House of Yorke where it continued with much trouble in two Kings onely untill both Houses were joyned together in King Henry the seventh and his noble issue Hereby wee see how the issue of Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster fourth Son to King Edward the third pretended right to the Crowne by Edmond Crookebacke before the issue of all the other three Sonnes of Edward the third albeit they were the elder Brothers whereof wee will speake more hereafter Now Iohn of Gaunt though hee had many children yet had he foure onely of whom issue remaine two Sonnes and two Daughters The first Son was Henry of Bolingbrooke Duke of Lancaster who tooke the Crowne from King Richard the second his Unkles Sonne as hath beene said and first of all planted the same in the House of Lancaster where it remained in two discents after him that is in his Son Henry the fift and in his Nephew Henry the sixt who was afterward destroyed together with Henry Prince of Wales his onely Sonne and Heire and consequently all that Line of Henry Bolingbâooke extinguished by Edward the fourth of the House of Yorke The other Son of Iohn of Gaunt was Iohn Duke of Somersât by Katherine Sfinsford his third wife which Iohn had issue another Iohn and he Margaret his Daughter and Heire who being married to Edmond Tyder Earle of Richmond had issue Henry Earle of Richmond who after was named King Henry the seventh whose Line yet endureth The two Daughters of John of Gaunt were married to Portugall and Castile that is Philip borne of Blanch Heire to Edmond Crookeback as hath beene said was married to Iohn King of Portugall of whom is descended the King that now possesseth Portugall and the other Princes which have or may make title to the same and Katherin borne of Constanâe Heire of Castile was married back againe to Henry King of Castile in Spaine of whom King Philip is also descended So that by this wee see where the remainder of the House of Lancaster resteth if the Line of King Henry the seventh were extinguished and what pretext forraine Princes may have to subdue us if my Lord of Huntington either now or after hâr Majesties dayes will open to them the doore by shutting out the rest of King Henries Line and by drawing backe the title to the onely House of Yorke againe which he pretendeth to doe upon this that I will now declare King Edward the third albeit he had many children yet five onely will we speake of at this time Whereof three were elder then Jâhn of Gaunt and one yonger The first of the elder was named Edward the blacke Prince who died before his Father leaving one onely Sonne named Richard who afterward being King and named Richard the second was deposed without issue and put to death by his Cosin germain named Henry Bolingbrooke Duke of Lancaster Son to John of Gaunt as hath beene said and so there ended the Line of King Edwards first Sonne King Edwards second Sonne was William of Hatfââld that died without issue His third Sonne was Leonell Duke of Clarence whose onely Daughter and Heire called Phââip was married to Edmond Mortimer Earle oâ Marcâ and after that Anneâhe âhe Daughter and Heire of Mortimer was married to Richard Plantagiâet Duke of Yorke Son and Heire to Edmond of Langâây the first Duke of Yorkâ which Edmond was the fift Son of King Edward the third and younger Brother to John of Gaunt And this Edmond of Lanâley may bee called the first beginner of the Hâuse of Yorke even as Edmond Crookback the beginner of the House of Lancaster This Edmond Langley then having a Sonne named Richard that married Anne Mortimer sole Heire to Leonell Duke of Clarence joyned two Lines and two Titles in one I meane the Line of Leonell and of Edmond Langley who were as hath bin said the third and the fift Sonnes to King Edward the third And for this cause the childe that was borne of this marriage named after his Father Richard Plantaginet Duke of Yorke seeing himselfe strong and the first Line of King Edward the thirds eldest Son to be extinguished in the death of King Richard the second and seeing William of Hatfield the second Sonne dead likewise without issâe made demand of the Crowne for the House of Yorke by the title of Leonell the third Sonne of King Edward And albeit hee could not obtaine the same in his dayes for that hee was slaine in a Battell against King Henry the sixt at Wakefield yet his Sonne Edward got the same and was called by the name of King Edward the fourth This King at his death left divers children as namely two Sonnes Edward the fift and his Brother who after were both murdered in the Tower as shall be shewed and also five Daughters to wit Elizabeth Cicily Anne Katherine and Briget Whereof the first was married to Henry the seventh The last became a Nunne and the other three were bestowed upon divers other husbands Hee had alâo two Brothers the first was called George Duke of âlarence who afterward upon his deserts as is to be supposed was put to death in Callis by commandement of the King and his attainder allowed by Parliamânt And this man left behinde him a Sonne named Edward Earle of Warwick put to death afterward without issue by King Henry the seventh and a Daughter named Margaret Countessâ of âalisâury