Chronicle of the Grey friars of London/Henricus Quartus Rex

by John Gough Nichols

HENRICUS QUARTUS REX.

Pi.^o. A^o. Thys yere Ewene Glendore sqwere of Wallys made warre ayenst the kynge. The furst yere of his rayne was beheddyd at Cerceter^[1] the erle of Saulsbery [and] the erle of Kente, and at Oxenforde sir Thomas Blont, sir Benet Ely,^[2] knyghttes, Thomas Wynter^[3] sqwere, and sir John Holond erle of Huntyngton was be-heddyd at Plasshe in Essex, and their heddes sett on London brygge, and sir Barnarde Brokkas knyght was be-heddyd at London in Cheppesyde, and sir Thomas Shellé knyght, Maudlyne and Feryby clarkes, ware hangyd at Tyborne. This same yere the kynge rode towerd Scotlond.

ij^o. A^o. Thys yere the qwene Isabelle that was wyffe to kynge Richard was sent home in to France owte of Yenglond. And that yere was a qwarter of whett at xvjs. the second dere yere. And that yere was a prest brent in Smythfelde that was callyd sir William Sautre for erysse.

iiij^o. A^o. Thys yere was the qwene crownyd.

v^o. A^o. Thys yere the byshoppe of Yorke, Scroppe, and Mowbray the earl marchall,^[4] beheddyd. And three men of the kynges chamber hongyd, and the prior of Lau[nde], sir Robert Claryndon knyght, and eight freer minores ware hongyd at Ty[burne]. And thys yere was the battelle of Shrewysbery, in the wyche was slayne Henry Percy and Thomas Percy taken, and two dayes kepte, and after was honged and be-heddyd and hys hede with one qwarter of Henry Percy set on London brygge. And in this battelle was slayne the erle of Stafforde under the kynges banner. And this battelle was on Mary Mawdlyne evyn. And in the lent afore was the blasynge sterre that clarkes callyd it Stell.. cemate.^[5] And William Serle that was cheffe yomane with kynge Richard was drawne and honged and heddyd at Tyborne, and the qwarters saltede.

vij^o. A^o. Thys yere one Travers, a yoman of the crowne of the kynges, was hongyd at Tyborne for powsenynge of hys wyffe and one Pylle in the counter in the Powltre. And this yere alle the kydelles^[6] and trungkes thorowghout the Temse from the towne of Stanes in the west unto the watter of Medevey in the est by the mayer and commonalte of London were dystrowyd and brent, and gret plee and dyscorde was for that matter betwene Thomas Arundelle archebyshoppe of Canterbery and other lorddes and knyghtes on that one party, and the mayor and commonalte of London on that other party, but the citte of London recovered their ryght by the vertu of the kynges charter and hys statues. Thys yere also was many justes in Smytfelde by-twene Englyche men and Scottes, and by-twene lordes and knyghttes of Ynglonde and other strangers. And this yere was the erle of Arundelle weddyd at Lambyth.^[7] And this yere was furst ordened a masse of the Holy Gost, to be songe solemply be note every yere at the Yelde-halle chappelle the same daye the mayer is chosyn.

viij^o. A^o. Thys yere the erle of Northumberlond and the lorde Bardolfe was be-heddyd in the North; and the erles hede with one of hys qwarters of the lordes (sic) ware sett on London bregge.

And this yere sir Roberte Knowlles knyghte dyde, that was the grete warryar. And this yere sir Thomas Rampsone knyghte of the garter^[8] was drowned in the Temse by hys owne follé, for he wolde not be governyd by the bargemen, but to have hys owne rewle. And this yere was the erle of Kent weddyd at sent Mary Overes.^[9]

xj°. A°; . Thys yere was ordened the alay of golde. And the kynges sonnes beten in Chepe.^[10] And this yere was the grete frost and ise and the most sharpest wenter that ever man sawe, and it duryd fourteen wekes, so that men myght in dyvers places both goo and ryde over the Temse. Thys yere also was the good erle of Kent slayne [at] the castelle of Brydoke in Bryttene with a qwarrelle in hys hede. And thys yere was an erytyke brentte in Smythfelde for eryse. And a sqwere of [Wa]llys, one heghe Rys de 9de^[11] draune and hongyd for tresone.

xij^o. A^o. Thys yere there came a cardinelle to London. And menny justes and battelles ware in Smythfelde. And this yere beganne a gret pley from the begynnyng of the worlde at the skynners' welle, that lastyd vij. dayes contynually; and there ware the most parte of the lordes and gentylles of Ynglond.^[12] And this yere was a goldsmythe of Fletestret slayne be nyght in the dukes place of York with-owte Tempull barre, and was trowne^[13] under the Tempull bregge.

xiij^o. A^o. Thys yere was a gret excesseve flode in the Temse. And a gret batte [battle] rose betwene Roberte Glocitre and Arthur Ormesby in Smythfelde. And this yere the lorde Thomas weddyd the countes of Somerset.^[14] And this yere came messengeres owte of France from the kynge and the duke of Burgone for to helpe them agaynst the duke of Orlyans; and then went over the erle of Arnedelle and the erle of Kent to helpe the duke of Burgone, and had a jurné, and came home agayne; and that same tyme came messengeres owte of France from the duke of Orlians for to have helpe agayne the duke of Burgayn.

xiv^o. A^o. Thus yere the xxti day of March, dyde the kynge, and was burryd at Cantorbery.

1. Cirencester.
2. Sely in other chronicles.
3. Wintereell or Wintershall.
4. Blundered in the MS. to Mombre Kerrelle.
5. Stella comata.
6. For catching fish: called "weares" in the parallel passage of Stowe's Chron.
7. Thomas earl of Arundel married Beatrix illegitimate daughter of John I. king of Portugal: upon the morrow after the feast of St. Katharine in 6 Hen IV. (viz. 26 Nov. 1404) as recorded by Walsingham. Ypodigma Neustriæ, p. 175. See also Tierney's History of Arundel, p. 283, and the Collectanea Topogr. et Geneal. vol.i. pp. 80 et.seq.
8. Sir Thomas Rempston, elected K.G. in 1400; he was constable of the tower of London at the time of his fatal accident, which occurred on the 31st Oct. 1406.
9. Edward Holand, fourth earl of Kent, married Lucia, daughter of the duke of Milan; see Leland's Collectanea, i. 698. He was killed at Briac in Britany on the 15th Sept. in the following year.
10. "In this yere was a fray made in Estchepe, be the kynges sones Thomas and John, with men of the town."Chron. of London (Nicolas), p. 93. The prince of Wales, it seems, was not engaged in this memorable fray: but Shakspere has made him bear the sins of his younger brethren.
11. Ryse ap Dee in other chroniclers
12. Stowe place this great play under the year 1409. See also other chronicles quoted in Collier's Hist. of Dramatic Poetry. i. 19.
13. thrown.
14. Thomas Laneaster duke of Clarence and Margaret (Holand) widow of John Beaufort earl of Somerset.