1270-71

At the Feast of Saint Michael, A.D. 1270, were made Sheriffs, Gregory De Rokesle,; Henry Waleys.

These Sheriffs, immediately after the Feast of Saint Michael, had a new pillory made, and erected it in the place where the old pillory had previously stood, of which mention has been made in the preceding leaf. After this, and after the Feast of the Translation of Saint Edward [13 October], there came news to London that the (fn. 1) King of France, who had assumed the Cross and was on his road to the Holy Land, had died in a certain island, situate in the Mediterranean Sea and inhabited by the Saracens; as also one of his sons, and many persons of noble and middle rank who had followed him in the Christian army. For, leaving the straight road by sea for (fn. 2) Acon, they made sail with the view of taking the said island, and landed thereon; which island is very rich, it is said, and is called "Tuniz." But immediately after the death of the said King, his son, (fn. 3) Philip by name, was elected King of the French; whereupon Sir Edward, who had before bound himself to the said King now deceased, so long as he should survive, although in no way bound to his said son, put to sea, at his earnest entreaty, with a strong and well-armed force, and many knights and men-at-arms, for the purpose of joining him, it being the Thursday after the Feast of Saint Michael; and on the Sunday before the Feast of Saint Martin [11 November] he landed at Tunes. But before his arrival, the King of France, and his uncle Charles, had made peace with the King of Tunes; whereupon, at the entreaty of the aforesaid King of France and of Charles, upon good security being given to Sir Edward, he went with them to Sicily, and landed at (fn. 4) Trapes, having brought his ships and all his retinue in safety.

Be it remembered, that about the Feast of Saint Giles [1 September] last past, the Countess of Flanders seized all chattels found in Flanders belonging to merchants of England, Wales, Ireland, and even Gascoigne, by reason of a certain yearly rent that she demanded of his lordship the King of England; and which rent, as she asserted, was many years in arrear. She also forthwith sold the said chattels, and took to her own use the monies received for the same, expelling from her territories all the merchants aforesaid. Wherefore, Sir Edward, who then was still in the parts of France, on his way to the Holy Land, as soon as he heard news of such injustice and cruelty committed by the Countess upon the men of his father and himself, wrote to his lordship the King, his father, and to the Queen and his lordship the King of Almaine, as well as to all the Council of the King and of the realm, to the effect that they should harass the said Countess and her people in every way they might; that so, all the goods aforesaid that had been taken from the said merchants, might be restored to them in full; and this, until ample satisfaction should have been made unto his lordship the King for the injuries inflicted upon himself and his subjects.

Thereupon, after council had been held by order of his lordship the King, all chattels belonging to the merchants of Flanders were taken and seized; which however were but few in number, because they, being forewarned by the Countess, had sent nearly all their goods out of the kingdom. At the same time also, it was forbidden by writ of his lordship the King, sent to London and to all the sea-ports, that any person, whether native or alien, should take any wool out of the realm to the parts beyond sea. And so it was accordingly done, until the Parliament which was held at Westminster after the Feast of the Translation of Saint Edward [13 October]; in which Parliament it was provided and ordained, that all merchants, those of Flanders excepted, might carry wool out of the kingdom, whithersoever they might think proper, Flanders excepted. And then, by the King's order, all the merchants who were in London appeared before his Council at Westminster, and there made oath, that they would carry no wool to Flanders, nor would have any fellowship with the Flemings, or sell them any wool. And if any one should presume to contravene this, all his chattels coming into England were to be rendered amenable to his lordship the King, and himself to be imprisoned. But if such person should absent himself and not come into England, then his fellow-countryman who had come into England, was to suffer the punishment aforesaid in his stead.

It should also be known, that the chattels which the aforesaid Countess had seized, were valued at the sum of 40000 marks sterling.

In this year, John Addrien was again elected Mayor, on the Feast of Simon and Jude [28 October], and, his lordship the King not being at Westminster, was presented to the Barons of the Exchequer and admitted. Also, after the King's return, he was presented to his said lordship the King, and admitted; that is to say, on the Thursday next after the Epiphany of Our Lord [6 January], as by the Charter of the Mayoralty bound.

