I know in that my blood thorow your handes must be imbrued but this is the day which long I haue looked for the which being now come I greatly reioyce that my miseries must be finished and the time of my sorrowes expired But yet a further comfort relieueth my afflicted minde in that young Edmond my Sonne is transported into the handes of the Normaine Duke and my deare daughter Siluia brought vp in the King of Denmarkes Court a Prince of singular vertue and honourable fame their causes being thus solicited by straungers helped of vnknowne men the vigilant eye of fortune cannot chose but be euermore cast vpon them And now for you my Lord Marshall I can but giue thankes for all curtedes and assuered friendshippes approuedly shewed to me in these my heauy woes good my Lord to morrow in the morning when death hastneth vpon me by the execution of your office departing and shaking handes with this life let it not be tedious or ouersmartsome vnto me but rid me quickly from my miferies The Lord Marshall and the vertuous Lady his wife being as then present with the Queene bathing their cheekes with floodes of teares spake to her and sayd in these wordes If that power were in vs fayre Princesse your death should be deferred vntill the appoyntment of the mightie powers whose leasure your enemies should waight vpon but we fearing the vnhappy successe and heauy burthen thereof would lodge vppon our backes and incurre the Kinges tyranicall fury and wrath No no my deare honorable friendes replyed the Queene I do ioyfully prostrate my lyfe to death Why should I hope after lyfe sith my Lord and King desireth my dispatchance If any such accedent take place you my keepers shall taste the sower and feele the smart thereof If I escape some vniust lot will fall vpon you if my lyfe through your good meanes should be saued my enemies would flesh them selues vpon you in contempt Nay noble Queene sayd the Lord Marshall we are not affrayd to aduise our selues in defence of your vertues but shall in time to come rid and dispatch these bloody varlets from the boosome of this land which now is made vnhappy by their cursed flatterie All which could nothing chaung her vertuous intent but was readely prepared in minde to scale the immortall throwne of heauen Her wroungfull imprisonment the false accusations layde agaynst her the vnchast lyfe of the King hir husband the infinite cares which she was wel acquainted with al which gaue full instruction and perswaded her soule to prepare for a heauenly pilgrimage Oh sayd the sorrowfull Queene this lyfe is a wildernes of woe I do abandon my whole reputation honours children friends and worldly estimation as fading shaddowes Oh sayd she my enemies hath charged me with adultry but the Gods know me a blameles innocent as yet neuer staynd with the purple spot of infamie The high Marshall and his wife passing all the whole night in these such like vertuous speaches addressing and framing her minde to the euerlasting voiage where she purposed to rest her vnspotted consience and to weare the celestial crowne of peace prepared for all such chast Ladies wrongfully accused But now speake we againe of the wicked Barron of Buckingham who early in the morning came with a mightie band of warlike Souldiers appoynted to execute the Kinges commaundement besetting the Lord Marshals house round about least the condemned Queene should be reschewed from death and being thus placed in the streets the Earle of London being the Queenes owne brother accompanied with sertayne other Gentlemen of worth all which attired in Friers garmentes craued lisence of the common Souldiers to goe and talke with the Queene touching the estate of her conscience belonging to their function and calling that through their good Counsell she might at the houre of death be well aduised lest either vanquished with impenitencie or throwne downe into desperation another lyfe should be tedious and full of torments These good causes earnestly considered by the Barron and his Souldiers obtayned them a free recourse to the condemned Queene whom they presently chaunged from Princely orniaments into a Friars weede and so concucted her through the whole garrison of Souldiers without examination or suspition and being in this secret and disguysed maner transported to the end of the towne the Earle of London had there prepared a Wagon which speedely caryed her onely in his company far from the daunger of their enemies This renowned possecie do I repute for a vertuous deede in deliuering the guiltlesse Queene from the handes of such tyrants an action worthy to be registred in the golden booke of fame to shine as a mirrour to all ensuing ages Shortly