Merlin came to be known to King Vortiger of the combat betwixt the red and the white Dragon and his prophesie thereof c. p. 18 Chap. 4. Merlins former prophesie explained sundry prestigious acts done by him to delight the King His prophesie of the Kings death c. p. 25 Chap. 5. Uterpendragon succeedeth his brother Aurelius He is enamoured of Igerna wife to the Duke of Cornwall whom by the art of Merlin he enjoyes of whom he begot King Arthur pag. 32 Chap. 6. Merlins former prophesie made plain concerning king Arthur with sundry other occurrences pertinent to the English History pag. 41. Chap. 7. Of the conception and birth of these 7 pious and religious brothers And being sent to death how preserved educated and doctrinated Merlins prophesies and their explanation p. 49 Chap. 8. He prophesieth of the civill wars that shall be in Britain in the time of Cadwallo And of the great dearth and desolation in the Reigne of Cadwallader c. p. 58 Chap. 9. Of divers bloudy battails fought betwixt Canutus and Edmund Their great opposition ended in a single Duell They make peace and equally divide the kingdome betwixt them p. 68 Chap. 10. Merlins prophesie of Hardy Canutus and Earle Goodwin which accordingly hapned his many Tyrannies amongst other his tithing of the Norman Gentlemen c. p. 76. Chap. 11. The landing of Duke William with the Normans The battaile betwixt him and Harold in which Harold is slain being the last King of the Saxon bloud Wil. conquereth c. p. 87 Chap. 12. The prediction of the two Dragons made good by the subsequent History in Robert and William the two sons of the Conquerour who the Lion of Iustice was and what was meant by his Alchymy c. p. 96. Chap. 13. A briefe relation of the troublesome Reign of King Stephen and his opposition against Mawd the Empresse of Henry Short Mantle and his proceedings with a continuance of our English History c. p. 106 Chap. 14. Divers remarkable passages during the Reigne of Henry the second his numerous Issue and how they were affected towards him his vic◅ and vertues his good and bad fortune all which were by this our Prophet predicted p. 116 Chap. 15. The Inauguration of Richard the first sirnamed Cordelion a prediction of his Reigne His wars in the Holy Land his imprisonment by the Duke of Austria his brother Iohns usurpation his second Coronation with his unfortunate death c. p. 127 Chap. 16. The rest of the prophesie made good in the subsequence the troublesome Reign of K. Iohn his losse of Normandy his Land interdicted by the Pope to whom hee is compeld to resigne his Crown his death c. p. 137 Chap. 17. A continuance of some passages in King Iohns Reign Henry the third succeedeth his Father a prediction of his Reign his brother Richard made king of the Romans Henries long Reign the mad Parlament p. 147 Chap. 18. The death of Henry the third and Richard Earle of Cornwall king of the Romans Prince Edwards victories in the Holy Land His Coronation the prophesie of his reign c. p. 157 Chap. 19. The right that the Kings of England have anciently had to the Crown of Scotland for which they did them homage K. Edwards victorious wars in Scotland The prophesie fulfilled His death And coronation of his son c. p. 167 Chap. 20. The Kings unfortunate wars in Scotland The battail of Banno◅urn c. Barwick betrayed to the Scots The pride and insolencie of the Spencers Their misleading the K c. p. 178 Chap. 21. The deposing of Edward 2d his repentance his death his son Edward made K◅g A prophesie of his reign His great victory over the Scots with the taking of Barwick His famous victory at Sea over the French c. p. 189 Chap. 22. The famous battaile of Poytyers fought by Edward the Black Prince in which hee took Iohn the French King prisoner His conquest in Spaine The memorable act of William VVal worth Lord Major c. p. 201 Chap. 23. The Duke of Glocester by a Parlament reformeth the Common-wealth Iohn of Gaunt claims his title in Spain King Richard marrieth the French Kings daughter Difference betwixt the King and Glocester His murder in Calice The murmur of the Commons c. p. 213 Chap. 24. The coronation of Henry the 4 with his great Feast held in VVestminster Hall A great conspiracy intended against him but prevented the lamentable murder of King Richard the second in Pomfret Castle by Sir Pierce of Exto◅ His valour at his death His Epitaph The great riches found in his treasury c. p. 224 Chap. 25. The Coronation of Henry the fift A prophesie of his reign His victorious battail over the French at Agencourt His second Voyage into France His victories by Sea and Land He is made heir by the marriage of his wife to the Crowne of France His third Voyage into France The birth of Pr. Henry The death of Henry the fift p. 236. Chap. 27. The Duke of Glocester made Protector The Duke of Bedford Regent of France of Ioan de pasil a Sorceresse Henry the sixt crowned in Pa◅is A prophesie of his reign the death of the D. of Gloster The death of the Marquis of Suffolk The insurrection of the Commons under Iacke Cade His proceedings and death the Duke of Somerset gives up Normandy The Duke of Yorke taketh arms his person seised against the Kings promise and for feareset at liberty p. 248. Chap. 28. The ambition of Queen Margaret The battail at Saint Albons Yorke made Protector The Queens practice against the Lords The battail at Northampton York proclaimed heire to the Crowne York slain in the battail at Wakefield Henry deposed and Edward Earle of March made king A prophesie of his Reigne The battaile at Exham King Henry taken and sent to the Tower The marriage of Edward Hee flies the Land Henry again made king p. 259. Chap. 29. Edward proclaimed usurper of the Crown and Glocester traytor his landing at Ravēsport the battail at Barnet the battail at Teuxbury king Henry murdered in the Tower and after him the Duke of Clarence The death of Edward the fourth Gloster takes upon him to bee Protector of the young king c. p. 272. Chap. 30. Dissention betwixt the King and the Duke of Buckingham Richard insidiateth the life of Richmond Buckingham takes armes against the King and is beheaded Banister perfidious to his Lord Queene Annes policy and tyranny His Lawes Richmond landeth at Milford Haven The battaile at Bosworth The death of Richard Richmond made King A prophesie of his Reigne c. p. 283 Chap. 31. The Earle of Northumberland slain by the Commons The Matchevilian plots of the Dutchesse of Burgundy to disturbe the peace of king Henry Perkin Warbeck her Creature hee is nobly marryed in Scotland and taken for the Duke of Yorke the death of the Lord Standley and others Divers insurrections about Perkin his
the great Impoverishment of Italy and the lands of the empire in the fortieth yeare of the King landed in England upon Innocents day in Christmas Richard Earle of Cornwall crowned Emperour weeke divers Princes of the Empyre and did their homage to Richard Earle of Cornwale as King of the Romans and Emperour who upon Ascention day after was crowned in Aquisgrane verifying Abroad the second whelp for prey will rore Beyond the Alps and to * Meaning the Eagle Ioves bird restore Her decai'd plumes In the 41 yeare about Saint Barabas day in the moneth of Iune the king called his high The mad Parliament Court of Parliament at Oxford which was called the mad parliament because in it divers Acts were concluded against the Kings pleasure for the reformation of the state for which after great dissention grew betwixt the King and his Nobles called the Barons Wars which proved the perishing of many of the Peeres and almost the ruine of the whole Realme for in that Session were chosen twelve Peeres whom they called the Douz Peeres who had full Commission to correct and reforme whatsoever was done amisse in the Kings Court the Courts of Iustice and Exchequer throughout Twelve of the Nobilitie chosen and called the Douz Peeres the Land to whose power the King and Prince Edward his sonne signed and assented unto though somewhat against their wills of all which passages such as would be fully satisfied I referre them to our English Chronicles or to Michael Draytons Poem of the Barâ—…ns Warres wherein they are amply discoursed and my narrow limits will not give mee leave to relate them at large yet I borrow permission to insist a little further on one particular All things being in combustion betwixt the The Baroâ—…s Letter to the King King and his Peeres and their Armies assembled on both sides the Barons framed a Letter to the King to this purpose To the most excellent Lord King Henry by the grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland Duke of Guian c. The Barons and other your faithfull servants their fidelity and oath to God and you coveting to keep sending due saluting with all reverence and honour under due obeysance c. Liketh it your Highnesse to understand that many being about you have before time shewed unto your Lordship of us many evill and untrue reports and have found suggestions not onely of us but also of your selfe to bring your Realme to subversion Know your excellency that we intend nothing but health and security to your person to the uttermost of our powers And not onely to our enemies but also yours and all this your Realme wee intend utter grievance and correction beseeching your grace hereafter to give to them little credence for you shall find us your true and faithfull subjects to the uttermost of our powers And wee Simon Mountfort Earle of Leceister and High Steward of England and Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester at the request of others and for our selves have put to our Seals the 10. of May. To which Letter the King framed this Answer The Kings answer to the Barons Letter Henry by the grace of God King of England Lord of Ireland and Duke of Guian to Simon de Mountfort and Gilbert de Clare and their Complices Whereas by Warre and generall disturbance in this our Realme by you begunne and continued with also burnings and other enormities it evidently appeares that your fidelity to us due you have not kept nor the security of our person litle regarded for so much as our Lords and other our trusty friends which daily abide with us yee vexe and grieve and them pursue to the utmost of your powers and yet daily intend as you by the report of your Letters have us ascertained we the griefe of them admit and take for our owne especially when they for their fidelity which they to us daily impend stand and abide by us to suppresse your infidelity and untroth Wherefore of your favour and assurance we set little store but you as our enemies we utterly defie Witnesse our selfe at our Towne of Lewis the twelfth of May. Moreover Richard his Brother King of the Romans who was come over into England with his wife and son with Prince Edward and other Lords about the King sent them another Letter Richard the Emperour and Prince Edwards Letter to the Barons the tenour whereof was this Richard by the grace of Gâ—…d King of the Romans semper Augustus and Edward the Noble first begotten sonne of the King of England and all other Barons firmly standing and abiding with our Soveraigne Lord the King To Simonde Mountfort and Gilbert de Clare and all other their false fellowes c. By the Letters which yee sent to our Soveraigne Lord wee understand that wee are defied of you neverthelesse this word of defiance appeared to us sufficiently before by the deprivation and burning of our Mannors and carrying away of our goods wherefore we will that yee understand that we defie you as our mortall and publicke enemies and whensoever we may come to the revengement of the injuries that you to us have done wee shall requite it to the utmost of our power and where yee put upon us that neither true nor good counsell to our Soveraigne Lord we give you therein say falsely and untruely and if that saying yee Sir Simon de Mountfort and Sir Gilbert de Clare will testifie in the Court of our Soveraign Lord we are ready to purchase to your surety and safe comming that there wee may prove our true and faithfull innocency and your false and trayterous lying Witnessed with the Seales of Richard King of the Romans and Sir Edward Prince before named Given at Lewes the twelfth of May. The successe of the Battaile followeth in the next Chapter CHAP. 18. The deaths of Henry the third and Richard Earle of Cornwale King of the Romans Prince Edwards victories in the Holy Land his Coronation the prophesie of his Raigne his first reducing of Wales under his dominion for ever the beginning of his warres in Scotland c. WHen the Barons had received these letters they were resolved to try it out by the sword on wednesday being the 24 day of May early in the morning both hoasts met where the Londoners who took part with the Barons gave the first assault but were beaten back some-what to the The battaile betwixt the King and the Barons dismay of the Barons Army but they cheared their fresh and lusty Souldiers in such wise that they valiantly came on by whose brave resolution those before discomfited resumed their former strength and vertue fighting without fear in so much that the Kings vaward gave back left their places in this battaile the father spared not the sonne nor the sonne the father such was the misery of those home bred wars in so much that the field was every where strowed with dead bâ—…dyes for
the fight continued the greatest part of the day at last the victory fell to the Barons so that were taken the King the King of the Romans and prince Edward The King taken prisoner with the King of the Romans and P. Edward with five and twenty Barons and Bannerets and the people slaine on both sides amounted to above twentythousand These royall prisoners being put in safe keeping a peace was after debated and at length concluded and they released but it proved to small purpose for many battailes were after fought betwixt them in which sometimes the King sometimes the Barons had the better the circumstances are too long to relate in which Prince Edward bore himselfe bravely in processe the five fiftieth yeer of this Kings Reign the King of the Romans made attonement betwixt the King his brother and Gilbert Clare Earle of Glocester who had continued the wars of the Barons upon condition that hee should take a Voyage into the Holy Land for the King for which hee should have towards his charge eight thousand Marks in hand and when hee was on shipboard foure thousand more and to bee ready the first day of May next following but this failing in him Prince Edward undertooke it in his stead and the yeere after abâ—…ut the end of March dyed Richard Emperour of The death of Richard K. of the Romans Almaine King of the Romans and Earle of Cornwall being the Kings brother after hee had governed the Empire betwixt fifteen and sixteene yeeres and was buried at Hales an Abbey of white Monks which hee had before time founded and the yeere following upon the sixteenth day of November died Henry the Third King of England after he had governed the Realme fifty The death of Henry the third six yeeres and twenty seven days leaving for his Heire Prince Edward who was then in the Holy Land and another sonne called Edmund Crowch-backe His body was buried in the Abbey of Westminster and over him inscribed Tertius Henricus jacet hic pietatis amicus His Epitaph Ecclesiam stravit istam quam post renovavit Reddat ei munus qui regnat trinus unus Thus Englished Third Henry here doth rest Of Piety possest Down first this Church he threw And after did renew O grant him thy immunity Thou Trinity in Vnitie The premisses confirme the prophesie of his Reigne towards the latter end of his time which was turbulent and troublesome to the exhausting of the Kings treasure the deaths of many of his Noble Barons and almost to the destruction and desolation of the whole Realm therefore it was truly said of him The King of beasts whose rage His youth conceal'd shall rouze him in his age Against the Boare the Talbot and the Beare The Mountaine Cat and Goat with whom cohere c. By the Lion the King is personated and by the rest of the beasts and birds named the severall Crests and Emblazons in the Barons Armes and Scutchions by which they were distinguisht Prince Edward his sonne was at the time of his death in the Land of Palaestine Of whom also it was thus predicted An Occident all Dragon bright as noone The Prophesie Shal breathing flames dark the Oriental Moon The Cambrian Wolves he through their Woods shall chace Nor cease till hee have quite extirpt their race Then from the North shall fiery Meteors threat Ambitious after bloud to quench their heat The Dragons bloud at which his Crest wil rise And his scales flame and where he treads as flyes Fright all shal him oppose the Northern Dyke Passe shall hee then and set his foot in Wyke After which showers of bloud will fall upon And barren the faire fields of Caledon Then having ended what he took in hand Die in the Marches of another Land Hee in the yeere one thousand two hundred Prince Edwards expeditioâ—… to the Holy Land threescore and eleven and in the yeere of his fathers Reigne fifty five upon the twentieth of August tooke shipping at Dover and sailed thence to Burdeaux but because the French Army bâ—…und upon the same adventure was removed thence he sped after and met with them at Tunis and from theâ—…ce he took shipping for the Holy Land and arrived with some French forces joyned with his owne At Acris or Acon what time the Christians possessed that City only and the City of Tyre holding some few Castles to preserve them from the rage of the Soldan There he was honorably received and with great joy after whose being there the Soldan or Saladine who had wonne all the Countrey there about came thither with an Hoast of an hundred threescore thousand Sarazens and besieged the City and made many bold and bloudy assaults But the Prince so Prince Edwards valour in defending Acris valiantly demeaned himselfe that hee defended the City the Castles belonging to it and all the Territories about that notwithstanding the multitude of the Soldans Army hee was compeld to forsake the siege to his great shame and dishonour Even the French Chronicles whose custome The French Chronicles testifie of P. Edwards valour is to write boastingly of themselves and sparingly of others bestow on him a character of invincible courage and that in all his stratagems and martiall exploits hee so honourably behaved himselfe that his very name was a terrour to the Turks for many yeers after who seeing his great boldnesse and that they were not able to stand him in battaile they plotted how to take away his life by Treason and to that purpose when he was resident in Acon they sent to P. Edward traitcrously wounded him a Sarazen in the name of a Secretary who in delivering unto him a counterfeit message wounded him in the arme with an empoysoned Knife which he wresting from the Infidels hand slue with the same weapon so that he died incontinently Then hee cald for a Surgeon and with incomparable sufferance commanded him to cut out all the putrified and corrupted flesh even to the scaling of the bone without the least shrinking or alteration of countenance of which base treachery hee was after revenged upon them to their great detriment and damage and thus The Occidentall Dragon bright as noon Did breathing flames dazle the orienial moon Hee is called Occidentall as being bred in this our Westerne Island and the Soldan is figured in the Orientall Moone being a Prince in the Easterne part of the World and bearing the semicircled Moone in his Banner Prince Edward during his aboad there had by the Princesse his wife a daughter called Ioane who tooke a His wife was Isabell of Spain Ioan of Acris name from the place and was called Ioane of Acris because there born and was after married to the Earle of Glocester After his being there some two yeeres and upward his father dying hee was called home to take possession of the Crowne of England Edward the first of that name and sonne of
