that the king contriued her death Where if hee had pleased to marry elsewhere for that is made the cause hee might and would haue vsed a more safe meanes by a diuorce did not the French king Lewes the 12. because his wife was barren and crooked backt sue a diuorce and obtained it from Pope Alexander the sixt and afterward by his dispensation married with Anne Dutchesse of Brittaine the widdow of his predecessor Charles the 8 Might not King Richard haue done the like for he had the like cause his wife being barren whereof hee had often complained to Rotheram then Archbishop of Yorke And the Popes of those times were not so nice conscienced to deny Princes such requests but were easily wonne thereunto either by fauour or rewards therefore that he contriued her death was a slanderous false and absurd accusation but her time was come which Mortalitie might sorrow but sorrow might not preuent Death beeing deafe to all humane lamentations After her death being desirous to reconcile himselfe to all such as held themselues offended as at his Coronation hee had done with Fogg a meane Attourny who had highly offended him he laboured to win the one sort with benefits and rewards and freely pardoned the others misbehauiors and offences hee had no cause to feare Fogg therefore feare was not the cause No it was a worthy a kingly humility that would rather abate of his greatnesse then to haue it stained with the bloud of so meane a vassaile for a crime committed against himselfe yet was hee guilty of counterfeiting his Royall hand and Signet and of a most vntrue and infamous libell therefore how falsely do our Croniclers seeke to cleare Collingborne who was as may appeare by his inditement executed for treason against the state not for that ryming foolish ridiculous libell for neither they nor any other can euer prooue that euer he reuenged any iniury whatsoeuer committed particularly against himselfe For the good and safety of his kingdome and people he was zealous hee was feruent for onely for their peace for their quiet hee was content to suffer his neerest kinsmen his dearest friends to be executed so now with the mother Queene he laboured reconciliation he often solicited it at the last he effected it This rare this excellent worke of Christianity this true cognisance of a Religious Queene our Chroniclers defame and impute it to her as an horrible crime such is the obstinate errour of mankinde that when hatred is by God absolutely prohibited they dare say and maintaine the contrary but were not they thus corrupt partiall gouerned wholly by affection not truth their Histories would be the wisest guides making men that are young in yeeres olde in iudgement making experience most precious most cheape For Knowledge Iudgement and Experience are dearely purchased when wee must wander into infinite errours ere we can be perfect in our way nay they were most deare were they had with no other expence but growing old before we enioy them waxing rotten ere they grow ripe The end and scope of this reconciliation was to vnite himselfe in marriage with his Neece a contract no doubt inconuenient and prohibited the Vulgar but amongst States-men it is like to produce infinite good both to Prince and people It is an incōuenience most conuenient nothing strange because vsuall and accustomed amongst Princes tolerated yea allowed by their receiued Oracle of diuinity the Pope who considering the cause ordinarily dispenseth with the Consanguinity It is granted that this desire of marriage was mentioned by this King in respect of the publike peace to make satisfaction to the Mother in exalting the daughter for the deiecting of the Sonnes and to auoid the effusion of much of the peoples bloud which was likely to be spilt if his Neece should marry elsewhere as if sayour Chroniclers the first could not be established the latter auoided without this Platforme of Policie No had not Gods secret working bin beyond mans wisest apprehension it could not for well he knew the head-strong obstinacy of this people could hardly be kept in awe by a man therfore impossible to be restrained by childrē this made him dispossesse them of their Kingdom peraduenture of their liues for had they been suffered to liue they would euer haue bin the fire-brands of new seditions and therfore he thought it more conuenient they should be quenched with their owne blouds then with the blouds of infinit numbers of the people yet to make satisfaction for this wrong if it were a wrong to depriue the disturbers of the common good hee was contented and much laboured to marry their Sister his Neece but he is therefore adiudged ill why because his accusers would be reputed good though without doubt he was a good Prince and they all or the most part of all euill phantasticke and seditious people And euen at this day though the fortunate succesfull gouernment of our later Princes hath somwhat altered their natures bettered their conditions yet it were a lesse difficult quest to finde one good man then many But it pleased not the diuine Ordainer of marriage to permit that coniunction but