vs both by sea and land. By reason wherof the truce on hys part beyng notoriously broken, it is most manifest to haue bene lawfull for vs, forthwith to haue set vpon hym with open warre. Yet notwithstanding to auoyd those incommodities that come by warre, we thought first to proue, if by any gentle meanes, some reformation might be had touching the premisses. And therfore sondry times, haue sent our Embassadors to the Popes presence for treatise of peace, and reformation to be had in those aforesayd excesses: requiryng also for the tractation therof, certayne termes of tyme to be appoynted, alwayes reseruyng to our selues notwithstāding, free liberty to resume warre at our pleasure, accordyng as the doyngs of the sayd Phillip shall constrayne vs therunto. And now forsomuch as the foresayd termes be already expired, and yet no reasonable offer of peace appeareth, neyther will the sayd Phillip come to any conformitie, beyng required and monished notwithstandyng by the Popes letters therunto, (as the Pope by his letters hath written to vs) but alwayes haue multiplied his conspiracy and obligations vsing all extremities agaynst vs, to omit here to speake of MarginaliaThe popes legate styrreth vp warre.the excessiue enormitie of the Popes Legate, who beyng sent by the bishop of Rome, for the kepyng of truce, and whose part had bene rather to haue quenched and stayed the discorde: hath stirred vp our enemy more egerly agaynst vs. MarginaliaLyke Legate lyke Pope.In the which doyng, neyther hath the bishop of Rome (sauyng his reuerence) as yet prouided any remedy, albeit he hath bene diuers tymes required of vs so to do. Which things being so, we ought to be excused both before God and man, if for the defect of other remedy to be had, we shalbe constrained our selues to finde remedy agaynst such wronges and iniuries: the case of iustice and necessitie constreining vs to geue out these our letters of defiance, agaynst the violator of the truce and the vniust inuader of our kyngdome. Protestyng that this we do, not vpon any displeasure to the bishop of Rome, or to the Apostolike sea, but onely for the moderation of equitie, standyng vpon the defence of our owne right and and lawful inheritaunce, intendyng always rather to haue peace, if by any reasonable way it might be had. And thus much for the stoppyng of slaunderous fame and the mouthes of backebyters: We thought good to signifie first to the high bishop of Rome, and the foresayd Cardinals: that by them as persons indifferent and mediators, the same may be insinuated to the contrary part, and also vnto your whole vniuersitie in generall: recommendyng vnto you all the innocency of my cause and the communitie of iustice. Dated at Westminster the 14. of Iune the xix. yeare of our raigne in Englande, and of Fraunce the vi.

And thus much for the kinges letter. Now let vs again returne to his passage, from whence, a litle we haue disgressed. Concerning the which passage of the king, with þ^e order of his actes atchieued in the same, from the winning of Cadame or Cordoyne, vnto the towne of Pusiack, is sufficiently described by one of the kinges chaplines and hys confessour, who being a Dominike fryar, and accompanying the king through all his iorney, writeth therof as followeth.

