“Also this yere after Eastre the king helde his parliament at Westm’, which bigan the laste day of Aprile; and the kyng come to London the xxvij day of Aprile, which was Saturday, with his moder in his chare from Wyndisore unto Seint Paulis; and at the west dore he was taken out of his chare by his uncle the duke of Gloucestre, and by his bele uncle the duke of Excestre: and he went upon his fete fro the west dore to the steires, and so up into the quere; and than he was borne up and offred: and than was set upon a courser and so rood thrugh the Chepe and London to Kenyngton. And the kyng held his see diverse daies in the parliament.” Then follows an account of the grants made by that parliament to the king, and of some statutes enacted therein. The success of the English army under the earl of Salisbury is related in a most minute manner, and the agreement for the surrender of Mauns is given at length: but nothing is stated of sufficient interest to justify so long a note as a copy of the narrative and treaty in question would require.
Note QQ. [page 114].
“defense of the cite. And anon after the bisshop of Wynchestre sent a lettre over the see into France unto the duke of Bedford, the tenor wherof after foloweth:
‘To the most high and myghty prynce and my right noble lord the regent of Fraunce and duke of Bedford.
‘Right high and myghty prynce and my right noble and after oon, levist lord, I recommand me unto you with al myn hert and affinite: and as ye desire the welfare of the kyng our sovereign lord and of his realmes of England and Fraunce, and your owne wele and our alle, so haste you hider; for by my trouth if ye tarie we shal put this land in a venture with a felde; such a brother ye have here, God make him a good man, for your wisedom knoweth wele that the prosperite of Fraunce stant in the welfare of England. High and myghtie prince, I bisech you holdeth Maister John Estcourt, your counseilour, escusid of his tarrying, for it is moch ayenst his wille, but the counsell here hath made hym; and ye hist to give credence to your chamberleyne Sr. William Boteller. The blessid Trinite kepe you. Writon in grete haste on Alhalowen even,
by your true servaunt to my lives ende,
Henry Wynchestre.’
“And ageyn Cristmas the duke of Bedford came out of Fraunce into England. And the kyng helde his Cristmas at Eltham; and the bisshop of Wynchestre helde his Cristmas at Marton: and bicause that he wolde not come in the cite of London, for evil wille that he hadde therto, the counsel was holden at Seint Albones after Cristmas: but there wolde not the duke of Gloucestre come. At which counsel was ordeyned that the parliament shulde ben at Leicestre, which parliament bigan in the bigynnyng of Lenton; where, by good trete and arbitracion of the lords spiriele and temperel, was made a good unite and accorde atwixt the duke of Gloucestre and the bisshop of Wynchestre, in fourme as after folowith.”
[Then follows the “Arbitirament”, which extends to six folios.]
“And thus was the accord made atwixt these ij lordes of Gloucestre and Wynchestre; and the parliament was ajourned til after Easter. Also the same yere of the kyng, and of our lord ml iiijc xxv, Arthur erle of Richemont, and Richard his brother, and the baron of Columbe, with great multitude of Britons, leien at the sege of Seint Jaquys de Ber’on to the some of xx ml of Britons, which gaven assaute to the towne, and were beten and myghtely put of, rebukid and slayne of them iiijc: and in the towne were cheveteynes Sir Thomas Remston, Sir Philip Braunch, Sir Nichol Burdet, and Sir Richard Stafford, and with them ixc persones, Englisshe and Normaunes. And the nyght folowyng, fast by the towne, in ij milles, were iijc Britons loggid; and the seid knyghts with a certeyn mayny went out and brent the milles, and slough of the Britons bitwene iij and iiij score. And afterward Arthur and his men maden another assaute, and there losten vijxx and oon standardes and getens, and viijxx men of cote armes and legge harneis; and Arthur was sore hurt in the thigh nygh the body: and so thei withdrowen them homeward to Breteigne. But Thomas de Burgh with people of the garison folowid after them, and slough of them xxvc. And the Britons lefte byhynde them there gonnes and there wyne, the some of vjc pipes of wyne, with flour, brede, figges, reisins, and grete plente of egges and butter, with moch fisshe, and so fled with mischief.”