELEA8ED.  85 

the  English.  The  king  of  France  inyaded  Nonnandy,  and 
stonned  the  castles  of  that  proyince,  and  occupied  them  him- 
self. Gisors  he  got  possession  of  by  treachery.  About  the 
same  time,  the  king  of  France  espoused  the  daughter  of  the 
king  of  Denmark,  and  soon  after  diyorced  her. 

The  emperor  and  the  duke  are  admonished  ly  the  pope  to  release 
king  Richard,  hut  in  vain. 

▲.D.  1 1 93.  The  fame  of  king  Richard  was  sufficiently  cleared 
from  all  the  false  accusations  which  had  been  brought  against 
him,  by  the  reading  of  the  letter  which  the  Old  Man  of  the  Moun- 
tain had  by  this  time  transmitted  to  the  emperor  and  the  duke 
of  Austria.  And,  accordingly,  both  the  duke  and  the  emperor 
were  admonished  by  the  lord  the  pope  to  suffer  king  Richard 
to  depart  in  peace.  But  they  were  altogether  unwilling  to  let 
so  rich  a  prey  escape  them.  About  the  same  time,  Saladiu 
died,  and  was  buried  in  hell,  and  his  brother,  Sofadin,  suc- 
ceeded him.  The  king  of  France  continued  to  prosecute  the 
war  in  France  with  great  vigour.  But  the  friends  of  the  king, 
and  the  faithful  subjects  of  the  kingdom,  seeing  that  delay 
brought  danger  with  it»  hastened  to  pay  his  ransom;  the  king 
being  also  in  great  distress  of  mind,  for  whom  they  felt  deep 
sympathy.  For  the  count  John  was  usurping  his  kingdom, 
the  king  of  France  was  endeayouring  to  make  himself  master 
of  Normandy,  and  dangers  were  threatening  him  on  all  sides. 

The  king  of  France  repudiated  his  wife,  and  committed  her, 
as  it  were,  to  custody  in  prison.  All  transactions  respecting 
things  to  be  sold,  were,  by  command  of  king  Richturd,  or- 
dained to  be  regulated  by  one  standard  of  weight  and  mea- 
sure throughout  the  whole  realm  of  England. 

Einff  Richard  is  rekased.  Saving  paid  his  ransom,  he  arrives 
in  England.  He  visits  Saint  Thomas. 

A.i>.  1194.  King  Richard,  haying  now  paid  the  greater  por- 
tion of  his  ransom,  and  giyen  hostages  for  the  remainder, 
was,  on  the  day  of  the  purification  of  the  blessed  Mary,  re- 
leased from  all  custody  on  the  part  of  the  emperor,  to  whom 
the  duke  of  Austria  had  sold  him,  and  allowed  to  return  to  his 
own  coantry.  But  the  king,  when  he  had  arrived  in  England, 
went  to  the  tomb  of  the  blessed  Thomas  to  pay  his  adoration, 
and  afterwards  to  that  of  Saint  Edmund,  and  idfter  that  to  that 
of  Saint  Alban,  the  proto-martyr  of  England ;  and  advancing 
firom  thence  to  Nottingham^  he  put  down  ail  those  whom  his 


86  l£A.XXn£W  07  WE8TMINSTSB,  >.I).  1194. 

brother,  the  conut,  had  bribed.  He  recovered  the  castle,  and 
treated  those  whom  he  took  mercifully.  The  same  year,  all 
the  churches  in  England  were  taxed  and  charged  with  imposts. 
Having,  therefore,  in  a  short  time  subdued  all  his  adversaries 
m  England,  he,  by  the  advice  of  his  nobles,  though  against 
his  own  will,  was  crowned  a  second  time  at  Winchester,  in 
Easter  week,  Hubert,  the  archbishop,  performing  the  mass, 
and  WiUiam,  the  most  pious  king  of  Scotland,  being  likewise 
present.  Which  same  William,  king  of  Scotland,  on  the  afore- 
said day  of  the  coronation  of  king  Richard,  carried  before  the 
king,  as  his  proper  service,  one  of  the  three  swords  which 
were  brought  forward  out  of  the  king's  treasury ;  and  the  two 
counts,  Hamelin  de  Warenne  on  the  right  hand  of  the  king  of 
Scotland,  and  Ranulph,  earl  of  Chester,  on  his  left  hand, 
carried  the  two  other  swords.  After  that,  on  the  day  of  the 
festivals  of  the  two  saints,  Nereus  and  Achilles,  he  embarked 
on  board  ship  at  Portsmouth,  and  landed  in  Normandy,  and 
rested  that  night,  and  slept  after  his  fatigues  at  Bruis,  where 
count  John,  taking  good  advice,  came  to  meet  the  king  in  a 
suppliant  manner,  and  with  many  of  hb  soldiers  threw  him- 
self humbly  at  his  feet,  and  with  profuse  tears  implored  the 
mercy  of  his  brother.  But  the  king,  who  in  time  of  peace 
was  most  merciful,  wept,  and  raised  up  his  prostrate  brother,  and 
received  him  again  into  his  paternal  affection,  and  immediately 
he  delivered  Yemeuil  from  siege,  and  reUeved  the  whole  coun- 
try from  the  oppression  of  the  French.  Immediately  after 
tins,  he  drove  the  king  of  France  from  the  province  of  Tou- 
raine,  and  took  all  his  horses  and  carriages,  and  beasts  of 
burden,  and  then  suddenly  crossing  into  Poitou,  he  compelled 
all  his  enemies  in  that  district  to  retreat ;  so  that  from  the 
castle  of  Yemeuil,  as  far  as  Charlescroix,  there  was  no  one 
who  could  resist  him.  About  this  time  the  king  of  France 
sent  four  messengers  to  the  king  of  England,  to  bring  him  a 
pacific  message,  which  he  sent  in  treachery,  proposing  that, 
desisting  from  their  vast  expenses  and  useless  exertions  on 
both  sides,  they  should  submit  the  questions  in  dispute  be- 
Ween  them  both,  to  be  decided  by  a  battle  between  five  picked 
mjen  of  each  kingdom.  The  kin^  of  England  replied  that  the 
proposal  was  very  agreeable  to  him,  provided  that  the  king  of 
France  would  hunself  make  one  of  his  five  warriors,  as  he 
himself  would  be  one  of  the  five  on  his  side ;  but  this  the  king 
of  France  refused. 


A  D.  1195.  THE  J>VKE  OF  AVBTBIA  DISS.  87 

The  same  year,  Robert,  earl  of  Leicester,  was  taken  prisoner 
by  the  king  of  France.  Henry  de  Manschal,  brother  of  Walter 
de  Marischal  the  elder,  was  made  bishop  of  Exeter.  The 
same  year,  king  Richard  passed  over  into  England,  and  ap- 
pointed tournaments  to  be  held  in  certain  places,  in  order  that 
the  English,  who  were  persons  of  great  personal  strength, 
might  by  practice  become  more  expert  in  warlike  exercises. 
In  these  <&ys  also,  a  certain  Alexius,  son  of  Manuel,  having 
collected  a  countless  number  of  armed  men,  attacked  Cursak, 
the  emperor  of  Constantinople,  in  a  hostile  manner,  and  took 
him  prisoner,  and  put  out  his  eyes,  and  reduced  him  to  the 
condition  of  a  eunuch,  and  then  consigned  him  to  perpetual 
imprisonment,  and  occupied  his  kingdom. 

I%e  duke  of  Austria  is  excommunic^&d,  and  dies.  The  hng  of 
Morocco  invades  Spain, 

A.D.  1195.  Hubert,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  on  the  thir- 
tieth of  April  received,  with  the  archbishopric,  the  appoint- 
ment of  legate  over  the  whole  of  England,  Wales,  Scotland, 
and  also  the  church  of  York.  The  prior  of  the  hospital  of 
Jerusalem  was  made  hishop  of  Bangor,  on  the  sixteenth  of 
April.  The  same  year,  the  duke  of  Austria,  who  had  taken 
king  Richard  prisoner,  being  smitten  by  the  judgment  of 
God,  died  in  an  excommunicated  state,  because,  though  he 
had  been  repeatedly  admonished  by  the  Roman  church,  he 
refused  to  release  king  Richard.  Hugh  de  Pusac,  bishop  of 
Durham,  and  Henry,  bishop  of  Worcester,  died.  The  harvest 
was  spoilt  by  the  excessive  rains  and  floods.  The  emperor 
Henry,  on  the  death  of  Tancred,  who  had  unjustly  succeeded 
king  William,  now  made  himself  master  of  the  kingdoms  of 
Apulia  and  Sicily.  For  he  bad  married  the  sister  of  king 
William,  and  therefore  when  he  was  dead,  the  kingdom  more 
justly  belonged  to  him.  The  same  year,  the  king  of  Morocco 
invaded  Spain,  and  committed  imexpected  slaughter  among 
the  Christians.  The  same  year,  also,  Garin,  abbot  of  the  church 
of  Saint  Alban,  died,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  April,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  John,  a  monk  of  the  same  church,  on  the  twentieth 
of  July,  About  this  time,  also,  the  king  of  France  was  con- 
stantly admonished  to  treat  his  queen  in  a  proper  mani^er. 
Also  the  lord,  the  pope  Celestine,  admonished  all  the  prelates 
of  England,  for  the  advantage  of  the  Holy  Land,  to  preach  to 
the  people,  and  to  impose  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  aU  faithful 
behevers. 


88  ICATTHZW  07  WKSTHIirSTEB.  A.B.  1196. 

Ths  mnperor  Emry  repents  of  having  accepted  the  ransom,  hut 
w  not  regarded, 

A.D.  1196.  John  de  Constance,  dean  of  Rouen,  was  con- 
secrated bishop  of  Worcester,  on  the  twentieth  of  October. 
Also  William  Rtzosbert,  sumamed  A  la  barbe,  was  slain  while 
attempting  to  defend  the  cause  of  the  poor  at  London. 
Richard,  king  of  England,  fortified  the  new  castle  of  Audley 
against  the  inll  of  Walter,  archbishop  of  Rouen,  and  as  the 
king,  though  often  admonished,  would  not  desist  from  his 
undertaking,  the  said  archbishop  laid  the  whole  of  Normandy 
under  an  interdict,  and  then  went  to  the  court  of  Rome. 
The  emperor  Henry,  being  alarmed  at  the  thoughts  of  divine 
vengeance,  gave  to  the  brotherhood  of  Carthusian  monks  the 
money  which  he  had  received  for  the  ransom  of  king  Richard, 
to  msike  silver  incense  burners.  But  the  abbots  refused  to 
receive  it  in  that  form.  In  these  times,  a  monk  of  Evesham, 
being  thrown  into  an  ecstasy  and  delirium,  saw  some  won- 
derfd  things,  which  would  require  a  special  treatise.  Philip 
of  Poitou  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Durham.  The  emperor 
who  has  been  mentioned  above,  and  who  sold  king  Richard 
after  he  had  bought  him,  and  who,  on  that  account,  incurred 
the  bond  of  anathema,  died  this  year  ;  whether  he  ever  secretly 
had  done  penance  and  been  absolved,  is  not  known. 

At  Christmas,  king  Richard  was  at  Poictiers,  and  after 
that,  on  the  day  of  the  festival  of  Saint  Hilary,  Philip,  king 
of  France,  and  Richard,  king  of  England,  met  in  a  conference 
at  Louviers,  where  they  made  a  treaty  in  the  following 
terms : — The  king  of  France  claimed  from  king  Richard  and 
his  heirs  quiet  possession  of  Issod,  with  all  the  rights  per- 
taining to  it,  and  all  the  rights  which  he  had  in  Berri,  and 
Auvergne,  and  Gascony,  and  surrendered  to  him  tranquil 
possession  of  the  castle  of  Argues  and  the  county  of  Albe- 
piarle,  and  many  other  castles  which  he  had  seized  after  his 
return  from  his  pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land.  And  Richard, 
king  of  England,  ckdmed  from  the  king  of  France  quiet  pos- 
session of  Gisors,  and  a  tax  of  a  twentieth  throughout  the  whole 
of  Normandy.  And  that  this  agreement  might  be  firmly  esta- 
bUshed,  they  provided  sureties  on  both  sides,  and  bound  them- 
selves to  a  mutual  observance  of  it  under  a  penalty  of  fifteen 
thousand  marks.  But  in  process  of  time,  the  king  of  France 
repented  of  having  made  the  exchanges  to  which  he  had 
consented ;  and  as  king  Richard  had  now  peaceable  possession 


A.D.  1197.      THE  rBTTEBDICT  IK  NOBMAJTDT  EELA21SD.  89 

of  all  the  aforementioned  places  and  rights,  he  collected  a 
great  army,  and  having  broken  his  treaty  with  the  king  of 
France,  laid  siege  to  Albemarle.  And  after  having  done  this, 
the  king  of  England  ordered  all  the  estates  and  possessions  to 
be  seized  which  were  in  his  reach  belonging  to  the  abbots  of 
the  great  monastery  at  Cluny,  of  the  monastery  of  Saint 
Denis,  and  of  the  monastery  of  Charity,  who  were  the  secu- 
rities for  the  king  of  France  in  the  matter  of  the  covenant 
before  mentioned  which  was  to  the  effect,  that  if  the  king  of 
France  transgressed  it,  they  should  pay  the  sum  of  money 
named  in  the  agreement.  In  the  mean  time,  the  king  of  France 
took  the  castle  of  Albemarle  by  storm,  and  destroyed  it,  as  he 
did  many  others.  The  same  year,  Hugh  de  Chaumont,  a  very 
powerful  noble,  and  a  great  friend  of  the  king  of  France,  was 
taken  prisoner.  In  these  days  abo,  count  John  and  Marcad^e, 
being  at  no  great  distance  horn  the  city  of  Beauvais,  took  pri- 
soner Philip,  bishop  of  that  city,  in  full  armour,  and  William 
de  Merlaa,  his  son,  with  many  other  knights,  and  a  great 
number  of  common  soldiers,  and  Marcad^  coming  early  in  the 
morning  to  the  bedside  of  king  Richard,  said  to  him  in  the 
Norman  dialect,  "  Sus,  Richard,  sus,  je  te  aymene  le  cantatur 
de  Balv€as.**  ^  And  so  the  bishop  was  presented  in  complete 
armour  to  king  Richard,  and  by  the  king's  command,  he  was 
detained  in  prison  in  his  armour ;  and  when  the  lord  the 
pope  wrote  in  his  behalf,  desiring  that  he  might  be  released, 
severely  reproving  king  Richard,  for  having  taken  prisoner  and 
detained  iu  this  manner  a  bishop,  who  was  his  most  beloved 
son,  the  king  sent  to  the  pope,  who  wrote  thus  for  his  son 
the  breast-plate  of  the  bishop  in  which  he  had  been  taken, 
and  said  in  his  letter  of  answer,  "  See,  0  father,  whether  this 
be  thy  son's  coat  or  no."  And  as  the  pope  desisted  from 
making  any  more  requests  in  his  behalf,  the  bishop  was  sub- 
sequently liberated  by  ransom. 

TTie  interdict  in  I^ormandy  is  relaxed,    Fulk  distinguishes  him- 
self as  a  preacher. 

A.B.  1197i  Richard,  king  of  England,  in  order  to  procure 
the  relaxation  of  the  sentence  of  interdict  which  the  arch- 
bishop of  Rouen  had  uttered,  because  of  the  affair  of  the 
castle  of  Audley^  sent  to  the  Roman  court  his  chancellor, 
William,   bishop  of  Ely,  and  the  bishops  of  Durham  and 

'  **  Get  np,  Richard,  get  np,  I  bring  you  the  charter  of  Beauvais." 


90  MATTHEW  01  WE8TMIK8TBE.  A.D.  1197. 

Exeter,  to  plead  hia  caase  against  the  archbishop.  Bat 
William,  bishop  of  Ely,  died  on  his  way  to  the  Roman  court, 
and  was  buried  in  the  abbey  of  Pymes,  belonging  to  the  Cis- 
tercian order,  on  the  thirtieth  of  January.  But  his  feUow- 
bishops  arrived  at  Borne,  and  effected  a  reconciliation  between 
the  king  and  the  archbishop  on  terms  which  were  not  inja* 
rious  to  either  party,  and  it  was  confirmed  by  a  charter.  At 
this  time  it  was  uitimated  to  king  Bichard,  that  ships  were 
accustomed  to  come  from  England  to  Saint  Yalori,  bringing 
supplies  to  his  enemies,  when  they  were  in  need  of  them,  to 
his  own  great  injury.  And  so,  to  revenge  this  wrong,  he  burnt 
the  town,  dispersed  the  monks,  and  transported  the  bier  of 
Saint  Yalori,  with  his  remains,  into  Normandy.  And  in  that 
harbour  he  found  ships  loaded  with  corn,  the  sailors  of  which 
he  ordered  to  be  hung,  and  having  burnt  the  ships,  he  dis- 
tributed the  provisions  among  his  own  soldiers.  At  this  time 
also,  the  munificence  of  king  Bichard  won  over  many  of  the 
more  powerful  nobles  of  France,  especially  Baldwin,  count  of 
Flanders,  the  counts  of  Champagne  and  Brittany,  and  many 
other  nobles  of  the  French,  who  abandoned  the  king  of  France, 
and  became  adherents  of  king  Bichard.  In  these  days, 
another  prophet  arose  in  France,,  a  most  powerful  preacher, 
namely,  the  master  Fulk,  for  whose  sake  the  Lord  conde- 
scended manifestly  to  work  miracles.  That  Fulk  one  day 
came  to  Bichard,  king  of  England,  and  said  to  him,  *'  I,  on 
the  part  of  Almighty  God,  command  thee  immediately  to  give 
in  marriage  your  three  wicked  daughters  whom  you  cherish, 
lest  a  worst  thing  happen  to  thee."  And  the  king  is  said  to 
have  answered  him,  "  Thou  hypocrite,  thou  hast  lied,  because 
I  have  no  daughter  at  all."  To  which  Fulk  replied,  ^*  Cer- 
tainly I  do  not  lie,  because,  as  I  have  said,  you  have  three 
most  infamous  daughters,  one  of  which  is  pride,  the  second 
covetousness,  and  the  third  luxury."  Accordingly,  the  king 
having  summoned  the  counts,  and  many  others  who  were  at 
hand,  to  appear  before  him,  said  to  them,  *'  Hear  all  of  you 
the  prompting  of  this  hypocrite,  who  says  that  I  have  three 
very  wicked  daughters,  namely,  pride,  covetousness,  and 
luxury,  and  he  has  enjoined  me  to  give  them  in  marriage ; 
I  therefore  give  my  pride  to  the  pride  of  the  Templars,  my  co- 
vetousness to  the  monks  of  the  Cistercian  order,  and  my  luxury 
to  the  prektes  of  the  church." 


A.J>.  1198.        Bnan,  BISHOP  07  OHSSTXB,  3)XES.  91 

This  Folk  tried  by  all  means  to  extirpate  usnry,  ▼hich  hav- 
ing been  derived  from  the  men  of  Italy,  at  that  time  was  pel* 
luting  France  exceedingly.  He  also  sent  a  religions  and  elo- 
qaent  preacher  into  England,  namely,  the  abbot  of  Fki,  of  the 
Cistercian  order,  to  put  a  stop  to  the  traffic  which  at  that  time 
was  carried  on  on  the  Lord's  day.  At  this  time,  Robert  of 
Shrewsbury  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Bangor.  Meantime, 
the  count  of  Flanders  laid  siege  to  the  casUe  of  Arras,  and 
blockaded  it ;  and  when  the  king  of  France  wished  to  relieve 
it|  the  count  so  cut  him  ofif  from  all  the  roads  by  his  canals, 
that  the  king  was  compelled  to  submit  to  the  count's  will.  All 
measures  and  weights  throughout  the  kingdom  were  brought  to 
one  legal  and  uniform  standard. 

Otho  is  oroumed  king  of  Germawy  in  an  honourMe  manner, 

A.I).  1198.  Otho,  nephew  of  king  Richard,  was  honour- 
ably crowned  king  of  Germany,  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  by  the 
management  of  king  Richard  himself;  and  immediately  after- 
wards he  married  the  daughter  of  the  duke  of  Louvaine,  and, 
on  the  day  of  his  coronation,  he  sat  with  her  on  his  throne  at 
the  banquet,  but  she  was  not  yet  crowned.  The  same  year, 
pope  Celestine  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Innocent  the  Third, 
who  was  consecrated  pope  on  the  day  of  the  festival  of  the 
Chair  of  Saint  Peter,  and  was  placed  in  the  chair  of  Peter. 
Would  that  he  had  followed  the  footsteps  of  Peter !  By  his 
favour  there  arose  in  Italy  a  new  kind  and  order  of  preachers, 
who  chose  to  call  themselves  Jacobites,  because  they  seemed  to 
imitate  the  life  of  the  Apostle.  About  the  same  time,  Hugh, 
bishop  of  Chester,  being  on  his  death-bed,  moved  with  com- 
punction of  mind  and  penitence  for  his  sins,  paid  the  debt  of 
nature,  at  )Secntm|)eriD^l,  in  the  countries  beyond  the  sea. 
The  same  year,  the  secular  clergy  were  expelled,  and  the  bro- 
therhood of  monks  at  Coventry  was  recalled  to  their  former 
and  proper  position,  on  the  Sunday  on  which  the  anthem 
''  Rejoice,  0  Jerusalem,"  is  sung.  Eustace,  dean  of  Sherborne, 
received  the  dignity  of  the  bishopric  of  Ely,  and  received 
oonsecration  at  die  hand  of  Hubert,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
at  Westminster.  And,  after  his  election,  Geoffrey  was  elected 
biihop  of  Chester,  oa  the  twenty-first  of  June. 

lliis  year,  a  shower  of  blood  fell  on  the  masons  who  were 
building  the  tower  of  Audley.  About  this  time,  a  quarrel  arose 
between  the  archbishop  a^d  the  monks  of  Canterbury,  because 


92  MATTHXW  Ol*  WXSTHHrSTSB.  A-B.  1198. 

of  the  charcli  which  the  said  archbishop  had  ktely  built  at 
Canterbury.  For  the  monks  were  afraid  lest  the  archbishop 
should  transfer  the  seat  of  his  diocese  to  Lambeth,  as  he  had 
threatened.  On  which  account  they  went  to  Rome,  and,  com- 
plaining to  pope  Innocent,  they  prevailed  on  him  to  depose 
the  archbishop  from  the  office  of  justiciary,  and  in  this  the 
archbishop  displayed  great  arrogance  and  audacity  in  resist- 
ance. For  it  really  was  not  proper  for  him  to  involye  himself 
in  matters  of  secular  business,  and  be  present  in  cases  where 
human  life  was  put  in  peril.  Accordingly,  the  bishop  having, 
by  the  Roman  church,  been  removed  from  the  office  of  justi- 
ciary, the  king  appointed  €^of&ey,  the  son  of  Peter,  in  his 
stead.  In  those  days,  also,  Philip,  king  of  France,  and 
Richard,  king  of  England,  met  in  battle  between  Guisnes  and 
Yeimon,  when  the  king  of  France  and  his  army,  being  unable 
to  withstand  the  shock  of  the  conflict,  consulted  their  safety 
by  flight,  and  fled  for  refuge  to  Yernon.  But  before  they 
could  enter  the  castle,  king  Richard  overtook  them  with  the 
edge  of  the  sword,  and  took  prisoners  twenty  knights  and  two 
hundred  and  sixty  men  of  inferior  rank. 

About  the  same  time»  Richard,  bishop  of  London,  paid  the 
debt  of  nature ;  and,  in  the  course  of  the  same  year,  king 
Richard,  having  assembled  all  his  forces,  took  by  storm  three 
castles  from  the  king  of  France,  namely,  those  of  Sirefontaine, 
Buris,  and  Courcelles,  being  nobly  assisted  by  his  English 
troops.  But  the  king  of  France  having  reinforced  his  army 
by  four  hundred  knights  and  a  thousand  esquires,  and  with 
the  garrisons  which  he  drew  from  Nantes  and  other  places, 
sallied  forth,  and  marched  to  relieve  the  castle  of  Conrcelles, 
which  he  believed  had  not  yet  fallen.  But  when  king  Richard 
knew  this,  he  marched  to  meet  him,  and  a  most  severe  and 
bloody  battle  took  place  in  the  plains  between  Courcelles  and 
Gisors  ;  but  the  king  of  France  not  being  able  to  withstand 
the  shock  of  the  battle,  was  routed  with  his  army,  and  fled  to 
the  castle  of  Gisora ;  and  when,  in  the  flight,  his  troops  had 
all  thrown  themselves  pell-mell  on  the  bridge  of  Gison,  it 
broke  down  under  the  number  of  those  who  tried  to  cross  it, 
and  the  king  of  France  himself,  in  complete  armour,  on  horse- 
back, fell  from  the  height  of  the  bridge  into  the  river  Eure, 
with  a  great  number  of  his  soldiera  besides ;  but  the  king 
himself  got  out  of  the  river,  though  deep  and  rapid,  and  was 
dragged  out  of  the  inud^  and  so,  Uiough  with  difficidty,  saved 


A.D.  1198.      XTTaTAOE  C0FS1£G?ATXB  BISHOP  QY  ELY.  93 

from  death.  Bat  the  rear  division  of  the  flying  army,  in  order 
to  secure  the  safety  of  the  king,  and  to  enable  him  to  be 
dragged  more  readily  out  of  the  deep  mud,  returned  to  en- 
coanter  king  Richard,  showing  itself  the  most  gallant  portion 
of  the  French  nation,  which  thus  exposed  themselves  to  dan*^ 
ger  of  death  for  the  safety  of  their  lord.  And,  accordingly, 
that  most  bloody  battle  was  there  renewed,  and  the  clang  of 
arms  and  the  crash  of  spears  again  resounded,  but  at  length 
the  side  of  king  Richard  prevailed,  and  three  of  the  chief 
knights  of  the  king  of  France  were  taken  prisoners,  namely, 
Matthew  de  Montmorenci,  Alan  de  Rossi,  and  Fulk  de  Gre- 
Tille ;  and,  besides  these,  there  were  taken  in  the  actual  con- 
tict  a  hundred  noble  knights,  and  two  hundred  esquires,  and 
an  innumerable  host  of  men-at-arms. 

The  king  sent  a  consolatory  epistle,  with  the  news  of  this 
{^orious  victory,  to  his  prelates  and  friends  who  were  remain- 
tig  in  Ei^land.  Therefore,  the  king  of  France,  seeing  that 
the  force  of  the  king  of  England  was  increasing  day  by  day, 
entreated  the  pope  to  bring  about  a  peace  between  them. 
Therefore,  the  pope  sent  a  legate  with  a  most  special  letter  to 
Bichard,  king  of  England,  entreating  him,  in  an  affecting 
manner,  to  be  favourable  to  his  desires  in  the  matter  of  the 
arrangement  of  peace.  Accordingly,  king  Richard  accepted 
the  promotion  of  his  nephew,  Otho,  so  that  he  should  be 
crowned  king  of  Grermany,  in  reference  to  which  he  acquiesced 
in  the  prayers  of  his  suppliant,  and  showed  favour  to  the  lord 
Innocent  the  pope,  and  approved  of  the  advancement  of  the 
imperial  dignity.  Therefore,  the  two  kings  met  together,  and 
swore  to  a  truce  for  five  years,  agreeing  that  the  subjects  and 
merchants  of  each  king  might  go  and  return  through  both 
coimtries,  and  buy  and  sell  without  hindrance.  And  when 
this  had  been  done,  the  king  of  England  sent  to  Rome  the 
ahhot  of  the  Charter  House,  and  Raymond,  a  monk  of  Saint 
Alhan's  (who  had  at  the  same  time  been  despatched  on  the 
affairs  of  his  own  church  to  the  king  at  his  court  in  Normandy), 
that  they  might  complete  the  before-mentioned  arrangement, 
and  for  the  completion  of  the  business,  the  king  levied  an  aid 
of  five  shillings  on  every  hide  of  land  throughout  the  whole 
of  England.  The  same  year,  there  was  an  extraordinary  storm 
of  thunder  and  lightning,  and  rain,  such  as  was  never  seen 
before.  Eustace  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Ely.  Hugh  of 
Chester  died,  in  the  habit  of  a  monk,  at  Bee.  Also,  John, 
bishop  of  Worcester,  and  Peter,  bishop  of  Saint  David's,  died. 


9i  ILiTTHXW  OF  IHBBTinKSTEB.  A.D..1199. 

King  Riehardy  heing  wounded  hy  an  arrow  from  an  arhaUst,  dies, 
and  is  succeeded  hy  John,  his  brother, 

A.D.  1199.  Hubert,  archblBhop  of  Canterbury,  to  his  own 
disgrace  and  that  of  many  others,  in  consequence  of  the  in- 
trigues of  the  monks  of  Canterbury,  to  whose  injury  it  was 
founded,  and  in  compliance  with  the  authority  of  the  supreme 
pontiff,  who  commanded  the  deed,  levelled  with  the  ground  the 
church  of  Lambeth,  which  Baldwin,  his  predecessor,  had  founded 
in  honour  of  the  blessed  Thomas  the  Martyr,  and  which  he 
himself  had  almost  completed.  At  the  same  time,  a  truce,  as 
has  been  said  before,  having  been  made  between  king  Richard 
and  the  king  of  France,  king  Eichard  directed  his  formidable 
standard  against  some  barons  of  Poitou,  who  had  rebelled 
against  him;  and  while  he  was  besieging  the  castle  of  Chalos, 
he  was  wounded,  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  March,  by  an  arrow 
from  an  arbalist,  and,  as  the  wound  was  unskilfully  managed, 
he  began  to  feel  the  danger  of  approaching  death.  However, 
he  made  himself  master  of  the  castle  by  storm,  and  for  the 
love  of  God  he  permitted  the  author  of  his  death  to  depart 
free.  Being  therefore  about  to  die,  he  ordered  his  body  to 
be  buried  at  Fontevraud,  at  his  father's  feet,  to  whom  he  con- 
fessed that  he  had  behaved  traitorously  ;  and  for  the  especial 
love  which  he  bore  to  the  I^ormans,  he  bequeathed  his  invin- 
cible heart  to  the  church  of  Bouen.  And  ordering  his  entrails 
to  be  buried  in  the  castle  before-mentioned,  he  bequeathed 
his  dung  to  the  people  of  Poitou,  to  mark  their  treason  by 
such  a  bequest. 

Ch.  VII.— Feom  A.D.  1199  TO  A.D.  1216. 

John  succeeds  to  the  throne — Many  of  the  nobles  adhere  to 
Arthur — Marriage  of  John — The  king  of  France  espouses 
the  cause  of  Arthur — Death  of  Arthur — Inactivity  ofJohn^ 
and  his  losses  in  France — The  emperor  Otho  comes  to  Eng- 
land— Rapacity  of  John — The  pope  lays  England  under  an 
interdiet-^^ohn  makes  a  treaty  unth  the  king  of  Scotland — 
The  pope  absolves  the  English  from  their  obedience  to  John 
— John  subdues  North  Wales — The  king  of  France  prepares 
to  invade  England — John  submits  to  the  pope — Magna 
charta  is  granted — The  barons  elect  Louis  of  France  king, 
and  tnmte  him  to  England — Louis  invades  England — Death 
of  John. 


i.D.  ll99v  coBOir4Tioi!r  01*  Knra  johk.  95 

17te  eoroftation  of  king  John,  tU  brother  of  king  JSUehard. 
Thikefobe  John,  count  of  Mortaigne,  the  brother  of  king 
Richard,  who  was  now  dead,  and  who  was  at  the  time  of  his 
death  in  the  counties  beyond  the  sea,  sent  news  of  his  peaceful 
succession  to  Enghmd.  He  took  upon  himself  the  goTcm- 
ment  of  the  duchy  of  Normandy,  and  received  the  homage  of 
the  nobles.  Many,  however,  of  the  chiefs  adhered  to  ArUiur, 
as  thdr  natural  lord ;  and  this  was  the  beginning  of  hatred. 
The  same  year,  William,  a  noble  by  birth,  and  a  canon  of  the 
church  of  Saint  Paul,  in  London,  was  consecrated  bishop  of 
London,  at  Westminster,  by  Hubert,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
hury,  on  the  twenty-third  of  May.  About  the  same  time,  that 
iB,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  May,  John,  duke  of  Normandy,  crossed 
over  the  sea  to  England,  and  the  next  day,  being  the  vigil 
of  the  ascension  of  our  Lord,  he  came  to  London ;  here,  in 
the  presence  of  the  assembled  nobles  of  England,  he  was 
crowned  at  Westminster  by  Hubert,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
on  the  day  of  the  Ascension  of  the  Lord ;  and  immediately 
afterwards  he  re-crossed  the  sea,  with  a  great  multitude  of 
men.  For  he  was  afraid  of  Arthur,  to  whom  many  of  the 
nobles  adhered,  and  who  was  at  that  time  dwelling  under  the 
protection  of  the  king  of  France.  For,  besides  the  king,  who 
supported  him,  the  nobles  of  Anjou,  Maine,  and  Touraine,  all 
adhered  to  him  as  their  legal  lord,  saying  that  it  was  the. 
custom  and  established  law  that  Arthur,  as  being  the  son  of 
the  elder  brother,  should  succeed  to  the  patrimony  which  was 
his  due,  and  which,  forsooth,  Geoffrey,  the  father  of  the  said 
Arthur,  would  have  had,  if  he  had  survived  king  Richard. 
Therefore,  Constance,  the  mother  of  Arthur,  entrusted  him  to 
the  guardianship  of  the  king  of  France,  who,  to  guard  against 
treachery,  had  him  carefully  educated  at  Paris.  About  the 
same  time,  the  election  of  Philip,  duke  of  Swabia,  and  of  all 
the  rest,  was  annulled,  and  Otho,  king  of  the  Germans,  was 
elected  emperor  by  pope  Innocent  and  all  the  Romans,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Roman  empire.  And  after  his  election 
had  been  confirmed  by  the  lord  the  pope,  Philip,  the  duke 
of  Swabia,  who  was  his  rival,  was  excommunicated,  with  all 
his  partisans,  who  refused  to  desist  from  giving  annoyance  to 
Otho,  and  acclamations  of,  "  Long  live  the  emperor,  Otho !" 
were  heard  throughout  the  whole  city.  In  those  days,  also, 
France  was  laid  under  an  interdict,  on  account  of  the  arrest 
of  brother  Peter,  of  Douay,  bishop  elect  of  Cambray. 


96  MXTTHEW  OP  WESTMHTSTEE.  A.T).  1201- 

King  John^  having  repudiated  ITawista,  married  Isabella^ 
daughter  of  the  count  of  Angotdime. 

A.B.  1200.  King  John  married  iBabella,  the  daughter  of  the 
count  of  Augoul^me,  and  on  the  Sunday  next  before  the  feast 
of  Saint  Denis  she  was  crowned  queen,  by  Hubert,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  because  a  divorce  had  been  pronounced  between 
him  and  Hawisia,  the  daughter  of  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  be- 
cause they  were  related  to  one  another  in  the  third  degree 
of  consanguinity.  But  Hugh,  sumamed  the  Brown,  had  already 
espoused  the  same  Isabella  as  his  wife.  The  same  year,  William 
Postard,  abbot  of  Westminster,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Iladulph  de  Arundel.  Also  Hugh,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  died, 
on  the  first  of  December,  after  he  had  lived  in  his  bishopric 
fourteen  years.  Peace  was  made  between  John,  king  of  Eng- 
land, and  Philip,  king  of  France.  Guy  de  Brause  was  conse- 
crated bishop  of  Hereford,  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  September, 
at  Westminster.  Louis,  son  of  Philip,  king  of  France,  married 
Blanche,  daughter  of  the  king  of  Spain,  and  niece  of  king 
John.  Manger  was  made  bishop  of  Worcester ;  John  de  Grey 
bishop  of  JNorwich ;  and  Giles  bishop  of  Hereford.  The  same 
year,  before  the  nativity  of  the  Lord,  there  were  seen  by  night 
five  moons  in  the  heavens,  about  the  hour  of  the  first  watch 
of  the  night ;  the  first  in  the  north,  the  second  in  the  south, 
the  third  in  the  west,  the  fourth  in  the  east,  and  the  fifth  in 
the  centre  of  them  all. 

About  the  same  time,  the  blessed  Hugh,  bishop  of  Lincoln, 
was  distinguished  for  signs  and  virtues  ;  of  which,  however, 
the  most  manifest  was,  that  when  his  body  was  being  conveyed 
from  London  to  Lincoln,  there  was  not  an  hour,  though  the 
weather  was  at  all  times  very  stormy,  in  which  there  was  not 
fire  and  light  in  some  of  the  torches  which  were  borne  around 
&e  bier.  Likewise,  about  the  same  time,  the  Lord  wrought 
miracles  in  the  sight  of  the  people,  at  the  preaching  of  the 
abbot  de  Flay,  of  whom  we  have  made  mention  above.     ^ 

King  John  comes  to  Farie^  and  is  lodged  in  the  palace  of  the 
king  of  France, 

▲^D.  1201.  Pope  Innocent  having  assumed  the  sign  of 
the  cross,  enjoins  a  general  pilgrimage.  John,  king  of  Eng- 
land, celebrated  the  nativity  of  the  Lord  at  dutlHenCoiH,  where 
he  distributed  many  garments,  suited  to  the  festival,  among 
hia  troops.    And  Hubert,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  as  if 


,U     A.D.    1202.     THE  KING9  AGAIN  BECOME  EFSMIES.  97 

,|/^    vying  with  the  king,  and  on  equal  tenns  with  him,  did  the 
same  at  Canterbury ;  at  which  the  king  conceived  no  small 
,r^i   indignation.     Then  the  king  went  to  Canterbury,  and  in  that 
Jf.j   city,  on  Easter  day,  he  and  his  queen  wore  their  crowns. 
'\^l    William  de  Blois  was  made  bishop  of  Lincoln.     That  year, 
j!p   also,  the  holy  Wolstan,  and  the  holy  Modwen,  were  distin- 
jp     guished  by  many  miracles.     Pope  Innocent,  after  he  had  by 
^   force  extorted  money  from  the  Cistercian  order  for  the  expe- 
^^    dition  of  the  pilgrims  who  had  assumed  the  cross,  having  been 
^^    very  severely  reproved  by  the  blessed  Mary,  the  patroness  of  that 
],^    order,  desisted  from  that  exaction.     The  same  year,  after  having 
I.    celebrated  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  at  Portsmouth,  the  day  fol- 
[..    lowmg  the  king  and  his  queen  embarked  on  board  ship,  and, 
/    although  with  some  difficulty,  landed  at  Normandy.     After 
^.,    that,  die  two  kings  came  to  a  conference  near  the  island  of 
/,.    Audley,  and  made  a  peaceful  agreement  with  one  another ;  and 
..     three  days  afterwards,  king  John,  on  the  invitation  of  the 
I    king  of  France,  came  to  Paris,  and  was  lodged  in  the  king*s 
>    palace  in  that  city,  the  king  of  France  himself  lodging  else- 
where. This  year  some  terrible  and  destructive  tempests  struck 
terror  among  mankind.     The  same  year,  Sirard,  prior  of  Nor- 
wich, died.     The  same  year,  at  the  instance  of  pope  Innocent, 
the  fortieth  part  of  the  revenues  of  all  the  churches  was  given 
in  aid  of  the  Holy  Land  against  the  Saracens,  who  were  gain- 
ing the  superiority  at  that  time.     The  same  year,  Hugh  de 
Neville,  who  had  conquered  and  slain  a  lion,  died. 

The  kin^s  again  become  enemies  an  account  of  Arthur. 

A.D.  1202.  John,  king  of  England,  kept  the  festival  of  the 
Nativity  of  the  Lord  at  Argenton,  in  Normandy,  and,  in  the 
following  Lent,  a  conference  was  held  between  the  kings  of 
France  and  England,  in  which  the  king  of  France,  being 
armed  with  mutual  hatred  against  the  king  of  England,  or- 
dered him  indignantly  to  restore  to  count  Arthur  all  the  lands 
which  he  held  and  unjustly  retained  possession  of  on  the  con- 
tinent, namely,  Normandy,  Touraine,  Anjou,  and  Poitou  ;  and 
he  also  required  many  other  things  of  him,  which  the  king  of 
England  declared  that  he  would  never  do.  Therefore,  as  the 
conference  was  not  attended  by  the  desired  result,  the  next 
day^the  king  made  a  sudden  attack  upon  the  castle  of  Buta- 
vant^  with  military  violence,  and  threw  the  castle  to  the  ground, 
and,  advancing  from  thence^  he  took  other  castles  and  towns 

TOL.  n.  H 


98  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMIHSTEB.  A.D.  1202. 

in  a  hostile  manner,  and  destroyed  them ;  and  he  besieged  the 
castle  of  Badepond  for  an  entire  week.  But  when  the  king 
of  England  came  to  his  reUef,  he  retired  in  disorder,  and  turn- 
ing off  to  Goumay  a  few  days  afterwards,  he  entered  that 
town,  and  reduced  it  under  his  own  power.  Then  returning 
to  Paris,  he  placed  Arthur  under  guardianship,  giving  him 
two  hundred  picked  knights  of  the  kingdom  of  France,  who 
were  to  go  to  Poitou  and  reduce  that  province  under  his  autho- 
rity. And  they,  hearing  that  queen  Eleanor  was  staying  at 
Mirabeau,  laid  siege  to  that  castle,  and  compelled  it  to  surren- 
der, the  tower  alone  holding  out,  into  which  the  queen  had 
betaken  herself  with  a  few  armed  men.  When,  therefore, 
they  had  blockaded  it  all  round,  there  flocked  thither  to  the 
assistance  of  Arthur  fdl  the  nobles  of  Poitou,  especially  Hugh 
sumamed  the  Brown,  count  de  la  Marche,  who  was  a  public 
enemy  of  king  John,  on  account  of  queen  Isabella,  whom  the 
said  count  had  married  as  his  wife  before  she  was  espoused  to 
the  king  of  England ;  and  in  this  way  they  made  a  great  army, 
and  attacked  the  tower  with  repeated  assaults.  The  queen 
being  in  a  strait,  signified  this  to  king  John,  who  was  at  that 
time  in- Normandy,  entreating  speedy  and  effectual  succour. 
And  when  king  John  heard  of  her  distress,  he  flew  with  all 
possible  speed,  and  with  a  numerous  army,  to  the  castle  of 
Mirabeau,  and  the  French  and  the  people  of  Poitou  met  him 
boldly,  and  began  a  most  violent  battle.  But  the  French 
being  repulsed,  were  forced  to  enter  the  castle,  and  the  king, 
pursuing  them,  continued  the  bloody  conflict  within  the  castle 
itself,  and  being  assisted  by  a  valiant  and  glorious  body  of 
English,  rejoiced  in  the  desired  victory.  In  that  battle  two 
hundred  knights  of  the  kingdom  of  France  were  taken  pri- 
soners, and  Arthur  himself,  and  all  the  nobles  of  Poitou  and 
Anjou,  so  that  not  one  of  them  escaped.  And  the  nobles  he 
at  once  sent  into  England,  and  into  Normandy,  and  committed 
them  to  custody  there  ;  but  he  sent  Arthur  to  Falaise,  to  be 
carefully  guarded.  But  when  the  king  of  France,  who  was 
besieging  and  vigorously  attacking  the  castle  of  Arques,  while 
the  garrison  was  making  a  manly  resistance,  had  heard  this 
news,  he  retired  from  the  siege  in  disorder. 

On  this,  king  John,  ordering  Arthur  to  be  brought  before 
him,  enquired  of  him  whether  he  would  adhere  to  him  as  his 
uncle  and  lord  in  all  good  love  and  peace,  to  whom  Arthur 
made  a  spirited  and  haughty  reply,  requiring  him  to  surrender 


A.D,  1203.  IHA.CTIVITT  OP   KING  JOHN.  99 

the  kingdom  of  England  and  all  his  territories.     Then  the 
king  commanded  Arthur  to  be  conducted  rapidly  to  Rouen, 
and  to  be  carefully  kept  in  the  closest  custody,  and  soon  after  ' 
he  disappeared. 

The  same  year,  king  John,  coming  into  England,  was 
crowned  at  Canterbury,  by  the  hand  of  Hubert,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  on  the  fourteenth  of  April,  and  immediately  after- 
wards he  crossed  the  sea  to  Normandy,  and  when  he  arrived 
there,  a  general  belief  of  the  death  of  Arthur  gained  ground 
throughout  the  whole  kingdom  of  France,  and  throughout  all 
the  countries  beyond  the  sea,  to  such  an  extent,  that  lung  John 
was  looked  at  with  suspicion  by  all  men,  as  if  he  had  slain 
him  with  his  own  hand.  On  which  account,  many  people 
from  that  time  forth  were  wholly  alienated  from  the  lung,  and 
pursued  him  to  the  death  with  implacable  hatred.  And  the 
king  of  France  himself  summoned  king  John  before  him  on 
a  charge  of  treason,  and  as  he  refused  to  appear  to  answer 
this  charge  after  many  citations,  he  was  deprived  of  all  his 
possessions,  according  to  the  decision  of  his  peers,  by  the 
barons  of  the  court  of  the  king  of  France,  whose  vassal  he 
was,  and  the  king  accused  him  openly,  and  branded  him  with 
infamy.  The  same  year,  William  de  Stutevil,  and  William  of 
Oxford,  prior  of  Southwark,  died,  and  he  was  succeeded  by 
Richard  of  Saint  Ethelred. 

The  king  of  France  took  the  noble  castles  of  Normandy ^  king  John 
being  inactive, 

A.D.  1203.  John,  king  of  England,  kept  the  feast  of  the 
Nativity  of  the  Lord  at  Caen,  in  Normandy,  where,  putting 
aside  his  warlike  cares,  he  devoted  the  hours  of  the  night  to 
drinking ;  and,  protracting  his  morning  slumbers  till  dinner- 
time, he  replied,  with  a  laugh,  to  all  who  brought  him  news 
that  the  king  of  France  was  displaying  great  activity,  and 
daily  subduing  one  castle  after  another,  so  that,  in  one  day,  as 
it  were,  he  recovered  all  that  he  had  lost.  Hugh  de  Ooumay, 
seeing  the  incorrigible  torpor  of  the  inactivity  of  the  king, 
surrendered  to  the  king  of  France  the  castle  of  Montfort,  and 
at  last,  as  all  had  forsaken  the  spiritless  king,  even  Rouen  was 
lost.  At  length,  king  John,  effeminate  and  dissolved  in  luxury 
as  he  was,  seeing  his  losses,  and  that  he  was  deprived  of  all 
military  reinforcements,  and  of  all  refuge  in  Normandy,  em- 
barked in  haste  on  board  his  ships,  and  landed  at  Portsmouth, 


100  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMINSTEB.  A.D.  1204. 

in  England,  where  he  treated  his  Buhjects  with  ftirioas  rage, 
inventing  all  kinds  of  fictitious  causes  of  provocation  against 
them,  such  as  that  they  had  left  him  destitute  of  all  military 
force  in  the  countries  heyond  th^  sea,  and  thus  he  extracted 
from  them  immense  sums  of  money. 

The  same  year,  the  Master  William  de  Blois,  precentor  of 
the  church  of  Lincoln,  and  canon  of  the  said  church,  was,  on 
the  day  of  Saint  Bartholomew,  consecrated  hishop,  at  West- 
minster, hy  William,  hishop  of  London,  as  the  archhishop 
of  Canterbury  was  detained  by  severe  infirmities.  About  the 
same  time,  oil  began  to  flow  in  a  miraculous  manner  from  a 
certain  image  of  the  blessed  Mary  of  Sardenai,  which  is  not 
far  from  the  city  of  Damascus,  a  miracle  which  brought  over 
many  even  of  the  Saracens  to  the  Catholic  faith,  and  restored 
health  to  many  who  were  sick.  And  even  the  sultan  of  Da- 
mascus, who  had  become  entirely  bhnd,  having  invoked  the 
aid  of  the  blessed  Yi^n  Mary,  received  his  sight  as  dear  as 
before,  by  the  incision  of  some  of  that  oil.  And  so  he  granted 
sixty  measures  of  oil  every  year  to  maintain  a  light  before  the 
altar  of  the  Virgin,  so  as  to  give  light  for  light,  and  because 
at  first,  on  the  recovery  of  his  sight,  he  saw  a  lamp  glittering 
in  the  light,  and  from  that  time  forth,  namely,  to  the  feast  of 
the  Nativity  next  ensuing,  the  oil  began  to  drop  from  the  be- 
fore-mentioned image  in  more  abundant  drops,  and  the  next 
year  the  oil  became  solidified  into  flesh. 

The  miracle  of  the  oU  of  the  image  of  Saint  Mary  of  Sardenai 
becomes  famous. 

A.D.  1204.  King  John  celebrated  the  nativity  of  the  Lord  at 
Canterbury,  Hubert,  the  archbishop,  administering  the  neces- 
sary services.  Then,  on  the  day  after  the  circumcision,  the  king 
and  nobles  of  England  met  in  a  conference  at  Oxford,  where 
military  reinforcements  were  granted  to  the  king,  and  two 
marks  and  a  half  on  each  knight's  fee,  nor  did  even  bishops 
or  abbots,  or  any  persons  connected  with  the  church,  depart 
without  making  him  some  promise.  The  same  year,  the 
miracles  increased  which  were  wrought  by  the  oil  which 
flowed  from  the  image  of  the  blessed  Mary  of  Sardenai ;  which 
I  have  already  said  became  solidified  into  flesh,  and  by  which 
afterwards  the  soldan  of  Damascus  was  cured,  and  in  con- 
sequence its  fame  becoming  illustrious,  gave  consistency  to  the. 
Catholic  faith  in  the  east.     In  those  days,  the  castle  of  Roch- 


A.D.  1204.      THE   CASTLS   OF  BOCH  AUDLEY  BESIEGED.      101 

Aadley  was  besieged  for  nearly  a  year,  and  as,  though  the 
besiegers  repeatedly  requested  aid  from  king  John,  none  came 
to  them,  Roger,  the  constable  of  Chester,  who  was  accounted 
the  chief  of  the  besieged  garrison,  a  most  gallant  and  warlike 
man,  with  many  other  illustrious  knights,  began,  their  victuals 
failing,  to  waste  away  with  hunger.  And  when  those  princes, 
becoming  enfeebled,  had  become  sure  of  the  treacherous  in- 
activity of  John,  they  preferred  being  slain  in  their  armour  to 
penshing  shamefully  by  famine.  They  sallied  out  of  the 
castle,  and  dashed  into  the  midst  of  the  enemy,  slaying  the 
finest  of  their  horses,  and  slaughtering  the  enemy  on  every 
aide  with  their  flashing  swords,  and  shedding  much  French 
blood.  At  last,  when  the  multitude  of  their  enemies  collected 
in  close  order  and  attacked  them,  they  were  taken  prisoners, 
reeking  with  the  blood  of  many  of  their  enemies ;  and  in  this 
way,  3ie  castle  of  Roch  Audley  fell  into  the  power  of  the 
French  king,  on  the  fifth  of  March.  And  when  the  garrisons 
of  other  cities  and  castles  in  Normandy  on  the  side  of  king  John 
saw  this,  they  informed  him  in  what  a  strait  they  were  placed ; 
and  that,  unless  they  received  more  prompt  and  effectual  as- 
sistance, they  must  go  over  to  the  French  king,  whether  they 
would  or  no.  To  which  he  replied,  that  each  of  them  must 
provide  for  himself  as  appeared  to  him  to  be  most  for  his 
advantage.  In  the  mean  time,  king  John  went  on,  wretched 
indeed,  but  undeserving  of  any  one's  pity,  indulging  his 
gluttony  and  luxury  with  his  wanton  queen,  while  lying  in 
whose  bosom  he  thought  that  he  was  in  possession  of  every 
joy,  relying  on  the  money  which  he  had  sworn  to  extort 
from  England.  The  same  year,  on  the  first  of  April,  in  the 
first  watch  of  the  night,  such  a  great  redness  was  seen  in  the 
beaven  towards  the  east  and  nordi,  that  the  firmament  seemed 
on  fire,  in  which  excessive  redness,  however,  brilliant  stars  ap- 
peared, which  was  a  terrible  and  marvellous  thing.  And  this 
appearance  lasted  till  midnight.  At  the  same  time,  Godfrey, 
bishop  of  Winchester,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Peter  de 
Bochs,  who,  at  the  instigation  of  king  John,  went  to  Rome, 
where  by  the  distribution  of  liberal  hospitality  he  deserved  to 
be  promoted  to  the  supreme  pontificate  of  the  church  of 
Winchester,  and  to  be  consecrated  in  that  city.  The  same 
year,  Easter  day  fell  on  the  day  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Mark 
the  Evangelist.     This  year  also  an  eclipse  of  the  moon  took 


102  MATTHEW   OF   WESTMINSTEB.  A.D.  12G5. 

place  at  midnight,  which  lasted  a  long  time,  on  the  sixteenth 
of  April. 

Having  made  himself  master  of  the  castle  of  Boch  Audley, 
the  king  of  France  soon  afterwards  took  the  valley  of  Bodal, 
and  many  other  fortresses ;  and  Rouen,  which  was  still  in 
suspense,  a  truce  having  been  granted  to  that  city  by  the  king 
of  France  for  a  large  sum  of  money,  although  a  little  before  this 
some  persons  had  engaged  most  positively  for  the  loyalty  of 
that  city,  submitted  entirely  to  the  power  of  the  king  of  France 
about  the  time  of  the  feast  of  All  Saints ;  and  when  king 
John  heard  of  this,  he  laughed  and  threatened,  swearing  by 
the  feet  of  God,  that  the  sterling  money  of  England  should 
restore  everything.  Simon  de  Welles  was  made  bishop  of 
Chester,  Baldwin,  count  of  Flanders,  was  made  emperor  of 
Constantinople  ;  Eleanor,  queen  of  England,  died  ;  the  abbey 
of  Battle,  a  royal  palace,  was  founded  by  king  John. 

Of  the  error  of  the  monks  of  Canterhnry  in  the  matter  of  the 
election  of  an  archhieh^. 

A.D.  1205.  Peter  de  Roches  returned  from  the  countries 
beyond  the  sea ;  he  was  a  native  of  Poitou,  of  more  expe- 
rience in  warlike  than  in  scholastic  affairs ;  he  was  conse- 
crated by  the  lord  the  pope  Innocent,  on  the  twenty-fifth  of 
September.  Hubert,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  died,  on  the 
twenty-ninth  of  June  ;  and  Savaric,  bishop  of  Bath,  on  the 
twenty-seventh  of  July.  But  the  monks  of  Canterbury,  fearing 
lest  the  king  should,  after  his  usual  fashion,  hinder  their  elec- 
tion, without  inquiring  the  king's  pleasure,  elected  Reginald, 
their  subprior,  archbishop,  and  having  sung  the  hymn  '*  Te 
deum  Laudamus"  at  midiiight,  they  placed  him  first  of  all  on 
the  greater  altar,  and  after  that  in  the  archiepiscopal  throne, 
which  was  done  secretly,  because  the  monks  were  afraid  that 
if  the  election  which  had  thus  been  made  without  the  king's 
consent  became  known  to  the  king,  he  in  his  anger  would 
hinder  the  fiurther  progress  of  the  matter.  On  which  account, 
the  very  same  night,  the  same  subprior,  having  first  made  a 
declaration  upon  oath  that  he  would  not  consider  himself  as 
elected  without  the  license  and  special  letters  of  the  convent, 
and  that  he  would  not  promulgate  to  any  one  the  letters  of  the 
convent  about  what  had  been  done,  which  he  had  in  his  pos- 
session, took  with  him  some  monks  of  the  convent,  and  set 
out  for  the  court  of  Rome,  which  was  done,  that  the  election 


JL.J).  1205.     THE  EBBOB  OF  THE  M05£S  OE  CAI7TEBBUBY.     103 

might  not  reach  the  king's  ears  till  they  ascertained  whether 
they  could  carry  on  the  matter  they  had  taken  in  hand  to  its 
accomphshment,  fearing  the  caviUing  objections  of  the  king 
above  everything.  But  this  same  archbishop  elect,  forgetting 
the  oath  that  he  had  taken,  the  moment  that  he  arrived  in 
Flanders,  loudly  declared  himself  the  archbishop  elect  of  Can- 
terbury, and  said  that,  on  that  account,  he  was  on  his  way  to 
the  court  of  Rome  to  have  his  election  confirmed  in  that  city, 
and  that  he  was  doing  so  by  the  advice  of  those  who  were  with 
liim,  who  beheved  that  that  was  for  the  advantage  of  his  cause. 
And  moreover,  he  showed  everywhere,  without  disguise,  the 
letters  which  he  had  in  his  possession.  At  last,  when  he 
reached  Rome,  he  immediately  declared  his  election  to  the  lord 
the  pope  and  his  cardinals,  displaying  his  letters  about  what 
had  been  done  publicly  to  everybody,  and  pressing  the  lord 
the  pope  constantly  for  his  consecration.  But  the  pope  re- 
plied, and  said,  that  he  wished  to  deliberate,  and  that 'he 
should  wait  till  he  was  more  fully  informed  of  the  matter. 
But  when  the  monks,  who  remained  at  Canterbury,  heard  of 
the  conduct  of  the  subprior,  and  how  he  had  shamelessly  vio- 
lated his  oath  and  revealed  their  secrets,  they  were  exceedingly 
angry,  and  immediately  sent  some  monks  of  the  convent  to 
the  king,  requiring  from  him  permission  to  proceed  to  an  elec- 
tion. And  the  king  assented  to  their  request,  and  secretly 
addressing  them,  pointed  out  to  them  that  the  bishop  of  Nor- 
wich was  one  who  was  united  to  him  by  ties  of  great  mtimacy, 
and  he  combined  commands,  promises,  and  entreaties  together 
to  persuade  them  to  elect  him  archbishop.  When,  therefore 
they  met  in  chapter,  they  chose  John  de  Grey,  bishop  of  Nor* 
wich,  for  their  archbishop,  who,  at  that  time,  was  at  York  on 
the  king's  business.  Accordingly,  he  being  summoned,  came 
in  haste  to  the  king,  and  with  him  the  king  entered  Canter- 
bury with  exceeding  pomp.  And  the  prior  of  Canterbury,  in 
the  presence  of  the  king,  and  the  whole  multitude  of  the 
people  in  the  metropohtanchurcH  itself,  openly  pronounced  the 
election  of  John  de  Grey  to  have  taken  place  with  aU  due  form 
and  regularity,  and  then  the  monks  chaunting  the  hymn  '*  Te 
deum  Laudamus,"  took  him,  and  conducted  him  to  the  greater 
altar,  and  at  length  placed  him  in  the  archiepiscopal  throne. 
And  when  this  had  been  done,  then  the  king ,  in  the  sight  of 
all  the  people,  invested  the  archbishop  elect  with  the  possession 
of  all  things  belonging  to  his  archbishopric.     And  so  in  this 


104  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMIIfSTEB.  A.D.  1206. 

double  election,  a  second  error  was  committed  worse  than  the 
first,  which  was  the  seed  of  many  tribulations  and  scandals  in 
England,  which  were  never  afterwards  completely  quieted  and 
extirpated.  This  year  the  order  of  preachers  was  firmly  es- 
tablished. 

The  nolle  castle  of  Mount  Alban  is  taken  hy  king  John. 

A.D.  1206.  King  John  celebrated  the  day  of  the  Lord's  Na- 
tivity at  Oxford  ;  on  which  occasion  he  also  sent  some  monks 
of  the  church  of  Canterbury  to  the  Roman  court,  the  chief  of 
whom  was  the  Master  Elias  de  Brandefeld,  whom  the  king 
supplied  witli  ample  resources  from  his  own  treasury,  that 
they  might  procure  from  the  pope  a  confirmation  of  the  elec- 
tion of  the  bishop  of  Norwich.  Likewise,  at  the  same  time, 
the  suffragan  bishops  of  the  church  of  Canterbury  sent  agents 
to  the  court  of  Rome,  conveying  grave  complaints  on  their 
part  to  the  pope,  that  the  monks  of  Canterbury  had  rashly 
presumed  to  hold  an  election  to  the  archbishopric  without 
consulting  them,  when  they  had,  both  by  common  law  and 
ancient  custom,  a  right  to  be  present  with  them,  and  to  join 
in  the  election.  Their  deputies  also  alleged  many  decrees  and 
precedents  to  establish  these  arguments,  and  produced  wit- 
nesses, and  exhibited  letters  of  evidence,  by  which  they  endea- 
voured to  show  that  the  su£fragan  bishops,  in  union  with  the 
monks,  had  elected  three  metropolitans.  But  the  monks,  on 
the  contrary,  asserted  that,  by  a  special  privilege  granted  to 
them  by  the  Roman  pontiffs,  and  by  approved  and  ancient 
custom,  they  had  been  used  to  elect  the  archbishops  without 
the  doncurrence  of  the  suffragans,  and  they  undertook  to 
establish  this  point  by  competent  witnesses.  The  allegations 
having  been  heard,  and  witnesses  produced  on  both  sides,  and 
the  question  having  been  diligently  examined,  a  day  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  lord  the  pope,  being  the  twenty-first  of  De- 
cember, for  him  to  pronounce  sentence,  and  the  deputies  were 
ordered  to  attend  and  to  receive  the  pope's  decision  on  the 
law.  At  last,  definitive  sentence  was  delivered  by  the  lord  the 
pope  Innocent  on  this  point,  in  favour  of  the  monks,  and  the 
privileges  which  they  claimed  were  estabUshed  for  ever. 

The  same  year,  king  John  crossed  the  sea,  taking  with  him 
a  large  army,  and  on  the  tenth  of  July  he  landed  at  Rupel, 
and  the  inhabitants  of  that  part  of  the  country  came  to  meet 
him,  and  gladly  adhered  to  him.     From  thence  he  proceeded 


\.D.  1207.      BAPACIOTTS  CONDTTCT  OP  KHfO  JOES.  105 

with  more  secunty,  and  amved  before  Montauban,  a  most 
noble  castle,  in  which  the  whole  military  nobility  of  the  pro- 
vince, and  especially  of  the  king  of  France,  was  shut  up. 
And  immediately  he  surrounded  it  with  his  battalions,  and 
began  to  attack  it  with  yigorous  and  frequent  assaults.  And, 
at  last,  by  the  unceasing  prowess  of  the  English,  that  impreg- 
nable  castle  was  taken,  which  Charlemagne  had  not  been  able 
to  reduce  in  a  seven  years'  siege,  as  those  who  have  written  an 
account  of  his  exploits  assert.  And  the  castle  was  taken  on 
the  day  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Peter  ad  Yincula,  on  the  fifteenth 
day  of  the  arriral  of  king  John  before  it. 

The  same  year,  Jolm  of  Ferentnm,  legate  of  the  Apostolic 
See,  came  into  England,  and  traversed  it,  extorting  a  vast  sum 
of  money,  and,  at  last,  that  he  might  not  seem  to  have  done 
nothing  else,  he  held  a  council  at  Reading,  on  the  day  after 
the  feast  of  Saint  Luke  the  Evangelist.  And  when  he  had 
done  this,  having  fiUed  and  carefully  carried  off  all  his  nag- 
gage,  he  returned  to  his  own  country.  The  same  year,  some 
discreet,  and  religious,  and  dignified  men  from  the  countries 
beyond  the  sea,  going  between  the  two  kings,  with  great 
anxiety  for  the  establishment  of  peace,  on  the  day  of  the  feast 
of  All  Saints,  established  a  truce  between  them  for  two  years. 
King  John  returned  to  England,  and  landed  at  Portsmouth, 
on  the  twelfth  of  December.  This  year  also,  William,  bishop 
of  Lincoln,  went  the  way  of  all  flesh.  Jocelin  of  Wells  was 
made  bishop  of  Bath,  and  received  consecration  at  the  hands 
of  William,  bishop  of  London.  Uenry  Marischal,  bishop  of 
Exeter,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Simon  of  Apulia,  dean 
of  York.  Tins  year,  the  queen  of  the  French,  the  mother  of 
l^ing  Philip,  died.  The  same  year,  a  simple  and  upright  man, 
living  in  the  bishopric  of  Lincoln,  being  conducted  by  Saint 
Julian,  saw  some  wonderful  visions,  which  would  require  a 
Bpecial  treatise. 

The  Emperar  Otho  comes  to  England.     The  order  of  Minors^ 
begins. 

A.B.  1207.  King  John  celebrated  the  nativity  of  the  Lord 
at  Winchester,  in  the  presence  of  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom. 
After  that,  on  the  feast  of  the  Purification  of  the  Blessed  Maiy, 
thinking  only  of  rapine,  and  placing  his  hope  and  strength  in 
treasures  of  money,  he  seized,  throughout  all  England,  a  tliir- 
*  Minors  was  a  name  assumed  by  the  Franciscans,  to  show  their  hmnility. 


106  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMITfSTEB.  A.D.  1207. 

teenth  part  of  all  moveables  and  other  property,  whether  be- 
longing to  the  laity  or  to  other  men,  ecclesiastics  and  prelates, 
all  murmuring,  though  they  did  not  venture  to  resist  him  ;  but 
still  cursing  him,  and  hoping  that  such  plunder  would  not 
have  a  happy  result.  And  that  prayer  was  heard  by  the  Lord, 
as  the  following  narration  wiU  show :  Godfrey,  archbishop  of 
York,  aloue  refused  to  submit,  and  firmly  resisting,  secretly 
retured  from  England,  and  in  his  retreat  involved  in  one  sen- 
tence of  anathema  all  those,  especially  in  his  own  diocese, 
who  committed  this  plunder,  and  generally  all  invaders  of  the 
church,  or  of  ecclesiastical  property.  At  the  same  season, 
about  midnight,  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  January,  a  sudden 
and  violent  storm  of  wind  coming,  threw  down  buildings,  up- 
rooted trees,  and  destroyed  thousands  of  sheep  and  cattle. 

The  same  year,  the  emperor  Otho  came  into  England,  at 
whose  arrival  the  whole  city  of  London  put  on  a  joyfid  appear- 
ance, the  citizens  adorning  themselves  with  cloaks  and  other 
ornaments.  And  having  had  a  conference  with  his  uncle,  he 
returned  to  his  own  country,  having  replenished  his  coffers 
with  five  thousand  marks  of  silver.  This  year,  the  preachers 
who  were  called  Minors  arose  under  the  favour  of  pope  In- 
nocent, and  filled  the  earth,  dwelling  in  towns  and  cities,  in 
bodies  of  ten  or  seven,  possessing  nothing  whatever,  living  on 
the  Gospel,  displaying  a  true  and  voluntary  poverty  in  their 
clothes.and  food,  walHng  barefoot,  girded  with  knotted  ropes, 
and  showing  a  noble  example  of  humiUty  to  all  men.  But 
they  caused  great  alarm  to  many  of  the  prelates,  because 
they  began  to  weaken  their  authority,  first  of  all  by  their 
preaching,  and  secret  confessions  of  penitents,  and  afterwards, 
by  their  open  receptions.  About  the  same  time,  as  the  two 
parties  were  still  carrying  on  their  contest  about  the  doable 
election  of  the  monks  of  Canterbury,  the  lord  the  pope,  seeing 
that  they  could  not  agree  in  either  one  or  the  other  of  the  elected 
archbishops,  annulled  both  the  elections,  earnestly  advising 
and  persuading  them  to  elect  Master  Stephen  Langton,  an 
Englishman  by  birth,  a  man  of  deep  wisdom,  elegant  person, 
faultless  morals,  a  fit  and  sufiicient  person,  as  far  as  man  can  be, 
to  govern  the  universal  church,  assuring  that  his  promotion 
would  be  very  advantageous  both  to  the  king  himself  and  to  the 
universal  AngUcan  church.  But  the  monks  replied  to  this, 
and  asserted  that  it  was  not  lawful  for  them  to  proceed  to  a 
canonical  election  without  the  royal  consent,  and  that  of  their 


A.D.  1208,  tKGLAITD  AlfD  WALES  LAID  XTKBEB  INTEEDICT.    107 

own  convent.  And  the  pope,  as  if  taking  their  words  out  of 
their  mouth,  said :  **  Know  ye  that  ye  have  plenary  power  in 
the  church  of  Canterbury,  inasmuch  as  ye  are  selected  as  the 
first  men  in  your  convent ;  nor  is  it  customary  to  wait  for  the 
consent  of  princes  to  elections  which  are  celebrated  at  the 
Apostolic  See*  On  which  account,  we  do  command  ye,  being 
of  such  a  number  and  character  as  ye  are,  inasmuch  as  ye  are 
amply  sufficient  for  the  election,  by  virtue  of  your  obemence, 
and  under  the  penalty  of  anathema,  to  elect  him  archbishop, 
whom  we  give  you  to  be  the  shepherd  of  your  souls."  The 
monks  then,  being  in  a  strait,  fearing  the  sentence  of  ex- 
communication, although  unwillingly  and  grumblingly,  never- 
theless gave  a  consent,  such  as  it  was.  Alone  of  all  of  them. 
Master  Elias  de  Brantcfeld,  who  had  come  on  the  part  of  the 
king  and  the  bishop  of  Norwich,  refused  his  consent.  All  the 
rest  chaunting  the  hymn,  "  Te  Deum  Laudamus,"  conducted 
the  archbishop  elect  to  the  altar,  who,  on  the  seventeenth  of 
June,  received  consecration  in  the  city  of  Yiterbo,  at  the  hands 
of  the  pope  himself.  After  these  events,  the  pope,  as  he  had 
promised  the  monks,  sent  a  most  elegant  letter  to  John,  king 
of  England,  to  desure  him  to  receive,  as  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, Stephen  Langton,  who  had  been  regularly  elected  and 
consecrated,  a  native  of  England,  an  imcomparable  master  in 
learning  and  morals.  But  when  these  circumstances  came  to 
the  knowledge  of  king  John,  he  ordered  all  the  monks  to  be 
expelled  from  the  monastery  of  Canterbury,  and  having  been 
expelled,  to  be  forcibly  banished  from  the  kingdom  as  guilty  of 
ISse  majeste.  About  this  time  died  Simon,  bishop  of  Chichester. 
The  monks  of  Canterbury  were  expelled  on  the  day  of  Saint 
Swithiu,  and  their  goods  were  confiscated.  The  same  year, 
on  the  day  of  Saint  Remigius,  Isabella,  queen  of  England,  bore 
to  king  John  his  first  bom  son,  and  he  was  called  Henry,  after 
the  name  of  his  grandfather. 

AH  England  and  Wales  are  laid  under  an  interdict. 

A.i>.  1208.  King  John  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  nativity 
at  Windsor.  At  the  beginning  of  March,  in  this  year,  there 
was  an  eclipse  of  the  sun.  All  England  and  Wales  were  sub- 
jected to  an  interdict,  without  any  exemption  whatever  being 
allowed,  on  the  vigil  of  the  Annunciation  of  the  blessed  Virgin 
Mary;  and  theexecution  of  the  decree  was  committed  to  William, 
bishop  of  London,  Edward,  bishop  of  Ely,  and  Mauger,  bishop 


108  MATTHEW  OF  WZSTMOrSTEB.  A.D.  1208. 

of  Worcester.  This  year,  Philip,  bishop  of  Durham,  and 
Geoffrey  de  Muschamp,  Bishop  of  Chester,  and  William  de 
Warenne,  died.  The  same  year,  queen  Isabella  bore  long 
John  a  son,  who  was  called  Richard ;  so  that  when  the  time 
of  her  child-bearing  was  accomplished,  the  child  was  bom  on 
the  vigil  of  the  Epiphany,  in  the  year  next  following,  and  this 
circumstance  giyes  rise  to  many  contradictions  in  history.  The 
bishop  of  Chester  was  succeeded  by  William  de  Comehull, 
archdeacon  of  Huntingdon,  and  the  bishop  of  Durham  by 
Richard  de  Marisco. 

This  year,  Philip,  duke  of  Swabia,  who  had  been  a  compe- 
titor, with  Otho,  for  the  empire,  was  murdered.  The  kmg 
ordered  all  the  property  of  the  monks  to  be  confiscated,  be- 
cause of  the  interdict.  At  the  beginning  of  the  interdict  the 
white  monks  desisted  from  the  performance  of  their  duties, 
but  afterwards,  at  the  command  of  their  Abbot,  they  ventured 
to  celebrate  divine  service.  But  when  this  boldness  of  theirs 
had  come  to  the  ears  of  the  supreme  pontiff,  they,  to  their 
greater  confusion,  were  suspended  anew  by  a  fresh  sentence. 
About  the  same  time,  king  John,  fearing  lest  the  pope  should 
become  more  violent,  so  as  to  excommunicate  him  himself  by 
name,  and  absolve  all  who  held  under  him  from  their  loyalty 
and  fealty  to  him,  caused  all  those  who  he  at  all  suspected,  to 
swear  fealty  to  him,  and  took  special  hostages  from  them. 
But  the  more  powerful  nobles,  when  the  king  demanded  hos- 
tages from  them,  refused  them  to  his  face,  saying,  "  How  can 
we  expect  him  to  preserve  our  sons  and  dear  relations,  who 
are  not  at  all  akin  to  him,  unhurt,  when  he  wickedly  slew 
with  his  own  hand  his  own  nephew,  by  that  kind  of  death 
which  is  called  murder  ?" 

In  the  meantime  the  king  kept  on  oppressing  one  or  other  of 
the  nobles  of  the  kingdom,  either  by  extorting  money  from  them 
unjustly,  or  by  stripping  them  of  their  privileges  or  properties ; 
of  some  he  seduced  the  wives,  or  deflowered  the  daughters,  so 
that  he  became  manifestly  and  notoriously  odious  and  detestable 
both  to  Qod  and  man.  Moreover,  that  his  insatiable  avarice 
and  unappeasable  gluttony  and  licentiousness  might  be  con- 
cealed from  no  one,  he  prohibited  all  fowling  and  taking  of 
winged  game,  and  prevented  the  nobles  from  hunting,  by 
which  measures  he  not  only  lost  the  affections  of  all  men,  but 
incurred  their  unextinguishable  hatred ;  so  that  even  his  own 
wife  detested  and  loathed  him ;  whom  he,  though  an  adulterer 


A.D.  1209.  PEACE  BETWEEN  ENGLAIH)  AlTD  SCOTLAND.  109 

himself,  accused  of  adultery,  and  he  put  to  an  ignominious 
death  those  whom  he  suspected  of  familiarities  with  her  ;  and 
he  ordered  the  queen  herself  to  be  kept  in  close  custody. 
And,  among  other  flagitious  crimes,  he,  like  a  second  Herod, 
ordered  a  great  many  innocent  boys,  who  were  hostages  at 
Nottingham,  to  be  hanged  on  a  gallows ;  on  which  account 
all  his  subjects,  both  English  and  foreigners,  wishing  to  shake 
off  the  intolerable  yoke  of  such  a  tyrant,  began  seriously  to 
consider  .what  prince  there  was  in  whose  bosom  they  might 
find  a  refuge. 

War  heing  imminent,  WtUiam,  king  of  Scotland,  made  a  treaty 
with  king  John, 

A.D.  1209.  The  king  remoyed  his  exchequer  from  West- 
minster to  London  till  Christmas  time,  out  of  hatred  for  the 
city  of  London ;  and  because  it  was  about  the  days  of  the 
nativity,  which  writers  place  on  the  confines  of  the  old  year 
and  the  new,  that  a  son  was  bom  to  king  John,  whom  he 
called  Richard,  some  assert  that  he  was  bom  in  this,  and 
others  in  the  preceding  year.  But  the  time  that  his  mother 
was  confined  to  her  room  because  of  her  deliyery,  lasted  till 
the  vigil  of  the  Epiphany.  In  this  year,  also,  Hugh  de  Welles, 
archdeacon  of  Wells,  and  chancellor  of  the  king,  was  elected 
bishop  of  Lincoln.  About  this  time,  king  John,  having  col- 
lected a  numerous  army  of  English,  directed  his  standards 
and  army  towards  Scotland.  But  coming  into  the  province 
of  Northumberland,  to  the  castle  which  is  called  Nor^am,  he 
then  marshalled  his  army  in  battle  array  against  the  king  of 
Scotland.  And  when  the  niews  of  this  was  brought  to  WiUmm, 
king  of  Scotland,  he  greatly  feared  the  violence  of  John,  whom 
he  knew  to  be  prone  to  every  kind  of  wickedness  and  bar- 
barity. Accordingly,  coming  to  meet  him,  like  a  pious  man, 
he  proposed  to  treat  of  peace  on  equitable  terms.  But  the 
king  of  England,  giving  vent  to  his  fury,  spoke  imperiously 
to  him,  and  reproached  him  bitterly  for  having  received  his 
fugitives  and  the  public  enemies  of  England  into  his  kingdom, 
and  for  having  given  them  assistance,  and  showed  them  favour, 
to  his  prejudice.  But  when  the  king  of  England  had  invented 
this  and  many  other  reproaches  upon  the  before-mentioned 
king  of  Scotland,  at  last,  after  great  exertions  on  the  part  of 
the  ministers  of  the  two  sovereigns,  they  made  peace,  on  con- 
dition of  the  king  of  Scotland  paying  to  the  king  of  England, 


110  M.\.TTHEW  OP  WESTlIiySTER.  A.D.  1210. 

for  the  benefit  of  peace,  eleven  thousand  marks  of  silver.  And, 
moreover,  for  greater  security,  he  gave  him  his  two  daughters 
as  hostages,  that  in  this  way  the  peace  between  them  might 
be  rendered  firmer. 

The  same  year,  Henry,  duke  of  Saxony,  and  brother  of  the 
emperor  Otho,  came  into  England.  Likewise  in  this  same 
year,  Otho,  son  of  the  duke  of  Saxony,  and  nephew  of  the 
king  of  England,  was  consecrated  emperor  of  the  Romans,  by 
pope  Innocent  the  Third,  on  the  fourth  of  October.  In  this 
year,  too,  the  king,  disregarding  the  respect  due  to  the  schools 
of  the  University  of  Oxford,  caused  two  of  the  scholars  to  be 
hung  at  Oxford,  by  which  proceeding  the  whole  body  of  scho- 
lars was  dispersed  and  thrown  into  confusion.  About  the 
same  time  king  John  was  excommunicated  by  name,  on  ac- 
count of  the  Uiegal  oppression  which  he  had  now  for  two 
years  incessantly  exercised  against  both  the  army  and  the 
church.  This  year,  also.  Master  Alexander,  a  man  of  the 
greatest  personal  beauty,  and  most  reverend  countenance, 
deeply  imbued  with  the  fulness  of  learning,  so  as  to  be  ac- 
counted a  celebrated  master  and  teacher,  and  reader  in  the- 
ology at  Paris,  being  nevertheless  led  away  by  ambition,  dared 
to  uphold  and  support  king  John  in  his  error,  owing  to  which 
conduct  he  was  at  last  precipitated  with  disgrace  from  the 
highest  honour  to  the  lowest  depth  of  confusion.  About  the 
same  time,  Hugh,  bishop  elect  of  Lincoln,  received  consecra- 
tion and  institution  to  his  diocese  in  the  countries  beyond  the 
sea,  at  the  hands  of  the  archbishop  of  Bouen.  The  king's 
seal  was  entrusted  to  Walter  de  Grey,  and  he  was  appointed 
chancellor.  The  Jews,  too,  were  this  year  compelled  to  pay 
a  very  heavy  ransom. 

OthOf  the  new  emperor,  is  excommunicated. 

A.D.  1210.  King  John  was  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  at 
Windsor ;  all  the  nobles  of  England  being  present,  and  com- 
municating with  him,  notwithstanding  the  sentence  which  had 
been  proclaimed  against  him.  After  this,  by  command  of  the 
king,  the  Jews  of  both  sexes  were  arrested  throughout  all 
England,  and  thrown  into  prison,  and  subjected  to  the  most 
severe  punishment,  to  compel  them  to  gratify  the  king's 
desires  with  their  money. 

About  the  same  time,  pope  Innocent  excommunicated  and 
denounced  the  emperor  Otho,  and  absolved  many  nobles  both 


AD.  1211.  WILLIAM  DB  BRAUSE     DIES.  Ill 

of  Germany  and  of  the  Roman  empire,  from  their  fealty  to 
him.  On  which  account  the  pope  was  hy  many  persons  con- 
sidered a  whimsical  and  changeable  person,  because  he  had, 
at  the  same  time,  raised  him  up  and  overthrown  him.  The 
peace  which  had  been  announced  between  the  kings  of  En- 
gland and  Scotland  was  confirmed,  and  formal  copies  of  the 
treaty  interchanged.  The  king  crossed  the  sea  to  Ireland, 
with  a  yery  numerous  army,  about  the  time  of  the  feast  of 
Saint  John  the  Baptist,  from  which  country  he  expelled  Hugo 
de  Lacy,  and  received  the  submission  of  the  whole  of  Ireland. 
But  on  his  return,  being  ungrateful  to  God  and  man,  he  im- 
posed a  very  heavy  tax  on  all  abbeys,  and  most  especially 
lie  oppressed  the  houses  of  the  Cistercian  order.  And  William 
de  Brewer,  Robert  de  Tunham,  Reginald  de  Comhulle,  and 
Richard  de  Marisco,  of  the  convent  of  Saint  Bridget,  in 
London,  were  his  counsellors,  and  showed  favour  to  this  most 
wicked  proceeding,  and  received  the  money  which  was  ex- 
torted. Walter  de  Grey  was  appointed  to  the  bishopric  of 
Chester,  and  Henry,  archdeacon  of  Stafford,  to  that  of  Exeter. 
Many  of  the  Jews,  because  of  the  terrible  oppression,  fled  from 
England.  The  same  year,  Matilda,  a  woman  of  the  noblest 
birth,  the  wife  of  William  de  Brause,  and  William  her  son, 
and  the  heir  of  her  husband,  at  the  command  of  John,  king 
of  England,  were  miserably  put  to  death  by  famine.  But 
William  de  Brause  himself,  her  husband,  fled  to  Scorhara, 
and  having  changed  his  garments  there,  crossed  the  sea  clan- 
destinely in  the  disguise  of  a  beggar,  and  not  long  afterwards 
died  at  Paris. 

Pandidph,  the  sub-deacon  of  the  pope,  and  Durand,  return 
without  hope  of  peace.  All  the  mbjects  of  the  crown  of  England 
are  absolved  from  their  fealty  to  king  John, 

A.I).  1211.  William  de  Brause  was  expelled  from  England 
as  a  banished  man,  and  having  suffered  great  distress,  and 
being  wasted  away,  as  it  were,  with  grief,  died  at  Paris,  and 
was  buried  iu  the  church  of  Saint  Victor,  on  the  vigil  of  Saint 
Laurence.  Pandulph,  the  subdeacon  of  the  lord  the  pope,  and 
Dorand,  the  hospitaller,  came  to  England  for  the  purpose  of 
bringing  about  a  peace  between  the  king  and  the  priesthood. 
But  they  returned  without  effecting  anything.  Kins  John 
going  on  an  expedition  into  Wales,  compelled  Leolinc,^  prince 
1  Usually  called  Llewellyn. 


112  HATTHXW  OF  WESTMINSTER.  A.D.  1211. 

of  North  Wales,  to  submit  to  him,  yiolently  forcing  an  entrance 
into  the  district  called  Snowden,  a  place  abundantly  fortified 
by  its  natural  situation,  on  the  Sabbath  before  the  feast  of 
Saint  Laurence.  The  same  year,  the  two  gallant  knights, 
Robert  de  Tunham,  and  Roger,  constable  of  Chester,  died. 
The  king  of  France  too  expelled  and  banished  from  his  king- 
dom Reginald,  count  of  Boulogne,  who,  on  this,  coming  into 
England  was  honourably  received  by  the  king  of  England* 
from  whom  he  received  a  gift  of  land  of  the  value  of  three 
hundred  pounds  yearly,  and  to  whom  he  did  homage,  and 
swore  fealty.  Likewise,  at  this  time,  pope  Innocent,  as  John, 
king  of  England,  disdained  to  Usten  to  his  ambassadors,  who 
gave  him  wholesome  advice,  and  who  brought  back  no  repUes 
except  derisive  laughter ;  marvelling  at  his  obstinacy,  and  de- 
testing his  stubbornness,  absolved  universally  all  kings,  and 
all  other  peifions,  both  poor  and  rich,  natives  of  his  kmgdom, 
or  neighbours  who  had  any  connection  with  the  crown  of 
England,  from  all  fealty  to  king  John ;  and  he  sequestered 
the  whole  realm,  and  declared  it  in  a  state  of  subjection, 
strictly,  and  under  penalty  of  excommunication,  forbidding 
all  bodiies  and  all  individuals  to  avoid  his  society  at  table, 
at  the  council-board,  and  in  conversation.  But  king  John 
had  for  his  principal  partisans  and  advisers  in  this  error  and 
obstinacy  his  own  brother  William,  earl  of  Salisbury,  Aibenc 
de  Vere,  earl  of  Oxford,  GeoflBrey,  son  of  Peter,  the  justiciary 
of  England,  three  bishops  of  the  court,  namely,  Philip  of 
Durham,  Peter  of  Winchester,  and  John  of  Norwich ;  Richard 
of  Marisco,  the  king's  chancellor,  Hugo  de  Neville,  the  chief 
forester,  William  of  Wrotham,  the  guardian  of  the  ports, 
Robert  of  Old  Bridge  and  Huon,  his  brother,  Brian  of  the 
Isle,  Geofirey  de  Lacy,  Hugo  de  Balliol,  and  Bernard  his  bro- 
ther J  William  of  Canteleu,  and  William  his  son,  Fulk  de  Can- 
teleu,  Reginald  de  Comhull,  Viscount  of  Kent,  Robert  de 
Braybroke,  and  Henry  his  son ;  PhiUp  de  Hulecotes,  John 
de  Bassingbome,  Philip  Mark,  chatelain  of  Nottingham,  Peter 
of  Badlake,  Robert  de  Gangi,  Girard  de  Athia,  and  Ingelram 
his  nephew,  Fulk  and  William  Briwer,  Peter  the  son  of  Hu- 
bert, Thomas  Basset,  Fulk  de  Breance,  a  native  of  Normandy, 
and  a  great  many  others,  whom  it  would  take  a  long  time  to 
enumerate.  And  these  men,  wishing  to  please  the  king  in 
everything,  gave  him  pernicious  counsel,  not  according  to 
reason,  but  guided  by  mere  impetuosity  of  will. 


A.S.  1212.      KLSQ  JOKS  DEFBITED  OF  HIS  KI270DOM.  1 13 

Fin^  John  is  deprived  of  his  kingdom  by  formal  sentence.     Peter 
prophesies.     The  bishops  return, 

A.D.  1212.  Eong  John  was  at  Windsor,  at  the  fi^ast  of  the 
Nativity  of  the  Lord ;  and  in  the  ensuing  Lent,  on  the  Sun- 
day in  which  "  Rejoice,  0  Jerusalem,"  is  sung,  the  king  in- 
vested Alexander,  the  son  of  king  William,  the  legitimate  heir 
of  Scotland,  with  a  knight's  belt.  The  same  year,  Mauger, 
bishop  of  Worcester,  who  had  been  banished  from  England, 
on  account  of  his  stand  in  behalf  of  the  liberty  of  the  Anghcan 
church  and  the  due  execution  of  justice,  (hed  at  Pontigny. 
Likewise,  Geoffirey,  archbishop  of  York,  and  Baldwin,  earl  of 
Albemarle,  and  Bon,  the  abbot  of  Saint  Edmund's,  paid  the 
debt  of  nature  the  same  year.  This  year,  the  church  of  Saint 
Mary  of  Southwark  was  burnt  between  three  of  the  columns 
of  the  church,  and  the  chapel  which  was  on#iondon  Bridge 
was  burnt,  with  all  the  houses  which  stood  on  the  bridge ; 
and  the  bridge  itself  was  greatly  injured,  and  a  great  part  of 
Southwark  was  burnt  down,  and,  as  the  flames  crossed  the 
Thames,  the  greatest  part  of  London  was  burnt  down  too, 
both  city  and  suburbs  ;  and  men,  women,  and  children,  to 
the  number  of  three  thousand,  without  counting  those  who  were 
so  completely  destroyed  that  no  remains  of  them  were  found; 
and  this  fire  took  place  on  the  night  of  the  translation  of  the 
abbot  Saint  Benedict,  that  is  to  say,  on  the  tenth  of  July 

The  same  year,  when  the  king  was  preparing  to  go  on  a 
military  expedition,  and  to  invade  the  Welch,  a  report  was 
suddenly  spread  abroad  that  the  earls  and  barons  at  Chester 
had  conspired  against  him ;  on  which  account  he  returned,  as 
if  thunderstruck,  and  as  he  was  greatly  agitated  at  the  circum- 
stance, some  of  them  excused  themselves,  and  denied  it.  But 
Robert,  the  son  of  Walter,  and  Eustace  de  Vesci,  and  Godfrey 
Ridel,  yielding  to  the  misery  of  the  times,  were  sent  into  ba- 
nishment, with  several  others,  and  fled,  some  to  France  and 
some  to  Scotland.  Also,  WilUam  of  Necton,  one  of  the  clergy, 
▼as  banished,  and  (Godfrey  of  Norwich  was  thrown  into  pri- 
son at  Nottingham,  and  at  length  was  put  to  death  miserably 
at  Bristol,  by  a  new  contrivance  and  kind  of  punishment.  And 
the  before-mentioned  Robert  and  Eustace,  and  several  other 
barons  and  knights,  and  even  some  of  the  bishops  and  clergy, 
had  their  possessions  confiscated,  their  houses  taken  possession 
of,  their  fortifications  thrown  down,  and,  after  that,  the  king 

VOL.  II.  I 


114  MATTHEW  or  WESTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1213. 

ordered  them  to  be  put  to  death.  And  from  that  time  forth, 
inviting  foreigners  into  his  kingdom,  and  keeping  them  about 
him,  he  incurred  deservedly  the  implacable  hatred  of  his  na- 
tural-bom subjects. 

The  same  year,  king  John  extorted  writings  from  all  the 
religious  houses,  and  from  all  the  secular  ckrgy,  in  which  they 
were  compelled  to  bear  witness  that  they  had  of  their  own 
accord  given  him  everything  which  he  had  forcibly  and 
wickedly  extorted  from  them.  But,  in  the  course  of  those 
days,  sentence  was  given  against  king  John,  that  he  should 
be  deprived  of  his  kingdom,  and  the  name  was  verified  which 
was  given  to  him  out  of  insult,  when  he  was  called  John  Lack- 
land. About  the  same  time,  a  certain  simple  and  upright  man, 
touched  with  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  declared  before  all  men 
what  he  knew  concerning  this  same  king  John.  This  man  was 
a  hermit,  and  ins  named  Peter,  and  because  he  had  forewarned 
many  persons  of  what  would  happen,  he  was  called  the  Wise. 
Among  other  things  which  this  man  predicted,  he  openly  as- 
serted that,  on  the  day  of  the  Ascension  next  ensuing,  John 
would  not  be  king,  nor  after  that  time,  but  that  on  iJoAt  day 
the  crown  of  England  would  be  transferred  to  another.  The 
hearts  of  many  wavered,  but,  on  the  day  thus  predicted,  when 
the  king  was  declared  a  tributary  to  the  Roman  pontiff,  the 
word  of  the  prophet  was  proved  to  be  true.  Accordingly,  in 
these  days,  pope  Innocent  sent  as  his  legate  a  latere  Pandulph, 
his  subdeacon,  into  the  countries  on  this  side  of  the  Alps,  to 
bring  to  England  mournful  conditions  of  peace,  to  which,  if 
the  king  consented,  he  might  find  the  favour  of  the  ApostoHc 
See,  because  forfeiture  of  his  kingdom  had  been  pronounced 
against  him,  and  danger  was  threatening  him  on  all  sides,  as 
his  conduct  well  deserved.  For  his  own  bowels  were  fighting 
against  him,  and  being  spiritless  and  rebellious  against  him- 
self, and  sleepless  and  wasting  away,  he  could  not  contain 
himself,  wretched  as  he  was,  but  no  proper  object  of  pity  to 
any  one.  The  same  year  died  Henry,  son  of  Alwyn,  mayor 
of  London. 

The  hing  of  Frcmce  prepares  to  invade  England.     Godfrey y  a/rch- 
bishop  of  York,  dies. 

A.D.  1213.  King  John  held  his  court  at  the  feast  of  the  Na- 
tivity at  Westminster,  which  was  attended  by  only  a  very  amall 
body  of  knights ;  at  which  season  also,  Godfrey,  archbishop 


A.D.  1213.        PIIEPAIIA.TIOK  TO  imrADE  ENGLAND.  115 

of  York,  died,  after  haying  passed  seyen  years  in  banishment 
for  his  defence  of  the  hbertiea  of  the  church  and  the  execu- 
tion of  justice.  King  John,  being  in  great  straits,  wished  to 
turn  the  miseries  which  he  had  incurred  by  his  own  guilt  on 
those  who  had  sought  to  retrain  his  madness ;  and  began  to 
accuse  first  one  and  then  the  other  of  his  nobles  of  treason, 
calling  them  jealous,  miserable  wittols,  whose  wiyes,  as  he  used 
to  boast,  he  had  yiolated,  and  whose  daughters  he  had  de- 
flowered. Among  others,  he  began  to  insidt  beyond  measure 
Robert  Fitz- Walter  with  reproaches  and  threats ;  and  he  en- 
deayoured  to  destroy  his  castle  which  he  had  in  London, 
namely.  Castle  Baynard,  on  the  Monday  which  was  the  day 
after  the  feast  of  Saint  Hilary,  by  stirring  up  enemies  against 
him  in  London.  The  same  year,  in  the  month  of  January, 
Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  William,  bishop  of  Lon- 
don, and  Eustace,  bishop  of  Ely,  returned  from  the  court  of 
Rome,  and  haying  held  a  conference  in  the  countries  beyond 
the  sea,  they  formally  laid  before  the  king  of  France,  and  the 
Gallican  bishops  and  clergy,  and  all  the  people,  the  sentence 
which  had  been  passed  at  Rome  against  ihe  king  of  England 
for  his  contumacy.  After  which,  they,  on  the  part  of  the  lord 
the  pope,  laid  an  injunction  on  the  king  of  France,  and  on  all 
the  rest  then  present,  that,  for  the  remission  of  their  sins,  they 
should  all  march  in  a  hostile  manner  against  England,  depose 
king  John  from  the  throne  of  the  kingdom,  and  elect  in  his 
stead  some  one  else  who  might  be  worthy,  in  obedience  to  the 
Apostolic  authority.  Then,  the  king  of  France  perceiying 
that  matters  had  come  to  the  point  which  had  been  long  de- 
sired, girded  himself  manfully  for  the  war,  and  commanded 
all  the  men  in  his  dominions,  dukes,  earls,  and  barons,  knights 
and  esquires,  to  assemble  in  strength  at  Rouen  in  Easter  week, 
on  pain  of  being  accounted  base,  and  as  they  wished  to  ayoid 
appearing  guilty  of  the  crime  of  Ihe  majestS.  He  also  caused 
all  the  ships  that  belonged  to  him,  and  all  that  he  could  col- 
lect from  all  quarters,  to  be  furnished  to  the  best  of  his  power 
with  com,  and  wine,  and  meat,  and  all  kinds  of  arms,  in  order 
that  his  large  army  might  haye  abundance  of  all  necessary 
supplies.  Bat  when  king  John  receiyed  information  of  aU 
this,  he,  in  the  month  of  March,  caused  all  the  most  strongly- 
built  ships  to  assemble  from  all  the  harbours  of  England, 
that  he  might  be  able  to  make  a  gaUant  and  effectual  resist- 
ance  to  those  who  were  endeayouring  to  inyade  England.     In 


llf)  MATTHEW  OF  WB8TMINSTBB.  A.D.  1213. 

like  manuer,  he  collected  a  most  numerous  army  fromEnglaDd 
and  Ireland,  and  all  the  neighbouring  places.  And  while  he 
was  on  the  coast,  expecting  the  arrival  of  the  king  of  France, 
Pandulph  came  to  king  John  himself  from  the  countries  across 
the  sea,  announcing  to  him  the  dangers  that  were  impending 
over  him,  and  assuring  him  that  unless  he  was  protected  under 
the  wings  of  the  lord  the  pope,  and  by  his  power,  he  would 
lose  everything.  And  when  the  king  had  learnt  from  this 
same  Pandulph  the  manner  in  which  he  might  procure  this 
protection,  he  swore,  touching  the  Holy  Gospels,  in  the  presence 
of  Pandulph,  that  he  would  submit  himself  to  the  judgment  of 
the  church.  And  sixteen  earls  and  many  of  the  more  power- 
ful barons  swore  with  him  to  the  same  effect  as  the  king  him- 
self, promising  that  if  he  repented,  he  should  be  compelled  by 
the  king  to  observe  his  oath.  Accordingly,  he  resigned  his 
crown  to  pope  Innocent,  and  did  homage  to  him,  and  of  a 
country  of  the  most  perfect  freedom  he  made  a  slave,  in  such 
a  way  that  the  prince  of  many  provinces  became  subject* to 
tribute,  drawing  up  a  deed  with  reference  to  it,  which  was  a 
mournful  and  hateful  one  to  those  who  heard  it. 

"  We  make  it  known  to  your  university  that  as  we  have  in 
many  things  offended  tlie  Lord,  and  the  holy  mother  church, 
and  as  on  account  of  such  conduct  we  are  well  known  to 
stand  in  need  of  divine  mercy,  and  cannot  worthily  offer  any- 
thing which  will  be  a  proper  satisfaction  for  it,  to  Gt>d  and 
to  the  church,  unless  we  are  willing  to  humble  ourselves  and 
our  kingdoms  for  his  sake,  who  for  our  sakes  humbled  him- 
self to  death.  Therefore  we,  holy  grace  itself  inspiring  us, 
in  accordance  with  the  excellent  counsel  of  our  barons, 
do  offer  and  freely  grant  to  Grod,  and  to  his  holy  apostles 
Peter  and  Paul,  and  to  the  holy  Roman  church,  our  mother, 
and  to  our  lord  the  pope.  Innocent  the  Third,  and  his  succes- 
sors, all  the  right  of  patronage  which  we  have  in  the  Anglican 
churches,  and  the  whole  kingdom  of  England,  and  the  king- 
dom of  Ireland,  with  all  their  rights  and  belongings,  for  the 
remission  of  our  sins,  and  those  of  our  whole  race,  both  living 
and  dead.  And  receiving  them  back  again,  as  it  were,  from 
God  and  the  Roman  Catibolic  church,  as  their  feudatory,  and 
holding  them  so,  with  the  presence  of  the  wise  Pandulph,  the 
sub-deacon  and  friend  of  our  lord  the  pope,  we,  i&om  this 
time  forward  doing  liege  homage  to  our  lord,  pope  Innocent 
and  his  Catholic  successors,  and  to  the  Roman  church,  ac- 


A.D.  1213.    EXETG  LOUIS  DESISTS  FBOM  HIS  ZKTSBFBISE.        1 1 7 

cording  to  the  form  set  down  below,  would  do  the  same  in  the 
presence  of  our  lord  the  pope,  if  it  were  possible  for  ns  to  be 
in  his  presence.  Obliging  our  successors,  and  oar  heirs  by 
oar  wife  for  ever,  that  they  in  the  same  manner  show  loyalty  and 
fidelity,  without  any  contradiction,  to  the  sapreme  pontiff 
who  shall  for  the  time  be  the  president  of  the  church,  and  to 
do  him  homage ;  and,  moreover,  we  and  our  successors  do 
resign  for  ever  the  guardianship  of  the  vacant  churches.  And 
in  proof  of  this  our  perpetual  offering  and  concession,  we  do 
will  and  establish  that,  from  our  own  proper  and  especial  re- 
venues, which  proceed  from  our  kingdoms  before-mentioned, 
the  Roman  church  shall,  in  heu  of  all  the  customs  which  we 
are  bound  to  pay  for  those  things,  (besides  in  all  cases  the 
penny  of  Saint  Peter,)  receive  a  thousand  marks  sterling  every 
year ;  that  is  to  say,  five  hundred  marks  at  the  feast  of  Saint 
Michael,  and  five  hundred  marks  at  Easter,  of  which  thousand 
marks,  seven  hundred  shall  be  for  the  kingdom  of  England, 
and  three  hundred  for  the  kingdom  of  Ireland ;  and  this  shall 
be  done  without  injury  to  ourselves,  our  heirs,  our  laws,  liber- 
ties, and  royal  privileges.  And  we,  willing  that  all  these 
things  shall  be  ratified  and  perpetual,  and  lasting  tt»  they  have 
been  above  set  down,  do  bind  ourselves  and  our  successors 
not  to  contravene  them.  And  if  we  or  any  one  of  our  suc- 
cessors shall  presume  to  attempt  any  such  thing,  whoever  he 
may  be,  he  shall  be  declared  an  outlaw,  unless  on  being  ad- 
monished he  come  to  his  senses.  And  that  this  charter  of 
oar  obligation  and  concession  may  remain  unalterable,  I  swear 
that  for  the  future,  from  this  hour  forth,  I  will  be  ftdthful  to 
God,  and  to  the  blessed  Peter,  and  the  Roman  church,  and 
oar  lord  the  pope  Innocent,  and  to  all  his  successors  who 
become  so  in  accordance  with  the  Cathohc  faith.  Moreover,  I 
will  be  a  helper  in  upholding  and  defending  the  patrimony  of 
the  blessed  Peter,  and  especidly  of  the  kingdom  of  England  and 
kingdom  of  Ireland,  against  all  men,  as  far  as  my  power  ex- 
tends. So  help  me  God  and  these  holy  gospels,  I  myself  being 
the  witness,  in  the  house  of  the  military  order  of  the  temple." 
Vccordingly,  the  king  of  France  having  been  cajoled  by 
many  speeches  of  various  kinds  from  the  messengers  of  the 
pope,  now  that  John,  the  king  of  England,  was  sheltered 
under  the  shield  of  the  Roman  court,  desisted  6n)m  his  enter- 
prise, having  lost  about  forty  thousand  pounds  of  silver,  and 
covered  himself  with  great  shame.     But  on  the  Thiursday  next 


118  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMINBTEB.  A.D.  1214. 

following  aflter  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  Nicolas,  bishop  of 
Tusculum,  came  into  England,  to  Westminster,  as  a  legate, 
and  remained  there  eighteen  days,  where  he  held  frequent 
debates  with  the  brotherhood  of  the  church,  concerning  the 
reformation  of  temporal  and  spiritual  matters.  After  that,  he 
went  to  Evesham,  on  the  festival  of  Saint  Edmund,  and  de- 
posed Roger,  the  abbot  of  that  church,  for  manifest  reasons, 
and  appointed  Radulph,  prior  of  Worcester,  to  be  abbot  in 
his  room.  Geoffrey,  the  son  of  Peter,  justiciary  of  England, 
died  on  the  fourteenth  of  October.  Henry  of  London,  arch- 
deacon of  Stafford,  was  made  bishop  of  Dublin.  Robert  of 
Shrewsbury,  bishop  of  Bangor,  died,  and  was  buried  in  the 
middle  of  the  market-place  of  Shrewsbury,  in  compliance 
with  his  own  wish  to  that  effect.  About  the  same  time  a 
great  persecution  was  set  on  foot  against  the  Albigensian  he- 
retics, under  duke  Simon  de  Montfort,  in  which  war  the  king 
of  Arragon  was  slain.  But  king  John,  who  instead  of  a  king 
had  now  become  a  viceroy,  ay,  and  even  a  tributary  or  feu- 
datory of  the  pope,  not  understanding  the  prophecy  of  Peter, 
of  which  mention  has  already  been  made,  most  unjustly  or- 
dered the  said  Peter  and  his  son  to  be  hung  on  a  gallows. 

King  John  Ha/ving  become  a  tributary  of  Eome^  the  general 
interdict  is  relaxed, 

A.B.  1214.  John,  king  of  England,  held  his  court  at  the 
feast  of  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord,  at  Windsor,  where  he  dis- 
tributed festival  garments  in  numbers,  to  a  multitude  of  nobles. 
At  the  same  time,  the  legate  before-mentioned  deposed  Ra- 
dulph de  Arundel,  abbot  of  Westminster,  by  the  agency  of 
Nicholas,  abbot  of  Waltham,  who  was  sent  on  the  part  of  the 
legate  to  Westminster,  to  put  the  deposition  in  execution, 
which  took  place  on  the  morrow  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Vincent, 
by  breaking  his  seal  in  the  chapter  house ;  and  William  de 
Humec,  prior  of  Frontigny,  a  monk  of  Caen,  was  ^elected  in 
his  place,  and  on  the  Sunday  of  the  Holy  Trinity  he  received 
the  blessing  from  William,  bishop  of  London.  On  the  day  of 
Saint  Urban,  being  the  twenty-fifth  of  May,  peace  was  es« 
tablished,  though  not  yet  settled  in  all  its  details,  between  our 
lord  the;  pope  Innocent  and  king  John,  and  was  sworn  to  by 
many  earls  and  barons  of  the  kingdom,  on  condition  that  the 
king  should  in  all  good  peace  receive  the  lord  Stephen,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  and  the  other  bishops  of  England,  and 


A.D.  1214.  KING  JOHN  COLLECTS  AH  ABMT.  119 

shoald  restore  td  them  all  the  abbacies,  and  should  satisfy 
the  holy  church  in  all  things,  and  that  the  king  and  his 
heirs  should  every  year  give  to  the  Roman  church  a  thousand 
marks  sterling,  namely,  seven  hundred  for  the  kingdom  of 
England,  and  three  hundred  marks  for  the  kingdom  of  Ire« 
land.  The  same  year,  Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
landed  at  Dover,  and  with  him  came  William,  bishop  of  London, 
Eustace,  bishop  of  Ely,  and  Hugh,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  and  on 
the  Thursday,  which  was  the  day  following  the  festival  of  Saint 
Processus  and  Saint  Martinianus,  the  general  interdict  of  the 
AngUcan  church  was  taken  off,  there  being  present  on  the 
part  of  the  lord  the  pope,  the  before-mentioned  legate,  Nicholas, 
and  Pandulph,  the  pope's  sub-deacon,  with  the  archbishop 
himself,  and  the  other  bishops,  and  the  counts  and  barons 
before-mentioned,  who  took  the  oaths  on  the  part  of  the  king 
and  the  kingdom,  at  Saint  Paul's,  in  London. 

The  same  year,  on  the  vigil  of  the  Purification,  king  John 
took  a  journey  into  Poitou,  and,  on  the  Thursday  next  after 
the  feast  of  the  apostles  Simon  and  Judea,  on  his  return  from 
thence  he  went  to  Westminster,  and  was  honourably  received 
by  the  clergy  and  people  there  present,  and  by  the  legate 
Nicolas  and  the  archbishop  Stephen,  and  by  nearly  all  the 
bishops  of  England.  About  the  same  time,  died  John,  abbot 
of  Saint  Alban's,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Kenelm,  king  and 
martyr. 

It  should  likewise  be  known,  that  the  interdict,  of  which 
such  ample  mention  has  been  made,  lasted  six  years,  fourteen 
weeks,  and  two  days.  On  the  fourth  of  October,  Simon, 
dean  of  York,  was  consecrated  at  Canterbury,  bishop  of 
Exeter,  and  Walter  de  Grey,  bishop  of  Worcester.  This  year 
too,  there  died  Gilbert  de  Glanville,  bishop  of  Rochester,  on 
the  twenty-fourth  of  June,  and  likewise  Jolm  deGrey,  bishop  of 
Norwich.  Also,  in  the  same  year,  before  the  Purification  of 
the  blessed  Virgin  Mary,  the  count  of  Flanders,  accompanied 
by  several  foreign  nobles,  landed  in  England,  to  take  the  oaths 
of  allegiance,  and  to  do  homage  to  king  John  in  the  city  of 
Canterbury.  Afterwards,  returning  with  WiUiam,  earl  of  Sa- 
lisbury, by  making  a  prodigal  distribution  of  the  king's  trea- 
sures, they  collected  a  numerous  army  of  hired  mercenaries, 
having  formed  a  design  of  suddenly  attacking  Philip,  king 
of  France,  on  a  Sunday,  as  he  was  not  accustomed  to  bear 
arms  on  that  day,  and  of  overthrowing  him  in  this  way. 


120  MiiTTHKW  Of  WEBTMINSTSB.  A.D.  121 1. 

They  had  also  great  hope  from,  and  great  reliance  in  the 
wisdom  and  assistance  of  the  emperor  Otho,  who  was,  as  it 
were,  with  a  drawn  sword,  watching  for  a  struggle.  Accord- 
ingly, the  war  cry  bdbg  shouted,  "  The  king's  men !  the  king's 
men !"  on  one  side,  and  "  Montjoye !  Montjoye !"  on  the  other, 
the  hattle  of  Bovines,  in  Fbmders,  was  fought,  and  great 
hravery  was  shown  on  hoth  sides.  In  this  battle,  the  king  of 
France  was  thrown  from  his  horse,  and  being  attacked  by  the 
enemy  on  all  sides,  would  have  been  cut  to  pieces,  if  a  certain 
Norman  knight  had  not  sheltered  him  with  his  own  body, 
who  at  last  fell,  for  him  and  upon  him,  pierced  with  several 
spears.  On  this  day,  three  fine  horses  were  stabbed  and  slain 
under  the  same  king;  nevertheless,  by  the  assistance  of  God, 
he  that  day  gained  an  incalculably  important  triumph  over  his 
enemies.  On  which  account,  the  pious  monarch,  writing  about 
his  victory  to  the  university  of  Paris,  said,  "  Praise  God,  my 
dearest  Mends,  for  we  have  never  before  come  forth  safe  from 
so  great  a  struggle."  In  this  battle,  the  first  person  who  set 
the  example  of  flight  was  Hugh  de  Bovines,  who  seemed  to 
be  the  leader  of  them  all,  and  after  that  many  nobles,  both  of 
the  empire  and  of  the  kingdom  of  England,  were  taken  pri- 
soners. But  the  emperor  escaped  with  a  few  of  his  men  who 
were  at  hand,  in  such  a  way  that  his  fame  was  never  after- 
wards restored. 

To  the  greater  confusion  of  king  John,  he  was  repulsed 
from  the  castle  which  is  called  Monk's  Bock  (which  he  had 
besieged  with  a  numerous  army  on  the  side  towards  Poitou), 
in  consequence  of  the  arrival  of  Louis,  son  of  the  king  of 
France  ;  so  that,  hearing  the  news  of  the  taking  of  his  nobles 
at  Bovines,  and  ascertaining  that  he  had  no  power  to  resist  on 
any  other  side,  he  felt  that  both  God  and  man  were  offended 
with  and  hostile  to  him.  Accordingly,  he  fied  disgracefully  and 
ignominiously  from  the  siege  before-mentioned ;  and  if  he  had 
not  given  eleven  thousand  marks  of  silver  for  a  truce  for  three 
years,  and  then  retreated  into  England  with  all  speed  by  the 
management  of  Robert  de  Courcy,  who  was  at  that  time  legate 
in  France,  he  would  no  doubt  have  been  taken  prisoner  to  his 
great  disgrace.  On  which  account,  the  French  rose  up  against 
the  said  Robert,  the  legate,  with  reproaches  and  insults,  as  if 
he,  being  an  Englishman,  had  been  glad  to  deliver  an  English- 
man. Accordingly,  the  king  returned  into  England,  in  dis- 
order and  disgrace,  on  the  nineteenth  of  October.     The  same 


A.B.  1215.     A   GENEBAL  COUNCIL  IS  HELD  AT  BOME.  121 

year,  William  of  Trumpington,  a  monk  who  was  taken  out 
of  the  bosom  of  the  same  church,  and  was  a  man  eminent  for 
every  kind  of  virtue,  succeeded  John,  as  abbot  pf  the  church 
of  St.  Alban's ;  and  on  Saint  Andrew's  day,  received  the  pon- 
tifical benediction  from  Eustace,  bishop  of  Ely,  in  the  church 
of  Saint  Alban's. 

King  John  coming  again  to  himself y  on  account  of  his  perplexity, 
assumes  the  sign  of  the  crossy  and  many  of  his  nobles  with  him. 

A.D.  1215.  King  John,  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the 
Lord,  held  his  court  at  Worcester,  but  kept  the  feast  for 
scarcely  one  day.  After  that,  he  came  in  haste  to  London, 
when  the  nobles  of  England  earnestly  requested  him  to  confirm 
the  promises  which  he  had  made  to  them  humbly  and  in  good 
faith.  But  the  king,  seeking  for  grounds  of  objection,  and  as- 
serting that  it  was  a  hard  thing  that  they  asked,  and  one  that 
required  great  deliberation,  cunningly  asked  for  a  truce  till 
the  close  of  Easter,  and  obtained  it.  In  the  mean  time,  that 
he  might  be  the  more  surely  protected  under  the  wings  of  his 
lord  the  pope,  and  be  more  completely  armed  against  his 
subjects,  he  took  upon  himself  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  many 
of  the  nobles  with  him  did  the  same,  on  the  fourth  of  March. 
The  same'^ear,  Eustace,  bishop  of  Ely,  went  the  way  of  all 
flesh  at  BeacUng. 

This  year  a  great  discussion  on  the  question  of  the  peace 
of  the  kingdom  took  place  between  the  king  and  the  barons, 
between  Staines  and  Windsor,  in  a  meadow  which  is  called 
Runnymede ;  which  means  the  meadow  of  counsel,  because 
from  old  time  counsels  about  the  peace  of  the  kingdom  were 
frequently  held  there ;  the  lord  Stephen,  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury,  being  the  mediator  between  them,  and  some  other 
bishops.  And  the  first  day  of  this  discussion  was  the  day  of 
March  before  the  feast  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist.  And  it 
was  protracted  and  spun  out  till  the  Wednesday  after  the  feast 
of  Saint  Bartholomew,  the  king,  however,  being  absent.  And 
•when  the  barons  demanded  the  fulfilment  of  the  promises 
that  had  been  made  to  them,  the  king,  with  a  laugh  of  deri- 
sion, replied,  "Why  do  not  these  men  demand  the  kingdom  V* 

The  same  year,  on  St.  Martin's  day,  a  general  council  was 
held  at  Rome,  under  pope  Innocent  the  Third,  consisting  of 
sixty-one  private  archbishops,  four  hundred  and  twelve  bishops, 
and  eight  hundred  abbots  and  priors,  in  which  council  the 


122  Mi.TTHEW  OP  WBBTMIWSTER.  A.D.  1215. 

pope,  on  the  day  of  the  Apostle  Saint  Andrew,  formally  ex- 
communicated  Louis,  the  eldest  son  of  the  king  of  France, 
and  all  the  cbunts  and  harous  of  England,  who,  with  their  ac- 
comphces,   were   conspiring  and  rising  up  in  insurrection 
against  the  king  of  England,  the  vassal  of  the  church  of  Rome. 
War  now  increased  in  England  from  day  to  day,  the  harons 
first  of  all  occupying,  in  a  hostile  manner,  the  whole  county 
of  Northampton,  with  the  town  of  that  name  itself,  with  the 
exception  of  the  castle,  the  garrison  of  which  defended  itself 
manfully.     But  the  besiegers,  being  destitute  of  the  necessary 
engines,  retired  without  succeeding  in  their  object.     For  be- 
fore these  events  had  happened,  the  king,  providing  for  the 
future,  had  secretly  fortified  his  castles.     From  thence,  the 
barons  came  to  London,  and  on  the  seventeenth  of  May  they 
entered  the  city,  and  occupied  it  without  meeting  with  any  re- 
sistance ;  for  the  citizens  detested  king  John  for  the  many  un- 
just exactions  with  which  he  had  incessantly  oppressed  tnem. 
Accordingly,  having  held  a  conference  there,  they  sent  some 
of  their  allies,  both  barons  and  citizens,  beyond  the  sea,  to 
Louis,  whom  they  had  elected  king,  to  desire  him  to  hasten 
and  come  with  all  speed  to  England,  as  he  might  then  at  once 
obtain  the  kingdom  without  any  difficulty  or  oppoution.  And 
that  he  might  not  hesitate,  they  sent,  both  to  the  king  of 
France  and  his  son,  letters  patent,  with  the  seals  of  the  nobles 
affixed,  and  fifty  hostages.      The  same  year,  after  the  feast  of 
Saint  Michael,  king  John  besieged  the  castle  of  Rochester,  in 
which  were  some  gallant  barons,  namely,  William  of  Albinet, 
and  many  others,  whom  Robert  Fitz- Walter,  who  was  Ipng 
lazy  and  inactive  with  his  whole  army  in  London,  was  bound 
to  succour,  but  he  would  not  do  so.      Owing  to  which,  the 
aforesaid  castle  was  miserably  taken,  and  the  nobles  were 
taken  prisoners,  and  thrust  into  Corfe  castle  to  await  the  king's 
pleasure,  and  were  at  last  ransomed  when  scarcely  alive.  After 
that,  the  king  became  a  perfect  tyrant,  and  a  destroyer  of  his 
own  kingdom,  hiring,  as  his  soldiers,  a  band  of  foreigners,  to 
wit  Savaric  de  Mallein,  with  his  fickle  Poitevins,  and  Glerard 
de  Sotingin,  with  his  inconstant  Fleming^,  and  Walter,  sur- 
named  Buc,  with  his  vile  troop.    And  then  there  arose  un- 
heard-of confusion  in  the  kingdom,  of  so  fierce  a  character, 
that  sons  were  seen  to  rise  in  a  hostile  manner  against  the  fiEi- 
thers,  and  fathei^  against  their  sons.  Accordingly,  king  John, 
accompanied  by  that  detestable  troop  of  foreigners,  whose 


A.D.  1215.  TTBA]!naCAL  CO^TDTTOT  OF  KINO  JOHN.  123 

leader  and  general  was  Falcas  de  Breaate,  a  man  of  ignoble 
birth  and  a  bastard,  and  carried  away  by  his  fury,  began  to 
lay  waste  the  northern  parts  of  England,  to  destroy  the  castles 
of  the  barons,  or  compel  them  to  submit  to  his  own  order,  to 
bum  without  mercy  all  the  palaces  and  towns  which  be- 
longed to  the  barons,  to  oppress  the  inhabitants  of  the  country 
by  carefully  devised  tortures,  in  order  to  extort  money  from 
them,  so  that  the  lord  of  the  country  seemed  in  his  madness 
to  be  angry  with  his  people,  and  to  hate  his  own  inheritance. 
Everywhere  there  was  grief  and  misery.  The  priest  became 
as  the  people,  and  the  sceptre  of  the  church  was  profaned. 
The  bishops  were  proscribed,  and  the  flock  was  scattered  as 
the  shepherds  fled.  At  the  same  time,  Stephen,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  because  he  had  always  been  a  reprover,  and, 
as  far  as  he  was  able,  a  corrector  of  king  John,  who,  however, 
always  resisted  him,  was  suspended  from  his  offices,  on  the 
ground  of  his  being  a  favourer  of  the  enemies  of  king  John, 
the  vassal  of  his  lord  the  pope,  who  was  acting  foolishly  in 
every  thing.  And  the  lord  the  pope  confirmed  this  suspension 
in  a  general  council.  At  last,  the  archbishop,  with  great  diffi- 
culty, though  many  persons  exerted  themselves  in  his  behalf, 
prevailed  so  far  as  to  obtain  the  grace  of  absolution.  In  these 
days  the  castle  of  Bedford  was  taken  and  given  to  Palcos,  on 
whom  the  king  also  bestowed  a  wife  of  noble  birth,  namely, 
Margaret  de  Bipari^,  with  all  the  estates  that  belonged  to  her. 
Moreover,  this  same  Falcos  took  the  town  belonging  to  Wil- 
liam Manduyt  de  Hammeslape.  Also  the  town  of  Tunbridge 
was  taken.  The  same  year,  on  the  day  of  the  conversion  of 
Saint  Paul,  William  de  Comhulle  was  consecrated  bishop  of 
Chester,  and  on  the  twenty-second  of  February,  Master  Bene- 
dict, the  precentor  of  Saint  Paul's  in  London,  was  consecrated 
bishop  of  Rochester,  and  Master  Eichard,  dean  of  Sherborne, 
bishop  of  Chichester.  In  the  meantime,  Master  Simon  de 
hangton  was  elected  archbishop  of  York,  a  man  who  had  but 
little  of  the  favour  of  the  people;  I  wish  that  he  may  have  had 
the  grace  of  God.  But  by  the  influence  of  the  king,  his  elec- 
tion was  soon  annulled  ;  for  the  king,  now  that  he  had  be- 
come a  tributary  of  the  pope,  could  obtain  very  important 
favours  from  him.  And  the  king  was  afraid  that  if  Stephen, 
being  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  bore  rule  in  the  southern 
provinces,  and  his'  brother  Simon,  being  made  archbishop  of 
York,  governed  the  northern  districts,  as  they  would  then  be 


124  MATTHEW  or  WE8TMIN8TEB.  A.D.    1216. 

the  two  chief  prelates  in  England,  everything  would  be  regu- 
lated by  their  will,  and  one  would  be  supported  by  the  assist- 
ance  of  the  other. 

About  the  same  time,  a  certain  portion  of  the  barons  who 
had  remained  in  London,  issued  forth  with  a  body  of  cavalry, 
and  laid  waste  the  province  of  Cambridge,  and,  without  any 
difficulty,  reduced  the  fortress  under  their  power,  and  took 
prisoners  twenty-five  esquires,  whom  they  found  in  it,  and 
whom  they  bound  with  chains,  and  carried  oflf  with  them  to 
London.  From  thence  they  traversed  the  adjacent  counties 
of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk,  plundered  the  farmers  and  the  citizens 
^of  the  cities,  scarcely  sparing  the  churches,  and  making  them- 
selves masters  of  everything.  They  also  compelled  the  towns 
of  Yarmouth,  Wich,  and  Ipswich,  and  the  neighbouring  dis- 
tricts, to  pay  a  very  heavy  ransom.  And  then  returning  through 
Colchester,  they  raged  against  the  inhabitants  of  that  district 
with  similar  fury.  The  same  force  also  besieged  and  took  the 
castles  of  Hertford  and  Berkhampstead,  and  forcibly  seized 
many  others  which  lay  in  their  way.  About  the  same  time, 
in  consequence  of  the  exertions  of  his  friends,  and  even  of 
some  foreigners  who  feared  that  they  might  be  imprisoned  in 
a  similar  manner,  that  noble  man,  William  de  Albiney,  was 
released  from  prison,  having  first  been  compelled  to  pay  a  fine 
for  his  redemption  of  six  thousand  marks,  which  were  to  be 
paid  within  a  short  time.  In  the  carrying  out  of  which  busi- 
ness, his  wife,  Agatha,  labouring  beyond  what  could  have  been 
expected  of  the  female  sex,  raised  the  money  demanded,  though 
with  great  difficulty ;  and  so,  in  a  most  praiseworthy  manner, 
effected  the  release  of  her  husband. 

The  harom  remain  inactive  in  London.     Zouis,  son  of  the  king  of 
FrancCy  lands. 

A.D.  1216.  Which  is  the  eighteenth  year  of  king  John's 
reign,  the  same  king  John  was,  on  the  day  of  the  Nativity  of 
our  Lord,  at  Nottingham  Castle.  But,  on  the  morrow,  he 
sent  messengers  to  Belvoir  Castle,  requiring  that  it  should  be 
immediately  surrendered  to  him ;  and  threatening  that,  if  any 
delay  took  place,  William  de  Albiney,  to  whom  the  castle  be- 
longed, and  who  was  detained  in  the  king's  prison,  should 
never  dine  again,  but  should  be  put  to  death  by  famine.  And 
when  this  was  known,  immediately  the  governors  of  the  castle, 
going  to  meet  him,  gave  up  the  keys  of  the  castle  to  him»  sti- 


A.D.  1216.  THE  ISLB  OF  ELY  LAID  WASTE.  125 

polating  for  the  safety  of  their  persons,  and  arms,  and  posses- 
sions. In  the  meantime,  England  was  afflicted  with  severe 
affliction,  the  wives  of  the  nohles  being  given  up  to  the  sport 
of  the  soldiery,  their  houses  being  burnt,  their  woods  cut  down, 
their  lands  given  away  to  foreigners,  and  money  extorted  from 
every  one  by  exquisite  torments.  In  the  meantime,  the  barons 
lay  inactive  in  London,  doing  nothing,  except  at  times  driving 
away  into  the  neighbouring  places  the  flocks  and  herds  of  poor 
men,  and  carrying  ofF  their  masters  as  their  booty,  in  a  mer- 
ciless manner.  But,  while  they  were  thus  inactive,  the  king 
did  not  desist  horn  daily  reducing  their  castles,  and  towns, 
and  dependents,  and  estates,  under  his  own  powers.  In  like 
manner,  too,  his  guards,  who  were  stationed  in  diflerent  parts, 
ravaged  and  destroyed  the  possessions  of  all  the  barons.  But 
the  king,  after  he  had  laid  waste  and  subjugated  all  the  northern 
districts  of  England,  suddenly  invaded  the  territories  of  the 
king  of  Scotland,  who  had  shown  himself  a  favourer  of  the 
barons,  and  made  himself  master,  by  force,  of  the  castle  of 
Berwick,  and  some  others,  which  were  believed  to  be  impreg- 
nable. And  he  would  have  spread  slaughter  and  destruction 
very  widely  in  those  parts,  if  a  great  necessity,  which  did  not 
admit  of  delay,  had  not  suddenly  recalled  him,  as  will  be 
shown  hereafter. 

And  while  these  things  were  going  on,  at  the  pressing  re- 
quest of  the  king,  who  was  frequently  sending  messengers  to 
the  pope  as  his  lord,  the  supreme  pontiff,  in  order  that  he,  as 
a  new  master,  might  give  a  vigorous  and  effectual  protection 
to  his  new  vassal,  now,  a  second  time,  excommunicated  by 
name  and  individually  the  barons  of  England,  whom  he  had 
previously  excommunicated  in  the  lump.  About  this  time, 
the  isle  of  Ely  was  laid  waste  by  Falcos,  who  also,  mounted 
on  his  horse  with  his  sword  drawn,  irreverently  ^ntered  the 
cathedral  itself,  and  dragging  from  thence  noblemen,  and  ma- 
trons, and  clergymen,  and  the  lord  Stephen  Ridel  himself,  a 
noble  of  the  most  illustrious  character,  an  honourable  and 
munificent  man,  he  compelled  him  to  pay  a  most  heavy  ran- 
som. The  barons  being  now  in  a  strait,  as  they  found  that 
the  lord  the  pope,  who  was  formerly  their  defender,  was  now 
become  a  vigorous  persecutor  of  them,  because  of  the  sub- 
mission of  the  kingdom  to  him,  and  the  vassalage  under  which 
the  humbled  monarch  had  placed  himself,  were  in  daily  ex- 
pectation of  the  arrival  of  Louis,  the  eldest  son  of  PhiHp, 


1 26  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMIK8TEB.  A.I).  1216. 

the  French  kmg,  whom  they  had  elected  their  sovereign.  And 
they  had  sent  him  hostages,  and  written  letters,  and  other 
kinds  of  bonds  and  engagements  of  fealty  and  allegiance,  con- 
veyed by  formal  embassies,  and  he  now,  having  made  all  the 
necessary  preparations,  was  hastening  his  arrival.  Bat  king 
John,  hearing  of  the  arrival  of  Louis  in  England,  flew  to 
Canterbury.  In  the  meantime,  Gualo,  the  legate,  landed,  who 
had  been  sent  by  the  lord  pope  Innocent  the  Third  for  the 
protection  of  king  John,  who,  having  visited  PhiUp,  king  of 
France,  on  his  journey  towards  Enghmd,  had,  on  the  part  of 
the  lord  the  pope,  dissuaded  him,  by  all  the  means  he  could 
think  of,  not  to  send  his  son  Louis  to  the  succour  of  men  who 
were  excommunicated,  lest  the  Roman  church  should  be  de- 
prived of  its  patrimony.  And  when  king  Phihp  had  under- 
stood that  this  was  said  of  the  kingdom  of  England,  he  pre- 
sently answered  in  this  manner :  '*  The*kingdom  of  England 
never  was  the  patrimony  of  Peter,  or  of  the  Roman  church, 
nor  is  it  now,  nor  will  it  ever  be  so  ;  for  king  John,  a  long 
time  ago,  wishing  unjustly  to  deprive  his  brother,  king  Richard, 
of  the  kingdom  of  England,  and  being  on  that  account  ac^ 
cused  of  treason,  and.  convicted  before  him,  was  condemned 
by  a  formal  trial  in  the  court  of  the  king  himself,  and  the  sen- 
tence was  pronounced  by  Hugo  de  Pusatz,  bishop  of  Durham ; 
and  so  he  has  never  been  the  true  king  of  England.  Again, 
even  if  he  ever  was  a  king,  and  the  true  king  of  England,  still 
he  subsequently  forfeited  the  kingdom  by  the  murder  of  Ar- 
thur, for  which  action  he  was  condemned  in  our  court. 
Again,  no  king  or  prince  can  give  away  his  kingdom  without 
the  consent  of  his  barons,  who  are  bound  to  defend  that  king- 
dom. And  if  the  pope,  being  led  away  by  a  lust  of  new  do- 
minion, has  ultimately  determined  to  uphold  this  error^  he 
will  give  a  very  mischievous  example  to  all  kingdoms."  And 
at  these  words,  all  the  nobles  of  France  who  were  standing 
by,  began  to  cry  out,  as  it  were,  with  one  voice,  that  they 
would  stand  to  the  death  in  defence  of  that  article,  namely, 
that  no  king  or  prince  could,  by  the  impulse  of  his  own  pri- 
vate will,  give  away  his  kingdom,  or  make  it  tributary,  by 
which  conduct  the  nobles  of  his  kingdom  would  be  rendered 
slaves.  These  events  took  place  at  Lyons,  on  the  fifteenth  day 
after  Easter.  But  the  next  day  Louid  came  to  the  conference, 
and,  in  the  presence  of  his  father,  and  Gualo,  the  legate,  and 
all  the  rest  who  were  standing  by,  said :  "  My  lord  the  king. 


A.D.  1216.  8TJCCS88BS  07  LOXTIS  IK  SNGLAin).  127 

if  I  am  your  liegeman  for  the  tenement  which  yoa  haye  given 
me,  I  am  80  far  bound  to  you ;  but  with  respect  to  the  king- 
dom of  England,  what  right  have  you  to  determine  anything 
at  all  ?  I  submit  myself  to  the  judgment  of  my  peers,  as  to 
whether  you  have  any  power  to  compel  me  not  to  follow  up 
my  rights,  especially  such  as  do  in  nowise  concern  you,  or 
whether  you  are  not,  on  the  contrary,*  bound  to  do  me  justice, 
because  I  am  prepared,  if  need  be,  to  fight  even  to  the  death 
for  the  inheritance  of  my  wife,  the  niece  of  king  John/'  And 
when  the  legate  heard  this,  he  requested  the  king  to  grant 
him  a  safe  conduct  through  his  territories,  which  the  king 
kindly  did  grant.  AccorcUngly,  king  Philip  still  dissembling, 
Louis  hastened  his  march  to  the  sea-coast,  in  order  to  cross 
over  to  England,  and  arrive  there  before  the  legate.  And 
when  he  was  on  the  point  of  embarking  on  board  ship,  he 
found  in  the  harbour  of  Calais  a  most  gallant  and  numerous 
fleet,  amounting  to  six  hundred  i^ps  and  eighty  transports, 
well  equipped,  which  Eustace  the  monk,  who  has  been  men- 
tioned above,  had  collected  there  against  his  arrival.  .  Then 
Louis  and  all  his  followers  embarked  on  board  the  ships,  aud 
came  with  a  fair  wind  to  the  isle  of  Thanet,  and  anchored  in 
the  place  which  is  called  dtan|)ore,  on  the  twenty-first  of  May. 
King  John  was  at  that  time  with  his  army  at  Dover,  but  as  he 
was  surirounded  by  a  band  of  foreign  mercenaries,  who  loved 
Louis  more  than  John,  king  of  England,  he  did  not  dare  to 
encounter  Louis  in  a  hostile  manner,  lest  his  troops  might  per- 
chance desert  king  John  himself  in  his  necessity,  and  transfer 
themselves  to  Louis.  From  which  considerations  he  preferred 
retreating  at  the  time  to  engaging  in  a  doubtful  battle.  There- 
fore, he  retreated,  and  withdrew  to  Canterbury,  and  left  and 
entrusted  the  castle  of  Dover  to  the  custody  and  good  faith  of 
Hubert  de  Burgh.  And  soon  afterwards,  Gualo,  the  legate, 
landed  in  England,  for  the  protection  of  king  John  and  the 
kingdom  against  Louis  and  his  partisans.  But  king  John  fled 
as  far  as  Winchester,  and  Louis,  when  he  found  that  no  one 
offered  to  resist  him,  disembarked  from  his  ships,  and  landing 
at  Sandwich,  subdued  immediately  the  whole  of  that  district, 
mih  the  exception  of  the  town  of  Dover,  and  hastening  to- 
wards London,  he  made  himself  master  of  the  castle  of  Ro- 
chester, and  on  the  second  of  June  he  arrived  in  London, 
where  first  of  all  he  offered  up  prayers  at  Saint  Paul's,  and 
was  afterwards  publicly  received  by  the  clergy  and  laity  with 


128  MATTH£W  OF  WESTIONSTEB.  A.D.  1216. 

great  joy,  and  received  the  fealty  and  homage  of  all  the  barons. 
And  shortly  afterwards,  namely,  on  the  fourteenth  of  June, 
the  city  of  Winchester  was  surrendered  to  him  ;  and  on  the 
day  after  the  feast  of  Saint  John,  he  took  the  castle  of  the  city, 
and  the  bishop's  castle  also;  and  on  the  ninth  of  July,  he  re* 
ceived  the  submission  of  the  castles  of  Odiham,  Famham, 
Guildford,  and  Reigate.  The  castle  of  Windsor  was  besieged 
by  the  earls  and  barons  of  both  France  and  England,  but 
they  were  forced  to  retreat  from  before  it  without  succeeding 
in  their  object.  But  the  castle  of  Cambridge  was  taken  by 
the  barons,  with  twenty  esquires  which  were  found  in  it. 

The  same  year,  Gualo,  the  legate,  exacted  visitation  fees  through- ' 
out  all  England,  from  all  the  cathedral  churches  and  houses  of ' 
religious  brotherhoods,  fixing  each  visitation  fee  at  fifty  shil- 
lings. He  also  seized  all  the  benefices  of  the  cle^gy>  and  men 
of  rehgious  orders  who  adhered  to  Louis  and  the  barons,  and 
converted  them  to  the  use  of  his  own  clergy.  In  the  mean- 
time, king  John,  infiamed  with  the  madness  of  passion,  op- 
pressed and  grievously  aflicted  the  provinces  of  Suffolk  and 
Norfolk.  Then,  continuing  his  march  towards  the  north,  he 
irrecoverably  lost  his  carriages,  and  much  of  his  baggage,  at 
Wellestrem,  where  they  were  swallowed  up  by  a  quicksand. 
And  when  he  heard  the  news  he  grieved  inconsolably,  and 
redoubling  deep  sighs,  he  passed  the  night  at  Swineshead 
abbey,  belonging  to  the  Carthusian  order,  where,  according 
to  his  custom,  he  gorged  himself  with  peaches  soaked  in  new 
wine  and  cider,  and  being  greatly  absorbed  in  grief  for  his 
recent  loss,  be  became  attacked  with  a  severe  illness.  But 
the  next  day,  concealing  his  illness  lest  the  enemy  should 
triumph  over  him,  he,  though  with  difficulty,  mounted  his 
horse ;  and  soon  after,  having  had  a  litter  drawn  by  horses 
made  for  him,  he  dismounted  from  his  palfrey  and  entered  it, 
and  in  this  way  he  came  to  the  castle  of  Leadford,  where  he 
spent  the  night,  and  found  his  disease  increase  greatly.  But 
the  next  day  he  was  carried  forwards,  and  arrived  at  the  castle 
of  Newark,  where  he  took  to  his  bed,  and  his  sickness  as- 
sumed a  fatal  appearance ;  and  summoning  the  abbot  of  Cro^ 
fcfttune,  who  was  skilful  in  the  art  of  medicine,  to  his  side,  he 
confessed  himself  to  him,  and  received  the  euchanst  f^om 
him.  And  he  appointed  Henry,  his  eldest  son,  the  heir  of 
his  kingdom,  bequeathing  his  body  to  the  church  of  Wor- 
cester, under  the  protection  of  Saint  Wolstan.    After  this, 


A.D.  1216.  THE  COBONATIOir  Of  KINO  HENBT.  129 

with  the  greatest  bitterness  of  spirit,  he  cursed  all  bis  ba- 
rons, instead  of  bidding  them  farewell ;  and  in  this  manner, 
poor,  and  deprived  of  all  his  treasures,  and  not  retaining  the 
smallest  portion  of  land  in  peace,  so  that  he  was  truly  cidled 
Lackland,  he  most  miserably  departed  from  this  life  on  tlie 
night  following  the  next  after  the  day  of  Saint  Luke  the 
Evangelist.  Ajad  because  this  John  made  himself  detestable 
to  many  persons,  not  only  on  account  of  the  death  of  his 
nephew,  Arthur,  but  also  on  account  of  his  incontinence,  by 
which  he  violated  the  treaty  of  the  marriage  bed,  and  of  his 
tyrannical  conduct,  and  of  the  tribute  with  which  he  bound 
the  kingdom  of  England  under  perpetual  slavery,  and  of  the 
war  which  his  misdeeds  provoked,  he  scarcely  deserved  to  be 
mourned  by  the  lamentations  of  any  one. 

The  following  are  the  territories  which  John  lost,  by  his 
cruelties  and  oppressions,  and  various  fornications  and  in- 
juries, which  he  did  not  desist  from  doing  to  every  one.  First 
of  all,  the  duchy  of  Normandy,  the  county  of  Blois,  the  county 
of  Maine,  Anjou,  Poitou,  the  Limoisin,  Auvergne,  an4  An- 
goulSme.  And  all  these  districts  at  one  time  belonged  to 
king  John.  Besides  this,  he  subjected  England  and  Ireland 
to  the  payment  of  tribute,  and  never  recovered  any  of  his 
losses  to  the  day  of  his  death. 

This  John  had  the  sons  and  daughters  whose  names  are  mentioned 

below. 

Henry,  Richard,  earl  of  Cornwall,  Edmund,  Isabella, 
Eleanor,  and  Johanna. 

Ch.  VIIL— From  a.d.  1216  to  a-d.  1225. 
Henry  the  Third  succeeds  to  the  throne — The  English  defeat 
the  French  who  support  the  claim  of  Louis — Peace  is  made 
— Louis  leaves  the  kingdom — Pope  Innocent  dies — The  siege 
of  Damietta — Persecution  of  the  Albigenses — The  princess 
Johanna  marries  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland -^Quarrels 
break  out  again  between  the  king  and  the  barons — Death  of 
Baldwin,  emperor  of  Constantinople. 

The  coronation  of  king  Henry  the  Third. 
But  when  John,  king  of  England,  was  dead,  the  legate  Gualo 
and  many  of  the  nobles  of  England  met  at  Gloucester.     And 
as  Westminster,  which,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  king- 

TOL.  II.  K 


130  MATTHEW  OF   WESTMIjrSTEJB.  A.D.  1217. 

dom,  is  the  place  set  apart  for  the  consecration  of  the  king, 
was  at  that  time  besieged  by  his  enemies,  under  the  compul- 
sion of  necessity,  Henry,  the  eldest  son  of  John,  was  anointed 
king,  and  solemnly  crowned  at  Gloucester,  before  the  larger 
altar,  in  the  church  of  the  Convent.  And  because  Louis  had 
already  displayed  great  arrogance  to,  and  made  himself  de- 
tested by,  all  ike  EngUsh,  and  despising  the  English  and  the 
treaty  that  he  had  made  with  them,  had  bestowed  their  for- 
tresses and  estates  upon  others,  all  the  nobles  of  the  land  in 
a  short  time  returned  and  adhered  to  the  young  king  Henry, 
who  had  merited  no  reproaches  from  them.  Accordingly,  the 
castles  of  Hereford  and  Berkhampstead,  and  many  others,  sub* 
mitted  to  his  authority,  and  the  barons,  behaving  like  gallant 
men,  deserved  absolution  from  the  legate,  and  affection  from 
the  new  king. 

About  the  same  time,  while  pope  Innocent  was  celebrating 
a  solemn  procession  at  Rome,  and  when  that  image  of  our 
Lord's  countenance  which  is  called  the  Veronica  had  been 
born,e  along  reverently  to  be  gazed  upon  by  the  people,  the 
pope  himself  replaced  it  in  its  accustomed  place  ;  but  ou  the 
morrow  it  was  found  turned  round,  standing  in  an  improper 
manner,  in  such  a  way  that  the  face  was  bent  downwards,  and 
the  beard  turned  down  to  the  ground.  And  when  the  lord 
pope  heard  this,  he  greatly  feared  that  this  was  an  evil  omen, 
and,  accordingly,  he  composed  a  collect,  and  appointed  it  to 
be  said  in  honour  of  the  Veronica  ;  and  he  granted  to  all  who 
should  repeat  it  a  pardon  for  ten  days.  In  those  days  the 
truce  expired  which  had  been  entered  into  in  the  Holy  Land 
between  the  Christians  and  the  infidels. 

A  battle  having  hem  first  fought  at  Ztncoln,  and  the  French  having 
been  subsequently  defeated  by  sea,  the  JEnglish  triumphed  glori- 
ously.    Pope  Innocent  the  TJiird  dies. 

A.D.  1217.  King  Henry,  the  son  of  king  John,  celebrated 
the  solemn  festival  of  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord,  at  Christmas, 
at  Bristol.  But  the  remnant  of  the  barons  who  remained  in 
London  gradually  returned  to  him.  And  an  iniquitous  design 
of  the  French  was  revealed  by  one  of  them  who  was  at  the 
point  of  death,  namely,  the  viscount  Melun ;  for,  when  he 
found  that  death  was  close  at  hand,  and  that  there  was  no 
remedy,  then,  fearing  for  the  safety  of  his  soul,  he  confessed 
that  it  was  the  intention  of  Louis  and  his  Frenchmen,  which 


A.D.  1217.  L0UI8   COMES   TO  LONDON.  131 

had  been  coufirmed  by  an  oath  which  they  had  all  taken,  and 
pledges  of  faith  that  tiiey  had  mutually  interchanged,  as  soon 
as  they  had  subdued  England,  to  expel  all  the  Enghsh  and 
condemn  them  to  irrevocable  exile.  Besides  this,  the  sentence 
of  excommunication,  which  the  Enghsh  dread  above  all  other 
nations,  was  day  by  day  bringing  back  the  barons  to  their 
natural  lord,  and  causing  them  to  forsake  Louis.  Louis,  aban- 
doning the  siege  of  Dover  Castle,  crossed  the  sea  in  order  to 
reinforce  his  army  from  France  by  the  assistance  of  his  father, 
and  soon  after,  returning  again,  he  besieged  the  same  castle  a 
second  time :  and  a  very  great  multitude  of  foreigners  prepared 
to  hasten  to  the  assistance  of  Louis.  About  the  same  time, 
Falcas,  having  plundered  the  town  of  Saint  Alban's,  violently 
dragged  even  from  the  church  some  nobles  who  had  occupied 
it  as  a  safe  place  of  refuge,  and  polluted  the  church  itself  with 
bloodshed.  But  presently  the  martyr  himself,  the  blessed 
Alban,  looked  upon  Falcas  himself  with  a  stem  eye  so  fiercely, 
and  reproved  him  so  bitterly,  that  he  was  almost  bereft  of 
his  senses ;  and,  moreover,  the  very  same  night  the  legate 
beheld  the  same  thing  in  a  vision,  and  related  it  to  Falcas.^  On 
whibh  account  the  same  Falcas  returned  in  the  greatest  humi- 
hty  and  alarm  to  the  church  of  the  blessed  martyr,  barefooted, 
and  stripped  of  his  upper  garment,  and  entered  the  chapter- 
house, with  tears  entreating  pardon  for  his  transgression  of  the 
abbot  and  each  of  the  brethren  ;  and  he  related  to  them  plainly 
how  he  had  been  severely  reproved  by  the  martyr  Alban  him- 
self, and  how  he  had  also  been  knocked  down  by  a  certain  vast 
stone  which  fell  from  the  tower  of  the  church  hke  lightning, 
so  that  he  fell  to  the  ground  almost  lifeless,  and,  as  it  appeared 
to  him,  was  thrust  down  to  the  gates  of  hell.  And  so  he  sub- 
mitted to  corporal  chastisement  at  the  hands  of  each  individur.l 
among  them,  and  thus  he  properly  obtained  from  the  abbot 
and  the  brethren  the  indulgence  which  he  had  entreated. 

The  same  year,  the  remainder  of  the  barons  who  still  ad- 
hered to  Louis  came  in  haste  with  a  great  number  of  Frencli- 
men  to  Lincoln  on  the  twentieth  of  May,  being  the  Saturday, 
the  vigil  of  the  Sabbath  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  for  the  purpose 
of  occupying  the  city  and  the  castle,  but  they  were  taken  pri- 
soners by  the  citizens  who  were  faithful  to  the  king,  and  the 
earl  of  Perche  was  shun.  And  when  Louis  heard  this,  he  de- 
parted from  the  siege  of  Dover  Castle,  and  came  to  London, 
*  Called  Fawkes  by  Hume. 

K  2 


132  MATTHEW  OF  WSSTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1217. 

and  waited  there  for  the  expected  saccoor  and  arrival  of  the 
French.  But  as  the  Lord  was  propitious  to,  and  fought  for, 
the  innocent  king  Henry,  in  a  naval  battle  on  the  sea,  not  far 
from  Dover,  the  French,  though  an  immense  multitude,  were 
defeated,  routed,  wounded,  taken  prisoners,  drowned,  and  some 
of  them  slain  by  the  sword,  and  Eustace  the  Pirate,  sumamed 
the  Monk,  was  also  slain.  And  when  Louis  heard  this,  he 
was  grieved  at  the  double  disaster,  and  could  not  be  com- 
forted ;  and  because  his  steps  were  weakened,  he  humbly  en- 
treated conditions  of  peace.  Accordingly,  when  Gualo,  the 
legate,  and  the  bishops,  and  clergy,  and  laity  were  met  together, 
with  William  de  Marischal,*  who  was  at  that  time  the  protector 
of  the  king  and  kingdom,  they  held  an  earnest  conference  on 
the  subject  of  peace,  on  an  island  pretty  near  the  town  of 
Kingston,  and  peace  was  made  and  confirmed  between  the 
king  and  Louis,  on  the  vigil  of  the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy 
Cross,  Louis  having  been  first  of  all  solemnly  absolved  from 
the  sentence  of  excommunication,  which,  as  has  been  fully 
related  above,  had  been  pronounced  against  him. 

The  same  year,  pope  Innocent  paid  the  debt  of  human  na- 
ture, after  he  had  filled  the  papal  chair  eighteen  years,  five 
months,  and  fourteen  days,  dying  on  the  sixteenth  day  of 
July.  He  was  succeeded  by  Honorius  the  Third,  who  was 
previously  called  Cintius,  and  who  ruled  the  church  ten  years, 
seven  months,  and  nineteen  days,  as  this  History,  as  it  pro- 
ceeds, will  show.  By  him  also  the  design  of  the  business  of 
the  cross  was  approved,  confirmed,  and  diligently  prosecuted, 
in  accordance  with  the  resolutions  which  had  been  taken  in 
the  council  of  pope  Innocent.  But  when  the  conditions  of 
peace  were  sent  to  Louis  to  be  read  over  to  him,  and  examined 
by  him,  he  was  pleased,  as  he  had  feared  much  harder  terms. 
Accordingly,  all  the  nobles  of  both  sides  being  summoned  to- 
gether, first  of  all  Louis  and  all  his  partisans  swore,  laying 
their  hands  on  the  Holy  Gospels,  that  they  would  stand  by 
the  judgment  of  the  church,  and  that  he,  Louis,  would  depart 
with  all  his  friends  from  the  realm  of  England,  and  would 
never  return,  and  would  never  utter  any  false  accusations 
against  the  barons  of  England,  whom  he  had  deceived  by 
falsehood  and  lies ;  Louis  also  swore  that  he  would  persuade 
his  father,  according  to  the  best  of  his  power  and  ability,  with- 

1  This  was  the  earl  of  Pembroke,  who,  at  the  time  of  John's  death,  was 
marcschal  of  England. 


A.D.   1218.      THB  CHHI8TIA.N8  ABEITE  AT  DAMIETTA.  133 

out  any  reservation,  to  restore  king  Henry  all  his  rights  ;  and, 
if  ever  he  came  to  the  possession  of  the  kingdom  of  France, 
he  himself  would,  without  making  any  difficulty,  restore  them. 
After  this,  Henry,  king  of  England,  with  the  legate  and  ma- 
rischal,  and  the  nohles  who  were  there  assembled,  swore  that 
he  would  restore  to  the  barons  of  England,  and  to  all  his  other 
subjects  in  the  kingdom,  ail  their  rights  and  inheritances,  and 
all  the  Uberties  which  they  had  formerly  desired,  for  the  sake 
of  which  war  had  been  waged ;  that  all  prisoners  should  be 
released,  all  castles  discharged  of  any  radsom  that  might  be 
due,  all  obligations  cancelled,  and  aU  oaths  and  promises  of 
fidelity  ;  that  all  hostages  and  everything  of  that  sort  should 
be  given  up  on  each  side,  fully  and  plainly,  without  any  fraud 
or  evasion.  Some  obstinate  recreants  were,  however,  excepted 
from  this  peace,  for  whom  Louis  did  not  care  very  much,  since 
they  had  persuaded,  and  prompted,  and  urged  him  on  to  the 
disastrous  disgraces  that  he  had  suffered.  As,  for  instance, 
Simon  de  Langton,  and  Gervais  de  Hobnige,  and  some  others, 
who  subsequently  crossed  the  Alps,  and  with  difficulty  ob- 
tained, from  the  kindness  of  the  lord  the  pope,  a  reconciliation 
to  the  church  and  kingdom  of  England,  and  a  restoration  to 
the  benefices  of  which  they  had  been  deprived  by  the  legate. 
After  these  events,  Louis,  having  been  absolved,  as  I  have 
already  said,  and  having  borrowed  from  the  citizens  of  London 
five  thousand  marks  to  meet  the  expenses  of  his  return  home, 
haatened  to  Gaul  for  the  last  time. 

Saphadin  dies.     The  tower  with  the  chain  heing  taken,  the  noble 
city  of  Damietta  is  besieged, 

A.D.  1218.  King  Henry  was,  on  the  feast  of  the  Nativity,  at 
Northampton,  where  Falcas  performed  the  necessary  services 
for  the  king.  But,  in  the  month  of  May,  king  John  of  Jeru- 
salem, with  the  patriarch  and  bishops,  and  inhabitants  of 
Bethlehem  and  Acre,  and  other  prelates,  and  the  duke  of 
Austria,  and  the  masters  of  the  Temple  and  of  the  Hospital  of 
Saint  John,  and  of  the  house  of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary  of 
the  Teutons,  and  a  great  multitude  of  Christians,  made  a  suc- 
cessful voyage  from  Acre  to  Damietta,  and  immediately  they 
besieged  a  certain  castle  with  a  chain,  which  appeared  the 
strength  and  defence  of  the  whole  city,  which  was  at  no  great 
distance  off.  About  this  time,  there  was  a  total  eclipse  of  the 
moon,  and,  without  the  siege  being  protracted  for  any  length 
of  time,  the  town  with  the  chain  was  taken  by  the  Christians. 


134  MATTHEW  OV  W£STMIKST£B.  A.I).  1218. 

The  walls  of  Jenisalem  were  destroyed  by  the  Saracens,  for 
the  purpose  of  recalling  the  Christians,  so  as  to  prevent  their 
besieging  Damietta ;  when  Pelagus,  bishop  of  Aubigny^  legate 
of  the  Apostolic  See,  arrived,  more  to  the  destruction  of  the 
Christians  than  to  their  support,  as  the  ultimate  issue  of  the 
business  showed.  There  arrived  also  Master  Robert  de  Corsim, 
a  cardinal,  and  Master  Thomas  de  Novin,  both  profound  theolo- 
gians and  preachers.  Also,  a  great  multitude  of  Romans  came, 
who  fled  at  the  first  shock  of  battle,  and  so  showed  a  most  mis- 
chievous example  to  the  Christians,  as  will  hereafter  be  re- 
lated. There  came  also  to  the  siege  of  Damietta  some  noble 
men  of  the  greatest  renown  from  England,  namely,  Rannlph, 
the  illustrious  earl  of  Chester,  and  Saer,  earl  of  Winchester, 
and  William,  earl  of  Arundel,  and  many  famous  barons,  such 
as  Robert  Fitz- Walter,  John,  the  constable  of  Chester,  Wil- 
liam de  Harcourt,  OHver,  son  of  the  king  of  England,  with  a 
large  retinue.  But,  on  the  night  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Andrew, 
an  unequalled  and  unheard-of  tempest  of  thunder  and  light- 
ning, and  wind  and  rain,  shook  nearly  the  whole  world  in  a 
terrible  manner,  affecting  both  the  eastern  and  western  coun- 
tries, and  causing  both  the  sea  and  the  Nile  to  rise  on  a  sud- 
den,  so  that  both  the  natives  of  the  country  and  the  Christians 
suffered  irreparable  damage. 

The  same  year,  the  church  of  Saint  Mary  was  dedicated  at 
Worcester,  and  the  body  of  the  glorious  bishop  and  confessor, 
Wolstan,  was  removed  to  its  proper  place,  in  the  presence  of 
the  chief  men  of  the  kingdom,  both  knights  and  prelates,  on 
the  same  day,  being  the  seventh  of  June,  G  being  the  letter, 
according  to  the  Sunday  letter,  the  day  of  the  week  being 
Thursday,  in  the  week  of  Pentecost ;  Silvester,  the  bishop  of 
the  church,  who  had  formerly  been  a  monk  and  prior  of  the 
same  church,  presiding  over  the  removal,  and  managing  all 
these  things,  and  conducting  them  to  their  accomplishment 
in  a  magnificent  manner.  And  as  that  saint  was  honoured 
with  exceeding  glory,  numbers  of  his  relics  were  distributed 
among  several  places,  and  bestowed  upon  divers  prelates;  so 
that  one  of  his  ribs  was  given  to  William,  abbot  of  Saint 
Alban's,  and  gratefully  received  by  that  convent  with  a  solemn 
procession,  all  arrayed  in  their  choral  robes  of  festival ;  and 
soon  after  enclosed  in  a  golden  chest  wrought  with  great 
beauty,  and  a  festival  was  appointed  to  be  kept  with  all  due 
solemnity,  in  honour  both  of  his  burial  and  removal.     About 


A.D.  1219.     VflLLlUl,  THE  OBXAT  HABESCBAL,  DIES.  135 

this  time,  Gualo,  the  legate,  returned  to  Borne,  with  chests 
well  filled  with  gold  and  silver,  after  he  had,  hy  his  largesses, 
procured  the  election  of  Richard  Marais,  and  had  disposed  of 
a  great  portion  of  the  revenues  of  Engknd  at  his  pleasure. 
But  Richard  having  been  elected,  received  consecration  on  the 
twenty-fourth  of  July.  Pandulph  was  elected  to  the  bishopric 
of  Norwich,  and  when  Gualo,  the  legate,  departed,  he  suc- 
ceeded him  in  the  office  of  legate,  and,  on  the  Monday  after  the 
festival  of  Saint  Andrew,  he  came  to  London,  to  Saint  Paul's. 

About  this  time,  the  blockade  of  the  city  of  Damietta  was 
completed,  the  tents,  and  fosses,  and  stations  being  properly 
arranged.  In  those  days  also,  Silvester,  of  pious  memory, 
bishop  of  Worcester,  died,  at  Ramsey,  after  he  had  accom- 
plished everjrthing  that  had  reference  to  his  patron.  Saint 
Wolstan,  except  the  bier,  in  a  solemn  manner,  according  to  the 
desire  that  he  had  long  before  conceived ;  and  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  William  de  Blois,  archdeacon  of  Buckingham,  who 
was  consecrated  at  Westminster,  on  the  Lord's  day,  being  the 
morrow  of  the  festival  of  Saint  Fides  the  Virgin. 

Also  about  this  time,  after  the  capture  of  the  tower,  and 
the  completion  of  the  siege  of  Damietta,  Saphadin,  the  inve- 
terate cause  of  evil  days,  and  the  disinheritor  of  his  nephews, 
and  the  most  wicked  usurper  of  the  kingdom  of  Asia,  being 
affected  internally  with  anguish  of  heart,  died,  and  was  buried 
in  heU.  And  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Coradin,  the  un- 
wearied imitator  of  his  father's  wickedness.  King  Henry  caused 
a  seal  to  be  made  for  himself.  The  same  year,  Ranulph, 
prior  of  Norwich,  was  made  bishop  of  Chichester. 

WiRiam,  the  great  mareschal,  dies.  Uie  siege  of  Damietta  is 
protracted.  Hie  Christians  are  distressed^  nevertheless  they 
persevere.  Jerusalem  with  the  sovereignty  is  offered  to  the 
Christians. 

A.D.  1219.  Which  is  the  fourth  year  of  king  Henry  the 
Third,  the  said  king  celebrated  a  great  and  solemn  feast  at 
Winchester,  on  the  day  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord,  llie 
same  year,  William,  the  great  mareschal,  the  principal  governor 
of  the  king  and  kingdom,  died,  and  was  buried  in  London,  in 
the  New  Temple,  in  the  middle  of  the  church,  on  the  day  of 
our  Lord's  Ascension,^  being  the  sixteenth  of  March ;    and 

^  There  is  evidently  some  mistake  here.  Even  Easter  day  cannot  pos- 
sibly  M  as  early  as  the  sixteenth  of  March,  much  less  Ascension  day. 


136  MATTHEW  Of  WE8TMIKSTEK.  A.D.  1220. 

after  his  death,  the  young  king  remained  under  the  guardian- 
ship  of  the  bishop  of  Winchester,  to  be  brought  up  by  him. 

About  the  same  time,  the  siege  "with  which  Damietta  was 
encompassed  being  still  continued,  imposed  or  brought  great 
danger  and  loss,  first  to  one  side  and  then  to  the  other,  accord- 
ing to  the  various  chances  of  war.  At  length,  on  the  day  of 
Saint  Leonard,  owing  rather  to  a  miracle  than  to  any  assist- 
ance from  men,  the  city  of  Damietta  was  taken  and  com- 
pletely restored  to  Christian  worship.  In  these  days  also, 
Louis  haying,  at  the  suggestion  of  his  father,  gone  down  to 
the  district  about  Toulouse,  surrounded  that  city  with  a 
blockade.  But  when  he  had  wasted  some  time  there  to  no 
purpose,  and  after  Simon,  earl  de  Montfort,  an  illustrious 
warrior,  had  perished,  having  been  slain  by  a  blow  from  a 
squared  stone,  and  his  brother  had  also  fallen  in  a  similar 
manner,  and  by  a  like  misfortune,  Louis  returned  ingloriously 
and  in  disorder  into  Gaul,  with  his  army  greatly  weakened  by 
famine.  The  same  year,  Hugh  de  Mapenore,  bishop  of  Here- 
ford, died,  about  Easter,  and  was  succeeded  by  Hugh  Folioth, 
and  was  consecrated  at  Canterbury,  about  the  time  of  the  feast 
of  All  Saints.  The  same  year,  many  councils  and  deliberations 
were  held  between  the  barous  at  Westminster,  who  were  still, 
in  some  degree,  at  variance  because  of  the  hostilities  which 
were  not  wholly  forgotten,  and  Leoline,  prince  of  North 
Wales,  and  some  of  the  nobles  of  England.  But  Leoline 
through  his  sagacity  always  remained  uninjured.  This  year, 
a  more  earnest  preaching  began  with  great  vehemence  to  invite 
many  of  the  faithful  to  unite  in  assuming  the  cross  against  the 
Albigenses. 

The  blessed  Thomas,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,   is  removed  by 
archbisJiop  Stephen.     The  blessed  Sugh,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  is 


iL.D.  1220.  King  Henry  the  Third  on  the  feast  of  the 
Nativity  was  at  Marlborough,  being  still  under  the  guardian- 
ship of  Peter,  bishop  of  Winchester.  In  which  year  also, 
which  was  the  fifth  after  his  consecration  as  king,  he  was 
crowned  at  Westminster,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  by  Stephen, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  on  the  seventeenth  of  May,  in  the 
presence  of  lord  Pandulph,  the  legate,  and  other  bishops,  pre- 
lates, earls,  barons,  and  mayors  of  England.  And  the  said 
archbishop  preached  at  the  same  time  there  in  favour  of  as- 


A.D.  1220.      THE   BISHOP  OP  DrBHAM   GOES   TO  EOME.       137 

sumiDg  the  sign  of  the  cross.  After  that,  on  the  festival  of 
Saint  Bamahas,  Henry,  king  of  England,  and  Alexander,  king 
of  Scotland,  met  in  a  conference  at  York,  where  the  question 
was  discussed  of  entering  into  a  treaty  of  marriage  between 
the  said  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  and  the  lady  Joanna, 
sister  of  Henry,  king  of  England ;  and  after  this  treaty  had 
been  settled,  the  king  of  Scotland  returned  to  his  own  country. 

About  the  same  time,  the  blessed  Hugh,  bishop  of  Lincoln, 
was  canonized  at  Rome,  and  deservedly  reckoned  in  the  college 
of  the  Saints,  and  his  feast  was  fixed  on  the  seventeenth  of 
November.  So  also  the  feast  of  the  translation  of  the  blessed 
Thomas,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  martyr,  which  trans- 
laticm  took  place  under  Stephen  of  glorious  memory,  the 
fourth  successor  of  the  martyr  in  his  archbishopric,  was  fixed 
on  the  day  week  after  that  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  and 
celebrated  with  great  magnificence.  But  on  the  holy  Saturday 
which  was  the  vigil  of  Pentecost,  the  new  work  of  the  chapel 
of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary  at  Westminster  was  begun ;  king 
Henry  the  Third  himself  being  the  chief  instigator  of  this 
work,  and  its  founder,  and  the  layer  of  the  first  stone  at  the 
commencement  of  the  undertaking.  This  year,  Henry  de 
Bonne,  earl  of  Hereford,  and  Saer  de  Quency,  earl  of  Win- 
chester, both  died  on  their  journey  as  pilgrims  to  Jerusalem. 
On  the  Sunday  before  the  feast  of  Saint  Barnabas  the  Apostle, 
that  is  to  say,  on  the  eighth  of  June,  the  church  of  Saint  John 
de  Mordune  was  dedicated  in  an  honourable  manner  by  John, 
bishop  of  Hertford,  under  master  Thomas  of  Essex,  who  was 
at  that  time  the  rector  of  that  church.  This  year  also,  when 
the  season  of  the  Advent  of  the  Lord  was  drawing  near,  a  vio- 
lent contest  arose  between  Richard,  bishop  of  Durham,  and  the 
monks,  because  the  bishop  was  an  indiscreet  and  extravagant 
waster  of  the  property  of  the  church.  On  which  account,  the 
bishop  protected  himself  by  an  appeal,  and  lavishing  his  trea- 
sures with  even  more  profusion  than  usual,  he  went  to  Rome, 
when  he  burdened  his  church  with  an  expenditure  of  more 
than  thirty  thousand  marks.  And  as  this  contest  continued 
some  time,  both  the  priory  and  the  diocese  incurred  inesti- 
mable injury. 

This  year  also,  a  journey  of  the  justiciaries  took  place 
throughout  all  England.  This  year  also,  John,  abbot  de  Fon- 
tibns,  an  upright  and  just  man,  and  one  who  eschewed  evil, 
was  consecrated  bishop  at  Westminster,  on  the  day  after  the 


138  MATTHBW  OP  WK8TMIK8TBB.  A.D.  1221. 

feast  of  the  Saints  Perpetua  and  Felicitas,  being  tl;ie  Sunday 
on  which  the  anthem,"  Rejoice,  0  Jerusalem,"  is  chaunted.  At 
that  time  also,  the  Welch  passed  over  their  borders  which  had 
been  formerly  estabhshed  as  the  frontiers  of  England  and 
Wales,  chiefly  under  the  command  of  William  de  Brause,  and 
offered  repeated  insults,  and  did  constant  injury  to  the  country. 
This  year,  Frederic  the  Second  was  crowned  emperor  at 
Rome;  in  the  church  of  Saint  Peter,  by  Hugolin,  the  cardinal 
bishop  of  Ostia,  and  Velitemo,  the  legate  of  the  Apostolic  See, 
and  pope  Honorius  the  Third,  on  the  twenty-second  of  No- 
vember, and  he  was  deposed  in  the  forty-first  year  of  his  reign 
by  pope  Innocent  the  Fourth,  in  the  council  of  Lyons. 

Emtace  de  Falconhridge  is  made  hiskop  if  London.     Fandidphy 
the  legate,  returns  to  Rome, 

A.D.  1221.  King  Henry  the  Third  was  at  the  festival  of  the 
Nativity  of  the  Lord  at  Oxford,  where  he  celebrated  the  feast 
with  his  nobles  with  great  solemnity.  This  year,  William  of 
Saint  Mary's,  bishop  of  the  church  of  London,  voluntarily  re- 
signed his  bishopric  on  this  day,  after  the  feast  of  the  conver- 
sion of  Saint  Paul.  And  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  February, 
Eustace  de  Falconhridge,  at  that  time  treasurer  of  the  exche- 
quer, was  elected  bishop  of  London,  and  his  election  was  con- 
firmed by  the  legate,  Pandulph,  at  Norwich.  And  on  the 
Sunday  when  the  anthem,  *'  The  mercy  of  the  Lord,"  is  sung, 
which  fell  that  year  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  April,  being  the 
day  of  the  Evangelist  Saint  Mark,  he  was  consecrated  at  West- 
minster, by  Benedict,  bishop  of  Rochester,  acting  for  the  time 
as  the  deputy  of  Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  who  was 
at  that  time  in  foreign  parts  on  the  spiritual  business  of  the 
holy  church  and  kingdom  of  England ;  the  legate,  however, 
was  present.  Soon  afterwards,  on  the  Monday  which  was 
next  before  the  feast  of  the  blessed  Mary  Magdalen,  Pandulph, 
being  elected  bishop  of  Norwich,  resigned  his  office  as  legate, 
at  the  command  of  the  lord  the  pope  Honorius,  at  Westmin- 
ster, in  the  presence  of  Richard,  bishop  of  Salisbury,  Peter, 
bishop  of  Winchester,  and  Eustace,  bishop  of  London,  and  no 
one  else  at  that  time  succeeded  him  as  legate.  During  the 
time  that  he  had  enjoyed  the  authority  of  legate,  he  manfuUy 
repressed  several  warlike  disturbances  which  were  not  pre- 
viously healed,  and  after  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael^  he  quitted 
England. 


A.D.  1221.  DAMIETTA  WBESTEB  FBOM  THE  CHEISXIANS.         139 

About  the  same  time,  William  de  Fortibus,  earl  of  Albe- 
marle, seized  unjustly  upon  some  castles ;  and  being  unwilliai; 
to  return  to  peace  with  the  king,  raised  a  hostile  rebellion 
against  him  in  Lincolnshire,  on  which  account  the  bishop  and 
all  his  partisans  were,  for  the  guilt  which  they  thus  perpe- 
trated, excommunicated  by  Pandulf,  the  legate,  and  the  bishops 
and  clergy  of  England,  and  the  count  himself  was  compelled 
to  surrender,  without  any  respect  being  shown  him,  and  some 
of  his  followers  were  thrown  into  prison,  and  some  condemned 
to  perpetual  banishment. 

King  Henry  gaye  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  his  eldest 
Bister,  Joanna,  for  his  wife,  and  she  was  espoused  to  him  on 
the  day  after  the  feast  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  at  York,  and 
the  nuptials  were  celebrated  with  great  magnificence,  in  the 
presence  of  both  the  kings,  and  many  of  the  nobles. 

In  the  same  year,  also,  Hubert  de  Burgh,  at  that  time  jus- 
ticiary of  England,  married  Margaret,  sister  of  the  aforesaid 
king  of  Scotlaud,  in  the  city  of  London,  in  the  presence  of 
the  lord  the  king  and  the  lord  Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, and  other  nobles  of  the  land,  the  lord  archbishop  him- 
self celebrating  the  marriage  seryice. 

This  year,  the  city  of  Damietta  was  wrested  from  the  power 
of  the  Christians,  on  the  yigil  of  the  decapitation  of  Saint 
John  the  Baptist ;  on  which  account  the  crusaders,  who  were 
endeayouring  to  accomplish  their  intended  march  to  that  city, 
abandoned  the  expedition  when  they  heard  of  the  disaster  of 
the  Christians.  Peter  de  Roches,  bishop  of  Winchester,  as- 
hamed the  sign  of  the  cross.  Eustace,  bishop  of  London,  de- 
manded of  the  abbot  William,  and  of  the  conyent  of  West- 
minster, a  right  of  procession,  procuration,  yisitation,  and 
every  kind  of  uniyersal  jurisdiction,  on  account  of  which  claim 
an  appeal  was  made  to  the  pope. 

In  the  same  year,  William  de  Albiney,  earl  of  Arundel,  died 
in  foreign  parts,  on  his  way  back  from  Damietta,  and  his 
body  was  conyeyed  to  England  by  Thomas,  the  monk  of  Saint 
Alban's,  to  be  buried  at  Wymoudham,  of  which  the  earl  was 
the  patron.  The  same  year,  on  account  of  the  frequent  irrup- 
tions of  the  Welsh,  who  a  little  before  had  eyen  stirred  up  the 
king  himself  to  such  an  undertaking,  king  Henry  fortified  a 
very  strong  castle,  on  account  of  the  desirableness  of  its  situa- 
tion, and  called  it  the  castle  of  Montgomery,  from  the  place 


140  VATTHSW  OP  WESTMINSTER.  A.D.  1222. 

where  it  stood.     This  year  the  order  of  brethren  preachers 
was  established. 

p0ace  is  re-estabUshed  between  the  church  of  Saint  Fatd  in 
London^  and  the  church  of  Westminster. 

A.D.  1222.  King  Henry  the  Third  was,  on  the  feast  of  the 
Nativity  of  the  Lord,  at  Winchester,  where  Peter,  the  bishop 
of  that  city,  supphed  him  with  all  necessaries,  in  a  splendid 
manner.  This  year,  also,  the  controversy  which  had  been 
raised  between  £ustace,'  bishop  of  London,  and  the  chapter 
of  Saint  Paul's  on  the  one  part,  and  William,  abbot  at  the 
time,  and  the  convent  of  Westminster  on  the  other  part,  was 
terminated  by  the  exertions  of  Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, Peter,  bishop  of  Winchester,  Richard,  bishop  of  Salis- 
bury, Thomas,  prior  of  Merton,  and  Richard,  prior  of  Dun- 
stable, whom  the  two  parties  agreed  upon  as  arbitrators  and 
regulators  of  peace.  They  pronounced  the  monastery  of 
Westminster  absolutely  exempt  from  every  kind  of  subjec- 
tion to  and  from  the  jurisdiction  of  the  bishop  of  London, 
and  ordered  that  the  church  of  Staines,  with  all  its  belong- 
ings, should  be  converted  to  the  use  of  the  church  of  West- 
minster, as  its  own,  and  that  the  manor  of  Sunbury  should 
become  the  property  of  the  bishop  of  London,  and  that  the 
church  of  that  same  manor  should  become  the  property  of 
the  church  of  Saint  Paul  for  ever.  Also  they  announced  a 
formal  sentence  that  the  church  of  Saint  Margaret,  with  the 
whole  parish,  and  all  the  chapels  that  were  or  that  should  at 
any  time  be  contained  in  the  parish,  with  the  tithes  and  all  its 
belongings,  and  the  clergy  and  laity  who  dwelt  in  it,  should 
be  exempt  from  the  prelatical  jurisdiction  of  the  bishop  of 
London  and  his  officials,  and  his  church,  without  any  excep- 
tion, or  the  interposition  of  any  one. 

They  also  added  that  the  parishioners  might  receive  the 
benedictions  of  the  abbot,  the  dedications  of  churches  and 
chapels  built,  or  hereafter  to  be  built,  within  the  limits  of  the 
said  parish,  and  the  consecrations  of  altars,  and  the  ordinations 
of  monks  and  secular  clergy,  and  the  confirmations  of  children, 
and  the  holy  oil  and  chrism,  and  all  other  sacraments  of  that 
sort,  anywhere,  and  from  whatever  bishop  they  chose,  without 
any  kind  of  opposition  from  the  church  of  London,  for  ever. 
The  same  year,  on  the  sixth  of  March,  William,  bishop  x>f  Ely, 


A.I).  1222.      DISTrBBANCX  IIT  THE  CITY  OT  LONDOK.  141 

treasurer  of  England,  died,  and  also  Robert  Mandayt,  cham- 
berlain of  my  lord  the  king,  about  the  time  of  the  feast  of 
Saint  Barnabas.  Master  Stephen  de  Langton,  the  archbishop, 
held  a  solemn  council  at  Oxford,  at  which  many  regulations 
were  made  for  the  reformation  of  the  constitution  of  the  An- 
glican church,  and  the  monastic  rehgion,  as  is  elsewhere  shown 
in  the  records  of  the  said  council. 

A  few  days  before  the  council  a  certain  impostor  was  appre- 
hended, having  on  his  body  and  limbs,  that  is  to  say,  on  his 
side,  hands,  and  feet  the  five  wounds  of  the  crucifixion.  And 
he  and  another  vagabond,  an  accomplice  in  the  same  fraud 
and  imposture,  were  brought  together  before  the  council ;  and 
being  convicted,  and  compelled  to  make  a  public  confession, 
they  were  punished  by  ecclesiastical  sentence.  The  same 
year,  Pandulf  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Norwich.  The  same 
year,  also,  William  de  Humet,  abbot  of  Westminster,  died, 
on  tiiie  twenty-first  of  April,  and  was  succeeded  by  Richard 
de  Berkinges,  prior  of  the  same  place,  who,  on  the  eighteenth 
of  September,  in  the  same  year,  received  the  benedhction  of 
the  lord  Peter,  bishop  of  Winchester,  in  the  church  of  West- 
minster. Ranulph,  bishop  of  Chichester,  died,  who  at  one 
time  was  the  official  of  Norwich,  and  afterwards  prior  of  the 
same  church.  He  was  succeeded  by  Radulph  de  Neville, 
who  had  been  previously  made  chanceller  by  the  consent  of 
the  whole  kingdom,  and  who  was  the  most  faithful  keeper 
and  bearer  of  the  king's  seal.  He  was  elected  about  the 
feast  of  all  Saints,  in  this  year,  but  not  consecrated  till  the 
year  after.  The  same  year,  on  an  opportunity  afforded  by  a 
wrestling-match  at  the  hospital  of  Saint  James,  in  London,  a 
great  quarrel  and  disturbance  arose,  which,  by  the  agency  of 
the  devil,  became  so  violent,  that  one  of  the  noblest  citizens 
of  London,  a  man  eminent  for  his  birth  and  property,  was 
hung,  to  his  great  confusion  and  disgrace,  out  of  mere  spite, 
because  he  had  undertaken  the  task  of  exciting  a  sedition  and 
great  tumult  in  the  city,  and  had  inflicted  injury  upon  the  abbot 
of  Westminster.  And  this  hanging  of  him  was  brought  about 
by  Hubert  de  Burgh,  at  the  time  justiciary  of  England, 
and  by  Falcas,  who  was  at  that  time  a  powerful  regulator  of 
the  affairs  of  the  kingdom,  out  of  spite.  On  which  account, 
although  this  exciter  of  sedition,  whose  name  was  Constantine, 
was  guilty,  and  deserved  hanging,  yet  the  citizens  of  London 
ever  afterwards  detested  the  justiciary,  and  Falcas,  as  subse- 


142  MATTHEW  or  WE8TMIKSTEE.  A.D.  1223. 

quent  eyents  plainly  showed,  and  as  will  be  related  in  order 
at  the  proper  time. 

The  king,  seduced  ly  evilcounseUf  seeks  excuses  for  not  regarding 
the  liberties  which  have  been  promised.  So,  when  he  breaks  his 
agreement,  Louis,  king  of  France,  does  the  same. 

A.B.  1223.  King  Henry  held  his  court  at  Oxford,  and  after- 
wards, on  the  day  week  afler  the  Epiphany,  he  came  to  Lon- 
don, and  held  a  conference  with  the  barons,  at  which  he  was 
requested  by  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  the  other 
nobles  to  confirm  their  hberties  and  free  customs,  for  the  sake 
of  which  war  was  waged  against  his  father  ;  and,  as  the  arch- 
bishop clearly  demonstrated,  the  king  could  not  avoid  doing  - 
this,  as  on  the  withdrawal  of  Louis  from  England  he  had 
sworn,  and  all  the  nobility  of  the  kingdom  had  sworn  with 
him,  that  they  would  observe  all  the  liberties  which  were  re- 
gistered in  the  deed,  and  would  cause  them  to  be  observed  by 
every  one.  When  William  de  Briwere,  who  was  one  of  the 
counsellors  of  the  king,  heard  this,  he,  answering  on  behalf  of 
the  king,  said,  *'  The  liberties  which  you  are  asking  for  are  not 
bound  to  be  observed  as  of  right,  because  they  were  extorted 
by  violence."  But  the  archbishop  was  indignant  at  this  ex- 
pression, and  reproved  him,  saying,  "  WiUiam,  if  you  really 
loved  the  king,  you  would  not  hinder  the  peace  of  the  king- 
dom." But  when  the  king  saw  that  the  archbishop  was  moved 
to  anger,  he  said,  "  We  have  all  sworn  to  those  liberties,  and 
we  are  all  bound  to  observe  what  we  have  sworn  to."  And 
immediately  the  king  held  a  council  to  consider  the  matter,  and 
sent  letters  to  all  the  viscounts  of  the  kingdom  to  cause  inqui- 
sition to  be  made  by  twelve  knights  or  lawyers  in  each  county 
as  to  what  hberties  existed  in  England  in  the  time  of  his  grand- 
father, and  when  they  had  completed  their  inquisition,  they 
were  to  send  it  to  London  to  the  king,  by  a  fortnight  after 
Easter.  The  same  year,  William  Mareschal,  earl  of  Pembroke, 
went  to  Ireland ;  but  when  LeoUne  heard  this,  he  took  two 
castles  belonging  to  that  earl  by  the  strong  hand,  and  beheaded 
all  those  whom  he  found  in  them.  But  afterwards,  the  earl, 
having  collected  a  numerous  army  in  England,  manfully  re- 
covered those  castles,  and  retahated  on  the  Welch  for  the 
slaughter  they  had  made.  The  same  year,  the  Sunday  letter 
being  A,  in  the  eighth  cycle,  Easter  day  fell  on  the  twenty-third 
of  April,  on  Saint  George's  day.     The  same  year,  on  the 


A.D.  1223.      KINQ  OF  J£BUSAIiSM  COMES  TO  £NOLAirj>.  143 

eiefenth  of  Angast,  Philip,  king  of  France,  died,  who  haying 
succeeded  to  the  kingdom  in  the  lifetime  of  his  father,  Louis, 
and  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  his  age,  had  reigned  forty-four 
years.  And  his  death  was  clearly  heralded  by  a  fiery  and 
kiry  comet,  which  appeared  a  short  time  before.  He  was 
succeeded  by  his  son  Louis.  And  when  his  death  had  become 
generally  known,  Henry,  kii^  of  England,  sent  the  archbishop 
of  Canterbury  with  three  bishops  to  Louis,  who  had  been 
already  crowned  king,  with  instructions  to  demand  steadily 
from  him  that  he  would  restore  him  Normandy  and  the  othfer 
countries  beyond  the  sea,  as  he  had  sworn  to  do  on  the  occa- 
sion of  his  withdrawal  from  the  kingdom  of  England,  when 
peace  was  made  between  him  and  the  king  of  England  and  all 
his  nobles.  Louis  replied  to  this,  and  said  that  he  was  the 
rightful  possessor  of  !Normandy  and  those  countries,  as  he  was 
prepared  to  prove  in  his  court,  if  the  king  of  England  chose 
to  come  there  and  abide  by  the  law  there  laid  down.  He  also 
added,  that  the  oath  which  had  been  taken  in  England  had 
been  violated  on  the  part  of  the  king  of  England,  when  his 
prisoners  who  had  been  taken  at  Lincoln  were  put  to  a  yery 
lieavy  ransom,  and  the  count  de  la  Perche  slain.  "  But  I,'* 
said  Louis,  "  have  neither  exacted  of  my  prisoners  an  observ- 
ance of  the  oaths  which  were  taken  long  since  to  my  father, 
Philip,  and  which  they  were  bound  to  observe  towards  me,  nor 
did  1  retain  them  as  hostages,  but  I  dismissed  them  all  in 
peace ;  and  as  for  the  liberties  of  the  kingdom  of  England,  of 
which  his  father  and  he  himself  have  been  violators  in  con- 
tempt of  their  oaths,  and  for  which  the  barons  waged  a  just 
var,  and  which  at  my  departure  were  granted,  and  were  sworn 
to  by  all  parties,  it  has  come  to  pass  that  only  those  most 
scandalous  laws  have  been  brought  back  to  their  previous  con- 
dition, and  that  even  worse  laws  than  those  have  been  gene- 
rally estabhshed  throughout  the  whole  kingdom  of  England, 
nor  does  my  lord  archbishop  even  maintain,  the  liberties  of 
the  holy  church,  which  at  his  coronation  he  swore  that  he 
would  maintain  inviolably.  So  that  it  is  he  who  first  broke 
his  covenant,  who  is  a  perjured  and  unjust  man,  and  not  L" 

But  when  the  archbishop  and  the  bishops  who  were  with 
him  heard  this,  as  they  were  not  able  to  obtain  any  other  an- 
swer, they  returned  to  their  country  in  confusion,  to  report 
what  had  been  said  to  them  to  the  king  of.  England. 

The  seme  year  also,  John  de  Bresnes,  king  of  Jerusalem,  and 


144  Mi.TTHBW   OF  WESTMINSTER.  A.D.  1224. 

tlie  supenor  master  of  the  hospital  of  Saint  John,  came  to 
England,  about  a  week  after  the  feast  of  the  Apostles  Peter 
and  Paul,  to  entreat  assistance  and  reinforcements  for  the 
Holy  Land.  About  the  same  time,  there  died  Master  Stephen 
of  Apulia,  bishop  of  Exeter,  about  the  time  of  the  feast  of  the 
Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross,  and  William  de  Cornhulle, 
bishop  of  Chester,  about  the  same  time. 

The  same  year,  Leoline,  feeling  more  sure  of  his  power,  and 
being  in  great  strength,  made  many  irmptions  into  the  terri- 
tories of  his  neighbours,  while  Wilham  Mareschal  was  absent 
in  Ireland.  For,  when  Leoline  heard  of  his  absence,  he  took 
two  of  his  castles  with  the  strong  hand,  not  the  same  castles 
which  he  had  taken  before :  but  some  Englishmen,  namely, 
Hugh  de  Lacy  and  his  followers,  adhered  to  this  same  Leo- 
line, out  of  hatred  to  king  Henry,  and  opposing  him,  and  ex- 
citing frequent  insurrections,  and  making  constant  expeditions 
against  the  king,  they  endeavoured  to  compel,  first  of  all, 
William  Mareschal  the  elder,  and  afterwards  William  the 
younger,  and  some  others  of  the  king's  barons,  to  surrender. 
And  as  their  warlike  courage  promised  their  future  success, 
judging  by  the  past  events  of  the  war,  they  irreverently  wasted 
all  the  borders  with  fire.  But  the  whole  region  being  now 
excited  against  those  wrong-doers,  by  force  compelled  them 
and  all  their  followers  to  surrender.  And  as  for  the  chief 
enemies,  they  were  put  to  the  rout  by  the  hostile  army,  and 
could  never  again  recover  from  that  disaster. 

The  castle  of  Bedford  is  taken,  and  those  prisoners  who  are  taken 
in  it  are  hung. 

A.D.  1224.  King  Henry  the  Third,  at  the  Nativity  of  the 
Lord,  held  his  court  at  Northampton,  in  the  presence  of 
Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  some  of  his  suffragan 
bishops,  and  a  great  body  of  knights.  But  the  earl  of  Chester, 
with  his  brethren  conspirators,  held  his  festival  at  Leicester, 
and  with  great  contumacy  intimated-  to  the  king  that  unless 
he  desisted  from  the  enterprise  that  he  had  commenced,  re- 
quiring his  castles,  and  adhering  to  the  councils  of  Hubert 
de  Burgh,  who  bore  himself  as  his  superior,  the  whole  body 
of  nobles  in  England  would,  with  one  accord,  rise  up  against 
him  in  a  hostile  manner,  and  would  compel  him  to  bumble 
himself,  whether  he  would  or  not.  But  on  the  morrow,  a^r 
the  solemnization  of  mass,  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  and 


A.D.  1224.  LOUIS  ATTACKS  THE  GABBISOK  AT  EUPELL.     145 

his  suf&agans,  clad  iu  their  albs,  with  their  tapers  lighted, 
proDOimced  sentence  of  excommunication  universally  against 
all  disturbers  of  the  king  and  kingdom,  and  against  all  vio- 
lent invaders  of  the  church.  But  in  the  meantime  the  king 
had  effectually  cdhcerted  i^neasures  by  means  of  "which  he 
might  be  able  to  bridle  their  insolence  with  the  strong  hand, 
secretly  sending  messengers  bearing  the  royal  letters,  so  that 
he  might  collect  all  his  forces  in  a  powerful  manner.  And 
the  adversaries  of  the  king,  seeing  this,  feared  that  confusion 
was  prepared  for  them  on  every  side,  and  dehberating  singly  on 
their  own  individual  defection  from  the  conspiracy,  they  all 
came  to  Northampton  to  the  king,  and,  beginning  with  the  earl 
of  Chester,  they  all  surrendered  their  castles,  municipal  towns, 
honours,  and  wardships  to  the  king,  which  appeared  at  all  to 
belong  to  his  crown.  Nevertheless,  a  concealed  ill-will  on  the 
part  of  these  nobles  against  the  king  still  remained,  because 
he  was  not  willing,  at  their  importunity,  to  remove  from  his 
magistracy  Hubert  de  Burgh,  the  justiciary,  who  was  govern- 
ing the  republic  in  a  manner  inconsistent  with  what  was  be- 
coming or  advantageous  for  the  kingdom.  But  the  king, 
though,  by  the  assistance  of  the  church,  he  had  delivered  his 
castles  to  him  with  great  caution,  nevertheless  did  not  win  over 
to  himself  the  hearts  of  his  barons  to  the  bond  of  charity. 
And  when  Louis,  who  was  now  king  of  France,  and  estab- 
hshed  on  the  throne  of  his  kingdom,  was  by  his  spies  informed 
of  this  fact,  he  took  confidence  from  the  divisions  of  the  king- 
dom of  England ;  and  in  order  to  hasten  its  desolation,  he 
led  a  large  army  to  Bupell,  in  order  either  by  force  or  by 
bribes  to  reduce  that  place  under  his  authority.  And  when 
Falcas  heard  this,  because  he  had  already  hated  the  king,  he 
called  him  a  fool  and  a  madman,  and  urged  Louis  boldly  to 
follow  up  the  enterprise  which  he  had  begun,  as  he  himself 
would  stir  up  war  in  England  with  some  of  the  nobles,  who 
were  all  willing  to  unite  for  that  purpose. 

Falcas  therefore,  being  now  prepared  to  rebel,  took,  as  if 
there  were  a  state  of  hostile  war,  one  of  the  justiciaries  of  the 
king,  by  name  Henry  de  Braybrooke,  who  was  travelling  along 
the  king's  high  road  in  peace,  and  carried  him  off,  and  shut 
him  up  in  his  castle  of  Bedford ;  and  as  this  was  immediately 
reported  to  Louis,  he  attacked  the  garrison  of  Rupell  with 
the  more  confidence,  and  the  citizens,  when  they  heard  that 
war  was  already  smoking  in  England,  and  they  were,  as  one 

TOL.  II.  L 


146  MATTHEW  OP   WESTMHTSTEB.  A.D.  1224. 

might  say,  abandoned  by  tbe  king,  and  defrauded  of  the  money 
which  had  been  promised  to  them,  by  him  from  whom  they 
had  hoped  to  receive  all  comfort,  they  with  great  bitterness  of 
spirit  surrendered  themselyes  and  their  city  to  king  Louis. 
Then  the  king  placed  men  on  whom  he  could  rely,  both  in  the 
city  and  in  the  castle,  about  the  beginning  of  autumn,  and  con- 
sequently before  the  assumption  of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary, 
and  expelling  the  garrisons  of  the  king  of  England,  he  com- 
pelled nearly  the  whole  of  Poitou  to  submit  to  his  authority, 
as  he  wished.  But  when  the  king  of  England  heard  that 
Falcas  had  by  force  taken  and  thrown  into  prison  his  own  jus- 
ticiary, and  when  others  of  his  justiciaries,  who  held  courts  of 
justice,  complained  to  him  of  the  plundering  conduct  of  this 
same  Falcas,  he  uttered  some  violent  threats,  and,  with  all  the 
men  whom  he  had  assembled  at  the  council  of  Northampton, 
he  hastened  to  besiege  Bedford  ;  while  Falcas  was  traversing 
all  the  neighbouring  districts  like  a  traitor.  At  length,  after 
a  succession  of  attacks  continued  for  about  two  months,  the 
castle  was  taken  manfully  and  by  force,  and  the  enemies  of  the 
king  who  were  taken  in  it,  both  knights  and  esquires  to  the 
number  of  nearly  a  hundred,  were  ignominiously  hung  on 
gallows  which  had  been  prepared  for  them.  In  the  mean 
time,  Falcas  wandered  about  at  night,  and  by  a  thousand 
windings  and  artifices  endeavoured  to  escape.  He  could  not, 
however,  escape  the  king's  hands.  He  was  taken  prisoner  by 
the  king's  guards,  and  they  who  had  taken  him,  passing  by 
Bedford,  showed  him  his  brqther  William  de  Breant,  exposed 
in  the  open  air,  with  a  number  of  other  carcasses ;  and  then 
he  was  conveyed  to  London,  and  committed  to  the  custody  of 
the  bishop,  tUl  it  should  be  decided  what  should  be  done  with 
such  a  man.  So  then  the  blessed  Paul  covered  under  the 
wings  of  his  church  the  captive  Falcas,  who  lay  trembling 
there,  and  who  had  formerly  destroyed  his  church  at  Bedford, 
for  the  sake  of  building  the  castle  at  Bedford.  But  afterwards, 
when  the  day  of  his  trial  came,  he  was  not  condemned  to 
death,  because  at  one  period,  during  the  war,  he  had  adhered 
faithfully  to  the  king  and  served  him ;  but  he  was  made  to 
abjure  England  as  his  country,  and  to  depart  never  to  return. 
But  his  wife,  because  she  had  never  approved  of  his 
tyranny,  nor  indeed  consented  to  any  matrimonial  connection 
with  him,  and  his  son  Thomas,  also  remained  without  any 
injury,  free  from  punishment  as  from  guilt.    And  Falcas  him- 


A.D.1225.  JOHlf,   BISHOP  OP  ELY,   DIES.  147 

self  went  to  the  court  of  Rome,  as  he  knew  that  he  could  by 
means  of  money  easily  win  that  over  to  bis  side,  whatever  his 
cause  might  be.  But  his  designs  were  not  permitted  by  God 
or  by  the  saints,  on  whom  he  had  inflicted  so  many  injuries,  to 
arrive  at  a  happy  consummation. 

This  Falcas  was  the  cause  of  miserable  ruin,  that  is  to  say, 
of  death,  poverty,  and  infamy  to  many  of  th^  nobles  of  Eng- 
land. One  of  whom  I  may  name  more  especially,  a  man  of 
illostrious  nobility,  John  Gisford,  a  man  of  illustriouc(  family, 
and  great  beauty  of  person,  who  fell  at  the  siege  of  Bedford 
castle  by  a  bolt  from  an  arbalist,  while  fighting  manfully  for 
the  king  his  lord. 

The  same  year,  master  Alexander  Savenesby  was  conse- 
crated bishop  of  Chester,  at  Rome,  by  the  lord  pope  Honorius, 
on  Easter  day.  William,  nephew  of  William  de  Bruere  the 
elder,  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Exeter;  and  Radulph  de 
Neville  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Chichester,  by  the  lord 
Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  on  the  Sunday  after 
Easter.  This  year  also,  a  tax  of  two  shillings  on  every  hide 
of  land  was  granted  to  the  lord  king,  both  by  the  prelates  and 
laity  throughoutall  England,  for  his  great  labours  and  expenses. 
In  the  mean  time,  the  king  caused  the  castle  of  Bedford,  of 
which  we  have  spoken,  to  be  levelled  with  the  ground. 

A  fifteenth  is  extorted  from  the  Anglican  church,     Baldwin, 
emperor  of  Constantinople,  is  hanged  hy  his  daughter, 

A.D.  1225.  King  Henry,  at  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord,  held  his 
court  at  Westminster,  in  the  presence  of  the  clergy  and  laity,  and 
nobles  of  his  kingdom.  The  same  year,  a  general  exaction  of 
one-fifteenth  part  of  all  moveables  and  chattels  was  levied 
throughout  the  whole  of  England  on  all  ecclesiastical  persons, 
whether  belonging  to  religious  orders  or  the  secular  clergy. 
The  general  hberties,  both  of  the  forests  and  of  all  other  liber- 
ties, were  proclaimed,  although  they  had  as  yet  nothing  stable 
or  solid  about  them. 

Kichard,  the  brother  of  the  king,  having  been  knighted, 
and  made  earl  of  Cornwall,  put  to  sea  on  Palm  Sunday,  with 
William,  earl  of  Salisbury,  his  uncle,  and  Phihp  de  Albiney, 
and  some  other  nobles,  and  sailed  for  Gbscony,  and  after  a 
prosperous  voyage  landed  at  Bourdeaux.  The  same  year,  John, 
bishop  of  Ely,  who  had  formerly  been  abbot  of  Fountain 
Abbey,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Godfirey  de  Bulgo,  arch- 


148  MATTHEW  or   WJEHTMUIBTES.  A.B.  1226. 

deacon  of  Norwich,  who  was  consecrated  at  Westminster,  on 
the  day  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul. 

The  same  year,  Baldwin,  count  of  Flanders,  who  was  also 
emperor  of  Constantinople,  after  a  pilgrimage  of  a  year  re- 
turned to  Flanders,  haying  received  the  homage,  and  fealty, 
and  suhmission  of  many  cities.  But  his  daughter  and  heiress 
adhering  to  Louis,  king  of  France,  as  her  guardian,  put  in 
practice  all  kinds  of  intrigues  for  the  purpose  of  destroying 
her  father ;  and  disregardmg  the  relationship  to  her  parent,  she 
at  last  arrested  him,  and  caused  him  to  be  hung. 

About  this  time,  too,  the  earl  of  Salisbury,  who  had  staid 
some  time  in  the  territories  of  (jascony  with  Richard,  earl  of 
Cornwall,  escaped  with  difficulty  from  incalculable  peril  at  sea, 
and  in  a  wonderful  manner  reached  the  land  in  safety.  And 
not  long  afterwards,  this  same  earl  died.  But  his  wife,  the 
countess  Ela,  after  the  death  of  her  husband,  rejected  every 
suitor,  and  chose  to  continue  in  a  life  of  chastity,  in  a  reli- 
gious house,  which  she  herself  had  built  from  its  foundations  ; 
and  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  years,  she  took  on  herself  the  gait 
and  veil  of  a  nun. 

Ch.  IX.— Feom  a.d.  1226  to  a.d.  1232. 

Louis  of  France  persecutes  the  Albigenses — The  pope  excom- 
municates the  emperor — War  between  the  pope  and  emperor 
, — The  pilgrims  are  allowed  free  access  to  Jerusalem — The 
duke  of  Saxony  takes  refuge  in  England — Hubert  de  Burgh 
loses  the  king^s  favour, 

A.D.  1226.  King  Henry  the  Third,  at  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord, 
celebrated  his  feast,  at  Winchester ;  and  after  it  was  over,  he 
went  to  Marlborough,  where  he  was  seized  with  a  severe 
illness,  so  that  he  lay  with  his  life  quite  despaired  of  for 
several  days.  In  the  meantime,  the  period  arrived  for  the 
council  which  had  been  fixed  beforehand  to  be  held  at  West- 
minster, on  the  festival  of  Saint  Hilary,  where  the  king,  with 
the  clergy  and  nobles  of  his  kingdom,  were  bound  to  appear, 
to  hear  the  commands  of  the  lord  pope.  Accordingly,  many 
bishops  being  assembled  in  the  before-mentioned  place,  with 
other  prelates,  and  a  large  body  of  laymen.  Master  Otho,  the 
nuncio  of  the  lord  pope,  recited  the  letters  openly,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  all ;  in  which  the  pope  spake  of  the  scandal  and  most 
inveterate  disgrace  of  the  holy  Roman  church,  to  wit,  the 


A..D.  1226.      THE   PKELATES' EEPLT   TO   THE   NUNCIO.  149 

brand  of  covetousnesB,  which  is  called  the  root  of  all  evils, 
aud  which  is  most  especially  shown  in  this — that  no  one  can 
transact  any  business  in  the  Roman  court,  except  at  the  ex- 
pense of  yast  sums  of  money,  and  large  presents.  But  since 
the  poverty  of  the  Romans  is  the  cause  of  this  scandal  aud 
infamy,  her  natural  children  ought  to  relieve  the  wants  of 
their  mother,  "  because,"  said  the  letters,  "  unless  we  were  to 
receive  presents  from  you,  and  from  other  good  and  honour- 
able men,  we  should  be  in  want  of  the  very  necessaries  of  hfe, 
which  would  be  a  circumstance  altogether  unsuited  to  the 
Roman  dignity.  Accordingly,  with  a  view  to  the  complete 
eradication  of  this  scandal,  we,  by  the  advice  of  our  brethren, 
the  cardinals  of  the  holy  Roman  church,  have  provided  a 
certain  form,  to  which,  if  ye  will  agree,  ye  will  be  able  to 
deliver  your  mother  from  scandal,  and  to  obtain  justice  in  the 
Roman  court  without  a  display  of  presents.  And  the  form 
which  we  have  provided  is  this  :  In  the  first  place,  we  demand 
that  two  prebends  be  given  to  us  from  each  cathedral  church, 
one  fi-om  the  portion  of  the  bishop,  the  other  from  that  of  the 
chapter,  and  in  like  manner,  in  the  case  of  convents,  where 
the  abbot  and  the  brotherhood  have  two  distinct  shares,  we 
require  as  much  as  belongs  to  one  monk,  after  an  equal  ap- 
portionment of  the  property  of  the  brethren  has  been  made 
from  the  convent,  and  an  equal  share  from  the  abbot." 

These  propositions  then  having  been  made  in  this  manner, 
Master  Otho,  on  the  part  of  the  lord  pope,  tried  to  persuade 
the  prelates  to  consent  to  them,  dwelling  much  on  the  afore- 
said inconveniences,  which  are  mentioned  in  that  letter. 
Bat  the  bishops  and  prelates  of  the  churches  hearing  these 
things,  retired  aside  to  confer  together,  and  after  they  had 
deUberated  for  some  time  on  these  proposals,  they  agreed  to 
deliver  their  answer  by  the  mouth  of  Master  John,  archdeacon 
of  Bedford,  as  their  spokesman,  who  accordingly  came  into 
the  presence  of  Master  Otho,  and  replied  in  these  words : — 

"My  lord!  the  things  which  you  propose  do  especially 
affect  the  king  of  England,  and  generally,  too,  they  affect  all 
the  patrons  of  churches  throughout  the  kingdom,  archbishops 
and  their  suffragans,  and  a  countless  number  of  prelates  of 
England.  As,  therefore,  the  king  is  absent  through  sickness, 
and  as  the  archbishops,  some  of  the  bishops,  and  other 
prelates  of  churches,  are  absent,  we  have  no  power  and  no 
light  to  reply  to  you  in  their  absence."     And  after  this  had 


150  IIATTHEW  or  WESTMINSTEB.  A..D.  1226. 

been  said,  John  Marischfd,  and  other  messengers  of  the  king, 
who  held  baronies  in  chief  of  the  king,  arrived,  beariog  a  positive 
order  that  no  one  shoold  bind  any  lay-fee  of  his  to  the  Roman 
church,  by  which  measure  the  king  might  be  deprived  of  the 
service  which  was  his  due ;  and  thus  they  all  returned  home 
again.  About  the  same  time,  William  Lougsword,  earl  of 
Salisbury,  having  been  tossed  about  by  a  tempest  and  the 
waves  of  the  sea,  took  to  his  bed  with  severe  sickness.  But 
the  bishop  coming  in,  who  had  been  summoned  for  the  pur- 
pose of  receiving  his  confession,  entered,  bearing  the  body  of 
our  Lord,  to  give  it  as  a  viaticum  to  the  earl,  at  his  entreaty ; 
and  the  earl,  weeping,  and  lamenting,  and  heaving  sobs  &om 
the  bottom  of  his  heart,  and  being  entirely  naked  except  his 
drawers,  leaped  out  of  bed,  having  a  halter  round  his  neck, 
and  threw  himself  on  his  face  on  the  floor  before  him  who 
came  bringing  the  body  of  Christ,  and  testifying  against  him- 
self as  a  traitor  to  his  Creator,  moved  all  the  bystanders  to  sobs 
and  tears,  and  would  not  rise  nor  move  from  the  place  till  he 
had  made  fuU  confession  of  all  his  sins,  and  with  an  ever- 
flowing  stream  of  tears  had  received  the  communion  of  the  life- 
giving  sacrament.  And  persevering  thus  for  some  days,  in 
the  bitterness  of  his  repentance,  he  a  short  time  afterwards 
happily  breathed  forth  his  contrite  spirit.  But  it  happened 
that  when  his  corpse  was  being  carried  out  about  a  mile  to 
burial,  from  the  castle  to  the  new  church,  the  wax  tapers, 
which,  according  to  custom,  were  lighted,  and  borne  with  the 
cross,  though  there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  rain,  and  violent  gusts 
of  wind,  coidd  not  be  extinguished ;  so  that,  as  it  happened 
likewise  in  the  case  of  the  blessed  Hugo,  bishop  of  Lincoln, 
and  confessor,  they  plainly  showed  that  the  earl,  who  had  re- 
pented so  bitterly  of  his  sins,  had  his  place  among  the  sons  of 
light*  This  year  also  a  master  from  Rome  was  sent  from  the 
lord  pope  to  the  country  of  Gaul,  to  fill  the  office  of  legate  in 
that  country,  and  when  he  arrived  there,  he  immediately  de- 
manded that  the  same  honours  should  be  conceded  by  the 
French  to  him  that  the  legate  Otho  received  from  the  English; 
but  his  demands  were  denied  to  his  face  :  that,  however,  he 
might  not  appear  to  have  been  wholly  unsuccessful,  he  caused 
a  general  preaching  to  be  delivered  throughout  the  whole  dis- 
trict over  which  his  power  as  legate  extended,  on^  the  subject 
of  taking  up  the  cross  against  the  count  of  Toulouse.  But 
Louis,  kmg  of  the  French,  having  obtained  a  papal  prohibi- 


A.D.  1227.  7AXCi.S  IS  P0IS0KJ:D,  Asm  DIES.  151 

tioQ  addressed  to  the  king  of  England,  to  forbid  his  invading 
his  territories  in  a  hostile  manner  while  he  was  absent,  and 
fighting  in  the  cause  of  God,  embarked  in  a  crusade  against 
the  Albigenses.  And  having  collected  a  very  numerous  army, 
because  all  those  who  had  assumed  the  cross  joined  him,  and 
were  compelled  to  follow  his  expedition,  he  behaved  in  a  very 
arrogant  manner.  And  while  he  besieged  and  blockaded  the 
city  of  Avignon  all  round,  he  stormed  it  by  a  sf^ratagem  de- 
vised by  himself,  and  made  himself  master  of  it.  But  the 
success  of  his  stratagem  was  not  long-lived  ;  for  by  the  man* 
agement  of  the  earl  of  Champagne,  who,  as  evil  fame  reports, 
was  a  paramour  of  queen  Blanche,  king  Louis  died  of  poison. 
About  the  same  time,  Falcas,  owing  to  the  intrigues  of  the 
Roman  court,  which  had  been  bribed  by  gifts  and  promises, 
to  expedite  his  business  for  him,  which  he  had  managed  chiefly 
by  the  agency  of  his  clerk,  Robert  Passelewe,  an  EngHshman 
by  birth,  as  he  was  returning  towards  England  with  the  object 
of  a  second  time  disturbing  the  king  and  kingdom,  was 
poisoned,  and  so  suddenly  ended  his  wicked  life  at  Saint  Cyriac. 
The  same  year  also,  Richard  de  Marais,  a  man  in  manners  and 
example  resembling  king  John,  who  had  made  him  bishop  of 
Durham,  died  at  Burgh,  on  the  first  of  May,  after  he  had 
distressed  the  monks  by  innumerable  tyrannies,  leaving  his 
church  encumbered  with  debts  amounting  to  nearly  forty  thou- 
sand marks.  He  was  succeeded  by  Richard  of  Salisbury,  a 
postulate,  who  at  that  time  was  successively  elected  to  the 
government  of  three  cathedral  churches.  The  same  year,  the 
following  bishops  died ;  Benedict  of  Rochester,  and  Pandulph 
of  Norwich.  Pandulph  was  succeeded  by  Thomas  de  Blond- 
ville,  a  clerk  of  the  king's  exchequer,  tiirough  the  effectual 
interposition  of  Hubert,  the  justiciary  ;  and  he  received  con- 
secration from  Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  on  the 
Sunday  next  before  the  consecration  of  the  Lord. 