who was married to a meane Gentleman named Richarâ Poole by whom she had issue Cardinall Poole that died without marriage and Henry Poole that was attainted and executed ân King Henry the eight his time as also her selfe was and this Henry Poole left a Daughter married afterward to the Earle of Huntington by whom this Earle that now is maketh title to the Crowne And this is the effect of my Lord of Huntingtons title The second Brother of King Edward the fourth was Richard Duke of Gâocester who after the Kings death caused his two Sonnes to be murdered in the Tower and tooke the Kingdome to himselfe And afterward he being slaine by King Henry the seventh at Bosââorth-field left no issue behind him Wherefore King Henry the seventh descending as hath bin shewed of the House of Lancaster by John of Gaunts last Sonne and third Wife and taking to Wife Lady âlizabeth eldest daughter of King Edward the fourth of the House of Yorke joyned most happily the two Families together and made an end of all controversies about the title Now King Henry the seventh had issue three Children of whom remaineth posterity First Henry the eighth of whom is descended our Soveraigne her Majesty that now happily raigneth and is the last that remaineth alive of that first Line Secondly he had two Daughters whereof the first named Margaret was married twice first to James King of Scotland from whom are directly discended the Queene of Scotland that now liveth and her Sonne and
King James being dead Margaret was married againe to Archihald Douglas Earle of Anguish by whom shee had a Daughter named Margaret which was married afterward to Mathew Steward Earle of Lenâx whose Sonne Charles Steward was married to Elizabâth Candish Daughter to the present Countesse of Shrewsbury and by her hath left his onely Heire a little Daughter named Arbella of whom you have heard some speech before And this is touching the Line of Scotland descending from the first and eldest Daughter of King Henry the seventh The second Daughter of King Henry the seventh called Mary was twice married also first to the King of France by whom she had no issue and after his death to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke by whom she had two Daughters that is Francis of which the Children of my Lord of Hartford do make their claime and Elenor by whom the issue of the Earle of Darby pretendeth right as shall be declared For that Francis the first Daughter of Charles Brando4 by the Queene of France was married to the Marquesse of Dorset who after Charles Brandons death was made Duke of Suffolke in right of his Wâfe and was beheaded in Queene Maries time for his conspiracy with my Lord of Leycesters Father And she had by this man three Daughters that is Jane that was married to my Lord of Leycesters Brother and proclaimed Queene after King Edwards death for which both shee and her husband were executed Katherine the second Dâughter who had two Sonnes yet living by the Earle of Hartford and Mâry the third Dâugter which left no Children The other Daughter of Chaâlâs Brandon by the Queene of France called Elenor was married to Georgâ Cliffârd Earle of Cumberland who left a Daughter by her named Maâgâreâ married to the Earle of Darby which yet liveth and hath issue And this is the title of the Hâuse of Suffolke descended from the second Daughter of K. Henry the seventh married as hath been shewed to Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke And by this you may see also how many there be who do thinke their titles to be far before that of my Lord of Huntingtonâ if either râght lâw reason or coâsideration of home affaires may take place in our Realm or if not yet you cannot but imagine how many great Princes and Potentatâs abroad are like to joyne and buckle with Huntingâons Line for the preeminence âf once the matter fall againe to contention by excluding the Line of King Henry the seventh which God forbid Truly Sir quoth I I well perceive that my Lords turne is not so nigh as I had thought whether he exclude the Line of King Henry or noâ for if he exclude thât then must he enter the Combat with forraine titlers of the House of Lancaster and if he âxclude it not then in all apparance of reason and in Law to as you have said the succession of the two Dâughters of King Henây the seventh whiâh you distânguâsh by the two names of Scotland and Suffolke must needs bee as clearely before him and his Lâne that decended only from Edward the fourth his Brother as the Queenes title that new reigneth is before him For thâââoth Scotland Suffolke and her Majesty do hold all by one foundâtion which is the union of both Houses and Titles together in King Henry the seventh her Majesties Grandfather That is true quoth the Gentleman and evidenâ enough in every mans eye and therefore no doubt but as âhat much is meant âgâinst hâr Majesty if oc4âsion serve âs against thâ rest thât hold by the same âitle Albeit her Mâiesti4s state the Lord be praised be such at thiâ ãâã as it is not safây to pretend so much against hâr as against the rest whatsoever be meant And that in âruth more should be ment agâinst her hâghnes theâ agâinst all âhe rest there is this reaâon for tâat her Majesty by