Moreouer, about the same time, the king vpon displeasure conceiued against the earle of Leicester, had caused him to resigne his office of the wardenship of Gascoigne: and bicause the earle had it by patent, the king not able to find any iust cause of forfeiture, agréed to paie vnto him for the resignation no small portion of monie. And whereas the Gascoignes had charged the earle with too much streict handling of them, whereby they were occasioned to raise tumults, the matter was now nothing at all amended. For after the earle had resigned, they continued still in rebellion, so that the Rioll with S. Millions and other places were taken by the aduersaries out of the kings hands, and great slaughter of people made in those parts: wherefore the king minding to go thither, caused musters to be taken, and men put in a redinesse according to the custome, that he might vnderstand what number of able men furnished for the warre were to be had. He also tooke order that euerie man that might dispend yéerlie fiftéene pounds in lands should be made knight.
An ordinance against robbers.
The cause yt mooued the Gascoignes to rebellion.
Moreouer, for the better preseruation of peace and quietnesse amongst his people, he appointed watch to be kept by night in cities and borough townes. And further by the aduise of the Sauoisines, which were about him, he ordeined that if any man chanced to be robbed, or by any meanes damnified by any théefe or robber, he to whom the kéeping of that countrie chéefelie apperteined where the robberie was doone, should competentlie restore the losse: and this was after the usage of Sauoy, but was thought more hard to be obserued here, than in those parts, where are not so manie bypaths and starting corners to shift out of the waie. ¶ The Gascoignes continued in their seditious dooings, and namelie Gaston de Bierne, who renouncing his dutie and obedience to the king of England ioined himselfe to the king of Spaine, through his helpe to be the stronger & more able to annoie the English subiects. The euill intreating vsed towards the Gascoignes which brought hither wines, in that the same were oftentimes taken from them by the kings officers, and other, without readie monie allowed for the sale, gaue occasion to them to grudge and repine against the king.
A parlement.
A tenth granted of the spiritualtie. Escuage granted.
Magna charta.
In the quindene of Easter a parlement began at London, in which all the states being assembled, the matter was mooued for aiding the king with some reléefe of monie towards the iournie which he ment to make into the holie land: and so at length it was agréed that a tenth part of all the reuenues belonging to the church was granted to him for thrée yeares space, and that escuage should be leuied for that yeare, after thrée markes of euerie knights fée, and the king on the other part promised faithfullie to obserue and mainteine the grant of the great charter, and all the articles conteined within the same. For further assurance whereof, on the third day of Maie, in the great hall at Westminster, in the presence and by the assent of the king and the earles of Norfolke, Hereford, Oxford, Warwike, and other Noble men, by the archbishop of Canturburie as primate, and by the bishops of London, Elie, Lincolne, Worcester, Norwich, Hereford, Salisburie, Durham, Excester, Carliell, Bath, Rochester, and S. Dauies, reuested and apparelled in pontificalibus, with tapers, according to the maner, the sentence of excommunication was pronounced against all transgressors of the liberties of the church, and of the ancient liberties and customes of the realme of England, and namelie those which are conteined in the great charter, and in the charter of forrest.
Godlie counsell no doubt.
Whilest the sentence was in reading the king held his hand vpon his breast with glad and chéerefull countenance, and when in the end they threw awaie their extinct and smoking tapers, saieng, "So let them be extinguished and sinke into the pit of hell which run into the dangers of this sentence;" the king said, "So helpe me God, as I shall obserue and kéepe all these things, euen as I am a christian man, as I am a knight, and as I am a king crowned and annointed." But afterward when he through other counsell brake his promise therein, he was aduised by some to giue a portion of that monie which he got at this time, to the Pope, that he might of him be absolued.