French kyng and pope Boniface. Albeit as touching the perfect kepyng of yeares and tyme, I am not ignoraunt that this foresayd Parlament thus sommoned and commenced agaynst the French prelates, fallyng in þ^e yeare of our Lord. 1329. was to be referred rather to þ^e reigne of kyng Edward the ii. Of whō now remayneth (by the grace of Christ) in order of Historie to prosectue, declaring first þ^e instructiōs & informacions of his father geuē to him in þ^e tyme of his departyng.  

Marginalia1307.
The sicknes and death of king Edward.The yere of our lord 1307. and the last yeare of the kyng, the foresayd kyng Edward in his iourney marchyng toward Scotland: in the North fell sick of the flixe, whiche increased so feruētly vpō him, that he despered of life. Wherfore, calling before him his Earles & Barons, caused thē to be sworne, that they should crowne his sonne Edward is such conuenient time after his death as they might, and kepe the land to his vse, til he were crowned. MarginaliaGodly lessons and preceptes geuen to the yong prince.That done, he called before him his sonne Edward, informyng and lessoning him with wholesome precepts, & charged him also with diuers pointes vpon his blessyng: first that he should be courteous, gentle, vpright in iudgement, fayre spoken to all men, constant in dede and word, familiar w^t the good: and especially, to þ^e miserable to be merciful. After this, he gaue hym also in charge, not to be to hastie in taking his crowne, before he had reuenged his fathers iniuries stoutly agaynst the Scottes: MarginaliaThe kyng commaūdeth his bones to be caried in the field against the Scottes.but that he should remaine in those parties to take w^t him his fathers bones, beyng well boiled from the flesh, & so inclosed in some fit vessel, shoulde carye them with hym till he conquered all the Scots: saying, that so long as he had his fathers bones with him, none should ouercome him. Moreouer, he willed and required hym, to loue his brother Thomas, and Edmund: also to cherish and tender his mother Margaret the quene. MarginaliaThe fatherly care of K. Edward in exluding wycked company from his sonne.Ouer and besides, he stratly charged hym vpon his blessing (as he would auoyde his curse) that he should in no case call to hym agayne, or send for Peter Gaueston: whiche Peter Gaueston the kyng before had banished the realme, for his naughtie and wicked familiaritie with his sonne Edward, and for his seducyng of him with sinister counsaile. For the which cause, he banished both Peter Gauestn vtterlye out of the realme, and also put the sayd Edward his sonne in prison. And therfore so straitly charged his sonne, in no wise to send for this Gauestō, or to haue him in any case about him. MarginaliaA rashe vowe of K. Edward. The kinges harte to bee caried to the holy land.And finally, because he had conceaued in him selfe a vowe to haue returned his owne persō to the holy land (which for hys manifold warres with the Scottes he could not performe) therfore he had prepared xxxii. thousād poūdes of siluer, for the sendyng of certaine souldiers with hys hart vnto the holy land. Which thing he required of his son to see accōplished. So that the foresayd mony, vnder hys cruse & malediction, be no employed to other vses. But these iniunctiōs & precepts, the disobedient sōne did nothyng obserue or kepe, after the deceass of his father. Who forsakyng & leauyng of þ^e war w^t the Scots, with all spede hasted hym to his coronation. Also, cōtrary to þ^e mind of al his Nobles & against the precept of his father he sent for the foresaid Gaueston, & prodigallie bestowed vpon him all that treasure whiche his father had bequested to þ^e holy lād. He was moreouer a proud despiser of his peers and nobles. And therfore reigned infortunatly, as by the sequell of the story here folowyng, by þ^e grace of christ, shalbe declared. Thus king Edward first of that name, leauyng behynd him iii. sonnes, Thomas and Edmund by his third wife, and Edward by his first wife, whom he had sufficiētly thus w^t preceptes instructed, departed this mortall life. an. 1307. after he had reigned nere xxxv. yeres. Of whō this Epitaph was writtē.

