The French nation, hearing of the ciuall dissention within the realme here, and for an old grudge séeking our annoie, two nauies appointed they to inuade the townes standing vpon the riuage of the sea. The capteins of the one fléet was William lord Pomiers, and of the other sir Peter Bressie, a great ruler in Normandie. These two capteins, taking their course out of the mouth of Saine, seuered themselues the one westward; and the other eastward, which was sir Peter Bressie, who sailing alongst the coasts of Sussex and Kent, durst not yet take land, but staid in the Downes: and there hauing by espiall perfect notice that Sandwich was neither peopled nor fortified (because that a little before, the rulers of the towne were from thense departed, for to auoid the plague, which sore there afflicted and slue the people) he entered the hauen, spoiled the towne, and after such poore stuffe as he there found rifled and taken, he fearing an assemblie of the countrie, shortlie gat him awaie.
Fulnaie.
The Scots inuade England.
The lord Egremond committed to Newgate.
He made an escape.
The lord Pomiers likewise tooke his course westward, & by night burning certeine houses in Fulnaie with a little pillage retired into Britaine. The Scots also (busie like flies where no flap to fraie them) entered into Northumberland (king Iames the second being there in person) & burned certeine poore houses, and litte cottages: but in the verie middest of their great enterprise, they hearing of the duke of Yorkes marching toward them with a great host, with much paine and no gaine in all hast returned to their countrie. But now to passe ouer outward inuasions, & to intreat of the dailie disorder amongest the nobles at home. So was it, that a great conflict fell betwéene the lord Egremond, & the sonnes of the erle of Salisburie; in which manie persons were slaine, & a great number hurt. The lord Egremond, séeking to get awaie but could not, by force was taken & brought before the councell: where the king and the quéene, to shew themselues indifferent, adiudged him to paie to the earle of Salisburie a great summe of monie; and for his heinous offense against the lawes, was committed to Newgate in London, out of which he escaped, to the great trouble of the shiriffes.
A practise to haue intrapped the duke of Yorke.
The quéene nothing more séeking than the ouerthrow of the duke of Yorke and his friends, and perceiuing she could attempt nothing against him néere to London, because the duke was in more estimation there, than either the king hir husband, or hir selfe; therefore she caused the king to make a progresse into Warwikeshire for his health and recreation. And so in semblance of hawking and hunting came to Couentrée, where diuerse waies were studied to fulfill the quéenes desire: for the accomplishing whereof, the duke of Yorke, the earles of Salisburie, and Warwike (whose destructions was chieflie sought) were sent for to Couentrée by the kings letters, vnder his priuie seale, to which place the said lords without suspicion of danger obedientlie resorted.
But being admonished by secret friends, what was intended against them, they by flight auoided that danger, where otherwise their liues had béene lost without all remedie. And so without bidding anie farewell, they departed from the court; the duke vnto Wigmoore in the marches of Wales, the earle of Salisburie to his castell of Middleham in the north, and the earle of Warwike sailed to Calis. The bodies of which thrée noble personages though thus separated, yet their hearts knit in one, and still went messengers & letters betwixt them, to communicat their deuises, and giue signification of their minds and purposes.