All which did sweare fealtie vnto the kyng. After which homage thus done to the kyng, the Legate Swalo interdicted Wales because they held with the foresayd Lewes: and also the Barons & all other as many as gaue helpe or counsell to Lewes, or any other that moued or styrred any warre agaynst Henry the new kyng, he accursed them. All whiche notwithstandyng, the sayd Lewes did not cease, but first layde siege to the Castel of Douer xv. dayes: MarginaliaBerchāsted and Hartford taken by Lewes.when he could not preuayle there, he tooke the Castell of Berkhamsted, & also the Castell of Hartford, doing much harme in the countreyes, in spoylyng & robbyng the people where they went: by reason whereof, the Lordes and Commons which held with the kyng, assēbled thēselues together, to driue Lewes and his men out of the land. MarginaliaLincolne taken by LewesBut some of the Barons with the Frenchmen, in the meane season went to Lyncolne and tooke the Citie, and held it to the vse of Lewes. Which beyng knowen, eftsoones a great power of the kynges part made thether, as the Earle Randolfe of Chester, William Earle Marshall and William de le Brues, Earle of Feres, with many other Lordes and gaue battaile vnto Lewes & his partie: Marginalia1217.so that in conclusion Lewes lost the field, and of his side were slaine the Earle of Perchys, Saer de Quincy Earle of Winchester, Hēry de la Boghon Earle of Herford, and Syr Robert le Fizwater, with diuers other mo. Wherupon Lewes for succour fled to London, causing the gates there to be shut and kept, wayting there for more succour out of Fraūce. Which as soone as the king had knowledge of, immediately sent to the Maior and Burges of the Citie, willyng them to render them and their Citie to hym as their chief Lord and Kyng, promising to graunt to them agayne all their fraunchies and liberties as in tymes past, and to confirme the same by his great charter and seale. MarginaliaThis Eustace some say he was a Spainyard.In this meane time on Bartholmew euē, Eustace a Frēch Lord, accompanied with many other Lordes and nobles of Fraunce, came with a great power, to the number of a hūdreth shyppes, to ayde and assiste the sayd Lewes. Who before they arriued, were encountered vpon the Seas by Richard kyng Iohns Bastard sonne, who hauyng no more but. xviij. shyppes to keepe the Cinque portes, set egerly vpon them, MarginaliaA noble victory by gods grace geuen to k. Iohns sonne.and through Gods grace, ouercame them. Where presently he smote of the head of Eustace, the rest of the french Lordes to the number of. x. he brought with him to the land, where he imprisoned thē in the Castell of Douer, & slue almost all their men that came with them, and sonke their shyppes in the Sea, onely, xv. shyppes (sayth some of my stories) escaped away. Ludouike or Lewes hearing this losse of his shyppes and men, and misdoubtyng his own life for the great mischief he had done to the Realme, sought meanes by Swalo, and the Archbyshop of Caunterbury and by other Lordes, to be at accorde with the kyng. With whom at length it was so concluded and agreed, that for his costes and expenses he to haue a thousand pound of siluer geuē. Parisiēs. MarginaliaEx Math. Parisiensi.speaketh of xv. thousād markes (which he borowed of the Londiners) that he should depart the realme, neuer to returne into England agayne, neither he nor none of his.

MarginaliaLewes the Frēch kings sonne driuen out of England.This done, & vpon the same, he with all the other Barons that tooke his part, was assoyled of Swalo the legate. And thus the peace beyng confirmed at Merton, Lewes tooke his leaue, and beyng brought honorably to the Sea with the Byshop of Canterbury & other byshops, Earles, and Barons, returned home into Fraunce.

And here sayth Gisburn. it was truly verified, that was before spokē of the Frēch kyng, father of Lewes: At what time the sayd Lewes was in Englād, his father the Frēch kyng demaunded of his messengers cōmyng into Fraunce, where his sonne was: and they sayd at Stamford: And he askyng agayne, whether he had got the Castell of Douer, and they sayd no: MarginaliaThe answere of the Frēch king concerning hys sone Lewes.Then the father swearyng by the arme of S. Iames: My sonne (quoth he) hath not one foote in England, as afterward well proued true. Ex Gisburn.

But the chiefest helpe that repelled Lewes & the Frēch men out of the realme, and that most preferred king Iohns sonne to the crowne, was the singuler workyng of Gods hand, wherof mention was made before pag. 259. which was through the confession of a certaine Gentleman of the French host (as Florilegus doth testifie) MarginaliaEx Florilego.Who lyeng sore sicke at the point of death, and seyng no hope to escape, was touched in conscience for daunger of his soules health openly to confesse & vtter to the Barons of England, what was the purpose of the Frenchmen to do: who were conspired & sworne together among themselues, with a priuy compactiō, that so soone as they subdued the land, they should thrust all the chief and nobles therof, into perpetuall exile out of the realme, where out they should neuer returne agayne. This, commyng to the eares of the Barons, as is sayd: gaue themMarginaliaAn admonition to Englishmen not to admitte foreine rulers into the realme.to consider more with themselues, whereby many of them were the more willyng to leaue Lewes, and apply to their naturall kyng and Prince. Which no lesse may also be an admonition to all tymes and ages, for Englishe men to take heede, not to admitte or to place foreine rulers into the Realme, least perhappes it follow that they be displased themselues.

