¶ The cause and first originall of instituting this order is vncerteine. But there goeth a tale amongst the people, that it rose by this means. It chanced that K. Edward finding either the garter of the quéene, or of some[2] ladie with whom he was in loue, being fallen from hir leg, stooped downe and tooke it vp, whereat diuerse of his nobles found matter to iest, and to talke their fansies merilie, touching the kings affection towards the woman, vnto whome he said, that if he liued, it should come so passe, that most high honor should be giuen vnto them for the garters sake: and there vpon shortlie after, he deuised and ordeined this order of the garter, with such a posie, wherby he signified, that his nobles iudged otherwise of him than the truth was. Though some may thinke, that so noble an order had but a meane beginning, if this tale be true, yet manie honorable degrées of estates haue had their beginnings of more base and meane things, than of loue, which being orderlie vsed, is most noble and commendable, sith nobilitie it selfe is couered vnder loue, as the poet Ouid aptlie saith,
[2] The countes of Salisburie.
1345.
An. Reg. 19.
Nobilitas sub amore iacet.
Additions to Adam Merimuth, and Triuet.
William de Montacute earle of Salisburie king of Man, and marshall of England, was so brused at the iusts holden here at Windsore (as before ye haue heard) that he departed this life, the more was the pitie, within eight daies after. ¶ The king about the same time, to wit, in the quindene of Candlemasse, held a councell at London, in the which with good aduise and sound deliberation had vpon the complaint of the commons to him before time made, he gaue out streict commandement, that no man on paine of imprisonment and death, should in time to come, present or induct anie such person or persons, that were so by the pope promoted, without the kings agréement, in preiudice of his roiall prerogatiue. Héerevpon, he directed also writs to all archbishops, bishops, abbats, priors, deanes, archdeacons, officials and other ecclesiasticall persons, to whome it apperteined, inhibiting them in no wise to attempt anie thing in preiudice of that ordinance, vnder pretext of anie bulles, or other writings, for such manner of prouisions to come from the court of Rome. Other writs were also directed to his sonne the prince of Wales, and to all the shiriffes within the realme, for to arrest all such as brought into the land any such buls or writings, and to bring them before the kings councell or his iustices, where they might be punished according to the trespasse by them committed.
Coine changed.
About the same time, the king ordeined a certeine coine of fine gold, and named it the floren, which coine was deuised for his warres in France, for the gold thereof was not so fine as was the noble, which in the fourtéenth yeare he had caused to be coined: but this coine continued not long. ¶ After the feast of the holie Trinitie, the king held a parlement at London, in the which he asked a tenth of the cleargie, and a fiftéenth of the laitie, about which demand there was no small altercation, but at length he had it granted for one yeare. ¶ At the same time, the archbishop of Canturburie held a conuocation of all the cleargie at London, in the which manie things were in talke about the honest demeanor of churchmen, which sildome is obserued, as the addition to Nicholas Triuet saith. About the feast of the Assumption of our ladie, the king disanulled the florens, to the great commoditie of his kingdome, ordeining a greater floren of halfe a marke, and a lesser of thrée shillings foure pence, and the least of all of twentie pence, and these were called nobles, and not without cause, for they were a noble coine, of faire & fine gold.
This yeare, on the seauentéenth daie of Nouember, the pope in Auinion created the lord Lewes de Spaine, ambassador for the French king, prince of the Iles called Fortunatæ, for what purpose it was not knowne, but it was doubted, not to be for anie good meaning towards the kingdome of England, the prosperitie whereof, the same pope was suspected not greatlie to wish. ¶ About the beginning of Lent the same yeare, the said pope had sent an archbishop and a bishop, ambassadors to the king, who met them at Ospring in Kent, and to the end they should not linger long within the realme, he quicklie dispatched them without effect of their message. ¶ This yeare, shortlie after Easter, the duke of Britaine, that had béene deteined prisoner by the French king, and escaped out of prison, came ouer into England. ¶ And about the same time, the king ordeined the exchange of monies at London, Canturburie, and Yorke, to the great commoditie of his people.