The  charters  of  liberties  are  cancelled  after  the  collection  of  the 
fifteenth — Pope  Sonorius  the  Third  dies,  and  is  succeeded  hy 
Gregory  the^inth — JSarl  Richard  retu/ms  from  the  parts  of 
Gascony. 

A.D.  1227.  King  Henry  the  Third  celebrated  the  feast  of  the 
Nativity  of  the  Lord,  at  Reading.  And  at  the  same  Christmas 
season,  that  there  might  not  seem  to  be  anything  delightful 
in  the  wi>rld  without  some  admixture  of  pain,  William,  earl 


152  MATTHEW  OF  WESTlimSTEB.    .  A.D.  1227. 

of  Essex  died,  to  the  grief  and  lamentation  of  all  men,  a 
youth  of  the  greatest  hberality  and  munificence  in  making 
presents.  After  this  event,  the  king,  who  was  by  this  time 
behaving  tyrannically,  came  to  London,  where  he  attacked  the 
citizens  with  a  cruel  calumny,  saying,  that  they,  to  his  great 
injury,  had  given  to  Louis,  king  of  France,  who  was  now  dead, 
(and  whom  they  had  for  a  long  time  cherished  in  their  bosoms, 
as  it  were,  as  an  enemy  to  him),  five  thousand  marks  of  silver 
at  his  departure.  On  which  account  the  same  citizens  were 
compelled,  by  the  advice  of  evil  councillors,  to  pay  the  king 
the  same  sum  of  money,  which  was  not  done  without  the 
sighs  and  curses  of  many  men.  And  he  took  from  them  like- 
wise the  fifteenth  part  of  all  their  moveables  and  of  all  their 
substance,  which  had  been  formerly  granted  to  him  through- 
out all  England.  And  from  the  burgesses  of  Northampton 
he  took  twelve  hundred  pounds  as  an  aid,  besides  the  fifteenth 
which  all  men  universally  paid  throughout  the  whole  kingdom 
of  England,  without  any  profit  or  increase  of  the  kingdom 
following.  Likewise  aU  men  of  the  rehgious  orders,  and 
all  beneficed  clerks  were  compelled  to  give  the  fifteenth  of  all 
their  goods,  both  of  ecclesiastical  and  lay  property ;  nor  did 
the  appeal  to  the  lord  pope,  which  was  interposed,  do  them 
any  good,  because  it  was  suggested  to  the  pope,  on  the  king's 
part,  that  that  collection  was  made  for  the  restoration  of  the 
tdngdom  of  England,  which  care  appeared  now  to  belong  par- 
ticidarly  to  him  ;  and  so  he,  who  it  had  been  hoped  wonld 
have  turned  out  a  shepherd  and  a  father,  became  an  ally  of 
the  wolves  against  his  own  natural  flock.  Ela,  countess  of 
Salisbury,  the  widow  of  William  Longsword,  transferred  the 
Carthusian  monks,  who  had  been  placed  by  her  husband  at 
Heythrop,  to  Hinton,  in  the  diocese  of  Bath. 

The  same  year,  when  the  king  was  now  easy  on  the  subject 
of  the  fifteenth  that  was  paid  or  was  to  be  paid,  having  convened 
a  council  at  Oxford,-  in  the  mouth  of  February,  he  gave  no- 
tice before  them  all  that  he  was  now  of  legal  age,  so  that 
being  for  the  future  released  from  guardianship,  he  should 
himself  take  the  chief  part  in  regulating  his  royal  affairs ;  and 
so  he,  who  at  first  had  as  a  govern6r  and  guardian,  William 
Marischal,  as  long  as  he  lived,  and  after  his  death,  Peter, 
bishop  of  Winchester,  now  shook  ofif  the  counsels  of  Huhert 
de  Burgh,  the  justiciary  of  the  kingdom,  and  discarded  the 
advice  and  the  authority  of  the  bishops  and  of  his  friends,  who 


A.D.  1227.  POPS  HONOSIirS  DIES.  153 

had  been,  as  it  were,  pedagogues  to  the  king,  to  such  a  degree, 
that  he  removed  them  all  from  his  court.  And  in  the  same 
melancholy  line  of  conduct,  the  king  also,  despising  his  vari- 
ous oaths,  and  'having  violated  every  treaty,  caused  all  the 
charters  of  all  the  provinces  of  the  kingdom  of  England,  on 
the  subject  of  the  liberties  of  the  forest,  to  be  cancelled  and 
annulled,  after  they  had  been  in  use  throughout  the  whole 
realm  for  two  years,  alleging  the  following  as  his  reason  for 
Buch  a  proceechng ;  that  all  these  charters  and  liberties  had 
been  granted  generally,  and  signed  on  written  deeds,  while  he 
himself  was  only  a  child  and  under  guardianship,  and  while 
he  had  no  power  of  his  own  person  or  over  his  seal,  on  which 
account  that  which  had  been  established  without  reason  ought 
to  be  void  of  effect.  On  this  a  great  murmuring  arose  in  the 
council,  and  most  bitter  indignation,  that  the  counsel  of  mahg- 
nant  advisers  and  the  childish  levity  of  a  prince  should  at  one 
breath  blow  away  and  dissipate  a  regulation  of  such  import- 
ance, on  the  procuring  the  ratification  of  which  so  much  diU- 
genee  was  expended,  so  much  blood  shed,  and  so  much  money 
lavished ;  and  yet  there  was  no  one  who  was  able  to  resist 
^th  effect,  because  the  party  of  the  wrong-doers  was  the 
strongest.  All  men,  however,  suspected  that  the  justiciary 
was  the  author  of  this  confusion ;  for  from  that  time  forth  he 
was  united  to  the  king  in  such  close  intimacy,  that  he  thought 
none  of  the  councillors  of  the  kingdom,  except  him,  of  any 
account  whatever. 

At  this  time,  too,  notice  was  given  to  the  men  of  religious 
orders  and  to  others,  who  wished  to  enjoy  their  hberties,  to 
procure  the  charters  to  be  sealed  anew  with  the  king's  seal, 
knowing  that  the  king  considered  the  ancient  charters  to  be 
of  no  account.  And  for  the  renewal  of  these  charters  they 
were  compelled  to  pay,  not  according  to  the  faculty  granted 
by  the  seals,  according  to  custom,  but  whatever  the  justiciary 
chose  to  levy 

The  same  year,  pope  Honorius  the  Third  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Gregory  the  Ninth,  bishop  of  Ostia,  on  the 
eighteenth  of  March.  Gregory,  the  same  year,  established 
the  order  of  the  Minors,  and  drew  up,  and  gave  them  a  certain 
code  of  regulations,  as  brother  Francis,  the  original  founder 
and  principal  of  the  order,  died  the  same  year.  And  when  he 
was  despised  by  men,  it  is  said  that  a  great  crowd  of  birds 
flocked  to  his  preaching.     And  after  he  had  breathed  forth 


154  MATTHEW  or  WESTMnrSTEn.  A..©.  1223. 

his  blessed  soul,  there  were  found  on  his  body,  that  is  on  his 
side,  and  hands  and  feet,  five  fresh  wounds,  resembling  those  of 
the  Crucified  One. 

The  same  year,  in  the  month  of  May,  Richard,  the  brother 
of  king  Henry,  came  to  England,  on  his  return  from  Gascony. 
About  the  same  time,  Henry  de  Sand  ford,  archdeacon  of  Can- 
terbury, was  elected  to  the  bishopric  of  Rochester,  and  received 
consecration  from  Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canterbury.  In 
this  year  also,  on  the  fifth  of  February,  Hubert,  justiciary  of 
England,  was  girded  by  the  king  with  the  sword  of  the  county 
of  Kent.  Also,  in  those  days,  a  great  expedition  of-  pilgrims 
towards  the  Holy  Land  took  place,  and  the  affairs  of  the  cross 
prospered,  and  would  have  come  to  a  fortunate  termination,  if 
the  lord  emperor,  who  had  embarked  on  board  his  ships  for 
the  purpose  of  crossing  the  sea,  had  not,  after  he  had  been  at 
sea  only  four  days,  been  compelled  to  return  on  account  of 
sickness.  This  year  hkewise,  a  quarrel  arose  between  Alex- 
ander, bishop  of  Chester,  and  his  canons  at  Lichfield  on  the 
one  side,  and  the  prior  and  convent  of  Coventry  on  the  other, 
with  respect  to  the  forms  of  election  and  certain  other  articles, 
which  were  very  injurious  to  both  parties. 

The  contention  between  the  monks  of  Coventry  and  the  canons  of 
Lichfield  about  the  election  of  a  bishop  is  terminated. 

A.D.  1228.  Henry,  king  of  England,  celebrated  the  feast 
of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord  with  great  solemnity  at  York  ;  and 
departing  from  that  city,  he  hastened  directly  to  London.  On 
which  journey  he  convicted  some  measures  of  com,  wine,  and 
beer,  as  being  false,  and  ordered  them  to  be  burnt.  This  year 
also,  the  election  of  Master  William  Scot,  bishop  elect  of  Dur- 
ham, was  annulled,  because  the  king  desired  it.  And  Richard, 
bishop  of  Salisbury,  was  translated  to  that  bishopric  at  his 
request.  And  after  his  translation,  just  on  the  confines  of  the 
past  and  the  ensuing  year,  that  is  to  say,  just  about  the  feast 
of  the  Advent  of  the  Lord,  and  between  that  and  Christmas, 
the  canons  of  Salisbury,  discussing  their  election,  formally 
elected  Master  Robert  de  Bingham,  a  canon  of  that  same  church, 
to  be  their  bishop.  This  year  also,  the  contention  between  the 
monks  of  Coventry  and  the  canons  of  Lichfield,  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  election  of  a  bishop,  was  terminated  at  Rome,  by 
a  definitive  sentence,  on  the  terms  that,  for  the  future,  the  two 
parties  should  elect  the  bishop  alternately,  observing  this  rule. 


A.D.  1228.      THE  £MPEBOB  rSia>EBIG  LAJTDS  AT  ACBE.  155 

howeyer,  that  the  prior  of  Coyentry  should  always  have  the 
first  voice  in  the  election.  By  which  sentence  the  monks  ap* 
pear  to  have  lost  a  good  deal  of  their  rights,  inasmuch  as  they 
had  previously  always  elected  the  pontiffs  without  any  consent 
on  the  part  of  the  canons.  The  same  year,  the  lord  emperor 
of  Constantinople  paid  the  deht  of  human  nature,  leaving  as 
his  heir  a  little  son,  not  equal  to  sustaining  the  imperial  dig- 
nity. Ahout  that  time,  the  pope  fulminated  a  sentence  of  ex- 
communication against  the  lord  emperor,  on  account  of  his 
delays  and  excuses  for  not  crossing  the  sea,  as  he  had  sworn 
to  do  ;  and  he  caused  the  sentence  to  he  published  in  different 
countries ;  in  consequence  of  which  attack,  the  emperor  ex- 
cited a  powerful  insurrection  against  the  pope.  The  king  of 
France  sent  a  military  expedition  of  no  inconsiderable  strength 
against  the  count  of  Toulouse.  This  year  also,  Stephen,  arch- 
hishop  of  Canterbury,  who  had  removed  the  relics  of  the  blessed 
Thomas  the  Martyr,  and  placed  them  with  great  magnificence 
in  a  golden  chest,  and  had  appointed  that  the  festival  of  the 
same  martyr  should  be  solemnly  observed,  departed  from  his 
state  of  banishment  in  this  world  to  enjoy  the  well-deserved 
fellowship  of  his  predecessor,  the  blessed  Thomas,  on  the  sixth 
of  July,  and  was  buried  at  Cai^terbury,  on  the  ninth  day  of 
the  same  month. 

This  year,  the  Welch  burst  out  and  did  no  small  damage  to 
the  dwellers  on  their  frontier,  but  were  defeated  by  the  king, 
vith  the  justiciary  Hubert,  who  collected  a  numerous  army, 
and,  though  with  some  difficulty,  established  a  castle  on  the 
horders.  But  the  Welch  plotted  against  it,  and  having  obtained 
a  favourable  opportunity,  took  it,  and  levelled  it  to  the  ground ; 
from  which  event  they  called  that  castle  Hubert's  Folly. 

In  the  course  of  this  year,  the  lord  Frederic,  the  emperor, 
entered  the  Mediterranean  sea,  in  order  to  discharge  to  the 
Lord  his  vow  of  pilgrimage,  and,  on  the  vigil  of  the  Nativity 
of  the  blessed  Mary,  he  landed  at  Acre,  when  the  clergy  of 
the  land  and  the  people  came  forth  to  meet  him,  and  received 
him  with  great  honour,  as  a  man  of  his  rank  was  entitled  to 
he  received.  Many,  however,  looked  upon  him  with  suspicion, 
hy  reason  of  the  severe  sentence  which  had  been  fulminated 
against  him.  Then  the  emperor  addressed  a  bitter  complaint 
to  the  whole  army,  that  the  pope  had  unjustly  pronounced  a 
sentence  against  him,  because  severe  illness  had  compelled  him 
to  return.    But  the  soldan  of  Babylon,  when  he  heard  of  his 


156  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMIN8TEB.  A.D.  1229. 

arrival,  sent  him  some  most  valuable  presents.  And  when  the 
lord  emperor  liad  landed  at  Acre,  he  found  there  the  principal 
armies  of  the  Christian  population,  the  duke  de  Lanburg,  the 
patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  the  archbishops  of  Nazareth  an  d  Csesarea, 
and  the  English  bishops  of  Winchester  and  Exeter  ;  also  the 
master  of  Uie  Hospital,  and  of  the  Teutonic  order,  who  had 
under  their  command  eight  hundred  foreign  knights,  and  about 
ten  thousand  men-at-arms. 

This  year,  a  bishop  from  Armenia  Major  came  to  England, 
by  way  of  pilgrimage,  for  the  purpose  of  praying  at  the  holy 
places  in  England,  and  he  brought  with  him  letters  of  testi- 
monial from  the  lord  the  pope,  recommendatory  of  his  person, 
and  of  the  object  of  his  journey.  And  when,  for  the  sake  of 
prayer,  he  had  arrived  at  the  tomb  of  Saint  ^Alban,  the  proto- 
martyr  of  the  English,  among  other  marvellous  things  which 
he,  by  an  interpreter,  related  to  those  who  questioned  him,  he 
said  that  a  man  who  saw  Christ  in  the  flesh  is  still  alive,  be- 
cause Christ,  when  he  was  being  led  to  the  death  of  the  cross, 
had  said  to  him,  '*  I  choose  you  to  tarry  till  I  come  a  second 
time."  On  which  account  it  is  supposed  that  he  will  live  till 
the  Lord  comes  to  the  great  judgment ;  and  while  he  was 
speaking,  being  questioned  abput  the  conception  of  the  blessed 
Virgin,  as  to  whether  the  oriental  church  solemnized  that  fes- 
tivai  or  not,  he  repUed,  that  the  church  of  Armenia  recognised 
.the  festivals  of  three  conceptions  at  least,  namely,  the  concep- 
tion of  Christ,  which  is  singularly  privileged,  because  it  was 
consummated  by  the  Holy  Spirit  without  any  stain  being  con- 
tracted by  her  who  conceived ;  also,  the  conception  of  the 
blessed  Mary  the  Virgin,  and  the  conception  of  the  blessed 
John  the  Baptist,  because  of  the  angelic  intervention  which 
occurred  respecting  it.  Nevertheless,  in  the  oriental  church, 
the  two  last  festivals  are  not  celebrated  with  the  same  solem- 
nity as  the  first. 

In  the  course  of  this  same  year,  Eustace,  bishop  of  London, 
died,  in  whose  place  the  canons  elected  Roger,  sarnamed  the 
Black.  About  the  same  time,  Godfrey,  bishop  of  Ely,  died, 
and  was  succeeded  by  Hugh,  the  abbot  of  Saint  Edmund's, 
who  was  canonically  elected. 

The  pope  endeavotirs  to  supplant  the  emperor  Frederic^  who 
therefore  returns  to  his  country, 

A.D.  1229.  King  Henry  the  Third,  at  the  festival  of  the 


A.D.  1229.  FEEDEETC  EETrSKS  TO  GESMAirr.  .157 

Nativity  of  our  Lord,  held  his  court  at  Oxfprd,  where  the 
bishop  of  Bordeaux  came  to  him,  having  been  gent  by  the 
Dobles  of  Gascony,  Aquitaine,  and  Poitou.  There  also  came 
to  him  formal  messengers  from  Normandy,  vrho  all  united  in 
the  common  suggestion  that  the  lord  the  kmg  should  come 
without  fear  to  those  lands  beyond  the  sea,  as  he  might  be  as- 
sured that  the  nobles  of  these  provinces  would  stand  by  him 
unchangeably,  for  his  recovery  of  all  his  rights  which  he  had 
lost  there.  But  when  Hubert,  the  justiciary,  heard  this,  he 
postponed  the  matter  to  a  future  time,  till  a  more  favourable 
opportunity  should  arise.  And  tlie  messengers  receiving  no 
other  reply,  returned  to  their  own  country  like  men  deceived. 
About  the  same  time,  pope  Gregory,  being  indignant  that  the 
emperor  Frederic,  as  if  to  £how  that  he  was  in  no  fear  of  his 
sentence,  undertook  the  direction  of  the  aifairs  of  the  church 
in  the  Holy  Land,  and  having  no  hope  that  he  would  return 
to  the  unity  of  the  church,  determined  to  depose  him,  and  to 
appoint  some  one  else  to  the  imperial  dignity  in  his  stead. 
Accordingly  he  did  appoint  John  de  Bresne,  the  general  of 
the  papal  army,  and  bestowed  on  him  abundantly  all  the  as- 
sistance that  the  Roman  church  could  bestow  in  the  way.  of 
treasures  and  arms,  and  indulgences  from  sins,  and  admoni- 
tions to  prelates.  And  when  the  emperor  was  informed  of 
this,  he  quickly  and  prudently  made  peace  vnth  the  soldan, 
that  that  bad  news  might  not  reach  his  ears  first,  and  made  a 
lasting  truce  and  peace  with  him,  to  the  honour  and  advantage 
of  the  church  ;  and  having  accepted  the  crown  of  the  king- 
dom of  Jerusalem,  he  prepared  ships  to  return  to  his  own 
country ;  and  bidding  farewell  to  the  Holy  Land,  he  went, 
for  the  sake  of  offering  up  his  prayers  with  all  humiUty,  un- 
armed, and  with  a  small  retinue,  to  the  fords  of  Jordan,  where, 
through  the  good  offices  of  the  soldan  of  Babylon,  he  escaped 
from  some  snares  prepared  against  him  by  some  of  his  house- 
bold,  whom  he  thought  his  friends,  on  which  account  he 
always  afterwards  hated  the  Templars  as  suspected  persons, 
and  considered  the  soldan  as  his  best  friend,  acknowledging 
fideUty  in  the  infidels,  and  detesting  the  unfaithfulness  of  the 
faithful ;  and  so  he  embarked  on  board  ship,  and  after  a  fair 
voyage  landed  in  his  own  country,  where  he  was  received 
with  joy,  and  in  a  short  time  by  his  imperial  authority  he 
boldly  restored  to  his  faithful  adherents  all  the  territories 
which  had  been  taken  from  them,  wreaking  condign  ven- 
geauce  on  the  invaders. 


158  MATTHEW  01'  WESTMnrSTEE.  A.D.  1230. 

About  the  same  time,  Stephen,  the  chaplain  of  the  lord  the 
pope,  for  the  purpose  of  replenishing  the  exhausted  treasury 
of  the  pope,  and  overthrowing  the  aforesaid  emperor  Frederic, 
exacted,  and  with  the  sanction  of  the  king,  extorted  the  en- 
tire tithes  of  ecclesiastical  things,  without  making  any  deduc- 
tion for  expenses,  throughout  all  England,  Ireland,  and  Wales ; 
owing  to  which  proceeding,  England,  being  thus  stripped  in 
many  ways  of  its  property,  began  in  a  miserable  manner  to 
feel  the  pressure  of  want,  and  was  unable  to  recover  itself. 
The  same  year,  Master  Biobertde  Bingham,  bishop  elect  of  Sa- 
lisbury, received  consecration  at  Shaftesbury.  He  pursued  the 
building  of  his  new  church  with  no  small  energy,  and  brought 
it  to  a  successful  termination.  This  year,  idso,  as  the  king 
and  prior,  and  convent  of  Canterbury  were  at  variance  with 
respect  to  the  election  of  successor  to  the  archbishopric,  the 
election  of  Walter,  a  monk  of  Canterbury,  having  been  set 
aside  by  the  management  of  Alexander  de  Stanesby,  bishop  of 
Chester,  and  Master  Henry  de  Sanford,  bishop  of  Rochester, 
and  Master  John  de  Hotoft,  archdeacon  of  Bedford,  Master 
Richard,  surnamed  the  Great,  the  chancellor  of  Lincoln,  was 
elected  archbishop  at  the  court  of  Rome,  and  was  consecrated 
in  his  own  church.  And  there  were  consecrated  with  him  at 
the  same  time,  by  the  bishop  of  Rochester,  Master  Roger, 
bishop  elect  of  London,  and  Master  Hugh,  bishop  elect  of 
Ely,  on  the  tenth  of  June.  The  same  year,  Martin  de  Pates- 
hull,  dean  of  Saint  Paul's,  in  London,  died,  on  the  fifteenth  of 
December,  a  man  of  wonderful  prudence,  and  very  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  the  laws  of  the  kingdom.  At  this  time  there 
landed  in  England  Henry  Mauclerc,  count  of  Brittany,  a  man 
of  incalculable  cunning,  in  order  to  conduct  the  king  of  Eng- 
land in  safety  to  the  countries  beyond  the  sea.  But  this  mea- 
sure was  still  delayed  till  the  calm  weather  of  spring  should 
arrive.  The  same  year,  Richard,  the  archbishop,  received  the 
pall,  which  had  been  transmitted  to  liim  by  the  lord  the  pope. 

The  emperor  is  absolved.  King  Sewry  goes  to  Brittany,  The 
duke  of  Saxony  comes  to  Migland, 

A.D.  1230.  King  Henry,  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the 
Lord,  held  his  court  at  York,  vnth  the  king  of  Scotland, 
whom  he  had  invited  to  that  festival,  in  the  presence  of  the 
archbishop  of  that  city,  and  several  of  the  nobles  of  the  land. 
It  happened  the  same  year,  namely,  on  the  day  of  the  con- 


A.D.  1230.      JESrSALEM  BXSTOSXB  TO  TBEDIBIC.  159 

version  of  Saint  Paul,  in  the  chnrch  of  Saint  Paul  of  London, 
that  when  the  bishop  of  that  city  was  standing  in  that  cathe- 
dral, clothed  in  his  robes,  before  the  greater  altar,  for  the 
purpose  of  the  solemn  celebration  of  the  mass,  according  to 
custom,  in  the  presence  of  a  large  body  of  laity  there  assem- 
bled, on  a  sadden  a  dense  body  of  clouds  collected  in  the  sky, 
and  a  wonderful  darkening  of  the  sun  took  place,  so  that  each 
individual  could  scarcely  distinctly  recognise  his  companion. 
And  immediately  there  was  a  terrible  rattling  of  thunder  and 
a  blaze  of  lightning,  that  the  whole  church  tower  and  all 
appeared  to  be  thrown  down,  and  an  intolerable  stench  arose. 
And  when  this  happened,  the  clergy  and  laity  went  out  in  a 
body  in  great  haste,  the  bishop  alone,  with  one  deacon,  re- 
maining by  the  altar. 

The  same  year,  the  city  o^  Jerusalem  was  restored  to  the 
emperor  Frederic,  and  to  the  Christian  population,  with  the 
crown  of  the  kingdom  of  Jerusalem ;  and  the  emperor  was 
crowned  in  that  city.  And  of  the  manner  and  time  of  his 
coronation,  he,  with  a  view  to  give  them  pleasure,  certified  the 
king  of  England  and  the  other  princes  by  elegant  letters, 
sealed  with  seals  of  gold,  which  contained  the  statement  of 
which  I  will  here  give  the  heads  : — 

"  The  soldan  of  Babylon,  as  had  been  before  settled,  has 
restored  the  city  of  Jerusalem  to  the  Christian  population  and 
form  of  worship  ;  and  the  whole  country  is  free  in  every  di- 
rection, so  that  free  access  to  the  holy  places  is  open  to  the 
Christian  pilgrims.  Moreover,  the  city  of  Bethlehem  is  re- 
stored, and  likewise  all  the  territory  which  lies  between  Jeru- 
salem and  that  city.  Also  the  city  of  Nazareth,  and  all  the 
territory  which  hes  between  Acre  and  that  city,  and  the  whole 
district  of  Tyre,  which  is  very  fruitful,  and  very  desirable  for 
the  Christians.  So  too  is  the  city  of  Sidon,  which  is  com- 
monly called  Sacra,  with  the  whole  of  its  plain,  and  all  its  be- 
longings, which  was  of  great  use  to  the  Saracens  especially,  as 
it  has  a  desirable  harbour,  and  as  the  adjacent  land  is  very 
fertUe,  and  as  arms  and  provisions,  and  many  necessaries  used 
to  be  conveyed  from  thence  to  the  city  of  Damascus,  and  from 
Damascus  to  Babylon.  And  although  we  are  permitted  to 
rebuild  the  city  of  Jerusalem  better  than  it  was  ever  built 
before,  according  to  the  agreement,  and  also  the  castle  of 
Joppa,  the  castle  of  Caesarea,  the  castle  of  Sidon,  and  the 
castle  of  Saint  Mary,  belonging  to  the  Teutonic  order,  which 


l6Qi  HATTHEW  OT   WXSTMnTSTZB.  A.B.   1230. 

the  brethren  of  that  house  have  begun  to  build  in  the  mountain 
land  of  Acre,  a  permission  which  has  never  before  been 
granted  to  the  Christians  at  the  time  of  any  truce  whatever. 
Nevertheless  the  soldan  is  bound  not  to  restore  or  build  any 
buildings  or  castles  before  the  end  of  this  truce  for  ten*  years, 
which  is  now  made  between  us  and  him  for  that  period.  And 
accordingly,  on  the  Lord's  day,  which  was  the  eighteenth  day 
of  February  lately  past,  we,  to  the  glory  of  Christ,  who,  as 
on  that  day,  rose  again  from  the  dead,  did  on  both  sides  esta- 
blish this  agreement  by  our  mutual  oaths,  and  we  ourselves 
wore  one  crown  in  Jerusalem.  And  thus  the  day-spring  from 
on  high  hath  visited  us.  But  because  this  world  is  always 
wont  to  mingle  bitter  things  with  sweet  ones,  when  we  re- 
turned and  arrived  in  our  empire,  having  with  difficulty 
effected  an  entrance  into  our  own  country,  we  crushed  our  ene- 
mies, whom  the  pope  the  father  had  exalted  to  our  injury,  and 
we,  though  with  difficulty,  quelled  a  sedition  which  sprang 
up,  and  if  this  matter  had  not  called  us  back  in  such  great 
haste,  the  constitution  of  the  church  of  God  would  have  been 
wonderfully  exalted  and  firmly  established  by  the  grace  of 
God." 

When  this  letter  reached  the  different  princes,  and  was 
afterwards  published  among  the  people,  they  glorified  God,  who 
does  not  permit  those  who  serve  him  to  be  hindered  or  con- 
founded. The  same  year,  during  the  season  of  Lent,  the  lord 
the  emperor,  having  put  an  end  to  all  disorders  in  the  empire, 
spared  neither  his  own  enemies,  nor  the  kinsmen  of  the  pope, 
whom  he  found  rebelling  against  his  authority.  And  when 
John  de  Bresne  saw  this,  fearing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
emperor,  he  fled  into  the  countries  on  this  side  of  the  Alps, 
nor  could  the  entreaties  of  the  pope  recall  him.  Therefore, 
by  the  interposition  of  dignified  friends,  the  quarrel  between 
the  chief  shepherd  and  the  chief  sovereign,  which  had  been 
very  injurious  to  the  church,  was  appeased. 

About  the  same  time,  William  de  Brause,  a  noble  and  pow- 
erful man,  was  secretly  murdered  without  trial  by  Leoline, 
prince  of  North  Wales.  And  the  same  year,  on  the  requisition 
of  the  king,  the  archbishops,  bishops,  abbots,  and  priors 
throughout  all  England,  gave  the  king  no  small  sum  of  money, 
that  by  means  of  it  he  might  recover  those  rights  in  foreign 
countries  of  which  his  father  had  been  deprived.  Alas  !  that 
exaction  of  money,  and  that  of  the  pope  affecting  the  tithes 


A.D.  1230.  THE  Klira  BEXrBlirS  TO  ENOLAlfD.  161 

of  the  charch,  met  ^th  a  similar  fate.  And  for  the  sake  of 
the  same  object,  the  citizens  of  London  were  compelled  to 
submit  to  a  very  heavy  impost.  The  Jews  also,  in  all  haste, 
paid  the  king  one-third  part  of  all  their  property.  In  the  course 
of  the  same  year,  the  king,  having  collected  a  large  army,  em- 
barked on  board  ship  on  the  last  day  of  April,  and  landed  in 
Brittany,  at  Saint  Maloes,  on  the  third  of  May.  The  same  year, 
an  eclipse  of  the  sun  took  place  early  in  the  morning,  which 
was  very  unusual.  About  this  time,  the  nobles  of  France, 
who  were  previously  at  variance  with  one  another,  were  re- 
conciled. And  when  they  had  assembled  with  horses  and 
arms,  all  those  persons  who  owed  the  king  military  service 
came  with  Uim  into  Brittany,  in  order  to  check  the  invasion 
of  the  king  of  England,  who  was  delaying  a  long  time  in  the 
city  of  Angus  with  the  count  of  Brittany,  and  many  other 
Britons,  who  had  sworn  fealty  to  him.  About  the  same  time, 
Ra3rmond  de  Burgh  was  drowned  in  the  river  Loire.  About 
the  same  time,  the  duke  of  Saxony,  a  most  accomplished 
knight,  whom  the  lord  the  pope  was  proposing  to  raise  to  the 
imperial  dignity,  fled  before  the  face  of  the  emperor  Frederic, 
vrbo  pursued  him,  and  came  to  London,  where  he  awaited  the 
return  of  king  Henry  from  Brittany.  At  this  time  also,  Fulk 
Paganel  and  William  his  brother,  two  men  of  noble  birth  in 
Normandy,  with  some  others,  whom  they  brought  with  them, 
came  to  the  king  of  England  in  Brittany,  having  left  their 
castles  and  all  their  territories,  and  became  adherents  of  his 
as  long  as  he  remained  in  Brittany. 

About  the  same  time,  the  lord  emperor  came  to  Rome,  and 
when  he  had  exhausted  all  his  treasury  in  gifts  to  the  lord 
pope,  he  was  solemnly  absolved,  and  the  same  day  they  both 
feasted  in  the  same  palace  witii  joy  and  cheerfulness.  In  these 
days  also,  the  king  of  England,  after  he  had  lain  a  long  time 
in  Brittany,  and  had  wasted  his  days  in  idleness,  and  had 
squandered  an  incalculable  amount  of  money,  many  of  his 
nobles  having  died,  and  many  being  wasted  by  famine  and 
weakness,  and  reduced  to  the  extremity  of  want,  returned  in- 
gloriously  to  England  ;  among  these  nobles,  Gilbert  de  Clare, 
earl  of  Gloucester,  died.  There  still,  however,  remained 
behind  the  king  in  Brittany,  Ranulph,  earl  of  Chester,  Wil- 
liam Marischal,  William,  earl  of  Albemarle,  with  several  other 
knights,  till  they  had  entirely  exhausted  their  treasures. 

TOL.  II,  M 


162  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMINSTEB.  A.D.  1231. 

This  year  also,  an  eclipse  of  the  moon  took  place,  scarcely 
any  of  its  brilliancy  remaining. 

A  quarrel  arises  between  the  Icing  and  .Richard,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury^  about  Tunbridge  Castle,   Richard  dies. 

A.D.  1231.  Henry,  king  of  England,  at  the  Nativity  of  the 
Lord,  held  his  conrt  at  Lambeth  ;  Hubert,  justiciary  of  Eng- 
land, supplying  him  with  all  necessary  things,  and  treating 
him  with  great  courtesy.  About  the  same  time,  a  quarrel 
arose  between  the  king  and  Richard,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, about  Tunbridge  castle,  and  some  other  lands,  with  the 
town  also  of  Tunbridge,  and  all  its  belongings,  which  were 
said  to  appertain  to  the  church  of  Canterbury. 

The  same  year,  in  the  month  of  April,  Richard,  the  king's 
brother,  espoused  Isabella,  countess  of  Gloucester,  widow  of 
Gilbert  de  Clare,  who  was  lately  dead,  and  sister  of  William 
Marischal,  earl  of  Pembroke ;  and  the  nuptials  were  hardly 
completed  before  the  same  earl  William  died,  and  was  buried 
in  London,  in  the  church  of  the  New  Temple,  near  his  father, 
on  the  fifteenth  of  April.  About  that  time  a  truce  was  esta- 
blished between  the  king  of  France  and  the  king  of  England, 
and  when  it  was  settled,  then  the  earl  of  Chester  and  the  others 
whom  the  king  of  Elngland  had  sent  into  Brittany,  returned 
to  England.  But  in  the  month  of  July,  Peter,  bishop  of  Win- 
chester, having  nobly  discharged  for  a  space  of  nearly  fi^e  years 
his  vow  of  pilgrimage  in  the  Holy  Land,  returned  into  England 
on  the  first  of  August,  and  coming  to  Winchester^  was  re- 
ceived with  a  solemn  procession  in  his  cathedral  church. 

That  same  year,  archbishop  Richard  went  to  Rome,  on  the 
matter  which  I  have  already  mentioned,  and  having  arranged 
the  affair  according  to  his  wish,  returned,  and  died  at  Saint 
Gemma,  in  the  house  of  the  Minor  brothers,  three  days'  jour- 
ney on  this  side  of  Rome  ;  and  when  he  died,  the  dispute  in 
which  he  had  been  concerned  and  had  succeeded  died  too. 

At  this  time  the  king  proposed  to  marry  the  sister  of  the 
king  of  Scotland,  to  the  great  indignation  of  all.  his  earls  and 
barons.  For  it  was  not  becoming,  as  they  said,  for  the  king 
to  marry  the  younger  daughter,  when  Hubert,  the  justiciary, 
had  the  elder  daughter  for  his  wife.  But  as  the  king  was 
against  his  will  thwarted  in  this  matter  by  means  of  the  count 
of  Brittany,  who  was  the  king's  guardian  at  the  time,  he  gave 
the  said  earl,  who  made  him  many  })romises,  but  performed 


A.D.1232.  HENBT  ATTENDS  THE  WSSTITAL  OP  THE  KATITITT.  163 

none  of  them,  fiye  thousand  marks  of  silyer,  which  was  nearly 
all  that  he  had  left  after  his  past  losses. 

Richard,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  being  dead,  the  monks 
of  Canterbury  determined  with  one  accord  to  demand  as  his 
successor,  Radulph  de  Neville,  bishop  of  Chichester,  and 
chancellor  of  the  king,  because  he  was  very  faithful  to  both 
kmg  and  kingdom,  and  an  unshaken  pillar  of  the  truth.  But 
after  this  demand  of  theirs  was  intimated  and  made  known  to 
the  lord  pope,  he  having  made  a  diligent  inquiry  of  master 
Simon  de  Langton  into  the  character  of  the  man,  fearing  the 
zeal  of  that  faithful  man,  lest  he  should  hereafter  endeavour  to 
deUver  the  kingdom  of  England,  which  he  loved  with  a  sin- 
cere heart,  from  the  yoke  of  tribute  under  which  it  was  bound, 
made  them  answer  that  he  was  a  man  hasty  in  word  and  pre- 
sumpttlous,  and  not  such  as  to  be  worthy  of  such  pre-emi- 
nence. And  that  the  monks  might  be  the  more  willing  to 
abandon  their  proposal,  he  hardly  granted  them  permission  to 
elect  or  demand  any  other  archbishop  they  chose. 

About  the  same  time,  some  persons  whom  the  intolerable 
yoke  of  the  Romans  oppressed  above  measure,  having  by 
some  means  or  other  obtained  letters  from  the  king,  carried 
off  the  com  belonging  to  the  Romans,  and  took  in  a  hostile 
manner  a  Roman  of  the  name  of  Cintius,  a  canon  of  the 
church  of  Saint  Paul's,  in  London,  and  after  a  few  days,  they 
allowed  him  to  depart,  after  having  stripped  him  of  every- 
thing. But  when  this  conduct  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
king,  by  the  pope's  making  a  complaint  of  it,  he  attributed 
the  whole  of  the  guilt  to  Hubert,  the  justiciary ;  and  from  that 
time  forth,  as  if  some  one  of  the  Romans  had  been  his 
brother,  he  persecuted  most  mercilessly  Hubert,  the  justici- 
ary, who  had  often  powerfully  assisted  the  king  himself  in 
many  of  his  troubles  about  obtaining  the  kingdom,  as  the 
following  history  will  deduce  to  those  who  are  inclined  to 
read  it. 

Master  John  Bhnd  is  elected  arcKbishop  of  Canterhurt/,  the 
election  of  the  former  John  having  been  annulled,  Hubert  de 
Burgh  ie  expoBed  to  great  persecution, 

AB.  1232.  Henry  the  Third,  king  of  Engknd,  at  the  fes- 
tival of  the  Nativity  of  our  Lord,  was  at  Winchester,  and  Peter, 
the  bishop  of  that  city,  provided  both  the  king  and  his  train 
with  all  things  necessary,  and  gave  them  garments  suited  to 


164  KATTHSW  or  WXSTMIKSTSB.  A.D.  1232. 

the  fefltiyal,  and  other  presents.  About  the  siune  time,  becaose 
of  the  exceeding  expense  which  he  had  been  at  in  Brittany, 
the  king  demanded  some  money,  as  an  aid,  both  from  the 
knights  and  prelates.  About  the  same  time,  John,  the  prior 
of  the  church  of  Canterbury,  was  elected  to  the  archbishopric 
of  Canterbury,  by  the  monks  of  that  church ;  and  when  he 
had  been  presented  to  the  king,  and  accepted  by  him,  he  set 
out  for  Rome,  in  order  to  obtain  from  the  Apostolic  See  a  con- 
firmation of  his  election,  which  had  been  regularly  decided. 
About  the  same  time,  when  Henry,  bishop  of  Rochester,  had 
been  conferring  holy  orders  on  some  candidates  on  the  sab- 
bath, when  the  anthem,  "  Come  ye  that  thirst,  to  the  waters,*' 
is  chaunted,  at  Sittingboume,  in  the  presence  of  the  arch- 
bishop elect  of  Canterbury,  who  was  on  the  point  of  crossing 
the  Alps,  and  with  all  tSie  clei^  and  laity  standing  by,  he 
addressed  a  sermon  to  them,  protesting  confidently,  and  say- 
ing, "  Rejoice  all  ye  brethren  in  the  Lord,  knowing  that  be- 
yond a  doubt,  that  in  one  and  the  same  day,  both  Richard, 
formerly  king  of  England,  and  Stephen,  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, have  been  released  from  purgatory,  with  a  chaplain 
too,  of  the  archbishop,  being  about  to  depart  and  appear  be- 
fore the  face  of  the  Divine  Majesty,  and  on  that  day  they 
were  the  only  three  who  were  released  from  the  penal  places. 
And  you  may  give  the  most  ample  and  unhesitating  belief  to  my 
words,  because  this  has  been  now  for  the  third  time  revealed 
in  a  vision  to  me  and  to  no  other  person ;  and  that  so  dis- 
tinctly, that  every  doubt  and  uncertainty  is  wholly  removed 
from  my  mind." 

The  same  year,  John,  the  prior  of  Canterbury,  who  had 
been  elected  archbishop,  came  to  Rome,  to  procure  from  the 
lord  pope  the  confirmation  of  his  election.  But  because  the 
pope  saw  that  he  was  very  old,  and  simple,  and  not  at  all 
calculated  for  such  a  dignity,  he  persuaded  him  to  yield  to  the 
spirit  of  meekness,  because  he  thought  that  he  was  a  holy  and 
thoroughly  religious  man :  and  he  cheerfully,  and  in  the  spirit 
of  humility,  renounced  the  election  which  had  been  made. 
Then  the  pope  gave  leave  to  those  monks,  whom  he  thought 
not  entirely  discreet,  to  elect  some  one  else,  such  an  one  as 
they  might  be  able  to  give  a  share  of  their  burden  to,  and  to 
whom  they  might  commit  the  care  of  his  fiock  with  assurance 
of  his  competency.  About  that  time,  Leoline,  prince  of  Wales, 
invaded  the  territories  of  the  barons  of  England^  and  began. 


A.D.  1232.    HUBEBT  D£  BUB&H  DEPBIYXI)  OF  OITICE.  165 

according  to  his  custom,  to  occupy  himself  in  burning  and 
plundering.  But  the  king  having  made  a  careful  estimate  of 
how  much  money  was  contained  in  the  royal  treasury,  found 
that  there  was  much  less  deposited  there  than  he  had  supposed. 
Therefore,  he  required  a  strict  account  from  his  ministers,  and 
deposed  Banulph,  sumamed  the  Breton,  the  treasurer  of  his 
chamber,  from  hia  office,  and,  throwing  him  into  prison,  com- 
pelled him  to  purchase  his  release  at  a  high  price.  And  in  all 
these  matters  he  reUed  on  the  advice  of  the  bishop  of  Win- 
chester, and  very  angrily  removed  from  his  office  Hubert  de 
Burgh,  justiciary  of  Uie  kingdom,  although  he  had  a  charter 
of  the  king  to  guarantee  him  the  perpetual  enjoyment  of  his 
dignity ;  and  the  king  appointed  in  his  stead  Stephen  de  Sea- 
grave,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  July.  And  he  demanded  an 
account  of  his  treasures,  and  he  levied  against  Hubert  the 
most  enormous  accusations,  charging  him  even  with  Ihe  nuh 
jesti  ;  and,  as  the  king  now  attacked  him,  many  others  rose 
up  against  him,  and  accused  him  of  many  things,  among 
whom  the  citizens  of  London,  impeaching  him,  as  it  were, 
of  wickedness,  in  the  matter  of  the  hanging  of  Constantine, 
their  fellow  citizen,  required  his  blood  at  his  hands,  with  great 
earnestness  demanding  that  justice  should  be  done  them  for  so 
great  an  injury.  But  when  Hubert  heard  of  all  this,  he  fled 
to  the  church  of  Merton,  and  concealed  himself  there  among 
the  canons. 

The  same  year,  in  the  course  of  the  autumn.  Master  John 
Blnnd,  a  student  at  Oxford,  and  a  reader  in  theology,  was 
elected  to  the  archbishopric  of  Canterbury,  and  having  been 
received  as  such  by  the  king,  he  went  with  some  monks  oc 
Canterbury  to  Rome,  to  procure  the  confirmation  of  his  elec- 
tion from  the  ApostoUc  See.  About  the  same  time,  the  king, 
because  of  the  debts  for  which  he  was  still  bound  to  the  count 
of  Brittany,  and  which  had  been  contracted  in  consequence  or 
his  interfering  in  the  affairs  of  Brittany,  procured  the  grant  of 
the  fortieth  part  of  all  their  moveables  from  the  bishops, 
abbots,  priors,  secular  clergy,  and  laity,  to  be  extorted  in  the 
condition  in  which  they  then  were  at  the  time  of  harvest  which 
was  Ihen  at  hand,  about  the  day  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael; 
and  he  did  this  by  the  advice  of  Stephen  de  Seagrave.  About 
the  same  time,  Hubert,  knowing  the  violence  of  the  king's 
anger,  would  not  venture  to  appear  in  his  presence  on  the  day 
which  bad  been  appointed  him.    Then  the  king,  being  an^^ 


166  liATTHEW  or  WESTMHrSTEB.  A.D.  1232. 

signified  to  the  mayor  of  London,  when  the  honr  of  evening 
was  just  at  hand,  that  the  moment  that  he  received  the  king's 
letters,  he  shoald  take  to  himself  all  the  citizens  of  the  city 
who  were  capable  of  bearing  arms,  and  go  to  Merton  and  cLrag 
out  Hubert  de  Burgh  from  that  church,  dead  or  alive,  and 
bring  him  before  hun.  But  the  mayor  having  sounded  the 
common  call,  marched  thither  in  armour  with  the  people  of 
the  city,  intending  to  obey  the  king's  command.  And  when 
Hubert  heard  this,  he  prostrated  hmaself  in  prayer  before  the 
great  altar,  and  commended  his  body  and  soul  to  Grod.  And 
while  the  armed  citizens  were  rushing  there  in  a  body,  it  was 
suggested  to  the  king,  that  if  he  violated  the  peace  of  the 
church  for  the  purpose  of  oppressing  Hubert,  who  had  been 
formerly  his  tutor,  and  who  was  known  as  a  faithful  subject 
to  nearly  all  the  countries  on  this  side  of  the  Alps ;  ''  Then," 
said  his  adviser,  "  nearly  all  men,  and  especially  the  nations 
of  France,  will  rise  up  against  you  with  reproaches  and  accu- 
sations, and  perhaps,  in  conjunction  with  the  avenging  church 
itself,  will  wage  war  against  yon."  And  when  he  had  heard 
and  tiioroughly  comprehended  this,  he  promptly  recalled  the 
furious  citizens  before,  any  sedition  actually  broke  out. 

After  these  events,  Luke,  the  archbishop  of  Dublin,  who  bad 
a  grateful  recollection  of  the  benefits  which  Hubert  bad  con- 
ferred on  him,  comforted  him  in  the  Lord^  and,  with  many 
entreaties,  prevailed  on  the  king  to  grant  Hubert  a  truce,  that 
he  might  have  time  to  deUberate  how  he  might  make  a  good 
answer  to  the  accusations  brought  against  him ;  and  with  some 
difficulty  he  obtained  leave  for  him  to  have  time  given  him  till 
the  week  after  the  Epiphany.  Then  Hubert,  being  informed 
of  these  circumstances  by  letters  of  the  king,  took  his  way  to 
Saint  Edmund's  Bury,  where  his  wife,  Margaret,  was  staying, 
to  seek  consolation  in  his  tribulation  at  the  tomb  of  that  glo- 
rious king  and  martyr ;  and  passing  through  Essex,  he  stopped 
at  a  town  which  bdonged  to  the  bishop  of  Norwich.  And 
when  this  was  told  to  the  king,  he  became  violently  angry, 
fearing  that  if  Hubert  departed  in  this  way  he  might  cause 
confusion  in  his  kingdom,  on  which  account  he  repented  of 
what  he  had  done,  and  sent  after  him  a  knight  named  Godfrey 
de  Granecumbe,  with  three  hundred  armed  men,  commanding 
them,  on  pain  of  being  hanged,  to  take  him  prisoner,  and 
bring  him  back,  and  to  place  him  in  confinement  in  the  Tower 
of  London.     But  they  went  with  all  speedi  and  found  Hubert 


A.]).  1232.        RAIHTLPH,  ISABL  OF  LIKGOLN,  ])I£S.  167 

in  a  certain  chapel  close  to  the  house  in  which  he  was  dwell- 
ing, holding  the  cross  in  one  hand  and  the  hody  of  the  Lord 
in  die  other ;  for  he  had  been  forewarned  of  the  arrival  of 
those  who  had  been  seeking  his  life,  and,  accordingly,  rising 
from  his  bed  on  which  he  was  asleep,  he  took  refuge  in  the 
chapel.  But  Godfrey,  with  his  armed  companions,  having  en- 
tered the  chapel,  ordered  him,  speaking  for  the  king  himself, 
to  quit  the  chapel  and  come  to  London,  to  confer  with  the 
king.  But  Hubert  replied  that  he  was  too  much  afraid  of  the 
anger  of  the  king,  and  that,  therefore,  he  could  by  no  means 
venture  to  quit  the  sanctuary.  But  Godfrey  and  his  accom- 
pUces  tore  tibie  cross  and  the  body  of  Christ  from  his  hands, 
and  binding  him  with  chains,  led  him  to  London,  and  threw 
him  in  his  chains  into  the  Tower.  But  when  the  bishop  of 
London  heard  this,  he  complained  bitterly  to  the  king  of  such 
a  scandalous  violation  of  the  church,  and  by  his  boldness  and 
firmness  he  prevailed  to  have  Hubert  conducted  back  to  the 
chapel  in  which  he  had  been  arrested.  Therefore,  the  king 
caused  the  chapel  to  be  surrounded,  strictly  commanding  the 
viscounts  of  Hereford  and  Essex,  with  a  sufficient  force  of 
guards,  on  pain  of  being  hanged,  to  take  care  that  he  did  not 
escape  by  any  contrivance,  and  to  watch  dihgently  to  prevent 
his  receiving  any  food.  Hubert,  therefore,  seeing  that  he  was 
threatened  with  a  most  shameAil  death,  of  his  own  accord 
quitted  the  chapel  and  surrendered  himself  to  the  viscounts, 
who  were  watching  him ;  for  he  said  that  he  would  rather 
make  trial  of  the  king's  mercy  than  waste  away  by  detestable 
famine. 

About  the  same  time,  the  king  levied  throughout  all  Eng- 
hmd  a  tax  of  one  fortieth  of  all  the  apparent  moveables  as 
they  existed  on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  Saint  Matthew,  in 
the  sixteenth  year  of  his  reign ;  employing  in  this  levy  his 
royal  guards,  Peter  de  Taney,  William  de  Coleworthe,  and 
Adam  Fitzwilliam.  About  the  same  time,  Banulf,  earl  of 
Chester  and  Lincoln,  died,  atWallingford,  on  the  twenty-eighth 
of  October.  And  when  Uie  news  of  his  death  reached  Hubert 
de  Burgh,  and  when  he  was  told  that  one  of  his  greatest 
enemies  was  dead,  he  sighed  and  groaned  deeply,  and  said, 
"May  God  be  merciful  to  his  soul."  And  then,  asking  for  a 
psaltery,  he  stood  before  the  cross,  and  though  fasting,  he, 
without  once  pausing,  played  a  psalm  entirely  tlmugh,  for  the 
soul  of  the  aforesaid  earl.    About  the  same  time,  too,  the 


IdS  MATTHEW  OT  WESTHHrSTXB.  A.D.  1233. 

king,  hearing  that  Hubert  had  deposited  a  great  portion  of 
his  wealth  in  the  New  Temple,  under  the  custody  of  the  Tem- 
plars, seized  upon  it  all,  saying  that  it  all,  and  more  too,  had 
been  dishonestly  and  stealthily  taken  from  his  treasury. 

This  year,  also,  pope  Gregory  apjpointed  visitors  to  the 
rehgious  brotherhoods  established  throughout  the  world.  The 
same  year,  Roger,  bishop  of  London,  being  accused  with 
others  of  withholding  the  reyenues  which  belonged  to  the 
Romans,  or,  at  all  eyents,  of  conniving  at  their  being  withheld, 
went  to  the  Apostolic  See  for  the  purpose  of  clearing  himself, 
and  establishing  his  innocence.  But  after  great  exertion,  and 
having  been  plundered,  and  having  his  coffers  exhausted  at 
the  court  while  labouring  to  effect  his  object,  he  at  last  re- 
turned home,  after  great  suffering,  quite  unsuccessful.  And 
not  long  afterwards,  being  indignant  that  those  usurious  Chris- 
tians whom  he  call  Caersins,^  should  dwell  in  his  city,  and 
should  exercise  their  usurious  trade,  palliating  it  under  various 
names,  he  endeavoured  to  drive  them  from  his  diocese.  But 
as  they  resisted,  being  supported  by  the  patronage  of  the 
Roman  court,  after  many  annoyances  which  they  inflicted  on 
him,  they  compelled  him  to  keep  silence.  The  same  year, 
£la,  countess  of  Salisbury,  founded  a  convent  of  nuns  at 
Lay  cock. 

Ch.  X.— Feom  A.D.  1233  TO  a.d.  1239. 

Disputes  between  the  king  and  some  of  the  bishops — Discon- 
tent of  some  of  the  nobles — Death  of  the  earl  of  Pembroke 
in  Ireland — The  pope  Chregory  preaches  a  new  cmsade — 
Henry  marries  Eleanor  of  Provence — He  summons  a  council 
of  his  nobles — They  grant  him  money — Cordova  is  recovered 
from  the  Saracens — Quarrels  between  the  scholars  of  Ox- 
ford  and  Rome — Baldunn,  emperor  of  Constantinople,  comes 
to  England— Death  of  Edward  the  Third— The  emperor 
Frederic  is  excommunicated. 

The  king  demands  an  account  from  Peter,  bishop  of  Winchester, 
Also  from  Stephen  de  Segrave,  and  from  Robert  Passelewe. 

A.D.  1233.  Henry  the  Third,  king  of  England,  held  his 
court  at  Christmas,  at  Worcester,  when,  by  the  advice  of  Peter, 

>  This  name  appears  derived  from  Caonrs,  a  town  in  Piedmont,  the 
inhabitants  of  which,  like  the  Lombards,  in  general  were  great  monej 
dealers  in  the  middle  ages. 


A.B.  1233.      GHEAT  TITHE  COLLECTED  IN  IWeLAND.  169 

bishop  of  Wincheater,  he  removed  all  the  natural  servants  of  his 
court  from  their  offices,  and  appointed  Poictevins  and  foreigners 
to  their  places  instead.  He  expelled,  in  a  most  contemptuous 
manner,  William  de  Bodune,  a  knight,  who  held  the  office 
of  the  great  mareschal  in  the  king's  court,  at  which  Richard, 
the  mareschal,  was  very  indignant.  Also  the  same  king  Plenry, 
in  compliance  with  the  dictates  of  that  same  councillor,  re- 
moved Walter,  sumamed  Mauclerk,  hishop  of  Carlisle,  from 
the  office  of  treasurer,  and  exacted  a  hundred  pounds  of 
him,  and  also  hy  force  deprived  him  of  certain  wardships 
which  he  had  granted  to  him,  and  confirmed  him  in  by  charter. 
And  he  cast  off  aU.  his  councillors,  both  bishops  and  earls, 
and  barons,  and  the  nobles  of  his  kingdom,  with .  such  preci- 
pitation, that  he  trusted  no  one,  except  the  bishop  who  has 
been  already  mentioned,  as  if  he  worshipped  him  as  a  god  ; 
and  with  the  exception  also  of  his  dear  friend,  Peter  de  Ri- 
vallis.  Owing  to  which  it  happened  that,  having  expelled 
the  keepers  of  the  castles  throughout  nearly  all  England,  the 
king  committed  them  all  to  the  custody  of  the  same  Peter. 
Afterwards,  this  Peter,  bishop  of  Winchester,  united  himself 
in  fellowship  with  Stephen  de  Segrave,  a  man  very  ill-affected 
both  to  the  kingdom  and  the  church,  who  had  given  evil 
counsel  to  Master  Stephen,  the  pope's  chaplain,  when  he 
was  about  to  collect  the  tithe  of  the  churches  of  England,  not 
to  make  an  end  with  the  prelates  of  England,  but  carefully 
to  reserve  the  tenth  when  it  was  entirely  collected,  for  the 
pope ;  in  consequence  of  which  detestable  counsel  the  church 
suffered  incalculable  injury  in  many  ways.  For  owing  to  this, 
the  sum  that  was  collected  reached  nearly  double  its  usual 
amount,  and  what  was  worse,  the  number  and  value  of 
the  churches  and  prebends,  and  all  the  revenues  of  the  king- 
dom of  England  were  revealed  to  the  cupidity  of  the  Roman 
court,  which  led  it  to  be  more  and  more  intent  upon  plun- 
dering the  revenues.  And  a  regular  agreement  was  made 
between  these  two  Stephens,  that,  as  a  reward  for  that  trea- 
chery, Stephen  de  Segrave  should  obtain  an  indulgence  from 
the  Apostolic  See,  for  the  use  of  his  son,  who  was  one  of  the 
secular  clergy,  and  permission  to  enjoy  freely  as  many  be- 
nefices as  he  might  be  able  to  procure  for  him.  But  that 
dishonesty,  which  had  been  so  wickedly  contrived  to  the  in- 
jury of  the  commonwealth,  was  baulked  of  its  success.  For 
this  same  clerk^  the  son  of  Stephen  de  Segrave,  who  has  been 


170  IILTTHEW  OF  WESTMIKSTEB.  AD.  1233. 

often  mentioned,  in  a  short  time  ended  his  life  by  the  ven- 
geance of  God. 

To  these  men  there  was  added,  Robert,  sumamed  Passelewe, 
who,  in  conjunction  with  his  master,  Falcas,  was  at  Rome,  con- 
triving injury  to  the  king  and  kingdom,  with  all  his  exer- 
tions, and  the  expenditure  of  no  small  quantity  of  money.  He 
was  the  keeper  of  the  king's  treasury,  under  Peter  de  Bivallis, 
and  then  it  came  to  pass  that  the  reins  of  the  whole  kingdom 
were  committed  to  men  of  foreign  and  ignoble  birth,  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  others.  Therefore  there  rose  up  among  the 
nobles  of  England  a  second  Mattathias  as  it  were,  a  man  of 
noble  birth,  and  a  most  gallant  soldier.  Earl  Richard,  the 
king's  marshal,  who  was  excited  by  a  zeal  for  justice,  and 
constantly  blamed  the  simplicity  of  the  foolish  king.  And  this 
carl  was  joined  by  Gilbert  Basset,  by  Wavin,  and  Philip  his 
brother,  and  by  Richard  Siward.  Aad  besides  the  causes  of 
discontent  already  mentioned,  it  added  fuel  to  the  flame,  that, 
seduced  by  the  advice  of  the  foreigners,  and  also  of  some  of 
the  native  English  who  have  been  mentioned,  and  who  by  their 
blandishments  and  flatteries  increased  his  folly,  the  king  un- 
justly, and  without  form  of  trial,  deprived  the  aforesaid  Gilbert 
Basset  of  the  manor  of  Netheraven,  in  the  county  of  Wilt- 
shire, and,  having  stripped  him  of  it  by  force,  invested  Peter 
de  Malolac,  a  Poictevin,  with  it.  And  as  the  aforesaid  earl 
Richard  thought  this  injury  not  one  that  touched  himself 
alone,  but  a  public  one  also,  he  repeatedly  appealed  to  the 
king  by  the  bishops,  the  clergy,  the  preaching  brothers,  the 
Minor  brothers,  and  also  by  his  peers,  to  deal  with  the  afore- 
said Gilbert  Basset,  and  his  other  natural  subjects  in  the  king- 
dom in  a  lawful  manner,  according  to  the  laws  and  customs  of 
the  kingdom,  and  not  to  follow  the  evil  counsels  of  foreigners 
and  malignants  such  as  have  been  named.  But  to  their 
prayers  and  admonitions  the  king  paid  not  the  least  attention, 
but  was  rather  moved  to  greater  anger  by  them,  and  drove  the 
aforesaid  earl  and  all  his  adherents  into  Wales,  and  banished 
them,  giving  up  all  their  estates  and  possessions  to  plunder, 
and  confiscating  all  their  property.  And  as  the  urgent  neces- 
sity of  the  case  compelled  the  aforesaid  knights  to  consider  of 
a  remedy,  they  chose  rather  manfully  to  resist  such  injurious 
conduct,  and  to  fight  for  their  country,  than  to  submit  to  an 
unjust  and  arbitrary  loss  of  their  inheritance.  And  although 
it  seemed  possible  that  they  might  by  chance  be  forced  to 


A.S.  1233.     ELBCTIOIir  OP  JOHK  BLTTITD  AlOrgLLED.  171 

attack  even  the  person  of  the  king,  this  they  vere  unwilling 
to  do>  but  they  injured  his  adherents  by  plunder,  and  spoiling, 
and  fire,  and  every  means  which  they  had  in  their  power, 
during  ike  whole  of  the  summer  and  winter  that  the  war 
lasted. 

The  same  year,  on  the  twenty-third  of  March,  there  was  a 
terrible  thunder-storm,  which  was  followed  by  such  an  inun- 
dation of  rain  lasting  the  whole  summer,  that  it  everywhere 
broke  up  the  preserves,  and  fish  ponds,  and  mill  streams, 
throoghout  nearly  the  whole  of  England,  and  tore  up  the  mills 
from  their  foundations.  And  in  the  arable  lands,  and  fertile 
orchards,  and  other  places,  which  were  quite  unusual,  springs 
burst  forth,  and  streams  ran  in  all  directions,  producing  small 
fishes;  the  mill  streams,  though  unused  to  it,  becoming 
adapt^  to  support  them. 

The  same  year,  on  the  eighth  of  April,  about  the  first  hour 
of  the  day,  four  spurious  suns  appeared  in  heaven,  besides 
the  real  one,  marked  with  some  circles  which  intersected  them 
ia  a  marvellous  manner,  in  the  district  which  lies  beyond  the 
borders  of  Hereifordshire  and  Worcestershire ;  and  this  pro- 
digy was  followed  by  a  great  slaughter  on  the  confines  of 
Wales,  in  the  country  which  lies  on  the  borders,  and  by  lament- 
able conflagrations  in  Ireland. 

This  year  Warin  Basset  died  at  the  siege  and  in  the 
assault  of  Cardiff  Castle.  About  the  same  time,  the  election 
of  Master  John  Blund  was  annulled  at  Rome,  for  the  bishop 
of  Winchester  had  written  on  his  behalf  to  the  lord  the  em- 
peror, begging  him  to  condescend  to  assist  the  said  John,  and 
to  procure  that  he  might  receive  his  promotion  without  any 
of  the  hindrances  to  which  others  who  had  been  elected  to 
the  same  dignity  had  been  exposed.  But  the  pope,  who  did 
not  love  the  emperor  with  sincerity  of  heart,  did  not  grant 
bis  request,  but  alleging  a  fictitious  pretext  for  annulling  hia 
election,  he  made  a  violent  objection  to  the  said  John,  because 
be  had  obtained  two  benefices  to  which  cure  of  souls  was  an- 
nexed without  any  dispensation,  which,  as  he  stated,  were  a 
sufficient  reason  for  annulling  his  election,  and  so  the  friend- 
ship and  request  of  the  bishop  of  Winchester  did  him  more 
barm  than  good.  About  the  same  time,  Edmond  of  Abing- 
doa  was  elected  archbishop.  About  the  same  time,  earl 
Richard,  perceiving  that  he  was  destitute  of  allies,  formed  a 
confederacy  with  Leoline,  and  the  other  nobles  of  that  country. 


172  MATTHEW  or  WESTMIKSTEB.  A. D.  1233. 

and  tlie  two  bound  themselyes  to  one  another  by  mutual 
oaths.  At  this  time  also,  that  is  to  say,  on  the  day  after  the 
festival  of  the  blessed  Mary,  many  warlike  men  landed  at 
Dover,  coming  from  foreign  countries,  and  went  to  Gloucester 
to  the  king.  Then  the  king  being  surrounded  by  them,  and 
by  many  other  troops  likewise,  advanced  a  numerous  army 
towards  the  city  of  Hereford.  At  this  time  also,  Walter, 
bishop  of  Carlisle,  having  received  some  injuries  at  ihe  king's 
band,  embarked  on  board  a  ship  at  Dover,  with  the  purpose 
of  crossing  the  sea.  But  some  of  the  king's  servants  came 
up,  who  turned  him  and  his  companions  out  of  the  vessel,  and 
positively  forbade  them,  in  the  king's  name,  from  quitting  the 
kingdom  without  his  permission. 

About  the  same  time,  Roger,  bishop  of  London,  landed  at 
Dover,  on  his  return  from  the  court  of  Rome  ;  and  he,  seeing 
the  injury  that  had  been  done  to  the  aforesaid  bishop,  excom- 
municated all  those  who  had  laid  violent  hands  upon  him,  and 
going  from  Dover  to  the  king,  he  found  him  before  the  city 
of  Hereford,  with  his  army,  and  then,  in  the  presence  of  the 
king  and  of  some  of  the  bishops,  he  repeated  the  sentence 
which  he  had  pronounced  on  those  who  had  offered  this  vio- 
lence to  the  bishop  of  Carlisle,  in  spite  of  the  king  murmur- 
ing and  prohibiting  him  from  pronoimcing  such  a  sentence. 
But  all  the  bishops  who  were  present  approved  of  the  conduct 
of  the  bishop  of.  London.  About  the  same  time,  the  king, 
by  the  advice  of  Peter,  bishop  of  Winchester,  defied  the  ma- 
reschal,  by  the  mouth  of  the  bishop  of  Saint  David's. 

At  this  time  also,  Hubert,  who  was  detained  in  prison  in 
the  castle  of  Devizes,  having  been  forewarned  that  bishop 
Peter  had  proposed  to  put  him  to  death  by  famine,  threw 
himself,  of  his  own  accord,  from  the  top  of  the  wall  into  the 
fosse,  and  entered  the  church,  from  which  he  was  forcibly 
dragged  by  the  keepers  of  the  castle.  But  as  the  bishop,  the 
diocesan  of  Salisbury,  reclaimed  him  boldly,  he  was  brought 
back  into  the  church,  and  after  a  short  time  he  was  carried  off 
from  thence  by  the  adherents  of  the  mareschal,  and  properly 
equipped  with  knightly  arms,  and  conducted  into  Wales, 
where,  on  the  thirtieth  of  October,  he  joined  the  enemies  of 
the  khig.  About  the  same  time,  the  king,  one  night,  suffered 
a  heavy  loss,  and  was  thrown  into  great  confusion  at  Gros- 
mund,  by  an  unexpected  sally  made  by  the  enemy.  And  a 
short  time  afterwards  a  severe  battle  took  place  in  front  of 


A.B.  1234.        BIC^LOLD,  lABL  07  PEMBBOKJS,  i)I£S.  1/3 

Monmouth  castle,  where,  on  the  side  of  the  mareschal,  the 
young  Thomas  Siward  was  taken  prisoner,  a  very  gallant 
knight;  and  on  the  king's  side  there  were  taken  fifteen 
knights  and  a  great  nnmher  of  esquires.  These  events  took 
place  on  Saint  Catharine's  day.  The  same  year,  the  king 
built  a  house  in  London,  for  those  converts  who  abandoned 
the  errors  of  Judaism,  and,  for  the  redemption  of  his  own 
soul  and  that  of  his  father,  assigned  them  for  ever  a  suf- 
ficient provision  for  the  necessaries  of  life  out  of  certain  reve- 
nues. And  again,  being  seized  by  a  similar  zeal  for  God,  he 
built  at  his  own  expense  a  noble  hospital  at  Oxford,  not  far 
from  the  bridge,  for  pilgrims  and  infirm  pebple,  who  might 
be  passing  through  those  parts. 

The  noble  knight,  Richard,  earl  of  Pembroke,  is  slain  in  Ireland, 
Edmund^  hamng  been  consecrated  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
reconciles  his  brother  Gilbert,  and  likewise  other  nobles  of  the 
kingdom,  to  the  king, 

A.D.  1234.  King  Henry  the  Third,  at  the  festival  of  the 
Nativity  of  the  Lord,  Iveld  his  court  at  Gloucester.  The  war 
which  had  begun  the  year  before,  was  terminated  this  year, 
A  truce  was  made  between  the  king  and  the  earl,  who  has 
been  mentioned,  to  last  from  the  Purification  till  Easter.  During 
which  period,  Richard,  earl  of  Pembroke,  crossed  the  sea  to 
Ireland,  and  with  great  earnestness  demanded  of  the  great 
justiciary,  and  of  the  other  nobles  of  Ireland,  that  homage 
should  be  done,  and  an  oath  of  fealty  taken  to  him,  and  that 
the  castles  should  be  surrendered  to  him,  positively  declaring 
that  he  would  never  quit  the  country  till  the  castles  had  been 
given  up  to  him.  But  the  nobles  of  Ireland  being  indignant 
at  this,  united  together  to  resist  him  without  any  delay,  and 
with  aU  their  energy  prepared  their  forces  to  withstand  him. 
But  on  a  certain  day,  the  position  of  afiairs  requiring  such  a 
step,  the  courage  of  the  aforesaid  earl  encountered  them  in 
battle  without  waiting  for  the  assistance  of  his  partizans ;  and 
nearly  all  the  troops  whom  he  had  with  him  at  the  first  onset, 
deserted  their  general,  and  left  him  alone  on  the  field,  and 
sought  safety  for  themselves  in  flight,  so  that  the  aforesaid 
earl,  after  having  slain  many  men,  received  a  mortal  wound, 
and  so  his  enemies  became  victorious  and  took  him  prisoner, 
and  conducted  him  back  to  his  own  camp,  where  he  died  in  a 
few  days.     And  thus  the  comfort  of  the  English,  which  it 


174  ILLTTHXW  07  WBSTMIKBTSB,  A.D.  1234. 

was  hoped  vould  have  had  hreathing  time,  owing  to  the  valour 
of  this  earl,  was  suddenly  clouded  by  a  dexk  fate.  In  the  mean- 
'  time,  while  the  relics  of  this  tempest  were  still  lasting.  Master 
Edmund,  of  Abingdon,  on  the  Sunday  on  which  the  anthem, 
**  Rejoice,  0  Jerusalem,"  is  chaunted,  that  is  to  say,  on  the 
second  of  April,  was  consecrated  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
by  Roger,  bishop  of  London,  at  Canterbury.  And  the  same 
day,  he  received  the  pallium  from  the  hands  of  Henry,  bishop 
of  Rochester.  And  he  found  such  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the 
king,  that  by  his  entreaty,  (receiving  the  counsel  of  the  foreign- 
ers and  rivals  of  Hubert,  who  has  been  mentioned  above)  he 
reconciled  to  the  king  all  the  nobles  who  had  been  adherents 
of  the  mareschal,  and  also  Hubert  himself,  and  when  they 
had  been  reconciled  to  him,  and  when  Albert,  the  brother  of 
Richard  the  mareschal,  who  had  been  shiin  in  Ireland,  as  has 
been  already  mentioned,  had  been  liberally  invested  with  his 
brother's  inheritance,  and  when  the  king  had  discarded  and 
given  to  confusion  all  his  former  councUlors,  the  whole  war 
was  entirely  put  an  end  to  about  Ascension  day. 

The  same  year,  on  that  frontier  of  the  empire  which 
touches  the  district  of  Germany,  not  f Ar  from  the  sea,  some  new 
heretics,  called  Canines,  were  defeated,  and  entirely  destroyed 
from  under  heaven  by  ihe  edge  of  the  sword.  This  year  also, 
the  eyes  of  the  king  were  opened,  and  by  the  account  of  those 
worthy  of  credit,  he  was  certified  of  the  faith  and  constancy  of 
earl  Richard,  mareschal,  and  of  the  treason  that  had  been 
wrought  against  him  by  certain  forged  letters  sent  into  Ireland, 
and  accordingly  he  required  an  account  of  his  treasury  and 
his  seal,  which  had  been  wickedly  taken  care  of,  to  be  ren- 
dered to  him  by  Peter,  bishop  of  Winchester,  and  Peter  de 
Rivallis,  and  Stephen  de  Segrave,  and  Robert  Passelewe.  But 
they,  fearing  the  wrath  of  the  king,  at  once  withdrew,  and 
flying  to  the  peace  of  the  church,  the  bishop  and  Peter  Ri- 
vallis concealed  themselves  in  the  cathedral  church  of  Win- 
chester. But  Stephen  de  Segrave  lay  hid  in  the  church  of 
Saint  Mary,  which  is  an  abbey  for  monks,  where  he  openly 
protested  that  he  was  and  had  been  a  clerk.  But  Robert  took 
refuge  in  some  secret  hiding  place,  so  that  they  who  sought 
for  lum  failed  in  the  anxious  search  which  thev  made,  and  he 
was  scarcely  safe  in  a  cell  of  the  New  Temple,  m  which  he  had 
taken  refuge.  But  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  a  man 
of  marvellous  sanctity  und  mildness,  eagerly  desiring  the 


A.]).  1234.  CONTEST  BXTWEEK  THE  FOPE  ASTD  THE  B0MA5S.  175 

peace  and  honour  of  the  king  and  kingdom,  exerted  himself 
as  much  as  possible,  going  to  and  fro  between  the  two  parties 
repeatedly,  in  order  to  establish  peace  between  the  king  and 
his  natural  subjects.  And  the  king,  knowing  that  he  was  a 
holy  and  just  man,  greatly  inclined  his  mind  to  his  prayers. 
At  last,  by  the  agency  of  money,  united  to  the  entreaties  of  the 
pontiff,  he  obtained  the  king's  clemency  for  the  before-men- 
tioned knights.  And  thus  the  whole  tempest,  in  the  deceitful 
revolution  of  human  affairs,  cleared  out  all  the  court  and 
palace. 

The  same  year,  as  his  conduct  had  well  deserved,  the  count 
of  Brittany  was  put  to  confusion  by  the  king  of  France,  and 
he  was  only  spared  by  the  royal  mercy  from  being  punished 
hya  shameM  execution,  because  of  his  noble  birth ;  for,  after 
he  had  deceived  the  king  of  England  by  all  kinds  of  treason, 
he  attempted  to  circumvent  the  king  of  France  likewise  by  a 
similar  dishonesty.  But  the  king  of  England  took  from  that 
traitor  all  the  estates  and  possessions  which  he  owned  in 
England.  And  when  the  said  count,  being  a  crafty  and 
treacherous  man,  heard  of  this,  namely,  that  he  had  fallen  on 
both  sides  into  the  snares  which  he  himself  had  spread,  he 
became,  from  having  been  a  noble  count,  a  most  infamous 
pirate,  laying  wait  for  the  merchants  of  England  who  had 
dealings  in  many  waters,  and  causing  great  hindrances  to 
many  of  them.  The  same  year,  the  king  perceiving  that  his 
simplicity  was  frequently  imposed  upon  by  many  people,  adopt- 
ing wiser  counsel,  took  Hugh  de  Pateshulle,  a  clerk,  whose  pru- 
dence and  fidelity  he  had  experienced  beyond  all  question, 
when  he  had  received  from  the  viscounts  the  payments  which 
had  been  agreed  upon,  and  promoted  him  to  be  his  chief  trea- 
sarer  and  councillor,  saying  to  him,  *'  Because  you  have  been 
faithful  over  a  few  things  which  were  entrusted  to  you,  I  will 
make  you  over  many  things.  Your  father  was  a  noble  and 
faithfal  man,  a  man  of  great  authority ;  follow,  I  beseech  you, 
the  example  of  your  father." 

At  this  time  also,  a  violent  contest  arose  between  the  pope 
and  the  Romans,  in  consequence  of  which  the  pope,  with  his 
cardinals,  withdrew  to  Perugia,  where  he  abode  some  time. 

This  year  also,  the  island  of  Majorca  (which  is  so  called  to 
distinguish  it  from  a  smaller  island  in  the  neighbourhood, 
which  is  named  Minorca,  both  which  islands  are  situated  in 
the  Mediterranean  sea,  between  Spain  and  the  dominions  of 


176  ICATTHBW  or  WESTMIKSTEE.  A.D.  1235, 

the  king  of  Morocco)  was  taken.  And  it  was  taken  by  the 
king  of  Arragon  and  the  citizens  of  Marseilles,  and  restored  to 
Christian  worship.  This  year  also,  Hugh  Folioth,  bishop  of 
Hereford^  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Master  de  Robert  Mei- 
denestanes,  who  received  consecration  from  Edmund^  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury. 

Eughy  bishop  of  Lincoln,  dies,     Rolert  Orossetite  mceeeds  him, 
Isabella,  the  Ung^s  sister,  is  demanded  as  empress. 

A.D.  1235.  King  Henry  the  Third,  at  the  feast  of  the  Nati- 
vity of  the  Lord,  held  his  court  at  Westminster.  The  same 
year,  seven  Jews  were  brought  before  the  king  at  Westminster, 
who,  a  year  before,  had  stolen  a  child  at  Norwich,  and  kept 
him  out  of  the  sight  of  the  Christians,  and  circumcised  him, 
calling  him  Jeremiah,  and  intending,  as  it  was  said,  to  crucify 
him  at  the  solemnity  of  Easter.  But  being  convicted  of  thu 
in  the  king's  presence,  they  confessed  the  truth  of  the  matter, 
and  so  remained  in  custody  and  in  prison,  at  his  pleasure,  as 
far  as  their  life  and  limbs  were  concerned. 

This  year,  Hugh  de  Wells,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  died,  on  the 
eighth  of  February,  and  was  buried  at  Lincoln,  in  his  cathe- 
dral church,  and  was  succeeded  by  Robert,  snmamed  Grosse- 
t^te,  who  received  consecration  at  Reading,  from  Edmund, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury.  The  same  year,  William,  abbot  of 
St.  Alban's,  died,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Matthias  the  Apostle, 
after  he  had  governed  his  church  with  vigour  twenty  years 
and  three  months.  He  was  succeeded  by  John,  prior  of 
Hertford,  which  was  a  chapelry  belonging  to  the  church  of 
Saint  Alban's.  About  this  time  too,  Henry  de  Sandford,  bishop 
of  Rochester,  died,  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  February. 

This  year  too,  which  is  the  tenth  year  after  the  truce  for 
ten  years  in  the  land  of  promise  had  been  established  between 
Frederic,  emperor  of  Rome,  and  the  soldan  of  Babylon,  a 
solemn  preaching  for  the  assumption  of  the  cross  took  place 
throughout  the  whole  world,  which  professed  the  Christian 
faith,  at  the  warning  and  desire  of  pope  Gregory  before-men- 
tioned. For  he  sent  letters  written  with  his  own  hand,  by  the 
Minor  brothers  and  preaching  brothers,  to  all  parts  of  the 
world,  addressed  to  the  prelates,  and  to  aU  who  were  learned 
in  theology,  and  skilful  in  the  art  of  preaching,  and  the 
a£fair  of  the  cross  prospered  in  their  hands. 

This  year  also,  after  Easter,  the  emperor  Frederic  sent  am- 


A.D.  1236.      HENRY  THX  THIBD  HABBIXS  ELEANOR.  1/7 

bassadors  to  England,  and  demanded  of  the  lord  king  Henry, 
that  his  sister,  Isabella^  might  be  given  to  him  for  his  wife. 
Accordingly,  the  king  having  taken  coonsel  on  this  subject 
with  hiB  friends,  sent  her  to  the  emperor  with  the  ambassadors, 
who  were  all  men  of  tried  worth.  And  Frederic  received  her 
with  due  respect,  and  married  her  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
which  was  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  May. 

The  same  year,  the  kmg  sent  formal  ambassadors  into  Pro- 
vence, to  espouse  Eleanor,  the  daughter  of  the  count  of 
Provence,  in  his  name.  And  they,  having  arranged  the  mar- 
riage contract  at  Tarascon,  on  Saint  Clement's  day,  caused  her 
to  be  wedded  in  the  king's  name,  by  Robert  de  Muchegers,  a 
knight,  as  if  the  king  himself  had  been  present.  And  the  cere- 
mony was  subsequently  repeated  at  Yienne,  on  the  fifteenth  of 
December. 

This  year  also,  Cordova,  a  noble  city  in  Spain,  was  taken  by 
the  king  of  Castile,  the  brother  of  Miramolin,  with  an  immense 
number  of  the  infidels  being  slain  in  the  battle. 

The  same  year,  at  Advent,  Robert  Fitz-Walter  died.  About 
the  same  time,  Peter,  bishop  of  Winchester,  went  to  Rome,  by 
the  command  of  the  lord  of  the  pope.  The  decretals  of  Gre- 
gory were  drawn  up  in  a  compendious  abridgment.  At  this 
point  the  chronicles  of  Roger  of  Windsor  end. 

Senry  the  Third,  Icing  of  Mghnd,  marries  Meaner,  daughter 
of  the  count  of  Provence.  Discord  arises  between  the  pope  and 
the  emperor, 

A.i>.  1236.  King  Henry  the  Third  held  his  court  at  Christ- 
mas,  at  Winchester.  The  same  year,  king  Henry  the  Third 
married  Eleanor,  the  daughter  of  Raymond,  count  of  Provence, 
and  having  espoused  her  at  Canterbury,  he  celebrated  his  nup- 
tials at  Westminster,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Fabian  and  Saint 
Sebastian.  In  the  same  year,  on  the  sixteenth  of  August, 
Thomas  de  Blondeville,  bishop  of  Norwich,  died,  and  was  suc^ 
ceeded  by  Radulph,  on  the  day  of  the  Apostles  Saint  Simon 
and  Saint  Jude.  The  same  year.  Master  Walter  de  Cantilupe 
was  elected  bishop  of  Worcester.  Thomas,  abbot  of  Evesham, 
died,  OH  the  tenth  of  December,  and  was  succeeded  by  Richard, 
prior  of  Hurley,  who  was  elected  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  Sep- 
tember, and  who,  on  the  first  Sunday  in  advent  next  following, 
received  the  benediction  at  Heywood  from  the  bishop  of  Co- 

VOL.  U.  N 


17S  MATTHEW  OP  W£STMINST£B.  A.D.  1236. 

ventry,  and  was  solemnly  installed  in  tbe  chnrch  of  Eresham, 
on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  the  blessed  Nicholas. 

In  these  days,  king  Henry  the  Third,  for  the  salvation  of 
hi»  own  soul  and  that  of  his  queen>  and  that  God  might  crown 
a  happy  beginning  by  a  fortunate  end,  by  giving  him  a  fruitful 
offspring,  in  a  council  held  at  Merton,  granted  and  esta- 
blished some  good  new  laws,  and  ordered  them  to  be  for  ever 
inviolably  observed  throughout  his  kingdom.  As  to  what  laws 
or  customs  in  the  length  of  time  that  had  elapsed  had  faQen 
into  disuse,  and  what  were  injurious,  a  diligent  investigation 
may  be  fully  formed  by  examining  the  writing  which  was 
drawn  upon  the  subject. 

About  the  same  time,  such  a  vast  inundation  of  continued 
rain  fell  for  about  three  months,  bb  no  one  recollected  having 
ever  seen  before.  About  the  same  time,  a  very  disastrous 
quarrel  arose  between  the  lord  and  emperor  Frederic,  and  the 
men  of  Italy,  who  are  commonly  known  to  be  from  ancient 
times  an  appurtenance  of  the  emperor.  And  because  the  lord 
the  pope  undisguisedly  favoured  the  side  of  the  Italians,  and 
especially  the  Milanese,  whose  character  was  abroad  for  many 
heresies,  and  usurious  and  simoniacal  practices,  he  day  by  day 
lost  the  devotion  of  many  of  the  faithful.  The  same  year,  a 
dispute  arose  in  the  city  of  Orleans  between  the  clergy  and  the 
citizens,  and  as  both  sides  rushed  to  arms,  a  civil  and  intestine 
war  sprung  up  between  them,  and  as  the  citizens  got  the  better, 
after  much  bloodshed,  a  great  many  of  the  scholars  of  noble 
birth  were  slain  and  drowned  in  the  river  Loire.  But  their 
relations  took  a  bitter  revenge  soon  after,  and  required  the 
blood  of  the  slain  at  the  hands  of  the  citizens.  And  the  whole 
city  was  placed  under  an  interdict  by  the  bishop  of  that  city, 
and  the  whole  kingdom  of  France  was  violently  disturbed,  till, 
at  last,  the  sedition  was  checked  and  quelled  by  the  prudence 
of  some  great  men. 

About  the  same  time,  there  arose  a  grievous  schism  between 
the  Roman  and  the  great  churches,  so  that,  at  the  command 
of  the  pope,  many  persons,  especially  in  the  kingdom  of 
France,  assumed  the  sign  of  the  cross  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
quering the  Greeks.  About  this  time  also,  the  heretical  de- 
pravity of  those  persons  who  are  commonly  called  Paterines, 
or  Bugariaus,  prevailed,  and  especially  in  the  countries  beyond 
the  Alps,  in  such  a  degree,  that  they  ventured  to  contaminate 
with  their  contagion  the  purity  of  the  faith  in  the  territories 


A.D.  1237.      THE  :BrOBL£S  OF  JiNQhAJH)  H£ET  AT  LONDOK.     1/9 

of  France  and  Flanders.  But  by  the  diligent  ministration  and 
uni^earied  preaching  of  the  divines  of  the  orders  of  Minors 
and  Preachers,  and  especially  of  Master  Robert,  a  brother  of 
the  order  of  Preachers,  sumamed  Bugre,  they  were  converted 
from  that  error,  and  their  superstition  was  confused  and  re- 
futed, and  those  who  refused  to  be  converted  Robert  caused 
to  breathe  forth  their  miserable  souls  in  the  fire. 

In  those  days  also,  a  great  slaughter  of  the  Jews  took  place 
in  the  countries  of  Italy,  so  that  many  of  them  fled  for  refuge 
to  France  and  England.  At  that  time  also,  the  noble  knight, 
William  de  Albiney,  died.  Also  about  the  same  time,  the  lord 
Frederic,  the  emperor,  sent  formal  ambassadors  to  the  king  of 
England,  to  demand,  with  great  earnestness,  a  considerable 
sum  of  money,  which  the  king  had  promised  him  with  his 
sister.  This  year  also,  a  great  many  large  springs  burst  out, 
and  unusual  streams,  full  of  river  fish.  And  the  day  after  the 
festival  of  the  blessed  Martin,  and  also  the  day  week  after,  a 
violent  storm  of  wind,  accompanied  by  noise  as  if  of  thunder, 
raised  up  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and  causing  them  to  exceed 
their  usual  bounds,  so  that  on  the  borders  of  the  sea,  and  in 
the  marshes,  as  for  instance  at  Wisbeach,  and  other  similar 
places,  boats  were  lost,  and  much  cattle,  and  a  great  number 
of  human  beings  perished.  About  this  time  too,  the  bishop 
of  Winchester  returned  from  the  countries  beyond  the  sea. 

Pecuniary  aid  is  required,  and  amendment  promised. 

A.D.  1237.  King  Heniy  held  his  court  at  Christmas,  at 
Winchester  ;  and  immediately  afterwards  he  sent  letters  from 
the  king  through  all  the  provinces  of  England,  ordering  all 
the  subjects  of  the  English  crown,  that  is  to  say,  the  arch- 
bishops, bishops,  abbots,  installed  priors,  counts  and  barons,  to 
meet,  without  any  omission  or  excuse,  on  the  day  week  after  the 
Epiphany,  at  London,  to  consider  of  royal  matters  affecting 
the  whole  kingdom.  And  the  nobles  having  received  this 
command,  immediately  obeyed  the  royal  order,  believing  that 
they  should  have  to  discuss  some  messages  from  the  pope 
or  emperor,  affecting*  the  general  state  of  affairs.  Accord- 
ingly, on  the  appointed  day  the  whole  body  of  the  nobles  of 
the  kingdom  met  at  London ;  and  when  they  had  taken  their 
seats  in  the  palace  of  the  monastery,  to  listen  to  the  king's 
wishes,  WiUiam  de  Rale,  one  of  the  secular  clergy,  who  was 
an  intimate  friend  of  the  king,  rose  up  in  the  midst  of  them, 

N  2 


180  MATTHEW  OF   WSSTMIH8TES.  ▲.]).   1237. 

in  whose  mouth  the  king  had  put  his  own  words,  which 
he  was  to  propose  to  his  nobles,  and  said :  "  The  lord  the 
king  wishes  you  to  know  that  he  is  destitute  of  treasures,  with- 
out the  support  of  which  the  kingdom  cannot  be  secura.  For 
he  has  lavished  great  sums  in  the  expenses  of  his  sister,  the 
empress.  Much,  too,  has  been  lost  in  the  custody  of  several 
keepers,  whom  he  has  trusted  like  himself,  and  who  have 
dealt  with  what  was  entrusted  to  them  in  a  manner  very  dif- 
ferent from  what  was  proper  or  expedient.  But,  whatever  he 
may  have  have  done  before,  for  the  future  discarding  fore^ners 
and  their  counsels,  the  Mse  nature  of  which  he  has  found 
out  to  his  own  loss,  he  will  incline  to  the  counsels  of  his  na- 
tural subjects.  Therefore  he  earnestly  requests  of  you  pecu- 
niary assistance,  in  order  that  the  constitution  of  the  king- 
dom may  be  confirmed  by  the  royal  treasury."  But  when  all 
had  heard  this  speech  with  indignation,  a  murmur,  mingled 
with  groans  and  grief,  sounded  through  the  hall,  that  the 
king's  simphcity  had  been  so  often  aroused,  while  the  abuse 
had  been  always  found  to  redound  to  the  injury  of  the  com- 
monwealth. And  also  because  money  was  so  frequently  ex- 
torted from  them  as  if  they  had  been  slaves  of  the  lowest  class, 
without  their  deriving  any  advantage  from  it.  But  when  the 
king  found  that  this  was  the  case,  desiring  to  appease  this 
murmur,  he  promised  with  an  oath  that  he  would  never  again 
provoke  the  nobles  of  his  realm  by  doing  them  injury  or  mo- 
lest them,  or  eat  away  their  property  by  similar  exactions, 
provided  they  would  now  grant  him  a  thirtieth  part  of  the  move- 
ables throughout  England ;  and  he  promised  of  his  own  accord 
to  observe  inviolably  from  that  time  forward  the  liberties 
granted  by  magna  charta  to  his  faithful  subjects.  And  be- 
cause he  seemed  to  be  not  entirely  himself,  out  of  the  operation 
of  the  sentence  which  the  archbishop,  in  concert  with  all  the 
bishops  of  England,  had  pronounced  against  all  the  violators  of 
the  aforesaid  charter,  which  he,  being  led  away  by  evil  counsel, 
had  in  some  degree  violated ;  lest  he  might  be  suspected  for 
the  future,  he  caused  the  archbishop  publicly  to  repeat  the 
sentence  before  alluded  to,  against  all  the  violators  of  the  said 
charter,  and  all  who  spoke  against  it ;  in  such  a  way  that  if  he, 
on  account  of  any  rancour  which  he  entertained,  had  failed  tp 
observe  it,  he  would  be  liable  to  the  heaviest  curse  of  the 
sentence  thus  pronounced.  And  the  consequence  of  this  con- 
duct was,  that  he  pacified  the  hearts  of  his  hearers.     And  ac- 


A.D.  1237.  THS  FOPS  BinOCOirS  !rHB  XABL  OF  BBITTAirr.       181 

cordingly,  on  these  conditions,  a  thirtieth  part  of  the  move- 
ables of  the  kingdom  was  cheerfully  granted  to  him  for  the 
restoration  of  his  exhausted  treasury,  each  man  being  allowed 
first  to  reserve  his  gold  and  silver  plate,  and  his  horse  and 
arms,  to  be  used  in  the  cause  of  the  commonwealth,  if  need 
should  be. 

This  year,  Leoline,  prince  of  North  Wales,  was  struck  with 
palsy,  and  became  very  ill.  Therefore,  before  the  news  of 
this  circumstance  got  abroad,  he  sent  the  bishops  of  Hereford 
and  Chester  to  the  king  of  England,  earnestly  entreating,  for 
the  Lord's  sake,  that  he  might  be  reconciled  to  the  king  in 
all  sincerity  of  heart,  from  that  time  forward,  and  be  allied  to 
him  in  all  indissoluble  friendship,  under  some  certain  agree- 
ment. For  he  considered  the  weakness  of  his  principality, 
and  also  of  his  own  person,  and  the  unpopularity  of  his  sons, 
Griflin  and  David,  and  calculated  that  if  he  were  dead  their 
counsels  would  be  disordered,  and  then  the  principality,  being 
divided  against  itself,  according  to  the  saying  in  the  Gospel, 
would  be  exposed  to  great  desolation.  But  many  of  the 
nobles  of  Wales  would  not  admit  this,  and  embittered  the 
heart  of  Leoline  to  his  own  misery,  till  he  became  weary  of 
his  life. 

About  the  same  time,  Richard,  the  heir  of  the  earl  of  Glou- 
cester, secretly  married  Margaret,  the  daughter  of  Hubert  de 
Bui^h,  earl  of  Kent,  by  the  management  of  that  same  earl  and 
his  wife  Margaret,  on  which  account  the  wrath  of  the  king 
became  exceedingly  hot  against  the  earl,  and  he  laboured 
with  all  his  might  to  procure  a  divorce  between  them,  as  he 
proposed  to  marry  the  said  Richard  to  another  wife.  The 
same  year,  the  lord  Frederic,  the  emperor,  with  a  view  to 
quelling  the  seditious  disturbances  which  frequently  arise  in 
the  court  of  Rome,  caused  another  senator  to  be  created. 

About  the  same  time,  the  lord  the  pope  summoned  the  earl 
of  Brittany  to  his  council,  knowing  that  he  was  a  warlike 
man,  and  one  of  great  experience  in  the  stratagems  of  war, 
and  very  able.  But  when  this  earl  had  replenished  his  empty 
coffers  with  the  pope's  treasures,  he  sought  for  excuses,  as- 
serting that  he  <ud  not  dare  attack  the  brave  and  powerful 
emperor,  lest  he  might  find  himself  overwhelmed  with  his 
mighty  power.  But  that,  if  the  lord  the  pope  chose  to  send 
him  to  subdue  the  enemies  of  the  cross,  as  he  ought  rather 
to  desire,  in  that  case  he  was  prepared  to  obey  the  commands 


182  MATTHEW  OF  WBSTMINSTEB.  A.D.  1237. 

of  his  father.  But  he  had  already  assumed  the  cross,  and 
accordmg  to  the  tow  which  he  took  upon  himself  when  he 
assumed  the  cross,  he  was  hound  to  cross  the  sea.  But  when 
the  pope  heard  this,  feigning  to  he  caught  hy  the  tricks  of  the 
layman,  he  dismissed  him  in  peace. 

In  those  days  the  hishop  of  Worcester  and  Norwich  went 
the  way  of  ail  flesh ;  and  so  the  monks  of  Worcester  elected 
Master  Walter  de  Cantelnpe  their  hishop,  whom  the  lord 
pope  accepted  with  difficulty,  and  consecrated  bishop.  And 
the  canons  of  Norwich  elected  their  prior,  as  a  religious  and 
discreet  man,  to  he  their  bishop.  And  because  his  election, 
though  regularly  proceeded  in,  offended  the  king,  it  was  an- 
nulled on  account  of  some  ridiculous  exceptions,  not  without 
some  guilt  of  conscience  being  incurred.  About  this  time,  also, 
John  de  Bresne,  of  immortal  memory,  formerly  king  of, Jeru- 
salem, and  who  had  nearly  obtained  the  crown  of  the  empire 
of  Constantinople,  was  removed  from  among  men.  Like- 
wise brother  Jordan,  the  prior  of  the  order  of  the  Preaching 
brothers,  a  man  of  venerable  life,  was  drowned  in  the  Medi- 
terranean sea,  and  so  departed  from  his  place  of  banishment 
in  this  world,  to  the  country  of  eternal  brightness,  where  he 
is  believed  to  be  reckoned  in  the  company  of  the  blessed 
saints.  In  those  days,  also,  brother  Dominic,  of  the  order 
of  Preachers,  and  the  holy  brother  Francis,  of  the  order  of 
Minors,  were  canonized,  and  reckoned  in  the  college  of  saints, 
as  their  holy  merits  well  deserved,  by  pope  Gregory,  who  was 
favourable  to  these  new  orders. 

The  same  year,  Richard,  bishop  of  Durham,  who  had  pre- 
viously ruled  two  bishoprics,  Chichester  and  Salisbury,  on  the 
second  day  of  the  week  of  the  Passion  of  our  Lord,  departed 
to  the  Lord,  at  Tarrant,  in  Wiltshire,  and  was  buried  in  a 
church  of  a  monastery  which  he  had  founded.  But  the  monks 
of  Durham,  having  sought  aid  from  above,  unanimously  elected 
their  prior,  a  discreet  and  religious  man,  to  be  their  bishop. 
About  that  time,  John,  earl  of  Chester,  surnamed  the  Scot, 
died,  of  poison  it  was  said,  and  the  bishop  of  Lincoln,  having 
been  attacked  by  the  same  kind  of  disease,  was  with  difficulty 
recalled  from  the  gates  of  death.  About  this  time,  the  king 
began  to  repent  of  having  conferred  such  numerous  and  great 
honours  on  his  brother  Richard,  and  on  Gilbert  Mareschal, 
and  some  others,  who  appeared  to  him  to  be  ungrateful ;  and, 
accordingly^  he  sent  secret  ambassadors,  friends  on  whom  he 


A.D.  123d.    ELEAKOS  MABBIES  SIMOK  I>S  MONTFOBT.  183 

could  rely  to  Rome  to  the  pope^  requesting  him  earnestly  to 
coudescend,  without  delay,  to  send  some  one  as  a  legate  into 
England,  which  appeared  to  be  an  especially  proper  object  of 
his  care,  who  might  re-establish  the  constitution  of  the  king- 
dom, which  was  in  danger.  Therefore,  Master  Otho,  the 
cardinal  deacon  of  Saint  Nicholas,  in  the  Tullian  prison,  came 
to  England  as  legate,  about  the  day  of  the  feast  of  the  blessed 
IVIary  Magdalene,  and  subsequently,  on  the  day  week  after 
the  feast  of  the  blessed  Martin,  he  held  a  solemn  council  at 
London,  in  the  church  of  Saint  Paul,  which  lasted  three  days 
without  interruption,  and  all  the  prelates  of  England  and 
Wales  being  assembled,  and  the  lords  archbishops  of  Canter- 
bury and  York  sitting  on  the  first  and  second  seat  of  honour 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  legate  himself,  many  things  were 
discussed  bearing  on  the  reformation  of  the  constitution  of  tlie 
church  of  England,  and  some  old  customs  were  altered.  And 
that  the  legate  might  not  seem  to  have  done  nothing  at  all,  or 
to  have  come  to  London  without  any  reformation  of  the  churcb, 
he  ordered,  under  formidable  penalties,  that  the  churches 
which  had  not  been  dedicated  should  be  dedicated.  But  the 
week  before  Christmas,  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
crossed  the  sea  to  go  to  Borne,  on  some  business  relating  to 
his  own  church. 

About  this  time,  that  most  wealthy  and  celebrated  city,  Cor- 
dova, in  Spain,  having  been  taken  from  the  Saracens  by  the 
most  valiant  and  Christian  king  Alfonso,  king  of  Castile,  was 
restored  to  Christian  worship. 

A  quarrel  having  arisen  between  the  scholars  of  Oxford  and  the 
Romansy  the  cook  of  the  legate  is^  slain.  The  queen  of  Scotland 
dies,     Baldwin,  emperor  of  Constantinople,  comes  to  England, 

A.P.  1 238.  The  king,  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord, 
held  his  court  at  Westminster,  where,  the  day  after  the  Epi- 
phany, the  king  gave  Eleanor,  his  sister,  countess  of  Pem- 
broke, in  marriage  to  Simon  de  Montfort.  On  account  of 
which,  earl  Richard  was  very  indignant,  and  the  whole  of  the 
kingdom  was  in  great  agitation  in  consequence.  Afterwards, 
about  the  time  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Hilary  next  ensuing,  king 
Henry,  without  taking  the  advice  of  his  barons,  married 
Richard  de  Clare,  son  of  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  to  Matilda, 
daughter  of  the  earl  of  Lincoln,  at  which  the  indignation  of 
earl  Richard  became  very  great,  as  did  that  of  nearly  all  the 


184  3£ATTH£W  07  TTESTMINSTSB.  i. .P.  1238. 

nobles  of  England ;  nearly  all  of  whom  met,  with  their  horses 
and  arms,  at  Southwark,  the  day  week  after  the  feast  of  Saint 
Hilary,  intending  to  attack  Simon  de  Montfort  and  the  earl  of 
Lincoln,  and  so  the  peace  of  the  whole  kingdom  was  disturbed. 
But  this  disturbance  was  appeased  by  the  prudence  of  lord 
Otho,  at  that  time  legate,  and  by  William  Valentine,  who,  at 
the  very  time  that  the  confusion  was  at  its  height,  arrived 
from  foreign  parts ;  and  the  earl  of  Lincoln  and  Simon  de 
Montfort  were  removed  from  the  king's  councils.  The  same 
year,  the  lord  legate  Otho  spent  the  feast  of  Easter  at  Lincoln, 
and  a  fortnight  after  Easter  he  left  that  city  and  travelled 
through  Oxford,  and  staid  at  Oseney,  where,  as  his  household 
provoked  the  clerical  scholars  of  that  town  to  quarrels  and 
railing,  a  fight  took  place  between  them,  so  that  while  the 
scholars  attacked  the  Romans,  and  the  Romans  resisted,  the 
cook  of  the  lord  legate  was  slain  on  the  spot,  and  many  per- 
sons on  each  side  were  mortally  wounded.  And  then,  the 
aforesaid  legate,  having  been  besieged  by  the  clerical  scholars 
till  the  hour  of  vespers,  in  his  fear  ascended  the  tower  of  the 
church,  and  sent  secretly  to  the  king,  who  was  at  that  time  at 
Abingdon,  earnestly  entreating  him  to  release  him  from  his 
blockade ;  and  the  next  day  the  king,  by  means  of  his  soldiers, 
conducted  him  to  Wallingford,  where  he  publicly  excommuni- 
cated all  who  had  insulted  him  in  this  way,  and  denounced 
them  as  persons  deprived  of  every  office  or  benefice,  and  pub- 
lished their  names  as  lawless  men.  And  likewise,  he  placed 
all  the  churches  in  Oxford  under  an  interdict,  and  suspended 
all  study  in  that  city.  And  he  caused  these  sentences  to  be 
published,  and  execution  of  them  to  be  demanded,  in  the 
church  of  Saint  Frediswide  at  Oxford,  with  great  solemnity, 
by  the  agency  of  the  bishop  of  Winchester,  and  the  abbots  of 
Evesham  and  Abingdon,  on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  Saint 
Philip  and  Saint  James,  the  clergy  and  liuty  having  been 
convened.  But  the  king,  because  of  this  infraction  of  his 
peace,  caused  Master  Odo  of  Kilkenny,  who  was  said  to  have 
been  present  at  the  insult  offered  to  the  legate,  to  be  arrested, 
with  eighteen  other  scholars,  and  to  be  thrust  into  prison, 
their  clerical  privileges  being  entirely  suspended ;  and  thus 
the  scholars  were  dispersed  and  study  suspended  at  Oxford  for 
the  whole  summer.  At  length  the  abbot  and  canons  of  Oseney, 
and  the  regent  masters  of  Oxford,  vnth  unshod  feet,  uncovered 
heads,  their  upper  garments  stripped  off  and  ungirt,  with 


I.D,  1238.         8IK0V  DE  MOinTOBT   GOES  TO  BOME.  185 

many  humble  petitions,  besought  pardon  of  the  legate,  and 
80,  at  last,  they  went  through  the  middle  of  the  city  of  Lon- 
don to  the  palace  of  the  bishop  of  Durham,  where  the  legate 
was  at  that  time  being  entertained,  and  thus  they  obtained 
pardon,  study  being  restored  at  Oxford,  and  the  before-named 
sentences  relaxed. 

About  this  time  died  Joanna,  queen  of  Scotland,  and  sister 
of  the  king,  who  had  come  to  EngUnd  to  yisit  the  king,  her 
brother  ;  and  she  was  buried  at  Tarrant,  in  a  house  of  nuns, 
on  the  fourth  of  March.  This  year  also,  sentence  was  given 
in  favour  of  the  monks  of  Rochester,  by  the  lord  the  pope,  in 
the  controversy  which  had  arisen  between  the  archbishop  and 
those  monks  concerning  the  election  of  their  bishop.  And 
the  bishop  whom  they  had  elected,  namely.  Master  Richard  of 
Wendover,  was  confirmed  on  Saint  Guthbert's  day. 

About  the  same  time,  Baldwin,  emperor  of  Constantinople, 
having  been  expelled  from  the  Greek  empire,  came  to  France 
and  England  to  obtain  useful  counsel  and  assistance  for  the 
recovery  of  his  rights,  from  the  French  and  English  sovereigns, 
as  they  were  his  friends  and  kinsmen.  And  he  brought  with 
him  the  crown  of  thorns,  which  the  Jews  plaited  and  placed 
on  the  head  of  Jesus  Christ  when  they  crucified  him. 

The  same  year  also,  the  lord  the  king  of  England  sent  a 
mihtary  aid  to  the  emperor  Frederic,  to  enable  him  to  subdue 
his  rebellious  subjects  in  Italy,  under  the  command  of  William 
the  elect  of  Valence,  Henry  de  Trubleville,  a  celebrated  knight; 
and  William  Hardel,  a  clerk,  under  whose  orders  the  English 
army,  being  well  paid  by  the  king,  fought  gallantly  for  the  lord 
the  emperor  throughout  the  whole  summer,  not  without  doing 
great  mischief  to  the  Lombards,  who  were  rebelling  against 
the  empire,  on  which  account  the  pope  conceived  great  indigna- 
tion against  the  Enghsh. 

About  the  same  time,  the  soldan  of  the  Persians,  who  was 
a  most  mighty  prince,  and  very  friendly  to  the  lord  the  em- 
peror, and  of  whom  confident  hopes  were  entertained  that  he 
would  some  day  or  other  receive  the  sacrament  of  baptism, 
went  the  way  of  all  flesh. 

This  year  also,  Simon  de  Montfort  transferred  himself  to  the 
Roman  court,  where,  after  he  had  lavished  a  vast  sum  of 
money,  he  prevailed  on  the  lord  the  pope  to  grant  a  ratiflcation 
of  the  marriage  which,  not  without  some  injury  to  his  con- 
science, he  had  contracted  with  Eleanor,  sister  of  king  Henry 


186  MATTHEW  OF   WESTMINSTER.  A.D.  1238. 

the  Third.  For  she  had  made  a  solemn  yow,  hefore  archbishop 
Edmand,  of  continuing  in  chastity  all  her  life. 

About  the  same  time,  while  the  lord  the  emperor  was  con- 
triving the  blockade  around  Milan,  nearly  all  the  princes  of 
the  world  taking  example  from  the  king  of  England,  sent  him 
military  aid,  but  as  he  could  not  succeed,  he  transferred  the 
siege  to  Brixen,  the  citizens  of  which  town  were  unwearied  in 
the  assistance  they  gave  the  Milanese. 

The  same  year,  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  re- 
turned from  the  court  of  Rome,  and  at  the  same  time  the 
prior  and  convent  of  Canterbury  were  in  a  state  of  great  con- 
fusion, on  which  account  the  prior  being,  as  it  were,  deposed 
by  the  legate,  entered  the  Carthusian  order  with  some  of  his 
brethren.  Then  another  prior  having  been  elected  in  an 
irregular  manner,  the  prior  elect,  and  the  electors,  and  the  whole 
convent  were  placed  under  an  interdict,  and  excommunicated 
by  the  archbishop.  This  year  also,  Peter,  bishop  of  Winches- 
ter, died ;  and  when  the  king  heard  of  that  event,  he  used  all 
the  exertion  in  his  power  to  incUne  the  hearts  of  the  monks  of 
Winchester  to  the  election  of  William,  the  elect  of  Valence,  so 
as  to  promote  him  to  that  bishopric.  But  the  monks  seeing 
that  he  was  a  foreigner,  and  an  object  of  suspicion  to  the 
nobles  of  the  kingdom,  and  that  it  would  be  in  his  power 
easily  to  do  injury  to  the  kingdom,  as  the  brother  of  this  same 
elect  was  count  of  Flanders,  and,  if  by  any  chance  the  two 
should  contrive  to  the  overthrow  of  the  kingdom,  one  would 
assist  the  other, — altogether  refused  to  consent, — on  which 
account  the  king  incessantly  endeavoured  to  inflict  annoyance 
and  injury  of  every  sort  on  them,  but  they  preferred  suffering 
persecution  for  justice'  sake,  rather  than  elect  as  pastor  of  their 
souls  a  man  who  was  acceptable  to  the  king  alone,  quite  un- 
equal to  the  pastoral  duties,  unfit  in  character,  habits,  and 
learning,  a  foreigner  by  birth,  and  infamous  for  the  blood  that 
he  had  shed  against  the  purity  of  their  consciences.  There- 
fore, the  monks  dissembling,  during  a  truce  which  they  had 
obtained  from  the  king,  elected  William  de  Bolle,  a  discreet 
man,  and  one  very  intimate  with  the  king,  whom  they  thought 
that  the  king  would  be  not  at  all  desirous  to  reject.  But  when 
this  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  king,  he  was  very  angry, 
and  would  neither  receive  the  election  nor  the  bishop  elect, 
nay,  he  even  discarded  this  same  William,  bishop  elect,  from 
his  council  and  intimacy.     And  with  similar  violence  he  de- 


A.D.  1238.  DEVASTATIONS  Or  THE  TABTAUg.  187 

priyed  the  bishop  of  Chichester,  whom  the  monks  in  a  pious 
spirit  demanded,  of  his  office  of  chancellor,  and  excluded  him 
from  his  friendship.  Moreover,  having  sent  to  Rome  the 
Master  Simon  Norman,  and  Alexander,  one  of  the  secular 
clergy,  two  professional  legists,  he,  not  without  a  great  ex- 
penditure/procured  the  election  to  be  annulled  by  the  authority 
of  the  lord  the  pope.  The  same  year,  about  the  time  of  the 
feast  of  Saint  Matthew,  a  certain  wicked  pretended  priest, 
feigning  himself  to  be  out  of  his  mind,  in  order  to  explore 
some  secret  retreats  in  the  court  of  the  king,  one  night  secretly 
entered  the  palace  of  Woodstock  by  the  window,  while  the 
king  and  queen  were  in  another  chamber,  the  divine  mercy 
protecting  them  as  they  were  asleep  that  night ;  but  in  con- 
sequence of  the  outcry  of  a  most  pious  and  noble  lady,  Mar- 
garet Byset  by  name,  who,  according  to  her  custom,  was  sitting 
up  playing  on  her  psaltery,  and  of  other  damsels  likewise, 
whom  he  fbund  in  the  chamber  which  he  had  entered,  he  was 
seized :  and  afterwards  being  put  in  chains,  he  confessed  with 
his  wicked  mouth  that  he  had  been  sent  thither  to  murder  the 
king  and  queen.  After  a  short  period,  he  was  torn  asunder 
by  horses,  at  Coventry,  and  divided  limb  by  Hmb  into  four 
portions,  and  the  portions  were  sent  to  all  the  chief  cities  of 
the  kingdom,  to  be  parted  and  hung  up  in  memory  of  such  a 
great  crime. 

At  this  time,  Simon  de  Montfort  returned  from  the  countries 
beyond  the  Alps,  and  was  immediately  made  the  chief  coun- 
cillor of  the  king.  About  the  same  time,  William,  the  elect 
of  Valence,  went  to  Rome,  having  been  summoned  by  the  lord 
the  pope,  whom  his  fame  had  reached,  because  he  was  a  fearless 
and  prudent  man  in  warlike  affairs.  And  by  the  management 
of  the  pope,  he  was  demanded  in  the  court  of  Rome,  as  the 
elect  of  Liege ;  so,  however,  that  he  was  still  to  be  called 
Valentine  elect,  and  to  be  so  only  with  some  change  of  title, 
being  for  the  future  to  be  styled  the  Elect  of  Liege,  and  the 
Procurator  of  Valence,  so  as  to  avoid  all  misapplication  of 
words.  .  Oh !  the  monstrous  ambition  of  human  blindness ! 
He  still  aspired  also  to  the  bishopric  of  Winchester,  the  king 
favouring  him  with  all  his  might,  not  because  he  had  respect 
to  the  pontifical  offiqe,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  temporal 
emolument. 

About  this  time,  a  certain  barbarian  nation  of  incalculable 
number,  called  the  Tartars,  devastated  the  northern  countries  of 


188  HATTB3EW  09  WKBTMnrSTEB.  A.B.  1239. 

the  East,  spreading  great  destraction,  and  striking  all  the 
Christian  princes  and  people  with  great  fear. 

This  year  too,  the  lord  Otho,  the  legate,  summoned  all  the 
abbots  of  the  Black  order  to  liondon,  to  consider  of  the  refor- 
mation of  the  order  of  Saint  Benedict. 

This  year  too,  that  great  and  £unous  city  in  Spain,  which  is 
called  Valentia  Magna,  was  taken  and  restored  to  Christiaii 
worship. 

About  the  same  time,  the  following  conventual  churches,  in 
the  diocese  of  Lincoln,  were  dedicated  by  the  bishop  of  Lin- 
coln, according  to  the  statutes  of  the  council,  held  at  London, 
namely,  in  the  fens,  Ramsey,  and  Burgh,  and  Sawtrey ;  the 
church  at  Ramsey  on  the  twenty-second  of  September,  that  at 
Sawtrey  the  same  week,  and  the  church  of  Burgh  on  the 
twenty-eighth  of  September. 

The  same  year,  Baldwin,  emperor  of  Constantinople,  returned 
to  Greece,  accompanied  by  a  numerous  army,  to  demand  back 
his  inheritance  by  force  of  arms  from  the  Greeks,  who  had 
expdled  him  from  the  empire.  But  the  dirine  favour  was 
wanting  to  his  enterprise, — for  a  great  number  of  the  French 
in  his  army  perished. 

In  those  days,  the  hme  of  the  blessed  Robert,  formerly 
hermit,  was  much  spoken  of,  as  his  tomb  sweated  forth  oil. 
The  same  year,  the  bishop  elect  of  Rochester  was  consecrated 
at  Canterbury,  on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  Saint  Edmund,  in 
the  church  of  Saint  Gregory  (because  the  archbishop  had 
suspended  the  cathedral  of  Canterbury  from  the  celebration  of 
divine  service).  The  archbishop  being  assisted  by  the  Masters 
Robert  Black,  bishop  of  London,  Robert  Grossetite,  bishop  of 
Lincoln,  the  lord  Hugo,  bishop  of  Ely,  and  the  lord  Ralph  de 
Neville,  bishop  of  Chichester,  and  Master  Simon  de  Langton, 
archdeacon  of  Canterbury,  and  a  great  number  of  other  illus- 
trious nobles,  the  proper  request  having  been  previously  sent 
by  Richard,  prior  of  Rochester ;  and  he  was  installed  at 
Rochester  on  Saint  Andrew's  day. 

Edward,  the  eldest  son  of  king  Henry  the  Third,  is  horn.     The 
emperor  Frederic  is  excommunicated  by  pope  Gregory  the  Ninth, 

A.n.  1 239.  The  king  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of 
the  Lord  at  Winchester.  On  Stephen's  day,  Alexander, 
bishop  of  Coventry,  died  at  Andover ;  and,  at  the  request  of 
the  king,  William  de  Rale  was  unanimously  elected  to  the 


A.I).  1239.       SDWABD^  CAXUED  TjOJXQSBJJSTKS,  BOBK.  189 

bishopric,  by  the  monks  of  Coyentry  and  canons  of  Lichfield^ 
assembled  in  the  chapter-house  at  Coventry,  and  he,  suspend- 
ing the  confirmation  of  his  election,  was  also  elected  bishop  of ' 
Norwich,  as  the  election  of  Simon,  prior  of  Norwich,  had  been 
cancelled;  and  he  was  subsequently  consecrated  to  that  bishop- 
ric. And  then,  the  aforesaid  monks  and  canons  of  Coyentry 
and  Lichfield  haying  assembled  a  second  time  to  make  an  elec- 
tion, although  they  were  not  unanimous  at  first,  still,  though 
disagieeing,  were,  by  the  interposition  of  the  king's  entreaties, 
brought  to  unanimity,  and  then  they  elected  Hugo  de  Pates- 
hull,  the  treasurer  of  the  king's  exchequer,  and  his  election 
was  confirmed  at  the  end  of  the  year.  The  same  year,  a  man 
was  apprehended  who  confessed  that  he  had  been  guilty  of  the 
crime  of  Use  majestS,  in  concert  with  the  other  traitor  who 
had  been  torn  to  pieces  at  the  tails  of  horses  the  year  before, 
and  he  asserted  that  some  of  the  nobles  of  England,  and  espe- 
cially Ranulph  Briton,  dean  of  Wimbome,  were  accomplices 
in  that  crime.  But  afterwards,  making  voluntary  confession 
against  himself  that  he  had  spoken  falsely,  he  was  dragged  at 
the  tail  of  a  horse  to  London  to  the  gallows,  and  there  hanged 
by  judicial  sentence. 

The  same  year,  Edward,  called  Longshanks,  the  eldest  son 
of  the  lord  Henry,  the  king,  and  Eleanor,  the  queen,  was  born 
at  Westminster,  on  the  seventeenth  of  June,  late  at  night, 
being  the  vigil  of  Saint  Marcus  and  Saint  Marcellanus,  and  he 
was  called  Edward,  which  name  he  received  after  the  glorious 
king  and  confessor,  Edward,  whose  glorious  body  rests  in  the 
church  of  Saint  Peter,  at  Westminster.  And,  four  days  after- 
wards, the  lord  Otho,  who  was  at  that  time  legate,  baptized 
him  in  the  church  of  the  convent,  and  he  was  borne  to  the 
font  by  the  lords  Robert,  bishop  of  London,  William,  bishop 
of  Carlisle,  WiUiam,  bishop  elect  of  Norwich,  the  lord  Richard, 
brother  of  the  king,  and  earl  of  Cornwall,  Simon  de  Montfort, 
earl  of  Leicester,  Henry  de  Bohun,  earl  of  Hereford  and  Essex, 
Simon  Norman,  archdeacon  of  Norwich,  Peter  de  Malolac, 
Ahnaiic,  earl  of  Saint  Amand,  the  countess  of  Pembroke,  and 
the  wife  of  Bertram  de  Krieil ;  and,  the  same  day,  he  was  con- 
firmed by  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury;  and  the 
cooriers  who  conveyed  the  news  of  his  birth  to  the  princes 
who  hved  on  the  borders  of  the  kingdom  of  England,  and  to 
the  nobles  of  England,  returned  home  loaded  with  precious 
gifts. 


190  MATTHEW  OF  WESTlOtSTSTEB.  A.D.  1239. 

•  The  same  year,  on  Palm  Sunday,  the  emperor  Frederic  was 
excommunicated  by  pope  Gregory  the  Ninth,  for  certain  rea- 
80U8  deUvered  in  writing,  and  the  lord  the  pope  commanded 
this  sentence  to  be  promulgated,  with  the  reasons  alleged  for 
it,  in  every  country,  by  all  the  prelates  in  every  church  under 
their  authority,  having  the  beUs  rung  and  the  tapers  lighted 
with  all  due  solemnity. 

This  year,  too,  the  elect  of  Valence  and  Liege  died  at  Viterbo, 
on  his  return  from  the  court  of  Rome.  Also,  Master  Robert 
de  Meidenestan,  bishop  of  Hereford,  abdicating  his  bishopric 
of  his  own  accord,  on  the  seventeenth  of  December,  assumed 
the  habit  of  the  Minor  Brothers  at  Oxford.  This  year,  Wil- 
liam of  Saint  John  and  Henry  de  Trubleville  died.  On  the 
twelfth  of  June  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  took  place,  which -lasted 
from  the  third  hour  till  the  sixth  hour. 

About  this  time  the  cardinal  of  Ostia  flourished,  who  com- 
posed the  book  which  is  called  "  Copiosa." 

The  same  year,  the  lord  the  emperor  wrote  to  the  senators 
and  people  of  Rome,  asserting  that  he  greatly  marvelled  at 
this,  that  they  had  permitted  him,  the  chief  prince  of  princes, 
to  be  excommunicated  in  their  city.  He  also  wrote  elegant 
and  long  letters  to  the  cardinals,  and  all  Christian  nobles,  but 
especially  to  king  Henry,  and  his  brother  Richard,  >earl  of 
Cornwall,  his  brothers-in-law,  excusing  himself  in  many  parti- 
culars, and  bringing  a  variety  of  accusations  against  the  lord 
the  pope,  and  affirming  that  he  was  in  all  things  willing  and 
ready  to  obey  the  pope,  and  that  he  had  sent  formal  ambas- 
sadors to  convey  this  assurance  to  him,  but  that  the  pope, 
being  aware  of  this  beforehand,  in  great  haste,  on  purpose  to 
do  so,  before  the  ambassadors  could  arrive,  had  fulminated 
this  sentence  against  him. 

The  same  year,  the  legate  entered  the  kingdom  of  the  king 
of  Scotland,  but  did  not  cross  the  sea.  As,  however,  no  one 
offered  any  objection,  he  collected  from  all  the  prelates  and 
beneficed  clergy  a  thirteenth  part  of  their  revenues,  and  trans- 
mitted it  to  the  lord  the  pope.  About  the  same  time>  the  lord 
the  pope  wrote  a  very  long  letter  to  the  archbishops  of  Canter- 
bury and  York,  complaining  greatly  of  the  illegal  conduct  of 
the  emperor,  and  imputing  to  him  the  guilt  of  heresy.  And 
he  wrote  not  only  to  those  archbishops,  but  also  to  the  legate, 
to  publish  that  letter  throughout  all  the  lands  which  were 
under  his  authority,  and  subject  to  him  as  legate,  adding,  that 


A.  D.  1239.  THE  EABL  OF  KEKT  ACGVSEB  BZFOBE  THE  KWQ,    191 

that  same  Frederic,  the  emperor,  wbb  at  that  moment  invad- 
ing, in  a  hoBtile  manner,  the  possessions  of  the  church,  and, 
with  wicked  daring,  making  himself  master  of  them,  like  an 
avowed  enemy  of  the  church. 

This  same  year,  those  who  had  assumed  the  cross  assembled 
together,  at  Lyons  especially,  a  numerous  army  from  the  king- 
dom of  France,  consisting  of  the  noblest  men  of  the  realm, 
to  consider  what  road  it  was  most  desirable  to  take  to  reach 
the  Holy  Land.  And  when  they  had  consulted  on  the  sub- 
ject, some  thought  it  the  safest  and  shortest  way  to  go  across 
the  sea,  sailing  from  Marseilles  towards  the  east.  And  when 
the  lord  the  emperor  heard  this,  he  wrote  to  them  to  persuade 
them,  in  a  friendly  manner,  not  to  feel  annoyed  at  having  to 
wait  for  him  till  he  had  put  an  end  to  the  quarrel  and  discord 
which  had  arisen  between  him  and  his  father,  the  lord  the 
pope,  and  had  chastised  the  rebels  in  Italy.  He  also  proposed, 
and  firmly  promised,  to  be  their  general  and  captain,  and  to 
provide  them  with  effectual  comfort  and  help.  But  they  being, 
as  is  the  manner  of  Frenchmen,  impetuous  and  boastful,  were 
unwilling  to  adopt  the  advice  of  the  emperor,  or  to  with- 
draw from  the  design  which  they  had  now  begun  to  put  in 
execution,  because  they  had  collected  provisions,  hired  ships, 
and  hade  farewell  to  their  friends.  And  when  the  emperor 
ascertained  this,  he  was  vexed  at  the  unchangeable  determina- 
tion of  the  French ;  however,  he  ordered  ^  the  ports  and 
roads  of  passage  throughout  his  dominions  to  be  freely  open 
to  them,  and  forbade  any  hindrance  to  be  offered  to  them. 

In  those  days  also,  Hubert  de  Burgh,  earl  of  Kent,  was 
violently  accused  before  the  king  and  the  whole  court  of  Lon- 
don, where,  after  a  long  discussion,  in  order  that  the  anger  of 
the  king,  which  had  been  very  violent  against  him,  might  be 
appeased,  it  was  decided  that  he  should  surrender  his  four 
most  important  castles  to  the  lord  the  king,  and  then  be  al- 
lowed, with  the  king's  good  will,  to  retain  possession  of  the  rest. 
The  names  of  the  castles  which  he  resigned  were  these — ;Black 
Castle,  Grosmund,  Scenefritz,  and  Hatfield. 

About  the  same  time,  the  king  thrust  a  prior  into  the  priory 
of  Winchester,  who  was  a  Breton  by  birth,  and  unwelcome 
to  the  convent^  in  order  by  his  means,  as  he  had  appointed 
him,  to  incline  the  hearts  of  the  monks  to  comply  with  his 
wishes  in  the  matter  of  the  election  of  their  bishop  ;  but  he 
only  exasperated  them  all  the  more  by  this  proceeding. 


192  HATTHKW  or  WESTMIirSTEE.  A.D.  1240. 

In  these  days,  that  most  opulent  island,  Sardinia,  became 
subject  to  the  emperor,  and  was  there  bestowed  by  the  emperor 
on  his  son. 

The  same  year,  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  espoused 
Maria,  the  daughter  of  Engelram  de  Couci,  a  noble  baron  of 
France.  This  year,  too,  William  de  Bale,  bishop  elect  of  Nor- 
wich, was  consecrated,  and  admitted  to  his  diocese,  in  the 
church  of  Saint  Paul,  London,  by  archbishop  Edmund.  Thi» 
year  also,  an  agreement  was  come  to  at  Northampton,  in  which 
earl  Richard,  and  William  the  mareschal,  and  a  great  maity 
other  nobles  of  England,  swore  that,  without  seeking  any 
more  for  excuses  for  deUy,  they  would  set  out  that  very  year 
on  an  expedition  to  Jerusalem.  This  year  too,  the  lord  the 
emperor  marched  towards  Rome,  and  took  Viterbo,  and  made 
himself  master  of  great  part  of  the  adjacent  country,  and 
demanded  that  a  general  council  should  be  held,  that  he  might 
openly  demonstrate  his  innocence  before  it,  and  clear  and  re- 
establish his  character. 

About  the  same  time,  on  the  ninth  of  August,  the  church  of 
the  convent  of  Abingdon  was  dedicated.  And  also»  at  the 
same  time,  the  churches  of  Evesham,  Gloucester,  Tewkesbury, 
Winchcomb,  Pershore,  Alcester,  and  many  others  in  the  realm 
of  England,  were  dedicated,  according  to  the  statutes  of  the 
council  held  at  London.  This  year,  too,  about  the  time  of 
the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  a  valiant  knight,  named  Badulph 
de  Thony,  died  at  sea. 

Ch.  XL— Feom  A.D.  1240  to  a.j>.  1244. 

Leoline,  prince  of  North  Wales,  dies — His  succession  is  dis- 
puted by  his  sons — Many  knights  leave  England  for  the 
Holy  Land,  under  prince  Richard — Peace  between  the  Chris- 
tians and  Saracens — King  Henry  invades  Wales — Chreat 
disturbances  in  France — The  king  of  France  proposes  terms 
of  peace  to  Henry y  who  reuses  them — Great  quarrels 
between  the  emperor  and  the  pope;  between  the  kings 
of  England  and  Scotland;  and  between  the  Welch  and 
English. 

King  Henry  causes  an  oath  of  fealty  to  be  taken  to  his  son 
Edward  throughout  the  whole  of  England, 

▲.D.  1240.  At  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord,  king  Henry 
held  his  court  at  Winchester,  where  he  invested  Baldwin  de 


A.D.  1240.       WILLIAM,  SASL  DB  WABINNE,  DISS.  193 

Riparies,  on  Chmtmas  day,  wkh  the  belt  of  a  knight,  and 
g&Ye  him  the  earldom  of  the  Isle  of  Wight.  At  &e  same 
time,  the  election  of  Hugo  de  Pateshull,  biahop  elect  of  Co- 
ventry, was  confirmed.  This  year,  also,  Isabella,  countess  of 
Gloucester,  and  wife  of  earl  Bichard,  died  in  childbed,  and 
was  greatly  lamented.  Ako  about  the  same  time,  in  the 
month  of  February,  there  appeared  a  comet  in  the  west,  which 
sent  out  its  rays  towards  the  east. 

About  the  same  time,  Simon  de  Montfort,  earl  of  Leicester, 
prepared  to  undertake  an  expedition  to  Jerusalem. 

Just  at  this  time,  too,  Leohne,  piince  of  North  Wales, 
died,  on  the  thirteenth  of  April ;  and  after  his  death  a  quarrel 
arose  between  his  two  sons,  Griffith,  the  elder>  who  claimed 
the  principality  on  that  account,  and  David,  who  was  the 
younger,  but  the  legitimate  son,  and  the  nephew  of  the  king 
of  England  by  his  sister,  and  who  claimed  the  supreme  power 
for  tSM»e  reasons  which  he  alleged,  through  whose  quanrek  the 
▼hole  country  of  Wales  was  thrown  into  confusion  and  de- 
vastated, and  made  desdate,  according  to  the  saying  in  the 
gospel,  '*  Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself,  shall  be  made 
desolate.*'  At  kst,  however,'  by  die  intervention  of  friends, 
a  time  and  place  was  appointed  for  establishing  a  reconcilia- 
tion between  them  ;  and  Griffith  came  to  the  place  peaceably, 
in  the  hopes  of  obtaining  peace,  under  the  guidance  of  Bichard, 
bishop  of  Bangor,  and  a  great  many  other  venerable  men. 
Bat  David  treacherously  took  Griffith  prisoner,  and  then  shame- 
lessly committed  him  to  custody  in  prison ;  on  which  account 
the  aforesaid  bishop  addressed  a  bitter  complaint  to  the  king 
of  England,  and  fulminated  an  anathema  against  David. 

This  year,  too,  the  king  caused  an  oath  of  fealty  to  his  son 
Edward  to  be  taken  by  the  citizens  of  London,  and  by  many 
other  noUes  of  the  kingdom. 

About  the  same  time,  too,  many  of  the  crusaders  were  ab- 
solved by  the  Preaching  Brothers,  and  by  the  Minors,  having 
obtained  their  absolution  by  sums  of  money,  to  the  great 
scandal  of  the  church  and  of  those  orders.  Also,  on  Ascen- 
sion day,  the  church  of  the  New  Temple  in  London  was  de- 
dicated. William,  earl  de  Warenne,  died  in  London,  on  the 
twenty-second  of  May.  This  year,  too,  Edmund,  ardibishop 
of  Canterbury,  by  a  large  expenditure  of  money,  procured  a 
privilege  which  was  most  welcome  both  to  the  king  and  to 
the  priesthood,  that  if  a  cathedral  church  was  vacant  six 

TOL,  u.  o 


194  MATTHEW  07  IHSSTIOITSTEB.  JLD,  1240. 

months,  baying  lost  its  pastor,  the  yacancy  should  be  proTided 
for  by  the  archbishop  of  the  diocese.  But  because  this  ap- 
peared to  redound  to  the  prejudice  and  loss  of  the  roj^i 
dignity,  it  was  subsequently  annulled,  in  consequence  of  a 
second  expenditure  of  money.  On  which  account  the  arch- 
bishop, when  he  saw  that  justice  was  so  manifestly  yacillating, 
and  that  all  his  labours  were  wasted,  grieyed  inconsolably, 
and  refusing  to  receive  consolation,  began  from  that  time 
forth  to  thiiSc  of  going  into  voluntary  exile. 

This  year,  too,  the  emperor,  being  in  gvaat  wrath,  and  pre- 
paring to  take  great  yengeance  because  of  the  extensiye  defa- 
mation with  which  the  lord  the  pope  had  blackened  his  name 
in  all  Christian  countries,  hastened  to  Rome  with  a  powerful 
army,  took  Yiterbo,  and  subdued  the  adjacent  country,  and 
reduced  the  patrimony  of  the  Roman  church  under  his  own 
power,  on  which  account  the  Roman  church  fell  into  great 
confusion  and  desolation.  The  sama  year,  Thomas,  count  of 
Flanders,  uncle  of  the  queen,  esme  into  England ;  and  the 
king  immediately  went  to  meet  him  with  great  eagerness,  and 
bestowed  on  him  an  annual  reyenue  of  considerable  yearly 
amount,  for  his  homage.  This' year,  too,  the  queen  of  France 
had  a  daughter,  i 

About  the  same  time,  the  army  of  the  French  crusaders, 
wishing  to  make  an  attack  on  the  Saracens  in  the  Holy  Land 
at  Gathre,  was  defeated,  routed,  and  a  great  part  of  it  taken  ; 
and  of  the  prisoners  some  were  committed  to  prison  at  Da- 
mascus, some  at  Babylon,  and  some  at  €hithre  itself.  On  the 
twenty-third  of  May,  William,  earl  de  Warenne,  died  in  London. 
Richard,  earl  of  Gloucester,  bidding  farewell  to  his  friends, 
prepared  for  his  expedition  to  Jerusalem,  and  with  him  went 
many  of  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom  of  England.  The  em- 
peror wrote  the  king  an  elegant  letter,  in  which  he  reproached 
the  king  that,  to  the  injury  of  his  kingdom  and  authority,  he 
had  permitted  his  land  to  be  pauperised  by  the  papal  inqui- 
sitors, and  him  the  emperor  to  be  formally  excommunicated, 
when  he  had  a  more  reasonable  excuse  than  any  other  Chris- 
tian prince  of  resisting  the  lord  the  pope,  inasmuch  as  he 
was  the  brother-in-law  of  the  lord  the  emperor.  The  king 
of  France  received  earl  Richard  with  great  honour,  and  sup- 
plied him  in  a  magnificent  manner  with  all  things  necessary 
on  his  passage,  and  conducted  him  safely  to  Marseilles,  -with 
all  his  retinue,  where  he  embarked  on  board  ship,  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  prohibition  of  the  pope. 


A.D.  1240.   QTTAJftEEL  BETWBBK  GEHTITH  AIQ)  DAVID.  195 

A  general  council  was  convoked  to  be  held  at  the  ensuing 
Easter.  This  year,  also,  on  the  first  of  July,  Hugo  de  Pates- 
hulle,  the  king's  treasurer,  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Chester, 
and  William  de  Haverhulle,  canon  of  the  church  of  Saint 
Paul's,  in  London,  was  appointed  treasurer  in  the  room  of  the 
aforesaid  Hugo.  The  same  year,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Mary 
Magdalene,  John,  earl  of  Lincoln,  died.  ..  Money  was  extorted, 
by  various  arguments,  from  many  persons,  chiefly  from  those 
belonging  to  religious  orders,  for  the  use  of  the  pope ;  which, 
howe?er,  was  no  advantage,  but  rather  an  injury  to  him,  in- 
asmuch as  it  all  went  to  the  emperor.  The  abbots  who  ad- 
dressed a  complaint  to  the  king  on  this  subject,  received 
desolation  instead  of  comfort ;  on  which  account  the  legate 
behaved  with  still  more  violence  to  them.  Raymond,  count 
of  Provence,  the  father  of  the  queens  of  France  and  England, 
met  earl  Richard  with  joy,  and  aided  him  liberally,  as  far  as 
he  could,  with  both  assistance  and  counsel,  as  he  was  about 
to  cross  the  sea. 

But  when  Leoline,  prince  of  North  Wales,  died,  a  quarrel 
arose,  and  having  arisen,  continued  for  some  time,  between 
his  sons,  Griffith  and  David.  At  last,  as  has  been  already 
mentioned,  David  by  treachery  took  Griffith  prisoner,  whom 
he  had  peaceably  invited  to  a  conference,  and  having  taken 
him,  he  threw  hun  into  prison.  On  which  account,  Master 
Kiehard,  bishop  of  Bangor,  under  whose  guidance  the  afore- 
said Griffith  had  come  to  the  conference,  departed  like  an 
exile  from  Wales,  having  first  of  all  pronounced  an  anathema 
against  David.  But  Griffith  secretly  intimated  to  the  king 
to  hberate  him  by  the  strong  hand  from  prison,  and  from 
subjection  to  his  brother ;  and  promised  that  in  that  case  he 
would  cheerfully  become  his  hege  subject,  and  would  hold  of 
him  the  territories  which  belonged  to  him  of  hereditary  right ; 
and  that,  moreover,  he  would  give  the  king  no  small  sum  of 
money.  But  the  bishop  of  Bangor  a  second  time  addressed 
most  bitter  complaints  to  the  king  respecting  this  treason,  and 
the  injustice  which  has  been  already  mentioned.  And  the 
king,  being  violently  indignant  at  this,  gently  exhorted  his 
nephew  to  make  satisfaction  for,  and  to  amend  these  things, 
that  he  might  not  be  forced  himself  to  stretch  out  the  hand 
of  vengeance. 

On  Saint  Bartholomew's  day.  Master  Peter  of  Eaglebank 
▼as  elected  bishop  of  Hereford,  who  had  been  formerly  one 

o  2 


196  MATTHBW  OP  WSBTHIKSTSB.  A.B.  1240. 

of  the  clergy  of  M^am,  the  elect  of  Valence ;  tmd  his  elec- 
tion was  brought  about  by  the  solicitude  6f  die  kbg.  And 
Peter,  without  any  deky,  and  without  meeting  with  any  dif- 
ficulty, because  he  was  received  by  the  king  as  one  acceptable 
to  him,  was  soon  after  consecrated  in  the  presence  of  the  king 
himself. 

About  the  same  time.  Master  Albert,  a  natiye  of  Colore, 
was  consecrated  archbishop  of  Armagh,  at  Westminster.  On 
the  day  of  Saint  Bemigius,  the  church  of  Saint  Paul  was  dedi- 
cated at  London.  And  about  the  same  time,  the  queen  brought 
forth  a  daughter,  and  her  name  was  called  Margaret,  because 
when  she  was  in  the  pains  of  labour  bhe  had  iuTokeSd  Saint 
Margaret,  and  also  because  the  sister  of  the  queen,  that  is  to 
say,  the  queen  of  France,  was  called  by  that  name.  This  year, 
too,  a  man  of  noble  birth  and  great  experience  in  the  laws  of 
the  kingdom,  Thomas  de  Multon,  knight,  died.  And  about  the 
same  time,  a  Mend  and  telatdon  of  the  lord  the  pope  came  into 
England,  the  Master  Peter  Rubeus,  who  passed  rapidly  through 
England,  and  coming  to  Scotland,  collected  with  great  energy 
one-twentieth  of  everything  in  that  country  for  the  use  of  lie 
pope.  About  the  same  time.  Master  Peter  de  Supion,  being 
sent  into  Ireland  diligently  to  collect  the  same  twentieth  in 
that  country,  carried  off  all  he  could  from  tiience,  like  a  genuine 
inquisitor  of  the  pope.  And  the  booty  which  he  collected  is 
said  to  have  amounted  to  the  number  of  fifteen  hundred  marks 
and  more.  But  the  collection  of  Peter  Rubeus,  which  he  ex- 
torted from  the  Scotch  territories,  is  supposed  to  have  reached 
the  double  of  this  sum.  And  subsequentiy,  returnii^  through 
England,  he  looked  into  all  the  houses  of  the  religious  orders 
with  a  new  spirit,  and  exacted  money  for  the  use  of  the  pope 
with  exceeding  strictness,  compelling  them  to  swear  that  they 
would  keep  that  oath  as  a  secret  of  the  confessional  for  half  a 
year.  By  which  conduct  he  turned 'aside  the  hearts  of  the 
faithful  from  any  devotion  and  affection  towards  the  church  of 
Rome,  and  wounded  them  with  grtot  anguish. 

About  this  time  too,  the  legate  was  recalled  by  a  letter 
written  with  the  pope's  own  hs^,  and  seyerriy  admonished 
to  return  with  all  the  speed  he  could  to  the  Roman  court,  and 
to  arrive  there  before  the  assembling  of  a  general  council,  in 
order  that  the  brethren,  when  they  had  their  accustomed  de- 
liberation before  hand,  might  dbcuss  with  him  the  imminent 
ruin  and  inevitable  danger  of  the  church,  now  that  the  em- 


A.D.  1240.  XAB£  BIOHAJED  LAITDS  AT  ACBX.  197 

peror  was  thus  invading  its  inheritance.  The  same  year, 
Maurice^  the  justiciary  of  Ireland,  came  to  London  to  the  king, 
that,  without  any  particle  of  malice  qi^,  concealed  hatred,  he 
might  be  reconciled  to  earl  Gilbert,  the  mareschal,  and  prove 
his  innocence  of  the  deaUi  of  earl  Richard,  the  mareschal,  who 
had  been  slain  in  Ireland. 

About  the  same  time,  the  king  of  Connaught  came  to  London 
to  the  king,  and  both  the  kings  settled  their  business  as  they 
wished. 

About  the  same  time,  the  monks  of  Durham  having  gone  to 
Borne,  through  the  management  of  their  enemies,  found  that 
they  could  effect  nothing,  so  staying  there  to  no  purpose,  they 
wasted:  away  in  sickness  and  sorrow,  and  four  of  them  died 
with  their  secular  clergy  and  servants.  And  when  their  prior 
heard  this  he  grieved  exceedingly,  and  of  his  own  accord  re- 
Dounoed  the  election  that  had  taken  place  in  his  own  case. 

About  the  same  time,  the  emperor,  seeing  that  the  pope  had 
Bommoned  a  council  to  effect  his  deposition,  because  the  said 
pope  had  called  in  the  secular  arm,  and  especially  the  aid  of 
^e  public  enemies  of  the  empire  against  him,  and  had  altered 
the&rm.of  the  summons,  given  in  a  manner  different  from 
any  previous  one,  repented  of  having  given  his  consent  to  the 
summoning  of  a  council.  Accordingly,  he  retracted,  and  in- 
timated to  the  king  of  England  to  warn  all  the  prelates  of  his 
kingdom,  on  the  part  of  the  emperor,  not  to  attend  that  general 
council,  since  the  emperor  would  not  grant  or  allow  them  any 
safe  conduct  for  their  persons  or  property  through  his  donii. 
nions,  and  refused  to  commit  his  own  just  cause  to  a  doubtful 
tribunal  over  which  his  chief  enemy  was  to  preside.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  lord  the  pope  wrote,  signifying  to  the  same 
prelates  to  disregard  the  threats  of  men,  andvobediently  second 
their  spiritaal  father,  and  not  neglect  to  hasten  all  of  them  to 
this  council  at  the  time  appointed.  So  the  bishops  being 
perplexed  in  spirit,  hesitated  as  to  what  they  ought  to  do. 
And  while  the  wheel  of  fortune  was  thus  proceeding  rapidly 
in  its  course  tbirough  this  world,  the  lord  Edmund,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury!  who«  of  his  own  accord,  had  gone  into  banish- 
ntent  at  Pontigny,  took  to  his  bed,  being  attacked  with  severe 
sickness.  In  the  mean  time,  earl  Richard,  who  had  recom- 
mended himself  to  the  prayers  of  all  the  brethren  of  aU  the  reli- 
gious orders  in  England,  by  the  grace  of  God,  and  owing  to  the 
efficacy  of  the  prayers  of  the  faithful,  after  a  fair  voyage,  landed 


198  ■  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMHTSTEB.  A.3).  1240. 

at  Acre,  and  within  two  days  after  he  landed,  he  caused  pabUc 
proclamation  to  be  made  by  the  voice  of  the  crier,  that  no  one, 
of  whatever  nation  he  might  be,  need  depart  from  the  Holy 
Land  for  want  of  money,  but  might  faithfully  fight  for  God 
under  his  orders,  and  receiving  pay  from  himself.  But  when 
the  Saracens  heard  this,  although  the  king  of  Navarre  and  the 
count  of  Brittany  had  retreated  shamefully,  they  began  to  fear 
the  prudence  and  power  of  this  earl  exceedingly,  both  becaose 
his  name,  Richard,  was  still  an  omen  to  the  Saracens  of  a 
dreadful  enem^,  and  also  because  he  was  very  rich  in  gold 
and  silver ;  thirdly,  because  he  was  the  brother-in-law  of  the 
emperor,  and  closely  connected  in  the  bonds  of  friendship  with 
him ;  fourthly,  because  he  was  the  brother  of  the  most  illus- 
trious king  of  England ;  and  lastly,  because  he  was  count  of 
Poitou,  and  earl  of  Cornwall.  On  account  of  all  which  cir- 
cumstances, he  afterwards  made  a  peace,  which  was  ho-« 
nourable  to  the  whole  church,  and  indeed  to  all  Christen- 
dom, and  such  as  no  one  in  our  time  has  ever  been  able  to 
obtain,  as  the  following  history  will  clearly  show.  And  while, 
under  the  ruling  influence  of  God,  all  these  events  were  taking 
place,  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  was  removed  from 
Pontigny  for  the  sake  of  enjoying  a  better  climate;  but 
being  very  ill  at  Socisy,  he  bequeathed  his  body  to  the  monks 
of  Pontigny,  and  went  the  way  of  all  flesh ;  and  the  Lord 
condescended  to  work  great  miracles  at  his  tomb,  to  such  a 
degree,  that  even  now  the  fame  of  the  blessed  confessor 
Edmund  deservedly  illuminates  all  the  Cisalpine  countries  with 
its  brightness.  And  the  aforesaid  archbishop  Edmund  de- 
parted from  this  world  to  the  Father,  on  the  eighteenth  of 
November. 

In  those  days,  some  of  the  bishops  of  the  kingdom  of  Eng- 
land and  some  of  the  abbots  crossed  the  sea,  in  order,  that  if  a 
passage  of  any  kind,  either  by  land  or  sea,  were  open  to  them 
to  reach  the  council,  they  might  hasten  thither,  and  satisfy 
the  apostolic  commands.  Tlus  year.  Master  Peter  de  Eagle- 
bank  was  consecrated  bishop  of  Hereford,  at  Saint  Ptiul's,  in 
London.  And  the  same  year,  by  a  repeated  instance  of  God^s 
kindness  to  the  kingdom  of  the  Franks,  the  crown  of  thorns 
of  the  Saviour,  which  the  Jews  had  formerly  plaited  and  placed 
on  his  head  when  they  crucified  him,  was  brought  to  France. 

About  the  same  time,  the  Christian  captives,  who  were  kept 
in  chains  at  Damascus,  Babylon,  and  Gathre,  were  treated  in  a 


A.B.  1241.      THE  LEGATE  BEOALLSD  BY  THE  POPE.  199 

merciless  manner  by  the  Saracens.  But  the  king  of  Navarre, 
who  is  also  the  count  of  Champagne,  and  likewise  the  count 
of  Brittany,  knowing  the  prudence  and  magnificence  of  earl 
Richard,  and  being  excited  by  envy,  and  grieving  that  Richard, 
whom  the  English  looked  upon  as  a  boy,  and  of  no  experience 
in  warlike  expeditions,  should  obtain  what  they,  with  all  their 
Frenchmen,  had  never  been  able  to  bring  to  the  desired  result, 
made  a  treacherous  peace  with  the  lord  of  Gathre,  on  condition 
that  he  would  allow  his  captives  to  depart  in  freedom,  though 
in  reality  he  had  no  power  over  them,  that  so  they  might  avoid 
seeming  to  have  done  nothing  whatever  in  the  Holy  Land. 
And  immediately  before  the  liberation  of  their  allies,  that  is  to 
say,  of  the  French  prisoners,  they  secretly  and  hastily  em- 
barked on  board  ship  at  Joppa  to  return  to  their  own  country. 
And  by  this  conduct  they  revealed  their  treachery  beyond  all 
denial  to  the  whole  world,  when  they  desired  to  appropriate 
to  themselves  the  credit  that  belonged  to  others. 

This  year  also,  John,  the  son  of  I^bert,  a  noble  and  pow- 
erful man,  and  one  of  the  principal  barons  of  the  north 
country,  died. 

27ie  general  eauncil «  hindered,  the  prelates  being  taken.  Arch- 
bishop  Edmund  is  distinguished  hy  miracles.  Peace  is  re-estO" 
hlished  between  the  Christian  and  Saracens. 

▲.p.  1241,  which  is  the  twenty-fifth  year  of  the  reign  of 
king  Senry  the  Third,  the  said  kmg  held  his  court,  at  Christ- 
mas, at  Westminster,  near  London,  where  a  great  many  of 
the  nobles  of  the  kingdom  celebrated  the  festival  of  the  Nativity 
with  him.  But,  on  the  fourth  day  after  Christmas,  the  legate 
being  recalled  by  the  pope,  bade  farewell  to  the  prelates  of 
England,  and  proceeded  to  the  coast  to  journey  across  the 
Alps.  And  the  king  conducted  him  with  excessive  pomp  and 
magnificence  to  the  sea-shore,  with  the  sound  of  trumpets, 
and  an  innumerable  train  of  nobles  accompanying  him,  and 
prelates  and  secular  clergy ;  and,  on  the  day  after  the  feast  of 
the  Epiphany,  he  embarked  on  board  ship  at  Dover  to  cross 
the  sea,  having  changed  his  scarlet  vestments.  But  he  left 
both  the  kingdom  and  church  of  England  in  a  very  desolate 
state,  and  most  especially  was  the  church  of  Canterbury,  which 
is  well  known  to  be  the  metropolitan  see  of  England,  in  a  state 
of  irregular  disorder,  as  if  he  had  come,  not  for  its  consola- 
tion, but  for  its  desolation. 


200  MATTHIW  OF  -WXBTIIIKBTIB.  A.D.  1241. 

About  that  time,  Peter  of  Sayoy,  the  imde  of  the  queen, 
came  to  Engknd,  and  the  king  going  to  meet  him  with  great 
Bolemnity,  besides  the  earldom  of  Richmond  vhich  he  had 
previously  conferred  on  him,  gave  him  many  valuable  presents, 
and  made  him  president  of  his  council.  But  on  the  day  of 
Saint  Edward,  which  the  king  kept  with  great  solemnity,  ac- 
cording to  his  custom,  he  invested  Peter  himself  with  the  belt 
of  knighthood,  and  fifteen  other  youths,  that  he  might  sig- 
nalize his  apprenticeship  by  a  more  solemn  observance  thim 
usual.  And  the  same  day,  he  celebrated  his  own  festiyal*  as 
though  it  had  been  a  feast  for  the  wedding  of  the  emperor, 
with  a  vast  number  of  guests,  in  the  great  palace  of  West- 
minster. 

About  the  same  time,  Master  Nicolas  de  Famham  was  elected 
bishop  of  Durham,  a  man  of  eminent  virtue  and  learning,  and 
was,  though  not  without  diffiouly,  received  as  such  by  the  king 
and  all  the  people,  and  soon  had  his  election  confirmed. 

The  same  year,  too,  the  Jews  were  compelled  to  submit  to 
a  most  terrible  ransom,  under  the  penalty  of  death  or  exile, 
and  paid  the  king  twenty  thousand  marks.  But  when  the 
spring  season  and  the  fine  weather  came,  William  de  Fortibus, 
earl  of  Albemarle,  Peter  de  Malolac,  and  many  other  nobles  of 
the  kingdom  of  England,  set  out  on  the  expedition  to  Jeru- 
salem with  great  magnificence.  The  holy  cross,  too,  was  this 
year  brought  to  the  kingdom  of  Frtoce,  and  receiyed  at  Paris 
with  such  solemnity  and  devotion  as  no  one  remembered  ever 
to  have  seen  before.  The  new  walls  which  had  been  built 
round  the  Tower  of  London,  fell  down,  as  they  had  done  the 
year  that  had  just  elapsed,  and  on  the  same  night,  to  the  as- 
tonishment of  many. 

This  year  also,  the  lord  emperor,  fearing  the  danger  which 
might  threaten  him,  if  the  swarm  of  the  pope,  who  was  so 
exceedingly  hostile  to  him,  should  meet  in  the  council  which 
was  just  at  hand,  changed  his  mind,  and  wrote  to  the  different 
princes,  and,  with  especial  intimacy,  to  the  king  of  England, 
to  entreat  him  diligently  to  exhort  the  prelates  of  his  kingdom 
not  to  go  to  a  council  which  was  an  object  of  suspicion  to 
him,  knowing  that  a  free  passage  through  the  imperial  domi- 
nions was  utterly  denied  by  land  and  by  sea  to  their  persons 
or  possessions.  And  the  lord  the  pope  wrote  earnestly  to  the 
same  prelates,  desiring  them  to  lay  aside  all  fear  of  the  threats 
of  an  excommunicated  emperor,  and  come  boldly  to  the  coun* 


A.D.  1241.  TBEACHEBT  OV  THJB  POPE.  201 

cil.  In  the  meantime.  Faience,  a  most  opulent  city,  which 
the  emperor  himself  had  now  been  besieging  for  a  year,  was 
taken  by  storm. 

About  this  time,  too,  the  solemn  fame  and  illustrious  me- 
mory of  the  venerable  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury^ 
whose  body  rests  at  Pontigny,  was  celebrated  gloriously 
throughout  all  the  countries  on  this  sid.e  of  the  Alps,  on  ac- 
count of  the  numerous  miracles  wrought  by  his  body,  the 
wonders  of  which  would  require  a  special  treatise.  At  this 
time,  too,  the  monks  of  Canterbury  deservedly  obtained  the 
benefit  of  absolution  from  the  lord  the  pope.  About  the  same 
time,  too,  the  monks  of  Winchester,  because  they  steadily 
persisted  in  desiring  William,  bishop  of  Norwich,  for  their 
pastor,  suffered  enormous  persecution,  owing  to  the  intrigues 
of  their  prior,  who  had  been  thrust  upon  Uiem,  who  was  a 
native  of  Brittany,  enduring  it  manfully  for  the  sake  of  Christ 
and  the  maintenance  of  justice. 

In  these  days,  the  king  caused  the  character  of  Boniface, 
the  elect  of  Balais,  to  be  greatly  magnified  and  commended, 
in  order  to  make  him  appear  deserving  of  being  promoted  to 
the  archbishopric  of  Canterbury,  or  to  the  bishopric  of  Win- 
chester. But  as  the  affair  was  not  ultimately  carried  out,  it 
was  forgotten  with  equal  rapidity  to  that  with  which  it  had 
been  pushed  forward,  though  his  claims  were  strengthened 
by  the  testimony  of  many  of  the  {HreUtes. 

'  At  the  beginning  of  the  summer,  Otho,  who  had  formerly 
been  legate  in  England,  and  the  legate  in  France,  took  with 
them  an  immense  number  of  prdates,  and  embarked  on  board 
ship  at  the  city  of  Qenoa,  in  order  to  reach  the  council  in 
safety,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Genoese.  And  by  way  of 
giving  them  encouragement,  the  pope  himself  had  sent  one 
legate,  who  had  received  from  this  same  pope  power  to  absolve 
from  all  their  sins  all  those  who  exposed  themselves  to  the 
impending  danger.  But  when  they  had  all  committed  them- 
selves to  Uie  vast  sea,  the  imperial  pirates  met  them,  who  took 
them  all  prisoners  miserably,  and  drowned  many  of  them,  or 
dse  shamelessly  murdered  them.  And  those  whom  they  took 
alive»  they  dragged  over  long  tracts  of  sea,  exposing  them  to 
be  scorched  by  the  intolert^le  heat,  and  guarding  them  in 
chidns  and  strict  custody,  they  brought  them  to  Naples,  where, 
by  eomlnand  of  the  emperor,  they  were  thrown  into  prison, 
to  the  disgrace  and  infamy  of  the  whole  church.    And  this 


202  HATTHEW  OP  WESTMDrgTSB.  A.D.  1241. 

unhappy  meeting  of  the  two  fleets  took  place  on  the  day  of 
Saint  Mark  the  Evangelist.  In  the  meantime,  too,  the  papal 
collectors,  namely  Peter  Buheus,  a  kinsman  and  intimate 
friend  of  the  lord  the  pope  (for  that  was  the  title  put  at  the 
head  of  his  letters),  and  Peter  de  Supen,  were  indefatigahly 
lahouring  throughout  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland,  by  all 
sorts  of  arguments,  to  collect  money  for  the  necessities  of  the 
lord  the  pope,  the  king,  under  the  guidance  of  eyil  council- 
lors, permitting  all  tlieir  proceedings.  In  those  times,  too, 
every  one  was  absolved  who  pleased,  being  invested  with  the 
cross,  for  the  sake  of  money,  both  the  Minor  Brothers  and  the 
Preaching  Brothers  preachmg  and  recommending  that  step  by 
command  of  the  pope ;  so  that  many  of  those  who  assumed 
the  cross  to-day,  were  on  the  morrow,  for  the  payment  of 
money,  absolved  from  their  vow,  to  the  great  astonishment  of 
many  persons. 

The  same  year,  on  the  twenty- eighth  of  May,  Gilbert  Ma* 
reschal,  earl  of  Pembroke,  died  outside  the  city  of  Hereford, 
having  had  many  of  his  limbs  broken  in  a  tournament,  where 
the  knights  unhappily  were  vying  with  one  another  in  con- 
tests of  strength ;  and  his  body  was  conveyed  to  London  to 
be  buried.  And  after  his  death,  because  all  tournaments  were 
prohibited  by  the  king,  and  because  no  special  leave  had  been 
obtained  for  this  one,  Walter,  the  brother  of  earl  Gilbert,  had 
great  difficulty  in  obtaining  from  the  king  the  inheritance  that 
belonged  to  falm. 

About  the  same  time,  the  king  of  France  conferred  on  his 
brother,  Alfonzo,  the  county  of  Poitou,  and  formally,  with  all 
due  solemnity,  invested  him  with  the  belt  of  a  knight,  to  the 
exclusion  of  count  Richard,  who  was  at  that  time  fighting  for 
God  in  the  Holy  Land.  About  this  time  too,  the  aforesaid 
count  Richard  made  a  truce  with  the  soldan  of  Babylon,  on 
condition  that  all  the  French  who  were  detained  prisoners 
should  be  restored  to  liberty ;  and  that  Jerusalem  also,  and 
the  neighbouring  places,  and  many  other  cities  and  castles, 
should  be  left  in  freedom  and  peace,  with  other  conditions  sach 
i|8  were  honourable  and  advantageous  to  the  Christians,  as  is 
contained  in  the  letter  of  this  same  count.  At  the  beginning 
of  which  business,  the  king  of  Navarre,  who  is  also  count  of 
Champagne  and  Brittany,  and  other  men,  remarkable  for  their 
seditious  conduct,  wickedly  and  treacherously  betook  them- 
^ves  to  secret  flight,  embarking  on  board  ship  at  Joppa,  to 


A.D.  1241.         COTTNT  BIOHASD  LANDS  IK  SICILY.  203 

return  to  their  own  country,  having  done  no  good  in  the  Holy 
Land,  and  so  they,  privily  and  unexpectedly,  fled  away  in  the 
silence  of  the  night  from  the  face  of  the  Lord,  leaving  their 
French  brethren  in  chains  and  in  prison. 

This  year  too,  Griffith,  the  eldest  son  of  Leoline,  who  had 
come  peaceably  to  the  council  convened  by  his  brother  David, 
and  who,  having  been  treacherously  arrested,  was  detained  in 
his  brother's  prison,  addressed  a  humble  supplication  to  the 
king,  by  the  interposition  of  Richard,  bishop  of  Bangor,  beg- 
ging him  to  have  pity  on  him  and  deliver  him  from  his  bro- 
thers hands,  and  promising,  out  of  gratitude,  to  hold  of  the 
king  himself  all  those  his  territories  which  properly  belonged 
to  him  of  hereditary  right.  Accordingly,  with  a  view  to  his 
release,  the  king  kindly  wrote  to  David,  entreating  him  in 
his  brother's  behalf;  but  as  his  requests  were  disregarded, 
he  prepared  arms,  and  having  collected  a  numerous  army,  he 
marched  his  standards  into  Wales,  in  a  hostile  manner;  and  as 
on  Mb  march,  Griffith,  the  son  of  Madoc,  one  of  the  princes 
of  Wales,  and  several  of  the  nobles  on  the  borders  of  Wales, 
received  him  peaceably,  so  that  he  passed  without  any  hin- 
drance in  his  march  through  that  district,  which  had  now  been 
mted  by  a  continual  drought  for  four  months,  he  so  fright- 
ened David  and  all  his  adherents,  to  such  a  degree,  that  he 
not  only  released  his  brother  Griffith,  and  gave  him  his  Uberty, 
bat  even  went  in  his  own  person,  humbly  and  submissively, 
to  the  king,  offering  to  submit  the  whole  dispute  between  them 
to  the  investigation  of  the  king's  court.  Henry  therefore, 
haying  terminated  this  affiiir  according  to  his  wishes,  sent 
Griffidi,  who  had  been  released  from  his  brother's  prison,  as 
a  prisoner  of  his  own,  to  the  Tower  of  London,  till  he  should 
decide  what  was  to  be  done  with  him,  and  bound  David  by 
heavv  sure^es  to  come  to  London,  to  answer  before  his  court 
to  all  the  accusations  that  should  be  brought  against  him ; 
and  BO  the  king  retum,ed  home  victoriously  and  wiUi  joy,  with- 
out any  blood  having  been  shed. 

At  this  time,  count  Richard,  having  brought  the  affairs  of 
the  Holy  Land  to  a  fortunate  and  glorious  termination,  and 
haying  established  a  treaty  of  truce  and  peace  by  formal 
▼ritings  and  oaths  interchanged  on  each  side,  embarked  on 
hoard  ship  to  return  home,  and  after  a  long  and  dangerous 
^^7*^'  landed  at  Trapes,  in  Sicily.  And  tiiere  the  officers 
ef  the  emperor,  and  keepers  of  the  harbour,  met  him  with 


204  USXTBXW  OJt  WB9THnrST£B.  A,0.  1241. 

great  reverence,  and  received'  him  with  all  possible  respect,  as 
they  had  been  commanded  to  do  by  their  lord  the  emperor. 

The  same  year,  the  lord  the  king  caused  a  golden  bier  to 
be  made  in  tne  city  of  London,  to  contain  the  relics  of  the 
glorious  king  and  confessor,  Bdward,  in  a  most  glorious  man- 
ner, and  at  his  own  expense.  About  the  same  time,  the 
daughter  of  the  count  of  Brittany  died  at  Bristol,  where  ahe 
had  been  a  long  time  detained  in  most  strict  custody  in  prison. 
About  this  time  too,  pope  Gregory  the  Ninth,  as  if  he  were 
unable  to  support  the  grief  wluch  entered  his  soul,  from  the 
misfortunes  which  he  heard  of  on  all  sides,  and  which  he  bad 
brought  upon  himself,  died  on  the  twenty-third  of  August,  at 
the  age  of  nearly  a  hundred  years. 

About  the  same  time,  the  French,  who  had  been  liberated 
by  the  exertions  of  count  Richard,  and  had  been  honourably 
provided  with  horses  and  garmente^  and  all  things  necessary 
for  their  expedition,  arrived  with  joy  in  their  own  country. 
But  the  count  himself  staid  some  time  with  the  lord  the  em- 
peror, for  the  sake  of  mutual  acquaintance  and  conversation, 
which  they  had  both  long  desired,  refreshing  both  his  body 
and  his  spirit ;  and  if  death  had  not  removed  the  lord  the 
pope  Arom  the  world,  he  would  by  his  influence  have  restored 
peace  to  the  church.  But  while  the  cardinals,  according  to 
their  custom,  were  shut  up  in  conclave,  deliberating  on  the 
election  of  a  pope.  Master  Robert  de  Somerkote,  one  of  the 
cardinals,  died,  and  Godfrey  of  Milan  was  elected  pope, 
who  assumed  the  name  of  Celestine ;  but  when  he  had  scarcely 
filled  the  papal  chair  seventeen  days,  he  went  the  way  of  aU 
flesh.  On  the  day  of  Saint  Fides  there  was  an  eclipse  of  the 
sun,  as  if  the  powers  of  heaven  seemed  to  be  showing  their 
correspondence  with  the  state  of  the  church.  The  same  year 
also,  the  kingdom  of  England  was  bereaved  of  some  illustri- 
ous nobles,  and  the  church  of  some  distinguished  prelates. 
For,  besides  our  supreme  Roman  prelates,  that  is,  besides 
the  two  popes,  who  departed  this  life,  there  also  died  ia  Eng- 
land, Roger,  of  pious  memory,  bishop  of  London,  on  the 
twenty-eighth  of  September,  and  Hugh,  bishop  of  Chester,  on 
the  seventh  of  December,  besides  William,  earl  of  Albemade, 
and  the  earl  mareschal,  William,  of  whom  mention  has  been 
made  already.  There  also  died  on  the  eighth  of  November, 
Stephen  de  Segrave,  who  filled  the  office  of  justiciary,  and 
about  Easter,  &at  noble  and  powerful  lord«  Walter  de  Lacy, 


A.B.  1242.  EABL  BICHABD  BBTITRNS  7B0M  THE  HOLY  LIKD.  205 

died  in  IrelfUid.  Besides  these,  there  died,  Gilbert  Basset,  a 
knight  of  noble  birth,  and  of  great  fame  in  arms,  John  Bas- 
set, the  prime  forester  in  England,  Robert  Marmion,  Peter  de 
Brtiis,  and  Ooiscard  Leydet.  There  also  died,  either  irhile 
tarrying  in  the  Holy  Land,  as  pilgrims,  or  in  going  thither,  or 
returning  from  thence,  Endes,  the  brother  of  count  Richard, 
Hamo,  snmamed  Peceham,  Baldirin  de  Betun,  John  Fitzjohn, 
the  seneschal  of  the  aforesaid  count,  John  de  Beanchamp,  a 
most  accomplished  kni^t,  Gerard  de  Fnmiyal,  And  many 
others,  whose  names  are  indelibly  recorded  in  the  book  of 
life  as  faithM  soldiers  of  God,  and  worshippers  of  his  foot- 
steps. 

The  same  year,  Isabella,  empress  of  the  Romans,  and  sister 
of  the  king  of  England,  the  hope  and  singular  glory  of  the 
Englifi^,  died  in  childbirth,  on  the  first  of  December.  And 
when  the  emperor  had  announced  this  erent  in  a  mourn- 
fol  letter  to  the  lord  the  king  of  England,  at  the  end  of 
the  letter  be  tempered  his  grief,  as  it  were,  speaking  thus : 
"  There  remains  to  me,  by  the  bounty  of  the  Almighty,  a 
royal  ofiispring,  so  that  there  arise  a  king  and  queen,  in  the 
sight  6f  their  father,  to  be  the  witnesses  of  their  mother." 
For  the  emperor  had  had  by  his  wife  a  happy  ofifopring,  to 
vit,  a  son  and  a  daughter. 

That  year  was  one  of  pestilence  and  disturbance  to  the  king- 
dom of  England,  and  of  great  disaster  to  the  Holy  Land, 
because  the  Templars  attacked  the  Hospitallers  in  a  hostile 
manner,  and  could  not  be  reconciled  to  them  by  all  the  dili- 
gence and  exertions  of  count  Richard;  moreover,  to  the 
church  of  Rome  it  was  so  unfavourable  and  injurious,  that 
after  the  pope  had  died  and  another  been  elected  in  his  stead, 
who  also  was  taken  from  this  world  after  a  few  days,  all  the 
brethren  becoming  divided  in  their  persons,  and  hearts,  and 
places,  attacked  one  another. 

Pei&r  of  Savoy,  earl  ofJtichmond,  resigns  the  noble  eastks,  which 
he  had  received  from  the  king,  to  the  custody  of  the  king, 

A.I).  1242,  which  is  the  twenty-sixth  year  of  the  reign  of 
King  Henry  the  Third.  The  said  king  held  his  court  at 
Christmas,  at  Westminster,  in  his  great  palace,  as  he  was  ac- 
customed to,  in  great  tranquiUity  ;  and  when  he  had  remained 
there  a  fortnight,  the  news  of  the  arrival  of  earl  Richard,  who 
was  returning  fi?om  the  Holy  Land,  got  abroad.     And  when 


206  IC^TTHXW  OF  WlSTlCOrSTEB.  A.B.  1242. 

this  was  known,  Peter  Savoy,  earl  of  Richmond,  like  a  discreet 
and  circnmspect  man,  prudently  resigned  into  ihe  king's  hand 
the  most  eminent  and  famous  castles  of  the  kingdom,  of  which 
he  had  received  the  guardianship.  For  he  was  well  aware  that 
the  nobles  of  England  had  conceived  great  indignation  at  his 
sudden  elevation,  on  which  account  he  greatly  feared  the 
arrival  of  the  earl.  Moreover,  this  prudence  on  the  part  of 
Peter  greatly  allayed  the  anger  of  many  of  those  who  were 
discontented.  The  same  year,  a  great  sedition  arose  in  Poiton, 
which  subsequentiy  produced  great  ruin,  and  a  deadly  quarrel, 
and  war,  and  irreparable  damage :  for  the  count  de  U  Marche, 
at  the  instigation  of  Isabella,  whom  the  French  call  the  most 
impious  Jezebel,  being  his  own  wife  and  the  mother  of  the 
king  of  England, — ^lifted  up  his  heel  against  his  lord  the  king 
of  France  ;  for  he  was  very  indignant  that  Alfonso,  the  brother 
of  the  king  of  France,  and  count  of  Poitou,  since  the  king  of 
France  had  lately  conferred  that  county  on  him,  had  demanded 
due  homage  of  lum ;  on  which  account  the  said  count  de  la 
Marche  answered  saucily,  with  haughtiness  and  abuse,  and 
refused  him  what  he  demanded  as  his  right.  Accordingly,  on 
this  account,  there  went  up  no  light  complaint  to  the  king  of 
France,  and  the  count  was  warned  to  amend  that  insolence. 
But  though  he  was  repeatedly  admonished,  he  disdained  to  do 
so,  and  adopting  the  advice  of  his  wife,  he  intimated  to  the 
king  of  England  to  come  to  Poitou,  not  with  any  great  retinue 
of  English,  but  armed  only  with  a  large  sum  of  money,  and 
then  he  would  make  over  to  him  all  his  territories  beyond  the 
sea.  But  the  king,  by  the  advice  of  the  Poitevins,  a  race 
always  ready  for  treachery,  gave  credence  to  his  proposals, 
aud  agreed  to  it,  and  prepared  for  his  passage,  with  much 
treasure,  and  in  a  single  vessel,  and  could  not  be  delayed  by 
either  the  advice  or  entreaties  of  any  of  his  friends  or  natural 
subjects.  In  those  days,  the  lord  the  king  wrote  to  all  the 
nobles  of  England,  strictly  charging  them  all  to  assemble  to- 
gether in  a  body,  in  London,  on  the  Tuesday  next  before  the 
Purification  of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary,  to  discuss  important 
affairs  of  the  kingdom,  which  admitted  of  no  delay.  More- 
over, at  tiiis  time,  the  king  being  certified  of  the  arrival  of 
his  brother,  earl  Richard,  went  to  the  sea  coast  to  meet  him 
with  great  joy,  attended  by  a  numerous  retinue ;  and  receiving 
him  with  joy  and  honour,  rushed  with  brotherly  affection  into 
Ids  embrace,  and  shed  tears  of  exultation.    And  remaining 


A.D.  1242.      THE  EABL  OT  BALI8BXJBX  LAITDS  AT  DOYSB.       207 

together  for  many  days,  they  comforted  one  another  with  inter- 
clunge  of  conversation,  and  refreshed  themselves  with  feasting. 
In  the  meantime,  the  Poitevins  did  not  cease  to  stir  up  and 
animate  the  king  hy  letters  and  embassies  not  to  delay  to  cross 
the  sea  and  come  over  to  them,  as  he  should  then  recover  all 
his  rights,  and  all  his  territories  beyond  the  sea,  without  any 
hindrance  or  opposition.  But  when  the  feast  of  the  Purifica- 
tion, and  the  day  of  the  general  parliament^  was  at  hand,  the 
whole  nobility  of  England,  both  prelates  and  lay  peers,  met 
at  Westminster  ;  and  it  was  already  known  to  all  of  them  that 
the  count  de  la  Marche,  and  the  other  nobles  of  Poitou,  who 
were  at  all  times  notorious  for  their  treasonable  disposition, 
had  invited  the  king  to  come  to  their  protection,  accompanied 
by  no  military  array,  but  provided  with  money  alone  :  as  if 
they  thought  nothing  of  .the  military  power  of  England,  but 
wanted  only  his  money.  For  already  the  king  of  ^ance  had 
attacked  them  in  a  hostile  manner,  as  undisguised  traitors. 
Therefore,  murmurs  sounded  among  the  En^h,  and  they 
conceived  no  slight  indignation  at  this  circumstance,  that  the 
king  had  seriously  given  credence  and  consent  to  such  a  sug- 
gestion. But  when  they  were  met  together,  the  king  with 
great  earnestness  demanded  of  them  money,  by  means  of  which 
to  get  possession  of  his  territories  beyond  the  sea.  And  as  he 
would  not  be  turned  from  the  design  which  he  had  conceived, 
either  by  the  prayers  or  advice  pf  his  faithful  and  natural 
subjects,  the  council  was  dissolved  with  great  indignation.  But 
the  king  had  addressed  all  the  prelates  separately,  asking  what 
each  of  them  was  willing  to  give  him,  practising  the  maxims 
of  Roman  cunning;  and  though  he  could  not  bind  them 
all  when  assembled  together,  he  weakened  them  individually, 
80  as  to  make  them  yield  to  his  will,  and  thus  broke  their  con- 
sistency ;  and  so  a  large  sum  of  money  was  granted  him  by 
the  prelates ;  and  after  that,  he  distributed  a  large  portion  of 
it  among  those  knights  whom  he  knew  to  be  in  need,  to  in- 
duce them  to  cross  the  sea  with  him. 

But  when  the  king  of  France  had  received  certain  infor- 
mation of  the  crossing  of  the  sea  by  the  king  of  England,  he 
fortified  the  sea-coast  and  the  adjacent  districts,  especially 
Boupel,  and  other  parts  on  the  sea-border  looking  towards 
Poiton  and  Guienne,  with  a  powerful  army. 
About  the  same  time,  the  earl  of  Salisbury  landed  at  Dover, 
^  Thia  is  the  first  time  the  word  Parliament  occurs  in  this  History. 


208  HATTHSW  OV  WEBTMHrSTKB.  A.D.  1242. 

on  his  return  from  the  Holy  Land.  Bat  when  earl  Richard 
saw  that  there  were  no  means  of  taming  the  king  firom  his 
design,  he  agreed  to  cross  the  sea  with  him,  and  prepared  in  a 
magnificent  manner  for  the  passage.  And  eucooraged  by  his 
example,  many  other  nobles  prepared  to  make  the  passage,  in 
company  with  the  king  and  the  aforesaid  earl.  The  guardian- 
ship of  the  kingdom,  therefore,  being  entrusted  to  Wtdter, 
archbishop  of  York,  because  he  was  considered  a  man  of  sin- 
gular discretion  and  fidelity  among  all  the  nobles  of  the  king- 
dom ;  the  lord  the  king,  accompanied  by  his  queen,  and  by 
his  brother,  earl  Richard,  with  seven  other  earls,  and  about  three 
hundred  knights,  embarked  on  board  ship,  on  the  fifteenth 
of  May,  and  set  sail,  steering  his  course  towards  Bourdeaux. 

About  this  time,  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  married  Mar- 
garet, the  daughter  of  Ingelram  de  Coucy,  a  powerfol  and 
cruel  baron  of  the  kingdom  of  France.  But  while  the  lord 
the  king  was  passing  his  time  in  the  countries  beyond  the  sea, 
a  certain  nobleman,  an  Irishman  by  birth,  namely,  Williain  de 
Marais,  who  was  a  banished  man,  and  a  fugitive  on  account  of 
some  crime  of  which  he  was  accused,  seized  on  the  island  of 
Lundy,  which  is  not  far  from  Bristol,  where  he  practised  all 
kind  of  robbery  and  piracy.  At  last,  being  taken  prisoner, 
with  seventeen  of  his  companions,  he  was  sentenced  to  a  cmel 
death,  and,  by  command  of  the  king,  he  and  his  seventeen 
companions  were  all  dragged  at  the  tails  of  horses  to  London, 
and  there  hanged  on  a  gdlows.  And  his  father,  one  of  the 
most  powerful  nobles  of  Ireland,  by  name  Godfrey  de  Marais, 
when  he  heard  this,  fled  into  Scotland,  though  he  could 
scarcely  find  a  safe  refuge  even  there;  and  wasting  away 
through  agitation  and  grief,  he  soon  afterwards  ended  his 
miserable  fife  by  a  wished-for  death.  About  the  same  time, 
several  nobles  died,  namely,  Gilbert  de  Gaunt,  Baldwin  Wak, 
PhUip  de  Kyne,  and  in  the  north,  Roger  Bertram,  with  several 
other  illustrious  men,  departed  this  life,  and  were  dischai^ed 
from  all  human  distresses.  There  died  also,  the  earl  of  War« 
wick,  a  man  of  great  power,  and  very  illustrious  fiBunily. 
About  the  same  time  too,  one  of  the  sons  of  the  emperor 
Frederic,  by  name  Henry,  who,  as  his  evil  conduct  well  de- 
served, had  been  for  a  long  time  kept  in  prison  by  command 
of  his  father,  breathed  forth  his  miserable  life.  For  it  is  said, 
that  he  himself,  being  weary  of  his  life,  did  with  his  own 
hand  miserably  slay  hunself. 


A.D,  i242.  B.VKBY  BSTBXAT8  TQ  BLATE.  209 

About  this  time,  the  most  pious  and  accomplished  king  of 
Fnmce,  being  moved  by  the  spirit  of  mercy  and  peace,  offered 
the  lord  the  king  of  England  excellent  conditions  of  peace, 
because  he  was  his  kinsman,  and  because  the  ^ueen,  his  wife, 
was  sister  of  the  queen  of  England.  But  the  kmg  of  England, 
being  led  away  by  the  false  promises  of  the  count  de  la 
Marche,  utterly  refused  them,  asserting  that  he  would  never 
reject  the  advice  of  the  said  count,  whom,  according  to  his 
usual  custom,  he  called  his  father.  And  immediately,  in  a 
rash  and  hostile  manner,  he  defied  the  king  of  France  himself. 
Therefore,  the  king  of  France  repented  of  having  thus  hum- 
bled himself  to  the  king  of  England,  and  unfolding  the  ori- 
flamme,  he  made  a  vigorous  attack  on  all  the  territories  which 
belonged  to  the  count  de  la  Marche ;  and  in  a  short  time  the 
war  was  so  successfhl  in  his  hahd,  that  he  had  crushed  his 
enemies,  and  brought  hostilities  to  a  wished-for  end  ;  for  he 
had  already  occupied  the  castle  of  Frontignac,  which  appeared 
to  the  Poitevins  to  be  impregnable,  and  in  it  he  took  pri- 
soners, the  son  of  the  count  de  la  Marche,  and  a  hundred 
knights.  After  that^  he  took  the  castle  called  Movent.  And 
after  that,  day  after  day,  he  took  other  castles  and  cities,  and  all 
their  inhahitants,  illustrious  citizens  and  knighfa^  voluntarily 
submitted  to  his  power.  At  last  he  came  to  a  dty  very  rich 
in  vineyards,  which  is  called  Taillebourg,  and  which  rejoices 
in  a  river,  which  is  called  the  Tarente  ;  and  while  the  king  of 
France  was  there,  the  king  of  England  came  in  close  order  of 
battle  to  the  other  side  of  thse  river,  and  the  two  armies  were 
80  near  that  they  could  see  one  another's  flags  and  standards, 
and  there  the  king  of  England  was  saved  from  the  danger  of  a 
disorderly  battle  by  the  energy  of  earl  Richard.  Accordingly, 
king  Henry  fled  -with  prudence  and  good  fortune,  and  came 
to  Saintonges;  hut  the  king  of  France  pursued  him  without 
delay,  and  a  very  fierce  battle  took  place  between  the  French 
and  English,  outside  of  the  city,  in  which  the  French,  though 
against  their  will,  were  forced  to  confess  that  the  English 
gained  the  most  honour. 

But  as  the  army  of  the  king  of  France  was  increasing  every 
day,  like  a  lake  which  grows  in  consequence  of  torrents  which 
pour  into  it,  a  sedition  arose  in  the  city,  in  consequence  of 
which  evil  reports  got  abroad,  and  so  the  king  of  England 
fled  disgracefully,  and  retreated  with  all  expedition  to  Blaye, 
where  for  some  days  he  was  detained  by  illness.     So  when 

TOL.   II..  p 


210  MATTHEW  or  WESTMIlfSTEB.  A.D.  1242. 

the  count  de  la  Marche  heard  this,  heing  stung  \rith  grief  in 
his  heart,  he  sent  the  count  of  Brittany  to  the  king  of  France, 
to  he  a  mediator  and  an  intercessor  for  peace.  And  so,  though 
with  great  difficulty,  he  was  admitted  to  peace  hy  the  king  of 
France,  on  very  severe  conditions,  heing  forced  to  abandon 
the  king  of  England,  after  he  had  drained  him  of  his  treasures, 
and  injured  his  honour. 

Afler  these  events,  Reginald  de  Pontibus,  and  (following 
his  example)  William,  sumamed  the  Archbishop,  and  the 
viscount  de  Thouars,  and  many  other  nobles  of  Poiton,  who 
nevertheless  had  craftily,  or  one  might  say  treacherously,  re- 
ceived all  the  money  of  the  king  of  England  that  they  could 
get,  now  flew  to  shelter  themselves  under  the  wing  of  the  king 
of  France. 

At  this  time,  too,  Richard,  abbot  of  Evesham,  died,  sur^- 
named  the  Stout,  having  been  a  monk  of  Westminster,  and 
a  prudent  and  wise  man,  learned  and  accomplished  in  all 
civil  and  canon  law  ;  and  he  died  at  Byolan ;  at  which  the  king 
Was  greatly  grieved^  because  he  was  hia  prkicipal  councillor, 
and  at  one  time  had  filled  the  office  of  chancellor^  And 
while  the  king  of  England  was  disquieted  by  all  these  trou- 
bles, Eleanor,  queen  of  England,  was  remaining  at  Bardeauz, 
being  near  the  time  of  her  confinement ;  and  she  did  not 
quit  that  city  till  she  had  brought  forth  a  daughter,  to  whom 
was  given'  the  name  of  Beatrice,  in  compliment  to  the  countess 
of  the  province  of  Guienne,  whose  name  was  also  Beatrice. 
And  the  child  was  born  the  day  after  the  feast  of  the  Nativity 
of  Saint  John  the  Baptist. 

At  the  same  time,  a  circumstance  occurred  which  the  En- 
ghsh  do  not  relate  without  jesting  and  derision,  though  not 
unmingled  with  indignation.  A  certain  woman,  of  singularly 
enormous  size,  whose  carcase,  the  inheritance  of  many  worms, 
was  sufficient  to  load  an  empty  litter,  I  mean  the  countess 
of  Byarde,  with  her  son  Graston,  and  fifty  knights,  being 
prompted  by  a  covetous  desire  for  money,  in  which  she  knew 
that  the  king  of  England  abounded,  came  to  him,  and  made 
an  agreement  that  her  knights  should  fight  for  the  king  for 
pay,  and  for  this  she  was  to  receive  thirteen  pounds  sterling 
regularly  paid  every  day.  But  the  aforesaid  gigantic  woman, 
or  her  son,  or  her  body  of  knights,  which  for  a  long  time 
remained  with  the  king,  to  his  great  cost,  never  did  the  king 
any  service,  but  were  rather  an  injury  to  him,  and  at  last 
they  deserted  him  ridiculously. 


A.i).  1242.  THE  FBBlSrCH  ABB  ATFLIOTXB  WITH  BICSmESS,   21 1 

Meantime  the  king  of  France,  having;  taken  counsel  with 
his  nobles,  because  he  saw  that  his  military  enterprises  all 
prospered  in  his  hands,  according  to  his  wishes,  proposed  to 
porsoe  the  king  of  England  in  a  hostile  maimer,  without  losing 
any  time,  as  fiir  as  Blaye,  because  he  knew  that  he  was  now 
deserted  by  all  the  forces  of  the  Poitevins,  and  deprived  of  aU 
comfort,  and  descending  rapidly  to  the  abyss  of  despair ;  and 
from  Blaye  to  Bordeaux,  if  he  departed  in  that  direction,  and 
to  continue  the  war  with  unwearied  diligence  till  its  termina* 
tion.  And  lol  the  Lord  pitying  the  king,  the  Lord  who 
giveth  salvation  to  kings,  when  and  how  he  wills,  that  Henry 
might  not  appearto  have  recommended  himself  in  vain  to  the 
prayers  of  the  men  of  the  religious  orders  on  his  retreat,  threw 
the  hearts  of  the  French,  who  were  giving  wa^  to  absurd  pride, 
into  confusion,  by  permitting  seeds  of  division  and  dissension 
to  arise  among  them.  For  some  of  them  said  that  it  would  not 
be  for  the  advantage  of  the  French  that  the  king  of  England 
should  be  taken  prisoner  or  crushed,  lest  perchance  England 
should  be  subjected  to  the  yoke  of  France.  And  if  that  were 
to  hi^pen  then,  if  even  the  noblest  of  the  French  were  oppressed 
by  the  king,  what  refuge  would  be  open  to  those  who  were 
forced  to  fly  ?  and  would  not  the  English  be  in  the  same  case 
if  they  were  oppressed  ?  "  For,''  said  they,  "  when  England 
▼as  pkced  under  an  interdict,  we  have  seen  France  open  the 
bosom  of  refuge  and  protection  to  the  bishops  and  many  of 
the  nobles  of  England,  as,  for  instance,  to  Robert  Fitzwalter, 
and  England  did  the  same  to  Reginald,  count  of  Boulogne." 
And  those  who  spoke  in  this  way,  were  among  those  whom 
earl  Richard  had  redeemed  in  the  Holy  Land;  and  when 
others  of  the  French  had  heard  their  arguments,  they  accused 
them  of  treason ;  and  so  a  dissension  arose,  and  they  were 
nearly  having  recourse  to  civil  war.  Besides,  a  great  want  of 
provisions,  and  especially  of  water,  oppressed  their  army,  which 
▼as  numerous,  in  a  miserable  manner,  so  that  as  their  want  of 
all  kinds  of  food  grew  greater,  they  became  swoln,  and  wasted 
away  with  sickness,  and  being  afflicted  and  exhausted  with  va- 
rious miseries,  expired.  For  their  fellow  citizens  of  the  province 
had  closed  up  the  mouths  of  the  wells,  and  had  polluted  and  poi- 
soned the  rivers  and  fountains,  had  ploughed  up  the  meadows 
and  pasture  lands,  and,  having  driven  away  the  cattle,  had  re- 
moved to  a  distance  all  their  supplies  and  all  their  crops. 
Accordingly,  when  they  drank  the  waters,  both  horses  and 

f2 


212  MATTHIW  OF  THSBTKHTSTIB.  A.B.  1242. 

men  perished ;  and  as  the  dog-days  were  jost  at  hand,  those 
who  were  sick  laid  down,  and  speedily  died,  being  destitute 
of  all  comfort  and  rest,  and  having  no  attendance  or  medicine. 
And  in  this  way  upwards  of  eighty  nobles  of  the  French  army, 
who  were  entitled  to  bear  standards,  died,  and  of  the  infantry 
about  twenty  thousand.  And  as  the  king  of  France  at  the 
same  time  was  very  ill,  great  fear  and  despair  seized  upon  the 
French,  who  said  that  the  alms  of  the  king  of  England  had 
undone  them.  For  they  were  greatly  afraid  that  their  own 
king,  because  he  was  tender  and  delicate,  and,  indeed,  that 
they  themselyes,  too,  might  be  overwhelmed  with  sudden  death, 
and  the  example  of  strong  men  who  were  overtaken  by  death  ; 
increased  their  fear.  For  at  the  same  time  there  died  Robert 
Malet;,  a  baron  of  Normandy,  a  man  of  the  greatest  valour  in 
arms,  and  worthy  of  extraordinary  praise.  There  also  died 
at  the  same  place,  and  of  the  same  pestilence,  Richard  de 
Beaumont,  one  of  the  most  nobly  bom  of  all  the  French,  and 
greatly  distinguished  by  gallant  exploits. 

Therefore,  as  the  fiites  were  adverse  to  him,  the  king  of 
France  was  compelled  to  beg  a  truce  of  five  years  from  the 
king  of  England,  being  desirous  to  return  with  all  speed  into 
France,  where  he  might  be  able  to  enjoy  a  better  chmate, 
and  the  truce  was  accordingly,  and,  indeed,  joyfully  granted 
to  him  when  he  requested  it.     Having,  therefore,  received  the 
homage  of  the  nobles  of  Poitou,  and  having  placed  garrisons 
of  his  own  natural  and  loyal  subjects  in  their  castles  and  cities, 
to  command  them,  and  keep  them  for  him,  the  king  retained 
to  France ;  and  being  soon  restored  to  perfect  heal^  he  com- 
manded the  men  of  Poitou,  who  had  been  surrendered  on 
conditions  of  extremity,  to  be  kept  in  close  custody,  and  while 
there  a  condition  was  imposed  upon  them  that  Uiey  should 
not  give  their  daughters  in  marriage,  noi^  go  from  one  city  to 
another,  without  leave  of  the  French.     Also  the  count  de  la 
Marche,  being  accused  and  impeached  of  treason  that  same 
year,  before  the  king  of  France,  was  with  difficulty  aayed 
from  the  infliction  of  an  ignominious  death.     But  he  becaoie  a 
sort  of  prodigy  in  the  eyes  of  all  men  ;  a  sign  that  is  to  be 
pointed  at  and  ridiculed,  and  hissed  at  by  all  men,  because 
he  had  so  wickedly  betrayed  the  king  of  England,  who  rashly 
trusted  in  him.     From  that  time  forth,  then,  the  prodigal 
anxiety  of  the  king  of  England  was  released  from  its  burthens, 
though  before  that  time  he  was  accustomed  foolishly  to  dis- 


A.D.  1242.  JOCELDT,  BISHOP  OF  BATH,  DIES.  213 

tribute  among  the  Poitevins  seven  thousand  marlcs  every  year, 
for  their  shadow  of  homage  and  useless  service. 

The  same  year,  that  is  to  say,  on  the  day  after  the  feast  of 
Saint  Michael,  the  conventual  church  of  Waltham  was  dedi- 
cated by  William,  bishop  of  Norwich,  with  all  due  solemnity, 
many  of  the  bishops  and  prelates  assisting.  At  this  time  also, 
a  scutage  was  exacted,  and  twenty  shillings  were  granted  and 
collected  from  each  knight's  fee  for  the  use  of  the  king  in  his 
necessity.  But  when  the  king  had  passed  on  peaceably  as  far 
as  Bourdeauz,  and  as,  now  that  there  was  a  truce  made  between 
the  king  of  France  and  himself,  he  was  spending  a  great  deal  of 
time  uselessly  there,  and  going  to  great  expense,  some  of  the 
English  nobles,  who  were  by  this  time  becoming  very  poor, 
and  greatly  involved  in  debt,  asked  leave  to  return  to  their  own 
oomitry,  but  could  not  obtain  it.  But,  at  the  same  time,  earl 
Biehaid,  without  having  received  any  distinct  permission,  did 
withdraw,  and,  returning  to  his  own  country,  suffered  many 
dangers  by  sea,  and  was  scarcely  saved  from  shipwreck,  beinff 
driven  on  a  dry  island  not  far  from  Cornwall,  where  he  vowed 
a  vow  to  the  Lord  that  he  would  found  a  house  for  religious 
men,  of  the  Cistercian  order,  which  vow  he  afterwards  raith- 
folly  fulfilled.  About  the  same  time,  that  noble  man,  Richard 
de  Burgh,  who  had  great  estates  and  possessions  in  Ireland, 
died.  And  the  same  year,  Hugo  de  Lacy,  a  most  celebrated 
warrior  in  Ireland,  whose  wars  and  conquests  would  require  a 
special  treatise,  departed  this  life.  About  this  time,  too,  Ro- 
bert, bishop  of  Lincoln,  a  man  most  deeply  skilled  in  the  Latin 
and  Greek  languages,  transUted  most  accurately  the  testaments 
of  the  twelve  patriarchs  from  Oreek  into  Latin,  which,  through 
the  envy  c^  the  Jews,  had  been  for  a  long  time  unknown  and 
concealed,  and  had  not  come  to  the  knowledge  of  Jerome,  or 
of  any  other  translator ;  for  in  them  were  found  manifest  pro- 
phecies of  the  Saviour. 

The  same  year,  on  the  first  of  December,  died  Jocelin, 
bishop  of  Bath,  f^  of  days.  And  when  the  feast  of  Saint 
Michael  was  at  hand,  the  abbots  of  the  Cistercian  order  were 
not  pennitted  to  cross  the  sea  to  their  general  chapter,  because 
in  this  same  year,  when  entreated  by  the  king,  they  refused 
him  any  assistance  from  the  profits  of  their  exhibition  of  wool. 
This  year  then  passed  by,  sufficiently  fruitful  and  productive, 
and  peaceful  to  England  itself,  but  full  of  war  and  injury  to 
the  countries  beyond  the  sea  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of 


214  MATTHEW  OF  WEBTMIKBTES.  A.]>.  1243. 

England,  fnll  of  suspicion  to  the  Holy  Land,  pr^nant  inth 
fear  to  the  empire,  turbulent  as  far  as  the  whole  church  was 
concerned  (since  the  papal  chair  was  still  yacant),  and  also  to 
the  brethren,  who  were  separated  from  one  another  both  in 
their  situations  and  their  hearts,  so  that  scarcely  seyen  or  eight 
of  them  remained  at  Rome. 

27ie  king  of  England  delaying  usdesdg  at  Bourdeaux^  money  it 
collected  in  England  for  Aw  «m. 

A.i>.  1243,  which  is  the  twenty-seyenth  of  the  reign  of  king 
Henry  the  Third,  the  king  was  at  Bourdeaux,  not  that  he 
kept  a  Christmas  feast  there,  but  he  wintered  there,  dawdling 
away  his  time  unprofitably.  And  though  the  countess  de 
Bearde,  and  Cterard,  her  son,  and  the  men  of  Guienne,  ex- 
torted finom  the  king,  whom  they  held  to  his  promise,  daily 
expenses  according  to  their  pleasure,  and  no  mconsiderable 
sum  as  pay,  yet  neither  the  king  nor  the  English  thought  of 
any  warlike  enterprise,  except  that,  to  ayoid  the  imputation  of 
domg  nothing,  they  made  themseWes  masters  of  some  small 
towns  on  the  borders  of  the  district  of  Bourdeaux,  which 
rebelled  against  them,  and  laid  siege  to  a  monastery  whieh 
is  called  Yernnes,  in  which  some  rebels  had  taken  refuge  ; 
where,  while  one  of  the  familiar  councillors  of  the  king,  by  ' 
name  John  Maunsel,  one  of  the  secular  clei^,  was  attacking 
the  besieged  with  more  animosity  than  all  the  rest,  he  was  stmck 
down  by  a  blow  from  a  stone,  so  as  to  be  nearly  killed,  and 
wounded,  too,  with  an  arrow,  so  that  he  with  difficulty  escaped 
falling  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies.  And  because  he  had  so 
cheei^Uy  exposed  himself  to  danger  of  death  for  the  king's 
honour,  though  he  was  admitted  to  his  fsmiliaiity  before,  he 
was  more  so  now,  and  though  rich  before,  he  became  richer 
now,  so  that  he  desenredly  attained  to  the  leyel  of  the  nobles 
and  chiefs  of  the  land ;  and  most  abundant  reyenues  were  be- 
stowed upon  him. 

About  the  same  time,  the  monks  of  Coyentry,  haying  re- 
ceiyed  information  of  die  death  of  the  abbot  of  Eyesham, 
who  was  abo  bishop  elect  of  Coyentry,  with  the  consent  of 
some  of  the  canons  of  Lichfield,  elected  their  precentor,  the 
lord  William  of  Mont  Pestle,  a  holy  man,  of  high  character 
and  great  learning,  to  be  the  bishop  and  shepherd  of  their 
souls ;  but  the  lord  the  king,  according  to  his  established  cus- 
tom, wishing  rather  to  promote  some  one  else  to  be  bishop, 


A.J).  1243,     THE  COXJirr  OJ?  BEITTAST  TUBITS  PIBATB.  215 

immediately  opposed  his  election,  refusing  to  receire  either 
the  election  or  the  person  elected.  And  as  some  of  the  canons 
of  Lichfield  ranged  themsehes  on  his  side,  and  as  there  was 
a  great  strife  on  the  subject,  each  side  incurred  strange  and 
extravagant  losses,  to  the  amount  of  two  hundred  and  forty- 
fire  pounds. 

About  the  same  time,  there  came  five  guardians  of  the  har- 
bours, and  some  persons  who  sold  wine  and  victuals,  and  they 
▼ho  depended  wholly  on  the  king's  pay,  all  earnestly  press- 
ing the  king  for  the  payments  that  were  due  to  them.  More- 
over, the  people  of  Bourdeaux,  to  whom  the  king  owed  incal- 
calable  sums,  no  longer  allowed  him,  although  then  master, 
to  have  his  reins  fi^,  but  his  own  city  of  Bourdeaux  was 
aheady  a  prison  to  him,  and  they  hemmed  him  in  and  worried 
him  so,  that  he  felt  great  bitterness  of  soul.  Now,  therefore, 
although  it  was  too  kte,  the  lord  the  king,  repenting  of  not 
havmg  hstened  to  the  counsels  of  his  natural-bom  English 
subjects,  longed  to  feel  happy  again  in  the  security  of  England, 
and  to  satiate  himself  with  the  luxuries  of  Westminster.  From 
that  time  forth,  therefore,  he  thought  of  returning  to  the  har- 
bour of  England,  and,  by  the  active  and  discreet  exertions  of 
his  ministers,  a  truce  was  established,  which  was  signed  on, 
and  commenced  from,  the  day  of  Saint  Gregory.  But  the 
count  of  Brittany,  like  a  crafty  man,  and  one  more  wily  than 
any  fox,  pretending  that  he  was  not  aware  of  it,  turned  pirate 
on  the  sea,  and  occupied  himself  with  plunder,  and  stripped 
many  persons  of  much  property,  especially  merchants,  who, 
relying  on  the  above-mentioned  truce,  passed  through  his  ter- 
ritories. And  when,  in  consequence  of  the  complaints  of  the 
king  d  England,  the  knowledge  of  this  came  to  the  ears  of 
the  most  pious  king  of  France,  he  said,  "  Ha !  how  often  have 
I  reproved  that  traitor,  and  yet,  though  convicted,  he  does  not 
amend  his  ways,  but  pretends  that  he  is  ignorant  of  what  has 
taken  place ;  but  that  his  own  dishonesty  may  be  no  protec- 
tion to  him,  the  spoiler  shall  be  spoUed,  and  what  he  has 
taken  away  shall  be  restored  to  the  lord  the  king  of  England." 
And  this  was  done.  Moreover,  the  spoiler  was  pronounced 
infamous,  and  condemned  to  just  punishment. 

About  this  time,  the  cardinals  assembled  to  elect  a  pope, 
and  they  intimated  to  the  emperor,  that  he  had,  in  no  small 
deg;ree,  blackened  his  own  reputation  throughout  all  Christen- 
dom.   For  it  was  commonly  said,  that  the  emperor  himselt 


216  MATTHEW  OF  WSSTHIKSTEB.  A.D.  1243. 

had  hindered  the  election  of  a  pope,  and  the  advantage  of  the 
charch,  hy  keeping  some  of  the  cardinals  and  some  prelates 
in  pnson.  And  at  the  foot  of  their  message  they  added,  that 
he  ought  to  release  those  whom  he  was  detaining,  and  above 
all,  cardinal  Otho,  that  he  might  be  present  at  the  election, 
and  that  the  election  might  take  place  according  to  his  wish, 
and  to  the  honour,  and  peace,  and  exaltation  of  the  kingdom. 
And  the  emperor  being  influenced  by  these  words,  allowed  the 
aforesaid  cardinal  Otho,  and  also  the  prelates,  whom  he  had 
rashly  detained,  to  depart  in  freedom.  But  when  Otho  had 
arrived  among  the  brethren  who  were  waiting  for  him,  and 
when  they  had  all  discussed  together  the  election  of  a  pope, 
Satan  sowed  discord  among  them,  so  that  they  could  not 
agree,  nor  adopt  any  unanimous  opinion.  On  which  account, 
the  cardinal  Otho  being  ashamed  and  perplexed,  proposed  to 
return  to  the  emperor's  prison,  because  the  cardinals  had  vio- 
lated the  promise  which  they  had  given  to  him  when  he  re- 
leased them  firom  prison.  And  when  this  was  made  known  to 
the  emperor,  he  was  pleased  at  the  good  faith  of  Otho,  and 
signified  to  him  that  he  looked  upon  him,  and  always  would 
look  upon  him,  not  only  as  a  firee  man,  but  as  a  friend.  There- 
fore, having  collected  a  numerous  army,  the  emperor  laid 
waste  the  city  of  Aubigny,  which  especially  belonged  to  the 
Roman  church,  and  threatened  the  cardinals  to  level  every- 
thing which  was  the  property  of  the  Roman  church  witH  the 
f  round,  unless  they  would  at  once,  without  making  any  more 
ifficolties,  agreed  in  the  election  of  a  pope.  And  he  ordered 
the  senator  of  the  city,  and  others  who  were  his  friends,  to  shut 
the  electors  up,  and  guard  them  closely  with  an  armed  force, 
and  not  to  permit  them  to  depart  till  they  had  created  a  pope. 
Moreover,  Uie  king  of  France,  with  the  university  of  his 
kingdom,  transmitted  a  most  vigorous  letter,  containing  a  de- 
mand, couched  in  warlike  and  imperious  language,  to  the  car- 
dinals, by  a  formal  ambassador,  advising  them  to  provide  for 
the  church,  without  any  loss  of  time  or  delay.  Accordingly, 
they  being  alarmed  at  such  commands,  determined,  when  they 
were  assembled  a  second  time,  after  having  invoked  the  favour 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  proceed  to  the  election  of  a  pope  at  an 
appointed  time,  not  waiting  for  a  regular  day,  and  rejecting 
all  the  hindrances  of  the  devil.  Now  that  in  Uiose  days  many 
men  were  doubting  whether  the  papal  powers,  during  the 
vacancy  of  the  see,  devolved  on  the  college  of  cardinals  or 


A..]>.  1243.  BSITEBALD  SLXCTED  POFB.  217 

not»  we  are  fully  assured  by  some  letters  which  were  sent  to 
the  abbot  of  Wardiin,  which  begin  thus,  "  Richard,  by  the 
diyine  mercy,  bishop  of  Ostia  and  Velletri,  John  of  the  title  of 
Saint  Praxedes,  Stephen  of  the  title  of  Saint  Lorenzo,  in  Lucina, 
Stephen  of  the  title  of  Saint  Maria,  in  Cosmedin,  the  church 
of  the  Saints  Cosmo  and  Damian,  Otho  of  Saint  Nicholas,  in 
the  Julian  prison,  cardinals  of  the  holy  Roman  church,  to  the 
religiourman  the  abbot  of  Wardun,  greeting,  in  the  Lord,"  &c« 
And  in  some  subsequent  passages  it  is  saic^  ''We,  however,  in 
whom  the  power  resides,  while  the  apostolic  see  is  yacant,"  &c. 
At  that  time  the  king  of  England,  after  he  had  wasted  a 
long  time  in  Guienne,  haying  entrusted  the  guardianship  of 
that  province,  which  they  call  the  seneschalship,  to  Nicholas 
de  Mueles,  a  prudent  and  royal  knight,  returned  poor,  landless, 
and  inglorious,  to  England,  and  crossed  the  sea  home.  And  in 
compliance  with  the  king's  command,  a  great  number  of  the 
nobles  of  England  met  him,  and  were  exposed  to  a  long  and 
painful,  tedious  and  costly  delay  on  the  coast.  At  last,  when 
he  arrived  in  safety,  they  received  him  reverently,  and  both 
prelates  and  nobles  did  him  honour  with  presents  of  price* 
less  value,  and  when  he  came  to  London,  he  ordered  the  streets 
to  be  adorned  with  curtains  and  lamps,  and  the  churches  too 
with  a  vast  number  of  other  ornaments.  And  as  the  festival 
of  Saint  Edward  was  at  hand,  on  the  thirteenth  of  October, 
he  came  with  joy  to  Westminster,  a  great  body  of  people 
coming  to  meet  him  in  procession,  in  restive  garments,  with 
trumpets  and  ringing  of  beUs,  and  a  prodigious  number  of 
lighted  torches.  The  same  year,  about  the  time  of  the  feast 
of  the  Nativity  of  Saint  Jolm  the  Baptist,  after  many  discus- 
sions,  and  much  affliction  of  the  church  of  Rome,  which  had 
suffered  through  the  sudden  death  of  pope  Gregory,  and  the 
very  lamentable  decease  of  Master  Robert  Somerkote,  the  car- 
dinal, and  many  other  blows  of  adverse  fortune,  the  cardinals 
being  assembled  together,  out  of  fear  of  the  emperor,  elected 
cardinal  Senebald  pope,  a  Genoese  by  birth,  and  a  man  of 
great  accompUshments  and  learning  in  the  dccretab  and  canon 
law,  but  no  despiser  of  money.  And  he  was  created  at 
Anagni,  and  he  assumed  the  name  of  Innocent  the  Fourth, 
and  he  was  confirmed  on  the  day  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and 
Paul,  and  when  he  had  been  confirmed,  he  immediately  rati- 
fied the  sentence  that  had  been  pronounced  by  his  predecessor 
Gregory  against  the  emperor  Frederic.    On  which  account. 