after the Queenes departure thus succoured by her beloued brother the wicked Barron called at the Marshals gate commaunding him to bring foorth his Prisoner shewing him selfe as though he were greatly displeased and stirred vp with impassible choller chasing and fuming as though he would teare her in peeces him selfe saying What doe you daslie with the Kinges commaundement Or doth it grieue her to leaue this transitorie world Is this the patient Queene which with her faigned holynesse hath so craftely crept into the fauour of the common people Bid her not feare to hoyst vp sayle towardes heauen hauing a merrie winde bid her beholde how Angels and celestiall troupes stande here attending safely to conduct her to the Gods them selues These spightfull tauntes giuen against the Queene bred such a furie in the Lord Marshals wife that she could not withhold her anger any longer but desperatly stept foorth and reuiled the Barron in this maner saying Oh thou incarnate Diuell quoth she art not thou content to wreake thy villanous minde by wrongfull accusation against the good Queene but thus rediculously to abuse her miseries She vttered a thousand such dispightful words inforced with deadly furie and fierie choller after the simple sexe of woman kinde as if it had consisted in her power to haue punished the Barron she yeelded so much to wrathful desires that no law could haue tamed her tongue nor restrayned the rage of her irefull indiscretion Goe seeke the gilelesse Queene sayth she it is vnknowne to my Lord and husband where and to what place she hath attayned I verely suppose that she is gon downe into the bottomlesse pit of hell to seeke such a wicked varlet as thou art for in heauen I know she can not finde thee foorth Well sayth the Barron bring her foorth according to the sentence of iudgement or els the smart will fall vpon your shoulders as well for violating the lawes of our land as contenming the Kings will and pleasure Vpon these wordes certaine of his most trustiest Souldiers violently rushed into the Lord Marshals house and with diligent view left no corner vnsearched and at last perceiuing it a manifest trueth that the Queene was secretly conueyed away they brought present word backe to the Barron who in
bastard King that he grew desperate of good happe and being left as a naked man he secretly conueyed himselfe to the Tower and hid himselfe in an obscure den Thus Prince Edmond without any further disturbance quietly entred the Kingdome where he tooke vpon him the possession of the English crowne placing the banished English men in honorable dignities most richly aduanced the Normane souldiers the which being so luckely accomplyshed he caused the bastard to be searched foorth his mouth likewise to be stuffed closed vp with burning Pepper and hanged aliue in chaynes of Iron by the Barron Casiope vpon the top of the Tower as you heard before so vsed Euery thing brought thus to so good a passe England in short time became well unpeopled againe the Realme multiplied in gold siluer noble Famelies adorned with honorable possessions Lords Knights Esquires Gentlemen in semblable degree endowed Marchantes and Artificers well placed for traffique from forraigne regions great vent and tillage and breede of cattle increased learning and liberall artes maintained Marshall prowesse exercised and all things els in most decent maner placed the which we will passe ouer and speake of King Edward lyuing in the King of Denmarks Court. CHAP. 11. ¶ Of the Warres betweene King Edward and his owne Sonne and the successe thereof with other thinges that hapned THese affaires could not be so priuatly handled in England but that King Edward had intelligence thereof in Denmarke who with a resolute determination desired to returne into his natiue Countrey not onely that his olde age might be there comforted but that his daughter Siluia might be ioyned in marriage with Essricke the Prince of Denmarke whose father in the redresse of King Edwards long offlictions caused the second part of all his able men at armes to be mustred vp and prouided rich treasures for Souldiers pay with warlike weapons armour and store of shyppes necessary for such a dangerous exployte and published by Proclamation through all the Prouinces of Denmarke that king Edward was to reclaime his lawfull right in England vniustly vsurped by his owne Sonne with many other incouragements giuen out to animate his Subiectes to proceede with resolution This busie preparation in Denmarke so pierced Sir Perce of Winchesters eares in England that he mistrusted his estate to be dangerous and that his doble dealing would be shortly espied in the preuention whereof