Lionell that was after duke of Clarance borne.
The princes and lords then with whom king Edward was alied and confederated at that time, I find to be these; the dukes of Brabant and Gelderland, the archbishop of Cullen, the marquesse of Gulike, sir Arnold de Baquehen, and the lord of Valkenburgh, who all promised to defie the French king, in the king of Englands quarrell, and to serue him with notable numbers of men, where and whensoeuer it should please him to appoint. The aliance of the earle of Heinault first procured the king of England all these fréends, vnto the which earle he had sent ouer the bishop of Lincolne and other in ambassage, immediatlie after that he had resolued to make warres against France, by the counsell and aduise of sir Robert Dartois, as in the French historie more plainlie appeareth. In this meane season was quéene Philip brought to bed at Antwerpe of hir third sonne, which was named Lionell. ¶ The king of England earnestlie followed his businesse, and had manie treaties with his fréends and confederats, till at length he made sure to him the fréendship of all those townes & countries, which lie betwixt France and the riuer of Rhene: onelie the cities of Tournie and Cambrie held of the French kings part, though Cambrie belonged to the empire.
Additions to Adam Merimuth.
A parlement at Northampton.
A subsidie vpon wooll.
The cleargie granteth a tenth.
Great raine.
1339.
An. Reg. 13.
In this twelfth yeare of king Edwards reigne at a councell holden at Northampton by the duke of Cornewall, lord warden of England in absence of the king his brother, and by manie of the prelats and barons of the realme, there was granted to the king a subsidie in wooll, to the great burthen of the commons: but for so much as the cleargie of the land was not present at that councell, it was ordeined that they should be called, and so they assembled in a conuocation at London the first day of October, in which the cleargie granted to the king a tenth for the third yeare then to come, ouer and besides the two tenths before granted, and that the tenth of this present yeare should be paid in shorter time than it was appointed: but they flatlie denied to grant their wools, which neuerthelesse the laitie paid, and that to their great hinderance, for it rose double to a fiftéene. From the beginning of October, to the beginning of December this yeare, fell such abundance of raine that it hindered greatlie the husbandmen in sowing of their winter corne: and in the beginning of December came such a vehement frost continuing the space of twelue wéeks, that it destroied vp all the séed almost that was sowne, by reason whereof small store of winter corne came to proofe in the summer following: but though there was no plentie, yet all kinds of graine were sold at a reasonable price, through want of monie.