The Scotish king renounceth his homage and fealtie vnto the king of England.
And now to the storie. K. Edward remaind at Berwike 15 daies, & caused a ditch to be cast about the towne of 80 foot in breadth, & of the like in depth. In the meane time, about the beginning of Aprill, the warden and reader of the frier minors of Rockesborough called Adam Blunt, came vnto him with letters of complaint from king Iohn, for the wrongs doone and offered vnto him and his realme, as well in claiming an vniust superioritie, and constreining him to doo homage by vndue and wrongfull meanes, as also by inuading his townes, slaieng and robbing his subiects: for the which causes he testified by the same letters, that he renounced all such homage and fealtie for him and his subiects, as he, or any of them owght for any lands holden within England. The king hearing the letters red receiued the resignation of the homage, and commanded his chancellor, that the letter might be registred in perpetuall memorie of the thing.
The Scots inuade the English borders.
Harbotell.
Rich. South.
The earle of Boghan. The crueltie of the Scots.
The earles of Scotland before remembred, being assembled togither with their powers at the castell of Iedworth, entred into England the eighth of Aprill, and with fire and sword did much hurt in the countries as they passed. In Riddesdale they besieged the castell of Harbotell by the space of two daies, but when they could not preuaile, they remoued, and passing foorth by the east part of the riuer of Tine, thorough Cokesdale, Riddesdale, and Northumberland, vnto Hexham, they did much mischéefe by burning and harrieng the countries. At Hexham they spoiled the abbeie church, and got a great number of the cleargie, as well moonks, priests, as scholers, and others, whom they thrust into the schoolehouse there, and closing vp the dores, set fire on the schoole, and burned all them to ashes that were within it. It is wonderfull to read, what beastlie crueltie the Scots vsed in that road which they made at that time in two seuerall parts. For the earle of Boghan, with them of Galloway, entred by Cumberland in like manner as the other did in Riddesdale, burning and murthering all that came in their waie. For whereas all those that were of able age and lustie to get awaie, fled, & escaped their hands; the aged & impotent creatures, women in childbed, and yoong children that could not shift for themselues, were vnmercifullie slaine, and thrust vpon speares, and shaken vp in the aire, where they yéelded vp their innocent ghosts in most pitifull wise.
The nunrie of Lamelaie burnt.
Churches were burned, women were forced without respect of order, condition or qualitie, as well the maids, widowes and wiues, as nunnes that were reputed in those daies consecrated to God, and when they had béene so abused, manie of them were after also murthered, and cruellie dispatched out of life. At length, they came to the nunrie of Lamelaie, & burned all the buildings there, sauing the church, and then returned backe into Scotland with all their pillage and booties by Lauercost, an house of moonks, which they likewise spoiled. So that the cruell & bloudie desolation whereof Lucan speaketh in his second booke of ciuill warres, may aptlie be inferred here, as fitlie describing the mercilesse murther of all states and sexes without parcialitie vnder the hand of the enimie: for saith he,