the third King of England of necessity must have where women are admitted to inherit better claime to the Crowne than Henry the sixt though in the fourth descent from Edward the third by John of Gaunt being but his fourth sonne For however Casuists may dispute or civill Lawyers argue The being removed one degree further can no way prejudice succession Whereby the younger brother may come to bee prefer'd before the elder brothers sonne if by chance the elder dye during his Fathers life An injustice so against reason and custome that whosoever yet attempted it was reputed to violate the lawes of Nature From St. Johns fields the principall of the armie and Common Councell of the Cittie brought newes of this Election to Edward Earle of March remaining at Baynards Castle Who soone as he understood the intention of their addresse with such modestie as some Clergie man may have used at his consecration who by simonaicall practise hath obtaind a Bishoprick refused that a while which most ambitiously he covered But soone the animation of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Earle of Warwicke the Bishops of London and Exeter and divers others of eminence prevail'd and he at their request tooke on him the Royaltie That night he rested the next morning with as much ceremonie and state as the shortnesse and unquietnesse of the time could licence in solemne procession he went to Paules whence after Te Deum sung and oblation made hee rod to Westminster there seated in the most perspicuous place of the great Hall with the Scepter of St. Edward the Confessor in his hand himselfe made declaration of his double title to the Crowne First by descent as heire to the third sonne of Edward the third the Line of whose eldest sonne Edward the blacke Prince extinguisht in the deposition and parâ—icide of Richard the second procured by Henry of Bullingbrooke first King of the house of Lancaster Edward the thirds second sonne dying without issue Secondly by authority of Parlament which upon examination of the Duke of Yorkes title confer'd the possession of the Kingdome immediately on him or his heires when Henry the sixth should make forfeiture of it by death resignation or breach of that Accord sworne there so solemnely by them And that this accord was broken the slaughter of the Duke opprest with unequall numbers on King Henries partie at the battell of Wakefield did sadly manifest Neverthelesse he protested himselfe ready to forgoe the justice of his claime ratherthan to enter upon it without their free vote At which unanimously the Assembly cryed King Edward King Edward Ioyfull that their voyces might confirme him King who had daign'd them so humble a complement as to professe that he would not receive the title without their suffrage The formalitie of this second Election thus past he went in Procession to the Abbie whence after much solemnitie and homage of all the Nobility there present he returned by water to the Bishop of Londons Pallace and was immediately proclaimed King throughout the City by the name of Edward the Fourth The first fortnight of his Raigne was died I will not say stain'd with the blood of Walter Walker a Grocer who keeping shop at the signe of the Crowne in Cheapeside sayd he would make his sonne heire to the Crowne a bold jest broke in an evill time yet doe I not side with them in opinion who taxe the King of severity in this execution unlesse I could cleere this man from being particularly factious for the house of Lancaster or know that these words were uttered in innocent mirth without any scorne to King Edwards Title And however perhaps the extraordinary punishment of such saucie language was not then unnecessary to beget authority and make men cautious to dispute the descent of Princes when the question was so nice and arguments not improbable on either side But here in her very first curtesie Fortune raisd King Edward higher than the endeavours of a long ambition had done his Father For now was he consecrated King in the Imperiall City of this Realme adornd with every circumstance of Soveraigntie and all his enterpises hitherto so flattered with successe that he could promise nothing but prosperity to his hopes Yet was the ground whereon he built uncertaine and his state brought into comparison with his Competitor fraile and obnoxious to ruine For Henry had equall dignity with the advantage of a long Raigne an uninterrupted descent in Majestie for threescore yeares a soveraigntie acknowledg'd abroad by all Christian Princes and obeyd at home by all Engilshmen without dispute a title according to the Law Salique indubitable and which had beene confirmed at the first entry of his Grandfather Henry the fourth into the Kingdome not onely by resignation of Richard the second by generall acknowledgement of all the Nobilitie and by authority of Parliament but even by approbation nay particular negotiation of Edmond Duke of Yorke Edward Duke of Aumerle Richard Earle of Cambridge Grandfather Great Vncle and Great Grandfather to the late anointed King Edward the Fourth Onely a feeble judgement and a long evill fortune rendred Henry the sixt inferiour to counterpoise which Queene Margaret and the Lords of her side were daring and vigilant omitting on stratagem or endeavor that might adde to the honour or safety of their designes Whereupon slie continued still in the