1211.
In the summer following, about the 18 day of Julie, king John with a mightie armie went into Wales, and passing foorth into the inner parts of the countrie, he came into An. Reg. 13. King John goeth into Wates with an armie. Snowdon, beating downe all that came in his way, so that he subdued all the rulers and princes, without contradiction. And to be the better assured for their subiection in time following, he tooke pledges of them, to the number of 28, & so returned to Album Monasterium Matth. Paris. White church I thinke. on the daie of the Assumption of our ladie, from whence he first set foorth into the Welsh confines. In the same yeare also, the pope sent two legats into England, the one named Pandulph a lawier, and the other Durant a templer, who comming vnto Pandulph & Durant the popes legats. Polydor. king John, exhorted him with manie terrible words to leaue his stubborne disobedience to the church, and to reforme his misdooings. The king for his part quietlie heard them, and bringing them to Northampton, being not fare distant from the place where he met them vpon his returne foorth of Wales had much conference with them; but at length, when they perceiued that they could not haue their purpose, neither for restitution of the goods belonging to préests which he had seized vpon, neither of those that apperteined to certeine other persons, which the king had gotten also into his hands, by meanes of the controuersie betwixt him and the pope the legats departed, leauing him accursed, and the land interdicted, as they found it at their comming.
Fabian.
¶ Touching the maner of this interdiction there haue béene diuerse opinions, some haue said, that the land was interdicted throughlie, and the churches and houses of religion Matth. Paris. closed vp, that no where was anie diuine seruice vsed: but it was not so streit, for there were diuerse places occupied with diuine seruice all that time, by certeine priuiledges purchased either then or before. Children were also christened, and men houseled and annoiled through all the land, except such as were in the bill of excommunication by name expressed. But to our purpose.
King John, after that the legats were returned toward Rome againe, punished diuerse of those persons which had refused to go with him into Wales, in like maner as he had doone those that refused to go with him into Scotland: he tooke now of ech of them for euerie knights fée two marks of siluer, as before is recited. About the same time also, Reginald erle of Bullongne. Reginald earle of Bullongne being accursed in like maner as king John was, for certeine oppressions doone to poore men, and namelie to certeine preests, fled ouer into England, bicause the French king had banished him out of France.
The chéefest cause of the French kings displeasure towards this earle, may séeme to The like league was made in the same first yeare of king John betwixt him & Ferdinando earle of Flanders. proceed of the amitie and league which was concluded betwixt king John, and the said earle, in the first yeare of the said king's reigne, whereby they bound themselues either to other, not to make anie peace, or to take anie truce with the king of France, without either others consent first thereto had, and that if after anie agréement taken betwixt them and the king of France, he should chance to make warre against either of them, then should the other aid and assist him, against whom such ware should be made, to the vttermost of his power.
This league was accorded to remaine for euer betwixt them and their heires, with suerties sworne on either part: and for the king of England, these, whose names insue, William Marshall earle of Penbroke, Ranulfe earle of Chester, Robert earle of Leicester, Baldwine earle of Albemarle, William earle of Arundell, Ralfe earle of Augi, Robert de Mellet, Hugh de Gourney, William de Kaeu, Geffrey de Cella, Roger conestable of Chester, Ralfe Fitz Water, William de Albanie, Robert de Ros, Richard de Montfichet, Roger de Thoney, Saer de Quincie, William de Montchenise. Peter de Pratellis, William de Poole aliàs de Stagno, Adam de Port, Robert de Turneham, William Mallet, Eustace de Vescie, Peter de Brus, William de Presennie, Hubert de Burgh, William de Mansey, and Peter Sauenie. For the earle, these were suerties, Anselme de Kaeu, Guy Lieschans, Ralfe the said earles brother, &c. But now to returne.