MarginaliaA letter of the kynges confessor touching his actes doyng at Cardoyn.Benedicere debemus Deum Celi. &c. Great cause wee haue to praise and laud the God of heauē, and most worthely to confesse his holy name, who hath wrought so his mercy to vs. For after the conflict had at Cadame, in þ^e whiche many were slaine, and the Citie take and sackt euen to the bare walles, the Citie of Baia immediatly yealded it selfe of his own accorde, fearing least their counsailes had beene bewrayed. After this, the L. our king directed his progresse toward Roane. MarginaliaThe Cardinals agayne entreate for peace.Who being at þ^e towne of Lexon, there came certaine Cardinals to him, greatly exhorting him to peace. Which Cardinals, being courtuously entertained of the king for the reuerence of the popes sea, it was thus aunswered to them agayne: MarginaliaThe kynges answere to the Cardinals.That the king being much desirous of peace, had assaide by all wayes & meanes reasonable, how to mainteine the same. And therfore hath offered cōditions and manifolde wayes of peace to be had, to the no small preiudice of his own cause. And yet is ready to admit any reasonable offer of peace, if by any meanes it may be sought, &c. With this answere the Cardinalls going to the French king þ^e kinges aduersary, to persuade with him in lyke maner: returned to kyng Edward agayne, offryng to him in the French kings name the Dukedome of Aquitania, in as full assuraunce as hys father before hym euer had it, besides further hope also of obtayning more, if entreatie of peace might be obteyned. MarginaliaThe French Kyng sheweth no carefull study of peace.But for somuch, that contented not enough the kynges mynde, neyther dyd the Cardinals finde the French kyng so tractable and propense to the study of peace as they loked for, the Cardinals returned, leauyng the matter as they found it. And so the kyng spedyng forward, by the way, as hys iourney did lye, he subdued the countrey and the great townes, without any resistance of the inhabitaunce, who did all flie and run away. Such feare God stroke vnto thē, that it semed they had lost their hartes. In the same voyage, as the kyng had gotten many townes and villages, so also he subdued castles and munitions, very strong, and that wyth little stresse. His enemy beyng at the same tyme at Roane had reared a great army, who notwithstandyng beyng well manned, yet euer kept on the other side of þ^e riuer Sequane, breaking downe all the bridges, that we should not come ouer to hym. And although the countrey round about continually was spoyled, sackt, and with fire consumed by the circuit of xx. myles round about: yet the French king beyng distant scarse the space of one myle from vs, eyther would not, or els durst not (when he might easily haue passed ouer the riuer) make any resistance for the defence of his countrey and people. MarginaliaThe kynges commyng to Pusiacke.And so our kyng iourneying forward came to Pusiacke or Poisie, where the French kyng had lykewise broke downe the bridge, and keping on the other side of the ryuer, would rest in no place.

After whose commyng to Poisie, the foresayd chaplaine and confessour to the kyng, named Michaell Northburgh, describing the kings voyage and the actes of the Englishmen, from the towne of Poisie, to his commyng to Calis, in hys letters writeth on this wyse.

SAlutations premised, we geue you to vnderstād: that our soueraigne Lord the kyng came to the towne of Poysie the day before the Assumption of our Ladie, where was a certayne bridge ouer the water of Sceane broken downe of the enemy, but the kyng taryed there so long till that the bridge was made agayne. And whyles the bridge was in repayring, there came a great number of men at armes and other souldiours well armed, to hinder the same. But the Earle of Northampton issued out agaynst them and slew of them more then a M. the rest fled away thankes be to God. And at an other time our men passed the water, although with much trauaile, and slew a great number of the common souldiours of Fraunce, about the Citie of Paris and countrey adioyning being parte of the French kinges armie, & throughly well appointed: so that our people haue now, made other good bridges vpon our enemyes God be thanked without any great losse and damage to vs. And on the morow after the Assumption of our Lady, the kyng passed the water of Sceane and marched toward Poysie, which is a towne of great defence and strongly immured, & a maruelous strong castle within the same, which our enemyes kept. And when our vaundgard was passed the town, our reregard gaue an assault therunto and tooke the same: where, were slayne more then CCC. men at armes of our enemyes part. And the next day following, the Earle of Suffolke and sir Hugh Spenser marched forth vpon the cōmons of the countrey assembled and well armed, and infine discomfited them, and slewe of them more then CC. and tooke lx. gentlemen prisoners, besides others. And after that, the kyng marched toward Graund Villers, and while he was there encamped, the kinges vaundgard was discried by the men at armes of the king of Bename: wherupon, our men issued out in great hast, and ioyned battell with them, but were inforced to retyre. Notwithstanding, thankes be vnto God, the Earle of Northampton issued out and rescued the horsemen with the other souldiours: so that fewe or none of them were eyther taken or slayne sauing onely Thomas Talbot, but had agayne the enemy in chase wythin ij. leagues of Amians: of whom we tooke 8. and slewe 12. of their best men at armes, the rest beyng well horsed, tooke the towne of Amyans. After thys, the kyng of England marched toward Pountife vpō Bartholmew day, and came vnto the water of Som, where the French kyng had layde 500. men at armes and M.M.M. footmen, purposing to haue kept and stopped our passage: but thankes be to God, the king of England and his hoste entred the same water of Som, where neuer man passed before, without losse of any of our men: and after that encountered with the enemy and slew of them more then two thousand, the rest fled to Abuyle, in which chase was taken many knightes, squires, and men at armes. The same day, syr Hugh Spenser tooke the towne of Croylay, where he and his souldiours slewe CCCC. men at armes, and kept the towne, where they founde great store of vitailes. The same night, encamped the