them and conferred them upon some others breaking the ice by the change of Chancellour The Archbishop of Yorke formerly Bishop of Ely for when Nevil was banished he removed to that See kneeling downe did readily deliver up unto him the great Seale Hee likewise changed the Lord Treasurer the Clarke of the Signet and the Judges hee removed the Earle of Arundel from being Admirall and conferred that place upon the Earle of Huntington brother by the mothers side to his Majesty He put the Duke of Gloster Earle of Warwicke and others from the Councell Table naming new Councellors in their places And not yet fully resolved whom to chuse for Chancellor hee carried the great Seale along with him to his Chamber where pitching upon a choice he returned backe and gave it to William Wickham Bishop of Winchester a favour which he unwillingly received All this passed quietly on no words proceeding from any one although the kingdome a body then ill affected passed but from one ague fit to another At the end of this yeare the Duke of Lancaster returned to England having spent three yeares abroad The mortality which fell amongst his people caused by the excessive heats in Spaine forced him to retire into Gascony where having begun a treaty with the Duke of Berry to give unto him for wife his daughter Catherine she upon whom the pretence to the Kingdome of Castile fell after her mothers death he thereby raised such jealousies in Iohn the first who then reigned as that the said Iohn demanded her for wife unto his eldest sonne Henry who was afterwards the third King of that name a youth of but ten yeares of age though Catherine were nineteen years old Upon these conditions that hee should pay unto him for the present 200000 Nobles and 10000 markes yearly during the life of the Duke and his wife Constance mother to Catherine That he should assigne over unto Constansâ—… Guadalajara Medina del Campo and Olmedo that shee might enjoy the fruits thereof during her life and that the espoused Princesse should be stiled by the name of Princesse of Austria the sonnes of those Kings though their eldest till then being only stiled Infanti The two on the other side renounced all their pretensions to those Kingdomes The Duke had before this married his daughter Phillep borne unto him by his former wife to Iohn the first King of Portugall having the good fortune to place them both in a like countrey and dignity His comming into England happened in an opportune time for the King having summoned the Nobility to Redding where he then was some strange alteration was doubted the ill will he bore to many being considered the Duke did so behave himselfe as sweetning the King they were all well received and contentedly dismissed But the Kings jealousies of him not ceasing being likewise displeased with his returne hee by the assistance of the first Parliament to the end that hee might againe bee gone gave him the Dutchy of Aquitany together with all the honours incomes and prerogatives which of old did belong unto that Dukedome and which for the present were enjoyed by that Crowne investing him with the accustomed badges of golden rod and Ducall Cap upon the meere tye of simple homage Richard was not strait handed of what he possessed but mainly addicted to his owne will with the which rather then to have parted he would well nigh have parted with his kingdome Insomuch as fearing lest if Lancaster should joyne with Gloster hee mought give him enough to doe To free himselfe from an imaginary obstacle hee weighed not the essentiall impoverishing of the Crowne of its richest Jewell And if the effects did not follow it was not for lacke of his good will but the good will of the people of that Dutchy who being obstinate would not contrary to their priviledges be dismembred from the Crowne of England neither did Glosters siding with him though extravagant any thing at all availe which did not proceed from brotherly affection as he would have it conceived but for that Lancaster being present his authority was the lesse who did pretend to be the onely director in the government of affaires Hee was not troubled at the eldership of his other brother the Duke of Yorke since that he chiefly intended his private pleasures But Richard was deceived in Lancasters intentions for it is not alwayes good to judge of things present by what is past For as in his departing from Spain he merited to be esteemed one of the most valiant and wisest Princes that did then live so at his returne to England he deserved to be held a peace-maker experience and the incommodities of warre having made him desirous of repose and changed or moderated his disposition the which was plainly seen in him the short time that he lived since that he did not onely tolerate the being denied by the Gascones but did patiently endure his sonnes distastes and exile not being moved at whatsoever accident save his brothers death the which hee notwithstanding suffered whilst if he had had like ambition as formerly hee mought not have been destitute of hopes the King being mightily hated he as much beloved And though the putting of his brother to death mought bee justifiable the manner thereof was such as could not be denied to be unjust cruell and tyrannicall The King was no sooner come to age but hee was informed that the Duke of Gloster had raised forces against him the which being found false he would not suffer him to justifie himselfe but injoyned him silence were it either that hee might keepe this plea on foote against him or to free his accusers from punishment the three next yeares past peaceably on the peace of France being on both sides earnestly endeavoured but the reciprocall pretentions and stoutnesse of both parties made it impossible to bee concluded Richard did desire it and the difficulties which the French met with for matter of warre made them likewise desire it as much if not more Charles his indisposition continued as likewise the Uncles discords each intent to their owne private designes and interest so as not able to conclude a peace they continued the league one yeare longer the which the state being in quiet afforded Richard leasure to live according to his owne inclination which was such as had he not erred in the extreme could not have beene better but the splendor of prodigality is like that of lightning which consumes and beares downe whatsoever it meets withall hee kept the greatest and noblest Court of any King in Europe His subjects led by his example dreamt not of frugality a verâ—…ue not much knowne in England but gave themselves over to luxuriousnesse great was his excesse of diet the pompe and bravery of his Court in apparell unimitated the number of his servants exceeding all beliefe 10000. men fed daily of his bread the Queene had 300. women which belonged to her service 300. was the
of reason they had required of him Assoone as they were gone the first thing he did was to secure the consines upon Scotland by adding to the Earle of Westmerland the Lord Scroope Lord Greystock and Sir Robert Vmfrevill The last of which desirous to trie his fortune set upon the enemy of Godering where hee slew 600. of them and tooke 300. prisoners whilst the King sent a Herald into France with new letters of defiance who having accesse unto the Councell but not unto the King departed with this replie That answer should be made in time and place convenient The King was a ship-board in Antona when he was informed that the Earle of Cambridge the Lord Henry Scroope and Sir Thomas Grey had conspired his death This was the onely mischiefe undertaking against him though in vaine by the raging bloud of Civill ware More certainly would have beene indeavoured had it not beene for the warres with France which hindred such attempts whilst it served for a cauter to the bad humours of England This Princes misfortunes were put over to those that followed him for the cautery being closed up after his death produced such sicknesse as slew his sonne and grandchild as wee shall see in the second Volume The three Conspirators were apprehended The first was grandsonne to Edward the third cousen german to Richard the second and Henry the fourth and brother to the Duke of Yorke a Prince of great expectation one of whom England and the King himselfe did promise unto themselves deeds worthy of his birth in these present occasions he easily confessed I will not say the truth but that which being likely to be true redounded to his advantage that it should be beleeved He confessed that he and the other two had beene bribed by great summes of money received by the way of anticipation which caused them resolve since it was impossible for them to deliver him alive into the French mens hands to kill him before he should set footing in Normandy This did very much afflict the King he thought it improbale that men of so great fortunes should be capable of so base corruption for in his person they betrayed their Country exposed the very flower of England to the slaughter and cut the very nerves of the fortune of the land He bewailed the fault but did not perceive the true occasion of the treason which if he had done he had perhaps by rooting out the house of Yorke prevented the ruine wich was a framing against his house of Lancaster But humanity attains not to the secrets of above and if it did it is not wise enough to divert the wisdome of heaven God is as well the reward of good in thousands as he is the punisher of evill in the third fourth generation In Richard the 2. he punished the death of Edward the second In Henry the sixt and his sonne the death of Richard the second In Edward the fifth and his brother the death of Henry the sixt and his sonne And in Richard the third the death of Edward the fifth and his brother and yet hee was pleased to suffer those to dye in peace which were the authors thereof I would not place Edward the third in this number if his mothers fault did not in some sort lay upon him the aspersion of parricide Henry the fourth who murthered Richard the second and Edward the 4. who murthered Henry the sixt remained all unpunished But to Richard the second he denyed life perhaps repentance his inhumanity not deserving successor nor pardon And though he died a violent death yet not so ill as he deserved for who doth live through cruelty should through cruelty die It was not credited that the Earle of Cambridge was corrupted by France as he himself said but of his own accord for being married to Anne great grandchild to Lionell Duke of Clarence and sister to Edmond Earle of March to whom the Crowne did of right belong his designe was to kill the King and his brethren that so he might make his brother in law King who having no children nor in a capacity of having any he and his sonne were to succeed in the right of Anne so as fearing lest to confesse the truth might endanger his heires life he framed this fable He and his complices were beheaded And though he was pittied by all yet his resolving upon so wicked a deed in the nicke of so important a businesse to the common losse and danger did much abate their commiseration for his death was thought expedient for the life and safety of King and and subjects Walsingham writes that the Lord Scroop Lord Treasurer whose hypocrisie had wonne so much of credit with the King that nothing was done without his approvall was he who was corrupted by the Embassadors of France and that the other two received their infection from him That the Embassadors being returned home reported that they had so ordered the businesse that King Henry was as then either diverted from the enterprise of France or slaine A manuscript cited by Iohn Speed saith that the King of France gave them a million of Crownes that they might either kill him or deliver him up prisoner into his hands and that the Earle of Cambridge desirous to draw the Earle of March unto his party revealed the designe unto him forcing him by threats to sweare secrecy and that having obtained one onely hour for resolution the Earle of Marsh accused him unto the King The sentence of death which in history is recorded saith That it was so wrought as that the Earle of Marsh should take upon him the government of the Kingdome in case Richard the 2. were dead there remained still an opinion that he was yet living in Scotland and that he should be proclaimed heire to the Crown in opposition to Henry of Lancaster usurper The which doth partly correspond with the manuscript as likewise that the Earle of Marsh was the accuser it being probable that having no children and voide of ambition and of a peacefull condition he would not hazard his life to satisfie his brother in lawes ambition But it is not possible that the King of France should have payed this mony for if so it would have beene found after the delinquents death and some mention would have been made thereof Moreover the revenues of France in those daies not amounting by much to so great a sum it must of necessity either be taken out of an already gathered treasure or from the common peoples purse not from the treasury for Princes lay up treasure onely in peace and by good government both which were a long time unknowne to that Kingdome Not from the purse of the common people for it was impossible in such an instant and with so much secrecy to have drawne it from them So as for what appeares to me the reasons alledged in their sentence ought most to be beleeved the rather for that King Henry did never upbraid
with his hand would have put it in its right place Robert said will you lift your hand against the Dolphin and at the same instant Tannigues having said to his companions now is the time he struck at him with a hatchet thinking to have cleft his head but did onely take his chin away at which blow he fell with one knee upon the ground and laying hand on his sword wounded as he was with many blowes borne to the ground whilst Oliver Laiet thurst his sword into his belly up to the hilts Monsieur de Novaille brother to the Count de Fois as he was about to defend him was hindred by the Vicount of Narbone who opposed him with a dagger and whilst he flew furiously upon him to have taken his dagger away he was by others slaine Friburg doing his duty likewise was taken prisoner St. George was wounded in the flanke and d'Ancre in the hand Montaigne leaping over the bars got into the Castle the Secretary and all the rest were taken prisoners those of the Castle perceiving the bickering and not knowing of the Dukes death came forth to the palisado but driven backe by the bowmen fled to Bray beaten slaine taken and losing all they had Monsieur de Jouvelle and Montaigne with some souldiers and about some thirty of the Dukes servants and pages fortified themselves within the Castle but wanting victualls they yeelded it up their lives and goods saved All the Dukes furniture and jewells which were many and of great worth were reserved for the Dolphin such prisoners as would not take the oath had ransomes set on their heads and those who would were set at liberty Charles de Lens Admirall of France and who was constant in his friendship to the Duke till his last gaspe was slaine upon cold bloud Iohn Lovet President of Provence the Vicount Narbone William Butler Tanniques de Chasteau Francis de Grimaux Robert Loire Peter Frotiere Oliver Laiet and â—…onchore de Namae Marshall Seneshall of Auvergnia were the authors of this parricide Madam de Giac was thought a confederate in this businesse for that the deed being done she withdrew herselfe unto the Dolphin Monsieur de Barbasan not guilty of the treachery but present when it was done said unto the rest that they had ruinated their Masters reputation and wished rather to have beene dead then present at so wicked an action the Dukes body was laid upon a table and carried at midnight into a mill from whence it was taken away the next day and buried in his calsons with his hat upon his face his dublet on the which they had not taken off because it was bloudy and full of holes with his bootes and spurs without any Christian decency save a dosen masses which were likewise the oblations of bleeding hands and teares of woe This was the end of Iohn Duke of Burgony surnamed the Undaunted by him deserved by reason of the murther committed twelve years before upon the Duke of Orleans person by his command but his fault did not wash away theirs that slew him and though in the former ambition was the onely cause so as he could not be more wicked and in the second hatred and reason of State yet the so often plighted faith and swearing by the name of God in witnesse thereof makes the latter more wicked and inexcusable The Dolphin who had promised himselfe great advantage thereby found he was deceived for effects are not alwaies taken away by the cutting off their causes unlesse they be wholly rooted out the sonne remained a branch from which did bud forth more ruines then either could or would have done from the stocke if the advisers to this businesse had had respect to the subjects relation to the good and honour of the Prince more then to the jealousie of his authority the which whilst the Undaunted lived was fading they would have seen that dying he left clients subjects and servants ready to revenge him that so detestable an action was sufficient even to alienate the Dolphins owne friends that the King his father was subject to those that governed him that his rulers were the defuncts creatures his mother more then ever irreconcilable the King of England fastned in France The new Duke of Burgony as well heire to his fathers injuries as to his estate and authority that being descended from a turbulent family he was not likely to be quieted without bitter revenge though the worlds welfare should therein consist so as the interest of servants which for the most part doth ruine such Princes who are either very yong or ill advised did undoe the Dolphin who not able in sincerity of truth to excuse so scandalous an act indeavoured to cloak it by a falshood giving out that the Duke came with an intention to kill him the Dolphin but Montaigne published the truth of the businesse whereat the King was troubled the Queene offended who as was thought did love the Duke more then became her reputation after hee had delivered her from Towers and the people which had alwaies sided with him were herein confirmed the Court remained as before governed by such as did depend upon him not staggered by his fall He had a sonne by surname and actions good who afterwards was called Philip the good not violent as was his father but more wise so as of the whole of so great a Kingdome a little cantle did onely side with the Dolphin his more southerne Provinces which disjoyned from the low Countries had no occasion to be annoyed by the Undaunted were those alone which did sustaine him and which after a tempestuous voiage brought him safe into the haven thanks to the disorder of others which are the chiefest and most frequent occasions of taking away of Kingdomes from some and conferring them on others for the death of King Henry the underage and weaknesse of his succeeding sonne and the bad intelligence betweene the Uncles and Duke of Burgony the reason of their reconciliation did after many yeares contrary to all likelihood set him on foote againe Philip Count Carelois whom henceforth we will call the Duke of Burgony understanding his fathers death after his sorrow and obfequies consulted upon what was to be done he had two advices given him the one hee should treat well the Dutches his wife sister to the Dolphin since she did not share in the injury done unto him by her brother the other that being to revenge his fathers death he should seeke out the most effectuall meanes how to doe it that friendship with the King of England being of all others the likely best hee should offer him peace and his assistance in his pretences to the Kingdome and his marriage for the Dolphin could by no other means be debarred of the Kingdome he who had cooled in his affection to his wife his passion overswaying his reason and who knew her vertue did deserve this advice honoured her and made much of
towne By battery mines and trenches the assailants got shortly underneath the ditch The Duke of Burgony who had made himselfe master of a Bulwarke did fortifie it much to the prejudice of the besieged The King built a bridge over the Seene to serve for commerce between the two Campes securing the Bankes on both sides with good corps de guard and to free his quarters from danger of surprise he cut some trenches on the outside of them and raised some workes upon each end thereof that so they might not bee assailed without great danger to the assaylors The breaches made by battery were made good by earth and bavens the besieged omitted nothing wherein either diligence or foresight might stand them in stead one ruine was answered by another wherein they fought at push of pike and wherein the King and Duke of Burgony managed theirs King Charles was come unto the Campe and together with him the Queene accompanied by the Dutches of Clarence newly arrived from England with a great traine of Ladies who were lodged by King Henry in a house erected of purpose neare to his owne tents without the reach of Canon so as making use of this occasion he would trie whether the besieged would yeeld to their King or no but being questioned thereupon they answered that if Charles King of France would vouchsafe to enter there he should be received with all due respects unto his Majesty but not Henry King of England nor Philip Duke of Burgony their professed enemies he sent this meane while the Duke of Clarence to Paris giving him the chiefe command of the City to the end that taking possession thereof he might by English forces secure the most considerable places therein as the Basteille the Louvre the house of Neele and forth there of the Boys de St. Vicenne the Count of St. Paule who was chiefe commander there was sent to Picardy to receive the oathes of the Cities of that Province touching the peace with England and to except of King Henry as Regent and heire the which was done without any opposition the besieged and besiegers were both but in bad condition the one being reduced for lacke of better nourishment to eate all manner of uncleanesse the other by reason of the Prince of Orenges departure who was gone with his people into Provence to defend his own affairs by the rage of a violent pestilence which had much lessened their numbers insomuch as the Duke of Burgony was forced to send the Signior de Luxenburg to Picardy to raise more men who returning shortly after with them appeared in so handsome aray before Melune as that the inhabitants beleeving they had beene the succour they had so long expected did not onely shew signes of joy by the ringing of bells but growne insolent did mocke the besiegers an error of small continuance yet not sufficient to have made them yeeld if the Dolphin had not at the same time advertised them that he could not succour them This Prince was governed by the wisdome and upheld by the purse of the Count de Vertu brother to Orleans and Angolesme prisoners in England but he being at this instant dead he was like a ship without sailes he could not move towards the preservation of a place of so great importance The Town was surrendred the eighth of September upon disadvantageous tearms those who were guilty of the Dukes death were condemned a prime article not to be forgotten the souldiers were to be forthcomming till they could put in good security not to beare armes under the enemies of either of the two Kings that inhabitants submitted to pleasure their weapons and moveables were put into the Castle Monsieur de Barbasan who was accused of being guilty of the Dukes death was saved for that there appeared no proofes thereof against him save onely insomuch as he was the Dolphins servant This notwithstanding he was sent prisoner to Paris and from thence to Chasteau Galliarde where after nine yeares space he had the good lucke to recover his liberty the place being then taken by the Dolphins forces who his father being dead called himselfe King Monsieur de Preaux together with five or six hundred Gentlemen and Gentlewomen and Citizens were likewise sent to Paris put into severall prisons the chiefest of them into the Basteile those who were put to death were few amongst which was one Bertrand of Chaumont a Gascoine a naturall subject of England for that he was bribed to save Amicron de Lau an accessory in the Duke of Burgonies death though the Kings brother did intercede for him for he had alwaies beene valiant yet could they not obtaine his pardon for reason of State would not permit Henry to give way unto passion and to be partiall in the Duke the sonnes just revenge moreover in right he was to lose his life who saved the life of a delinquent not through pity but avarice Winter growing on the souldiers requiring rest after having been so long in field the two Kings retired themselves to Paris being met by the people and Clergy with great magnificency they rid together the King of France on the right hand they lighted at the Church of nostre Dame and from thence Charles went to l'Hostell de Saint Paul Henry to the Louvre and the Duke of Burgony to his owne house l'Hostelle de Artois the next day the two Queenes made their entry in the like manner and were received by the City with great expressions of joy and met by the brothers of the Kings and Duke of Burgony followed by all the Nobility richly presented by the Citizens particularly the Queene of England and the King her husband The Dolphin had beene set upon all this while onely by the way of war now they endeavour to opugne him by the Law a businesse which did nothing at all import Henries pretences his foundations were of another sort not supported by these formalities for without them without his marriage with Catherine or his being adopted by Charles all of them workes of supererrogation in this case he was lawfull King but it redounded to his advantage to second the Duke of Burgonies desires that thereby or by what ever other meanes the Dolphin might be by the people abandoned Princes are subject to no seate of justice save that of conscience all others are but phansies and tricks fansies and therefore not to be despised for such are oft times more embraced by the people then is reason whence it happens that their authority being darkened and deprived of its lustre by contrary opinions they are subject to the eclipses of their subjects disobedience Burgony endeavoured the Dolphins ruine his fathers murtherer he was to open the way thereunto by the peoples fury perswade them hee could not for though the fault were very hainous the guilty party was by the common Law and Law of nature of too great authority with them being borne their Prince yet men alwaies
taken care to assemble together such as were escaped hee had beene wholly destitute of Souldiers Steven de Vignolus called la Hire did the like for considering in what condition his King was without Souldiers Commanders and Princes of the bloud all of them being all most Prisoners to the English Hee quitted Vitres and other places in Champagnia to joyne his troopes with the others Charles had not any time before beene in a worse condition Monsieur de Rombarres deputed to the custody of Vernuille with 3000. men as hath beene said yeelded it up two dayes after comming all of them out of the Towne their Lives Armes Baggadge and Horses saved Hee likewise was of some comfort to the common apparent ruine The Duke of Bedford who after so happy successe had withdrawne himselfe to Roan and from thence to Paris sent the Lord Scales with 2000. men accompanied by Sr. Iohn Montgomery and Sr. Iohn Falstaffe to annoy Aniou and Mayne where though a number of Castles yeelded unto them yet this seeming but a small affaire the neighbourhood of these two Provinces being dangerous for the safety of Normandy and requiring greater effects the Earle of Salisbury with 10000. fighting men went to besiedge Mans the Metropolitane of Maine battering it in such a sort as throwing to the ground the Houses Walls and Toures thereof Hee wonne it to his obedience and giving the command thereof to the Earle of Suffolke and the Lieutenancy to Falstaffe hee passed forward to S. Susanna defended by Ambrogius de Lore assaying it on that side which hee thought fittest for assault but having got no good thereby the Walls being manifully defended Hee bethought himselfe how to have it without so much bloud Hee played upon it with his Ordnance two whole dayes together so as having layd flat its defences and reduc'd it to such a point as that it was not able to endure any other assault they were inforced to surrender paying some certaine monies and the Garrison comming forth onely in their Doublets their lives saved From hence he went too before Forte Barnardo where being advertis'd by the Gascons of Alansons Garrison how they had made agreement with Iohn de Villiers to sell unto him that place for 400. Crownes hee sent thither the Lord Willoughby and Falstaffe with 2000. Souldiers who surprised the purchaser whilst he thought to have made his entry with 200. Horse and 400. Foote which hee had brought to guard the place they slew him none of the rest escaping save 25. thankes to their Horses heeles The place which hee besieged being then yeelded up unto him together with a many more hee frighted France which thought fortune too partially favourable unto him At this time Edmund Mortimer Earle of March formerly deprived of his liberty died at Trimmes in Ireland whereupon his just and lawfull pretences fell upon Richard Plantaginet sonne to that Richard Earle of Cambridge who by the commandement of Henry the fift was beheaded at Antona wee shall shortly heare newes of his claime unfortunate to him the King and kingdom for though he turned England topsey turvy he did not notwithstanding compasse the government thereof the which was reserved with better fortune for his sonne This his death was accompanied by the death of Iohn Mortimer his Cousin who accused of treason to the scandall of all men suffered the punishment of the Law his faults being beleeved to bee calumnies and himselfe brought to so ignominious an end for that alone which by vulgar Politicians is called Reason of State The same resolution which as wee have said made the Duke of Glocester marry Iacoline of Baviers contrary to the Law made him likewise resolve to take up Armes against him who of all others was most requisite for the friendship of England neither could hee after the first errour forbeare committing of others for he was inforced to recover for her her possions injoy'd by the Duke of Brabant her legitimate husband the which hee now pretending himselfe to be the like must account his Neither thought he that he should neede any great forces since Hannault which was to be the seat of the warre was thought to favour him for the people of the Country had alwayes sided with their true and naturall Princes so as both of them imbarking themselves at Dover with 5000. fighting men conducted by the Earle Marshall they went to Calis Duke Philip according to appointment formerly made with the Duke of Bedford was come for this cause to Paris and after having friendly disputed it amongst themselves they framed an agreement to be accepted of by both parties the Duke of Brabant did not refuse to accept thereof but Iacolina and Glocester did who said they might goe to take possession of what was their owne without the interposition of others A resolution which did inwardly wound the brother who foresaw the evills that were to ensue thereupon and did touch Philip to the quicke being interessed in these states and Princes by neighbourhood and pretensions besides he thought Glocester did too little value him whilst the English ought rather to set an esteeme on him then on any other Neither did hee forbeare to say to Bedford that since his brother would not condescend to the agreement made between them two he was not to be blamed if he should imploy all the forces he had in the behalfe of Brabant against Glocester to the which Bedford knew not what to reply no reason being to be given for his actions who not respecting friendship equity nor publik interest is resolv'd to pursue his owne Caprichies Glocester passed through Artois into Hannault where he and his wise Iacolina were received with all expressions of obedience all the Lords and Gentry of the Country comming into their service except the Counts Conversan Angebert and Anguiere and Iohn de Iumont who were the onely men that with their Townes and Fortresses observed the oath they had formerly taken to the Duke of Brabant who growing more powerfull by reason of the concourse of men from Artois and Flanders for Philip had made it be proclaimed that such as were obliged to weare Armes should goe to his service he began the warre to the great incommoditie of the Country the which growing cooler towards their Princes would have shewed some effects had not not their places of chiefest importance beene in the power of the English Glocester did not beleeve that Philip would have opposed him but hearing of the Proclamations and seeing the effects hee made his grievance knowne unto him by letters which though in some sort modest yet were they not void of injury for he had let fall from his pen that in his Proclamations there were many untruthes whereupon Philip replyed that hee had taken upon him the defence of his Cousin the Duke of Brabant as by reason hee was obliged by accepting the Articles of that agreement which Glocester refused to doe whilst both law and conscience required that the deciding
his mouth but all stoode like dumbe immoveable statues whereat not much contented hee wished them to think upon what he had said and being againe desired to goe visite the King he said God excepted he knew no superiour two prodigies are said to have hapned at the same time that the Duke of Yorke alleadged his reasons of laying claime unto the Crowne in the upper house from the top of the lower house there hung a Crowne with certaine branches serving for Candlesticks affixed to it and on the top of Dover Castle was an other antiently placed for the adornement of that place At this instant time they both of themselves fell downe no cause at all being to be given for it whereupon judgement was made that in like manner the Crowne of the Kingdome was to fall The Duke of Yorke at his very first commotions against King Henry had sent unto Iames the second King of Scotland to desire his aide and to acquaint him with his pretensions but Iames not willing to meddle in other mens affaires answered that the English had taken many of his Townes whilest having enough to doe with rebells at home he had not meanes to defend them that if he would promise to restore them he would assist him the Duke promised him so to doe upon these hopes Iames assembled a great army and at the same time the Earle of Marsh tooke the King prisoner besieged Roxborough Yorke who had now no more need of him seeing in what danger the Towne was sent unto him to let him know that now he had ended the Warre that he thanked him for the promise of his assistance but that the siege of Roxborough being a thing which did dislike the people and himselfe thought the occasion thereof he desired him to rise from before it without endamaging England and that he had much a doe to detaine the English from taking up armes to succour it the King rejoycing at the Dukes prosperous successe enquired of the Messengers whether they had any commission or no to restore unto him such places as were taken from him and as was promised by the Duke to which they answering no neither will I said he quit a siege which I hope suddenly to put an end unto uninterrupted by these threats be they his or the peoples then playing with his cannon upon the Towne with more fury then formerly such was his misfortune as a peece of Ordnance bursting in two a spilter thereof slew him and hurt the Earle of Angus not hurtihg any other body this accident did notwithstanding breake off the siege for the besieged wanting all things requisite and they themselves reduced to a small number by reason of the often assaults they yeelded themselves to the new King Iames the third their lives and goods saved The death of this King was accompanied by the death of Charles King of France which though it were not violent yet was the strangest that ever was heard of being sicke some of his flatterers to make their zeale appeare the more put a conceipt into his head that surely somebody meant to poison him He forbare from taking any manner of food seaven dayes and when his Phisitians tould him that his weakenes proceeded from his forbearing meat and not from any sicknes he would have eaten but could not for the channells through which his meat should passe were closed up whereupon he dyed and left the Kingdome to his sonne Lewes the eleaventh The difference betweene the King and the Duke of Yorke was by the Parliament after many disputations thus ended that though the Crowne had beene usurped by Henry the fourth from Edmond Mortimer Earle of Marsh then living and did lawfully descend upon him the Duke of Yorke as borne of Anna the heire of Philips rights the onely Daughter to Lionell the Duke of Clarrence yet to withstand the evills which might arise from Henries deposing who had beene King above the space of 38. yeares the Duke of Yorke should bee contented that Henry should raigne as long as he should live and that after his death he the Duke of Yorke or his next heire should succeed him in his Kingdome The next day being all Saints-day the King with his roabes on and Crowne upon his head went in Procession to Saint Pauls waited upon by the Duke who after being proclaimed next heire and protectour of the Kingdome desired that to annull all jealousies the King would send for the Queene and her sonne Prince Edward the which he did but shee denying to come and having taken up armes to set her Husband at liberty and to nullifie whatsoever had beene done in prejudice of her sonne the Duke resolved to prevent her hee recommended the Custody of the King to the Duke of Norfolke and Earle of Warwick Hee commanded the Earle of Marsh to follow him with the greatest forces he could get as speedily as he could and he himselfe accompanied by the Earle of Salisbury went to Sandalls a Castle of his owne neere Wakefield where of friends and dependants he assembled 5000. men the which when the Queene heard of shee hasted to meete with him before he about should joyne with his sonne Shee had with her above 18000. fighting men and was followed almost be all the Lords of the Northern parts of England Together with Prince Edward her sonne the Dukes of Excester and Somerset the Earles of Devonshire and Wiltshire and the Lord Clifford with these shee presented herselfe before the Walles of Sandall's the Earle of Salisbury and Sir David Hall who councelled the Duke were of opinion that hee should keepe within the Walles till the comming of the Earle of Marsh since shee had no artillery to batter the Castle But hee more apt to generous then discreet resolutions thinking it a shame that a Woman should keepe him shut up within a Walle when so many valiant French Commanders in his so many yeares warfare in that Kingdome could not boast of so much sallied forth the last of December and descended into the fields beneath to confront her this Castle is seated upon a pleasant Hill and the Queene having divided her people into 3. parts shee laid two of them in Ambush under the Earle of Wiltshire and the Lord Clifford on two sides of the Hill and with the third wherein were the Dukes of Somerset and Excester shee met him in the plaine as soone as the Battell was begun hee was environed on all sides defeated in lesse then halfe an houre and himselfe valiantly fighting slaine together with 2800. of his men the Earle of Salisbury was wounded and taken prisoner Robert Aspell Chaplain to the Duke and Tutor to the Earle of Rutland a child of 12. yeares old seeing the ill successe of businesses led his charge forth to save him but by the Lord Cliffords troopes and by Clifford himselfe observed who saw him nobly attired hee was by him with his dagger in hand demanded who hee was the unfortunate Youth struck dumbe
