VI. A thief or felon that hath stolen, being lawfully convicted, shall have

his head shorn, and boiling pitch poured upon his head, and feathers or down strewed upon the same, whereby he may be known; and so at the first landing place they shall come to, there to be cast up, &c. Witness myself at Chinon,
These things thus set in readiness. King Richard sending his navy by the Spanish seas, and by the straits of Gibraltar, between Spain and Africa, to meet him at Marseilles, he himself went to Tours, and after that to Vczelay, to meet the French king. The two kings from thence went to Lyons, where the bridge over the flood Rhone with press of people brake, and many, both men and women, were drowned. By They rcasou wlicicof, tlic two kings, for the cumbrance of their trains, were hyml^ constrained to dissever themselves for the time of their journey, appointing both to meet together in Sicily ; and so Philip, the
(I) The narrative of the brawl in York Cathedral, sup. pp.278— 280, should be introduced here. —Ed.
THE KINGS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND AT MESSINA. 299
French king, took his way to Genoa, and King Richard to Mar- incimrdi. seilles, where he remained eight days, having appointed his navy to ^ j) meet hun there. 1190.
The seventh day of August, in the year aforesaid, King Richard departed out of Marseilles, after he had there waited seven days for his navy, Avhich came not ; and so hiring twenty galleys, and ten great barks, to ship over his men, he sailed by the sea-coast of Italy,' to Genoa, where the French king was ; thence he passed forward by the coast of Italy, and entered the Tiber, not far from Rome, where meeting with Octavian, the cardinal and bishop of Ostia, he did Richard complain greatly of the filthy simony of the pope and the pope's court, etiTofThe for receiving seven hundred marks for consecrating the bishop of Le p^p^^* Mans ; also a thousand and five hundred marks of William, the bishop of Ely, for his office legatine ; and likewise an infinite sum of money of the bishop of Bordeaux, for acquitting him when he should be deposed for a certain crime laid to his charge by his clergy, &c.
From thence he coasted along, and came to Naples, and, passing on horseback to Salerno, he came to Calabria ; where, after that he had heard his ships were arrived at Messina, in Sicily, he made the The more speed ; and so, on the twenty-third of September, came to sh^ps^r- Messina, with such a noise of trumpets and shawms, with such a rout ^ll^J;^^^^ and show, that it was the great wonderment and terror both of the Frenchmen, and of all others that did hear and behold the sight.
To the said town of Messina the French king had come before, Richard the sixteenth day of the same month of September, and had taken up a" Mes-''' the palace of Tancred, king of Sicily, for his lodging. To whom "°*- King Richard, after his arrival, eftsoons resorted ; and when the two kings had communed together, immediately the same day the French king took shipping, and entered the seas, thinking to sail toward the land of Jerusalem ; but after he was out of the haven, the wind arising contrary against him, returned him back again to Messina. Then King Richard, whose lodging was prepared in the suburbs without the city, after he had resorted again, and talked with the French king, and also had sent to Tancred, king of Sicily, for the deliverance of Joan, his sister (who had been sometime queen of Sicily), and had obtained her to be sent unto him, the last day of Richard September passed over the flood of Faro, and there getting a strong- hil^s'i'ster hold called De la Bagnara, or Le Bamre, and placing therein his Jo^n.^ sister, with a sufficient retinue and garrison, he returned again to sometime Messina. On the second of October King Richard won another "o h^lLt. certain stronghold, called ' Monasterium GrifFonum,"' situated on an'"''™- island in the midst of the river of Faro, between Messina and Calabria ; from whence the monks being expelled, he reposed there all his store and provision of victuals, which came from England or other places.
The citizens of Messina, seeing that the king of England had won Discord the castle De la Bagnara, and also the island and monastery of the thTciu- GrifFons, and doubting lest the king would extend his power further ^j"'J,^^ to invade their city and (if he could) the whole isle of Sicily, began and the to stir against the king's army, and to shut the Englishmen out of the army." gates, and keep their walls against them. The Englishmen, seeing
(I) Several inaccuracies iu this aiid the r.ext page are corrected from Hoveden. — Ed.
300 IVIKSSIVA TAKEN BY THE KXGLISH.
RichardT. tliat, made to tlic gato=, and by force would have broken tliem open ;
^ y insoinucli that tlic kinji, riding among them with his staff, and brcak-
1190. ing divers of their heads, could not assuage their fierceness ; such was
.7j;7j~ the rage of the Englishmen against the citizens of Messina. The
could not i-jncT seeincr the furv of the people to be such that he could not stay
st
raucofthe theui, took boat, and went to the palace of King Tancred, to talk of
i>copie. ^jj^ niatter with the French. In which time the matter was so taken
up by the wise handling of the ancient of the city, that both parties,
laying down their armour, went home in peace.
rommu- f^'i the fourth day of October came to King Richard the archbishop
Mm"'"" '^^f Messina, with two other archbishops, also the French king, and
peace. sundry other earls, barons, and bishops, for cntreatance of peace. As
they were together consulting, and had almost concluded upon the
peace, the citizens of Messina issuing out of the town, some went up
upon the mountains, some with open force invaded the mansion or
lodging of Hugh Brun, an English captain. The noise whereof
coming to the ears of the king, he suddenly breaking off talk with the
French king and the rest, departed from them, and coming to his men,
commanded them forthwith to arm themselves ; who then with certain
A skir- of his soldicrs, making up to the top of a mountain, which seemed to
tween'^tiie P^''^^ thcir powcr to climb, there put the citizens to flight, chasing
ritizensof them down the mountain, unto the very gates of the city ; whom also
aiwrthe"' certain of the king's servants pursued within the city ; of whom five
nien'.'*'' Valiant soldiers and twenty of the king's servants were slain, the French
The king looking on, and not once willing to rescue them, contrary to his
khtg"^ oath and league before made with the king of England ; for the French
against king, witli liis men, being there present, rode in the midst of them
the Knp- ^' , ' c? r ' ^
lishmen. Safely and without harm to and fro, and might well have eased the king's party more than he did, if it had so liked him.
This being known to the English host, how thcir fellows were slain, and the Frenchmen permitted in the city, and that they were ex- cluded, and the gates barred against them, being also stopped from buying of victuals and other things; they in great indignation gathered Enpiish- themselves in arms, brast open the gates, and scaled the walls, and uiedTy of SO wiuuiug the city, set up their flags with the English arms upon Messma. {_],p walls. Wliich wlicu the French king did see, he was mightily oflTendcd ; requiring the king of England, that the arms of France might also be set up and joined with his; but King Richard to that in no case would agree. Notwithstanding, to satisfy his mind, lie was well contented to take down his arms, and commit the custody of the city to the Hospitallers and Templars of Jerusalem, till the time that Tancred, king of Sicily, and he should agree together upon conditions. The These things being done on the third and fourth days of October,
remw\-d it followcd tlicu upou the eighth day that peace between the kings Richard ^^'^^ coucludcd. lu wliicli pcacc, first. King Richard and Philip, the and the Frcncli kiug, renewed again their oath and league before made, con- kins;, cerning their mutual aid and society, during all the time of that pere- ^niciudcd grinfitifm. Secondly, peace also was concluded between King Richard between a^d Taucrcd, king of Sicily aforesaid, with this condition, that the Hichard daughter of Tancred should marrv Arthur, duke of Bretagne, the cr'ed. ^" king's nephew, and, in case King Richard should die without issue, ne.\t heir to his crown ; whereof a formal chart was drawn, and letters
THE DEATH OF FREDERIC AND THE SIEGE OF ACRE. 301
were sent thereof to Pope Clement, dutcd tlie eleventh' day of Rhhar,ii. November. A. I).
In the mean time, as these two kings of France and England were ii'jo. thus wintering at Messina, the emperor, Frederic 1. (the same on whose neck Pope Alexander did tread in the church of Venice, saying the verse of the psalm, " Super aspidem et basiliscura ambu- labis," &c. Avhereof read before), and his son Conrad, with a mighty army of Almains and others, were coming up likewise toward the land of Jerusalem to the siege of Acre ; wliere, by the way, the good em- ,^j[J^^^'^'=^ peror, xlirough a great mischance, falling off his horse into a river called ror Salef,^ was therein drowned. After whose decease, Conrad, his son, in^g""^! taking the government of his army, came to the siege of Acre (in l"^^^^''^^ which siege also he died) ; upon whose coming, such a dearth followed Acre. in the camp, which lasted two months, that a loaf of bread, which, before their coming, was sold for one penny, was afterwards sold for three pounds, byreason whereof manyCliristian soldiers did there perish through famine. The chiefest food which the princes there had to feed u])on, was horse-flesh. This famine being so miserable, some good bishops there were in the camp, namely, Hubert, bishop of Salis- bury, with certain other good bishops, who, making a general collec- tion through the whole camp for the poor, made such a provision, that in this penury of all things, yet no man was so destitute and needy, God's pro- but somewhat he had for his relief; till, within a few days after, by ^^'t^ij^''^ ^f the merciful providence of God, who is the feeder of all creatures, "e^d. ships came unto them with abundance of corn, wine, and oil.
The siege of this town of Acre endured a long season, which, as sie-eof it was mightily oppugned by the Christians, so it was strongly defended clllk lire by the Saracens, especially by the help of wild-fire, which the Latins ^^Jl^\, call " Greecus ignis," so that there was great slaughter on both sides, tiie sa.a- During the time of which siege many noble personages, and also '^™^" bishops, died, among whom was Conrad, the emperor's son ; Radulph, earl of Fougeres ; Rotrou, earl of Perche ; Robert, earl of Leicester ; Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury ; with four archbishops, and divers other bishops, abbots, earls, and also barons, to the number of four and thirty, and not so few. All this while King Richard, and King Philip of France, still kept at Messina in Sicily, from the month of September till April, for lack, I suppose, of wind or weather, or else of necessity for repairing their ships. In which mean time King Richard, hearing of Joachim, abbot of Corazzo,^ a learned man in Calabria (who was then thought to have the spirit of prophecy, and told many things of a people that should come), sent for him, with whom he and his bishops had much conference about the coming and time of antichrist; * to* whom the said Joachim expounding the place of St. John's Revelation — '' There be seven kings, of whom five are fallen, one is no\v, and another is yet to come," &c. — de- claretli seven persecutors of the church to be thereby signified : Herod, Nero, Domitian, Maxentius, Mahomet, Turca, and the last, which
(1) Hoveden, Rymer, torn. i. p. 53 (Edit. Nov.)— Ed. (2) Or Cydnus.— Ed.
(3) Afterward he became abbot of Flora, in Calabria. Moreri. — Ed.
(4) This passage, in single asterisks, is republished from the edition of Foxe of 1563, pp. 70, 71. It slightly differs from the Latin edition of 1559, p. 57; an extract from which is subjoined: " Reges 7, inquit, septem sunt persecutores : Herodes, Nero, Constantius, Mahumet, Melsemutus, Saladinus, Antichristus, &c. Ha;c Hovedenus. Annus vero hujus abbatis erat 1290." Joachim flourished early in the thirteenth century, and the first edition of his propliecics appeared at Venice in 1517. — Eu.
302 CONVERSATION' HFTWEF.X JOACIITM AXD THE KI.VG.
Richardi. he Said was then to conic, to be Antichrist. And this Antichrist, j^ j3 he said, was already burn in the city of Konic, and sliould be there 1)90. exalted in the apostolical see; bringing to that purpose the saving of the apostle, " he is an adversary, and advancetli himself against all that is called God : and then shall the wicked man be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and destroy with the brightness of his coming."' " Why," said the king, " I had thought all this while that antichrist should have been born in Antioch, or Hahylon, out of the tribe of Dan, and should have ruled in the Lord's temple at .Terusalem, and should have sojourned in the land where Christ had sojourned, and borne rule three years and a half in the same, and disputed against Enoch and Elias, and then put them to death, and then have died himself; after whose death the Lord should have given sixty days of repentance, wlierein those that erred from the truth, and were seduced by the preaching cf antichrist, and his counterfeit apostles, might repent."
This, and such like talk, had they together; and though the abbot
declared at that time that antichrist was bom at Rome, yet were
there certain prelates, the very members of that wicked head, who in
no wise could abide to hear the tale of truth, but devised somewhat
to reply against it. Among these were Walter, archbishop of
Rouen, the archbishop of Apamea,* and Gerard, archbishop of
Auch, John, bishop of Evreux, and Bernard, bishop of Bayonne ; ^
whose replications and opinions, if they were here put down, they
would appear in that behalf good and substantial gear, I do warrant
you.*
Abbot This Joachim, belike, in his book and revelations uttered some
condemn- things against the see and pride of Rome, for the which he was less
cou'nciuf favoured of the popes, and judged an enemy to their see ; and so he
Lateral), -^vas condemned with his books for a heretic by Pope Innocent IIL
in his idolatrous general coimcil of Lateran, a.d. 1215, as ye may
read in Antoninus.
Henry, After this, Henry king of Almains, son of Frederic the emperor,
FredMic, licaring of the decease of his father, standing now to be emperor, first
emperor, restored to Henry duke of Saxony, and to others, whatsoever his
father before had taken from them. That done, he sent to Clement
and his cardinals, promising in all things to confirm the laws and
dignities of the church of Rome, if they would grant him their assent
to be emperor. AVhcreupon Pope Clement, by advice of the Romans,
assigned him the term of Easter in the next year ensuing, for his
coronation. But before the Easter came, Pope Clement died, after
he had sat three years and about four months ; after whom succeeded
Celcstine HL, of whom more hereafter, God willing.
The time thus passing over, in the month of February, the next A.D.1191. year following, which was a.d. 1191, King Richard sent over his galleys to Naples, there to meet his mother Elenor, and Berengaria, the daughter of Sancho, king of Navarre, whom he was purposed to marry, who by that time were come to Brundusium, under the conduct of Philip, earl of Flanders, and so proceeding unto Naples, there found the king's ships, wherein they sailed to Messina. In this mean space, King Richard showed himself exceedingly bounteous
(1) 2 Thess. ii. 4, 8.— Ed. (2) Apamea in Syria.— En.
(•3) For thia corrected litt see Uoveden, Ilollinslied, and Ciallia Christiana. — Ed.
TREACHERY OF THE FUEXCH KING. 303
and liberal unto all men. To the French king first lie gave divers luchardi. ships; upon others likewise he bestowed rich rewards; and of his ^,3 goods and treasure he distributed largely unto his soldiers and ser- IHJi. vants about him. Of him it was reported that he distributed more Bountiful in one month, than ever any of his predecessors did in a whole year ; ^'^ bv reason whereof he purchased great love and favour, which not only Richard, redounded to the advancement of his feme, but also to his singular use and profit, as the sequel afterwards proved.
