Ambassadors sent into France.
The marshes of Wales some impouerished.
About the beginning of the two and fortith yeare of king Henries reigne, the lord Iames Audelie that had béene ouer with the king of Almaine, and was latelie returned home in companie of the lord Henrie, sonne to the said king (who came backe from his father about the feast of saint Michaell last past) vnderstanding how the Welshmen in his absence had burnt, wasted, and destroied his lands, possessions, and castels, which belonged vnto him in the confines of Wales, he meant to be reuenged of those injuries, and inuading them, he slue a great number of them, so reuenging the death of those his fréends, seruants and tenants, whome they before had murthered. The Welshmen were not so discouraged herewith, but that they brake vpon him out of their starting-holes and places of refuge through the marishes, and slaieng their enimies horsses, put them backe to their power, & ceassed not to doo what mischéefe they could, by spoiling, killing, and burning houses and castels where they might come vnto them, and so the realme of England was dailie put to losses & hinderances. For out of Wales, England was accustomed to be furnished with horsses, cattell, and other things, to the great profit of both the countries. About the same time there was an ambassage sent from the king of England to the French king by the bishop of Worcester, the elect of Winchester, the abbat of Westminster, the earle of Leicester, & Hugh Bigod earle Marshall, with Peter de Sauoy, and Robert Walcron. The effect of their message was to require restitution of those countries, lands, cities, and townes which had bene euicted out of the hands of king Iohn and others, apperteining by right of inheritance to the king of England. These lords did their message, but as was thought, they had no towardlie answer, but rather were put off with trifling words & scornefull tawnts, so that they returned shortlie again all of them, the abbat of Westminster onelie excepted, who remained there behind for a fuller answer, not onelie to those requests exhibited on the part of the king of England, but also on the behalfe of the king of Almaine. The marshes towards Wales in this season were brought almost desert, by reason of the continuall wars with the Welshmen, for what with fire & sword, neither building nor liuing creature, nor any other thing was spared, that fire & sword might bring to ruine.
A great dearth.
Matth. Paris.
1258.
The gréedie dealing of the Londoners to the hurt of the cōmon-welth.
In this yeare was an excéeding great dearth, in so much that a quarter of wheat was sold at London for foure and twentie shillings, whereas within two or thrée yeares before, a quarter was sold at two shillings. It had béene more déerer, if great store had not come out of Almaine, for in France and in Normandie it likewise failed. But there came fiftie great ships fraught with wheat and barlie, with meale and bread out of Dutchland, by the procurement of Richard king of Almaine, which greatlie reléeued the poore; for proclamation was made, and order taken by the king, that none of the citizens of London should buy any of that graine to laie it vp in store, whereby it might be sold at an higher price vnto the néedie. But though this prouision did much ease, yet the want was great ouer all the realme. For it was certeinelie affirmed, that in thrée shires within the realme, there was not found so much graine of that yeares growth, as came ouer in those fiftie ships. The proclamation was set foorth, to restreine the Londoners from ingrossing vp that graine, and not without cause: for the wealthie citizens were euill spoken of in that season, bicause in time of scarsitie they would either staie such ships as fraught with vittels were comming towards the citie, and send them some other way foorth; or else buy the whole, that they might sell it by retaile at their plesure to the néedie. By means of this great dearth and scarsitie, the common people were constreined to live vpon hearbs & roots, and a great number of the poore people died through famine, which is the most miserable calamitie that can betide mortall men, and was well marked euen of the heathen, but notablie by Ouid, who making a description of famine, setteth hir foorth in most ouglie and irkesome sort, intending thereby the dreadfulnes of that heauie plague, saieng:
Ouid. lib. 8. Meta. fab. 11.