John Norbury -1414

Annals of Kings Richard II and Henry IV. Meanwhile the said William Bagot was asked why he had given his consent or assent to the king in so many evil things, which he knew to be contrary to honour and good faith. To this he replied quite boldly, and as though with complete freedom, in a reproachful manner: "Which of you all," he said, "if King Richard had wished to demand such things from him, would have dared to contradict him or not obey him?" The treasurer of the realm, John Norbury, so that the said William might not find comfort in excusing his error, replied as follows: "Truly," he said, "I would have done so, even if I had lost all my goods together with my life." Then Bagot, wishing to justify himself by the wickedness of others, said that he was not the only one guilty of the matters charged against him, but that there were many others there, sitting in Parliament, who ought justly to be called to account over such matters. Hearing this, the Dukes of Surrey and Exeter, thinking that this had been said because of them, as indeed they might truly think, immediately rose and, throwing down their hoods, offered themselves for duel against William Bagot, or against anyone else who wished to lay upon them the death of the Duke of Gloucester, and so on, or to accuse them of having given the king such evil counsel. The king ordered them to take back their pledges, as before. William Bagot steadfastly added that not only the temporal lords, but also the spiritual lords, were equally guilty, just as he was. Among other things, he tried to excuse himself concerning the death of the Duke of Gloucester, generally charging certain men in Parliament with having given counsel and assent to so great a crime; but he more plainly marked out the Duke of Aumale in relation to this deed. The aforesaid duke denied this manfully and tried to seek occasions for excuse. Then the said William Bagot said that, if they wished to know the certainty of the matter, they should order a certain valet, called [.…] Hall, who was being held in prison at Newgate, and who had himself been involved in the death of the Duke of Gloucester, to tell the whole truth of the deed. When these things had been heard, it was provided that the said William Bagot should be returned to custody until the Saturday next following; and in the meantime counsel should be taken on these matters on Friday, both by the spiritual and temporal lords, without whom the present case could in no way be concluded.

Interea requisitum fuit a dicto Willelmo Bagot, quare ad tot mala consensum vel assensum præbuit Regi, quæ novit honestati et bonæ fidei obviare. Ad hæc satis audacter, et velut cum summa libertate, respondit invective:— "Quis est inter vos omnes," inquit, "a quo si Rex Ricardus voluisset exigisse talia, qui fuisset ausus sibi contradixisse, vel non paruisse?" Thesaurarius regni, Johannes Northbury, ne dictus W[illelmus] in erroris excusatione posset habere solatium, sic respondit:— "Vere," inquit, "ego, etsi perdidissem omnia bona mea, una cum vita." Tunc Bagot, cupiens justificare seipsum per malitias aliorum, dixit, non solum fore reum de hujusmodi sibi objectis, sed esse quamplures ibidem alios in Parliamento residentes, qui debebant juste super hujusmodi conveniri. Audientes hæc Duces de Sotherey et de Excestre, et propter eos hoc dictum fuisse putantes, prout veraciter putare poterant, illico surrexerunt, et se duello, projectis capuciis, obtulerunt, contra Willelmum Bagot, Vel quemeunque alium qui imponere vellet eis mortem Ducis Glovernize, ete, vel de tam malo consilio Regi præbito accusare. Quibus Rex jussit recipere sibi vadia, sicut prius, etc. Constanter W[illelmus] Bagot adjecit, quod non solum Domini temporales, sed spirituales, fuerunt æque rei sicut et ipse; et inter cætera, se excusare nitebatur de morte Ducis Gloverniæ, imponens in genere quibusdam de Parliamento quod consilium et assensum tanto facinori præbuerunt; sed manifestius Ducem de Almarle super hujusmodi facto notavit. Dux vero prædictus hoc negavit viriliter, et excusationis occasiones nitebatur quærere, Tune dictus Wf[illelmus] Bagot dixit, quod si cuperent rei certitudinem interscire, juberent quemdam valectum, dictum [....] Halle, qui tenebatur in carcere apud Newgate, qui et ipse ad mortem Ducis Gloverniæ, omnem facti diceret veritatem. Hiis auditis, provisum fuit ut dictus W[illelmus] Bagot custodiæ redderetur usque in diem Sabbati extune sequentem proximo; et interim super hiis haberetur consilium die Veneris, tam a Dominis spiritualibus quam temporalibus, sine quibus præsentem causam posse minime terminari.