Then was sent a writ of his lordship the King unto the citizens of London, in form under-written.—

"Henry, by the grace of God, etc., to the Mayor and Sheriffs, and to the whole community of his City of London, greeting. Whereas you, the Mayor, and certain of your fellow-citizens aforesaid, lately in our presence thereunto appointed, have made oath to the effect that you will constantly adhere to your fealty as towards us; and that, if we shall go the way of all flesh, living Edward, our eldest son, unto the same Edward, and if, living John our son, we and the said Edward shall have departed this life, unto the same John, you will, before all mortals, pay and observe the same- fealty, and after his decease, unto the right heirs of the crown of England; and whereas we, for certain reasons, do will that each of you do make the same oath before our well-beloved and trusty Master John de Chishull, our Treasurer, as he shall advise, and shall on his part observe the same; we do command you, that you, and all and every of you, do upon some certain day, in your Hustings or at the Cross in Saint Paul's Church-yard, make the same oath in form aforesaid. And forasmuch as we do will that the City aforesaid may for our and your security and peace be so kept, that no one as to whom suspicion may be entertained may enter the same, whereby damage or peril unto us and yourselves may ensue; we do command you, in virtue of the fealty, homage, and love in which unto us you are bound, and do strictly enjoin, that you cause the gates of your city to be sufficiently watched by armed men during the day, and by night to be strictly and securely closed; and that arms or horses, of the price of 100 shillings or more, without the same City you do not sell, or allow the same to be taken out of the said City by others than by those who notoriously are our friends; and that you do not permit any gathering of men, as to the which sinister suspicions might be entertained, or even any horses of value, with arms, to enter the said City;—under forfeiture of all your goods, and also of the liberties of your City aforesaid. Witness myself at Wyndeshore, this 29th day of October, in the five-and-fiftieth year of our reign."

This writ was carried into effect on the 9th day of November, so far as doing fealty unto his lordship the King. Afterwards, at the prayer of the citizens, his lordship the King certified them by his writ as to who were to be admitted into the City; which writ, turn over this leaf and you will find written.

Be it remembered, that in the previous month of July the citizens of London sent a certain writing obligatory, sealed with the seal of the commonalty, unto his lordship the King, who was then at the Parliament at Winchester; in which it was set forth that John Addrien, Mayor of London, the Barons, citizens, and all the commons of the same city, had bound themselves to the effect that they and their heirs, and those who should come after them, should always and for all time be faithful unto his lordship the King and his heirs, as against all persons. And that if they or their heirs, or those who should come after them, should in common recede from their fealty to the said King or to his heirs, bearing arms against him; then, by the said writing they agreed that they should forfeit life and limb without mercy, and be disherisoned, they and their heirs for ever, and held excommunicate: and in many other ways in the said writing did they bind themselves. Still however, if any individual person, or individual persons, of the same City should do aught against his or their fealty to the King or his heirs, they alone were to be punished and to have judgment pronounced upon them according to the law of the land, without loss to the other citizens.

" (fn. 5) Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Acquitaine, to his well-beloved and trusty the Mayor and Sheriffs of London, and to his citizens of the same city, greeting. Know ye, that for the security of ourselves and of you, and of the city aforesaid, we have of our counsel provided that the same city and the gates thereof shall be faithfully and well kept by day and by night; that is to say, that at night the said gates shall be closed, and by day shall by armed men manfully and discreetly be kept, in form unto you made known thereon the day (fn. 6) before these presents. And also, that no persons, horsemen or footmen, or others, as to whom any suspicion may be entertained, or as to whom it may be suspected that it is their wish wrongfully to suggest anything sinister or evil as concerning ourselves, either in saying, preaching, or making any conventicles or covins, shall in future on any account be received into the city aforesaid or shall enter the same. And also, that no great earl or baron, whosoever he shall be, shall on any account be received within the city aforesaid, or shall enter the same, without our especial mandate therefor. And further, that no horse which exceeds in value the price of 100 shillings, shall be retained by any person within the said city. And also, that all armour, to whomsoever the same shall belong, great or small, shall by you be viewed, and unto those in whose keeping such armour is, be delivered, upon good security that they will not let the same go out of their hands; but rather shall, to our behoof, safely keep the same, according to the reasonable price thereof by you to be assessed, in case that of such armour we shall stand in need; you making the most careful enquiries thereon, as to where and in whose hands such armour may be found. We have further provided, that all persons banished from the city aforesaid, even if they be in the borough of Suwerk, or within the liberties of Westminster, or even within the suburbs of the said city, or elsewhere in the County of Middlesex, as to whom sinister suspicion is entertained or may be entertained, shall be taken or placed under arrest, and safely be kept, until we shall have given other commands as to the same. And therefore, we do command you, that you perform all the premises so manfully, trustily, and diligently, to the security and honour of ourselves and of you, that we may for all time from thenceforth be bound to commend your probity, diligence, and industry therein. Witness myself at Windesore, this first day of November, in the five-and-fiftieth year of our reign."

