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A13983 A continuation of The collection of the history of England beginning where Samuel Daniell Esquire ended, with the raigne of Edvvard the third, and ending where the honourable Vicount Saint Albones began, with the life of Henry the seventh, being a compleat history of the begining and end of the dissention betwixt the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster. With the matches and issue of all the kings, princes, dukes, marquesses, earles, and vicounts of this nation, deceased, during those times. By I.T. Trussel, John, fl. 1620-1642.; Daniel, Samuel, 1562-1619. Collection of the historie of England. 1636 (1636) STC 24297; ESTC S107345 327,329 268

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King should take the revenews of his land untill he was satisfied of such sommes of money as hee had received out of the Kings coffers for the payment of the garrison of Calice And he further sayd That the King commanded upon paine of his high displeasure that no man from thenceforth should presume to petition the King in behalfe of either of those Dukes to alter this Decree The sentence thus read the King called the exiles before him and tooke of them a solemne oath that they should never converse together nor willingly come into each others company lest common discontent should draw first reconcilement and after desire of revenge But this pollicie is ever weake to prevent such purposes for oathes are often spurnd aside when they lye like rubbe●… to stoppe the way to honour or revenge Therefore the Princes of the Realme have with more safetie for the most part abolished the use of abjuration and either by death extinguish the power or by pardon alter the will of great offendors from entring into desperate and dangerous attempts which men in miserie and disgrace with more vehemency begin and with more obstinacy continue When the Samnites had so enclosed the Roman Legions that they had neither space to fight nor meanes to flye and without fight had enforced them to yeeld they sent for advise to one Pontius an antient Ruler of their State what to doe with them His answer was that the Romans should bee permitted to depart without losse or derision But this not pleasing those that were either cruell or covetous Pontius was the second time consulted with whose answer then was That the Romans should bee generally slaughtered and not one spared This contrarietie of advise brought Pontius into suspition of dotage which he suspecting came in person and maintained both to be advantageous The first by an unexpected favour might provoke the Romans to a perpetuall friendship the second would deferre the warres for many yeares The third Counsell quoth he there cannot be given that may be fafely followed yes say the Samnites to grant them their lives but to take away their armes and bootie This is a way replies old Pontius which can neither win friends nor weaken enemies but may increase fury but not diminish force So that that course of punishment is out of course which doth neither reclaime the minde of man nor restraine the might from mischievous endevours The Duke of Norfolke with great griefe and perturbation of minde now ●…ving it to bee true that greatnesse abused by whispering untruthes draweth if discovered certaintie of destruction departed into Almaine and from thence travailed to Venice where shortly after hee ended his dayes It is observed that this Duke was banished the same day of the yeare wherein the Duke of Yorke by his contriving was strangled at Calice The Duke of Hereford tooke his leave of the King at Eltham where foure yeares of his exilement were strooke off The Dukes deportment was with that moderation that in his countenance he made shew neither of sorrow or stupiditie and at his departure let not fall any either intemperate or unseemely sillable The Commons much lamented his departure not sparing to exclaime that it was against the Law of armes the custome of the Realme and all Iustice that hee should bee exiled who had honourably endevoured to maintaine his appeale according to the law of the field Their affection was the more excessive by reason the ground of his speech was against those that the people hated and he was the only survivor of the popular faction The Duke of Hereford sayleth to Callice and from thence to Paris where hee was honourably received by the King of France and in short time found that favour with him that hee was offered for wife the only Daughter of Iohn Duke of Berry Vncle to the French King But the King of England upon notice thereof made such meanes that the Mariage was stopt Many things hapned this yeare which were interpreted to presage the revolt of the people which hapned the yeare following observation likewise was taken that when King Richard brought his first wife with him out of Beanne shee was no sooner on shore but such a tempest arose as the like thereof had not beene seene in many yeares before wherein many shippes and amongst them the ship the Queene came in was cast away The like storme and the like losse did betide when the King brought his second wife out of France Many prodigies are likewise storied to appeare about these times both strange and fearefull I dare not avouch them all to be true neither will I detract all truth from such things so antiently reported Many are perswaded that these things which are fatally allotted though they are unavoidable yet are they some times foreshowne not so much that we may prevent them as that we should prepare our selves against them About this time died Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster who was buried on the North side of the high Altar of the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paul in London he was a man advised and wary liking better safe courses with reason then happy by hazzard neither unrespective nor ambitiously carefull of his owne glory Hee carried himselfe towards the King in termes honourable enough for a moderate Prince and yet not so plausible as an uncollected man might desire whereby