and Palaces and drunke his Wine and occupied all such stuffe and necessaries as he there found and after his departing set them on fire as Saint German Mount-joy Pezzy c. In so much that the French King thinking it a great dishonour both to him and the whole Nation that the English should pierce the heart of his Kingdom unfought with hee therefore assembled all his prime Chevalry and met with the English farre inferiour to them in number neere to a town called Cressie and upon the twentie sixt of August was fought betwixt them a sharpe and The famous field of Cressy wonne by the English bloudy battaile in which at the end King Edward was the triumphant Victor where were at that time slaine of the French party The King of Bohemia sonne to Henry the Emperour the seventh of that name with the Duke of Loraine the Earle of Alonson brother to the King Charles Earle of Bloys the Earles of Flanders Sancer Harcourt and of Fiennes with divers other to the number of eight Bishops and Earls with seventeene Lords of name and of Bannerets Knights and Esquires more then sixteene hundred so that their owne Chroniclers report that the flower of France perisht in that battail besides of the commons above eight thousand and the French King with a small company sore wounded fled to a Towne called Bray and The French King wounded there lay the night following Whom King Edward pursued not being advertised of another great host comming towards him and therefore he kept the field and A second battell set watches and made great fires thorow the host and so continued till the munday following upon which day early in the morning appeared to them a new army of French men of which they slew more in number than the Saturday before and then having given thanks unto God for his great victorie he marches towards Bulloine and thence to Calais to which K. Edward besiegeth Calais he laid siege for the space of a whole yeare then came the French King with a numerous Army to remove him but before his comming it was Calais won by the English yeelded to King Edward so that hee departed thence sad and ashamed But King Edward staied in the towne a month and removed all the old Inhabitants which were French and stored it with English but especially Kentish men and having set all things in order hee sailed with great tâ—…iumph into England and arrived at London the twentie third day of October where he was magnificently received of the Citizens and so conveyed unto Westminster We have hither to spoke only of the father it followes that some thing should be said of the son the unparallel'd Edward Prince of Wales Why Prince Edward was called the Black Prince not for his complexion but for his terrour in battell surnamed the Black Prince who whilst his father rested him in Calais with a puissant host entred Gascoyne and made spoyle at his pleasure through the whole Country and with great riches and many noble prisoners hee retyred himselfe to Burdeaux and though the Earls of Armineck and of Foyz of Poytiers and Cleremont with Iames de Burbon and many other Knights who had double the number to the Prince were in his way yet passed he from Tholous to Nerbon and from Nerbon to Burdeaux without battaile where having reposed himself awhile and rested his army he sent many of his prisoners into England and there entred the province of Berray and therein made sharpe warre which King Iohn of France hearing he gathered a mighty number of people and made towards the Prince who in the mean season was passed the River of Loyer and encountred by divers of the Nobility of France betwixt whom was a sharp conflict but the fortune of the day fell to the Prince who slue many of his enemies P. Edward victorious against the French and took divers prisoners as the Lord of Craou and others of note to the number of fifty foure whom he had sent to safe custody in Burdeaux and himselfe sped to Towres whither also K. Iohn came against the prince who took his way to Poytiers where we for a while leave him upon his march c. CHAP. 22. The famous Battaile of Poytiers fought by Edward sirnamed the Black Prince in which he tooke Iohn the French King prisoner His other victories in France His conquest in Spaine The death of the victorious Prince Edward King Edward the Thirds death and Epitaph Richard the second made King a prediction of his Reigne The insurrection of the Commons The memorable Act of William Walworth Lord Major c. WE left Prince Edward upon his march toward Poytiers in keeping which way a French Army encountred A second battail against the French him but he chaced their multitude and besides many slaine took of them forty prisoners amongst which were the Earle of Sancer the Earle of Iurigny the Lord Chasterlin Master of the Kings palace and a Knight called Sir Guilliam de Daneham whom hee also sent to his rendevouz at Burdeaux and soone after hee lodged him and his Hoast neer Poytiers so that the Fronts of both Hoasts lay within a quarter of a mile each of other betwixt whom the Cardinall of Pernigvort sent from pope Innocent the sixt laboured to make a peace but finding his endevour frustrate hee retyred himselfe to Poityers to attend the successe of the battaile which was fought upon Monday the nineteenth of September in the yeere of Grace one thousand The famous battail of Poytiers three hundred fifty six and the sixt yeer of Ring Iohn the manner followeth The Duke of Athenes with such of the Nobility as were in the Kings Vaward about two aclocke in the afternoone set upon the English Hoast which was strongly munified with wood and trees in the manner of a Barricadoe so that the French Cavalry could not approch them but the shot of the English Archers was so violent that it overturned horse and man and whilest the Duke of Athenes with Sir Iohn Cleremont Marshall of France and others assaulted the prince and his people on one side The Duke of Normandy King Iohns eldest son and the Duke of Orleance the Kings brother set upon him on another part which two Dukes were Leaders of two strong Armies But these The manner of the battaile three battails did little harme to the English for by reason of their arrows the French were so gauled and wounded that they fled to the great dismay and discomfort of the King and the rest of his people Who then in person came on with his mayn Hoast but the English kept themselves whole without scartering and received them on the points of their weapons with such dexterity and courage that the French were forc't to give back of which the English taking the advantage rowted their whole Army in which battaile Noble men of France slaine in the battaile were
slaine of men of note the Duke of Athenes the Duke of Burbon Sir Iohn Cleremont Marshall of France Sir Henry Camian Banneret who bore that day the Oriflambe a special relick that the French Kings used in all battailes to have borne before them the Bishop of Chabous with divers others to the number of fifty foure Bannerets Knights and others And of prisoners taken in that battaile were Iohn King of France Philip his fourth sonne Iohn King of France tooke prisoner Sir Iaques of Burbon Earle of Poitou and brother to the Duke of Burbon Sir Iohn of Artoys Earle of Ewe Sir Charles his brother Earle of Noble men took prisoners Longevile Sir Giffard Cousin German to the French King Sir Iohn his sonne and heire William Archbishop of Sence Sir Simon Melen brother to the Earle Canlarvive and Earle of Vandature The Earles of Dampmartin of Vendosme of Salisbruch of Moyson the Martiall Denham with others as Bannerets Knights and men of name according to their owne Writers fifteene hundred and above from which battaile escaped Charles eldest son of King Iohn and Duke of Normandy with the Duke of Anjoy and few others of name And King Edward after due thanks given to Almighty God for his Charles Duke of Normandy escapeth from the battaile triumphant victory retyred himselfe to Burdeaux with his Royall prisoners where the King and the rest were kept till Easter following In the one and thirtieth yeere of the King the sixteenth of April Prince Edward being eight and twenty yeeres of age tooke shipping with his prisoners at Burdeaux and the foure and twentieth of May was received with great joy by the Citizens of London and thence conveyed to the Kings palace at Westminster where the King sitting in his estate Royall in Westminster Hall after hee had indulgently entertained the Prince he was conveyed to his lodging and the French King royally conducted to the Savoy where he lay long after and in the Winter following were royall Iusts held in Smithfield at which were present the King of Three Kings present at the Iusts in Smithfield England the French King the Scotch King then prisoners with many noble persons of all the three Kingdoms the most part of the strangers being then prisoners Whilst K. Iohn remayned in England which was for the space of 4 yeers and odde days The king of England and the blacke Prince his son with their Armies over-run the greatest part of France during the time of Charles his Regency over the kingdome who was king Iohns eldest son against whom they had many memorable victories spoyling where they list and sparing what they pleased in so much that king Edward The Father and sonne victorious in â—…rance made his owne conditions ere any peace could be granted at length the king was delivered and royally conveyed into his country who so well approved of and liked his entertainment here that in the thirty seventh yeere of king Edward he returned into England and at Eltham besides Greenwich dined with the king and in the same afternoon was royally received by the Citizens and conveyed through London to the Savoy which was upon the twenty fourth of Ianuary but about the beginning of March following a grievous sicknesse tooke him of which he dyed the eight of Aprill following King Iohn dyeth at the Savoy whose body was after solemnly conveyedto St. Denis in France and there royally interred In the fortieth yeere of the king one Barthran de Cluicon a Norman with an Army of Frenchmen entred the land of Castile and warred upon Peter king of that Country and within foure moneths chaced him out of his kingdome and crowned Henry his bastard brother in his stead wherefore hee was constrained to flie to Burdeaux and to demand aide of Prince Edward who commiserating his case as being lawfull king howsoever of a tyrannous and bloudy disposition he granted his request so that hee assisted Peter with his English Archers against the bastard Henry with his French Spear-men whose two Armies mâ—…t neere unto a town called Doming where betwixt them was a lâ—…ng P. Edwards victoryia Spaine and cruell fight but in the end the victory fell to the Prince and Henry with his whole army were rowted In which battail were taken Barthran de Claicon and Arnold Dodenham Marshall of France with divers others as well French as Britons and Spaniards and slain to the number of five thousand of the enemies and of the princes Army sixteen hundred after which hee enstated Peter in his kingdome who after perfidiously denyed to pay the princes army For which he was after divinely punished as also for killing his owne wife the daughter to the Duke of Burbon for his Bastard brother Henry knowing how hee was justly abandoned by the English having gathered new forces gave him battaile in which being taken his brother commanded his head to be strooke off which was immediately done after which Iohn of The death of Don Peter Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the Kings sonne and Edward his brother Earle of Cambridge married the two daughters of this Peter late King of Castile Iohn espoused Constance the elder and Iohn a Gaunts title to Spain Edward Isabel the younger by which marriages the two brethren claimed to be inheritours to the Kingdome of Castile or Spaine In the one and fiftieth yeare of the King upon the eighth of Iune being Trinity Sonday dyed that renowned souldier Edward the black Prince in the palace of Westminster whose body The death of the blacke Prince was after carried to Canterbury and there solemnly interred who in his life time was much beloved both of the Commons and the whole kingdome especially for removing from the kings person all such as had misled him in his age by which the Common Weale was much oppressed amongst others was the Lord Latimer noted for principall and Alice Pierce the Kings Concubine with Sir Richard Skory Alice Pierce the Kings Conâ—…ine all which were according to the Commons just complaint by the Prince removed but hee was no sooner dead but the king contrary to his promise before made called them again admitting them to their former Offices and Honours and Alice his prostitute to his wonted grace and favour In the two and fiftieth yeer the two and twentieth day of Iune dyed at his Mannor of Sheen The death of K. Edward the third now called Richmond the royall and most victorious Prince king Edward the third of that name of whom it was truly predicted The spirits of many Lions shall conspire To make one by infusion so entire He by his mighty courage shall restore What his sire lost and grandsire wonne before As also that of the unparalleld blacke Prince his sonne who died before his Father A numerous issue shall his Lionesse bring Black shall the first be and though never King Yet shall he Kings captive but ere mature Die shall this brave Whelp of a
standing where all might behold him first making the signe of the Crosse upon his forehead and after on his brest silence being commanded he spake as followeth In the name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost I Henry of Lancaster Clayme the Realme of England with the Crowne and all the appurtenances thereto belonging as I am rightly discended from the right Line of the bloud comming from that good Lord K. Henry the third and through the right that God of his grace hath sent me with the help of my kinred and friends to recover the same which was in point to be undone for default of good governance and justice c. Which having spoken hee sate downe in his The Duke of Hereâ—…ord claymes the Crowne place then every one hearing his clayme spake what hee thought and after some distance of time the Archbishop of Canterbury knowing the minds of Lords stood up and asked the Commons if they would assent with the Nobility in their election which they thought to be needfull and for the good of the Kingdome to which with an unanimous voice they said yea yea after which the Archbishop approching the Duke uttered some words to him in private which done hee arose and taking him by the hand led him unto the Kings Seat and placed him therein after made a long Oration to that noble Assembly the effect whereof was to prove the Dukes Title to the Crowne and to justifie the deposing of the King verifying what was before predicted of him Foure Princely Lions were to him allide Gall shall be with his horns in his great pride At length a Fox clad in skin of gold Shall snatch the Kid from midst of all his fold By the foure Lions are figured his foure Princely Uncles sonnes to Edward the third whom he severally injured preferring men raised from nothing to be eminent above them both in honour and office and by the Fox Henry of Balwarke who clothed himselfe with all the golden ornament of Regall Majesty and snatcht him from the midst of all the fold that was from amongst his own subjects and people and after caused him to bee put to a violent and cruell death CHAP. 24. The Coronation of Edward the fourth with his great Feast held in Westminster Hall A great Conspiracy intended against him but prevented the lamentable murder of King Richard the second in Pomfret Castle by Sir Pierce of Exton his valour at his death His Epitaph The great riches found in his treasury A prosecution of sundry passages in the Reigne of King Henry He prepares a journey for the Holy land but is prevented by death HEnry the fourth of that name and sonne to Iohn a Gaunt Duke of Lancaster tooke possession of the whole Dominion of England upon the last day of September in the yeere of Grace one thousand three hundred fourescore and nineteene after which he made new Officers cleane through the Kingdome One and forty Knights of the Bath made and then gave order for his Coronation and the Eve before hee in the Tower made 41 knights of the Bath of which three were his owne sonnes and three Earles and five Lords c. Then the morrow after being Monday the thirteenth of October he was crowned at Westminster King Henries Coronation by the Archbishop of Canterbury after which solemnity ended a great and sumptuous feast was held in the great Hall where the king being sate in the middest of the table the Arch-bishop The manner of his great feast in Westminster Hall of Canterbury with three other Prelates were placed at the right hand of the same table and on the left hand the Arch-bishop of York with foure other of the Clergy Henry the kings eldest sonne stood by his Father on his right hand with a sword poyntlesse and the Earle of Northumberland new made Lord Constable with a poynted sword on his left hand both swords being held upright Before the king stood all dinner time the dukes of Aumerl of Surry and of Exceter with two other Earles and the Earle of Westmerland late made Marshall rov'd about the Hall with many Tip Staves to make roome that the Officers with more ease might serve the Tables Of which the chiefe upon the right side of the hall was begun by the Barons of the Cinque ports and at the Table next the Cupboord upon the left hand sate the Lord Major and the Aldermen of London which Major being Drewe Barendine Goldsmith was presented according to the custome with a cup of gold after the second course came in Sir Thomas Dimocke armed at all poynts and sitting upon a The Kings Champion good Steed road to the higher part of the Hall and before the King caused a Herald to make Proclamation that whosoever would affirme King Henry was not lawfull inheritour to the Crown and Kingdome of England he was there ready to wage battaile against him which Proclamation hee caused to bee made after in three other parts of the Hall in French and English with many more observances at such solemnities exercised and done which feast being ended the morrow after being tuesday the parliament was againe begunne of this King and his reigne it was thus predicted The Foxe being earth'd according to his mind In the Kids den a Magazine shall finde The prophesie of his reigne Yet all that treasure can his life not save But rather bring him to a timelesse grave Meane time shall study many a forrest beast By a new way to kill the King in jest But crafty Rainold shall the plot prevent And turne it all to their owne detriment Wales and the north against him both shall rise But he who still was politicke and wise Shal quell their rage much trouble he 'll indure And after when he thinks himselfe secure Hoping to wash the Kids bloud from his hand Purpose a voyage to the Holy Land But faile Yet in Hierusalem shall dye Deluded by a doubtfull augury In the former parlament were many Challenges of the peers one against the other which came to none effect but onething was there confirmed What was done in the Parliament that whosoever had hand in the good Duke of Glosters death should dye as traitors For which divers found guilty after suffered moreover sundry acts made in the time of Richards reigne were disannulled and made voyd and others held more profitable for the kingdomes good and Common-weales enacted in their stead Then was King Richard removed from the Tower and thence conveighed to Leedes and King Richard removed to Pomphret after to the Castle of Pomphret there was provision made for the King to keep his Christmas at Windsor in which interim the Dukes of Amerle of Surrey and of Exeter with the Earles of Salisbury and of Gloster with others of their affinity Lords Knights and Esquires made great provision for a Maske to be presented before the King upon Twelfth night which grew neere and
a great Almane prince called the Duke of Briga were made Knights of the Garter and after seven weekes aboad here left the land whom the King in person conducted to Callis in which time of his there being the Duke of Bedford with the Earle of March and other Lords had a great Sea-fight with divers Caricks of Genoway and other ships where after long and cruell fight the honour fell to the English to the Victory by sea great losse of the strangers both of their men and shippes in which three of their Caricks were taken In his first yeare in a parliament called at Westminster wherein order was taken for provision for his second hostile expedition in to France Richard sonne and heire to the Earle of Cambridge put to death at Southampton was created Duke of Yorke who after was married to Cecile daughter to the Earle of Westmerland The issue of Richard Duke of Yorke by whom he had issue Henry who dyed young Edward who was after King Edmund Earle of Rutland Anne Dutchesse of Exeter Elizabeth Dutchesse of Suffolke George Duke of Clarence Richard Crook-backe Duke of Gloster and after King and Margaret Dutchesse of Burgoin and when all things were accommodated for the Kings voyage he made Iohn Duke of Bedford his brother protector of the Land and about Whitsunday tooke shipping at Southampton and sailed towards Normandy where hee King Henry lands in Normandy laid siege to a place called Toke or Towke During which notice was given to the King that the Vicount Narbon General of the French Navy intended to invade England to prevent whom he sent the Earle of March the Earle of Huntington with others to scoure the Seas who meeting with their Fleete after a long and bloody conflict conquered and overcame them Another Sea-victory upon the ninth of August in which they tooke plenty of Treasure being the money which should have payed the French Kings Souldiers Then was Tooke with the Castle deliuered up to King Henry which he gave to his brother the Duke of Clarence with all the Signiory thereto belonging hee after tooke the strong City of His many conquests in Normandy Caan in Normandy with foureteene other strong holds and Castles and whilst he was thus busied the Earle of March the Earle of Warwicke with others wonne Laveers Falois Newlin Cherburg Argentine and Bayons c. where the king kept St. Georges Feast and made fifteene knights of the Bath Then king Henry divided his people into three parts whereof one hee reserved to himselfe the second he committed to the Duke of Clarence the third to the Earle of Warwicke which Duke and Earle so well imployed their forces that in short time they wonne many strong Townes and Castles whilst the King laid siege to Roan of which one Sir Guy de Bowcier was Captaine which was also delivered up Roan taken by K. Henry into his hands so that having subdued all Normandy he then entered France and conquered the Cities and Townes as he marcht and upon the twentieth of May came to Troies in Champaigne where he was honourably received for the Duke of Burgoine being slaine in the presence of the Dolphin Philip his sonne who succeeded King Charles with his daugh ter and heire in the possession of K. Henry in the Dukedome refused the Dolphins part and leaguing himselfe with King Henry delivered unto him the possession both of the French King and Dame Katherine his sole Daughter Then was such an unity laboured by the Lords on both sides to be had betwixt the two Nations that by the urgence of the said Philip Duke King Henry marrieth the Lady Katherine of Burgoin King Henry at Troyes in Champaigne was solemnly marryed to Katherine heire to the kingdome of France upon the third day of Iune being Trinity sunday Before the solemnization of which marriage certaine Articles were agreed upon by the two Kings the effect Articles concluded betwixt the two nations of England and â—…rance whereof followeth that Charles should remain King during the tearme of his life and king Henry should be made regent and governour of the kingdome in the right of his Queene and wife and that after the death of Charles the Crowne of France with all the rights thereto belonging to remaine unto king Henry and his King Henry made heire apparant to the Crowne of France Heires kings c. And because Charles was then visited with sicknesse King Henry as Regent should have the whole and entire government of the Realme and that the Lords of France as well spirituall as temporall should make oath to King Henry to bee obedient unto him in all things and after the Death of Charles to become his true liege-men and subjects c. Further the Dutchy of Normandy and all other Normandy and France made one Monarchy Lordships thereto belonging to bee as one Monarchy under the Crowne of France and that during the life of Charles Henry sbould not name or write himselfe King of France but Charles in all his Writings should name King Henry his dearest Son and immediate Heire to the crown and that by the advice of both counsailes of the Realmes of England and France such ordinances should be established that when the Crowne of France fell to King Henry or his Heires that it might with such unitie joyne to the Realme of England that our King might Vnity betwixt the two Kingdomes rule both the Realms as one Monarchy c. that King Charles nor Philip Duke of Burgoyn should make any peace with the Dolphin of Vien without the consent of King Henry nor he make any accord with him without the agreement of Charles and Philip c. thus you see His Caducaeus to a Sword did change And grim Orion though it might seem strange Sit in Astraeas Orbe and from her teare The three leav'd Flower shee in her hand did beare And turne it to a Lawrell to adorne The Lions brows whom late the Toad did scorn By the Caducaeus turning into a sword is meant that Mercury was now turn'd Mars and The prophesie explained Peace into warre The same is allegorically intended by Orion who is called Lucifer for the terriblenesse of his aspect sayd by the Astronomicall Poets to beare a sword hee removeth Astraea that is Iustice out of her Orbe For in the time of warre force and might sway all who rends from her bosome the peaceable three leav'd Flower which is the Flower Delyce with which he Crownes the Lion King Henry whom the Toad did scorne thus demonstrated Some write that the Armes of France were at First the three Toads which after they changed to the three Lillies as they are now quartered with the English Armes c. But to continue the History these former Articles being by the consent of both the Princes and their peeres ratified king Henry with his new Queene were honourably received into Paris where King Henry and