the better to protect and defend him selfe he writ this priuie Letter to King Edward as followeth Sir Perce of Winchesters Letter sent to king Edward NOTHING shall intice my hart most Soueraigne Lord to prooue disloyall to your Matestie nor nothing restraine the seruiceable duetie which I owe vnto your Excellence And although I was in my cradle when first you left your naturall Countrey of England but yet now being growne vp to sufficient reason do assemble all my powers of nature what pollecie chiefly may preuayle or practise procure your recouerie For there is nothing that my drouping soule wisheth for more then your happy returne to your former possessions I loue Prince Edmond if he reuerence your Maiestie and I wish him good successe if he shew the duetie of a sonne vnto his father against whom if he lift but his hand in wrath the Gods will wreake iust vengeance and destruction vpon Therefore most noble Lord thinke it not danger to returne for I will counsell him to submission shewing what execrable vengeance is pottended to them which draw the sworde of tyrranie against their owne Fathers I will admonish him to conuerse least his owne wilfull conceite bring him to perdition Thus may I both defend and counsell him without suspition of the world and also therevpon shew fauour and reuerence to your worthy Maiestie Thus fare you well THIS Letter being transported to King Edward into Denmarke was receined as sweete flowers with promised requitall the which refreshed his drouping senses and changed dispaire into perfect assurance and thinking now to recouer his former right by the meanes of Sir Perce vpon whose backe the common wealth of England depended but fearing least his proffered affections should alter he sent this answere to his letters as followeth King Edwards answere to Sir Perce of Winchesters Letter I Neuer dispaired but the Gods which hitherto hath gouerned all my attemptes would at last send some comfort to my miseries and bring me againe to the full perfection of my felicitie which through your wisedome and pollecie must be attained Therefore in most humble sort I do accept your kind proffer and this your loyall enterprise shall in the highest degree be blazed amongst my best friendes and vntill my soule be diuorsed from my body I shall neuer forget the loue of so faythfull a Subiect hencefoorth vowing to put off all feminine affection and vaine delightes which haunt Princes Pallaces and the Courtes of mightie Kinges Haue not I iust cause to render thankes to the immortall Gods that in the middest of my miseries I haue found so prudent and worthy a friend as is your noble selfe whose loyall hart is wholly consecrated to my good fortunes Euery day do I wash my face with teares for the tragicall ruine of my Countrey and euery day do I breath out sorrowfull sighes from the closure of my soule to thinke how the light beames of my princely honours hath been darkened by the falsehood of Casiope and the Barrons cunning craft whereby my poore Subiectes haue bin in â—angâ—râ—â— and my selfe plundged in carefull calamities all which greeueth not my soule so much as that mine owne childe now contrary to the duetifull obedience of a Soune doth vsurpe my Crowne and holdeth vp the sword of sedition against his owne Father But yet I see the Gods will still preserue both my lyfe and honour in that you are appoyuted to remedy my distresse and correct the trâ—yterous trespasse of a wicked Sonne Thus I end assuring my selfe that my fortune shall amount to the loftie turrets of my desire and likwise tread â—owne disgrace and quench the scorching flames of noysome enemies thus wishing you as my selfe I bid you farewell YET for all this King Edward regarded this person but as a prodigall and climbing traytor pâ—ouâ—ly aspyring after princely dignities and therefore entertained and placed in the ranke of false friends vsing him as a shaddow and image of a dead man without either respecting his valloure or trusting to his faigned flatteries But now in the meaue space whilst these things were a working Prince Edmond vnderstood by a priuate friend of Winchesters pestiferous treasons to the reformation whereof he sent foorth a trustie band of Souldiers for his apprehention which newes by Sir Perce was first vnderstood and therefore he fled secretly into Denmarke and disclosed to King Edward all the pollecies practised in England for which he was richly recompenced and rewarded with sumptuous entertainement After whose departure Prince Edmond felt the toundation of his Kingdome to begin to
