called Ihon of Gaunt, and was earle of Richmonde, and Duke of Lancaster. MarginaliaA counsall of Villenorth.At Villenorth the king assembled hys counsell, whereat were all the noble men of Fraunce, Brabant and Heynalt conioyning together in most firme league, the one to helpe and defend the other, with the king of England, against theMarginaliaFlaunders, Brabant & Heynalt take part wyth kyng Edward.French king, purposing and determining from thence to march towardes Turney and it to besiege. But the French king vnderstanding their counsel, fortified and victualed the same before their comming thether: Furthermore the saide French king the same time to stop the siege of king Edwarde, sent with king Dauid of Scotland a great power, to that intent to make inuasion in England, therby the sooner to cause the king to remoue hys siege. In the meane while, king Edward wrote his letters to Philip de Vallois, making vnto him certaine requestes, as in the same his letter here folowing is to be seene: Who for that he wrote not vnto him, as king of Fraunce, but by the name of Phillip de Valois, refused to answere him touching þ^e same, as by their letters here placed may be seene.

MarginaliaThe letters of k. Edw. to the French kyngPHillip de Valoys, of long tyme we haue gently requested you by our Embassadoures (by all the resonable meanes we myght) to that intent you should haue rendered vnto vs our lawfull right and inheritaunce to the crowne of Frāce, which from vs a long tyme you haue by great wrong and force deteined. And for that we wel perceaue you meane to perseuere in the same your purpose and iniurious detinue, without makyng any resonable aunswer to our demaund: We let you vnderstand, that we are entred into the country of Flaunders as the soueraign Lord of the same, and so passe through the country: & farther signifie vnto you, how that by the helpe of our Sauiour Iesus Christ and our righteous cause therin, and with the power of the sayd countrey, our people, & allies: we purpose to recouer the right which we haue to that inheritaunce you detayne from vs by your iniurious force, and therfore approche we towardes you to make a short ende of this our rightfull chalenge if you also will do the lyke. And for that so great an hoste assembled which we bryng with vs on our part (supposing you also on the other part to do the lyke) cannot long remayne together without great destruction both to our people and countrey, which thyng euery good christian ought to eschue: especially Princes and others which haue the gouernment of the same, auoyding by as short an ende as may be, the mortality of Christen men, accordyng as the quarell is aparaunt betwene you and me. For the which causes here touched, let the chalenge (if you thinke meete) be betwene our owne persons & bodies discussed, that the great nobility & prowesse of ech other, may of euery one be sene. And if you refuse this way, then let there (to finish this chalenge) be an hundreth of the best souldiours you can chuse out of your part, matched with so many of our liege subiects to try the same. And if of these two wayes, you refuse both the one and the other, then that you will assigne vnto vs a certaine day before the towne of Turnay, to fight with vs power agaynst power, which may be within ten dayes next insuyng after the date of these our letters: offeryng the sayd conditiōs vnto you aboue specified (as we would all the world to know and vnderstand) not vpon any orgoile, presumption, or pride we take therin: but for the causes before alleged, and to the end that (the will of our Sauiour Iesus Christ betwixt vs two herein declared and shewed) rest & peace might grow amongst Christen men: The power and force of gods enemies, abated: and in fine, the limites of Christianitie enlarged and enfranchesed. And therfore hereupō consider with your selfe what way you will take cōcernyng our foresaid offers, and by the bearers of these our letters sende vnto vs herein quicke and spedy answer. Geuen vnder our great seale at Chyn in the playne of Leece the. xxvij. day of this present month of Iuly.