lodging at Westminster and soon after was King Henry brought riding in a long gown of Blue Velvet and conveyed through Cheape unto Westminster and thence to King Henry again committed to the tower the Tower where he remayned all his life time after thus we find by the premisses The Beare who th'exil'd Tigresse meets in France Vowes the suppressed Lambe againe to advance And from the Coop where he hath long bin pent To raise him to his former government All which hapned according to the former prediction as also the sequell The Lion the land flying with a small And slender train the ragged Staffe sways all But the Bears fiereenesse shall be soon all aid As one that is halfe conquered halfe betraid That is half conquered by the prowesse of King Edward and betraid by his perfidious brother the D. of Clarence Edward thus having repossest the Kingdome provided against the landing of Queen Margaret and her sonne who notwithstanding with an army of Frenchmen entred the Land as farre as Teuxbury where the King met her and chaced her house and slue The battaile at Teuxbury many of them in which battaile was taken her sonne Edward and brought to the King who demanding some questions and he not answering him to his minde the King strook him over the face with his Gauntlet upon which hee was drag'd into a withdrawing room and there slaine by the Duke of Glocester In the same The murder of P. Edward yeere upon Ascension eve was the corps of Henry the sixt late King brought unreverently from the Tower through the high streets of the City unto Pauls and there left for that night and on the morrow conveyed with bils and staves and King Henry stabd to death in the tower the like weapons unto Chelsey and there without any solemne ceremony enterred who was stabd with a Dagger in the Tower by the hands of the foresaid Richard Duke of Glocester So that the Lambe the Beare did late restore Again coopt up was murdred by a Bore For the Bore was the Cognizance belonging to the said Duke when King Edward had thus subdued his enemies He sent over the miserable and distressed Queene Margaret into her owne Countrey whence shee never returned into this Kingdome after In the seventeenth yeere of the King the Duke of Clarence his second brother The murder of the Duke of Clarence was for some displeasure taken against him committed to the Tower where hee not remayned long but hee was secretly drowned in a But of Malmsey as it was commonly voic'd by the instigation of the Duke of Glocester I let passe the rest of this Kings Reigne in which hapned no great matter of remarke or consequence so that after his many victories for hee was never The death of K. Edward the Fourth conquered in any battaile hee governed the Realme in great tranquillity and quietnesse and expired the eleventh of Aprill in the yeere of the Incarnation of our Lord one thousand foure hundred fourscore and three after he had raigned full two and twenty yeeres and as much as from the fourth of March to the eleventh of Aprill whose corps was conveyed to VVindsor and there with all due and solemne Ceremony interred leaving two sonnes Prince Edward the eldest and Richard Duke of Yorke the younger with three Daughters Elizabeth after Queene Sicily and Katharine Edward the fift of that name and sonne to Edward the Fourth at eleven yeeres of age began his Reigne the eleventh of Aprill in the beginning of the yeer of our Lord God one thousand foure hundred fourescore and then of whom and his Uncle Richard Duke of Glocester the prediction followeth The Prophesie From the Herculean Lion lately sphear'd And in his Orbe to Iove himself indear'd Shall shine two stars without eclipse or cloud But they as to some sacred offering vow'd Shall perish on the Altar ere they grow To that full splendor which the world they owe A bunch-back'd monster who with teeth is born The mockery of art and natures scorn Who from the wombe preposterously is hurld And with feet forward thrust into the world Shall from the lower earth on which he stood Wade every step he mounts here deep in blood He shall to th' height of all his hopes aspire And cloth'd in state his ugly shape admire But when he thinks himself most safe to stand From forreigne parts a native Whelpshal land Who shall the long divided blood unite By joyning of the Red Rose with the white Edward the Fourth yielding his due to nature Hatred betwixt the King and Queenes kindred the long concealed grudge betwixt the King and the Queenes Allies began to vent it self for the Marquesse Dorset brother to the widowed Queene with others of her proximity had then the Guardianship of the young King who being in the Marches of VVales conveyed him towards London to make provision for his Coronation but the Duke of Glocester who intended otherwise attended with a company of Northern Gentlemen all in mourning met with the King at Stony-stratford and after a dissembled greeting betwixt him and the Marquesse dischardged him of his Office and Marquesse Dorset discharged of his Guardianship tooke upon himselfe the government of the king and thence accompanied with the Duke of Buckingham who was in great favour with the people brought him with all honour toward London whereof hearing Queene Elizabeth mother to the King and fearing the sequel she with her younger sonne the Duke of Yorke and her daughter Elisabeth tooke Sanctuary at VVestminster meane time the king was royally met by the Citizens of London and through The Queene taketh Sanctuary the City brought to the Bishop of Londons palace and there lodged Then the Duke of Glocester so wrought with Bouchier Archbishop of Canterbury that hee went with him to the Queene who upon the Archbishops faith and promise of his safety delivered The young Duke of York delivered to the Archbishop and Duke of Glocester to them the D. of Yorke then the Duke caused the king and his brother to be removed to the Tower and the Duke lodged himselfe in Crosby House in Bishopsgate street and great preparation was made for the yong kings Coronation in which time the Duke of Glocester being made Protector caused Sir Anthony VVoodvile Lord Scales the Queenes brother the Lord Richard the Queenes son Sir Richard Hawt and Sir Thomas to be beheaded at Pomfret more out of his owne tyranny then any The protectors tyranny trespasse by them committed next to further his aspiring purpose Hee covertly sounded the hearts of the Nobility how they stood affected and to that end cold many counsailes and amongst others he found the Lord Hastings then Lord Chamberlaine constant to the supporture of king Edward the Fourths Issue Upon the thirteenth of Iune being in the Counsel Chamber at the Tower with the Duke of Buckingham the Earle of Derby the Lord A
counsell held at the Tower Hastings and others Hee caused an out-cry of Treason to be made in the next roome at which the Lords were amerc'd and he himselfe went to the doore and received such persons in as he had before appointed who laid hand upon the Lord Hastings in which stirring the Earle of The death of the Lord Hastings Derby was hurt in the face and for a while committed to safe custody but the Lord Chamberlaine in all haste was led to the Hill within the Tower and without judgement or long confession his head laid upon a log and cut off by the Executioner after which cruelty thus done all such as he suspected would oppose him in his claime to the Crowne hee put in hold whereof the Archbishop of Yorke and the Bishop of Ely were two but the Earle of Derby for feare his sonne Lord Strange should have raised the Cheshire and Lancashire men hee set at liberty to goe where he pleased Upon the sunday following himselfe and the Duke of Buckingham being present with others of the Nobility Doctor Ralph Shaa in the time of his Sermon laboured to prove the children The effect of D. Shaaâ—… Sermon at Pauls â—…osse of Edward the Fourth illegitimate and not right beires to the Crowne preferring the title of the Protector at whom was flung a dagger which stucke in the post close by his face but none knew or at the least would acknowledge from whence it came which Doctor who before had a great opinion of learning having by this Sermon lost all his reputation dyed as some say distracted not many days after Upon the Tuesday following the Commons of the City were assembled at Guild-hall whither The Duke of Buckinghams oration in the Guild hall was sent by the Protectour the Duke of Buckingham with other Lords by whom was rehearsed to the Major the rest what title the Lord Protectour had to the Crowne before his Nephews which in an excellent Oration was delivered by the Duke of Buckingham whom they applauded for the manner but no way approved the matter of his speech for it took no effect amongst them all departing silent and keeping their thoughts to themselves then the Tuesday succeeding being the twentieth day of Iune the Protector of himselfe took upon him as King and Governour of the Realme and rode The Protectour takes upon him to be King in great state to Westminster and in the great Hall placing himselfe in the seat Royall with the Duke of Norfolke who was before Lord Howard on the right hand and the Duke of Suffolke on the left after the royall Oath taken hee called before him the Iudges and giving them a long exhortation for the executing of his Lawes administring justice with other Ceremonies being done hee was conveyed to the kings palace and there lodged and upon friday The protector proclaimed King by the name of Richard the third being the two and twentieth of Iune throughout the City of London hee was proclaimed king of England by the name of Richard the Third Yet thought he himselfe in no security whilst his two Nephewes in the Tower were living concerning whose death as some have reported hee tasted the Duke of Buckingham but finding him averse to his purpose as in his noble Buckingham not accessary to the Princes deaths spirit abhorring an act so unnaturall and execrable he after sought all advantages how to insidiate his life though hee had been the onely means to raise him to that height of Sovereignty and knowing that it was in vaine to worke any noble or generous mindes to such a bloudy and inhumane purpose hee at length had observed a melancholy and discontented Gentleman called Iames Tirrell to whom some have given the title of a knight and him hee moulded to his owne ends who having the keyes of the Princes lodgings delivered unto him hee hired two bloudy Ruffians who when they were fast asleepe fell upon them and smothered them in their beds But in what place their bodies were buried it is uncertain and thus The murder of the two princes in the tower From the Herculean Lion lately sphear'd And in his Orbe to Iove himself indear'd Two luminous stars without eclipse or cloud As had they been unto some offering vow'd Are perisht on the Altar ere they grow To that full splendor which the world they owe. By the Herculean or Cleomaean Lion is figured the victorious and invincible King Edward the Fourth lately spheared that is by death lately translated above the Spheares to the Celestiall Orbe Heaven and by two shining stars Edward the sift and Richard Duke of Yorke c. the rest needeth no comment CHAP. 30. Dissention betwixt the King and the Duke of Buckingham Richard insidiateth the life of Richmond Buckingham takes armes against the King and is beheaded Banister perfidious to his Lord Queen Annes policy and tyranny His Laws Richmond landeth at Milford Haven The battaile at Bosworth The death of Richard Richmond made King A prophesie of his Reigne c. RIchard the Third of that name son to Richard Duke of Yorke and youngest brother to Edward the Fourth late King began his Dominion over the Realme of England the twentieth day of Iune in the yeere of the Incarnation of our Lord one thousand foure hundred fourescore and three with whose Reigne I proceed Some say the Noble Duke of Buckingham Difference betwixt the King and the Duke of Buckingham came to demand of him the Earle of Herefords Land promised him before he was King which hee not onely denied him but gave him rough and harsh language which the Duke in regard of his former courtesies done unto him and not only knowing his ingratitude but with all his malicious spleene against any that should in the least oppose him in his bloudy and most cruell designes he therefore retyred himselfe from Court and after some discourse held with Bishop Morton who was the Kings prisoner and in his custody he was brought to have intelligence from the Queen and the Countesse of Derby by whose instigation hee after laboured to bring in Henry Richmond then a banisht man in the Court of the Duke of Britaine but from Buckinghams plots against the King the house of Lancaster the next heire to the Crown Whilst these things were in secret agitation the King laboured by all meanes possible of friends gifts promises and the like to take away the life of the Earle whose projects and Richard labors to supplant Richmon pursuits too long here to rehearse he miraculously escaped only comforted by some Noble Englishmen some compulsively banisht others voluntarily exiling themselves all partners in one and the same calamity in which interim the Duke of Buckinghams intent of innovation some think by his perfidious servant Banister was discovered to the King therefore for his Buckingham taketh arms owne security he was forced to take armes but many of his friends failing
was inscribed Hic jacet in tumba Rosamundi non Rosamunda Her inscription on her tombe Non redolet sedolet quae redolere solet Which by an ancient Writer was thus paraphrased into English The Rose of the World but not the clean flower Is graven heere to whom beauty was lent In this grave full darke now is her bower That in her life was sweet and redolent But now that she is from this life blent Though she were sweet now fouly doth she stink A mirrour good for all that on her think Such was their English poetry in those dayes Long after the death of Rosamond was shewed in that Abbey a rare Coffer or Casket of hers about two foot in length in which was a strange artificiall motion where were to be seen Giants fighting Beasts in motion Fowls flying and Fishes swimming This Henry was troubled by the Queenes animating of his sonnes against him betwixt whom were divers conflicts which would appeare tedious to bee rehearsed It is written of this King that in his Chamber at Windsore hee had painted an Eagle with foure Henries character of his foure sonnes young ones whereof three of them pulled and pecked the body of the old Eagle and the fourth picked at his eyes and being asked what that picture should signifie hee made answer This old Eagle figureth my selfe and the foure birds my foure sonnes who cease not to pursue my life but most of all my sonne Iohn whom I most have loved and therefore Some of his numerous ayrie will retain The nature of the Desert Pelican The nature of the Pelican in the Desert being to pierce her brest with her bill and feed her young ones with her owne bloud In the The death of King Henry sonne of King Henry twenty eight yeere of this Henry died his eldest sonne Henry whom hee had before crowned much repenting on his death-bed for his unnaturall rebellion against his Father Rainold Monke of Chester relates that soon after the death of the Lady Rosamond Lewis the French King and the eighth of that name sent to King Henry one of his daughters to bee kept for his second sonne Richard whom the King vitiated and laboured to Haguntia a Cardinall then in the Land for a Divorce betwixt Henry laboureth a divorce betwixt him and his wife him and his wife intending to have maried that French Lady but he failed of his purpose for he meant by that match to have disinherited his unnaturall sonnes It is further recorded that when William King of Scots was taken by the King of England Hee did him Homage at the City of Yorke and in witnesse of subjection he offered his Hat and Saddle upon Saint Peters Altar which were kept there many yeeres after This King had many strange admonitions for Sundry admonitions to the King to amend his life the amendment of his life one was that in his returne from Ireland as he was taking his horse there appeared unto him a man of a pale and meager aspect bare-foot and in a white Mantle who spake unto him and said I am sent to thee from the Lord of the Sabbaoth who commandeth thee to take order that no Markets bee kept nor any servile worke bee done on the Lords day dressing of meate excepted only which if thou feest performed whatsoever thou purposest thou shalt bring to a good and happy end whose speech the King seemed to distaste and said to him that held his bridle aske of this Churle if he have dreamed that which hee speaketh to which the apparition answered againe whether I have dreamed or not take thou heed to my words and amend thy life or what thou now mockest shall returne to thy great misery which having said he vanisht suddenly the strangenesse whereof though he seriously apprehended yet of the former there was nothing amended He had a second admonition by an Irishman His second admonition who told him all things which the King had done in secret which hee had thought none had knowne but himselfe and withall advised him to repentance and amendment of life but hee regarded it as the former about which time being the foure and twentieth yeere of his The bones of King Arthur and his Queen found Reigne were taken up the bones of King Arthur and his Queene Guenever in the Vale of Avalon the haire of her head seeming white and of a fresh colour but as soone as touched they turned to powder their bones were after translated to the Church in Glastenbury and there the second time buried they were found by a Bard or Singer of Rythmes under the root of an Oke fifteen foot within the ground his third admonition I leave to the next Chapter CHAP. 15. The inauguration of Richard the first sirnamed Cordelion a prediction of his Reigne His warres in the Holy Land his imprisonment by the Duke of Austria his brother Iohns usurpation his second Coronation with his unfortunate death c. A Knight called Sir William Chesterly alias Lindsey told him boldly that His third admonition there were seven severall things by him specially and suddenly to be reformed First to see better to the defence of the Church and provide for the maintenance thereof Secondly to see his Lawes better executed and Iustice more exercised Thirdly not to rob the rich nor extort from them their goods by violence Fourthly to make restitution of all those lands and goods as hee had so wrested Fiftly to make no demurre or delay in just sentence but suffer the right to have lawfull processe Sixtly to see his subjects satisfied for such things as had beene taken up to his use and to pay his servants and souldiers which fell to robbery for that default Seventhly that he should speedily cause the Iewes to avoid the Land But this advise prevailed with him as the former In his thirtieth yeere Heraclius Patriarch of Ierusalem came into England to solicite his aid against the Saracens who had invaded the Christian Territories and to defend the holy City which by Saladine King of Surry was wonne soon after For by the relation of Peter Desroy a French Chronicler Ierusalem was wonne by Godfrey of Bulloigne in the yeere of Grace one thousand fourescore and nineteene and continued under nine Christian Kings of which Guy of Resingham was the last this Heraclius Nine Christian Kings raigne successively over Hierusalem further profered the King the keyes of the holy City and of our Lords grave presenting him Letters from Pope Lucius the third of that name which charged him to take upon him the journey according to an Oath by him formerly made to which the King answered The King refuseth to be Generall foâ—… the Holy Land he could not leave his Land in trouble as a prey to the French and his owne aspiring sonne but he would give largely out of his owne coffers to such as would take that voyage in hand To which the Patriarch replyed we
