to Berwyke. But in the meane time, the Scottes by an other way, inuaded the marches of Yorkeshyre, robbing & harieng the coūtrey, þ^t they slewe much people. Wherfore, the archbishop of Yorke, and other Abbots, Priors, clerkes, with husbandmen: assembled a great company, MarginaliaThe white battail of the spiritual men in Yorkeshireand gaue them battell at a place called Mytton, where the Englishmen were discomfited and many of them slaine: but the Archbishop, and the Abbot of Selby, and diuers other, there escaped. But because there were so many spirituall men there slayne, it was called therfore the whyte battaile. By reason wherof, the king hearyng of this, and partlye because wynter dyd approche, was contrayned to breake vp hys siege, and so returned not without great daunger.

MarginaliaThe 2. Spensers. Hugh Spenser.At this tyme the ij. Spensers (syr Hugh Spenser the father, and Hugh Spenser þ^e sonne) were of great power in England, and by the fauour of the king practised such crueltie, and bare themselues so haughtlye and proude: that no Lorde of this land might gainesaye them in any thing þ^t they thought good, wherby they were in greate hatred and indignation both with the nobles, and the commons, no lesse then Peter Gaueston was before.

MarginaliaTwo legates sent frō Rome.Soone vpon this, came two legates from Rome, sent by pope Ihon the xxij. vnder pretense to set agrement betwene England and Scotland: MarginaliaThe popes pillage.who for their charges & expenses, required of euery spiritual person iiii. d. in euery marke. But all their labour nothing auailed: For the legates as they were in the North partes (about Derlinghton) with their whole familie and trayne: MarginaliaThe popes legates dispoiled of all their yll gotten treasure.were robbed & dispoiled of their horses, treasure, apparell, & what elles they had, and so with an euill fauoured handlyng retired backe agayne to Duresme, where they stayde a while wayting for an aunswere from the Scottes. MarginaliaThe popes curse contemned of the ScottesBut when neither the popes legacy nor his curse would take any place with the Scottes: they returned agayne to Lōdon, where they first excommunicated & cursed as black as sooute, all those arrogant and presumptuous robbers of Northūberland. Secondly, for supplieng of the losses receaued, they exacted of the clergy to be geuen and paid vnto them, viii. d. in euery marke. MarginaliaThe clergy of England denieth to contribute to the popes legates.But the clergy therunto would not agree, seyng it was their own couetousnes (as they sayd) þ^t made thē venter farther thē they neded. Onely they were contented to leaue them after. iiii. d. in a marke, as they promised before, further they would not graunt. And thus the foresayd Cardinals takyng what they could get, and settyng a peace (such as it was) betwene the kyng and the Earle of Lancaster: so departed they soone after to the Popes court agayn. But thys peace betwene the kyng and the Earle of Lancaster, did not long endure: which þ^e kyng by his owne default dyd breake, sending to the Scottes a priuy messenger (which was taken in the way) to haue the foresayd Earle of Lācaster by their meanes, made away. &c.