To proceed then in the progress of King Richard, it followeth : Honour- on the first day of jNIarch, he, leaving the city of Messina, Avhere the abk |^n- French king was, went on unto Catana, a city where Tancred, kmg ment .,f of Sicily, then lay, Avhere he was honourably received, and there by xan- remained with King Tancred three days and three nights. On the "ed. fourth day, Avhen he should depart, Tancred offered him many rich presents in gold and silver, and precious silks; whereof King Richard would receive nothing but one little ring for a token of his good will. For this King Richard again gave him a rich sword. At length, when King Ri^chard should take his leave, King Tancred would not so let hini part, but needs would give him four great ships and fifteen galleys ; and furthermore, he himself would needs accom- pany him, the space of two days' journey, to a place called Taver- nium.
Then the next morning, when they should take their leave. Tan- phiiip, cred declared unto him the message which the French king, a little %l^^^ before, had sent unto him by the duke of Burgundy, the purport J^^i^n&.^_ whereof was this : " That the king of England was a false traitor, ousiy'" and would never keep the peace that was between them. And if t^e'de'-'' the said Tancred would war against him, or secretly by night invade stmction him, he, Avith all his power, would assist him, and join with him to Richard, the destruction of him and all his army." To wdiom Richard the king protested again, that he was no traitor, and never was ; and, as touch- ing the peace begun between them, the same should never be broken through him, neither could he believe that the French king, being his good lord, and his sworn copartner in that voyage, would utter any such words of him. Which, when Tancred heard, he bringeili forth the letters of the French king, brought to him by the duke of Burgundy; affirming, moreover, that if the duke of Burgundy would deny the bringing of the said letters, he was ready to try FaithM with him by any of his dukes. King Richard, receiving the letters, xanc^'d and musing not a little upon the same, returneth again to Messina ^^^^^^l^ The same day that King Richard departed, the French king cometh to Tavernium to speak with Tancred, and there abode with him that night, and on the morrow returned to Messina again.
From that time King Richard, moved in stomach against King pjrst oc- Philip, never showed any gentle countenance of peace and amity, ^-'^'^"/^ as he before was wont ; whereat the French king greatly marvelling, between and inquiring earnestly what should be the cause thereof, word was French sent him again by Phdip, earl of Flanders, what words he had sent ^^^'"^ to the king of Sicily ; and for the testimony thereof, the letters ^i;;'^'''^'^- ■were showed, which "he -wrote by the duke of Burgundy to the king Kichani of Sicily. AVhen the French king understood this, he first held his ?hf ^""^ peace, as guilty in his conscience, not knowing well what to answer. French
304
HAUGHTY COXnUCT 01" THK I'OrE.
A. 1). 1191.
king with
false- hood. (Juarrel aliout a marriage.
nuharai. At Icnirtli, tnniin witli kinij Kiehanl, preteiuliny: a.s tliougli he souglit causes to break witli hiin, anil to malign liim, and tlicrefore lie forged these lies (said lie) upon liim, and all because he by that means would void to marry with Alice, his sister, according as he hail promised : adding, moreover, that if he would so do, and would not marry the said Alice his sister, according to his oath, but Avould marry another, he would be an enemy to him and his, while ho lived.
To this King Richard said again, that he could by no means
f marrv that woman, forasmuch as his father had had by her a son :
for proof whereof he had there presently to bring forth divers and
Asrce- suudrv witucsscs to the king's face, to testify with him. In conclu-
iween'fhe siou, tlirougli couuscl aud persuasion of divers about the French king, agreement at last was made, so that King Philip did acquit King Richard from his bond of marrying his sister ; and King Richard again should be bound to pay to him every year, for the space of five years, two thousand marks ; with certain other conditions besides, not gi'eatly material in this place to be deciphered. Thus, peace being between them concluded, on Saturday the thirtieth day of the said month of March the French king launching out of the haven of Messina, on the two and twentieth day after, in Easter
Api.zoth. week, came with his army to the siege of Acre.
After the departure of the French king from JNlessina (King Richard, with his army, yet remaining behind). Queen Elenor, the king's mother, arrived, bringing with her Berengaria, the king of Navarre's daughter, to be espoused to King Richard. This done, Elenor, leaving Bcrengai-ia behind her, departed, taking her journey toward Rome, to entreat the pope for (refFrey, her other son above mentioned, to be consecrated in the archbishopric of York, he having been before elected by the procurement of King Richard, his brother, as ye heard. At this time, as Queen Elenor was travelling toward Rome, Pope Clement above mentioned died on the tenth day of April, in whose room succeeded Pope Celestine III., who, the next day after his consecration, came from Lateran to St. Peter's chiu-cli, where in the way met him Henry, the emj)eror, and Constantia, his wife, with a great rout of armed soldiers ; but the Romans, making fiist their gates, would not suffer them to enter their city. Then Pope Celestine, standing upon the stairs before ihc church door of St. Peter, received an oath of the said Henry, king of the Almains (his army waiting without), that he should defend the church of God, and all the liberties thereof, and maintain justice; also that he should restore again the patrimony of St. Peter, full and whole, whatsoever hath been diminished ilicrcof ; and finally, that he should re-surren-
Tiiepope der to tlic cliurcli of Rome the city of Frascati. Upon these con-
of Home i- ■ ■ "^
i.itiiefuii ditioiis and grants, the pope then took Iwrn to the church, and there Irridc! "* anointed him for emperor, and his wife for empress ; who, there ^ sitting in his chair pontifical, held the crown of gold between his
Celestine fcct, and SO the emperor, bowing down his head to the pope's feet, HeiT"/"* received the crown ; and in like manner the empress also. The rllr wk^" ^'■°^^" *j'^^^ ^^^">- ^^^ "P"" '^'ic emperor's head, the pope, immediately, his feet. Avith liis foot struck it off again from his head unto the ground, str'iketi'r declaring thereby, that he had power, to depose him in case he
two kings, with the condi- tions.
The French king cnineth
Heren- garia, or as some do call her, Itcrne- gara, (laughter to the king of Navarre, brought to be married to King Kichard.
THE ENGLISH FLEET DISPERSED BY A TEMPEST. S05
SO deserved. Tlien the cardinals, taking up ilic crown, set it upon nichardi. liis head again.' ~\/D~
Not long after the departure of King Philip from Messina, which 1191'. was in the month of March, King Richard, in April following, about „fr the the tenth day of the said month sailing from the haven of Messina ':";i',"™''* with a hundred and fifty great ships and three and fifty great "iii'iiis galleys well manned and appointed, took journey towards Acre ; who being upon the seas on Good Friday, about the ninth hour rose a mighty south wind with a tempest, which dissevered and Richard scattered all his navy, some to one place and some to an- wUh'l ''" other. The king with a few ships put into the island of Crete, '^^"JP"^ and afterwards in the haven of Rhodes cast anchor. The ship that Acre, carried the king's sister, the queen of Sicily, and Berengaria, the king of Navarre''s daughter, with two other ships, were driven to the isle of Cyprus. The king, making great moan for the ship his sister w^as in, and Berengaria, his wife that should be, not knowing what had become of them, after the tempest was overblown, sent forth his galleys diligently to search for the rest of his navy dispersed, but especially for the ship wherein his sister was, and the maiden whom he should marry ; who at length were found safe and merry at Port Limisso, in the isle of Cyprus. Notwithstanding the two other ships, which were in their company before in the same haven, were drowned, with divers of the king''s servants, and men of wor- ship ; amongst whom was Master Roger, called ' Mains Catulus,' the king's vice-chancellor, who was found having the king's seal hanging about his neck. The king of Cyprus was then Isaac isaac, (called also the emperor of the Griffons), who took and imprisoned c^uf all Englishmen Avho by shipwreck were cast upon his land, also a cruel' inveigling into his hands the goods and prizes of those who were EngUsh- found drowned about his coasts ; neither would he suffer the ship '"^"' wherein the two ladies were, to enter within the port.
The tidings of this being brought to King Richard, he, in great Richard wi-ath, gathering his galleys and ships together, boardeth the land of ™jJ^fo'^ Cyprus, where he first in gentlewise signifieth to King ^Isaac, how ^^'^'^'"s he with his Englishmen, coming as strangers to the supportation of forhis the Holy Land, were, by distress of weather, driven upon his bounds ; capUvUy" and, therefore, with all humble petition besought him, in God's behalf, and for reverence of the Holy Cross, to let go such prisoners of his IS he had in captivity, and to restore again the goods of those who were drowned, which he detained in his hands, to be employed for :he behoof of their souls. And this the king, once, twice, and thrice, ; iesired of the emperor. But he, proudly answering again, sent the xhe dis- cing word, that he would neither let the captives go, nor render the answer of ^oods of them that were drowned. Isaac.
When King Richard heard how little the Emperor Isaac made
jf his so humble and honest petition, and how nothing there could
)e gotten without violent force ; immediately he giveth commandment
' hrough all his host, to put themselves in amiour, and to follow him,
n revenge such injuries received of that proud and cruel king
Kx veteri chror.ico manuscripto anoiiymo, de gestis Richardi Regis, cui initium, " Anno ^■," &c. Item ex alio ejusdem vetustatis chronico manuscripto, cui initium, " Mnezs cum
• uiio," &c.
\ OL. II. X
306 THK KI\C, OF CYI'KUS TAKKK PRISONEK.
Richardi. of C^i^nis ; wilHii? tliom to put tlu'ir trust in God, and not to doubt
~A/o7 ^"^ t'''*^^ tl'C Lord would stand with tlicni, and give tlicin the victory.
1191. The cnipcror, in tlie mean time, with his people, stood warding the
sea coasts, wlierc the JMiglishnien should arrive, with swords, bills,
and lances, and such other M'capons as they had, setting boards, stools,
and chests before them instead of a wall. Howbeit but few of them
were harnessed, and for the most part all inexpert and unskiji'ul
nichard in tlic fcats of war. Then King Richard with his soldiers, issuing
upon 'isa- out of their ships, first set his bowmen before, who with their shot
'^'^"'v made away for others to follow. The Englishmen, thus winninjjthe
lit'i'or ol •/ ^ ^ ^ ~
tiR- Grif- land upon them, so fiercely pressed upon the Griffons, that after long ispuMo" fighting and many blows, at last, the emperor was put to flight ; fliL'ht. ^vhom King Richard valiantly pursued, and slew many, and divers he took alive, and had gone near also to have had the emj)eror, had not the night come on and parted the battle. And thus King Richard, with much ^nn\ and great victory returning to the port town of Limisso, which the townsmen had left for fear, found there great abundance of corn, wine, oil, and victuals.
The same day after the victory, Joan, the king's sister, and Beren-
garia, the maiden, entered the port and town of Limisso, with fifty
great ships, and fourteen galliots ; so that all the Avhole navy there
meeting together, were two hundred and fifty-four tall ships, and
above threescore galliots. Then Isaac the emperor, seeing no way
for himself to escape by the sea, the same night pitched his tents five
miles off from the English army, swearing that the third day after he
would surely give battle to King Richard. But he preventing him
before, suddenly, the same moniing before the day of battle should
The king be, scttcth upou the tents of the Griffons early (they being unawares
agSn^'put ^iid asleep,) and made of them a great slaughter ; insomuch that the
to night. cm])eror was fain naked to run away, leaving his tents and pavilions
to the Englishmen, full of liorses and rich treasure, also with the
imperial standard, the lower part whereof, with a costly streamer, was
King covered and wrought all with gold. King Richard then retuniing
marriJth '^^'itli victory and triumph to his sister and Berengaria, shortly after, in
Ha^inlhe ^^^^ mouth of May following, and the twelfth day of the same month,
isle of married the said Berengaria, daughter of Sancho, king of Navarre,
*^ *■ at Limisso in the isle of C}^rus.
The king of Cyprus, seeing himself overmatched, was driven at
Isaac length to yield himself with conditions : to give King Richard twenty
himself thousand marks in gold, for amends of such spoils as he had gotten of
iiit'hard. them that were drowned ; also to restore all his captives again to the
king; and, furthennore, in his own person, to attend upon the king to
the land of Jerusalem, in God's service and his, with four hundred
horsemen, and five huncked footmen ; in pledge whereof he would
give into his hands his castles, and his only daughter, and would hold
sequent!) ^'•'' l^i'igdoui of him. This done, and the emperor swearing fidelity
breaketh to King Richard, before Guido kinff of Jerusalem, and the iirince
tions. of Antioch (who were come thither to King Richard a little before),]
peace was taken, and Isaac was committed to the Avard of certain
A-ain keepers. Notwithstanding, shortly after, he, breaking from his
sui.init- keepers, was again at defiance with the king. Whereupon King
fdf! m,d Richard, besetting the island of Cyprus round about with ships and
I
CAPTURE OF THE CITY OF ACRE. 807
jifalleys, did in sucli sort ];)revai], that tlic subjects of the land v/cvc RUhardr. constrained to yield themselves to the king, and at length the ~X~d~ daughter also of the emperor, and at last the emperor himself, whom w.n. King Richard caused to l)c kept in fetters of silver and gold, and to jT^T^j^T", be sent to the city of Tripolis. golden
These things thus done, and all set in order touching the posses- lUchards sion of the isle of Cyprus, the keeping whereof he committed unto to"Acre. Radulph, son of Godfrey, lord chamberlain, being then the first day of June ; upon the fifth of the said month, King Richard departed from the isle of Cy]irus, with his ships and galleys towards the siege of Acre, and on the morrow came unto Tyre, where, by ])rocure- ment of the French king, he was constrained by the citizens to enter. The next day after, which was the seventh day of June, crossing the Saraocns seas he met with a great bark, fraught with soldiers and men of war thcrescun to the number of one thousand five hundred ; who, pretending to be °^ ^'"'"P' Frenchmen, and setting forth their flag with the French arms, were ed on the indeed Saracens, secretly sent with wild-fire and certain barrels of Khig'^ unknown ser|)ents, to the defence of the town of Acre. This King ^^"^''^"i- Richard at length perceiving, eftsoons set upon them, and so van- quished them ; of whom the most were drowned, and some taken alive ; which being once known in the city of Acre, as it w-as a great discomfort there, so it was a great help unto the Christians for winning the city. The next day after, which was the eiglith of June, King Richard came to Acre, wliich at that time had been long besieged of the Christians ; after whose coming it was not lonsr before the pagans within the city seeing their Avails to be undermined and towers overthrown, were driven by composition to escape with The city life and limb, to sun-ender the city to the two kings. Another great yLui^d to help to the Christians in winning the city was this : in the said city jl'ans'^"^" of Acre there was a secret Christian among the Saracens, Avho, in time of the siege there, used at sundry times to cast over the walls, into the camp of the Christians, certain bills written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, wherein he disclosed unto the Christians, from Honest time to time, the doings and counsels of the enemies, advertising L^cret them how and in Avhat way they should work, and of what to beware ; [jj^fji^g'"" and always his letters began thus : " In nomine Patris, et Filii, et ^^'7°'" Spiritus Sancti; Amen;" by reason whereof, the Christians Avere much advantaged in their proceedings. But this Avas a great heaviness unto them, that neither would he utter his name, nor, Avhen the city Avas got, could they ever understand avIio he Avas.^
To make of a long siege a short narration, upon the tAvelfth day of July in the year aforesaid, a. d. 1191, the princes and captains of the pagans, upon agreement, resorted to the tent of the Templars, to The form commune Avith the tAvo kings touching peace and giving up of theii* concrud- city, the form of AA'hich peace Avas this: That the kings should have t^.een,i,e the city of Acre freely and fully delivered unto them, AA'ith all that kings, was Avithin ; and that five hundred captives of the Christians should princes cf be restored unto them, Avhich were in Acre: also that the holy cross "^""^ should be to them rendered, and a thousand christian captives, Avith two hundred horsemen, Avhosoever they themselves Avould choose out
Vl) Exchronico manuscripto, de gestis Richard).