belonging to the Duke he was beset by one Mainart de Goresen but with losse of some of his traine he by his manhood escaped After at a towne named Frisach one Frederick de Saint Soon made a second attempt upon him and tooke six of his Knights but he by his noble valour made his way through the ambush of the enemy without surprizall and strooke up towards Germany but spies being set to know what course he King Richard taken took he was at length betrayed into the hands of the Duke of Lemple cousin to the Emperor who sent him to the Duke of Austria he presently rifled him of all the treasure and iewels hee had about him and committed him for a moneth to strait and close prison During which time as some write the Duke Hence he had the appeâ—…ation of Cur de Lyon put him to cope singly with a great and mighty Lion weaponlesse and unarmed who having conquered the beast ript up his heart and flang it in the Dukes face and after that with a blow under the eare he slew the Dukes sonne and further that his daughter being enamoured both of his person and great valour he left her vitiated and deflowred but howsoever in this all witnesses agree that when the moneth was expired he sent him to the Emperour who was Henry the first of that name and sonne to Frederick the first who put him into a darke and obscure dungeon covenanting with the Duke that he should have the third part of his ransome there he remained for the space of a yeere and three moneths at length upon a palm-sunday he caused him to be brought before his Princes and Lords to answer what could be obiected against him where hee appeared with such a manly and maiestick aspect and withal answered so directly and discreetly to whatsoever was laid to his charge that they generally comiserated his iniust durance then King Richard ransomed at an hundred thousand pound and set at liberty his ransome was set at an hundred thousand pound sterling and hostages given for the payment by such a time which done he was set at liberty which verefies Coopt up and cag'd then shall the Lion be But after sufferance ransomd and set free The King in the eight yeere of his Reigne The Kings arrivall into England about the latter end of March landed at Sandwich and came straight to London where he was ioyfully received and then calling a Counsaile of his Lords he first took order to pay his ransome and because his brother Iohn in his absence had usurped the Diadem was at that time in France he deprived him of all Honour and title and tooke from him all those Earledomes and revenewes that hee before had conferd upon him and caused him selfe at Winchester to be the second time crowned and then began the ancient grudge to revive betweene the two Kings of England and France which was the more aggravated because the French King supported Iohn against the King his Brother But Prince Iohn seeing how much his fame was magnified in the mouths of all men and that all the parts both of Christendome and Paganisme resounded with his praise he made means to his mother Queene Eleanor by whose mediation a Iohn reconciled to the K. his brother peace was made betwixt her two sonnes whilest the wars in Normandy and France went stil forwards Many wery the battailes fought betwixt the two Kings and much effusion of bloud on both sides where sometimes the one sometimes the other had the better but for the most part Richard the best during which combustion before the last 20000 pound for his ransome was payd his two hostages the Bishops of Bath in England and Roan in Normandy came unto him and told him that they were set at liberty by the Emperour and further shewed that his great enemy the Duke of Austria was accused of Innocent the third then Pope for the iniuries before offered him and that upon Saint Stephens day hee prickt his foot with a thorne which gangrend and should have beene cut off and being told hee must die he sent to his Bishops to be absolved which they had denied to doe till hee had showne himselfe repentant for the foresaid wrongs and released his hostages which being The death of the Duke of Austria accordingly done the Duke died and they were delivered In the processe of the wars before spoken of King Richard in the tenth yeere of his Reigne after Christmasse besieged a Castle in France neere Lymoges called Gaylyard the cause was that a rich treasure being found within the Seigniory of the King of England by one Widomer Vicount of Lemruke hee had denyed to render it up and fled thither for his refuge and defended it manfully till the fift day of April upon which day the King walking unadvisedly to The King too unadvised take view of the Fort and where it might be best entred one named Bertrand Genedow whom some Writers call Pater Basale marked the King and wounded him in the head but some say in the arme with a poysoned arrow after which hurt received hee caused a violent and desperate assault to be made in which hee wonne the Castle then hee made inquiry who hee was that had wounded him who being found and brought before him the King demanded of him why he should rather ayme at his person than any of those who were then about him who boldly made answer because thou slewest my Father and my brethren for which I vowed thy death whatsoever became of me the King after some pawsing leisure for that answer gave him his pardon and liberty but the rest of the souldiers he put to the sword and caused the Castle to bee razed to the earth The death of King Richard the firâ—… and dyed the third day after whose body was buried at Fount E-a-Bleu at the feet of his Father which no way erres from the prophesie For potent Kings whose prides Transcend 'twixt whom a sea-arm onely glides Ambitious truth shall many conflicts try Last by a poysonous shaft the King shall die Iohn the youngest sonne to Henry the second Iohn made King of England and brother to the late deceased Richard was proclaimed King the tenth day of April in the yeere of Grace one thousand one hundred fourescore and nineteene and was crowned at Westminster upon holy Thursday next ensuing of whom it was thus predicted The subtle Fox into the Throne shall creep Thinking the Lion dead who did but sleepe But frighted with his walking rore finds cause To flie the terrour of his teeth and paws After this Leopard stain'd with many a spot Shall lose all Rollo by his Gilla got Then shall those keyes whose power would awe the fates For a long time lock up his Temple gates Vnburthen him of all the charge he beares And wrest from him the Lawrell that he wears Woes me that from one Leopard should be
that his Lords were acquitted of their allegiance and in what danger his souls and his peoples were hee and his whole Nation standing accursed he at length condiscended to submit himselfe to whatsoever the Court of Rome should determine The Articles proposed by the Pope and by him to be performed were these following Peaceably to suffer Stephen Langton to enter The Articles that hee should yield to into the Land and to enjoy the primacy and profits of his Archbishoprick that these whom hee had banisht should be repeald and their goods whom hee had rifled should be to them restored and that he should yield up his absolute right and title to the Crowne of England and he his heirs thence-forward to hold it of the Pope and his successors to which having granted and he and his Lords being sworne to observe Iohn delivers up his Crowne to the Popes use the same Hee kneeling tooke the Legâ—…te to him the Crowne from his head and delivered it to the Popes use saying these words I here resigne up the Crowne of the Realmes of England and Ireland into the hands of pope Innocent the third and put my selfe wholly into his power and mercy then Pandolph as Deputy for the Pope tooke the Crowne and kept it five dayes in his possession and then the King received it from him againe First having sealed and delivered up an Instrument or writing the effect was that he could challenge no power but by permission of the Pope and further to pay unto the Apostolicke See yeerly a thousand Marks of silver seven hundred for the Crowne of England and three hundred for the Kingdome of Ireland for the payment of which Tribute yeeâ—…ly paid by King Iohn to Rome tribute but the Peter-pence were after gathered and this confirmes the premisses exprest in the prophesie Then shall those keyes whose power would awe the fates For along time lock up his Temple gates Vnburthen him of all the charge he beares And wrest from him the Lawrell that he wears Woes me that from one Leopard should be torne What many Lions in their pride have worne It is made so plaine that it needs no further Interpretor In those days lived one called Peter Peter of Pomfret of Pomfret a Bard and such then were held as Southsayers and prophets who predicted divers of the Kings disasters which fell out accordingly amongst which one was that hee should reigne but fourteene yeeres but when the King had entred the fifteenth hee called him into question for a false prophet to which hee answered that whatsoever hee had foretold was justifiable and true For in the fourteenth yeer hee gave up his Crowne unto the pope and hee paying unto him an annuall tribute the pope raigned and not hee notwithstanding which apology he caused him as a Traytour to be hanged and quartered After which he bore himselfe so aversly towards his Barons that the greatest part of them Lewis sonne to the French King called in to England by thâ—… Barons fell from his Allegiance and called in Lewis son to the French king into the Land covenanting to make him king who was received with his whole Army and possessed of London the Tower and many other strong holds in the kingdome betwixt whom and the king were sundry conflicts and skirmishes in which they diversly sped during which dissention in the seventeenth yeere of his Reigne he expired as the Authour of Polychron saith at Newarke of The death of King Iohn a bloudy flix But by the relation of our English Chronicle to which we give more credit as also by the authority of Master Fox in his Martyrologie he was poysoned by a Monke having been a great Rifler of their Monasteries and dyed at Swinsted Abbey in Lincolnshire this Monke being of the same House and his body was after buried in the Cathedrall Church at Winchester which fatall accident hapned unto him the day after Saint Luke being the eighteenth of October after hee had reigned sixteen yeeres six moneths and odde days leaving behind him two sonnes Henry and Richard In his death verifying He that did all he might the Kirke despise Against his life shall a base Kirkman rise Not forgetting the former which was predicted of Lewis comming into the Land Hither the French flower would it self transpose Where must spring after many a glorious Rose Henry the third of that name and eldest son Henry the third crowned King to King Iohn at the age of nine yeeres beganne his Reigne over the Realme of England the twentieth of October in the yeere of Grace one thousand two hundred and sixteene Philip the second being then king of France this king reigned the longest and did the least of remarkable memory of any of his predecessours Of whom it was thus predicted Dreame shall the Leopards issue in the throne The Prophesie Crudled in rest carefull to keep his owne Nor forcing ought from others changing then His Leopards spots a Lion turn agen Abroad the second whelpe for prey will rore Beyond the Alps to Ioves bird restore rage Her decayde plumes the King of beasts whose His youth conceal'd shall rowse him in his age Against the Boare the Talbot and the Beare The Mountain Cat Goat with whom cohere Of fowls the Falcon Hearn the Peacock Swan With Fishes too prest from the Ocean With whose mixt blouds the Forest shal be dyde Till love unite what discord did divide Presently upon the young Kings Coronation the greatest part of the English peeres revolted The English Lords revolt from Lewis to Henry from the French party and acknowledged him their sole King and Soveraigne so that within a short season they quit both him and all the Aliens and Strangers out of the Land in the eight yeare of his Raigne was held a Parlament The first granting of Wards in which was granted to the King and his successor Kings the Wardship and Mariage of all the Heires which act was called by wise men of that age Initium Malorum In the thirtieth yeare of his Raigne dyed Frederick the Emperour who had before maried Isabell the Kings sister who for his contempt of the church of Rome was accursed of The death of the Emperour Frederick whom was made this Epitaph Fre sremit in Mundo De deprimitalta profundo Ri res rimatur cus cuspide cuncta minatur Which though it cannot sound so well in our English tongue yet is thus paraphrased Free frets the world De Height which depth confounds Ri searcheth all things Cus with the weapen wounds After whose death the Electors could not agree in the choise of a successor some nominated the Duke of Thoring others the Earle of Holland and some againe stood for Richard Earle of Cornwale the Kings brother but in the end Rodulphus Duke of Habspurg was inaugurated by Pope Gregory the ninth so that great variance and strife continued for the space of 27 yeares to
Henry the Third by reason of his tall stature sirnamed Long-shanks began his Reign Novem. 17. the yeere of Grace one thousand two hundred threescore and twelve who came to London the second day of August and was crowned at Westminster the fourteenth of December following The Cororati of P. Edward sirnamed Loâ—…gshanks being the second yeere of his Reigne at whose Coronation was present Alexander King of Scots who the morrow following did homage to him for the Kingdome of Scotland but Lewellin prince of Wales refused to come to that solemnitie for which King Edward gathered a strong power and subdued him in his Lewellin P. of Wales rebeileth owne borders and in the yeere after hee called his high Court of Parlament to which also Lewellin presumptuously denied to come therefore after Easter he assembled new forces and entring Wales hee constrained him to submit himselfe to his mercy which with great difficulty Lewellin took to mercy hee obtained then the King built the Castle of Flint and strengthened the Castle of Rutland to keepe the Welsh in due obedience He gave also uuto David brother of Lewellin David brother to Lewellin the Castle of Froddesham who remayned in his Court and with his seeming service much delighted the King but David did it only as a spie to give his brother secret intelligence of whatsoever the King or his Counsell said of him or against him who tooke his opportunity and privatly left the Court stirring up his broâ—…her to a new Rebellion of which the King being informed hee could hardly thinke that hee could prove so ingratefull but being better ascertained of the truth he made fierce warre upon them at length Lewellin was strictly besieged in Swandon Castle from which when hee thought early in a morning to escape with ten Knights only hee was met by Sir Roger Mortimer upon whose Lands hee had before done great out-rage who surprized him and cut off his head and sent it to the King being then at The death of Lewellin P. of Wales Rutland who commanded it to bee pitcht on a pole and set upon the Tower of London and further that all his heires should be disherited and their claime to the Soveraignty of Wales to be deprived the right thereof solely remayning in the Kings of England and their Successours So one after was his brother David taken and after doomed to be drawn hanged and quartered The death of David his brother and his head sent to the Tower and placed by his brother Lewellins in which the prophesie is verified The Cambrian Wolves he through their woods shall chace Nor cease till he have quite extirpt their Race Of this Lewellin a Welsh Metrician writ this Epitaph Hic jacet Anglorum tortor tutor Venedorum Princeps Wallorum Lewelinus regula morum A Welsh poet upon the death of Lewellin Gemma Coaevorum flos regum praeteritorum Forma futurorum Dux Laus Lex Lux populorum Thus anciently Englisht Of Englishmen the scourge of Welsh the protector Lewellin the Prince rule of all vertue Gemme of Livers and of all others the flower Who unto death hath paid his debt due Of Kings a mirrour that after him ensue Duke and Priest and of the Law the right Here in this grave of people lyeth the light To which an English Poet of those times made this answer Hic jacet errorum princeps ac praedo virorum An English poets answer to the former Proditor Anglorum fax livida sectareorum Numen Wallorum Trux Dux Homicida piorum Fex Trojanorum stirps mendax causa malorum Here lyeth of Errour the Prince if yee will ken Thiefe and Robber and traytor to Englishmen A dimme brood a Sect of doers evill God of Welshmen cruell without skill In slaying the good and Leader of the bad Lastly rewarded as he deserved had Of Trojans bloud the dregs and not the seed A root of falshood and cause of many evill deed In the twentieth yeere of the King upon Saint Andrews Eve being the twentie ninth of November died Queene Eleanor sister to the The death of Q. Eleanor King of Spaine by whom the King had foure sonnes Iohn Henry Alphons and Edward the three first died and Edward the youngest succeeded his Father and five Daughters Eleanor who was married to William of Bar Ioan of The Kings Râ—…yall Issue Acris to the Earle of Glocester Gilbert de Clare Margaret to the Dukes sonne of Brabant Mary who was made a Nun at Ambrisbury and Elisabeth espoused to the Earle of Holland and after his death to Humphrey Bokun Earle of Hereford This yeere also died old Queene Eleanor wife The death of K. Edwards mother to Henry the third and mother to King Edward I come now to the twenty fourth yeare of his Reigne in which Alexander King of Scotland being dead hee left three Daughters the first was married to Sir Iohn Baliol the second to Sir Robert le Bruise the third to one Hastings Amongst which there fell dissention about the Title to the Crown as shall appeare in the next Chapter CHAP. 19. The right that the Kings of England have anciently had to the Crowne of Scotland for which they did them homage King Edwards victorious wars in Scotland The Prophesie fulfilled His death And Coronation of his sonne c. The death of Gaveston with a Prophesie of King Edward the Second THese three before-named Baliol Bruse and Hastings came to King Edward as chiefe Lord and Sovereigne Authority by which England claimed homage from the Scotch Kings of that Land to dispose of the right of their Titles to his pleasure and they to abide his censure who to the intent that they might know hee was the sole competent Iudge in that case caused old Evidences and Chronicles to be searcht amongst which was Marianus the Scot William of Malmsbury Roger of Hungtington and others in which were found and read before them that in the yeere of Grace nine hundred and twenty King Edward the elder made subject unto him the two Kings of Cambria and Scotland In the yeere nine hundred twenty one the said Kings of Wales and Scotland chose the same Edward to bee their Lord and Patron In the yeere nine hundred twenty six Ethelstane King of England subdued Constantine King of Scots who did him fealty and homage And Edredus brother and successor to Ethelstane subdued the Scots againe with the Northumbers who reigned under him It was also found in the said Chronicles that King Edgar overcame Alpinus the sonne of Kinudus King of Scots and received of him homage as hee had done of his father before time And that Canutus in the sixteenth yeere of his Reign overcame Malcolm K. of Scots and received of him oath and homage that William the Conquerour in the sixt yeere of his Reigne was victorious over Malcolme who before received the Kingdome of the gift of Edward the Confessor who did him fealty the