his two brothers Dukes George of Clarence and Richard of Gloucester hee made Iohn Nevill brother to the Earle of Warwicke Baron and afterwards Marquesse He created Henry Burchier Earle of Essex who was his uncle as husband to his fathers sister and the Lord William Faulconbridge Earle of Kent All which promotions did succeed the deaths of Iohn Vere Earle of Oxford and Auberey his eldest sonne who together with others were beheaded either through the malice of their enemies or that the King held himselfe injured by them By reason whereof Iohn Earle of Oxford his second sonne was alwaies his profest enemy Passion makes us alwaies abhorre the authours of our evill This happy successe of Edwards made many amongst which the Duke of Somerset and Sir Ralph Peircy to change sides they were graciously received to mercy by the King who together with their lives restored unto them their goods making them thereby inexcusable of second faults The first plighted faith ought alwaies constantly to be observed and if by necessity broken it ought not to be broken againe for so both the former and latter oathes are violated an errour common amongst those who esteeme of all advantages breach of faith the most advantageous Queen Margaret did at last obtaine from King Lewis for the King of Sicily her father could not assist her in any thing a Troop of 500 men conducted by Monsieur de Varennes with the which she passed over into Scotland but she had no sooner landed then she was forced to re-imbarke her selfe being way-laid by the enemy So as putting to Sea againe the Vessell wherein she was was by a tempest parted from the rest and not without difficulty put in at Barwicke whereby she preserved her liberty which she had lost had she kept with the other ships For the French being driven upon the shore and not knowing what side to take the wind forbidding them to put to Sea and the enemy to Land they tooke such resolution as nature taught them They prolonged the ruine which could not be escaped they burnt their ships and retired themselves to Holy-Iland where they were set upon by the bastard Ogle and defeated many of them slaine and 400. of them taken prisoners Varrennes and some few more by meanes of a Fisher-boat got into Barwicke This bad successe did not allay the Queenes courage for adding to the Scotish forces such of England as upon the newes of her arrivall were come to serve her she together with her husband entered Northumberland leaving her sonne at Barwicke and winning the Castle of Bambury she past forward to the Bishopricke of Durham The newes hereof being come to England the Duke of Somerset and Sir Ralph Peircy forgetting the late favours received from Edward did with many others come over to her side And she affording all liberty to the souldier as not having wherewithall to pay him did thereby invite all such as had more mind to filch than to fight Her courage thus increasing with her numbers she was not aware that such like men are seldome beneficiall especially when they want Commanders who know how to reduce them to discipline It fared cleane otherwise with Edward He was not enforced by necessity desperately to hazzard his affaires but proceeded wisely with the counsell and authority of a King valiant in himselfe having with him the Earle of Warwicke a most understanding Commander followed by the Nobility and choice men well paid having ships well rig'd and well munitioned in readinesse Thus hee came to oppose her by Sea and Land He Commanded the Lord Nevill to goe before him into Northumberland with such forces as were most in readinesse to withstand the dammages which were there done whilst he prepared to follow him He fortuned to meet with the Lord Hungerford Lord Rosse and Sir Ralph Peircy He discomfited them all The first two ranne away at the first encounter the third with many others who fought valiantly was slaine and as he died uttered these words That hee had preserved the Bird in his bosome as much as to say He had kept his faith unto Henry Edward was a cause of this victory by sending unto him new Forces as soon as he was come to Yorke which infused so much courage into him as he thought to overcome Henry and winne that honour himselfe alone which he could not doe if he should expect the comming of others and so it fell out for having notice that Henry was at Hexam and imagining that if hee should offer him battell hee would not accept it hee set upon him in his Trenches and finding him in good order hee had much adoe to overcome him But nothing is impossible to a resolution accompanied by vertue the mother of courage which was in him when it meets with desperation the stepdame of courage which was in his adversary The Lancastrians were defeated in their Trenches and the Duke of Somerset the Lords Rosse Moulins and Hungerford together with many Gentlemen whilst they fled were taken and Henry who in all his life-time was never esteemed an extraordinary horse-man shewed himselfe upon this occasion a very good one for as he fled many that were very neere him were taken in particular some that were upon his horses of State and he who carried his Helmet or as others will have it a Hat adorned with two rich Crowns which was afterwards presented to Edward whilst hee yet escaped untouch'd The Duke of Somerset was forthwith beheaded at Hexam the Barons elsewhere and five and twenty others at Yorke and in other parts Many there were that did hide themselves in sundry places but at such times farewell friendship and faith for Proclamations being made forth against them they were taken and put to death Edward hearing of this victory came to Durham whither came likewise the victorious Lord from whence together with his brother of Warwicke and the Lords Faulconbridge and Scroope hee went to recover such places as were yet possest by the enemy The Castle of Anwicke where the Queen had left Monsieur de Varrennes Governour was valiantly defended by the French and those of the garrison affording thereby leisure to the Scots to come in unto their succour thirteen thousand whereof commanded by George Duglas Earle of Angus ten thousand horse saith Buchanan came thither which the English were not able to resist being much fewer in number for they were divided and were come to this enterprize with small forces But Duglas not willing to trouble himselfe with keeping of the Castle his designe being onely to free the besieged without more adoe left it to the enemy who on the other side being more desirous of the Castle than of those that did defend it were well contented to have it upon these termes And leaving a sufficient Garrison there they tooke in Dustansbery commanded by Iohn Ioyce a servant of the Duke of Somersets who was sent to Yorke and executed They tooke likewise Bambery defended by Sir Ralph Gray who
more neerely concerne him that nothing could be more acceptable to subjects than to take a wife from amongst them since children must issue from the same blood that for portion he valued it not having more than he knew what to doe withall that for all other inconveniences contentment in a wife with whom one was to live and die did out-weigh them all His mother finding her perswasions to be of no force bethought herselfe of another means which proved alike vaine The King upon promise of marriage had wrought to his desire a Lady of great birth named Elizabeth Lucy She alledged that since before God this Lady was his legitimate wife he could not marry any other An impediment which delayed his satisfaction in the other for the Bishops required proofe thereof But the Lady Lucy examined upon oath in opposition to the instigation of the Dutchesse and her owne honour and interest did depose that the King did never passe unto her any direct promise but that hee had said such things unto her as had shee not thought them thereunto equivalent shee had never condescended to his will Upon this deposition the King did privately marry the other the marriage being afterwards published by her Coronation None were pleased herewithall the Nobility lesse than the Communalty their greatnesse being obscured by the sudden splendor of the Queenes kindred Her father was created Earle Rivers and shortly after made Lord High-constable of England Her brother Anthony was enricht by the marriage of the daughter and heire of the Lord Scales which Title was likewise conferred upon him Her sonne Thomas Gray which she had by her former husband did afterwards marry the daughter of William Bonneville Lord Harrington and was created Marquis Dorser Historians observe many mischiefes that ensued from this marriage besides the death of so many that was caused thereby Edward did thereby lose his Kingdome his children were declared to be bastards and strangled the Queenes house extirpated the Earle of Warwicke and his brother slaine But they name not the death of King Henry and his sonne which had not hapned had not the Earle of Warwicke for this cause taken up Armes King Lewis though thus abused did not suffer himselfe to be transported by passion but making use of his naturall dissembling expected a time for revenge And to pacifie the two sisters hee not long after married Bona to Galiazzo Maria Sforza Duke of Milan sonne to Francis but not with so good successe as Hall reports for her husband being slaine she within a few yeeres became a widdow and by her ill government afforded occasion to his cousin Lodowicke Sforza to take from her the government and the government life and Dukedome from her sonne Iohn Galeazzo The Earle of Warwicke this meane while wounded in his reputation parted from France more sensible thereof than he made shew for he could not though so farre cloake his anger but that Lewis was aware of it Being returned to England he so behaved himselfe with the King as that he seemed not to be at all distasted whilst this present injury did call to mind many other formerly received which would not though have hurried him to his ruine had it not been for this He saw how the King did apprehend his greatnesse and grew jealous thereof that his designe was to suppresse him when himselfe should be better established that he thought not himselfe King whilst men thought him as necessary to the conservation of the State as he was to the obtaining thereof That the services hee had done him were of such a nature as to shunne the tie of obligation ingratefull people doe oft times desire to rid themselves of the obliger That the state of businesse was such as would not suffer him to be debarred the communication thereof though Edward thought hee did thereby communicate unto him his government and made him Colleague of his Kingdome That he had sought after all occasions to bereave him of mens good opinion All which made him believe that he was sent into France to this purpose To this may be added and which boyled in him more than all the rest that Edward would have dishonoured his house by tempting the honesty of I know not whether his daughter or his neece wherein though he did not succeed the offering at it ceaseth not to be mischievous and wicked as a thing whereby he endeavoured to dishonour the family of his kinsman servant and benefactor All these things put together begat in him such an hatred as hee resolved to depose him and re-inthrone Henry as soone as a fit occasion should present it selfe And though hee retired himselfe to Warwicke under a pretence of an indisposition of health yet did the King spie his discontents though not so much as it behoved him to have done for hee thought him not so sufficient to depose him as he was to raise him up and that out of two reasons First that Princes doe seldome mistrust their owne power especially with their subjects secondly for that they doe believe the injuries they do are written in Brasse by those who receive them whilst they who doe them write them in Sand. The Queene was this yeere delivered of a daughter named Elizabeth who put a period to the Civill warres by marrying with Henry the VII Edward did this meane while peaceably possesse his Kingdome his enemies were all or slaine undone or frightned He had none to feare save France and her but a little for Lewis was more inclined to wage warre at home than abroad Hee forbare not though to joyne friendship with Iohn King of Arragon who upon occasion might by way of diversion assist him in Languedocke a good though deceitfull foresight for it often happens that many yeeres are spent in the cultivating of a friendship which proveth faulty in the harvest Yet wisdome it is to manure such as put us not to too great charge for the opinion of having friends weighes with our enemies This friendship occasioned the transportation of a great many sheepe into Spaine whereby England was as much impoverished as Spaine was inriched He likewise for the same respect concluded a Truce with Scotland for 15 yeeres But the friendship of the Duke of Burgundy was that which most availed him and which re-established him in his Kingdome when he had lost it Philip the Duke of Burgundy did yet live and his sonne Count Caralois who by two wives had one onely daughter afterwards the sole heire of all those Territories the Duke was minded to marry him the third time hoping to secure the succession by issue male He bethought himselfe of Margaret sister to Edward a Princesse of great beauty and indued with a spirit not usuall to her sex but her being of the house of Yorke made him stagger in his resolutions For that the Queene of Portugall his wives mother was a daughter of the house of Lancaster by reason whereof her sonne Charles did love that house and
any just proportion save what was from his Extrinsecall to his Internall so as if a man would have judged of him by the rules of physiognomy he could not judge amisse if he judged bad enough For what remaines hee was valiant advised bold couragious praise-worthy qualities but not in him since he made no use of them to good ends but to make his wickednesse the greater and more efficacious It is not as I believe to be denied that all bad actions spring from two wicked Mothers Malice and Ignorance wicked actions from malice from ignorance such as are common to the simpler sort of people a difference so much the more to be bemoaned as that malice increasing by yeares and ignorance decreasing the evill which is caused by the increase of the One is more detestable then is the good advantageous which we receive by the decrease of the other the evill extending it selfe to objects which are infinite the good confining it selfe to the agent which is an individuall Had Richards actions taken their source from both these so as a mixt composition might have beene made of them they might in some sort have beene tolerable but being occasioned meerly through malice they were so abominable as being augmented not only by processe of time but by his thirst after Government they arriâ—…ed at such a height of wickednesse as was not to be out-done When his brother died hee was in the Northerne parts of the Kingdome it is not knowne whether his desire of usurping the Kingdome sprung up then in him or whether he was possest with it before Those who believe him to have beene formerly possest therewith alledge for their opinion the death of Henry the sixt and of the Duke of Clarence accusing him to be both the Promoter and Executioner of the former since King Edward was never minded to put him to death which had he been he might have found other instruments enough without making use of his brother They verify this for that hee boasted by meanes of this parricide he had settled the Crowne upon the house of Yorke for he imagin'd there was no more left of the house of Lancaster either for that the Earle of Richmond was onely of that house by the mothers side or else that being out of the Kingdome and in custody no account was to be made of him It is certaine had he not formerly had this designe he would not have beene the butcher of a King to settle the succession onely upon Edwards Sonnes since Edward himselfe dreamed not of it who was sufficiently secure of Henry by his imprisonment and his having no issue his feares rose not from him but from the Earle of Richmond Richard on the other side feared not the absent Earle but Henry who was present and had beene King Should he have kept him alive to have kill'd him at the same time hee kill'd his Nephews his scandall would have been the greater and should hee not have kil'd him hee might have beene re-established Things which all of them might succeed his brothers disorders foretokening his death to be at hand 'T is related that Edward being dead by night a certaine man ran presently to a friend of his who was a servant of Richards to give him notice of it who answer'd if Edward was dead his master Richard would be King which t is not likely hee would have said had he not had some inkeling of the designe In Clarence his Death t is thought that whilst hee seemed to favour him he wrought all he could under hand that he might die 'T is cleare that when he was condemned he should have procur'd his Pardon and did not which caused Edward in vaine afterwards to complaine that others had such as would intercede for their Lives but His poore Brother could finde none to mediate for his so as to meete with the truth I thinke t is best to judge the worst The cunning of all other Architects who might perhaps have omitted some One thing which hee did not would not have sufficed to have perfected so difficult a building rather hee being so excellent in doing evill it had beene a wonder if hee had not done it For his Ambition being thereby to be satisfyed as well as his Cruelty the springs from whence did flow his other vices should he have refused it men might have thought the soule of Socrates had beene transmigrated into his body since that Socrates being naturally given to all vices abstained from thence meerly out of the Love of vertue which was not reason sufficient to make Him to abstaine from vice though being borne a Christian he might better do it then Socrates for Evangelicall vertues as they are more excellent so do they more incite to well-doing then Morall but these transmigrations being but fables and he if not altogether abandoned by his good Genius at least not sufficiently admonished thereby as was Socrates it is no wonder if he dyed the same that he was borne who never tooke delight in any thing but in the plotting of mischiefe nay it had been lesse trouble to Him to have fought against whatsoever well armed enemy then to have withstood the weakest of his lewd inclinations Many were the difficulties which in this businesse were to be overcome the meanes two Cruelty and Infamy Through Cruelty hee was to put his Nephewes to Death neither was that All their Sisters were yet to succeede before him and two others the Sonne and daughter of the Duke of Clarence which forced him upon Infamy To attaine to the uppermost Roonge of the Ladder of Government he must at one leap get thither from the Nethermost he being the lowest Roonge and Eight at the least being before him besides Bridget the Nun at Dartford But in wickednesse there is no difficulty which may not be overcome by Him who having Power and Malice hath not Honour nor Conscience to restraine him Hee at first resolved to governe himselfe according to the Fable the Wolfe could not hope to get the flock into his power did he nor first possesse himselfe of the Dogges which were its defence The King before his Death had sent Prince Edward into Wales to the end that his presence might reduce that people to their duties which though they were not Rebells were yet growne to such disobedience as that their Governours and Magistrates were not able to suppresse the great dissensions and Robberies there committed the disorders of the late Warre had put them so farre out of Tune that by how much they were farther from the King they were the like from Remedy The Sunne beates not with like force upon the Poles as it doth upon the Zones which Neighbour upon his beames A wise foresight For Wales being very affectionate to the title of their Principality a memory of their ancient Liberty and Dominion shewed such obedience at the comming of their Prince though but a Child as they had not formerly done to their ancient Magistrates
in which he govern'd himselfe so well as the more averse he shewed himselfe to what indeed he did desire the more provoked he an eagernesse in the Duke to discover what he sought to hide so as exagerating Englands happinesse falne into the government of so wise a Prince whilst under the government of a Child guided by persons interessed and hated it must have been ruinated The Bishop answered He must confesse the truth being sure that by doing otherwise he should not be believed that if things lately passed had been to be decided by Votes he should have voted that after Henry the sixths death the Crowne should have gone to his sonne Prince Edward and not to King Edward but that both of them being dead it had been great folly in him not to comply with the new King since the dead doe not revive That hee had behaved himselfe to Edward in all things as a faithfull Subject and Servant ought to doe to his King and Master That he would have done the like to his Children had they succeeded Him in His Kingdome but God having otherwise dispos'd of them his pretences were not to raise up that which God would keepe downe And for what concern'd the now King formerly Protector Here he held his peace as if he had unadvisedly falne upon that discourse but after a whiles silence he pursued to say That hee had already too much troubled himselfe with Worldly affaires 't was now time to retire himselfe and consider nothing but his Bookes and his owne quiet The silence that unexpectedly interrupted the discourse which the Duke desired to have heard finished made his desire thereof the greater so as thinking he had held his peace as not being confident of him he desired him to speake his minde Boldly assuring him he should be so farre from receiving Dammage thereby as that it might redound more to his Advantage then hee imagined That he had begg'd his Guardianship of the King for no other end but that he might better himselfe by his wise Counsels and that if He had been in any other mans custody He could not have met with one that would have set such a value upon his worth as did he The Bishop thanked him replying That it was not his desire to speake of Princes since they made the world to be not what it was but what it seem'd best to them Then when the Lyon banisht all Horn'd-beasts out of the Woods one that had a little Wen in his forehead fled away with the rest and being demanded by the Foxe why he fled he answered because of the proclamed banishment Yea but thou hast no Hornes said the Fox T is true I have none said the other animal but if the Lyon should say this Wenne were a Horne who durst say the contrary In what case should I be The Duke was well pleased with a Fable yet could hee not perswade him there was no Lyon should doe him any harme The Bishop said It was not his intention to dispute the Protectours title who was now King but since their treaty concerned the Common-wealth whereof he was a member he wisht it an addition of perfections to the many it already was endow'd withall and amongst these some of those with which God had adorned Him the Duke This being said hee held his peace much to the others displeasure who was grieved that whilst the Bishops discourse promised Much hee had said just Nothing whilst the comparison betweene the King and Him required not so darke but more intelligible explication He told him these many clouds of Diffidence injured their friendly communication assuring him that whatsoever he should say since it proceeded from a personage he so much honour'd it should be as if it had not been said at all Upon these words the Bishop resolved freely to unbosome himselfe encouraged by the Dukes vanity who loved to heare himselfe praised and by the Hatred he had now discovered he bore unto the King Whereupon he said He had read that man was not borne for Himselfe alone for his Friends or Parents but Chiefly for his Countrey that this consideration had moved him to take into his thoughts the present condition of this Kingdome his native soyle the which in comparison of former times 't was a wonder if it were not utterly ruin'd That there had been Kings under whose government it had happily flourished the love betweene them and their Subjects being reciprocall their interests being the same At home Peace Justice and Security Abroad Victory Honour and Trophees But now the world was much altered there was but onely one hope left which was in Him the Duke for considering his Publique Zeale his Learning his Wisdome Wit and so many other endowments the Kingdome in the midst of so great misery could have recourse to none but Him and that it had no Haven wherein to save it selfe during this tempest in which it was agitated but the safe Rode of His government out of which it was certaine to suffer Shipwrack That it could not be denied but that the Protector who now stiled himselfe King was endowed with Vertues which made him worthy of the Kingdome did he not reigne but that these his vertues were corrupted by so many Old and New vices that they had lost both their Quality and Name a wicked Prince converting Vertue into Vice as Vipers and Toads doe Nourishment into Poyson That there was no example in the usurping a Crown comparable with his for Wickednesse He had procured it without any pretence of Law contrary to the lawes of Humanity making his way thereunto by the Death of so many Worthy and Innocent persons contrary to the law of Nature by calumniating his Mother whom hee would have to be honest onely when shee conceived him contrary to the Laws of the Church by declaring his Nephews to be borne in Unlawfull Matrimony contrary to them All together by being their Executioner so as their Blood crying to Heaven for Revenge warn'd every man to beware of his life for if to possesse Himselfe of a Kingdome hee had not spared Their lives who were Neerest in Blood unto Him he would muchlesse spare the lives of Others that were Nothing at all unto Him so to usurpe what belonged to them To shunne therefore the Rockes they were likely to runne upon he humbly desired him That as he loved God his owne House and his native Countrey he would accept the Crowne free it from the captivity whereinto it was falne and if he would not doe this he conjured him by the obligations he ought to God that hee would doe his uttermost to change the Government since upon whomsoever it should fall it must needs redownd to the publique service but if He would assume it God would be therewithall well pleased He and his House secured the Kingdome obliged and all the World would thanke him When he had ceased speaking the Duke stood a good while pensive with his eyes fixt whereat
as out of Faction or out of Envie could not endure that Henry should reign the one that the Duke of York son to Edward the 4 was Alive the other that the King was resolved to put the Earl of Warwick who was prisoner in the Tower secretly to death The First was divulged to nurse up Hopes in such as were ill affected the Second to encrease Hatred against the King as if equally cruel with Richard he were about to treat the Earl of Warwick as Richard had treated his Nephews Whereupon Simond meeting with so fit an occasion bethought himself to make Lambert personate the Duke of York but presently altering his Opinion he judged it fitter for his purpose to have him personate the prisoner the Earl of Warwick and that if his endeavours should succeed and that Lambert should be made King he himself should be recompensed with the Chief Miter of England and the Government of King and Kingdom Neither did he think to meet with any great Obstacle herein since that the love to the House of York remaining yet in the hearts of Most of the Kingdom they could not possibly endure that the King having married the Princesse Elizabeth he should not suffer her to be Crowned as she ought to be Resolving hereupon he began to give such instruction to Lambert as such a businesse required and met with an Aptnesse in him fit to receive whatsoever documents but considering afterwards that his pupil was to represent the person of one that was known to many and not known to him he thought it was unpossible to be done without the Assistance of some-body who was conversant in the Court who might be informed by those that had served the Earl of his childish conversation and of all things that had befallen since King Edward's death at which time he was but Ten yeers old None being fitter for such an Office then the Queen Dowager she was imagined to be the Instructresse for she was but little satisfied to see her daughter so little beloved and so coolly treated as a Wife and as a Queen wanting the usual Marks of that dignity for Henry had neglected her Coronation though he had lately born him a Son not that her intention was to make Lambert King but to make use of him to Depose her Son-in-law to substitute the infant-Prince the lawful Successor in his place and in case she should meet with too great oppositions Lincoln or Warwick which were Both of the House of York That which made people of this opinion was Her being shortly after confined to a Monastery upon no weighty pretence as we shall see The King thought it expedient to punish her under the colour of a Petty known fault for a heinous one which was not fitting to be known Howsoever it was Lambert took upon him the gestures and behaviour of a great Personage with so miraculous punctuality as that these being joyned to his Natural Sweetnesse a True Prince could not be formed out with more true Perfections then were these false ones which appeared to be true in Him The reasons which made Simond change his first designe and chuse rather to have his Comedian personate the son to the Duke of Clarence then King Edward's son though he that was Dead might easilier be counterfeited then he that was Alive was That when a speech went of his being escaped out of the Tower he observed so Great Joy in the People as he thought he should have more to further him in his designe and that it would be easier for him to insinuate a falshood in the Person of This man falsly supposed to have made an escape then in that Other whose escape would the hardlier be believed for in it Two Impossibilities were to be supposed Pity in the Varlets that were to murder him which could not without danger enter into such souls especially under such a King as was Richard and the Escape from the Tower which augmenting the danger took from the belief of any Compassion in Them or Life in Him But that which chiefly made him resolve upon This was that whilst he was doubtful what to do 't was said for a truth that Warwick was Dead in the Tower Now to act this Comedy well he did not think England a fit Scene a proportionable Distance being required in things which must be taken for what they are not unavoidable difficulties were to be met withal upon the place which might be avoided abroad where no Witnesses being to convince nor Acquaintance to confound boldnesse becomes impudence without which Cheats of this nature can hardly be effected He resolved to go over into Ireland a Kingdom affectionate to the House of York and wherein King Henry at his coming to the Crown had altered nothing neither Deputy Councellor nor Officer the same commanded there that were there placed by Richard a negligence to be blamed in so Prudent a Prince as He was who knew the inclination of that Kingdom and People wherein if alterations chance to happen remedies are hardly come by none being to be had from within it Self and all External helps the Sea interposed between them and home being Difficult Dangerous and Slowe All which made for Symond's purpose who coming before Thomas Fitz-Gerald Earl of Kildare who was Deputy a man ill-affected to Henry as he was well-affected to the House of York presented his pretended Prince unto him using such illusions as Lambert not having any one part in him which did not gainsay his mean Extraction the Deputy believed him to be what his Masters speeches and his Studied Nobility made him appear to be insomuch that acquainting some of his trustiest friends with this Secret under the Seal of Confession he found them and together with them the People prone to Rebellion They received this fancied Prince with great honour they gave the Castle of Dublin to him for his Lodging and few days after proclaimed him King by the name of Edward the Sixth There was not any one Province that denied him obedience and all of them joyned in declaring War against Henry whilst on the contrary side there was not any one that spake a word or drew a sword in his behalf But that Kingdom being but bare of Money and Arms and but meanly furnished with Souldiers they hoped that such in England as were friends to the House of York and Margaret Dutchesse of Burgundy would in a businesse of so great consequence assist them with their Supplies whom they advertise that Edward Plantagenet is escaped out of the Tower and come into Ireland where he was received and proclaimed King that they were purposed to bring him into England his hereditary Kingdom if they would be ready with their assistance to secure his Entry and that his Aunt of Burgundy would assist him with Money Souldiers and Commanders Margaret by reason of her vertue for she had nothing in her blameable but her inveterate hate to the House of Lancaster was in great
Sanctuary her husband not many months after returning home Victorious and Triumphing she likewise returned with him and during his life lived in her former Greatnesse and Felicity when he died she fell upon the like necessity as formerly of taking Sanctuary her Brother-in-law having usurped the Kingdom from her Sons declared them to be Bastards and cruelly put them to Death for her yet greater grief her Brother and one of her sons had by her Former husband died under the Hangmans hands in lesse then Three months space she was wounded with the death of Three Sons and a Brother her eldest Daughter being married to the new King moved by her womanish anger to practise uneffectible Chimaera's she lost her Honour Goods and Liberty and shortly after died unhappie not visited by any whilst she lived abandoned by her friends She was endued with Rare Qualities but her ruine proceeded from her abuse in the Choice of them Wisedom and Wylinesse being of the like Habit and Aspect are easily mistaken One for Another she took the Later for the Former which she would not have done had she well considered them for they are of Differing Liveries the one's is border'd about with Vertue the other 's with Deceipt Queens Colledge in Cambridge is her foundation and so call'd from her at this hour The Earl of Lincoln fled at this same time into Flanders he was son to Iohn de la Poole Duke of Suffolk and Elizabeth Eldest sister to the Two Brothers Edward and Richard Richard had declared him to be his Successor in case he should die without Children for having published King Edward and the Duke of Clarence to be born in Adultery he could not if he would maintain the pretended justice of his Own cause to the Crown but reject their issue especially having injured them so heinously The Earl upon these hopes flew High in his conceipts he was a man so well conditioned as had his Title been just he deserved to have attain'd at what he aim'd His designes which were born to the ground by Henry who by his Uncles death had gotten the Crown began to renew again at this Irish news for knowing the pretended Plantagenet's falshood he thought the troubles that were thereupon like to arise would bring him to what he desired for Henry being once overcome it would be easie for Him to bear down the Impostor The King had oft-times had him in his thoughts for being a Bird fit for the Cage to let him fly loose Abroad might prove pernicious to Himself and to the State but the Earl of Warwick's imprisonment at which the People were offended was the cause why he imprisoned not Him which should he do they would take yet greater offence and he hoped though He were at Liberty he could not hurt him so long as the Other was in Prison Warwick's pretension was Just and according to the Laws Lincoln's was Illegal obtained from one who had no Power to give it and the more it was Questionable the lesse was it to be Feared for it was not likely that by the difference of Two disagreeing Pretendants any One of the parties might by Concord be established In which if he was deceived it was not to his Prejudice For Lincoln being fled not without the knowledge and appointment of Sir Thomas Broughton he went to his Aunt the Dutchesse who after divers consultations sent him into Ireland accompanied by the Lord Lovel and other Fugitives with a Regiment of Two thousand choice Dutchmen commanded by Martin Swart a Valiant Captain She thought this ready succour would produce many good effects as the Confirming of the Rebels in their Obstinacy the Securing the Counterfeit King in Possession and the Encouraging of his Party in England by making them Ready at their arrival to set upon Henry to fight with him and to put him to flight for the Feigned Edward the Sixth was to be Held up as long as need required and not Yet to be cashiered and the True Edward which was in the Tower put in his place She had no thought at all of Lincoln in this businesse knowing he had no Right of Pretence unlesse she would have Seconded her brother Richard in his Declarations to the Shame of her House which she was very far from The King when he understood of his flight was much perplext he saw that the Dutchesse having declared her self in the behalf of the Rebels he must defend his Crown with the Sword The first provisions he made was to make the Sea-coasts on that side be well guarded to the end that Others might not follow Lincoln's example He raised a Great Army and divided it under Two Generals the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Oxford believing to be set upon at one and the same time both from Ireland and Flanders And though he expected not this before the Spring yet forbore he not to make a journey almost in the midst of Winter into Suffolk and Norfolk to take order for necessary provisions And understanding by the way that Marquesse Dorset was coming to him to clear himself of some imputation which was falsly laid upon him he dispatched away the Earl of Oxford to meet him by the way with order to carry him to the Tower and to tell him That this was not done for that he had Deserved it or that the King had any Ill opinion of him but to Free him from the Danger of being Perswaded to undertake any thing which might redound to his Prejudice so as though he could not chuse but think such a provision very Hard he wished him to take it Patiently promising him he should have Honourable and Satisfactory reparation The King kept his Christmasse at Norwich and went from thence by way of Devotion to our Lady of Walsingham and from thence returned by Cambridge to London The Earl of Lincoln's arrival in Ireland with so many good men with him added to the Rebels hopes they were very proud to see themselves favoured by the Dutchesse by her sending of such ready Helps and Two so great Lords as were Lincoln and Lovel At their coming King Lambert was Crowned being formerly but Proclaimed King Being in Council they differ'd in Opinions whether the war were to be made in Ireland or England Those who would have it made in Ireland alleadged for their reasons That Henry being necessitated to passe over thither in Person lest he might lose that Kingdom he would meet with many disadvantages amongst which the most Considerable would be his giving way for the Faction of York to Spread it Self the which being already Great would Encrease and grow Greater in the Absence of the King and such Forces as he must carry along with him so as the Faction of Lancaster consequently growing Weaker it would run danger of being Destroy'd and divers would be encouraged to Abandon it who Already were prettily well Enclined so to do which if it should fall out he would be able to do but