30S Tilt TWO KIKC.S DIVIDE THE SPOIL.
luchardi. of till those wliicli wcTc ill tiio powcr of Saladin : over and besides, ^ I) tliev sliould give to the kiiii^'s, two Imndrcd thousand bisants, so that liyi. they tlieniselves wouUl remain as pledges in the kings' hands for the j)crfonnanee hereof; that if, in t"i»rty tlays, these aforesaid covenants were not accomplished, they would abide the kings' mercy touching life and limb. These covenants being agreed upon, the kings sent their soldiers and servants into the city, to take one hundred of the richest and l)est of the city, to close them up in towers under strong keeping, and the resiilue they committed to be kept in houses and streets, ministering unto them according to their necessities : to whom not- withstanding, this they permitted, that as many of them as would be baptized, and receive the faith of Christ, sliould be free to go whither Religion they would. Whereupon, many there were of the pagans, who for tiu'^'t ''* ^^^^ o^ death pretended to be baptized, but who, afterwards, as soon aiidnot as tlicy could, revolted again to the Saladin ; on which account it was *''"' * ■ afterwards commanded by the kings, that none of them should be
baptized against their wills. The two The thirteenth day of July, King Philip of France, and King Tidrthi' Ricliard, after they had obtained the possession of Acre, divided city of between them all things therein contained, as well the people, as auThr* the gold and silver, with all other furniture whatsoever remaining in ttereof; ^^6 city ; who, in dividing the spoil, were such good carvers unto between themselvcs, that many knights and barons, with other soldiers, who selves, had there sustained the whole travail two years together about the Common- sicgc, Seeing the kings to take all unto themselves, and their part to wims*o"' ^^ ^^^^ little, retracted themselves without the uttermost trench ; and taketh thcrc, after consultation had together, sent word to the kings that pains, they would leave and forsake them, unless they were made partakers {ol^^'th" also of the g-ains for which they had so long travailed. To whom least. answer was sent again by the kings, that their wills should be satisfied howbeit, because of long deferring of their promise, many, constrained by poverty, departed from them. King The twentieth day of July, King Richard, speaking with tl
Kiciiard French kina^, desired him that they two with their armies would bind
requiretn , 11 1 • 1 ' -ii • i 1 i r> t 1 i
of the themselves by oath to remain there stili in the land oi Jerusalem the ki'ng'to space of tliree years, for the Avinning and recovering again of those thi^'" countries. But he would swear, he said, no such oath : and so the years ncxt dav. King Richard, with his wife and sister, entcreth into the army, but city of Acrc, and placed there himself in the king's palace ; the he^wouid French king remaining in the houses of the Templars, where he con tinucd till the end of the month. About the beginning of the month of August, Philip, the French king, after he and King Richard had made agreement between Guido and Conrad, the marquis, about the kingdom of Jerusalem, went from Acre to Tyre ; notwithstanding. King Richard and all the princes of the christian army, with grealj entreaty, desired him to tarry; showing what a shame it were for him to come so far, and now to leave undone that for which he came; anq on the third of August he departed from Tyre, leaving his half pari of the city of Acre in the hands of the aforesaid Conrad, the marquisB' After Philij^'s departure, the pagans refused to keep their covenants who neither would restore the holy cross, nor the money, nor the: captives, sending word to King Richard, that if he beheaded thJ"
A BRIEF STORY OF WIJ.LIA.M BISHOP OF KI.Y. SO.'j
plerlges left with him at Acre, they wouhl eliop off the heads of such mchnrdT. captives of the Christians as were in their hands. Shortly after this, ^ ^ Saladin, sending great gifts to king Richard, requested the time 1191. limited for beheading of the captives to be prorogued, but the king ^ refused to take his gifts, and to grant his request ; whereupon the capther Sultan caused all the christian captives within his possession forth- the'Vui with to be beheaded, which was the eighteenth day of August, tan. Albeit King Richard understood this, yet would not he prevent the time before limited for the execution of his prisoners, being the twentieth of August. Upon that day he caused the prisoners of the Saracens, openly in the sight of the Sultan's army, to lose their heads ; the number of whom came to two thousand five hundred, saraceu save only that certain of the principal of them he reserved for pur- sulin^'^y poses and considerations, especially to make exchange for the holy ^("jf^^j cross, and certain others of the christian captives.
After this. King Richard purposed to besiege the city of Joppa ; where, by the way, between Acre and Joppa, near to a town called Azotus, Saladm with a great multitude of his Saracens came fiercely against the king's rearward ; but, through God's merciful grace, in the same battle the king's warriors acquitted them so well, that Saladin was put to flight (whom the Christians pursued the space of Saiadm three miles) and lost the same day many of his nobles and captains, iii-ht. in such sort as it was thought the Saracens had not been put to such AjJ°^^^ confusion for forty years before ; and but one christian captain, called by God's James d'Avesnes, in that conflict was overthrown. From thence King ^"tten by Richard proceeding further went to Joppa, and then to Ascalon. ^^l^^_ He found the city of Jojipa forsaken of the Saracens, who durst not abide the king's coming. Ascalon Saladin had thrown down to the CTOund, who likewise forsook the whole land of Syria ; through Kins
o ' . •' . y Richard
all which land the king had free passage without resistance, neither in posses- durst the Saracen prince encounter after that with King Richard. syria° Of all which his achievements the said King Richard sent his letters of certificate as well into England, as also to the abbot of Clairvaux in France ; well hoping that he, God willing, should be able to make his repair again to them by Easter next.
A BRIEF STOEY OF WILLIAM, THE PROUD BISHOP OF ELY, THE king's CHAXCELLOR.
And now, to leave King Richard awhile in the field, let us make A.D. a step into England, and look a little at what is doing at home while ^J^ the king is abroad, and so return to the king again. Ye heard jjgj^ before liow King Richard, at his setting forth, committed the govern- Four ment of the realm to Hugh, bishop of Durham, and to William, Justices bishop of Ely, so that to the bishop of Durham was committed the "^^ keeping of the castle of Windsor. The other, who was the bishop appmnt- of Elv, had the keeping of the Tower of London, about which he seers of
* ^ 1 11*1*1 ' tlic rf'il
caused a great ditch with a rampart to be made, which is yet remain- ;„ „,^. ing. Furthermore, to these two bishops the king also assigned four ki-.s- other chief justices, Avho, jointly with them, should have the hearing and oversight of all causes^ as well to the clergy as to the laity ai)per-
tlie realm in the kind's abseuM.
310 TYRAWY OV THE lilSlIOP OF ELY.
nichardi. taining : to wit, Hufrli Bardolf, William Marshal, Geoffrey Fitz- ^ £3 Piers, and William Briwcre ; but the bishop of Ely was the principal, 1190 or at least he that took most upon liira, who both was the king's chan- to cellor, and bought with his money to be the pope's legate through ^^^*- England, Ireland, and Scotland, as is before specified. *For* tlie said Ely, being more ambitious, so practised with the king, that with the king's ambassadors sending his letters to the pope he obtained there the authority legantine upon the whole realm of Enghind, as by the pope's letters^ to him again directed may appear.* Touching the cxccpsivo pride and ])omp of this bishop, his rutflings outrageous, and fall most shameful, it would make a long tragedy to relate the whole circumstances at full ; to demonstrate only certain specialities thereof, for our present purpose may suffice, du^ch First, this William, called Longchamp, being thus advanced by the and bells king to bc his high chancellor, and chief justice of the realm, and also suspend the pope's legate, to show abroad the authority of his Icgatcship, caus'l'' the ^^o^^ ^0 suspcnd the canons, clerks, and vicars of the church of lord le- St. Peter in York, because they received him not with procession : not'usir-* under which interdiction he held them, till they were fain at last, both "lif, 'pro. canons, clerks, and vicars, to fall down at his feet, causing all their cession, bells to be let down out of the steeple. After this cometh Hugh, bishop of Durham, whom the king sent home out of Normandy with his letters ; who, meeting with the aforesaid William, bishop of Ely, in the town of Ely, showed him the king's letters, wherein was granted to him the keeping of Windsor castle, and to be the king's justice from the river Humber to the borders of Scotland. To these letters the chancellor answered, that the king's commandment should be done, and so brought him with him to Suwel, where he took him '''Shop and kept him fast, till he was forced at last to surrender to him the petteth castle of Windsor, and other things which the king had committed to of'^wind- his custody ; and moreover, he was constrained to leave with the said t°e bi"™ chancellor, Henry de Puteaco, his own son, and Gilbert Leigh, for siiop of pledges and hostages of his fidelity, to be true to the king and realm. And thus the bishop of Durham, being set at libertv, went to his town of Hoveden ; where, after he had made his abode a few days, cometh thither Osbert Longchamp, the chancellor's brother, and AVilliam Stutiville, with a gi'eat company of armed men sent by the chancellor to apprehend him. But the said bishop of Durham, put- ting in sureties not to depart that town without license of the king and of the chancellor, there still remained till he got letters to be sent to the king, signifying how he was used. Whereupon the king, wTiting his letters from INlarseilles to the bishop of Ely, set the said bishop of Durham free, and confirmed to him all the possessions and gTants that he before had given him. Je'ssive ^' ^^ almost incredible to think how intemperately this bishop and pride and chauccllor miscouducted himself, after the king's departure into Syria, tics'^' in excess of pride, and in cruel exactions and oppressions of the
(1) For this passage, with Pope Clement's letter, see Eklition 15fi3, p. 70.— Ed.
(2) The LHtrr of Pupc CInnnit III. to the Bishop of Ely.—" Clemens Episcopus, &:c. Juxfc,^ commendabile de.sidcriiini charissimi in Domino filii nostri illustrissimi Anglorum regi.s, frater- nitati tua- licationis ollicium in tota Aiiglia et Wallia, tarn per Cantuariensem quam per Eborai rcnsem arrhiepistopatum, ct in illis Uybernia; partibus, in quibus nobilis vir Joannes Come Morctoiiii, trater ipsius regis, potcstatim habet et dominium, autoritate apostolica daximu conimittendum. Datum nono Junli pontif. nostri anno 3."
HE I'LAYETII liOTH KIN'c; AND PUIKST.
king's subjects. First, his fellow-justices, whom the king joined RUhardi. with him for government of the realm, he utterly rejected and refused . i) to hear their counsel, reputing none to be equal with him in all the \\()\\
realm. Neither was he contented with the authority of a prelate,
but played both king and priest in the realm. All castles, lordships, JI"!!)p"!,'f abbeys, churches, and all other appropriations belonging to the right ^'y- of the king, he claimed to himself; and, by virtue of his legateship, when he came to any bishop''s house, abbey, priory, or any other religious house, he brought with him such a superfluity of men, horses, dogs, and hawks, that the house was the worse for it three years after ; for commonly he rode never under fifteen hundred horse, of chap Bishop of lains, priests, and other serving-men waiting upon him. From the roLlin-'"^ clergy and laity he took away their churches, their advowsons, their ^^^l^f^ livings, and their lands, to bestow upon his nephews and other Avait- ing chaplains, to serve his vain glory ; or else converted them to his own use, to maintain his pomp and vanity. In getting and gathering of treasures he had no measure ; in mis-spending the same he kept no order ; and that no vice should be wanting where such avarice taketh root, the money, which he wrongfully got, he committed to the bank to be increased by usury. What wantonness and lasciviousness were used in that so riotous life, the stories do shame to declare. All ruffianly runagates, idle bellies, and light persons, wheresoever he went, hung upon his court. To increase the vain jollity of this royal prelate, there was lacking no kind of musical instruments and me- lodious noise, to refresh belike his wearied senses, too much beaten and macerated with continual labour and study of Inmting, hawking, and gaming : of preaching and reading, I should have said.
Briefly, this aforesaid prelate, bearing the authority both of the Piayeih king and of the pope, kept such a stir in England, that the whole and' '"^ realm was at his beck, with cap and knee, crouching to him ; neither '^™^*" durst any man, rich or poor, displease him ; yea, there was none in all the realm so noble or worshipful, but was glad to please him, accounting himself happy if he might stand in his favour. At his table, all noblemen''s childi-en did serve and wait upon him, with whom he coupled in marriage his nieces and kinswomen ; and, when any one that stood waiting before him, durst once cast up his eyes, or did not demurely look downward upon the ground, he had a staff in his hand with a jjrick, wherewith he used to prick him ; learning, belike, by the carter his father, who used at the plough or cart to drive his oxen. Fm-thennore, as kings used to have their guard about them, so he, because he would not also be unguarded, refusing men of the English nation, had his waiters and warders mostly of French- men and Flemings.
