The prince of Portingale commeth to London.
During which parlement, came to London Peter duke of Quimbre, sonne to the king of Portingale, cousine germane remooued to the king; which of the duke of Excester and the bishop of Winchester his vncles was highlie feasted, he was also elected into the order of the garter. During the same season, Edmund Mortimer, the last earle of March, of that name (which long time had béene restreined from his libertie, and finallie waxed lame) deceassed without issue, whose inheritance descended to the lord Richard Plantagenet, sonne and heire to Richard earle of Cambridge, beheaded (as before yée haue heard) at the towne of Southampton. ¶ In the time of this parlement also was sir Iohn Mortimer cousine to the same earle, either for desert or malice, atteinted of treason, and put to execution, of whose death no small slander arose amongst the common people.
After all these things doone in England and in France, Humfreie duke of Glocester, who had married the ladie Iaquet, or Iaqueline of Bauier, countesse of Heinault, Holland, and Zeland (notwithstanding she was coupled in marriage afore to Iohn duke of Brabant, as yet liuing, and had continued with him a long space) passed now the sea with the said ladie, and went to Mons or Bergen in Heinault, where the more part of the people of that countrie came and submitted themselues vnto him, as to their souereigne lord, in right of his said wife, the ladie Iaquet or Iaqueline: with which dooing hir former husband was greatlie mooued. And likewise the duke of Burgognie, being great friend to the same duke of Brabant, was much offended: who of old familiaritie wrote louinglie to the duke of Glocester, requiring him to reforme himselfe according to reason, and to forsake his vngodlie life, both in kéeping of an other mans wife, and also in séeking to vsurpe other mens rights and titles.
Herevpon went letters betwixt them for a time, but at length when the duke of Burgognie perceiued that the duke of Glocester meant to mainteine his interest, & to make wane against the duke of Brabant; he tooke part with the duke of Brabant so earnestlie, that he consented to fight with the duke of Glocester bodie to bodie within lists in defence of the duke of Brabants quarell, and further aided the duke of Brabant in his warres against the duke of Glocester, with all his puissance, insomuch that in the end (after the duke of Glocesters returne into England) the duke of Brabant recouered all the towns in Heinault, which the ladie Iaquet or Iaqueline held against him. And further the same ladie was by composition deliuered by them of the towne of Mons vnto the duke of Burgognie; who caused hir to be conueied vnto Gant, from whence she made shift to escape into Holland, where she was obeied as countesse of the countrie.
Then made she warre in hir owne defense against the dukes of Burgognie and Brabant, who sought to spoile hir of all hir towns and lands: but they procured pope Martin the fift (before whome the matter was) to giue sentence that the first matrimonie with the duke of Brabant was good, and the second with the duke of Glocester to be vnlawfull. But in the meane time, the lord Fitz Walter was sent ouer to the aid of the ladie Iaquet or Iaquelin, with a power of Englishmen, landed in Zeland, néere vnto the towne of Zerixe, aginst whome came the duke of Burgognie, and incountering with them and other such Hollanders and Zelanders, as were ioined with them, néere to a place called Brewers hauen, there discomfited them; so that of English, Hollanders, and Zelanders, with the said lord Fitz Walter, were slaine seauen or eight hundred, and the residue chased to the water. At length, when the duke of Glocester vnderstood the sentence pronounced against him by the pope, he began to wax wearie of his wife the said ladie Iaquet, by whome he neuer had profit, but losse, and tooke in a second marriage Eleanor Cobham, daughter to the lord Cobham of Sterberow, which before (as the fame went) was his souereigne paramour, to his slander and dishonour.
Alias Bowron.
Twentie thousand hath Nicholas Giles.
S. Iames de Beuuron besieged.
A little before this time, sir Thomas Rampston, sir Philip Branch, sir Nicholas Burdet, and other Englishmen, to the number of fiue hundred men of warre, repared and fortified the towne of S. Iames de Beuuron, situate on the frontiers of Normandie towards Britaine, within halfe a league of the duke of Britains ground, with whome as then they had open warre; and so began to doo manie displeasures to his people. Wherevpon Arthur earle of Richmont and Yurie, brother to the said duke, and latelie before created constable of France, assembled an huge power of men to the number of fortie thousand (as some haue written) and with the same came before the said towne of S. Iames de Beuuron, and planted his siege verie stronglie about it, inforcing with his great ordinance to ouerthrow the wals. And one day amongst other, he determined to giue the assault, and so did, the which continued a long space verie hot and earnest.