After the happy departure of this Lewes & his French men out of the land, whereby the state of this Realme long vexed before, was now somewhat more quieted: MarginaliaIt is a bad winde that bloweth no man to profite.immediatly Swalo the Legate loking to his haruest, directeth forth inquisitors through euery shire, to searche out all such Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Canons and Seculer priestes, of what order or degree so euer they were, that with any succor or counsaile, did either helpe, or els consented to Lewes. For all these were exempted out of the charter of pardon & absolution made before, betwene the kyng and Lewes. MarginaliaMoney cōming in to the Pope & Cardinall.By reason whereof no small gayne grewe to the Pope and the Cardinall: for all such were either put out of their liuings, and sent vp to the Pope, or els were fayne to fine sweetely for them. Among whome (besides a great number of other clarkes, both religious and secular) was Hugo bishop of Lincolne: MarginaliaHugo B. of Lyncolne redemeth his Bishopricke for 1000 markes.who for the recouery of hys bishoprike, disbursed 1000. Markes to the Pope, and 100. Markes to the foresaid Swalo the Legate, who now (as Paris. recordeth) by this tyme had gathered in a faire crop of that, which he did neuer sow. Ex Mat. Paris. &c.MarginaliaEx Math. Paris. in vita Reg. Hen. 3.

MarginaliaPope Innocent the third.About this season or not much before, died pope Innocent the 3. in the 19. yere of hys popedome: to whose custody, Fridericus the nephew of Friderike Barbarossa being yet yong, was committed by the Empresse his mother, of whom more shal follow (the Lord willing) hereafter. MarginaliaPope Honorius the third.After this Innocent, next succeeded Pope Honorius the 3. who writing to yong K. Henry in a speciall letter, exhorted hym to the loue of vertue, and to the feare of God, namely to be circumspect with what familiars and resort, he acquainted himselfe: MarginaliaThe effect of the letter of Pope Honorius the. 3. to k. Hēry the 3.
Ex Parisien.but principally aboue all other monisheth hym to reuerence the church which is the spouse of Christ, and to honor the ministers therof, in whom Christ himselfe (sayth he) is both honored or despised. And this seemeth the chiefest article of that hys writing to hym.

MarginaliaA straunge tale of pope Honorius if it be true.Of this Pope Honorius, Abbas Vrspergensis (who lyued in the same tyme) reporteth a straunge wonder, more strange peraduenture then credible which is this: Honorius beyng priest in Rome (whose name was then Cētius) and procurator of Iacinctus a Cardinall. So it befell, that hys maister sent hym abroad about Rome, to borow & procure mony for hym agaynst his iourney into Spayne: for pope Clement then intended to send the sayd Iacinthus his Legate vnto Spayne. As this Centius was walkyng by hymselfe all sad and sollicitous to speede his maisters message, commeth to hym a certaine aged and reuerend father, & asketh him what cause he had to walke so heauy & carefull. To whom he aunswered agayne, and signified the occasion of hys businesse, what then he had to do. Then the old father sayd to him: Go and returne home agayne: for thy maister sayth he, shall not at this tyme goe to Spayne. How so quoth the other, how is that true? As true (said he) as it is certaine that the pope shall die, and the said thy maister shalbe Pope after hym. Centius thinkyng that to be vnlikely, sayd: he could not beleue that to be true. To whome the other inferreth agayne. So know this, sayd he, to be as certayne, as it is true that the citie Ierusalem this day is taken of the Saracens, and shall not be recouered from thē, before the tyme of thy papacie. And thus speakyng, sayeth Vrsperg. he voyded sodenly away. Ex Abbate Vrsperg. MarginaliaEx Abbate Vrsperg. in Chronico.All which sayth the sayde author came afterward to passe: and were testified of the same Honorius beyng Pope afterward in his publike sermons at Rome. All which I graunt may be, and yet notwithstanding this fabulous narration may be a piece of þ^e popes old practises subtilly inuented, to driue men forth to Ierusalem to fight, &c. Againe, after Honorius (when he had gouerned x. yeres) followed Gregorius the ix. which two Popes were in the tyme of this king Henry 3. and of Friderike the Emperour, of whome we mynde (Christ willyng) farther to touch, after that we shall haue prosecuted more, concernyng the history of king Henry and matters of England.

After that it so pleased the mercifull prouidence of almighty God, to worke this great mercy vpon the stocke of K. Iohn (which notwithstanding the vnkinde prelates w^t their false prophetes had declared before, that neuer none should succede in the throne after that king) & also vnto the whole common wealth of the realme, in deliueryng thē from the daungerous seruice of Ludouike and the foresaid French men. After their departure, the next yeare followyng, anno