It happened after this. a.d. 1191, that a great discord arose General between John, carl of Morton, the king's brother, with other states ?oTh*e^""' of the realm, and the said William, bishop of Ely ; so that, univer- f^ebis'^op sally, they all wrote over to the king concerning the misgovernment of Ely. and enormities of the said bishop. * Richard, understanding the case, sent from ISIessina into England Walter, archbishop of Rouen, and William Marshal, earl, unto the bishop of Ely, with letters, com- manding him that in all his doings he should associate unto him the archbishop of Rouen, AVilliam Marshal, Geoffrey Fitz-Piers, William
312 ORUKI, TRKATMr.NT OF CKFFREY, AHCniUSIIOP OF VOUK,
Riehardi. Briwcrc, and Hugh Bardolf above mentioned ; vLo, when they came ^ J) into Enfi^land, durst not deliver their letters, dieading the displeasure 119l! of the chancellor, fur ho dc.si)ised all the commandments of the king,
nor woidd suffer any \'A\ow to join uith him in his kingdom.
Hitherto have you heard of the glorious vanity of this lordly legate and chancellor of the realm ; now ye shall hear of his shameful fall. Another after his shameless exaltation. For shortly after this followeth an- sion*"'' other breach between the said Earl John the king''s brother, and him, between about the besieging of the castle of Lincoln. Concerning that castle k'inK's '" the said John sent him word, that unless lie raised his siege the sooner brother, ^^^^^^ thcncc, lie would scud him away by force of sword. The bislio]), blsi oTf c't'i^r "*^t ^^^^ ^^ make his ])arty good, or not daring to resist, thought ii:iy- best to fall to some composition with the earl, and so did. In that composition, he was contented, against his will, by mediation of divers l)ishoj)s and others, to make surrender, not only of the castle of Lincoln, but also of Nottingham, Tickhill, Wallingford, and many more places, which were then committed to the custody of sundry men of worship and honour. And thus was that controversy settled, wherein the bishop of "Ely began to be cut a little shorter. Another It foUowcd then not long after, in the same year, that another like t\™en the l^^ishiess bcgau to kindle between Geffrey, the archbishop of York, chancel- tlic king"'s brothcr, and the aforesaid glorious bishop of Ely upon this GetTrey, occasiou. Yo heard before how the king, at his setting out, left bishop order that Earl John and Geffrey, his brethren, should not enter of York, iiito the realm for the space of three years after his departure (liow- beit his brother John was shortly after released of that bond), and also after that, how King Richard, being at ^lessina, sent his mother Elenor to the pope for his brother Geffrey (elected before to the see of York) to be consecrated archbishop. Whereupon the said Geffrey being consecrated through license of Pope Celestinc by the archbishop of Tours ; the said Geffrey, immediately upon his conse- cration, lost no time, but would needs come into England. Of this the bishop of Ely having intelligence, sent him word, being at •AVissland in Flanders, not to presume to adventure into the realm, contrary to his oath before made to King Richard ; commanding, moreover, that if he came, he should be apprehended. All wliich notwithstanding, the archbishop letted not for all that, but needs would repair to his sec, and so arrived at Dover in the month of Se])tembor, where the chancellor's men stood on the sea-side to apprehend him ; but he, by changing his apparel, and by the swift- ness of his horse, escaped their hands, and came to the monks' house of Dover; but the chancellor's men, whom he sent to take him, beset the church of the monks round about, so that in nowise he could avoid their hands. The cruel To make the story short : as the archbishop, on a day wlien he had of Gcf-"''' said mass, was standing at the altar, with his garments yet about him, [Ii^8ho''po*f' ^•''^ "'f^c soldiers having little good manners, and less devotion, spared ti.c'hi'sho '^°*' ^'^^'^'y ^'^ ^^^^^ "i'-^ ^^^^ church, and there laid hands upon the arch- er Ely. _ bishop as he stood ; took him, bound him, and dragged him tlirough leRa^er'' ^^^^ ^^^^^ "i'>"c (and, as we use to say, througli thick and thin), and so coin- and Chan- jnittedhiui to Matthew Ic Clcrc.tlie constable of Dover castlctobckent;
ccllor of 1 1 T I ^ I '
England, whcrcat tlic pcoplc greatly disdained, seeing that he was a king's son,
niE BISHOP OF Ely's shameful fall, 813
and the brother of a king, who was so treated. The news whereof, Richardi. when it came to the cars of Earl John, his brother, he being not a ~a~D~ iittle offended therewith, sent to know of the chanccnor, whether this 1191. was his doing or not. To whom when tlie chancellor sent answer again, and stoutly confessed the fact to be his, the earl sent com- mandinent that his brother should be delivered up, and so he was ; Geffrey who, then coming to London, made his complaint to the carl, his out o^'''' brother, and to other nobles of the realm, of the injuries done to him ?"«»"• by the chancellor. On this the earl sent for the aforesaid chancellor, and appointed a day peremptory for him to appear before the whole body of the council, to make answer to such injuries as he had done, both to the archbishop of York, and also to the bishop of Durham above mentioned ; but the chancellor, driving off the time with delays, would neither come nor send. Then the earl, with the bishops about him, made their journey towards London, to have the matter there handled in a gi-eat audience.
The chancellor, seeing that, withdrew himself from Windsor to the a skir- city of London, where by the way it happened, that the servants of {^'e|.',^f,;c the earl and of the chancellor meeting, did skirmish together ; in ^^^^^"'^ which fray one of the earPs family Avas slain, but yet his men had the Wsiiop better ; and the chancellor with his men were put to flight, and so "nd those fled to the Tower, where they did hide themselves. The next day, j^jf,^''^ Avhich was about the twelfth day of October, Earl John, the king's brother, and the archbishop of Rouen, with all the bishops, earls, and barons, and citizens of London, assembled together in Paul's church, Avhere many and great accusations were laid against the said chan- cellor ; so that in fine it was agreed in that assembly, that the said Nobles chancellor should be deposed, and in his place was substituted the bkd'hi archbishop of Rouen, accordin"- to the tenor of the kinsf's letters sent co"p from Messina; Avhich Avas, that certain other persons should be asso- thebisiiop ciated Avith the chancellor for the government of the realm, by Avhose °q-^^{^„'., counsel, if he Avould not be directed, the archbishop of Rouen should of Ely be set in his place, and he should be deposed. The third day after re^ign^eih this, the chancellor firmly promised not to depart out of the realm, \ll^^_^'^' before he had delivered out of his hands all such castles, the keeping whereof he committed to certain foreigners and strangers ; and, for assurance thereof, he gave his tAvo brethren and his chamberlain for pledges, and so Avent to Canterbury, Avliere, he said, he Avould take the cross of a pilgrim, and leave the cross of his legateship.
NoAv when he was come to the castle of Dover, and there had remained a fcAv days, contrary to his promise made, his purpose was to take ship, and to pass over the seas. And because he durst not ciotheth do it openly, he devised a ncAv kind of disguising, decking himself in ^™^an's" the apparel of a woman ; and so, gouty as he Avas, he Avcnt to the apparei. sea- side in his Avoman's Aveeds, having in his hand a measuring yard, and on his arm a piece of linen cloth. And thus, as he Avas sitting a fisher- upon a rock, AA'aiting for his ship to come and convey him over, a ™keth certain fisherman espying him, and supposing him to be a harlot, ^^'^^g''^'""' came to him, and found him to be, as he Avas indeed, a man, in woman, likeness of a Avoman ; Avhereat he Avondercd and began to make an f outcry upon him. But the bishop's servants, being not far off, came runninc:, and stilled him as avcU as tliev could.
314 THK RisHor ok ki.y's narrow escape.
Riehardi. Tlic fisluriuan tlion going to the next village, and there belike,
^ j^ declaring what he had seen, to try out the matter lurther, came out
1191. certain women; who, seeing the linen cloth hanging on his arm,
begim to ([uestion with him of the price of his cloth, and what he
would take for it ; but to this he would answer never a word, but
smiled upon them. AV^hereat they musing with themselves, and
whis|)ering one with another, at last with their hands were so bold as
n.iiuam'ii to pluck down his umtller, and there his lialaam's mark, or shaven
"'"'^'^' crown, appeared on his head ; and so, witli a loud exclamation, raised
the village upon him, and would have fallen upon him with stones.
The Then came running a great multitude both of men and women ;
ha1t'"d by who, wondering at him, as birds are wont at an owl, laid hands upon
tiie"sea ^' '''"^' '^^^ pluckcd him down to the ground, hauling and tlrawing him
side. by the sleeves and collar of his gown through stones and rocks,
whereby he was shrewdly hurt. His servants once or twice made
out to rescue their old master, or new mistress, but could not for the
Cast into prcss of the people ; who, beating him with their fists, and spitting
ceHar' '"^^ ^"""i ^^^^'' ^'^"^ througli thc wliolc town, and so, with shame enough
Set at at length laid him in a dark cellar instead of a prison, of whom all
joiin ca^rii the couutry about wondered and cried out. In conclusion. Earl
of Mor- John, hearing thereof, within eight days after sent word, that they
should deliver him and let him go.
The bishop then, set at liberty, sailed over as he could to Flanders, where he had but cold welcoming ; from thence he went to Paris, where he gave Maurice, their bishop, threescore marks of silver to be received into the city with procession, and so he was. Then returned he into Normandy, but the archbishop of Rouen there gave com- mandment that the church doors should be locked, and no service Com- said so long as he there remained. The bishop, seeing that, directed uj^the" his letters and messengers to Pope Celestine, and also to King tilepope' Richard into Syria, signifying to them how John, earl of Morton, and his accomplices, had handled him, and expelled him out of the realm ; requiring that he might be restored again to what was taken from him, and also olfering himself to be tried by the law for what he had done ; so that if the king should dislike in any thing what he had done, he was ready to satisfy the king's eontcntation in all things wherein justly he could be charged. Letter Upon tlus, Pope Celestine, inflamed with an apostolical zeal in
ceiesfi^e behalf of the said bishop of Ely, his legate, wrote a sharp and thun- otthe*"- bishop commanding them, by his authority apostolical, that, forasnmch as the injuries, done to his legate, did redound to the contumely of the wh(ile mother church of Rome, they should not foil therefore, but with severe censures of thc church, that is, with book, bell, and candle, proceed as well against the said John, earl of Morton, as also against all others, whosoever had, or should attempt any violence or injury against the said his legate, the bishop of Ely, with no less severity than if the said injurv should be offered to the person of thc Tho popr himself, or any other of his brethren, thc cardinals, bishop 'Y\^. bishop of Ely, the pope''s legate, bearing himself bold upon
upon the the favour aiul letters of the pope, who took his part, writeth to Henry, i.ivour. bishop of Lincoln, charging and requiring, that he, in virtue of
TROUBLES IN ENGLAND. 815
obedience, should execute the pope's sentence and mandate in ex- Richardi. communicating all such as were offenders in that behalf, and there ^d reciteth the names of divers, against Avhom he should proceed, as the 1192. archbishop of Rouen, the bishop of Winchester, William Marshal, '^y Geoffrey Fitz-Piers. Briwere and Bardolf, the earl of Salisbury, the ^i"? stood earl of Mellent, Gilbert Basset, John, archdeacon of Oxford, and thebishop especially Hugh, bishop of Coventry ; also Master Benet, and Stephen appointed Ridle, chancellor to Earl John, the king's brother ; to the which earl eommuni- he reserved a further day of respite before he should be exconimuni- cated. cate, with a number of other more beside these ; howbeit the said bishop of Ely could find none to execute this commandment of the pope. Then they, with a general consent, wrote again to King Richard, complaining of the intolerable abuses of the said bishop, his chancellor. In like sort the said chancellor also,, complaining of The them, wrote his letters to the king, signifying how Earl John, his Eiy'°om- brother, went about to usurp his kingdom, and would also shortly set piaii't^'h
1 1 ■ 111111 11 of the earl
the crown upon his own liead, unless he made the more speed home- ofMorton, ward. The king then was busy in repulsing Saladin, and was pre- ther/"" paring to lay siege against Jerusalem, and had got Ascalon, with divers other towns, from the Saracens, which was in the year a.d. 1192, having divers conflicts in the mean time with Saladin, and ever put him to the worse. As the king was thus preparing to lay his siege against Jerusalem, Saladin, glad to fall to some composition with the king, sent unto him, that if he would reduce Ascalon to the same dismantled state in which it was when he took it,^ he would grant to him, and to all Christians in the land of Jerusalem, truce for three years, and offered himself thereunto to be sworn. The king, seeing the duke of Burgundy and the Frenchmen to shrink from him, and his own men to decay, and also his money and health to diminish ; but especially for that he understood by the bishop of Ely, his chancellor, that the French king intended to set up John, his brother, to possess his kingdom ; being counselled thereto by the Templars, took the truce offered of the Saracens, and so began to draw homeward.
In this mean while, much grudge and strife increased more and more strife be- between the bishop of Ely and the archbishop of Rouen above speci- b7s"op^f^ fied, insomuch that the archbishop, being excommunicate, sent up his f^l^^^_ clerks to Pope Celestine to complain of the bishop ; but the pope ever bishop of stood in his purgation. At last he sent two of his cardinals, to wit, Octavian, bishop of Ostia, and Jordan de Fossa Nova,^ to break the strife between the bishop of Ely and the archbishop of Rouen.
After this King Richard being taken, and in the custody of Henry the emperor, the bishop of Ely, resorting to him, was sent by him into England to Elenor, his mother, and other nobles ; who then return- ing into England again, not as chancellor, nor as legate, as he said, but as a simple plain bishop, so by that means was received.^
But of this vain-glorious prelate enough and too much. Now to return again to Richard, concerning whose Avorthy acts done abroad in getting of Cyprus, and Ptolemais or Acre, and in pacifying Joppa, &c. is partly spoken of before. Many other valiant and famous acts what dis- were by him and the French king achieved, and more would have been, '^"'^'^ •'''"*• had not those two kings, falling into discord, dissevered themselves ;
(1) See supra, p. 309, and Appendix. — En.
(2) A Cistercian monastery in Latium, where Thomas Aquinas died. Ilofiman. — Ed.