nothing hapned unto him extraordinary either in prejudice or preferment This Iohn of Gaunt so named of the place where hee was borne fourth sonne of Edward the third did write in his stile Iohn sonne to the King of England Duke of Aquitaine and Lancaster Earle of Richmond of Darby Lincolne Leicester and high Constable of England hee married three Wives Blanch Daughter and coheire of Henry first Duke of Lancaster by whome hee had issue Henry afterwards King of England Philip married to Iohn King of Portugal Elizabeth married to Iohn Holland Duke of Exceter His second wife was Constance daughter and one of the Coheires of Peter King of Castile by whom he had issue Katherin●… married to Henry son of Iohn King of Spaine His third Wife was Katherine daughter of Payne Rurt King of armes and Widow of Sir Otes Swinford Knight by whom hee had issue Iohn Bewford Earle of Somerset and Marquesse Somerset Henry Bewford Bishop of Winchester Thomas Bewford Earle of Dorset and Duke of Exceter Ioane married to Ralph Nevill Earle of Chester and afterwards to Robert Ferrers Lord of Ousley all these Children though borne before espousall by a Bull from Rome were made legitimate hee lyeth buryed in Pauls After his death the Dutchy of Lancaster did lineally descend to his eldest sonne the Duke of Hereford But as the nature of man is prone to hate those whom hee hath injured the King seized all the lands and goods of the deceased Duke and endevoured to perpetuate the banishment of the young Duke revoked the Letters patents granted and consented unto
and was buried at Windsor He was sayth Sir Thomas More of goodly personage and Princely aspect couragions in heart politicke in counsel not much amated in adversitie and rather joyfull then proud in prosperity In war fierce and resolute in the field active and valiant never ventrous beyond reason nor forward beyond discretion in peace for the most part just and mercifull of comely countenance of body strong and straight but in his latter dayes with ease and overliberall diet somewhat enclining to corpulency but far from uncomelinesse In his youthfull yeares he was a little too too much fleshly given from which without the more grace of God youth in health is hardly restrained This fault could not greatly grieve the subject for neither could one mans pleasure displease all if it be done without rape or violence neither is it permanent for he that is most salacious in youth if he will not leave it in older yeares it will leave him He kept his subjects not in a constrained feare but in a willing obedience labouring by all meanes to keepe them at peace amongst themselves reconciling all differences amongst the nobility whereof he had notice with which he concluded the last scene of this lives act Hee had issue by Elizabeth his wife Edward his eldest sonne borne the 4. of November 1471. in the Sanctuary at Westminster Richard borne at Shrewsbury murdred with his brother in the Tower George borne at Shrewsbury who died young Elizabeth borne at Westminster 11. of Febr. 1466. shee was promised in marriage to Charles the Dolphyn of France but deceived courted by her unnaturall vncle the usurper but deluded but afterwards happily married to Henry the vij Cicely treated to be espoused to the Prince of Scotland but used like her sister she was afterward first married to Iohn Vicount Wells whom she supervived and tooke for a second husband one Ryme of Lincolnshire but dyed without issue Anne married to Sir Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk but dyed without issue living Bridget lived a professed Nun at Darford Mary who was cōtracted to the K. of Denmark but died before consumation Margaret who dyed in her infancy Katherin who was married to William Courtney Earle of Devon who had issue by him Henry afterwards Marquesse of Exceter Besides these legitimate he had two naturall children Arthur Plantagenet begotten of the body of Elizabeth Lucy married to Elizabeth sister and heire of Iohn Vicount Lisley by whom he had issue three daughters which all had issue 1 Bridget married to Sir William Cardan Knight 2 Francis first married to Iohn Basset then to Thomas Monck of Devon 3 Elizabeth married to Sir Iohn Iephson knight Elizabeth begotten of the body of Beatrix the Lady Anguish was married to Sir Thomas Lumley and by him had issue Richard Lord Lulmey and George Lumley The King the night before his death having before observed some discourteous passages to have gone betwixt the kindred of his Queene and some of the nobles but principally between the Queene and the Lord Chamberlaine for women that have beene widdowes Commonly maligne them most whom their husbands esteeme much of not out of malice but nature caused them all to come to his bed side to whom he sayd holding the Queene by the hand My Lords deere kinsmen and allies in what plight I lye you may discerne but I feele wherfore the lesse while I looke to live with you the more deeply I am moved to be carefull in what case I shall leave you For I am confident such as I leave you my children shall find you And if as God forbid they should find you at variance They may unhappely fall at jar themselves before they have capability of discreation to set attonement betweene you You see the tendernesse of their yeares The onely securitie therefore of their well being must consist in your concord For it sufficeth not if all of you respectively affect them if any of you stomacke the other if they were men your integritie happily might be sufficient But childhood must be refulcitated by wise mens authoritie And slippery youth underpropped with elder Counsel neither of which they can have except you give it neither can you give it unlesse you accord together For when each laboureth to pluck downe what another setteth up and for hatred to each others person impugneth each others Counsel it must be long before any good conclusion goe forward And whilst each laboureth for superioritie Flattery shall have more place then plaine and faithfull advice from whence of necessitie must ensew the untoward education of the young Prince whose mind in tender