An. Reg. 34.
The archb of Canturburie inthronized.
In the feast of All saints, the archbishop Bonifacius was inthronized at Canturburie, and kept a solemne feast, at the which the king and queene, with the more part of all the prelats of the land were present. About this season was a great tornie and iusts holden A tornie holden at Brackley, or (as some copies haue) at Barkley. at Brackley, where the earle of Glocester (contrarie to his accustomed maner) fauoured the part of the strangers, whereby they preuailed. In somuch that William de Valence handled one sir William de Odingesselles verie roughlie, the same sir William being a right woorthie knight. About the same time, the countesse of Cornewall at Berkehamstéed 1250. was deliuered of a sonne named Edmund. This yeare about the beginning of the Edmond son to Richard earle of Cornwall borne. spring, the kings brother the earle of Cornewall with other Noble men of the realme, as the earle of Glocester, Henrie Hastings baron, & Roger Thurkebie, went ouer into France in princelie arraie and furniture to visit the pope, who held his court still at the An ambassage sent to the pope. citie of Lions. The bishop of Lincolne also and the bishop of Worcester went thither. For what cause the other went, it was not openlie knowne. But the bishop of Lincolne went thither about such businesse as he had in hand against the Templers, Hospitalers, and such other which had appealed from him to the court of Rome, where he could not bring his purposse to passe, for his aduersaries with monie had purchased the iudges fauour. And so the bishop returned, hauing spent his trauell and monie in vaine.
The king taketh on him the crosse.
The lord Roger de Monthault.
On the 6 of March being sundaie, the king tooke vpon him the crosse, with his brother de Valence, and a great number of other Noble men, and amongst other the abbat of Burie, to the preiudice (as was thought) of his order. Roger de Monthault, a baron of great honour, meaning verelie to go in that iournie, to recouer monie towards his necessarie furniture, set and sold the most part of his liuings. His woods and possessions, which he had about Couentrie, he sold and let to fee farme vnto the couent there. The like chieuance was made by sundrie noble men, which prepared themselues to go in that iournie.
Vpon the 27 day of Aprill those that had taken on them the crosse, assembled at Bermondsey besides London, to treat of their setting forward, determining that the same should be at Midsummer next: but by the popes letters which the king procured, they were commanded to staie till the king himselfe went. Thus their iournie for that time was disappointed. There was of them and their retinues that meant thus to haue gone, fiue hundreth knights, besides yeomen or demilances and other common souldiers in great Gaston de Bierne submiteth himself to the king. numbers. Gaston de Bierne was so driuen to his shifts by the high prowesse of the earle of Leicester, that in the end he was constreined to come ouer into England, and submit himselfe to the king, whom he found at Clarendon, where he gat such mercie at the kings The earle of Leicester his seruice in Gascoigne. hands, that he was pardoned and restored to his lands. But the earle of Leicester put the king in possession of the castels of Fronsacke, Egremount, and others, and banished Rustein, and William de Solares, with diuerse other stubborne and disloiall rebels, depriuing them of their lands and inheritance in that countrie.
The bishop of Lincolne.
The bishop of Lincolne did excommunicat a préest within his diocesse, that was accused of incontinencie. And bicause the same preest continued fortie daies without séeking to be reconciled, the bishop sent to the shiriffe of Rutland, within whose bailiwike the same préest dwelled, to apprehend him as a disobedient and rebellious person: but the shiriffe winked at the matter, and would not execute the bishops commandement, wherevpon the bishop did also excommunicat the shiriffe: whereof the king being informed, An inhibition procured by the king of the pope. tooke displeasure, and sending to the pope, procured an inhibition, that no archbishop nor bishop should compell anie officer belonging to the king, to follow anie suit afore them, for those things that apperteined to the kings iurisdiction, or giue sentence against them for the same.
The earle of Cornwall returneth from the pope.