MarginaliaThe pryde of the Spensers.In the meane time, the Lordes and nobles of Englād detesting the outragious pride of the Spensers, wherby they wrought dayly both great dishonour to the kyng, & hinderance to the common weale: in such wise conspired against them, that gathering their power together, they made a request to the kyng, þ^t he should remoue the Spēsers from his person. For the which, there was a parlament called at London, and the Barons came together with a great company. At whiche parlament, both the Spēsers were banished the land for terme of their liues: and they tooke shippyng at Douer & so voyded the land. But it was not long after, but the kyng (cōtrary to that ordinaunce made in the parlament) sent for the Spensers agayn, and set them in highe autoritie, and ruled all things after their sensuall appetites, nothing regarding iustice nor the commō wealth. Wherfore, the barons entending agayn to reforme this mischief, assembled their powers: but þ^e king (making so hasty spede, & gathering his people so soone) was stronger then they, and pursuedthem so in diuers places: that the barōs not fully ioyned together (som flieng, & some departing to the king, some slayne by the way) in the end were chased so egerly: Marginalia1321.that in short space, the foresayd Thomas earle of Lancaster MarginaliaThis Thomas earle of Lancaster came of Edmund, younger sonne of kyng Henry. 3.was takē and put to death, with the rest of the nobilitie, to the number of xxii. of the greatest men, & chiefest captaines of this realme. Of whom only, Thomas earle of Lancaster for the nobilitie of hys bloud, was beheaded: Marginalia22. of the greatest nobilitie of the realme, put to death by the kyng.All the other Lordes and Barons, were hanged, drawn, and quatered. &c. Whiche bloudy vnmercifulnes of the kyng toward his naturall subiects, not onely to him procured great dishonour within þ^e realme, but also turned afterward to hys much more greater harme and hinderaunce, in his foreine warres agaynst the Scottes: And finally wrought hys vtter confusion and ouerthrowe of hys seat royall, as in the sequell of hys ende appeared, & worthely.

Marginalia1322.After the ruine of these noble personages: the kyng as though he had gotten a great conquest (who then in dede began first to be ouercome and conquere him selfe, when he so oppressed and cut of the strength and sinewes of his chilualrey) MarginaliaThe cruell reioycing of the kyng.began to triumphe not a litle with hys Spēsers: And to conne himself sure as though he were in heauen, to exercise more sharpe seueritie vpon his subietes, trustyng and committing all to the counsaile onely of the foresaid Spēsers: in so much, that both þ^e quene and the residue of the other nobles could litle be regarded. Who as they grew euer in more contempt with the kyng: so they increased in more hatred agaynst the Spēcers: but strength & habilitie lacked, to worke their will.

Marginalia1323.The next yere, the kyng beyng at Yorke, after he had made Syr Hugh Spenser Earle, & Syr Ihon Baldocke a mā of euill fame to be chauncelour of England: he thē arered a mighty host agaynst the Scottes. MarginaliaThe king distressed agayne in Scotland.But for lacke of skilfull guidyng, expert Captaines, and for want specially of due prouision of vitayles necessarie for such an army: the great multitude, to the number rekened of an hundreth thousand (wandering through Scotland, from whence the Scottes, had conueyed all their goodes and cattell into mountaines, and marishes) were so pinched and starued with famine: that a great part of the army, ther presētly perished: & thei that returned home, as soone as they tasted of meates, escaped not. The kyng, neither hauing any resistaunce of his enemies, and seyng such a destruction of his subiectes: was forced without any acte done to retire. But in his retyring, Syr Iames Duglas and the Scottes hauing knowledge therof, pursued him in such wise: that they slue many Englishe men, and had well nere taken the king him selfe. After which distresse, the king thus beaten and weryed with the Scottes, was fayne to ioyne in truce with them for xiii. yeres.

MarginaliaPolydorus Verigilius, an Italian writer of our english stories.Polidorus Vergilius among other histories of our English nation whiche he intermedleth withall, prosecuting also the actes and life of this present kyng, and cōmyng to wryte of the quenes goyng ouer into Fraunce: inferreth much varietie and diuersitie of autours and story writers, cōcering þ^e cause therof. Otherwise, he geueth him self no true certeintie of that matter, neither yet toucheth he that whiche was the cause in dede. By reason partly, that he beyng an Italiā and a forener, could not vnderstand our English toung. And partly agayn being but one man, neither could he alone come to the sight of all our Latine autors. One I am sure came to his perusing, an olde auncient Latine history fayre written in parchment (but without name) belonging to the library of Williā Cary citisen of Lond. In the which story, the truth of this matter without all ambiguitie is there fully and withall circumstaunces expressed, as here brefely is excerpted.

Marginalia1324The kyng of England had been diuers and sondry times cited vp to the court of Fraunce, to do homage to the French kyng, for the dukedome of Aquitanie & other