youth infected with loosenesse of disposition will naturally thereto enclined slip into ryot and mischiefe and so be the meanes of his owne and this Kingdomes ruine except God send the greater blessing and through his grace make him apply his heart to wisdome which if as God grant he may he shall attaine unto then they that by sinister perswasion and evill advice flattered him at first most and pleased him best shall afterward fall furthest out of his fauor for politicke plots and vitious courses ever at length shall reape the sowre when good and wholsome Counsell though at first not embraced shall prove sweete and wholesome I remember it to my griefe that there hath beene discord among you a great time not alwayes for great causes but poore mistakings sometimes a thing right well intended towards us our misinterpretation turneth to ill or a small displeasure done us is either by our own ill affection or evill tongue exasperated Yet this I wot well you never had so good occasion of emulation as you have of unfayned affection That wee be all men all natives of one nation nay all Christians and adopted brethren in Christ I leave for Preachers to tell you And yet I am uncertaine whether any Preachers words ought to have more power to move you than his That is your Soveraigne Lord and is by and by togoe to that place that they all preach of But this I shall instantly desire you to print in your memory that the one part of you are my owne flesh and blood the other of my Allyance and each of you with other of consanguinity or affinitie And this spirituall conjunction by affinitie if the Sacraments of Christs Church hold that estimation with us which they ought and I wish with all my soule they did should no lesse move to mutuall charitie then the bare respect of fleshly consanguinity Jesus forbid that you should live and love together the worse for the selfe-same cause for which you ought to love the better and yet that of late the more the pitie hath too often falne out amongst us And seldome is there found more deadly fewd then amongst them which by right and reason ought most affectionately to live together But such a bewitching serpent is Ambition and appetite of vaine-glory and Soveraigntie that amongst states where shee once entereth shee slideth
marriage betwixt Iohn of Gaunt and Katheryne Swinford was approved of and the issue borne before the espousalls made legitimate by act of Parliament and confirmed by a Bull from Rome This is the Catalogue of the pedegree of the two houses of Lancaster and Yorke betwixt whom the competition for the Crowne of England was the occasion of expence of so much blood Although the Crowne of England upon the decease or deposition of Richard the second without issue was jure haereditario to descend to Edmond Mortimer the younger the Sonne of Philip Daughter and heire of Lionel Duke of Clarence the third Sonne of Edward the third yet his cosin Henry of Bullingbrooke Duke of Hertford and Sonne and heire of John of Gaunt the younger Brother of Lionell of Clarence taking advantage of the peoples forwardnesse and his kinsmans being generally distasted was Created and Crowned King From the yeare of our Lord 1399. untill the fourth of March 1460. In three Descents the slips of the red Rose in the line of Lancaster did beare sway but not without some interruptions and hazard For though Edmond Plantagenet Duke of Aumerle Sonne and heire of Edmond of Langley set not the White Rose claime on foot yet as maligning the prosperitie of Henry the fourth hee was a maine stickler in the conspiracie against him intended to have beene executed at Oxford But the eruption of Yorke never was manifest untill Richard Plantagenet Sonne of Richard of Bonysborough Anno 1455. drew his Sword to make good his claime to the Crowne of England And from his time I shall endevour to drawe a Compendiary of the times and places of the severall battells betweene these two houses strooke and the slaughter on both sides made The three and twentieth day of May at Saint Albones in Hertfordshire Richard Duke of Yorke gave battell to King Henry the sixt on whose side was slaine Edmond Duke of Somerset Henry Earle of Northumberland Humphry Earle of Stafford Thomas Lord Clifford say some others John with divers Knights and Esquires to the number of 37. with five thousand common souldiers and Henry himselfe was taken Prisoner on the Dukes part only sixe hundred in the totall 5641. A Battell was fought at Bloarheath in Shropshire the thirteenth day of September betweene the Lord Audly Lieutenant to Henry the sixt and the Earle of Salisbury in which Audly was slaine and his Army overthrowne at this battell was slaine in all two thousand foure hundred men with Sir Thomas Dutton beside six other Cheshire Knights and two Esquires thereof in all 2411. Sir Osbert Mountfort with twelve Gentlemen of his company was taken at Sandwich and carried to Ricebanke and there beheaded by the Lord Fauconbridge The Earle of Wiltes at Newbery causeth twenty Yorkists to bee hanged and quartered The tenth of Iune in the thirty eight yeare of the King at Northampton was a battell fought wherein was slaine Humphry Duke of Buckingham John Talbot Earle of Shrowsbury Thomas Lord Egremond John Viscount Beamond and Sir William Lucy with tenne thousand and thirty men slaine The Lord Skales is slaine upon the Thames seeking to escape by the Earle of Warwicks men The thirtieth of December at Wakefield was a battell strooke wherein the Queene prevailed with the slaughter of two thousand eight hundred persons not numbring Richard Duke of Yorke Edmond Earle of Rutland a child and the Earle of Shrowsbury taken prisoner but afterwards beheaded Sir John Mortimer and Sir Hugh Mortimer the Dukes base Vncles Sir Davy Hall Sir Hugh Hastings Sir Thomas Nevill Sir William Parry Sir Thomas Parry Sir Richard Limbricke Knights then likewise slaine on Candlemasse day vpon the plaine neere Mortimers crosse in Hereford-shire a field was fought betwixt the new Duke of Yorke and the Earles of Penbrooke and Wiltes wherein the Duke prevailed with the slaughter of 3800. men