This year, on the third day after the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul [25 January], about the (fn. 7) first hour, suddenly and unexpectedly, a great part of the Tower of the Church of Saint (fn. 8) Mary Arches, in London, fell to the ground in Chepe, and more than twenty persons, men and women, were killed.

In the same year, that is to say, at the end of the year 1270, in the month of March, it befell that in the village of (fn. 9) Grenewyz, near London, a sheep brought forth a monstrous animal, having two bodies like those of a lamb, and only one head; to which head the bodies adhered by separate necks. Each body too had four feet and a tail. The head also was that of a lamb, with four ears: but whether this prodigy was significant of misfortune to any one is unknown. Still, it is a notorious fact that the owner of the tenement, where the said sheep brought forth, a man healthy and sound, and sufficiently sober and moderate in drink and in food, in the same year suddenly and unexpectedly fell into a state of paralysis, losing the power of speech and the use of his right hand.

News came, on the Sunday before the Annunciation of Our Lady [25 March], through a letter sent by a person in the Christian army, to the effect that, when the said Sir Edward had arrived at Trapes, as written in the preceding leaf, and the army of the Christians had come thither, on a conference being held between them, it was ordained and ratified upon oath that, by reason of the route failing them, their passage should be put off until the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist [24 June] three years from thence. The King of France, the King of Sicily, and Sir Edward, as also the Count of (fn. 10) Peiters and the other nobles of the Christian army, made oath to this effect; but Sir Edward made oath upon condition, if he should be able to shew unto the King of France some reasonable cause for which he could not join such ensuing expedition.

It should also be known, that when the whole army was united, it seemed to them that they could not possibly have fought against the Soldan. The King of France was setting out for France to receive his crown. The King of Sicily again was going to Constantinople against the Greeks, and each of the nobles was returning to his own country. Whereupon, Sir Edward remained until the month of May at Palermo, and was then to cross over to (fn. 11) Acon. But as to this, he made four conditions; the first condition being, in (fn. 12) case a Pope should be created who should forbid his passage until the great expedition. The second condition was, in case he should be detained by sickness. The third, in case his father should die. The fourth, in case there should be a war in England. It should also be known, that peace was made between the King of Sicily and the King of Tunis, on the condition that the King of Tunis should hold his kingdom of the King of Sicily, paying him as much as he used to pay the Emperor Fretheric, and his son (fn. 13) Manfred, and double the arrears which had accrued since the death of the said Manfred, for five years, namely. He also paid the King of France and the King of Sicily a very large sum of money; while all the Christian prisoners whom the King of Tunis had taken were liberated by him, and he further granted that the Christians might celebrate divine service and preach upon the Catholic faith throughout all his good towns, without hindrance on part of the Saracens; and that the Christians might go and come into his territories, as theretofore they had been wont to do; in addition to which, he would harbour no enemy of the King of Sicily.

It should also be known, that before peace was made between the said kings, and the Christian army was in the island before-mentioned, the people of (fn. 14) Conradin pitched their tents without their town, about two miles in advance, and near the Christian army, there being between the said two armies a plain as fine and as broad as that near Salesbery; and every day, they used to come so near to the Christian troops that they could take aim at them with their bows. It also befell, that certain Christians one day met the Saracens with a strong and well-armed force, and so pursued them through the very midst of their tents, slaying more than two hundred of them, and gaining a great number of their pavilions. In this conflict, the King of France lost the marshal of his army, and the Brethren of (fn. 15) Beaucaire one hundred of the lower rank. It should also be known, that the King of Tunis never went forth from his town, when the envoys of the Christian kings came to him for the purpose of making peace, the Count of (fn. 16) Peinthein, that is to say, and the Chancellor of Sicily, and other nobles of the Christian army. Indeed the King of Tunis declined to rise from his chair to meet them; but the Prince of Arabia and the King of Bugia went forth from the town, and held conference with the Christian envoys, until peace had been established, as already mentioned. It should also be known, that in all the Christian army there were not more than 1800 knights, out of whom 400 had died; two of them being kings, namely, the King of France and the King of Navarre, and five Counts, the Count de (fn. 17) Enevers, the Count de Eu, the Count de la Marche, the Count de Mendome, and the Count de Acele, as also sixty-seven bannerets, besides those of lower rank.