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MarginaliaThe epitaphe of k. Edward.
Dum viguit rex, et valuit tua magna potestas.
Fraus latuit, pax magna fuit, regnauit honestas.  

In the time & reigne of this king, many other things happened, which here I omit to speake of: asþ^e long discorde & strife betwene the Prior of Cant. and the Priorof Douer, which continued aboue. 4. yeres together: w^t much wrangling and vnquietnes betwene them. Like wise, an other like contention growing betwene Iohn Romain Archb. of Yorke, & the Archb. of Cant. vpon the occasion: þ^t whē I. Archb. of Yorke after his consecratiō returning from the pope and cōming to Douer, contrary to the inhibition of Cant. passed through the midle of Kent, with his crosse borne vp: although the story reporteth, that he had the kings consent therunto. An. 1286.

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Item, betwene Tho. bishop of Hereford, & Iohn Pecham Archb. of Cant. fell an other wrangling matter, in the tyme of this kyng. Which B. of Hereford appealing from the Archb. to the pope, went. vp to Roe, and in his iourney dyed. Who with lesse cost might haue taryed at home. 1282.

MarginaliaKing Edwarde the second.EDward the second of that name & sonne of Edwarde the first borne as is aforesayd at Carnaruan in Wales: after the departure of his father, entred the gouernement of the land. ann. 1307. Marginalia1308.But was crowned not before the yeare next folowyng. an. 1308. Whiche Edward as he was personable in body and outward shape, so in conditions and euill disposition much deformed. As vnstedfast of worde, and light to disclose secretes of great counsaile: Also refusing the company of his Lordes and mē of honour: He much haūted among villanes and vyle personages: Geuen moreouer, to ouermoch drinckyng, and such vices as therupon be wont to ensue. And as of his owne nature he was to þ^e sayd vices disposed, MarginaliaKing Edwarde led by wicked counsailors.so was he much worse by the counsaile and familiaritie of certaine euill disposed persons, as first of Peter or Pierse Gauestō before touched. Thē after him of the two Spensers and other, whose wanton counsail he folowyng, gaue hym self to the appetide and pleasure of the body: nothing ordering his cōmon weale by sadnes, discretion and iustice: whiche thyng caused first great variance betwene him and his nobles, so that shortly he became to them odible, and in end was depriued of his kyngdome. In the first yeare, he tooke to wife Isabell daughter of Philippe kyng of Fraunce: with whom (the yere after) he was crowned at Westminster, by the Byshop of Winchester: for that, Robert Winchelsey archbishop of Canterbury, was yet in exile not returned home. MarginaliaPeter Gaueston or Gauerston, a wicked doer about the kyng.Notwithstandyng, the barons & Lordes made first their request to the kyng to put Peter Gauestō frō hym, or els they would not consent to hys coronation. Wherupon, he was enforced to graunt them at the next parlament, to haue their requestes accomplished, and so was crowned. In the meane season, the foresayd Peter or Piers bearyng him self of þ^e kyngs fauour bold: continued triumphyng and settyng at lyght all other states & nobles of the realme, so that he ruled both the kyng & the realme, and all things went as he would. Neither had þ^e kyng any delight els, or kept companie with any, but w^t him: with him onely he brake all his minde, and cōferred all his counsailes. This as it semed straunge vnto the Lordes and Earles, so it inflamed their indignation the more agaynst this alliance, this Peter I meane. Marginalia1310Thus the tyme proceded, and at length the parlament appointed came an. 1310. whiche was the fourth of this kings reigne. The articles were drawn by þ^e nobles to be exhibited to the kyng, which articles were þ^e same conteyned in magna charta, and de foresta aboue specified: with such other articles as hys father had charged hym with before: to witte, that he should remoue from him and hys court, all alienes and peruerse counselours. And that all the matters of the common wealth should be debated by common counsaile of the Lordes both temporall and spirituall: & that he should stirre no warre out of Englande in any other foreine realme, without the common assent of the same. &c. The kyng perceauing thier intent to be,

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