into Wales who took the King the Earle of Arundell Hugh Spencer the son and the Chancellour and brought them all prisoners to Hereford in which interim the Citizens The tower of London taken by the Citizens of London won the tower of London and kept it to the Queenes use Upon the morrow after the feast of Simon and Iude the same day that the L. Major takes Hugh Spenâ—… the father put to death his oath was Hugh Spencer the father put to death and after buried at Winchester and upon Saint Hughs day following being the eighteenth Hugh the son drawn hanged and quâ—…rtered day of November was Sir Hugh the son drawne hanged and quartered at Hereford and his head sent to London and set upon the Bridge making good They after be themselves depriv'd of breath By her they scorn'd the flower of life and death The common fame went that after this Hugh was taken hee would take no manner of sustenance and that was the cause he was the sooner put to death of whom was made this Distich following Funis cum lignis à te miser ensis ignis Hugo securus equus abstulit omne decus Rope gallows sword and fire with a just knife Took from thee Hugh thy honour with thy life Foure dayes after was the Earle of Arondell put to death and Robert Baldock the Chancellour being committed to Newgate dyed miserably Baldock the Chancellour dyes in Newgate in prison then the Queene with the Prince her son with the rest of the Lords were with great joy the fourteenth day of December received at London and thence conveighed to Westminster where a Parliament was called the effect whereof expect in the following Chapter CHAP. 21. The deposing of Edward the second his repentance his death His sonne Edward made King A Prophesie of his Reigne His great victory over the Scots with the taking of Barwicke His famous victory at Sea over the French Hee layes claime to the Crowne of France instituteth the Order of the Garter His victory at Cressie His taking of Calice c. FRom this Parliament were Messengers sent to the King then prisoner in Kenelworth Castle three Bishops three Earles two Abbots two Barons two Iudges with Sir William Trussell Procurator of the Parliament to depose him of all Kingly dignity who the five and twentieth of Ianuary in the presence of the aforesaid Lords from the body of the whole House delivered unto him these words following I William Trussell in the name of all men of King Edward deposed from all Kingly power this Land of England procurator of this Parliament resigne to thee Edward the homage that was sometimes made to thee and from this time forth deprive thee of all Kingly power and I shall never be attendant on thee as King after this time And thus was Edward the second deposed and his sonne Edward made King when hee had raigned full eighteene yeeres sixe moneths and odde dayes who during his imprisonment first at Kenelworth and after at Barckley Castle grew greatly repentant of his former course of life finding at length what it Edward greatly repentant was to be misled by upstarts and people of mean condition many of whose penitentiall fancies are still extant And amongst the rest this following Most blessed Iesu Root of all vertue Grant I may thee sue In all humilitie Sen thou for our good List to shed thy blood And stretch thee on the Rood For our iniquitie I thee beseech Most wholsome leech That thou wilt seech For mee such grace That when my body vile My soule shall exile Thou bring in short while It in rest and peace Edward the third of that name sonne of Edward the second and Philip sole daughter of Philip Edward the third made King the Faire at fifteene yeeres of age began his Reigne his father yet living the six and twentieth of Ianuary in the end of the yeer of Grace one thousand three hundred and twenty six and was crowned at Westminster upon the day of the Purification of our Lady next ensuing at what time the earth yielded plenty the Ayre temper the Sea quietnesse and the Church peace hee confirmed the Liberties and Franchises of London and gave Southwarke to bee under the Lord Majors rule and government Of whose Reigne it was thus predicted The spirits of many Lions shall conspire To make one by infusion so intire He by his mighty courage shall restore What his sire lost and Grandsire wonne before Neptune his Navall triumphs shall advance His Coat he quarters with th' Flower of France And after mauger the Canicular Tyke Tweed shal he passe and win again the Wyke A numerous issue shall his Lionesse bring Black shall the first be and though never King Yet shall he Kings captive but ere mature Dye must this brave Whelp of a Calenture And then behind him shall he leave a Kid To undo all both sire and grandsire did The effect of all these will succeed in their order in the first yeere of this Kings Reigne the late King Edward was miserably slaine and put to a most cruell death by the meanes of Sir Roger The death of K. Edward Mortimer who notwithstanding in the Parliament after was made Earle of March the same yeere the foure and twentieth of Ianuary the young King married the Lady Philip daughter to the Earle of Henault in the City of Yorke A Parliament held at Northampton and soone after cald a Parliament at Northampton to which by the meanes of Sir Roger Mortimer and the old Queene an unprofitable and dishonorable peace was made with the Scots who caused the King to release them of all fealty and homage and delivered up to them all the old Writings sealed by their Kings and chiefe Lords of their Land with all Charters and Patents and many rich Iewels which had before beene wonne from them by the Kings of England amongst which the blacke Crosse of Scotland is especially named and the yeere following David the son of Robert le Bruce King of Scots married Iane sister to the King of England whom they after to the derision of the English called Iane make peace and amongst other The Scots taunt the English taunting Songs made of our Nation this was one Long beards heartlesse Painted bodies witlesse Gay coats gracelesse Maketh England thriftlesse But these merry and jigging tunes were turned to their most lamentable Aymee's within few moneths after During the Kings minority all the affaires of the Realme were managed by Sir Roger Mortimer The pride of Sir Roger Mortimer and the Mother Queene And the great persons appointed to that purpose were vilified and not set by which Sir Roger in imitation of K. Arthur was said to keep a round Table to which many noble Knights belonged to his infinite cost and expence But howsoever in the Articles objected by the Parliament against Mortimer third yeere of the King the said Sir Roger
was surprized in Nottingham Castle though the keyes were day and night in his owne keeping and sent to the Tower who was accused of the Lords of the Parliament of these particulars following first of the bloudy murder of Edward of Carnarvan in Berkley Castle secondly that he had confederated with the Scots against the honour of the King thirdly that hee had received great summes of money from Sir Iames Douglas Captaine of the Scots delivering unto him the Charter called Ragman to the Scots great advantage and impoverishing of England Fourthly that hee had ingrost into his hands much of the Kings treasure which he had riotously wasted to his owne use by which meanes the King was forc't to borrow of his friends fiftly that he was more private and familiar with Queene Isabel the Kings Mother then was to Gods pleasure and the Kings honour of which Articles being convicted hee was by authority of the said Parliament judged to death and upon Saint Andrews Eve following at London drawne and hanged In his fourth yeere about the beginning of August Sir Edward Baliol the sonne of Sir Iohn The death of Mortimer Baliol sometime King of Scots obtained such favour of King Edward that with the aide of Sir Henry Beaumont Sir David Stocley Sir Iefferey Mowbray and two thousand Englishmen they entred Scotland by Sea where drew to them such multitude that in short time Sir Edward was Lord of a great Hoast and kept his way till he came to a place called Gladismore or as some write Crakismore where hee was encountred with the power of Scotland where betwixt them was fought a sharpe and cruell Sr. Edward Balioll crowned K. of Scots battaile in which a great multitude of the Natives was slaine by reason whereof hee was crowned King at the Towne of Stone shortly after and met with the King at New-castle where Edward received of him fealty and homage for the Crowne of Scotland but soone after the Scots laid plots against his life which he narrowly escaped being forc't to flie from place to place and hide himselfe which King Edward hearing with a strong army pierced K. Edward of England besiegeth Barwick the Realme of Scotland and laid siege to the Towne of Barwick Upon the nineteenth of Iuly the Scots with a mighty power made thither with purpose to remove the siege whom King Edward met and encountred on Halidon Hill giving them battaile over whom he had a triumphant victory insomuch that hee slue of them seven Earles nine hundred Knights and Bannerets four hundred The famous battaile at Hallidowne Hill Esquires and of the common people two and thirty thousand in which battail were slain of the English but 15 persons after which glorious victory the Captaine of Barwick the morrow following being Saint Margarets day yielded to the King both the Town and Castle which verifies that mauger the Canicular Tyke Tweed shall he passe and set his foot in Wyke Tyke is that which the Northerne men call a Dogge and by the Canicular Tyke is meant the Dog-starre Tweed is the water which parteth the two Kingdomes of England and Scotland and by Wyke as is before remembred meant the Towne of Barwicke I onely capitulate this one battaile of many against the Scots purposing the like compendiousnesse in his famous victories over the French During the dissention betwixt the two Kings of England and France which by no mediation could be atton'd though there were many meetings English ships taken by the French to that purpose the French King sent a strong Navy to Sea to take our English Merchants and encountred with two good ships of England called the Edward and the Christopher and after nine houres fight in which were slaine of both parties about sixe hundred men the two ships were taken and all the wounded Englishmen alive cast overboard into the Sea after King Edward in his fifteenth yeere in the moneth of Iune tooke shipping and sayled towards Flanders where met him Sir Robert Morley with the North Navy of England so that his Fleet consisted of three hundred sayle and at Midsomer upon Saint Iohns Eve hee met and fought with the French Navy which were foure hundred saile which lay in waite for him â—…eere to the Towne cald Sluce their chiefe Admirals were Sir Hugh Querret Sir Nicholas Buchet and Barbe Nore in English black beard The French Admirals Betwixt these two Royall Fleets was a strong and bloudy fight which continued for the space of eight houres before it could be distinguisht which way the victory was likely to incline yet in the end by Gods mercy and the manhood of the King the French were chaced and many of their ships burned and taken amongst which were the ships of the two Admirals Querret and Buchet who maugre the French were hanged up in their owne Vessels and amongst the rest were recovered the Edward and the Christopher manned with the French in this battaile the King himselfe was sore wounded in the thigh and of the French were slain thirty thousand A glorious Sea-victory in that one Navall conflict soon after or as some write a little time before by the advice of his confederate Princes hee layed claime to the Crowne of France as his rightfull inheritance King Edward lays claime to the Crowne of France and for the more authority to countenauce itâ—… hee quartered the English Lions with the French Flower de Lyces as they remaine to this day so that we see Neptune his Navall Triumphs did advance and He his Coat quarters with the Arms of France I am forc't to intermit many and divers conflicts and skirmishes with winning of Forts and Castles Challenges that past betwixt the two Kings with the particular valours and noble Gests of sundry of our Nation to relate which would aske a voluminous Tractate where my confinement is to a meer epitomy of Chronicle passing over all accidents saving what are most remarkable which brings me to the eighteenth yeere of his Reigne In which at a Parliament King Edwards eldest son created Prince of Wales held at West minster his eldest sonne Edward was created Prince of Wales and he in the yeer following first instituted the famous renowmed Order of the Garter which was solemnized at Windsor as it is continued to this day In his one and twentieth yeere hee landed in Normandy The Order of the Garter first instituted and burnt and spoyled all the Country before him wasting the Province of Constantine Then he laid siege to Caan the chief City and wonne it and amongst other he took there prisoners the Constable of France and the Kings Chamberlaine and all the spoyle of the City which was held to be inestimable and sent to his ships which was conveighed into England He then entred France and coasted towards Paris to Vernon to Poysie to Saint German still wasting as hee went Then hee tooke and made use of all the Kings Royall Mannors
Calenture And then behind him shall he leave a Kid To undoe all both sire and grandsire did By the Kid is intended the Prince Richard his sonne who succeeded his grandfather in the Throne and therefore so cald because of his condition so suiting with the nature of his predecessour Edward the second whom the prophet for his dissolutenesse of life and inability to manage a State called a Goat not a Lion but to come to the story King Edward left behind him foure sonnes Lionel Duke of K. Edwards Royall Issue Clarence Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster Edward of Langley Duke of Yorke and Thomas of Woodstock Earle of Cambridge taking their sirnames from the places where they had their birth by whom and the rest of the Nobility his body was conveyed from Richmond to Westminster and there solemnly and sumptuously interred over whose Tombe hung this inscription Hic decus Anglorum flos Regum praeteritorum Forma futurorum Rex clemens pax populorum His Epitaph Tertius Edwardus regni complens Inbilaeum Invictus pardus pollens bellis Machabaeum Which for the better understanding of the vulgar I give you thus paraphrased in English Here lyes our honour flower of Kings forepast Pattern to future making peace to last Edward the third who raign'd a jubilee In strength a pard valour a Machabee Richard the second of that name and sonne of Edward sirnamed the blacke prince eldest Richard the second of that â—…ame made King sonne to Edward the third a childe of the age of eleven yeers began his Reign over the Realme of England the two and twentieth of Iune in the yeere of Grace one thousand twenty seven and upon the fifteenth of Iuly being the day of Saint Swithen ensuing he was crowned at Westminster in the first yeer of whose Reigne about Aprill landed in Kent Anne the Daughter of Charles the fourth Emperour of that name late dead and sister to Wenceslaus then Emperour who by the Major and Citizens of London was honourably met upon Black-heath and with great triumph conveyed vnto Westminster and His Royall mariage the eight day of May solemnely espoused to King Richard of whom it is thus predicted Sport shall the young Kid in his youth and play A prediction of his Reigne 'Gainst whom shall rise the Hedg-hog and the Gray And then the hobnayle and the clowted shoone Shall the Kids glory strive to eclipse at noone But by a Daulphin of the City lov'd That black disastrous cloud shall be remov'd And Phoebus in his wonted or be shine cleare Who when he shall in his full strength appeare Foure princely Lions were to him allyde Gall shall he with his horns in his great pride At length a Fox clad in a skin of gold Shall snatch the Kid from midst of all his fold The yeere before which was the fourth of The insurrection of the Commons his Reign was a great insurrection of the Commons throughout the Land especially in Kent and Essex the reason was because in the third yeere at a parliament held at Westminster there was granted to the king a Groat of every person male or female above the age of fourteene yeeres The chiefe Captains and Leaders of the The Captains of the Rebels Rebels Army were Iack Straw William Wawe Wat Tyler Iack Shepherd Tom Miller and Hob Carter these gathered great multitudes of the Commons and assembled themselves upon Blackheath three miles from London and upon the eleventh of Iune entred the Tower of London where the King was then lodged and took Thâ—…y take the Tower thence perforce Doctor Sudbury Archbishop of Canterbury Robert Hales prior of Saint Iohns and a white Frier Confessor to the King whom with a mighty acclamation and voice they drew to the Tower-hill and there cut off their heads Then by boats and barges they returned into Southwarke and robbed all strangers of what Their robberies in Southwarke In Westminster Nation soever thence they went to Westminster and took thence all the Sanctuary men and came unto the Savoy which was the Duke of In the Strand Lancasters house and first pilladge it and after set it on fire and then to the palace of Sr. Iohn neere Clerkenwell and spoyled it After they searched the Temples and Innes of Court making havock of all burning their Law books The Innes of Court and killing as many Lawyers and Questmongers as they might find that done they went to St. Martins le Grand releasing there all that had Their mighty insolencies there took Sanctuary with the prisoners of Newgate Ludgate the two Counters tearing their Registers and Books The like they did to the Kings Bench and Marshalses in Southwarke and moreover they did thorow the whole City of London according to their own wils and pleasures When Iack Straw who was prime Commander above the rest had executed all these The pride of the Captain insolencies and saw no resistance against him he was suddenly so tumoured with pride that he thought no man worthy to be his peere in so much that hee rode againe to the Tower where he found the King but weakly attended and in a manner compeld him to ride through divers parts and streets of the City and so conveyed him into Smithfield where in the Kings presence to whom hee did small or no reverence at all hee caused a proclamation to bee made though using his Majesties name yet to his owne wicked end and purpose which William Walworth Fishmonger and then Lord Major seeing and not able to endure his so great presumption and insolency he stept towards and first with a blow on the head stounded him with his Mace and after with a short Dagger which he wore by his side he wounded him to death then with a Sword strook off his The death of Iack Straw head and lifted it upon the point of a Speare and shewing it to the Rebels Cryed out alowd King Richard God save King Richard who when they saw their chiefe Captaine slaine they fled in great disorder of which many were taken and some slaine and the remnant were chaced so that both City and Suburbs were voided of them that night being the fifteenth The Rebels disperst of Iune making good what was predicted Sport shall the young Kid in his youth and play 'Gainst whom shal rise the Hedghog the gray And then the hobnail and the clowted shcon Shall the suns glory strive to eclipse at noon But by a Daulphin of the City lov'd This black disastrous cloudshall be removd c By the young Kid is intended the wanton King by the Hedghog and the gray beasts frequent in the Country Iack Straw VVat Tyler and the rest of the Captaines and Commons by the Daulphin VVilliam VValworth who was free of the Fishmongers and they give the Daulphin in their Escutchion c. CHAP. 23. The Duke of Glocester by a Parliament reformeth the Common wealth