growne to that height that Richard in case he should dye without issue desired to leave the Kingdome to him it was impossible for them so farre to alter their affections as that they did not preferre danger before security The severall opinions of this conspiracy are so various as that they may admit of doubt but for my part I rest assured that this variety proceeded from the not knowing of true particularities and that through the inveloping of secrets the common people have fashioned their story whereupon that hath happened which will alwayes happen that many true cases have no circumstances which are not or false or very uncertaine Having tyed up all in a bundle I will give you the opinion of Writers King Henry when he was young had let some words fall perhaps out of inconsiderate vivacity of spirit or else out of ambition to be thought a States-man tending to this purpose That Princes in consideration of their degree and expence had but small revenewes and that the Clergie in regard of their calling and occasion had too great incomes To which speech Richard afterwards alluding said That if the Earle of Darby came to the Crowne he would be no great favourer of the Clergy Having now obtained it and the memory remaining of what he had said and the other had judged the Clergy had some reason to suspect since such like words as these were not let fall by chance but at such time when as snares being laid for the Clergie because of their wealth there were divers who had given such particulars of their estates to the Parliament as that the two Archbishops were forced to protest against any Act which should be made against Ecclesiasticall liberty or immunity and though I beleeve that these suspitions were vaine mens mindes changing by yeeres and experience and he not having in all his reign shewed any such inclination yet he who shares in a beleeved danger doth not wait the comming of it but prevents it which was the onely cause that made the Abbot of Westminster doe what he did This man was religious by profession but by practice a Courtier his learning and experience had won him reputation especially with Richard who tooke him along with him in his last journey into Ireland being then firmely of opinion that the King who had profest himselfe no friend to the Clergie would for ever continue the like he thought the best way to prevent this danger would be by Henries death and because the grounds of this his imagination were either true or likely he suffered himselfe to be perswaded to a likelihood of effecting his desires wherein hee had not beene deceived if fortune had not failed him He considered that Henries preferment was occasioned rather out of hatred to Richard then any love to him that such effects change with the change of fortune that the one being deposed the other was no more so much desired who was onely coveted to exclude the other this being effected that his first love and applause was turned into envie and hatred that the people were fickle greedy of what they have not cloyed with what they have that his neerest kin were his enemies his brother brother in law and cousin being censured in Parliament that usurpation is hatefull both to God and man that a lawfull King was unlawfully deposed the lawfull heires contrary to reason disinherited that he was favoured by the Nobility as by the house of Percy for interest by that of Yorke for feare that the envy to him ward and compassion towards Richard were Rams able to beat downe whatsoever well built wall All of them considerations of much weight but counterpois'd by the Kings fortune light beyond comparison Hatred and treason are false ballances wisedome is the onely just scale which if the Abbot had used he had saved his owne life with the life of Richard and the lives of others who drawne by a rash confidence perished in the praecipice of a too bold and heady resolution for God doth seldome suffer never assist bad actions The first care in this businesse was to finde persons fitly appropriated to the businesse since of the welwillers thereunto these were only usefull when by birth or retinue were void of exception faithfull faith being then most to be relyed upon when most interessed and interest being the chiefest causer of our affections Not herewithall contented he would have them oppositely affected with love and hopes towards Richard with hatred and feares towards Henry so as without more adoe these considerations pointed out unto him what choice he was to make The Dukes of Exeter and Surrey were most neerely concerned in Richard and under him their greatnesse was safe which under Henry was doubtfull and supprest though Exeter had married his sister a thred too weakely spun to with-hold suspitions which in what concerned the Kingdome befell his brother in law meere shadowes indangering him and forcing upon him a necessity of impossible circumspection for the preservation of the State as it now was was the onely gaine which was to be aimed at In the Duke of Aumerle were more weighty considerations none at all for what concern'd his blood he was in the like relation cousin to both but it being an ordinary thing to repay unuseful kindred with disrespect and with hatred such as bereave us of our good fortune or are a crosse to us therein by Richard he had beene remunerated by Henry cut short of part of his honours and livelihood but that which of all other his distastes he was most sensible of was that he could not suffer the being cut off from the Crowne by his younger brother the Earle of Cambridge who had married Anne to whom when Edmund Earle of March should dye the right to the Crowne did belong Iohn Montaigne Earle of Salisbury who had beene an abusive medler in the breach of the match betweene Henry and the daughter of Berry had reason to presume him his irreconcileable enemy Hugh Spencer Earle of Glocester preferd by Richard supprest by Henry ally'd moreover to the house of Yorke by his match with Constance the daughter of Aumerle could not aspire to higher hopes Iohn Bishop of Carleil though with the height of clemencie freed from imprisonment at Saint Albons was notwithstanding by his persevering in a preposterous zeale fast linked to the love of the one and hatred of the other Magdalun Chaplaine to King Richard to boot with the common interests and obligations of the above-named did naturally so much resemble Richard as that there was no separating of him from his party These and divers others not named were by the Abbot invited to a great feast which being done they fell to private conference wherein having deplored the miseries of the time the imprisonment of a King to whom by nature oath and particular favours they were obliged as likewise their owne losse in his fall they resolved to re-establish Richard by the death of Henry presuming
Sterling in the Church of the Dominicans with the title of King of England Henry had great good fortune so happily to acquit himself of this conspiracy otherwise in likelihood hee might have beene oppressed by evills which on three sides hung over him for during all his life his fortune was through dangers to arrive at happinesse and at safety by the Rockes of precipice France had made great preparations of man and shipping to succour Richard with intention to come for England relying upon his partakers upon the envy contracted by the new King and upon the inconstancy of popular affection their former hatred was changed into compassion They were all in Picardy under the command of Count St. Paul ready to take shipping when together with advertisement of the conspiracy came newes of the unhappy successe thereof which amazed them all To proceed farther under colour of revenge which brought along with it suspicion of invasion had now beene rashnesse since they were dead in whom they did most affie Greater preparations were to be made for the invasion of England these not being sufficient without some correspondency from within the Land And as the home conspiracy gave the last blow to Richards life so did the forraigne preparations confirme Henry in that resolution which he would not have willingly taken without these sharpe provocations so as that which was intended for his liberty caused his death The forces in France were all disbanded Charles upon good advice desired onely the restitution of his daughter a just request and not to be had but by civill meanes the which hee obtained sending over Embassadours to that purpose who were graciously received but the King referred his answer to certain commissioners who were to go to Callis to treat together with this of other affairs which neerely concerned both the Crownes Charles sent thither the Duke of Bourbon and Henry Edward Duke of Aumerle who by the late death of his father did now succeed in the title and inheritance of the Duke of Yorke together with whom hee sent Henry Earle of Northumberland Bourbon required the restitution of the Queene which they denyed not but desired that by the approbation of France she might yet remaine in England since by birth and yeares she was a fit match for the Prince of Wales as wife for whom they did desire her But Charles not willing to consent to this having conceived an opinion that the aliance with England would prove unfortunate for France a perpetuall peace was propounded by Yorke This being likewise found a difficult businesse France being resolved not to quit what it was possest of the English Edmund endevoured to bridle his insolency The battell was on both sides manfully fought Glendor had two advantages the number of men and his being their Captaine By these meanes hee proved victor obedience and good order having wonne him the Lawrell The Herefordshire men on the other side fewer in number and led by the Earle onely in regard unto his quality obeyed many and sometimes none doing what they listed so as distracted and not resolved what to do they made good the field till night rather out of an obstinate resolution then any reason or order At last they yeelded but fled not for none did pursue them Glendor was contented that he had overcome for finding himselfe in an enemies Countrey the night being darke many of his men slaine and the rest or weary or wounded hee forbare to pursue the victory Two thousand were left dead in the field the Earle was taken prisoner and kept in the bottome of a Tower no respect being had to his person neither did the King though by many much importuned indevour his liberty for he thought this his imprisonment to bee one of the happiest things that ever befell him Let me here bee permitted to relate a Story of the Welsh Women the like to which I have not met withall in any other history They ran like so many Bacchanals to the place of battell they cut off the noses and privities from as many as there they found dead they put the privie members which they had cut off into the mouthes of the dead with the testicles hanging out and the noses into their posteriors nor would they suffer their bodies to be taken away without ransome An action wherein eagernesse dishonesty cruelty and avarice were equally seene and were it to bee disputed which of these foure were most abusive whosoever should give his opinion in favour of any of them might lawfully feare the being thought unjust each of them having arguments to plead for the priority of mischiefe but if I were to be Judge herein I should beleeve that avarice were not to bee pleaded For though it bee a vice naturall to that Sex yet in what belongs to their houshold government it may bee accounted a vertue I should absolve them of cruelty as not an absolute cause but an effect of the fiercenesse of their nature And I would free them from dishonesty because no dishonesty being without delight this action was thereof incapable so as fiercenesse would win the plea were it not that the inveterate hatred which they bare unto the English had been the onely thing which made them fierce dishonest avaritious and cruell Glendor kept on his course sacking and spoyling the confines These two victories had made him bee esteemed by his owne men and feared by his enemies there was none the King being busied about more weighty affaires who withstood him but good fortune is like the flowing of the Sea which ebbes againe for a full sea is alwayes followed by an ebbe The Scots had at this very time taken their best advantage of the alterations in England they readily made use thereof and Northumberland was the place wherein they laid their first Scene The truce continued of force betweene the two kingdomes and because warre was not publickly proclaimed the truce was not esteemed broken for disorderly incursions are pardoned between nations at continuall enmity Nor was King Robert to be blamed herein unlesse it were for conniving The Scots having ransacked the countrey betooke themselves to doe mischiefe at sea and to endammage the fishing businesse But the English were not wanting unto themselves for having sacked the Ilands of the Orcades they met with the enemies Fleet who under the command of Robert Logon went to encounter them in fight they tooke many of them An action of small consequence and onely worthy of the name of Reprisall but occasions of open hostility ensuing hereupon Henry was unwillingly enforced to undertake a warre The King of Scotland had contracted a match between the daughter of George Dumbar Earle of the Marches and Prince David his eldest sonne the Earle having readily paid in a great summe of money by the way of portion Archibald Earle Douglas a high spirited man not able to endure this addition of power in any one much lesse in Dumbar who was of himselfe great and
how and by whom King Richard was slaine hee did believe that his death was occasioned by any command or approbation of his he did believe falsly and that he would make this good unto him body to body Hee did not deny but that in the confederacie made between them the King of France and Isabel Queen of England were on his side excepted but that he the Duke could not likewise deny that though the Duke of Burgondy was by name excepted yet that in private he told him he held him as not excepted for the confederacie was onely grounded upon the hatred he bare unto him so as the objection which hee made against him the King was the same which the Duke from the very beginning was maliciously guilty of For that part of his reply where he said that He would never have mâ—…de any confederacie with him if he had thought hee would have behaved himselfe so to King Richard why then did he after Richards death send a Gentleman to him to assure him of the continuation of his friendship and to tell him that next the King his brother he desired to serve no Prince alive more then him That God had permitted him but not promoted him to reigne hee did not beleeve it yet he confessed that Gods abounding favours to him proceeded onely from grace and mercie the which was able to effect more then all the art and malice of the Divell by these words hee alluded to what was commonly beleeved that the Duke and Valentia his wife had bewitched King Charles and plotced the death of his children to the end that they might come to the Crown that if he had read the Articles of agreement hee would there have found that England was not obliged to make any joynture that he had not onely restored unto her what ever she brought with her but presented her to boot that the Acquittance sealed in Councell he himselfe being present might convince him of his falshood so as what he said in this point was not for that he did not know the contrary but that being of himselfe false and wicked to speake truth was contrary to his nature that hee did not deny his desire of sparing to shed the bloud of France as it well became a King to bee sparing of his subjects bloud for such his just claime considered were the French to him that where he said He had more respect to the bloud of France then the life of Richard hee lied and that it were to bee wisht hee had not done worse to the King his brother for what remained that hee would passe the sea when it might conduce to the honour of God his owne good and the good of his kindome to answer him in what manner hee should chuse This defiance was accompanied by another from Valerian of Luxenburgh Count Saint Paul who not calling him King but Duke of Lancaster denounced to him That his friendship and affinity to King Richard for he had married Magdâ—…len Holland sister by the mothers side to Richard and Henry's being notoriously guilty of his death obliged him to doe him all the evill and mischiefe which by the forces of himselfe and subjects he was able But the King made him no answer as one he made no account of In the Duke of Orleans his businesse nothing passed further then the defiances by writing but the Count St. Paul began to take his revenge to little purpose making triviall attempts most harmfull to himselfe for beleeving that the new Duke of Yorke was causer of Richards death the conspiracie at Oxford being by his heedlesnesse discovered hee caused his Statue to bee made and giving it in charge unto some of his men of warre he made it to be hung up by the heeles upon a gallowes which for that purpose was carried by night neere to Callais walles the which at the opening of the gates being seen did so exasperate the Garrison of the Towne that the Count and his territories fared not the better for it all his other attempts after this had ill successe as wee shall hereafter see more at large This mean while the King of France being advertised of King Henry's preparations against Wales he set himself to succour Glendor judging that it might redound to his advantage to annoy England under anothers pretext and to make it pine away by nourishing the feaver of an intestine war To this effect he caused many Ships to be put in good equipage in Brest a haven in Bretaigne and put therein two thousand fighting men under the command of Iames of Burbon Count of March who putting to Sea with his two brothers Lewis and Iohn found the winds so contrary to his passage into Wales as that he was forced to anchor at Plimmouth in Devonshire where landing his people by night hee burnt and sacked all the neighbouring villages not sparing the Abodes nor Boats of poore Fisher-men But herein Fortune smiled upon him but a while for the confining people gathering together at the firing of the Beacons and newes being brought him that the violence of Winde and Sea had split twelve of the best Ships of his Fleet indangering all the rest Hee with difficulty did re-imbarke himselfe and with much adoe got to Saint Maloes having runne divers times danger of being swallowed up by Sea This ill successe did no waies asswage the French mens heat for assembling together a fleet of eighty ships under the command of Marshall Moemerancy and the Generall of the Crosse-bow-men wherein they imbarked 12000. fighting men they came to Milford haven in Pembrokeshire where finding Pembroke Castle strong and well defended they sat downe before Erfordnuest which being likewise secured by the Earle of Arundell they passed forward to Denbigh doing all those out-rages as they went by fire and sword as are usually done in an enemies Countrey there they found Glendor who staied expecting them with ten thousand of his owne men thus met together they travailed toward Worster but not having time to try the towne by reason of the Kings approach they fired the suburbs and retyred into Wales fortifying themselves upon the hanging of a hill betwixt the which and the opposite hill where the King had pitched himselfe there was a Valley disadvantagious for those who should first passe over it they tarried eight daies in sight of one another both sides resolute not to assaile and though daily divers skirmishes were made yet were they not of much importance some of both sides being slaine amongst which the bastard of Burbone the Marshalls brother was one The King this meane while had stopped the passage of their victualls thereby inforcing them either to passe the Valley and fight or else to retire the latter being thought the better course they raised their campe at midnight marching through Woods and over Mountaines still pursued by the King but this pursute lasted but a while for the King having lost certaine provision of victualls which the enemy well
shocke but the Welshmen comming at the same time to the rebels assistance the Kings Vantguard began to give ground and had been routed if the King with his battalion had not put forwards Young Percie aspiring after victory advanced his likewise having formerly agreed with Douglas to kill the King in whose death did consist the victory and end of the warre Dumbar perceived their ends by their violent comming on and with much adoe got the King to with-draw himselfe to another place which if he had not done hee had run apparant danger for the violence of the bickering was all made upon the Standard Royall the which was beaten downe and Sir Walter Blunt who had the charge thereof slaine together with as many more as did defend it Amongst which according to Walsingham and Hollenshead the Earle of Stafford made that very day Lord high Constable was one though Halle reckons him amongst the rebels The King who as hath been said was gone elsewhere whilst fighting and commanding he performed the office both of a Captaine and stout Souldier was by Douglas who sought after him with a Lance borne downe to the ground but getting on horse-backe againe hee did acts of such fame as that forraine Writers doe agree that he slew with his owne hands that day six and thirty of the enemies Douglas beleeving that he had done what he desired gave on still and met with a second then a third cloathed with upper garments like the King which both being over-throwne or slaine hee knew not what to thinke of so many Kings in one battell incountred I name them not for I meet not with their names in any Authour Henry Prince of Wales a youth not fully sixteen yeares old wounded in the face by a Dart and deafe to their perswasions who would have withdrawne him from the battell to have dressed him gave proofe that in his due time hee would bee that brave King hee was The enemy gave on no where nor did his men give any where backe where hee opened not the enemies rankes and closed his owne By his example instructing and by his valour causing shame where none was So as the Kings party hartned by the valiant carriage of the Father and Sonne the Father followed by the most valiant of his men seeing the face of Fortune changed gave on where the enemy was thickest Young Percie who according to his custome had fought bravely was by I know not whom slaine whose losse was the losse of the Battell on his side The Kings side began already to cry out victory and the name of Saint George was ecchoed through all the Campe when Douglas not longer able to withstand fortune the Scots being almost all slaine the English and Welsh fled began to think how he might likewise scape he set spurs to his horse which stumbling on the top of a hill he fel down and in the fall broke one of his genitories and was tane prisoner The Earle of Worster the execrable cause of so great mischiefe the Lord Chinderton Sir Richard Varnon divers others were likewise tane but in a diverse manner The battel lasted three houres on the Kings side besides ten Gentlemen who were that morning knighted 1600. souldiers were slaine and foure thousand more dangerously hurt there was slaine of the Rebels 5000. not numbring the Gentlemen the Scots nor those of Chester who as the Welsh had alwayes beene faithfully devoted to Richard This defeat fell upon the Saterday so as the Earle of Worster and the other two had leasure on Sunday to thinke upon their soules for on Munday the law passed upon them at Shrewsbury The Earles head was sent and set upon London bridge the Lord Percies body which was by the Kings permittance buried was by command of the same taken up beheaded and quartered The punishment of offendors is one of the foundations of State and to teach great men their duties by their equalls infamy is numbered amongst the secrets of government This was the end of Percy the Hotspurre one of the valiantest warriers that age produced he died armed amongst armed troopes covered with his owne blood and the blood of others his end had beene glorious had he died in a more justifiable cause he mought well have preserved himselfe his high spirit being allayed by the Kings last proffer but the malice of a wicked Uncle hindred him causing by his false report this his death and infamy Earle Douglas no subject but a profest enemy was by the King commended and admired and set at liberty For vertue by men generously minded is applauded even in enemies Owen Glendor and the Earle of Northumberland remained yet enemies not to be dispised The King sent the Prince his sonne to Wales who finding the people in those parts possest with feare by reason of the last overthrow chased them like so many wilde beasts over mountaines and through woods Glendor forsaken by all men died within a few dayes of meere hunger his hopes and life his principalitie and prophesies ending all at once so as having appeased the countrey and left governours there the Prince returned home in triumph But that Glendor did dye in this sort is only written by Edward Halle other writers keep him longer alive The King tooke a journey towards Yorke to reduce the Earle of Northumberland to his duty and found that if he had not beene withstood by the Earle of Westmerland and Sir Robert Waterton hee would have drawne his forces into the field and have joyned with his sonne but that fearing to encounter them he had retired himselfe into his strong Castle The King writ unto him to disbandon his forces willing him to come in a peaceable fashion Hee obeyed not knowing how to doe otherwise after so great a ruine he came accompanied onely with a few of his owne followers he used not many-words concerning his nakednesse with excuses and laying those faults upon such as were dead which lived yet in him The King dissembling his displeasure for Barwicke and other strengths were yet in his hands furnished with Scottish Garrisons suffered him to returne that hee might not againe indanger those confines he gave him friendly and holy admonitions which had he had the fortune to imbrace hee had not heaped up desolation upon his family by his owne death Some will have it that the King pardoned his life but did confiscate his goods leaving him onely sufficient for maintenance and t is not unlikely for in the next Parliament he was restored to all except the Isle of man a superfluous favour if he had not bene formerly punished This meane while Valerian Count St. Paul netled by his no honorable retreat from the Isle of Wight levied 2000. fighting men part French part Genoveses part Dutch with the which heunexpectedly sat down before Merc Castle little more then a league distant from Callis hoping by their valor excellency of his Engines to win it the place was defended by soldiers more
The sheep being thus delivered over to the Wolfe the Duke at the very first shut him up in Saint Andrewes Castle a jurisdiction of that Archbishopricke the which after the death of the last Archbishop hee had unduly usurped under pretence of keeping it during the vacancie of that Metropolitan See but thinking him to be there too nigh the Kings eare and the Courts eye desiring rather his death then his amendment he carried him to the strong hold of Faukland a jurisdiction of his owne where he caused him to be put into a dungeon with direction that he should there dye of hunger a commission though given in secret yet by the effect sufficiently published no preparation being made in so little a place where all that was done was seene neither for the person nor nourishment of such a prisoner He had died in a few dayes and it had been better for him since die he must had he not been kept in life by the daughter of the Keeper of the Castle and a countrey Nurse who commiserated his condition and had accesse through an Orchard to the Castle The former nourished him with oaten Cakes which by little peeces shee conveyed unto him through a chinke the other gave him sucke through a small Cane the one end whereof he tooke into his mouth whilst she squiezed her milke in at the other end His keepers marvelled to see him still alive but the meanes being discovered the two charitable women were cruelly put to death the father accusing his owne daughter to prove himselfe faithfull to him that was unfaithfull and a tyrannous Governour At last when he had torne his flesh and eaten his fingers through rage by death hee put an end to his vices miseries and life This bitter accident was generally knowne every where before the King had any notice of it every one fearing to be slaine for recompence of doing so good an office Having at last hearâ—… some whispering thereof hee could not believe otherwise then as it was Great were the complaints but the brother excused himselfe deluding justice by laying the fault upon divers who were in the castle for faults deserving death whom he accused for having murdered the Prince for which they suffered death The King not herewithall satisfied but unable to revenge himselfe he publickly besought God by some miraculous judgement to punish the author of so great a wickednesse He had yet a second sonne living named Iames he was advised to send him abroad since it was not likely he who had committed so horrid a treason would stick at the murthering of him also without the which his former mischiefe would nothing availe France was thought the safest place to send him to The young Prince was with much secrecie imbarked Henry Sincleer Earle of the Orchades being given unto him for governour but having shunned Scylla hee fell as the Proverbe sayes upon Carybdis for the Marriners having cast anchor before Flemburgh in England either driven by the windes or to refresh the Prince much afflicted with seasickenesse they were known to be Scots the Prince known to be there so as he was detained and brought to Court it was long disputed at the Councell Table whether he should be suffered to depart or no but the negative prevailed His Father fearing such an incounter had given him a letter for Henry which though full of compassion and pitty did not alter the resolution taken So as hee being old deprived of his sonnes and feebly hearted gave himselfe over to griefe would take no more meate and in three daies died for meere sorrow Scotland confirmed the government of that Kingdome upon the Duke of Auboney till such time as their new King Iames should regaine his liberty Buchanan accuses King Henry for that action his chiefe reason being that he detained him whilest there was yet a truce of eight yeares betweene the two Crownes but I finde no other truce then that of the preceding yeare already expired Edward Askew treates at large upon this you may peruse him This imprisonment by consent of all Scottish writers was more happy to him then whatsoever liberty for the King gave him such education as belonged to his birth The Scotchmen are naturally given to all discipline as well speculative as active ingenious at sciences stout and valiant in warre but this Prince out did them all in aptnesse to all these for he surpassed his teachers aswell in horsemanship as in Theologie Philosophy and other liberall sciences especially in musicke and poetry wherein he proved most expert so as that fortune which was thought unhappy crowned him with glory for besides the advantage of so good education he was free from feare of his Uncle and was in his due time an introducer of learning politenesse and such arts as were not before known in Scotland it is to be observed in him that evill fortune is the best Academy for a man to profit in A rule which suffered exception in the Earle of Northumberland whose last actions we must now treate of for though an old man he died a schollar in that Academy before he had learnt the maxime of good government not using patience but in his vast thoughts plausible but pernitious counsellors resolving rather to dye then live declined a noble resolution in a better cause or upon more mature occasion He had made many journeyes into France Flanders and Wales to raise up warre and get helpe against his King all which proved of no use to him at last he returned to Scotland from whence accompanied by Bardolf he fell with great troopes of men upon Northumberland he there recovered divers Castles his army much encreasing by divers who from those parts came to assist him from thence he passed into Yorkeshire where by proclamation he invited all those to side with him who loved liberty The King at the first noise hereof went to meet him but hardly was he come to Nottingham when he understood that Sir Thomas Rookesby Shirife of that Shire had given him battell slayne him and taken Bardolf prisoner who afterwards dyed of his wounds The King did not though forbeare to pursue his journey that hee might quench the yet hot ashes of that rebellion he mulcted many and put many to death answerable to the condition of their faults The Bishop of Bangor and Abbot of Ailes who were taken prisoners in the conflict met with different fortunes according to the diversity of their habits The Abbot being taken in armour was hanged the Bishop who was clothed in the habits of his profession was pardoned the heads of the two Peers were cut off put upon the top of two speares and sent to be set upon London bridge This was the miserable end of the father sonne and brother descended from one of the noblest races that came from Normandie into England all this ruine being occasioned out of a meer capritchio of wrastling with the King and detaining in his despite the Scottish
out of private humours and that it should be defaced and destroied since it was one day to be his so as remooving the campe after a months siege he commanded the cannoniers upon paine of life not to shoote one shot more without his command At which the Duke of Burgony being troubled beleeving that he had compassion on his enemies did what he could to perswade him that violence was the onely meanes to reduce rebells to obedience But being severely answered that too much had already beene done and that it was time to forbeare those who desired an agreement were much encouraged and concluded an agreement upon these conditions That the peace at Shartres should remaine in its vigour and force that the Count Vertu should marry the daughter of the Duke of Burgony that the Duke of Berry and his confederates should surrender up all such Cities and other places as the King should desire that he should renounce all confederacies as well at home as forreiny made against the Duke of Burgony that the King should restore all their Cities and strong holds not obliged to repaire what was demolished that their officers and servants should be readmitted into their offices and possessions And because the brothers of Orleans were not present their Agents promised for them The peace being sworne and proclaimed command under paine of great punishment was made that the two factious names of Burgonians and Arminiackes should be no more used The Orleanists were so called for when Count Arminiack joyned with them his people and all that faction were by the common people called by this name This businesse being for this time thus still'd the King went to Auxerres whither the Duke of Orleans and his brother the Count Vertu came They then swore the peace they renounced all confederacy with England they accepted of the above said marriage and shewed tokens of reciprocall good will insomuch that the two enemy Dukes were seen to ride upon one the self same horse Their former charges were to some restored But Count Saint Paul would not surrender up the Constables place Whereupon the Lord Albret withdrew himselfe ill satisfied from the Court This peace was agreed upon before the English landed in France which was wisely foreseene by the Dolphin for agreement would not so easily have beene made if both the Nations joyned together had tasted the sweetes of any fortunate successe Their arrivall was first heard of in Normandy next in the parts neere Constantina from thence in du Mayne and from thence in Touraine all which places suffered such inconveniences as are usually caused by enemies Souldiers were every where raised whilst they onely desired to be payed the onely meanes to make them returne home But the Dukes of Berry and Orleans were so exhausted as they knew not how nor where to raise 200000. Crowns which they ought them The King of Sicily left the Court and went to defend his Countrey of Aniou from their incursions The Earles of Warwicke of Kent arrived at the same time with 2000. men at Caleis who taking the garrisons of that Towne to them scoured over all the Countrey of Bullen and the parts adjacent and although the Counts Saint Pauls Ramburres and others came thither with great numbers of men they were rather a greevance then a helpe to the poore people of those parts who suffered such harme by them as they could not doe by the enemy The King being come to Paris the Dukes of Berry and of Orleans remained with the Queen at the Bois de Saint Vincennes from whence waiting upon her to Paris Orleans not entring into the Towne passed into the Country of Beaumont to raise monies And though all other places were restored to him yet could he by no meanes get repossession of Perefont and Cousie the which were held by the Count Saint Paul who denied to surrender them without a great summe of money due as he said to the garrisons there Pretences are never wanting where men proceede not with cleare intentions but being necessitated to acquit himselfe of the Duke of Clarence he set aside all other affaires and not able to pay unto him the whole debt he assigned over unto him in pawne for 209000. francks which remained due to him his brother the Count of Angolesme who was great grandfather to Francis the first and some other Lords who being brought into England remained there divers yeares for lacke of ransome This being done he sent unto the King for the restitution of the aforesaid places and obtained letters and directions to that purpose yet were they not delivered up unto him moreover fire breaking forth in Perefont it was almost burnt to the ground To this distaste others were added The Duke of Burgundy caused Bordinus of Saligni formerly his favourite to be carried prisoner into Flanders suspecting that he had revealed some of his secrets The bastard of Burbon ran a danger in Paris the City rising up against him in favour of certaine insolences committed by a butcher Offices which were to be restored were not so as the conditions of peace thus ill observed men rather inclined to breake it againe then to see it thus unworthily peeced The Dolphin who well weighed these alterations grew somewhat coole towards his father in law the rather for that hee was continually sollicited by the Dukes of Bar and Bavieres and by the Count Vertu to take the government wholly upon himselfe and free himselfe from the servitude of being directed by others These broiles grew to no ripenesse during Henries life and had they ripened he perchance would not have delighted in them for hee had changed his thoughts and was returned to the same inclinations of nature wherewith he was borne for having reduced his Kingdome to quiet condition having no more occasion of being bloudy or detested his actions were growne to that degree of temperance as there remained nothing more to be desired in him Justice was administred without distinction of persons He was affable liberall courteous and pious so as the Nobility and Commonalty did now as much love as they had formerly hated him and having set his thoughts wholly upon God he resolved to spend the remainder of his life in his service in the recovery of the holy land judging all other warfare misbecomming a Christian Prince He had no impediments likely to disturbe him from his resolution hee was free from the affaires of France which he esteemed quieted by reason of the last peace a peace not likely to prejudice him that Kingdome being so divided within it selfe as it could not hurt him his owne Kingdome was so well united as hee had no reason of feare there The occasions of former seditions were ceased by the losse of their lives who were the chiefe occasioners thereof all ill humours were appeased by the death of such as were the raisers of them He had foure sonnes all of them of great hopes Scotland had no King The
