and a Garcion, or Boy, which is called a Gromet. Το it perteine (as the members of one towne) the Seashore in Seford, Pevenshey, Hodeney, Winchelsey, Rie, Ihame, Bekesbourne, Grenge, Northie, Bulwerheth. Romenal 5. ships, in every ship 21. men, and a Garcion : To it perteine, as members thereof, Promhell, Lede, Eastwestone, Dengemareys, olde Rumney. Hethe 5. ships, as Romenal before. To it perteineth the Westhethe. Dover 21. ships, as Hasting before. To it perteine, Folkstane, Feversham, and S. Margarets, not concerning the land, but for the goods and cattels. Sandwich 5. ships, as Romenal, and Hethe. To it perteine Fordwich, Reculver, Serre, and Dele, not for the soile, but for the goods. Summe of ships 57. Summe of the men 1187. and 57. Garcions. This service, the Barons of the Five Ports doe acknowledge to owe to the King, upon summons yerely (if it happen) by the space of 15. dayes together, at their owne costs and charges, accounting that for the first day of the 15. in which they shall spread their sailes to goe towards those parts that the King intendeth and to serve so long after 15. dayes, as the King will, at his owne pay and wages. Thus much out of these ancient notes, whereby your selfe may easily discerne the difference: but whether the one or the other, or (by reason of some latter dispensation) neither of these, have place at this day, I must referre it to them that be privie, and of counsell with the Ports and so leaving this also undecided, holde on the way, wherein I am entred. This duetie of attendance therefore (being devised for the honourable transportation, and safe conduct of the Kings owne person or his armie over the narrow Seas) the Ports have not onely most diligently ever since that time performed, but furthermore also valiantly behaved themselves against the enemie from time to time, in sundrie exploits by water, as occasion hath bene profered, or the necessitie of the Realme required. And amongst other feats not unwoorthy perpetuall remembrance, after such time as Lewes (the eldest sonne of the French King) had entred the Realme to, aide Stephan Langton the Archbishop, and the Nobilitie, in the life of King John, and had sent into France for new supply of souldiers after his death, Hubert of Borough (then captaine of Dover) following the opinion of Themistocles in the exposition of the oracle of the woodden walles, by the aide of the Port townes, armed fortie tall ships, and meeting with eightie saile of French men upon the high seas, gave them a most couragious encounter, in which he tooke some, sunke others, and discomfited the rest. King Henrie the third also, after that he came to riper age, had great benefit by the service of the Cinque Ports: And king Edward the first in his Chartre, maketh their continuall faithfull service (and especially their good endevour, then lately shewed against the Welshmen) the principall cause, and motive of that his liberall grant. Furthermore, about the midst of the reigne of the same king, an hundreth saile of the Navie of the Ports fought at the Sea with a fleet of 200. French men, all which (notwithstanding the great oddes of the number) they tooke, and slew, and sunke so many of the Mariners, that France was thereby (for a long season after) in maner destitute, both of Seamen, and shipping. Finally, and to conclude this part, in the dayes of king Henrie the fourth, the navie of the Five Ports, under the conduct of one Henrie Paye, surprised one hundreth and twentie French ships, all laden with Salt, Iron, Oile, and no woorse merchandize. The priviledges of these Ports, being first granted by Edward the Confessour, and William the Conquerour, and then confirmed and increased by William Rufus, Henrie the second, Richard the first, Henrie the third, and king Edward the first, be very great, considering either the honour and ease, or the freedome and exemption, that the inhabitants have by reason of the same. Part of an Epistle written by one Yvo of Narbona unto the Archbishop of Burdeaux, conteining the confession of an Englishman as touching the barbarous demeanour of the Tartars, which had lived long among them, and was drawen along perforce with them in their expedition against Hungarie: Recorded by Mathew Paris in the yere of our Lord 1243. THE Lord therefore being provoked to indignation, by reason of this and other sinnes committed among us Christians, is become, as it were, a destroying enemie, and a dreadfull avenger. This I may justly affirme to be true, because an huge nation, and a barbarous and inhumane people, whose law is lawlesse, whose wrath is furious, even the rod of Gods anger, overrunneth, and utterly wasteth infinite countreyes, cruelly abolishing all things where they come, with fire and sword. And this present Summer, the foresayd nation, being called Tartars, departing out of Hungarie, which they had surprised by treason, layd siege unto the very same towne, wherein I my selfe abode, with many thousands of souldiers: neither were there in the sayd towne on our part above 50. men of warre, whom, together with 20. crosbowes, the captaine had left in garrison. All these, out of certeine high places, beholding the enemies vaste armie, and abhorring the beastly crueltie of Anti-christ his complices, signified foorthwith unto their governour, the hideous lamentations of his Christian subjects, who suddenly being surprised in all the province adjoyning, without any difference or respect of condition, fortune, sexe, or age, were by manifolde cruelties, all of them destroyed: with whose carkeises, the Tartarian chieftains, and their brutish and savage followers, glutting themselves, as with delicious cates, left nothing for vultures but the bare bones. And a strange thing it is to consider, that the greedie and ravenous