[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Iusts in Smithfield.This yeare about Midsummer, there were solemne iusts proclaimed by the lord Robet Morley, which were holden in Smithféeld, where for challengers, came foorth one apparelled like to the pope, bringing with him twelue other in garments like to cardi|nals, which tooke vpon them to answer all commers, for thrée courses. On the defendants side, ran the prince of Wales, with manie earls, barons knights and esquires innumerable, so that those iusts conti|nued thrée daies togither, to the great pleasure of the beholders. ¶ This yeare, king Edward ordeined a certeine new coine of gold,1344 Anno Reg. 18. which he named the flo|ren, that is, the penie of six shillings eight pence, the halfe penie of the value of three shillings foure pence, and the farthing of the value of twentie pence. This coine was ordeined for his wars in France, the gold whereof was not so fine as the noble, which in the fourtéenth yeare of his reigne he had caused for to be coined. Th. Walsing. A chamber built within the castell of Windsore, called the round table. This yeare, the king caused a great number of artificers and labourers to be taken vp, whome he set in hand to build a chamber in the castell of Windsore, which was called the round table, the floore whereof, from the center or middle point, vnto the compasse throughout, the one halfe was (as Wal|singham writeth) an hundred foot, and so the diameter or compasse round about, was two hundred foot. The expenses of this worke amounted by the weeke, first vnto an hundred pounds, but afterward by reason of the wars that followed, the charges was diminished vnto two and twentie pounds the wéeke (as Thomas Walsingham writeth in his larger booke, intituled, the historie of England) or (as some copies haue) vn|to 9 pounds. I. Stow out of Henrie de Leicester. The Ile of Man. This yéere also, W. Montacute earle of Salisburie conquered the Ile of Man, out of the hands of the Scots, which Ile the king gaue vnto the said earle, and caused him to be intituled, and crow|ned king of Man. ¶ This Ile (as Robert Southwell noteth) was woone by the Scots, about the second yeare of Edward the second his reigne, who in the yeare before, to wit, anno Christi 1307, had giuen the same Ile vnto Péers de Gaueston, whom he had al|so made earle of Cornewall.