(3) Ex Matth. Paris. ; et ex aliis inccrti tjominis manuscriptis codicibus.
olG niCHAUI) TAKKS BY THK DL'KE OF AUSTUIA,
Hichartii. by reason whereof Pliilip, the Frcncli king, returned home aifiiiu . Pj within short space ; wlio, being returned again, eftsoons invaded the 1192! country of Normandy, exciting also John, the brother of King Philip — Hichard, to take on liim the kingdom of England, in his brother's murncth absence. ^Vllo then made league upon the same with the French icstTne* king, and did homage unto him, which was about the fourth year of A.i).ii92. Kino- Richard; who, then being in Syria, and hearing thereof, made Kini; peace with the Turks for three years. And not long after, King JemriR^h Hichard, in October next fullowing,i returned also : who, in his return, from I'a- (]rivcn bv stress of weather about the parts of Istria, in a tosvn called Synaca, was there taken by Leopold, duke of the same country, and so sold to the emperor for sixty thousand marks ; who, for no small joy thereof, writeth to Pliilip, the French king, the letter inserted below. '•* King Richard, thus being traitorously taken and sold to the empe- r(jr by the duke of Austria, was there kept in custody a year and three months.^ In some stories it is affirmed, th;'t King Richard, returning out of Asia, came to Italy with a prosperous wind, where he desired of the pope to be absolved from an oath made against his \yill, and could not obtain it ; and so setting out from thence towards Eng- land, passing by the country of Conrad the marquis, whose death (lie being slain a little before) was falsely imputed by the French king to the king of England, was there traitorously taken, as is before said, by Leopold, duke of Austria. Albeit, in another story, I find the matter more credibly set forth, which saith thus : that King Richard slew the brother of this Leopold, playing with him at chess in the
(1) Diceto, Hoveden, and William of Newbury date his embarkation at Acre, Oct. 9tli, and his capture Dec. 20th. See date in next note.— Ed.
(2J The Letter of the Entpentr, to Philip the French King, concerning the taking nf King Hichard — " Henricus, Dei pratia llomanorum imperator, et semper Augustus, dilecto et spcciali aniico suo Pliilippo, iliustri Francorum Kefri, salutem, et sinccr;e dilectionis affectum. Quoniam Imperatoria cel.situdo non dubitat regalem magnificcntiam tuam Uctiorem eflici, de universis, quibus omni- 7H)tciitiaCrcatoris nostri nos ipsos et Roinanum iniperium honoraverit et exaltaverit, nobilitati tuae tcnore pra'scntium dedarare duximus, quod inimicus imperii nostri, et turbator regni tui, rex Anplia?, quum esset in transeundo mare ad partes suas reversurus, accidit ut ventus, nipta navi sua in qua ipse erat, induceret eum in partes Histriae, ad locum qui est inter Aquileiam et Venetias ; ubi rex, Dei pennissione, passus naufragium, cum paucis evasit. Ouidam itaque fidelis noster comes Mainardus de Gortzc, et populus regionis illius, audito quod in terra erat, et con- siderato diligentius qualem nonunatus re.x in terra promissionis proditionem et traditionem, et perditionis sua' cumuluni exercuerat, insecuti sunt, intendentes eum captivare: ipso autem rege in fugam converse, ceperunt de suis octo milites. Postmodum proccssit rex ad Durgum in archiepis- copatu Salscburgensi, qui vocatur Frisorum, ubi Fredericus dc Belcsow, rcge cum tribus tantum versus Austriam properante, noctu sex milites de suis cepit. Dilectus autem consanguineus noster Leopoldus, dux Austrise, observata strata, sa-pc dictum regem juxta Wenam in villa viciniori in donio despecta captivavit. Cum itaque in nostra nunc habcatur potestatc, et ipse semper tibi raolestalionis et turbationis operam praestiterit, ea quae praemisimus nobilitati tuse insinuare curavimus, scientes ea dilectioni tuse beneplacita existere, et anirao tuo uberrimam imporlare laetitiam. Datum apud Ritheounten, 5. Calendas. Januar.'' [Hoveden. — Ed.]
(3) Thus ended the third Oriental Crusade, a.d. \1'J2. But as, after a fruitlessly victorious career, the adverse events which accompanied one of the bravest men whom the w orld has produced, cannot fail to interest the reader, a few words which our history seems to require are added, respecting the dangers which subsequently befel King Richard. Having arrived at a town, which was priibably Gorctz, he narrowly escaped detection, in consequence of a generous offer of a splendid ruby which he made to the chieftain of the province ; av. are of the suspicions which he excited, and the solicitous inquiries which were made respecting him. Richard thought it prudent to retire in the night. Still new dangers awaited him; he travelled forward in company with a knight, and a lad, who understood German, and after three days arrived at Audberg, on the Danube, near Vienna. Here, soJDurning in a retires! cottage, his lad inadvertently went to market with his prince'* gloves in his girdle; the sight of these, and the unsatisfactory answers of the lad, induced the local authorities to examine him by torture; in the extremity of his agony, and under the threat of rejieafed sufferings, he disclosed the name of his royal master. The result may be anticipated : the duke of Austria, who unfortunately was in that neighbourhood, immediately surrounded the cottage, and Richard surrendered himsiclf to the duke in person. He was sold to the Emperor of Germany, as some say, for sixiy thousand pounds of silver, and England paid the price of the ransom of her brave monarch. The re.idcr doubtless remembers the romantic tale of the minstrel commencing a favourite ballad, and the king completing the stanza, which eventually betrayed the place of liis confinement. Mr. Sharon Turner, to whom the Editor is indebted for the substance of the above remarks, refers to an interesting and detailed account of the captivity of Richard, in the '• MS. Chronicle of Johannes de Oxcnedes, monachus St. Benedict! de llulm'o, in the Cotton Library." — Ed.
AND IS RANSOMED I?Y THE ENGLISH. 317
French king's court ; and that Leopold, taking his advantage, was Richardi. the more cruel against him, and delivered him, as is said, to the em- » r\ peror: in whose custody he was detained during the time above 1194! mentioned, namely, a year and three months. During the which ^onfede- time of the king"'s indurance, the French kinjj in the mean season racyoftiie
• . — . French
stu-red war in Normandy, and Earl John, the king's brother, made king and stir and invaded England ; but the barons and bishops of the land f^fahilt''" mightily withstood liini, and besieged him in the castle of Windsor, {[j",^^^^ where they took from him all the castles and munitions which before he had got. Thus the earl, seeing no hope to prevail in England, and suspecting the deliverance of the king, his brother, made into France, and kept with the French king. At length it was so agreed and concluded with the emperor, that King Richard should be released for a hundred thousand pounds, of the which money part should remain to the duke of Austria, the rest should be the emperor's.' The sum of this money was here slathered and made in England of chalices, crosses, shrines, candlesticks, and other church plate ; also with public contribution of friaries, abbeys, and other subjects of the realm. Whereof part was presently paid, and, for the residue remaining, hostages and pledges were taken ; which was about the fifth year of his reign. And then it was obtained of the pope, that priests might A.D.1104. celebrate with chalices of latin and tin (and so it was granted and continued long after, which mine author, in his chronicle entitled ' Eulogium,'^ doth testify himself to have seen), at what time this aforesaid money was paid, and the hostages were given, for the ransom of the king. I have an old story that saith how the aforesaid duke The just of Austria, shortly after, was plagued by God with five sundry plagues : men't of first, with burning of his chief towns; secondly, with the drowning of [||°'^j,"j!°" ten thousand of his men in a great flood, happening no man could ofAustria. tell how ; thirdly, by turning all the ears of his corn fields into worms ; fourthly, by taking away almost all the nobles of his l^and by death ; fifthly, by breaking his own leg by falling from his horse, which leg he was compelled to cut off with his own hands, and after died upon the same ; who is said at his death to have forgiven King Richard fifty thousand marks, and to have sent home the hostages that were with him.* The book entitled ' Eulogium,' before mentioned, declareth thus ; that the said Leopold, duke of Austria, fell into displeasure with the bishopof Rome, and died excommunicate the year after, a.d. 1195. A.D.ngs.
Thus the said King Richard being ransomed, as hath been declared, from the covetous captivity of the emperor, was restored again, and made his repair to England ; at whose return Earl John, his brother, Feb. 20th, resorting unto him with humble submission, desired to be pardoned -^-^-'i^*- his transgressions. To whom King Richard answered again, " Would The an- God," saith he, " this your trespass, as it dieth with me in oblivion, so ^ng°^ it may remain Avith you in remembrance !'"' and so gently forgave him. K-'chard And after he had again recovered his holds and castles, he caused brother, himself to be crowned again ; which done, he made his power against Api. i?th, the French king, and drove him out of Normandy. After that he a-d.H94. turned his voyage against the Welshmen, and subdued them.
The next year following,^ which was a.d. 1197, Philip, the French
(1) Eulogium, MSS. Cott. Galba E vii. 23 i. "Latin," i.e. retain, pewter. See Appendix. — Ed.
(2) Ex variis chron.
(3) That is, the year following the signing of the peace between Richard and the French king, wliich took place Jan. 15th, 1196. L'Art de Ver. des Dates.— Ed.
318 uichaud's vicks w ittit.y uepkovki>.
Richardi. kin
^ J) upon the king was compelled to sail over again to Normandy, to witli-
1 197. Stand the malice of his enemy. About which time my story' recordeth
of one, called Fulco ; some record it of the archbishop of Rouen, called
Walter. This Fulco being then in England, and coming to the
king's presence, said unto him with great courage and boldness,
Three " TJiou liast, O mighty king ! three daughters, very vicious and of
of the evil disposition ; lake good heed of tliem, and betimes provide for
Imfd. them good husbands ; lest, by imtimely bestowing of the same, thou
slialt not only incur great hurt and damage, but also utter ruin and
destruction to thyself."" To whom the king, in a rage, said, " Thou
lying and mocking hypocrite, thou knowest not where thou art, or
what thou saycst : I think thou art mad, or not well in thy wits ; for
I have never a daughter, as ail the world knoweth ; and, therefore, thou
open liar, get thee out of our presence." To whom Fulco answered,
" No, and like your grace, 1 lie not, but say truth ; for you have
three daughters, who continually frequent your court, and wholly
I possess your person, and such three naughty packs, as never the like
hath been heard of; I mean, mischievous Pride, greedy Covetousness,
and filthy Luxury; and, therefore, again I say, O king! beware of
them, and out of hand provide marriages for them, lest in not so
doing, thou utterly undo both thyself and the whole realm."
These words of Fulco the king took in good part, with correction of himself, and confession of the same; whereupon incontinently he called his lords and barons before him, unto whom he declared the communing and motion of Fulco, who had willed him to beware of liis three daiigliters — Pride, Avarice, and Luxury, with counsel out of hand to marry them, lest further discommodity should ensue both to him and to the whole realm : " whose good counsel, my lords, I intend to follow, not doubting of all your consents thereunto. Wherefore, here before you all, I give my daughter, swelling Pride, to wife unto the proud Templars ; my greedy daughter. Avarice, to the covetous order of the Cistercian monks ; and, last of all, my filtliv daughter, Luxury, to the riotous prelates of the church, whom I think to be very meet men for her ; and so severally well agreeing to all their natures, that the like matches in this our realm are not to be found for them." And thus much concerning Fulco.
Not long after this, it befel that a certain noble personage, lord of Limoges, in Aquitaine, Ademar by name, found a great sub- stance of treasure, both of gold and silver, hid in the ground, whereof a great part he sent to King Richard, as chief lord and prince over He that the whole country; which the king refused, saying, He would have have"'^'' *^^ ^'' none, for that he was the principal chieftain over the land, shall all But tlic fiudcr would uot condcsccnd to that; Avherefore the king laid siege to a castle of his, called Chaluz, thinking the treasure to lie there. But the keepers and warders of the castle, seeing them- selves not sufficient to withstand the king, offered to him the castle, desiring to depart with life and armour. To this the king would in no wise grant, but bade them to re-enter the castle again, and to defend Mar.2r.th. it in all the forcible wise they could. It so befel, that as the king, with
A D 1 190 * .
' thecaptain of the Brabantcis,'^ went about the castle, viewing the places
(1) See Ilovcdon, I'olychronicon, Brompton, Knyghton, S-'c. : also Appendix. — En.
(2) See Appendix.
BEATH OF HICHARl) ViT.VR I)E LION. 319
thereof, a soldier witliin, named Bertrand Gordoun, struck tlic king John. with an arrow in the arm ; whereupon, the iron remaining and fester- a. D. ing in the wound, the king, Avithin nine days after, died ; who, because 1199. he was not content with the 'half of the treasure that another man covetous found, lost all his own treasure that he had. The king, being thus e^^^^''"- wounded, caused the man that stmck him to be brought unto him, plagued. and asked him the cause Avliy he so wounded him ? The man an- D^atii of swered, as the story saith, ' that he thought to kill rather than to ^j'^'^^^j^jf^'" be killed ; and what punishment soever he should sustain, he was content, so that he might kill him who had, before, killed his father and brethren.'' The king, on hearing his words, freely forgave him, Richard and caused a hundred shillings to be given him ; albeit, as the story him that addeth, after the death of the king the Brabant captain, after great J'^uy"""'" torments, caused him to be hanged.^ The story of Gisburn saith, ^/J^"^"'^^'^ that the killer of King Richard, coming to the French king, thinking to have a great reward, was commanded to be drawn asunder by horses, and his quarters to be hanged up.~
Another story affii-meth, and Gisburn partly doth testify the same, that a little before the death of King Richard, three abbots, of the Cistercian order, came to him, to whom he was confessed : and when he saw them somewhat stay at his absolution, he spake these words : — 'That he did willingly commit his body to the earth, to be eaten of vainfear worms, and his soul to the fire of purgatory, there to be tormented till tory"'^^'' the judgment, in the hope of God's mercy.''
About the reign of this king, Jornalensis maketh mention of Roger, archbishop of York, who put out of his church the monks, and placed for them secular priests ; saying, ' That he would rather Monks wish ecclesiastical benefices to be given to wanton priests, than to and sec'u- abominable monks ; and that Thurstin did sin never worse in all his [Z^-'^^^ life, than in building that house for monks.' Another story I have, which saith, that this was not the bishop of York, but of Coventry.
The king, not long after, departing without issue, John, his brother, reigned after him ; in whom, although some vices may worthily be reprehended, especially his incontinent and too licentious life, yet was he far from deserving "that, for the which he hath been so ill reported of divers writers, who, being led more with affection to popery, than with true judgment and due consideration, depraved his doings more than the sincere truth of the history will bear. Concerning his his- tory, after so many miters, we thought also to bestow a little labour ; although in this matter we cannot be so long as Ave would, and as the matter requireth.
JOHN.*
After the death of King Richard, called Cceur de Lion, reigned A.D. his brother, John, Earl of Morton. Afterwards, the archbishop put ll->^- the crown on his head, and sware him to defend the church and to
(1) Ex Historia Regris Richardi Secundi, cui initium, " De patre istius Bruti," &c. Ex Biblio- theca Cariensi.
(2) Ex Gualtero Hemingford, monacho Gisburn.
(3) Ex Jomalens. Gisburn. et aliis.
