Scootchen. Wherupon eftsones king Edward made answer vnto the pope again, directing vnto him his letters wherein he declareth at large his righte and title vnto þ^e crown of France, pourging therby him self & his cause vnto þ^e bishop. The copie & tenure of which letter, because it is long to expresse, it is to be founde in the story of Robertus Auesbur. remaining in the library of I. Steuenson citisen of London, who so hathe list or leasure to peruse the same. Besides this letter to the Pope, he directeth an other to the Piers and prelates of Fraunce, (he remaining yet at Gaunt) in tenure as foloweth.

MarginaliaKing Edward to the nobles and commons of france.EDward by the grace of God kyng of Fraunce and of England, Lord of Ireland: Vnto all prelats and the ecclesiastical persons, to the Pieres, Dukes, Earles, Barons, and to the Commons of Fraunce, greetyng: The hygh Lord and kyng aboue, to whom although hys wyl be in hys own power, yet would that power shoulde be subiect vnto law: commaundyng euerye thyng to be geuen to hym which is hys, declaryng thereby that iustice and iudgement ought to be the preparation of the kings seate. MarginaliaThe title of France how it came to king Edward.Wherfore, seyng the kingdome of Fraūce through the prouidēce of God by the deth of Charles last kyng of Frāce of famous memory, brother Germain to our Lady mother, is fallen vnto vs by playne & manifest law: And for so muche that Lord Philip de Valois, being the son of the Vncle of the foresayde kyng, and so beyng farther from the crowne by a farther degree of consanguinitie: Through force and vsurpation hath intruded hymself in the foresayd kyngdome (whilest we were yet in our Minoritie) and so contrary both to God & to iustice doth detayne and occupy the same: And least we should seeme to neglect our own right & the gyft geuē vs of God, or not to submit our wyl to Gods deuine ordinaunce: We haue thought good to acknowledge the title of Frāce, & by supportatiō of the almighty kyng haue taken vpō vs the defence and regiment of the sayd kyngdome: Firmlye purposing with our selues (as euery good man ought to do) graciously to minister iustice to euerye one, accordyng to the rites and lawdable custome of the foresaid kingdom. Als to renue the good lawes and customes whych haue bene in the tyme of Ludouike our progenitour, adding to moreouer, that whych shal seeme expedient according to the condition and qualitye of the tyme. As by anye chaunge of coyne or any other inordinate exactions, we entend not to seeke our profyt by your detriments: whē as (the almyghty be praysed therefore) we abounde and haue inough. And as cōcerning the affaires of the realm, our purpose is not to procede rashly or by our own wil, but by the discrite aduise and coūcell of the Pieres, Prelates, Nobles, & other our faythful subiects of the kingdome so far foorth as shall make for the honour of God, the defence and aduauncement of the church (which in all fulnes of deuotion we doo reuerence) and to the profyt both publike and priuate of all the subiectes therof, with full execution of iustice by the grace of God to be executed vpon all and synguler persons, beyng earnestly carefull for the honour, profyt, and trāquility of you all. For as the Lord knoweth, nothyng shal be more grateful to vs, then þ^t by our carefull solicitude peace may be engendred, specially betwixt vs and vniuersallye among all Christen men: so that by our concord, the force & strength of all Christian princes maye be ioyned together for the recouery of the holy land, whych our sauiour and redeemer hath dedicated with hys own proper blood, MarginaliaNote the grosenes of this time where the blud of Christ was thought but only dedicated to the holy lādwhereunto we wyll indeuour our selues through the grace of the holy Ghost. And for as muche as we haue offered to the foresayde Lord Philip diuers frendlye and reasonable conditions of peace, whereunto he would neither cōdescende, neither agree to any reasonable conformation: yea rather moueth agaynst vs vniust warre, to the vtter subuersion of our state: we are inforced of necessity to the vttermost of our power (for the defence both of vs, and recouerye of our ryght) to defende our selues by force of battayle: not seekyng anye slaughter of good and humble subiectes, but desiryng theyr safegard and profit. For the whych cause, all & singuler such subiectes of the kingdome of Fraunce, whych shall submit them selues to vs as the true kyng of Fraunce, wythin the feast of Easter next ensuyng: professing vnto vs theyr fealty, and doing to vs as to the kyng of Fraunce by duty apertayneth, so as our beloued subiectes of Flaunders haue done alrea-dy, or be ready to offer them selues so to do: all suche we wyllingly admyt and receaue to our peace and grace vnder our protection to be defended, them to mayntayn as is conuenient, from all molestation & disquietnes what soeuer, in person or goods hereafter to be inforced eyther by vs or by our officers, vpon what soeuer occasion of rebellion afore passed. And for as much as the premises, cānot easely bee intimated to all and singular persons: we haue prouided the same to be fyxed vpon church doores & other publike places, wherby the manifest notice therof may come to all men, to the comfort of you that be to vs deuout, and to the true information of them, whych through sinister surmises of our enemies are otherwyse informed of vs. Dated at Gaunt the. 8. day of February the yeare of our kyngdome of Fraunce the fyrst, of England the. xiiij.

