Emperour of Greece Whose Death I have lamented when I was in my Youth When first the unhappy News arrived his Son Henry a Valiant Prince succeeded him in the Empire and his Eldest Daughter Jane in his Earldom of Flanders Their Country holds of me and is a Feudatory of my Crown as the Earl is a Peer of my Kingdom I wish I could alter the Course of Nature and that what has happened had not been that my dear Vncle the Father of my Cousin-German whose Name and Memory is of admirable Veneration in Greece could return to Life But I cannot lightly be perswaded from the belief I have of his death and the report which hath been confirmed through the course of so many Years Most humane things especially Empires subsist by the Testimony of men Tell me then for whom you would be received If for my Vncle shew it us by some authentick proof and because the thing is unexpected it will be so much the more agreeable and give me transports of joy and satisfaction when I am convinced I have wept for my Vncle without cause and for a false Opinion whilst he that I should Reverence like a Father is restor'd to me I am glad that a few short questions will make your self judge and witness in your own Cause which the World must needs know is of the greatest Importance I ask you then If my Father King Philip treated you as his Homager and whether he gave you the Investiture of the Earldom of Flanders In what place at what time in what manner and before what Witnesses did he gird on your Sword and made you a Knight And of what Order was it Who was the Wife you Married in France Who treated the Match In what place and with what Ceremonies did you Marry her for the true Baldwyn cannot be ignorant of these matters I have exactly made a Recital of all the Questions from Paulus Aemilius that admirable Historian It is very strange that he who had so well studied the Genealogies of the Flemish Lords could not tell what Wife he Married which was Margaret Daughter to the Earl of Champagne The Annals of Flanders say it was the Bishop of Beauvais President of the Kings Counsel that askt him all these questions which may be reduced to three 1. In what place he did Homage for his Earldom of Flanders 2. By whom and in what Place he was made a Knight 3. In what Place and on what Day he Married Margaret of Champagne But this Impostor as surprized with all these Questions askt three days to answer them Perhaps one might excuse a Man for not remembring several Circumstances of the principal Actions of his Life Besides such an August Assembly before so Great a King and Magnificent a Court a Subject of such consequence before an Audience no ways favourable with the Apprehension of the Danger might distract him and hinder his answering pertinently Guaguin says That speaking Haughtily to the Points in question without sufficient Proofs of what he pretended to be the King commanded him to go out of his Realm in three days but doing him no hurt because he had given him his safe Conduct This Impostor being thus shamefully Driven away retir'd to Valenciennes in Haynault where being abandon'd by those whose hopes of advantage by this Novelty had made them promise him great assistance he disguis'd himself like a Trades-man intending to have past into Burgundy hoping to find countenance and support there but he was watcht and taken on his way by a Burgundian Gentleman Erard Castenac who sold him to the Countess Jane for four hundred Marks She put him to the torture and forc'd him by his torments to Confess his Imposture He said he was Born in Champagne and his name was Bertrand de Rayns he was led through all the Cities of Flanders and Haynault where after having been shew'd to the People he was publickly hang'd at Lisle in Flanders Famâ ancipiti jurene an injuriâ The greatest part of Europe was in doubt whether the Countess justly put this Impostor to Death The example of Peter Courtney Successor of the true Baldwyn and Henry in right of his Wife Yolante persuaded the possibility of so straight a Prison as might not give him Opportunity to inform his Subjects and Friends what misfortune had befallen him The Catastrophe of this false Baldwyn happen'd in the year of Christ 1225. and of the World 5186. CHAP. VIII Perkin Warbeck OR THE COUNTERFEIT Duke of York Son of Edward the Fourth King of England THis Impostor continued longer than any of the rest and had more Chances and happy Hours The Cruelty of Richard Duke of Glocester Son of Richard Duke of York and Brother of Edward the Fourth King of England gave Henry Earl of Richmond Grand-son of Owen Tudor and Catharine of France a Pretension to Arm against him for the Recovery of the Kingdom of England which Edward the Fourth before Duke of York and Head of the Red-Rose had usurp't from Henry the Sixth Richard Duke of Glocester had also usurp't