From what has been before written, it is manifest that this (fn. 18) Charles, the then King of Sicily, (who not long before had seized that territory, and had taken the real heir to the kingdom, namely, Conradin, son of Conrad, son of the Emperor Fretheric, and had cruelly slain him in prison, together with fifteen nobles of the kingdom of Almaine), caused the whole army of the Christians, who had made preparations for crossing over to the Holy Land, to commit a grievous error, and brought them with him to the said island, giving them to understand that it was his intention utterly to destroy the Saracens that dwelt therein. This however he did not do, but only brought with him the said Christians for the purpose of subjecting that island to his own rule, as previously set forth; and thus did he defeat the passage of the Crusaders, to the irrecoverable loss of all Christendom, and also to the very great misfortune of the Holy Land.

Be it remembered, that about the Feast of Saint George [23 April] in this year, there came news to London, that on the morrow of the Feast of Saint Gregory [12 March] preceding, Simon and Guido, the sons of Simon de Montfort, late Earl of Leicester, had slain Henry, son of Sir Richard, King of Almaine, who was then under the safe-conduct of Philip, son of Louis, King of France, suddenly and unexpectedly, while the said Henry was in a church, hearing divine service, in the city of Viterbo, near Rome.

Letters sent unto his lordship the King of Almaine, after the murder of his son.

"Philip, by the grace of God, King of the Franks, to the excellent prince, his most dear cousin and friend, Richard, by the same grace, the illustrious King of the Romans and of Almaine, and Earl of Cornwall, greeting and affection in sincere love. We would willingly have brought news of a more pleasing nature to the notice of your sereneness, had the divine mercy indulged us with the same; but now are we compelled to announce unto you certain tidings full of sorrow and of sadness, which we, being at Viterbo on the morrow of the Blessed Gregory, and hearing the divine service of the Mass in the Church of the (fn. 19) Friars Minors at Viterbo, from the relation of certain trustworthy persons have heard; to the effect that Guido and Simon de Montfort, knights, on the same day and at the same hour, with an armed force attacked our most dearly beloved cousin Sir Henry, your eldest son, while in a certain other chapel at Viterbo, in front of his hostel there, for the purpose either of hearing Mass or of offering up his prayers; and there, at the instigation of the devil, slew him; a matter which we impart to you not without intense grief and anguish of heart. And how greatly we are afflicted thereat, and how disturbed, we propose by the Lord's favour to evince by real results. But forasmuch as our well-beloved knight, Florence de Warenne, Admiral of our fleet, has, as we have understood, a son of his staying with the children of our dearest cousin Sir Edward, eldest son of the illustrious King of England; and the same Florence has, as we have understood, always been against Guido and Simon aforesaid, we entreat of your mightiness, with all the earnestness we may, that no inconvenience may to such child of our said knight arise; that so, you may send back unto us safely and securely such child of our said Admiral and knight. Given at Viterbo, on the morrow of the Feast aforesaid."

Tenor of the Letters which the King of Almaine sent unto the Friars Minors of London for his Son.

"Richard, by the grace of God, King of the Romans, always August, to the Warden of the Friars Minors of London, and his well-beloved and duteous Convent of the same place, greeting and affection in sincere love. We are compelled to announce unto your devotedness, news most dreadful and full of grief, to the effect that Simon and Guido, the sons of that most wicked traitor, the late Simon de Montfort, satellites of Satan, on the morrow of Saint Gregory, at Viterbo, with an armed force attacked our dearly-beloved and eldest son Henry, while hearing the solemn service of the Mass in a certain chapel there, intent upon his prayers and imagining no evil, and cruelly slew him. And this, not without great bitterness of heart do we, sorrowing, announce unto you, making request that, devoutly celebrating his obsequies, you will for him suppliantly intercede with God, that so we may be enabled forthwith to return you worthy thanks for the same. Given at (fn. 20) Istleworthe, this 24th day of April, in the fourteenth year of our reign."

