on euery syde beset nether hys seruauntes nether hym self suffered to goo oute perceauinge so great a thing wythoute his knowledge not begon for noughte comparyng thys preasent dooynge wyth the laste nyghtes cherein so fewe houres so great a chauÌ„ce marueleously myslyked it Howbeit syth he could not get awaye he determined not to kepe him self close leaste he shoulde seme to hyde hym selfe for some secret fear of hys owne faute wherof he saw no such cause in him selfe wherfore on the suretie of hys owne consience he determyned to go to theÌ„ and to inquire what thys matter myghte meane Whome assone as they saw they beganne to quarell wyth hym affyrmyng that he pretended to set dystaunce betwene the kyng and theim to bryng theim to confucyon whyche should not lye in his powre and when he began as he was an el oequeÌ„t manne in godly wise to excuse hym self thei would not here his aunswer but tooke hym by force and putte hym to ward And then he mounted on horsback and came in Stony stratford wher the kyng was goyng to horsbacke because he would leaue yâ— lodgyng for theim for it was to strayte for bothe the compaignies And when thei came to his presence thei alighted and their compaignie aboute theim and on their knees saluted hym and he theim geÌ„tely receaued nothyng erthely knowyng ner mistrustyng as yet The duke of Buckyngham saied aloude on afore gentlemenne and yomenne kepe your roumes and therwith in that kyng his presence thei picked a quarell to the lord Rychard Grey the quenes soonne and brother to the lord marques halfe brother to the kyng saiyng that he and the marques his brother and the lorde Ryuers his vncle had coÌ„passed to rule the kyng the realme and sette varyauÌ„ce betwene thestates and to subdewe and destroye the noble bloodde of the realme And toward thaccomplishment of thesame thei saied yâ— lord marques had entred into the toure of London thence had takeÌ„ oute treasure and sent meÌ„ne to the sea whiche thynges these dukes knewe well were dooen for a good purpose as very necessary appoincted by that whole counsail at LondoÌ„ but somewhat thei must haue saied vnto the whiche woordes the kyng aunswered what my brother Marques hath dooen I cannot saie but in good faith I dare well aunswer for myne vncle Ryuers and my brother here that thei bee innocent of suche mattiers yee my leege ê™ the duke of Buckyngham thei haue kepte the dealyng of these matters farre from the knowledge of your good grace and foorthwith thei arrested the lord Rychard and sir Thomas Vaugham and sir Rychard Hawte in the kyng his presence brought the kyng and all to NorthaÌ„pton where thei tooke ferther counsaill in their affaires And there thei sent from the kyng whom it pleased theim and set aboute hym suche seruauntes as better pleased theim then hym At whiche dealyng he wept but it booted not And at dynner the duke of Gloucester sent a dyshe from his owne table to the lorde Ryuers praiyng hym to bee of good chere and all should bee well he thanked hym and prayed the messenger to beare it to his nephiewe the lord Rychard with like woordes whom he knewe to haue neede of conforte as one to whom suche aduersite was straunge but he hym self had been all his dayes ennured therwith and therfore could beare it But for all this message the duke of Gloucester sent the lord Ryuers the lord Rychard and sir Thomas VaughmÌ„ and sir Rychard Hawte into the Northparties into dyuers prisones but at last all came to Poumfrette where thei all foure were behedded without iudgeâ—et In this maner as you haue heard the duke of Gloucester tooke on hym the gouernaunce of the younge kyng whom with muche reuerence he conueighed towardes London These tidynges came hastely to the quene before mydnight by a very sore reporte that the kyng hir soonne was taken and that her brother and her other soonne and other hir frendes were arested and sent no manne wyst whither With this heuye tydynges the quene bewayled her childes ruyn hir frendes mischaunce and her awne infortune curssyng the tyme that euer she was perswaded to leaue the gatheryng of people to bryng vp the kyng with a greate powre but that was passed and therfore nowe she tooke hir younger soonne the duke of Yorke and hir doughters and went oute of the palais at Westminster into the sanctuary and there lodged in the abbotes place and she and all her children and compaignie were regystred for sanctuary persones The same night there came to docter Rotheram archebysshop of Yorke and lorde chauceloure a messenger from the lorde chambrelayne to Yorke place besyde Westminster the messenger was brought to the bysshoppes bed syde and declared to hym that that dukes were gone backe with the younge kyng to NorthamptoÌ„ and declared ferther that the lorde Hastynges his master sent hym woord that he should feare nothyng for all should bee well Well ê™ the bisshop bee it as well as it will it will neuer bee so well as we haue seen it and then the messenger deparâ—ted Whereupon the bysshop called vp his seruauntes before daye light and tooke with hym the greate seale and came before daye to the quene about whom he founde muche heuynesse rumble haste busynesse conuerghaunce and caryage of hir stuffe into sanctuary euery manne was busye to carye beare and conueigh stuffe chestes and ferdelles no manne was vnoccupied and some caryed more then thei were commaunded to another place The quene sat alone belowe on the russhes all desolate and dysmaied whom the archebisshop conforted in the best maner that he coulde shewynge her that the matter was nothynge so sore as she tooke it for and that he was put in good hope and oute of feare by the message sente to hym froÌ„ the lorde Hastinges A wo worth him ê™ the quene for it is he that goeth aboute to destroye me and my bloodde Madame ê™ he be of good comforte and I assure you yf they crowne anye other king then your soonne whome they nowe haue we shal on the morowe croune his brother whoÌ„ you haue here with you And here is the greate seale which in lykewise as your noble husbande delyuered it to me so I deliuer it to you to the vse of your soÌ„ne and therewyth delyuered her the greate seale and departed home in the dawnynge of the daye and when he opened his windowes and looked on the Themys he myghte see the riuer ful of boates of the duke of Glouceter hys seruauntes watchyng that no person shoulde goo to sanctuary ner none shoulde passe vnserched Then was there great rumoure and commocion in the citee and in other places the people diuersly deuined vpoÌ„ thys dealyng And dyuerse lordes knyghtes and gentylmen ether for fauour of the quene or for feare of them selues assembled compaignies together and went flockyng together in harneyes And many also for that they recompted thys demeanour attempted not so
of Crete began A famouse and a ryght notable man And Crete gatte a sonne hight Cely Who gatte Saturne a wyse man and a wittye ¶ Of whome came then Iubiter of Frigy Whiche is Turky wherin Troyes citee In honoure stode and in great victorye And Iubiter gate Dardanus no lee That of Frigy in greate felicitee So reygned kyng greatly magnifyed And as a God amonge theim glorifyed ¶ Of whom came so his sonne Eritonus Who gatte a sonne that firste Troye edifyed That Troilus hight of whome came kyng Ilis That Ilyon made a palays of great pryde Whiche for passyng other was both long wyde Where Hercules slough kynge Lamadone And led awaye the royalles of the towne ¶ Lamedone gatte the kyng Priamus Who made agayn his palays Ilion And Troies citee also more glorious Then they were before their subuercion And royall without peruercion In ioye and myrth they stode many a yere And Achilles with hym his brother dere The .viij. Chapiter ¶ A shorte lamentacioÌ„ of the maker for kyng Lamedone lose his life and his estate that might haue stande in peace and suertie for a litle succour of Iasone in his voiage O Lamedon of Troye that bare the crowne What fortune droue the to dooe Iasone vnkyndnesse Where he to paye was so readye and bowne For his vitayle that came in by distresse Of tempest greate standing in heuinesse Hym for to dryue oute of the regyon And not refreshe hym at his requisicyon Whiche was the cause after of thy heuynesse When he the slough and destroyed all thy cytee And caste downe all thy myght and great nobles With lytell thing that sauyd might haue bee O good lorde why shoulde thy royal dignytee To straungers shewe that cruell vnkyndnesse That to thy lande purposed no distresse Of Priamus came Hector and Troylus Dephebus Helenus and Parys Of royall bloude and dukes full glorious Of excellence and greatest of empryse Whiche were all slayne by fortunes excercyse All the sege of Troye knyghtly in the defence In mercyall actes as princes of excellence ¶ The palays greate and the noble cytee By Grekes seeged longe and many a yere Was wonne at laste and wast as men yet see This kyng quene both two were slayne in feere Where Anchises and Eneas his sonne dere And Ascaneus the sonne of Eneas Escapyd awaye and on the sea dyd passe The .ix. Chapiter ¶ Howe Eneas exyled oute of Troye came to Cecyle and to Affrike to the cytee of Carthage and fro thence to Italye there was made kynge of Tuskayne and of Latene ANd in Cicile they after did aryue Where Anchises dyed and was dispent Eneas and his sonne to the sea gan dryue With shippes .xii. to Italy had they mente But wynde theim droue again there entent Into Affrique where for Eneas sake They welcome wer and worthely vptake ¶ Fro thence after he tooke the sea agayn And landed then in Italia In Tibre mouth with trauayll with payne Where the towne and porte is of hostia Where by the God he bidden was to ga To helpe the kyng Euandre in his right For after hym the God that land hym hight ¶ To whom he went as hym was prophecied And welcome was into Italie Of kyng Euandre greatest magnified For his wisedome fame and cheualrye For his worshippe and for his auncetrye He gaue hym than greate lordshippe and riches And gold enough right of his worthynes ¶ Kyng Euandre made warre on kyng Latene In whose defence Turnus kyng of Tuskayn Came with greate hoste of Tuskalayns so fyne Agayn Euandre wher Turnus then was slayn Eneas did that dede and that derayn With mighty strokes courage and cheualrous He wanne the felde in batell fortunous Betwene Euandre so and the kyng Latene The peace he made reste and concordaunce And kyng Latens his doughter that hight Labyne Wedded to his wyfe by veray good accordaunce Betwene theim forth was no more discordaunce And Eneas kyng was made of Tuskayne Of whiche the kynge Euandre was full fayne ¶ Sone after then dyed the kyng Latene Whose realme Eneas had also in peace In which he made a castell fayre and fyne Labynyon it hyght wythout leace His wyues name to worshyppe and encreace Of whome he gatte a soonne and dyed afore That he was brought into this worlde and bore ¶ This worthy prince kyng Eneas mortally Ended his lyfe that was of hye prowesse Where so God wyll to reigne eternally Within the house of fame where as I gesse 〈…〉 er knightes fell of noble worthynesse That more desyred in armes to haue a fame â—hen be the best in dede and beare no name The .x. Chapiter ¶ Of the house of fame where knightes be rewarded after the merites in armes by Mars the God of armes some translate wich kyrcheues of pleasaunce some with rynges and onches their sepulture in the felde of pitee by heuen gates that haue be veraye louers of theyr louers ladyes and neuer panyneles but aye graceles BUt than hys soonne Siluius Postumus Newe borne so young and tendre of age Kyng of this lande was made Astanius His brother dere that ruled his heritage And peaceably kepte out of all seruage Twenty wynter and eyght full mannely And gatte a soonne that called was Syluy ¶ Whiche Siluius gatte and generate His soonne Brutus on Crensa labius nece All priuelie by hym de virginate And sore besought by his subtilitees And sumwhat of hir womanly petees That tendred hym of god femynete As womanhod would of all humilitee ¶ Soo after sone the fate of death would soo That passe away muste nede Ascanius He gaue his brother Siluius posthumus tho His heritage and riches plentuous But Brutus waxed echedaye full beauteous And in mannehod well more in all vertue Was none hym like in no place that meÌ„ne knewe ¶ Of .xv. yere when he was commen to age At huntyng as he shotte at a dere He sleugh his father vnto his greate damage And at his birth as saieth the chronicler His mother dyed as wrytten is full clere Anone after as he was of hir bore For whiche .ii. causes his herte was wonder sore ¶ Seyng Iuly this fals fortunite The soroes greate in hym so multiplied That there for shame of his fortunite In no wyse would he no lenger dwell ne byde But into Grece his sorowes for to hide He went anone where exiles wer of troye Whose sorowes great he leched all with ioye ¶ Sir Helenus was Priamus sonne of Troye And Anchises an olde worthy knight And .vi. M. that of hym had great ioye Of gentilmen of Troye exiled forth right That hym besought with instauÌ„ce day and night To helpe theim out of their great heped sorowe In whiche they lay oppressed euen and morowe ¶ For whiche he wrote his letter in that tide To kyng Pandras that kyng was of that lande
promysed hym ayde vpon the truste wherof he beganne to make redye his shippes that they might with all expedicion bee redy to sayle that no tyme should be loste In the whiche tyme kyng Richard was agayn retourned to London had taken dyuerse of theim that wer of this conspyracy that is to say George Browne Roger Clyfforde Thomas Selenger knyghtes Also Thomas Ramme Robert Clyfford and dyuerse other whom he caused to be put to death After this he called a parliament wherin was deereed that all those that were fled oute of the lande should be reputed and taken as enemyes to the realme and all their landes and goodes to bee forfayte and confiscate And not content with that preade which was no smal thyng he caused also a great taxe and some of monye to be leuyed of the people For the large giftes and lyberalytee that he first vsed to buye the fauoures frendshippes of many had now brought him in nede But nothing was more like then that Thomas Stanley shoulde haue bene reputed takeÌ„ for one of those enemies because of the woorkyng of Margarete his wife which was mother vnto Henry erle of RichemouÌ„t the which was noted for the chiefe hed worker of this coÌ„spyracy But for asmuch as it was thought that it was to small purpose that wemen coulde dooe Thomas beynge nothyng fauty was delyâ—ed and coÌ„mauÌ„ded that he should not suffre Margarete his wyfe to haue any seruauÌ„tes about her neither that she should not go abroad but be shut vp and that from thence foorth she should sende no message neyther to her soonne nor to any of her other frendes wherby any hurte mighte be wrought agaynst the kyng the whiche commaundemeÌ„t was accomplyshed And by the authoryte of the same perliament a peace was concluded with the Scottes whiche a lytle before had skyrmyshed with the borderers Which thyng brought to passe the kyng supposed all conspiracye to bee clene auoyded for asmuche as the duke with other of his compaignie were put to death and also certen other bannyshed Yet for all this kyng Richard was daylye vexed and troubled partelye mystrustynge his owne strength and partely fearyng the commyng of Henrye with his compaignye so that he lyued but in a myserable case And because that he would not so continue any lenger he determyned with hym selfe to put awaye the cause of this his feare and busynesse either by pollecye or elles by strength And after that he hadde thus purposed with hym selfe he thought nothyng better then to tempte the duke of Britayn yet once again eyther with money prayer or some other speciall rewarde because that he had in kepyng the erle Henry moste chiefly because he knewe that it was only he that might delyuer hym from all his trouble by delyueryng or imprisoning the sayed Henry Wherfore incontmentlye he sente vnto the duke certein Ambassadoures the whiche should promesse vnto hym besyde other greate rewardes that they broughte with theim to geue hym yerely all the reuenues of all the landes of Henry and of all the other lordes there beyng with hym yf he woulde after the receyte of the ambassadoures put theim in prysone The Ambassadoures beynge departed and come where the duke laye could not haue communicacion with hym for asmuch as by extreme sicknesse his wyttes were feble and weake Wherfore one Peter Landose his Treasourer a manne bothe of pregnaunte wytte and of greate authoritee tooke this matter in hand For whiche cause he was afterwarde hated of all the lordes of Britain With this Peter the Englishe ambassadoures had communicacion declaring to hym the kynges message desyred hym instantlye for asmuche as they knewe that he might bring theyr purpose to passe that he woulde graunt vnto kyng Richardes request and he shoulde haue the yerely reuenues of all the landes of the sayed lordes Peter considering that he was greatly hated of the lordes of his owne nacion thoughte that yf he myght bring to passe thoroughe kyng Richarde to haue all these greate possessyons and yerely reuenues he should then bee hable to matche with theim well ynough and not to care a rushe for theim whereupon he aunswered the ambassadoures that he would doo that Richard dyd desire yf he brake not promesse with hym And this did he not for any hatred that he bare vnto Henry for he hated hym not for not longe before he saued his lyfe where the earle Henry was in greate â—eoperdye But suche was the good fortune of Englande that this craftye compacte tooke no place for whyle the letters and messengers ranne betwene Peter and kyng Kichard Iohn Bishoppe of Ely beinge then in Flaundres was certifyed by a preest whiche came oute of England whose name was Christopher Vrswicke of all the whole circumstaunce of this deuyce purpose Wherupon with all spede the sayed byshop caused the saied preest the same daye to cary know ledge therof into Britayn to Henry erle of Richemounte willing hym with all the other noble men to dyspatche theim selues with all possible haste into Fraunce Henry was then in Veneti wheÌ„ he heard of this fraud without tariaunce sent Christopher vnto Charles the Frenche kyng desiring lycence that Henry with the other noble men myght safely come into Fraunce the which thing being sone obteigned the messenger retourned with spede to his lorde and Prince Then the earle Henry setting all his businesse in as good staye ordre as he mighte talked lytle and made fewe a counsail herof for the more expedicyon hereof he caused therle of Penbrucke secretly to cause all the noble men to take their horses dissembling to ride vnto the duke of Bretain but when they came to the vttermost partes therof they should forsake the waye that led theim toward the duke and to make into Fraunce with all that euer they might Then they dooing in euery thing as they were biddeÌ„ loste no tyme but so sped theim that shortely they obteygned and gate into the couÌ„tie of Angeou Henry then within .ii. dayes folowyng being then styll at Veneti tooke .iiii. or fyue of his seruauntes with hym and feigned as thoughe he woulde haue ryden therby to visyte a frende of his and forasmuche as there were many Englishmenne lefte there in the toune no manne suspected any thynge but after that he had kepte the ryghte waye for the space of fyue myles he forsooke that and turned streyghte into a woode that was thereby and tooke vpon hym his seruauntes apparell and putte his apparell vpon hys seruaunte and so tooke but one of theym with hym on whome he waited as thoughe he had bene the seruaunte and the other the maister And with all conuenyente and spedy haste so sette forthe on theyr iourney that no tyme was loste and made no more tariaunce by the way then onelye the baitynge of theyr horses so that shortly he recouered the coastes of Angeou where all his other companye was But within foure dayes after that the Earle was thus escaped
fewe and thesame tyme came Ihon ap Morgā vnto hym Henry went styll forward caried almoste in no place because he would make suer woorke and the better spede he inuaded suche places afore that thei were armed against hym the whiche places he bette downe with very litle strēgth But afterward hauyng knowlage by his spyes the the lorde Harbert syr Ryce were in a redynes to geue hym battail he determyned to set vpō theim either to put theim to flight orels to make theim sweare homage and feaultee vnto hym to take theim with hym in his hoste against kyng Richard And because he woulde ascertayne his frendes in Englande howe all the matter went forwad with hym he sent of his moost trustye frendes to ladye Margarete his mother to Standely to Talbot and to other of his most especial frendes with certain commaundementes The effecte of the commaundementes were that he intended with the helpe of hys frendes to passe ouer Seuerne and by Shrewesbury to make toward London Ther fore he desyred theim with those that were of their councell in tyme place conuenient to mete hym So the messaungers going forth with these commissyons Henry went forward toward Shrewesbury and in the waye mette with syr Rice ap Thomas with a great noumber of menne which came vnto hym and was of his parte For two dayes afore Henry promysed hym to bee chiefe ruler of all Wales as soone as he came to the croune yf he would come vnto hym which afterward he gaue to hym in dede In the meane time the messengers executing the message diligētly returned back agayne with large rewardes of theim to whome they were sent and came to Henry the same day he entred into Shrewesburye and shewed howe all his frendes were in a redynesse to dooe the vttermoste that laye in theim This tidynges put Henry in suche greate hope that he went forth with a courage and came to the towne of Newporte and there set vp his tentes vpon a lytle hyll and there laye all night That night came to hym syr Gylberte Talbot with aboue two hundreth menne After that they went forthe to Stafforde whyle they were there Willyam Standley came to hym with a fewe after hym and when he had talked a litle with him retourned backe again to his hoste whiche he had prepared From thence he went to Lichfelde and that nyght laye without the toune but in the morning betime he entred into the citee and was receiued honourably A daye or .ii. afore Thomas Standley was there with fyue M. men armed whiche when he knewe of Henries cōming forthwith went afore to a village called Aderstone there to tarye tyll Henrye came This he dyd to auoide suspicion beyng afraid least kyng Richard knowing his intent would haue put his soonne to deathe whiche as I telled you before was lefte with hym as a pledge for his father But kynge Rychard in the meane tyme which then was at Nottingham hearing that Henry with a fewe more of banished men was entred into Wales so lightly regarded the matter that he thoughte it was not muche to bee paste vpon for that he came in with so fewe in noumbre and that the lorde Harbart sir Rice which wer rulers of all Wales would other kyll hym or elles take hym and bring hym aliue But afterward when he remembred him self that oftentimes a smal matter in batel if it bee not looked vnto betymes would make at the laste a great sturre he thought it best to remedy the matter betimes and commaunded Henrye the earle of Northumberlande with other of the nobles of the realme whome he thoughte had set more by hym then by their owne goodes to rayse vp an army to come to hym with speede Also he sente dyuers messengers with letters to Robert Brakenburye keper of the Towre of London commaundynge hym to come vnto hym in all haste and to brynge with hym as felowes in battell Thomas Burschere Walter Hungerforde and dyuerse other knyghtes whome he dyd not a litell suspecte In this tyme it was shewed that Henrye was come to Shrewisburye without any hurte With the which tidinges the kyng beganne to rage and made exclamacion againste theim that contrary to their faithes they had vtterly deceiued hym then he beganne to mistrust all menne and wiste not whome he mighte truste so that he thoughte it best to sette forthe hym selfe ageinst his aduersaryes And forthwith he sent out spies to knowe which waye Henry did take They when they had dooen their diligence retourned backe again and shewed hym howe that Henry was come to Lichfeld The which thing after he knew because now there was a greate noumbre of souldyours come together by and by his menne set in araye he commaunded theim forwarde and to gooe foure and foure together and by that waye which they kept they hearde saye their enemies were commynge The suspecte persones he putte in the myddes he hym selfe with those he trusted came behind with winges of horsemen running on euery syde And thus keping their order aboute sonne sette came vnto Leicestre When Henrye in the meane season had remoued from Lichefelde vnto the nexte village called Tamworth in the mydwaye he mette with Walter Hungerforde Thomas Burschier and many other more which had promised to aide hym afore And forbecause they perceyued that they were susspected of Richard least they should be brought violentlye vnto hym beyng their enemye they forsooke Robert Brakenbury their capitaine and in the nyghte tyme stale priuely awaye and wente to Henry Vnto whome there chaunced by the waye that was worthy to bee marked whiche was that Henry althoughe he was a manne of noble courage and also his companye dyd dailye encrease yet for all that he stoode in great feare because he was vncertayne of Thomas Standly whiche as I telled you before for the feare of puttynge his soonne to deathe inclyned as yet vnto no parte that the matter was not so slēder of kyng Richard as reporte was made to hym of his frendes Wherfore as all afrayde withoute a cause he tooke onely twenty menne with him and steyed in his iourney as a manne in dispaire and halfe musynge with hym selfe what was beste to bee dooen and to aggrauate the matter tidinges was broughte hym that kyng Richard was comming nere to mete hym with a great and houge hoste of menne And while he thus lyngered for feare behinde his hoste came afore to the toune of Tham worth and because it was then darke night he lost bothe his company and also his waye then wandryng frome place to place at laste came to a lytle village .iii. myle from his hoste being full of feare and leste he should fall into the daunger of scoute watche he durste not aske a questyon of any man and partly for the feare that was presente partely for that was to come he laye there that nyght and tooke this for a sygne or a pronosticacyon of
