Calais in the Hands of the English. 22 Jul 1543. The Journeys and Viogies of the King's Majesty's army, and the feats by the same achieved and done.

The whole host departed out of Calais upun Sunday the twenty-second day of Julye, at iiij of the clok at afternone, and campid the same night without the walles of the towne in the feldes. Uppon the Monday the xxiij day of Jully, in the morninge, they wente towardes Sir John Wallope (age 53) meeting them, and so marched to Lanerton, beinge within the French palle ; and there mete with the lord Greay, capitayne of Hames castill, and ther birnt Lanerton, with the nomber of iij c. howses, and Campfer with Finies mylle, otherwise called a castill ; and after the abbey of Bewliew, and so went to Finies towne that night, and ther camped. And upon Tewisday, the marshall the same morninge went with sertayne gentillemen and other soldeardes unto iij pilles¹ called Ratton, Abrilton, and Rensam, and the same birnt also, and birnt dyvers vilages, and certayne howses in Mergison, and within iij milles compase of Bolloigne. The said army marchid forward unto the abbey of Lyquies, six mylles from Fynies, spoylinge and birning all the way they wente, untill they came unto the abbey aforesaid, to the which they came at ij of the cloke at afternone ; and the said abbey was imediately delyvered up unto them, wherein was xij Frenchmen, and a monke called doctor Driw, which afterwardes folowid the clarkes, being bond with bondes. And upon Wediiisday the xxv day of Julye, they campid that night, to the intent that the cheyfteayne before his departure wolde se the said abbey as well bernte, as also the walles razed downe to the hard grownde with gonpowder, which was donne. And upon the same daye ther came to us two thowsande fotemen of Burgonyones and ij thowsande of horsmen.

And upon Thursday, the xxvj day of Jully, the said army departed from Lysquies and marchid unto the vilage and castill of Awlkinges, and ther campid, and ther lay all night, and ther were two laromes.

And upon Friday, the xxvij of July, departinge from thence, bernte the towne and the castill, and the castill was razed downe at Whitsontide laste paste by the Burgonyones ; and so departinge razed downe the great tower that was standing with gonpowder, and all the reaste burnt to peeces. And so marchid the said day from thence to Hawlinge, two mylles from Sante Homers, and ther lay Saturday the xxviij day of Jully.

Upon Sonday, the xxix day, from Hawlinge to Otingall, ij mylles from Twrwin, and ther did the northern men, with other of the kinges men, ridde vmder the walles of Twrwin, and skirmyshed with the Frenchmen, and one Dasser killed one of the Frenchmen's horse with his bowe, and hurte was donne on bothe parties. And after our comynge into the

campe, om* cheiftayne seat up to the capteayiie of Torwin a letter, requiringe him that vj men of armes, beinge gentillmen, might runne with six gentillmen of our army for life and dethe ; to the which answere was made in the morninge, that he wolde sende vj gentillmen of armes to runne, and X gentillmen armid to keepe them compayney, at ix of the cloke. Upon that ther was sertayne appoynted to furnishe them to do that enterprise, which wher of ower partie master Charrlles Hawward, master Peter Carew, master Henry Markham, master Shelley of Calleyes, master Callverley, and master Hall. And of ther parte was like nomber of gentilmen, which ech other met \\'ithout the towne at the hower appoynted, and ther ranne one with another two coursies and brake ther staves valiantly. And ther was hurte on ower partie master Calverley, and he brake ij speres on him that hurt him in the hed to the deathe. and master Markham did hurt one of the gentillmen also. And the same tyme ther wher iij browght from Boloigne by a trumpet to the campe, and ther delyvered. After this donne the army marchid forward toward an olde castill called Lyvters, beinge distroyed by the Frenchmen, which is within two legies of Turwin, wher the army camped Monday the xxx'" July, all the day, and upon Tewsday the xxxj'' of July the said army marchid from the said campe of Livters to the cam[p]e of Alwines, one myle from Ayre, and ther we had ij laromes, and lay ther all that night ; and upon Wedinsday, the first of Auguste, the said army marchid from thence to the campe adjoyninge unto the castill of Erewyn next unto Rusher, and ther laye alle night. And upon Thursday the seconde day of August the said army marchid from thence unto the campe of Varkingnowghe a niylle from EtwajTie, and ther lay Friday and Saturdaye all daye. And upon the same Saturday afternoone came into the campe the countes of Pavoy, basse dowghter

(Here the MS. abruptly breaks off.)

