MarginaliaPag 364. col. 1.Pag. 364. col. 1. M. They are most fittest to beare temporall rule, which follow nerest to God. Prelates of the clergy follow nearer to God. Ergo, Prelates of the Clergy are more meetest to beare temporall rule.

Resp. If God here be taken for that God, which is called the belly. I graunt they seeme to follow nearer. But if it be taken for the true God, not I, but their owne fruites, life, and doctrine, and Esay also would deny their minor, and say, that this people draweth neare to me with their lyps, but their hart is farre from me.

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MarginaliaPag. 364. col. 1.Pag. 364. col. 1. You are a chosen generation, a royall Priesthode &c. Aunswere. This place of Peter was written not onely to persons Ecclesiastical, but to the whole cōgregation of the Saintes disparsed, as the wordes followyng may declare. Qui eratis quodam non populus.&c.

And thus much concernyng French matters, which because they be Ecclesiasticall, and beare with them some vtilitie to the diligent reader (such as list to search, note and obserue the actes of men, and course of religion) I thought therfore here to place and adioyne next after, the other contention before proceadyng betwene Philip the French kyng and pope Boniface. Albeit as touchyng the perfect keepyng of yeares and tyme, I am not ignoraūt that this foresayd Parlaiment thus summoned and commenced agaynst the French prelates, fallyng in the yeare of our Lord. 1329. was to be referred rather to the reaigne of king Edward the ii. Of whom now remayneth (by the grace of Christ) in order of History to prosectue, declaryng first the instructions and informations of his father geuen to him in the tyme of his departyng.  

Marginalia1307.
The sicknes and death of king Edw.The yeare 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 sicke of the flixe, which increased so feruently vpon him, that he dispayred of life. Wherfore, callyng before him his Earles and Barons, caused them to be sworne, that they should crown his sonne Edward is such conuenient tyme after his death as they might, & keepe the land to his vse, til he were crowned. MarginaliaGodly lessōs and preceptes geuen to the yong prince.That done, he called before him his sonne Edward, informyng and lessonyng him with wholesome preceptes, and charged him also with diuers points vpon his blessing: first that he should be courteous, gentle, vpright in iudgement, fayre spoken to all men, constaunt in deede and word, familiar with the good: and especially, to the miserable to be mercyfull. After this, he gaue him also in charge, not to be to hasty in takyng his crown, before he had reuenged his fathers iniuries stoutly agaynst the Scottes: MarginaliaThe king cōmandeth his bones to be caryed in the field against the Scottes.but that he should remaine in those parties to take with him his fathers bones, beyng well boyled from the flesh, and so inclosed in some fit vessell, should cary them with him till he conquered all the Scots: saying, that so lōg as he had his fathers bones with him, none should ouercome him. Moreouer, he willed & required hym, to loue his brother Thomas, and Edmund: also to cherish and tender his mother Margaret the Queene. MarginaliaThe fatherly care of kyng Edward in exluding wicked company from his sonne.Ouer and besides, he straitly charged him vpon his blessing (as he would auoyde his curse) that he should in no case call to him agayne, or send for Peter Gaueston: which Peter Gaueston the kyng before had banished the Realme, for his naughty 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 vtterly 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 Gaueston, or to haue him in any case about him. MarginaliaA rashe vow of king Edward. The kinges harte to be caryed to the holy land.And finally, because he had conceaued in himselfe a vow to haue returned his owne person to the holy lād (which for hys manifold warres with the Scottes he could not performe) therfore he had prepared xxxii. thousand poundes of siluer, for the sendyng of certaine souldiers with his hart vnto the holy land. Which thyng he required of his sonne to see accōplished. So that the foresayd money, vnder his cruse and maledictiō, be not employed to other vses. But these iniunctions and preceptes, the disobedient sonne did nothyng obserue or keepe, after the deceasse of his father. Who forsakyng and leauyng of the warre with the Scottes, with all spede hasted him to his coronatiō. Also, cōtrary to the minde of his Nobles and agaynst the precept of his father he sent for the foresayd Gaueston, and prodigally bestowed vpon him all that treasure which his father had bequested to the holy land. He was moreouer a proude despiser of his peers and nobles. And therfore reigned infortunatly, as by the sequell of the story here folowing, by the grace of Christ, shalbe declared. Thus kyng Edward first of that name, leauyng behynd him thrce sonnes, Thomas and Edmund by his thyrd wife, and Edward by his first wife, whom he had sufficiently thus with preceptes instructed, departed this mortall lyfe. an. 1307. after he had reigned neare xxxv. yeares. Of whom this Epitaph was written.