The mondaie before the Rogation wéeke, Richard the kings brother earle of Cornewall, returned from the court of Rome, where he had beene about certeine businesse unknown to most men: but whatsoeuer the same was, the pope gaue him most courteous and honorable interteinement for his welcome, and made him great cheare during his abode at Lions, where the popes court as then laie. ¶ About this season, the K. to rid himselfe The king spareth to bring himselfe out of debt. out of debt, wherein he was indangered to certeine merchants, lessened the charges of his houshold, and kept but a meane port, diminishing euen the accustomed almesse of the poore, and also the great number of tapers and lights in his chappell, so that he was noted with the blame of too much niggardlie sparing and pinching: but in that he discharged his debt to the merchants, he was thought to doo wiselie and charitablie, for that he would not see them hindered to whom he was so indebted; besides the opinion that he had concerning himselfe, namelie that
Profectum faciunt rarum quos debita stringunt.About the same time also, he caused the Iewes to giue vnto him a great portion of The Iewes constreined to helpe the king with monie. their goods, so that they were greatlie impouerished. There was one of them named Aaron borne in Yorke, the which since the kings last returne out of Gascoigne, had paied to the king the summe of thirtie thousand markes, ouer and besides two hundred marks Matth. Paris. which he had giuen to the quéene, as the same Aaron protested to Matthew Paris, vpon his faith and truth which he bare to his law. In the Whitsunwéeke was a generall chapter A generall chapter of the friers preashers. holden of the friers preachers at London in Holborne, where out of sundrie parts of the world were assembled aboue foure hundred of them, and they had meat and drinke found them of almesse, bicause they possessed nothing of their owne. On the first daie the king came into their chapter, that he might be partaker of their praiers, and found them meat and drinke that day, and dined there with them, to doo them the more honour. Another day the quéene likewise fed them, and afterwards the bishop of London, the abbats of Westminster, S. Albon, and Waltham, with others. Matth. Paris. Strife betwixt the Lōdoners and the abbat of Westminster. About the same season the citizens of London found themselues greeued verie sore, for such liberties as the king granted to the abbat of Westminster, to the great hinderance and decaie of the franchises of their citie. The maior and communaltie resisted all that they might against those liberties, and finallie by the good helpe and fauour of the lords, as the earles of Cornewall and Leicester, they obteined their purpose. This yeare maister William de Kilkennie kéeper of the great seale. William de Kilkennie, a sober, faithfull and learned man, was made keeper of the great seale. ¶ The same yeare vpon inquisition made by Geffrey de Langley, one of the kings councell of transgressors in forrestes and chases, manie that had offended were presented, and most gréeuouslie punished by imprisonment, fines, and exceeding great amercements, and namelie in the north countrie. Robert de Lexinton departeth this life. On the nineteenth of Maie died Robert de Lexinton clearke, the which hauing continued a long time in the office of a iudge, purchased to himselfe great fame, and also most large possessions. But certeine yéeres before his death, bicause he was diseased with the palsie, he gaue ouer that office, and drew himself into a quiet trade of life, so ending his daies in praiers and dooing of almesdeeds. About the feast of S. Margaret The lord Henrie Hastings deceaseth. Robert Muschampe. Athelmarle the kings half brother made bishop of Winchester. The earle of Salisburie slaine by the Saracens. died Henrie Hastings a noble baron, and one Robert de Muschampe a man of great renowme in the north parts. Also Walter bishop of Winchester departed this life, about the feast of S. Matthew, in whose place (through the kings earnest suit) his halfe brother Athelmare was promoted to succéed. Moreouer, in the east parts, that valiant erle of Salisburie William de Longespee, with Robert de Veer, and others, was slaine in that vnfortunate battell in the which the Saracens vanquished the christian armie, and tooke Lewes the French king prisoner. On the first day of October, the moone vpon hir change, appearing excéeding red and swelled, began to shew tokens of the great tempest of wind that followed, which was so A mightie wind. huge and mightie, both by land & sea, that the like had not bene lightlie knowne, and Matth. Paris. sildome or rather neuer heard of by men then aliue. The sea forced contrarie to hir naturall course, flowed twice without ebbing, yeelding such a roring noise, that the same was heard (not without great woonder) a farre distance from the shore. Moreouer, the The sea seemeth to burne. same sea appeared in the darke of the night to burne, as it had béen on fire, and the waues to striue and fight togither after a maruellous sort, so that the mariners could not deuise how to saue their ships where they laie at anchor, by no cunning nor shift which Ships lost. Hertburne. Winchelsey. they could deuise. At Hertburne three tall ships perished without recouerie, besides other smaller vessels. At Winchelsey, besides other hurt that was doone in bridges, milles, breakes and banks, there were thrée hundred houses, and some churches drowned with the high rising of the water course. The countrie of Holland beyond the sea, and the marish land in Flanders, susteined inestimable damage, and in manie other places; by reason that riuers beaten backe and repelled (by the rising of the sea) swelled so high that they ouerflowed their chanels, and much hurt was doone in meadowes, bridges, milles, and houses.