the Crown from Edward the Fifth a young Prince of Twelve years old Eldest Son and Successor to King Edward the Fourth as likewise from his Brother Richard Duke of York his two Nephews whom he unnaturally and cruelly murthered in the Tower of London in the year 1483. It was the Person of this last Richard Duke of York and only Brother of King Edward the Fifth that this Impostor Peter Warbeck commonly called Perkin Warbeck so artfully imitated for Five or Six Years time from 1494 untill 1499 putting all England into combustion and perplexity on that Subject and giving much trouble to the new Conqueror Henry the Seventh who was before Earl of Richmond Margaret Sister to King Edward the Fourth Widow of Charles the Hardy Duke of Burgundy and Soveraign of the Seventeen Provinces of the Lower Germany produced and instructed this Counterfeit to take the Crown of England if she could have effected what she had often endeavoured from Henry the Seventh Chief of the House of Lancaster or the White-Rose whom she mortally hated This is the Truth of the Story as Polydore Virgil Historiographer to Henry the Eighth relates it in the Twenty-sixth Book of his History of England This Princess a Woman of an Ambitious and Intriguing humour had conceived a great Aversion to Henry the Seventh Exterminator of the Usurper Richard Duke of Glocester The principal cause of her Hatred proceeded from the long Enmity between his Family of Lancaster and her 's of the House of York which made her continually endeavour by all means imaginable his extirpation with the satisfaction of her own Revenge in the removal of the Crown to One of her own Party But finding all her endeavours miscarried and those of John Earl of Lincoln were come to nothing her old Inveterate temper prompted her with new Expedients more difficult for Henry to prevent She met a young man at Tourney who was handsom
Satisfaction And now his Senses were charmed with the Sound of War-like Musick as well as with the softer Concerts of his Wedding Courriers were sent into England to observe what Preparations were making for Resistance But all being quiet the Scotch Army with their King at the Head entred Northumberland where they pillaged burnt ravished and killed sparing neither Age nor Sex behaving themselves without Humanity Till the Soldiers laden with Plunder refused to March further pretending no English joyned them The Counterfeit Richard one day hearing the Crys of the poor plunder'd English seemed much afflicted saying Oh! how wretched am I and my Heart as hard as Steel not to be troubled at the Misery of my People Intreating the King to prevent the Cruelty of the Soldiers and not suffer them to destroy his unhappy Country feigning great Commiseration and Tenderness Who answered him very coldly He might concern himself with his own Affairs and not with other Mens calling England his Country and People where none came to his Assistance though a War was undertaken for his Cause So chiding this Mock-King's Dissimulation and changing from that time his Respect to him Neglecting and contemning him when he found neither his Actions nor the Event of things correspond with his former Promises King Henry prepared to meet and repell the Scotch-Men at the News of this their Cruelty and Infidelity when the Lords on the Marches informed him of their Retreat They having done the best they could by Intrenching Fortifying themselves with an Intent as they did by their frequent Allarms and Skirmishes to wast and tire out the Enemy Just before this Advice he Summons a Parliament at London where several good Laws were made for the Publick Safety But Money being the Sinews of War they concluded on the Methods of raising it Giles Lord Dawbeney who was General of the Army had Orders to begin his March for the Frontiers of Scotland But he had scarce set forward when the Cornish Men took up Arms alledging for their Pretence great Taxes laid on them as they said for an Inconsiderable Scotch-War which was ended already when indeed it was but just begun And then their Barren Land and hard Labour of Mineing making them Incapable to pay them Thomas Flammock a Country-Lawyer and Michael Joseph a Farrier two bold Fellows being at the Head of the Rebels they Marched toward London and demanded the Heads of John Morton Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Sir Reynald Bray both Privy-Counsellors And at Wells they were Joyned by James Twichet Lord Awdley and some other Gentlemen King Henry considering these Troubles should be first appeased recalled the Lord Dawbency with his Army sending Thomas Howard Earl of Surry in his stead a most experienced Souldier To whom he had given his Life and Liberty after the Famous Battle of Bosworth-Field which he had won of Richard the Usurper afterwards honouring him with the Office