His proportion of bodie.
This king, besides other his gifts of nature, was aided greatlie by his séemelie personage. He had a prouident wit, sharpe to conceiue and vnderstand: he was courteous and gentle, dooing all things sagelie and with good consideration, a man of great temperance and sobrietie. Those he chiefelie fauoured and aduanced to honour, and roomes of high dignitie, which excelled in honest conuersation, modestie, and innocencie of life, of bodie well made, of a conuenient stature, as neither of the highest nor lowest sort: of face faire and manlike, eies bright and shining, and in age bald, but so as it was rather a séemelinesse to those his ancient yeares than any disfiguring to his visage; in knowledge of martiall affaires verie skilfull, as the enterprises and worthie acts by him atchiued doo sufficientlie witnesse.
In what estimation he was had among strangers it may appeare, in that he was not onelie made vicar of the empire by the emperour Lewes of Bauiere, but also after the decease of the same emperour, diuerse of the electours, as Lewes marques of Brandenbourgh, Robert or Rupert count Palatine of the Rhene, and the yoong duke of Saxonie, with Henrie archbishop of Mentz, elected him to succéed in place of the said emperour Lewes. Neuerthelesse, he giuing them hartie thanks for the honour which they did vnto him herein, refused to take the charge vpon him, alledging that he could not haue time to supplie the roome, by reason of the warres that he had in France, to recouer his right which he had to that realme.
Prosperitie vnstable.
This is noted by writers to be a token of great wisedome in this noble king, that would not go about to catch more than he might well gripe. Examples of bountious liberalitie, and great clemencie he shewed manie, and the same verie notable; so that in maner he alone amongst all other kings was found to be one, subiect to none, or at the least, to verie light and small faults. But yet he was not void of euill haps: for whereas, during the terme of fortie yeares space he reigned in high felicitie, and as one happie in all his dooings: so in the rest of his time that followed, he felt a wonderfull change in fortune (whom writers compare to the moone for hir variablenesse, and often alterations, as neuer at a staie, saieng,
Vultus fortunæ variatur imagine lunæ,
Crescit, decrescit, in eodem sisterè nescit)
shewing hirselfe froward to him in most part of his procéedings: for such is the state of this world, seldome dooth prosperitie continue, and guide the sterne of our worldlie dooings, as it well appeared by this noble prince. For in the first yeares of his reigne, after he once began to gouerne of himselfe, he recouered that which had béene lost in Scotland, by great victories obteined against his aduersaries in that land, and passed further into the same, than euer his grandfather king Edward the first had doone before him, subduing the countrie on each hand, so that he placed gouernors, and bestowed offices, lands, and liuings in that realme at his pleasure.
Iohn Stow vpon conference referreth this to the last yeare of king Edward the first.
¶ Amongst other (as I remember) there is yet remaining a charter vnder his great seale conteining a grant made vnto Iohn Eure and his heires for his good seruice doone in those parts, of a manour called Ketnes in the countie of Forfar (which lieth in the north of Scotland) with a market euerie mondaie, and a faire for thrée daies togither at Michaelmasse, as the euen, the daie, and the morrow after. Also he granted to the same Iohn Eure, frée warren thoroughout the same lordship. This Iohn Eure was ancestor vnto the lord Eure that now liueth, who hath the same charter in his possession. ¶ As for this kings victories in France, the same were such as might séeme incredible, if the consent of all writers in that age confirmed not the same. But as these victories were glorious, so yet they prooued not so profitable in the end: for whereas he had sore burdened his subiects with taskes and subsidies, at length they waxed wearie, and began to withdraw their forward minds to helpe him with such summes as had béene requisit for the maintenance of the warres, which the Frenchmen prolonged of purpose, and refused to trie their fortune any more in pight fields, wherby when he was constreined to be at continuall charges in such lingering warres, to defend that which he had erst gotten by force, and couenants of the peace; the sinewes of warre, to wit monie, began to faile him, and so the enimies recouered a great part of that which before time they had lost, both on the further side the seas, and likewise in Scotland.