of the Prince and so to lose together with their wealth their reputation which in so great a losse ought to bee kept unspotted for the dignity of their profession and not to give a colour of reason to the wrong they were to receive Every one thought the Kings warlike inclination would bee the Canon which should batter them to pieces but hee not having as yet made choyce of an enemy warre with France would be of a vaste expence Scotland was neerer hand and easier to bee invaded Iames the first their King being prisoner in England they thought that his pretentions to the Crowne of France as most proportionate to the greatnesse of his minde would serve for an argument and that by perswading him to that enterprise they should stay the proposition which was to be made against them The Parliament being met the Archbishop of Canterbury a Chertosin Monke failed not in a well ordered speech opportunely to propound it his principall heads were the equity of his Majesties pretentions the honour of the King the reputation of the State and the occasions now offered of making it feasable by reason of the troubles that Kingdome was in In the first he shewed how the King was the naturall ancient heire of Normandy Angier Poictou Umena and Gascony of all which he now possessed onely a little part of Gascony That being heire to Edward the third hee was likewise heire to France otherwise the title which he thereof assumed would be unjust He declamed against the Salique Law as invented in those dayes onely to exclude England no mention being made thereof in Chronicles or other memorialls but since I cannot give you the very words the story necessary requires me to shew you the Law in a rough draught to the end that you may examine the late undertakings of Edward the third or the present ones of this Henry against that Kingdome be justifiable or no. Edward the second King of England married Isabell daughter to Philip the faire King of France Philip besides this his daughter Isabell left three sonnes Lewis Hutin Philip the long and Charles the faire all which reigned Kings one after another and though Lewis left a daughter named Iane and his wife with child of a sonne which soone after dyed and that Odone Duke of Burgony Uncle by the mother side to Iane did what in him lay to make her succeede unto her father yet Philip the long her Uncle who was crowned in Rheims whilst armed and the gates shut having then foure daughters did by marriage appease those Princes who did oppose him giving his eldest daughter to this Duke of Burgony together with the County of Burgony the which by her mother did belong to the said Iane and to Lewis Count of Eureux the most poteâ—… Prince of all the adversaries hee gave the same Iane and for her portion the Kingdome of Navarre the County of Brye and Shampania so as the businesse thus layed asleepe and he afterwards dying Charles succeeded him not interrupted by Iane since her giving way to her other Uncle passed as a ruled case Charles dyed leaving his wife with child Edward the third King of England who was neerest of bloud as borne of Isabell sister to these three Kings pretended to the regency in case the child the Queen went withall should live if otherwise to the Crown On the other side Philip Count of Vallois sonne to Châ—…rles who was brother to Philip the faire made the like pretence as neerest heire male alledging that the Law Salique which did exclude the women did likewise exclude such sonnes as were by them borne Whereupon the three States gathered together Philip got the regencie and the Queen Dowager bringing but a daughter the Kingdome Edward alledged in his behalfe that this law was never knowne till then and then invented to defraude him of succession no mention being made thereof in the memory of man nor by any whatsoever ancient Authentique writer That to give it a being when it had none and cause it to rise up in one night like a mushrome was likely not onely not to give it a subsistence but also to make it not to be credited That hee did not deny the succession of the male in all times past but that the succession of the female sex had not hapned to the Crowne till these present times That the relinquishment made by Iane to her owne prejudice and pursued without his consent or knowledge ought not to prejudice him nor ought it be concluded that shee having laide aside her claime to the prejudice of a third the third should likewise quit his claime to the prejudice of succession That she had yeelded by force being doubly betrayed by her Uncle that he migâ—…t usurpe the Country of Burgony and by her husband that he might make himselfe King of Navarre both of them being contented with the certainty of this gaine the hopes which they might promise unto themselves by warre being uncertaine and of lesse account That if the Law were fundamentall as they would have it beleeved to be it would not have beene violated in the two first races That in the first race the French writers made a doubt whether Morevius were the sonne of Claudian or not and that if he were not his son it is to be beleeved say they that hee was his next a kin which is as much as to conjecture the one and doubt of the other They affirme him to have succeeded not so much by vertue of the Lawes as by the free election of the States not being aware that the terme free election doth contradict the Law Salique it being impossible that there should bee any sort of election much lesse free where the Lawes doe determine an undoubted successour otherwise one of two inconveniencies would necessarily ensue either that the election should annull the Law or the Law make the election superfluous the next in bloud all others excluded being by the Law without election appointed to the Crowne That it cannot be denyed that when Childericus was driven out of the Kingdome Aegidius a Citizen of Rome was chosen King and that his sonne Siagrius after the death of Childericus who was received as King again did pretend unto the Crowne by vertue of his fathers election which he never would have done had there beene such a Law to oppugne him Clodoveus left foure sonnes of which one was a bastard they were all called Kings not onely of such proportions as was left unto them by their father but of all France whilst the Law Salique supposeth but one King and doth not admit of bastards Dagobert left the Crowne of France to Clodoveus the second his younger son and to Sigisbert his eldest sonne the Kingdome of Austracia without any manner of dispute whilest that the Law Salique aimes not so much at the exclusion of women as to the advantage the first borne sonne should have over the younger The same Sigisbert
to the doore discoursing with some of his domestiques the Duke was somewhat late in saluting him and did it in a more familiar manner then did become the quality of so great a Prince whereat he made no signe of distaste though he resented it his fathers occasions infusing dissimulation into him The Duke of Burgony was driven upon this by an accident from whence nothing but dangerous consequences was to be expected Those who governed France after the Emperours departure for England had laid a generall taxe upon all things vendible the which having distasted the people the Parisians more seditious then the rest plotted the most detestable conspiracy that till then had beene heard of in that Kingdome and having had recourse unto him as on whom they chiefly did rely he sent some of his friends unto them to confirme them in their resolution promising to assist them hoping by this meanes to compasse the so much coveted government and to suppresse his enemies his two ancient unalterable designes The appointment was to take the King the Queene the Duke of Berry the King and Queene of Sicily the Chancellour the Councell and those that sided with Orleans all prisoners on good Friday and to kill them all But many going that day out of the City to obtaine pardons by their devotions and fearing lest some of those might likewise have gone forth whom they would not have had to gone and so might save themselves they deferred executing their plot till Easter day which was the safety of those that were proscribed For the Chancellor hearing of the treason by meanes of a woman made the King and Princes suddenly retire themselves into the Louvre whilst the Provost arming such as upon so suddaine an occasion he could assemble together made himselfe master of the Market place and taking some of the conspirators prisoners infused feare into the rest freeing the lives of many from eminent danger by the death of a few Afterwards securing himselfe of the City by such men of armes as flockt unto him from all the neighbouring parts and taking away the chaines from the streets heads which made them insolent he disarmed the people whilst the Dukes officers had time to escape This businesse produced such jealousies and rancor as all parties drawing into the field they omitted nothing whereby they might injure one another And the Duke who masked presented the principall person in this tragedy the argument whereof was not changed though the Scene were thought that to compasse his ends it was requisite for him to secure Flanders from the danger of England that whilst he endeavoured to endamage others he might not bee indamaged at home To this purpose he came to Caleis where he did so worke upon these two great Princes as that the Emperour who at his passage into England was by the Duke of Bavariaes meanes brother to the Queene who was an utter enemy to the Duke become an Orleanist did upon this meeting become a Burgonian being wholly changed through cunning and the homage made unto him of the County of Burgony and Allost and King Henry prorogued the truce formerly made betweene Flanders and Artois for two yeares longer to the Dukes advantage and scandall of all well minded men for to preferre private respects before the publicke with the enemies of the State without the knowledge of the Soveraigne is as blameable and worthy of punishment as it is contrary to conscience and Law But he that propounds evill for his object loseth all shame which thereupon depends and his naturall confidence by reason whereof his Dutchmen called him Undaunted becomming the fatall chariot of his precipice made him to be undaunted at the encounter of his ruine His affaires being thus acommodated every man betooke himselfe to his owne home hee to Flanders the Ostages to Calleis the Emperour to Germany and the King to England Partly before and partly after this time were the funeralls of three great Princes celebrated in France That of the Duke of Berry of Iohn the Dolphin who succeeded to his brother Lewis and of the King of Sicily All of them unfortunate deaths for all the respects which concerned that Kingdome Berry and Sicily did serve to counterpose the ambition of Burgony and the Dolphin served for a removall of those evills if he had lived which in the succession of his brother Charles through the Dukes death did afterwards happen The Duke alive or dead was borne for the destruction of France so as that which authors write hereof if it be not true it is truth like That a Turkish Mathematician saved his life when he was prisoner to Bajazet the first by assuring Bajazet that more Christians would in short time bee destroied for his cause then the Othomans sword would cut off in a whole age Iohn the Dolphin during his brother Lewis his life had married Giacalina the only heire to William Count of Hannault and whilst he kept with him ready to goe for France he died not being yet fully twenty yeares old Not long before this a strait confederacy was made in Valentiniana betweene him and the Duke of Burgony the reputed cause of his death for it caused his being poysoned by those of the Orleans faction for he being dead the hopes of the Kingdome falling upon Charles Count de Poictou sonne in law to the King of Sicily and the last of King Charles his five sonnes they fell upon a Prince that was their friend bred up in the hatred and passions wherewith his father in law then living was indued But he dying likewise shortly after left it in doubt whether his death caused more of pleasure or displeasure unto the Duke for though he were freed of a mortall enemy yet his hopes of revenge being in his death lost did sowre the sweet thereof so as it may be said that the sweets of ill disposed men have no taste which is not seasoned with somewhat of sowre The articles of this confederacy and which caused the Orleanist to rid him out of the world if it be true that they did so were That the Duke of Burgony should serve the King and the Dolphin against whosoever particularly against the King of England That he should keep peace with all men in France except the King of Scicily The Dolphin on the contrary part obliging himselfe to assist the Duke not onely against his owne subjects if so it should fall out but against whosoever else should molest him But his enemies encouraged by this death became so insolent as they forced him to essay the strongest Cities to exclude the present government whereupon the civill warre grew hotter then ever it was And Count Armignacke upon whom through the death of these Princes the Kings incapacity and the Dolphins tender yeares all authority of government fell seconded by those of the Councell who together with him were afraid that the Queene weary of their presumptions might endeavour their ruine made her to bee carried to
Scots very few and almost all of the meaner sort That others doe beleeve that Alexander Macelselan was he who kild the Duke having sold the Duke of Clarence Coronet to Iohn Stewart for five hundred pound which was afterwards pawned by him to Robert Vstonne for two thousand five hundred pound That the Scots had the greatest share of glory in this businesse and that for this cause the Dolphin made the Earle Bouhan Constable rewarding the other commanders according to their deserts From these expositions may easily be gathered that Dupleis the latest of all other Writers doth falsly accuse the English Historians Monstrelet witnesseth the Duke was fewer in number where he saies he tooke but part of his forces the Chronicle that he did not tarry for his men Gaguinus and Buchanan that leaving the foote he tooke onely along with him the horse that they taxe him of rashnesse to rob the honour from the French Monstrelet saies that he was abused by information that he was to make a difficult passage and that the enemy was advertised and provided for him Paulus Emilius that he set upon them carelesly as if he did despise them that he would take onely the horse along with him beleeving that the French were already as good as lost Serres that his imagined victory was the cause why hee lost his life the Chronicles that he set upon the enemy disorderly and Buchanan that he onely made use of the horse that they have lessened the losse they confesse 2000. Serres faith but 1500. none but Monstrelet names them to bee betweene two and three thousand an undeterminated number Buchanan about 2000. hee likewise undeterminates Paulus Emilius and Guaginus speake not hereof at all That any French troopes were with the Duke neither English nor French author of as many as I have met withall himselfe excepted mention any such thing for what remaines if it were not true that the bastard of Clarence came in unto his rescue the Dukes body could not have beene recovered that it was recovered Monstrelet and the Chronicles of Normandy doe take away all dispute and as Monstrelet saith the Earle of Salsbury was he who recovered it were it at the same time or afterwards to say afterwards is absurd for flying from the defeat he must with danger of his life have tarried somewhere till the enemy was gone or else have returned with new forces from Normandy and to no purpose since they might have taken his body away he tarried no where for the English in their flight according to the French writers tooke their white crosse for their owne safeties and caused the bridge of Umena to be reedified lest they might be againe set upon neither did he returne for being come to Normandy he could not at the same time have made this voiage and that of Alanson therefore if the bastard recovered the body the Duke fought without his bowmen and if the Earle it was at the same time but not unlesse he were Master of the field the which after such a defeate he could not be without a strong succour which was that which did dissipate the cloud of enemies which buried the dead which recovered the bodies of the Duke and the Lords and whereby he returned home voide of feare not cloathing himselfe with the white crosse but say that this recovery be false is it possible the French authors were it onely for triumphs sake should make no mention of it and if they deny not that it was carried into England would they not say how it was granted whether in change in gift or by ransome the English narration then unlesse it be the equivocall meaning of the Duke of Alanson wherein Iohn Speed erreth not and which hath nothing to doe with this our affaire is that which I shall judge the truest which being granted the Duke being but a few was overcome by many and not unrevenged for he was indebted to the enemy onely for 800. carcases he having lost 2000. the enemy 120. hee was a wise Prince but not at this time he preferred magnanimity before wisdome without which the former is as an unbridled horse which runnes upon precipices and ruines the rider so as if his authors have accused him of rashnesse they have done it justly not to rob the French of the honour as saith Dupleis rather writing as he doth he that robs it both from the English and the Scots for this act what ever it was was done under the happy guidance of Earle Bouhan their Generall The death of this Prince incouraged the enemy for Normandy wanting now a Generall they thought it weake to indure an incounter they besieged Alanson the Earle of Salsbury who did ill indure the losse of such a place gathered all the forces together he possibly could whilst the French who spied his waies expected his comming in good order intending to set on him but he who came to succour not to fight turned towards the Abbey of Bec losing in his retreat about 200. men an easie prize for the raising of the siege for the enemy having driven a way the succour retired to Anjou leaving Alanson free When King Henry heard of his brothers death he chose in his place endowed with the same authority Edmond Earle Mourton brother to the Earle of Somerset and calling a Parliament he had great assistance the Bishop of Winchester his uncle lent him monies till such time as the subsidies could be raised wherewithall he paied 4000. men at armes and 24000. archers which he caused to passe over to Callis conducted by the Earle of Bedford and followed himselfe in midmay the Dolphin did at this time besiege Shartres a place of importance defended by the bastard of Theime and some troopes which the Duke of Exceter had sent unto him from Paris whilst hee being weakned suffered much for want of victualls the City by reason of the multitude therein easily to be famished the reason of this scarcity was for the Dolphinists having made themselves Masters of Bonevalle and other forts thereabouts did command the field But the King being come to Callis dispatched away unto him the Earle of Dorset and the Lord Clifford with 1200. men by means whereof and by the newes of his passage he stopped the enemies excursions at Montreule he met the Duke of Burgony who was come thither the day before sicke of an ague they staied three daies together after which time the Duke departed to procure for him the passage over Some to Abeville and did obtaine it whilst the King marching that waies tooke in Fertes held by Monsieur de Harcourts people he placed there in a garrison of the Dukes souldiers when hee was past the bridge at Abeville he tooke his leave of him the Duke having promised to meet him againe within a few daies as he did when he was come to Bois du Saint Vincent assoone as he had saluted the King and Queene he resolved with the Duke of Exeter who
sacraments which by the Church of Rome were prescribed to dying men he dyed the last of August of a plurisie a disease not wel known in those daies which caused amongst the common people two severall opinions of his death the one that he dyed of a disease called Saint Anthonies fire the other of that called Saint Fiacree which is convultions or extention of the nerves hee raigned nine yeares five months and twenty three daies not having fully compleated his eight and thirtieth year his temperature according to the observations of physicke promised a longer life he was of a leane and sinnowie body of a black haire his limbs well proportioned and active of stature higher then usuall his face well shaped though somewhat long endowed him with a manlike beauty England hath had before and since his time many worthy Kings but of perfections exceeding his none he was just wiâ—… magnanimous valiant I would say fortunate if fortune had any abiding place with vertue he undertooke a difficult warre in a time when his enemies intestine dissention did facilitate it unto him he thereby appeased his Kingdome purging it of all its ill humours he healed it and made it greater by reducing slothfull and vagabond people the ordinary plagues of common wealths from idlenesse and vice to warfare and honour hee was served by inclination and affection the greatnesse of his spirit and his heroique actions were the loadstones which drew unto him his subjects love and reverence he was of an unblameable life and an enemy to all vice which may serve for a sufficient testimony for whatsoever else of good may be said of him at home he spilt no bloud save that of the Earle of Cambridge and his fellow conspirators under whose ashes as long as he lived and some while after all civill wars was buried and if he used severity abroad armes his enemies obstinacy and the lawes of war must suffer the blame The end of the first Volume THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE CIVILL VVARRES OF ENGLAND IN THE LIFE OF HENRY THE SIXTH BY the lives of the preceeding Kings wee have seene that the Civill Warrs had their beginning from the bad Government of Richard the second that Henry the fourth did first commence them and Henry the fifth suspend them but that after 40. yeares Peace they should againe breake forth under Henry the sixth when the Government was established Mens minds quieted and appeased is a matter worthy of consideration which ought not to bee passed over to the end wee may examine whether this hapned by default of the Subjects or Prince and which of them it was that after the cure of the first malady were causers of the second Wee shall find Arguments probable enough if wee consider the different natures of the two last Kings Henry the fifth found a Kingdome usurped by his Father so exasperated by the deaths and confiscations of many as he would never have beene able to have setled and maintained a Peace had not his valour caus'd him to be fear'd and his vertue belov'd by his Subjects in all the time of his life he met with no other Conspiracie then that of Richard Earle of Cambridge which was suppress'd as soone as undertaken not for that Richards Heires were Children since that Edmund Mortimer lawfull Heire to the Crowne outliving him pretences were not like to be wanting to any one who durst have molested him but for that Edmunds fearefull or were it peacefull nature the tender yeares of such as were to succeed him the ambition of great ones allured by honours and inriched by forraigne Warrs and that another King could not better their private conditions nor rayse the publike honour to a higher pitch were the true causes which did suppresse alterations being dead the fortune which did accompany him during his life did not for a long time forsake him in the person of his Sonne insomuch as in his infancy and two succeeding ages he was by his Subjects served without contradiction out of hopes that together with the Kingdome he had Inherited his Fathers vertues his tender yeares priviledged by his owne comlines and the love of others had not afforded them time to dis-deceave themselves in what concerned vallour and wisdome vertues in him of much expectation whil'st the bright sunshine of other vertues dasled the Eyes of the wisest for malice it selfe cannot but confesse that Henry the sixth was one of the best and holiest Kings that ever England had if goodnes alone without the helpe of other vertues were only required to the office of a King but there is difference betweene the vertues of private Men and of Princes what is sometime to be praysed in the one is to be blamed in the other not for that the faculties of operation bee not from the highest to the lowest uniforme in all but that being diversified by the differing condition betweene Princes and Subjects they produce contrary actions according as the condition of those who operate is contrary and as the wayes and imaginations of God are not such as are those of Men so all due and reverent proportion being given if any proportion at all be to be given the conceptions and proceedings of Princes ought not to bee such as are those of private Men. Very morall vertues though the same in all Men are not in them considerable but with a particular difference for that becomes them and they may do that which becomes not us nor may wee doe Henry was a good Man but no good King Hee was borne with good intentions but of himselfe simple Conditions plausible in a private Man misbecomming him that Raignes and in all cases harmefull for as wisdome without goodnes is a meere infirmity so goodnesse without wisdome is a meere defect Were it not the part of wisdome to put us upon those actions which in reason wee ought to doe but only to make us simply or meerly good he would have had no need thereof nor yet they who are naturally given to be good Those who imagin'd all vertues though differing in name not to differ in Office but that they all were so many wisdomes did not perhaps beleeve amisse experience shewes us that without wisdome fortitude is rashnes justice severity and temperance disorder other vertues are common or indifferent to all Men this of wisdome in Princes is singuler The goodnes of Henry the sixth was a Cloyster life goodnes but as the affections of a King doe not befit a Clergie-man so doe not the affections of a Clergie-man besit a King Wee are borne under two Lawes the one of God the other of Nature the which though distinct are not incompetable if wee do embrace the former which hath no other end but the spirituall health the choice is good and much the better if it be accompanied with contempt of the World and mortification of the Spirit If the second in which Princes are comprehended and which joyned to faith doth not exclude saving
for their security On the contrary side the Marishall Tolongonus at his returne found not foretime with so smiling an aspect for beleeving that by Monyes he had corrupted the Captaine of a Fort called la Busiere he was abused through too much beleefe for whilst he went to actuate the bargaine the Captaine having fitly placed two Ambushes brought him together with 11. others into the Castle where taking him Prisoner he at the same time caused almost all those that were without to be slaine and had it not beene for the Imprisonment of the Count de Ventadoure for whom he was changed he had not beene soone set at liberty This Yeare in the Moneth of Iuly was the first Sonne of Charles borne who in his due time succeeded him in his Kingdome by the name of Lovis the 11. a phantasticall Prince and almost ever rebellious towards his Father so as whilst he thought to have beene at quiet being free from the English Warres he gave against his Sons turbulencies which brought him to his end before his time marcerated by jealousy and slaine by suspition His birth notwithstanding so uncertaine are wee of future events brought unto him great cause of joy for the pledge of a Successor increaseth the Subjects love he was howsoever a great Prince who proved successefull in the rules of dissimulation rather borne together with them then learnt of any other Ghirard de Hallian describes him to be malicious wary cruell and full of Cousenage In England this meane while it was resolv'd to give libertie to Iames the first King of Scotland after 18. yeares Imprisonment which caused to the first mover therof since home hatred not love nor Charity had moved him to indevour it instead of gratitude unhappy successe and an ignominous end Robert Duke of Albany Governor of Scotland being dead the yeare 1420. just 15. Yeares after the Death of his Brother Robert the third his Sonne Mordecay succeeded him in the Government one who resembled his Father in the profuse spending of the goods of the Crowne amongst the Nobility to the end that forgetting the Prisoner King they might be content with the present condition and was like the King his Unckle in his Children for having neither ability nor wit to cause himselfe to be obeyed by them he was through desparation and despite reduc'd to ruine at the same time both them and himselfe Of the 3. for 3. they were Walter was the most insolent although they shar'd all alike in haughtines and disrespecting others Pride and the neglect of Inferiors was by them esteemed gravity and what became them and such insolent actions as arise from them proper and naturall to Men of royall Lynage and to generous and magnanimous Hearts Mordecay had often times admonished them but because in stead of reaping fruite therby he was laugh'd at by them he tooke no further care therof placing all his dislikes upon the backe of Patience till such time as the burthen grew too heavy for him to beare He very much lov'd field sports especially Hawking and having one Day an ex'lent Faulkon on his Fist Walter did with such incivility require it on him as he denying it the other snatcht it from his hand wrung off the necke and threw the Carkasse at his feete at which the Father being incensed sayd unto him that since he had in vaine used all meanes possible to bring him to obedience he was resolv'd to find out one whom both his Sonne and he should be forced to obey and he effected his words for a Parliament being immediatly called the Kings freedome was resolv'd upon Embassadors were chosen and sent into England where their request was maturely consulted on those who were against it alleadged that having beene detained so many yeares his Captivity was by him to bee esteemed an injury never to be forgotten and for the which he would take present revenge since England was now busied abroad that being at liberty he would regulate the disorders of Scotland the Governors authority not being sufficient to quench the contentions which Day by Day grew greater among the great ones nor to remedy the Thefts Murders and Rapines which as it were by reprisall was committed by the common People so as since nothing could prove more advantageous for the affaires of England all alteration was pernitious Others being of a contrary opinion affirmed his Captivity was so unlikely to raise in him any such conceits that it was rather by him to be accounted the originall of all his good fortune since that living there safe from his Unckles snares he was falne into the hands of two Kings who proving Fathers to him in education were not therfore much commended by such who preferre what is usefull to what is honest who argue that a worser resolution could not have beene taken then to have perfected wisdome by study and strength by the exercise of Armes in a Prince of so sublime inclinations whilst to do well they should have brought him up in all common vices and have made him effeminate amongst the worst of conversations that to have done otherwise was as much as to expect what befell him who nurs'd up a Snake in his bosome which when it had recover'd his heate slew him that had preserv'd it fitting considerations for Tyrant Princes but not for such as were so given as were these two Kings for if the one by making him Prisoner the other by detaining him had had respect to their owne proper intrests they would have treated him as an Enemy but their having inrich'd him with so vertuous education not to be lost neither by liberty nor Imprisonment was so rare and unparalell'd an example as he beyond all others was ever to acknowledge such The Duke of Glocester who thought there could bee no better meanes then this to joyne Scotland and England and sever it from France concluded his freedome setting a fine upon him of 100000. Marks and giving him for Wife Ioane Daughter to the Earle of Somerset Cousin-german to Henry the fift and Neece to the Bishop of Winchester whom he loved so as having payed part of his Ransome with his Wifes Portion and given in Hostages for the rest the which was afterwards payed by the Subjects in so good a manner as that they seemed not to be therewithall any whit aggreived he went his wayes nobly waited upon to his confines by his ancient friends by his new allyes and richly presented by his Father in Law Being come into his Kingdome he found it like a Ship tossed by the Seas Nothing remaining for maintenance of the Crowne save only the Customes the rest was all squandred away and bestowed upon particular Men by the two succeeding Governours Robert the Father and Mordecay the Sonne to the end that not minding his returne they might adhere unto them to publique grievances private ones succeeded the first complaints were against Walter who was Imprison'd and after him Mordecay and Alexander Iames who was
not sufficient for their conservation especially when they are not naturally indued with such vertues as are pleasing which Henry was not for the first advantages which Edward had over him were the endowments of his minde and the comlinesse of his person which though it may decay is notwithstanding essentiall to captivate mens affections when accompanied as his was with clemency liberality and valour the most essentiall vertues requisite in a worthy Prince and most efficacious to make him be desired and though all these were not wanting in Henry yet wanted he the most substantiall and if he had any of them they were so poorely clad as they wanted those characters of Majesty which become a King and though they were sufficient to content himselfe yet were not they answerable to his quality nor such as gave content unto the world Vertues in Princes are lights not to be put under a bushell but on a candlesticke to the end that they may give light to all men Their actions should resemble the Sunne which generates nourishes and propagates Edward notwithstanding his vertues and good fortune was descended from an unfortunate house he being the only one except Edward sonne to Richard the third who died a child who of all his house died a naturall death after it layed pretence unto the Crowne The Earle of Cambridge his Grandfather was beheaded at Southampton the Duke of Yorke his Father slaine before Sandall of his three brothers the Earle of Rutland was slaine at the same time the Duke of Clarence drowned in a Butt of Malmsey and the Duke of Gloucester after having strangled his nephewes was by Henry the seventh bereft both of life and Kingdome You will meet with no Tragedy be it or true or fabulous where you shall finde so many various and cruell deaths as in this family To dye by the hands of the enemy or by the hangman though miserable is yet ordinary but by a prodigious brother and unkle unheard of As there is nothing more uncertaine nor more wrapt up in fancy than to affirme that destiny was the cause of this so is it to be believed that it proceeded only from ambition which disturbing his counsell and advice made it endeavour to get the Kingdome at the cost of his owne and others lives Not any one of them save this Edward having enjoyed the Crowne unto their end and that which they did enjoy they enjoyed with such losses and so much trouble as that whatsoever fortune so it be within the bounds of honour may seem rather to be desired than a Kingdome at such a rate For to live happy being the end of humane nature it is no happinesse to possesse by violence what is superfluous but being free from perturbations peacefully to enjoy what is sufficient according to a mans proper state and fortune which might be enjoyed were it not that ambition the enemy to true felicitie did perswade us that no such happinesse had any thing of generous in it We doe not here exclude all ambition but rather commend such as doth awake in us good actions He cannot be said to be good who is not ambitious of a good report nor can that ambition be had without an endeavour by our workes to deserve it Yet when she lives solitarily sequestred from the multitude in silence and philosophicall habite no man followes her nor makes mention of her A sound body affords not so much matter of discourse as doth an infirme nor a State well compos'd as one mis-govern'd The one for all her deserts shall be notwithstanding alwaies neglected and the other notwithstanding all her vices pursued so much is our vanity delighted with her lustre Moreover deeds of violence being those which doe enrich story and which make vertue or vice indifferent we covet them alwaies provided that our name doe in some sort live in our posteritie But the house of Yorke stood not in need of this It had reason to hope for remembrance in perpetuity and to be contented with its owne estate her Nobility was reall She was for Riches and Title to be envied This notwithstanding she aspired to the Crowne she disturbed her owne quiet and the quiet of the weale publique for one that reigned hundred thousands died and all of the same house came to evill ends excep this Edward who for his part would not have murdered his brother had he not made him selfe King nor had his sonnes been slaine had they not beene to inherit the Kingdome And Richard the third though naturally wicked never had attained to the height of all cruelty and wickednesse had it not been for the thirst of government so as it had beene better for them to have enjoyed their naturall greatnesse under a moderate ambition than by an immoderate one to make themselves the subject of Tragedie and to be praised but for a few things in future ages Edward being received for King and for such proclaimed immediately left London The condition of affaires were not such as would suffer him idly to enjoy that dignity the duration whereof could not be hoped for but by the ruine of his adversary He easily gathered together great forces advantaged therein by his predecessors wretchlesnesse Each man made offer unto him of all he had he mustered in the field 49000 men with the which he staied at Pumâ—…ret and sent the Lord Fitzwater to guard the bridge over the River Ayre called Ferrybrigs that he himselfe might make use thereof and inhibit the enemy Henry on the other side who by having put to death the Duke of Yorke thought he had now done all that was requisite gave the charge of his men to the Duke of Sommerset the Earle of Northumberland and the Lord Clifford not so much for that their qualities did deserve it as for that being inflamed with revenge for their fathers deaths at the battell of St. Albanes he could not make choice of any more passionately his And tarrying himselfe together with his wife and sonne at Yorke they marched on towards the enemy As soon as they understood that they had made themselves masters of Ferrybrigs they made a sâ—…and The Lord Clifford onely advanced with the Light-horse and setting upon the bridge by breake of day he easily wonne it the guards being all asleepe and not dreaming of the enemy The Lord Fitzwater awakened with the outcries of those that were slaine and that did slay believing it to arise from some tumult amongst his own men threw himselfe out of his bed and unarmed with onely a staffe in his hand went to appease them But too late aware of his mistake he was there slaine and together with him the bastard of Salisbury brother to the Earle of Warwicke They who could saved themselves the Lancastrians remaining masters of the place The Bastards death did so much grieve his brother Warwicke added to the unhappie successe of the enterprize which as being the first he thought might dismay the Army as hasting to the
