Tho. Walsi.
The readinesse of the prelats to assist the quéene.
But quéene Isabell and hir sonne, with such others as were with hir in Heinault, staied not their iournie for doubt of all their aduersaries prouision, but immediatlie after that they had once made their purueiances, and were readie to depart, they tooke the sea, namelie the quéene, hir sonne, Edmund of Wodstoke earle of Kent, sir Iohn de Heinault aforesaid, and the lord Roger Mortimer of Wigmore, a man of good experience in the warres, and diuerse others, hauing with them a small companie of Englishmen, with a crue of Heinewiers and Almains, to the number of 2757 armed men, the which sailing foorth towards England, landed at length in Suffolke, at an hauen called Orwell besides Harwich, the 25 daie of September. Immediatlie after that the quéene and hir sonne were come to land, it was woonder to sée how fast the people resorted vnto them; and first of all, the earle Marshall, in whose lands she first came on shore, repaired vnto hir, so did the earle of Leicester, and diuerse barons & knights of those parts, with all the prelats in manner of the land, as the bishops of Lincolne, Hereford, Dubline, and Elie, the which being ioined with the quéene, made a great armie. The archbishop of Canturburie and others aided hir with monie.
The answer of the Londoners to the king.
After that she had refreshed hir people a little space at saint Edmundsburie, she marched foorth to séeke the aduersaries of hir and of the realme, as she bruted it; but they still kéeping themselues néere to the kings person, that vnder the shadow of the wings of his protection they might remaine in more safegard, durst not depart from his presence. At the time of the quéenes landing he was at London, and being sore amazed with the newes, he required aid of the Londoners. They answered, that they would doo all the honour they might vnto the king, the quéene, and to their sonne the lawfull heire of the land: but as for strangers & traitors to the realme, they would kéepe them out of their gates, and resist them with all their forces: but to go foorth of the citie further than that they might returne before sunne-setting, they refused, pretending certeine liberties in that behalfe to them granted in times past, as they alledged.
The king forsaketh London, and goeth towards the marches of Wales. A proclamation set forth by the king.
The quéenes proclamation.
The king not greatlie liking of this answer, fortified the tower, and leauing within it his yoonger son Iohn of Eltham, and the wife of the lord Chamberleine Hugh Spenser the yoonger that was his néece, he departed towards the marches of Wales, there to raise an armie against the quéene. Before his departure from London, he set foorth a proclamation, that euerie man vnder paine of forfeiting of life & goods, should resist them that were thus landed, assaile, and kill them, the quéene, his sonne Edward, and his brother the earle of Kent onelie excepted; and whosoeuer could bring the head or dead corps of the lord Mortimer of Wigmore, should haue for his labour a thousand marks. The quéenes proclamations on the other part willed all men to hope for peace, the Spensers publike enimies of the realme, and the lord chancellor Robert Baldocke, with their assistants onlie excepted, through whose meanes the present trouble was happened to the realme. And it was forbidden, that no man should take ought from any person, and who so euer could bring to the quéene the head of Hugh Spenser the yoonger, should haue two thousand pounds of the quéenes gift.
The bishop of Excester left in charge with the citie of London.