rather to set a Period at once to his kingdome and life About the time of the plotting of this mariage the iudiciall Buckingham not thinking himselfe sufficiently regarded grew discontent and got the Princes fauour to retire himself into the Country where no doubt his fantastick melancholly would soone haue vanished being a man more happy in the inheritance of his Father then in the legacie of Nature discretion or iudgement had not the Prisoner corrupted the Iaylour namely Moreton Bishop of Ely committed by King Richard to his custodie who finding this Duke discontented more desirous to inflame his griefes then to redresse them with his fiery wit so wrought vpon the Dukes combustible matter that suddenly he brought him to kindle a fire of rebellion and to take vp armes against his Soueraigne this K. Richard soone hearing he prosecuted him as an enemy and so laboured what by his owne wisedome what by his especials that within a while he tooke his head from his body for being no better able to aduise him in his proceedings was it a fault to punish periury in him who had sworne true allegeance then the executing of law is a sin if so let transgressors be accounted innocent and Magistrates and Iudges guilty of transgression And had this been the action of some other Prince it had been good iust necessary but being his it is censured the contrary so that sinne is not sinne nor vertue accounted vertue by their owne natures or effects but are made vertues or vices by the loue or hate that is borne to the committer such is our humane vnderstanding as they rather confound all things then by distinguishing them to make choice of the worthiest for let a Noble-man be popular if he haue an ill face it is termed warlike
ESSAYES Of Certaine PARADOXES At London Printed for Th. THORP 1616. praysed K. RICHARD the 3d The French POCKES NOTHING Good to be in DEBT THE PRAYSE OF King RICHARD the THIRD THat Princes are naturally ambitious and that Ambition makes them to effect their desires rather then to affect the equitie of their designes may more truly then safely be auowed For all of them I thinke were the record of their actions indifferent might be taxed of this vice But this excuse cleares not the accused yet it testifies that Princes erre against nature if they aspire not We hold not without reason that if the bill of the Plaintiffe bee stuffed with friuolous assertions that the complaint fauoureth more of malice then of wrong Why should not the same Axiome bee a motiue to cleare this wronged Prince whose accusers lay to his charge the anguish his Mother felt when he came into the world then which accusation what can be more friuolous it being a punishment hereditary to all women from the first His being toothed as soone as borne seemes to me rather a blessing then any imputation as being a presage of his future worthinesse and as all Nurses will confesse an ease of much paine and danger But he was crook-backt lame il-shapen il-fauoured I might impute that fault to Nature but that I rather thinke it her bounty for she being wholly intentiue to his minde neglected his forme so that shee infused a straight minde in a crooked bodie wherein shee shewed her carefull prouidence For oftentimes the care to keepe those parts well formed with-drawes mens mindes from better actions and drownes them in effeminate curiositie His lamenesse turned to his glory for with those imperfect limmes hee performed actions most perfectly valiant How rightly his Father claimed his brother obtained the Scepter is sufficiently knowne and therefore superfluous and impertinent and also how his brother dusked his right if right by abrogating the oath which he sware at Yorke that his comming in armes was only for that Dukedome But to dilate how variable and inconstant the people of those times were shall be more necessary and effectuall that knowing their inconstancie their traditions like themselues may the lesse bee beleeued so light-headed so foolish so irreligious as their opinion for what else are the thoughts of Ignorance but opinion made them breake their oath to their Prince and to such a Prince as they did not shame to dislike onely because hee was too good Him they abandoned deposed after restored not as desiring being guilty of their owne fault but onely that it stood with the liking of Warwicke the child of their loue If then they were such as indeede they were and that those relations wee haue must come from that people it were better I thinke to bury their traditions then refute their obiections were not our age apt to erre infected with this folly For his brother K. Edward though his vices seem not to adde vertues to this condemned Prince yet questionlesse they doe making all his ill-estimated actions of an other nature Hee obtained the Crowne but rather fortunately then wisely were not all wisedome thought folly to which Fortune lends not successe For I thinke Lust or if you will terme it Loue could not more haue preuailed with the most licencious creature then at once to breake the bonds of amity discretion and policy and all to enioy a woman in