but no man of qualitie but Sir Owen Tyther that had married Queene Katherine Vpon Shrovetuesday the seventeenth of February at Saint Albones the second Battaile was fought betweene Queene Margaret and the Duke of Norfolke and others wherein were slaine two thousand three hundred men besides the Lord Bonvile Sir Thomas Keryell Sir John Gray and Baron Thorpe The most cruell and deadly Battaile of all others during the rage of this unnaturall division was fought at Towton or betweene Towton and Saxton within foure miles of Yorke the nineteenth day of March being Palme Sunday wherein were slaine of English-men Thirty five thousand ninetie and one and of strangers one thousand seven hundred fourty five besides two hundred and thirty slaine the day before at Ferry Brigge with the Lord Fitzwater and the base brother of the Earle of Warwicke The most remarkable men that fell in this bloody fight were Henry Piercy Earle of Northumberland The Earle of Shrowsbury The Earle of Devon John Lord Clifford The Lord Beamond The Lord Nevill The Lord Willoughby The Lord Wells The Lord Rosse The Lord Gray The Lord Dacres The Lord Fitz-Hugh The two base Sonnes of Henry Holland Duke of Exceter Sir Thomas Mollineux Sir Otes Beckingham Sir Aubrey Trussell Sir Richard Piercy Sir William Heyton Sir Jervoys Clifton Sir Foulke Hamys Sir Thomas Crackenthorpe Sir James Crackenthorpe Sir William Throllop Sir Andrew Throllop Sir Walter Harle Sir John Ormond Sir William Mollyns Sir Thomas Pigot Sir William Norborough and William Burton Knights The Earle of Devonshire there taken Prisoner with three other Knights were beheaded at Yorke and so may be reckoned amongst the slaine so that the account of the whole number besides those that died after of hurts then received thirty seven thousand fourty and six At Hegley More the Lord Mountacute charged and put to flight two thousand Lancastrians who were on foot to march to Henry the sixt at which time Sir Ralph Piercy with one hundred and seven were slaine the residue flying gave alarum to the Kings Army and upon the 15. of May in a plaine called Livels neere the water of Dowill in Hexam shire the battaile was fought against Henry the sixt by the Lord Mountague Generall for Edward the fourth wherein were taken Prisoners Henry Duke of Somerset The Lord Rosse The Lord Mollins and The Lord Hungerford Sir Thomas Wentworth Sir Thomas Hussey Sir John Finderne and sixteene Knights more executed at Hexam and Yorke Sir William Talboys titulary Earle of Kime or Angus and not Kent as Master Martin relateth Sir Ralph Nevill Sir Ralph Gray and Sir Richard Tunstall were taken afterwards but beheaded The number slaine is uncertainly set downe the most of our common Writers not naming any only faabian saith about two thousand so that I make that my skale to reckon by At a place called Danes more neere the Towne of Edgcot within foure miles of Banbury was a great Battaile fought upon Saint Iames his day the five and twentieth of Iuly wherein were slaine
King sent forth a Fleet which arriving in Britaine tooke fourty Shippes laden with Oyle Sope and Rochel Wines and burnt about fourty more and then landed at Pennarch burning Townes and Villages sixe leagues within the Countrey together with the Town of Saint Mathew and all the building there three leagues about the same and returned laden with spoyle and bootie sufficient with advantage to recompence the losses received at Plymmouth A Parliament was called at Coventry about the feast of all Saints but at Saint Andrewes tyde for want of good accommodation then the same was prorogued to London untill the Feast of Epiphany The Frenchmen about that time attempted to have ransacked the Isle of Wight and to that end set on land one thousand footmen who having got together a great booty of cattell the Ilanders enforced them to their Shippes and to leave their prey behind them with many of their men to helpe pay the damage done An unaccustomed surcharging Subsidy of every Knights fee whether the same were held by Mesnaltie or otherwise twenty shillings to the King every one that could dispend twenty shillings per annum ultra reprises and so upward of what holding soever twelve pence the pound and aboue twenty pounds in goods according to the rate twelve pence in the pound is in this Parliament granted but with this caution and protestation that it should not hereafter bee drawne for a President and that no Records thereof should be kept in the Treasurie or Exchequer but that presently upon the account made all the Rowles thereof to be burnt This yeare there dyed that ever to bee reverenced with gratefull remembrance William of Wickam Bishop of Winchester who more affecting by workes of Piety and Charity to doe good unto his Countrey then to propagate Posteritie left behinde him many monuments of his zeale to Religion and love to the Church howsoever his primitive name is uncertaine and disputable For the discordancie of Writers of those times have left too many scrupulous questions about his descent and originall surname I have therefore as neere as God hath enabled mee endevoured to cleere the point and what with some search I have found hereof to set downe the truth And though to some it may here appeare impertinent yet I presume it will not altogether prove unprofitable In the yeare of our Lord God 1324. William the sonne of Iohn Long was borne at Witkham in the Countie of Southampton This Iohn was Parish Clerke of Wickham aforesaid in which place hee taught Children to write and amongst others his owne sonne who profited so well that hee attained to the writing of a very faire hand a qualitie in those dayes much respected and by the better sort greatly desired From Wickham this Iohn with his wife and family removed to Litchfield there as afore-time he continued the course aforesaid And thither amongst others did one Nicholas Woodall then Constable of the Castle of Winchester send a Sonne of his to be instructed who upon his returne making relation to his Father of this William his skill of faire writing was a meanes that this Constable of the Castle procured the said