In the fourth yeare of king Edward was a councell holden at London against the templers, the which councell indured from the beginning of Maie, till Iune. In this councell they confessed the fame, but not the fact of the crimes laid to their charge, except two or thrée ribalds that were amongst them: but bicause they could not cleare themselues, they were adiudged vnto perpetuall penance within certeine monasteries. The king this yeare fearing the enuie of the lords against Péers de Gaueston, placed him for his more safetie in Bambourgh castell, bearing the prelats and lords in hand, that he had committed him there to prison for their pleasures.
Polydor.
Caxton.
This yeare also there were ordinances made for the state and gouernement of the realme, by the prelats, earles and barons, which were confirmed with the sentence of excommunication against all them that should go about to breake the same. The king neither allowed of them nor obserued them, although he had confirmed them with his seale, and sent them to all cathedrall churches and counties, to be registered in perpetuall memorie thereof. The king indéed was lewdlie led, for after that the earle of Cornewall was returned into England, he shewed himselfe no changeling (as writers doo affirme) but through support of the kings fauour, bare himselfe so high in his doings, which were without all good order, that he séemed to disdaine all the péeres & barons of the realme. Also after the old sort he prouoked the king to all naughtie rule and riotous demeanour, and hauing the custodie of the kings iewels and treasure, he tooke out of the iewell-house a table, & a paire of trestels of gold, which he deliuered vnto a merchant called Aimerie de Friscobald, commanding him to conueie them ouer the sea into Gascoine. This table was iudged of the common people, to belong sometime vnto king Arthur, and therefore men grudged the more that the same should thus be sent out of the realme.
1311.
Rich. Southw.
An. Reg. 5.
Berwike fortified.
The king entred into Scotland.
The king this yeare raised a great power to go into Scotland. And about the feast of the Assumption of our ladie, hauing with him Péers de Gaueston earle of Cornewall, and the earles of Glocester and Warren, he came to Berwike, which towne he caused to be fortified with a strong wall, and a mightie déepe ditch, and although the other earles would not come to serue him in that voiage, by reason of a new variance risen amongst them, yet he marched foorth into Scotland, to séeke his aduersarie Robert le Bruce: but Robert refusing the battell, kept him foorth of the waie, so that the king was driuen to returne to Berwike againe, without méeting with his enimie. And he was no sooner come backe, but the said Robert and his people entred into Louthian, sore molesting such as were yéelded to the king of England. The king aduertised thereof, followed them, but could doo no good, & so returned. The earle of Cornewall laie at Rockesbourgh, and the earle of Glocester at Norham to defend those parts. After Candlemasse, the king sent the earle of Cornewall, with two hundred men of armes to S. Iohns towne, beyond the Scotish sea, who receiued to the kings peace all those that inhabited beyond that sea vp to the mounteins. The king laie still at Berwike, but the earles of Glocester and Warren, after the beginning of Lent, rode into the forest of Solkirke, and receiued the foresters & other the inhabitants there to the kings peace. ¶ In this fift yeare of the kings reigne, but somwhat before this present, in the yeare 1310, Henrie Lacie earle of Lincolne gouernour of England in the kings absence departed this life, in whose place the earle of Glocester was chosen gouernour, and therefore he returned now into England. This earle of Lincolne was buried in the new worke at Paules. Lieng on his death bed, he requested (as was reported) Thomas earle of Lancaster, who had married his daughter, that in any wise he should stand with the other lords in defense of the commonwelth, and to mainteine his quarell against the earle of Cornewall, which request earle Thomas faithfullie accomplished: for by the pursute of him, and of the earle of Warwike chéefelie, the said earle of Cornewall was at length taken and beheaded (as after shall appeare.) Some write that king Edward the first vpon his death-bed, charged the earles of Lincolne, Warwike, and Penbroke, to foresée that the foresaid Péers returned not againe into England, least by his euill example he might induce his sonne the prince to lewdnesse, as before he had alreadie doone.