MarginaliaA mery Apophthegma of the kynges Chaplayne.saunt conceited man, thus merely came to the king, asking a question, what was the thyng most pernitious & daungerous of all other thinges to them that trauaile by þ^e Seas? That, sayd the kyng, is best knowne to such as trauaile in that kynde of trafficke. Nay, sayth he, this is easie to be tolde. They demaunding what it was: forsoth (quoth he) stones and rockes, alluding merely, but yet truely to the Byshop of Winchester, whose name and surname was Petrus de Rupibus For so Petræ in Latine signifieth stones, and Rupes rockes. Notwithstanding the kyng either not perceauing the meaning, or not amending the fault, agayne signifieth to his nobles, to speake with him at Westminster. But they fearing some trayne to be layd for them, refused to appeare: sendyng playne word to the kyng by solemne message, MarginaliaThe message of the nobles to the kyng.that his grace without all delay should seclude from him Peter B. of Winchester and other alians of Pictauia, or if he would not, they with the common assent of the Realme, would displace hym wyth his wicked coūsaillours from hys kyngdome, and haue within themselues tractation for chusing a new kyng.

The kyng at the hearing of this message being mightly moued, partly to feare, partly to indignation, especially hauing the late example of king Iohn his father before his eyes, was cast in great perplexitie, doubting what was best to be done. But Winchester with his wicked counsaile so wrought with the kyng, that he proceeded wyth all seueritie agaynst them: MarginaliaWarre raised by the kyng agaynst hys nobles.In so much that in short time the sparkles of poysoned counsayle kindling more and more, grew to a sharpe battayle betwene the kyng, and Richard Earle Marshall, wyth other nobles, to the great disquietnes of the whole realme. MarginaliaGreat thunders & floods in England.The which warre before was presignified by terrible thundering and lightenyng heard all England ouer in the moneth of March, wyth such aboundance of raine and floudes growing vpon the same, as cast downe milnes, ouercouered the fieldes, threw down houses, and did much harme through the whole Realme.

To prosecute here at large the whole discourse of thys warre betwene the king and Earle Marshall, which continued neare the space of two yeares, to declare all þ^e partes and circumstaunces therof, what trouble it brought, what damage it wrought to þ^e whole realme, what traines were layde, what slaughter of men, what wast of whole countreis ensued from Wales vnto Shrewsbery, how þ^e Marshall ioyned hymselfe wyth Leoline Prince of Walles, how the Pictauians were almost all slaine & destroyed, how the kyng was distressed, what forgerie wily Wint. wrought by the kings letters to entrappe þ^e Marshall, & to betray hym to the Irishmen, among whom he was at length slayne, all thys I referre to other authours, who at large doe entreat of the same, as Math. Pariens. Florilegus and such other. This is to be noted and obserued (which rather perteineth to our Ecclesiasticall history) to see what sedition and continuall disquietnes was in those dayes among all Christen people almost, beyng vnder the Popes Catholicke obedience. But especially to marke the corrupt doctrine then reigning, it is to be meruailed, or rather lamentated, to see the king and the people then so blinded in þ^e principall point and article of their saluatiō, MarginaliaMonasteries builded pro redemptione anima.as we finde in stories which making mention of a house or Morasterie of Conuertes builded the same yeare by the kyng at Londō, doe expresse in playne wordes, that he then did it Pro redemptione animæ suæ, & Regis Ioannis patris sui, & omnium antecessorum suorum. i. For the redemption of hys soule, of the soule of kyng Iohn his father, and for þ^e soules of al his aunciters &c. wherby may be vnderstād in what palpable darkenes of blinde ignoraunce the sely soules redemed by Christ, were then inwrapped, which did not know, nor yet were taught the right doctrine and first principles of their redemption. Ex Math. Pariens. pag. 86.

