he and king Rich. had made agreemēt betwene Guido and Conradus the Marques about the kyngdome of Hierusalem, wēt from Achon to Tyrus: notwithstandyng kyng Richard, and all the Princes of the Christian army with great entreatie desired him to tary, shewyng what a shame it were for him to come so far, and now to leaue vndone that, for which he came, and on the third of August from Tyrus departed, leauyng his halfe part of the Citie of Achon in the handes of the foresayd Conradus Marques. After whose departure the Paganes refused to keepe their couenauntes made, who neither would restore the holy Crosse nor þ^e money, nor their captiues, sending word to kyng Richard, that if he beheaded the pledges left w^t hym at Achon, they would choppe of þ^e heades of such captiues of the Christians, which were in their handes. Shortly after this þ^e Saladine sēding great giftes to kyng Rich. requested the tyme limited for beheadyng of the captiues to be proroged: but the kyng refused to take his giftes, and to graunt his request. MarginaliaChristian captiues slayne by the Saladine.Wherupon the Saladine caused all the Christian captiues within his possession forthwith to bee headed: which was the xviij. day of August. Which albeit kyng Richard vnderstode, yet would not he preuent the tyme afore limited for the execution of his prisoners, beyng the xx. day of August. MarginaliaThe Saracen captiues slayne by kyng Richard.Vppon which day he caused the prisoners of the Saracens, openly in the sight of the Saladines army to lose their heades: the number of whom came to two thousand and fiue hūdreth, saue onely that certeine of the principal of them he reserued for purposes and considerations, especially to make exchaunge for the holy Crosse, & certeine other of þ^e Christiā captiues.

After this kyng Richard purposed to besiege the Citie of Ioppe. Where by the way betwene Achon and Ioppe, nere to a towne called Assur, Saladine with a great multitude of his Saracens, came fiercely agaynst the kynges reare ward, but through Gods mercyfull grace, in the same battaile the kynges warriours acquited them so well, MarginaliaSaladine put to flight.that þ^e Saladine was put to flight (whom the Christiās pursued þ^e space of three myles) and lost the same day many of his nobles & Captaines. in such sort (as it was thought) that the Saladine was not put to such confusion xl. yeares before: and but one Christian Captaine called Iames Auernus in that conflict was ouerthrowen. MarginaliaA noble victory by Gods power gotten by kyng Richard agaynst the Saracens.From thence king Rich. procedyng further went to Ioppe and thē to Ascalon, where he found first the Citie of Ioppe forsaken of the Saracens, who durst not abyde the kinges commyng. Ascalon the Saladine threw down to the ground, MarginaliaKyng Richard in possession of Syria.and likewise forsoke the whole land of Syria, through all which land the kyng had free passage without resistance: neither durst þ^e Saracen Prince encounter after that with kyng Richard. Of all which his acheuaunces the sayd king Richard sent his letters of certificate as well into Englād, as also to þ^e Abbat of Clara valle in Fraunce, well hopyng that he, God wyllyng, should be able to make his repayre agayne to them by Easter next.

¶ A brief story of William Byshop of Ely the kynges Chauncellour.  

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William Longchamp

The Foxe Project was not able to complete the commentary on this section of text by the date by which this online edition was compiled (23 September 2008). This commentary will become available in due course from the 'Late Additions and Corrections' page of the edition.

MarginaliaThe story of William the proude Bishop of Ely.ANd now to leaue kyng Richard a while in the field, let vs make a steppe into England, & looke a litle what is done at home while the kyng was abroad, & so to returne to þ^e kyng agayne. Ye heard before how kyng Richard at his settyng forth committed the gouernement of the Realme to Hugo byshop of Durham, and to William Byshop of Ely, so that to the B. of Durham was committed the kepyng of the Castle: of Wyndsore: the other, which was the B. of Ely, had the kepyng of the tower of London, about which he caused a great ditch with a rampear to be cast, which is yet remainyng. MarginaliaVt iustè iudicarent clerum & populum, verba hist.Furthermore to these ij. Byshops, the king also assigned iiij. other chief Iustices, which ioyntly with them should haue the hearyng & ouersight of all causes as wel to þ^e Clergy as the laity apperteining, towitte, MarginaliaFoure chief Iustiers with ij. Bishops appointed ouerseers of the Realme in the kynges absence.Hugh Bardolf, William Marshall, Geffrey Peterson, and W. Bruer. But the Bishop of Ely was the principall, or at least, he that tooke most vpō hym. Who both was the kynges Chauncelour, and bought with his money to be the Popes Legate through England, Ireland, & Scotland, as is before specified. Touchyng the excessiue pride and pompe of which Bishop, his rufflynges outragious, and fall most shamefull, it would make a long tragedie to discourse the whole circumstances at full: Onely to demonstrate certeine especialties therof for our present purpose, it may suffice.