hâr present possession letteth more their desires then all the rest âogether with their future pretences But as I have said it is not safety for them nor yet good pâlâcy to declare openly what they meane aâainst her Majesty It is the best way for the pâesent to âhew downe the rest and to leave her Majesty for the last âlow and upshot to their gâme For which câuse they will âeeme to make great difference at this day betweene her Majesties title and the rest that descend in likewise from King Henrâ the seventh avowing the one and disallowâng the other Albeit my Lord of Leicesters Father preferred that of Suffolke when ãâã was before this of her Mâjâsty and coâpelleâ the whâle Realme to sweare thereunto Such is thâ variable policy of men that serve the time or rather that serve themselves of all times for their purposes I remember quoth I that time of âhe Duke and was present my selfe at some of his Proclamations for that purpose wherein my Lord his Sonne that now liveth âeing then a doer as I can tell he was I marvile how he can deale so contrary now preferring not onely her Majesties title bâfore that of Suffolk whereof I wonder lessâ because it is more gainfull to him but also another much further of Buâ you have signified the cause in that the times are changeâ and other bargaines are in hand of more importance for him Wherefoâe leaving this to be considered by others whom it concerneth I beseech you Sir for that I know your worship hath beeene much conversant among their frienâs and favourers to tell me what are the barres and lets which they doe alledge why the house of Scoâland and Suffolk descendâd of king Henry the seventh his daughters should not succeed in the Crowne of England after her Majesty who ended the line of the same king by his son for in my sight the matter appeareth vâry plaine They want not pretences of barres and lets against them all quoth the Gentleman which I will lây downe in order as I have heard them alledged First in the line of Scotland there are three persons as you know that may pretend right that is the Queen and her son by the first marriage of Margaret and Arbella by the second And against the first marriage I heare nothing affirmed but against the two persons proceeding thereof I heare them alledge three stops one for that they are strangers born out of the land consâquently incapâble of inheritance within the same another for that by a speciâl testament of king H. 8. authorised by 2. severall pârliam thây are excluded 3 for that they are enemies to the religion now among us therefore to be debarred Against the second marriage of Maâgâret with Aâchibald Douglas whââeof Aâbella is descended they alledge that the said Archibald had a former wife at the time of that marriage which lived long after and so neither that marriage lawfull nor the issue therof legitimate The same barre they have
wit it seemes impossible By drinkes or charmes this worke to passe to bring Know then that Giges were invisible By turning the sigill of his Ring Toward his palme and thereby slew the King Lay with his wife of any man unseene Lastly did raigne by marrying with the queene King Salomon for Magick naturall Was held a cunning man by some Divines He wrote a booke of Science naturall To bind ill Spirits in their darke confines He had great store of wives and Concubines Yet was a Sacred King this I inferre The wisest man that now doth live may erre Also yee say that when I waxed old When age and time mispent had made me dry For ancient held in carnall Lust is cold Natures defect with Art I did supply And that did helpe this imbecility I us'd strong drinks and Oyntments of great price Whose taste or touch might make dead flesh arise To this I answer that those fine extractions Drams and electuaries finely made Serv'd not so much to helpe veneriall actions As for to comfort nature that 's decaid Which being with indifferent judgment weigh'd In noble men may be allowed I trust As tending to their health not to their lust What if I drinke nothing but liquid gold Lactrina christal pearle resolv'd in wine Such as th' Egyptians full cups did hold When Cleopatra with her Lord did dine A trifle care not for the cost was mine What if I gave Hippomenes to drinke To some fair Dames at smal faults you must wink Ye say I was a traytor to the Queene And thât when Monsieur was in greatest grace I being out of favour mov'd with spleene To see a Frenchman frolique in the place Forth toward Barwick then did post apace Minding to raise up a rebellious rout To take my part in what I went about That I was then a traytor I deny But I confesse that I was Monsieurs foe And sought to breake the league of amity Which then betwixt my Prince and him did grow Doubting Religion might be changed so Or that our Lawes and customes were in danger To be corrupt or altered by a stranger Therefore I did a faction strong maintaine Agâinst the Earle of Sussâx a stout Lord On Monsieurs side and then Lord Chamberlain Who sought to make that nuptiall accord Which none may breake witnesse the sacred Wordâ But thus it chânced that he striv'd in vaine To knit that kâot which heaven did not ordaine Thus did ye mis-interpret my conceiâs That for disloyalty