KING RICHARD THE FIRST ad. 



began to stirre against the Kings armie, and to shut 

 the Englishmen out of the gates, and kept their walles 

 against them. The Englishmen seeing that, made to 

 the gates, and by force would have broken them open, 

 insomuch that the King riding amongst them with his 

 staffe, and breaking divers of their heads, could not 

 asswage their fiercenesse, such was the rage of the 

 Englishmen agaynst the citizens of Messana. The 

 King seeing the furie of his people to be such that hee 

 could not stay them, tooke boate, and went to the 

 pallace of king Tancred, to talke of the rnatter with 

 the French king, in which meane time the matter was 

 so taken up by the wise handling of the ancients of 

 the citie, that both parts laying downe their armour, 

 went home in peace. 



The fourth day of the sayd moneth of October, came 

 to king Richard the Archbishop of Messana with two 

 other Archbishops also with the French king, and sundry 

 other Earles, Barons, and Bishops, to intreat of peace, 

 who as they were together consulting, and had almost 

 concluded upon the peace, the Citizens of Messana 

 issuing out of the towne, some went up upon the 

 mountains, some with open force invaded the mansion 

 or lodging of Hugh Brune an English captaine. The 

 noyse whereof comming to the eares of the King, hee 

 suddenly breaking off talke with the French king and 

 the rest, departed from them, and comming to his men, 

 commanded them forthwith to arme themselves. Who 

 then with certaine of his souldiours making up to the 

 top of the mountaine (which seemed to passe their 

 power to climbe) there put the Citizens to flight, chasing 

 them downe the mountaines, unto the very gates of the 

 citie, whom also certaine of the kings servants pursued 

 into the citie, of whom five valiant souldiers & twentie 

 of the kings servants were slaine, the French King 

 looking upon, and not once willing to rescue them, 

 contrary to his othe, and league before made with the 

 king of England : for the French king with his men 



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