(4) Edition 1563, p. 71. Ed. 1583, p. 249. Ed. 159C, p. 22G. Ed. Ifi84, vol. i. .p. 2R1. -Fd
S20 TIIF. FRENCH KINT. DRIVEN OUT OF NORMANDY.
■^'"''"- maintain tlic same in licr good laws, and to destroy the evil ; and
A.I). I'Xt'i'pt. lie tIlon;,dit in his mind to do this, the are]d)isli()j) eliarged
1199. him not to presnme to take on him thi.^ dignity. On !St. John J5ap-
tist''s day next following. King John sailed into Normandy and came
to lloucn, where he was royally received, and truce concluded between
him and the French king for a time. And thither came to him the
earl of Flanders, and all the other lords of France that were of King
Richard's band and friendsliip, and were sworn unto him.
Arthur of_ Not long after this, Philip, the French king, made Arthur knight,
HretaKiK". ,^j^j ^^^^^^, j.j^ liomagc for ^s^orniandy, Brctagne, and all other his
possessions beyond the sea, and promised him lielp against King
John. After this. King John and the Frcncli king talked together
■with tlieir lords about one hour''s space ; and the French king asked
so much land for himself and Knight Arthur, that King John would
grant him none ; and so he dej)artcd in ■wrath.
The same year a legate came into France, and commanded the king, on pain of interdiction, to deliver one Peter out of prison, who was elected to a bishopric ; and thereupon he was delivered.
After that the legate came into England, and commanded King John, under pain of interdiction, to deliver the archbishop whom he had kept as prisoner two years ; which the king refused to do, till he had paid him six thousand marks, because he took him in harness in a field against him, and swore him, upon his deliverance, that he should never wear harness against any christian man.
At this time divorce was made between King John and his wife, daughter of the carl of Gloucester, because they ■were in the third Marriage dcgiTc of kiudrcd ; and afterwards, by the counsel of the French thini (le- king. King John wedded Isabella, daughter of the carl of Angouleme; bldde^nViy ^^^ tlicn Arthur of Bretagne did homage to King John, for Bretagne the pope, and others.
A.D.1200. At this time arose strife between King John, and Geffi-ey the archbishop of York, for divers causes : first, because he would not suffer and permit the sheriff of York, in such affairs as he had to do for the king Avithin his diocese. Secondly, because he did also excommunicate the said sheriff. Thirdly, because he would not sail with him into Normandy, to make the man-iage between Louis, the French king''s son, and his niece, &c. A.D.1202. After this, a.d. 1202,' Philip, the French king, in a communi- cation between King John and him, required that the said King John should part with all his lands in Normandy and Poictou which he had beyond the sea, unto Arthur, his nephew, and that incon- tinent, or else he would war against him ; and so he did. For when King John denied that request, the next day following, the French king, with the said Arthur, set upon certain of his towns and castles Frt^nch ^^ Normandy, and put him to much disquietncss.- But he (the kiiiK Lord so providing, who is the giver of all victory) had such repulse firivenout ^^ ^j^^ Englishmen's hands, that they pursuing the Frenchmen in Arthw ^''^"^' ^^^^^ ""^ ^^h' ^^' taken. othcrs of tlic Frenchmen, but also gave such an overthrow to the
(1) In A.D. 1202, the fourth Oriental Crusade set out from Venice, and Constantinople war. taXin by the French and Venetians. — Er.
(2) Nat. Parctti in Vita Johanni» Regis.
MYSTEIUOUS END OF rillNCK AUTllUR. 321
rest, that none was left to bear tidings home. This Artliur was •'''■'"'• nephew to King John, and son to Geffrey, who was the elder brother to "aTdT John ; for King Henry II. (to make the matter more evident) had I2(i5. eight children : one was William, who died in his childliood ; the second, Henry, who died also. Iiis father being yet alive ; the third, .Richard Coeur de Lion, king ; the fourth, Geffrey, earl of Bretagne, who likewise deceased in his father's days, leaving behind him two children, Arthur and Brecca ; the fifth, John, now reigning ; and tliree other daughters besides. The same Arthur, being thus taken in war, was brought before the king, at the castle of Falaise, in Normandy ; who, being exhorted with many gentle words to leave the French king, and to incline to his uncle, answered again stoutly, and with great indignation ; requiring the kingdom of England, -with all the other dominions thereto belonging, to be restored to him, as to the lawful heir of the crown. By reason whereof, he, provoking the king's displeasure against him, was sent to the tower of Rouen, Myste- where at length (whether by leaping into the ditch, thinking to make "f'prince his escape, or whether by some privy hand, or by what chance else, Arthur, it is not yet agreed upon in stories) he finished his life ; by occasion whereof, the aforesaid King John was had, after, in great suspicion, whether justly or unjustly, the Lord knoweth.
The year following, historiographers write, that King John, for ^.d 1203 hick of rescue, lost all his holds and possessions in Normandy, through the force of the French king. After these losses came dy°iosr" other troubles upon him, with other as great or greater enemies andgot- (that is, with the pope and his popelings), by occasion of choosing French, of the archbishop of Canterbury ; as in this liistory following, by Christ's grace, is to be declared.
In the year of our Lord 1205, about the month of July, Hubert, A.D.i2n5. the archbishop of Canterbury, deceased ; whose decease, after it was striving known in Canterbury to the monks, and before his body was yet "lection committed to the earth, the younger sort of the monks tlicre gathered ll^^l^ themselves together at midnight, and elected their superior, Reginald, ^»^^"v "f and, without the king's license, or yet knowledge, privily placed b^y. him in the metropolitan seat, singing ' Te Deum' at midnight. And because the king should not make their election void, they charged him, by virtue of his oath, to keep all secret by the way, and to show nothing that was done before he came to the pope ; but he, contrary to his oath, as soon as he came into Flanders, opened all abroad the matter, and uttered their counsel : whereupon the monks, being not a little grieved with him, sent him privily unto the court of Rome, out of hand. The next day, the elder monks sent to the king, desiring him, of his gracious license, canonically to choose their archbishop. The king most gently and favourably granted their petition, requiring them instantly, and desiring them for his sake, to show favour to John Gray, then bishop of Norwich ; as they did indeed, erecting him into that seat of their high primacy. Moreover, because the authority of kings and princes was then but small in their own dominion, without the pope's consent and confirmation to the same, he sent also to Rome, of his own charges, to have the aforesaid election ratified by the pope. The suffragans of Canter- bury then, being not a little offended at these two elections, sent
VOL. II. Y
322 BRAWLING MATTERS OF THE MONKS AT CAKTERiiUKY.
John, speedily to Rome to have them both stopped, because they had not \D been of counsel with them ; and licreujjon at last grew a most li'O,"). prodii^ious tumult.
*'ln this year the clergy grew so unruly, that they neglected tlieir charge, and thereby incensed the king's displeasure so sorely against them, that he took order about the goods of such as in that case were faulty ; as shall appear more manifestly by that which followeth.
A Letter of King John, touching the Lands and Goods of such Clerks as refuse to celebrate Divine Service.^
The king to all clerks and lay people within the bishopric of Lincoln, greeting : Know ye that from Monday next before the feast of Easter,* we have committed to William of Cornhill, archdeacon of Huntingdon, and to Joselin of Canvil, all the lajids and goods of the abbots and priors, and of all the religious persons ; and also of all clerks within the bishopric of Lincoln, which will not from that time celebrate divine service. And we command you, that from thence you assist them as our bailiffs ; and believe them in those things which they shall tell you privately on our behalf. Witness oui-self at A.D.120S. Clarendon, the eighteenth day of March, in the ninth year of our reign.
Prelates The like "was written to all within the bishopric of Ely. So that "hu!ch liereby we see the dissoluteness and wilfulness of those popish church- iiad then men, whom conscience of discharging their duty did so little move, "nouKh.itas that they thought upon nothing less, till the king was driven to tiiat"they usc such austcrity and sharpness against them. But to proceed in j;"^''' . this troublesome election : you shall understand,* that the next year at Koine after, the suffragans of the province of Canterbury on the one side, t'heiT' and the monks of Canterbury on the other side, came before the lvh?ch' V^V^ ^ith their brawling matter. First the monks, presenting thing Reginald, their superior, desired that their election might be con- ihe^* firmed. The suffragans likewise complained that the monks would Vt^T^ presume to choose the archbishop without their consent, and there- wards to fore desired, by divers reasons, the first election to be of none effect. Inean's to The popc, deciding the matter between both, pronounced with the short.'*'" monks ; charging the suffragans and bishops to meddle no more with A D.I207. that election, but to let the monks alone. The monks of Canter-^ Dissen- bury, now having the whole election in their own hands, fell also at inonR the squarc among themselves, the younger sort with the elder. The Canter-"^ youugcr sort, who had chosen Reginald their superior, would have abo^tthe ^^'^^ election to stand. The elder sort of the monks replied again, election of saying, that the first election was done by stealth, and by night, and bi'shoi)! ' by the younger part ; also without the counsel of other monks. Over and besides, it was done without the king's license or appoint- ment, and without the due solemnity thereunto belonging.
And as concerning our election, said they, it was done in the clear light of the day, by which it had authority in presence of our liege lord the king, and his council being willing to the same.
This allegation thus proponed, the suffragans' proctor or man of law stood forth, and proved the former election to be good, and this latter to be void and of no value, after this sort. " Whether the
(1) This passage is not found in the Edition of 1583, but appears in that of 1596. — Ed.
(2) " Rex omnibus de cpiscopatu Lincolniae clericis et laicis, salutem. Sciatis quod a die lunie froxime ante Floridum paschatis rommisimus," &c. — Turris Lnnd.
(3) Some think that 'Floridum paschatis' is Palm Sunday; but Easter is rather thought to be meant thereby, sith the Spaniards, at this day, call the same Florida.
LANGTON MADE AKCHBISHOP OF CANTEKBURY. 323
first election," saith he, " were just or unjust, ye ought first by tlie John. law to have condemned it before ye sliould have presumed to the . ,. second; but thus ye did not : therefore is this your latter doing no 1207! election at all, and the first therefore is rather to be ratified than yours." When they had tluis multiplied talk on both sides, with many frivolous allegations a long time, and could not agree upon one person. Pope Innocent condemned both their elections, commanding them to choose Stephen Langton, then cardinal of St. Chrysogon, for their archbishop. The monks then answered, that they durst not so do without consent of their king, and for that it was prejudicial to their ancient liberties. The pope by and by (saith the text), as one in a fury, taking the words out of their mouths, said thus unto them: xhepriae " We will ye to know, that we have full power and authority r^nny Or over the church of Canterbury ; neither are we wont to tany the "'^ i*"!"^- consent of princes, therefore we command you, on pain of ovu- gi-eat curse, that ye choose him only whom we have appointed."
The monks, at these words abashed and terrified, though they much murmured in their hearts, yet consented they all in one, and thereupon sang Te Deum ; only Dr. Elias Brantfield withdrew himself from that election, whom the king had sent for the admission of the bishop of Norwich.
Thus was Stephen Langton, in the high church of Viterbo, by Stephen the pope's hand made archbishop of Canterbury. made"""
*'This election thus passed with the pope's grace and favour, ^[^^'^ ^^ the said Stephen had in England, among others that solicited his canter- cause to the king, a brother named Master Simon Langton, who ^^^' also in course of time became archbishop of York, as appeareth in the course of this story, in the reign of Henry IIL a.d. 1228. In this behalf the king seemed tractable, so he might have his sovereignty entire ; against which, because the said Stephen had vowed to oppose himself, and the king misliked such demeanour, he sent abroad his letters certificatory about the realm ; therein giving intimation to all people of proud Stephen Langton's countenance. The form of the said letters followeth.
Letters certificatory of King John, touching the contumacy of Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbur}-, by the Pope's Election.^
The king to all men, &c. Know ye that Master Simon Langton came to us at Winchester, on the Wednesday next before Mid-lent, and, in presence of our bishops, besouglit us that we would receive his brother, Master Stephen Langton, to be archbishop of Canterbury. And when we spake imto him touching the resen'ation and saving of our dignity unto us, he told us that he would do no such thing for us, unless we would wholly rely ourselves uj)on his courtesy and gentleness. This therefore we command, that you know evil and wrong to be done imto lis in this behalf: and we charge you, that you believe those things which Reginald of Cornhill shall tell you on our part, touching the aforesaid deed between us and the bishops above-named, &rc. — Witness the king at Winchester, the fourteenth day of March, in the ninth year of his reign.* [A.D. 1208.]
(1) This passage is not in any edition previous to that of 1590. See Appendix. — Ed.
(2) " Rex omnibus hominibus, &c. Sciatis quod magister Simon de Langton veuit ad nci% apud Vinton die Mercurii proxime ante niediam quadragesimae," &c. — Turris Loud.
y 2
324 MONKS 01-' CANTKKliURY liAXISHED,
■^o*"- Now, albeit the king took iiulignution at this proceeding in the
A. D. election of Stephen, '' yet, from tiiencoforth," saith Matthew Paris,
1208. " the pope could do no less than mightily defend him from all
vexation and danger; considering that he was his own dear darling,
and a ehild of his own creation."
Furthermore, upon this occasion King John conceived an extreme displeasure against the clergy and monks of Canterbury, as he had gootl cause, they doing so many evils against his princely prerogative. Without his license they elected their archbishop, and put by the bishop of Norwich, whom he had appointed. They wasted a gi-eat part of his treasure for the wars ; and, to bring all to the devil, they made Stephen Langton their high metropolitan, whom he took for a grievous enemy to the whole realm, being always so familiar with the Monks of French kintj : wherefore, in his ansfcr, he banished them out of the bury ba- land, to tlic number of threescore and four, for this their contumacy,
and contempt of his regal power. The king The mouks of Canterbury thus being expulsed, the king forthwith fJ'P'''''", sendeth messengers to the pope with his letters, wherein he doth
laiLbWiin - t7 I'll n 1
the pope sharply and expressly expostulate with the pope, for that so uncour- secr^a'thig tcously hc Tcpulscd the election of the bishop of Norwich, and set Langton "P *^"^ Stephen Langton, a man unknown to him and brought up arch- ' amongst his enemies a long time in the kingdom of France, conse- Caiiter- Crating him archbishop of Canterbury, and letting the other go ; and for ""'"^■- that, notwithstanding the monks of Canterbury had not before made him privy and obtained his consent (who should so have done), yet he rashly presumed to promote and prefer the said Stephen ; all which greatly redounded to the subversion and derogation of the liberties appertaining to his crown. Wherefore he cannot marvel, he saith, enough, that neither the said pope, nor the court of Rome, doth con- sider and revolve with themselves, how necessary his love and favour bath been always hitherto to the see of Rome ; and that they consider not what great profit and revenues have proceeded hitherto to them out of the realm of England ; the like whereof hath not been received out of any other country besides on this side the Alps. He addeth more- over, and saith, that for his liberties he will stand, if need be, unto death, neither can he be so removed and shaken otF from the election of the bishop of Norwich, which he seeth to be so commodious to Hia-boid him and profitable. Finally, he thus concludeth, saying, that in threaten- ^^^^ -^^ j.|^jg |^jg Tcqucst he be uot licard, hc will so provide by the seas that there shall be no such gadding and coursing any more over to Rome, suffering the riches of the land no more to be transported over, whereby he should be himself the less able to resist his enemies And, seeing he hath of his own at home, archbishops, bishops, and othet prelates of the church, both of Englishmen and of others, sufficiently provided and instructed in all kind of knowledge, therefore, he shah not need greatly to seek for judgment and justice further abroad.