increased and finding no place safe for him since hee wanted forces hee went not without great danger to Linne where he found two Holland ships and one English hee imbarkt himselfe and was waited upon by the three said ships and seven hundred men without any manner of baggage or one penny of money A great and unexpected misfortune but that which immediately after presented it selfe was farre worse had hee not luckily eschewed it For had hee been taken hee had none to ransome him so would have lost both liberty and Kingdome Eight of the Easterlings ships the Easterlings were then great enemies to the English and did them all the mischiefe they could discovering these three Ships and believing them to be English gave them chase but could not come up unto them till they had cast Anchor before Alchemar in Holland the ebbe being so low as they could not winne the Haven The Easterlings cast Anchor likewise but a good way from them the burden of their Ships not permitting them to doe otherwise so as they were inforced to expect the returne of the tide to board them But Monsieur de Gretures Governour under the Duke of Burgundy in Holland being luckily at that time in Alchemar and understanding of Edwards being there by some whom hee had sent of purpose unto him in flat bottom'd Boats forbade the Easterlings to use any manner of hostility and went himselfe to bring him and all his men into the City Edward was at this time so bare of money as not having wherewithall to pay for his wastage hee gave the Captaine a rich vestment lined with Sables promising not to forget the curtesy and to satisfie him better afterwards A strange change of Fortune happened in a few houres to such a Prince meerly out of negligence and carelesnesse Hee lost a Kingdome without one blow striking and was forced to have recourse unto a Prince whose onely presence did upbraid unto him his carelesnesse lust and bad government Charles hearing of this was very much displeased finding himselfe charged with so needfull a King and so great a retinue whom hee could not bee wanting unto in assistance not out of any humanity or alliance but for that Warwicke enjoying the Kingdome it behooved him to maintaine the contrary party and drive him out or else to suffer the incommodities of a long War Queene Elizabeth the originall of these alterations seeing her selfe abandoned without succour and the enemy upon her back tooke Sanctuary at Westminster where with small attendance she was brought to bed of a Sonne named Edward hee who for some few weekes after his Fathers death was the V. King of that name and who symbolized in birth name and death with his cousin the Sonne of the Dutchesse of Clarence borne a Shipboard before Calleis The pompe of Baptisme had nothing in it of royall save the Mothers teares accompanyed by many mens commiseration which is then greatest when most concealed Many of her best friends betooke themselves likewise to sundry other Sanctuaries who proved afterwards serviceable to her at Edwards returne The Kentish-men prone to insurrections seeing there was now no King of two the one being fled the other a prisoner came to London and sack't the Suburbs and it may be would have sack't the City it selfe had not the Earle of Warwicke diverted them whose comming thither was noysed and who punished the Complices of the insurrection This piece of Justice added to his reputation and the peoples love Upon the 6 of Octob. he entered the Tower accompanied by many Lords in particular his brother the Archbishop of Yorke the Prior of St. Iohns the Duke of Clarence and the Earle of Shrewsbury some of them drawne by affection some by feareâ—… he set King Henry at liberty after nine yeares captivity he brought him to the Bishop of Londons house where hee tarried till the thirteenth day and then brought him in person and in royall attire to Pauls carrying his traine himselfe and the Earle of Oxford the sword accompanied with the peoples acclamations who cried out God save the King forgetting that a little before they had prayed for Edward against him A Parliament was summoned wherein Edward was declared a Taytour to his Countrey and an usurper of the Crown his goods confiscate all Statutes made in his name and by his authority annull'd the Crownes of England and France confirmed upon Henry and the heires male of his body and for want of such upon the Duke of Clarence and his posterity who hereafter was to be acknowledged the next heire to his Father Richard Duke of Yorke and Edward for his faults committed deprived of his birth-right and the prerogatives thereof The Earles of Pembrooke and Oxford were restored in bloud and to their dignities and goods The Earle of Warwick and the Duke of Clarence declared Governours of the Kingdome Marquesse Mountague was received into grace and his fault pardoned since revolting against Edward hee was the chiefe cause of his quitting the Kingdome those who sided with him were deprived of their Honours Titles and Faculties and such punished as in this quarrell had taken up Armes against Henry Whereupon Iohn Tiptoft Earle of Worcester Lord Deputy of Ireland for Edward was found in a hollow Tree brought to London and beheaded in the Tower The Parliament being ended the Earle of Pembrooke went into Wales to take Order for such Lands as hee possest before his confiscation and finding there Henry the Sonne of Edmond Earle of Richmond with the Widow of William Earle of Pembrooke his brother that was beheaded at Banbury who though held as a prisoner by this Lady was alwayes nobly entreated hee tooke him from her when hee was not yet full ten yeares old and brought him to London where hee presented him to King Henry who after hee had ey'd him a while said to the standers by that this child should succeed him and put a period to all the quarrells which afterwards happening confirmed the opinion that was held of his sanctity since by the spirit of prophecy hee foresaw the succession of Henry the seventh Queene Margaret who was then in France being advertised by Letters from Henry of the regainment of the Kingdome did together with her Sonne forthwith put to Sea but the windes being contrary drove her on Land and kept her there a long time and had they forever kept her there they had beene the more favourable for then shee had not met with the mischiefe shee did in the losse of her Sonne When Warwicks returne to England and King Henries re-establishment was knowne at Callis every one tooke unto him the Earles Impressa Vauclere was the first that did so His Impressa was a ragged staffe made of Gold Silver Silk or Cloath according to his condition that wore it As this unexpected inclination made the Duke of Burgondy more sollicitous so did it inwardly displease the Duke of Clarence who had already alter'd his opinion Neither did nature and
resurrection the Earle of Warwicke drew forth his Army into three Squadrons He assigned the first to the Marquesse and the Earle of Oxford flanked by some Troopes of horse the second he kept for himselfe accompanied by the Duke of Exceter and gave the last to the Duke of Somerset Edward observing the same order gave his Van-guard to the Duke of Gloucester a man of great courage and counsell the Rere-ward to the Lord Hastings a constant sider with the white Rose and kept the maine battell for himselfe and the Duke of Clarence keeping the prisoner Henry by him hee framed a squadron of the surplus of his men to make use of upon all occasions Neither side wanted arguments to encourage their men the one Rebellion the other Tyranny The Archers began the battell and the Arrowes being spent they came to handy-blowes Edwards party prevailed in number but not in order vigilancy nor valour The battell was fought from Sunne rising till almost mid-day fresh men supplying the places of such as were wounded or wearied The Earles squadron having the worst hee reinforc'd it with a Troope drawne out of the Rere-ward with the which he made the enemy lose so much ground as many of them flying away brought false newes to London that Edward was put to rout who having stayed his owne men fighting himselfe a vye with whatsoever Souldier made the reserved Squadron come in on the flanke which gave so impetuously on those wearied men as that though the Earle did what possibly hee could to reinforce them yet wanting fresh men his voyce nor example stood him in no stead his men for lacke of breath falling under the enemies Sword The Earle giving in where the enemy was thickest either to open them or not to out live the losse was miserably slaine His brother who by unwillingly undertaking this warre had been the first cause of this their last mis-fortune seeing him drive in amongst the enemy all other passions giving place to brotherly love followed after him to make him way to returne but hee shut it up to himselfe by losse of his life This was one of the fiercest battels ever fought by enraged men The Kingdome and life was in question on the one side life and the Kingdome on the other Henry governed in name in effect the Earle but that which most provoked him was the preservation of his ancient renowne and his desire of revenge upon the two brethren Edward was by him accounted ungratefull and perjured Clarence ungratefull perjured and treacherous The odde Band was his undoing Some impute his losse to a mistake in his Van for a mist arising which suffered them not well to discerne passages they tooke the Starre rounded with rayes which was the Earle of Oxfords cognizance and which was tacked upon each of his Souldiers sleeves to be the Sunne which was Edwards cognizance whereupon setting on Oxfords men as on enemies they forced them to runne away nor could the Earle of Oxford who fought with incredible valour detaine them How ever it was Edward wonne the day with the death of 10000. of his adversaries and 1500. of his owne amongst which none of note save Sir Humphrey Bourchier sonne to the Lord Barnes The cause of this so great slaughter was attributed hereto that whereas Edward in his other battels was wont to bid kill the Lords and Captaines but spare the rest he did not so in this being offended that they more esteemed Warwicke than him The Duke of Somerset and Earle of Oxford fled together towards Scotland but fearing they might runne danger by the length of the way they went to Wales to finde out Iasper Earle of Pembrooke The Duke of Exceter who was left alive among the dead bodies got up with much a doe and came to Westminster where hee tooke Sanctuary This was the end of Warwickes worldly glory whose title was to make and unmake Kings His ruine tooke its rise from his father who being cousin-german to Henry the fifth they being brothers and sisters children forsooke his respect of consanguinity for that of affinity Richard Duke of Yorke having married his sister Cecily mother to Edward and so lost his life his sonne treading in his fathers steps and desirous to revenge his fathers death deposed Henry to set up Edward by whom being neglected hee revolted from him forced him to fly his Countrey set Henry at liberty and put the Crowne againe upon his head but Edward being returned and having changed his Lyons skinne to a Foxes hee fell betrayed by his sonne in law abandoned by his brother and at his greatest need forgotten by the common people who had never more superstitiously worshipped any one nor in their songs celebrated Whereby the ambitious may learne not to raise tumults trusting upon the people which like the Sea are moved by all winds I must crave leave to answer one particular falsely alleaged by Comines He saies the Earle had alwaies wont to fight on horse-backe that if fortune should frowne hee might the better escape that his brother the Marquesse who was a gallant man forced him at this time to fight on foot and made his horses be led away But who shall consider the Earles actions and his battels this last unexcepted will believe him to be calumniated for say he should endeavour to save himselfe did they not all doe so In this battell Somerset and Oxford saved themselves by flight where there was no speech of prisoners nor ransome but to die by the heads-man if not in the field The Marquesse had lesse reason to feare as one not hated by Edward but rather by him suborned as knowing his appearing against him made for him for had hee fought with him either at Yorke or else at Pomfret hee never had regained his Kingdome Had feare wrought any thing upon the Earle hee would not have refused his sonne in lawes offers hee would not have resolved the smalnesse of his numbers not considered to have fought at Barnet and knowing that Queen Margaret was hourely expected to land in England hee would have stayed for her That he should feare her as the said Comines and Chesnes doe both aver because the Duke of Somerset was with her is false for this Duke who is by them pretended to be absent was present at this battell as hath been said and the Queene could not but be his friend for the services hee had done her and her future hopes in him so as if he did not wait her comming 't was not for any of these reasons but of his too much confiding in himselfe which was his undoing After this victory Edward returned in triumph to London hee gave God thankes in Pauls Church he there hung up the Colours taken from the enemy and for three daies together exposed the dead bodies of the two brothers to the sight of all men to the end that being seen dead no man might further trouble him with taking upon them the person and name of
this manner arrested the Protectour swore by Saint Paul hee would not dine before he saw him dead so as haste being to be made for the houre of dinner drew nighâ—… and the Protectour was too religious to breake Such an oath the Chamberlaine was forced to make a short confession to the first Priest could be found for the usuall forme would prove too long and being led from the Chappell to a greene Court he had his head strucke off and was afterwards buried at Windsor neere to King Edwards Tombe The rest of the Councell who in this uproare were kept lockt up in the Chamber were conveighed into severall places being reputed by the Protectour to be averse to his designes and more particularly the Lord Stanley A miraculous presage of this mis-fortune is related by which if it be true is seene what care the Heavens have over Us advertising us by dreames of imminent dangers which might be shunn'd if together with them we were endued with the spirit of Ioseph or Daniel to interpret them The night preceding this mischance the Lord Stanley dream'd that a wilde Poare had wounded both Him and the Chamberlaine in the head so as the blood ranne downe both their shoulders whereupon awaking hee thought this wilde Boare must be the Protectour the Wounds and Blood some imminent danger of their lives in this affright hee forthwith arose and sent to acquaint the Chamberlaine with his dreame who was fast asleepe resolving to be instantly gone it being but a little past midnight so that in the morning hee might be so farre from thence as to be in safety hee advised him to doe the like to the end that their danger being alike their safeties might be so too The Chamberlaine was not subject to melancholly and therefore not superstitious so as laughing at the message he answered the messenger that he wondered his Master should give beliefe to such follies hee bade him tell him from Him that Dreames were Dreames and suppose they were to be allowed as foretellers of future evils they were so uncertaine as they might no lesse harme then helpe Who could assure him that the danger that was to be feared might not consist as well in their Flight as in their Tarrying and if as they fled away they should be taken and brought backe as might very well happen would it not afford the wilde Boare an occasion of wounding them with his Tuskes for their flight could not but be imputed to an evill conscience and to some faults if not committed yet intended Hee desired him therefore to appease himselfe and feare nothing for there was no danger and if there were any they would rather be met withall by running away as he had said then by Tarrying that he was as sure of the man he doubted meaning the Protectour as of his owne Hand The Gentleman returned with this answer thereby making his Master forgoe his former resolution with lesse harme to himselfe who Feared so much then to the Chamberlaine that was so Confident Many things were observed before his death as he rode towards the Tower his horse stumbled twice or thrice under him even almost to the endangering of a fall A very vulgar observation for if all stumbling horses should presage misfortune the number of those who should perish would be very great As hee was making himselfe ready to goe thither a Gentleman of good quality came to him who was purposely sent by the Protectour to perswade him to come in case hee should not intend it this man seeing him tarry to speake with a Priest a friend of his as he was upon the way fearing least hee might come too late hastned him telling him the time passed and that as yet he needed not a Priest knowing that within two houres hee would have need of one Being come to the Tower he met a Pursuivant neere the place where hee was beheaded and calling to mind that hee had met him in the very same place whilst being prisoner by procurement of the Earle Rivers he much doubted his life he asked him whether hee did remember that hee had met him in that place in a time when hee was in great danger the Pursuivant answered Yes praising God that the authour of his affliction got not much thereby and that hee suffered no harme at all Thou wouldst say more replied the Chamberlaine if thou knewst as much as I know meaning that that very day Earle Rivers was to lose his head I was never so afraid as then matters are well amended mine enemies are now in danger as I was then as ere long thou shalt heare and I more joyfull and more secure then ever Oh the poorenesse of our confidence which ignorant of what is to come takes one thing for another and doth not thinke it selfe deceived Hee apprehended Death when hee was to Live and was confident of Life when he was to Lose it The Chamberlaine was apt to flatter himselfe and to be mistaken Those who are given to Pleasures are commonly free from Suspicion and from believing what themselves would not doe And if hee concurred to the evils that befell Rivers it was not in him either Malice or Treason having alwaies openly Profest himselfe to be his enemy nay had he imagined that his death would be cause of the like to the sonnes of his Master King Edward hee would have ransom'd them from death not onely by preserving Rivers alive but with his Owne Blood for his favouring them cost him both his Blood and Life the impossibility of alienating him from them was that which made the Protectour resolve his death the former affection he bare unto him being cancell'd by Ambition and Cruelty affections which at all times did superabound in him I observe that of all his plots and windings about there were onely two that can be said to savour of Wit his perswading the Queene to make her brother lay downe his Armes that so hee might seize on him unarmed and his making the Cardinall and the rest believe that his desire of having the Duke of Yorke was an effect of Charity and Love In other things the art hee used was of no availment it was as soon Discovered as Used so as if he had not wonne the reputation hee had by Valour which made him to be feared by the priviledge of his Blood and by Buckinghams favour hee assuredly had effected nothing by his Cunning. It behoved him to finde out some colour of Justice whereby to make good the Chamberlaines precipitated death not knowing how to do it otherwise after dinner he sent for some of the chiefest Citizens to the Tower Before they came hee and Buckingham had put on two old rusty Armours fitter for Ruffians then men of their quality for he thought should they have put on handsome Armes it might have beene imagined that time and commodity must have gone to their so going whereas the rusty ill-shaped Armes would argue a surpisall which being discovered
him in his journey he stole away disguised and getting luckily to Ely he provided himselfe of moneys and past over into Flanders where being Absent but in a safe place he furthered the businesse more then he could have done had he not without danger stay'd in England Yet did his departure prove unfortunate to the Duke for wanting His advice and some too early notice being gotten of the Designe it proved his finall ruine Bray acquainted his Lady with the businesse who approved of it encouraged thereunto by the great quality and condition they were of who were the promoters of it but the Queen being in Sanctuary and it not befitting the Countesse to goe to her in person she sent to her her Physitian Lewis who being a learned man by birth a Welchman and one of the greatest esteeme of as many as were of his profession was fitter to be imploy'd in this businesse then any one of another condition for the Queen stood in need of such men being continually troubled with new indispositions of health caused either for want of bodily exercise or by the superaboundant exercise of her mind so as willing him to visit her as of Himselfe she wished him to acquaint her with the businesse not as it was Digested and Concluded but as a conceit of his Owne not hard to be effected if She would approve of it The Physician consented and going to London upon some Other pretence he went to visit her being well known unto her and having occasion to speake of her Afflictions he desired leave to acquaint her with a Thought which since it proceeded from a good Heart he hoped that though it might appeare to Her to be Vaine and not Feasible yet she would not be the worse for knowing it The Queene permitting him to say his pleasure he told her That since the Death of King Edward of glorious memory and of the two innocent Children her Sonnes and since the Usurpation made of the Kingdome by Richard the most detestable of as many Tyrants as ever had been heard of he could never be at quiet within himselfe till he had found out a meanes whereby to put the Kingdome in Quiet the just Heires in their Possession and to bring the unjust Usurper to ruine But that having considered many he bethought himselfe that so much blood having been spent betweene the two Houses of Lancaster and Yorke the best way was to unite them both by Marriage giving the Lady Elizabeth heire to the house of Yorke for wife to the Earle of Richmond heire to the house of Lancaster A match wherewith all the Kingdome was to be satisfied for that Peace being thereby likely to ensue the two Houses were to be accorded to the Destruction of the Tyrant and the restoring of Her selfe Family and Children to their former greatnesse If things naturally good of themselves are apt to content such as are endued with Reason and especially those who are thereby to receive Ease and Comfort great reason had the Queene to be herewithall pleased who being laden with so many miseries saw in this her desperate condition an evident meanes of restoring her Selfe and Family She thanked God acknowledging that if there remained any hopes of consolation to her there was none in humane appearance more likely then this After she had thankfully acknowledged her Obligation to the Physitian for his so wise and discreet advise she prayed him that since he had beene the first inventor he would likewise put it in execution that she knew of what esteeme he was with the Countesse of Richmond to whom she bad him say in Her behalfe That if the Earle her Sonne would binde himselfe by Oath to marry Elizabeth her Eldest Daughter and in case she should Die her Second daughter she promised to assist him by all friends and adhaerents in getting the Crowne The Physician having told the Countesse thus much she presently went to worke Reynald Bray dealt with such as he knew faithfull and fit for a businesse of such importance whilst the Queen negotiated with all those who hated the King and wisht for nothing more then an opportunity of doing her service Those imployed by the Countesse besides Bray and the Physitian were Sir Giles Aubeny Sir Iohn Cheinie Sir Richard Gilford Thomas Ramney and Hugh Conway The Physitian had preferred one Christopher Urswick to be her Chaplaine a wise man and who having served on the behalfe of Henry the sixth as long as he lived might safely be relied upon as well for his Fidelity as for his Wisdome She had purposed to have sent him into Brittanny to her sonne but being the Duke of Buckingham was the promoter of the businesse she thought it was fitter to imploy some one of a better quality she therefore sent unto him Hugh Conway who with a good summe of Money tooke his way by Plymouth through Cornwall whilst Sir Richard Gilford sent Thomas Ramney for the same end through Kent to the effect that if the one should miscarry the other might doe the worke but Fortune was so favourable to them as they differed not many houres in their meeting in Britanny Their Embassie was That he was sent for as King Named thereunto by the Great ones and desired by All The marriage agreed upon by the Queene and the Duke of Buckingham That he should come away with all possible haste and land in Wales where he should finde Ayd and Friends sufficient to render himselfe powerfull in an Instant both factions being for him The Earle fashioned out by nature to be King communicated the businesse to the Duke of Britanny who after King Edwards death had given him his liberty desiring his assistance in so necessary an expedition he being called in by a free-borne people profest enemies to the Tyrant whose cruelty was so detestable to all the world promising him that if God should so farre favour his cause as he well hoped he would he would be answerable unto him with such Services as befitted an obligation never to be forgotten Richard had by meanes of his Embassadour Thomas Hutton yea by the proffer of certaine summes of Money dealt with the Duke not long before to keepe him in safe custody but the Duke detesting Richards wickednesse did not onely doe nothing therein but made good all his promises of Favour to the Earle upon this occasion So as confident of good successe he sent Conway and Ramney backe to his mother with answer that he did accept of the invitation that as soon as he should have provided things necessary he would come for England that in the meane time order might be taken for the affaires there to the end that he might finde the lesse impediments Upon the hearing of this they who sided with him tooke courage and began to prepare for the businesse They sent into requisite places people fit to make them good and disposed of other Commanders in other places that they might be ready upon occasion Others under-hand
entertainment in Ireland which he expected for Poynings had an eye to the actions of the Rebels there he met with it in Scotland whither he went grounding his hopes upon the natural enmity of those Two Kingdoms and upon the recommendation of the Three above-written Princes he had solemn audience given him by the King in the presence of all the Lords that were then at Court His Lordlike looks which together with his being thought the true Duke of York were augmented by Art and by the gifts of Nature captivated the good-will of the standers by Having in a grave manner done his Obeisance to the King he told him That he was the unhappie Richard Plantagenet son to Edward the Fourth who drawn by fraudulent promises from his mother's bosom she having taken Sanctuary at Westminster was brought to the Tower of London there to be smother'd with his brother Edward but that charity arising in the brest of those who executed that cruel office they were contented with the death of his Elder brother and saved Him giving him life liberty and means how to scape away he desired to be pardoned if he did not tell the Manner how for that the interests of those that had saved him who were yet alive would not suffer him so to do that Fortune had posted him into divers places and God had given him the grace to conceal his condition lest being known the evil might have befaln him which the vigilancy of a wicked Uncle threatned who having usurped his Kingdom from him knew he could not enjoy it but by his death which he thought had already happened but that his Uncle being by divine justice rewarded according to his deserts and he grown in yeers after many circumvolutions he had withdrawn himself from France to his Aunt the Dutchesse of Burgundy who being a widow and on the Other side of the Sea could not give him such assistance as was requisite for the recovery of his Kingdom which being faln from One Tyrant to Another from an unnatural Uncle to a Kinsman who was naturally his Enemy he stood in need of some to assist him Arms being the onely Tribunal whereat pretences to Kingdoms are disputed that England knew very well his claim and his being which some of the chiefest there had witnessed with their bloods betrayed by their false corrupt friends that Corruption was easily effected where Jealousie and Suspition made men who were naturally covetous and sparing as was Henry liberall and profuse that Ireland was not ignorant of this but that being grievously opprest her weaknesse was such as she could not shew her fidelity and obedience to the House of Yorke and to Him the true heir thereof as shee formerly had done and would again doe neither was it to be doubted but that if he could find a place to take footing in and any one that would protect him he should both from the one Kingdom and the other receive such assistance as might make the regainment of his owne an easie busines that the Dutchesse Emperour Arch-duke King of France and Himselfe finding there was no other wheron for him to take footing then Scotland nor other Protector for him then the magnanimous King thereof they had advised him to present himselfe before his Majestie they being afterwards ready to joyne with him in so just a cause in defence of an Orphan and to the assistance of a Prince betraid usurp'd upon and driven out of this Countrey as was Hee Here enlarging himselfe upon Henrye's illegall pretences upon his base ignoble descent vilifying his Grand-father Tewder as descended from the Scum of the poorest sort in Wales he said that his title was in no sort good unto the Crowne nor yet his Wifes title as long as He the Duke of Yorke and of right King lived that Henry had endeavour'd to have him given up into his hands by Charles when he was in France but that being by Charles denied hee had not spared for Treachery Arms nor poyson to bereave him of his life by the means of divers of his Ministers more particularly by Robert Clifford the wickedst of them all so as when all his diabolicall designes failed him his last refuge was to slanders and to new inventions drawn from hell thereby to obscure the splendour of his Birth to the end that being believed to be what he would have him to be his tyrannie and usurpation might not be withstood that if he were such a one King Charles nor his aunt the Dutchesse would not have counsell'd him to have had recourse to the powerfull tuition of the King of Scotland with hopes that he would succour him as his generous Predecessours had formerly done the afflicted Kings of England whose name worth and Kingdome since he inherited he hope hee should inherit the like benefits as they had done that hee might shew himselfe having recovered his Kingdome to be the most usefull and truest friend that ever did or shall deserve to be celebrated for gratitude Perkins expressions the compassion of his case the recommendation of so many Princes and their promises or rather the Occasion to wage war with Henry whereunto he had a great desire moved the King to promise him his assistance the which hee readily effected though many who knew the Imposture disswaded him from him moreover he did not only appoint unto him an Attendance and Entertainment every way befitting a Duke of Yorke but that it might be beleeved he tooke him to be so he gave unto him for wife his neerest kinswoman Katherin Gordon daughter to the Earl of Huntley a Lady of excellent beauty Such provisions being made as the enterprise required he with a good Army entred Northumberland where Perkin under the name of Richard Duke of Yorke the true and lawfull heir to the Crown of England published a Declaration the Contents whereof were That being by the Grace of God and Favour of Iames the fourth King of Scotland entred into his Kingdom of England he declared his coming was not to make war upon his subjects but to free them from the tyrannie wherewith they were oppressed that it was known the Crown belonged to the Regall house of Yorke of which since after the death of Edward the fourth there remained no other pretender then Himself his Son He and no other was the lawfull heir thereof that Henry Teudor had usurped the Crown from him and by in humane ways sought to betray him and bereave him of his life that he had vaunted himself to have eased the subject of a Tyrant but by excluding the Duke of Yorke their rightfull King he had made himself their Tyrant that Richords tyranny was so much the more excusable in that his Nephews being supposed to be dead he had some Pretences to colour it with the difference between them two was that Richard a true Plantagenet had for his aim the Honour of the Nation and the Subjects Tranquillity Henry meanly born not regarding the Honour of
the Nation nor the Peoples Tranquillity had sold the Kingdoms best friends for ready money made dishonourable peace and not only oppressed the subject but unjustly put to death the Lord Chamberlain Stanley and divers others who were likely to have withstood his oppressions Ambition had moved Richard to tyrannie Henry Avarice Ambition had made use of cruell means Avarice not only of Cruell but Base extortive means his Cruelty was witnessed by the death of so many and by the imprisonment of the Earl of Warwick Son to the Duke of Clarence his Basenesse and Extortion by such extraordinary grievances Tenths Subsidies Taxes and Impositions under the name of Benevolences and by the wars and peace hee made only that he might heap up treasure and because his unjust possession of the Crowne made him live in perpetuall fear and suspicion not only of Men but even of Women hee had married Ladies of the blood Royall to people of mean condition amongst which a sister of Him the Duke of Yorke and a sister of his Cosin the above-mentioned Earl of Warwick that hee might have the lesse reason to fear so that as hee now came to free them from violence by such forces as God should assist him withall so by his plenary Regall authority hee did at that present free them from all Grievances by Revoking and abolishing in perpetuity All that had hetherto been imposed upon them contrary to all Law and Custom and to the end that the good will of his subjects might not be prejudiced by the Law for having illegally obeyed the Tyrant he granted to them a Generall Pardon for all their transgressions upon condition they would submit themselves to Him and acknowledge him for their King the which they that should be the Forwardest to do should be the First that should enjoy the Maidenhead of his Regall favours that he would maintain all that his Ancestors more particularly his Father Edward of glorious memory had sworn unto which was the Preservation of their Priviledges and Liberty the Franchise of the Clergy Nobility and People He promised a Thousand pound in ready money and Five Marks a yeare of Inheritance for ever whosoever should take or kill Henry he declared that the King of Scotlands assisting of him was not done out of any Bargain or Promise made Prejudiciall to the Kingdom of England but out of the near love to Justice a vertue wherein he excelled and that when he should have put him in a condition or posture that he might be able to defend himself by the forces of his own English subjects he would return to Scotland pretending to nothing else but the Honour of having Raised Him up This Declaration proved like seed sown on the sands whereupon King Iames after he had long in vain expected some Commotion be took himself to plunder and destroy with as little mercy as the Scots had wont to doe in former times and Perkin who till now had plaid his part extreamly well failed in This shewing too much Affection therein For having desired the King not to suffer his men contrary to the Laws of Arms to commit such out-rages for that no purchase whatsoever could be acceptable to him which was got with the Blood and Ruin of his own subjects the King who either had before informed himself of his being or else began to suspect it by this his so Affected and Impertinent request answered him smiling That he took too much care of what did not at all belong unto him and that to endeavour the preservation of an Enemies countrey was the most that could be done by a Perfect Christian. Having enriched his souldiers he returned back knowing that great forces were coming down upon him and that it would be dangerous for him to stay till they came finding himself encumbred by that great booty he took along with him Merchants were much troubled at the breach of Commerce between England and Flanders insomuch as meeting with a fit occasion they began to treate thereof with their severall Princes since that the reducing it to the former condition would make for the advantage of Both sides and therefore was to be desired by Both by the Arch-duke for being informed that Perkin the cause of the disorder was a Cheater he should have wronged his Reputation in favouring him any longer and have much injured his Subjects and Himself by the evill that might there hence have resulted by Henry for not valuing now Perkin any more the breach of correspondence with Burgundy was not only prejudiciall to Private men but even to Himselfe since that thereby his Customes a principall arrow in the quiver of Princes were diminished notwithstanding though he did desire it he would not seem to doe so but appeare to be drawn by the instance of others Commissioners were sent from both sides who renewed their friendship and reestablished the commerce in a better way then formerly and to the articles touching this busines and the Freedom of Fishing was added an Inhibition of either side to entertain the Rebels of one another in which article the Lands belonging to the Dutchesse Margaret were by Name inserted to the end that such as did adhere to Perkin might not be shelter'd there The affront offered by the King of Scotland stuck yet in Henrie's stomack which was not to be revenged but by war war was not to be made without money nor was money to be had without a Parliament wherefore he called a Parliament and therein acquainted them with the Losses he had suffer'd by the King of Scots in Northumberland who having no cause of enmity with Him had taken upon him for a Pretence to protect Perkin though he knew him to be an Impostour how the injury was aggravated by the Affront for finding that countrey unarmed and void of defence after having ruin'd and burnt up the countrey he had safely retired himselfe laden with booty into Scotland This busines was judged worthy of the Kings consideration such injuries not being without shame to be put up wherefore the Parliament decreed unto him good store of money to be raised according to the usuall wont which being paid in all parts else was only deny'd to be paid in Cornewall the Inhabitants thereof thought this an unjust exaction and that the Scotish Commotion was so farre from Them as they were not thereby to be obliged as were the countries thereby detrimented asif when the Head akes the Legs and Feet be not concern'd but may put over the execution of their duties to the Arms and Neck as neerer thereunto To make good this mutiny two mutinous heads appeared the one a Farrier by his trade the other an Atturney each of which had their ends Michael Ioseph the Black-smith was moved by Ambition beleeving such a seditious action would adde luster unto him and that his clownish loquacity would procure him the first place amongst the Countrey people Thomas Flammock the Atturney having gotten credit by his profession had so