of Lord High Treasurer of England upon the Death of John Lord Dinham This Earls Commands were to raise what Men he could about the County of Durham and oppose the Incursions of the Scots till Giles Lord Dawbeney should have Dissipated and Chastized the Rebels of Cornwall and Joyn'd him with his Army Polydore Virgil Names the Lords and the Gentlemen who met the Royal Army commanded by Dawbeney increasing it with their Tennants About this time Charles the 8 th of France sent an Ambassador to give the King an Account of his Conquering the Kingdom of Naples and to renew his Allyance with England Henry sent some Lords to meet them so soon as he knew they were arrived at Calais and also to amuse them at Dover that they might not understand the Revolt in the West till it was supprest in which he was exactly obey'd In the mean time the Rebels decamped from Wells Marched to Salisbury and so to Canterbury hoping those People would Joyn with them but they were much deceived for they found them Armed and ready to oppose them being Commanded by George Earl of Kent and John Lord Brook with Fifteen or Sixteen other Lords The Resolution and Fidelity of these Men so astonisht the Rebels Army that many abandoned them Running from their Camp in the Night But they were too far advanced for a Retreat so continued their March to Black-Heath near London where they drew up themselves in Order to a Battle upon the Hill Thither the King sent Henry Bourcheir Earl of Essex Edmund dela Pool Earl of Suffolk Sir Richard Thomas and Sir Humphrey Stanly all Great Souldiers with detached Parties to encompass them and hinder their Flight whilst he March't streight to charge them with Dawbeney followed by the best Men of his Army Commanding Sir Richard Thomas to attack them at the same time from his Post which was so vigourously executed that notwithstanding all their resistance the Rebels were broken and lost Two Thousand Men besides vast Numbers of Prisoners the King missing but Three Hundred He pardon'd those wretched People only making their Chiefs Examples among whom was the Lord Audley who was drawn from Newgate to Tower-Hill and there beheaded Thomas Flammock and Michael Joseph were Hanged and Quarter'd and their Heads and Limbs set up in London and several places of Cornwall for the Terror and Example of others They admired the Constancy of Michael the Smith who contented himself that he should always be talked of A Deo says Polydore Medios ac insimos viros perinde ut Summos Gloriae cupiditas incendit The Scotch King taking Advantage by these Disorders entred the County of Durham giving his Men all manner of Licence With some of his Troops he Besieged Norham a Castle of Great Importance on those Frontiers into which Richard Fox the Vigilant Bishop of Durham had put a strong Garrison and well fortified the Place having foreseen the Siege He then advertised Thomas Earl of Surry who had already raised a considerable Army in Yorkshire and hearing the distress that Norham was in he Marched with all speed having a Great number of Gentlemen and Knights with him and a Body of near Twenty Thousand Men besides a considerable Fleet at Sea King James informed of his Advancing being within Two Days March Hastily raised his Siege and retired into Scotland where he was followed by the Earl who being in the Enemies Country plundred all he could and took several Towns But having no opportunity to furnish himself with Provisions he returned into the County of Durham During the War about this time Peter Hyalas a wise and prudent Man came Ambassador and Mediator from Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain a most Incomparable Princess King Henry appointed for his Ambassador Richard Bishop of Durham who was near the Place of Treaty where they met the King of Scotlands Privy Counsellors and treated of the Conditions of Peace The greatest difficulty arose concerning Perkin Warbeck Henry Positively persisting to have him delivered up as being the Disturber of his Kingdoms Peace and the
and Lot to feed on every Tenth Man till at last he with the Wrack of this miserable Army got back to Thebes in Aegypt The Third which was of Fifty Thousand Men was commanded to waste the Country round the Temple of Jupiter Hammon and to burn that famous Temple with the Statue of Jupiter When they had advanc'd as far as the City Oasis seven days Journey beyond Thebes being the mid-way to the Town of Dasis the Country they were to attack they halted in a Valley where an impetuous Wind blowing Mountains of Sand from all parts buried them together not one escaping so that Cambyses could have no other News but only the probability of this Accident The God Apis so much ador'd by the Aegyptians shew'd himself that Year which he had not done along time before These blind People when they found a