218  Mi.TTHEW  OT  WESTMIISTSTES.  A.D.  1243. 

the  emperor,  when  he  found  the  result  contrary  to  his  hopes, 
broke  out  into  most  violent  anger,  and  intimated  to  the  Romans 
that  it  was  to  their  own  great  prejudice  that  a  pope  had  been 
created  anywhere  else  but  at  Rome,  and  still  more  so  that  he 
had  ratified  the  sentence  of  pope  Gregory.  Therefore,  the 
emperor  immediately  began  to  prepare  troubles  for  the  new 
pope,  and  he  practised  devices  of  various  kinds,  and  placed 
strict  guards  on  the  entrances  to  all  roads  and  harbours,  and 
built  ^dlies  to  go  to  sea,  to  prevent  any  carriers  of  bulls  from 
passing,  or  from  conveying  money  to  the  pope,  to  his  injury ; 
BO  that  the  severity  of  the  emperor  spared  not  even  Preachers 
or  Minors  who  carried  any  writings,  or  communications,  or 
messages. 

About  the  same  time,  the  Templars  besieged  the  Hospitallers 
in  a  hostile  way  at  Acre,  and  to  show  their  contempt  for  them, 
and  by  way  of  insult  to  them,  shamelessly  broke  the  truce 
which  had  been  wisely  made  by  earl  Richanl  with  the  soldan 
of  Babylon,  by  the  advice  of  the  Hospitallers  themselves,  and 
were  not  afraid  to  attack  the  soldan  himself,  having  formed 
confederacies  with  other  soldans,  and  hoping  to  find  faith  in 
infidels.  And  in  consequence  of  this  conduct,  the  fulfilment 
of  that  threat  of  the  burning  Gospel  seemed  to  be  at  hand, 
"  Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself,  shall  be  made  desolate.'* 

About  this  time,  when  the  bishop  of  Lincoln  had,  in  an 
over-impetuous  and  unbecominj^  manner,  deposed  the  abbot  of 
Bardeney,  and  when  this  same  abbot  had  appealed  to  the 
chapter  of  Canterbury,  who,  according  to  their  privileges^  had 
the  power  of  terminating  all  quarrels  that  arose  in  Uie  pro* 
vince  of  Canterbury  during  the  vacancy  of  the  papal  see,  the 
aforesaid  bishop  would  not  wait  for  the  result  of  the  appeal, 
for  which  proceeding  the  chapter  excommunicated  him.  But 
the  bishop  sent  messengers  to  the  pope,  who  was  by  this  time 
elected,  and,  though  the  measure  scarcely  saved  the  rights  of 
each  party,  after  a  caution  as  to  his  future  conduct  received 
absolution.  The  bishop  of  Norwich  having  been  elected  to 
the  bishopric  of  Winchester,  was  confirmed  in  it,  and  Bonij&ice 
was  confirmed  in  the  archbishopric  of  Canterbury. 

About  this  time,  that  is  to'  say,  on  the  fourteenth  of  Novem- 
ber, Beatrice,  wife  of  the  count  of  Provence,  and  mother  of 
the  queens  of  France  and  England,  a  woman  of  singular 
beauty,  came  into  England,  on  t£e  invitation  of  the  king,  who 
provided  for  her  whole  journey  with  great  magnificence  and 


A.D.  1243.  THE  KTBTO  QVAfiBSLS  WITH  WILLIAM  DE  BALE^   219 

at  enonnous  expense.  And  the  king  himself  came  down  to  the 
coast  with  a  number  of  nobles  to  meet  her,  and  received  her 
joyfully,  solemnising  her  arrival  by  the  distribution  of  precious 
gifts,  and  the  lighting  of  a  countless  number  of  torches,  and 
the  ringing  of  bells,  and  the  clang  of  trumpets.  And  she 
brought  with  her  her  daughter,  Senechia,  who  was  to  be  married 
to  earl  Richards  But  when  she  reached  London,  which  was 
on  the  day  week  after  the  feast  of  Saint  Martin,  then,  by  the 
king's  command,  all  the  mud  and  every  obstacle  was  removed 
out  of  the  streets,  and  the  whole  city  was  brilliantly  draped 
irith  cloths  and  curtains.  And  on  Saint  Clement's  day,  earl 
Richard  espoused  his  wife,  the  aforesaid  Senechia,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Raymond,  count  of  Provence,  and  the  aforesaid  countess 
Beatrice,  and  sister  of  the  queens  of  France  and  England,  at 
Westminster.  And  at  this  marriage  there  was  such  a  number 
of  guests  entertained,  and  such  a  general  exultation  of  nuptial 
joy  exhibited,  thait  that  general  festival,  which  made  the  God 
Hymen  himself  marvel,  would  require  a  special  treatise. 

And  while  the  world,  that  conjuror  of  many  forms,  was 
agitating  mortals  in  this  mannet,  a  certain  person,  having  the 
garb  of  religion  only,  a  pretended  and  fictitious  monk,  by 
name  John,  who,  being  supported  only  by  the  royal  autho- 
rity, had  rashly  usurped  the  name  and  office  of  the  prior  of 
the  cathedral  church  at  Winchester,  after  he  had  disturbed 
that  noble  church,  and  the  chapter  of  that  church,  in  various 
manners,  and  by  all  kinds  of  distresses,  met  in  the  act  great 
bjury  and  scandal,  yielded  up  his  miserable  life,  and  went  to 
receive  the  due  reward  of  his  ways.  But  the  king  increasing 
his  violence  day  by  day,  forbade  every  one  from  receiving  in 
hospitality  William  de  Rale,  "who  has  falsely,"  said  he, 
"  caused  himself  to  be  proclaimed  bishop  of  Winchester,"  or 
to  have  any  mercantile  dealings  with  him,  or  to  supply  him 
▼ith  any  provisions  or  necessaries,  or  to  assist  him  in  any  of 
these  particulars,  since  he  deserved  to  be  accounted  an  enemy 
of  the  king,  and  indeed  of  the  commonwealth.  But  the 
aforesaid  bishop  William  went  to  Winchester  to  visit  his 
church ;  but  the  mayor  of  that  city,  and  some  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  being  forewarned  of  this,  and  animated  by  the  com- 
mands of  the  king  himself,  shut  all  the  gates  of  the  city 
against  him.  And  the  bishop  coming  barefoot  to  one  of  the 
gates  of  the  city,  after  he^  being  accompanied  by  his  priests 
and  secular  clergy,  had  addressed  others  who  were  outside 


220  MATTHSW  01"  VK8TMI9STEB.  A.D.  1243. 

of  the  city,  and  entreated  a  passage  from  them  that  he  might 
enter  his  church  in  peace,  addressed  the  same  entreaty,  with 
all  humiUty,  to  those  who  were  above  the  gates  on  the  ram- 
parts. Bat  as  the  mayor  and  many  of  the  citizens,  and  the 
king's  ministers,  refused  this,  and  steadily  opposed  him,  the 
bishop  laid  the  whole  city,  and  the  cathedral  church,  and  all 
the  other  churches,  under  an  interdict,  and  pronounced  a 
sentence  of  anathema  against  all  the  monks  who  were  fol- 
lowers or  partisans  of  the  prior,  who  had  been  intruded  into 
the  see  by  the  king's  authority,  though  he  was  now  dead,  as 
has  been  already  mentioned. 

About  the  same  time,  in  consequence  of  the  conduct  of  the 
imperial  ministers,  who  oppressed  the  people  of  Viterbo  in- 
tolerably, the  whole  city  of  Viterbo  and  the  adjacent  country 
was  brought  over  to  the  Roman  side,  by  the  mstrumentality 
of  Reiner,  cardinal  of  Viterbo,  who  was  a  partizan  of  the 
pope.  And  at  the  same  time,  many  noble  and  powerful  men 
shook  off  their  allegiance  to  the  emperor,  who,  having  done 
so,  came  to  hate  him,  raising  their  heads  against  him,  and 
threatening  him  that  they  would  pursue  him  to  the  death. 
Therefore,  the  emperor  humbling  himself,  according  to  that 
saying  of  David,  **  Fill  their  faces  with  disgrace,  and  they  shall 
seek  thy  name,  0  Lord,"  offered  conditions  of  peace  to  the 
church,  agreeing  to  swear  willingly  to  abide  by  the  censures 
of  the  church,  and  to  make  satisfaction  for  the  injuries  which 
he  had  inflicted  on  it,  provided  that  he  was  first  informed  in 
what  he  had  injured  it,  and  also  of  what  satisfaction  was  re- 
quired of  him,  and  of  all  other  circumstances.  And  as  this 
was  refused  him,  he  raged  more  than  ever  against  the  church, 
and  against  all  persons  connected  with  it.  And,  among  other 
tyrannical  actions  he  caused  two  brethren  of  the  order  of 
Preachers,  and  the  same  number  of  the  order  of  Minors,  to  be 
thrown  into  prison,  because  they  were  convicted  of  having 
carried  letters  between  the  princes  and  nobles,  to  the  injury  of 
the  emperor  and  the  empire ;  and  they  died  in  prison,  because 
of  the  severity  of  their  treatment. 

About  the  same  time,  a  report  of  the  inhuman  Tartars,  and 
of  the  destruction  that  they  spread  everywhere,  pervaded  not 
only  the  countries  of  the  east,  but  the  inland  regions,  and  even 
the  western  kingdoms,  so  as  to  reach  all  the  countries  of  the 
world,  and  alarm  them  exceedingly ;  so  that  the  prophecy  of 
the  blessed  Methodius  appeared  manifestly  reaclung  its  full 
accomplishment. 


A.D.  1244.     6BEAT  EirrJBBTAlinCEKT  AT  WALLINGFOHD.         221 

About  the  same  time,  some  persons,  especially  in  Germany, 
affirming  that  they  had  chosen  the  habit  and  life  of  religious 
persons  of  both  sexes,  but  especially  females,  professed  chas- 
tity and  simplicity  of  life,  and  bound  themselves  to  God  by 
separate  tows.  And  the  women,  whom  we  generally  call  Be-v 
gains,  were  so  increased  in  number,  that  in  one  single  city, 
namely,  Cologne,  they  are  said  to  have  amounted  to  more 
than  a  thousand. 

And  about  this  time,  the  heretics  were  multiplied,  especially 
in  the  Ultramontane  countries,  and  particularly  that  sect  of 
heretics  which  we  call  the  Paterini,  who  in  times  gone  by  had 
lain  concealed,  and  when  they  were  deteeted,  were  punished 
by  painful  deaths.  But  now,  without  blushing  or  fearing  ec- 
clesiastical punishment  or  censure,  they  burst  forth  into  public, 
holding  up  their  heads,  so  that  many  people,  on  account  of 
the  various  novel  kinds  of  tribulation  which  arose  in  the  world 
from  day  to  day,  believed  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  at 
hand,  in  which  the  Lord  will  thunder  out  in  the  threatenings 
of  the  Gospel,  saying,  "  Nation  will  nse  against  nation,"  &c. 

This  year  then  passed  by^  having  been  one  of  danger  to  the 
church,  pregnant  with  storms  to  the  kingdom  of  England> 
yet  tolerably  fertile  and  fruitful,  bringing  with  it  the  death  of 
many  nobles  in  Christendom,  and  many  tumults;  full  of 
wars  for  the  Italians  ;  beheld  with  suspicion  by  the  Holy  Land, 
and  productive  of  schism  between  the  Templars  and  Hospital- 
lers, and  of  great  scandal. 

AhotU  a  great  entertainment  ofea^l  Richard  at  WaUingford. 

A.P.  1244,  which  is  the  twenty-eighth  of  the  reign  of  king 
Henry  the  Third,  the  said  king  was  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity 
of  the  Lord,  at  Wallingford,  as  a  guest  of  his  brother,  the  earl 
Richard,  where  they  feasted  with  exceeding  magnificence, 
having  invited  nearly  all  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom ;  and  then 
at  London,  the  marriage  which  had  been  begun  was  duly  con- 
summated, so  that  the  rest  of  their  thoughts  should  run  on 
the  nuptial  feast.  And  there  were  present  there,  besides  the 
nobles  ii^  England,  whom  it  would  take  too  long  to  enumerate, 
Beatrice,  countess  of  Provence,  and  her  daughter,  Senechia,  a 
mother-in-law  and  new  bride,  of  exceeding  beauty.  And  the 
king  took  exceeding  pains  to  exhibit  himself  as  cheerful  and 
pleasant  to  tiiem.  At  last,  when  the  solemnities  of  this  festi- 
val were  terminated,  the  king,  accompanied  by  the  aforesaid 


222  KATTHXW  OF  WXSTMnrSTXB.  A.l>.  1244. 

countess  Beatrice,  with  many  noble  persons  of  England  and 
Provence,  of  both  sexes,  when  the  feast  of  the  Circumcision 
of  the  Lord  drew  near,  hastened  to  London,  and  there  he 
solemniied  the  festival  of  Saint  Edward,  with  wonderful  sump- 
tuousness,  at  Westminster,  in  the  presence  and  sight  of  the 
strangers  of  Provence,  and  especially  displayed  the  magnifi- 
cence of  his  own  palace.  And  when  this  festival  was  over, 
the  countess  before  mentioned,  directing  her  course  towards 
the  sea-coast,  returned  to  her  native  country,  the  king,  with  a 
numerous  retinue  of  his  subjects,  attending  her  slowly,  as  far 
as  the  sea-shore.  But  before  she  re-embarked  on  board  ship 
at  Dover,  that  mortals  may  never  find  the  joys  of  this  world 
unmixed,  she  was  met  by  the  bearers  of  doleful  news,  who 
told  her  that  Raymond,  count  of  Provence,  her  husband,  hadbeen 
stricken  by  an  incurable  disease,  and  was  looking  for  nothing 
but  death,  a  man  who,  in  all  its  distresses,  had  afforded  effectusd 
protection  to  the  church  of  Rome,  and  done  much  injury  to 
the  emperors.  And  when  the  lord  the  king  Henry  heard 
this,  he  grieved  inconsolably,  and  (which  was  tdl  that  he  could 
do),  with  prayers  and  alms,  besought  the  mercy  of  Grod  for 
him. 

About  the  same  time,  the  pope,  relying  too  much  on  the 
king's  simphcity  and  patience,  sent  into  England  a  new  ex- 
torter of  money,  not  invested  with  the  insignia  of  a  legate, 
but  fortified  with  unheard-of  powers,  by  name  Martin,  who 
immediately  betook  himself  to  the  usual  abode  of  all  the  papal 
legates,  and  nuncios,  and  secular  clergy ;  that  is  to  say,  to 
the  New  Temple  in  London,  and  without  delay  displayed  his 
power  of  receiving  revenues,  and  extorting  money  in  all  kinds 
of  ways,  and  practised  it  diligently,  to  the  great  distress  of 
many  hearts,  and  to  the  wounding  of  men's  consciences. 
For  he  had  the  power  of  prohibiting  all  collation  to  benefices, 
until  satisfaction  should  bemade  to  him  according  to  his  wish. 
And,  despising  all  scanty  revenues  as  so  many  husks,  he  laid 
rapacious  hands  on  all  rich  booty.  He  had  also  power  of 
excommunicating,  suspending,  and  punishing  in  various  ways, 
and  just  as  he  pleased,  all  who  resisted  lus  will,  though  it 
might  have  been  a  mere  hasty  action ;  just  as  if  on  that  yery 
day  he  had,  according  to  established  custom,  produced  au- 
thentic bulls,  drawn  up  in  the  papal  chancery.  On  which 
account  it  was  said  by  some  people,  and  not  without  reason, 
that  he  had  brought  oveir  a  great  many  papers  sealed  with  a 


i.P.  1244.         THE  BISHOP  0?  CHICHESTSB  DIES.  223 

bull,*  but  not  filled  up,  for  him  to  fill  up  himself  as  he  pleased ; 
but  I  would  hope  that  this  was  not  the  case.  Accordingly, 
the  aforesaid  Master  Martin  began  to  exact  presents  on  all 
«ides  from  the  prelates,  in  an  imperious  manner,  such  as  desir* 
able  palfreys  and  precious  Ycssels,  and  to  extort  them  eyen 
by  force  (especially  from  those  who  belonged  to  any  religious 
orders)  for  his  own  use ;  (for  that  man  prays  foolishly  who 
forgets  himself,)  and  for  the  use  of  the  pope  he  extorted  sums 
of  money,  and  prebends  to  which  men  had  been  already 
elected,  using  this  odious  additional  form  of  words,  *'  notwith* 
standing  any  privilege  to  the  contrary,"  &c.  And  as  a  cer* 
tain  rich  prebend  at  Salisbury  was  vacant,  the  aforesaid  Master 
Mardn,  a  diligent  searcher  out  of  such  things,  laid  his  greedy 
and  hooked  hands  upon  it,  and  without  consulting,  or,  I  may 
rather  say  against  the  expressed  wish  of  the  bishop  of  that 
see,  he  conferred  it  on  a  young  man,  a  nephew  of  the  lord 
the  pope.  And  in  a  similar  manner  the  unwearied  Master 
Martin  before-mentioned  conferred  other  benefices  on  the  kins- 
men of  the  pope,  of  whom  there  were  an  astonishing  number, 
not  without  causing  great  astonishment  to  many  persons  of 
experience^  For  many  people  believed,  and,  because  they 
beheved,  hoped  that  the  Roman  court,  having  been  so  re- 
peatedly chastised  by  God,  would,  in  some  degree,  at  least, 
check  its  accustomed  avarice  by  the  bridle  of  moderation. 
But  the  day  week  after  the  feast  of  the  Purification  of  the 
blessed  Virgin  Mary,  the  vessel  of  pride,  and  the  ^el  of  all 
the  quarrels  which  had  arisen  between  the  lord  the  pope  and 
the  emperor,  died,  namely,  John  de  Colonna,  cardinal  of 
Borne.  He  was  a  man  of  great  renown  as  a  warrior,  and 
eminent  for  his  high  birth,  among  all  the  cardinals,  and  of 
great  fame  and  power,  as  the  possessor  of  many  castles  and 
palaces,  and  of  Iturge  treasures  and  revenues. 

About  the  same  time.  Master  Roger,  the  precentor  of  Salis- 
bnry,  was  confirmed  in  the  bishopric  of  Ba^.  Also,  a  certain 
monk,  taken  from  the  bosom  of  the  church  of  Evesham,  was 
duly  elected  and  created  abbot  of  that  same  church.  The 
same  year,  too,  the  venerable  father  the  bishop  of  Chichester, 
Radulph  de  Neville,  chancellor  of  England,  a  pillar  of  truth, 
in  whose  power  the  whole  kingdom  was,  and  the  very  pedestal 
of  fidelity^  terminated  his  temporal  life,  and  departed  to  an 

*  The  bull,  strictly  speaking,  was  a  leaden  seal  affixed  to  the  papal 
docament^ 


224  VATTHSW  OF  WBSTMISSTEB.  A.I>.  1244. 

ererlasting  one,  in  London,  in  his  own  noble  palace,  which  he 
had  built  from  iu  foundations,  not  far  from  the  New  Temple 
and  the  house  of  conyerts,  on  the  first  of  February.  About 
the  same  time,  the  cardinal  Otho,  who  had  formerly  been  le- 
gate in  England,  was  made  bishop  of  Portsmouth.  Also,  in 
those  days,  William,  bishop  of  Winchester,  being  indignant  at 
the  annoyances  which  were  offered  him  by  the  king  from  day 
to  day,  and  which  were  constantly  increasing,  as  he  was  abid- 
ing and  lying  hid,  as  it  were,  at  Southwark,  in  the  house  of 
the  canons  there,  on  the  twentieth  of  February,  fled  away  in 
a  clandestine  manner,  early  in  the  morning,  and  embarked  on 
board  a  ship  in  the  port  of  London,  to  go  into  voluntary  exile 
in  France,  where  he  might  enjoy  an  asylum  in  secure  peace  ; 
and  sailing  down  the  Thames,  he  soon  arrived  in  the  open  sea, 
and,  before  his  flight  had  become  known  to  the  king,  he  had 
landed  safe  in  the  harbour  of  Saint  Valori.  From  thence  he 
proceeded  to  the  town  of  Abbeville,  and  there  he  met  a  formal 
messenger  of  the  most  pious  king  of  France,  who,  on  the 
part  of  his  lord  the  king,  received  the  bishop  with  joy  and  a 
most  cheerful  countenance,  promising  him  the  king's  protec- 
tion in  all  matters,  and  comfort  in  every  tribulation.  And  the 
messenger  ordered,  by  the  king's  command,  that  the  mayor  of 
Abbeville  should  prepare  the  whole  commune  and  the  whole 
city  to  defend  the  bishop,  if  by  chance  any  persons  on  the 
part  of  the  king  of  England  should  pursue  him  with  a  view 
to  injure  him,  so  that,  having  recourse  even  to  arms  if  there 
were  need,  they  might  fight  vigorously  for  the  bishop  against 
all  who  should  oppose  them.  And  the  bishop  of  Winchester 
going  into  banishment  in  this  way,  the  fame  of  the  king  of 
England  was  blackened  in  no  moderate  degree  throughout  all 
Cisalpine  countries ;  for  the  French,  who  were  always  rivals 
of  the  EngUsh,  deriving  matter  from  this  event  for  uttering 
wicked  reproaches,  said:  *'Ah!  ah!  see  how  the  king  of 
England,  who  is  inactive  and  impotent  against  all  the  enemies 
of  his  kingdom,  persecutes  and  proscribes  all  his  holy  bishops. 
At  one  time  it  was  the  blessed  Thomas,  and  not  long  ago  the 
glorious  Edmund,  both  of  whom  were  archbishops  of  Canter- 
bury, and  at  the  present  time  he  does  not  permit  the  bishop 
of  Winchester,  who  has  served  him  a  long  time  with  diligence 
and  fidelity,  to  enter  his  church,  or  to  rejoice  in  the  peace  of 
his  kingdom,  preferring  to  promote  foreigners  and  strangers." 
And  when  this  became  known  to  Boniface,  archbishop  elect  of 


AD.  1244.  DEATH  Or   GBIF?ITH.  225 

Canterbury,  he,  grieving  for  the  diirepute  of  the  king  of  Eng- 
land, reproved  the  king  on  this  point,  in  an  amicable  epistle, 
and  earnestly  advised  him  to  recall  the  aforesaid  bishop,  and 
addiit  him  to  his  former  friendship  and  intimacy,  and  per- 
mit him  to  re-enter  on  his  bishopric,  and  freely  to  exercise  his 
episcopal  office,  and  to  enjoy  his  privileges  and  his  temporal 
possessions,  lest  it  might  turn  out  ill  for  the  king  himself,  and 
for  his  kingdom.  And  soon  afterwards,  the  lord  the  pope 
himself  wrote  most  earnestly  to  the  king,  urging  him  to  recall 
the  bishop  to  his  friendship,  and  to  open  to  him  the  breast  of 
mercy.  Moreover,  the  lord  the  pope  wrote  to  the  queen  of 
England  an  elegant  letter,  in  the  superscription  of  which,  and 
also  in  its  contents,  he  asserts  that  she  is  his  kinswoman  (how 
she  was  so  is  unknown,  but  perhaps  he  said  so  craftily  to 
make  her  more  favourable  to  his  request)  ;  and  he  anxiously 
exhorted  her  to  appease  the  king's  severity,  and  to  endeavour 
to  mitigate  his  rancour  against  the  bishop  of  Winchester.  For 
the  pope  argued  in  an  etymological  manner  on  the  name 
"woman  ;"  for  she  is  called  "^oman  (mulier),  from  softening 
IkCT  master  {mollienskerutn).  And  in  return  for  this  liberal 
excitive  of  his  beneficence,  and  for  the  paternal  solicitude 
which  the  lord  the  pope  so  anxiously  displayed  for  the  pro- 
motion and  peace  of  the  bishop,  the  aforesaid  bishop  of  Win- 
chester (that  it  might  be  impossible  to  accuse  him  of  ingrati- 
tude) is  said  to  have  paid  to  the  lord  the  pope  more  than  s& 
thousand  marks,  and  the  lord  the  pope,  that  he  might  not  be 
accused  of  being  disdainful,  is  said  not  to  have  refused  one 
penny  of  the  money. 

And  while  the  world  was  agitating  mankind  with  all  these 
disturbances,  Griffith,  the  eldest  son  of  'Leoline,  prince  of 
North  Wales,  now  dead,  who  was  detained  as  a  prisoner  in  the 
Tower  of  London,  being  greatly  grieved  and  wearied  by  his 
long  confinement,  to  wMch  he  was  unaccustomed,  considered 
carefoUy  how  he  might  be  able  to  escape  from  this  imprison- 
ment. Accordingly,  one  night,  having  deceived  the  guards, 
he,  by  plaiting  and  knotting,  made  a  long  rope  out  of  pieces 
of  torn  linen,  and  carpets,  and  napkins,  by  which  he  endea- 
voured to  let  himself  down  perpendicularly  from  the  top  of 
the  tower  ;  but  after  he  had  dropped  some  distance,  the  rope 
broke,  and  he  fell  and  broke  his  neck,  and  so  died  ;  for  he  was 
a  man  of  great  size,  and  very  heavy.  About  the  same  time,  a 
most  bloody  engagement  took  place  in  the  Holy  Land  between 

TOL.  II.  q 


226  M.ATTHBW  OF  WS8TMIN8T2B.  A.D.  12U. 

the  Saracens  and  those  wont  of  all  Saracens,  the  Chores' 
mines,  and  all  the  Christians  who  were  able  to  bear  arms,  and 
a  terrible  slaughter,  and  one  to  be  lamented  throughout  all 
ages,  took  place,  and  the  masters  of  the  Temple  and  the  Hos- 
pital were  both  taken  and  led  into  captivity,  and  so,  were  nearly 
all  the  Templars  and  Hospitallers,  and  other  brethren  of  the 
different  orders,  so  that  die  house  of  the  Germans  of  Saint 
Lazarus,  and  nearly  all  the  nobles  of  the  Holy  Land,  either 
fell  in  battle,  or  were  oppressed  in  captivity  by  the  Saracens. 
For  the  soldan  of  Babylon,  whom  the  Templan  had  attacked, 
having  broken  the  treaty  of  truce  which  had  been  entered 
into  by  earl  Richard,  in  revenge  for  such  an  injury,  urged  on 
the  Chorosmines  to  their  extermination.  But  the  Tartars  had 
previously  repelled  the  aforesaid  Chorosmines  from  their  terri- 
tories with  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  so  the  miserable  Chris- 
tians became,  as  their  sins  had  well  deserved,  the  prey  of 
robbers  and  plunderers.  This  melancholy  battle  then,  so 
ruinous  and  disgraceful  to  the  church  of  Christ,  took  place 
under  an  unhappy  star,  between  Aacalon  and  Gazara,  on  Saint 
Luke's  day.  And  while  the  whole  human  race  was  thus  in 
agitation  and  disorder  in  Syria,  the  divine  power  also  raged 
against  human  affairs  throughout  England  and  its  borders. 
Therefore,  the  Roman  church,  laying  aside  all  shame  in  the 
time  of  our  new  pope.  Innocent  the  Fourth,  in  a  manner  very 
contrary  to  the  hopes  which  we  had  entertained,  ceased  not, 
by  daily  measures,  to  extort  revenues  in  an  unwise  manner, 
not  departing  at  all  from  the  path  of  his  predecessors,  but 
rather  making  his  hand  heavier  upon  all  men.  Therefore,  the 
murmur  which  had  been  long  conceived  and  suppressed  in  the 
hearts  of  the  English,  now,  although  late,  burst  forth  into 
open  complaints,  and  men,  as  if  labouring  to  speak,  were  not 
able  to  contain  themselves  any  longer ;  for  their  patience  was 
sluggish,  and  their  humility  produced  no  advantage,  but  was 
rather  injurious  to  them,  and  the  insatiable  wantonness  of 
Rome  took  advantage  of  it.  Accordingly,  the  nobles  of  the 
whole  kingdom  assembled  together,  and  made  a  vigorous  re- 
presentation to  the  king  on  the  subject,  asserting  that  it  was 
better  to  die  than  any  longer  to  submit  to  such  enormities ; 
for  it  was  not  their  intention,  nor  that  of  their  predecessors, 
when  they  conferred  estates  on  men  of  religious  orders,  and 
other  places  built  out  of  pious  considerations,  to  give  them 
merely  to  be  distributed  at  the  pope's  pleasure  among  Italians, 


A.D.  1244.  TERMS  FB0P08£D  TOTHE  BISHOPOP  WINCHESTEE.  227 

who  were  unknown  to  the  kingdom,  men  notoriously  polluted 
with  simony  and  usury,  and  every  kind  of  yice,  and  who  took 
no  care  to  preach  or  to  exercise  hospitality  towards  the  faithful 
in  Christ.  The  king,  therefore,  heing  excited  to  no  slight 
anger,  and  knowing  and  feeling  that  there  was  truth  in  these 
complaints,  wrote  to  the  lord  the  pope  in  humhle  hut  very 
firm  language,  urging  him  to  endeavour  to  correct  these  faults 
hy  his  paternal  solicitude. 

In  these  times,  too,  David,  the  prince  of  North  Wales,  de- 
signing to  take  refuge  under  the  wings  of  the  papal  protec- 
tion, offered  to  hold  his  territories  under  the  pope,  giving  him 
oat  of  them  a  certain  fixed  sum  of  money,  to  the  amount,  as 
it  is  said,  of  five  hundred  marks.  And  the  lord  the  pope  is 
said  to  have  showed  him  favour,  to  the  great  prejudice  and 
loss  of  the  kingdom  of  England ;  for  the  world  knew  that, 
from  ancient  times,  the  prince  of  Wales  had  been  a  vassal  of 
the  king  of  England. 

About  the  same  time,  the  fame  of  the  blessed  Edmund,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  and  a  most  glorious  confessor,  filled  all 
the  Cisalpine  countries  with  the  odour  of  his  holy  reputation. 
For,  on  account  of  his  merits,  the  Lord  wrought  such  numer- 
ous and  great  miracles,  that  the  times  of  the  Apostles  seemed 
to  be  renewed.  Accordingly,  the  monks  of  Pontigny,  in  whose 
church  the  most  holy  body  of  the  said  bishop  and  confessor 
is  known  to  rest,  entreated  the  lord  the  pope  that  he  should 
cause  proper  investigation  to  be  made,  in  order  to  the  formal 
canonization  of  the  aforesaid  saint ;  but  the  lord  the  pope 
postponed  that  business,  and  promised  to  do  it  when  tliere 
was  some  great  and  solemn  congregation  of  the  faithful  in  the 
court  of  Rome ;  and  he  did  this,  as  it  is  said,  at  the  prompt- 
ing of  some  envious  persons,  who  persecuted  the  aforesaid 
archbishop  in  this  life,  and  who  now  did  not  cease  to  perse- 
cute him  after  he  was  dead. 

In  those  times  also,  the  lord  the  king  being  softened  by  the 
requests  of  the  lord  the  pope  and  others  of  the  nobles,  began 
to  deal  more  gently  with  William,  bishop  of  Winchester,  sig- 
nifying to  him  that,  if  he  would  submit  in  a  spirit  of  kindness, 
and  ratify  the  collations  to  the  benefices  which  the  king  had 
already  conferred  on  some  of  his  own  secular  clergy  in  the 
diocese  of  Winchester,  and  would  not  require  an  account  of 
what  had  been  already  received  by  the  king  himself  for  the 
renewals  of  manorial  rights,  and  would  relax  the  sentence  of 

Q2 


228  MATTHEW  OF  W£8TMINST£B.  A.D.  1244. 

the  interdict  which  he  had  pronounced  against  the  city  of 
Winchester,  and  would  kindly  and  patiently  pat  up  with,  the 
prior  whom  he  himself  had  appointed  at  Winchester,  and 
would  pardon  the  monks  who  had  taken  the  king's  side,  in 
that  case  he,  the  king,  would  cheerfully  restore  him  to  his 
friendship  as  formerly.  And  when  Master  Henry  de  Susa, 
one  of  the  secular  clergy  of  the  king,  heard  this,  a  man  who 
had  appeared  as  the  king's  procurator  at  the  court  of  Rome 
against  the  bishop  of  Winchester,  and  who  had  received  from 
the  king  large  sums  of  money  for  the  purpose  of  crushing  the 
aforesaid  bishop,  he  suddenly  and  secretly  departed  to  his 
native  country,  carrying  with  him  the  money  that  I  have  men- 
tioned, and  by  means  of  this  he  obtained,  I  fear  I  ought  to 
say  bought,  a  bishopric,  desiring  only  the  profit  of  the  thing, 
and  not  the  duties  of  the  office,  and  being  only  a  messenger 
of  iU  omen,  like  a  crow,  he  never  afterwards  appeared  in 
England,  since  he  knew  that  the  way  of  peace  was  being 
made  smooth  between  the  lord  the  king  and  the  bishop  of 
Winchester. 

Now,  while  the  revolutions  of  the  year  were  bringing  about 
these  temporal  changes,  the  emperor  Frederic,  being  excited 
by  the  stings  of  pride,  began  to  repent  of  having  ever  hum- 
bled himself  to  the  church,  and  so,  subsequently,  he^ began  to 
spread  toils  and  snares  for  the  pope,  which  the  lord  the  pope, 
having  been  repeatedly  forewarned  of  them,  by  his  prudence 
avoided.  And  in  order  to  strengthen  his  own  side  more  wisely, 
because  he  had  but  few  partners  in  his  toils  and  anxieties,  he 
in  a  short  time  created  ten  additional  cardinals,  namely.  Master 
John,  sumamed  of  Toledo,  a  monk  of  the  Cistercian  order^  an 
EngUshman  by  birth,  a  man  of  elegant  accomphshments  and 
learning,  and  some  others,  also,  who  were  more  distinguished 
for  their  high  birth  than  for  any  eminence  of  character  or 
learning,  whose  names  would  take  a  long  time  to  insert  in 
this  history,  and  it  would  not  be  worth  while  to  do  so.  On 
the  eighth  day  before  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  blessed 
John  the  Baptist,  the  lord  the  ])ope  came  to  Civita  Castellana, 
which  is  about  eighteen  miles  from  the  city  of  Rome,  with  the 
view,  as  he  would  then  be  nearer  th^  emperor,  of  bemg  able 
to  treat  more  effectually  of  peace,  which,  however,  was  much 
doubted  or  suspected,  or,  I  might  say,  in  consequence  of  the 
news  that  had  been  received,  almost  despaired  of.  And»  on 
the  vigil  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  he  came  to  the  city 


A.D.  1244.         ^  THE  POPE  RETREATS  TO  GEITOA.  229 

of  Sntri.  But  the  emperor,  who  was  already  drawing  back, 
intimated  to  him  that  he  would  do  nothing  with  him  concern- 
ing any  agreement,  unless  he  previously  granted  him  letters  of 
absolution.  And  when  the  pope  answered  and  said  that  this 
would  be  quite  inconsistent  with  reason,  a  contention  arose 
between  the  emperor's  ambassador  and  the  pope  himself;  and 
from  that  time  forward  the  pope,  as  if  he  foresaw  his  own 
concision,  began  to  entertain  the  idea  of  a  sudden  and  secret 
flight,  without,  howeyer,  admitting  any  one  to  his  confidence, 
lest  the  lord  the  emperor  should  prepare  to  oppose  a  barrier 
to  his  flight.  Some  people,  however,  said  that  he  had  adopted 
this  idea  in  order  to  meet  the  bearers  of  presents  in  their  way, 
because  those  who  were  bringing  him  money  did  not  venture 
to  come  through  to  him,  on  account  of  the  guard  established 
by  the  emperor.  Accordingly,  at  the  hour  of  men's  first 
sleep,  on  the  vigil  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  the  lord  the 
pope,  having  left  behind  his  papal  insignia,  armed  himself 
with  some  light  arms,  and  mounting  on  a  swift  horse,  with  his 
bands  full,  having  scarcely  a  single  chamberlain  privy  to  his 
act,  departed  secretly,  suddenly,  alone,  not  sparing  his  horse's 
sides  or  his  own  spurs,  so  that  before  one  o'clock,  having 
been  torn  along  rather  than  carried,  he  had  gone  thirty-four 
miles  without  any  one  accompanying  him,  or,  I  should  rather 
say,  being  able  to  keep  up  with  him.  But  about  midnight  an 
outcry  arose  in  the  court — "  Behold,  the  pope  is  gone !"  And 
the  pope  had  given  positive  notice  the  day  before  that  he  would 
be  so  condesceu/ding  as  to  conclude  all  the  business  which  re- 
quired to  be  transacted  in  his  court' on  the  day  following  the 
feast  of  the  Apostles,  to  their  honour,  announcing  it  so  dis- 
tinctly as  to  make  every  one  sure  that  he  intended  to  do  no- 
thing of  the  sort.  And  that  day  he  came  to  a  castle  on  the 
sea-coast,  which  is  called  Civita  Vecchia,  where  he  was  met  by 
twenty-three  gallies,  well  furnished  with  arms  and  armed  men, 
from  Gknoa,  who  were  ready  to  receive  him,  and  to  conduct 
him  safe  and  uninjured  to  his  own  city,  for  pay.  And  before 
the  iiezt  night,  seven  cardinals  joined  him ;  and,  late  in  the 
evening,  the  pope,  attended  by  these  seven  cardinals  and  a  few 
of  the  secular  clergy,  entered  one  of  these  gallies,  and,  in 
three  days  after,  having  encountered  many  dangers  at  sea 
from  the  people  of  Pisa  and  others  who  were  lying  in  wait 
for  him,  he  came  to  Leghorn,  and,  on  the  third  day  after 
that,  they  all  reached  Genoa,  with  great  joy^   And  the  citizens 


230  MJlTTHXW  of  WB8TMIH8TEB.  A.D.  1244. 

who  came  out  to  meet  him,  nearly  all  of  them  asserted  that 
they  were  his  connectionB  and  relations.  This  is  the  reason 
because  the  Genoese  were  so  ready  to  go  to  meet  him^  and 
to  come  to  the  port  of  Civita  Yecchia,  having  been  previ- 
ously armed,  that  some  assert  that  this  step  was  not  taken 
for  fear  of  the  emperor,  but  rather  that  the  pope  might  meet 
those  who  were  bringing  him  money,  and  they  adduce  this  as 
an  argument  in  proof  of  their  assertion.  But  while  all  the 
citizens  of  both  sexes  were  raising  shouts  and  applauding  him 
with  the  cUng  of  trumpets  and  ringing  of  bells  throughout 
the  city  in  which  the  pope  had  been  bom,  he,  without  hesita- 
tion, promised  to  enrich  them  out  of  his  revenues,  and  espe- 
cially out  of  what  he  received  from  England  ;  and  he  did  not 
deceive  them,  but  kept  his  promise.  And  when  ail  this  had 
become  known  to  the  lord  Uie  emperor,  he  gnashed  his  teeth 
like  a  satyr,  and  said,  *'  The  wicked  flees  when  no  one  pur- 
sues,  and  he  who  is  conscious  of  guilt  is  afraid,  though  no 
one  accuses  him ;  I  see  plainly  why  he  has  fled  :  it  is  that  he 
may  meet  the  French  and  English,  who  are  about  to  give  him 
money."  Nevertheless,  the  emperor  was  concerned  at  the 
circumstance,  and  was  exceedingly  surprised  at  it,  and  blamed 
the  guards  of  his  harbours  and  cities  for  inactivity  and 
treachery.  And,  therefore,  aU  around  Genoa,  and  especially 
on  the  side  towards  Graul,  he  most  strictly  blocked  up  all  the 
roads,  to  prevent  any  money  being  conveyed  to  the  pope,  on 
which  all  his  trust  was  placed,  or  any  letter  with  a  bull  affixed 
being  carried  from  him,  in  which  alone  was  his  glory ;  so  that 
the  lord  the  pope  had  now  Genoa  for  Ms  prison,  and  was 
banished  from  his  own  country. 

At  the  same  time  too  that  the  emperor  might  the  more 
strengthen  his  own  side,  he  gave  one  of  his  daughters  in  mar- 
riage to  one  of  the  most  powerful  of  the  Greek  princes,  by 
name  Bartacon,  a  man  who  disregarded  the  commands  of  the 
Roman  church,  and  was  therefore  a  schismatic ;  a  proceeding 
which  was  both  an  injury  and  insult  to  the  lord  the  pope. 
And  so,  as  the  Lord  was  angry,  the  heap  of  evils  increased  day 
by  day.  And  while  the  storm  of  this  world  was  agitating  and 
perplexing  mankind,  the  Welch,  who  neither  would  nor  could 
submit  their  necks  to  strange  laws,  and  to  the  domination 
of  the  English,  appointed  as  their  chiefs,  David,  the  son  of 
Leoline,  and  the  nephew  of  the  lord  the  king,  and  some  other 
powerful  men  of  Wales,  and  began  a  most  bloody  war  against 


A.D.  1244.  IHPOBTAirr  QUESTIONS  EA.t8SD  BY  KING  HSVBY.  231 

the  king  and  his  marquises.  And  they  were  met  hy  a  gaUant 
resistance  on  the  part  of  the  earl  of  Ckre,  the  earl  of  Here- 
ford, Thomas  of  Monmouth,  Roger  de  Monthant,  and  other 
powerful  and  Ulustrious  marquises,^  who  fought  many  hattles 
against  them,  in  obedience  to  the  king's  command,  and  in  de- 
fence of  their  own  territories,  who  in  the  beginning  of  the 
war  got  the  worst  of  the  contest,  but  at  last  Siey  triumphed 
over  some  of  the  armies  of  the  enemy,  as  is  oflen  the  case  in 
the  changing  fortune  of  war.  And  in  the  first  battle  there 
fell  on  the  two  sides  about  a  hundred  men  ;  but  on  the  feast 
of  Saint  Barnabas  the  Apostle,  the  lord  king  was  at  Saint 
Alban's,  where  he  staid  three  days,  and  while  he  was  there 
the  reports  of  the  insolence  of  the  Welch  grew  stronger,  and 
offended  the  ears  and  heart  of  the  king,  and  other  rumours 
also  were  added,  which  also  perplexed  the  ears  and  heart  of 
the  king,  especially  one  of  the  sudden  abrogation  of  the  elec- 
tion of  Robert  de  Passelewe,  one  of  his  secular  clergy,  who 
had  devoted  his  body  and  soul  to  the  king's  service,  and  who 
had  been  elected  bishop  of  Chichester,  and  of  the  election  of 
some  one  else,  namely,  Master  Richard  de  Withz,  in  his  place 
without  the  royal  consent.  Therefore,  the  lord  the  king, 
whose  honour  had  been  thus  derogated  from,  being  very 
angry,  took  the  bishopric  into  his  own  hand,  and  would  not 
permit  the  newly-elected  bishop  to  enter  into  that  bishopric 
or  diocese.  Moreover,  he  conceived  great  indignation  against 
all  those  who  had  brought  this  about,  and  especially  against 
Boniface,  archbishop  elect  of  Canterbury,  whom  he  particularly 
accused  of  ingratitude,  charging  him  with  being  an  injurer  of 
the  royal  dignity  in  the  first  instance  of  his  own  promotion. 
And  the  king,  heaving  a  sigh  from  his  inmost  heart,  said  to 
himself,  ''  I  suffer  all  this  deservedly,  because  I  hindered  the 
free  election  at  Canterbury,  where  so  many  saints  have  come 
from,  and  thought  fit  to  promote  an  utterly  unworthy  person 
to  that  dignity. 

About  the  same  time,  the  king  of  England  raised  some  im- 
portant questions  between  himself  and  the  king  of  Scotland, 
alleging  that  the  latter  was  stirring  up  afresh  heavy  troubles 

>  The  title  marqnis  is  evidently  derived  from  the  marches,  or  borders 
of  the  country,  the  defence  of  which  was  committed  to  them  ;  but  the 
ictnal  title  in  Bngland  is  not  older  than  the  reign  of  Richard  the  Second. 
In  some  histories  they  are  called  Lord's  Marchers. 


232  MATTHEW   OF  WSSTMUTSTEB.  A.B.  1244. 

against  himself  the  king  of  England  and  his  kingdom,  con- 
trary to  the  faith  which  l^e  had  pledged  to  the  king  of  England 
and  his  kingdom.  As  a  proof  of  which,  he  said  that  he  had 
caused  some  very  strong  castles  to  be  built  in  London,  which 
is  a  district  bordering  on  England.  Moreover,  he  had  received 
in  his  territories,  and  sheltered,  Godfrey  de  Marais,  his  enemy, 
and  a  fugitive  from  his  power.  And  besides,  he  had  selected 
as  a  wife  the  daughter  of  Ingelram  de  Coucy,  a  most  wicked 
baron  of  the  kingdom  of  France,  and  one  very  hostile  to  the 
king  and  kingdom  of  England.  Therefore  the  king  sent 
(which,  however,  he  ought  not  to  have  done)  for  the  count 
of  Flanders,  that  he  might  come  to  him  as  an  ally  against  the 
king  of.  Scotland,  who  was  about  to  wage  war  against  him,  as 
if  he  were  unable  to  attack  him  without  his  assistance.  He 
assembled  the  forces  of  the  whole  of  England  to  carry  on  and 
support  his  war.  Accordingly,  the  count  of  Flanders;  having 
been  invited,  came  with  speed,  bringing  with  him  some  Flemings 
thirsting  most  greedily,  as  is  the  custom  of  their  nation,  for  booty 
and  plunder,  to  the  number  of  sixty  knights  and  a  hundred 
esquires,  all  eager  for  the  king's  pay.  As,  therefore,  the  king 
had  set  out  towards  the  northern  parts  of  the  island,  the  said 
count,  who  had  landed  at  Dover,  followed  the  king  with  all 
speed,  being  accompanied  by  his  brother  Boniface,  the  arch- 
bishop elect  of  Canterbury.  Apd  when  they  had  traversed  the 
country  as  far  as  Saint  Alban's,  with  the  intention  of  passing  the 
night  there,  they  were  met  by  Master  Walter  de  Suffield,  bishop 
elect  of  Norwich,  who  was  immediatelyon  the  spot  confirmed  in 
his  bishopric  of  Norwich  by  the  archbishop  elect  of  Canterbury. 
But  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  having  received  information 
of  the  hostile  approach  of  the  king  of  England,  armed  himself 
against  it  with  great  prudence,  most  earnestly  entreating  all  his 
friends  on  the  borders  by  ambassadors  and  by  letters  to  assist 
him  in  such  a  serious  danger,  by  which  means  he  collected  a 
very  large  army,  consisting  principally  of  infantry.  Moreover, 
he  sent  into  France  to  John  de  Coucy,  his  wife's  brother,  en- 
treating him  to  come  to  his  aid  with  all  his  power,  as  he  was 
threatened  with  war  by  the  king  of  England.  For  Ingelram, 
the  father  of  John,  had,  a  short  time  before,  died  in  a  strange 
manner ;  for  he  had  fallen  from  his  horse,  who  stumbled  against 
a  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  in  falling  he  had  hung  in  the  stirrup ; 
and  his  horse  being  frightened  ran  away,  and  dashed  into  a 
deep  river,  and  as  Ingelram  saw  that  he  was  in  danger  of 


A.]).  1244.  THE  KENG  MABCHES  TO  inSWCASTLE-ON-TYKJB.     233 

death  in  this  way,  he  made  an  effort  to  mount  the  horse  again  ; 
when  lo !  his  sword  of  its  own  accord  fell  from  the  scabbard, 
ftnd  in  this  way  he  was  suddenly  stabbed,  and  so  the  afore- 
said Ingelram  died,  being  at  once  hanged,  dragged,  stabbed, 
and  drowned ;  and  I  have  recounted  this  event,  though  it  is 
somewhat  of  a  digression  from  my  main  subject,  that  the 
whole  world  may  know  that  the  marvellous  life  of  Ingelram 
was  terminated  by  a  marvellous  end.  However,  his  son  John, 
who  had  succeeded  to  his  place,  sent  a  military  reinforcement 
to  the  king  of  Scotland  by  sea.  But  when  the  king  of  Eng- 
land heard  this,  he  ordered  all  the  sea-coast  to  be  most  strictly 
guarded  by  the  wardens  of  the  Cinque  Ports,  by  whom  the 
Flemings,  who  were  sailing  towards  Scotland  were  alarmed, 
and  returned  by  the  way  by  which  they  had  come.  But  when 
the  king  of  Scotland  saw  that  he  could  not  resist  the  king  of 
England,  he  begged  for  peace,  and  after  some  difficulty  ob- 
tained it.  And  this  peace  was  re-established  between  the  kings 
of  England  and  Scotland. 

When  the  bishop  elect  of  Norwich  had  been  confirmed. 
Master  William  de  Burgh,  one  of  the  secular  clergy  of  the 
lord  the  king,  was  elected  bishop  of  Llandaft.  And  while  the 
revolving  year  was  producing  these  events,  the  king,  by  an 
edict  which  he  issued  publicly,  and  by  an  admonition  which 
he  addressed  generally  to  all  people,  caused  notification  to  be 
made  throughout  all  England,  that  every  baron  who  held  land 
in  fee  of  the  king,  should  have  all  his  military  service,  which 
was  due  from  him,  ready  at  the  king's  conunand,  whether 
they  were  bishops  or  abbots,  or  lay-barons.  And  then  he 
marched  with  a  numerous  army  towards  Newcastle-on-Tyne, 
and  as  soon  as  he  arrived  there,  there  came  to  him  the  count 
of  Flanders  with  his  soldiers,  eagerly  thirsting  for  the  sterling 
money.  And  so  when  the  whole  body  of  the  nobles  of 
the  whole  of  England  was  assembled  around  the  aforesaid 
town,  a  discussion  was  held,  and  carried  on  with  great 
care,  long  consideration  being  given  to  such  an  important 
affair,  about  the  time  of  the  feast  of  the  Assumption  of  the 
blessed  Virgin  Mary ;  and  at  last,  by  the  management  of  earl 
Richard  and  the  other  nobles,  who  went  with  great  wisdom 
and  virtue  to  and  firo  between  the  parties  very  often,  an  agree- 
ment was  come  to  between  the  two  kings.  For  those  discreet 
and  prudent  men  said — ''  May  God  forbid  that  so  much  in- ' 
noceut  Christian  blood  should  be  shed^   as  a  fierce  battle 


234  HATTHXW  OF  inS8TMIKSr£B.  A.D.  1^4. 

threatens.  Enough ;  ay,  and  far  too  many  Christians  are 
slaughtered  in  the  east,  but  they  have  flown  upwards  to  the 
Lord^  as  it  is  pious  to  believe ;  but,  alas !  what  grief  would 
there  be,  if  now  so  many  thousand  thousands  were  to  fall  and 
be  slain  for  a  lust  of  reigning,  and  of  possessing  more  ample 
territories  ?"  Moreover,  the  king  of  Scotland,  who  was  a  good 
man,  and  beloved  by  aU  men,  English  as  weU  as  Scots,  had 
a  very  numerous  army,  to  wit,  a  thousand  men  completely 
armed  with  good  and  picked  horses,  although  not  from  Spain 
or  Italy,  and  properly  protected  with  iron  or  linen  armour,  and 
a  countless  host  of  infimtry,  to  the  number,  as  it  is  said,  of  a 
hundred  thousand ;  who  all  with  one  accord  confessed  their 
sins,  and  received  absolution,  and  then,  being  animated  by 
the  consolation  of  their  preachers,  as  men  who  were  about  to 
fight  in  a  just  cause  for  their  country,  had  no  fear  of  death. 
But  that  the  blood  of  so  many  Christians  might  not  be  shed 
in  hostile  combat,  peace  was  happily  re-established  between 
the  aforesaid  kings,  and  a  writing  drawn  up  to  secure  the  in- 
riolable  observance  of  the  peace.  And  soon  after  it  was 
regularly  confirmed  by  the  supreme  pontiff,  and  oaths  and  ail 
kinds  of  obligations  were  added,  in  order  that  what  had  been 
then  wholesomely  prorided  for  on  both  sides  might  be  firmly 
observed  for  ever. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Welch  being  exceedingly  alarmed,  lest 
when  the  king  had  made  peace  with  the  king  of  Scotland,  he 
might  attack  them  in  a  hostile  manner  with  his  whole  army, 
kept  quiet,  and,  like  hares,  lay  hid  in  peace.  But  the  king, 
having  arranged  everything  in  a  peaceable  manner  in  tbe 
countries  which  border  on  Scotland,  at  once  without  delay 
returned  to  the  peaceful  delights  of  Westminster,  forgetful  of 
the  injuries  which  had  been  inflicted  on  himself  and  his 
people  by  the  Welch.  And  when  the  Welch  understood  this, 
like  bees  who  swarm  out  of  their  hives,  they  came  forth  from 
their  lurking-places,  devoting  themselves  in  no  slack  manner  to 
pillage,  conflagration,  and  massacre,  and  shamefully  routing 
the  English,  though  not  without  considerable  loss  on  their 
own  part. 

About  the  same  time,  the  interdict  which  had  been  pro- 
nounced against  the  church  of  Winchester  was  relaxed,  and 
everything  was  honourably  re-established  in  peace.  Moreover, 
on  the  eleventh  of  September,  Master  Roger,  precentor  of  Salis- 
bury, was  consecrated  bishop  of  Bath ;  on  the  revenues  of 


A.D.  1244.     THE  POPE  FSTlTIOirS  THE  KDSQ  02  FBAFCS.        235 

which  see,  while  it  was  racant,  as  they  were  still  levied,  Master 
Martin,  one  of  the  clerks  of  the  lord  the  pope,  whom  many 
persons,  in  witty  phrase,  used  to  call  Master  Mastiff,  on  account 
of  his  rapaeity,  laid  his  hands,  for  some  unknown  relation 
of  the  pope.  And  og  the  day  of  Saint  Denis,  Fulk  Basset, 
dean  of  York,  was  consecrated  hishop  of  London.  About  the 
same  time,  Adam,  bishop  of  Cuver,  died  at  Wardon,  of  which 
place  he  had  been  formerly  abbot.  About  the  same  time  also, 
John,  bishop  of  Hereford,  died ;  who,  having  been  deprived 
of  his  bishopric,  had  by  the  command  of  the  pope  sojourned 
at  Saint  Alban's  for  about  twenty  years.  Likewise,  about  the 
same  time,  the  bishop  of  Lincoln  went  to  the  court  of  Borne, 
for  the  sake  of  terminating  the  dispute  which  existed  between 
him  and  his  canons,  in  the  presence  of  the  lord  the  pope ;  and 
in  like  manner  there  went  to  oppose  him,  the  dean  of  Lincoln 
and  some  canons  of  that  church.  Also  the  same  year,  on  the 
Monday  next  before  the  feast  of  All  Saints',  some  persons 
came  to  the  synod  of  the  bishop  of  Rochester,  professing  a 
new  sect  of  religion,  and  assuming  the  name  of  Cross  Bearers, 
from  a  cross  which  each  man  bore  tied  to  his  staff. 

About  the  same  time,  the  pope  delivered  himself  from  the 
imperial  guards,  and  removed  to  the  city  of  Asti ;  and  soon 
afterwards,  he  withdrew  in  haste,  and  by  night,  to  Lyons ; 
and  fvom  that  time  forth,  he  entertained  the  idea  of  assembhng 
a  general  council,  chiefly  with  a  view  of  deposing  the  emperor, 
and  precipitating  him  from  the  summit  of  the  imperial  autho- 
rity with  disgrace,  while  in  the  lower  parts  of  Gaul.  But  the 
king  of  France,  when  he  found  that  the  lord  the  pope  was 
approaching  his  dominions,  knowing  that  no  good  could  arise 
from  his  arrival  to  either  king  or  kingdom,  convoked  his 
nobles,  and  consulted  them  as  to  what  should  be  done  in  these 
drcomstances;  and  when  they  were  assembled,  lo  !  a  petition 
from  the  pope  was  presented  to  the  king  and  his  nobles,  re- 
questing that  he  might  be  allowed  to  proceed  to  the  city  ot 
Rheims,  which  was  at  that  time  deprived  of  its  prelate.  And 
when  the  French  had  heard  this  request  with  amazement,  they 
immediately  made  a  firm  reply  that  they  would  by  no  means 
permit  any  such  thing.  Therefore,  the  king  of  France  wrote 
an  answer  to  the  lord  the  pope,  couched  in  temperate  lan- 
guage, that  his  nobles  were  by  no  means  willing  to  consent 
that  he  should  come  into  France.  For  they  were  afraid  lest 
he  should  reward  his  entertainers  like  a  mouse  in  a  sack,  or  a 


236  MATTHEW   OF  WEBTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1244. 

snake  in  one's  bosom ;  and  that  they  would  not  pennit  two  great 
luminaries  to  appear  in  their  country,  lest,  if  one  swallowed 
up  the  other,  an  eclipse  should  take  place ;  nor  was  all  the 
elegance  of  language,  which  was  so  carefully  studied  in  the 
pope's  letter,  nor  the  example  which  w|s  derived  from  pope 
Alexander,  of  blessed  memory,  of  any  avail  to  soften  the  re- 
solution of  the  French.  For  they  said,  "  How  unlike  is  that  man 
to  this  boy."  But  on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  All  Souls,  all 
the  nobles  of  England  came  together,  because  they  had  been 
so  often  injured  and  deceived  by  the  king,  and  contradicted 
him  to  his  face,  when  he  entreated  most  earnestly  that  a  pecu- 
niary aid  might  be  granted  to  him. 

The  same  year,  ti^e  lord  the  emperor  signified  to  the  king 
of  England  and  his  nobles,  by  a  special  ambassador  and  coun- 
cillor of  his  own,  by  name  Peter  de  Yinea,  that  they  ought  not 
to  suffer  the  kingdom  of  England  to  be  pauperised  ahj  more, 
and  stripped  of  its  riches,  and  the  pope  to  be  fattened  on  it  to 
no  purpose,  and  to  offer  on  the  part  of  the  lord  the  emperor 
to  deliver  England  from  this  tribute.  And  the  aforesaid  Peter 
asserted  that  all  the  money  which  England  had  lavished  for 
the  pope's  use,  had  been  seized  by  the  emperor  for  his  own 
purposes,  in  order  that  the  money  which  had  been  given  for 
the  object  of  injuring  the  emperor  might  aid  in  procuring  his 
success.  Therefore,  the  king,  who  was  cherishing  a  design  of 
marching  his  expedition  into  Wales,  extorted  no  small  sum  of 
money  from  his  subjects,  as  from  slaves  of  the  lowest  con- 
dition ;  and  from  the  Jews,  inventing  a  pretext  against  those 
before-mentioned  subjects,  that  they  had  cherished  an  out- 
lawed and  banished  man,  William  Buketel,  who,  however,  had 
obtained  a  reversal  of  his  outlawry,  through  the  entreaties  and 
presents  of  his  brother  Andrew. 

On  Saint  Hugo's  day,  Margaret,  sister  of  the  king  of  Scot- 
land, and  the  relict  of  Gilbert,  earl  of  Mareschaly  died  in 
London  ;  she  was  rejected  by  the  king  of  England,  and  was 
buried  in  the  church  of  the  Preacher  Brothers.  The  same 
year,  at  the  Advent  of  the  Lord,  Louis,  king  of  France,  being 
very  ill  from  the  remains  of  a  disease  which  he  had  contracted 
in  Guienne,  being  seized  with  a  mortal  attack,  lay  for  some 
days  as  if  he  were  dead,  and  indeed,  according  to  the  assertion 
of  the  bystanders,  he  was  actually  dead.  And  there  were 
standing  by  him  while  he  was  lying  in  this  condition,  his 
mother,  the  noble  lady  Blanche,  and  his  brother  Richard, 


A.D.  1244.  THE  POPE  GRANTS  LETTEBS  TO  THE  WELCH  KINO.  237 

coant  of  Artois,  and  the  bishop  of  Paris,  and  others,  but  very 
few  intimate  friends  of  his  own ;  and  they  were  all  grieving 
that  the  king  was  now  dead  and  cold ;  but  his  mother  Blanche^ 
unable  to  conceal  her  maternal  affection,  ordered  the  holy 
cross,  with  the  lance,  and  crown  of  thorns,  which  a  few  years 
before  had  been  brought  into  France,  to  be  applied  to  the 
apparently,  and,  as  some  insisted,  really  dead  body ;  and  then 
sighing,  while  sobs  interrupted  her  voice,  she  said,  "  Not  unto 
us,  0  Lord  Christ,  not  unto  us,  but  unto  thy  name  give  the 
praise.  Save  this  day  the  kingdom  of  France,  and  the  crown 
which  hitherto  thou  hast  sustained  by  thy  grace ;  show  tbe 
virtue  of  thy  tokens  which  thou  hast  left  behind  thee  on  the 
earth  to  appear  at  the  great  judgment, — in  which  we  place  our 
confidence  and  our  boasting."  A  strange  miracle !  The  king 
immediately  yawned,  and  contracted  his  legs  and  arms  towards 
his  bodyi  and  drawing  his  breath  and  sighing,  he  requested 
to  be  signed  with  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  made  a  vow 
that  he  would  go  to  the  Holy  Land — which  he  did. 

In  the  course  of  the  same  year,  David,  prince  of  North 
Wales,  who,  as  has  been  already  mentioned,  had  fled  to  the 
asylum  of  the  pope,  and  found  favour  with  him  to  enable 
him  to  shake  the  yoke  of  the  king  from  off  his  neck,  now 
deservedly  obtained  the  following  letters  from  the  lord  the 
pope,  whom  he  had  chosen  as  his  protector,  though  not  with- 
out a  great  expenditure  of  money. 

"  Innocent,  &c.  to  the  beloved  faithful  brethren  of  de  Al- 
bert and  de  Kem.  of  the  Carthusian  order,  and  the  diocese  of 
Bangor,  sendeth  greeting  and  his  apostolic  benediction,  on  the 
part  of  our  beloved  son  the  noble  David,  prince  of  North 
Wales,  &c.  as  above.  Since  then  those  things  which  are  done 
through  violence  and  fear,  as  far  as  such  feelings  can  influ- 
ence a  brave  man,  ought  to  have  no  validity  or  ratification,  we 
by  oar  apostolic  power  enjoin  your  discretion,  that,  having 
first  examined  the  truth  of  these  matters,  you,  if  the  truth 
be  80,  do  by  our  authority  entirely  absolve  the  before-men- 
tioned prince  from  the  observance  of  an  oath  which  was  ex- 
torted from  him  in  such  a  manner,  and  relax  any  sentence 
which  in  consequence  may  by  chance  have  been  pronounced 
by  any  one  against  his  person  or  kingdom.'' 

Bat  when  diis  had  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  lord  the 
king  and  his  nobles,  and  had  soon  afterwards  reached  the  ears 
of  other  princes,  by  the  common  report  of  fame,  they,  being 


238  MATTHEW  OF  WESTimTSTEE.  A.D.  1245. 

very  indignant,  and  detesting  the  ayarice  of  Borne,  urged  the 
king  of  England  to  pay  no  attention  to  papal  mandates  of  so 
injurious  a  character,  but  rather  to  have  recourse  to  hostile 
war,  to  repress  the  new  insolence  of  so  ungrateful  a  man. 
And  when  the  pope  found  that  this  was  the  case,  he  dissem- 
bled, and  conniving  at  their  refractory  spirit,  allowed  all  these 
things  to  pass  by  unnoticed.  But  he  was  far  from  restoring 
the  money  of  the  prodigal  David,  in  order  that  by  being 
punished  in  that  way  he  might  learn  better  wisdom  for  the 
future. 

This  year,  brother  Vincent  completed  his  mirrors. 

And  so  this  year  passed,  being  both  a  fruitful  and  a  fertile 
one,  so  that  a  sum  or  quarter  of  com  fell  to  the  price  of  two 
shillings.  It  was  a  year  very  unfavourable  to  the  Holy  Land ; 
cloudy  and  discreditable  to  the  Roman  Church  ;  turbulent,  as 
far  as  the  kingdom  of  England  was  concerned ;  and  pregnant 
with  fear  to  the  kingdom  of  France  ;  looked  upon  with  sus- 
picion by  the  universal  dbiurch  ;  and  full  of  wars  and  alarms 
to  Italy. 

Ch.  XII.— Feom  A.D.  1245  TO  A.D.  1246. 

Wars  between  the  Welch  and  English — The  Templars  send  re- 
inforcements  to  the  Holy  Land — Disputes  with  the  pope — 
A  council  is  held  at  Lyons — The  pope  again  excommunicates 
and  deposes  the  emperor. 

On  ChrtsttnaS'day  John  de  Gatesdene  lecomes  a  soldier  from  having 
been  a  clerk,     Edmund,  the  king^s  son,  is  horn. 

A.D.  1245,  which  is  -the  twenty-ninth  of  the  reign  of  king 
Henry  the  Third,  the  aforesaid  king,  at  the  feast  of  the  Nati- 
vity of  the  Lord,  was  in  London.  And  there,  on  Christmas- 
day,  he  invested  John  de  Gatesdene,  one  of  the  secular  cleigy, 
and  who  was  enriched  with  many  benefices,  but  who  had  pre- 
viously resigned  them  all,  with  the  belt  of  a  knight,  because 
he  was  eager  to  adopt  a  married  hfe,  which  he  preferred. 
About  the  same  time,  the  archbishop  elect  of  Canterbury,  and 
the  bishops  of  Worcester  and  Hereford,  crossed  the  sea,  men 
who  among  all  the  prelates  of  England  were  the  most  especial 
servants  of  the  lord  the  pope,  and  eager  to  perform  his  will,  even 
to  the  injury  of  the  kingdom,  because  he  had  promoted  them. 
Indeed,  the  archbishop  elect  of  Canterbury,  when  about  to 


A.D.  1245.      THE  KING  SEITDS  AIT  EITVOT  TO  BOMe".  239 

embark  on  board  ship,  ordered  the  woods  of  his  archbishopric 
to  be  cut  down — ^and  sold,  and  tailliages  and  collections  to  be 
made  in  his  diocese.  And  he  appointed  one  of  his  officers,  a 
Poitevin  by  birth,  namely.  Master  Hugo  de  Mortimer,  to  per- 
form his  commands  carefully. 

On  the  day  of  Saint  Marcellus,  queen  Eleanor  bore  the  lord 
the  king  a  son,  and  his  name  was  called  Edmund.  On  the 
day  following  the  Purification  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary, 
Isabella  de  Bolbek,  countess  of  Oxford,  died.  And  the  day 
after  the  feast  of  Saint  Valentine,  Baldwin,  earl  of  DcYon,  died, 
a  youth  of  an  admirable  disposition,  and  a  most  accomplished 
knight,  who  is  more  commonly  known  by  the  title  of  earl  of 
the  Isle  of  Wight.  This  year  too,  just  at  the  beginning  of 
Lent,  the  lord  the  pope  caused  the  emperor  Frederic  to  be 
a  second  time  excommunicated  throughout  all  France  and 
England,  in  order  that  the  infamy  of  his  name  might  be  spread 
throughout  all  Christendom,  because  he  had  made  fresh  at- 
tacks  upon  his  kinsmen. 

During  Lent  itself,  warlike  attacks  were  made  upon  one 
another  in  Montgomeryshire,  by  the  Welch  and  English ;  but 
the  keeper  of  Montgomery  castle,  having  placed  an  ambush 
in  their  rear,  and  feigning  to  flee  from  fear,  intercepted  a  great 
number  of  the  Welch,  who  were  pursuing  incautiously,  and 
slew  those  whom  he  intercepted  without  putting  them  to  ran- 
som. Accordingly,  David,  with  the  view  of  retrieving  that  dis- 
aster, ordered  the  abrupt  paths  of  the  mountains,  along  which 
the  English  must  pass,  to  be  closely  guarded  by  his  own 
guards.  Accordingly,  while  one  of  the  greatest  nobles  in 
England,  namely,  Hubert,  the* son  of  Mattiiew,  was  passing 
by  one  of  those  roads,  under  an  nnlucky  star  he  was  struck 
down  by  a  blow  of  a  stone,  and  so  died.  After  that,  the  afore- 
said David  with  his  partisans  seized  the  castle,  which  is  called 
Monthant ;  and  having  put  to  the  sword  all  whom  he  found 
hi  it,  he  levelled  it  to  tJhe  ground. 

The  same  year,  about  the  middle  of  Lent,  there  came  cou- 
riers from  the  lord  the  pope  into  England,  bringing  his  pre- 
cept for  calling  a  general  council,  in  this  form  :  "Innocent, 
&c.  The  virtue  of  God  and  the  wisdom  of  God,  to  whose  in- 
effable Majesty  all  things  are  subjected,"  &c. 

About  the  same  time,  the  king  having,  as  it  seemed  to  him- 
self and  his  friends,  suffered  an  enormous  injury,  because  now 
a  great  many  bishops  were  created  in  his  kingdom  without  his 


210  Mi^TTHEW  or  W£8TMINSTEll.  A.D.  1245. 

consent,  with  the  view  of  preferring  a  complaint  on  this  head, 
and  of  claiming  the  rights  which  had  belonged  to  him  as 
king  from  ancient  times,  sent  Master  Laurence  of  Saint  Mar- 
tin's as  his  procurator  to  the  court  of  Rome.  Many  prelates 
in  England,  with  abbots  and  bishops,  excused  themselves  from 
attending  the  general  council,  some  by  a  petition  to  the  king, 
others  because  they  were  declared  invaUds,  and  others  by 
Taluable  gifts  obtained  permission  to  absent  themselves.  About 
the  same  time  died  the  cardinal  Godfrey  de  Frane,  than  whom 
the  lord  the  pope  had  no  more  intimate  or  useful  friend.  And 
also  there  died  in  England,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  king- 
dom, one  of  the  greatest  of  the  nobles,  by  name  Gilbert  de 
Humfraville. 

In  those  days  the  Templars  and  Hospitallers,  by  way  of  re- 
placing the  losses  of  their  brethren,  received  many  of  the 
secular  clergy  whom  they  were  able  to  elect,  into  their  order, 
and  sent  them  as  a  reinforcement  to  the  Holy  Land,  to  the 
defence  of  those  cities  which  were  desolate,  and  of  those  castles 
which  were  now  expecting  a  siege  or  surrender.  Earl  Richard, 
too,  sent  a  thousand  pounds  to  the  aid  of  that  land,  out  of 
the  promptings  of  his  own  affection. 

But  as  the  period  of  that  time  passed  on,  while  the  lord  the 
pope  was  remaining  at  Lyons,  his  chamber  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  with  all  its  contents.  And  it  was  asserted  by  many  per- 
sons, that  that  detestable  charter  which  was  drawn  up  in  the 
time  of  king  John  on  the  subject  of  the  tribute  from  England, 
which  was  to  be  paid  every  year  to  the  church  of  Rome,  was 
reduced  to  ashes  in  that  fire.  At  this  time  too,  the  door- 
keeper of  the  lord  the  pope,  having  answered  some  one  who 
requested  admission  to  the  pope  in  an  improper  manner,  be- 
came a  cripple.  The  same  year.  Master  EUas  de  Derham, 
canon  of  Salisbury,  died ;  and  Master  Martin,  the  kinsman  of 
the  lord  the  pope,  before  mentioned,  immediately  laid  his 
rapacious  hands  on  the  revenues  of  the  stall  while  vacant, 
to  have  them  to  distribute  himself. 

On  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  lord  the  king  held  a  most 
noble  festival  in  London,  and  invested  Richard  de  Clare,  who 
had  been  already  made  earl  of  Gloucester,  with  forty  other 
novices,  with  the  belt  of  a  knight ;  and  Richard  joyfuUy  gave 
a  banquet  to  celebrate  the  beginning  of  his  noviceship. 

But  as  the  lord  the  king  heard  that  many  persons  mur- 
mured and  complained  bitterly  of  the  insolence  of  the  afore- 


XD.  124&.        HASTEB  3CABTIK  LEAVES  XITGlL&irD.  241 

Baid  Master  Martin^  he  recollected  himBelf,  although  late«  and 
b^an  to  feel  vexed  at  having  permitted  the  Romans  to  get  so 
fat  on  the  property  of  others,  and  to  collect  so  large  a  harvest 
where  they  had  not  sown.  Accordingly,  he  caused  inquisition 
to  be  made  throughout  every  county  in  England,  respecting 
the  sum  total  of  the  Roman  revenues  collected  the]::e,  and  it 
was  found  that  they  amounted  to  an  equal  sum  with  his 
revenues,  namely,  to  sixty  thousand  marks  of  net  receipts, 
without  taking  into  account  various  other  emoluisients.  On 
this,  marvelling  at  the  insatiable  rapacity  of  the  Bc^nan  court, 
the  king  sent  his  procurators  to  the  court  itself,  ^  state  his 
objections  to  the  tribute  so  wrongfully  imposed,  |hd  to  bring 
forward  before  the  council  his  formal  complaint  o^  the  subject 
of  the  oppressions  and  injurious  exactions  whicH  the  lord  the 
pope  did  not  cease  to  practise  daily  in  England*  And  the 
lord  the  king  sent  Fulk  Fitzwarren  to  say  to  the  aforesaid 
Master  Martin,  that  he  had  better  take  care  of  his  tail,  and 
run  quickly  out  of  the  country.  For  he  could  not  altogether 
restrain  the  fury  of  some  of  those  who  wished  to  attack  him. 
Folk  therefore  faithfully  perfomung  the  king's  command,  on 
the  part  of  the  whole  population  of  England,  told  the  same 
Master  Martin  that  he  had  better  not  be  found  in  the  kingdom 
in  five  days  from  that  time,  lest,  if  he  were  found  after  that, 
he  should  be  cut  to  pieces. 

Therefore  Master  Martin,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
Romans,  who  flee  from  those  who  pursue  them,  but  pursue 
those  who  flee,  fearing  greatly  for  his  skin,  accepted  a  safe 
conduct  from  the  lord  the  king,  and  in  three  days  fled  sud- 
denly and  secretly  out  of  England.  About  the  same  time, 
WiUiam  de  Mont  Pessulan,  bishop  elect  of  Coventry,  being 
unwilling  any  longer  to  submit  to  the  unjust  attacks  to  which 
he  was  exposed  at  the  king's  hands,  patiently  laid  his  cause 
before,  and  entrusted  the  protection  of  his  rights  to  the  pope. 
And  Master  Roger  de  Wescham,  a  theologian,  being  indeed 
the  dean  of  Lincoln,  was  elected  in  his  place  through  the 
management  of  the  bishop  of  Lincoln,  without  the  king 
having  been  at  all  consulted  in  the  matter.  On  which  account, 
before  he  could  obtain  full  possession  of  his  bishopric,  he 
suffered  much  loss,  and  a  long  deprivation  of  tranquillity, 
which  was  not  entirely  undeserved.  And  in  a  similar  manner 
the  election  of  Robert  Pesseleu  having  been  annulled.  Master 
Richard  de  Withz  was,  without  the  king's  consent  having  been 

TOL.  n,  B 


242  HATTHXW  OF  WXSTMDrSTSB.  A.B.  1245. 

tisked,  elected  bishop  of  Chichester.  And  on  this  acconnt, 
that  such  a  great  insult  to  the  king  might  not  remain  un- 
avengedy  he  was  desenredly  deprived,  for  a  considerable  time, 
of  the  barony  which  belongs  to  the  bishopric,  till  at  last,  after 
repeated  intercession,  both  he  and  the  bishop  elect  of  Chester 
preyailed,  and,  by  the  grace  of  the  king,  were  both  allowed  to 
enjoy  the  fiill  possession  of  their  dignities.  The  same  year, 
Boniface  of  Provence  was  consecrated  archbishop  of  Cimter- 
bury  by  the  lord  the  pope,  at  Lyons,  where  the  lord  the  pope 
was  still  sojourning,  and  Master  Richard  de  Withz  waa  conse- 
crated bishop  of  Chichester,  and  lifiaster  Roger  bi^op  of 
Chester,  not  without  great  injury  and  danger  to  the  kingdom 
of  England.  For  by  tbese  means  the  pope  drew  the  bii&ops 
towardb  himself,  so  that  they  were  held  and  bound  to  him, 
and  being  led  to  despise  the  king,  were  more  ready  to  inflict 
mischief  in  the  kingdom.  In  the  meantime,  Robert  Pesseleu, 
of  the  annulling  of  whose  election  mention  has  been  made 
already,  having  taken  to  himself  comrades  by  the  king's  autho- 
rity, namely,  Laurence  of  Siaint  Alban's,  one  of  the  secular 
cler^,  and  Godfrey  of  Langley,  a  knight,  they  with  some 
colour  of  justice,  in  accordance  with  the  new  forest  laws, 
stripped  many  persons  of  their  property  to  enrich  the  king.  The 
same  year  the  lord  the  king,  from  his  especial  devotion  to  and 
affection  for  the  blessed  Edward,  that  most  glorious  king  and 
confessor,  caused  the  greater  part  of  the  conventual  church  of 
the  blessed  Peter  to  be  pulled  down,  beginning  on  the  day 
week  afler  the  feast  of  the  apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  in  order  to 
rebuild  it  in  a  more  becoming  and  honourable  manner.  In 
which  work  he  expended  no  inconsiderable  sums  of  money, 
as  becomes  a  most  Christian  king  who  beheves  beyond  idl 
doubt,  that  a  treasure  incorruptible  is  reserved  for  him  in 
heaven.  Moreover  of  the  royal  munificence  which  was  innate 
in  him,  the  lord  the  king  bestowed  on  the  aforesaid  monastery 
of  Saint  Peter,  in  his  honour,  and  to  shew  respect  to  Saint 
Edward  and  the  royal  place,  some  royal  or  imperial  presents, 
in  palls  and  jewels,  and  vessels  of  wonderful  workmanship, 
which  excited  the  eyes  of  the  beholders  to  admiration  and 
their  hearts  to  astonishment,  so  that  the  church  of  Westmin- 
ster abounded  in  royal  treasures  more  exceedingly  than  any  of 
the  Cesalpine,  or  even,  if  I  may  say  so,  of  the  Transalpine 
ehiirches. 

About  the  same  time,  Gk>dfrey  de  Marais,  who  was  not  the 


A.D.  1245.    THE-  EOMISH  CHUECH  IN  DITFICrLTIES.  243 

meanest  among  the  chief  nobles  of  Ireland,  died  an  exile  and 
a  fugitive,  in  a  wretched  state,  yet  without  being  a  proper 
object  of  pity.  Whom,  having  been  proscribed  by  Ireland, 
banished  from  F(cotland,  and  driven  from  England,  afler  the 
shamefut  death  of  his  son  William  de  Marais,  France  received 
as  a  beggar,  and  in  that  country  he  terminated  his  miserable 
life.  And  I  have  set  down  these  facts  for  my  readers  at  the 
greater  length,  that  every  one  may  consider  what  an  end  trea- 
son, and  especially  the  crime  of  ISse  majesty  are  sure  to  meet 
with.  For  the  father  rashly  and  unsuccessfully  endeavoured 
to  excite  sedition  against  Richard,  the  earl  mareschal  in  Ireland, 
and  his  son  William  did  the  same  towards  the  king.  The  same 
year,  about  the  time  of  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  Saint  John 
the  Baptist,  the  lord  the  king  caused  all  the  persons  in  the 
kingdom  of  England  who  owed  him  military  service,  to  be 
warned  by  a  royal  edict  to  follow  him  in  a  body  faithfully  as 
they  were  bound  to  do,  as  he  was  about  to  mareh  on  a  hos- 
tile expedition  against  Wales  ;  for  the  very  injurious  insolence 
of  the  Welsh  compelled  him  to  this  step^  And  soon  afler, 
when  he  was  about  to  set  out,  he  very  courteously  requested  the 
sanction  of  the  citizens  of  London,  who  were  convened  in 
Saint  Paul's,  and  he  also  humbly  requested  the  prayers  of  the 
clergy.  About  the  same  time,  the  lord  the  king  having  adopted 
wise  counsels,  as  soon  as  he  was  informed  of  the  general 
council  which  was  to  be  held  the  next  year  at  Lyons,  sent 
formal  ambassadors  to  the  council,  namely,  earl  Roger  Bigod, 
John,  the  son  of  Godfrey,  William  de  Cantilupe,  and  Philip 
Basset,  and  Radulph,  the  son  of  Nicholas,  all  knights,  and 
William  de  Powick,  one  of  the  secular  clergy,  to  lay  before 
the  pope  and  the  whole  council,  a  statement  of  the  griev- 
ances which  were  every  day  inflicted  on  many  persons  in  the 
kingdom  af  England  by  the  Roman  court,  especially  in  the 
matter  of  the  tribute  which  was  extorted  in  time  of  war,  and 
which  was  resisted  and  only  refused  by  Stephen,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury.     And  this  was  subsequently  done. 

The  same  year,  when  the  lord  the  pope,  who  had  come  to 
Lyons,  and  who  had  now  delayed  there  a  considerable  time, 
complained  bitterly  to  some  of  the  great  prelates,  and  espe- 
cially to  the  abbots  of  Cluny  and  Citeaux,  that  the  Roman 
church  was  in  great  difficulties,  being  weighed  down  with 
debt.  On  which  account  he  earnestly  demanded  pecuniary 
assistance  from  them,  as  from  his  especial  and  dearest  sons. 

e2 


244  MATTHEW  or  WESTMnsrSTEE,  A.D.  1245, 

But  the  abbot  of  Cluny,  having  obtained  license  and  authority 
to  strip  his  coffers  for  the  purpose  of  enriching  the  pope, 
bestowed  many  presents  and  many  gifts  in  yaluable  horses, 
furnished  with  costly  trappings,  on  the  pope,  some  of  whom 
were  even  laden  with  money.  And  in  like  manner  the  abbot 
of  Citeaux  acted,  so  that  it  seemed  to  be  the  case,  and  wasposi- 
tively  asserted  by  some  people,  that  the  pope  had  gone  rather 
for  the  purpose  of  those  who  were  bringing  him  presents, 
than  of  fleeing  from  the  face  of  the  emperor  Frederic.  But 
when  Peter,  archbishop  of  Rouen,  and  the  abbot  of  Saint 
Denis,  who  was  an  Englishman  by  birth,  had  heard  of  these 
circumstances,  wishing  to  surpass  the  previous  givers,  they 
added  such  a  sum  of  coined  money,  which  they  paid  into  the 
treasury,  that  its  amount  caused  a  very  natural  amazement  in 
those  who  looked  upon  it.  In  reward  for  which  conduct,  the 
archbishop,  who  had  left  his  own  church  irrecoverably  stripped 
of  its  riches,  was  deservedly  promoted  to  the  office  of  carcUnal, 
and  held  in  especial  favour  by  the  lord  the  pope.  And  the 
abbot  of  Saint  Denis  was  in  uke  manner  raised,  with  great 
pomp,  to  the  archbishopric  of  Bouen ;  and  the  abbot  of  Cluny 
was  enthroned  in  the  episcopal  chair  of  Langres,  which  he 
had  been  very  anxious  for,  in  order  to  become  one  of  the 
peers  of  France.  But  the  archbishop  of  Lyons,  being  by  no 
means  willing  to  destroy  his  own  church  to  fatten  up  the  pope, 
and,  indeed,  rather  grieving  that  the  pope  had  come  to  his 
city,  to  throw  all  Christendom  and  the  universal  church  into 
confusion,  and  had  burdened  his  archbishopric  with  his  pre- 
sence, at  the  council  of  all  the  pi:elates,  when  they  were  as- 
sembled, voluntarily  resigned  his  office  into  the  hands  of  the 
pope ;  and  by  the  management  of  the  pope,  there  was  elected 
in  his  stead  a  man  of  warlike  character,  and  better  suited  to 
secular,  than  to  spiritual  business,  namely,  Peter  of  Savoy,  a 
brother  of  Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canterbury ;  the  pope  pru- 
dently endeavouring  by  these  means  to  strengthen  his  party 
by  the  accession  of  men  of  such  power  and  noble  birth,  and 
to  unite  their  famihes  in  the  interest  of  the  Roman  court, 
disregarding  the  interests  of  the  souls  committed  to  their 
care,  which  deservedly  exposed  him  to  obloquy  from  many 
worthy  men.  Accordingly,  the  archbishop  elect  of  Lyons, 
the  aforesaid  Philip,  being  still  licensed  by  the  papal  indul- 
gence to  retain  the  ample  revenues  which  he  possessed  in 
England  and  many  other  places,  in  order  that  he  might 


A  J).  1245.  THE  POPS  BBINGS  GHABGES  AOAHTST  FBEBEBIO.  245 

with  more  yigour  and  power  attend  to  the  pa|ml  and  to  his 
own  secular  business,  postponed  his  consecration  for  a  long 
time,  and  showed  no  anxiety  to  exercise  his  episcopal  duties. 
And  in  like  manner  his  brother  Bonifiice,  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, forgetful  of  his  own  church,  and  not  regarding  the 
example  of  piety  displayed  by  his  predecessors  in  the  church 
of  Canterbury,  abandoned  his  pastoral  duties  as  a  sailor  might 
abandon  a  ship,  and  absented  himself  for  a  long  time,  while 
he  abode  in  the  district  of  Lyons,  which  is  a  long  way  from 
Canterbury.  Owing  to  which,  Uie  English  church,  which 
had  hoped  to  obtain  a  respite  through  his  appointment,  now 
found  itself  exposed  to  confusion  and  desolation,  instead  of 
comfort. 

And  when  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  blessed  John  the 
Baptist  arriyed,  an  innumerable  multitude  of  prelates  assembled 
at  Lyons,  to  hold  a  general  council.  But  the  emperor  Fre* 
deric  prevented  a  great  number  from  attending^  knowing  be- 
forehand that  the  pope  had  convoked  them  for  the  purpose 
of  effecting  his  injury  and  disgrace.  And  no  one  was  either 
able  or  desirous  to  come  from  Hungary,  or  from  the  Holy 
Land,  on  account  of  the  devastations  of  the  Tartars  and  Co- 
rosmines,  and  the  distance  of  those  countries.  Man^  prelates 
in  England,  too,  remained  peaceably  in  their  provinces,  be- 
cause of  their  old  age,  or  their  infirm  health,  or  in  deference 
to  the  king's  entreaties,  excusing  themselves  on  reasonable 
grounds  by  their  appointed  procurators.  And  the  emperor 
knowing  beforehand  that  important  charges  would  be  brought 
up  (and  not  undeservedly)  against  him,  and  the  anger  of  the 
pope,  which  was  of  long  standing,  was  now  turned  into  actual 
hatred,  sent  prudent  men,  formally  appointed,  as  his  procu- 
rators and  prolocutors,  to  the  council,  namely,  Thaddeus  de 
Saessa,  Peter  de  Vinea,  and  Master  Walter  de  Ocra,  eloquent 
and  persuasive  men  of  the  secular  clergy,  and  with  them  he 
sent  some  high-bom  and  eloquent  knights.  And  when  the 
holy  and  universal  synod  was  assembled  in  the  church  of 
Samt  Just  at  Lyons,  the  lord  the  pope  brought  forward  be- 
fore them  all  some  heavy  charges  against  Frederic,  so  that  all 
men  clearly  saw  it  was  chiefly  on  this  account  that  the  council 
Lad  been  convoked.  Among  all  which  heavy  charges,  the  heaviest 
that  was  brought  against  the  emperor  Fredenc  was,  that  he 
bad  cruelly  attacked,  drovmed,  and  taken  some  of  the  prelates 
while  on  the  sea,  and  thrown  them  into  prison.    And  the 


246  KATTHIEW  O?  TirBBTKINSTBS.  A.D.  1245. 

procurators  of  the  emperor  answered  vith  great  wisdom  to 
each  of  the  charges,  as  well  as  their  case  admitted.  But  as 
the  papal  arguments  prevailed,  they  nearly  all  gnashed  their 
teeth  against  the  emperor,  though  the  English  were  grieved 
at  their  own  confusion,  because  of  the  relationship  which  ex- 
isted between  their  lord  the  king  of  England  and  the  emperor, 
and  the  treaty  of  friendship  which  had  been  made  between 
them,  and  the  offspring  which  the  emptor  had  by  the  empress 
Isabdla,  and  accordingly  they  for  some  time  concealed  their 
feelings  and  held  their  peace.  Nevertheless,  the  enemies  of 
the  emperor,  who  were  rising  up  on  all  sides,  prevailed,  nor 
could  the  imperial  ambassadors  obtain  any  heuring  or  atten- 
tion. So  that  Thaddeus,  seeing  that  the  condemnation  of  his 
master  was  at  hand,  said,  ''  Surely  this  day  will  be  a  day  of 
wrath,  calamity,  and  misery."  William  of  Powick,  who  was 
present  with  the  high-born  procurators  of  the  lord  the  king 
of  England,  earl  Roger,  and  his  other  companions,  wishing  to 
interrupt,  so  as  to  postpone  the  aforesaid  measures,  rose  in 
the  middle  of  the  council,  and  in  very  elegant  language 
brought  forward  the  grievances  of  the  king  and  the  kingdom 
of  England,  complaining  bitterly  that  tribute  was  very  inju- 
riously extorted  by  the  Roman  court,  in  the  time  of  war,  from 
king  John,  while  he  was  tortured  by  exceeding  agony  of 
mind  ;  which  tribute  was  openly  opposed  and  refused  on  the 
part  of  the  whole*  population  of  the  kingdom,  by  the  mouth 
of  the  venerable  Stephen,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  than 
whom  there  was  not  at  tlie  moment  a  greater  man  in  the 
kingdom,  on  the  ground  that  the  king  had  no  power  to  grant 
it  at  all.  **  And  our  fiEithers,"  said  he,  *'  never  consented  to  this 
tribute,  and  they  never  will  consent  to  it«"  And  on  this  ac- 
count he  earnestly  demanded  justice  and  a  remedy  for  the 
evil.  But  the  pope  neither  lifted  up  his  eyes  nor  said  a  word 
in  reply  to  all  this,  but  dissembled  till  he  should  first  of  all 
settle  die  matters  which  caused  him  the  greatest  vexation. 
And  a  short  time  afterwards.  Master  William  brought  forward 
a  very  serious  complaint  of  the  great  extortion  of  all  kinds 
of  revenues  and  money  from  the  prelates  of  England  by  the 
Roman  court,  as  if  those  prelates  were  slaves  of  the  lowest 
class,  producing  this  elegantly  worded  letter  on  the  part  of 
the  whole  popmation  of  England. 

«To  the  reverend  father  Innocent,  by  the  grace  of  God 
supreme  pontiff,  we,  the  nobles  and  the  whole  population  of 


A.B.  1245.   BElTTBirCB  PBOKOTTErCBD  AGAQTBT  fBEDXBIO.       247 

the  kingdom  of  England,  bringing  condemnation,  with  the 
kissing  of  his  blessed  feet,  show  tlmt  we  love  our  mother,  the 
Roman  church,  with  all  our  hearts,  as  We  ought,"  &c. 

And  this  letter,  which,  contains  an  account  of  nearly  all  the 
papal  injuries  and  acts  of  tyranny  which  had  been  violently 
ezerdsed  against  England,  a  diligent  searcher  may  find,  if  he 
chooses,  in  the  king's  treasury.  But  when  these  grievances 
were  all  openly  brotight  before  the  council,  the  pope  affirmed 
that  they  required  a  long  deliberation.  Accordingly,  he  sus- 
pended all  answer  for  the  time,  although  the  ambassadors 
were  Tery  urgent  for  them,  and  demanded  a  positive  reply  on 
those  points.  They  also  added  a  new  complaint  to  their  former 
one,  objecting  to  the  violent  oppression  and  intolerable  severity, 
and  sluuneM  exactions,  and  injustice,  which  were  being  con- 
tinually exercised  in  consequence  of  this  detestable  addition 
inserted  in  the  papal  letters,  **  notwithstanding  any  privilege," 
&c.,  by  which  addition  right  is  trampled  under  foot,  and 
genuine  grants  are  deprived  of  their  force. 

Therefore,  the  pope,  insisting  on  his  more  important  affairs, 
after  he  had  pmdendy  promised  that  he  would  amend  all 
sach  things,  fulminated  in  a  terrible  manner,  in  full  council, 
a  sentence  of  deposition  against  the  emperor  Frederic,  without 
any  mitigation,  dissimulation,  or  indulgence  of  deky,  although 
Tlutddeas  and  his  companions  steadily  objected  to  it,  promis- 
ing him  4fiill  satisfaction.  Which  sentence  we  have  considered 
it  fit  to  mention  in  this  book,  because  no  such  difficult  and 
impc»rtant  measure  has  been  tried  in  our  time. 

SenUnce  ispranwineed  against  the  emperor  Frederie. 

"  Innocent,  &c.,  in  the  presence  of  the  sacred  council,  for 
the  eyerlasting  recollection  of  the  event,  and  for  the  honour 
of  the  ApostoUc  See,  although  we  have  been  advanced  to  our 
post  without  being  worthy  of  the  condescension  of  the  divine 
majesty,  we  are  bound  to  take  care  of  all  Christians  with 
watchM  and  diligent  care,  and  to  discern  the  interests  of 
each  individual  with  the  eye  of  intimate  consideration,  and  to 
weigh  them  in  the  scale  of  provident  deliberation,  in  order  to 
raise  up  by  deserved  favours  those  whom  the  rigour  of  a  just 
examination  points  out  as  worthy  of  it,  and  depressing  by  due 
punishment  those  who  are  found  to  be  criminal,  erer  weigh- 
ing the  desert  and  the  reward  in  an  equal  scale,  and  rewarding 
every  one  according  to  the  quality  of  his  work,  with  an  equtd 


248  MATTHEW  OF  WIBTICDTSTEB.  A.D.  1245. 

amount  of  punishment  or  fayoor.  When  the  troubles  of 
war  had  for  a  long  time  afflicted  some  of  the  provinces  pro- 
fessing the  Christian  faiths  we,  wislung  with  all  our  hearts  for 
the  tranquillity  and  peace  of  the  holy  church  of  God,  and  gene- 
rally of  the  people  of  Christendom,  considered  it  best  to  send 
men  of  great  authority,  to  wit,  the  venerable  Peter,  at  that 
time  archbishop  of  Rouen,  and  William,  bishop  of  Sabionetta, 
and  the  bishop  of  Modena,  and  our  beloved  son  William, 
cardinal  priest  of  the  church  of  tiie  twelve  apostles,  and  at 
that  time  abbot  of  Saint  Facundus,  who  was  jealous  for  his 
salvation,  as  especial  ambassador  to  the  principal  secular 
prince,  who  was  the  author  of  all  this  tribulation  and  afflic- 
tion, and  who  had  already  for  his  excesses  had  a  sentence  of 
anathema  pronounced  against  him  by  our  predecessor  pope 
Gregory,  of  happy  memory ;  causing  it  to  be  announced  to 
him  by  them  that  we  and  our  brethren  were  anxious,  as  far 
as  in  us  lay,  to  be  at  peace  with  him  in  all  things,  as  we 
hope  that  we  are  prepared  to  be  with  all  men,  and  that  we 
were  anxious  to  give  tranquillity  to  him  and  the  whole  world. 
And  because  the  release  of  the  prelates,  and  secular  clergy,  and 
all  the  other  persons  whom  he  was  detaining  prisoners,  and 
of  all  the  clergy  and  laity  whom  he  had  taken  in  ships,  was 
likely  to  be  a  very  great  inducement  to  peace,  we  caused  him 
by  the  same  ambassador  to  be  requested  and  entreated  to  re- 
store them,  since  both  he  himself  and  his  ambassadors,  before 
we  had  been  called  to  the  office  of  the  apostleship,  luid  pro- 
mised to  do  so  ;  and  we  caused  him  also  to  be  informed,  that 
we  on  our  part  were  ready  to  hear  his  proposals  and  to  treat 
of  peace,  and  even  to  hear  what  satisfaction  the  emperor  was 
willing  to  make  and  to  offer,  for  all  the  conduct  on  account 
of  which  he  had  been  bound  with  the  chain  of  excommuni- 
cation. Moreover,  that  if  in  any  respect  the  church  had 
injured  any  one  contrary  to  what  was  right,  which  we  did 
not  believe,  the  church  was  willing  to  make  amends,  and  to 
restore  things  to  their  proper  condition.  And  if  he  admitted 
that  he  had  offended  against  justice  in  any  particular,  or  as- 
serted that  we  had  injured  him  in  a  manner  contrary  to  justice, 
we  were  prepared  to  summon  all  kings,  prelates,  and  princes, 
both  ecclesiastical  and  secular,  to  some  safe  place,  where  they 
might  assemble  by  themselves  or  by  formal  representatives. 
And  the  church  was  prepared  to  satisfy  him  about  the  inten- 
tions of  the  oouncilj  if  it  had  injured  him  in  any  particulari 


A.D.  1245.     SISmSNCI  PBOirOTTKClSI)  AOADTST  FBEDEBIO.      249 

and  to  recall  its  sentence  if  it  had  passed  any  against  him  un- 
justly, and  with  all  kindness  and  mercy,  as  far  as  was  consistent 
with  what  was  due  to  Grod  and  to  his  honour,  to  accept  satis- 
faction from  him  for  all  the  injuries  and  offences  which  had 
been  committed  by  him  and  by  his  servants  against  the  church. 
The  church  also  wished  to  make  all  his  friends  and  adherents 
at  peace  with  her,  and  to  enable  them  to  enjoy  full  security, 
BO  that  they  might  never  hereafter  incur  any  danger  on  these 
groonds.  But  although  we  took  care  to  deal  thus  with  him 
on  behalf  of  peace,  with  paternal  admonitions  and  gentle  en- 
treaties, still  he,  imitating  the  obstinacy  of  Pharaoh,  and  shut- 
ting his  ears  like  the  deaf  adder,  with  proud  obstinacy  and 
obstinate  pride,  despised  all  such  *prayer  and  admonitions. 
And  although  in  process  of  time,  on  the  day  of  the  Lord's 
supper,  lately  passed  previously,  he  before  us  and  our  brethren 
who  were  present,  and  before  our  dear  son  in  Chnst,  the  em- 
peror of  Constantinople,  and  an  illustrious  and  very  numerous 
company  of  prelates  of  the  orthodox  sect,  and  the  Roman 
pe6ple,  and  a  great  multitude. of  other  persons  who  had  come 
together  on  that  day  to  the  Apostolic  See,  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  on  account  of  that  great  solemnity,  took  an  oath  by 
that  noble  man  the  count  of  Toulouse,  and  the  Masters  Peter 
de  Vinea,  and  Thaddeus  of  Suessa,  the  judges  of  his  court, 
and  his  appointed  procurators  who  had  received  a  special  com^ 
mission  on  this  point  from  him  himself,  that  he  would  obey 
onr  commands  and  those  of  the  church,  nevertheless,  he 
afterwards  did  not  fulfil  what  he  had  promised.  And  indeed, 
it  is  with  great  probability  believed,  that  he  took  the  oath  with 
the  intention  of  breaking  it,  as  is  collected  plainly  from  the 
events  which  took  place  afterwards,  his  object  being  rather  to 
mock  the  church  and  oulrselves  rather  than  to  obey  us,  since, 
though  a  year  and  more  elapsed,  he  could  not  be  recalled  to 
the  bosom  of  the  church,  and  took  no  pains  to  make  satisfac- 
tion for  the  mischief  and  injuries  which  he  had  inflicted  on 
it,  although  he  had  formal  demands  to  that  effect  addressed 
to  him.  On  which  account,  as  we  cannot,  without  great  injury 
to  Christ,  bear  his  iniquities  any  longer,  we  are  compelled  by 
the  promptings  of  our  conscience  to  punish  him  as  he  de- 
serves. And,  to  say  nothing  at  present  of  his  other  wicked- 
nesses, he  has  committed  four  most  heinous  crimes,  which 
cannot  be  concealed  by  any  pusillanimity.  For  he  has  com- 
mitted perjury  frequently,,  he  has  rashly  violated  the  peace 


250  ICATTHXW  OF  WS8TMIK8TSB.  A.D.  1245: 

^  which  was  finnly  estahlished  hetween  the  church  and  the 
empire ;  he  has  idso  committed  sacrilege,  causing  cardinals  of 
the  holy  -Roman  church  to  he  taken  prisoners,  and  the  pre- 
lates of  other  churches,  and  other  secular  clergy  and  brethren 
of  religious  orders,  who  were  coming  to  the  council  which  his 
predecessor  had  thought  fk  to  summon.  Moreover  he  is  sus- 
pected of  heresy,  not  from  doubtful  or  slight  arguments,  but 
with  evident  proof,  difficult  to  be  explained  away.  Indeed,  it 
is  plain  enough  that  he  has  committed  frequent  perjury ;  for 
formerly,  when  he  was  in  the  district  of  Sicily,  before  he  was 
elected  to  the  imperial  dignity,  he,  in  the  presence  of  William, 
of  blessed  memory,  cardinal'  deacon  of  Saint  Theodore,  and 
legate  of  the  Apostolic  Se^,  took  an  oath  of  fidelity  to  our  pre- 
decessor of  happy  memory,  pope  Innocent  and  his  successors, 
and  to  the  Roman  church,  in  return  for  the  grant  of  the  king^ 
dom  of  Sicily,  which  was  made  him  by  that  same  church ; 
and  as  it  is  said,  he  renewed  it  afterwards,  when  he  had  been 
elected  to  the  imperial  dignity,  and  when  he  had  come  to 
Rome,  in  the  presence  of  die  aforesaid  Innocent  and  his  bre- 
thren, and  a  great  many  other  persons,  making  himself  the 
pope's  liege  man.  Afterwards,  when  he  was  in  Germany,  he 
swore,  in  the  presence  of  the  princes  and  nobles  of  the  empire, 
that  to  the  utmost  of  his  power  he  would  preserve  and  defend 
in  all  good  faith  the  honours,  and  rights,  and  possessions  of 
the  Roman  church,  as  was  due  to  pope  Innocent,  and  to  our 
deceased  predecessor,  pope  Honorius  of  pious  memory,  and 
to  his  successors  and  to  the  Roman  church  itself.  And  that 
whatever  came  into  his  hands  he  would  cause  to  be  restored 
without  making  any  difficulty,  expressly  mentioning  the  afore- 
said possessions  by  name  in  this  oath,  which  he  subsequently 
confirmed,  after  he  had  received  the  crown  of  the  empire. 
Nevertheless,  of  these  their  oaths  he  has  shown  himself  a 
rash  violator,  not  without  incurring  the  brand  of  treachery 
and  the  guilt  of  Use  mt^U,  For  he  has  dared  to  address 
admonitory  letters  against  our  aforesaid  predecessor  Gregory 
and  his  brethren  to  those  very  brethren,  and  he  has,  as  is  weU 
known,  defamed  the  aforesaid  Gr^^ory  throughout  nearly  the 
whole  world,  and  among  the  brethren  themselves,  as  is  evi- 
dent by  the  letters  addressed  by  him  to  them ;  and  he  also 
caused  our  venerable  brother  William,  bishop  of  Portsmouth, 
and  oftri<inftl  deacon  of  Saint  Nicholas,  in  the  Julian  prison, 
and  John,  of  pious  memory,  bishop  of  Prseneste,  both  legates 


l.I),  1245.   SEHTEKCE  PBOKOUITCED  AaAIirST  7BEDEBIG.       251 

of  the  Apostolic  See,  and  noble  and  mighty  members  of  the 
Roman  church,  to  be  taken  prisoners  and  stripped  of  all  their 
property,  and  conducted  repeatedly  to  different  places  with 
great  insult,  and  committed  to  prison.  Moreover,  that  privilege 
which  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  himself  gave  the  blessed  Peter 
and  his  successors  in  his  diocese,  namely,  '  Whatsoever  thou 
shalt  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in  heaven,  and  whatsoever 
thou  shalt  loose  on  earth  shaU  be  loosed  also  in  heaven,'  in 
which  the  authority  and  power  of  the  Roman  church  consists, 
he  labours  with  all  his  might  to  diminish  and  to  take  from 
the  church  ;  writing  that  he  is  not  alarmed  at  the  sentence  of 
excommunication  which  was  pronounced  against  him  by  the 
aforesaid  Gregory ;  not  only  despising  the  keys  of  the  church 
by  Dot  observing  its  injunctions,  but  also  by  himself  and  his 
officers  compelling  others  to  disregard  both  that  sentence 
and  any  other  of  excommunication  or  interdict,  which  he 
has  altogether  despised.  Moreover,  he  has  seized  and  still 
retains  possession  of  the  estates  of  the  before -mentioned 
Roman  church,  namely,  the  March,  the  duchy  of  Bene- 
ventum,  the  walls  and  towers  of  which  city  he  lias  caused 
to  be  destroyed,  and  others  which  he  has  besieged  in  the 
difitiicts  of  Tuscany  and  Lombardy,  and  other  places,  not 
fearing,  with  a  few  exceptions,  to  occupy  them  himself ;  and 
as  if  that  were  not  sufficient  for  him,  that  he  was  mani- 
festly acting  by  himself  or  by  his  officers  in  violation  of  the 
oaths  before  mentioned,  in  presuming  to  do  such  things,  he 
compelled  the  men  to  whom  those  possessions  belonged  to 
forswear  them,  absolving  them,  in  fact,  though  he  could  not 
do  80  of  right,  from  the  oaths  by  which  they  were  bound  to  the 
Boman  church,  and  making  them  also  abjure  the  fidelity  which 
bag  been  mentioned,  and  to  take  the  oaths  of  fealty  to  him- 
self. It  is  also  quite  plain  that  he  has  been  a  violator  of 
peace,  because  as  formerly,  during  the  existence  of  the  peace 
which  had  been  re-established  between  himself  and  the  church, 
he  had  sworn  before  John,  of  pious  memory,  prior  of  Abbe- 
^e,  and  before  the  bishop  of  Sabionetta,  and  before  Master 
Thomas,  who  was  at  that  time  cardinal  priest  of  Saint  Sabina, 
in  the  presence  of  many  prelates,  princes,  and  barons,  that  he 
would  be  bound  by,  and  yield  .exact  and  unconditional  obedi- 
ence to  all  the  injunctions  of  the  church  as  to  those  matters,  for 
the  sake  of  which  he  lay  under  the  ban  of  excommunication, 
the  peace  of  that  excommunication  being  regularly  stated  in 


252  Ki.TTHSW  07  WE8TMIHBTEB.  A.!).  1245. 

his  presence,  rendttiiig  all  anger  against,  and  every  punislunent 
which  he  had  pronounced  against  all  the  men  of  his  Teutonic 
kingdom,  and  of  the  kingdom  of  Sicily,  and  any  others  who 
had  been  adherents  of  the  church  in  its  struggle  against  him ; 
and  that  he  would  never  offend  those  men,  or  cause  them  to  be 
offended,  because  they  had  taken  the  part  of  the  church, 
causing  the  oath  to  be  taken,  so  as  to  be  binding  on  his  own 
soul,  by  the  count  of  Acerar.  And  yet  afterwards,  feeUng 
no  shame  at  being  involved  in  perjury,  he  regarded  neither  the 
peace  nor  his  oaths.  He  also  caused  some  of  those  men,  both 
the  high-bom  as  well  as  others,  to  be  taken  prisoners,  and 
despoiled  of  all  their  property,  and  their  wives  and  children 
to  be  led  into  captivity  ;  and  he  irreverently  invaded  the  terri- 
tories of  the  church,  in  vioktion  of  the  promise  which  he  had 
made  to  the  aforesaid  John,  bishop  of  Sabionetta,  and  Thomas, 
the  cardinal.  Although  they  tom  that  time  forward  would 
at  any  time  have  promulgated  the  sentence  of  excommuni- 
cation against  him  in  his  presence  if  he  had  opposed  them ; 
and  though  they  had  commanded  him  by  the  authority  of  the 
ApostoUc  See  not  to  hinder,  by  himself  or  by  any  one  else,  the 
regular  postulations,  elections^  and  confirmations  of  churches 
and  monasteries,  from  the  future,  taking  place  freely  in  his 
kingdom  according  to  the  edict  of  the  general  council ;  and 
also  ordered  that  no  one  in  that  kingdom  should  for  the  ^ture 
impose  any  taiUages  or  imposts  on  ecclesiastical  persons,  or 
on  their  property ;  and  that  no  one  of  the  secular  clergy,  and 
no  ecclesiastical  person,  should  for  the  future,  in  any  civil  or 
criminal  cause,  be  brought  before  a  secular  judge,  unless  it 
were  in  respect  of  fees,  when  he  was  considered  a  civil  subject. 
Also,  that  he  should  make  sufficient  satisfaction  to  Templars, 
Hospitallers,  and  other  ecclesiastical  persons,  for  the  mischiefs 
and  injuries  which  he  had  inflicted  on  them  ;  nevertheless,  he 
disdained  to  comply  with  this  mandate.  For  it  is  notorious, 
that  eleven,  and  more,  archiepiscopal,  and  very  many  episcopal 
sees,  and  abbacies,  and  other  churches,  are  at  the  present 
moment  vacant  in  his  kingdom,  and  that  it  is  through  his 
management,  as  is  well  known,  that  they  have  been  long  des- 
titute of  the  rule  of  prelates,  to  their  ovm  grave  injury,  and 
to  the  prejudice  of  souls.  And  although,  perhaps,  in  some 
churches  of  the  kingdom,  elections  may  have  been  held  by  the 
chapters,  yet,  as  by  them  none  but  clergy  of  the  emperor's 
household  have  been  elected,  it  may  be  inferred  by  a  very 


A.D.  1245.     SENTENCE  PAONOUNCXD  AGAINST  PBXDEBIC.     253 

probable  argument  that  they  have  not  the  uncontrolled  power 
of  electing.  And  not  only  has  he  caused  the  property  of  the 
churches  in  his  kingdom  to  be  seized  as  he  pleased,  but  he 
has  abo  laid  hands  on  the  crosses,  the  chaUces,  the  incense- 
burners,  and  other  sacred  treasures  belonging  to  them,  and  on 
the  silken  cloths,  which  he  has  carried  off  Uke  a  contemner  of 
divine  worship,  although,  as  it  is  said,  they  may  have  been  in 
part  restored  to  the  churches  after  the  exaction  of  a  fixed 
price  as  ransom  for  them.  Moreover,  the  clergy  are  afflicted 
in  various  ways  by  taxes  and  imposts,  and  are  not  only 
dragged  before  the  tribunal  of  secular  judges,  but,  as  it  is 
said,  are  compelled  to  endure  wars,  are  imprisoned,  put  to 
deaUi,  and  tortured  on  gallows,  to  the  confusion  and  disgrace 
of  the  clerical  order.  And  no  satisfaction  whatever  has  been 
made  to  the  aforesaid  Templars,  Hospitallers,  and  other  ecde* 
siastical  persons,  for  the  injuries  inflicted  on  them. 

"  Moreover,  it  is  certain  that  he  has  been  a  committer  of 
sacrilege.  For  when  the  aforesaid  bishops  of  Portsmouth  and 
Pneneste,  and  a  great  many  other  prelates  of  churches,  and 
secular  clergy,  and  brethren  of  religious  orders,  were  crossing  the 
sea  to  the  seat  of  the  apostles,  to  attend  the  council  which  even 
he  himself  had  previously  desired  to  have  summoned,  since  the 
roads  by  land  wer^  entirely  closed  against  them,  in  consequence 
of  his  mandate  ;  he  sent  his  son  Encius  with  a  great  number 
of  gaUies,  and  a  great  many  other  vessels,  which  he  had  pre- 
pared a  long  while  before,  with  this  view,  and  having  placed 
them  in  ambush  on  the  coast  of  Tuscany,  in  order  that  he 
might  be  able  the  more  formidably  to  vomit  against  those  pre- 
lates the  venom  that  he  had  conceived,  he  caused  them  to  be 
taken  prisoners,  by  an  act  of  sacrilegious  daring,  some  of  the 
prelates  themselves  and  some  other  persons  being  drowned  in 
the  act  of  their  being  taken,  and  some  being  slain,  and  some 
being  put  to  flight  and  pursued  by  the  enemy,  and  the  rest 
stripped  of  aU  their  property,  and  conducted  with  every  circum- 
stance of  insult  from  place  to  place,  till  at  last  they  reached  the 
kingdom  of  Sicily,  and  there  they  were  committed  to  loath- 
some prisons,  where  some  of  them,  being  worn  out  by  dirt  and 
want  of  food,  died  in  a  miserable  manner. 

"  Moreover,  a  suspicion  of  heretical  error  is  very  deservedly 
entertained  against  him.  Since,  after  he  had  incurred  the 
sentence  of  excommunication  from  the  aforesaid  John,  bishop 
of  Sabionetta,  and  the  cardinal  Thomas,  and  after  the  pope 


254  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMTI7STES.  A.D.  1245. 

Gregory,  before  mentioned,  had  bound  him  in  the  bonds  of 
his  anathema,  and  after  his  insnlts  to  the  church,  and  his 
taking  of  the  Roman  cardinal,  prelates,  and  secular  clergy,  who 
were  coming  from  all  parts  to  the  Apostolic  See,  he  despised, 
and  still  despises,  the  keys  of  the  church,  compelling  divine 
offices  to  be  administered  to  him,  and,  as  far  as  depends  on 
himself,  to  be  profaned.  And  he  has  constantly  affirmed,  as 
has  been  mentioned  above,  that  he  does  not  fear  the  sentence 
of  the  before-mentioned  pope  Gregory,  whidi  has  been  pro- 
nounced against  him.  Moreover,  being  united  with  the  Sar- 
acens in  a  detestable  friendship,  he  has  repeatedly  sent  them 
ambassadors  and  presents,  and  he  has  received  ambassadors 
and  presents  from  them  in  his  turn,  with  a  great  show  of 
honour  towards  them,  and  great  joy,  and  he  embraces  their 
customs,  notoriously  retaining  them  about  his  person  in  daily 
offices.  Moreover,  in  compliance  with  their  fashion,  he  has 
not  been  ashamed  to  appoint  eunuchs,  and  especially  those 
whom,  as  it  is  said,  he  has  caused  to  be  castrated  on  purpose, 
as  guards  to  the  wives  whom  he  has  had,  though  descended  of 
royal  blood.  And,  what  is  more  execrable  still,  when  he  was 
formerly  in  the  countries  beyond  the  sea,  having  made  an 
agreement,  or  rather  a  collusion  with  the  soldan,  he  allowed 
the  name  of  Mahomet  to  be  publicly  proclaimed  in  the  temple 
of  the  Lord,  night  and  day.  And,  lately,  he  caused  the  am- 
bassadors of  the  soldan  of  Babylon,  after  the  same  soldan 
had  by  himself  and  his  followers  inflicted  heavy  loss  and 
incalculable  injury  on  the  Holy  Land,  and  on  the  Christians 
who  dwell  therein,  to  be  honourably  received,  as  it  is  re- 
ported, and  magnificently  attended  through  the  kingdom  of 
Sicily,  with  praises  of  the  excellency  of  the  aforesaid  soldan. 
Also  abusing  the  pernicious  practices  and  horrible  services  of 
other  infidels,  to  the  injury  of  the  faithful,  and  continuing  to 
be  united  in  affinity  and  friendship  with  those  who,  damnably 
disregarding  the  Apostolic  See,  have  departed  from  the  unity 
of  the  church,  he,  beyond  all  question,  as  it  is  asserted,  vio- 
lating all  the  rules  of  the  Christian  religion,  caused  the  de- 
voted son  of  the  duke  of  Bavaria,  of  illustrious  memory,  and 
the  special  servant  of  the  Roman  church,  to  be  murdei^  by 
the  Assassins,  and  he  gave  his  own  daughter  as  wife  to  Bartacon, 
an  enemy  of  God  and  of  the  church,  a  man  formally  sepa- 
rated from  the  communion  of  the  faithfrd  by  the  sentence  of 
excommunication,  with  all  his  assistants  and  intercessors,  and 


A.D.  1245.  S£KT£irCE  PBOlSOTmCSB  AOAIKST  FBEDSBIC        255 

favourers.  And  rejecting  the  actions  and  habits  of  Christiaii 
princes,  and  neglecting  the  integrity  of  his  salvation  and  fame, 
lie  pays  no  attention  to  works  of  piety.  Moreover,  to  say 
nothing  of  his  nefarious  and  dissolute  habits,  though  he  hais 
well  learnt  to  oppress  people,  yet  he  has  no  care  to  reheve 
those  who  are  oppressed  by  injustice,  his  hand  being  never 
stretched  out  in  d^ms  as  that  of  a  prince  ought  to  be,  nor  is 
he  known  to  have  built  any  churches  or  monasteries,  or  hos* 
pitals,  though  he  has  busied  himself  with  the  destruction  of 
churches,  and  overwhelmed  men  of  religious  orders  and  other 
ecclesiastical  persons  with  the  yoke  of  affliction.  Now,  there- 
fore, these  are  not  light,  but  powerful  arguments  for  the  bus* 
picion  of  heresy  against  him,  though  nevertheless  he  asserts 
that  the  civil  law  is  contained  in  the  language  of  heretics,  and 
those  men  are  bound  to  submit  to  the  sentences  that  have  been 
pronounced  against  them  who  have  been  convicted,  even  on 
slight  proof,  from  deviating  from  the  judgment  and  path  of 
the  Cadiolic  religion. 

"Besides  all  these  things,  he  has  seized  the  kingdom  of  Sicily, 
which  is  the  special  patrimony  of  the  blessed  Peter,  and 
which  the  said  prince  held  in  the  Apostolic  See  as  a  fee,  and 
having  driven  out,  by  all  kinds  of  insults,  the  clergy  and 
laity,  stripped  of  nearly  all  their  property,  he  has  reduced 
them  to  indigen(;e  and  slavery,  and  compelled  them  to  depart 
in  a  state  of  be^ary.  And  those  who  have  remained,  he  has 
forced  to  live  in  a  servUe  condition,  and  in  many  ways  to 
offend  and  to  attack  in  hostile  fashion  the  Roman  church,  of 
which  they  are  the  especial  liege  men  and  vassals.  He  might 
also  be  deservedly  blamed,  that  for  nine  years  and  more  he 
has  omitted  to  pay  the  annual  pension  of  a  thousand  sequins, 
which  he  is  bound  to  pay  the  Roman  church  for  that  king- 
dom. We,  therefore,  on  account  of  the  before-mentioned 
wicked  excesses  of  his,  and  many  others  of  a  similar  kind, 
having  deliberated  diligently  with  our  brethren  and  the  sacred 
councU,  since,  however  undeservedly,  we  occupy  the  place  of 
Jesus  Christ  upon  earth,  and  since  it  has  been  said  to  us,  in 
the  character  of  the  blessed  apostle  Peter,  *  Whatsoever  thou 
shalt  bind  on  earth,'  &c.,  we  do  hereby  declare  that  the 
aforesaid  prince,  who  has  shown  himself  so  unworthy  of  his 
empire  and  kingdoms,  and  of  all  honour  and  dignity,  is,  on 
account  of  his  iniquities,  cast  off  by  Gbd,  so  that  he  shall 
henceforth  be.  neither  king  nor  emperor^^  being  so  bound  in 


256  MATTIDBW  Olf  W35STMIKSTEB.  A.D-  1245. 

his  own  sins,  so  abject,  and  deprived  by  the  Lord  of  ail  honour 
and  dignity ;  and  we  denounce  him  by  name,  and  by  our 
formal  sentence  deprive  him,  and  for  ever  absolve  all  those 
who  are  bound  to  him  by  an  oath  of  fealty,  from  that  oath, 
by  our  apostolic  authority,  positively  forbidding  any  one  for 
the  future  obeying  him  as  either  emperor  or  kmg,  or  giving 
him  advice  or  assistance,  or  showing  him  favour,  under  penalty 
of  lying  himself  under  the  sentence  of  excommunication  by 
the  mere  act.  And  let  those  to  whom  the  election  in  the 
aforesaid  empire  belongs,  freely  elect  a  successor  to  him. 
For  the  kingdom  of  Sicily  before  mentioned,  we  will  our- 
selves provide,  with  the  advice  of  our  brethren,  as  we  shall 
see  fit.  Given  at  Lyons,  on  the  sixteenth  of  July,  in  the  third 
year  of  our  pontificate." 

This  sentence  then  being  thus  brought  forward  in  the  middle 
of  the  council,  struck  all  men  with  no  slight  fear ;  therefore 
Thaddeus,  and  the  other  procurators  of  the  emperor,  departed 
in  confusion. 

Moreover,  the  pope  determined  to  pass  many  edicts  in  this 
same  council,  touching  the  restoration  of  the  Holy  Land  and 
the  execution  of  justice,  all  which  a  diligent  inquirer  will  be 
be  able  to  find  regularly  drawn  up.  But  what  I  have  hitherto 
been  recording,  I  thought  ought  not  to  be  passed  over,  in  order 
that  the  causes  might  be  more  fuUy  known  why  the  lord  the 
pope.  Innocent  the  Fourth,  precipitated  Frederic  from  the 
throne  of  the  empire.  When,  these  circumstances  had  come 
to  the  knowledge  of  Frederic,  he  was  excessively  indignant, 
and  wrote  a  letter  to  the  lord  the  king  of  England,  and  also 
to  the  king  of  France,  and  to  several  other  princes,  in  the 
end  of  which  letter  he  caused  it  to  be  plainly  understood  that 
it  was  his  intention  to  treat  as  nothing  the  dignity  and  nobi- 
lity of  the  universal  church,  and  to  reduce  the  church  it- 
self to  its  state  of  pristine  poverty  and  primitive  humility.  By 
which  expression,  though  intending  to  excuse,  he  shamelessly 
accused  himself. 

In  the  meantime,  the  lord  the  king  remaining  in  the  dis- 
tricts of  Wales  with  his  army,  straitened  the  Welch  very  much 
by  famine  and  scarcity,  and,  as  the  custom  of  war  is,  he  often 
invaded  them  to  their  great  injury.  In  which  invasions  he 
on  some  occasions  gloriously  accomplished  his  object,  but  often, 
on  the  other  hand,  he  came  worst  off.  At  length,  having  de- 
populated that  district  which  is  called  Anglesey,  he  strength- 


A.D.  1245.      WA.LTEB,  THE  EABL  MABESCHAIik  DIES.  257 

ened  and  prudently  fortified,  so  as  to  make  it  impregnable,  a 
castle  named  Connach,  that  it  might  senre  to  check  the  inroads 
and  sallies  of  the  Welch,  and  so  he  returned  in  triumph  from 
that  country. 

About  the  same  time,  Raymond,  count  of  Provence,  and 
father  of  the  queens  of  France  and  England,  paid  the  debt 
of  human  nature ;  a  man  who,  by  the  exceeding  magnificence 
of  the  marriages  which  he  procured  for  his  daughters,  caused 
amazement  to  the  whole  world. 

But  the  lord  th6  king,  when  he  retired  irom  the  castle  of 
Connach,  which  had  been,  as  has  been  already  stated,  for- 
tified at  an  immense  expense,  deposed  Maurice,  the  justiciary 
of  Ireland,  from  his  office,  because  he  had  been  evasiye  and 
slow  in  bringing  aid  from  Ireland  to  the  lord  the  king  when 
he  was  in  danger.  And  he  appointed  John,  the  son  of  Gfod- 
fi:ey,  justiciary  in  his  place. 

The  same  year,  too,  at  the  request  of  the  lord  the  king  of 
France,  who,  as  has  been  already  mentioned,  assumed  the 
sign  of  the  Cross  when  in  danger  of  death,  a  certain  papal 
legate  a  latere  was  sent  to  advance  the  business  of  the  Cross 
by  his  preaching.  In  consequence  of  whose  preaching,  a 
great  many  nobles  of  France  assumed  the  sign  of  the  Cross, 
partly  for  God's,  and  partly  for  the  king's  sake.  Likewise 
the  lord  the  king  of  France  probured  from  the  church  through- 
out his  kingdom,  by  the  permission  and  indu^ence  of  the  lord 
the  pope,  one-tenth  part  of  all  its  revenues  of  every  sort,  for 
the  promotion  of  his  pilgrimage.  And  the  lord  the  pope,  as 
a  requital  of  this  beneficence,  demanded  from  the  kingdom 
of  France  a  tax  of  a  twentieth,  for  the  support  of  the  land- 
grave, whom  he  had  elected  as  a  successor  to  Frederic  in  the 
empire,  and  for  overthrowing  Frederic  himself,  whom  he  had 
deposed,.  But  the  Saracens,  and  especially  the  Chorosmines, 
who  had  already  trampled  over  the  Christians  in  the  Holy  Land 
"when  they  had  provoked  God  to  anger,  and  who  had  over- 
run the  Holy  Land  as  far  as  Acre,  after  having  crushed  the 
Hospitallers  and  Templars,  and  Christian  nobles,  when  they 
heard  of  these  events  fortified  themselves  strongly,  that  they 
might  not  be  overwhelmed  by  the  arrival  of  the  French. 

About  the  same  timc^  that  is  to  say  on  the  first  of  December, 
Master  Richard,  chancellor  of  the  church  of  Exeter,  was  con- 
Mcrated  bishop  of  Exeter.  And  about  the  same  time,  Walter, 
the  earl  mareschal,  died  in  London,  and  soon  after,  that  is  to 

Toi.  u.  8 


258  MATTHEW  OF  WESTHIKSTEB.  A.D.   1246. 

fifty,  on  the  fifth  of  December,  his  brother  Anselm  died,  an 
accomplished  young  man,  of  an  amiable  disposition,  who  was 
on  the  point  of  being  promoted  to  the  earldom  and  office  of 
mareschal,  which  belonged  to  him  of  hereditary  right ;  so 
that  in  the  interval  before  his  death  he  was  called  earl,  and 
looked  upon  as  the  earl.  And  thus  all  the  sons  of  the  great 
mareschal  William  (what  was  the  sin  which  brought  such  an 
end  about,  we  do  not  know,)  according  to  the  prophecy  of 
the  countess,  their  mother,  departed  like  shadows  from  this 
world,  leaving  no  children  behind  them.  Nevertheless,  they 
were  all  successively  earls,  as  their  mother  had  predicted,  as 
though  she  had  been  endued  with  a  spirit  of  prophecy.  And 
thus  that  noble  shield  of  the  mareschals,  which  had  been  for- 
midable to  such  numerous  and  powerful  enemies  of  England, 
clisappeared.  There  were  also  many  other  families  in  the 
other  parts  of  the  kingdom  of  England  which  lost  their  nobi- 
lity and  distinction,  principally  through  failure  of  issue. 

In  the  meantime  the  pope  sent  all  the  money  which  he  could 
scrape  together  from  all  the  kingdoms,  and  from  the  church, 
and  especially  from  ecclesiastical  persons,  to  the  landgrave  of 
Thuringia,  to  support  him  in  his  war  against  Conrad,  son  of 
Frederic.  And  by  this  time,  the  archbishop  of  Cologne,  and 
other  noble  and  powerful  preflates,  with  many  also  of  the 
magnates  of  Germany,  being  won  over  by  the  money  of  the 
pope,  had  become  adherents  of  the  aforesaid  landgrave ;  so 
that  as  Conrad  was  becoming  weaker,  nearly  the  whole  of  the 
kingdom  of  Germany  began  to  incline  to  the  landgrave. 

Ch.  XIIL— Feom  A.D.  1246  to  a.d.  1247. 

Discontent  in  England  at  the  exactions  of  the  pope — Death 
of  David,  prince  of  Wales — The  war  for  the  empire,  be- 
tween Conrad  and  the  landgrave,  continues — The  king  of 
France  refuses  to  permit  the  pope  to  enter  France — Ed- 
mund, archbishop  of  Canterbury,  is  canonized  —  Confede- 
racy of  the  French  nobles  against  the  pope — The  church  of 
England  addresses  complaints  to  the  pope,  hut  grants  him 
money — The  landgrave  dies — Frederic  makes  the  Sicilians, 
^c.  do  homage  to  his  son  Henry — William  of  Holland  is 
elected  emperor,  in  opposition  to  Conrad — The  king^s  half- 
brothers  come  to  England — Many  English  nobles  assume 
the  Cross, 


A.D.  1246.  THE  KOBLES  SrtfMOKEJ)  TO  MEET  AT  LOin)OK.     259 

The  lord  the  pope  murmurs  at  the  ^English  complaining  of  their 
appresswnsy  hut  especially  of  the  tribute,  and  seeks  pretences 
for  revenge, 
A.]>,  1246,  which  is  the  thirtieth  year  of  the  reign  of  king 
Henry  the  Third,  the  said  king  was  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity 
of  our  Lord  at  Westminster,  to  which  place  he  had  invited  also 
many  of  the  nobles  of  his  kingdom,  and  especially  his  brother 
Richard,  earl  of  Cornwall,  with  his  wife,  and  a  great  many 
other  persons,  who  with  the  king  had  borne  the  burden  and 
heat  of  the  war  in  the  territories  of  Wales,  encountering  great 
dangers  and  great  expenses ;  in  order  that  they  who  had  been 
his  companions  in  tribulation,  should  also  be  his  comrades  in 
the  hour  of  exultation.  About  the  same  time,  Boniface,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  pastor  and  prelate,  a  man  very  unlike 
his  predecessors,  who  before  him  had  been  eminent  for  their 
many  virtues  in  the  church  of  Canterbury,  gave  the  lord  the 
pope  to  understand,  not  without  great  injury  and  insult  to 
Saint  Edmund  and  the  rest  of  his  holy  predecessors,  that  the 
prelates  who  had  preceded  him  in  the  government  of  the 
archbishopric  of  Canterbury,  had  embarrassed  the  church  irre- 
trievably, although  it  was  a  rich  one,  with  an  incalculable 
load  of  debt.  By  which  representation  he  obtained  most 
execrable  letters  from  the  pope,  the  sum  of  which  was  as 
follows:  "We,  by  these  our  letters,  do  command  our  vene- 
rable brother,  the  bishop  of  Hereford,  to  take  care  that  for 
seven  years,  and  no  longer,  the  first  year's  revenues  of  all 
the  ecclesiastical  benefices  which  shall  for  the  future  become 
vacant  in  the  city  and  diocese,  and  province  of  Canterbury, 
till  they  amount  to  a  sum  of  ten  thousand  marks  (and  if  they 
can  be  brought  up  to  that  sum  before  the  end  of  the  afore- 
said period  of  seven  years,  then  nothing  more  need  be  de- 
manded) ;  and  also  two  thousand  marks  from  the  revenues  of 
the  archbishop  himself,  shall  be  collected  each  year,  and  be 
faithfully  appUed  by  him  to  the  payment  of  the  debts  of  the 
aforesaid  church.  Provided  that  out  of  the  revenues  before 
mentioned,  the  same  bishop  shall  cause  an  adequate  payment 
for  their  support  to  be  assigned  to  the  persons  serving  in  those 
benefices,  that  the  benefices  may  not  be  deprived  of  their 
proper  services." 

About  the  same  time,  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom  were  sum- 
moned to  meet  at  London  on  the  day  when  the  anthem  "  Re- 
joice, 0  Jerusalem,"  is  sung,  that  they  might  deliberate  care- 

s  2 


260  MATTHEW  OF  WXSTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1246. 

fiilly  on  some  important  business  of  the  kingdom,  as  necessity 
urgently  required.  For  the  pope,  because  of  the  indignatioa 
which  he  had  conceiyed  against  the  king  and  all  the  nobles  6f 
the  kingdom,  was  devising  all  kinds  of  arguments  for  stretch^ 
ing  out  his  hand  so  as  to  inflict  daily  grievances  on  them,  and 
to  extort  money  from  them,  and  was  -adding  to  the  weight  of 
his  oppression  every  day.  For  the  anger  of  the  pope  was 
swellbg  and  furious  against  the  miserable  English,  because 
they  had  dared  to  complain  before  the  council  of  the  oppres- 
sions and  injuries  which  were  daily  inflicted  on  them.  And, 
indeed,  injuries  were  uninterruptedly  multipHed  in  the  king- 
dom ;  and  in  the  pope's,  sight,  that  is  to  say  in  his  court,  the 
English  were  made  of  less  account  than  any  other  citizens 
of  even  the  most  significant  nations.  On  which  account  he  is 
reported  to  have  said,  "It  is  desirable  that  we  should  put 
that  king  of  England  on  a  level  with  the  pnnce  (meaning 
Frederic),  so  as  to  crush  him,  since  he  is  our  vassal,  and  is 
now  resisting  us."  Moreover,  because  the  aforesaid  king  had 
obtained  a  privilege  so  that  no  legate  can  enter  his  kingdom 
except  at  his  own  request,  he  sent  some  sophistical  and  dis- 
guised legates,  having  great  power,  to  extort  revenues  and 
money,  and  in  all  respects  more  rapacious  than  ordinary 
legates,  though  they  had  not  the  insignia  of  legates,  being  at 
one  time  secular  clergy,  at  another  time  Preaching  Brothers,* 
and  at  another  Minors,  of  whom  the  pope  made  bedels  and 
tax-gatherers,  to  the  injury  and  disparagement  of  their  order 
and  profession,  since  they  had  promised  under  a  vow  to  God 
to  endure  voluntary  poverty  and  humiliation.  On  which  ac- 
count many  of  them  who  had  clear  consciences,  sighed  in 
their  hearts,  and  grieved,  sapng,  "  Alas !  how  soon,  through 
the  envy  of  the  devil,  does  our  order  learn  folly.  For  a  thou^ 
sand  years  the  order  of  Saint  Benedict  has  not  received  so 
much  injury." 

Also  the  lord  the  pope  stretched  out  his  hand  to  carry  out 
further  acts  of  extortion,  such,  for  instance,  as  embracing  in 
the  bosom  of  his  avarice  all  the  property  of  those  who  died 
without  wills,  not  without  great  injustice  and  loss  to  the 
princes ;  and  he  seized  them  even  if  a  man  being  sick,  and 
not  able  or  willing  to  speak,  by  reason  of  his  weakness,  de* 
puted  some  one  to  made  a  will  for  him  ;  and  this  injustice  is 
said  to  contravene  the  laws.  Besides  this,  a  thing  which  was 
^  The  Preaching  Brothers  were  the  Dominicans. 


A.B.  1246.     THE  KISQ  ABBBSSSES  THE  PABLIAMEKT.  261 

quite  nnprecedented,  he  unjustly  usurped  the  territories  of 
David,  the  nephew  and  vassal  of  the  lord  the  king  of  Eng- 
land, and  only  allowed  him  to  hold  it  on  condition  of  paying 
a  heavy  tribute.  And  he  caused  the  lord  the  king  to  be  cited, 
in  order  that  he  might  make  answer  to  some  charges  and 
make  satisfaction  to  the  aforesaid  David  for  some  injuries, 
which,  as  the  pope  pretended,  had  been  inflicted  on  him  by 
the  king;  a  deed  which  excited  the  contempt  and  hissing, 
and  derision  of  many  persons.  And  soon  after,  the  afore- 
said David,  being  taken  from  among  men,  had  at  his  death 
but  feiv  mourners,  as  he  deserved  for  his  treason. 

Therefore,  as  the  royal  edict  commanded,  the  nobles  of 
England  assembled  from  all  quarters,  in  order  to  take  prompt 
and  effectual  counsel  touching  the  aforesaid  matters,  as  the 
necessity,  which  was  not  light  or  unimportant,  required. 
But  in  the  middle  of  Lent^  namely,  when  the  anthem  "  Ee- 
joice,  O  Jerusalem,"  as  has  been  mentioned  before,  is  sung, 
the  nobility  of  the  whole  kingdom  having  been  duly  sum- 
moned, met  in  a  general  parliament,  in  order  to  consider,  as 
the  urgent  necessity  of  the  case  required,  of  the  state  of  the 
now  tottering  kingdom.  For  the  intolerable  grievances  which 
were  incessantly  inflicted  on  them  vexed  all  men,  both  nobles 
and  prelates,  because  they  could  not  endure  it  any  longer 
without  imminent  ruin,  and  branding  themselves  with  cow- 
ardice. And  they  were  especially  harassed  and  wounded  in 
their  minds,  because  the  pope,  forgetting,  or  rather  openly 
riolating  his  promise,  which  he  had  made  to  the  English  in 
the  council,  plundered  the  kingdom  of  its  treasures  in  a  more 
tyrannical  manner  than  before. 

Accordingly,  at  the  opening  of  this  parliament  the  king 
first  of  all  with  his  own  mouth  addressed  the  bishops  by  them- 
selves, then  the  earls  and  barons,  and  after  them  the  abbots 
and  priors,  on  those  topics  of  complaint,  because  of  which  he 
had  sent  formal  ambassadors  from  himself  to  the  council  of 
Lyons,  and  he  displayed  to  them  some  deeds  of  indulgence 
and  papal  letters  which  the  said  ambassadors  had  brought 
back,  relating  to  the  moderating  of  those  acts  of  oppressions, 
and  he  told  them  what  favourable  promises  the  pope  had 
niade  to  the  said  ambassadors  on  behalf  of  the  king  and 
kingdom.  But  because,  after  all  the  before-mentioned  in- 
dulgences and  promises,  the  lord  king  found,  as,  indeed,  he 
had  heard  was  commonly  the  case,  and  as  he  afterwards 


262  MATTHEW  OP  WBSTMIKSTER.  A.D.  1246. 

learnt  to  be  trae»  that  the  pope  made  his  hand  all  the  more 
heavy,  and,  as  if  out  of  contempt  and  a  wish  to  provoke,  be- 
haved more  wantonly  than  usual  in  the  kingdom,  oppressing 
the  church,  he  proposed  and  brought  forward  to  them  articles 
respecting  the  griev&nces  and  oppressions  of  the  church  and 
kingdom,  as  practised  in  writings,  signed  with  the  bull, 
(which  any  diligent  seeker  may  find  in  the  royal  treasury,) 
and  he  complained  bitterly  to  the  whole  assembled  body  or 
the  manifest  violation  of  his  promises  by  the  pope.  And  thej 
all  rejoiced,  hoping  that  the  constancy  of  the  king  had,  by 
this  display  of  his  power,  delivered  the  whole  kingdom,  and 
the  church  likewise,  from  the  oppressions  and  injuries  of  the 
pope.  Accordingly,  they  at  last,  both  as  individuals  and  as  a 
collected  body,  determined,  on  account  of  their  reverence  for 
the  Apostolic  See,  to  write  to  the  lord  the  pope,  and  to  send 
him  deputies  regularly  authorized,  to  suppUcate  him  to  relax 
the  intolerable  grievances  with  which  he  had  now  been  for  a 
long  time  oppressing  them,  and  to  relieve  them  from  his  in- 
supportable yoke. 

The  same  year,  some  laws  were  made  with  increased  rigour 
against  those  who  furtively  did  injury  to  the  parks  and  pre- 
serves of  others ;  and  in  that  parliament  it  was  granted  and  es- 
tablished that  vengeance  might  be  taken  on  all  who  were  dis- 
covered and  convicted,  as  a  diligent  reader  may  be  more  fully 
assured  of  by  the  testimony  of  the  written  deeds  which  were 
drawn  up  on  this  subject. 

Accordingly,  when  the  aforesaid  parliament  was  dissolved, 
all  the  bishops  immediately  wrote  to  the  lord  the.  pope  as  a 
separate  body,  and  the  lord  the  king  wrote  by  himself,  and  the 
abbots  and  priors  by  themselves,  and  earl  Richard,  and  with 
him  all  the  other  nobles  by  themselves,  writing  most  elegant 
letters  to  the  cardinals,  as  well  as  to  the  lord  the  pope,  re- 
questing them  to  spare  the  kingdom  of  England,  and  to  put 
an  end  to  the  grievances  which  were  now  of  long  standing, 
in  a  tone  which  might  have  softened  even  hearts  of  iron.  And 
their  grievances  were  all  set  down  in  order,  and  a  careful  ex- 
aminer may  find  them  enumerated  in  those  letters. 

The  same  year,  Conrad,  the  son  of  Frederic,  continuing  the 
war  against  the  archbishop  of  Cologne,  and  the  other  nobles  of 
Germany,  who  firmly  adhered  to  the  landgrave  and  the  church, 
making  a  sudden  attack  upon  them  on  one  occasion,  was 
defeated,  and  retired  in  confusion.     For  some  of  the  powerful 


A.D.  1246,   THX  KtSQ  OP  FSAKCE  GOES  TO  THE  POPE.  263 

chiefs  of  Germany  on  whom  he  relied,  having  been  bribed  by 
the  papal  treasure,  deserted  Conrad  in  the  critical  moment  of 
battle,  favouring  the  opposite  party,  and  in  this  way  deserted 
wickedly  to  the  enemies  of  Conrad ;  by  which  conduct  Conrad 
himself  was  exposed  to  imminent  danger  in  the  battle,  and 
forced  to  defend  himself  gallantly  as  well  as  he  could.  And 
at  last,  stained  with  the  blood  of  the  numbers  whom  he  had 
slain,  he  with  great  difficulty  saved  himself,  with  a  few  others, 
i'rom  death  by  flight.  About  the  same  time,  Frederic,  recol- 
lecting himself  a  little,  humbled  himself,  being  a  good  deal 
alarmed,  and  fearing  the  attacks  of  the  insurgents.  And  so 
he  offered  to  the  lord  the  pope  to  make  adequate  satisfaction 
for  his  excesses ;  to  negotiate  which  afBeiir,  he  appointed  as 
his  procurator  and  mediator  the  lord  king  of  the  French, 
who,  pitying  the  disordered  state  of  the  empire  and  church, 
interposed  his  mediation,  being  prompted  by  the  suggestions 
of  piety,  and  without  sparing  any  expense  or  labour  on  his 
part,  went  down  to  the  district  of  Lyons,  where  the  pope  was 
at  that  time  staying  with  his  cardinals.  For  he  had  a  con- 
fident hope  of  being  able  to  appease  the  rancour  of  the  pope, 
BO  as  to  be  able  to  reUeve  that  great  prince  Frederic,  and  re- 
concile him  to  the  church.  And  the  lord  the  pope,  to  show 
his  respect  for,  and  to  honour  so  great  a  king,  came  as  far  as 
Cluny  to  meet  him  on  his  approach.  And  when  they  met 
together,  and  held  a  serious  debate  on  the  before-mentioned 
subject,  the  lord  the  king  spoke  earnestly  and  vigorously  for 
Frederic.  For  he  said  Frederic  offered  to  go  as  a  pilgrim  to 
the  Holy  Land,  and  never  to  return  during  his  whole  hfe,  but 
to  serve  as  a  soldier  of  God  in  that  land,  while  his  son  should 
be  established  in  the  empire  in  his  stead.  But  the  pope  re- 
plied, **  Ha !  how  often  have  similar  offers  been  made  by  him, 
which  have  never  been  fulfilled."  And  the  king  said,  "My 
father,  is  it  not  written  in  the  Gospel  that  if  thy  brother  sin 
against  thee,  he  is  to  be  forgiven  seventy  times  seven  times  V* 
And  the  pope  replied,  "  My  son,  his  heart  is  hardened ;  he  is 
a  second  Pharaoh,  in  all  things  he  has  proved  himself  one  who 
cannot  be  trusted."  But  when  the  most  pious  king  of  France 
could  not  find  the  favour  which  he  had  hoped  for  in  the  eyes 
of  the  pope,  he  departed  in  indignation  and  anger,  at  having 
found  no  humility  in  the  servant  of  servants.  On  which  ac- 
count, when  the  lord  the  pope  wished  to  enter  the  kingdom 
of  France,  in  order  to  dwell  there  in  greater  safety,  the  king. 


264  HATTH£W  OF  WA8TMIN8TXB.  A.S.  1246. 

of  France  refused  him  admisBion,  saying,  "  The  vicar  of  the 
pious  Christ  does  not  hy  any  means  follow  in  the  footsteps  of 
Christ.  For  Christ  has  said  that  all  my  Father  gives  me,  will 
come  to  me,  and  he  that  cometh  to  me,  I  will  by  no  means 
cast  out.  But  that  man  has  not  opened  the  bosom  of  mercy 
to  him  who  humbled  himself."  And  so  evils  were  added  to 
evils. 

The  same  year,  the  younger  daughter  of  Raymond,  count  of 
Provence,  was  married  to  Charles,  the  younger  brother  of  the 
lord  the  king  of  France,  and  she  had  the  countship  of  Pro- 
vence for  her  dowry.  And  the  same  lord  the  king  also  bought 
and  added  to  his  kingdom  the  county  of  Macon  ;  and  in  this 
way  the  aforesaid  kingdom  obtained  a  happy  augmentation. 
The  same  year,  too,  the  nation  of  barbarians  of  little  memory, 
after  many  of  the  kingdoms  of  the  east  had  already  been  de- 
stroyed by  them,  returned  in  a  hostile  manner  to  attack  the 
king  of  Hungary,  with  the  intention  of  devastating  and  spread- 
ing general  destruction  through  his  territories. 

The  same  year,  when  the  ambassadors  of  the  lord  the  king 
had  returned  from  the  Roman  court,  and  had  brought  back  a 
yery  harsh  answer  from  the  lord  the  pope,  so  that  all  the 
weighty  letters  which  had  been  sent  on  the  part  of  the  king, 
and  of  the  whole  nation,  and  of  the  nobles  and  prelates,  had 
no  influence  at  all ;  the  lord  the  king  grieved  and  was  very 
indignant  that  he  and  his  nobles,  who  had  so  often  cheerfully 
conferred  benefits  on  the  court  of  Rome,  should  now  be  re- 
pulsed  in  this  their  just  petition.  Accordingly,  the  lord  the 
king  caused  proclamation  to  be  made  by  the  voice  of  the  crier 
throughout  every  county  in  his  kingdom,  and  in  every  city  and 
borough,  and  announcement  to  be  made  by  royal  letters,  that 
no  prelate  or  clerk,  or  other  person,  should  pay  any  obedience 
whatever  to  any  papal  mandate  by  contributing  assistance  to 
the  pope.  And  it  was  greatly  hoped  that  the  king  would  per- 
sist in  the  determination  with  which  he  thus  set  out,  manfully 
resisting  the  papal  extortions.  But  through  the  hissings  of 
some  ambitious  clergy,  who  were  his  counsellors,  and  of  some 
bishops  in  the  papal  interest,  to  whose  counsels  the  lord  the 
king  incUned  more  than  he  should  have  done,  his  resolution 
was  relaxed  with  the  same  levity  with  which  it  had  been  taken 
up ;  so  alarmed  was  he  at  the  threats  of  the  pope,  and  so  much 
hid  he  tremble  with  fear,  where  no  fear  was ;  so  that  he  abandoned 
like  a  woman  the  designs  which  he  had  adopted  hke  a  man. 


A.D.  1246.      FBOPOSAL  TO  ASSASSnTATlB  FBEDEEIC.  265 

And  thus  his  whole  preparation  for  resistance  vanished  away 
like  a  clond  before  the  face  of  the  sun  when  it  shines. 

Bat  I  have  thought  it  well  to  give  an  account  of  these  trans- 
actions, unprofitable  though  they  were,  that  aU  men  may  un- 
derstand the  divisions  caused  in  the  kingdom  by  vacillation, 
and  the  wavering  hearts  of  the  English  nobles,  and  the  womanly 
fickleness  of  the  king.  And  that  one  general  pestilence  might 
agitate  the  whole  world,  the  kingdom  of  France  was  afflicted 
and  wounded  by  a  similar  evil,  so  that  many  of  the  nobles 
began  to  think  of  standing  together  to  resist  the  pope,  as  the 
subsequent  history  will  more  fully  show. 

About  the  same  time,  the  countess  of  Albemarle,  the  sister 
of  the  countess  of  Winchester,  was  removed  from  the  affairs 
of  this  world ;  in  consequence  of  which.  Great  Galewera  came 
under  the  power  of  Roger,  earl  of  Winchester.  About  the 
same  time,  also,  Isabella,  mother  of  the  lord  the  king  of  Eng- 
land, died,  who  had  formerly  been  queen  of  England,  and  now 
for  a  long  time  countess  of  La  Marche.  And  the  same  year, 
while  the  laborious  seasons  of  July  and  autumn  were  occupy- 
ing the  farmers,  an  unprecedented  and  destructive  storm  of 
thunder  and  Ughtning,  which  lasted  an  entire  day  and  night, 
terrified  the  whole  length  and  breadth  of  England,  and  many 
men  and  much  cattle  were  killed  by  the  hghtning.  About 
the  same  time,  Richard,  earl  of  Cornwall,  founded,  in  a  very 
sufficient  manner,  a  certain  house  for  the  Cistercian  order,  in 
a  favourable  situation,  not  far  from  Winchcombe,  in  fulfilment 
of  a  vow  which  he  had  made  when  he  was  in  danger  at  sea. 
And  he  also  caused  another  church,  of  which  his  father,  king 
John,  had  laid  the  foundation,  and  which  is  called  Beauhve, 
to  be  solemnly  dedicated  under  the  sanction  and  authority  of 
the  lord  the  king.  The  same  year,  and  about  the  same  time, 
died  John  de  Neville,  the  chief  forester  of  England,  a  man  who 
deserved  not  to  be  accounted  the  last  among  the  nobles  of 
England ;  and  about  the  same  time,  the  bishop  of  Carlisle,  on 
the  day  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  changed  his  habit,  and 
entered  the  order  of  the  Preaching  Brothers. 

The  same  year,  a  certain  very  powerful  man  of  Apulia,  by 
name  Theobidd  FVank,  taking  to  himself  certain  accomplices, 
proposed  to  kill  by  treachery  the  emperor  Frederic,  whom  the 
lord  the  pope  had  lately  condemned,  and  deposed  from  the 
imperial  dignity.  But  before  he  could  accomplish  the  wicked- 
ness which  he  intended,  Frederic,  having  been  fortunately 


2G6  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1246. 

forewarned  by  some  of  his  faithful  friends,  escaped  the  toils 
of  those  who  were  plotting  against  him.  And  writing  on  the 
subject  of  this  circumstance  to  the  king  of  England,  and  to 
many  other  of  the  princes  of  the  world,  he  asserted  that  when 
these  criminals  had,  as  they  well  deserved,  been  condemned  to 
death,  that  they  had  confessed  that  they  had  embarked  in 
their  unfortunate  undertaking  in  consequence  of  the  contriv- 
ance and  prompting  of  the  lord  the  pope  himself;  by  which 
statement,  the  fame  of  the  pope  was  blackened  in  no  small 
degree.  And,  therefore,  the  hearts  of  many  persons  aban- 
doned their  affection  for  the  pope,  who,  both  on  account  of 
the  implacable  hatred  which  he  still  obstinately  cherished 
against  Frederic,  even  in  spite  of  his  humbling  himself  before 
him,  and  also  because  of  the  manifest  tokens  of  his  insatiable 
avarice,  turned  the  filial  devotion  which  all  men  ought  to  have 
felt  towards  him  into  curses  and  hatred,  to  the  great  peril  of 
their  own  souls.  Therefore,  the  pope,  deriving  boldness  from 
past  events,  in  order  to  trample  on  the  miserable  English,  and, 
when  he  had  trampled  on  them,  tx)  pauperize  them  more  and 
more,  and  seeing  that  they  were  scattered  and  deprived  of  all 
courage  and  strength,  signified,  in  a  more  imperious  tone  than 
usual,  to  the  prelates  of  England,  that  all  the  beneficed  clergy 
in  England,  who  resided  on  their  benefices,  should,  for  the 
next  three  years,  pay  one-third  of  their  receipts  to  the  lord 
the  pope,  and  that  dl  who  did  not  so  reside  should  pay  one- 
half,  adding  many  other  hard  conditions,  which  made  the  afore- 
said command  more  stringent ;  and,  at  first,  he  appointed  the 
bishop  of  London  to  see  to  the  diligent  execution  of  this  com- 
mand. Therefore,  the  bishop,  with  some  other  persons  whom 
he  had  summoned  to  set  this  order  before  them,  explained  it 
openly  in  the  church  of  Saint  Paul  to  the  clergy  there  assem- 
bled, to  whom  he  spoke  of  this  '*  terrible  imposition,"  and  he 
excited  all  who  heard  of  it  to  great  amazement  and  grief,  be- 
cause what  was  commanded  by  the  pope  seemed  and  was  im- 
possible ;  and  lo  !  there  came  besides,  on  the  part  of  the  king, 
who  was  no  longer  able  to  conceal  this  circumstance,  the  lord 
John  of  Lexington,  a  knight,  and  Master  Lawrence  of  Saint 
Martin's,  one  of  the  secular  clergy,  strictly  forbidding,  in  the 
name  of  the  king,  any  one  in  the  whole  kingdom  of  England 
from  in  any  respect  complying  with  this  execrable  command 
of  the  pope.  And  when  they  brought  this  order,  the  others 
cheerfully  complied  with  it :  and  these  things  were  done  on 


A.D.  1246.  THE  POPE  PBA.T8  TO  THE  BLESSED  ESHTin).    267 

Saint  Andrew's  day.  Accordingly,  the  wicked  population  of 
the  whole  of  England  wrote  to  the  lord  the  pope,  who  had 
issued  those  intolerable  and  impracticable  commands,  explain- 
ing to  him  and  reminding  him  of  the  way  in  which  the  old 
grievances  had  cruelly  wounded  the  hearts  of  all  men,  and  how 
they  still  felt  the  recent  wounds,  those,  namely,  which  were 
inflicted  by  the  six  thousand  marks  which  Master  Martin,  the 
pope's  deputy,  had  lately  extorted ;  and  so,  in  this  way,  the 
tempest  was  calmed  for  a  while,  but  soon  afterwards  it  revived, 
as  will  be  mentioned. 

The  same  year.  Master  Robert  de  Bingham,  of  pious  me- 
mory, bishop  of  Sahsbury,  died,  the  day  after  the  feast  of  All 
Souls,  a  man  without  complaint,  full  of  days,  and  crowned 
with  virtues.     And,  about  the  same  time,  Richard  Berking, 
abbot  of  Westminster,  died,  a  man  of  prudence,  and  a  fair 
stock  of  learning,  and  blessed  with  a  high  character,  who,  by 
his  own  energy,  had  prudently  enriched  the  revenues  of  his 
house  by  an  increase  of  about  three  hundred  marks  a-year, 
and  had  strengthened  it  by  the  bulwark  of  many  privileges, 
without  being  either  troublesome  or  burdensome  to  any  of  his 
neighbours.     Therefore,  about  this  time,  the  lord  the  pope  be- 
gan to  be  very  much  alarmed  lest  the  blessed  Edmund,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  and  confessor,  should  put  forth  his  evi- 
dent vengeance,  and  severely  punish  the  delay  of  his  canoniza- 
tion, which  he  had  long  postponed  from  day  to  day,  because 
of  the  cavils  of  those  who  objected  ;  accordingly,  the  lord  the 
pope  entered  secretly  into  his  oratory,  where  he  was  tortured 
with  a  pain  to  which  he  was  well  accustomed,  namely,  that  in 
the  kidneys,  when  he  suffered  severely  from  obstruction  caused 
by  the  stone,  and,  with  bended  knees,  and  bursting  tears,  and 
cUsped  hands,  he  prayed,  saying :  *'  0  most  holy  lord  and 
confessor  of  Christ,  0  blessed  Edmund,  be  not  very  angry,  be- 
cause, being  moved  by  the  calumnies  of  envious  men,  I  have 
very  foolishly  put  off  the  honour  of  your  canonization,  to 
which  you  are  entitled.     For  that  which  is  not  yet  fulfilled,  I 
do,  without  hesitation,  now  vow  and  promise  you,  shall  be  ful- 
filled in  a  magnificent  manner,  if  my  life  is  spared.     Show 
me,  then,  this  mercy,  you  who  assist  so  many  who  are  sick, 
to  reheve  me  from  my  present  sufferings,  or,  at  least,  to  miti- 
gate this  terrible  anguish."     And  as  soon  as  ever  he  had  said 
this,  he  immediately  felt  divine  relief ;  and  perceiving  that  he 
had  been  heard,  he  thanked  the  saint,  designing  most  posi- 


268  ICATTHIW  OF  WSSTirorSTEB.  A.B.  1246. 

tively  to  pay  him  the  hononr  which  he  had  promised  him. 
Accordingly,  on  the  Sunday  next  before  the  Nativity  of  the 
Lord,  the  one,  I  mean,  in  which  the  anthem,  "  Rejoice  in  the 
Lord,"  is  sung,  the  lord  the  pope  solemnly  inscribed  in  the 
catalogue  of  the  saints  the  name  of  the  blessed  Edmund,  arch- 
bishop  of  Canterbury,  whom  the  Lord  had  distinguished  with 
countless  miracles.  And  after  he  had  been  happily  canonixed, 
the  pope  immediately  caused  the  mass  to  be  celebrated,  the 
office  of  which  begins,  "  The  Lord  has  placed  him,"  &c.  And 
because  the  sanctity  of  that  confessor  is  the  universal  glory  of 
the  whole  church,  but  most  especially  of  the  English  nation, 
I  have  thought  an  authentic  account  of  his  canonization  de- 
serving of  being  inserted  in  the  present  book,  in  order  that 
the  holy  devotions  of  those  who  read  it  may  preserve  it  ever 
fresh  in  their  memories. 

The  authentic  decree  of  pope  Innocent  the  Fourth  ahout  the  canon- 
ization of  the  blessed  .Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 

**  Innocent,  the  bishop,  the  servant  of  the  servants  of  God, 
to  his  venerable  brothers  the  archbishops  and  bishops,  and  to 
his  beloved  sons  the  abbots,  priors,  deans,  archdeacons,  pro- 
vosts, archpresbyters,  and  other  prelates  of  churches  to  whom 
these  letters  shall  come,  health  and  our  apostolical  benedic- 
tion. We  report  from  the  heavenly  college  the  new  joy  of  ora- 
mother  the  church  at  the  solemn  installation  of  a  new  saint, 
being  tidings  of  great  joy,  and  with  exulting  spirit  we  an- 
nounce that  a  feast  is  celebrated  for  the  companionship  of  s 
new  colleague.  The  church  rejoices  that  she  has  produced  so 
virtuous  and  great  a  son,  to  guide  others  by  the  example  of 
his  holy  conversation,  and,  since  he  has  now  received  the  re- 
ward of  happiness,  to  give  them  a  firm  hope  of  salvation. 
She  rejoices,  in  truth,  that  she  has  been  made  illustrious  by 
such  an  offspring,  and,  as  she  is  deserving  to  be  extolled  by 
all  men  with  worthy  praise,  and  to  be  worshipped  with  devout 
veneration,  she  manifestly  declares  that  they  are  to  be  admitted 
to  a  participation  in  his  eternal  inheritance,  who  with  good 
faith  and  good  works  profess  themselves  sons  of  their  mother 
the  church  ;  and  she  asserts  that  none  can  enter  into  the  glory 
that  is  above,  except  through  her,  as  the  keeper  of  the  keys  of 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The  heavenly  country  rejoices  in  the 
arrival  of  its  noble  inhabitant,  and  is  pleased  to  know  that  a 
new  colonist,  of  tried  fidelity,  is  united  to  its  former  inhabi- 


A.D.  1246,  DECEEB  OF  POPJfi   TITNOCENT.  269 

tants.  The  yirgin  citizens  rejoice  at  the  addition  of  an  illus- 
trious fellow-citizen  ;  and  let  the  saints  strike  the  harp  at  the 
worthy  partner  in  heaven  who  is  lately  admitted  amongst 
them.  Arise,  therefore,  ye  zealots  for  the  faith,  and,  in  con- 
cert with  our  mother  the  church,  rejoice  at  the  magnificence 
and  exultation  of  your  brother.  Overflow  with  joy,  and  feel 
a  sure  hope,  now  that  he  who  was  bom  as  the  fellow  of  those 
on  earth,  has  become  a  fellow-countryman  of  the  beings  in 
heaven.  Rejoice  with  exceeding  joy  that  you  have  an  addi- 
tional new  advocate  before  God,  who  stands  in  his  presence  as 
a  gentle  intercessor  for  our  salvation.  Lo !  the  blessed  Ed- 
mund, archbishop  of  Canterbury,  religiously  thinking  that  the 
creature  was  guided  by  a  natural  affection  towards  his  Crea- 
tor, and  that  fallen  nature  ought  to  recognise  its  restorer, 
affectionately  and  diligently  sought  out  his  Creator  and  Re- 
deemer. For,  keeping  the  light  of  his  intention  straight  be- 
fore him,  he  advanced  towards  him  by  the  steps  of  perfect 
works,  showing,  by  the  brilliancy  and  splendour  of  his  life 
and  doctrine,  the  path  of  salvation  to  others.  On  which  ac- 
count, the  concord  of  these  three  things,  a  pure  intention, 
perfect  works,  and  upright  conversation,  playing,  as  it  were,  a 
delightful  harmony,  and  having  conquered  the  three  enemies, 
the  flesh,  the  world,  and  the  devil,  by  the  virtue  of  perseve- 
rance, and  being  distinguished  by  the  triple  crown  of  true 
faith,  secure  hope,  and  fervent  charity,  well  deserved  to  be 
honoured  on  the  citadel  of  the  Supreme  Trinity  with  the  long- 
prepared  palm  of  victory,  by  the  triple  body  of  the  electors, 
namely,  virgins,  continent  persons,  and  married  persons. 

''And  DOW  let  us  say  something  of  his  actions.  For  his  life 
the  more  fully  it  is  set  forth,  does  the  more  sweeten  the  taste 
of  the  narrator,  and  does  the  more  delight  the  minds  of  his 
hearers.  He,  from  his  tender  years,  tenderly  loved  the  Son  of 
God,  and  did  never  cease  to  retain  him  in  his  heart  afterwards, 
because  he  had  written  him  on  the  tender  tablet  of  his  mind 
with  the  pen  of  upright  consideration,  and  I  might  rather  say, 
the  more  he  advanced  in  years,  the  more  did  he  grow  with 
love  towards  him  because  of  his  more  perfect  knowledge ;  and 
that  the  fervour  of  his  spirit  might  not  be  extinguished  by  th« 
heat  of  his  flesh,  but  might  rather  be  kindled  by  its  mortifi- 
cations, he  subdued  it  by  the  incessant  wearing  of  sack-cloth, 
And  checked  its  appetites  by  the  chains  of  strict  abstinence, 
so  that  his  flesh  was  not  guided  by  its  wishes,  but  went  on  in 


270  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMINSTER;  A.D.  1246. 

secarity  to  what  was  permitted,  and  prudently  avoided  all  that 
was  forbidden,  being  led  by  the  will  of  the  spirit.  For  he 
wasted  his  body  by  rigorous  fasting,  superadding  to  the  strict 
observances  of  the  ancients  the  austerity  of  modem  times^ 
which  he  had  enjoined  upon  himself ;  while  despising  all  the 
delight  of  pleasant  food,  he  was  content  with  the  refreshment 
of  humble  commons,  and  in  the  times  of  fasting  he  chose  to 
abstain  even  from  permitted  food,  and  moreover  to  practise 
more  rigorous  abstinence  still,  on  certain  days  in  the  week. 
Likewise  hating  all  length  of  sleep,  he  devoted  himself  to  long 
vigils,  and  shaking  off  all  inactivity,  he  perseveringly  occupied 
himself  in  prayer.  And  disdaining  the  softness  of  a  bed,  thac 
he  might  not  grow  lazy  through  dehcate  rest,  he  certainly  in- 
dulged his  limbs  in  some  repose  by  lying  down,  but,  after 
having  been  refreshed  by  a  brief  slumber,  rose  again  imme- 
diately, and  devoted  himself  foF  a  long  time  to  genuflexions 
and  prayer.  And  from  the  beginning  of  his  life  he  laboured 
so  to  proceed  on  purely  to  the  end,  that  avoiding  the  slippery 
world,  and  not  falling  into  the  sUme  of  pleasure,  he  was  pre- 
eminent for  the  lustre  of  his  purity.  Why  need  I  say  more  ? 
He  bruised  the  fi-ail  vessel  of  his  flesh,  that  he  might  the  more 
carefully  preserve  the  treasure  of  his  soul  which  was  laid  up 
in  it. 

"  Moreover,  as  an  eminent  doctor  and  illustrious  preacher,  he 
infused  the  light  of  knowledge  into  the  minds  of  his  hearers, 
and  implanted  the  seeds  of  the  virtues  in  the  hearts  of  the 
faithful  (eradicating  all  the  tares  of  vice).  In  his  humihty 
he  was  sublime,  in  his  meekness  he  was  gentle,  in  patience 
brave,  in  benignity  affable,  in  pity  sympathising,  in  mercy  in- 
nocent, and  constantly  flowing  over  in  an  unfailing  stream  of 
alms  to  the  relief  of  the  needy.  And,  that  we  may  express 
the  multitude  of  his  good  deeds  in  a  brief  narration,  he  knew 
Jesus  with  such  an  unshaken  faith,  and  having  acknowledged 
him  he  loved  him  with  so  sincere  a  heart,  and  loving  him  he 
so  approached  him  with  every  wish,  that,  utterly  disregarding 
the  world  and  all  that  is  therein,  he  directed  all  his  wishes  to 
heavenly  objects,  labouring  in  such  a  manner  to  render  himself 
by  his  conduct  corresponding  to  his  name,  that  as  he  was  called 
Edmund  [Eadmundus],  so  he  might  show  himself,  by  the  tes- 
timony of  his  whole  life,  clean  [mundus]  from  all  taint  of 
crime,  or  utterly  separated  from  the  world  [e  mundo],  or  set 
apart  from  the  embraces  of  the  world  \mundi].   On  which  ac- 


A  D.  1246.  DECREE   OP  POPE   IITirOCENT.  2/1 

count  Edmund,  like  a  spiritual  man,  when  he  was,  through  the 
contagion  of  the  hody,  at  his  last  gasp  in  this  life,  reverently 
adoring  the  body  of  Christ  which  had  been  brought  to  him, 
is  unquestionably  proved  to  have  uttered  with  wonderful 
compunction  these  words,  which  deserve  to  be  remarked  with 
all  attention :  •  Thou  art  he  in  whom  I  have  believed,  whom 
I  have  preached,  whom  I  have  taught.  And  thou.art  my  wit- 
ness that  I  have  sought  nothing  on  earth,  0  Lord,  except  thee. 
As  thou  knowest  that  I  will  nothing  but  what  thou  wiliest,  thy 
wiU  be  done.'  But  as  while  alive  he  had  illuminated  the 
church  of  God  by  his  eminent  merits,  so  after  he  was  dead 
he  did  not  wididraw  from  it  the  rays  of  his  brightness,  but 
as  after  he  departed  this  life  he  was  more  really  alive  than 
when  he  was  living,  He  afterwards  illumined  the  church  with  a 
more  fuU  brilliancy  of  light.  For  the  Lord  would  not  that  the 
sanctity  of  so  eminent  a  man  should  be  lost  to  the  world,  but 
rather  that  as  he  had  been  notorious  for  a  number  of  good 
actions,  so  too  he  should  become  celebrated  for  a  diversity  of 
miracles,  that  so  he  who  had  worshipped  him  with  entire  devo- 
tion should  now  reign  with  him  and  be  himself  worshipped  with 
reverence.  For  he  restored  sight  to  the  blind,  and  what  is  more 
glorious,  he  put  to  flight  from  the  eyes  of  one  person  the  dark- 
ness of  innate  blindness,  by  the  clearness  of  vision  which  he  in- 
fused into  them.  To  another,  whose  tongue  nature  had  bound 
with  a  lasting  silence,  he  gave  the  free  power  of  speaking.  By 
a  sudden  and  miraculous  cleaning,  he  cleansed  a  leprous  woman, 
so  that  the  scales  of  her  leprosy  immediately  fell  off  from 
her ;  he  strengthened  the  tremulous  limbs  of  a  paralytic  man, 
by  a  consolidating  of  his  sinews  ;  he  reheved  those  who  had 
contracted  limbs,  by  lengthening  them ;  he  cured  a  man 
who  was  swollen  with  dropsy  by  reducing  his  body ;  he  re- 
stored one  old  woman  who  was  bowed  down  to  the  ground 
under  a  long-standing  hump  from  extreme  age,  to  perfect 
health,  enabhng  her  to  hold  her  countenance  erect  again.  By 
these  and  a  great  many  more  manifest  miracles  he  became 
very  famous,  though  I  do  not  think  it  necessary  to  mention 
the  whole  series  of  them  in  this  document.  By  his  miracles 
the  catholic  faith  is  strengthened,  the  obstinacy  of  the  Jews 
is  put  to  shame,  the  deceitfulness  of  heretics  is  confounded, 
and  the  ignorance  of  the  pagans  bewildered.  Let,  therefore, 
the  church  of  Canterbury  sing  the  canticle  of  divine  praise, 
that  church  which  among  all  others,  in  modem  times,  has 


272  MATTHEW   OF  TTEBTMIirSTElt.  A.D.  1246. 

been  adorned  with  venerable  patrons,  and  made  red  with  the 
martyrdom  of  one,  and  white  by  the  confession  of  another. 
Let  the  fertile  Canterbury  exult  with  joy,  that  it  sends  forth 
from  the  threshing  floor  of  its  church  so  pure  a  grain  to  the 
bams  of  the  Supreme  King.  Also,  let  the  monastery  of  Pon- 
tigny  rejoice,  that  it  has  deserved  to  be  honoured  with  the 
presence  of  such  virtuous  and  illustrious  fathers ;  one  of 
whom  lived  there  a  long  time,  ennobling  it  with  the  virtues  of 
his  life,  and  another  going  thither  after  he  had  there  given  up 
his  soul  to  heaven,  enriched  it  with  the  treasure  of  his  body ; 
as  if  the  object  were  that  that  saying  should  be  fulfilled  which 
the  glorious  martyr  Thomas  is  reported  to  have  uttered,  after 
the  long  sojourn  which  he  had  made  in  that  monastery  at  the 
time  of  his  exile,  when  he  was  not  able  to  requite  the  monks 
according  to  the  fulness  of  his  incHnation,  for  the  great  ho- 
nours with  which  they  had  affectionately  received  him,  pre- 
dicting that  he  should  hereafter  have  another  aucoessor,  who 
would  make  them  a  full  return  for  what  they  had  done  to 
him.  Moreover,  because  it  is  fit  that  those  persons  whom 
Almighty  God  magnifies  with  the  crown  of  everlasting  glory 
in  heaven,  should  be  venerated  on  earth  with  the  highest  zeal 
of  devotion  by  all  men,  (for  the  more  solemnly  the  faithful 
honour  the  memory  of  the  saints,  the  more  worthily  do  they 
deserve  their  patronage),  therefore,  we,  having  obtained  a  full 
certainty  of  the  sanctity  of  life  and  reality  of  the  miracles  of 
the  aforesaid  Saint  Edmund,  which  have  been  established  by 
the  solemnity  of  a  curious  investigation  and  strict  examination 
and  discussion,  do  now,  by  the  common  advice  and  consent 
of  all  our  brethren  and  prelates  present  at  this  time  at  the 
Apostohc  See,  on  that  Sunday  in  Advent  on  which  is  sung  the 
hymn,  '  Rejoice  in  the  Lord  always,'  determine  that  he  shall 
be  enrolled  in  the  catalogue  of  the  saints,  or  having  been  so 
already,  be  now  declared  to  have  been  so  enrolled.  There- 
fore, we  warn  and  earnestly  exhort  all  people,  commanding 
them  by  our  apostolical  writings,  that  on  the  sixteenth  of  No- 
vember they  shall  celebrate  his  festival  with  devotion  and 
solemnity  (as  it  was  on  that  day  that  his  blessed  soul  was 
liberated  from  the  prison  of  his  body,  and  ascended  to  the 
stars,  apd  entered  the  palace  of  heaven,  there  to  enjoy  the 
dehght^  of  Paradise).  And  we  order  ye  brethren  archbiahops 
and  bishops  to  take  care  that  that  feast  is  celebrated  by  the 
faithful  in  Christ,  with  all  proper  veneration,  throughout  all 


A.D,1246.  ABCHDBAOOK  OF  WESTMIKSTEB  BL1|CTED  ABBOT.  273 

your  cities  and  dioceses ;  in  order  that  by  his  pious  inter- 
vention ye  may  be  able  here  to  be  saved  hom  imlhinent  dan- 
gers»  and  in  the  world  to  come  may  obtain  the  reward  of 
everlasting  salvation. 

But  that  the  multitude  of  the  Christian  people  may  flock 
with  more  zeal  and  in  greater  numbers  to  his  venerable  tomb, 
and  that  the  solemn  festival  of  the  saint  may  be  celebrated 
with  more  distinction,  we  hereby,  in  the  case  of  all  true  peni- 
tents and  confessing  sinners,  who  shall  come  each  year  with 
reverence  on  the  day  of  that  festival  to  that  place,  to  ask  for 
the  aid  of  his  influence,  trusting  in  the  mercy  of  Almighty 
God,  and  the  authority  of  the  blessed  Peter  and  Paul  his 
apostles,  grant  a  remission  of  one  year  and  forty  davs  of  the 
penances  enjoined  them,  and  to  those  who  come  each  year  to 
the  aforesaid  sepulchre  within  one  week  of  that  festival,  we 
grant  a  remission  of  forty  days.  Given  at  Lyons,  on  the 
eleventh  of  January,  in  the  fourth  year  of  our  pontificate." 

When  then  this  edict  was  published  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  all  Christendom,  it  very  naturally  renewed  an 
incalculable  joy  in  the  hearts  of  all  the  faithful,  but  especially 
of  the  Englisl^  because  it  was  England  which  had  produced 
that  saint,  and  presented  him  to  God.  And  on  the  same  day 
on  which  the  aforesaid  Saint  Edmund  was  canonized.  Master 
Richard  de  Crokesle,  archdeacon  of  Westminster,  was  at 
Westminster  elected  abbot  of  that  church,  with  the  unani- 
mous consent  of  the  whole  chapter ;  both  because  he  was 
found  to  be  a  man  competent  and  well  suited  to  the  office, 
and  also  because  he  was  a  friend  of  and  acceptable  to  the 
king,  on  whose  power  the  church's  work  now  half  destroyed, 
or  one  might  rather  say,  the  whole  state  of  the  church  de- 
pended. He  was  elected,  I  repeat,  on  the  day  of  the  canon- 
ization of  Saint  Edmund,  but  without  the  approbation  oT 
God,  as  I  think  it  pious  to  beheve,  since  by  that  election  both 
the  lover  and  the  love<f  object  received  a  manifold  increase  of 
honour  on  the  same  day.  On  which  account,  at  the  same 
time,  by  command  of  the  lord  the  king,  the  dignity  of  that 
abbacy  was  increased,  the  abbot  being  authorized  for  ihe  future 
to  celebrate  mass  in  aU  respects  after  the  fashion  of  a 
pontLGL  For  while  the  aforesaid  abbot,  Master  Richard,  was 
fiUing  the  office  of  archdeacon,  he  was  a  devoted  and  unwea- 
ried lover  of  the  blessed  Edmund.  Which  the  abbot  elect  re- 
membering, and  being  no  ungrateful  requiter  of  favours,  he 

TOL.  n.  T 


274  IfATTHSW  OF  WSSTHHrSTEB.  A.D.  1^6. 

tboaghi  it  very  becoming  to  dedicate  a  chapel,  near  the  north 
door  of  his  church,  to  the  honour  of  Saint  Edmund.  More- 
over, soon  after  his  own  creation,  he  very  properly  appointed, 
in  the  room  of  his  former  prior.  Master  Maurice,  the  pre- 
centor, a  man  of  good  character,  to  the  honourable  office  of 
prior,  the  former  prior  having  been  a  holy  and  most  religious 
man,  who,  on  account  of  the  eminence  of  his  holy  life,  de- 
servedly received  honourable  burial  in  the  chapel  of  the 
guests,  which  the  lord  the  king  had  built.  But  when  the  lord 
the  king  had  received  certain  information  of  the  truth  of  the 
glorious  canonization  before  mentioned,  and  when  he  had  both 
seen  the  authentic  edict  sealed  with  the  bull,  and  had  it  read 
to  him  by  Master  John,  a  monk  of  Pontigny,  but  an  English- 
man by  birth,  feeling  great  joy,  he  ordered  that  all  the  clergy 
of  his  chapel,  having  lighted  many  tapers,  and  having  put  on 
their  garments  of  festival,  should  solemnly  celebrate  me  mass 
of  which  the  first  words  are,  "  Let  us  rejoice,"  &c. 

About  the  same  time,  the  canons  of  Salisbury,  with  the  ob- 
ject of  guarding  against  danger  to  their  church,  and  of 
pleasing  the  lord  the  king,  elected  as  bishop  and  shepherd 
of  their  souls  £he  lord  William  of  York,  provost  of  Bererlac, 
one  of  the  secular  clergy,  a  friend  of  the  king,  and  a  man  of 
great  experience  in  the  laws  of  the  land ;  who  was  confirmed 
on  his  appointment  without  any  delay  or  any  opposition  or  hin- 
drance on  the  part  of  any  one.  Also,  at  the  same  time,  the  lord 
Sylvester,  who  some  time  before  had  not  consented,  thinking 
perhaps  that  he  was  unworthy  of  and  unequal  to  the  office  to 
which  he  was  elected,  namely,  the  bishopric  of  Carlisle,  did 
consent  with  all  humihty  and  fear  of  God,  being  so  much  the 
more  worthy,  because  he  accounted  himself  unworthy.  He, 
too,  was  a  faithful  clerk  of  the  lord  the  king,  and  dear  to  and 
intimate  with  him,  having  the  first  post  in  his  chancery,  «nd 
performing  the  duties  of  his  office  with  fidelity. 

When  the  course  of  this  year  was  f>roceeding  onwards  to 
its  end,  besides  those  others,  the  memory  of  whose  deaths  is 
touched  upon  in  this  volume,  some  illustrious  nobles  .of  Eng- 
land died,  namely,  Richard  de  Argenton,  a  most  gallant 
knight,  who  had  been  long  serving  God  as  his  faithful  sol- 
dier in  the  Holy  Land ;  and  in  the  north  country,  Henry  de 
Balliol,  a  knight,  and  in  Holland,  Lambert  de  Muletin,  a 
knight ;  also  Ranulph  Brito,  a  canon  of  the  church  of  Saint 
Paul,  in  London,  at  one  time  a  great  friend  of  the  lord  the  king, 


A.D.1247.  THE  K0BLB8  AKDABOHDBAOONS  MEET HT LONDON.  275 

and  his  especial  counsellor,  being  preferred  to  many  of  the 
nobles.  Though  afterwards  he  appeared  to  have  lost  the 
king's  favour  to  such  a  degree,  that  he  was  thrown  into  prison, 
and  gave  rise  to  some  ridiculous  stories  which  were  bruited 
about  among  the  common  people. 

So  this  year  passed,  one  full  of  suspicion  and  alarm  to  the 
Holy  Land ;  mischievous  to  the  universal  church,  adverse  to 
the  empire,  fraught  with  disgrace  and  hatred  to  the  Roman 
court,  pregnant  with  hostile  exactions  and  rapacious  turbu- 
lence to  the  kings  of  France  and  England. 

Of  the  complaints  addressed  to  the  pope  about  his  frequent  exac- 
tions.   However,  eleven  thousand  marks  are  given  him, 

A.D.  1247,  which  is  the  thirty-iirst  year  of  the  reign  of 
kmg  Henry  the  First,  the  said  king  held  his  Christmas  court 
at  Winchester,  in  the  presence  of  many  jpicked  nobles  of  the 
kingdom.  And  when  he  arrived  at  that  city,  the  bishop  of 
Winchester  met  him  joyfully,  entreating  him  earnestly  to  dine 
with  him,  his  bishop,  on  the  day  after  the  Nativity  of  our 
Lord,  that  by  this  it  might  be  proved  to  all  men  that  he  had 
entirely  forgotten  all  his  former  offences,  and  that  he  had 
admitted  the  bishop,  in  the  presence  of  all  his  guests,  to  his 
former  friendship. 

About  the  same  time,  being  compelled  to  do  so  by  the  re- 
vival of  the  papal  command  referring  to  the  bringing  of  the 
contribution  which  had  been  previously  levied,  and  to  which 
the  bishops  had  unfortunately  bound  the  clergy  in  the  general 
council  of  Lyons,  the  lord  the  king  caused  his  nobles  and 
the  archdeacons  of  the  whole  of  England  to  be  summoned  to 
London  by  royal  letters.  4°d  when  the  archdeacons  had  ar- 
rived thither  on  the  appointed  day,  the  bishops  all  absented 
themselves  gratuitously,  lest  they  should  seem  to  stand  aloof 
from  and  to  oppose  their  own  actions ;  for  they  knew  that 
the  hearts  of  all  men  were  naturally  wounded  to  the  degree  of 
feeling  bitterness  of  soul.  But  when  the  stream  of  those.days 
had  passed  by,  then  the  devotion  of  the  faithful  became 
lukewarm,  and  the  affection  of  filial  love,  whiQh  every 
Christian  is  bound  to  entertain  towards  his  spiritual  father  the 
lord  pope,  was  impaired  and  lost,  not  without  great  peril  to 
men's  souls,  and  was,  in  fact,  turned  into  detestable  hatred  and 
secret  maledictions.  Also  many  nobles  of  the  kingdom  of 
France  conspired  against  the  pope  and  the  universal  church, 

T  2 


276  uxrrsxw  ov  -wistmhtstsb.  a.]).  1247. 

binding  themselves  as  confederates  by  an  oath  and  solemn 
pledge ;  and  they  were  the  duke  of  Burgundy,  the  count  of 
Brittany,  the  connt  of  Saint  Paul,  and  many  oUier  nobles  with 
them,  so  that  it  clearly  appeared  that  a  scMsm  was  arising  in 
the  church.  And  the  form  and  conditions  of  this  conspiracy, 
which  were  dranrn  up  in  the  French  language,  came  to  the 
knowledge  of  many  peoj^e  even  beyond  ti^e  kingdom  of 
France,  being  deliberately  published  and  sent  about  by  the 
conspirators  themselves.  And  there  were  two  writings  drawn 
up,  one  in  the  French  language,  and  one  in  Latin,  of  which 
one  was  terrible,  and  the  other  more  terrible.  One  of  which 
we  have  thought  it  well  to  insert  here  in  this  book,  because  it 
is,  as  it  is  feared,  the  beginning  of  griefs. 

"  Because  the  superstition  of  the  clergy,  not  being  aware 
that  it  was  by  means  of  war  and  the  blood  of  certain  persons 
which  was  shed  und^r  Charlemagne  and  others,  that  the  king- 
dom of  France  was  converted  from  the  error  of  the  Gentiles 
to  the  Catholic  faith,  did  at  first  by  a  certain  humility  (op- 
posing us  afler  the  manner  of  foxes)  seduce  us  from  the 
remains  of  those  castles  which  were  founded  by  ourselves ; 
they  now  so  absorb  the  jurisdiction  of  the  secular  persons, 
that  the  sons  of  slaves  judge  freemen,  and  the  sons  of  free- 
men, according  to  their  laws ;  although,  according  to  the 
laws  of  our  predecessors,  and  the  laws  of  all  defeated  parties, 
they  ought  rather  to  be  judged  by  us ;  and  although  it  is 
not  proper  that  the  customs  of  their  ancestors  should  be 
brought  into  disrepute  by  new  cone^tntions,  since  they 
thus  place  us  in  a  worse  condition  than  God  even  chose 
the  Gentiles  to  be  in,  when  he  said,  "  Bender  unto  Caesar 
the  things  that  are  Csesar's,  and  pnto  Gk>d  the  things  that  are 
God's."  We  all,  being  the  chiefs  of  the  kingdom,  and  under- 
standing that  the  kingdom  was  acquired  not  by  written  law, 
nor  by  the  arrogance  of  the  clergy,  but  by  warUke  exactions, 
do  by  this  present  decree,  given  by  us  all,  under  the  sanction 
of  onr  oaths,  order  and  establish  that  no  member  of  the  clergy 
or  laity  shall  hereafter  proceed  against  any  other  personbefore 
the  ordinary  as  judge,  except  for  hecesy,  marriage,  or  usiury, 
on  pain  of  confiscation  of  all  the  property,  and  the  mutila- 
tion of  one  of  the  members  to  him  who  transgresses  this 
order ;  and  we  have  deputed  certain  persons  to  see  to  the  exe- 
cution of  this  decree.  That  so  our  jurisdiction  having  been 
rerived  may  recover,  and  that  they  who  have  hitherto  been 


▲  D.  1247.  THB  LETTEB  SSST  TO  THE  POPE.  277 

enriched  by  our  pauperization,  to  whom  God  has  chosen  to 
display  profane  contentions  on  account  of  their  pride,  may  be 
reduced  to  the  condition  of  the  primitive  church,  and  liidng 
in  contemplation  may  shew  miracles  such  as  have  long  since 
deserted  the  world,  to  us  who  are  living  an  active  life,  as  be- 
comes us." 

But  the  tenor  of  this  letter  perplexed  many  persons,  who 
believed  that  there  was  a  mutual  understanding  between  Fred- 
eric and  the  French,  especially  considering  the  last  epistle  of 
Frederic,  the  final  sentence  of  which  is  this  :  "  It  was  always 
the  intention  of  our  will  to  bring  the  clergy  of  every  order  to 
this  point ;  and  especially  the  principal  ones,  in  order  that 
such  men  might  persevere  in  the  faith  which  existed  in  the 
primitive  church,  leading  an  Apostolic  life,  and  imitating  the 
humility  of  the  Lord.  And  such  clergy  were  accustomed  to 
look  upon  the  angels,  to  be  eminent  for  miracles,  to  heal  the 
sick,  to  raise  the  dead,  and  to  subdue  tings  and  princes  by 
sanctity,  and  not  by  arms,''  &c. 

This  year  also,  the  clergy,  or  rather  the  whole  body  of  the 
AugUcan  church,  brought  forward  a  complaint  before  the 
pope  and  cardinid  respecting  the  oppressions  and  intolerable 
grievances  with  which  the  church  and  the  kingdom  was  con- 
tinaally  being  harassed ;  and  because  after  the  letter  had  been 
Bent  to  the  lord  the  pope  on  this  subject,  on  the  part  of  t\^ 
whole  body  of  the  Anglican  church,  proceeding  from  the 
hearts  of  idl  the  prelates,  which  were  greatly  distressed,  and 
provoked  to  bitterness  of  spirit,  lest  a  mournful  schism  should 
ensue,  as  is  not  a  little  dreaded,  we  have  considered  it  well  to 
annex  it  to  this  chapter. 

Ths  Letter  tent  to  the  pope. 

"To  the  lord  Innoqent,  the  most  holy  father  in  Christ,  by 
the  providence  of  God,  supreme  pontiff,  the  whole  body  of 
the  clergy  and  people  assembled  in  the  province  of  Canter- 
hory,  sendeth  devout  kisses  of  his  holy  feet.  Since  the 
Anglican  church,  from  the  time  when  the  Cathohc  faith  was 
first  recommended  to  it,  has  always  studied  to  please,  and  has 
adhered  to,  and  devoutly  obeyed  Ood  and  the  Holy  Roman 
Church,  our  mother,"  &c. 

And  because,  among  other  grievances,  an  unendurable  and 
insupportable  one  was,  that  £e  lord  the  pope  chose  to  de- 
mand from  every  resident  beneficed  derk  a  third  part  of  his 


278  MATTHBW  OP  WESTMHTSTSB.  A,D.  1247. 

emolaments,  and  tram  every  one  not  resident  one  half,  adding, 
that  he  also  thonght  fit  to  appropriate  the  possessions  of 
those  who  died  intestate ;  therefore,  on  the  part  of  the  whole 
popuktion,  notice  was  given  to  the  cardinals  also,  by  the  same 
messengers  who  bore  the  afore-mentioned  letters  to  the  lord 
the  pope,  in  this  form  : — 

The  Letter  sent  to  the  cardinals  for  the  same  reason. 
"To  the  most  reverend  fathers  and  lords  in  Christ,  the 
cardinals  of  the  Holy  Roman  Church,  their  devout,  &c.,  ftc, 
wish  health,  due  reverence,  and  honour.  With  humble  sup- 
plications we  have  betaken  ourselves  to  your  whole  body, 
as  to  the  foundations  which  support  the  church  of  God,  and 
we  earnestly  entreat  you,  that,  condescending  to  investigate 
the  grievances  to  which  we  are  subjected,  you  will  be  willing 
to  aid  us,  BO  that  upon  the  repeated  injuries  which  have  be- 
fallen the  Anglican  Church  in  past  days,  it  may  be  able  to  ob- 
tain a  respite,  and  that,  in  consequence  of  your  conduct  to  us, 
^e  may  be  bound  to  rise  up  before  you,  giving  you  all  due 
thanks  ;  for,  from  the  time  of  the  bust  Lateran  Council,  first 
of  all  a  twentieth  was  exacted  for  three  years,  as  an  aid  to  the 
Holy  Land ;  aflerwards,  a  tenth  was  required  for  the  support 
of  the  lord  the  pope  ;  afterwards,  on  other  requirements,''  &c. 

Cpnceminff  the  contrthution  of  eleven  thoitsand  marks  sent  hy  the 
Unglish  to  the  pope  as  an  aid  to  him. 
But  when  all  this  had  been  heard,  the  court  of  Rome  got 
furious,  and  grieved  at  its  avarice  being  accused  and  bridled. 
And  the  pope  and  the  cardinals,  fearing  lest  dangerous  con- 
fusion should  overwhelm  them,  which  appeared  to  be  impend- 
ing from  such  a  threatening,  did  not  entirely  cease  to  oppress 
the  kingdom  and  church  of  England,  (for  their  want  of  pa- 
ternal affection  did  not  permit  them  to  do  this),  but  still  they 
restrained  the  rigour  wluch  has  been  described  with  so  much 
moderation,  that  they  reduced  the  subsidy  which  they  had 
previously  demanded  to  a  siun  of  eleven  thousand  marks.  On 
which  demand,  the  bishops  of  England  assembled,  and  taking 
counsel,  and  deliberating,  with  respect  to  the  repression  of 
the  persecution  of  the  Roman  church,  they,  although  it  seined 
a  burdensome  thing  to  them,  nevertheless  consented  to  con- 
tribute the  before-mentioned  sum  of  money  to  the  lord  the 
pope.  But  in  that  very  council  they  excluded  all  the  abbots 
of  England,  whom  they  picked  out,  to  be  especially  exposed 


A.D.  1247.  THE  POPE  XZTOBTS  TBIBUTS.  2/9 

to  the  Toradty  of  the  Roman  court,  ia  act  ivhich  was  desti-' 
tate  of  all  brotherly  affection  and  courtesy. 

Concerning  the  manifold  promotion  of  the  Zord  John  Maunsel, 

And  while  the  times  of  these  events  were  proceeding  on- 
ward, the  lord  John  Maunsel,  chancellor  of  the  church  of 
Saint  Paul's,  in  London,  at  the  command  and  urgent  request 
of  the  king,  (whose  request  is  an  imperious  and  constraining 
one),  undertook  the  custody  of  the  kmg's  seal,  to  fill  the  office 
and  discharge  the  duties  of  chancellor.  Besides  this,  the 
aforesaid  John  had  the  provostship  of  Beverlac  conferred  on 
him  by  the  archbishop  of  York ;  and  although  the  lord  the 
king  was  sorry  that  that  had  not  been  bestowed  on  his  ute- 
rine brother,  die  lord  Ethelmar,  still,  because  he  had  always 
found  the  aforesaid  John  faithM  and  friendly  to  him  in  sup- 
porting him  throqgh  his  anxieties,  the  lord  the  king  did  not 
wish  him  to  suffer  loss  or  to  be  offended,  or  in  any  way  what- 
ever to  be  deprived  of  the  honour  which  had  been  conferred 
on  him. 

About  the  same  time,  the  lord  the  pope  sent  some  of  his 
secular  clergy  into  England  and  Ireland,  with  great  power,  to 
collect  money ;  nor,  although  complaints  were  multiplied  on 
all  sides,  could  he  put  the  bridle  of  moderation  on  his  cove- 
tousness.  At  the  same  time.  Master  John  Rufus  was  sent 
into  Ireland,  to  collect  money  diligently  in  that  country,  be- 
ing armed  with  large  powers  as  a  legate,  but  not  invested 
with  the  scarlet  robe,  lest  the  lord  the  pope  should  seem  to 
have  offended  the  lord  the  king  of  England,  who  rejoices  in  a 
certain  privilege,  that,  namely,  of  having  no  one  enter  his  ter- 
ritories as  a  legate,  except  on  his  request.  Therefore,  the 
aforesaid  John,  being  a  legate  in  disguise,  and  devoting  him- 
self earnestly  to  fulfilling  ti^e  commands  of  the  pope,  and  pro- 
viding for  his  own  interests,  extorted  about  six  thousand 
marits  from  Ireland,  which  he  caused  to  be  conveyed  to  Lon- 
don by  some  religious  men,  on  the  day  of  the  feast  of  Saint 
Michael ;  and  for  a  like  cause,  Master  Marinus  was  sent  to 
London  by  the  lord  the  pope.  Also,  the  bishop  elect  of  Beth- 
lehem, Master  Gk>dfrey,  son  of  the  prefect,  having  no  regard 
for  the  bishopric  to  which  he  was  elected,  came  to  England, 
having  obtained  indulgence  from  the  lord  the  pope  to  go 
thither  by  a  mitred  bishop,  and,  abiding  in  England,  to  de- 
vote himself  to  the  revenues  which  were  got,  and  were  still  to 


280  MATTHEW  OF  WXBTMIKSTBB.  A.D.  1217. 

be  got  from  thence.  Also^  at  his  first  arrival,  he  traversed  all 
Scotland  with  great  energy. 

The  same  year,  on  th^  thirteenth  of  January,  an  earthquake 
took  pkce  in  several  parts  of  England,  contrary  to  the  nsnal 
habits  and  nature  of  that  country,  and  was  very  destructive 
and  formidable,  throwing  down  many  houses,  being,  as  was 
supposed,  an  omen  of  some  great  event,  and  quite  unusual  and 
unnatural  in  the  countries  of  the  west.  Since  the  solidity  of 
England  is  destitute  of  any  subterraneous  caverns  and  deep 
hollows,  in  which,  according  to  philosophers,  earthquakes 
are  usually  produced ;  and  tins  was  followed  immediately  by 
a  long  continuance  of  bad  weather,  an  unusual  heaviness  of 
the  atmosphere,  wintry,  stormy,  cold,  and  rainy,  which  lasted 
to  the  festival  of  Saint  Benedict,  so  that  both  farmers  and 
gardeners  complained  that  spring  and  the  most  beautiful  por- 
tioh  of  the  summer. had  departed,  and  b^en  changed  into 
winter ;  and  they  were  terribly  afraid  that  they  should  be  dis- 
appointed in  their  hope  of  seeds,  and  plants,  and  crops,  and 
harvest.  Moreover,  on  account  of  this  aforesaid  earthquake, 
it  was  beUeved  that  the  whole  state  of  the  world  woidd  be 
shaken  by  some  great  revolution,  and  would  bring  forth  some 
confusion  in  England. 

On  the  day  after  the  Purification  of  the  blessed  '^rgin 
Mary,  Fulk  of  Newcastle  died  in  London,  a  gallant  knight ; 
and  on  account  of  the  respect  due  to  his  royal  parentage  and 
his  noble  character,  the  lord  the  king  caused  his  body  to  be 
buried  with  all  due  solemnity  and  magnificence  in  his  pre- 
sence in  the  church  of  Westminster. 

Concerning  the  death  of  the  new  landgraoe,  who  had  been  elected 
king  of  Germany, 

About  the  same  time,  that  the  earthquake  above  mentioned 
might  not  be  entirely  devoid  of  the  threatening  meaning,  the 
landgrave,  whom  the  lord  the  king  desired  to  advance  to  the 
empire,  and  for  whose  promotion  he  had  uselessly  lavished 
the  immense  treasure  which  he  had  collected  from  all  quar- 
ters, having  been  shamefully  defeated,  went  the  mj  of  all 
flesh,  with  infamy  and  hatred,  to  the  great  confusion  and 
shame  of  the  Roman  court.  And  in  this  way,  leaving  foul 
traces  behind  him,  he  saved  the  kingdom  of  Germany  and 
the  empire. 


A.D.  1247.     HOlUei  PAID  TO  THB  SOK  07  FBEDEBIC.  281 

Jmhassadora  are  ami  from  different  parts  of  the  world,  to  the 
ir^wri^  of  Frederic, 

When  the  lord  the  pope  heard  this,  bemg  pricked  in  his 
heart  with  grief,  he  sent  formal  cardinal  legates  to  the  dif- 
ferent countries  of  the  world,  in  the  plenitude  of  the  power 
committed  to  him,  fully  authorised  to  injure,  as  far  as  eyer 
they  were  able,  Frederic  himself,  and  his  son,  Conrad,  who 
had  unweariedly  pursued  the  landgrave  to  a  shameful  death, 
and  who  were  enjoined  not  to  cease  from  collecting  money 
from  all  ecclesiastical  persons,  and  especially  from  such  as 
belonged  to  any  religious  order,  for  their  overthrow.  Accor- 
dingly, the  lord  the  pope  sent  one  of  them,  by  name  Oc- 
tayiauus,  into  Germany,  another  into  Italy,  another  into  Spain, 
and  another,  the  bishop  of  Sabionetta,  (of  whom  we  shall 
speak  more  fully  hereafter)  into  Norway.  And  besides  these, 
he  sent  many  brethren  of  the  order  of  Preachers,  and  of  the 
order  of  Minor  Brethren,  armed  with  great  powers,  to  excite 
the  whole  world  against  the  aforesaid  rebels  and  enemies  to 
the  Roman  church. 

Frederic  causes  aU  the  (Mabrians,  Apulians,  and  Sicilians  to  do 
hamate  to  Ms  son  Henry, 

But  while  this  time  was  passing,  and  these  events  taking 
place,  Frederic,  of  suspected  memory,  whom  we  are  forbidden 
to  call  or  style  emperor,  caused  all  the  Calabrians,  Apulians, 
and  Sicilians  to  do  homage  to  his  beloved  son,  Henry,  whom, 
having  been  born  to  him  by  his  beloved  empress,  Isabella,  the 
sister  of  the  lord  the  king  of  England,  he  had  taken  to  be  the 
strength  and  support  of  his  empire.  Moreover,  Frederic, 
hearing  that  legates  were  being  sent  by  the  lord  the  pope 
into  different  countries,  to  the  injury  of  his  character  and 
dignity,  he  wrote  to  Ensius,  king  of  Sardinia,  his  own  natural 
son,  to  prepare  effectual  toils  and  snares  for  the  Januensians, 
who  were  the  kinsmen  and  friends  of  the  pope,  and  for  his 
legate,  who  was  sent  into  that  country ;  which  injunction  Ensius 
carefully  complied  with,  that  he  might  not  seem  disobedient  to 
his  father.  And  in  like  manner  he  signified  to  Conrad,  king 
of  Germany,  that  he  wished  that  he  would,  with  all  his  power 
and  prudence,  resist  the  legate  who  was  sent  into  the  dis- 
trict of  Germany,  and  the  archbishop  of  Cologne,  and  all  who 
gave  them  any  aid  or  advice,  or  showed  them  any  favour,  and 
empty  their  coffers  of  all  the  treasure  which  they  had  derived 


282  UATTEXW  OF  "VrSBTMINSTEB.  A.D.  1247. 

from  ecclesiastical  penons.  And  in  like  manner  he  addressed 
consolatory  and  admonitory  language  to  all  his  friends,  many 
of  whom  laboured  with  all  their  efforts  to  give  a  speedy  effect 
to  his  injunctions.  When  this  had  become  known  to  the 
pope  and  the  pardinals,  the  Roman  court  was  agitated  in  no 
small  degree.  And  the  pope,  in  his  rage,  heaping  up  anger  on 
anger,  and  hatred  on  hatred,  excommunicated  Frederic  him- 
self,  on  the  day  of  preparation,  in  such  solemn  and  horrible 
terms,  that  he  struck  all  who  heard  or  saw  it,  not  only  with 
fear,  but  even  with  vehement  horror. 

Concerning  the  arrival  ofhrother  John,  an  Bngliahman^  and 
minister  ofFrovenee,  in  Midland. 

About  the  same  time,  a  certain  brother  of  the  order  of 
Minors,  by  name  John,  came  into  England,  of  which  country 
he  was  a  native,  having  been  sent  by  the  lord  the  pope,  armed 
with  great  powers,  to  collect  money  with  all  diligence,  for  the  use 
of  the  lord  the  pope,  from  all  ecclesiastical  persons,  and  espe- 
cially from  the  abbots,  who  had  hitherto  been  exempt,  ^d 
because  the  lord  the  Idng  is  well  known  to  have  a  privilege,  by 
virtue  of  which  no  legate  can  come  into  England,  except  upon 
his  invitation,  legates  were  now  sent  thither  in  this  form,  artfully 
disguised.  And  he  received  (because  it  was  right  that  he 
should,  in  respect  of  his  honesty)  sufficiently  ample  contribu- 
tions ;  of  which  the  lord  dean  of  Saint  Paul's  is  an  evidence, 
who  liberally  gave  him  twenty  shillings  as  his  contribution. 
And  because  he  was  discharging  the  duties  of  a  legate,  he 
travelled  on  horseback.  And  those  whom  he  favoured  he 
spared ;  and  when  he  had  exempted  them  according  to  his 
wiU,  he  affixed  a  condition  to  their  contribution.  But  the 
bishops  harassed  those  who  were  exempt,  in  many  ways,  and 
extorted  money  from  them  by  all  kinds  of  arguments,  because 
they  were  privileged,  and  because  their  privileges  were  always 
unpopular  with  them,  and,  as  it  were,  a  thorn  in  their  eyes ; 
although  such  letters  were  manifestly  inconsistent. 

The.  letters  sent  to  the  lord  the  pope  hy  the  whole  body  of  the 
clergy. 

