ment, who keepyng in the Realme of Fraunce, neuer came to the sea of Rome: after whose death the Papacie stoode voyde two yeares.MarginaliaPope Clement neuer sate in the sea of Rome.
An. 1314.

The Scots after this exalted with pride and fearcenes, inuaded the Realme of England so sore killing and destroying man, woman and childe: that they came wynnyng and wastyng the Northpartes as farre as to Yorke. MarginaliaMiserable death and famine in England.Besides this, such dearth of vituals, and penury of all thynges so oppressed the whole land, such moraine of shepe and oxe: as men were fayne to eate horseflesh, dogges, cattes, myce, and what els they could get. Moreouer, such a price of corne followed with all, that the kyng hardly had bread, for the sustentation of his own household. Moreouer, some there were that stal children and dyd eate them, and many for lacke of vituall dyed. And yet all this amended not the kyng of his euill liuyng.

MarginaliaA descriptiō of an horible famine in the Realme of England.The cause and origene of this great dearth was partly the warres and dissention betwene them and the Scottes: wherby a great part of þ^e lād was wasted. But the chiefest cause was, the vntemperate season of the yeare, which contrary to the common course, was so moyst with aboundance of rayne: that the grayne layd in the earth could haue no ripyng by heate of the sunne, nor grow to any nourishment. Wherby, they that had to eate could not be satisfied with saturitie, but eftsones were as hungry agayne. They that had nothyng, were driuen to steal and robbe: the riche were constrayned to auoyde and diminish their housholdes: the poore for famine dyed. MarginaliaEx chroni. R. Auesb. in vita Edouardi. 2.And not somuch the want of vitayle which could not be gottē, as the vnwholesomnes of the same when it was taken, so consumed the people: that the quick were not sufficient to bury the dead. For the corruption of the meates, by reason of the vnseasonablenes of the ground, was so infectious: that many dyed of the flixe, many of hote feuers, diuers of the pestilence. And not onely the bodyes of men thereby were infected, but also the beates by the putrifaction of the herbes and grasse fell in as great a moraine: so farforth, as the eatyng of flesh was suspect and thought cōtagious. A quarter of corne and of salt, from the moneth of Iune to September grew from xxx. s. vnto xl. s. The flesh of horses was then precious to the poore. Many were driuen to steal fat dogges and to eate them: some were sayde in secret corners to eate their owne children. Some would steal other mens children to kill them and eate them priuely. The prisoners and theeues that were in bandes, such as newly were brought in vnto them, for hunger fell vpō them, and tearyng them in peeces did eate them halfe a liue. Briefly, this extreme penury had extincted and consumed (as it was thought) the greatest part of the people of the land: had not the king by the statute of the Lōdiners geuen forth cōmaundement through all his land, that no corne should at that tyme be turned to the makyng of drinke. Such a Lord is God, this able to do where he is disposed to strike. And yet we miserable creatures, in our wealth & aboūdance will not surcease dayly to prouoke his terrible maiesty.

But let vs returne to the order agayne of our story. After þ^e Scots had thus plagued miserably (as ye haue heard) the Realme of England: they inuaded also Ireland, where they kept and continued warre the space of foure yeares. MarginaliaThe Scots driuē out of Ireland.But infine, the Irishemen (by ayde sent to them from England) quitte themselues so well: that they vanquished the Scottes, and slew Edward le Bruys, and many of the nobles of Scotland with many other, and droue the residue out of the countrey.

MarginaliaAn. 1317.The king about the xj. yeare of his raigne, assembled a new host and went into Scotland, where he laid siege to Berwike. But in the meane tyme, the Scottes by an other way, inuaded the marches of Yorkeshyre, robbing and harieng the countrey that they slew 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 Yorkeshire& gaue them battell at a place called Mytton, where the Englishmen were discomfited and many of them slayne: 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 kyng hearyng of this, and partly because wynter did approch, was contrained to breake vp his siege, and so returned not without great daunger.

MarginaliaThe 2. Spensers.At thys time the two Spensers (Syr Hugh Spenser the father, and Hugh Spenser the sonne) were of great power in England, and by the fauour of the king practised such crueltie, and bare themselues so haughtly and proud: that no Lord of this land might gainesay them in any thing that they thought good, wherby they were in great hatred and indignation both wyth the nobles, and the commons, no lesse then Peter Gaueston was before.

