Froissart. FIRST, the better to enter into the matter of this honourable and pleasant history of the noble Edward king of England (age 1), who was crowned at London the year of our Lord God MCCCXXVI., on Christmasday, living the king his father and the queen his mother, it is certain that the opinion of Englishmen most commonly was as then, and oftentimes it was seen in England after the time of king Arthur, how that between two valiant kings of England there was most commonly one between them of less sufficiency both of wit and of prowess: and this was right well apparent by the same King Edward the third (age 1); for his grandfather, called the good king Edward the first, was right valiant, sage, wise and hardy, adventurous and fortunate jn all feats of war, and had much ado against the Scots, and conquered them three or four times; for the Scots could never have victory nor endure against him: and after his decease his son of his first wife, who was father to the said good king Edward the third, was crowned king and called Edward the second (age 30), who resembled nothing to his father in wit nor in prowess, but governed and kept his realm right wildly, and ruled himself by sinister counsel of certain persons, whereby at length he had no profit nor land, as ye shall hear after; for anon after he was crowned, Robert Bruce king of Scotland, who had often before given much ado to the said good king Edward the first, conquered again all Scotland, and brent and wasted a great part of the realm of England, a four or five days' journey within the realm at two times, and discomfited the king and all the barons of England at a place in Scotland called Stirling [Map], by battle arranged the day of Saint John Baptist, in the seventh year of the reign of the same king Edward, in the year of our Lord MCCCXIV. The chase of this discomfiture endured two days and two nights, and the king of England (age 30) went with a small company to London and on mid-lent Sunday in the year of our Lord MCCCXVI. The Scots won again the city of Berwick [Map] by treason; but because this is no part of our matter, I will leave speaking thereof.

Froissart. 1322. THE foresaid king Edward the second (age 37), father to the noble king Edward the third (age 9), on whom our matter is founded, this said king governed right diversely his realm by the exhortation of sir Hugh Spencer (age 36), who had been nourished with him sith the beginning of his yongth; the which sir Hugh (age 36) had so enticed the king (age 37), that his father and he were the greatest masters in all the realm, and by envy thought to surmount all other barons of England; whereby after the great discomfiture that the Scots had made at Stirling [Map] great murmuring there arose in England between. The noble barons and the king's council, and namely against sir Hugh Spencer (age 36). They put on him that by his counsel they were discomfited, and that he was favourable to the king of Scots. And on this point the barons had divers times communication together, to be advised what they might do, whereof Thomas earl of Lancaster (age 44), who was uncle to the king, was chief. And anon when sir Hugh Spencer (age 36) had espied this, he purveyed for remedy, for he was so great with the king (age 37) and so near him, that he was more beloved with the king (age 37) than all the world after. So on a day he came to the king (age 37) and said, 'Sir, certain lords of your realm have made alliance together against you, and without ye take heed thereto betimes, they purpose to put you out of your realm': and so by his malicious means he caused that the king made all the said lords to be taken, and their heads to be stricken off without delay, and without knowledge or answer to any cause. First of all sir Thomas earl of Lancaster (age 44), who was a noble and a wise, holy knight, and hath done sith many fair miracles in Pomfret, where he was beheaded, for the which deed the said sir Hugh Spencer (age 36) achieved great hate in all the realm, and specially of the queen (age 27) and of the earl of Kent (age 20), brother to the king (age 37). And when he perceived the displeasure of the queen (age 27), by his subtle wit he set great discord between the king and the queen (age 27), so that the king (age 37) would not see the queen nor come in her company, the which discord endured a long space. Then was it skewed to the queen (age 27) secretly and to the earl of Kent (age 20), that without they took good heed to themselves, they were likely to be destroyage to Saint Thomas of Canterbury, and so to Winchelsea [Map], and in the night went into a ship that was ready for her, and her young son Edward (age 9) with her, and the earl of Kent (age 20) and sir Roger Mortimer (age 34), and in another ship they had put all their purveyance, and had wind at will, and the next morning they arrived in the haven of Boulogne [Map].