North and oblieging that people every day more to her devotion labourd to prepare such an armie as might upon the worst of fortune be able enough for defence And soone she found how much her owne and the authoritie of the great Lords of her side prevail'd having rais'd threescore thousand fighting men and they all resolv'd with expence of their blood to buy backe that Majestie which the house of Lancaster by evill fate had lost An armie if arm'd and order'd well able to oppose the mightiest enemie or undertake the boldest enterprise On sight of which the Queene entertain'd a confidence easily to scatter the Forces of the new Mushrome King who in a night seem'd to have sprung up to Majestie Especially when she understood how with unequall power hee marcht Northward A clime not unlikely to prove as distastrous to him as to his Father For King Edward soone as the voyce of the people had saluted him Prince resolv'd with hazard of his new gain'd Soveraigntie to extirpate his great opposer For while the side of Lancaster was supported with the devotion of so large a portion of the Kingdome as yet adhear'd to Henry he could be King but at the curtesie of his Faction and the body of the Land must of necessitie grow monstrous being charg'd with two heads each of which look'd divers wayes He therefore while his men had yet the memorie of their late good fortune fresh in their courage marcht toward the Queene and chose rather as worthier his spirit to provoke than expect an enemie Of his arrivall at Pomfret Castle when it was understood and that
England shee showed us no face but that of desolation the strength of her spirit eyther broken in the murther of her Son or else shee accounted it a needlesse imployment now to raise her selfe above her sorrowes After some time her Father with the sale of much of that poore estate remained yet in his possession ransomed her whereby she was redeemed to another ayre though not to a freer fortune In addition to her other miseryes she was punisht with a long life which shee spun out sadly and ingloriously living humbly upon the narrow exhibition her Father did steale from himselfe to afford her Her life was much the talke of the present and succeeding times because it concurr'd to the destruction of the house of Lancaster a Family beyond any then in the Christian world both in extent of dominion greatnesse of alliance and glory of action Her death was so obscure for who counts the steps of the unfortunate that it is not left certainely in story when she dyed But King Edward by her misfortunes reckoned his owne felicities and now justly conceived himselfe secure in that Throne he so passionately had endeavoured to sit at ease in But because the Sceane of his fortune had had more changes then any King in England yet except his Competitor he continued still with a most watchfull eye to looke about him And not knowing to how dangerous a growth his enemies might arrive which for the present appeared weake he thought fit to take order with Jasper Earle of Pembrooke who remained in Wales with a power unable to offend the King but able enough considering the nature of the place to defend himselfe Wherefore that without a publicke trouble he might destroy so private a person hee sent Roger Vaughan strong both in kindred and followers with commission by some stratagem to entrap him But the Earle had a discovery of his plot and to deceive the deceiver seemed to give opportunity for execution of the designe by which meanes hee got Vaughan into his possession and presently caused him to be beheaded But knowing this act concurring with the whole progresse of his life in opposition to the King Would bring him to ruine either by open power or secret practise he resolv'd to saile over into Brittaine and under the protection of that state to secure himselfe from the present storme With him he carryed his Nephew Henry Earle of Richmond heire of the Teuthers Family by the Paternall by the materiall side of the house of Sommerset for the civill warre had now destroy'd all those great Dukes who had with losse of their lives shewed their devotion to King Henry and left the inheritance of their honour with a farre more favourable aspect to this young Earle By the Duke of Britanny they were received not onely with promise of safety but with reliefe of pension Him perhaps the consideration of the instability of humane affaires moved to this noble pitty But Peter Landois the sole directour of the Duke and a wicked man perswaded his Master to give them entertainement out of an avaritious hope one day to make a good merchandize for himselfe by sale of them into England Yet could not the King bring his happinesse to that quiet he desired Some few small drops fell upon him after the great tempest For a base Son of William Nevill Earle of Kent commonly known by the name of the Bastard Fauconbrige having bin imployed Vice Admirall by the Earle of Warwicke during the late combustions of the kingdome to hinder all succors which might come frō the Low Countryes to King Edwards aide soone as he understood the Earles death set up for himselfe and fell to trade in open Pyracy His conditions were ignoble as his birth and onely can be said a fit instrument to move the baser multitude to sedition betweene Dover and Callice he robd most and had now got under his command a Navie great enough to