"  To  the  most  holy,  &c.  Brother  John,  a  minister  of  the 
order  of  Minor  Brothers  in  Provence,  a  religious  and  discreet 
man,  the  nuncio  of  your  holiness,  having  been  sent  to  the 
venerable  fathers  in  Christ,  the  archbishops  of  Canterbury 


A.D.  1247.    L  MVBMITB  ABISES  iiMOirO  THE  CLEEOT.  283 

and  York,  and  iheir  suffiragans,  has  brought  us  some  apos- 
tolic letters  of  credence ;  delivering  to  ns  at  the  same  time, 
by  the  same  authority,  a  verbal  injunction  that  we  should 
each  of  us,  both  on  our  own  account,  and  on  that  of  the  eccle- 
siastical persons  subject  to  us,  issue  obUgatory  letters  con- 
cerning a  certain  sum  of  money  required  for  the  assistance 
of  the  ApostoUc  See.  But  we,  having  deUberated  carefully 
on  this  subject,  and  considering  likewise  that  if  we  were  to  do 
any  such  thing  without  consulting  those  under  our  authority^ 
they  would  make  a  great  disturbance,  looking  upon  us  per- 
haps as  their  betrayers,  and  thus  be  rather  provoked  to  re- 
bellion and  scandal  than  to  the  promotion  of  the  aforesaid 
business,  have  not  found  ourselves  able  to  aid  its  progress 
without  their  counsel  and  good  will.  On  which  account,  as  we 
are  very  anxious  with  all  reverence  to  obey  the  apostolical  man- 
dates as  far  as  we  are  able,  as  it  becomes  us  to  do,  and  to 
consult  the  peace  and  tranquillity  of  the  clergy  and  kingdom, 
haying  deUberated  together  on  this  matter,  how  the  amount 
of  eleven  thousand  marks  for  the  subsidy  before  mentioned 
(the  three  ranks  of  clergy  being  exempted  and  excepted)  may 
be  generally  contributed,  both  by  the  aforesaid  archbishops 
and  their  suffragans,  and  the  people  committed  to  their  charge ; 
we  will,  as  far  as  we  are  able,  induce  our  people  committed 
to  us  to  agree  to  it.  But  if  perchance  (which  God  forbid) 
we  are  not  able  to  persuade  them  to  this,  then  each  of  us  will 
for  himself  contribute  his  share  of  the  money,  as  far  as  the 
extremity  of  our  abihtv  shall  reach.  In  truth,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  the  three  orders  of  clergy  exempt,  our  clergy  will 
be  in  no  small  degree  distressed  by  a- contribution  of  such  an 
amount.  We  fear  that  if  any  one  in  future  be  except  from 
the  contribution  before  mentioned,  the  clergy  will  not  be  able 
at  all  to  be  persuaded  to  agree  to  it.     Farewell." 

A  murmur  arises  among  the  dergy,  and  complaints  in  the  hinffdom. 

From  these  grievances  and  others  of  a  similar  kind,  a  mur- 
mur arose  among  the  clergy  and  the  people  in  general,  so  that 
whatever  they  brought  they  contributed  unwillingly,  and  (that 
I  may  not  suppress  the  truth)  with  causes  and  maledictions ; 
enumerating  afresh  to  the  lord  the  pope  their  grievances,  with 
complaints  from  the  bottom  of  their  hearts,  and  representing 
the  intolerable  oppressions  to  which  they  were  subjected. 


284  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMHTSTJBE.  A.D.  1247. 

The  ktuwn  grmanees  of  the  JEngluh  church. 
The  English  church  is  intolerably  oppressed  in  an  infinite 
number  of  ways.  In  the  matter  of  the  tithe  of  all  its  goods ; 
in  that  of  the  aid  exacted  in  haste ;  in  that  of  the  money  ex- 
torted for  the  soldiers ;  in  that  of  the  subsidy  extorted  under 
various  pretences  by  the  agency  of  Otho  the  legate ;  in  that  of 
the  contribution  of  six  thousand  marks  ;  in  that  of  the  sub- 
sidy of  the  Roman  empire  ;  in  that  of  the  subsidy  lately  granted 
gratuitously  ;  in  that  of  the  subsidies  demanded  on  l£e  part 
of  the  lord  the  king  and  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury :  all 
these  matters  haying  been  carried  forward  in  an  intolerable 
manner  and  in  a  bitter  spirit,  devoid  of  all  affection  or  idea  of 
devotion.  And  therefore  it  has  all  been  expended  UBelessly, 
and  (to  sum  up  all  in  one  word)  lost. 

JFhat  kind  of  answer  was  given  to  brother  John  at  Samt  Alban's 
and  at  Westminster. 
But  when  the  aforesaid  brother  John  had  come  to  Saint 
Alban's,  he  exacted,  without  admitting  any  excuse  from  the 
abbot,  who  was  already  oppressed  in  various  manners,  the  sun^ 
of  four  hundred  marks  as  a  subsidy  for  the  lord  die  pope. 
And  as  he  was  in  every  respect  inexorable  and  inflexible  being 
unwilling  to  remit  anything  whatever  of  this  exaction,  the 
abbot  before  mentioned,  alone  of  all  those  who  were  exempt, 
appealed  to  the  presence  of  the  lord  the  pope,  in  respect  of 
the  intolerable  grievance  of  this  exaction,  preferring  to  submit 
to  the  pope's  judgment,  rather  than  to  be  crushed  at  the  plea- 
sure of  one  of  the  Minor  brethren.  And  while  one  of  the 
brethren  was  preparing  for  the  journey,  this  same  brother 
John  immediately  sent  word  to  the  lord  the  pope,  that  the 
abbot  of  Saint  Alban's  alone,  among  all  who  were  exempt,  had 
appealed,  not  caring  to  obey  the  papal  mandates.  On  which, 
that  brother  whom  the  abbot  sent  to  the  court  of  Rome,  found 
the  lord  the  pope  exceedingly  exasperated  and  inflamed  against 
both  the  abbot  and  his  messenger.  But  after  the  lord  the 
pope,  being  somewhat  appeased,  had  lent  a  gentle  ear  to  the 
relation  of  that  same  messenger,  he  exposed  the  grievances 
of  the  house  of  Saint  Alban's,  and  besides  that,  the  insupport- 
able exactions  of  brother  John,  in  regular  order.  At  which 
the  pope,  feeling  pity  for  them,  abated  his  displeasure,  and 
took  off  a  great  portion  of  the  money  previously  demanded. 
But  when  the  aforesaid  brother  John  had  come  to  Westminster 
with  the  same  object^  namely,  of  exacting  money  for  the  use 


A.D.  1247.  THE  ATJTHBKTIO  0!  THE  POPE.  285 

of  the  pope,  he  was  immediately  answered  to  his  face,  that  the 
lord  the  kinrg,  for  the  arduous  a£fairs  of  the  kingdom  which  were 
at  that  moment  pressing  upon  him,  had  sent  the  lord  ahhot  of 
Westminster  and  the  lord  John  Maunsel,  as  his  especial  coun- 
cillors, into  the  parts  of  Grermany.  Owing  to  which,  the  prior 
and  the  chapter  could  not  possihly  give  any  answer  whatever 
respecting  any  contribution  without  the  presence  of  their 
head ;  for  it  would  not  be  reasonable  of  them  to  do  so.  But 
when  brother  John  had  heard  that  they  had  replied  thus  pru* 
dently  and  circumspectly,  and  at  the  same  time  boldly,  as  if 
relying  on  the  king's  protection,  both  on  account  of  his  fear 
and  respect  for  God,  and  also  for  the  lord  the  king,  he  was 
silent  for  awhile,  and  withdrew. 

Jdark  the  power  of  that  brother,  the  diegwked  legate. 
About  the  same  time,  to  the  greater  oppression  and  misery 
of  the  English,  the  power  of  the  aforesaid  brother  John  was 
increased,  and  even  aggravated.  And  he  was  more  and  more 
stimulated  by  the  pope  to  labour  earnestly  for  the  collection 
of  the  aforesaid  money,  and  to  exact  larger  sums  still,  by  the 
following  letters. 

The  authentic  of  the  pope, 

"  Innocent,  &c.  Having  understood  the  circumstances  which 
you  have  intimated  by  your  letters,  we,  by  the  authority  of 
these  presents,  do  enjoin  you,  that,  if  a  portion  of  the  eccle- 
siastical prelates  of  the  kingdom  o£  England  shall  reply  to 
you,  as  touching  the  subsidy  to  be  contributed  to  the  church, 
and  demanded  by  you  on  our  authority,  that  they  are  exempt, 
&c.,  you  shall  in  that  case  assign  them  a  payment  of  even  a 
laj^r  sum  of  money  than  you  have  previously  demanded  of 
them,  imposing  upon  whomsoever  of  diem  you  choose  a  com« 
pulsion  to  pay  the  aforesaid  subsidy  withm  a  proper  time, 
under  the  penalty  of  ecclesiastical  censures,  without  any  right 
of  appeal ;  any  privilege  or  indulgence  whatever  notwith- 
standing, though  these  presents  may  not  make  express  men- 
tion of  it.     Given  at  Lyons,'*  &c. 

If  any  one  desires  to  see  the  previous  powers,  which  were 
granted  to  the  aforesaid  brother,  he  can  recur  to  the  copies, 
which  are  preserved  at  Saint  Alban's. 

Concerning  the  summoning  aU  the  nobles  of  JEnghnd  to 
Parliament 
About  the  same  time,  the  lord  the  king  finding  that  his 


286  UXTTWSW  OF  WSSTHnrSTEB.  A.B.  1247. 

kingdom  waff  in  enormous  danger  on  all  sides,  ordered  the 
entire  nobility  of  the  whole  kingdom  to  be  summoned  at  Ox- 
ford, in  order  to  take  into  their  careful  consideration  the  state  of 
the  kingdom,  now  manifestly  in  danger  ;  and  they  were  to  meet 
at  Oxford  on  the  day  when  the  anthem,  "  As  if  lately  bom/' 
is  sung.  And  he  was  especially  strict  in  summoning  the  pre- 
lates to  this  parliament,  because  he  saw  that  they  were  now 
continually  being  pauperised  by  the  papal  extortions,  the  fre- 
quency of  which  manifestly  threatened  the  ruin  of  the  king- 
dom. It  was  hoped  therefore,  that  by  their  united  wisdom 
something  might  be  enacted  which  should  be  wholesome  for 
the  church  and  the  whole  nadon  ;  which  expectation,  however, 
deceived  every  one,  as  the  following  history  will  show. 

The  election  of  Conrad  as  king  of  Germany  heing  anntdled, 
jrilUam,  count  of  JEoUand,  is  deeted. 

In  those  days,  the  lord  the  pope  having  promised  an  immense 
sum  of  money  to  the  nobles  of  Germany,  to  procure  the  depo- 
sition of  Frederic  and  his  son  Conrad,  king  of  Germany, 
laboured  with  great  diligence  to  effect  his  purpose,  which  was 
that,  when  Conrad,  the  son  of  Frederic,  and  king  of  Germany, 
had  been  deposed  and  rejected,  William,  count  of  Holland, 
should  be  elected  in  his  room,  and  substituted  for  him.  He 
was  a  man  united  in  the  bonds  of  indissoluble  friendship  with 
the  archbishop  of  Cologne,  and  a  cousin  of  the  bishop  of 
Liege,  nephew  of  the  duke  of  Brabant,  and  connected  with 
many  of  the  nobles  of  Germany  by  blood,  or  affinity,  or  friend- 
ship ;  in  age  he  was  but  a  youth,  and  in  the  flower  of  his 
strength,  and  for  his  age  he  was  very  distinguished  as  a  knight, 
very  accomplished  in  hLs  manners,  and  very  sagacious  counsel. 
And  when  this  had  become  known  to  Frederic  and  his  son 
Conrad,  having  sent  a  military  expedition  of  no  slight  force 
to  the  city  of  Aix  la  Chapelle,  where,  according  to  ancient 
custom,  the  kings  of  Germany  are  crowned,  he  caused  it  to 
be  very  strictly  guarded,  lest  the  new  king  elect  should  by  any 
means  effect  an  entrance  into  it  to  be  crowned.  Therefore, 
the  archbishop  of  Cologne,  and  the  archbishop  of  Mayence, 
and  the  bishop  of  Liege,  with  the  troops  of  the  legate  who 
were  marked  with  the  cross,  and  other  nobles  of  Germany, 
surrounded  the  city  with  a  blockade,  and  did  not  cease  attack- 
ing it  with  stones  and  javelins  with  all  their  vigilance  and  all 
their  might,  and  to  cut  the  besieged  off  from  every  kind  of  sup- 
ply or  provisions. 


AD.  1247.     THE  KUTO'S  BBOTHXBS  LAST)  IK  ENGLAND.         287 

Some  foreigners  arrive  to  enrich  themselves. 

At  that  time,  some  indigent  and  hungry  men  landed  in 
England,  thirsting  with  open  mouths  for  the  property  of 
others,  heing,  in  truth,  nohles  of  foreign  and  distant  countries, 
to  wit,  Baldwin,  who  has  been  already  mentioned  as  emperor 
of  Constantinople,  with  some  others  who  were  his  adherents, 
having  been  expelled  by  yiolence  from  the  territories  of  the 
Greeks,  who,  a  few  years  before,  having  sold  all  the  sacred 
relics  which  he  could  find  in  Greece,  and  having  borrowed 
money  in  every  direction,  claiming  the  Roman  empire  as  his 
own,  invaded  it  with  a  strong  force  at  a  vast  expense.  And 
having  consumed  no  small  quantity  of  the  treasure  which  he 
had  so  iniquitously  acquired,  being  conquered  and  poor,  a 
fugitive,  stripped  of  all  his  goods, — fled  from  thence  a  ban- 
ished and  inglorious  man ;  although  the  lord  the  pope  had 
begun  to  take  his  part,  and  had  assisted  him  most  effectually 
.wiUi  an  immense  sum  of  money  against  Yastagius,  the  son- 
in-law  of  Frederic,  who  was  waging  a  vigorous  war  with  him. 
Therefore^  the  aforesaid  Baldwin  began  to  be  in  distress,  and, 
a  few  years  before,  when  he  had  come  to  England  on  a  similar 
errand,  having  experienced  the  liberality,  not  to  say  prodi- 
gality, of  the  lord  the  king  of  England,  he  came  to  him  a 
second  time,  as  he  had  made  out  that  he  was  a  kinsman  of  his, 
when  he  was  wishing  to  ask  pecuniary  aid  of  him.  And  he 
returned  home  with  his  coffers  filled  with  the  desired  sterling 
money ;  and  so  the  Hebrews  were  enriched,  the  Egyptians 
having  been  spoiled  in  various  ways. 

The  cardinal  hishqp  of  Sabionetta  arrioes  in  Midland. 

About  the  same  time^  the  bishop  of  Sabionetta,  a  cardinal 
of  the  Roman  church,  came,  on  his  road  as  legate  to  the 
northern  parts  of  Europe,  namely,  to  Norway  and  Sweden, 
with  the  especial  object,  too,  of  anointing  and  solemnly  crown- 
ing Haco  as  king  of  Norway.  And  he  crossed  the  kingdom 
from  Dover  to  Lynn,  by  permission  of  the  lord  the  king,  in 
order  to  wait  there  for  a  fair  wind,  as  he  was  about  to  sail 
to  the  aforesaid  countries.  And  embarking  on  board  ship,  he 
ordered  an  altar  to  be  erected  and  decked  in  the  vessel,  and 
caused  mass  to  be  celebrated  by  a  certain  Preaching  brother, 
whom  those  who  were  present  had  never  seen  before. 
The  uterine  brothers  of  the  lord  the  hng  land  in  England, 

At  that  time  too,  three  of  the  uterine  brothers  of  the  lord 


288  MATTHEW  OF  WBBTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1247. 

the  king,  landed  in  England,  at  the  same  port,  namely,  at 
Dover ;  their  names  were  Guy  de  Licinun,  a  knight,  and  Wil- 
liam de  Valence,  who  was  not  yet  made  a  knight,  and  ^Imar, 
a  clerk,  and  they  had  come  on  the  invitation  of  the  king ;  and 
besides  these,  came  Alesia,  their  sister,  who  was  also  the 
uterine  sister  of  the  king,  a  damsel  not  yet  married  :  in  order 
that,  leaving  Poitou,  winch  the  French  began  to  trample  on, 
dividing  the  inhabitants,  and  calling  them  traitors,  they  might 
be  enriched  and  fattened  on  the  riches  and  loxuries  of  Eng- 
land. And  on  their  arrival  the  king  met  them  with  joy,  and 
rushing  into  his  brothers*  embraces  and  multiplied  kisses,  he 
promised  them  honours  and  most  ample  possessions,  and 
faithfully  fulfilled  his  promises  without  any  delay,  to  a  degree 
beyond  what  he  had  engaged  to  do,  as  the  subsequent  history 
will  clearly  show  to  my  readers. 

Same  damsels  are  married  to  some  nobles  of  England, 

The  same  year,  in  the  beginning  of  the  month  of  May, 
when  the  lord  the  king  was  staying  at  Woodstock  for  that 
especial  purpose,  from  the  festival  of  Saint  Yitalis  to  the  day 
after  that  of  the  apostles  Saint  Philip  and  Saint  James,  two 
maidens  from  foreign  parts,  bom  in  the  countries  of  Savoy  or 
Provence,  (in  consequence  of  the  prudence  and  management  of 
Peter  of  Savoy,  who  had  gone  thither  for  them),  were  married 
to  Edmund,  earl  of  Lincoln,  and  Richard  de  Burgh,  two  youths 
of  noble  birth,  whom  the  lord  the  king  had  brought  up  in  his 
palace  for  several  years,  and  had  caused  to  be  instructed  in 
polite  manners  and  accomplishments.  At  which  marriage, 
because  strange  and  foreign  women  were  married  to  natives 
and  Englishmen,  women  of  low  birth,  as  it  was  said,  to  noble- 
blemen,  ugly  women  to  handsome  men,  the  latter,  too,  being 
disinclined  to  the  marriage,  great  discontent  and  indignation 
was  excited  among  the  nobles,  who  were  in  no  small  fear  that 
the  king  intended  day  by  day  to  bring  the  nobiUty  of  England 
to  degeneracy  by  a  spurious  admixture  of  race. 

Joannay  daughter  of  Warren  de  MutenheinsU,  is  married. 

In  those  days,  namely,  on  the  thirteenth  of  August,  Joanna, 
the  daughter  of  Warren  de  Mutenheinsil,  is  married  to  Williain 
de  Valence,  the  uterine  brother  of  the  lord  the  king ;  the 
marriage  having  been  the  wish  and  the  result  of  the  earnest 
and  persuasive  advice  of  the  lord  the  king,  in  consequence  of 


A.D.  1247..      EDMITND  IS  TBAKS7EBBED  TO  PONTICUTT.  289 

the  Very  splendid  inheritance  which  belonged  to  Joanna  in 
light  of  her  mother. 

William  Longsward  and  many  other  nobles  assume  the  cross. 

The  same  year  too,  Walter,  bishop  of  Worcester,  and  Simon 
de  Montfort,  earl  of  Leicester,  William  Longsword,  and  many 
other  nobles  of  the  kingdom  of  England,  animated  by  the 
example  of  the  lord,  the  king  of  the  French,  and  the  nobles  of 
his  kingdom,  assumed  the  cross,  about  the  time  of  Rogation 
Sunday,  in  order  that  by  adoring  the  footsteps  of  Christ  in 
the  Holy  Land,  and  fighting  manfully  for  the  acquisition  of 
his  inheritance,  they  might  obtain  pardon  of  their  sins. 

2jhe  blessed  confessor  .Edmund  is  transferred  to  Pontigny. 

In  the  course  of  the  same  year,  the  blessed  Edmund,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  and  confessor,  was  transferred  to  Pon- 
tigny, where  he  was  placed  with  all  due  solemnity  in  the 
church  of  the  convent  of  the  monks  of  the  Cistercian  order, 
in  the  presence  of  the  most  Christian  king  of  France,  Louis, 
and  a  great  many  other  nobles.  And  as  it  was  most  certainly 
known  to  all  men,  that  he  was  a  man  of  the  most  inviolate 
sanctity  ;  therefore,  the  most  eminent  person  of  her  sex,  the 
lady  Blanche,  the  mother  of  the  lord  the  king  of  France, 
assisted  at  lus  obsequies  as  far  as  she  could,  and  as  far  as  was 
becoming.  And  she,  keeping  vigil  with  fasting  and  prayer, 
and  a  great  illumination,  poured  forth  a  most  devout  prayer, 
saying,  "O  Lord,  and  most  holy  father  and  confessor,  Edmund, 
you  who,  at  my  suppUcation,  blessed  me  and  my  sons,  when 
you,  living  in  exile  by  my  assistance,  though  I  was  all  unworthy 
of  your  favour,  passed  through  France  ;  I  entreat  you  confirm 
that  which  you  mercifully  wrought  in  us,  and  establish  the 
kingdom  of  France  in  peace^l  and  triumphant  solidity,  whose 
privilege  it  is,  from  ancient  times,  to  open  the  bosom  of  pity, 
protection,  and  asylum,  to  every  one  who  is  exiled  or  suffering 
persecution,  and  above  all,  to  any  prelate.  And  let  your 
holiness,  which  cannot  be  ungrateful,  recollect  that  France 
did  this  for  you,  and  your  predecessor  Thomas,  when  he  was 
a  fugitive  and  in  want." 

The  continuation  of  the  same  subject. 

But  on  the  moTrow,  being  the  seventh  of  June,  the  same 
day  on  which  the  body  of  the  most  blessed  Inshop  and  con- 
fessor, Wolstan,  the  friend  of  the  glorious  king  and  confessor 

TOL.  n.  u 


290  ILITTHEW  0?  WESTlCDrSTEB*  JL.D.  1247. 

Edward,  was  transferred  to  Worcester,  (a  thing  wbich  I  con- 
ceive was  done  in  consequence  of  the  promptings  of  the 
Deity),  the  body  of  the  blessed  Edmund,  archbishop  and 
confessor,  was,  after  the  interval  of  many  years,  also  trans- 
ferred to  Pontigny.  It  should  also  be  known,  ay,  and 
proclaimed  to  the  whole  world,  that  the  whole  body  of  the 
aforesaid  Saint  Edmund  was  found  entire  and  uncorrupted,  and 
odoriferous,  and,  what  is  even  more  strange  in  a  dead  body, 
flexible  in  all  its  limbs,  as  is  the  case  wiUi  a  person  asleep : 
the  nose  alone  having  sustained  any  injury,  as  that  was  pressed 
down  by  a  plate  of  metal  which  came  too  low  ;  but  even  that 
was  not  destroyed.  His  hair  and  his  garments  were  unim- 
paired in  both  colour  and  substance.  And  from  that  time 
forth  it  was  provided  by  the  especial  interposition  of  the  most 
kind  lord  the  kmg  of  the  French,  that  liberty  should  be 
granted  to  the  EngUsh  more  freely  than  to  those  of  any  other 
nation,  to  visit  his  body,  and  to  see  it,  and  pray  to  it^  and 
worship  it. 

About  the  alterati<m  of  the  coinage  as  to  shape. 

About  the  same  time,  the  sterling  coinage  of  the  realm,  on 
account  of  its  valuable  material,  began  to  be  deteriorated  by  a 
detestable  system  of  paring  round,  and  to  be  corrupted  by  those 
falsifiers  of  the  coinage  whom  we  call  clippers,  to  such  a  de- 
gree, that  they  scarcely  forbore  from  touching  the  inner  circle 
of  the  coin,  and  utterly  cut  away  the  edge  with  the  letters  on 
it.  When,  therefore,  the  coinage  began  to  be  vitiated  to  an 
excessive  degree,  the  council  of  the  lord  the  king  began  to 
deliberate  seriously  about  a  remedy,  so  that  the  money  might 
be  advantageously  changed  either  in  its  form  or  in  its  matenal. 
And  it  seemed  to  many  discreet  and  prudent  persons  that  it 
would  be  more  advantageous  to  alter  the  material,  than  the 
shape ;  since  it  was  in  consequence  of  the  matenal,  and  not 
of  the  shape,  that  the  coinage  had  been  subjected  to  this 
mutilation.  And  the  coinage  of  the  French,  and  of  many 
other  nations,  gives  an  additional  testimony  to,  and  evidence 
in  favour  of  this  principle. 

Of  the  extortion  of  money  hy  the  arehbiahop  of  Canterbury, 

About  the  same  time,  also,  Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, the  bishop  of  the  province  of  Canterbury,  &c. 


JL.D.  1247,  6ILTESTEB  COKSECIti.TSI>  BISHOP  OE  CABLISLE.  291 

William^  count  ofSoUand,  is  elected  king  of  Oermany, 
In  the  conrse  of  this  year,  namely,  the  day  after  the  feast  of 
the  Assumption,  the  nobles  of  Germany,  to  whom  the  right  of 
election  for  the  most  part  belongs,  elected  William,  count  of 
Holland,  as  king  of  Germany ;  the  lord  the  pope,  together 
with  the  archbishop  of  Cologue,  and  the  legate  and  others  who 
were  jealous  of  Frederic,  having  exerted  themselves  to  bring 
about  this  arrangement. 

Ahwst  the  hlood  of  Christ,  which  was  comeyed  to  Westminster, 

About  those  days,  the  blood  of  Christ,  which  was  preserved 
in  the  Holy  Land  as  a  most  precious  treasure,  was  sent  and 
presented  to  the  lord  the  king  of  England,  by  a  certain  brother 
of  the  Hospital,  who  also  sent  with  the  treasure  testimonial 
letters  deserving  of  universal  reception,  to  certify  to  the  genu- 
ineness of  the  treasure,  written  by  the  lord  the  patriarch  of 
Jerusalem,  and  the  masters  of  the  body  of  knights  of  the 
Temple  and  Hospital,  who  all,  with  unanimous  good-will 
and  prompt  devotion,  sent,  and  gave,  and  presented  this  trea- 
sure to  the  lord  the  king ;  and  he  consigned  it  to  his  own 
especial  house  in  the  church  of  Saint  Peter  at  Westminster, 
on  the  day  of  the  translation  of  Saint  Edward,  giving  it  to 
that  church  out  of  his  own  innate  magnificence  and  liberality. 
He  also  on  the  same  day  obtained  from  the  bishops,  who  were 
then  present,  an  indulgence  of  six  years  and  a  hundred  and 
sixteen  days  for  all  those  who  came  to  worship  the  holy  relics 
and  the  presence  of  the  Lord. 

On  the  same  day,  the  lord  the  king  invested  his  uterine 
brother,  William  de  Valense,  and  a  great  many  other  novices, 
with  the  belt  of  a  knight.  At  the  same  time,  the  lord  Silvester, 
the  king's  chaplain,  a  man  of  modesty  and  discretion,  and  of  ex- 
ceeding experience  inthecustomsand  practices  of  the  royal  court 
and  chancery,  was,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Agatha,  consecrated 
bishop  of  Carlisle,  On  Saint  Edmund's  day  the  earl  of  Lei- 
cester arrived  from  foreign  lands ;  and  on  the  day  of  the  apostles 
Samt  Simon  and  Saint  Jude,  earl  Richard  returned  from  the 
same  countries,  to  which  he  had  been  sent  on  the  king's 
business,  and  divers  weighty  secrets.  Moreover,  about  Uie 
same  time.  Master  Thomas,  sumamed  the  Walensian,  arch- 
deacon of  the  church  of  Lincoln,  was  elected  bishop  of  Saint 
David's.  And  on  the  day  of  Saints  Felix,  Simplicius  Faustus, 
andBeatrice,  whichis  also  the  day  of  Saint  Olan,  kingand  martyr, 

V  2 


292  M^TTHXW  or  TTKSTMIirSTEE.  A.D.  1248. 

Haco,  prince  of  Norway,  was  anointed  and  consecrated  king, 
being  a  man  of  prudence  and  circiunspection,  and  of  elegant 
accomplishments  in  literature. 

The  same  year,  there  died,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Catharine, 
William,  count  of  Ferrara,  a  virtuous  man,  full  of  days  ;  and 
soon  afterwards,  his  wife,  the  countess.  There  also  died  the 
same  day  some  other  nobles,  Richard  de  Burgh,  and  William, 
the  son  of  Hamo. 

And  so  this  year  passed,  very  fruitful  to  the  crops,  but  a  bad 
year  for  fruit ;  full  of  devastations  as  to  England,  of  enmity 
to  the  Holy  Land,  of  plunder  to  the  church,  of  blooddied  to 
Italy,  of  suspicion  to  tike  empire,  of  war  to  Germany,  a  year 
in  which  Wales  was  trampled  on,  and  the  whole  world  thrown 
into  confusion. 

Ch.  XIV.—Fbom  A..I).  1248  to  x.d.  1250. 

IncreMed  discontent  of  the  English  barons— Siegs  of  Parma 
— The  king  of  France  seta  out  for  the  Holy  Land — William 
of  Holland  is  crowned  king  of  Germany — The  earl  of  Lei- 
cester is  sent  to  Guienme-^-The  war  between  Frederic  and 
the  pope  continues — Louis,  king  of  France,  is  taken  prisoner 
by  the  Saracens — The  number  of  monkish  orders  increases 
tn  England — A  summary  of  the  events  of  the  last  fifty 
years. 

Beatrice,  the  queens  mother,  comes  to  England.  The  bishop  of 
Bath  dies, 

A.D.  1248,  which  is  the  thirty-second  of  the  reign  of  the  lord 
Henry  the  Third,  the  lord  the  king  was  at  the  feast  o£  the 
Nativity  of  the  Lord  at  Winchester,  where  he  celetotted  the 
days  of  the  Nativity  with  great  magnificence,  accompanied  by 
many  of  his  nobles.  But  cm  the  morrow,  being  the  day  of 
the  festival  of  Saint  Stephen,  he  dined  with  the  bishops  of 
the  city  of  Winchester.  About  the  same  time,  Bichard  Siward 
(of  whom  frequent  mention  has  been  made  before)  waa  at- 
tacked with  paralysis.  About  the  same  time,  Beatrice,  the 
queen's  mother,  came  into  England  to  visit  the  lord  the  king 
and  her  daughters,  being  accompanied  by  count  Thomia  of 
Savoy,  formerly  count  of  Flanders.  Also  about  the  same 
time,  that  is  to  say,  about  the  feast  of  Saint  Hilary,  Bobert, 
bishop  of  Bath,  died.  And  nearly  about  the  beginning 
of  the  year,  namely,  on  the  day  week  after  the  Purificadon, 


A.D.  1248.      DISCOITTENT  OF  THE  EI^eLISH  BAE02T8.  293 

the  whole  nobility  of  England  was  conyoked  by  the  king's 
edict,  in  order  to  take  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom,  now  in  a 
sadly  disturbed  and  pauperised  state,  into  diligent  considera- 
tion, at  Westminster.  Accordingly  there  came  thither,  besides 
a  great  number  of  barons  and  knights,  and  abbots,  and  priors, 
and  clergy,  two  bishops  and  an  equal  number  of  earls.  And 
when  the  lord  the  king  had  demanded  pecuniary  assistance  of 
them,  the  nobles  became  very  indignant ;  especially  because, 
at  the  last  exaction  of  the  kind,  to  which  the  nobles  of  Eng- 
land hardly  consented,  the  king  had  granted  a  charter  in  which 
he  had  promised  that  he  would  no  longer  inflict  such  an  in- 
jury and  grievance  on  them.  Moreover,  the  king  was  re- 
proved for  his  indisoreet  invitation  of  foreigners  into  the  king- 
dom, among  whom  he  with  great  prodigality  lavished  and 
distributed  all  the  riches  of  his  kingdom,  to  its  great  impo- 
veiishment.  He  also  had  married  the  nobles  of  his  reidm 
to  strangers  and  people  of  low  birth ;  in  many  instances  with- 
out requiring  that  mutual  consent  which  is  requisite  to  make 
a  proper  marriage.  Besides  all  this,  he  was  blamed  for  seiz- 
ing by  force  ever3rthing  which  he  wanted  for  his  expenses 
in  meat,  drink,  or  clothing,  without  making  any  i^reement, 
or  granting  any  delay.  He  was  idso  reproached  for  merci- 
lesidy  impoverushing  the  bishoprics  and  abbacies,  and  even 
the  wardships  which  were  vacant,  contrary  to  that  oath  which 
is  the  first  and  principal  one  that  he  takes  at  his  coronation. 
And  he  was  also  bitterly  accused  for  not  having,  as  his  noble 
father  and  predecessors  had  had,  a  justiciary  and  a  chan- 
cellor, and  treasurer,  appointed  by  the  common  council  of  the 
kingdona,  as  was  proper  and  expedient ;  but  only  such  men 
as  followed  his  wiU,  whatever  it  might  be,  as  long  as  it  was 
profitable  to  themselves  to  do  so ;  men  who  sought  not  the 
advantage  of  the  commonwealth,  but  each  his  own  gain. 

When  the  lord  the  king  heard  these  accusations,  he  was  con- 
fosed,  and  blushed,  and,  blushing,  he  grieved  that  he  had 
offended  Gk>d  and  man  in  so  many  particulars  ;  and  he  pro- 
mised, with  all  humility,  that  he  would  most  certainly  and 
cheerfully' amend  his  conduct  in  all  these  points.  But  though 
with  lowly  countenance  and  firequent  entreaties  he  thus  endea- 
voured to  bend  them  to  his  will  in  the  matter,  that  is,  of 
grantmg  him  pecuniary  aid,  yet  the  whole  body  would  not 
consent,  having  been  so  frequently  deceived  ;  and  all  answered 
him  with  one  consent — we  eagerly  desire  amendment,  and  are 


294  ICATTHSW  OF  WESTMHTSTZB.  A.D.  1248. 

aa  yet  waiting  for  it  with  patience ;  and  tA  the  lord  the  king 
behaves  and  conducts  himself  towards  us,  so  will  we  answer 
him  according  to  his  merits.  And,  therefore,  on  this  ground, 
everything  was  postponed  till  the  day  fortnight  after  the  feast 
of  the  Nativity  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  before  which  time 
the  nobles  hoped  that  the  king  might  be  softened,  and  his 
heart  inclined  to  wholesome  counsels.  And  this  would  have 
taken  place  in  a  happy  manner  (as  it  is  said),  if  his  purpose 
had  not  been  weakened  by  the  objections  of  his  counsellors, 
who  feared  that  their  dommation  would  at  once  expire.  Now, 
while  Fortune  was  playing  thus  with  human  afiiedrs,  the  people 
of  Parma,  who  were  surrounded  with  a  miserable  blockade  on 
all  sides,  having  summoned  an  assembly,  happily  humbled 
themselves  before  God  and  the  blessed  Roger,  bishop  of  Lon- 
don (whom  they  had  offended  enormously,  as  it  was  said)  ; 
and  so  the  citizens  hearing  one  day  that  tbeir  unwearied  and 
insolent  besieger  and  oppressor,  Frederic,  had  gone  away  on 
some  business,  leaving  the  command  of  his  army  and  the 
guardianship  of  the  imperial  treasure  to  Thaddseus,  the  judge 
of  his  palace,  and  to  the  other  nobles  who  were  present  at  ^e 
siege,  having  invoked  the  aid  of  the  powers  above,  sallied  out 
boldly  against  the  army  of  Frederic,  and  making  a  sadden 
attack  on  it,  triumphed  according  to  their  wish.  The  order 
of  which  circumstances  this  letter  will  more  fully  explain  to 
any  one  who  wishes  to  understand  it* 

ITie  Letter  above  mentioned, 

"  To  the  vigorous  and  wise  men,  the  lord  Boniface  of  Salerno, 
and  to  the  power,  and  knights,  and  people  of  Milan,  Philip, 
the  viceroy,  and  the  power,  and  knights,  and  people  of  Parma, 
wish  health,  and  glory,  and  honour.  We  give  thanks  to  God 
the  Father,  and  to  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  the  Holy 
Ghost,  the  triple  God  and  one  Majesty,  and  to  the  glorious 
Virgin,  who  protects,  defends,  visits,  and  governs  our  city,  not 
because  our  own  merits  require  it,  but  on  account  of  his  own 
most  merciful  pity,  as  we  manifestly  behold  in  the  triumphant 
victory  which,  in  consequence  of  the  intervention  of  his  mother, 
Ood  gave  us  on  Tuesday,  the  twelfth  of  last  February.  For 
although  fifteen  hundred  of  our  men  had  gone  between  Co- 
lomo  and  BresseUo,  and  besides  these,  had  two  of  their  gates 
entire,  and  that  raging  dragon,  who  had  for  such  a  length  of 
time  been  invading  our  country,  was  now  expecting  to  swallow 


A.D.  1248.    LETTXB  TO  THE  PEOPLE  OF  MILAK*       ^95 

US  up  entirely,  having  now  marshalled  all  his  knights,  and  all 
his  battalions  of  infantry,  outside  the  walls,  entrusted  to  his 
faithful  generals,  he  himself  being  at  no  great  distance ;  we 
having  invoked  the  aid  of  God  and  the  glorious  Virgin,  seeing 
that  God  is  able  to  put  down  the  proud,  and  to  exalt  the 
humble,  immediately  went  forth  against  them,  with  our  people 
and  all  our  knights,  not  at  all  delaying  our  march,  until  we. 
brought  our  ranks  dose  to  theirs  in  close  combat,  our  standard 
going  before  us,  with  the  effigy  of  the  precious  Vii^,  in  whose 
path  and  by  whose  guidance  we  were  advancing.  And  al- 
though they  resisted  obstinately  at  first,  nevertheless  we,  be- 
coming more  vigorous,  pressed  on  more  vigorously  against 
them,  and  overthrew  them  all,  and  crushed  their  whole  army. 
And  when  the  impious  Frederic  heard  of  this,  and  was  think- 
ing of  assisting  his  men,  he  feared  to  encounter  us  ;  and  de- 
scending by  secret  paths,  likje  a  bandit,  he  lost  his  men  and 
neaiiy  all  his  booty,  of  whom  we  took  three  thousand  pri- 
soners and  more.  We  also  took  the  standard  of  the  Cre- 
monese ;  we  also  took  the  fortresses  which  he  had  erected,  and 
all  his  camps ;  and  we  now  have  all  that  he  had.  We  have 
also  skin  Thaddseus,  his  judge,  and  his  chamberlains,  and  lords 
of  the  bedchamber.  Moreover,  of  oujr  own  citizens,  who  were 
bamshed,  we  slew  more  than  fifteen  hundred,  whom  we  found 
among  his  knights  and  people,  besides  those  who  were  tram- 
pled und»  our  horses'  feet  and  destroyed  in  that  way,  whom 
we  cannot  enumerate  because  of  their  numbers ;  and  the  rest 
of  his  army  we  put  to  flight  and  scattered  in  every  direction. 
At  last,  having  returned  into  the  city,  with  praise  and  ho- 
nour to  God,  we  arranged  the  affairs  of  our  city,  trusting  in 
bim  who  is  the  true  safety  of  all  men ;  for  having  greatly 
crushed  the  arms  of  the  wicked,  we  and  ours  now  hope  to 
enjoy  profound  peace  for  ever.^ 

''And  we  announce  this  to  you  that  you  may  have  joy,  en- 
treating your  magnificence  that  you  will  all  come  at  once  to 
our  assistance,  without  any  delay  of  any  kind,  and  join  our 
standard ;  since,  as  Grod  has  opened  us  the  way,  we  wish  to 
proceed  along  it  with  all  speed,  in  order  to  recover  the  town 
of  Saint  Dominic,  and  BresseUo,  and  the  rest  of  our  territories ; 
and  also  to  tike  the  vessel  of  the  Cremonese,  our  enemies  and 
yours,  that  so  we  may  wipe  them  out  of  the  book  of  the  living. 
Away  with  all  delays,  0  ye  most  prudent  as  ye  are  the  most 
constant  of  men !  since,  after  Qtod  and  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary, 


296  ICATTHSW  or  WXBTMIKSTZS.  A.D.  1248. 

we  consider  yon  the  authors  and  partners  of  our  victory. 
Know  je,  therefore,  that  haying  burnt  up  the  country  of  the 
cursed  Frederic,  we  have  recoyered  all  those  men  belonging  to 
us  and  to  the  people  of  Placentia,  whom  he  detained  in  chams. 
Fare  ye  well.  Relate  this  to  both  our  friends  and  yours, 
that  our  joy,  which  is  ful]«  may  be  made  known  to  all  our 
friends.*' 

Moreover,  about  this  time  the  coinage  of  Enghind  was  so 
intolerably  corrupted  (as  has  been  said  before)  by  the  detest- 
able dippers  and  falsifiers,  that  neither  natives  nor  foreigners 
could  look  upon  it  any  longer  with  pleasant  eyes  or  ungrieved 
hearts ;  therefore,  provision  was  made  that,  without  fdterine 
the  legal  weight,  or  the  superscription  of  letters,  the  arms  of 
the  cross  on  one  side  of  the  penny  should  be  extended  in  both 
directions  as  far  as  the  edge,  so  that  the  coin  might  in  this 
manner  be  marked  off  in  four  divisions. 

The  same  year,  Walter,  sumamed  Mauclerc,  formerly  bishop 
of  Carlisle,  but  who,  after  the  days  of  old  age  and  decrepi* 
tude  came  upon  him,  had  assumed  the  habit  of  the  Preadi- 
ing  Brothers,  that  he  might  die  poor,  paid  the  debt  of  nature 
in  a  virtuous  manner.  For  he  weighed  in  the  scale  of  sound 
reason  that  he  had  been  promoted  to  tbe  pontifical  dignity  in 
a  secular  and  irreligious  manner,  rather  through  the  influence 
of  the  lord  the  king  than  &om  any  consideration  of  his  cha- 
racter and  learning.  This  is  the  man  whom  fortune  often 
raised  up  to  dash  him  down  more  heavily,  inasmuch  as  he  in- 
cautiously mixed  himself  up  with  important  and  difficult 
counsels  of  the  king's,  which  he  was  not  able  or  willing  to 
fulfil,  and  managed,  both  at  Pontigny  and  in  the  country  of 
Scotland,  some  marriages  which  excited  the  displeasure  of  the 
lord  the  king.  By  his  advice,  too,  after  he  had  joined  the 
order  of  Preaching  Brothers,  it  was  brought  about  that  a  new 
and.  previously  unheard-of  privilege  was  extorted  for  their 
order  from  the  lord  the  pope,  owing,  perhaps,  to  the  interven- 
tion of  money.  The  same  year,  the  Preaching  Brothers  pro- 
cured from  the  lord  the  pope  a  privilege,  that  it  might  not  be 
lawM  for  any  brother  to  quit  the  order  and  transfer  himself 
to  another,  (although  it  is  quite  notorious  that  the  order  of 
Saint  Benedict  is  a  more  strict  and  excellent  order,  and  entitledi 
both  on  account  of  its  antiquity  and  its  author,  to  higher  re- 
verence and  dignity  than  the  rule  of  Saint  Augustine,  which 
,the  Preaching  Brothers  acknowledge  as  their  standard)  i  and 


A.D.  1248.  SIMOIT  DB  LAITGTON  DUES.  297 

also,  that  it  should  not  he  lawful  for  any  ahbot  or  prior  to 
receive  any  such  brother  (though  they  themselyes  are  well 
known  to  receive  monks  who  are  deserters  from  other  orders), 
which  appears  to  he  inconsistent  with  reason,  for  it  not  to 
be  lawful  to  descend  and  migrate  from  a  more  rigid  to  a  more 
lax  order ;  and  also,  to  this  natural  precept,  as  it  is  laid  down 
by  Saint  Benedict — "  What  you  do  not  wish  done  to  yourself, 
that  do  not  you  do  to  another/' 

Bat  when  many  men  of  great  influence  from  their  charac- 
ter, their  learning,  or  their  high  birth,  and  endowed  with 
ample  possessions,  fled  from  the  world  to  their  order,  but  after 
having  done  so  did  not  find  such  a  form  of  reUgion  as  they 
had  hoped,  but  found,  instead  of  a  barrier,  the  latitude  of  the 
whole  surrounding  country,  especially  when,  in  the  beginning 
of  his  rule,  the  aforesaid  Saint  Benedict  rejects  that  class  of 
monks  which  is  called  the  Girinagian,  they  began  to  grieve 
and  to  repent  of  having  passed  over  to  such  an  order,  and 
laboured  craftily  to  find  pretexts  for  leaving  it ;  on  which  ac- 
count the  others,  who  were  considered  the  leaders  among  them, 
being  vexed  at  being  left,  procured  the  aforesaid  remedy. 
But  the  bishop  who  has  been  often  spoken  of,  that  the  sinister 
signification  of  his  surname  might  not  draw  after  it  an  unfor- 
tunate result,  being  fortified  by  the  habit  of  the  Preaching 
brethren,  deservedly  terminated  his  life  by  an  enviable  end. 
The  same  year  also,  two  brothers  of  that  order  died,  to  whom 
there  were  no  superiors,  and  indeed  no  equal,  as  it  is  believed, 
in  all  the  countries  of  Christendom,  in  erudition  and  know- 
ledge, especially  theological  knowledge,  to  wit,  brother  and 
Master  Robert,  sumamed  Bacon,  and  Richard  de  Fishakele  ; 
both  of  whom  were  for  many  years  readers  to  the  clergy  in 
the  same  faculty  with  the  highest  reputation,  and  also  preach- 
ers to  the  people. 

In  the  course  of  the  same  year,  there  also  died  Master 
Simon  de  Langton,  the  brother  of  Stephen,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  of  glorious  memory,  himself  archdeacon  of  the 
same  church ;  who  scorning  to  imitate  the  example  of  his 
brother,  became,  as  is  not  wonderful,  a  persecutor  and  dis- 
turber of  his  own  church.  Moreover,  he  gi:eatly  agitated  aud 
moBt  mischievously  disturbed  the  kingdoms  of  France  and 
England,  and  the  hearts  of  the  citizens  and  constitutions  of 
those  kingdoms,  as  is  more  fully  set  forth  in  its  proper  place. 
The  same  year,  Master  John  Blund,  chancellor  of  the  church 


298  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMIK8TEB.  A.D.  1248, 

of  York,  died,  who  was  considered  not  inferior  to  any  theo- 
logian of  any  time,  and  who  for  his  eminence  in  learning  and 
virtue,  was  on  one  occasion  elected  archbishop  of  Canterbury; 
but  his  election  was  annulled^  and  undeservedly  set  aside,  by 
the  aforesaid  Master  Simon,  a  man  incapable  of  tranquillity. 
So  the  disturber  and  the  disturbed  went  together  to  the  com- 
pany of  the  dead. 

The  same  year,  on  the  first  of  June,  there  was  an  almost 
general  eclipse  of  the  moon  immediately  after  sunset. 

The  day  fortnight  after  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  Saint 
John  the  Baptist,  the  nobility  of  nearly  the  whole  of  Enghmd 
met  in  London,  believing  assuredly,  from  the  positive  promise 
of  the  lord  the  king,  that,  having  changed  his  former  inten- 
tions and  conduct,  he  would  for  the  future  incline  to  the 
advice  of  his  natural  subjects ;  but  they  received  the  following 
answer  from  him  :  *'  I  do  not  see  that  it  is  your  business  to 
impose  conditions  on  me,  while  you  refuse  to  me  the  liberty 
which  belongs  to  each  individual  among  you.  For  each,  and 
every  one  of  you,  have  power  to  adopt  any  advice  you  please, 
and  every  master  of  a  family  has  a  right  to  select  any  one  of 
his  household  whom  he  shall  choose  to  appoint  to  any  office, 
or  to  set  him  up  or  to  depose  him,  to  dispense  alms,  to  borrow 
money,  and  to  govern  his  household  according  to  his  own 
pleasure  or  that  of  any  one  else  he  chooses,  which  right  you 
rashly  presume  to  deny  to  your  lord  and  king.  Moreover, 
all  wno  are  accounted  of  inferior  rank  think  it  better  to  be 
directed  and  governed  by  the  will  and  authority  of  their  lord 
and  prince.  For  the  servant  is  not  above  his  lord,  nor  the 
disciple  above  his  master,  since  the  pope  will  neither  have  any 
justiciary,  or  chancellor,  or  treasurer,  substituted  as  you  re« 
quire,  nor  will  he  remove  any  who  may  be  substituted." 

And  when  the  nobles,  in  reply,  affirmed  that  they  desired 
nothing  more  than  that  the  royal  and  the  pubhc  promotion, 
and  the  indiscreet  profusion  in  the  lavishing  of  alms,  and  the 
excessive  lighting  of  tapers,  should  be  checked,  they  could  not 
procure  a  hearing.  It  appeared,  therefore,  clearer  than  day- 
light, that  this  had  emanated  from  the  advice  of  those  men 
who  were  so  disposed,  that  if  their  whole  body  were  listened 
to  one  half  would  be  despised.  Therefore,  the  nobles  replied 
that  they  would  not  consent  at  all  to  be  impoverished  any 
more,  that  foreigners  might  be  fattened  on  their  property  dis- 
tributed without  any  profit  to  themselveSi    And  therefore  the 


A.B.  1248.   THE  KDXa  OT  T&ANCE  STTPPLICAfTIS  THE  POPE.   299 

council  vas  dissolyed,  not  without  great  indignation,  and  every 
one  returned  home  disappointed  of  his  hope. 

As,  therefore,  the  king  found  it  necessary  to  procure  some 
treasure,  because  he  was  in  a  short  tune  about  to  send  a  mili- 
tary expedition  into  Guienne,  against  Ghiscon,  the  son  of  the 
countess  de  Briarde,  a  most  ungrateful  traitor,  who  had  laid 
waste  the  territories  of  the  lord  the  king,  he  addressed  earnest 
entreaties  to  many  reUgious  men  separately,  begging  th6m  to 
stretch  out  the  hand  of  Ubendity  to  him,  as  he  was  destitute 
of  wealth,  and  promising  them  a  grateful  requital  at  a  season- 
able opportunity.  Which  request  they  (although  harassed  on 
all  sides)  laboured  zealously  to  giatify,  to  such  a  degree,  that, 
to  say  nothing  of  others,  he  obtained  a  hundred  pounds  from 
one  single  abbot,  namely,  the  abbot  of  Romsey.  Moreover, 
he  ordered  all  the  vesseLs,  and  utensils,  and  jewds,  throughout 
his  dominions  to  be  sold  according  to  weight,  without  having 
any  regard  to  the  gold  with  which  the  silver  vessels  were  in- 
laid, or  to  the  workmanship,  however  skilful  and  laborious 
it  might  be,  and  although  it  might  exceed  the  material  itself 
in  value. 

But  when  the  autumnal  equinox  made  the  weather  pleasant, 
the  lord  the  king  of  France,  having  first  received  the  solemn 
sacraments  at  Siunt  Denis,  and  the  other  sacred  places  in  his 
kingdom,  and  having  renewed  his  vow,  set  out  on  an  expe- 
dition to  Jerusalem,  and  passing  through  Lyons,  where  the 
pope  was  staying,  he  saluted  him  with  humiUty  and  devotion, 
and  entreated  him  earnestly  that,  as  the  ecclesiastical  honour 
was  now  in  all  respects  safe,  since  Frederic  was  now  thoroughly 
humbled  and  sued  for  pardon,  he  would*  grant  him  the  form 
of  reconciliation,  and  follow  the  footsteps  of  Christ  whose 
vicar  on  earth  he  is  weU  known  to  be,  so  as  at  least  to  open  to 
the  penitent  the  breast  of  moderate  pity,  in  consequence  of 
which  the  road  would  be  safer  for  the  pilgrim.  But  when  he 
saw  the  lord  the  pope  preparing  the  countenance  of  contra- 
diction to  this  request,  the  lord  the  king  departed  in  sorrow, 
saying :  "  I  fear  diat  when  I  have  departed  hostile  measures 
wOl  be  prepared  for  my  country,  on  account  of  your  execrable 
hard-heartedness  to  my  neighbours.  Let  it  not  be  attributed  to 
you  if  the  business  of  the  Holy  Land  is  hindered  (which  may 
God  forbid),  nevertheless,  do  not  permit  France  to  be  attacked, 
but  rather  take  care  that  she  is  guarded  as  the  apple  of  your 
eye,  as  the  country  in  which  the  condition  of  Cbriatianity  de- 


300  IfJLTTHXW  0?  WXSTMIKSTEB.  JL.D.  1248. 

pends."  And  that  the  king  might  not  he  entirely  oyerwhebDed 
with  anxiety  at  his  departure,  it  was  provided  that  a  special 
and  formal  messenger  should  be  sent  to  the  lord  the  king  of 
England,  forbidding  hint  in  any  way  whatever  to  attack 
with  hostility,  or  to  invade  any  of  the  provinces  pertaining  to 
the  kingdom  of  France ;  on  which  embassy  Master  Albert, 
the  notanr  of  the  lord  the  pope,  and  Master  Paul,  a  great 
friend  of  the  lord  the  pope,  were  immediately  sent,  who 
reached  the  presence  of  the  lord  the  king  at  Windsor,  on  the 
day  of  the  feast  of  the  Exaltation  of  the  Holy  Cross.  But 
the  l(»d  the  king  of  France,  having  made  his  accustomed  ood- 
fession  to  the  lord  the  pope,  and  having  obtained  remission  of 
all  his  sins,  departing  from  the  court  of  Rome  with  the  bless- 
ing, directed  his  course  and  his  standards  towards  Marseilles, 
and  when  he  came  near  Avignon,  the  citizens,  who  still  pre- 
served some  sparks  of  their  ancient  hatred,  prepared  plots 
against  the  lord  the  king,  and  designed  him  as  much  injury 
as  they  could.  And  the  citixens  of  Marseilles  and  the  people 
of  that  district,  in  a  like  spirit  having  seized  on  a  slight  op- 
portunity, wickedly  threw  many  hindrances  in  his  way.  But 
the  king,  when  the  tumult  had  been  (though  with  difficulty) 
appeased,  embarked  on  board  a  swift  ship,  accompanied  not 
by  all  his  followers,  but  by  a  select  train,  and  directed  his 
swelling  sails  towards  Cyprus,  in  order  to  winter  quietly  in 
that  fertile  and  temperate  island. 

And  while  the  cold  of  winter  was  pressing  heavily  on  the 
shivering  world,  the  besieged  garrison  in  the  city  of  Aix  la 
Chapelle  were  terribly  pressed  ;  for  all  entrance  into,  and  aU 
egress  out  of  the  city,  in  any  direction,  was  denied  to  them, 
and  all  importation  of  supplies  was  utterly  cut  off,  and  they 
had  no  support  but  the  shadowy  consolation  of  Conrad. 
Therefore,  they  were  compelled  by  necessity  to  surrender  to 
the  enemy  on  any  conditions  they  chose  to  impose,  and  to 
submit  to  be  treated  according  to  their- pleasure.  So  now  the 
joyful  conquerors  destroy  the  captured  city  with  fire,  and 
Wilham,  count  of  Holland,  is  solemnly  crowned  king  of  Grer- 
many  on  the  day  of  All  Saints,  by  the  hand  of  Conrad,  arch- 
bishop of  Cologne.  When  Conrad,  the  son  of  Frederic,  was 
hastening  to  the  relief  of  the  besieged  citizens,  some  of  the 
nobles  of  Germany,  true  sons  of  the  church,  vigorously  re- 
sisted him,  so  that  he  retired  defeated  and  in  confusion. 

The  same  year,  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  Seville,  a  noble 


Jli.1>.12(9.TH]B  £ABL  OT  LEIOESTEB  BETlTBirS  FBOM  OUISNNE.  301 

city  of  Spain  was  taken  by  the  victorious  king  of  Castile, 
Alfonso,  an  event  which  caused  great  astonishment  to  many 
of  the  Christians,  who  said,  "  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  ? 
This  king  alone  has  gained  more  for  the  service  and  honour 
of  the  church  than  the  lord  pope  and  all  his  adherents  who 
liave  assumed  the  cross,  from  whom  he  extorts  an  immense 
Bum  of  money :  and  than  all  the  Templars  and  Hospitallers 
who  gather  in  enormous  revenues  and  treasures  from  every 
country  in  Christendom.'*  And  the  multitudes  marvelled, 
saying,  "  O  the  height  of  his  riches !"  &c. 

After  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  Walter  de  Suffield,  bishop 
of  Norwich,  crossed  the  sea,  by  which  voyage  the  said  bishop 
caused  great  suspicion  and  anxiety  to  many  persons  in  Eng- 
land. 

About  the  same  time,  the  lord  the  kii^  sent  Simon,  earl  of 
Leicester,  into  Guienne,  and  with  him  he  sent  a  very  numerous 
army  ;  but,  as  some  relief  from  their  expenses,  he  at  the  same 
time  exacted  of  the  citizens  of  London  two  thousand  pounds, 
which  they  granted  to  him,  as  their  lord  and  king,  on  con- 
sideration of  his  necessity,  although  they  were  themselves  in 
great  difficulties. 

So  this  year  passed  by,  temperate  and  serene  as  to  its 
weather,  filling  the  bams  with  abundance  of  com,  so  that  a 
load  of  com  fell  to  the  price  of  two  shiUings.  But  with 
respect  to  the  fruits  of  the  orchards,  which  were  in  wonderful 
abundance  in  the  most  fertile  districts,  in  the  less  productive 
districts  there  was  a  perfect  plague  of  worms  and  gmbs,  which 
utterly  destroyed  all  the  green  parts  of  the  trees.  This  year, 
however,  was  one  of  hostihty  to  the  Holy  Land,  of  enmity  to 
Italy,  of  mourning  to  France,  of  destruction  to  Germany,  of 
horror  to  Savoy,  of  disgrace  to  the  Roman  church,  of  great 
expense  to  England,  showing  by  many  indications  that  the 
end  of  the  world  was  approaching,  and  breathing  threatenings 
of  divine  anger. 

The  earl  of  Leicester  retwmsfrom  Ghttenne. 

A.B.  1249,  which  is  the  thirtieth  year  of  the  reign  of  the 
lord  the  king,  Henry  the  Third,  the  said  lord  king  was  at  the 
feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord,  in  London,  namely,  at  his 
own  particular  palace  of  Westminster,  where  he  passed  the 
time  of  Christmas  in  very  sumptuous  entertainments  according 
to  his  custom,  attended  by  a  numerooB  company  of  nobles ; 


302  HATTHXW  OS  WESTiaiTSTEB.  ▲.!>.  1249. 

bat  he  inTited  a  still  greater  number  to  meet  bim  joyfully  on 
the  festival  of  Saint  Edward,  whom  he  loved  and  reverenced 
with  much  more  cordiality  than  the  other  saints.  And  they 
came  cheerfully,  both  on  account  of  the  love  and  veneration 
with  which  they  regarded  the  saint,  and  also  because  of  the 
reverence  they  bore  to  the  blood  of  Christ,  which  had  been 
lately  received,  as  has  been  already  inentioned,  and  of  the 
pardon  for  sins,  which  was  conferred  upon  it,  and  allowed  to 
be  obtained  by  the  faithful,  and  also  because  of  their  respect 
for  the  authority  of  the  lord  the  king,  who  had  invited  them. 
And  there  were  present  with  the  king  and  queen,  having  been 
duly  invited,  the  two  earls,  Richard,  the  brother  of  the  lord 
the  king,  and  the  mareschal  Roger,  with  four  other  earls,  and 
an  equal  number  of  bishops,  there  assembled.  And  while  the 
lord  the  king  was  staying  at  Westminster,  that  is,  at  the  season 
of  Christmas,  the  earl  of  Leicester  returned  from  the  province 
of  Guienne,  with  some  other  nobles,  and  several  knights  and 
esquires,  who  having  been  sent  thither,  had  approved  them- 
selves faithful  soldiers  of  the  lord  the  king.  And  their  arrival 
caused  no  small  joy  to  the  king  and  all  his  court ;  for  the 
aforesaid  earl  had  compelled  a  wicked  traitor  to  the  lord  the 
king,  by  name  Gascon,  the  son  of  the  countess  Biarde,  who 
had  done  great  mischief  in  that  district,  to  submit  to  a  trace 
against  his  will ;  and  the  same  earl  had  taken  prisoner  in  the 
tower  of  the  same  princess,  and  consigned  to  the  strictest 
custody,  a  certain  other  public  robber  and  incendiary  and 
bloody  enemy  of  the  lord  the  king,  by  name  William  Brett. 

But  while  the  wheel  of  fortune  was  revolving  in  such  gyra- 
tions as  these,  unprecedented  and  terrible  rumours  were  spread 
through  the  provinces  of  England,  to  the  effect  that  the 
threats  of  the  Gospels  were  being  verified  ;  that  there  would 
be  commotions  in  all  places  of  the  earth.  Some  town  in  the 
county  of  Savoy,  not  far  from  the  common  road,  which  runs 
through  the  vaUies  of  Maurienne,  to  the  number  of  nearly 
twelve,  with  two  houses  of  religious  orders,  were  overwhelmed 
and  perished  with  all  their  inhabitants,  who  amounted  to  about 
ten  thousand,  in  consequence  of  the  mountains  turning  over 
and  coming  together  with  a  fearful  crash. 

In  those  days,  Nicholas,  the  bishop  of  Durham,  being  now 
in  deUcate  health,  following  the  example  of  the  bishop  of 
Carlisle,  voluntarily  resigned  his  bishopric  to  Walter,  a  man 
of  eminent  learning,  that  he  himself  might  have  freer  leisure 


A.D.  1249»  MABBIAOIi  07  THE  DAUaHTEB  OF  FEEDEBIC.   303 

for  prayer  and  contemplation,  and  might  die  in  a  state  of 
greater  poverty.  But  the  archbishop  of  York,  and  the  bishops 
of  London  and  Worcester,  were  assigned  to  him  as  trustees, 
and  some  manors  (to  wit^  Hoverdon  and  Scocton)  were  as- 
signed to  him  firom  the  bishopric,  that  so  excellent  a  man 
might  not  be  depriyed  of  the  rank  and  dignity  of  the  ponti- 
ficate. On  the  feast  of  the  blessed  Edward,  which  is  celebrated 
with  reference  to  the  deposition  of  that  same  glorious  king 
and  confessor,  the  lord  the  king,  according  to  his  pious  custom 
on  such  occasions,  kept  the  yigil  which  precedes  that  day, 
which  yigil  occurs  three  days  before  the  Epiphany  of  the  Lord, 
with  fasting  on  bread  and  water,  and  dihgent  watching,  and 
continued  prayer,  and  the -distribution  of  alms.  And  on  the 
day  of  the  festiyal,  he  ordered  the  solemnity  of  the  mass  to 
be  celebrated  in  the  church  of  Westminster,  in  a  most  glorious 
manner,  by  priests  arrayed  in  silk  vestments  of  incalculable 
value,  and  with  a  multitude  of  wax  tapers,  and  a  tuneful 
singing  of  the  whole  chapter,  which  was  wonderfully  prepared. 
He  also  ordered  pubUc  proclamation  to  be  made  by  the  voice 
of  the  crier,  that  all  other  fair-days  and  market-days  should  be 
suspended  throughout  London,  and  that  a  fair  should  be  kept 
on  this  day,  which  should  last  a  fortnight. 

About  the  same  time,  Yercelli,  a  noble  city  of  Italy,  with  all 
the  country  around  it,  came  over  and  submitted  to  the  autho- 
rity of  Frederic,  in  consequence  of  the  sedition  of  the  citi- 
zens, who  were  pursuing  one  another  with  domestic  hatred. 
And  when  the  lord  the  pope  heard  of  this  event,  he  grieved 
inconsolably,  as  did  the  whole  court  of  Rome,  and  accordingly 
he  solemnly  and  repeatedly  pronounced  the  sentence  of  ana- 
thema against  all  those  who  had  stirred  up  sedition  or  perpe- 
trated treason  in  that  city,  in  consequence  of  whose  conduct, 
the  city  was  cut  off  from  its  fidelity  to  the  church,  with  the 
intent  to  deter  others  from  doing  the  like.  And  while  these 
events  were  taking  place,  Frederic,  in  order  to  strengthen  his 
party,  which  was  beset  on  all  sides  by  the  enemy,  wisely  had 
recourse  to  marriage,  and  laboured  to  strengthen  himself  and 
his  son  Conrad,  who  had  espoused  the  daughter  of  the  duke 
of  Bavaria,  by  matrimonial  alliances,  and  to  unite  himself  by 
Buch  means  to  many  of  the  nobles  in  indissoluble  friendship. 
In  pursuance  of  this  truce,  he  now  gave  his  daughter  in  mar- 
riage to  Thomas  of  Savoy,  formerly  coimt  of  Flanders,  and  he 
entrusted  him  with  the  defence  of  Yercelh,  and  the  adjacent 


304  KATTHBW  OP  WXSTMIKBTEB,  A..D.  1249. 

diatrict,  and  he  conferred  on  him  many  estates  and  ample  re- 
venues, hoping  hy  these  means  to  render  his  vhole  6imily 
grateM  to  him,  and  to  ky  them  under  lasting  obligations  to 
him  i^painst  the  time  when  they  should  be  able  to  requite  him. 
When  the  time  of  Lent  drew  near,  the  lord  the  king  yisited 
the  district  about  Winchester,  which  had  a  very  infamous  re- 
putation, through  the  number  of  robbers  and  nocturnal  plmi- 
derers  which  infested  it ;  through  which  coimtry  the  justicia- 
ries had  made  a  journey  a  little  while  before,  men  who  ought 
to  have  cleansed  those  parts  from  such  a  pestilence,  but  the 
aforesaid  thieves  were  so  banded  together,  that  the  justiciaries, 
although  lenergetic  men,  were  not  in  the  least  able  to  curb 
their  wickedness,  nor  did  their  violent  and  unconcealed  de- 
predations cease,  and  outcries  and  complaints  resounded,  as- 
cending up  to  heaven  ;  and  even,  that  their  iniquities  might 
be  multiplied  to  an  intolerable  extent,  the  very  wines  of  the  lord 
the  king  were  not  safe  from  the  plundering  hands  of  these  vio- 
lent robbers.  So  the  lord  the  king  was  excited  to  bitterness  of 
spirit  not  unnaturally,  nor  could  he  any  longer  repress  his 
desire  for  revenge.  Having,  tJierefore,  made  a  subtle  scru- 
tiny and  a  searclung  inquisition  (because  tJiis  step  was  neces- 
sary, in  order  that  the  craft  of  Uiese  universal  traitors  might 
be  encountered  by  craft),  the  lord  the  king  suddenly  ordered 
twelve  men  to  be  summoned  before  him  in  the  haU  of  Chnst- 
church  at  Winchester,  by  whom  he  expected  to  be  more  accu- 
rately informed  of  the  truth,  and  he  threatened  them  terribly, 
under  penalty  of  being  hanged,  to  reveal  to  him  the  names  of 
those  malefactors  whom'  they  knew.  Accordingly,  they  retired, 
and  held  along  consultation  among  themselves,  and  then  det«^ 
mined  in  no  degree  to  discover  this  band  of  robbers.  There- 
fore, the  lord  the  king  being  very  angry,  having  shut  the 
gates  of  the  castle,  ordered  them  to  be  arrested  immediately 
and  thrown  into  prison,  and  to  be  bound  with  chains  and  fet- 
ters, as  criminals  deserving  of  being  hanged.  And  immediately 
afterwards,  he  summoned  twelve  more,  and  caused  diligent  en- 
quiry to  be  made  of  them,  and  addressed  exhartations,  with 
liie  admixture  of  terrible  threats  to  them,  desiring  them  not 
to  follow  the  footsteps  of  the  former  twelve,  but  plainly  to 
reveal  the  names  of  those  malefactors  to  the  lord  die  long, 
'whose  determined  resolution  it  was  to  deliver  the  country 
from  them ;  and  they,  retiring  apart,  and  taking  long  delibe- 
ration on  the  subject,  began  to  be  greatly  alarmed^  lest  they, 


A.D.  1249.    THEABCHBISHOFpFCAirrBBBTrBYSKTHSOirEI).  305 

too,  should  be  inTolved  in  the  same  calamity  as  the  first 
twelve.  Therefore,  they  gave  information,  expressly  naming 
all  the  malefiMtors  of  that  district  who  had  polluted  that  part 
of  the  country  with  robbery,  and  they  formally  accused  them 
by  name.  And  so  a  great  number  of  criminals  waa  appre- 
hended, both  in  the  city  and  the  neighbouring  country,  and 
especially  out  of  the  county  of  Southampton,  to  the  number 
of  twenty  at  least ;  some  of  whom  were  powerful  and  wealthy 
men,  and  the  very  persons  to  whom  the  lord  the  kmg  had 
confidently  entrusted  the  charge  of  protecting  that  £strict 
from  thieves.  And  some  were  men  of  such  h^h  rank,  that 
they  were  considered  equal  to  knights,  and  that  their  estates 
were  valued  at  forty,  or  fifty,  or  twenty-four  pounds  a  year. 
Some  of  the  villains,  too,  were  of  the  king's  household,  and 
they  were  accused,  and  convicted,  and  sentenced  to  sufier 
death  by  hanging.  And  the  business  waa  so  completely  set- 
tled in  this  part  of  the  country,  that  some  accusing  one  man, 
and  some  another,  more  than  tw^ty  were  executed  by  hang- 
ing, besides  those  in  prison,  who  were  in  a  state  of  uncer- 
tainty and  danger ;  and  so,  by  the  fovour  of  God,  the  Lord  of 
revenge,  the  county  of  Winchester,  through  which,  by  reason 
of  the  fkirs,  and  alao  of  the  harbour  which  was  near  the  city, 
and  of  the  high  reputation  of  the  city  itself,  both  foreign  and 
native  merchants  were  continually  passing,  was,  by  the  ven- 
geance of  Ood,  and  the  prudence  of  the  lord  the  king,  de- 
livered from  the  snares  of  robbers  in  which  it  previously 
abounded. 

So  here  you  see  the  goal,  of  this  accotmt  the  whole ; 
And  what  heyond  you  seek  another  age  will  speak. 

About  the  same  time,  on  the  day  of  All  Saints,  Boniface, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  was  enthroned  with  great  honours, 
the  king  and  queen  having  been  invited  to  the  solemnity,  and 
nearly  ail  the  prelates  of  England.  About  the  same  time,  the 
abbots  of  the  order  of  Black  Fnars  met  at  Bermondsey,  on 
the  day  of  Saint  CaHxtus ;  and  in  their  united  council,  it  was 
ordained,  among  other  things,  as  the  lord  the  king  had  ear- 
nestly requested  of  evary  one,  that  it  should  be  that  the  fa- 
moos  collect,  ''  God  in  whose  hand,"  which  is  sung  in  their 
churches,  out  of  veneration  for  the  blessed  Virgin,  should  be 
said  every  day  in  the  mass  for  him  and  for  the  queen.  About 
the  same  time,  the  Preaching  Brothers  brought  a  stone  of 

VOL.  II.  X 


306  KATTH£W  07  WS8TMIKSTEB,  A.D.  1249. 

white  marble,  which  ever  since  the  time  of  Christ  had  borne 
the  print  of  a  footstep  o^  the  Saviour  in  the  Holy  Land ;  and 
the  inhabitants  of  the  Holy  Land  assert,  that  that  impression 
was  the  print  of  the  footstep  of  Christ  when  he  was  ascending 
into  heaven.  And  the  aforesaid  lord  the  king  gave  it  as  a 
noble  present  to  the  church  of  Westminster,  as  he  had  a  httle 
while  before  given  it  the  blood  of  Christ.  But  on  the  first 
Sunday  of  the  Advent  of  the  Lord,  Walter  of  Kirkham,  bishop 
elect  of  Durham,  was  consecrated  at  York,  by  Walter,  arch- 
bishop of  York,  of  which  archbishop  the  bishop  of  Durham 
is  a  suffragan.  The  same  year,  the  abbot  of  Boileau  caused 
his  church,  which  king  John  had  built  from  its  foundatioDs, 
to  be  dedicated  with  great  solemnity,  in  the  presence  of  king 
Henry,  and  Richard,  his  brother,  and  many  other  nobles  and 
prelates.  Moreover,  the  aforesaid  abbot  sent  twenty  picked 
monks  and  thirty  brethren  to  inhabit  the  new  house  of  the 
Cistercian  order  which  earl  Richard  had  ktely  built  not  far 
from  Winchelcombe,  in  fulfilment  of  a  vow  which  he  had 
made  when  nt  sea. 

In  the  course  of  the  same  year,  on  the  third  of  July,  Alex- 
ander, king  of  Scotland,  died,  a  wise  and  moderate  man  ;  for 
when  he  was  seeking  for  an  occasion  of  showing  his  severity, 
he  voluntarily  sharpened  his  wrath  against  one  of  the  greatest 
nobles  of  his  kingdom,  by  name  Owen  de  Argathel,  a  valiaut 
and  most  accomplished  knight.  And,  preparing  to  strip  him 
of  his  property,  he  branded  him  with  the  stigma  of  treason, 
because,  in  the  year  which  had  just  elapsed,  he  had  done  ho- 
mage to  the  king  of  Norway,  for  his  occupation  of  a  certain 
ish^d  which  the  father  of  the  aforesaid  Owen  had  held  in 
peace  under  the  same  king,  doing  him  homage  for  it  for  many 
years.  Owen,  therefore,  being  unwilling  to  offend  the  king  of 
Scotland,  entreated  him  to  grant  him  a  truce,  that  he  might 
resign  the  homage  and  the  island  at  the  same  time  to  the 
king  of  Norway ;  but  the  king  refused  to  do  so,  and  defied 
Owen  himself,  and  pursued  him  by  sea  as  far  as  Argathel, 
being  stimulated,  as  it  is  said,  by  the  importunate  promptings 
of  a  certain  bishop  of  Stratheme,  a  brother  of  the  order  of 
Preachers  ;  and  accordingly,  the  king  disembarking  from  his 
ship,  before  he  was  able  to  mount  a  horse,  was,  as  if  by  divine 
vengeance,  struck  by  a  sudden  and  mortal  disease,  and  while 
wishing  to  strip  an  innocent  man  of  his  inheritance,  unexpec- 
tedly gave  up  his  soul  while  among  his  nobles,  and  all  his 


A.D.  1250.        EABL  BICUABD  CB088B8  THJB  SEA.  307 

ambitiouB  hopes  at  the  same  time.  The  same  year,  Hugo, 
sumamed  Le  Bran,  count  de  la  Marche,  when  the  king  of 
France  had  landed  at  Damietta,  was  removed  from  the  scenes 
of  this  life,  and  was  deservedly  the  less  lamented ;  because, 
according  to  his  own  confession,  he  had  prepared  the  snares 
of  treason  in  Poitou,  for  his  stepson  the  king  of  England. 
The  same  year,  about  Pentecost,  one  of  the  barons  of  the 
north  country  died,  by  name  Roger,  the  son  of  John,  leaving 
a  boy  as  his  heir ;  the  guardianship  of  whom  the  king  con- 
ferred on  William  de  Vfdence.  And  so  this  year  passed  with- 
out being  so  fertile  as  the  last,  though  still  it  was  abundant ; 
but  about  the  end  of  the  summer,  the  harvest,  though  it  had 
presented  a  good  appearance,  and  excited  great  hopes  among 
men,  was  injured.  It  was  a  year  full  of  disgrace  to  the  Bo- 
man  court,  and  of  disturbances  to  France  and  England. 

Concerning  the  delivery  of  the  lad/y  Senchia,  the  wife  of  Eichardf 
the  earl  of  Cornwall,  Sfc, 

A.D.  1250,  which  is  the  thirty-fourth  of  the  reign  of  king 
Henry  the  Third,  the  aforesaid  king,  at  the  time  of  the  fes- 
tival of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord,  was  at  Winchester;  where, 
according  to  his  custom,  ,he  celebrated  his  Christmas  feast 
with  great  magnificence.  The  same  year,  just  about  Christ- 
mas, too,  Senchia,  countess  of  Cornwall,  and  wife  of  earl 
Richard,  brought  him  forth  a  son,  at  Berkhampstead,  to  bap- 
tise  whom,  the  earl  invited  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the 
uncle  of  die  infant ;  and  his  name  was  called  Edmund,  in 
honour  of  the  blessed  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury  and 
confessor.  About  the  same  lime  many  nobles  of  the  kingdom 
of  England  crossed  the  sea,  though  the  reason  was  not  known 
to  any  of  the  people.  They  were  the  earl  Richard,  the  earl 
Gloucester,  Henry  de  Hastings,  Roger  de  Turkely,  and  many 
other  nobles  with  them.  And  there  went  besides,  of  the  pre- 
lates, the  bishops  of  Lincoln,  London,  Worcester,  and  with 
them  the  archdeacons  of  the  dioceses  of  Lincoln,  Oxford,  and 
Bedford,  and  others.  And  earl  Richard,  being  accompanied 
by  a  laiqge  retinue  of  great  magnificence,  traversed  the  king- 
dom of  France  with  forty  knights,  all  newly  equipped,  with 
new  robes  all  alike,  and  arms  of  great  beauty,  inlaid  with 
gold,  and  horses  newly  caparisoned,  and  with  many  two-horse 
chariots,  and  fifty  baggage  horses,  and  a  numerous  retinue  of 
servants,  accompanied  also  by  the  countess  his  wife,  and  his 

X  2 


308  MATTHEW  OE  WESTHIirSTER.  A.I>.  1250. 

eldest  son ;  so  that,  to  the  Bdmu*ation  of  the  French,  he 
afforded  an  admirable  and  honourable  spectacle  to  all  be- 
holders. And  the  lady  Blanche  went  to  meet  him  on  his 
honourable  apjproach,  with  the  greatest  reTerence,  applauding 
him,  and  offering  him  raluable  presents,  as  a  kinswoman 
would  to  her  kinsman,  or  rather  as  a  mother  would  to  her 
only  son.  The  bishop  of  Lincoln  was  the  only  person  the 
cause  of  whose  crossing  the  sea  was  generally  known,  it  bebg 
in  order  to  meet  those  whom  he  was  summoning  to  the  court 
of  Rome,  who,  on  account  of  the  unprecedented  grievances 
which  were  inflicted,  and  still  threatened  to  be  inflicted  on 
them,  appealed  to  the  Apostolic  See,  to  wit,  those  who  were 
exempt,  the  Templars,  Hospitallers,  and  many  others,  who 
afterwards,  by  an  interrention  of  money,  prudently  purchased 
themselves  peace  from  the  lord  the  pope,  according  to  the 
advice  of  the  heathen  judge,  *'  Seek  assistance  under  an  unjust 
law."  And  thus  the  bishop,  being  disappointed  in  his  ob- 
ject, returned  in  confusion  to  his  own  home. 

Earl  Richard  crossed  the  sea  with  great  glory  and  honour ; 
and  being  attended  by  his  eldest  son,  Henry,  and  a  numerous 
household,  very  royally  provided  with  caparisoned  horses,  and 
garments  of  rare  beauty,  traversed  France  and  came  to  Lyons, 
where  the  pope  was  staying  at  that  time.  And  when  he  came 
thither,  nearly  all  the  car£nals  went  to  meet  him  with  great 
respect.  But  the  bishop  of  Lincoln  had  arrived  there  idrc«dy ; 
who,  after  many  had  reconciled  themselves  to  the  pope,  and 
purchased  peace  of  him,  querulously  reproached  the  pope,  say- 
ing, **  My  lord,  I  thought  that  by  the  aid  of  your  command  I 
should  chastise  all  those  of  whom  I  complained,  and  should 
by  force  have  recalled  them  from  their  errors ;  and  behold ! 
the  last  error  is  become  worse  than  the  first.  For  every  one 
has  bought  himself  off,  and  you  open  your  bosom  to  all  who 
offer  you  money ;  by  which  my  authority  is  weakened,  and 
my  designs  are  frustrated."  To  whom  the  pope  replied, 
*'  My  brother,  thou  hast  delivered  thine  own  soul.  What  is 
it  to  thee,  if  of  our  grace  we  have  shown  them  fayour?  Is 
thine  eye  evil  because  I  am  good  ?"  And  so  the  bishop  de- 
parted, being  disappointed  in  his  designs ;  though  others  were 
greatly  annoyed  and  injured  on  account  of  this  circumstance. 

About  the  same  time,  William  of  Holland,  king  of  Germany, 
having  been  defeated  ^nd  crushed,  although  the  pope  bad 
given,  him  great  assistance,  Frederic  triumphantly  exeicbed 


A.3>.  1250.       TISIOK  OP  THB  ABBESS  OP  LATCOCK.  309 

great  seyerity  against  numbers  who  were  rebelling  against 
him,  and  for  a  time  crushed  many,  and  put  them  to  death, 
according  to  the  saying,  ''  His  heart  shall  be  exalted  before 
his  fall." 

About  the  same  time,  when  earl  Richard  had  arriyed  at 
Lyons,  as  has  been  said  before,  the  pope  receiyed  him  with 
the  highest  honour,  entreating  him  to  dine  with  him ;  and  the 
pope  and  earl  Richard  took  refreshment  at  one  table,  sitting 
side  by  side ;  and  this  took  place  before  Rogation  Sunday. 

And  on  the  yery  same  day,  when  the  soldan  of  Babylon 
had  (^ered  an  extremely  fayourable  peace,  to  which,  howeyer, 
the  pride  of  the  French  could  by  no  means  be  brought  to 
agree,  though  it  was  yoluntarily  offered,  a  battle  was  fought 
between  the  Saracens  and  the  Christians,  most  disastrous  to 
the  latter,  and  the  king  of  France  was  taken  prisoner  by  the 
infidels,  a  thing  which  neyer  happened  before.  And  many 
nobles  of  France  surrendered  themselyes  to  the  Saracens  with- 
out a  struggle,  and  without  receiying  a  wound,  as  if  they 
were  accursed  of  God.  And  many  of  those  who  were  taken 
prisoners,  yoluntarily  apostatised,  to  the  great  disgrace  of  the 
Christian  faith,  and  the  eyerlasting  reproach  of  the  whole 
universal  church.  And  the  brother  of  the  king,  the  comte 
d'Artois,  fled,  and  was  drowned  in  a  certain  river,  and  so 
perished,  and  the  whole  Christian  army  was  scattered  and 
roated.  But  William  Longsword  fought  to  the  death,  and 
80  did  several  other  nobles  of  the  English  nation,  being  ani- 
mated by  the  example  of  the  aforesaid  William,  and  having  a 
faithful  confidence  in  the  Lord ;  namely,  Robert  de  Vere  and 
others,  whose  names  are  indelibly  recorded  in  the  book  of  life. 
Bat  what  I  think  worthy  of  being  handed  down  to  ever- 
lasting recollection  is  this.  In  the  night  preceding  this  battle 
the  aforesaid  William  appeared  to  his  mother,  the  abbess  of 
Layeock,  formerly  countess  of  Salisbury,  raised  up  fully  armed, 
towards  heayen,  which  was  open  to  receive  him;  and  she  com- 
pletely recognised  his  army,  and  he  was  seen  to  enter  heaven, 
where  the  angels  receiyed  him  gladly  ;  and  when  he  entered^ 
his  mother  fancied  that  she  said,  ''Who  is  this  ?"  And  she 
was  answered,  "  Do  you  not  recognise  your  son  William  and 
his  armour  ?*'  And  his  mother  repUed,  "  I  certainly  do  ;  that 
is  he  whom  you  contemplate  as  his  mother."  But  the  abbess 
with  maternal  care  noted  down  the  time  and  details  of  the 
vision*    But  when  half  of  the  following  year  had  elapsed. 


310  HATTHEW  OF  WXSTMHTBTSB.  A.D.  12fi0. 

when  all  who  knew  what  had  happened,  and  had  concealed  it 
for  some  time,  lest  his  mother  should  grieve  too  mach  for 
her  son's  death,  hroke  out  into  these  words,  "  0 !  lady,  it  is 
not  right  any  longer  to  conceal  the  misfortune  which  has 
happened  to  your  son  William."  And  when  they  added  on 
what  luckless  day  he  had  perished  as  a  martyr  for  Christ, 
while  fighting  against  the  infidels,  she,  having  ascertained  that 
the  day  and  the  vision  which  I  have  related  both  corresponded, 
raised  her  hands,  and  gave  thanks  to  God  with  a  cheerful 
countenance,  saying,  "  I,  thy  handmaiden,  return  thee  thanks, 
O  Lord,  that  of  my  sinful  flesh  thou  hast  commanded  such  a 
conqueror  of  thy  enemies  to  be  bom." 

Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  for  the  sake  of  avoid- 
ing the  bishop  of  London  and  the  men  of  religious  orders  in 
that  city,  is  said  to  have  behaved  with  such  austerity  (although 
he  was  actuated  by  a  principle  of  equity),  both  against  ti^e 
bishop  and  against  the  men  of  religious  orders  in  the  city,  and 
ill  a  similar  manner,  too,  against  some  others,  that,  as  they 
made  a  vigorous  resistance,  many  who  had  previously  praised 
him  now  marvelled  at  his  ferocity.  At  length,  after  lavishing 
vast  sums  of  money,  and  great  vexation  and  labour,  it  was 
determined  that  the  archbishop  should  exercise  his  jurisdic- 
tion in  a  more  reasonable  and  moderate  manner  (according  to 
common  law),  and  should  prosecute  his  visitation  under  de- 
finite modifications,  and  so  that  tempest  was  allayed  and  ter- 
minated. About  the  same  time,  that  is  to  say,  about  the 
festival  of  the  Nativity  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  the  brethren 
of  the  order  of  Preachers  were  assembled  by  one  general  sum- 
mons from  all  the  countries  of  Christendom,  and  even  from 
the  Holy  Land,  at  their  house  in  Holbom,  which  is  in  London, 
that  they  might  then,  after  having  invoked  the  grace  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  diligently  discuss  the  state  of  their  order,  and 
their  own  duties,  and  reform  whatever  they  might  see  required 
correction.  And  because  they  had  no  revenues  of  their  own, 
the  nobles  and  prelates  from  the  neighbouring  districts  found 
them  provisions  for  some  days  of  their  own  gratuitous  liber^ 
ality.  And  on  the  first  day  of  the  chapter  being  held,  the 
king  came  thither  in  person,  to  entreat  the  benefit  of  their 
prayers;  and  receiving  them  hospitably,  he  feasted  them 
royally,  as  he  ought.  On  the  following  day,  the  queen,  and 
after  her  the  bishop  of  London,  and  after  him  the  lord  John 
Maunsel,  and  then  others,  as,  for  instance,  the  abbot  of  Wal- 


A. B.  1250.  THIS  EICFEBOB  TBXDSBIC  DIES.  311 

tbam  and  the  citizens  of  London,  as  they  had  incited  them  hy 
letters,  also  feasted  them  :  and  the  hrethren  were  four  hundred 
and  more  in  number.  About  the  same  time,  the  seal  of  the 
kingdom  was  committed  to  Master  William  of  Kilkenny,  a  pru- 
dent and  circumspect  man,  and  of  great  skill  in  the  law. 

About  the  same  time,  a  certain  knight,  who  had  formerly 
been  hk  ooMpairiun,  and  his  successor  in  the  office  of  ranger 
of  the  forests,  by  name  GeofErey  de  Langley,  trayersing  die 
northern  parts  of  the  kingdom,  and  making  enquiry  into  the 
transgressions  of  the  laws  of  the  forests  and  of  hunting,  fined 
so  heavily  all  whom  he  could  convict,  extorting  money  from 
them,  that  the  quantity  of  treasure  collected  For  the  king's 
use,  would  create  amazement  in  the  hearts  of  those  who 
heard  it. 

On  the  day  of  Saint  Kenelm,  there  arrived  news  of  the  cap- 
tivity  of  the  king  of  France,  and  of  the  route  of  the  whole 
Christian  army,  than  which  news  none  were  ever  received,  or 
ever  came  to  the  knowledge  of  the  Catholics,  of  a  more  mourn- 
ful nature,  especially  in  France,  so  that  all  Christendom  wasted 
away  with  grief  and  sorrow.     The  same  year,  in  the  month  of 
October,  the  first  day  of  the  new  moon,  and  the  first  day  of 
the  month,  the  sea  began  to  be  disturbed  by  a  great  darkness, 
and  being  disturbed,  to  rise  beyond  its  usual  bounds,  and 
occupying  part  of  the  shore  where  no  one  recollects  having 
ever  seen  it  before,  it  caused  great  injury  to  those  who  dwelt 
near  it.  The  same  year,  too,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Lucia,  about 
three  o'clock,  an  earthquake  took  place  in  England,  and  it  is 
a  very  marvellous  thing  that  such  an  event  should  take  place 
in  that  country,  nor  has  such  a  thing  ever  taken  place  within 
any  one's  recollection,  except  in  this  instance.     For  the  ishind 
is  soUd,  and  rocky,  and  very  destitute  of  caverns.    Moreover, 
with  the  earthquake,  there  was  also  a  terrible  noise  as  of 
thunder,  and  a  subterranean  roaring,  events  which  were  said 
to  presage  some  impending  pestilence  of  no  small  importance, 
or  some  revolution  in  the  kingdoms,  or  the  death  of  some 
famous  prince.    And,  accordingly,  that  same  year,  and  that 
very  same  day,  died  the  greatest  of  princes,  the  wonder  of  the 
▼orld,  the  emperor  Frederic ;  and  the  same  year,  William  de 
Me,  bishop  of  Winchester,  died,  in  foreign  parts,  namely,  at 
Tours,  where  he  had  remained  about  twelve  months ;  and  the 
monks  of  Winchester,  i^t  the  instigation  of  the  lord  the  king, 
elected  Jllmar,  his  uterine  brother,  as  the  shepherd  of  their 


312  KATTUfiW  or  WXST1CIK8TES.  A.D.  1250. 

Bouls.  Moreover,  ^hox^i  the  time  of  the  festiyal  of  Saint 
Michael,  the  hishop  of  Rochester  died,  and  because  he  was 
accoanted  a  saint,  by  the  management  of  the  king,  his  body 
was  buried  at  Westminster.  The  same  year,  on  the  twenty- 
ninth  of  May,  Robert  de  Lexington,  the  chapbiin  and  coun- 
sellor of  the  lord  the  king,  who  had  long  filled  the  office  of 
justiciary,  in  which  he  had  amassed  yast  treasures  for  himself, 
and  filled  the  king's  coffers,  departed  this  life. 

When,  then,  tins  year  was  ended,  twenty-fire  fifties  of  years 
had  now  elapsed  since  the  era  of  grace,  that  is  to  say,  twelve 
hundred  and  fifty  years.  But  we  must  remark,  and  not  pass 
lightly  over  the  fact,  that  in  none  of  the  twenty-four  preced- 
ing fifties  had  so  many  marvellous  things,  and  so  many  unpre- 
cedented novelties  happened,  as  had  happened  in  this  twenty- 
fifth  fifty.  And  there  are  some  historians  who  assert  that  so 
many  prodigies  and  strange  events  happened  not  in  all  the 
other  fifties  put  together  as  did  come  to  pass  in  this  one  just 
terminated.  For  in  this  fifty,  the  Tartars,  bursting  forth  from 
their  distant  and  untraceable  abodes,  devastated  with  fktai  de- 
struction all  the  countries  of  the  east,  whether  belonging  to  the 
faithful  or  to  infidels.  Also,  the  admiral  Muremelin,  the  most 
powerful  monarch  of  the  African  and  Spanish  unbelievers, 
invaded  the  territories  of  the  Christians,  but  was  defeated,  and 
forced  to  retreat  with  his  whole  army.  While  Oliver  was 
preaching  in  Gtermany,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  was  cruci- 
fied, was  distinctly  seen  in  the  air  by  the  whole  people.  This 
year,  too,  the  Greek  church  renounced  its  subjection  to  that 
of  Rome,  Babrizat,  the  most  powerful  of  the  Greeks,  becoming 
a  schismatic.  The  city  of  Damietta,  at  the  entrance  of  Bgypt, 
a  most  wealthy,  and  strongly-fortified,  and  famous  city,  was 
twice  taken  by  the  Christians,  and  twice  lost. 

Several  earthquakes  took  place  in  England,  and  there  were 
several  instances  of  the  sea  overrunning  its  natural  limits  to  a 
prodigious  degree,  by  which  it  inflicted  unheard-of  injuries  on 
those  who  lived  near  it  England  was  laid  under  an  interdict 
for  seven  years,  and  for  an  equal  length  of  time  was  subjected  to 
the  horrors  of  civil  war;  and  at  length,  by  the  inactivity  of  king 
John,  who  was  at  that  time  king,  it  was  reduced  to  become  a 
tributary  state.  The  same  king  John  lost  Normandy  and  many 
other  territories  beyond  the  sea,  and  made  England  and  Ire- 
land subject  to  pope  Innocent  ^e  Third,  and  burdened  them 
with  the  payment  of  tribute,  and  the  pririleges  of  the  holy 


A.JO.  1250.      LOIJISy  KUTG  OF  FRAJTCX,  TAXIEK  PBISONEB.       313 

Roman  fathers  were  by  this  additioD  depriyed  of  their  power 
and  authority  (any  enactments  to  the  contrary  notwithstand- 
ing), not  without  injury  to  them,  and  bringing  them  into  con- 
tempt. The  ordeal  which  used  to  take  place  by  fire  and  water 
was  abolished ;  and  leave  was  given  that  any  one  who  was  pro- 
moted to  a  bishopric  might  retain  his  former  revenues.  Li- 
cence was  also  granted  ^t  Christian  usurers  might  lawfully 
live  in  England  among  Christians,  under  the  protection  of  the 
pope,  as  it  were,  though  usury  was  condemned  in  both  the 
Old  and  New  Testament ;  but  though  they  are  called  usurers 
by  the  common  people,  they  profess  themselves  before  the 
pope  to  be  merchimts.  Prohibition  was  issued  against  any  one 
in  the  church  immediately  succeeding  his  father  without  a 
papal  dispensation,  and  against  any  one  being  illegally  ad- 
vanced to  any  dignity.  The  coinage,  which  had  been  spoilt 
by  clipping,  was  renewed.  Louis,  the  eldest  son  of  Philip, 
king  of  France,  was  elected  to  be  lord  and,  as  it  were,  king  of 
England,  on  account  of  the  intolerable  oppressions  of  king 
John ;  but,  at  length,  the  same  Louis,  being  a  violator  of  his 
faith  and  promises,  returned  ingloriously  back  to  his  father. 

Otho  and  Frederic,  emperors  who  rebelled  against  the  pope, 
were  overthrown,  and  after  tliey  were  put  down  the  imperifd 
chgnity  withered,  and  the  pope  endeavoured  to  advance  two 
other  princes  to  the  supreme  power  in  the  empire.  But  be- 
fore they  were  thus  promoted  the  Lord  struck  them  down ; 
and  they  were  Henry  de  Raspen,  landgrave  of  Hesse  and 
Thuringia,  and  count  of  Schwartzenberg,  and  William,  count 
of  Holland,  son  of  Florence,  the  fourth  duke,  and  of  Matilda, 
the  daughter  of  Henry,  duke  of  Brabant.  William,  indeed, 
did  begin  to  enjoy  his  elevation  during  this  period  of  fifty 
years,  but  he  was  soon  afterwards  slain. 

Louis,  king  of  France,  was  taken  prisoner,  and  his  whole 
army  dispersed  and  routed,  and  many  nobles  of  his  kingdom 
were  taken  with  him,  and  a  large  body  belonging  to  the 
Temple,  to  the  Hospital,  to  the  Teutonic  order  and  that  of 
Saint  Lazarus ;  and  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  with  its  churches 
and  holy  places,  which  had  been  consecrated  by  the  presence 
of  Christ,  was  twice  destroyed  and  desolated,  once  by  the 
Chorosmines,  and  a  second  time  by  the  soldan  of  Babylon. 
An  eclipse  of  the  sun  happened  twice  in  three  years.  There 
were  many  earthquakes  in  England,  and  a  very  unprecedented 
extension  of  the  sea. 


314  MATTHEW  OF  WISTKIVSTEB.  A.D.  1250. 

A  g«]ieEiil  council  was  held  on  two  occasions  in  this  period ; 
once  at  Rome  and  one»  at  Lyons.     In  the  kst  the  emperor 
Frederic  was  excommunicated  and  deposed.     Not  far  from 
Genoa,  in  the  open  sea,  several  preratsa^were  taken  prisoners, 
and  some  were  drowned.     Wales  also  was  bereavad^of  its 
prince,  and  afterwards  his  two  sons,  Griffith  and  David,  being 
speedily  circumvented,  it  was  reduced  to  obey  the  laws  of 
England,  and  to  acknowledge  the  authority  of  the  king. 
Guienne  was  subdued  by  eari  Simon,  afterwards  when  it  re- 
belled it  was  again  subdued,  and  at  last  delivered  from  the 
vengeance  of  the  king  of  Spain.     The  greater  part  of  Spain 
was  restored  to  Christian  worship  by  the  most  valorous  king 
of  Castile,  and  the  noble  cities  Cordova  and  Seville,  and  the 
large  city  of  Valentia,  and  several  others,  and  the  very  rich 
islands  in  the  ricinity  were  reduced  under  the  power  of  the 
same  king,  and  faithfuUy  illuminated  by  the  Catholic  faith. 
The  pope  being  driven  from  his  city  like  an  exile  and  a  fugi- 
tive, fled  from  city  to  city,  lying  hid  in  many  places,  while 
Frederic  persecuted  Innocent  the  Fourth.    But  at  last  he 
reached  Lyons,  and  there  he  found  a  safe  refuge.     Neverthe- 
less, not  at  all  recognizing  the  hand  of  the  Lord  as  that  which 
chastised  him,  he  oppressed  the  church  more  than  all  his  pre- 
decessors put  together.    Three  prelates  sat  in  the  apostohc 
seat  within  two  years,  and  the  papal  see  was  vacant  a  year 
and  nine  months.     Prelates  were  suspended  from  collation  to 
benefices  until  satisfaction  was  made  to  him ;  on  behalf  of 
whom  he  wrote  that  prorision  should  be  made  for  them»  ac- 
cording to  what  they  considered  themselves  entitled  to  re- 
ceive.    The  Preaching  Brothers  and  Minor  Brothers,  by  the 
command  of  the  pope,  and  being  compelled  by  their  principle 
of  obedience,  became  the  tax-gathering  nuncios,  and,  as  it 
were,  legates  of  the  pope,  being  diligent  collectors  of  the  pope's 
money ;  by  preaching,  giving  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and  again 
recalhng  it  when  they  had  accomplished  their  end,  and  by 
standing  by  invalids  who  were  dying,  and  preparing  to  make 
their  wills.     And  like  diligent  men  of  business,  armed  with 
all  kinds  of  powers,  they  turned  every  thing  to  the  advantage 
of  the  pope. 

The  monastic  orders  were  multiplied  in  England,  there 
being,  besides  the  orders  of  Preachers  and  Minors,  the  Bro- 
thers of  Mount  Carmel,  the  Brothers  of  the  Crossbearers,  and 
some  who  called  themselves  Brothers  of  the  order  of  Saint 


A.B.  1250.       CXBTAUr  HESESIES  ABE  EBADICATEB.  315 

Augustine,  and  many  others.  In  Germany  and  France,  too, 
there  appeared  women  who  called  themselves  Beguins.  Many 
saints  in  England,  or  belonging  to  England,  became  famous  ; 
for  instance,  the  blessed  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
who  lies  buried  at  Pontigny,  was  celebrated  for  muracles,  and 
so  was  Master  Robert,  a  brother  of  the  same  church.  Also 
the  Holy  Robert,  the  hermit  of  Knaresborough,  became  noto- 
rious for  undeniable  virtues.  Roger,  bishop  of  London,  at 
whose  tomb  a  great  many  tokens  of  his  good  deeds  are  sus- 
pended, was  celebrated  for  the  benefits  he  conferred  on  the 
sick.  Then  in  Germany  there  was  Saint  Elizabeth,  land- 
gravine of  During.  Saint  Augustine,  too,  in  Norway,  became 
famous  for  many  well-proved  miracles.  And  though  not  ex- 
actly in  this  fi%  years,  but  immediately  afterwards.  Saint 
Robert,  bishop  of  Lmcoln,  became  very  glorious,  and  obtained 
great  honour  from  an  investigation  into  the  miracles  wrought 
by  him ;  on  which  account  other  saints  of  old  time,  to  wit. 
Saint  Remigius  and  Saint  Hugo,  as  if  rejoicing  with  and  ap- 
plauding their  new  brother,  Saint  Robert,  though  he  had  not 
been  formally  canonized,  lavished  the  benefits  of  their  own 
miracles  on  the  Christians  aU  around,  in  order  that  their  evi- 
dence in  his  favour  might  be  received  as  equivalent  to  a  formal 
canonization.  And  not  many  days  afterwards,  a  boy  of  three 
years  of  age,  whom  the  Jews  had  first  circumcised  and  then 
crucified,  and  after  a  variety  of  carefolly  devised  torments  had 
put  to  death  on  the  cross,  having  been  buried  in  the  cathedral 
of  Lincoln,  is  said  to  have  given  the  blessing  of  good  health 
to  many  persons,  so  that  the  church  of  Lmcoln  was  called 
most  blessed,  and  was  honoured  by  persons  who  went  on  pil- 
grimages to  it.  Likewise  Richard  of  Chichester  was  so  famous 
for  his  miracles,  that  the  times  of  the  apostles  seemed  to  be 
renewed.  The  church  at  Westminster  was  rebuilt  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  lord  the  king  Henry,  and  a  golden  coffin,  for  the 
use  of  Saint  Edward,  was  also  made  out  of  his  treasure ;  more- 
over, vessels  of  great  and  inestimable  value,  and  worthy  of  all 
admiration,  and  jewels  and  silken  vestments  of  wonderful 
workmanship,  and  new  privileges  were  conferred  on  that 
house  by  the  king,  and  the  lord  the  king  also  built  a  splendid 
chapter  house. 

'Die  heresies  of  the  Albigensians,  the  Bugorians,  and  the 
Jovinians,  and  other  mistaken  persons,  were  eradicated  by  the 
diligence  of  preachers. 


316  MATTHEW  01*  ^VXSTHIirSTEB.  A.D.  1250. 

In  the  meantime,  the  holy  party  of  the  ChristiAnB  (since 
the  Saracens  often  triumphed  according  to  their  wish)  was 
weakened  in  no  slight  degree,  but  these  losses  were  happily 
made  amends  for  by  the  successes  in  Spain.  The  castle 
of  Antioch  was  besieged  by  insurgents,  and  was  attacked  and 
assaulted  by  them,  as  they  adyanoed  as  far  aa  the  vineyards  and 
farm  lands  of  the  citizens,  and  even  to  the  walls  of  the  city. 

This  year  Easter  fell  on  its  proper  time,  that  is,  on  the 
twenty-seventh  of  March,  doing  diat  ^hich  had  never  once 
happened  before,  in  the  last  year  of  this  fifty.  And  all  the 
elements  (which  is  a  notable  and  significant  circumstance)  in 
this  last  year  of  the  period  of  fifty  years,  suffered  an  irregular 
and  unusual  confosion.  Fire  like  lightning  was  often  seen 
during  the  winter  season,  and  thunderbolts  fell  in  a  terrible 
manner,  and  shone  in  a  way  contrary  to  the  usual  course  of 
nature.  The  air  was  confused  and  darkened,  as  if  laden  with 
the  thunder  and  lightning,  and  inundations  of  rain,  already 
mentioned.  The  water  and  the  sea  transgressed  its  accus- 
tomed bounds,  and  in  the  sea  where  there  used  to  be  deep 
water,  dry  land  was  now  seen ;  and  the  places  on  the  borders 
of  the  sea  were  laid  waste.  And  in  the  hind  of  England,  and 
especially  in  the  north,  there  were  repeated  strange  earth- 
quakes ;  and  in  Savoy,  too,  there  was  a  great  destruction  of 
cities,  towns,  mountains,  castles,  and  churches,  and  ako  of 
many  thousand  men  that  were  swallowed  up  in  a  terrible  and 
unheard-of  manner. 

Ndw  since  the  Blessed  Virgin  bore  her  child, 
The  sun  had  rolled  on  his  revolving  orb 
In  twenty-five  times  fifty  revolutions ; 
Tet  during  all  that  time  it  ne'er  was  seen 
That  Easter  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  March 
Did  fall  before,  till  this  last  year  arrived, 
Yet  in  this  year  it  fell  so,  as  I've  said, 
Nor  did  men  ever,  whensoever  bom, 
In  all  the  other  ages  put  together 
So  many  marvels  see,  as  this  produced. 

With  this  year,  too,  brother  Matthew  proposed  to  close  his 
commentaries,  on  account  of  certain  impending  dangers.  For 
if  truth  is  spoken  of  powerful  persons,  and  if  a  man's  writings 
are  commended,  there  was  his  prepared  for  him ;  if  their  good 
deeds  are  passed  over,  or  described  as  evil  deeds,  his  whole 
worth  will  be  mutilated  and  bitterly  reproved  and  condemned 


A.D.  1251.   MATTHEW  PABI9  riEi|9HSS  HIS  CHB0KICLE8.       317 

for  flattery,  adalation,  or  falsehood.  Sacb  a  book  may  be 
desenredly  called  a  barren  field,  as  far  as  its  author  is  con- 
cerned. For  the  toil  in  its  caltiTation  is  laborioas,  and  also 
in  the  time  of  collecting  the  harvest,  and  there  is  a  lack  of  all 
convenience  and  advantage,  and  thorns  and  tares  are  gathered 
instead  of  fruit.    Why  then  should  it  dehght  any  man, 

To  sow  ungrateful  seed  in  barren  soil  ? 
Nevertheless,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  those  good  deeds  which 
ungrateful  man  does  not  requite,  the  libendity  of  God  will 
more  fully  recompense.  Forsooth,  it  is  a  good  deed  to  per- 
petuate the  knowledge  of  remarkable  events,  by  recording 
them  to  the  glory  of  God ;  in  order  that  future  ages  may  be 
made  wiser  by  reading  them,  avoiding  those  sins  which  are 
deserving  of  vengeance,  and  doing  such  good  deeds  as  the  Lord 
fully  recompenses.  But  the  aforesaid  brother  Matthew  Paris, 
while  he  was  intending  to  close  his  historical  writings  at  this 
pointy  speaks  thus : 

Here  Matthew's  Chronicles  do  close 
In  the  glad  year  of  jubilee, 
Deserves  the  long  desir'd  repose, 
Rest  for  my  reader  and  for  me, 
And  so  let  rest  be  given 
On  earth,  likewise  in  Heaven. 

And  a  little  afterwards  he  says  : 

Here,  Matthew,  let  your  toils  and  studies  end. 
And  seek  not  what  a  future  age  may  send. 

Ch.  XV.—Feom  A.D.  1251  TO  A.D.  1254. 
Frederic  dies — Alexander ^  king  of  Scotland,  marriee  Margaret 
of  England — Alfomo,  king  of  Spain,  dice — The  Jews  are 
baTiishedJrom  France — The  dtizene  ofBourdeaux  invite  king 
Henry  into  France^ He  goes  thither,  leaving  Edward  regent 
of  the  kingdom — Gaaten  de  Biarde  attacks  Bayonne — A 
great  battle  is  fought  between  the  French  and  Germans,  on 
the  borders  of  Flanders — Prince  Edward  marries  Eleanor, 
princess  of  Spain — War  between  the  pope  and  Conrad,  son 
of  Frederic. 

Of  a  marvellous  storm  of  thunder  and  UgMmng  on  the  vigil  of 

the  Nativity  of  the  Lord, 
A.D  1251,  king  Henry  the  Third,  it  being  the  thirty-fifth 
year  of  his  reign,  was  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord 
at  Winchester.    But  on  the  night  of  the  feast  of  the  Nativity, 


818  HATTHTW  O^  THSSTMIirSTEB.  A.D.  1251. 

a  great  deal  of  thander  was  heard,  and  much  lightning  seen. 
The  king,  because  he  was  designing  to  visit  the  countries  of 
the  east  as  a  pilgrim,  where  gold  coin  is  chiefly  used,  began  to 
seek  for  and  coUect  gold  money,  so  that  every  one  who  wished 
to  get  his  business  settled  in  ike  king's  court  gave  the  kmg 
gold  rather  than  silver. 

Frederic  being  dead,  as  has  already  been  mentioned,  his  son 
Conrad  caused  all  the  captives  whom  Frederic,  his  father,  had 
kept  in  prison,  to  be  removed  to  the  more  remote  districts  of 
his  kingdom,  to  Palermo  and  other  cities  of  Sicily,  that  he 
might  be  more  secure  of  them.  But  he  allowed  some  of  them 
to  be  sent  to  Henry,  the  son  of  the  emperor  Frederic,  and 
nephew,  of  the  king  of  England,  to  be  ransomed  by  hhn,  or 
to  be  treated  in  any  other  way  according  to  his  pleasure. 

About  the  same  time,  quarrels  arose  among  the  most  power- 
ful soldans  of  the  Saracens,  and  especially  between  the  sol- 
dans  and  magistrates  of  the  Alapensians  and  Babylonians. 
For  the  former  were  indignant  and  envious  because  the  soldan 
of  the  Babylonians  had  token  the  most  illustrious  and  power- 
ful king  of  France  in  battle  ;  and  were  even  more  moved  at 
his  having  allowed  him  to  be  ransomed  and  to  depart  freely, 
and  at  his  now  being  in  safety  among  the  Christians  at  Acre. 
But  the  amount  of  the  ransom  of  the  king  of  France  was 
sixty  thousand  pounds  of  the  choicest  and  purest  gold,  be- 
sides a  great  deal  of  the  common  coinage  of  the  ordinary 
sterUng  money,  and  of  the  coinage  of  Tours  and  Poitou, 
amounting  to  an  incalcidable  sum.  The  number  of  those 
who  were  slain  in  that  expedition  amounted  to  sixty  thousand, 
and  twenty  Ihousand  and  more  were  dispersed  as  fugitives, 
without  counting  those  who  were  drowned,  and  those  who 
voluntarily  surrendered  themselves  to  the  enemy,  and  those 
who  apostatised,  who  did  us  more  harm  than  the  rest.  This 
year,  the  Jews  were  forbidden  by  the  king,  and  the  king's 
ministers,  to  eat  flesh  on  the  sixth  day  of  the  week,  or  during 
Lent,  under  great  penalties.  For  they  had  become  very  odious 
to  the  king  of  England,  because  it  had  been  stated  to  the  king 
of  France,  as  a  reproach  and  matter  of  disgrace,  that  the  Chris- 
tians allowed  Jews  to  dwell  among  them,  who  had  inflicted  such 
numbers  of  injuries  on  their  Lord  and  God,  and  had  at  last 
crucified  him.  Manfred,  the  natural  son  of  the  emperor, 
after  a  short  respite,  rose  in  insurrection  against  the  pope. 
The  city  of  Nutheta,  in  which  more  than  three  thousand 


A.D.  1251.       DAMISTTA  LETELLSD  TO  THE  GBOUND.  329 

Saracens  dwell,  and  which  the  emperor  had  built,  was  not  de- 
stroyed, but  was  protected  by  Manfred.  Guy,  the  brother  of 
the  king,  having  been  invited^  as  it  is  said,  came  into  England, 
with  his  other  brothers,  who  had  already  been  enriched.  The 
English  were  treated  with  contempt  and  impoverished,  espe- 
cially the  citizens  of  London.  Many  prelates  and  men  of 
rehgious  orders  were  thruA  down  into  the  lowest  estate  of 
slavery  by  command  of  the  pope,  and  in  consequence  of  the 
spoliations  of  the  king,  the  pope  came  to  Perugia. 

Simon,  earl  of  Leicester,  returned  for  a  short  time  from 
Goienne,  but  having  recruited  his  forces,  returned  back  again. 
The  detestable  addition  of  the  words, ''  Notwithstanding,  any," 
&c.,  weakened  the  writings  and  actions  of  holy  men.  Nicho- 
las, bishop  of  Durham,  resigned,  and  had  a  sufficient  provision 
assigned  to  him,  to  wit,  Stockton,  Hovedon,  and  Essington. 
Henry  de  Bath,  a  knight,  and  the  justiciary  of  the  lord  the 
king,  was  accused  and  impeached  before  the  king  of  grave 
offences,  and  scarcely  escaped  with  his  life.  The  countess  of 
Arundel  founded  a  church  for  nuns  at  Len,  which  is  called 
Marchan. 

A  report  prevailed  throughout  the  countries  of  the  west, 
that  the  emperor  Frederic  had  died  on  the  day  of  Saint  Lucia. 
The  archbishop  of  Canterbury  at  last,  though  with  great  mode- 
ration, visited  the  canons  of  London,  as  he  had  long  intended 
to  do,  designing  at  first  to  confound  them  with  great  severity 
and  a  rigorous  exercise  of  his  power.  This  year,  William  de 
Cantilupe,  the  king's  counsellor,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by 
William,  bis  son.  Wales  was  overrun  by  the  armies  of  Eng- 
land. The  bishops  elect  of  Winchester  and  Rochester  were 
confirmed.  The  pope  quitted  Lyons,  and  with  some  difficulty 
reached  Milan.  Paulinus  Piper,  the  steward  and  counsellor 
of  the  king,  died — Geoffrey  the  steward  died,  too,  a  very  gal- 
lant knight.  A  wonderful  nuisance  arose  in  France,  of  a  band 
of  rogues,  namely,  shepherds,  who  increased  to  the  number 
of  thirty  thousand ;  but  they  were  all  destroyed.  The  city  of 
Damietta  was  levelled  to  the  ground  by  the  Saracens.  The 
pope  composed  some  new  decretals.  At  the  time  of  the  equi- 
nox, the  sea  overran  its  natural  boundaries  by  a  very  great 
distance.  The  queen  of  Scotland,  the  widow  of  king  Alex- 
ander, returned  to  her  native  country. 

Some  tournaments  took  place,  in  which  hatred  and  envy 
broke  out  between  the  foreigners  and  the  English,  and  grew 
to  a  very  formidable  extent. 


320  KATTHJEW  or  WXBTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  I2D2. 

Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  espouses  Margaret,  daughter  of 
Kenry,  at  York. 

A.D.  1252.  King  Henry  the  Third,  it  being  the  thirty-sixth 
year  of  his  reign,  was  at  York,  where  Alexander,  who  was  now 
king  of  Scotland,  married  Margaret,  the  daughter  of  the  king 
of  England,  on  the  day  of  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the 
Lord,  and  the  king  of  England  at  that  city  invested  tiie  king 
of  Scotland  with  the  belt  of  a  knight.  And  the  king  of  Scot- 
land did  homage  to  the  king  of  England.  The  guardianship 
of  the  king  of  Scotland  and  the  queen  and  kingdom  were 
committed  to  Robert  de  Ros  and  to  John  de  Baliol.  A  heavy 
tax  was  laid  on  the  Jews.  Simon,  earl  of  Leicester,  having 
grave  accusations  brought  against  him,  resigned  the  govern- 
ment of  Guienne  to  the  king.  A  great  drought  prevailed  for 
four  months.  Some  beneficed  clerks  in  the  diocese  of  Lincob 
were  promoted  to  the  priesthood  against  their  will. 

Conrad  in  the  mean  time  was  successful  in  his  war  against 
the  pope,  nor  did  his  habitual  rapacious  conduct  avail  the  pope. 
Robert  Passelewe  of  England,  an  old  and  obstinate  man,  in 
consequence  of  whose  conduct  the  abbot  of  Ramsey  had  lost 
the  greater  part  of  his  revenues,  died,  on  the  day  of  Saint 
Huon  ;  and  many  others  as  well,  as  he  had  had  their  peace 
disturbed,  and  their  wealth  curtailed  by  his  proceedings. 
Concerning  the  general  immorality  of  his  character,  many 
facts  are  recorded  in  this  work.  The  dissensions  which  had 
existed  between  the  abbot  of  Westminster  and  his  chaplain 
were  appeased  by  the  intervention  of  the  king. 

This  year,  too,  that  most  notorious  king  of  Spain,  Alfonso, 
died ;  and  the  king  of  England  was  gready  grieved  thereat, 
but  the  lady  Blanche  was  still  more  so.  Guienne  was  con- 
ferred on  Edward,  and  no  mention  was  made  of  the  earl,  to 
whom  it  had  formerly  been  granted  and  bestowed  by  charter, 
and  in  the  possession  of  which  he  had  been  established.  lu 
the  summer  there  was  a  great  heat  and  drought  of  long  con- 
tinuance. A  tournament  took  place  this  year,  which  was 
called  the  Round  Table,  in  which  that  most  gallant  knigbt, 
Hervald  de  Montigney,  died.  William  de  Haverhulle,  the 
king's  chaplain  and  treasurer,  died.  The  church  of  Ely,  which 
had  been  magnificently  repaired  by  bishop  Hugo,  was  dedi-  i 
cated.  The  countess  Margaret  de  Riparies  died.  On  the  day  ' 
of  the  feast  of  Saint  Edward,  a  great  council  was  held  at 


A.D.'1252.  ABBITAL  Or  THE  ABCHBI8H0F  OF  CAin:EBBUaT.  321 

London,  at  which  the  king  demanded  a  pecuniary  subsidy. 
But  Robert,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  was  the  first  to  object  to  it,  and 
afterwards  others,  being  encouraged  by  him,  resisted  too.  A 
tax  was  imposed  on  the  citizens  of  London,  whom  we  usnally 
call  barons,  as  if  they  had  been  slaves  of  the  lowest  rank. 
Geoffirey  de  Langley,  who  was  a  knight  and  justiciary  of  the 
forest,  haying  excessively  impoverished  the  nobles  of  the 
northern  parts  of  the  kingdom,  on  pretended  reasons  con- 
nected with  the  taking  of  game,  was  deposed  ^m  this  charge, 
and  one  of  the  guaidians  of  the  queen  of  Scotland  was  ap* 
pointed  in  his  stead,  who  t3nrannized  to  such  a  degree  that  the 
nobles  of  Scotland  could  not  endure  his  violence,  and  removed 
him ;  and  so  he  transferred  himself  to  the  service  of  Edward, 
in  which  he  (as  will  be  related  on  a  subsequent  occasion) 
raised  up  many  enemies  against  the  king  and  prince  Edward. 
He  had  been  bred  up  and  advanced  by  Robert  Passelew ;  but 
afterwards,  like  a  cuckoo,  the  foster-child  supplanted  his 
nurse.  The  same  year,  Master  Albert,  the  especial  chaplain 
and  notary  of  the  lord  the  pope,  came  to  offer  the  kingdom  of 
Apnlia  to  earl  Richard.  But  when  the  earl  had  required  se- 
curity, to  wit,  some  castles  of  the  lord  the  pope,  and  some 
hostages,  that  he  might  be  sure  of  obtaining  possession  of  it, 
and  might  feel  some  certainty  respecting  the  pope's  promise, 
Albert  replied,  that  he  would  consult  the  pope  on  the  subject. 
In  the  mean  time,  Albert  acquired  many  benefices  for  himself, 
and  when  he  had  got  them  he  crossed  the  Alps,  and  the  lord 
the  pope,  when  he  had  heard  ih.e  earl's  answer,  would  not 
proceed  with  any  further  proposition  on  the  subject. 

About  the  same  tim«,  Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
came  into  England,  whose  arrival  gave  joy  to  few  of  the  pre- 
lates, and  to  still  fewer  of  the  laity,  a  thing  which  we  are  very 
sorry  to  say.  A  grave  scandal  arose,  and  also  a  violent 
quarrel  between  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  the  bishop 
elect  of  Winchester,  because  the  bishop  elect  had  caused  the 
official  of  the  archbishop,  by  name  Master  Eustace,  to  be  for- 
cibly apprehended  in  the  church  of  Lambeth,  with  one  of  his 
chaplains,  and  to  be  dragged  and  torn  away  in  a  very  indecent 
mann^.  Accordingly,  as  the  king  laboured  earnestly  for  his 
brother  iBtheknar,  and  the  queen  for  her  uncle,  the  arch- 
bishop, a  great  confusion  arose,  which  was  with  difficulty 
appeased. 
The  same  year,  on  the  first  Sunday  in  Advent,  that  queen 
VOL.  n.  T 


322  KATTHIW  or  WB8THIV8TSB.  A.D.  1253. 

of  all  secukr  ladies,  Blanche*  died,  after  much  tribulation, 
which  ahe  had  endured  on  account  of  her  sons.  John  Mansel, 
chaplain  and  apedal  connaellor  of  the  lord  the  king,  as  his 
industry  well  deserved,  was  enriched  with  yery  large  reTenuet 
and  estates. 

This  year  also,  Robert,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  caused  a  dili- 
gent account  to  be  taken  of  the  revenues  in  ^e  possession  of 
foreigners  in  England,  as  granted  to  them  by  pope  Innocent, 
and  it  was  found  that  none  of  his  predecessors,  in  three 
times  the  same  length  of  time,  had  ever  enriched  such  a 
number  of  persons  of  his  family  and  country.  About  the  same 
time,  the  kmg  very  cunningly  permitted  the  men  of  the  reli- 
gious orders  to  be  oppressed  by  the  nobles,  who  kept  hounds 
for  hunting,  and  who  lived  near  them,  so  that  their  liberties 
were  weakened,  and  their  cultivated  hmds  trampled  on.  The 
same  year,  pope  Innocent  established  a  rale  that  the  cardinals 
should  wear  scarlet  hats. 

Coneemin^  the  disturhanee  of  a  banquet  at  Wtneheeter. 

A.D.  1253.  King  Henry  the  Third,  in  the  thirty-seventh 
year  of  his  reign,  was  at  the  time  of  the  feast  of  the  Nativity 
of  the  Lord  at  Winchester ;  and  according  to  their  general 
custom  at  that  solemn  festival,  the  citizens  of  Winchester  made 
a  noble  entertainment,  though  it  was  only  bitely  that  the  king 
had  compelled  them  to  pay  two  hundred  marks  in  a  short  time. 
But  this  feast  was  interrupted  in  no  small  degree  by  the  quarrel 
that  had  already  arisen  between  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury 
and  the  bishop  of  Winchester,  the  king  in  some  degree 
stirring  it  up,  on  account  of  some  injury  wMch  had  been  done 
to  Master  Eustace  de  Len,  his  officiid,  by  the  said  bishop 
elect,  who,  on  this  account,  had  had  the  sentence  of  ezcom- 
municatiou  passed  against  him.  However,  this  disturbance, 
by  the  intervention  of  the  king  and  queen,  was  soon'exchanged 
for  peace.  About  this  time,  all  the  prelates  of  England  were 
convened  before  the  king,  and  as  they  urgently  requested  that 
the  charters  of  their  predecessors  might  be  preserved,  they 
easily  obtained  the  consent  of  the  king  to  this.  And  when  sen- 
tence had  been  given  on  this  point,  Uiey  lighted  their  tapers, 
and  published  Uie  fact,  in  return  for  which  they  cheenolly 
granted  a  by  no  means  inconsiderable  contribution,  which  the 
king  demanded  of  them. 

A  certain  brother  of  the  order  of  Preachers,  by  name 


A.D.  1253.      THX  XnrO  09  SPAIir  CLAIMS  GTTIEim.  323 

Peter,  was  secretLy  murdered  by  the  citizens  of  Milan,  because 
of  Lis  assertion  of  the  truth,  and  his  defence  of  the  faith,  by 
which  he  repressed  their  vices,  and  errors,  and  heresies.  And 
as  he  became  celebrated  for  his  miracles,  the  lord  the  pope 
judged  him  a  martyr  deserving  of  being  canonized  magni- 
ficently. A  citizen  of  Bologna,  by  name  Brancaleon,  was 
created  a  senator  of  Rome,  who,  as  soon  as  he  had  received 
this  power,  exercised  terrible  justice  upon  all  men,  and  hanging 
all  malefactors,  governed  the  city  and  people  committed  to  his 
charge  in  a  praiseworthy  manner.  No  small  number  of  Jews 
were  driven  out  of  France,  in  compliance  with  a  command  to 
this  effect,  transmitted  by  the  king  of  France  from  the  Holy 
Land.  For  the  Saracens  reproached  the  French  that  the 
Christians  were  attacking  them  unjustly,  inasmuch  as  they 
permitted  the  false  Jews,  who  were  the  murderers  of  their 
Christ,  to  live  among  them.  And  that  it  would  be  just  for 
them  first  to  expel  them,  and  afterwards  to  attack  others  who 
resisted  them. 

The  abbot  of  Saint  Augustine's  died,  and  the  precentor  of 
the  convent  was  elected  to  succeed  him. 

The  eldest  son  of  Richard,  earl  of  Gloucester,  married  the 
niece  of  the  king  of  England,  the  daughter  of  Guy,  count  of 
Angoullme,  a  native  of  Poitou,  a  damsel  of  a  very  tender  age, 
indeed  I  maysay  an  infant;  the  marriage  having  been  brought 
about  by  the  intervention  of  king  Henry,  who  hberally  gave 
five  thousand  marks  as  a  marriage  present.  The  eari  of 
Leicester  resigned  the  government  of  Guienne,  and  the  king  of 
Spain  prepared  to  claim  that  province  for  himself,  as  he  had 
an  ancient  charter  of  king  Henry,  relating  to  its  bestowal,  in 
sufficiently  plain  and  ample  terms,  and  deeds  of  confirmation 
from  king  Richard  and  king  John.  When  the  king  had 
heard  this,  he  was  very  sorry  that  the  aforesaid  count  had 
retired  from  that  guardianship,  because  he  was  a  powerful 
man,  and  of  great  wisdom  in  difficulties,  and  a  very  safe 
defender.  And  he  biboured  hard  to  prevail  on  him  to  resume 
his  government  which  he  had  given  up ;  on  which  account 
the  earl  privily  withdrew  into  France,  refusing  to  resume  that 
burden  a  second  time.  And  the  French  were  very  desirous 
to  have  him  as  seneschal  of  France,  but  they  could  not  by  any 
means  prevail  on  him  to  agree  to  it. 

Richard,  earl  of  Gloucester,  and  William  de  Valence  crossed 
the  sea,  principally  in  order  to  bring  the  aforesaid  marriage 

t2 


324  HATTHIW  OF  W2STMI58TEB.  A.D.  1253. 

to  a  condosion ;  and  secondly,  in  order,  in  a  spirit  of  rash 
enterprise,  to  proye  their  own  address  and  courage,  and  the 
speed  of  their  horses  in  a  certain  toamament,  which  was  being 
greatly  spoken  of  at  that  time.  But  after  it  was  over,  having 
been  overthrown,  and  stripped  of  their  armour  and  battered, 
they  required  a  long  course  of  fomentations  and  baths.  About 
this  time,  the  moon  was  seen  to  be  four  days  old  before  it  was 
calculated  that  it  was  new  moon.  The  youths  of  London 
having  set  up  a  peacock  for  a  prize,  tried  their  strength  and 
the  speed  of  their  horses  in  running  at  the  quintain.  But 
some  novices  of  the  king*s  household  being  incUgnant  at  this, 
reproached  them,  opposing  themselves  to  them  in  the  contest ; 
but  the  Londoners  put  them  to  the  blush  with  the  fragments 
of  their  spears,  and  wounded  them,  and  cast  them  headlong 
from  their  horses,  and  put  them  to  flight,  and  routed  them. 
And  as  many  complaints  on  this  account  were  addressed  to 
the  king,  he  took  his  accustomed  revenge,  and  demanded  a 
large  sum  of  money  from  the  Londoners.  After  a  few  days,  the 
news  was  heard  that  Aiguillon,  in  Guienne,  and  Saint  IVfilhan, 
and  several  other  castles,  were  taken  and  lost ;  and  that  there 
had  been  no  inconsiderable  slaughter  of  men.  Therefore,  the 
king,  being  greatly  alarmed,  lest,  m  consequence  of  these  losses, 
all  Guienne  should  be  endangered,  gave  an  order  that  brief^ 
should  be  sent  about,  and  that  in  every  county  proclamation 
should  be  made,  that  every  one  should  make  a  return  of  his 
fit  and  proper  arms,  and  to  show  whether  they  were  sufficient, 
that  so,  if  need  should  be,  every  one  might  be  prepared  to 
join  in  the  war.  He,  moreover,  issued  an  edict,  that  who- 
ever had  estates  of  fifteen  pounds  of  yearly  value  should  be 
made  a  knight ;  and  also,  that  regular  night  sentinels  should 
be  appointed  in  every  city,  who  should  tike  diligent  care  of 
the  paths  and  streets,  and  of  the  different  exits  and  entrances. 
He  also  provided  that  if  any  one  were  accidentally  injured  by 
a  robber  or  by  other  persons,  they  to  whom  the  safety  of  the 
country  was  committed  should  make  satisfaction  to  the  injured 
party,  and  should  prosecute  the  malefactors,  and  rid  the 
country  of  them.  But  all  these  provisions,  because  they  were 
enacted  without  the  common  consent  of  the  barons,  were  in 
general  accounted  of  little  validity. 

Master  Richard  de  Witz,  bishop  of  Chichester,  died  on  the 
second  of  April ;  he  was  a  man  of  eminent  learning  and  ex- 
traordinary holiness,  and  at  one  time  chaplain  and  especial 


A.D.  1253.  THE  POF£   BETUBITS   TO  BOME.  325 

coonsdlor  of  the  blessed  Edmund^  archbiBhop  of  CanterbtDry. 
And  it  was  from  the  information  he  received  from  the  accounts 
given  him  by  this  Richard,  and  by  Brother  Robert  Bacon^  of  the 
order  of  Preachers,  that  Brother  Matthew  Paris  diligently  wrote 
a  history  of  the  life  of  the  aforesaid  Saint  £dmund>  as  it  had 
been  related  to  him  by  credible  men. 

After  the  retirement  of  earl  Simon  from  Gnienne,  the 
people  of  Goienne  began  to  war  with  one  another,  and  to 
invade  one  another's  castles,  to  take  men  prisoners,  and  to 
redace  their  houses  to  ashes.  And  among  the  first  of  these 
warlike  leaders  was  Gaston,  lord  of  Biarde  and  Perigord,  who 
transferred  his  allegiance  to  the  king  of  Spain,  that  by  this 
means  he  might  more  readily  attack  the  king  of  England. 
And  he  encouraged  the  enemies  of  the  king  in  Guienne  to 
such  a  degree,  Qiat  Bourdeaux,  which  had  used  to  supply 
provisions  to  all  Guienne,  began  to  feel  want.  The  lord  the 
king  granted  a  privilege  to  the  church  of  Waltham,  and  for- 
mally confirmed  it,  that  as  often  as  it  should  happen  that  that 
chmrch  was  vacant,  the  convent  should  have  free  power  of 
disposing  both  of  the  barony  and  of  the  possessions  -of  the 
church,  according  to  their  will ;  besides  which,  he  granted 
them  two  markets,  Imd  conferred  other  advantages  upon  them ; 
and  as  to  these  particulars,  he  renewed  the  charter  which  had 
been  obtained  from  them  before. 

As  the  church  of  Rome  was  a  long  time  deprived  of  the 
presence  of  its  shepherd  and  prelate,  the  lord  the  pope  was 
solemnly  entreated  by  the  Romans  to  return  to  Rome,  and  to 
govern  his  flock  as  their  shepherd.  And  as  he  still  delayed,  he 
was  entreated  a  second  time  with  great  solemnity,  with  this 
addition,  that  he  must  come  now  or  never.  And  when  the 
lord  the  pope  heard  this,  fearing  to  incur  danger  by  his  delay, 
he  withdrew  from  Perugia,  and  hastened  to  Rome.  And 
although  the  Romans  had  repayment  of  the  money  which  they 
had  expended  for  him  against  Frederic,  withheld  as  if  it  had 
been  a  fine  due  from  them,  nevertheless  he  was  received  joy- 
fully and  reverently  by  them  all.  The  day  fortnight  after  Easter, 
a  great  parliament  being  assembled,  nearly  all  the  prelates 
bemg  met  together,  requested  that  the  king,  observing  their 
charters  and  liberties  as  he  had  often  promised,  would  also 
permit  the  Holy  Church  to  enjoy  its  liberties,  especially  in  the 
matter  of  the  dections  of  prelates  of  the  cathedral  churches, 
and  of  the  churches  of  convents :  all  which  the  king  pro- 


326  ICATTHEW  OF  WESTHTSTSTIB.  A.D.  1253. 

tested  that  he  would  observe  inyiolably,  and  thus  obtained 
the  consent  which  he  desired  from  them  and  from  the  other 
nobles,  to  the  subsidy  which  he  required  for  his  pilgrimage. 
Accordingly,  there  was  granted  to  the  king  one  tenth  part  of 
all  the  ecclesiastical  revenues  for  three  years,  and  from  the 
knights  a  scutage^  for  that  year,  at  the  rate  of  three  marks  for 
each  shield.  And  the  king  promised  in  all  good  faith  that  he 
would  inviolably  observe  all  tiiose  things  which  he  had  on 
other  occasions  repeatedly  sworn  to,  and  which  had  been 
origmally  granted  by  his  father  John.  And  that  they  might 
feel  more  sure  of  his  promise,  he  ordered  sentence  to  that 
effect  to  be  publicly  pronounced  in  his  presence,  which  was 
also  done  in  the  following  manner : — 

The  sentence  of  exeommunicatian  pronounced  against  the  trans- 
gressors  of  the  liberty  of  the  church. 

Accordingly,  on  the  third  of  May,  in  the  larger  royal  palace 
at  Westminster,  in  the  presence  of,  and  under  the  audiority 
of  the  lord  Henry,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  England, 
&c.  &c*  And  after  tms  was  done,  the  charter  of  his  father 
John  was  produced  before  the  assembly,  in  which  the  said 
king  John  had  granted  the  same  things  of  his  own  absolute 
will,  out  of  which  charter  they  caused  the  aforesaid  liberties 
to  be  recited.  But  while  the  King  was  listening  to  the  afore- 
said sentence,  he  held  his  hand  to  his  breast  with  a  serene 
and  willing  countenance ;  and  at  last,  when  all  the  tapers  had 
been  thrown  down  and  were  smoking,  eadi  person  said,  *'  So 
may  all  those  who  transgress  this  sentence  be  extinguished 
and  stink  in  heU  ;'*  and  the  king,  with  all  those  who  were 
standing  by,  answered, ''  Amen,  Amen.'*  But  Robert,  bishop  of 
Lincoln^  suspecting  the  stability  of  this  afiBEor,  immediately 
caused  the  aforesaid  sentence  to  be  repeated  throughout  the 
whole  diocese  of  Lincoln. 

About  this  time,  the  citizens  of  Bourdeaux  intimated  to  the 
king,  that  unless  he  came  speedily  into  Guienne,  he  would 
lose  everything,  adding,  that  in  consequence  of  the  tyranny  of 
Simon,  earl  of  Leicester,  he  had  already  lost  many  subjects 
and  friends ;  which  was  false,  because  the  earl  had  repeatedly 
subdued  many  rebellious  and  powerful  persons,  and  com- 
pelled them  to  submit  to  the  king's  authority.  Therefore,  the 
king  caused  proclamation  to  be  made  by  the  voice  of  a  herald 
^  From  seuiwm,  a  shield. 


A.D.  1253.    THE  EITEaHTS  SUKlCOirXB  TO  F0BT8K0VTH.        327 

throngbout  Guieime,  that  no  ODe>  from  that  time  forth,  should 
attend  to  or  obey  earl  Simon ;  adding,  that  on  account  of  his 
oppressions  and  their  complaints,  he  deposed  the  aforesaid 
earl,  and  be  redeemed,  for  a  sum  of  money,  the  patent  by 
which  he  had  appointed  him  to  the  government  of  Guienne 
for  the  three  years  subsequent  to  the  signing  of  it ;  which  step 
was  very  pleasing  to  the  people  of  Guienne,  as  they  saw  by  it 
that  the  power  of  earl  Simon  had  expired,  and  that  they  could 
more  easily  complain  to  the  king  of  their  enemies. 

£mald  de  Bosco,  a  knight,  was  appointed  prime  forester, 
in  the  room  of  Robert  Passelowe,  in  aJl  the  southern  provinces 
of  England,  up  to  the  river  which  is  called  the  IVent,  and 
John  de  Lexington,  another  knight,  was  appointed  over  the 
northern  parts  of  the  island,  from  the  aforesaid  river  Trent  to 
the  borders  of  Scotland,  in  the  rojom  of  Geoffrey  de  Langley. 
Many  undeniable  miracles  were  performed  at  the  tomb  of 
Richard,  bishop  of  Chiehester ;  whose  body,  when  taken  up 
and  examined,  was  found  to  be  wrapped  in  hair  cloths,  and 
bound  round  with  iron  hoops.  Master  John  Clipping  was 
elected  to  the  bishopric  of  Winchester,  having  been  a  canon 
of  that  church  before.  A  mandate  from  the  Apostolic  See 
was  sent  about,  to  the  effect  that  every  bishop,  whether  in 
foreign  countries  or  in  England,  was  strictly  to  visit  all  the 
monks  who  were  established  in  his  diocese,  those  who  were 
exempt  as  well  as  those  who  were  not,  and  compel  them  to 
the  observation  of  certain  articles,  which  neither  belong  to  the 
rule  of  Saint  Benedict,  nor  do  they  exist  in  his  order ;  on 
which  account,  the  monks  of  France,  thinking  to  provide 
tranquillity  for  themselves,  having  given  four  thousand  pounds 
of  the  coinage  of  Tours  to  our  lord  the  pope,  prevented  the 
edict  from  reaching  them.  In  like  manner,  the  abbot  of  Saint 
Alban's,  with  the  rest  of  his  peers,  and  the  convents  which 
they  ruled,  appealed  without  delay  to  the  presence  of  our  lord 
the  pope. 

About  the  first  of  June,  the  king  having  received  intelli- 
gence of  the  desolation  of  Guienne,  caused  all  the  knights  in 
England  who  owed  him  miHtary  service,  to  be  summoned  to 
be  present  in  the  course  of  the  week  after  the  feast  of  the 
Holy  Trinity  at  Portsmouth,  ready  to  cross  the  sea  and  sail 
with  the  king  to  Guienne,  in  order  by  force  to  restore  it  to 
the  authority  of  the  king  its  master,  and  to  peace.  In  the 
meantime,  about  a  thousand  ships  having  been  engaged  for  the 


328  MATTHEW  or  WESTMnrSTBS.  A.D.  1253. 

expedition^  their  crews  being  nnable  to  get  a  fair  wind,  de- 
layed them  for  three  months,  and  the  king,  having  by  this  time 
consumed  the  greater  portion  of  his  treasure,  was  prevented 
from  putting  his  design  in  ezecation,  because  that  voyage  ap- 
peared destitute  of  &e  favour  of  God.  William,  bishop  of 
Llandaff,  died,  and  his  death  had  been  preceded  by  blindness 
which  had  lasted  seven  years.  Earl  Roger  Bigod,  mareschal 
of  England,  having  been  healthfully  instructed  by  the  judg- 
ment of  the  church,  came  cheerfidly  to  the  marriage,  and 
eladly  received  as  his  wife  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Scot- 
land, whom  he  had  formerly  despised.  But  the  king,  when 
at  last  he  got  the  fair  wind  ne  desired,  on  the  sixth  of  August 
bade  farewell  to  England,  and  committed  himself  to  Neptune, 
having  appointed  earl  Richard^  his  brother,  and  his  queen, 
guardians  of  his  kingdom,  and  having  also  entrusted  to  their 
his  care  eldest  son  Edward.  And  about  the  feast  of  the  As- 
sumption of  the  blessed  Mary,  the  king  landed  in  Guienne  at 
Bourdeaux,  and  the  citizens  coming  out  to  meet  him,  received 
him  with  reverence  as  they  ought.  Accordingly,  he  imme- 
diately ordered  the  town  of  Arguillon  to  be  surrounded  with  a 
siege,  as  a  great  many  of  his  enemies  from  Gascony  had  taken 
refuge  there,  though  Gaston  himself  had  fled  to  the  king  of 
Spain,  with  whom  he  had  formed  a  friendship,  and  to  whom 
(pledgpg  him  his  hand,  as  it  was  said)  he  had  promised  the 
dominion  of  Guienne.  But  the  French  hearing  that  the  king 
of  England  had  arrived  in  Guienne,  and  fearing  lest  the  peo- 
ple of  Poitou  should  go  over  to  the  party  of  the  king  of  Eng- 
land their  lord,  sent  Uiither  a  small  body  of  knights,  not  per- 
mitting them  to  have  the  guardianship  of  any  castles  or  cities ; 
and  so,  being  made  faithful  against  their  will,  they  did  the 
French  no  harm,  and  could  not  do  the  English  any  good. 
Thomas  of  Hereford,  archdeacon  of  Northumberland^  died, 
the  week  after  the  feast  of  Saint  Lawrence,  with  a  holy  and 
blessed  end :  at  one  time  he  had  been  a  pupil  in  the  school  of 
the  blessed  Edmund,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  also  a 
familiar  companion  of  his,  owing  to  which,  he  continued  one 
of  his  most  confidential  friends  till  his  death.  And  in  like 
manner  also.  Master  Richard,  who  was  afterwards  made  bishop 
of  Chichester,  endeavoured  to  follow  his  steps.  He»  because 
he  was  a  lover  of  the  poor,  bequeathed  his  body  to  a  certain 
very  poor  house,  that,  namely,  of  the  Brothers  of  Mount  Car- 
mel.    And  this  holy  archdeacon  Thomas,  and  this  Richard, 


A.B.  1253.     THB  KIKa  SEITDS  AMBA88ADOB8  TO  SPAIIT.  329 

bishop  of  Chichester,  too,  although  they  have  not  been  canon- 
ized at  Rome,  we,  without  any  hesitation,  belieye  to  have  been 
associated  in  the  company  of  Saint  Edmund.  These  three 
blessed  men,  then,  Edmund,  Richard,  and  Thomas,  England 
produced  in  this  age  we  are  speaking  of,  as  glorious  confessors 
of  God. 

One  of  the  picked  knights  of  the  king  of  France,  who  was 
at  this  time  in  the  Holy  Land,  being  angry  in  no  slight  degree 
because  of  his  son,  a  most  gallant  knight,  whom  the  said  king, 
without  his  knowing  it,  had  caused  to  be  hanged  for  some 
offence,  for  wMch  deed,  also,  the  aforesaid  king  faithfully 
promised  his  father  to  make  him  amends,  abandoned  the 
Christians,  and  went  over  to  the  soldan,  and  from  having  been 
a  friend  to  the  Christians,  became  their  enemy,  and  having 
joined  the  pagans,  proved  a  very  formidable  apostate. 

When  the  lord  the  pope  had  by  an  apostolic  writing  en- 
joined Robert,  bishop  of  Lincohi  (as  he  had  done  repeatedly 
to  many  other  persons),  to  do  something  which  to  Uiat  pre- 
late appeared  to  be  unjust  and  inconsistent,  the  said  bishop 
wrote  an  answer  to  the  lord  the  pope  in  these  words  : — 

Robert,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  writes  cm  answer  to  the  lord  the  pope. 

''  Health,  &c.  May  your  discretion  know,  that  with  the 
affection  of  a  son,  I  devoutly  and  reverently  obey  the  apos- 
toHc  mandates,"  &c. 

When  this  letter  had  reached  the  pope,  the  lord  the  pope 
bemg  exceedingly  indignant  at  it,  proposed  to  confound  the 
bishop,  and  to  plunge  him  into  such  distress,  that  he  should 
be  a  wonder  and  an  example  of  terror  to  ihe  whole  world. 
Bat  at  last,  being  softened  by  wiser  counsels,  he  dissembled 
bis  anger,  and  allowed  the  matter  to  pass  over,  that  he  might 
not  appear  to  stir  up  too  great  a  tumult  on  the  subject.  On 
the  vigil  of  the  Assumption,  the  venerable  man,  Ranulph, 
abbot  of  Ramsey,  died,  leaving  his  house  and  his  flock  abound- 
ing in  all  spirituid  as  well  as  temporal  riches. 

The  king  sent  formal  ambassadors  from  himself  to  the  king 
of  Spain,  namely,  the  bishop  of  Bath,  and  John  Mansel,  his 
own  especial  chaplain,  to  demand  the  king's  sister  in  lawful 
marriage  for  his  eldest  son  Edward,  the  heir  of  his  kingdom 
of  England,  and  promising  himself  to  invest  the  aforesaid 
Edward  with  the  belt  of  a  knight.  Robert,  bishop  of  Lincoln, 
being  detained  on  the  bed  of  sickness,  and  knowing  that 


d30  HATTHBW  07  WB8THIK8TEB.  i.D.  1253. 

troubles  to  the  church  were  near  at  hand,  recited  some  actions  of 
the  Bomau  court  in  the  presence  of  his  chaplains,  and  bitterly 
accused  the  Preaching  Brothers  and  the  Minor  Brothers,  saying 
that  their  orders  had  been  established  in  voluntary  poverty, 
that  they  might  have  spirit  more  freely  to  reprove  the  erron 
of  the  nobles ;  but  in  that  they  did  not  reprove  the  sins  of  the 
nobles  boldly,  he  said,  that  they  were  manifest  heretics,  and 
he  added,  "Heresy  is  an  opinion  chosen  by  human  sense, 
contrary  to  Holy  Scriptures,  openly  taught,  and  pertinaci- 
ously defended.  For  heresy*  is  in  Greek  what  election  is  in 
Latin.  But  to  give  the  care  of  souk  to  a  young  child  is  the 
act  of  a  prelate,  which  he  elects  to  do  according  to  his  haman 
sense,  from  yielding  to  the  flesh,  or  out  of  rashness,  and  is 
contrary  to  Holy  Scripture,  which  forbids  those  persons  to 
be  made  shepherds  who  are  not  able  to  keep  off  the  wolves ; 
and  such  an  opinion  or  action  is  openly  taught,  because  the 
sealed  or  bulled  charter  is  openly  shown ;  and  it  is  pertina- 
ciously defended,  because  if  any  one  opposes  it  he  is  suspended 
or  excommunicated.  And  he  in  whom  the  whole  definition  of 
heresy  agrees  is  a  heretic.  But  every  faithful  believer  is  boond 
to  oppose  heretics  as  much  as  he  can;  he,  therefore,  who  can 
oppose  them,  and  does  not  oppose  them,  sins,  and  appears  to 
be  a  favourer  of  error,  according  to  that  saying  of  Gregory, 
'  He  is  not  free  from  suspicion  of  a  secret  complicity  in  the 
act,  who  declines  to  oppose  a  manifest  crime.'  But  when 
the  aforesaid  bishop  had  said  this  and  many  other  melancholy 
things  about  the  state  of  the  church,  with  a  querulous  voice, 
he  departed  happily  from  the  exile  of  this  world  which  he  had 
always  hated,  to  be  with  the  Lord,  dying  on  the  night  of 
Saint  Denis,  at  his  manor  of  Bugden.  But  the  same  night, 
as  it  is  said,  Fulk,  bishop  of  London,  when  he  was  near  that 
manor,  heard  some  most  beautiful  music  sotmdfng  on  high ; 
also  some  of  the  Minor  Brothers,  who  were  hastening  towvds 
that  spot,  and  who  were  ignorant  of  ,his  death,  heard  a  sweet 
sound  of  bells  ringing  on  high,  among  which  they  particularly 
remarked  one  very  sweet  note  of  especial  beauty  and  distinct- 
ness. And  afterwards,  both  the  bishop  and  the  brothers 
knew  that  the  hour  of  that  vision,  or  rather  hearing,  was 
the  very  one  in  which  the  aforesaid  holy  bishop  departed  hap- 
pily from  the  body.  This  Robert,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  derived 
his  origin  from  a  family  in  the  lower  part  of  Suffolk,  in  the 
*  atpcatf,  from  aipiu,  to  choose ;  election,  from  eUffO,  to  choose. 


A.D.  1254.      MISi.CLX8  HT  THS  CHXTBCH  07  UNCOLBT.       331 

town  of  Stradbroke.  AIbo  ^^K^Uiam  de  Vescy^  a  knight,  who 
was  one  of  the  noblest  barons  of  the  northern  parts  of  Eng^ 
land,  died,  while  the  king  was  still  in  the  province  of  GmeDne» 
and  entrosting  the  government  of  that  country  to  a  foreigner, 
Robert,  bishop  of  lincoln,  being  dead,  as  has  been  already 
mentioned,  a  quarrel  arose  between  the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury and  the  canons  of  Lincoln.  For  the  archbishop  claimed 
the  power  of  conferring  the  prebends  and  bestowing  the  r^ 
vennes  which  feU  in  that  diocese  while  the  bishopric  was  still 
vacant;  bat  the  canons,  with  many  of  the  secular  clergy, 
who  were  not  unacquainted  with  the  law  of  this  matter,  op- 
posed him,  on  which  account  the  archbishop  excommunicated 
them  and  all  others  who  opposed  him ;  but  Master  William 
Wolf  contradicted  him  to  his  face^  and  appealed  on  behalf  of 
all  his  party  to  the  Apostolic  See. 

Eleanor,  queen  of  England,  bore  a  daughter  in  London  on 
the  day  of  Saint  Catharine,  who  was  baptized  by  the  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  and  who,  from  the  day  on  which  she 
was  born,  received  the  nane  of  Catharine. 

A  terrible  quarrel  arose  at  Paris  between  the  scholars  and 
the  Preaching  Brothers,  for  the  Brothers  would  not  submit  to 
the  established  customs  and  laws  of  the  university,  but  claimed 
a  right  to  manage  themselves,  and  to  be  idle  or  not,  according 
to  their  own  pleasure,  and  to  do  other  things  contrary  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community ;  on  which  account  Rome  was  ap- 
pealed to  by  both  sides  at  a  great  expenditure  of  money  and 
labour,  ana  at  last  peace  was,  though  with  difficulty,  re-es- 
tablished. But  in  the  church  of  Lincoln  miracles  were  added 
to  miracles  every  day ;  for,  the  Lord  working  on  behalf  of 
the  before-mentioned  Saint  Robert,  other  saints  who  rest  in 
the  same  church  (namely.  Saint  Remigius  and  Saint  Hugo) 
were  also  roused  up  to  confer  benefits  on  the  faithful.  But 
as  to  this  Robert  having  good  zeal  for  the  Lord  and  for  his 
neighbours,  although  he  had  harassed  his  canons  a  good  deal, 
and  had  fulminated  terrible  decrees  against  persons  of  the 
religious  orders  of  both  sexes,  I  nevertheless  confidently  say, 
that  his  virtues  pleased  God  more  than  his  excesses  displeased 
him,  as  is  now  manifestly  shown  by  the  miracles  which  are  so 
brilhant  at  his  tomb. 

Concerning  the  sqfoum  ofkingKewry  at  Besanem, 
A.D.  1254.  King  Henry  the  Third,  it  being  the  thirty-eighth 


332  HATTHZW  OF   WEflTMLBfBTlCB,  A.D.  1254. 

year  of  his  reign,  was  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord 
at  Bezas,  in  Gaienne,  where  he  bestowed  precioos  donations  on 
the  people  of  Guienne,  in  double  garments  and  other  desirable 
things.  And  when  the  queen  recovered  from  her  confinement, 
she  sent  her  lord  the  king  five  hundred  marks  out  of  her  pri- 
vate revenues.  On  the  day  after  the  feast  of  the  blessed  Thomas 
the  Martyr,  the  canons  of  Lincoln  elected  as  their  bishop 
Master  Henry  de  Lexinton,  dean  of  the  same  church,  who, 
though  he  crossed  the  sea  to  be  presented  to  the  king,  yet 
feared  to  appear  before  him,  because  the  king  had  entreated 
and  solicited  him  and  his  whole  chapter  to  elect  the  bishop  of 
Hereford,  which,  however,  they  all  refused  to  do ;  neverthe- 
less, the  king,  as  he  found  no  cause  for  rejection  in  the  said 
bishop  elect,  admitted  him. 

About  the  same  time  the  king  had  invited  the  queen  and  his 
eldest  son  and  heir,  Edward,  requesting  them  not  to  delay  to 
come  to  him  with  all  speed,  in  order  that  the  arrangement  which 
has  been  already  mentioned  as  having  been  entered  into  by 
him  and  the  king  of  Spain  touching  &e  marriage  to  be  con- 
tracted by  the  prince,  might  be  brought  to  a  conclusion.  Some 
Saracens  who  had  been  converted  to  the  faith  of  Christ  came 
into  France,  some  of  whom  had  been  baptized,  and  some  stiil 
wanted  to  be  baptized.  And  this  was  the  cause  of  their  con- 
version, that  they  had  formerly  seen  the  king  miraculously 
delivered  from  the  hands  of  the  most  powerful  soldan  of  Baby- 
lon, and  also  the  exceeding  patience  of  the  king  in  adversity, 
his  inflexible  constancy  in  his  designs,  and  how  he  had  con- 
tinued in  them  even  aiter  his  captivity,  fortifying  castles  and 
stengthening  cities  against  the  enemies  of  God;,  how,  too, 
for  the  love  of  his  God,  he  had  deserted  his  kingdom  to  ex- 
pose himself  to  the  dangers  of  the  sea,  of  wars,  and  of  foreign 
lands,  labouring  to  gain  over  the  souls  of  the  infidels.  More- 
over, they  learnt,  by  the  information  of  the  orthodox,  that  the 
foul  law  of  Mahomet  is  full  of  poison  to  the  soul ;  and  they 
brought  with  them  letters  patent  from  the  king  of  France, 
saying  that  they  were  to  be  supported  at  the  king's  expense 
till  he  himself  returned  to  his  own  country,  when  he  would 
make  fuller  provision  for  them. 

On  Septuagesima  Sunday  some  ships  of  barbarians,  which 
had  been  tossed  about  by  the  fury  of  the  winds,  of  great  size 
and  elegance,  the  like  of  which  there  were  not  in  the  posses- 
sion of  England,  well  found  in  all  their  naval  armament,  and 


A.D.  1254.       THE  POPE  WHITES  TO  ALL  THE  PEELATES.        333 

in  all  kinds  of  warlike  stores  and  provisions,  were  driven  on 
onr  coast,  and  anchored  not  far  firom  Berwick.  And  when 
the  sailors  were  asked  who  they  were,  they  either  would  not, 
or  perhaps  could  not,  explain  intelligibly,  or  say  who  they  were, 
or  why,  or  from  whence,  or  in  what  manner  they  had  come 
thither,  nor  did  any  one  of  the  bailiwick  understand  their 
language,  so  that  they  were  allowed  to  depart  in  peace.  And 
some  other  ships  resembling  them  were  also  seen  at  sea. 

Gkiston  de  Biarde  having  collected  a  multitude  of  the  king's 
enemies,  rashly  made  an  attempt  to  enter  the  city  of  Bayonne, 
in  a  seditious  and  hostile  manner,  and  to  occupy  it  -,  and  Bay- 
onne  is  situated  on  the  sea  coast,  and  is  the  second  city  of  idl 
Guienne.  But  a  number  of  the  citizens,  who  had  admitted 
some  of  the  king's  enemies,  because  they  also  hated  him,  were 
arrested  by  the  faithful  subjects  of  the  king,  and  punished 
with  other  traitors.  Also  John  Hansard,  who  was  not  the 
least  among  the  nobles  of  the  north  country,  died,  in  the 
general  mortality  which  accompanied  that  expedition.  But 
when  the  severity  of  the  cold,  which  had  continued  with  fearful 
rigour  during  nearly  the  whole  of  that  winter,  ceased,  such  a 
fatal  pestilence  among  the  sheep  and  game  ensued,  that  the 
sheepfolds  were  bereft  of  their  sheep,  and  the  forests  of  their 
game,  and  of  large  herds,  scarcely  one  half  survived. 

Hie  lord  liie  pope,  taking  into  his  consideration  that  the 
liberal  sciences  had  now  been  nearly  all  turned  into  mechani- 
cal ones  for  the  sake  of  gain,  and  that  young  persons,  very 
little  advanced  in  either  age  or  knowledge,  were  promoted 
most  unworthily  to  the  office  of  teacher,  in  order  that,  by 
bing  thus  elevated,  they  might  be  feared,  and  being  thus  made 
more  venerable,  might  dimb  to  higher  places,  though  desti- 
tute of  any  sound  foundation,  wrote  an  elegant  letter  on  this 
subject  to  all  the  prektes  existing  in  the  kingdoms  of  France, 
England^  Scotland,  Wales,  Spain,  and  Hungary,  giving  them 
wholesome  counsel  against  such  indiscreet  presumption,  which 
letter  a  diligent  seeker  will  be  able  to  find  elsewhere.  Pope 
Innocent  thinking,  as  is  generally  said,  to  cast  the  bones  of 
Robert,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  out  of  the  church,  the  next  night 
that  same  bishop  appeared  to  him,  as  it  is  said,  arrayed  in  his 
pontifiical  vestments,  and  with  serene  countenance,  and  austere 
look,  and  terrible  voice,  addressed  the  pope  himself,  pricking  him 
in  the  side  with  the  point  of  his  pastond  staff,  and  said  to  him : 
"0,pope  Senebald,  have  you  cherished  the  idea  of  throwing  my 


334  iCATTSiw  or  WBSTHIKSTEB.  A-D.  1254. 

bones  oat  of  the  church,  to  the  disgrace  of  me  myself  and  the 
church  of  lincobiT  Whence  did  such  rashness  enter  your 
head  T  The  Lord  will  not  at  all  permit  you  to  have  any  pover 
whaterer  orer  me.  I  wrote  to  you  in  the  spirit  of  humility 
that  you  should  correct  your  errors,  but  you  despised  my  salu- 
tary warnings.  Alas  for  you  who  despise,  shall  you  not  also  be 
despised  V  And  so  departing,  he  left  the  pope  pierced  through 
as  it  were  with  a  lance,  sighing  and  groaning  heavily.  On  the 
twenty-eighth  of  March,  the  bishop  elect  of  Lincoln,  namely, 
Henry  de  Lexinton,  formerly  dean  of  the  said  church,  was 
confinned  by  Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canterbury.  And  the 
same  month,  namely,  on  the  thirteenth  of  May,  Silvester, 
bishop  of  Carlisle,  died  of  falling  from  his  horse  on  his  head, 
and  having  broken  many  bones,  he  so  expired.  About  the 
same  time,  that  is  to  say,  on  the  twenty-fourth  of  March,  Wil* 
liam,  son  of  William,  and  count  of  Ferrara,  died,  a  man  of 
great  prudence  and  skill  in  the  laws  of  the  kingdom.  He 
used  to  be  carried  about  in  a  carriage  or  litter,  and  as  one  day 
his  carriage  was  overturned  and  thrown  dpwn  on  a  certain 
bridge,  namely,  at  Saint  Neots,  he  himself  had  some  limbs 
broken,  and  so  went  speedily  to  death.  The  same  year,  a  con- 
firmation was  held  in  ihe  church  of  Saint  Alban's,  by  Bichard, 
the  venerable  bishop  of  Bangor. 

About  this  time,  a  most  bloody  battle  was  fought  on  the 
confines  of  Flanders  and  Brabant,  between  the  French  and 
the  Flemings  on  the  one  side,  and  the  countess  of  Flanders 
and  her  allies,  namely,  William  of  Holland,  king  of  Germany, 
and  many  other  nobles  of  Brabant  and  Germany,  on  the  other 
side,  on  behalf  of  the  two  sons  of  the  aforesaid  countess  by 
her  two  husbands;  in  which  battle  many  gallant  warriors 
perished  lamentably,  so  that  ten  thousand  men  were  slain  of 
one  city  in  Flanders.  At  last,  the  victory  declared  for  the  king 
before  mentioned,  William  of  Holland,  and  the  Germans ;  and 
the  French  were  defeated  and  wounded,  and  for  the  most  part 
slain,  and  so  got  the  worst  of  it.  The  French,  therefore,  being 
precipitated  into  the  abyss  of  despair  and  desolation,  gave  no- 
tice to  the  lord  the  king  of  France,  who  was  still  remaining  in 
foreign  countries  after  his  release  from  captivity,  that  he  ought 
to  hasten  to  return  to  his  own  country  with  all  possible  speed ; 
adding,  how  the  crown  of  France  was  tottering  in  consequence 
of  the  pride  of  a  woman,  namely,  the  countess  of  Flanders, 
who,  relying  on  her  two  sons  and  her  two  husbands,  filled  the 
whole  kugdom  of  France  with  embarrassment. 


X.V,  1254.  BXSRY  DB  LBZHTrOir  COKSECSATBD  BTBOinFAOS.  335 

About  thiB  time,  the  lord  John,  prior  of  Nevborgh,  was 
sent  into  those  parts  on  the  business  of  the  kingdom  of  Eng- 
land ;  and  he  being  certified  of  these  events,  committed  them 
to  writing  in  a  i^  detail,  and  in  regular  order ;  and  the  num* 
bar  of  nobles,  and  knights,  and  esquires,  and  men-at-arms 
who  were  take^  prisoners  or  slain  in  that  battle,  is  said  to  have 
amounted  to  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  men. 

In  the  course  of  the  fortnight  after  Easter,  the  nobles  of 
England,  being  assembled  in  Parliament,  in  London,  waited 
for  the  arrival  of  earl  Richard  for  three  weeks  to  no  purpose ; 
and  the  king  intimated  to  them  that  he  stood  in  need  of  money 
and  a  reinforcement  to  his  army ;  and  they  all  replied  that 
they  would,  under  no  circumstances,  deky  to  come  in  person 
to  the  succour  of  the  lord  their  king,  if,  as  they  saia,  they 
received  filler  information  of  the  hosSe  arrival  of  the  king  of 
Spain,  who  threatened  such  a  proceeding ;  and  they  marvel- 
led thiat  the  aforesaid  king  had  never  laid  claim  to  Guienne 
during  the  time  that  Simon,  earl  of  Leicester,  was  governor  of 
it.  These,  then,  were  their  arguments.  But  afterwards  the 
nobles,  having  learnt  the  real  state  of  affairs  from  the  aforesaid 
earl,  who  just  at  that  time  returned  from  foreign  parts,  and 
told  them  the  real  truth,  and  finding  that  the  message  which 
they  received  had  no  foundation,  returned  home  in  great  in- 
dignation. When  earl  Richard  required  of  the  Jews  a  sum  of 
money  of  no  inconsiderable  amount  for  the  service  of  the  king, 
who  was  in  great  want  of  it,  Elias  of  London,  the  high  priest 
of  the  Jews,  made  answer  on  behalf  of  them  all :  "  My  lords, 
we  see  that  the  lord  the  king  proposes  to  wipe  us  all  out  from 
before  the  i&ce  of  heaven ;  we  ask,  therefore,  that  he  will  give 
us  his  royal  licence  ;  behold,  we  are  prepared  to  depart  from 
the  kingdom,  and  we  will  depart  and  never  return."  This  he 
said  with  sobs  and  most  bitter  tears,  on  which  account  the 
nobles,  pitying  them,  allowed  them  to  depart.  Another  fierce 
battle  took  place  between  the  French  and  Germans.  The  Fries- 
landers,  who  had  previously  observed  a  neutrality,  were  at- 
tacked in  a  hostile  manner  by  William  of  Holland. 

About  this  time,  that  is  to  say,  on  the  seventeenth  of  May, 
Henry  de  Lezinton,  bishop  elect  of  Lincoln,  was  consecrated 
and  installed  in  his  diocese  by  Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, while  he  was  in  a  foreign  land.  As  some  Welchmen, 
who  were  serving  in  the  king's  army  in  Guienne,  were  pu- 
nished by  the  king's  brothers  and  the  people  of  Poitou,  without 


336  Hi.TTHSW  OT  WBSTlOirSTEB.  A.D.  12&4. 

any  complamt  being  previously  lodged  against  them  before  the 
earl  of  Hereford,  who  is  well  known,  according  to  his  ancient 
right,  to  be  constable  of  the  royal  army ;  and  when  the  said 
earl  had  addressed  a  complaint  of  this  proceeding  to  the  king, 
and  got  nothing  bat  ridicule,  the  English,  being  indignant  at 
this,  proposed  to  attack  the  Poitevins;  bat  (he  king  being 
alarmed,  humbly  besought  their  pardon,  but  could  hardly 
check  their  fury  so  as  to  prevent  blood  from  being  shed  abun- 
dantly ;  on  which  account,  some  of  the  nobles,  seeing  that  any- 
thing like  a  lasting  peace  was  at  a  great  distance,  obtained 
leave  from  the  king,  and  returned  with  all  speed  to  their  own 
country.  That  cruel  sentence,  by  which  Henry  Delamere,  when 
going  his  circuit  as  justiciary,  had  caused  the  house  of  Saint 
Alban's  to  be  amerced  in  a  hundred  marks,  because  the  ser- 
vants of  the  abbot  did  not  come  before  him  out  of  the  liberty 
of  Saint  Alban's,  as  they  had  no  right  to  do,  was  revoked  and 
annulled.  In  consequence  of  which,  the  sud  abbot  procured 
letters  from  the  king  on  the  subject,  the  queen  and  earl  Richard 
being  the  guardians  of  the  kingdom,  the  king  himself  being  in 
Guienne. 

The  same  year,  permission  was  obtained  from  king  Henry 
that  the  monks  of  Westminster  and  their  successors  should 
have  extracts  from  the  rolls  taken  before  any  of  the  justiciaiiea 
concerning  the  amercements  and  every  kind  of  fine  of  those 
who  dwelt  on  their  lands,  and  concerning  1^  chattels  of  those 
among  them  who  fled  or  who  were  convicted  of  anything. 
And  a  charter  had  been  previously  drawn  up  and  granted  to 
them  on  this  subject,  a.d.  1252.  In  which,  also,  permission 
was  given  them  for  their  convent  to  have  for  its  own  whatever 
revenues  accrued  during  the  time  of  any  vacancy. 

As  the  people  of  Winchelsea  had  prepared  a  very  sufficient 
ship  for  the  queen,  when  she  was  about  to  cross  the  sea,  bat 
the  men  of  Yarmouth  had  equipped  a  much  finer  one  for 
prince  Edward,  a  quarrel  arose  between  them,  so  that  when 
the  finer  yessel  was  wrecked,  they  attacked  the  crew  and 
wounded  some  of  the  sailors  and  slew  others.  On  which  ac- 
count a  very  grave  complaint  was  made,  and  the  men  of  Yar- 
mouth, with  one  accord,  bent  their  thoughts  to  taking  revenge 
for  this  transgression.  But  while  the  queen  was  grieving,  being 
very  much  disturbed  by  such  a  contention,  when  evei^ihiDg 
was  prepared  for  her  crossing  the  sea,  and  when  she  herself  was 
ready,  behold  I  another  message  comes  firom  the  king,  con- 


A.P.  1264.  EDWAED  IB  SBKT  INTO  SPAIN.  337 

trary  to  his  former  one^  desiring  that  the  queen  would  not 
cross  the  sea.  She,  therefore,  being  vexed  and  perplexed  on 
all  sides,  deliberated  what  she  ought  to  do.  At  last,  having 
made  up  her  mind,  she  determined  not  to  abandon  her* inten- 
tion, but  with  her  sons  and  her  noble  household,  she  embarked 
on  board  ship  at  Portsmouth,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  May, 
undTer  the  conduct  of  her  uncle,  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury ; 
and  on  the  thirty-first  of  May,  she  arrived  at  Bdurdeaux. 
And  Walter  de  Grey,  archbishop  of  York,  was  appointed  regent 
of  the  kingdom  in  the  queen's  stead. 

That  year,  the  north- wind  blowing  uninterruptedly  for  three 
months,  did  great  injury  to  the  spring  flowers  and  fruits. 
About  the  first  of  July,  just  at  the  time  of  the  summer  sol- 
stice, a  sudden  torrent  of  rain  mingled  with  hail,  such  as  was 
never  seen  before,  burst  forth,  lasting  for  an  hour  or  more, 
and  tearing  off  the  roofs  of  the  houses,  and  breaking  the 
branches  of  the  trees. 

In  the  month  of  May,  died  that  hope  and  glory  of  the 
English,  that  youth  of  great  beauty  and  promise,  Henry,  son 
of  the  emperor  Frederic.  And  he  died,  as  is  asserted,  owing 
to  the  intrigues  of  Conrad  himself,  which  is,  however,  not 
credible,  nor  is  there  any  proof  of  it ;  as  the  said  king  Con- 
rad, after  his  death,  never  wore  the  cheerful  countenance  that 
he  did  before.  But  the  real  truth  was,  that  a  wicked  man, 
John  the  Moor,  administered  poison  to  him,  and  while  he  was 
still  panting  and  near  death,  smothered  him  with  a  towel.  A 
violent  quarrel  arose  between  the  lord  the  pope  and  Conrad, 
king  of  Sicily.  For  the  pope  accused  him  of  many  crimes, 
namely,  of  heresy  and  murder ;  but  he  replied  to  every  one 
of  the  charges,  giving  them  a  steady  denial. 

Edwa/rd  is  sent  into  Spain  to  he  married. 

Edward,  the  eldest  son  of  the  king,  was  sent  with  great 
pomp  and  magnificence  to  Alfonzo,  king  of  Spain,  where  he 
married  the  youthful  Eleanor,  the  sister  of  the  king,  at  Burgos, 
and  was  invested  by  the  said  king  with  the  belt  of  a  knight ; 
and  Edward  returning  with  his  bride  to  his  father,  brought 
with  him  a  document  from  the  king  of  Spain,  sealed  with  a 
golden  bull,  in  which  he  claimed  quiet  possession  of  the  whole 
of  Guienne,  for  himself  and  his  heirs.  But  the  king  of  Eng- 
land had  conferred  on  his  before-mentioned  son  at  the  time  of 
his  marriage,  and  on  his  wife,  Guienne,  Ireland,  Wales,  Bristol, 

TOL.  n.  z 


338  1£ATTH£W  OF  WXBTMIKSTXB.  A.D.  12M. 

Stamford,  Grantham,  with  other  places.  From  that  time  forth 
the  king  hegan  to  prepare  for  a  speedy  return  into  England. 
And  it  was  found,  by  careful  computation,  that  the  king,  on  his 
expedition  into  Guienne,  had  consumed  in  his  expenses  twenty- 
scTen  thousand  pounds  and  more,  without  counting  the  estates, 
and  guardianships,  and  revenues,  which  he  had  bestowed  on 
foreigners,  and  a  sum  of  thirty  tibousand  marks  which  he  had 
expended  on  his  uterine  brothers.  At  the  feast  of  the  trans- 
lation of  Saint  Benedict,  the  bishop  of  Norwich  came  to  Saint 
Alban's,  in  compliance  with  the  oraers  of  both  the  pope  and 
the  king,  in  order  to  take  tithes  of  all  the  |N*operty  of  that 
church,  with  the  exceptioa  of  the  barony;  according  to  the 
grant  which  had  been  made  to  the  king  for  three  years,  on  con- 
dition, however,  of  his  going  on  a  pilgrimage  for  the  reUef  of 
the  Holy  Land.  Therefore,  he  eo&voked  all  the  rectors  and 
vicars  of  churches,  and  all  the  keepers  of  churches  in  the  dis- 
trict of  St.  Alban's,  in  order  that  their  property  might  be 
taxed,  the  value  being  first  estimated  on  oath.  And  he  caused 
all  the  officers  of  that  monastery  to  t&x  their  property  with 
strictness  and  good  faith,  asserting  that  a  strict  examination 
into  that  taxation  should  be  afterwards  entered  into,  with  dili- 
gent and  strict  investigation.  Moreover,  he  shewed  the  auto- 
graph letters  of  which  he  was  the  bearer,  both  from  the  pope 
and  the  king,  and  declared  that  he  had  submitted  to  that  task 
very  unwillingly.  On  which  account,  a  thing  of  unprece- 
dented strangeness  took  place.  For,  hitherto,  the  people  of 
the  district  had  been  accustomed  to  pay  tithes  to  the  prelates, 
but  now  the  order  being  quite  inverted  and  changed,  the  pre- 
lates were  compelled  against  their  will  to  pay  tithes  to  the 
laity.  But  about  the  time  of  the  anniversary  of  the  before- 
mentioned  translation,  that,  namely,  of  Saint  Benedict,  the 
lord  the  king  of  France  came  from  the  Holy  Land,  at  the 
earnest  entreaty  of  the  nobles  of  his  kingdom,  as  has  been 
already  mentioned;  and  when,  afler  a  fair  voyage,  he  had 
landed  at  Marseilles,  which  is  at  no  great  distance  from  Mont 
Pesilan,  he  stayed  there  a  few  days  and  rested.  But  as 
his  nobles  were  urging  him,  he  hastened  to  proceed  on  to 
France,  because  the  king  of  Germany,  the  aforesaid  William, 
was  with  difficulty  prevailed  on  to  grant  a  short  truce  to  the 
French  or  to  maintain  it.  Therefore,  the  aforesaid  king  coming 
to  his  own  country,  immediately  deliberated  how  he  might  (by 
the  intervention  of  justice)  pacify  the  before-mentioned  dis- 


A.D.  1254.      THE  POPE  AGAIIT  SENDS  TO  THE  KING.  339 

sension,  which  was  the  cause  of  his  heing  thas  pressed  to 
hasten  his  arrival. 

On  the  mnth  of  August,  Hugo,  bishop  of  Ely,  died,  who 
had  formerly  been  abbot  of  Saint  Edmund's,  and  who  in  the 
two  churches  had  served  God  in  an  exemplary  manner  for 
about'  forty  years.  And  his  body  was  buried  with  great  re- 
spect in  the  cathedral  of  Ely,  in  the  new  presbytery,  which  he 
had  built  from  its  foundations  with  great  magnificence,  at  his 
own  expense.  And  by  his  death  the  Black  Friars  lost  the 
flower  of  their  order,  inasmuch  as  he  was  the  abbot  of  abbots 
in  England,  and  was  distinguished  a/ the  bishop  of  bishops. 
On  the  vigil  of  the  Assumption,  about  one  o'clock,  a  clap  of 
thunder,  accompanied  with  lightning,  sounded,  attended  also 
with  a  vast  storm  of  rain,  and  the  thunderbolt  fell  on  the 
tower  of  Saint  Peter's  church,  in  the  town  of  Saint  Alban's, 
and  penetrated  it  with  a  horrible  crash,  twisting  the  large 
beams  of  oak  as  if  they  were  rags,  and  crushing  it  and  scat- 
tering it  into  minute  splinters.  Master  Thomas  de  Yieux 
Fonts  was  elected  bishop  of  Carlisle,  although  the  lord  the 
king  was  very  earnest  in  his  petition  for  some  one  else, 
namely,  for  the  prior  of  Newburgh. 

This  summer,  some  nobles  belonging  to  the  Greek  empire 
arrived  at  the  court  of  Rome,  do&ed  in  gold,  with  riding 
horses,  and  sumpter  horses,  and  a  very  numerous  household, 
who  attacked  the  lord  the  pope,  and  in  most  violent  language 
charged  him  with  having  erred  enormously  in  the  faith,  and 
also  with  having  been  the  cause  that  all  the  people  of  Latium 
had  erred,  who  say  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeds  from  the 
Father  and  the  Son,  inasmuch  as  by  them  he  was  asserted  to 
proceed  from  the  Father,  according  to  the  demonstration  and 
estabUshed  belief  of  the  Greeks.  And  this  error  of  the  Greeks 
is  one  of  long  standing.  They  also  accused  him  of  other  im- 
proper things,  which  his  court  notoriously  practised. 

But  the  pope  bestowed  valuable  presents  on  them,  and  sent 
them  away  well  instructed  in  the  faith. 

When  Master  Albert  had  returned  to  Borne,  and  reported 
the  answer  of  earl  Richard  to  the  lord  the  pope,  he  was  a 
second  time  sent  by  the  pope,  on  a  secret  message  to  the  king 
of  England,  to  offer  and  grant  him  the  kingdoms  of  Apuha 
and  Sicily  for  his  son  Edmund,  urging  him  to  hasten  like  a 
king  to  take  possession  of  them,  and  to  prepare  as  large  a 
force  to  assist  him  as  he  could  without  inconvenience.    But 

z2 


340  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMI198TEB.  A.D.  1254. 

the  king  was  so  delighted  at  this  promise,  that  he  already 
began  publicly  to  call  the  aforesaid  Edmand  king  of  Sicily ; 
beUeving,  in  fact,  that  he  was  already  in  possession  of  iLe 
kingdom.  Accordingly,  the  king  sent  all  the  money  he  could 
procure  to  the  lord  the  pope,  that  he  might  subdue  Conrad 
and  all  his  Sicilians  and  Apulians.  And  the  pope  collected 
a  considerable  army,  and  provided  it  abundantly  with  neces- 
saries. And  when  his  money  began  to  fall  short  he  informed 
the  king,  who  sent  him  letters  patent  in  the  way  of  security, 
and  undertook  to  make  every  thing  quiet.  And  the  pope  ac- 
quiescing in  such  a  message  as  this,  having  received  a  trea- 
sure of  great  amount  from  the  usurers,  collected  a  vast 
number  of  men  in  his  army,  the  greater  part  of  whom  were 
of  little  service  to  either  the  king  or  the  pope.  Therefore, 
king  Conrad  having  suffered  hostile  attacks,  and  reproaches  and 
calumnies,  began  to  be  afflicted  with  severe  grief,  and  to  take 
to  the  bed  of  death.  And  he  said,  "  Woe  is  me,  miserable  that 
I  am !  Why  did  my  father  beget  me  ?  The  empire  which  has 
flourished  to  this  day,  is  now  withering."  And  80>  cursing  the 
day  of  his  birth,  he  departed  from  the  body  in  a  miserable 
state.  But  when  the  pope  heard  of  this,  he  moved  down  to 
the  further  side  of  Apulia,  and  seized  upon  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  kingdom.  And  when  the  nobles  of  the  country  saw 
this  they  were  indignant,  and  setting  up  a  natural  son  of  Fre- 
deric, by  name  Manfred,  they  adhered  to  him,  doing  homage 
to  him  ;  and  So  the  last  error  was  worse  than  the  first. 

After  the  feast  of  All  Saints,  a  most  terrible  pestilence 
came,  which  is  called  the  tongue's  evil,  and  which  caused  the 
death  of  many  horses  in  England  and  France,  and  made  many 
others  sick  and  useless,  so  that  it  was  afterwards  scarcely  pos- 
sible to  cure  them.  But  on  the  day  after  the  Assumption, 
the  monks  of  the  church  of  Saint  Albans  set  out  on  a  journey 
towards  Rome,  with  a  view  of  repelling  the  insolence  of  the 
bishops,  who  were  endeavouring  to  hold  a  visitation  in  that 
church,  according  to  the  commands  of  the  Apostolic  See,  but 
contrary  to  the  tenor  of  their  privileges ;  their  names  being 
the  lord  William  of  Huntingdon,  and  the  lord  John  of  Be* 
retun.  The  same  year,  in  the  winter  season,  when  the  sea 
had  overflowed  all  the  neighbouring  lands,  so  that  the  com 
could  not  be  seen,  nor  could  the  trees  put  forth  buds  or  leaves, 
when  the  time  of  autumn  arrived  all  those  lands,  although 
they  had  been  diligently  cultivated,  were  found  to  be  barren 
of  every  kind  of  corn,  being  thoroughly  saturated  with  the 


A.D  1254.        ENQUIBT  AS  TO  THE  VALTJB  OF  LANDS.  341 

salt  water  of  the  sea.  And  aU  the  trees,  too,  whether  in  woods 
or  fruit-trees,  being  dried  by  the  sun,  were  fit  for  nothing  but 
to  be  cut  down  with  the  axe.  Owing  to  which,  the  sailors 
who  were  working  on  the  water,  experienced  in  reality  that  in 
that  inundation  the  sea,  as  if  departing  from  its  usual  channel, 
had  made  sands  in  the  middle,  where  there  used  before  to  be 
deep  wa^r. 

The  earl  of  Norwich,  John  de  Pleysiz,  Gilbert  de  Segrave, 
and  other  nobles  of  England  with  them,  proposed  to  return 
overland  from  Guienne  to  their  own  country,  and  had  arrived 
at  a  certain  city  in  Poitou,  which  is  called  Fonts,  and  they 
were  honourably  received  by  the  citizens,  who  came  out  to  meet 
them  and  applauded  them.  And  while  they  were  feasting  in 
security,  as  they  fancied,  lo !  some  citizens  running  up,  in 
consequence  of  a  concealed  treason  which  had  been  arranged 
among  them,  said  to  them,  "  Behold,  your  companions  and 
your  household  have  already  stirred  up  sedition  in  the  city  ;" 
for  besides  them,  there  were  a  great  many  eminent  men  of  the 
kingdom  of  England  already  lodged  in  that  city.  And  when 
the  cry  "to  arms!"  had  been  raised,  they  demanded  that  the 
arms  which  they  had  formerly  delivered  up  to  their  enter- 
tainers, should  be  restored  to  them.  But  they  refused  to 
restore  them,  and  retained  them  as  it  had  been  originally  ar- 
ranged. And  so  the  armed  citizens  rushed  upon  them,  and  took 
them  prisoners,  and  cruelly  threw  them  into  prison ;  nor  were 
the  letters  of  the  king  of  France,  granting  them  safe  conduct, 
of  any  avail  to  them.  But  when  the  king  heard  of  this,  he 
wrote  letters  on  their  behalf  to  the  citizens,  who,  however, 
despised  his  commands. 

This  year,  William  de  Cantilupe,  an  accomplished  and  wealthy 
young  man,  died,  and  he  was  now  the  third  of  the  Canti- 
lupes  who  had  been  removed  from  this  world  within  a  few 
years.  On  the  festival  of  Saint  Edward,  an  unprecedented 
brief  proceeded  from  the  king's  chancery,  ordering  enquiry  to 
be  made  into  the  inanors* belonging  to  the  religious  orders,  in 
order  to  see  how  many  plough-lands  belonged  to  them  in  fee, 
and  how  many  were  liable  to  fines,  and.  whether  they  could 
make  any  plough-land  greater  or  less,  and  in  like  manner  of 
rented  laiids.  Also  of  what  value  each  plough-land  was  by 
itself  in  common  years,  after  deducting  all  expenses.  Also 
of  what  value  the  services  of  the  farmers  were,  and  what  was 
the  extent  of  their  revenues;  and  this  reqiusition  was  ap- 


342  MATTHEW  OF  WXSTMIK8TSB.  A.D.  1254. 

pointed  to  be  made  by  four  trustworthy  men  of  the  religioiis 
orders,  and  also  by  the  provost  of  the  place  of  each  manor. 
And  Master  William  of  Kilkenny  filled  the  office  of  Chan- 
cellor with  great  modesty  and  yirtue,  and  he  also  had  the 
title  of  chancellor.  And  not  long  afterwards,  the  same  Master 
William  was  elected  bishop  of  Ely. 

About  the  same  time,  three  abbots  died  in  the  Fens,  namely, 
the  abbot  of  Croyland,  the  abbot  of  Thorney,  and  the  good 
abbot  of  Ramsey,  by  name  William  of  Hacholt.  On  the  seven- 
teenth of  October,  the  king  of  France  returned  to  his  own  home, 
and  would  admit  of  no  consolation,  but  keeping  his  eyes  fixed 
on  the  ground,  with  the  deepest  sorrow  and  frequent  sighs, 
he  kept  recalling  his  captivity  to  mind,  and  the  general  con- 
fusion of  Christendom  on  account  of  it.  At  length  a  certain 
holy  bishop  comforting  him,  said,  "  Beware,  0  lord,  lest  you 
be  precipitated  into  such  weariness  of  life  and  such  sorrow; 
for  it  is  a  very  great  sin,  because  it  is  to  the  prejudice  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  bring  before  your  eyes  the  patience  of  Job,  the 
endurance  of  Eustace,  and  likewise  of  others."  But  the  king 
answered  him,  "  If  I  alone  suffered  the  disgrace  and  misfor- 
tune, and  if  the  consequences  of  my  sins  did  not  affect  the 
universal  church,  I  would  bear  these  things  with  equanimity." 
And  so,  a  mass  having  been  chaunted  to  the  honour  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  by  the  grace  of  God  the  king  received  the  warn- 
ings of  consolation.  The  king  of  England,  too,  having  made 
a  general  peace  with  the  king  of  Spain,  hastened  to  return  to 
England;  and  having  obtained  permission  of  the  king  of 
France,  he  preferred  returning  by  land.  Moreover,  as  he 
desired  to  visit  the  kingdom  of  Fnmce,  he  sent  ambassadors 
to  the  king,  and  obtained  leave  to  pass  through  France.  And 
when  the  countess  of  Cornwall  heard  that  the  king  of  Eng- 
land, with  the  queen,  her  sister,  was  about  to  pass  through 
the  kingdom  of  France,  and  also  that  the  queen  of  France, 
her  other  sister,  was  going  to  meet  them  on  their  journey, 
she,  by  the  indulgence  of  her  husband,  the  earl  Richard,  crossed 
the  sea,  attended  by  a  large  retinue,  to  visit  her  two  sisters. 

In  the  meantime,  iBthelmar,  bishop  elect  of  Winchester, 
miserably  oppressed  his  monks,  so  that  some  of  them,  worn 
out  with  bitterness  of  spirit,  never  recovered  afterwards.  Ac- 
cordingly, the  whole  chapter,  seeking  safer  plans  of  refuge, 
dispersed  to  different  houses  of  the  order  of  Black  Friars,  for 
the  sake  of  sojourning  in  them.     And  the  king  reproved  him 


A.B.  1254.  DTNOCEKT  THE  TOVBTH  BUSS.  343 

for  this,  saying  that  he  was  ungrateful  in  requiting  honour 
with  disgrace,  and  showing  ill-wHl  in  return  for  benefits.  But 
the  bishop  elect  did  not  at  all,  yield  to  injuctions  of  this  kind; 
but  invested  unworthy  persons  with  the  cowl,  in  the  place  of 
those  who  had  retired.  And  when  the  prior  went  to  Rome, 
a  new  prior  was  introduced  by  the  bishop  elect,  who  threw 
them  sJl  into  great  confusion,  in  compliance  with  the  wish 
of  the  bishop  elect.  About  the  time  of  the  feast  of  Saint 
Nicholas,  pope  Innocent  the  Fourth  died  at  Naples,  having 
been  afflicted  with  a  twofold  grief.  For  after  Robert,  bishop 
of  Lincoln,  had  pricked  him  with  the  point  of  his  staff,  he 
suffered  under  a  continued  languor ;  and  after  his  army  was 
scattered  and  defeated,  from  that  time  forth  he  was  hardly 
more  than  half  alive.  And  the  Tery  same  week  a  vision  of 
him  presented  itself  to  one  of  the  cardinals  in  his  sleep,  who 
saw  in  a  dream  that  the  said  pope,  being  brought,  and  bound 
down»  before  a  judge  sitting  on  his  tribunal,  was  vehemently 
accused  by  a  certain  very  noble  matron.  And  he,  entreating 
pardon  for  the  matter  whereof  he  had  been  accused,  received 
the  final  reward  of  his  extortions.  And  when  he  awoke,  he 
related  this  vision  at  greater  length,  and  it  became  notorious 
in  those  parts.  He  was  succeeded  by  another  man  of  a  very 
fairly  religious  character,  namely,  the  bishop  of  Ostia,  the 
nephew  of  pope  Gregory,  who  took  the  name  of  Alexander  the 
Fourth.  And  at  the  beginning  of  his  papacy,  he  wrote  to  aU 
the  prelates  of  the  churches,  humbly  requesting  them  to  pray 
for  him,  that  the  Lord  would  give  him  power,  and  grace,  and 
will  to  govern  the  church  of  God  ^n  a  fitting  manner,  and 
worthy  to  be  called  the  Vicar  of  God,  and  the  Successor  of 
Peter.  He,  by  the  advice  and  persuasion  of  some  of  his 
counsellors,  continued  the  war  which  had  been  begun  by  his 
predecessor  Innocent,  against  the  adherents  of  Frederic,  and 
especially  against  Manfred,  the  natural  son  of  Frederic  :  that 
the  king  of  England  might  not  be  disappointed  of  the  hope 
that  he  had  conceived,  because  of  the  promise  made  to  him 
about  the  kingdom  of  Sicily. 

Of  the  passage  of  the  Icing  of  Ungland  through  France, 

Then  the  king  of  England  coming  to  a  noble  nunnery,  that, 
namely,  of  Fontevraud,  caused  the  body  of  his  mother  Isabella 
to  be  removed  into  the  church  and  buried  there.  In  like  man- 
ner, when  he  came  to  Fontigny,  where  he  was  illj  he  prayed  at 


344  ICJLTTHEW  OF  WESTMnrSTEB.  A.S.  1254. 

the  tomb  of  the  blessed  Edmund,  and  recovered  his  health.  And 
whilehe  vas  hastening  through  France,  the  king  of  France 
ordered  the  nobles  of  the  land,  and  the  citizens  of  the  cities 
through  which  the  king  of  England  would  pass,  to  remove  every- 
thing which  could  offend  his  eyes,  and  to  deck  everything  with 
ornaments,  and  to  receive  him  reverently,  going  out  to  meet 
him,  and  following  in  his  train.  And  the  king  hmself  came  to 
meet  him  at  Chartres.  Moreover,  the  king  ordered  everything 
that  was  necessary  for  the  table  to  be  provided  for  the  king 
of  England  at  his  expense,  as  long  as  he  was  in  his  kingdom, 
which  the  king  accepted  in  good  part.  ',  For  he  had  in  his  re- 
tinue a  thousand  of  the  finest  horses,  without  counting  two 
horse  chariots,  and  sumpter  horses,  and  his  own  riders.  There 
came  to  meet  him  also,  the  queen  of  France,  and  his  sisters,  the 
countess  of  Anjou  and  the  countess  of  Provence,  who  came  in 
order  to  meet  their  sisters  the  queen  of  England  and  the 
countess  of  Cornwall,  who  were  travelling  with  ti^e  king.  And 
their  mother  was  also  present,  whose  name  was  Beatrice,  and 
who  was  called  the  countess  of  Provence.  But  the  Parisian 
scholars,  and  especially  those  who  belonged  to  the  English 
nation,  suspending  their  lectures  for  the  time,  brought  waxen 
tapers  and  festive  garments,  and  all  sorts  of  thmgs  which 
could  betoken  their  joy,  and  having  prepared  singers  with 
garlands  of  flowers  and  chaplets,  and  musical  instruments, 
they  went  out  to  meet  them  on  their  arrival,  and  so  they  passed 
all  that  day  and  the  next  (the  whole  city  of  Paris  being 
adorned  in  a  wonderful  manner),  with  joy,  and  polite  songs, 
and  sounds  of  exultation.  But  the  king  of  England,  though 
he  had  the  palace  of  the  king  of  France  offered  to  him  to  lodge 
in,  nevertheless  did  lodge  in  the  Old  Temple,  and  immediately 
on  his  arrival  there,  gave  orders  that  the  next  morning,  at 
day-break,  all  the  houses  belonging  to  that  court  should  be 
filled  with  poor  people,  who  should  obtain  refreshment  there. 
On  the  next  day  he  visited  aU  the  remarkable  places  in  Paris ; 
and  the  king  of  France  feasted  with  the  king  of  England,  and 
after  dinner,  the  aforesaid  king  of  England  sent  to  each  of  the 
French  nobles  magnificent  cups,  and  other  valuable  presents. 
And  there  were  present  at  the  banquet  the  two  kings,  the  two 
queens,  twenty-five  dukes,  twelve  bishops,  and  of  illustrioas 
knights  a  host,  beyond  all  calculation,  and  eighteen  countesses. 
And  that  night  the  king  of  England  lodged  in  the  palace  of 
the  king  of  France,  in  the  middle  of  the  city  ;  for  that  vas 


A.D.  1255.  KING  HENET  LAKDS  AT  DOTER.  345 

the  desire  of  the  king  of  France.  And  in  this  manner  the  two 
kings  amused  themselves  with  each  other's  company  for  eight 
days.  And  when  he  departed,  it  was  found  that  he  had 
lavished  a  thousand  pounds  in  his  expenses  at  Paris,  without 
counting  presents  of  incalcukhle  value  that  he  had  given 
away.  But  when  the  king  came  to  the  sea-shore,  as  he  did 
not  find  a  fair  wind,  he  stayed  some  days  at  Boulogne  against 
his  will,  where  Peter  Chaceporc,  a  native  of  Poitou,  and  the 
king's  treasurer,  and  also  his  chaplain  and  especial  counsellor, 
died. 

Ch.  XVI.— Fbom  A.D.  1255  to  a.d.  1258. 

Great  exactions  of  the  king — The  first  elephant  is  brought  to 
England — War  between  the  Pope  and  Manfred— Com- 
plaints are  made  of  the  violation  of  Magna  Charta — 
The  earl  of  Cornwall  is  crowned  king  of  the  Romans — The 
Poitevins  are  expelled  from  England, 

Concerning  the  great  distress  catised  in  England  hy  exactions. 

A.D.  1255.  King  Henry  the  Third,  on  his  return  from 
Guienne,  was  at  Saint  Mary's  of  Boulogne  on  the  day  of  the 
feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord,  it  heing  the  thirty-ninth 
year  of.  his  reign,  where  he  was  waiting  for  a  fair  wind  to  cross 
the  channel  into  England ;  and  whUe  there,  he  caused  the 
body  of  Peter  Chaceporc,  who  had  died  on  the  eve  of  the 
Nativity,  to  he  honourably  buried.  This  Peter  bequeathed 
six  hundred  marks  for  the  purchase  of  land  in  England,  that 
on  it  a  church  might  be  built,  at  Merton,  for  a  body  of  re- 
hgious  canons,  who  should  be  elected,  and  that  it  should  be 
maintained  there  for  ever,  to  the  honour  of  Grod,  and  for  the 
benefit  of  his  soul,  and  those  of  all  faithful  beUevers. 

But  on  the  Sunday  the  king  crossed  the  channel,  and  with 
a  fair  wind  landed  at  Dover,  and  on  his  arrival  he  was  met  by 
earl  Richard,  his  brother,  and  other  nobles  who  had  been 
summoned  from  distant  parts  for  the  purpose,  and  who,  with 
the  other  prelates,  presented  him  with  gifts  of  great  value. 
When  the  lord  the  king  had  accepted  the  election  of  Master 
William  Kilkenny,  trusting  in  the  fidelity  of  lord  Henry  de 
Wengham,  he  committed  to  him  the  custody  of  his  seal,  which 
the  said  Master  William,  bishop  elect,  had  previously  had ;  and 
the  Londoners  offered  the  king  on  his  arrival  a  hundred  pounds, 


346  MATTHEW  OP  WBSTMDTSTEE.  A..D.  1255. 

vhich  he  had  gready  longed  for,  though  he  refused  to  look 
upon  it  as  a  gratuitous  present,  saying  that  it  was  only  a 
payment  of  what  was  due  tx>  him.  And  when  they  heard 
this,  they  added  besides  a  very  valuable  vessel,  and  then  they 
received  his  thanks. 

Not  long  afterwards,  the  king  making  an  investigation 
into  the  conduct  of  the  Londoners,  in  the  matter  of  a  certain 
clerk,  who  had  been  condemned  to  death,  and  imprisoned  in 
Newgate,  and  had  escaped  from  thence,  exacted  three  thousand 
marks  from  them  by  way  of  punishment.  But  they  answered 
that  the  king  had  given  up  the  prisoner  to  the  bishop,  on  the 
ground  of  his  being  a  clerk  ;  but  because  the  bishop  had  not 
a  proper  prison,  he  requested  the  citizens  to  lend  the  afore- 
said prison  to  him  for  the  confinement  of  the  said  clerk,  who, 
after  having  been  placed  there,  escaped  ;  and  they  urged  that 
"  such  an  escape,  made  through  the  fact  of  two  guards  of 
the  bishop  having  been  deceived,  ought  not  to  be  imputed  to 
us."  But  though  they  thus  excused  themselves,  they  could 
not  obtain  a  remission  of  the  fine  from  the  king. 

Hemald  de  Bosco,  one  of  the  prime  foresters  of  England, 
died  on  the  sixth  of  February,  and  was  buried  at  Bethelesdene, 
before  the  great  altar.  Moreover,  the  king  exacted  from  the 
Jews  eight  thousand  marks,  which  they  were  to  pay  in  a  short 
time,  on  pun  of  being  hanged.  But  they  (as  has  been  already 
mentioned)  requested  leave  of  the  king,  and  desired  to  leave 
England,  never  to  return.  But  the  king  delivered  them  over 
to  earl  Richard  to  punish  them,  and  to  extract  the  money  from 
them ;  and  in  consequence,  the  earl  lent  the  king,  on  sufficient 
security,  a  very  considerable  sum  of  gold. 

Violent  storms  of  wind,  with  heavy  rain,  lasting  from  the 
feast  of  Saint  Valentine  into  the  following  month,  day  and 
night,  caused  an  unprecedented  confusion.  In  the  diocese  of 
Norwich,  the  sea  cast  up  a  beast  of  a  very  monstrous  charac- 
ter, which  had  been  much  injured,  and  killed  by  the  tempests 
and  the  waves ;  it  was  called  a  very  huge  whale,  yet  it  was 
not  a  whale,  but  a  monster,  and  it  enriched  the  whole  of  the 
neighbouring  district ;  an  elephant,  too,  was  sent  into  Eng- 
land, having  been  given  as  a  present  by  the  king  of  France  to 
the  king  of  England  when  he  was  in  the  country  of  France, 
and  we  believe  that  no  other  elephant  was  at  any  time  seen  in 
England.  Besides  this,  the  queen  of  France  gave  the  king 
of  England  a  peacock,  being  a  stone  bath  of  marvellous  work- 


A.D.  1255.        THS  NOBLSB  MEET  IS  VAXLUMENT,  347 

manship,  which  in  its  form  exhibited  a  resemblance  to  a  pea- 
cock, and  it  was  covered  all  over  with  eyes  like  a  real  pea- 
cock, made  of  precious  stones,  which  are  called  pearls,  and 
gold,  and  silver,  and  sapphires. 

When  the  king  came  to  Saint  Alban's,  he  remained  there 
six  days,  and  each  day  and  night  he  visited  the  blessed  mar- 
tyr with  a  large  taper,  and  offered  precious  vestments,  and 
one  choral  cape  at  his  shrine.  And  about  the  days  of  the 
passion  of  our  Lord,  the  son  of  a  certain  knight,  by  name 
John  of  Shelford,  belonging  to  the  body  of  knights  of  Saint 
Alban's,  in  order  the  more  speedily  to  obtain  the  inheritance 
of  his  father,  procured  his  death,  and  did  not  leave  one  canon 
of  those  he  found  with  his  father  alive.  And  being  convicted 
of  this,  he  was  dragged  to  the  gallows  in  London  at  a  horse's 
tail,  and  there  hanged  with  one  of  his  kinsmen,  who  was  his 
accomplice. 

The  same  year,  during  Lent,  according  to  a  relation  that 
has  been  given  us  as  true,  a  certain  nocturnal  vision  appeared 
to~  pope  Alexander,  who  had  been  newly  created.  It  was 
nearly  the  same  as  had  previously  appearea  to  one  of  the  car- 
dinals, as  was  recorded  in  the  case  of  pope  Innocent,  lately 
deceased.  Therefore,  the  pious  pope  ordered  alms  to  be  dis- 
tributed in  his  name,  and  masses  to  be  offered. 

A  fortnight  after  Easter,  all  the  nobles  of  England  met  in 
parliament  in  London ;  to  whom  the  lord  the  king  complained 
that  he  was  involved  in  many  debts,  and  that  he  could  not  be 
freed  from  them  without  their  assistance,  entreating  them  that 
he  might  receive  a  full  portion  from  those  baronies  which 
were  not  included  when  the  tenths  were  granted  to  him  be- 
fore. They,  therefore,  having  taken  counsel  with  one  ano- 
ther, agreed  that  they  had  a  right  to  complain  of  many  points 
in  the  observance  of  Magna  Charta  ever  since  it  b&d  been 
granted.  Therefore,  they  demanded  that  they  might  have 
authority  to  elect,  by  their  joint  deliberation,  the  justiciary  of 
the  kingdom,  and  also  the  chancellor  and  the  treasurer,  as 
had  been  the  custom  of  old  ;  and  also  that  these  officers 
should  not  be  removed  without  the  common  deliberation  and 
consent  of  the  kingdom.  But  they  received  for  answer,  that 
the  king  would  by  no  means  grant  that.  At  last,  this  business 
was  postponed  till  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  in  order  that 
in  the  meantime  the  parliament  might  test  the  king's  good 
faith  in  the  matter  of  the  observance  of  the  charter  which  had 


348  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMINSTEB.  A.D.  1255. 

been  so  often  promised  and  broken,  and  then  they  would  en- 
deavour to  assist  him  to  the  utmost  of  their  power. 

At  this  time  the  weather  was  very  unseasonable  during 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  spring  season,  and  very  unfavourable 
to  flowers  and  trees,  because  the  whole  of  the  month  of  April 
there  was  neither  rain  nor  dew  to  soften  the  dry  earth,  or  to 
give  it  even  the  slightest  refreshment.  Walter  de  Grey,  arch- 
bishop of  York,  in  the  aforesaid  parliament,  having  his  brain 
softened  by  his  daily  fastings  and  anxieties,  so  that  he  had  en- 
tirely lost  his  appetite  for  eating,  and  was  wasting  away,  went 
to  Fulham,  the  manor  of  the  bishop  of  London,  where,  on  the 
third  day  after  his  arrival,  he  expired  in  perfect  happiness. 
He  had  ruled  his  church  of  York  with  great  vigour  for  about 
forty  years,  all  but  three  months  and  three  weeks.  And  so, 
about  the  first  of  May,  he  went  the  way  of  all  flesh,  and  his 
body  was  honourably  conveyed  to  York,  under  the  conduct  of 
Walter,  bishop  of  Durham,  one  of  his  suffragans,. and  honour- 
ably buried  in  the  church  of  York.  Intimation'  was  given  to 
the  chapter  of  Lincoln,  by  Master  Hugh  de  Mortimer,  officer 
of  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  that,  as  the  appointment  of 
William  Wolf,  formerly  archdeacon  of  Lincoln,  had  been  an- 
nulled, they  should,  without  delay,  elect  some  one  else  in  his 
stead  ;  or  else  Master  Hugh,  by  the  authority  of  the  Apos- 
tolic See,  and  that  of  his  lord  of  Canterbury,  would  do  it  him- 
self, and  punish  the  canons  for  their  disobedience.  Therefore, 
the  canons  created  a  new  archdeacon,  the  aforesaid  Master 
William  submitting  to  this  very  ^patiently,  and  manfully  ex- 
erting himself  for  the  liberties  of  his  church. 

The  lord  Alexander  the  pope  sent  the  cardinal  Octavian 
with  a  large  army  to  destroy  Nocera,  with  king  Manfred,  who 
had  thrown  himself  into  it.  So  when  Octavian,  having  mar- 
shalled his  forces  with  the  aid  of  a  certain  skilful  and  power- 
ful marquis,  had  arrived  almost  under  the  walls  of  the  city,  a 
great  alarm  seized  both  the  armies,  so  that  the  citizens  did 
not  venture  to  attack  in  a  hostile  manner  those  who  were 
coming  against  them,  nor  did  those  who  came  venture  to  at- 
tack the  citizens.  At  last,  the  marquis  said  to  Octavian, 
"  My  lord,  let  a  third  part  of  our  army  retreat,  for  Manfred 
^nd  his  army  are,  as  it  were,  besieged  and  shut  in,  for  they  do 
not  dare  to  come  forth."  Moreover,  the  same  marquis  dimi- 
nished his  army  a  second  time,  so  as  to  retain  scarcely  twelve 
thousand  out  of  sixty  thousand.      And  when  he  had  done 


A.D.  1255.        SOM!B   CHUBCHSS  JlELE  £MBABBASS£D.  349 

ibis,  then  that  .traitor  marquis  secretly  went  to  Manfred,  and 
told  him  that  all  this  had  been  done  by  his  means,  inasmuch  as , 
he  was  a  most  faithful  friend  to  Frederic.  Therefore,  Manfred 
and  his  army  marched  out,  and  when  they  came  near  the 
pope's  army,  they  took  them  all  in  their  toils  like  birds,  Oc- 
tavian  himself  scarcely  escaping,  and  slew  them  all  except  the 
household  of  the  marquis. 

JThat  Magna  Charta  he  observed. 