respect of his heighth base a widow and of his enemy without bringing him either alliance or riches proppes most pertinent to his new-erected buildings Wherein besides his breach of regall discretion with his chiefest friend the Earle of Warwick whom he had sent into France to treate of marriage betweene him and the Lady Bona wherein being deluded hee became his mortallest enemie his abuse to God was more abominable being before betrothed as his owne mother constantly affirmed to the Lady Elizabeth Lucy in testimony whereof hee had layde such earnest as should haue bound any common man much more a King to performance How soone the wrath of God followed this his irreligious inconstancie his being driuen from the Seate-Royall into exile the birth of his sonne in a Sanctuary hauing no place else of freedome in his Fathers kingdome the miserie of all his partakers sufficiently testifie In which generall misery who did more truely follow him Who more faithfully ayded him then his now disgraced Brother Whereas his other Brother Clarence not onely left him but ioyned in marriage with the daughter of his principall enemie and holpe to expulse him with what loue what constancy his indeauours his aduenturing his life to restore him doth witnesse Neuer was he noted all the life of K. Edward to thirst after the Kingdome neuer denyed hee any commandement of his Prince but performed all his employments discreetly valiantly successfully The suspition of helping his Brother Clarence to his end was but a suspition since the kings old displeasure awaked by a new Prophesie was vndoubttedly the cause if otherwise when he after repented him hee would haue misliked of Gloucester it being naturall to sinne but vnnaturall to ease others of their crimes For the killing of the Heire of the house of Lancaster at Tewksburie if so seemes to mee rather the effect of loue to his Brother then crueltie to the Prince for he was an enemie yea the chiefe and principall enemie of the contrarie faction Yet it cannot be proued the action of Richard but that it was an act wished by the King to be done and executed in both their presences by the Duke of Clarence the Marquesse Dorset the Lord Hastings and others The death of Henrie the 6. in the Tower can no way belong to him since the same reason that cleareth his Brother fitteth him hee being able if desiring his death to haue effected it by a more vnworthy hand And indeed this accusation hath no other proofe then a malicious affirmation For many more truely did suppose that hee dyed of meere melancholie and griefe when he had heard of the ouerthrow of his friends and slaughter of his sonne But if it were true though it spots him with bloud yet it confirmes his loue to his Prince which loue was so coldly requited as might haue mooued a true louer of Rewards more then of Vertue to haue altered his indeauors whether it were a iealousie of the Nobilitie of his blood or of the height of his spirit whether the abundance of affection to bee led by a woman or that hee was defectiue in all brotherly affection certaine it is he rather imployed him then rewarded his imployments Contrary the Queenes kindred daylie to rise meerely without desert but that they were of her kindred and their basenesse being thus suddenly exalted not only to plucke from him promotions due to his deserts but to enuie the Duke and contend with him how insupportable it must be to
his drunkennesse is termed good fellowship his slouenliness humility his prodigality liberality thus is vertue suppressed and forced with her own titles to adome her mortallest aduersaries But to returne to our defamed King had not his mercy exceeded his cruelty his safety had been better secured and his name not so much subiect to obloquy for though he cut off the head of a mighty Conspirator yet he suffered the conspiracie to take so deepe root that in the end the branches thereof ouertopped his glory and ouershadowed his greatnesse For the Countesse of Richmond labouring in her sonnes right daily enticed and inueigled many to be of her faction to streng then which the more it was plotted betweene the two Mothers to ioyne the two dissenting houses in vnitie by a marriage This practice the King well knew yet mercy loue lenity so preuailed with him that hee onely sought to preuent that coniunction by vniting his brothers daughter with himselfe and inflicted no other punishment on the Countesse but onely the committing of her to the custody of her Husband Would a cruell bloud-thirsty Prince haue done so could any thing haue been performed with more mildnesse and lenity could he do lesse then let her vnderstand that hee knew her secretest practises Surely if hee were an Vsurper as that he could not be now standing after the death of his Nephewes in the same ranke that Edward the fourth his brother did yet his equity in iustice his mercy in pardoning offendors his care of Religion his prouidence for the safety of the people should and ought to haue tempered the bitternesse of his most malicious enemies with no lesse mercifull gentlenesse he vsed her husband and that