The Frenchmen by experience knowing the Englishmen (so long as they be fresh and lustie) in maner to be inuincible, thought not good to match with them in open battell, till they were somewhat wearied lieng and lingering abroad in the field. And therefore at the first they sought to wearie them with light skirmishes, appointing their horssemen to giue them alarmes, & some skirmishes; in the which the Frenchmen, by reason of the English archers (which galled both men and horsses) were euer put to the worsse. But behold the mutabilitie of worldlie chances! Whiles this warre was thus set forward, Francis duke of Britaine departed this life, & then the chéefe rulers of Britaine, falling at dissention among themselues, tendered not the defense of their countrie, but rather minded the destruction thereof. [Sidenote: The duchie of Britaine incorporated to the realme of France.] [Sidenote: _Iohn Stow._] [Sidenote: The birth of prince Arthur.] Herevpon the Englishmen, perceiuing in what danger they were, and considering that it was in the middest of winter, a time not méet for men of warre to lie in the cold and frostie fields, they returned into England, within fiue monethes after their first setting foorth. So that finallie the French king got the vpper hand of the Britons, and did incorporate that duchie to his realme and crowne of France, as in the historie of France it may appéere at large. ¶ In Iuly this yéere was a prest leuied for the king in the citie of London, of foure thousand pounds, which was repaied the yeare next following. In September, the quéene was deliuered at Winchester of her first sonne, named prince Arthur; and the fiue and twentith of Nouember (next insuing) she was crowned at Westminster with all due solemnitie. [Sidenote: An. Reg. 4.] [Sidenote: The collectors of the subsidie complaine to the earle of Northumberland that they cannot get in the tax monie.] Yée haue heard, how there was in the last parlement monie granted for the furnishing foorth of the armie into Britaine; that is to wit, it was agréed, that euerie man should be taxed after the rate of his substance, to paie the tenth penie of his goods. Which monie the most part of them that dwelled in the bishoprike of Durham, and in the parties of Yorkeshire refused vtterlie to paie: either for that they thought themselues ouercharged with the same; or were procured to shew themselues disobedient, thorough the euill counsell of some seditious persons, which conspired against the king, to put him to new trouble. Therefore such as were appointed collectors, after that they could not get the monie, according to their extract deliuered to them by the commissioners, they made their complaint priuilie to Henrie the fourth earle of Northumberland, chiefe ruler of the North parts. [Sidenote: 1489.] [Sidenote: The earle of Northumberland murthered by the northerne rebels at the instigation and setting on of Iohn a Chamber.]