An. Reg. 5.
Matth. Paris.
Polydor.
The French king inuadeth Normandie.
In this meane time the French king, to bring his purpose to full effect, entred into Normandie, wasted the countries, and wan the townes of Cowches, le Val de Rueil, and Lisle Dandele. Le Val de Rueil wis giuen ouer without any great inforcement of assault, by two noble men that had charge thereof, the one named Robert Fitz Walter, and the other Saer de Quincie. Howbeit Lisle Dandele was valiantlie for a certeine time defended by Roger de Lacie the conestable of Chester. But at length they within were so constreined by famine and long siege, that the said Lacie and others perceiuing it to be Roger de Lacie conestable of Chester taken. more honourable for them to die by the sword, than to starue through want of food, brake out vpon their enimies, and slue a great sort of the Frenchmen, but yet in the end they were taken prisoners, and so these fortresses came into the French kings hands.
The pope sendeth his Nuncij into France.
The pope hearing of these variances betwixt the two kings, sent the abbat of Casiner into France, accompanied with the abbat of Troisfons, to mooue them to a peace. These two abbats tooke such paines in the matter, that the kings were almost brought to agréement. But the French king perceiuing himselfe to be aforehand in his businesse, sticked at one article, which was to repaire all such abbeies as he had destroied within the dominions of king John: and king John to doo the like by all those that he had wasted within Gaguinus. the French kings countries. The popes Nuncij would haue excommunicated king Philip, bicause he would not thus agrée. But king Philip appealing from them, pursued the Polydor. warre, and besieged the towne of Radpont. The souldiers within the towne defended the first assault verie manfullie, and caused the Frenchmen to retire backe: but king Philip meaning to haue the towne yer he departed, did so inclose it about, that within ten daies Radpont woone. he wan it, and tooke there twentie men of armes, an hundred demilances, and twentie arcubalisters.
Castell Galiard.
After this, when he had fortified this place, he went to castell Galiard, which he besieged; and though by the high valiancie of Hugh de Gourney the capteine there, the Frenchmen were manfullie beaten backe, and kept out for a moneth and more, yet at Matth. Paris. length by streict siege and neare approches hardlie made, the fortresse was deliuered into Hugh de Gourney reuolteth from king John. Polydor. the French kings hands. And in the end the said Hugh Gourney reuolted from his obedience, deliuering also the castell of Mountfort vnto the French king, which castell with the honor thereto apperteining king John had giuen to the same Hugh, not verie long before. All this while king John did lie at Rouen: but forsomuch as he could not well remedie the matter as then, bicause he wanted such helpe as he dailie looked for out of England, and durst not trust any of that side, he passed it ouer with a stout countenance for a while, and would saie oftentimes to such as stood about him; ‘What else dooth my coosen the French K. now, than steale those things from me, which hereafter I shall indeuour my selfe to cause him to restore with interest?’ But when he saw that his enimies would still procéed, and that no aid came out of England, K. John commeth back into England. he came ouer himselfe, and landed at Portesmouth on S. Nicholas day.
King Philip doubting by vsing the victorie with too much rigor, least he should bring the Normans into a desperate boldnesse, and so cause them for safegard of their liues to hazard all vpon resistance, he staied for a time, and withdrew his souldiers backe againe into France, hauing not onelie furnished those places in the meane time which he had wun, with strong garisons of his souldiers, but also appointed certeine personages to trauell with the people, yet remaining in the English subiection, to reuolt and turne from king John, to his obeisance and subiection.
King John being returned into England, accused diuerse of his Nobles for shewing themselues negligent and slothfull in aiding him, according to his commandement, alledging furthermore, that being destitute of their due and requisite seruice, he was constreined to lose his time in Normandie, as not being able for want of their aid to resist his enimies. Wherefore for this and other matters laid to their charges, he did put them to greeuous fines. By meanes whereof, and by leauieng a subsidie of his people, he got togither an huge summe of monie. This subsidie was granted him in a parlement holden at Oxenford, and begun there vpon the second of Januarie 1204, wherein of euerie knights fée Matth. Paris. A parlement at Oxenford. was granted the summe of two markes and an halfe. Neither were the bishops, abbats, nor any other ecclesiasticall persons exempted, by meanes whereof he ran first into the 1204. hatred of the clergie, and consequentlie of manie other of his subiects: so that they failed A subsidie granted. him at his néed, whereby he often susteined no small damage, which he might haue preuented and withstood, if he had beene so qualified with discretion as to haue séene what was conuenient and what inconuenient for his roiall estate. But
------voluntasas it did to him, which may be gathered by a due obseruation of the consequence. ¶ This yeare the aire toward the north and east parts séemed to be on a bright fire for the space of six houres togither. It began about the first watch of the night, on the first of Aprill. King John about the beginning of this sixt yeare of his reigne, sent in ambassage to
Improba perniciem ingentem mortalibus affert,