my deâds did blame Yet many men have laid their secret baits T' intrap me in such snares to work my shame Whom I in time sufficiently did tame And by my Soveraignes favour bore them downe Proving my selfe true Liegeman to the Crowne Thinke yee I could forget my Soveraigne Lady Thât was to me so gracious and so kinde How many triumphs for her glory made I O I could never blot out of my minde What Characters of grace in her have shin'd But some of you which were by her pâefer'd Have with her bones almoââ her name inter'd When she was gone which of you all did weep What mournfull song did Pâilomela sing Alâs when she in deaths cold bed did sleep Which of you all her dolefull knell did ring How long wâll yee now love your crowned King If you so soon forget your old Queen dead Which foure and fourty yeares hath governed Yee say I sought by murder to aspire And by strong poyson many men to slay Which as ye thought might crosse my high desire And âloud my long expected golden day Perhaps I laid some blocks out of my way Which hindred me from comming to the Bower Whâre Cynthia shin'd like lamps in Pharohs tower Alas I came not of a Tygers kinde My hands with bloud I hated to defile But when by good experience I did finde How some with fained love did me beguile Perchance all pitty then I did exile And as it were against my will was prest To seek their deaths that did my life detest Lo then attend to heare a dolefull tale Of those whose death yâe doe suppose I wrought Yet wish I that the world beleeve not all That hath of me by envious men been wrought But when I for a Kingly fortune sought O pardon me my sâlfe I might forget And cast downe sâme my state aloft to set My first wife fell downe from a paire of staires And brake her neck and so at Comner dy'd Whilst her true servants led with small affaires Unto a Fure at Abingdon did ride This dismall hap did to my wife betide Whether yee call it chance or destiny Too true it is shâ dâd untimely dye O had I now a showrâ of teares to shed Lockt in the empty circles of my âyes All could I shed in mourning for the dead That lost a spouse so young so faire so wise So faire a corps so foule a coarse nâw lies My hope t' have married with a famous Queene Drave pitty back and kept my teares unseene What man so fond that would not lose a Pearle To finde a Diamond leave brasse for gold Or who would not forsake a gallant gitle To win a Qâeen great men in awe to hold âo rule âhe âtate and of none be control'd O but the stâps that lead unto a âhrone Aâe dângerous for men to tread upon Tâe Cardinall Chatillion was my foe Whose death peradventure did compact Because he let Queen Elizâbeth to know My false report given of a former act How I with her had made a precontract And the great Princes hope I bar'd thereby That sâught to marry with her Majesty The Prelate had bin better held his tongue And kist his holy Fathers feet in Rome A Masse the sooner for his soule was sung But he might thanke me had he staid at home Or late or never he to heaven had come Therefore I sent him nimbly from the coasts Perhaps to supper with the Lord of hosts When death by hap my first wives neck had crackt And that my suit unto the Queene âll sped It chaâced that I made a post contract And did in sort the Lâdy Sheffââld wed Of whom I had two goodly children bred For the Lord Sheffeild died as I was sure Of a Catarie which physicke could not cure Some thinke thâ rhume was artificiall Which this good Lord befoââ his end did take Tush what I gave to her was naturâll My plighted troth yet some amends did make Though her at length unkinde I did forsâke She must not blame me for a higher reach Made my sure promise finde a sudden breach The valiant Earle whom absent I did wrong In breaking Hymeneus holy band In Ireland did protract the time too long Whilst some in ângland ingled under hand And at his coming homeward to this land He dyed with poyson as they say infected Not without cause for veâgeance I suspâcted Because this fact notorious scandall bred And âor I did his gallant wife abuse To salve âhis sore
when this brave Lord was dead I for my selfe did this faire Lady chuse And flesh is fraile deare Lady me excuse It was pure love that made me undertake This haplesse recontract with thee to make Now in Joves pallace that good Lord doth sup And drinkâ full bowles of Nector in the skie Hunnies his pâge that tasted of that cup Did onely loose his hâire and did not dye True-noble Earle thy fame to heaven doth flye He doth repent his fault and pârdon crave That marr'd thy bed and too soon made thy grave Thou didst behinde thee leave a matchlesse Sonne A peerelâsse paterne for all princâly peeres Whose spaâks of glory in my time begun Kindled wâth hope flâm'd highly in few yeeres But death him struâk and drown'd this land in teares His Sonne doth live true imâge of him dead To grace this soil whâre showers of tears were shed Thây were to blame that said the Queen should marry With me her Hors keeper for so they call'd me But thou Throgmarton whâch âhis tale didst carry From France to England hast more shârply gall'd me Sith my good Qâeene in office high extold me For I was Mâster of her Highnesse Horse I scorne thy