former Confession the which he likewise did at Cheapside Hee was againe put into the Tower to be better looked unto but hee could not forbeare relapsing into his former errour For growing great with foure of his Keepers who were servants to Sir Iohn Digby Lieutenant of the Tower and making them beleeve he was the true Duke of Yorke he so far prevailed with them as that they perswaded the Earl of Warwick to escape away with Perkin which by their means hee easily might doe when they should have kill'd the Lieutenant and taken from him his Keyes Monies and best Moveables But the plot was discover'd and he againe put over to Commissioners At this time an other Earl of Warwick appeared in Kent in imitation of Lambert Symnell Lambert tooke upon him the person of the Earl of Warwick by the direction of a Priest and Ralph Wilford for so was this second supposititious Earl called by the direction of an Augustine Frier named Patrick but this was soon ended for the Frier puft up with a foolish confidence and beleeving that businesses of this nature ought to be fomented in the Pulpit he by inciting the People destroyed the building before the Ground-worke was lay'd so as they were both taken Wilford was executed and the Frier in respect of his Habit was condemn'd to perpetuall imprisonment This accident gave the King occasion to rid the true Earl of Warwick out of the world whereupon it was thought that Perkins first flight and this his second endeavour to doe the like were wrought by His cunning he giving way to the First that hee might put Perkin to death and stirring up means to plot the Second so to rid his hands of the Earl and Perkin both at once But howsoever it was Perkin being convinc'd of this second busines and judged to die was hanged at Tybourn where by word of mouth hee confest his Imposture The rest who were involved in the same fault suffered likewise with him And Warwick being accused before the Earl of Oxford who for this occasion was made High Constable of England to have conspired together with Perkin against the State and Person of the King being proved guilty by his owne Confession was beheaded upon Tower-hill And thus in him ended the Male Line of the Plantagenets This caused the King to be blamed and hardly thought of as having no reason to condemne him for having been Prisoner from the Ninth yeare of his age till the Twenty-fourth and always in fear of Death he was kept in so great Ignorance that hee did not know a Duck from a Capon and therefore so little capable of the fault that he was altogether incapable to Dream of it and his Confessing it was out of a beleefe he was perswaded to that by so doing he should be pardoned Henry endevoured to lay the cause of this death upon the King of Spaine shewing his Letters wherein he said He could not resolve to marry his Daughter to Prince Arthur since as long as the Earl of Warwick lived he was not certaine of the Kingdoms succession which might be a reason of State but not of Justice in so much as God would not give a Blessing to that match the which that vertuous Princesse Katharine Knew very well for Prince Arthur dying shortly after and shee being repudiated by King Henry the Eight after Twenty yeares marriage she said It was no wonder if God had made her Vnfortunate in her Marriages since they were sealed with Blood meaning thereby the Death of this Earle The King though hee were no longer subject to the Apparitions which the Dutchesse of Burgundy had raised up by her Inchantments in the Transformation of People yet was he not free from Influences common to other men the Plague raged so terribly in London that it forced him to quit the Town and afterwards by reason of its Vniversall dispersing of it selfe over the whole Land to goe over to Callice together with the Queene The Arch-duke Philip hearing of his being there sent Embassadours to him to congratulate his Arrivall and to know if hee would be pleased that he Himself should come to visit him upon condition notwithstanding that he might be received in some Open place not for that hee durst not Trust himself in Callice or in what ever other Towne but for that having refused to speake with the King of France within any Walled place hee would not by this Difference give him any occasion of Offence nor that the example might prove prejudiciall to him in the future for any thing that might happen either with the same King or with any other The Ambassadours were graciously received and the Condition fairly interpreted and St. Peters Church not far from Callice was appointed for the place Hee likewise sent Embassadours to the Arch-duke who appeared at Masse in the midst between them all of them kneeling upon the same cushion As he was comming towards Callis the King went out to meet him and he alighted suddenly from Horse-back as if hee would have held his stirrop the King likewise alighted and having imbraced him led him to the Church which was appointed for their parley The causes which brought this Prince thither were two his own Good nature for that he had offended him by Protecting an Impostour which fault though it was not His he being then a Child yet was it the fault of his Counsell depending upon the Dutchesse Margarets passion so as he omitted nothing whereby to give the King satisfaction the other the Advise of his Father and father in Law who counselled him to make firm friendship with Henry for the advantage of the Low-countries and for his own Safety against the Violences of France but most for that they both hating that King which was Lewis the Twelfth who succeeded Charles the Eighth they hoped for many Advantages by his Friendship The Arch-duke failed not to use all the art he could though by nature he was not given to Dissembling terming him his Father his Protector his Leaning-stock The things agreed on between them were the Confirmation of the former Treaties and two reciprocall Marriages the one of the Duke of Yorke the Kings Second Son with the Arch-dukes Daughter the other of Charles the Arch-dukes Eldest Son with Mary the Kings Second Daughter but all of them being either Children or Infants these marriages ensued not but did evaporate through Time and Interest The Archduke was hardly gone when the King of France sent the Governour of Picardy and the Baylife of Amiens to visit Henry acquain ting him with his Victories together with his getting of the Dutchy of Milaine and his imprisonment of Lodwick Sforza the Duke thereof The Plague being by this time ceased Henry return'd to London wel satisfied with the Testimony he had received of how good esteem he was held by the confining Princes At the same time Iasper Pons a Spaniard born a learned and well bred man came into England being sent by
his comming desired him that he would rest himselfe in Sir Thomas Trenchards house till such time as they might advertise the King of his being there to which he gave way being certaine that otherwise they would not have suffered him to depart When Henry heard hereof hee sent the Earle of Arundell by way of complement unto him and to let him know that he Himselfe would presently come and visit him But Philip fearing lest if he should waite his comming his stay would be too long resolved to goe Himselfe to Henry making his Queene come at leisure after him He was met six miles from Windsor by Prince Henry and One mile from thence by the King who received him with all terms of Honour and Friendship He treated with him of the marriage of their Children and of his owne marrying with Margaret the Dowager of Savoy Philips sister he renewed all Confederacies made between them the preceding years which were Then made with him by the name of Arch-duke Philip Duke of Burgundy Now by the name of King of Spaine they had better successe for the English then had the former especially in the Fishing-busines at which the Flemmings were much offended he with much adoe obtained the person of the Earle of Suffolke who lived under the protection of Philip Henry knew so well how to perswade him by passing his Word he would not put him to Death that Philip sent for him into Flanders the one desiring to have him before the other departed and the other not to depart till he were arrived that it might be beleeved he had beene Enforced to deliver him up Assoone as the Earle was come and put in the Tower Philip departed England and was received in Spaine without any manner of Resistance Ferdinand totally quitting the Government to him but he enjoy'd it but for a while for he dyed soone after The Englishmen will have it that his death was Prognosticated by the Fall of a golden Eagle which standing upon the top of Pauls steeple was blowne downe by the same wind which drave him into Waymouth and brake downe a signe in the Church-yard wherein was a blacke Eagle Ferdinand being call'd for and entreated by the Kingdome returned to the Government thereof this Death of her Husband having so opprest the fancie of the Queen his daughter as she was never after good for any thing not without suspition that her Father did not greatly endeavour her Recovery that so he of Himselfe and without Trouble might manage the Scepter of Spaine The Earle of Suffolke being in the Tower Henry was now freed from all manner of Trouble and Molestation so as betaking himselfe to Domesticall affaires he sent Thomas Wolsey he who was Cardinall and of so great Power under Henry the eighth to Maxi milian to treat of the marriage with the fore-named Dowager of Savoy but it tooke no effect by reason of Henrye's indisposition of health which shortly ensued The marriage of Charles King of Spaine with Mary daughter to Henry stirr'd up some jealousies in Ferdinand for though He was the first that had mention'd iâ—… yet his Sonne in Law being Dead and Charles being come to the Crowne he feared he should meet with Two Competitours in the Government with Maximilian as Grand-father and Henry as Father in Law which though neither of them dreamt of yet did He feare it but This match had no better effect then had the Other the tender yeares of the young couple and the alteration of affaires in following times broke it quite off The expectation hereof neverthelesse made Henry live contented the little while he lived for having married One of his daughters to the King of Scotland and the Other to the King of Castile Duke of Burgundy he thought himselfe more safe then if his Kingdome had beene compassed about with a wall of Brasse He the mean while began to draw towards his End the Gout a disease more Troublesome then Mortall was the Fore-runner of a Distillation which falling upon his Lungs brought him into a kind of Consumption which perceiving he began to give himselfe totally to Pious Workes He set all Prisoners at Liberty who were in for Debt of not above Forty shillings hee himselfe paying the Creditours he gave Almes in greater measure then he had done formerly but though hee felt great Remorse at the daily complaints made against Empson and Dudley for their Oppressions yet did hee not seeke to Remedy them His Conscience and his Covetousnesse wrought contrary effects in him many for very slight causes were troubled in their Estates and in their Lives one died in Prison before his cause was heard another being imprisoned for denying to pay what Contrary to the Lawes he was adjudged at was not let out till Henry the eighths time and then Empson was put in his place To make good the usuall custome of promising obedience to New Popes he sent Sir Gilbert Talbot with two other Embassadours to Pope Iulius the second which he had not formerly done though he were created in November 1503. They prest much for the Canonization of Henry the sixth but could not obtaine it for the reason formerly given in the life of Edward the fourth Being dismist by the Pope they carried the Garter and Robes of that Order to Guido Vbaldo Duke of Vrbin whose Father Frederick had likewise had it This Prince sent into England to be installed for him according to the Institutions of that Order the Count Balthasar Castillion he to whom the noblest Courtiers owe so much The finishing of the Hospitall in the Savoy was one of the last of Henries actions he would not alter the name of it this fabrick having beene in former times the habitation of Peter of Savoy Unckle to Eleanor the Wife of Henry the third by whom Peter of Savoy was created Earle of Richmond but he resigned the Earledome when Savoy fell by inheritance to him The Lancastrians lived in this house and King Henry converted it into an Hospitall Besides this he built three Monasteries for the Conventuall Friers of Saint Francis order and three for the Observantines of the same order in divers places When he knew he hee must die he disposed himselfe thereunto Hee had lived almost all his time in Troubles but always with prosperous and happy successe he found the Kingdome involved in Civil wars he left it in a setled Peace his subjects who were impoverisht by the past disorders were notwitstanding his Taxations by reason of his good Government become Rich he did not only free the Crowne out of Debt but left it rich in Treasure his sonne found in Richmond house a Million and eight Hundred Thousand pound sterling so as he was thought the richest Prince in Europe He granted out a Generall Pardon and ordered by his Last Will and Testament that all such monies should bee Repay'd as had unjustly beene levied by his Officers He died at Richmond the twenty second day of Aprill in the year of our Lord 1509 and was buried by his wife in the sumptuous and stately Chapell built by Himselfe in the Abbey Church at Westminster He lived two and Fifty years and Reigned three and Twenty Years and Eight moneths The Children which he left behind him were Henry the Eighth his Heir and successor in the Crown Margaret Queen of Scotland from whom the Kings of Great Britaine doe descend and the Prince and Princesses of the Electorall house Palatine and Mary married to Lewis the twelfth King of France by whom having no issue she after his death married Charles Brandon Duke of Suffolke by whom she had Henry Earle of Lincolne and two Daughters Frances and Eleanor The Earle dyed without issue in his Fathers life-time Frances was married to Henry Gray Duke of Suffolk and by him had the Lady Iane Gray who being married to Guilford Dudley sonne to the Duke of Northumberland and constrained to call her selfe Queene was beheaded in Queene Maries time she had by him moreover two Other daughters Katharine and Mary who dyed without issue Eleanor was married to Henry Clifford Earle of Cumberland by whom she had a daughter named Margaret who was married to Henry Stanley Earle of Darby and had by him two sons Ferdinando and William both of them in succession one of the other Earles of Darby Earle William dyed this present yeare 1642. leaving his sonne Iames behind him to inherit his Honours and his Estate The End of the Second and Last volume of the Civil Wars of England betweene the two Houses of Yorke and Lancaster FINIS Richard the 2. 1386. 1387. 1388. 1383. 1390. 1391. 1393. 1394. 1395 1396 1397. Henry the 4. A description of the Isle of Wight 1403 1404 1405 1406 1407 1408 1409 1410 1411 1412 1413 Henry the 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. and 8. 9 10 11 12 13 1416 1417 1418 1420 1421 Henry the 6. Apoc Cap 4o. 1422 1424. 1425. 1426. 1428. 1429. 1432. 1435. Philippopolis Andrenopolis Serviae Bulgaria Vallatchia Di. Bittinia in Thracia Di. Brusia in Andrinopoli Alavenente 3. Mascone Impatronato La Castellania Parteggiati Il trombetta Sangate 1424. 1438. 1442. 1433. 1445. 1446 1447. 1448. 1450. 1452. 1453. 1454. 1455. 1456. 1458. 1459. 1460. 1466. 1470 1472. 1473. 1474. 1475. 1476 1477 1478 1479 1480 1481 1482 1483 1485. 1485 1483 1486 1487 1488 1490 1491 1492 1493 1494 1495 1496 1496 1498. 1499 1501 1503 1504 1505 1506 1507 1508 1509
more really performe then did he his threats which with feare-infusing forces are of no validity They did as it were beleager him in the tower for the Thames being well guarded and they themselves making good the Citie he had no possible meanes of making an escape whereby perceiving the vanity of his owne opinion he yeelded to the advice of others necessity being the chiefe motive But it was impossible to bring them together for neither would hee come out of the Tower nor they enter for fear of the like treacheries as in a lesse proper place they had not long before had experience of at last feare found the meanes he propounded unto them to send men who might search the Tower with the which contented they sent two hundred armed men who having searched every corner received the keyes of the gates and so secured their entry Their complements were short and coole as was to be expected in a businesse of such nature They first shewed him the Letters written under his owne hand to the Duke of Ireland upbraiding him with the breach of his private promise and publique faith publiquely proclaimed but at the sight of his safe conduct for France which in the second place they shewed him he grew pale and not knowing what to say in his defence burst forth into teares That which was then resolved upon was that he would the next day cometo Westminster to take order for his past misgovernment He would have had them lodge in the Tower with him but they excused themselves upon the necessity of their being present with their men For his satisfaction Darby and Nottingham tarried there At night when hee retired to his rest those who were nearest about him wished him to consider that to goe to Westminster would be both shamefull and dangerous whilst they considered not that where honour is in question shame consists not in the eyes but in the minde which could penetrate the thickest walls and that he could not meet with greater danger by comming forth since he had already put himselfe into the hands of his most hated enemies But according to his custome imbracing the worst counsell he refused to goe to Westminster at which the Barons thinking themselves deluded they sent him word that if he would not come they would chuse a new King in his stead A more considerable shame and danger then was the quitting of the Tower and the doing of what of himselfe as King he ought unintreated to have done Yet all these errours considered there is no law which permits subjects to make so insolent a protestation Hitherto their actions had been in some sort justifiable the States necessity excused what of violence they had formerly used but to use such tearmes to a young King as ought onely to be used to an old incorrigible Tyrant they had neither law for their justification nor reason for their excuse since they were chosen Governours for the conservation not extirpation of the King and Regall Majesty but though God was pleased that his inconstancie should be punished by this affront and that like a childe he should be frighted with the noise of the rod hee was not notwithstanding pleased that they should hate that in him which they loved in themselves that they should fall from justice to severity and from a juridicall government to tyranny so as both sides having offended it is no wonder if all of them in their due times did receive alike punishment The King being by threats brought to Westminster this proposition was made unto him that in consideration of many disorders which had happened to the prejudice of his honour and the good government of the Kingdome by the infidelity of certaine traytors that were too familiarly about him to the end that more the like might not ensue hee would bee pleased that they might bee banished the Court and his presence To the which he bereaved of all acts of will especially such as tended to contradiction did much against his will give consent grieving that hee was to lose their company who hee intirely loved and esteemed his onely faithfull advisers the chiefe of these were three Prelates The Archbishop of Yorke the Bishop of Durham his Treasurer and the Bishop of Chichester his Confessor Three Barons Zouch Burnel and Beamont five Knights many Ladies and Gentlewomen To boot with their banishment they were to give in bond for their appearing at the next Parliament to answer to such things as should be alledged against them Of the three Bishops Yorke and Chichester were freed from this ingagement for they were formerly fled Many others of all conditions were imprisoned Priests Gentlemen and Lawyers of the which the most considerable were Simon Burle and Nicholas Bambre The day appointed for Parliament being come and the Judges having tane their seats they were all one onely excepted committed to prison for that in the preceding Parliament they had given their votes for the legitimacy of the election of the governours and in the Castle at Nottingham had subscribed to the Articles of Trisilian to the contradiction of what they had formerly done Those who had absented themselves were cited to appeare The Duke of Ireland the Archbishop of Yorke Earle of Suffolke and Trisilian were summoded to answer to such Articles of Treason as should bee objected unto them by Gloster Darby Arundel and Nottingham and that in case they did not appeare during the sitting of that Parliament which continued from the Purification to Pentecost they should be for ever banished and their goods confiscated Trisilian relying more upon his warinesse then a wary man ought to doe was betrayed by one of his servants and taken in a house neare the Parliament whither with confidence he had retired himselfe that he might the better discover the daily passages He had the face to deny himselfe having so transformed himselfe as he was almost not to be knowne After much mockery he was hanged Bambre who was his companion in actions was the like in fortune hee had his head strucken off with a hatchet which hee himselfe had caused be made to behead a number of people whose names were found in a list about him Many others went the same way But the death of Simon Burle was thought lesse justifiable then all the rest This Simon was nobly borne Iohn his father was Knight of the Garter and his Uncle Walter Burle was one of the first to whose charge Edward the third trusted the education of his sonne Edward with whom this Simon being brought up under his Uncle he proved so full of worth as the Prince thought hee could not commit the government of his sonne Richard to a more deserving man A choice not to be sleighted being made by such a Prince In this his charge he knew so well how to comply with Richards inclination as that when he came to the Crowne he raised him to great honour making him Knight of the Garter Chamberlaine Warden of
that the people would be herewithall contented for by this meanes they should be freed from the warres wherewith they were threatned from France Scotland and Wales The Duke of Exceter propounded a Tilting at Christmas wherein he with twenty Gentlemen would chalenge the Earle of Salisbury with as many more to the which the King should bee invited and there together with his children slaine A businesse likely to succeed they being all armed and under the pretence of pompe well attended and he void of suspition unarmed his ordinary guard being more for shew then service This being done they resolved forth-with to re-inthrone Richard wherein they expected no opposition for of the house of Lancaster there remained none save brothers by another mother of the which the Earle of Sommerset the eldest was distasted and none of them comprehended within the Act of Parliament touching the succession of the crowne Richards lawfull heires loved him well and if any alteration should happen it would not bee of much consideration he being once re-established and they so well provided as that they might preserve themselves free from danger till the arrivall of aid from France to doubt whereof would bee sacriledge the daughter of France being too pretious a pawne to be by the French abandoned This Proposition being approved and all of them having vowed fidelity six of the chiefest among them made six writings be drawne up all of the same tenure the which they all subscribed and sealed every man keeping one of them which was the break-necke of the businesse for if any one of them should prove false to what Tribunall could the others cite him And if it should happen that through treachery or want of good take-heed any one of the Copies should come to light there was no way left to save themselves Exceter having acquainted the King with the appointed titling between him and Salisbury besought him to honour them with his presence and that he would be pleased to bee their Judge in case any difference should arise The which hee graciously accepted of and promised to doe This meane while every man providing himselfe of what number of men he could get under the pretence of magnificencie they came at the time appointed to Oxford where the King and Court was the next day expected The Duke of Aumerle was onely wanting hee having sent his men before went to visit his father who lived in a Countrey house upon that road and stayed dinner with him Fortune would so have it as that the old man spied a peece of paper in his sonnes bosome and not imagining what it might be snatcht it from him When he had seen the contents the six seales and among the rest his sonnes for one he grew so incensed as rising immediately from the Table hee gave order for his horses to bee made ready reproaching his sonne for that having been false to Richard he would now be a traytor to Henry that he was witty in finding out inventions to undoe his father but that now his father would undoe him That he should remember how the last Parliament he was bound for him body for body and goods for goods That therefore since hee made so little account of his fathers head his father would make as little account of his This being said hee went to Windsor Aumerle considering that the old man was not to bee with-drawne from his resolution that the businesse was discovered and his life in question having none with whom to advise resolved to prevent his father hee got on horse-backe and riding as fast as he could drive he got to Windsor before him where as soone as he was come he clapt to the doore behinde him telling him that looked to the door that so it behooved for the Kings service Hee threw himselfe downe at the Kings feet and craved his pardon the King astonished at such a novelty demanded his offence which when hee understood being somewhat amazed at the first he promised him mercy so as the businesse were as he had related it but if otherwise woe bee to him This meane time the Duke of Yorke came to the Castle doore and finding it shut bade it bee opened He entred and without further circumstances put the conspirators contract into the Kings hand who finding thereby all to be true that Aumerle had said put off his journey to Oxford resolving to expect at Windsor the conspirators new resolutions hee sent newes hereof by expresse Carriers to Henry Pearcy Earle of Northumberland Lord high Constable of England to Ralph Nevill Earle of Westmerland Lord Marshall who had married Iane his sister by the fathers side and to all his other friends to the end that they might make what haste they could to the Court and bring with them what forces they could raise Exceter was one of the first that came to Oxford more set upon the resolution taken then were the rest but he could not so order affaires but that by the extraordinary provision of Armes Souldiers his wife the Kings sister perceived that all this was done to undoe and kill her brother whereat in height of Agonie she was much distracted between the love to her brother and affection to her husband the ruine of one of them being certain whether the one or the other equally to her grievous whereat her husband who loved her as much as he hated her brother being moved said unto her that fortune might make both her and him equally content one onely thing excepted That their interests were in all things else common and individuall in this alone divers and particular For as shee could not but rejoyce at her brothers preferment to the crowne so hee could not but grieve to see his brother deposed that now in the change of fortune which by the preparations that were made she was towards if shee found cause of affliction she should doe well to consider that he had just cause of joy for if she being Henry's sister esteemed her greatnesse the more in respect of his he being brother to Richard had reason to hope the like in the Rise of Richard without the which whilst her brother reigned hee was like to live in perpetuall misery and daily to expect death That she was not to suffer in the fates of either of them For if Henry should reigne shee was to continue the same shee was though having lost her husband and if Richard reigned both of them were to preserve their lives honours and fortunes so that come what would come she had cause to rejoyce but not he For that hee might not through so many dangers dye daily it behoved him to expose himselfe to all danger that hee might once dye or for ever be free of feare Hereupon giving her his last kisse he left her weeping and went to Oxford where all the rest were come saving only Aumerle where having expected him to the very last houre his not appearing the not preparing for the King and
the no newes thereof were manifest signes that their plot was discovered they had no hopes of pardon having beene formerly condemned and pardon'd so that in a desperate case desperate resolutions were to be taken they endeavoured to doe that by open force which they could not effect by treachery and for their safeties sake to use deceipt They cloathed Magdalun with Princely roabes who much resembling Richard cozened the more ignorant They gave forth that assisted by his Keepers he had escaped prison thereupon they assembled together 40000. men the least part whereof came for good will the most inconsiderable for hopes and the most unusefull for feare all of them consequently changeable and inconstant for infidelity produceth feare incertitude hopes and popular inclination weaknesse and confusion there was no counsell to be had nor foundation to ground it upon so unexpectedly were they surprized They resolved to seize upon the King at Windsor but he hearing of their coming had with some few horse withdrawne himselfe from thence so as not finding him there they intended to pursue him to London and so take him unproviding which perchance was the best course they could have taken but feare put a period thereunto when wisedome was more dangerous then rash attempts The King when he was come to London fortified himselfe there the City furnishing him with souldiers and he providing himselfe of sufficient guard when he heard that they were coming he came forth to meet them with 20000. men and made his stand where they were to passe by not diffident in the small number of his men nor affrighted at the multitude of the enemy They on the other side mistrusting themselves shun'd the encounter and went towards Reading where the Queene was making her beleeve that King Richard was at Pomfret with 100000. fighting men and that Henry of Lancaster together with his children and friends had shut himselfe up in the Tower not daring to come forth and the better to colour their false report they threw down Henrie's armes and took his Cognizances from such of the Queens servants as wore them as if Richard did already rule They made no further use of Magdaluns pageant for fearing lest they should be discovered they when they were at Reading gave out that Richard was at Pomfret and elsewhere when they were elsewhere for it is usuall with such as are upon the point of perishing to make use of false rumours When they left Reading they went to Cicester Surrey and Salisbury taking up their lodging in a small village Exceter and Glocester theirs in another leaving their army in the field The Townes-men thereabouts who were informed that things were otherwise then they gave out did about midnight beset the house wherein the former two were lodged who withstood their fury for the space of fifteene houres Exceter who was advertised thereof could not possibly succour them for all his men through a sudden feare were fled away A certaine Priest of Surreys side set divers houses of that Village on fire hoping thereby to divert them from their assault which caused Exceters men to take their heeles beleeving that Henry was come and that it was he who had given battaile and fired the houses The Townes-folkes on the contrary hereby doubly inraged resolved to quench the fire with the blood of those that fought against them so as unfortunate Surrey and Salisbury forsaken by their friends and taken by their enemies likely by their many mortall wounds to live but a while were beheaded and their heads sent to London twenty nine of their company what Barons what Gentlemen were taken prisoners who being brought to Oxford where the King was had publique justice passed upon them Glocester thinking to escape was taken prisoner in Wales and beheaded at Bristow Magdalun fled into Scotland where he was taken and sent to London where he died the death of a traytour Exceter who had oft times endeavoured to get over into France and was alwayes by contrary windes beaten backe whilest he wandered up and downe unknowne was taken as he was at supper in a friends house brought into the late Duke of Glocesters hands where his head was strucken off Divine justice repaying him according to his deserts in his territories whose death he had beene the causer of the sufferings of his owne death were augmented by Richards foreseene death he being doubly the cause thereof by being at first too forward afterward too slow In all other respects he was a man of praise-worthy conditions but he stained his reputation in seconding his brothers humours and in endeavouring to ruine his brother in law he lost his life infinite was the number of the rest that dyed the high wayes were filled with men hang'd and quarter'd with heads set upon poles among which number did many innocent people suffer who under pretence of rebellion were for particular revenge by some about the King put to death The Abbot of Westminster understanding what miserable effects his counsell had taken fled from the Monastery but overtaken by a sudden Apoplexie he escaped the halter dying lesse unfortunately The like happened to the Bishop of Carlile who dyed of a violent feaver thereby mocking his worser destiny which had he lived a little longer he could not have escaped Some will have it that he was againe taken and condemned but his punishment by the King remitted which if it were true proceeded either from Henries innate humanity or else to shew unto the world that they erred in thinking him averse to the Clergie but the Bishop enjoyed not this favour long for through the labour he had taken he soone after dyed If the Conspiratours had knowne that the safety of men in despaire consists in despairing of safety they either would not have perished yet that had beene a difficult affaire or at least not so soone and unrevenged but wanting resolution in times of extremity still hoping for safety and temporizing when it was no longer time to doe so bereaving them of courage which followed them and those who were to follow them both of courage and time they by their example taught such to flye away who were already prepared for flight and such to temporize as were ready to declare themselves Innocent Richard was ignorant of all these passages reserved for the last Scene of this sad Tragedy For Henry was resolved to see his end He was carried from the Tower to a Castle in Kent from thence to Pomfret tost from post to pillar to the end that the true cause of his death might not bee knowne Three were the severall opinions of his death and none of them in my opinion true or like truth The first that when he understood of the conspiracie and death of the conspirators thinking that it would no longer availe him to keep him alive hee voluntarily famisht himselfe to death The second that being served according to his custome with choyce Cates hee was not suffered to taste thereof and
that cold being added to the rest of his sufferings he died within the space of fifteen dayes The third that Henry sitting at the table and complaining of his present condition he should say hee saw he had no friends since his life and Richards being incompatible there was none that would free him of this anxiety Whereupon one Sir Peter Eston accompanied by eight others went straight wayes to Pomfret where meeting with Richards Sewer he said unto him That it was in vaine any longer to take assay of his meat for he was not long to taste any and that the Sewer taking this in another sense waited at the Table but did not his usuall service at the which Richard being offended when he understood that hee was willed so to doe by Eston who was newly come from Court hee grew so incensed as that he cut him over the face with a knife saying The Divel take Henry of Lancaster thee too at the which Peter with the other eight entring the roome with Halberts in their hands he threw the Table from him beleeving that they came to kill him and that flying fiercely upon one of them hee wrested his weapon from him with the which he slew foure of them but being over-borne by the rest hee went backwards toward the place where Eston was set in Richards chaire almost ready to swound through the remorse of conscience that there Eston with a great blow fell him to the ground which when hee had done he instantly cried out that he had killed a Prince who had been his King two and twenty yeares that he should live hereafter abhorred and pointed at by all men as a traytor and murtherer of a King One Historian allowes Richard so much life after the receiving of this blow as to suffer him say that Edward the second his great-grand-father was in like manner as he deposed and killed that his grand-father Edward the third having by such meanes obtained and enjoyed the Crowne hee being his successor did beare the punishment that the like would happen to such as should succeed Henry and though his death his owne demerits considered was just yet was it not such as would justifie his murtherers But I cannot see how the blow hee received from Eston and the desire that Eston had to see him dead could allow him so much time for discourse That he voluntarily starved himselfe to death is not likely hee loved his life too well and rather then lose it he chose to lose both liberty and kingdome nor would knives have been wanting had hee had any such resolution And certainly Henry is much injured in the report that he should act that which is but fained of Tantalus for of his owne nature he was no wayes wicked and though it was a great fault to bereave his lawfull King both of Kingdome and life yet seeing he had put on a resolution of reigning Pandora's box from which all mischiefe issued he must or not be King or make himselfe secure of his kingdome the one was the sinne of ambition which many are subject to but the other not to alledge other examples would have been the Idea of the most unheard of cruelties that ever were committed Respect unto himselfe inforced a riddance of him but not in so cruell a manner such an act had been able to alienate all other people from him his vaine-glory in affecting the first seat among the damned would have been more then diabolicall neither is it likely that Eston slew him for Henry needed not in so blameable an action publickly at the Table to begge the helpes of others It may suffice that Richard did dye and after what manner best pleased Henry but no man knew how otherwise in this case there would have been but one relation and not able to free himselfe from the suspition of having caused him to bee put to death hee could not finde any meanes whereby to bee the lesse hated for the doing of it then the uncertainty thereof which occasioned this diversity of opinions Hee caused his corps to bee brought up to London bare-faced and gave order that it should stop for some convenient time in divers publicke places particularly in Pauls to the end that it might be taken notice of Hee caused his funerall to bee celebrated at which hee himselfe together with all his Court and Magistracie of the Citie was present This being done hee sent the body to Langley lest the sight of his Tombe in London might recall into mens memories an action which howsoever it was done was unjust and inhumane He was there privatly buried none of any quality being present save one Bishop and two Abbots Henry the fifth sonne to this man when he came to be King caused his body to be brought to Westminster and placed it theâ—…e by the side of Anne his wife amongst the other Kings Some Scotch writers are of a fourth opinion That as soone as Henry was crowned an Hermit of reverend aspect presented himselfe before him who admonished him to restore the Kingdome to whom of right it did belong threatning the ruine of the house of Lancaster if he would not doe it and that Henry fearing if this novelty should be scattered abroad amongst the people it might cause some revolt made the Hermit privately be put to death That Richard having escaped prison by the connivency of those who were his Keepers got into Ireland and from thence to Scotland where he placed himselfe in service with a Lord of the family of Machdougell and that after a while being knowne he was brought to the Court where he was with much civility received by Robert the third and entertained as a King but that weary of the world he retired himselfe to the service of God and being dead was buried in the Dominicans Church as the inscription upon his Sepulchre did witnesse But if this had beene true the English writers would have had some little light thereof some whispering or tradition of it would have beene among the common people Scotland would have made some advantage thereby France would not have beene quiet Henry would not have demanded Richards widow for his Sonne nor would Charles have married her into the house of Orleans Richard would either have retired himselfe to France to his wife and father in law or having a minde to become one of the Religious in Scotland he would have procured by dispensation from Rome a nullifying of his contracted though not consummated marriage George Buchanan writes that the old Earle of Northumberland being fled into Scotland as we shall hereafter see that he there found an English man who had falsly taken upon him the name of Richard the second that he endevoured to get a sight of him but that the other could by no meanes be perswaded thereunto that if he had not been an Impostor he would not have shunned the sight of one that knew him and that the same man afterwards dying was buried at