On the morrow of Our Lord's Ascension, which in this year fell on the 15th day of May, the bones of Sir Henry of Almaine arrived in London, and were thence taken to Heiles, to be buried in the (fn. 21) Abbey of White Monks there, which had been founded by his father, in the neighbourhood of Gloucester.

Copy of Letters, which his lordship the King sent unto the Mayor and Sheriffs of London; to the end that they should cause the same to be proclaimed throughout all the City, as set forth below.

"Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, etc., to the Mayor and Sheriffs of London, greeting. Whereas the Countess of Flanders has caused the wools, goods, and divers merchandize of merchants of our realm, found within her territory and jurisdiction, to a countless amount of money, not only to be seized, but, what is worse, to the irrecoverable loss of the merchants aforesaid, and to our own disgrace, to be sold, and has converted the proceeds arising therefrom to her own use :—we therefore, having before made it our study to provide against the grievance by the said Countess inflicted, have commanded, that all things throughout our realm belonging to the people of Flanders, wheresoever in our realm the same should be found, should be seized, and safely kept, until we should have given other commands thereon. And whereas we since, at the requirement as well of the merchants of our realm, as of France, Normandy, and other kingdoms, who gave unto us pledges and other surety by corporal oath, that they would not take any wools unto the parts of Flanders or of Hainault, or would sell the same unto the Flemings, or unto any other merchants whomsoever of the said Countess wishing to sell the same, or would by any artifice or device part therewith, have, under the like form, given leave unto the same merchants to take wools out of our realm unto the parts beyond sea, to make their profit thereon. And whereas we have of late for certain understood, that the wools aforesaid, so by our leave taken out of our realm, are sold by the said merchants, at their pleasure, unto the said Flemings near their own parts, in contravention of the surety aforesaid, a thing that we will no longer in any way endure ;—We of our counsel have determined, that all wools of our realm, in future to be exposed to sale, shall remain within our realm, and shall not on any account be taken unto any parts beyond sea whatsoever, before the Feast of Saint John the Baptist [24 June] next ensuing; and do therefore, command you, that within the term aforesaid you do not take any wools out of our realm unto any land whatsoever, or through your districts allow the same to be taken; but that, if you shall find any such through your districts about to be taken out of our realm, you shall arrest and safely keep the same, for our commands thereon. Unless indeed the aforesaid Countess, by her proxy and through the intervention of her envoys, unto whom we have named the ensuing Octaves of the Holy Trinity, as a day for appearing before us in order to treat of this matter, shall have submitted herself unto our will, and you from us shall have received other commands hereon. And this, as you do love yourselves and all things which in our realm you would have, and our lasting indignation would avoid, you are on no account to omit. And you are to make known unto all persons of your bailiwick who have wools for sale, that they must not despair as to the sale of their wools, seeing that the merchants of our realm are ready to find us security that, unless the said Countess shall in the meantime make satisfaction to our mind as to the things which have been done, that so we may empower the Flemings to buy wools and to export them, as they were wont, they, the said merchants, will buy all wools belonging to every one, and will pay the money for the same, to the right and true value thereof. And for this cause, we shall signify unto you what arrangement shall be made between us and the said envoys on the Octaves aforesaid. You are also to cause proclamation to be made, that all workers of woollen cloths, male and female, as well of Flanders as of other lands, may safely come into our realm, there to make cloths; upon the understanding that those who shall so come and make such cloths, shall be quit of toll and tallage, and of payment of other customs for their work, until the end of five years from this time next ensuing. Witness myself, at Westminster, this 18th day of May, in the five-andfiftieth year of our reign."

The aforesaid mandate of his lordship the King was proclaimed throughout all the City on the 21st day of May.

In this year, at (fn. 22) Reyns, on the Feast of the Decollation of Saint John the Baptist [29 August] the aforesaid Philip, son of Louis beforementioned, (who died in the island of Tunis, as already stated,) was anointed King of France.