kynges thesame his neighbours he thanked Fernand his wife Elizabeth for the they caused this peace to bee made betwixte hym and the Scottes and rewarded the Ambassadoure moste worthely after a princely maner And the tyme that this vnitee and concorde was made it was the yere of oure Lorde a thousande foure hundreth foure score and eighten and the .xii. yere of kyng Henry his reigne And the kynge of Scottes kepte his promesse well ynoughe For when he perceiued manifestly that he was deluded he called vnto hym Perkin Warbeck and first declared his benefites pleasures that he had dooen vnto hym and then counsailed hym to gette hym vnto some place where he mighte byde in safegarde and come againe another time when he shoulde haue more oportunitee But neuer after to looke for any helpe at his haÌ„d partely because he had made peace with the kyng of Englande and partely because he sawe that no Englishemen came to take his parte wherfore he desired hym not to bee misgreued that he did thus leaue hym also counsailed hym to goo into some other place or regyon wherfore this Perkin was veraye sorye as the kyng had counsailed hym departed thence with his wife and went into Ireland determining with hym selfe if he might haue no helpe of the menne of Cornewale to retourne thence as faste as myghte bee home to his greate mailres aunte Margaret into Flaundres But he was no soner come thither then he heard by diuers messengers that they of Cornewale were as ready to fyght against kyng Henry as euer they wer before of hoope of the whiche he went streyght in to Cornewall there dyd sturre vp their heartes with gyftes and promyses that all immediatelye called him their capitain saied that thei woulde folow hym and in all thinges obey promptly hys commaundementes TheÌ„ was PerkeÌ„ in as good hoope as euer he was and because he would do nothynge rashelye and withoute aduisemente he purposed fyrste to ouercome citees and all wel defeÌ„ded places that lay in his way and so to get as many as he coulde to folowe hym and to take his part and incontinently to buckle with the kynges host WheÌ„ he had thus deliberate he weÌ„t streight to Exeter which was the next citee that he coulde come vnto and besieged it and because he had no gunnes to breake downe the walles he laboured all that myght bee to breake the gates but when he saw that thei could not easely be betten downe with any thyng streight with he set fyre on theim Whereof the citezins were veray sore afraied and priuely in the night let downe diuerse ouer the walles with ropes to go certifie the kyng of their trouble and in the meane tyme wheÌ„ thei saw that their enemies had almost breÌ„t vp the gates of the one side tooke great blockes and set them on fyre on the other side for none other cause but that aswell their enemyes therby might be excluded as thei them selfes included And thei not trusting to this only made also wtin great ditches other thiÌ„ges to defend theÌ„ from the inuasioÌ„ of the rebelles When PerkeÌ„ saw this he got ladders and would by that meanes haue come into the citee but they came not so sone vp but thei were beate downe again and by this meanes many were there slayne þet would he not thence depart but trusted surely at the laste that thei should be glad to yelde theim selfes al that wer within for lack of viandrie But as sone as the kyng hearde of this he hasted with his hoost toward Exeter as faste as was possible and sente dyuerse souldiours beefore to certifie all menne of his commyng and preparaunce for at that tyme there was set forth to helpe theym of Exeter Thomas Trencherd William Corteney Walter Cortney Edmond Carre Ihon Halemel Peter Eggecomb Thomas Fulford IhoÌ„ Crook William Saintmaur with a great host whose capitain was Edward Corteny erle of Denshire his sonne William whiche was a young man of mooste noble courage whiche thyng when Peter heard tell of he left besiegyng of Exeter and went to the nexte towne whiche is called TauÌ„tun there vieued his hoost and set it in aray redye to fyght howbeit he had but lytle affiaunce in the same because many of his souldiours were so slenderly harneissed and no better skylled in warre When the kyng sawe he was gone to TauÌ„tun he hasted thither after him with all spede Thether came also Edward the duke of Buckingham a young maÌ„ veray valiaunt and of lustie courage and hym folowed a greate compaignye of noble men as Giles Brigge Alexander BrayhaÌ„ Moryshe Barkeley Robert Tame Ihon Sapcot Ihon WadhaÌ„ Hugh Lutrel and Nycholas hys sonne William Sâ—orton Thomas Lynde Ihon Semar Wylliam Norris Thomas Blunt Ihon Guyse Roberte poynte Harry Vernon Ihon Mortimer Ihon Speke Rychard BeaucaÌ„p Fraunces Chenie Roger Tokete Roger Wenburg Henry Roger Edwarde Darell Ihon Langforde Richard Lacon Thomas Tremaile Edwarde Sutton Amis Paulet Ihon Byknell Wyllyam Sayntemaur Thomas Longe Nycholas Latimer Ihon Turbaruyll Wylliam Martyne Walter Hungorforde Moryshe Barons Rycharde Corbet Thomas Cornuall and many other besydes these But the king when he came nygh to the towne sente before to begynne battayle Roberte Broke Lorde Rycharde Thomas and Giles Dabeney with a great and stronge hoost to the entent that he hym selfe with his souldiours myght set vpon them behynd But this deuise and purpose of the kyng was al superfluous For Perkin so sone as he espyed that the kyng was redie to fight fledde priuely in the nyght into a sanctuary at Bellylo abbey and there lurked But whether this PerkeÌ„ so dyd for feare least his men should forsake hym or for the timeditie of hym selfe it is as much vncertayne as it is probable and sure that the kyng tooke by hys flyght greate commoditee For the Corneshe menne were surelye purposed eyther to wynne and ouercome theyr enemies or elles not one of theim to haue lyued anye daye lenger When kynge Henrye knewe that Perkin was gone he sente after hym many horse menne that yf it myghte bee they shoulde ouertake hym in hys iourney and brynge hym backe But Perkyn Warbecke made suche spede that he was not seene before he came into the Sanctuarie but his petie capitaines coulde not scape so clene For of theim the moost part were ta ken and brought backe againe to the kyng The residue of the souldiours when thei vnderstode the Perkyn their chief capitain was fled and the other taken gaue vp theim selfes by and by to the king without any more busines and of hym most gently wer forgeuen When all was dooen the kynge went again to Ereter and there both gaue great thankes to such as wer worthy and punished the authoures and sturrers vp of this insurrection moost straitlye And in the meane tyme many of the souldiours road to s Mighels mounte there as chaunce was found Katherin Perking wife and brought her streight like a bond
their great damage It dooeth as me semeth ryght well appere That when pleaseth our king to send you thether Your house in hys ryght is appoynted by God To bee to the Scottes a sharpe scourge and rod Wherfore thys chronycle of Ihon Hardyng I haue thought good to dedycate to your grace Because the same in euery maner of thyng Doothe best set out the nature of that place With distaunce of tounes and euery myles space Besechyng your grace to take in good parte Myne honest labours and beneuolent harte The preface into the Chronycle of Iohn Hardyng EMonges all wryters that haue put in vre Their penne and style thynges to endite None haue behynd theim left so greate treasure Ne to their posteritee haue dooen suche delite As thei whiche haue taken peines to write Chronycles and actes of eche nacion And haue of thesame made true relacion ¶ By Chronycles we knowe thynges auncient The succession of tymes and menne The state of policies with their regiment Howe long eche partie hath ruled and when And what were all their procedynges then Chronicles make reporte of matiers dooen And passed many thousand yeres gooen ¶ By Chronycles we knowe in eche countree What men haue been of prowesse marciall What persones chiefly in actiuitee When and betwene whom warres haue befall Either ciuile or els externall Howe thesame haue been conueighed wrought Or els appeaced and to quiete brought ¶ Chronicles dooe recorde and testifye Euen from the worldes first beginninges And dooe kepe in continuall memorie The course and processe of all maner thinges The liues and maners of princes and kynges Aswell Gentiles as Iudaicall Aswell Iuste and godly as tyrannicall ¶ What persones to their prince and countree Haue been louing true and obedient And at all times of necessitee Haue serued thesame with good entent And constauntly therin haue their liues spent In Chronicles are regestred feithfully To their immortall honoure and glorye ¶ Contrarye wise who to their souerains Or to their countrees haue been wicked traitours Or by collusion and crafty traines Haue rebelled against their gouernours Or the same to helpe haue been slacke proctours Are sembleably sette out by name To their endelesse infamy reproche and shame ¶ These thinges and others a thousande mo Wherby realmes haue decaied or growen Chaunged in processe and altered to and fro Fruitefull and expedient to bee knowen Are in Chronicles so plainly shewen That thinges antique to vs bee as apparent As yf at their doinges we had been present ¶ Wherfore Goddes worde and holy scripture Whiche abandoneth all maner vanitee Yet of Chronicles admitteth the lecture As a thing of greate fruite and vtilitee And as a lanterne to the posteritee For example what they ought to knowe What waies to refuse and what to folowe ¶ The bible bookes of Iudges and kynges Althoughe moste full of high diuine misterie And farre surmounting all Ethnike dooynges Yet yf they bee read and take literally Hath the fourme and course of a plain historie What kynges serued God and who trangressed Whiche thereby prospered or wer oppressed ¶ The bookes of the kynges euery where Yf thinges seme touched ouer briefly To a larger storye dooeth vs referre Whiche were Chronicles of eche manne truely Sette out at length to our memorie Albeit those Chronicles as it is euident Are loste and dooe not remain at this present ¶ The bookes inscribed Paralipomena A perfecte membre and piece of the bible Is a summarye of the kynges of Iuda And therfore in Hebrue it hath the title And appellacion of a Chronicle The Machabees also by my deming Is a plaine historye of holy writing ¶ Whiche bookes if they had neuer been set out It had been a greate maime to our knowlage A lamentable lacke with outen doubte A greate cause of blindnesse to our age And to our faith inestimable damage But the spirite of God the authour was That those examples might bee our glasse ¶ Chronicles therfore of true reporte Whether of Christian realmes or no Are matier of pleasaunce fruite and comforte And for a thousande causes and mo Diligently to bee attended vnto Yea and all maner writers of the same Worthie laude thanke honoure immortal fame ¶ Neither is any one to bee reiected That in this behalfe hath dooen his endeuoure For though some bee such as might bee corrected Yet those that haue therein bestowed laboure Haue minded to profyte vs to their power Neither any is so full but somwhere dooeth faile Nor any so bare but dooeth somthing auaile ¶ And what an exceding benefite trowe ye Is it for eche manne to haue cognicion Of all actes bothe of his owne countree And also of euery forein nacion As yf he had liued when eche thing was dooen And to view the actes of antiquitee As though he did nowe presentlye theim see ¶ Chroniclers therfore I can highly cōmende And emonge others this authour Ihon Harding Who with all his power to this point did contēd To the vttermost extent of his learning That Englishe men might haue vnderstanding Of all affaires touching theirowne countree Euen to his dayes from olde antiquites ¶ And though his cōning were not so muche As some others nor his intelligence Yet his good minde entent and zele was suche That in hym lacked no pointe of diligence After suche bookes as he thought of credence Feithfully to describe suche thinges in rime As happened to Englande from tyme to tyme ¶ But in thinges dooen before his owne dayes He foloweth his authours at auenture Without choice or difference of the true wayes Nor well assured who were corrupte or pure Nor whether they were certaine orelles vnsure Whether fabulous or menne of veritee Whether vaine or of good authoritee ¶ But what soeuer in his owne time was dooen That he reporteth with all fidelitee Right so as eche thing ended or begonne Withoute any spotte of insynceritee Or dissimulation of the veritee He founde all meanes the veray trueth to know And what he knewe certainly that did he shewe ¶ From the beginning of Henry the fourth kyng Of this realme of Englande after the conquest Euen to Edwarde the fourthes reigning Whiche was thre score yeres and one at the leste He leaueth nothing vnwriten at the largest That was or semed to bee of importaunce Touchyng peace and warre wyth Scotlande or Fraunce ¶ Vnto the Scottes he coulde neuer bee frende Because he sawe theim towardes England False from the begynnyng to the last ende Neuer standyng to anye league ne bande Homage fealtee ne wryting of theyr hande Neuer so readie to make rebellyon As when thei promised moost subiection ¶ That if Ihon Hardyng bee a trew man And in this behalfe inspyred with prophecie Thei wyll neuer bee but as thei were than Falle to England suttle and craftie Entendyng myschiefe when thei shewe contrary Spoylers and robbers that amende wyll neuer Tyll our kyng shall haue made theim Englyshe for euer ¶ Neither is there anye that euer wrote Which
capitayn had to name By whome it was so bigged and supporte That out of Spayn wer exiled and thither came And some sayth that Hiberus of great fame There duke was than and there gouernour That of Spayne afore had been the floure ¶ This king Gurgwyn his surname was Batrê° Came home agayn after the voyage sore All forbeten so was he corageus That from his corps his ghoste departed thore Reigned that had .xxx. yere afore In Carlion after his high degre Was buried so with full greate royaltee The .xxxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe Guytelyn kyng of Britayne wedded Marcian to wife that Mercian lawes made by her great wisedome GVytelyn his sonne gan reigne as heyre Of all Brytayn aboute vnto the sea Who wedded was to Marcyan full fayre That was so wyse in her femynitee That lawes made of her syngularytee That called wer the lawes Marcyane In Britayne tongue of her owne witte alane ¶ This Guytelyn was good of his estate Full iuste he was in all his iudgement Wise and manly of porte erly and late Right meke and good euer in his entente Although of state he was right excellent With eche poore man that came to his presence Through whiche he waxed of moste hie sapience ¶ When he had reigned ful peacebly .x. yere He lefte the realme to his sonne and heire And to his wife to be his counceller For his sonne then was .vii. yere olde full fayre Whom at her death she sent for all repayre Of Barons all their she delyuered hym To kepe in payne of losse life and lymme ¶ Sicilius his sonne reygned .xxiiii. yere And crowned was and dyed in iuuentude That gouerned wel the realme full well and clere At Karlyon buryed after consuetude As kynges afore in all simylitude With all repayre of all his Baronage As well accorded vnto his hye parage ¶ Rymar his sonne the barons dyd crowne With honoure suche as fell to his degree Who twenty yere and one so bare the crowne And kepte lawe and all tranquilytee And peteous was euer as a king shulde be In ryghtwesnesse accordyng with his lawe Hauyng pytee and mercy where hym sawe ¶ Danius kyng his brother dyd succede Duryng .x. yere in warre and greate payne Withouten reste he was alwaye in dede The lawe vnkepte was cause there of certayne As myne authour it lyste nothyng to layne I wyll it nowe wryte and in this boke expresse That men may knowe his foly and lewdenesse The .xxxvi. Chapiter ¶ Howe Moruile kyng of Britaine was slayne by his owne immoderate Ire withoute knowledge of eny man with a fysshe bestyall of the sea MOruyle his sonne a baste goten and bore On Tangusta his specyall paramour Was crowned then after faught full sore with the kyng of Morians as a conqueroure Where he hym kylled and had the felde that houre And lefte no man on lyue and brente theim all His Ire exceded his wytte and gouernall ¶ Sone after then came fro the yrishe sea A bestyous fyshe a monstre sume dyd it call Wherof afrayde was all the comontye For it deuoured the folke both great and smalle Wherfore the kyng his yre myght not apall Ne cesse afore he foughten with it had All sodaynly alone as a man ryght mad ¶ Where both were dead or any man it knewe His yre full fell was and vntemperate His discrecyon out of his brayne flewe But he coulde not by reason ordynate Proroge his wyll ne yre inordynate By other meanes with people multytude It to haue slayne by wytte and fortytude ¶ He reigned had that tyme but seuentene yere When he thus dyed and fondly dyd expire Vnsemingly of any prynce to heare That he with suche a monstre shoulde desyre To fyghte alone so preuely of yre But sonnes he had full fayre then fyue Of manly men also substantyfe ¶ Gorbonian his eldest sonne of fyue Was after kyng and helde the maieste Ryghtwesse and trewe to euery creature In peace his realme and all tranquillyte And to his people he helde all equyte Tyllers of lande with golde he dyd comforte And soudiours all with goodes he dyd supporte ¶ Arthegall his brother signed with Diadene The kyng was then with all solempnytee By natyfe byrth nexte brother as men deme Who good men hated of his iniquyte Oppressyng them by greate subtylyte And all fals folke with ryches dyd auaunce His Barons all deposed hym for that chaunce The .xxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe this kyng was crowned in defaute of his elder brother and after of pure pytee crowned his brother agayne CLydoure then the thirde brother generate Was kyne create by all successyon And bare the crowne with all royal estate By lordes wyll and there concessyon That ruled well withoute oppressyon When he had reigned so fully fyue yere Arthegall he founde that was his brother dere ¶ As he was gone on huntyng for his disporte In the forest and woode of collatre That sought had frendes and found had no comforte But heuy was and of full simple chere Whome Eledoure toke in his armes clere And brought hym to his cytee of Alclude That then was of great myght and fortytude ¶ In Albany then was it the greatest citee tho Besyde the woode that tyme of collatre Where his Barons and many other moo At his biddyng were come and presente there Whome syngulerly he made them for to swere Vnto Arthegall his brother to be trewe So purposed he to crowne hym all newe ¶ And then anon in haste so forth they rode To Ebranke and helde then his parlyament Where of good loue and tender brotherhod The crowne he set with very trewe entente On Arthegalles hede thought it was wel spent By hole decree and iudgement of his mouth And made hym kyng agayne by north and south ¶ Arthegall kyng crowned so all newe agayne Full well his lordes after dyd loue all perlees Forsoke all vyces and tooke to vertue playne And set his lande and people in all kyne and ease Reigning .x. yere he fell in greate disease In maladye of dyuerse great syckenesse Dead and buried at Carleyle as Igesse The .xxxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Eledoure was that seconde tyme crowned king of Britayne for his good rule THe Briteines all crowned Eledoure That reygned after .xiii. yere in dignytee So well theim payde to haue hym gouernoure For his goodnesse and his benignyte And for he was so full of all pytee That in all thynge mercy he dyd preserue Well better euer then men coulde it deserue ¶ Iugen with force and eke syr Peredoure His brethren two on hym rose traytorously Deposed hym oute of his hye honoure And prisoned hym full sore and wrongfullye All in the towre of Troynouaunt for thy And parted the realme betwixte theim two Together reignyng .vii. yere and no mo ¶ Paredour then had all the lande full clere And crouned was reignyng after worthely His lawe and peace kepyng full well foure yere And dyed then and to
thought it sufficience ¶ But wheÌ„ this kyng had reygned in coteÌ„placioÌ„ Fyftie and .iiii. yere in all prosperitee He departed to God desyryng his saluacion In heauen to dwell with all felycytee Where the Aungelles synge incessauntely Glory honoure and euerlastyng prayse Be to the lambe of God nowe and alwayes ¶ At Cairglowe buried after his dignitee For whom all men made great lamentacion Who bare before the baptyme of propertee His Auncestres armes and after with consolacioÌ„ He bare the armes by his baptizacion Whiche Ioseph gaue vnto Aruigarus As the Briton saith that hight Mewynus ¶ For cause he had none heire to kepe the lande Through all Britayn the barons gan discorde Vnto the tyme that Romayns toke on hande To chese a prince by there stedfaste accorde But .iiii. yere wer gone or then they could accorde In whiche tyme then Seuer the senatour Hether came to be theyr gouernoure The .lii. Chapiter ¶ Howe that ther was Britons warre .iiii. yere after the death of Lucius SEuerus thus the worthy senatour DesceÌ„ded downe right heire to Androgeê° The eldest soonne of Lud that with the Emperoure Out of Britayn that went with Iulius Whiche Senatoure afore sayd Seuerus To Britayn came and was intromizate And with a crowne of golde was coronate ¶ He brought with hym froÌ„ Rome two legion With whom great part of Britons helde ful sore And other parte of the northren Britons With Fulgen stode was kyng of Scotlande bore Gathered great people euer more and more With whom that Pightes fugitiues .viii. esenable Destroyed the lande by warre full violable The .liij. Chapter ¶ Howe Seuer made a dike with a wall on it of turues and soddes to kepe the Pightes and the Scottes from the Britons ouertwharte the land froÌ„ the east sea vnto that west sea BVt kyng Seuer hym droue with batayl sore Farre north vnto the Scottishe sea wher thei abode dwelled forth euermore Betwene the Scottishe sea and twede no lee But some bookes sayen to Tyne in certayn And so is like for Seuer there did make A dike and wall for the Scottes Pightes sake ¶ From Tymnouth to Alclud his fayre citee With turues soddes wer theim to againstand Where the water myght not the Enemytee Kepe of warre from his trewe Britayn lande By fyfty myles accompted I vnderstande To the weste sea that was of greate Brytayn This wal with dikes pightes Scottes did refrein ¶ But kyng FulgeÌ„ of Pightes Scottes again With hoste full great sieged Ebranke citee Whiche Seuer rescowed and was slayn And Fulgen also for beten there did dye Receaued his guerdon for his tyrannye At Ebranke the kyng Seuer was buried With victorie and honours glorified ¶ Getan his sonne a Romayne generate The Romaynes then hastely did crowne And Britons bloodde together congregate By hole assente and playne eleccion Bassyan chase without collucion For borne he was of the feminytee Of Britayn bloodde and consanguitee ¶ This Bassian with Getan then did fight In great batayll wher Getan so was slayn To Bassian so discended all the right Of whiche the Brytons all were full fayn Within .iiii. wekes was all this done full playn But Bassian then his brother buried And Romayns all on hepes mortifyed Bassian then was crouned kyng of Brytayn Full well he helde the realme .vii. yere in peace To tyme Caranse confedered hym agayn With Scottes Pightes vpoÌ„ hym gon encrease All fugitiues outlawes to hym came prease For long he had a robber been by the sea And richer was then any kyng myght bee By his manhode set all on roberye Of lowe bloodde came rysen by insolence To soudyours he gaue wages full greatly For to betraye the kyng by diligence He to the kyng so made by violence Whiche promyse kepte he slewe the kyng anonâ— In place wher as thei wer with hym alone The .liiii. Chapiter ¶ Carense kyng of Britayne reigned .iiii. yere by treason borne of lowe bloodde and rose vp of robery by the sea THrough treason of Carense Scottes the Pightes Assented so by fals coÌ„federacioÌ„ Through his giftes his subtyll slightes Betwene theim wrought in councell priuatly This false Carense so gatte the monarchie Of all Britayn within the sea aboute Foure yere he reigned of porte that was ful stoute ¶ The Barons were so with gold englaymed By this Carense and by his language swete Semyng like truth in maner as he proclaymed As nothyng is more redy for to mete Then coueteous and falshode as men lete So wer they all with his giftes enfecte The kynge was slayne and he was electe ¶ But wheÌ„ to Rome was knowne that false disceyt Of this Caranse and his wronge intrucion The Senate sent a letter by theyr conceyte Hym to distroye by dewe execucion Who for his faute gaue hym absolucion In batell stronge slewe hym and had the felde And Scottes all and pyeghtes that with hym helde The .lv. Chapiter ¶ The wordes of the maker of this booke vnto my Lorde of yorke touchynge gouernaunce of this lande by example of this kyng Caranse through robbery refen of poore bloude to royall estate O Worthy lorde and duke of Yorke that been Consyder well this case full lamentable The righwes kig wel gouerned as it was sene Thus murdred was of him that was vnhable And set hym selfe in trone moste honourable Of all Britayne yet came he vp of nought And of lowe bloude and it were wysely sought ¶ Good lorde when ye be set well vnder crowne With treytours and misruled ryatours Dispence right so with all suche absolucyon And lette hym seke no other correctours But maynteyne theim your lawes gouernours And ouer all thyng be ye the chefe Iustyce To kepe the peace that no false you suppryse The .lvi. Chapiter ALlecto then crowned and made kyng Of all Britayne reigning fully yeres thre And well he ruled in all maner werkyng By power of the Romans greate postee That brought with him from Rome legions thre But Britayns then dyd set a parlyament And chase a kyng by theyr hole assent ¶ Asclipiade that was duke of Cornewayle Who with Brytons to troynouaunt came Whylest Romans were by theyr hole gouernalle At sacrifyce of their goddes faynte and lame Agaynste whome Alecto of greate fame Full mightly then faught tyll he was slayne But Gallus drewe all Romans in agayne And kepte the wallys for whiche Asclepiadote The seege aboute the cytee strongly layde In which meane while BritoÌ„s brake in god wote And slewe Gallus and Romains sore affrayde All out of araye and sore dismayde Besyde a broke that walbroke men nowe call That Galbroke then was called there ouer all Of Gallus name that slayne was in that place And some sayne of walshemen afterwarde Walbroke it called for a sodaine case That then byfell vpon a daye full harde Of the Brytons that with theim so miscaryed Ouer that ylke brooke full sore harde distressed By Cornyshmen slayne downe ther oppressed The
To Guyan then who made Guytard obeye To kyng Arthure with all that euer he maye ¶ Nauerne and Spain Portyngale Aragon Prouince Sauoye and Langdok with also Flaundres Braban Henauld and Burgoyn Orliaunce Poytiers and Lectoo Cateloigue eke Almaignie and many mo Holande Selande and Gelders within fere His menne became as prince without pere ¶ At Paris then he feasted all thastates By fourty dayes were he and also the quene Were crouned then and had the lande subiectes In all honour and ryalte as was seen He feasted all the commonalte full clene The prelates whole and the vniuersite And ladies all with their feminite ¶ Nine yere he helde his throne riall in Fraunce And open hous greately magnified Through all the world of welthe and suffisaunce Was neuer prince so highly gloryfied The rounde table with princes multipled That auentures then sought cotidianly With greate honour as made is memory ¶ And when he had so ruled Fraunce neni yere To Brytain went he home then again At Cairlion his citee faire and clere At witsondaye to se his knightes faine He sette his feast royall the sooth to sayne By fourty dayes for all that there woulde been Moost for his knightes that he desired to seen ¶ At whiche feast he and the quene also Crouned were with royall diademe By Dubrice that tharchibishop was tho At Carlion as the churche did deme With all rialtie as well did beseme Tharchebishopes of London and Ebrank Came to that feast and had full muche thanke ¶ At the Enoyntyng of this moost noble kyng Tharchebishop of London the right arme Tharchbishop of Yorke by all writyng The left held vp without any harme While the people to see that sight did swarme This was their charge and verey dewe seruise Of anonxcion tyme to dooe and excersise ¶ Kyng Agurell that was of Albanye The kyng Posses of Southwalis that hight And of Northwalis Ewayn the kyng manly And duke Cader of Cornwaile by right Afore the kyng bare foure sweordes full bright Whiche was seruice of greate antiquite For their landes dewe to his souerente ¶ Afore that quene Gwaynour the queenes came Of Southwalis Northwalis and Albanye And the duches of Cornwaile of greate fame Right well bee seen of chere benyngly Eche of theim bare on her hande on hie A turteldoue that was of coloure white To please the queene so was her moste delite ¶ Syr Kay was then the duke of Aungeoy At Parys made by Arthur and create His stewarde was that had with mekell ioye A thousande knightes to serue early and late Ententyfly not feynt wery ne mate Duryng the feast clothed all in Ermyn For best araye that he could best ymagyn ¶ Sir Bedwer then at that feast was Boteler A thousande knightes with hym consociate The feast to serue of wynes good and clere Clad all in graye of pelury preordinate That was full riche accordyng to there estate Thetis goddesse of waters ther had no might For Bacchus god of wynes shed his power right ¶ Thousādes many of lordes knightes honorable Eche daye duryng the feast imperiall Afore the kyng and quene incomperable To masse and meate went in especiall A thousande ladies of estate temporall Besyde thousandes that were of lesse degree Wyues and wydowes with other virginitee The .lxxv. Chapiter ¶ A good cause to make knightes worthy and coragious and ladies and gentilwomen to lyue in great clennes THer was no knight accompted of honoure But if he wer in warre approued thrise Nor with ladies beloued as paramoure Whiche caused knightes armes to exercyse To be vertuous and clene of life and wise It comforte also ladies and theyr femynitee To lyue the more in perfite chastitee ¶ And when this feast royall was dissolued The kyng rewarded so highly eche estate And in his mynde ymagened and inuolued Howe sone and when at tyme preordinate They might agayn bee consociate And commaunded theim at the nexte Pentecost There for to bee with him both least and moste ¶ Dubricyus then archebyshop of Cairlyon Mekely ceased and hole forsoke his cure Purposyng so of good religion An heremytes lyfe thence forwarde to endure In whose steade Dauid of life full pure Was set to rule the churches dignitee To Gods pleasaunce with all libertee ¶ To Mangauero the sea Pontificall Of Chichester he gaue withouten lette Of Wynchester with the cōmoditees all To Duuyan he gaue and hym in sette To God and the churche as fell of dewe dette Thysse of alclud also Pontificall To Eledoure he graunted as might befall ¶ As then befell the feast of Whytsondaye That all his knightes of the table rounde To his presence were commen in good araye And euery knight his auenture that stounde Had tolde the kyng as his order was founde Whiche aduentures the kyng made all be writtē In his register euer to be knowen and weten The .lxxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe Galaad came to kyng Arthure and atheued that seege pereleous in the roūd table howe the saynt Graal apered at supper in that hal wherfore he made a vowe neuer to abide two nightes in one place to tyme he knewe what it was and that he might se it agayne GAlaad that tyme was .xv. yere of age The goodlyest afore that men had seen Whō Laūcelot gat in very clene spousage On Pelles doughter that kyng full longe had been Of Venedose that northwales is nowe men wene Clene armed came at meate obeyed the kyng The quene also and estates there syttyng ¶ And sate hym downe in the siege pereleous Of the table rounde where none durst sitte afore But Ioseph that was full religious That made it so ere Galaad was bore And kyng Arthure that satte therin therfore And neuer moo that it had ought presumed But they were brent therin shamed consumed ¶ Whiche Ioseph sayd afore that tyme ful long In Mewyns booke the Britayn chronicler As writen is the Britons iestes emong That Galaad the knight and virgyne clere Shuld it acheue and auentures in all fere Of the seyntgraale and of the great Briteyn And afterwarde a virgyne dye certeyne ¶ But the knightes all then of the round table Conceyued well and fully then beleued He was thesame persone incomperable Of whō Merlyn sayd euer shuld been wel cheued Moste fortunate of all knightes that then lyued For whiche they all anone to hym attende In all thynges that to knighthode appende ¶ At supper as he sate agayn at euen In thesame seege with full knightly constaunce That proued well whiche made theim al beleuen That by his rule and noble gouernaunce To all knightes he shuld do great pleasaunce In speciall to all of that order Ful greate worshyp and all knightly honoure ¶ So sodenly doores and wyndowes al clapped With hydeous noyce farre passyng meruelous Opened and sperred al by theim selfs fast rapped For whiche thei trust of some cause meruelous As with that noyse the saynt Graall precious Flowe thryse about within the hall full ofte Flytteryng ful fast