slayne as a Caulfe in the shambles his skinne fleade of his head set up as a signe of a murtherer a rauisher of holy chastety and his corpes throwne to the kinges Houndes to be deuoured Infinite examples might be remembred amongst the radiant florishing Ladyes that haue been inspired with excellent guiftes of vertue I could discourse manifolde warnings but chiefly I will prefixe before your eyes the misery teares and vnmeasurable forrowes of Lady Aelana a paragon and mirrour of true continency whose portion was vexation and vnrestfulnesse cruelly bereft from chast integrety and renowned honour but such was the proofe of her rare and exquesite vertue by the fauorable Gods that greedy Beares as Lieftenants of Iustice deuowred her enemies Thus if right were not mayntayned by immortall meanes violence dissimulation and deceitfull flatterers would florish amongst mortall men to the subuertion of Kingdomes inquiatations of Kings houses tirrable cryes in iudgement seates distruction of Citties and ouerturning of common wealthes wherefore most honorable Princesse if the righteous honesty of your cause be buylded vpon a sure rocke mercy shal be gayned mallice vanquished by modesty and thraldome depriued by libertie thus resting our selues with this resolution till King Edwards minde and pleasure be further knowne herein After this kind promise pronounced by the good Earle of Sommerset the Queene pulled from her golden locks certaine sumptious pearles rich iewels hanging in most beautifull brightnes and gaue them to the Earle of Sommerset saying I doe not right honortable Lord impart these guyftes as a bribe couertly to ballance my cause but as a proofe of my good will and a requital of your paines in visiting me thus in my miseries which if they be gratiously accepted I shal thinke my selfe most highly honored No sooner were these speaches finished and thankes giuen for the Queenes gentle Rewardes but the Nobles departed the Prison and conueiged them selues into a secret Chamber where euery one deliuered his opinion measuring out a direct meanes for her enlargment all which proceeded of true loue and firme beliefe of her chastetie But after many consultations with a generall consent they concluded to write vnto the King not onely to alter his discontented minde but to discouer the falsehood and flatterie of the wicked Barron The Counsels Supplication to King Edward IF vnfaigned affections which loyall Subiectes beare to the Common-wealth of England or the true chastetie of your Queene vniustly wronged by flatterie may mooue you most excellent Prince to remember the holy vow of Wedlocke where your inseperable loues were ioyned together and of two persons made but one body we assure our selues then that your vertue and wisedome will lenefie the honourable cause of your nuptiall Spouse and gather these vnioynied members into right course againe For why should your Grace be dismembred hauing all the partes of naturall proportion redefied in your person Why should you make your felfe a poynting stocke of infamie to forraigne enemies and a domesticall contempt to your owne Subiectes Let naturall regard perswade you to driue out these pernitious poysons which flattering Subiectes haue lodged in your breast inchaunting you with vncurable Ielosie which except you speedely reforme your Royall estate may fall into present ruine These dangers considered lyeth you vpon speedelie to frequent the companie of your chast Queene whose honourable vndefiled foote-steppes we haue made good tryall of to the hope of your fauour her speedie deliuerie and a iust discharge of our dueties This Supplication receiued by the King could nothing at all preuaile to enlarge her seruitude for a litle before the wicked Barron had presented to King Edward a Gold-smithes daughter of London named Casiope a Damsell of a lewde behauiour yet beautifull and passing amorous who with her flattering smiles so intangled his eyes and bewitcht his fancie in such sort that he delighted onely in her companie wholly changing his auntient loue from his loyall Queene thinking all times too long till the tender thred of her lyfe were cut off which Vertue before time had so honourably spunne King Edwards minde being thus obscured with thicke fogges of flatterie and ouerwhelmed into a pernitious gulfe of darknesse his disease of Ielosie prooued more incurable which could neither be holpen through the earnest loue of his Queene nor perswaded through the long seruice of learned Counsellers Oh it is a worlde to beholde how flattering deceiuers can temper deslicate drinkes for euery mans appetite stoppe wisedomes eares by false inchauntments and subuert true conscience by wrongfull insinuation The King on the other side mistrusted not vulgar reports of populer men neither the ouerthrow of