worke mischiefe Especially having the chiefe of Callice who had sided lately with the Earle of his confederacy and by that meanes safetie upon all occasions in their harbor Gathering therefore into his retinue many of those who had escaped from the two former overthrowes and presuming upon the affection of the Kentish and Essex men he saild up the River of Thames The intention of his armes divulging to be for the common libertie and the redemption of the King and Queene imprisond by an usurper By which pretence ever powerfull to incline the vulgar to sedition he invited to the quarrell so great a multitude that the number was reckoned seventeene thousand fighting men Most of them the dregs and lees of former rebellions Such who having beene heretofore on King Henries side and wanting courage to make good the undertaking had by flight escapd or else men whom guilt of some enormous disorder had prepared for any attempt because neither could hope to remaine long secure from punishment when once the severe eye of a peaceable government should looke narrowly into their offences With this he marcht to Kingstone hoping there to have crost the River but being debard hee led his Army into S ◠Georges fields and from thence with his Ordinance made some small battery on the Citie And to strike the more terrour in the meane time he causd three thousand of his men to be transported by boate at Saint Katherines to make an assault on the other side at Algate and Bishopsgate Who being set a shore with a courage as desperate as their quarrell offerd to force an entrance but by the Citizens were bravely repulst The Lord Major and Aldermen directed by the great experience of the Earles of Essex and Rivers and the Marquesse Dorset neglecting no part of the best Commanders And so valiantly they pursued the rebels who soone began to shrinke that Fauconbridge with much difficultie recovered his shippes For hee overconfident of successe had commanded them to fall as low as the Downes little fearing he should so soone be forc'd to seeke safetie at Sea And having vainly deluded himselfe and his Souldiers with expectation of great Forces from Wales under the conduct of Jasper Earle of Pembrooke With much danger of being destroyed at Black-heath where for a while hee entrencht he got at length to Sandwich and fortefied the place Few of the Rebels who had any weake hope of pardon following their Generall upon a forc'd retreat The Commons entring thus upon every slight invitation into rebellion when the preservation of King Henry was but mention'd made the King begin to consider how dangerous his life was to the State and that his death would disarme even the hope of his faction for ever reslecting more upon the warres It was therefore resolv'd in King Edwards Cabinet Councell that to take away all title from future insurrections King Henry should be sacrificed For howsoever some either to cleere the memory of the King or by after cruelties guessing at precedent will have this murder to
who would have beene as bold to have fought his quarrell and lost so good shipping and so commodious a haven Towne For they were resolv'd to see both consumed with themselves that the victory might be no triumph to the conquerour and the conquer'd might have that comfort in their ruine The proposition was accepted by the King and the Duke of Glocester whose wisdome and valor had wrought him high in the opinion of the King was sent with a generall pardon to the Rebells and authority in the Kings name to receive the Towne the Castle and all the shipping in the harbour But the King who never let any pardon be an impediment to his purpose having them in his power caused the Lawes severely to proceed against them And for the example of the rest Spicing and Quintin tvvo of the chiefe in this rebellion vvere executed at Canterbury and their heads set upon those gates vvhich at their last being at London they so furiously assaulted And that the King might not onely dravv blood but treasure from this businesse a Commission of Oier and Terminer vvas directed to the Lord Deubam and Sir John Fog to inquire against Offenders in the last rebellion and to inflict either corporall or pecuniary punishment But the Commissioners vvho understood both the necessity and intention of the State made rather choyce of the later knovving death vvould but incurre the opinion of cruelty and no way advance the Kings benefit Whereas great fines weaken as much the discontented make the Prince as secure from danger even with the reputation of clemency And that Fauconbridge the first moover of this sedition might have no more priviledge then his complices comming into South-hampton he was apprehended and put to death The inserting of his name in the former pardon though often pleaded by him serving onely to make him suffer the same execution with the rest The punishment of these succeeding so well the King proceeded against others And first against the Arch-bishop of Yorke brother to the Earle of Warwicke who with his spirituall authority had set a glosse of Religion upon all the later attempts And by his working inclin'd the Commons of the North to so constant a resolution for King Henry With him the King tooke order because he found his ambition irregular and sent him to be kept prisoner in the Castle of Guisnes Where deservedly he endured a long restraint