When these things came to the pope's knowledge, he directeth this letter again to the king in these words : —
The Pope's Letter to King John.
Innocent, pope, servant of the servants of God, to our well-beloved son in Clirist, the king of England, hcaltli, and apostolical blessing. Whei'eas we
UNJUST PRETENSIONS OF THE TOPE. 325
have written to you heretofore, exhorting and entreating you after an humble, John diHgent, and gentle sort (concerning the church of Canterbury), you have written to us again after a threatening sort and upbraiding manner, both spite- ^■^'■ fully and also frowardly. And whereas we have borne and given to you more ^•-^^- and above what our right and duty re given to us not so mucli as by right" and duty you are bound to do. And though ''J^'^g"''* your devotion, as you say, hath been to us very necessary, yet consider again ^i^id be that ours also is not a little opportune and expedient for you. And whereas honoured we, in such like cases, have not showed at any time the like honour to any ^[j^'"''''* prince as we have unto you ; you again have so much derogated our honour, princes, as no prince else hath presumed to do besides ; pretending certain frivolous causes and occasions, I cannot tell what, why you would not condescend to the election of Stephen Langton, cardinal of St. Chrysogon, chosen by the monks of Canterbury ; for that the said Steplien (as you say) hath been conversant and brought up amongst your enemies, and his person is to you unknown. But you know what is the proverb of Solomon : — " The net is cast, but in vain, in the sight of the flying birds," &c.
With much other matter in the same epistle, wherein he falleth a pitiful into the commendation of Stcplien Langton his cardinal, declaring atlnfj''^ how learned he was in the liberal arts and in divinity, insomuch that l^™^l he was prebendated at Paris; also that he was come of an honest tute^au stock, and was an Englishman born, and not unknown to the king, bishop seeino' the king had written his letters thrice to hmi before. Declaring, own""'"^ moreover, in the said letter, how the messengers of the king had t specified to him another cause ; which was, that the monks of Can- terbury, who had to do in the election, came not to him before for his consent. Declaring, moreover, in the said letter, how the said messengers of the king entreated in the king's behalf, that forasmuch as the pope's letters (wherein the king was commanded to send his proctors to Rome, for the same matter) came not to the king's hand, neither did the monks direct any such letters or message to the king to have his consent ; therefore the pope, considering the same, would grant so much for the regard of the king's honour, that the monks of Canterbury should not proceed without the king's assent therein. And forasmuch as that hath not been done as yet, therefore they desired some delay therein to be given, sufficient for the doing thereof. Whereunto he said, that he had granted and fulfilled their request, in sending his letters and messengers once or twice to the kino- for the same purpose, although he said it was not the manner of the see apostolic (which had the fulness of power over the church of Canterbury) to wait for princes' consents in such elections, who then could not be suffered to do that which they came for. Wherefore, in knitting up his letter, he thus concludeth in these words : —
" And therefore, seeing the matter so standeth, we see no cause why we ^ jj,o_ should require or tarry for the king's favour or consent any more therein, but rious intend so to proceed in this matter, neither inchning to the right hand nor to ^'^^""^^^ the left, according as the canonical ordinances of the holy fathers shall direct pope. us ; that is, (all impediments and delays set aside) so to provide, that the church of Canterbury be not any longer destitute of her pastor. AVherefore, be it known to your discretion or kingly prudence, that forasmuch as this election of Stephen Langton hath orderly and in concord thus proceeded without fraud or deceit, upon a person meet for the same ; therefore we will not, for man's pleasure, neither may we, without danger of fame and of conscience, defer or protract any longer the consummation of the said election. Wherefore, my well-beloved son, seeing we have had respect to your honour, above what our right and duty.reciuii'tth, study to honour us so much as your duty requireth
326 Tin: kkalm of England interdicted.
John, again, so that you may the more plentifully deserve favour, both at God's hani! and ours ; lost that by doing the contrary, you bring yourself into such a peck
■^- ^- of troubles, as afterwards you shall scarce rid yourself of again. For this know
1208. .for jj certainty, in the end it nuist needs fall out, that he shall have the better,
Note the unto whom every knee (of heavenly, earthly, and infernal creatures) doth bow,
proceed- whose tuni I serve in earth, though I be luiworthy. Therefore settle not
ihUarn- yourself to obey their persuasions, who always desire your unquietness,
bitiouB whereby they nuiy fish the better in the water when it is troubled ; but commit
l'op
and honour. For it should not be much for your safety in this cause to resist
God and the church ; in whose quarrel that blessed martyr, and glorious
bishop, Thomas [Bccket] hath of late shed his blood; especially seeing your
father ami your brother of famous memory, then kings of England, did givo
Princes over those three wicked customs into the hands of the legates of the see
must be apostolic. Eut, if you yield yourself humbly into our hands, we will look that
subject to j.pj^j jjj^j^ yours shall be sufficiently provided for, that no prejudice may arise
hereupon to you-ward. — Given at Latcran the tenth year of our popedom."
Thus hast thou, gentle reader, the glorious letter of the proud pope ; I beseech thee mark it well. Now to the story.
After this letter was sent out, not long after proccedeth a charge
and commandment sent into England, unto certain bishops there,
requiring them, by authority apostolical, that if the said king would
not receive the prior of Canterbury and his monks, then they should
interdict him throughout all his realm. For the executing of this,
Three bi- three bishops were appointed by the usurped power of the pope's
potnted.^ bulls ; namely, William, bishop of London, Eustace, bisliop of
to int.r- Ely, and Mauger, bishop of Worcester. Which said three bishops
n'aim."^ wcut uuto the king, and showed him their commission from the
pope, as is above said, willing him to consent thereto ; but the
said king refused the same, and would by no means grant to their
request. Whereupon they, departing from his grace, went the
morrow after the Annunciation of our Lady, and pronounced
the .said general interdiction throughout all England, so that the
church-doors were shut up with keys and other fastenings, and
with walls, &c.
Now when the king heard of this, he began to be moved against them, and took all the possessions of the said bishops into his hands, appointing certain men to keep the livings of the clergy throughout Disci- the realm, and that they should enjoy no part thereof. This being the"^° done, the bishops, seeing the same, cursed all them that kept, or abused should uicddlc with church goods, against the will of them that forpri-' owned them: and understanding, for all that, that the kin vcnge. regarded their doings, they went over sea to the bishop of Canter- bury, and informed him what had happened : who hearing the same, willed them again to return to Canterbury, and he would come thither to them, or else send certain persons thither in his stead, that should do as much as if he were there himself. Then when the bishops heard this, they returned again to England, to Canterbury ; on which tidings came shortly to the king, that they were come again thither. And because he might not himself travel to them, he sent thither bishops, carls, and abbots, to entreat them that the Archbishop Stephen, whom he had chosen, might be admitted ; promising the prior and all the monks of Canterbury in his behalf, that he should never take any thing of the church goods against the will of them that owned them, but would make amends to them from whom he had
STEPHEN LANGTOn's OPPOSITION TO THE KING. 32 T
taken any such goods, and that the church shouhl have all her franchises J«hn. in as ample manner as she had in St. Edward the Confessor's time. "ajdT When the form of agreement was thus concluded, it was engrossed 120a. in a pair of indentures, and the afore-mentioned bishops to the one ^J^TilT" part thereof, set their seals ; and the other part the said bishops, '':^^f^'^' carls, and abbots, carried to show the king. When the king saw the stoutness order thereof, he liked it well, saving he would not agree to make I'atc^"'"^ restitution of the church goods. So he sent to the said bishops t,fg"j^?* again that they should put out that point of restitution. But they answered stoutly, that they would not put out one word. Then the king sent word to the archbishop, by the said bishops, that he should come to Canterbury to speak with him, and for his safe conduct to come and go again at his will, he sent his justices as pledges, Gilbert Peitewin, William de la Briwere, and John Letfitz. This done, the Archbishop Stephen came to Canterbury, and the king, hearing thereof, came to Chilham ; from whence he sent his treasurer, the stcpiion bishop of Winchester, to him, to have the king's name put out of ^j^^^f " the indentures in the clause of restitution aforesaid : who refusing to aKainst alter any word of the same, moved the king in such sort, that imme- '^ '"^ diately it was proclaimed throughout England, at the king's com- mandment, that all those that had any church-livings, and were over the sea, should come again into England by a certain day, or else lose their livings for evermore. And further in that proclamation, he charged all sheriffs within the realm, to inquire if any bishops, ^j^^ ^j^^^ abbots, priors, or any other churchman (from that day forward) moved received any commandment that came from the pope, and that they him. should take his or their body and bring it before him ; and also that they should take into their hands, for the king's use, all the church lands that were given to any man through the Archbishop Stephen, or by the prior of Canterbury, from the time of the election of the arch- bishop : and further charged that all the woods that were the arch- bishop's should be cut down and sold.
When tidings came to the pope that the king had thus done, xwo ic- being moved thereby with fiery wrath, he sent to the king two f/o,^*^,^,^* legates, the one called Pandulph, and the other Durant, to warn lihn, poi.e. in the pope's name, that he should cease his doings to holy church, and amend the wrong he had done to the archbishop of Canterbury, to the prior and monks of Canterbury, and to all the clergy of Eng- land. And further, that he should restore the goods again that he had taken of them against their will, or else they should curse the king by name ; and to do this, the pope gave them his letters in bulls patent. These two legates, coming into England, resorted to the king to Northampton, where he held his parliament, and, saluting him, said, they came from the pope of Rome, to reform the peace of holy church. And first, said they, " we admonish you in the pope's Rcstitu- behalf, that ye make full restitution of the goods, and of the lands, liuilc'rof that ye have ravished from holy church ; and that ye receive Stephen, ""= '''"e- the archbishop of Canterbury, into his dignity ; and the prior of Can- terbury and his monks ; and that ye yield again unto the archbishop all his" lands and rents without any withholding; and, sir, yet more- over, that ye shall make such restitution to them as the church shall think sufficient."
328
PAXDULI'II SENT TO CURSE THE KINC;.
John. Then answered the king, as toucliing tlie prior and his monks of Xd. Canterbury, "All that yc have said I would gladly do, and all things 1210. else that you would ordain ; but as touching the archbishop, I shall Fierce ^^^^ vou as it lictli in my heart. Let the archbishop leave his f^nhe ^'sl^'^pric ; and if the pope thca shall entreat for him, pcradventurc I tvret-n the niav Hkc to givc him some other bishopric in England ; and upon this Pan"-"" condition 1 will receive and admit him.'"
duiph. Then said l*andulpli to the king, " Holy church was wont never to
degrade archl)isliop without cause reasonable ; but she was ever wont to correct princes that were disobedient to her."
" What ? How now," quoth the king; " threaten ye me r " Nay "
said Pandulph, " but ye have now openly told us as it standcth in
your heart ; and now we will tell you what is the pope"'s will ; and
thus it standcth : he hath wholly interdicted and cursed you, for the
vTongs you have done unto holy church, and unto the clergy. And,
forasmuch as ye will dwell still in your malice, and Avill come to no
amendment, you shall understand, that from this time forward the
sentences upon you given have force and strength. And all those
that with you have communed before this time, whether that they be
earls, barons, or knights, or any other, whatsoever they be, we assoil
them safely from their sins unto this day : but from this time forward,
gate curs- of what Condition soever they be, we accurse them openly, and
who^com- specially by this our sentence, that do commune with you. And
mune y^Q assoil, morcovcr, carls, barons, knights, and all other manner of
witli tll6 ^ , ' O '
king. men, of their homages, services, and fealties, that they shoidd do unto you. And this thing to confirm, Ave give plain power unto the bishop of Winchester, and to the bishop of Norwich ; and the same power we give against Scotland unto the bishop of Rochester, and of Salis- bury ; and in AVales we give the same power to the bishops of St. David, and of LandafF, and of St. Asaph,'''' Iutiwr"of " -^^so? si^ l^'fig/' quoth Pandulph, " all the kings, princes, and the rebellion grcat dukcs cliristcncd, have laboured to the pope to have license to obedience cross tliemselvcs, and to war against thee, as upon God''s great enemy, j'e'^c'ts'to- ^^^ ^^ ^^''" ^^y l^i^d, and to make king whom it pleaseth the pope, wards And wc hcrc now assoil all those of their sins that will rise against prince, thcc hcrc in thine own land.''''
Then the king, hearing this, answered : " What shame may ye do more to mc than this V
Pandulph again : " We say to you in the name of God, that nei- ther you, nor any heir that you have, after this day shall be crowned.'''' So the king said, " By him that is Almighty God, if I had known of this thing before ye came into this land, and that ye had brought me such news, I should have made you tarry out these twelve months."
Then answered Pandul])h, " Full well Ave thought, at our first coming, that ye would have been obedient to God and to holy church, and have fulfilled the pope''s commandment, which we have showed and pronounced to vou, as we were charged therewith. And now ye say, that if ye had wist the cause of our coming, ye would have made us tarry out a whole year; who might as well say, that ye Like would have taken a whole year"'s respite without the pope^s leave ; iTke man. ^ut for to suffcr what dcatli ye can ordain, we shall not spare to tell all the pope's message and will, that he gave us in charge."
THE rOPK S GUEAT CUUSE.