MarginaliaIohn Archb. of Cant. elected by the Chapter and againe vnelected by the Pope.Mention was made a litle before pag. 278. of dissoluing the election of Iohn Prior of Cāterbury, which was chosen by the Monkes to be Archbyshop of þ^e said Church of Canterbury, but by the Pope was defeited. After whō one Iohn Blund was elected, who trauailyng vp to Rome this yeare an. 1233. to be confirmed of the Pope, was also repealed and vnelected agayne, for that it was thought in England, & so complayned of to the Pope, that he had receaued of Peter Byshop of Winchester a thousand markes, and had an other thousand promised hym of the sayd Winchester. MarginaliaCorruption of bribes.Who by his money thought to make hym of hys side, and also wrote to the Emperour to helpe forward his promotion in the Court of Rome. Notwythstanding both he wyth his geuing, and the other with his taking of bribes were both detected & disappointed of their purpose. For the Pope hating then the Emperour, for the same cause admitted not the election, pretending the cause, for that he was proued to hold two benefices without hys dispensation. MarginaliaEdmund Archb. of Canterbury.After whom by the commaundement of the Pope one Edmund Chanon of Salisbury was ordeyned Archbyshop, and had hys Palle sent to hym from the pope. MarginaliaSaint. Edmund. Canonysed.Which Edmund after for his vertues was Canonised of the Popish Monkes there for a Saint, and called S. Edmund. MarginaliaRobert Grosted made Bishop of Lincolne.About which time also Robert Grosted was made B. of Lincolne.

This Edmund accompanyed wyth other Byshops, during this trouble betwene the kyng and hys nobles, being in counsaile at Westminster, in the yeare next insuing, which was. MarginaliaAn. 1234.1234. came vttering their mynde boldly in the name of the Lords, and declaring vnto the kyng as became hys faithfull seruauntes, that hys counsaile, which then he folowed, was not sound, nor safe, but cruell and daungerous both to hym and to the state of the Realme, MarginaliaFaithful counsayle of the Byshops giuen to the kyng.meanyng the counsayle of Peter Winchester and of Peter Riuall, wyth their adherentes.

MarginaliaThe counsaile of Winchester & such other Byshops about the kyng disproued for certeyne causes.1. FIrst, and in primis, for that they hate and contemne the English nation, calling them traytours and rebels: and turnyng the kynges hart from the loue of his naturall subiects, and the hartes of them from hym, as appeareth by the Erle Marschall and other, sowyng discorde among them.

2. Item, by the sayd Counsaile, to wyt, by the foresayd B. and hys fellowes, king Iohn the kinges father lost first the hartes of his Barons, after that lost Normandy, and afterward other landes also, and in the end wasted all his treasure, so that since that tyme the regiment of England had neuer no quiet after.

3. By the sayd counsaile also, in their tyme and memory, the kyngdome of England had bene troubled and suspēded, and in conclusiō became tributary, she that was before the Prince of Prouincies: and so warre insuyng vpō the same, the sayde king Iohn hys father incurred great daunger of death, and at last was extinguised, lackyng both peace of hys kyngdome and of hys owne hart.

4. Item by the sayd counsaile the Castle of Bedford was kept long tyme agaynst the king, to the great losse both of men and treasure, beside the losse of Rupella, to the shame of the realme of England.

5. Moreouer, through their wicked counsaile, at this present, great perturbation semed to hang ouer the whole realm, for els if it had not bene for their counsail, and that true iustice and iudgement might haue bene administred vnto the kings subiects, these tumultes had neuer ben stirred, and the kyng might haue had his land vnwasted, and hys treasure vnconsumed.

6. Item, in that fayth and allegeance wherwith they wer obliged vnto him, they protested vnto hym that the said his counsaile was not a counsaile of peace, but of diuision and disquietnes, to the end that they which otherwise by peace could not aspire, by disturbing and disheriting other myght be exalted.

7. Item, for that all the castels, fortes, munitions, also all the offices of the Escheker, with all other the greatest exchetes of the realme were in their handes, of the which if the kyng would demaund a counte, he should proue how true they were.

8. Item, for that neither by the kings seale, nor commaundement, except it bare with all the seale of Peter Riuall, almost no busines of any weight could be dispatched in the realme, as though they recounted the king for no king.

9. Furthermore, by the foresayd counsail, the natural subiectes and nobles of the realme were banished the Court, which was to be feared would grow to some inconuenience both to the kyng and to the realme, for so much as the kyng semed more to be on their side then they of his, as by many euident coniectures may appeare.

10. Item, it was not well to be taken and liked, the sayd counsaile standyng of straungers and aliens, to haue in their power both the kinges sister, and many other noble mens daughters, and other women marigeable, with the kynges wardes and mariages, which they bestowed and deuided among themselues, and men of their affinitie.

11. Also, the sayd counsayle regardyng neyther the lawes, nor liberties of the Realme confirmed and corroborated by excommunication, dyd confounde and peruert all iustice. Wherfore it was to be feared they would run vnder excommunication, and the kyng also in communicatyng with them.

12. Item, because they kept neither promise not fayth, nor othe with any person, neither did obserue an instrument made neuer so formall by law, nor yet did feare any excom-