thence had him secretly conveyghed to Callis where he was pireously murthered After The murder of the Duke of Gloster the 2 Earles of Arundel Warwick were judged and executed After was called a parliament in which divers of the Nobility had more honourable titles conferred upon them And other upstarts neither of birth nor quality were advanced to office and honour in which parliament also many true heires were dis-inherited c. For which the people greatly murmured against the King and his Councell pretending that the revenues of the Crowne were wasted The rumour of the Commons and the causes thereof upon unworthy persons for which divers exactions were put upon the Commons that the chiefe rulers about the King were of low birth and little reputation and men of honour kept out of office and favour that the Duke of Gloster was secretly murdered without processe of Law and the Earles of Arnndel and Warwicke put to death contrary to the Kings owne proclamation with divers others to the number of eight and thirty severall Articles all which at his deposing were publickly protested against him Harding the Chronologer reports that King Richard was prodigall ambitious and luxurious The estate of the Kings Court. to whose Court resorted at their pleasures ten thousand persons pretending businesse there that in his kitchin were three hundred Serviters and in every office to the like number of Ladies Chamberers and Landresses three hundred who exceeded in costly and sumpâ—…uous apparell and farre above their degrees The very groomes and yeomen were cloathed in silke sattin and damaske scarlet imbroydery The great pride of the court gold chaines and Gold smiths worke were then common such was the pride then in the Court It was also commonly voyc'd that hee had let to farme the revenues of the Crowne to Bushy Baggot and Green which caused the Nobility also with the Commons to grudge against the King and his government And this yeare being the one and twentieth of his reign died Iohn a Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster at The death of Iohn a Gaunt Duke of Lancaster the Bishop of Elyes Palace in Holborne and was buried on the North side of the Quire in Paules where his Tombe remaineth to this day This yeare also fell a great difference betwixt Differences betwixt the two Dukes of Hereford and Norffolke the two Dukes of Hereford who was sonne to Iohn a Gaunt and the Duke of Norfolke the cause was after some Writers that the two Dukes riding from the Parliament the Duke Norfolke said unto the other Sir you see how unstedfast the King is in his word and how shamefully hee putteth his Kinsmen to death exiling some and imprisoning others and no doubt what hath hapned to them may in time fall upon us c. of which words the Duke of Hereford accused him unto the King which the one affirming the other denying a day of battaile was appointed them at Coventry upon the eleventh of September where the King and the greatest part of the Nobility were present where both appearing in the Lists and ready for the Combat the King threw down his warder and staid the fight and forthwith banished The two Dukes banished the Realme the Duke of Hereford for ten yeeres and the Duke of Norfolke for ever upon which sentence Hereford sayled into Britaine and Norfolke after passing divers Countries lastly came to Venice and there ended his life In his two and twentieth yeere the common fame ran that he had farmed the Realm of England to Sir VVilliam Scroop Earle of VViltshire and Treasurer and to Sir Iohn Bushy Sir Iohn Bagot and Sir Henry Green and in the moneth of Aprill the King with a potent Host sayled into Ireland leaving for his Pro-rex in England The Kings iourney into Ireland his Uncle Edmund Langley Duke of Yorke In which Voyage he prospered well and quieted the realme to his pleasure and whether it were for some noble act done or out of his grace and bounty I cannot say hee there Knighted Henry sonne to the Duke of Hereford then in exile which Henry after his Fathers death was crowned King of England by the name of Henry the first Whilst King Richard was thus busied in Ireland the Duke of Hereford late banisht with the Archbishop of Canterbury who had before left the Realme and Thomas sonne to the Earle of Arondell late beheaded these with others being a small company in number landed at Ravenspurre in the North and under pretence of The Duke of Hereford lanâ—…s at Ravenspurre laying claime to the Dukedome of Lancaster due to him by Iohn of Gaunt his Father deceased he raised the people as hee went to whom multitudes assembled being weary with the misgovernment of King Richard who hearing how the estate in England then stood made speedy returne from Ireland and in the beginning of September landed in Milford Haven and sped him thence to Flint-castle in VVales intending thither to gather more strength to oppose The King lands in Wales the Dukes proceedings Who in the interim proclayming himselfe Duke of Lancaster in the right of his Father Iohn a Gaunt came to Bristow where without resistance hee seised upon Sir William Scroope Earle of Wiltshire and Treasurer of England Sir Iohn Bushy and Sir Henry Green with Sir The Earle of Wiltshire with others executed Iohn Bagot who escaped and fled into Ireland but the other he there judged and put to execution which the King being then in Flint Castle hearing he much doubted his safety and so did all these who were then about him therefore Sir Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester and Steward of the Kings Houshold contrary to his Allegiance broke his white Staffe openly in the Haâ—…l willing every onâ—… to shift for himselfe by reason of which the King was forsaken of all his people and soone after surprized and presented The King taken and presented to the Duke to the Duke who put him under safe keeping and himselfe hasted towards London Who comming neere to the City sent the The hate of the Commons to the King King secretly to the Tower of which some ill disposed persons ambusht him in the way and would have slain him because of his former misgovernment but the Citizens enformed of their malicious purpose rescued him from their fury then the Duke comming to London by consent of the King a Parliament was begun the thirteenth of September In which many accusations and Articles concerning his misruling the Realme to the number of eight and thirty the King was charged with and for which the King subscribing willing as it was then given out to his owne deposement hee was deprived from all Kingly Majesty the manner of the proceedings therein were too long to relate which sentence being publisht and openly read in Parliament Henry Duke of Hereford and now of King Richard deposed Lancaster rising from the place where hee before sate and
all things were in readinesse for the performance thereof But that day in the Morning A conspiracy of the Lords against King Henry came secretly unto the King the Duke of Aumerle and discovered unto him that he with the foresaid Lords gentlemen had made a solemne conjuration to kill him in the said Mask therefore advised him to provide for his safety upon which notice given the King departed privately from Windsor and came that night to London upon which the Lords finding their plot to be discovered they fled westward but the King caused speedy pursuit after them so that the Duke of Surry and the Earle of Salisbury were taken at Ciceter Sir Thomas Blunt Sir Benet Saly and Thomas Wintercell at Oxford Sir Iohn Holland Duke of Exeter at Pitwell in Essex and divers others in severall places the Noble men were beheaded the rest drawne and quartered but all of their Heads set upon the Bridge gate at London approving the premises Meane time shall study many a forrest beast By a new way to kill the Foxe in jest But crafty Rainold shall the plot prevent And turne it all to their owne detriment The King having well considered of this great conspiracy and that they intended by his death to restore the imprisoned King to his diadem The Foxes policy he bethought himselfe that he could live in no safety whilst the other was breathing and therefore he determined of his death and to that purpose called unto him one Sir Pierce of Exton to see his will executed who presently poasted to Pomphret and with eight more well armed entred the Castle and violently assaulted him with their Polaxes and Halberds in his Chamber who apprehending their purpose and seeing his owne present danger most valiantly wrested one of their weapons from him with which he manfully acquitted himselfe and slew foure of the eight before he himselfe fell but at the last he was basely wounded to death by the hand of Sir Pierce of Exton whose body was after laid in the Minster at Pomphret to the publicke view that all men might be satisfied of his The Death of K. Râ—…chard death and was after brought up to London and exposed to all eyes in Pauls least any man should after pretend to lay any plots for his liberty And now King Henry being in peaceable and quiet possession of the Kingdomes thought it time to rifle his predecessors Coffers in whose Treasury he found in ready Coyne three hundred thousand pound sterling besides Plate What King Richards treasure amounted to at his death Iewels and rich Vessels as much if not more in value Besides in his Treasurers hands hee found so many gold Noble and other summes that all of them put together amounted to seven hundred thousand pounds sterling yet could not all this summe afford him a better funerall than in the poore Friery of Langley which after by Henry the Kings sonne in the first yeare of his reigne was removed thence and with great solemnity interred amongst the Kings in the Chappell of Westminster All this processe verifying the former prediction The Foxe being earth't according to his mind In the Kids den a Magazin shall find Yet all that treasure can his life not save But rather bring him to a timelesse grave Over his Tombe in the Chappell the King caused these Verses following to be inscribed Prudens mundus Ricardus jure secundus K. Richards Epitaph Perfatum victus jacet hic sub marmore pictus Verus sermone suit plenus ratione Corpore procerus animo prudens ut Homerus Ecclesiam favit elatos suppeditavit Quemvis prostravit regalia qui violavit Thus Englished Wise and cleane Richard second of that name Conquered by fate lyes in this Marble frame True in his speech whose reason did surpasse Of feature tall and wise as Homer was The Church he favoured he the proudsubdude Quelling all such as Majesty pursude Concerning which Epitaph one of our English Chronologers seeing how it savoured more of flattery then truth thus exprest himself But yet alas though this meeter or rime Thus death embelisht this Noble Princes fame And that some Clerk which favoured him sometime List by his comming thus to enhance his name Yet by his story appeareth in him much blame Wherefore to Princes is surest memory Their lives to expresse in vertuous constancie In the second yeere of King Henries Reigne The rebellion of Owen Glendour Owen Glendour rebelled in Wales against whom the King entred the Countrey with a strong army but at the Kings comming hee fled up to the Mountaines whom the King for the endangering his Hoast durst not follow but returned without deeming any thing worthy note In the yeere following Sir Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester and Sir Henry Piercy sonne and heire to the Earle of Northumberland gathered The battaile at Shrewsbury a great power and upon the one and twentieth day of Iuly met with the King and his army neere unto Shrewsbury betwixt whom was fought a cruell and bloudy battail but at length the King was victor in which fight Thomas Percy Earle of Worcester was taken and his Nephew Sir Henry with many a brave Northerne man was slaine And upon the Kings part the Prince was wounded in the head and the Earle of Stafford with many others slaine It was observed that in this battail father fought against sonne sonne the father brother the brother and uncle the nephew the twenty fift of Iuly following was Sir Thomas Percy beheaded at Shrewsbury and in August after the Duchesse of Britain landeth at Flamoth in Cornwall K. Henries second mariage with the Duchesse of Britain and from thence conveyed to Winchester where shee was solemnely espoused to King Henry Soone after Richard Scroop Archbishop of Yorke with the Lord Mowbray Marshall of England with others to them allyed made a new insurrection against the King with purpose A nâ—… insurrection to supplant them to whom the King gave battaile on this side Yorke where after some losse on both sides the King had the better of the day the Archbishop and the Martiall being both taken in the field and soone after beheaded in that Kings Reigne was the Conduit builded in Cornwall as it now standeth The Market of the Stocks at the lower end of Cheapside and the Guild hall of London new edified and of a Sumptuous buildings during this kings Reigne small cottage and ruinous and decayed house made such a goodly structure as it appeares to this day Moreover the famous and stately Bridge of Rochester with the Chappell at the foot of the said Bridge was fully perfited and finished at the sole charge and cost of Sir Robert Knolls who in the time of Edward the third Sir Robert Knolls had atchieved many brave and memorable victories in France and Britain who also re-edified the body of the White Friers Church in Fleetstreet to which place hee left many good Legacies and
was slaine at Towton in the great Battaile fought against Henry which espousalls were solemnized early in the morning at Grasten neare Stony Stratford where were present none but the Spouse the Spousesse the Dutchesse of Bedford Her Elizabeth Crowned Queene Mother the Priest two Gentlewomen and a young man who helped the Priest at Masse which marriage was for a time kept secret but after shee was with great solemnity Crowned Queene at VVestminster which the earle of VVarwicke taking as a great affront as being fooled in his Embassie and Queene Margaret being then with her sonne Edward in the Warwicke voweth to remove King Edward Court of France hee with the earle of Oxford who had stood alwayes against the Yorkists secretly made promise to the Queene to waite their time to remove king Edward and place the Diadem upon the Head of King Henry which makes good The Forest Beare who by his power alone Had planted the young Lion in his Throne Is sent abroad a Lionesse to finde To be his phere who having chang'd his mind Doats on a Badger whom some doe terme a Gray c. By the Beare is figured Warwick who gave the Beare and the ragged staffe who supported the cause of Edward Earle of March till hee had Crowned him King who being sent into France to negotiate a Match betwixt him and the Lady Bona whom hee calls the Lionesse In the interim hee married with a Badger or Gray by which is intimated Elizabeth the Lady Gray c. And now about the eighth yeare broke out the long dissembled hate betwixt the King and the Earle of VVarwicke who confedered unto him the Duke of Clarence who had before married his Daughter In which season by their instigations were divers Rebellions in Lincolnshire likewise in the North by a Captaine who called himselfe Robin of Ridisdale in Lincolnshire by the Lord VVels c. Robin of Ridisdale Meane time the Duke of Clarence with the Earle of VVarwick and other solicited Lewis the eleventh king of France to assist them in the restoring of king Henry to his rightfull inheritance who gladly granted their request which Lords after their departure from England were proclaimed Rebells and Traytors who in September the tenth yeare of the king landed at Dertmouth making their proclamations in the name of Henry the sixt to whom multitudes from all parts resorted so that the Edward flies the land king being in the North with great danger passed the Washes in Lincolneshire and fled into Flanders and Warwicke brought the king Henry again made King from the Tower and conducted him in all state through London to Westminster and once more set the Crowne upon his head CHAP. 29. King Edward proclaimed usurper of the Crowne and Gloster Traytor his landing at Ravensport the Battaile at Barnet the battaile at Teuxbury King Henry murdered in the Tower and after him the Duke of Clarence the death of Edward the fourth Gloster takes upon him to bee Protector of the young King his tyranny being Protector hee is proclaimed King the murder of the two Princes in the Tower A prophesie of them before their deaths KIng Henry being thus re-instated there was dayly waiting on the Sea-coast for the landing of Queen Margaret and her sonne Prince Edward and provision made against the re-entring of the kingdome by King Edward and his company then was called a Parliament in which King Edward was proclaymed usurper of King Edward proclaimed Vsurper and his brother Glost. traitor the Crowne and his brother Duke of Gloster Traytor and both attainted by vertue of the said parliament then the Earle of Warwicke road into Kent thinking to have met the Queene at Dover but the winds were so averse to her that she lay from November to Aprill and all that while could not put to sea by reason of which the Earle of Warwicks journey was disappoynted In the beginning of Aprill Edward landed King Edward landeth at Ravensport at Ravenspurne with a small company of Flemmings who in all could not make up the number of a thousand and so drew towards Yorke making proclamation in the name of King Henry that his comming was to no other intent than to claime the inheritance of the Dukedome of Yorke where the Citizens kept him out till he had taken a solemne oath that King Henries oath to York he purposed no more then he spake where having refresht him and his followers he departed thence and held his way toward London and having paked by favour and fairwords the lord Marquesse Montacute who lay with an army to stop his way and finding his strength hourely to The cōnivence of the Marquesse after his ruine increase hee then made proclamation in his owne name as king of England and so held on his journey till he came to London where hee was gladly received into the City and so made to Pauls and offered at the Altar and thence to the Bishops palace where hee found the King almost alone for all his servants and others had left him and having put him under safe custody King Henry againe made prisoner he there rested him till Easter Eve When hearing of his brother Clarence with the other Lords comming with a strong host to Saint Albons he hasted thitherward and lay that night in Barnet in which season the Duke of Clarence contrary to his oath made to the French Clarence revolteth from the Lords King renounced the title of King Henry and came that night with his whole strength to his brother at whose revolt the Lords were somewhat abashed but by the Earle of Oxford they were againe comforted by whose perswasion they marched forward to Barnet whither hee came leading the Vaward and on a plaine neere unto the Town pitched his field upon the morrow being Easter day both Hoasts met upon the one party were two Kings present Edward and Henry upon the other the Duke of Exeter Edward brought Henry to the field the Lord Marquesse Montacute the Earles of Warwicke and of Oxford with other men of name In their first encounter the Earle of Oxford so manfully demeaned himself that hee bore The valour of the Earle of Oxford over that part of the field which he set upon in so much that news came to London that Edwards Hoast was discomfited and it might have hapned if his men had kept their army and not presently disordered themselves by falling to rifle and pillage but after long and cruel fight King Edward obtained the victory in which battaile of the Lords party were slain Marquesse King Edward obtains the victory Mountacute his brother the Earl of Warwick on the Kings party the Lord Barons and of the Commons on both sides one thousand five hundred The death of the Earle of Warwicke and Marquesse Montacute the same day in the afternoon came King Edward to London and first offered at Pauls and road thence to his
and the indisposition of the weather warring against him for by reason of the Land slouds hee could not joyne his forces together hee therefore was compeld to dissolve his Army and suffer every man to shift for his best safety himselfe retyring to the house of his Secretary and servant Banister who in hope of a thousand pounds reward to him that could bring forth the Duke promist only but never paid betrayde him to the King who caused him to bee had to Salisbury and on a scaffold in the Market place to have his head The death of the Duke of Buckingham cut off and such was the tragicall end of that honourable person Of this Banister and how his falsnesse to his Banisters persidiousnesse punished Lord was punisht in him and his posterity much hath been spoken as that his wife died distracted his sonne was found strangled with a cord his daughter found drowned in a shallow puddle of water and hee suffered on the gallows for a robbery and that since that day even to this age none of that House and Family but have some orother of the name beene troubled with the falling sicknesse a good caveat for all corrupt and perfidious servants King Richard though hee had removed all or most of his potent enemies Buckingham the Queenes Kindred and others yet knowing hee was hated for his many murders especially for the two Princes in the Tower and that hee was moreover suspected for causing Queen Anne his wife to bee poysoned who dyed suddenly in hope to have married the Lady Elizabeth daughter to the Queen Dowager who after the death of her two brothers was immediate heire Q. Anne poysoned to the Crowne hee to stop the mouthes of the multitude and as farre as might be to insinuate himselfe into the hearts of the Commons made many good and profitable Lawes to the benefit â—…ing Richards policy of the Common-wealth which are yet called the wholsome Laws of the Kingdome but this he did not that hee so much loved their good but that he so well affected his owne safety and because he was loth to leave the World without some worthy character behind him hee strived to bee reputed the best of Kings though hee knew himselfe to be the worst of men Amongst other pieces of his justice it was laid to the charge of one William Collingborne a Gentleman that hee was authour of a libell the effect whereof was this The Cat the Rat and Lovell the Dog Collingborns Libell Rule all England under an Hog By the Cat meaning Catesby by the Rat Ratcliffe and by Lovell the Dog the Lord Lovell all which were Court Favourites and ruled the Land under the King who bore the white Bore for his Cognisance for which Rime and other matters pretended against him he was arraigned convicted and condemned and after suffered on a new paire of Gallows on the Tower-hill where he was no sooner cast off the ladder but cut down and his bowels ript out of his belly The tyrannous death of M. Collingborne and thrown into the fire and lived till the bloudy Hangman thrust his hand into the bulk of his body to grope for his heart and even then hee was heard to say aloud O Lord Iesus yet more trouble and so died to the great compassion of much people During which passages Henry Earle of Richmond the Lord Marquesse Dorset brother to Henry Earle of Richmond the Queene and Sir Iames Blont then Keeper of the Castle of Guines who brought with him Iohn the brave and valiant Earle of Oxford who had been kept prisoner in that Castle ever since the field fought at Barnet These with other of their noble friends with a small company of English French and Britains landed in Milford His landing in Milford Haven Haven in the month of August which Earle no sooner sat his feet on shore but he incontinently kneeling upon the earth with a sober and devout countenance began the Psalme Indica me Domine discerne causam meam c which when hee had finished and kissed the ground he rose up and commanded such as were about him boldly and in the name of God to set forward of whose landing the King hearing he set it light making no haste to oppose them as despising them in regard of their small number But when the arrivall and returne of this Prince was rumoured abroad through the land many drew unto him aswell Sanctuary men as others so that his Army greatly increased which the King hearing hee then gathered a strong Hoast and so sped him that upon the two and twentieth day of the same moneth August and The Kings Hoast the beginning of the third yeere of his Reigne He met with Prince Henry neere unto a Village called Bosworth besides Leicester where betwixt them was fought a sharpe and cruell battaile for The battaile at Bosworth the time which more bloudy had beene if the Kings party had beene fast and constant to him for some left him and fled to his enemy and others stood hovering as Neuters to see unto whom the victory would fal of which the Lord Stanley Father in law to the Earle of Richmond with a strong band of Cheshire and Lancashire-men was chief Some were of opinion that the King lost the battaile by his owne foole-hardinesse and The Kings rashnesse in the field head-strong spleene for when the fight was begunne and he mounted on a white Steed was in the center of his Army to give directions for the field upon any occasion upon the suddaine hee cal'd to know what part of the adverse ground Richmond then maintained who being poynted to the place suddenly without any directions left or any substitute to command in his place sprung out of his hoast and made thither and calling aloud for Richmond was knowne by his Guard who seeking to presse through them wounding some and killing others was himselfe with his horse broached upon their Halberds The newes of the Kings death being blowne abroad his army stood The death of King Richard at a stand onely defending themselves but not offending any insomuch that the glory of the day fell to the Earle of Richmond and his partisans upon the Kings party were slaine Iohn Duke of Norfolke before his late creation Lord Howard with Brakenbury Lievtenant of the Tower but no other of name or quality where was taken the Earle of Surrey sonne to the Duke of Norfolke who was sent to the Tower The Earle of Surrey taken and there remained prisoner a long time after Then was the body of King Richard despoyled of his Armes and stript naked and then disgracefully cast behind a man riding upon a leane Iade the body being almost wholly covered with mire and dirt and so unreverently carryed to the Friers at Leicester where after a season he had laine openly that all men might behold him with little reverence and lesse mourning he was cast
