The earle of Cornwal and other returne home.
About the beginning of the seuen and twentith yeare of his reigne, his brother the earle of Cornewall, misliking the order of things which he saw dailie in the king his brothers procéedings, would néeds returne backe into England, but chieflie when he perceiued that his councell & aduise could not be heard. The king was sore offended herewith, but he could not well remedie the matter, nor persuade him to tarie. And so the said earle of Cornewall, togither with the earles of Penbroke and Hereford, and diuerse other noble men tooke the sea, and after manie dangers escaped in their course, at length on S. Lucies daie they arriued in Cornewall, though some of the vessels that were in the companie were driuen by force of the tempestuous weather vpon other contrarie coasts. ¶ About this season also, that is to saie, on the day of S. Edmund the king, there happened a maruellous tempest of thunder and lightening, and therwith followed such an excéeding raine (which continued manie daies togither) that riuers rose on maruellous heigth, and the Thames it selfe, which sildome riseth or is increased by land flouds, passing ouer the banks, drowned all the countrie for the space of six miles about Lambeth, so that none might get into Westminster hall, except they were set on horssebacke.
Prouision of graine and victuals taken vp and sent to the king.
1243.
The king led by strangers.
He is euill spoken of.
About the same time the king sent ouer into England to the archbishop of Yorke lord gouernour of the realme, to cause prouision of graine and bakon, to be conueied ouer vnto him, which he appointed to be taken out of the possessions of the archbishoprike of Canturburie, and other bishoprikes that were vacant, and out of other such places as séemed to him good to appoint. Herevpon were sent ouer to him ten thousand quarters of wheat, fiue thousand quarters of otes, with as manie bakons. Also there was sent vnto him great prouision of other things, as cloth for apparell and liueries, but much of it perished in the sea by one meane or other, that little thereof came to his vse, who remained still at Burdeaux to his great cost and charges, and small gaine, sauing that he recouered certeine townes and holds there in Gascoigne that were kept by certeine rebels. At which time, bicause he was inclined rather to follow the counsell of the Gascoignes and other strangers than of his owne subiects, and gaue vnto them larger enterteinment, not regarding the seruice of his owne naturall people: he was maruellouslie euill spoken of here in England, and the more in déed, bicause his iournie had no better successe, and was yet so chargeable vnto him and all his subiects. The Noble men that remained with him, as the earles of Leicester and Salisburie, with other, were constreined to borrow no small summes of monie to beare out their charges: and so likewise the king himselfe ran greatlie in debt, by taking vp monie towards the discharging of his importable expenses.
A truce taken for fiue years.
Nicholas de Mueles his lieutenant in Gascoigne.
At length by mediation of such as were commissioners a truce was concluded betwixt him and the French king for fiue yeares, and then he returned toward England, but he arriued not there till the ninth of October, although the truce was concluded in March vpon S. Gregories day; for beside other occasions of his staie, one chanced by such strife and debate as rose amongst the Gascoignes, which caused him to returne to land, that he might pacifie the same when he was alreadie imbarked, and had hoised his saile immediatlie to set forward. He left in Guien for his lieutenant one Nicholas de Mueles or Moles, to defend those townes, which yet remained vnder his obeisance, for he put no great confidence in the people of that countrie, the which of custome being vexed with continuall warre, were constreined not by will, but by the change of times, one while to hold on the French side, and an other while on the English. Indéed the townes, namelie those that had their situation vpon the sea coastes, were so destroied and decaied in their walles and fortifications, that they could not long be any great aid to either part, and therefore being not of force to hold out, they were compelled to obeie one or other, where by their willes they would haue doone otherwise.