Calf of extraordinary Largeness and Beauty made it their False God using all Shews of publick Joy they could express Cambyses being angry and ill humour'd with his late Disasters believed they rejoyced at his ill Fortune and took a Pretext to do it for the Apparition of their God He was then at Memphis where he commanded the Magistrates to come before him and give an Account why they took so ill a Conjuncture for their Mirth and Feasting No Excuses would serve nor no Submissions prevail but he caused them all to be put to Death He also commanded the Priests of Apis to be brought with the Calf they ador'd which was black and had a large square Spot in his Fore head another in the resemblance of an Eagle on his Back a Cross under his Jaws and at the End of his Tail a thick forked Tuff of Hair Cambyses drew his Sword and wounded him in the Ham though his intention was to have kill'd him calling the Priests contemptuous Names saying You deserve no better Gods than Flesh and Blood that can feel and smart with a Wound Then in derision caus'd them to be cruelly beaten commanding his Guards to kill whoever they found rejoycing on that Occasion This severe Order soon put an end to their Feasting The God Apis was carried into the Temple where he languish't till he died and was privately buried by his Priests Heaven as the Aegyptians believed punish'd Cambyses for these Sacriledges taking away his Reason and making him distracted One of the saddest Effects of his Frenzy was the Death of his own Brother Smerdis a very accomplish'd Prince and of so extraordinary Strength that it caused his Brother's Jealousy so far as to deny him Access to his Person by sending him into Persia while he remain'd in Aegypt His Ambassadors or rather his Spies in Aethiopia amongst other Rarities brought home with them a Bow of so large a size that no Persian had strength enough to bend it but Smerdis only who did it with two Fingers which was the first subject of his Disgrace as that which follows was the cause of his Death Cambyses dream't that a Courrier came in great haste brought him news that Smerdis sat on his Throne that his Head reacht Heaven This made him resolve his Death and gave Prexaspes one of his Officers Orders to see it done which he did near Susa as he accompany'd him a Hunting Others say It was by throwing him into the Red-Sea as he walk'd on the Cliffs I need but mention the other Cruelties of Cambyses The Murthering one of his Sisters whom he had Marry'd kicking her many times on the Belly when she was with Child of which she died The Occasion she gave him was wittily reproaching him of his Killing Smerdis He shot the Son of Prexaspes with an Arrow and then rip 't him open so paying his Father for Murthering Smerdis He put twelve of his great Lords to a cruel Death burying them alive with their Heads downwards and would have kill'd the best of his Counsellors the wise and famous Croesus who lost his Kingdom of Lydia with his immense Riches on whom Cyrus his Father had pity These were the Praeludes or rather the Causes which preceded and encourag'd this Impudent Impostor of whom we treat During the time Cambyses committed these Excesses of Cruelties and that his Frenzy made him more hated than a wild Beast there were two Brothers by Profession Magicians One of them called Patazithes was an Officer of his House These conspir'd against him Patazithes knowing the Death of Smerdis which was hid from the Persians had Insolence enough to undertake this Enterprize which follows He had a Brother of the Age and Features of Smerdis and of his Name also him he contrived to set on the Throne and instructed him in all the Arts he should use He sent Heralds into Aegypt commanding the Officers of the Army for the future to obey Smerdis the Son of Cyrus and no longer to own Allegiance to Cambyses These Heralds so well acquitted themselves of their Commission that one of them met Cambyses with his Army at Echatana in Syria to whom he boldly shewed his Order who was astonish'd at his Resoiution and turning towards Prexaspes spoke to him in these words Is it thus you have executed the Commands I gave you No Sir replyed Prexaspes it is not true that your Brother can ever Rebel or Fight more or less against your Authority for with my own Hands I obey'd your Orders And if those who are out of the World can fight you have more reason to apprehend Astyages King of the Medes but if your Majesty have no cause to think of him you have no other to fear your Brother Smerdis I beseech you Sir continued he grant me some of your Guards to pursue this Herald and bring him back that you may learn from him if he have seen or spoke to Smerdis This Advice pleased the King The Herald was brought back and ask't If he received his Orders from the Mouth of Smerdis or from some of his Ministers