From a miniature of the Fourteenth Century (Bib. Imp. de Paris). Les Arts du Moyen-Age.

CHAP. XIII.

ROUND TABLE AT WINDSOR.

225

For this A.D.1344.

attending tournaments were to dine.1
building, on the 26th of February, he appointed one
William de Horle as his carpenter, and gave him leave
to choose as many carpenters, in towns, boroughs,
and other places, as he might require. On the same
day, he appointed one William de Ramseye his head
bricklayer, with the singular permission to press
working bricklayers in the city of London and in the
counties of Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Bedford, and
Northampton into his service. Two days after-
wards, he appointed William de Langley to provide
carriages, for the conveyance of stone and other
materials for the works.2

ment

to renewal

of war if

necessary.

Parliament assembled on the 7th of June, and ParliaEdward informed it, that Philip had broken the truce assembles, in Brittany; had sent troops into Guienne, where they and agrees had taken possession of various castles and towns; that the Scots had declared that they would break the truce whenever the French desired them to do so; that he had heard for certain that it was the intention of his "adversary who called himself the King of France," to destroy the English language, and to

1 Rex Edwardus fecit convocari plures artifices at castrum de Wyndespores, et cœpit ædificare domum, quæ "Rotunda Tabula" vocaretur: habuit autem ejus area a centro ad circumferentiam, per semidiametrum, centum pedes; et sic diametri ducentorum pedum erat. Expensæ per hebdomedam erant primo centuu libræ ; sed ex post, proper nova quæ Rex suscepit de Franciâ resecabantur ad novem libras, eo quod censuit pro aliis negotiis thesaurum plurimum comportandum."-Walsingham, edited by H. T. Riley, M.A., vol. i. p. 263. A "Round Table," however, often, and perhaps usually, signified an actual table, round which the King and his Knights sat. See the illustration of a "Round Table" taken from a miniature of the 14th century. Copied, by permission, from Les Arts du Moyen Âge. Par Paul Lacroix : Paris, Didot, 1869. 2 Rymer, vol. iii. p. 6.

A.D. 1344. occupy the land of England; and that, consequently, it was clear that Philip was determined on war. In answer to this formidable charge against Philip, Parliament advised the King to put an end to this state of constantly impending warfare, either by a firm peace, or by battle. Supplies were then voted by the clergy and by the Commons; but no grant was made by the nobles, probably because they promised either to accompany the King, according to their tenure as the King's tenants in capite by Knight's service, or, to tax their demesnes separately, as they had done before, it being part of his undertaking with Parliament that he should invade France in person.1 The Commons thought it necessary to make various conditions respecting their grant, one of which was, that the money should be expended for the purposes for which it was asked. Edward had assumed that a warlike policy would be supported by Parliament, and, from the beginning of the year, had been making preparations for war. On the 6th of February, he had taken measures to ascertain how many ships he could collect, by summoning, according to his custom, men from each of forty-four ports2 to inform him on the subject.

Edward's

preparations for war.

1 Rot. Parl. 18 Ed. III. 8-10, p. 148, and 14, p. 150.

He

2 Rymer, vol. iii. p. 4. The ports to which he wrote, in ad

dition to those to which he wrote two years previously, of which

a list has been given, were―

CHAP. XIII.

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.

227

the King's

crown

Germany.

continually gave orders, that no knight or armed A.D.1344. man should go out of England without leave; and, with the view of keeping coin in the country, had repeated his proclamation against the export of sterling money or plate.1 He seems about this time to have been less pressed for money, for, on the 10th of March, he appointed certain persons to go Return of abroad to take out of pawn the great crown from certain merchants of Germany, to whom it had been from pledged. They accomplished their mission, and returned with the crown on the 24th of April.2 On the 24th of March he gave orders to the Earls of Derby and Arundel, commanding in Brittany, to observe the truce strictly; but, on the very same day, he directed them to make alliances with the nobles, and with any others of any nation or condition whatsoever. He also still continued his arrangements for putting the navy in proper condition, and at the same time that he enjoined the observance of the truce, ordered all ships, above thirty tons burthen, throughout the ports of England, to be impressed for the defence of the country.5 Soon afterwards, Parliament having advised him to make war in earnest, he issued orders to his admirals, to get together all ships, both great or small, as well as crayers, barges, flutes, and great boats, "whether of fishermen or others, which were able to carry men or horses beyond the sea; " and to assemble them in the Solent before

1 Rymer, vol. iii. p. 5.

2 Ibid. pp. 7 and 12.

4 Ibid. 8. p.

5 Ibid. p. 11.

3 Ibid. p. 10.

6 Ibid. p. 15.

7 Sir Harris Nicolas (Brit. Navy, vol. ii. p. 162, note) states that there is much difficulty in ascertaining what kind of vessel a flute was, but he considers it was a very large vessel, and probably had two masts, two sails, and two rudders, one at each end.