William of his Father and kept him together with his owne child at Schoole in Winchester where hee learned his Latine French tongues in both which he profited exceedingly From Winchester at Master VVoodhalls charge hee is sent to Oxford where hee applyed himselfe to the study of the Cannon lawes but from them before any degree in Schoole taken hee by his Patron was sent for who being made Surveyor generall of his Majesties workes a place in those dayes of more then ordinary regard hee is by him imployed as his Clerke and in short time grew so expert therein that hee farre surpassed all others in orderly keeping the Account booke and faire engrossing of the same Insomuch that King Edward the Third about that time much addicted to rea●…ing magnificent sttructures comming in Progresse and lodging at the Castle heard a large commendation from the Bishop of VVinchester Adam de Orleton of this VVilliam Longs sufficiency who affirmed unto the King that hee had divers times by his Masters leave imployed the young man and upon full proofe found him every way of sufficiencie to doe his Majestie any requirable service Whereupon the King told the Bishop That if without doing wrong to his Master hee might obtaine it hee was desirous to have this VVilliam to serve him The Bishop thereupon perswadeth and prevaileth with Master VVoddall to preferre this his servant to the King who more tendring his Clerkes preferment then his owne ease or service a course not over frequent in this Age accordingly tendreth him whom the King gratiously entertaineth and presently imployeth him in contriving and overlooking his Fortifications at Doven and Quinborough Castles and afterwards made him Surveyor of his buildings at VVindsor Castle and his Houses of Henley and East-Hamstead in all which his imployments hee so dexteriously behaved himselfe that hee not only got the generall good will of his contemporary officers and workmen but also the favour of the King and his Councell and all the Courtiers of whom by discreet observation he had sufficiently learned to make use of the time to his best advantage And having sufficiently seene proved by others experience that service is no certaine heritage And that only to depend on the Kings favour and the peoples praise was a brittle and slippery course to run in wisely therewithall observing that spirituall promotions the wind blowing as it did was easily to bee obtained presuming the King would not bee offended if hee should enter into Orders when thereby preferment was every day promised no doubt inwardly feeling himselfe to bee sufficiently called hee entred into holy Function And according to the custome of the Clergie men of those times bee was from thence forth written and called by the name of William of Wickham and by that time was instituted first Parson of Saint Martins in the field Then made Minister of Saint Martins le grand afterwards Archdeacon of Lincolne Provost of Wells and Rector of Manyhent in Devonshire But within short time after notwithstanding his watchfull care in his deportment to give no occasion of offence as neere as possible to any much lesse to the King yet hee was falne into the jawes of Envie a common plague to Court favourites and by some or others be traduced to the King For over-ambitiously affecting vaine-glory as arrogating the renowne of the Kings choice-peece of building to bee the worke of VVickham only and for an instance thereof they produce a sculpture in a stone of the wall in VVinchester Tower in VVindsor Castle set up at that time when hee was imployed in that worke which imported This made VVilliam of VVickham And this upon the first relation gave just cause of indignation to the King as derogating much from his honour to have a subject to attribute the building of
the wall to his Soveraignes house to bee done at his charge For which so saying the King sharply reprehendeth VVickham To whom VVickham modestly replieth that it was farre from his thought to ascribe by that inscription the Honour of building that tower to himselfe but his owne good hap for being preferred to that worke for not by any indifferent construction the words may seeme to import that VVickham built that Tower But his imployment thereabouts was the cause of making and preferring of Wickham for thereby hee had gained his Majesties gratious favour and countenance By this answer the King was pacified and as it were to make VVickham amends and deterre his calumniators from further persisting in such their envious courses the Kings favour is daily increased towards him and hee is enriched with many faire preferments Insomuch that within few yeares by the assistance and plotting of Iohn Buckingham Bishop of Lincolne and Sir Simon Burleigh Knight two of his antient and most intimate acquaintance in Oxford hee had gotten into his possession besides the spirituall livings before remembred twelve severall Prebendships and by dispensation from Pope Vrban and qualification by being the Kings Chaplaine hee held at one time in his hands so many Ecclesiasticall livings and promotions as the valew of them did amount in the Kings bookes to the summe of eight hundred seventy sixe pounds thirteene shillings and foure pence in those dayes a great summe such was his behaviour that hee held the Kings favour firme unto him and the Nobilitie for the most part did well approve his courses besides these Spirituall promotions the King had likewise honoured him with many temporall places of both profit and respect as being his principall Secretarie Keeper of the Privie Seale Master of the Wards and Liveryes Treasurour of the Kings Revenewes in France and some other Offices of lesse eminencie Now whilst his wealth and worship every day increased in Anno 1356. VVilliam Edendon Bishop of VVinchester departed this life leaving the sea void whereupon the King desiring the same the Monkes of Saint Swithins in VVinchester elected VVilliam of VVickham to that sea But Vrban the then Pope being sufficiently informed of the Elects little learning but great livelyhood deferd by the space of a whole yeare the confirmation