full solitarie To Constantyne duke Cader sonne on hye His neuewe was for Cader was his brother As well was knowen they had but one mother ¶ Kyng Arthure then in Aualon so died Wher he was buried in a chapell fayre Whiche nowe is made and fully edified The mynster churche this daye of great repayre Of Glastenbury where nowe he hath his leyre But then it was called the blacke chapell Of our Lady as chronycles can tell ¶ Wher Geryn erle of Charters then abode Besyde his toumbe for whole deuocion Whether Launcelot delake came as he rode Vpon the chace with trompette and clarion And Geryn tolde hym ther all vp and downe Howe Arthure was there layde in sepulture For whiche with hym to byde he hight full sure ¶ And so they abode together in contemplacion And preastes were aboute his toumbe alwaye In prayers greate and holy meditacion With heare the fleshe repressyng night and daye Three dayes eche weke at breade and water aye They fasted lyued in great sorowe and penaūce To soules helth and Goddes hye pleasaunce ¶ But whē the quene Gwaynour had perceyued Howe Mordred was fled awaye then thryse Frō Yorke then yode lest she were deceyued On fote by night with a mayden full wise To Carlion to lyue in Goddes seruice In the mynster of saynt Iuly with Nonnes In prayers whole and greate deuocions ¶ This kyng Arthure to whō none was cōdigne Through all the world so was he then perelesse His life and soule to God he dyd resigne The yere of Christ as chronicles expresse Fyue hudreth and two in sothefastnesse And fourtye also accompted hole and clere At his endyng without any were The .lxxxv. Chapiter ¶ The commendacion of Arthure after the conceipte of the maker of this booke in fewe woordes and also the compleynte and lamentacion of the sayde maker for the death of Arthure REigned he had then sixe and twenty yere Moste redoubted in erth moste famous The worthiest and wysest without pere The hardyest man and moste coragious In actes marciall moste victorious In hym was neuer a drope of cowardise Nor in his herte a poynte of couetyse ¶ There was neuer prince of giftes more liberal Of landes geuyng ne of meate so plenteous Agayn his fooen was moste imperiall And with his owne subiectes moste bounteous As a Lyon in felde was moste douteous In house a lambe of mercy euer replete And in iudgement euer eguall was and discrete ¶ O good lorde God suche treason vnrightes Why suffred thy deuyne omnipotente That of theim had precience and forsightes That myght haue lette that cursed violence Of Mordredes pryde and all his insolence That noble kyng forpassyng conqueroure So to destroye by treason and erroure ¶ Fortune false executryse of weerdes That euermore so with thy subtilitee To all debates thou strongly so enherdes That where men euer would lyue in charitee Thou doest perturbe with mutabilitee Why stretchest thou so thy whele vpon Mordred Agayne his eme to do so cruel dede ¶ Wherthrough that high noble conqueroure Without cause shuld algates peryshed bee With so many kynges and princes of honour In all the worlde might none there better bee O fals Fallas of Mordredes propertee Howe might thou so in Gwynoure haue such might That she the death caused of so many knightes ¶ O false beautie of Gwaynour predestinate What vnhappe made the false to thy lorde So good a prince and so fortunate Was neuer yet seen as all men can recorde The whiche betwene you made so greate discorde That he and all his princes wer there slayne Thy chaungeable hert to venge he was so fayne ¶ But O Mordred tofore so good a knight In greate manhode proudly aye approued In whom thyne eme the noblest prince of might Put all his trust so greately he the loued What vnhappe thy manly ghost hath moued Vnto so foule and cruell hardynesse So many to be slayn through thyn vnhappynes ¶ The highnesse of thyne honoure had a fall When thou began to do that iniurie That great falshode thy prowesse did appall As soone as in the entred periurie By consequens treason and traitourie Thy lorde and eme and also thy kyng souerayn So to betraye thy felowes eke certayne The .lxxxvi. Chapter ¶ Constantyne kynge of Britayne sonne of duke Cador of Cornewayle reygned foure yere COnstantine his brother sōne was crowned Duke Cador sōne of Cornwaile boūteous Afore had been one of the table rounde In Arthures tyme a knight was ful auenturous In trone royall was set full precyous With Diademe on his hed sygnifyed At Troynouaunt where no wight it replyed ¶ Who then anone with Saxons sore did fight And also with Mordred sonnes two Their capitaynes were put theim to the flyght That one fled to wynchester and hyd hym so That other to London with mykyll woo Where Constātyne theim bothe in churches slew At the autres where they were hyd in mewe ¶ This constantyne set all his lande in peace And reygned well foure yere in greate noblesse And dyed then buryed at Caroll no lesse Besyde Vterpendragon full expresse Arthures father of greate worthynesse Whiche called is the stone Hengles certayne Besyde Salysbury vpon the playne ¶ Aurelius Conan his cosyn fayre The sea royall then helde and ganne succede To hym as nexte then of bloude and heyre His vncle and his sonnes two in dede In prysone slewe to crowne hym selfe I rede That should haue been kynges of all Britayne Afore hym so yf they had not be slayne ¶ He maynteyned aye ciuyle warre and debate Bytwene Cytees Castelles and countees Through al his realme with mysruled mē associate Whiche was greatly agaynst his royaltees And but thre yere he reygned in dignitees As God so wolde of his hye ordynaunce For wronge lawes maketh shorte gouernaunce ¶ Then Vortyper succeded after hym Crowned was then with all the royalte Agaynste whome the Saxons stronge grym Made full greate warre destroyed the comente But in batayle by greate humanyte He them ouercame and set his lande in peace Vnto the tyme that death made him decease ¶ Seuen yere he reigned and his people pleased And tender was he of his comynalte Aboue all thyng he sawe that they were eased The publyke cause afore the syngulerte Preserued also as it of ryght should be For cōmons fyrst for prynces supportacion Were set and nought been waste by dominacion ¶ Malgo nexte hym to the crowne attayned Feyrest of other that euer was in his daye All tyranny fully he restreyned And conquered holy thryse of Orkenay Irelonde Denmarke Iselonde and eke Norway And Gotlande also obeyed his royalte He was so wyse full of fortunyte Within his realme was none so large ne strong Ne none that was in feacte of warre so wise With swerde or axe to fyght in the thronge Nor with his speare that had suche exercyse For to assayle hys fooes and them suppryse And defence also he had great keenyng As any
A man to haue bene in hye felycite And to fall downe by infortune agayne In myserye and fell aduersyte Howe maye a man haue a thyng more contraye Then to haue been well and after woo begone Incomperable to it bee paynes echone ¶ Wherfore good lord the peace euermore mainteine And ryottes all chastyce by prouisyon And lawe vpholde ryghtfully and sustene And ouer all thyng se there bee no deuisyon But reste and peace without discencyon For where a realme or a cytee is deuyded It maye not stand as late was verified ¶ In Fraunce as fell full greate diuision Through whiche that first Henry kyng of EnglaÌ„de Ouer rode their lande by greate prouision And conquered theim thei might not hym with staÌ„de All their citees were yeld into his hande For cause of their cruell descencion Emong theim sustened by contencion ¶ Roome Carthage and many other citees And many realmes as clerkes haue specified Haue been subuert and also many countrees By diuision emong theim fortified Wher vnite and loue had been edified Might theim haue saued in all prosperite Frome all hurt and all aduersite ¶ Whexfore good lord thynke on this lessoÌ„ nowe And teache it to my lorde of Marche your heire While he is young it maye bee for his prowe To thynke on it wheÌ„ that the wether waxeth faire And his people vnto hym dooeth repaire And litill hath theim to releue and pease Then maye it hap with it his people case ¶ For what sauour a newe shell is taken with When it is olde it tasteth of the same Or what kynd of ympe in gardein or in frith Ymped is in stocke fro whence it came It sauourith euer and it nothyng to blame For of his rote frome whiche he dooth out spryng He must euer tast and sauour in eatyng ¶ While he is young in wisedome hym endowe Whiche is full hard to gette without labour Whiche labour maye not bee with ease nowe For of labour came kyng and emperour Let hym not bee idill that shall bee your successor For honour and ease together maye not been Wherfore writh nowe the wand while it is grene ¶ Endowe hym nowe with noble sapience By whiche he maye the wolf werre frome the gate For wisedome is more worth in all defence Then any gold or riches congregate For who wanteth witte is alwaye desolate Of all good rule and manly gouernaunce And euer enfect by his contrariaunce ¶ Endowe hym also in humilitee And wrath deferre by humble pacience Through whiche he shall increace in dignitee And catch alway full greate intelligence Of all good rule and noble regymence And to conclude wrath will euer sette a side All maner of thyng whiche wisedome would prouide ¶ Behold Bochas what prices haue through pride Be cast downe frome all their dignitee Wher sapience and meekenes had bee guyde Full suerly might haue saued bee And haue stand alwaye in might greate suertee If in their hartes meekenes had bee ground And wisedome also thei had not be confound ¶ Nowe foloweth of the Englyshe kynges and Saxones The .xcix. Chapiter THis Cadwalader nowe laide in sepulture That some tyme was that kyng of great Brytain And of Westsex also ther with full sure To whome succedid Iuore his soonne certain Reignyng ouer Brytons that did remain In Wales then without any socour But onely he became their gouernour ¶ With whome Iue his cousin was at nede That warred sore the Englishe and Saxonye Many winters and nought preuayled in deede Sauyng thei reigned vpon the Vasselry That wer out castes of all Brytany But Ingils and Iue his brother dere In westsex reigned which CoÌ„rede his sonnes were ¶ Whom Englishe then and all the Saxonye Theim chose and made to bee their protectours Again Iuor and his cousin Iuy That were that tyme the Brytons gouernours To Wales fled for helpe and greate socours But Ingils and Iue of Englishe bloodde discent Then kept Englande full well by one assent ¶ A yere all whole and then this Ingils dyed And Iue was kyng of Westsex fully cround That reigned then full greately magnified Eyght and thyrty wynter full well and sounde With his brother and what alloen that stouÌ„de In whose tyme Theodore then dyed Of Cauntorbury archebishop signified ¶ Whiche Ingile Iue did call this lande Englande After Inglis as thei had harde afore After Engest it called was Engestes lande By corrupt speach Englande it hight therfore And afterwarde so that name it hath euer bore As Gurmound also afore it had so named Whiche sith that tyme hath been ful hougely famed ¶ Kyng Iue and Ingils in Westsex first began The yere sixe hundred foure score therto nyne So did Iuo and Iue in Wales then Ouer the Walshe that were of Brytons line In muche trouble and woo as fill that tyme Kyng Alfride in all Northumberlande Wittred and Welbard in Kent I vnderstande ¶ In Englande yet were kynges seuen Vnder kyng Iue that twenty battailes smote Vpon Iuor and Iue accompted euen But in the yere as Bede hath saied and wryte That euery manne his debte to kynd paye mote Kyng Iue dyed at Roome then was the yere Seuen hundred and seuen and twenty clere ¶ And at his death he gaue to Roome eche yere The Roome pence through Westsex all about Perpetually to bee well payed and clere For vnto Roome he went without doubt And with theim lordes and gentils a greate route In pilgrymage for Eld and impotence When he might not the lande well defence The C. Chapiter ¶ Etheldred kyng of Westsex protector of Englande that reigned thyrty yere ETheldred in Westsex to hym gan succede And kyng was then and held the royalte Protector was of EnglaÌ„de their in deede And helde his tyme euer furth the souereingtee In heritage and perpetualitee That thyrten yere reigned in good astate Whiche cherished peace and chastised all debate ¶ Wher any wrath was growyng in his lande Emong prelates or lordes temporall In citees or in cuntrees wher he fande Accordid theim in euery place ouer all And in his tyme the kynges inspeciall Vnder his rule and sure proteccion He kept in peace by lawfull direccion ¶ Who dyed so of Christ his incarnacion The yere sixe hundreth fourty accompted tho Entombed at Bathe with sore lamentacion Of all Englande as well of frende as foo Which Bathe citee some tyme was called soo Achamany in Brytain language By Achaman that had it in heritage ¶ In his tyme was Oswyk in NorthumberlaÌ„d And dyed then to whome Colwolphe did succed Edbertpren in Kent I vnderstand And Ethelbald in Mers was theÌ„ I rede In Essex also was then reignyng Selrede And Ethelrede in Estangle that daye All these wer kynges and vnder hym alwaye ¶ So fro that tyme furth fro the Scottish sea To Sulwath â—loud and to the water of Tyne The Peightes had and kept without lee Wher kyng Edwin their kyng was by right line Rulyng that lande in peace and lawe
Harforde his citee And Offa then and Humbert as is breued Bishop of Lychefelde wher then was his see Whiche kyng and byshop with great royaltee Translate that tyme saynt Albone in shryne Of siluer gylt with stones fayre and fyne ¶ Whiche Offa died the yere of Christ full clere Seuen hundreth .iiii. score and thereto seuentene When he had reigned so ix and thyrty yere At Offa aye buried that tyme as well is sene With all honoure as to suche a kyng beseme To whom Egfride his sonne then gan succede And after hym Kynuphe reigned in dede ¶ Whiche Offa gaue through Mers the Rome peny Vnto the churche of Rome full longe afore Tharchebyshoprych from Cauntorburye Vnto Lychefeld translated for euermore By his will euer to abyde thore So stode it then for certeyn all his lyue As Flores sayth and doeth it so subscriue ¶ This Azdulphe kyng of Northumberlande Slew Wade his duke that again hym was rebel Besyde Mulgreue where as men vnderstande His graue is yet men saye vpon the fell For his falshed and treason as bookes tell Betwene Gysburgh and Whitby sothe to saye Where for treason he was layd in the hie waye ¶ In his fourth yere with duke Kylrike he fought And droaue hym to his shippes then agayn In Humbar so that he had not to his fraught But fewe persones were lefte alyue vnslayne And in his yere eleuen with mykell payne With Danes he fought againe yorkeshyre right where many thousaÌ„des he slewe that were ful wight ¶ And on a daye as he from huntyng came All hote chased his men bottelles founde In his chaumber in which was wyne of name Menne called that tyme Vernage of straunge land Whiche wine was poysoned as I vnderstande Of whiche he dranke and poysoned was anon Vnto the death and might no ferther gone ¶ He dyed the yere .vii. C .lxxx. and nyntene At Tewkisbury buryed in sepulture Of whose death Edburge that was quene Was blamed then for that mysauenture For she dyd make that drynke men sayde ful sure Certayne persones by venym to haue slayne That loued her nought and was her euer agayn But what for feare and what for speche she fled With great rychesse of passyng great measure In Fraunce vnto the kyng full fast she sped But of her rule thence forth I set no cure It was so lewde to reporte in scrypture I wyll not breake my brayne it to reporte For wemens wele the which I wolde comforte The C .iiii. Chapiter ¶ Egbert kyng of Westsex protectour of England that reigned .xxxv. yere dyed in the yere of Chryste viii hundreth thyrtye and thre as after shall appere EGberte cosyn to the sayde Segberte Kyng of Westsex was royally accepte with all honour that the lordes could aduert And eche man glad no creature excepte So graciously fortune then had hym kepte That all people ioyed his coronacyon For cause he was of Britons generacyon ¶ For downe he was from Asserake discent Kyng Ebrank sonne of consanguinytee Syth Cadwalader dyed and was dispent Was none ryght heyre of Brytons bloud but he As Chronycles tell lyke as a man maye se For systers sonne he was to kyng Sygbert Of Westsex hole as Flores coulde aduerte ¶ Also men sayde he came of Ingils bloude And very heyre he was to hym and Iue For whiche Englysh Saxons with him stode And helde with hym as for theyr bloude natyfe Protectour was he made there so belyue Of all Englande and Wales hole conquered And Cornewayle asso as it is chronicled ¶ Then toke he of all kynges leege homage Excepte Bernulphe that kyng of Mers was tho Woulde do hym none then for his herytage Wherfore he brent his lande did him mikyl wo And so they gathred great hoost on both sides tho Where Bernulphe then at Glenden hym met In Mers lande trowyng hym to ouerset ¶ But kyng Egberte had then the victory And slewe Bernulphe for all his boste and pryde To Ludican he gaue that lande in hye To holde of hym as other dyd on euery syde Through all Englande that was both longe wide Then droue he kyng Balrede out from all Kent And all his realme destroyed sore and brent ¶ But Ludican was false by foule treason Whome kyng Egbert then slewe in batayle sore For his falshode and his rebellyon And to Wylaffe he gaue that lande ryght thore Was Bernulphs sonne to haue for euermore To holde of hym of ryght and herytage By seruyce dewe of feaute and homage ¶ Then in his tyme the Danes sore destroyed The ysles of shepey and Tenet also And to the sea they went agayne vnanoyed And after sone in Northumberlande tho They dyd aryue and wrought full mekell woo With whome Egbert there faught with smal meny That oute of the felde they made hym to flye ¶ Kyng Egbert drewe south then into the lande And helde the felde to tyme his sonnes two Athylwolfe and Ethylbert I vnderstande With hoste full greate came ridyng to hym tho Where then he bare the crosse of golde ay so In his lefte hande and in his ryght a swerd With which he made his fooes therwith al aferd ¶ For there he had the felde and victorye And slewe Dardan a knyght full chyualrus The kynges sonne of Denmarke sekerly And all his hosâ—e that was full malicyous By vertue of the crosse patyfe precyous For whiche alwaye after in hys banner Of azuer whole the crosse of golde he bear ¶ Whiche armes so full after this daye Kyng Kinigyll of Westsex had them bore Fro his bapteme thenne afterwarde alwaye And all the kynges after so dyd euermore Of Westsex so in mynde of Christes lore His crosse his death and his holy passyon Whiche Iewes him wrought without compassioÌ„ When kyng Egbert had fyue and thyrty yere Reygned in lande and felt full great syckenesse Of whiche he dyed of Chrystes birth full clere The yere so then .viii. C. was expresse Foure and thyrty nother more ne lesse At Wynchester then royally buryed As Flores sayeth and well hath notifyed The C .v. Chapiter ¶ Athelwolfe kynge of Westsex reygned .xix. yere dyed the yere .viii. hundreth .liii. after Chrystes byrth AThelwolfe was king crowned at his citee Of Westchester in all royall estate To whome the kinges lordes made feaute And homage leege as was preordynate That reygned after .xix. yere fortunate And graunted the churche tythes of corne haye Of bestiall also through Westsex for aye ¶ In the yere eyght hundred thirty and eyght The Danes arriued with shippis fourscore thre Wher Athelstane his sonne did with theim feight And duke Wolfward by greate fortunitee Theim toke and sleugh with all felicitee But Athelstane in that battaile was slaine Of his warres that was the capitain ¶ And in the yere eyght huÌ„dred thirty and nyne The kyng faught sore with Danes at Mersyngton Wher erle Harbart was slain a prince full fyne But Danes all were take and slain their a doune
had reigned full twenty foure yere Buryed he was at Winchester full right As in Flores full clerely dooeth apere Who in his tyme surely had no peere Of wysedome nor manhode as was seen The lawe and peace that could so well sustene The C .xiiij. Chapiter ¶ Athelstane kyng of England reigned fiftene yere and dyed in the yere of Christ nine hundred thirty fiue How Constantyne kyng of Scottes warred again Athelstane but he recouered his homage by myracle of sainct Iohn of Beuerley as sheweth here afterward SIr Athilstane his eldest soonne of age In wisedome euer full sadly well auised At Kyngstō was crouned toke homage Of all the lordes right as he had deuised Agaynste whome all Wales as thei suffised Then he warred but he made theim obeye And made homage his meune to bee for aye ¶ In wohse tyme so y◠yere of Christ nine hūdred And thyrty more and fiue full accompted Robert Rollo his soule and corps asondred His corps to the earth his soule amounted Whiche in knighthod his Danes surmounted That reigned had then duke of Normandy By thirty yere accompted full clerly ¶ To whom succedid his soōne Wyllyā lōgspee That after hym was duke of Normandy But then the kyng of Scottes by cruelte Hight Constantyne hym warred cruelly For whiche kyng Athilstane mightily Stroyed all Scotland till his people dyed For cold and hunger dyed and mortified ¶ But he was so comforted euen by miracle That he faught a none with this kyng Constātyne And had the feld and his habitacle Theim droue through all the lād with muche payne To tyme he was full fain to enclyne To Athilstane for to make his homage For all Scotland that was his heritage ¶ Anlaaf the kyng of Denmark full of pride Cousyn to kyng Constantyne of Scotland With shippis many arriued on Humberside At Burnesburgh and claymed of England For to haue of the kyng as I vnderstand The truage whiche his eldres had afore And with hym brought Colbrōd to fight therfore ¶ And Athilstane at the daye assigned Made hym redy the battaill to haue smitten Again Colbrond armed with hart benyngned But then sir Guy of Warwike as was weten In palmer wyse as Colman hath it wryten The battaill toke on hym for Englandis right With Colbrond in armes for to fight ¶ Wher then he sleugh this Danyshe champion By whiche battaill the truage was relesed By couenaunt made and composicion Betwene the kynges afore and warres cesed Thus kyng Anlaaf home to Denmarke presid Without more warre or conturbacion And sir Guy went to his contemplacion ¶ Kyng Athelston then fraunchesid Beuerley In the worship of God and sainct Iohn Wher in his life is written for euer and aye The miracle of his stroke so in the stone That neuer manne might dooe but Athilston Through grace of God and his direccion Through prayer of sainct Iohn and affeccion ¶ This noble kyng was euer more iust trewe To God his faith and to churches deuocion To poore menne grace on subiectes euer did rewe To preestes and age reuerence in feld and towne In dome sadnes trouth and discrecion And in the yere nene hundred thyrty and fiue When he had reigned sixtene yere with life ¶ His brother Edmōd for kyng thē was crouned Of Englande whole by concent of all estate To whome Dothowe kyng of Scotlāde that stoūde And Howell of Walis the kyng then create As was afore vsed and determinate Feaute to hym made and leege homage For Wales and Scotlande that was their heritage ¶ He sette sainct Dunstan then at Glastenbury Vnder thabbot of monkes and religion That abbot was with hym at Canturbury This kyng Edmond was slain by a felone Whiche of malice and his false treason That forfet had and dampned was to dye For his forfet and for his felonye ¶ At Cauntorbury as y◠kyng hym saw on a daye For yre on hym he ranne and sore hym wounde For whiche he stroke the kyng for aye So they dyed both two ther in that stounde Eche of theim of his mortall wounde Whiche to a prince accorded in no wyse To put hym selfe in drede wher lawe may chastice ¶ He reigned but .vi. yere then all out And died the yere .ix. hundreth fourtye and one At Glastenbury buried without doute For whome the people made then ful great mone For lawe and peace he kept to euerychone And his commons neuer his tyme supprissed And oppressours of hym alwaye were chastised ¶ His brother Edrede after hym had the crowne At London then and tooke royall feautee Of all estates within his region Excepte Scotlande that through theyr vnlewtee Crowned Gilryke a Dane of great beautee Of royall bloodde borne and generate And for theyr kyng hym fully had create ¶ Kyng Edrede went to Scotland w e his power And all the lande wasted sore and brent Wherfore the Scottes by hole consent for feer Put downe Gilryke from all the regyment And droaue hym to Denmarke or they stent And to Edrede came all the Baronage And to hym made feautee and homage ¶ And in the yere .ix. hundreth fourty and nyne He died buried at Wynchester his cytee When that he had his soule made to enclyne Out of his corps to passe awaye and flee Where God of heauen would that it should bee But .viii. yere full he reigned and no more When death hym toke with sikenes great sore ¶ Edwyn his brother resceyued then the crowne Folyshe and proude and of his will maligne And in his wytte was full lytle reason Whom his barons for cause he was vndigne Made hym his crowne for to resigne Deposed hym then out fro his regiment At the parliament by theyr commen assent ¶ Whom saynt Dunstane for aduoutre blamed But it amende he would in no kyn wyse Of whiche he was full openly defamed Through all the realme he was the more vnwise For whiche the lordes and commons all did ryse And droaue hym out awaye wher no man knewe Thus synnes olde make shames come full newe ¶ He reigned had but .iiii. yere and no more When he was depriued of his estate Without thanke of God or man therfore And well worse was of all men moste behate Of his reygne hauyng no lenger date Who dyed the yere .ix. hundreth fyfty and thre Foringed hole from all his magestee The C .xv. Chapiter ¶ Edgare kyng of Englande reigned .xviii. yere died in that yere of Christ .ix. hundreth three score and eleuen HIs brother Edgare by a commē assente Was chosen kyng as chronicles recorde With diademe crowned at his parliamēt And homage toke royall of euery lorde So mercyfull and full of misericorde Was he that saynt Dunstan reconciled Whome kyng Edwyn wrongfully had exiled ¶ Whom archebyshop of Cauntorbury he made With all estate and primates dignitee Of Monkes and nonnes mynsters fayre glad Fourtye founded of religioustee Within his realme of his owne