his Kingdome by such a deâ—ision nor regarded the patient minde of his vertuous Queene called for certaine of his priuie Counsell who being comde before him he gaue them this sharpe ediet for the arraignement and sentence against Queene Katherine and the Duke of Suffolke the tenure of the Kings words were as followeth If wilde Iuie my noble Lordes ruinate the walles of my House reaching within the windowes of my secret Chamber were it not necessarie to be plucked vp If in pleasant Gardens one spreading Weede disorder all the other odoriferous Flowers is it not requisite to haue it destroyed And although the rare beautie and excellent orniamentes of my Queene might easely inflame simple minde to beleeue her faigned holynesse yet one filthie stayne blemisheth all the rest One wrintle in Apelles tinsell blurred the costly Tables of Bacchus Doth not one vnsauery corner pester a whole House One lothfome odoure ouercome many pretious Oyntmentes Why are you then my Lordes so blinded with her deceitfull practises plagued with her desembling wordes and alured with her pestilent poysons What do you repute her a demie God Doe you thinke her an Angell of heauen Is she twise blest my selfe a thousand times accurst I sweare by the honoure of my Scepter to punish her lewd lyfe in such a maner that neuer after the blacke cloudes of her shame may obscure the glory of my Kingdome Let it not therefore most noble Lordes be imagined that I can be ouercome by any mans flatterie or my wits so lightly carryed away to be deceyued without good and due proofe all which great iniuries to my person impeachment to my Kingdome and wrong to my Subiects shall be followes with seueere iudgement therefore I charge you vpon your dueties as you hope to winne the garland of my fauour to prosecute my determination which is the desertfull fall of my vntrusty Queene and the confusion of her proude minnion the Duke of Suffolke And in saying this lyke one wholly bent to a resolute will not staying for any answere he departed from his Lordes and left them euery one sodaynely surprysed with griefe ready to cast them selues headlong into the desartes of dispaire yet durst they not by any meanes seeke to contradict his will but presently to perseuecre in this sinister iudgement CHAP. 3. ¶ How the
Queenes conception long before many weekes after Therfore I doubt not most excellent Prince but these my speaches may â—â—llifie your hart and procure present pittie to appeare and in doing so humanetie curtesie and noble worthinesse shall illustrate your person and with pregnant pollecie odorne your high estate and Imnage a rare blossome sprouting out to the exceeding comfort of all England The King being resolued at this the Earle of Sommersets request with the perswasion of diuers other noble men to graunt her repriuement vntill her deliuerance of childbirth were accomplished so that his desier in putting her to death might not afterward be hindred This her repriuement did not so much reioyce the sorrowfull heartes of the English Lords as it bred anger and discontentment in the Barron of Buckingames breast who imbouldned Casiope the Kinges Concubine to call for the Queenes secret distruction greatly mistrusting that continuall windes would at length shake the Tower of their prosperiites The beautie of this fayre Casiope seemed in the eyes of King Edward a little earthly Paradice which chaunged his inclinations to any way shee pleased for what soeuer he openly promised to his Nobles would he secretly denie before Casiope and what soeuer was obtayned contrary to her good liking was contiually crossed with a bad successe This costly magnificent Lady thus vndermined high mountaines builded bridges ouer mighty Seas and stood as a sure Irone post in the defence and safe conduct of the wicked Barron hir professed friend by art of wordes winding the Kinges mind to her ready bent bow and with beautyfull countenance indooting his concupicence against the whole dominion of England all which as a manifest trueth on a time approuedly fell out for after that sundrey of the Queenes friendes haâ—â—eliuered many pittifull petitions for her enlargement Casiope secretly betweene them selues taunted the King as followeth To what solletary wildernes is the ripenes of your pollecy wandred Shall euery bace Subiect hauing aspired some promosion rather of your goodnes then their owne desartes chaung your inclination as they list For shame my Lord put on a princely mind put off this bace relenting hart let Subiectes penetrate your minds not as they lust but as you please let them euermore seeke and neuer finde the secret depth of your hart let them rather grate vpon hard Irone