of the Election in which time VVickhams good Angells interceding for him in the Court of Rome hee is permitted to take the benefit of the spiritualties and to have the temporalties in the meane time sequestred The King hearing how much the insufficiencie of schollership was obtruded upon VVickham began to expostulate with him to surcease further suit for the place which required to bee supplied by a man of more sufficiencie in Clerkship then hee was to whom VVickham replied that so please his Majestie to continue his gratious favour towards him so that hee might obtaine his desire therein hee doubted not but by Gods speciall assistance so to behave himselfe that hee would supply all defects of schollership in himselfe by providing for others meanes and maintenance to make and keepe able persons for the service of the State and the good of the kingdome wherewith the King was so taken that hee wrought so effectually That in the yeare 1367. hee was consecrated Bishop of VVinchester and was restored to all profits of that Bishopricke during the vacancie Within short time after hee was made Lord Treasurer and was imployed and trusted with all the affaires of the kingdome and had the disposition of all the Kings Treasure which was the occasion to advantage his enemies to strike the more easily at him For the King by the new Bishops care being rid of many troubles yet tooke a further benefit thereby for whatsoever was done that displeased the Councell or the Commons that was objected to the Bishop whereby when the Kings wants were pressing it was held the best pollicie at that time to give the King a supply by squeezing the full moistned spunge of the Bishops coffers And to yeeld some colour for their so doing The Bishop is charged to give account for eleven hundred ninetie sixe thousand pounds received during the time of his being Treasurer besides a hundred thousand Francks delivered him by Galeaze Duke of Millaine which must bee suddenly performed and the more to puzzle him at that very instant divers untrue and feyned cavillations by way of complaint are put up against him at the Councell boord to the answering whereof hee is instantly convented where whilst hee is intentive to save the bye hee hazarded the losse of the maine for whilst hee indevoureth to give satisfactory answers to the foresaid calumniations Iudgement is through the earnest importunitie of the Duke of Lancaster by William Skipwith Lord chiefe Iustice upon an information of deceipt suggested awarded in the Kings bench against him by meanes whereof all his temporalties were seized upon taken into the Kings hands and given to the Prince of VVales And for a further addition to his affliction by Iohn of Gaunts meanes hee is in the Kings name commanded upon paine of his Majesties high displeasure not to come within twenty miles of the Court The Bishop with a cleere conscience and a constant resolution awaits a fitter time to crave review of this sentence against him and like a discreet Pilat playeth with the wave which if hee should meet might indanger him and by giving way thereto escapeth the hazard Accesse to the King hee knew not how to obtaine to pacifie the Duke of Lancaster hee saw no possibilitie and how to procure any course to bee taken for his benefit hee was altogether ignorant His trayne therefore hee dismisseth expecting some few of whose honest fidelitie and otherwayes sufficiencie hee had made sufficient proofe these he imployeth to write out and ballast his accounts and such answers as hee had made to the accusations and informations which as aforesaid were exhibited against him which perfected the Copyes thereof hee privately disperseth amongst his brethren of the Clergie and such other as hee presumed would without prejudice to his cause vouchsafe the reading of them And therein amongst other things hee at large setteth forth the ground or occasion of the Duke of Lancasters irreconciliable malice against him which was thus Queene Philip wife to Edward the third upon her death-bed by way of Confession delivered unto VVinchester That Iohn of Gaunt was not the lawfull issue of King Edward but a suppositious sonne For when she was brought to bed at Gaunt of a maiden childe knowing how much the King desired to have a male issue shee consulted with one of her maides of honour by whose industry the Daughter was exchanged with a Dutch woman for a boy whereof shee had beene delivered about the same houre with the Queenes Thus much shee confessed and withall conjured the Bishop that if the said Iohn of Gaunt should at any time directly or indirectly attempt or affect the wearing of the Crowne or
slaine and buried at Saint Albones And that those their slaine should be reputed and taken in an equall degree of loyall subiects with those that survived of the adverse part That the Duke of Yorke should give to Elianor Dowager of Somerset and Henry Duke of Somerset her sonne an assignement of five thousand marks due to him from the King at his being in Ireland to be distributed amongst her Children That the Earle of Warwick should likewise assigne a thonsand Markes due to him from the King to be distributed amongst the children of the late Duke of Somerset That whereas Thomas Percy Lord Egremond Richard Percy sonnes of the Countesse of Northumberland were at a Sessions in Yorkeshire fined at divers great summes of mony to the Earle of Salisbury his wife and children And that the said Lord Egremond was for the payment thereof committed to the prison from whence he escaped for whose escape Verney and Steward Sheriffs of London were sued That the sayd Earle should acquite all those fines to the sayd Lord Egremond and his brother and release all actions to the said late Sheriffs That the said Lord Egremond should enter into recognizance of ten thousand pounds in the Chancery to keepe the peace against the Earle of Salisbury his Lady children servants and tenants That Generall releases on all parts should be made of all Appeales and personall actions whatsoever That the two Lords chiefe Iustices should heare and determine any debates and