This done, for that the winter then drew on, neither was there any hope as the tyme serued, of farther doing good: the kyng thought best for a seasō to returne again to England with his companie, giuing ouer the warres vntill the nexte spryng and so did, takyng shippyng and so ariued at Douer. MarginaliaSouthāptō burnt and spoyled by the frenchmen.Whē he came to London, it was declared vnto him, of the great spoyle the Frenchmen had made at South hampton: Who aunswered agayn that within one yeare, he doubted not the same to be wel paid for and recompēced. And accordyng to the same purpose of his, he lyngered no tyme but callyng a parlament at Westminster: with much grudge & euil will of hys subiects, was for the maintenāce of his wars graūted to him a great subsidie, which was the v. part of euery mans goodes, and also the custome of his woolles ij. yeares before hand, and the 9. shefe of euery mannes corne. At the spring, the kyng agayne prepared his army, and rygged his nauie purposing to land in Flaunders. MarginaliaCounsail of the Archb. geuē to the king.But the archbishop of Canterbury, then Lord Chauncelour hauyng vnderstandyng of the French power vpon the sea lyeng for the king, gaue him aduertisemēt therof willyng him more stronglier to go or els not to vēture. But the kyng not crediting the archbishop, and being angry with him therfore, said that he would go forward: whereupon, the bishop resigned the Chauncelourshyp, and remoued him selfe from his counsel. Then the kyng consulting hereupon farther with the Lord Morley, hys Admiral, and others (hearyng also the same of them) furnished him self wyth stronger power, and cōmitted him to his ship: and did so much, that a few dayes before mydsomer, he was vpon the sea with a great fleet. MarginaliaBattel vpon the sea betwen king Edward & french mē.Before þ^e towne of Sluse, the French kyng to stop hys passage, had layd ready a great nauie well neare to the nomber of xx. score sayle: & had made the Christopher of Englād (which before the Frenchmē toke at Southhāpton) their Admiral: betwixt which two nauies, was a lōg and terrible fight. But in þ^e end, þ^e victory by Gods grace fel to þ^e kyng of Englād, in which fight he him self was personally. MarginaliaThe french men beaten vpon the sea.So þ^t of the number of 30000. thousād French mē, few or none were left and escaped alyue, and two hundreth sayle of shyppes taken: in one of the which, were found 400. deade bodies.

After this great slaughter of the French men (of whō many for feare of the sword lept into the sea) when no man durst bring tidinges thereof to the Frenche kyng: They which were next about the kyng, did suborne hys foole, to insinuate the vnderstanding therof by subtilty of couert wordes, which was thus. MarginaliaThe words of the foole to the frēch king.As the foresayd foole being in þ^e kings presēce, & was talking of many things: among other talk, he sodenly brast out (being prōpt by others) into a vehment rayling of the English men, callyng them cowardes and dastars, with many suche opprobrious wordes, tending to that effect. The kyng not knowing whereunto the woordes of the foole did appertayne: asked the foole, why he called the Englishe men such weakelinges and cowardes. &c. Why, sayth the foole? Because the fearefull and cowardly englishe men had not the hartes to leape into the sea so lustely, as our Normandes, and gentlement of Fraunce had. Where-