An. Reg. 14. Caxton. made vpon the Englishmen, and namelie for that they spared neither church nor chapell, abbeic nor priorie, he sent a generall sentence vnder his bulles of lead vnto the archbishop of Canturburie and Yorke, appointing them that if Robert le Bruce the Scotish king would not recompense king Edward for all such harmes as the realme of England had by him susteined, and also make restitution of the goods that had béene taken out of churches and monasteries, they should pronounce the same sentence against him and his complices.
Scots eftsoons accursed.
Wherevpon when the Scots tooke no regard to the popes admonition, the archbishop procéeded to the pronouncing of the foresaid sentence, so that Robert Bruce, Iames Dowglas, and Thomas Randulfe earle of Murrey, and all other that kept him companie, or them in any wise maintemed, were accurssed throughout England euerie day at masse three times. Howbeit, this nothing holpe the matter, but put the king and the realme to great cost and charge, and in the meane season the commons of the realme were sore oppressed by sundrie waies and means, diuerse of them lost their goods and possessions, being taken from them vpon surmised and feined quarels, so that manie were vtterlie vndoone, and a few singular and misordered persons were aduanced
After the Epiphanie, when the truce failed betwixt the two realmes of England and 1321. Scotland, an armie of Scots entred England, and came into the bishoprike of Durham. Rich. South. The Scots inuade England. The earle of Murrey staied at Darington, but Iames Dowglas and the steward of Scotland went foorth to waste the countrie, the one towards Hartlepoole and Cleueland, and the other towards kichmond: but they of the countie of Richmond (as before they had doone) gaue a great summe of monie to saue their countrie from inuasion. The Scots at that time remained within England by the space of fiftéene daies or more. The knights and gentlemen of the north parts did come vnto the earle of Lancaster that laie the same time at Pomfret, offering to go foorth with him to giue the enimies battell, if he would assist them: but the earle séemed that he had no lust to fight in defense of his prince, that sought to oppresse him wrongfullie (as he tooke it) and therefore he dissembled the matter, and so the Scots returned at their pleasure without encounter.
About this season, the lord William de Bruce that in the marches of Wales enioied Thom. Wals. diuerse faire possessions to him descended from his ancestors, but through want of good gouernement was run behind hand, offered to sell a certeine portion of his lands called Gowers land heng in the marches there, vnto diuerse noble men that had their lands adioining to the same, as to the earle of Hereford, and to the two lords Mortimers, the vncle & nephue, albeit the lord Mowbraie that had maried the onelie daughter and heire of the lord Bruce, thought verelie in the end to haue had it, as due to his wife by right of inheritance But at length (as vnhap would) Hugh Spenser the yoonger lord chamberleine, coueting that land (bicause it laie néere on each side to other lands that he had in The chéefe cause of the variance betwixt the lords and the Spēsers. those parts) found such means through the kings furtherance and helpe, that he went awaie with the purchase, to the great displeasure of the other lords that had beene in hand to buie it.
Hereby such hartburning rose against the Spensers, that vpon complaint made by the erle of Hereford vnto the earle of Lancaster, of their presumptuous dealing, by ruling all things about the king as séemed best to their likings, it was thought expedient by the said earles that some remedie in time (if it were possible) should be prouided. Wherevpon the said earls of Lancaster and Hereford, with the lords Roger Tuchet, Roger Clifford, Iocelin Deieuille, Roger Bernsfield, the two Mortimers, Roger the vncle and Roger the nephue, William de Sullie, William de Elmbrige, Iohn Gifford of Brimesfield, and Henrie Tieis, all barons; the which with diuerse other lords and knights, and men of name, assembling togither at Shierborne in Elmedone, sware each of them to stand by other, till they had amended the state of the realme. But yet notwithstanding this their oth, the most part of them afterwards forsaking the enterprise, submitted themselues to the king.
Neuerthelesse, whether for that the king by a proclamation set foorth the sixteenth of March, had commanded (as some write) that the lords Mowbraie, Clifford, and Deieuille for disobeieng to make their personall appearance before him, should auoid the land within ten daies next insuing, or for that they meant with all speed to put their enterprise in execution, we find that the earle of Hereford, the lords Mortimer, the vncle and nephue, the lord Roger Damorie, the lord Iohn Mowbraie, the lord Hugh Audelie, and his sonne named also Hugh, the lord Clifford, the lord Iohn Gifford of Brimesfield, the lord Morice Berkeley, the lord Henrie Tieis, the lord Iohn Matrauers, with manie other that were alied togither, hauing the consent also of the earle of Lancaster, on the wednesdaie The lords take armes vpon them against the Spensers. next after the feast of the Inuention of the crosse, haumg with them to the number of eight hundred men of armes, fiue hundred hoblers, and ten thousand men on foot, came with the kings banner spread vnto Newport in Wenloks lands, where they tooke the castell that belonged vnto the lord chamberleine Hugh Spenser the yoonger.
