The lord Roger Mortimer returned againe into England, and Alexander Bicnor was made chéefe iustice of Ireland. ¶ Also Edward Bruce, with sir Walter and sir Hugh Lacie, bringing with them a great armie, returned out of Scotland, and arriued at Dundalke, on the day of saint Calixt the pope. But néere to the same place sir Iohn Brimingham, Richard Tute, and Miles of Verdon, with a power of 1324 men incountred them, and slue the said Edward le Bruce, and aboue the number of 8200 men, or (as other haue) but 5800. The said sir Iohn Birmingham brought the head of Edward le Bruce ouer into England, and presented it to the king. Wherevpon the king in recompense of his seruice, gaue vnto him the earledome of Louth, to hold to him and his heires males, and the baronie of Athird to him and his heires generall.
About this season, or somewhat before, about Midsummer (as Southwell saith) a naughtie fellow called Iohn Poidras, or (as some books haue) Ponderham, a tanners son of Excester comming to Oxford, and there thrusting himselfe into the kings hall that stood without the wals, gaue foorth that he was sonne and right heire of king Edward the first, and that by means of a false nursse he was stolne out of his cradle, and this Edward the second being a carters son was brought in and laid in his place, so that he by reason thereof was afterwards hardlie fostered and brought vp in the north part of Wales. At length being laid for, he fled to the church of the white friers in Oxford, trusting there to be safe through the immunitie of the place, bicause king Edward the first was their founder. But when he could not kéepe his toong, but still fondlie vttered his follie, and stood in his opinion, so that great rumor thereof was raised, he was at length taken out of that church, & caried to Northampton, where he was there arreigned, condemned, and had foorth to a place in the countrie called the copped oke, where he was drawne, hanged, and as a traitour bowelled. At the houre of his death he confessed, that in his house he had a spirit in likenesse of a cat, which amongst other things assured him that he should be king of England.
[Sidenote: The king goeth to Berwike. The Scots come into the parts of Yorke.]