The Holinshed Project

Holinshed Project Home

The Texts
1587

Previous | Next

¶Thus haue yée hard the originall begining, the pro|cesse, and issue of sundrie conflicts and battels, and speciallie of two, one of Iohn the French king vn|luckilie attempted against England; the other of Dauid the Scotish king as vnfortunatlie ended. For both kings were subdued in fight, vanquished, and taken prisoners; with a great number of their noblemen, whereas they were in hope to haue gone awaie with the conquest, and to haue had renowme for their reward. Of which ouerthrow giuen to both these kings, with the clemencie of king Edward (in whose hands though their liues laie to be disposed as he list, yet he was so far from violating the same, that he shewed himselfe a woonderfull fauourer of their estates, and in fine not onelie put them to their reasonable ransoms, but restored them to their roial|ties, from the which their sinister lot had deposed them) Christopher Okland hath left this remembred:

Plantageneta duos reges iam illustris habebat
In Angl. prel. sub Edwardo. 3. Captiuos tenuit comites custodia mitis
Multos ambabus claro regionibus ortos
Sanguine, quos saeuo bello cepere Britanni.
Attamen Eduardi viguit clementia regis
Tanta, & tanta animo virtus innata sedebat,
Vt pretio & pacto dimitteret aere redemptos
In patriam ad propriae consanguinitatis amicos.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 In this foure and thirtith yeare of king Edward, men and cattell were destroied in diuerse places of this realme,Strange woonders. by lightening and tempest; also houses were set on fier and burnt, and manie strange and woonderfull sights seene. ¶The same yeare Edward prince of Wales married the countesse of Kent, which before was wife vnto the lord Thomas Hol|land: and before that, she was also wife vnto the erle of Salisburie, and diuorsed from him, and wedded to the same lord Holland. She was daughter vnto Ed|mund earle of Kent, brother to king Edward the se|cond, that was beheaded in the beginning of this kings reigne, as before yée haue heard. And bicause the prince and shee were within degrees of consan|guinitie forbidden to marrie, a dispensation was gotten from the pope to remooue that let. In this yeare also was a great death of people (namelie of men,A great death. for women were not so much subiect thereto.) This was called the second mortalitie, bicause it was the second that fell in this kings daies.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 H [...]n. M [...]rl. The primat of Ardmach departed this li [...]e.This yeare also by the death of Richard fitz Rafe primat of Ardmach, that departed this life in the court of Rome; and also of Richard Kilminton de|ceassed here in England, the discord that had conti|nued for the space of three or foure yeares betwixt them of the cleargie on the one part, and the foure or|ders of friers on the other part, was now quieted and brought to end. Moreouer, this yeare appeared two castels in the aire,1 [...]61 of the which the one appeared to the southeast,

Additions to Triuet and Ad [...]m. Meri|mu [...]h.

A strãge sight in the a [...]re.

and the other in the southwest, out of which castels about the houre of noone sundrie times were séene hosts of armed men (as appeared to mans sight) issuing foorth, and that host which sailed out of the castell in the southeast seemed white, and the o|ther blacke. They appeared as they should haue fought either against other, and first the white had the vpper h [...]nd, and after was ouercome, and so vanished out of sight.

Previous | Next