Proclamation  was  made  in  all  the  counties,  and  announce- 
ment was  made  in  all  the  churches,  that  the  great  charter  should 
be  inviolably  maintained  which  king  John  had  granted,  and 
which  he  had  also  in  person  repeatedly  confirmed,  and  sen- 
tence was  formally  pronounced  against  all  its  violators,  though 
the  king  himself  was  far  from  observing  it,  since  he  cruelly 
seized  upon  the  possessions  of  the  church  of  York  in  the  va- 
cancy of  that  see,  and  said,  "  Why  do  not  the  bishops  and 
nobles  themselves  observe  towards  their  own  subjects  that 
charter  which  they  so  much  cry  out  to  have  observed  by  me?" 
To  this  it  was  replied,  "  My  lord,  it  would  become  you  to  set 
the  example  of  observing  the  law,  and  others  would  follow  it.'* 

Robert  de  Ros  and  John  of  Baliol  are  accused  of  having 
conducted  themselves  unfaithfully  and  dishonestly  towards 
the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  and  the  king  and  queen,  the  guar- 
dianship of  whom  had  been  entrusted  to  them.  But  this  ac- 
cusation originated  with  Master  Reginald  of  Bath,  a  physician, 
who  having  been  sent  into  Scotland,  in  order  to  devote  his 
attention  to  the  king  and  queen,  perceived  what  was  the  mat- 
ter with  them,  and  informed  the  king  of  England  of  the  whole 
matter.  On  which  account,  the  said  master  impeached  their 
guardians,  on  account  of  their  state,  and  not  long  afterwards 
was  poisoned  in  that  country,  as  it  is  said,  and  so  took  to  hfs 
bed  and  died  after  a.short  illness.  Some  noble  churches  in 
England  were  embarrassed  with  heavy  debts  in  great  numbers ; 
for  instance,  the  church  of  Canterbury  had  a  debt  of  four  thou- 
sand marks.  On  which  account,  they  gave  up  six  of  their 
manors  to  John  de  Gatesden,  a  knight,  to  release  them  from 
their  debts,  and  to  retain  the  manors  under  fair  conditions 
till  the  debts  were  paid.  In  the  same  manner,  the  priory  of 
Rochester,  being  involved  in  debts  of  incalculable  amount, 
gave  itself  into  &e  power  of  the  aforesaid  John  and  their  other 
creditors.     Also,  the  noble  priory  of  Winchester,  having  been 


350  MATTHXW  OF  WK8TMINBTXR.  A.D.  1255. 

weighed  down  by  irretrieyable  losses,  felt  its  injuries  very 
properly,  as  has  been  already  mentioned.  Why  need  I  relate 
the  confusion  of  the  church  of  the  convent  of  the  blessed 
Mary  at  York  ?  or  of  other  noble  churches  f 

But  that  the  indignation  of  God  might  be  made  manifest  to 
men,  an  open  display  of  discord  took  place  in  the  state  of 
the  heavenly  bodies  above,  for  the  moon  suffered  an  unusual 
echpse  in  the  month  of  July,  on  the  night  after  the  feast  of 
Saint  Margaret,  and  lasted  nearly  four  hours.  A  noble  baron, 
the  noblest  and  wisest  of  all  the  nobles  of  England,  died,  by 
name  Warren  de  Munchenesy,  whose  property,  as  bequeadied 
in  his  will,  is  said  to  have  amounted  to  two  hundred  thousand 
marks.  And  the  king  conferred  the  guardianship  of  his  heir 
on  his  own  brother,  William  de  Valence,  who  had  married  the 
daughter  of  the  aforesaid  Warren.  Jolm  Francis,  the  prin- 
cipid  chaplain  of  the  lord  the  king,  having  been  stricken  with 
palsy,  died«  much  lamented  by  &e  monks  of  Saint  Mary  of 
York,  and  of  Selby.  John  de  Guy,  a  knight  of  modesty  and 
discretion,  and  of  excellent  learning,  withdrew  from  the  king's 
court.  Ilie  lord  the  king  having  collected  an  army,  directed 
his  course  and  his  standards  towards  Scotland,  intending  to 
carry  on  a  grave  investigation  into  the  conduct  of  Robert  de 
Bos  and  John  de  Balliol.  And  when  he  came  near  the  king- 
dom of  Scotland,  he  sent  forward  the  earl  of  Gloucester  and 
John  Mansel,  to  enquire  into  the  truth  of  the  aforesaid  accu- 
sations ;  and  when  they  arrived  at  Maid's  castle,  in  which  the 
king  and  queen  were,  they  entered  cautiously,  having  removed 
to  a  distance  the  retinue  which  accompanied  them ;  and  after- 
wards their  train  followed  them  singly.  Then  the  king's 
deputies  having  heard  from  the  queen  the  truth  of  her  con- 
dition, and  of  the  grievances  already  mentioned,  comforted 
her  with  courtesy  and  moderation  :  strictly  charging  Robert 
de  Ros  to  come  before  the  court  of  the  king  of  England,  to 
answer  the  charges  which  were  thus  brought  against  him. 
And  when,  at  last,  he  came  on  certain  conditions,  he  promised 
his  lord  the  king  of  England  to  reply  concerning  all  the  matters 
brought  against  him ;  but  the  king,  acting  on  the  advice  of 
his  counsellors,  caused  the  lands  of  the  aforesaid  Robert  to  be 
seized, ''and  himself  committed  to  close  custody.  But  John  de 
Balliol,  who  had  heavy  accusations  brought  against  him  just 
the  same  as  Robert  had,  made  satisfaction  to  the  king  by 
money,  of  which  he  had  abundance,  and  so  procured  himself 


A.D.  1255.  THE  ABCHBISHOP  OP  TOLEDO  COMES  TO  ljOm>01S.  351 

peafee.  When,  therefore,  everything  waa  peaceably  settled, 
and  when  the  lord  the  king  of  England  and  his  queen  had 
had  a  sufficiently  long  conference  with  the  king  of  Scotland, 
and  with  the  queen,  their  daughter,  the  king  hastened  his 
return  to  the  southern  districts  of  England ;  and  when  he 
had  arrived  at  Durham,  being  informed  by  some  secret  whis- 
perers of  a  considerable  sum  of  money  which  was  deposited  in 
the  said  church,  (and  his  informants  were  bishop  Nicholas,  of 
Famham,  and  the  bishop  of  Ely,  William  of  Kilkenny,  and 
some  other  clerks),  he  ordered  the  locks  and  seals  to  be  broken 
through,  against  the  will  of  the  monks,  in  order  that  his 
servants  might  take  the  money  which  they  found  there  for 
his  use,  not  as  if  he  meant  to  seize  on  it,  or  rob  them  of  it, 
but  only  to  borrow  it,  and  repay  it  to  them  faithfully  at  a 
future  time.  Master  William  of  Kilkenny  was  consecrated 
bishop  of  Ely,  in  foreign  parts,  that  is  to  say,  at  Belesme,  by 
Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  on  the  day  of  the  Ascen- 
sion of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary.  But  the  other  bishops  of 
England,  and  also  the  convent  of  Canterbury,  grieved  at  this, 
being  alarmed  lest  it  should  be  drawn  into  a  precedent :  be- 
cause bishops  were  always  accustomed  to  be  consecrated  in 
England. 

In  the  course  of  the  week  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Blessed 
Mary,  the  archbishop  of  Toledo,  brother  of  the  king  of  Castile, 
by  name  Sancho,  a  youth  twenty  years  of  age,  came  to  Lon- 
don, and  with  him  came  a  powerful  noble  of  Spain,  Martin 
Garcia  by  name ;  why  they  came  was  not  known,  but  the  real 
object  was  to  see  the  difference  of  the  various  countries  and 
nations.  And  the  lord  the  king  commanded  that  they  should 
be  honourably  received,  and  that  no  hindrance  should  be 
offered  to  them  or  their  companions.  But  when  the  king  of 
France  heard  that  the  king  of  England  had  concluded  the 
marriage  treaty  with  the  king  of  Castile,  which  has  been  men- 
tioned in  a  previous  chapter,  he,  looking  on  this  marriage 
with  suspicion,  demanded  that  a  daughter  of  the  same  king  of 
Castile  should  be  given  as  a  wife  to  his  son,  in  order  that  he 
might  thus  place  himself  in  a  better  condition,  inasmuch 
as  he  obtained  a  daughter,  while  the  king  of  England  had 
only  obtained  a  sister,  which  was  all  that  he  asked.  The 
bishop  of  Hereford,  Peter  de  Egeblanche,  instilled  into  the 
king's  ears  that  he  would  do  well  to  take  care  and  provide 
himself  with  three  or  four  genuine  seals  of  some  of  the  prelates 


352  MATTHEW  OF  WX8TMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1256. 

of  England.  And  be  by  tbat  means  so  industriously  brought 
over  tbe  rest  of  the  prelates  to  bind  themselves,  that  the  need 
of  the  king,  which  had  come  to  his  knowledge,  was  soon 
relieved,  owing  to  which  proceeding,  as  the  king  was  inclined 
to  consent,  he  went  to  Rome,  where  he  found  the  pope  sor- 
rowful and  involved  in  very  serious  debts :  to  whom  die  bishop 
said,  "  O,  holy  father,  let  not  your  paternity  be  anxious  ahout 
the  amount  of  your  debts,  because,  before  our  departure  from 
England,  a  most  certain  form  was  provided  for  your  release 
from  them,  provided  that  by  your  favour  and  permission  1 
may  be  allowed  to  prosecute  the  idea  which  I  have  conceived;" 
to  which  the  pope  consented. 

Concerning  the  sentence  passed  against  the  transgressors  of  the 
liberties  of  the  Chttrch  of  Ungland. 

A.D.  1256.  Sentence  was  pronounced  against  all  the  vio- 
lators of  the  Uberties  of  the  church  of  England,  and  also 
against  all  transgressors  of  the  great  charter,  in  the  matter  of 
forest  rights,  in  the  following  terms : — 

"  A.D.  1256,  in  the  Great  Hall  of  the  king,  at  Westminster, 
in  the  presence  and  with  the  consent  of  Henry,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  king  of  England,  and  of  the  lords  Richard,  earl  of 
Cornwall,  his  brother,  Richard  de  Clare,  earl  of  Gloucester 
and  Hereford,  Roger  Bigod,  earl  of  Norfolk  and  Suffolk,  and 
mareschal  of  England,  Humphrey  de  Bohun,  earl  of  Hertford 
and  Essex,  John  de  Warren,  earl  of  Sussex  and  Surrey,  and 
other  nobles  of  the  realm  of  England ;  we,  Boniface,  by  the 
divine  mercy,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  primate  of  all  Eng- 
land, Fulk,  bishop  of  London,  Hugh,  bishop  of  Ely,  Robert, 
bishop  of  Lincoln,  Walter,  bishop  of  Worcester,  Walter,  bishop 
of  Norwich,  Peter,  bishop  of  Hereford,  William,  bishop  of 
Salisbury,  Walter,  bishop  of  Durham,  Silvester,  bishop  of 
Carlisle,  William,  bishop  of  Bath,  and  Laurence,  bishop  of 
Rochester,  clad  in  our  sacred  vestments,  with  our  candles 
lighted,  do  hereby  exconununicate  all  transgressors  of  the 
ecclesiastical  Uberties,  and  of  all  the  liberties  or  free  customs 
of  the  realm  of  England,  and  especially  of  those  rights  which 
are  contained  in  the  common  charter  of  the  liberties  of  Eng- 
land, and  in  the  forest  charter;  and  we  do  solemnly  pronounce 
sentence  in  this  form — 

"  By  the  authority  of  God  the  Father  Almighty,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  of  the  glorious  mother  of 


A.D.  1256.      BICHAED  SLECTXB  KING  OF  GEEMANT.  353 

God  always  a  Virgin,  the  blessed  Mary,  and  of  the  blessed  Apos- 
tles Peter  and  Paul,  and  of  all  the  apostles,  and  of  the  blessed 
Thomas,  archbishop  and  martyr,  and  of  all  the  holy  martyrs, 
and  of  the  blessed  Edward,  king  of  England,  and  of  all  the 
confessors  and  virgins,  and  of  all  the  saints  of  God,  we  do 
excommunicate  and  anathematize  and  cut  off  from  the  thresh- 
old of  our  holy  mother  all  those  who  in  a  manner  knowingly 
and  maliciously  have  deprived  the  churches  and  these  liberties 
of  their  rights ;  and  likewise  all  those  who  have  by  any  art 
or  device  violated,  infringed,  or  diminished  the  ecclesiastical 
liberties  or  ancient  approved  customs  of  the  uation,  and  es- 
pecially those  liberties  and  free  customs  which  are  contained 
in  the  common  charter  of  the  Uberties  of  the  realm,  and  in 
the  forest  charter,  having  been  granted  by  the  lord  the  king, 
the  archbishops,  bishops,  and  other  prelates  of  the  church, 
the  earls,  barons,  knights,  and  freeholders :  or  who  have  in 
any  way  either  openly  or  secretly,  by  word,  or  deed,  or  advice 
changed  them  at  all,  or  said  or  done  anything  contrary  to 
their  provisions,  or  have  attended  to  any  change  so  made,  or 
have  obeyed  any  such  change  so  introduced,  or  whoever  shall 
admit  of  any  such  change,  and  likewise  all  framers  of  any 
devices  by  which  those  charters  may  be  changed,  and  all  ad- 
visers or  executors  of  such,  and  all  who  shall  presume  to  give 
judgment  in  accordance  with  such  decrees.  And  all  and  each 
of  the  aforesaid  persons  are  to  know  that  they  will  incur  this 
sentence  by  the  very  fact  of  having  knowingly  committed  any 
of  the  above-mentioned  actions ;  but  those  who  do  so  igno- 
rantly,  and  yet  after  having  been  warned,  do  not,  within 
fifteen  days  from  the  time  of  this  warning,  correct  themselves, 
and  make  fuU  satisfaction  to  the  ordinary  for  such  their 
offences,  are  from  that  day  involved  in  the  sentence  against 
heretics." 

On  the  day  of  the  Assumption  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary, 
king  Henry  celebrated  that  festival  in  a  splendid  manner  at 
Woodstock ;  having  invited  on  that  occasion  Alexander,  king 
of  Scotland,  with  his  queen,  the  daughter  of  our  king,  and 
all  the  mayors  in  England  being  also  invited  with  great  so- 
lemnity. Sewall,  archbishop  elect  of  York,  was  consecrated 
archbishop  by  the  bishop  of  Worcester,  and  Henry,  prior  of 
Evesham,  was  enthroned  as  abbot  by  the  abbot  of  Pershore. 
The  day  after  Chiistmas,  the  before-mentioned  Richard,  earl 
of  Cornwall,  was  elected  by  the  Germans  king  of  Germany, 

VOL.  u.  A  A 


354  1£ATTU£W  OF  W£8TMINSTSB.  A.D.  1257. 

and  Elerius,  abbot  of  Persbore,  was  appointed  baron  of  the 
king*  8  exchequer  at  the  beginning  of  Lent. 

Concerning  the  coronation  of  Richard,  earl  of  ComwaR,  a$  king 
of  the  Romans, 

A.B.  1 257.  Henry  the  Third,  king  of  England,  in  the  forti- 
eth year  of  his  reign,  held  his  solemn  court  at  Westminster, 
generally  till  Easter,  with  all  the  mayors  of  his  kingdom  ;  and 
there  were  present  as  ambassadors  some  very  illustrious  nobles, 
conspicuous  for  their  personal  size  and  the  splendour  of  their 
appointments,  sent  on  the  part  of  the  nobles  of  Germany  for 
the  lord  Richard,  earl  of  Cornwall,  brother  of  the  said  kiog 
of  England,  whom  (as  has  been  already  said)  they  had  elected 
king  of  the  Romans.  And  he,  having  received  hostages,  and 
being  entirely  deserving  of  such  an  office,  arrived  on  the  ap- 
pointed day  at  Aix  la  Chapelle,  with  great  honour  and  glory, 
on  the  Friday  next  before  the  feast  of  the  Ascension  of  our 
Lord.  And  all  the  nobles  and  mayors,  and  all  the  clergy  and 
laity  went  forth  in  a  body  to  meet  him  at  the  entrance  of  tbe 
city ;  and  received  him  magnificently  and  honourably,  with 
great  joy  and  exultation.  At  length,  on  the  day  of  the  As- 
cension of  our  Lord,  in  the  presence  of  the  archbishops, 
bishops,  abbots,  dukes,  earls,  barons,  and  an  innumerable 
body  of  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom,  having  been,  after  the 
fashion  of  the  German  kings,  anointed  with  the  chrism  of 
the  holy  unction,  in  the  seat  of  Charlemagne,  he  received  the 
sceptre  and/crown  of  the  Roman  kingdom,  his  wife  Senchia 
being,  as  was  right,  solemnly  crowned  with  him. 

The  same  year,  Walter,  bishop  of  Norwich,  died,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Master  Simon  de  Wanton  ;  and  Radulph  of  Nor- 
wich, the  chancellor  of  Ireland,  was,  by  the  canons  of  Dublin, 
canonically  elected  to  the  dignity  of  archbishop ;  but  was  in- 
famously betrayed  at  the  court  of  Rome  by  his  procurators, 
and  his  election  annulled ;  and  the  archbishopric  was  con- 
ferred on  Fulk  de  Sanford,  who  was  present  on  some  con- 
nection with  the  cause. 

The  same  year,  a  detestable  war  broke  out  in  Wales ;  for 
Edward,  the  king's  son,  who  had  received  from  his  father 
the  greater  part  of  that  country  as  a  gift,  went  into  the  dis- 
trict of  Chester ;  where,  being  deceived  by  evil  counsel,  en- 
deavouring to  impose  the  yoke  of  slavery  on  the  Welch,  to 
which  they  were  unaccustomed,  he  utterly  alienated  from  him- 


A.D.  1258.  A  OONTEKTIOK  HELP^AT  OXFOBD.  355 

self  the  hearts  of  every  one ;  therefore,  Leoline,  prince ,  of 
Wales,  having  collect^sd  an  army,  defended  his  country  man- 
fully, and  upholding  his  native  liberties,  resisted  the  English 
with  all  his  might.  So  Stephen  Bausan  was  sent  to  drive  him 
from  his  strongholds,  with  many  other  very  gallant  knights, 
nearly  all  of  whom  perished  on  the  same  day  and  at  the  same 
hour,  having  been  misled  and  miserably  murdered  by  a  traitor 
named  Rhesus  Yachan.  Out  of  the  number  who  were  hemmed 
in  very  few  escaped,  and  the  furniture  of  about  two  hundred 
knights  was  lost  in  this  miserable  conflict,  and  came  into  the 
possession  of  the  Welch.  And  this  massacre,  alas  !  alas !  wks 
by  far  the  most  cruel  and  terrible  which  for  a  long  period  had 
befallen  the  English  nation.  Therefore,  king  Henry  being 
made  very  anxious  by  this  circumstance,  having  collected  a 
numerous  army,  invaded  the  district  of  Wales  in  September, 
penetrating  as  far  as  Chester  and  Samake,  and  there  he  staid 
a  month  without  coming  to  any  battle  with  the  W^elch,  who 
retreated  according  to  their  custom,  and  concealed  themselves 
in  their  mountains,  or  marshes,  or  woods,  and  never  dared 
to  come  down  into  the  plain  to  fight  the  English ;  so  that 
king  Henry  could  perform  no  achievement  there  worthy  of  his 
magnificence.  Nevertheless,  at  this  time  he  caused  a  scutage 
to  be  collected  throughout  England. 

Concerning  the  conference  which  took  place  at  Oxford,  and  the 
expulsion  of  the  Foitevins. 

A.D.  1258'.  A  certain  master,  Arlot  byname,  having  been 
sent  by  pope  Alexander,  came  into  England  after  Easter,  having 
been  invited  thither  by  the  king  (as  was  believed),  to  assist 
him  in  flaying  his  kingdom.  Therefore,  the  nobles  of  the 
land,  seeing  the  kingdom  desolated  in  every  direction,  by  the 
exactions  and  taxes  of  the  court  of  Rome  and  of  the  king, 
and  also  by  presumptuous  election  of  foreigners,  and  especially 
of  the  natives  of  Poitou,  who  were  raised  to  much  too  great 
a  height  in  the  kingdom  by  the  favour  of  the  king,  and  who 
usurped  all  the  offices  of  great  power  and  authority  in  Eng- 
land, held  a  general  convention  at  Oxford  on  this  subject, 
after  Pentecost,  intending  also  to  deliberate  eflectually  and 
carefully  on  the  general  improvement  of  the  state  of  the  king- 
dom. And  they  did  not  come  thither  without  being  properly 
equipped  with  arms  and  fine  horses,  in  order  that  if  the  king 
and  the  foreigners  disdained  to  agree  to  the  provisions  and 

A  A  2 


336  ICATTHJBW  OF  THSSTMINSTES.  A.D.  1258. 

statates  which  they  adopted,  they  imght,  by  the  exertion  of 
a  little  vigour,  be  compelled  to  agree,  or,  perhaps,  the  foreign- 
ers might  be  absolutely  compelled,  without  delay,  entirely  to 
evacuate  the  kingdom  of  England.  And  the  provisions  and 
statutes  which  they  intended  to  pa^s  at  Oxford,  were  conceru- 
ing  the  observation  of  Magna  Charta,  as  to  the  general  liber- 
ties of  the  kingdom,  and  the  Forest  Charter.  At  last,  as 
the  lord  the  king  inclined  to  the  observance  of  the  statutes 
of  his  nobles,  some  of  his  knights  administering  the  oath 
by  the  touching  of  the  holy  relics,  he  committed  himself  to 
the  deliberation  and  wisdom  of  twenty-fotu*  prudent  men  of 
the  EngUsh  nation,  whom  they  considered  the  most  proper  of 
all  their  body  to  be  selected  for  the  government  of  the  king- 
dom under  the  king.  And  when  this  had  been  done,  they 
compelled  every  one  who  chose  to  dwell  in  the  kingdom  to 
swear  fidelity  to  the  king  and  kingdom,  and  to  promise  to 
stand  on  all  occasions  by  the  judgment  of  his  peers. 

There  were  then  some  persons,  who  about  that  time  had, 
on  account  of  their  brotherly  recognition  by  the  king,  flocked 
into  England,  who  were  entertained  m  England,  so  that,  by 
reason  of  their  numbers  and  arrogance,  they  appeared  burden- 
some to  the  English.  Namely,  ^thelmar,  bishop  elect  of  West- 
minster, William  de  Valence,  Greoflfrey,  and  Guy  de  Lezen^ 
being  all  brothers  of  the  king  on  the  mother's  side ;  and  they, 
with  some  others,  refused  to  condescend  to  the  provisioDs 
made  by  the  nobles  on  their  oaths,  or  to  swear  to  them.  On 
which  account,  departing  from  Winchester,  they  all  withdrew 
with  indignation  into  the  district  of  Winchester.  Bat  the 
nobles  of  the  kingdom  being  vehemently  excited  to  anger, 
manfully  pursued  them  with  horses  and  arms.  At  last,  the 
lord  the  king  and  the  nobles,  aU  with  one  accord  coming  to 
Winchester,  held  another  Parliament  in  that  city ;  at  which  the 
aforesaid  Poitevins  being  alarmed,  and  being  unwilling  to  abide 
its  judgment,  immediately  withdrew  from  the  kingdom  by  a 
secret  flight,  with  some  of  their  fellow-countrymen,  and  went 
to  Provence. 

When  king  John  died,  Isabella^  his  queen,  mother  of  king 
Henry  the  Third,  had  married  Hugh  le  Brun,  count  de  la 
Marche,  whose  territories  lay  between  France  and  Poitou  ;  and 
she  bore  him  five  sons,  all  uterine  brothers  of  king  Henry. 
Namely,  William  de  Valence,  Guy,  and  Geofirey  de  Lizenen, 
all  deriving  their  surnames  firom  the  place  of  their  birth.    The 


A.D.  1258.   THE  KING  OF   GEBMANY  LAJO)S  AT  DOVER.       3j7 

fourth  was  named  Hugh  le  Brun,  and  the  fifth -3Sthelmar, 
afterwards  hishop  of  Winchester. 

Arlot,  the  nuncio  of  the  lord  the  pope,  returned  to  Rome 
without  having  succeeded  in  the  business  which  was  the  object 
of  his  coming.  An,d  not  long  afterwards,  Richard,  earl  of 
Gloucester,  and  William  de  Clare,  his  brother,  were  made  ill 
by  a  draught  of  poison.  The  earl,  indeed,  was  relieved  by 
prompt  assistance,  and  recovered  ;  but  the  other  died  before 
aid  could  reach  him.  On  the  vigil  of  the  festival  of  the  blessed 
John  the  Baptist,  a  terrible  storm  of  wind,  accompanied  by 
torrents  of  rain,  fell  on  and  raised  all  the  waters  of  the  Severn 
from  Shrewsbury  to  Bristol,  to  a  degree  that  has  not  been  seen 
in  our  times :  owing  to  which  inundation,  which,  as  it  were, 
burst  forth  (as  men  say)  from  the  secretest  gulfs  of  hell,  all 
the  meadows  and  all  the  corn-fields  near  the  Severn  were 
overwhelmed,  and  the  crops  utterly  destroyed.  Some  men 
were  even  drowned  in  the  violent  waters,  and  innumerable 
boys,  and  great  quantities  of  animals  of  every  sort.  The  same 
summer,  many  thousand  men  died  in  London,  and  other  parts 
of  England,  from  being  wasted  away  by  famine.  And  the 
ripening  of  the  crops  was  so  late  in  the  autumn,  owing  to  the 
excessive  abundance  of  rain,  that,  in  many  parts  of  the  king- 
dom, the  harvest  was  not  got  in  before  the  feast  of  All  Saints. 
This  year,  Patrick  de  Chanton,  lord  of  Kedwelly,  and  Hugh 
de  Vyun,  both  illustrious  knights,  were  treacherously  slain 
near  Carmadin,  and  many  others  also,  both  knights  and  men 
at  arms,  were  slain  by  the  Welch. 

On  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  that  splendid  church  at 
Salisbury  was  dedicated,  in  the  presence  of  the  lord  the  king 
Henry,  and  many  of  the  nobles  of  England,  who  had  come 
thither  at  that  time.  About  the  Purification  of  the  blessed 
Virgin,  Richard,  king  of  Germany,  brother  of  the  king  of 
England,  returning  home,  landed  with  his  queen  at  Dover,  on 
the  twenty-eighth  of  January.  And  he  caused  one  of  his 
knights  to  swear  by  his  soul,  in  the  presence  of  our  king  and 
his  new  counsellors,  and  the  other  nobles  of  his  kingdom 
at  Canterbury,  that  he,  out  of  zeal  for  the  honour  of  God  and 
the  advantage  of  the  king  of  England  and  his  heirs,  would 
obey  the  ordinances  and  institutions  of  the  counsellors  of  our 
king,  who  were  especially  sworn  to  this  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  made  at  Oxford. 


358  MATTUKW   OF   WESTMIKSTEll.  A.D.  1259. 

Ch.  XVIL— -Feom  A.D.  1259  TO  A.D.  1260. 

NegoeiatioM  between  Henry  and  the  king  of  Scotland — The 
empire  is  offered  to  the  king  of  Germany — Conference  be- 
tween the  kings  of  England  and  FraTice — War  between  the 
English  and  Welch— A  treaty  is  made  between  Henry  and 
Louis,  by  which  Henry  gives  up  Normajidy — Henry  quarrels 
with,  and  is  afterwards  reconciled  to  prince  Edward — Bad 
news  from  the  Holy  Land,  in  consequence  of  the  invasion  of 
the  Tartars — Meeting  of  the  kings  of  England,  France,  and 
Scotla'nd,  at  Paris, 

The  king  of  Germany  comes  to  England.     The  earl  of  Leicester 
returns  to  England. 

A.D.  1259,  which  is  the  forty-third  of  the  reign  of  king  Henry 
the  Third,  the  aforesaid  king  was,  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity 
of  the  Lord,  in  London,  when  a  very  anxious  deliberation  was 
held  about  Richard,  king  of  Germany,  who  was  earnestly  de- 
sirous to  come  to  England ;  but  his  arrival  was  by  some  people 
looked  on  with  great  suspicion,  for  they  were  afraid  that  be 
might  wreak  his  revenge  on  the  barons  for  the  banishment  of 
his  uterine  brothers,  and  might  oppose  the  barriers  of  contra- 
diction to  the  wholesome  arrangement  and  happy  regulation 
of  the  whole  kingdom.  But  while  the  festivities  of  Chiistmas 
were  proceeding,  that  the  joys  of  this  world  might  not  pro- 
ceed without  being  mingled  with  sorrow,  on  the  day  of  Saint 
Thomas  the  Martyr,  Philip  Lovel,  the  most  especial  counsellor 
and  treasurer  of  the  lord  the  king,  died  at  his  church  of 
Hamesle,  being,  as  it  is  said,  wasted  away  through  grief  of 
mind,  because  he  had  been  accused  to  the  king  of  injurioaa 
conduct  and  transgression  of  the  forest  laws,  and  the  king 
would  not  be  reconciled  to  him.  And  as  soon  as  the  said 
Philip  was  dead,  the  king  ordered  all  his  property  to  be  con- 
fiscated without  delay.  About  the  same  time,  the  monks  of 
Winchester,  finding  that  the  king  would  accept  no  one  whom 
they  elected  as  bishop,  except  some  dear  friend  of  his  own, 
elected  the  lord  Henry  de  Wengham,  the  king's  chancellor,  to 
be  their  bishop  and  shepherd:  But  he,  considering  that  it  was 
a  matter  likely  to  create  strife,  was  unwilling  altogether  to  con- 
sent to  this,  fldthough  he  was  able  to  get  the  king  to  be  favour- 
able to  the  precedent. 

About  the  time  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Hilary,  the  barons  bav- 


A.D,  1259.      THE  NOBLES  ASSEMBLE  IS  PAELLiMENT.  359 

ing  carefully  deliberated  about  the  yisit  of  the  king  of  Germany, 
sent  formal  ambassadors  to  meet  him,  namely,  the  bishop  of 
Worcester,  abbot  of  Saint  Edmund's,  John  Mansel,  and  Peter 
of  Savoy,  with  others,  that  he  might  inform  them  of  the  ob- 
ject of  his  visit  and  proposed  stay  in  the  kingdom.  But  the 
earl  of  Leicester  was  still  remaining  in  foreign  countries,  not 
without  exciting  great  wonder  on  the  part  of  many  people  ; 
owing  to  which  the  council  of  Banage.  But  the  king,  by  the 
proclamation  of  a  herald,  ordered  the  city  of  London  to  be 
cleaned  and  hung  with  curtains,  and  hastened  towards  the 
coast,  with  a  train  of  nobles,  equipped  with  horses  and  arms, 
out  of  caution  ;  for  it  had  been  said  that  the  before-mentioned 
king  Richard  was  bringing  one  or  more  of  his  brothers  with 
him,  which  the  company  of  barons  would  hardly  endure.  But 
the  said  king  Richard  sailing  to  England,  accompanied  by  his 
queen,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Julian  landed  at  Dover,  and  then 
having  dismissed  the  numerous  retinue  which  he  iiad  assembled, 
he  entered  that  city  with  only  his  own  private  household  of 
moderate  extent.  And  when  he  landed,  the  king  of  England 
met  him,  and  applauded  him  vehemently,  attended  by  a  very^ 
great  multitude  of  persons.  And  the  two  kings  feasted  with 
Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  in  mutual  pleasure 
passed  the  days  of  festivity  very  happily. 

But,  on  the  day  of  the  Purification,  the  kings  and  their 
queens,  with  the  multitude  of  the  nobles,  came  to  London ; 
which,  having  been  cleaned  against  the  arrival  of  such  great 
princes,  was  adorned  with  and  made  brilliant  with  many  ho- 
nours, and  all  kinds  of  ornaments ;  the  citizens  in  countless 
numbers  coming  out  to  meet  them  on  their  arrival  in  the  great 
rejoicing.  But,-  the  week  after  the  Purification,  all  the  nobles 
of  England  assembled  in  London  in  parliament,  as  they  had 
previously  agreed  to  do  ;  and  the  earl  of  Leicester,  who  had 
heen  long  absent  from  them,  now  met  them  at  the  same  place, 
with  the  dean  of  Berri,  who  had  been  sent  over,  being  one  of 
the  secret  counsellors  of  the  king  of  France.  About  the  first 
of  March,  the  lord  WiUiam  of  Horton,  a  monk  of  Saint 
Alban's,  who  lately,  on  the  feast  of  Saint  Catharine,  had  set 
out  on  a  journey  towards  Scotland,  in  obedience  to  the  king's 
command,  and  by  permission  of  his  abbot,  having  completed 
his  business,  returned  safe  home.  And  the  king  and  queen  of 
Scotland,  and  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom,  meeting  together  in 
parliament^  according  to  the  request  the  king  of  England  had 


360  MATTHEW   OF   WESTMINSTER.  A.D.  1259. 

made  to  them  by  his  messenger,  agreed  to  his  proposals, 
considering  that  it  was  a  hard  thing  for  a  prince  of  the  king- 
dom to  leave  his  kingdom  and  expose  himself  to  such  toil- 
some and  dangeroas  journeys.  At  last,  they  sent  formal  am- 
bassadors to  the  king  of  England  and  his  council,  namely, 
Stephen,  earl  of  Buchan,  Master  William,  the  chancellor,  duke 
Alan,  the  king-at-arms,  who  conveyed  the  answers  to  the  king 
nnd  queen  and  nobles  of  Scotland  into  England,  with  a  writ- 
ing, sealed  with  the  seals  of  the  aforesaid  nobles,  which  the 
before-mentioned  William  de  Horton  had  brought  with  him  ; 
and  then,  having  finished  their  business,  they  soon  after  re- 
turned. The  same  year,  when  the  beginning  of  March  was  at 
hand,  Walter  de  Scotenay,  the  principal  counsellor  and  sene- 
schal of  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  was  arrested  in  London,  on 
suspicion  of  having  given  poison  to  the  said  earl  and  his  brother 
William  ;  by  which  poison  the  earl  was  made  ill,  and  was  with 
difficulty  brought  back  from  the  gates  of  death,  and  his  brother 
William  died.  So  also  they  arrested  William  de  Bassey,  sene- 
schal and  principal  counsellor  of  William  de  Valence.  They 
had  been  for  some  time  under  the  safe  custody  of  their  secu- 
rities, but  now  they  were  arrested  and  brought  before  the 
judges,  and  committed  to  a  lower  prison,  and  put  in  fetters ; 
for  one  was  convicted  of  poisoning,  and  the  other  of  frequent 
acts  of  injury  and  injustice.  About  this  time  died  Thomas, 
formerly  couht  of  Flanders,  who  had  obtained  no  smidl  num- 
ber of  thousands  of  marks  from  the  simplicity  of  the  king 
and  queen  ;  and  he  had  lately,  without  any  reason,  injured  the 
church  of  Saint  Alban's,  impudently  sowing  discord  between 
it  and  the  king. 

About  the  first  of  April,  by  the  command  of  the  king,  and 
the  advice  of  the  whole  body  of  barons,  the  earl  of  Gloucester, 
the  earl  of  Leicester,  the  lord  John  Mansel,  Peter  de  Savoy, 
and  Robert  Valleraut,  knights,  set  out  on  a  journey  beyond 
the  sea  to  the  great  parliament  of  the  lord  the  king  of  France, 
on  account  of  many  important  affairs  relating  to  the  kingdoms 
of  France  and  England,  having  full  powers  to  arrange  and 
establish  a  lasting  peace  between  the  two  nations,  if  the  said 
king  of  France  would  turn  bis  attention  to  observing  invio- 
lably the  former  agreements  which  had  been  entered  into  be- 
tween his  special  ambassadors  and  the  king  of  England. 
About  the  same  time,  having  received  a  convent  with  a  man- 
sion attached  to  it,  a  chapter  of  Preaching  Brothers  began  to 


A.D.  1259.      THE  EABL  07  LEICESTEB  GOES  TO  GAUL.  361 

take  up  their  abode  at  Donstable,  being  taught  by  the  example 
of  the  Minor  Brothers,  who  had  lately  built  themselves  a 
mansion  at  Bury  St.  Edmund's,  to  the  great  injury  of  the 
abbey  which  existed  in  that  town.  Therefore,  the  said  Preach- 
ing Brothers,  encouraged  by  the  privileges  granted  them  by 
the  Roman  see,  built  a  church,  and  celebrated  divine  service 
with  all  due  solemnity,  as  they  desired.  This  year,  in  the  first 
fortnight  of  Lent,  died  the  countess  of  Boulogne,  through 
whose  tyranny,  a  few  years  before,  so  many  thousand  men 
had  been  slain,  and  had  perished.  When,  therefore,  our  am- 
bassadors, who  have  been  mentioned  above,  had  arrived  in 
the  countries  beyond  the  sea,  the  king  of  France  came  thither, 
in  order  to  take  those  vacant  or  disputed  counties,  the  counties, 
namely,  of  Boulogne,  Flanders,  and  Hainault,  into  his  own 
possession. 

When  the  towers  of  the  city  were  thrown  down,  the  Romans 
assembled  with  great  indignation  and  fury,  and  created  for 
themselves  two  new  senators,  who,  collecting  a  numerous 
army,  made  an  insurrection  against  the  senator  who  had  been 
lately  created,  the  uncle  of  Brancheleon,  and  besieged  him 
in  a  castle  which  he  had  at  Rome.  But  he,  relying  on  the 
oath  of  fidehty  which  had  been  taken  to  him,  and  on  the 
hostages  which  he  had  in  his  city,  namely,  Bologna,  of  which 
he  was  a  native,  defended  himself  vigorously,  so  a^  not  to 
deviate  from  the  nobleness  of  his  nephew  and  predecessor. 
And  so  the  city  was  thrown  into  great  confusion,  and  a  great 
part  of  it  was  destroyed. 

During  the  same  season  of  Lent  a  great  quarrel  arose,  both 
at  Oxford  and  Cambridge,  between  the  scholars  and  the  towns- 
men ;  because  the  clerks  had  broken  the  prison,  and  forcibly 
carried  off  a  criminal  under  sentence  of  death,  and  who  was 
being  kept  in  prison,  and  had  conveyed  him  into  the  church, 
so  as  to  be  protected  by  that  sanctuary.  And  in  a  similar 
manner  the  university  of  Paris  was  thrown  into  great  con- 
fusion by  the  brotherhoods  of  the  Preachers  and  Minors,  who 
wonld  not  adhere  to  the  common  rules  of  the  scholars,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  university. 

In  those  days,  when,  during  the  suspension  of  parliament, 
some  salutary  statutes  were  provided,  words  of  insult  were 
branded  about  between  the  earls  of  Gloucester  and  Leicester, 
to  such  a  degree,  that  the  earl  of  Leicester,  being  excited  to 
anger,  crossed  the  sea,  and  withdrew  into  Gaul.     And  when 


362  MATTHBW  or  WESTMHrSTEE.  A.D.  12.>9. 

the  earl  of  Hereford  and  other  nobles  on  the  borders  of  Wales 
heard  this,  they  intimated  to  the  earl  of  Gloucester  that  he 
ought  to  observe  the  common  laws  more  firmly  and  faithfully, 
and  to  pacify  the  earl  of  Leicester,  and  induce  him  to  return, 
without  provoking  him  by  such  insults ;  and  if  he  would  not 
do  so,  then  they  must  all  unite  in  an  attack  on  the  earl  of 
Gloucester.  But  when  this  earl  heard  this,  fearing  for  him- 
self, he  sent  Hervey,  his  seneschal,  through  all  his  territories, 
to  uphold  the  law  that  had  been  agreed  to ;  and  thus  this 
evil  was  in  some  degree  allayed.  But  -when  the  peace  that 
had  been  already  discussed  between  the  kings,  through  the 
mediation  of  the  numerous  and  regularly  authorised  ambas- 
sadors, whose  names  had  been  given  already,  was  believed  to 
be  on  the  point  of  being  concluded,  lo !  an  unexpected  obstacle 
arose.  For  though  every  one  else  was  crying  out  for  quiet, 
the  countess  of  Leicester  would  not  allow  her  party  in  Nor- 
mandy to  be  quiet  on  behalf  of  her  sons  ;  on  which  account, 
words  contrary  to  what  was  honourable  arose  between  the  afore- 
said earls,  who,  however,  were  reconciled  by  their  common 
friends,  that  this  French  might  have  no  reason  to  rejoice. 

In  the  meantime,  while  Richard,  king  of  Grermany,  was  peace- 
ably staying  in  England,  the  way  was  being  prepared  for  him 
to  obtain  the  empire  freely,  the  lord  the  pope  working  for 
him  with  great  cunning,  only  not  avowedly,  that  he  might 
not  seem  an  open  adversary  of  the  king  of  Spain,  who  was 
eager  for  his  dignity.  And  the  king  of  Germany  was  up  to 
this  time  secretly  remaining  in  England,  in  order  to  fortify 
himself  more  abundantly  with  treasures  sufficient  for  his  ob- 
ject. About  the  same  time,  when  the  sun  was  just  entering 
Cancer,  a  great  pestilence  and  mortality  amongst  mankind  took 
place.  For  the  oil  and  wine,  and  com,  were  generally  cor- 
rupted throughout  the  kingdom ;  and  this  corruption,  like  the 
sword  of  deaUi,  sparing  no  one,  destroyed  first  one  man  and 
then  another.  In  that  pestilence  died  Fulk  Basset,  bishop  of 
London,  who  was  solemnly  buried  on  Saint  Urban's  day,  in 
the  church  of  Saint  Paul,  in  London.  The  same  week,  Walter 
de  Scotenay,  who  had  thrown  himself  on  the  judgment  of 
his  county,  was  convicted  of  having  administered  poison  to 
the  brother  of  the  earl  of  Gloucester ;  for  which  deed  he  was 
by  judicial  sentence  dragged  through  the  city  of  Winchester 
to  liie  gallows,  and  there  hung.  But  afterwards,  that  is  to  say, 
on. the  Thursday  after  the  Nativity  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist, 


A.D.  1259.      JUST  ADMimSTRATTOK  OF  THE  LAWS.  363 

the  canons  of  Saint  Paul's,  in  London,  being  assembled  to- 
gether to  elect  a  worthy  pastor,  at  last,  by  the  overruling  Pro- 
▼idence  of  the  Lord,  the  lord  Henry  de  Wengham,  the  chan- 
cellor of  the  lord  the  king,  was,  by  the  unanimous  consent  of 
them  all,  elected  bishop  of  London,  a  thorough  courtier,  but, 
what  is  better  still,  a  man  of  morality  and  discretion,  prudence 
and  circumspection.  And  he  being  exhorted  to  do  so  by  his 
firiends,  and  prompted  by  the  choice  of  the  canons,  cheerfully 
received  his  election  for  the  common  advantage  of  the  church. 
For  although  he  had  been  previously  elected  to  the  bishopric 
of  Winchester,  yet  because  another,  who  had  been  elected 
before  him,  namely,  the  brother  of  the  king,  having  been 
banished  from  the  county  by  judicial  sentence,  was  at  the 
court  of  Rome  trying  to  get  ms  election  confirmed,  he,  like  a 
wise  man,  abandoned  that  appointment  which  depended  on 
the  pope's  will,  for  that  one  which  offered  tranquillity  and 
peace. 

About  the  same  time,  the  lord  Hugh  Bigod,  a  man  of  the 
greatest  fidelity,  and  chief  justiciary  of  the  whole  of  England, 
having  as  his  associates  Roger  de  Turkebi,  and  Gilbert  de 
Preston,  began  to  make  the  circuit  of  England,  going  from 
connty  to  county,  and  from  liberty  to  liberty,  to  do  justice  to 
all  men  according  to  their  deserts.  For  these  men,  being 
skilful  in  the  laws  of  England,  and  of  the  strictest  justice 
in  giving  judgments,  were  considered  by  the  whole  kingdom 
fit,  above  all  other  men,  for  this  purpose.  And  they,  having 
been  previously  elected,  as  has  been  said  before,  were  ap- 
pointed and  sworn  in  to  exercise  proper  justice  with  calmness, 
with  equal  consideration  for  rich  and  poor,  slave  and  freeman, 
foreigner  and  friend,  in  all  and  everything,  without  regard  to 
presents  of  any  kind,  but  with  a  proper  allowance  of  mercy. 
For  if  judgment  went  forward  without  any  considerations  of 
mercy,  then  the  example  of  the  most  just  judge  would  by  no 
means  be  followed.  But  that  men  might  imitate  the  example 
of  Christ,  who  had  gone  before  them  as  their  guide,  they  both 
mingled  mercy  with  justice,  and  also  exercised  justice  in  public. 
Since  manfully  and  energetically  following  up  the  investigations 
lately  made  by  four  knights  in  each  county,  specially  deputed 
for  this  purpose,  they  brought  up  again  many  transgres- 
sions and  injuries  of  times  gone  by,  which  had  up  to  this  time 
lain  unpunished  and  unnoticed,  and,  as  it  were,  forgotten, 
avenging  them  strictly,  and  disdaining  everything  which  could 


3f»4  MATTaEW  OF  WESTMDfSTEll.  A.D.  J2o9. 

blind  the  law  wbicb  they  designed  to  uphold.  Nor  did  they 
yield  to  either  the  promises  or  entreaties  of  any  men,  how- 
ever powerful ;  but  earnestly  examining  the  truth,  they  aa 
speedily  as  possible  punished  all  evil  deeds.  And  when  they 
had  arrived  at  Ware,  where  they  were  to  examine  into  the 
state  of  the  county  of  Hertford,  they  caused  all  the  people 
from  the  liberty  of  Saint  Alban's,  that  whoever  chose  to  bring 
forward  a  complaint,  or  anything  of  the  sort,  on  any  subject, 
or  against  any  one,  might  come  before  them,  to  receive  justice 
at  their  hands.  But  as  it  was  known  to  the  abbot  of  Saint 
Alban's,  and  to  his  council,  that  this  was  contrary  to  the  liber- 
ties and  customs  of  their  church,  they  would  not  acquiesce 
in  it. 

About  the  same  time  some  formal  ambassadors  of  the  lord 
the  pope  landed  in  England,  being  two  of  the  Minor  Brothers, 
with  two  Masters,  namely,  the  chancellor  of  the  king  of  Ger- 
many, who  had  been  a  long  time  delayed  at  the  court  of 
Rome,  and  another  person,  whose  name  I  know  not,  but  he 
was  a  noble  and  discreet  man ;  and  they,  in  compliance  with 
the  injunction  of  the  pope,  came  with  the  special  purpose  of 
having  a  conference  with  the  king  of  Germany,  who  was  at  that 
time  sojourning  in  England.     They  also  brought  him  letters 
from  the  pope,  and  messages,  having  reference  to  the  dignity 
of  the  Roman  empire,  which  was  now  without  dispute  granted 
and  offered  to  him.     And  they  were  bearers  of  similar  mes- 
sages of  exhortation  on  the  same  subject,  addressed  to  aU  the 
nobles  of  Germany,  begging  them  to  urge  their  king  to  em- 
brace the  promotion  to  the  empire,  in  accordance  with  the  de- 
cree of  the  Apostolic  See.    And,  that  prince  Manfred  was  very 
eagerly  desirous  this  honour  might  not  be  beforehand  with 
and  supplant  him,  they  ui^d  him,  relying  on  the  favour  and 
assistance  of  the  Roman  court,  to  put  himself  forward  and 
vigorously  to  claim  the  empire  thus  offered  to  him.     And 
after  the  ambassadors  had  been  honourably  received  and  reve- 
rently hstened  to  with  many  thanks,  the  king  of  Germany 
sent  them  on  to  his  kingdom,  in  order  that  they  might  there 
fully  deliver  to  his  nobles  the  message  with  which  they  were 
charged,  and  carefully  discuss  the  pope's  message  with  them, 
being  informed  that  he  was  unwUling  to  undertake  so  im- 
portant and  laborious  a  journey  without  full  preparation,  and, 
on  account  of  the  numerous  obstacles  which  he  saw,  to  submit 
himself  without  due  consideration  to  the  wheel  of  fortune. 


A.D.  1259.  LAMENTABLE  DISASTEB  IS  PRANCE.  365 

Neyertheless,  he  was  sent  to  fulfil  the  commands  of  the  pope 
as  far  as  he  could,  and  to  adopt  such  excellent  advice,  espe- 
cially as  it  was  all  for  his  own  honour.  And  not  long  after, 
the  formal  ambassadors  of  the  king  of  England  returned, 
namely,  the  earl  of  Clare,  John  Maunsel,  Peter  de  Savoy,  and 
Robert  Vallerant,  the  earl  of  Leicester  still  remaining  in  foreign 
countries.  And  they,  wishing  to  relate  the  manner  in  which 
they  had  performed  the  business  entrusted  to  them  before  the 
parliament  of  the  king  of  France,  laid  publicly  before  the 
nobles  of  England,  assembled  in  the  presence  of  the  king  in 
London,  all  the  replies  and  wishes  of  the  French  with  respect 
to  each  of  the  matters  and  articles,  to  establish  which  between 
the  two  kings  and  kingdoms,  they  had  especially  crossed  the 
seas.  And  when  the  truth  had  been  related,  they  were  after- 
wards to  speak  in  public  on  these  articles  in  their  regular 
order.  Accordingly,  when  this  report  had  been  heard,  and 
when  a  diligent  debate  had  taken  place  respecting  it,  the 
nobles  unanimously  agreed  with  great  wisdom  that,  because 
the  aforesiiid  business  was  constantly  vacillating  and  swaying 
this  way  and  that  way,  owing  especially  to  the  want  of  a  per- 
sonal interview  between  the  kings,  therefore  in  the  ensuing 
autumn  the  lord  the  king,  with  all  his  nobles,  and  with  the 
lord  Richard,  his  brother,  king  of  Germany,  should  cross  the 
sea  and  be  present  himself  ac  the  parliament  appointed  to  be 
held  at  Abbeville,  where  the  king  of  France  would  likewise  be 
present  with  his  council.  So  this  was  agreed  upon  on  both 
sides,  and  the  matter  was  put  off  till  the  meeting  of  that  par- 
lianaent.  And  when  this  had  been  settled,  all  men  who  had 
been  summoned,  and  who  owed  the  king  service,  had  notice 
given  to  them,  that  by  the  feast  of  Saint  Peter  ad  Vincula 
next  ensuing,  they  should  all  be  prepared  with  horses  and 
arms  to  make  war  upon  the  Welch ;  and  like  faithful  sub- 
jects, to  avenge  the  injuries  which  had  been  done  to  the  king 
and  kingdom.  After  this,  when  the  king  and  most  of  his 
nobles  retired,  who,  as  had  been  previously  arranged,  were 
bound  to  cross  the  sea  with  him,  a  truce  was  made  between 
the  aforesaid  parties,  the  king  and  the  Welch,  to  last  till  the 
same  festival  in  the  ensuing  year.  For  this  was  the  best  plan, 
that  one  affair  should  be  brought  to  a  fitting  conclusion,  and 
the  other  left  unfinished. 

Abont  the  same  period  of  this  year  a  lamentable  disaster 
took  place  in  the  country  of  France,  one  above  all  others  ever- 


366  '  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMINSTEE.  A.D.  1259. 

lastingly  to  be  bewailed  by  the  men  of  the  religious  orders. 
In  the  church  of  Saint  Denis,  the  apostle  of  the  French,  there 
was  a  certain  new  erection,  raised  up  on  high,  supported  by  a 
great  many  beams  joined  and  fastened  together.  And  when, 
one  day,  several  men  of  the  convent,  with  several  also  of  the 
secular  clergy,  were  walking  under  it,  examining  what  had 
been  done,  lo  I  a  great  and  fearful  clap  of  thunder  came,  which 
violently  shook  the  scaffolding  of  beams,  and  loosening  the 
fastenings,  entirely  threw  it  down,  and  dashed  to  the  ground 
and  slew  a  great  nuiny  both  of  the  monks  and  secular  clergy. 
And  it  is  luffirmed,  in  the  relation  of  many  who  visited  the 
spot,  that  all  the  monks  of  that  monastery  except  fourteen, 
and  a  vast  number  of  secular  clergy,  were  kiUed  by  that  one 
calamity,  on  which  account  a  great  lamentation  arose  (and  no 
wonder)  throughout  all  France,  when  life  was  changed  into 
death,  and  joy  converted  into  mourning. 

The  same  year  another  horrible  occurrence  took  place  in 
foreign  lands,  but  it  was  fortunately  turned  so  as  to  fall  on 
the  head  of  the  contriver.  Ingelram  de  Courci,  a  great  man, 
and  nearly  the  first  of  the  nobles  of  France,  following  the  ex- 
ample of  his  father  as  to  cruelty  and  wickedness,  furiously 
seized  upon  two  clerical  novices,  who  in  fun  pursued  a  beast 
as  far  *as  his  boundaries,  and,  without  proceeding  to  any  fur* 
ther  trial  or  investigation,  hung  the  innocent  youths.  And 
when  this  was  related  to  the  king  of  France,  he  sent  for  him 
secretly,  and  having  publicly  convicted  him  of  the  crime, 
although  many  nobles  entreated  for  him,  and  refused  to  give 
their  votes  against  him,  the  king,  recollecting  his  oath  wlach 
he  had  taken  at  his  coronation  with  his  own  mouth,  pro- 
nounced sentence  of  hanging  against  him,  and  caused  him  to 
be  imprisoned,  to  wait  for  dhe  time  of  his  sentence  being  car- 
ried into  execution.  Nor  was  there  any  thing  wonderful  in 
one  who  himself  condemned  others  without  a  trial  being  now 
condemned  to  a  similar  punishment,  following  the  eiumiple  of 
his  father,  who  having  committed  similar  crimes,  was  executed 
in  a  not  dissimilar  manner.  He  left  behind  him  large  tem- 
poral estates,  which  he  had  preferred  to  all  justice,  yet  they 
did  not  satisfy  him  in  life,  nor  could  he  procure  a  ransom  for 
his  soul  by  them. 

The  following  month,  the  lord  the  king,  on  the  Wednesday 
in  the  week  after  the  Assumption  of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary, 
came  to  Saint  Alban's,  and  he  stayed  there  only  one  night, 


JIl.D.  1259.    THE  KING  HONOITES  THE  MAETTE  ALBAIT.         367 

and  the  day  after  he  returned  again  to  London.  And  having 
heard  divine  service  early  in  the  morning,  he  caused  the  coffin 
which  contained  the  body  of  the  glorious  martyr  Alban  to  be 
brought  out,  and  raised  up,  and  reverently  placed  in  front  of 
tlie  great  altar.  And  when  this  had  been  done,  and  when  the 
convent  had  been  adorned  with  garlands,  the  king  came  thither 
again  with  his  nobles  to  offer  up  his  devout  prayers.  And 
"when  they  were  all  prostrated  before  the  martyr,  a  special  hymn, 
having  reference  to  the  martyr,  was  solemnly  chaunted,  in 
memory  of  this  journey  of  the  king.  And  while  a  great  body 
of  people  was  standing  around  with  the  brothers  of  the  con- 
vent, and  when  silence  had  been  obtained,  one  of  the  brethren 
of  the  church  explained  the  reason  of  this  visit  of  the  king, 
namely,  because  he  was  the  prince  and  head  of  the  kingdom, 
and  because  he  was  about  to  cross  the  seas  in  ttie  business  of 
bis  kingdom,  wholly  ignorant  of  what  might  befall  him,  and 
of  whether  he  should  return ;  and  on  that  account,  he  had  come 
hither  devoutly  and  humbly  to  entreat  the  leave  and  assist- 
ance of  this  glorious  martyr,  and  benefit  of  the  prayers  of  the 
brotherhood  and  people  here  present.  And  immediately  it 
was  agreed  by  all  and  every  one,  that  until  news  of  his  safe 
return  arrived,  a  special  and  daily  devout  offering  of  masses 
and  prayers  should  take  place.  And  then  the  king  and  his 
nobles  gave  them  sincere  thanks,  and  again  caused  collects  for 
his  journey  to  be  repeated,  and  thus  he  departed  more  devout 
and  with  a  more  cheerful  confidence.  And  when  he  had  ar- 
rived in  London,  certain  secret  news  was  brought  him  from 
the  parts  of  France,  by  which  his  immediate  design  of  crossing 
the  sea  was  hindered,  as  there  were  other  obstacles  also,  on 
which  account,  as  that  idea  was  abandoned,  the  promised 
prayers  for  his  safe  journey  were  also  given  up. 

About  the  same  time,  while  the  bishop  elect  of  Winchester, 
who, has  already  been  mentioned,  having  been  banished  the 
country  by  judicial  sentence,  was  still  at  the  court  of  Rome, 
trying  to  obtain  his  recall,  and  offering,  for  the  hearing  of  the 
pope,  canning  and  false  suggestions,  under  the  guise  of  truth, 
protesting  and  affirming  that  it  was  through  the  violence  and 
injustice  of  three  or  four  envious  persons,  his  enemies,  that 
he  had  been  stripped  of  his  U'easures,  ejected  from  his 
bishopric,  and  violently  expelled  from  the  country,  contrary  to 
the  will  of  the  king  and  commonalty  of  England ;  adding, 
that  the  lord  the  king,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  population 


368  MATTHEW  or  WESTMINSTER.  A.D.  1259. 

of  England  (with  the  exception  of  the  persons  before-men- 
tioned), would  willingly  see  his  peaceful  return  ;  for  he  had  at 
last  circumyented  the  acuteness  of  the  pope  by  his  deceitfolness, 
and  obtained  letters  from  him,  enjoining  the  full  restitution  of 
all  his  possessions  in  England.  On  which  account,  a  certain 
brother  of  the  order  of  the  Minors,  by  name  Walasch,  being 
sent  especially  in  this  error  by  the  lord  the  pope,  as  legate 
h  latere,  and  having  others  joined  in  the  embassy  with  him  ; 
and  having  special  command  and  authority  on  this  point  (if 
it  is  only  all  true  which  they  say),  by  the  authoritjr  of  the 
pope,  to  institute  the  aforesaid  clerk  to  his  bishopric,  and  to  re- 
establish him  in  all  the  rights  of  which  he  had  been  deprived, 
and  to  pronounce  a  sentence  of  excommunication  and  inter- 
dict against  all  who  opposed  them,  and  against  all  who  had 
plundered  or  who  retained  his  property.  So  when  Walasch 
had  arrived  in  England,  and  had  enquired  into  the  truth  of 
these  matters  from  the  nobles  of  the  land  who  were  assembled 
in  the  king's  presence,  as  they  each  and  every  one  unanimously 
agreed,  and  did  not  in  any  particular  depart  from  their  ori- 
ginal design,  or  from  the  account  given  by  their  ambassadors 
who  had  been  sent  to  argue  against  the  aforesaid  bishop  elect, 
he  then  found  out  truly  that  the  bishop  elect  aforesaid  had 
fraudulently  obtained  the  favour  of  the  pope  by  a  complete 
concealment  of  the  truth.  On  which  account,  a  demand  was 
loudly  made  by  them  all  in  union  with  the  king,  and  an  appeal 
preferred  against  a  man  who  had  in  this  way  been  lawfully 
banished,  being  now  restored  in  consequence  of  his  ovm  frau- 
dulent conduct,  and  against  an  affair  of  this  sort  being  car- 
ried further,  to  the  common  injury  of  the  kingdom.  The 
ambassadors  are  sent  a  second  time,  a  promise  being  given  that 
the  said  affair  shall  be  made  known  more  correctly ;  and  when 
the  ambassador  before  mentioned  heard  this,  he  departed  of 
his  own  accord  to  return  to  Borne,  and  the  bishop  elect  was 
further  than  ever  from  obtaining  his  end. 

About  the  same  time,  a  general  collection  of  money  from 
the  whole  clergy  of  England  took  place,  both  from  those  who 
had  exemptions,  and  from  those  who  had  not ;  to  the  amount 
of  one-thirtieth  of  all  ecclesiastical  revenues,  and  arrears,  and 
tithes,  and  all  other  proceeds  contained  in  the  writings  of  the 
bishops  ;  and  it  was  to  be  paid  within  a  fortnight  of  the  feast 
of  Saint  Michael  next  ensuing,  to  three  bishops,  those,  namely, 
of  Bath,  of  Ely,  and  of  Rochester,  who  bound  themselves  in 
the  court  of  Rome,  on  behalf  of  the  king,  in  a  sum  of  five 


A.D.  1259.  THE  BISHOP  OP  BAITGOE  SENT  TO  KIl^G  HENBT.  369 

thousand  five  hundred  marks,  in  order  to  avoid  a  sentence  of 
excommunication,  which  was  about  to  be  passed  against  the 
lord  the  king,  and  a  general  interdict  which  was  to  be  laid 
on  the  kingdom,  on  account  of  a  considerable  debt  due  from 
the  king,  and  not  yet  paid.  And  those  who  desire  to  see  the 
papal  and  episcopal  letters  about  the  collection  of  this  money 
sent  from  one  to  the  other,  will  be  able  to  find  them  in  the 
book  of  additions  under  this  head.. 

But  afterwards,  brother  Walasch,  who  has  already  been 
mentioned,  having  received  permission  to  return,  when  the 
cause  .of  his  arrival  became  known,  a  strict  enquiry  was  set 
on  foot  under  what  conditions,  and  by  whose  authority,  he 
had  been  allowed  to  enter  England,  without  obtaining  the 
general  consent  of  the  kingdom.  And  when  it  was  found  out 
that  he  had  received  permission  by  a  letter  of  the  king's,  and 
that  the  great  seal  had  at  that  time  been  kept  in  the  king's 
chamber,  the  lord  Hugh  Bigod,  the  justiciary,  hastened 
with  all  speed  to  Dover,  and  thus  addressed  Richard  de  Grey, 
constable  of  Dover,  and  guardian  of  the  harbour :  "  Since  you, 
0  Richard,  have  been  appointed  by  the  whole  people  of  this 
kingdom  as  the  most  faithful  guardian  of  these  ports,  and  an 
examiner  of  all  who  arrive  at  Bhd  depart  from  it ;  and  as  we 
have  all  confidence  in  your  watchfulness,  why  (although  he 
may  have  been  supported  by  the  king's  permission)  did  you 
permit  such  a  man  to  enter  the  kingdom  without  giving  us  no- 
tice, when  by  so  doing  you  contravened  the  common  intention 
of  all  of  us,  and  shamelessly  violated  your  own  oath  ?  we  think 
it  fit  that  yon  should  resign  the  office  to  which  you  have  been 
appointed,  and  that  you  should  receive  that  sentence  which  is 
your  due,  for  your  transgression,  which  has  brought  the  ge- 
neral danger  on  the  kingdom."  So  when  he  was  deposed, 
the  wardenship  of  the  Cinque  Ports  was  taken  into  the  hands 
of  the  aforesaid  lord  Hugh,  the  justiciary,  and  also  the  guar- 
dianship of  the  castle  of  Dover. 

About  the  time  of'the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  the  bishop  of 
Bangor  was  sent  to  the  king  of  England  on  the  part  of  Leo- 
line,  prince  of  Wales,  and  of  all  his  nobles,  for  the  purpose  of 
renewing  and  re*establishing  peace  between  them ;  adding, 
that  they  all  vrith  one  accord  would  willingly  give  the  king  of 
England  sixteen  thousand  pounds  of  silver  for  the  sake  of 
arranging  and  confirming  peace  between  them  and  their  king- 
doms ;  and  that  they  might  come  to  agreement  at  Chester, 

VOL.  II.  B  B 


370  KATTHXW  or  WE8TMIF8TEB.  A.D.  1^9. 

as  they  were  wont  to  do  in  old  times,  rejoicing  in  their  na- 
tional laws,  and  the  long-established  customs  of  the  land.  So 
he,  coming  to  Saint  Alban's,  stayed  there  three  weeks,  and  at 
last,  going  to  the  king,  he  distinctly  laid  before  him  what  he 
had  been  commanded  to,  but  what  answer  he  received  is  not 
known.  Bat  at  the  time  when  the  said  bishop  was  staying  at 
Saint  Alban's,  the  queen  came  thither  on  her  way  to  London, 
to  which  town  she  was  hastening  to  the  feast  of  Saint  Ed- 
ward, being  attended  by  the  bishop  of  Brest,  in  Brittany,  and 
John  Mansel,  and  a  great  many  persons  of  both  sexes.  And 
as  she  arrired  at  the  hour  of  refection,  the  whole  conyent  rose 
from  table,  haying  indeed  done  dinner,  and  made  a  solemn 
procession  to  meet  her,  and  also  present  her  with  a  most 
noble  offering  of  six  cloaks.  And  although  she  was  detained 
by  a  seyere  attack  of  sickness,  neyertheless,  the  next  day, 
though  there  was  a  yiolent  storm,  she  hastened  to  London. 
And  the  bishop  before  mentioned,  charitably  granting  them 
sixty  days  of  relaxation,  departed  with  her,  and  the  following 
was  said  to  be  the  cause  of  his  arrival  in  England,  namely, 
that  by  his  interrention,  the  count  of  Brittany  hoped  to  make 
his  request  effectual,  that  the  daughter  of  the  king  might  be 
giyen  to  his  eldest  son  as  a  wife ;  and  it  was  for  the  success- 
ful transaction  of  this  affair  that  he  determined  to  send  this 
bishop  into  England.  And  he  pushing  the  afBedr  diligently 
dfiy  alter  day,  at  one  time  pursued  the  king,  and  at  another 
the  queen,  tiU  they  asked  sound  adyice  on  the  subject,  and  so 
he  got  a  positive  answer.  But  the  request  for  this  intermar^ 
riage  is  supposed  to  have  arisen  from  this  circumstance,  that 
by  means  of  it  the  said  count  expected  to  acquire  the  earl- 
dom and  'dignity  of  Richmond  for  himself  and  his  descen- 
dants ;  a  place  in  the  dominion  oyer  which  he  had  rejoiced 
in  old  time.  But  the  king,  haying  taken  counsel  in  this 
matter  (as  the  bishop  whom  I  haye  so  often  mentioned  having 
bidden  farewell  to  England),  immediately  sent  ambassadors 
into  Brittany,  by  whom  he  transmitted  a  reply  that  he  iras 
pleased  with  the  proposal. 

In  those  days,  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  being  exceed- 
ingly angry  against  the  church  of  Saint  Alban's,  sequestered 
the  tithes  of  Bingeldon,  which  belong  to  the  almshouses  of 
Saint  Alban's,  and  retained  the  whole  proceeds  of  them  for 
nearly  a  quarter  of  a  year.  In  the  same  mouth,  that  is  to 
say,  on  the  sixth  of  November,  William  de  Westmilun  died, 


A.D.  1259.         KIIfTG  HENBY  LAimS  AT  WHITSAKDE.  371 

wko  bad  formerly  been  senescbal  of  tbe  liberties  of  Saint  Al- 
bania. He  bad  long  ago  obtained  tbe  wardensbip  of  Mikel- 
feld,  from  Jobn,  tbe  lord  abbot,  and  paid  a  bundred  marks 
for  it  to  Ricbard,  earl  of  Cornwall,  witb  wbicb  be  delivered 
tbat  land  from  Judaism,  and  be  moreover  gave  tbe  same  earl 
five  and  twenty  marks  for  a  store  in  tbe  same  place.  About 
tbe  same  time,  tbe  countess  of  Kent  died,  full  of  days,  and 
by  a  natural  deatb.  Sbe  was  a  woman  of  great  Ubeiality, 
and  of  yery  bigb  reputation,  baving  been  formerly  wife  of 
Hubert  de  Burgb,  formerly  justiciary  of  England  and  earl  of 
Kent,  not  because  be  bad  tbat  earldom  by  inberitance,  but 
because  tbe  lord  tbe  king,  Henry,  bad  kindly  granted  it  to 
bim  as  it  bad  just  tben  fallen  into  tbe  king's  bands ;  so  tbat 
be  obtained  dominion  over  it,  retaining  tbe  name  of  earl,  and 
consequendy  bis  wife  obtained  tbe  name  of  countess.  At 
tbis  time,  it  was  provided  in  a  general  parliament  of  tbe  ba- 
rons, wbicb  met  at  London,  wi&  reference  to  tbe  justiciaries 
wbo  were  to  go  tbe  circuit  next  montb,  wbo  tbey  sbould  be, 
and  into  wbat  counties  eacb  sbould  go,  witb  tbe  object  of 
making  well  known  and  establisbing  all  tbe  laws  of  tbis  par- 
liament, and  of  punisbing  tbe  transgressions  of  tbose  provi- 
sions wbicb  bad  lately  been  enacted,  in  sucb  a  way,  tbat  be- 
fore tbe  next  Easter,  all  England  sbould  be  comprised  in  tbeir 
circuits,  and  tbat  a  fall  scrutiny  sbould  take  place  into  all  tbe 
articles  now  re-estabUsbed.  And  tbeir  names,  as  written 
down  in  Frencb  by  tbose  barons,  we  bave  tbougbt  it  well  to 
commit  to  writing  in  anotber  place. 

About  tbe  time  of  tbe  feast  of  Saint  Martin,  tbe  lord  tbe 
king,  witb  tbe  queen,  and  a  great  multitude  of  nobles  besides,  set 
out  on  a  journey  towards  Dover,  intending  to  cross  tbe  sea  into 
France,  for  tbe  final  settlement  of  tbe  affairs  going  on  between 
himself  and  tbe  king  of  France,  and  tbeir  kingdoms.  And 
baving  (as  it  was  said)  entrusted  tbe  guardianship  of  tbe 
kingdom  to  tbe  arcbbisbop  of  Canterbury,  and  to  tbe  lord 
Hugb  Bigod  tbe  justiciary,  and  others  of  bis  faithful  subjects, 
on  tbe  Friday  after  the  aforesaid  feast  be  embarked  at  Dover, 
and  landed,  after  a  prosperous  voyage,  at  Whitsande.  And 
in  reference  to  tbis  passage  of  bis,  it  is  said  tbat  never  at  one 
and  the  same  time  bad  such  a  noble  company  of  men  and 
horses,  and  other  great  things,  departed  from  England,  as 
then  disembarked  at  Whitsande.  And  many  persons,  too, 
who  came  to  meet  them  in  tbe  parts  beyond  the  sea,  said  the 

BB  2 


372  MATTHEW   OF   WE8TMIK8TER.  A.D.  1259. 

same  thing,  adding  that  they  had  not  thought  that  the  king 
hild  80  great  a  number  of  men  with  him,  counting  both  infantry 
and  cayabry,  as  he  was  now  seen  to  haye  of  sumpter  horses, 
without  counting  the  other  most  beautiful  palfreys  of  the 
king  and  his  nobles,  and  the  superb  chariots  of  the  queen 
and  her  retinue.  But  when  the  king  of  England  had  a  dis- 
cussion at  Paris  with  the  king  of  France  about  the  business 
aboye  mentioned,  he  immediately  sen];  messengers  into  Eng- 
land, namely,  his  principal  chaplain,  who  had  formerly  been 
the  abbot  of  a  house  of  the  Cistercian  order,  with  some  other 
persons,  strictly  commanding  them  to  take  care  that  eyery  one 
in  England  who  fancied  that  he  had  any  right  or  claim  in 
foreign  parts,  should  hasten  to  come  to  him  with  all  speed. 
And  this  was  done ;  but  as  to  what  ensued  from  that,  that  is 
doubtful  to  us. 

About  the  same  time,  the  pope,  wishing  to  proyide  for  the 
church,  which  was  unworthily  managed  eyery  where  by  un- 
worthy persons,  sent  a  written  command  to  the  lord  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  and  also  (as  it  is  said)  to  the  other 
metropolitans,  strictly  charging  them  utterly  to  remove  all 
and  each  of  the  rectors  or  ministers  of  the  churches  which 
were  under  their  authority,  or  that  of  their  suffragans,  who, 
whether  openly  or  secretly,  had  concubines,  or  anything  illicit 
and  disgraceful  of  that  sort,  and  who  therefore  were  disre- 
putable ministers  of  spiritual  things,  from  the  administration 
of  diyine  service,  and  from  the  possession  of  spiritual  things 
for  the  future  ;  and  to  appoint  others  who  should  be  worthy, 
in  their  places.  And  the  tenor  of  these  commands  a  careful 
investigator  wUl  be  able  to  find  elsewhere. 

About  the  same  time,  in  consequence  of  the  stupidity  and 
inactivity  of  the  king,  England  was  oppressed  in  many  par- 
ticulars)  by  the  domineering  conduct  of  the  Poitevins  and 
Romans,  and  especially  of  Ethelmar,  bishop  elect  of  Win- 
chester, and  William  de  Valence,  both  uterine  brothers  of  the 
king ;  and  of  Peter  de  Savoy,  the  queen's  uncle,  who  treated 
both  the  rehgious  orders  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  secular 
clergy  also,  in  an  unconstitutional  way.  And  if  any  one  haying 
suffered  injury  at  any  of  their  hands,  went  to  William  the 
seneschal  to  demand  justice,  he  received  an  answer  of  this 
kind:  "If  I  do  you  injury,  who  will  do  you  right?  The 
lord  the  king  chooses  whatever  my  lord  chooses,  but  the 
contrary  does  not  follow."  And  thus  they  showed  no  re- 
spect for  the  king,  or  to  any  of  the  nobles. 


A,I).   1260.  HElirBT  CELSBBA.TES  THE  LOBD's  HATIVITT.  373 

So  that  year  passed,  not  very  fertile  in  corn,  and  very  sparing 
as  to  its  supply  of  fruit,  and,  as  has  often  been  seen,  very 
unlike  and  contrary  to  the  preceding  year.  England,  however, 
-which  had  been  long  languid,  lying  exposed,  as  it  were,  to  the 
authority  and  injuries  of  different  kings,  in  this  year  began  to 
enjoy  some  sort  of  respite,  as  justice  derived  vigour  from  the 
application  of  new  remedies.  During  this  year,  and  espe- 
cially in  the  autumn  season,  there  was  such  fine  weather,  and 
a  dry  time,  that  though  the  crops  were  thin,  they  were  never- 
theless  got  in  in  good  time,  to  the  farmer's  wish.  And  while 
a  little  before,  the  crop  had  been  so  great  that  if  it  had  been 
all  saved,  there  would  have  been  enough  for  two  years,  and 
yet  it  was  all  so  utterly  spoilt,  that  within  the  year  there  was 
actual  scarcity,  and  many  were  in  danger  from  that  reason  ; 
now  in  this  year,  though  the  crop  was  but  moderate,  there 
nevertheless  was  such  abundance,  that  owing  to  the  dry  sea- 
son of  the  harvest,  there  was  a  very  sufficient  provision  made 
quite  unexpectedly.  Moreover,  while  this  year  was  in  Eng- 
land one  of  scanty  crops,  in  France  the  vineyards  were  utterly 
spoilt  by  the  rain.  As  to  other  matters,  it  was  to  the  English 
in  many  respects  a  desirable  year,  and  to  the  French  one  of 
peace  and  harmony.  For  the  council  of  England  was  per- 
severing manfully  with  reforms  which  it  had  commenced,  and 
the  lord  the  king  having  visited  the  country  of  France  with 
the  view  of  establishing  peace  between  the  kings  of  France 
and  England,  and  their  kingdoms,  was  detained  for  a  con- 
siderable time  in  that  country. 

The  count  of  Brittcmy  espouses  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Eng- 
land, Concerning  the  Romans  who  were  shin  in  London. 
Quarrels  between  the  nobles  of  the  land, 

A.D.  1 260,  which  is  the  forty-fourth  of  the  reign  of  king  Henry 
the  Third,  the  aforesaid  king  was,  at  the  feast  of  the  Nativity 
of  the  Lord,  at  Paris,  with  many  nobles  of  his  train,  and  there 
he  celebrated  the  usual  solemnities  in  a  most  sublime  and 
splendid  manner  with  the  king  of  France  and  his  nobles,  both 
nations  feasting  with  one  another  in  turn,  and  dihgently  dis- 
cussing the  question  of  peace  between  them,  and  other  neces- 
sary matters  ;  for  there  was  in  each  kingdom  a  considerable 
number  endowed  with  wisdom  and  discretion  ;  among  whom 
was  the  lord  Henry  de  Wengham,  bishop  elect  of  London,  and 
chancellor  of  the  lord  the  king,  who  had  been  ordained  priest 


374  HJLTTHSW  OF  WX8THIKST£B.  A.D.  1260. 

the  week  before.  At  the  same  time,  peace  and  concord  iras 
finally  establiahed  between  the  two  kings,  those,  that  is  to  say, 
of  England  and  France,  in  the  matter  of  the  dominion  and 
soTereignty  over  Normandy,  which  the  king  of  France  had 
long  held,  as  his  predecessors  had  also  done,  althongh  the  king 
of  England  had  claimed  it  as  his  right ;  on  which  account,  hay- 
ing had  a  long  diiscnssion  on  this  point,  and  a  firm  convention 
having  been  come  to  respecting  it,  the  king  of  England,  for 
himself  and  for  his  successors,  gave  up  to  the  king  of  France 
and  his  successor}^  full  possession  of  Normandy,  resigning  to 
him  all  his  rights  and  authority  over  that  country,  as  is  plain 
by  the  reading  of  his  documents  which  are  curtailed  in  that 
part.  In  return  for  which  concession  he  received,  under  the 
name  of  an  exchange,  some  fertile  and  opulent  districts,  and 
also  a  sum  of  money,  which  he  was  to  be  paid  from  the  ex- 
chequer of  the  king  of  France,  with  this  further  addition, 
that,  after  the  decease  of  Louis,  then  king  of  France,  Poitoa 
was  to  jrevert  to  the  king  of  England  witibout  any  contradic- 
tion. And  this  convention  and  agreement  was  confirmed  by 
every  security  which  could  possibly  be  devised,  and  ratified  by 
the  seals  and  witnesses  of  a  great  number  of  nobles  of  both 
nations. 

In  those  days,  while  the  king  was  still  delaying  in  those 
parts  with  the  queen,  Beatrice,  his  daughter,  was  married  to 
the  count  of  Brittany,  as  has  been  already  mentioned  ;  which 
marriage  was  brought  about  by  the  intervention  of  the  bishop 
of  Brest,  who  had  lately  been  sent  into  England  with  that 
object ;  and  the  district  which  king  Henry  had  received  under 
the  name  of  exchange  for  Normandy  was  now  nearly  all  as- 
signed to  this  count  as  a  marriage  portion. 

About  this  time,  a  dispute  arose  between  Boniface,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  and  the  chapter  of  Lincoln,  the  arch- 
bishop asserting  that  he  ought  to  exercise,  and  would  exercise, 
jurischction  in  the  church  of  Lincoln  while  the  see  was  vacant, 
and  that  his  predecessors  always  had  exercised  such  authority 
freely ;  and  all  the  sons  of  the  church  fearlessly  sesisted  and 
contradicted  him,  adding,  that  as  soon  as  a  see  was  vacant, 
all  the  jurisdiction  was  carried  on,  as  it  ought  to  be,  by  the 
archdeacons  and  ordinaries  of  the  church,  and  that  the  arch- 
bishop had  no  powers  to  interfere  in  it  without  their  consent. 
Therefore,  the  archbishop,  as  he  doubted  on  this  point,  wrote 
to  all  the  brethren  of  die  religious  orders  who  dwelt  within 


A.D.1260.   THXZABLOX'LEIOBSTlSBBSTnBVSTOSKGLAirD.  375 

that  diocese,  asking  them  to  cause  diligent  enquiry  if  any  dis- 
tinct assertion  was  to  be  found  in  their  documents  or  books, 
which,  having  been  made  by  any  one  of  his  predecessors, 
might  be  of  service  to  his  side  of  the  question  as  to  this  point, 
and  enable  him  to  bridle  the  opposite  party.  So,  when  a  dili- 
gent scrutiny  had  taken  place  at  Saint  Alban's,  nothing  was 
found  that  made  for  either  one  side  or  the  other,  but  the 
answers  given  by  the  other  convents  is  not  known  to  us. 

As  sometimes  good  fortune  is  wont  to  be  mingled  with  bad, 
and  sorrow  with  joy,  an  event  took  place  at  Christmas  in  this 
year  which  caused  great  grief  and  mourning  in  France.    For 
Louis,  the  son  and  heir  of  the  king  of  France,  a  man  of  great 
personal  strength  and  stature,  and  loved  by  all  the  kingdom, 
and  by  every  individual  who  had  access  to  him,  and  who,  in 
accordance  with  the  arrangements  made  by  his  father,  was, 
the  next  summer,  to  marry  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Castile, 
and  to  be  crowned  as  king  of  France,  went  the  way  of  all 
flesh.     And  when  the  king  of  England,  who  was  still  tarrying 
beyond  the  sea,  heard  this  news,  though  he  was  actually  on 
his  way  back  towards  England,  he,  being  struck  with  grief, 
immediately  returned  to  Paris,  and  honoured  the  funeral  of  so 
noble  a  person  with  his  presence.    And  about  the  lime  of  the 
Purification  of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary,  there  emanated  from 
the  chancellor's  court  a  mandate  of  the  lord  the  king,  though 
he  himself  was  absent  from  the  kingdom,  addressed  to  all  the 
viscounts  in  whose  bailiwicks  danger  was  in  the  habit  of  at- 
tending on  travellers,  charging  them  to  take  care  that  all  the 
dangerous  passes,  or  out-of-the-way  places,  and  hollows,  and 
copses,  and  hedges,  which  gave  any  opportunity  for  any  dis- 
turbance of  the  king's  peace,  should  be  examined,  and  imme- 
diately mended,  either  by  the  owners  of  the  ground  or  by 
themselves ;  and  the  full  tenor  of  this  commission  will  be 
shown  at  length  among  other  briefs,  to  those  who  wish  to  see  it. 
About  this  time,  the  lord  Simon,  earl  of  Leicester,  returned 
into  England,  which  had  long  been  deprived  of  his  presence  ; 
and  coming  on  the  day  of  the  holy  virgin  Scholastica  to  Saint 
Alban's  for  the  sake  of  visiting  the  martyr  and  the  convent, 
he  offered  a  most  precious  vestment  of  cloth  of  gold  at  the 
tomb,  and  early  in  the  morning  proceeded  on  Uie  journey 
which  he  had  commenced.    On  Uie  morrow  of  Saint  Valentine 
the  Martyr,  the  lord  Henry  de  Wengham  was  consecrated 
bishop  of  London  by  Boniface,  archbidiop  of  Canterbury,  in 


3/6  MATTHEW  OF  WBBTMIKSTEE.  A.D.  1260, 

the  church  of  Saint  Mary  of  Southwark,  in  the  presence  of 
the  bishops  of  Worcester,  Chester,  and  Salisbury,  Richard, 
king  of  Germany,  and  an  iiifinite  number  of  other  persons 
both  clergy  and  laity ;  and  when  he  was,  according  to  costoin, 
making  his  profession  with  an  oath,  he,  with  great  emphasis, 
pronounced  these  words  of  exception,  in  the  hearing  of  every 
one :  "  I  swear  and  promise  this,  saving  the  rights  and  liber- 
ties of  the  church  of  London,  which  I  will  defend  and  up- 
hold to  the  utmost  of  my  power,  in  every  particular."  On 
which  account,  although  the  archbishop  was  indignant,  and 
almost  inclined  to  stop  the  office  of  consecration,  t£ese  words 
were  imputed  to  him  as  an  instance  of  great  fidelity  to  the 
church,  and  as  a  proof  that  he  would  be  a  sure  defence  to  it 
And  it  is  said  that  this  was  done  before  he  actually  entered  on 
his  bishopric,  lest,  if  it  were  done  afterwards,  the  archbishop 
might  seem,  in  consequence,  to  have  a  right  of  entering  on 
that  bishopric,  and  a  question  might  arise  like  that  which  was 
still  under  dispute  and  undetermined  between  the  archbishop 
and  the  chapter  of  Saint  Paulas,  in  London,  respecting  the 
jurisdiction  to  which  the  archbishop  was  or  w6s  not  entitled 
in  such  cases.  But  when  the  consecrator  had,  though  with 
great  indignation,  completed  the  office,  all  the  people  present  re- 
mained with  the  newly  consecrated  bishop  at  the  table,  namely, 
the  king  of  Germany  before  mentioned,  the  archbishops,  and 
the  bishops  who  have  been  named,  with  an  infinite  number  of 
other  persons,  so  that  the  noble  presents  which  were  offered 
from  every  quarter  could  not  be  calculated. 

On  the  day  after  the  feast  of  Saint  Matthias  the  Apostle,  a 
detestable  murder  was  committed  in  London,  being  especially 
such  as  gave  no  slight  grounds  of  fear  to  all  the  English,  both 
on  account  of  the  violation  of  the  holy  season  of  Lent  which 
was  involved  in  it,  as  on  account  of  the  amazing  revenge  of 
the  Roman  see,  and  the  censure  and  severity  of  the  church. 
And  having  given  due  consideration  to  the  circumstances,  I 
proceed  to  set  forth  the  deed  in  detail,  with  all  truth,  just  as  I 
have  been  informed  of  it.  The  lord  Fulk  of  pious  memory, 
formerly  bishop  of  London,  had  (which,  indeed,  was  now  some 
time  ago)  conferred  a  certain  prebend  in  the  church  of  Saint 
Paul's  of  London,  on  a  certain  Master  Rustand,  the  pope's 
nuncio,  who  was  at  that  time  abiding  in  England ;  and  as 
Rustand  after  this,  and  after  he  had  taken  upon  himself  the 
habit  of  the  Minor  Brothers,  was  taken  ill,  his  sickness  in- 


A.D.  1260.        MTJBD£B  OF  A  HOMA^  ECCLESIAfiTTC.  377 

creasing,  died  in  the  countries  beyond  the  Alps,  the  lord  the 
pope  immediately  bestowed  the  prebend  above  mentioned  on 
another  person,  who  was  one  of  his  special  officers ;  when  just 
at  this  time  it  happened  that  the  bishop  Fulk  also  departed 
from  this  world,  and  so  his  bishopric  came  under  the  king's 
guardianship.   So  the  king  having  been  informed  of  the  death 
of  the  aforesaid  Rustand,  but  not  being  aware  of  the  fact  of 
the  pope  having  conferred  his  stall  on  another,  gave  the  afore- 
said prebend  to  the  lord  John  de  Crakehale,  his  treasurer,  and 
caused  him  to  be  publicly  installed.     And  when   this  was 
heard  of,  a  certain  procurator,  by  name  John  Legras,  one  of 
the   secular  clergy  of  noble  birth,  was  sent  into  England, 
well  fortified  with  writings  from  the  pope,  to  support  by  his 
authority  as  procurator  the  aforesaid  collation  to  the  stall 
which  the  pope  had  bestowed.     And  the  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, deciding  on  the  case  as  he  was  ordered  to  do,  after 
the  contest  had  been  long  agitated  between  the  two  parties, 
ascertaining  at  length  that  the  papal  donation  preceded  the 
king's  appointment  in  point  of  time,  by  his  formal  sentence 
adjudged  the  prebend  to  the  Roman  before  mentioned,  utterly 
excluding  the  treasurer,  although  he  had  been  for  some  time 
invested.   And  after  the  Roman  was  installed,  he  endeavoured 
immediately  to  take  possession  of  the  principal  mansion  at- 
tached to  the  prebend  in  the  city ;  but  he  was  denied  entrance, 
on  which  account,  yielding  to  violence  and  arms,  he  withdrew, 
intending  to  lay  his  complaint  before  the  archbishop.     And 
they  who  occupied  the  house  seeing  this,  presently  followed 
him  behind ;  and  among  the  crowd  of  passers-by,  some  one 
clove  his  head  in  two  between  the  eyes,  and  escaped  without 
being  discovered  or  arrested  by  any  one.     And  a  companion 
of  his  was  treated  in  the  same  manner,  while  the  slayer  es- 
caped.    But  as  an  investigation  into  this  deed  took  place 
throughout  the  whole  city,  and  the  criminal  could  not  be  dis- 
covered, sentence  was  pronounced  by  the  archbishop  and  the 
other  bishops  against  all  the  favourers  of  that  crime,  so  that 
all  the  hearers  of  it  were  brought  to  fear  the  judicial  sentence. 
But  though,  by  some  suspicious  persons,  it  might  be  supposed 
that  this  had  been  procured  to  be  done  by  the  treasurer  afore- 
said, yet  in  reality  he  was  innocent,  and  it  was  done  by  some 
envious  rascals  ;  for  the  English  were  indignant  that  so  many 
Romans  should  be  so  frequently  enriched  with  English  bene- 
fices, while  not  once  even  in  a  year  did  any  native  of  the 


378  ILATTBXW  or  WE8THIN8TEB.  A.D.  1260. 

coantry  receive  any  benefit  from  them.  And  beeange,  as  it 
seemed,  they  trampled  exceedingly  on  the  land  which  was  Urns 
made  subject  to  them,  they  wished  by  a  deed  of  this  kind  to 
deter  them  for  the  future  from  Buch  continual  and  unprofitable 
invasiona  of  the  country. 

The  aame  year,  a  great  baron  of  high  reputation  throughout 
the  kingdom  died,  by  name  the  lord  William  de  Beauchamp. 
He,  being  a  man  endowed  with  large  possessions,  was  by  no 
means  forgetful  of  God,  who  had  given  them  all  to  him  ;  for 
he  confirmed  all  the  benefits  of  his  predecessors,  and  upheld 
and  kindly  augmented  them,  and  was  the  patron  of  some  re- 
ligious houses,  which  were  built  within  his  domains,  some 
being  appropriated  to  monks,  some  to  canons,  and  some  to 
nuns  ;  and  as  he  defended  them,  so,  by  the  favour  of  the  Lord, 
ought  his  successors  also  to  defend  them  for  the  time  to  come. 

About  the  same  time,  when  the  king,  after  having  protracted 
his  stay  in  Gaul  for  some  time,  was  intending  to  return  to 
England,  a  great  many  evil  reports  of  his  son  Edward,  and  of 
others  of  his  nobles,  who  were  said  to  be  his  adherents,  were 
instilled  into  his  mind.  Which,  however,  being,  as  it  is  said, 
destitute  of  all  truth,  I  on  that  account  forbear  to  record  se- 
parately. The  king,  however,  hearing  them  with  great  bit- 
terness of  spirit,  and  (though  they  were  utterly  false)  giving 
ear  to  them  as  true,  ordered  abundant  precautions  to  be  taken 
by  means  of  a  considerable  body  of  armed  men  prepared  for 
hostility.  But  after  he  had  done  this,  he  was  assured  of  the 
falsity  of  the  report,  but  still  he  would  not  believe  it  to  be 
false.  So,  hesitating  and  in  doubt,  partly  disbanding  his 
forces,  and  partly  retaining  them  about  mm,  bringing  with  him 
at  least  three  hundred  knights,  with  a  great  multitude  of  their 
followers,  he  landed  fearlessly  at  Dover,  about  the  time  of  the 
feast  of  Saint  Mark'  the  Evangelist.  And  his  nobles  came  to 
meet  him  in  the  train  of  his  son  Edward  above  mentioned,  and 
received  him  reverently  and  honourably  as  they  ought,  with  great 
joy.  Some  of  them,  however,  there  were  to  whom  the  king, 
although  they  had  formerly  been  his  especial  friends,  addressed 
neither  words  of  peace  nor  loving  salutation,  nor  would  he 
receive  such  from  them.  And  at  this  time,  a  deadly  discord 
was  sown  between  many  of  the  chief  men  of  the  kingdom, 
namely,  between  the  king  and  his  son  Edward,  as  has  akeady 
been  mentioned.  Also,  between  the  king  and  Simon,  the  eaii 
of  Leicester ;  between  Edward  and  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  and 


A.3>.  1260.  THE  KING  THBEATENS  THE  ABBOT  OE  BOUBaH.   379 

also  between  the  aforesaid  earls  and  many  others.  So  that  the 
parties  being  strengthened  on  both  sides^  and  their  strength 
united,  a  formidable  war  seemed  near  at  hand.  And  at  that 
time  some  knights  met  for  a  tournament,  which  was  appointed 
to  be  held  at  Blye ;  and  when  it  was  put  off  for  this  reason, 
they  at  once,  equipped  as  they  were  for  this  tournament  with 
arms  and  horses,  marched  to  London  with  several  more  who 
joined  them.  So  that,  unless  the  lord  Richard,  king  of  Ger- 
many, who  was  at  that  time  staying  in  England,  had  earnestly 
interposed  to  effect  a  peace,  there  would  have  been  no  small 
disturbance  ;  but  as  the  kiog's  arrival  was  daily  expected,  he 
in  this  way  exhorted  both  parties  to  the  better  course,  m  order 
that,  when  their  fury  was  somewhat  abated,  the  king  might 
find  his  kingdom  in  peace  as  he  had  left  it. 

But  the  king  arriving  in  London  on  the  eve  of  the  apostles 
Philip  and  James,  remained  nearly  a  fortnight  at  Saint  raul's, 
in  the  house  of  the  bishops  of  London ;  for  not  only  the  gates 
and  the  streets,  but  the  whole  city  too  was  so  carefully  kept, 
on  account  of  the  deadly  war  which  was  excited,  that  scarcely 
any  one  even  of  the  lower  class  could  obtain  free  ingress  or 
egress,  nor  did  any  one  of  the  nobles,  except  the  king  and  a 
few  others,  lodge  within  the  walls,  nor  would  the  king  go  to 
his  own  palace  at  Westminster  until  he  could  know  to  a 
certainty  what  would  be  the  result  of  this  discord,  the  seeds  of 
which  were  thus  sown.  But  while  this  dissension  was  con- 
tinuing (as  evil  always  succeeds  evil  in  steady  succession), 
the  abbot  and  convent  of  Bourgh  were  accused  to  the  lord  the 
king  of  having  lately  involved  themselves  in  a  heavy  debt  for 
the  sake  of  the  lord  Edward  his  son,  for  the  augmentation  of 
his  strength  against  him,  and  subduing  his  father's  power. 
At  which  the  king  was  indignant  and  enraged,  and  sent  for 
the  abbot,  and  widi  earnest  command  demanded  of  him  that 
he  would  take  upon  himself  a  similar  chaige  for  his  sake, 
otherwise  he  warned  him  that  he  would  incur  his  royal  indig- 
nation. And  when  the  abbot  had  answered  plainly  that  he 
could  by  no  means  venture  to  do  this,  and  that  his  house  was 
unequal  to  such  a  burden,  adding,  too,  that  for  what  he  had 
done  on  behalf  of  prince  Edward  he  had  sufficient  security, 
and  that  no  injury  had  been  done  to  the  king  by  his  conduct, 
although  he  had  previously  been  an  especial  friend  of  the 
king,  he  was  now  dismissed  with  great  indignation  on  the 
king's  part,  and  in  great  alarm :  for  the  king  threatened  his 


380  mjlTthew  or  Westminster.  a.d.  1260. 

coDvent  and  his  church  very  terribly,  and  afterwards  he  pro- 
ceeded to  pat  his  threats  in  execution  ;  and  afterwards,  when 
the  whole  body  of  barons  were  summoned  into  the  king's 
presence,  at  Siunt  Paul's,  and  first  of  all  a  discussion  took 
place  on  the  subject  of  prince  Edward,  and  of  the  injuries 
which  had  been  inflicted  on  the  king  (as  it  was  said),  the 
said  Edward  declared  that  he  was  ready  to  prove  his  innocence 
of  all  the  charges  which  were  brought  against  him,  and  to 
submit  himself  willingly  to  the  judgment  of  the  two  kings, 
his  father  and  his  uncle,  so  as  to  take  care  to  amend  whatever 
they  found  in  him  to  complain  of ;  saying  that  all  the  other 
barons  and  earls  were  not  his  peers,  and  that  they  had  no 
right  to  debate  upon  his  conduct.  On  this  the  truth  was 
debated  and  sifted  on  both  sides,  and  the  falsehood  of  all  the 
statements  which  had  been  made  against  the  king  proved, 
and  accordingly  the  king  was  reconciled  to  his  son,  and  the 
two.  peaceably  united  together,  to  the  righteous  multiplication 
of  the  confusion  of  their  enemies. 

When,  then,  prince  Edward  and  the  king  and  queen,  and  all 
their  friends,  were  thus  united,  with  the  exception  of  the  earl 
of  Gloucester  and  his  partisans,  a  complaint  was  soon  brought 
forward  against  Simon,  earl  of  Leicester,  respecting  many 
injuries  both  in  England  and  in  the  parts  beyond  the  sea, 
which  had,  as  it  was  said,  been  committed  against  the  king. 
And  a  day  having  been  appointed  for  him  to  reply  to  these 
charges,  and  to  clear  himself  from  what  had  been  brought 
against  him,  the  said  count,  on  the  appointed  day,  though  it 
was  rather  an  early  one,  declared  himself  ready  at  once  to 
reply  to  all  the  questions  which  were  put  to  him,  and  to  hear 
the  truth  of  the  opposing  statements  thoroughly  sifted,  and 
to  submit  to  the  decision  of  any  one,  whether  a  foreigner  or 
an  Englishman,  with  the  exception  of  only  five  persons  of  no 
importance,  who  were  sowers  of  the  ill-will  against  him  and 
-prince  Edward.  So  when  this  answer  had  been  received,  the 
earl  of  Gloucester,  with  his  adherents,  fearing  that  after  the 
acquittal  of  the  aforesaid  earl  of  Leicester,  grave  complaints 
would  be  brought  up  against  himself,  procured  the  postpone- 
ment of  the  day  appointed  for  the  investigation  to  another 
parliament.  And  so  the  tumult  was  appeased  for  a  time,  and 
the  king  returned  with  joy  to  his  palace.  But  the  articles  of 
accusation  alleged  against  the  earl  of  Leicester  were  numerous, 
as  also  were  their  framers,  and  such  as  proved  outrageous 


A.D.  1260.    SXJDDEK  DEATH  OF  LOBD  BOaSB  DE  TUBKELBT.   381 

offences,  if  they  were  only  true.  But  as  they  are  incredible, 
and  are  supported  by  no  truth,  I  think  it  not  fitting  that  they 
should  be  recorded  in  this  page,  lest  I  should  be  called  a  writer 
or  inventor  of  lies.  And  any  one  who  is  very  desirous  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  them  may  go  and  imbibe  lies  from  liars, 
and  on  this  occasion  may  leave  me  and  go  and  seek  another 
historian.  In  the  month  of  June,  the  earl  of  Albemarle,  who 
was  sojourning  in  foreign  countries  for  his  pleasure,  ended 
his  life  at  Amiens.  And  his  body  was  conveyed  with  all 
honour  to  England,  and  received  burial  in  a  monastery  which 
had  been  built'  by  himself.  And  his  inheritance  was  entrusted 
to  the  guardianship  of  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  having  fifteen 
years  still  to  run,  according  to  the  age  of  the  heir.  But  be- 
cause this  is  contrary  to  the  regulations  of  the  kingdom  and 
to  the  oaths  taken,  the  annual  value  was  computed,  in  order 
that  from  that  great  sum  an  annual  satisfaction  might  be  made 
to  the  king. 

About  this  time,  the  lord  Stephen  Longsword,  a  most  accom- 
plished knight,  and,  by  the  authority  of  the  king,  justiciary 
of  the  whole  of  Ireland,  having  been  a  long  time  wasting 
away  under  a  serious  sickness,  was  now  attacked  by  death, 
and  went  the  way  of  all  flesh  with  honour.  The  same  month, 
about  the  time  of  the  festival  of  Saint  Bartholomew  the  Apos- 
tle, the  lord  Roger  de  Turkelbi,  an  especial  friend  of  the  king, 
and  second  to  no  one  in  the  whole  kingdom  for  justice  and 
knowledge  of  fhe  laws  of  the  land,  inasmuch  as  he  was  supe- 
rior to  them  all  in  the  nobleness  of  his  sentiments  and  the 
glory  of  his  achievements,  was  cut  off,  as  it  were,  by  a  sudden 
death,  and  bade  farewell  to  this  world,  and  all  his  virtues  with 
it,  in  London,  and  departed  to  receive  the  reward  of  his  noble- 
ness and  exemplary  life.  He,  as  it  was  generally  reported, 
went  cheerfully  to  bed  one  night,  but  the  next  day,  when  he 
was  expected  at  the  bench,  his  spirit  was  found  to  have  fled, 
and  to  have  left  only  a  lifeless  corpse.  And  after  his  death, 
it  was  generally  said,  that  for  the  whole  of  the  preceding  fort- 
night, although  he  had  been  regular  in  his  attendance  on  the 
bench  of  justice,  yet  he  seemed  like  a  person  in  a  trance  and 
beside  himself.  And  when  he  was  admonished  by  any  bre- 
thren, or  by  others,  of  the  salvation  of  his  soul,  he  answered, 
"  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  you,  go  to  the  justiciary."  For 
this  is  what  he  was  accustomed  to  say  when  disturbed  by  the 
clamour  and  entreaties  of  those  who  addressed  him.     How- 


382  HATrnsw  oi*  westminsteb.  a.d.  1260. 

ever,  we  may  well  believe,  that,  by  the  dispensationB  of  God, 
who  willeth  not  that  any  one  should  perish,  he  by  divine 
mercy  received  all  that  he  was  entitled  to  ;  so  that  exultation 
at  the  safety  of  his  soul  overcame  the  grief  for  his  death. 
And  so  on  one  and  the  same  day  the  death  of  these  three 
persons  was  announced  to  the  king,  who  feeling  himself  de- 
prived of  great  advice  and  assistance,  naturally  became  afflicted 
with  great  grief. 

After  this,  a  vision  was  seen  by  a  certain  knight  in  a  secret 
place,  where  he  was  sleeping  in  a  comer.  For  a  person  ap- 
peared to  him,  commanding  him  to  go  in  person  to  the  lord 
Henry  de  Ba,  and  tell  him  that  the  lord  Roger  de  Turkelbi, 
the  justiciary,  summoned  him,  as  he  had  a  certain  decree  some- 
where which  required  to  be  passed,  and  which  could  not  be 
brought  to  a  conclusion  without  his  presence.  And  when  the 
knight  neglected  this  injunction,  and  hesitated,  as  it  were,  to 
fulfil  it,  the  aforesaid  precept  was  repeated  to  him  a  second 
and  a  third  time;  and  he  had  notice  given  him  that  un- 
less he  complied  evil  was  impending  over  him,  and  was  near 
at  hand.  At  last,  however,  he  sought  the  lord  Henry  before 
mentioned,  and  related  the  vision  to  him,  but  it  was  utterly 
disregarded  and  passed  over  by  him ;  and  so,  as  it  is  commonly 
reported,  it  immediately  brought  on  the  following  conclusion. 
For  in  this  the  next  month,  the  said  Henry  de  Ba  suffered 
death  of  the  body. 

A  Templar,  who  came  in  haste  from  the  Holy  Land,  arrived 
in  London  on  the  eve  of  Saint  Botolph's  day,  bringing  a  num- 
ber of  letters  to  the  lord  the  king,  and  to  die  master  of  the 
Temple  in  London,  and  to  others  ;  and  he  also  was  the  bearer 
of  very  many  to  the  nobles,  both  on  this  and  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Alps.  And  he  performed  that  long  journey  with 
such  rapidity,  that,  being  under  the  compulsion  of  most  rigo- 
rous necessity,  he  entered  London  the  day  thirteen  weeks  after 
he  left  the  Holy  Land,  making  only  one  day's  journey  from 
Dover  to  London,  and  he  affirmed  that  he  nad  made  many 
other  day's  journey  of  similar  length.  And  when  Ms  let- 
ters were  read,  the  king  and  the  Templars,  and  all  persons 
who  heard  them,  gave  themselves  up  to  such  lamentation  and 
grief  as  no  one  had  ever  seen  before.  For  news  was  con- 
tained in  them  that  the  Tartars,  advancmg  with  an  innumerable 
host,  had  laid  waste  and  made  themselves  masters  of  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  Holy  Land  as  far  as  Acre.     And  what  was 


A.D.  1260.        6BEAT  CALAMITIES  BEFAIX  ENGLAJ7D.  383 

very  strange  to  hear^  they  proposed  to  detain  their  army  there 
and  to  occupy  that  country  for  forty  days,  in  order  that  when 
they  had  thus  (which  God  forbid)  destroyed  the  major  part  of 
the  population,  they  might  the  more  easily  be  able  to  extend 
their  ravages.  And  the  same  messenger  added,  that  they  place 
all  the  foreigners  who  fly  to  them,  or  who  are  taken  prisoners 
by  them,  in  the  front  rank  of  batde  ;  and  when  they  fight,  men 
as  well  as  women  all  joining  in  the  combat,  they  shot  behind  them 
as  well  as  they  do  in  front.  Nor,  said  he,  will  Christendom  be 
able  to  assist  them,  unless  it  is  supported  by  the  powerful 
hand  of  God  as  its  ally.  For  as  all  the  Templars  and  Hospital- 
lers in  that  country  are  already  nearly  all  killed,  unless  speedy 
succour  arise,  a  terrible  destruction  wiU  soon  visit  the  world 
(which  may  God  forbid).  And  the  same  news,  as  it  was  said, 
was  conveyed  to  all  the  princes  whose  dominions  he  around 
the  sea  of  the  Greeks.  But  on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  Saint 
Botolph,  the  lord  the  king  of  Germany,  who  had  now  been 
staying  peaceably  in  England  for  about  a  year  and  a  half,  and 
had  reconciled  some  who  were  previously  hostile  to  one  ano- 
ther, and  brought  them  together  under  fixed  conditions  of 
peace,  having  been  constantly  urged  by  the  invitation  of  the 
pope,  went  with  all  speed  towards  Rome,  to  receive  the  em- 
pire ;  and  embarking  on  board  ship  at  London,  he  sailed  as 
far  as  Gravesend.  There  his  queen  met  him,  and  vnth  her 
and  a  moderate  retinue,  he  hastened  to  complete  the  journey 
he  had  undertaken.  But  when  he  had  departed,  then  many 
people  felt  doubts  and  perplexity,  fearing,  since  his  presence 
had  lately  been  the  prevention  of  impending  war,  that  the 
peace  which  has  been  mentioned  could  have  no  stability  if  he 
continued  absent. 

In  the  summer  of  this  year,  great  and  enormous  prodigies 
were  seen  in  the  air,  so  that  some  said  that  the  last  judgment 
was  dose  at  hand.  For  it  was  found  written  somewhere,  and 
besides,  it  had  been  often  declared  by  many  astrologers  and 
others,  that  the  same  year  there  would  be  so  great  a  pestilence, 
that  of  six  persons  scarcely  one  would  escape  uninjured ;  ac- 
cording to  which,  there  was  now  an  intolerable  famine,  and 
such  excessive  and  uninterrupted  thunder-storms,  that  scarcely 
any  one  dared  to  go  out  of  his  house,  and  many  people  were 
killed,  and  the  lightning  destroyed  houses  and  fields  of  com, 
and  woods,  and  inflicted  unheard-of  dangers  in  the  country. 
Also,  there  were  such  hailstones,  that  the  stones  were  not  only 


384  MATTHEW   OF   WBSTMINSTEB.  A.l>.  1260. 

like  peas,  but  of  the  thickneBs  of  three  fingers,  and  in  some 
places  as  thick  as  fifteen  fingers.  Moreover,  in  some  places, 
as  was  declfured  upon  oath»  great  stones  were  found  to  have 
fallen  of  such  a  weight,  that  it  required  three  men  to  lift  them. 
And  in  other  places,  the  crops  wluch  had  been  expected  to  be 
abundant  were  so  utterly  destroyed,  that  they  were  hardly 
sufficient  to  repay  the  reapers.  So  that  these  and  similar 
calamities  being  spread  over  many  places,  processions  to  sacred 
shrines  and  fasts  were  ordered,  and  prayers  were  offered  up 
devoutly  with  a  frequent  amendment  of  people's  sins.  And 
not  long  afterwards  a  war  broke  out,  which  increased  rapidly, 
being  one  of  great  mischief  to  England,  and  great  terror  to 
Wales.  For  a  royal  edict  (as  it  was  said)  went  abroad,  ad- 
dressed to  all  who  owed  the  king  service,  commanding  them 
with  all  speed  to  provide  themselves  with  all  things  necessary 
and  unnecessary,  as  they  were  to  make  an  expedition  into 
Wales,  for  the  purpose  of  avenging  the  injuries  of  the  king. 
And  because  the  before-mentioned  Welch  arrayed  themselves 
in  a  hostile  manner  for  battle,  not  fearing  death,  the  lord 
Simon,  earl  of  Leicester,  was  appointed  general  and  com- 
mander of  the  English  army  against  them,  as  a  prudent  and 
mighty  warrior  of  England.  And  as  each  party  thought  that 
they  saw  an  opportunity,  they  attacked  one  another  ;  but  as 
impediments  subsequently  arose,  a  truce  was  sought,  and  the 
war  was  deferred. 

On  the  eve  of  Saint  Lawrence  the  lord  William  de  Kirkham, 
bishop  of  Durham,  a  man  of  exemplary  character  and  of  ripe 
age,  bidding  farewell  to  this  world  and  to  the  body,  after  he 
had  governed  the  church  of  Durham  gloriously  for  twelve 
years,  at  Hoveden  gave  up  his  blessed  soul  to  his  Creator. 
And  from  thence  he  was  conveyed  away  with  reverence,  and 
on  the  following  Monday  was  honourably  buried  (as  he  well 
deserved)  in  his  church  at  Durham.  Although  he  was  one  of 
the  middle  class  of  people,  and  educated  in  it,  nevertheless  he 
was  illustrious  throughout  the  whole  kingdom,  and  very  hbe- 
ral,  and  a  man  of  tried  gentleness  and  courtesy  towards  all 
men.  And  among  other  good  deeds  of  his  which  were  widely 
diffused,  he  appropriated  two  churches  of  the  annual  value  of 
three  hundred  marks,  by  name  Herteburn  and  Egelingham, 
in  the  diocese  of  Durham,  to  the  church  of  Saint  Alban's ; 
and  he  also  brought  the  dispute  which  had  long  existed  be- 
tween the  church  of  Durham  and  that  of  Saint  Alban's  to  a 


A.D.  1260.  BOBEBTDX  STICHIL  MADE  BISHOP  OP  DUBHAM.   385 

final  peace.  But  while  these  deeds  were  being  accomplished, 
haYing  waited  for  a  proper  time  to  place  the  parties  in  the 
possession  of  the  things  which  were  admitted  to  belong  to 
both,  under  the  name  of  exchange  and  peace,  the  good  bishop 
was  remoTed  from  this  world,  and  so,  of  necessity,  the  busi- 
ness was  not  brought  to  the  same  end  that  it  would  have 
been.  And  immediately  the  guardianship  of  the  aforesaid 
bishopric  was  entrusted  by  the  king  to  John  Mansel,  which 
was  contrary  to  the  common  provision.  And  afterwards,  on 
the  Friday  after  the  Natiyity  of  the  blessed  Virgin  Mary,  the 
lord  John  de  Krakehale,  treasurer  of  England  and  archdeacon 
of  Bedford,  bidding  farewell  to  the  world  while  it  was  smiling 
on  him  from  every  quarter,  died  at  London ;  and  being  pos- 
sessed, as  it  was  said,  of  no  inconsiderable  wealth,  he  left 
eighteen  thousand  pounds  untouched  behind  him.  He  also 
released  the  churdi  of  Wantham  from  the  payment  of  no 
small  sum  of  money  which  it  owed  him,  and  having  conferred 
other  benefits  on  that  church,  he  also  bequeathed  his  body 
to  it,  to  be  buried  there. 

When  the  lord  William  de  Kirkham,  of  blessed  memory,  bishop 
of  Durham,  had  been  taken  from  among  men,  the  chapter  of 
Durham,  taking  care  that  their  church  should  not  be  too  long  in 
want  of  a  shepherd,  fixed  a  day  for  the  election,  and  then,  on  the 
day  after  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  with  unanimous  consent 
elected  the  lord  Robert  de  Stichil,  one  of  the  monks  of  their 
own  body,  and  the  prior  of  Finchale,  to  be  their  bishop  and 
pastor,  an  accomplished,  discreet,  and  praiseworthy  man ;  for 
although  they  had  been  canvassed  by  the  royal  .request  in 
favour  of  the  secular  clergy,  still,  having  God  before  their 
eyes,  they,  without  any  favour  towards  or  fear  of  any  one,  de- 
cided their  election  by  a  choice  from  among  themselves.  And 
the  bishop^  elect,  embracing  the  proffered  honour  as  what  was 
bestowed  upon  him  by  the  divine  interposition,  which  he  was 
bound  to  obey,  being  conducted  by  his  own  prior  of  Durham, 
went  at  once  before  the  king's  presence.  And  so  coming  to 
London  about  the  feast  of  Saint  Edward  at  the  time  when 
parliament  was  sitting,  as  some  persons  tried  to  hinder  him, 
he  found  the  king  for  a  time  adverse  to  him,  but  at  last,  after 
he  had  remained  at  the  court  a  fortnight,  he  brought  him  over 
to  be  as  favourable  to  him  as  he  wished.  Therefore,  being 
received  by  the  king  and  doing  him  homage  for  his  barony, 
and  having  sent  off  the  king's  letters  to  the  guardian  of  the 

VOL.  n.  CO 


386  MATTHBW  or  WESTMiySTEB.  A.D.  12C0. 

bishopric  before  mentioned,  be  was  institated  to  the  full  tem- 
poralities of  his  see ;  bat  for  the  temporalities  he  had  to  ap- 
pear in  the  presence  of  the  archbishop  of  York.  Bat  on  the 
day  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Edward,  when  numbers  both  of  the 
foreign  and  native  nobles,  and  a  great  many  other  persons 
also  were  flocking  to  that  splendid  banquet  of  the  king,  the 
lord  the  king  invested  with  the  belt  of  a  knight  John  de  Brit- 
tany, son  of  the  count  of  Brittany,  who  had  lately  married  his 
daughter  Beatrice,  with  whom  he  had  received  as  dowry  all 
the  territory  which  he  had  received  in  exchange  for  Normandy. 
Moreover,  the  king  made  twenty-four  other  new  knights,  the 
two  sons  of  the  earl  of  Leicester  having  been  already  investud 
with  the  knight's  belt  by  Edward,  his  son.  And  then  they  ail 
crossed  the  sea  with  as  little  delay  as  possible,  with  the  afore- 
said Edward,  John,  and  Henry,  the  son  of  the  king  of  Ger- 
many, to  a  tournament,  which  had  been  appointed  beyond  the 
sea,  to  display  the  prowess  of  each  individual,  as  is  the  custom 
of  new  knights. 

And  at  the  parliament  before  mentioned,  a  discussion  took 
place  respecting  the  justiciaries  of  England  and  the  chancellor 
and  the  treasurer,  as  to  who  were  entitled  to  the  chief  power 
the  next  year.  For  the  lord  Hugh  Bigod,  who  had  formerly 
been  justiciary,  was  at  this  time  absent ;  Henry  de  Wengham, 
formerly  chancellor,  obtained  the  bishopric  of  London,  and 
the  Lord  John  de  Crakhale,  formerly  treasurer,  had  expired  a 
little  before,  as  has  been  already  mentioned.  Therefore,  after 
a  long  debate  on  this  subject,  at  length,  with  the  consent  of  all 
parties,  the  king's  seal  was  entrusted  to  Master  Nicholas, 
archdeacon  of  Ely,  and  the  office  of  treasurer  to  the  abbot  of 
Burgh,  and  the  power  of  justiciary  to  the  lord  Hugh  Des- 
penser.  But  in  the  month  of  October  the  lord  Richard,  king 
of  Germany,  who  had  been  frequently  summoned  by  the  invi- 
tation of  the  pope  to  possess  himself  of  the  empire,  baring 
lately  departed  from  England  on  a  journey  to  Rome,  now  re- 
turned secretly  and  unexpectedly,  in  such  a  way  as  to  strike 
every  one  both  on  this  side  of  the  channel  and  the  other  with 
surprise,  owing  to  the  diminution  of  his  retinue  and  magni- 
ficence. For  it  was  said  that  he  had  landed  with  but  few 
men  and  fewer  horses,  making  his  journey  each  day  very  long, 
and  having  laid  aside  all  his  regal  magnificence ;  but  that 
soon  afterwards,  as  his  men  followed  him,  he  was  again  sur- 
rounded with  his  accustomed  honours,  so  that  many  asserted 


A.D.  1260.  BISSSKSIOK  ABISSS  TS  CAMBBIDOE.  387 

that  he  had  heen  haulked  of  his  object  by  prince  Manfred  and 
others,  who  were  eager  to  obtain  the  empire  of  the  Romans, 
and  who  therefore  intercepted  his  journey,  plundered  his 
treasure,  and  put  his  esquires  to  flight,  with  this  further  addi- 
tion, that  if  he  presumed  to  cross  the  Alps  he  would  very 
speedily  find  himself  in  great  danger  in  consequence.  Nor  is 
it  at  all  strange  that,  as  he  had  not  foreseen  diis,  and  as  he 
was  not  forewarned  against  it,  he  avoided  his  enemies  and  re- 
traced his  steps  without  delay.  But  others  said  that  he  had 
been  forewarned  and  hindered  beforehand  also  by  the  counsel 
of  his  nobles  of  Germany,  so  that  he  was  not  desirous  and  did 
not  think  it  desirable  to  undertake  so  long  and  dangerous  a 
journey  at  the  beginning  of  the  winter  season ;  thinl^g  that 
when  the  winter  was  over,  he  could  perform  it  with  more 
security  in  the  season  of  fine  weather.  Adding  this  conside- 
ration also,  that  he  at  present  had  and  was  still  likely  to  re- 
tain his  kingdom  of  Germany  and  all  the  inhabitants  in  peace, 
and  he  knew,  too,  that  they  would  assist  him  in  his  business 
before  mentioned  without  any  evasion.  So  he  acquiescing  in 
their  advice,  presently  returned  to  England,  as  I  have  already 
said,  in  order  to  arrange  his  estates  and  possessions,  which 
▼ere  not  under  very  good  management  there,  as  seemed  ex- 
pedient for  himself  and  his  son  Henry ;  and  that  when  a  suit- 
able time  arrived  he  might  cross  the  sea  never  to  return. 
Others  also  said  that  he  returned  in  consequence  of  an  admo- 
nition from  the  pope,  in  order,  forsooth,  that  Master  Albert, 
his  nuncio,  who  had  been  sent  to  England  for  several  reasons, 
might  enter  the  more  secretly,  contrary  to  the  provision  made 
by  the  barons,  following  behind  so  great  a  leader ;  and  that  so, 
when  the  business  of  the  pope  had  been  finished,  the  king 
might  find  him  more  favourable  to  him  in  his  own  business. 

About  this  time,  an  intolerable  dissension  arose  in  the  uni- 
versity of  Cambridge.  For,  as  a  certain  quarrel  had  broken 
out  between  two  youths,  one  from  the  south  and  the  other 
from  the  north,  the  compatriots  of  each  presently  came  to 
their  assistance ;  so  that  one  party  attacking  the  oth^r,  a 
great  many  were  stricken  and  wounded  on  both  sides.  And 
in  this  way  at  last  the  whole  town  was  thrown  into  confu- 
sion, because  every  one,  both  clergy  and  laity,  left  their  houses, 
and  flew  in  bands  to  the  fray.  Therefore,  while  the  clergy 
were  absent,  some  of  the  laity  secretly  entered  their  houses, 
and  carried  off  property  of  all  kinds  from  thence.     For  the 

cc  2 


388  MATTHEW  OT  WISTICIVSTEB.  A.D.  1260. 

chancellor  had  called  out  the  laity  of  the  town  to  aid  and  assist 
in  appeasing  the  fury  of  the  distarbers,  so  that  the  other  plan- 
derers  had  confidence  in  their  opportunity  to  plunder.  There- 
fore, as  a  complaint  respecting  Uiis  affair  was  laid  before  the 
queen,  Lawrence  de  Broke  was  presently  ordered  to  go  thither, 
and,  having  held  a  strict  examination  on  the  subject,  he  pro- 
nounced sentence,  and  some  of  the  plunderers,  to  the  number 
of  sixteen,  belonging  to  that  same  town,  were  hanged  on  one 
day.  And  a  great  number  more,  both  clergy  and  laity,  either 
fied  to  the  churches,  or  else  were  committed  to  strict  impri- 
sonment, and  remained  there. 

The  Icing  of  Scotland  corner  to  England. 

In  those  days  and  that  month,  the  king  of  Scotland  came 
to  England,  influenced  by  a  variety  of  causes,  for  instance, 
with  the  object  of  visiting  the  king  and  the  queen  of  England, 
and  of  exercising  his  legitimate  authority  and  power  in  his 
county  of  Huntingdon.  And  besides  this,  avowing  the  most 
especial  cause  of  his  coming,  he  demanded  of  the  king  that 
four  thousand  marks  should  be  paid  him,  which  he  said  the 
king  of  England  had  promised  him  formerly  at  his  marriage 
with  his  wife.  He  also  demanded  the  whole  of  the  land  be- 
tween the  Tyne  and  the  Wentsbeck,  which  he  asserted  had 
been  formerly  bestowed  upon  his  predecessors.  And  besides 
this,  he  claimed  powerful  assistance  from  the  king  and  nobles 
of  the  land  against  his  enemies,  as  the  king  had  formerly  pro- 
mised him,  and  the  mayors  of  Scotland  by  his  written  letter, 
signed  by  his  own  hand, .  and  procured  and  transmitted  by 
his  brother,  William  de  Horton.  And  at  this  time  the  kings 
of  England  and  Germany  were  both  in  London,  on  which 
account  there  was,  as  it  was  quite  fitting  that  there  should  be, 
such  a  prodigal  magnificence  and  pomp,  that  the  whole  of  the 
surrounding  country  was  put  to  intolerable  expense.  And  a 
few  days  afterwards  he  was  followed  by  his  queen,  who  was 
near  the  time  of  her  confinement,  and  who  came  for  the  sake 
of  visiting  the  king  and  queen,  and  the  country  of  Englaod, 
and,  if  God  so  willed  it,  of  being  confined  in  their  neighbour- 
hood. And  being  conducted  by  the  venerable  man,  the  bishop 
of  White  House,  she  was  met  by  her  younger  brother,  Edward, 
about  the  hour  of  evening,  at  Saint  Alban's,  and  received  with 
a  solemn  procession,  and  honourably  entertamed.  In  the 
morning  she  proceeded  on  to  London ;  and  when  she  had 


A.D.  1260.    ETHELMAE,  BBOTHEE  OF  KIKO  HENRY,  DIES.      389 

been  received  there,  there  were  then  three  kings,  and  as  many 
queens  in  that  city,  of  whose  equipments  and  magnificence 
who  can  think  without  admiration  ?  And  the  bishop,  having 
presented  the  queen  to  her  parents,  returned  into  Scotland 
with  all  speed,  loaded  with  precious  gifts  of  various  kinds. 
And  the  king,  after  he  had  completed  all  his  business  in  every 
quarter,  returned  after  him,  and  on  his  return,  being  hospitably 
received  at  Saint  Alban's,  he  presented  the  church  there  with 
a  pall. 

At  that  time  it  was  stated  that  this  king  of  Scotland  re- 
ceived a  hundred  shillings  from  the  king's  purse  everyday 
that  he  was  this  side  of  the  Humber,  both  while  going  and 
returning,  as  his  predecessors  had  been  used  to  claim  when 
they  were  summoned  to  England  by  the  king's  command. 
But  although  this  was  several  times  demanded  as  if  of  right, 
still  it  never,  if  one  may  trust  the  assertion  of  several  compe- 
tent persons,  was  given  except  through  liberality.  But  in 
the  following  month  of  December,  Ethelmar,  formerly  bishop 
elect  of  Winchester,  and  uterine  brother  of  king  Henry,  when 
he  had  been  nearly  three  years  in  the  court  of  Rome,  endea- 
vouring to  obtain  the  restitution  of  his  bishopric,  at  length 
having  obtained  the  papal  benediction,  he  was  (as  it  was 
said)  consecrated  bishop  by  the  pope  himself.  And  so  as  he 
was  on  his  way  with  all  speed  into  England,  with  full  powers, 
by  the  will  of  God  he  ended  his  life  in  France,  and  received 
honoura|>le  burial,  as  he  was  well  entitled  to,  at  Paris,  in  the 
church  of  Saint  Genevieve.  And  his  death,  though  mournful  to 
Bome  persons,  appeared  nevertheless  to  many,  and  especially  to 
those  of  the  English,  who  were  the  framers  of  the  provisions  of 
Oxford,  a  salutary  event  And,  indeed,  it  was  considered  by 
them  as  a  great  miracle,  because  if  he  had  peaceably  recovered 
the  bishopric  of  Winchester,  and  if  all  those  who  were  pre- 
viously ejected  were  recalled,  the  provisions  of  the  barons  be- 
fore mentioned  would  come  to  notliing,  md  while  his  revenge 
was  raging  against  his  enemies,  the  last  error  would  be  a  great 
deal  worse  than  the  first. 

So  this  year  passed  by,  not  very  rich  in. crops,  but  one 
which  produced  great  abundance  of  fruit.  For  the  orchards, 
and  gardens,  and  woods  were  all  so  fertile  in  their  different 
kinds,  that  they  appeared  sufficient  to  make  up  for  the  scan- 
tiness of  the  com  crops,  which  was  very  grateful  to  the  eye. 
For  the  price  of  corn,  as  it  existed  at  the  end  of  the  autumn. 


390  MATTHEW  OF  WSSTMINSTEB.  A.D.  1261. 

was  Baid  to  have  fallen  by  ChriBtmas  on  this  accoant.  And 
although  this  year  was  one  full  of  great  terrors  to  the  Holy 
Land,  in  respect  of  the  incursions  and  threats  of  the  Tartars, 
still,  with  the  exception  of  the  mortaUty  which  took  place  in 
those  lands,  it  was  one  very  tolerable  to  the  French  and  EugUsh. 
This  year  there  died  Walter,  bishop  of  Durham,  Ethelmar, 
bishop  elect  of  Winchester,  William  de  Beauchamp,  earl  of 
Albermarle,  Roger  de  Turkelbi,  earl  of  Bedford,  Henry  de 
Ba,  the  justiciary  of  the  lord  the  king,  John  de  Crakehale, 
his  treasurer,  and  Stephen  Longsword,  justiciary  of  Ireland, 
with  the  addition  of  a  great  many  others,  whose  memory  and 
whose  number  can  be  preserved  by  God  alone. 

Ch.  XVIIL— Feom  A.D.  1261  to  a.d.  1263. 

Henry  violates  the  provisions  of  Oxford — The  pope  is  afraid 
of  an  invasion  of  the  Tartars — Prince  Edward  espouses 
the  cause  of  the  barons — The  earl  of  Leicester  forms  a  con- 
federacy against  the  king — Prince  Edward  invades  Wades 
— Treaty  between  the  king  and  the  barons — The  civil  war 
breaks  out  again,  and  is  continued  with  great  fierceness — 
The  quarrel  is  submitted  to  Louis  of  France^  who  decides 
in  favour  of  the  king. 

Of  the  fineness  of  the  weather  about  Christmas. 

A.D.  1261,  and  the  forty-fifth  of  the  reign  of  king  Henry  the 
Third,  the  said  king  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  at 
Windsor,  with  his  own  queen,  and  his  daughter,  the  queen  of 
Scotland,  who  was  staying  there,  waiting  for  the  time  of  her 
confinement.  There  was  also  there,  Richard,  king  of  Ger- 
many, who  had  lately  returned  with  unexpected  rapidity  into 
England,  but  his  queen  had  all  the  time  stayed  uninterrup- 
tedly at  Berkhampstead.  And  at  this  season^  there  was  such 
unbroken  fine  weather  and  softness  in  the  air,  that  you  would 
have  said  that  it  was  the  pleasant  time  of  summer  rather  than 
winter. 

And  about  this  time  an  event  took  place  which  was  strange, 
and  which  seemed  more  and  more  marvellous  to  all  who  heard 
of  it.  For  two  persons,  who  had  not  undeservedly  been  com- 
mitted to  perpetual  imprisonment,  namely,  Roger  de  Clare 
and  John  Ealriche,  when  one  had  been  confined  in  Newgate 
^nd  loaded  with  chains  eighteen  years,  and  the  other  more 


A.D.  1261.  THE  KISQ  GOES  AGAIKST  HIS  OATH.  391 

than  ten,  escaped  by  night,  taking  with  them  others  also  of 
their  companions,  all  of  whom,  at  their  departure,  were  bear- 
ing and  carried  off  no  small  number  of  fetters.  But  Roger, 
with  some  of  them,  took  sanctuary  in  a  church,  and  John, 
with  the  rest,  escaped  as  secretly  as  he  could  out  of  the  city 
of  London.  And  another  strange  matter  was  here  unfolded 
to  the  hearers.  For  about  the  time  of  the  Purification  of  the 
blessed  Virgin,  when  there  ought  to  have  been  fine  spring 
weather,  there  was  a  continuance  of  snow  and  frost  for  a 
fortnight,  that  no  one  for  many  years  had  seen  such  a  contra- 
riety of  seasons  and  weather.  But  on  the  Sunday  after  the 
feast  of  Saint  Scholastica,  that  is  to  say,  on  the  thirteenth  of 
February,  Robert  de  Stichille,  bishop  elect  of  Durham,  was 
consecrated  and  installed  in  his  bishopric,  by  the  archbishop 
of  York,  at  Southwell ;  and  having  celebrated  a  glorious  ban- 
quet there,  he  went  with  all  speed  to  his  episcopal  see,  which 
he  was  said  never  to  have  visited  since  his  election. 

About  the  same  time,  Margaret,  queen  of  Scotland,  brought 
forth  her  eldest  daughter,  in  the  castle  of  Windsor,  where  she 
had  been  staying  a  long  time  with  her  mother.  And  the 
Scots  when  they  heard  this,  were  very  much  grieved  at  their 
queen  having  been  confined  out  of  her  own  kingdom,  as  they 
were  altogether  ignorant  when  she  departed  that  she  was  so 
near  the  time  of  her  dehvery.  For  she  had  carefully  con- 
cealed this  from  the  people,  and  from  the  king,  that  so  she 
might  return  to  her  native  country,  and  there  with  greater 
freedom  gratify  her  wish  of  having  her  child  born  there. 

Tlie  king  goes  against  his  oath. 

About  the  same  time,  in  February,  the  lord  the  king  of 
England,  who,  during  his  whole  reign,  had  been  considered 
extravagantly  hberal  towards  foreigners,  having  now  taken 
thought  vrith  himself  secretly,  that  from  being  subjected  to 
the  provisions  made  by  the  barons  he  had  been,  contrary  to 
his  customs,  compelled  to  stay  his  hand,  was  greatly  grieved 
at  being  forced  to  adhere  to  their  guardianship  and  arrange- 
ments, however  useful  they  might  be,  and  determined,  with  a 
resolute  heart,  to  alter  them.  Therefore,  having  convoked  his 
nobles,  he  said  to  them,  "  All  of  you  laboured  perseveringly 
on  behalf  of  the  general  advantage  and  benefit  (as  you  as- 
serted) of  the  king,  and  for  tlie  sake  of  increasing  my  trea- 
sures,  and  diminishing  my  debts  ;    and  you  unanimously 


392  1U.TTHXW  OV  WISTMINSTiSB.  A.D.  1261. 

agreed  to  a  promion  which  was  to  he  ohserved  apon  oath,  to 
the  observance  of  which  you  also  bound  me  and  my  son  by  a 
similar  oath.  Bat  now  I  have  experienced  beyond  a  doubt, 
that  you  are  desirous  not  so  much  of  the  advantage  of  the 
king  and  kingdom  as  of  your  own,  and  that  you  are  altogether 
receding  from  your  agreements,  and  that  you  have  reduced 
me,  not  as  your  lord  but  as  your  servant  under  your  authority. 
Moreover,  my  treasury  is  exhausted  to  an  unusual  degree ; 
my  debt  increases  in  every  direction,  and  the  liberality  and 
power  of  the  king  is  almost  overthrown  and  put  down.  On 
which  account,  I  desire  you  not  to  wonder  if  I  do  not  walk 
any  more  by  your  counsel,  but  leave  you  to  yourselves  for  the 
future,  and  allow  myself  to  seek  a  remedy  for  the  existing 
state  of  affairs."  And  when  he  had  said  this,  having  sent 
ministers  to  Rome  to  procure  absolution,  the  king  wrote  a 
special  letter  to  the  king  of  France,  and  to  his  son  Edward, 
entreating  them  to  furnish  him  with  assistance.  And  the 
king  of  France  promised  him  a  large  army,  which  he  would 
support  at  his  own  expense  for  seven  years,  if  it  should  be  ne- 
cessary ;  and  Edward  exerted  himself,  as  it  was  said,  in  col- 
lecting forces  of  every  deschption;  endeavouring  to  release 
Henry,  who  was  no  longer  a  youth,  but  a  veteran,  from  the  con- 
finement in  which  he  was  kept,  and  to  make  him  master  of 
his  kingdom,  as  he  had  been  used  to  be.  In  the  meantime, 
the  king  having  neglected  the  statute  made  by  his  nobles,  and 
being  deceived  by  flattering  counsels,  entered  the  Tower  of 
London,  and  having  forced  open  the  bolts,  seized  the  treasure 
which  was  deposited  there,  and  spent  and  dissipated  it.  More- 
over, he  hired  workmen,  and  caused  the  Tower  to  be  strength- 
ened in  every  part,  and  he  ordered  the  whole  city  of  London 
to  have  its  locks  and  barriers  strengthened,  and  to  be  fortified 
all  round.  And  having  convoked  all  the  citizens  of  twelve 
years  old  and  upwards,  he  caused  them  all  to  swear  to  main- 
tain their  fidelity  to  him,  the  crier  making  proclamation  that 
all  who  were  willing  to  serve  the  king  should  come  to  receive 
pay  from  him.  And  when  they  heard  this,  the  nobles  flocked 
in  from  all  quarters  with  their  forces,  encamping  without  the 
walls,  since  all  entertainment  within  was  entirely  denied  to 
them.  And  so  a  deadly  war  was  expected  on  every  side, 
which,  indeed,  had  never  been  so  near  in  past  years. 

About  the  same  time,  it  was  generally  known  all  around  the 
kingdom,  that  all  the  bishops  of  England  were  designing  to 


A.D.  12G1.         THE  KTBTG  ACCEPTS  THE  POPE's  LETTER,  393 

recall  from  the  men  of  religious  orders,  and  especially  from 
those  who  had  exemptions,  all  the  churches  which  had  heen 
appropriated  to  them  ;  and,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  power 
to  carry  out  this  design,  to  send,  with  the  sanction  of  their  whole 
body,  and  maintain  procurators  to  the  Roman  court,  to  solicit 
its  countenance.  And  they  made  little  doubt  that  they  should 
prevail,  because  they  assigned  various  and  plausible  grounds 
for  their  request  (as  they  said),  and  because,  too,  they  spared 
no  expense  to  procure  the  permission  that  they  prayed  for ;  so 
that  great  fears  were  entertained  that  as  a  corporeal  war  was 
maintained  among  the  laity,  so  too,  a  spiritual  discord  would 
arise  among  the  scholars,  in  consequence  of  the  diminution  of 
the  incomes  of  some  of  diem. 

About  the  same  time,  though  the  lord  the  pope  had  lately 
determined  to  hold  his  general  council  at  Rome,  in  the  fort- 
night after  Easter,  having  (as  it  was  said)  already  informed 
the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  of  this  intention,  afterwards, 
when  he  heard  of  the  invasion  of  Christendom,  by  the  Tartars 
coming  nearer,  he  postponed  the  fulfilment  of  this  decree,  and 
sent  brother  Walter  de  Reigate  into  England,  to  make  wise 
arrangements  as  to  this  and  other  matters.  But  afterwards, 
when  the  pope  heard  that  fifty-two  thousand  of  these  Tartars 
above  mentioned  had  been  slain  in  Hungary,  fearing  that  the 
remainder  would  soon  do  him  and  the  rest  of  the  Christians 
much  injury,  he  caused  all  the  Transalpine  prelates,  and  all, 
too,  who  were  nearer  Rome,  to  be  summoned  to  meet  at  Rome 
before  the  feast  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  to  consider 
how  they  might  offer  the  most  effectual  resistance  to  the  aforcr 
said  enemies.  Accordingly,  when  the  aforesaid  brother  Wal- 
ter arrived,  he  caused  all  the  prelates  of  England  to  be  sum- 
moned to  meet  in  London  in  his  presence,  in  the  fortnight 
after  Easter,  and,  when  they  had  he{urd  the  papal  message, 
not  to  be  slack  in  framing  a  proper  answer. 

About  this  time,  that  is,  about  Easter,  a  letter  from  the 
pope,  respecting  the  absolution  of  the  king  and  his  son 
Edward,  from  the  oaths  before  mentioned,  was  obtained  ;  but 
though  the  king  accepted  it,  Edward  voluntarily  bound  him- 
self again  by  a  repetition  of  the  oath.  And  when  the  nobles 
heard  this,  they  persevered  firmly  in  their  original  design,  and 
sending  mediators  to  the  king,  they  earnestly  demanded  that 
he  should  inviolably  keep  the  oath  which  had  been  adminis- 
tered to  him  in  accordance  with  their  unanimous  decision. 


394  MATTHEW  OT  WSSTinKSTEB.  A.D.  1261. 

And  if  any  portion  of  it  was  particnkrly  unwelcome  to  bim, 
they  begged  that  he  would  point  it  out  to  them,  that  they 
might  correct  it.  But  he  would  not  agree  to  this,  but  woold 
scarcely  allow  them  to  appear  before  him,  threatening  them 
harshly  and  answering  them  wantonly,  and  saying,  that  he 
would  no  longer  endure  their  departing  from  the  agreement 
that  they  had  made,  but  that  each  of  them  had  better  for 
the  future  provide  for  his  own  defence.  At  length,  howeyer, 
through  the  mediation  of  some  discreet  persons,  he  waa, 
though  with  difficulty,  so  far  appeased  as  to  allow  two  persons 
to  be  chosen,  one  on  one  side  and  one  on  the  other,  which 
two  were  to  choose  themselves  a  third,  and  then,  having  heard 
the  complaints  of  the  king  and  the  answers  of  the  other 
party,  to  provide  for  a  firm  peace  on  both  sides.  And  this, 
after  it  had  been  accepted  by  both  parties,  was  agreed  to  be 
put  off  till  the  arrival  of  prince  Edward.  But  when  Edward 
heard  this,  namely,  that  the  dissensions  which  were  existing 
in  England  would  sooner  be  healed  by  peace  through  his  arri- 
val, having  gained  the  victory  in  the  tournament,  he  returned 
with  speed  to  his  own  country,  bringing  with  him  John  de 
Brames,  his  sister*s  husband,  and  William  de  Valence,  who 
had  lately  been  banished  from  the  kingdom,  and  who  then 
could  scarcely  obtain  leave  to  enter  it,  though  he  took  an  oath 
on  his  admission  that  he  would  adhere  to  Uie  provisions  esta- 
blished by  the  barons  in  every  particular,  and  would,  if  it  were 
needful,  reply  to  all  the  complaints  that  had  been,  or  should 
be,  alleged  against  him.  But  Edward  being  fully  informed  of 
all  points  respecting  the  vain  counsels  and  counsellors  of  the 
king,  and  being  greatly  displeased  at  them,  of  his  own  ac- 
cord kept  aloof  from  his  father's  sight,  and  with  all  good 
faith  gave  in  his  adhesion  to  the  barons,  as  he  had  previously 
sworn  to  do.  Therefore^  when  all  the  partisans  of  the  afore- 
said contention  had  been  sought  out  and  ascertained,  they  all 
with  one  accord  united  with  Edward  in  an  oath,  that  they 
would  never  agree  with  the  king  till  he  had  removed  some 
persons  whom  it  was  unnecessary  to  name  from  his  councils. 
Adding,  that  it  was  owing  to  the  suggestions  of  such  disturb- 
ers of  peace,  that  the  king  was  often  deceived,  and  that  the  pro- 
visions so  beneficial  to  both  king  and  kingdom  were  abrogated  by 
the  effect  of  the  papal  absolution  before  mentioned.  On  which 
account,  their  secret  councils  being  now  revealed,  "  the  king 
will  never  be  able  (said  they),  while  the  advice  of  such  men  is 


A.D.  1261.      JUSTICIABIES  BISST  THBOUGH  ENGLAND.  395 

interposed,  to  agree  with  his  harons  as  he  ought."  But  the  king, 
when  he  heard  this,  immediately  withdrew  with  these  men 
into  the  Tower  of  London ;  and  Edward  remaining  outside 
with  the  nohles,  there  was  very  soon  a  formidable  body  col- 
lected. 

But  the  earls  of  Gloucester  and  Leicester,  who  were  before 
this  at  variance,  in  consequence  of  violent  language  that  had 
passed  between  them,  now  made  firm  peace  with  one  another, 
and  confederated  with  Edward  and  othet  persons,  pledging 
themselves  to  one  another  to  remove  the  body  of  disturbers 
before  mentioned  from  the  king,  or  else  to  unite  in  stirring 
up  civil  war,  and  to  prosecute  it  to  death.     Therefore,  the 
counsellors  before  mentioned  being  greatly  alarmed  for  them- 
selves, kept  themselves  for  a  long  time  under  the  protection  of 
the  Tower  of  London,  being  protected  on  all  sides  by  arms 
and  soldiers ;  till  at  last,  by  the  intervention  of  the  queen, 
they  were,  though  not  without  difficulty,  reconciled  to  some 
of  the  nobles,  and  the  two  parties  saluted  one  another  with 
the  embrace  of  peace  about  Easter.     After  this  event,  the  king 
showed  himself  more  fearlessly  outside  of  the  Tower,  having 
dismissed  the  lord  John  Mansel  within  the  fortress,  and  im- 
mediately travelled  toward  Dover.     And  coming  there  with  a 
small  retinue,  they  freely  gave  him  entrance  to  the  castle, 
which,  indeed,  had  not  been  taken  from  nor  forbidden  to  him, 
but  (being,  as  it  were,  the  key  of  the  whole  kingdom)  had 
been  committed  by  the  barons  to  faithful  keeping.    When  the 
kbg  presently  found  that  he  had  been  deceived  by  false  sug- 
gestions, and  that  he  was  everywhere,  although  without  his 
knowing  it,  supported  by  the  fidelity  of  his  barons,  he  com- 
mitted the  wardenship  of  that  castle  to  the  lord  Robert  Yaleran, 
and  then  went  to  the  castle  of  Rochester,  and  to  some  other 
forts,  and  everywhere  found  free  admittance  and  free  egress 
according  to  his  wish. 

About  the  same  time,  some  travelling  justiciaries  were  sent 
through  England  by  command  of  the  king,  but  this  was  con- 
trary to  the  common  provision  made  by  both  parties,  and 
utterly  without  the  consent  of  the  barons.  And  when  these 
judges  came  to  Hereford,  and  when  the  county  had  been  sum- 
uioned  to  meet  them,  wishing  to  hold  their  sittings  on  the 
Monday,  which  w,as  the  Hokeday,^  immediately  some  persons 

*  The  Hokeday  (which,  however,  according  to  Ducange,  fell  always  on 
the  Tuesday  fortnight  after  Easter)  was  an  annual  festival  observed  in 


396  ICATTHKW  07  mtSTMIKSTBB.  A.B.  1261. 

on  the  part  of  the  hody  of  the  barons  approached  them, 
strictly  commanding  them  not  to  presume  to  do  this,  and  for- 
bidding all  people  to  answer  any  of  their  enquiries ;  both 
because  the  summonses  had  not  been  issued  a  reasonable 
number  of  days  beforehand,  that  is  to  say  forty,  and  also 
because,  according  to  the  provision,  the  itinerant  justiciaries 
were  not  to  hold  a  sitting  in  any  county  more  than,  once  in  seven 
years.  On  which  account,  as  their  appointment  was  silently 
suspended,  they  presently  demanded  of  the  king  a  reply  on 
this  point,  and  having  received  his  command  to  desist,  they 
took  their  way  to  Northampton  with  all  speed. 

But  in  the  month  of  May,  all  the  prelates  of  England,  that 
is  to  say,  the  archbishops,  bishops,  and  abbots,  both  those 
who  had  exemptions  and  those  who  had  not,  and  priors,  and 
archdeacons,  and  the  other  ordinaries  of  the  churches,  having 
been  summoned,  as  has  been  said  above,  to  hear  the  message 
of  the  lord  the  pope,  and  there  to  satisfy  him  with  positive 
answers ;  on  the  Monday  before  the  feast  of  Saint  Dunstan, 
all  the  bishops  of  the  southern  districts  met  in  London  before 
Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and  his  brother  William, 
whose  name  has  been  mentioned  before  as  the  nuncio  of  the 
lord  the  pope.  And  on  the  Monday  following,  the  bishops  of 
the  north  country  met  at  Beverly  under  the  archbishop  of 
York,  who  had  a  similar  charge  committed  to  him,  and  a 
council  being  held  on  the  before-mentioned  points,  they  pro- 
vided some  new  statutes,  here  and  there  affecting  tiie  state  of 
the  English  church,  which  they  established,  and  ordered  to  be 
observed  with  the  others  which  had  been  previously  enacted 
among  the  provisions  of  Oxford. 

And  with  respect  to  these  and  other  articles,  and  especially 
to  the  common  provision  which  was  to  be  made  for  resisting 
the  Tartars,  they  determined  to  send  prudent  men  with  full 
powers  to  Borne  as  ambassadors,  who  should  be  supported  out 
of  their  common  purse,  and  who  might  inform  the  lord  the 
pope  of  the  answers  they  had  agreed  upon  in  the  council  above 
mentioned,  which  was  to  be  held  at  Bome.  These  men  (as  is 
generally  said)  then  swore,  in  the  presence  of  the  bishops 
before  mentioned,  that  they  would  not  patiently  allow  anything 

England  in  commemoration  of  the  expulsion  of  the  Danes  by  king 
Ethelred,  in  the  year  100*2,  when  he  made  a  great  massacre  of  them,  and 
drove  them  out  of  England.  The  massacre  itself,  however,  took  place  on 
Sunday,  November  13,  ^aint  Brice's  day. 


A.D.1261.  TH£  KINO  CELEBBATES  THE  I'EAST  01*  PENTECOST.  397 

to  pass  to  their  prejudice,  but  that  they  would  exert  themsekes 
to  oppose  the  men  of  the  religious  orders,  and  particularly 
those  who  had  exemptions.     On  which  account,  those  who 
claimed  such  exemptions,  when  every  one  else  gave  in  certain 
answers,  answered  with  one  voice  in  the  following  manner : — 
*•  Ye  are  sending  deputies  to  the  court  of  Rome  for  your- 
selvcET  alone  and  against  us,  and  you  are  compelling  us  to 
contribute    for   this  purpose.      Now,  if  you  are  willing  to 
send    general   ambassadors  for   the  common  advantage  of 
us  all,  in  that  case  we  will  cheerfully  contribute  with  you ; 
but  otherwise  we  will  not  consent  to  do  so."     And  when  this 
had   been  heard,  the  bishops  immediately  drew  an  excuse 
from  it,  writing  to  the  pope  that  they  could  not  give  a 
positive  answer,  because  of  the  separation  of  those  who  had 
exemptions.     Therefore,  those  who  had  exemptions  being 
alarmed,   sent  special  messengers  without  delay  after  the 
others,  who  should  act  in  opposition  to  the  deputies  before 
mentioned,  or  should  procure  the  revocation  of  any  decisions 
which  had  been  come  to  in  their  favourby  contradicting  them. 
At  this  time,  the  king  wishing  (as  being  released  by  abso- 
lution from  the  observance  of  it)  to  break  the  oath  which  he 
had  formerly  taken,  boldly  went  round  the  cities  and  castles 
of  his  kingdom,  wishing  to  make  himself  absolute  master  of 
them  and  of  the  whole  kingdom  ;  animated  by  the  fact,  that 
the  king  of  France,  and  all  the  nobles  of  that  kingdom,  had 
lately  promised*  to  assist  him  with  all  his  might.     On  which 
account,  the  count  of  Saint  Pol  and  Gerard  de  Rodes  came  to 
his  assistance  with  a  numerous  body  of  followers.   This  count, 
as  it  was  said,  took  the  oaths  of  fealty  to  the  king  as  far  as 
military  service  went,  and  for  this  he  received  every  week  ten 
marks  from  the  treasury  ;  and  the  aforesaid  Gerard  did  the 
same  ;  but  all  the  rest  before  their  arrival  had  received  their 
fall  pay  for  forty  days.    Therefore,  the  aforesaid  king,  coming 
to  Winchester,  entered  his  castle  there  without  any  opposition, 
as  he  did  in  other  places,  and  there  he  celebrated  the  feast  of 
Pentecost  with  his  followers.     And  having  summoned  his  jus- 
ticiary and  his  chancellor,  who  had  been  lately  appointed  to 
their  offices  by  the  whole  body  of  barons,  to  meet  him  at  that 
place,  he  commanded  his  seal  to  be  restored  to  him,  and  the 
oaths  of  the  justiciary's  office  to  be  given  up  to  him.     But  as 
they  replied,  that  they  could  not  by  any  means  do  this  without 
the  consent  and  sanction  of  the  barons  assembled  in  council 


398  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMEfSTEB.  A.D.  1261. 

with  tlie  king,  the  king  immediately  hecame  angry,  and,  with- 
out consulting  ^the  barons,  appointed  the  lord  Walter  de 
Merton  his  chancellor,  and  the  lord  Philip  Basset  his  prin- 
cipal justiciary  throughout  the  kingdom.  And  when  the 
nobles  heard  this,  they  considered  it  contrary  to  their  in- 
terest and  to  the  provisions  which  they  had  agreed  to ;  and  so, 
fearing  that  the  king  would  take  upon  himself  utterly  to  oyer- 
turn  their  arrangements,  they  strengthened  themselves  with 
arms  and  troops,  and  marched  thither  with  all  speed.  Bat 
when  John  Mansel  heard  this,  he,  fearing  that  danger  was 
being  prepared,  from  this  proceeding,  for  the  king  and  for  him- 
self, and  for  those  who  agreed  with  him,  went  secretly  to  Win- 
chester, though  greatly  alarmed,  and  privily  advised  and  warned 
'  the  king  to  return  secretly  to  London.  So  when  he  had  re- 
turned, the  king  silently  departed  from  the  castle,  and  has- 
tened to  London  without  delay,  accompanied  by  a  small  band 
of  followers. 

The  same  year,  as  the  see  of  Winchester  had  been  vacant 
no  inconsiderable  time,  the  monks  of  Winchester  themselves 
elected  the  abbot  of  Middleton,  who  had  formerly  been  their 
own  prior,  as  their  bishop,  though  they  had  previously  elected 
some  one  else,  who,  during  the  lifetime  of  Ethelmar,  and 
while  he  was  at  the  court  of  Rome,  had  involved  his  church  in 
an  infinite  amount  of  debt,  endeavouring  to  prevail  against 
him  ;  but  he,  as  he  had  been  formerly  elected  while  Ethelmar 
was  still  alive,  by  whom  he  himself  also  had  been  appointed 
prior  of  Winchester,  rightly  appeared  to  have  no  right  to  re- 
tain the  bishopric;  on  which  account,  now  that  Ethelmar 
himself  was  dead,  they  wished  to  elect  this  abbot  in  opposition 
to  the  other.  But  in  the  month  of  May,  when  the  papal  in- 
dulgence (of  which  mention  has  already  been  made),  con- 
ferring absolution  on  the  king  and  the  other  conspirators,  had 
been  obtained,  the  lord  the  king  caused  it  to  be  published  and 
made  known  to  every  one.  And  the  same  year,  grave  dissen- 
sions broke  out  between  king  Henry  and  his  barons,  because 
he  refused  any  longer  to  give  his  consent  to  the  provisions 
which  had  been  established  in  the  conference  at  Oxford,  and 
confirmed  by  mutual  oaths  on  both  sides.  Therefore,  showing 
his  utter  contempt  for  their  counsel,  he  seized  the  castles  which 
had  been  committed  to  their  guardianship  ;  he  also  removed 
those  royal  officers,  such  as  the  justiciary,  the  chancellor,  and 
others,  who  had  been  appointed  by  the  barons,  in  whose  places, 


J^.D.  1261.      DBSADFUL  THTrNDBESTOEM  IN  EPTGLAND.  399 

relying  on  his  own  will,  he  appointed  others,  according  to  his 
pleasure. 

After  Easter,  Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  relying 
on  the  authority  of  the  Apostolic  See,  held  a  provincial  coun- 
cil at  Lambeth,  near  London,  by  the  advice  of  the  prelates  of 
bis  province,  to  take  steps  for  the  execution  of  the  mandate 
from  the  Apostohc  See  against  the  Tartars,  which  has  already 
been  mentioned,  since  they  had  now  terribly  overrun  the 
greater  part  of  the  world,  as  has  been  fully  related  above. 
And  for  the  effectual  removal  (by  the  grace  of  God)  of  this 
scourge  of  the  divine  indignation,  the  holy  fathers  who  as- 
sisted  at  this  council,  passed  a  resolution  that  men  ought  to 
recur  to  processions,  and  fasts,  and  other  works  of  piety  of 
this  kind,  by  means  of  which,  if  they  were  offered  to  the 
Lord  in  a  spirit  of  humility  and  with  a  contrite  heart,  the  di- 
vine anger,  which  had  been  kindled  to  vengeance  by  the  sins 
of  the  people,  would  be  appeased,  and  then  they  trusted  that 
the  faithful  people  would  be  mercifully  released  from  their 
sufferings. 

About  a  fortnight  after  Easter,  the  count  de  Saint  Pol  came 
into  England,  having  been,  as  it  was  said,  invited  by  the 
king  with  about  eighty  knights  and  as  many  guards,  who  used 
the  cross-bow,  but  not  long  afterwards,  having  failed  in  attaining 
his  object,  he  returned  with  his  followers  to  his  own  country. 

About  this  time,  the  itinerant  justiciaries  held  their  sittings 
at  Gloucester,  and  then,  intending  to  sit  at  Worcester  in  the 
we^k  after  the  festival  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  they  found 
no  one  to  come  before  them  on  their  summons,  or  to  make 
them  any  answers  as  if  they  were  justiciaries,  because  they 
were  making  their  circuit  within  the  seven  years,  before  the 
completion  of  which  period  they  could  not  lawfully  hold  their 
courts  according  to  the  provisions  of  the  kingdom.  More- 
over, the  people  of  that  district  were  offended  at  the  short  no- 
tice given  by  the  summons,  which  did  not  allow  them  any 
sufficient  or  reasonable  time,  according  to  the  salutary  deci- 
sions which  have  been  pronounced  in  England  in  former  times. 

On  the  twenty-seventh  of  July,  a  most  violent  thunder- 
storm, attended  with  incessant  flashes  of  lightning,  alarmed 
the  north  country ;  and  a  thunderbolt  falling  at  Evesham, 
hurled  down  a  vast  stone  which  was  placed  in  Uie  edge  of  the 
comer  of  the  upper  part  of  the  church  tower,  with  such  force, 
that  it  fell  down  into  the  choir  and  was  broken  to  pieces  by 


400  MATTHEW  OP  WBSTMINSTKE.  A.D.  1261. 

the  Tiolence/and  penetrated  into  the  ground,  and  the  8ton« 
was  nearly  a  foot  long.  And  soon  afterwards,  the  roof  of 
the  tower  was  discovered  to  be  on  fire  m  consequence  of  the 
lightning,  and  burning  downwards,  the  tower  was  destroyed 
for  a  distance  of  about  thirty  feet,  or,  as  some  say,  fifty,  coont- 
ingthe  weathercock  ;  and  a  terrible  foetid  smell  ensued,  which 
men's  noses  could  not  bear.  At  last,  the  monks  and  the 
people  coming  up,  and  bursting  into  the  tower  with  admirabk 
daringy  endeavoured  to  extinguish  the  fire,  by  throwing  water 
on  it ;  but  they  laboured  in  vain,  as  it  were,  to  quench  it,  or 
to  extinguish  the  devices  oi  their  enemy,  till  (as  they  say)  a 
ray  of  the  sun  streamed  on  the  fire  caused  by  the  lightning, 
and  so  entirely  put  it  out  and  extinguished  it  by  the  com- 
mand of  God. 

The  same  year,  on  the  festival  of  Saint  Urban,  formerly 
pope  and  martyr,  which  happens  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  May, 
pope  Alexander  died,  and  the  pontificate  of  the  Romans  was 
vacant  for  about  three  months  and  a  fortnight.  At  length, 
he  was  succeeded  by  the  patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  who  took  the 
name  of  Urban. 

This  year  there  was  a  great  sedition  and  disturbance  among 
the  people  throughout  the  counties  of  England,  excited  in  the 
matter  of  the  institution  of  the  new  viscounts  placed  by  the 
king  in  each  hundred ;   the  former  viscounts,  to  whom  the 
counties  had  been  entrusted  by  the  barons  and  commonalty 
of  the  land,  being  removed  by  the  indignation  of  the  king. 
But  the  inhabitants  of  the  counties,  being  instigated  by  the 
assistance  of  some  of  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom,  and  8up> 
ported  by  their  advice  and  countenance,  being  also  prompted 
by  great  sagacity,   gallantly  drove  away  the  viscounts  above 
mentioned,  and  refused  to  attend  before  them  or  to  give  them 
any  answers.     On  this  account,  therefore,  king  Jlenry,  being 
disturbed  by  grave  anxiety  of  mind,  for  the  purpose  of  awaken- 
ing the  devotion  and  feelings  of  loyalty  of  the  people,  sent 
letters  to  all  the  counties  of  England,  full  of  great  incentives 
to  piety,  and  calculated  to  regain  the  good  will  of  the  people 
who  were  subject  to  him,  the  tenor  of  which  letters  shall  be 
given  at  the  end  of  this  book,^  together  with  the  provisions  of 
Oxford. 

Wherefore,  since,  as  has  often  been  said,  great  dissensions 
had  arisen  between  the  king  and  the  barons,  which  increased 
*  They  are  not  given,  however. 


A.D.  1262.  CAJTOKIZATIOir  OF  SAINT  MOHAED.  401 

very  much  from  day  to  day ;  the  nobles  of  Effgland  met  in 
London  and  the  neighbouring  districts  with  bands  of  armed 
followers,  about  the  time  of  the  feast  of  All  Saints.  And  as 
vhe  king  was  very  much  afraid  of  their  power,  which  had 
grown  yery  troublesome  to  him,  he  took  post  with  his  adhe- 
rents in  the  Tower  of  London,  and  did  not  delay  to  summon 
from  all  quarters  all  those  who  were  bound  to  do  him  military 
service,  to  conie  thither  with  all  the  speed  they  could.  When, 
therefore,  the  partisans  of  each  side  had  assembled,  the  quar- 
rel rested  for  a  time  on  account  of  messengers  going  to  and 
fro,  in  the  hope  of  re-establishing  peace  without  the  noise  of 
war,  each  party  being  inclined  to  peace  by  the  advice  of  some 
of  the  nobles  who  were  appointed  to  consider  the  matter.  And 
80  all  the  labour  and  all  the  long-cherished  designs  of  the  ba- 
rons, by  the  cunning  of  some  of  their  body,  as  it  was  thought, 
was  brought  to  nothing  at  this  time,  and  withered  away,  be- 
cause 

Of  an  sad  evils,  sure  delay's  the  worst. 

This  year,  Senchia,  queen  of  Germany  died,  and  was  buried  at 
Hayles,  in  the  monastery  which  the  lord  the  king  had  founded. 
Also,  Edward,  son  of  king  Henry,  returned  from  foreign  lands, 
bringing  with  him  William  de  Ysdence,  and  other  inhabitants 
of  Poitou,  who,  as  has  been  said  before,  had  departed  under 
compulsion  from  England. 

Hie  eanmimtim  of  Saint  JRtchard,  bishop  of  Chichester. 

A.p.  1262.  Saint  Richard,  bishop  of  Chichester,  was  canon- 
ized at  Rome,  and  enrolled  in  the  catalogue  of  the  saints,  and 
the  day  of  his  festival  is  celebrated  on  the  third  of  April. 
Meantime,  king  Henry  had  obtained  from  pope  Urban  abso- 
lution from  the  observance  of  the  grant  that  he  had  made  at 
Oxford,  and  from  his  oaths,  and  all  other  engagements  which 
affected  those  same  ordinances  or  statutes,  which  provisions, 
indeed,  he  soon  commanded  to  be  abrogated  throughout  Eng- 
land. Richard,  king  of  the  Romans,  returned  to  Germany, 
and  Henry,  our  king,  crossed  the  sea,  about  the  time  of  the 
translation  of  the  blessed  martyr  Thomas,  and  tarried  a  long 
time  in  France,  where  he  was  attacked  by  a  severe  illness,  and 
nearly  all  his  household,  too,  were  terribly  afflicted  with  a 
quartan  ague,  and  many  also  died.  Among  whom,  Baldwin 
of  the  Island,  earl  of  Devon,  was  withdrawn  from  this  life,  in 

TOL.  n.  D  D 


402  UXTTBXW  or  WBBTHnrSTSB.  A.]).  1262. 

the  middle  oMiis  days,  as  one  may  say ;  and  Richard  de  Clare, 
the  illustrious  earl  of  Gloucester  and  Hereford,  died  about  the 
same  time  in  Kent,  and  was  buried  at  Thekesbury,  of  whose 
▼irtues  and  pre-eminent  character  a  heroic  stanza  speaks  as 
follows : — 

"  Hippolytus'  modest  grace, 

Ulysses'  sense,  and  Paris'  face, 

Anchises'  son's  religious  fear, 

And  filial  duty,  all  lie  here.*' 

Also,  Henry,  bishop  of  London,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Ricluird  Talbot,  who  himself  also  ceased  to  lire  soon  after- 
wards. Master  John  of  Exeter  obtained  the  bishopric  of 
Winchester  by  the  collation  of  the  lord  the  pope. 

After  England  had  been  now  for  six  years  and  more  op- 
pressed by  a  general  failure  of  the  crops,  at  last,  in  this  pre- 
sent year,  the  earth  recovered  its  fertihty,  and  a  joyful  and 
fertile  time  returned  to  the  productive  fields  ;  and  so  the  heart 
and  flesh  of  all  men  exulted  in  the  one  God.  About  the  time 
of  the  feast  of  Saint  Andrew  the  Apostle,  there  was  a  violent 
storm  of  wind,  which  threw  down  not  only  houses  and  trees, 
but  also  towers,  whether  built  of  wood  or  stone ;  owing  to 
which,  the  church  of  Croyland,  or  at  least  the  greater  portion 
of  it,  with  the  tower,  fell  down,  and  overwhelmed  five  men 
who  were  standing  under  it.  This  year  also,  Andrew,  prior 
of  Saint  Swithin's,  at  Winchester,  was,  as  his  conduct  well 
deserved,  arrested  in  his  chapter-house  by  the  bishop  of  that 
city,  and  thrown  into  prison  at  the  abbey  of  Hyde  ;  but  soon 
afterwards  he  cunningly  broke  his  chains  and  escaped.  At 
the  time  of  the  Advent  of  the  Lord,  the  Welch,  with  their 
chief,  Leoline,^  bursting  forth  from  their  country,  attacked  in 
a  hostile  manner  the  territories  of  Roger  de  Mortimer,  and 
ravaged  them ;  and  attacking  some  noble  and  gallant  men, 
both  knights  and  esquires,  at  the  attack  and  defence  of  the 
castle  of  Kennet,  which  had  formerly  been  burnt  by  them, 
they  shut  them  up  in  the  castle  and  blockaded  them,  and  cut 
them  off  from  all  hope  of  obtaining  provisions  ;  and,  in  con- 
sequence, at  last  that  castle,  and  another  place  of  great  strength, 
and  the  ensign  of  Roger  himself,  was  surrendered  to  them ; 
and  the  Welch,  as  is  their  custom,  rased  it  to  the  ground,  and 
reduced  the  foundations  to  a  level  plain.  Therefore,  Roger  de 
Mortimer,  a  man  worthy  of  everlasting  fame,  being  excited  to 
1  The  same  as  Llewellyn. 


A.D.  1263*  SXFEBinOir  AGAnrST  THS  THSLCH.  403 

vehement  anger,  being  assisted  by  an  anxiliary  band  of  some 
of  the  nobles  of  the  marches,  devised  proper  manoeuvres 
against  them,  suited  to  the  place  and  occasion,  and  attacked 
them  in  frequent  salUes,  slaying  sometimes  three  hundred 
men,  sometimes  four  hundred,  sometimes  five  hundred,  and 
even  more,  till  they  amounted  to  an  incalculable  number  ;  and 
thus,  with  his  victorious  army,  he  inflicted  miserable  slaughter 
on  them ;  but  once,  of  the  infantry  who  entered  the  marches, 
lie  lost  about  three  hundred  men  himself,  who  were  treacher- 
ously slain  by  that  people. 

The  same  year,  the  king's  palace  at  Westminster  was  nearly 
all  consumed  by  a  conflagration,  which  some  persons  inter- 
preted as  an  omen  of  evil  fortune ;  but  the  lord  the  king, 
guided  by  the  wholesome  advice  of  his  faithful  friends,  in 
order  to  have  peace  with  his  nobles,  and  to  further  tbe  im- 
provement of  his  kingdom,  of  his  own  pure  free  will  ordered 
the  constitutions  of  Oxford,  which  had  been  published  long 
before,  to  be  inviolably  observed,  and  sent  orders  to  that 
effect  to  each  county  ;  but  even  by  this  step  the  kingdom  was 
not  rendered  entirely  peaceful^  as  will  plainly  appear  in  the 
ensuing  chapters. 

Giles,  bishop  of  Salisbury,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Walter ; 
and  Richard,  king  of  Germany,  having,  according  to  his  cus- 
tom, exhausted  all  his  treasures  in  Germany,  returned  to  Eng- 
land ;  and  of  the  way  in  which  he  obtained  that  money,  it  may 
be  truly  said, 

**  Good  issues  seldom  wait  on  sordid  gain.'' 

Concerning  the  expedition  against  the  Welch 

A.n.  1263.  Edward,  son  of  king  Henry,  came  into  England 
after  Easter,  with  a  great  body  of  knights,  some  of  them 
foreigners  of  high  reputation,  whom  he  had  brought  with  him 
from  France,  and  some  of  them  EngUsh ;  and  advancing  to- 
wards Snowdon,  he  marched  on  a  mighty  expedition  against 
the  Welch  ;  but  as  they  retreated,  and  as  our  soldiers,  by  rea- 
son of  the  inequalities  of  the  ground,  the  thickness  of  the 
woods,  and  the  darkness  of  the  deep  morasses,  could  not  ven- 
ture to  pursue  them  so  closely  as  to  bring  them  to  battle,  we 
must  suppose  that  their  rebellion  was  assisted,  and  the  valour 
of  Edward  and  his  comrades  hindered  by  this  circumstance. 
At  length,  havmg  strengthened  the  fortresses  in  those  parts 
with  abundant  suppUes  of  provisions  and  a  powerful  garrison 

sd2 


404  ICATTHBF  OV  WISTldKBTEB.  A.D.  1263. 

of  armed  men,  he  was  recalled  by  his  father,  and  returned  to 
England.  This  year,  John,  abbot  of  Saint  Alban's,  died,  and 
also  John,  abbot  of  Oloacester ;  the  first  of  whom  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Roger,  and  the  latter  by  Reginald. 

After  the  feast  of  the  Holy  Trinity,,  there  was  a  great  c(m- 
vocation  of  the  pontifs  and  clergy  of  England  and  West- 
minster, having  been  summoned,  at  the  command  of  the  lord 
the  pope,  before  Leonard  and  Berard,  his  nuncios,  for  the 
purpose  of  extorting  money  from  the  English  for  the  service 
of  the  emperor  of  Constantinople,  who  had  been  for  some 
time  driven  from  his  empire.  But  they  would  not  contribute 
anything  of  the  sort,  either  £rom  the  revenues  of  the  kingdom, 
or  from  those  of  the  church,  putting  forth  in  public  all  kinds 
of  reasons,  drawn  both  from  the  dissensions  and  depressed 
state  and  poverty  of  the  kingdom,  for  the  crop  had  long  since 
failed,  and  scarcity  increased  among  the  people.  So,  for  these 
and  other  most  evident  reasons,  answer  was  distinctly  nuide 
that  they  ought  rather  to  succour  their  own  lord  and  them- 
selves, in  such  a  state  of  imperious  necessity,  than  any  foreign 
prince.  I  have  taken  care  that  all  these  things  should  be 
inserted  for  the  instruction  of  posterity,  that,  taking  caution 
from  the  past,  future  ages  may  be  fortified  beforehand,  being 
taught  by  the  unanimity  of  tins  answer,  dictated  by  the  com- 
munion of  mutual  will,  and  so  preserved  from  contributions 
and  taxes  of  thi^  sort.  About  the  same  time,  the  famous  and 
eminent  monastery  of  Bee,  in  Normandy,  was  burnt  to  ashes. 
The  barons  of  England,  being  bound  (as  has  been  often  stated) 
by  an  oath  to  the  observance  of  the  statutes  of  Oxford,  having 
taken  the  advice,  and  being  supported  by  the  effectual  assist- 
ance of  Simon  de  Montfort,  the  most  noble  earl  of  Leicester, 
a  man  most  skilful  in  military  affairs,  no  longer  hesitated  to 
bring  to  a  conclusion  a  design  which  they  had  long  since  en- 
tertained with  reference  to  &at  subject.  And  first  and  prin- 
cipally they  waged  war  against  all  the  foreigners  whom  the 
king  and  queen,  and  also  Edward,  their  son,  loved  more  than 
they  ought ;  and,  despising  their  native  subjects,  promoted 
them  to  high  dignities  to  a  shameless  extent ;  and  so  on  a 
sudden  they  carried  off  booty  in  every  part  of  England  ;  and 
while  every  one  else  was  thinking  of  nothing  of  the  sort,  they 
made  a  hostile  attack  upon  the  counsellors  of  the  king,  and 
all  whom  they  knew  to  be  his  adherents  in  any  respect ;  and 
invaded  in  every  direction,  and  wantonly  destroyed  their  ma- 


A..  J}.  1263.         MATTHIAS  DE  BISSILL  TAEXK  PBISO]!^^.  405 

nors,  domains,  fortresses,  and  towns,  and  all  the  property 
which  they  could  find,  whether  belonging  to  the  church  or 
to  the  laity.  On  which  account,  Peter,  bishop  of  Hereford, 
a  Burgundian  by  birth,  was  arrested  in  his  own  cathedral 
church,  and  conducted  to  the  castle  of  Erdesley,  his  treasure, 
of  which  he  had  a  great  store,  and  all  his  farms  being  given  up 
to  plunder  and  confusion.  But  the  secular  canons,  his  fellow- 
countrymen,  whom  he  had  introduced  iuto  his  church,  being 
arrested  in  like  manner,  were  sent  off  with  him,  and  committed 
to  prison.  After  this,  that  army  advanced  as  far  as  Gloucester, 
and  besieged  the  castle  there  for  four  days,  in  which  Matthias 
de  Besill,  a  foreigner,  to  whom  the  county  and  the  gover- 
norship of  the  castle  had  been  committed  by  the  king,  was 
shut  up  with  a  small  garrison.  And  he  maintained  himself  in 
it  so  long,  positively  refusing  to  surrender  to  the  besieging 
army  tiU  the  first  gate  towards  the  city  was  burnt ;  and  Qien 
by  the  treachery  of  those  who  were  in  prison,  and  who  were 
released  from  confinement  that  they  might  be  a  help  to  the 
besieged,  a  postern  in  another  part  of  the  castle  was  opened 
to  the  entrance  of  the  besiegers,  and  so  the  barons  suddenly 
entered;  and  Matthias  was  compelled  to  take  refuge  in  a 
very  strong  tower,  fortified  with  triple  gates  of  iron,  and  the 
strongest  bolts.  But  nevertheless  that  entrance  was  broken 
in  with  iron  hammers  and  axes,  and  so  the  enemy  entered^ 
and  Matthias  was  taken  prisoner,  though  even  now,  neither 
the  fear  of  death,  nor  the  threats  of  the  enemy,  could  make 
him  willing  to  surrender,  which  was  remarked  to  his  praise, 
even  by  his  enemies.  And  therefore  he  was  conducted  to 
the  bishop  above  mentioned,  to  be  treated  in  a  similar  manner 
to  hiin.  After  that,  the  enemy  marched  to  Worcester,  and 
entered  in  without  any  opposition,  or  any  barrier,  although 
the  citizens  had  received  letters  from  the  king  on  the  subject 
of  keeping  the  town  and  city  safely.  Having  received  oaths 
of  fideUty  from  the  citizens,  the  army  proceeded  to  Bruges, 
and  there  took  the  royal  town,  whidi  the  citizens  nobly  de- 
fended the  first  day,  and  kept  the  barons  out ;  but  at  last 
they  made  a  covenant  with  them,  that  the  Welch  (an  innu- 
merable host  of  whom  were  assailing  the  city  on  the  other 
side)  should  not  be  allowed  to  enter,  and  then  on  the  follow- 
ing day  they  surrendered.  After  this  event  those  barons 
tamed  their  steps  towards  the  southern  parts  of  the  kingdom, 
taking  with  them  the  aforesaid  earl  as  their  general,  by  whom 


406  ICATTHXW  or  WISTMHrSTES.  iL.I>.  1263. 

they  were  directed  ;  and  in  consequence  the  number  of  those 
who  joined  them  increased  every  day.  For  already  nearly 
all  the  persons  throughout  the  whole  kingdom  who  were 
pre-eminent  for  power  or  conspicuous  for  nobility  of  birth, 
had  come  over  to  them ;  and  each  in  his  own  proyince 
miserably  oppressed  the  foreigners  with  all  kinds  of  depre- 
dation and  plunder,  so  that  it  was  a  sad  sight,  even  to  those 
who  were  jealous  of  the  strangers,  to  see  their  confusion.  For 
whoever  was  unable  to  speak  the  English  language,  was  con- 
sidered a  vile  and  contemptible  person  by  the  common  people. 
Owing  to  which,  it  happened  that  many  persons  of  foreign 
nations,  both  members  of  religious  orders  and  others,  escaped 
under  die  protection  of  secret  flight,  fearing  the  punishment 
of  death,  or  at  least  the  ruinous  danger  of  imprisonment,  and 
so  fled  from  the  kingdom.  And  even  John  Mansel,  the  rector, 
or  I  should  say  the  occupier  of  many  churches,  and  the  mag- 
nificent possessor  of  such  revenues  as  were  beyond  calcula- 
tion, so  that  there  was  not  one  of  the  clergy  in  the  whole 
world  richer  than  he,  even  though  he  was  not  invested  with 
the  episcopal  dignity,  from  fear  of  the  barons,  fled  away  secretly 
from  the  Tower  of  London,  where  at  that  time  the  king  and 
queen  of  England  were  maintaining  themselves,  and  escaped 
across  the  sea.  But  Henry,  son  of  the  king  of  Grermany, 
pursued  him  as  he  fled,  and  he  was  taken  prisoner  on  his 
landing  at  Boulogne,  by  Ingerand  de  Fiennes,  through  the 
management,  as  it  was  supposed,  of  the  queen. 

Meantime  Edward,  the  king's  eldest  son,  garrisoned  that 
very  strongly  fortified  castle  of  Windsor,  than  which  there 
was  not  at  that  time  a  more  splendid  castle  in  all  the  coun- 
tries of  Europe,  with  a  large  force  of  foreigners,  whom,  as  I 
have  said  before,  he  had  brought  with  him  from  England,  and 
whom  he  now  introduced  into  the  castle.  But  our  king  re- 
mained in  the  Tower  of  London,  and  seeing  himself  sur- 
rounded and  hemmed  in  by  his  enemies  on  all  sides,  at  last 
agreed  to  peace  with  the  barons,  and  promised  observance  of 
the  provisions  of  Oxford.  But  the  queen,  being  irritated  by 
womanly  feelings  of  annoyance,  strove  with  all  her  might  in 
the  opposite  Erection,  and  refused  to  consent.  On  which 
account,  when  she  left  the  Tower,  going  by  the  Thames  to 
Windsor,  when  the  foreigners  were  assembled,  she  was  inter- 
cepted at  London,  and  most  cruelly  abused  and  cried  out 
against  by  the  citizens,  and  shamefully  driven  back,  when 


A.D.  1263.  THE  OOWDITIOlSrS  OF  PEACE.  407 

under  the  bridge  by  stones  and  mud,  vbich  were  thrown  at 
her ;  and  that  this  condact  of  theirs  was  a  great  hindrance  to 
peace^  will  appear  in  what  comes  afterwards. 

2%4  conditions  of  peace. 

And  these  were  the  conditions  of  peace  which  were  agreed 
to  at  that  time  between  the  king  and  his  barons,  namely,  that 
Henry,  son  of  the  king  of  Germany,  should  be  released  by  the 
king  and  queen ;  and  that  the  king's  castles  should  be  com- 
mitted to  the  custody  of  the  barons.  Also,  that  the  provisions 
and  statutes  of  Oxford  should  be  firmly  and  inyiolably  ob- 
served as  well  by  the  king  as  by  other  persons.  And  that  the 
kingdom  for  the  future  should  be  governed  by  faithful  and 
competent  native  Englishmen,  under  the  lord  the  king. 
Moreover,  that  the  foreigners  should  depart  from  the  king, 
and  not  return  any  more,  with  the  exception  of  those  in  whose 
stay  the  faithful  subjects  of  the  kingdom  should  unanimously 
acqiuesce.  But  the  foreigners  whom  I  have  already  men- 
tioned, most  gallant  knights,  who  had  been  introduced  into 
the  noble  castle  of  Windsor,  to  the  number  of  about  a  hun- 
dred, with  a  much  more  numerous  body  of  guards,  had  forti- 
fied and  strengthened  that  castle  in  a  most  admirable  manner, 
and  were  plundering  and  devastatmg  the  country  around  in 
every  direction. 

In  the  meantime,  while  Simon  de  Montfort,  earl  of  Leicester, 
and  the  barons,  were  occupying  themselves  about  the  parts  near 
the  sea-coast  with  effecting  die  deliverance  of  the  aforesaid 
Henry,  son  of  the  king  of  Germany,  Edward  arrived  at  the 
castle  of  BristoL  And  when  he  had  stayed  there  in  that  city 
some  days,  lo !  as  fortune  smiled  upon  him  in  no  direction,  a 
great  sedition  broke  out  between  his  soldiers  and  the  citizens, 
to  such  an  extent,  indeed,  that  the  whole  town,  which  ought 
to  have  been  under  his  authority,  altogether  renounced  its 
fealty  and  obedience  to  him,  and  the  citizens  even  prepared  to 
besiege  him,  feeling  quite  secure  of  taking  the  castle.  Ed- 
ward, therefore,  thinking  that  every  thing  in  every  direction 
was  turning  out  unfortunately  for  him,  because  all  England 
was  inflamed  with  anger  and  indignation  against  him  and  all 
the  favourers  of  the  foreigners,  'and  against  all  who  opposed 
the  barons,  having  sent  for  Walter,  bishop  of  Worcester,  who 
was  a  partizan  of  the  barons,  promised  him,  under  the  cloak 
of  dissunulation,  that  he  woula  be  willing  to  make  peace  with 


408  MATTHEW  07  WB8T1CIKSTBB.  A.D.  1263. 

the  barons ;  and  when  the  bishop,  having  taken  secarity,  as 
it  was  thought,  had  undertaken  to  carry  out  the  project  of 
peace  faithfully,  he  violated  the  covenant  to  which  he  had 
agreed.  For  when  he  had  set  out  on  his  journey  towards  the 
court  in  order  to  perform  his  promise,  he  threw  himself  into 
the  aforesaid  castle  with  the  foreigners  ;  therefore,  having  as- 
sembled all  their  forces  by  the  day  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Peter 
ad  Vincula,  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom  and  upholders  of  the 
provisions  of  Oxford,  together  with  the  king,  who  had  received 
verbal  intimation  of  all  this  from  the  son,  determined  to  assail 
that  castle.  Therefore,  Edward,  departing  from  the  castle  as 
if  for  the  purpose  of  treating  about  peace,  met  his  father  and 
the  barons  about  half  way  between  Windsor  and  London ;  and 
when,  after  the  discussion  was  over,  he  was  preparing  to  re- 
turn, he  was  detained  by  the  cunning  of  the  earl  of  Leicester, 
and  Walter,  bishop  of  Worcester,  who  suspected  sinister  de- 
signs on  his  part,  and  so  he  was  prevented  from  re-entering 
the  castle.  And  so  that  noble  castle  was  surrendered  to  the 
king  and  the  barons,  on  this  condition,  that  those  foreigpiers 
who  had  been  placed  in  it  should  leave  the  kingdom  with  their 
horses  and  arms  uninjured,  without  any  hope  of  returning; 
and  some  of  the  barons  conducted  them  to  the  coast. 

About  that  time,  Llewellyn,  prince  of  Wales,  ravaged  the 
territories  of  Edward  in  the  marshes  of  Chester ;  and  he  be- 
sieged the  fine  castle  of  Dissard,  and  took  it  and  levelled  it 
with  the  ground ;  and  in  like  manner  he  treated  the  castle  of 
Gannoc,  which  was  not  inferior  to  the  other  either  in  beauty 
or  situation.  The  same  year,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  July, 
a  certain  very  marvellous  and  wonderful  prodigy  appeared 
in  the  firmament,  about  midnight,  in  the  direction  of  the 
north.  And  very  soon  afterwards,  on  the  sixth  of  August,  an 
eclipse  of  the  sun  took  place  about  nine  o'clock,  which  was 
a  beautiful  sight  to  the  eyes  of  the  beholders.  At  the  feast  of 
the  Nativity  of  the  blessed  Virgin,  a  vast  assembly  was  col- 
lected in  Loudon  of  the  nobles  and  other  prelates  of  the  king- 
dom, such  as  had  not  been  seen  for  a  very  long  time  in  Eng- 
land, in  which  conference  the  statutes  of  Oxford  were  pub- 
licly promulgated,  and  ordered  to  be  observed  in  all  their  in- 
tegrity throughout  the  kingdom ;  and  restitution  was  ordered 
to  be  made  in  every  case  of  depredation  and  plunder  which 
had  been  inflicted  on  ecclesiastical  persons,  (which,  however, 
was  likely  to  be  very  difficult),  and  also  on  some  nobles  who 


A..i>.  1263.        THX  Knra  mabchxs  upon  doyeb.  409 

had  been  faYoaren  of  the  king's  party,  in  respect  of  which 
discord  and  dissensions,  which  had  akeady  arisen  among 
them  to  some  slight  extent,  were  much  feared  in  England. 
Peter,  bishop  of  Hereford,  was  released  from  the  custody  in 
i^hich  he  had  been  detained,  and  his  fellow  prisoner  also, 
Matthias  de  BesiU,  and  all  the  others,  were  liberated  at  the 
same  time. 

About  the  time  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  our  king  and 
queen,  and  earl  Simon  de  Montfort,  with  many  other  nobles, 
crossed  the  sea,  to  hold  a  conference  with  Louis,  king  of 
France,  which  was  to  take  place  at  Boulogne,  on  the  subject 
of  the  disturbed  state  of  the  kingdom  of  England.  But  this 
meeting  had  been  arranged  by  the  contriyance  of  the  queen 
and  her  family,  because,  in  consequence  of  the  atrocities  which 
had  been  committed  against  her  (and  which  have  been  men> 
tioned  above),  she  had  conceived  a  vehement  hatred  against 
the  Londoners.  And  not  long  afterwards  a  great  parliament 
was  assembled  in  London,  in  which,  as  a  schism  (alas !  alas  !) 
BOW  prevailed  among  the  barons,  according  to  that  saying  in 
the  gospels,  *'  Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself  will  be 
brought  to  desolation,"  &c.,  many  of  them  who  had  pre- 
viously been  very  active  and  violent  in  making  incursions  of 
cavalry  and  depredations,  now  began  to  adhere  to  the  king 
and  to  EdwarcC  who  was  a  man  of  great  prowess,  having  been 
converted  by  their  honied  promises,  and  by  large  estates, 
which  were  either  promised  to,  or  absolutely  bestowed  on 
them. 

After  this,  the  king,  with  a  large  army  (for  by  this  time  the 
most  powerful  persons  in  the  kingdom  had  become  his  adhe- 
rents), in  great  numbers  marched  upon  Dover,  in  order  to  gain 
that  castle  out  of  the  power  of  the  biurons,  in  which  he  did  not 
succeed.  Therefore  he  returned  with  great  indignation  to  West* 
minster,  and  in  the  mean  time  sending  secret  letters  to  some  of 
the  citizens  of  London  to  charge  them  to  guard  the  gates  and 
so  prevent  the  barons  from  entering,  in  consequence  of  which 
the  famous  Simon  de  Montfort  was  nearly  betrayed,  for  he 
was  outside  the  city  in  the  suburb  of  Southwark,  attended 
by  only  a  very  few  followers,  owing  to  their  respect  for  the 
king's  army.  For  that  arm^,  with  its  squadrons  in  battle 
array,  was  now  at  no  great  distance,  and  approaching  fast  to 
attack  him,  who  was  expecting  nothing  of  the  kind ;  and  it 
was  advancing  with  all  security  to  take  him  prisoner,  when  on 


410  MATTHBW  OF  WKSTMIKSTEB,  A.l>.  1263, 

a  Budden,  the  deception  being  discovered,  the  Londoners,  'wbose 
hearts  were  all  favoorable  to  the  barons,  rushed  on,  and  with 
the  impetuosity  of  great  courage,  broke  the  barriers,  opened 
the  gates,  and  pushed  forwards  in  crowds  to  succour  him. 
And  so,  by  the  mercy  of  God,  the  general  was  that  day  saTcd 
from  the  hand  of  his  enemies.  For  the  lord  the  king,  when 
he  had  been  informed  by  his  scouts  that  a  numerous  multitade 
of  the  Londoners  was  coming  to  the  earl's  assistance,  with- 
drew his  own  army.  After  these  events,  both  sides  exerted 
themselves  to  bring  about  a  peace  with  great  earnestness,  both 
on  the  side  of  the  king  of  France,  and  the  bishops  of  the  king- 
dom of  England.  At  length  both  the  king  of  England  and 
his  barons  came  to  a  compromise,  and  submitted  the  whole 
question  of  the  contests  which  affected  the  provisions  of  Ox- 
ford, and  the  depredations  and  acts  of  plunder  which  had 
been  committed  to  a  great  extent  on  both  sides,  and  on  ac- 
count of  which  divisions  had  arisen  between  many  persons,  to 
the  decision  and  regulation  of  the  king  of  France ;  and  so 
after  Christmas  they  went  to  France  to  hear  what  regulations 
the  king  of  France  thought  it  proper  to  impose  with  respect 
to  these  subjects ;  therefore,  the  day  after  the  feast  of  Vincent 
the  Martyr,  an  innumerable  body  assembled  at  Amiens,  con- 
sisting of  kings,  bishops,  and  nobles ;  and  Louis,  the  Idng  of 
France,  having  come  to  a  full  understanding  of  the  designs, 
and  defences,  and  reasons  of  the  two  parties,  pronounced  his 
decision  and  sentence  in  all  due  form  in  favour  of  the  king  of 
England  against  the  barons,  utterly  annulling  the  statutes  and 
provisions  of  Oxford,  and  all  similar  ordinances  and  obliga- 
tions. 

And  at  this  convocation  the  king  of  England  was  present, 
and  also  queen  Eleanor,  and  Boniface,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, and  Peter,  bishop  of  Hereford,  and  John  Mansel,  both 
of  whom  having  been  driven  out  of  England,  never  ceased 
from  contriving  all  the  harm  they  could  to  the  barons.  And 
from  that  time  forth  the  last  error  became  worse  than  the 
first.  In  the  meantime,  Eoger  de  Mortimer  plundered  the 
lands  which  were  the  domain  of  the  earl  of  Leicester  on  the 
Marches  of  Wales.  Therefore  that  general,  having  already 
made  Llewellyn  a  prince  of  Wales,  his  friend,  sent  thither  a 
noble  army,  which  partly  ravaged  the  territories  of  Mortimer, 
and  took  the  castle  of  Radnor,  and  burnt  it.  And  when  Ed- 
ward, on  his  return  from  foreign  countries,  had  flown  to  his 


A.B.  1263.  EDWJlBD  BATA6SS  THX  ESTATES  0?  THE  BABOKS*  411 

assiBtance,  attended  by  a  large  body  of  troops,  lie  ][)ar8ued  the 
barons,  but  did  not  attack  them}  because  he  was  unable  to 
bring  them  to  battle.      Nevertheless,  Edward  besieged  the 
castles  of  Humphrey  de  Bohun  the  younger,  namely,  that  at 
the  Hay,  and  Huntingdon  Castle,  and  took  diem,  and  he  also 
compelled  the  castle  of  Brecon  to  surrender,  all  which,  with 
the  provinces  and  rights  pertaining  to  them,  he  delivered  to 
the  aforesaid  Roger,  to  be  guarded  by  them.    And  at  this 
time  Robert  de  FerraTs,  earl  of  Derby,  came  to  Worcester 
with  a  large  army,  and  the  citizens  occupied  the  walls  and 
gates  of  the  dty,  and  guarded  them  gallantly  and  resisted  him 
manfully ;  but  at  last  he  unexpectedly  e£fected  an  entrance  by 
the  old  castles,  and  destroyed  the  town,  and  put  down  the 
Jews  who  lived  in  it.     But  the  barons  returning  from  Wales, 
entered  the  city  of  Gloucester,  not  by  force  or  after  a  siege, 
hut  made  themselves  masters  of  it  by  some  prudent  manoeu- 
Tres.     Edward,  too,  conducting  himself  with  great  boldness, 
suddenly  appeared  in  their  rear,  and  having  quickly  repaired 
the  bridge  over  the  Severn,  which  had  been  previously  burnt 
by  the  barons  before  mentioned,  he  entered  the  castle  m  spite 
of  the  barons,  who  were  on  the  spot.    And  the  next  day,  by 
the  intercession  of  Walter,  bishop  of  Worcester,  Edward,  too, 
practising  the  cunning  of  a  fox,  a  truce  was  made,  and  the 
barons  retired  from  the  city.     But  Edward  having  thus  got 
possession  of  the  dty  and  the  castle,  put  the  burgesses  in 
prison,  and  compelled  the  town  to  pay  a  ransom  of  a  thousand 
marks  to  its  great  misery.     After  tiiat,  he  went  to  his  father  at 
Oxford,  who  had  now  returned  from  France,  and  had  sum- 
moned all  those  who  owed  him  military  service  all  over  Eng- 
land, to  march  upon  the  conspirators.    And  the  king,  for  the 
time,  compelled  the  whole  body  of  the  dergy  at  Oxford,  to 
evacuate  that  dty.     And  he  went  in  person,  with  great  devo- 
tion, to  visit  the  holy  virgin,  Frideswida,  which,  beyond  all 
doubt,  no  one  of  the  kings  of  England  before  him  had  ever 
ventured  to  do  in  person. 

In  the  meantime,  Edward,  and  the  rest  of  the  nobles  in 
those  parts,  did  not  cease  to  ravage  the  possessions  of  the  ba- 
rons of  the  opposite  party,  and  to  bum  their  estates,  and  to 
destroy  their  manors.  And  the  Londoners  sallying  forth 
from  their  city  with  an  innumerable  multitude  of  men,  ravaged 
with  fire  and  destruction  all  the  estates  and  possessions  of  the 
king  of  Germany,  and  of  Philip  Basset.    And  they  took  the 


412  KATTHEW  07  WEBTMDrSTEE.  A.D.  1264. 

king's  chaplams  and  the  barons  of  the  king's  exchequer,  and 
the  justiciaries  of  the  king's  bench,  and  threw  them  into 
prison. 

And  so  this  year  passed,  torn  to  pieees  by  intestine  hostili- 
ties and  civil  discord,  to  such  a  degree,  that  no  one  knew  whom 
he  could  trust,  or  to  whom  he  could  commit  the  secrets  of  his 
mind.    And  so  it  terminated  miserably  to  both  parties. 

Ch.  XIX.— Fbom  A.D.  1264  to  a.d.  1265. 

The  barofu  are  defeated  at  Northampton— The  battle  of 
Lewes — The  king  of  Germany  and  prince  Edward  are  ffiven 
as  hostages  for  peace — The  battle  of  Evesham — A  recapi- 
tulation of  the  events  of  the  civU  war. 

About  the  taking  ofi^  barons  at  Northampton. 

A.B.  1264.  About  the  middle  of  Lent,  a  conference  was  held 
at  Oxford,  at  which  the  king  of  England  and  the  nobles  of 
the  kingdom  were  present,  and  also  Richard,  king  of  the  Bo- 
mans,  his  brother ;  and  then  the  king  marched  with  an  ad- 
mirable army,  with  colours  flying,  against  Northampton,  where 
there  was  no  inconsiderable  body  of  the  barons  all  collected 
together.  And  the  king  vigorously  assailing  them,  shut  up 
in  that  town  as  they  were,  at  last  battered  down  the  waUs  and 
his  army  entered,  and  all  of  a  sudden,  as  it  were,  took  them 
all  prisoners ; — ^barons  with  standards  about  fifteen  in  number, 
and  sixty  knights,  and  of  men-at-arms  a  multitude  too  great  to 
be  counted.  And  the  chiefs  of  them  were  Peter  de  Montfort 
the  younger,  who  took  refuge  in  the  castle,  but  surrendered 
the  next  day.  There  was  also  among  them  Simon  de  Mont* 
fort  the  younger,  the  son  of  the  earl,  who  fought  with  all  his 
might,  resisting  the  entrance  of  the  king's  party  into  the  town, 
in  consequence  of  which  conduct  he  gained  everlasting  re- 
nown. This  event  took  place  on  the  first  day  of  the  week  of 
the  Passion  of  our  Lord ;  and  all  the  prisoners  were  led  away 
to  the  army,  and  their  lands  were  transferred  to  the  posses- 
sions of  others.  But  the  king  proceeded  to  Leicester,  and  was 
entertained  in  that  town,  which  no  other  king  before  him  had 
ever  ventured  to  enter,  on  account  of  the  warnings  which  some 
superstitious  persons  uttered  on  the  subject.  After  that,  he 
marched  to  Nottingham,  and  entered  the  castle  without  meet- 
ing with  any  resistance.     For  those  who  were  in  it  of  the 


A.D.  1264.         SOMD  jews  PUT  TO  DEATH  IS  LONDOIT.  413 

party  of  the  barons  came  forth  to  meet  him,  and  gaye  him  up 
the  keys.  And  while  he  was  there,  there  came  some  nobles 
of  the  northern  parts  of  the  country,  brmging  him  assistance ; 
namely,  John  de  Bahol,  Robert  de  Bruce,  and  Peter  de  Bruce, 
and  many  other  barons,  with  seyeral  thousand  soldiers  ;  and 
the  lord  the  king  celebrated  the  festiyal  of  Easter  at  that  town. 

Also,  the  king  sent  his  eldest  son,  Edward,  with  a  very  gal- 
lant army,  into  Derbyshire  and  Staffordshire,  and  the  prince 
laid  waste  with  fire  and  sword  the  estates  and  manors  of  Ro- 
bert de  Ferrars,  earl  of  Derby,  and  overthrew  his  castle  of 
Tutbury,  and  inflicted  miserable  destruction  in  it.  And  in 
every  direction,  wherever  the  army  of  the  king  and  prince 
Edward  advanced,  three  companions,  rapine,  conflagration, 
and  slaughter,  attended  on  it.  And  owing  to  this,  every  pro- 
vince through  which  they  marched  was  indignant,  and  was 
agitated  like  a  bed  of  reeds  which  is  shaken  by  the  blowing 
of  the  zephyr.  There  was  no  peace  in  the  kingdom,  every- 
thing was  destroyed  by  slaughter,  conflagration,  rapine,  and 
depredation.  Everywhere  there  were  outcries,  and  mourning, 
and  horror.  At  this  time,  John  Giffard,  a  soldier  of  wonder- 
ful prowess  and  courage,  with  others,  to  whom  was  entrusted 
the  guardianship  of  Eenilworth  Castle,  which  the  earl  of  Lei- 
cester had  fortified  and  repaired  with  wonderful  solidity,  and 
had  furnished  in  an  admirable  manner  with  all  kinds  of  en-* 
gines,  which  had  never  been  seen  or  heard  of  among  us  be- 
fore, took  the  castle  of  Warwick  by  treachery,  and  took  pri- 
soner the  earl  of  that  title,  by  name  William  Manduit,  because 
he  had  lately  become  an  object  of  suspicion  to  them  by  reason 
of  his  conversion  to  the  king's  party,  with  his  wife  and  family, 
and  put  them  all  in  prison  at  Kenilworth  ;  and  the  castle  of 
Warwick  they  destroyed,  that  the  king's  party  might  not  have 
it  as  a  place  of  refuge. 

In  the  week  of  the  Passion  of  our  Lord,  some  Jews  in  Lon- 
don, having  been  detected  in  treasonable  plots  to  be  put  in 
execution  against  the  barons  and  citizens,  were  nearly  all  put 
to  death,  and  a  treasure  of  great  amount  was  acquired  from 
the  whole  body  of  Jews.  After  the  festival  of  Easter,  Simon 
de  Montfort,  and  the  other  barons  who  still  adhered  to  him, 
uniting  themselves  with  a  strong  auxiliary  body  of  London- 
ers, besieged  the  castk  of  Rochester,  into  which,  John,  earl  of 
Warrenne,  and  the  earl  of  Arundel,  and  Henry,  son  of  the 
king  of  the  Romans,  and  many  other  nobles,  had  been  intro- 


414  KA.TTHXW  GE  WSSTHIKSTEB.  ▲.!>.  1264. 

duced,  who,  after  the  conference  at  Oxford,  which  has  been 
mentioned  before,  were  commiBsioned  by  the  king  to  see  to 
the  protection  of  those  districts.  And  when  the  king,  who 
was  in  the  northern  provinces  of  the  kingdom,  heard  this,  he 
in  great  haste  directed  his  steps  back  again,  and  hastened  thi- 
ther with  the  object  of  compelling  the  raising  of  the  siege, 
which  he  effected.  For  when  they  learnt  that  the  king  was 
coming  up  with  his  army,  they  at  once  abandoned  the  siege 
of  the  town,  which  was  one  of  great  strength,  but  which,  as  it 
had  been  almost  subdaed  already,  by  frequent  assaults,  and 
blows  of  military  engines,  and  subterranean  mines,  they  would 
have  taken  the  next  day,  and  so  they  returned  to  London. 
Therefore,  the  king,  now  that  his  nobles  were  delivered  from 
this  hostile  attack,  went  down  to  the  sea  coast,  and  ravaged  in 
every  direction,  with  plunder  and  conflagration,  the  manors 
and  possessions  of  those  who  had  conspired  against  him,  both 
on  the  right  and  on  the  left.  He  also  took  the  castle  of  Gil- 
bert de  Clare,  which  is  called  Tunbridge.  And  of  the  barons 
of  the  Cinque  Ports,  some  submitted  &emselves  to  the  king, 
and  some  did  not,  and  these  last  withdrew  themselves  by  sea, 
having  loaded  some  vessels  with  their  property.  While  these 
events  were  taking  place  on  the  coast,  Simon  de  Montfort,  the 
illustrious  earl  of  Leicester,  and  the  barons,  having  assembled 
their  forces  from  all  quarters,  and  collected  troops,  both  of 
the  Londoners,  whose  army  had  increased  to  fifteen  thousand 
men,  and  of  men  from  other  parts  in  countless  numbers, 
marched  thidier  with  great  impetuosity  and  courage.  Accord- 
ingly, they  encamped  at  Flexinge,  in  Sussex,  which  is  about 
six  miles  from  Lewes,  and  three  days  before  the  battle,  they 
addressed  a  message  of  the  following  tenor  to  their  lord  the 
king:— 

"  To  the  most  excellent  lord  Henry,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
king  of  England,  &c.  The  barons  and  others,  hjs  faithful  sub- 
jects, wishing  to  observe  their  oaths  and  the  fidelity  due  to  God 
and  to  him,  wish  health,  and  tender  their  lawful  service  with 
all  respect  and  honour.  As  it  is  plain  from  much  experience 
that  those  who  are  present  with  you  have  suggested  to  your 
highness  many  falsehoods  respecting  us,  intending  all  the 
mischief  that  they  can  do,  not  only  to  you  but  also  to  us,  and 
to  your  whole  kingdom,  we  wish  your  excellency  to  know  that 
we  wish  to  preserve  the  safety  and  security  of  your  person  with 
all  our  might,  as  the  fidelity  which  we  owe  to  you  demands, 


A.B.  1264.  LETTEBS  JBOSNT  TO  THE  BABONS.  415 

proposing  to  overthrow,  to  the  utmost  of  our  power,  all  those 
who  are  not  our  enemies  but  yours  too,  and  the  foes  of  the 
whole  of  your  kingdom  ;  and  if  any  other  statement  is  made 
to  you  respecting  diese  matters,  do  not  believe  it ;  for  we  shall 
always  be  found  your  faithful  subjects.  And  we,  Simon  de 
Montfort,  earl  of  Leicester,  and  Gilbert  de  Clare,  at  the  re- 
quest of  the  rest,  have,  for  us  and  for  them  too  who  are  here 
present,  affixed  our  seals.     Given  at,"  &c. 

But  the  king,  despising  Uiis  letter  from  his  barons,  was 
eager  for  war  with  all  his  heart,  and  sent  them  back  the  fol- 
lowing letter  of  defiance  : — 

*'  Henry,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  England,  &c.,  to 
Simon  de  Montfort  and  Gilbert  de  Clare,  and  their  partisans. 
Since,  from  the  war  and  general  confusion  existing  in  our 
kingdom,  which  has  all  been  caused  by  you,  and  by  the  con- 
flagrations and  other  lawless  mischiefs,  it  is  distinctly  visible 
that  you  do  not  preserve  the  fidelity  which  you  owe  to  us,  and 
that  you  have  in  no  respect  any  regard  for  the  safety  of  our 
person,  since  you  have  wickedly  attacked  our  nobles  and  others 
our  faithful  subjects,  who  have  constantly  preserved  their  fide- 
lity to  us,  and  since  you  still  design  to  injure  them  as  far  as  in 
your  power,  as  you  have  signified  to  us  by  your  letters,  we 
consider  their  grievances  as  our  own,  and  look  upon  their  ene- 
mies as  ours ;  especially  since  those  our  faithful  subjects  be- 
fore mentioned  are  manfully  standing  by  us  and  maintaining 
their  fidelity  in  opposition  to  your  disloyal  conduct,  and  we  do 
not  care  for  your  safety  or  your  affection,  but  defy  you,  as  the 
enemies  of  us  and  them.  Witness  my  hand,  at  Lewes,  on  the 
twelfth  day  of  May,  in  the  forty-eighth  year  of  our  reign." 

"  Richard,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  the  Romans,  always 
Augustus,  and  Edward,  the  illustrious  eldest  son  of  the  king 
of  England,  and  all  the  other  barons  and  nobles  who  con- 
stantly with  the  labours  of  sincere  good  faith  and  devotedness 
have  adhered  to  the  aforesaid  king  of  England,  to  Simon  de 
Montfort,  Gilbert  de  Clare,  and  each  and  bU.  the  others  who 
are  accompUces  in  their  treason.  By  your  letters  which  you 
have  sent  to  the  illustrious  king  of  England,  our  dearest  lord, 
we  understand  that  we  are  defied  by  you,  although  a  verbal 
defiance  of  this  kind  was  long  ago  siufficiently  proved  to  us  by 
actual  reality,  through  your  hostile  pursuit  of  us,  your  burn- 
ing of  our  properties,  and  general  devastation  of  our  posses- 
sions; we,  therefore,  wish  you  to  know  that  you  are  all  defied 


415  MATTHEW  OP  TTBSTMIIISTKB,  A.l>.  1284. 

by  each  and  all  of  us,  as  public  enemies,  and  that  we  are  yonr 
enemies ;  and  that  we  will  labour  with  all  our  might  to  the 
damage  of  your  persons  and  property,  whenever  any  opportu- 
nity of  injuring  either  is  offered  to  us.  But  as  to  what  you 
falsely  charge  us  with,  that  we  give  neither  faithful  nor  salu- 
tary counsel  to  the  king  your  master,  you  do  not  at  all  say  the 
truth ;  and  if  you,  Simon  de  Montfort  or  Gilbert  de  Clare, 
choose  to  assert  this  same  thing  in  the  court  of  our  lord  the 
king,  we  are  prepared  to  procure  a  safe  conduct  and  to  come 
to  the  said  court,  and  to  prove  the  truth  of  our  innocence  in 
this  particular,  and  your  falsehood  as  perfidious  traitors,  by 
another  who  is  your  equal  in  nobleness  and  blood.  And  we 
are  all  content  with  the  seals  of  the  lords  above  mentioned, 
namely,  of  the  king  of  the  Romans  and  the  lord  Edward. 
Given  as  above." 

