This was the effect of the agréement at length had and made betwixt the abbat and moonks of Burie on the one part, & the inhabitants of that towne on the other part, and for the more confirmation therof, it pleased the king to put his seale to the charter conteining the same agréement. ¶ But how soeuer it chanced, it should appeare by such records as came to the hands of master Iohn Fox, as he alledgeth in the first tome of his booke of acts and monuments, this agréement was but sorilie kept: for diuerse of the former offendors, bearing grudge towards the abbat for breaking promise with them at London, did confederat themselues togither, and priuilie in the night comming to the manour of Chennington where the abbat then did lie, burst open the gates, and entring by force, first bound all his seruants, and after they had robbed the house, they tooke the abbat, and shauing him, secretlie conueied him to London, and there remoouing him from stréet to stréet vnknowne, had him ouer the Thames into Kent, and at length transported him ouer vnto Dist in Brabant, where they kept him for a time in much penurie, thraldome and miserie, vntill at length the matter being vnderstood, they were all excommunicate, first by the archbishop, & after by the pope. At the last, his fréends hauing knowledge where he was, they found means to deliuer him out of the hands of those théeues, and finallie brought him home with procession, and so he was restored to his house againe.
Rich. South.
Rob. Maners capteine of Norham castell.
Thus much touching those troubles betwixt the townesmen of Burie & the abbat and moonks there, and now we will returne to other generall matters touching the publike state of the realme. ¶ And first you shall vnderstand, that in the beginning of this kings reigne the land trulie séemed to be blessed of God: for the earth became fruitfull, the aire temperate, and the sea calme and quiet. This king though he was as yet vnder the gouernement of other, neuerthelesse he began within a short time to shew tokens of great towardnesse, framing his mind vnto graue deuises, and first he prepared to make a iornie against the Scotishmen, the which in his fathers time had doone so manie displeasures to the Englishmen, and now vpon confidence of his minoritie, ceassed not to inuade the borders of his realme. And namelie the verie selfe night that followed the day of this kings coronation, they had thought by skaling to haue stolne the castell of Norham: but Robert Maners capteine of that place, vnderstanding of their enterprise aforehand by a Scotishmen of the garison there, so well prouided for their comming, that where sixtéene of them boldlie entred vpon the wall, he slue nine or ten of them and tooke fiue.
The Scots inuade England.
The lord Beaumont of Heinault.
Caxton.
This was thought an euill token, that they should still be put to the worsse in this kings time, sith they had so bad successe in the verie beginning of his reigne: but they continuing in their malicious purposes, about saint Margarets tide inuaded the land with thrée armies, the earle of Murrey hauing the leading of one of the same armies, and Iames Douglas of another, and the third was guided by the earle of Mar. King Edward aduertised hereof, assembled not onelie a great power of Englishmen, but also required Iohn lord Beaumont de Heinault, whome he had latelie sent home right honorablie rewarded for his good assistance, to come againe into England, with certeine bands of men at armes, and he should receiue wages and good interteinement for them. The lord Beaumont, as one that loued déeds of armes, was glad to accomplish king Edwards request: and so therevpon with seauen hundred men at armes, or fiue hundred (as Froissart saith) came ouer into England againe, to serue against the Scots.
A fraie betwixt ye English archers and the Henuiers.