After the above mandate, the envoys of the said Countess came to London on the day appointed for them, namely, the Octaves of the Holy Trinity; and hoping by bribes and promises to corrupt the Council of his lordship the King, asked of him that the matter might be postponed until the Feast of Saint Michael; and that in the meantime the merchants of England might trade in Flanders, and the Flemings in the kingdom of England, as they had been wont. This however was a very foolish request, and one contrary to all reason, seeing that in the meantime they would be able to remove all their goods and chattels out of the kingdom of England, and buy wool, and carry it to their own country, sufficient for all their purposes for the next two or three years, while the merchants of England, in the meantime, who had experienced losses through the Countess of Flanders, would be altogether deprived of their goods and chattels: and this accordingly was wholly denied them. But after they had remained in London three weeks, they were distinctly told by the King and his Council, on the Feast of the Commemoration of Saint Paul [30 June], that they must leave the kingdom of England etc., as set forth in the Letters underwritten.—

"Henry, by the grace of God, King of England, etc., to the Mayor and Sheriffs of London, greeting. Whereas the Countess of Flanders, contrary to the duty of propriety and of honour, has not only caused the wools and other the merchandize and goods of ourselves as well as of others, great merchants of our realm, of late, within the territory and domains of the same Countess, to be seized; but, what is even worse, to the disgrace and contempt of us and our great merchants aforesaid, to be sold; she converting to her own use the whole sum of money arising therefrom; and the said Countess, by her envoys duly sent unto us many times to treat with us and our Council as to that trespass, has hitherto made offer unto us of no competent amends therefor:— wherefore, we by way of making distraint upon her and her subjects in our realm, until full satisfaction shall have been made for such trespass, against them are provoked to proceed; after taking, with our Council, diligent consideration hereof, we have provided and enacted, that all goods of Flemings, Hainaulters, and other persons whomsoever, belonging to the dominions of the said Countess, coming into our realm and dominions, and there now being, together with debts and deposits belonging to such Flemings and Hainaulters, in whose hands soever the same shall be found, whether religious or lay, shall be seized and safely be kept; and afterwards, in presence of our wellbeloved and trusty, Nicholas Fitz-Adele de la Pole, Alexander Ie Riche of Andovere, Roger de Dunstaple of Winchester, and John de Gernemue, our clerk, whom to make appraisal of such goods, and inquisition as to those deposits and debts, we have deputed, the same shall, upon oath of good and lawful men, be appraised at the true and right value thereof. And that all and singular the Flemings and Hainaulters, and others of the dominions of the said Countess, whether merchants or others,—save however those workmen, who with our leave shall come into our realm to make cloths, and those in like manner excepted, who have married wives in our realm, and who have lands and certain domiciles therein, and for the greater part dwell therein, and whom we deem to be native-born—shall, under peril of life and limb, and loss of all their goods, depart from our realm before the Tuesday next ensuing after the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul next to come. And that all wools of our kingdom shall remain in the same, until we shall have made some other provision therefor. And we do therefore command you, that throughout all your bailiwick you do cause proclamation to be made, that all and singular the men of Flanders and Hainault, and others of the dominions of the said Countess, except the workmen aforesaid and others who have married, or are dwelling in our realm, as already mentioned, shall, under peril of life and limb, within the time aforesaid depart from our realm emptyhanded, saving unto themselves the necessary expenses for their passage. And that no one shall, under the like penalty, harbour or receive them or any one of them after the time aforesaid. And if after the time aforesaid you shall find any such Flemings within your bailiwick, you shall take them, and at the same time the harbourers of them, and shall safely keep them in our prison, until we shall have given other commands as to the same. You are also to cause proclamation to be made, that all and singular the merchants of our realm whose merchandize and goods by the said Countess are seized or sold, as already mentioned, shall come before us and our Council in presence of the appraisers aforesaid, and of our inquisitors, on the Octaves of the Feast of Saint Edward [13 October] next ensuing, ready to shew upon their oath, and that of their merchants, what goods, and of whom, have been sold by the said Countess, or seized, and how much, and the rightful value thereof, and to receive such compensation as shall be awarded to them respectively, for their goods so sold or seized. Upon the understanding however, that if hereafter they shall be convicted of false suggestion or exaction as to the same, they shall thereby incur the loss of all their goods. And that all and singular the (fn. 23) religious or those who from the aforesaid Flemings, Hainaulters, or others of the dominions of the said Countess, shall have received earnest- money for purchase of their wools and other goods, and who are bound to make payment unto them of any debts, shall then be there present to deliver unto us such earnest-money and debts. And nevertheless, you are to distrain those persons so to do, by their lands and chattels in your bailiwick, whose names our said inquisitors shall unto you make known; and for the purpose of making the said appraisements and inquisitions, you are to "summon within your bailiwick, before the aforesaid our appraisers and inquisitors, upon a certain day and at a certain place, according as the same inquisitors shall unto you make them known, such and so many good and lawful men of your bailiwick as shall for appraising the goods aforesaid, and for knowing and making inquisition as to the truth concerning all the other matters aforesaid, suffice. And you are manfully to aid such inquisitors to do the same, in such manner as they shall unto you, in our behalf, make known. And you are in such manner to conduct yourselves in performing this our mandate, that we shall feel ourselves bound from henceforth to commend your trustiness in the same. Witness myself, at Westminster, this 28th day of June, in the five-and-fiftieth year of our reign."