In another chronicle I find the words between the king and Pan- John. dulph something otherwise described, as though the king shoukl first ^ j) threaten hini with hanging, if he had foreknown of his coming. To 1211. Avhom Pandulph again should answer, that he looked for nothing else '
at his hand, but to suffer for the churclfs right. Whereupon the king, being mightily incensed, departed. The king, the same time, being at Northampton, willed the sheriffs and bailiffs to bring forth all the prisoners there, that such as had deserved, should be put to death ; to the intent, as some think, to make Pandulph afraid. Among them was a certain clerk, who, for counterfeiting the king's coin, was also condemned to be hanged, drawn, and quartered ; and, moreover, the king commanded (thereby to anger Pandulph the more, as may be thought) that this clerk should be hanged up highest, above the rest. Pandulph, hearing thereof, notwithstanding panduiph he somewhat began to fear lest he should be hanged himself; yet, "J-^^fa with such courage as he had, he went to the church to set out t'lauiiurt. book, bell, and candle, charging that no man, under pain of accursing, should lay hands upon the clerk. Upon this the king and the cardinal departed in no little anger, and Pandulph went to Rome, and reported to the pope and the cardinals what had been done.
Then the pope summoned all the bishops, abbots, and clerks of Eng- land, to come and repair to Rome, to consult Avhat was to be done therein. This council began the first day of October. It was therein decreed, by the pope and his assembly, tliat John, king of England, should be accursed, with all such as held with him, every day so long as that council endured ; albeit this was not yet granted, that the people should be crossed to fight against him, because as yet he had shed no blood. But afterwards the said Pope Innocent, seeing that The pope King John would by no means stoop under his subjection, nor under ^''Ju'*^ the rule of his popish see, sent unto the French king, upon remission French of all his sins, and those of all that went with him, that with all iilvaVe" the power they might, they should take with them the livery and ^"s'and. badge of the cross, to invade the realm of England, and revenge him of the manifold injuries done to the universal church, by that cursed Turk or Pagan, King John.
This occasion given. Pope Innocent yet once again commanded. The on pain of his great curse, that no man should obey King John, ^°'^^^ neither yet keep company with him : he forbade all persons to eat =""6. and drink with him, or talk with him, to commune or counsel with him ; yea, his o^vn familiar household to do him any kind of service either at bed or at board, in church, hall, or stable. And wLat followed thereof ? The greater part of them, who after such sort fled The just from him, by the ordinance of God, of divers and sundry diseases the nJenfir same year died ; and between both nations, English and French, j^f,,"',^';", fell, for that year, great amity ; but secret, subtile, and false, to the em sub- bitter betraying of England. Neither was the pope content only ■''"'^ "" with this, but, moreover, the said Pope Innocent gave sentence de- finitive, by counsel of his cardinals, that King John should be put from his seat regal and deposed, and another put in his room. To the speedy execution of this he appointed the French king, Philip ; pro- mising to give him full remission of all his sins, and the clear
830 PETER THE FALSE I'ROPIIET,
John, possession of all the realm of England, to him and iiis lieirs, if he ^ J) did either kill him or expel him.
1212. The next year the Frcneh king began liis attempt, in hope of the
The pope CTovm of England ; being well manned with bishops, monks, prelates,
^°md " priests, and their servants, to maintain the same ; bragging of the
letters which they had received from the great men there. But
behold the work of God : the English navy took three hunibed of
French thc French king's ships, well loaden with wheat, wine, meal, flesh,
taken by aniiour, aiul such other stores, meet for the war ; and one hundred
LMgiish. ships they burnt within the haven, taking the spoils with them. In
the mean time the priests in England had provided them a certain
rt-ter the f^jge counterfeit prophet, called Peter Wakefield, of Poiz, who was
I'hct. an idle gadder about, and a prattling merchant. This Peter tliey
made to prophesy lies, rumouring his prophecies abroad, to bring the
king out of all credit with his people. They noised it daily among
the commons of the realm, that Christ had twice appeared to this
prophet of theirs in shape of a child between the priest's hands, once
at York, another time at Pomfret ; and that he had breathed on him
thrice, saying, "Peace! peace! peace!"" and teaching many things
which he anon after declared to the bishops ; and bade the people
amend their naughty living. Being rapt also in spirit, they said he
beheld the joys of heaven, and the sorrows of hell. For scant were
there three, saith the chronicle, among a thousand that lived chris-
tianly. This counterfeit soothsayer prophesied of King John that
he should reign no longer than the Ascension Day, A.n. 1213, which
was the fourteenth year from his coronation ; and this, he said, he
had by revelation. Then was it of him demanded, whether the king
should be slain, or expelled, or should of himself give over the crown?
Hi« seal- He answered. That he could not tell ; but of this he was sure, he said,
practices, that Hcitlicr he, nor any of his stock or lineage, should reign, that day
once finished. The king, hearing of this, laughed much at it, anil
made but a scoff thereof. " Tush," saith he, " it is but an idiot
knave, and such a one as lackcth his right wits." But when this
foolish prophet had so escaped the danger of the king's displeasure,
and that he made no more of it, he gat him abroad, and prated
Peter is tlicrcof at large, as he was a very idle vagabond, ami used to tattle
into^° and talk more than enough ; so that they who loved the king
prison, caused him anon after to be apprehended as a malefactor, and to
be thrown into prison, the king not yet knowing thereof.
The fame of this fantastical prophet soon went all the realm over, and his name was known every where, as foolishness is much regarded of people, where wisdom is not in place ; especially because he was then imprisoned for the matter, the rumour was the larger, their wonderings were the wantoner, their practising the foolisher, their busy talks, and other idle occupyings, the greater. Continually from thence, as the rude manner of people is, old gossips' tales went abroad, new talcs were invented, fables were added to fables, and lies grew upon lies ; so that every day new slanders were raised on the king, and not one of them true : nmiours arose, blasphemies were spread, the enemies rejoiced, and treasons by the priests were maintained, and what in like manner was sunnised, or whatever subtlety was practised, all was then fathered upon this foolish
HANGED, WITH HIS SON. 331
hc
prophet : as, " Thus saith Peter Wakefield," " Thus liatli he propl siecl,'' and, " This shall come to pass ;" yea, many times when nc ^ j) thought nothing less. AVhen the Ascension Day was come, which 1213. wa.s prophesied of before, King John commanded his regal tent to ^he raise be spread abroad in the open field, passing that day with his noble pfopi'^t council, and men of honour, in gi-eater solemnity than ever he did liar by " before, solacing himself with musical instruments and songs, most jo'hn. in sight, amongst his trusty friends. When that day was passed in all prosperity and mirth, his enemies being confused, turned all to an allegorical understanding, to make the prophecy good, and said, " He is no longer king, for the pope reigneth, and not he ;" yet reigned he still, and his son after him, to prove that prophet a liar. Then was tlie king by his council persuaded that this false prophet had troubled all the realm, perverted the hearts of the people, and raised the commons against him ; for his words went over the sea by the help of his prelates, and came to the French king''s ear, and gave him great encouragement to invade the land: he had not else done* it so suddenly; but he was most foully deceived, as all they are, and shall be, that put their trust in such dark, drowsy The false dreams of hypocrites. The king therefore commanded that he should hinged' be drawn and hanged like a traitor, and his son with him, lest any more false prophets should arise of that race.
After the popish prelates, monks, canons, priests, &c. saw this their crafty juggling by their feigned prophet would not speed, notwithstanding they had done no little harm thereby, to help the matter more forward, they began to travail and practise Avith Pope Innocent on the one side, and also Avith the French king on the other ; besides subtle treasons which they wrought within the realm, and by their confessions in the ear, whereby they both blinded the nobility and commons. The king thus compassed about on every side with enemies, and fearing the sequel thereof, knowing the King conspiracies that were in working against him, as well by the pope, m^u"eth'*^ in all that ever he might, as also by Philip, the French king, by his ^^'^^^^^ procurement ; and moreover his own people, especially his lords and pope. barons, being rebelliously incited against him ; as by the pope"'s curses and interdictions against such as took his part ; and also by his absolutions and dispensations Avith all those that Avoidd rebel against him, commanding them to detain from him such homage, service, duties, debts, and all other allegiance, as godly subjects owe and are bound to yield and give to their liege lord and prince : all Avhich things considered, the king, in the thirteenth year of his reign, because the French king began to make sharp inA^asion upon him Avitliin his own realm, sent speedy ambassadors to the pope, as to the foun- tain of all this his mischief, pretended to Avork and entreat his peace Entreat- and reconciliation with him, promising to do Avhatsoever the pope p^a/r should Avill and command him in the reformation of himself, and ""i'^ '^a restitution of all Avrongs done to holy church, and to make due satis- faction there-for unto all men that could complain.
Then sent the pope again into England his legate Pandulph, Avith other ambassadors : the king also at Canterbury (by letters, as it should seem, certified from his OAvn ambassadors) Avaited their coming; where, the thirteenth day of May, the king received
332
KING JOHN SIHMITJ^ TO THE POl'E.
A.D. 1213.
them, makinij unto thoiii an oath, That of and for all things therein he stood accursed, he would make ample restitution and Siitisfactiou. Unto vhoni also all the lords and barons of England, as many as there were with the king attending the legates'' coming, sware in like manner, That if the king would not accomplish in cverv thing the oath whicli he had taken, then they would cause him to hold and confirm the same, whether he would or not, or " by strength," to use the author's words.
*'The king, seeing the great danger that was like to follow, and himself to be brought to such a strait, that no other way could be found to avoid the present destruction both of his person and the realm also, but utterly to be subverted ; and especially fearing the French king ; was enforced to submit himself to that execrable monster and antichrist of Rome, converting his land into patrimony of St. Peter, as many others had done before him, and so became a sorry subject of the sinful seat of Rome, thinking thereby to avoid all imminent dangers ; for of this he was sure, not without shame, that being under his pro- tection, no foreign potentate throughout the whole empire was able to subdue hun.*
Then submitted the king himself unto the court of Rome, and to the pope ; and, resigning, gave up his dom.inions and realms in
Submit- telli him- self, and
reMgncth ]Oiwr]aj^(^ n^■^y^\ Ireland for him and for his heirs for evermore that
his crown.
should come of him : with this condition, that the king and his heirs should take again these two dominions of the pope to farm, paying yearly for them to the court of Rome one thousand marks of silver. Then took the king the crown from his head, in the presence of all his lords and barons of England, kneeling upon his knees to Pandulph, the pope's chief legate, saying in this wise, " Here I resign the crown of the realm of England into the pope's hands. Inno- cent III., and put me wholly in his mercy and ordinance." Then took Pandulph the crown of King John, and kept it five days as a possession and seizin-taking of these two realms of England and Ireland, confirming also all things promised by his charter obligatory as foUoweth : —
Christ
was
offered a
kingdom
and
vi'ould
none of it.
The Copy of the Letter Obligatory that King John made to the
Pope, concerning the yielding up of the crown and realm of
England into the Pope's hands, and a certain sum of money yearly to be paid.
To all christian people throughout the world dwelling, John, by the grace of God, king of England, gi-ceting : to your university known be it, that, for as much as we have grieved and offended God, and our mother, the chm-eh of Rome, and forasmuch as we have need of the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we may notliing so worthy ofler, and competent satisfaction make to God and to holy church, even if it were our own body, as with our realms of England and of Ireland ; then, by the grace of the Holy Ghost, we desire to meek us for the love of him, that meeked him to the death upon the cross. And through covuisel of the nobles, earls, and barons, we ofler, and freely grant to God, and to the apostles St. Peter and Paul, and to our mother church of Rome, and to our holy father Pope Innocent III., and to all the popes that come after him, all the realm, patronages of churches of England and of Ireland, with all the appur- tenances, for remission of sins, and help and health of our kings' soul, and of
(1) From the Edition 1563, p. C5.— Ed.
CONDTTIOXS IMl'OSED ON KING JOHN.
all christian souls. So that from this time afterwards, we will receive and hold John. of our mother, the cluu'ch of Rome, as in farm, doing fealty to our holy father the pope. Innocent III., and to all the popes that come after him, in the manner ^- ^' above said. And in the presence of the wise man, Pandulph, the pope's sub- ^■^^^' deacon, we make liege homage, as if it were in the pope's presence, and we King before him were, and as if he himself should have done all manner of things JfJ'" above said ; and thereto we bind us, and all that come after us, and our heirs toVarm' for evermore, without any gainsaying, to the pope, and eke the ward of tlie his realm church vacant. And, in token of this thing ever for to last, we will, confirm, "^'g^ and ordain, that he be our special renter of the aforesaid realms (saving St. Peter pence) in all things, to the mother church of Rome, paying by the year one thousand marks of silver at two times of the year, for all manner of The rent customs that we should do for the said realms ; that is to say, at Michaelmas *" ^''^^^ and at Easter : that is, for England seven hundred marks, and three hundred marks for Ireland ; saving to us and to our heirs, our justices, and our other franchises. And all these things, that have before been said, we will that they be firm and stable, without end : and to that obligation we, and all our succes- sors, and our heirs, in this manner are bound. That if we, or any of our heirs, through any presumption, fail in any point again of these things above said, and he having been warned, will not right amend him, he shall then release the aforesaid realms for evermore : and this charter of obligation, and our warrant for evennore, shall be firm and stable without gainsaying. We shall from this day afterward be true to God, and to the mother chuixh of Rome, and to thee. Innocent III., and to all that come after thee ; and in the realms of England and of Ireland we shall maintain true faith, in all manner of points, against all manner of men, by our power through God's help.
Upon this obligation the king was discharged, on the second day of July, from that tyrannical interdiction under which he had con- tinued six years and three months. But, before the releasement thereof, first, he was miserably compelled, as hath been declared, to give over both his crown and sceptre to that antichrist of Rome for the space of five days ; and, as his client, vassal, feudary, and tenant, to receive it again of him at the hands of another cardinal ; being bound obligatory, both for himself and for his successors, to pay yearly for acknowledgment thereof, one thousand marks for Eng- land and Ireland. Then came they thither from all parts of the The realm, so many as had their consciences wounded for obeying their liege king, as blind idiots, and there they were absolved, every one thecierjjy by his own bishop, except the spiritual fathers and ecclesiastical th soldiers, for they were compelled to seek to Rome, as captives reserved to the pope's own fatherhood. In this new ruffling the king easily granted that abbots, deans, and curates, should be elected freely every where, so that the laws of the reabii were truly observed ; but against that were the bishops, alleging their canonical decrees and rules synodal, determining the king therein to have nothing to do, but only to give his consent after they had once elected. But among this shaven rabble, some there were who consented not to this wicked eiTor ; a sort also there were of the prelates at that time, who were not pleased that the land''s interdiction should cease, till the king had paid all tliat which their clergy in all quarters of the realm had demanded, without reason ; vea, what every saucy Sir Jolm for his