Concerning  the  miserable  and  horrible  battle  fought  at  Lewes. 

As,  therefore,  God  did  by  no  means  admit  of  their  comiDg 
to  agreement,  a  most  terrible  battle  took  place  between  them, 
at  Lewes,  on  the  fourteenth  of  May,  such  as  had  never  been 
heard  of  in  past  ages.  The  barons  (among  whom  there  was 
in  all  things  and  in  every  danger  but  one  faith  and  one  will, 
since  they  were  so  unanimous  in  their  fraternal  affection  that 
they  feared  not  even  to  die  for  their  cause,)  came  the  first 
thing  in  the  morning  in  front  of  Lewes,  and  placed  their  tents 
and  baggage  on  a  hill,  the  chariot  of  the  earl  of  Leicester, 
with  his  standard,  being  carefully  placed  below  under  the 
brow.  And  so  the  army  and  line  of  battle  were  arranged,  and 
a  speech  of  great  persuasiveness  was  made  to  the  soldiers  by 
their  general,  Simon  de  Montfort,  by  which  all  were  encou- 
raged, and  prepared  to  fight  for  their  country  with  every  feel- 
ing of  security.  Moreover,  all  of  them  having  made  a  con- 
fession beforehand,  crossed  themselves  on  their  shoulders  and 
breasts.  Therefore,  the  king  and  the  other  nobles,  being  in- 
formed of  their  sudden  advance,  wakened  up  all  through  the 
camp,  and  speedily  assembled  in  arms,  and  marshalled  their 
army  for  battle,  arraying  a  vast  multitude  of  men  anned  with 
breastplates  ;  but  the  greater  number  of  them  being  fake  and 
factious,  and  destitute  of  all  proper  principle,  marched  forward 
on  that  day  without  any  order,  and  widi  precipitation,  and 
fought  unskilfully,  and  showed  no  steady  perseverance.  And 
in  the  actual  battle  the  noblest  of  the  knights  and  esquires,  to 


A.D.  1264,  BATTUB  AT  JiEWJSS.  417 

the  number  of  about  three  hundred,  lost  all  courage,  and  turn- 
ing their  backs,  fled  to  the  castle  of  Peneneselli.  Among 
them,  were  John,  earl  of  Warrenne,  William  de  Valence,  Guy 
de  Lizunac,  both  the  two  last  being  brothers  of  the  king, 
Hugh  Bigod,  and  many  others.  But  the  king's  army,  which 
was  adorned  with  the  royal  standard,  which  they  call  the  dra- 
gon, and  which  marshalled  the  way  to  a  fierce  contest  to  the 
death,  advanced  forward,  and  the  battle  began.  For  the 
royal  troops  rapidly  opened  their  close  battalions,  and  boldly 
urged  their  horses  against  the  enemy,  and  attacked  them  on 
the  flank.  And  thus  the  two  armies  encountered  one  another, 
with  fierce  blows  and  horrid  noises.  Ther^ore,  in  this  way, 
the  line  of  battle  of  the  barons  was  pierced  and  broken ;  and 
John  de  Giflard,  a  gallant  knight,  who  had  been  ambitious 
to  gain  the  honour  of  striking  the  first  blow,  was  taken  prisoner, 
and  led  away  to  the  castle.  But  Edward  got  among  the  forces 
of  the  Londoners,  and  pursued  them  when  flying,  and  letting 
the  nobles  escape,  he  followed  them,  as  it  is  said,  for  a  distance 
of  about  four  miles,  inflictmg  on  them  a  most  lamentable 
slaughter.  For  he  thirsted  for  their  blood  as  a  punishment 
for  the  insult  they  had  oflfered  to  his  mother,  for,  as  has  been 
already  recorded,  they  had  heaped  a  great  deal  of  abuse  on 
his  mother.  JBut  a  part  of  the  king's  army,  in  the  meantime, 
thirsting  for  the  spoils,  and  booty,  and  plunder  of  the  bag- 
bage  which  was  on  the  hills,  slew  some  of  the  citizens  of  Lon- 
don, who,  for  security's  sake,  had  been  introduced  into  the 
earl's  chariot,  hoping  that  they  had  found  the  earl  himself 
there.  But  that  earl,  and  Gilbert  de  Clare,  and  the  other  ba- 
rons, acting  with  more  sagacity,  put  forth  all  their  strength 
to  effect  the  capture  of  the  king  of  England,  and  the  king  of 
Germany,  and  the  rest  of  the  chiefs.  And  there  the  fiery  va- 
lour of  the  barons  was  visibly  displayed,  who  fought  eagerly 
for  ^their  country,  and  at  last  gained  the  victory.  For  the 
king  of  England  was  taken  prisoner,  after  a  very  fine  horse 
had  been  kUled  under  him ;  and  Bichard,  king  of  the  Ro- 
mans, was  taken  prisoner,  and  many  others  were  taken  also, 
namely,  John  de  Balliol,  Eobert  de  Bruce,  John  Comyn,  and 
other  barons  of  Scotland,  and  nearly  all  the  men-at-arms  whom 
they  had  brought  with  them  from  Scotland  were  slain,  to  a 
very  great  number.  There  were  also  taken,  Humphrey  de 
Bohun,  earl  of  Hereford,  William  Bardolph,  Robert  de  Tattes- 
hale,  Roger  de  Somers,  Henry  de  Perci,  and  Philip  Basset, 

TOL.  II.  X  B 


4 IS  ICATTHXW  OF   WXSTMIErSTBB.  A.D.  1264. 

who  ought  of  right  to  he  named  the  first,  inasmuch  as,  ahove 
all  men  who  fought  that  day  on  the  king's  side,  he  deserved 
glory  for  the  blows  which  he  gaye  and  infiicted.  There  were 
also  many  others,  all  the  most  powerful  persons,  as  we  may 
say,  of  the  whole  kingdom,  and  of  the  greatest  renown  for 
military  eiqploits,  some  of  whom  were  taJ^en  prisoners,  and 
others  sougnt  safety  in  flight,  so  that  two  did  chase  ten  thou- 
sand, the  rest  who  remained  being  slain  (alas  the  day !)  to  a 
man. 

Alas,  for  the  miserable  sight  of  the  dying !  Alas,  for  the 
marvellous  change  of  the  fortunes  of  noble  man  I  Now,  then, 
let  human  presumption  learn  what  is  man,  and  what  is  the 
strength  of  man.  This  caused  a  great  loss  of  the  strength 
and  power  of  both  parties,  because  they  were  men  of  more 
mature  age  and  of  grater  renown  for  war  in  the  kingdom 
before  mentioned,  so  that  they  did  not  believe  that  the  enemy 
would  dare  to  assail  them ;  but  that  day  they  found  him  too 
near,  and  so  lost  a  great  many  of  their  men,  not  without  great 
danger  to  the  rest  also,  who  did  not  escape  so  completely  but 
that  a  great  slaughter  was  maite  of  them,  espedally  through 
the  charge  which  Edward  made  upon  the  Londoners.  And 
it  is  said,  that  in  tMs  lamentable  and  miserable  conflict  five 
thousand  men  fell  on  each  side. 

Among  the  rest  there  was  a  certain  knight,  the  justiciary  of 
the  king,  by  name  William  de  Wilton,  and  also  Fulk  Fitz- 
warren,  one  of  the  king's  barons,  who  were  both  among  the 
most  eminent  of  those  who  were  slain,  one  being  killed  by  the 
sword,  and  the  other  drowned  in  the  neighbouring  liver. 
And  on  the  side  of  the  barons  there  was  the  baron  Eadulph, 
Heringunder,  and  William  Blund,  the  standard  bearer  of  the 
earl  of  Leicester.  Let  a  poet  enumerate  all  the  various  occur- 
rences of  the  day  with  more  licence  or  at  greater  length,  and 
dwell  upon  the  different  kinds  of  death  by  which  men  fell,  but 
brevity  keeps  us  in  by  a  stricter  law,  and  does  not  allow  us  to 
say  how  each  thing  happened,  but  only  what  took  place. 
Edward  returning  from  the  slaughter  of  the  Londoners,  al- 
though the  opposite  party  had  gained  a  triumph  over  his 
father  and  his  unole,  the  king  of  the  Romans,  rallied  his 
forces,  and  prepared  to  renew  the  battle  and  attack  the  enemy. 
When,  therefore,  the  two  armies  had  again  dravm  near  one 
another,  behold  nearly  all  those  who  had  been  fighting  en  his 
side  took  to  flight!     Some  of  them,  as  it  was  said,  were 


A.O  1264.        SIMOK  SE  MOKTFOBT  EKTEBS  TfAUCS.  419 

neither  able  to  strike  a  blow  with  the  sword  nor  to  recognize 
their  usual  strength  in  their  blows.  What  was  Edward  to  do, 
-who,  when  all  his  soldiers  were  dispersed  in  this  manner,  re- 
mained alone^  as  it  were,  on  the  field  of  battle  ?  Therefore  he 
returned  to  the  priory  of  Lewes,  and  put  o£f  his  revenge  to  a 
more  favourable  time.  But  the  following  night  a  peace  of 
some  sort  was  re-established  between  the  king  and  the  barons, 
and  Edward,  with  the  consent  of  his  f&ther,  and  Henry,  son 
of  the  king  of  Germany,  were  given  as  hostages  for  peace, 
and  committed  for  a  tmie  to  sidfe  keeping  in  Dover  Castle. 
But  the  king  of  Germany  himself  was  placed  as  a  prisoner  in 
the  Tower  of  London,  and  the  rest  of  the  captives  were  shut 
up  in  castles  in  different  places.  And  perhaps  the  evils  of 
this  war,  and  the  calamities  and  miseries  of  this  day  so  ter- 
rible and  so  very  bitter,  and  of  this  sedition  thus  excited,  and 
of  this  war  between  fellow-countrymen  of  the  same  land,  may 
have  been  portended  by  the  signs  which  in  the  preceding  year 
were  seen  in  the  firmament  on  the  fifth  of  August ;  also,  ou 
the  thirtieth  of  July,  as  has  been  related  in  a  previous 
chapter. 

Three  days  before  the  battle,  the  greater  part  of  the  city  of 
London  was  treacherously  burnt  by  a  fire  which  broke  out  at 
Westcheap.  The  lords  Marchers  of  Wales,  by  name  Roger  de 
Mortimer,  James  de  Andeleg,  Roger  de  Clifford,  and  Roger 
Leybum,  Hamond  Strange,  and  the  knights  of  TurbeviUe, 
widi  many  others,  who  had  lately  escaped  from  the  battle  of 
Lewes  before  ttientioned,  having  assembled  their  forces,  stirred 
up  war  in  the  Marches,  and  endeavoured  to  resist  the  barons. 
Therefore,  Simon  de  Montfort,  having  united  himself  in 
friendship  with  Llewellyn,  prince  of  Wales,  went  into  those 
countries  with  a  large  army,  and  entered  the  castles  of  Here- 
ford and  of  the  Hay ;  giving  up  all  the  territories,  estates, 
and  domains  of  Roger  de  Mortimer  to  fire  and  devastation  in 
every  direction. 

But  Hugh  de  Mortimer  was  compelled  to  surrender  himself 
to  the  barons,  giving  up  his  castle,  which  is  called  Richat,  and 
his  other  estates  to  guardianship,  and  entrusting  them  to  John 
Fitz  John ;  and  the  castle  of  Lodelawe  was  also  surrendered. 
From  thence  the  united  army  of  English  and  Welch  advanced 
to  Montgomery,  where  the  aforesaid  Roger  and  James  made  a 
deceitful  peace  (as  it  turned  out  afterwards)  with  the  barons, 
giving  and  receiving  hostages  on  both  sides.     But  the  earl  of 

s  E  2 


420  MATTHEW  OP  WISTMDTBTEE.  A.D.  1264. 

Leicester  hastened  to  the  sea-coast  to  encoanter  the  foreigners* 
the  arrival  of  whom,  with  a  great  multitude  and  exceeding 
valour,  under  the  guidance  o£  the  queen  and  of  Peter,  count 
of  Savoy,  and  of  many  others,  wte  ^fUlyfeared  in  England,  as 
if  they  were  the  evils  which  afflicted  th'^-n^ole  of  Europe. 
And  to  resist  them  all  the  strength  of  the  kingdon^was  col- 
lected from  all  quarters,  at  Canterbury,  and  around  the,  qepun- 
ties  on  the  sea-coast,  and  was  summoned  by  the  royal  edic( 
from  every  city,  and  town,  and  village.  The  bishops,  too,  re- 
ceived from  all  the  religious  houses,  and  from  all  the  rectors 
of  churches,  a  tenth  part  of  their  spiritual  revenues,  as  a 
subsidy  for  this  purpose.  And  at  this  time,  you  might  have 
seen  on  Berhandown,  such  a  multitude  of  both  cavalry  and 
infantry  collected  into  one  multitude  to  oppose  the  foreigners, 
as  you  would  not  have  believed  existed  able  to  bear  arms  in  all 
England. 

But  the  queen  of  England,  with  the  army  which  she  had 
collected  from  many  nations,  and  with  such  a  number  of  dukes 
and  earls,  and  such  a  fleet  as  would  scarcely  appear  credible 
to  any  one,  remained  for  some  time  at  Bruges,  in  Flanders, 
.  having  stationed  that  vast  fleet  in  the  harbour  of  Dam,  which 
was  every  day  threatening  to  invade  England,  the  leaders 
showing  themselves  panting  and  eager  for  the  heat  of  battle, 
boasting  with  swelling  language.  And  our  men,  and  espe- 
cially the  Cinque  Ports  and  the  pirates,  fearlessly  desired  their 
arrival,  and  had  not,  as  it  seemed,  the  least  fear  of  then:  power 
in  any  respect.  But  at  length,  all  that  countless  host  of  noble 
men,  both  knights  who  received  pay,  and  others  who  went 
to  the  war  at  their  own  expense,  and  Uie  kinsmen  and  Mends 
of  the  queen,  returned  to  their  own  country,  being  by  the 
mercy  of  God  utterly  disappointed  of  then:  wishes.  There 
were  some  who  said,  knowing  their  strength  and  the  number 
of  their  army,  that  if  they  had  landed  in  ^eedom,  they  would, 
beyond  a  doubt,  from  their  enormous  multitude  and  their 
valour,  have  reduced  this  land  under  their  power.  But  the 
Father  of  mercies  and  God  of  all  consolation,  knowing  the 
secrets  of  all  men,  is  aware  of  everything  and  searches  the 
hearts  of  every  one,  and  condescended  to  look  down  from  on 
high  on  his  people  of  England,  and  so  caused  the  magnani- 
mous hearts  of  those  mighty  men  to  waste  away,  and  ordered 
all  those  enemies  who  were  approaching  to  return  to  their  own 
country,  without  having  succeeded  in  their  objects,  after  having 


JL.D.  1264.     THE  UTTSJBDIOT  07  THE  FOPS  SESTBOYED.      421 

Tainly  exhausted  and  wasted  an  incalculable  treasure.  But 
this  I  may  weave  into  my  story  to  the  praise  and  great  glory 
of  the  noble  Eleanor,  queen  of  England,  that  like  a  most 
gallant  woman  she  bravely  laboured  to  succour  her  lord  and 
Edward,  his  son,  with  all  possible  energy  and  manly  courage. 
Therefore,  Urban,  the  supreme  pontiff,  being  stimulated  with 
an  adverse  desire,  inclined  his  favour  to  the  other  side,  and 
tamed  his  mind  against  the  barons,  desiring  a  stimulus  to 
anger  and  vehement  indignation  from  the  occasion  of  the 
spoliation  to  which  they  had  subjected  ecclesiastical  persons ; 
and  he  is  reported  to  have  said,  that  he  did  not  desire  to  live 
longer  than  was  necessary  to  subdue  the  Enghsh,  on  which 
account  he  sent  as  legate  mto  England,  an  excellent  man,  the 
lord  Sabinus,  a  cardinal  bishop,  to  lay  an  interdict  on  the  land, 
and  to  excommunicate  the  barons  who  were  confederated  in 
support  of  the  provisions.  But  as  he  found  that  he  could  not 
enter  the  country  as  he  wished,  owing  to  their  resistance,  he 
summoned  first  of  all  to  Amiens,  and  afterwards  to  Boulogne, 
some  of  the  bishops  of  the  kingdom,  and  some  other  persons, 
and  committed  to  them  the  execution  of  the  sentence  of  in- 
terdict and  excommunication  which  had  been  fulminated 
against  the  city  of  London,  and  the  Cinque  Ports,  and  some 
illustrious  and  noble  individuals  of  the  kingdom.  But  they, 
considering  that  that  sentence  had  been  pronounced  con- 
trary to  justice,  appealed  to  the  pope,  or  to  better  times,  or 
to  a  general  council,  and  to  the  supreme  judge  of  all  certain 
causes  and  laudable  reasons.  Which  appeal  was  afterwards 
redted  in  England,  at  a  council  assembled  at  Beading,  and 
approved  and  ratified  by  the  bishops  and  clergy.  But  the  bishops 
above  mentioned  having,  though  against  their  will,  received 
the  interdict  from  the  legate,  brought  it  with  them.  But  when 
they  had  landed  at  Dover,  a  search  of  their  baggage  being 
made  at  that  port  according  to  custom,  the  interdict  was  dis- 
covered and  taken  possession  of  by  the  citizens,  and  torn  to 
pieces,  and  thrown  into  the  sea.  And  some  ambassadors  of 
high  reputation,  both  from  the  king  of  France  and  the  king 
of  England,  namely,  Phihp  Chamberlaine,  a  man  of  noble 
birth  in  France,  and  Henry  de  Allmaine,  and  others,  landing  at 
Boulogne,  while  the  before-mentioned  pontiffs  were  there, 
were  very  severely  handled  by  the  townsmen,  and  many  of 
their  retinue  wounded,  and  nine  of  the  English  cruelly  slain  ; 
nor  waa  any  deference  shewn  to  the  French  either,  because 


422  MATTHEW  OF  WSSTMINSTEB.  A.D.  1264. 

they  had  come  thither  under  the  guidance  and  conduct  of 
others. 

For  at  this  time  all  that  maritime  district,  or  indeed  one 
may  say  all  France,  as  far  as  the  Alps,  heing  stirred  by  the 
king  of  France,  Peter,  earl  of  Savoy,  Boniface,  archbishop  of 
Canterbury,  and  the  bishop  elect  of  Lyons,  and  the  other  noble 
relations  of  the  queen,  conspired  against  the  English,  who  were 
standing  in  arms  against  king  Henry;  and  even  the  other 
parts  of  Europe,  such  as  Brittany,  Guienne,  and  Spain,  the 
sister  of  the  King  of  which  country  was  married  to  prince 
Edward,  were  also  excited  with  similar  hostile  feelings,  and 
were  full  of  hatred  and  vehement  indignation  against  them. 
But  the  illustrious  earl  of  Anjou  favoured  the  party  of  tiie 
earl  of  Leicester,  being  his  brotiier,  and,  as  it  was  said,  bound 
to  him  by  an  oath  of  fidehty ;  but  the  apostohc  man  before 
mentioned,  Urban,  before  he  had  fulfilled  his  promised  vow, 
which  he  had  some  time  before  solemnly  made  to  the  En- 
glish, ended  his  days  at  a  very  fortunate  time  for  them.  And 
about  this  time,  Elerius,  abbot  of  Pershore,  on  account  of  his 
ill  health,  resigned  his  office,  and  Henry  was  canonically 
elected  as  his  successor. 

Now  the  lords  Marchers,  who  have  been  mentioned  above, 
rising  in  rebeUion,  according  to  their  usual  practice,  broke  the 
treaty  of  peace  which  they  had  made,  and  came  to  an  agree- 
ment among  themselves ;  and  while  the  aforesaid  earl  of  Lei- 
cester, having  collected  an  armed  force,  was  advancing  towards 
the  Marches,  as  has  been  mentioned  before,  they  traversed  the 
provinces  on  both  sides  of  the  Severn  with  their  army,  which 
was  always  accustomed  to  plunder  and  rapine,  agitating  the 
natives  all  around  with  fear  and  excessive  trembling,  to  such 
a  degree,  that  wherever  they  appeared  the  men  of  the  pro- 
vince fled  to  the  churches,  and  made  themselves  abodes  in  the 
cemeteries,  for  the  sake  of  saving  their  hves  and  properties. 
The  chief  author  of  this  evil  was  Hamond  Strange,  a  man  of 
the  greatest  notoriety  as  a  plunderer,  who,  although  he  had 
often  borne  himself  gallantly  in  the  shock  of  battle,  never- 
theless, in  consequence  of  his  tyrannical  cruelty,  deservedly  re- 
ceived the  brand  of  Traso,  instead  of  his  name  of  Tyro.^  And 
they  strengthened  themselves  by  the  casties  which  they  took 

^  Tyro  means  a  recruit  or  novice.  I  suppose  Traso  mnst  be  derited 
from  the  Greek,  Opaaic,  hold,  meaning  here  pitiless,  or  shameless.  If  so,  it 
should  he  Thraso,  as  it  is  in  Terence. 


JL.n.  1264.   COITFSBEKCE  OF  THE  NOSLXS  AT  OXFOBB.         423 

from  the  lords  Marchers  themselyes  from  Bristol  as  £ftr  as 
Cliester,  and  in  other  parts,  and  having  mastered  them,  they 
detained  them  in  the  name  of  the  king  and  priAce  Edward. 
Besides  this,  they  each  in  their  several  districts  plundered  the 
living,  and  letting  loose  the  reins  of  cruelty,  raged  ahout  in  a 
pitiable  manner ;  and  Robert  Walerand  and  Warin  de  Bas- 
singboume,  the  guardians  of  Bristol,  coming  before  day-light 
-witli  an  armed  force  to  the  castle  of  Wallingford,  in  which 
Richard,  the  captive  king  of  Germany,  and  Edward,  the  son 
of  king  Henry,  were  detained  as  hostf^s,  they  made  a  vigo- 
rous  assault  on  the  castle,  in  order  to  deliver  them  from  con- 
finement; but  they  could  not  succeed,  for  the  garrison  of 
the  castle  speedily  woke  up  and  expelled  them.   For  they  had 
hoped  to  receive  succour  and  aids  from  the  lords  Marchers 
before  mentioned,  as  had  been  agreed  upon  between  them ;  but 
they,  when  they  were  already  making  towards  them,  with  their 
army,  were  met  at  Pershore  with  evU  news  arising  from  this 
event,  and  being  greatly  afflicted,  returned  back  with  all 
speed.     But  the  earl  of  Leicester,  who  has  often  been  men- 
tioned, being  wrought  to  indignation  by  their  rebellion  and 
violation   of  good  faith,   summoned  a   conference    of   the 
nobles  of  the  kingdom  at  Oxford  on  this  subject,  and  took 
with  him  king  H^nry,  who  at  this  time  was  so  well  inclined  to 
hiai,  that  he  could  do  nothing  of  importance  without  him. 

They  came  to  Worcester  accompanied  by  a  countless  mul- 
titude of  knights  and  other  warriors,  intending  to  fight  against 
the  lords  Marchers  as  against  the  pubUc  enemies  of  the  king- 
dom.    It  appeared,  however,  that  the  king's  heart  and  that 
of  his  friends  was  inclined  to  them,  because  they  had  stirred 
up  war  and  sedition  among  the  people  on  behalf  of  the  king, 
who  was,  as  it  were,  in  confinement,  and  also  for  the  sake  of 
prince  Edward,  his  son,  whom  he  greatly  loved,  and  who  was 
still  detained  as  a  hostage.     For  after  the  battle  of  Lewes, 
which  has  been  mentioned  above,  great  divisions  and  internal 
hatred  prevailed  among  that  party.    Therefore  the  aforesaid 
lords  Marchers,  although  they  were  few  in  number,  never- 
theless presuming  on  their  courage,  contracted  their  foi^es, 
and  resolved  to  oppose  them  on  the  other  side  of  the  river 
Severn.     For  they  had  broken  down  the  strong  bridge  of 
Worcester,  and  all  the  other  bridges  along  the  bank  of  the 
river,  and  had  sunk  all  the  small  vessels  and  ferry  boats ;  but 
they  laboured  in  vain  when  they  endeavoured  to  oppose  or  to 


424  HATTHXW  07  TrBSTMUfTSTSB.  A.2>.  1264. 

contend  against  so  many  noblesy  and  especiaUy  against  tJiat 
moat  aagaciona  warrior  Simon  de  Montfort.  Moreoyer,  Lle- 
wellyn, who  bad  by  thia  time  advanced  beyond  the  borders  of 
Wales,  was  now  above  them,  preparing  to  attack  them  in  the 
rear,  and  so  they  were  compelled  to  come  to  terms  of  peace. 
Therefore,  that  Edward,  that  illustrious  youth,  the  son  of  the 
king,  might  be  released  from  confinement,  he  was  compelled  to 
agree  to  peace  on  the  other  side,  though  on  hard  and  oppres- 
sive terms.  For  he  was  forced  to  agree  that  he  would  not 
leave  the  island  of  Britain  for  three  years,  and  in  the  mean 
time  would  plot  no  evil  against  either  the  kingdom  or  the 
nobles,  on  pain  of  losmg  his  inheritance.  And  for  the  con- 
firmation and  security  of  this  agreement,  nearly  all  the  castles 
which  his  partisans  had  in  tioieir  keeping,  and  which  were 
dotted  about  the  Marches,  all  the  way  from  Bristol  to 
Chester,  were  given  up  to  the  earl  of  Leicester ;  and  likewise 
Chester  itself,  which  had  been  the  county  palatine  of  prince 
Edward,  in  consequence  of  an  exchange  made  with  the  afore- 
said earl,  was  transferred  to  another  master.  Hereford  too/ 
and  other  castles,  situated  towards  the  southern  dbtrict  of 
Wales,  had  been  some  time  before  surrendered,  and  entrusted 
to  the  keeping  of  Pet^r  de  Montfort  and  others  of  the  barons. 
After  these  events,  the  king  returned  to  his  splendid  palace, 
which  is  called  Woodstock,  where  he  celebrated  the  feast  of 
the  Nativity  of  the  Lord  vrith  all  due  solemnity.  But  the 
earl,  as  fortune  smiled  on  him  in  every  design  which  he  con- 
ceived in  his  mind,  celebrated  the  same  festival  in  his  castle 
of  Kenilworth,  attended  by  a  large  company  of  knights.  And 
he  is  reported  to  have  had  in  fails  own  household  at  least  a 
hundred  and  forty  knights  receiving  pay,  besides  a  great 
number  of  others  devoted  to  his  service,  when  he  went  on  any 
expedition.  By  this  time,  therefore,  all  England,  except  the 
most  remote  districts  of  the  north  (which  still,  under  Uie  in- 
fluence of  the  king  of  Scotland  and  John  de  BalUol,  conspiring 
against  him),  was  favourable,  and  indeed  subject  to  him ;  so 
that  nothing  of  any  importance  was  done  in  the  whole  king- 
dom without  him.  Every  thing  was  ordered  by  him,  all  the 
king's  castles  were  entrusted  to  his  government.  Nor  indeed 
was  the  king  himself,  who  was  now  in  the  fifteenth  year  of 
his  reign,  considered  anything  more  than  a  shadow  of  a  name, 

>  The  text  here  is  quite  unintelligible,  and  probably  corrupt.     I  have 
therefore  borrowed  the  real  terms  of  the  treaty  from  Home. 


JL.XI.  1265.  Qf  THE  BATTLE   01*  ETE8HAM.  425 

80  that  he  was  unahle  to  trayel  or  move  through  his  own  ter- 
ritories, without  being  utterly  under  the  guidi^ce  and  in  the 
power  of  his  rival. 

After  pope  Urban  was  dead  (as  has  been  mentioned  above), 
lie  was  succeeded  by  Guy  of  Sabionetta,  who  had  been  lately 
fiient  into  Enghind  as  legate,  and  who  was  called  Clement  the 
Fourth.  About  this  time,  John  Mansel,  that  over-powerful 
occupier  of  ecclesiastical  benefices,  reached  the  .end  of  this 
life,  in  the  countries  beyond  the  sea.  Also  Godfrey,  arch- 
bishop of  York,  departed  from  this  world,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Walter  Giffard.  After  a  great  conference  on  the 
subject  of  securing  the  peace  of  the  kingdom  had  been  held  in 
Liondon  during  Lent,  Edward,  the  son  of  the  king,  who  had 
been  detained  as  a  hostage  ever  since  the  battle  of  Lewes  de- 
scribed above,  was  released  from  the  custody  of  the  earl 
before  mentioned ;  but  he  was  not  yet  left  entirely  his  own 
master,  but  was  still  in  some  degree  under  the  power  of  the 
earl  and  his  sons.  Which,  however,  Edward  concealed,  wait- 
ing for  such  a  time  and  place  as  might  give  him  the  oppor- 
tunity of  escaping. 

Of  the  battle  of  Evesham, 

A.D.  1265,  which  is  the  fiftieth  of  the  reign  of  king  Henry, 
Gilbert,  earl  of  Gloucester,  being  excited  in  in£gnation 
against  the  earl  of  Leicester,  who  had  usurped  for  himself  and 
his  sons  the  dominion  over  the  whole  of  England,  made  a 
treaty  with  the  lords  marchers,  and  united  his  army  with 
theirs.  Therefore,  Edward,  the  eldest  son  of  the  king  of 
England,  went  with  his  guards  outside  the  city  of  Hereford  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  the  air,  and  mounting  a  destrier,  passed 
on  beyond  his  appointed  ground,  and  fled  away,  and  was  joy- 
fully received  by  the  army  of  the  lords  marchers.  And  then 
the  earl  of  Leicester  being  full  of  fury,  leading  about  the  king 
of  England,  supported  by  the  assistance  of  the  prince  of  Wales, 
destroyed  the  castles  and  towns  of  the  lords  marchers  with 
fire.  Therefore,  the  king  of  England  and  the  earl  of  Leicester 
came  in  the  silence  of  the  night,  with  a  numerous  army,  to 
Evesham,  and  were  pursued  by  Edward,  the  king's  eldest  son, 
and  by  Gilbert,  earl  of  Gloucester,  with  an  army  eager  for 
battle.  Therefore,  on  the  fourth  of  August,  the  earl  of  Lei- 
cester and  his  partisans  were  slain  in  the  plain  in  front  of 


426  HATTHXW  OF  WSBTMHTBTES.  A.D.  1265. 

Evesham,  and  the  king  of  England,  haying  received  a  slight 
wound,  was  withdrawn  firom  the  battle  bj  his  son,  and  corod. 

While  that  most  illustrious  and  glorious  prince  Henry  the 
Third,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  England,  reigned,  his 
kingdom  was  for  a  long  time  silent  and  tranc^uil,  and  the  Lord 
the  Prince  of  Peace  gave  peace  to  his  temtories,  and  filled 
them  with  the  fat  of  com.  But  after  the  French,  and  Poite- 
vins,  and  Savoyards  were  introduced  into  the  kingdom, 
whom  their  relationship  and  affinity  to  the  aforesaid  monarch, 
and  his  own  liberality,  raised  up  to  dignities,  and  after  they, 
as  became  the  royal  magnificence,  were  promoted  without  pre- 
judice to  the  rights  of  others,  because  all  power  is  naturally 
impatient  of  a  partner,  a  cause  of  quarrel  arose  among  those 
very  relations  and  connections  of  the  king  and  his  native  sub- 
jects, to  see  which  of  their  bodies  was  more  powerful  and 
greater  than  the  other.  Among  them  were  Simon  de  Mont- 
fort,  earl  of  Leicester,  formerly  seneschal  of  Guienne,  and  John 
the  son  of  Geofirey,  formerly  justiciary  of  Ireland,  both  of 
whom  were  recalled  from  those  offices ;  and  being  stimulated 
by  an  ambition  of  greater  power,  and  by  a  common  dislike  to 
the  bishop  elect  of  Winchester  and  to  William  de  Valence,  the 
king's  own  brothers,  they  became  accomplices,  and  indeed 
leaders  in  faction* 

In  those  days,  the  number  of  the  pretexts  for  interference 
on  the  part  of  the  Apostolic  See  in  the  ecclesiastical  benefices 
of  England  increased  greatly,  and  the  yoke  of  the  Roman 
church  pressed  heavily,  demanding  money  of  the  merchants 
for  the  service  of  the  kingdom  of  Apulia,  and  also  imposing 
severe  exactions  on  general  grounds.  These  were  the  causes 
of  discord  between  the  foreigners  and  the  native  English,  both 
nobles  and  prelates,  few  of  whom  were  influenced  by  any  re- 
gard for  the  commonwealth,  but  many  by  envy,  and  many  by 
considerations  of  private  ambition.  The  bishops  too  (not  to 
say  the  Pharisees),  convened  a  council  against  the  anointed  of 
their  lord  the  king,  saying,  *'  You  see  that  we  profit  nothing 
if  we  let  the  king  go  thus.  For  the  ftomans  will  come  and 
take  away  our  coffers,  money,  and  aU ;  let  us,  therefore,  ap- 
point twen^-four  elders  around  his  throne,  who,  excluding  the 
rarthians,  Medes,  Elamites,  and  Boman  strangers,  and  deh- 
vering  our  Jerusalem  from  Egyptian  slavery,  may  arrange  all 
and  each  of  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom ;  reserving  the  highest 
seats  at  banquets,  and  the  salutations  in  the  market-place,  for 


A.D.  1265.     THE  POWEB  OP  THE   KDTG  CI7BTAILED.  427 

the  idng's  magnificence.  Accordingly,  in  the  forty-second 
year  of  this  reign,  the  knights,  and  barons,  and  prelates  as- 
sembled at  Oxford,  and  issued  public  edicts,  being  attended  by 
a  powerful  and  very  numerous  company  of  armed  men  ;  and 
by  their  joint  dehberations,  or,  I  might  say,  delirious  ravings, 
published  these  orders : — 

That,  "because  the  said  kingdom  of  England  required  a 
very  general  reform  of  its  constitution,  the  said  king  should 
appoint  twelve  persons  out  of  the  kingdom  on  his  part,  and 
the  whole  community  of  his  subjects  should  appoint  an  equal 
number  on  theirs,  who,  being  supported  by  the  royal  power, 
should  undertake  the  care  of  the  whole  kingdom,  and  should 
provide  for  the  perpetual  annual  election  of  the  justiciaries, 
chancellors,  treasurers,  and  other  officers  and  ministers  of  the 
kingdom,  and  should  cause  the  castles  to  be  kept  by  them  and 
their  troops." 

And  the  fear  of  perpetual  imprisonment  compelled  the 
aforesaid  king  and  his  eldest  son  to  consent  to  this  ordinance, 
threatening  all  rebels  with  capital  punishment,  without  any 
respect  to  condition  or  rank,  by  a  formal  edict.  And  the 
aforesaid  iBthelmar,  bishop  elect  of  Winchester,  and  William 
de  Valence,  the  uterine  brothers  of  the  aforesaid  king,  and 
many  others  who  resisted  the  first  steps  of  the  beginning  of 
this  faction,  were  all  expelled  from  the  kingdom  and  banished  ; 
and  each  and  all  of  the  rest  of  the  prelates,  earls,  and  barons, 
took  their  corporal  oath  to  the  faithful  observance  of  this  dis- 
loyal ordinance,  and  a  sentence  of  excommunication  was 
passed  against  all  rebels  by  all  the  archbishops  and  bishops 
of  the  lungdom.  Moreover,  it  is  a  fit  subject  for  wonder, 
with  what  a  face  the  conscript  fathers,  and  the  aged  bishop 
of  Worcester,  and  some  other  prelates,  fathers,  and  judges  of 
men's  consciences,  gave  their  voluntary  consent  to  the  subver- 
sion of  the  king's  power,  after  they  had  taken  their  corporal 
oath  to  preserve  his  earthly  honours  to  the  aforesaid  king  and 
his  heirs  ;  an  oath  which  they  kept  very  ill,  by  ordaining  that 
neither  he  nor  they  should  ever  govern,  but  that  they  should 
be  governed  by  others.  For  if  the  intolerable  prodigality,  or 
the  deficiencies  of  the  king  himself,  evidenUy  required  the  at- 
tention of  a  guardian,  st^  it  is  nowhere  provided,  by  either 
(Mvine  or  human  laws,  that  where  there  is  no  actual  vice  or 
crime,  the  punishment  shall  pass  on  to  his  heirs.  Let  not  the 
iniquity  of  the  fatiier  attend  the  son*  Let  not  punishment  ad- 
vanee  too  far,  so  as  to  be  a  crime.    And  that  we  may  return 


428  UATTSBW  OF  WESTIOKSISB.  A.D.  1265. 

to  the  regular  order  of  eyenta,  the  twenty-four  captains  before 
mentioned,  being  then  promoted  in  England,  and  all  the  offi- 
cers and  miniatera  of  the  kingdom  and  the  king's  court  being 
ordained  under  tbem,  they  had  a  sort  of  continual  parliament, 
and  provided  themselves  with  escheats  and  wardships,  and 
their  sons  and  nephews  with  churches  which  belonged  to  the 
patronage  of  the  king.  The  treasury  got  nothing ;  God's 
anointed  king  got  nothing ;  nothing  went  to  Caesar,  nothing 
to  the  palace ;  everything  went  to  the  Ceesarians  and  people 
about  Uie  palace,  not  to  pay  the  ancient  debts  of  the  king, 
but  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  upholders  of  the  provisions, 
and  the  whole  treasury  was  destitute  of  freedom.  And  be- 
cause England,  as  had  also  been  the  case  with  Rome,  was  un- 
able to  support  several  kings,  soon  a  deadly  quarrel  arose  be- 
tween the  earls  of  Leicester  and  Gloucester,  the  two  principal 
captains  of  their  party,  to  such  a  degree,  that  the  aforesaid 
king,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  earl  of  Gloucester  before  men- 
tioned, led  a  numerous  army,  driven  from  the  French  territo- 
ries, against  Edward,  his  own  first-bom  son,  of  whom  the  afore- 
said earl  of  Leicester  was  at  that  time  an  adherent.  But, 
through  the  mediation  of  those  mighty  lords,  the  king  of  Ger- 
many, and  Peter  of  Savoy,  and  some  formal  ambassadors  of 
the  illustrious  king  of  France,  his  son  before  mentioned  was 
re-admitted  to  the  favour  of  the  king  his  father,  and  the  earl 
of  Gloucester's  name  was  erased  from  the  number  of  the  cap- 
tains aforesaid,  and  peace  was  made  between  him  and  the 
earl  of  Leicester,  out  of  hatred  for  the  rest.  And  so,  through 
the  power  and  energy  of  those  earls,  a  new  disturbance  arose 
in  England,  worse  &an  the  first. 

Therefore,  the  twenty-four  chiefs  who  have  been  already 
mentioned,  as  having  been  elected  in  this  way,  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  king  and  kingdom,  seeing,  since  there  were  now 
so  many  heads,  and  since  the  monarchy  was  thus  put  out  of 
sight,  that  the  general  discord  was  rapidly  gaining  strength, 
and  that  a  danger  of  that  confusion,  which  eventually  did 
take  place  at  that  time,  was  impending  all,  with  the  exception 
of  the  five  whose  names  I  will  here  set  down,  namely,  the 
bishop  of  Worcester,  and  the  two  earls  who  have  been  already 
mentioned,  and  Hugh  le  Despenser,  and  Peter  de  Montfort, 
agreed  to  annul  the  provisions  and  ordinances  of  this  kind 
that  had  been  enacted,  and  to  restore  the  kingdom  to  its  pro- 
per state.     And  although  nothing  b  so  natural,  as  that  any 


A.D.  1265.   THE  EA.EL  Or  LEICESTEB  GOBS  INTO  FBANCE.      429 

law  of  any  kind,  being  enacted  by  common  consent,  and  as 
Buch  being  lawful  and  indissoluble,  and  binding  men  wbile  it 
is  in  force>  may,  if  the  wickedness  of  men  increases,  and  if, 
therefore,  it  has  a  tendency  to  produce  injurious  effects,  to 
attend,  if  the  inclination  of  those  who  originally  enacted  it,  or 
if  the  greater  part  of  them  be  changed,  or  may  even  be  en- 
tirely abolished,  just  as  it  is  recorded,  that  Hezekiah  very  pro- 
perly destroyed  (when  the  people  were  led  into  error  by  it) 
that  brazen  serpent,  which  had  formerly  been  lifted  up  in  the 
desert  to  the  salvation  of  the  people,  at  the  command  of  the 
Lord ;  nevertheless,  it  seemed,  good  to  the  king  and  nobles 
before  mentioned,  who  were  afraid  of  blame  where  no  blame 
was,  to  procure  absolution  from  the  oath  which  they  had 
taken  from  the  unerring  wisdom  of  the  supreme  pontiff.  But 
the  aforesaid  five,  obstinately  persisting  in  the  wantonness 
which  they  had  conceived,  (crying  out,  "  What  we  have  writ- 
ten, we  have  written,")  endeavoured  to  establish  pragmatic 
sanctions  of  this  kind,  confirmed  by  their  common  consent 
and  common  oath,  thinking  that  the  force  of  an  oath  so  taken, 
could  not  be  dissolved  by  any  consent  to  a  contrary  effect, 
and  that  the  apostolic  absolution  was  null  and  void,  and  making 
of  their  own  deliberate  purpose,  like  Herod,  the  oath  to  stand 
as  a  bond  of  iniquity  to  bind  them  to  resist  laws  and  canons, 
and  to  involve  their  consciences  in  schism  and  error,  drawing 
with  them,  as  a  strengthener  of  their  error,  many  false  pro- 
phets, rapacious  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,  murmuring  against 
the  vicars  of  Christ,  and  against  the  anointed  of  the  Lord, 
their  own  king,  not  as  the  Holy  Spirit  gave  them  utterance^ 
but  as  their  disdain  of  a  superior  power  taught  them  abuse. 
But  when,  in  process  of  time,  they  advanced  to  an  enumera- 
tion of  the  provisions,  and  when,  in  consequence  of  the  death 
of  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  and  of  John,  the  son  of  Greoffirey, 
and  of  the  arrival  of  the  king  of  Germany,  and  of  Peter  of 
Savoy,  the  aforesaid  king  of  England  began  to  prevail  over 
those  who  were  rebelling  agamst  him,  the  aforesaid  earl  of 
Leicester,  despairing  of  succeeding  in  his  audacity,  departed 
into  the  territories  of  France,  and,  in  the  meantime,  the  Bur- 
gundians,  and  French,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Champagne, 
who  had  been  banished  by  the  provisions  of  Oxford,  having 
been  recalled  into  England,  the  king's  eldest  son  honoured 
them  above  all  his  friends  in  England,  and  entrusted  them 
with  the  safe  keeping  of  his  castles,  and  committed  to  him  the 


430  ICATTHEW  01*  WXBTMIK8TSS.  A.D.  1265. 

office  of  mayor  of  his  household.  On  which  acoount^  some 
gallant  knignU,  formerly  his  friends,  being  vehemently  indig- 
nant, having  made  a  confederacy  with  aU  thoae  who  had  at 
any  time  been  offended  by  any  exercise  of  the  royal  power, 
endeavoared  to  re-kindle  ihe  old  coals,  and  recalled  the  earl  of 
Leicester  back  into  England ;  who  immediately  after  his  en- 
trance into  the  kingdom,  having  united  himself  with  the 
Welch,  the  deadly  enemies  of  the  idfbresaid  king  and  kingdom, 
and  with  many  of  the  nobles  of  England,  tdl  of  whom  he 
caused  to  shave  their  heads  in  token  of  the  folly  which  was 
thus  begun  by  them,  he  caused  the  lord  bishop  of  Hereford, 
whom  his  conduct  in  laying  the  churches  and  monasteries  of 
England  under  obligation  for  the  sake  of  the  kingdom  of 
Apulia,  and  the  oppression  of  his  subjects,  had  made  odious  to 
all  Englishmen,  to  be  dragged  from  his  church  by  some  no- 
bles of  the  marches  who  were  at  that  time  his  adherents,  and 
to  be  committed  to  confinement  in  prison  ;  and  the  bishop  and 
all  the  rest,  both  native  English  and  foreigners,  who  were  the 
familiar  friends  of  the  aforesaid  king,  were  plundered  of  all 
their  property  by  his  different  armies.  In  all  these  prelimi- 
nary  deeds  of  great  presumption,  he  was  consulting  his  own 
interest  by  subtle  cunning,  so  that  the  people  adhered  to  him 
out  of  hatred  to  the  aforesaid  bishop,  and  all  his  adherents  be 
maintained  in  pay  derived  from  the  property  of  which  he  had 
despoiled  him  ;  so  that  necessity  infallibly  compelled  all 
transgressors  of  this  sort  to  become  his  adherents,  as  they 
despaired  of  grace  either  from  the  pope  or  the  king. 

Afterwards,  having  collected  a  numerous  army,  he  entered 
the  city  of  London,  and  compelled  the  king  of  England,  by 
his  oppression,  to  surrender  to  him  the  castle  of  Dover,  the 
Tower  of  London,  and  all  his  other  strong  castles,  and  in  all 
things  to  submit  to  his  will ;  the  aforesaid  eldest  son  of  the 
king  being  compelled  to  deliver  up  to  this  earl  the  castle  of 
Windsor,  from  which  all  his  friends  who  came  from  foreign 
countries  had  been  expelled,  and  they  were  afterwards  banished 
from  the  kingdom.  And  John  Mansel,  provost  of  Beverlac, 
the  principal  counsellor  of  the  aforesaid  king,  was  compelled, 
on  account  of  the  violence  of  the  persecution,  to  return  into  the 
country  of  France.  But  the  lord  the  king  of  Germany,  and 
the  eldest  son  of  the  king  of  England,  and  ue  other  counsellors 
and  friends  of  the  king  of  England,  seeing  the  rapine  and  de- 
predations of  this  kind  which  were  committed  on  the  prelates 


A.D.  1265.  THE  KTSQ  OF  F&AVCB  CALLED  IK  AS  MEDIATOB.  431 

and  subjects  of  the  kingdom,  both  clergy  and  hiity,  and  that 
the  overthrow  of  the  king  and  kingdom  seemed  equally  near 
at  hand,  procured  the  aforesaid  king  of  England  privily  to 
transfer  himself  from  his  parliament  at  Westmmster  to 
Windsor,  receiving  into  his  favour  the  lord  Henry,  son  of  the 
king  of  Germany,  John,  earl  of  Warrenne,  Roger  de  Cli£ford, 
Roger  de  Leyboume,  Hamond,  called  Strange,  and  John  de 
Valois,  who  had  formerly  all  been  adherents  of  the  aforesaid 
earl  of  Leicester,  with  united  forces  ;  and  when  a  long  confer- 
ence on  the  subject  of  peace  took  place  through  the  interven- 
tion of  some  formally  appointed  mediators  between  the  king 
of  England  and  his  adherents  on  the  one  side,  and  the  earl  of 
Leicester  and  his  partisans  on  the  other,  at  last,  in  respect  of 
all  the  disputes  that  had  arisen  concerning  the  provisions  of 
Oxford,  a  compromise  was  made,  and  the  matter  was  referred 
by  both  sides  to  the  illustrious  king  of  France,  that  he  should 
settle  it,  both  in  its  height  and  depth,  administering  a  cor- 
poral oath  to  both  parties,  as  is  fully  set  forth  in  the  instru- 
ment drawn  up  on  this  subject,  signed  with  the  seals  of  all  the 
potentates  above  mentioned.  And  when  the  lord  the  king  of  the 
French,  treading  in  the  footsteps  of  the  supreme  pontm,  had 
by  his  own  arbitrary  power  annulled  all  the  provisions  and  or- 
dinances of  that  sort,  and  whatever  statutes  had  grown  out  of 
them,  the  earl  of  Leicester  and  his  companions  and  partisans 
nevertheless  presumed  to  support  them  as  before,  resisting  the 
aforesaid  king  of  France  ana  his  injunctions  in  all  particulars, 
and  by  every  possible  means,  and  uniting  with  the  Welch  to 
demolish  the  castles  of  the  faithful  subjects  of  the  king ;  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  aiding  in  the  incursions  of  the  Welch,  those 
enemies  of  the  king  and  kingdom,  with  which  they  ravaged 
the  borders  of  England  and  Wales,  and  also  unitine  with  the 
Londoners  to  perpetrate  violations  of  churches,  and  depreda- 
tions, and  to  impoverish  ecclesiastical  persons,  and  to  harass 
both  Jews  and  Christians  with  fire  and  bloodshed,  without 
respect  to  condition  or  sex,  age  or  rank.  And  when  the  cry 
of  these  abominations,  through  the  daily  groans  and  com- 
plaints of  the  afflicted  people,  ascended  to  the  chiefs  of  the 
priesthood  before  mentioned,  aU  seeking  that  which  was  their 
own,  and  not  those  things  which  were  Christ's,  they  were  found 
beyond  all  question  to  be  dumb  dogs,  able  but  unwilling  to 
bark. 

After  all  these  detestable  events,  it  happened  that  Simon, 


432  ICATTHSW  OF  WBSTKIKSTEB.  A.B.  1265. 

son  of  the  aforesaid  earl  of  Leicester,  had  occupied  Nor- 
thamptoD,  with  a  numerous  army^  which  town  the  aforesaid 
king  of  Enghind  with  his  powerful  army  gallantly  and  man- 
fully took  by  assault ;  taking  eighty  gallant  knights  prisoners 
in  it,  and  a  great  multitude  of  squires  and  burgesses.  And 
when  this  had  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  earl  of  Leicester, 
he,  like  a  lion  in  a  wood,  raging  at  the  capture  of  his  cubs, 
and  aspiring  with  all  his  might  to  take  the  count  de  Warrenne 
prisoner,  united  with  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  who,  not  being  yet 
twenty  years  of  age,  had  been  beguiled  and  had  become  iiis 
adherent,  and  laid  siege  to  the  city  of  Rochester,  and  having 
set  fire  to  a  ship,  burnt  down  the  bridge  of  that  city,  and  a 
wooden  tower  which  was  erected  on  it,  and  at  last  he  took  the 
city  itself,  with  the  outer  bailiwick  of  the  castle,  by  frequent 
assaults  of  the  soldiers,  and  occupied  it.  And  when  this  was 
heard,  the  lord  the  king  of  England,  with  a  gallant  body  of 
troops  from  the  marchers  and  the  northern  countries,  pro- 
ceeded rapidly  towards  the  neighbourhood  of  Rochester,  to 
compel  the  raising  of  that  siege ;  and  the  aforesaid  earls  and 
barons,  who  were  in  rebellion  against  the  lord  the  king^  having 
been  informed  of  this,  ceased  to  attack  the  castle  of  Rochester, 
and  set  out  on  their  march  towards  London.  And  the  king 
directing  his  march  towards  the  coast,  by  his  clemency  and 
mercy  recalled  the  Cinque  Ports  to  their  duty,  which  were 
previously  in  open  rebellion,  and  granted  them  peace,  which 
they  did  not  at  aU  deserve. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  earl  of  Leicester,  together  with  the 
earl  of  Gloucester,  and  the  barons  of  his  party,  and  with  the 
greater  part  of  the  citizens  of  London,  departing  from  London, 
directed  his  march  to  meet  the  king  of  England  his  lord  with 
flying  standards;  and  on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  Saint 
Pancras,  in  the  month  of  May,  he  arrayed  the  lines  of  his 
troops  in  order  of  battle  on  the  top  of  a  hill  near  Lewes, 
placing  in  his  chariot  four  of  the  citizens  of  London,  who  were 
faithfid  to  the  king  of  England,  and  who  would  not  bear  arms 
against  him,  the  standard  of  the  said  earl  being  elevated,  on 
high,  in  order  that,  in  their  turn,  they  might  be  the  more  easily 
transfixed  by  the  spears  of  the  vanguard.  And  behold  !  the 
royal  army,  finding  itself  so  unexpectedly  anticipated,  pro- 
ceeded without  much  regularity,  and  in  its  zeal  to  encounter 
them,  ascended  the  acclivity  of  the  hill ;  and  the  eldest  son  of 
the  king  of  England,  being  the  captain  of  the  first  line,  di- 


A.D.  1265.   AKSOVlXCmaSST  OV  THE  £ABL  OF  LEICESTES.     433 

reeled  his  attack  against  the  first  cohort  of  the  enem/s  army, 
and  haying  slain  or  taken  prisoners  many  of  the  nohles  of  that 
cohort,  he  entirely  routed  it ;  and  then  proceeding  straight  on- 
wards to  the  line  behind,  in  which  there  was  a  great  multitude 
of  Londoners,  barons,  and  knights,  he  struck  such  terror  into 
them  all,  that  the  bloody  and  beaming  sword  slew  all  those 
whom  flight  did  not  save.  But  as  the  two  kings  before  men- 
tioned were  stationed  in  their  second  line,  attended  by  only 
their  ordinary  domestic  train,  the  earls  of  Leicester  and  Glou- 
cester, and  the  barons  who  were  stationed  in  the  centre  of  their 
army,  folding  up  and  lowering  their  standards,  came  down  the 
steep  ttde  of  the  hill,  and  bravely  attacked  them.  And  the 
batUe  having  been  fought,  and  the  aforesaid  king  of  Germany 
being  taken  prisoner,  with  John  Comyn^  Philip  Basset,  who 
fought  with  gallantry  beyond  all  his  comrades,  and  beyond  all 
the  other  mayors  on  the  side  of  the  aforesaid  king  of  !migland, 
and  a  great  slaughter  having  taken  place  of  many  persons 
whom  the  two  parties  had  led  to  the  battle,  the  king  of  Eng- 
land returned  to  the  priory  of  Lewes,  attended  by  only  a  few 
guards,  many  noble  men,  such  as  the  earl  of  Warrenne,  William 
de  Valence,  Hugh  Bigod,  and  several  more  fleeing  to  Pevensey 
Castle,  and  from  thence  crossing  the  sea  to  procure  aid.  But 
the  third  and  last  cohort,  consisting  of  four  hundred  guards 
armed  with  breastplates,  deserting  their  lord  the  king  on  the 
field  of  battle,  whether  it  was  done  guiltily  or  innocently,  fled 
away  in  a  shameful  manner,  seeking  the  hiding-places  and 
sanctuaries  of  the  church. 

And  the  aforesaid  earls  and  barons  entering  the  town  of 
Lewes,  took  aU  the  property  and  all  the  persons  whom  they 
could  find  between  Uie  castle  and  the  priory.  At  last,  when 
the  son  of  the  king  before  mentioned  had  returned  from  the 
slaughter  of  the  Londoners  and  the  rest  of  the  fugitives  with 
his  men  firom  the  Marches,  and  the  rest  of  his  warUke  friends, 
whose  number  was  twice  as  great  as  the  number  of  the  enemy, 
and  when  he  and  his  men  were  preparing  themselves  man- 
ftdly  for  the  encounter,  the  cunning  of  the  earl  of  Leicester 
circumvented  them  each  and  all.  For,  by  means  of  some  of 
the  Minor  Brothers,  he  annoimced  to  the  king  of  England  and 
his  son,  that,  imitating  the  peaceful  and  benevolent  disposi- 
tion of  the  said  king  and  his  friends,  to  prevent  the  effusion 
of  human  blood,  he  and  his  friends  would  willingly  submit 
their  cause  to  the  decision  of  any  one  whom  the  king  thought 

VOL.  II.  r  F 


434  MATTHEW  OF  WZSTMINSTEB.  A.D.  1265. 

proper  to  select  as  arbitrator.  And  if  the  king  and  bis  son, 
not  being  content  with  this  moderation  and  amnesty,  still  de- 
termined to  fight  with  them,  in  that  case  they  would  pnt  to 
death  the  king  of  Germany,  John  Comyn,  Philip  Basset,  and 
the  other  prisoners  whom  they  had  taken  in  the  battle,  and 
stick  their  heads  on  their  lances  to  serve  as  standards.  Where- 
fore, the  king  and  his  army,  being  moved  by  feelings  of  pity, 
abandoned  their  design,  and  having  had  a  discussion  which 
lasted  the  whole  of  the  following  night  long,  on  the  subject  of 
peace,  at  length  an  agreement  was  made  by  both  parties  on 
the  conditions  given  beneath,  namely,  that  the  king  and  his 
adherents  on  the  one  side,  and  the  aforesaid  earls  and  their 
partisans  on  the  other,  should  commit  the  matter  to  the  king 
of  France,  so  that,  by  three  prelates  and  three  nobles  of 
France,  to  be  named  and  appointed  by  the  king  of  France 
himself,  two  men  of  France  should  be  elected,  who  should 
come  into  England,  and  there  associate  with  themselves  a  third 
person  from  among  the  English,  whom  they  themselves  should 
choose,  and  then,  whatever  these  three  men  should  ordain, 
either  in  respect  of  confirming  or  overturning  the  king's 
power,  and  also  concerning  all  the  subjects  of  dispute  which 
had  taken  place  between  the  parties,  and  concerning  the  ge- 
neral state  of  England,  should  be  ratified  and  setded,  both 
parties  taking  their  corporal  oath  to  this  eflFect,  and  drawing 
up  an  instrument  besides,  sealed  with  the  seal  of  the  king  and 
of  all  the  aforesaid  persons,  hostages,  moreover,  being  given 
on  the  part  of  the  said  king,  who  should  be  the  eldest  sons  of 
both  the  kings  above  mentioned  ;  and  so  the  king  committing 
himself  to  his  enemies,  and  his  enemies  to  him,  first  of  all 
they  came  to  Canterbury,  and  the  aforesaid  hostages  having 
been  sent  to  Dover  Castle,  at  last  they  came  to  London  ;  the 
king  of  Germany  and  the  other  prisoners  who  were  taken  iu 
the  battle  being  committed  to  prison  in  different  castles ;  but 
the  barons  of  the  northern  counties,  and  of  the  Marches,  fear- 
ing the  cunning  of  the  aforesaid  earl,  returned  to  their  own 
homes  without  delay,  and  all  those  who  faithfully  adhered  to 
the  king  of  England,  and  who  at  any  time  served  him,  whether 
clergy  or  laity,  were  deprived  of  all  their  moveable  property. 
After  this,  the  prelates,  and  earls,  and  barons  of  that  district 
which  detained  its  king  prisoner  in  so  seditious  a  manner,  as- 
sembled in  London,  forgetful  of  the  compromise  of  Lewes, 
and  of  the  oath  which  they  had  taken,  and,  indeed,  of  their 


A.D.  1265.     mSW  TEBMS  OF  PEACE  PBOFOSED.         435 

own  salvation^  and  set  to  work  to  busy  themselves  about  new 
ordinances  for  the  kingdom,  among  other  things  enacting  that 
two  earls  and  one  bishop,  elected  on  the  part  of  the  commu- 
nity, should  elect  nine  persons,  three  of  whom  should  assist 
the  king,  and  from  that  council  of  three  and  nine  every  mea- 
sure, either  in  the  kingdom  or  in  the  king's  palace,  should 
proceed,  and  that  nothing  should  be  done  by  the  king  without 
their  advice,  or  at  least  without  that  of  three  of  them.  And 
after  these  ordinances  had  been  made  by  the  earls  of  Leicester 
and  Gloucester,  and  by  the  bishop  of  Chichester,,  who  was  said, 
on  the  day  preceding  the  battle  above  mentioned,  to  have  ab- 
solved from  all  their  sins  all  those  who  were  going  to  fight 
against  their  lord  the  king,  being  the  principal  counsellors  and 
captains  of  the  kingdom,  the  king,  having  been  threatened 
with  the  election  of  another  king,  and  the  eldest  son  of  the  king 
having  been  threatened  with  perpetual  imprisonment,  if  they  did 
not  consent,  were  compelled  to  give  assent  to  this  dishonest 
proposition ;  all  the  bishops,  and  earls,  and  barons  likewise 
consenting,  and  affixing  their  seals  to  an  instrument  drawn  up 
to  that  effect.  And  letters  were  sent  to  the  lord  the  cardinal 
bishop  of  Sabionetta,  at  that  time  legate  of  the  Apostolic  See,< 
and  the  illustrious  king  of  France,  concerning  the  complete 
recall  of  the  compromise  at  Lewes,  and  the  settlement  of  a 
new  peace,  by  the  amicable  agreement  of  both  parties.  And 
after  an  earnest  supplication  had  been  addressed  by  the  bishops 
of  London,  Winchester,  Worcester,  and  some  other  dioceses 
of  the  province  of  Canterbury,  to  the  aforesaid  lord  legate, 
that  he  would  endeavour  to  promote  that  peace,  he  severely 
reproved  the  aforesaid  bishops  for  having  presumed  to  consent 
to  such  a  depression  of  the  king's  power,  and  because  he  had 
no  entrance  into  the  kingdom,  he,  by  public  edicts  published 
at  Boulogne,  formally  cited  them  to  appear  on  the  third  day  at 
Boulogne,  to  discuss  with  him  the  afiPairs  of  the  kingdom.  And 
when  they  had  been  for  some  time  expected  at  the  appointed 
time  and  place,  being  waited  for  even  beyond  the  proper  day, 
and  as  they  did  not  choose  to  appear  either  by  themselves  or  by 
their  proctors,  the  legate  suspended  them  from  the  celebration  of 
divine  service  ;  and  he  pronounced  sentences  of  excommunica- 
tion and  interdict  against  the  aforesaid  earls  of  Leicester  and 
Gloucester,  and  their  partisans,  and  against  the  citizens  of  Lon- 
don, and  of  the  Cinque  Ports,  who  had  presumed  to  hinder  his 
entrance  into  England.     But  the  aforesaid  bishops,  earls,  and 

r  p  2 


436  ILiTTHBW  OF  -WZSTKUfSTEB.  A.D.  1265. 

barons,  and  the  rest,  haying  made  up  a  list  of  some  grievuices, 
and  appealing  with  all  canonical  observance  to  the  ApostoUc 
See,  and,  if  need  shonld  be,  to  the  general  council,  and  to 
the  church  triumphant  as  well  as  mihtant,  by  means  of  the 
officers  of  the  dioceses  of  Worcester,  Chichester,  and  Ely,  men 
well  skilled  in  the  law,  and  lawfully  appointed  notaries,  did 
not  wait  for  the  result  of  this  appeal  but  trusting  to  the  pro- 
tection of  the  sword  of  Mars,  and  disregarding  the  spiritual 
sword,  ventured  to  perform  divine  service  till  the  arrival  in 
England  of  the  lord  Otho,  the  cardinal,  and  leading  the  afore- 
said king  like  a  prisoner,  they  divided  all  the  castles  and  strong 
fortresses  belonging  to  the  long  between  the  sons  of  the  earl 
of  Leicester,  so  often  mentioned,  and  Hugh  Despenser,  and 
John  Fitz-John,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  earl  of  Gloucester, 
who  was  the  only  man  in  the  kingdom  who  they  were  afiraid 
could  weaken  the  toik  in  which  they  had  bound  their  prisoners 
so  fast ;  and  they  assigned  aU  the  offices  of  the  royal  palace  to 
the  king's  principal  enemies,  men  who  had  dared  to  fight 
against  him  in  a  pitched  battle. 

There  was  but  Httle  mention  made  for  a  year  of  the  deli- 
verance of  Edward,  the  king's  eldest  son,  until  he  himself,  as 
the  price  of  his  release,  gave  his  palatine  county  of  Chester  to 
the  aforesaid  earl  of  Leicester,  and  thus  he  purchased  his  U- 
beration  from  the  imprisonment  and  custody  of  the  knights, 
his  enemies.  No  one  can  adequately  relate  the  condition  of 
the  nobles  of  the  Marches,  and  the  persecutions  which  they 
endured  for  a  year  and  more.  But  when  the  earl  of  Leicester 
endeavoured  to  banish  these  lords  marchers  into  Lreland,  they, 
entering  the  camp  of  the  king's  eldest  son,  on  the  extreme 
borders  of  Wales,  plundered  the  Welch  casdes  of  their  ene- 
mies before  mentioned,  and  thus  furnished  themselves  with 
the  necessary  supplies,  until  the  aforesaid  earl  of  Leicester, 
having  taken  prisoner  earl  Ferrars,  who  secretly  inclined  to  the 
party  adverse  to  the  capture  of  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  who  has 
been  often  mentioned,  and  whom  they  suspected  of  similar 
sentiments,  came  to  Gloucester.  For  then  the  lords  marchers 
having  united  with  the  earl  of  Gloucester  to  meet  their  com- 
mon danger,  when  the  earl  of  Warrenne  and  William  de  Va- 
lence came  with  a  large  company  of  cross-bowmen  and  knights 
and  landed  in  South  Wales,  they  were  inspired  with  greater 
boldness  to  resist  the  attacks  of  their  persecutors ;  and  to 
march  to  encounter  the  earl  of  Leicester  and  his  friends,  who 


A.D.  1265.      BIMOK  AJH)  HIS  TOLLOWESS  DEFEATED.  4.37 

were  leading  the  king  of  England  and  his  8on  to  Hbreford  as 
prisoners ;  who  marched  on,  being  accompanied  by  his  own 
army  and  that  of  the  prince  of  North  Wales,  wlule  Simon, 
his  second  son,  as  the  general  and  commander  of  the  royal 
army,  which  had  been  levied  throughout  the  kingdom,  ad- 
vanced from  the  other  side,  so  that  the  two  hemmed  in  the 
earls  of  Gloucester  and  Warrenne,  and  the  lords  marchers, 
and  slew  them  all.  But  by  the  overruling  providence  of  God, 
who  is  the  doorkeeper  of  prisons,  the  release  of  the  prisoners 
was  e£fected,  and  on  the  Thursday  in  Whitsun  week,  the  eldest 
son  of  the  king  went  out  into  the  fields  about  Hereford  with 
bis  comrades  and  guards  to  take  exercise,  and  then,  when  they 
bad  all  mounted  their  destrier  horses,  and  fatigued  them  with 
gallopbg,  he,  after  that,  mounted  a  horse  of  his  own  which 
was  not  tired,  and  requesting  leave  of  his  companions  (though 
be  did  not  obtain  it),  he  went  with  all  speed  to  the  lord  Roger 
de  Mortimer,  at  Wigemor.  And  the  next  day,  the  earls  of 
Gloucester  and  Warrenne,  with  their  followers,  met  Edward  at 
Ludlow,  and  forgetting  all  their  mutual  injuries  and  quarrels, 
and  renewing  their  friendship,  they  proceeded  with  courage 
and  alacrity  to  break  down  the  bridges  and  sink  the  ferry-boats 
over  the  Severn.  Afterwards,  as  their  force  was  increased  by 
the  friends  of  the  aforesaid  Edward,  whom  the  power  of  the 
adverse  party  had  long  compelled  to  lie  hid,  and  when  they 
had  taken  Gloucester,  and  treated  the  prisoners  with  most  ex- 
travagant cruelty,  the  earl  of  Leicester  and  his  army,  being 
hemmed  in  the  district  about  Hereford,  were  compelled  to  lead 
their  nominal  king  about  as  a  prisoner,  and  to  subject  him, 
against  his  wOl,  to  all  the  hardships  of  captivity. 

And  when  Simon,  the  son  of  the  aforesaid  earl  of  Leicester, 
had,  with  many  barons  and  knights,  traversed  and  plundered 
all  Kent,  and  the  country  about  Winchester  and  the  other 
southern  districts  of  England,  and  then  proceeded,  to  his  own 
misfortune,  with  great  speed  to  Kenilworth  to  meet  his  father, 
the  aforesaid  Edward  and  Gilbert  and  their  armies,  being,  by 
the  favour  of  God,  forewarned  of  his  approach,  attacked  his 
army  at  dawn  on  the  day  of  Saint  Peter  ad  Yincula,  and  took 
them  all  prisoners,  except  Simon  and  a  few  with  him  who 
escaped  into  the  castle,  and  put  them  in  chains,  and  stripped 
those  robbers  and  plunderers  of  all  their  booty,  and  so  cele- 
brated a  day  of  feasting  at  the  New  Chains.^ 

I  In  allusion  to  the  day  of  Saint  Peter  ad  Vincula--yinciila  meaning 
chains. 


438  KATTHEW  or  WESTMLBTSTER.  A.B.  J 205. 

The  earl  of  Leicester  and  his  companions,  being  ignorant  of 
this  eyent,  and  marching  on  with  all  speed,  reached  the  riyer 
Severn  that  very  same  day,  and  having  examined  the  proper 
fords,  crossed  the  river  at  twilight  with  the  design  of  meeting 
and  finding  the  aforesaid  Simon  and  his  army,  who  were 
coming  from  England,  and  having  stopped  the  two  next  days  on 
the  borders  of  Worcestershire,  on  the  third  day  they  entered 
the  town  of  Evesham,  s^nd  while  they  were  occupying  them- 
selves there  with  refreshing  their  souls,  which  had  been  long 
fainting  under  hunger  and  thirst,  with  a  little  food,  their  scouts 
brought  them  word  that  the  lord  Edward  and  his  army  were 
not  above  two  miles,  ofif.  So  the  earl  of  Leicester  and  the 
barons  marching  out  with  their  lord  the  king  (whom  they 
took  with  them  by  force)  to  the  rising  ground  of  a  gentle  hill, 
beheld  Edward  and  his  army  on  the  top  of  a  hill,  not  above  a 
stone's  throw  from  them,  and  hastening  to  them.  And  a 
wonderful  conflict  took  place,  there  being  slain  on  the  part  of 
the  lord  Edward  only  one  knight  of  moderate  prowess,  and 
two  esquires.  On  the  other  side  there  fell  on  the  field  of 
battle  Simon,  earl  of  Leicester,  whose  head,  and  hands,  and 
feet  were  cut  ofif,  and  Henry,  his  son,  Hugh  Despenser,  justi- 
ciary of  England,  Peter  de  Montfort,  William  de  Mandeville, 
Badulph  Basset,  Roger  St.  John,  Walter  de  Despigny,  William 
of  York,  and  Robert  Tregos,  all  very  powerful  knights  and 
barons,  and  besides  all  the  guards  and  warlike  cavalry  fell  in 
the  battle,  with  the  exception  of  ten  or  twelve  nobles,  who 
were  taken  prisoners.  And  the  names  of  the  nobles  who  were 
wounded  and  taken  prisoners  were  as  follows :  Guy  de  Mont- 
fort, son  of  the  earl  of  Leicester,  John  Fitz-John,  Henry  de 
Hastings,  Humphrey  de  Bohun  the  younger,  John  de  Vescy, 
Peter  de  Montfort  the  younger,  and  Nicholas  de  Segrave. 

This  is  enough  to  say  about  the  provisions  of  Oxford  and 
the  acts  of  treachery  committed  at  Oxford,  Lewes,  and  Lon* 
don ;  which  actions,  though  whitened  over  with  various  pre- 
texts of  equity  and  justice,  are  within  full  of  all  trickery,  and 
miserably  ruined  their  contrivers.  I  have  also  omitted  to 
mention  many  things  fairly  entitled  to  be  related,  that  the 
prolixity  of  my  account  might  not  weary  the  ears  of  my  hearers ; 
but  this,  %bove  aH  things,  I  feel  bound  to  insert,  as  a  matter  at 
which  the  king's  highness  marvels,  that  those  persons  whose 
conversation  is  described  as  being  in  heaven,  leaving  every 
thing  for  Christ's  sake,  up  to  this  time  persecuted  Christ  with 


-^.D.  1265.  PUNISHMENT  INTLICTED  ON  THE  LONDONEES,      439 

Peter,  and  Peter  in  Chriflt's  vicar,  and  in  Clement,  the  suc- 
cessor of  Peter,  Christ  their  God  and  Prince ;  now,  with  the 
blandishments  of  their  praises  and  approbation,  bedaubed  thie 
wall  which  had  been  built  by  the  rebels  against  the  king,  and 
which  the  apostolic  authority  in  the  beginning  of  his  new  work 
ordered  to  be  demolished,  not  considering,  as  they  ought,  with 
what  privileges  and  honours  the  Roman  church  had  decorated 
them,  which  being  yet  a  small  plant  in  its  order,  and  trans- 
planted from  the  valley  of  Spoleto,  the  said  king  had  che- 
rished, and  cultivated,  and  watered,  allowing  it  to  grow  to  be 
a  perfect  and  a  wide-spreading  vine  in  so  many  castles  and 
cities.  Would  that,  all  spurious  shoots  being  cut  away,  the 
branches  may  receive  due  increase,  and  repay  their  cultivator 
grapes,  and  not  wild  grapes  for  the  future. 

Therefore,  the  battle  of  Evesham  having  been  thus  gallantly 
fought,  the  king  and  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom  assembled  at 
Winchester,  and  ordered  that  the  richer  citizens  of  the  city  of 
London  should  be  thrust  into  prison,  that  the  citizens  should 
be  deprived  of  their  ancient  liberties,  and  that  the  palisades 
and  chains  with  which  the  city  was  fortified  should  be  re- 
moved, because  the  citizens  had  boldly  adhered  to  Simon  de 
Montfort,  earl  of  Leicester,  in  contempt  of  the  king  and  also 
to  the  injury  of  the  kingdom ;  all  which  was  done,  for  the 
more  powerful  citizens  were  thrown  into  prison  at  the  castle 
of  Windsor,  and  were  afterwards  punished  with  a  pecuniary 
fine  of  no  inconsiderable  amount.  All  liberty  was  forbidden 
to  the  citizens,  and  the  Tower  of  London  was  made  stronger 
by  the  paUsades  and  chains  which  had  belonged  to  the  city. 

After  this,  a  sentence  of  confiscation  was  pronounced  at 
Westminster,  on  the  feast  of  the  translation  of  the  blessed 
Edward,  against  the  king's  enemies,  whose  lands  the  king  be- 
stowed without  delay  on  his  own  faithful  followers.  But 
some  of  those  against  whom  this  sentence  was  pronounced  re- 
deemed their  possessions  by  payment  of  a  sum  of  money, 
others  uniting  in  a  body  lay  hid  in  the  woods,  living  miserably 
on  plunder  and  rapine  ;  the  most  powerful  and  mischievous 
of  whom  was  Robert,  earl  Ferrars,  who  was  restored  to  the 
full  possession  of  his  property,  on  condition  that  if  ever  he 
departed  from  his  loyalty  to  the.  king,  he  should  lose  his 
earldom. 

About  this  time,  Guy  and  Simon,  sons  of  the  former  earl  of 
Leicester,  escaped  from  prison  and  from  custody,  and  went 


440  MATTHEW  OP  WBSTMINSTXB.  A.I>.  1265. 

into  France,  hoping,  by  a  fresh  sedition,  to  avenge  the  death 
of  their  father  with  the  help  of  foreigners,  and  to  make  them- 
selves masters  of  England.  But,  by  the  providence  oi  God, 
they  were  not  able  to  consummate  what  they  had  began,  be- 
cause  their  days,  as  will  be  seen,  wasted  away  in  yanity  and 
misery. 

In  this  year,  being  the  fiftieth  of  the  king's  reign,  which 
may  fitly  be  called  the  jubilee,  a  certain  writer,  touching  with 
an  elegant  pen  the  causes  of  the  wars  above-mentioned,  said, 
"  Who  will  give  water  to  my  head  and  a  fountain  to  my  eyes, 
bringing  thither  streams  of  tears,  that  day  and  night  I  may 
weep  for  those  of  my  people  who  were  slain  ?    O  England 
formerly  glorious,  illustrious,  and  great  among  the  nations,  as 
in  the  pride  of  the  Chaldeans !  the  ships  of  Tarshiah  could 
not  be  compared  to  your  fleets,  bringii^  spices  and  all  kinds 
of  precious  things  from  the  four  quarters  of  the  world.     Tou 
had  the  sea  for  a  wall,  and  mighty  castles  fortified  yonr  har- 
bours as  your  gates.     In  you  warriors,  and  clergy,  and  mer- 
chants flourished ;  to  you  the  men  of  Pisa,  of  Genoa,  and  of 
Venice  brought  sapphires,  carbuncles,  and  emeralds,  derived 
from  the  streams  of  Paradise.     You  were  served  by  Asia  with 
purple  and  fine  linen,  by  Africa  with  cinnamon  and  balsam, 
by  Spain  with  gold,  and  by  (Germany  with  silver.      Tour 
weaver,  Flanders,  wove  ^ou  precious  garments  from  yonr  own 
materials ;  your  own  Guienne  supplied  you  with  wine ;  all  the 
islands  between  the  Pleiades  and  Uie  Bear  were  your  servants. 
In  your  own  interior  you  had  the  game  of  the  forests  in  abun- 
dance, and  on  your  hills  you  had  beasts  of  burden  and  cattle. 
All  the  birds  of  heaven  were  yours,  and  the  beauty  of  the 
country  was  with  you.     In  abundance  of  fish  you  surpass  all 
countries.    And  although,  being  confined  by  the  shores  of  the 
sea,  you  are  extended  over  but  a  small  space  of  territory,  never- 
theless, on  account  of  your  famous  productiveness,  the  sides 
of  aU  the  nations  in  the  world  have  blessed  you,  being  made 
warm  by  the  fieeces  of  your  sheep.     For  your  swords  being 
turned  into  ploughshares,  peace  and  religion  flourished,  so 
that  you  were  a  spectacle  and  an  example  to  all  Catholic  Idng- 
doms.     Alas!   why  are  you  stripped  of  such  great  glory f 
Why  do  you  yields  being  dashed  against  yourself?    ^Hiy  do 
you  rage  about  the  domestic  madness  of  yonr  sins,  and  why, 
as  if  you  had  conspired  against  yourself,  have  you  dedared 
war  against  yourself  and  not  against  your  enemies?     Alas! 


A.D.  1265.    .  THE  CASTLE  Or  BOTZB  8TmB]Ein>EBEI).  441 

without  a  doubt  yonr  sins  of  presumption  have  deeerred  this 
fate,  those.sins  with  which  you  were  so  fascinated,  and  lay  so 
that  you  neither  desired  any  medicine  or  the  assistance  of  any 
physician :  indeed,  I  may  more  truly  say,  that  you  refused  it. 
On  which  account  much  innocent  blood  which  has  been  shed 
oyer  the  earth,  cries  this  day  unto  the  Lord,  who  has  given 
you  such  numbers  of  valuable  things.  Surely  it  is  the  un* 
bridled  covetousness  of  your  nation,  jealous  of  religion  and 
peace,  despising  the  domination  of  a  superior,  and  the  heavy 
yoke  of  a  king,  but  which  has  in  such  a  degree  sown  the 
tares  of  discord  to  your  own  injury,  causing  mischief  to  you 
by  its  choice  of  powers,  so  that  all  the  bonds  of  relationship, 
affinity,  and  oaths  being  trampled  under  foot,  son  has  risen 
against  father,  brother  against  brother,  servant  against  master, 
and  sheep  with  unheard-of  courage  against  their  shepherds  ; 
and  last  of  all,  men  have  terrified  and  cruelly  slain  one  another 
in  the  slaughter  of  pitched  battles.  And  so,  wishing  to  avoid 
Charybdis,  alas  !  you  have  fallen  into  the  whirlpool  of  Scylla." 
But  what  is  alluded  to  in  some  of  these  circumlocutory 
phrases,  is  seen  clearer  than  daylight  in  the  provisions  of  Ox- 
ford before  mentioned. 

Ch.  XX.— Feom  A.D.  1265  to  a.d.  1272. 

Henry  prosecutes  his  successes — Bravery  and  generosity  of 
prince  Edward — The  king  besieges  Kenilworth— Charles  of 
Anjou  defeats  Manfred,  and  is  crowned  king  of  Sicily — 
Some  of  the  earl  of  Leicester's  party  still  resist  Henry 
— Disputes  between  some  of  the  nobles — Prince  Edward 
goes  to  the  Holy  Land — King  Henry  is  taken  ill-^Edward 
is  wounded  by  one  of  the  assassins — Richard,  king  of  Ger^ 
many,  dies — King  Henry  dies — King  Edward  is  present  at 
the  tournament  at  Chalons — Does  homage  to  Philip  uf 
Trance  for  his  French  domains. 

The  castle  of  Dover  is  surrendered  to  the  king. 

In  the  before-mentioned  year  of  grace,  king  Henry  celebrated 
the  feast  of  the  Nativity  at  Westminster,  where  the  great  par- 
liament  of  the  nobles  was  assembled,  in  which  it  was  very 
wisely  and  beneficially  ordained  that  in  each  county  there 
should  be  one  captain  appointed'  at  the  king's  expense,  who, 
with  the  aid  of  the  viscount,  should  repel  the  savage  rage  of 
the  banditti.  And  in  consequence,  many  of  them  being  alanned, 


442  MATTHEW  07  WESTMHTSTEB.  .  A.I>.  1265. 

forsook  their  predatory  habits,  and  so  the  king's  power  began 
to  breathe  again,  and  peace,  to  a  certain  extent,  beg^n  to  flou- 
rish. Therefore,  some  of  the  nobles,  who  were  detained  in 
prison  in  Dover  Castle,  hearing  that  their  lord  the  king  was 
meeting  with  good  fortune,  took  courage,  and  gallantly  seized 
upon  the  tower  of  the  castle,  resisting  their  guards.  And 
when  the  king  and  his  eldest  son  Edward  had  been  informed 
of  this,  they  hastened  to  the  castle  of  Dover,  and  besieged  it 
with  a  powerful  force.  Therefore,  the  keepers  of  the  castle, 
being  surrounded  by  their  enemies,  sent  an  embassy  to  the 
king  entreating  peace ;  and  immediately  surrendered  the  castle 
to  the  king,  saving  each  of  them  their  life  and  limbs,  horses 
antl  arms,  and  all  other  necessaries.  From  thence  Edward 
proceeded  onwards,  like  a  gallant  knight  who  should  be  king 
hereafter,  traversing  all  the  country  near  the  coast,  and  pun- 
ishing some  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Cinque  Ports  on  account 
of  their  crimes,  and  some  he  only  put  in  fear,  and  others  he 
mercifully  admitted  to  peace.  The  citizens  of  Winchelsea 
were  the  only  persons  who  endeavoured  to  resist  him ;  but  Ed- 
ward took  their  town  l^y  some  assaults,  and  at  his  entrance 
much  guilty  blood  was  shed,  but  he  spared  the  multitude,  and 
ordered  his  men  for  the  future  not  to  busy  themselves  about 
plunder  like  pirates.  And  by  this  conduct,  great  tranquillity 
was  spread  over  that  sea. 

Pope  Urban  the  Fourth  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Cle- 
ment the  Fourth,  who,  having  been  lately  appointed  to  an  in- 
ferior office,  as  Guy,  cardinal  of  Sabionetta,  was  sent  by  pope 
Urban  into  England,  to  discharge  the  office  of  legate  there ; 
but  he  stayed  near  the  sea,  in  the  town  which  is  called  Bou- 
logne, because  he  was  not  able  to  enter  the  English  territories 
on  account  of  the  open  opposition  of  the  barons,  and  the  so- 
phistical answers  of  the  bishops ;  and  he  pronounced  sentence 
of  excommunication  against  the  rebels,  and  then  returned  to 
the  court  of  Rome  from  which  he  had  set  out.  He  now,  bv 
the  influence  of  king  Henry,  was  made  father  of  fathers,  and, 
by  the  advice  of  his  cardinals,  he  sent  into  England  Othobo- 
nus,  cardinal  deacon  of  Saint  Adrian,  who,  coming  into  Eng- 
land in  his  scarlet  vestments,  summoned  a  council,  and  caused 
the  mandates  of  the  Apostolic  See  to  be  published  in  the 
church  of  Westminster,  and  then,  in  fulfilment  of  his  duty 
as  legate,  fulminated  his  sentence  against  the  adversaries  of 
the  king,  and  in  process  of  time,  he  suspended  from  their 


-A.D.  1265.   THE  EEBELS  FOETITT  KENILWOEXn  CASTLE.        443 

offices  and  benefices  Henry,  bishop  of  London,  John,  bishop 
of  Winchester,  and  Stephen,  bishop  of  Chichester,  who  es- 
poused the  side  of  the  adversaries  of  the  king ;  and  because 
they  had  recourse  to  the  remedy  of  an  appeal,  he-  ordered 
them  to  present  themseWes  personally  before  the  pope  within 
the  space  of  three  months ;  so  they,  coming  to  that  court, 
awaited  the  revoktions  of  fortune.  The  lord  bishop  of  Lin- 
coln purchased  himself  peace  in  good  times,  and  so  obtained 
mercy  and  not  justice.  The  lord  Walter,  bishop  of  Worcester, 
being  at  the  point  of  death,  said  that  he  had  erred  in  espousing 
the  side  of  Simon  de  Montfort,  and  sent  letters  to  that  effect 
to  the  legate,  entreating  the  benefit  of  absolution,  which  he 
obtained,  and  then  he  died. 

In  the  meantime,  some  of  the  nobles,  not  willing  to  submit 
to  the  sentence  of  confiscation  of  their  property,  occupied  the 
island  of  Haxholm,  to  which  men  flocked  from  all  quarters, 
whose  feet  were  swift  to  shed  blood,  and  whose  hands  were 
prompt  to  plunder,  devastating  all  the  adjacent  country.  But 
Edward  attacking  them,  like  an  illustrious  knight,  discovered 
their  confederacy,  and  compelled  them,  whetlier  willing  or  un- 
willing, to  return  to  peace,  and  afterwards,  in  London,  they 
took  their  corporal  oath  to  maintain  it.  But,  in  spite  of  their 
oath,  they  immediately  went  astray,  for  they  disturbed  all  Eng- 
land with  great  disorder. 

There  were  few  or  no  places  in  England  safe,  because  the 
whole  country  was  full  of  night  robbers.  Some  of  the  natives 
of  the  district,  men  of  low  extraction,  flocked  to  the  castle  of 
Keniiworth,  and  fortified  it  all  round  by  the  means  which  they 
obtained  from  the  plunder  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighbour- 
hood. And  immediately  they  erected  the  standard  of  Simon 
the  younger,  who  was  staying  in  France,  and  proclaimed  him 
lord  and  heir  of  the  castle.  But  when  the  news  of  this  reached 
the  king,  he  immediately  sent  one  of  his  messengers  to  them, 
ordering  them,  by  hts  royal  letters,  to  desist  from  their  enter- 
prize.  But  they  mutilated  the  messenger,  and  sent  him  back 
with  a  saucy  answer. 

In  the  meantime,  Edward,  the  king's  eldest  son,  passing 
through  Aiilton  wood,  found  a  certain  knight,  by  name  Adam 
Gordon,  one  of  those  whose  property  had  been  confiscated, 
laying  ambushes  in  that  wood  for  passers-by,  and  suddenly 
with  his  followers  coming  upon  him,  he  bade  him  take  his 
arms  and  defend  himself  like  a  brave  man.   So  he  immediately 


444  ICATTHBW  07  TfESTMIKSTEB.  A.D.  1266. 

attacked  the  kmg*B  son  in  single  combat,  fighting  manfully 
with  him.  But  at  last  he  was  woonded  and  yielded,  and  Ed- 
wurd,  commending  his  boldness,  ordered  cataplasms  to  be 
applied  to  his  wounds,  not  thinking  him  his  enemy,  but  taking 
him  with  him  as  a  friend ;  but  all  his  followers  he  ordered  to 
be  hung  on  the  trees  of  the  wood.  In  the  northern  counties, 
the  earl  Ferrars  was  wandering  about  with  a  numerous  army, 
contrary  to  his  oath,  which  he  had  lately  taken.  And  the 
lord  Henry,  the  eldest  son  of  the  king  of  Germany,  was  sent 
against  him,  who  defeated  the  said  earl  and  put  him  in  chains, 
and  brought  him  with  him  to  London,  acquiring  for  himself 
great  glory  by  his  triumph. 

Omeeming  the  siege  of  the  castle  of  KenUworth  hy  the  king. 

A.B.  1266.  Henry,  king  of  England,  celebrated  the  feast  of 
the  Nativity  at  Westminster,  where  the  nobles  of  the  district 
assembled  together,  to  discuss  the  peace  of  the  kingdom,  ac- 
cording to  their  usual  custom.  Therefore,  an  edict  was  issued 
against  the  earl  Ferrars,  who,  according  to  the  conditions  of 
his  obligation,  was  for  ever  deprived  of  his  earldom,  and  Ed- 
mund, the  son  of  the  king  of  England,  was  given  possession 
of  twp  earldoms,  those,  namely,  of  Derby  and  of  Leicester. 
From  Westminster  king  Henry  and  his  warlike  army  proceeded 
onwards  and  arrived  before  Kenilworth,  where,  without  delay, 
they  laid  siege  to  the  castle,  wishing,  but  not  being  able,  to 
make  themselves  masters  of  it  with  &eir  forces.     Their  army 

Srepared  for  the  assault,  but  they  found  very  vigorous  defen- 
ers  within.  For  the  nobles  perished,  slaying  one  another 
in  mutual  conflicts.  Outside  the  castle,  a  great  number  of 
engines  were  erected,  and  without  delay  the  besieged  erected 
others,  similar  both  in  size  and  number  to  those  of  the  he- 
siegers,  owing  to  which,  it  happened,  that  sometimes  the  stones 
which  were  hurled  firom  them  on  both  sides,  clashed  in  the 
air.  But  the  engines  of  the  besieged  garrison  were  at  last 
broken  by  those  engines  which  were  outside  the  walls,  though 
even  then  the  defenders  would  not  surrender  the  castle  ;  for 
they  preferred  dying  bravely,  to  giving  it  up  on  compulsion. 
For  despair  had  rendered  them  bolder,  and  so,  by  their  fre- 
quent sallies,  they  caused  great  loss  to  the  king's  army.  And 
neither  the  sentence  of  the  legate,  who  was  present,  nor  the 
power  of  the  king,  could  induce  Ihem  to  abandon  their  en- 
terprize.    Therefore,  by  the  wisdom  of  the  cardinal,  with  the 


A.D.  1267.        TH£  AEBSLS  OCCITFX  THE  ISLE  OP  ELY.  445 

sanction  of  the  king,  an  assemblage  of  the  clergy  and  laity 
was  summoned  to  meet  at  Kenilworth.  And  there  twelve  per- 
sons were  elected  from  the  most  powerful  of  the  nobles,  and 
the  wisest  of  the  prelates,  to  whom  was  given  a  power  of 
making  regulations  concerning  the  condition  of  those  who  had 
been  deprived  of  their  property.  And  the  persons  elected  took 
an  oath  to  make  useful  regulations ;  and  first  of  all,  the  king, 
and  after  him  the  clergy  and  laity«  swore  inviolably  to  observe 
what  they  should  enact.  Accordhngly,  the  statutes  formed  at 
Kenilworth  were  to  the  following  effect,  that  each  of  those 
persons  whose  property  had  been  confiscated  should  be 
malcted  in  a  pecuniary  penalty,  according  to  the  number  of 
his  o£fences,  which  fine  they  should  pay  to  those  who  were  in 
possession  of  their  estates,  it  being  provided,  that  the  fine 
thus  paid  for  the  redemption  of  their  inheritances  should  not 
exceed  seven  years'  purchase,  and  should  -not  be  less  than  one 
year's  purchase ;  the  heirs  of  Simon  de  Montfort  and  of  Ro- 
bert de  Ferrars,  earl  of  Derby,  being  alone  excluded  from  the 
benefit  of  this  enactment.  But  if  the  parties  were  not  able  to 
redeem  their  lands,  then  those  who  were  in  possession  of  them 
should  retain  them  in  their  hands,  till  they  had  fully  satisfied 
themselves  from  their  revenues. 

In  process  of  time,  the  garrison  of  the  besieged  castle  of 
Kenilworth,  worn  out  by  famine  and  misery,  making  a  virtue 
of  necessity,  surrendered  it  to  the  king,  saving  all  their  neces- 
saries. 

About  this  time,  Charles,  the  brother  of  Louis,  king  of 
France,  count  of  Anjou  and  Provence,  relying  on  the  assist- 
ance of  the  Father  of  Fathers,  defeated  Manfred,  the  son  of 
the  emperor  Frederic,  and  reduced  the  kingdoms  of  Apulia 
and  Sicily  under  the  authority  of  the  Roman  church.  After- 
wards he  was  crowned  king  of  Sicily. 

The  miles  whose  property  was  confiscated  occupy  the  isle  of  Ely. 

Jl.d.  1267.  King  Henry  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  Nativity 
at  Coventry ;  and  afterwards  coming  to  Westminster,  he  held 
a  parliament  with  the  most  powerful  persons  of  his  country, 
hoping  to  establish  peace  in  all  the  borders  of  England.  And 
behold !  messengers  coming,  bring  the  king  news  that  some 
nobles  of  those  who  had  been  deprived  of  their  estates,  re- 
fusing to  obey  the  enactment  of  Kenilworth,  had  occupied  the 
Isle  of  Ely  with  a  great  company,  adding  also  that  they  were 


446  HATTHXW  OP  WESTMiySTEB.  A.D.  12C7. 

deTRstating  the  adjacent  district.  Therefore  the  king,  setting 
out  on  his  march  towards  Cambridge,  stayed  there  for  some 
time,  being  content  for  a  time  to  check  the  attacks  and  hinder 
the  escape  of  his  enemies,  who  were  in  the  aforesaid  ishmd. 
Therefore  those  blood-thirsty  and  crafty  men  found  a  passage 
out  towards  Ramsey,  and,  according  to  their  custom,  they  plun- 
dered all  around,  carrying  off  both  men  and  cattle.  When 
they  heard  this,  itie  king  and  his  followers  came  secretly  to 
Ramsey,  and  finding  there  many  of  the  malefactors,  they  slew 
some  with  the  sword,  some  they  took  prisoners,  others  went 
and  fled  where  they  could ;  and  then,  placing  guards  there, 
the  king  returned  to  Cambridge. 

In  the  meantime,  Gilbert  de  Clare,  earl  of  Gloucester,  came 
to  London  with  a  large  army,  as  if  with  the  intention  of 
bringing  aid  to  his  sorereign,  and  treacherously  addressed  the 
citizens  in  pacific  language,  and  so  he  entei:ed  the  city,  and 
immediately  occupied  it  as  its  master,  sending  ambassadors  to 
the  legate,  that  he  should  without  delay  surrender  to  him  the 
Tower  of  London  in  which  he  was  dwelling ;  and  in  order  that 
he  might  the  sooner  obtain  his  wish,  he  forbade  any  victuals 
to  be  sold  to  the  legate.  Then  the  legate,  like  a  good  shep- 
herd, under  the  guidance  of  a  Good  Shepherd,  coming  to  the 
church  of  Saint  Paul,  in  London,  set  forth  the  business  of  the 
cross  in  the  presence  of  many  persons.  Some  were  pricked 
in  their  hearts,  and  immediately  assumed  the  cross ;  among 
whom  was  Theald,  archdeacon  of  Liege,  who  was  hereafter 
destined  to  be  pope,  and  who  had  arrived  in  England  with  the 
legate,  to  whom  he  now  bade  farewell,  and  set  out  on  his 
journey  towards  the  Holy  Land ;  and  also  that  noble  man, 
Thomas  de  Clare,  who,  despising  the  advice  of  his  brother,  the 
earl  of  Gloucester,  went  over  to  the  king,  and  obeyed  him 
faithfully.  Therefore,  his  sermon  respecting  the  affairs  of 
the  cross  being  finished,  the  legate,  undismayed,  directed  his 
discourse  to  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  warning  him  to  observe  the 
fidelity  which  he  owed  and  had  promised  to  the  king,  adding, 
that  since  he  himself  had  come  as  a  re-establisher  of  peace, 
.  neither  liberty  of  going  into  or  coming  out  from  the  tower  and 
city  of  London  ought  to  be  denied,  nor  a  free  supply  of  pro- 
visions. But  this  son  of  a  hard  heart  did  not  listen  to  the 
salutary  admonitions  of  the  father. 

The  legate,  with  some  of  the  nobles  who  were  faithful  to 
the  king,  secretly  entered  the  Tower  of  London  ;  and  likewise 


A..X>.  1267.  EDWARD   SITOCOtrRS  HIS  PATHEE.  447 

no  small  number  of  Jews,  with  their  wires  and  children,  en* 
tered  after  the  legate  ;  and  one  baiUwick  of  the  castle  was  en- 
trusted  to  them,  which  they,  being  placed  in  a  strait,  defended 
-with  great  vigour.  After  this,  the  legate  pubUshed  sentence 
of  excommunication  generally  against  all  the  disturbers  of  tlie 
peace  of  the  king  and  kingdom,  and  placed  under  an  interdict 
all  the  churches  of  the  city  of  London,  and  all  which  were 
contiguous  to  the  city.  But  he  ordered  masses  to  be  celebrated 
in  the  houses  belonging  to  the  reUgious  orders,  though  with- 
out any  sound  of  bells  or  singing,  and  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
disturbers  of  peace.  Great  straits  hemmed  the  king  in  on  all 
sides,  and  the  cruelty  of  his  adversaries,  and  the  want  of 
money ;  so  having  deliberated,  he  delivered  into  the  hands  of 
merchants  all  the  jewels  of  the  church  of  Westminster,  and  the 
golden  images  of  .the  tombs,  and  the  precious  stones ;  borrow- 
ing no  inconsiderable  sum  of  money  on  them,  which,  however, 
in  times  of  tranquillity  he  restored  to  the  above-named  church. 
Therefore  the  king  sent  for  the  Scots  and  French,  who  imme- 
diately prepared  to  come  to  his  assistance. 

In  the  meantime,  when- some  of  the  more  powerful  nobles 
of  the  island  were  going  forth  with  the  intention  of  becoming 
pirates,  they  were  cut  off  by  the  king's  army  from  returmng 
a  second  time  to  the  Isle  of  Ely ;  and  accordingly  they  has- 
tened towards  London,  doing  a  great  deal  of  damage  in  their 
march.  Therefore,  at  their  arrival,  the  earl  of  Gloucester  be- 
coming elated  with  increased  pride,  fiercely  attacked  the  Tower 
of  London,  which,  however,  he  was  unable  to  take.  There- 
fore the  sons  of  Belial  belonging  to  the  households  of  the  afore- 
mentioned nobles  invaded  the  monasteries,  and  placed  their 
booty  in  them;  while  others  carried  on  their  devastations 
through  the  country.  Therefore  the  people  of  the  district, 
and  especially  the  men  of  Westminster,  to  whom  continued 
annoyance  had  given  boldness,  slew  a  great  many  of  those  rob- 
bers abovementioned  ;  and  the  malefactors  of  the  city,  seeing 
that  the  people  resisted  them  on  all  sides,  feared  to  issue  forth. 
King  Henry,  being  an  innocent  man,  and  one  who  feared 
the  Lord,  and  was  eager  to  terminate  the  wars,  waited  patiently 
for  his  messengers,  who  had  gone  for  assistance.  Therefore 
the  victorious  Edward,  coming  from  Cambridge  to  the  king 
his  father,  brought  with  him  from  Scotland  and  from  the 
northern  provinces  thirty  thousand  soldiers ;  and  the  king, 
having  dismissed  his  guards  at  Cambridge,  came  to  Windsor, 


448  HATTHSW  OF  WSSTHIK8TSB.  A.D.  1267. 

where  his  army  increased  from  day  to  day.  The  inyadeis  of 
London,  now  being  alarmed,  sent  messengers  to  the  king,  to 
beg  for  peace,  which,  however,  they  could  not  obtain  on  the 
conditions  which  they  offered.  So  then  they  declared  war 
against  the  king,  assigning  the  plain  of  Hounslow  as  the  place 
of  battle ;  to  which  the  king  marched  the  next  day,  but  found 
no  one  to  oppose  him.  Therefore,  supposing  that  hia  enemies 
could  not  resist  him,  he  marched  with  speed  to  Stratford,  near 
London,  and  stayed  there  some  time.  The  malefactors  of  the 
city,  being  turned  to  rage,  and  wishing,  as  it  were,  to  avenge 
themselves  on  the  king,  carried  off  the  treasures  which  had 
been  deposited  in  the  church  of  Westminster,  but,  by  the 
providence  of  Gbd,  they  spared  the  monks  and  the  property 
of  the  monastery.  After  that,  they  invaded  the  parish  church 
and  the  town  of  Westminster,  and  seized  the  fruit  of  the  k- 
hours  of  the  people ;  and  entering  the  king's  palaces,  they 
broke  the  windows  and  the  doors,  and  scarcely  withheld  their 
hands  from  the  burning  of  the  whole  palace.  While  the 
king  was  staying  at  Stratford,  there  came  to  him  fironoi  foreign 
parts  the  Counts  of  Boulogne  and  of  Saint  Pol,  bringing  with 
them  two  hundred  knights  with  their  usual  followers.  And 
the  people  of  Guienne  anchored  near  the  Tower  of  London, 
with  many  large  ships,  well  provided  with  all  naval  experi- 
ments, and  awaited  the  king's  command.  Therefore  the  ad- 
versaries of  the  king,  seeing  themselves  hemmed  in,  and  being 
in  a  great  strait,  begged  for  peace  from  the  king,  and  obtained 
it,  agreeing  to  abide  in  all  pointo  by  the  edict  of  Kenilworth. 
Edward  was  sent  as  commander  against  the  obstinate  plunderers 
in  the  Isle  of  Ely,  and  being  moved  by  pity,  he  granted  them 
peace,  though  they  were  his  enemies,  on  condition  of  obeying 
the  edict  of  Kenilworth.  The  foreign  allies,  having  been 
thanked^and  rewarded  by  the  king,  returned  to  their  own  homes, 
and  the  land  of  England,  which  had  long  been  trembling,  at 
length  found  rest. 

The  same  year,  king  Henry  coming  to  Montgomery  in  Wales 
with  the  legate,  at  the  request  of  the  aforesaid  legate,  granted 
the  district  which  the  Welch  call  the  Four  Barriers,  to  Lle- 
wellyn, prince  of  Wales,  receiving  for  it  thirty-two  thousand 
marks ;  and  so  the  king  of  England  and  Llewellyn,  prince  of 
Wales,  became  friends.  For  before  they  were  deadly  enemieB 
to  one  another. 

Conrad,  the  nephew  of  the  emperor  Frederic,  came  from 
Grermany  into  Apulia,  with  Henry,  the  brother  of  the  kin?  of 


^.D.1268.  YIOLEKT  COKDUCT  07  THE  SABL  Ol  WABBENNE.  449 

Spain,  at  that  time  senator  of  the  city,  and  with  a  Roman  army. 
And  they  were  met  by  Charles,  king  of  Apulia  and  Sicily,  near 
T^aples,  who,  relying  on  the  aid  of  pope  Clement,  defeated 
them.  Afterwards,  Charles  obtained  the  sovereignty  over  aU 
Homagna  and  Tuscany,  and  appointed  Ouy  de  Montfort  his 
viceroy.  This  Guy,  by  the  advice  of  count  Aldebrand,  sur- 
named  Scarlet,  whose  daughter  he  had  married,  inflicted  many 
injories  on  the  Romans  and  Tuscans. 

About  this  time,  too,  the  Greeks,  through  fear  of  Charles, 
espoused  the  faith  of  the  Roman  Church,  in  the  time  of  pope 
Clement,  which,  however,  they  afterwards  openly  abandoned. 

Omceming  the  contention  between  the  earl  of  Warrenne  and 
JELenry  de  Zacy,  earl  of  Lineoln. 

A.i>.  1268.  King  Henry  celebrated  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord 
at  Westminster,  devoting  himself  with  much  eagerness  to  the 
praises  of  Gk)d,  because  the  Lord  had  established  his  kingdom 
a^r  such  perilous  wars.  Therefore,  while  the  king,  the  head 
of  the  kingdom,  had  rest,  the  members  of  the  kingdom  began 
to  come  into  collision  with  one  another.  For  an  exceedingly 
violent  quarrel  arose  between  John  de  Warrenne  and  Henry  de 
liRcy,  tne  future  earl  of  Lincoln,  on  the  subject  of  some  pasture 
land.  And  the  two  chiefs  having  prepared  armies,  made  them- 
selves ready  for  battle,  but  feared  to  come  to  actual  conflict.  The 
king  sent  his  justiciaries  to  them,  in  order  to  terminate  the 
aforementioned  quarrel,  either  by  judicial  sentence  or  by  re- 
conciling the  parties.  And  they,  having  investigated  the  truth 
by  means  of  the  sworn  testimony  of  the  men  of  that  district, 
adjudged  the  right  in  the  dispute  to  be  with  the  aforesaid  Henry 
de  lisicy.  A  second  violent  quarrdi  existed  between  the  same 
John  de  Warrenne  and  the  noble  person  Alan  de  la  Suche,  a 
baron,  concerning  some  rights  and  estates,  and  it  was  con- 
ducted before  the  justiciaries  of  the  king  at  Westminster.  But 
the  earl  above  mentioned,  expecting  that  he  should  lose  his 
cause  as  far  as  the  judicial  sentence  went,  having,  as  before, 
attacked  the  aforesaid  Alan  and  his  son  atid  heir  with  great 
abuse,  rushed  violently  into  the  king's  palace,  leaving  the  father 
half  dead,  and  wounded  the  son  also  as  he  fled,  ^d  having 
perpetrated  this  crime,  he  fled  to  the  castle  of  Rvegate,  and 
was  pursued  by  the  eldest  son  of  the  king,  prince  Edward,  with 
a  numerous  army,  who  was  determined  to  avenge  the  insult 
ofliered  to  the  ropl  dignity.     So  the  earl  being  suddenly  over- 

VOL.  n.  G  G 


450  MATTHrW  OF  WESTUI9STSB.  A.D.  1269. 

taken,  and  seeing  that  he  was  not  able  to  resist,  came  on  foot 
to  meet  him,  and  implored  mercy.  Which  the  prince  granted, 
on  condition  of  his  making  satisfaction  for  the  deeds  he  had 
done.  So  after  this  he  satisfied  the  king  by  purging  himself  of 
the  crime,  and  by  money,  and  he  made  many  promises  to  the  in- 
jured party,  though  in  process  of  time  he  did  not  give  much. 

That  illustrious  knight,  prince  Edward,  haying  receiyed  the 
cross  from  the  legate,  on  behalf  of  both  his  fadier  and  him- 
self, prepared  himself  to  march  to  the  Holy  Land.  And  he 
pledged  Guienne  to  Louis,  king  of  France,  and  sent  his  younger 
son,  by  name  Henry,  to  him  into  France  as  a  hostage,  but  fiie 
king  of  France  sent  him  back  with  honours.  Othobonus,  the 
legate,  held  a  great  council  at  St.  Paul's,  in'  London,  all  the 
prelates  of  England,  Wales,  Scotland,  and  Ireland  being  present 
at  it.  And  i^ter  that,  he  departed  from  England.  At  the 
festiyal  of  the  Translation  of  Saint  Edward,  at  the  instigation 
of  king  Henry,  the  bishops  of  the  realm  honourably  trans- 
ferred the  saint  to  a  new  coffin,  which  the  aforesaid  lung  had 
ordered  to  be  made  of  gold.  And  at  the  present  translation 
of  this  saint,  Benedict,  one  of  the  secular  clergy  of  Winchester, 
and  John,  a  layman,  both  of  whom  had  come  from  Ireland, 
being  possessed  by  devils,  recovered  their  former  health,  in 
consequence  of  the  merits  of  the  king. 

Pope  Clement  the  Fourth  died,  about  the  time  of  the  feast 
of  Saint  Andrew. 

Prince  Edward  seU  out  on  his  Expedition  towards  the  Sohf  Zand. 

A.D.  1269.  King  Henry  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  Nativity 
at  Westminster,  passing  his  life  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  and 
in  innocence.  His  eldest  son,  Edward,  a  man  mighty  in  arms, 
and  in  the  flower  of  youth  and  beauty,  wishing  to  pay  to  God 
the  yow  which  he  had  vowed,  in  the  month  of  May  set  out  on 
his  expedition  to  the  Holy  Land,  and  was  both  followed  and 
preceded  by  many  noble  and  powerful  men.  Louis,  king  of 
France,  was  also  bound  by  a  similar  vow,  and  he  had  preceded 
Edward  with  a  large  army  of  his  nation.  He,  wishing  to  be 
enriched  by  the  spoils  of  the  barbarians,  steered  his  fleet  to- 
wards the  kingdom  of  Tunis ;  and  arriving  there  with  a  fair 
vdud,  he  found  an  admirably  fortified  city,  which  is  called  Tunis 
by  the  inhabitants.  To  which  city  the  Saracens  of  that  country 
had  all  fled,  being  amazed  by  the  sudden  appearance  of  the 
numerous  army  of  the  Christians.    And  Edward  sailed  straight 


A.B.  1269.  PBIirCB  EDWi^D  LAimS  AT  AOSE.  4^1 

towards  Acre,  and  seeing  the  island  of  Sardinia  at  a  distance 
he  put  in  there;  when  he  received  certain  intellig^ce  of  the 
death  of  Loais,  king  of  France,  and  of  the  arriyal  of  Charles^ 
king  of  Sicily.  So  Edward,  supposing  that  that  aged  prince, 
Charles,  desired  nothing  hut  justice,  because  he  ought  not  to 
have  desired  any  thing  else,  hastened  to  Tunis,  beheving  that 
there  was  wisdom  in  old  men,  and  prudence  also  in  time  of 
necessity.  But  when  he  arrived  in  that  country,  he  found  the 
aforesaid  king  there  with  a  numerous  army.  And  Edward 
wishing  to  destroy  the  adversaries  of  the  cross  of  Christ, 
desired  to  lead  his  followers  against  the  city  of  Tunis,  and  to 
storm  it.  But  king  Charles  hindfered  him,  saying  that  the 
Saracens  were  prepared  to  give  satisfaction,  by  paying  the 
tribute  which  had  been  due  to  him  for  seventeen  years,  ever 
since  the  time  of  Frederic.  At  the  beginning  of  this  arrange- 
ment, or  rather  I  should  say,  of  this  betrayal  of  the  Christian 
people,  Louis,  king  of  France,  died ;  whose  eldest  son,  Philip, 
immediately  received  the  title  of  king. 

Accordingly,  the  barbarians  sent  to  the  king  of  Sicily  thirty- 
two  camels  heavily  laden  with  gold  and  silver,  by  which  they 
delivered  themselves  and  their  city  from  imminent  danger. 
After  this,  Charles  and  Edward,  and  the  whole  of  the  Christian 
army,  sailed  towards  Sicily.  And  when  they  came  near  the 
harbour  of  the  city  of  Tripoli,  they  were  met  by  a  storm,  and 
thrown  into  great  confusion.  But  the  king  and  the  elders  of 
the  nobles  escaping  danger,  arrived,  though  with  great  diffi- 
culty, in  port,  but  the  others  perished  in  the  sea,  and  all  the 
moQcy  of  the  barbarians  was  lost ;  the  vessels  of  Edward, 
whose  place  was  in  the  centre  of  the  others,  being  saved  as  by 
a  miracle,  for  the  angel  of  the  Lord  did  not  advance  to 
smite  them,  sparing  them  very  deservedly,  because  he  had  not 
coveted  the  money  of  the  barbarians,  but  had  only  desired  to 
restore  to  the  Christians,  as  far  as  it  depended  on  him,  the 
land  which  had  been  bedewed  with  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ. 
And  he  carried  into  its  accomplishment  the  object  which  he 
had  originally  conceived;  for  he  recommended  Henry,  his 
cousin,  the  eldest  son  of  the  king  of  Germany,  to  Charles, 
king  of  Sicily,  and  to  Philip,  who  was  about  to  be  crowned 
king  of  France.  And  bidding  farewell  to  every  one,  he,  with 
his  followers,  though  few,  landed  at  the  city  of  Acre,  which 
he  learnt  was  to  be  surrendered  to  the  Saracens  within  four 
days;  therefore  he  punished  those  who  had  corrupted  the 

G  G  2 


452  ICATTHXW  07  WESTMIITBTEB.  A.S.  1270. 

garrison  of  that  city,  and  abo  some  of  the  Venetians  who  sup- 
plied the  Saracens  with  arms  and  proyisions.  And  so  the 
soldan  of  Babvlon,  being  disappointed  of  his  hopes,  fiercely 
attacked  the  aty  of  Acre,  which,  however,  he  could  not  make 
himself  master  of.  So  passing  on  from  thence,  he  took  De  Grace 
and  Margat,  two  very  strong  castles  on  the  sea-coast,  belonging 
to  the  Hospitallers.  Charles,  king  of  Sicily,  sent  a  safe  con- 
duct to  Philip,  his  nephew,  the  future  king  of  France,  as  fu 
as  the  city  of  Yiterbo,  and  another  to  Henry,  the  eldest  son  of 
the  king  of  Germany,  who  had  been  recommended  to  and  re- 
ceived by  the  aforesaid  princes.  But  while  he  was  present  at 
the  solemnity  of  the  mass  in  the  church  of  Saint  SUvester  in 
the  above-named  city  of  Yiterbo,  Simon  and  Guy,  the  two 
sons  of  Simon  de  Montfort,  formerly  earl  of  Leicester,  mur- 
dered him.  And  the  citizens  of  Yiterbo,  in  memory  of  the 
murdered  man,  had  a  picture  of  his  murder  painted  on  the 
wall ;  and  a  certain  poet  beholding  the  painting,  spoke  thus : 

**  Heniy,  the  iUostriotn  ofl^pring  of  great  Richard, 
Fair  Allmaine's  king,  was  treacherously  slain, 
As  well  this  picture  shows,  while  home  returning 
From  Tripoli,  by  royal  fsTour  guided ; 
Slain  in  the  service  of  the  cross  of  Christ 
By  wicked  hands.    For  scarcely  mass  was  done, 
When  Leicester's  offspring,  Guy  and  Simon  fierce. 
Pierced  his  young  heart  with  unrelenting  swords. 
Thus  God  did  wiU ;  lest  if  those  barons  fierce 
Returned,  fair  England  should  be  quite  undone. 
This  happened  in  the  sad  twelve  hundredth  year 
And  seventieth  of  grace,  while  Charles  was  king. 
And  in  Yiterbo  was  this  brave  prince  slain. 
I  pray  the  Queen  of  Heaven  to  take  his  soul  again." 

His  bones  are  buried  in  the  monastery  of  Hayles,  in  England, 
which  his  father  had  built  from  the  foundations ;  but  his 
heart  is  honourably  placed  in  a  gilt  cup,  near  the  coffin  of 
Saint  Edward,  in  the  church  of  Westminster.  One  of  his 
murderers,  Simon,  son  of  Simon  de  Montfort,  died  this  year 
in  a  certain  castle  near  the  city  of  Sienna ;  who  during  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  being,  like  Cain,  accursed  of  the  Lord, 
was  a  vagabond  and  fugitive  on  the  faice  of  the  earth. 

Of  the  cmvdeBcmee  of  King  Henry  after  an  (Uness. 

A.D.  1270.  King  Henry  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  Nativity 
of  the  Lord  at  Winchester ;  but  in  the  ensuing  Lent  he  was 


A.D.  1271.        EDWABB  WOinn>XI>  BT  AK  A88A88IK.  453 

attacked  at  WeBtminster  with  a  severe  fit  of  illnesSy  and  despair- 
ing of  recovery,  he  commended  himself  to  the  prayers  of  the 
church.  But  the  monks  of  Westminster,  fearing  to  lose  snch  a 
patron,  thongh  it  was  a  very  rainy  season,  went  in  procession 
barefoot  to  the  New  Temple  in  London,  and  celebrated  a  mass 
there,  for  the  king's  sake,  in  honour  of  the  blessed  Virgin 
Mary ;  and  as  they  were  returning  back  again  in  the  same 
manner  as  that  in  which  they  had  gone,  news  was  brought  to 
them  that  the  king  had  recovered  from  his  illness ;  for  he  had 
desired  his  friends  to  enjoin  the  monks  to  chaunt  "  They  re- 
joice in  heaven,"  iaying  that  he  was  now  convalescent,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  prayers  of  the  monks. 

This  year,  the  Irish  rose  in  insurrection  against  the  En- 
glish, slaying  a  great  number  of  them,  and  plundering  others 
of  their  property.  Edward  marched  out  of  Acre  with  a  great 
army,  and  passing  through  Nazareth,  he  took  the  castles  of 
Cako  and  Caiphas,  and  slew  all  the  Saracens  whom  he  found 
in  them.  But  he  speedily  returned,  fearing  danger  from  false 
brethren. 

The  same  year,  Bonifiice,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  died  on 
the  first  of  August,  and  was  succeeded  by  Robert  de  Kilwarby: 

Sow  Hdward  was  wounded  hy  an  asBosstn, 

Jl.d.  1271.  King  Edward  celebrated  the  Nativity  of  the 
Lord  at  Westminster. 

His  eldest  son,  prince  Edward,  was  wounded  with  a  poisoned 
dagger  in  the  ci^  of  Acre,  by  a  certain  assassin  sent  for  that 
purpose  by  the  soldan  of  Babylon,  in  the  disguise  of  a  mes- 
senger. But,  wresting  the  dagger  from  the  hands  of  the  as- 
sassin, he  slew  him  in  a  moment ;  for  the  kindness  of  the 
Saviour  did  not  allow  his  soldier  to  perish ;  and  in  process  of 
time  he  was  cured  of  his  deadly  wounds.  Some  nobles  of 
Ireland,  and  especially  one  great  noble,  Thomas  de  Clare,  who 
brought  with  him  four  Saracen  prisoners,  returned  from  the 
Holy  Land  to  England. 

This  year,  the  citizens  of  Norwich,  at  the  instigation  of  the 
devil,  burnt  their  cathedral  church  out  of  hatred  to  the  monks. 
But  king  Henry,  with  the  chief  counsellors  of  his  realm,  im- 
mediately went  to  that  city,  and  dragged  forth  the  incen- 
diaries, hanging  and  burning  them  by  formal  judicial  sen- 
tence, and  ordering  the  chattels  of  those  who  fied  to  be  con- 
fiscated to  the  royfd  treasury. 


454  ICATTHBW  OF  WB8TMIFSTES.  A.B.  1272. 

Bichardi  king  of  GenuBny,  and  brother  of  the  king  of  Eng- 
land, died  in  the  month  of  February,  and  was  buried  in  the 
monastery  of  Hayles,  of  which  he  was  the  patron  and  founder. 

Ofih»  death  of  king  Hmry  the  Third. 

A.D.  1272.  That  devout  worshipper  of  God,  the  iUastrioos 
king  of  England,  Henry  the  Third,  son  of  king  John,  departed 
this  life  on  the  sixteenth  of  November;  after  he  had  reigned 
fifty-six  years  and  twenty  days,  and  in  the  sixty-fifth  year  of 
his  age.  And  on  the  twentieth  day  of  the  same  month,  on 
the  day,  that  is,  of  the  glorious  king  and  martyr,  Edmund,  he 
was  worthily  buried  in  front  of  the  great  altar  in  the  church 
of  Westminster,  which  he  had  caused  to  be  renewed  at  his 
own  expense,  against  the  wishes  of  the  Templars,  who  claimed 
the  king's  body  as  belonging  to  them.  How  great  was  this 
king*s  innocence,  how  great  his  patience,  how  great  his  devo- 
tion to  the  service  of  his  Saviour,  the  Lord  knows,  and  they, 
too,  who  faithfully  adhered  to  him.  And  moreover,  how  great 
his  deserts  in  this  life  were  in  the  eyes  of  Gk>d,  is  abundantly 
testified  by  the  miracles  which  happened  after  his  death. 

Accordingly,  when  the  king  had  been  buried  as  it  is  the 
custom  for  kings  to  be  buried,  Gilbert,  earl  of  Gloucester,  and 
John,  earl  of  Warrenne,  and  idl  the  clergy  and  laity,  proceeded 
without  delay  to  the  great  altar  of  the  church  aforesaid,  and 
there  swore  fealty  to  Edward,  the  eldest  son  of  the  late  king, 
though  they  were  wholly  ignorant  whether  he  was  ahve,  for 
he  was  in  distant  countries  beyond  the  sea,  warring  against 
the  adversaries  of  Christ.  And  after  this,  the  nobles  of  the 
kingdom  assembled  in  like  manner  at  the  New  Temple  of 
London.  And  having  had  a  new  seal  made,  they  appointed 
faithful  ministers  and  guardians  to  protect  faithfully  the  trea- 
sure of  the  king  and  the  peace  of  the  kingdom.  And  in  this 
way  the  peace  of  the  new  king  Edward  was  proclaimed 
throughout  all  the  territories  of  the  kingdom. 

This  year  the  burning*  of  the  church  of  Norwich  took  place. 

The  same  year,  William  de  Brunham  resigned  the  priory  of 
Norwich,  and  was  succeeded  by  William  de  Kirkby. 

^  I  need  hardly  remark  that  our  chronicler  has  already  said  that  it 
happened  in  Uie  preceding  year.  This  is  not  the  only  instance  of  soch 
repetitions.  I  have  ahready  remarked,  that  he  appears  to  begin  the  year 
at  Advent,  rather  than  the  following  January 


A.D,  1272,  THEOBALD  ELECTED  POPE.  455 

King  Henry  left  behind  him  both  sons  and  daughters, 
namely,  Edward,  Margaret,  Edmund,  Beatrice,  and  Catharine. 

The  Irish  having  encomitered  the  English  in  a  pitched 
battle,  were  put  to  flight  and  shun.  Edmund,  son  of  the  late 
king,  and  younger  than  prince  Edward,  returning  from  the 
Holy  Land,  was  received  by  the  English  with  great  honour. 

^ter  the  death  of  pope  Clement,  the  Apostolic  See  was 
vacant  for  two  years  and  ten  months.  Therefore,  the  car- 
dinals assembled  together,  and  unanimously  elected  the  lord 
Theobald,  archdeacon  of  Liege,  who  was  at  the  time  in  the 
countries  beyond  the  sea  with  Edward.  And  he,  having 
heard  the  news  of  his  election,  hastened  to  the  court,  and  was 
invested  with  the  dignity  of  supreme  pontiff.  On  him  the 
following  verses  were  composed : — 

*'  An  archdeacon  beyond  all  hope 
Is  now  suddenly  made  pope. 
Through  the  quarrels  of  the  brothers 
Being  set  above  the  others.^' 

He,  at  his  first  entrance  on  his  office,  sent  general  letters  to 
all  the  nations  of  Christendom,  about  the  assembling  a  coun- 
cil on  the  first  of  May,  in  the  year  of  grace  twelve  hundred 
and  seventy-two,  on  which  account  it  was  said  of  him — 
"  Gregory  assembles  all  the  world  again." 

This  year,  when  Edward  had  been  a  long  time  waiting  in 
Acre  for  aid  from  the  Christians  and  the  Tartars,  because  he 
had  formed  the  design  of  overwhelming  the  Saracens  with  a 
mighty  force,  seeing  that  he  was  deceived  by  both  parties, 
because  the  Christians  had  returned  to  their  own  land,  and 
because  the  Tartars,  who  are  also  called  Moallians,  were  pe- 
rishing under  domestic  tyranny ;  he  dismissed  all  his  mer- 
cenary forces  at  Acre,  and  crossed  the  sea,  and  landed  in  the 
kingdom  of  Sicily ;  where  he  was  met  with  honour  by  king 
Chiurles,  who  conducted  him  to  Civite  Vecchia,  where  the 
Boman  court  was  residing,  and  where  Edward  related  to  pope 
Gregory,  who  was  now  become  his  lord,  from  having  lately 
been  his  friend,  all  the  perils  of  the  Holy  Land.  After  which 
he  requested  him  to  condemn  by  his  formal  sentence  the 
count  Aldebrand,  sumamed  le  Bus,  and  Guy  de  Montfort,  who, 
with  their  wicked  swords,  had  murdered  Henry,  the  eldest  son 
of  the  king  of  Germany,  and  his  own  kinsman,  at  Yiterbo. 
So  the  pope  immediately  sent  for  them.     The  comte  le  Rus 


456  HATTHSW  OF  17XBTMIKSTXB.  A.D.  1272. 

cleared  himself  from  the  charge ;  but  the  lord  the  pope  con- 
demned with  an  eyerlaating  anathema  Guy  de  Montfort,  both 
for  his  contomacY  and  also  for  his  crime,  and  by  judicial  sen- 
tence pronooncea  him  guilty  of  sacrilege,  homicide,  assassina- 
'  tion,  and  Ute  mt^esU^  and  infamous,  so  that  he  could  neither 
make  a  will,  nor  give  eyidence,  nor  be  made  governor,  or  com- 
mander, or  magistrate  of  any  city.  And  he  also  pronounced 
him  sequestrated  and  disinherited  of  all  offices,  dignities,  and 
civil  or  public  ministrations  to  the  fourth  generation,  which 
decree  he  commanded  to  be  inviolably  observed  by  all  men, 
until  the  said  Guy  should  come  to  the  Roman  court,  and 
submit  himself  in  all  things  to  the  pope's  will.  Moreover, 
he  laid  under  the  ban  of  excommunication  all  those  who 
knowingly  received  him  ;  and  he  placed  their  estates  under 
an  interdict  (with  the  single  exception  of  the  women),  for- 
bidding both  the  reception  of  penance  in  the  case  of  the  dying, 
and  the  baptism  of  infants. 

After  these  events,  Edward  quitted  the  court  of  Borne,  and 
on  his  progress  homewards  the  commonalty  of  the  cities  of 
Tuscany  and  Italy  came  forth  to  meet  him  with  great  joy, 
and  in  the  processions  of  trumpets,  all  crying  out  with  one 
voice,  "  Long  live  king  Edward!"  The  people  of  Milan 
brought  him  presents,  carefully  selected  horses  covered  with 
housings  of  scarlet,  which  he  accepted  against  his  will,  in  con- 
sequence of  their  importunities.  Having  passed  through  Italy 
he  came  to  Burgundy,  where  he  subdued  and  delivered  over, 
in  spite  of  his  resistance,  a  certain  noble,  whose  sole  occupa- 
tion was  plunder  and  rapine,  with  his  castle  of  great  strength, 
to  the  count  of  Savoy.  For  previously  this  noble  had  no 
superior  lord,  and  therefore  he  the  more  freely  plundered  the 
passers-by,  because  there  was  no  one  to  check  his  excesses 
and  delinquencies.  Here  Edward  was  met  by  many  bishops, 
and  abbots,  and  earls,  and  barons,  who  came  from  England  to 
receive  Edward  their  lord  in  his  descent  from  the  Burgundian 
hills,  blessing  the  Lord  for  having  made  his  journey  prosperous. 
Therefore  the  French,  a  nation  always  apt  to  feel  irritation  and 
to  indulge  in  boasting,  whose  pride  will  some  day  lead  to  their 
destruction,  seeing  so  great  a  multitude  coming  to  meet  king 
Edward,  proclaimed  a  tournament,  at  Chalons,  in  Burgundy. 
And  on  the  day  appointed,  the  ranks  having  been  duly  mar- 
shfdled,  the  Englijsh  fought  with  the  French.  But  the  brave 
band  of  the  French  was  at  last  coinpletely  routed,  and  Edward 


^.D.  1272.   THE  POPE  TAXXS  THX  SSCULAB  CLEBOT.   457 

and  his  earLs  and  barons  retired  with  great  glory,  Edward 
himself  haying  gained  the  chief  renown.  At  this  tournament 
there  was  also  a  yigorous  conflict  between  the  infantry ;  for 
the  English,  being  roused  by  the  stimulus  of  indignation,  slew 
many  of  the  French,  and  as  they  were  persons  of  low  degree, 
very  little  notice  was  taken  of  their  death :  for  they  were 
people  on  foot,  unarmed,  thinking  only  of  plunder. 

£dward  then,  passing  onwards  from  Burgundy,  entered 
France,  and  was  joyfuUy  received  by  PhiHp,  king  of  France, 
his  own  kinsman ;  for  the  two  princes,  Philip,  king  of  France, 
and  Edward,  were  the  sons  of  two  sisters,  and,  therefore,  they 
had  an  especial  affection  for  one  another.  And  after  they  had 
been  refreshed  by  mutual  entertainments,  Edward,  with  great 
earnestness,  demanded  of  the  king  of  France  those  territories 
which  belonged  to  him  by  hereditary  right,  saying  that  he  was 
ready  to  do  every  thing  that  was  proper  in  respect  of  them. 
Therefore,  the  king  of  France  granted  what  was  asked  of  him, 
and  Edward  did  homage  in  the  following  form  of  words  : — 
"  My  lord  and  king,  I  do  you  homage  for  all  the  territories 
whidi  I  ought  to  hold  of  you."  And  some  received  this  pro- 
testation as  if  he  were  speaking  of  Normandy* 

After  these  events,  having  bidden  farewell  to  the  king  and 
peers  of  France,  he  proceeded  to  Aquitaine ;  and  when  he 
arrived  in  that  province,  he  received  homage  and  due  service 
from  his  subjects,  chastising  and  terrifying  all  whom  he  found 
opposing  him.  In  the  meantime,  some  persons  in  England, 
kindling  with  envy  and  rage,  thirsting  for  money  which  did 
not  belong  to  them,  and  prophesying  of  their  own  hearts, 
affirmed  that  Edward  would  never  return  to  England.  These 
men,  wishing  to  make  sure  of  future  events,  collected  in  the 
northern  provinces  three  hundred  armed  men,  without  count- 
ing infantry  and  hght-armed  cavalry ;  but  they  were  pursued 
by  some  noble  and  powerful  knights,  namely,  Edmund,  bro- 
ther of  king  Edward,  and  Roger  de  Mortimer,  with  a  large 
company  of  armed  men.  And  when  the  confederate  rebels 
heard  this,  their  league  was  dissolved,  and  they  returned  to 
their  own  homes,  without  attempting  any  further  achievement. 

Li  these  days,  one  of  the  secular  clergy,  by  name  Raymond, 
a  native  of  Guienne,  was  sent  into  England  by  the  supreme 
pontiff;  and  he  was  invested  with  power  to  compel  all  eccle- 
siasdcal  persons,  for  two  years,  to  pay  a  tax  of  a  tenth  of  a]l 
their  temporal  and  spiritual  revenues  to  Edward  and  Edmund, 


458  ICATTHSW  07  WESTMIKSTEB.  A.B.  1274. 

the  sons  of  the  king  of  England.  And  he  gave  a  part  of  the 
money  which  he  had  collected  to  the  nobles  above  mentioned, 
but  retained  no  small  portion  himself  for  his  own  expenses, 
and  resenred  the  greatest  portion  of  all  to  be  at  the  disposal 
of  the  pope. 

Ch.  XXL— Fbom  a.d.  1273  to  a.d.  1283i. 

A  general  council  is  held  at  Lyons — The  pope  praUes  king 
Edward^  who  is  on  hie  way  to  England — Letters  are  received 
by  the  pope  from  the  emperor  FaUsologus — The  Chreeks  re- 
unite to  the  Latin  church — Edward  arrives  in  England — Is 
crowned — Summons  Llewellyn,  prince  of  Wales,  to  attend 
him  at  Westminster — Invades  Wales — The  Tartars  overrun 
the  Holy  Land — Llewellyn  is  killed  in  battle — The  massacre 
of  the  Sicilian  vespers — David,  brother  of  Llewellyn,  is  killed, 
and  Wales  entirely  conquered  and  united  to  England. 

Of  the  escape  of  Gaston  de  Bieme, 

A.D.  1273.  Edward  was  tarrying  in  the  district  of  Goienne, 
where  he  found  a  noble  named  Gaston  de  Bieme,  his  own  kins- 
man, whom  he  thought  a  most  faithful  friend  to  him,  a  most 
subtle  traitor ;  so  he  took  him  prisoner,  and  then  guarded  him 
with  more  honour  than  he  deserved  ;  and  so  he,  riding  one 
day  with  his  keepers  for  the  sake  of  exercise,  mounted  a 
destrier  horse,  which  he  had  cunningly  procured,  and  fled 
away,  finding  a  multitude  of  his  armed  followers  at  no  great 
distance.  Edward  immediately  pursued  the  fugitive,  and  took 
his  castle,  but  not  himself.  The  countess  of  the  Lemoisin, 
too,  resisted  Edward,  refusing  him  the  homage  and  other  ser- 
vices to  which  he  was  entitled.  This  year,  about  the  time  of 
the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  Henry  de  Sandwich,  bishop  of 
London,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  John  de  ChishuUe,  dean 
of  Saint  Paul's. 

Concerning  the  council  of  Lyons  under  pope  Gregory  the  Tenth. 

A.D.  1274.  On  the  first  of  May,  a  great  council  waa  held 
at  Lyons,  under  pope  Gregory  the  Tenth,  which  lasted  from 
the  day  before  mentioned  to  the  seventeenth  of  July.  At  this 
council  the  lord  the  pope  commended  Edward  to  all  there  pre- 
sent, saying  that  the  Holy  Land  would  have  been  utterly  lost 
if  he  had  not  speedily  gone  to  its  assistance.  In  this  council 
the  pope  enacted  that,  fbr  the  seven  years  next  following,  a 


A.I>.  1274.  THE  £ETTEB  OF  VAIaMOXOOVB.  459 

tenth  of  all  ecclesiastical  revennes  should  he  paid  for  the  as- 
sistance of  the  Holy  Land.  likewise,  at  this  council,  there 
was  great  joy,  because  of  the  conversion  of  the  Greeks  after 
their  schism ;  for  some  Greeks  arriyed  at  the  council,  bring- 
ing with  them  from  Greece  letters  sealed  with  the  golden  bull, 
and  also  letters  from  the  prelates,  the  tenor  of  which  was  as 
follows :  — 

The  Letter  of  FalaologuSf  emperor  of  the  Qreeh. 

**  To  the  most  holy  and  blessed  father,  and  supreme  pontiff 
of  the  Apostolic  See,  the  universal  pope,  the  common  prince 
of  all  Christians,  the  venerable  father  of  our  empire,  the  lord 
Gregory,  Michael,  the  faithful  worshipper  of  Christ  the  God, 
king,  and  emperor,  and  ruler  of  the  Greeks,  duke,  whose  name 
is  also  Angelus,  and  Commenus,  and  Falseologus,  the  spiritual 
son  of  your  great  holiness,  sends  all  becoming  honour  and 
reverence,  with  sincere  and  pure  affection,  and  all  earnest  sup- 
plication. Since  ambassadors  have  been  sent  by  your  great 
holiness  to  our  imperial  power,  men  who  pleased  God,  being 
of  the  order  of  Minor  Brothers,  by  name  brother  Jerome  de 
Osculo,  brother  Raymond  de  Beranger,  brother  Baona  Grazia 
of  Saint  John  de  Persecetum,^and  brother  Buonaventura  de 
Magellum,  and  have  brought  letters  from  your  great  holiness 
to  our  imperial  power,  in  which,  among  other  thmgs,  was  con- 
tained the  confession  of  faith  which  the  holy  Roman  church 
teaches,  and  preaches,  and  confesses,  as  it  seemed  right  that 
a  proper  reply  should  be  regularly  made  touching  this  impor- 
tant point,  behold  our  imperial  majesty  makes  tmiB  reply,  and 
our  confession  of  faith  is  literally  as  follows : — 

*'  We  beheve  in  the  Holy  Trinity,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Almighty  God,  and  the  whole  Deity  in  the 
Trinity,  of  the  same  nature,  co-^temal  and  co-omnipotent,  of 
one  will,  power,  and  majesty ;  the  Creator  of  all  creatures, 
from  whom,  are  all  things,  in  whom  are  all  things,  and  by 
whom  all  things  which  are  in  heaven  and  in  earth,  visible  and 
invisible,  corporeal  and  spiritual,  do  exist.  We  bcJievein  each 
separate  person  in  this  liinity,  making  up  one  true,  fuU,  and 
perfect  God.  We  believe  that  the  Word  of  God  was  from  all 
eternity  bom  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  of  Mary,  always  a  virgin, 
with  a  rational  soul,  having  two  births,  one  a  birth  from  ever- 
lasting, as  touching  his  Father,  the  other  a  birth  in  time,  as 
toochimg  his  mother ;  real  God  and  real  man ;  of  a  proper 


460  KUTTHXW  OF  WESTMIK8TIB.  A.1>.  1274. 

nature  in  etuah,  quite  perfect,  not  adopted,  nor  formed  by 
fancy ;  but  the  one  and  only  Son  of  God,  having  in  two  na- 
turea  (that  ia  to  say,  divine  and  human)  a  unity  of  one  per- 
son, not  anbject  to  paaaiona,  and  also  immortal  as  to  his 
divinity ;  but  in  hia  humanity  suffering  for  ua  and  for  oar 
salvation  bv  the  true  sufferings  of  flesh ;  who  died  and  was 
buried,  and  descended  into  heU,  and  the  third  day  rose  again 
from  the  dead  by  the  true  resurrection  of  the  flesh  ;  and  on 
the  fortieth  day  after  his  resurrection,  he,  with  the  same  flesh 
with  which  he  had  risen  again,  and  with  his  soul,  ascended  into 
heaven,  and  sits  there  at  the  right  hand  of  (jod ;  from  whence 
he  shall  come  to  judge  the  (|uidk  and  the  dead,  and  to  render 
to  every  one  according  to  hia  works,  whether  they  have  been 
good  or  evil.  Also,  we  belieye  in  die  Holy  Ghost,  full,  and 
perfect,  and  true  God«  proceeding  from  the  Father  and  the 
Son,  of  one  equaUty,  substance,  omnipotence,  and  eternity  in 
all  respects  vnth  the  Father  and  the  Son.  We  believe  in  this 
Holy  Trinity,  and  that  it  is  not  three  Gods  but  one  God,  om- 
nipotent, eternal,  invisible,  unchangeable.  We  believe  also 
that  the  Holy  ApostoHc  Catholic  Church  is  the  only  true  Church, 
in  which  alone  holy  baptism  is  given,  and  the  true  remission 
of  all  sins.  We  also  believe  in  the  true  resurrection  of  the 
flesh  which  we  now  bear,  and  in  life  eternal.  We  also  believe 
that  there  is  one  sole  author  of  the  New  and  Old  Testament, 
of  the  law  and  the  prophets,  and  of  the  writings  of  the 
Apostles,  God  Almighty.  This  is  the  true  catholic  fJEiith,  and 
the  holy  Roman  church  teaches  Uus  in  all  the  above-mentioned 
articles,  and  preaches  this ;  but  with  reference  to  divers  errors 
introduced  by  some  persons  out  of  ignorance,  and  by  others 
out  of  wickedness,  it  says  and  preaches  that  those  who,  after 
baptism,  fall  into  error,  are  not  to  be  baptized  again,  but  can 
obtain  pardon  of  their  sins  by  true  penitence.  And  if  bemg 
truly  penitent  they  die  in  duuity,  before  they  have  brought 
forth  fruit  meet  for  rep^oitance  of  their  sins,  then  we  believe 
that  their  souls,  escaping  from  the  pains  of  purgatory  or  tor- 
ment, as  brother  John  has  explained  to  us,  are  deansed  after 
death ;  and  that  to  the  relief  of  pains  of  this  kind,  the  snf* 
frages  of  living  men  assist  them,  such  as  the  sacrifice  of  the 
mass,  prayers,  alms,  and  other  works  of  piety,  which  are  fre- 
quently performed  by  faithful  believers  for  others  of  the  froth- 
nd,  according  to  the  institutions  of  the  church.  And  we  be- 
lieve that  the  souls  of  those  persona  who,  after  having  leodved 


A.D.  1274.  THE  IBTTEB  OP  PAIlEOLOGITS.  461 

sacred  baptism,  have  incurred  no  stain  of  sin  whatever,  and 
of  those  also,  who,  after  having  contracted  a  stain  of  sin, 
whether  remaining  in  their  bodies  or  out  of  them,  have  been 
cleansed,  as  has  been  said  above,  are  immediately  received  into 
heaven  ;  but  that  the  souls  of  those  who  die  in  mortal  sin,  or 
eYen  in  original  sin  alone,  immediately  descend  into  hell,  where, 
however,  they  are  visited  with  different  degrees  of  punishment. 
These  things  the  holy  Roman  church  firmly  believes  and  as- 
serts ;  and  also  asserts  that  it  is  equally  certain  that,  on  the 
day  of  judgment,  all  men  will  stand  before  the  tribunal  of 
Christ  with  their  bodies,  to  give  an  account  of  their  works. 

"  Also  the  same  holy  Boman  church  holds  and  teaches  that 
there  are  seven  ecclesiastical  sacraments :  First,  baptism,  which 
has  been  mentioned  above.  Secondly,  the  sacrament  of  con- 
firmation, which  bishops  confer  by  the  imposition  of  hands;, 
anointing  the  regenerate.  Thirdly,  penance.  Fourthly,  the 
eucharist.  Fifthly,  the  sacrament  of  orders.  Sixthly,  matri- 
mony. And  lastly,  extreme  unction,  which,  according  to  the 
teaching  of  the  blessed  James,  is  applied  to  the  sick.  The 
holy  Roman  church  makes  the  sacrament  of  the  eucharist  of 
unleavened  bread,  holding  and  teaching  that  in  that  sacrament 
the  bread  is  truly  transubstantiated  into  the  body,  and  the 
wine  into  the  blood  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Concerning 
marriage,  it  holds  that  one  man  is  not  permitted  to  have  more 
wives  than  6ne  at  the  same  time,  and  that  one  woman  is  not 
allowed  to  have  more  husbands  than  one.  But  when  a  lawfnl 
marriage  is  dissolved  by  the  death  of  either  party,  then  it  al- 
lows that  a  second  and  a  third  marriage  may  successively  be 
lawful,  if  there  is  no  canonical  impediment  for  any  other 
reason. 

*'  Also  the  holy  Roman  church  is  possessed  of  the  supreme 
and  plenary  primacy  over  the  universal  catholic  church,  which 
she  vivaciously  and  humbly  acknowledges  that  she  received 
with  absolute  power  from  the  Lord  himself,  in  the  person  of 
the  blessed  Peter,  the  prince  or  head  of  the  Apostles,  of  whom 
the  Roman  pontiff  is  the  successor.  And  as  the  Roman  church 
is,  above  all  other  things,  bound  to  uphold,  the  truth  of  the 
faith,  so  also,  whatever  questions  arise  concerning  the  faith, 
ought  to  be  settled  by  its  judgment.  To  this  church  every 
one  who  is  aggrieved  in  any  matter  which  relates  to  the  eccle- 
siastical courts  can  appeal ;  and  in  all  causes  which  have  re- 
ference to  any  ecclesiastical  enquiry,  recourse  may  be  had  to 


462  KUTTHSW  OF  WSSTMHTSTEB.  A.B.  1274. 

its  judgment ;  and  all  cliarches  are  subject  to  it,  and  their 
prelates  give  it  obedience  and  respect.  And  the  aforesaid 
Roman  church  has  all  fulness  of  power  in  such  a  manner, 
that  it  has  conferred  on  other  churches,  and  especially  on  the 
patriarchal  churches,  different  powers,  as  far  as  is  not  incon- 
sistent with  its  own  prerogative.  These  things  have  been 
done,  some  in  general  councils,  and  some  in  other  councils ; 
and  always  saving  the  undermentioned  truth  of  the  faith,  as 
is  fulfy  read  and  faithfully  .expounded,  we  do  recognize,  accept, 
and  with  heart  and  mouth  profess  the  true,  holy,  catholic, 
and  orthodox  faith,  because  the  holy  Roman  church  holds, 
preaches,  and  teaches  it,  intending  inviolably  to  observe  the 
same  confessicm ;  and  has  promised  to  persevere  in  it  to  all 
times,  and  never  at  any  time  to  depart  from  it  in  any  respect, 
or  to  deviate  from  or  differ  from  it. 

''Moreover,  we,  coming  to  spontaneous  obedience  to  the  afore- 
said church,  as  is  fully  set  forth  in  the  above  statement,  we  do 
confess,  and  recognize,  and  accept,  and  of  our  own  accord 
receive  the  primacy  of  that  holy  Roman  church ;  professing, 
and  determining,  and  binding  ourselves,  and  promising  to 
keep  all  that  we  have  said  above,  as  has  been  already  stated. 
And  we  entreat  your  great  holhiess  that  our  Greek  church 
may  repeat  the  holy  creed  from  this  day  forward,  as  it  formerly 
used  to  do  before  this  schism,  in  order  that  we  may  remain  in 
these  observances  which  we  used  to  adopt  before  that  schism ; 
which  observances  are  neither  contrary  to  the  catholic  faith 
before  mentioned,  nor  to  the  divine  precepts,  nor  to  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Old  and  New  Testament,  nor  to  the  holy  council 
of  those  universal  fathers,  who  have  been  approved  by  those 
saints  who  are  celebrated  by  the  spiritual  powers  of  the  holy 
Roman  church.  This,  therefore,  will  not  be  grievous  to  your 
great  holiness,  nor  strange ;  and  it  is  at  present  not  difficult 
to  us,  on  account  of  the  infinite  number  of  our  people.  And 
we  have  entrusted  to  these  present  ambassadors  from  our  im- 
perial majesty,  to  make  confession  of  all  these  matters,  as 
mentioned  in  these  present  letters  of  our  imperial  majesty; 
and  to  appear  in  the  place  of  our  imperial  majesty  before  your 
great  holiness.  And  by  the  grace  of  God  we  have  signed 
these  present  letters  of  our  recognition,  acceptance,  and  con- 
fession, with  our  own  hands,  and  with  our  imperial  subscrip- 
tion :  and  we  have  caused  the  seal  of  our  empire  to  be  affixed 
below." 


^.S.  1274.   LETTSB8  OF  THB  PSELATSS  OF  QBEECE.      463 

The  letters  of  the  prelates  of  Greece, 

"  To  the  most  holy,  most  reverend,  and  most  blessed  pope^ 
the  ancient  lord  of  the  Romans,  Gregory  the  Great,  pontiff  of 
the  most  excellent  Apostohc  See,  and  most  venerable  lord  and 
fadier  of  our  human  race :  We,  who  complete  the  ranks  of 
ecclesiastical  ordination,  greet  your  Roman  most  holy  church 
with  wishes  of  health,  and  the  affection  of  spiritual  subjection; 
being  the  metropolitan  of  Ephesus,  the  pre-eminently  honoured 
exarch  of  all  Asia,  with  the  holy  synod  here  present  around 
me ;  and  also  the  metropolitan  of  Intracheia,  and  the  prelate 
of  ihsLt  honoured  people,  with  the  holy  synod  that  is  around 
jne  ;  and  the  most  especially  honoured  metropoUtan  of  Chal- 
cedon,  with  the  holy  synod  that  is  around  me  ;  and  the  me- 
tropolitan of  Tyona, wim  the  holy  synod  that  is  around  me ;  and 
the  metropolitan  bishop  of  Conconium,  with  these  bishops 
who  are  around  me ;  the  pre-eminently  honoured  metropolitan 
bishop  of  Lepanto,  with  the  holy  synod  that  is  around  me ;  the 
pre-eminently  honoured  bishop  of  Aracha  of  Fontus,  with  the 
bishops  who  are  around  me ;  the  metropolitan  bishop  of  Con- 
conium, with  the  bishops  who  are  around  me ;  the  metropolitan 
of  Garia,  with  the  holy  synod  that  is  around  me ;  the  pre- 
eminently honoured  metropoUtan  of  Berheria,  with  the  holy 
synod  that  is  around  me  ;  me  metropolitan  of  Athens,  and  the 
locum  tenens  of  Philippopolis,  with  the  bishops  that  are  around 
me ;  the  pre-eminendy  honoured  metropoUtan  and  exarch  of 
the  island  of  Kiddiadan,  with  these  bishops  who  are  around  me ; 
the  metropoUtan  of  the  PhiUppians,  with  these  bishops  who 
are  around  me ;  the  metropoUtan  of  Sinnica,  with  these  bishops 
who  are  around  me  ;  the  metropoUtan  of  Serra,^  with  that  holy 
synod  that  is  around  me ;  the  metropolitan  of  Ananstidae ;  the 
metropoUtan  of  Alania ;  the  metropolitan  of  Prisca ;  the  me- 
tropolitan of  Meditse  ;  the  metropoUtan  of  Anidus ;  the  me- 
tropoUtan of  ChristianopoUs ;  the  metropoUtan  of  SiUbria ;  the 
metropoUtan  of  Mestbris ;  Aprometus,  metropoUtan  of  Akin- 
nium ;  the  metropoUtan  of  Parium ;  the  metropoUtan  of  Dedi- 
maticum ;  the  metropoUtan  of  Anastasipolis ;  the  archbishopT 
of  Bisia ;  the  archbishop  of  BipseUa ;  me  archbishop  of  Ga- 
tilleris ;  the  archbishop  of  Derkis ;  the  archbishop  of  Preeco ; 
the  archbishop  of  Lopodium  ;  the  archbishop  of  Pergamus  ; 
the  archbishop  of  Melemerbum ;  the  archbishop  of  Besia. 
i  This  name  is  evidently  a  misprint  in  the  original  text. 


464  HATTHXW  OT  WXBimiirBTXB.  A.D.  12:i 

And  with  us  pondfis,  and  with  the  whole  synod,  tfaeie  ait 
also  joined  the  most  honourahle  archdeacon  Seversibilis,  with 
the  whole  of  his  renerable  clergy  ;  and  with  them  al^ 
are  those  who  complete  the  whole  body  attached  to  the  great 
and  most  holy  church  of  Gk>d :  namely,  the  great  steward; 
the  great  justice  ;  the  logotheti ;  the  contrician  ;  the  referen- 
dary ;  he  who  presides  over  the  tribunals ;  the  magistrate  who 
presides  over  the  secret  courts ;  the  overseer  of  the  sacrifices 
and  apostolic  gifts  ;  the  principfd  of  the  patriarchal  notaries; 
the  chief  of  the  churches ;  the  inspector  of  petitions  ;  the 
chief  remembrancer;  the  doorkeepers;  the  patriarchal  no- 
taries ;  the  chief  swordbearers ;  with  the  whole  presbytery  of 
the  ecclesiastical  archdeaconry,  and  all  the  domestic  officers, 
and  all  the  psalmists  and  readers.  Not  only  now,  but  formerly, 
have  we  made  a  great  division  in  the  integrity  of  your  most 
blessed  and  most  holy  church,  and  have  utterly  wounded  the 
unity  of  the  churches  of  Christ. 

"How  is  it  that  we,  who  belong  to  one  shepherd,  are  not  col- 
lected into  one  and  inside  of  one  sheepfold  i  and  that  we  do 
not  fulfil  one  of  the  comnumdments  of  Christ  ?  But  rather 
choose  those  things  which  belong  to  discord ;  and  losing  the 
blessing  of  peace,  seek  not  to  find  that  which  was  declared  to 
us  out  t)f  a  ^ood  zeal  ?  But  there  was  no  one  to  unite  us  to- 
gether, or  to  blow,  as  it  were,  into  one  blast,  the  unanimity  of 
every  one.  And  our  holy  emperor,  crowned  by  God,  accord- 
ing to  the  win  of  Christ,  remarking  this,  and  pondering  on 
it  with  himself,  as  was  right  for  him  to  do,  by  the  grace  of 
God  entrusted  tMs  part  of  the  business  to  some  very  hon- 
ourable persons.  First  of  all,  he  laboured  in  his  own  mind 
how  he  might  act  so  as  not  to  incline  to  laxity,  till  he  had 
united  the  schism  which  was  dividing  the  church  in  perfect 
unity  again.  Secondly,  he  failed  not  to  communicate  with  us, 
as  indeed  he  was  always  desirous  to  do,  showing  what  designs 
he  cherished  in  his  mind.  But  when  the  venerable  ambam- 
dors  of  your  holiness  brought  and  presented  to  him  your 
apostolical  letters,  then  he  devoted  himself  wholly  with  the 
more  earnestness  to  further  that  union  of  longmg  souls  which 
your  blessedness  desires ;  and  passing  over  all  mat  might  be 
foreign  to  the  purpose,  and  considering  his  own  affairs  as  mat- 
ters of  secondary  consideration,  he  proposed  those  things 
which  are  in  unison  with  your  injunctions,  and  with  his  own 
anxious  wishes  and  arrangements.     Therefor^  he  convoked 


A.D.  1274.    LETTEBS  OP  THE  PEELATES  OP  OBEECE.     465 

into  his  own  presence,  the  whole  of  the  pontifical  college,  and 
afterwards  other  persons  too,  who  mainly  adhere  to  spiritual 
notions,  and  who  are  constantly  exercising  themselves  in  eccle- 
siastical studies ;  men,  with  respect  to  whom  it  is  a  matter  of 
notoriety  how  great  their  nightly  and  daily  lahours  are.  And 
he  presses  the  matter  on,  as  if  he  were  utterly  sleepless,  in- 
asmuch as  he  has  heen  constantly  practising  himself,  and  al- 
ways occupied  in  the  work  which  he  had  undertaken,  till  he 
brought  oyer  the  opinions  of  many  to  one  and  the  same  way, 
having  heen  wrought  upon  by  long  and  sometimes  improper 
discourses,  if  we  must  needs  lay  the  whole  process  before  your 
highness.  Nevertheless,  some  of  us  immediately  met,  and  em- 
braced those  things  which  are  of  peace ;  but  some  appeared 
more  obstinate,  showing  in  their  minds  an  adherence  to  old 
fashions,  and  others  opposing  his  propositions,  as  what  were 
imposed  on  them  under  compulsion.  But  at  last,  the  diligence 
of  the  emperor,  crowned  by  God,  prevailed ;  and  he  has  us 
now  all  unanimous  in  one  union,  by  which  unanimity  We 
agree  to  assign  the  primacy  to  the  ancient  Apostolic  See  of 
Rome,  which  has  been  attributed  to  it  from  the  most  ancient 
times.  And  in  this  the  grace  of  God  has  co-operated  with 
him ;  so  that  your  apostolical  highness  has  the  opinion  df 
our  holiness  acknowledging  it,  as  we  at  once  communicated  to 
our  magnificent  emperor  in  a  formal  expression  of  opinion, 
which  he  listened  to,  and  cheerfully  approved  of,  and  which 
we  accept ;  and  we  briefly  indite  this  present  letter,  and  trans- 
mit it  to  the  conspicuous  excellency  of  your  highness. 

"  Know  ye,  therefore,  that  we  do  will  that  the  entire  fulness 
of  the  Pontifical  See,  with  all  the  venerable  clergy,  and  with 
all  officers,  priests,  deacons,  and  readers  of  the  holy  church 
of  God,  shall  have  assembled  together,  to  attribute,  without 
hesitation,  all  that  honour  to  your  holiness  and  to  die  Apos. 
tolic  See  which  of  right  belongs  to  it,  and  pledging  ourselves 
never  to  speak  of  any  one  else  as  the  first  and  supreme  pontiff 
of  all  the  churches.  But  we  have  recognized  the  ancient  ap- 
pointment of  mutual  ambassadors,  which  our  fathers  have  al- 
ways respected  from  most  ancient  times,  to  this  present  age. 
On  which  account,  we  addressed  our  entreaties  to  our  own 
patriarch,  and  subsequently  to  all  the  others  as  many  as  met 
together,  begging  them  to  unite  in  one  mind,  and  to  establish 
unanimity  in  the  see.  But  he  maintained,  with  great  ear- 
nestness, that  he  sought  to  be  acknowledged  as  the  first  per- 

FOL.  II.  H  H 


466  MATTHEW  OP  WSSTHIEfSTEB.  A.D.  12/4. 

son,  and  afterwards,  as  he  plainly  showB,  he  will  not  depart 
from  that  claim,  nor  has  he  been  the  least  changed  from  this 
first  opinion  which  he  still  holds.  On  which  account,  we  pre- 
lates have  often  reproved  him,  but  np  to  this  present  time  he 
has  not  at  all  agreed  with  us.  But  we,  and.  in  conjunction 
with  us,  the  most  mighty  emperor,  enjoined  him  to  yield  up 
his  patriarchal  position,  blowing  all  things  belonging  to  the 
monasteries  which  are  at  Constantinople  to  remain  in  their  ex- 
isting state  of  unsettledness,  till  ambassadors  could  go  to  your 
holiness  and  hear  your  reply,  and  till  you,  if  it  should  seem 
good  to  your  highness,  should  send  back  certain  ambassadors 
with  our  ambassadors  when  they  returned. 

''  And  we,  if  we  obtain  this  end  of  ours,  in  the  meantime,  meet- 
ing and  agreeing  together,  will  draw  in  our  patriarch,  so  that 
if  it  shall  happen  that  he  abandons  his  existing  disposition  of 
mind,  and  inclines  to  us,  and  wins  us  over  to  regard  him 
with  favour,  granting  that,  in  times  past,  pre-eminent  honour 
has  been  attributed  to  the  throne  of  the  Apostolic  See,  we 
may  then  have  him  for  our  pontiff  spirituaUy,  as  we  have 
hitherto  had  him  for  our  president.  But  if  he  remains  obsti- 
nately in  his  present  opinion,  then  it  will  be  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  depose  him,  and  to  deprive  him  of  his  patriarchal  and 
princely  authority.  And  then  we  will  appoint  and  promote 
some  one  else,  who  shall  be  disposed  to  be  of  the  same  mind 
as  ourselves,  and  to  allow  all  proper  precedence  to  the  su- 
premacy of  your  holiness. 

"  This,  therefore,  0  Lord,  honoured  by  God,  is  what  we  pro- 
pose, we,  whom,  being  the  chief  pontiffs  of  the  patriarchal 
diocese  of  Constantinople,  you  have  united  to  yourself  by  this 
our  writing,  in  conjunction  with  all  the  venerable  clergy  around 
us  ;  so  that  if  only  your  highness  admits  those  thii^  which 
belong  to  the  embassy,  there  is  no  reason  why  time  should  be 
wasted  ;  and  we  at  once  do  incline  to,  and  in  fact  do  submit 
to  your  great  highness,  and  we  very  cheerfully  assert  all  such 
statements  as  belong  to  entire  spiritual  subjection,  and  we 
deny  none  of  those  things  which  before  the  schism  our  fathers 
used  to  allow  to  those  who  ruled  the  Apostolic  See,  but  we 
also  ourselves  do  at  once  allow  the  same.  And  our  ambassa- 
dors will  seal  other  documents,  and  will  notify  them  to  your 
glorious  holiness. 

"  Finally,  as  in  spiritual  things  our  most  mighty  emperor,  and 
we  the  college  of  pontiffs,  have  given  charge  to  die  bishops,  as 


A.D.  1274.  DEATH  OF  THOMAS  AQUINAS.  467 

the  others  hare  also  spiritually  receired  commaDd  from  the 
imperial  magnificence,  that,  in  respect  of  all  matters  which 
refer  to  the  government  of  a  secular  principality,  they  will  open 
such  a£GBdrs  to  your  holiness  on  the  part  of  our  God-crowned 
emperor.  But  we  trust  that  God,  the  author  of  peace,  under 
the  infiumce  of  his  paternal  clemency  will  cover  the  universe 
with  it,  and  will  cheerfully  receive  us  and  our  magistrates,  who 
are  in  a  proper  frame  of  mind ;  and  who  invoke  your  friendship 
and  fatherly  protection.  I,  the  ambassador,  having  (as  is  shown 
by  the  injunctions  written  below)  a  sufficient  statement  of  the 
truth  of  me  faith  here  written,  as  it  has  been  carefully  read  and 
faithfully  expounded  by  me,  do  recognise  the  sacrament  of  the 
Greeks  as  the  true  holy  catholic  faith,  in  the  name  of  God 
and  our  Lord,  and'  I  confess  it  with  heart  and  month,  promis- 
ing to  maintain  it  inviolably  as  the  Holy  Roman  Church  faith- 
fully holds,  teaches,  and  preaches  it ;  and  to  persevere  in  it 
for  ever,  and  never  at  any  time  to  abandon  it,  or  in  any  respect 
to  deviate  or  di£Per  from  it. 

*'  I  also  confess,  recognise,  accept,  and  voluntarily  receive  the 
primacy  of  the  Holy  Roman  Church,  as  is  set  forth  in  what  has 
been  stated  above,  coming  of  my  own  accord  to  obedience  to  that 
same  Church.  And  I  hereby,  taking  my  corporal  oath,  do  promise 
and  confirm  all  that  has  been  said  above,  both  respecting  the 
truth  of  the  faith,  and  the  primacy  of  the  said  Church  of  S^me, 
and  the  recognition  of  the  bishops,  promising  to  accept,  re- 
ceive, observe,  and  persevere  in  it :  So  help  me  God,  and  these 
his  sacred  gospels.  Signed  by  the  scrivener,  the  sacristan, 
the  keeper  of  the  archives,  the  great  keeper  of  the  tabernacle 
of  that  most  Holy  Church  which  bebnes  to  the  Patriarchate 
in  Constantinople,  and  John  the  reader. 

The  Greeks  also  brought  other  letters  to  the  council,  which, 
by  reason  of  their  prolinty,  we  have  not  inserted. 

Also  after  the  Greeks  there  arrived  sixteen  Tartan,  who  are 
also  called  MoaUians,  with  letters  from  their  king ;  displaying 
in  pompous  language,  before  the  council,  the  power  of  the 
Moallians.  These  men  did  not  come  for  the  sake  of  the  fidth, 
but  with  the  view  of  forming  a  confederacy  with  the  Christians. 
And  the  pope  received  them  kindly,  and  loaded  them  with 
presents  and  honours,  and  at  their  request  caused  those  of  them 
who  had  not  been  baptized  to  be  baptized  with  honour.  On 
his  journey  towards  this  council  of  Lyons,  the  venerable  brother 
Thomas  Aquinas,  one  of  the  order  of  Preachers,  ended  hia 


46.8  MATTEXW  OV  WXSTHIKBTEB.  A.B.  1275. 

days  in  a  certain  abbey,  belonging  to  the  Cistercian  monks^ 
winch  is  called  New  Fosse.  He  was  a  native  of  Champagne, 
the  son  of  the  count  of  Aquinam,  and  he  entered  the  order 
of  Preaching  Brothers  against  the  wishes  of  his  parents,  who 
wished  him  to  become  a  monk. 

Therefore  Edward,  having  by  some  means  or  other  reduced 
all  his  enemies  in  Goienne  to  peace,  hastened  to  EngLand,  after 
the  dissolution  of  the  council.  For  he  was  waiting  for  the 
arrival  of  those  of  his  prelates  who  were  at  the  council,  be- 
cause in  their  absence  he  could  not  be  crowned.  Therefore, 
coming  into  the  district  of  Boulogne  on  the  sea  coast,  he  made 
an  agreement  with  the  countess  of  Flanders,  who  had  done  the 
English  much  harm,  fbr  the  sake  of  the  money  which  the  queen 
of  England,  her  mother,  owed  her.  And  hUving  thus  brought 
all  his  affairs  in  foreign  countries  to  a  successful  terminatioD, 
he  crossed  the  sea  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  July,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  above  mentioned,  and  landed  in  England,  and  was  re- 
ceived very  honourably  by  Gilbert,  earl  of  Gloucester,  and  John, 
earl  of  Warrenne,  who  were  conspicuous  beyond  all  the  other 
nobles  of  their  country,  and  who  entertained  him  at  a  vast 
expense  with  banquets  and  great  joy  for  many  days,  in  their 
castles  of  Tonbridge  and  Beigate. 

The  coronation  of  king  JSdward,  son  of  Eimry  the  Third, 
Therefore  in  the  year  above  mentioned,  Edward  was  crowned 
king,  and  Eleanor,  sister  of  the  king  of  Spain,  was  crowned 
queen,  in  the  church  of  Westminster,  by  Robert,  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  on  the  nineteenth  of  August.  And  there  were 
present  at  this  coronation,  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  and 
John,  count  of  Brittany,  with  their  wives,  who  were  the  sisters 
of  king  Edward,  and  who  both  died  a  short  time  afterwards, 
and  by  their  deaths  left  a  deep  sorrow  to  the  nobles  afbr  the 
great  joy  of  the  coronation ;  for  they  were  ladies  in  the  flower 
of  youth,  of  high  character  and  distinguished  beauty.  On  the 
vigil  of  Saint  Nicholas,  there  were  earthquakes,  thunder  and 
lightning,  the  fiery  dn^on,  and  a  comet.  John  de  Chisholle, 
a  deacon  of  Saint  Paul's,  was  consecrated  bishop  of  London 
on  the  twenty-ninth  of  April,  and  immediately  afterwards  was 
summoned  to  the  council  that  has  been  mentioned  above. 

Of  a  wonderful  earthquake. 
A.D.  1275.  The  king  commanded  all  the  nobles  of  his  king- 


A.]>.  1275.  POPS  GBXGOBY  THX  TSNTH  DISS.  469 

dom  to  assemble  in  a  parliament  at  Weatminster ;  in  which 
parliament  many  statutes  for  the  benefit  of  the  kingdom  were 
published,  and  among  them  one  whidi  bridled  the  uaorions 
extortions  of  Uie  Jews.  And  in  order  that  they  might  be  dis- 
tinguished from  Christians,  the  king  commanded  that  they 
should  wear  on  their  outer  garments  a  sign  like  a  tablet,  of  the 
length  of  a  palm. 

Gaston  de  Bieme,  a  noble  and  powerful  man  of  Ouienne,  and 
a  kinsman  of  the  king  of  England,  but  his  deadly  enemy,  was 
sent  by  the  king  of  France  to  the  king  of  Englimd ;  and  was 
detained  in  prison  a  long  time,  and  ifterwardis  sent  back  to 
his  own  country,  after  haying  been  duly  cautioned.  About 
the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  blessed  Mary,  king  Edward 
stayed  some  time  in  the  district  of  Cheshire,  and  then  he 
ordered  Llewellyn,  prince  of  Wales,  who  would  not  appear  in 
person  before  him,  to  be  formally  summoned  to  attend  at  his 
parliament  at  Westminster ;  whither,  however,  he  would  not 
come,  saying  he  remembered  the  death  of  his  father  Griffith, 
who  fell  from  the  Tower  of  London,  And  broke  his  neck,  and 
died.  This  year  John  Bretoun,  bishop  of  Hereford,  died,  who 
being  very  learned  in  the  English  laws,  wrote  a  book  concern- 
ing them,  which  is  called  le  BretomL  He  was  succeeded  by 
Thomas  Cantelupe. 

On  the  eleventh  of  September,  a  general  earthquake  took 
place  between  one  and  three  o'clock,  by  the  violence  of  which 
the  church  of  Saint  Michael,  which  is  Cfdled  the  Church-on-the- 
Hill,  outside  of  Glastonbury,  was  levelled  to  the  ground.  And 
many  pieces  fell  firom  the  famous  churches  which  are  scattered 
throughout  England,  in  consequence  of  the  violence  of  this 
earthquake. 

On  the  twenty-third  of  December,  pope  Gregory  the  Tenth 
died  at  Arezzo,  a  city  of  Tuscany :  after  whose  decease  Pietro 
de  Tarentesia,  one  of  the  order  of  the  Preaching  Brothers, 
cardinal  elect  of  Lyons,  and  afterwards  cardinal  of  Ostia,  was 
elected  supreme  pontiff,  and  took  the  name  of  Innocent  the 
Fifth.  Almeric,  son  of  Simon  de  Montfort,  formerly  earl  of 
Leicester,  and  his  sister  Eleanor,  a  most  accomplished  young 
maiden,  who  was  engaged  to  be  given  in  marriage  to  Llewellyn, 
prince  of  Wales,  were  taken  prisoners  at  sea,  near  Bristol,  and 
were  conducted  to  the  king,  who  had  said  that  this  had  hap- 
pened by  the  providence  of  God,  who  would  not  allow  his 
kinswoman  to  be  married  to  his  enemy. 


470  XATTHIW  OF  WXSTMHrSTSB.  JLJD.  1276. 

The  aftme  year>  the  Chnatiant  suffered  many  evilB  in  Spain 
at  the  hands  of  the  Saracens,  who  slew  a  great  number  of  the 
Christiana.  Among  them*  Sancho,  archbiiShop  of  Toledo,  and 
son  of  the  long  of  Anagon,  was  torn  limb  from  limb  by  the 
perfidious  Saracens. 

The  transUUion  of  the  blessed  Eichard,  bishop  of  Chichester. 

▲.D.  1276.  Many  nobles  being  after  Easter  assembled  at  the 
Parliament,  held  at  Westminster,  the  king  granted  his  peace 
to  those  who  were  formerly  the  disturbers  of  his  kingdom. 
The  king  ordered  a  fifteenth  of  all  temporal  property,  whether 
belonging  to  the  clergy  or  the  laity,  who  were  thus  taxed  to 
the  very  nail  in  an  unprecedented  manner,  to  be  seized  for  his 
use.  At  this  Parliam«it,  as  in  others,  LleweUyn,  prince  of 
Wales,  haying  been  fcnrmally  summoned,  refused  to  appear  in 
person.  Nevertheless,  he  sent  ambassadors  to  treat  for  peace, 
and  offered  no  small  sum  of  money  as  ransom  for  the  daughter 
of  the  earl  of  Leicester,  whom  he  wished  to  take  for  bis  wife. 
But  the  king  refused  to^consent  to  the  marriage,  and  would 
not  take  the  money  that  was  offered  to  him,  unless  Llewellyn 
would  restore  all  the  territories  which  he  had  invaded,  each 
to  its  lawful  master,  and  repair  the  castles  of  En^and  which 
he  had  destroyed, 

That  glorious  confessor  of  Christ,  the  Holy  Richard,  for- 
*  merly  bishop  of  Chichester,  after  many  eminent  mirades,  on 
the  vigil  of  the  abbot  Saint  Botolph  was  transferred  to  his  own 
cathe£ral  church  of  Chichester,  in  the  presence  of  king 
Edward  and  all  the  elders  of  England,  with  a  great  multitude 
of  prelates.  On  Saint  Alban's  £ty,  pope  Innocent  the  Fifth 
died,  in  the  d^  of  Rome,  at  the  Lateran,  and  he  was  suc- 
ceeded, on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  the  translation  of  Saint 
Benedict,  by  Adrian  the  Fifth,  who  had  formerly  filled  the 
office  of  legate  in  England,  und^  the  name  of  Othobomes, 
being  the  cardinal  deacon  of  Saint  Adrian's  ;  he  died  on  the 
sixteenth  of  July,  and  was  succeeded  by  John  the  Twenty- 
first,  who  had  previously  been  called  Peter  of  Spain,  and  who 
also  died  in  the  same  year.  He  again  was  succeeded  by 
Nicholas  the  Third,  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  November. 

During  this  period,  Henry,  king  of  Navarre,  died,  and  a 
great  quarrel  arose  between  the  king,  of  France  and  the  king 
of  Spain  respecting  his  dominions.  Therefore,  the  king  of 
France  sent  formal  ambassadors  for  the  king  of  Bng^d,  de- 


A.]>.  1277.     COKCEBKIKG  THB  ACQUISmOlT  OF  WALES.       471 

siring  him  to  come  in  person  to  his  assistance  with  the  service 
which  he  owed  him,  to  fight  against  the  king  of  Spain.  But 
Edward  was  mightily  perplexed  at  this,  because  it  was  by  the 
king  of  Spain  that  he  had  been  invested  with  the  belt  of  a 
knight,  and  also  because  he  had  married  his  sister  Eleanor, 
and  because  he  did  not  dare  to  offend  the  king  of  France,  who 
was  his  kinsman,  and  his  superior  lord ;  so  he  commended 
himself  to  the  prayers  of  the  church,  and  finally  he  made 
answer  to  the  king  of  France  that  he  might  not  refuse  him  the 
service  which  was  his  due ;  but  that  he  was  desirous  to  use  all 
his  exertions  to  appease  the  quarrel  which  was  now  begun 
between  him  and  the  king  of  Spain.  Therefore,  the  king  of 
France  marched  towards  the  Spanish  territories  with  an  innu- 
merable army ;  but  he  soon  returned,  without  having  met  with 
the  least  success. 

About  this  time,  the  king  sent  three  hundred  cavalry,  armed 
with  breast>plates,  into  the  districts  of  Bristol,  Montgomery, 
and  Chester,  to  check  the  irruptions  of  the  Welch. 

Concerning  the  acquisition  of  Wales, 

A.D.  1277.  In  the  fortnight  after  Easter,  the  king  withdrew 
from  Westminster,  and  hastened  towards  Wales  with  all  the 
military  force  of  the  kingdom  of  England,  taking  with  him  his 
barons  of  the  exchequer,  and  his  justices  of  the  king's  bench, 
as  far  as  Shrewsbury,  who  remained  there  some  time,  hearing 
suits  according  to  the  customs  of  the  kingdom  of  England. 
Therefore,  the  Welch  fearing  the  arrival  of  the  king  and  his 
army,  fled  to  their  accustomed  refuge  of  Snowdon,  and  the 
king,  relying  on  the  assistance  of  the  Cinque  Ports,  occupied 
their  territories  as  far  as  the  mountain  of  Snowdon  in  every 
direction.  Therefore,  Llewellyn,  prince  of  Wales,  under- 
standing  that  his  manors  and  castles  were  being  given  to  the 
flames  and  destroyed,  took  to  himself  the  most  powerful  chiefs 
of  his  country,  and  about  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord 
in  the  preceding  year,  went  to  the  king,  entreating  him  to  show 
mercy,  and  not  justice.  Accordingly,  king  Edward  received 
homage  and  fealty  from  the  most  powerful  chiefs  of  the  Welch, 
and  took  their  prince  Llewellyn  with  him  to  Westminster, 
from  whom  he  received  fifty  thousand  marks  in  hand ;  and 
with  whom  he  made  a  covenant  to  receive  a  thousand  marks 
every  year,  to  be  paid  into  the  exchequer  at  Westminster  for 
the  Isle  of  Anglesey  and  the  district  of  Snowdon ;  and  then 


472  MATTHSW  OF  WlSTMHrSTEB.  A.J>.  1278. 

he  pennitted  the  aforesaid  prince  to  retam  to  those  parts,  after 
hanng  been  carefully  instructed  hb  duty.  By  a  formad  sen- 
tence depriving  his  successors  for  ever  of  the  title  of  prince, 
and  reserving  dl  the  rest  of  the  territories  of  Wales  which  he 
had  lately  made  himself  master  of  for  himself  and  his  suc- 
cessors, ijbe  kings  of  England. 

The  Tartars  or  Moallians  made  themselves  masters  of  the 
Holy  Land,  having  slain  the  soldan  of  Babylon  with  many 
thousand  Saracens. 

The  king  deprives  some  monasteriee  of  their  liberties, 

A..n.  1278.    King  Edward,  wishing  to  increase  Uie  royal 
dignity,  deprived  by  his  judicial  sentence  many  famous  mo- 
nasteries which  had  been  established  in  England  of  their 
accustomed  and  ancient  privileges.     Therefore,  the  abbot  and 
convent  of  Westminster,  in  wluch  the  aforesaid  king  had  re- 
ceived the  sacraments  of  baptasm,  confirmation,  and  consecra- 
tion, and  in  which  also  the  bodies  of  his  father,  king  Henry 
of  pious  memory,  and  of  his  children  were  buried,  were  com- 
pelled to  submit  their  liberties  in  the  matter  of  the  return  of 
briefs,  which  they  had  specially  obtained  by  charter  from  king 
Henry,  his  aforesaid  father,  a  very  long  time  before,  to  the 
king's  authority,  after  having  long  defended  them  at  law,  in 
consequence  of  the  violent  opposition  made  to  Uiem  by  the 
citizens  of  London ;  bui;,  however,  the  king  subsequently  re- 
granted  them  to  die  aforesaid  church  by  his  especial  grace. 
Roger,  bishop  of  Norwich,  and  Walter  de  Martin,  bishop  of 
Rochester,  departed  this  life,  and  were  succeeded  respectively 
in  the  church  of  Norwich  by  Master  William  de  Middleton, 
archdeacon  of  Canterbury,  and  in  that  of  Rochester  by  a  monk 
of  the  same  church.     Robert,    archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
having  been  released  from  the  burden  of  his  archbishopric  by 
pope  Nicholas  the  Third,  was  summoned  to  assume  the  rank 
of  cardinal.    After  which  promotion,  the  monks  of  Canter- 
bury demanded  lord  Robert  Bumel,  bishop  of  Bath  and 
WeUs,  and  the  king's  chancellor,  as  their  ardibi^op ;  which 
demand,  however,  was  quashed  by  the  supreme  pontiff,  and 
brother  John  of  Peckham,  one  of  the  order  of  Minor  Brothers, 
a  man  of  the  most  perfect  learning,  was  appointed  by  the 
Roman  court  to  be  the  shepherd  of  the  churai  of  Christ  at 
Canterbury. 

In  the  month  of  August,  Rodulph,  king  of  Germany,  slew 


A.D.  1279.   QUABBEL  BETWEEN  TWO  ABCHBISHOFS.  473 

the  king  of  Bohemia,  his  deadly  enemy,  and  many  thouBand 
of  his  troops  in  a  pitched  battle,  and  reduced  the  aforesaid 
kingdom  under  his  authority.  Llewellpi,  prince  of  Wales, 
married  Eleanor,  the  daughter  of  Simon  de  Montfort,  for- 
merly earl  of  Leicester,  and  of  the  sister  of  king  Henry  the 
Third  of  pious  memory. 

In  the  month  of  November,  all  the  Jews  throughout 
England  were  arrested  in  one  day,  and  put  in  prison  in  London, 
on  a  charge  of  clipping  the  king's  coin  ;  and  many  Christians 
were  accused  by  the  Jews  of  having  been  accomplices  in  their 
wickedness,  and  especially  some  of  the  more  noble  of  the  citi- 
zens of  London.  Of  the  Jews,  of  both  sexes,  there  were  hanged 
in  London,  on  the  occasion  above  mentioned,  two  hun(£red 
and  eighty,  and  a  very  great  midtitude  in  other  cities  of 
England.  For  the  ransom  of  the  Christians  the  king  received 
a  very  large  sum  of  money.  Nevertheless,  some  of  the  Christ- 
ians also  were  given  up  to  be  hanged. 

Qmceming  the  county  of  Pontigny  being  given  up  to  the  king  of 
England,  and  concerning  the  alteration  of  the  coinage. 

A.D.  1279,  which  is  the  seventh  year  of  the  reign  of  king 
Edward,  about  the  time  of  the  feast  of  the  Ascension  of 
the  Lord,  king  Edward  crossed  the  sea,  with  his  queen.  For 
her  mother,  the  countess  of  Pontigny,  formerly  queen  of 
Spain,  had  lately  departed  this  life.  Therefore,  the  king  of 
England  came  to  Amiens,  where  he  was  honourably  received 
by  Philip,  king  of  France,  his  kinsman,  who  was  waiting  for 
him  in  that  city,  with  the  chief  nobles  of  his  kingdom.  And 
he  there  gave  up  to  the  king  of  England  the  cities  of  Sens, 
Limoges,  Perigueux,  and  the  counties  of  Guienne  and  Pon- 
tigny, which  belonged  to  the  queen  of  England  by  hereditary 
right,  and  also  other  territories  too,  to  be  possessed  by  the 
said  king  and  queen  of  England  for  ever,  receiving  due  ho- 
mage for  them  from  them.  And  in  this  way  all  disputes 
between  the  kings  of  France  and  England  were  unexpectedly 
terminated.  But  we  must  remark,  that  in  exchange  for  the 
aforesaid  territories,  the  king  of  England  wholly  made  over 
the  peaceable  possession  of  Normandy  to  the  king  of  France 
for  ever,  on  condition  also  of  receiving  for  ever  from  the  ex- 
chequer of  Rouen  thirty  Parisian  hvres. 

Ihe  same  year,  a  quarrel  broke  out  between  the  archbishops 
of  Canterbiury  and  York,  because  the  archbishop  of  York  had 


474  IC^TTHXW  OV  WEBTlCnreTEB.  A.I).  1281, 

caosed  a  cnicifix  to  be  borne  before  him  in  the  province  of 
Canterbury;  and  therefore  a  prohibition  was  isaaed  by  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  against  any  one  selling  Yictnals  to 
the  archbishop  of  York,  or  having  any  dealings  with  him. 
About  the  time  of  the  festival  of  Sunt  Peter  ad  Vincula,  the 
coinage  was  changed  for  the  better.  For,  because  a  penny 
had  l^n  used  to  be  divided  into  two  parts  for  halfpence,  and 
into  four  parts  for  farthings,  it  was  now  ordered  that,  for  the 
purpose  of  removing  all  opportunity  of  clipping  the  coins,  the 
pence,  balance,  and  farthings,  should  aU  be  round.  Many 
noble  and  powerful  lords  from  foreign  countries,  and  many 
native  nobles,  met  at  the  Bound  Table  at  Warwick,  the  captain 
of  which  was  the  lord  Roger  de  Mortimer. 

Against  the  fnemh&rs  of  the  religious  orders. 

L.J},  1280.  The  king,  and  prelates,  and  nobles  of  England, 
agreed  together,  and  enacted,  that  the  members  of  the  re%ioufi 
orders  should  not  be  enriched  by  any  increase  of  landed  es- 
tates, saying,  that  it  was  to  the  detriment  of  the  kingdom  and 
of  military  service,  that  the  mihtary  fees  and  other  possessions 
had  fallen  into  the  dead  hands  of  the  religious  orders ;  not 
understanding,  perchance,  that  the  army  of  the  Amalekites 
was  overthrown  rather  by  the  prayers  of  Moses,  than  by  the 
valour  in  combat  of  the  children  of  IsraeL 

In  the  month  of  February,  there  were  seen  eight  semicircles 
around  the  sun,  joined  back  to  back. 

On  the  twenty-second  of  August,  pope  Nicholas  the  Third 
died,  and  was  succeeded  on  the  twenty-second  of  February  by 
Simon,  before  mentioned,  who  assumed  ike  name  of  Martin 
the  Fourth. 

A  council  is  held  at  Lambeth, 

jL.D.  1281,  after  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael,  brother  John 
of  Peckham,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  held  a  provincial 
council  at  Lambeth,  and  there  he  pubhshed  a  fiimous  declara- 
tion in  the  following  form,  against  those  who  pleaded  exemp- 
tions and  refused  to  come  to  the  couikciL 

''  Brother  John,  by  divine  permission,  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, primate  of  all  England,  to  the  venerable  brother,  the 
lord  Richard  of  Gravesend,  bishop  of  London,  sendeth  greet- 
ing and  sincere  charity  in  the  Lord.  Being  lately,  as  you 
know,  about  to  hold  a  provincial  council  at  Lambeth,  with  the 
venerable  college  of  our  brother  bishops,  we  considered  it 


A.B.  1281.  A  COXTirOIL  HELD  AT  LAMBETH.  475 

proper  to  summon  all  the  inferior  prelates  of  our  province 
whom  the  holy  canons  order  to  be  present  at  all  discussions 
of  councils,  and  among  the  rest,  especially  those  eminent  per- 
Bons  of  religious  holiness,  the  abbots  and  priors,  not  only 
those  who  are  subject  to  the  episcopal  authority,  according  to 
the  order  of  the  ecclesiastical  hierarchy,  but  others  also  who 
are  exempt  from  obedience  to  the  bishops,  in  consideration  of 
those  churches  which  are  not  so  exempt,  and  which,  by  per- 
mission of  the  Lord,  they  have  occupied  and  retain  for  their 
own  uses,  hoping  that  we,  who  were  consulting  no  object  but 
the  honour  of  God,  and  the  general  advantage  of  the  Anglican 
church,  should  be  assisted  by  their  authority,  guided  by  their 
counseb,  and  benefitted  by  Uie  merits  of  their  sanctity.  But 
the  exempt  persons  separating  themselves  as  free  like  the  foals 
of  wild  asses,  and  not  in  the  least  sympathising,  or  at  all 
events,  in  a  very  slight  degree,  with  the  distresses  of  their 
holy  mother,  whose  bowels  many  of  theni  rather  oppress  than 
honour,  as  if  in  effect,  or  rather  through  their  defect,  they 
wished  to  prove  that  prophetic  saying  of  John,  in  the  Apoca- 
lypse, to  be  spoken  of  them,  *  Cast  out  of  doors  the  halt 
which  is  without  the  temple,  and  do  not  measure  it,  nor  suffer 
it  to  hear  the  roaring  of  the  hinds  that  bring  forth  their 
young.'  They  neither  condescended  to  come  to  this  council 
in  its  anxiety  to  be  the  counsellors  and  comforters  of  their 
mother  the  church,  like  children  who  belong  not  to  her,  halt- 
ing in  the  way,  but,  that  their  excessive  arrogance  might  not 
in  any  respect  come  short  of  its  presumptions,  they  would 
not  even  condescend  to  send  procurators  to  excuse  their  ab- 
sence, despising  that  most  reverend  college,  and  in  some  degree 
imitating  Hagar,  who  despised  her  illustrious  mistress,  seeing 
that  she  had  conceived  the  son  of  division ;  in  the  same  way 
too,  when  formerly  the  soldiers  and  servants  of  God  were  in 
distress,  and  were  gloriously  exposing  themselves  to  peril,  ;th6 
Reubenites  separated  themselves  from  those  who  were  fighting, 
and  remained  quiet  widiin  their  own  borders,  delighted  with 
the  keeping  of  the  flocks.  But  we,  wishing  to  correct  such 
audacious  and  presumptuous  ingratitude  according  to  the 
roles  of  Uw  and  right,  and  knowing,  according  to  the  saying 
of  the  Saviour,  that  those  are  against  us  who  disdain  to 
be  with  us;  at  the  same  time  forbearing  severe  measures 
as  far  as  possible,  which  if  we  chose  we  might  canonically 
exercise  against  idl  despisers  of  this  kind,  do  hereby,  in  virtue 


476  MATTHEW  OF  WIBTlCnTBTSB.  A.D.  1282. 

of  that  anthority  by  which  you  are  firmly  bound  to  the  see  of 
Canterbury,  enjoin  and  command  you  to  sequester,  in  compli- 
ance with  tiiis  our  authority,  and  without  delay,  all  the  churches 
in  your  diocese  which  are  not  exempt,  and  which  are  at^ 
tached  to  monasteries  claiming  exemptions,  whose  names  are 
appended  to  this  present  letter  under  our  seal»  to  whatever 
order  they  may  belong ;  and  to  cause  them  to  be  kept  in  Tery 
strict  sequestration  till  you  receive  farther  and  different  orders 
touching  this  matter.  And  as  to  those  who  are  not  exempt, 
and  whose  names  are  contained  in  the  schedule  annexed  to 
this  present  letter,  and  whom,  on  account  of  their  contu- 
macy, we  suspend  from  entrance  into  the  church,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  demands  of  justice,  we  enjoin  you  to  cause 
public  notice  to  be  given  of  this  their  suspension." 

From  this  sentence  an  especial  appeal  was  made  by  the 
lords  abbots  of  Westminster,  of  Saint  Edmund's,  of  Saint  Al- 
ban's,  and  of  Waltham.  Others  also,who  were  exempt,  appealed, 
though  they  only  followed  up  their  appeal  in  a  lukewarm 
manner,  because  the  archbishop  refrained,  as  to  some  of  them, 
from  compeUing  the  execution  of  his  sentence. 

From  the  time  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Lord,  almost  up  to 
the  feast  of  the  Purification,  there  was  such  an  abundance  of 
frost,  cold,  and  snow,  as  the  oldest  and  most  decrepit  people 
at  that  time  alive  in  England,  had  never  felt  before.  For  five 
arches  of  London  bridge,  and  many  other  bridges  also,  were 
broken  down  by  the  violence  of  the  ice,  which  was  so  thick, 
that  several  persons  passed  with  dry  feet  across  the  Thames, 
from  Lambeth  to  the  king's  palace  in  Westminster  ;  and  the 
fishes  died  in  the  ponds,  and  the  birds  in  the  woods  and  fields 
perished  of  hunger. 

Of  the  tpor  in  Wales,  and  the  leheading  of  prince  LUweUyn^  and 
of  the  arrival  of  men  from  the  Basque  provinces  in  England, 

A.D.  1282,  which  is  the  tenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Edward, 
at  the  dead  hour  of  night,  on  Palm  Sunday,  Llewellyn,  prince 
of  Wales,  and  David,  his  brother,  surrounded  the  casdes  of 
Rutland  and  Flint  with  a  large  army,  and  destroyed  such  other  * 
castles  of  the  king  as  they  could  effect  an  entrance  into,  and 
having  wounded,  taken  prisoner,  and  loaded  with  chains  that 
noble  and  illustrious  knight  the  lord  Roger  de  Clifford,  after 
having  first  slain  all  his  friends,  they  sent  him  across,  suddenly 
and  unexpectedly,  to  the  mountain  of  Snowdon,  slaying  all  they 


A.D.  1282.  PBINCS  LLXWELLTTT  IS  BXHBAD£D.  477 

met  with,  yoimg  and  old,  women  and  children,  in  their  beds, 
and  devastating  afterwards  with  plunder  and  conflagration  the 
greater  part  of  the  marches.  The  king,  hearing  of  this,  but 
scarcely  belieying  it,  sent  the  barons  of  his  exchequer  and  the 
justices  of  the  King's  Bench  to  Shrewsbury,  to  compel  the  ob- 
servance of  the  laws  of  his  kingdom ;  and  having  assembled 
an  army,  he  reduced  all  Wales  towards  the  mountains  of  Snow- 
don  under  his  authority,  and  he  gave  large  portions  of  the 
territory  which  he  acquired  there  to  his  earls  and  barons,  and 
to  others  of  his  faithful  adherents,  to  be  possessed  for  ever  by 
them  and  their  heirs.  And  accordingly,  many  thousands  of 
soldiers  were  sent  to  the  assistance  of  the  king  firom  Guienne, 
and  the  Basque  provinces  and  other  foreign  countries ;  there- 
fore the  king,  wishing  to  advance  onwards,  and  supported  by 
his  ships,  caused  a  large  bridge  to  be  built  over  the  waters  of 
the  Conway,  which  flow  and  ebb  near  the  mountain  of  Snow- 
don  ;  and  some  of  the  nobles  of  the  king's  army  passing  over 
this  bridge  for  the  sake  of  taking  exercise,  were  set  upon, 
and  being  alarmed  by  the  number  and  the  shouts  of  the 
Welch  who  came  against  them,  endeavoured  unsuccessfully  to 
effect  their  return  into  the  island  of  Anglesey,  from  which 
they  had  come,  but  were  miserably  drowned  in  the  water ; 
the  Welch,  therefore,  ascribing  this  not  to  misfortune  but  to  a 
miracle,  suggested  to  their  prince  that  he  should  act  coura- 
geously and  not  fear,  because  in  a  short  time,  according  to 
the  prophecy  of  Merlin,  he  was  fated  to  be  crowned  with  the 
diadem  of  Brutus.  Therefore  Llewellyn,  prince  of  Wales, 
taking  with  him  a  numerous  army,  descended  into  the  cham- 
paign country,  leaving  the  mountainous  district  to  his  brother 
David. 

Edmund,  the  heir  of  that  famous  knight  now  deceased, 
Rog»  de  Mortimer,  with  some  of  the  lords  marchers,  at- 
tacked the  army  of  Llewellyn,  and  without  losing  any  of  his 
men,  slew  a  great  number  of  liie  Welch  ;  and  in  this  battle  the 
head  of  prince  Llewellyn  was  cut  off  and  carried  to  London, 
where  it  was  placed  on  a  stake  and  crowned  with  ivy,  and 
erected  for  a  long  time  on  the  top  of  the  Tower  of  London, 
from  which  his  father,  Griffith,  had  formerly  fallen  and  broken 
his  neck,  and  so  died.  The  Welch  being  alarmed  at  the  death 
of  their  prince,  and  being  thrown  into  con^ion,  surrendered 
all  the  castles  of  Snowdon  to  the  king  of  England. 

In  these  days,  the  clergy  and  laity  gave  the  king  as  a  sub- 


478  MATTHXW  OF  WSflTMHrSTSB.  A.B.  1283. 

sidy  fint  of  all  a  fifteenth,  and  afterwards  a  thirtieth  part  of 
all  their  property. 

Charles,  king  of  Apulia,  Sicily,  and  Calabria,  on  the  day  of 
the  Ascension  of  the  Lord,  lost  the  greater  pert  of  the  kuig- 
dom  of  Sicily,  many  thousands  of  his  subjects  being  slain  un- 
expectedly. The  long  of  Arragon  claimed  those  kingdoms  for 
his  heirs  as  being  theirs  by  hereditary  right,  because  he  had 
married  the  daughter  of  IMfanfred,  who  hi^  been  robbed  of  the 
aforesaid  kingdoms  by  the  Boman  church ;  therefore,  in  «pite 
of  the  prohibition  of  the  Apostolic  See,  the  aforesaid  kings 
agreed  that  two  hundred  knights  should  contend  for  the  rights 
of  each  of  them  on  the  pbiin  in  front  of  Bourdeauz,  assigning 
a  day  for  the  two  parties  to  meet  in  battle.  But  when  the 
day  arrived,  this  agreement  of  the  aforesaid  princes  was  set  at 
nought,  because  kmg  Charles  came  to  meet  the  king  ef  Arra- 
gon with  a  hundred  thousand  men,  while  the  latter  was  at- 
tended by  no  more  than  a  hundred  knights. 

Of  the  hwMing  of  the  castle  of  Aherwwway^  and  of  the  miserahk 
death  of  David,  brother  of  LLewellyn. 

A.]>.  1283.  King  Edward  caused  a  strong  castle  to  be  built 
at  Aberconway,  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  of  Snowdon.  David, 
the  brother  of  prince  Llewellyn,  who  had  been  beheaded  as 
has  been  related  above,  being  a  deviser  of  evil,  and  most  cmel 
persecutor  of  England,  a  deluder  of  his  own  nation,  a  most 
ungrateful  traitor,  and  the  author  of  the  war,  was  taken  pri- 
soner with  his  wife  and  two  sons  and  seven  daughters  by  the 
faithful  subjects  of  the  king,  and  was  afterwards  tried  by  the 
nobles  of  England.  Alas !  for  the  miserable  death  of  the 
traitor !  he  was  idra^ed  at  the  tail  of  a  horse  through  the 
town  of  Shrewsb9ry,  and  then  hanged,  and  afterwards  be- 
headed ;  after  that,  his  body  was  divided  into  four  parts,  and 
at  last  his  heart  and  his  bowels  were  burnt,  his  head  was 
carried  to  London,  and  erected  on  a  pole  on  the  top  of  the 
Tower  of  London,  opposite  to  that  of  his  brother.  The  four 
portion^  of  hb  headless  trunk  were  sent  to  Bristdi,  North- 
ampton, York,  and  Winchester. 

A  bu^  portion  of  the  cross  of  the  Lord,  which,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Welch,  is  called  Croizneth,  was  given  up,  with 
many  other  &mons  relics,  to  the  lord  Edward,  king  of  England. 

The  body  of  that  great  prince,  the  father  of  the  noble  em- 
peror Constantine,  was  discovered  at  Caernarvon,  near  Snow- 


A.D.  1284.  BIRTH  OF  EDWABD  THE  SEOOND.  479 

don,  and  by  command  of  the  king  was  honourably  placed  in 
the  church.  Also  the  crown  of  that  ancient  famous  king  of 
the  BritonSy  Arthur,  was  given  up,  with  many  other  jewels. 
And  8o,  by  the  providence  of  God,  the  glory  of  the  Welch, 
who  were  thus  against  their  will  subjected  to  the  laws  of  the 
English,  was  transferred  to  the  English.  About  the  time  of 
the  feast  of  Saint  Andrew  the  Apostle,  Richard  Warren,  abbot 
of  Westminster,  and  treasurer  of  the  lord  the  king,  died,  after 
whose  death  William  of  Wenlock  was  unanimously  elected,  by 
way  of  compromise,  on  the  vigil  of  the  Circumcision. 

Ch.  XXIL— Fbom  A.D.  1284  to  a.d.  1292. 

Birth  of  Edward  the  Second — Reappearance  of  the  emperor 
Frederic — Edward  goes  into  France  to  obtain  9ome  arrears 
due  to  him  from  the  king  of  France — The  Welch  begin  to 
rebel — The  king  of  Hungary  turns  Mahometan — The  JVir- 
tars  invade  Poland — The  Saracens  take  TripoU^^l%e  Jews 
are  banished  from  England^^Edward  is  acknowledged  Uege 
lord  of  Scotland — The  Scotch  princes  refer  their  disputes 
to  his  arbitration — John  Balliol  is  crowned  king  of  Scotland, 

Concerning  the  nativity  of  Sd/wa/rd^  the  son  of  the  king,  and  con- 
earning  the  appearance  of  FVederic, 

A.D.  1284.  On  the  day  of  Saint  Mark  the  Evangelist,  a  son 
was  bom  to  the  king  at  Caernarvon,  in  the  district  of  Snowdon, 
whose  name  was  Edward,  at  whose  birth  many  rejoiced,  and 
especially  the  citizens  of  London. 

About  the  same  time,  Alfonso,  the  king's  eldest  son,  coming 
to  Westminster,  offered  up  a  certain  ornament  of  gold,  which 
had  formerly  belonged  to  Llewellyn,  prince  of  Wales,  with 
other  jewels  also,  which  were  all  apphed  to  adorn  the  tomb  of 
the  blessed  king  Edward.  This  Alfonso  died  this  year,  being 
about  twelve  years  of  age,  dying  on  the  idneteenth  of  August, 
on  the  day  of  Saint  Magnus  the  king,  and  lus  body  was 
honourably  buried  in  the  church  of  Westminster,  near  the 
tomb  of  Saint  Edward,  where  it  is  placed  between  his  brothers 
and  sisters,  who  were  buried  before  him  in  the  same  place. 

The  same  year,  Frederic,  who  had  formerly  been  emperor  of 
the  Romans,  appeared  in  Germany,  though,  according  to  the 
opinion  of  many  people,  he  was  only  an  impostor,  but  some 
beUeve  him  to  have  been  the  real  prince ;  for,  according  to 
some  people^  he  was  said  to  have  died  thirty-two  years  before. 


480  MATTHEW  OF  WS8THINSTSB*  A.D.  1285. 

But,  according  to  his  own  account,  for  this  space  of  time  he 
had  been  lying  ccMicealed  from  the  world,  keeping  himself  un- 
known in  the  disgaiBe  of  a  pilgrim.  Now  he  showed  hiniBelf, 
declaring  himself  to  be  the  emperor,  by  visible  arguments  and 
manifest  proofs,  and  claimed  the  imperial  dignity.  Therefore 
Frederic,  while  he  was  discharging  the  duties  of  emperor,  and 
opposing  the  Roman  church,  was  by  it  deprived  of  the  impe- 
rial name  and  rank  by  the  universal  church,  having  the  sen- 
tence of  excommunication  fulminated  against  him  by  pope 
Innocent  the  Fourth,  in  the  council  of  Lyons.  And  after  his 
deposition,  three  counts  reigned  successively  by  election  in 
the  kingdom  of  Germany,  namely,  William  of  Holland,  Rich- 
ard of  Cornwall,  and  Rudolph,  who  at  the  time  of  this  ap- 
pearance of  Frederic  was  in  full  possession  and  occupation  of 
the  kingdom  of  Grermany,  expecting  his  summons  to  assume 
the  diadem  of  the  empire.  However,  Frederic  died  this  year, 
while  awaiting  the  effect  of  that  unexpected  appearance  in 
Germany,  being  struck  by  hghtuing.  Peter  of  Arragon  had 
the  sentence  of  the  greater  excommunication  pronounced 
against  him  by  the  pope  ;  and  by  this  sentence  it  was  ordered 
that  no  one  should  knowingly  and  intentionally  dare  to  style 
him  king,  because  without  consulting  the  Roman  church  he 
had  invaded  the  kingdom  of  Sicily. 

The  body  of  the  knights  of  EngUind,  and  many  foreign 
nobles  also,  about  the  time  of  the  festival  of  Saint  Peter  ad 
Yincula,  celebrated  the  Round  Table  with  dances  and  tourna- 
ments at  Newyn,  in  the  district  of  Snowdon. 

Concerning  the  death  of  Martin  the  Fourth,  and  the  succession  of 
pope  Honorius  the  Fourth, 

A.D.  1285.  King  Philip,  going  forth  from  the  territories  of 
France  with  an  innumerable  army  of  warriors,  advanced  with 
all  speed  into  Arragon,  intending  to  reduce  that  kingdom 
under  his  authority  ;  and  when  he  arrived  in  that  country,  he, 
being  supported  by  the  assistance  of  the  supreme  pontiff,  took 
some  castles  and  towns  ;  and  the  pope  also  sent  a  legate  into 
that  district,  against  Peter,  who  had  formerly  been  prince  of 
that  country,  but  who  was  now  deprived  of  the  title  of  king. 
The  aforesaid  Peter  of  Toledo  permitted  several  persons,  bodi 
of  the  clergy  and  laity,  to  be  put  to  death,  and  did  not  in  the 
least  fear  l£e  ecclesiastical  sentence  of  excommunication  which 
was  very  often  repeated  against  him.    Before  this  time,  Charles 


^.B.  1286.        PHILIP  CBOTmS  XXETO  OF  FSAKCB.  481 

the  Noble,  prince  of  Salerno  (whose  fiither,  Charles,  a  prince 
of  great  honour  and  reputation,  died  this  year),  had  been 
taken  prisoner  by  Peter  of  Arragon. 

This  year,  too,  pope  Martin  the  Fourth  died,  on  the  twenty- 
ninth  of  March,  and,  after  three  days,  he  was  succeeded  by 
Honorius  the  Fourth,  who  had  lost  nearly  all  use  of  his  hands 
and  feet  by  a  disease  in  his  joints,  on  which  account  he  used 
to  celebrate  the  solemn  serrice  of  the  mass  sitting  in  a  chair 
skilfully  made  for  this  purpose. 

On  the  thirtieth  of  Apnl,  after  the  subjugation  of  Wales, 
king  Edward,  coming  to  Westminster,  preceded  by  the  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury  and  his  sufiragan  bishops,  all  in  their 
state  vestments,  and  attended  by  a  large  company  of  nobles 
and  members  of  religious  bodies,  and  a  great  troop  of  the 
people  of  the  country,  conveyed  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
cross  of  the  Lord,  adorned  with  gold  and  silver,  and  precious 
stones,  which  he  had  brought  with  him  from  Wales,  to  West- 
minster, with  a  solemn  procession,  and  rejoicings,  and  music. 
About  Uie  same  time,  the  king,  having  convoked  the  principal 
nobles  of  his  land  to  meet  lum  at  Westminster,  promulgated 
some  statutes,  which  are  called  the  Second  Statutes  of  West- 
minster ;  by  some  of  which  he  curtailed  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
ecclesiastical  judges.  And  because  he  had  previously  enacted 
a  law  that  the  members  of  the  religious  orders  should  not  add 
to  their  territorial  possessions,  he  now  chose  to  ordain  that 
they  should  not  diminish  what  they  had.  Afterwards,  at  Win- 
chester, about  the  time  of  Uie  festival  of  the  Nativity  of  the 
blessed  Mary,  he  caused  some  statutes  to  be  published,  for 
the  purpose  of  checking  the  truculent  fury  of  robbers  and 
banditti. 

Philip,  king  of  France,  having  been  mortally  wounded  in 
Arragon,  died  in  that  country.  Also,  Peter  of  Arragon,  being 
wounded  in  battle  in  the  same  manner,  soon  afterwards  de- 
parted this  life. 