never attain'd liberty till death enlarg'd him No man afforded the poore comfort of pitty to his affliction because in his prosperity he had beene insolent and factious The manner of the attachment was according to the custome of the King unfaithfull For having admitted the Arch-bishop after Barnet field not onely into favour but a speciall familiarity as he was hunting with him neere Windsor he promist to come to the More a place in Hartford-shire which was not long before purchaste and built up most commodiously by the Arch-bishop and there to hunt with him with this caution that there might be nothing but a liberall mirth and friendly entertainement With much complacency the Arch-bishop retired to his house joyfull to see the King so free in his affection without memory of former discontents And that the entertainement might not be altogether beneath the Majesty of his person against the Kings comming beside all provision which the shortnesse of the time could make he had gather'd together of his owne and his friends plate and other rich housholdstuffe to the value of twenty thousand pound Next day expecting the presence of the King On the sudden Sir William Par knight and Master Thomas Vaughan entered the house and by vertue of a Commission to that purpose confiscated all those goods to the Kings use Who having arrested his person and sent that to prison seized upon all his estate both temporall and Ecclesiasticall The former forfeited for ever the later during the Archbishops life The crime objected against him was treason for secretly aiding the Earle of Oxford who at that time had fortefied Saint Michaels Mount in Cornewall For the poore Earle seeing the whole Island lost from the house of Lancaster in whose defence he had beene so constant and all the great favourers of the quarrell destroyd having no place of safety to shelter himselfe abroad tooke this corner of the kingdome and endeavour'd to make it good But this was but the enterprize of a desperate man for all his hope this way could be onely to prolong a wretched life without servitude As for liberty he was his owne goaler and his fortresse his prison The whole number of his Souldiers were but seventy scarce enough for his retinue Yet with these he managed his businesse so happily that though besig'd hee revictualled the place and made his defence good some moneths But when Richard Fortescue Esquire of the body to the King and then Sheriffe of the County came downe and by open offer of the Kings free pardon to all the Earles men and secret practising had wrought them to his purpose The Earle was forced to yeeld and with him the Lord Beumount two of the Earles brothers and Thomas Clifford all persons of great name and quality The King receiv'd them to mercy as farre as their lives were concernd But for their estates for now he began to husband his victories to the benefit of his treasury he confiscated them wholly not allowing the disconsolate Countesse any part of her joynture Insomuch that during the life time of King Edward for all that while was the Earle kept prisoner neere Callice in the Castle of Hames she was forced to live upon the curtesie of her friends a kinde of better sort of almes All now were reduced to order except the Earles of Richmond and Pembrooke and them the King labour'd to fetch in For now either his nature was alter'd to a strange mistrust which in his youth had beene so taxed for an uncircumspect confidence or else he began to be govern'd by a Councell of a more wary judgement and whose sight could discerne danger a farre off And certainely who compares the first and last times of the Kings government shall perceive a strange difference in the pollicy unlesse in those affaires wherein he obey'd his owne direction and in them remain'd a taint of his naturall errour Which change of governement may be ascribed to the Duke of Glocester a man whom the conscience of his owne infidelity made jealous of the faith of others who thought no enemy alive and with liberty but full of danger how weake so ever his power or pretence might be and who at this time held the sterne of the Councell while the King at pleasure wanton'd in his Cabin By his advice Commissioners were sent over to the Duke of Brittaine in whose dominions the Earles remained to expostulate the injury of giving entertainement to any evill affected to the state of England Pembrooke having been upon all occasions an open Rebell and Richmond onely
backe His Ambassadors in the Low Countries urged the Duke of Burgâ—ndie to â—â—â— accomplishment of the marriage betweene his sonne the Earle of Charolois and the Lady Margaret the Kings sister And so happie successe had thiâ— nâ—gotiation that though for some yeares it had hung â—n suspence it was now absolutely agreede on and the Bastard of Burgundy sent over with full instructions and power to give the Treaâ—ie a finall conclusion For whatsoever dissimulation the Earle of Charolois used at first he now intâ—â—â—â—â— thâ—s marriage seriously In regard hee found himselfe lye open to the maâ—ice of King Lewis a most dangerous Neighbour who by pollicie or 〈◊〉 had broken all those great confederacies the Earle had before in France Wherefore â—here was now no â—afeâ—y but in arâ—ing himselfe by a â—â—â—â—â—â— amity with the English a Nation forward and fierce to attempt any thing upon the French