MarginaliaW. Longchamp b. of Ely L. Chauncelour, and þ^e Popes Legate.First, this W. called Longchamp beyng thus aduaunsed by the kyng to be his high Chauncelour, and chief Iustice of the Realme, and also þ^e Popes Legate, to shew abroad the authoritie of his Legatshyp, MarginaliaThe Church & belles of Yorke suspends because the L. Legate was not set in with procesion.began to suspende the Canons, Clerkes, and Vicares of the Church of S. Peter in Yorke, because they receaued him not with procession: vnder which interdiction hee held them, till they were fayne at last, both Canons, Clerkes, and Vicares to fall downe at his foote, causing also their Belles to be let downe out of the steple. After this commeth Hugo bishop of Durham, whom the kyng sent home out of Normandy with his letters, who metyng with the foresayd William Byshop of Ely in the towne of Blye, shewed him the kynges letters, wherein was graunted to hym the keepyng of Wyndsore Castle, and to be the kynges Iustice from the Riuer of Humber, to the borders of Scotland. To the which letters the Chauncelour aunswered, that the kynges commaundement should be done, & so brought him with him to Suwell, MarginaliaByshop of Ely getteth the castell of Wyndsore frō the B. of Durhā.where he tooke him, and kept him fast, till he was forced at last to surrender to hym the Castle of Wyndsore, and other thynges which the kyng had committed to hys custody: and moreouer was contrayned to leaue with the sayd Chauncelour Henry de Puteaco his owne sonne, & Gilbert Ley for pledges & hostages of his fidelitie to be true to the king and the Realme. And thus the B. of Durham beyng set at libertie, went to his towne of Houeden. MarginaliaHugo B. of Durhā vexed by W. byshop of Ely.Where after he had made his abode a few dayes, commeth thether Osbert Longchamp the Chauncelours brother, and W. Stuteuill, with a great company of armed men sent by the Chauncelour to apprehend hym. But the sayd Byshop of Durham puttyng in sureties not to departe that towne without licence of the king and of the Chauncellour, there still remained, till he got letters to be sent to the king, signifying how he was used. Wherupō þ^e kyng writyng his letters frō Marsilia to the B. of Ely, set the sayd Byshop of Durham free, and confirmed to hym all the possessions and grauntes that he before he geuen hym.

MarginaliaThe excessiue pride & of W. B. of Ely.It is almost incredible to thinke how intemperatly this Byshop and Chauncelour misused him selfe after the kynges departure into Syria in excesse of pride, and in cruell exactions and oppressions of the kynges subiectes. First his felow Iustices, whom the kyng ioyned with him for gouernement of the realme, he vtterly reiected, & refused to heare their coūsaile, reputyng none to be equall with him in all the Realme. Neither was he contēted with the authoritie of a Prelate, but playde both kyng and Priest in the Realme. All Castels, Lordshyps, Abbayes, Churches, and all other appropriations belongyng to the right of the kyng, he claymed to him selfe, and by vertue of his Legateshyp, when he came to any Byshops house, Abbay, Priory, or any other Religious house, he brought with him such a superfluitie of men, horses, dogges, and haukes, that the house was worse for it three yeares after. MarginaliaByshop of Ely neuer rode vnder a 1500. horse.For commōly he neuer rode vnder a 1500. horses of Chaplaynes, Priestes, and other seruyng men waytyng vpon hym. From þ^e Clergy & laytie he tooke away their Churches their vowsans, their liuynges, and landes, MarginaliaHis vanitie.to bestow, vpon his nephewes, and other waytyng Chaplaynes to serue his vayne glory, or els conuerted them to hys owne vse, to mainteine his pompe and vanitie. In get-