A N T I QJJ I T I E S 
two nations. The French king, Philip the Hardy, gained feme 
advantages in Gafcony ; and, not content with thofe, threatened 
England with an invafion, and, by a fudden attempt, took and 
burnt Dover. 
Upon this emergency Edward fent a writ to Giird.on, ordering 
him and four others to enhft three thoufand foldiers in the counties 
of Surrey, Dorfet, and IFiltJJnrey able-bodied mbn, *' tarn fagittare 
quani baliftare potentes and to fee that they were marched, 
by the feaft of All Saints, to Wlnchelfea, there to be embarked 
aboard the king's tranfports. 
The occafion of this armament appears alfo from a fummons to 
the bifliop of IVhuhejier to parliament, part of which I fliall tran- 
fcribe on account of the infolent menace which is faid therein to 
have been denounced againft the Englijl:) language : — qualiter 
rex Franc'iiS de terra noflra Gafcon nos fraudulenter et cautelofe 
" decepit, earn nobis nequiter detinendo . . . vero prediftis 
fraude et nequitia non contentus, ad expugnationem regni 
" noftri claffe maxima et bellatorum copiofa multitudine congre- 
" gatis, cum quibus regnum noflrum et regni ejufdem incolas 
" hoflihter jam invafurus, linguam Anglicam, fi concepte iniquitatis 
" propofito deteftabili poteftas correfpondeat, quod Deus avertat, 
" omntno de terra delere proponit" Dated 30th September, in the 
year of king Edward's reign xxiii 
The above are the laft traces that I can difcover of Gurdon's 
appearing and adling in public. The firft notice that my evidences 
give of him is, that, in 1232, being the i6th of Henry 111. he 
was the king's bailiff, with others, for the town of Alton, Now, 
« Reg. Wynton, Stratford, but qviery Stratford ; for Stratford v,'S.S not bifliop of IVrntoK 
till 1 3*3, near thirty years afterwards. 
from 