and in their attempts scarce ever but prosperous Neither was the courage of the Kings youth and his continuall good successe in warre a small inducement considering it gave a certaine hope that he upon any invitation of honour or profit might be perswaded to crosse the Seas undertake the ancient national quarrel And for the danger of any alteration in the government there was then no ground for suspition the King honour'd and loved by his people the adverse faction of no power and the Earle of Warwicke having never yet declared himselfe but most passionately affected to the house of Yorke Wherefore in reason of staâ—e being no impediment the marriage was soone ageeed on and upon the agreement many triumphs glorious but martiall according to the nature of that time so devoted to Armes But to interrupt the jollity of these Triumphs an expresse came from the Low-Countries with the newes of the death of Duke Phillip Presently the Bastard returnd and our Councell stood at a gaze being in some suspence what alteration the businesse might receive the Earle now absolute in possession of his Fathers dominions But that scruple was soone taken away by an Ambassador sent to hasten the full performance of the marriage Whereupon the Lady was carried over with all the ceremonies of greatnesse and at Burges married to Duke Charles that Nation which then exceeded all the World in bravery and riot exceeding even it selfe at this tiumph in the wantonnesse of a superfluous pompe In those Countries she lived some while his wife though ever barren with as much love from him as hee could spare from his ambitious warres but she continued long his widdow in much reputation among the Natives and good esteeme with neighboring Princes Two things rendred her much the discourse of those times An extraordinary love and care in the education of the posterity of her husband and an extreame malice against Henry the seventh To supplant whom because there wanted true she countenanc'd the suppositious Princes of the house of Yorke and by continuall practises revenged in part the injury of that disrespect he ever cast upon her family This so potent alliance and his confederacies with forraigne states made King Edward imagine himselfe in great security when indeede hee was most unsafe For during these treaties abroade and triumphes at home the Earle of Warwicke quickned so farre his designes that now there appear'd a dangerous life in them The body of his Faction was grown mighty but monstrous being compacted of severall natures For into conspiracie of this great enterprise he had drawne off the Clergie and the Laity and most of them of affections most opposite The Archbishop of Yorke was the principall mover because he moved upon the soule and made treason an act of Religion The easie multitude who builde their faith upon the man not the Doctrine thinking it meritorious to rebell in regard his function seem'd to give authority to the action With the Archbishop the Marquesse Mountague consented but secretly either cunningly dissembling mischiefe or else wishing well to both sides being in himselfe devided betweene a naturall love to a brother and an alleigance to a Prince or perhaps projecting to make his benefit out of which party soever should prevaile With these agreed many eminent persons of King Edwards Court whom either desire of warre having never lived but in the troubled streame of discord or want of expected recompence renderd discontent All the partakers in the calamity of the house of Lancaster most passionately at first overture embrac'd this motion as men whom desperation had prepar'd fit for the mostruinous attempt And who having found nothing but evill fortune at home and contempt abroad were instructed in a pacience ready with joy to suffer a not inglorious death Among whom Henry Holland Duke of Exceter was a sad example who after his ruine with the fal of Henry the sixth was reduc'd to so miserable a condition that all ragged and bare footed he begg'd for his meate in the Low-Countries the absolute Prince whereof and he married two sisters the daughters of Richard Duke of Yorke With this so unfortunate Lord all the rest who shared with him in misery ranne violently into this warre But the wonder of the world then was at the powerfull sorcerie of those perswasions which bewitcht the Duke of Clarence the Kings brother to this conspiracie but hee was young purblind in foreseeing the event of things Profuse in expence beyond his revenue and almost beyond the Kings power to supply grudging the favours confer'd upon the Queene and her kindred Valuing his birth too high as who forgot the brother of a King is but a subject forward upon any termes to make himselfe greater easily lending eare to dangerous whispers and as rashly giving consent These preparatives made this young Prince fit to take any mischiefe which the Earle of Warwicke ministred most plentifully And first to apply to the narrownesse of his present fortune a humor most troublesome at the instant he gave him in marriage the Lady Isabell his daughter and ooheire to the rich Earledome of Warwicke In hatred against the Queene he concurd and in discontent against the Kings so slender rewards but in promising greatnesse to Clarences ambition he exceeded even proportion though not probability considering the Earles unlimitted power But first to make the friendship strong by a neere alliance they saild over for the consummation of this marriage to Callice of which town the Earle of Warwicke was Captaine and in which the young Lady then remain'd with her mother Soone was this ceremony past and soone did the Earle invite his Sonne-in-Law from the softnesse of the nuptiall dalliance as who had contrived this marriage for businesse not for pleasure and design'd the first issue of their embraces to bee a monster and the most unnaturall one Warre betweene brothers He acquainted therefore his Sonne-in-Law by what line he had sounded the depth of the peoples affection to the present King and what a tempest he was able to raise when ever he should