his doughter had wed And his treason perdoned had and hyd Of his brothers death when that he murthered had Whom then the kyng Somond coÌ„maunde bid Vpon his legeaunce whatsoeuer betid For to aunswer in his courte and amende Defautes all betwene theim might be kende ¶ At whose summons he would not then apeare But warred sore both he and his sonnes fyue For whiche the kyng theim exiled out all clere But after they landed and did aryue At Sandwiche so the kyng theim met belyue Where lordes then theim treated and accorded And afterwarde nomore they discorded The C .xx. Chapiter ¶ Howe Sywarde duke of Northumberlande slewe in battayle Maclom kyng of Scotlande and crowned Malclome kyng at Scome accordyng to saynt Edwarde the confessoures commaundement whiche Malclome did homage to saynt Edwarde as apeareth by his letters patent DVke Siwarde then was of NorthuÌ„berlaÌ„d In batayle slewe kyng Maclom so in dede Of Scotlande then that false was of his baÌ„d Whiche to the kyng he made who taketh hede Wherfore the kyng in Marian as I reade By his letters charged duke Siward take on haÌ„d To croune Malcolin that was of Comberland ¶ The whyche he dyd full myghtely anon At Skone abbey wher kynges were all crouned Vpon his hed he set the crowne anone And toke homage of hym vpon the grounde In Edwardes name as he of right was bounde For that ylke realme and as his elders dyd Suche fortune then to Englande was betid ¶ The kyng Gryffyn of Wales then was slayn That Herford shire spoyled had and brent His hed set vp at Gloucester full playne For his vntruthe and falshed that he ment And sone therafter his brothers hed was sent Vnto the kyng for his rebellion So wer they both foringed for treason ¶ And as kyng Edward in his palayce of pride Duke Goodwyne then sittyng at his table Sawe the butler on his one fote slyde And lyke to fall that other fote full stable As he was seruyng the kyng at his table Then held hym vp that he fell not to grounde Kyng Edward sayd to Gudwyn in that stounde ¶ As his one fote ye se helpe that other Full well and trewe I fynde it dayly nowe Had ye ne bene thus had helpe me my brother Th erle then to the kyng on side gan bowe And sayd if I wer cause I praye God nowe This breade passe not my throte but dead I bee And straungled here anone that ye maye see ¶ At his prayer anone with that he died For with that breade straungled was he that stound It might not passe his throte as men espied Wherfore the kyng then bad drawe out that hounde Vnder the boorde as he that false was founde On whome God shewed an hasty iudgement Approued well by good experiment ¶ Wher Herolde had therle Algare exiled Fro Leycestre where erle he was so then The kyng Eward agayn hym reconsiled And perdoned hym and toke hym for his man Of Couentre as Flores tell it can The lord he was and there thabbey founde And buried there is with his wyfe that stound ¶ This Algare was the sonne of erle Leofryke Whiche Leofrike was the duke Lofwynes sonne That erles had been there none afore theim like But duke Siwarde as he did wonne Syckenesse hym tooke and sore vpon hym ronne In whiche he dyd hym arme in all degree And had his axe in hand full lyke to dye ¶ He sayd vnto the lordes then hym about Thus semeth well in armes a knight to dye And not in bed to lye loure and loute Tyll death hym kyll with paynes cruelly As would God here were my moste enemye That I myght dye vpon hym nowe in right In armes thus arayed like a knight ¶ With that he died for paynes that he felt Vpon his fete standynge in that arays And shoke his axe while that his hert gan swelt And to the ground he fell in that afraye Who buried was at saynt Marie abbeye At Yorke citee with worshyp and honoure As likely was for suche a gouernoure ¶ The kyng Edward the duke of NorthuÌ„berlaÌ„d To Tosty gaue the sonne of duke Goodwyn Vnder the name of erle as Flores doth vnderstaÌ„d After whiche tyme all haue been erles syne With landes and rentes both fayre and fyne Whiche estate suffice for princes ben both two In euery lande accompted where they go ¶ He disherited erle Waldyue his owne sonne Who erle was then create of Huntyngdon Of Northampton also as chronicles tell can A worthy prince of all this region That rule a realme coulde well then by reason Another prince was Loafrike that daye Erle of Leycestre and Couentry no naye ¶ Whiche Loefrike had a wyfe that Godiue hight That naked throughout all Couentree The tolles sore and seruage agayn right To redeme hole of her femynitee She in her heare hangyng beneth her knee Vpon a daye rode so through all the towne To bye it free by her redempcion ¶ For otherwise therle would not it free But yf that she rode naked through all the towne Vpon the daye that all men might her see Trustyng she would not for no waryson Haue doen it so by suche redempcion But thus by witte she kept her selfe vnshamed And freed the towne worthy was he blamed ¶ Kyng Edwarde sente then into Hungary For his cousyn the sonne of Emond Ironesyde Themperoure sent hym Edwarde gladly His brother sonne and folke with hym to ryde His sonne Edwarde Athelyng by his syde Margarete and eke Christine his doughter dere Whiche kyng Edward receyued with good chere ¶ He maried Margarete mighty with great riches To kyng Malcolyne of Scotland was that daye That on her gatte fiue sonnes of great noblinesse Edwarde Dunkan Edgare Alixander the gaye And Dauid also that kynges were all no naye Eche after other of Scotlande throughout Whose mother is now S. Margrete wtout doute ¶ At Dumfermlyn shryned and canonized On whom Malcolyne a doughter gate also Kyng Henryes wife the first full wel auised Quene Mawd that hight that well loued EnglaÌ„de tho These crosses fayre and roiall as menne goo Through all Englande she made at hic expense And dyuerse good orders throwe his prouidence ¶ Another sustre this same saint Margarete had That Christine hight kyng Edwarde theÌ„ ê“fessed In religion to lyue she was full glad To holy lyfe disposed and adressed An holy woman of lyfe and of god blessed Who at hir death hir soule then vncouered And to our lorde full mekely so it offred ¶ In his forest as he pursued a dere In Essex a palmer with hym met Askyng hym good whome gladly he dyd here He claue his ryng and in sonder it bette The halfe of whiche he gaue without lette To the Palmer that went awaye anone That other good to geue hym there had he none ¶ But after that full longe and many a daye Two pylgrames came vnto that noble kynge And sayde saint Iohn thappostell in pore araye Vs prayed and bad straytly aboue
Ierusalem he reserued the resort to hym to his heires THe Soudā toke a trewce with kyng Richard For thre yere whole to bye all marchandise And sell and passe saufly thitherward To the sepulcre in all maner wyse With entercomen as then it did suffice And home he went for cause his brother Iohn Then purposed had for to bee crouned anon ¶ He sent his mother and wife to Cisile And of Acres he made then capitain The baron bold sir Rychard Vmfreuile Ierusalem to Henry erle of Champein With all Surry to haue and to demain And made hym kyng therof without delay For his susters soonne he was without nay ¶ For the marquis Wyllyam Mountferrate That kyng therof was by his wife enherite Was slain in Tire his citee by debate All sodeinly for cause of greate dispite Vetulo de Mount his brothers death to quite His bretherne twoo to Tire with power hath sent That slewe hym there by Vetulo his assent ¶ Whose wife he gaue to Henry his cousyn For she was heire of Ierusalem He made kepers in euery place full fyne And homeward came then by the sea stream Hoostyng by diuerse countres and realme To Romany Tuskan and Lumberdy In to Oistrich and there was take in hye ¶ Thēperour led home thē to Mēske he brought In strong ward brought to tyme that his finaūce Was fully payed emong his commons sought Of holy churche vnto ful greate greuaunce The marchaūtes also thē made great cheuisaūce Of all the shryues was take full greate riches Through all England to raūsom with his highnes ¶ And home he came Iohn his brother chastised And his fautours emprisoned all full sore To Normandy then went and there supprised The kyng Philip and werred hym euer thore That stroyed his land of Normandy afore Against his othe and his hie assuraunce Whilest he labored vpon the miscreaunce ¶ He then appeled the kyng Philip to fight Thei twoo alone hand for hand in feld That he was false of his promise and hight Whiche kyng Philip graunted but not it held But cowardly with royall hoste hym beld Vpon hym came all sodeinly to fight Within three dayes then for their brothers right ¶ Beside Gysours thei faught with hostes sore Wher kyng Rychard had the victorie Kyng Philip fled fro his baner thore With muche shame reproffe and vilanie Kyng Rychard segid a castell then in hie That Caluce hight not ferre fro Lymosyne Wher hurt he was full sore and dyed fyne ¶ An arblaster with a quarell hym smot As he about the castell went to spie But then he made therto a saute full hote On euery syde about full cruelly And gatte the place so then full myghtely And slewe theim all without any grace Agayn hym so that holden had that strong place ¶ He shroue hym then vnto abbots three With great sobbyng and hye contricion And wepyng teares that pitee was to see Mekely askyng penaunce and absolucion That it might please God at his peticion To forgeue his offences tyll domysday So afterwarde in blysse he might been ay ¶ He quethed his corps then to bee buried Al Fount Euerard there at his fathers feete To whom he graunted and made it notifyed Traytour he was and false of his behete His herte inuyncyble to Roan he sent full mete For their greate truth stedfast great constaunce His bowelles lose to Poytou for deceyuaunce ¶ Whose soule from the body dyd departe And into heauen went where is eternall ioye Because from synne he did conuerte Longyng for that blessed daye To see Christ that for his synne dyd paye That crucyfied was vpon the roode Redemyng his synne by the shedyng of his blode ¶ And of his reigne he died the .x. yere And in the yere of Christes incarnacion A thousande hole two hundreth and .iiii. clere As written is by clere computacion Who in his life had hole dominacion In Normandy Guyen Cypers and Surry Whose honoure shone aboue all other clerely The C .xli. Chapiter ¶ Iohn kyng of Englande duke of Normandy and Guyan 〈◊〉 erle of Angeou began to reygne the yere M CC. and .iiii. and reigned .xvii. yere and died the yere M CC .xxi. HIs brother Iohn was kyng then of Englande And crouned was at westminster ful faire By all estates and lordes of his lande And sone therafter deuorced full vnfayre From his wife wedded that there afore was heyre Vnto therle of Gloucestre full wyse That sonnes had that tyme of great enterprise ¶ For cause of whiche and of consanguinitye Deuorce was made and toke another wyfe Dame Isabell therles doughter fayre and free Of Englande and his heyre knowen ryfe Whiche after made hym ful great warre stryfe For she was wyfe of Hugh Brune of Toreyn The Viscount then toke fro hym a virgyne ¶ Wherfore Hugh Brune nomore of hym wolde hold But warred hym on euery side aboute Tyll he hym toke with other many folde And slewe theim all were thei neuer so stoute In his first yere a taxe he tooke full out Of eche plough land thre shyllynges fully payed For whiche the people bitterly for hym prayed The C .lxii. Chapiter ¶ Howe kyng Wyllyam of Scotlande did homage leege to kyng Iohn at Lyncolne the duke Arthure of Britayne all the lordes of Irelande did the same IN his first yere kyng Wylliā of Scotlād Made hys homage in Lyncolne his citee And Arthure duke of Britayne I vnderstande Sone after made hys homage feautee At London then with great humilitee The prince of Wales there made his homage For Wales then that was his heritage ¶ The great a Neele and Makmurre also And al the lordes and kynges of Irelande Therles also of Vlster did right so Of Ormond and Desmond for there lande And all estates there as I vnderstande Wer sworne to hym and to hym did homage For theyr lyuelodes and theyr heritage ¶ The kyng Philip confedered with Arthure To rebell sore agayne his eme kyng Iohn And graunte hym men power stronge and sure To gette Guyan Poytou and Angeou anon Wherfore kyng Iohn to Normandy gan gone And there he tooke Arthure duke of Britayn In castell Mirable dyed in mykell payne ¶ Dame Isabell the suster also of Arthure In the castell of Bristowe was then holde And died there in pryson then full sure As kyng Iohn hir vncle so it wolde A lady of greate beautee she was hold Beshet in pryson in paynes strong So endeth her life for sorowe liued not long ¶ Thus slewe he both Athure and Isabell The chyldren of his brother duke Geffrey To ioye the croune of Englande as men tell Wherfore moste parte of all his landes that daye Beyonde the sea forsoke hym then for ay Retournyng to the kyng of Fraunce in hye To holde of hym and his perpetually ¶ Bishop Hubert of Cauntorbury tho died Wherfore kyng Iohn vnto the couent sente To chose his clarke whiche they refused denied Wherfore the kyng was wroth in
couth Full mekill skyll of a woman alwaye That so couth chese a lady that was vncouth And for that mery woordes that came of his mouth Thei trowed he had right great experience Of womanes rule and hir conuenience ¶ Kyng Robert Bruys smitten in lepry dyed To whom his soonne Dauid then did succede And crouned was for kyng and notified His wife also was crouned quene in deede Kyng Edwardes suster she was then as I rede Sir Roger then that was lord Mortimer With Isabell the quene was holden dere ¶ Through hardinesse of whiche he wasted clene The kyng his tresour as was notified For whiche Henry erle of Lancastre for tene Rose with greate hoste as then was fortified To haue withstand and clerely haue replied The wantonnes of Roger Mortymer That was that tyme the quenes playfeer ¶ But treated he was to sitte in rest and peace Notwithstandyng at the coronacion Of kyng Edward chose he was without lees His custode then for good informacion Of the kyng his persone and preseruacion But quene Isabell and the Mortimer Would not suffre ne while that so it were ¶ Edmond Wodstok that then was erle of Kent By kyng Edward of Carnaruan create Whose brother he was by quene Isabelles entēt And Mortimer his mighty and greate estate Arested was and stode repudiate At Winchester foriudged in parliament And hedid there again the common assent ¶ A brother he had hight Thomas of Brothertō Erle of Northfolk and marshall of England That of his death made none execucion For lordes all the greatest of the land Full sory were but nought thei tooke on hand Fro noone till euen without the castell gate He stoode condempned as a repudiate ¶ Whome then at euen a boye of the marshalse Stroke of his hedde for whome the lordes than And commons all displeased were inwardly At Notyngham sone after thei began Wher Mortimer therle of Marche then Arested were and his soonne sir Roger And to the toure of London sent thei were ¶ On sainct Andrewes daye thei wer drawe and hong At London so by dome of the parlyament At Westminster holden by processe long Sir Simond Bedford was of their assent Drawe and hanged therfore thei went And fro the quene his mother he resumed His landes all for she had so consumed ¶ His treasour foule and all his greate riches He putte hir to hir dower and nomore To liue vpon at the frere minours doubtles Wher she had not been brought before And there she dyed and buryed is therfore At London nowe full feire and reuerently Wher she had dwelt long full honourably ¶ Edward Baylioll to claim Scotland thē went And with hym went sir Gilbert Vmfreuile Claimyng to bee erle by his whole entent Of Angeous then as chroniclers compile Sir Henry Beaumont also went that while His heritage to gette and to conquere Therledome of Boughan should bee his clere ¶ Henry Percy with Edward Bailioll went Galoway to claime as for his heritage By shippe thei went all whole by one assent At Rauensporne and landed with greate corage At Kincorne wel in Fyfe by all knowlage Dauid Strabolgy erle of Athellis by right With theim thē went for his landes ther to fight ¶ Thei were accōpted twoo M. fightyng menne And fiue hundred byside the mariners At their landyng their shipis thei brent right then And bored some and sanke at good leysers Thei thought theim self of good strong powers Thei toke none hede of shippis home again But landeway ride for all the Scottes dain ¶ Thei toke none hede nor yet consideracion Of thousandes many ne of greate multitude As lordes dooe nowe of commons congregacion But putte their cause to god his hie excelsitude And in their owne handes solicitude At Kincorne then faught with therle of Fyffe Discomfit hym and fled awaye with life ¶ His menne were slain vpon the feld echeone Thē Robert Bruys the bastard soōne their Guyde The lord Seton with power came anone And newe battaill theim gaue with mekell pryde That noumbred were ten thousand on their side Whiche slain were all for thei would take none Saufe the chiefteynes that fled awaye alone ¶ The kyng Edward Baylioll with his power To Dunfermelyne abbey then furth so went Wher in Glasinore that Scottes then sembled were Fourty thousand full proud in their intent And all were slain without suppowelment Th erle of Marre and therle of Murray Th erle of Carryk and Menth dyed that daye ¶ And after soone at Deplyng More mette Sir Neel Bruys with ten thousand in feer That slain were there and to therth doune beet The Englishe had the feld that daye full clere Their ordinaunce was to take no prisoner Wherfore thei slewe the Scottes without mercie Lest newe bataill came on theim in hie ¶ At these battailles afore that been wrytten Sixty thosaund Scottes slain and mortefied Were more with prees as afterward was weten Then with mānes hand thei were so feel multiplied Echeone on other of pride so reuied Without rule of marcill gouernaunce Thei smored were by their contrariaunce ¶ And but twoo knightes thirty thre squiers Whiche ther were dedde of the Englishe power In foure battailles faught with axe swerd speris At Diplyng Moore fro tyme the soōne rose clere To three after noon as saieth the chronicler Within seuē dayes thei smote these .iiii. battailies As chronicles make full clere rehersailes ¶ Thē wēt thei furth vnto sainct Iohns towne That was replete and full of all vitaile And kept the toune with manly direccion Archebald Douglas and erle Patrik no faile Of Dunbarre then the toune began tassaile With thirty thousand but there thei were well bet With cast of stones and greate defence ouerset ¶ The citees then and tounes to the sea side At their costage to Scotland sent a flete To helpe our lordes and get theim good that tide And with the shippis of Scotland for to mete And so thei did and sore theim all to bete And brought theim home and some with wildfyre brēt In Taye water and some thei sanke shent ¶ Wherfore the Scottes the siege then forsooke Thenglish lordes at Skone the kyng did croune Edward Baliol the soonne was who will looke To Iohn Baliol kyng of that region Whome then afore Henry Beaumount brought Frome Baliol wher he was lord in Fraunce As his aunceters had been of remembraunce ¶ This kyng Edward Baliol his fooes sought And at Rokisburgh faught ▪ with therle of Murrey Discomfited theim in battaill sore ther fought And to Duresme sent hym fro thens awaye Ther to bee kept in siker strong araye Then sir Archbald Douglas and erle Patrike Then of Dunbar their kyng thought to bee swi 〈…〉 ¶ Thei toke with hym a trewce to Candylmasse From October in trust of whiche he sent Thenglishe lordes to England home expresse Trustyng he had been sure in his entente All was falshede that the two erles ment For they vphelde Dauid in tendre age Kyng Robartes sonne
to whom they did homage ¶ Syr Iames Douglas erle Patrike Dūbare With all theyr helpe at the Candilmasse On Edwarde roase the Bailiol or he were ware And slewe all that they found doutlesse That fayn he was to Englande to flee helpelesse At Marche after he entred then Scotlande With thesame lordes then of the north lande ¶ On both sydes they rode and fast destroyed And to Berwike Edwarde Bailol came And sieged it and felly was annoyed To whiche Edwarde of Englonde with great fame Came with his hoost and laye there at thesame The Douglas then and Dunbare with power Northumberlande all through brent full clere The C .lxxix. Chapiter ¶ Of the battayle of Halidon hill and howe Edwarde Bayliol did homage leege to kyng Edwarde of Englande TO Halydon hill they came with their prayes Barwike castell and towne so to rescue Wher to oure hoste ful oft they made frayes Both day euen and morowes or day dewe But then the kyng of Englande to hym drewe The kyng also of Scotland with his might Full sore that daye in batayll did they fight ¶ Where Edwardes two had al the victorye The royaltes of all Scotlande there wer slayn Thyrty thousande with theim liggand by Of men of armes and archers dead certayn Then in the yere next after soth to sayn At newcastell Edwarde kyng of Scotlande His homage did to the kyng of Englande ¶ For whiche that cōmons of Scotlād on hym rose And slewe his men that he into Englande came And gatte an hoste and rode vpon his fooes Through Anand through Kylay Conyngham Carrike and Glascowe slewe al that he foūd at hame The kyng Edwarde of England with power Through Lowthian so did to Stryuelyn clere ¶ And both met there with great gladnesse And home they came destroiyng all the waye Another yere in Iule for to redresse Scotlande agayn with hostes they gan a fraye At saynt Iohns towne they met in great araye And ther they made therle of Athelis regent Whome the commons felly slewe and shent ¶ Kyng Edwarde sent after in another yere In Maye Henry Lancastre a noble knight To Scotlande with an hoste of good power And afterwarde he came with mekill might To saynt Iohns towne on the monthes right Through Murrey to Elgyne Giluernes Rosse Throughout mounteynes woddes myre mosse ¶ Kyng Edwarde then came home into Englāde And proclaymed his sonne Edwarde nominate The prince of Wales thens forth I vnderstande Henry Lancastre the younger he create Erle of Derby to beare the hole estate Wyllyam Mountague erle of Salisbury Of Northampton Wyllyam Bowne full manly ¶ Of Gloucester he made Hugh of Awdely Of Suffolke then he made Robert Hufforth Of Huntyngdon Wyllyam Clinton gay Whiche erles the kyng toke with hym forth With many a worthy knyght bothe of south and north And with the quene so vnto Andwarpe And there abode by all the wynter sharpe ¶ With great people and worthy chyualrye Agayn the kyng of Fraunce to clayme his right And wrote his title vnto that Romishe bishop on hie The duke of Barre and other lordes of might The quenes frendes then socoure had hym hight Where then the quene of hyr sonne Lionell Delyuered was as chronicles do tell ¶ He cherished then Flaundres that they forsoke Theyr naturall lorde and swore feautee To hym and his theyr power they betoke To byde and dwell vnder his souerayntee Because they sawe in hym suche humanitee He chaunged his armes in banners and penons And in his seale quartred of both regions ¶ And in the yere then of his reygne thyrtene His armes chaunged and called kyng of Fraūce He rode in Fraunce on warre as then was seen A thousande tounes he brent by his puysaunce The kyng of Fraunce without variaunce Sent hym worde that he wold with hym fight But at the poynt he did not as he hight ¶ For at that tyme in sonder they were a myle He fled awaye kyng Edward held the felde Two dayes after he sued and Vmfreuile Of hym had sight and then he founde his sheld By whiche he knewe his couenaunt he not held Wherfore the kyng to Brabant went agayn The dukes three of Barre Earle and Brabayn ¶ The parliamēt thē at Westmynster was hold Wher they graūted hym the .ix. lābe flees shaue Of the commons but the churche nomore wold Hym graunt but one dysme of theim to haue For which he graūted generall perdone and gaue The .ix. lambe slees shaue graunt was two yere To helpe the kyng his right to conquere The C .lxxx. Chapiter 〈◊〉 ¶ Howe kynge Edwarde smote the battayle on the sea at Sluse besyde Brydges howe the kyng firste rode into Fraunce and quartred his armes with the armes of Fraunce and sent to kyng Philip to trye the ryght betwene theim two ANd in his yere next after then fourtene At Sluse that kīg faught with the Frēch nauy Fro noone to eue to the morowe as was seen Where all wer drouned slayn myghtely And kyng Edward to Fraunce went hastely With hoste full great destroied the lande brent The cytee of Turnais besieged and shente ¶ Then wrote he to the kyng Philip of Fraunce Not namyng hym kyng of that lande But to Philip of Valoys for greuaunce Willyng alone they two to take on hande To fyght for the cause and for to stande Who hath the better for euer to holde Fraunce Withoute warre or any more dystaunce ¶ Or elles they two eyther with an C. knyghtes And yf these wayes please hym not to excepte Come with his hoste all his strongest wyghtes To the cytee of Tournay none excepte At a certayne daye iustly to be kepte And who the felde maye get brooke well Fraunce Withoute more stryfe or any varyaunce ¶ The kyng then wrote vnto kyng Edwarde agayne That he wolde not for the letters fight Whiche touche not kyng Philyp in certayne But Philyp Valoys as sheweth well to syght To whiche he wolde set neyther daye ne highte But when he thought it were for his honoure He shulde hym chase awaye without socoure ¶ Out of his land which wrongfully he sheweth Agayne his fayth feautye made and homage To his auncesters by letter as it sheweth Vnder his seale of hole and good knowlage For Guyan and his other herytage And fro Turnace into Brabane agayne The kyng Edwarde in wynter dyd remayne ¶ To byde the byshoppes rule and disposicyon Of good accorde for then two cardynalles To take a trewce by good prouisyon Duryng two yere betwene them generals And all theyr frendes that were princypalles Then came the kyng to Edwarde into Englande His offycers newe made I vnderstande ¶ To the trewce then taken at Maltrete The dukes two of Burgoyne and Burbone In the kynges soule of Fraunce swore and hete Truly to kepe for frendes or for foone And duke Henry of Lancaster sad as stone Willyam Bowne Earle of Northhampton And Willyam Mountague full hye of renoune
Sir Robert then my mayster Vmfreuyle At Redeswyres withoute excusacyon With Richarde Rotherforde fought that whyle And toke the stewarde as I can compyle And Iames Douglas with the lorde Seton And prisoners many for to geue raunson ¶ Two hundreth men vpon that felde were slayne Thre hundreth fled some hole some maymed sore That dyed at home with sorowe and with payne Some died homeward the home they came nomore Where so he fought vnto his men right thore A mery worde he wòlde saye or they met To glad theyr hartes enemyes to ouerset ¶ The .ii. yere of his reygne then he went In haruest tyme so into Scotlande And Edenburgh with the countre brente In whiche tyme the Scottes brent our lande All Bamburgh shyre in Northumberlande For both wardeyns with the kyng were gone No wardeyne there but husbandes by their owne The CC .i. Chapiter ¶ Howe Owen of Glendoure rose in Wales againe the king and made warre on the lorde Gray Ruthin and toke the lorde Graye and syr Edmonde Mortymer THe king came home and to London went At Michelmasse wher thē he had message That Owen Glendoure then felly blent In Englande sore and did full great damage For cause the lorde Graye helde his herytage And to the kyng of it full sore had playned No remedye gate so was he then demeaned ¶ The lorde Gray Ruthin did hym great wrong Destroyed his lande and he did hym the same So both Marches destroyed were full longe But Owen wanne him selfe eche day great name Of vasselrie of gentyls and of fame That he them did for whiche to him they drewe And became his men to him were full trewe ¶ So on a daye the lorde Graye and he met With great power vpon eyther syde Where then they faught in batayle sore bet And toke hym then his prysoner that tyde And there the felde he had with mikyll pryde Greate people toke and slewe home he went The lorde Graye he raunsomed at his entent ¶ Syr Edmonde then Mortimer warred sore Vpon Owen and dyd hym mekyll tene But at laste Owen laye hym before Where in batell they faught as well was sene Where Owen toke him prisoner as then ful kene With mekell folke on eyther syde slayne And set Edmonde in prysone and great payne ¶ He wrote vnto the kyng for great socoure For he had made with Owen his fynaunce To whom that kyng wolde graunt then no fauoure Ne nought he wolde thē make him cheuesaunce For to comforte his foes disobeysaunce Wherfore he laye in feters and sore prysone For none payment of his greate raunsone The CC .iii. Chapiter ¶ The Earle of Northumberlande his sonne Henry Percy stroke the batayle of Hamildon with the Scottes toke syxe Earles and discomfyte .xl. thousande Scottes IN the .iii. yere Th erle of Fyffe Murrey Of Athell and Angos Douglas also And of Menteth with barons fell that daye The nomber was .xl. thousande and mo Had brent the lande by south Northward tho To Homildon where on holy rode daye The earle them met in good stronge araye ¶ His sonne also Henry Percy was there George of Dunbar was in theyr company And with the Scottes that daye fought full sere Discomfyted them and had the victorye Six earles taken and .xl. thousande playnly Some fled some died some maimed there for euer That to Scotlande agayne came they neuer ¶ The kyng Henry thryce to wales went In the haye tyme and haruest dyuers yere In euery tyme were mystes and tempestes sent Of wethers foule that he had neuer power Glendour to noye but euer his caryage clere Owen had at certayne straites and passage And to our hoste dyd full greate damage ¶ The king had neuer but tempest foule raine As longe as he was ay in Wales grounde Rockes mystes windes stormes euer certaine All men trowed that witches it made that stounde The cōmens all then of all Englande grounde Warred his gate to Wales euery yere For haye and corne were loste both two in fere Whiche made greate derth of catell morayne And euen ay in hylles and in mountaynes Kepte him ful strong that king ay wrought in vaine The king might not but euer more held that pleines And waste his owne lord shippes his demaines And full great parte Owen had and occupyed By processe so in Wales and victoryed ¶ Th erle Henry then of Northumberland Brought to the kyng his owne prisoner Th erle of Fyffe was then I vnderstand Heire vnto the duke of Albany clere Regent that was of Scotland without pere But sir Henry his soonne then would not bryng His prisoners in no wise to the kyng ¶ But the kyng he prayed for Mortimer That raunsomed might he been with his frendes so He saied hym nay for he was taken prisoner By his consent and treson to his foo Whom he would not comfort for to ouergoo The prince his landes ne his owne to destroye For ay he had greate trust that he should hym noye ¶ The kyng hym blamed for he toke not Owen When he came to hym on his assuraunce And he aunswered then to the kyng again He might not so kepe his affiaunce To shame hym self with suche a variaunce The kyng blamed hym for his prisoner Th erle Douglas for cause he was not there ¶ And saied he should hym fette but he hym sēde Sir Henry sawe no grace for Mortimer His wifes brother he went awaye vnkende To Berwyk so and after came no nere Afore thei mette at Shrowesbury in fere Wher then thei faught for cause of his entent He purposed had Mortimer his coronoment ¶ The lordes all of England had hym hight And Owayn also on seuerne hym to mete Except therle of Stafford young to fight By their letters vnder their seales mete But in the poinct thei brake all their behete And he was slain and all the cause conselid Why he the feld tooke and the kyng appelid The CC .iii. Chapiter ¶ Howe for therle of Marche his right sir Henry Percy and sir Thomas Percy his vncle erle of Worcester faught with the kyng and were slain at the battaill of Shrewesbury wher all the lordes deceiued them the yere of Christ a thousand foure hundred and thre and of his reigne the fourth yere that were bounde to theim by their seales except therle of Stafford whiche letters I sawe in the castell of Werkeworth when I was constable of it vnder my lord sir Robert Vmfre uile who had that castell of kyng Henry his gift by forfeture of therle of Northumberland ON Madleyn euen was on the Saterdaye After long trete the prince began to fight The yere of Christ a thousād was no nay Foure hundred also and three therto full right When the battaill was streken of mikell might And of the kyng then was the fourth yere Of his reigne accompted well and clere ¶ His vncle dere was with hym there dedde His father came not out of