only He ingenuously confest he had not seen him since the War Cambyses made in Aegypt but had his Orders from the Magician whom his Majesty made Intendant of his Affairs in Persia who said in these words Smerdis the Son of Cyrus commands this to be done Cambyses was satisfied by this Answer that Prexaspes had obey'd him whom he otherwise had certainly put to Death He ask't him If he could conjecture who were the Authors of this Rebellion and Imposture I doubt said Prexaspes they were the Magicians Patazthes Governour of the Houshold and Smerdis his Brother When Cambyses heard the Name of Smerdis he seem'd Thunder-struck remembring the Truth of his Dream and knowing too late his fatal Error wept bitterly for his double Murther of his Brother and Sister In this transport of Grief hastily mounting his Horse to chastise the Rebels at Susa the Scabbard of his Sword dropt off and he found himself wounded in the same Place with the Point where he hurt the God Apis. It surpriz'd him more when they told him
Whisks this and that way to no purpose and his best Reasons as once his Squibbs destroy themselves and endanger no Body so much as their Author If he could possibly be made capable of Good Advice I would counsel him only to play the Fool in Bartholomew-Fair there let him be Laureat to King Oberon and at his own Booth be Zany and Poet. But let not his own Life and Manners be the Subject of his next Puppet-Show lest it Debauch the Rabble his great Admirers These and many other Scriblers have been Selected as the Propogaters of the Cause but they are generally so Vile and Inconsiderable that I chuse to despise them and scorn to do them the credit of Remarking I would stop here but Difficile est Satyram non Scribere as fast as I cut off New Heads arise from my Hydra Legion of Old left Man for Swine and now for Swine enters Man again Such Impostors have appeared amongst us of late that it is incredible to think that our Senses and Understandings should have been so much imposed on as they have Wretches most profligate in all sorts of Wickedness as Cheating Thieving Forgery Coyning Lying Perjury nay Sodomy have on a suddain been entertained and credited as most Pious Sober Virtuous Christians and True Protestants What greater Prodigy than that such Spirits of Darkness should pass for Angels of Light Yet in respect to the Sense and Justice of my Country I will keep in bold Truths and spare even the Impostor with a Witness But when any Man shall think it convenient in proper Colours to draw the true Lineaments of some of these Counterfeits the History of their Lives though writ with the greatest Impartiality will appear as improbable as Rablais his Garagantua In the mean time let them be tormented with their Secret Crimes and in their Consciences which are as a Thousand Witnesses confess Ambiguae si quando citabere Testis Incertaeque rei Phalaris licet imperet ut sis Falsus admoto dictet perjuria Tauro Summum crede nefas vitam praeferre pudori Et propter vitam vivendi perdere causas Juvenal Sat. 8. I could have Paraphrased this into English but will content my self with Doctor Holliday 's Translation When in a Doubtful Cause thou needs must stand A Witness should Phalaris bid thee be False shew his Bull and dictate Perjury Life before Vertue count it lewd to choose Do not to save Life th' Ends we live for loose A TABLE OF THE Histories contained in this Book Chap. I. THe False Smerdis only Brother of Cambyses King of Persia and of the Medes Pag. 1. Chap. II. The False Nero. Pag. 26. Chap. III. The False Messiah called Bencochab Chief of the Revolted Jews Pag. 30. Chap. IV. The False Moses Pag. 33. Chap. V. John Bulchold King of the Anabaptists called John of Leyden Pag. 35. Chap. VI. The False Clotaire called Gondoald Pag. 38. Chap. VII The False Baldwin Emperour of Greece and Earl of Flanders Pag. 58. Chap. VIII The False Richard Duke of York and pretended Son of Edward the Fourth King of England called Perkin Warbeck Pag. 76. Chap. IX The False Don Sebastian King of Portugal Pag. 113. Chap. X. The False Voldemar Marquis and Elector of Brandenbourg Pag. 139. Chap. XI The False Mustapha Son of Bajazet the First of that Name Emperour of the Turks Pag. 154. Chap. XII The False James Heraclides Despot of Moldavia and Wallachia Pag. 179. A LIST OF INFAMOUS Impostors OR THE LIVES Of Several Notorious Counterfeits who from the most Abject and Meanest of the People have usurped the Titles of Emperours Kings and Princes CHAP. I. Of the False Smerdis ONE of the most Profligate Impostors I can write of is the Counterfeit Smerdis who was a Magus which taking the word in its most favourable Acceptation signifies a Scholar an Astrologer or Philosopher But I am more inclin'd to believe he was a Magician who for some Crime escap'd the Justice of Cyrus with the