Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 This yeare also about the same time, to wit, Matth. Paris. A great thun|der. the morow after S. Martins daie, chanced great thun|der and lightning, which continued for the space of 15 daies togither, to the great terrour and feare of the people, and namelie of the Londoners, which haue that kind of weather so familiar to them, that if there be anie abroad in the land, they haue their part there|of. Moreouer on the 23 of March, was heard an o|ther great and terrible tempest of thunder,A wet sum|mer. and after followed a maruellous wet summer with manie flouds. Also on the 8 daie of Aprill, in the parts a|bout Hereford and Worcester,Foure summer beside the ac|customed sun. there appeared foure sunnes in the element, beside the naturall sunne, of red colour, and a great circle of christaline colour, the which compassed with his largenesse as it had béene the whole circuit almost of the whole realme of Eng|land, Matth. Paris. from the sides whereof went foorth certeine halfe circles, in whose sections appeared the said foure sunnes. The naturall sunne was at the same time in the east part of the firmament, for it was about the first houre of the daie, or betwixt six and seuen in the morning, the aire being the same time verie bright and cleare. The bishop of Hereford, and sir Iohn Monmouth knight, and manie others beheld this woonderfull sight, and testified the same to be most true. Matth. Paris. And after this there followed the same yeare in those parts cruell warre, slaughter, terrible bloud|shed, & a generall trouble through England, Wales, and Ireland. About the same time, to wit, in Iune,A strange woonder. in the south parts of England néere to the sea coast, two huge dragons appeared fighting in the aire, and after a long fight the one ouercome the other, and fol|lowed him, fléeing into the depth of the sea, & so they were séene no more.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Moreouer in this yeare great variance and strife rose betwixt the king and his barons, for the king tooke great displeasure against all other his officers, & so much the more mistrusted them, Polydor. for that he found himselfe deceiued in the earle of Kent, to whom he had committed a further credit than to anie other, and had made him high iustice of England, onelie for the good will that he alwaies bare to him. There|fore perceiuing this,The king be|ginneth to fa|uour strangers. he was doubtfull whom he should trust, discharging the most part of those En|glishmen that bare any office about him, and in their roomes placed strangers, as Poictouins and Bri|tains, of the which there came ouer vnto him manie knights and other, to the number of 2000, which he placed in garrisons within castels of diuerse places of the land, and committed the order of all things for the most part to the bishop of Winchester,The bishop of Winchester. and to his nephue or sonne Peter de Riuales.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Herwith he offended so much the minds of his No|bles, that Richard Marshall erle of Penbroke (chiefe of that familie, & boldest to speake,The earle of Penbroke. now that Ranulfe of Chester was gone) as well in his owne name, as in the names of other, tooke vpon him openlie to re|prooue the kings dooings herein, as pernicious and dangerous to the state of the realme.Strangers alwaies odi|ous to y^e hours borne. Herevnto the bishop of Winchester (whose counsell as it séemed he followed) made answer, that the king had doone no|thing in that behalfe vnaduisedlie, but vpon good and déepe consideration: for sith he might perceiue how the English nobilitie had first pursued his father with malicious hatred & open war, and now that he found diuerse of them whom he had brought vp and aduan|ced to high honours, vnfaithfull in the administrati|on of their offices, he did not without iust cause re|ceiue EEBO page image 217 into his fauour strangers, and preferre them before those of his owne nation, which were not so faithfull in his seruice and obedience as they.