partye granted to hym the wages
of halfe a man for a yere, the whiche amounted to iiijli. xjs. iijd. And
after that he rode about the more part of the lande, and used the people in
suche fayre maner, that he reysed therby notable summes of money, the
whiche way of the levyinge of this money was after named a Benevolence."

"But here (adds the chronicler Hall on this subject) I wil not let passe a
prety conceyt that happened in this gathering, in the which you shall not
onely note the humilitie of a kyng, but more the fantasie of a woman. Kyng
Edward had called before hym a wydow, muche aboundynge in substance, and no
lesse grown in yeres, of whome he merely demaunded what she gladly woulde
geve him towarde his greate charges. By my treuth, (quod she,) for thy
lovely countenance thou shalt have even xxl. The kyng, lokyng scarce for
the halfe of that summe, {xxii} thanked her, and lovingly kyst her. Whether
the flavor of his brethe did so comfort her stommacke, or she estemed the
kysse of a kynge so precious a juell, she swore incontinently that he
should have xxl. more, which she with the same will payed that she offered
it.

"The kynge, willing to shew that this benefite was to hym much acceptable,
and not worthy to be put in oblivion, called this graunt of money a
Benevolence, notwithstanding that many with grudge and malevolence gave
great summes toward that new-founde Benevolence. But the using of such
gentill fashions toward them, wyth frendly prayer of their assistance in
his necessitie, so tempted theim, that they could not otherwise do, but
frankely and frely yelde and geve hym a reasonable reward."

In the spring of 1475 the season for the campaign had at length arrived;
and on the 1st of May proclamation was made that all "the lordes and
capitaignes" who were retained for the army should muster at Portsdown in
the county of Southampton on the 26th of the same month.[33] John lord
Dynham, by letters patent dated the 15th of April, was appointed to conduct
the army across the sea.[34]

The transport of the army to Calais occupied the greater part of the month
of June. The king, having left London on the 4th of that month,[35]
proceeded towards the coast through the county of Kent. On the 6th and 10th
he was at Canterbury, and on the 20th at Sandwich, where on that day he
made his will,[36] and executed the instruments by which he constituted his
son Edward prince of Wales to be Custos and Lieutenant of the king