ThepasMge  of  hmg  Edward  into  France,  and  the  taking  of  the 
veil,  as  a  nun,  hy  Eleamr,  hie  mother, 

A.n.  1286,  which  is  the  thirteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  king 
Edward,  Philip,  the  son  of  Philip,  king  of  France,  who  had  ktely 
ended  his  days  in  Arragon,  was  crowned  king  of  France.  This 
Philip  sent  solemn  ambassadors  to  the  king  of  England,  for 
the  especial  purpose  of  terminating  the  quarrel  which  had 

TOL.  n.  II 


482  iciLTTEXW  ov  wiimnrsTSB,  a.d.  1287. 

ariaen  between  the  French,  the  ArragoneBe,  and  the  Spaniardfi^ 
in  the  tune  of  hia  father.  This  PhUip,  then,  waa  the  son  of 
the  liater  of  Peter,  the  father  of  Alphonso,  king  of  Arragon, 
who  waa  reigning  at  thia  time,  and  who  had  engaged  to  marry 
Eleanor,  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  king  of  England.  For 
the  purpose  of  bringing  this  and  other  aflfairs  to  a  happy  con- 
aummation,  king  Edwud  crossed  the  sea,  on  the  twenty-fourth 
of  June,  with  a  vast  train  of  bishops,  earls,  barons,  and  other 
nobles ;  and  he  was  honoorably  received  by  the  king  of  France 
and  the  rest  of  the  nobles,  and  was  conducted  to  Saint  Ger- 
mains,  near  Paris,  where  he  stayed  for  some  time,  and  he 
claimed  of  the  king  of  France  aforesaid  some  territories  which 
his  grandfather,  king  John,  had  lost,  and  he  also  obtained  from 
him  ten  thousand  pounds  sterling,  to  be  paid  every  year  at  the 
Tower  of  London,  at  the  expense  of  the  king.of  France,  and 
he  also  obtained  some  arrears  due  on  account  of  Normandy, 
which  belonged  to  him  by  hereditary  right.  At  thia  time, 
Eleanor,  that  noble  lady,  queen  of  England,  and  mother  of  the 
]qa§p  took  upon  herself,  at  Amesbury,  on  the  day  of  the  tiana- 
lation  of  Saint  Thomas,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  the  garb 
of  religion,  which  she  had  long  desired ;  her  dower,  which  ahe 
waa  to  have  in  perpetual  possession  in  the  kingdom  of  England, 
being  confirmed  to  her  by  the  supreme  pont^. 

The  king  aswmes  the  cross.     The  Welch  prepare  for  war. 

▲.D.  1287.  On  the  fourth  of  April,  pope  Honorius  the  Fourth 
died  in  the  city  of  Rome.  Edward,  king  of  England,  after 
hia  convalescence  from  a  severe  illness,  assumed  the  sign  of 
the  cross,  at  Blandeforth,  in  Guienne,  near  Bourdeaux,  in 
which  he  was  joined  by  a  great  multitude  of  men,  and  was 
appointed  captain  of  the  hosts  of  Christendom  by  the  legate 
of  the  Roman  court,  sent  thither  for  that  purpose. 

,  The  Welch,  at  the  instigation  of  a  person  named  Rhesus, 
the  son  of  Meredith,  began  to  rebel,  and  made  great  slaughter 
of  the  English  people  ;  therefore,  Edmund,  earl  of  Cornwall, 
the  regent  of  England  in  the  king's  absence,  hastened  towards 
Wales  with  a  great  army,  wishing  (though  he  was  not  able  to 
succeed  in  his  object)  to  repress  the  stiff-neckedness  of  the 
Welch  with  the  power  which  he  had  with  him.  But  the  Welch, 
with  the  cunning  of  foxes,  betook  themselves  to  their  hiding- 
places,  devising  deceits  and  stratagems,  according  to  their  an* 
cient  customs ;  therefore,  the  English  bravely  laid  siege  to  the 


A.I).  1287.        THJB  KDr0  01*  HUHOAXT  AFOBTATIBSS.  483 

castle  of  Droslan,  and  endeayonred  to  undermine  it ;  but,  at 
last,  some  nobles  proceeding  ineaatiously  under  the  wall  of 
that  castle,  were  miserably  crushed  by  the  wall ;  among  whom 
was  that  famous  knight,  the  lord  William  of  Mount  Taniso, 
who  was  crushed,  and  died. 

Thomas  de  Cantelupe,  formerly  bishop  of  Hereford,  who, 
in  the  cause  of  his  church,  as  it  is  said,  which  he  undiertook 
to  defend  against  brother  John  of  Peckham,  of  the  order 
of  Minor  Brothers,  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  died  in  a  foreign 
land  ;  and  his  bones  were  buried  in  the  church  above  men* 
tioned,  which  soon  began  to  become  notorious  for  miracles,  so 
that,  within  a  brief  space  of  time,  Gk)d  caused  a  hundred  and 
sixty-three  miracles  to  be  wrought  for  his  sake. 

In  Beame,  a  city  of  Oleron,  the  kings  of  England  and  Ar- 
ragon  had  a  conference  concerning  Uie  release  of  Charles, 
prince  of  Salerno,  a  kinsman  of  die  king  of  England,  and 
after  they  had  carefully  debated  the  matter,  he  was  at  last 
released  from  prison  on  certain  conditions.  This  Charles,  the 
son  of  king  Charles,  had  commanded  a  very  large  army  in 
Sicily  against  Peter,  king  of  Arragon,  but  at  last  he  was  taken 
prisoner,  and  thrown  into  prison  in  Arragon ;  for  detaining 
whom,  the  king  of  Arragon  had  been  laid  under  the  ban  of  ex- 
communication ;  but  now,  at  this  conference  of  the  two  mo- 
narchs,  he  deservedly  obtained  absolution  from  the  legate  who 
had  been  sent  for  this  especial  purpose. , 

On  the  vigil  of  the  feast  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  ten  thou- 
sand French  soldiers  and  other  brave  men,  under  the  command 
of  the  count  of  Artois,  endeavoured  to  enter  Sicily  with  ships 
and  galleys ;  but  the  guards  of  the  aforesaid  king  drowned  a 
great  part  of  the  multitude  above  mentioned  as  pirates ;  but 
some  they  took  alive,  and  threw  them  into  prison.  The  king 
of  Sicily  above  mentioned  was  the  son  (though  a  bastard)  of 
Peter,  formerly  king  of  Arragon,  and  brother  of  Alphonso, 
who  at  that  time  reigned  in  Arragon.  The  king  of  Hungary 
fell  into  such  blindness  of  heart,  that,  having  abandoned  the 
faith  of  the  Christians,  he  went  over  to  the  errors  of  the  Sa- 
racens, choosing  to  serve  Mahomet  rather  than  Christ.  And 
he  employed  such  cunning,  that  he  treacherously  convoked 
the  chief  nobles  of  his  country  to  meet  in  a  certain  island,  as 
if  for  the  purpose  of  holding  a  parliament,  and  while  they 
were  sitting  at  table,  for  the  sake  of  eating,  Miramolin,  the 
most  powerful  of  the  Saracen  chiefs,  came  upon  them  with 

II  2 


484  XATTHXW  ov  ynufnaswrxn.  a.d.  1289. 

twenty  ihonmnd  wamon,  and  carried  off  the  king  by  force, 
with  all  the  Christiana  who  were  assembled  in  that  place,  on 
the  ere  of  the  feast  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist. 

Then,  as  the  Christtans  were  proceeding  on  their  way,  the 
fine  weather  changed  and  became  doady,  and  on  a  sodden,  a 
violent  hulstorm  killed  many  thousands  of  that  nnbelieving  and 
treacherous  company ;  and  the  Christians  returned  to  their 
own  homes,  no  one  going  on  with  the  Saracens  except  only 
the  apostate  king.  Therefore,  the  Hungarians  crowned  his 
son,  and  remained  in  the  Catholic  faith. 

The  same  year,  a  great  inundation  of  the  sea  took  place  at 
Great  Yarmouth,  and  among  the  adjacent  towns,  as,  for  in- 
stance, the  towns  of  Martham,  Hikelmg,  and  Horsey ;  and  the 
river  rose  at  Great  Yarmouth,  so  that  it  came  up  above  the 
great  altar  in  the  church  of  that  town. 

Brother  Jerome,  a  Minor  Brother,  becomes  the  first  person  in  the 
world, 

A.D.  1288.  On  the  fifteenth  day  of  the  month  of  February, 
brother  Jerome,  one  of  the  order  of  Minor  Brothers,  but  a 
cardinal  priest,  was  consecrated  supreme  pontiff,  and  assumed 
the  name  of  Nicholas  the  Fourth.  He  was  equally  learned  in 
the  Greek  and  Latin  languages. 

On  the  confines  of  the  territory  of  Cologne,  John,  duke  of 
Brabant,  whose  son  John,  the  future  duke,  afterwards  married 
Margaret,  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  England,  gained  a  glo- 
rious victory  over  the  count  of  Gueldres,  a  man  of  great  no- 
bility and  power,  and  a  deadly  enemy  of  the  aforesaid  duke. 
In  which  battle,  the  archbishop  of  Cologne  was  taken,  and 
having  been  found  in  arms,  was  thrown  into  prison.  Besides 
him,  many  famous  Teutonic  knights  were  slain,  with  swords 
and  clubs  skilfully  sharpened. 

The  same  year,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month  of  September, 
William  de  Middleton,  bishop  of  Norwich,  died,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rudolph  de  Walpole,  archdeacon  of  Ely.  The 
same  year,  died  William,  prior  of  Kirkby,  and  was  succeeded 
by  Henry  de  Lakenham. 

The  Ung  ofBngltmd  home  returns^ 
With  joy  each  English  bosom  bums. 
A.D.  1289.  Charles,  prince  of  Salerno,  was  released  from 
the  confinement  of  a  prison  by  his  kinsman  the  king  of  Eng- 
land, who  came  into  Arragon,  on  giving  hostages.    The  Tarr 


A.D.  1290.     THs  jxwB  Bjuthexd  fbom  ssetTJjn>.  485 

tan,  who  are  also  called  the  Moalliana,  entered  the  duchy  of 
Poland,  and  carried  off  therefrom  more  than  sixty  thousand 
persons  into  captivity,  only  a  very  few  Christians,  not  above 
seven  or  eight,  being  slain ;  and  such  was  the  consideration  of 
the  Tartars,  that  they  brought  their  barren  lands  into  culti- 
vation. 

In  the  month  of  September,  in  the  Holy  Land,  a  strange 
and  lamentable  disaster  befell  the  Christians.  For  the  soldan 
of  Babylon,  with  a  very  numerous  army,  besieged  the  famous 
city  of  Tripoli ;  and,  alas  I  alas  I  he  took  it,  and  at  last  le- 
veled it  with  the  ground,  not  without  a  great  shedding  of  Chris- 
tian blood.  Moreover,  by  way  of  contempt  for,  and  insult  to 
the  name  of  Jesus  Chhst,  he  ordered  the  images  of  the  saints 
to  be  dragged  at  the  tails  of  horses  through  the  destroyed  city. 

On  the  fourth  of  August,  Edward,  king  of  England,  returned 
from  foreign  lands,  in  which  he  had  passed  three  years,  two 
months,  and  fifteen  days.  Afterwards,  he  travelled  through 
England,  and  punished  his  justiciaries  and  ministers,  who,  be- 
ing blinded  by  bribes,  had  perverted  judgment,  and  in  other 
respects  erred  in  his  absence,  according  to  the  amount  of  their 
transgressions. 

The  nohls  daiughters  of  the  king. 
Rich  dowries  to  their  hmhands  bring, 

A.D.  1290.  In  the  month  of  May,  Gilbert,  earl  of  Glou- 
cester, married  Joanna  of  Acre,  and  on  the  ninth  of  July, 
John,  son  of  the  duke  of  Brabant,  scdemnly  married  Margaret, 
in  the  church  of  the  abbey  of  Westminster ;  both  these  illus- 
trious virgins  being  daughters  of  the  illustrious  Edward,  king 
of  England. 

About  the  same  time,  that  is  to  say,  on  the  thirty-first  of 
August,  the  fierce  multitude  of  the  /ews,  who  in  past  times 
had  been  living  boldly  in  different  cities  and  strong  castles, 
were  ordered  to  depart  from  England  with  their  wives  and 
children,  and  all  their  moveable  property,  by  the  feast  of  All 
Saints,  which  was  assigned  them  as  a  limit,  which  they  were  - 
not  to  dare  to  transgress  on  pain  of  being  hanged ;  and  their 
number,  as  was  believed,  amounted  to  sixteen  thousand  five 
hundred  and  eleven.  And  a  similar  edict  had  been  previously 
issued  by  the  glorious  king  of  England,  in  the  country  of  Aqui- 
taine,  from  which  also  all  the  Jews  were  similarly  banished. 


486  XATFHXW  OF  WXaTKTErSTBB.  A-B.  1291. 

On  the  twenty-seventh  of  November,  died  the  lady  Ekanor, 
queen  of  England,  and  irifSe  of  king  Edward,  daughter  of  Fer- 
rand,  formerly  the  most  mighty  king  of  Spain  ;  and  she  was 
buried  with  all  honour  at  Westminster,  near  the  tomb  of  Saint 
Edward,  king  and  confessor,  on  the  seventeenth  of  Deeember. 
And  her  anniversary  is  celebrated  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  No- 
vember. 

In  the  season  of  Lent,  this  year,  Alexander,  king  of  Scot- 
land, going  on  an  exceedingly  dark  night  to  visit  hu  wife,  the 
daughter  of  the  earl  of  Fhmders,  whom  he  had  married  after 
Mai^;aret,  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  England,  fell  from  his 
horse,  who  stumbled,  and  was  severely  braised,  and  so  died. 
By  his  second  wifSe  he  left  no  issue,  but  by  his  first  he  had 
two  children,  namely,  a  son  called  Alexander,  and  a  daughter 
named  Margaret.  Alexander  died  without  issue  before  ius 
father;  but  his  daughter,  Margaret,  being  married  to  the  king 
of  Norway,  had  an  only  daughter,  also  named  Margaret,  who, 
after  her  mother  died,  only  survived  her  a  very  short  time. 
This  Margaret,  the  nobles  of  Scotland,  after  consulting  with 
the  king  of  England,  acknowledged  as  their  mistress,  and  as 
the  heiress  of  the  kingdom.  And  she  was  accordingly  invited 
over  by  the  ambassadors  of  the  king  of  England,  but  while 
she  was  on  board  ship  on  her  way  to  Scotland,  she  was  seized 
with  illness  at  sea,  and  died  at  the  Orkney  Isles. 

The  Seat  is  subdued. 
But  there  lingers  a  feud. 

A.n.  1291.  The  magnificent  king  Edward  obtained  the  do- 
minion of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland. 

On  the  day  of  the  Nativity  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  the 
lady  Eleanor,  a  noble  and  religious  lady,  queen  dowager  of 
England,  and  mother  of  king  Edward,  who  nad  passed  an  ex- 
emplary life  on  the  part  of  religion  for  four  years,  eleven 
months,  and  six  days,  at  Amesbury,  where  she  was  a  nun, 
ended  her  days  in  that  town ;  and  her  body  was  buried  there 
with  all  due  honour,  but  her  heart  was  buried  with  the 
greatest  solemnity  in  London,  in  the  church  belonging  to  the 
Minor  Brothers. 

About  the  same  time,  a  most  terrible  disaster  intoxicated 
^ach  and  every  one  who  was  zealous  for  the  Christian  name. 
For  Milcadar,  the  eoldan  of  Babylon,  having  collected  a  nu- 
merous army  of  Saracens,  besieged,  took,  and  utterly  deetroyed 


A.B.  1291.     THE  OBBXETATIOir  07  THl  13K0  OT  BGOTLAITB.       487 

that  most  strongly  fortified  city  of  Acre,  wfaieh  was  situated 
near  the  coast,  on  the  borders  of  the  Holy  Land.  Alas  I  for 
a  grief  more  lamentable  than  the  groans  of  Jeremiah  the  pro- 
phet. He  lamented  in  sad  di^s  the  destrhction  of  the  old 
Jerusalem,  which  was  a  refiige  only  to  proselytes  and  Jews. 
But  Acre  was  a  singular  place  of  protection  to  all  nations  who 
were  subject  to  the  laws  of  the  orthodox  faith,  and  who  came 
from  distant  countries  to  avenge  the  injuries  inflicted  on  their 
Creator,  who  had  watered  with  his  own  blood  the  land  of 
promise  which  belonged  by  hereditary  right  to  those  his  sons 
who  were  distinguished  by  his  own  name. 

The  ordination  of  the  king  of  SeotUmd. 

The  same  year,  on  the  Tuesday  next  after  the  Ascension  of 
the  Lord,  Florence,  count  of  Holland,  Robert  de  Bruce,  John 
de  Balliol,  John  de  Hastinges,  John  Comyn,  Patrick  de  Dun- 
bar, John  de  Yesci,  Nicholas  de  Seules,  and  Ml^lliam  de  Itos» 
each  of  them  claiming  and  demanding  a  hereditary  right  to 
the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  by  unanimous  consent  voluntarily 
and  harmoniously  submitted  their  claims  to  the  jurisdiction, 
decision,  and  sentence  of  the  lord  Edward,  the  illustrious  king 
of  England,  as  the  superior  lord  of  the  aforesaid  kingdom  of 
Scotland,  in  the  following  form : — 

<*  Edward,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  England,  &c.  to  his 
beloved  in  Christ,  the  prior  and  convent  of  Merton,  sendeth 
greeting.  We  send  to  you,  under  the  seal  of  our  exchequer^ 
appended  to  this  present  letter,  a  copy  of  some  letters  which 
are  deposited  in  our  treasury,  according  to  the  following 
tenor : — 

"To'  all  these  who  shall  see  or  hear  this  present  letter, 
Florence,  count  of  Holland,  Robert  de  Bruce,  lord  of  Annan- 
dale,  John  Balliol,  lord  of  Galway,  John  de  Hastinges,  lord  of 
Abergavenny,  John  Comyn,  lord  of  Badenoch,  Patrick  of  Dun- 
bar, count  de  la  Marche,  John  de  Yescy,  on  the  part  of  his 
father,  Nichol  de  Seules,  and  William  de  Ros,  with  health  in 
God :  As  we  consider  that  we  have  a  right  to  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland,  and  as  we  think  fit  to  prove,  challenge,  and  assert 
this  right  before  him  who  has  the  greatest  power,  jurisdiction, 
and  reason  to  try  our  right,  and  as  the  noble  prince,  sire  Ed- 

'  This  and  the  next  letter  are  in  old  French  in  the  Chronide,  and  the 
translation  i«  alao  giyen  in  Latin. 


48S  XATTHXW  01*  irXSTHIHBTBB.  A.S.  1291. 

ward,  by  the  grace  of  Ood  king  of  Eng^d,  proves  to  us  bj 
good  and  sufficient  reasona  that  the  sovereign  lordship  of  tb« 
aforesaid  kingdom  of  Scothmd,  and  the  right  of  jurisdiction  to 
hear,  and  try,  and  decide  our  right  belongs  to  him :  We,  of 
our  own  will,  withont  any  kind  of  force  or  distress,  do  consent, 
concede,  and  allow  to  receive  our  right  of  and  from  him,  as 
sovereign  lord  of  the  country.  And  we  do  consent  for  evor, 
and  promise  that  we  will  hold  and  keep  as  firm  and  stable  this 
his  decision,  and  that  he  shall  give  the  kingdom  to  him  who 
shall  best  establish  his  right  before  him.  In  testimony  of  this, 
we  have  set  our  seals  to  this  writing.  Done  and  given  at 
Norham,  on  the  Tuesday  next  after  the  Ascension,  in  the  year 
of  grace  twelve  hundred  and  ninety-one." 

**  To  all  those  who  shall  see  or  hear  this  present  letter : 
Florence,  count  of  Holland,  Robert  de  Bruce,  lord  of  Annan- 
dale,  John  Balliol,  lord  of  Galway,  John  de  Hastiuges,  lord  of 
Abergavenny,  John  Comyn,  lord  of  Badenoch,  Patrick  de  Dun- 
bar, count  de  la  Marche,  John  de  Vescy,  for  his  father,  Nichol 
de  Seules,  and  William  de  Ros,  with  health  in  Gk>d.  We  have 
conceded  and  granted  of  our  own  free  will,  and  by  an  assent 
given  without  any  distress,  to  the  noble  prince,  sire  Edward, 
by  the  grace  of  Gk>d  king  of  England,  that  he,  as  sovereign  lord 
of  the  land  of  Scotland,  may  weigh,  try,  and  decide  our  chal- 
lenges and  our  claims  which  we  pretend  to  prove  and  assert 
in  support  of  our  right  to  the  kingdom  of  Scotland ;  and  we 
are  ready  to  receive  it  from  him,  as  soviereign  lord  of  the  coun- 
try ;  promising  for  ever  that  his  act  and  deed  shall  be  and 
shall  remain  firm  and  stable,  and  that  he  shall  assign  the  king- 
dom to  him  who  shall  establish  his  right  before  him.  But 
since  the  aforesaid  king  of  England  cannot  in  any  manner 
take  cognisance  of  our  claims,  nor  come  to  a  decision  without 
a  judicial  investigation,  and  as  judgment  ought  not  to  be  with- 
out execution,  and  as  execution  cannot  be  duly  done  without 
possession  and  seisin  of  the  aforesaid  land  and  castles :  we  do 
consent,  concede,  and  allow  that  be,  as  sovereign  lord,  in  order 
to  perform  the  actions  aforesaid,  shall  have  seisin  of  all  the 
lands  and  castles  of  Scotland,  in  order  that  right  may  be  done 
and  performed  to  the  petitioners,  in  such  a  manner  as  shall 
seem  fit  to  him;  on  condition,  however,  that  before  seisin  of 
these  lands  and  casdes  is  ^ven  him,  he  shall  give  just  and 
sufficient  security  to  the  claimants  and  to  the  guardians  and 
commonalty  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  that  he  will  restore 


J^,J>»  1293,       P071  KICHaLi.8  THS  FOURTH  PIES.  489 

the  kingd^Mn  and  the  caitles,  aad  all  ^the  royalties,  dignities, 
seigniories,  franchises,  customs,  droits,  kws,  usages,  and  pos<- 
sessions,  and  all  manner  of  appiirtenances  thereto,  in  the  same 
atate  in  which  they  were  when  the  seisin  was  first  given  up 
and  delivered  to  him,  to  that  person  to  whom,  in  the  judgment 
of  the  kingdom,  the  right  hekngs ;  saying  only  that  the  king 
of  England  shall  receive  homage  £rom  him  who  shall  be  de- 
clared king  of  Scotland.  MoreoYor,  this  restoration  shall  be 
made  within  two  months  of  the  day  on  which  the  right  shall 
have  been  tried  and  decided.  And  the  revenues  of  the  said 
covaatry  received  during  the  time  that  the  kingdom  is  in  abey* 
aiice  ^all  be  kept  safe,  placed  in  a  sure  fdace,  and  well  taken 
care  o^  by  the  hand  of  the  chamberlain  of  Scotland  who  is 
now  in  office,  and  of  that  officer  who  shall  be  joined  with  him 
by  the  king  of  England,  after  deducting  from  them  whatever 
may  be  necessary  for  the  maintenance  of  the  country,  and 
castles,  and  ministers  of  the  kingdom.  And  in  testimony  of 
the  matters  above  mentioned,  we  have  put  our  seals  to  thia 
writing.  Done  and  given  at  Norham,  on  the  Wednesday  next 
after  the  Ascension,  in  the  year  of  grace  twelve  hundred  and 
ninety-one." 

This  was  the  command  ^wen  to  the  church  of  Rochester.    And 
this  suhfect  is  more/uUt/  treated  of  hy  Walter  Gishome. 

"And  the  lord  the  king  Edward  commanded  this  regulation 
of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  as  settled  in  the  court  above  men- 
tioned, to  be  sent  to  many  of  the  religious  houses,  and  espe- 
cially to  those  religious  men,  the  prior  and  convent  of  Merton, 
in  order  that  they  might  cause  it  to  be  recorded  in  their 
chronicles,  for  a  perpetual  memory  of  the  fact.  On  which 
account  we  enjoin  you  also  to  cause  these  same  documents  to 
be  recorded  in  your  chronicles,  for  a  perpetual  memory  of  the 
fact.  Of  which  Master  William  de  Marche,  our  treasurer,  is 
-witness,  at  Westminster,  this  ninth  day  of  July,  in  the  nine- 
teenth year  of  our  reign.  Done  by  brief,  sealed  with  our  pri- 
vate sell.** 

Conesmifng  the  coronation  of  the  lord  John  de  BaRiol,  Ung  of 
Scotland. 

A.D.  1292.  On  the  third  of  April,  pope  Nicholas  the  Fourth 
died  at  Borne,  having  occupied  that  see  four  years,  one  month. 


490  MATTHEW  07  WXSTlCnrBTlB.  jLJ>.  1392. 

and  eighteen  dayt ;  after  whoae  death  a  certain  venifier  spoke 
thua  of  him  hy  way  of  epitaph: 

*'  O  Nicholas,  glorj  and  renown 
And  nurror  of  the  Minor  Brothen, 
Their  honour  lived  in  you  alone. 
Bat  now  you're  dead,  a  lost  to  th'  others." 

And  in  his  time,  the  brothers  of  the  order  of  the  Minors 
looked  on  the  pope  as  the  snn,  and  called  the  archbishop  of 
Canterbury  the  moon,  and  so  began  to  set  up  their  horns  oTer 
the  whole  world,  sparing  no  order  or  rank  in  the  province  of 
Engbnd ;  for  in  a  most  pitiless  manner,  with  great  pownr  and 
boldness,  they  attacked  the  monks  and  professors  of  the  order 
of  Father  Benedict  at  Worcester  and  Westminster,  so  that  the 
prophecy  of  the  holy  viigin  Hildegard  was  fulfilled,  who 
flourish^  in  the  time  of  Saint  Bernard,  being  full  of  the  Holy 
Spirit;  and  under  his  teaching  she  set  forSi  and  composed 
many  books,  such  as  the  book  of  the  Scivia,^  the  book  of  the 
deserts  of  life,  the  book  of  diyine  works,  also  homilies  on  the 
unknown  tongue,  and  letters,  and  a  heavenly  harmony,  with 
other  writings  in  great  numbers;  also  a  volume  of  simple 
medicine  according  to  the  creation,  consisting  of  eight  books ; 
also  a  volume  of  compound  medicine,  discussing  at  the  same 
time  the  causes  of  sickness,  and  its  signs  and  cures ;  all  whidi 
were  received  and  accounted  canonical  by  pope  Eugenius  in 
the  council  of  Treves,  in  which  many  bishops  were  present, 
both  of  the  French  and  Gennans,  and  also  Saint  Bernard,  the 
abbot  of  Ckirvaudx.  This  virgin,  from  the  time  she  was  ^ye 
years  old,  had  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  and  she  began  to  pro« 
phecy  .from  that  time  till  she  was  forty-two  years  old  and 
seven  months.  And  among  other  works  of  her  prophecies, 
in  the  second  book  of  her  "  Mirror  of  Future  Times,  or  the 
Fentacron  of  the  Virgin  Hildegard,"  which  was  pubHshed  in  the 
year  of  grace  eleven  hundred  and  forty-two,  and  entitled  a 
Book  on  the  New  Religious,  in  the  second  chapter  of  it  (which 
begins  thus,  '<  From  the  future  light. .  ")  she  speaks  as  follows : 
"  Again,  I  heard  a  voice  saying,  0  daughter  of  Sion,  the 
crown  of  the  head  of  thy  sons  wiOd  be  made  to  stoop,  and  the 
cloak  of  their  love  of  riches  will  be  diminished,  because  they 
knew  not  the  time  which  I  have  given  them  to  see  in  aid  to 
teach  those  who  are  subject  to  them.  For  my  words  were 
given  them  to  nourish  little  children  with,  which,  however,  they 
I  The  Sdvia  was  a  tumhig  dmm  naed  by  the  bubi.— Dmcon^. 


A.D.  1292.     WBITIHrGS  OX  3SX  TIB&IK  HltDSOABDE.  491 

do  not  impaort  to  them  at  a  fit  and  eonTenient  season,  and  on 
that  account  many  of  my  foreign  sons  have  fainted  through 
hunger,  because  they  are  not  refreshed  with  sound  doctrine. 
They  also  have  voices  and  cry  not ;  works  are  given  to  them 
to  do,  and  they  do  them  not ;  they  wish  to  have  glory  without 
merits,  and  merit  without  works.     He  who  wishes  to  have 
glory  with  God  must  throw  away  his  own  property,  and  he  who 
desires  to  have  merit  with  €bd,  must  she^  works  to  this  end; 
bat  because  you  do  not  do  so,  yon  are  accounted  servants  of 
servants,  and  they  shall  be  your  judges,  and  your  liberty  shall 
fall  from  you,  like  the  blessing  fell  &om  Canaan.    And  those 
scourges  shall  go  through  you.    But  other  evils,  and  others 
still  worse  after  them  shall  come.    For  the  devil  will  say  in  his 
heart,  concerning  you,  4  shall  find  you  meat  for  the  feasters 
and  a  banquet  for  all  my  deare.    But  my  eyes,  and  ears,  and 
belly,  and  veins,  are  full  of  their  wickedness,  and  my  breasts 
are  fdll  of  their  vices.    For  they  will  not  labour  in  their  God, 
bat  look  upon  him  as  nothing.     Wherefore,  I  will  be^n  to 
war  against  them,  and  to  sport  with  them  pleasantly,  because 
I  do  not  find  them  labouring  in  the  field  of  their  Lcra,  as  thm 
Grod  commands  them.    But  ye,  0  ye  my  disciples  and  subjects, 
who  have  been  mudi  better  disciplined  before  the  people  than 
they,  because  you  were  so  also  at  that  time,  raise  yourselves 
above  them,  and  take  away  from  them  all  their  riches  and  all 
their  honours,  and  utterly  spoil  and  choke  them.'   This  is  what 
the  devil  says  in  his  heart,  and  what  he  will  in  many  respects 
fulfil  through  the  judgment  of  God.    But  I  now  reveal  myself 
to  my  hearers,  and  tdl  them  who  I  am.    In  that  time  when 
that  is  done  by  some  erring  people  more  wicked  than  the 
erring  people  wmch  now  exists,  ruin  will  fidl  upon  you  evaders 
and  prevaricators,  which  wiU  pursue  you  everywhere,  and  will 
not  hide  your  works,  but  will  lay  them  bare,  and  will  say  of 
you,  '  Those  scorpions  in  their  serpent-like  manners  and 
works.'    Also  a  commandment  will  be  laid  upon  you,  as  if 
in  the  zeal  of  the  Lord,  and  the  way  of  the  impious  will  perish. 
For  in  your  iniquity  they  will  deride  and  insult  your  ways ; 
bat  that  people  who  does  this,  being  seduced  and  sent  forth 
by  the  devil,  will  come  with  a  pale  face,  and  arrange  him- 
self as  if  in  all  sanctity,  and  will  unite  itself  to  the  more  pow- 
«rful  secular  princes.  To  whom,  concerning  you,  he  will  speak 
thus,  *  Why  do  ye  have  these  people  witii  you,  why  do  ye 
allow  them  to  exist,  who  pollute  Uie  whole  earth  with  their 


492  HAsntaw  of  imTMnrsrsB.  a.d.  1292. 

shameAil  iniquities  7*  Theyare  drunken  and  lozniions  men,  and 
nnleaa  you  mwe  tkem  out  from  among  yon,  the  whole  church 
will  be  destroyed.  The  people  who  will  say  this  of  you  is 
dothed  in  capes  of  no  ^ue,  which  are  of  a  foreign  colour, 
and  is  shaten  in  a  proper  manner,  and  shows  itself  as  placid 
and  quiet  to  all  men.  Also  it  Iotcs  not  avarice,  it  is  not 
possessed  of  riehes,  and  in  its  eyes  it  imitates  such  absti- 
nence, that  scarcely  any  one  of  the  whole  body  can  be  blamed. 
But  Ihe  detil  is  with  those  men,  showing  that  he  is  lying 
concealed  under  a  bright  appearance,  as  he  formerly  was  at 
the  formation  of  the  world  before  the  Fall,  and  in  some  re- 

r^  he  has  made  himself  like  the  prophets,  and  he  says  to 
people,  'Speak  pleasant  things,  because  they  are  like  swift 
and  unclean  beasts,  and  I  will  show  myself  to  them,  but  not 
now,  and  I  love  to  fly  on  the  wings  of  the  wind,  when  the 
thunder-storm  gives  its  lightning,  and  in  ev^  way  to  pour 
forth  things  which  will  tend  to  the  accompliuunent  of  my 
will,  and  uius,  in  respect  of  those  men,  I  will  make  my  signs 
to  resemble  Almighty  God.'  For  the  devil  worketh  these 
things  by  the  spirits  of  air,  who  work  wicked  works  in  the 
breaUi  of  the  wind  and  air,  and  being  innumerable,  hover 
about  some  people  like  flies  or  gnats,  which  in  the  warmth  of 
hot  weather  annoy  men  by  their  numbers.  For  he  mingles  these 
men  in  tMs  manner,  and  does  not  deprive  them  of  their  chastity, 
but  allows  them  to  remain  chaste,  because  they  have  wished  to 
preserve  their  chastity.  And  again,  he  says  witmn  himself,  'God 
loves  chastity  and  continence,  whidi  I  will  imitate  in  those  men.' 
And  so  the  i^resaid  ancient  enemy,  by  means  of  these  lus  airy 
spirits,  inspires  men  to  abstain  from  unchaste  offences ;  on 
which  account  women  love  them  not,  but  avoid  them,  and 
thus  they  will  show  themselves  to  men  in  all  sanctity,  and 
will  say  in  mocking  words,  *  The  other  men  who  were  before  us, 
and  wno  wished  to  preserve  thior  chastity,  used  to  bum  like 
roast  fish,  but  no  pollution  of  flesh  or  concupiscence  dares  to 
touch  us,  because  we  are  holy,  and  are  imbrued  with  the  Holy 
Spirit.'  Ah !  these  erring  men  who  now  live,  do  not  know  what 
they  do ;  and  so,  too,  neither  did  those  who  preceded  them 
in  former  times,  for  others  who  living  at  this  time  err  as  to 
the  catholic  faith,  shall  fear  those  men,  and  minister  to  them 
in  servile  offices,  and  imitate  them  as  far  a^they  can.  Then 
the  people  shall  rejoioe  at  their  conversion,  because  they  shsll 
seem  to  them  to  be  just ;  and  when  they  see  the  error  of  their 


▲.!>.  1292.      immsoB  or  THS  TiBotEr  mjjy^QASD^.       493 

course  which  they  had  confirmed  in  this  manner,  the  doctors 

and  wise  men  who  then  persist  in  the  catholic  faith,  wiU  expel 

the  persecutors  in  every  direction ;  bat  yet,  not  aU. ;  because 

tsome  of  them  are  very  brare  soldiers  in  the  just  service  of 

God.     And  also  they  will  not  be  able  to  influence  some  conr 

gregations  of  the  saints  whose  conversion  is  holy.    On  which 

account  they  give  counsel  to  the  chiefs  and  to  the  rich  men» 

to  coerce  those  masters  of  the  churches,  and  other  spiritual  men 

their  subjects,  with  clubs  and  rods,  so  that  they  may  be  made 

just.     And  this  will  be  done  with  respect  to  some  of  them. 

On  which  account,  some  being  alarmed,  will  murmur  gainst 

it,  according  to  that  saying  which  was  spoken  of  Heli,  '  Many 

of  the  just  will  keep  my  words,  who  will  not  be  confounded 

with  those  errors,  so  as  to  be  destroyed  with  Uieir  foundations.' 

Bat  those  seducers,  at  the  beginning  of  the  seduction  of  their 

error,  will  say  to  the  woman  :    *  It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  be 

with  you ;  but  as  you  have  not  proper  teachers,  whatever  we 

say  to  you  and  command  you,  that  do,  and  you  shall  be  saved  ;' 

and  in  this  manner  they  bring  women  to  join  them,  and  lead 

tbem  into  their  errors,  that  they  may  say,  in  the  pride  of  their 

arrogant  minds,  '  We  have  all  conquered.'  But  afterwards  they 

will  unite  with  the  same  women  in  the  secret  female  way,  and 

their  iniquity  and  heresy  will  be  laid  bare.     But  of  those  who 

are  so,  I  say,  thus  shall  iniquity  purge  away  iniquity,  and  be. 

brought  upon  you,  as  it  is  written,  '  He  has  made  darkness 

his  hiding-place  round  about  his  tabernacle,  as  in  the  clouds 

of  the  air.      For  God,  owing  to  your  wicked  conduct,  will 

bring  to  vengeance  these  things  which  are  without  light,  in 

which  he  wiU  conceal  hunself  from  you  without  any  help, 

since  he  has  cried  for  justice  upon  us,  but  he  will  dH  you 

unjust.     For  law  and  doctrine  come  from  heaven,  in  which 

you  would  dwells  if  you  were  an  ornament  of  virtue  and  a 

fragrant  garden  of  delight.    But  you  are  an  evil  example  in 

the  minds  of  men,  as  a  stream  of  fair  fame  does  not  flow 

from  you,  so  that  you  have  neither  food  to  eat,  nor  vestments 

to  cover  you  in  right  respect  of  your  souls ;  but  your  works 

are  unjust  and  without  the  fruit  of  knowledge,  owing  to  which 

your  honour  will  perish,  and  the  crown  will  fall  from  your 

heads.     Thus,  injustice  challenges  and  demands  justice,  saad 

searches  out  every  scandal,  as  it  is  written,  '  Woe  to  that  man 

by  whom  offence  cometh.'     For  it  must  be  that  the  wicked 

works  of  men  be  purified  by  tribulation  and  sorrow,  but  stillt 


494  JCATTHXW  om  mwnaswasn.  a.]>.  1292. 


numy  sorrows  are  laid  up  for  those  men  who  bring  ; 
on  others  by  their  impiety.  Bat  those  unbelieving  men, 
seduced  by  the  devil,  will  be  your  broom  wherewith  you  shall 
be  chaatiaed,  because  you  do  not  worship  God  in  purity,  and 
you  shall  be  tormented  till  your  injustices  and  iniquitiea  are 
purged.  But  those  men  are  not  deeeivers  who  will  come  be- 
fore the  last  day,  and  when  the  devil  has  flown  away  in  flight, 
as  he  began  at  the  beginning  to  fight  against  God ;  but  they 
are  a  forerunning  short  of  t£em ;  neverSieless,  after  they  have 
been  ao  detected  in  the  perverse  ways  of  Baal  and  in  other 
wicked  works,  the  chiefs  and  other  great  persons  will  attack 
them,  and  slay  them  like  raging  wolves  wherever  they  find 
them.  Then  will  be  your  dawn  of  justice,  and  your  last  days 
will  be  better  than  the  former,  and  you  will  be  released  mat 
fear  respecting  all  that  is  past,  and  you  will  shine  like  the 
purest  gold,  and  thus  you  will  endure  for  a  long  time.  For 
the  first  dawning  of  justice  will  then  arise  in  the  spiritual 
people,  as  it  be^n  to  at  first  with  a  small  number,  nor  do 
they  wish  to  have  large  riches  or  many  possessions,  which 
slay  the  soul,  but  they  wiU  say,  '  Woe  unto  us,  because  we 
have  sinned !'  For  because  of  their  past  fear  and  past  grief, 
they  will  be  comforted  and  conducted  to  justice,  as  the  angels 
were  comforted  by  the  fall  of  the  devil  and  the  love  of  God ; 
and  so  afterwards  they  will  live  in  humility,  and  will  not  de- 
sire to  rebel  against  God  with  wicked  works,  but  being  purged 
from  many  errors,  they  will  afterwards  persist  in  the  strong 
way  of  uprightness." 

Here  ends  the  second  chapter  of  the  second  book  of  the 
"  Pentacron,  or  Mirror  of  Future  Times,  by  the  blessed  virgin 
Hildegarde." 

We  have  inserted  tins  letter  in  this  work,  because  there  are 
many  persons  who  have  no  copy  or  specimen  of  the  work 
above  alluded  to ;  and  also  in  order  that  those  who  read  it 
may  understand  that  the  spirit  bloweth  where  it  listeth,  and 
announces  what  is  about  to  happen  in  a  brief  space  of  time 
ensuing.  The  sun  of  the  Minor  Brothers  being  obscured  by 
the  death  of  the  pope,  who  belonged  to  that  order,  as  has 
been  stated  before,  the  moon  also  suffered  eclipse ;  for  the 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  whose  wisdom  had  been  entirely 
svndlowed  up  before  his  death,  and  who  in  his  prosperity  had 
despised  and  trampled  on  many  persons,  and  especially  on  the 
professors  of  the  most  holy  order  of  the  most  blessed  Bene- 


A.D.  1293.      WAB  BXTWXXir  ENGXAFD  Airp  KOBMAKDT.         495 

dict»  died  this  year,  without  being  bewailed  by  the  monka.  In 
thia  year,  the  king  exacted  aa  a  tax  due  to  the  lord  the  king,  for 
the  purpoae  of  relieying  the  Holy  Land,  a  fifteenth  part  of  all 
their  property,  whether  apiritnal  or  temporal,  from  both  cleigy 
and  laity ;  and  thia  impoet  waa  granted  and  punctually  paid. 
About  tibia  time,  too,  another  tenth  waa  exacted,  together  with 
the  tenth  abready  aaaigned  to  him,  from  the  goods  of  the  clergy, 
for  aix  yeara  by  the  Roman  court. 

Rhesus,  the  aon  of  Meredith,  the  moat  powerful  of  the 
Welch  chieftaina,  who  had  originally  been  a  mbst  loyal  sub- 
ject of  the  king  of  England,  but  who  waa  afterwards  his  most 
cruel  persecutor,  and  who  had  for  a  lon^  time  been  lying 
hid  in  the  mountains  and  cavea  of  Walea,  bemg  taken  prisoner 
by  the  king's  loyal  subjects,  waa  brought  to  Berwick,  on  the 
borders  of  Scotland,  and  there  puniahed  according  to  his 
demerits,  for  he  received  the  double  punishment  of  a  traitor 
and  a  robber,  and  ao  he  was  dragged  at  the  tails  of  horses, 
and  then  put  to  death  by  hanging.  In  these  days,  too,  a  cer- 
tain noble,  by  name  Jolm  BallioC  by  consent  of  the  king  of 
England,  assumed,  by  a  formal  decree,  the  priyileges  and  the 
crown  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  on  condition  of  himself 
and  his  successors  swearing  fealty,  and  doing  liege  homage  to 
the  king  of  England. 

Thia  year,  the  lord  Richard  Bumel,  of  pious  memory,  bishop 
of  Bath  and  Wells,  and  chancellor  of  England,  died ;  and  he 
waa  succeeded  by  Master  William  de  Marche,  (he  king's  trea- 
Burer  of  the  exchequer  at  Westminster,  after  the  death  of  John 
de  Eirkby,  bishop  of  Ely. 

Ch.  XXIIL— Feom  A.D.  1293  to  a.d.  1295. 

War  between  England  and  Normandy — The  king  of  England 
is  sumnufned  to  France^^Amhtusadors  arrive  in  England 
from  the  king  of  Arragon — Edward  again  marches  into 
Wales-^Madoe  is  imprisoned  in  the  Tower  of  London — The 
Scots  make  a  treaty  mth  the  king  of  Franjce^^War  between 
France  and  England. 

Normans  and  English  fght  at  sea, 
God  gives  the  right  the  victory, 

▲.B.  1293.  A  great  dissension  arose  between  the  English 
and  the  Normans,  for  the  natives  of  the  sea^oast  of  Nor- 
mandy, in  the  violence  of  their  rage  or  ignorance,  slew  some 


496  MATTBXW  OW  -WSBTKIBBTSB.  JL.B.  1293. 

of  the  Engligh  by  different  kinds  of  death,  and  hnng  others 
to  the  yards  of  the  masts  of  the  ship,  t(^iher  with  some  dogs, 
at  which  the  barons  of  the  Cinqne  Porta  were  indignant,  and 
speedily  equipped  their  ships  with  all  necessary  navid  appoint- 
ments, to  avenge  the  injury  done  to  the  English.     And  pass- 
ing over  the  swelling  back  of  the  sea  with  a  numerous  fleet, 
they  slew  with  the  sword  their  enemies  who  came  to  enconnter 
them,  and  threw  their  carcasses  into  the  sea,  without  respect  to 
their  rank,  and  did  not  letone  single  survivor  escape,  and  brought 
back  their  vessels,  and  baggage,  and  wines,  and  other  neces- 
saries to  their  own  homes,  and  all  the  contents  of  their  ships, 
dividing  the  ships  and  their  spoils  among  themselves ;    of 
which  spoils  the  king  of  England  would  not  accept  anything, 
on  the  ground  of  not  having  given  his  sanction  to  their  design, 
because  they  had  done  what  they  had  done  without  his  com- 
mand ;  therefore  the  French,  being  alarmed  and  thrown  into 
confusion,  went  to  the  lord  their  king,  entreating  his  aid.    And 
accordingly,  ambassadors  are  sent  between  the  two  kings  to 
treat  of  the  establishment  of  peace ;  but  the  end  could  not  be 
expected  yet,  unless  kingdom  should  rise  against  kingdom, 
at  the  instigation  of  Charles,  the  brother  of  the  king  of  Finmce, 
a  man  of  great  nobleness  and  influence.     However,  by  sea  the 
English  forces  prevailed. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Cistercian  abbots,  fearing  for  their 
skins,  who  previously,  without  any  objection,  had  been  accus- 
tomed from  time  to  time  to  visit  Uieir  principal  monastery  in 
Burgundy,  coming  from  the  English  territories  to  the  sea- 
coast,  hearing  evil  reports,  returned  home  again,  without 
having  obtained  leave  m>m  their  fathers,  because  they  heard 
terrible  news  at  Dover  from  the  bishop  of  London  and  other 
ambassadors  of  the  king  of  England,  arriving  from  the  king 
of  France.  But  the  scholars  who  were  studying  at  Paris, 
with  other  students  of  England,  in  like  manner  returned  to 
their  native  knd.  So,  while  the  kingdoms  of  France  and 
England  were  being  agitated  by  these  storms,  a  certain  noble 
count,  namely,  the  count  de  la  Barre,  whose  powe^,  to  a  great 
degree,  depended  on  the  empire,  arrived  in  Englaiad  for  the 
purpose  of  marrying  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  lord  the  king 
of  England,  by  name  Eleanor,  attended  by  a  numerous  com- 
pany of  noble  knights  and  others.  And  the  king  received 
him  honourably,  and  carried  him  about  with  him  for  several  I 
days.  I 


▲•3>.  i^^*  KINO  EDWAXD  CITBD  TO  fiJtIS.  497 

Sow  the  king  of  England  was  etted  hg  the  king  of  France  to  Pari*. 

The  same  year,  about  the  feast  of  Saint  Andrew  the  Apostle, 
Philip,  king  of  France,  directed  letters  of  citation  to  the  king 
of  England,  summoning  him  to  appear  in  person  at  Paris,  at 
his  parliament,  to  make  answer  to  certain  questions  and  legi- 
timate objections  which  the  said  king  and  his  peers  proposed 
to  bring  forward  against  him,  in  these  words : 

''  PMip,  by  the  grace  of  God,  king  of  France,  to  Edward, 
by  the  same  grace  of  God>  king  of  England,  his  kinsman,  in 
possession  of  the  duchy  of  Aquitaine,  sendeth  greeting.  As  it 
is  notorious  and  eyident,  by  the  pkiioness  of  the  fact,  so  that 
it  cannot  possibly  be  concealed  by  any  evasion,  that  the  men  of 
Bayonne,  having  taken  to  themselves  many  other  persons,  who 
having  taken  ships  and  arms  from  your  kingdom  of  England, 
and  having  also  taken  armed  men  in  great  numbers,  whom  they 
have  collected  there  openly  and  publicly,  not  without  your 
knowlei^e  of  the  fact,  or  at  least  without  there  being  any 
possibility  of  your  being  ignorant  of  it,  have  gone  fortli,  and 
with  wicked  minds  have  shamefully  attacked  our  subjects  of 
Normandy,  and  of  some  other  parts  of  our  kingdom,  both  by 
land  and  sea,  in  places  subject  to  our  jurisdiction,  inhumanly 
slaying  great  numbers  of  them,  and  making  a  horrible  slaugh- 
ter of  them,  and  taking  many  of  them  prisoners,  and  detain- 
ing them  when  taken,  and  by  a  long  premeditated  wickedness 
plundering  them  of  their  ships  and  merchandise  of  almost  in- 
estimable value  ;  having  also  broken  many  of  their  ships  afore- 
said and  sunk  them,  in  disdain  and  contempt  of  our  prohibi- 
tions and  commands,  issued  and  promulgated  solemnly  and 
publicly,  and  openly  published  at  Bourdeaux  and  Bayonne, 
and  in  many  other  places,  especially  enjoining  that  no  one 
should  presume  to  violate  or  otherwise  in  any  way  offend 
against  the  aforesaid  sailors,  or  especially  to  injure  any  per- 
sons who  were  conveying  their  merchandise  by  either  sea  or 
land.  And  now,  after  transporting  the  ships  that  escaped  de- 
struction, and  all  the  merchandise  of  your  kingdom  of  Eng- 
land, which  you  have  received  within  your  jurisdiction,  and 
which  you  still  harbour  knowingly,  having  been  sufficiently 
required  by  our  ambassadors  to  make  restitution  of  those 
things  which  are  still  in  existence  and  visible,  you  have  not 
cared  to  do  so,  but  have  rather  disdained  to  do  so,  although 
an  offer  has  been  made  to  you  on  our  part,  that  if  anything 

TOL.  TI.  K  K  '  . 


498  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMIKBTEB.  A.D.  1293. 

belonging  to  any  of  your  subjects  bad  either  really  or  ap« 
parently  been  taken  by  the  men  of  our  kingdom,  and  was  de- 
tained by  them,  we  would  cause  restitution  of,  or  reparation 
to  be  made  for  them  to  you.  And  as  it  is  in  like  manner  no- 
torious and  manifest  thii^  many  of  the  aforesaid  men  of  Bay- 
onne  having  taken  to  themselves  some  other  malefactors,  hare 
traitorously  attacked  our  town  of  Roupel,  making  several  as- 
saults upon  it  and  its  inhabitants,  killing  some  of  them  and 
injuring  others  in  divers  manners,  we,  as  we  could  not  pass 
over  or  connive  at  their  excesses  and  atrocities,  enjoined  you, 
or  those  who  are  your  lieutenants  in  Guienne  and  Bayonne,  to 
send  a  certain  number  of  the  aforesaid  men  of  Bayonne,  by 
yourself  or  your  lieutenants,  to  appear  in  person  before  us  at 
Perigueux,  within  a  certain  period  which  has  now  elapsed,  to 
do  what  reason  advised  and  justice  demanded.  And  we  also 
caused  some  other  mandates  with  respect  to  the  aforesaid  mat- 
ters to  be  deUvered  to  you,  with  sufficient  distinctness  by  our 
letters  patent,  which  injunctions  and  commands  you  have  con- 
tumaciously and  contemptuously  neglected  to  obey.  And  as, 
for  certain  and  lawful  causes,  we  have  caused  the  city  of 
Bourdeauz,  and  the  district  of  Anjon,  and  all  other  territories 
which  your  people  and  your  lieutenants  in  the  aforesaid  places 
occupied  in  your  name,  within  the  boundaries  of  our  seneschal- 
ship  of  Perigord,  in  the  districts  of  Perigueux,  Chateanronx, 
and  Limoges,  your  people  and  lieutenants  have  been  contu- 
maciously disobedient  and  rebellious  to  our  people,  who,  with- 
out arms,  demanded  the  execution  of  our  aforesaid  mandate ; 
and  they  persist  in  their  rebellion,  obeying  neither  our  com- 
mands nor  our  officers.  And,  what  is  still  harder  to  be  borne, 
they  have  fortified  and  garrisoned  the  cities,  castles,  towns, 
and  other  places  in  the  aforesaid  territory  against  us,  purpos- 
ing every  day,  in  a  hostile  manner,  to  resist  our  just  and  feu- 
dfd  demands.  And  they  have  not  chosen  to  give  up  certain 
castles  and  fortresses  which,  for  certain  and  lawful  reasons, 
we  have  caused  to  be  demanded  of  them  by  our  people ; 
whether  it  be  that  they  were  unwilling  to  surrender  them,  or 
whether  they  contemptuously  refused  to  do  so,  and  they  have 
stirred  up,  and  do  stir  up,  and  invite  the  people  of  that  dis- 
trict to  resist  us  and  our  people  on  our  roads  and  journeys ; 
binding  the  people  by  express  oatbs  to  oppose  us,  and,  at  the 
assizes,  they  have  publicly  promulgated  letters  on  your  be- 
half, and  have  said  that  no  obedience  was  to  be  rendered  to  us 
or  to  our  people  in  anything. 


A.B.  1293.  KIKO  EDWAIU)   CITED  TO  PAEIS.  499 

'*  And  even  if  our  people,  in  their  own  justification,  do,  as 
is  fitting,  seize,  take,  or  occupy,  or  vfieh.  to  seize,  take,  .or  oc- 
cupy, any  thing,  they  resist  our  people  by  force,  and  rescue 
it»  in  many  places  attacking  our  people  without  any  regard  to 
the  time,  and  assaulting  them  with  arms,  and  shamefully  ex- 
pelling them,  beating  them,  and  by  force  ejecting  them  from 
that  territory,  and  treating  others  with  violence ;  so  in  these 
and  many  other  particulars  stirring  up  a  public  sedition  against 
us  and  our  royal  prerogatives,  to  the  prejudice  of  our  superior 
authority,  and  to  the  lesion  of  our  royal  majesty ;  and  these 
deeds  have  been  done  so  long  and  so  notoriously,  and  are  still 
done  every  day,  so  that  you  cannot  with  any  probability  plead 
ignorance  of  them.    And  as,  by  public  rumour,  information  has 
reached  us  that,  after  many  appeals  from  many  of  your  lieu- 
tenants to  our  court,  occasions  for  appeals  being  interposed, 
they,  to  the  great  and  serious  prejudice  of  our  superior  autho- 
rity, and  to  the  contempt  of  our  jurisdiction,  have  unreason- 
ably and  cruelly,  without  any  regard  to  humanity;  and  with 
an  open  contempt  for  the  reverence  due  to  us,  ill-treated  those 
who  had  appealed  to  our  jurisdiction,  and  who  were  exempt 
hy  reason  of  these  very  appeals,  arresting  them,  and  commit- 
ting them  to  rigorous  imprisonment,  as  in  the  case  of  Grim- 
bald  de  Tisan,  Bernard  de  Baunhan,  Andrew  de  Baysac,  Boni- 
face de  Coceti,  sumamed  Ros,  and  many  others,  depriving 
them  of  all  their  property,  expeUing  them  from  their  houses, 
estates,  and  hereditary  possessions,  mutilating  the  aforesaid 
Garsia,  hanging  severd  others,  such  as  Arnold  de  Bordis,  Ber- 
nard of  Pelliferme,  and  a  man  called  Formage,  thrusting  forks 
into  their  throats,  and  afterwards  openly  binding  them  with 
cords,  so  that  they  could  not  speak,  or  appeal,  or  renew  their 
appeals,  and,  under  pain  of  hanging,  forbidding  some  notaries, 
who  were  required  by  the  appellants  to  draw  up  some  public 
instruments  concerning  the  aforesaid  appeals,  to  draw  up  any 
such  instruments  (the  notaries  so  forbidden  being  Master 
Martin  Mercer,  and  many  others),  and  imprisoning  others, 
and  detaining  them,  namely,  Master  Raymond  de  Lacussan, 
advocate,  of  Anjon,  and  several  others,  and  torturing  them 
with  many  kinds  of  torments,  because  they  said  that  it  was 
lawful  for  the  people  of  Guienne,  and  of  the  whole  territory 
of  Aujou,  to  appeal  from  your  seneschal  to  us.     On  these  ac- 
counts, we  order  and  command  you,  under  such  penalties  as 
you  might  have  been  and  may  be  liable  to,  that,  on  the  tweu« 

kk2 


500  MATTHEW  or  WESTMIW8TJ5E.  A.D.   1293. 

tieth  day  after  the  ensuing  Natitily  of  the  Lord  (on  which  we 
peremptorily  require  you  to  be  at  Paris),  to  appear  before  us, 
as  you  will  be  and  are  bound  to  appear,  and  the  character  of 
such  crimes  and  .excesses  requires  and  demands,  to  make  an- 
swer to  all  the  aforesaid  chaises,  the  investigation  into  which 
belongs  to  us,  touching  the  excesses  before  mentioned,  and 
whatever  other  questions  may  grow  out  of  them,  and  touching 
anything  else  whatever  which  we  may  think  fit  to  bring  up 
against  you,  and  to  submit  to  the  law,  and  to  hsten  to  what  is 
just,  and  willingly  to  abide  by  it.     Signifying  to  you,  by  the 
tenor  of  these  present  letters,  that,  whether  you  appear  to  an- 
swer to  the  charges  before  mentioned,  at  the  appointed  time 
and  place,  or  not,  we  nevertheless  shall  proceed,  as  we  are 
bound  to  do,  your  absence  notwithstanding.  Given  at  Paris,"  &c. 
Because  the  king  of  England  did  not  pay  any  attention  to 
this  command,  he  was  presently,  by  the  unanimous  judgment 
of  his  peers,  pronounced  a  banished  man,  and  all  the  terri- 
tories which  he  had  previously  possessed  in  the  kingdom  of 
France  were  confiscated.   But  a  most  loyal  and  fearless  knight 
of  the  king  of  England,  namely,  John  de  Saint  John,  very 
frequently,  from  time  to  time,  defended  the  territories  of  his 
master,  with  manly  courage,  from  the  assaults  and  irruptions 
of  the  French.     Therefore,  the  king  of  England  wishing  to 
relieve  himself  from  his  di^culties,  secretly  made  mention  of 
a  certain  contract  of  marriage,  voluntarily  offering  to  surren- 
der gratuitously  a  part  of  Guienne,  and  some  castles  which  be 
named,  into  the  hands  of  king  Philip,  for  a  period  of  forty 
days,  if  he  could,  by  so  doing,  effect  the  completion  of  that 
agreement.     And  he  sent  letters  of  credence  by  Master  John 
de  Lacy  to  John  de  Saint  John,  on  the  receipt  of  which  the 
aforesaid  knight,  being  seneschal  of  Guienne,  whether  wil- 
lingly or  unwillingly,  abandoned  the  province,  and  the  king  of 
France  took  possession  secretly  of  the  surrendered  places, 
behaving  with  great  prevarication,  to  the  prejudice  of  the 
king's  honour.     Moreover,  adding  iniquity  to  iniquity,  he 
expelled  all  the  English  from  the  territories  of  France  ;  there- 
fore, the  lord  Edmund,  the  brother  of  the  king  of  England, 
who  had  been  the  mediator  by  whose  means  peace  had  been 
endeavoured  to  be  re-established  between  the  two  parties,  was 
banished  from  France,  and  his  wife,  the  queen  of  Navarre, 
with  the  whole  of  her  English  household,  was  forced  to  leave 
her  beloved  home,  and  they  all  departed  for  their  native  country. 


A.D.  1294.      THE  EIKtt  OV  EVGLAIH)  BEESIS  ASSISTAITCE.        501 

In  this  year,  too,  the  jnaticiaries  going  the  circuit  sat  on  the 
daj  of  Saint  Catharine,  at  the  old  stone  cross  at  Westminster. 

This  year,  John  of  Peckham,  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Master  Robert  of  Winchilsea, 
archdeacon  of  Essex. 

Wales  now  ceases  to  hefreSy 
A  new  a/rchhish/op  rules  his  see, 

A.B.  1294.  Edward,  king  of  England^  held  his  parliament 
at  Westminster,  after  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  which  was  attended 
by  John,  king  of  Scotland,  and  by  all  the  nobles  of  England ; 
and  at  this  parliament  were  recited,  in  the  hearing  of  all  those 
then  present,  the  reasons  for  the  commencement  and  continu- 
ance of  this  war,  and  the  reports  of  the  ambassadors ;  and 
also  the  promises  which  had  been  made  of  re-estabhshing 
peace  in  England.  At  which  statement  each  of  the  ambassa- 
dors of  the  lord  the  king  showed  his  hand  in  all  good  faith, 
to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  At  last,  every  one  agreed  to  re- 
cover Guienne  by  force  of  arms.  Then  the  king  of  Scotland 
granted  to  the  king  of  England,  for  three  years,  the  revenues 
of  all  his  estates,  which  belonged  to  him  by  hereditary  right, 
in  the  kingdom  of  England,  as  a  subsidy  towards  the  recovery 
of  Guienne,  contenting  himself  with  those  of  Scotland  alone. 
And  the  other  earls  and  nobles  promised  him  aid  from  their 
resources.  Therefore  from  that  day  forth  all  passage  across 
the  sea  was  forbidden,  by  which  the  merchants  incurred  heavy 
losses,  and  the  scarcity  and  deamess  of  corn  increased  every 
day  in  the  EngUsh  territories. 

But  the  king  of  England,  being  aware  of  the  power  of  the 
king  of  France,  and  of  the  deceitfulness  of  the  French,  and  of 
their  customary  and  inveterate  malignity,  and  considering 
in  his  own  mind  every  thing  that  either  could  now,  or  might 
hereafter,  tend  to  his  security,  sent  embassies  to  the  people  of 
the  province,  and  to  the  neighbouring  kings  and  princes,  to 
come  to  his  assistance  in  his  necessities,  when  they  should  see 
a  suitable  place  and  opportunity.  In  the  mean  time,  the  king 
of  Arragon  sends  four  of  his  chief  nobles,  men  of  the  highest 
nobiUty  and  reputation,  who,  passing  through  the  middle  of 
France,  with  valuable  presents,  and  being  also  attended  by 
some  persons  in  the  disguise  of  poor  men,  who  proceeded,  if 
not  pubUcly,  at  all  events  cautiously  (whether  they  preceded 
or  followed  Uiem  I  do  not  know),  and  who  carried  their  letters. 


502  KATTHBW  Of  WE8TMIN8XXB.  A.D.  1294. 

by  the  favonr  of  God  landed  in  England  safe  and  soaiid. 
And  being  condacted  into  the  king's  presence,  they  were  ad- 
mitted with  great  ceremony,  and  opening  their  stores  tiiey 
offered  him  their  precioas  gifts ;  and,  what  was  still  more  ac- 
ceptable to  the  king,  they  presented  bim  with  letters   from, 
their  soTereign,  sealed  with  the  royal  ring  and  seal.     In  which, 
letters  it  is  said  to  have  been  written,  that  whenever  the  king 
of  England  should  march  his  army  against  the  king  of  France, 
the  king  of  Arragon,  not  forgetting  the  injuries  which  had 
been  infected  on  his  father  and  his  kingdom  by  the  father  of 
the  king  of  France,  would  hasten  with  a  powerful  army  of 
well-appointed  knights,  to  avenge  himself  and  to  subdae  the 
armies  of  the  French.    And  when  the  king  heard  this,  he 
rejoiced,  and  introducing  the  ambassadors  into  his  palace,  he 
ordered  them  to  be  treated  with  every  possible  courtesy.     And 
when  they  had  stayed  there  some  days,  and  had  been  abon- 
dantly  requited  from  out  of  the  king's  treasury,  having  re- 
ceived an  answer  from  the  king,  and  having  been  advised  not 
to  return  back  by  the  way  by  which  they  came,  they  returned 
to  the  kingdom  of  Arragon  by  another  road. 

After  these  events,  Edward,  king  of  England,  sent  the  arch- 
bishop of  Dublin,  and  the  bishop  of  Durham,  and  some  of  the 
more  powerful  barons  of  his  kingdom,  to  the  king  of  Germany, 
with  royal  gifts  and  valuable  presents,  in  order  that  he,  who 
was  not  previously  connected  with  him  by  any  affinity,  might 
now  at  a  fittiii^  season  be  united  vnth  him  in  an  indissoluble 
treaty,  by  virtue  of  the  symbol  of  the  cross.  And  after  these 
ambassadors  had  crossed  the  sea,  and  had  been  honourably 
received  by  the  king,  a  measure  which  was  assisted,  or  indeed 
I  may  say  brought  about,  by  a  sum  of  a  hundred  thousand 
pounds  sterling,  and  so  when  every  obstacle  and  difficulty 
having  been  removed,  the  work  for  which  they  had  come 
prospered  very  well  in  their  hands.  And  so  it  came  to  pass, 
that  the  two  sovereigns  entered  upon  and  ratified  an  agree- 
ment, and  became  friends  and  respectively  dear  to  one  another, 
namely,  the  king  of  England  and  the  kmg  of  Grermany,  who 
were  previously  unknown  and  strangers  to  one  another.  And 
the  ambassadors  of  the  king  of  England,  having  bade  farewell 
to  the  king  of  Germany,  returned  with  joy  to  England,  and 
reported  what  they  had  done  in  that  country  to  £e  king  of 
England.  At  that  time,  also,  namely,  on  the  second  Sunday 
in  the  month  of  July,  a  horrible  investigation  and  most  eze- 


A.l>.  1294.  PETEB  DE  MTJBOl^  SLECTEB  FOPE.  503 

crable  sacrilege  took  place  in  the  church  of  God,  throughout 
the  entire  kingdom  of  England,  such  as  had  not  happened 
before,  and  such  as  it  is  heUeved  had  not  been  committed  for 
many  preceding  ages.     And  this  measure  did  not,  as  we  be- 
lieve, proceed  from  the  conscience  of  the  lord  the  king ;  but 
rather,  the  author  of  this  proceeding  was  Master  WiUiam  de 
March,  at  that  time  treasurer  of  the  lord  the  king,  who,  in 
reference  to  this  action,  ought  not  to  be  spoken  of  as  bishop  of 
B&th,  but  as  a  tyrant,  who  did  not  defend,  but  who  o£Pended 
the  church.     At  all  events,  he  was  the  actor,  whoever  he  may 
have  been  by  whose  authority  it  was  done.     And  because  he 
thus  violated  the  temple  of  the  world,  he  had  better  beware  of 
the  anathema  of  Saint  Paul,  who  has  said,  "If  any  one  violates 
the  temple  of  the  Lord,  God  will  destroy  him." 

At  this  time  the  king  of  England  was  staying  at  Portsmouth, 
constantly  waiting  for  a  fair  wind,  from  the  feast  of  the  Na- 
tivity of  Saint  John  the  Baptist  to  that  of  the  Exaltation  of  the 
Holy  Cross ;  for,  during  the  whole  of  that  time,  it  was  con- 
trary to  the  wishes  of  himself  and  his  people.  Therefore  the 
king,  for  the  further  increase  of  his  army,  commanded  the  re- 
lease of  all  who  were  in  prison,  and  promised  pardon  to  all 
the  malefactors  and  fugitives,  on  condition  that  when  he  first 
crossed  the  sea,  they  should  also  cross  with  the  king's  faithful 
subjects ;  and  they  all  rejoiced,  and  unanimously  promised  to 
do  so.  And  accordingly,  many  thousands  of  such  persons 
soon  flocked  in  to  the  king ;  but  after  a  short  time  they  mur- 
'  mured  against  the  good  man  of  the  house  for  their  daily  pence, 
and  so  went  back  and  departed  from  their  dependence  on 
the  king.  Therefore  the  king,  being  pricked  in  his  heart  with 
grief,  and  taking  care  for  the  future,  swore  that  from  that 
time  forth  he  would  never  grant  dismissory  letters  to  such 
wicked  men. 

At  this  time.  Lord  John  de  Sanfbrd,  archbishop  of  Dublin, 
having  been  attacked  by  a  severe  illness,  went  the  way  of  all 
flesh.  The  same  year,  also,  a  certain  monk,  named  Peter  de 
Muron,  of  the  order  of  Saint  Benedict,  who  had  lived  for  a 
long  time  in  the  solitude  of  a  hermitage,  was,  in  the  city  of ' 
Aqvoleia,  elected  and  created  supreme  pontiff,  on  the  day  of 
the  beheading  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist,  and  assumed  the 
name  of  pope  Celestine  the  Fifth.  He  was  a  man  of  simplicity 
and  uprightness,  and  one  who  feared  God,  and  was  distin- 
guished for  his  virtues.    On  his  way  to  the  court,  he  did  not 


504  ICATTHnr  of  WXSTMnrSTXB.  A.I>.   1294. 

pTesame  to  monnt  a  bone  or  mtile,  but  only  a  donkey ;  and 
wben  be  bad  dismounted  from  tbat,  and  entered  tbe  charch, 
a  certain  cripple  cried  out,  and  begged  tbe  people  to  pat  him 
on  tbe  888  on  wbich  the  pope  bad  been  sitting,  oat  of  regard 
to  charity.  Bat  tbe  byestanders  reproyed  bim,  and  bade  him 
hold  bis  peace.  Bat  he  cried  out  ail  tbe  more,  begging  that, 
for  the  love  of  tbe  Son  of  Dand,  who  bad  sanctified  the  folding 
doors,  entering  Jerusalem  on  a  colt,  tbe  foal  of  an  ass,  they 
would  put  him  on  the  ass's  back.  A  manrellous  thing  hap* 
pened.  The  cripple  being  placed  on  tbe  ass,  immediately  re- 
ceived soundness  in  bis  limbs,  and  bis  legs  and  feet  being 
strengthened,  he  who  bad  been  lame  went  forth,  praising  God 
for  the  merits  of  his  servant,  Celestine.  By  this  pope  Celes- 
tine.  Master  Robert  of  Wincbilsea,  archbishop  elect  of  Canter^ 
bury,  was  confirmed  in  bis  diocese  and  consecrated. 

On  the  yigil  of  Saint  Matthew  the  Apostle,  all  tbe  clergy 
and  laity  having  been  assembled  at  Westminster,  tbe  king  de- 
manded of  the  whole  church,  throughout  tbe  whole  kingdom  of 
England,  a  moiety  of  all  their  possessions,  both  temporal  and 
spiritual.  But  when  this,  which  was  a  measure  without  a  prece- 
dent in  all  ages,  was  heard  of,  the  pontiffs  and  prelates  were  dis- 
turbed and  alarmed,  and  groaning  in  anguish  of  spirit,  notdaring 
to  offend  or  contradict  the  king,  but  consenting  to  tbe  royal  de- 
mands, they  granted  bim  a  moiety  of  all  their  revenues  which 
came  in  in  one  year.    Which  moiety,  however,  if  they  had 
thought  more  prudently  and  properly,  and  had  not  omitted  to 
consult  the  Apostolic  See,  they  would  by  no  means  have  dared 
to  grant  to  the  king.      Therefore,  having  arranged  and  ap- 
pointed certain  periods  for  this  payment,  they  returned  to  their 
own  homes.  And  the  king  lost  no  time  ;  but  as  soon  as  tbe  first 
instalments,  accordingto  the  taxation  of  this  previouslytazed  tithe, 
had  been  paid,  be  ordered  the  goods  of  the  secular  kn^bts  to  be 
taxed,  and  a  tenth  to  be  paid  to  him  throughout  all  England.  And 
he  levied  a  tax  for  the  relief  of  his  necessities  on  all  merchants, 
and  on  all  citizens  dwelling  in  their  walled  cities  and  market 
towns,  to  the  amount  of  the  sixth  penn^  of  all  tbat  they  pos- 
sessed.    It  is  also  said  tbat  Master  William  de  Montfort,  dean 
of  St.  Paul's,  in  London,  coming  safe  and  sound  to  tbe  court, 
in  the  hope  of  softening  the  disposition  of  the  monarch,  or, 
atall  events,  of  lightening  such  an  insupportable  yoke  of  slavery, 
Hke  a  good  son  of  the  church,  and  coming  before  the  king  in 
order  to  deliver  the  speech  which  he  bad  conceived  in  his  mind. 


JL.Ji.  1294.      POPE  CBLESTXKE  BESXONS  THJS  TIABA.  505 

find  which  he  had  come  to  ntter,  became  suddenly  mate,  and 
losing  all  the  strength  of  his  body,  he  fell  down  before  the 
king  and  expired.  But  as  the  king  passed  over  this  event  with 
indifferent  eyes,  and  persisted  the  more  vehemently  in  his  de- 
mand, it  was  still  uncertain  how  much  every  one  was  to  pay 
to  the  king. 

The  consequence  was,  that  different  persons  told  different 
stories,  varying  from  time  to  time  ;  and  so,  after  eating  sour 
grapes,  at  last,  when  they  were  assembled  in  the  refectory  of 
the  monks  at  Westminster,  a  knight,  John  Havering  by  name, 
rose  up  in  the  midst  of  them,  and  said,  "  My  venerable  men, 
this  is  the  demand  of  the  king— the  anniud  moiety  of  the 
revenues  of  your  churches.  And  if  any  one  objects  to  this, 
let  him  rise  up  in  the  middle  of  this  assembly,  that  his  person 
may  be  recognised  and  taken  note  of,  as  he  is  guilty  of  treason 
against  the  king's  peace.**  When  they  heard  this,  all  the 
prelates  were  disturbed,  and  immediately  agreed  to  the  king^s 
demands. 

After  these  events,  when  the  course  of  this  melancholy  year 
was  proceeding  onward  to  its  end,  pope  Celestine,  choosing, 
like  the  blessed  Mary,  the  better  part  of  a  contemplative  life, 
on  the  sweetness  of  which  he  had  been  already  fed  and  fattened 
in  no  slight  degree,  threw  himself  into  the  middle  of  the 
brethren,  stripping  himself  of  his  birret  and  his  mantle,  and 
renouncing  all  the  honour  and  burden  and  favour  and  danger 
of  his  ofBce,  on  account  of  the  cares  of  worldly  affidrs  which 
it  brought  upon  him,  he  refused  any  longer  to  discharge  the 
office  of  governor  of  the  Romans,  asserting  that  he  was  not 
fit  for  the  execution  of  such  laborious  duties.  Truly  the 
children  of  this  world  are  wiser  in  their  generation  than  the 
children  of  light.  But  he  adjured  them  in  the  name  of  the 
Holy  and  indivisible  Trinity,  without  any  delay  or  dissension,  to 
elect  an  energetic  and  serviceable  man,  who  might  undertake 
the  discharge  of  this  burthen,  to  the  honour  of  God  and  his 
own  salvation.  And  being  requested  by  the  brethren  to  point 
out  and  sanction  the  nomination  of  some  worthy  person,  since 
they  looked  upon  him  himself,  he  named  a  man  called  Benedict, 
a  man  of  wisdom  beyond  all  his  fellows,  and  who  had  often 
transacted  business  in  the  court  of  Rome.  For  this  Benedict 
was  a  native  of  Cadiz,  having  been  first  of  all  a  procurator, 
then  an  advocate,  afterwards  a  notai^,  then  cardinal  deacon  of 
the  title  of  Saint  Nicholas  in  the  Tullian  prison.     Then  the 


506  MATTHEW  or  WXSTKIKSTXB*  A..I>.  1294. 

brethren,  seeing  thkt  he  had  judged  wisely,  exalted  Benedict 
on  the  feast  of  Saint  Hilary,  and  placed  him  in  the  chair  of 
the  elders,  and  changing  his  name  Benedict,  from  good  to  better, 
he  assumed  that  of  Boniface. 

About  this  time,  while  the  hearts  of  many  were  agitated, 
news  was  brought  to  the  king's  ears  that  the  Welch  were  again 
behaTing  malignantly,  and  raging  in  the  whole  spirit  of  malignity, 
adding  new  crimes  to  their  old  ones,  on  account  of  the  unac- 
customed and  heavy  yoke  that  was  laid  upon  them,  and  of  the 
imposts  which  are  exacted  of  them,  to  which  their  territories 
did  not  seem  equal  in  the  eyes  of  some  of  them.    And  ac- 
cordingly they  ail  with  one  accord  rushed  to  war,  and  attacked 
their  govemor,  a  man  whose  name  was  Roger  de  Pyvelesdon ; 
and  they  hung  some  others  of  our  men,  by  way  of  showing 
great  contempt  for  and  insult  to  the  king's  authority,  others 
burnt  some  of  the  villages  and  suburban  towns  with  fire,  others 
busied  themselves  with  rapine  and  bloodshed,  and  inflicted 
great  losses  on  our  English  countrymen.     But  Roger,  who  had 
been  sent  thitherto  execute  the  king's  commission,  they  stripped 
and  hanged  for  some  time,  and  afterwards  beheaded  him.  When 
the  king  heard  this,  he  departed  from  Westminster  the  day 
afler  the  feast  of  Saint  Brice,  and  hastened  towards  Wales, 
having  assembled  a  numerous  army,  in  order  utterly  to  subdue 
and  reduce  under  his  own  sovereignty  that  sacrilegious  and 
profane  nation.     And  marching  with  all  imaginable  haste,  with 
a  powerful  and  warlike  army,  he  moved  his  army  towards 
Snowdon,  and  having  gone  all  round  Wales,  he  arrayed  it  with 
the  object  of  manfully  defeating  his  enemies.     But  they  fled 
at  his  approach,  as  if  at  the  sight  of  a  snake,  and  sought  their 
secret  luding-places  in  the  woods.    But  a  thousand  men  of  the 
king's  army  fell  sick  and  died,  worn  out  by  the  difficulties  of  the 
ground,  the  badness  of  the  climate,  and  vapours  arising  from 
the  deep  marshes,  which  created  dysentery  among  them.   But 
of  the  Welch  forces  who  were  found  outside  of  the  thicknesses 
of  the  woods,  the  edge  of  the  sword  devoured  hundreds  and 
hundreds  in  their  battalions,  and  even  more  than  that     And 
soon  afterwards,  Conan,  the  author  of  the  mischief,  and  a  most 
notorious  robber  among  the  Welch,  was  taken  prisoner,  and 
sent  to  the  city  of  Hereford,  where,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Matthias, 
he  was  dragged  at  the  tail  of  a  horse,  with  two  others  who  had 
been  his  adherents,  and  then  hanged  till  he  died.    And  in  like 
manner,  two  others,  who  were  his  officers,  received  justice. 


.A..33.  1294.  BY0N8  IS  BESrEGED  AJSD  TAKEIT.  507 

After  this,  Morgan,  who  was  also  a  Welchman^  and  who 

li£ted  up  his  heel  against  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  and  another 

cliief  of  the  name  of  Madoc,    their   titular  prince,   having 

ascertained  that  the  right  wing  of  the  king's  army  was  the 

st^rongest,   and  that  that  wing  was  directing  all  its  might, 

and  the  whole  weight  of  the  war  against  their  forces,  forsaking 

-their  hiding-places,  and  being  struck  with  terror,  began  to  think 

of  going  to  the  king  and  imploring  peace.     And  first  of  all, 

ISbiorgan  submitted  himself  to  the  authority  and  pleasure  of  the 

Icing,  and  receiyed  mercy  rather  than  justice.      And  Madoc, 

^^xrhen  he  saw  this,  being  moved  to  repentance,  in  like  manner 

implored  the  clemency  of  the  king,  and  obtained  peace  as  far 

as  to  be  dehvered  from  all  personal  punishment,  though  he 

Tiras  committed  to  prison  in  the  Tower  of  London.     Therefore, 

the  king  withdrew  from  those  parts,  having  subdued  the  necks 

of  the  rebels,  and  punished  the  most  criminal  of  them  with 

deserved  punishment,  such  as  that  to  which  he  had  condemned 

Roger  de  Pyvelesdon ;  and  he  fortified  the  Isle  of  Anglesey 

with  additional  castles.     And  the  land  had  rest  for  a  short 

time. 

While  these  events  were  happening,  a  band  of  nobles  and 
gallant  knights,  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of  England,  sailing 
towards  Guienne,  with  great  difficulty  arrived  at  a  certain 
island  named  Oleron.  From  thence  they  proceeded  onwards 
and  landed  in  Guienne,  with  the  favour  of  the  inhabitants  of 
the  towns  who  still  adhered,  with  all  their  hearts,  to  their  own 
lord,  the  king  of  England ;  and  by  whom  he  was  admitted 
into  the  fortified  cities,  in  spite  of  the  garrisons  of  the  French. 
At  this,  Charles,  the  brothef  of  the  king  of  France,  was  ex- 
ceedingly angry,  and  having  collected  a  very  nnmerous  force  of 
well-armed  men,  he  suddenly  laid  siege  to  the  town  of  Ryons, 
in  which  a  portion  of  the  English  people  had  built  themselves 
an  asylum,  and  bravely  took  the  town,  and  made  the  garrison 
prisoners,  not  without  great  loss  on  his  own  side,  there  being 
taken,  alas,  for  shame !  about  thirteen  English  knights,  who 
were  sent  to  Paris,  and  there  committed  to  liberal  custody. 
But  He,  who  does  not  suffer  His  children  to  be  afflicted  be« 
yond  what  the^  can  bear,  showed  the  English  a  means  by 
which  they  might  derive  comfort.  For  in  those  days,  the 
soldiers,  who  came  from  the  coasts  of  England,  while  they 
were  endeavouring  to  keep  their  enemies  at  a  distance,  fell  in 
with  twenty-six  ships  belonging  to  the  Spaniards,  loaded  with 


oOd  HATTnSW  OF  WBSTXiniTXE.  A.1>.  1294. 

merchandiie  of  different  kinds,  of  great  yalne,  to  whom  they 
gave  battle,  and  the  fight  ksted  two  days ;  daring  which,  the 
two  fleets  inflicted  many  deadly  blows  on  one  another.  On 
the  one  side,  men  fell  sudn  by  arrows  from  arbalists ;  on  the 
other  side,  they  were  crushed  by  missiles  of  great  weight,  and 
so  perished.  And  as  despair  is  a  dangerous  thing,  and  the 
issues  of  battle  are  yarious,  the  swords  slew  at  one  time  men 
on  one  side,  and  presently  men  on  the  other.  At  length,  Mara 
favoured  the  English,  the  Spaniards  were  slain,  and  some  of 
them  fled,  and  the  English  carried  fifteen  of  their  vessels  with 
their  contents  into  a  British  port. 

This  year  also,  wool  was  exported  from  the  English  tenrito- 
ries  into  Germany. 

The  other  injuries  which  the  invincible  fleet  and  army  of 
Yarmouth  inflicted  on  the  French,  who  can  enumerate  ?  Uiey 
traversed  the  borders  of  Normandy,  sparing  no  condition,  sex, 
or  age,  lighting  up  all  the  country  with  ti^eir  conflagrations, 
and  giving  their  hands  to  plunder  and  danger.  At  that  time, 
there  was  no  king,  nor  any  law  imposed  upon  sailors,  but 
whatever  any  one  could  carry  off  or  plunder,  that  he  called 
his  own. 

And  so  this  year  passed,  sufficiently  productive  both  in  corn 
and  fruit,  but  very  rainy,  so  that  a  great  part  of  the  crops  of 
the  earth  eventually  fiiikd  by  becoming  rotten.  And  owing 
to  the  torrents,  the  Thames  overflowed  its  accustomed  limits, 
and  covered  and  soaked  the  plains  of  Bermondsey,  and  the 
liberties  of  Tothill.  It  also  reached  the  cottages  of  the  dealers 
in  the  market  of  the  cemetery  at  Westminster,  and  compelled 
them  to  drive  in  stakes  above  thei^  dwellings,  to  protect  them« 
And  as  the  torrents  of  rain  prevailed  to  a  great  extent,  the  val« 
leys  and  pastures  which  were  near  the  riven  were  covered  all 
over  the  kingdom  for  some  time. 

The  same  year,  the  duke  of  Brabant,  a  man  of  great  repu- 
tation, held  a  round  table  in  his  dominions,  at  which  an  infi- 
nite number  of  knights  from  England,  and  France,  and  other 
nations  were  present  And  the  duke  himself,  at  the  very  first 
onset,  was  wounded  by  a  spear,  by  a  certain  French  knight, 
and  died  the  same  day. 

Bon  de  Clare,  brother  of  the  earl  of  Gloucester,  rector,  or 
rather  invader,  of  many  churches,  was  cut  off  by  a  auddea 
death,  because  he  did  but  little  good  op^y.  John,  arch- 
bishop of  Dublin,  who  was  a  partisan  of  the  king  in  every- 


^.B.  1395.       THE  FOP£*S  LEOA.TES  LAKD  IK  SSQZASJ}.  509 

^ing^  died  in  retaining  from  the  king  of  Arragon,  to  whom 
lie  had  been  sent  on  the  business  of  the  king  of  England. 

I%e  hinges  great  power  is  onward  home, 
The  people  is  hy  faction  torn. 

A..I).  1295.  Robert,  metropolitan  of  Canterbury^  having  now 
returned  from  the  court  of  Rome,  having  convened  some  of 
his  suffiragans  in  the  church  of  Saint  PaaX  in  London,  in  the 
-week  after  the  festival  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  held  a 
special  discussion  on  the  Hberties  and  customs  of  the  church ; 
and,  like  a  true  shepherd,  he  labouring  to  strengthen  the  bar- 
riers and  walls  around  the  ruins  of  the  walls  or  hedges  which 
protected  his  fold,  legitimately  recalled  and  re-estabhshed 
certain  constitutions  wMch  had  been  approved  of  by  the  holy 
fathers,  but  which,  by  the  neglect  of  mercenary  men,  had 
fallen  from  their  proper  force.  Moreover,  he  added  some  new 
ordinances  to  the  former  ones,  which  he  commanded  to  be  in- 
violably observed  for  the  protection  of  the  flock. 

Two  days  after  the  feast  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul, 
two  cardinals  were  sent  as  legates  a  laterb  by  the  lord 
the  pope,  to  reconcile  and  tranquilUze  the  kingdoms  of  France 
and  England,  which  were  swelling  against  one  another  with 
mutuid  hatred.  And  when  they  had  landed  in  England,  the 
people  received  them  with  all  due  honour,  and  the  chief  body 
of  his  prelates  and  nobles  was  summoned  by  the  king  to  meet 
at  Westminster,  on  the  fifth  of  August ;  and  when  they  were 
assembled,  the  cardinals  and  bishops  being  seated  all  around, 
first  of  all,  Edmund,  the  king's  brother,  and  Master  John  de 
Lacy,  in  the  king's  presence,  explained  the  beginning  and 
moving  cause  of  the  destructive  war  which  had  been  carried 
on,  and  the  troubles  which  had  existed,  and  the  contempt  of 
all  the  laws  of  nations  with  which  the  sailors  of  England  had 
been  treated ;  and  how  the  king  of  England  discharged  him- 
self from  the  homage  previously  due  to  the  king  of  France. 
After  this,  when  the  cardinals  demanded  a  proposal  of  the 
conditions  of  peace,  they  were  answered,  that  this  could  not  be 
given  in  till  the  pleasure  of  the  king  of  Germany  had  been 
consulted.  On  this,  they  next  asked  for  a  truce  while  the 
peace  was  under  discussion,  but  could  not  obtain  it.  Then, 
in  the  third  place,  the  violent  band  of  sailors  might  be  com- 
pelled to  keep  quiet.  But  even  in  this  part  of  the  business 
they  met  with  no  success.     And  while  they  were  thus  labour- 


510  KATTHIW  OF  WESTMHrSTEB.  A.D.  1295. 

ing  to  bring  about  a  peace,  behold,  in  the  darkness  and  si- 
lence of  night,  a  piratical  body  of  Frenchmen  made  an  assault 
on  Dover,  and  bnmt  a  house  of  religions  brethren,  and  several 
other  houses  near  the  sea-coast,  with  firebrands :  and  among 
other  atrocities,  they  slew  a  certain  monk,  named  Thomas,  a 
man  of  innocent  and  pure  conversation  from  his  childhood, 
by  whom  the  Lord  worketh  some  miracles.  Then,  when  cir- 
cumstances changed  as  aid  came  up,  those  who  had  ascended 
into  the  town  having  been  beheaded,  the  rest,  being  terrified 
by  the  people  who  came  forward  to  fight  them,  hid  themselves 
in  the  gardens  and  in  the  caves ;  and  only  a  few  escaped  out  of 
a  great  number,  who  secretly  regained  their  ships  and  em- 
barked. And  turning  their  backs  and  flying,  when  they 
arrived  in  their  own  country,  they  falsely  boasted  that  they 
had  got  possession  of  the  keys  of  Dover  Castle. 

Then  the  cardinals,  not  having  succeeded  in  the  business 
for  which  they  had  come,  returned  to  Gaul,  having  spent  a 
great  quantity  of  money ;  and  they  extorted  a  double  tax 
from  the  members  of  the  religious  order^s.  So  when  these 
events  had  become  known  in  France,  those  men  becoming 
hardened  in  heart,  whose  feet  had  before  been  swift  to  shed 
blood,  collected  the  people,  prepared  a  fleet,  and  took  counsel 
how  thej  might  make  themselves  masters  of  the  kingdom  of 
England.  But  they  were  disappointed  in  the  result  of  their 
operations.  They  also  sent  forward  a  picked  galley,  manned 
with  three  hundred  warriors  of  the  bravest  of  the  kingdom  of 
France,  in  order  to  reconnoitre  the  weaker  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, or  to  find  out  a  suitable  place  for  landing  in.  And  seek- 
ing a  battle,  they  found  an  obstacle.  For  as  they  were  rashly 
approaching  the  shore,  they  were  encountered  by  the  men  who 
were  set  to  guard  the  sea  there,  as  they  were  surrounding  the 
galley  which  they  had  with  too  little  care  run  aground  at 
Hythe  ;  and  so  they  slew  the  men,  whom  they  found  there, 
like  she^  in  a  fold,  and  threw  the  headless  bodies  into  the 
wet  burial  place  of  the  sea.  And  so  there  they  fell  who  work 
iniquity ;  they  were  cast  out,  and  were  not  able  to  stand. 

The  lord  bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  Master  William  de  la 
Marche,  the  steward  of  the  lord  the  king,  being  treasurer  of 
the  exchequer,  was  accused  to  the  good  man  of  the  house,  not 
of  having  squandered  his  goods,  but  on  various  other  com- 
plaints which  were  brought  against  him,  and  so  he  was  re- 
moved from  his  stewardship,  and  another  clerk,  a  great  friend 


.A..B.  1295.  FSOPOSAL  TO  nTVADE  XKGLAITD.  511 

of  the  king,  Walter  de  Langton  by  name,  was  appointed  to 
tkia  office  in  his  stead.  The  foreign  monks  were  excluded  from 
t.heir  houses,  each  of  them  being  allowed  eighteen  pence  a 
-week  for  his  support.  On  the  day  of  Saint  Leodeganus,  the 
lord  archbishop  of  Canterbury  was  enthroned  in  his  cathe- 
dral, and  Master  John  of  Monmouth  was  on  the  same  day  con- 
secrated by  him  bishop  of  Llandaff. 

In  these  days,  the  Scots  having  broken  the  coyenant  of 
peace  which  they  had  made  with  their  liege  lord  the  king  of 
England,  made  another  treaty  with  the  king  of  France,  which 
is  preserved  in  an  authentic  document  drawn  up  by  both 
parties,  and  preserved  to  be  read  plainly  by  all  who  wish ;  and 
liaving  thus  made  a  confederacy,  they  rose  in  insurrection 
against  their  king,  despising  his  simplicity  and  disdaining  his 
superiority.  And  leading  him  into  the  inner  districts  of  Scot- 
land, they  shut  him  up  there  in  a  certain  castle,  which  was 
surrounded  by  abrupt  mountains,  appointing  knights  to  guard 
their  helpless  king.  After  this,  they  elected,  after  the  fashion 
of  the  French,  twelve  peers,  four  bishops,  four  earls,  and  four 
chieftains,  by  whose  orders  all  the  affairs  of  the  kingdom 
should  be  settled.  And  all  this  was  done  by  way  of  insult  to 
the  kingdom  of  England,  because,  in  spite  of  the  secret  mur- 
murings  of  some  of  the  Scots,  and  the  open  objections  of 
others,  John  BaUiol  had  been  appointed  king  of  Scotland  by 
the  king  of  England. 

A  certain  knight,  of  great  experience  in  war,  by  name 
Thomas  TurbeviUe,  one  of  those  who  had  been  taken  prisoner 
at  the  siege  of  Byons,  departed  and  spoke  to  the  nobles  and 
chief  magistrates  of  the  French,  teUing  them  how  they  might 
by  treachery  make  themselves  masters  of  the  kingdom  of 
England  ;  so  they  rejoiced,  and  promised  to  give  him  an  estate 
and  no  inconsiderable  sum  of  money.  And  he  undertook  the 
business,  leaving  there  his  two  sons  as  hostages,  as  a  proof 
that  they  might  rely  on  him.  But  as  they  feared  the  common 
people  of  England,  as  one  that  was  skilful  in  the  art  of  war 
from  the  beginning,  they  thought  how  they  might  circumvent 
them  cunningly.  Therefore,  some  of  the  French  agreed  to 
furnish  money  to  induce  the  prince  of  Wales  again  to  renew 
the  war.  And  when  the  king  of  England  had  marched  to 
encounter  the  Welch,  then  the  Scots  and  French  were  to  ad- 
vance treacherously  on  both  sides,  that  in  that  way  they  might 
invade  the  island  when  it  was  stripped  of  its  defenders. 


512  MATTHEW  OV  WE8TKIK8T£R.  A.D.  1295. 

Accordingly,  without  any  delay,  the  aforesaid  traitor,  retamiBg 
from  foreign  coantries,  united  himself  to  the  king  of  England 
and  the  nobles  of  the  land,  telling  them  all  that  he  had  cun- 
ningly escaped  from  prison,  and  learnt  all  the  weak  points  of 
France.  And  he  lay  hid  hke  a  twisting  serpent,  carrying  in 
his  box  a  honied  drug  with  which  his  victims  might  be 
soothed,  and  made  obedient  to  his  conjurations.  So,  when  he 
had  procured  information  respecting  all  the  plans  and  arrange- 
ments of  the  kingdom,  he  reduced  it  all  to  writing,  and  sent 
the  information  to  the  provost  of  Pans.  After  this  had  been 
done,  by  the  working  of  Him  who  destroyeth  the  wicked,  his 
treason  was  detected,  and  immediately  revealed  to  the  king, 
who  sending  officers,  arrested  him  at  once,  and  he  was  bound 
with  thongs,  and  brought  to  the  king's  tent  on  the  eve  of  the 
festival  of  Saint  Denis,  and  being  accused,  he  did  not  deny  the 
crime  which  he  had  committed.  Therefore,  he  was  condemned 
by  the  following  sentence  : — First  of  all  he  was  laid  down  on 
a  bull's  hide;  then  six  constables  having  mounted  their 
horses,  he  was  dragged  at  their  tails  through  the  city  of 
London,  surrounded  by  four  executioners  in  masks,  clothed 
in  trowsers  and  peUsses,  and  bearing  clubs,  who,  as  they  pro- 
ceeded rapidly  onwards,  hef4>ed  reproaches  on  him.  And  he 
having  been  mocked  and  ill-treated  with  their  sticks  and 
goads,  was  then  hung  on  a  gibbet,  and  his  body,  in  accordance 
with  the  command  of  the  earls,  was  not  allowed  to  receive 
burial,  so  that  passers-by  might  say,  *'  Is  this  Thomas  Turbe- 
viUe  ?"  and  some  versifier  wrote  an  epitaph  on  him  in  these 
terms — 

"  The  cruel  Thomas  Tarbeville 
Disturbed  our  peace  with  wicked  will; 
He  was  a  spark ;  but  now  the  king 
Has  made  him  ashes,  a  vile  thing. 
He  joined  himself  to  Satan's  crew, 

This  happy  country  to  undo ;  i 

Till  stretched  upon  an  ox'es  hide,  I 

He  found  the  end  of  aU  his  pride.  | 

To  vex  the  country  he  delighted,  I 

Which  now  his  treason  has  requited.  ' 

By  justice  fair  he  was  overborne,  I 

And  righteously  by  horses  torn. 
So  David's  foe,  Achitophel, 
Perished,  and  met  his  meed  in  hell : 
And  Thomas,  who  for  bribes  did  sell 
Fair  England,  is  undone  as  well/' 


▲.B.  1295.       AMBASSASOBS  ABS   SEITT  TO  CABfBBAT.  513 

On  die  eve  of  the  feast  of  Saint  Andrew,  the  clergy,  nobles, 
and  laity  having  been  summoned  to  Westminster,  the  king  again 
requested  that  they  would  grant  him  a  subsidy  out  of  their 
substance,  for  the  defence  of  the  kingdom.  And  an  eleventh 
was  granted  him  from  those  who  had  paid  a  tenth  the  year 
before  ;  and  those  who  had  paid  a  sixth  that  year,  were  now 
to  contribute  a  seventh.  Moreover,  the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury having  been  indulged  with  permission  to  confer  with  his 
suffragans  on  this  subject,  with  their  unanimous  consent 
offered  the  king  a  tenth  of  all  ecclesiastical  property ;  which 
having  been  offered,  but  not  accepted,  the  bishops  returned  a 
s^ond  time  to  consider  of  this  matter.  Therefore,  the  king 
seeing  their  firmness^  sent  to  them  a  great  man,  fifty  years  of 
age,  namely,  the  chief  justice  of  the  king's  bench,  and  his 
subordinate  officers,  who  said,  "  0  bishop,  the  king  says,  I 
neither  accept,  nor  will  I  accept  your  offering,  but  descend 
speedily  and  fulfil  his  will,  granting  him  at  least  a  fourth  part, 
or  a  third."  But  one  Ellas,  the  archbishop,  did  not  descend 
with  his  clergy  from  their  place ;  nor  did  the  oxen  who  were 
supporting  the  ark  of  the  covenant  turn  aside  to  the  right  hand 
or  to  the  left.  In  the  meantime,  the  king  sent  another  man 
of  fifty  years  of  age,  belonging  to  his  chancery,  and  his  subor- 
dinate  officers,  and  they  too  made  the  same  request  that  those 
who  had  been  previously  sent  had  made.  But  by  all  these 
measures  the  body  of  the  clergy  was  not  moved  from  their  re- 
solution, but  as  they  had  previously  granted  a  tenth,  they  now 
repeated  the  offer.  Therefore,  the  king  seeing  that  his 
demand  was  beyond  the  ability  of  the  clergy  to  grant,  not 
wishing  to  affhct  them,  on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  the  Con- 
ception of  the  blessed  Mary,  he  received  their  offering  as  if 
welcome.  And  the  clergy  received  this  as  a  good  omen,  and 
so  Israel  returned  to  their  tents. 

King  Edward  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  at  Saint 
Alban's,  having  previously,  while  at  "Westminster,  appointed 
formal  ambassadors  to  be  sent  to  the  town  which  is  called 
Cambray,  and  which  is  situated  on  the  borders  of  France  and  - 
Germany,  with  the  object  of  re-establishing  harmohy  and 
peace.  On  the  day  after  the  feast  of  Saint  Hilary,  a  fleet  of 
three  hundred  and  fifty-two  ships,  with  all  necessary  accom- 
paniments, having  been  assembled  at  Plymouth,  Edmund,  the 
brother  of  the  lord  the  king,  earl  of  Leicester,  and  Henry  de 
Lacy,  earl  of  Lincoln,  sailed  with  a  fair  wind  along  the  coast 

TOL.  n.  L  L 


514  MATTHEW  or  WESTMOrSTKB.  A.I>.  1295. 

of  Brittany,  as  far  as  Bourdeaox.     Bat  when  they  came  to- 
wards the  coast  near  the  town  of  Saint  Mathieu,  then  the  in- 
habitants of  the  town,  seeing  so  great  a  multitade,  took  up  all 
the  property  which  belonged  to  them,  and  fled.     And  when 
messengers  had  been  sent  to  them  to  desire  them  to  sabmit 
themselves  to  the  king  of  England,  they  deceitfully  asked  for 
time  to  deliberate  till  six  o'clock.     And  having  obtained  this 
respite,  in  the  meantime  they  completed  the  removal  of  all 
their  portable  property.     So,  when  the  English  saw  this,  they, 
as  soon  as  they  reached  the  land,  entered  the  town,  and  car- 
ried off  the  Uttle  which  they  found  remaining  there,  and  burst 
all  the  casks  and  spilt  the  wine,  and  burnt  one  vessel  of  great 
size.     After  this,  many  of  them  entered  the  abbey  of  Saint 
Mathieu,  and  carried  off  all  the  vessels  of  the  church,  and 
the  image  of  the  head  of  the  aforesaid  saint,  to  the  lord  Ed- 
mund, the  general  of  their  army.     All  which  things  the  lord 
Edmund  sequestrated,  and  caused  to  be  restored  to  the  per- 
sons connected  with  the  church.     But  the  Welch,  pursuing 
the  flying  people,  caught  some  and  slew  them,  and  burnt  the 
houses  of  many  of  them  with  firebrands,  triumphing  in  their 
spoils.     After  which,  they  sailed  away  to  the  harbour  which 
is  called  Brest.    From  thence  they  passed  over  to  Saint  Gillemis 
de  Boys,  where  they  burnt  thirty  galleys,  and  other  vessels 
fit  for  sea,  and  remained  there  some  time  till  they  could  not 
procure  any  water,  and  yet  they  could  not  quit  the  port,  as 
the  wind  had  changed  its  direction.     So  they  cried  to  the 
Lord  in  their  trouble,  and  he  heard  them  in  the  multitude  of 
his  mercies,  opening  their  hearts,  as  though  he  would  teach 
them  that  they  should  each  dig  for  treasure  in  different  places. 
And  a  miracle,  as  it  were,  took  place  that  day,  for  digging 
into  the  ground,  which  was  in  some  parts  sown  and  ploughed, 
and  in  others  uncultivated  and  sandy,  they  found  a  quantity 
of  corn  hidden  in  chests  and  coffers,  for  which  they  returned 
thanks  to  God,  and  then  conveyed  it  to  their  ships.     At  the 
same  instant  the  wind  became  fair,  and  so  they  arrived  at  the 
city  of  Blayes,  where  the  lord  Edmund  landed  with  his  army. 
And  from  thence  returning  as  far  as  the  town  of  Castillon, 
they  brought  their  horses  out  of  the  ships,  and  then  they  pro- 
ceeded further  inwards  towards  the  town  of  Sparre,  where  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town,  being  worn  out  by  a  long  siege,  sur- 
rendered the  castle  to  the  English.     In  the  meantime,  the 
English  troops  belonging  to  the  fleet,  on  the  Easter  eve  as- 


A.B.  1295.     XDWABD  FSOFOSES  TEBHS  TO  THE  SCOTS.  515 

saiilted  the  city  of  Bourdeaux,  and  slew  that  day  ahont  thirty 
men  with  the  arrows  from  their  arbalists.  And  on  the  Wed- 
nesday in  Easter  week,  the  French  secretly  entering  the  city  of 
Bonrdeaux  about  eyeniug,  haying  broken  the  truce  to  which 
they  had  mutually  agreed  with  the  English,  attacked  the  En- 
glish dwelling  in  the  wood  near  the  city,  who  were  suspecting 
nothing  of  the  sort.  And  when  this  was  reported  by  the  re- 
connoitring parties,  immediately  the  gallant  soldiers,  taking 
up  their  warhke  arms,  went  forth  to  meet  them.  But  the 
citizens,  when  they  heard  the  sound  of  the  trumpets,  seeing 
how  small  was  the  number  of  the  enemy  whom  they  had  to 
encounter,  and  calculating  that  their  whole  army  was  now 
ready  for  battle,  entered  the  city  with  all  the  speed  possible. 
And  while  two  knights  of  their  number  were  pursuing  the 
enemy,  they  entered  the  city,  and  immediately  the  gates  were 
shut  upon  them.  And  the  rest  of  the  French  remaine'd  out- 
side, and  were  slain  by  the  sword.  But  the  two  knights  above- 
mentioned,  who  had  entered  the  city  while  pursuing  the  enemy, 
refused  to  surrender  to  their  enemies,  but  resisted  gallantly, 
preferring  to  die  like  men,  rather  than  to  be  shamefully  impri- 
soned. Therefore,  on  the  Friday  in  that  week,  the  naval  and 
military  forces,  having  taken  counsel  together,  assailed  the  city 
with  their  united  forces,  and  having  battered  down  the  outer 
wall  of  the  city,  effected  an  entrance  into  the  suburbs,  and  made 
no  Uttle  slaughter.  And  when  the  inhabitants  of  the  suburbs 
saw  this,  they  set  fire  to  their  houses,  and  fled  within  the  walls 
of  the  city.  There  was  among  the  rest  at  that  time  a  certain 
son  of  Belial,  who  disturbed  the  whole  army,  saying  that  the 
count  of  Artois  was  present  at  Langes,  with  a  body  of  nine  hun- 
dred armed  cavalry ;  who  having  left  the  sieg^  of  Bourdeauz, 
turned  aside  thither,  and  not  finding  the  count,  searched  the 
city,  which  was  subsequently  surrendered  to  them.  After  which, 
they  made  themselves  masters  of  the  town  of  Saint  Macaire, 
which  they  not  long  afterwards  shamefully  lost,  through  the 
childish  superstition  of  some  false- speaking  persons.  In  the 
month  of  March,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month,  king  Edward, 
being  at  Newcastle-on-Tyne,  collected  a  powerful  army  to 
chastise  the  ungracious  conduct  of  the  Scots,  proposing  to 
them  three  alternatives — either  to  endure  voluntanly  to  submit 
themselves  to  his  decision,  or  to  quit  their  country  and  go  into 
exile,  or  to  prepare  for  a  pitched  battle  in  the  plain.  But 
they,  preferring  wholesome  counsel,  chose  the  battle. 

ll2 


516  KATTHXW  09  WXSTKIKBTSB.  A.D.  1295. 

On  the  day  of  Saint  Gregory  the  pope,  the  cardinal  prebte 
of  Albany,  having  returned  with  some  of  the  messengers  of 
Gambray,  was  speedily  brought  to  Dover  by  a  fair  wind ;  and 
on  Palm  Sunday,  while  the  cardinal  was  being  entertained  at 
the  New  Temple,  in  London,  a  quarrel  arose  between  his  re- 
tainers and  those  of  the  Templars,  in  which  the  nephew  of  the 
cardinal  was  slain,  having  voluntarily  thrust  himself  into  it. 
But  he,  deferring  his  anger  for  a  time,  proceeded  rapidly  on 
towards  Scotland,  to  give  the  king  of  England  a  report  of  the 
council  of  Cambray,  as  to  what  it  had  been,  and  how  it  had 
been  conducted. 

This  year,  there  died  John  Ramayne,  archbishop  of  York ; 
Gilbert  de  Clare,  earl  of  Gloucester,  the  most  powerful  inan  in 
the  kingdom,  next  to  the  king,  haih.  in  eloquence  and  action, 
and  who  was  now  cut  off  by  a  premature  death,  and  deservedly 
buried  near  his  ancestors.  Also  Roger,  bishop  of  Lichfield 
and  Coventry,  being  now  very  old,  paid  the  debt  of  nature, 
and  was  withdrawn  from  the  troubles  of  this  world.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Walter  de  Langton,  a  friend  of  the  king's,  who, 
while  in  foreign  parts,  had  been  assigned  by  the  king  as  secre- 
tary to  the  cardinal,  by  whom  he  was  consecrated,  saving  the 
privileges  of  the  church  of  Canterbury  in  all  things.  The 
same  year,  white  surplices  were  ordained. 

The  same  year,  John,  king  of  Scotland,  forgetful  of  his 
homage  and  vow  of  fealty,  sent  as  ambassadors  to  the  king  of 
France  William,  bishop  of  Saint  Andrew's,  and  William,  bishop 
of  Dunkeld,  and  John  de  Sule,  and  Ingelram  de  Umfraville, 
knights,  king  Edward  being  at  that  time  in  Flanders,  and 
secretly  made  an  alliance  against  the  king  of  England ;  asking, 
as  a  confirmation  of  the  business,  that  a  marriage  might  be 
contracted  between  his  son  Edward  and  the  noble  maiden 
Joanna,  daughter  of  Charles,  the  brother  of  the  king  of  France, 
undertaking  that  he  would  be  willing  to  attack  &e  king  of 
England  with  all  his  power,  and  to  prevent  him  from  waging 
war  against  the  king  of  France,  as  is  more  fiilly  contained  in 
the  documents  drawn  up  between  the  two  kings,  by  whom,  as 
they  both  thus  agreed  to  this  treason,  the  long  of  England 
(being  ignorant  of  it)  was  greatly  deceived ;  and  when  he  had 
earnestly  asked  for  aid  in  his  war,  and  had  received  a  doubtful 
answer,  then  suspecting  the  state  of  the  case,  he  demanded 
that  their  castles  should  be  put  in  his  hands  as  security  till 
the  end  of  the  war,  namely,  those  of  Berwick,  Edinburgh,  and 
Roxburgh,  promising  to  restore  them  after  the  war,  if  he  found 


A.D.  1296.       EDWAHD  MAKES  WAB  ITPON  BOOTLAIH).  517 

the  Scots  faithful  to  him.  But  as  the  Scots  refused  to  do 
this,  the  king,  being  now  more  certain  of  their  treachery, 
marched  with  his  army  towards  Scotland,  and  determined  to 
subdue  it  by  force,  unless  they  desisted  from  the  attempts 
^vrhich  had  been  reported  to  him,  and  unless  they  could  legi- 
timately excuse  themselves  with  reference  to  these  designs, 
-which  were  proved  to  be  in  progress. 

Ch.  XXIV.— Fbom  A.D.  1296  to  a.d.  1299. 

Edward  makes  war  upon  Scotland — Imprisons  John  Balliol — 
The  count  of  Flanders  is  imprisoned  by  the  king  of  France — 
KingEdward  lands  in  Flanders — Returns  to  England,  and  again 
invades  Scotland — Battle  of  Falkirk-^Marries  Margaret  of 
France — The  pope  makes  war  upon  the  king  of  Sicily — Edward 
releases  Balliol,  at  the  intercession  of  the  pope. 

The  Seat  prepares  for  traifrous  wwj 
Grieving  from  powW  to  he  so  far. 

A.D.  1296.  On  the  thirteenth  of  March,  the  town  and  castle 
of  Berwick  having  been  taken  by  the  magnificent  king  Ed- 
ward, the  English  slew  all  the  men  they  found  there  with  the 
sword ;  except  a  few,  who  afterwards  renounced  that  town. 
And  the  number  of  Scots  of  both  sexes  who  were  sli^  there, 
is  said  to  have  amounted  to  sixty  thousand.  On  the  sixth  of 
April,  John,  king  of  Scotland,  did  due  homage,  by  written 
form,  to  the  king  of  England,  for  himself  and  for  all  the  Scots 
who  held  any  land  whatever  in  En^and.  While  the  king  of 
England  waa  staying  at  Berwick  for  the  fortification  of  the 
ditches  and  walls  of  the  aforesaid  town,  the  Scots,  namely, 
the  lords  the  earls  of  Bos,  of  Menteith,  and  of  Ailsa,  and 
the  lord  Richard  Siward,  and  William  de  Saint  Clare,  and 
John  Gomyn,  son  of  the  John  Comyn  who  was  slain,  and 
William  de  Moncrief,  and  Radulph,  his  brother,  all  barons ; 
and  many  other  knights,  entered  into  England,  and  burnt  the 
towns  of  Correbrigge  and  Helsham,  slaying  men,  women,  and 
children,  without  any  regard  to  sex,  age,  ox  rank.  Then  re^ 
turning  into  Scotland  with  the  lord  Robert  de  Ketingham, 
whom  the  king  oi  France  had  invested  that  year  with  a 
knight's  belt,  they  laid  vigorous  siege  to  the  castle  of  Patrick, 
earl  of  DunW,  the  firm  friend  of  the  king  of  England,  and 
who  was  at  that  time  with  him.  But  the  garrison  of  the  said 
(castle,  though  they  perfidiously  feigned  to  implore  assistance 


518  3CATTHEW  07  W£STIfIK8T£B.  A.B.  1296. 

from  the  English,  meantime,  on  the  eve  of  Saint  Greorg^'a 
day,  surrendered  it  to  the  Scots.  .  And  when  the  king  of  Eng- 
land heard  this,  the  next  day  he  sent  forward  two  thousand 
cavalry  in  complete  armour,  with  forty  standards,  and  a  strong 
hody  of  infantry,  to  the  aforesaid  castle,  to  put  an  end  to  the 
successes  of  the  Scots.  And  when  the  Scottish  nohles,  earls, 
and  harons,  saw  this,  they  remained,  hut  the  rest,  to  the  nom- 
her  of  five  thousand,  returned  back  again. 

But  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  ApriC  the  king  of  England 
himself  left  the  aforesaid  town  with  eight  hundred  caTalry, 
and  hastened  towards  the  castle  of  Dunbar.     And  the  same 
day  he  invested  it  early  in  the  morning ;  and  the  aforesaid 
nobles,  considering  carefully  how  they  might  dehver  themselTes, 
entreated  the  lords  the  earls  of  Warren  and  Warwick,  and 
Hugh  le  Despenser,  and  other  chiefs  of  the  king  of  England's 
army,  to  procure  them  permission  to  send  the  lord  Robert  de 
Ketingham  before  mentioned  to  the  king  of  Scotland,  to  ask 
directions  from  him.     In  which  they  offered  to  put  into  the 
hands  of  our  countrymen,  as  hostages,  the  lords  the  earl  of 
Menteith  and  John  Comyn,  son  of  the  John  Comyn  who  was 
slain,  earl  of  Badenoch,  provided  they  first  obtained  their  re- 
quest.    And  the  lord  Robert  the  same  day,  after  dinner,  re- 
turned with  five  hundred  cavalry  and  forty  thousand  infantry. 
Of  whom  the  lord  Robert,  and  the  lord  Patrick  de  Graham,  a 
gallant  knight,  and  son  of  the  lord  William  de  Saint  Clare, 
who  bore  the  standard  of  the  lord  the  king  of  Scotland,  and 
others,  to  the  number  of  at  least  ten  thousand,  fell  in  the 
battle,  four-and-twenty  horses  having  been  taken,  and  the  rest 
at  once  put  to  flight,  with  the  exception  of  the  lord  John  de 
Somerville,  who  was  taken  prisoner  on  that  occasion.     But 
the  day  after,  when  the  king  of  England  approached  the  above- 
mentioned  town  of  Dunbar,  the  aforesaid  three  earls,  and  at 
least  thirty  Scottish  knights,  with  bitter  lamentations,  sur- 
rendered themselves  and  the  castle  before  mentioned  to  the 
king  and  to  his  royal  pleasure.   After  this,  he  secretly  entered 
the  island  of  Gralway,  all  who  guarded  the  outer  courts  of  the 
different  castles  either  fleeing  before-hand  or  being  defeated ; 
and  in  this  way  he  bravely  made  himself  master  of  all  the 
castles.    And  advancing  further  on,  he  came  to  the  Maiden's 
Castle,  where,  as  looking  upon  it  as  impregnable,  all  the  ladies 
of  noble  birth  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  are  said  to  have 
been  put  for  protection.   So  when  the  king  approached  it,  he 


A.I>.    1296.  EDWAKD  SUMMONS  A  PABLIAMEITT.  519 

arranged  his  troops  with  the  view  of  besieging  it ;  and  as  the 
garrison  refused  to  surrender  it,  they  employed  engines  of  war, 
which  shot  forth  large  stones  and  beat  down  many  houses, 
and  the  tops  of  the  towers.  Alarmed  at  this,  the  garrison 
immediately  surrendered  the  castle  and  all  that  it  contained 
to  the  king  of  England.  And  in  that  place,  being  the  princi- 
pal treasury  of  the  kingdom,  the  royal  insignia  of  the  king- 
dom of  Scotland  were  discovered,  which  were  carried  off,  and 
deposited  and  sealed  up  in  the  king's  store-rooms  at  West- 
minster. 

After  that,  the  king  of  England  crossed  the  Scottish  chan- 
nel, panting  to  drag  the  king  of  Scotland  (who  was  king  only 
in  name)  out  of  his  caverns ;  and  reducing  the  towns  of  Saint 
Andrew's  and  Saint  John's,  with  the  castles  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, under  his  power.    Moreover,  John,  king  of  Scotland^ 
heing  now  destitute  of  all  military  means  of  defence,  on  the 
day  after  the  festival  of  the  Translation  of  the  blessed  Thomas 
the  Martyr,  hoping  to  procure  his  release  from  bonds  and  im- 
priaonment,  submitted  himself  to  the  king  of  England,  by  a 
letter,  which  may  be  seen  hereafter,  almost  at  the  end  of  the 
hook.     For  the  king  of  England  had  committed  to  confine- 
ment in  prison  John  Balliol,  who  had  been  king  of  Scotland, 
in  thie  Tower  of  London,  and  all  the  other  earls  and  barons 
of  Scotland  whom  he  had  defeated  in  battle  in  different  other 
casles.  Therefore,  Edward,  king  of  England,  having  ti*aversed 
all  the  islands  of  Scotland,  and  taken  the  towns  and  castles, 
as  no  rebels  showed  themselves,  summoned  the  prelates  and 
nobles  of  his  kingdom  to  meet  in  parhament  at  Saint  Ed- 
mund's Bury,  at  the  feast  of  Saint  Martin,  from  whom  he 
demanded  a  new  talliage.     And  there  was  granted  to  him  by 
the  citizens  and  burgesses  the  eighth  penny,  and  from  the 
rest  the  twelfth  penny  was  extorted.     But  on  that  occasion 
the  clergy  neither  offered  nor  granted  him  anything.     On 
which  the  king  was  indignant,  and  gave  them  time  to  deli- 
berate on  a  better  answer,  which  should  be  more  welcome  and 
acceptable  to  his  will.     And  in  the  mean  time  he  caused  the 
doors  of  all  the  ecclesiastical  barons  to  be  sealed  up.     And 
.    while  this  was  being  done,  the  archbishop  caused  a  bull  from 
the  Apostolic  See  to  be  published  in  all  the  cathedral  churches, 
prohibiting,  on  pain  of  excommunication,  any  contribution 
being  granted  to  the  king,  or  to  any  other  prince,  from  the  re- 
venues of  the  church. 


520  MATTHEW  OP  WBSTMINSTBB.  A.D.  1296. 

On  the  thirteenth  of  June,  in  this  year,  the  lord  William  de 
Valence,  earl  of  Pemhroke,  who  was  tiie  son  of  Hagh  le 
Briin,  coant  de  la  Marche,  hy  his  wife,  Isabella,  formerly 
qaeen  of  England,  and  relict  of  king  John,  died,  and  was 
buried  at  Westminster.     On  the  first  of  June,  the  lord  Berald 
the  cardinal,  returning  from  Scotland,  haying  made  satisfaction 
to  the  exchequer  of  the  lord  the  king  at  Westminster,  out  of  the 
revenues  of  the  Templars,  on  the  occasion  of  the  death  of  his 
nephew,  crossed  the  sea  a  second  time  to  the  king  of  France, 
in  company  with  the  treasurer  of  the  lord  the  king  of  Eng- 
land.   At  this  time  the  earl  of  Leicester,  the  lord  Edmnnd, 
brother  of  the  king  of  England,  paid  the  general  debt  of 
nature,  and  departed  this  life  in  Guienne,  as  did  Bobert  de 
Vere,  earl  of  Oxford,  in  England.     This  year  also,  the  count 
of  Artois  haying  been  fotced  to  raise  the  siege  of  Bourg,  on 
the  coast,  by  the  earl  of  Lincolu,  another  lord,  the  famous 
count  of  Eu,  marched  with  the  proyost  of  Toulouse  against 
the  town  of  Bellegarde,  with  the  object  of  subduing  the  En- 
glish garrison  wlach  had  thrown  itself  in  there.     Bat  the 
English  who  were  thus  blockaded,  in  union  with  the  towns- 
people, feigned  flight,  and  haying  arranged  an  ambush,  left 
the  gates  of  the  city  open.    And  the  count,  when  he  saw  no 
one  resisting  him,  in  the  boldness  of  his  mind  entered  the  city 
with  a  few  followers,  leaving  the  rest  of  his  army  outside  the 
gates.     Then,  when  the  English  rose  up  from  their  ambush, 
one  of  them  bearing  a  lance,  immediately  encountered  the 
count,  and  ran  him  through  the  body.     And  in  like  manner, 
all  those  who  had  entered  with  him  perished  by  the  sword. 
Moreover,  the  citizens  had  erected  beams  on  the  battlements 
of  the  widl,  on  which  they  had  placed  baskets  full  of  large 
stones,  to  overwhelm  the  French.     But  the  provost  of  Tou- 
louse, in  the  elation  of  his  heart,  leaping  over  the  ditch  on 
his  war  horse,  with  his  sword  cut  the  ropes  which  held  the 
beams,  and  then,  the  coirds  being  thus  suddenly  broken,  the 
whole  mass  fell  on  his  head,  and  so  he  was  crushed  to  pieces. 
And  when  the  others  saw  this,  they  immediately  took  to  flight. 
In  like  manner,  the  count  of  Holland,  having  broken  the  bridle 
of  his  loyalty  with  which  he  was  previously  boxmd  to  the 
king  of  England,  was  slain  by  his  own  servants,  while  obeying 
die  directions  of  the  king  of  France.     And  his  son  and  heir, 
John,  was  married  to  Elizabeth,  the  daughter  of  the  king  of 
England. 


.A^.3>.  1296.   PJ5ACE  BETWEEN  EKGLAKD  AITD  FLAKDEBS.  521 

In  the  meantime,  a  certain  ship  belonging  to  the  kingdom 
o£  France,  bearing  the  name  of  king  Philip,  being  of  greater 
£sLine  and  size  than  the  common  vessels  of  either  country,  was 
encountered  by  some  English  sailors,  who  accidentally  fell  in 
^with  her,  and  after  a  severe  conflict,  was  taken  and  brought 
Into  Sandwich  harbour.  At  that  time  the  count  of  Flanders, 
]3.&ving  been  released  from  a  French  prison,  returned  to  his 
own  country.  And  the  following  had  been  the  cause  of  his 
ctrrest. 

Before  the  beginning  of  this  war,  the  king  of  England  and 
tlie  aforesaid  count  had  made  an  agreement  that  the  son  of 
'the  king  and  the  daughter  of  the  count  should  be  united  in 
lawful  wedlock ;  therefore,  the 'count  of  Flanders  was  snm- 
xnoned  before  the  French  court,  and  being  examined  touching 
this  contract,  he  made  answer  to  the  king,  that  this  connection 
liaving  been  thus  agreed  to,  could  not  be  dissolved.     But  the 
Idng  of  France,  fearing  that  a  confederacy  of  this  king  would 
be  injurious  to  him,  adopted  a  cunning  plan  for  bringing 
about  a  divorce,  commanding  that  the  aforesaid  damsel  should 
be  given  up  to  his  supervision  in  guardianship.   But  the  count, 
dreading  the  sentence  of  excommunication  pronounced  against 
disturbers  of  matrimony,  made  answer,  that  he  would  by  no 
means  agree  to  what  was  asked  of  him.     Therefore  he  himself 
was  committed  to  liberal  custody.     And  immediately  people 
came  wishing  to  give  bail  for  the  old  man  ;  but  the  king  of 
France  refused  any  bail  whatever  for  him.     And  the  count, 
seeing  that  he  could  not  procure  his  liberation  by  any  other 
means  than  those  before  mentioned,  gave  up  his  daughter  to 
them  with  bitterness  of  spirit,  and  so  was  allowed  to  depart  in 
freedom.    And  when  he  had  returned  to  his  own  country,  he 
summoned  his  comrades  and  related  to  them  the  injurious 
way  in  which  he  had  been  treated.     And  his  people  answered 
him,  *'  My  lord,  we  are  merchants,  and  without  the  arrival  of 
the  English  in  Flanders,  and  the  passage  of  Flemings  into 
England,  we  cannot  traffic  to  any  advantage,  let  peace,  there- 
fore, be  made  between  your  nation  and  theirs ;  and  then,  sup* 
ported  by  their  assistance,  we  may  despise  the  injuries  ahready 
inflicted  on  us  by  the  king  of  France,  and  any  others  which 
he  may  endeavour  to  subject  us  to." 

When  these  events  had  been  related  to  the  king  of  England 
by  regular  ambassadors,  by  formal  security  having  been  givea 
and  taken,  peace  was  made  between  the  two  nations,  and 


522  KATTHEW  OF  WSSTMUTSTES.  A.P.  1296, 

publicly  proclaimed  throughout  England.  Then  the  ambassa- 
dors of  the  king,  namely,  his  treasurer  of  the  exchequer  and 
seyeralother  nobles,  are  sent  back  with  the  Flemish  ambaasadois 
to  bring  oyer  hostages  for  the  security  of  these  engagements, 
fifteen  thousand  pounds  of  silver  being  given  to  the  count  for 
the  fortification  of  his  castles. 

On  Saint  Hilary's  day,   the  archbishop  held  his  council 
with  his  fellow  bishops  and  suffiragans  at  London,  in  the 
church  of  Saint  Paul.       And  after  they  had   held  a  dis- 
cussion for  eight  days  on  the  king's  demands,   they  could 
not  find  out  any  proper  way  or  pretext  for  an  exclusive  sen- 
tence, which,  through  the  discovery  of  any  colourable  title 
of  any  kind,  any  persons  might  contribute  anything,   even 
though  many  clerks  and  courtiers  and  officers  of  the  court 
came,  who  gave  their  countenance  to  and  advice  in  f&vour  of 
the  demands.     All  which  was  reported  to  the  king  by  the 
bishops  or  other  messengers.     And  the  king  being  at  once 
changed  into  a  cruel  tyrant,  perverting  all  ro^  justice,  having 
given  his  servants  permission  to  seize  for  themselves  all  the  best 
appointed  equipages  of  any  of  the  clergy,  or  members  of  re- 
ligious orders  whom  they  might  meet,  as  if  they  were  enemies, 
and  having  also  prohibited  all  advocates  skilled  in  his  law,  to 
plead  before  the  barons  of  the  exchequer,  or  any  other  secular 
judge,  on  behalf  of  any  ecclesiastical  person,  thus  decided  that 
all  ecclesiastics  were  unworthy  of  his  peace.      He  also  com- 
manded every  one  who  had  received  ordination,  voluntarily  to 
offer  him  a  fifth  part  of  their  revenues,  or  else  they  would 
strip  them,  against  their  vnll,  of  all  their  property.     Some  of 
those  who  hwi  received  the  tonsure,  at  once  complied  with  this 
command,  (being  prelates  in  the  king's  court,  but  as  to  the 
care  of  souls  manifest  Pilates,)  hoping  by  that  conduct  to 
bring  over  the  minds  of  the  rest.     After  which,  at  once  the 
sheiks  laid  hands  upon  and  seized  all  the  property  of  the  clergy, 
whether  moveable  or  immoveable,  which  were  found  on  any  lay 
fee,  and  confiscated  them  for  the  use  of  the  king's  treasury, 
all  those  Uberties  being  all  taken  away,  to  their  superabundant 
annoyance,  which  the  predecessors  of  the  king,  the  protectors 
of  Christianity  and  authors  of  all  good,  had  conferred  upon 
the  churches.    And,  what  is  more  wicked  and  intolerably  their 
very  estates  were  appraised,  in  order  to  be  offered  to  pur- 
chasers with  all  due  expedition ;  nor  could  the  dei^  ride  out 
in  safety,  except  in  large  companies,  on  account  of  the  violence 
of  the  soldiery  towards  them,  in  consequence  of  the  leave 


-A.B.  1297.      CONFEBENCE  OIT  THE  STATE  OF  THE  CHURCH.      523 

"^arhich  had  been  given  by  the  king.  And  all  the  property  of 
the  archbishop,  both  moveable  and  otherwise,  was  taken  pos- 
session of  for  the  king's  use.  He,  indeed,  endured  this  patiently. 
Therefore,  while  the  clergy  were  suffering,  as  I  have  here  related, 
in  body,  the  king  himself  suffered  in  mind.  And  fear  and 
grief  seized  all  the  prelates ;  for  they  were  in  the  greatest 
perplexity,  fearing  that  if  they  granted  any  thing,  they  would, 
by  so  doing,  incur  sentence  of  excommunication  ;  and  if  they 
did  not  give,  they  would  not  be  able  to  escape  the  merciless 
hands  of  the  robbers.  Worn  out  with  this  anxiety,  anxious 
for  themselves,  and  inconsolably  afflicted  on  account  of  the 
flock  committed  to  them,  as  having  no  means  of  support,  while 
they  were  thus  threatened  with  famine,  they  necessarily  de- 
termined to  return  to  the  world,  procuring  the  king's  protection 
by  a  sacrifice  of  their  property  to  a  great  extent. 

And  immediately  after  these  events  some  ambassadors  re- 
turned from  Guienne,  bringing  word  that  in  a  certain  battle 
which  had  taken  place  between  the  English  and  French,  which 
begun  towards  evening,  the  people  of  Guienne  fled,  and  the 
English  cavahry,  left  to  resist  by  itself,  was  surrounded  by  the 
enemy ;  of  whom  the  commander  of  the  army,  John  Saint 
John,  was  taken  prisoner,  with  others  of  his  comrades,  to  the 
number  of  twelve,  and  led  to  Paris,  amid  the  applause  of 
the  French,  as  formerly  the  Philistines  exulted  over  Samson. 
On  the  day  of  Saint  Matthias  the  Apostle,  the  nobles  of  the 
kingdom  assembled  in  the  city  of  Salisbury,  and  the  king  pro- 
posed to  send  some  of  them  to  the  succour  of  his  people  in 
Guienne.  Which  the  barons  cheerfully  consented,  on  condition 
that  the  king  himself  would  cross  the  sea  with  them  in  his 
own  person  at  the  same  time.    But  he  did  not  do  so. 

The  king  the  channel  erossing  o^er, 
Lcmda  welcome  on  the  Flemish  shore, 

A.D.  1297.  The  archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  some  of  his 
suffragan  bishops  being  assembled  at  Saint  Paul's,  in  London, 
on  the  twenty-sixth  of  March,  to  consult  a  second  time 
about  the  state  of  the  church,  .immediately  two  lawyers  rose 
up,  and  also  two  members  of  the  order  of  Preaching  Brothers, 
seeking  to  win  the  temporal  favour  of  the  king,  and  en- 
deavouring to  prove  by  specious  arguments  that  the  clergy 
might  lawfully  be  called  on  to  contribute  out  of  their  property 
for  the  service  of  the  king  in  time  of  war,  any  prohibition  of 


524  MA.TTHBW  OF  WESTUHTSTSB.  A.D.  1297. 

the  Apostolic  See  notwithstanding.  Moreover,  as  every  one 
was  prohibited,  under  pain  of  imprisonment,  from  promalgating 
any  sentence  of  excommunication  against  the  king,  or  agidnst 
those  persons  who  had  already  sought  his  protection,  they  all 
appealed  for  themselves  and  their  fellows  to  the  Roman  court, 
and  then  withdrew  with  burdened  consciences,  in  consequenoe 
of  the  bishop  saying,  "  Let  every  one  save  his  own  soul." 

At  that  time  a  proclamation  was  made  throughout  England 
by  the  voice  of  a  crier,  that  the  owners  of  wools  should  expose 
them  for  sale  within  a  month,  in  cities  named  for  the  purpose, 
otherwise  that  the  wools  should  all  belong  to  the  king  as  for- 
feited. And  indeed,  on  the  day  of  Saint  Gregory,  having  been 
cunningly  collected  in  the  manner  before  mentioned,  they  were 
transported  into  Flanders  as  having  become  the  king^s  by  for- 
feiture. 

By  these  and  other  extortions  the  earls  and  barons  of  Eng- 
land were  greatly  disturbed,  and  appointed  a  parhament  of 
their  own,  to  be  held  in  the  forest  of  Wyre,  which  is  in  the 
Marches.     And  on  the  morrow  of  Saint  Botolph's  festival,  the 
king,  coming  to  Westminster,  offered  to  the  blessed  king  Edward, 
by  whose  merits  he  had  acquired  the  regalia  of  the  kingdom 
of  Scotland,  a  throne  and  sceptre  and  crown  of  gold.     On  the 
day  after  the  Translation  of  the  blessed  Thomas  the  Martyr, 
the  earls  and  barons  having  been  summoned  to  London,  in 
accordance  with  a  command  given  by  the  king  to  his  constable, 
the  earl  of  Hereford,  and  his  marshal,  the  earl  of  Norfolk,  to 
make  the  laity,  assembled  in  their  presence  at  Saint  Paul's,  give 
in  an  account  of  how  many  knighfs  equipments  each  person 
could  furnish  for  the  king's  service  when  he  should  proceed  to 
war.     But  the  two  earls  rephed  to  this  command  by  entreating 
the  king  to  impose  this  duty  on  some  other  officers  of  his 
household,  because  they  had  not  been  summoned  nor  invited 
for  such  a  purpose.     But  their  discourse  was  displeasing  to 
the  eyes  of  the  king :  however,  in  the  meantime  he  appointed 
two  other  knights  to  discharge  that  commission. 

About  the  same  time,  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  having 
been  admitted  to  the  king's  favour,  and  his  barony  having 
been  restored  to  him,  on  the  fourteenth  of  July,  the  king, 
being  raised  on  a  wooden  dais,  before  the  great  royal  hall  of 
Westminster,  with  his  son,  and  the  archbishop,  and  the  exA 
of  Warwick,  and  all  the  people  standing  around  in  his  presence, 
with  plentiful  tears  most  humbly  entreated  pardon  for  bis 


A.D.  1297.  SOMS  CHABTBAS  ABE  B£NEW£D.  525 

sins,  Baying^that  he  had  governed  his  people  with  less  propriety 
and  tranquillity  than  a  king  oaght,  and  that  he  had  accepted 
the  small  portions  of  their  properties  which  they  had  given 
him,  or  which  his  ministers  had  extorted  without  his  know- 
ledge, in  order  to  be  able  by  his  power  to  defeat  the  injurious 
attempts  of  his  enemies^  who  thirsted  for  EngUsh  blood,  that 
by  taking  a  small  portion  of  the  wealth  of  the  republic,  the 
main  quantity  might  be  enjoyed  in  more  tranquiUity.  Adding 
farther,  '*  Behold,  I  being  about  to  expose  myself  to  danger,for 
your  Bakes  do  beg .  of  you,  if  I  return,  to  receive  me  as  you 
Lave  now  received  me,  and  I  will  restore  to  you  all  that  I  have 
taken  from  you.  And  if  I  do  not  return,  then  I  beg  of  you 
to  crown  my  son  as  your  king."  And  t^e  archbishop  being 
dissolved  in  tears,  and  the  king  promising  to  observe  sill  these 
promises  faithfully,  the  whole  people  with  outstretched  hands 
promised  fidelity  to  him.  In  the  mean  time,  the  earls  above 
mentioned  intentionally  absented  themselves,  until  the  pe- 
tition of  each  of  them  for  the  rehef  of  the  country  should  be 
listened  to.  Some  said  that  it  would  not  be  advantageous  for 
the  king  to  cross  the  sea  into  Flanders,  and  that  they  were 
not  bound  to  afford  him  their  service  there,  as  their  ancestors 
had  not  been  used  to  do  so.  Especially  as,  even  whUe  he 
remained  in  the  kingdom,  the  Scots,  just  hke  the  Welch  in 
times  past,  were  renewing  their  resistance  and  preparing  for 
war.  They  also,  having  first  set  forth  the  exhausted  state  of 
the  community,  demanded  that  he  would  not  for  the  future 
exact  taillages  throughout  England.  Also,  that  the  Uberties 
contained  in  Magna  Charta,  and  in  the  forest  charter,  should 
for  the  future  be  more  effectually  observed,  and  that  the  king 
should  for  the  future  revoke  as  null  and  void  all  voluntary 
exactions  which  were  added  to  these  imposts ;  and  as  they 
were  not  at  once  hstened  to,  the  aforesaid  earls  and  barons 
departed  in  great  indignation. 

But  when  the  king  saw  this,  being  desirous  of  cherishing  a 
spirit  of  unanimity,  and  of  gaining  a  victory  by  persuasion,  he 
commanded  the  articles  contained  in  the  aforesaid  charters  to 
be  renewed,  and  likewise  to  be  carefully,  observed,  requiring, 
in  return  for  this  concession,  that  the  eighth  money  should  he 
given  him  by  his  subjects  ;  which  was  soon  granted  him  by 
tiie  people  who  stood  around  in  his  chaml^er.  He  also  de- 
manded a  subsidy  from  the  clergy,  who  replied  that  they 
wished  to  send  letters  of  supplication  to  the  supreme  pontiff^ 


526  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMIFSTEB.  A.D.  1297- 

to  obtain  licence  to  grant  it ;  therefore,  a  trace  having  been 
made  between  the  king  and  the  earls,  so  that  they  became 
unanimous,  when  the  time  of  consultation  had  passed,  as  the 
aforesaid  earls  did  not  present  themselves  before  the  king,  he, 
seeing  that  his  friends  in  the  parts  beyond  the  sea,  who  were 
awaiting  his  arrival,  were  threatened  with  no  slight  danger, 
in  coDseqnence  of  his  delay,  on  the  vigil  of  Saint  Bartholomew 
the  Apostle,  having  prepared  five  hundred  ships,  with  their 
proper  complement  of  people,  namely,  nearly  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  knights,  and  a  countless  host  of  infantry,  he 
set  sail  with  a  fair  wind 

O'er  the  dark  waters  of  the  deep  blae  sea. 

On  which  day,  the  aforesaid  earls  and  barons,  coming  to  the 
exchequer  of  the  lord  the  king  at  Westminster,  forbade  the 
barons  of  the  exchequer  to  cause  the  viscounts  to  levy  the 
eighth  penny  from  the  people  of  England,  saying,  that  it  had 
not  proceeded  from  his  conscience,  and  that  without  their 
consent  no  tax  could  be  rightfully  imposed  or  exacted.  There- 
fore the  earls  and  barons  aforesaid,  confederating  together, 
and  the  majority  of  the  people  inclining  to  them,  great  alarm 
fell  upon  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  ;  and  as  the  danger 
was  imminent,  Edward,  the  king's  son,  acting  as  his  father's 
lieutenant  during  his  absence,  in  compliance  with  the  wishes 
and  advice  of  the  primates  and  nobles  of  England,  renewed  in 
London  the  charter  about  the  liberties  of  the  kingdom,  and 
the  rights  of  the  forest,  and  also  granted  some  alleviations  of 
the  yoke  which  his  father  had  imposed,  adopting  the  advice 
of  his  elders ;  and  his  father  confirmed  what  he  had  done  at 
Ghent,  on  the  ninth  of  November. 

At  this  time,  the  Scots  were  ravaging  the  borders  of  the 
kingdom  of  England,  and  burning  the  greater  part  of  North- 
umberland, under  the  command  of  William  Wallace,  knight. 
The  ninth  penny  was  granted  to  the  earls  by  the  laity,  and 
the  tenth  penny  by  the  clergy,  for  the  purpose  of  checking 
the  obstinacy  of  the  Scots  above  mentioned. 

Bat  the  king,  after  he  had  crossed  the  sea,  landed  at  Helvoet- 
sluys,  and  proceeded  onwards  to  Bruges,  a  famous  city ;  and 
passing  the  night  there,  having  been  forewarned  of  the 
treachery  of  the.  French,  he  on  the  morrow  cautiously  quitted 
the  said  city,  and  privily  entered  Ghent.  And  in  the  mean 
time  the  Welch  who  accompanied  the  king  of  England,  having 


▲.I>.   1298.      PEAOJS  B£TWEXK  XKaLAim  AlTD  TBANCE.  527 

joined  to  themselves  some  English  rohbers,  committed  great 
slaughter,  and  plundered  property  at  Rotterdam,  Ghent,  and 
other  places  belonging  to  the  king  of  France,  for  which  many 
of  them  were  deservedly  hanged.  At  length,  a  judicial  deci- 
sion having  been  agreed  to,  and  concessions  having  been  mu- 
tually made  by  the  kings  of  the  two  countries,  they  made  a 
truce  with  one  another  for  two  years,  to  begin  at  the  feast  of 
the  Epiphany  of  the  Lord ;  and  the  king  of  England  returned 
from  Flanders,  and,  on  the  twenty-first  of  March,  landed  at 
Sandwich. 

This  year,  the  lord  Nicholas  Longsword,  bishop  of  Salis- 
hury,  died,  and  was  succeeded  by  Master  Simon  of  Ghent, 
"who  had  been  educated  in  London,  and  who  was  a  man  very 
skilful  in  theological  learning. 

Peace  with  France  is  settled  now, 
JBtit  Scotland  sees  the  advancing  foe, 

A.D.  1298.  The  king  of  England  came  to  Westminster,  on 
the  twenty-ninth  of  March,  and  a  terrible  fire  took  place  in 
the  lesser  hall  of  the  palace,  and  the  flame  reached  the  roof, 
and  being  fanned  by  the  wind,  devoured  the  buildings  of  the 
neighbouring  abbey  and  the  king's  palace.  The  king  leaving 
Westminster,  proceeded  to  York,  taking  with  him  his  barons 
of  the  exchequer,  and  his  justiciaries  of  the  king's  bench, 
after  the  feast  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  intending  to  hold  a  parlia- 
ment with  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom.  From  thence  he  moved 
onwards,  attended  by  a  numerous  company  of  earls,  barons, 
and  knights,  determining  to  subdue  the  rebellions  Scots.  And 
the  Scots,  with  clergy  and  laity,  uniting  in  one  solid  mass,  to 
the  number  of  more  than  two  hundred  thousand  men,  were 
found  determined  to  resist  gallantly,  or  die.  And  a  terrible 
battle  took  place  on  the  day  of  Saint  Mary  Magdalene,  on  the 
plain  which  is  called  Falkirk.  And  immediately  the  Scots 
were  routed,  and  there  fell  of  that  army  two  hundred  knights, 
and  forty  thousand  infantry  and  more,  and  all  the  rest  were 
speedily  put  to  flight,  and  a  great  number  were  drowned  in 
the  river.  And  of  the  English  there  fell  Brian  de  Jay,  master 
of  the  Templars  in  England,  and  about  thirty  foot  soldiers. 

On  the  vigil  of  the  Apostles  Peter  and  Paul,  peace  was  esta- 
blished at  Rome,  between  the  kings  of  England  and  France, 
by  the  exertions  of  pope  Boniface,  though  it  was  not  entirely 
durable.     This  year,  also.   Saint  Louis,  formerly  king  of 


528  KATTHXW  07  WSSTKIKSTEB.  A.B.  1298. 

France,  and  the  third  predecessor  of  the  present  king,  being, 
indeed,  his  grandfather,  on  account  of  the  fame  of  his  mira- 
cles, was  enrolled  in  the  catalogue  of  the  saints,  by  the  afore- 
said pope,  at  the  earnest  entreaty  of  the  present  king  of 
France ;  and  on  the  last  day  of  August,  he  was  remoYed  to 
the  church  of  Saint  Denis,  in  a  solemn  festival. 

The  same  year,  too,  Adolph,  king  of  Germany,  being  desti- 
tute of  friends  who  were  faithful  to  him,  and  especially,  which 
is  a  most  wicked  thing  to  say,  violating  the  agreement  which 
he  had  made  with  the  king  of  England,  after  a  cause  of  quar- 
rel had  arisen  between  him  and  Albert,  son  of  Bodolph,  duke 
of  Austria,  was  severely  wounded  and  slain  in  a  battle  whidi 
took  place  near  Mayence,  and  the  said  Albert  reigned  in  his 
stead.  On  the  day  of  Saint  Andrew  the  Apostle,  an  earthquake 
took  place  at  Borne,  which  lasted  three  days.  In  a  similar 
manner  there  was  an  earthquake  in  England,  on  the  vigil  of 
the  Epiphany,  towards  twilight,  that  day.  Also,  a  comet  ap- 
peared in  the  north,  emitting  rays  laterally  towards  th^  east, 
which  vomited  fire  as  it  were,  and  it. was  visible  for  three  days 
after  sunset,  which  was  an  omen  that  great  slaughter  would 
take  place  in  the  ensuing  year.  On  Uie  second  Sunday  in 
Lent,  the  king,  having  summoned  the  nobles  to  meet  at  West- 
minster, caused  the  conditions  of  peace  which  had  been  signed 
by  the  bull  of  pope  Boniface,  as  appointed  arbiter  between  the 
kings  of  France  and  England,  and  other  bulls,  too,  affecting 
his  position,  to  be  recited  to  them.  And  all  the  laity  and 
clergy  assented  to  them.  After  which,  the  earls,  barons,  and 
prelates,  requested  the  king  to  ratify  the  great  charter  of  their 
liberties,  and  the  one  relating  to  the  rights  of  the  forest,  as 
also  to  the  disforesdngs  which  had  already  taken  place,  and 
to  sanction  and  establish  it.  So  he,  having  confirmed  the 
two  aforesaid  charters,  hardened  his  ears  to  their  request  of 
sanctioning  the  disforesting,  and  at  twilight  he  quitted  them, 
pretending  that  he  was  going  some  distance.  But  they,  con- 
sidering that  he  had  left  them,  as  a  mark  of  contempt,  re- 
turned to  their  own  homes  with  great  indignation.  This  year, 
there  died  the  following  men  of  great  wisdom  the  lord  Hum- 
phrey de  Bohun,  earl  of  Essex  and  Hertford,  and  William  de 
Beauchamp,  earl  of  Warwiol^  and  Master  WilUam  de  Luda, 
bishop  of  Ely.  After  whose  death,  the  prior  of  the  same 
church  was  elected  bishop  by  a  majority  of  the  chapter,  but 
John  de  Langton,  the  king's  chancellor,  by  the  minority. 


^.D.  1299.  THX  CODTAGE  IS  DEBASED.  529 

Aud  their  cause  was  agitated  a  long  lime  before  the  archbishop 
of  Canterbury ;  but  when,  neyertheless,  it  was  terminated  in 
fkyour  of  the  prior,  the  chancellor  appealed  to  the  Apostolic 
See,  taking  a  journey  thither  in  his  own  person  to  plead  liis 
cause.     The  prior,  too,  although  he  met  with  many  hin- 
drances of  divers  sorts,  also  undertook  the  same  journey  to  de- 
fend the  rights  of  his  church.   And  when  they  were  both  in  the 
presence  of  the  supreme  pontiff,  accompanied  by  the  procu- 
rators of  the  college  of  Ely,  and  when  both  parties  had  re- 
signed their  rights  into  the  hands  of  the  pope,  he,  being  fa- 
vourable to  the  procurators  of  the  aforesaid  college,  permitted 
them  the  favour  of  electing  one  of  the  exempt  abbots  of  that 
order,  namely,  the  abbot  either  of  Westminster,  or  Saint  Ed- 
mund's, or  of  Saint  Augustine's,  or  of  Saint  Alban's.     But  as 
they  all  refused  it  when  offered,  the  pope,  being  angry  at  their  ob- 
stinacy, translated  the  bishop  of  Norwich  to  the  diocese  of  Ely, 
and  appointed  the  prior  of  Ely  to  the  bishopric  of  Norwich. 
And  as  brother  William  Ottonin,  archbishop  of  Dublin,  died 
at  that  time,  in  returning  from  the  court  of  Rome,  the  |)ope 
.    gave  that  archbishopric  to  Master  Richard  de  Feringes,  arch- 
deacon of  Canterbury,  and  the  vacant  archdeaconry  he  gave 
to  the  lord  John  de  Langton,  chancellor  of  England. 

Ths  king  a  second  wife  doth  takct 
\  Called  Margarety  for  her  mother*  s  sake. 

i  A.D.  1299.  Margaret,  the  sister  of  Philip,  king  of  France, 
i  landed  at  Dover  on  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  blessed 
;  Mary,  and  two  days  afterwards  she  was  lawfully  married  to 
the  king  of  England,  by  the  authority  of  the  supreme  pontiff, 
t  at  Canterbury.  The  lord  John  de  Balliol,  king  of  Scotland, 
who  was  detained  in  custody  by  the  king  of  England,  being 
<;  permitted  to  leave  his  confinement,  went  to  visit  the  king  of 
/  France,  who,  as  soon  as  he  saw  him,  himself  at  once  released 
>  some  illustrious  knights  belonging  to  England,  namely,  John 
.<  de  St.  John,  and  otibers,  who  had  been  a  long  time  detained 
^     in  his  prison,  on  certain  conditions. 

In  this  year,  as  the  island  of  England  was  polluted  with 
base  money,  which  is  called  crohard  and  poUard,  on  the  day 
of  the  Nativity  of  Saint  Stephen,  the  protomartyr,  it  was  cletlt 
in  two,  that  is,  it  was  taken  for  only  a  halfpenny.  In  refer- 
ence to  this,  a  son  of  a  stone-cutter,  contemplating  the  work 
VOL.  n.  MM 


530  liATTHEW  07  WXSTMIN9TXB.  A.D.  1299. 

hit  father  was  about  while  he  was  building  a  ehnrch*  said  in 
elegant  metre — 

"  May  yon  be  pruied,  my  tire, 
And  get  tterling  coin  at  list, 
No  crokar.  but  gold  tried  in  fire — 
Then  hold  your  wages  fast." 

About  this  time,  too,  the  Scots  a  second  time  prepared  for 
battle,  against  whom  the  lord  John  de  St.  John  was  sent,  ac- 
companied by  a  strong  army  of  knights.  This  year,  also, 
Philip,  king  of  the  French,  invaded  Flanders,  with  a  powerful 
army,  and  began  to  subdue  the  Flemings,  occupying  their 
towns  and  cities,  and  vigorously  pursuing  the  earl  himself  and 
his  sons ;  but  the  earl,  being  now  aged  and  infirm,  fled  with 
his  sons  to  the  city  of  Ghent,  hoping  that  it  was  impregnable. 

In  the  meantime,  that  nation  being  a  real  nation  of  Pharisees, 
inasmuch  as  it  was  divided  against  itself,  and  so,  according  to 
the  saying  of  the  Lord,  deserving  of  desolation,  for  sometimes 
it  was  submitting  to  the  king  of  England,  sometimes  it  ad- 
hered to  its  natural  count,  now  at  last,  despising  and  abandon- 
ing its  natural  lord,  miserably  surrendered  itself  to  the  king 
of  France,  its  deadly  enemy.  Therefore,  as  the  dread  of  the 
king  of  France  increased,  the  count  and  his  sons  faUing  into 
despair,  in  their  distress  miserably  surrendered  themselves  to 
Charles,  tlie  brother  of  the  king  of  France,  on  condition  of 
his  promising  them  on  his  oath  that  they  should  not  be  put  in 
prison  nor  be  stripped  of  their  inheritance.  But  the  king  of 
France  violated  this  agreement,  and  threw  them  at  once  into 
prison,  and  having  thrown  down  the  ramparts  of  those  cities 
which  he  knew  to  have  rebelled  against  him,  he  compelled 
them,  as  if  he  were  their  natural  lord,  to  surrender  new  laws. 

In  these  days,  the  lord  the  pope,  foi^etting  the  faith  and 
prayers  of  the  blessed  Peter,  and  taking  what  was  not  his  to 
take,  namely,  both  gold  and  silver  from  the  widows  and 
orphans,  now  also  determined  to  exact  money,  not  only  from 
widows  and  orphans,  but  also  from  warlike  knights,  contrary 
to  the  scheme  of  some  of  the  cardinals,  degrading  them,  and 
determining  to  wage  war  against  the  king  of  Sicily.  But  the 
army  of  the  aforesaid  king  manfully  slew  many  thousands  of 
the  helmeted  battalions  of  the  lord  the  pope. 

The  same  year,  the  king  of  Tarshish,  and  the  king  of  Ar- 
menia, and  the  king  of  the  Georgians,  having  levied  an 
amazing  army,  amounting  to  a  million  of  men,  and  forty 


A..D.  1299.      THE  MISrOB  BBOTHfiBS  ACT  ILLEGAIXT.  '531 

thousand  cavalry,  invoked  the  aid  of  Christ,  and  fonght  a 
battle  against  the  Saracens.  And  there  were  slain  of  the 
Saracens,  the  enemies  of  the  cross  of  Christ,  at  Alapia,  Ala- 
chemala,  Gazara,  and  Damascus,  more  than  two  hundred  and 
forty  thousand  men,  in  revenge  for  the  slaughter  of  the  Chris- 
tians, which  had  taken  place  at  Acre  and  Tripoli,  and  other 
holy  places.  And  as  it  was  said  the  cause  of  the  conversion 
of  these  Tartars  was  a  miraculous  one,  Paganus,  brother  of 
the  great  Cassanus,  king  of  the  Tartars,  loved  the  daughter  of 
the  king  of  Armenia,  who  was  a  Christian ;  accordingly,  he 
begged  her  father  that  the  damsel  might  be  given  to  hun  in 
marriage ;  but  the  king  of  Armenia  would  not  grant  his  re- 
quest unless  he  laid  aside  the  errors  of  heathenesse,  and  be- 
came a  Christian.  But  the  Tartars,  being  superior  in  mighty 
riches,  and  power,  threatened  him  with  war.  So  the  king  of 
Armenia,  tatdng  advice,  and  considering  that  a  marriage  was 
better  than  a  battle,  granted  his  request,  provided  that  his 
daughter  consented ;  and  so  he  asked'  her  consent ;  but  she, 
wishing  to  spare  the  people,  offering  herself  up  like  a  second 
Esther,  for  the  safety  of  her  nation,  and  trusting  in  the  Lord, 
Toluntarily  consented.  Afterwards,  when  they  had  a  child 
bom  of  the  male  sex,  he  was  found  to  be  hairy  and  shaggy 
like  a  bear.  And  when  he  was  brought  to  his  father,  he  said 
that  he  was  not  his,  and  immediately  ordered  him  to  be  burned 
in  the  fire.  But  his  mother  resisted  and  contradicted  this 
order,  begging  that  the  infant  might  be  given  to  her.  And 
when  she  had  received  him,  she  rejoiced,  and  ordered  him  to 
be  baptized,  and  immediately,  as  soon  as  he  had  been  thrice 
immersed  in  the  sacred  font,  all  the  hairiness  fell  from  the 
child,  and  he  appeared  smooth  and  the  most  beautiful  of  in- 
fants. And  when  his  father  saw  this,  he  believed,  and  all  his 
house.  ' 

This  year,  John,  count  of  Holland,  son-in-law  of  the  king 
of  England,  having  taken  some  poison,  which  was  wickedly 
administered  to  him  by  his  friends  and  relations,  died ;  and 
his  widow,  when  her  dowry  was  refused  her,  returned  to  her 
father's  house. 

This  year,  also,  the  brethren  who  are  called  the  Minors,  as 
is  widely  asserted,  and  proved  to  their  great  shame,  being, 
though  explorers  of  all  learning,  nevertheless  aspirers  to  what 
is  illegal  by  their  law,  offered  the  supreme  pontiff  four  hun- 
dred thousand  golden  florins,  and  a  great  sum  of  money,  to 

M  M  2 


532  MATTHEW  OF  WESTMIKSTEB.  A..J}.  1300. 

allow  them  to  obtain  l^;al  possession  of  estates,  and  lands, 
and  revenues ;  to  whom  the  lord  the  pope  said,  "  Where  is 
yonr  money  ?"  And  they  replied,  ''  In  the  hands  of  the  mer- 
chants." And  after  a  respite  of  three  days  had  been  given 
the  brethren  to  frame  their  reply,  the  merchants,  being  re- 
leased from  the  custody  of  the  deposit,  the  lord  the  king 
ordered,  under  pain  of  anathema,  that  that  money  should  be 
taken  care  of  for  his  own  necessities.  And  he  made  answer 
to  the  brothers,  that  the  rule  of  Saint  Francis,  which  had  been 
canonically  ratL&ed,  was  one  which  he  would  not  in  any  sense 
violate,  and  that  the  brethren  ought  not  at  all  to  depart  firom 
it,  but  always  to  regulate  their  conduct  by  it.  And  so  it  fell 
out,  that  what  they  had  unjustly  acquired  they  very  justly 
lost. 

This  year,  a  violent  and  ruinous  storm  of  wind  threw  down 
trees  and  houses,  and  many  belMes  in  the  kingdom  of  Eng- 
land in  different  places.  The  lord  Henry  of  Newark,  arch- 
bishop of  York,  died  ;  and  the  lord  Oliver,  bishop  of  Lincoln, 
a  man  of  exemplary  Ufe,  on  Saint  Brice's  day  died  while  utter- 
ing a  prayer.  The  same  year,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  transla- 
tion of  Saint  Thomas  the  Martyr,  of  Canterbury,  nuncios 
came  from  the  pope,  begging  the  king  to  release  John,  for- 
merly king  of  Scotland,  from  his  custody,  promising  that  he 
himself  would  preserve  both  king  and  kingdom  of  England 
from  any  danger  which  could  arise  from  his  liberation.  And 
the  king  condescended  to  their  petition,  and  released  him^ 
and  gave  him  to  the  nuncios  of  the  pope,  and  they  conducted 
him  to  the  land  of  Balliol,  which  belonged  to  him,  in  the 
kingdom  of  France,  where  they  left  him  in  the  custody  of 
certain  prelates. 

Ch.  XXV.— Feom  a.d.  1300  to  a.d.  1301. 
A  law  is  passed  against  base  money — The  king  makes  his  son 
Edward  prince  of  Wales — He  again  invades  Scotland — 
The  pope  intercedes  for  the  Scots,  and  claims  Scotland  as 
belonging  to  the  Roman  Church — The  letters  of  the  pope, 
and  the  replies  from  the  king  and  nobles  of  England. 

The  charter^ s  signed  again,  as  't  was  atfrst. 
And  all  transgressors  toith  anathema  curst, 

A.D.  1300.  On  Easter-eye,  being  the  ninth  of  April,  the  kind 
of  money  which  was  called  poUard  and  crochard,  and  other 


A.D.  1300.     THE  KOBLES  DEMAND   THEIE  LIBEETIES.  533 

bad  money,  was  forbidden  in  England.  On  the  first  of  June, 
the  queen  of  England  brought  forth  her  first-born  son  at 
Brotherestone,  and  he  was  named  Thomas. 

The  king  marched  an  army  against  the  Scots,  and  when  he 
came  near  to  them  they  fied  before  him,  and  more  than  four 
hundred  of  them  were  slain.  About  the  same  time,  the  lord 
archbishop  of  Canterbury  came  to  the  king,  bringing  him  a 
command  from  the  Apostolic  See,  not  to  presume  any  further 
to  make  war  upon  the  Scots,  who  had  submitted  themselves 
to  the  pope's  protection.  And  when  the  king  heard  this,  he 
returned  into  England.  In  the  week  after  the  feast  of  Saint 
Hilary,  while  the  king  was  holding  his  parliament  at  Lincoln, 
the  earls  and  barons  complained  of  injurious  and  violent  de- 
predations which  were  committed  in  every  direction  by  the 
ministers  and  household  of  the  king.  And,  again,  they  re- 
quested that  the  liberties  which  were  granted,  as  set  forth  in 
tiie  great  charter,  should  last  &om  that  time  forth  for  ever  in 
their  original  force.  They  also  demanded  that  the  disforest- 
ings,  on  account  of  which  all  the  richer  sort  of  the  common 
people  were  distressed,  and  which  had  repeatedly  been  granted 
by  the  king,  but  had  never  hitherto  been  actually  completed, 
should  be  ordered  by  him  to  be  carried  out,  in  accordance 
with  his  decree.  When  these  and  some  other  articles  had 
been  demanded  of  the  king  with  great  earnestness,  he  pro- 
crastinated for  several  days ;  at  last,  seeing  that  the  barons 
would  not  desist  from  the  work  which  they  had  commenced, 
nor  acquiesce  in  his  necessary  demands  on  other  terms,  an- 
swered that  he  was  prepared  to  concede  and  ratify  all  that  they 
requested,  and  anything  else,  also,  which  they  might  at  any 
time  demand  and  consider  necessary  to  be  confirmed.  There- 
fore, the  charters  of  their  liberties  were  renewed,  as  also  those 
concerning  the  forests ;  and  both  of  them  were  ratified  with 
the  royal  seal,  and  copies  carried  into  every  county  in  England. 
And  when  they  were  published  before  the  people,  the  lord 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  with  the  rest  of  his  feUow-bishops, 
laid  all  the  transgressors  of  them  under  the  ban  of  the  greater 
excommunication.  Moreover,  in  return  for  the  more  effectual 
confirmation  of  these  charters,  the  earls  and  barons  granted 
to  the  king  a  fifteenth  part  of  all  their  moveables,  to  be  paid 
on  the  feast  of  Saint  Michael  next  ensuing.  But  Robert,  ihrch- 
bishop  of  Canterbury,  would  grant  nothing  on  the  part  of  tho 
clergy,  nor  from  the  temporalities  annexed  to  the  church, 
without  the  special  permission  of  the  supreme  pontiff. 


534  HATTUSW  Of   WJKSXMX2rST£J&.  A.O.  1301. 

The  king  gave  his  son  Edward  the  principaHty  of  Wales, 
which  was  a  step  yery  pleasing  to  the  Welch,  because  he  had 
been  bom  in  Wales.  He  also  bestowed  on  him  the  eaildom 
of  Chester.  Therefore,  the  kbg  and  the  barons  being  now  at 
peace  with  one  another,  addiened  an  elegant  letter  to  the 
pope,  sealed  with  a  hundred  seals,  requesting  to  protect,  as 
was  just,  the  rights  of  the  English  oyer  the  kmgdom  of  Scot- 
land which  they  had  enjoyed  from  the  beginning,  and  by  no 
means  to  lend  an  ear  to  the  false  suggestions  of  the  perjured 
Scots,  as  is  fully  set  forth  in  the  history  of  the  following  year. 
The  lord  Edmund,  earl  of  Cornwall,  <ued  this  year,  without 
issue,  leaving  Edward,  king  of  England,  his  next  heir. 

T%6  guem  h&r  second  son  doth  Udmund  caU. 

A.D.  1301.  On  the  fifth  day  of  August,  being  the  day  of 
Saint  Oswald,  king  and  martyr,  Margaret,  queen  of  England, 
brought  forth  her  second  son,  at  Woodstock,  and  named  him 
Edmund.  This  year  the  lord  the  pope  usurped  for  three  years 
the  tenth  part  of  all  the  ecclesiastical  revenues  in  the  kingdom 
of  England.  Moreover,  in  these  days  the  salt  of  the  earth 
and  the  head  of  the  people  fell  into  a  great  dropsy ;  for  the 
more  money — that  wicked  water — ^they  drank,  so  much  the 
more  did  tney  thirst  for  it ;  and  what  temporalities  the  one 
left  behind  him,  not  having  diminished  them  of  his  own  accord, 
the  other,  without  being  compelled,  plucked  from  the  spiritu- 
alities as  polluted.  Therefore,  the  church  of  the  fiuthful  sat 
in  sorrow,  being  led  by  its  venal  protectors  in  a  miserable 
manner  under  tribute. 

About  the  same  time,  while  the  king  of  England  was  leading 
an  army  against  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  Edward,  prince  of 
Wales,  the  king's  son,  marched  before  him  with  a  warlike 
army.  But  because  they  did  nothing  great  or  worthy  of  praise, 
since  scarcely  any  one  of  the  Scots  resisted  them^  our  pen 
may  pass  briefly  over  this  part  of  the  narrative. 

While  these  events  were  taking  place,  the  king  of  France 
sent  the  abbot  of  Compiegne,  and  some  other  persons  with 
him,  to  ask  for  peace  for  the  Scots,  calling  them  his  own 
friends ;  but  the  ambassadors,  not  receiving  such  a  reply  as 
they  wished,  returned  home  again.  This  year,  a  subject  of 
dissension  arose  between  the  pope  and  the  king  of  France, 
each  of  them  trusting  to  his  own  great  power  to  such  a  de- 
gree, that  the  pope  said  to  the  ambassador  of  the  king  of 


A.D.  1301.  DEATH  OF  TWO  BISHOPS.  535 

France,  "  We  have  both  powers/*  And  lie  replied,  on  behalf 
of  his  master :  "  No  doubt,  lord ;  but  yours  is  only  a 
yerbal  power,  ours  a  real  one."  And  then  the  anger  of  the 
lord  the  pope  grew  so  violent,  that  he  said  that  he  would  move 
heaven  and  earth  against  him.  The  lord  Walter  de  Langton, 
bishop  of  Chester,  and  treasurer  of  England,  having  been  ve- 
hemently accused  before  the  lord  the  pope  in  respect  of  va- 
rious atrocities  and  flagitious  crimes,  was  cited  before  the 
supreme  pontiff  to  answer  in  person  to  these  chiurges.  And 
having  lavished  no  .small  sum  of  money  at  the  Eoman  court, 
as  they  knew  that  he  was  a  much  fatter  ox  than  the  generality, 
he  yet  derived  no  advantage  from  it ;  for  he  was  sent  back  to 
the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  with  the  intent  that  he,  in  the 
absence  of  the  pope,  should,  by  certain  persons  commissioned 
for  the  purpose,  enquire  into  the  innocence  of  the  accused 
person,  and  then  write  back  word  to  the  supreme  pontiff  by 
the  same  Walter,  who  should  not  know  what  was  in  the  letter, 
a  full  account  of  all  that  had  been  done  or  performed  in  the 
matter.  Not  to  dwell  on  the  story  :  after  an  investigation  into 
his  innocence  had  taken  place  by  certain  laymen  and  clerks  of 
good  reputation,  commissioned  by  the  archbishop,  and  after 
he  had  cleared  himself  before  them  of 'some  of  the  accusa- 
tions, and  of  the  rest  before  some  brethren  of  the  religious 
orders  of  very  high  character,  telling  both  parties  all  that  they 
required  to  know^  he  returned  a  second  time  to  the  pope ; 
and  the  pope,  understanding  that  a  well-considered  and  regu- 
lar acquittid  of  the  bishop  had  been  sent  to  him  by  the  arch- 
bishop, restored  bishop  Walter  to  his  previous  estimation,  and 
sent  him  back  to  his  (hocese  with  higher  character  and  autho- 
rity than  ever.  Moreover,  John,  the  knight  who  had  accused 
him,  was  not  long  afterwards  himself  accused  of  homicide  and 
other  crimes ;  and  he,  knowing  himself  guilty,  claimed  the 
protection  of  the  church  :  and  though,  indeed,  he  had  a  wife, 
he  said  that  he  was  a  deacon  before  he  married  her.  At  last, 
he  was  condemned,  and  committed  to  the  bishop's  prison,  in 
which  he  survived  five  days  and  no  longer.  And  from  him  let 
the  wicked  laity  take  warning  what  a  thing  it  is  to  accuse 
ecclesiastics. 

This  year,  the  bishops  of  Ely  and  Worcester  died,  and  two 
monks  were  elected  in  their  stead ;  but  as  they  could  not  ob- 
tain the  favour  of  consecration  from  the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, they  went  to  the  ApostoUc  See ;  and  when  they  arrived 


536  1U.TTHXW  07   -WSBTHIVSTXR.  A.B,   1301. 

there,  having  discussed  the  regularity  of  each  election  before 
the  pope,  the  election  of  the  prior  of  Ely  was  confirmed^  but 
that  of  the  monk  of  Worcester  was  completely  quashed. 
Therefore,  the  lord  the  pope  gave  that  bishopric  to  one  of  the 
order  of  Minor  Brothers. 

The  same  year,  pope  Boniface  having  been  instigated  by  the 
Scots,  sent  letters  from  himself  to  the  king  of  England,  as- 
serting that  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  belonged  to  the  rigbtful 
estates  of  the  Roman  church,  and  that  it  was  contrary  to  God 
and  to  justice,  and  to  the  prejudice  of  the  Apostolic  See,  that 
the  king  of  England  was  claiming  its  subjection  to  himself, 
alleging  the  reasons  for  this  assertion,  which  are  given  below. 

First  of  all,  because  when  king  Henry,  his  father,  had  ob- 
tained assistance  from  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  in  his  war 
with  Simon  de  Montfort,  in  order  that  this  assistance  might 
not  be  supposed  to  have  been  either  demanded  or  afforded  in 
consequence  of  any  right  of  superiority  belonging  to  England, 
the  said  Henry  did,  by  his  letters  patent,  acknowledge  that  he 
did  not  receive  the  aid  by  any  right,  but  by  special  favour. 
Again,  when  king  Alexander  was  invited  by  letter  to  the  coro- 
nation of  king  Edward,  in  order,  as  being  a  friend  of  his,  to 
give  his  friendly  countenance  to  that  solemnity  by  his  pre- 
sence, he  came,  not  as  if  in  discharge  of  a  duty,  but  as  a  special 
favour.  Moreover,  when  the  king  of  Scotknd  appeared  in 
person  before  the  king  of  England  to  swear  fealty  to  him  iu 
respect  of  the  lands  of  Tyndale  and  Penrith,  which  are  situated 
in  England,  he  did  homage  to  him  only  for  those  lands  which 
are  situated  in  England,  and  not  as  king  of  Scotland  for  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland ;  because  he  made  a  formal  protest  before 
the  people  that  he  was  not  bound  to  do  any  homage  to  the 
king  of  England  for  the  kingdom  of  Scotland. 

Also,  when  the  aforesaid  king  Alexander  left  a  daughter  as 
his  heiress,  by  name  Margaret,  the  niece  of  the  king  of 
England,  and  as  yet  under  age,  the  guardianship  belonged  not 
to  the  k^g  of  England  as  superior  lord,  but  to  certain  nobles 
of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  elected  for  the  purpose.  More- 
over, the  pope  accused  the  king  of,  after  the  death  of  tlie 
aforesaid  king  Alexander,  he  had  by  force  and  terror  subdued 
the  Scots  as  being  now  a  headless  nation,  destitute  of  the 
support  of  a  leader,  to  the  great  prejudice  and  injury  of  the 
Roman  church.  Adding,  that  when  the  lord  the  pope  commits 
the  execution  of  the  office  of  legate  in  the  kingdom  of  England 


A.T>.  1301.      LETTEB  OP  POPE  BONIFACB.  537 

to  any  person,  either  for  the  sake  of  the  payment  of  the  tenth, 
or  for  any  other  reasonahle  cause ;  and  when  this  officer's 
legateship  is  not  extended  over  the  aforesaid  kingdom  of 
Scotland  hy  letters,  and  an  especial  decree  of  the  Apostolic 
See,  the  Scots  have  a  right  to  resist  and  oppose  such  a  legate- 
ship, as  notoriously  happened  in  the  time  of  Adrian  of  hlessed 
memory.  For  the  legate  himself  was  for  some  time  not  ad- 
mitted to  the  aforesaid  kingdom  of  Scotland,  until  the  office 
of  legate  to  that  country  was  included  in  his  commission  hy 
special  letters  from  the  Apostolic  See. 

He  also  added,  that  the  same  kingdom  had  heen  converted 
to  the  unity  of  the  Catholic  faith  hy  the  venerable  relics  of  the 
blessed  apostle  Peter,  but  without  the  especial  interposition 
of  the  Deity.  And  that  in  former  days,  the  archbishop  of  York, 
who  was  in  office  at  the  time,  having  raised  the  question  of 
his  rights  as  metropolitan  over  the  prelates  of  Scotland  before 
the  pope,  could  not  obtain  sentence  in  his  favour. 

By  these  arguments  contained  in  his  letters,  the  lord  the 
pope  endeavoured  to  persuade  the  king  to  permit  the  bishops 
and  abbots  elect,  and  all  the  other  citizens  of  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland  whom  he  was  detaining  in  prison,  to  depart  in  free- 
dom, and  to  recall  his  officers  from  the  above-mentioned 
kingdom  of  Scotland,  whom  he  had  appointed  and  placed 
there,  to  the  prejudice,  injury,  and  grave  scandal  of  the  faithful 
people,  so  that  he  might  become  more  acceptable  and  pleasing 
to  God,  and  might  by  his  conduct  in  this  respect  more  fully 
obtain  the  favour  of  the  Apostolic  See.  And  if  he  should 
assert  that  he  had  any  rights  over  the  aforesaid  kingdom  of 
ScotUnd,  or  over  any  part  of  it,  the  pope  desired  him  to  send 
procurators  and  ambassadors  specially  appointed  for  this  very 
purpose,  and  furnished  with  all  the  laws  and  documents  which 
related  to  the  subject,  to  the  Apostolic  See ;  where  he  should 
receive  the  full  complement  of  justice  touching  the  matter. 

The  pope  commands  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury  to  present  to 
the  king  of  Dngland  the  letters  which  he  addresses  to  him  on 
lehdfof  ike  Scots. 

'*  Boniface,  bishop,  and  servant  of  the  servants  of  God,  to 
the  venerable  brother,  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  health  and 
oar  apostolic  benediction. 

"  The  frequent  and  often-repeated  assertions  of  men  worthy 
of  credit,  and  also  the  voice  of  common  report  has  brought  to 


538  HATTHKW  07  V£8TKl58TStt.  '      A.D.  130]. 

our  earn  the  excesses,  annoyances,  troubles,  losses,  mischiefs, 
and  injuries  which  have  been  inflected  by  our  most  beloved 
Son  in  Christ,  Edward,  the  illustrious  king  of  England,  and 
his  officers,  and  his  nation,  upon  the  kingdom  of  Scotland, 
and  the  prelates,  clergy,  and  other  ecclesiastical  persons,  both 
of  the  religious  orders  and  of  the  secular  body,  and  upon  the 
churches,  monasteries,  and  other  religious  places,  and  upon  the 
inhabitants  and  natives  of  the  aforesaid  kingdom,  and  on  their 
property  which  has  been  attacked.  And  we,  being  aawilling, 
as,  mdeed,  we  hare  no  right,  to  pass  over  such  things  in  silence, 
do  exhort  this  king  by  these  our  serious  letters  which  we  send 
to  you,  to  be  by  you  presented  to  him,  to  cause  the  biahops, 
and  clergy,  and  ecclesiastical  persons  of  the  said  kingdom, 
whom  he  is  said  still  to  detain  as  prisoners,  to  be  restored  to 
their  former  liberty,  and  to  recall  the  officers  whom  he  is  stated 
to  have  appointed  in  the  said  kingdom,  and  to  send  into  our 
presence  procurators  and  ambassadors  appointed  by  himself, 
with  all  his  laws  and  documents,  if  he  imagines  that  he  has 
any  right  over  the  aforesaid  kingdom,  or  over  any  part  of  it. 

"  ALbo,  all  actions,  and  questions,  and  controversies  what- 
soever, which  may  have  arisen  between  king  Edward  and  the 
aforesaid  kingdom  of  Scotland,  and  the  prelates,  clergy,  and 
secular  persons  of  the  same  kingdom,  and  all  such  as  may 
hereafter  arise  in  respect  of  any  of  the  past  causes ;  and  the 
whole  business  we  by  our  aforesaid  letters  do  bring  back  to, 
and  reserve  for,  the  decision  and  determination  of  the  Apos- 
tolic See ;  and  we  do  decree  that  if  any  thing  to  the  contrary 
be  either  knowingly  or  ignorantly  attempted  by  any  one  in 
this  matter,  it  shall  be  null  and  void. 

*'  Wherefore  we,  by  these  our  apostolic  letters,  do  enjoin 
your  fraternity,  in  virtue  of  your  obedience  and  under  pain  of 
suspension  from  the  administration  of  spiritual  and  temporal 
things,  strictly  ordering  you  to  present  these  our  letters  before 
mentioned  to  the  aforesaid  king,  without  any  hindrance  or 
delay,  and  to  effectually  encourage  and  persuade  him  to  re- 
ceive what  we  write  to  him,  and  to  acquiesce  in  our  exhorta- 
tions. And  I  desire  you  faithfully  and  seriously  to  inform  us 
of  the  day  on  which  you  present  him  with  the  aforesaid  letters, 
and  of  all  that  you  do  with  respect  to  them,  and  of  whatever 
answer  he  gives,  or  whatever  he  does  in  the  matter,  by  your 
own  letters  patent,  which  shall  contain  a  full  account  of  tiieae 


A .  D .  13G1.       LSTTSBS  OF  POPS.  BONIPACE.  539 

affiniTs.    Given  at  Anagni,  on  the  twenty-eighth  of  Jane,  in  the 
fifth  year  of  our  pontificate/' 

The  Itetters  addressed  hy  pope  Boniface  to  Edwa/rd  the  First,  king 
of  England,  to  tell  him,  that  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  belongs  to 
the  Moman  Chvrch. 

**  Boniface,  hishop,  serrant  of  the  servants  of  God,  to  our 
most  beloved  son  in  Christ,  Edward,  the  illustrious  king  of 
England,  health  and  onr  apostolical  benediction. 

<*  We  know,  my  son,  and  experience,  which  teaches  men 
the  character  of  things  in  a  long  course  of  time,  has  shown  us 
bow  the  affectionate  zeal  of  that  reverence  towards  your  mo* 
ther,  the  Roman  church,  which  guides  you  in  the  bowels  of 
kingly  charity  and  affection,  flourishes ;  and  that  you  do  always 
promptly  obey,  and  acquiesce  in,  the  true  decrees  of  our 
Apostolic  See.  Wherefore  we  entertain  a  firm  hope,  and  feel 
a  full  confidence,  that  your  royal  highness  will  kindly  receive 
onr  words,  and  carefully  understand  them,  and  effectually 
execute  them. 

*'  It  may,  indeed,  have  come  to  the  knowledge  of  your  high- 
ness, and  we  do  not  at  all  doubt  that  it  is  contained  in  the 
list  of  your  memory,  how  from  ancient  times  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland  has  of  full  right  belonged,  and  is  still  well  known  to 
belong,  to  the  aforesaid  church  ;  and  that  as  we  have  received 
it,  it  has  never  been  under  any  feudal  subjection  to  your  an- 
cestors, the  kings  of  England,  nor  is  it  so  now  to  you.  We 
have  heard  how  Henry  of  illustrious  memory,  king  of  England, 
and  your  father,  in  the  time  of  discord  or  war  which  existed 
between  himself  and  a  certain  Simon  de  Montfort,  and  his 
partisans  and  adherents,  requested  assistance  to  be  furnished 
to  him  by  Alexander,  king  of  that  same  land  of  Scotland,  and 
son-in-law  of  Henry  himself.  And  in  order  that  this  help  so 
furnished  might  not  be  considered  as  having  been  either  asked 
or  given  in  consequence  of  any  subjection  or  right  claimed, 
the  aforesaid  Henry  thought  proper  to  grant  his  letters  patent 
to  the  king  of  Scotland,  in  which  he  distinctly  acknowledged 
that  he  had  only  received,  or  was  only  going  to  receive,  the 
aforesaid  aid  as  a  special  favour.  Moreover,  when,  in  process 
of  time,  you  desired  to  have  the  presence  of  the  aforesaid  king 
of  Scotland,  your  sister's  husband,  then  alive,  at  the  solemnity 
of  your  coronation,  you  took  care  to  assure  him  by  letters 
patent,  under  your  own  hand,  that  you  asked  for  it  not  as  a 


540  MATTHSW  OF  WE8THIK8TEB.  A.D.  1301. 

right  dae,  bat  only  as  a  favour.  Also,  when  that  same  king 
appeared  in  your  presence,  to  do  you  the  customary  homage 
for  the  knds  of  l^ndale  and  Penrith,  which  are  situated  in 
the  realm  of  England,  he,  in  the  very  act  of  doing-  you  that 
homage,  in  the  presence  of  many  persons,  did  openly  and  dis- 
tinctly declare,  by  word  of  mouth,  that  he  was  doing  you  that 
homage  only  for  those  lands  which  were  situated  in  Enghmdi 
and  not  as  king  of  Scotland,  nor  for  the  kingdom  of  Scotland. 
Moreover,  he  openly  protested  that  he  was  in  no  respect  bound 
to  do  or  perform  any  homage  to  you  for  that  kingdom,  inas- 
much as  it  was  in  no  respect  subject  to  you.  And  you  ac- 
cepted his  homage  and  fealty  in  those  terms. 

"  Also,  it  is  believed  that  it  cannot  have  escaped  your  me- 
mory how,  when  the  aforesaid  king  of  Scotland  was  removed 
from  this  world,  the  damsel  Maigaret,  your  own  niece,  who 
was  then  under  age,  being  left  his  heiress,  the  guardianship  of 
the  aforesaid  kingdom  did  not  come  to  you  as  the  superior 
lord,  but  certain  nobles  of  that  kingdom  were  elected  to  be 
the  guardians  of  it,  and  that  afterwards  a  dispensation  was 
obtained  from  the  Apostolic  See,  to  permit  a  marriage  to  be 
contracted  between  our  dear  son,  the  noble  Edward,  your  son, 
and  the  aforesaid  Margaret,  while  she  was  still  alive,  provided 
the  assent  of  the  nobles  of  the  aforesaid  kingdom  was  procured 
or  given  to  it ;  and  you  are  known  to  have  persuaded  these 
nobles,  by  letters  written  by  yourself,  before  they  would  con- 
sent to  such  a  marriage,  promising  them  that  the  kingdom 
itself  should  remain  entirely  free,  and  in  no  respect  subordinate 
or  subject  to  any  one,  for  ever ;  and  that  it  should  be  in  all 
respects  restored  to  its  previous  state,  if  it  should  happen  that 
there  was  no  issue  to  the  marriage  so  to  be  contracted,  and 
should  retain  its  name  and  honours  as  before,  both  in  main- 
taining its  own  laws,  and  in  the  appointment  of  the  officers  of 
the  kingdom,  and  in  holding  parliaments,  and  trying  causes 
within  the  kingdom  itself,  and  also  in  the  right  possessed  by 
all  its  inhabitants,  of  not  being  summoned  to  trial  out  of  the 
kingdom.  And  you  recollect  that  all  these  things  are  known 
to  be  more  fully  and  seriously  contained  in  your  own  letters 
patent  drawn  up  on  this  subject. 

"  Moreover,  when  the  aforesaid  Margaret  was  removed  from 
this  world,  and  when,  in  consequence,  there  arose  a  subject  for 
dissension  among  the  different  parties  of  the  kingdom,  respect- 
ing the  succession  to  the  aforesaid  kingdom  of  Scotland,  the 


A.D.  1301 .  IBTTBES  OF  POPE  BONIPACB.  54 1 

nobles  fearing  that,  in  consequence  of  such  an  opportunity, 
injury  to  themselves  and  their  aforesaid  kingdom  might  be 
engendered,  would  not  come  into  your  presence  beyond  the 
borders  of  the  kingdom,  till  a  provision  was  first  granted  to 
them  by  you,  by  an  especial  patent  deed,  that  this  was  done 
by  them  not  out  of  right,  but  as  a  special  favour,  and  that 
from  that  act  no  harm  could  accrue  to  the  Uberties  of  your 
kingdom. 

**  And  although,  as  it  is  said,  some  things  in  respect  of  the 
<xm8titution  of  this  same  kingdom  of  Scotland,  and  of  its  pre- 
viously estabhshed  liberties,  as  the  kingdom  itself  waa  at  that 
time  deprived  of  the  protection  of  any  defender,  were  altered 
and  innovated  upon  in  a  way  contrary  to  all  ancient  precedent 
by  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom,  who  were  at  that  time  without 
a  head  as  it  were,  and  divided,  and  destitute  of  the  guidance 
of  a  charioteer,  or  else  by  him  to  whom  you  are  said  to  have 
unduly  entrusted  the  government  of  the  said  kingdom,  still 
these  things,  as  having  been  brought  about  by  fear  and  violence, 
which  may  at  times  influence  even  consistent  and  brave  men, 
ought  by  no  means  to  be  allowed  to  stand  as  rightfully  done, 
as  to  redound  to  the  prejudice  of  the  kingdom.  Still  we  are 
by  no  means  in  doubt»  or  rather  we  are  certain,  that  when  the 
pre-eminent  authority  of  the  ApostoUc  See  does  by  his  letters 
commit  the  execution  of  the  office  of  legate  ,in  the  kingdoms 
of  England  [and  Scotland]  to  any  person,  so  when,  for  any 
cause  which  it  considers  reasonable,  it  enjoins  the  payment  of 
tenths,  apostolic  letters  of  this  sort  do  not  at  all  extend  to  the 
aforesaid  kingdom  of  Scotland,  since  a  special  privilege  of  the 
aforesaid  see,,  which  has  been  granted  to  the  Scots,  utterly  pre- 
vents it,  as  notoriously  happened  in  the  time  of  pope  Adrian 
of  blessed  memory,  our  predecessor,  and  of  Saint  Adrian,  car- 
dinal deacon,  and  at  that  time  legate  in  those  kingdoms,  ap- 
pointed by  letters  of  the  Apostolic  See,  and  with  whom  we 
ourselves  were  intimate.  For  he  being  legate,  was  not  at  all 
admitted  into  the  aforesaid  kingdom  of  Scotland,  until,  by  special 
letters  of  the  Apostolic  See,  &e  office  of  legate  in  that  realm 
was  conferred  on  him.  Moreover,  your  royal  highness  may 
know  how  that  kingdom  itself  was,  by  the  venerable  relics  of 
the  blessed  apostle  Andrew,  gained  over  and  converted  to  the 
unity  of  the  Catholic  faith,  not  without  the  great  mercy  of  the 
Divine  Godhead.  You  also  know  that  in  that  ancient  times 
the  archbishop  of  York  of  that  day  raised  the  question  of  his 


542  MATTH2W  OF  WEBTMIF8TS1L  AJD.  1301. 

metropolitaii  authority  over  the  prelates  of  Scotland,  which  he 
claimed  as  an  ancient  right,  and  how  he  fared  in  that  matter ; 
and  rememher,  not  to  dwell  upon  the  other  circumstances 
which  happened  in  connection  with  it,  that  he  was  unahle  to 
obtain  sentence  in  his  favour ;  and  there  are  many  and  yariooB 
other  arguments  which  offer  themselves  to  us  very  reasonably 
on  this  subject,  by  which  we  are  moved  to  write  thus  to  you, 
but  which  we  will  forbear  to  enumerate,  lest,  perchance,  we 
weary  your  senses  by  the  long  recital. 

'"These  things,  my  dearest  son,  it  behoves  you  carefully  to  con- 
sider and  diligently  to  ponder  on,  in  the  recesses  of  your  breast ; 
and  the  conseauence  of  them  is,  that  no  one  can  doubt  that  the 
aforesaid  kingaom  of  Scotknd  belongs  to  the  aforesaid  Roman 
Church  of  Rome ;  and  it  neither  is,  nor  ever  has  been,  lawful 
for  you  to  subdue  it  by  violence,  and  to  reduce  it  under  your  do- 
minion, to  the  prejudice  of  that  Church  and  of  many  persons. 
But  as  an  account  worthy  of  all  behef,  and  already  several  times 
inculcated  in  our  ears,  and  borne  to  us  by  the  statements  of 
preceding  reports,  asserts,  you,  not  considering  the  arguments 
recapitulated  above,  as  you  ought  to  have  done,  nor  examining 
them  with  due  deliberation,  but  being  exceedingly  desirous  to 
occupy  that  kingdom  and  to  reduce  it  under  your  dominion, 
now  that  it  is  deprived  of  the  support  of  its  king,  and  putting 
forth  for  that  purpose  all  your  might  and  power,  have  arrested, 
as  it  is  said,  and  thrown  into  prison  and  into  chains,  our  vene- 
rable brothers  Robert,  bishop  of  Glasgow,  and  Mark,  bishop 
of  Sodor,  and  some  of  the  other  clerks  and  ecclesiastical  per- 
sons of  the  aforesaid  kingdom,  some  of  whom,  as  it  is  asserted, 
the  miserable  hardships  of  the  imprisonment  have  killed.  More- 
over, having,  as  it  is  reported,  occupied  the  castles,  and  having 
pulled  down  or  destroyed  the  monasteries  and  a  great  many 
other  religious  places,  and  having  inflicted  grievous  wrongs  on 
the  inhabitants  of  the  aforesaid  kingdom,  you  have  placed 
royal  officers  in  parts  of  the  same  kingdom,  who  have  not 
feared  to  harass  and  attack  by  all  kinds  of  annoyances  and 
afflictions  the  prelates  and  the  rest  of  the  clergy  ana  ecclesias- 
tical and  also  secular  persons  of  the  aforesaid  kingdom^  to 
the  offence  of  the  Divine  Majesty,  the  contempt  of  the  afore- 
said Apostolic  See,  the  damage  of  the  royal  salvation  and 
character,  the  violation  of  law,  and  the  grave  scandal  of  many 
faithful  believers. 

'*  Therefore,  we  do  earnestly  request  and  exhort  your  royal 
magnificence,  and  we  beseech  you  by  Him  who  is  the  common 


Jw  .D.  1301.         CBBTHTOATIOW  01'  THB  AJtCHBISHOP.  543 

Sayiour  of  aU  men,  that  yoo,  carefully  consideruig  tliat»  aecord- 
ing  to  the  duty  of  that  pastoral  oj£ce  which  rests  upon  our 
slioolders,  we  are  bound  anxiously  to  uphold  and  maintain  all 
Ztte  property  and  rights  of  the  afbresaid  church,  and  that  we 
are  not  able  to  prefer  serving  man  rather  than  God,  nor  ought 
-we  to  do  so.  And  we  therefore  beg  of  you  to  cause  the  afore- 
said bishops,  clerks,  and  ecclesiastical  persons,  whom  your 
royal  prison  still  keeps  shut  up,  to  be  restored  to  their  former 
liberty,  out  of  reverence  for  this  divine  and  Apostolic  See,  and 
for  ourselves,  without  any  obstacle  of  dificulty  or  delay ;  and 
also  to  recall  your  officers  before  mentioned  from  the  aforesaid 
Idngdom  of  Scotland.  And  we  hope  and  desire  to  find  you 
iBvith  prompt  and  effectual  zeal  ready  to  comply  with  these  our 
inrishes  in  this  matter,  that  so  you  may  be  deservedly  rendered 
more  acceptable  to,  and  considered  more  favourably  by  the 
King  of  Heaven,  who  requites  small  things  with  great  ones ;  and 
that  besides  the  panegyric  of  human  praise  which  will  accrue 
to  you  from  that  conduct,  you  may  more  abundantly  earn  the 
favour  and  approbation  of  the  Apostolic  See. 

**  But  if  you  assert  that  you  have  any  right  over  this  same 
kingdom  of  Scotland,  or  any  part  of  it,  then  we  will  that  you 
do  not  forbear  to  send  your  procurators  and  ambassadors 
specially  appointed  for  this  object,  with  all  laws  and  documents 
in  your  possession  which  bear  upon  this  subject,  within  six 
months,  to  be  counted  from  your  receipt  of  these  present  letters, 
as  we  are  ready  to  render  you  full  justice  on  the  above  subject 
aB  our  beloved  son,  and  inviolably  to  uphold  your  rights,  if  you 
have  any.  And  by  the  tenor  of  these  present  letters,  we  do 
recall  and  reserve  to  our  own  decision  all  actions,  questions, 
and  controversies  whatsoever,  arising  between  you  and  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland,  and  the  prelates,  clergy,  and  secular 
persons  of  that  same  kingdom,  as  also  all  which  can  arise  for 
the  future  from  any  of  the  causes  above  mentioned,  and,  in  short, 
every  matter  which  has  any  reference  to  the  aforesaid  business 
or  any  part  of  it,  decreeing  that  if  anything  shall  be,  either 
knowingly  or  ignorantly,  attempted  by  any  one,  in  respect  of 
this  matter,  contrary  to  this  our  command,  it  shall  be  null  and 
void.  Given  at  Anagni,  on  the  twenty-seventh  of  June,  in  the 
fifth  year  of  our  pontificate." 

I7ie  certification  of  the  archhishop  sent  to  the  lord  the  pope  re- 
specting the  affairs  of  Scotland, 

"  To  the  most  holy  father  in  Christ,  and  his  revered  lord. 


544  KJLTTHXW  or  WE8TKIX8TEB.  A.D.  1301. 

if  it  80  pleases  him,  the  brd  Boni&ce,  by  cU^ine  Providence, 
sapreme  pontiff  of  the  holy  Roman  universal  church,  his 
devout  son  Robert,  by  divine  permission,  the  humble  minister 
of  the  church  of  Canterbury,  sends  kisses  of  his  blessed  feet, 
with  all  readiness  to  obey  his  papal  mandates  and  precepts  to 
the  uttermost  of  his  power. 

**  I  have  lately  received  the  mandate  of  your  holy  and  re- 
verend paternity  under  a  bull  of  lead,  containing  the  com- 
mands set  down  below. 

"  *  Boniface,  bishop,  &c.'     '  The  frequent  and  oft^n-re- 
peated  assertions  of  men  worthy  of  credit,'  &c.,  reciting  the 
whole  of  the  preceding  bull  word  for  word.     The  bearer  of 
which  brought  me  also  some  apostoUc  letters,  addressed  to  the 
noble  pnnce  the  lord  Edward,  by  the  grace  of  God,  the  illus- 
trious king  of  England,  to  be  immediately  presented  by  me  to 
him,  according  to  the  injunction  of  your  paternity,  being  in 
the  same  context  with  the  letters  to  myself.    And  having  re- 
verently received  and  had  immediately  read  to  me  that  your 
command,  together  with  the  letters  which  are  mentioned  above, 
I  prepared  my  baggage,  and  carriages,  and  expenses,  and  ar- 
ranged my  household  from  day  to  day,  in  order  to  set  out  to 
deliver  and  explain  those  your  letters  to  th^  lord  the  king, 
which  were  committed  to  me  for  that  purpose  ;  as  the  king 
was  at  that  time  in  the  most  remote  districts  of  his  kingdom, 
on  the  borders  of  Scotland,  twenty  moderate  days'  journey,  or 
thereabouts,  firom  the  place  where  I  received  your  command. 
And  before  I,  travelling  incessantly,  and  with  all  haste,  could 
arrive  at  the  city  of  Carlisle,  which  is  on  the  borders  of  Scot- 
limd,  the  same  king  with  his  army  entered  a  part  of  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland,  which,  is  called  Gralway.     And  when, 
after  a  diligent  investigation,  I  had  discovered  from  some  se- 
cular persons,  and  from  some  belonging  to  religious  orders, 
who  being  men  worthy  of  all  credit,  and  well  acquainted  with 
the  country,  that  I  could  not  get  safe  access  to  the  king,  who 
had  advanced  as  far  as  Kircudbright  in  the  most  difficult  part 
of  Galway ;  nevertheless,  for  the  sake  of  the  Scots,  who  were 
without  any  head  or  any  governor,  and  also  because  of  other 
robbers  who  were  thirsting  for  the  plunder  and  slaughter  of 
the  English,  who  with  the  general  of  their  army  had  occupied 
the  middle  of  the  ground  between  Carlisle  and  the  lord  the 
king  himself,  who  was  at  a  distance  from  that  city  of  about 
forty  miles,  since,  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  provisions  and 


A.D.  1301.      CEBTinCATIOK  OF  THE   AECHBISHOP.  545 

of  lodging,  they,  being  in  the  middle  of  the  road,  since  the 
whole  country  was  laid  waste,  could  neither  find  their  way  nor 
procure  guides  across  it.  I,  because  of  the  necessity  under 
which  I  was  placed  to  show  my  obedience  on  the  one  side^ 
even  through  such  great  dangers,  in  parts  so  remote  from  my 
diocese  and  province,  which,  on  the  other  hand,  were  not  much 
interested  in  the  affair ;  and  especially  as  I  could  not  find  any 
one,  among  either  the  religious  orders  or  the  secular  clergy, 
who  would  dare  to  carry  verbal  news  of  my  arrival  to  the 
Scots,  or  my  letters  either,  because  of  the  danger  in  which  his 
life  would  have  been,  or  to  ask  a  safe  conduct  for  me  from 
them ;  seeking  out  another  remedy  as  well  as  I  could,  I  sent 
two  of  my  household  to  the  lord  the  king  before  mentioned, 
with  my  letters,  sending  them  in  a  vessel  across  some  dan- 
gerous channels  of  the  sea ;  informing  him  by  letter  of  my 
arrival  and  its  object,  and  requesting  that,  out  of  his  reverence 
for  the  Apostolic  See,  of  which  I  was  the  ambassador,  he 
would  tell  them  how,  when,  and  where  I  could  come  to  him  with 
safety,  as  far  as  the  dangers  of  the  roads  were  concerned, 
which  also  I  mentioned  to  him  in  the  same  letter.  And  his 
reply  was  conveyed  to, me  in  royal  letters  by  the  same  ambas- 
sadors, who  escaped  no  inconsiderable  danger,  both  by  sea 
and  land,  in  going  and  returning.  And  in  these  letters  it  was 
told  me,  that  the  lord  the  king  knew  of  no  perfect  safety  for 
me  by  which  I  might  avoid  the  aforesaid  dangers,  unless  I 
came  with  the  lady  queen,  his  wife,  for  whom  he  had  sent,  to 
the  district  of  Gerewitas,  to  a  place  where  he  proposed  to 
meet  that  princess ;  since  he  had  no  vessel  in  which  I  could 
be  conveyed  by  sea  with  my  horses  and  necessary  retinue  of 
servants  and  friends ;  and  so,  while  my  messengers  were 
passing  over  amid  so  much  danger  to  the  king,  the  winds 
being  constantly  violent  and  contrary,  I  was  staying  on  the 
borders  of  Scotland,^  seeking  &om  place  to  place  for  a  suffi- 
ciency rather  than  for  an  abundance  of  food,  waiting  not  so 
much  distressfully  as  anxiously  nearly  six  weeks  for  an  oppor- 
tunity of  a  more  secure  progress  towards  the  king.  After- 
wards, when,  in  consequence  of  my  careful  enquiries,  I  heard 
that  the  aforesaid  lord  the  king,  in  returning  with  his  army 
towards  the  castle  of  Gaerlandrok,  which  he  had  previously 
taken,  had  pitched  his  camp  in  Scotland,  near  the  New  Abbey 
of  Duzquer,  in  Galway,  I,  preferring  to  expose  myself,  and  my 
friends,  and  my  property  to  danger,  rather  than  thus  to  lan- 

VOL.  II.  N  N 


546  MATTHEW  OF  WKfiKncmSTBB.  A.S.  1301. 

goi^  a  long  tigie  in  such  remote,  and,  to  a  certain  extent, 
desert  districts,  away  from  my  diocese  and  proyince,  con- 
cealing myself  in  certain  secret  places  near  the  sea  which 
divides  England  from  Galway,  taking  advantage  of  an  oppor- 
tunity, and  being  guided  at  ebb-tide  by  men  who  were  bound 
not  to  be  ignorant  of  the  passes  of  the  road,  I  passed  with  my 
horses  and  equipages  over  four  passes  across  the  water  nesr 
the  coast,  dangerous  rather  in  name  than  by  reason  of  any 
depth  of  water,  and  hazardous  at  the  beginning  and  end  of 
them  from  the  nature  of  the  shore  and  the  quicksands ;  and  so 
1  arrived,  as  it  were,  unexpectedly,  on  the  Friday  next  afler 
the  feast  of  Saint  Bartholomew  the  Apostle  last  past,  in  the 
presence  of  the  lord  the  king,  who  was  then  in  the  middle  of 
his  army,  and  at  dinner  ;  and  because*  as  he  said,  he  could 
not  find  any  leisure  that  day,  he  sent  me  a  message  late  on  that 
day  by  two  of  his  most  powerful  earls,  who  at  that  time  were 
with  him,  that  the  next  day,  that  is  to  say,  on  the  ensuing 
Sabbath,  he  would  cheerfully  Usten  to  me. 

"  Therefore,  when  the  day  of  the  sabbath  arrived,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  that  most  devout  youth  the  lord  Edward,  son  of  the 
aforesaid  king,  and  of  the  earls,  barons,  and  the  other  knights 
of  his  army,  assembled  in  great  numbers,  and  standing  by  the 
aforesaid  lord  their  king,  having  read  to  them  your  before- 
mentioned  message,  which  had  been  transmitted  to  me,  I,  by 
the  authority  of  the  aforesaid  message,  presented  to  him  the 
letters  of  your  most  holy  paternity,  directed  to  the  aforesaid 
lord  the  king ;  and  the  lord  the  king,  reverently  receiving 
them,  caused  them  to  be  publicly  read  before  all  then  and 
there  present,  and  to  be  plainly  translated  into  the  French 
language.  And  when  they  had  been  patiently  listened  to  by 
every  one  present,  I  encouraged  and  persuaded  him,  by  all  the 
means  that  I  cduld  think  of  and  know  of,  in  all  respects  reve- 
rently to  obey  your  exhortation  as  far  as  they  were  explained 
to  him  in  the  letters  above  mentioned.  Afterwards,  when  I 
departed  from  his  presence  with  my  clergy  at  his  command, 
in  order  that  he  might  deliberate  x)n  the  matter  with  his 
nobles,  he  presently  recalled  me,  and  replied  to  me  in  their 
presence  in  the  following  words,  uttered  by  the  mouth  of  some 
other  person." 

Ths  reply  gi/oen  to  the  arehhishop  of  Canterhwry  in  answer  to  the 
apoitolte  ieiters. 

"  My  lord  archbishop,  you,  on  the  part  of  the  superior  and 


A.D.  1301.   THE  KHra  COKTOKXS  A  COXTKCIL  AT  LINCOLN.     547 

reverend  father,  the  lord  pope,  have  addressed  to  us  a  certain 
admonition  toaching  the  state  and  rights  of  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland ;  bat  because  it  is  the  custom  of  the  kingdom  of 
England,  that  in'  all  matters  affecting  the  state  of  the  said 
kingdom,  the  counsel  of  all  those  whom  the  matter  concerns 
should  be  sought,  and  as  the  present  business  of  the  kingdom 
of  Scotland  concerns  the  constitution  and  rights  of  the  king- 
dom of  England,  and  as  many  prelates,  earls,  barons,  and 
other  nobles  of  the  kingdom  of  England  are  absent,  who  are 
not,  and  have  not,  been  in  this  army,  but  who  have,  an  interest 
in  the  business  here  spoken  of,  withont  consulting  whom  no 
final  answer  can  be  given  to  either  the   aforesaid  supreme 
father  or  to  you.     Accordingly,  with  reference  to  this  subject, 
the  lord  the  king  intends,  as  soon  as  he  conveniently  can,  to 
consult  both  those  who  are  present  and  those  wh6  are  absent, 
on  the  contents  of  the  letters  of  the  aforesaid  father,  and  to 
discuss  there  with  them  deliberately,  and  by  ambassadors  of 
his  own  to  give  an  answer  respecting  them  to  the  supreme, 
pontiff,  in  accordance  with  their  common  advice.     And  this 
reply  thus  made  in  his  name  and  in  his  presence,  the  king 
ratified  and  expressly  approved.      Accordingly,  when,  after 
having  received  such  a  reply  in  the  presence  of  such  a  nume- 
rous body  of  nobles  and  other  persons  worthy  of  credit,  I  had 
departed  from  his  presence  and  returned  towards  my  home 
again,  I  heard  that  the  said  lord  the  king,  immediately  within 
four  days  after  my  departure,  had  returned  with  his  army 
into  England,  and  that  each  of  the  knights  belonging  to  his 
army  had  returned  home  with  his  horses  and  arms,  and  that 
the  lord  the  king,  his  army  being  thus  dispersed,  and  having 
but  a  few  comrades  retained  around  him,  purposed  to  stay,  as 
was  commonly  said,  at  a  certain  abbey  which  is  caUed  Holm- 
coltran,  on  the  borders  of  Scotland,  on  the  coast.     And  thus 
I  reverently  executed  your  commission  in  every  respect,  with 
all  the  diligence  that  I  was  able.     May  your  apostolical  high- 
ness fare  well  always,  and  increase  in  the  Lord,  to  the  good 
government  of  his  church. 

"  Given  at  Otteford,  on  the  eighth  of  October,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  thirteen  hundred." 

The  king  having,  after  some  deliberation,  convoked  a  council 
at  Lincoln,  for  the  purpose  of  framing  a  declaration  of  his 
rights,  wrote  back  letters  of  the  following  tenor,  as  an  answer 
to  those  from  the  Apostolic  See. 


548  MATTHEW  OF  WBSTMDfSTKK.  A.l>.  1301. 

The  Answer  of  Edward,  king  of  England,  respecting  the  affaire  of 
Seotlandy  sent  to  pope  Boniface. 

"  To  the  most  boly  father  in  Christ,  the  lord  Boniface,  by 
divine  permission,  &e.,  Edward  .  .  .  &c. 

