The king did celebrate the feast of Christmasse at Yorke, whither came Alexander the yoong king of Scots, and was there made knight by the king of England, and on saint Stephans day he married the ladie Margaret, daughter to the king of England, according to the assurance before time concluded. There was a great assemblie of noble personages at that feast. The quéene Dowager of Scotland mother to king Alexander, a French woman of the house of Coucie, had passed the sea, & was present there with a faire companie of lords and gentlemen. The number of knights that were come thither on the king of Englands part were reckoned to be at the point of one thousand. The king of Scots had with him thrée score knights, and a great sort of other gentlemen comparable to knights. The king of Scots did homage to the king of England at that time for the realme of Scotland, and all things were doone with great loue and fauour, although at the beginning some strife was kindled about taking vp of lodgings.
Sir Robert Norice, and sir Stephan Bausan.
An excéeding great wind.
The bishop of Rochest. bull.
This assemblie of the princes cost the archbishop verie déerelie, in feasting and banketting them and their traines. At one dinner it was reported he spent at the first course thréescore fat oxen. ¶ At request of the K. of Scots, the K. of England receiued Philip Lunell againe into fauour, or rather Louell (as I take it) one of his councell, against whome he had conceiued displeasure in the yeare last past, for such briberie as he was thoght to be giltie of for shewing fauour to the Iewes. The king of Scots when he should depart, tooke his leaue in most courteous maner, and led with him his new married wife, on whome attended sir Robert Norice knight marshall of the kings house, and sir Stephan Bausan, and also the ladie Mawd, the widowe of the lord William Cantlow, with others. On the octaues of the Epiphanie chanced an excéeding great wind, which did much hurt in diuerse places of the realme. The bishop of Rochester returning frō the court of Rome, brought with him a bull, authorising him to receiue to his own vse the fift part of the reuenues of all the beneficed men within his diocesse.
The Gascoignes make warre against the English subiects.
The earle of Leicester dauteth his enimies.
In this meane while the earle of Leicester remaining in England, the Gascoignes made sore warre against such as he had left behind him, and withall gaue information to the king that the earle of Leicester was a traitor, and one that had spoiled the kings subiects: and furthermore by his uniust dealings had giuen to the Gascoignes cause of rebellion. The king to boult out the truth of this matter, sent first his chapleine Henrie Wingham, and afterwards sir Nicholas de Moles de Valence, as commissioners to inquire of the earles dooing, who went and returned without finding any manifest crime in the earles demeanor. The earle was much offended that his innocencie should be thus suspected; but at length being appointed to returne into Gascoigne, he obeied and hauing a great summe of monie, he reteined a power of men of warre, as well Frenchmen as others, and meaning to be reuenged of those that had giuen the information against him, he strengthened himselfe with the aid of the king of Nauarre, and of the earle of Bigorre and other, so that he oppressed his aduersaries on ech hand, and so abated their pride, that if conuenientlie they might, they would haue yéelded themselues to some other prince, and vtterlie haue renounced the K. of England for euer. Whereby it should séeme that he was throughlie reuenged of them euen to their no small smart, not in word and threatning, but with sword and bloud-shedding, defending his innocencie, and manfullie shewing his warlike mind. But yet he had purchased to himselfe a greater portion of praise, if he had not with weapon but with wisedome made a conquest of the enimie: according to this sound counsell of a sage writer;
Mal. Pal. in suo cap.