the direction of their Generall Both Armies therefore had equall justice which made them with equall fiercenesse begin and continue the fight Six houres the victory was doubtfull advantages and disadvantages indifferent on both sides â—ill at length errour brought disorder to Warwicks Army and that a finall overthrow For the Earle of Oxford giving his men a star with streames for his device begot in the Army a mistake that they were part of the enemy whose badge was the Sunne and which mistake might easily happen by the thicke mist that morning wherefore being in the right wing and pressing forward they were thought King Edwards men flying which made their owne maine battaile fall fiercely on them in the backe Whereupon Oxford suspecting treason in Warwicke whose haughtie and reserved wayes were ever lyable to suspition fled away with eight hundred men and King Edward with certaine fresh troopes of Rutters for some such purpose reserv'd perceiving disorder in the enemy violently assaulted them and soone forc'd them to shrinke backe Warwicke opposed against their feare both with language and example but when nothing could prevaile hee rusht into the thickest of the enemies hoping either his whole Army would bravely follow or otherwise by death to prevent the misery of seeâ—ng himselfe overthrowne Mountague perceiving how farre into danger his brother was engaged ran violently after to his rescue and both presently opprest with number fell and with them the spirit of the Army In their deaths they both cleard those calumnies with which they were blemisht Warwicke of having still a swift horse in readines by flight to escape from any apparent danger in battaile Mountague of holding intelligence with King Edward or betraying at Pomfret the quarrell of his great brother For it is to be rejected as a fable forged by malice that history which reports the Marquesse having put on King Edwards livery slaine by one of Warwicks men and the Earle labouring to escape at a Woods side where was no passage kild and spoild to the naked skin by two of King Edwards souldiers Yet both of them in their deaths partaking with the common condition of men the poore being ever esteemed as vicious the overthrowne as cowards By which judgement wee impiously subject the Almighty disposer of humane bussinesse to our depraved affections as if felicity or in felicity were the touchstone by which we might discerne the true value of the inward man King Edward soone as he saw the discomfiture of the enemy and certainly understood the death of the two brothers that himselfe might bee the first reporter of his owne fortune with King Henry in his company poasted up to London He came into Saint Pauls Church at even Song and there offered up his owne banner and the standard of the Earle of Warwicke the trophies of his morning service where waited on him an universall acclamation the flattering shadow which never forsakes victory To the Duke of Clarence and the Duke of Glocester was left the care to quarter the Souldiers whose enquiry soone found that on both sides that day were slaine foure thousand six hundred and odâ—e On the Kings side of eminency onely the Lords Burcher and Barnes hee sonne and heire to the Earle of Essex this to the Lord Say On the other side were kild the Earle of Warwicke and the Marquesse Mountague attended with three and twenty Knights The Duke of Exeter who by his many wounds was reported dead recoverd life but was never more seene in action his body after some length of time being cast upon the shore of Kent as if he had perisht by shipwracke the manner of his after life and death left uncertaine in story To this violent end came the Earle of Warwick the greatest and busiest subject our later age hath brought forth And indeed how was it possible such a stormie life could expect a calmer death In his Spirit birth marriage and revenue he was mighty which raised his thoughts above proportion For all these benefits of nature and fortune serv'd him onely as instruments to execute his rage into which every small displeasure taken or mistaken from his Prince threw him head-long His bounty extended it selfe most in hospitality which was dangerous to the guest for his meate was infected with the poyson of Faction The open ayme of all his actions was at the Publicke good which made his power still recover strength though so often weakend by evill Fortune but his secret intention was to advance his owne greatnesse which he resolv'd to purchase though with sale of the publicke safety He was questionlesse valiant for a coward durst not have thought those dangers into which he entred upon the slightest quarrels His