Annals of Kings Richard II and Henry IV. The French, among whom he had been staying, also urged him to reclaim his rights, from which, contrary to justice, he had been excluded, promising him, if need arose, military assistance in this matter. He, however, returned countless thanks to the French for their goodwill, but was unwilling to bring with him an armed force from those parts, declaring that he had such confidence in the loyalty and favour of his own countrymen that, for the present, he did not need the help of the French. He asked, however, that if matters turned out otherwise than he hoped, namely if he were deprived of the support of his own people, they should be ready to assist him in the aforesaid enterprise. Then, having received permission to return to his country, he came to Boulogne-sur-Mer with Thomas, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, and with the son and heir of the Earl of Arundel. With him also came Lord Thomas Erpingham¹, a famous and excellent knight, and John Norbury², a most valiant esquire, full of prudence and, as was said, to be preferred before rich men for the abundance of his wealth. Committing himself to the counsels of these men, neither in his banishment nor in his return could fortune harm him, but all things, both abroad and at home, with God’s help, turned out prosperously for him. There also came with him certain English merchants, whom he found in those parts ready to return to their own country, and these, together with the rest of his household, as it is said, made up no more than fifteen lances. Yet he is said to have had with him ten or twelve ships. With such a small company, it is remarkable that he dared to attempt the kingdom of England, and still more remarkable that, in so short a time, as will be said below, he brought the whole kingdom into peace under himself.

Instigabant etiam eum Gallici, inter quos moram traxerat, ut reposceret jura sua, a quibus, contra justitiam, exclusus fuerat; promittentes ei, si opus esset, adjutorium in hoc negotium militare. Ille vero Gallicis pro benevolentia grates rependit innumeras; non tamen voluit secum trahere de illis partibus manum militarem, asserens se tantum confidere in fide et favore suorum [patriotarum], quod non indigeret ad præsens auxilium Gallicorum. Rogabat tamen, si secus accideret quam sperabat, ut, videlicet, destitueretur suorum suffragiis, parati forent ad suffragandum ei in negotio prætaxato. Ille vero, accepta repatriandi licentia, venit Boloniam supra Mare, cum Archiepiscopo quondam Cantuariensi, Thoma, et filio Comitis Arundeliæ, et hærede. Cum eo venerunt insuper Dominus [Thomas de] Erpyngham, miles famosus et optimus, Johannes Northburi, seutifer valentissimus, plenus prudentia, et, ut dicebatur, divitiarum [opulentia] divitibus præferendus. Horum consiliis se committens, nec in relegatione nec in reversione potuit sibi fortuna nocere, sed cuncta prospera foris et extra sibi, cum Dei adjutorio, contigere. Venerunt quoque eum eo quidam mercatores Anglici, quos reperit in illis partibus ad repatriandum paratos; qui, cum reliqua sua familia, prout dicitur, non fecerunt amplius quam quindecim lancens. Habuisse tamen [secum, ut] dicitur, naves decem vel duodecim. Cum hac tam parva manu, mirum est quod regnum Angliæ ausus sit aggredi; et plus mirandum, quod tam parvo tempore, prout dicetur inferius, totum regnum reddiderit pacatum sibi.

Note 1. Thomas Erpingham, 1355-1428. Subsequently Lord Chamberlain and Garter Knight.

Note 2. John Norbury, died 1414. Subsequently Lord Treasurer, Keeper of the Privy Wardrobe and Ambassador to France.