loss of his Ears The Frenzy and Distraction into which Cambyses King of Persia and Son of Cyrus the Great fell gave this Impostor an Opportunity to shew himself and for eight Months to ascend the Throne of one of the Greatest and most Potent Empires in the Universe For the King when fallen into this Distemper caus'd his only Brother to be put to Death he being then Governour of Persia Whose Person this Magician so acted as obtain'd him the Quality and Empire of Smedis The untimely Death of this Prince gave him the Opportunity of being so great an Impostor the Distraction of Cambyses was the cause of his Death and the Sacrilege of Cambyses in mortally wounding the God Apis of Epaphus the Occasion of that Punishment This Apis the Aegyptians blinded with Idolatory ador'd in the Figure of a Calf The Fable of this Divinity is known to proceed from Jupiter's loving the Princess Jo Daughter of Inachus King of Phoenicia Juno contrived to surprize him with her wherefore Jupiter turn'd her into an Heifer to secure her against the Revenge and Jealousie of the Goddess But that was not sufficient to extinguish her Jealous suspitions which prompted her to beg that beautiful Cow of Jupiter who could find no excuse to deny her Juno committed her to the keeping of Argus with his hundred Eyes at which Jupiter being extreamly vext sent Mercury his Bastard and stole her away while Argus slept This so engaged Juno that her Revenge fell on Jo whom she commanded the fury Erinnys to make distracted and possess with wild Fancies which made her wander about the World untill grown weary and Faint she stopt in Aegypt where she was restor'd to her former Shape and Person and brought to Bed of Epaphus The Egyptians Worshipping both her and her Son Ovid tells this Story at the end of his first Book of Metamorphosis Cambyses although the eldest Son and Successor to so great a King and in the Possession of such mighty Provinces as the Persiaen Empire contain'd burn'd with an unlimited Ambition to extend his Conquests which he did over Aegypt stripping Psalmneticus the King Son of Amasis the Usurper of all Regal Power But this not being enough for his vast Thoughts he undertook three great Wars at the same time though very unseasonably and to his disadvantage making the Carthaginians the Aethiopians and the Arabians his Enemies Against each of these he had ill Success He could not attack the Carthaginians but by Sea and the Phoenicians his only Subjects that could assist him with Ships mutin'd and refused to lend him any belleving it unnatural to contribute towards the Ruin of the Carthaginians who proceeded from them To advance towards Aethiopia the Army had vast Deserts to march over and this young unadvised King took so ill Measures and made so small Provisions that he hardly got the Fifth Part of the way ere his Army wanted and were forced to eat their own Horses and Camels and afterward by Decimation
made him swallow Poyson without effect strangled him with his own hands reporting he had destroy'd himself when he had Reign'd Six Months and Eight Days The French and Venetian Army by Land and Sea continued in the Neighbourhood expecting the effect of young Alexis Promises which he not being able to perform in the time agreed on too earnestly endeavouring to raise the Money fell into the hatred of the People and was thus deprived of his Diadem and Life So bloody a Regicide deserved the Chastisement our Warriours intended him who drawing their Army down Besieged Constantinople for 72 Days Geofry de Vilhardouin writ the Story of this Siege and the particular Actions of the Heroes Murzuphle fled with his Treasures abandoning the City which was taken the 12th of April 1204. The Princes and other Lords resolved to choose an Emperor amongst them The Earl of Flanders with the Count of St. Paul named Five to give their Suffrages The Marquis of Montferrat and the Earl of Savoy other five The Venetians choosing the like Number In all 15 Voyces The Plurality were for Baldwyn This Prince was very powerful and a Great Souldier of which he had given many Proofs in the Siege He was Uncle by the Mothers Side to Lewis design'd Successor to Philip the August King of France He was Crown'd by Thomaso Morosini newly created Patriarch of Constantinople Boniface Marquis of Montferrat had from young Alexis for a Recompence the Island of Candia which he sold the Venetians for a great Sum of Money and was nevertheless made King of Thessaly Godfry Lord of Champagn was made Duke of Athens and Prince of Achaia John Earl of Brienne was sometime after made King of Jerusalem Baldwin had scarcely possest this new Dignity a Year before he went to Besiege Adrianople three Days Journey from him and possest by his Enemies who very much annoyed him That Success he had in the beginning did not accompany