soule was never quiet distasted still with the present and his pride like a foolish builder so delighted to pull downe and set up that at length part of the â—rame himselfe had raised fell upon him and crusht him to death He was a passionate extoller of continencie in a Prince which proceeded rather from spleene than zeale because in that he tacitely made the King contemptible for his volupâ—uous life Being bred up from a child in Armes the worst schoole to learne Religion in hee had certainely no tender sence of justice and his varying so in approving contrary titles shewed either a strange levity in judgement or else that ambition not conscience ruled his actions The pretences of his revolt from King Edward were neither to the world politicke nor to himselfe honest For what greater hopes could he conceive by restoring a family himselfe had ruind since injuries make so deepe an impression that no after curtesie can take it away Or how could any violence offer'd to his Daughters honour by the King for that was then by him pretended licence him to war since no injustice in a Soveraigne can authorize the subject to Rebellion But who will give a true account of his latter attempts must looke backe upon his first familiarity with Lewis the eleventh For never had France such a Merchant to vent discord in forraigne Kingdomes and buy up the faith of all the greatest Officers to neighboring Princes But when by the most powerfull engins of pollicie and warre he had screwed up his intentions to the highest by making himselfe King in Authority though not in title the Crown being entailed upon the two Princes who had married his Daughters Almighty God in one overthrow ruin'd him and permitted his Sonnes in Law with their wives not long after to end by strange deathes none of them answering his hope but the younger Daughter and that preposterously to his designe For she indeede by marrying Richard Duke of Glocester the butcher of her husband Prince Edward became Queene to an Vsurper and soone after by poyson as it was justly suspected made resignation of her Crown His Grand-children by Clarence who arriv'd to any age dyed by the Axe upon a Scaffold and all that greatnesse he so violently labor'd to confirme in
of blood hee saild not voluntarily but violently driven by the tempests of his fortune And for the crueltie laid to him in the death of the Duke of Clarence he was certainly wrought to it by practise and the mis-information of an envious faction in Court The horrour of which fratricide possest him to the last houre of his life frequently complaining against the unhappy severitie of his justice and against the hard nature of his Councellors who would not interpose one word to him for mercy whereby so blacke a deede might have beene prevented But howsoever wee may wash away much of this blood from his memory yet there continue many foule staines upon it since publique mischiefes seldome happen but that the Prince though not actually nocent as in some degree guiltie As these so many confusions at home were the misfortune of his time so was abroad that so scandalous losse of the Easterne Empire to the Turke For though King Edward were not the occasion of so great ruine to the Christian Commonwealth and that this happened before hee attained the soveraigntie his father being head of the faction yet the civill warres of England raisd upon the quarrell which he was soone after to maintaine and the universall division among Princes of the West gave courage to the Infidells and denyed succours to the miserable Emperour opprest by an over potent enemy Whereby a Citie was prophaned in which the Christian faith had flourisht without interruption for a thousand yeares But as the Sea is sayd to gaine in another if it looseth in this place So about this time religion by the singular pietie and valour of Ferdinand and Isabella wonne ground upon the Moores in Spaine whence not long after they were totally and I hope for ever expeld But when the Warre licenc'd the King to attend his government we finde the administration of Lawes just and equall and many new statutes enacted wholesome against diseases crept into the State So that he appeard dilligent both to heale up any wound the tumults of his raigne had given the commonwealth and provident for the health of future ages And certainly no Prince could husband the benefits of peace better for the outward magnificence For his glory was much in hospitalitie and a pompous celebration of the principall feasts of our redemption In which way of bravery setling much of his happinesse hee had beene doubtlesse the most fortunate of any King of the Norman line had hee not faild in expectation of his daughters marriage His buildings were few but sumptuous for that time or more properly but reparations Which are yet to bee seene at the Tower of London his house of Eltham the Castles of Nottingham and Dover But above all at Windsor where he built the new Chappell finisht after by Sr. Riginald Bray Knight of the Order and indowed the Colledge with mightie revenues which hee gave not but transferd thither taking from Kings Colledge in Cambridge and Eaton Colledge a thousand pound by the yeare to inrich this at Windsor But our buildings like our children are obnoxious to death and time scornes their folly who place a perpetuitie in either And indeed the safer kinde of