The lord Badelismere reuolteth to the side of the barons.
The king aduertised of their dooings, sent vnto them the archbishop of Canturburie, and the lord Bartholomew de Badelismere lord steward of his house, to request them to desist and leaue off from such their outragious dooings, and comming to the parlement which he had alreadie summoned, they might put in their complaints and grieuances, & he would sée that they should haue iustice, according as equitie should require. The lord Badelismere forsaking the king, became one of the confederacie with the barons, and so the archbish. was glad to returne alone, leauing the L. Badelismere behind him, who sent the king word by the archbishop, that till they had expelled the Spensers out of the realme, they would not giue ouer their enterprise. On saint Barnabies day they came to a manour of Hugh Spenser the father called Fasterne, in the countie of Wiltshire, and spoiled the same with diuerse and manie other manors, as well in Wiltshire, as else where, to wit, in Glocestershire, Dorsetshire, Hamshire, Barkeshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrie, Cambridgeshire, Huntingtonshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Chesshire, and Warwikeshire, making such hauocke of all such goods or cattell as belonged to the said Hugh Spenser the father, that he was thought to be indamaged to the value of thirtie thousand pounds, burning his houses, beating, maiming and ransoming his men.
Furthermore not contented to spoile those places which belonged to him, but hearing that in the abbeie of Stanlie he had laid vp monie and euidences, they brake into that abbeie, and tooke out thereof a thousand pounds in readie coine, beside euidences and writings, to the indamaging of him to the value of six thousand pounds, and likewise entring into the castell of Marleburgh, where the said Hugh Spenser the father had laid vp in wooll to the number of 36 sacks, they tooke the same and other of his goods, as well in plate as apparell, to the value in all of six thousand pounds. And they did not onelie spoile the possessions, houses, goods, and cattels of the two Spensers, whersoeuer they could heare that the same were to be found, but also they vsed the like disorder against all such as were knowne to be fréends or well-willers, to either the father or sonne, sending commissions vnto such as should sée the same executed to the most extremitie, so that in this rage of enuie and hot reuenge there was no parcialitie, but that one with another, the innocent with the nocent, the guiltlesse with the guiltie went to wracke, and (as the old prouerbe saith concurring with common practise
Quòd sus peccauit succula sæpe luit)
The barons raise the people and came in armes towards the parlement.
They send to the king.
Their requests.
finallie, after they had satisfied their desires in such riotous sort, they raised the people, and constrained them to sweare to be of their accord, and so came forward with the like force towards the parlement that was summoned to be holden at London thrée wéeks after Midsummer. At their comming to S. Albons, they sent the bishops of London, Salisburie, Elie, Hereford, and Chichester, to the king with their humble suit in outward apperance, though in effect and verie déed more presumptuous than was requisite. Their chéefe request was that it might please his highnesse to put from him the Spensers, whose counsell they knew to be greatlie against his honour, and hereof not to faile if he tendered the quiet of his realme. They also required letters patents of him, containing a generall pardon for the indemnitie of themselues, and all those that had béene in armes with them, so as they should not be impeached by the king for any transgressions past or present, in time hereafter to come.
The kings answer.
The king herevnto answered, that as concerning Hugh Spenser the father, he was abroad on his busines beyond the seas, and that Hugh the sonne was on the sea for the safe kéeping of the cinque ports, as by his office he was bound, and that they ought not by any right or custome to be banished, before they haue made answere to the crimes obiected against them. He added further, that their request wanted foundation of law and reason. And if it might be proued that the Spensers had in any wise offended against the statutes and ordinances of the land, they were alwaies readie to make their answere as the lawes of the realme should require. Lastlie he added this with an oth, that he would not be forsworne contrarie to that which at his coronation he had taken vpon him by oth, through granting letters of peace and pardon to such notorious offenders in contempt of his person, and to the trouble and disquieting of the whole realme.