MarginaliaThe aunswere of the French K. to K. EdwardPHilip by the grace of God king of France, to Edward king of England. We haue sene the letters which you haue sēt vnto our court to Phillip de Valois: wherin are contayned certayne requestes which you make to the sayd Phillip de Valois: But for that the sayd letters come not as directed vnto vs, neither yet the sayd requestes seme to be made vnto vs (which thing clerely by the tenor of the sayd letters ap-peareth) we therfore write vnto you no aunswer touchyng the same. Notwithstanding, this suffiseth that we vnderstād by the sayd letters of yours, as also otherwayes, that you are entred into our realme of Fraunce, to the great damage both vnto vs, our realme and people (more procedyng of wil, then reason) and not regarding that which a liege man ought to do vnto his Lord. For you are entred into our homage by you lieged vnto vs, acknowledgyng your selfe as reason is, a liege man vnto the kyng of Fraunce: and haue promised vnto vs such obeysance as men are wont to do vnto their liege Lordes (as more plainly by your letters patentes appeareth, ensealed wyth your great seale, the which we haue wyth vs) for the which thyng we wyll you to vnderstand: that our purpose is (when it shall seeme good vnto vs) to dryue you out of our realme, to the honor both of vs & our kingdome, and to the profite and commodity of our people. And this thyng to do we haue firme and assured hope in Iesus christ, frō whom we haue all our power & strength. For, by your vnreasonable demaund more wilfull then reasonable, hath bene hindred and staid the holy voyage to those partes of beyond the seas, where a great number of Christen men haue bene slaine: the diuine seruice diminished, & the seruice of the church lesse reuerenced. And as touchyng that where you say, ye intend to haue the obeysance of the Flemings, we thinke & beleue that the good people and cōmōs of that coūtry, will behaue thēselues in such sort toward our Cousin the Countes of Flaunders their Lady, as it be not to their reproch, & to vs their Soueraigne lord, they will respect their honour & loyalty. And that thyng wherin they haue done otherwise the wel, hetherto hath bene by the euil counsaile of such people, as neither regard the weale publike, nor honour of their coūtry, but their owne onely gaine & commoditie. Geuē in the field nere adioyning to the Priory of S. Andrew, vnder our priuy seale, in absence of our great seale, the. xxx. day of Iuly, an. 1340:

MarginaliaThe Scottes inuade England.Mention was made a litle before of Dauyd kynge of Scots, whom the French king had supported and stirred vp against the king and Realme of england: which Dauid (with the ayde of the Scots and Frenchmen) did so muche preuaile þ^t they recouered almost agayne all Scotlād which before he had lost, and was constrayned to liue in the forest of Gedworth many yeares before. Then inuaded they England, and came with theyr army wastyng and burning the country before them, tyll they came as farre as Durham, & then returned agayne into Scotland, where they recouered all theyr holdes agayne sauyng the towne of Barwike. MarginaliaEdenborough recouered from the Englishmen by the Scottes.Edenborough they toke by a stratagem or subtile deuise practised by Douglas and certayne other: who appareling thē selues in poore mens habites, as vittelers wyth corne and prouender and other things: demaunded the Porter early in the mornyng what nede they had therof. Who nothyng mistrustyng opened the outward gate, where they should tary till the Captain rose: and perceauyng the Porter to haue þ^e keayes of the inward gate, threw down theyr sackes in the outward gate, that it might not be shut agayn, and slew the Porter, takyng from hym the kayes of the towne. Then they blew theyr horne as a warnyng to the bandes, which priuily they had layd not far of: who in hasty wyse cēming, and findyng the gates redy opened entred vpon the sodeine and killed as many as them resisted, and so obtayned agayne the city of Edenborough.

The Scots thus being busy in England, the Frēch k. in the meane season gathered together a puisaunt power purposing to remoue the siege from Turney: and among other, sent for the kyng of Scots, who came to hym w^t great force, besides diuers other noble men of France: in so much that the French kyng had a great army, and thought hymself able inough to rayse the siege, and thither bent hys host. But the Frēch k. for all this his foresayd huge power and force, durst not yet so neare approch the kyng, as eyther to geue hym battaile, or els remoue hys siege: but kept himself with his army aloofe, in a sure place for hys better defence. MarginaliaTourney besieged.And notwithstandyng the king of England wasted, burnt, spoyled, and destroyed the country xx. miles in maner compasse about Turney, and tooke diuers and sundry strong townes and holdes as Ortois, Vrses, Greney, Archis, Odint, S. Amand, and the towne of Lisle, where he slew aboue 300. men of armes, and about S. Omers he slue and kild of noble men, the Lord of Duskune, of Maurislelou, of Rely, of Chastellion, of Melly, of Fenis, of Hamelar, of Mounfaucon, and other Barons to the number of 14. and also slue and killed aboue 130 knightes, beyng all men of great possessions and prowesse, and toke other small Cities and townes to the number of 300: Yet for all this, Phillip