They inuade the Spensers lands.
They also tooke Kaerdie, Kersillie, Lantrissane, Taluan, Lamblethian, Kenefegis, Neoth, Drusselan, and Diuenor; part of his men which in the foresaid places they found, they slue, as sir Iohn Iwain, and sir Matthew de Gorges knights, with 15 other of his men that were Welshmen: part they tooke and put them in prison, as sir Rafe or Randulfe de Gorges being sore wounded, sir Philip Ioice, sir Iohn de Frissingfield, sir Iohn de Dunstable, William de Dunstable, and manie other, of the which the most part were put to their ransome. They tooke, spoiled and destroied so much in value of his goods as amounted vnto two thousand pounds. They tooke vp in such debts as were owing to him in those parts, to the summe of thrée thousand pounds, and of his rents to the value neere hand of a thousand pounds. They burnt 23 of his manors which he had in those parts of Wales, with his barnes, and did what hurt they could deuise, burning or taking awaie all his writings and euidences. After they had remained 15 daies there, they came into England, with the like force and disorder inuading his castels, manors and possessions, so that the damage which they did here vnto the said lord chamberleine, amounted to the value of ten thousand pounds.
The king sendeth to the lords.
The king aduertised of their dooings, sent vnto them the archbishop of Canturburie, and the lord Bartholomew de Badelismere lord steward of his house, to request them to desist and leaue off from such their outragious dooings, and comming to the parlement which he had alreadie summoned, they might put in their complaints and grieuances, & he would see that they should haue iustice, according as equitie should require. The The lord Badelismere reuolteth to the side of the barons. lord Badelismere forsaking the king, became one of the confederacie with the barons, and so the archbish. was glad to returne alone, leauing the L. Badelismere behind him, who sent the king word by the archbishop, that till they had expelled the Spensers out of the realme, they would not giue ouer their enterprise. On saint Barnabies day they came to a manour of Hugh Spenser the father called Fasterne, in the countie of Wiltshire, and spoiled the same with diuerse and manie other manors, aswell in Wiltshire, as else where, to wit, in Glocestershire, Dorsetshire, Hamshire, Barkeshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrie, Cambridgeshire, Huntingtonshire, Leicestershire, Lincolneshire, Chesshire, and Warwikeshire, making such hauocke of all such goods or cattell as belonged to the said Hugh Spenser the father, that he was thought to be indamaged to the value of thirtie thousand pounds, burning his houses, beating, maiming and ransoming his men.
Furthermore not contented to spoile those places which belonged to him, but hearing that in the abbeie of Stanlie he had laid vp monie and euidences, they brake into that abbeie, and tooke out thereof a thousand pounds in readie coine, beside euidences and writings, to the indamaging of him to the value of six thousand pounds, and likewise entring into the castell of Marleburgh, where the said Hugh Spenser the father had laid vp in wooll to the number of 36 sacks, they tooke the same and other of his goods, as well in plate as apparell, to the value in all of six thousand pounds. And they did not onelie spoile the possessions, houses, goods, and cattels of the two Spensers, whersoeuer they could heare that the same were to be found, but also they vsed the like disorder against all such as were knowne to be fréénds or well-willers, to either the father or sonne, sending commissions vnto such as should see the same executed to the most extremitie, so that in this rage of enuie and hot reuenge there was no pareialitie, but that one with another, the innocent with the nocent, the guiltlesse with the guiltie went to wracke, and (as the old prouerbe saith concurring with common practise
Quòd sus peccauit succula sæpe luit)finallie, after they had satisfied their desires in such riotous sort, they raised the people, The barons raise the people and came in armes towards the parlement. and constreined them to sweare to be of their accord, and so came forward with the like force towards the parlement that was summoned to be holden at London thrée wéeks after Midsummer. At their comming to S. Albons, they sent the bishops of London, Salisburie, Elie, Hereford, and Chichester, to the king with their humble suit in outward They send to the king. apperance, though in effect and verie déed more presumptuous than was requisite. Their cheefe request was that it might please his highnesse to put from him the Spensers, whose counsell they knew to be greatlie against his honour, and hereof not to faile if he tendered the quiet of his realme. They also required letters patents of him, conteining a generall Their requests. pardon for the indemnitie of themselues, and all those that had beene in armes with them, so as they should not be impeached by the king for any transgressions past or present, in time hereafter to come. The king herevnto answered, that as concerning Hugh Spenser the father, he was The kings answer. abroad on his busines beyond the seas, and that Hugh the sonne was on the sea for the safe kéeping of the cinque ports, as by his office he was bound, and that they ought not by any right or custome to be banished, before they haue made answere to the crimes obiected against them. He added further, that their request wanted foundation of law and reason. And if it might be proued that the Spensers had in any wise offended against the statutes