him in this Affair since by the profound Secrets of the Divine Pleasure being attackt with great Numbers of his Adversaries Greek Fugitives Bulgarians and Tartars he was defeated and supposed to be kill'd in the Plaines of Orestes A nostris pro Mortuo deploratus est says Paulus Aemilius His Brother Henry Succeeding him in the Empire This Disaster happened in the Year 1205 though some Chronologists antidate it two or three Years Twenty Years after This Famous Impostor calling himself by the Name of this Emperour appeared in Flanders Jane eldest Daughter of this Baldwin by Mary the Daughter of Henry Earl of Champagne was at that time Countess of Flanders and Married to Fernando Infant of Portugal She had great Wars her Husband having been taken Prisoner at the Famous Battle of Bovines which King Philip the August gained over the Emperour Otho the 4th in year 1214. And was long a Prisoner in the Louvre at Paris Although this had been some Years past she still felt her losses and that great Consternation Robert Son of Peter de Courtenay Earl of Auxerre and Prince of the Blood of France and Yolente only Daughter and Inheritrix of the Emperour Henry Earl of Flanders then possest that Throne to which this Impostor pertended One would have thought he should first have gone to the place where he was taken Prisoner but he could hope no assistance from the Greeks On the contrary Theodore Lascaris who resided at Nice and always took upon himself the Title of Emperour of Constantinople would have used him worse than the Bulgarians if he had fallen into his hands As for Robert de Courtnay whose Mother Yolente was his pretended Niece he was no ways inclin'd to yield him the Empire he had too much difficulty in obtaining it His Father the Emperour Peter falling into the Hands of Theodore was cruelly put to Death by him So that this Impostor thought his Affairs would advance better and he be more kindly received in his Native Country The Earldome of Haynault was his first Inheritance for this Baldwin was Son to an Earl of Haynault of the same Name Sirnamed The Magnanimous and of Margaret of Alsace Heiress of Flanders For this Reason he was Joyfully received there and with more satisfaction to those Martial People who hated the Dominion of a Woman Besides it was Independant on the Kings of France The Flemings received him very coldly seeing but a small Train with him nor would they own him for their Earl or Emperour of Greece This Impostor affected an extraordinary Gravity in his Meine the better to draw Veneration and acquire the Majesty of an Emperour The Countess Jane refused to see him but was advised to interrogate him for the better discovery of his Practises The President of her Councel of State summon'd him to appear ask'd him many troublesome Questions Gravibus fatigare percontationibus ausus est and spoke to him in this manner If it be true that you are the Earl Baldwin and assume not a False Title to the Empire of Greece I demand of you Why you have abandon'd your Subjects in that Country Even those poor People laden with Miseries whom the Divine Providence by the Suffrages of so many brave Men had committed to your Protection Why forsake you them in their greatest need of your Conduct and Care having so many Generous and Experienc'd Captains to whom you owed the last and greatest Obligations for chusing you among the most principal Men in the World to be their Chief and set the Imperial Diadem upon your Head Why have you thus neglected them exposed to the rage of Barbarous Nations For this reason although you were the true Baldwin we have sufficient Cause to dissemble our knowledge of you sure then we shall not own you who are but a false and a counterfeit Badlwin Why when the Affairs of all the East were laid on your shoulders to be supported and sustained by you when they were in disorder and lost by your misfortune have you feign'd to be dead and conceal'd your being alive What could you expect from so strange a Deceit Or what could be the reason of such a supposition and imposture If you would so long dwell among the Dead why should we now believe you are alive not having appear'd in any place these twenty years And had you been what you pretend now why did you not come in the time of Philip the August your Brother in Law who Married Alix one of your Sisters and in the life time of so many persons of Honour who might either have proved your Imposture or authorized your Title Why came you not sooner out of the Grave In what darkness have you hid that Glorious Face known to the whole World And with what new one do you pretend to Enchant the eyes of Men after so many years I ask if you believe your self that we ought to give faith to a Man who after so vast an Interval shall say I am the Emperor Baldwyn Have we never seen nor heard that there