Soveraigne That his authority was not yet such as might force the freedome of the Prisoner Not that hee did not know him to be Prince and the Kings eldest sonne an high and powerfull quality but of no consequence in a businesse of this nature it being impossible for him to take from the hand of justice to the breach of the Law one who was condemned to die and more impossible for himselfe to give way thereunto he told him therefore he should doe well to goe the usuall way of obtaining pardon from the King The Prince impatient of contradiction and who was naturally given to blows insomuch as he would disguise himselfe to seek occasion for them gave the Judge such a cuffe in the ear as would have stunned any one who had beene lesse resolute then he but the Judge neither frighted with the blow nor losing his former gravity said unto him That the misery done unto him sitting on that seate was an offence done unto the King to whom to whose Laws he the Prince was doubly obliged as a subject and as a son That though the offence was great in it self yet was it greater in his person and of more dangerous consequence for when he should be King he was not likely to finde any subject that would obey him nor Judge that would execute those Laws which he should enact if he should permit his sonne and heire to violate them as it seemed he presumed the King his father would permit him to do that therefore to the end so enormous an example might not be alledged for an example as not punished he did in his Majesties name commit him to the prison appropriated to that bench during his Majesties pleasure The lookers on who were somewhat scandalized and surprised at the Princes action and the Judges boldnesse wondred when they saw the Prince blush for shame and yeeld himselfe prisoner The King who equally commended his sonnes obedience and the Judges integrity for this and other his misdemeanours suffered him to tarry a good while in prison and the more to humble him excluded him from the Councell table and made his brother the Duke of Clarence President thereof But shortly being set at liberty he betooke himselfe to his former fashions insomuch as his house being frequented by many great men and such as were most refractory his father apprehended danger of an insurrection in him a suspition fomented by such as know not how otherwise to winne the Kings favour but by backbiting nor better how to make use of their flattery then by a fained zeal of their safeties the which the more detestable it is the more dangerous is it for such as are innocent as likewise by his owne remorse of conscience which objected unto him his usurping the Crowne the mischiefes miseries and so many deaths which had thereon ensued all which might open the way to any one much more to his sonne his presumed and declared heire to bereave him of his Crowne And though the reasons of aspiring thereunto were no better then those he had made use of to atchieve it yet the detestation of things past which had respect onely to him made him thinke it feasable And his unjust jealousies falsly grounded upon the Prince his ill nature seemed unto him consonant to reason when they represented unto him the true reasons of his owne misdeserts and since no love can be there where feare is the signes of his hatred conceived against some were soone discovered by all men but he who set his private deboycheries aside never imagined any thing of evill neither against his father nor the State being advised by some of the privy Councell that loved him what ill offices were done him resolved to justifie himselfe the which he did in the most strange and oddest manner that was ever heard of He was cloathed in a sute of skie coloured sattin all full of oylet holes and every oylet hole had a needle hanging at a peece of silke of the same it was wrought withall He had upon one of his armes a masty dogges collar studded thus S. S. which were of massy gold with buckles of the same What he thereby intended I know not nor have I met with any who doth explane the Allegory He was attended on by a great many whereof some were Peers the rest of the best families of the land Being come to Court he left the most part of his followers in the great Hall with directions that they should come no further then the chimney attended on onely by such as did belong unto the Court hee did at unawares present himselfe before the King who through his infirmities had almost lost the use of his legges He would have spoken unto him at his first arrivall as he had formerly begged leave to doe but the King considering the extravagancy of his habit and not able to make any good interpretation thereof caused himselfe to be carried into a more inward roome followed by such Lords as casually were at that time about him the which I thinke he rather did to gain time to thinke upon the businesse then for any feare he had when his chaire was set downe the Prince kneeling downe before him said these or the like words That the generally spread rumour of some evill impressions his Majesties had of him caused by some who had deciphered him unto his Majesty as one that had some plots upon the Crowne and State had forced him thus to present himselfe to the end that hee might receive such resolutions from him as might seeme fittest for his service That his past behaviour had beene very bad he did confesse for he would not deny a truth but since truth did permit him to gainesay those things which were now objected unto him he did deny them for he could not affirm a falshood That his obligations unto his Majesty were greater then were those of his other subjects so as where he should have deserved the highest punishment if he should have offended him as a private subject no sufficient punishment could be invented for him if being his sonne he should together with the Lawes of God and man have violated the Lawes of nature That worldly Lawes being grounded upon punishment and fear and the Laws of nature grounded onely upon love he deserved not to have any share in the world who destitute of love should abuse the subsistance and constitution of nature That therefore if there were neither Law humane nor divine this onely Law of nature would bee sufficient to make him be the most detested creature in the world if he should not with sincere love reverence and with reverend respect love his Majesty his gracious father The which he did not say to justifie but rather to condemne himself if he should be arrived at such a height of wickednesse as not to detest the unspeakable wickednes which never having entred his breast was by the malice of his accusers hellishly invented against him
That though it were an easie matter to convince them since they could never prove what he never dreampt of yet he was not come for that purpose That he did present himselfe as guilty since he was declared to be such not by his owne conscience but by his Majesties deluded opinion that therefore since it was impossible for him to live without insufferable anguish of mind being subject to such suspitions hee beseeched his Majesty to free him from further vexation with this weapon Then presenting unto him a dagger by the point hee added That he would willingly suffer death if it might cause such quiet unto his Majesty as his Majesty did beleeve That hee should not hold his hand out of any consideration of his soule for he had begged mercy of God and taken his Christian viaticum much lesse out of fear that this might be imputed as a sinne unto his Majesty for being already satisfied of the humane justice in punishing a guilty person worthy of whatsoever chastisement for what concerned divine justice he did promise him in the presence of those Lords who were by to be his advocate before the Tribunall of the supreame Judge in that fearefull and terrible day when the secrets of all hearts being knowne his Majesty and himselfe in the chariot of his innocency should triumph over the calumnies of other men The speech being ended the King threw away the dagger and with teares of joy imbraced and kissed him and confessed he had done amisse in beleeving otherwise of him then he ought to have done Hee assured him that for the time to come hee would be deafe to all such as should dare to speake against him But the Prince not herewithall contented humbly beseeched his Majesty to bring his accusers to the test that either they or he might receive condigne punishment The King satisfied in the innocency of his sonne and unwilling that those who were zealously his should be punished appeased his sonne saying that since this businesse was to be judged by the Peers of the Land nothing could be done therein till the next Parliament and that then he should receive such satisfaction as he justly did demand Then sweetning him with intreaties and faire speeches he made him quit his request and kept him in his good opinion as long as hee lived These and the like actions generally held dissolute afforded reason of bad presages as hath beene formerly said But assoone as he put on the Crowne he turned another leafe and became excellent in all such vertues as make a Prince famous in peace and redoubted in warre A change by how much the more rare the more admired since thereby the worst of men doe prove the best and types of vertue He first of all like a good husband purged his house of all uncleannesse and not content to have swept from thence all his deboisht companions he did not onely forbid them his sight and further company but banished them from comming within tenne miles of the Court He put in their places persons of exemplary lives Hee placed in his seates of Justice and in his Councell men worthy of such trust and joyning piety to his policy he founded Monasteries and brought the body of Richard the second from an obscure sepulchre in Langley to Westminster where he caused him with regall pompe to bee put in a tombe built at his owne charge and Lady Anne of Bohemia his first wife by him He sent Embassadours and Bishops to Constantia to endeavour in that Councell an end of the Schisme which had then a long time lasted and where not long after in stead of three Popes who reigned altogether Martin the fifth was chosen Pope to the great joy of all Christendome He referred the Lord Cobham who was accused of herefie to the Ecclesiasticall Courts having given him friendly admonitions for he had formerly loved him by reason of his valour from whence being committed over to secular Jurisdiction he was to have received his last punishment had hee not by some of his friends beene secretly conveyed out of the Tower But that which for the present befell not him happened to divers others for many of his opinion having seditiously assembled themselves and accused of conspiracy so many of them were taken as the prisons were not able to containe them and nine and twenty of the chiefest of them where one was a Priest were put to death the like befalling himselfe foure yeares after who was taken about the borders of Wales and hang'd and burnt He restored Henry Percy sonne to Henry hot spurre to his Lands Honour having sent for him back from Scotland whither he was for safety sent in the downfall of his family hee thought it not fit that so noble bloud should suffer punishment in the person of a child who being of so innocent yeares ought not to partake of his fore-fathers faults It was easie for him to restore unto him his lands which the King his father had given to Iohn his third sonne whom hee recompenced with an equivalent revenue Thus he ended the first yeare of his reigne in the beginning whereof the Duke of Clarence who was then in Aquitany hearing of his fathers death returned home to England and brought along with him Iohn Count of Angolesme together with the other hostages assigned over for the Duke of Orleans debt and was by the King received with a brotherly affection The Clergy had been practised upon in King Henry the fourths time by reason of their great revenues as being superfluously larger then was requisite for them In the eleventh year of his reigne mention was made in Parliament that they would have been cause of much scandall if the civill warres had not been The warres being at this present at an end and mens mindes more eager of this then formerly it was thought good not to lose the opportunity of time For since the King was addicted to war it behoved him to raise unto himselfe a permanent revenue to the satisfaction of the whole Kingdome A calculation was made that leaving to the Clergy what was sufficient for them the over-plus of their revenues was sufficient to maintaine fifteene Earles fifteene hundred Knights six thousand two hundred Gentlemen and an hundred Hospitalls besides twenty thousand pound a yeare reserved for the Kings Exchequer which twenty thousand pound was more then then an hundred thousand pound would now be A calculation which whether true or false proved a true danger to the Clergy The remedy was easie the combination being generall the advantage common to all for the King Nobility and Commonalty were to share in what was to bee taken from them A Parliament was called at Leicester wherein they were threatned They thought to eschew the blow by making some great offer but if it should not be accepted of for bee it what they pleased it must bee much inferior to what was expected from them they ran a hazard of defamation as corrupters
health to command and to Raigne requires active Spirits as farre differing from this contempt and mortification as ought a Clergie-man differ from the lively and ready resentments which are requisit in him that commands The foure Beasts which are described to have Eyes before and behind ought to serve for a type to Henry for if the inward eyes of conscience were sufficient to him as a Christian the outward eyes of wisdome were requisite to him as a Prince A Prince cannot be said to be good and innocent though of harmlesse intention and customes when his simplicity proves hurtfull to his wellfare honour and Subjects Goodnes ought not to be borne a Sister with us but be begotten by us wee our selves ought to be the Fathers thereof our will the Mother and Election the Soule for though naturall simplicity or sincerity brings with it many advantages hee is notwithstanding more to be commended who hath not transgressed when he might have done so for well doing is not defined by Ignorance of evill or an impotency thereunto but when a Man is able and knowes how to do amisse and doth it not A bound which does not exclude the faculties of civill actions as did Henryes goodnes which was borne a Sister with him but makes them so much the better by how much after the primary cause its objects are the second without which there is no corporeall nor civill life I know not whether his education did concurre with his nature to the making him what he was but doubtlesse faults enough are committed in the education of Princes in their Childhood they are observed with too much respect whilst their discreet Governours knowing that some Witts require the spurr some the bridle ought to make use thereof alternatly and with respect but not excesse for by thus doing they will not only make them be reverenced and beloved by their Subjects but respected and feared by all Nations However it bee 't is evident that Henry's ruine did derive it selfe from this simple inanimate goodnes which lame in its owne judgment rested it selfe upon that of others so as loosing reputation the Soule of Government he therwithall lost Authority Kingdome Liberty and Life The Conditions of affaires in both Kingdomes at Henry the fifths Death was such as by reason of the good directions he left could not be amended His Subjects were ready to obey drawne by the glory of so many famous Victories and by the profit which accrewd unto them by so many considerable acquisitions In France the home discentions of that Kingdome the wisdome and vallour of the Duke of Bedford and the good Commanders and Souldiers which waged Warre under him nourished hopes of more happy proceedings And the two Brothers Unckles to the Infant King free from jealousy and evill intelligence the Duke of Bedford remaining chiefe in France with the Title of Regent and the Duke of Glocester commanding in England under the Title of Protectour did conspire not only to preserve what they had gotten but to acquire more but the cause being tane away the effects cannot continue Charles the fifth King of France dyed within lesse then 3. Moneths after King Henry the fifth who being incapable of Government and govern'd by his Wife a revengefull Woman and bad Mother had by her meanes alienated his Kingdome deprived his Sonne thereof and set dissention among his Subjects to the increase of Englands greatnes Philip Duke of Burgony who according to the Councell of deceased Henry was to be insnared by allurements was by Glocester distasted driven thereunto either by ambition or love or both Whereby Men may learne not to build too much upon their owne knowledge but to watch over their selves every little intrest being sufficient to change us to the worse Since Glocester a good and wise Prince ceased to be so when he suffer'd himselfe to be transported by his passions and private intrests seldome meeting with publique respects those who looke after the one abandon the other or else do ruine both the one and the other together with the State and themselves as did he These were the true causes of the English retrogadations in France civill discentions in France had establish'd the English and the reconciliation betweene the Duke of Burgony and Charles the seaventh was their ruine So as though the recomencement of the Civill Warres be chiefely ascribed to the losses in France yet since they began not till the King was growne a Man and that the Affaires of France were little better then quite lost there would have beene no liklyhood of any disorders in England if things had succeeded well and the Sonne had beene like the Father for in the same manner as the one supprest the Conspiracie of the Earle of Cambridge and thereby wonne reputation the other might have quell'd the Duke of Yorkes audacity and have preserved his Kingdome but the Sword wherwith Scanderberg cut off arm'd limbs was not of the same temper when manag'd by another Hand and therfore the reall difference is that wheras the Earle did Justle with a strong and fierce Lyon his successors encountred with a weake milde lowly Lambe King Henry was proclaymed King when he was about 8 Moneths old the Duke of Exceter and his Brother the Bishop of Winchester were deputed for the Government of his person and the Queene his Mother for his Diet whilst the Duke of Glocester Protectour of the Kingdome took care for all things which might make for Peace at home or Warres abroad the Infant King was brought from Windsor to London to be showne in full Parliament his Mothers bosome was his Throne and generall acclamations serv'd as the earnest penny of obedience Ayds were willingly contributed for the perservation of what his Fathers worth had won The Duke of Bedford on the other side surprised by the disadvantageous Death of Charles the sixth which hapned in October the same yeare and by his being forsaken by many who had formerly followed his Standard to follow the Dolphin who was proclaymed King by the Name of Charles the seaventh knowing how contrary to their naturall affections that obedience was which those who remained with him had sworne to the King his Brother did in a solemne Assembly cause new Oaths to be taken in the behalfe of the now Heyre a thing readily obtained but very irreligeously observed and had it not beene for the power and authority of the Duke of Burgony a Prince of great Possessions and attendance the affaires of England would not have lasted so long as they did but they grew worse and worse according as he slackned his vigilancy therein by reason of Glocester and the City of Orleans wherewith he was not trusted by reason of the death of his Sister who was Wife to Bedford and by his totall alienation when having appeased his anger against Charles the lives of those first Warriers who were his friends did cease Henry in Paris was likewise proclaymed and sworne King of
all his other Ensigns cursing those who had perswaded them to shut themselves up in that Fort upon perjur'd Oaths of succour they yeilded themselves their lives only saved the which was denied to such as had served Henry the fifth to those who had sworne the finall Peace to those who were Complices in the Death of the Duke of Burgony and to such Souldiers as were Scotts Irish or Welsh together with Melene they surrendred all other Forts which were in their hands amongst which were Marchuse and Monliere those who would sweare fealty and Homage had their liberties granted them without Ransome the which all of them almost did in particular Greville mov'd therunto as I beleeve by his beleeving Charles to bee dead at Rochell for when hee knew the contrary hee was not long in forswearing himselfe This meane while Arthur Count de Richmond Brother to Iohn fift Duke of Britanny escaped away from the Earle of Suffolke Lord Lieutenant to the King in Normandy with whom ever since the Battell of Agencourt he had beene Prisoner A civill liberty was permitted him upon Oath and promise not to depart the which as long as the King lived was precisely observed by him not listning to his friends who had sundry times offered to backe him if he would fly away now thinking that by reason of the Kings Death he might with safety to his honour escape he fled pretending himselfe to be free from his Oath as personall to him that was dead but who shall well observe it shall find that bare promises not aggravated by curtesies no wayes due nor inforced as was this the largnes of his Imprisonment are of as much force in morall affaires with Princes and amongst such as are Nobly borne as is an Oath in Religion especially when as pretensions not dying with the King they together with their estates remaine in title and in substance intire unto their Successours if when the King dyed he had beene close Prisoner he could not without a note of folly have said himselfe to be disoblig'd from his promise so as having escap'd hee seem'd to repent that resolution which though at all times requisite was then the more to be esteemed of as it was now the more blame worthy since his owne Death and not the Death of any other was only able to acquit him of his Oath and promise made His first flight was to his Brother in Britanny from thence to his Cousin Philip in Flanders from whom he received a Commission to procure a Parley betweene him Britanny and Bedford so as being return'd from his Brother and having concluded the Interview Bedford went to receive them upon the confines of Normandie all three of them comming into an appointed place where Philip stayed expecting them the Confederacy which was contracted betweene them was confirmed by a double Marriage the one betweene the Duke of Bedford and Anne the younger Sister to Philip together with the County of Artois in portion in case they should have any Issue the other betweene Count Richmond and Philips eldest Sister Widdow to the Dolphin Lewis This being done Burgony and Richmond withdrew themselves to Arras Bedford to Paris and the Duke of Britanny to his owne Country to whom Bedford paid 6000. Crownes for his expences in that journey The inconstancy of the Dukes of Britanny in their friendship may seeme strange to some being subject to often and momentary changes but who will examine passages from the time that that State grew litigious will not wonder at it I have thought good to give you a short breviat thereof for the better understanding of the History and to ease the Reader of the paines of seeking that in others which I should have omitted Iohn the third Duke of Britanny who dyed without Issue married his Neece Iane of Britanny Daughter to Guy his next Brother but now dead to Charles of Blois second Sonne to Guy of Chatillione Count de Blois and Margaret Sister to Philip the sixt King of France to the end that shee being the true Heire other Woemen having beene formerly Heires to that Dukedome shee might have a Husband that might defend her When he was dead Iohn Count de Montfort his third Brother who during his life had no wayes opposed his Neece pretended by prerogative of sex to be Heire unto the State so as Blois relying upon France and he on England they had fierce Warre together for 23. yeares in which time 200000. Men were slaine in that quarrell To Count Montfort who as not having intirely possessed Britanny was not numbred amongst the Dukes therof did his Sonne Iohn succeed named Iohn the fourth after that Charles de Blois slaine in a great Battaile left him possessor therof The King of France who could not by force take from him his Estate indeavour'd to weaken him by Interposition Hee agreed upon this with the Widdow and the Sonnes of Charles the Defunct who renounced their pretensions to the Dutchy and he his pretences to the Vice-county of Limages restoring unto them together with other obligations the County of Pointevere an agreement which lasted not long among ulcerated minds The Duke beside these had two other great Enemies Beretrand de Gueschin and Oliver de Clissenne his naturall Subjects who having betaken themselves to the service of Charles the fift against the English proved so gallant Men that both of them one after the death of the other were Constables of France so as they having drawne unto the Kings pay the greatest part of the Lords and Commanders of Britanny who under their command had fought against Charles de Blois they left the Duke quite bereft of Captaines and Military affaires and but badly obeyed by his Subjects who were naturally inclin'd to the French so as wrought thereunto by gratitude Edward the third being his Father in Law who had put him into his Estate and by necessity the King of France being his Neighbouring powerfull Enemy hee turned sometimes one way sometimes another till being abandoned by his Subjects it behoved him to retire himselfe into England forsaking his Countrey least he should be made Prisoner by them not for that they hated him but for that they hated his friendship with the English whom they thought to be the cause of their ruine being at last aware that the King of France molested him not out of the pretended suspitions but to bereave him of his Estate they sent for him backe a little before the Death of Charles the fift wherby hoping now to be in quiet to please them he renounced his friendship with England and sided with Charles the 6 t who succeeded to Charles the fift Clissonne who was of greater power with the now King then he had been with the former finding him without his leaning stocke Ransomed Iohn Count de Pointevere from his Imprisonment in England upon whom as Sonne to Charles de Blois and Iane of Britanny Heire to Iohn the third the pretences to the Dutchy
defeated the Siege being raysed and all Articles observed the place was surrendred up upon the appointed day none appearing in the succour therof Harcourt himselfe being dead whilst practising wiles upon a strength belonging to Monsier de Partene his Wives Unkle and coveting the lives of others he lost his owne The Duke of Glocester was intent in the execution of his Office when fortune to crosse the good way he was in threw upon him Iocheline of Baviers Countesse of Holland Zealand and Hannault Mistris of Frisia and Wife to Iohn Duke of Brabant who flying from her Husband got into England a busines which to bee well understood must bee taken from its beginning The house of Bavaria was come into the possession of the said Provinces inherited by Margaret Wife to the Emperour Lodovic the eighth of Bavaria by the death of William the fourth his Brother who was Master thereof slaine by the Frysons leaving them to his Sonne William the fift who becomming mad and without issue they fell upon his Brother Albertus to whom did succeed his Sonne William the sixt Father to this Iacoline who was the last shee of the House of Bavaria commanded in those Countries Now shee having beene Married to the Dolphin of France and left by him a Widdow her Father William would have her to Marry a dispensation being to be procured from the Councell of Constance there being then no Pope Iohn Duke of Brabant her Cousin-german for Margaret her Mother was Sister to Anthony Duke of Brabant Father to Iohn William dying before this Marriage was concluded Iohn of Baviers Bishop of Leidge his Brother and Unckle to Iacoline hoping by the Title of Guardian to worke himselfe into the Government of these States wrought so with the Emperour Sigismund though hee formerly assented to the aforesaid Marriage as that the dispensation should bee denied unto her and giving up his Bishoprick held by him the space of 27. yeares with much Warre and Bloud into the hands of Martin the fift lately chosen hee went into Holland where by assistance of such as sided with himselfe Master of certaine places threatning Warre unto his Neece if shee would not submit unto his Guardianship shee and her husband were advertis'd of her Unckles sinister proceedings in the Councell and having obtained the dispensation from the new Pope it was by the Emperours importunity redemanded when alleadged the evills and Warres which were thereupon likely to ensue Iohn of Baviers had received a Copy of the revocation before the Originall came and had sent it them to stop their proceedings but it being by them rejected as not authenticall not comming from the Pope they Married themselves the Husband being 16 the Wife 17 yeares old this Marriage was shortly after confirmed by the Pope himselfe declaring that the revocation being surreptitiously obtained the dispensation was in its first vigour so as they might continue without any scruple in the state of Matrimony wherein they were Iohn of Baviers falling in this designe intreated and obtained a dispensation for himselfe likewise to Marry not having in his so many yeares of Episcopacie exceeded the degree of Deacon he Marryed Elizabeth Dutchesse of Luxenburg Neece to the Emperour Sigismund from whom he obtained in Feefarme all the territories belonging to Iacoline as falne to the Empire William being dead without any Heires Male not remembring that they had descended to the House of Baviers by Female succession but he was stoutly opposed by those States who objected unto him that as they did not acknowledge any one but her for their Princesse so he himselfe had acknowledged her for his by doing homage to her for those Lordships which he possessed That Women were not there excluded succession when the case had so falne out that for this they had Letters and approbation from former Emperours nor was this the first with these protestations they declared themselves his Enemies and Hannault more then all the rest since shee had no dependancie upon the Empire but the Warre which for this cause the Duke of Brabant waged with them ended so favourably for him that besides having granted him by Tytle of inheritance divers Countries in Holland he was declared Lord Lievetenant for 3 yeares with Soveraigne authority in all the rest Hannault only excepted So as having now reduc'd the whole arbitratorship unto himselfe he did so worke upon the said Duke partly by wiles partly by snares as that he did not only prorogue unto him his tytle for 7 yeares longer but by his instigation became an Enemie to his Wife and by taking from her and changing her attendants did so much incense her that to bee rid of him shee retired her selfe into Hannault accompanied by her Mother and afterwards her selfe alone into England where the Duke of Glocester incited either by love or out of the hopes of so great States fell upon a resolution of Marrying her For the which some apparant reason being to bee given they pretended the dispensation to bee invallid and shee caused the Duke of Brabant by his Proctors to bee cited to Rome shee demanded that the Marriage might bee declared null a busines wherewith the World was scandaliz'd and which above all others troubled Duke Philip joyned by Father and Mother in the same degree of Consanguinitie to them both for he and Brabant were Sonnes to two Brothers he and Iacholina to Brother and Sister by which kindred he afterwards became Heire both to the one and the other But because the Progresse of this busines fell out the next ensuing yeare I will reserve the relation thereof to it's proper place having enlarged my selfe herein out of a beleefe that others might have the same curiosity that I had for not finding in the storyes which treat hereof the Light I did desire to see what moved Glocester to Marry another Mans Wife I could find no satisfaction save in the History of Holland Iohn Poole Brother to the Earle of Suffolke had the Government of Auranches in Normandy who thinking he lived but idlely in his garrison gathered together about 2500 Men taking them from their appointed garrisons to Anjou wherwith making excursions even to the Towne of Angiers he burnt the Suburbs thereof spreading himselfe every where about to the much prejudice of the Countrey till such time as loaded with prey and Prisoners he intended to returne But adversity causing warynesse and prosperity the contrary as his men were marching out of file and in disorder and doubting nothing they were set upon by Iohn de Harcourt Count of Omale and Charles his Lievetenant in the two Provinces of Anjou and Maine accompanied by the Viscount of Narbonne the Baron of Coulouses Ambrogius de Lora Monsier de Larchet by Andrew and Guy de Lavall Britons who together with the comminalty of those Frontiers were gone to joyne with him making about the number of 6000. Men with these he gave upon the others who were in disorder mingled with their
it would bee a greater shame to France to shew her selfe cruell to his bones who whilest hee was alive none durst oppose that hee was sorry that the memoriall was no more stately and that none was to bee found answerable to so great a worth none of the Sonnes of Henry the fourth did degenerate a thing not usuall in so large a family Henry the fifth dyed gloriously in the pursuite of his conquests the Duke of Clarence valiantly fighting and though Bedford of a naturall death and Gloster of a violent yet dyed they not with lesse fame then did the others so as nature having done her utmost in them if shee failed in the present Henry it is not to bee wondered at for having clade him with a rich shirt of goodnes shee was scant unto him in an upper roabe of reall vertues and of fortune Bedford being dead a new choise was made of who should succeed him of two that pretended thereunto the Duke of Yorke bore away the bell whereat the Duke of Somerset was scandalized who being the Kings cousen thought to have beene preferred before him but the councell was of an other opinion Yorkes true pretences unto the Crowne though at that time not spoken of was perhaps the cause why they would not discontent him Somerset finding no other remedy endeavoured the hindring of his dispatch to the common losses for Paris and the chiefest places which the English held in France were in this interm lost which would not have hapned if hee had had his dispatch time enough Disadvantages which infant Kings are usually subject unto who governed by many and shared by the emulation of great ones cannot favour private interests without disfavouring the publique to the ruine of King and Kingdome Yorke seemed not to take notice of these practises a dissimulation which caused an inward impostumation in him wherewith Somerset being afterwards infected it in a few yeares after brought them both to immature end In the same month of September Queene Isabell mother to Charles King of France and Katharine Queene of England dyed in Paris shee was buried by the side of her husband in Saint Denis without any funerall pompe the times not suting with such like solemnities shee lived not much esteemed of by any no not by the English which made them undergoe the imputation of ingratitude though without reason since nature hath endued us with a secret not well understood light which cleer's unto us all ambiguities so as the imagined good which is not is will wee nill wee not taken by us for good No man denies but that ingratitude is of all vices the most abominable but neither is it to bee denyed that benefits sprung from charity or any other species of courtesie and love not from ostentation or interest are those alone which denominate an ungratefull person Isabels good turn's had their rise from selfe interest if shee sided with the English 't was to side against her sonne shee favored them not as friends but as instruments of her revenge her daughters marriage was from the like cause shee loved her as having beene her companion in her misfortunes but t is not likely shee would ever have sought her advantage to the injury of Charles had shee not hated him shee confounded the World ruinated her Kingdome disinherited her owne bloud and out of dispight not any inclination favored the enemy so as if the English seemed not to bee over gratefull to her it was because her benefits were none of those which conduce to gratitude The rebellion of Normandy was one of the first evill effects caused by the death of the Duke of Bedford for seeing herselfe freed from that chaine which held her in obedience to England shee gave her selfe up unto the French Charles de Marest accompanied by the Marishall de Rieux Messieurs de Bousack and Longaville two houres before day scalled the Walles of Diepe neere to the Gate and met with no opposition by reason of the intelligence they held within the Towne hee had the like successe in forcing open the Gate which leads to Roan through which the Marishall and all his People being entered hee made a stand in the market place crying out according to the military custome of France the City is taken these acclamations awakened those who slept who with stones and dartes made some short defence but they were forced to give way to the last commers there were but few that were slaine The Lieutenant Mortimer with some few others saved himselfe the rest remained prisoners together with such Citizens as had almost affectionately favored the English their goods were ransackt but not theirs who were willing to receivè the oath upon the newes of this acquisition Anthoni de Chabanus Sentraglie Estouteville and many other Lords with betweene three and foure thousand horse came thither to whom one Kernier a leader of the common People followed by 6000. of the Country-people joyned himselfe and all of them did willingly take the oath being marched forth into the field with these and many other Gentlemen of the Country which daily flockt unto him Fescan yeelded it selfe up unto him on Christmas eve and on Saint Stephens-day Monsieur Villiers the Gnascoigne Captain who commanded there having revolted hee assaulted Harfluer but being beaten back and forty of his men slaine whilest hee put himselfe in order for a second assault the Inhabitants capitulated to surrender up the Towne upon condition that the English garrison which consisted of 400. men should be suffered to depart peaceably with all their goods Beccrespin Tancharville Gomesseule Loges Vallemont Graville Longerville Neneville Lambraville and other Townes did the like Upon this flood of fortune the constable Richmont arrived to whom Carles Mesull Aumerle and many other Townes yeelded themselves all which having Garrisons put into them he with-drew himselfe for want of victualls the rest doing the like So as in a short time Normandy was dismembred of the greatest part of the Country of Caux the English were not now to defend themselves against one onely enemy The treaty at Arras as pointed out unto them a second viz. Philip and though warre was not yet declared betweene them they forbare not to bethinke themselves how they might prejudice each other the Garrisons of Callais and the adjacent parts had a designe upon Ardres and those Burgonians which were in the Country of Ponitean upon Crotoi designes wherein they both failed The low Countries were not well pleased with this Breach for the losse they thereby received by want of commerce having acquainted Philip with the importancy hereof they prevailed so farre with him as to permit them endeavour the continuation of peace Iohn of Luxenburg Count de Ligni who had not yet revolted from the English was thought fittest for this imployment hee writ hereof to his Brother the Archbishop of Roan one of Henries chiefest Counsellors in France who writ over into England where the proposition being