grouÌ„d wel whet Enuenemed sore to slee him if he had on them set ¶ Some made for hym diuers enchauntmentes To waste hym oute and vtterly destroye And some gaue hym batayle full felonoment In felde within his realme hym for to noye And on them selfes the hurte and all the anoye Ay fell at ende that honged were and heded As traytours ought to bene in euery stede ¶ This kyng dyed of his reygne in the yere Fourtene accompted of Marche that .xix. daye The sondaye was then by Kalendre Of whome the realme great ioye at first had ay But afterwarde they loued not his araye At his begynnyng full hye he was coÌ„mende With coÌ„mons then also lytell at the ende The CC .xi. Chapiter ¶ Henry the fyfth kyng of Englande and of Fraunce began to reygne the twenty daye of Marche that was saynte Cuthbertes daye and was crowned the ninth daye of Apryl the yere of Christe a thousande foure hundreth twenty two after he had reigned .ix. yere and an halfe And in the houre that he was crowned and anointed he was chaunged from all vyces vnto vertuous lyfe and lycensed the folke to offer vnto Richarde Scrop and buryed kyng Rychard at West mynster and graunted to Henry Percy his landes HEnry his soÌ„ne that prynce of wales was thaÌ„ On saynt Cuthbertes day in Marche folowynge Kyng was so as I remember canne On passyon sondaye after was this kyng Anoynted and crowned without taryeng The ninth daye it was of Apryll so With stormes fell and haylestones greate also ¶ In his fyrste yere the lorde Cobham heretike Confedered with lollers insapient Agayne the churche arose and was full lyke It to haue destroyed by theyr entendment Had not the kyng then made suppowelment And put hym fro the felde by good direccyon That sembled were by greate insurreccyon ¶ Then fled the lorde Cobham herrorious To Wales so with lollers many one Musyng in his opinyon venemous Howe that he myght destroye the churche anone But God that syt in heuen aboue alone Knowyng his herte naked of all good entent Let hym betake to haue his iudgement ¶ And put he was to prisone in the towre Of whiche he dyd escape awaye by nyght And take was agayne within an houre And after sone dampned by lawe and ryght For heresye by the clergy in syght And brent he was to ashes deed and pale Through cursed lyfe thus came he in greate bale ¶ The houre he was crowned and anoynt He chaunged was of all his olde condicyon Full vertuous he was fro poynt to poynt Grounded all newe in good opinyon For passyngly without comparyson Then set vpon all ryght and conscyence A newe man made by all good regimence ¶ He gaue leue then of good deuocyon All men to offer to byshop Scrop expresse Without lettynge or any questyon He graunted also of his hye worthynesse To laye the kyng Rycharde and Anne doutlesse His wyfe that was at Westmynster buryed As kyng Richard hym selfe had sygnifyed ¶ And fro the freres of Langley where he laye He caryed hym to Westmynster anone And buryed hym of royall greate araye With the quene Anne in tombe of marbel stone Full royally arayed as royals by them sone And to Henry Percy he grauÌ„ted his landes clere That to the duke of Bedforde then geuen were ¶ My lorde of Clarence fro GuyaÌ„ home agayne Came to the kyng with ioye greate pleasaunce The second yere of whome the kyng was fayne At Leycester then as made is remembraunce In his parlyament without varyaunce His brother Iohn duke of Bedforde create His brother vinfrey duke of Gloucester of estate ¶ Thomas Beauford that was earle of Dorcet He made duke then of Excester that whyle He gaue in charge that tyme withouten let Vnto syr Robert there Vinfreuyle By his wysdome and manhode that whyle To treate with the Scottes to get Henry Percy Layde in hostage by his grauntsirez foly The CC .xii. Chapiter ¶ Howe sir Robert Vmfreuile faught at Geteryng the third yere with the Scottes that had but seuen score speres and three hundreth howe 's on Madâ—lyn day and discomfited of theim .iiii. M. menne made chase twelfe mile on theim in to their owne land and went with the kyng to Harflite to the siege with whom I went thether THen was it warre betwene vs Scotland That sir Robert Vmfreuile might it spede But at Geteryng with Scottes haÌ„d for haÌ„d He faught on fote on Maudelyn daye in deede Wher eightene score Scottes were take I rede Three score sâ—ain a thousand putte to flight With four C. meÌ„ne discoÌ„fited theim fourth right ¶ Twelfe mile theÌ„ he made on theim great chase In to their land and home he came again To his castell of Rokesburgh in that case Whiche he had then in kepyng soth to sain Of his greate labour in harte beyng full fain With prisoners many one hurte full sore Hym self and his that then had wounded thore ¶ At Lammasse next the kyng then as he laye At Southampton therle of Cambridge toke The lord Scorp also and eke sir Thomas Graye And hedded theim the cause was who so looke Emong theim selfes for thei this counsaill toke And purposed therle of Marche to croune Kyng of England by their prouision The CC .xiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe the kyng weÌ„t in to NormaÌ„dy and steged Hareflete and gate it with greate peyn and losse of menne But who maye casâ— of rennyng houÌ„dis and many racches but he must lese some of theim THE kyng held furth by sea to Normandy With all his hoste at Kydcans landed theÌ„ And laied a siege to Hareflete myghtely On euery side by land and water wanne With bulwerkes stoute and bastell he began In whiche he putte therle of Huntyngton Th erle of Kent also of greate renoune ¶ Whiche erles twoo with other to theim assigned Cornwaile and Gray Steward also and Porter Full greate assautes made eche daye repugned Whiles at last thei bette the towne toures their And what the kyng with fagottes that there were And his connyng werching vnder the wall With his guÌ„nes castyng thei made that toure to fall ¶ And their bulwerke brent with shot of wildfyre At whiche place then therles twoo vp sette Their baners bothe without any hyre The kyng therwith his gonnes the walles bette The duke did so of Clarence without lette On the ferreside wher as he then laye Th erle Mountague did well ther alwaye ¶ The lord Gawcort that theÌ„ was their capitain Of Hareâ—lete tho with other of the toune Offred then the toune to the kyng full fain And he with other to stand at the kynges direccioÌ„ Then made he there his vncle of greate renoune Capitain of it duke of Excester than And homeward went through Fraunce like a maÌ„ The CC .xiiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe the kyng came homewarde through NormaÌ„dy and Picardie and s 〈…〉 ote the battaill of Agyncorâ— wher I was with my maister AN hundred mile to Calais had he then
Wherfore the duke loste his great auauntage And was no more then after defensour But then he fell in a greate errour Moued by his wyfe Elianor Cobham To truste her so men thought he was to blame ¶ He waxed then straunge eche day vnto that kyng For cause she was foriudged for sossery For enchaunmentees that she was in workyng Agayne the churche and the kyng cursedly By helpe of one mayster Roger Donly And into Wales he went of frowardnesse And to the kyng had greate heuynesse ¶ Wherfore the lordes then of the kinges couÌ„saile Made the kyng to set his hye parlyament At Burye then whether he came without fayle Where in parlesey he dyed incontynent For heuynesse and losse of regyment And ofte afore he was in that sykenesse In poynt of death and stode in sore destresse ¶ When of the kyng was .vii. and twenty yere Then he so dyed in full and h 〈…〉 creaunce As a christen prince of royall bloude full clere Contryte in herte with full greate repentaunce With mouth confessed to Goddes hye pleasaunce Vnto the earth that is all fleshe his neste His body went his soule to heauens reste ¶ And of the kyng the .xxix. yere In Maye â–ª the duke of Suffolke toke the sea On pilgramage to passe as dyd apere With Brigauntes then with compassed enmyte Hym slewe and heded with full great cruelte Agayne assuraunce of the kynges proteccyon That worthy were the death for insurreccyon ¶ That same yere then at the hye parlyament Was made a playne and a hole resumpcyon Of all the landes by sad and hole aduysement Whiche the kyng had geuen of his affeccyon To any wyght by patent or conccssyon Then taxe ceased and dymes eke also In all Englande then raysed were no mo The CC .xxxiii. Chapiter ¶ The duke of yorke was made protectour and chyef of councell the thyrty yere of kyng Henry the sixte and the Earle of Salisbury was chaunceller of Englande THe duke of Yorke then made was protectour And gouerned wel but .ii. yere not endured Discharged he was with passing great mur mour Of coÌ„mons hole amonge them theÌ„ ensured To helpe hym so with power auentured For he was set the comon wele to auayle By his laboure and his hole counsayle ¶ But ay the better that he to God was set The more were other by worde and dede The contrarye to laboure and to let His good purpose to pursue and to spede So that he had no hap for to procede For sotell menne hym let ay at the ende The coÌ„mon wele to mayntene and amende ¶ The Earle Richard also of Salisbury So was disposed in all thynges to the same Whiche was the cause of theyr death fynally For whiche of ryght ne muste folowe blame Their lyues well kepte had bene without shame For tho princes two died in their kynges right For the publike wele of eche Englishe wight ¶ The .xxx. yere this was then of the kyng When they the kyng then had in gouernaunce And ruled hym well in all maner thyng And made good rule and noble ordynaunce Auoyding all misrule and misusaunce For worshyp of the kyng and of his realme Without doubte or any other probleme The CC .xxxiiii. Chapiter ¶ Howe the Earle of Northumberlande the duke of Somerset and the lorde Clyfforde were slayne at saynte Albones the thyrty and .iiii. yere of his reigne where that duke of yorke the Earle of Salisbury and the earle of Warwike toke the kyng 〈◊〉 kept hym in good rule the twenty two days of Maye that was then the Thursdaye next of Pen tecoâ—t the yere of Christ a thousand foure huÌ„dred lv THei were put by from all their good entent And strauÌ„ge were hold after many a daye To the thirty yere and thre by hole consent At sainct Albones then vpon the thursdaye Accompted then next afore Witsondaye Thei slewe the duke Edmond then of Somerset For cause he had the realmes we le so lette ¶ Th erle then of Northumberland was there Of sodein chaunce drawen furth with the kyng And slain vnknowne by any manne ther were The lord Clifford ouer busie in werkyng At the barres theim mette sore fightyng Was slain that daye vpon his owne assaut As eche manne saied it was his owne defaute ¶ Th erle of Wiltshire with fiue hundred menne Fled fro the kyng full fast that tyme a waye The duke of Buckyngham was hurte there then The kyng thei tooke and saued in good araye To Wistminster with hym thei tooke the waye And ruled hym well in all prerogatife As kyng of right without any strife The CC .xxxv. Chapiter ¶ Howe that lord Audely faught with therle of Salisbury at Bloreheth at Mighelmas terme in the thirty and eight yere of his reigne ¶ Yet were these lordes voyde fro that kyng again The duke of Yorke and therle of Salisbury Th erle also of Warwike nought to layn Without cause I can not remembre why But at Bloreheth the lord Audely in hie With therle of Salisbury faught full sore Th erle preuailed and Audely slain was thore ¶ The thirty yere and eight of the kyng And so he went to Ludlowe on his waye The duke of Yorke in Wales had shippyng To Ireland then he went full well awaye Therles of March and Salisbury that daye And of Warwike as God it had purueighed To Calais went their waye no thyng denied The CC .xxxvi. Chapiter ¶ Of the battaill of Northampton wher the Earle of March therle of Warwike preuailed led the king to Westminster kept hym there the yere of his reigne right and thirty and the yere of Christ a thousaÌ„d foure hundred nyne and fiftie and slewe the duke of Bokyngham therle of Shrowisbury tresorer of England the lord Beaumont sir Thomas Percy lord Egremond and led the kyng with theim to London and gouerned hym full well and worthely the tenth daye of Iuly AT Couentree the king in his parlyament Proclaimed theim all thre for rebellours But afterward all three of one assent At Northampton came as worthy warriours In somer after to been the kyng his socours Wher then the duke of Buckyngham theim met With power greate and trust haue theim ouerset ¶ Th erle of Shrewesbury was with hym thore The lord Baumount with hym was also The lord Egremount full stout in feate of warre Whiche foure were slain with mikell people mo Beside Northampton on the Thursdaye tho The third daye of the moneth of Iuly And in the reigne of the kyng eight and thirty ¶ Thei saued the kyng kept hym sauf sound With greate honour therle of Marche Edward Th erle also of Warwike in that stound And with hym rode so furth to London ward Full worshipfully thei kept hym thens forward In all state royall as did append And as his menne vnto hym did attend The CC .xxxvii. Chapiter ¶ Howe the battaill of Wakefeld wher the North partie preuailed was the fifth daye of Christmasse and of the kyng his reigne
Of French nor Scottes ye get neuer to your pay Any treaty or trewce or good concorde But yf it be vnder your banner aye Whiche maye neuer be by reason any waye But yf youre realme stande well in vnyte Conserued well in peace and equyte ¶ Your marchis kepte also your sea full clere To FrauÌ„ce or Spaine ye may ride for your right To Portyngale Scotlande with your banner Whils your rerewarde in EnglaÌ„d staÌ„deth wyght Vnder your banner your enemies well you hight A better treaty within a lytell date Then in foure yere to your ambassate ¶ Remembred bene vnto youre excellence The tytles all that longe to youre regiment Of Scotlande hole with all my dilygence That third parte is of Britayne by extent And owe to bene at your coÌ„maundement And membre of your royall monarchye As Chroniclers haue made therof memorye ¶ Englande and Wales as to their soueraygne To you obey whiche shuld thinke shame of ryght To se Scotlande thus proudly disobeyne Agayne them two that bene of greate myght It is a shame to euery mannes syght Sith Iohn Baylioll his ryght of it resygned To kyng Edward why is it thus repugned ¶ Within thre yere theyr greate rebellyon Ye myght represse and vtterly restrayne And kepe them euer in youre possessyon For to obey youre might make them full fayne As kyng Edward dyd with hunger and with payne Them conquered hole to his subieccyon To byde euermore vnder his proteccyon ¶ Wherfore good lorde nowe girde you with your swerde And set vpon the frowarde heretykes That erren fro the two partes of the herde And strayen oute as they were litargykes Whiche haue forget their lorde as cronnatykes Hauyng no shame of theyr peruersyte Nor chaunge hewe for theyr falsyte ¶ And truste it well as God is nowe in heuen Ye shall neuer fynde the Scottes vnto you trewe Where they maye with youre enemies ay beleuen They wyll to you then alwaye be vnttewe Yet through your manhede it maye them rewe For lenger then ye haue them in subieccyon Truste neuer truth in them ne perfeccyon The CC .xli. Chapiter ¶ The kynges tytle to all his landes briefely reported with a mocyon to vnion Scotlande and Englande TO England haue ye right as ye maye se By Brutus chronycle SaroÌ„s NormaÌ„s To Wales that same ScotlaÌ„d also perde Who that the gifte and right well vnderstandes Of Iohn Bayloll howe he into the handes Of kyng Edwarde it gaue and resygned Why shulde it nowe be voyde and repygned ¶ To Fraunce youre title is writen well know For saynte Lowis to you by hole discente And Normandye all hole bothe hye and lowe Fro Willyam Conqueroure by hole entent Guyen and Poytowe withall to them appent For Elianour the mother of kyng Iohn Doughter and heyre to duke Willyam anon ¶ To Angeou also by Geffrey Plantagenet Father of Henry le fytz Empryce That of Angeou was Earle withouten let And of Mayne also a prynce of greate empryce To Irelande also by kyng Henry le fytz Of Maude doughter of fyrste kyng Henry That conquered it for theyr greate heresye ¶ To Casteil and to Lion also ye been Thenhe ritour also and verie heire By right of bloodde discended clere and clene Of Portyngale wher Lusshborne is full faire Fro kyng Petro without any dispeir For tho twoo bee the verie regions That named bee Castile and Legions ¶ Your graunsirez mother duchesse Isabell Full lady like faire and femenine To kyng Petro as I haue heard tell Was verie heire of theim by rightfull lyne To whom ye been heire as menne determyne By small hackeneys greate coursers men chastice As Arthure did by Scottes wanne all fraunchese ¶ Though scripture saieth of North all eiuill is shewed Me thynketh I can auauÌ„te it as properly That thei bee as manly learned and lewed As any folke and as muche pain maye dry Better menne of warre are not vnder the skye And of lyuyng Dauid saieth in his boke Of Scotland well who so that will it loke ¶ If ScotlaÌ„d were youres to Wales EnglaÌ„d Who hath power to make you resistence In any wise in any vncouth land Your rereward then scant in all sufficience To kepe England surely in your absence Make theim Albion and passe furth wher ye list To other landes ye nede none other trist The CC .xlii. ¶ Thexcusacion of the maker touchyng defautes of this booke and of the simplenes of it OF all maters I haue saied myne entent So as I couth espie in all wise enquere Whiche if it maye your highnes well coÌ„tent My hearte reioyseth to comfort your desire And of your grace euermore I you require For to consider my losse and my mayme in fere For Englandes right as well as I couth spere ¶ Besechyng ay vnto your royaltee If ought bee saied in this simple treatise Displeasyng to your hie nobilitee For to resume it in a better wise Hauyng my witte excused that neuer was wise And thinke I would haue meÌ„t vnto your plesauÌ„ce To whiche I lacke nothyng but suffisaunce ¶ Please it also vnto your royaltee The quene maye haue a vereie intellecte Of your eldres of greate antiquitee And of England of whiche she is electe Soueraigne lady full worthily protecte Vnder your rule and noble gouernaunce Whiche God ay kepe without variaunce ¶ The whiche should please her good femenite To reade vpon for her comfort and disporte To se and knowe the greate nobilite Of your eldres regalie and porte Whiche maye her glad alwaye and recomforte And if it maye please her souereingtie Of my labour I would reioysed bee ¶ For women haue femenine condicion To know all thynges longyng to their housband His high worship and his disposicion His hertes counsaill also to vnderstonde As at weddyng to her he made his bounde And moste of all his hertes priuetie And thestate of his good auncetrie ¶ O souereigne lorde that quene hath all fufficieÌ„ce As touchyng you but of your auncetrie In this treatise of all their excellence The quene maie se the worthy regence Of this your realme and noble monarchie Whiche hath been kept in greate nobilitee By your eldres of greate antiquitee ¶ This booke I call after my name Hardyng Sith God lent me that disposicion To enforme hym that laboured the wrytyng By plain language of small prouision Through Godes grace and his supposicion All destitute of language and science And desolate of rethoryke eloquence ¶ Moste cause was why I drew this ilke treatise To make your father haue had ê‘fecte knowlage And you also of Scotlande in all wise That percell was of your eldest heritage And of all landes moste nere your auauntage To haue it whole no more to bee dismembred Whiche might bee gote as it is afore remembred ¶ I had it leuer then Fraunce and Normandy And all your rightes that are beyonde the sea For ye maye kepe it euermore full sikirly Within your self and drede none enmytee And
not beleue to the entente that he myghte the more enbouldē certaine of his compaigny then despayryng and geuyng theimselfe to flight beganne to make a newe hoste and with many faire promyses did wowe his brother in lawe Thomas Stanley to take his parte but when that said Thomas would by no meanes fight or rebell agaynste kyng Edwarde then seeyng it was tyme to gooe one waye and he mistrustyng that he was not able to resiste the power of hys enemyes fled wyth the duke of Clarence his soonne in lawe to Excetre and whē he had taried there two or three dayes seyng that he lacked al thynges necessarye for warre purposed to gooe to Lewes the kyng of Fraunce with whom at his ambassate into Fraunce was veraye well acquaynted and beloued trustyng ether to haue some helpe of the kyng or els to incense hym wholy to fight against hym and so toke shippe at Dartmouth both he and the duke with a greate nombre of theyr familie and sayled with the wynde to Normandie where the chiefe lord of that towne entreteyned hym most royally in al the hast certified that kyng Lewes of his cōmyng thither And that kyng meruailyng greatlye at that noble actes that that erle had doen was mynded thorowly to helpe hym in all that he could when he knewe that he was lāded in Fraūce was glad of it sent to hym certayn of his nobles to shewe hym that he did wishe to haue an occasion wherby he might helpe hym at this time would gladly dooe for him desieryng hym to come to Ambassy where the kyng laye which Ambassy is a manour place of that kynges set vpō the ryuer syde of Loire the duke also his sonne in law and that it should not bee for his losse or harme This was that .ix. yere of kyng Edwardes reigne when the erle fled to Fraunce and of our Lorde a M CCCC and .lxxx. But this greued kyng Edward that thei wer fled for because many of the people and cōmunaltee was desyrous to see hym and thought that the sonne had been goone from theim and out of this worlde when he was absent And in suche estimaciō and honour was he had of the people that thei worshipped honoured none but hym or at the least none more then hym In so muche that his only name was euery mannes song voyce especially of the cōmē people when they made triumphe abrode in that stretes Wherby the moste parte helde of the earle his syde and bare hym more fauoure in theyr hartes then kyng Edward Wherby the kyng was in feare and daunger both of his owne countremen that wer in his realme and of theim that were abrode in Fraunce but before all other he did prouide for that erle his cōmyng And first he sente to Charles the duke of Burgom his brother in law desiryng him that he would manashe Lewes the kyng with whom he had made a league of peace not to aide the erle of Warkwike or that duke his sonne in lawe neither with mony nor with mē The which Charles wrote to that kyng of Fraūce thretened hym many thynges if so that he mainteyned or helped theim And when the kyng of Fraūce had red his letter aūswered again saied that he might lawfully would sauyng his league truce helpe his frēds that wer valiaūt noble men as the earle was and settyng nothyng by all his thretenyng braggyng wordes sayd it shoulde bee neither greate peyne nor coste to hym Whē these tydynges came into England that kyng was veraye sorie for that cause searched priuely in his realme who wer frēdes to his enemies And for feare by that reason of the examinaciō of theim that wer prisoners in his hand some did take sentuarie and some came to the kynges side And emonges theim the lord Marques Montacute offered hymself to the kyng again to helpe hym in his warres whom the kyng gladly receaued for because that by him mo would leane to his side In this meane season the erle of Warwike the duke went to Ambassy wher the kyng of Fraūce was by the way the people came veraye thicke to see hym because they harde so muche speakyng of his noblenesse when he came there the kyng receaued hym moste gently to whō shortly after the erle did breake his mynd and shewed the cause of his commyng To whome the kyng promysed all that he coulde dooe for hym to the vttermoste extente of his power Sone after quene Margarete the wife of Henrye that .vi. came to theim with her sōne prince Edward and the earle of Penbruck and also of Oxēforde the whiche a lytle before sayled ouer to her After they cōmuned together as concernyng that safegard of their bodies a league was made thorowe the kyng of Fraunce his counsel And first lady Anne the doughter of the earle was maried and despoused to prynce Edwarde the quenes soonne Also the erle and the duke promysed faithfullye that they woulde not geue ouer vnto suche tyme that kyng Henrye the .vi. or Edwarde his soonne were proclaymed kyng of Englande after kyng Henry that the erle and the duke should ouersee and gouerne the realme by the wyll and apoyntmente of the quene Margarete and her sonne prince Edwarde vnto suche tyme that the forenamed prince wer of lawfull age and habilitee the whiche they promysed faythfully to obserue and dooe as they wer apoynted And besydes these many other condicions were made aswel for that reason did so require as the busynes that was at that tyme. When this league of truth faithfulnes was thus made the kyng Lewes holpe the erle with mēne harnes and nauie that he might the surer go to Englāde And Rhenate also the father of y◠quene Margarete gaue hym mēne harnyse to his power So that he hauyng no small nombre of men did take shippe at Sayne mouth ther tariyng hard word from Englād by letters that he should come ouer in all the haste that there were so many that would take his parte that he shoulde haue no nede to bryng any with hym for they wer redy in harneyse at the water side willyng to helpe hym in al that they could and not they onely but many noble men princes would helpe hym both with mony men harneyse with all that they could dooe When he had receaued these letters he purposed to go forth and take the oportunitee of the tyme. And because that the quene was not redy to set forth he the duke of Oxēford and the duke of Penbruch went before with parte of that hoste nauye to trie what chaūce thei shuld haue that if all thinges should chaunce well the quene and the prynce should folowe and come vnto Englande Therfore the Earle and the Duke thanking the king as highly as they coulde for that he had doone so much for theim dyd take their leaue and sayled vnto Englande with all their
that dede being very sore moued therwith weÌ„t to the dukes place coming before his grace stode lyke a man strykeÌ„ with some sodeyn dysease very pale holding his head downe the duke maruayling at hym enquyred what the matter was To whom he sayde O moost noble duke my time is at hande thys palenes betokeneth death without remidy That I would God yt had come before this day then it should not haue greued me so much And thys all cometh to me through a deed that you haue done of late which wil ether cause me to lose my life or els to lyue in moost miserie wretchednes as one wery of thys present lyfe The noble actes that you haue doone moost noble prynce haue enhaunsed your fame glory to the fardest part of the world but this one thing me thynke I praye you pardoÌ„me what I saye is a great blemyshe to your dygnitee that forgetting the promyse that you made so faythfully haue geuen the innoceÌ„t erle of Richmounte to be destroyed pitefully killed emonge wretched knau es hangmen Wherfore they that loue you of whom I am one cannot but lamente â—o see you dyshonored by this great fault of periury WheÌ„ he had sayd the duke answered hold thy peace man I praye the ther is no such harme shal chaunce to him Edwarde the kinge woulde haue him to mary his daughter Then sayd Iohn Beleue me mooste excellente and redoubted prynce this Henry is nowe almoste famyshed and loste yf he once goo out of your countree he is but cast awaye and paste all recouerye At these wordes the duke was persuaded through the whych he commauÌ„ded one Peter LaÌ„doson hys receauer to take the same Henry froÌ„ the ambassadours The sayd receauer pursued the Englyshe ambassadours to Maclonium and there holdyng theim wyth long coÌ„munication made him to be conueyed into a seÌ„tuary whych was then almost ded through that feuer and thought whych he was caste in And so after that he was emended broughte hym to the duke The ambassadours then beyng spoiled and deceaued both of theyr pread and mony that they brought desyred that same receauer that they might not goo home in that wyse whyche receauer promised that he woulde eyther kepe hym in sentuary or eles cause hym to be imprisoned at the duke his place so that they should neuer neede to feare hym In all thys tyme Edwarde beynge desyreous to knowe what became of the Earle was enfourmed that he was taken prysoner but after that escaped they re handes where at the kinge was verye angrye but when he knewe that he should bee kepte in holde was well pleased then dyd take no thought And liued after that most welthy sparing no expeÌ„ses nor cost in kepyng his house neuertheles he dyd fall into one great offence in this time For sodeÌ„ly he coÌ„maunded his brother the duke of Clarence to be killed drowned in an hogshhed of malmesey And the cause of hys death was as men report through a certaine prophecie which sayd the after kyng Edwarde one shuld reigne whose name begaÌ„ wyth a. G. which prophecye some sayde was completed fulfilled when the duke of Glouceter the after hym had the kingdome dyd reigne Some holdeth another opinion of this his death saiyng that at what time the olde malice dyd breke out bewixt theÌ„ both the duke through his sisters councel woulde haue maried lady Mary that duke of Burgoyn his only daughter which mariage the kyng did infringe stoppe as one enuiyng of his brothers felicitee or good chaunce After that they both beryng in theyr mindes mortall hatred one of the sayde duke hys seruauntes was accused of wichcraft charming for which offence he was put to death The duke 〈…〉 g that could not but speake resist againste the 〈…〉 g his coÌ„maundement and therfore was com 〈…〉 ted to prison ther beyng was killed and procla 〈…〉 d after as a traytour to the kyng for whose 〈…〉 that the king was verye sory and whan any 〈…〉 kneled to hym and asked pardon 〈…〉 der he would saye O infortunate bro 〈…〉 that noman would aske thy pardon And this duke had .ii. children one lady Margarete that was after maried to Richard Pole an other Edward whome the kyng made earle of Warwyke but this childe folowyng the fate and destenie of his father was after putte in prisone there priuely put to death And these thinges were doone in the yere of oure Lorde a thousand foure hundreth and foure score and the .xix. yere of the reigne of kyng Edward And two yeres then after folowing the kyng died before the whiche yeres he beganne to bee very harde and couetouse in getting monye and also very diligent in marking attaching his lordes that did offend In this time the kyng of Scottes willed his sooÌ„ne Iamy to be maried to the kynges doughter lady Cicile which was the yonger that should haue been maried to Charles the kyng his soonne of Fraunce But it chaunced not thorow Lewes the kyng that brake his promise bothe in geuing his seruice and payeng his raunsome the laste yere of his reigne Likewise the kyng of Scottes seing that Lewes the kyng was false of his promise he thoughte he might bee so bolde too and so breaking league of amite sette vpon the Englishe men At the which Edward was sore vexed and entended batayl against hym yet after that he knewe the it was not by his wyll but thorowe the councell and euell disposed mindes of his lordes woulde haue borne it in good worthe had not kyng Iames owne brother streight vpon that prouoked hym to fighte Furthermore suche was the nature of the Scottishe kyng that when he had sette his minde vpon a thing no manne coulde turne hym and because that no manne mighte reproue hym in any thing he promoted laye people menne of basse bloude to his counsell putting to deathe or banishyng euermore the nobilitee Emong whom this duke of Albanie his brother consydering the condicyons of the king fled to the kyng of EnglaÌ„d at what time he was sent into FrauÌ„ce ther counsailed the kyng to fight against hym The king willing to reueÌ„ge his olde iniuries vpon many consideracioÌ„s gathered enteÌ„ded no lesse by the helpe of the saied duke of Albany then to kepe open warre So that he did send the duke of Gloucestre the erle of NorthumberlaÌ„d syr Thomas Stanley this duke of Albany with a great power of men against the Scottes The king knowing of their coÌ„ming went to Barwyke with his army to kepe theim from the borders but perceiuing that he was not hable so resist their great power fled backe in the night to Edinbrough ther taryed for his enemies And the duke of Gloucestre folowing burned and spoyled all the way when he was somewhat nighe his enemies perceiuing also that none of the Scottishe lordes came to the duke of Albanye mistrusted that some deceyte or crafte was