After that the earle of Bullongne was expelled out of France (as before ye haue heard) he came ouer to king John, and was of him ioifullie receiued, hauing thrée hundred pounds of reuenues in land to him assigned within England, for the which he did homage and fealtie vnto him. Shortlie after this also, died William de Breuse the elder, which fled from the face of king John out of Ireland into France, and departing this life at Corbell, was buried at Paris in the abbeie of S. Victor.
In the meane time pope Innocent, after the returne of his legats out of England, perceiuing Polydor. that king John would not be ordered by him, determined with the consent of his cardinals and other councellours, and also at the instant suit of the English bishops and other prelats being there with him, to depriue king John of his kinglie state, and so first absolued all his subiects and vassals of their oths of allegiance made vnto the same king, and after depriued him by solemne protestation of his kinglie administration and dignitie, and lastlie signified that his depriuation vnto the French king and other christian princes, admonishing them to pursue king John, being thus depriued, forsaken, and condemned as a common enimie to God and his church. He ordeined furthermore, that whosoeuer imploied goods or other aid to vanquish and ouercome that disobedient prince, should remaine in assured peace of the church, as well as those which went to visit the sepulchre of our Lord, not onlie in their goods and persons, but also in suffrages for sauing of their soules.
But yet that it might appeare to all men, that nothing could be more ioifull vnto his holinesse, than to haue king John to repent his trespasses committed, and to aske forgiuenesse for the same, he appointed Pandulph, which latelie before was returned to Rome, Pādulph sent into France to practise with the frēch king, for king John his destruction. with a great number of English exiles, to go into France, togither with Stephan the archbishop of Canturburie, and the other English bishops, giuing him in commandement, that repairing vnto the French king, he should communicate with him all that which he had appointed to be doone against king John, and to exhort the French king to make warre vpon him, as a person for his wickednesse excommunicated. Moreouer this Pandulph was commanded by the pope, if he saw cause, to go ouer into England, and to deliuer vnto king John such letters as the pope had written for his better instruction, and to séeke by all means possible to draw him from his naughtie opinion.
In the meane time, when it was bruted through the realme of England, that the pope had released the people & absolued them of their oth of fidelitie to the king, and that he was depriued of his gouernement by the popes sentence, by little and little a great number both of souldiers, citizens, burgesses, capteins and conestables of castels, leauing their charges, & bishops with a great multitude of préests reuolting from him, and auoiding his companic and presence, secretlie stale awaie, and got ouer into France.
Matth. West.
Matt. Paris.
Notwithstanding that diuerse in respect of the popes cursse, and other considerations them mouing, vtterlie refused in this manner to obeie king John, yet there were manie others that did take his part, and mainteine his quarell verie earnestlie, as his brother The names of the noble men that cōtinued true vnto K. John. William earle of Salisburie, Alberike de Vcere erle of Oxford, Geffrey Fitz Peter lord chéefe iustice of England, also thrée bishops, Durham, Winchester, and Norwich, Richard de Marish lord chancellour, Hugh Neuill chiefe forrester, William de Wrothing lord warden of the ports. Robert Veipount and his brother Yuan, Brian de Lisle, Geffrey de Lucie, Hugh Ballioll, and his brother Barnard, William de Cantlow and his son William Fulke de Cantlow, Reginald de Cornehull shiriffe of Kent, Robert Braibrooke and his son Harrie, Philip de Louecotes, John de Bassingborne, Philip March, Chatelaine of Notingham, Peter de Maulley, Robert de Gaugy, Gerard de Athie and his nephue Ingelrand, William Brewer, Peter Fitz Hubert, Thomas Basset, and Foulks de Briant a Norman, with many other, too long here to rehearse, who as fautors and councellors vnto him, sought to defend him in all causes, notwithstanding the censures of the church so cruellie pronounced against him; knowing that they were bound in conscience to sticke to him, now speciallie in this general apostasie of his péeres and people. For they were opinioned, that it was
Turpe referre pedem, nec passu stare tenaci,
Turpe laborantem deseruisse ratem.