controversies that might casually arise for any thing formerly done amongst the tenants or servants of either partie without further proceedings That the recognizances to be entred into of all hands for the performance of this award should stand of force without pardoning or parcelling the summes This award order and agreement was ratified under the great seale of England the foure and twentieth day of March in the sixe and thirtith yeere of the Raigne of King Henry the sixt Vpon the publication whereof at the Feast of the Anuntiation of our Lady Saint Mary the Virgin a solemn procession was made in the Cathedrall of Powles At which the King was present in royall habit wearing his Crowne imperiall before him hand in hand went the Duke of Somerset and the Earle of Salisbury the Duke of Exceter and the Earle of Warwicke and so one of one and another of the other part till they were all Marshalled behind the King came the Queene the Duke of Yorke leading her by the hand who in going made shew of favorable countenance towards him service ended they returne as afore to the Court in all outward apparance truly reconciled But the apparance of the blazing Starre the strange apparitions in the elements The more strange sight of a seeming monstrous Cock to come out of the Sea and in the presence of a multitude of people at Portland to make a hideous Crowing three times each time turning about clapping his wings and beckning towards the North the South and the West with many prodigious births did but presage the admirable occurrences of things this yeare following In which as if with a generall deluge of civil dissention the whole Christian world should be overthrowne beside the rent in the Church by the schisme of any Popes No Country being free rebellions factions subjects against their King the brother against the brother the sonne against the Father the wife against the husbands sonne For example desire of rule saith the Spanish Historian being an affection of a greater magnanimous nature did so farre possesse Prince Charles sonne of Henry the fourth King of Castile that he opposed his father against whom his mother in Law tooke armes in defence of King Henry her husband from which pernicious quarrell which proved successes to the same did spring the two factions of Beamont and Gramont which for many yeeres together infested Navare and Leon and was the cause of effusion of much Christian blood The Gauntoys rebell against the Duke of Burgoyne who being succored by the Hollanders rowtes their forces and makes a great slaughter amongst them and Charles the seventh sends the Earle of Dampmurtyn in a miserable imployment sayth the French Historian against the Dolphine who was in armes against his father whom they enforce to flye to the Duke of Burgoyne who about that time to make his bastard Bishop of Vtrich had committed much slaughter amongst the Brabanters and raised his sonne a stayer of slaughtered carcasses to mount into the Bishops Chaire More Popes then one bred disorder to the great scandall in religion and preiudice of Christians The Emperor not being able to cure the infirmitie of the mind by force hath recourse to the authoritie of the Church he intimateth to all the Kings and Potentates of Christendome his desire to have a generall Councell at Constance to which all consent and the Emperors of Constantinople and Trapisond with the Churches of Greece send their Embassadors In this Councell Iohn 23. is convented condemned deposed and imprisoned Gregory the 12. and Benedict the 13. are deprived and Otho Colom by the name of Martin the 15. is chosen Pope by the Councell somewhat before this time in England Iohn Wickliff and Iohn Husse in Bohemia had so perswaded that divers were ready to disclaime the Popes authoritie teaching them not only to leave the abuse of manners but the doctrine it selfe affirming that it was lawfull for subjects to reforme religion when Princes refuse to doe it but their dangerous opinions were condemned for heresies the Councell ended but the schisme continued and during these confusions in the Westerne Church the Christians in the Easterne parts are utterly ruinated the Emperor smothered to death in a presse of people and Constantinople made the seat of the Mahometan Emperor An affray unfortunately falleth out betwixt a servant of the Earle of Warwicke and a Courtier who in the encounter is dangerously wounded The Earles man flyeth The Kings servants seeing their fellow hurt and the offender escaped watch the Earles comming from the Councell table and assaile him many are hurt the Earle getteth a wherry and so escapeth to London The Queene incontinently commands him to be commited to the Tower but he seeing where it began to raine in at posts to Yorkeshire where he acquaints the Duke of Yorke and his father of all the occurences with the palpable discovery of the Queenes cankred disposition advising them to stand upon their guard and to provide to keepe out the approching storme And so speeds to Callice And being then Lord Admirall to prevent revocation of that office he speeds himselfe to sea with all the Kings ships that were in readinesse and skowreth the Seas meetes with five great Carricks three of Genoa and two of Spaine and after two dayes fight takes three of them with which he returned to Callice where he discharged their fraight and found it worth ten thousand pounds in staple Commodities besides the ships and prisoners