and ordinances of the land, they were alwaies readie to make their answere as the lawes of the realme should require. Lastlie he added this with an oth, that he would not be forsworne contrarie to that which at his coronation he had taken vpon him by oth, through granting letters of peace and pardon to such notorious offendors in contempt of his person, and to the trouble and disquieting of the whole realme. The barons vpon knowledge had what answer the king made to their requests, foorthwith got them to armour, and with a great power of men of armes and other, came to the parlement, which the king had summoned to begin at Westminster thrée wéekes after Fabian. Caxton. Midsummer. Their retinue were apparelled in a sute of iakets or coats of colours demie, partie yellow and gréene with a band of white cast ouerthwart. By reason whereof that parlement long after was called The parlement of white bands. Then to sée the kings The order which the lord maior of London tooke. peace kept within the citie, the maior caused a thousand men well armed to watch dailie in diuerse wards, & at diuerse gates of the citie, which watch began at foure of the clocke in the morning, and so continued till six at night, and then as manie were appointed to the night watch, continuing the same till the houre of fiue in the morning. And for the more suertie that this night watch should be well and sufficientlie kept, two aldermen were assigned nightlie to ride about the citie with certeine officers of the towne, to sée the watchmen well and discréetlie guided. The gates were shut at nine of the clocke & opened againe at seauen in the morning. Also euerie citizen was warned to haue his armour by him, that he might be readie vpon anie occasion when he should be called. Neuerthelesse the barons being come in forceable wise (as yee haue heard) vnto this Matt. West. parlement, they constreined the earle of Richmond, Arundell, Warren, and Penbroke, to agree vnto their purpose; and likewise some of the bishops they compelled through feare to take an oth to ioine with them in their purpose, for the expelling of the Spensers out of the realme, and so comming all togither before the king, they published certeine articles against the said Spensers, both the father and sonne, wherevpon they made an award, that The Spensers banished by the decree of the barons. they should be disherited and banished the land during their liues, if by the king and consent of all the lords in parlement assembled, they should not be restored. They had day and place appointed where to passe foorth of the land, to wit, at Douer, and not elsewhere, betwixt the daie of his award made, and the feast of the decollation of saint Iohn Baptist, that day to be counted for one. Diuers articles (as before is said) were laid to the charge of those Spensers. Articles wherwith the barons charged the Spēsers. 1 Amongst other things it was alledged; First that Hugh Spenser the sonne, being on a time angrie and displeased with the king, sought to allie and confederate himselfe with the lord Gifford of Brimesfreld, and the lord Richard Gray to haue constreined and forced the king by strong hand to haue followed his will and pleasure. 2 Secondlie it was alledged, that the said Spensers as well the father as the sonne, had caused the king to ride into Glocestershire, to oppresse and destroie the good people of his land, contrarie to the forme of the great charter. 3 Thirdlie, that where the earle of Hereford, and the lord Mortimer of Wigmore, had gone against one Thlewillin Bren, who had raised a rebellion against the king in Glamorganshire, whiles the lands of the earle of Glocester were in the kings hands, the same Thlewillin yéelded himselfe to the said earle, and to the lord Mortimer, who brought him to the king, vpon promise that he should haue the kings pardon, and so the king receiued him. But after that the said earle and lord Mortimer were out of the land, the Spensers taking to them roiall power, tooke the said Thlewillin and led him vnto Kardif, where after that the said Hugh Spenser the sonne had his purpartie of the said earle of Glocesters lands, he caused the said Thlewillin to be drawne, headed and quartered, to the discredit of the king, and of the said earle of Hereford and lord Mortimer, yea and contrarie to the lawes and dignitie of the imperiall crowne. 4 Fourthlie, the said Spensers counselled the king to foreiudge sir Hugh Audlie, sonne to the lord Hugh Audlie, and to take into his hands his castels and possessions. They compassed also to haue atteinted the lord Roger Damorie, that thereby they might haue enioied the whole earledome of Glocester. These and other articles of misdemeanour in the Spensers were exhibited, to persuade the king and others, that they were vnprofitable members in the common-wealth, and not worthie of those places which they occupied. Now after that their disheriting and banishment was concluded in manner as before is said, the earle of Hereford and other the lords that had prosecuted the quarell against them, came before the king, and humblie on their knees besought him of pardon for all things which they had committed against him, his lawes, or any other person in the pursuit of the said Spensers. The king, being brought into a streict, durst not but grant vnto all that which they requested, establishing the same by statute. The king goeth to Canturburie. The parlement being thus ended, the king and quéene went to Canturburie, there to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket somtime archbishop there. From thence he went to the Ile of Tenet, that he