The mandate aforesaid was cried throughout the City of London on the morrow of the Commemoration of Saint Paul [30 June].

(fn. 24) It should also be known, that the Tuesday which was named for the Flemings to take their departure out of England must be understood as the Tuesday next after the Feast of the Commemoration of Saint Paul, namely, the seventh day of July.

At the same time, letters of his lordship the King were sent, in like form, unto all the Sheriffs of the realm of England; but in the letters which were sent unto the Sheriffs in the more distant parts, a longer time was given for the Flemings to take their departure from England, namely, until the morrow of Saint Margaret [20 July].

Afterwards, after the Feast of Saint John the Baptist [24 June], the King of France, the Duke of (fn. 25) Branban, and other princes of the parts beyond sea, sent letters unto his lordship the King, requesting that their merchants might come into his territories, there to stay and thence to depart, according to their ancient customs, in such manner as they were wont, and that they might without hindrance take their wools and other their merchandize out of the realm, seeing that they had not offended against the King or his people; but that the Countess of Flanders solely should be punished, and those who were of her dominions. Wherefore, after conference had been held before his lordship the King, provision was made to the effect that all merchants, except those of the dominions of the Countess of Flanders, might take their wools out of the realm in form provided in the Parliament held at Westminster on the Feast of the Translation of Saint Edward [13 October] last past; which form has been set forth in the (fn. 26) sixth preceding leaf of this Book ; but still, that every one should have writ of his lordship the King for leave to do the same. As to those however, who were of the dominions of Flanders, they were to remain and be in the same state as had been provided after the Feast of the Holy Trinity last past; namely, in such manner as is set forth in the letters of his lordship the King which are written in the preceding leaf; where you will find a mark of reference like this †.—Look at the end of this Book for certain (fn. 27) Statutes as to the Jews, which were made in the month of June this year.

In this year died John, the eldest son of Sir Edward, a child five years and not quite four weeks of age; whose body was buried in the Church of Westminster on the eighth day of the month of August, opposite the basilica of Saint Edward, on the Northern side.

This year, on the Vigil of Saint Bartholomew [24 August], there came news to London by letters of Sir Edward, that in the preceding month of May, he, with his wife and all his retinue, had landed at (fn. 28) Aeon in the Holy Land.

Be it remarked, that when after the battle of Evesham, the citizens of London submitted themselves, as to life and limb, and all things, moveable and immoveable, to the will of his lordship the King, for the offences imputed to them and by some of them committed, and his lordship the King took the City into his hands, and placed Wardens there at his own will; at the same time he granted unto his Queen the custody of London Bridge ; which custody she held in her hands for nearly six years, and, removing the wardens appointed by the citizens, placed there wardens at her own option, who during all the time aforesaid collected all issues of the rents and lands of the said bridge, converting the same to I know not what uses, but expending nothing whatever upon the repairs of the said bridge. At last, when the Queen before-mentioned had for certain understood, that hereby great damage and peril had befallen the said bridge, she resigned to the citizens the said custody thereof; and accordingly, on the Feast of Saint Giles [1 September] in this year, they elected two men as wardens of that bridge, in the same manner as, before the battle of Evesham, it used to be kept.

Afterwards however, within the fifteen days next ensuing, the Queen, at whose suggestion I know not, repented of the said resignation, and abandoned her intention, retaining the said bridge in her own hands.

Footnotes