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

In the time and reigne of this king, many other things happened, which here I omit to speake of: as the long discorde and strife betwene the Prior of Cant. and the Prior of Douer, which continued aboue. 4. yeares together: with much wrangling and vnquietnes betwene them. Likewise, an other like contention growing betwene Iohn Romain Archb. of Yorke, and the Archb. of Cant. vpon the occasiō: that whē Iohn Archb. of Yorke after his cōsecratiō returning from the pope and comming to Douer, contrary to the inhibition of Cant. passed through the middle of Kēt, with hys crosse borne vp: although the story reporteth, that he had the kinges consent therunto. An. 1286.

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Item, betwene Thomas Bishop of Hereford, & Iohn Pecham Archb. of Cant. fell an other wrangling matter, in the time of this kyng. Which Byshop of Hereford appealing from the Archb. to the Pope, went vp to Rome, & in his iourney dyed. Who with lesse cost might haue taryed at home. 1282.

MarginaliaKing Edward the second.EDward the second of that name & sonne of Edward the first, borne as is aforesaid at Carnaruā in Wales: after the departure of his father, entred the gouernement of the land. an. 1307. MarginaliaAn. 1308.But was crowned not before þ^e yeare next folowing. an. 1308. Which 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 secrets of great counsaile: Also refusing the company of hys Lordes and men of honour: He much haunted among villaines and vile personages: Geuē moreouer, to ouermuch drinking, and such vices as therupō be wont to ensue. And as of his owne nature he was to the sayd vices disposed, MarginaliaKing Edward led by wicked counsaile.so was he much worse by the counsaile and familiaritie of certayne euill disposed persons, as first of Peter or Pierse Gaueston before touched. Then after him of the two Spensers and other, whose wanton counsayle he folowing, gaue hymselfe to the appetite and pleasure of the body: nothyng ordering hys common weale by sadnes, discretion & iustice: which thyng caused first great variance betwene hym and hys nobles, so that shortly he became to them odible, and in end was depriued of hys kyngdome. In the first yeare, he tooke to wife Isabell daughter of Philip king of Fraunce: wyth whom (the yeare after) he was crowned at Westminster, by the Byshop of Winchester: for that, Robert Winchelsey Archbyshop of Canterbury, was yet in exile not returned home. MarginaliaPeter Gaueston or Gauerston, a wicked doer about the kyng.Notwithstanding, the Barons and Lordes made first their request to the king to put Peter Gaueston from hym, or els they would not consent to hys coronation. Whereupon he was enforced to graunt them at the next parliament, to haue their requestes accōplished, and so was crowned. In the meane season, the foresayd Peter or Pierse bearyng hymselfe of the kynges fauour bold: continued triumphing and setting at light all other states and nobles of the realme, so that he ruled both þ^e king and the realme, and all thinges went as he woulde. Neyther had the kyng any delight els, or kept company w^t any, but with him: with him onely he brake all his minde, and conferred all hys counsailes. This as it seemed straūge vnto the Lordes and Earles, so it inflamed their indignation the more agaynst hys alliance, this Peter I meane. MarginaliaAn. 1310.Thus the tyme proceded, and at length the Parliament appoynted came an. 1310. which was the fourth of this kynges raigne. The articles were drawne by the nobles to be exhibited to the kyng, which articles were the same conteined in magna charta, and de foresta aboue specified: with such other articles as his father had charged hym with before: to wyt, that he should remoue frō hym and his Court, all alienes and peruerse counselours. And that all the matters of the common wealth should be debated by common counsayle of the Lordes both temporall and spirituall: and that he should styrre no warre out of England in any other foreine Realme, without the common assent of the same. &c. The kyng perceauyng their intēt to be, as it was in deede, to sonder Peter Gaueston from his company: and seyng no other remedy: but needes must yeld and graunt his consent, agreed that the sayd Gaueston should be banished into Ireland. And so the Parliament breakyng vp, the Lordes returned to their owne, well appeased: although of the other articles they could not speede, yet that they had driuen Pe-

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