MarginaliaTwo legates sent from Rome.Soone vpon this came two Legates from Rome, sent by Pope Ihon the xxij. vnder pretense to set agreement betwene England and Scotland: MarginaliaThe popes pillage.who for their charges and expenses, required of euery spirituall person iiii. d. in euery marke. But all their labour nothing auayled: For the legates as they were in the North partes (about Derlinghton) with their whole familie and trayne: MarginaliaThe popes legates spoyled of all their ill gottē treasure.were robbed and dispoyled of their horses, treasure, apparell, and what elles they had, and so with an euill fauoured handling, retired backe agayne to Duresme, where they stayde a while waityng for an aūswere from the Scottes. MarginaliaThe popes curse cōtemned of the ScotsBut when neither the popes Legacy nor his curse would take any place with the Scottes: they returned agayne to London, where they first excommunicated and cursed as blacke as soote, all those arrogant and presumptuous robbers of Northumberland. Secondly, for supplyeng of the losses receaued, they exacted of the Clergy to be geuen and payd vnto them, viii. d. in euery marke. MarginaliaThe clergie of England denyeth to contribute to the popes legates.But the Clergy therunto would not agree, seing it was their own couetousnes (as they say) that made thē venter farther then they needed. Onely they were contēted to releaue 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 agayne. But this peace betwene the kyng and the Earle of Lancaster, did not long endure: which the kyng by his own default did breake, sendyng to the Scots a priuy messenger (which was taken in the way) to haue the foresayd Earle of Lancaster by their meanes, made away. &c.

MarginaliaThe pride of the Spēsers.In the meane tyme, the Lordes and nobles of England detesting the outragious pride of the Spēsers, wherby they wrought dayly both great dishonour to the kyng, and hinderance to the cōmon weale: in such wise conspired against them, that gatheryng their power together, they made a request to the kyng, that he should remoue the Spensers frō his person. For the which, there was a Parliament called at London, and the Barons came together with a great company. At which Parliament, both the Spensers were banished the land for terme of their lyues: and they tooke shippyng at Douer and so voyded the land. But it was not lōg after, but the kyng (contrary to that ordinaunce made in the Parliament) sent for the Spensers agayne, and set them in hygh autoritie, and ruled all things after their sensuall appetites, nothyng regardyng iustice nor the common wealth. Wherfore, the Barōs entendyng agayn to reforme this mischief, assembled their powers: but the kyng (makyng so hasty speede, and gatheryng his people so soone) was stronger then they, and pursued them so in diuers places: that the Barons not fully ioyned together (some flyeng and some departyng to the kyng, 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 k. Henry. 3.was taken & put to death with þ^e rest of the nobilitie, to the number of xxii. of the greatest men, and chiefest Captaines of this Realme. Of whom onely, Thomas Earle of Lancaster for the nobilitie of his 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, drawen, & quatered. &c. Which bloudy vnmercyfulnes of the kyng toward his naturall subiectes, not onely to him procured great dishonour within the realme, but also turned afterward to his much more greater harme & hinderaunce, in his foreine warres agaynst the Scottes: And finally wrought his vtter confusion and ouerthrow of his seat royall, as in the sequell of his end appeared, and worthely.

Marginalia1322.After the ruine of these noble personages: the kyng as though he had gotten a great cōquest (who then in deede began first to be ouercome and conquere himselfe, when he so oppressed and cut of the strength and sinewes of his chilualrye) MarginaliaThe cruell reioycing of the kyng.began to triumphe not a litle with his Spensers: And to count himselfe sure as though he were in heauen, to exercise more sharpe seueritie vpon his subietes, trustyng and committyng all to the counsaile onely of the foresayd Spensers: in somuch, that both the Queene 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 Spensers: but strength and habilitie lacked, to worke their will.

Marginalia1323.The next yeare, the kyng beyng at Yorke, after he had made Syr Hugh Spēser Earle, and Syr Ihon Baldocke a man of euill fame to be Chauncellour of England: he then arered a mighty host agaynst the Scottes. MarginaliaThe k. 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 þ^e number reckened of an hundreth thousand (wādering through Scotland, frō whence the Scots, had conueyed all their goodes and cattell into mountaines,