then soft melting waxe my counsell herein followed and put in practise will bring speaciall welfare to your state and worthy estimation to all those which attende your person Further if Queene Katherine be the pleasant flower that euery one seeketh to smell at doe but vnroote the stalke and all their delightes will perish And to conclude her life will be your death and my dishonour King Edward harkening still to the voyce of this night Rauen which dayly crooked for the sweetlife of the vertuous Queene and spent much commumcation with the King as well for her dispatchance after her deliuerance from childbirth as conuaying the state of the Kingdome to her isshue The which pricks and darts of mortall shot throwne out so inwardly greeued the Lordes of the priuy Counsell that they departed the Kinges court resigned their offices and rich fees and sould their Patrimonies so that the Kingdome and dominion of Brittaine which before abounded in prosperous felicitie with manyfould orniaments of honour was now ruinated with great pouertie wretchednesse and miserie The King neglected the care of his people the people on the other side enuied the person of the King their martchandize and trafficke decayed their husbandry foreslowed ground became barron with out tillage miserable famine ouer spred the whole Countrey the which consumed breede of cattle The gold siluer and treasures was incroached among the wealthiest subiectes who for their better saffety betooke both themselues their riches vnder forraine gouernmentes Presently vppon this hurlie burlie which happened throughout the whole dominioÌ„ the heauens sent this good fortune to Queene Katherine that in the Lord high Marshals house she was deliuered in childbirth of two Twins a Sonne and a Daughter being two children of an excellent beauty which by the Marshall was presented to King Edward who although vtterly despising the Mother yet not altogeather choaked in ill nature toward the infantes speedely celebrated a soliemne Christoning and caused the man child to be called Edmond and the woman child by the name of Siluia the which being performed by officiall Priestes as the manner was in those dayes but yet not in such a royall sort as Princes childred ought to haue been christoned the which being no sooner finished but the King kindled in fuery against the Infantes through the perswasion of fayre Casiope caused young Edmond to be conuayed into the Dukedome of Normandy in which dominion the young Infant in company of his English nurses was most honourably receiued both because that Duke Robert being the first of that name was vnissued as being a Kings child of royal blood thinking that the Infant being naturally brought vp would proue in time to be a louing Prince to his people and a careful gouernour amongst them Further King Edward in the dispoyle of lawfull posterety from his dominion and Kingdome likewise transported fayre Siluia with her English nurses into Denmarke where very honourable intertaynement and comfort was giuen in the Kinges Court who through age and time gayned woonderfull estimation for as nature had rewarded her with excellent beauty so fortune forgot not to replenish her with wealthy prosperety who from her childhood in Princely orniamentes proued the only Parragon of Denmarke where now we will leaue her for a time to her good fortunes and likewise Prince Edmond in the Court of Normandie and discourse of the miseries that happened to Queene Katherine after her deliuery of childbirth CHAP. 5. ¶ How Queene Katherine was deliuered from prison by the pollecy of the Earle of London being her owne brother and what happened to the Lord Marshall after her departure KIng Edward not ending his Ielous fuery in the bannishment first of the Duke of Suffolke the young infant Edmond his ligitimate procreation and fayre Siluia his naturall daughter but with a greater determination of mischeife presently sent letters to the high Marshall giuing him a spetiall charge for the Queenes beheading protesting by the same letters what peace and tranquillety thereby might be purchased to his countrey After receipt of these newes the night before her death anpoynted Lord Marshall entered the Queenes lodging and made relation of his charge giuen by the King for her execution to whom she with a sober countenance answered in this manner My Lord Marshall sayd the Queene be not amazed but accomplish your duty herein nor thinke me displeased either with these newes from my deare husband or with you the messenger for I am fully resolued that my death more greeueth you then my selfe and as you haue been euer carefull in my cause so it is no little sorrow vnto your heart