this I leue to Goddes iudgemeÌ„t He was none euell capitayn in warre as to whiche his disposicion was more enclyned to then to peace SoÌ„dry victories he had some ouerthrowes but neuer for defaute in his owne person either for lacke of hardynes or polytike order Fre he was of his dispences somwhat aboue his power lyberall with large giftes he gatte hym vnstedfast freÌ„dship for whiche cause he was fayn to borowe pil extorte in other places which gat hym stedfast hatred He was close secrete a depe dyssymuler lowly of couÌ„tenauÌ„ce arrogaÌ„te of herte outwardly famylyer where he inwardly hated not lettyng to kysse whome he thought to kyll dispiteous and cruell not alwaye for eiuyll wyll but after for ambycion and to serue his purpose frende fooe wer all indifferent where his auauÌ„tage grewe he spared no maÌ„nes death whose lyfe withstode his purpose He slewe in the towre kyng Henry the .vi. saiyng nowe is there no heyre male of kyng Edward the thyrde but we of the house of Yorke whiche murder was done without kynge Edwardes assent whiche would haue appoynted that bocherlye office to some other rather then to his owne brother Some wise meÌ„ also wene that hys drift lacked not in helpyng forth his owne brother of Clarence to his death whiche thyng in all apparaunce he resisted although he inwardly mynded it And the cause thereof was as men notynge his doynges and procedynges did marke because that he longe in kyng Edwardes tyme thought to opteyne the croune in case that the kyng his brother whose life he loked that euyl dyet would sone shorten should happeÌ„ to disease as he did in dede his chyldreÌ„ beyng youÌ„g And then that if duke of Clarence had lyued his pretensed purpose had been farre hyndered For yf the duke of Clarence had kept hym self true to his nephewe the yong kyng or would haue takeÌ„ vpoÌ„ him to be kyng euery one of these castes had been a troumpe in the duke of Gloucesters waye but when he was sure that hys brother of Clarence was dead then he knewe that he might woorke without ieopardye But of these poyntes there is certentie and whosoeuer deuyneth or coÌ„iectureth maye as well shote to ferre as to shorte but this coÌ„iecture afterward toke place as fewe dooe as you shall ê‘ceaue here after But afore I declare to you howe this Rychard duke of Gloucestre began his mischeuous imagened pretenced enterprise as apê‘antly shal be opened I must a litle putte you in remeÌ„brauÌ„ce of a louyng and charitable acte no lesse profitable theÌ„ amiable to that whole coÌ„mynaltie if it had been so inwardely thought as it was outwardly dissimuled whiche kyng Edward did liyng on his deathe bedde not long before he dyed for in his life althoughe that the deuision emongest his frendes somewhat greued yrked hym yet in his helth he lesse regarded tooke hede to it by reason that he thought that he was hable in all thynges to rule bothe ê‘ties were thei neuer so obstinate But in his last sickenesse whiche coÌ„tinued longer then false fantasticall tales haue vntruly falsely surmised as I my self that wrote this pamphlet truly knew wheÌ„ he perceiued his natural streÌ„gth was gone hoped litle of recouery by the artes of al his phicysyans whiche he perceaued onely to prolong his life TheÌ„ he began to consider the youth of his children howe be it he nothyng lesse mistrusted then that that happened yet he wisely forseyng and consideryng that many harmes might ensue by that debate of his nobles while the youth of his children should lacke discrecion and good counsaill of their frendes for he knew well that euery part would woorke for their owne coÌ„moditee and rather by plesaunt aduise to wynne theim selfes fauour theÌ„ by ê“fitable aduertismeÌ„t to do that childreÌ„ good wherfore liyng on his death bed at Westminster he called to hym suche lordes as theÌ„ wer aboute hym whoÌ„ he knewe to be at variaunce in especiall the lord marques Dorset soonne to the quene the lord Hastynges against whoÌ„ the quene especially grudged for that fauor that the kyng bare hym also she thought him familier with the kyng in waÌ„ton coÌ„paignie hir kynne bare hym sore aswel for that the kyng made hym capitain of Caleys which office the lord Riuers brother to the quene claimed of that kynges former promise as of diuerse other giftes whiche he receaued that thei loked for when these lordes with diuerse other of both parties were come vnto that kynges presens he caused hymself to be raised vp with pillous as I caÌ„ gesse saied thus or muche like in seÌ„teÌ„ce to theim My lordes my dere kynsmeÌ„ alies in what plight I nowe lye you se I ê‘fectly fele by that whiche I looke that lesse while to liue with you therfore that more depely I am moued to care in what case I leue you for suche as I leue you suche are my children like to fynd you whiche if thei shuld fynd at variauÌ„ce as god forbid thei theim felfes might hap to fall at werre or their discresioÌ„ wuld serue to set you at peace you sâ— their youth of whiche I rekeÌ„ the onely suerty to rest in your concord For it suffiseth not all you to loue theim if eche of you hate other if thei wer meÌ„ your feithfullnes might hap to suffice but childhod must be mainteined by meÌ„nes autorite slipê‘ youth vnderproÌ„pted with elder couÌ„saill whiche thei can neuer haue except you geue it nor you geue it except you agre for wher eche laboureth to breake that other maketh for hatred eche impugneth others couÌ„sail ther must nedes be a loÌ„g tract or any good coÌ„clusioÌ„ can forward And ferther while eche ê‘tie laboreth to be chief flaterer adulacioÌ„ shall theÌ„ haue more place theÌ„ plain feithful aduise of whiche must nedes ensue that euill bringyng vp of yâ— priÌ„ce whose mynd iÌ„ teÌ„der youth infecte shall redily fall to mischief riot drawe doune this noble realme to ruyne But if grace turne hym to wisdome whiche god seÌ„d hym theÌ„ thei which by eiuill meanes pleased hym best shall after fal farthest out of fauour so that at the leÌ„gth euell driftes driue to naught good plain wayes ê“sper florishe Great variauÌ„ce hath euer beeÌ„ betwene you not alwais for great causes Some tyme a thyng right wel enteÌ„did miscoÌ„strued hath been turned to that woorse or a smal displeasure dooeÌ„ to you ether by your owne affecioÌ„ ether by instigacioÌ„ of eiuill tooÌ„ges hath been sore agrauate But this I wot well you had neuer so great cause of hatred as you haue of loue because we be men that we be all christeÌ„ meÌ„ This I will leaue to prechers to tell you yet I wot not whether any pÌ„chers wordes ought more to moue you theÌ„ that his gooyng by by to yâ— place that thei all preche of But this shal I desire you to remeÌ„bre that the one part
arrande was not onely one maÌ„nes mynde or were it for that the protectoure entended not in this matter to trust one manne alone or els if she finally were determined to kepe hym some of the compaignie had paraduenture some secrete instruccioÌ„ incontineÌ„t maugre her will to take hym and to leaue her no respyte to conueigh hym When the quene and the lordes were come together in presence the Cardynall shewed vnto her that it was thought to the lord protectour and the whole caunsaill that hir kepyng of that kynges brother in that place highly souÌ„ded not onely to that grudge of the people and their obloquy but also to the unportable greefe and displeasure of that kyng his royall maiestie to whose grace it were a synguler coÌ„forte to haue his naturall brother in compaignie and it was their bothes dishonoures and theirs hirs also to suffre hym in sanctuarye as though the one brother stoode in daungier and perell of the other And he shewed her ferther that the whole counsaill had sent hym to requyre of her the delyuerye of hym that he might bee brought to that kyng his presence at his libertie oute of that place whiche meune reconed as a prisone there should he bee demeaned accordyng to his estate and degree and she in this doyng should bothe dooe greate good to the realme pleasure to the couÌ„saill profite to her self succoure to her frendes that were in destresse ouer that whiche he wist well she speciallye tendered not onelye greate conforte honoure to the kyng but also to the younge duke hym self whose bothe greate wealthe it were to bee together aswell for many greater causes as also for their bothe dysporte recreacyon whiche thynges the lordes estemed not sleight though it semed light well poÌ„de ryng that their youthe without recreacion and playe caÌ„not endure ner any estraunger for the conuenieÌ„cie of bothe their estates so metely in that poinct for any of theim as the either of theim for theother My lorde ê™ the quene I saie not naye but that it were very conueniente that this gentlemanne whom you requyre were in the compaignie of the kyng his brother and in good faith me thynketh it were as greate commodite to theim bothe as for yet a while to bee in the custodie of their mother the tendre age consydered of the elder of theim bothe but in especiall the younger whiche besydes his infancye that also nedeth good lookyng too hath awhyle been so sore deseased with syckenesse and is so newlye rather a lytle amended then well recouered that I dare putte no persone earthely in trust with his kepyng but my self onely consyderyng there is as phisicians saie and as we also fynde double that perell in the resylynacion that was in the first syckenesse with whiche desease nature beyng sore laboured forweried weaked waxeth the lesse hable to bear oute a newe surfett 〈…〉 And albeit there might bee fouÌ„den other that would happely dooe their best vnto hym yet is there none that ether knoweth better howe to ordre hym then I that so loÌ„g haue kepte hym or is more tendrely like to cherishe hym then his owne mother that bare hym No maÌ„ne denieth good madame ê™ yâ— cardinall but that your grace of all folke were moost necessarie aboute your chyldreÌ„ so would all that couÌ„saill not only bee content but also glad yâ— it were if it might stand with your pleasure to be i suche place as might staÌ„de with their honour But if you apoinct your self to tarie here theÌ„ thynke thei it more coÌ„uenieÌ„t the Duke of Yorke were with that kyng honorably at his lybertie to the coÌ„forte of theim bothe then here as a sanctuary maÌ„ne to their bothe dishonoure and obloquy sith there is not alwaie so greate necessite to haue that childe with the mother but that occacioÌ„ sometyme maye bee suche that it should bee more expedieÌ„t to kepe hym els where whiche in this well apereth that at suche tyme that your moost derest soonne theÌ„ prince nowe kyng should for his honour good ordre of the countre kepe houshold in Wales farre out of your kepyng your grace was well coÌ„tent therw t your self Not very well content ê™ the quene pet the case is not like for theone was then in helth theother is nowe sicke in whiche case I meruell greatly why my lord protectour is so desierous to haue hym in his kepyng where if the childe in his sickenesse miscaried by nature yet might he roÌ„ne into slaunder and suspicion of fraude And thei call it a thyng so sore against my childes honoure and theirs also that he abideth in this place it is all their honoures there to suffre hym abide wher no manne doubteth he shal be best kepte and that is here while I am here whiche as yet entend not to come foorth and ieopard my selfe after other of my freÌ„des whiche would God were rather here in suertie with me then I were there in ieoperdie with theim Why Madame ê™ the lord Hawarde knowe you any thyng why thei should bee in ieopardie Naye verely ê™ she nor why thei should bee in prisone neither as thei nowe bee but I trowe it is no greate maruell though I feare leaste those that haue not letted to put theim in duraunce with out coloure will let as litle to procure their distrucion without cause The cardinall made a countenaunce to the lord Haward that he should harpe no more vpon that stryng and theÌ„ saied he to the quene that he nothyng doubted but those lordes of her kynne the whiche remeyned vnder a rest should vpon the matter â—ramined dooe well ynough and as toward her noble persone was neither could bee any maner of ieopardie Wherby should I truste that ê™ that quene in that I am guyltlesse as though thei were guyltie in that I am with their enemies better beloued then thei wheÌ„ thei hate theim for my sake in that I am so nere to the kyng and howe ferre bee thei of that would helpe as God seÌ„de grace thei hurt not And therfore as yet I purpose not to departe hence as for this gentlemanne my soonne I minde he shall be wher I am till I se further for I se some meÌ„ne so gredy whthout any substanciall cause to haue hym whiche maketh me muche more afrayd and scrupulous to delyuer hym Truly madame ê™ the cardynall the more afrayde that ye bee to delyuer hym the more other menne feareth to suffre you to kepe hym leaste youre causelesse feare mighte cause you farther to conueye hym many thynke he can here haue no pryuiledge whiche can haue neyther wyll to aske it nor yet malyce or offence to nede it And therfore they recon no priuiledge broken although they fetche hym out of sanctuarye whiche yf you fynallye refuse to delyuer hym I thynke verely the councel wil enfraunchese hym so muche drede hathe my lorde his vncle for the teÌ„dre loue he beareth hym least your grace should sende hym
her in her age aduersite but me semeth that chauÌ„ce so much more worthy to be remeÌ„bred in howe muche after welth she fâ—ll to pouerte froÌ„ richesse to beggerie vnfreÌ„ded oute of aquayntaunce after great substauÌ„ce after so great fauoure with her prince after so great suite and seking to as many other menne were in their times whiche be nowe famous onlye by the infamye of theyr euell dedes her doinges were not muche lesse remembred because they were not so euell for none vse to wryte an euell turne in marble stone but a good turne they write in the duste whiche is not worste proued by her for after her welthe she wente begginge of manye that hadde begged theim selfes yf she had not holpen theim suche was her chaunce Nowe was it deuysed by the protectoure and his counsayle that the same daye that the lorde chaumberlayne was behedded in the towre of LoÌ„don and aboute the same houre should be behedded at Poumfret the earle Riuers the lorde Richard the quenes soonne sir Thomas Vaugham and syr Richard Haute which as you haue harde were taken at Northampton and Stonye Stratforde by the consent of the lorde Hastinges which execucion was done by the ordre in the presence of sir Richard Ratcliff knight whose seruice yâ— protectoure specially vsed in the councell in the execucion of suche lawlesse enterprises as a manne that had bene longe secrete wyth hym hauynge experyence of the worlde and shrewed wytte shorte rude in speche rough and boysterours of behaue oure bold in myshiefe as farre from pitie as from feare of God Thys knyghte broughte these foure persoonnes to the scaffolde at the daye appoynted and shewed to all the people that they were traytoures notsufferynge the lordes to speake and to declare theyr innocencye leaste their wordes myghte haue inclyned menne to pytie theym and to hate the protectour and hys part and so wyth oute iudgemente and processe of the lawe caused theim to bee behedded withoute other erthly gylt but onely that they were good menne true to the kyng and to nye to the quene insomuche as Syr Thomas Vaughan going to his deathe saied A wo woorth theim that tooke the prophecie that 〈◊〉 should destroy kyng Edwardes children mea 〈…〉 that by the duke of Clarence lorde George which for that suspicion is nowe dead but nowe remayneth Richard G. duke of Gloucetre whiche nowe I see is he that shall wyll accomplishe the prophecye and destroye kyng Edwardes chyldren all theyr alyes and frendes as it appereth by vs this daye whom I appele to the hygh tribunal of God for his wrongful murder and oure true innocencye and then Ratclyffe saied you haue well apeled laye downe your hed ye ê™ Syr Thomas I dye in ryght beware you dye not in wrong and so that good knight was beheded and that other .iii. and buried naked in the monastery at Pomfret When the lorde Hastinges and these other lordes and knyghtes were thus behedded ryd oute of the waye then the Protectoure caused it to bee proclaimed that the coronacyon for dyuerse great and vrgent causes shoulde be deferred tyll the second day of Nouembre for then thought he that whyle men mused what the matter ment whyle the lordes of the realme were aboute hym oute of their owne strengthes and while no manne wyste what to thynke nor whome to truste or euer they should haue tyme and space to digest the matter and make partes it were best hastely to pursue his purpose and put hym selfe in possessyon of the croune or menne coulde haue tyme to deuise any wyse to resyst But nowe was all the studye thys matter beynge of it selfe so heynous myghte bee fyrst broken to the people in such wise as it might be well taken To thys counsayle they tooke dyuerse suche as they thoughte metely to be trusted and lykelye to be enduced to that parte and hable to stande them in stede ether by powre or by pollycy Amonge whoâ—e they made a counsayle Edmounde Shaa then mayre of LondoÌ„ whych vpoÌ„ truste of his owne auauncement wher he was of a proude heart hyghly desyreous toke on hym to frame the cyte to theyr appetite Of spirituall meÌ„ they tooke suche as had wyt and were in auctorytee emongest the people for opynion of theyr learnynge and hadde no scrupulous conscyence Emongest these had they tooke Raffe Shaa clerke brother to the Mayre and Freer Pynkie prouyncyall of the Augustyne Freers both doctoures in diuinitee both great preachers both of more learning then vertue of more fame then learnyng yet of more lernyng then truthe For they wer before greatelye estemed emonge the people but after that neuer none of these two were regarded Shaa made a sermonde in prayse of the protectour before the coronacion and Pynky made one after the coronation bothe so full of tedious flatterye that no good mans eares coulde abyde theÌ„ Pynkye in hys sermonde so lost hys voyce that he was fayne to leaue of and come downe in the myddest Doctoure Shaa by hys sermonde loste hys honestye and soone after hys lyfe for verye shame of the worlde into the whyche he durst neuer after much come abrode but the Freer forced for no shame and so yt harmed him the lesse How beit some doubte and many thyncke that Pinkey was not of counsayl before the coronation but after the common maner fell to flattery after namely because his sermounde was not incontinente vpon it but at Saynt Mary Spittle the Eastre after But certayne it is that Doctoure Shaa was of counsayle in the begynnynge in so muche that they determyned that he shoulde fyrst breke the matter in a sermoÌ„d at Paules crosse in which he shulde by the authorytee of hys preachyng induce the people to enclyne to the protectoures ghoostly purpose But nowe was all the laboure and studye in the deuyse of some conuenyent pretexte for whyche the people shoulde be contente to depose the prynce and accepte the protectoure for kyng In whyche dyuerse thynges they deuysed but the chiefe thynge and the weyghte of all that inuention rested in thys that they shoulde alledge bastardy in kynge Edwarde hym selfe or in his chyldren or both so that he should seme disabled to enherite the crowne by the duke of yorke and the prynce by hym To laye basterdy in king Edward sounded openly to the rebuke of the protectoures owne mother which was mother to the bothe For in that poynte coulde bee none other colour but to pretend that hys owne mother was an auoutresse but neuerthelesse he woulde that poynt should be lesse and more fynely and closely handled not euen fully playne and dyrectlye but touched a slope craftely as though menne spared in that poynte to speake all the truthe for feare of his displeasure But that other poynt concerning the basterdy that they deuysed to surmise in king Edwardes children that woulde he shoulde be openly declared and enforced to the vttermost The coloure and pretexte
the least rule more suite in his daies was to Shores wife a vile abhominable strompet then to all the lordes in England excepte vnto those that made her their Protectoure which simple woman was yet wel named honest tyll the Kynge for his luste and synfull affeceyon berefte her from her husband a right honest man and substanciall amongest you And in that point whiche in good fayth I am sorye to speake of sauing that it is vayne to kepe in councell that thyng that all menne knoweth the kynges gredy appetite was insaciable and euerye where ouer all the realme intollerable For no womanne was there any where younge or olde poore or ryche whome he set his iye vpon whome he any thing liked eyther for persone or beautie speche pace or countenaunce but without any feare of God or respecte of his honoure murmoure or grudgyng of the worlde he would importunately pursue his appe tite haue her to the great distruccion of many a good womanne and greate doloure to theyr husbandes and frendes whiche being honest people of theim selues so much regarded the clennesse of their houses the chastitee of their wiues and children that theim were leuer to loose all that they haue beside then to haue suche a vilame done to theim And albeit that with this and other importable dealing the realme was in euery place anoyed yet specially you the citezens of this noble citee as for that amongest you is moost plentie of suche thinges as minister matter to suche iniuries as for that you wer nerest hand sith that nere here about was his moost cōmon abidyng And yet bee ye people whome he had as synguler a cause well and trewelye to intrete as any parte of his realme not only for that the Prynce by this noble citee as of his speciall chaumbre and renoumed citee of this realme muche honourable fame receaueth amongest all other nacyons but also for that you nowe withoute youre greate coste and sondrye fauoures and ieopardyes in al his warres bare euer youre especyall fauoure to hys parte whych your kynd myndes borne to that house of Yorke sith he hath no thīgworthely requited you ther is of that house now whyche by Goodes grace shall make you full recompence which thyng to shew you is the whole somme and effecte of oure errande It shal not I wote well nede that I rehersed vnto you agayne that you all redy haue hearde of him that can bet ter tell it and of whom I am sure ye wyll better beleue it and reason it is that it so be I am not so proude to loke therfore that you shoulde receaue my wordes of so greate authorytee as the preachers of the worde of God namely a man so connyng so wyse that no man wotteth better what he should do say and thereto so good and vertuous that he would not say the thynge which he wyst he shoulde not saye in the pulpyt namely in to the whiche no honeste manne commeth to lye which honourable preacher ye wel remember substancyally declared to you at Poules crosse on sō daye laste past the ryght and tytle of the most excellent prynce Rychard Duke of Glouceter nowe protectoure of thys hys realme whych he hath vn to the croune of the kingdome of the same For the worshipful man made yt perfytely and groundly open vnto you The chyldren of kynge Edwarde the .iiii. wer neuer laufully begotten for as much as the kynge lyuyng hys very wyfe dame Elizabeth Lucy was neuer laufully maried to the quene theyr mother whose blood sauyng he set hys volupteous pleasure before hys honour was ful vn metely to be matched with his the mynglyng of which two bloodes together hath bene the effusiō of a gret part of the noble blod of this realme wher by it may well be sene that mariage was not well made of which ther is so much myschiefe growen For lacke of which laweful copulatiō also of other thinges which the sayd worshipful doctour rather signified thē vtterly explaned which thing shall not be spoke for me as the thing that euery mā forbeareth to say that he knoweth in aduoiding the dy spleasour that my noble lorde protectour bearing as nature requireth a filiall reuerence to the duches his mother For these causes before remembred I say that for lack of yssue lawfully cōming of the late noble prince Richard duke of york to whose roial blod the crownes of Englād of Fraūce ar by high aucthoritee of parliament entayled the right tytle of the same is by iuste course of enheritaūce according to the comon law of this land deuoluted come vnto the moost excellent prince the lord protectour as to the very lawful begotten soonne of the fore remēbred noble duke of yorke whiche thing wel cōsidered the knightly prowesse with many vertues which in his noble person singulerly do habound The nobles comons of this realme and specially of that north partes not willīg any bastard blood to haue the rule of the lād nor the abusions in the same before vsed exercised any lēger to cōtinue haue fully condiscended vtterly determyned to make hygh peticiō vnto y◠puisaunt prince the lord protectour that it may lyke his grace at our humble request to take vpō him the guiding go uernaūce of this realme to the welth increase of the same according to his very right iust title which thing I wote wel he wylbe loth to take vpon him as he whose wisdome wel perceueth the labour study both of mynd body that shal come ther with to hī whosoeuer shal occupy the rome I dare say he wyl yf he take it for I warrāte you that that roome is no childes office that the greate wise man wel perceaued whē he sayd Ve regno cuius rex puer est wo to that realme whose king is a chylde wherefore so much more cause haue we to thank god that this noble personage which is so righteously ētitled therto is of so sad age therto of so great wisdome ioyned with so gret experiēce which albeit he wylbe loth to take vpon hī yet shal he to our peticiō in the behalfe the more graciously encline if ye the worshipful cytezins of this cite beyng the chefe cite of the realme ioyne with vs the nobles in our sayd request which for your owne weale we doubte not but that ye wyll And yet neuerthelesse we pray you so to do wherby ye shall do great profite to all this his realme Beside that in chosinge then so good a kinge yt shal be to your selfe a special commodite to whom his maiesty shal euer after bear so much the more tender fauour in how much he shal perceaue you the more prone and beneuolentlye mynded toward his eleccion wherin dere frendes what mynd you haue we require you playnelye to shewe vs Whē the duke had said loked that the people whom he hoped that the maire had