words which did my hate inforce But tell me then how didst thou likâ thy fare When I to supper last did thee invite If I did rid thee of a world of care By giving âhee a Salet gentle Knight With gastly lookes doe not my soule affrâght Lester I was whom England once did dread But now I am like thee Throgmarton dead My Lord of Sussex was too cholerick That call'd me traitor and a traitors sonne But I serv'd him a fine Italian triâk Had not I done so I had bin undone Now marke the end what conquest hath he won A litle scruple that to him I sent Did purge his choler till hâs life was spent He was a gallant Noble man indeed O but his life did still my life decrease Therefore I sent him with convenient speed To rest amongst his ancestors in peace ây rage was pacifi'd at his decease And now I come t' imbrace his love too late Him did I love whom living I did hate I came to visit as I chanc'd to walke My Lady of Lenox whom I found not well I took her by the hand hâd private talke And so departed a short tale to tell When I was gone into a flux she fell That never ceast her company to keep Till it had brought her to a senslesse sleep I dream'd she had not many dayes to live And this my dreame did shortly fall out true So as her Ghostly Father I did give Some comfort to her soule for well I knew That she would shortly bid the world adiew Some say I gave such physick as did spill her But I suppose that mâere conceit did kill her Some will object perhaps I did pretend To meet the Earle of Ormond on a day In single fight our quarrell for to end But did command my servant Killygray To lye in ambush that stout Lord to slay But heaven did not consent to work his spoile That was the glory of the Irish soile Perhâps I doubted that I was too weake And loath I was he should the conquest win If in this cause I did my promise breake I hope men will not count it for a sin Is it not gâod to sleep in a whole skin When Hannibal could not prevaile by blowes He used stratagems to kill his foes If I the death of Monsieur Simiers fought When he from France Ambâssadour was sent I had just cause to seeke it as I thought For towards me he bore no good intent Had he not fled betimes perhaps I ment T' have sent him in embassage for my pleasure To the black king that keeps Avernus treasuâe For when no man about the Court durst speak That I the Lady Lettice married This pratling Frenchman first the ice did breake And to the Quâene the fact discovered Which not without just cause the anger bred Thus th'ape did play his part control'd of none When he espi'd the Beare from home was gone One Salvadore an Italian borne Having once wâtâht with me till mid'st of night Was found slaine in his bed the next day morne Alas poore man I ruâ his wofull plight That did in nothing but in sinne deâight Had he to honest actions bent his wit He might have longer liv'd and scap'd this fit But what reward should such a man expect Whom gold to any lewdnesse could entice Ones turne once serv'd why should we not reject So vilde an instrument of damned vâce What if he were dispâtched in a trice Was it not better this mans blood to spill Then let him live the world with sinne to âil I doubted lest that Dâughty would bewray My counsell and with othârs party tâke Wherefore the sooner him to rid away I sent him forth to sea with Captaine Dââkâ Who knew how t' entertain him for my sake Before he went his lot by me was câst His death was plotted and perform'd in hast He hoped well but I did so dispose That he at Port St. Iulian lost his head Having no time permitted to disclose The inward griefes that in his heart were bred We need not feare the biting of the dead Now let him goe transported to the seas And tell my secrets to th' Antipodes My servant Gates did speed as ill or worse To whom I did my close intents impart And at his need with money stuft his purse And wil'd him still take courage at his heart Yet in the end he felt the deadly smart He was inveigled by some subtle witted To rob so he was taken and committed Of pardon I did put him still in hope When he of felony was guilty found And so condemn'd till his last friend the Pope Did him uphold from falling to the ground What hope of grace where vice did so abound He was beguil'd like birds that use to gape At Zâuxes table for a painted grape Yet I did to the man no injury And gave him time and leasure to repent And well he knew he had deserv'd to dye Therefore all future mischiefe to prevent I let him slip away with my consent For his reprivall lâke a crafty Fox I sent no pardon but an empty Box. Else as unfaithfull Banester betraid The Dâke of Buckinghâm his Master deare When he of Richards tyranny afraid Fled to his servants house for succour there So might my man for gaine or forc'd for feare Have brought my corps with shame unto my grave By too much trusting on a paltry knave Me seems at me great Norfolkes Duke doth frowne Because he thinkes I did his death contrive Perswading some he aimed at the Crowne And that by royall match he meant to strive A kingdome to his Lordship to revive Alas good Dâke he was too meek and milde And I too faithlesse that his trust beguil'd For that I found his humour first was bent To take the