might meet with his deare & welbeloued councellour Hugh Spenser the yoonger, whome he had of late sent in ambassage vnto the French king, and now being He commeth to talke with the lord chamberlaine. returned by sea into those parts, he was desirous to see him, that he might haue conference with him: and so comming togither, they spent certeine daies in commoning of such matters as they thought good. The king calling to him the mariners of the cinque ports, committed to them the custodie of the said Hugh, who for a time kept him with them in their ships, and the king sailing alongst the coast to Porchester, conferred with him of manie things. From Porchester the king ment to returne vnto London, there to méet the quéene, who in hir returne from Canturburie would haue lodged one night in the castell of Léeds, which the lord Bartholomew de Badelismere late steward of the kings house had by exchange of the king for other lands, and now taking part with the barons, had left his wife and children with other of his fréends and treasure in the same castell. Those that The quéene not suffered to lodge in the eastell of Léeds. were put in trust with keeping this castell, would neither permit quéene nor other to enter therein, without expresse commandement from their lord and maister, and so they signified not onelie to the quéenes seruants that came before to make prouision for hir, but also declared the same to hirselfe comming thither in person. This chanced verie vnluckilie for the barons: for where the queene had euer sought to procure peace, loue and concord betwixt the king and his lords, shée tooke such displeasure with this deniall made to hir for one nights lodging in that castell, that vpon hir gréeuous complaint sent to the king, he foorthwith raised a mightie armie out of Kent and Essex, from the cinque ports, and of the Londoners, and hauing with him his brethren, Thomas earle Marshall, and Edmund earle of Kent, also the earls of Richmond, Penbroke, The king besiegeth the castell of Léeds. Arundell, and Atholl, he hasted thither, & laid siege about the castell; constreining them within by all meanes that might be deuised. In the meane time, at the suit of the lord Badelismere, the earle of Hereford, and other The lords came with a power to raise the siege. lords of the confederacie, came with a great power vnto Kingstone, about the feast of Simon and Iude, and there staieng certeine daies for some of their companie that were to come vnto them, they sent vnto the king the archbishop of Canturburie, and the bishop of London, with the earle of Penbroke, requiring him to remooue his siege, till by parlement some order might be taken: but the king would not giue eare to their suit, but continued his siege till the castell was yeelded to him. For those that were at Kingstone cowardlie The castell of Léeds yéelded. leuing their enterprise, came not forward, but returned backe againe. They that were within the castell, hauing simplie submitted themselues to the king, caused twelue or thirtéene of them to suffer death. Amongst other was one Walter Culpepper reckoned for Walter Culpepper executed. the chéefe of them that defended the castell against the king. The wife of the lord Badelismere, with his nephue Bartholomew de Burwash was sent to the tower of London, but his sister was sent to Douer castell, there to remaine in safe kéeping. The castell of Leeds being thus yéelded to the king, he entred the same on All halowes daie, and shortlie after the castell of Chilham was deliuered, and the castell of Tunbridge left void by them that had it in keeping. The king thus bestirring him, came into Essex, and seized into his hands the lands of the lord Badelismere, and likewise the lands of such as were his mainteiners, abbettors, fréends, fauourers, and furtherers; of the which such as he could meet with he put in prison, and herewith summoned an armie to meet him at Cirencester about saint Lucies day the virgine. And then about saint Andrews tide he came to London, where the archbishop of Canturburie had called a prouinciall councell. At the same time Hugh Spenser the sonne, being latelie come from the sea, yéelded The lord chāberleine yéeldeth himselfe to the law. himselfe prisoner to the kings ward, beséeching the king that he might haue right ministred to him, concerning the wrongs and iniuries to him doone by the barons in maner as before ye haue heard, speciallie for the award which in parlement they had procured to be enacted against him, the errours committed in the processe, whereof he besought the king that he might be admitted to shew: as first, in that they made themselues iudges: secondlie, in that he was not called to answer: thirdlie, for that the same award was made without the assent of the prelats, who are péeres of the parlement as well as the temporall lords: fourthlie, in that the said barons had no record in their pursuit vpon the causes conteined in that award: fiftlie, in that the award was made against the forme of the great charter of franchises, wherein is conteined that none shall be foreiudged nor destroied but by lawfull iudgment of his péers, according to the law of the land. Further, he alledged that it was to be considered, how the said barons and great men being summoned to come in due maner vnto that parlement, they came in forceable wise with all their powers. A like petition was also exhibited on the behalfe of Hugh Spenser the father, for redresse to be had of the wrongs and losses, which in like case he had susteined. The king fauouring inough the causes and petitions of the Spensers, granted their requests,
