A parlement at Westminster.
Earle Ferrers disherited.
¶ Here is to be remembred, that at the beginning of the siege, there were within the castell a thousand and seuen hundred armed men, and eight score women, beside lackies and coisterels. Here is also to be remembred, that whilest the siege laie before Killingworth, by the aduise of the kings councell, and of the legat Othobone, there were twelue péeres appointed and chosen foorth, which should deuise and make ordinances touching the state of the realme, and the disherited persons, who according to their commission, ordeined certeine prouisions, the which are conteined within the statute intitled Dictum de Killingworth. The king after that the castell of Killingworth was deliuered to his hand, left therein his sonne Edmund, and went himselfe to Couentrie or (as other haue) to Oxford, and there held his Christmasse. Shortlie after comming to Westminster he held a parlement there, studieng to set a quietnesse in all matters and controuersies depending betwixt him and the barons. In this parlement sentence was giuen against earle Ferrers for the forfeiture of his earledome: then was Edmund the kings yoonger sonne put in possession both of the earledome of Darbie and Leicester.
The earle of Glocester with an armie commeth to London.
On the sixt of Februarie being sundaie, the king came to S. Edmundsburie, and staieng there till the two and twentith of the same moneth, set foreward that day towards Cambridge, where he laie with his armie, the better to bridle them that kept the Ile of Elie against him. He laie there all the Lent season. And in the meane time the earle of Glocester taking great displeasure, for that he might not haue his will, as well for the banishing of strangers, as for restitution to be made vnto the disherited men of their lands, he began a new sturre, and assembling a great power in the marshes of Wales came néere vnto London, pretending at the first as though he had come to aid the king, at length he got licence of the maior and citizens to passe through the citie into Southwarke, where he lodged with his people, and thither came to him shortlie sir Iohn d'Euille, by Southerie side, bringing with him a great companie.
The legat admonisheth the earle of Glocester to obeie the king.
The maior caused the bridge and water side to be kept and watched both day and night with armed men, and euerie night was the drawbridge drawne vp: but within a while the earle vsed the matter so, that he was permitted to lodge within the citie with certeine of his men, by reason whereof, he drew more and more of his people into the citie, so that in the end he was maister of the citie, and in Easter wéeke tooke the keies of the bridge into his hands. The legat comming foorth of the towre, repaired to the church of S. Paule, vnder a colour to preach the croisey, but in the end of that his exhortation, he turned his words to the earle of Glocester, admonishing him to obeie the king as he was bound by his allegiance. And further, whereas the earle had giuen commandement that no victuals should be suffered to be brought into the tower where the popes legat was lodged, he thought himselfe euill vsed in that behalfe, sith he was a mediator for peace, and no partaker. But when the earle séemed to giue small regard to his words, he got him secretlie againe into the tower, with certeine noble men the kings fréends, meaning to defend it vnto the vttermost of their powers.
The legat & other meane to defend the tower against the earle of Glocester.
The citizens of London in vprore chose new officers.