been required by Thomas Hutton purposely sent to hym from kyng Richard in message with monye efte sones to imprisone the saied Henry erle of Richemoūt and there continually to kepe and holde the same frome cōminge into Englande yet with all gladnesse and fauoure inclined to the desyre of Henry and aided hym as he might with menne monye shypes and other necessaryes But Henry whyle he might accordynglye appoynte and furnyshe hym selfe remayned in Brytayne sendyng afore the foresayde Hughe Coneway and Thomas Ramney whiche two were to hym very trewe and faithful to beare tidynges into Englande vnto his frendes of his commynge to the ende that they myghte prouydentlye ordre all thynges aswell for the commodyous receauynge of hym at his comminge as also foreseynge suche daungers as myghte befalle and aduoydinge suche trappes and snares as by Rycharde the thyrde and hys complyces myght bee sette for hym and for all his other company that he should bryng with hym In the meane tyme the frendes of Henrye with all care studye and dilygence wroughte all thynges vnto their purpose belongynge And thoughe all this were as secretlye wrought and conueyed as emonge so greate a nombre was possible to be yet pryuye knowledge therof came to the eares of kyng Rychard who althoughe he were at the firste hearynge muche abasshed yet thought best to dyssemble the matter as thoughe he had no knowledge therof whyle he myghte secretly gather vnto hym power and strengthe and by secrete spyall emonge the people get more perfyght knowledge of the whole matters and chiefe autoures contryuers of the same And because he knewe be chiefe princypal of theim as vnto whō his owne conscience knewe that he hadde geuen moste iust causes of enemytee he thought it necessary first of all to dyspatche the same duke oute of the waye Wherfore vnto the duke he addressed letters enfarced and replenyshed with all humanytee frendshippe famylyaritee and swetenesse of woordes wyllyng and desyryng the same to come vnto hym with all conuenyent spede And ferther gaue in commaundemente to the messenger that caryed the letters that he shoulde in his behalfe make many high and gaye promyses vnto the duke by all gentle meanes persuade the same to come vnto hym But the duke mystrustyng the fayre woordes promyses so sodenly offred of hym of whose wylye craftes and meanes he knewe sondrye exsamples afore practised desyred the kynges perdon excusyng him self that he was deseased sicke and that he might be asserteined the if it possyble wer for hym to come he would not absent hym self frō his grace Thys excuse the kyng would not admitte but eftsones directed vnto the duke other letters of a more roughe sorte not wythoute manacynge and threatenynge onlesse he woulde accordynge to hys dutye repayer vnto hym at hys callynge whereunto the duke plainely made aunswer that he woulde not come vnto him whom he knewe to be hys enemye And immedyatelye the duke prepared hym selfe to make warre agaynst hym and perswaded all hys complyces and partakers of hys intente wyth all possyble expedycion some in one place and some in another to sturre agaynste kynge Rycharde And by thys meanes in maner at one tyme and houre Thomas Marques of Dorcester reysed an armye wythin the country of Yorke beyng hym selfe late come forthe of sāctuarye and by the meanes and helpe of Thomas Rowell preserued and saued frome perel of death Also in Deuonshyre Edwarde Courtenay wyth hys brother Peter byshoppe of Excetter reysed in lyke maner an armye and in Kent Rychard Guyl ford accompanied wyth certayn other gentylmen caysed vp the people as is a foresayde all thys was done in maner in one moment But the king who had in the meane tyme gathered together gret power strēgth thynkyng yt not to be best by pursuyng euery one of hys enemyes to dysparkle hys cōpaygnie in smal flokes determyned to let passe all the others withal his whole puisaunce to set vpon the chiefe heade that is to saye the Duke of Buckynghm̄ so takyng his iourneye from Londō he went towardes Salisbury to th entent that he might sette vpon the said duke in case he might haue perfight knowledge that the same laye in any felde embatailed And nowe was the kyng within twoo dayes iourney of Salisbury when the duke attempted to mete hym beyng accompaignied with great strength of Welshmen whom he had therunto en forced coherted more by lordly commaundement then by lyberall wages and hyre whiche thyng in deede was the cause that thei fell from hym and forsooke hym Wherfore beyng sodenly forsaken of his menne he was of necessite constrained to flee in whiche dooyng as a manne cast in sodeine and therfore greate feare of this the sodeine chaunge of fortune by reason of thesame feare not knowyng where to become nor where to hyde his hed nor what in suche case best to dooe he secretly conueighed hym self into the hous of Homffraye Banastar in whom he had conceaued a sure hope and confidence to finde faithfull and trustie vnto hym because thesame had been thē was his seruaunt entendyng there to remayne in secrete vntill he might either reise a newe armie or els by some meanes cōueigh hym self into Brytein to Henry erle of Rychemount But assone as theothers whiche had attempted thesame entrepryse against the kyng had knowledge that the duke was forsaken of his compaignie and fled and could not bee foūde thei beyng stryken with sodein feare made euery māne for hym self suche shift as he might and beyng in vtter despayre of their health and life either gotte theim to sāctuaryes or deserte places or els assaied to escape ouer sea many of theim in deede arryued sauely in Britain emong whom were these whose names ensue Peter Curteney bishop of Exceter with his brother Edward erle of Deuonshire Thomas marques of Dorcestre with his soonne Thomas beyng a verye yoūg chylde Ihō Bourshere Ihon Welshe Edward Wooduyle a stoute manne of armes and brother to Elizabeth the quene Robert Willoughby Gyles Dawbeneye Thomas Harondell Ihon Cheiny with his twoo brethren Wyllyam Berkeley Wyllyam Brandō with Thomas his brother Rychard Edgecome and all these for the moste parte knightes Also Ihon Halwell Edwarde Poyntz an excellēt good capitain Christopher Vrswicke but Ihon Moorton bishop of Ely at theself same tyme together with sondrye of the nobles and gentlemen sailed into Flaundres But Richard the kyng who was nowe come to Salisbury and had gotten perfight knowledge that all these parties sought to slie the realme with all dyligence and hast that might bee sent to all the porte tounes theraboute to make sure steye that none of theim might passe vntaken and made proclamacion that whosoeuer would bryng hym knowledge where the duke of Buckynghm were to bee had should haue for his rewarde if he were a bōdeman his frebome and if he were fre his pardon and besydes that a thousand pounde of moneye Furthermore because he vnderstode by
Peter receaued from kyng Richard the confirmacion of the graunte and promises made for the betreiyng of Henry and the other nobles Wherfore the saide Peter sente oute after hym horses and menne with suche expedicion and spede to haue taken hym that scacely the erle was entred Fraunce one houre but they were at his heles The Englyshe menne then beyng aboue the noumbre of thre hundreth at Veneti hearing that the Earle and all the nobles were fled so sodeinly and withoute any of their knowledge were astonyed and in maner despaired of theyr lyues But it happened contrary to theyr exspectacyon for the duke of Britaine taking the matter so vnkyndely that Henry should bee so vsed with hym that for feare he shoulde bee compelled to flee his lande was not a lytle vexed with Peter to whom althoughe that he was ignoraunte of the fraude and crafte that had been wrought by hym yet he layed the whole faute in hym and therfore called vnto hym Edward Poyninges Edward Wood vile deliuering vnto theim the foresayde monye the Henrye before had desyred the Duke to lende hym towarde the charge of his iourney and commaunded theim to conuey and conducte all the English menne his seruauntes vnto hym paying theyr expenses and to deliuer the sayde some of monye vn to the earle When the earle sawe his menne come and hearde this comfortable newes he not a lytle reioysed desiring the messengers that returned to shewe vnto the duke that he trusted ere long time to shewe him selfe not to bee vnthankeful for this greate kyndnesse that he nowe shewed vnto hym And within fewe dayes after the earle went vnto Charles the French kyng to whome after he had rendred thankes for the great benefites and kind nesse that he had receaued of hym the cause of his comming fyrste declared then he besought him of his helpe and ayde whiche shoulde bee an immor tall benefite to hym and his lordes of whome generallye he was called vnto the kyngdome forasmuch as they so abhorred the tiranny of kyng Rychard Charles promised hym helpe and bade him to be of good chere to take no care for he would gladly declare vnto hym his beneuolence And the same tyme Charles remoued and tooke with hym Henry and all the other noble menne Whyle Henry remained there Iohn Earle of Oxenford of whome is before spoken which was put in prisone by Edward the fourth in the castell of Hammes with also Iames Blounte Capteine of that castell and Iohn Forskewe knyghte Porter of the towne of Caleies came vnto hym But Iames the capitain because he lefte his wife in the castell dyd furnyshe the same with a good garison of men before his departure Henry when he sawe therle was out of measure glad the so noble a man and of greate experience in battayl and so valiaunt hardie a knight whom he thought to bee moste feithfull and sure for somuche as he had in the time of Edward the fourth continuall battail with hym in defending of Henry the syxte thought that nowe he was so well apointed that he coulde not desire to bee better and therfore coÌ„municated vnto hym all his whole affaires to bee ordred and ruled only by hym Not longe after Charles the Frenche kyng remoued again to Paris whome Henry folowed and there againe moued and besoughte the kyng as he had moste fauourably kindely entreteigned hym all this time not only in wordes but also in dedes that it would lykewise please hym yet so much further to extend his fauoure beneuolence vnto hym that nowe he woulde ayde and helpe hym forwarde in his iourney that not onely he but also all the lordes and nobilytee of Englande myghte iustely haue cause to knowlage and confesse that by the meane of his fauoure and goodnesse they were restored againe to the possessyon of their enherytaunces whiche withoute hym they coulde not well bryng to passe In the meane while his fortune was suche the many Englyshe menne came ouerdaylye oute of Englande vnto him and many whiche then were in Paris amonge whome were diuerfe studenteÌ„s that fell vnto his parte bothe more and lesse and specially there was one whose name was Richard Foxe a Preest beyng a manne of a synguler good wytte and learning whome Henry streyght waye reteigned and coÌ„mitted all his secretes vnto hym and whome also afterward he promoted to many hyghe promocyons and at the laste he made hym bishop of Winchester Richarde then hearyng of all this conspiracye and of the greate ayde that dayly wente ouer vnto Henry thought yet for all this that if he might bring to passe that Henry should not couple in maryage with the blood of king Edwarde that then he shoulde dooe well ynoughe with hym and kept hym from the possessyon of the croune Then deuysed he with hym selfe all the wayes and meanes that myghte bee howe to bryng this to passe And fyrste he thoughte it to bee beste with fayre woordes large promesses to attempte the quene whose fauoure obteygned he doubted not but shortelye to fynde the meanes to haue bothe her doughters oute of her handes into his owne and then rested nothynge but yf he hym selfe myghte fynde the meanes after warde to marye one of the same doughters whereby he thought he shoulde make all sure and safe to the vtter disapoyntinge of Henrye Wherupon he sente vnto the Quene then beynge in the Sanctuarye dyuerse and sondrye messengers that shoulde excuse and pourge hym of his facte afore dooen towardes her settynge forthe the matter with plesaunte woordes and hye promyses bothe to her and also her sonne Thomas lorde Marques of Dorset of all thynges that coulde be desyred These messengers beyng men of grauitee handled the quene so eâ—â—ftly that anone she beganne to bee alured and to herken vnto theim fauourably so that in conclusion she promysed to be obedient to the kyng in his request forgettyng the iniuries he had dooen to her before and on the other parte not remembryng the promesse that she made to Maigarete Henryes mother And first she delyuered both her doughters into the handes of kyng Rychard then after she sent preuely for the Lorde Marques her sonne beyng then at Parys with Henry as ye haue heard wyllyng hym to forsake Henrye with whome he was and spedely to returne into Englande for all thynges was perdoned and forgeuen she again in fauoure and frendship of the kyng and it should be highly for his aduauncement and honoure Kyng Richard wheÌ„ quene Elizabeth was thus brought into a fooles paradyce after he had receaued al his brothers doughters from the sanctuary into his palayce thought there nowe remayned nothyng to be dooen but only the castyng awaye and destroiyng of his owne wife whiche thynge he had wholy purposed and decreed within hym selfe And there was nothyng that feared hym so much from this mooste cruell detestable murder as the losyng of the good opynion the he thought the people had conceyued of hym for as
There were kylled at that vattaill with their fiue capitaines spoken of euen now of that partie about foure thousand Of the kynges part there were not halfe of theim whiche fought in the forewarde slain TheÌ„ was Lambert the child whiche was falsly reported to bee the Dukes soonne of ClareÌ„ce and his maister sir Richard Simond preest both taken but neither of theim putte to death because Lambert was yet but a child and did seme to dooe that more by compulsion of his maister theÌ„ of his owne will and the other was a preest whiche for his defaulte was cast into perpetuall prisone But this Lambert was taken into the Kynges kechin and after was made one of the kynges faukeners and is yet a lyue And thus was all that Margarete went about at this tyme turned to naught and to none effecte whiche thyng wheÌ„ she heard tell of in FlauÌ„ders she was verie lory at the hearte made greate mone And yet could she not bee conteÌ„t but immediately after inueÌ„ted an other thyng to vexe and trouble kyng Henry as it shal be shewed here after Kyng Henry when he had all thynges brought thus to passe and vtterly vanquisshed these his enemies thought hymself at one tyme deliuered from twoo eiuils together that is to saie from bothe feare that was present and also that was to come For it was not to bee thought that thei whiche were so fewe in nombre durste bee so bold to entre into the realme and make battaile against the kyng whom they knewe wel ynough would bryng with hym a great and well armed hooste but that they had other felowes of the same coniuracion whiche would mete and ayde theim all that they could in tyme and place conuenient Therefore when the kyng sawe the hoste of his enemies manifestly before his eyes he commaunded that no maÌ„ shoulde kyll the earle of Lincolne but that he should bee brought to hym alyue to the entent that he might shewe and bewraye all the other whiche were of the conspiracie But that the sowdyers would not do least the sauyng of hym should bee the destruccioÌ„ as it should haue been in dede of many other This battayle was fought in the yeare of oure Lorde a thousande foure hundreth foure score the secoÌ„de yere of this HeÌ„ryes reigne In the whiche yere also Thomas Burscher archebyshop of CaÌ„terburye died into whose roume succeded Iohn Morton late bishop of Ely whome Alexander of that name the sixte bishop of Rome made Cardinall Now to retourne to my purpose After this the kyng when he had gathered al the prayes and spoyles together and had buryed theim that there wer slain went forth to Lincolne and there taryed three dayes and had euerye daie one procession to thanke God almightie that he had the ouerhande of his enemies And incontynently sent his banner to Walsyngham to be consecrate to our Lady there to bee kepte for a perpetuall moâ—ument of victorie Then did he execucioÌ„ of suche rebellions as were there taken shortely after tooke his iorneye foorth to Yorke and there likewyse suche as were founde gyltye dyd he punyshe strayghtlye When all this was dooen he wente vnto Newcastle and frome thence sente into Scotlande Richarde Foxe whiche not longe before was made bishop of Exeter and Richarde Edgecombe knight as Ambassadoures to kynge Iames for a league of peace For this Henrye thought it a great pleasure and coÌ„moditee to bee in peace and concorde with kinges gouernours whiche laye aboute this his realme and specially and before all other with kyng Iames because that there no rebellions might trust whiche otherwise perchaunce woulde haue trusted to haue ayde or succoure at his hande so that thereby there durste none againe take weapon against hym The ambassadoures when they wer come into Scotland to the kyng were of hym both gently and after the moste louing fashion receiued and heard and then dyd he plainlye declare and open to theim that he hym selfe loued kyng Henrye and his no man 〈◊〉 but that that moste parte of his Scottes and subiectes could in no case agree with the English menne Wherfore excepte that he should offend or 〈…〉 se theim he desired the legates to bee conteÌ„t with truce for .vii. yeres in promesse but in dede he sayed that peace betwene theim on his parte shoulde neuer bee broken and or euer those seuen yeres should bee passed that he would geue truce for seuen yeres lenger so that kyng Henry and he would euer bee in peace and moste assured amytie And this did kyng Iames because he knewe that no facte of his people shoulde bee alowed When the Ambassadoures hearde this they tooke the yeres that were offered theim as concernynge peace and by and by retourned home to kyng HeÌ„ry againe and shewed hym all the mattier in ordre With the whiche tydynges he was veraye well contented Shortely after the kyng departed thence towarde London and in the waye at Leicetre mette hym Abassadoures from the Frenche kyng which shewed hym that their kyng Charles had recouered many tounes and cyties whiche before were possessed of kyng Maximilian and that he kepte battayle nowe with Fraunces the duke of Brytayne because he kepte and socoured in his dominion certaine that were traytours and rebellions against hym of the whiche the chief was Lewes duke of Orlyance and therfore he desyred hym of his frendship familiaritie that either he would helpe hym orelles medle of neyther partie But kynge Henrye althoughe he had founde muche frendship at the Frenche kynges hande yet for as muche as he spyed whereof this stryfe beganne with this message was not well contente For the cause that the Frenchemenne tooke battayle was because they sawe that the Duke was an olde manne and had neuer a chylde and thereby that they myghte brynge that Dukedome into their subieccion When kyng Henrye perceiued this and also howe louyng the Brytaynes had been euer to Englande and finally remembred the tendre loue which was betwene the duke and hym thought it best if nede wer to helpe the Britaynes Yet for as muche as he had founde the Frenche kyng veray kynde in tymes past and had partely by his helpe recouered his kyngdome he was veraye lothe to medle in so muche that he coulde not well tell what was best in this mattier to bee dooen But at the laste he fully purposed if necessitie shoulde require to helpe the duke in all that he might Yet least he should make of his highe frende hys extreme enemie his aunswere was to the ambassadoures that he did intende to make their kyng and the duke frendes again Wherfore assone as the Frenche kynges ambassadoures were dimissed he sent on message Christopher Vrswycke to Charles the kynge of Fraunce Firste to certifye hym that he was veraye glad of the victorye that he had vpon Maximilian secondarely what tumulte and insurreccion was made here in EnglaÌ„d thyrdly and especially to desyre hym to bee at one againe with the Duke of
nomore to endeuoure to defende their commune weale but rather to destroy and vtterly extinguishe it Which thing the englishe menne perceiuing and also suffering muche colde were compelled of necessitee within fyue moonethes that their wente thyther to come backe agayne into Englande Then Charles the French kyng maried Anne the Dukes doughter and gat al Britayn by that meanes into hys hādes But of this it shal be spoken more here after It was decreed here in Englande before there were any souldyours sent into Brytayne that for the expence of that warre euery man should paye as thei were hable a tribute whyche the mooste parte of theim that dwelte in the byshopryke of Durhā and Yorke shyre dyd vtterly refuse to pay and complayned of the matter to their Lorde the Earle of Northumberland And he immediately signified to the kyng by his letters that the people dyd greatly lament and was sory saiyng that thei were neuer put to so muche coast as thei had been of late dayes nowe that ther was so much requyred of theim that neither thei were hable to pay so great a summe nor would pay it Yet for al that the kyng cōmaunded the Erle to get it on thē and make theim pay it whether thei would or not least peraduenture it myght be a cause that yf at any time a tribute agayne should bee required of thē to make an insurreccion Which thyng when the people hearde of by and by they ranne vnto the earle and as the authoure of the tribute paiyng kylled hym out of hande And when thei had so done thei chase Ihon Egremonknight a verey dicious personne to bee their captayne and so arraied them selfes and went agaynst the kyng makyng cries in euery towne that thei came to fight for no nother cause but to defēde that cōmon libertie But when the mattier shoulde come to blowes thei waxed colde all the sorte of theim and euerye one wished that this tumulte wer retracted which was nowe alredy begonne so that at the cōclusiō not one scacely scaped without his great discommodite For the kynge assone as he hearde of this insurreccion went downe with an hoost to Yorke wherof these slaues and traitours beyng greatly afraied fledde some hether and some thether and durst not abide and sustaine the power of the kynges army Wherfore thei wer sone taken and punished greuousely accordyng to their deseruyng euery one of theim But Ihon Egremont whiche was their captain fledde into Flanders to Margarete of whome we spake before And the kyng so sone as this busines was quēched tooke his iourny back again vnto London and committed the tribute whiche was in Yorke and about Yorke to bee taken vp holy to Richard Toustal And this was the yere of our lord a thousand foure hundred .xc. and the fourth yere of the reigne of this kyng Henry And in thys yere also the kynge of Scottes was sore vexed For his subiectes roase agaynst hym and made his sonne Iames whiche was as yet but a chylde their capitain Wherfore he sent to the kynge of Englande to the Frenche kyng and to the byshoppe of Roome Innocentius to desire theim to make some end of thys ciuile battayle and contencion whiche was betwene hys people and hym Whiche afterwarde sente theyr ambassadours as they were desired but all in vayne For the rude sort would nedes fight onlesse he would resygne his crowne wherfore shortely after thei fought and in that battayle kylled the kyng and gaue his sonne Iames whiche was the fourth of that name the crowne But the byshoppe of Romes legate Hadrian came to late For whyles he was in Englande with kyng Henry worde came that the kyng of Scottes was slayne in battayle and hys soonne made kyng And therfore he taried here in England for a space and was veray muche made of and hyghly commended to the kyng by Ihon Mortō archbyshop of Canterburie Whereby he came into so high fauour with kyng Henry that he made him bishoppe of Herforde and shortly after that least gaue hym the bishopprike boothe of Welles and Bathe And not longe after he retourned with these honours to Roome and there of Alexander was made Cardinall There beganne also of freshe certayne businesse as concernynge Brytaine before this geare was appeased whiche was that Maximilian beyng at that tyme without a wyfe would haue maried the duke of Briteines doughter and had one that wowed for hym which lady promisyng hym fayth trueth to the entent that she might not go from her word he vsed this way with her when she went to her bed the night after as to the bedde of wedlocke the wower that was hired putte one of his fete into the bed to the knee in the sight cōpany of many noble matrōs ladies for a token testimony that the mariage was consūmate thei .ii. as mā wife But this did nothing auaile for Char the Frenche kyng was desireous to marye her hearyng that Maximiliā was sure to her dyd the more busely set vpon the Britaynes to th entent he might both haue the ladye and the countree also at his wyll for he estemed that mariage to bee of no strength or force Neuerthelesse he feared kyng Henry muche least that he would stoppe his purpose whiche kyng had made a league and Ferdinande also the kyng of Spayne had made the same with the Britaynes to assist theim in all their ieoperdies and perilles that should chaunce to theim by foren countrees wherfore he sent in al post hast Francese Lucemburgense Charles Marignane and Roberte Gaguine to kyng Henry for a peace to bee confirmed and hadde desyrynge hym that their kyng might ordre the mariage of the Ladye Anne as wer thought best without any let or hynderaunce of it by hym but kyng Henry would not agree to theim that the lady should bee maried to hym consyderyng she was made sure to the kyng Maximilian for that it was against all right and lawe bothe of God and manne Albeit the kynge would gladly make a peace betwene theim bothe and so demissyng the kynges Ambassadoures with a large and ample rewarde sent Thomas Goldestone abbot of Cantorbury and the lord Thomas of Ormondye ambassadours streight after theim In this meane space Alexander B. of Rome the sixt of that name after Innocētius sent the bishop of Cōcordiense legate to the Frenche kyng for certayne mattiers and emong other for a peace and vnitee to bee confederate betwyxt hym and kyng Henry the whiche when he had easely obteyned he came to Englande and there beyng entretained moste roially of the kyng had his purpose and desire of hym The Englishe ambassadours then beyng with the Frenche kyng purposed to haue a peace concluded whiche first demaunded certain thynges of the kyng ere that it should bee made albeit the kyng would graūt theim nothyng and was sore moued with their request askyng So the shortly after the Frenche kyng sent to the noble menne of
Britain greate giftes and rewardes to the entent thei might moue the ladie Anne to giue her troweth to hym and also sent to herself many princely giftes tokens the she would beare loue to hym And that she might not feare but that she might lawfully marie to hym certified her the the promise was of none effecte that she had gyueÌ„ to MaximiliaÌ„ for that it was geueÌ„ made wtout his coÌ„sent whiche had the gouernaunce dominion ouer all the countre And this was the cause that no concorde or peace could bee kept betwixt theim And where as that the kyng had taken Maximilians doughter ladie Margaret to bee his wife he saied that it might bee lawfully dissolued because the ladie was vnder age and not ripe to bee maried This ladie Anne of Britain through the persuasion of many noble menne of that countree was contented to bee his wife and ladie And when the kyng was certified of this he hastened the mariage with all the expedicion and celeritee that he could So that the Englishe ambassadours returned again to their countree and nothyng dooen or agreed vpon in their matter When the kyng was certified of this by his ambassadours he purposed to make battaill against hym and to reuenge the naughtie entent of his with the swerde and assemblyng his counsaill together showed theim the matter and the iuste cause he had to fight desteryng theim for the maintenaunce of thesame warres to helpe hym with money neuerthelesse that menne should not thynke it to bee extorte of theim he willed euery maÌ„ne to gyue as muche and as litle as he would and theim to bee estemed and taken as his moste beste and assured frendes that gaue the most money When this somme was gatheryng and preparaunce made for battaill Maximilian the kyng warred sore with the Frenchemen whiche kyng was taken a litle before at a certain brunt and skirmishe made and cast in prisone after the whiche tyme kyng Henry sent to hym Giles Dabeney capitain of Calais to aide hym with three thousaÌ„d harnissed meÌ„ne At the length Maximilian hauyng the better hand of the Frenchemen enteÌ„ded to reuenge hymself of the FreÌ„che kyng for that he had repudiate his doughter ladie Margarete and taken to hym as wife quene Anne but because he was not fully hable of hymself to sustein that battaill he sent Iames Contiâ—alde ambassadour to kyng Henry for helpe whiche Iames when he had dooen his message the kyng promised that he would dooe for hym all that he could in mainteinyng his warres In this tyme Charles the Frenche kyng maried ladye Anne chalengyng by this mariage the dominion and gouernaunce of the Brytaines Maximilian the kyng beyng certified of this was greately moued for that he did not onely forsake and repudiate his doughter ladye Magarete but also receiued in mariage the ladye and quene Anne to his wife and in this furie he sent to kyng HeÌ„ry desieryng hym to prepare an armie for he would goo vpon the Frenche menne and kepe open battaill with theim whiche kyng Henry gathered an hoste of menne and proclaimed battaill in all his realme after the whiche proclamacion there came to London an houge armie of menne with their capitaines whiche herafter ensewe and folowe Rycharde Thomas with a greate compaignie of Welshe menne The erle Thomas of Derbie George erle of Shrowesburie Thomas erle of Harundell Edmunde duke of Suffolke Edwarde erle of Deuenshire with his noble young soone Thomas erle of OrmoÌ„dye George erle of Kent Lorde Thomas Dorcet Marques Ihon Cheyney Gyles Dabeney Richard Gylforde Ihon Raynsforth Iames Terell Ihon Sauage Thomas Baro of HeltoÌ„ Wyllyam Bulmerey Edwarde Stanley with other After that all this armie was araied the kyng sent sir Christopher Vrswycke and sir Ihon Ryseley knyghtes to the kyng Maximilian to certifye hym that thei were all in a redynesse to kepe battaile when he would haue theim When they had dooen their message thei returned backe again to their kyng certifiyng hym that MaximiliaÌ„ was so poore and nedye of monye and menne that he could not be hable to susteyne any battaile neuerthelesse his mynde and will was good if his power and habilitee had been correspondent to it The kyng after the receipte of these letters was displeased muche with hym albeit consyderyng he had gooen so farre in it and had suche furnyture of all thynges prepared least that menne shoulde impute it to hym as cowardnesse to faynt froÌ„ battaile he proceded forth towarde Fraunce and about the .vi. daye of SepteÌ„bre he landed at Calise there rested his armye Wher worde was brought to all the hoste for thei did not knowe of it before that Maximilian could make no preparaunce for lacke of mony At the whiche thei maruailed greatly consideryng that he had suche vilanye shewed hym not longe before at the kynge of Fraunce hand Yet thei wer neuer discoumfeyted at it but like stoute and valiaunt warryars had great confidence in their owne power and strengthe wyth whoÌ„ the kyng of Fraunce after that he perceaued it best for his profite ease would gladly haue been reconciled although he had a ready hoste to fight against theim withstaÌ„de their power And especially he desyred peace for this cause that he might haue the loue of his neighboures to the entent his realme might bee in better sauegarde and quietnes wheÌ„ he should warre against FerdinaÌ„d kyng of Napels at the desyre of Ludouike Sfortia duke of Millayn whiche at that present tyme did inuite hym to it wherfore he did sende Philip Desquerd chief of Annonye to desyre kyng Henrye of peace whiche Philip did send the letters to hym before he came into the countre hymself wherin he signified that he would take suche paines in bryngyng his purpose about that he would if it should so please his grace reconcile bothe hym and their kyng to loue eche other as thei haue dooen heretofore and saied that it should bee for his honour to take thesame condicion whiche condicion if he would send certain of his capitains to mete with hym in any parte of Fraunce and there to determine of it he should haue it there promised hereafter duely to bee performed The kyng after he had red these letters did send the bishop of Exceter and Giles Dabeney to the forenamed Philip for peace to be agreed vpon concluded the whiche after a space determyned vpon certain condicions whiche here after shal bee shewed that peace should bee had on bothe parties When thei were thus consultyng the kyng hauyng his hoste at Caleis remoued from that place to Bononye there pitchyng his teÌ„tes beseeged the toune with all the power he might whiche toune because it was strongely defended furnished with all thynges necessarye for warre it could not bee ouercome without greate labour before that he either could or did ouercome any parte of it woord was brought that a peace was coÌ„cluded and made whiche heard as it was pleasure to the Frenchemen so it was