vultures disdeined to praye upon any of the reliques, which remained. Olde, and deformed women they gave, as it were, for dayly sustenance, unto their Canibals: the beautifull devoured they not, but smothered them lamenting and scritching, with forced and unnaturall ravishments. Like barbarous miscreants, they quelled virgins unto death, and cutting off their tender paps to present for deinties unto their magistrates, they engorged themselves with their bodies. Howbeit, their spials in the meane time discrying from the top of an high mountaine the Duke of Austria, the King of Bohemia, the Patriarch of Aquileia, the Duke of Carinthia, and (as some report) the Earle of Baden, with a mightie power, and in battell aray, approching towards them, that accursed crew immediatly vanished, and all those Tartarian vagabonds retired themselves into the distressed and vanquished land of Hungarie; who as they came suddenly, so they departed also on the sudden which their celeritie caused all men to stand in horrour and astonishment of them. But of the sayd fugitives, the prince of Dalmatia tooke eight: one of which number the Duke of Austria knew to be an English man, who was perpetually banished out of the Realme of England, in regard of certaine notorious crimes by him committed. This fellow, on the behalfe of the most tyrannical king of the Tartars, had bene twise, as a messenger and interpreter, with the king of Hungarie, menacing and plainely foretelling those mischiefes which afterward happened, unlesse he would submit himselfe and his kingdome unto the Tartars yoke. Well, being allured by our Princes to confesse the trueth, he made such oathes and protestations, as (I thinke) the devill himselfe would have beene trusted for. First therefore he reported of himselfe, that presently after the time of his banishment, namely about the 30. yere of his age, having lost all that he had in the citie of Acon at dice, even in the midst of Winter, being compelled by ignominious hunger, wearing nothing about him but a shirt of sacke, a paire of shooes, and a haire cappe onely, being shaven like a foole, and uttering an uncoth noise as if he had bene dumbe, he tooke his journey, and so traveiling many countreyes, and finding in divers places friendly enterteinment, he prolonged his life in this maner for a season, albeit every day by rashnesse of speech, and inconstancie of heart, he endangered himselfe to the devill. At length, by reason of extreame travaile, and continuall change of aire and of meats in Caldea, he fell into a grievous sickenesse, insomuch that he was wearie of his life. Not being able therefore to go forward or backeward, and staying there a while to refresh himselfe, he began (being somewhat learned) to commend to writing those wordes which hee heard spoken, and within a short space, so aptly to pronounce, and to utter them himselfe, that he was reputed for a native member of that countrey : and by the same dexteritie he attained to manie languages. This man the Tartars having intelligence of by their spies, drew him perforce into their societie: and being admonished by an oracle or vision, to challenge dominion over the whole earth, they allured him by many rewards to their faithfull service, by reason that they wanted Interpreters. But concerning their maners and superstitions, of the disposition and stature of their bodies, of their countrey and maner of fighting &c, he protested the particulars following to be true: namely, that they were above all men, covetous, hasty, deceitfull, and mercilesse: notwithstanding, by reason of the rigour and extremitie of punishments to be inflicted upon them by their superiours, they are restreined from brawlings, and from mutuall strife and contention. The ancient founders and fathers of their tribes, they call by the name of gods, and at certaine set times they doe celebrate solemne feasts unto them, many of them being particular, & but foure onely generall. They thinke that all things are created for themselves alone. They esteeme it none offence to exercise cruelty against rebels. They be hardie and strong in the breast, leane and pale-faced, rough and huf-shouldred, having flatte and short noses, long and sharpe chinnes, their upper jawes are low and declining, their teeth long and thinne, their eye-browes extending from their foreheads downe to their noses, their eies inconstant and blacke, their countenances writhen and terrible, their extreame joynts strong with bones and sinewes, having thicke and great thighes, and short legs, and yet being equall unto us in stature: for that length which is wanting in their legs, is supplied in the upper parts of their bodies. Their countrey in olde time was a land utterly desert and waste, situated far beyond Chaldea, from whence they have expelled Lions, Beares, & such like untamed beasts, with their bowes, and other engines. Of the hides of beasts being tanned, they use to shape for themselves light, but yet impenetrable armour. They ride fast bound unto their horses, which are not very great in stature, but exceedingly strong, and mainteined with little provender. They use to fight constantly and valiantly with javelins, maces, battle-axes, and swords. But specially they are excellent archers, and cunning warriers with their bowes. Their backs Howthtly armed, that they may not flee. They withthe top of an nlves from the combate, till they see the King of Bohemia, ir Generall give backe. Vanquished, of Carinthia, and (as sond vanquishing, they shew no with a mightie power, and in b. their purpose of subtowards them, that accursed crew nwne subjection, as and all those Tartarian vagabonds rev are moe then into the distressed and vanquished land Courriers, who who as they came suddenly, so they depepare a place |