his pious devotion then Roman Iulius did for Rome in his great magnanimity and prowesse Now to prove that King Edward was a Caesar To prove King Edward a Caesar. the young Lady Iane Seymour being at Hampton Court when the time of her teeming came and there was small hope of her delivery news was brought to the King that her throes were violent upon her and that the Infant could not be brought into the world but by the death of the mother For by preserving the one the other must needs perish When that his pleasure was demanded what was to be done in so strict an exigent Hee commanded that the child should be cut from the wombe saying Sure I am that I can have more wives but uncertaine I am whether I can have more children c. Upon the sixt day of Iuly in the yeere one thousand five hundred fifty three Iohn Barnes The death of Edward the sixt Mercer being Lord Major and William Garret and Iohn Mainard Sheriffs at Greenwich departed out of this world King Edward of that name the sixth in the sixteenth of his age and the seventh of his Reigne whom some say that hee died of a pleurisie others that hee was poysoned by a Nosegay For it was generally murmured by the people that the Uncles being removed the Nephew could not long remaine after which best complyes with the former calculation which saith Then fall must this faire structure built on hie And th' English like the Roman Caesar die The first made away in the Court the other murdered in the Capitoll of which hopefull and toward Prince this character is left to future memory Hee was carefull for the establishing of the Protestant Religion to have it flourish through His Character His zeale to the propagation of true Religion all his Dominions The Masse hee abolished and Images demolished the learned men of his time he greatly incouraged moving them to interpret the Scriptures to the capacities of the vulgar and commanded the Liturgie and Common Prayers to bee read in the English tongue In his minority hee had maturity of judgement and was literated in all the Arts liberall of a retentive memory He knew all the Ports and Havens in England France Scotland and Ireland being as well acquainted with their scites as their names In the Greeke Latin French Italian and Spanish Tongues extraordinarily verst in Logicke Morall Philosophy and the Mathematicks conversant in Cicero Livy Tacitus and Salust frequent Hesiod and Sophocles His knowledge in all kindes of literature he understood and was able to interpret Isocrates from the originall He was wisely witty even to wonder his body featured and his minde modelled almost to miracles religiously he lived devoutly he dyde that he breath'd his last it is certaine but where his body lyes buried to us most uncertain CHAP. 34. The Lady Iane proclaimed Queene Northumberlands Commission to suppresse the Lady Mary Hee is arrested of high Treason The Coronation of Queen Mary A prediction of her Reigne The Romish Religion restored The death of Northumberland Of Suffolke Of Guilford Dudley Of the Lady Iane Gray Her character The death of Cranmer Ridley and Latimer The life of Cardinall Poole twice elected Pope His comming into England and made Archbishop of Canterbury His death THe two ambitious Dukes of Northumberland and Suffolke thinking to disable the two sisters Mary and The ambition of the two Dukes Elizabeth the daughters of King Henry the Eighth from any lawfull claime to the Crowne as reputing them no better then bastards had made a matcht betwixt Guilford Dudley the fourth sonne to Northumberland and the Lady Iane Gray sole daughter to the Duke of Suffolke and pretending that King Edward in his last will nominated her Heire apparant to the Crowne after his death they caused the said Lady Iane presently upon the Kings death Iune the tenth to be proclaimed Queene and true and immediate Heire to the Kingdome The Lady Iane Gray proclaimed Queen in sundry places of the City of London which proved to her utter ruine The Lady Mary being at that time at Framingham The Suffolke men adhere to the Lady Mary in Suffolke was much troubled at the report of such disastrous news which the more perplexed her because she had intelligence that it was done by the Nobility and the whole body of the Councell to whom the Suffolke men assembling as not liking such shuffling in state proffered her their voluntary assistance to possesse her in her lawfull and indubitate inheritance Before which time The great Duke of Northumberland having a large Commission granted him by the Lords of the Councell and Northumberlands Commission to fetch in the Lady Mary signed with the great Seale of England had raised an army with intent both to suppresse and surprize the Lady Mary which was no sooner advanced and the rising of the Suffolke men bruited at Court but the Lords in generall either for feare of the Commons or repenting them of the injury done unto the rightfull Inheritrix they sent a countermand after the Duke to lay by his Armes who when he thought himselfe in his greatest power being abandoned by the Nobility he was also forsaken of the Commons so that at Cambridge hee with his sonnes and some few servants were left alone who thinking thereby to make his peace in the open market place proclaimed the Lady Mary Queen of England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. notwithstanding which in Kings Colledge hee was arrested of high Treason and Northumberland arrested of high treason from thence brought up to London and committed to the Tower Then was the Lady Mary generally received as Queen so proclaimed through the Kingdom the twentieth of Iuly and the third of August The Lady Mary received for Queen following shee tooke possession of the Tower and during her abode there released all the Romish Bishops there imprisoned From thence she road in great state through London towards her palace of Westminster where shee was solemnely crowned by Stephen Gardiner Bishop of Winchester her sister the Lady Elizabeth being present at her Coronation Of this Queene and her Reign it is thus predicted Then shall the masculine Scepter cease to sway A prediction of her and her Reigne And to a Spinster the whole Land obey Who to the Papall Monarchy shall restore All that the Phoenix had fetcht thence before Then shall come in the faggot and the stake And they of Convert bodies bonefires make Match shall this Lionesse with Caesars sonne From the Pontifick sea a pool shall runne That wide shal spread it's waters and to a flood In time shal grow made red with martyrs blood Men shall her short unprosperous Reigne deplore By losse at sea and damage on the shore Whose heart being dissected you in it May in large characters find Calice writ Now ceased the Heire Male to Reign and the Scepter was disposed to
beside Saint Iohns Towne and slue of them seven thousand at the first encounter and the rest fled In this battaile was taken Sir Simon Frizell and sent to London where hee was drawne hanged and quartered there suffered also Iohn Earle of Athelus and Iohn brother to VVilliam King Edwards last victory over the Scots VVallis but Robert le Bruce fled from Scotland into Norway to the King who had married his sister When King Edward had thus abated the pride of his enemies he returned again Southward and a great sicknesse took him at Bozroes upon Sands in the Marches of Scotland beyond Carlile and when he knew hee should die hee called unto him Aymer de Valence Earle of Pembroke Sir Henry Piercy Earle of Northumberland Sir Henry Lacie Earle of Lincolne and Sir Robert Clifford Baron and swore them to crowne his sonne Edward of Carnarvan after his death then hee called his sonne charging him with many things upon his blessing but The Barons sworne to the successour especially that hee shall never receive Pierce Gavestone his old companion before banisht into the Kingdome and so dyed upon the seventh of Iuly when hee had reigned foure and thirty yeeres seven moneths and odde dayes and The death of K. Edward the first thence his body was conveighed to Westminster and there buried approving the prophesie After which showres of bloud will fall upon And barren the faire fields of Caledon Then having ended what he took in hand Die in the Marches of another Land Upon whose Tombe this Distich was inscribed Dum vixit Rex valuit sua magna potestas His Epitaph Fraus latuit pax magna fuit regnavit honestas Thus in those dayes Englisht VVhile lived this King by his power all things VVas in good plight For guile was hid great peace was kid And honesty had might Of his sonne Prince Edward the Prophesie runs thus A prophesie of the Reigne of Edward the second A Goat shall then appeare out of a Carr VVith silver hornes not Iron unfit for warre And above other shall delight to feed Vpon the flower that life and death doth breed A Cornish Eagle clad in plumes of gold Borrowed from others shall on high behold What best can please him to maintain his pride Whose painted feathers shall the Goat misguide Who at length ayming to surprise the Beare Him shall the rowzed beast in pieces teare Two Owles shall from the Eagles ashes rise And in their pride the Forest beasts despise They forc't at first to take their wings and flie Shall back returning beare themselves so hie T' out-brave both birds and beasts and great spoyls winne By the Goats casing in a Lions skin But after be themselves depriv'd of breath By her they scorn'd the flower of life and death And the crown'd Goat thinking himself secure Shall after all a wretched end endure To confirme which Edward the second of that name and sonne of Edward the first borne at Carnarvan a Town of VVales began his Reigne over England the eighth of Iuly in the yeere of Grace one thousand three hundred and seven and was crowned at Westminster the fourteenth day of December whose Fathers Obsequies were scarcely ended but forgetting the great His Coronation charge and command layed upon him in his death hee sent in haste for his old friend and familiar Pierce Gauestone out of France whom hee received with great joy then sayling into Pierce Gavestone revoked from banishment France the fifteenth of Ianuary following at Bolloigne in Picardy espoused Isabell the His marriage daughter of Philip the Faire and returned with her into England where soone after hee made Gaveston Earle of Cornwall and gave him the Gaveston made Eâ—…le of Cornwall Lordship of VVallingford to the great displeasure of the Barons who were sworne to his father not to suffer him to come into the Realm In the second of his Raign remembring the complaint that Steph. Langton Bishop of Chester had made of him and Gaveston for sundry ryots committed in his fathers dayes for which he was banished he sent him prisoner to the Tower where he was strictly kept and ill attended The Bishop of Chester sent to the Tower for which end seeing how by this Pierce the kings treasury was howrely exhausted the Barons assembled themselves and contrary to the Kings pleasure banished him into Ireland for a Gaveston bani shed into Ireland yeere where the King gave him the Dominion over the whole Land but so mourned and lamented his absence that by the consent of Lords he was shortly call'd back again where he demeaned himselfe with greater pride and insolence then at first despising the Lords and chiefe peeres of the Land calling Sir Robert of Clare Earle of Gloster whoreson the Earle of Gavest abuseth the peeres Lincolne sir Henry Lacy Burstenbelly sir Guy Earle of Warwick black dog of Arderne and the noble Earle Thomas of Lancaster churle and moreover having the keeping and command of all the kings treasure he tooke out of the Iewell-house a table of Gold and tressels of the same which once belonged to King Arthur with many other invaluable Iewels and delivered He robs the Kings treasury them to a merchant called Amery of Friskband to beare them over into Gascoigne which was a great losse to the kingdome and further by his loose and effeminate conditions he drew the King to many horrible vices as adultery as some think sodomitry with others therefore the Lords againe assembled and maugre the king banisht him into Flanders In the first yeere upon the day of saint Brice He is banisht into Flanders being the 13 day of November was born at Winsor the first and eldest sonne of King Edward that after his father was king of England named The birth of Edward the third Edward the third and the same yeere Gaveston was called out of Flanders by the king and restored to all his former honours and then he demeaned himselfe more contemptuously toward the Barons then before who besieged him in the Castle of Scarborough and won it and tooke him and brought him to Gaversed The death of Pierce Gavest besides Warwick and there smote off his head which was done at the instigation of Thomas Earle of Lancaster whom Merlin calls the bear and this approveth the premisses A Cornish Eagle cladin plumes of gold Borrowed from others shall on high behold what best can please him to maintain his pride whose painted feathers shall the Goat misguid who at length aiming to surprise the Beare Him shall the rowzed beast in pieces teare CHAP. 20. The Kings unfortunate wars in Scotland The battle of Bannocsbourn c. Barwick betrayed to the Scots The pride and insolency of the Spencers Their misleading the King Their hate to the Queen she is sent over into France Her victorious return with the Prince The King and his Minions taken the death of the
two Spencers c. BY the Cornish Eagle in the former Chapter is meant Pierce Gavestone Earle of Cornwall by his plumes of gold his pride and riches borrowed and extorted from others by the Goat the King who was given to all intemperate effeminacie by the Beare Thomas Earle of Lancaster c. This King was of a beautifull aspect King Edwards Character and excellent feature of a strong constitution of body but unstedfast in promise and ignoble in condition as refusing the company of men of honour to associate himselfe with lewd and vile persons he was much addicted to bibacity and apt to discover matters of great counsell and of stupration and adultery perswaded thereto by his familiars the French men for whose death the King vowed an irreconciliable revenge against the Barons which he after performed indeed so unking-like was his misgovernment that a base Villaine called Iohn Tanner named himself the son of Edward the Iohn Tanner an Impostor first and that by the means of a false nurse hee was stoln out of his cradle and this Edward being a Carters son was laid in his place which the people for the former reasons were easily induced to believe but the Impostor was discovered and by his own confession judged to be hanged and quartered In the seventh yeere of his Reigne Robert le Robert le Bruce wars against England Bruce King of Scots whom his Father made flye into Norway hearing of the misguiding of the Kingdome and the dissention betwixt him and his Barons warre strongly against him and his friends in Scotland and wonne from them Castles and Holds howsoever well munified to the great damage of the English who were interessed The Kings power against Scotland in the Land For which affront the King assembled a great power and invaded Scotland by Sea burning and destroying all such Townes and Villages as were in his way which Robert le Bruce hearing he hasted with a strong Army and upon S. Iohn Baptists day both Hoasts met at a place called Estrivelin neere unto a fresh River called Bannoksburne where betwixt them was fought a cruell battaile in which the English were compeld to forsake the field For which in derision of the English the Scots made this Ryme Doggerill Maidens of England sore may you mourn The Scots derision of the English For the Lemans you have lost at Bannocksborn With a heave and hoe What weened the King of England so soone to have wonne Scotland With a Rumby low In his ninth yeere Barwick was betrayed to the Scots by one Peter Spalding whom the King had Barwick betrayed to the Scots made Governour of the Town and Castle and in the eleventh yeâ—…re the Scots entred the borders of Northumberland most cruelly robbing and burning the Country even the houses of women who lay in Childbed not sparing age The cruelty of the Scots nor sex religious nor other therefore the King raised a new Army and laid siege to Barwick in which interim the Scots past the River of Swale and leaving the Coast where the Kings people lay came into the Borders of Yorkeshire to whom the Archbishop with Priests and ploughmen unexercised in armes gave battail but were discomfited in which so many Priors Clerks Canons and other Clergymen were slaine that they called it the white battaile when The white battaile the King heard of this overthrow hee broke up his siege and retyred to Yorke and soone after to London After this nothing was done without the advice of the two Hugh Spencers the father and the sonne and in a Counsell held at Yorke Hugh Spencer the sonne maugre the Lords was made high Chamberlain of England who bore him as haughtily as ever did Gavestone but let The pride of Hugh Spencer the sonne me take the prophesie along A Goat shall then appeare out of a Carr VVith silver hornes not Iron unfit for warre And above other shall delight to feed Vpon the flower that life and death doth breed By the Goat is figured lascivious Edward therefore said to appeare out of a Car as born in Carnarvan his hornes of silver and not of Iron denotes his effeminacie being unserviceable for warre as may appeare in his successe against the Scots by the Flower of life and death is intended his Queene Isabel the Flower of France at first deare to him as life but in the end as most Writers have suspected with Mortimer accessary to his death but to proceed with the History The Barons to a great number seeing how The assembly of the Barons the Spencers misled the King and misgoverned the affaires in the Land assembled themselves and tooke a solemne and unanimous vow to remove them out of the Kingdome and as their first attempt certain of them appointed to that purpose entred upon the Mannors and Castles of the Spencers in the Marches of Wales spoyling and ruining them to the earth of which riot they complained to the King who summoned them to appeare before his Counsell which The petition of the Barons to the King they refused to doe but gathered unto them a stronger Hoast and sent to his Majesty humbly beseeching him to remove from his person the two Spencers which daily did to him great dishonour and to the Common-weale which damage with humble request the King hearing and doubting his owne safety called a Parliament to be held at London to which the Barons came with a great Hoast all suited in demy-parted Iackets of yellow and greene with a list of white cast overthwart for which the common The Parlament of white-bands people called it the Parliament of white-bands in which the two Spencers were banished the Kingdome for ever But the yeere following the King revoked the Acts made in the former Parliament and called them into England contrary to the will of the Barons and set them in greater authority then before to the great disturbance and almost utter subversion of the Realme for now the whole Land was in combustion and the King animated by the Spencers tooke on him the shape of a Lion and ceased not till hee had cut off the chiefe and prime Nobility of the Land For besides those that were slaine none was brought to the Barre but was thence led to the blocke who having got the better of his Barons he called a Parliament at Yorke in which Hugh Spencer the Father was made Earle of Hugh Spencer the father made Earle of Winchester Winchester and soone after was one Robert Baldock a follow of debaucht life and condition made Chancellour of England Then forfeits Robert Baldock made Chancellour and sines were gathered without sparing of priviledged places or other till a mighty summe of money was gathered towards another expedition into Scotland and then his Army consisted according to Caxton and others of an hundred thousand men but hee sped in that as in the former for on Saint Lukes day at a
