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Medieval chronicles, historical sources, history of middle ages, texts and studies |
MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. II. A.D. 1066 to A.D. I307.
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MATTHEW OF WESTMINSTER
The flowers of history, especially such as relate to the affairs of Britain. Vol. II. A.D. 1066 to A.D. I307.
page 519
Accordingly, without any delay, the aforesaid traitor, returning from foreign countries, united himself to the king of England and the nobles of the land, telling them all that he had cunningly escaped from prison, and learnt all the weak points o f France. And he lay hid like a twisting serpent, carrying in his box a honied drug with which his victims might be soothed, and made obedient to his conjurations. So, when he had procured information respecting all the plans and arrangements of the kingdom, he reduced it ail to writing, and sent the information to the provost of Paris. After this had been done, by the working of Him who destroyeth the wicked, his treason was detected, and immediately revealed to the king, who sending officers, arrested him at once, and he was bound with thongs, and brought to the king's tent on the eve of the festival of Saint Denis, and being accused, he did not deny the crime which he had committed. Therefore, he was condemned by the following sentence :—First of all he was laid down on a bull's hide; then six constables having mounted their horses, he was dragged at their tails through the city of London, surrounded by four executioners in masks, clothed in trowsers and pelisses, and bearing clubs, who, as they proceeded rapidly onwards, heaped reproaches on him. And he having been mocked and ill-treated with their sticks and goads, was then hung on a gibbet, and his body, in accordance with the command of the earls, was not allowed to receive burial, so that passers-by might say, " Is this Thomas Turbeville ?" and some versifier wrote an epitaph on him in these terms—
" The cruel Thomas Turbe ville Disturbed our peace with wicked will; He was a spark ; but now the king Has made him ashes, a vile thing. He joined himself to Satan's crew, This happy country to undo ; Till stretched upon an oi'es hide, He found the end of all his pride. To vex the country he delighted, Which now his treason has requited. By justice fair he was o'erborne. And righteously by horses torn. So David's foe, Achitophel, Perish'd, and met his meed in hell : And Thomas, who for bribes did sell Fair England, is undone as well."
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