In the meane time as it was before agreed upon The Earle of Salisburie with about five thousand men marcheth through Lancashire to passe that way to the King and to acquaint him with the affront offred to his sonne and the inveterate malice discovered in the Queene against him The Queene with the Dukes of Somerset and Buckingham gave order unto the Lord Audley to apprehend Salisbury sending to him as to that end she had provided many badges of a white Swan for a publick expression of being firme to her and her sonne one badge thereof for himselfe and divers other to bestow on such well deservers as should by him be approved of whereupon he levieth of Cheshire and Shropshire ten thousand men with which about a mile from Drayton in a plaine called Bloreheath he attended the Earle there being a small brooke but of some depth between them Earlie in the morning the Earle made a seeming retreat which the Lord Audley observing he presently causeth his troopes to passe the river but before they could be reduced againe in order the Earle with his whole strength falls upon them and with the slaughter of the Lord Audley and most of them that had past the river he discomfited the residue there were slaine about foure and twenty hundred of them Sir Iohn and Sir Thomas Nevil Knights the Earles sonnes are sore wounded who with Sir Thomas Harrington travayling into the North Country were apprehended and sent as prisoners towards Chester But upon a message sent from the March-men their keepers quickly released them The Duke of Yorke now begins to resent these proceedings and resolveth no longer to be looker on but like a free gamester to venter a Cast for all he levies men makes preparation to take the field sends to Salisbury to doe the like who sends to Warwicke and all resolue to set up their rest amongst others of approved valiancy that Warwicke had brought from Callice with him were two principall noted men for direction and policy Andrew Trollop and Iohn Blunt The armie in the marches of Wales neere Shropshire are strongly encamped The King with the Dukes of Somerset and Exceter the chiefe of the Lancastrian family draw their forces to Worcester from whence Richard Beuchampe Bishop of Salisbury is sent to offer the Yorkists a full and generall pardon if they would give over this enterprise and become loyall subjects this message was answered that there was no trust in the Kings pardons as long as the hen crowed therefore they durst not submit unto them but if any course might be given them of assurance of their safety they would expresse their loyaltie and render themselves at his service The King thereupon advanceth neerer and approching the Lords army he causeth Proclamation to be made that whosoever would abandon the Duke of Yorke should be received to mercy and have pardon whereupon the night following Andrew Trollop with all the Callicians submit to the King and by him are all the counsels of the Duke of Yorke discovered which so much discouraged the Duke of Yorke that he with his young sonne the Earle of Rutland fled first into Wales then into Ireland the Earles of March Salisbury and Warwicke got into Devonshire where by the meanes of Iohn Dinham they were shipt from Exmouth to Gernsey and so to Callice where they were well entertained The King pardons all the common Souldiers makes some exemplary punishment of few Captains sendeth the Dutches of York her two younger children to the Dutches of Buckingham her sister to be safely kept then having spoyled the town and Castle of Ludlow he dismist his Army A Parliament is convoked at Coventry in which amongst other things the Duke of Yorke and all his confederates are convict of treason all their lands goods seized on to the Kings use Henry Duke of Somerset the inheritour with his fortunes of his Fathers favour with the Queen by her means is made Captain of Callice whither comming to take possession of his new charge he was forced to retire out of the harbour the Ordnance from Ricebank playing so hot upon him The Queen herewith much incensed in heat of passion giveth order to furnish and make ready all the Kings ships lying at Sandwich to give assistance to Somerset but the before-mentioned Iohn Dinham with his Westerne Mariners who all well affected the Earle of March bourded those ships in the harborand tooke the Lord Rivers who was designed Admirall for that service and carried both him and the ships to Callice from whence the Earle sayled to Ireland to the Duke of Yorke where having conferred and concluded what course to take he returned to Callice the new Admirall the Duke of Exceter not daring to stop his course in his returne Sir Simon Momford was appointed to guard the Cinque-ports having divers ships under his command to bar the Earle of Warwicks entrance but the Earle by his espialls having perfect intelligence of all passages fell suddenly upon Sir Simon before his ships were full ready tooke him prisoner ransackt the Towne of Sandwich and carried his Prisoner and the ships to Callice by the way he understood how much the Kentish-men desired his speedy returne and to come on shore in their Country where they were ready to give him all assistance Whereupon the second time the Earle came to Sandwich to whom presently resorted the Lord Cobham and divers Gentlemen insomuch that now they were 25000 strong with which the Earle of VVarwicke marched towards London against whom the Lord Scales was appointed to oppose and with some convenient troopes to assure London but the Lord Maior utterly refused to admit him entrance saying he was able enough without his counsell or helpe to keepe what the King had committed to his charge Whereupon the Lord Scales resorted to the Tower from whence afterward he did the Londoners many discourtesies VVarwicke well pleased with the Londoners promise not to impeach his passage having notice that his Father was upon march to meet him passeth over his men and without impeachment joyned with his Father and his friends neere Exceter The King with the Dukes of Somerset Buckingham with a great Army marcheth towards them neere unto the town of Northampton both armies meet The Earle of March with the advise of the Earle of VVarwick prepares for the fight The Queen the King more intentive of devotion then fighting did the like The fight began and continued on uncertaine termes above two houres In the meane time were slain on both sides above 10000 men But upon the fal of Humphry Duke of Buckingham by the good policy of the Earle of VVarwicke and the Lord Gray of Ruthens joyning with them who led the Vantgard of the Kings part withdraw to the Lords side the Earles party prevailed and Iohn Talbot Earle of Shrowsbury Thomas Lord Egremond Iohn Vicount Beamont and some others of Marke were slain The