Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/353

RENT-ROLL OP THE DUKE OF RUCKINOHAM. 261 he demanded who was there, I am quod he Richardo StafFordc; <k I nm Ilollamlo quod the other, &, I eekc for the; one of thy seruauntos hath slaync my best beloued squyer; it thcrwitli drew out liis swordo, <t strakc Kichardo Statl'orde so that he slevvc him, 6c fell downe deed, whiche was great pytie, so he passed forthe it kucwe not well what he had doiio; but he sawe well one fallc to the grounde. — Sir Richarde Stati'orde's men were sore dismayed when they sawe their maister deed, than they cryed A Ilolandc, ilolande ye haue slayne the sonnc of therle of Statibrde, this will be heuy tydynges to the father whane he knowethe therof. Some of Sir Johan of Ilolande 's seruauantes herde well these wordes it sayde to their Master, Sir, ye haue slayne Sir Richarde Stafforde; well quod Sir Johan Ilollande, what than? I had leaner have slayne him than a worse; the better haue I revenged the dethe of my squyer. Than Sir Johan of Ilolande went Btreyght to Saint Johan's of Bcuerley & tooke the fraunchesse of the towne, and abode there styll, for he knew well there wolde be moche ado in the hoostc for the dethe of that knight, and he wist not what the kynge would saye or do in the matter, so to eschue all parylles, he tooke scntuary iu the towne of Saint Johan's of Beuerley. " Tidyngcs anon came to the erle of Stafforde, how his sonnewas slayne by yuell aduenture; thane the erle demaundod who had slayne him, &, suche as were by him, when he was slayne, sayd, Sir, the kynges brother. Sir Johan of Ilolande dyd slee him; and shewed hym the cause why &, howe it was. Ye maye well knowc that he loued entierly his sonne, it had no mo but hym, it was a fayre yonge knyght, «t a couT-agyeous, was maruelously sore dyspleased, and sent incontynent for all his friends, to haue their counsaylc, how he shulde vse hymselfc, in the reuengynge of his dethe; the moost wisest man of his counsayle saj'd, Sir, to-morrowe in the mornynge, shewe all the matter to the kyng, «t desyre hym to haue lawe and iustyce. — Thus they suaged somewhat his yre, <t so passed that night; «t y"^ nexte mornynge Richarde Stafforde was burj'cd in the church of the vyllage therby, and at his buryong were all those of his lynage, barons knyghts and s(piyers that were in that armye. — And the obscquy done the erle of Stafforde, <t a threescore of his lynage mounted on their horses, <fe so came to the kynge, who was well cnformed of that yeull aduenture; it 80 the erle found the kynge and his vncles toguyder, and a great nomhre uf kniglites with them. Whan the erle came before the kyng he kneled downe, & all wepynge sayde with a soroufull liarte, Sir, ye are kyng of Englande, <t haue solemnly sworn to kepe Englade in all ryght, and to do justice; Sir, ye know how your brother, woiit any tytell of reason, hath slayne my sonne and ayre. Sir, I requyre you do me right it iustyce, or els ye shall haue no worse enemy than 1 will be, and Sir, I wyll ye know the dethe of my sonne toucheth me so nere, that <t it were nat for brekynge of this voyage that we be in, I shulde bring the hostc into suche trouble, that with honour it should be amended, and so couterueenged, that it shoulde he spoken of a hiidred yeres hereafter in Englande: but as now I wyll cease tyll this voyage into Scotlande be done, for our ennemyes phall not reioyse of the trouble of the erle of Stafforde. — The kynge fiuswered, knowe for trouthe, that I shall do you justyce tt reason, as far forth as all my harones wyll iudge: I shall not fayle thereof for no brother that I haue than they of the erle's lynage said, Sir, ye have said well, we thank you therof. — Thus the lynage of Sir Richard Stafforde was ippeased, and so hclde on their journey into Scotlande, <t all the iourney