"  What  is  written  below  we  send  to  be  shown  to  yoa,  not  in 
the  form  or  shape  of  a  judicial  paper,  but  as  a  wholly  extra- 
judicial writing,  for  the  sake  of  preserving  the  consistency  of 
your  sacred  paternity.  The  supreme  inspector  of  hearts  knows 
that  it  is  inscribed  by  an  indelible  pen  on  the  tablet  of  your 
memory,  that  our  predecessors  and  progenitors,  the  kings  of 
England,  have,  from  the  most  ancient  times  that  it  is  possible 
to  go  back  to,  been  lords  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  and  of 
all  its  kings,  by  the  right  of  superior  and  direct  dominion  ;  and 
they  have  received  from  those  kings  and  from  those  of  the 
nobles  of  the  land,  from  whom  they  have  desired  to  receive 
them,  legal  homage  and  proper  oaths  of  fealty  for  the  king- 
dom of   Scotland.      We,  therefore,  continuing  this  kind  of 
possession  of  this  right  and  dominion  in  our  own  time,  have 
received  the  same  oaths  both  from  the  king  of  Scotland  and 
from  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom.     Moreover,  the  kings,   our 
predecessors,  rejoiced  in  a  prerogative  of  so  much  right  and 
dominion  over  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  and  its  kings,   that 
they  conferred  even  the  kingdom  itself  on  their  own  faithful 
subjects.     Also,  the  kings,  for  just  causes,  removed  some  and 
appointed  others  to  reign  in  their  stead  under  themselves, 
wluch  things  are  beyond  all  question  supposed  to  have  been 
from  old  time,  and  still  to  be  notorious  to  all  persons,  although, 
perhaps,  another  version  of  .the  case  may  have  been  suggested 
to  your  paternal  ears,  by  persons  jealous  of  peace,  sons  of  re- 
bellion, men  full  of  false  insinuations,  from  whose  designing 
and  deceitful  inventions  we  humbly  entreat  that  the  eyes  of 
your  holiness  may  be  averted ;  and  we  with  devout  affection 
entreat  your  paternal  clemency  and  excellency,  that,  for  the 
sake  of  brevity,  we  may  be  allowed  just  to  touch  on  one  or 
two  points  by  way  of  example,  with  all  due  respect  for  the 
achievements  of  ancient  times. 

''  In  the  time,  then,  of  the  Prophets  Eli  and  Samuel,  a  cer- 
tain gallant  and  illustrious  man,  by  name  Brutus,  of  Uie  Tro- 
jan race,  after  the  destruction  of  the  city  of  Troy,  landed,  with 
many  nobles  of  the  Trojans,  in  a  certain  island  which  was 
then  called  Albion,  inhabited  by  giants,  who  were  defeated 


JL.T>.  1301.      AN6WEB  OF  THE  KTSO  01*  EITGLAND.  549 

and  Blain  by  his  power  and  that  of  bis  followers  ;  and  then  be 
called  the  island  Britain,  after  his  own  name,  and  bis  compa- 
nions be  called  Britons,  and  he  built  a  city  which  be  called 
TrinoYantum,  and  which  is  now  called  London.     Afterwards, 
lie  divided  his  kingdom  among  his  three  sons,  giving  to  Loo- 
rin,  the  first-bom,  that  part  of  Britain  which  is  now  called 
ISngland ;  and  to  his  second  son,  Albanact,  that  part  which 
^was  then  called  Albany,  from  the  name  of  Albanact,  but  which 
is   now  called  Scotland ;  and  to  Camber,  his  youngest  sou, 
lie  gave  that  portion  which  at  the  time  received  the  name  of 
Cambria,  from  his  name,  but  which  is  now  called  Wales.    The 
royal  dignity  over  all  being  reserved  to  Locrin.     Accordingly, 
two  years  after  the  death  of  Brutus,  a  certain  king  of  the 
Huns,  by  name  Humber,  landed  in  Albany,  and  slew  Alba- 
nact, the  brother  of  Locrin ;  and  when  Locrin,  the  king  of  the 
Britons,  heard  this,  he  pursued  him,  and  he  fled,  and  was 
drowned  in  the  river  which  is  now  called  the  Humber,   from 
his  name,  and  in  this  way  Albany  reverted  to  Locrin.      At 
another  time,  DunwaUo,  king  of  the  Britons,  slew  Scotanus, 
king  of  Scotland,  who  rebelled  against  him,  and  compelled 
his  country  to  surrender  to  him.     Again,  the  two  sons  of 
Dunwallo,  namely,  Belinus  and  Brennius,  divided  the  king- 
dom of  their  father  between  them,  so  that  Belinus,  the  elder, 
took  the  crown  of  the  island  with  Britain,  Wales,  and  Corn- 
wall, and  Brennius,  reigning  under  him,  received  Scotland ; 
for  the  usages  of  the  Trojans  required  that  the  dignity  of  the 
inheritance  should  belong  to  the  first-bom.     Again,  Arthur, 
that  most  famous  king  of  the  Britons,  subjugated  Scotland 
when  it  rebelled  against  him,  and  almost  destroyed  the  whole 
nation ;  and  afterwards  made  a  person  named  Anselm  king 
of  Scotland.     And  when,  afterwards,  the  same  Arthur  was 
celebrating  a  most  renowned  feast  at  Caerleon,  all  the  kings 
who  were  subject  to  him  were  present  there,  among  whom, 
Anselm,  king  of  Scotland,  performing  due  service  for  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland,  carried  king  Arthur's  sword  before  him. 
And  in  like  manner,  all  the  kings  of  Scotland,  in  regular  suc- 
cession,' have  been  subjects  to  all  the  kings  of  the  Britons,  and 
to  all  the  succeeding  kings  of  England,  in  the  said  island,  who 
subsequently  obtained  the  monarchy  and  supreme  dominion. 

"After  these  events,  in  the  nine  hundred  and  seventh  year 
of  grace,  Edward  the  Elder,  son  of  king  Alfred,  and  grandson 
of  Ethelwolf,  king  of  England,  had  kept  all  the  kings  of  the 


650  MATTHEW, OF   WSSTMIHSTXB.  A.I>.   13CI. 

Scots,  the  Cambrians,  and  the  Stregewallians  [Welch]  in  sab- 
jection  and  sabmission  to  him  as  their  saperior  lord.  In  the  nine 
handred  and  thirty-third  year  of  grace,  Athelstan,  king  of 
Eng^d,  appointed  Constantine  to  reign  as  king  of  the  Scots 
under  himself,  saying,  '  that  it  was  more  glorious  to  make  a 
king  than  to  be  a  king.'     It  is  also  well  recollected,  that  the 
same  Athelstan,  at  the  intercession  of  the  holy  John  of  Be- 
verlac,  formerly  archbishop  of  York,  subdued  the  Scots  who 
were  rebelling  against  him,  and  then,  devoutly  giring  thanks 
to  Ood,  he  prayed  to  Gh>d,  begging  that,  by  Uie  intervention 
of  the  blessed  John,  some  manifest' sign  might  be  displayed  to 
him,  by  which  all  future  ages,  as  well  as  all  preceding  ones; 
might  be  assured  that  the  Scots  were  rightfully  subject  to 
the  kingdom  of  England ;  and,  seeing  some  rocks  conspicuous 
near  a  place  in  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  called  Dunbar,  he 
drew  his  sword  out  of  the  sheath,  and  struck  the  flint,  and  by 
that  sword-strpke,  the  power  of  God  being  the  real  agent,  the 
stone  was  hollowed  out  in  such  a  way,  that  the  size  of  the  hol- 
low was  equal  in  length  to  an  ell.     And  an  evident  proof  of 
this  fact  is  to  be  seen  in  the  church  of  Beverlac,  in  the  legend 
of  the  blessed  John,   of  which  it  is  read  as  a  miraculous 
fact  in  every  week  in  the  year,  to  the  praise  and  honour  of 
Saint  John.     And  it  is  a  matter  preserved  in  general  recollec- 
tion both  in  England  and  Scotland  to  this  present  day^ 

*'  Again,  Constantine,  king  of  Scotland,  and  Eugan,  king  of 
Cumberland,  coming  to  the  aforesaid  king  of  England,  Athel- 
stan, after  some  dispute  which  had  arisen  between  them,  sur- 
rendered themselves  and  their  kingdoms  to  this  same  Athel- 
Stan,  in  grateful  acknowledgment  of  which  action,  Athelstan 
himself  received  the  son  of  Constantine  from  the  sacred  font 
as  his  godfather.  In  the  year  of  grace  nine  hundred  and 
forty-eight,  the  Scots,  without  any  battle,  acknowledged  their 
subjection  to  Edred,  king  of  England,  and  swore  fealty  to  the 
same  king  Edred  as  their  lord.  Again,  in  the  nine  hundred 
and  seventy-fourth  year  of  grace,  when  Edgar,  king  of  Eng^ 
land,  had  subdued  Kinadius,  king  of  Engluid,  and  Malcolm, 
king  of  Cumberland,  and  the  king  of  the  many  isles,  by  name 
Mac,  and  five  other  small  longs,  namely,  Dunwal,  Siferth, 
Huwal,  Jacob,  and  Inchel,  he,  going  in  a  boat  down  the 
river  Dee,  sat  in  hii  vessel  near  the  head,  and  is  reported  to 
have  said,  that  now  his  successors  might  well  boast  that  they 
were  kings  of  England,  when  they  enjoyed  such  a  preroga- 


A.D.  1301.      ANSWISB  OF  THIS  KTSGt  OT  XITGLAND.  551 

tive  of  honour,  as  to  have  the  power  of  so  many  kings  subject 
to  them. 

*•  After  the  aforesaid  king  Edgar,  there  reigned  successively, 
as  kings  of  England,  the  lord  Edward  the  Martyr,  Ethelred, 
his  brother,  Edmund,  sumamed  Ironside,  son  of  Ethebred,  and, 
in  the  year  of  grace  one  thousand  and  seventeen,  Canute ;  all 
of  whom,  in  their  times,  peaceably  retained  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland  in  subjection  to  them,  with  this  single  exception, 
that  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  the  aforesaid  Canute, 
the  Scots  rebelled ;  but  Canute  at  once  led  an  expedition  into 
that  country,  and  with  very  little  trouble  subdued  Malcolm, 
king  of  Scotland,  and  the  aforesaid  Malcolm  became  subject 
to  him.  Canute  was  succeeded  as  king  of  England  by  Ha- 
rold, his  son,  and  by  Hardicanute,  brother  of  Harold,  one 
after  another,  who,  during  their  reigns,  always  preserved  the 
kingdom  of  England  in  peaceable  subjection.  In  the  thou- 
sand and  fifty-fourth  year  of  grace,  Saint  Edward,  king  of 
England,  gave  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  to  Malcolm,  son  of 
the  king  of  Cumberland,  to  be  held  by  him  under  himself. 
Again,  in  the  thousand  and  seventy-second  year  of  grace,  Wil- 
liam the  Bastard,  king  of  England,  a  kinsman  of  the  aforesaid 
Saint  Edward,  received  homage  from  Malcolm,  king  of  Scot- 
land,, as  his  subject.  In  the  year  of  grace  one  thousand  and 
ninety-one,  the  aforesaid  Malcolm,  king  of  Scotland,  took  the 
oath  of  fealty,  and  was  subject  to  WiUiam  Rufus,  king  of 
England. 

"  A.B.  1 092.  The  aforesaid  William  did,  for  just  reasons,  de- 
pose Bunewald  from  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  and  appointed 
Duncan,  son  of  Malcolm,  to  that  kingdom,  and  received 
from  him  honuige  and  the  oath  of  fealty.  And  when  the 
aforesaid  Duncan  had  been  treacherously  slain,  the  same  king 
William  again  deposed  Dunewald,  who  had"  a  second  time 
seized  on  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  and  appointed  Edgar,  son 
of  Malcolm,  king  of  Scotland,  and  gave  that  kingdom  to  him. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Alexander,  the  brother  of  Edgar,  with 
the  consent  of  king  nenry  the  FLrst,  the  brother  of  the  afore- 
said king  William  Bufus. 

''  A.B.  1 126.  David,  king  of  Scotland,  did  homage  and  swore 
fealty  to  the  empress  Matilda,  dfiughter  and  heiress  of  the 
aforesaid  king  Henry.  Again,  Henry,  the  son  of  the  aforesaid 
king  David,  ddd  homage  to  Stephen,  king  of  England.  Also 
William,  king  of  Scotland,  and  David,  his  son,  and  the  earls 


5o2  HATTfi£W  OJt  WSSTIOKSTSB.  JLD.  1301. 

and  barons  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  became  tlie  men  of 
pilnce  Henry,  son  of  king  Henry  the  Second,  on  the  day  afiker 
the  coronation  of  the  aforesaid  Henry,  son  of  king  Henry  Uie 
Second,  while  his  fiither  was  yet  ahve,  aad  swore  fealty  to-  him. 
for  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  i^ainst  all  men,  saving  only  the 
loyalty  which  they  owed  his  father,  who  was  still  alive.  Bat 
in  the  twentieth  year  of  the  reign  of  the  aforesaid  king  Henry 
the  Second,  the  aforesaid  Willmm,  king  of  Scotland,  begins 
ning  to  rebel,  came  into  Northamberland  with  a  large  army, 
and  committed  great  slaughter  among  the  people,  till  he  was 
encomitered  at  Alnwick  by  the  knights  of  the  coontyof  York, 
who  took  him  prisoner,  and  snrrendered  him  to  his  lord,  Henry, 
king  of  England.  And  in  the  following  year,  eleven  hundred 
and  seventy-five,  on  the  fourteenth  of  February,  the  same  king 
William  was  given  his  Hberty  and  allowed  to  depart ;  but  after-- 
wards,  at  York,  in  the  same  year,  on  the  twenty-sixth  of 
August,  the  same  William,  king  of  Scotland,  with  the  consent 
of  the*  prelates,  earls,  barons,  nobles,  and  other  chiefs  of  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland,  is  known  to  have  given  security  by  his 
letters  patent  to  his  lord  the  king  of  England,  Henry,  son  of 
the  empress  Matilda  before  mentioned,  that  he  and  his  heirs 
and  successors  the  kings  of  Scotland,  and  the  bishops,  abbots, 
earls,  barons,  and  other  men  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  (or 
as  many  of  them  as  king  Henry  wished  to  receive  it  from), 
would  do  homage  and  swear  feidty  and  allegiance  to  the  kings 
of  England  as  their  liege  lords  against  aU  men ;  and  in  token  of 
this  subjection,  the  same  William,  king  of  Scotland,  offered 
his  sword-hilt,  his  spear,  and  his  saddle  on  the  altar  of  the 
blessed  Peter  of  York,  and  they  remain  and  are  preserved  in 
that  church  to  this  day.  Also  the  bishops,  earls,  and  barons 
of  the  aforesaid  kingdom  of  Scotland  agreed  to  use  the  afore- 
said words  according  to  the  agreement  entered  into  with  the 
lord  the  king  of  England  and  Henry,  his  son.  But  if  the 
king  of  Scotland  were  by  any  chance  to  fall  off  from  his 
fidelity  to  the  king  of  England,  and  violate  the  agreement 
before  mentioned,  they  then  promised  to  stand  by  the  lord 
the  king  of  England  as  their  liege  lord,  in  opposition  to  the 
king  of  Scotland,  till  he  returned  to  his  loyal  obedience  to  the 
king  of  England ;  which  agreement,  of  happy  memory,  pope 
Gregory  the  Ninth,  in  several  letters  addressed  to  the  kings  of 
England  and  Scotland,  commanded  to  be  firmly  observed  ;  his 
letters  containing,  among  other  things,  a  statement  that  Wil« 


A.B.  1301.        JlSSWBR  of  the  KLSa  or  EKGLAirS.  553 

liam  and  Alexander,  kings  of  Scotland,  bad  done  liege  homage 
and  svorn  fealty  to  John  and  H«nry,  kings  of  England,  which 
homi^  and  fealty  their  successors  and  the  earls  and  barons  of 
the  kingdom  of  Scotland  are  bound  to  observe ;  and  also  that 
the  said  king  of  Scotland  was  the  liege  man  of  Henry,  king  of 
[England,  and  took  an  oath  of  fealty  to  him,  in  which  he  espe- 
cially bound  himself  to  attempt  nothing  whatever  to  the  injury 
of  the  kingdom  or  king  of  England.  And  pope  Clement, 
writing  to  Uie  king  of  England  on  behalf  of  John,  bishop  of 
Saint  Andrew's,  who  had  been  expelled  from  his  bishopric  by 
the  king  of  Scotland,  among  other  things  requested  him  to 
persuade  and  induce  William,  king  of  Scotland,  and,  if  it  should 
be  necessary,  to  compel  him  by  his  royal  severity,  which  he  is 
entitled  to  use  towards  him  as  a  father,  and  because  of  his 
having  granted  royal  power  to  his  highness,  to  abandon  all  his 
rancour  of  mind  against  the  bishop,  and  to  permit  him  to  re- 
tain his  diocese  in  peace.  And  after  the  aforesaid  agreement 
in  the  church  of  the  blessed  Peter,  at  York,  in  the  presence  of 
the  aforesaid  kings  of  England  and  Scotland,  and  David,  his 
brother,  and  the  whole  people,  the  bishops,  earls,  barons,  and 
knights  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  swore  fealty  to  the  lord 
the  king  of  England,  and  Henry,  his  son,  and  their  heirs, 
against  all  other  persons,  as  their  liege  lords. 

''A.n.  1194.  The  same  William,  king  of  Scotland,  at  the 
command  of  the  aforesaid  king  Henry,  came  to  Northampton 
to  the  parliament  of  his  lord,  bringing  with  him  all  the 
bishops,  abbots,  and  priors  of  his  whole  kingdom.  And  also, 
at  the  command  of  the  same  king,  he  proceeded  into  Nor- 
mandy. Again,  the  same  king  William  coming  to  Canter- 
bury after  the  decease  of  king  Henry,  did  homage  to  Richard, 
king  of  England,  the  son  and  heir  of  the  said  king  Henry. 
And  when  this  Richard  had  gone  the  way  of  all  flesh,  the 
aforesaid  William,  in  the  sight  of  all  the  people,  on  a  certain 
hill  outside  of  the  city  of  Lincoln,  did  homage  to  John,  king  of 
England,  brother  and  heir  of  the  aforesaid  Richard,  and  swore 
^fealty  to  him  on  the  cross  of  Hubert,  at  that  time  archbishop 
^of  Canterbury,  and  by  his  charter  granted  to  the  same  John, 
his  lord,  that  he  might  give  his  son  Alexander  in  his  mar- 
riage, as  being  his  liegeman,  promising  firmly  in  the  same 
charter  that  he,  the  said  William,  king  of  Scotl»[id,  and  Alex- 
ander, his  son,  should  preserve  their  loyalty  and  fideUty  to 
Henry,  son  of  John,  king  of  England,  as  their  liege  lord. 


554  HATTHEW  OF  WEBTMIirSTEB.  A.B.  1301. 

against  all  mortala.  From  which  TKllham,  king  of  Scotland, 
he  Bubaeqaently  exacted  dne  satisfaction  for  his  violation  of 
his  compact,  and  his  rash  presumption  in  betrothing  his 
daughter  to  the  count  of  Boulogne,  without  the  consent  of 
king  John,  his  lord. 

"  Again,  Alexander,  king  of  Scotland,  our  own  sister's  hus- 
band, did  homage  to  Henry,  king  of  England,  our  own  father, 
and  afterwards  to  us  ourselves,  for  the  longdom  of  Scotland. 
Then,  when  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  was  vacant,  in  conse- 
quence  of  the  death  of  that  king,  Alexander,  and  afterwards 
through  the  death  of  Margaret,  queen  and  lady  of  die  same 
country  of  Scotland,  our  niece,  the  bishops,  abbots,  priors, 
earls,  barons,  chieftains,  and  other  nobles,  and  all  the  commu- 
nities of  the  entire  kingdom  of  Scotland,  coming  to  us  of  their 
own  free  and  spontaneous  will,  as  their  liege  defender,  general, 
governor,  captain,  and  chief  lord  of  the  aforesaid  kingdom  of 
Scotland,  as  they  were  bound  of  right  to  do,  and  they  purely, 
plainly,  and  absolutely  recognised  our  right,  and  that  of  our 
progenitors  and  predecessors,  and  our  and  their  possession  of 
superior  and  direct  authority  in  the  said  kingdom,  and  the  sub- 
jection of  the  said  kingdom,  of  their  own  certain  knowledge  ; 
and  when  they  had  taken  the'  proper  and  customary  oaths  of 
fealty  to  us,  as  the  superior  and  direct  lord  of  Scotland,  and 
had  given  into  our  hand  the  cities,  boroughs,  towns,  and  other 
strong  places  of  the  aforesaid  kingdom,  we  did  of  our  own 
royal  right  depute  certain  officers  and  ministers  to  be  the 
guardians  of  the  aforesaid  kingdom,  to  whom,  during  the 
time  of  this  vacancy,  they  were  all  unanimously  obe£eut, 
submitting  themselves  to  our  injunctions  and  commands.  But, 
in  A.D.  1291,  when  different  persons  began  to  contend  with 
one  another  about  their  hereditary  right  to  the  succession  of 
the  aforesaid  kingdom  of  Scotland,  they  came  before  us,  as 
the  superior  lord  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland^  requesting  that 
we  would  do  them  fiill  justice  as  to  the  said  kingdom  concern- 
ing the  succession  of  the  said  kingdom,  wishing,  and  expressly 
consenting  before  us,  as  before  the  superior  and  direct  lord  of 
the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  to  submit  to  and  obey  us  in  aU  our 
regulations.  And,  at  last,  after  the  rights  of  all  the  parties 
had  Hbeen  pubUdy  laid  before  us,  and  sufficiently  heard,  exa- 
mined, investigated,  and  carefully  comprehended  by  us,  we 
finally^  in  the  presence  of  all  the  prelates  and  nobles,  as  it  were, 
of  the  whole  kingdom  of  Scotland,  proceedmg  by  thisir  ex- 


A.D.   1301.       AN8WEB  0:F  THE  KIKO  OF  £N€^I<A17D.  555 

press  wish  and  consent,  did  daly  appoint  John  Balliol  to  be 
king  of  Scotland,  as  we  then  found  that  he  had  the  best  right, 
on  the  proper  principles  of  succession,  to  be  considered  the 
heir  to  die  kingdom.     And  those  prelates,  earls,  barons,  com- 
munities, and  other  inhabitants  of  that  kingdom,  expressly 
heard,  approved,  and'  accepted  our  sentence,  and,  in  accord- 
ance with  our  mandate,  admitted  John  to  be  their  king,  by 
virtue  of  this  our  sentence.    And  the  aforesaid  John,  king  of 
Scotland,  did  us  due  and  customary  homage  for  his  kingdom 
aforesaid,  and  took  an  oath  of  fealty  to  us,  and  from  that  time 
forth  was  present  in  our  parliaments  and  councils,  coming  at 
our  command  as  our  subject,  like  other  subjects  of  our  king- 
dom ;  and  he  was  in  all  things  obedient  and  submissive  to  our 
decrees  and  orders,  as  being  those  of  his  superior  lord ;  until 
the  aforesaid  John,  king  of  Scotland,  and  the  prelates,  earls, 
barons,  nobles,  communities,  and  other  chief  inhabitants  of 
that  kingdom,  did,  of  preconceived,  prearranged,  and  precon- 
certed malice,  devise  treason  against  us,  uniting  in  council  and 
friendship  with  our  capital  and  notorious  enemies,  and  making 
agreements,  conspiracies,  and  confederacies  to  strip  us  and  our 
heirs  of  our  hereditary  rights,  and,  contrary  to  their  own  act 
of  homage  and  the  due  rights  of  our  kingdom,  they  wickedly 
fell  into  Uie  crime  of  Use  majestS,  and  took  an  oath  of  fidelity 
to  our  enemies.     But  when  these  circumstances  had,  by  pri- 
vate information  and  common  rumour,  come  to  our  ears,  we, 
wishing  to  provide  beforehand  against  fiiture  dangers  which 
might  very  probably  arise  to  us,  our  kingdom,  and  the  inha- 
bitants of  our  kin|;dom,  from  these  and  other  sources,  for  the 
security  of  our  kmgdom  marched  to  the  borders  of  the  two 
countries,  several  times  commanding  the  said  John,  then  king 
of  Scotland,  to  come  to  us  at  certain  places  on  the  aforesaid 
borders,  to  discuss  the  circumstances  above  mentioned  and 
others  affecting  the  state,  tranquillity,  and  peace  of  both  king- 
doms.    But  he,  despising  our  commands,  and  persisting  in 
his  treason,  turned  lus  attention,  in  a  hostile  manner,  to  war- 
like preparations,  in  concert  with  the  bishops,  prelates,  earls, 
and  barons  of  the  kingdom  of  ScotUnd,  and  tdso  with  other 
foreign  hired  forces,  against  us,  our  kingdom,  ^nd  the  inhabi- 
tants of  our  kingdom,  and  proceeding  to  hostile  aggressions 
and  attacks,  he  invaded  our  kingdom,  and  by  himself  and  his 
followers  ravaged  some  towns  of  our  kingdom  of  England, 
and  laid  them  waste,  and  burnt  th^m,  slaying  our  subjects,  and 


556  KATTH£W  or  WSSTMOfSXES.  A.D.  1301. 

also  killing  eyen  some  of  our  sailors,  he  caused  son^e  ships  be- 
longing to  our  English  subjects  to  be  burnt ;  and  he  proceeded 
f urUier  without  delay,  denying  us  homage  and  fealty,  speaking 
both  for  himself  and  for  every  one  else  who  m^ht  be  an  inhabi- 
tant of  his  kingdom,  in  formial  letters  proceeding  from  himself, 
couched  in  offensive  language,  and  containing,  among  other 
things,  words  of  defiance.     Moreover,  having  levied  a  large 
army,  he,  in  a  hostile  manner,  by  himself  and  his  followers, 
invaded  our  counties  of  Northumberland,  Cumberland,  and 
Westmoreland,  belonging  to  the  kingdom  of  England,  makings 
in  a  most  inhuman  manner,  a  great  slaughter  of  our  subjects, 
burning  monasteries,  churches,  and  towns,  and  ravaging  the 
country  in  every  direction,  slaying  with  the  sword  infanta  in 
the  cradle,  and  women  lying  in  travail,  and,  what  is  most 
horrible  to  be  heard,  from  some  women  they  barbarously 
cut  off  the  breasts,  and  blocking  up  the  doors  of  one  school, 
and  applying  fire  to  it,  they  burnt  some  young  clerks  who  had 
just  received  the  first  tonsure,  and  were  learning  grammar  in 
the  school,  to  the  number  of  about  two  hundred.     We,  too, 
seeing  such  injuries,  insults,  crimes,  and  atrocities  committed 
with  a  view  to  despoiling  us  of  our  hereditary  rights,  and  to 
the  treacherous  destruction  of  our  people,  and  being  unwil- 
ling, out  of  consideration  for  our  oath,  by  which  we  are  bound 
to  the  maintenance  of  the  rights  of  the  crown  of  our  king- 
dom, to  connive  at  the  aforesaid  crimes  any  longer,  or  to  leave 
cHir  rights  undefended,  as  we  could  by  law  chastise  John  him- 
self, then  king  of  Scotland,  and  his  nation,  which  was  subject 
to  us,  and  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  also,  which  from  the  most 
ancient  times,  as  has  been  shown  above,  had  been  in  feudal 
subjection  to  us  and  our  progenitors,  we,  I  say,  for  thebefore- 
f^nrll'^'^Ai  ?^®®*'  P^^*^  ^^^^  t^e  might  of  our  power  over  the 
righrti  d        *^*^^  ^^  kingdom,  of  Scotiand,  as  we  had  a 
traitors  to*^*  *^^^e  proceeded  against  them  as  enemies  and 
of  Scotland*"     T^^^^^^^^f  we,  having  subdued  the  kingdom 
under  our  dom^  •  ^*^"*g  ^V  t^®  right  of  supremacy  reduced  it 
land,  of  his  o  ^^^^^*  *^  aforesaid  John,  formerly  king  of  Scot- 
into  our  handJ^  ^cord,  did  wholly  and  absolutely  render  up 
publicly  ackno    1  ^^^^^^^*^^  Scotland  as  he  held  it  de  facto, 
neeses  before  us^  ^^^^  ^^®  aforesaid  treasons  and  wicked- 
said  earls  aud  bar       ^^^^^^^^s..  After  which  event,  theafore- 
^ingdom  of  Scotf  ^®^  ^^^  chieftains  and  communities  of  the 
^'^d,   to  whom  we  had  granted  our  royal 


JL.D.  1301.      LETTEES  OF  THE  COBLES  TO  THE  POPE.  557 

peace,  subsequently  did  homage  and  swore  fealty  to  us,  as  the 
immediate  lord  and  master  of  the  same  kingdom  of  Scotland. 
And  likewise,  when  they  had  surrendered  to  us  the  cities,  towns, 
castles,  fortresses;  and  all  other  places  belonging  to  the  said 
kingdom,  we,  of  our  own  right,  appointed  our  own  officers 
and  ministers  to  govern  the  said  kingdom  of  Scotland. 

"  And  as  we  are  known  to  have  possession  of  the  said  king- 
dom by  the  right  of  full  and  entire  dominion,  we  cannot,  and 
ought  not,  to  delay  repressing  the  insolence  of  our  rebel  sub- 
jects, if  we  find  any,  by  our  royal  pre-eminence  as  we  shall 
see  fit.  But,  because,  from  the  above-mentioned  considerations 
and  others,  it  is  evidently  plain  and  notorious  that  the  afore- 
said kingdom  of  Scotland  belongs  to  us,  in  full  right  both  of 
occupation  and  ownership,  and  as  we  have  never  done  or  al- 
lowed anything  by  either  writing,  or  deed,  as,  in  fact,  we  could 
not,  which  could  in  any  way  derogate  from  our  rights  over, 
or  possession  of,  the  aforesaid  kingdom,  we  humbly  entreat 
your  holiness,  that  you,  weighing  these  arguments  above  stated 
in  your  wise  deliberation,  will  deign  to  decide  upon  them  ac- 
cording to  the  promptings  of  your  own  mind,  in  no  way  giving 
credit  to  the  contrary  suggestions  of  those  who  are  jealous  of 
us  in  this  respect ;  but  preserving  and  approving  of  our  state 
and  our  aforesaid  royal  rights,  if  it  so  please  your  paternal 
affection.  May  your  fatherly  goodness  be  preserved  for  the 
government  of  your  holy  church,  for  many  and  prosperous 
years. 

**  Given  at  Kynordesey,  on  the  fifteenth  of  May,  in  the  year 
thirteen  hundred  and  one,  and  the  twenty-ninth  year  of  our 
reign." 

But  as  to  the  demand  made  by  the  pope,  that  if  the  king 
of  England  claimed  any  right  over  the  kingdom  of  Scotland, 
or  any  part  of  it,  he  should  send  procurators  instructed  as  to 
that  point  to  the  church  of  Rome,  and  full  justice  should  be 
done  him  ;  to  this  demand  the  king  did  not  choose  to  give 
an  answer  himself,  but  committed  the  affair  to  the  earls  and 
other  nobles  of  the  country,  who  on  this  point  wrote  letters 
to  the  lord  the  pope,  of  the  following  tenor. 

TJie  Letters  which  the  earls  and  harom  of  Migland  sent  to  the  lord 
the  pope,  about  the  affairs  of  Scotland. 

*'To  the  most  holy  father  in  Christ,  the  lord  Boniface,  by 
Divine  Providence,  supreme  pontiff  of  the  holy  Roman  uni- 


558  MATTHXW  OF  TrBSTHIirSTXB.  A.D.  1301. 

venal  church,  his  devout  sons  John,  earl  of  Warreune,  Thomas, 
earl  of  Lancaster,  Radulph  of  Monthermer,  earl  of  Gloucester 
and  Hereford,  Humphrey  de  Bohun,  earl  of  Hertfx)rd  and 
Essex  and  constable  of  England,  Roger  Bigot,  earl  of  Nor- 
folk and  marshal  of  Engliuid,  -Guy,  earl  of  Warwick,  &c., 
sending  devout  kisses  of  his  blessed  feet,  &c. : 

''  The  holy  Roman  mother  church  is  the  church  by  whose 
ministry  the  Catholic  fidth,  as  we  firmly  believe  and  hold, 
proceeds  with  such  steadiness  in  its  actions  that  it  injures  no 
one,  but  wishes  to  protect  the  rights  of  all  persons  uninjured. 
A  general  parliament  having  been  lately  convoked  by  our  most 
serene  lord  Edward,  by  the  grace  of  God,  the  illustrioua  king 
of  England,  to  meet  at  Lincoln,  the  said  lord  Edward,  our 
king,  caused  to  be  produced,  and  carefully  explained  to  us, 
some  letters  from  the  Apostolic  See,  which  we  on  our  part  had 
received  touching  certain  matters  which  relate  to  the  condition 
and  state  of  the  kingdom.  And  when  these  letters  had  been 
heard  and  carefully  understood,  we  perceived  that  some  things 
surprising  to  our  senses  and  hitherto  unprecedented  were  con- 
tained in  them.  For  we  know,  O  most  holy  father,  and  it  is 
notorious  in  these  parts,  and  not  unknown  to  other  persons 
also,  that  from  the  first  establishment  of  the  kingdom  of  Eng- 
land, the  kings  of  that  kingdom,  both  in  the  times  of  the 
Britons  and  of  the  Angles,  have  been  possessed  of  the  direct 
superior  authority  and  dominion  over  the  kingdom  of  Scot- 
land, and  have  in  successive  ages  had  a  right  to  the  regulation 
of  Scotland  itself;  nor  does  that  kingdom,  as  to  its  temporalities, 
belong,  nor  has  it  at  any  time  belonged,  by  any  kind  of  right 
to  your  church  before  mentioned.  Moreover,  the  aforesaid 
kingdom  of  Scotland  has  from  ancient  times  been  in  feudal 
subjection  to  the  progenitors  of  our  aforesaid  king,  the  kings 
of  England,  and  to  himself,  nor  have  the  kings  or  kingdom 
of  Scotland  ever  been  subordinate  or  accustomed  to  be  sub- 
ject to  any  other  sovereigns  than  the  kings  of  England.  Nor 
have  the  kings  of  England  ever  answered,  nor  have  they  been 
bound  to  answer,  respecting  their  rights  over  the  aforesaid 
kingdom,  or  any  other  of  their  temporalities,  before  any  judge 
ecclesiastical  or  secular,  according  to  the  pre-eminence  of 
the  state  of  their  royal  dignity  and  custom  inviolably  observed 
in  all  ages. 

'*  On  which  account,  having  carefully  considered  and  deli- 
berated on  the  contents  of  your  aforesaid  letters,  the  general 


A.D.  1302.        LSTTSBS  OX"  THS  NOBLES  TO  THE  POPE.  559 

liarmonious  aad  onaiiimous  consent  of  all  and  each  of  us  has 
been,  and,  by  the  favoar  of  God,  will  be  unalterably  for  the 
future,  that  the  before-mentioned  lord  oar  king  shall  in  no 
respect  answer  judicially  before  you  respecting  his  rights  over 
the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  or  any  other  of  his  temporal  pos- 
sessions*     Nor  shall  he  in  any  way  submit  to  a  trial  of  them, 
or  bring  his  aforesaid  rights  in  question,  or  send  procurators 
or  ambassadors  for  that  purpose  to  your  presence,  especially 
as  such  demands  tend  manifestly  to  the  stripping  him  of  his 
hereditary  rights  belonging  to  the  crown  of  the  kingdom  of 
England,  and  to  his  royal  dignity ;  and  to  the  evident  sub- 
yersion  of  the  constitutipn  of  the  said  kingdom,  and  to  the 
prejudice  of  the  liberties,  customs,  and  native  laws,  to  the 
observance  and  defence  of  which  he  and  we  are  duly  bound 
by  the  oath  we  have  taken.     And  what  we  are  now  possessed 
of,  we  will,  with  the  help  of  6od«  defend  with  all  our  might 
and  all  our  power.     Nor  do  we  permit,  nor  will  we  in  any 
way  permit,  as,  indeed,  we  neither  can  nor  ought,  our  lord  the 
king  to  submit  to  the  before-mentioned  demands,  being  un- 
usual, unjustifiable,  prejudicial,  and  altogether  unprecedented, 
nor  would  we  permit  it  even  if  he  were  inclined  himself  to  do 
so,  or  in  the  least  to  attempt  it. 

"  Wherefore,  we  reverently  and  humbly  entreat  your  holi- 
ness kindly  to  permit  our  lord  the  king  aforesaid,  who  shows 
himself  a  CathoHc  among  all  the  other  princes  of  the  earth, 
and  a  devout  son  of  the  Roman  church,  peaceably  to  possess 
his  rig]^ts,  and  hberties,  and  customs,  and  laws,  aforesaid, 
without  diminution  or  disquietude,  and  to  allow  those  rights  to 
remain  undisturbed.  In  testimony  of  which,  our  seals  are 
appended  to  these  present  letters,  on  behalf  both  of  ourselves 
and  of  the  whole  commonalty  of  the  above-mentioned  king- 
dom of  England. 

"  Ddne  and  given  at  Lincoln,  in  the  year  of  our  lord  thirteen 
hundred  and  one." 

Ch.  XXVI.— Fbom  a.d.  1302  to  a.i>.  1304. 

Dmontents  in  France — The  king  of  France  sum7nons  Edward 
to  France,  who  declines  compliance — Edward  invades  Scot- 
land— Gruienne  is  restored  to  England — Pope  Boniface  is 
imprisoned,  and  dies — The  war  with  Scotland  continues — 
Edward  gains  great  victories — The  siege  of  Stirling. 


560  MATTHEW  OP  WESTMIlfSTER.  A.D.  1302. 


The  weavera  in  their  woollens  JigM, 
The  iron-clad  Frenchmen  take  to  flight. 

A.D.  1302.  Those  other  sons  of  Israel,  the  burgesses  of  the 
city  of  Bruges,  in  Flanders,  being  either  unable  or  unwilling 
any  longer  to  endure  the  stings  of  the  scorpion,  the  exac- 
tions of  taxes,  the  orders  of  clay  and  brick,   with  which  the 
ministers  of  the  king  of  France,  the  new  Pharaoh,  had  op- 
pressed them,  having  plucked  up  some  spirit  again,  and  taken 
counsel,  unanimously  arose  against  their  oppressors,   slaying 
them  all  together.      At  this,  the  king  of  France  was  greatly 
moved,'  as  formerly  the  king  of  Babylon  was  ;  and  so,  as  he,  in 
order  that  he  might  be  called  the  only  God  upon  the  earth, 
sent   Holofernes,    so  this  king,  in  order  that  he   might   be 
the  only  sovereign  to  reign  over  all  nations,  sent  his   Holo- 
fernes, the  captain  of  his  army,  namely,  the  count  of  Artois, 
the  most  celebrated  warrior  in  Christendom,  with  his  dukes, 
earls,   barons,   magistrates,  and    other  powerful  personages, 
with  an  innumerable  host  of  warriors  mounted  on  horses, 
armed  with  breastplates  well-appointed  for  battle,  the  flower 
of  the  armies  of  Christendom,  as  it  was  supposed  to  the  exter- 
mination of  the  city  of  Bruges.      And  they,  covering,  as  it 
were,  the  surface  of  the  earth  with  their  horses  and  chariots, 
caused  a  great  fear,  since  none  of  the  cities  to  which  they  came 
dared  to  resist  them.     Moreover,  the  people  of  Bruges  being 
considered  people  without  a  head,  appointed  a  leader  andgenersd 
for  themselves,  by  name  Peter  de  Coning,  who  was  to  command 
them  in  battle  as  Moses  had  commanded  the  Jews.    Therefore, 
leaving  their  own  city,  they  marched  forth  to  encounter  the 
French.   And  when  there,  incalculable  numbers  were  seen,  they 
were  amazed,  and  commending  their  souls  to  God,  they  said, 
"  Thine,  O  Lord,  is  the  battle,  and  it  is  in  thy  power  to  save  by 
many  or  by  few."     And  choosing  rather  to  die  in  defence  of 
the  laws  of  their  country  than  to  live  long  in  shame  and  slavery, 
they  marched  on»  to  encounter  danger.     So  the  battle  began, 
and  there  fell  the  count  of  Artois,  the  count  of  Albemarle, 
the  count  of  £u,  the  count  of  Drew,  the  count  of  Boulogne, 
the  count  of  Saint  Pol,  Badulph  de  Neil,  constable  of  France, 
Guy  de  Neil,  marshal  of  France,  Peter  de  Flore,  counsellor  ef 
the  king  of  Franee,  like  a  second  Achitophel,  the  son  of  the 
count  of  Haimonie,  and  forty  baronets,  with  an  infinite  number 


A..X>.  1302.   THE  EXeraOF  Xl^eLAlTP  DESIBOUS  0FP£AC£.         561 

o£  the  common  people.  And  in  this  battle,  what  was  a  wonder- 
£vl\  thing  was,  that  the  cavalry  had  neither  courage  nor  power 
-to  resist  infentry,  lords  had  none  to  withstand  their  subjects, 
an.  army  clad  in  panoply  of  steel  could  not  stand  before  weavers 
€>£  wool,  a  firm  body  was  beaten  by  a  terrified  one,  and  a  king- 
cLom  by  a  small  town.  This  battle  took  place  on  the  eleventh 
o£  July,  near  Cambray.  When,  therefore,  this  victory  became 
Icnown,  all  .the  countrymen  of  the  conquerors  drove  forth  their 
]?rench  masters  out  of  their  cities,  and  adhered  to  their  native 
governors  chosen  from  their  citizens. 

After  this,  the  king  of  France  acting  tyrannically,  collected 
a,  very  large  army,  as  numerous  as  the  sand  which  is  on  the 
sea  shore,  from  the  Greek  sea  to  the  ocean,  for  the  purpose  of 
\>reaking  the  power  of  the  Flemings,  and  the  king  of  the  French 
liixnself  formed  part  of  the  army.     But  the  Flemings  marched 
an  army  against  them  for  the  purpose  of  defending  their  native 
soil,  and  not  for  that  of  attacking  the  country  of  others,  in 
-which  enterprise  they  were  countenanced  by  the  Apostolic  bless- 
ing.    And  when  they  had  marshalled  their  line  of  battle,  the 
two  armies  being  at  no  great  distance  from  one  another,  the 
king  of  France  did  not  dare  to  descend  into  Flanders,  and  the 
Flemings  were  not  inclined  to  advance  beyond  their  own  bor- 
ders, and  the  army  of  the  French  was  fatigued  with  their  march, 
and  exhausted  by  great  scarcity  of  food,  which  had  now  lasted 
a  long  time  ;  and  as  the  king  of  France  himself  was  tarrying 
at  the  city  of  Artois,  more  than  fifty  thousand  men  secretly 
returned  home  again,  though  they  were  liable  to  the  penalty 
of  death  for  their  desertion.     At  length  the  king  of  France 
himself,  with  all  his  followers,  ingloriously  returned  home, 
crowned  with  ineffable  ignominy,  on  the  ninth  day  of  the  month 
of  October.     We.  have  recounted  these  events,  not  as  being  a 
full  account  of  all  that  took  place,  but  for  the  recollection  of 
future  ages,  in  order  that  posterity  may  remember  how  the 
Ruler  of  rulers  never  ceases  to  humble  the  powerful  who  pre- 
sume too  much  on  themselves. 

Let  us  now  return  to  other  matters,  affecting  the  king  of 
England. 

The  king  of  England  then,  being  desirous  that  a  good  peace 
should  be  made  in  his  days,  sent  ambassadors  of  high  rank  to 
the  king  of  France  about  Easter,  to  give  him  notice  by  their 
means  of  the  resolutions  to  which  he  had  come  respecting 
peace  and  war.  And,  having  received  for  answer  that  such 
VOL,  II.  o  o 


562  1CA.TTHXW  OF  TTESTinZTSTEB.  A.]>.  1303. 

important  affairs  could  not  be  aatisfactorily  discnased  unless 
twelve  peers  were  assembled  with  full  powers,  which  was  not 
practicable  at  that  moment,  as  the  peers  were  now  occupied  in 
yarions  places  on  account  of  the  unexpected  emergencies  of 
the  new  war,  but  that  they  might  expect  that  it  could  be  done 
in  a  fortnight.  And  after  this  period  had  elapsed,  the  mayors 
of  France  assembled  and  answered  the  English  ambassadors 
that  they  were  not  inclined  to  give  a  definite  answer  on  the 
above-mentioned  subject,  without  the  presence  of  the  ScottiBh 
confederates.  Having  received  this  answer,  the  ambassadors 
returned  to  England. 

On  this,  the  king  held  his  parliament  at  Westminster,  on  the 
first  of  July.  And  when  they  had  had  recounted  to  them  the 
disappointing  and  evasive  delays  and  procrastinating  manoeu- 
vres to  which  the  ambassadors  had  been  exposed,  they  deter- 
mined to  send  the  same  persons  back  again,  as  news  of  the 
triumphant  victory  which  the  Flemings  had  gained  over  the 
French,  had  arrived ;  and  the  ambassadors  now  received  for 
auswerthatthe  king  of  England  oughtto  come  inhis  own  person, 
and  that  then  an  agreement  about  peace  might  well  be  come  to 
between  the  two  kings,  so  that  the  powerful  nobles  and  superiors 
of  each  kingdom  might  applaud  it  as  advantageous  to  them, 
and  the  middle  and  lower  classes  might  not  be  grieved  at  it. 
Therefore  the  king  of  England  held  his  parliament  at  West- 
minster, on  the  feast  of  the  Translation  of  Saint  Edward  the 
King,  where  this  answer  was  recited,  and  gave  great  offence. 
But  it  was  decided  positively  by  the  council  of  the  whole  king- 
dom that  the  king  should  remain  in  his  own  dominions,  and  he 
was  not  permitted  to  leave  England  at  the  command  or  sugges- 
tion of  the  king  of  France. 

Pope  Boniface  dies.     Benedict  foUmos.  • 

A.D.  1303,  which  is  the  thirty-first  of  the  reign  of  king 
Edward,  Edward,  king  of  England,  the  glorious  triumpher 
over  the  aggressions  of  his  enemies,  marched  towards  Scot- 
land, about  the  time  of  Pentecost,  with  a  military  army, 
to  check  the  insolence  ^f  the  Scots  (who  were  wickedly  pre- 
varicating with  their  oath  of  fealty,  having  slain  his  faithful 
subjects  who  had  been  sent  into  that  country  for  the  preser- 
vation of  peace,  had  wounded  others,  dismissed  others  half 
dead  after  great  violence),  and  to  take  vengeance  for  their 
crimes,  and  to' succour  his  own  nation.     For  after  the  with- 


A.D.  1303.  CASTLE  OP  STIELTNG  BESIEGED.  563 

drawal  of  the  king  of  England  from  the  kingdom  of  Scotland, 
and  after  much  slaughter  and  conflagration,  at  last  the  Scots, 
with  a  hostile  army,  laid  siege  to  a  castle  belonging  to  the 
king  of  England,  called  Stirling.  To  defend  which,  sixty 
archers  only  were  sent  by  the  king  of  England,  having  but  a 
scanty  allowance  of  provisions  for  half  a  month.  Therefore, 
the  nobles  of  Scotland  marched  with  a  numerous  body  to  be- 
siege that  castle  vigorously.  And,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
besieged  defended  it  manfully.  And  as,  on  account  of  the  so- 
lidity and  height  of  the  castle,  the  besiegers  could  not  by  any 
art  or  contrivance,  or  engine,  or  any  means  whatever,  do  it  any 
injury,  they  determined  at  last  to  reduce  the  garrison  by 
wearing  them  out  by  famine  and  scarcity.  But  when  the  be- 
sieged found  that  this  was  their  object,  they  used  their  store 
more  sparingly.  And  the  siege  of  the  castle  lasted  so  long, 
that,  at  last,  their  food  being  all  consumed,  and  necessity  com- 
pelling them,  they  slew  even  their  dogs  and  horses,  and  ate 
their  flesh  with  the  blood  in  it.  And,  what  is  still  more  mise^ 
rable  to  mention,  they  devoured  even  the  hides  of  the  animals. 
Nay,  what  is  more  horrible  still  to  hear  of,  they  ate  the  mice 
and  cats  which  they  caught  in  traps.  At  last,  when  everything 
was  consumed  which  could  be  eaten,  the  besieged  said  to  one 
another,  "  Behold  our  enemies  are  labouring  to  subdue  us  by 
hunger,  and  we  have  only  very  little  com  left,  and  two  quarters 
of  one  ox.  Let  us  throw  the  fourth  part  of  a  bushel  of  corn, 
and  one  quarter  of  beef,  into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy,  and  let 
us  eat  the  rest  to-morrow  and  the  day  after,  and  then  die ;  but 
if  they  suppose  that  we  have  plenty  of  corn  and  meat,  perhaps 
they  will  abandon  the  siege."  Oh !  the  praiseworthy  energy  of 
the  men,  even  though  it  was  only  what  had  been  originally 
devised  by  Josephus,  formerly  a  most  illustrious  warrior  of 
the  Jews.  So  that  when  they  had  done  this,  the  besiegers, 
being  deceived,  said,  "Let  us  depart,  for  we  are  doing  no  good. 
Lo !  those  whom  we  hoped  were  perishing  with  hunger,  we 
now,  by  their  throwing  away  their  provisions,  find  to  be  in  a 
contrary  condition." 

So  when  the  Scots  had  departed,  the  besieged  presently  sent 
one  of  their  number  to  the  king  of  England  for  supplies  and 
relief  as  soon  as  possible,  saying,  that  otherwise  they  could  not 
possibly  hold  out  the  castle  any  longer.  But  the  messenger 
going  of  his  own  accord  by  a  bye  way,  and  deviating  from  the 
path  of  honesty,  went  to  the  army  of  the  Scots,  telling  them 

00  2 


564  MATTHXW  OF  WJC8THIKSTSB.  A.B.  13C3, 

of  the  want  which  the  besieged  had  endured,  and  how  many 
of  them  were  dead,  and  he  advised  them  to  persist  in  their 
enterprise.  Oh  thou  traitor,  thou  son  of  Rechab,  art  thou 
ignorant  of  the  reward  which  the  king  of  David  will  give  you  ? 
Who  has  resisted  him,  and  found  peace  ?  Who  has  deceived 
him,  and  not  mourned  in  his  turn  ?  Therefore  the  Scots  re- 
turned, and  laid  siege  to  the  castle  a  second  time ;  and  the 
besieged  not  having  any  means  of  supporting  life,  after  three 
days  surrendered  ^e  castle  to  the  lord  John  de  Soulis,  and  the 
Scots  agreed  to  allow  them  to  depart  in  freedom  to  the  king  of 
England.  Then  the  guardianslup  of  that  castle  was  entrusted 
to  a  valiant  soldier  selected  from  among  thousands,  William 
Olifant,  who  had  under  him  three  hundred  warlike  men,  sta- 
tioned in  various  places,  of  whom  he  retained  a  hundred  and 
twenty  about  himself  for  the  defence  of  that  castle.  For  these 
and  many  other  injuries  the  king  of  England  now  invaded 
Scotland,  in  order  to  bridle  the  jaws  of  the  Scots  with  bit  and 
bridle,  as  they,  not  agreeing  to  the  peace  which  he  offered 
them,  had  violated  it,  and  were  planning  treachery  all  day. 
Therefore,  be  occupied  their  towns  and  fortresses  wiUi  a  strong 
army.  And  when  he  approached  the  castle  of  Brechin,  which 
opposed  him,  he  commanded  siege  to  be  laid  to  it.  But  the 
defender  of  that  castle,  a  most  vaJ^nt  knight  of  great  personal 
strength,  by  name  Thomas  Maille,  not  fearing  the  army  of  the 
king,  but  trusting  in  the  strength  of  his  thick  walls,  did  not 
in  the  least  regard  the  violent  assaults  of  the  engines.  Since, 
when  the  powerful  instruments  of  the  king  of  England  kept 
incessantly  hurling  stones  against  the  walls  of  the  castle,  and  yet 
the  wall  did  not  vield ;  that  valiant  knight,  Thomas,  stood  by 
with  a  towel,  and  wiped  off  the  mark  of  the  stone  from  the 
wall,  by  way  of  insulting  and  deriding  the  whole  English 
army.  And  when  he  had  defended  the  castle  gallantly  for 
forty  days,  on  the  eve  of  Saint  Lawrence,  while  he  was  standing 
near  the  battlements  of  the  wall,  the  engine  being  aimed  at 
Thomas  himself,  a  blow  from  the  stone  which  was  shot  from 
it  struck  a  part  of  the  battlement,  and  bounding  off  onwards 
by  its  own  force,  struck  the  valiant  knight  Thomas,  who  was 
standing  near,  in  the  chest,  and  he  being  fearfully  shaken,  pre- 
sently fell  down  on  his  back.  And  while  he  was  still  breath- 
ing, his  servants  ran  up,  and  asked  whether  they  were  to 
surrender  the  castle  yet.  And  he,  bidding  them  farewell, 
cursed  them  for  entertaining  such  an  idea«  and  so  expired. 


A.D.  1303.      PEACE  BETWEEK  ENOLAITD  AND  FEAIfCB.  5G5 

And  immediately  afterwards,  that  very  day,  the  hesieged  heing 
destitute  of  all  assistance,  surrendered  the  castle  to  the  king 
of  En^and. 

There  were  in  Scotland  two  most  famous  abbeys,  both  en- 
dowed with  very  ample  possessions,  and  very  strongly  fortified 
as  to  their  baildings,  namely,  Aberbredok  and  Dnmferline. 
Moreover,  Dnmferline  contained  a  very  considerable  quantity 
of  ground  within  its  walls,  extending  over  three  hydes  of  land, 
and  embracing  in  its  circuit  many  almost  royal  palaces,  so 
that  three  illustrious  kings  could  be  at  the  same  time  and  all 
together  entertained  within  its  walls,  with  all  their  followers, 
without  inconveniencing  one  another.  Therefore,  on  account 
of  the  great  magnitude  of  the  place,  the  chief  nobles  of  the 
kingdom  of  Scotland  were  accustomed  to  meet  there  and  ar- 
range their  designs  against  the  king  of  England ;  and  very 
often,  in  time  of  war,  they  would  go  forth  from  this  retreat, 
and  harass  the  people  of  England  with  depredation  and 
i^nghter.  Therefore  the  army  of  the  king,  seeing  that  the 
temple  of  the  Lord  was  not  a  church,  but  a  den  of  thieves, 
and,  as  it  were,  a  beam  in  the  eyes  of  the  people  of  England, 
sent  forth  a  torch  of  conflagration,  and  utterly  destroyed  it, 
levelling  the  recesses,  and  walls,  and  all  the  palaces  with  the 
ground,  saving  the  church  alone  from  the  fire,  and  a  few  houses 
sufficient  for  the  abode  of  the  regular  monks. 

The  same  year,  on  the  feast  of  the  Holy  and  Indivisible 
Trinity,  peace,  which  had  been  long  wished  for,  was  made 
between  the  two  kingdoms,  being  proclaimed  first  in  France, 
and  then  in  England.  At  which  time,  the  province  of  Guienne, 
with  all  its  rights  and  liberties,  was  restored  to  the  king  of 
England,  in  the  same  form  in  which  he  had  held  it  before  the 
beginning  of  this  war. 

On  the  day  of  Saint  Mark  the  Evangelist,  Guy,  son  of  the 
count  of  Flanders,  entered  Selandia  with  a  thousand  men,  not 
fearing  the  many  thousands  of  men  who  came  to  encounter 
him  ;  and  fighting  gallantly  on  foot,  and  defeating  the  enemy, 
he  made  himself  master  of  that  county.  And  how  often  the 
anger  of  the  king  of  France  boiled  over  at  this,  and  prompted 
him  to  send  an  armed  force  against  the  Flemings,  it  does  not 
become  us  to  insert  in  this  Mstory.  But  as  often  as  he  sent 
an  army,  it  is  agreed  on  all  hands  that  it  was  defeated ;  be- 
cause his  troops  were  either  slain  in  battle,  or  else  returned 
ignominiously  and  ingloriously  from  the  battle.      And  the 


5(56  MATTHEW  OF   WSSTMIirSTEB.  A. D.  1303* 

pride  of  the  French  was  so  humbled,  that  it  was  considered  a 
great  thing  for  the  French  to  be  able  to  obtain  peace  from  the 
Flemings  for  a  certain  fixed  period  ;  so  that  the  French  might 
say,  "  Let  as  flee  from  the  Flemings,  for  the  Lord  flghteth  for 
them." 

In  these  days,  Master  Richard  de  Grayesend,  bishop  of  Lon- 
don, died,  and  by  the  unanimous  consent  of  the  chapter,  the 
dean  of  that  church,  faster  Radulph  de  Baldok,  was  elected 
bishop  in  his  stead.  However,  three  canons  of  that  church, 
who  had  been  deprived  of  their  prebends  and  suspended  a 
little  before,  at  the  visitation  of  the  archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
hindered  the  election,  appealing  to  the  Apostolic  See  against 
the  bishop  elect,  because  on  the  day  of  election  they  had  been 
prevented  from  entering  the  chapter. 

In  this  year,  king  Edward  wintered  in  Scotland,  among  the 
bears  and  tigers,  and  other  haunts  of  wild  beasts,  not  fearing 
the  dragons,  because  he  was  like  a  lion,  who  frightens  all  the 
beasts  of  the  forests ;  and  though  he  was  like  David,  when 
surrounded  by  the  Zipheeans,  he  was  most  miraculously  neither 
injured  nor  betrayed  by  them.  Accordingly,  at  the  end  of 
this  year,  because  the  lion  Edward,  the  king  of  beasts,  had 
determined  that  he  would  not  depart  from  that  country  till 
he  had  either  utterly  subdued  all  the  Scots,  or  been  himself 
subdued  by  them,  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland, 
both  earls  and  barons,  their  error  of  rebellion  having  met  with 
stern  defeat,  and  been  forcibly  reduced  to  nothing  by  severe 
measures,  perceiving  that  fire  rather  than  peace  was  surround- 
ing them  on  all  sides,  submitted  themselves  and  their  followers 
to  the  will  of  the  king  of  England.  And  he  admitted  them 
to  his  favour,  treating  first  one  and  then  the  other  with  great 
mercy ;  and  placing  them  under  tribute,  he  mulcted  them  in  a 
pecuniary  fine,  and  according  to  the  quality  and  quantity  of 
each  individual's  offence,  he  allowed  him  a  certain  term  of  days 
or  years  to  pay  it. 

About  the  same  time,  and  that  same  year  that  these  evente 
took  place  in  Scotland,  on  the  eve  of  the  Nativity  of  the  blessed 
Mary,  pope  Boniface,  at  the  persuasion,  as  it  was  believed, 
of  Philip,  king  of  France,  as  there  had  been  a  terrible  ground 
of  quarrel  between  the  king  and  pope  for  a  long  time,  was 
most  atrociously  and  irreverently  seized  in  his  psdace  in  the 
city  of  Anagni,  by  some  of  his  enemies,  and  especially  by  a 
certain  man  named  Sarra  of  Campania,  and  was  stripped  of 


A.1).  1303.       THE  king's  TBEASFEY  IS  PLUNDEEED.  567 

all  his  property,  and  kept  three  days  in  prison.  Afterwards, 
he  returned  to  Rome,  and  being  there  moved  by  indignation 
and  distress  of  mind,  he  a  short  time  afterwards  died. 

Edward,  king  of  England,  had  his  treasury  plundered  by  a 
single  robber  in  England,  for  which  ten  monks  of  Westminster 
were  unjustly  imprisoned. 

But  as  it  was  a  thing  unheard  of  in  the  history  of  the  world, 
since  the  peace  of  the  church  had  been  spread  over  the  whole 
earth,  that  false  Christians,  who  call  themselves  Christians  and 
are  not  so,  should  have  committed  so  monstrous  a  crime 
against  the  supreme  pontiff,  it  is  not  sufficient  to  say,  for  the 
knowledge  of  future  generations  who  will  be  born  hereafter, 
**  Pope  Boniface  was  stripped  of  all  his  goods,  and  a  most 
audacious  robber  by  himself  secretly  entered  the  treasury  of 
the  king  of  England,"  unless  the  manner  and  form  in  which 
each  crime  was  perpetrated  is  also  set  down.  And  again,  the 
thoughts  of  men  are  always  more  inclined  to  evil  than  to  good ; 
so  when  the  imprisonment  of  ten  monks,  for  a  matter  con- 
eeming  the  treasury  of  the  king  of  England,  is  heard  of,  a 
"wicked  idea  of  suspicion  at  once  enters  men's  minds.  And 
when  their  innocence  is  not  declared,  the  hearer  rejoices  in 
the  insults  offered  to  them,  and  does  not  cease  to  insult  them 
with  abuse.  And  so  the  future  generations  which  are  to  be 
born  and  arise,  unless  an  express  statement  is  made  on  the 
subject,  will  either  accuse  the  men  of  that  day^of  remissness 
and  inactivity,  or,  what  is  still  more  terrible  to  be  said  without 
examining  into  the  cause,  they  will  think  that  the  monks  were 
guilty  of  the  crime.  Therefore  it  is  necessary  to  set  forth  the 
circumstances  connected  with  their  imprisonment.  (Those 
who  were  alive  when  these  things  were  done,  were  not  yet  with 
the  disciples  of  Jesus  when  he  was  tempted  by  the  devil,  who 
were  at  length,  after  many  and  various  oppressions  and  tribu- 
lations, visited  by  the  Lord.)  Those  who  will  be  bom  many 
generations  hence,  will  very  probably  say,  it  is  contained  in 
the  king's  annals,  that  ten  monks  were  imprisoned  by  him 
because  of  an  affair  connected  with  his  treasury.  This  is  an 
idea  of  horror ;  an  idea  I  suspect  at  once  of  evil.  For  when 
any  one  is  imprisoned,  there  arises  at  once  the  reproach,  this 
man  was  either  disobedient  to  the  commands  of  his  prince,  or 
a  violator  of  the  king's  peace.  And  the  answer  is  as  follows : 
"  0  thou  doubter,  the  voice  of  the  church  complains  over  thee, 
biing  hither  thy  finger,  and  recognize  the  place  of  the  nails» 


568  MATTHEW  OF  WSSTHIKSTEB.  A.D.  1304. 

and  be  not  faithlesa^  and  an  evil  speaker  with  those  who  speak 
falsely,  but  belieying."  I  shall  show  you  briefly,  and  others 
too,  who  are  evil  speakers  and  proud  like  yourself,  the  manner 
and  form  of  the  spoliation  of  the  pope  in  a  brief  recital,  in 
order  to  cut  off  all  improper  suspicions.  And  I  will  show  yoa 
also  the  marks  of  the  nails,  and  the  hole  in  the  side  of  the 
wall  in  the  treasury  of  the  king  of  England,  and  the  cause  of 
the  imprisonment  and  annoyance  which  in  consequence  befel 
the  monks  of  that  place,  by  the  instrumentality  of  diabolical 
men,  and  I  will  hereafter  make  the  whole  matter  quite  plain 
to  posterity.  But  I  omit  the  matter  here,  because  it  would 
take  too  long  a  time  to  insert  it  in  this  chapter.  When, 
however,  pope  Boniface,  in  spite  of  his  papal  dignity,  had  been 
mercilessly  plundered  of  all  his  property,  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  whole  church,  as  I  have  said  before,  and  kept  three  days 
in  prison,  with  great  irreverence  to  the  Boman  church,  and  to 
himself  the  vicar  of  God,  he  being  moved  by  great  indignation 
and  distress  of  mind,  ended  his  Ufe  very  shortly  afterwards, 
that  is  to  say,  on  the  twelfth  of  October,  and  he  was  buried 
the  next  day,  in  the  church  of  the  blessed  Peter,  in  a  wonder- 
ful tomb  which  he  had  had  prepared  for  himself  while  he  was 
yet  alive.     Of  him  a  certain  versifier  writes  thus  : 

*'  He  came  in  like  a  fox,  like  a  lion  he  reigned, 
His  end  was  a  dog'»,  he  Chimaera^  remained." 

And  another  writes  thus  of  him —  , 

**  He  began  like  a  f6x»  like  a  lion  be  did  roar, 
He  ended  like  a  dog,  from  rich  becoming  poor." 

And  when  he  was  dead  and  buried,  the  next  day  the  cardinals 
assembled  together  and  elected  the  bishop  of  Ostia,  of  the 
order  of  Preachers ;  and  on  the  tenth  day  afterwards  he  was 
consecrated  supreme  pontiff,  and  assumed  the  name  of  Bene- 
dict the  Eleventh. 

England  exults  in  victory. 
While  Scotland  fights  unhaippily, 

A.D,  1304,  which  is  the  thirty-second  of  the  reign  of  king 
Edward,  pope  Benedict,  while  he  was  preaching  the  Word  of 
God  at  Perugia,  among  other  topics  bewailed  the  abominable 
atrocities  which  had  been  committed  upon  the  vicar  of  Christ 
Jesus  and  Peter,  in  which  he  did  not  so  much  lament  the  in- 

1  Allading  to  the  classical  fable  of  the  Chimserai  'who  was  said  to  have 
a  lion'a  head,  a  goat's  body,  and  the  hinder  parti  of  a  dragcnu 


JL.D.  1304.  POPE  BENEDICT  DIES.  569 

salt  offered  to  the  particular  person,  as  assert  that  Christ  him- 
self had  been  a  second  time  stripped  by  the  soldiers  of  Pilate, 
bewailing  his  fate  as  being  again  taken,  condemned,  and,  as  it 
were,  put  to  death  and  consigned  to  the  grave,  and  guarded 
for  three  days  by  soldiers  ;  not,  as  the  apostle  says,  "  Christ 
being  raised  from  the  dead  dieth  no  more,"  but  he  is  now  in 
bi^  glorified  flesh ;  and  as  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  said  to  Peter 
-when  he  asked  him,  "Lord,  whither  goest  thou?"  he  said, 
**  I  go  to  Rome  to  be  crucified  a  second  time."  Then  Peter 
understood  that  he  was  speaking  of  his  own  passion,  inasmuch 
as  our  Lord,  by  the  mercifulness  of  his  pity,  suffers  in  his 
saints.  And  as  he  says  in  another  place,  *'  What  you  have 
done  to  one  of  the  least  of  these  my  children,  whether  it  be 
bonour  or  dishonour,  know  that  I  shall  feel  the  same  thing." 
When,  therefore,  he  had  said  these  and  many  other  similar 
things  concerning  the  disaster  of  pope  Boniface,  he  laid  his 
spoilers,  and  all  who  consented  to  them,  and  all  who  were  in 
any  respect  privy  to  their  deed,  under  a  double  anathema ; 
insisting  and  dwelling  very  much  on  this  expression,  "  If  they 
have  done  this  in  the  green  wood,  what  will  they  do  in  the 
dry?"  And  as  he  asserted  that  lightnings  and  coroecatbns 
of  divine  vengeance  often  unexpectedly  overwhelmed  wicked 
men,  and  that  he  had  been  elected  and  placed  in  the  seat  of 
the  Elders,  to  announce  their  wickedness  to  the  people,  and 
to  warn  them  to  repent,  he  now  warned  them  to  make  atone* 
.  ment  for  their  sins,  otherwise  he  should  necessarily  and  very 
speedily  lay  the  axe  of  amputation  and  extirpation  to  the  root 
of  malediction  and  the  accursed  trunk ;  therefore,  these  wicked 
men,  being  alarmed  at  such  terrible  threats,  took  counsel  with 
another  Caiaphas,  that  it  was  more  desirable  for  one  man  to  die 
than  the  whole  nation,  or  the  thbeof  Colonna,tobe  extinguished, 
and  accordingly,  having  corrupted  the  butler  of  the  lord  the 
pope  with  money,  they  poisoned  him,  and  he  died  within  a 
fortnight.  And  so,  pope  Benedict  died  in  the  city  of  Perugia, 
on  the  seventh  day  of  the  month  of  July,  when  he  had  ruled 
his  see  eight  months  and  fifteen  days.  And  after  his  death  a 
violent  dispute  arose  among  the  cardinals,  so  that  for  nine 
mouths  they  could  not  agree  with  one  another  about  electing 
a  pontiff. 

About  the  same  time,  it  being  the  season  for  the  warlike 
operations  of  kings,  the  most  fortunate  king  of  England,  Ed- 
ward«  hamg  traversed  every  part  of  Scotland,  and  traxnpled 


570  HATTH£W  OF  WESTMDTSTEB.  A.D.  1304. 

yictoriously  on  the  horns  of  the  proud,  having  repressed  the 
murmurs  of  the  rehellious,  and  all  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom 
of  Scotknd  having  surrendered  themselves  to  his  will,  aud 
being  wholly  subdued,  had  still  one  very  strong  castle  re- 
maining, which  required  to  be  subdued,  namely,  that  of  Stir- 
ling. So  the  king  marched  against  it,  and  immediately  pre- 
pared to  besiege  it.  But  the  defender  of  the  castle,  a  very 
gallant  knight,  by  name  William  Olifant,  seeing  how  great  the 
king's  army  was,  and  that  he  and  his  men  were  surrounded, 
sent  an  embassy,  requesting  of  the  king  that  he  might  be 
allowed  to  send  John  de  Soulis  into  France  to  his  master,  to 
enquire  whether  he  was,  voluntarily  and  without  assistance,  to 
surrender  the  castle  to  the  king,  or  to  defend  it  against  him 
as  long  as  he  could.  But  the  king  replied,  "  By  no  means ; 
let  him  consider  by  himself  whether  he  thinJcs  it  better  to  de- 
fend the  castle  than  to  surrender  it  to  us."  Having  received 
this  answer,  William  remembered  the  oath  which  he  had  taken 
to  his  master,  who  was  at  that  time  in  France  with  some  of 
the  Scots,  and  turned  his  thoughts  to  making  a  defence.  But 
as  he  had  no  allies  at  hand,  nor  any  one  from  whom  he  could 
obtain  assistance,  he  prepared  by  himself  to  resist  the  king's 
power  as  well  as  he  could ;  and  he  considered  that  he  should 
not  displease  the  king  by  defending  the  castle  against  him,  be- 
cause he  had  never  done  him  homage  or  sworn  fealty  to  him 
personally.  But  that  he,  together  with  his  master,  had 
fraudulently  invaded  the  territories  of  another,  and  seized  the 
king's  castle,  he  either  never  considered,  or  would  not  under- 
stand, so  as  to  act  rightfully. 

Then  the  king  of  England  exhorted  his  followers  to  fight 
vigorously,  replying,  that  after  the  (ieath  of  Alexander,  king 
of  Scotland,  the  earls  and  barons  had  elected  him  their  su- 
perior lord,  doing  him  homage,  and  swearing  fealty  to  him, 
taking  their  corporal  oaths  of  allegiance  to  him,  for  all  the 
men  of  full  age,  and  for  all  the  minors  of  the  kingdom,  pre- 
sent and  future,  so  that,  when  the  rights  of  all  who  claimed 
the  kingdom  had  been  discussed  before  him,  that  claimant 
might  receive  the  crown  whom  he  should  judge  to  have  the 
best  right  to  the  kingdom.  And  they,  guarding  their  own  in- 
terests for  the  future,  in  order  that  the  king  of  England  might 
not  establish  anything  as  the  titular  lord  of  the  kingdom,  and 
of  the  king  of  France,  but  as  their  invited  lord  and  real  pos- 
sessor of  the  realm,  they  gave  him  peaceful  seisin  for  forty 


A.D.  1304.         SIEGE  OF  THE  CASTLE  OF  STIBLIFQ.  571 

days,  of  all  the  castles,  boroughs,  marshalships,  seneschalships, 
and  all  other  properties  and  rights  which  belong  to  the  king- 
dom, in  order  that  their  proceedings  might  not  turn  out  vain  ; 
and  that  their  actions  might  not  be  a  mere  nuUity,  as  is  more 
fully  contained  in  their  patent  instrument  drawn  .up,  with  re- 
ference to  this  subject. 

Afterwards,  their  elected  and  crowned  king,  waging  war 
against  his  liege  lord,  the  king  of  England,  was  defeated  and 
committed  to  prison  ;  and  when  a  hundred  thousand  men  and 
more  had  been  slain  in  the  war,  at  Berwick  and  Dunbar,  and 
when  many  barons,  earls,  and  knights  of  the  kingdom  of 
Scotland  had  been  taken  and  put  in  prison  in  England,  Ed- 
ward became  the  conqueror  and  monarch  of  the  two  kingdoms, 
according  to  the  laws  of  war.  Then,  having  mercifully  re- 
leased them,  and  allowed  them  to  return  to  their  native  coun* 
try,  when  they  again  stirred  up  war,  the  king  met  them  with 
a  well-appointed  army,  and  a  second  time  made  himself  mas- 
ter of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  with  the  edge  of  the  sword 
slaying  sixty  thousand  men  of  the  Scots  in  battle  near  Fal« 
kirk.  And  the  king  said,  "  Since,  now,  for  the  third  time, 
we  have  subdued  in  a  warlike  manner,  with  the  club  of  our 
power,  these  sons  of  rebellion,  and  since  there  is  no  one  who 
resists  us,  unless  it  be  another  Siba,^  the  son  of  Botrius,  now, 
then,  my  gallant  comrades,  preserve  the  titles  of  your  glory, 
that  having  defeated  this  mischievous  worm,  your  honour  may 
be  the  more  increased."  These  were  the  king's  words,  and 
his  regiments  and  armies  assented  to  and  approved  of  tJiem. 
Then  the  arbalists  are  bent,  machines  are  erected,  engines  fqr 
hurling  stones  are  built.  On  the  opposite  side,  a  very  strong 
and  lofty  castle  stood,  for  it  was  built  on  a  sohd  rock,  near 
the  sea-shore.  To  it  there  was  only  one  entrance,  and  one 
exit ;  but  within  there  were  gallant  men,  whom  despair  ren- 
dered braver.  They  fought  on  both  sides  vigorously,  and 
those  in  the  citadel  derided  the  blows  of  the  missiles  which 
struck  below,  and  hurled  back  attacks  from  their  own  en- 
gines on  the  English  from  their  higher  position,  attacking 
them  with  terrible  arrows  from  their  arbalists,  and  huge  stones, 
with  which  they  wounded  many  persons  and  killed  others. 
And  sometimes  they  made  sallies  out  of  the  castle,  and  made 
great  slaughter  in  the  king's  army.  The  king  being  enraged 
at  this,  ordered  enormous  engines  to  be  erected,  from  which  a 
'  It  appears  that  there  must  be  some  great  corruption  in  the  text  here. 


572  MATTHEW  07  WXStHIirSTXB.  A.D.  1304. 

contihued  stream  of  stones  was  hurled  against  the  wall  and 
over  the  wall.  But  those  which  struck  against  the  wall, 
hounded  back  vainly.  Those,  however,  which  were  borne 
over  the  wall,  fell  into  the  castle,  and  injured  the  garrison 
greatly.  For  they  hurled  fire-brands  and  stones  into  the  castle 
so  continually,  that  they  burnt  many  of  their  stores  of  com, 
and  the  stones,  by  their  weight,  entirely  destroyed  many  of 
the  buildings  of  the  castle.  But  by  all  these  disasters,  the  ac- 
cursed madness  of  the  garrison  was  not  subdued,  because  they 
were  obstinate,  and  at  the  same  time  the  energy  of  the  En- 
glish besiegers  did  not  relax,  because  they  were  brave.  But 
within  the  castle  there  were  hollow  caverns  and  caves,  some 
natural,  some  artificial,  and  above  them  there  was  a  very  strong 
wall,  and  in  the  wall  there  were  arches  and  hollow  places  in 
which  they  deposited  the  provisions  which  they  had,  protect- 
ing themselves  with  eaves  nrom  the  blows  of  the  stones.  And 
when  ninety  days  of  this  siege  had  elapsed,  and  yet  the  garri- 
son did  not  surrender,  the  king  said,  "  As  the  Lord  liveth,  we 
will  not  depart  from  hence,  till  either  we  have  subdued  them, 
or  they  have  succeeded  in  driving  us  away,  and  routing  us." 
And  some  one  comforting  the  king,  rephed,  "  My  lord,  do 
whatever  is  in  thy  heart,  because  the  Lord  is  with  thee."  And 
truly  the  Lord  was  with  him,  preserving  him  in  a  most  mar- 
vellous way,  in  the  sight  of  all  the  people.  For  while  he  was 
animating  his  army  to  fight  bravely,  and  was  himself  always 
the  first,  and  constantly  coming  very  near  to  the  wall  of  the 
castle,  and  riding  unarmed  on  his  destrier,  lo !  the  angel  of 
Satan,  put  into  the  heart  of  one  of  the  Scots  to  put  forth  hia 
hand  against  the  Lord's  anointed ;  so  he,  observing  the  king 
from  the  tower,  bent  his  arbalist,  and  aimed  a  javelin  at  the 
heart  of  the  king  But  the  angel  of  the  Lord  frustrated  his 
aim.  Hear  the  miracle.  The  arrow  of  the  devil  was  shot  at 
the  Lord's  anointed.  But,  0  Satan,  you  have  only  wounded 
the  king  with  an  arrow,  you  have  not  slain  him.  You  have 
pierced  the  king's  robe,  without  in  the  least  hurting  his  flesh. 
Nor  could  you  even  kill  the  horse  of  the  rider,  though  you 
passed  between  the  reins  with  a  horrible  whistling.  You 
pierce  the  saddle,  but  you  do  not  hurt  the  skin.  And  fre- 
quently, during  the  continuance  of  the  siege,  did  these  Scots, 
from  their  high  position,  in  their  citadel,  shoot  forth  arrows  of 
most  cruel  torment,  which  are  called  in  English  dtprtngJ^oDl; 
to  slay  the  unarmed  king.     But,  by  the  grace  of  God,  they 


Jk.J).  1304.         SIEGE  OE'THE  CiSTLE  Of  STIBLiyO.  573 

injured  neither  the  king  nor  his  horse.  They  slew,  indeed, 
numhers  of  the  people.  And  when  the  king  was  advised  not 
any  longer  to  go  unarmed  in  that  way,  because  of  the  danger 
of  the  arrows  which  were  flying  about,  out  of  the  clouds  as  it 
-were,  and  which  he  ought  to  guard  against  as  proceeding  from 
the  devil,  in  the  meridian  of  his  power,  he  replied,  "  A  thou- 
sand shidl  fall  beside  me,  and  ten  thousand  at  my  right  hand, 
but  the  arrows  shall  not  approach  to  hurt  me.  We  have  un- 
dertaken a  just  war  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  therefore  we  will 
not  fear  what  man  can  do  to  us,  since  God  is  on  our  right 
hand,  therefore  we  shall  not  be  moved." 

Another  day,  when  the  king  was  riding  unarmed  close  under 
the  wall,  so  that  all  the  Engl^h  army  was  alarmed,  his  furious 
enemies  threw  down  a  stone  of  enormous  size  in  order  to  crush 
the  king.  A  marvellous  thing  happened.  At  the  violent 
shock  of  this  huge  stone,  as  at  the  stroke  of  a  thunderbolt, 
the  destrier  of  the  king  fell  to  the  ground  on  his  back,  like 
Balaam's  ass,  giving  place  to  the  destroyer.  And  the  soldiers 
running  up,  dragged  the  king  down  the  hill,  and  chiding  him, 
said,  '*  My  lord,  why  do  you,  without  your  armour,  go  nearer 
to  the  wall  than  all  the  rest,  in  order  to  flght  with  them  ? 
are  you  ignorant  that  many  arrows  are  aimed  at  you  from 
above,  from  the  wall  ?  Who  smote  Abimelech,  the  son  of 
Jerubbael  ?  Did  not  a  woman  throw  a  fragment  of  a  mill- 
stone on  him  from  the  waU,  and  slay  him  in  Thabes  ?  Be- 
main  now  in  your  tent,  for  if  we  fly,  what  happens  to  us  will 
not  be  of  great  importance  to  them ;  or  if  half  of  us  are  slain, 
they  will  not  care  much,  since  your  person  alone  is  accounted 
equal  to  ten  thousand  men.  It  is  better  for  us,  therefore,  that 
you  should  be  somewhere  else  in  a  safe  place."  And  the  king 
replied,  "  As  the  Lord  liveth,  I  will  not  leave  you,  whether 
you  go  to  death  or  to  life."  Then  the  king  ordered  a  batter- 
ing ram  to  be  constructed,  which  the  Greeks  call  Nicontes,^  as 
conquering  all  things,  and  a  wolf  of  war.  But  the  ram  being 
a  bad  one,  and  unskilfully  put  together,  did  httle  or  no  good. 
But  the  wolf  of  war,  though  less  costly,  was  more  injurious  to 
the  besieged.  Now  listen  to  a  strange  circumstance.  The 
immense  engines,  by  the  blow  of  one  sword,  pierced  through 
the  two  opposite  widls  of  the  citadel,  which  were  founded  on 
the  rock,  as  an  arrow  would  fly  through  a  piece  of  cloth.  And 
many  stones,  shot  from  the  lesser  engines,  striking  the  thicker 
walls,  when  they  came  against  the  wall  stuck  in  it,  and  being, 
'  From  viKrjf  victorj*. 


574  )£ATTHSW  0?  ViSTKIKSTEB.  i.D.  1304. 

as  it  were,  Tictorious,  claimed  tbemselves  a  place  in  the  wall, 
as  a  token  of  their  perpetual  victory,  leaying  there  indelible 
traces  of  the  mat  triamph  of  the  glorious  king. 

Moreover,  i  must  not  pass  over  in  silence  the  wisdom  of 
the  king,  for,  as  a  great  many  arrows  shot  by  the  besieged 
surrounded  him,  both  on  the  right  hand  and  on  the  left,  and 
fell  ineffectually  around,  and  the  English  proposed  to  collect 
them,  the  king  forbade  them,  saying,  "  Disregard  them,  and 
pass  them  by  ;  for  if  you  do  not  collect  them,  they  will  cal- 
culate that  they  have  not  nearly  reached  you ;  but  if  you  pick 
them  up,  they  will  perceive  that  they  have  fallen  near  you, 
and  will  aim  their  arrows  at  us  with  the  greater  spirit."  Then 
the  besieged,  seeing  other  engines  raised  higher  than  the  castle 
walls,  after  that,  for  fear  of  the  soldiers  who  were  protected 
by  them  and  invisible,  did  not  dare  to  advance  into  the  open 
air,  and  knowing  that  everything  which  they  had  in  the  castle 
for  their  support  was  now  consumed,  and  that  the  castle  and 
themselves  were  within  three  days  of  being  taken,  addressed 
the  chiefs  of  the  king's  army,  promising  to  surrender  the  castle, 
on  condition  of  not  being  punished  as  traitors  and  murderers. 
The  others  promise  them  safety,  as  far  as  it  depends  on  them. 
Therefore,  all  the  garrison  quitting  the  castle,  being  all  guilty 
of  death,  on  the  day  of  the  holy  virgin  Saint  Margaret,  came 
to  the  king,  ungirt  and  barefoot,  after  the  manner  of  thieves, 
with  ashes  sprinkled  on  their  heads,  carrying,  like  traitors, 
ropes  in  their  hands  and  round  their  necks,  showing  thereby 
that  they  have  well  deserved  such  a  fate,  and  asking  the  grace 
of  the  king.  To  whom  the  king  said,  "  I  will  not  receive  you 
to  my  grace,  because  you  deserve  it  not,  but  only  to  my  will." 
They  replied :  "  Our  lord  the  king,  we  submit  ourselves  to 
your  will."  The  king  rejoined :  "  My  will  is  to  tear  you  limb 
from  limb,  and  hang  you  ;  and  if  you  refuse,  I  will  ailow  you 
to  return  as, you  are  to  the  castle."  Then,  William  Olifant, 
prostrating  himself  on  the  ground,  with  many  sobs,  said, 
''  My  lord  the  king,  we  know  that  our  iniquity  is  too  great  to 
deserve  pardon  ;  for  this  my  household  has  never  been  other- 
wise than  obnoxious  to  my  lord  the  king.  But,  merciful  king, 
we  entreat  your  ineffable  clemency,  and  whether  we,  unworthy 
as  we  are,  obtain  it  or  not,  look  upon  us  as  dead  upon  the 
earth."  And  while  he  was  thus  weeping  with  a  great  outcry, 
the  king  said  to  the  other  parricides,  ''  What  do  you,  too, 
ask?"     And  they,  groaning,  cried  out,  "We  are  guilty  of 


I 


A.D.  1305.  ED\?ABI>  BBTTJBNS  TO  ENGLAND.  575 

death;  take  us,  0  lord,  subject  to  thy  will."  Therefore,  the 
king,  being  moved  at  such  outcry  and  weeping,  turned  his 
face  away  for  a  while,  and  the  whole  people  that  stood  around 
was  moved  to  tears.  Then  the  king  ordered  the  men  to  be 
taken  and  imprisoned  separately  in  different  castles  of  Eng- 
land, slaying  none  of  them,  and  condemning  none.  But  that 
wicked  traitor,  by  whose  treachery  the  Scots  had  obtained  the 
castle,  was  taken,  and  dragged  at  the  tail  of  a  horse,  and  at 
last  hanged ;  and  so  the  agitation  of  this  war  ceased,  and  the 
king,  after  the  surrender  of  the  castle,  caused  the  battering- 
ram  to  be  improved.  And  some  of  his  soldiers  said  to  him, 
"  My  lord,  for  what  is  this  instrument  of  destruction  ?  is  not 
the  castle  surrendered  to  us?"  But  the  king  rephed,  "What 
I  am  now  doing  is  not  destruction,  but  a  mere  theoretical 
means  of  destroying  the  hostile  castles  for  those  who  make 
war  or  reign  after  me." 

Then  the  victorious  king  Edward,  having  placed  noble 
knights  in  that  castle,  and  in  other  places  of  Scotland,  to  pre- 
serve the  triumphant  peace  which  he  had  estabhshed  among 
all  the  natives  of  the  country,  turned  his  steps  towards  Eng- 
land, all  the  earls  and  barons  of  Scotland  accompanying  him, 
as  a  proof  that  their  treason  and  rebelhon  was  subdued. 
Therefore,  the  king  celebrated  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  at  Lin- 
coln, and  ordered  the  managers  of  his  household  to  prepare, 
splendidly  and  magnificently,  all  that  was  necessary  for  the 
hilarity  of  such  a  festival,  for  himself  and  his  retinue,  as  was 
suitable  for  the  monarch,  king,  and  lord  of  two  kingdoms. 
And  there  he  refreshed  his  earls  and  nobles  for  many  days, 
extolhng  the  valour  of  his  warriors  with  due  panegyric.  Then, 
having  gratified  them  with  well-deserved  presents,  and  com- 
mended them  for  their  exertions,  he  dismissed  them  joyful  and 
happy  to  their  own  homes. 

Ch.  XXVIL— Fbom  A.D.  1305  to  a.d.  1307. 

The  merciful  government  of  King  Edward — Wallace  is  exe- 
cuted, and  peace  established  with  Scotland — The  senators 
of  Rome  require  the  pope  to  keep  his  court  there — Robert 
Bruce  raises  his  standard  in  Scotland — is  crowned  at  Scone 
^^  Edward  marches  towards  Scotland,  and  dies  at  Car^ 
lisle — End  of  this  history,^ 


576  MATTHBW  OF  WSBTMIK6TEB.  ▲.!).  1305. 

The  pope  doth  die,  and  m  his  stead 
dement  is  made  the  church's  head, 

A.B.I 30b.  At  the  feast  of  the  Annunciation  of  the  Lord,- king 
Edward,  with  all  the  nohlea  of  his  kingdom,  was  present  at 
Westminster,  to  return  thanks  to  God  and  Saint  Edward  for 
the  triumph  he  had  gained  oyer  the  Scots.  And  having  com- 
passion on  the  monks  of  Westminster  for  their  unjust  im- 
prisonment, he  presently  ordered  their  liheration.  But  through 
the  superahundant  maHce  of  perverse  judges,  who  prolonged 
their  iniquity,  they  kept  the  monks  eight  days  in  prison  after 
the  king  had  given  orders  for  their  release.  But  when  the 
king  heard  this,  he  ordered  his  justiciaries  to  postpone  all  other 
husiness,  and  immediately  restore  the  imprisoned  monks  to 
their  ahhot. 

About  the  same  time,  Nicholas  de  Segrave,  a  knight,  and 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  men  of  the  kingdom,  had  been 
arrested  and  brought  before  the  king  on  the  following  account. 
Another  knight,  named  John  de  Cromwell,  accused  him  of  trea- 
son. And  he,  in  his  defence,  offered  himself  to  the  trial  by 
single  combat ;  but  the  king,  by  reason  of  the  number  of  his 
own  wars,  would  not  give  leave  for  these  single  combats.  Ac- 
cordingly, he,  as  he  could  not  obtain  permission,  in  spite  of 
the  prohibition  of  the  king,  crossed  the  sea,  pursuing  his  ac- 
cuser, while  the  king  was  still  amid  the  armies  of  his  ene- 
mies. Therefore,  the  king,  when  he  was  on  his  trial,  looked 
on  him  as  one  who  thought  his  life  of  no  consequence,  and 
saw,  as  far  as  it  depended  on  him,  he  did  not  care  if  the  king 
was  slain  by  the  enemy.  And  he  submitted  himself  to  the 
king's  grace.  And  the  king  said  to  him,  '*  I  will  that  justice 
be  done  in  the  trial."  Then  the  justiciaries,  after  deliberatiog 
for  three  days  on  this  matter,  answered  the  king,  that  such  a 
man  as  he  was  guilty  of  death,  and  that  all  his  property,  both 
moveable  and  immoveable,  belonged  of  right  to  the  king. 
Nevertheless,  out  of  respect  to  the  nobility  of  his  birth,  they 
added,  that  he  had  not  quitted  England  out  of  contempt  for 
the  king,  but  because  he  was  prompted  by  anger  to  avenge 
himself  on  his  enemy,  and  that  it  was  in  the  king's  power 
to  show  mercy  to  him.  And  the  king  spoke  and  said  to  them, 
**  0  men,  who  having  long  consulted,  are  still  foolish.  Cer- 
tainly it  is  in  my  power  and  will  to  confer  grace  on,  and  mercy 
to,  whom  I  will,  and  I  will  not  do  so  more  for  you  than  for  a 
dog,  who  has  e'en  submitted  himself  to  my  grace  and  suffered 


A.D.  1305.  BERTRAM  ELECTED  POPE.  577 

a  repulse  ?  Howeyer,  let  yonr  decision  be  reduced  to  writiDg, 
and  considered  hereafter  to  be  law."  Then  the  aforesaid 
knight  was  conducted  to  prison,  that  he  might  not  by  being 
left  unpunished  arm  the  audacity  of  others,  and  that  the 
rigour  of  his  treatment  might  strike  others  with  fear.  And  a 
few  days  afterwards,  through  the  exertions  of  many  of  the 
nobles  of  the  kingdom,  thirty  of  his  peers  offering  themselyes, 
girt  with  their  swords,  their  bodies  for  his  body,  and  their  pro- 
perties for  his  property,  all  united,  to  be  forfeited  on  the  day 
that  the  king  summoned  him,  and  he  failed  to  appear,  he  was 
released,  and  restored  by  the  king  to  all  his  possessions. 

About  this  time,  there  was  published  a  new  commission  of 
inquiry,  which  is  called  in  English  Cra^lIebaKton,  against  all 
who  intrude  into  the  property  of  others,  and  who,  presuming 
on  the  fear  of  the  owners  who  complained,  alienated  their 
estates  and  lands,  making  them  the  property  of  more  power* 
ful  persons.  And  it  was  also  directed  against  hired  assaulters 
of  men,  who  having  been  hired  by  one  man,  were  willing  for 
a  sum  of  money  to  beat  another ;  and  again,  for  a  double  pay- 
ment, or  more,  received  from  him  who  had  been  assaulted,  to 
beat  him  who  had  been  hired  still  more  severely.  And  also 
against  those  hired  parties  who  were  ready  to  seize  upon 
churches,  lands,  and  other  tenements,  by  violence  and  force 
of  arms,  in  violation  of  justice.  Against  all  such  infringers 
of  peace,  and  ravishers,  and  incendiaries,  and  murderers, 
and  opposers,  and  false  judges,  different  justiciaries  are  sent 
throughout  England,  by  this  commission,  to  exact  vengeance 
among  the  poor  people,  and  severely  to  reprove  the  rich. 
And  by  this  commission  many  were  executed,  many  were  found 
guilty,  and  a  few  were  found  not  guilty^  So  rigidly  did  the 
justice  of  this  coercion  proceed,  that  the  father  did  not  spare 
his  own  son,  but  reproved  and  chastised  him.  And  many, 
being  terrified  and  alarmed,  of  their  own  accord  went  into 
banishipent,  and  the  treasury  prospered  in  consequence  of 
their  flight,  and  the  redemption  of  themselves  by  money. 

In  those  days,  the  cardinals  of  Rome,  after  disagreeing  with 
one  another  about  the  election  of  a  pontiff  of  the  Apostolic 
See,  at  length,  looking  to  a  distance,  cast  their  mind's  eye  be- 
yond the  Alps,  upon  die  archbishop  of  Bourdeaux,  by  name 
Bertram,  of  Anjou,  and  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  unanimously 
elected  him  pope,  and  he  assumed  the  name  of  Clement  the 
Fifth. 

TOL.  ir.  p  p 


578  MATTHEW   0?  WXSTMIK8T£B.  A-D.  1305. 

About  the  time  of  the  festiyal  of  the  ABsamption  of  the 
blessed  Virgin  Mary,  a  certain  Scot»  by  name  William  Wallace, 
an  outcast  from  pity,  a  robber,  a  sacrilegious  man,  an  incen- 
diary, and  a  homicide,  a  man  more  cruel  than  the  cruelty  of 
Herod,  and  more  insane  than  the  fury  of  Nero,  who  with  the 
accursed  Ham  discovered  the  nakedness  of  a  man,  which  God 
ordained  to  be  covered  when  he  made  men  aprons,  compelling 
many  men  and  women  of  England,  mingled  together,  to  caro^ 
and  play,  and  dance  naked  before  him,  placing  behind  them 
tormentors  with  scorpions,  and  goads  to  bind  against  them  and 
scourge  them,  and  pinch  them,  so  as  to  make  them  advance 
straight  forward  ;  a  man  who  even  tore  out  the  bowels  of 
infants  crying  in  their  ^sradles,  and  hanging  at  their  mothers' 
breasts ;  who  burnt  alive  boys  in  schools  and  churches,  in 
great  numbers ;  who,  when  he  had  collected  an  army  of  Scots 
in  the  battle  of  Falkirk,  against  the  king  of  England,  and  had 
seen  that  he  could  not  resist  the  powerful  army  of  the  king, 
said  to  the  Scots,  "  Behold  I  have  brought  you  into  a  ring, 
now  carol  and  dance  as  well  as  you  can ;"  and  so  fled  himself 
from  the  battle,  leaving  his  people  to  be  slain  by  the  sword ; 
— he,  I  say,  this  man  of  Belial,  after  his  innumerable  wicked- 
nesses, was  at  last  taken  prisoner  by  the  king's  servants,  and 
brought  to  London,  as  the  king  ordained  that  he  should  be 
formally  tried,  and  was  on  the  eve  of  Saint  Bartholomew 
condemned  by  the  nobles  of  the  kingdom  of  England  to  a 
most  cruel  but  amply  deserved  death.  First  of  all,  he  was 
led  through  the  streets  of  London,  dragged  at  the  tail  of  a 
horse,  and  dragged  to  a  very  high  gallows,  made  on  purpose 
for  him,  where  he  was  hanged  with  a  halter,  then  taken  down 
half  dead,  after  which  his  genitals  were  cut  ofiP,  and  his  bowels 
taken  out  and  burnt  in  the  fire,  then  his  head  was  cut  off, 
and  his  body  divided  into  four  quarters,  and  his  head  fixed  on 
a  stake  and  set  on  London  bridge.  But  his  four  quarters 
thus  divided,  were  sent  to  the  four  quarters  of  Scotland.  Be- 
hold the  end  of  a  merciless  man,  whom  his  mercilessness 
brought  to  this  end ! 

In  the  week  after  the  Nativity  of  the  blessed  Mary,  the 
council  of  king  Edward  assembled  in  the  New  Temple  in  Lon- 
don ;  and  there  were  present  the  bishops  of  Chester  and  Wor- 
cester, of  England,  and  the  bishops  of  Saint  Andrew's  and 
Glasgow,  of  Scotland,  and  the  abbots  of  Westminster  and 
Waverley,  and  two  earls  of  England,  and  two  of  Scotland, 


A.D.  1305.  THE  SCOTS  BETITBN  HOME.  579 

and  other  barons,  both  Scotch  and  English,  where  they  deli- 
berated for  twenty  days,  about  establishing  the  king's  peace  in 
Scotland,  and  considered  what  would  be  the  best  and  most 
lasting,  and  most  tranquil  manner,  both  for  the  Scotch  and 
English,  in  which  the  most  perfect  peace  and  the  most  desir- 
able tranquillity  might  be  established  for  ever.  And  those 
Scots  were  sent  on  to  England  with  the  assent  of  the  entire 
kingdom,  and  the  whole  of  the  nation  undertook  to  agree  to 
whatever  regulations  they  might  make.  And  at  last,  by  the 
consent  and  decision  of  the  two  parties,  justiciaries  and  clerks 
were  appointed  on  both  sides  of  the  Scottish  sea,,  two  and 
two,  with  the  intent  that  they  should  preserve  the  peace  of 
the  country  in  their  own  districts,  decide  lawsuits,  and  ap- 
pease quarrels.  When  this  was  settled,  the  men  above  men- 
tioned came  to  the  king,  and  having  had  an  audience,  at  which 
they  recited  the  regulations  which  they  had  made,  the  king 
approved  o^  them  all,  with  the  exception  of  one  article,  re- 
specting a  certain  Scotch  judicial  proceeding  which  he  entirely 
annulled.  Then  the  bishops,  abbots,  earLs,  and  barons,  of 
Scotland,  swore  for  themselves  and  for  their  heirs,  and  for  the 
whole  nation  then  existing  and  hereafter  to  be  bom  in  Scot- 
land, that  they  would  abide  by  the  above-mentioned  regula- 
tions, and  that  they  both  wished  and  considered  themselves 
bound  to  live  according  to  the  manner  and  form  of  this  ar- 
rangement, both  powerful  men  and  base,  the  present  genera- 
tion and  the  future.  And  the  aforesaid  Scots  entered  into 
this  engagement ;  touching  the  sacred  body  and  gospels  of 
Christ  and  other  relics,  at  the  manor  of  Sheen  on  the  Thames. 
Therefore  the  king,  rejoicing  in  the  hope  that  there  would 
be  lasting  peace  in  Scotland  for  the  future,  treated  them  merci- , 
fully,  so  that  they  who  had  made  atonement  for  their  sins, 
namely,  those  who  had  entered  into  any  engagement  to  pay  the 
value  of  their  estates  for  a  fixed  term  of  years,  two,  or  three, 
or  four,  might  now  have  further  time  granted  them,  four  instead 
of  two,  six  instead  of  three,  or  eight  instead  of  four,  due  re- 
gard being  had  to  each  person's  condition  and  situation,  so  that 
they  might  have  means  of  living  honestly.  After  these  events, 
the  Scots,  having  received  permission,  gladly  returned  home 
with  much  honour.  Therefore,  now  that  the  king  hoped  that 
all  the  affiiira  which  are  under  his  authority  would  be 
settled  in  wished-for  peace,  because  the  time  for  being  silent 
had  passed^  during  which  he  was  peaceful,  silent,  and  patient ; 

p  p  2 


580  MATTHEW  or  WK8TMINSTEE.  A.D.  1305. 

and  becaniBe  now  the  time  for  speaking  was  at  hand,  he  can- 
tiously  conferred  with  the  earl  mareschal,  on  the  subject  of 
some  disgrace  and  conspiracy  which  the  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury and  several  earls  and  barons  had  devised  against  him, 
while  he  was  absent  in  Flanders.  And  as  he  was  not  able  to 
contradict  these  things,  he  entreated  grace  of  the  king;  in 
order  to  obtain  which,  he  made  the  king  heir  of  all  his  property 
and  of  every  thing  that  he  had,  and  thus  he  escaped  death  and 
found  life.  And  ti^e  king,  to  requite  him,  granted  the  earl,  for 
his  life,  an  increase  of  a  thousand  pounds'  worth  of  land.  And 
so  the  king  and  the  earl  became  friends.  And  in  a  similar 
manner,  the  king  separately  addressed  each  of  the  persons  im- 
plicated, who  had  consented  to  this  plot,  and  imposed  a  pe- 
cuniary fine  on  them ;  just  as  if  he  had  said,  "  I  wish  not  the 
death  of  those  who  are  traitors  to  me,  but  that  they  may  be 
converted  and  redeemed  by  their  temporal  possessions,  and  so 
may  live."  At  last  the  king  came  to  the  archbishop,  and  ac- 
cused him  of  the  same  conduct.  And  the  archbishop,  beiug 
covered  with  blushes,  offered  his  pallium  to  the  king,  submit- 
ting himself  and  all  his  property  to  his  mercy.  But  the  king 
said  to  him,  ''Equity  and  justice  shall  be  determined  not  by  me, 
but  by  your  peers  and  feUow-bishops,  in  respect  of  your  con- 
duct." And  he  added,  "  How  often  have  I  written  to  you  in 
your  visitation,  when  you  were  oppressing  my  clergy,  who 
were  on  my  side,  be^ng  you  not  to  proceed  against  them,  out 
of  respect  for  me,  till  the  tumult  of  war  was  over,  but  you 
would  not  listen  to  me  ?  Yet,  notwithstanding  their  appeal, 
you  have,  in  their  absence,  deprived  them  of  their  churches. 
I  know  the  pride  of  thy  heart,  thy  rebellion  and  cunning  ; 
for  you  have  always  acted  contentiously  against  me,  and  stirred 
up  commotions."  These  and  many  other  reproaches  did  the 
king  address  to  him.  And  the  archbishop  was  so  confused, 
that  he  asked  a  blessing  of  the  king.  And  the  king  answered 
him,  "  That  is  not  what  is  proper,  my  father ;  but  it  is  I  who 
ought  to  be  blessed  by  you."  And  he  blessed  him  on  the  spot. 
In  the  meantime  the  pope  appointed  ft  day  for  ius  coronation 
and  solemn  consecration  at  Lyons,  being  the  day  after  the  feast 
of  Saint  Brice ;  to  which  all  the  cardinals  came  except  two, 
who  could  not  take  the  journey  because  of  their  great  age,  and 
two  more  died  on  the  journey.  Soon  afterwards,  on  the  Sun- 
day, he  created  other  cardinals,  namely,  six  from  Ouienne,  two 
of  France,  one  of  England,  namely,  Thomas,  a  brother  of  the 


.A.  .D.  1305.        THE  KING  BSNDS  PB£S£KTS  TO  THE  POPli:.         581 

order  of  Preachers ;  and  he  made  Peter,  the  abbot  of  Saint 
Croix,  near  Bourdeauz,  of  the  order  of  Saint  Benedict,  who 
yavM  also  created  a  cardinal,  his  vice-chancellor.  Peter  and 
James  de  Colonna,  who  had  been  previously  deposed  and  con- 
demned by  pope  Boniface  the  Eighth,  he  made  cardiiials  over 
again ;  at  which  some  of  the  brethren  murmured.  And  when, 
after  the  solenmization  of  mass,  he  was  riding  from  the  church 
ta  the  palace,  a  certain  wall  built  of  stone  and  clay,  old  and 
Iialf  decayed,  on  which  a  great  crowd  of  people  were  leaning 
for  the  sake  of  seeing  the  pope,  suddenly  feU  down  on  the 
crowd,  and  of  two  earls  who  were  leading  the  pope's  mule  by 
the  bridle,  it  crushed  one,  namely,  the  count  of  Anjou,  and  the 
other,  the  count  of  Brittany,  it  kiUed  on  the  spot,  both  being 
very  eminent  men,  and  besides  them,  many  others  were  wounded. 
But  the  pope  was  saved  in  a  wonderful  manner ;  and  mapy 
people  took  notice  of  this  disaster  as  a  prognostic  of  some  im- 
pending evil. 

On  Saint  Clement's  day,  when  the  pope  had  in  the  morning 
celebrated  the  solemnity  of  the  mass,  after  dinner  a  quarrel 
arose,  and  a  figlit  took  place  between  the  dependents  of  the 
pope  and  those  of  the  cardinals,  and  one  of  the  brothers  of 
the  supreme  pontiff  was  slain.  Another  of  his  brothers  the 
king  of  France  invested  with  a  knight's  belt,  and  also  bestowed 
on  the  pope  himself  many  marks  of  his  munificence  in  cities 
and  castles ;  in  consequence  of  which,  in  the  arrangements  of 
Ms  affairs  he  was  deservedly  looked  on  as  a  prince  entitled  to 
much  grace  and  favour.  And  the  king  of  England  sent  to  the 
lord  the  pope,  by  the  bishops  of  his  kingdom,  that  is  to  say, 
the  bishops  of  Lichfield  and  Worcester,  and  the  earl  of  Lincoln, 
all  kinds  of  utensils  with  which  he  could  be  served  either  in 
his  chamber  or  at  table,  all  made  of  the  purest  gold ;  and  many 
distinguished  men  from  England  also  went  to  be  present  at 
that  solemnity.  Moreover  he  created  the  bishop  of  Durham, 
the  lord  Antony  de  Bek,  on  account  of  the  liberality  and  mag- 
nificence of  the  spirit  which  he  found  in  him,  patriarch  of 
Jerusalem,  and  he  confirmed  the  archbishop  elect  of  York  and 
the  bishop  elect  of  London,  and  dismissed  them  to  return 
home. 

The  pope  determined  to  hold  his  court  at  Bourdeaux.  And 
there  was  written  on  the  principal  gate  of  the  city  the  following 
prophecy,  in  letters  of  gold,  in  two  Latin  verses,  which,  how- 
ever, were  smothered  by  the  dust  made  by  people  entering  in 


5S2  HATTlLETr  OF  WESTMnTSTSS.  A.D.  1305. 

at  the  gate,  so  that  nothing  was  l^ble  but  these  two  words. 
Second  Rome.  Bat  when  the  court  was  being  held  there,  the 
men  of  the  dty  scnqped  off  the  dost,  and  fonnd  the  following 
inscription : 

''TnTeller,  who  psnbeiietth  this  ttoney    ^ 
And  o'er  this  threshold  tread. 
Say,  *  Second  Rome.  £ueweU/  and  own 
Here  the  Imperial  head.^' 

Bat  these  yerses  had  been  inscribed  a  thonsand  years  before. 
Bat  the  Roman  senators  sent  a  message  to  the  pope,  requesting 
him  to  come  to  Rome  and  hold  his  court  there,  as  the  supreme 
ponti£&  his  predecessors  had  done.  But  the  pope  would  not 
grant  their  requests,  but  said  that  hewould  send  some  one  thither 
who  should  do  all  that  they  required,  acting  as  his  yic^erent. 

In  this  year,  there  was  such  a  burning  heat,  and  such  a 
blight  and  droi^t  throughout  the  summer,  that  the  hay  failed 
in  most  parts  of  the  country,  and  the  beasts  of  the  field  died 
for  want,  and  a  double  heat  (both  while  the  sun  was  in  Libra 
as  well  as  while  he  was  in  Leo)  oppressed  mankind.  The 
consequence  was,  that  small-pox  and  disease  prostrated  both 
children  and  young  men,  and  rich  and  poor,  and  they  were 
also  afiiicted  with  freckles  and  spots;  and  a  great  many 
young  men  and  maidens  died  of  the  smaU-poz.  And  there 
followed  after  this  a  winter  of  extreme  cold,  oppressing  man- 
kind much,  the  frost,  and  snow,  and  ice  lasting  firom  the  fif- 
teenth of  December  to  the  twenty-fifth  of  January ;  and  the 
fish  died  in  the  ponds,  the  birds  in  the  woods,  and  the  cattle 
in  the  fields.  And  many  of  the  birds  of  heaven  were  so  wasted 
away,  that  they  were  caught  without  any  net  or  snare  by  the 
hand  of  man,  like  domestic  birds.  Bat  this  terrible  frost  was 
put  an  end  to  by  a  breeze  of  the  south  wind,  which  lasted 
three  days.  And  when  men  thought  that  the  winter  was  past, 
again  the  sky  was  collected  into  douds,  and  the  east  wind  set 
in  and  lasted,  and  the  frost  returned,  and  lasted  firom  the 
thirteenth  of  February  to  the  same  day  in  April. 

About  the  time  of  the  feast  of  the  Purification  of  the  blessed 
Mary,  some  robbers  having  discovered  the  place  of  the  treasury 
of  a  certain  knight,  which  was  laid  up  in  the  church  of  the 
Carmelites  in  London,  by  the  connivance  of  a  certain  Judas 
among  the  brethren,  came  thither  and  carried  off  four  hun- 
dred pounds  of  silver.  And  having,  in  a  most  atrocious  man- 
ner, bound  the  bands  of  the  prior  and  all  the  brothers,  and 


A.B.  1305.         BRUCE  DEFIES  THE  KTSGt  OF  ENGLAND.  583 

having  slain  one,  they  immediately  departed.  And  with  them 
went  that  Jadas,  who  was  fated  to  be  soon  hung  in  a  halter. 

After  all  these  events  had  taken  place,  fresh  disturbances 
and  wars  broke  out  in  Scotland.  For  Robert  Bruce,  earl  of 
Carrick,  conferred  at  first  secretly,  and  afterwards  openly, 
with  some  of  the  great  nobles  of  Scotland,  saying  to  them, 
"  Ye  know  that  by  the  right  of  hereditary  relationship  this 
kingdom  belongs  to  me,  and  how  this  nation  intended  to 
have  crowned  my  father  king,  but  the  cunning  of  the  king  of 
England  disappointed  him  of  his  desire.  If,  therefore,  you 
will  crown  me  king,  I  will  fight  your  battles,  and  deliver  this 
kingdom  and  this  people  from  its  slavery  to  the  English." 
This  he  said,  and  presently  he  received  the  consent  of  many 
perjured  men.  And  when  he  asked  of  John  Comyn,  a  very 
noble  and  powerful  knight,  whether  he  also  agreed  to  this,  he 
steadily  replied,  that  he  did  not.  And  he  said,  "All  the 
nations  know  that  the  king  of  England  has  four  times  sub- 
dued our  nation  and  country,  and  that  we  all,  both  knights 
and  clergy,  have  sworn  fealty  and  homage  to  him  for  the  pre- 
sent and  all  future  generations.  Far  be  it  from  me  to  do  this ; 
I  will  never  consent  to  this  measure,  that  I  may  be  free  from 
perjury."  Bruce  persuades,  Comyn  dissuades;  the  one 
threatens,  the  other  is  perplexed ;  at  last,  Bruce,  drawing  his 
sword,  strikes  the  unarmed  Comyn  on  the  head.  And  when 
he  had  thrown  him  down,  as  he  was  striving  to  wrest  the 
sword  from  the  hands  of  his  assassin  (for  he  was  a  man  of 
great  personal  strength),  the  servants  of  the  traitor  ran  up, 
and  stabbed  him  with  their  swords,  and  released  their  master. 
But  the  lord  John  escaped  as  well  as  he  could  to  the  altar ; 
and  Robert  pursued  him,  and,  as  he  would  not  agree  to  his 
proposals,  the  wicked  and  inhuman  man  there  sacrificed  the 
pious  victim.  These  things  were  done  in  the  church  of  the 
Minor  Brothers,  at  Dumfries,  on  the  twenty-ninth  of  January, 
m  the  year  subsequent  to  this  one.  Behold  the  beginning  of 
the  homicide,  aspiring  to  the  kingdom  by  the  shedding  of  the 
blood  of  Abel. 

After  this,  Bruce  appointed  chariots  and  horsemen  to  go 
before  him,  and  repaired  many  castles,  and  compelled  many 
persons  to  defy  the  king  of  England ;  and  of  those  who  re- 
fused, he  slew  all  that  he  could.  But  the  English  keepers  of 
the  king's  peace  being  alarmed  and  terrified,  fled  to  the  town 
of  Berwick^  reporting  all  these  matters  fully  to  their  king. 


584  MATTHEW  OF   WS8TMIF8TER.  A.D.  1306. 

This  year,  there  died  Master  John  de  Pontoise,  bishop  of 
Winchester,  and  Master  Gilbert  de  Saint  Leopard,  bishop  of 
Chichester,  the  father  of  orphans,  the  comforter  of  mooming 
widows,  the  pious  and  hamble  visitor  of  those  who  Iblj  on 
coarse  beds  and  in  cabins,  and  the  wealthy  reUever  of  the  poor 
rather  than  of  the  rich ;  to  the  sanctity  of  whose  life  nam&- 
rons  miracles,  which  were  subsequently  wrought,  bear  testi- 
mony. There  died  also  Master  Thomas  de  Corebrigge,  arch- 
bishop of  York ;  the  bishop  of  Winchester  was  succeeded  by 
Henry,  prior  of  the  same  church,  John  de  Langton,  arch- 
deacon of  Canterbury,  succeeded  the  bishop  of  Chichester, 
and  Master  William  de  Greenfield,  chancellor  of  the  king  of 
England,  succeeded  the  archbishop  of  York. 
"  The  kingdom's  ntdder  waven  so, 

The  church's  ship  astray  doth  go ; 

The  king  and  pope  are  one  again, 

In  mutual  unhallowed  gain  ; 

As  formerly  for  wicked  ends 

Herod  and  Pilate  became  friends/' 

0/  the  coronation  of  the  pretended  hingy  Robert  Bruce. 

A.D.  1306.  Pope  Clement,  being  at  Bourdeaux,  deposed  the 
bishop  of  Poitou  from  his  pontifical  dignity,  who  had  opposed 
him  when  he  was  archbishop.  He  also  transferred  the  pri- 
macy of  Aquitaine  from  Bourges  to  Bourdeaux. 

On  the  day  of  the  Annunciation  of  the  blessed  Vii^in,  that 
parricide,  Robert  Bruce,  the  invader  of  another's  longdom, 
caused  himself,  according  to  the  custom  of  his  country,  to  be 
crowned  with  a  diadem  by  his  fellow-conspirators,  in  the 
abbey  of  the  regular  canons,  in  the  town  of  Scone,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  some  earls,  John  de  Ailsa,  and  de  Menethet,  and  two 
bishops,  namely,  those  of  Saint  Andrew's  and  of  Glasgow,  and 
the  abbot  of  Scone,  and  many  knights.  There  were  inten- 
tionally absent  of  the  conspirators,  the  earls  de  Buchan  and 
de  Bos,  Alexander  Comyn  and  John  Mowbray,  knights,  and 
some  others,  who  inviolably  kept  the  oath  which  they  had 
sworn  to  the  king  of  England.  But  on  the  following  Sunday, 
which  was  Palm  Sunday,  he  caused  himself  to  be  crowned  a 
second  time  by  a  certain  adulteress,  who  was  betrothed  to  the 
earl  of  Buchan,  and  who,  having  violated  her  marriage  bed, 
was  mad  for  the  beauty  and  wi&  desire  of  the  fool  who  was 
crowned.  And  she  changed  the  name  which  had  been  given 
him  at  his  baptism,  calling  him  David.     And  when  he  re- 


A.D.  1306.  AYABICE  OP  THE  ENGLISH  FSELATES.  585 

turned  home,  he  is  reported  to  hare  said  to  his  wife,  ''  Yester- 
day I  was  called  earl,  and  you  countess,  but  to-day  I  am  called 
king,  and  you  queen."  But  she  replied,  "  I  consider  that  you 
are  a  summer  king,  and  perhaps  you  will  not  be  a  winter  one ; 
and  I  fear  that,  like  the  flower  of  the  field,  which  to-day  is, 
and  to-morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven,  you,  too,  may  fade  away, 
and  for  your  perjury  and  Tiolation  of  faith,  may,  for  the  sake 
of  the  name  of  king,  lose  both  earldom  and  kingdom."  So 
he,  thinking  that  he  was  laughed  at  by  a  woman,  wished  to 
have  slain  her  with  the  sword,  but  was  prevented  by  the  by- 
standers. Nevertheless,  he  sent  her  into  banishment,  and 
had  her  conveyed  over  to  Ireland  to  her  father,  the  earl  of 
Alton,  by  whom  she  was  sent  to  the  king  of  England,  and 
treated  by  him  with  great  respect. 

About  the  same  time,  the  lang  of  England  accused  Robert, 
archbishop  of  Canterbury,  before  the  pope,  of  disturbing  the 
peace  of  his  kingdom,  and  defending  and  cherishing  those 
who  rebelled  against  him ;  on  which  account  he  was  sum- 
moned by  the  supreme  pontiff,  and  having  received  leave  of 
the  king,  he  bade  him  farewell,  and  crossed  the  sea  to  Bour- 
deaux,  where  he  was  suspended  from  the  execution  of  his 
office,  till  he  should  legitimately  clear  himself  of  what  was 
alleged  against  him. 

In  Easter  week,  the  king  caused  the  apostolic  bull,  concerning 
his  absolution  from  the  oath  which  had  been  taken  in  the  matter 
of  the  disforesting,  which  had  been  already  executed,  and  which 
was  to  be  maintained,  to  be  published,  in  which  all  those  who 
wished  to  observe  that  oath  were  excommunicated,  and  those 
who  broke  it  were  approved  and  absolved.  The  same  year, 
on  the  sixth  day  of  May,  the  lady  Margaret,  queen  of  England, 
brought  forth  a  daughter,  named  Eleanor.  At  that  time,  too, 
pope  Clement  granted  to  the  king  of  England,  for  two  years, 
the  tenth  of  all  the  ecclesiastical  revenues  for  the  service  of 
the  Holy  Land.  But  the  money  was  applied  to  other  uses. 
And  the  pope,  seeing  the  insatiable  avarice  of  some  of  the  pre- 
lates of  England,  who  importunately  demanded  that  the  first 
churches  that  were  vacant  in  their  dioceses  should  be  granted  to 
them  for  one  year,  and  considering  what  the  inferior  demands 
the  superior  also  has  a  right  to,  appropriated  to  himself  for 
two  years  all  the  revenues  of  the  churches  in  England  when 
first  vacant,  that  is  to  say,  for  the  first  year  all  the  first  fruits 
of  bishoprics,  abbacies,  priories,  prebends,  rectories  and  vica- 
rages, and  also  of  the  smaller  benefices. 


586  ICATTHEW  OF  W£STMI!7ST£11.  AD.  id/OC 

About  the  same  time,  king  Edward,  who  was  now  yerging 
on  old  age,  when  some  of  the  senrants  of  his  household  com- 
plained to  him,  who  had  not  yet  been  promoted  according  to 
their  wish,  having  had  enqoiry  made  as  to  what  monastic  or 
canonical  convents  had  been  founded  by  his  progenitors, 
from  that  day  forth  he  allotted  to  each  of  them,  not  the  simple 
supplies  for  the  necessary  maintenance  of  the  monasteries,  but 
sufficient  for  them  to  live  as  long  as  they  lived  like  the  riders 
in  the  king^s  court,  with  one  horse  or  two.  He  also  ordered 
the  proper  maintenance,  and  all  other  things  necessary  to  be 
supplied  to  them. 

In  these  days,  the  king  of  England  sent  Aymer  de  Valence, 
earl  of  Pembroke,  Robert  Clifford,  and  Henry  Percy,  into 
Scotland,  with  a  powerful  and  well  appointed  force,  to  resist 
the  threatened  revolutions,  and  to  defeat  the  man  who  had 
been  so  wickedly  crowned  with  lus  band  of  traitors,  and  to 
protect  his  faithful  subjects.  Accordingly,  to  augment  the 
expedition  which  was  to  march  against  Scotland,  the  king 
caused  pubUc  proclamation  to  be  made  throughout  England, 
that  all  who  were  entitled  to  be  made  knights  in  respect  of 
their  paternal  succession,  and  all  who  had  sufficient  property 
to  be  liable  to  serve,  should  present  themselves  at  Westminster 
on  the  feast  of  Pentecost,  when  each  of  them  should  receive  all 
their  military  equipments,  except  their  horse  and  his  furniture, 
from  the  king's  wardrobe.  Therefore,  when  three  hundred 
youths,  the  sons  of  earls,  barons,  and  knights  had  assembled 
there,  there  was  distributed  among  them  purple  and  fine  linen, 
and  fine  cloth,  and  mantles  embroidered  with  gold  in  great 
abundance,  so  as  to  be  enough  for  all  of  them.  And  because 
.the  king's  pahice,  although  larger,  was  nevertheless  too  scanty 
for  80  vast  a  crowd  as  was  there  assembled,  they  erected  their 
standards  and  tents  in  the  gardens  of  the  New  Temple  in 
London,  cutting  down  the  apple  trees,  and  throwing  down  the 
walls,  that  the  novices  might  have  a  place  wherein  to  dress 
themselves  in  their  gold  embroidered  robes.  And  that  night 
the  aforesaid  novices,  in  as  great  numbers  as  that  place  could 
contain,  kept  their  vigils  in  the  Temple.  But  the  prince  of 
Wales,  by  his  father's  order,  with  the  novices  of  superior  rank, 
kept  his  vigil  in  the  church  at  Westminster.  And  there  was 
heard  so  great  a  clang  of  trumpets  and  flute  players,  and  such 
shoutings  on  the  part  of  those  who  lifted  up  their  voices  for 
joy,  that  the  praises  and  thanksgiving  of  the  convent,  as  re- 


iL,l>.  1306.   BOBEBT  BBT7CE  COLLECTS  A  NtTMEBOITS  ABMT.    587 

peated  from  choir  to  choir,  could  not  be  heard.    And  the  next 
day,  the  king  invested  his  son  with  the  belt  of  a  knight,  in  his 
own  palace,  and  conferred  on  him  the  dachj  of  Aqnitaine. 
Therefore,  the  prince  being  now  made  a  knight,  went  into  the 
church  at  Westminster  to  adorn  his  comrades,  in  like  manner, 
-with  the  decoration  of  knights.     Moreover,  so  great  was  the 
pressure  there  of  the  people  in  front  of  the  great  altar,  that 
two  knights  died,  and  many  fainted,  even  though  each  had  at 
least  their  knights  to  gtiide  and  countenance  him.     And,  on 
account  of  the  pressure  of  the  crowd,  the  prince  caused  the 
multitude  to  be  divided  by  his  mounted  guards,  and  invested 
his  comrades  on  the  great  altar.     Then  there  were  brought  in 
in  procession,  with  great  splendour,   two  swans,  or  genets, 
before  the  king,  equipped  with  golden  trappings  or  gilded 
pipes,  a  beautiful  spectacle  for  the  beholders.    And  when  he 
beheld  them,  the  king  vowed  to  the  God  of  Heaven,  and  to 
the  swans,  that  living  or  dead  he  would  march  into  Scotland, 
and  avenge  the  death  of  John  Comyn,  and  chastise  the  per- 
jury of  the  Scots  ;  and  adjuring  the  prince,  and  the  other  supe- 
rior nobles  of  the  land,  by  the  faith  which  they  owed  him, 
that  if  he  died  before  he  had  accomplished  his  vow,  they 
would  carry  his  body  with  them  into  Scotland  with  the  army, 
and  not  bury  him  till  the  Lord  had  given  him  victory  and  tri- 
umph over  ike  crowned  traitor,  and  the  perjured  nation.  And 
this  they  all  promised  in  good  faith,  declaring  that  whether 
the  king  lived  or  died,  they  were  ready  to  march  with  the 
prince  into  Scotland,  in  fulfilment  of  the  king's  vow.     After 
this,  they  all  became  more  calm,  and  having  saluted  the  king 
on  the  day  after  the  feast  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  they  departed 
from  Westminster,  engaging  to  be  present  with  the  king,  in 
the  course  of  the  fortnight  after  the  feast  of  Saint  John  the 
Baptist,  to  nuirch  into  Scotland.     And  for  this  expedition  of 
the  king's  son,  the  thirtieth  penny,  from  both  laity  and  clergy, 
was  granted  to  the  king  $  and  the  merchants  granted  him  the 
twentieth  penny. 

Meantime,  a  great  contest  was  going  on  between  the  people  of 
the  Scots  and  English,  as  to  which  of  them  should  prove  to 
be  greater  in  battle.  In  the  meantimei  Robert  Bruce,  going 
round  the  country  and  receiving  the  homage  of  many, 
having  collected  a  numerous  army,  on  the  morrow  of  Saint 
John  the  Baptist  approached  the  town  of  Saint  John,  for  the 
defence  of  which  Aymer  de  Valence  had  lately  arrived ;  and, 


588  HATTHSW  or  WESTMIJTSTEll.  A.D.  1306. 

by  the  command  of  their  new  prince,  the  cayaLry  of  the  Scots 
were  all  clad  in  linen  shirts  over  their  armour,  to  prevent  their 
being  distinguished.  And  Aymer,  being  challenged  by  him 
to  come  out  and  do  battle,  replied  that  he  would  fight  with  him 
not  that  day,  but  the  next.  And  when  Robert  had  withdrawn 
himself  and  his  followers  one  mile,  and  was  proceeding  to  re- 
fresh his  troops,  as  the  hour  of  evening  was  approaching, 
Aymer  sallied  out  with  his  forces,  and  suddenly  coming  on  the 
Scots  near  Methuen,  b^an  the  battle.  And  there  fell  that 
day,  by  the  edge  of  the  sword,  a  great  many  Scots  who  ad- 
hmd  to  the  false  king.  Moreover,  he  himself  was  thrice 
thrown  to  the  ground  by  the  cavalry,  and  thrice  raised  again 
by  Simon  de  Freysel,  an  illustrious  warrior,  and  at  length, 
owing  to  the  txiek  of  the  white  shirt,  he  escaped  from  the 
battle.  Forwhen  Robert  and  the  rest,  who  had  armed  themselves 
in  haste,  had  resLsted  for  some  time,  at  last  they  were  compelled 
to  fly,  as  the  English  got  the  better.  And  Aymer  pursued 
them  with  his  followers  as  far  as  the  island  of  Cantyre,  and 
laid  si^[;e  to  the  castle  of  Cantyre,  thinking  that  Robert  had 
retreated  into  it.  But  when  he  had  taken  the  castle  he  found  him 
not,  because  he  had  fled  to  the  islands  in  the  most  remote  part 
of  the  kingdom ;  but  he  took  his  brother,  Nigel  Bruce,  in  the 
castle,  with  several  others,  all  of  whom  he  caused  to  be  con- 
ducted to  Berwick.  In  the  battle  above  mentioned,  the  folo 
lowing  men  were  taken  prisoners  : — Thomas,  son  of  Ranulph, 
David  Inkemartyn,  John  de  SomerviUe,  knights ;  Hutting,  the 
marshal  and  standard-bearer  of  the  false  king,  and  Hugh,  his 
chaplain,  who,  nevertheless,  was  hanged  on  a  gallows  with  the 
aforesaid  knights,  and  many  others,  whose  names  are  not  set 
down  here,  lest  the  page  should  be  soiled  with  them,  he  him- 
self being  hanged  in  front  of  the  others,  as  though  he  said, 
**  I,  being  your  superior,  marshal  you  this  way."  After  these 
events,  the  king  of  England  marched  into  Scotland,  with  the 
prince  of  Wales  and  &e  nobles  of  his  kingdom,  and  some 
Scots  received  him  honourably,  some  retreated  backwards,  and 
some  sought  the  secret  recesses  of  the  woods.  But  the  king's 
army  traversed  the  whole  kingdom  of  Scotland,  and  began  to 
pursue  the  fugitives,  and  slew  many  of  them,  and  took  some 
alive,  as  the  bishops  and  the  abbot  who  have  been  mentioned 
above,  having  on  breastplates  and  armour  beneath  their  outer 
garments.  The  fault  of  both  the  bishops  was  great,  but  that 
of  the  bishop  of  Saint  Andrew  was  the  greater ;,  for  on  the  day 


JL.D.  1306.  SIMOIT  FBXYSEL  TAKEK  PEISONEH.  58f) 

of  the  battle  between  the  English  and  Scots  at  Methuen>  near 
Saint  John's,  he  sent  all  his  retainers  armed  to  the  assistance 
of  the  Scots.  Bat  he  himself,  in  the  meantime,  cunningly 
surrendered  himself  to  the  English,  in  order  that,  if  the  Scots 
triumphed  over  the  English,  they  might  deliyer  him  from  their 
power,  as  having  been  taken  by  force  for  want  of  sufficient 
protection,  but  that,  if  the  English  triumphed,  they  might 
spare  him,  because  he  had  been  deserted  by  his  family,  as  not 
consenting  to  their  actions.  Therefore,  those  peijured  prelates 
were  thrown  into  very  close  prisons,  in  the  same  garb  and 
dress  in  which  they  had  been  taken,  until  it  •should  be  decided 
by  the  Apostolic  See  what  was  to  be  done  with  them.  Also, 
that  impious  conspiratress,  the  countess  of  Buchan,  was  taken 
prisoner,  respecting  whom  the  king  was  consulted,  when  he 
said,  "  Because  she  has  not  struck  with  the  sword,  she  shall 
not  die  by  the  sword ;  but,  on  account  of  the  unlawful  coro- 
nation which  she  performed,  let  her  be  closely  confined  in  an 
abode  of  stone  and  iron,  made  in  the  shape  of  a  crown,  and 
let  her  be  hung  up  out  of  doors  in  the  open  air  at  Berwick, 
that  both  in  her  lijfe  and  after  her  death  she  may  be  a  spectacle 
and  eternal  reproach  to  travellers." 

At  that  time  too,  Simon  Freysel  was  taken  prisoner,  a  man 
in  whom  the  whole  confidence  of  the  Scots  was  placed,  in  so 
much  that  the  Scotch  nobles  who  were  in  prison  asserted  that 
he  could  not  be  subdued  or  taken,  and  while  he  was  alive,  they 
thought  that  the  Scotch  could  not  be  subdued.  And  a  certain 
Scotch  knight,  who  was  in  chains  in  the  Tower  of  London, 
presuming  on  his  magnanimity  to  the  glory  of  the  English, 
but  to  his  own  loss,  gave  the  king  leave  to  cut  off  his  head 
whenever  Simon  Freysel  was  taken  prisoner ;  and  his  name 
was  Herebert  of  Norham,  the  most  beautiful  in  person  and 
the  tallest  in  stature  of  all  the  Scots,  but  now,  on  account  of 
the  thrice-repeated  treachery  which  he  had  committed  against 
the  king  of  England,  having  been  twice  released,  the  third 
time  that  he  was  taken,  he,  and  his  father,  and  his  esquire, 
were  bound  with  iron  fetters  in  the  Tower  of  London.  After 
this,  Simon  Freysel  was  sent  to  the  Tower  of  London,  that 
the  other  Scot,  when  he  saw  him,  might  recollect  the  vow 
which  he  had  taken.  On  the  morrow,  therefore,  that  is  to  say, 
on  the  vigil  of  the  Nativity  of  the  blessed  Mary,  Herebert  and 
Thomas  de  Boys,  his  esquire,  were  led  out  of  the  Tower  of 
London  and  beheaded.    But  Simon  Freysel,  on  account  of  the 


590  ILLTTHEW  OW  WXSTICIBSTIIU  A.!!.  1906. 

number  of  hit  trcMoiM  which  he  had  oommitted,  waa  eon- 
demaed  to  the  foUowiDg  pnniahiiieiiti  he  waa  dragged  aa  a 
traitor  from  the  Tower  of  London  throng^  the  atieeta  and 
foada,  then  he  waa  hong  np  high  aa  a  robber,  beheaded  aa  a 
mnrderer,  fintened  on  a  gibbet  for  twenty  daya,  and  at  h»t 
bomt  wiUi  fire ;  and  hia  head  waa  aet  on  a  lutee,  upon  Lon- 
don Bridge,  near  the  head  of  William  Wallace,  to  be  a  for- 
niidable  apectade  to  all  nations. 

About  the  feaat  of  Saint  Michael,  Bobert  Bmce  retomed 
to  Cantyre,  and  coming  upon  Henry  Percy,  who  waa  in  the 
neighbourhood,  he  alew  aome  of  hia  retinue,  and  took  aome  of 
hia  war-horaea,  and  abundant  apoila  beaidea ;  and  he  beai^ed 
Henry  in  the  caatle  of  the  place,  until,  in  consequence  of  the 
powerful  army  aent  thither  by  king  Edward,  he  waa  compelled 
to  raiae  the  aiege. 

Li  thoae  daya,  the  king  of  England  cauaed  enquiry  to  be 
made  throughout  all  Scotland,  by  credible  and  truatworthy 
peraona,  who  and  how  many  peraons  were  present  at  the  slay- 
ing of  John  Comyn,  and  at  Uie  coronation  of  Bobert  Bruce ; 
and  he  took  them  nearly  all,  and  put  them  to  death,  or  else, 
in  the  case  of  those  who  surrendered  themselvea  up  to  die 
king'a  pleaaure,  he  committed  them  to  close  prison.  After 
this,  he  took  the  castle  of  Locbleyen,  in  which  he  found  Chris- 
topher Seton,  the  husband  of  Robert  Brace's  sister,  whom,  as 
he  waa  not  a  Scot  but  an  Englishman,  the  king  commanded 
to  be  conducted  to  Dumfries,  where  he  had  formerly  alain  a 
knight  of  the  king's  party,  and  there  he  was  formally  tried, 
dragged  to  the  gfdlows,  hanged,  and  at  last  beheaded.  Bat 
John  Seton,  the  brother  of  Christopher,  was  hanged  at  New- 
castle-upon-Tyne, and  beheaded,  and  thus  he  ended  his  life 
miserably ;  for  they  were  both  esquires  of  the  false  king,  and 
had  both  been  accomplices  in  the  murder  of  John  Comyn. 
And  the  wife  of  Christopher  and  the  danighter  of  Robert  Brace 
he  placed  in  different  monasteries  of  nuns.  And  while  he 
was  daily  taking  this  vengeance  on  the  wicked  people,  the 
wicked  crowned  pretender  fled  to  the  Highlands.  Then  Johu, 
earl  of  Ailsa,  fearing  for  himself,  sought  safety  in  flight ;  bat, 
by  the  providence  of  God,  the  danger  which  he  feared  over- 
took him ;  for  as  he  was  fleeing  by  sea,  suddenly  a  foul  wind 
sprung  up,  and  he  was  driven  to  land  and  taken  by  his  ene- 
mies. And  when  the  king  of  England  heard  of  this,  although 
he  was  then  sick  of  a  grievous  distemper,  still  he  bore  hia 


A.D.  13C6.  A  QITABHEL  ABISES  is  I'BAKCIS.  591 

pain  more  calmly — and  that  earl  claimed  to  be  descended  from 
the  royal  family.  Tlierefore,  some  of  the  courtiers  thought  it 
an  improper  and  unbecoming  thing  that  he  should  be  tried 
with  other  malefactors  ;  but  the  kiug,  regarding  not  the  line 
of  his  descent,  but  the  requirements  of  justice,  replied  to 
them  :  "  In  proportion  as  his  rank  is  higher,  so,  too,  is  his  fall 
evidently  greater ;  but  as  he  is  more  noble  in  blood  than  the 
other  parricides,  let  him,  for  his  wickedness,  be  hung  higher 
than  the  rest.  Nor  are  ye  ignorant  how  often  he  has  desired 
to  betray  us  in  England,  Scotland,  and  Flanders ;  take  him, 
and  let  him  be  tried  with  all  justice  in  London."  And  when 
he  had  arrived  in  that  city^  on  the  seventh  day  of  I^ovember, 
he  was  condemned  at  Westminster,  in  the  king's  palace.  But 
because  he  was  descended  from  the  royal  family,  he  was  not 
dragged  through  tHe  streets,  but  placed  on  a  horse,  he  was 
hanged  on  a  gallows  fifty  feet  high.  Afterwards  he  was  taken 
down  when  half-dead,  that  he  might  suffer  more  pain,  and 
cruelly  beheaded.  And  his  body,  a  violent  fire  having  been 
previously  kindled  before  his  eyes,  was  burnt,  with  his  flesh 
and  bones,  and  reduced  entirely  to  ashes.  And  his  head  was 
fixed  on  London  Bridge,  among  the  heads  of  other  traitors, 
but  was  placed  higher  than  theirs,  because  he  was  of  the  royal 
family. 

The  king,  staying  at  Lavercost,  near  Carlisle,  sent  justiciaries 
to  Berwick,  by  whose  judgment  Nigel  Bruce,  a  young  knight 
of  exceeding  beauty,  because  he  had  consented  to  the  treason 
of  his  brother,  and  all  the  others  who  were  taken  prisoners 
with  him,  were  dragged  through  the  streets  and  hanged,  and 
finally  beheaded.  And  while  bloodshed  of  this  kind  was 
stalking  through  Scotland,  about  the  same  time  a  violent 

?uarrel  arose  between  the  king  of  France  and  the  citizens  of 
aris,  for  the  following  reasons.  There  was  in  the  city  of 
Paris  a  man  of  illustrious  family,  of  exceeding  riches  beyond 
all  his  fellow-citizens,  by  name  Stephen  Barbet.  He,  coming 
to  the  king  of  France,  spoke  thus :  "  My  lord,  the  value  of 
your  revenue  is  diminished  to  half  of  its  proper  amount.  From 
this  the  merchants  derive  gain,  and  you  suffer  injury.  Order, 
therefore,  that  your  revenue  shall  from  hencefortii  be  of  thrice 
its  present  amount."  So  the  two  parties,  the  one  being  co- 
vetous and  the  other  crafty,  agreed  together  at  once.  Nor  did 
this  device  escape  the  notice  of  the  rest  of  the  citizens.  So 
they  said  to  Stephen :  **  You  are  an  eminent  man  in  the  city ; 


592  MATTHEW  or  WE8TMIKSTEJI.  A.I).  1306. 

you  are  become  richer  tlmn  all  the  borgesses.  Behold,  oar 
king  is  injuriously  increasing  the  weight  of  his  yoke  upon  us, 
imposing  a  tribute  on  the  kingdom,  such  as  has  never  been 
customary  in  the  time  of  any  of  the  preceding  kings  of  France. 
See  what  a  number  of  houses  we  have  built,  which  if  the  king's 
reyenue  is  trebled  will  be  unable  to  be  let,  and  will  be  all  re- 
duced to  emptiness,  and  solitary  sparrows  will  dwell  in  them 
instead  of  men.  Ah,  Gk)d !  before  this  takes  place,  we  will 
leaye  all  that  we  have,  and  seek  a  better  master.  Do  you, 
therefore,  as  you  are  one  of  us,  agree  with  us.  Otherwise  we 
will  bum  you  and  your  house ;  because  it  has  been  said,  that 
it  is  owing  to  the  suggestions  of  your  cunning  that  this  step 
has  been  taken."  He  answered  them, — "  I  will  do  what  this 
people  exhorts  me  to,  according  to  their  words."  Then  de- 
parting from  them,  he  secretly  paid  the  (ing  of  France  the 
revenue  which  he  had  promised  him.  So  a  conspiracy  was 
entered  into,  and  his  fellow-citizens  rose  in  insurrection  against 
Stephen,  demolishing  and  levelling  to  the  sround  all  his  houses 
which  he  had  in  the  city  and  near  the  city,  and  burning  all 
his  valuable  furniture,  and  slaying  his  servants  and  his  cattle 
with  the  sword.  And  on  that  day  they  dragged  some  carts 
belonging  to  the  king,  which  were  full  of  victuals  which  had 
been  bought  and  contracted  foi^  for  his  table,  into  the  middle 
of  the  market-place,  and  threw  all  their  contents  about,  and 
trampled  them  contemptuously  under  foot.  And  even  then 
their  fury  was  not  appeased,  but  they  came  raging  to  the  tem- 
ple, where  the  king  was  abiding  at  that  time,  and  cried  out, 
"  Deliver  up  Stephen  to  us,  otherwise  we  will  bum  you  and 
the  temple."  But  the  king  answered  them  warily :  "  Behold, 
you  have  come  upon  me  unexpectedly.  Return  to  the  city, 
and  on  the  sixth  day  return  to  me ;  for  then  I  will  grant  all 
that  you  wish,  and  I  will  listen  to  your  complaints,  and  pro- 
mise to  correct  them."  So  when  they  had  retired,  the  king 
departed  to  another  place,  far  from  the  city.  And  thus  the 
anxiety  of  the  complaining  burgesses  was  eluded  by  the  inter- 
position of  this  disappointing  delay. 

After  this,  Charles,  the  king's  brother,  having  summoned 
before  him  twelve  of  the  more  eminent  of  the  citizens,  under 
pretence  of  conferring  with  them  peaceably,  treacheroualy  tor- 
tured them  with  all  kinds  of  sufferings,  till  they  revealed  who 
yere  the  traitors.  And  when  the  king  had  ascertained  their 
names,  he  erected  gibbets  before  the  gates  of  the  city,  and 


A.D.  1307.  A  PA^KLIAMEirr  HELD  AT  CABLISLE.  593 

caused  them  to  be  hung  up  on  high  in  tens  and  twenties. 
Moreover,  he  commanded  the  Flemings  to  pay  the  tribute  which 
they  owed  him  increased  threefold.  But  they  repUed,  "  We 
will  not  contribute  any  more  ;  for  all  that  we  have  contributed 
is  a  source  of  grief  to  us.  Let  the  king  restore  to  us  what  we 
have  already  paid,  or  else  we  will  recover  by  force  what  has 
been  extorted  from  us." 

In  that  year,  a  certain  heretic,  apostate,  and  false  prophet 
arose  in  Venice,  by  name  Dunsin,  preaching  many  things  con- 
trary to  the  faith,  as,  for  instance,  on  the  subject  of  acquiring 
the  empire,  of  the  death  of  all  the  cardinals  and  of  pope  Cle- 
ment within  the  year ;  and  that  the  end  of  the  world  was  at 
hand  within  three  years,  preaching  all  sorts  of  falsehoods  as 
truth,  uniting  to  his  sect  the  apostate  people  of  every  order, 
and  asserting,  among  other  particulars  of  his  wicked  preaching, 
that  any  man  might  have  commerce  with  any  woman,  and 
that  it  was  no  sin  ;  and  that  a  woman  who  refused  the  em- 
brace of  any  man  whatever,  deserved  to  be  burnt  with  fire.  He 
also  asserted  many  scandalous  things,  which,  as  they  are  at 
variance  with  the  orthodox  faith,  I  forbear  to  write.  And  not 
long  afterwards,  namely,  on  the  day  of  the  festival  of  the 
Lord's  Supper,  he  was  taken  by  the  faithful  in  Christ,  and 
burnt  with  fire. 

The  king  of  France  begged  of  the  lord  the  pope  the  bones 
of  his  predecessor,  Boniface,  that  he  might  burn  them  as  the 
bones  of  a  heretic,  urging  his  request  with  exceeding  impor- 
tunity. Also,  he  requested  that  brother  Peter  de  Mnron  might 
be  inscribed  in  the  catalogue  of  the  saints,  who  had  formerly 
been  pope  under  the  name  of  Celestine  the  Fifth. 

The  king  of  England  compelled  Piers  Gaverston,  who  had 
been  accused  before  him  of  divers  crimes,  to  renounce  the 
kingdom  of  England. 

A  pwrliament  is  held  at  Carlisle.    The  earl  of  Gloucester  is  he- 
sieved  hy  the  Scots.     King  Edward  the  First  dies. 

A.D.  1307.  In  the  week  after  the  festival  of  Saint  Hilary, 
the  king  held  a  parliament  at  CarUsle,  in  which  grave  com- 
plaints were  brought  forward,  by  the  chief  nobles,  of  the  op- 
pressions of  the  churches  and  monasteries,  by  the  manifold 
extortions  of  money  lately  introduced  into  the  kingdom  by  the 
clerk  of  the  lord  the  pope.  Master  William  Teste ;  and  the 
aforesaid  clerk  was  commanded,  by  the  unanimous  decree  of 

VOL.  II.  Q  Q 


594  MATTHEW   OF  WESTMUfBTER.  AD.  1307. 

the  earls  and  barons,  not  for  the  future  to  commit  such  op- 
pression. Moreover,  order  was  made  that  for  the  obtaining 
a  remedy  for  these  things,  ambassadors  appointed  for  the  pur- 
pose should  be  sent  to  the  pope. 

In  the  same  parliament,  some  statutes  were  passed,  affect- 
ing the  members  of  religious  orders,  who  had  their  chief 
houses  in  another  kingdom.  And  there  came  to  that  parlia- 
ment, about  the  feast  of  Saint  Peter,  a  certain  cardinal  of  Sa- 
bionetta.  Master  Peter  the  Spaniard,  having  been  sent  by  the 
pope  as  legate  h  latere,  to  perform  the  marriage  which  had 
been  arranged  between  Edward,  the  eldest  son  of  the  king  of 
England,  and  Isabella,  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  France,  as 
had  been  previously  ordained  by  pope  Boniface,  acting,  as  it 
were,  as  a  mediator  of  peace.  And  he  made  answer,  by  the 
king,  that  he  was  ready  to  perform  all  that  was  commanded 
him,  provided  that  the  king  of  France,  on  his  part,  was  will- 
ing to  fulfil  those  engagements  which  depended  on  him.  For 
the  king  of  France,  while  he  held  Guienne,  had  given  the 
castle  which  is  called  Mauleon  to  a  certain  knight,  who  still 
retained  possession  of  it,  and  would  not  restore  it  at  the  com- 
mand of  the  king  of  France.  On  which  account,  it  is  said, 
that  that  marriage  was  delayed  to  this  time.  Therefore,  the 
cardinal  returned  to  London,  in  order  to  await  certain  direc- 
tions on  this  point,  and  to  plunder  the  churches  of  England. 
For  he  wished,  according  to  authority  given  in  the  bull,  tx) 
receive  from  each  church  belonging  to  a  cathedral,  or  convent, 
and  from  all  regular  and  irregular  churches  and  priories, 
twelve  marks  sterling.  And  from  the  rectories,  eightpence  out 
of  his  mark.  But  the  clergy  of  England  appealed  against 
this  exaction.  And  it  was  ordered  by  the  king's  council,  that 
that  cardinal  ought  not  to  have  more  than  cardinal  Othobonus 
had  formerly  received,  when  he  was  legate  in  England,  namely, 
the  half  of  what  was  now  demanded.  This  year,  on  the  ninth 
day  of  February,  a  certain  Scot  of  Galway,  Duncan  Macdonal 
by  name,  fell  in  with  a  large  vessel,  manned  with  seven  hun- 
dred warriors,  who  landed  in  his  territories,  and  encountered 
them  with  not  more  than  three  hundred  men,  and  slew  nearly 
all  their  host,  some  in  battle,  some  in  the  woods,  some  in  the 
harbour,  and  some  as  they  were  flying  ;  many  also  were 
drowned  in  the  sea.  But  the  bodies  of  the  chief  men  of  those 
who  were  slain  in  the  battle,  he  brought  to  the  lord  the  king, 
namely,  Malcolm  Macail,  lord  of  Kentirhead,  and  also  the 


A.D.  1307.  DEATH  OF  KING  EDWAED.  595 

heads  of  two  Irish  chieftains,  Reginald  de  Craunford,  and  Tho- 
mas Bruce,  knights ;  and  he  presented  Alexander  Bruce,  a 
pretended  king  of  the  Germans,  wounded  and  half  dead,  to  the 
king ;  of  whom  Thomas  was  drawn  at  the  tail  of -a  horse,  and 
hanged  and  beheaded,  and  the  others  were  simply  brought 
back  to  Carlisle,  and  hanged  and  beheaded.  And  a  testimony 
of  this  is,  their  heads  which  are  fixed  up  above  the  castle,  and 
over  the  gates  of  the  city. 

After  Easter,  Robert  Brace,  having  reinforced  his  army, 
fought  with  Aymer  de  Valence,  and  put  him  to  flight,  only  a 
few  of  those  who  were  with  him  being  slain.  And  within 
three  days,  pursuing  him,  he  routed  the  earl  of  Gloucester, 
many  men  being  slain  on  both  sides,  and  besieged  him  in  the 
castle  of  Ayr,  tiU  the  siege  was  raised  by  an  army  which  was 
sent  thither  by  the  king.  After  that,  he  fled  from  the  En- 
glish, who  pursued  him,  and  took  refuge  in  the  marshy  and 
thickly  wooded  places,  where,  after  he  found  a  hiding  place, 
they  could  not  discover  him.  The  king  having  sent  messen- 
gers into  England,  ordered,  under  heavy  pensdties,  that  all 
those  who  owed  him  service,  should  be  ready  at  Carlisle  within 
three  weeks  after  the  feast  of  Saint  John  the  Baptist ;  and  he 
sent  his  son  back  into  England  to  proceed  to  contract  his 
marriage  with  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  France,  according 
to  what  he  should  hear  from  that  sovereign.  But  after  his 
departure,  the  king  began  to  be  afflicted  with  a  dysentery. 
Nevertheless,  he  moved  from  Carlisle,  on  the  third  of  July, 
marching  a  few  days*  journey  towards  Scotland ;  but  on  the 
sixth  of  July,  he  arrived  at  Burgh  on  the  Sands,  where,  his 
illness  increasing,  the  day  after,  being  the  sixth  day  of  the 
week,  he  bade  farewell  to  this  present  life,  ending  his  days  in 
piety,  and  his  years  in  glory.  He  reigned  thirty-four  years, 
seven  months,  and  twenty-one  days,  and  had  completed  sixty- 
eight  years  and  twenty  days  of  his  age. 

This  Edward  was  a  man  of  great  vigour  as  a  warrior 
throughout  his  whole  life  in  every  situation ;  so  much  so,  that 
he  wrested  all  England  out  of  the  hand  of  Simon  de  Mont- 
fort,  and  the  earls  and  barons  who  adhered  to  the  said  Simon ; 
who  had  also  detained  his  father  king  Henry,  and  himself  in 
prison,  as  is  related  above  in  these  Chronicles.  He  also  wrested 
all  Wales  from  the  hands  of  prince  Llewellyn,  and  David,  his 
brother ;  and  Aquitaine  from  the  hands  of  the  king  of  France. 
He  oflen  subjugated  Scotland,  as  the  previous  history  of  his 

QQ2 


596  MATTHEW   OF   WESTMINSTEE,  A.D.  1307. 

achieyements  testifies.  But  after  Scotland  had  been  treach- 
erously taken  by  Robert  Bruce,  as  is  related  in  this  chapter, 
he  then,  lying  on  the  bed  of  sickness,  in  the  middle  of  his 
army,  in  the  magnanimity  of  his  spirit,  ordered  and  commanded 
his  hody  not  to  be  buried  where  he  was,  but  to  be  carried  with 
the  army,  till  all  Scotland  was  finally  reduced.  But  this  com- 
mand could  not  be  e£fectually  fulfilled.  Therefore,  his  body 
was  conveyed  to  England,  and  buried  at  Westminster,  in  the 
following  year,  on  the  eighteenth  day  of  October,  near  Saint  i 

Edward,  at  the  head  of  his  father's  grave,  by  the  hands  of  the 
venerable  fathers,  the  lord  Antony,  patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  • 

and  bishop   of  Durham,  and  William,  archbishop  of  York  ! 

with  the  other  bishops,  abbots,  and  prelates  of  the  whole  king-  '• 

dom.    And  a  certain  versifier  has  written  thus,  concerning : —  ^ 

'*  King,  while  yon  flourished  in  your  power  and  might. 
Fraud  lay  concealed  and  honour  came  to  light ; 

Peace  gladdened  all  the  earth.    The  Scots  were  crush'd,  \ 

Afflicted,  beaten,  humbled  to  the  dust/' 


INDEX. 


Abraham,  i.  13 

Acban,  i.  21 

Adaoi,  1.  2 

Adamannus,  1:  339 

Adela,  daughter  of  William 

I^  ii.  13 
Adelmar,  bishop  of  Puy,  ii. 

22,28 
Adolph,  king  of  Germany,  ii. 

628 
Adrian,  i.  108 
^gelwin«  bishop,  ii.  6 
Ailsa,  John  de,  IL  684,  680 
^Ifeg,  i.  476 
^Ifeg,  archbiahop,  L601,606, 

521 
^Imar,  or  ^thelmar,  11. 279, 

288,  311,  342,  366, 367 
^neas,  i.  26. 62 
^neas  Sylvius,  1.  62 
^thelicia,  or  Adelicia,  queen 

of  Henry  I.,  ii.^  61 
jEthelwolf,  bishop   of  Car- 
lisle, ii.  42 
^tius,  the  consul,  i.  208 
Aganippus,  i.  48 
Aidan,i.298,301,305,306 
Aigulfus,  i.  323 
Alamund,  i.  251 
Alba  Sylvius,  i.  62 
Alban,  St.,  i.  180, 376 ;  ii.  19, 
h  131 

Albemarle,  count  of,  ii.  660 
Albert,  king  of  Germany,  ii. 

628 
Alberic,  the  legate,  ii.  46 
Albiney,  WUliam  de,  ii.  124, 

139 
Alectus,  i.  177 
Alexander  the  Great,  1.91; 

his  death,  93;  his  succes- 
sors, t& 
Alexander,  king  of  Scotland, 

ii.  3,  33,  40 
Alexander  III.,  ii.  192,  231, 

306,320 
Alexander  IV.,  pope,  ii.  843, 

893,400,468 
Alexander.  Master,  U.  110 
Alexander,  pope,  ii.  6 
Alexander,  son  of  William  of 

ScotUnd,  ii.  113 
Alfonso,  ii.  301, 887 
Alfonso,  king  of  Castile,  ii.  61 
Alfonso,  son  of  Edward  I.,  ii, 

479 


Alfred  the  Great,  i.  403,  409, 

421,  422,  456 
Alfred,  son  of  Ethelred  II.,  i. 

619,  623, 628 
Algiva,  i.  478 
Alia  Laurentia,  i.  63 
Almaric,  king  of  Jerusalem, 

ii.  67 
Alswitha,  L  409 
Alton,  earl  of,  ii.  585 
AmphibaUus,  t  180 ;  ii.  67 
Amulius,  i.  63 
Anagni,  Johnd',  cardinal,  11. 

77,79 
Androgens,  i.  106 
Angnselus.  i.  262 
Anjou,  count  of,  ii.  681 
Anlaf,  of  Ireland,  i.  470,  472 
Anlaf,  king  of  the  Norwe- 
gians, i.  494 
Anselm,  archbishop,  iL   19, 

21,  27,  29,  31,  88 
Anselm,  the  legate,  ii.  36 
Anselm,  king  of  Scotland,  ii. 

649 
Antichrist,  i.  76 
Antiochns  Epiphanes,  i.  96 
Antiochus  the  Great,  i.  93 
Antipater,  son  of  Herod,  i.  Ill 
Antoninus,  Marcus  Aurelius, 

i.l69 
Antoninus  Hus,  L  161, 163 
Aquinas,  Thomas,  ii.  467 
Archigallo,  i.  89 
Arfast,  IL  6 

Argathel,  Owen  de,  ii.  806 
Arlot,  a  papal  emissary,  ii. 

866,857 
Amulph,  chancellor,  ii.  88 
Arragon,  Peter,  king  of,  ii. 

478,  480,  481 
Arragon,  Alfonso,  king  of,  ii. 

601 
Arrius,  L  190 
Artaxeixes,  1.  84 
Arthur,  king,  i.  250,  256— 

263 :  ii.  83 
Arthur,  prince,  ii.  74,  81,  95, 

98 
Artois,  count  of,  ii.  600 
Arviragus,  i.  125, 144, 145, 168 
Arwald,  i.  329 
Asclepiodotns,  i.  178J 
Athelstan,  i.  465—470 
Augustine,  i.  275,  277, 280 
Augustus,  1. 108, 113, 128 


Aurelian,  i.  175 

Aurelius  Ambrosius,  i.  224, 


Aurelius  Commodus,  i.  163 
Austria,  duke  of,  iL  83. 85,  87 
Aylmer,  bishop  of  East  An- 
glia,iL6 

Babylon,  soldan  of,  ii.l55, 157, 
159 

Balac  the  admiral  (emir),  ii. 
88  80 

Baldok,  Radulph  de,  ii.  566 

Baldwin,  archbishop,  iL  30, 
79,81 

Baldwin,  eari  of  Monte,  ii.  22 

Baldwin,  king  of  Jerusalem, 
ii.  22, 28, 30, 31, 35,  37 

Baldwin  II ,  ii.  39,  40,  42 

Baldwin  III.,  iL  42, 67 

Baldwin  IV.,  ii.  72 

Baldwin  v.,  ii.,  72, 73 

Baldwin,  emperor  of  Constan- 
tinople, ii.  148 

Baldwin  II..  ii.  287 

Baldwin  of  the  Island,  ii.  401 

Balliol,  John  of;  ii.  849.  417, 
424,  487,  496,  611,  616,  519, 
6i9 

Baldnlph,  i.  257 

Barbet,  Stephen,  U.  691 

Barre,  count  de  la,  U-  496      , 

Bascai,i.421 

Basil,  St.  iL  30 

Basset,  Gilbert,  ii.  170 

Basset,  Warin,U.  170.  171 

Basset,  Philip,  ii.  398.  417 

Bath,  Reginald  of,  ii.  349 

Beatrice,  countess  of  Pro- 
vence, ii.  218,  292 

Beatrice,  daughter  of  Henry 
III.,  iL  874 

Beauchamp,  lord  William  de, 
iL878 

Beaumes,  Robert  de,  bishop 
of  London,  ii.  88 

Becket,  Thomas,  iL  54,  56. 
57,  58,  69,  60,  61,  64,  67, 136 

Bede,  i.  851,  854 

Bek,  Antony  de,  bishop  of 
Durham,  and  patriarch  of 
Jerusalem,  ii.  581, 696 

Belesme,  Robert  de,  ii.  29 

Belinus,  i.  88,  85,  87,  88 

Belus,  i.  8 

Benedict,  St.,  1.323,369 

Q  Q  2 


598 


INDEX. 


Benodlet  XL,  pope,  U.  508, 

lieoni.i.640 

BareonriuB  of  Toon,  ii.  16 
Berkelex,  iriteh  of,  i.  400 
Berard,  pope's  nuncio,  ii.  40i 
Bernard,  8t,  ii.  62 
Bemalf;  i.  808 
BeaiU,  Matthias  de,  ii.  406 
Biarde,  Oaaton  de,  ii.  838 
Bieme,  Gaston  de,  U.  456 
Bi|^)d,  Hugh,  Justiciary,  iL 

Bigod,  earl  Roger,  ii.  328 

Bladad,  i.  43 

Blanche,  queen  of  France,  iL 

882 
Bleothwin.  ii.  8 
Blund,  Master  John,  U.  166, 

296 
Bloet,  Bobert,  U.  20 
Bohemond,  iL  2S 
Bohemond  the  younger,  IL 

36,60 
Boniface,  archbishop  of  Can- 
terbury, ii.  269,  305,  810 
Boniface  VIII.,  pope,  it  606, 
529.534,636,637,639,662, 
566.568 
Boulognetcount  of,  ii,  660 
Bovines,  Hugh  de,  U.  120 
Boys,  Thomas,  ii.  589 
Brancaleon.  ii.  323, 361 
Braybrooke,  Henry  de,  ii.  145 
Brause,  William  de,  U.  Ill 
Brause.    William    de,    the 

younger,  11. 138, 160 
Brennius,  i.  83,  85 
Bresnes,  John  de,  king  of  Je- 
rusalem, ii.  143, 157, 160.182 
Briwere,  WiUiam  de,  11.142 
Brittany,  count  of,  11.  215, 581 
Brittany,  John,  count  of,  ii. 

370,  874,  468 
Brlthrlc,  L  372, 388 
Brochimallus,  1.  280 
Broke,  Lawrence  de,  ii.  888 
Broke,  Rannlph  de,  IL  62 
Broke,  Robert  de,  iL  62 
Bruce^  Alexander,  iL  596 
Bruce,  Migel,  ii.  588,  591 
Bruce,  Robert  de,  ii.  417, 487. 

583,684,587,590 
Bruce,  Thomas,  ii.  696 
Brutus,  the  first  consul,  i.  68 
Brutus,  L  26 ;  arrives  in  Bri- 
tain. 81 ;  dies,  34 
Brutus  II.,  sumamed  Gxeen 

Shield,  L  39 
Buc,  Walter,  11. 122 
Buchan,  countess  of,  ii.  689 
Buchan,-earl  de,  ii.  584 
Burgh,    Hubert   de,  11.  127. 
138, 141, 144, 166, 163,  166. 
17^174;i8U9l'    ^        ' 


ButKh,  Raymond  de,  ii.  161 

CadUah,  i.  889 
Cadwallader,  L  317,  888 
Cadwallan,  L  295^  297,  317 
Caesar,  JuUns,  1. 108, 106, 108 
Cain  and  Abel,  L  2 
Callxtus,  pope,  11.  87 
Cambyses,  L  81 
Uamillus,  L  69 
Cantelupe,  Thomas  de,  ii.  483 
Canute,  L  607, 600,  626 
Canute,  son  of  Sweyn,  ii.  7 
Carauslus,  1. 177 
Cams,  L  176 
Carrick,earlof,ii.  663 
Caasanus,  king  of  the  Tartars, 

Cassibelannns,  L 103, 106^  107 

Catigem,  L  221 

Catlfine,  1. 101 

CecUia,  daughter  of  William 

1,11.8 
Cecrops.  i.  19 

Cedrlc,  i.  247. 264,299,260,268 
Celestine  V .,  pope,  U.  608, 605 
Cenus,  king,  IL  65 
Ceollne,  L  282 
Ceulf,  L  282. 883 
Cevalinns,  or  Ceanlin,  L  86& 

269,  270,  274 
Chaoeporc,  Feter,  ii.  846 
ChamberUine,  PhUlp,  ii.  421 
Charlemagne.  L  368, 887,891 
Charles,  brother  of  PhilipIV. 

of  France,  ii.  692 
Charles,  king  of  France,  L 

Charles  of  Anjon,  iL  446^  449, 

451,  456,  478,  481 
Charles  of  Salerno^  iL  481, 483, 

Cheldrlc,  i.  266 

Christina,   sister   of  Edgar 

Atheling,L6l9,648;li.d 
Cineas,  i.  64 
Cintlus.  ii.  163 
Clare,  Bon  de,ii.  606 
Clare,  Gilbert  de,  iL  414, 415, 

417,  425,  516 
Clare,  Gilbert   de,   earl   of 

Gloucester,  ii.  161 
Clare,  Roger  de,  ii.  890 
Clare,  Thomas  de,  ii.  446. 463 
Clare,  Thomas,  earl  of,  ii.  68 
Clare,  William  de,  11.  367 
Claudius,  L  143 
Clement  IV,  pope,  ii.  426»  465 
Clement  V.,  pope,  iL677 
Clement  of  Rome,  i.  166 
ClilTord,  Robert,  ii.  686 
Clifford,  lord  Roger  de.ii.  476 
Clodoveus,  1.  238,  240,  261 
Cosine,  duke  of  Caeredun,  L 


Colgrin,  1. ' 

Colman,  i.  813 

Colonna,  James  and  Peter  de, 

cardinals,  ii.  561 
Comyn,  Alexander,  ii.  664* 
Comyn,  John,iL  417,487,516, 

688 
Comyn.  'John,  the  younger, 

iL  617,  618 
Coming,  Feter  de,  iL  600 
Cosdroa,  1. 287 
Conan,  L  201 

Conrad,  the  emperor,  IL  46, 49 
Conrad,  son  of  Frederic  II., 

ii.  263,  281,  286^  300,  337. 

840 
Conatanoe  of  Brittany,  iL  74, 

96 
Constans,  the  moQk,  L  811 
Constontine,  L  179, 18&  187, 

189,192,198 
Constantine,  king  of  the  Bri- 
tons, L  209,  211,  263 
Constantino,    king    of    the 

Scots,  L  470 
Constantine,  a  Lfmdoner,  ii. 

141 
Constantins,  L  179 
Constantius,  eount,  L  205 
Gonstantna,  the  emperor,  L 

194,196 
Goxadin,  IL  185 
Coibaran,  prince  of  Persia,  ii. 

Cordelia,  1. 49 

Cornwall,  Richard,  earl  of.  ii. 
182, 183, 190^  194,  196»  20S, 
208,  204.  206,  206»  207,  218, 
219,221,233.240,250,291, 
306^  807, 321,  &%,  836;  839, 
846,846,868,864,867,356^ 
850 

Coucy,  Ingelram  de,  ii.  192, 

Coucy,  Ingelram  de,  the 
younger,  IL  806 

Crakehall,  John  de,  ii.  877 

Craunford,  Reginald  de,  iiii65 

Creation,  the,  1. 1 

Creodda,  i.  270 

Croesus,  L  80 

Cromwell,  John  de,  iL  676 

Cnnedagius,  L  60 

Cursak,  emperor  of  Constan- 
tinople, ii.  87 

Cuthbert,  St,  L  325, 827, 438, 
494 

Cnthred,L861,362 

CymbeUne.  L 125^  180 

Cyrenlns,  i.  114 

Cyrus,  L  80 

Damaana,  pope,  L  686 

Darius,  L  91,  92 

Darius,  son  of  Antipastes,  L81 


IlfDEX. 


599 


David,  kins,  i.  87 

Darld,  king  of  Soof^md,  ii. 

3,  40, 45,  47,  62 
David,  prince  of  Walea,  ii. 

181, 193, 106,  203,  227,  280, 

287,289,261 
Delamere,  Hsnry,  iL  836 
Deravianiu,  i.  166 
Desiderins,  ii.  11 
Despanaer,  lord  Hagh,  ii.  886, 

488 
Diocletian,  L  176, 186 
Dionysius,  the  abbot,  i.  269 
Domitian,  i.  IN^  166 
Drew,  count  of,  ii.  660 
Dublin,  Luke,  archbishop  of; 

ii.166 
Dubritius,  i.  254 
Dullius,i.65 

Dunbar,  Patrick  de^  ii.  487 
DunewaU,  ii.  20 
Dunain,  ii.  693 
Dunstan,  St  1.  470,  476.  477, 

478,  479,  486, 4B9, 491 

Eadbald,  i.  286.  287, 299 
Eadbert  Pren,  i.  385 
Eadburga,  i.  389 
Eadric  itreon,  i.  499, 610, 611, 

618, 616, 618 
Eadric  SilvaUcus,  ii.  8 
Ealffin,  i.  479 
Ealricke,  John,  ii.  890 
Earl  mareschal,  the,  ii.  680 
Ebba,  abbess,  L  410 
Ebraneus't  1.  89 
Edgar,  the  Pacific,  i.  481— 

485 
Edgar,  king  of  SooUand,  ii. 

33 
Edgar  Atheling,  1. 619 ;  ii.  2 
Edith,  daughter  of  Godwin, 

i.  534, 540 
Edith,  queen  of  Harold  II., 

ii.7 
Edmund,  i.  619 
Edmund,  king,  L  470—474 
Edmund,  king  and  martyr,  i. 

Edmund  Ironside,  L  400, 510, 
512—617 

Edmund,  son  of  Edward  I.,  ii. 
534 

Edmund,  son  of  Henry  III., 
ii.  239.  839 

Edmund  of  Abingdon,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury,  ii. 
171,  174. 194,  197, 198,  267, 
274,289 

Edred,  i.  476—477 

Edward  I.,  ii.  454,696 

Edward,  son  of  Edward  I.  ii. 

479,  624,  634,  686 
Edward  tne  Confessor,  i.  533 

-566 


Edward  the  Elder,  i.  456— 

465 
Edward,  son  of  Ethelred  II. 

1.519,523.    iSb0  Edward  the 

Confessor. 
Edward,  son  of  Edmund  Iron- 
side, i.  619, 643 
Edward,  called  Longshanks. 

son  of  Henry  IIL,  ii.  189, 

329,  836,  837, 864 
Edward,  son  of  Malcolm  of 

Scotland,  ii.  20 
Edwin,  i.  274,  287. 291-296 
Edwin,  brother  of  Athelstan, 

1.468 
Edwin,  brother  of  Edmund 

Ironside,  L  518 
Edwin,  son  of  Edmund  Iron- 
side, L  619 
Edwy,  L  477—480 
Egeblanche,  Peter  de,  ii.  351 
Egfrid,  i.  815,  319,  321. 326 
Egfrid  of  Mercia,  1.  383 
Egbert,  i.  313 
Egbert,  sole  sovereign,  1.389, 

893.  396 
Egbert,  archbishop,  i.  859 
Egric,  i.  299,  306 
Eilric,  i.  476,  477 
Eldfritha,  or   ^Ifdritha, '  i. 

481, 487, 489 
Eldol,  i.  223,  241 
Eleanor,  queen  of  Henry  II, 

U.  44,79 
Eleanor,  daughter  of  Henry 

II.,  ii.  58,  61 
Eleanor,  daughter  of   king 

John,  ii.  183 
Eleanor,  daughter  of  Edward 

I.,  ii.  496, 586 
Eleanor,  queen  of  Henry  III., 

177, 208.  210 
Eleanor,  queen  of  Edward  I 

iL337 
Eleazar,  1. 98 
Elidurus,  i.  89 
Elijah,  1.  42 
Elisha,  i.  44 

Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Ed- 
ward I.,  ii.  520 
Elfleda,  L  426,  460-464 
Elfieda.  abbess,  i.  467 
Ella,  i.  239,  246, 264 
Ely,  bishop  of.  IL  81, 93 
Emma  of  Normandy,  i.  491^ 

508, 519,  527.  539 
Ensius,  king  of  Sardinia,  ii. 

281 
Eopa,  i.  248 
Eosa,  i.  242,  249, 252 
Erpenwald,  1. 291 
Eraclius,    the   patriarch    of 

the  Holy  Resurrection,  ii. 

73 
Erconbert,  i.  299, 807, 313 


Eroongoda,  i.  800 

Erkenwald,  i.  317 

£rkenwin,i.:269 

Esau,  i.  15 

Essex,  William,  earl  of,  ii. 

152 
Esther,  i.  60 
Estrildis,  i.  85 
Ethelbald,  i.  406, 406 
Ethelbert,  i.  406,  407 
Ethelbert,  i.  267,  268,  286 
Ethelbert  of  East  AiigUa,  i. 

873 
Ethelburga,  i.  297 
Ethelfirid,  L  273 
Ethelred,  i.  274,  277,  287 
Ethelred  I.  i.  407—422 
Ethelred  II.,  i.  488-512 
Ethelred,  viceroy  of  Mercia, 

L460 
Ethelreda.  i.  321 
Ethelwa1d,Clito,  1.456 
Ethelwolf,  i.  398—106 
Eu,  count  of,  ii.  660 
Eumerus,  i.  692 
Eustace  of  Boulogne,  i.  588 
Eustace  the  younger,  ii.  22 

Fabius  Maximus,  i.  61 

Fabrieius,  i.  63 

Faganus,  i.  166 

Falcos  le  Breaute,  ii.  123, 

125.  131, 133. 141.  145, 161 
Ferentum,  John  of,  ii.  106 
Ferrars,  Robert,  earl,  ii.  439, 

444,445 
Fiennes.  Ingerand  de,  ii.  406 
Flanders,  count  of;  ii.  521 
Flore,  Peter  de,  U.  660 
Fulk,  king  of  Jerusalem,  ii. 

48 
Flnan,  i.  806 

Fitz-Urse,  Reginald,  ii.  62 
Flanders,  Thomas,  count  of, 

ii.860 
Frederic  the  abbot,  ii.  6 
Fi«deric  II..  U.  76,  78,  138. 

155, 167.  159, 177,  190,  192, 

194,  200,  204.  216.  218,  220, 

228,  239.  245,  247,  263,  266, 

303.  309,  311 
Frederic  the  emperor,  11.  61 

—66 
Freysel,  Simon  de,  11,688, 689 
Fulgentius,  1. 166 
Folk,  a  preacher,  11.  90 

Gabius,  1. 87 
Galba,  L  160 
Gallienus,  i.  174 
Gaverston,  Piers,  ii.  693 
Geoil^y  Arthur  (GeofQrey  of 

Monmouth),  ii.  61 
Geoffrey,  son  of  Henry  II., 

11.67,74 


600 


O«ofb«7,  bishop  of  Unoolii* 

il.  6S,  70 
Ovotfrer,  loii  of  the  emoreu 

MaUfdA.  ii.  42,  48,  66 
GeoArey  of  Monmouth,  1«  880 
GeofErej,       ftrcbbi8h(q^      of 

Rouen,  IL  86 
Gerard,  archbiahop  of  York, 

il.  80,  83 
Gerard  the  Maiden,  U.  71 
Gerebert,  i.  405 
Germanua  and  Lupin,  1.  218, 

216 
Germanj,  Richard,  king  of. 

See  Cornwall,  earl  of. 
Giffard,  John,  U.  418,  417 
Giffard,  William,  ii.  28,  80 
Gilbert,  bishop  of  London,  ii. 

61-63 
Gilbert  the  Universal,  ii.  40 
GillamuriuB,  i.  268 
Gloucester,  earl  of,  11. 686 
Gloucester,  Richard,  earl  of, 

ii.  181,  183,  193»  194,  197, 

240,  367, 360 
Goda,  sister  of  Edward  the 

Confessor,  i.  688 
Godfrej,  archbishop  of  York, 

11. 106, 114 
Godfrey,  duke  (of  Bouillon), 

ii.22 
Godfrey,  duke  of  Brabant,  ii. 

26 
Godfrey  of  Norwich,  U.  118 
Godiva,  i.  643 
Godwin,  earl,  i.  621,  627, 628L 

630,638,639,640 
Gordon,  Adam,  ii.  443 
Gorlois,  i.  250 
Granecumbe,  Godfirey  de,  il. 

167 
Gratian,  ii.  61 
Grave8end,Kichard  de,  bishop 

of  London,  ii.  666 
Gregory  the  Great,  i.  269, 

374, 276,  281 
Gregory,  pope,  ii.  6—9 
Gregory  X  ,  pope,  ii.  468, 469 
Grey,  John  de,  ii.  103 
Grey,  Richard  de,  ii.  369 
Grey,  Walter  de,  11.  348 
Griffin,  king  of  Wales,  i.  639, 

641,  643,  648 
Griffith,  prince  of  Wales,  il. 

181, 193, 196,  208,  226 
Gualo,'legate,ii.  127, 128, 129, 

135 
Guendolen,  i.  36 
Guenhumara,  1.  262 
Guiderius,  i.  180, 143 
Guithelin,  i,  208 
Gunilda,  daughter  of  Canute, 

i.  631 
GunnUd,  i.  606 
G  urth,brother  of  Harold,  1.669 


INSBX. 

GathUe,L845 

Guy,  count  of  Fla&den,  ii. 

666 
Gytro,  i.  488 

Habre,  i.  85  < 

Haco,  count,  i.  628 

Haco,  prince  of  Norway,  ii. 

281,  287 
Maiden,  i.  421 
Hannibal.  1.94 

Hardicanute,  i.  526,  629-688 
Harold,  son  of  Godwin.  L  639, 

646,  648, 661 ;— king,  656— 

666 
Harold,  king  of  Norway,  i. 

656 
Harold  Harefoot,  L  618,  627 

-529 
Hastein,  or  HasUngs,  1. 444, 

448—461 
Hastinges,  John  de,  ii.  487 
Havering,  John,  IL  606 
Helena.  1. 191 
Hengist,  i.  216-842 
Henorinus,  1.  49 
Henry  the  emperor,  i.  603 
Henry  III.,  emperor,  i.  531 ; 

ii.  8,  9,  11,  28,  32,  84,  40, 

86, 88 
Henry  I.,  ii.  27-43 
Henry  II.,  ii.  68-78 
Henry  III.,  IL  129-464 
Henry,  prince,  it  4,  11,  [12. 

&«  Henry  L 
Henry,  son  of  the  empress 

MatUda,  ii.  42,  60, 62.     See 

Henry  II. 
Henry,  son  of  Henry  IL,  ii. 

64,67,62,63,65.71 
Henry,  son  of  tne  emperor 

Frederic,  ii.  208:  another 

Henry,  281, 837 
Henry,  bishop  of  Ely,  ii.  88, 

42 
Henry,  bishop  of  Winchester, 

U.  46, 48,  62 
Henry,  nephew  of  Henry  III. 

U.  406,  407,  413,  451,  452 
Henry  de  Allmaiue,  11. 421 
Henry  of  Newark,  archbishop 

of  York,  ii.  532 
Heraclius,  1.  288 
Herebert,  abbot.  IL  20, 21 
Herebert  of  Norham,  ii.  589 
Hereward,  ii.  5 
Herman,  bishop,  1.  642 
Herod.  1.  108,  110,  128»  126, 

126;   his  successors,   142, 

143 
Herelberg.  Wilfrid  de,  U.  68 
HUda,  1.822 

Hildebrand.    8e«  Gregory. 
Hildegarde,  the  virgin,  iL  480 
Hinguar,  i.  400, 411 


Hoel  of  Brittany,  LSS6' 
Holland,  Florence,  count  of, 

U.  487,  620 
Homer,  i.  52 
Horsa,  L  216, 221 
Hortou,  William  de,  ii.  388 
Hubba,  L  409, 411 
Hubert,  archbishop,  iL  94, 96, 

99 
Hugh  the  Great,  it  22 
Hugh,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  ii. 

96,187  ! 

Hugh  Petroleon,  legate,  ii. 

65,66  I 

Hugh  the  chaplafai,  ii.  688 
Hona,  i.604 

Hungary,  king  of;  ii.  483 
Hutting  the  marshal,  U.  668 

Ida,  i.  264 

Ina,  i.  848,  848, 850, 851 

Igema,  i.  260 

Innocent  I.,  pope,  il.  41 

Innocent  III.,  pope,  it  112 

Innocent  IV.,  pope,  ii.  217, 

229,  286,  243,  247, 259, 266, 

275.  299,  308,  806,  833,  340, 

843 
Innocent  V.,pope,  IL  469, 470 
Irlc,  1.  620 
Isaac,  i.  14 
Isabella,  queen  of  king  John, 

11.  96,  206,  266.  343 
Isabella,  daughter   of  king 

John,  IL  177,  205 
Ismael,  i.  13 

iHraelites,  i.  19,  45.  56;  66 
Ivo,  bishop  of  Chartreis,  ii.  38 


Jacob,  1. 15 

Jason,  the  priest,  i.  97 

Jay,  Brian  de,  ii.  627 

Jesus,  son  of  Anianns,  L  153 

Jeroboam,  i.  41 

Jews,  i.  68,  66,  81,  96»  100, 

145, 149, 156;  169.191,  361;iL 

24,  49,  78,  81,  110, 161, 173, 

179,  316. 818,  328,  836.  846 
Joanna,  daughter  of  Henry 

IL,  ii.  69,  66 
Joanna,  sister  of  Henry  III., 

ii.  137, 185 
Joanna  of  Acre,  daughter  of 

Edward  I.,  il.  485 
Jocelin,  count  of  Edeasa,  ii. 

88 
John  the  Apostle,  1. 156 
John  the  Baptist,  i.  112, 196 
John,  king,  ii.  94—129 
John,  son  of  Henry  II,  ii.  69, 

64.  79,  82,  86^  89,  96.     See 

John,  king. 
John,  archdeacon  of  Bedford, 

ii.149 
John,  bishop  of  Wells,  U.  20       i 


imoEX. 


601 


John,  brother,  papal  messeH' 

ger,  ii.  282.  284,  285 
John,  Master,  i.  434 
John  the  Moor,  ii.  837 
John  of  Cremona,  cardinal, 

ii.  89 
John  Hyrcanus,  i.  100 
John,  a  knight,  ii.  536 
John,  count  of  IIolland,ii.  631 
John  XXI.,  pope,  ii.  471 
Jonathan,  the  Maccabee,  i. 

100 
Joseph,  i.  118 
Joshua,  i.  21 
Judaa  Iscariot,  i.  188 
Judas  Maccabeeus,  i.  98,  100 
Judges,  the,  i.  22 
Judith,  i^  403,  406 
Judith,  wife  of  Tosti,  i.  630, 

550 
Julian  the  apostate,  i.  196 
Julius  Csesar,  i.  103, 105, 106 
Junna,  i.  826 
Justus,  L  280,  286,  288 

Kahaynes,  William  de,  iL  47 
Keneliu,  ii.  29,  SO 
Kenric,  i.  247,  260,  266 
Ketingham>  Robert    de,   ii. 

617,  618 
Kilkenny,  William  of,  ii.  342, 

846,851 
Kined,  king  of  the  Scots,  1. 

486 
Kiniwalc,  i.  811,  816 
Kinred,  i.  848 
Kirkham,  William  de,  bishop 

of  Durham,  ii.  884 

Lacy,  Henry  de,  earl  of  Lin- 
coln, ii.  449, 618 

Lacy,  Hugo  de,  ii.  Ill 

LflBllus  Hamo,  i.  148 

Lanfranc,  ii.  6, 16, 16, 17 

Langton,  Simon,  archbishop 
of  York,  il.  123 

Langton,^tephen,archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  ii.  106,  107, 
115, 119, 121,  123,  186, 140, 
141,  144,  151, 165, 164 

Langton,  Walter  de,  ii.  511, 
636 

Largus,  i.  50 

Lanzo,  the  prior,  ii.  8 

Legras,  John,  ii.  377 

Leyl,  i.  89 

Leicester,  count  of,  ii.  68 

Leice8ter,Simonde  Montford. 
earl  of,  u.  801,  826,  860, 861, 
866 

Lenius  Gallus,  1. 178 

Leofric,  i.  8,  648 

Leoline  II.,  ii.  869,  402,  408, 
419,  424,  448,  469,  471,  473, 
476,  477 


Leolf,  i.  474 

Leofwiu,  son  of  Godwin,  i. 

589 
LeolineCor  Llewellyn),  prince 

of  North  Wales,   ii.   111. 

142, 144,  160,  171,  181, 192 
Leonard,   pope's   nuncio,   ii. 

404 
Leovegar,  1.  543 
LexintOD,  Heni*y  de,  ii.  835 
Leyr,  i.  48,  47 
Licinun,  or  Lezen,  Guy  de, 

ii.  288.  866 
Lilla,  i.  292 
Lincoln,  earl  of,  ii.  184 
Llewellyn.    See  Leoline 
Locrinus,  i.  84 
Lof8tan,the  Domesman,  ii.  86 
London,  Roger,  bishop  of,  ii. 

168, 172 
Longsword,  Nicholas,  bishop 

of  Salisbury,  ii.  527 
Longsword,  William,  ii.  289, 

809 
Longsword,  Stephen,  ii.  890 
Lothaire,  en^peror,  Ii.  40,  46 
Lothbroc,  i.  412 
Lother,  i.  260 
Lothus,  i.  262 
Louis,  king  of  France,  i.  469 ; 

ii.  37,  41 
Louis  VI.,  ii.  41,  44 
Louis  YIL,  ii.  44,  49,  67,  68 
Louis  VIII,  ii.  143, 145,  151 
Louis  IX.,  ii.  286.  257,  263, 

289.  299,  809,  818,  884,  841, 

844,851 
Louis,  son  of  Philip  of  France, 

ii.  120. 125,  126,  181 
Louis,  son  of  Louis   IX.,  of 

France,  ii.  876 
Lucio,  Richard  de,  ii.  67 
Lucius,    king  of  Britain, 

168, 166, 167 
Lucius,  pope,  ii.  48 
Lucius  Commodus,  i.  164, 166 
Lud,  L  102 
Lusignan,  Guy  de,  ii.  74,  76 

Macail,  Malcolm,  lord  of  Ken- 

tirhead,  ii.  694 
Macbeth,  i.  641 
Macdonal  Duncan,  11.  694 
Macemuth,  ii.  73        ^ 
Maddan,  i.  86 
Mahomet,!.  289, 816 
Maille.  Thomas  de,  11.  664 
Malcolm,  king  of  Cumberland, 

i.  641 ;  king  of  Scotland,  ii. 

8,  6,  9,  18.  20, 29,  58 
Malcolm  IV.,  ii.  66 
Malgo,  1.  271 

Mallein,  Savaric  de,  11. 122 
MamertuB,  i.  221 
MandeviUe,  Geoffirey  de,  ii.  48 


Mandeville,  William  de,ii.48 
Manfi-ed,  son  of  the  emperor 

Frederic,  ii.340. 841.343  319 
Marais,  Godfrey  de,  ii.  243 
Marais,  William  de,  ii.  208 
Marcad^e,  il.  89 
March,  William  de,  ii.  503, 

510 
Marche,  Count  de  la,  ii.  200, 

207,  209,  212.  807 
Marcus  Antoninus,  i.  164 
Mareschal,  earl.  ii.  268 
Mareschal,     William,     the 

Great,  ii.  185 
Marganus,  i.  49 
Margaret,  sister    of    Edgar 

Atheling,  i.619,543;  U.3, 

20,29 
Margaret,  daughter  of   the 

king  of  Scotland,  ii.  139 
Margaret,  daughter  of  Henry 

III.,  ii.  891,  468 
Margaret,  daughter  of   Ed- 
ward I.,  ii.  484,  485 
Margaret  of  Norway,  ii.  486 
Margaret,  queen  of  Edward 

I.,  ii.  529,  584.  585 
Maria,  countess  of  Boulogne, 

ii.86 
Mariamne,  i.  Ill 
Marianus,  the    Scot,  i.  628, 

639;  ii.  10 
Martia,  i.  89 
Martin,  papal  nuncio,  ii.  222, 

241 
Matilda,  wife  of  William  I., 

ii.  4, 10 
Matilda,  queen  of  Henry  I. 

U.  28,  29, 37 
Matilda,daughter  of  Henry  I., 

ii.  28,  84,  40,  42,  45 
Matilda,  daughter  of  Henry, 

II.,  ii.  60, 70,  71 
Mauclerc,   Henry,  count  of 

Brittony,  ii.  158 
Mauclerc,  Walter,  ii.  169, 296 
Mauduit,  William,   earl    of 

Warwick,  ii.  413 
MaunseL  John,  U.  214,  279, 

286 
Maurice,  bishop,  U.  9, 16, 27, 88 
MaximianuB,  L  198 
Maximos,  king  of  the  Britons, 

i.200 
Medusa, prince  of  Persia,  Ii,  86 
Mellent,  Robert  de,  ii.  89 
MelUtus,  i.  280,  286 
Menelaaa,  the  priest,  i.  97 
Menethet,  earl  de.  ii.  684 
MerUiL  i.  386,  S48,  861-his 

prophecies,  826 
Merton.  Walter  de,  ii.  396 
Mimeean,  i.  681 
MiTMles,  i.  821,  861, 266,  807, 

878,864,300,  809,821,888, 


C02 


IXDEX. 


8l6,8Sr.884,87^408,  407. 
'   «l,  480^603, 604. 682  ;iL  7, 

16»  68,  «B^  100. 181, 188,  SOO. 

987, 818.  887.  881,  604, 6S1 
M olto,  1.  888 
IColmotfiu,  i.  88 
ICoDoettlni,  king  of  Ireland, 

u.a> 

MooObH.  Sinurn  da,  U.  188, 

184,185,188,888.    SwLel- 

Mttar.  Simon  do  MontliMd, 

evlof. 
Montfort,  Almerlc  de,  11.  460 
Montfort,  Eleanor  de,  ii.  489. 

473 
Montfort,  Ony  de,  U.  488»  439, 

448.462,460 
Montfort,  Peter  de,  11.  413, 

488 
Montfort,    Simon    de,    the 

yonnger,  ii.  412,  432,  487, 

439,  448,  462 
Montfort,  William  de,  ii.  604 
Morehar.  i.  668. 666 
Mordred.  i.  261—288 
MonviUe,  Uagh  de,  ii.  69 
Moi^an  and  Madoc,  ii.  607 
Morindna,  i.  88 
Mortimer,  Edmund,  ii.  477 
Mortimer,  Hngh  de,  ii.  410 
Mortimer.  Roger  de,  ii.  408, 

410,  419,  467,  474. 477 
Mountain,  Old  Man  of  tba, 

11.84 
Mowbray,  John,  a  knight,  ii. 

684 

Kannns.  i.  846 

Navarre,  king  of,  ii.  196, 189, 

90b 
Navarre,  Henry,  king  of;  ii. 

470 
Nebuchadneaaar,  i.  68 
NeU,Gayde,ii.660 
Neil,  Badnlph  de,  ii.  660 
Nehemiah.  1.  60,  80 
Nennina,  L  104 
Neot,  St,  i.  431 
Nero,  1. 146, 147, 149, 180 
Nerra,  i.  166 
Nieanor.  L  90 
Nicholas  III.  pope,  11.  470 
Nicholas  IV.  pope,  U.  486, 489 
Noah.  I.  5 
Northamberland,  cooni  ot,  11, 

91 
Noureddin,  ii.  60,  60 
Numaand  hia  auccesaors,  1. 

66 
Numitor,  L  68 

Oeta,  L  841,  248,  940.  969 
Ootavian,  a  caidinal,  U.  848, 

OctaTina,  1. 188 


Odo,  aRhtiabop,  1. 466,  479 
Odo,  biahon  of  Bayeux,  IL  9, 

14,16 
Odo,  of  Champagne,  li.81 
Odo,  of  Kilkenny,  IL 184 
OfBa  I.,  L  844 
Oifa  II.,  L  868-888 
Olaua  of  Norway,  1. 699 
Olifant,  William,  ii.  670,674 
Oliver,  bishop  of  Lincoln,  ii. 

632 
Origen,  1. 170, 178 
ORMiua,  L  906 
Oigod  Clappa,  L  688 
Osric,  i.  238 
Ostrlea,  1. 888 
Oswald,  i.  207,  800 
Oswin,  the  martyr,  i.  804. 648 
Oavy,  L  802,300,  810, 819, 816 
Otho,  L  160 
Oth<^  emperor,  ii.  91,  08,  06, 


106,1 
Otho,  papal  nnndo,  ii.  148. 

181. 188, 180, 199,  901.  216 
Othobonna,  the  legate,  ii.  460 

Paganna,  a  Tartar  prince,  ii. 

631 
Pftlaologus,  emperor  of  the 

Gxeeks.  IL  460 
Pallas,  son  of  Evander,  698. 
Paliimbus,  1. 646 
Pandulph,Iegata,  ii.  111.  114, 

116. 186, 138. 141, 161 
Papirina,  L  61,  69 
Paris.  Matthew.  IL  816, 896 
Partholiam,L88 
Paaeentins,  1.  947,  948 
Paschal,  pope,  ii.  84, 87 
Paaselewe,  Robert,  IL  170,174, 

931 
PateshuUe,  Hugh  de,  il.  176, 

189,196 
Patriarchs,  the,  i.  16 
Patrick.  St..  1. 244 
Panl,  the  abbot,  ii.  6, 16^  17 
Paul,  the  AposUe,  i.  138, 146, 

148 
Paulinas,  i.  291, 297, 808 
Peada,  1.  810 
Peckham.  brother  John  of, 

ii.  474,  601 
Pelagins.  i.  904 
Pembroke,   William    Mare- 

SGhal,  earl  of;  Ii.  142 
Pembroke,  GilbertMaresehal, 

earl  o^  ii.  202 
Penda,  L  297,  801,  802^  80i 

807.  800.  310 
Pepin,  i.  831 

Percy,  Henry,  ii  686, 600 
Pertinaz.  i.  166 
Pesseleu,  Robert,  ii.  941,  949 
Peter  of  the  Alps,  ii.  88 
Peter  the  Hennit,il.  98 


Peter  the  Lombard,  ii.  52 
Peter  the  Spaniaxd.  cardinal, 

ii.  604 
Peter  the  Wise,  if.  114 
Pharamnnd,  i.  906 
Philip  the  emperor,  i,  172 
Philip,  king  of  France,  il  13, 

14,38 
Philip  II.,  U.  41 
Philip  III.,  ii.  60,    451,  457, 

473,  481 
Philip  IV.,  II.  481, 497,  601, 

620,  634,  660,  661,  666, 581, 

693 
PhUip,  bUhop  of  Beaurais. 

Philip   Augustas,    ktaig   of 
France,  ii.  76,81.88,88,120 
Phocas,  i.  281,  283,  284 
Pilate,  i.  130,  187.  1^,  141 
Plantagenet,  GeoflOrey,  iL40, 

42 
Pompey.  i.  101 
Pontoise,  John  de,  bishop  of 
Winchester,  IL  584 
^,1.60 


Porsenna,  the  eonaul,  L  ST 
Powick,  WiUiam  o^  tt.  246 
PrestanUns,  1.  636 
Prester  John,  king  of  India, 

11.70 
Probus,  1. 176 
Ptolemy  Philndelphos,  1 9S 
Pyrrhus.  i.  68 
Py  velesdon,  Roger  de,  IL  506 

Qnendrida,  i.  899 
Quendritha,  i.  378 
Qaicheline,  L  986,  292 

Rabbod,L849 
Racher.  the  prior,  ii.  39 
Radolph.  of  Norfolk,  IL  7 
Radulf  of  Saxony,  il.  10 
Radulph,  or  Rudolph,  arch- 
bishop, 11.  36,  38 
Radulph,  son  of  Huberli  iL4B 
Rahab.  i.  86 
Kale,  William  de,  ii.  179, 188, 

192,  219,  924,  927,  811 
Raymond  of  Antioch,  IL  SO 
Raymond  of  Provence,  iL  S2S> 

267 
Raymond  of  Tripoli,  iL  74, 76 
Ranulph,  oonnt,!.  641 
Ranalph,  eari  of  Chester,  ii. 

46, 49, 167 
Ranulph  the  Breton,  IL  164 
Rannlph  of  Mieenis,  IL  9 
Redwald,L287.291 
Rehoboam,  L  41 
Reigate  Walter  de.  ii.  90S 
Remiglas,  bishop,  il.  U,  17,16 
Remus.  1.  00,  65 
R6pUiu^L65 


INDEX. 


603 


Rhea  Sylvia,  i.  53  I 

ichesuB,  i.  640  I 

Rhesus,  a  Welch  chief,  11.495 
Rhodoam,  prince  of  Halapia, 

11.42 
Klbeaumonte,  Anselm  de,  11. 

23 
Richard  I.,  11.  7&-94, 164 
Richard  I.,  of  Normandy,  i. 

492,494 
Richard  II.,  i.  494,  521 
Richard  III.,  1.521 
Richard,  son  of  William  I., 

11. 12 
Richard,  son  of  Henry  I.,  11. 

37 
Richard,  son  of  Henry  II.,  11. 

5fi,  64,  70,  76,  77.     See  Ri- 

cliard  1. 
Richard,  son  of  king  John,  11. 

108,  147, 182,  183,  190,  194, 

198,  202,  203,  204,  205,  206, 

207,  218,  219,  221,  233,  240, 

259,  291,  306.  307,  321,  335, 

336,  339,  345,  346,  363,  854, 

357,358,359 
Richard,  archbishop,  ii.  36,162, 

163 
Richard  of  Alblnet,  abbot,  11. 

37 
Rictiard,  son  of  Scrob,  11.  3 
Richard,  earl  of  Chester,  11. 

37 
Richard,  earl  marshal,  ii.  17Q« 

171, 173 
Richard,  St.  bishop  of  Chi- 
chester, ii.  401,  470 
Richmond,  Peter  SaTOv,  earl 

of,  ii.  206 
Rlparies,  Baldwin  de,  11. 192 
Rirallis,  Peter  de,  11.  174 
Riwathe,  ii.  3 
Robert,  archbishop,  1.  540 
Robert,  archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, ii.  533,  544 
Robert  Gortehose,  11.  4,  8, 9, 

12,  13,  15, 18,  22,  28,  26^  29, 

31,42 
Robert,  count  (or  Brian  Fits 

Count),  11. 45 
Robert,  count  of  Flanders,  11. 

22.28 
Robert,  earl  of  Gloucester,  11. 

44,46 
Robert,  Master,  the  preacher, 

11.  179 
Robert  of  Nonnandy,:i.  461 
Robert  !£.,  1.  623 
Robert,  son  of  Uamo,  ii.  26 
Robert,  surnamed  Grossetete, 

bishop  of  Lincoln,  ii.  176, 

188.  213,  315,  326,  329.  333 
Roches,  Peter  de,  11. 103, 139 
Rochester,  Uenry,  bishop  of, 

ii.  164 


Rodes,  Gerard  de,  ii  397 
Roger,  archbishop  of  York 

ii.63 
Roger,  earl,  11.  8 
Kollo,  1.  453,  459 
Romulus,  i.  50, 53 
Ros,  Robert  de,  11.  349 
Ros,  earl  de,  ii.  684 
Ros,  William  de,  ii.  487 
Rowena,  1.  218 
Rubeus,  Peter,  11.  196, 203 
Rudhudibras.  i.  43 
Rustand,  iu  376 

Sabinus,  cardinal,  11.421,  425, 

448 
Sabionetta,  bishop  o£  ii.  281, 

287 
St.  Andrew's,  bishop  of,  1. 589 
St.  John,  John  de,  ii.  500, 529 
St.     Leopard,     Gilbert     de. 

bishop  of  Chichester,  ii.  584 
St.  Pol,  count  of,  11.  397, 399, 

448,560 
Saladln,  11.  74,  76,  79, 86 
Salisbury,  William,  earl  of, 

11. 112, 119, 147 
Samuel  and  Saul,  1. 33 
Saphadinor  Sofadin,  11.  86, 

133,135 
Sardanapalns,  1. 46 
Saturn,  i.  61 
Saul,  1. 87 
Saviour,  oar,  i.  36, 109, 118— 

186 
Sootenay,  Walter  de,  ii.  860, 

362 
Scupha,  1.  254 
Sebert,  i.  286 
Segrave,  Stephen  de,  ii.  166, 

169, 174 
Segrave,  Nicholas  de,  11.  576 
Semiramis,  i.  11 
Senators,  dream  of  the,  1. 71 
Sennacherib,  1.  54 
Senechia,   daughter    of  the 

Count  of  Provence,  11.219, 

221,  259.  354 
Sergius,  pope,  i.  355 
Seth  and  his  descendants,  i.  4 
Scton,  Christopher,  ii.  690 
Seton,  John,  ii.590 
Seules,  Nicholas  de,  ii.  487 
Severus,  1. 166, 168 
Shelford,  John  of,  11.  347 
Shem  and  his  descendants,  1. 

10 
Siba,  son  of  Botrius,  ii  571 
Sibylla,  queen  of  Jerusalem, 

11.73 
Sibyl,  the,  1.  69:  her  Inteiv 

pretatioQs  and  prophecies, 

71,76 
Sibyls,  the  different,  i.  77 
Sigebert,  i.  299,  303,  325 


Silvester,  pope,  1.  495 
Silvester,  St.,  i.  188 
Simon  Magus,  1.  148 
'Siricius,  archbishop,   i.  493, 

499 
Sithric   of   Northumbria,   i. 

466 
Siward,  1. 641 
Solomon,  i.  39 
Solomon,  king  of  Hungary,  i. 

619 
Somervllle,  John  de,  11. 588 
Sotingin,  Gerard  de,  ii.  122 
Soulis,  John  de,  ii.  564 
Spurius  Cassius.  i.  59 
Stephen,  count  of  Blois,  ii. 

13,  23 
Stephen,  count  of  BouTogne, 

ii.  40.    See  Stephen,  king. 
Stephen,  king,  ii.  43-53 
Stigand,  i.  529,  541 ;  ii.  2.  3 
Stichil,  Robert  de,  bishop  of 

Durham,  ii.  385,  391 
Strange,  Hamond,  ii.  422 
Suche,  Alan  de  la,  ii.  449 
Sweyn,  son  of  Godwin,  i.  539, 

640 
Sweyn,  king   of  the  Danes,- 

1.494,502,505-509 
Swithun,  St.  1.406,483 

Tancred,  ii.  23,  35 
Tarquln  the  Proud,  i.  57 
Tatius,  1.  54 
Teste,  William,  11.  593 
Theobald,  archbishop,  ii.  53, 

54,57 
Theobald,  count  of  Blois,  ii. 

36,51 
Theodosius,  1.  200 
Thomas,  archbishop  of  York, 

11. 16,  27 
Thomas,  son  of  Edward  I., 

11.533 
Thomas,  son  of  Ranulph,  ii. 

588 
Thunder,  i.  307 
Thurstan,     archbishop      of 

York,  ii.  35 
Tiberius,  1. 129, 139 
Titus,  i.  154 
Toledo,  Sancho,    archbishop 

of,  11.  470 
Tosti,  son  of  Godwin,  1.  589, 

541, 551,  556 
Tracy,  William  de,  11.  62 
Trahemius,  i,  189 
Trajan,  1. 156, 158.  281 
Trogfus  Pompeius,  i.  127 
Turbeville,  Thomas,  ii.  511 
Tunna,  i.  326 
I'urketil  the  Dane,  1.  600 
I'urkill,  1.  520 
Tiirkelbi,  lord  Roger  de,  ii. 

381 


601 


Tiirpin,  i.  891 
Tyrell,  Walter,  i!.S6 

Uffa,  i.  909 

Ulpher,l.811 

Urban  IX.  pope,  11.  400,  421, 

422 
Uter  Pendragon,  L  284,  247, 

249,  262,  264 

Valence,  Aymer  de,  earl  of 

Pembroke,  it.  586, 587,  695 
Valence.  William  de,  11.  288, 

291,  SA  366 
Valerian,  1. 172 
Valena.  1. 197 

Valeran.  lord  Robert,  11.  S95 
Vere,  Alberic  de,  li.  46 
Vespatian.  1.  146, 149,  164 
Vesci,  John  de,  il.  487 
Virgin  Marv,  1.  112 
Visions,  i.  335,  437,  482,  642, 

650,  654;  11.  19,  22,  26,  26, 

27,  67,  309,  343,  347 
Vitellius,  i.  150 
Vortigeni,  1 211,  214,  247 
Vortimer,  1.  220,  222 

Walasch,  papal  legate,  11. 368 


TITDKX. 

Waloher,  biahop  of  Durham, 

11.9 
Wallace,  William,  11. 526, 678 
Waltbeof,  earl.  11.  8.  11 
Walwan.  1.  260.  262 
Warenne.  William  de,  11.  9, 

18 
Warrene,  John  earl  of,  U.  413, 

417,449,454,468 
Wengham.  Henry  de.  11. 863 
Westmllnn,  William  de,  11. 

371 
Wlbert,  bishop  of  Ravenna, 

11.11 
Withgams.  1. 264.  264 
Wilfrid,  1.  312, 314.  319,  831, 

844 
Wilfrid,  of    Canterii)ury,  1. 

390,891 
Wilfrid,  the  librarian,  1.  348 
Wilfrida.  i.  481 
William  I.,  li.  1-14 
William    II.,   (Rufns),  14— 

26 
William,  of  Anjon.  11. 21 
William,  count  of  Flanders, 

11.40 
William,  count  of  Holland,  11. 

300,  308,  334,  335,  388 


William  of  Normandy,  i.  527, 

637,  557—666 
William,      archbishop        of 

Rouen,  11. 10 
William, king  of  Scotland,^!!. 

65,  79,  86, 109 
William,  king  of  Sicily,  li. 

56 
William,  elect  of  Valence,  ii. 

185, 187, 190 
William,  son  of  William   I^ 

ii.  4,  12.    See  William  TI. 
William,  son  of  Henry  I.,  ii. 

28,35,37 
William,  son  of  Henry  II., 

11.55 
William,  sonof  king'Stephen. 

ii.  56 
William  the  seneschal,  iL  372 
Witz,  Richard  de,  ii.  324 
Woden,  i.  863 

Wolstan,  archbishop,  1.  477 
Wolstan,  i.  547 
Wolstan,  bishop,  ii.  7,  32 
Worcester,  Walter,  bishop  of, 

ii.  407,  411,  443 

Xerxes,  1. 83 


THE   EJTD. 


J.  BILLING,     • 
PBIKTRR  A.VI>  STKBEOTYPEB, 
WOKIKO,  SUERBY. 


"I- 


<*V 


DEC  9      t937