married to the youthfull French King shee I say observing his provident and cautelous proceeding in all things for the security of his State and Kingdome with a false stampe coyned a new Duke of Yorke a stripling called Perkin Warbeck who being Christned by Edward the Perkin Warbeck a new impostor 4 th it might be suspected that being as hee was warlike so also much addicted to the love of women by too much familiarity with the mother the child might have some of the Yorkists blood in him Edward being both Father and Godfather But so or no most sure it was Edward the fourth Godfather to Perkin that the Dutchesse exposed him to the world for the young Duke of Yorke who was spared from death which his brother suffered in the Tower for so it was given out But after shee had fully tutor'd and instructed him to take upon him the Majesty and deportment of a Prince least he should be found to be her creature shee cunningly sent him from her The subtilty of the Dutchesse of Burgundy Court over into Ireland where hee was received for no lesse then he nam'd himselfe Thence King Charles sent for him into France where he had Princely entertainment and service suiting with his stile but a peace being concluded betwixt England and France finding no safety there hee came as a distressed stranger to shelter himselfe under the wings of the Dutchesse of Burgundy whom she cunningly at first lookt upon as strangely till she had questioned him about all things in which shee had before instructed him and then as a Prince whose injuries were much to bee pittied shee received him to her protection The newes of a surviving Duke of Yorke was greedily swallowed by the discontented Commons of England The chiefe of note A new conspiracy against the King who were drawne to this beliefe were the Lord Fitzwater Mountfort and Thwaytes with the Lord Standley who was Father in law to the King and then Lord Chamberlaine Ratcliffe and others But Henry then understanding the danger likely to ensue first made it manifest to the world how both the Princes were together murdered with the manner of their deaths by which he did infallibly evince that hee could not be Yorke then the politicke King thought there was no surer way to disable the Impostors claime then by taking away his abettours and whilst these things were thus in agitation Sir Robert Clifford who had undermined all the Dutchesse proceedings came over to the King Sir Robert Clifford chalengeth the L. Standly of treason and disclosed them unto him who challenged the Lord Standley of Treason as to bee a prime incourager of Perkins Faction for which the King notwithstanding the neere affinity as the name of Father and Sonne interchanged betwixt them and forgetting also that hee was the prime man who set the Crowne upon his head hee caused him the fifteenth of February following to bee beheaded on a Scaffold upon the Tower-hill not without a great aspersion The L. Standly beheaded of ingratitude which severity of Iustice was also executed upon Mountford and Stafford Then Perkin who had wintered with the Dutchesse in the spring made an attempt for England his forces subsisting meerely of male-contents banquerupts and fugitives and hearing the King was in the North landed to the number of sixescore and odde in Kent thinking Perkin landeth in Kent they would have adhered to his Faction but he himself kept a ship boord But the Kentish apprehending the danger of a Rebellion seeing no more would come a shore set upon them whom they found slew some and took the rest prisoners all which were put to death and not one amongst them spared Thence he sailed to Flanders to fetch more ayd and from thence to Ireland where he found small comfort after to Scotland whose arrivall there being by commendatory Letters prepared by Charles the The French K. an abetter of Perkin French King he was royally entertained and to the Scotch King and his Nobility hee delivered so smooth and passionate a Tale before dictated by the Dutchesse that they tooke not onely great commiseration of his former disasters but promised withall not onely to raise him but to establish him in the height at which hee aimed causing him to bee espoused to a beautifull Virgin the Lady Gordon and after with a potent Army entred Northumberland Perkin married to the Lady Gordon making Proclamation in the name of Richard Duke of Yorke with sugered promises of severall enfranchisements and immunities to the Commons if they would acknowledge him their King and Soveraigne all which nothing prevailed with the people so that King Iames hearing of Henries marching towards him with a puissant Hoast he retreated his Army into his owne Countrey After which there was a marriagâ—… concluded A match concluded betwixt Iames of Scotland and the Lady Margaret betwixt King Iames and the Lady Margaret the eldest daughter to King Henry from whom our King Iames of blessed memory descended as immediate and undoubted Heire to the Crown of England which match was consummate in the seventh yeare of King Henry and in the same year landed at Plimmouth Katherine daughter to the King of Spaine who upon St. Erkenwalds day was espoused to Prince Arthur eldest sonne to the King who in Aprill following Prince Arthur married to Katherine of Spaine The death of Prince Arthur expired in the Towne of Ludlow The yeare after began the famous and most glorious worke of the Kings Chappell ' at Westminster and upon the eleventh of February dyed Queen Elizabeth wife to King Henry in the Tower The death of Queen Elizab. lying then in Child bed c. There was also a commotion in Devonshire and Cornwall about the collection of sixescore A commotion in Devonshire and Cornwall thousand pound which the King had demanded in parliament the first raisers thereof were a Lawyer and a Blacke-smith who comming as farre as Wells the Lord Audley tooke upon him to be their Generall who passing through Kent came as farre as Black-Heath in the sight of London but were then encountred by the Kings forces the Lord Audley was taken and The chiefe of the Rebells executed beheaded the Lawyer Smith drawn hanged and quartered the rest by the King ' pardoned But after that fortunate match betwixt the Scotch King and the Lady Margaret there was no longer residence there for Perkin who exposed him to his further fortune yet would not his faire Bride Katherine Gordon leave him though he were forced to forsake the Land but associated him into Ireland from whence hee was presently sent for by a new company of Cornish and Devonshire Rebells who began first to assemble themselves at a Towne called Bodwin in Cornwall To whom Perkin was no sooner come but they made him their Captain and Prince who called him selfe no more Richard Duke of Yorke but Richard King of England
Westcrag Enderlaw the Pile and the Towne Broughton Chester Fell's Crawned Dudistone Stanhouse the Fiker Beverton Franent Shenstone Marcle Farpren Kirklandhill Katherwyke Belton Eastbarnes Howland Butterden Quickwoe Blackbourne Raunton Bildi and the Tower with many other Townes and Villages by the Fleet on the Sea-side as Kincorne Saint Miuers the Queens Ferry part of Petinwaines c. Which done for their brave and notable service there done hee made Forty five Knights made at Leith at Leith forty five knights And thus was the king victorious over Scotland In this interim Warres were proclaimed against France so that the king gave free liberty and licence to all his subjects to use the French king and all that depend upon him to their best advantage and commodity and the same yeare hee prepared an Army to invade King Henry in person invadeth France France and himselfe in person the fourteenth of Iuly departed from Dover towards Callais and the next day removed to Morgisen upon the twenty sixt of the same month the Campe removed to high Bulloine and there camped on The siege of Bulloine the north-east part of the Towne two dayes after the Watch Tower call'd the old man was taken and the day after base Bulloine was won and upon the thirteenth of Septemb. the Town Bulloine taken by the K. was victoriously conquered by Henry the eight king of England France and Ireland defendor of the faith who upon humble petition made by the French suffered them to depart the Towne with bagge and baggage and this year were taken by the English fleet 300 and odde ships of the French to the great enriching of this nation and the great impoverishing of theirs CAP. 33. The death of Henry the eighth Edward the sixt crowned a calculation of his reigne Musselborow field wonne by the Lord Protector The death of the two brothers the Lord High Admirall and Lord protector a Character of the Duke of Somerset the death of King Edward not without suspition of poyson His Character c. THe yeare following being the thirty seventh of the kings reigne upon the thirteenth of Iune being Whitsunday Peace concluded betwixt England and France in London was proclaimed a generall peace betwixt the two kingdomes of England and France with a solemne procession at the time of the proclamation and that night were great Bone-fires made in the City and Suburbs for the celebration of the said union and upon the one and twentieth of August came over from the French king Monsieur Denebalt high Admirall of France and brought Monsieur Denebalt Embassador fom the French King with him the Sacre of Deepe with twelve Gallyes bravely accommodated who landed at the Tower where all the great Ordinance were shot off and he received by many peeres of the Realme conveighed to the Bishop of Londons palace where hee rested two nights and on Monday the twenty third of the same month he rode towards Hampton Court where the king then lay whom the young prince Edward met with a royall traine to the number of five hundred and fourty in velvet Coats and the His entertainment by Prince Edward princes Livery were with sleeves of cloath of gold and halfe the Coats embroydered where were eight hundred Horses richly caparison'd and riders suiting to the state who brought him to the Mannor of Hampton Court The next morning the KING and hee received the Sacrament together in confirmation of the late concluded peace After that were many Masques and Showes in which the very Torch Magnificent Showes bearers were apparrelled in gold with costly feasts and banquets during the space of sixe dayes after with many great gifts given to him and his chiefe followers hee returned to his countrey The next yeare being the thirty eighth of the King upon the ninth of Ianuary by the The death of the noble Earle of Surrey Kings expresse command was beheaded on the Tower-hill that noble and valorous gentleman the Earle of Surrey who had ingaged his person in Picardy Normandy Ireland Scotland c. from whence he never came but crowned with victory and the twenty eighth of the same Month the King himselfe departed the world in the yeare one thousand five hundred forty The death of Henry the eighth seven whose body was most Royally intombed at Windsor the sixteenth of February following King Edward the sixt began his dominion The inauguration of Edward the sixt over the Realme of England the one and thirtieth of Ianuary in the yeare of grace one thousand five hundreth forty seven and upon the nineteenth of February ensuing hee rode with his Vncle Sir Edward Seymour Lord governour and Protector and Duke of Somerset with the Nobility of the Land from the Tower through the City of London and so to Westminster and was annoynted and Crowned by Doctour Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury who after ministred unto him the Sacraments with other divine Ceremonies according to the Protestant reformed Church Of this Kings Birth and Reigne it was thus calculated By birth a Caesar and in hopes as great Shall next ascend unto th' Imperiall seat Who ' ere mature cropt in his tender bloome Shal more against then Caesar could for Rome He th' Aristocracy Monarchall makes This from the triple Crowne the Scepter takes Vpright he shall betweene two Bases stand One in the sea fixt the other on the land These shall his pupillage strongly maintaine Secure the continent and scoure the maine But these supporters will be tane away By a Northumbers Wolfe and Suffolks Gray Then fall must this faire structure built on high And th' English like the Roman Caesar dye In his first yeare Sir Thomas Seimour the Kings unkle brother to the Duke of Somerset being Lord high Admirall by the Viz-Admirall called Sir Andrew Dudley having no other Vessells but the Paunce and the Hart and these singly manned there was a great conflict at Sea with three tall Scottish ships in the narrow Victory by sea Seas doubly manned and trimmed with great Ordinance notwithstanding which hee tooke them and brought them into Orwell Haven where he had good booty and store of prisoners And the same yeare in August the Lord Protector the Duke of Somerset with the Earle of Warwicke and others marcht with a noble Army into Scotland and not farre from Edenborrough at a place called Mosselborrough Musselborough field the English and Scotch Hoasts met where betweene them was fought a sharpe and cruell battaile in which in the end the English were victors and in which were slaine of the Scots foureteene thousand and prisoners taken of Lords Knights and Gentlemen to the number of fifteene hundred This yeare also was ordained that the Communion should be received in both kinds and at that time Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester for opposing the same was commanded to the Tower Commandement Gardner committed to the Tower also was given to all the Curats of every
and stratagems abroad French machins and the Italianated god The Spanish Engins Porteguized Iew. The Iesuitick mines and politick crew Of home-bred Traytors let their menaces come By private pistoll or by hostile Drum c. Yet notwithstanding over these and many others strengthened and protected by the hand of the Almighty shee was miraculously victorious whose fame can never faile or Her memory perish and therefore I draw my present conclusion from the premisses Though all these Dogs chace her with open cry Live shall she fear'd and lov'd then Sainted die Many other prophesies have beene disperst abroad under the name of Merlin of which I will give you the tast of one onely and that 's this When Hemp is ripe and ready to pull A prophesie conferd on Merlin Then Englishman beware thy scull In this word Hemp be five Letters H. E. M. P. E. now by reckoning the successive Princes from Henry the Eighth this Prophesie is easilie explaned H. signifieth Henry before named E. Edward his sonne the sixth of that name M. Mary who succeeded him P Philip of Spain who by marrying Queene Mary during the time of her life participated with her in the English Diadem lastly by E. Qu. Elizabeth after whose death there was great feare that some troubles might have rose about the Crowne or that King Iames her successour of like blessed memory might have come in after an hostile manner and so to have made that good Then Englishman beware thy scull Yet proved this augury true though not according to the former expectation or imagination for after his happy and peaceable proclamation and Inauguration there was great mortality not in London only but through the whole Kingdome from which the Nation was not quite clean in seven yeeres after CHAP. 38. The title of K. Iames to the Crown His comming into England A prophesie of his Reigne The first treason attempted against him The gun-powder treason and what the conspirators were The K. of Denmark twice commeth into England An Epitaph upon Prince Henry One of the Duke of Richmond and Lenox Another of Q. Anne An Epitaph upon K. Iames K. Charles proclamed King his Fathers Funeralls c. UPon Thursday being the twenty fourth of March about two of the clock in the morning deceased Queen Elizabeth of blessed memory at her palace of Richmond being aged three score and ten yeares and having reigned forty foure yeares five moneths and King Iames his lineall title to the Crown of England c. odde dayes and the same day about eleven of clock in the forenoone was proclaimed Iames the sixth King of Scotland King of England Scotland France and Ireland at the high Crosse in Cheapside with the Title of Defonder of the Faith being lineally descended from Margaret eldest daughter to King Henry the seventh by Elizabeth his wife who was the eldest daughter to King Henry the fourth the same Margaret was married to King Iames the fourth of that name King of Scotland in the yeare of Grace one thousand five hundred and three who had issue Iames the fifth who was Father to Mary Queene of Scotland Mother to Iames the sixth Monarch of great Britain and King of France and Ireland of whom ere I further proceed to speake any more let me acquaint you with one thing most remarkable A thing worthy to be observed namely how ominous the Thursday hath beene to King Henry the Eighth and to all his posterity for hee himselfe died upon Thursday the eight and twentieth of Ianuary his sonne King Edward the sixth on Thursday the sixth of Iuly Queen Mary on Thursday the seventeenth of November and Queene Elizabeth on Thursday the twenty fourth of March but I returne to King Iames and the prediction made of him and his prosperous Reigne On Boreas wings then hither shall be borne Through Week o're Tweed a Princely Vnicorn The prophesie of K. Iames. Who brought into the world his own fair crest A rampant Lion figured on his brest And to his Armes six Lions more shall quarter With six French Flowers inviron'd with the Ioyning by fates unchangable dispose Garter The Northern Thistle to the Southerne Rose He shall the true Apostolike Faith mayntain With pious zeale During the blessed Reigne Of this faire sprig deriv'd from Richmonds stock No Noble head shall stoop unto the block Yet shall from th' old Lupanar Wolves be sent To undermine both Crown and Government Striving in Hell to register their names By blowing up the State in powder flames Ah wo the while Rebellion and prestigion Should masque themselves in visors of religion All which the holy book meerly gain-says But man's corrupt God Iust in all his wayes Witnesse their wretched ends but happy they Who keep for that an annuall holiday That King shall be a second Salomon Whom all Kings else with wonder gaze upon Who as to an Oracle to him shall come And when he speaks be silent all and dumbe Peace shall he keep within him and without him Whilst all lands else combustions are about him Him shall a second issue male succeed Gracious in word victorious in his deed Though divers adulterate copies something alluding to this purpose have been frequent in the mouths of many yet this best agreeing with the Authors meaning ought to be first received which though it need no explanation at all yet thus much briefly for the satisfaction of the vulgar By Boreas is meant the North-wind upon whose wings the Vnicorne is borne is implide King Iames who gives the Unicorne in The Vnicorne part of the Scottish Arms. Heraldry Through Week over Tweed that is he came through Barwick over the River Tweed which parteth England and Scotland Hee King Iames born with a Lion on his brest was also borne with the exact portraiture of a Lion upon his brest presaging that the white Lion of Scotland should have a proximity and alliance with the three red Lions of England quartered with the three Flower delyces of France the noble remembrance of Edward sirnamed the Black Prince sonne to Edward the Third who by taking the King prisoner in battaile added them to the Arms of England which are incompast by the Garter an Order first made by the aforesaid Edward the Third Theâ—…e came into the peaceable possession of King Iames who also brought the Thistle part of the Arms of Scotland to joyne The Thistlâ—… joyned with the Rose with the two united Roses the White and Red figuring of the two divided Houses York and Lancaster to make one perfect Damaske I omit the manner of his Majesties comming out of Scotland and his Royall entertainment into this Kingdome with joyfull acclamations of the people and the unanimous suffrage of the whole Nation with his Inauguration Coronation and solemne and pompous passing from the Tower through the City of London to Westminster with the severall pageants and showes his Creating of Barons Viscounts and Earles and making of Knights