Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (05 of 12): Henrie the SecondHolinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (05 of 12): Henrie the Second
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- Henry II, 1154-1189; Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
"But the king was not greatlie pleased with these words, and in French
said to the knight that held his bridle; 'Aske of this churle, whether
he had dreamed all this that he telleth or not.' When the knight had
expounded it in English, the man answered, Whether I haue dreamed it in
my sleepe or not, take thou héed to my words, & marke what day this is:
for if thou amend not thy life, and doo as I haue aduertised thée,
before a twelue moneth come to an end, thou shalt heare such tidings as
will make thee sorowfull all the daies of thy life after." The man
hauing thus spoken, vanished awaie suddenlie, and the king tooke his
words but in sport: howbeit he woondered that he was so suddenlie gone,
as he did likewise at his sudden appearing. Manie other warnings the
king had (saith mine author) but he set little thereby.
The second warning he receiued of an Irishman, that told him of tokens
verie priuie. The third time a knight of Lindsey, called Philip de
Chesterby, passing the sea, came to the king into Normandie, and there
declared vnto him seauen articles, which he should amend, which if he
did, then he should reigne seauen yeares in great honor, and subdue Gods
enimies. If he did not amend and redresse those points, then should he
come to death with dishonour in the fourth yeare.
1 The first article or point was, that he should séeke to
mainteine holie church.
2 The second, that he should cause rightfull lawes to be
executed.
3 The third, that he should condemne no man without lawfull
processe.
4 The fourth, that he should restore the lands, goods and
heritages to those rightfull owners from whome he had taken them
by any wrong or vnlawfull meanes.
5 The fift, that he should cause euerie man to haue right,
without bribing and giuing of méed.
6 The sixt, that he should paie his debts as well due to any of
his subiects, for any stuffe taken vp of them to his vse, as to
his seruants and souldiers, who bicause they could not haue their
wages truelie paid them, fell to robbing and spoiling of true
labouring men.
7 The seauenth and last article was, that he should cause the
Jewes to be auoided out of the land, by whom the people were sore
impouerished with such vnmercifull vsurie as they exercised.
The king (notwithstanding these and other like warnings) tooke no regard
to the amendment of his sinfull life, wherevpon (as is thought) the
troubles which ensued did light vpon him by Gods iust appointment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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