many honest menne that he came but of a lowe and course parentage and he was named Peter War becke whiche thing also the kynges frendes certified hym by their letters and writynges to hym more plaine and euidentelye Therfore when the kyng had knowen the matter wholy aswel by his frendes as by his spies sent foorth purposelye for the same he caused it to bee proclaimed openly aswell in other regions countrees as in England that the disceate and deuelish crafte might appere euident to euery manne And firste he sent ambassadours to Philyp the chiefe capitaine in Flaundres and to his councell because he was but of a younge age whiche were sir Edward Poninges knight and sir William Varame preest and lawyer that they might shewe euidently howe falsely the younge manne hath vsurped the name of Richarde duke of Yorke whiche was kylled with his brother Edward in the Towre of London at the cōmaundement and will of kyng Richard his vncle as euery man coulde testifye and affirme most surely Also that he was borne of a poore stocke and an obscure famulie in Tornace and there named Perkin Warbecke and therfore that it woulde please hym his councel not to suffer theim selfes to bee blynded or seduced with suche mere impostures and craftie illusions nor yet to aide hym at any hande to cause sedicion or strife consideryng that he had no iuste title to the enheritynge of the same And that they would the rather bee his frendes nowe because that he helped Maximilian theyr kyng the yere before againste the power and violencye of the Frenche menne where as he of hym selfe was not hable to refyste theyr myghte and stronge power When the Ambassadours had dooen their message they were gentely entretayned of hym and had their request that he woulde not for the loue that he oughte vnto the kynge no nor any of his counsaile helpe thesame Perkin any thinge at all Neuerthelesse yf the quene Margaret would persiste and continewe in her malice towardes the kyng whome the Ambassadour sir William Varame had reproued and checked sore for bringing vp of suche monsters and commune plagues to the publike weale in his oration that he made vnto Philippe and his counsayle it was not in their power to withstande it for because that she might doo in her owne herytage all thinges at her owne wyll and pleasure Whiche quene entended fully to arme this Perkin with a stronge compaignye of menne against kyng Henry After that kynge Henrye dyd heare of this he purposed to pacyfye all this busynesse that was like to chaunce by wytte and policye and streight dyd sende foorthe certaine spies whiche shoulde fayne theim selfes to haue fledde vnto the Duke and by that meanes searche foorthe and knowe the whole entente of theyr coniuracion and after what waye they framed theyr matters Other also shoulde promyse a pardon and remyssyon vnto syr Roberte Clyfforde and Willyam Barley for their offence cōmitted to the kyng And when they had so dooen many of theim returned to Englande and broughte the names of certayne that were chief of the same conspiracye Other taried vntyll suche tyme that sir Robert Clifforde came to Englande agayne And when the kyng had knowen the chief capitaines of this tumulte by his spyes that were there with theim he caused all them to bee attached brought to London before his presēce whose names wer sir Iohn Ratclyffe syr Simon Monforde syr Thomas Thwarte knightes William Dabeney Roberte Ratcliffe Richard Lesey with many other Also certaine preestes and religious menne as sir William Richeford and Thomas Poynes bothe monkes of sainct Dominikes order sir William Sutton sir William Vrseley Deane of Poules Robert Layborne Other that were giltie of the same crime hearing that many of their compaignie wer taken fledde and did take sanctuarye And the other that were taken wer condempned all of treason of the whiche there was heded sir Simon Monford sir Robert Ratcliffe and William Dabeney as authours chiefe capitaines of this busines The other were pardoned and the Preestes also for their order that they had taken Also sir Iohn Ratcliffe was pardoned of his lyfe but after that he came to Calisse there caste in prisone he was behedded because he corrupted the kepers with many promises to haue escaped out of the same Shortly after sir Robert Clifford trusting to find fauour grace at the kynges hande came to England of whose cōming when the kyng was certified he went streight to the towre of London there taryed tyll suche tyme the syr Robert Clyfford came whiche thyng he vsed vnder this pretence that yf sir Robert Clifford had accused any man to hym of the treason that then euerie suche person mighte bee called thether withoute anye suspectiō of anie euel and there streight to bee cast in holde but before I goo furder I wyll shewe the opinion that many men conceaued of the knightes goynge to Flaunders Some men helde this opinion that kyng Henrye dyd sende hym as a spye to Flaunders and therfore he came the soner into his fauoure Neuerthelesse this is not lyke to bee true by diuerse reasōs Fyrst that it tourned to the great infamye and hurt both of hym selfe and his frendes Secondarly that he was not in so greate fauoure with the kyng as he had ben in tymes past for because that he was giltie in that part Therfore the saied sir Robert now comming to the king after his retourne into England kneled mekelye downe at his feet and desired pardō of his grace and after that beyng enquired of the coniuration and examined who wer the authours of this mischiefe he pronounced saied that William Stāly whome the kynge made Earle was one of the chief when he had so saied the kyng was greatly dismayed greued that he should offend whō he had made chief of his priuie chamber considering also that he had founde great kindenes hertofore at his hande and that he dyd ouercome kyng Rychard chiefly by his helpe and meanes So that the kyng coulde not bee perswaded that he was any suche offender had not it bene shewed him after by manifest tokens and apparēt argumentes the it was true as he saied Whom the king thē caused to be taken and examined of the matter after the which examinacion he was proued to be an offender Then the kynge doubtynge what to dooe with him dyd consult and breath a lytle with him selfe for he feared that his brother lord Thomas by whom he had shewed great kyndnesse woulde take it greuously also yf he shoulde remitte that faulte other would abuse his lemtee and trespace more highly Albe it at the laste he wylled that he shoulde suffer for his offence and so caused hym to bee behedded The cause that their loue as mē reporte dyd chaunge into hatred was this The lorde Wylliā consideryng that he saued the kyng and brought hym to this realme to be gouernour thought he could neuer bee recompensed for hys
brought to passe thei went bothe together into Kent And there beganne this young feloe to tell priuely to many that he was the erle of Warwicke and had gotte out of the tower by the helpe of this monke To the whiche when he perceiued credence geuen he declared it openly and desyred al men of helpe But or euer this sedicion beganne to goo foreward the heddes and principalles of thesame wer taken and casle into prysone Of whiche the one was condempned to death and the other condeÌ„pned to perpetuall pryson and darkenesse For at that tyme here in Englande was so muche attrybuted to prestes and al religious meÌ„ that though they had committed felonie murder yea or treason they should not haue bene therfore condempned to death Moreouer whosoeuer could reade though it wer neuer so lytle what crime soeuer he had committed saue treason should by his booke bee saued and therfore it was inuented that if the default wer so great that another manne shoulde suffer death for thesame he should onely be burnt in the hande wherfore he the had committed thefte should bee marked in the hand with this letter T. if he had committed murdre with M. and after that yf he were deprehended in lyke cryme then there should no fauour at all more then to other menne bee shewed Whiche acte was made and confyrmed by this kyng Henry in the second yere of his reigne and takeÌ„ of the Frenchemen whiche are wonte if thei take any suche to cutte of one of his cares and let hym go Whiche priuiledges of bookes made thefes both bolde plentie thorowe out all the coastes and parties of this his realme of Englande But nowe to my matier again Perkyn of whom we spake muche before whyles he was in the towre corrupted many of the kepers partly with giftes and partely with fayre promyses so that they were all agreed saue the leuetenaunt whome he fully determined to kyll that he and the erle of Warwike should gooe theyr waye out of the toure and afterwarde to make the best shyfte that they could for theim selfes But this his purpose came not to full effecte For it was knowne within shorte tyme after for the whiche he and his felowes all of the same counsayle were hanged by the neckes And the earle of Warwike because he was foundegyltie in thesame defaulte was behedded whiche was dooen in the yeare of oure Lorde a thousand foure hundreth and .xcix. and in the .xiii. yeare of this kyng Henry his reigne The nexte yere after was here in Englande a a greate plague wherof menne died in many places vereye sore but especiallye and mooste of all in London For there died in that yere aboue thyrtye thousande Wherfore the kynge sayled ouer to Caleis and there taryed a greate while In his beyng there came ouer to hym Philippe Erle of Flaunders and was receaued of hym as louyngly as could bee thought and also or euer they departed the league whiche was made betwene theim two not longe before was renewed Sone after when the plague was slaked the kyng returned agayne into Englande and was no soner come thyther but there met him one Gasper Pons sente from Alexander the byshoppe of of Roome which brought with hym indulgences and perdoâ—es whereby he made the kyng beleue that he and his should flye streight to heauen but those could not bee graunted withoute a greate somme of money the whiche the rather that he might obteyne he promysed parte of it to the kyng hymselfe so deceauyng both the kyng and the people In this same yere was burnt a place of the kynges whiche he after buylded vp againe and named it Richemount Aboute this tyme died three bishoppes here in England Ihon Morton bishop of Cantourbury Thomas Langton bishop of Wynchester and Thomas Rotherham bishoppe of Yorke Also in this yere there were greate maryages made for kyng Henry had geuen his doughter ladye Margarete to the kyng of Scottes and his sonne prince Arthur to Ladie Katherine doughter to Ferdinande kyng of Spayne whiche mariages were made specially for this cause that he might liue in peace with those kynges in his olde age After this prynce Arthure that came to LondoÌ„ purposely to bee maryed went to Wales agayne with his lady and wife to ouersee all thynges well there and to the entente he might not miscarye or go out of the waie in rulyng his domimon he had with hym many noble meÌ„ as first Richard Poole his nighe kynsman which was made chief of his priuie chaumbre and Dauid Philippe husher of his halle Also he had of his counsaill certayne knyghtes as Wyllyam Vdall Richarde Croft Peter Neuton Henrye Varnam Thomas Englefelde And other besides theim as Ihon Walestone Henry Marine Wyllyam Smyth preest chief of his couÌ„sayle late bishop of Lincolne syr Charles Booth a lawer then byshop of Herforde A litle before this mariage EdmuÌ„d Poole erle of Suffolke sonne to ladye Elizabeth the sysler of kyng Edward was accused for killyng of a maÌ„ although the kyng pardoned hym whoÌ„ he might iustely haue condeÌ„â—ed for that offence yet because he was rayned at the barre whiche he thought a great main and blemishe to his honoure tooke it heuely and shortely after fled to Flaunders wtout any passeporte or liceÌ„ce of the kyng to quene Margarete his aunte but he returned again so excused hymselfe before the kynge that he was founde fautles in any thyng that was obiected vnto hym Also when this mariage was kepte at London with great pompe soleÌ„nitee this Edmunde fled again to Flaunders with his brother Richard either for that he had been at great charges at thesame mariage and so farre cast in debte that he was not hable to paye either because the quene Margarete his aunte had allured hym orels for eiuill will enuie that the kyng should prosper so well WheÌ„ it was knowen that he was gooen the kyng certified there of he feared that some busynes should ryse by his meanes was sory that he had pardoned hym for his offeÌ„ce lately coÌ„mitted But sone after that the erle came from Flaunders syr Robert Cursone knight capitaine of HaÌ„mes castel feignyng hym selfe to bee one of that conspiracye wente purposely to espye what the quene entended against kyng Henrye whyche afterwarde for his so doynge was in greate fauoure wyth hym For the kynge was so vigylaunte and circumspecte in all his matters that he dyd knowe theim namelye that either bare hym eiuill will or woorked any in theyr mynde whom he caused to bee attached and caste in holde And emong theim Wyllyam the erle of Deuonshyres sonne whiche maried ladie Catheryne daughter to kyng Edward was taken and another Wyllyam brother to Edmonde earle of Souffolke Iames Tyrell Ihon Wyndham But these two wylliams were taken rather of suspection then for any offence of gyltines Wherefore Wylliam this Earles sonne of Deuonshyre after the death of kynge Henrye was deliuered had in
ioye and triumphant actes to the principall laude of this our moste excellent and christen prince and after to the worship of all the other aswell chalengeours as defendoures and greate comforte of all the beholders ended these moste excellyng iustes that euer was before that daie seen in Englande and that for twoo causes specially as first the present deede of the excellencie of the kynges personne whiche neuer before that daie as I thynke was seen in propre personne And secondarely for the excedyng coste of apparell whiche these twoo daies was shewed with other manifolde charges of pageauntes and other sumpteous thynges the whiche by wise mennes estimations coste not so litle by the space of these two dayes as .xx. M. â—i Whiche two marciall dayes were accomplyshed by the actes of these foure chalengeours the is to saye The moste redoubted prince Henry the eyght of that name kyng of Englande Fraunce IrelaÌ„d c. Syr Thomas Kneuet lord WyllyaÌ„ of Deuonshire and master Edward Neuell And of the defendours there were .x. in nombre whose names came not al into my handes and therfore haue I omytted theim After these royall iustes was made a solempne and sumpteous banket the order of whiche I ouerpasse because it would bee to long to reherce The .xxiii. daye of Februarij nexte foloyng dyed at Richemounte Henrye the kynges soonne which was borne there vpon newe yeres day last past as before is shortelye touched In the thirde yere of his reigne aboute the monethes of Iune and Iulij the Scottes made sondrie entres vpon the borders of England and had out certain shippes wel manned and vitayled and kepte with theim the narowe sees to the great displeasure of the kynges grace and hurte of some of his subiectes specially of his merchauntes the whiche rouers were named to be bannyshed men But the kynges highnes consyderyng the daylye hurte that thei did vnto his subiectes and frendes as takyng of vitaile at Sandwich other places vpoÌ„ the see coastes and that no remedye was purueyed by the kyng of Scottes to call theim home His grace in all goodly haste manned and vitayled certain shippes and vnder the gouernaunce of the lorde Hawarde as hed and chief capitain sente the saide shippes to scoure the see the whiche in shorte processe after aboute th ende of Iulij mette with the saide Scottes and gaue vnto theim a sharpe and fearce fight in so much that in th ende thenglyshe menne drowned one of the Scottishe shippes and tooke two of the chiefest shippes of that â—lote and in theim one hundreth and fourtie Scottes with their hedde capitayne named Hob of Barton The whiche Scottes with theyr sayd capitayne were caste into sondrye prysonnes and as the fame wente in the foresayde fighte was slayne as many of the saide Scottes as were taken prysoners and of thenglyshe menne fewe or none And vpon the seconde daye of August wer the forsayde two Scottishe shippes brought vnto the blacke walle within Thamys But afterward the saide Scottes were by the kynges commaundement brought vnto tharchbyshoppes palays besyde Westmynster and there kepte at the kynges coste Aboute this season or lytle before the Frenche kyng that had moste parte of this yere kept warre again Iulius the secound of that name byshop of Rome forced thesaid bishop to forsake the cytie of Bonony to fle for his safegarde toward Rome not withoute losse of some of his people This bishoppe had deputed one Iherome Bonuise a Lukener borne and before tyme had bene a merchauÌ„t and factoure for merchauntes of his nacion in London the whiche by his insolencie and exercysyng of dice wyth lordes and other he brake and came so behynde the hande that he was compelled to aduoyde the citie also the realme In the tyme of whiche absence he purchased suche grace of the fornamed bishop that he made hym a lorde after sent hym into this laÌ„de as his proctour hauyng a trayne after hym lyke vnto a byshop by the â—auourable letters whyche the byshoppe wrote for hym vnto the kyng his grace had hym in good fauoure and dayly resorted vnto his grace for mattiers touchyng the bishoppe by meane wherof he had knowledge of the bishops councell and also of the kynges In this tyme also were here certeyne ambassadours of the Frenche kynges the whiche lay here a long ceason for matters concernyng their prince to whom this forenamed Iherome secretly drewe by nyght tyme and innaturally and falsely dyscouered vnto theim all the byshoppes and kynges councell For the whiche he was awaited and lastly takeÌ„ in the companie of one of the sayd Ambassadours vpon LondoÌ„ wall about mydnyght and so brought vnto the counter of the pultrye frome whence by the kynges coÌ„maundement on the morowe he was remoued vnto the Towre where he remayned styll as a prysoner In this time also was wonderfull warre betwene the byshop of Rome Iulius the seconde of that name and the French kyng in so muche that he wanne from the sayd B. the citee of Bonony put the B. to flight layed such articles agayne hym that he enteÌ„ded to put him downe make another bishop the circuÌ„staunce wherof I passe ouer coÌ„syderyng the manyfolde tales and writynges sente vnto the merchauÌ„t straungers of thesame in the which letters were variable and diuerse reportes In the later ende of this yere the Scottes before taken by the knyghtly prowes of the lord Hawarde and syr Edward his brother were delyuered fre and franke to whome the kyng of his bouÌ„teous largesse gaue vnto euery of theim competeÌ„t sommes of money to coÌ„ueigh theim home to their owne countrey In this yere also was holden a parlyament at Westmynster the .iiii. daye of Februariâ— wherein were made and ordeined dyuerse statutes and ordynaunces Duryng the whiche parlyament a seruaunt of the kynges yomanne of the croune and one of his garde named Newbolt slewe within that palayce of Westmynster a seruaunt of one master Willoughby in the begynnyng of the moneth of Marche For the which offence notwithstandyng that the kyng had hym in his synguler fauour for that he was a speciall archer of all other yet for ytâ—eynous and detestable murder the kynges grace comaunded a newe payre of galoes to be set vp in thesame place wher the said seruaunt left his life and vpon thesame shortlye after was there put to death and to the feare of other suffred hym to haÌ„ge there by the space of two dayes two nightes afâ—â—r for whiche iudgement the kyng wanne greate honoure and fauoure of his commons By the autoryte of this parlyament was graunted vnto the kyng two fyftenes of the temporaltee and by the conuocacion holden by the clergye two dismes VpoÌ„ good friday which this this yere fell vpon the .ix. daye of April was a cruell and sterne battaile betwene the bishoppe of Romes hoste the Frenche kynges partie which continued from the saied fridaye by sondry encouÌ„tres and metinges by occasyon wherof much
people on bothe parties wer distressed and taken prisoners and aboue the nombre of thirty M. slaine In the .iiii. yere was Edmond de la Poole behedded and aboute the moneth of Auguste Syr Thomas Kneuet beynge chyefe capytaine of the kynges greate shippe called the regent and a few shyppes mo sette vpon a great Caricke and other shippes of the Frenche kyngs liyng then nere vnto a toune of Britaine named Brest where after a longe and cruell fight thesaide Caricke regent being clasped together with hookes and cheynes as the maner of fyghtinge vpon the see betwene enemies is sodeynly thesaied shippes with other were set on fyre and brent so feruently that before they mighte bee losed or disseuered the shippes with the men vpon bothe parties were consumed with violence therof so that fewe escaped whiche were of the poraill But thesaide sir Thomas Kneuet with many other gentlemen of this land and also of fraunce were brent on whose soules Iesu haue mereyt This yere also after haruest wheate roase sobeinly of pryce for where for the more parte of the yere it was not solde aboue sixe shilliÌ„ges .viii. d. a quarter After haruest for so muche as wheat was so sore blasted and striken was of so smal yelde it was solde for .xii. s. and .xiii. s .iiii. d. a quarter In the .v. yere the kyng besieged Turwin and discomfited the power of Fraunce at Boemy and tooke the citees of Turwyn and Turney But in the meane season the kyng of Scottes espiyng his tyme inuaded Englande with an hoste of an hundred thousande menne with whome the Earle of Surraye beynge the Kynges Leuetenaunte encountred and by the helpe of the Lorde Hawarde his soonne slewe the sayde kynge with a leuen Earles and wanne the felde For the whiche noble facte the kynge created hym afterwarde Duke of Norffolke and his soonne Earle of Surrey In the .vi. yere a peace was concluded betwene Englande and Fraunce And on saincte Denis daye the Frenche kyng maried the Lady Mary the kynges sister And he died on newe yeres daye after And therfore the kyng sente for her againe by the duke of Suffolke and other In this yere in the moneth of Februarye was borne Lady Mary the kynges doughter at Grenewiche In Aprill the Frenche Quene came in to Englande and was maryed to Lorde Charles duke of Suffolke This yere Ladye Margarete quene of Scottes and syster to the kynge fledde into Englande and laye at Harbottell And she was deliuered of a doughter named Margaret And came to London in Maye and taried there a hole yere In this yere was suche a froste that all menne myghte passe with cartes betwene Westmynster and Lambeth This yere on Maye euen was an insurreccyon of younge persones against Aliens of whiche diuers were put to execucion and the residue came to Westmynster Halle with halters aboute their neckes and were pardoned And the .xviii. daye of Mayeyquene of Scottes retourned into her countree againe This yere in Octobre the admiral of Fraunce came into England and Tourney was deliuered to the Frenche kyng In this yere at Frankforde Charles the fyfte was chosen Emperoure And the Earle of Surrey was sent to Ireland In this yere the kyng and the Frenche kynge met at the campe betwene Arde Guines where were greate triumphes And after the kynge and the Emperoure mette and the kyng went to Graueling with the Emperoure And the Emperoure came to Caleys with the kyng had greate chere and the kyng retourned This yere the duke of Buckyngham was beheaded at the toure hyll the .xvii. daye of Maye And in Iune the Cardinall weÌ„t to Calays to entreate a peace betwene themperoure the French kyng and â—aried there to Decembre without any thinge concluded This yere the fridaye before Penthecoste that is to wytt the sixte daye of Iune Charles the emperoure was honourably receiued into the Cytee of London of the Maire Aldermenne and cominaltye oure saied soueraigne Lorde accoÌ„paignieng hym And fro London he went to Windesore and sat in his stall of the Garter And from thens went to Hampton and sayled into Spaine Duringe whiche tyme the Earle of Surrey Lorde Admirall brent Morleys in Brytaine and after landed at Caleys and entred Picardye and brent tounes and castelles and besyeged Hesdyn but because of wynter he reysed his syege and retourned This somer the duke of Albany was entring England with a greate armye but when he heard that the Earle of Shrewisburye was comminge to fyghte with hym he tooke a truce for vi monethes In this .xiiii. yere Christian Kynge of Denmarke came into Englande in Iune Also the Earle of Surrey brent Iedworth and many other townes in Scotlande This yere also the Turke besieged the Rhodes and on Christmas daye he tooke it The Duke of Suffolke wente into Fraunce with ten thousand menne and passed the water of SomÌ„e withoute battayle and tooke and destroyed many townes and in Decembre retourned The same yere the duke of Albanye besieged the castell of Warke and hearing of therle of Surreys comming with a greate armye he cowardely sledde In the .xvi. yere there came oute of Scotlande the byshop of Dunkell and other ambassadours vnto that kynges maiestie And on saynt Mathews daye was the French kyng taken by themperour A mutyng in Norffolk and Suffolke for paymeÌ„t of mony A peas concluded betwene EnglaÌ„d and Fraunce And the French kyng was deliuered in Marche This yere was the coyne enhaunced In the .xviii. yeare the citee of Roome by the viceroy of Naples and the duke of Burbon the same dake beinge fyrste slaine was taken and almost distroied And ClemeÌ„t the .vii. than byshop of Rome diuers Cardinalles there found were taken and broughte in captiuitee and vnder the rule of Charles the Emperoure This yere also the Cardinall went into Fraunce with greate pompe In October the great master of Fraunce came to London with great triumphe In this xix yere was the sweatyng sickenesse for the which cause ther was no watch at midsomer In the .xx. yere was the Cardinall deposed of the chauncellourshyp and a peace betwene the Emperour and the kyng concluded In the .xxi. yere was holden a parlyament wher was refourmed diuerse enormitees of the clargye In the .xxii. yere was a man boyled in Smith feeld for poysoning The cardinal dyed on saynct Andrewes euen In the .xxiii. yere Gryffeth Rice was behedded for treason In October the kyng wente ouer the sea and met the Frenche kyng at Caleis In the .xxv. yere in Apryll was a Nonne called the holy mayde of Kent ii Monkes and two Freers hanged and behedded for treasoÌ„ blasphemye and ypocrysie This yere a peace was concluded wyth Scotlande In this xxvi yere was holden a Parlyamente at Westminster wherin emong other moost godly and necessary statutes it was ther decreed and enacted that the kynges maiestie should be from thensforth