Note 1. piles or fortified towers.

Henry Machyn's Diary. 29 Sep 1551. The xxix day of September was Saynt Myghell, the Kyng grase dyd where the robes of order of [Saint] Myghell with skalopshells of Franse; and the sam tyme was chossen of the order of the garter the lord chamburlayne Darcy (age 44), in the plasse of ser John Wallop knyght of the gartter and captayn of Gynes.

Note. The king wearing the order of St. Michael. "The fest of Michelmas was kept by me in the robes of th'ordre." (King Edward's Diary.) The following minutes are from the register of the privy council:

"14 June, 1551. This daye the French ambassador had accesse to the lordes, to whom he declared that the kinge his master and the company of the ordere of Saint Michael had appointed the kinges majestie to be of the same order, for which purpose the marshall St. Androwe was enjoyned to bringe the same order to his majestie, prainge his majestie that he would accepte the same accordinglye." (MS. Harl. 352, f. 160b.)

"June 22, 1551. A Letter of apparance to the deane of Windsore, that for asmuch as there shall arive here shortely a nobleman sente from the French kinge wth the order of St. Michalle to bee presented to the kinges Matie, and to bringe wth him such recordes as remayne in his custodie, as well for the acceptacion of the said order by his majesties behalfe, or for any other thinge by ceremony concerning the said order; and that all thinges there may be put in good order for the celebracione of St. George's feaste, and to bringe wth him also a note of so muche money of the poore knights as he hathe in his custodie." (Ibid. f. 161b.) King Edward was invested by the ambassador at Hampton Court on the 16th of July, as detailed by himself in his diary, and more fully in Ashmole's History of the Garter, pp. 368, 369. The documentary instruments brought to England on this occasion are still preserved in the Chapter House at Westminster.

Note. P. 9. The king wearing the order of St. Michael. The robes of Saint Michael worn by king Edward the Sixth were preserved for fifty years after in the royal wardrobe,—Elizabeth, who never parted with any of her own gowns, nor with those of her sister that had come into her possession, retaining these also among her stores. They were thus described in the year 1600: "Robes late king Edwarde the VIth's. Firste, one robe of clothe of silver, lyned with white satten, of th'order of St. Michale, with a brode border of embrodirie, with a wreathe of Venice gold and the scallop shell, and a frenge of the same golde, and a small border aboute that; the grounde beinge blew vellat, embrodered with half-moones of silver; with a whoode and a tippet of crymsen vellat, with a like embroderie, the tippet perished in one place with ratts; and a coate of clothe of silver, with demi-sleeves, with a frenge of Venice golde." Nichols's Progresses, &c. of Queen Eliz.—In the Addit. MS. (Brit. Mus.) 6297, art. 7 describes "How king Edward VI. received the order of St. Michael."

Calais in the Hands of the English. The castle of Guisnes was a post of the greatest importance, situated immediately on the French frontier; and its custody was conferred on persons of the first distinction. The title they bore was that of (the king's) lieutenant, but they were also sometimes styled captain.

Sir James Tyrrell was "capitaine" of Guisnes in 1489 (see note in p. 2).

Sir Nicholas Vaux was lieutenant of Guisnes in the year 1513 (see p. 12). The document which now follows contains the conditions upon which the office was conferred upon him.

Sir William Fitzwilliam was lieutenant of Guisnes in 1524.

William Lord Sandys was "captain" of Guisnes in 1527.

Sir John Wallop, K.G. held this office in 1541 (see the preceding page), and he died possessed of it in 1551 (see p. 211).

Sir Andrew Dudley, K.G. was his successor.