fate happened to King Edward in both these felicities His posteritie like his edifices lost in other names For his two sonnes before they had survived their father the ceremonious time of mourning were themselves inhumanly murderd and as obscurely buried His eldest daughter the Lady Elizabeth was married to the Earle of Richmond knowne by the name of Henry the seventh Whose heire in a strait line not liable to any doubt or question is his most sacred Majestie now glorious in government of this Realme The younger daughters were bestowed one in a monasterie others upon inferiour Lords Cicily married John Vicount Wells Anne Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Briget was profest Nunne at Dartford Mary was contracted to the King of Denmarke but died before consummation Margaret died an Infant Katherine married William Courtney Earle of Devonshire But of none of these younger Princesses at this day remaines any thing but their memory All dying issulesse but the Lady Katherine whose posteritie faild likewise in the third descent Henry her sonne Marquesse of Exceter suffered by attainder in the raigne of his Cosen German Henry the Eight being not long before designd heire apparent an honour fatall in England and his sonne Edward untimely came to his death at Padua in Italy in the raigne of Queene Mary by whose favour hee had regaind his fathers honours and possessions So that all the cleare streame from the spring of Yorke flowes in the house of Scotland The troubled and impure runnes in many veines of the English Gentry For by the Lady Elizabeth Lucy he had an illigitimate Sonne named Arthur who by his wives right was Vicount Lile and dying without issue Male left to his three daughters and their posteritie some tincture of the blood royall This disease of his blood was the crime which procured both to his government and memory many hard censures For though some excuse his lust as a sinne though blacke to the eye of heaven yet no way generally injurious In regard the incontinency of one man could not be so diffusive as to wrong a multitude Neverthelesse who observes the revolutions of Kingdomes shall finde no one iniquitie in Princes so punisht The dishonour of one Lady abused extending the disgrace of severall families and mightie factions knitting together for revenge In the whole stocke of injuries none being so cruell to humane nature and which with lesse patience can bee dissembled His frequent perjurie a sinne which strikes like a Sword with two edges both against divine and humane faith was the crime which renderd him most odious to the societie of man For impiously hee appeard in this to brave heaven slighting all solemne covenants made with God and foolishly preferring before a holy promise a little profit or the satisfaction of his revenge Which crime however for the present it might stand him in some benefit yet certainly it might have indangerd him to much losse in all after enterprises which depended upon faith The deaths of Wells and Dimock of Fauconbridge of Sommerset Lord Prior of St. Iohns and others were the wounds perjury gave his soule the scarres of which remaine yet foule upon his fame But perhaps hee thought no faith was to be held with an enemy Or promist not with intention of performance An impious equivocation but then in practise with his neighbour Princes both of France and Burgundy So that the custome may in some sort seeme to priviledge the fault In his youth he was so uncircumspect and even when he had the strongest arguments for jealousie so overconfident that it engaged him to extreame difficulties and endangerd absolute ruine But his fortune almost miraculously made up all those breaches which had beene by his carelesnesse and presumption laid open and delighting something wantonly to boast her power and favour to him raisd him then highest when all the world and almost his owne hopes forsooke him For presently upon the slaughter of his father at the battell of Wakefield and the overthrow of his great supporter the Earle of Warwick at that of Saint Alban Shee inthrond him in the Kingdome Making the Queene and all the favourers of Lancaster when doubly victorious retire as overcome and the universall acclamations of the people set the regall Diadem upon his head whose fathers head at that time like a Traytors was fixt upon the Walls of Yorke scornd with a paper Crowne And afterward when from a mightie Prince hee was become a miserable Exile forc'd by the treason of his chiefest Councellors and powers of his greatest enemie to flie into Burgundy where hee likewise met with but a dissembled amitie Shee restored him to what at first shee gave And whereas his Forces were so weake upon his returne into England that despayring more hee humbly onely desired to be invested in his fathers Dutchy and vowed never to attempt the Crowne Shee violently forc'd it on him protesting by the mouthes of the Nobilitie who resorted to him at Nottingham not to afford him safetie if hee refused the soveraingtie By which amorous way of threatning shee in a manner wooed him to accept what hee durst not then hope to recover And had the appetite of glory more prevail'd with him then the sence of pleasure as farre as we may conjecture of his fortune hee might have extended his victories over the world which are now straitned with the narrow limits of our Island FINIS