N. Triuet.
Matth. Westm.
Moreouer, it should appeare by some writers, that the king being thus in captiuitie, was constreined to make a new grant, that the statutes of Oxford shuld stand in force, and if any were thought vnreasonable, the same should be reformed by foure Noble men of the realme of France, two of the spiritualtie and two of the temporaltie. And if those foure could not agrée, then the earle of Aniou and the duke of Burgoigne shuld be iudges in the matter. ¶ But if either those or the other were appointed to be arbitrators, like it is, that the former report touching the successe of the battell is true; for if both the king and his sonne had béene taken prisoners in the field, the barons would suerlie haue constreined him to haue consented to the obseruance of the statutes, without putting the same in compromise, to be altered at the discretion of any arbitrators, and namelie strangers.
Peace proclaimed.
A new deuise of the barons.
But howsoeuer it was, on the tuesday before the Ascension day, peace was proclaimed in London, betwéene the king and the barons; and whereas the king either by constreint for safegard of himselfe or his fréends, either vpon assurance of the barons promise, committed himselfe vnto the companie of the same barons, at their comming with him to London they went from this last agréement, and foorthwith deuised other ordinances as thus. They ordeined, that two earles and a bishop, which being elected out by the communaltie, should choose to them nine other persons, and of these, thrée of them should still remaine about the king, and by their order and the other nine, all things should be gouerned both in the court and in the realme. They constreined the king and his sonne prince Edward (menacing to depose the one, and to kéepe the other in perpetuall prison) to consent and agrée to this last ordinance: and so the earles of Leicester and Glocester, and the bishop of Chichester were ordeined there the chéefe rulers, and letters sent with all spéed vnto the cardinall Sabinensis the popes legat, and to the king of France, to signifie to them, that the compromise agréed vpon at Lewes was vtterlie reuoked, and that a new peace in fréendlie wise was concluded.
But although the bishops of London, Winchester, and Worcester instantlie required the said legat, that he would helpe to further the same peace, yet he sore rebuked them, in that they would giue their consent, so much to abase and bring vnder the kings roiall power. And bicause he might not be suffered to enter the realme, he first cited them to appeare before him at Bullongne. And whereas they séemed to contemne his authoritie, and appeared not, he both suspended the said thrée bishops, and excommunicated the said earles of Leicester and Glocester, and their complices, with the citie of London, and the cinque ports: but the foresaid bishops, earles and barons, feigning to make their appeales to the popes consistorie, or if néed were, vnto a generall councell and so foorth, though indéed trusting more to the temporall sword, than fearing the spirituall, they did not forbeare to saie and heare diuine seruice in churches and else-where, as before they had doone, till the comming of the cardinall Othobone.
Matth. West.
N. Triuet.