person: and therevpon assembling their powers togither, came towards Newcastell, whither the king from Yorke was remooued, and now hearing of their approch, he got him to Tinmouth, where the quéene laie, and vnderstanding there that Newcastell was taken by the lords, he leauing the quéene behind him, tooke shipping, and sailed from thence with his dearelie belooued familiar the earle of Cornewall, vnto Scarbourgh, where he left him in the castell, and rode himselfe towards Warwike. The lords hearing where the earle of Cornewall was, made thither with all spéed, and besieging the castell, at length constreined their enimie to yéeld himselfe into their hands, requiring no other condition, but that he might come to the kings presence to talke with him.

The king hearing that his best beloued familiar was thus apprehended, sent to the lords, requiring them to spare his life, and that he might be brought to his presence, promising withall that he would sée them fullie satisfied in all their requests against him. Wherevpon the earle of Penbroke persuaded with the barons to grant to the kings desire, vndertaking vpon forfeiture of all that he had, to bring him to the king and backe againe to them, in such state and condition as he receiued him. When the barons had consented to his motion, he tooke the earle of Cornewall with him to bring him where the king laie, and comming to Dedington, left him there in safe kéeping with his seruants, whilest he for one night went to visit his wife, lieng not farre from thence.

The same night it chanced, that Guie erle of Warwike came to the verie place where the erle of Cornewall was left, and taking him from his kéepers, brought him vnto Warwike, where incontinentlie it was thought best to put him to death, but that some doubting the kings displeasure, aduised the residue to staie; and so they did, till at length an ancient graue man amongst them exhorted them to vse the occasion now offered, and not to let slip the meane to deliuer the realme of such a dangerous person, that had wrought so much mischéefe, and might turne them all to such perill, as afterwards they should not be able to auoid, nor find shift how to remedie it. And thus persuaded by his words, they caused him streitwaies to be brought foorth to a place called Blackelow, otherwise named by most writers, Gauerslie heath, where he had his head smitten from his shoulders, the twentith day of Iune being tuesdaie. A iust reward for so scornefull and contemptuous a merchant, as in respect of himselfe (bicause he was in the princes fauour) estéemed the Nobles of the land as men of such inferioritie, as that in comparison of him they deserued no little iot or mite of honour. But lo the vice of ambition, accompanied with a rable of other outrages, euen a reprochfull end, with an euerlasting marke of infamie, which he pulled by violent meanes on himselfe with the cords of his owne lewdnesse, and could not escape this fatall fall: for

When the king had knowledge hereof, he was woonderfullie displeased with those lords that had thus put the said earle vnto death, making his vow that he would sée his death reuenged, so that the rancour which before was kindled betwixt the king and those lords, began now to blase abroad, and spred so farre, that the king euer sought occasion how to worke them displeasure. This yeare, the thirtéenth of Nouember, the kings eldest sonne named Edward (which succéeded his father in the kingdome by the name of Edward the third) was borne at Windsore. King Edward now after that the foresaid Piers Gaueston the earle of Cornewall was dead, nothing reformed his maners, but as one that detested the counsell and admonition of his Nobles, chose such to be about him, and to be of his priuie councell, which were knowne to be men of corrupt and most wicked liuing (as the writers of that age report) amongst these were two of the Spensers, Hugh the father, and Hugh the sonne, which were notable instruments to bring him vnto the liking of all kind of naughtie and euill rule.

By the counsell therefore of these Spensers, he was wholie lead and gouerned: wherewith manie were much offended, but namelie Robert the archbishop of Canturburie, who foresaw what mischéefe was like to insue: and therefore to prouide some remedie in time, he procured that a parlement was called at London. In the which manie good ordinances and statutes were deuised and established, to oppresse the riots, misgouernance, and other mischéefes which as then were vsed: and to kéepe those ordinances, the king first, and after his lords receiued a solemne oth, that in no wise neither he nor they should breake them. By this means was the state of the realme newlie restored, and new councellours placed about the king. But he neither regarding what he had sworne, neither weieng the force of an oth, obserued afterwards none of those things, which by his oth he had bound himselfe to obserue. And no maruell: for suerlie (as it should séeme by report of Thomas de la More) the lords wrested him too much, and beyond the bounds of reason, causing him to receiue to be about him whome it pleased them to appoint. For the yoonger Spenser, who in place of the earle of Cornwall was ordeined to be his chamberleine, it was knowne to them well inough, that the king bare no good will at all to him at the first, though afterwards through the prudent policie, and diligent industrie of the man, he quicklie crept into his fauour, and that further than those that preferred him could haue wished.

But now to our purpose. About the same time, to wit, vpon the eleauenth of Maie, the aforesaid Robert archbishop of Canturburie departed this life, ninetéene yeares after his first entrance into the gouernment of that sée. After him was Walter bishop of Worcester translated vnto the sée of Canturburie, and was the nine and fortith archbishop that had ruled the same. ¶ Also William the archbishop of Yorke deceassed, and one William Melton succéeded him the two & fortith archbishop that had gouerned that sée. This archbishop Melton, though he was most studious of things perteining to religion, bestowing almost his whole time about the same, yet neuerthelesse he was not forgetfull of that which belonged to the aduancement of the common-wealth, and therefore being at London vpon a time, Simon the elect bishop of Whitherne came to Yorke, that he might be consecrated of him: wherefore this archbishop gaue commandement to Iohn the bishop of Carleill, to consecrate the said Simon, and in his name to receiue of him his oth of obedience, which commandement the said bishop of Carleill did dulie execute.