A proclamation.
Fabian.
Polydor.
But to the purpose. King Edward not a little offended with king Charles, by whose meanes he knew that the woman thus lingered abroad, he procured pope Iohn to write his letters vnto the French king, admonishing him to send home his sister and hir sonne vnto hir husband. But when this nothing auailed, a proclamation was made in the moneth of December, the ninetéenth yeare of this kings reigne, that if the quéene and hir sonne entred not the land by the octaues of the Epiphanie next insuing in peaceable wise, they should be taken for enimies to the realme and crowne of England. ¶ Here authors varie, for some write, that vpon knowledge had of this proclamation, the quéene determined to returne into England foorthwith, that she might be reconciled to hir husband.
1326.
Others write, and that more truelie, how she being highlie displeased, both with the Spensers and the king hir husband, that suffered himselfe to be misled by their counsels, did appoint indéed to returne into England, not to be reconciled, but to stir the people to some rebellion, wherby she might reuenge hir manifold iniuries. Which (as the proofe of the thing shewed) séemeth to be most true, for she being a wise woman, & considering that sith the Spensers had excluded, put out, and remooued all good men, from and besides the kings councell, and placed in their roomes such of their clients, seruants and fréends as pleased them, she might well thinke that there was small hope to be had in hir husband, who heard no man but the said Spensers, which she knew hated hir deadlie. Wherevpon, after that the tearme prefixed in the proclamation was expired, the king caused to be seized into his hands, all such lands, as belonged either to his sonne, or to his wife.
Sir Robert Walkfare.
The bishop of Excester cōmeth from the quéene.
About the same time, one sir Robert Walkfare knight, a right hardie man of his hands, but craftie and subtill (who being taken in the warres which the lords raised against the king, had béene committed to prison in the castell of Corfe) found means now to kill the constable of that castell most cruellie, and escaping awaie, got ouer to the quéene into France, and so the number of them that ran out of the realme vnto hir dailie increased. This sir Robert Walkfare was a great procurer of the discord betwixt the king and the lords, and a chéefe leader, or rather seducer of that noble man Humfrie de Bohune earle of Hereford: and whilest other gaue themselues to séeke a reformation in the decaied state of the common-wealth, he set his mind vpon murders and robberies. Diuerse other about the same time fled out of the realme vnto the quéene, and vnto hir sonne the earle of Chester. But in the meane time, Walter Stapleton bishop of Excester, which hitherto had remained with the quéene in France, stale now from hir, and got ouer into England, opening to the king all the counsell and whole mind of the quéene: which thing turned first of all vnto his owne destruction, as shall after appeare.