at such time as her sonne was already landed and made claime to the kingdome for hee onely tooke his sonne the Lord Strange as an hostage and then suffered him to go into the Country to leuie his forces so farre was he from bloud and cruelty as though he knew his alliance to the contrary faction a motiue sufficient to make him as indeed hee did incline to their ayd though hee might iustly suspect him and could not haue wanted colour to haue beheaded him as being father-in-law to his Competitor yet he only detained his sonne in his Campe and when hee had assured notice of his Fathers disloyall reuolt yet he suffered the Hostage of his loyalty to liue an euidence effectuall enough to testifie that he desired rather to settle then to ouerthrow the quiet of this Land that he laboured to win the hearts of his subiects rather with meekenesse then cruelty what Prince could haue done lesse Nay what King would not haue done more since both the effect and the present feare are both such inward tormentors that it is hard to determine which is most grieuous so opposite so contrary to the nature of a Prince borne not to feare but to be feared that it is most iust most naturall to remoue such a terrour but now the Heire of Lancaster being come to challenge the Crowne what did the King Did his spirits faile him Was his magnanimous courage daunted No he then gathered new spirit he new steeled his courage he withstood him with the height of fortitude protesting rather to dye valiantly then to liue lesse then a King With what a Roman-like spirit did he resist fortune being ouerthrowne how Heroically did he encounter with death This our detracting Chroniclers cannot but acknowledge for so high so powerful was his magnanimity that in spight of malice it preuaileth and like the Sunne breaketh thorow the misty clouds of his aduersaries slaunders was it a fault to withstand the Lancastrian heires claime then those are faulty who being in possession of lands to proue good their title prosecute suites and are ouerthrown by the lawe for the sentence of iudgement makes them to perceiue that to be an errour which before they imagined none Besides he knew well that his kingdome life had both one period to which life he was perswaded his Competitor had no right and therefore he would neuer be guilty of such a sinne as wilfully to betray it till he which had lent it him required repayment Had his life his actions been most abominable yet like a slaue to haue yeelded his throate to the execution would haue been an imputation beyond all other imputations but could he as openly haue manifested his other vertues as he did his valor and policy the worlds opinion had been otherwise and I neither had taken such paines to defend his innocency nor in some weake iudgements to endanger mine owne But surely he did couragiously and valiantly withstand his enemies with great expedition rallying his forces and performing all things with wonderfull celerity he went to encounter the disturbers of his quiet It is reported that the night before the day of battaile he dreamed a most dreadfull and horrible dreame which by our Chroniclers is interpreted to be a testimony of his wicked and tyrannous life Did not Caesar before he attained the Empire dreame that he knew his owne Mother carnally had not both Dion and Brutus the figures of terrible spirits represented vnto them the night before their end and yet these were reputed good men and louers and protectors of their Countrie and because king Richard dreamed with some terrour must his life of necessitie be euill O vaine O friuolous obiection but they hold this dreame to be a compunction of his conscience happy Prince to haue so indiscreete slaunderers for how could they more truly witnesse his integrity since onely they which reuerence and feare God are indued with that inquiring conscience which censureth their actions for they which are giuen ouer to a reprobate sence are insensible of that good Angell which seeketh by telling vs our faults to make vs repent our sinnes past and to bee wary lest we commit any more Surely I thinke his conscience like a glasse presented before him the figures of all his actions which he faithfully examining humbly craued pardon for his misdeeds and so hauing made atonement with God like a deuout Penitentiary setled his minde he went with alacrity to the bloudy Court where the cause of his life was to be tryed where his sword being his Aduocate pleaded most valiantly In all which tumult he failed neither in discretion nor in execution but boldly encouraged his Souldiers both by word and example There is extant in our Chronicles an Oration which at that time he made to his Souldiers wherein he confesseth his errors and desireth pardon of all the world as he hoped his repentant teares had obtained mercy of God What a Saint-like thing was this for a King to craue forgiuenesse of subiects for a Generall to humble himselfe to his Souldiers What could it be but the effect of a more diuine then terrene vnderstanding If like the common fashion of men he would haue put his affiance in humane