honour made him his deputy to celebrate the formality of espousall and to bring his bride over into England He went then and had with him his wife and a great many of Ladies and Gentlemen carriages and letters for her father who was rich in titles of imaginary kingdomes as of Scicily and Ierusalem had not meanes to send her to her husband so as all the charge which was very vast fell to Henries share being come to Tours hee married her in the name of his master in the presence of the King of France The Queene and a great number of Princes and Lords amongst which were the Dukes of Orleans Calabria Alanson and Brittany the marriage was solemnized with feasts and tilting after which with the like or better shee was married by Henry in England and crowned Queene Normandy lay openly exposed by the surrendring of the two Provinces Count Armignac was scandalized and shortly likely to revenge himselfe the kingdome was fallen into an Abisse from whence it was not to be raised but by the death of the King the ruine of the Queene the desolation of the house of Lancaster the destruction of the Nobility the rebellion of the people and the alteration of the State This seperation of Armes caused the Duke of Yorke and many other Commanders returne to England that they might consult of what provisions were to be made before the expiration of the truce to the end that Normandy being well fortified Charles might be brought to a well conditioned peace and if not that they might be able to make a powerfull warre But England did in this an evill mannager who having a house covered with Lead sells the Lead and then covers it againe with straw to the end that a sparke of Fire by reason of this new covering may be sufficient to set it on fire the given Provinces were the Lead sould and prodigally squandred the provisions for Normandy the thatching over with straw the two Provinces might have entertained the warre and being lost have advanced time which is the father of the changes of fortune for losse in warre doth seldom happen in one action and at one instant To this purpose a Parliament was called subsidies paid Souldiers raised and the Duke of Sommerset made a Regent of France in stead of the Duke of Yorke the Marquesse of Suffolke were it either to boast of his favours or that hee foresaw the future danger made a long speech in the upper house relating his ownemerits in the making of this truce and this match and advertising the Lords that since the truce expired the next Aprill and peace did not ensue they should doe well to take such order as that Normandy might not be endamaged for it was to be beleeved that the French finding it ill provided would make use of their advantage that having advertised the King thereof he did now the like to them to the end that if any evill did happen it should not be said to have beene for want of any good admonition he desired them in discharge of his innocency to thinke on this the same thing was done the next day in the lower house the Messengers whereof entreated the Lords of the upper house that by joynt consent of both houses this present action might be registred amongst the acts of Parliament hee obtained what he desired the favours of favorites being like to little Rivolets which easily glide into the current waters even of the greatest rivers they sent their Speaker to the upper house where the Lords who did likewise waver with the wind did on their knees beseech the King that in respect of great services done by the Marquesse he would vouchsafe him this and whatsoever other favour for that he could not bestow his graces upon a more worthy subject and the King who of himselfe was wonderfull prodigall of his favours to him and loved to be entreated thereunto as not willing to seeme to doe it of his owne inclination answered them in such a manner as every one might see he made him the haven of his favours and the object of other mens respects the action was registred but not with that successe as was hoped for to witnesse that the peoples and Princes favours are of short duration and oftentimes unfortunate hee shortly after created him Duke he gave him two rich wardships that of the countesse of Warwick and of Margaret the daughter of Iohn Duke of Summerset who was afterwards the mother of Henry the seventh hee likewise at his request created Iohn de Fois Count de Longaville and Captaine de Bus Count de Candale both of them Guascons all these favours served onely to make his downe-fall the more sudden which usually doth not faile being caused either by the hatred of private men or of the Prince for such mens insolencies encreasing with their authorities and their authorities growing greater by their favour they become insupportable and having once offended cannot support themselves but by new offences whereby begetting hatred and envie amongst private men and societie in Princes they must needs fall and be overthrowne either by the one or the other According to Articles of marriage all places belonging to Aniou and Mayne were already surrendred except Manns the which being of more importance then the rest Charles did beleeve they had no intention to deliver it up so as having raised a convenient Army he prepared to have it by force which when Henry understood he gave order that it should be forthwith surrendered unto him not so much for that he should not have just cause to breake the truce as that by justice he was to doe it But Chartier and Monstrellet say that the English held it till the yeare 1449. at which time Charles besieged it and that the Lord Privy Seale being chosen Bishop of Winchester caused it to be yeelded up unto him but how ever it were this cessation from Armes wrought the like effects in England as in a healthfull body the forbearing of moderate exercises doth which by filling it with bad humours bringeth infirmities upon it The natures of the late married couple were if not opposite sufficiently differing the husband was of a womanish inclination the wife of a manlike spirit the King was humbled evout spiritually given caring onely for his soules health the Queene was proud ambitious worldly given and not to be quieted till having brought the kingdome to be governed as shee pleased shee might see her selfe free from Rivals in the government The Duke of Glocester was no wayes pleasing to her as well for that he had opposed her marriage an injury not to be forgotten as likewise that her husband being long since out of his minority was still governed by him as formerly when he was under age the which being observed by such as did not love the Duke they let slip no occasion whereby they might worke his ruine The Marquesse of Suffolke for that he could not rise to
the height hee aymed at during his life Humphrey Stafford Duke of Buckingham for that being sonne of Anne Plantaginet who was descended from Thomas Duke of Glocester the seventh sonne of Edward the third if the Duke were out of the way he should be the first Duke of England wherefore hee thought that this prerogative and his being couzen to the King would cause his advancement the Cardinall of Winchester by reason of his emulation which their reciprocall hatred had kindled not to be quenched but by the last of revenges The Archbishop of Yorke for that Glocester having declared himselfe his enemy in his last accusations he was desirous though not according to the Gospell to render him evill for evill but his eminency and universall love had rendred all their designes vaine had they not come assisted by the Lawes They accused him at the Councell Table of many faults of all which he did with such sinceritie acquit himselfe as that hee freed the Councells minde from any the least scruple and used such arguments as did adde to his reputation They objected unto him that he had caused many to be put to death contrary to the Lawes of the Kingdome inferring thereby that hatred and cruelty had beene the directors of his justice whilst that whereby they were most scandalized was that hee could not indure wicked men These forenamed men together with them the Queene perceiving that nothing was done caused a Parliament to be called at Berry in Suffolke whither hee came together with the rest of the Peers not dreaming of any evill relying more upon his owne integrity then by reason of the others malice he ought to have done The first day of Parliament passed over quietly spent in the accustomed ceremonies the second day he was made prisoner by the Lord high Constable of England accompanied by the Duke of Buckingham and many others a guard was set upon him his servants were all taken from him whereof 32. were imprisoned and hee not long after Hale saith the very next night was found dead in his bed some affirming that he dyed of an Apoplexie some of an Imposthume in his Head but although there was no doubt but that his death was violent yet did no man know of what sort some thought hee was strangled some stiffeled betweene two pillowes and many that hee had a red hot spit thrust in at his fundament five of the prisoners were examined and condemned but as they were carrying to execution they were set at liberty by the Marquesse of Suffolke who brought their pardon signed by the King which did not satisfie the people for the saving of these mens innocency did not salve the treason used to the Duke By a pardon given to one of his servants may bee seene the pretence they tooke to commit this Murther where it is said that hee was one of the many Traitors who came in the traine of Humphery Duke of Glocester to destroy the King and set his Wife Elianor at liberty The death of this Prince was lamented by the whole Kingdome from whom hee deserved the surname of good for so in effect hee was a lover his Countrey a Friend to good men a Protector of the learned whereof hee himselfe was one as well verst in the lawes of the Kingdome as whatsoever Lawyer and if hee erred in his enmity with the Duke of Burgony and the Cardinall of Winchester 't was through the greatnes of his Spirit the which if it bereave not of fault doth at least deminish the blame for all humanity is subject to errour After him the title of Glocester was reputed ominous for the foure last Glocesters came to violent ends Thomas Duke of Glocester sonne to Edward the third was strangled at Callais Thomas Spencer Earle of Glocester beheaded at Berry Humphery Duke of Glocester dead as you have heard and Richard Duke of Glocester slaine in a Battell of civill Warre after hee was King by the name of Richard the third as wee shall see I doe not withstanding beleeve that if occasion bee offered no man will refuse the honour since before these unfortunate foure there were cleaven of that title nine of which dyed naturall deaths the other two Ieffery Mandeville and Gilbert Clare slaine in turnament the first in warre the other before Sterline so as they are not to bee rancked with the last foure since their deaths hapned through malice or civill warre The Cardinall of Winchester enjoyed not the content of this his death above 14. or 16. dayes for hee dyed to see the ruine of his house of the which hee was the chieefest raiser for doubtlesse if Glocester had lived the Duke of Yorke had not risen and the Queene who by his death thought to have established her authority lost thereby all shee could loose her life excepted her Husband sonne and Kingdome for her ignorance in things to come threw her headlong upon those evils which at the price of her owne bloud shee would willingly have redeemed together with the life of Glocester but too late foresight brings repentance remedies not Having by so cruell a way obtained her desire shee employ'd all her endeavours how to establish an authority which under her Husbands name might make her absolute in the Kingdome she raised Suffolke from Marquesse to Duke which title he but a shorte time enjoyed for fortune of her owne nature inconstant is much the more so when her favours are conferr'd without merit The Duke of Yorke who saw that all these things redounded to the advancement of his designes slipt not his occasions for laying open to his friends and the male contents in how bad a condition the Kingdome was the King weake and governed by a Woman under the haughty direction of the Duke of Suffolke it was easie for him to perswade them to establish him in his owne right since the house of Lancaster did usurpe the Crowne and held it contrary to the lawes of the Kingdome the lawes of bloud and nature this hee did with so much vehemency insinuate so opportunely and to people who desired nothing more then change as it was easie for him to draw unto him subjects of the most eminent condition who that they might have followers and preferments were apt to uphold him To this was added the greatnes of his family and the family of his wife Cicelli Nevill by both which hee was allied to the greatest men and chiefest families of the Kingdome his reputation wonne in France but chiefely his right unto the Crowne in a time when if hee had no right they might have imagined some in him so to withdrawe themselves from the Government of an imperious Woman and a proud favorite who ruling all as they listed and excluding all others made use of the authority of a weake King who had nothing of Prince in him but name This was the first stone which Richard Plantagenet Duke of Yorke laid in the ground-worke of the generall ruine
King to advertise him of the sad event hee lighted off horse-backe and thrust his Sword into his horses belly saying Flie who flie will I will not flie here will I stay with as many as will keepe me company and kissing the hilt of his Sword by the way of vow he put it up againe But Edward who did very much resent this misfortune not that it was of so great consequence in it selfe but for that being the first encounter it might be taken as an evill omen and deject his men made Proclamation that it should be lawfull for whosoever had not a minde to fight to depart hee promised large recompences to those that would tarry but death to as many as should tarry and afterwards runne away with reward and double pay to any that should kill them No man accepted so ignominious a leave they all chose rather to die than to declare themselves so base cowards This good successe of Clifford was in the meane time of no long continuance for the Lord Faulconbridge had passed the Ayre at Castleford three miles above Ferrybrigs accompanied by Sir Walter Blunt and Robert Horne with intention to surprize him as he did though not in that place for Clifford being thereof advertised whilst hee thought to shunne the enemy by going another way he met with him and having his Helmet off by reason of the heate of the day he was with an unexpected shot of an Arrow one of the first that was slaine and together with him the Earle of Westmerlands brother the rest were almost all left dead upon the place This death was too good for him The innocent blood of the Earle of Rutland did require of him a foreseen painfull cruell death But the punishment which he failed of his sonne met withall who being saved by a poore shepheard he lived a begger and unknowne during the reignes of Edward and Richard till such time as Henry the seventh comming to the Crowne he was by him restored to the honour and inheritance of his family The Duke of Norfolke who led Edwards Vanguard was at this time sicke so as Faulconbridge tooke the charge upon him and marcht by breake of day towards Saxton to see how strong the enemy was and finding him to be 60000 men strong he advertised Edward thereof who though much inferiour in number went forthwith to encounter him The day was Palm-Sunday Edward tooke his stand in the middle Squadron sent the Bow-men forwards and recommended the rere-ward to Sir Iohn Venloe and Sir Iohn Dinham both of them valiant Gentlemen He gave command that no prisoner should be taken but all indiffereetly put to the Sword The Lancastrians marcht towards them and met them in the fields betweene Towton and Saxton The first saluation was given by Arrowes but with different event for at this time there fell a showre of snow and the wind driving the snow upon the faces of Henries men they were therewith so blinded as they shot in vaine and their Arrowes beaten backe by the wind fell halfe way short the which Faulconbridge observing after the first volley hee forbad his men to shoot and when the enemy had shot all their Arrows he drew up neerer unto them letting flie at them not onely with his owne Arrowes which assisted by the wind did hit where they were intended but those likewise of the enemie which in his march he found sticking in the ground Hereupon the Earle of Northumberland and Andrew Trolop who led the Van-guard perceiving the disadvantage made haste to come to handy-blowes The combat endured ten houres it not being known who had the better and all of them fighting as if they had overcome Such was the hatred of the two factions and their resolution not to yeeld as the command not to take prisoners was bootlesse for they resolved either to overcome or die Nothing doth more encourage an Army then the presence of the Prince and the Captaines example Edward was an eye-witnesse of his souldiers valour as King and they of his Captaine-like courage A sight which made them choose rather to die than not to imitate him The Lancastrians were at last enforced to yeeld by reason of the small number that was left not able to make resistance They gave backe but not as men overcome they were still pursued but did not still flie away they oftentimes reunited themselves and though in weake Troopes they made such resistance as those of Yorke could not be termed Conquerours till the next day Those who remained alive went toward Tadcaster-bridge but not able to get so farre and thinking to wade over a little rivelet named Cocke the greatest part of them were drowned The waters of that River and of the River Warfe into which it disgorges it selfe seemed all to be of blood The number of the dead was 36776. amongst which the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland the Lord Dakers and Wells and amongst many Knights Sir Iohn Nevill and Sir Andrew Trolop The Dukes of Somerset and of Exceter saved themselves and the Earl of Devonshire was I know not how taken prisoner I believe for that they were weary of killing Had not France had a yong King at this time or had the new King found France in a better condition after so many yeeres warres or had not Scotland had so yong a child for its King and distracted with intestine factions England had runne a danger having lost the flower of all her Warriers who were fit not onely to have defended her but to have made whatever difficult atchievement Edward having obtained this bloody victory went to Yorke where he caused the Earle of Salisburies father and other of his friends to be beheaded as likewise the Earle of Devonshire and some other This meane while Henry was got to Barwicke and from thence to Scotland where he was with all humanity received comforted and had provision made for him of some small pension by that young King who likewise agreed that Princesse Margaret his sister should marry Prince Edward Henry's sonne but this marriage was not afterwards consummated and Henry to requite these courtesies did what if hee had been in his former condition hee would not have done He gave the Town of Barwicke to King Iames a place very advantageous to the Scots and long before desired by them The Queene his wife went with her sonne into France to procure some meanes by her father the King of Sicily whereby to recover what was lost She obtained of Lewis King of France free accesse for as many English as were of her side and banishment for those who sided with her adversary businesses of no great consequences Edward returned triumphant to London the 29. of Iune He was Crowned at Westminster in a Parliament which was there held he revoked all such thing as had been done by Henry to the prejudice of the House of Yorke and of himselfe he reformed many enormities which civill dissention had brought in he created
considering that they were likely to meete with many such bickerings before they should come to London and not likely to hold out against them all their numbers not being answerable to the way they were to goe they turned towards Warwicke intending to expect the comming of the Earle thereof who being come from Calleis did together with his Sonne in Law raise people in all parts But before either the King or Warwicke got thither fortune brought the two Armies face to face within three miles of Bambery in a certaine place where were three hills In two whereof the two Armies were encampt the third left to the successe of fortune not assayed by the Welch because they could not without much hazzard make themselves masters thereof though they had a great minde so to doe The Earle of Pembrooke and the Lord Stafford were lodged in Bambery where to shunne disputes which upon the like occasion might arise they agreed each of them to take such lodging as they first should light upon The Baron being lodged to his liking the Earle forgetting his agreement and using his authority would I know not why have him change lodging the which he unwillingly did because so doing he was to quit the company of a Gentlewoman whom he found lodged there And having no other meanes to shew his resentment at the present hee together with all his people left the Towne leaving the Earle without any Bowmen who by their shooting were likely to bee the best advantage of the Battell The Earle was not herewithall dismayed but going to the Campe tooke any resolution rather than to retire It was just the day after St. Iames his day when Sir Henry Nevill Son to the L. Latimer thinking hee had been too long idle went forth to skirmish early in the morning being followed by a company of light horse But delighting more therein than he had reason hee so far advanced himselfe as not knowing how to retire hee was taken and soone after put to death upon coole bloud His youth nobility and valour the chiefest of all endowments not being sufficient to save him This act of cruelty incensed the Northerne people who resolving to revenge his death let flie their darts at the hill where the Welchmen lay whereby inforcing them to come down into the plaine where the battel began It was not sufficient for the E. of Pembrook who fought upon disadvantage to execute the part of a Commander it behoved him to play the part of a souldier whilst his brother Sr. Rich. Herbert minding nothing but the battel did so behave himself as the true story of his valour is not to be exceeded by any fabulous Romanza for making way through the enemies troops with his sword in his hand he passed twice through the whole length of their army returning to his own men if not untoucht yet without any mortall wound The which as I believe was occasioned for that his worth admired by those that saw it did by joyning delight with danger and wonder with delight with-hold the hands of all men from injuring him The battell did almost totally lean to his side when Iohn Clapham a Servant of the E. of Warwicks who had gathered together 500 of the poorest basest sort of people about Northampton appear'd upon the top of one of those hils with a white Beare in his Ensigne crying out a Warwicke a Warwicke the which did so much frighten the Welch as believing Warwicke to be there with all his forces they began to fly Sir Richards valour not being sufficient to detain them In this flight the prisoners not numbred 5000 men were slaine The Earle of Pembrooke his brother Sir Richard and many other Gentlemen wer taken prisoners and without any triall at Law beheaded at Bambery The Earle who was appointed first to suffer addressing himselfe to Conniers and Clapham entreated them in the behalfe of his brother hee objected unto them his youth and comelinesse of stature answerable to his Martiall mind that his valour even by themselves admired might one day be serviceable to his Countrey But Sir Henry Nevils death had so exasperated them as that it occasioned his death the death of his brother and of many others A lamentable Tragedy presented by so worthy men So as it is no wonder if vertue be hated since it is not usefull but rather harmefull to the owners thereof Sir Edward Herbert Baron of Cherbery doth at this time live descended from them a Gentleman who hath given such proofe of his valour as well in his owne private occasions in England as in the warres in the Low-Countries as hee may justly be said to sympathize with the said Sir Richard but in schollership he hath the advantage of adding that glory to his Ancestors by his famous Philosophicall composures which in the like kind hee hath not received from them Their cruelties did not here cease for those of Northampton having chosen unto themselves one Robert of Risdale for their Captaine and joyned certaine others unto him they surprized the Earle Rivers father to the Queen and his sonne Iohn in his mansion-house of Grafton brought them to Northampton and without more adoe beheaded them The Lord Stafford was generally accused for the losse of this battell who for so sleight a cause and upon so urgent an occasion forsooke the Kings service to revenge himselfe upon the Earle of Pembrooke And to say the truth this misfortune had not hapned at least not with the death of so many and so worthy men had hee been there Edward therefore sent forth Commissions to the Sheriffes of Devonshire and Somersetshire to seeke him out finde him and upon paine of their lives to put him to death They were not wanting in diligence they found him where he thought he had been sufficiently concealed and executed their command The victors this meane while had retired themselves to Warwicke whither the Earle thereof was come with a great body of armed men And understanding that the King was marching towards him hee advertised the Duke of Clarence who forthwith joyned with him bringing along a great number of armed men They were likely presently to have come to blowes according to the custome of England had not some great personages desirous of peace and of the good of the Weale publique interposed to finde some way of accommodation This negotiation made Edward so carelesse as that confidently believing in peace hee neglected all duties of Military discipline whilst Warwicke more wary than he being by his spies certified of the Guards negligence and the heedlesnesse of all the rest who behaved themselves as if no enemy had been set upon the King by night and without any resistance tooke him prisoner A blow likely to end the difference without blood-shed He first put him in the Castle of Warwicke from thence that no man might know what was become of him he sent him to Medlam a Castle in Yorkeshire then in the custody of the Archbishop
Warwioke whose death was the establishment of his Kingdome So that as hee could not sufficiently expresse his joy thereof so could hee not enough lament the Marquesses death whom hee loved and who so loved him as for Henry the type of all misfortune he was againe put into the Tower All this while Queen Margaret met not with a good wind for her passage which was her misfortune for t is to be believed had she been come before the battell matters would not have gone so ill on her side as they did at last she landed in Dorsetshire where hearing of Warwickes discomfiture and death and Henries re-imprisonment her wonted courage failing her she swounded having now no further hope of comfort the safest course she could take was to take sanctuary she and her sonne in a Monastery at Beaulieu in Hampshire whither all the chiefest of her faction came to finde her out namely the Duke of Somerset his brother Iohn Earle of Devenshire who having been one of Edwards chiefe attendants had to his misfortune I know not out of what capriccio forsaken him Iasper Earle of Pembroke the Lord Wenlocke who likewise had formerly been on Edwards side and the Prior of St. Iohns one of the Knights of Bhodes They had much adoe to infuse new hopes into her shee was now no more troubled at her husbands imprisonment nor at the losse of his Kingdome misfortunes by her esteemed irrevocable her sonnes safety as her onely comfort and the last of all her miseries was that which onely troubled her Her opinion was not to tempt fortune any more for feare of endangering him but Somerset perswaded her that if she would undertake the leading of her people as formerly she had done she should finde so many partakers amongst which an infinite number whom feare had made conceale themselves that Edward would not be able to defend himselfe against them that King Henries goodnesse and the expectation of his sonne were deepely engraven in the hearts of all the Kingdome This being by the rest confirmed she suffered her selfe to be peswaded she desired to provide for her sonnes safety by sending him into France but could not effect it for Somerset alleaged his presence was requisite whereupon she condescended This being resolved upon every one went to make their necessary provisions and the Queen with the French that were come along with her went to the Bath whither they came afterwards all unto her Edward had hardly had time to breath after his victory at Barnet when he heard Queen Margaret was landed and what concourse of people flocked unto her out of Devonshire and Cornwall and other Southerne parts hee knew not what to doe as not knowing in what part shee would set upon him hee sent forth some light-horse to make discovery and hearing where shee was hee commanded that the Trained-bands should come to Abbington whither hee himselfe came with those of London and thereabouts As soone as they were come thither hee marched to hinder the enemy from joyning with the Earle of Pembrooke and the other forces thinking that hee might facilitate his victory by fighting with them in their present condition The Queene understanding his designe went to Bristoll so to goe to Wales but the difficulty of passing over Severne and the Duke of Somersets obstinacy caused her last ruine her right way lay by Gloucester but the City being under the government of the Duke of Gloucester the Kings brother she was not suffered to passe by there neither could she force her way having Edward at her heeles she went to Tewkesbury with intent to passe as speedily as she might into Wales but the Duke of Somerset not enduring this flight tooke a fancy to make an hault and fight presently and not waite for the comming of the Earle of Pembrooke who could not be farre off his reason was the danger of being defeated in this their retreat the Captaines approved his motion of making a stand but not of fighting their opinion was that they should intrench themselves so as they might not be forced without apparent danger to the enemy The Duke seemed not to be displeased at this for which purpose he chose the Parke neere to the City where he so well fortified himselfe as that he would have made it good had not his impatient rashnesse undone him for believing he could never quit his Trenches without battell he thought better to give it then to receive it with this fatall capriccio he marshalled his men He and his brother Iohn tooke the Van-guard he gave the Reare-ward to the Earle of Devonshire and the maine battell to Prince Edward under the directions of the Lord Saint Iohns and Lord Venlocke the last being promoted to that honour by King Edward and therefore noted of treachery The Duke of Gloucester who had the charge of his brothers Van making use both of craft and courage set upon the trenches and finding them not to be forced retreated whereupon ensued the very thing hee imagined to wit that Somerset growing hereupon bold would pursue him out of his trenches the which hee did believing to be seconded by the Lord Venlocke with Prince Edwards Squadron but hee not moving the Duke after a long conflict was defeated and driven backe into his trenches pursued even into them by Gloucester where finding Venlocke yet not moved hee called him traytor and with his Sword clove his head in two The King this meane while having followed Gloucester into the trenches cut the rest in pieces some few escaping into the thickets of the Parke into Monasteries and whether else they could flie The Queene was found in a Chariot halfe dead with sorrow and taken prisoner Speed saies shee fled to a Covent of Nuns that shee was taken thence by force and brought to the King at Worcester The Duke of Somerset and the Prior of Saint Iohns valiantly fighting were taken alive Iohn the Dukes brother the Earle of Devonshire with some Knights and 3000 more were slaine Prince Edward fell into the hands of Sir Richard Crofts who intended to have concealed him but the King having promised a pension during life of an hundred pounds a yeere to whosoever should bring him to him alive or dead and life to the young Prince if hee were yet alive Crofts not believing he would falsifie his faith presented him unto him Edward looked upon him and admiring the sweetnesse of his youth and disposition asked him how he durst come with flying Colours into his Kingdome and raise his people against him to the which he couragiously answered that he came to recover his fathers Kingdome his proper and naturall inheritance which could not be denied since it fell unto him by legitimate descent from Father Grand-father and Great-grand-father The King offended at these words strucke him in the face with a Switch which he had in his hand whilst Clarence Gloucester the Marquesse Dorset and Lord Hastings suddenly slew him with their Daggers who were all repaid
the King of France and Duke of Burgondy as it made them differ in all their actions their enmity grew ever since the King being Dolphine and fled from his father did retire himself into Flanders where he tarried many yeers defray'd and nobly entertain'd by Philip father to Charles so as that which in others would have served as the seed of friendship and good will served them all their life-time as the cause of hatred The King was endued with many excellent conditions for wisdom he was not inferiour to any of the then-Princes in Christendom though that wisedom according to those who with more superstitious accuratenesse define it did rather deserve the name of Craft the object thereof being for the most part deceit He conceived that having himself been turbulent and refractory to his father his brother Charles the Princes of the blood and other great ones might with more reason be like to him That there were but two remedies for it To keep them under by not committing any charge unto their trust and To disunite them by sowing discord amongst them Those whom he most feared and consequently most hated were the Dukes of Burgondy and of Britanny great and puissant Princes and much the more for that they had obliged themselves by plighted faith to run one and the same Fortune He much feared his Brother not that he had any brains for being very simple there was small cause of fear in him but that seduced by other mens warinesse he might serve for a pretence to their ambitions he therefore fed him still with hopes but kept him in perpetual poverty to bereave him of all means whereby to make him considerable he never made good that which he promised him and though he afterwards gave him the Dutchy of Berry 't was in so dry a fashion as having distasted him he fled into Britanny whence arose the War of the Common Good in which they all joyned against him Philip the father of Charles who was then alive did not confederate with them but being distasted that the King would have redeemed all such Cities as he held upon the Soame which could not be denied him according to the Treaty at Arras he suffered his son to go over to them who made a conclusion thereof with a Peace not to the Common good but to the good of particulars for Lewis to free himself of them freely promised all they could demand intending not to perform any thing save what he could not chuse and waiting for an occasion to ruine them one by one when they should be disjoyned he restored to Burgondy the forenamed Cities he having paid nine moneths before Four hundred thousand Crowns for them he quitted them now for nothing and not to be redeemed under Two hundred thousand and that not till after the death of Charles He created Count St. Paul Constable of France he yeelded up the Duke of Britanny certain Towns in Normandy which he had taken and to his brother instead of the Dukedom of Berry he gave the Dukedom of Normandy which he soon after took from him changing it for the Dukedom of Guienne to the end that being far from the help of England and Burgondy he might take it from him as he had done the former and as he already began to do had he not by poison died Lewis his Designe after his brothers death was to ruine the other two that yet remained using all possible means to separate them one from the other as he had separated his brother from them both Duke Philip being this mean while dead and he having made new agreements with Duke Charles his son he kept not any one of them but seeing him intangled in the German Wars he set the Emperour the Dukes of Lorrein and of Austria and the Switzers upon his back which was the cause why Charles not able to oppose two mighty enemies at the same time incited Edward against him in like manner as his father Philip had incited Henry the fifth against Charles the seventh father to this Lewis But the Duke had undertaken to justle with a wit superiour to his Lewis was a dissembler patient cautelous accustomed to war no lesse with Businesse then with Arms and more by Moneys then by exposing himself to hazard a Captain who knew how to watch his opportunity to meet occasion to feed even the most incredulous with hopes in his Fights fear did not render him stupid nor good successe proud he was endued with a judgement void of harmfull opinions in chusing out times for the execution of his designes he came not short of whatever provident and compleat General None of which set Valour aside was found in Charles the vastnesse of whose imaginations gave not way to any consideration He conceived he might at the same time keep Lewis lowe reassume his ancient Title of King in Burgondy extend his Dominions as far as runs the River Rhine having in his imagination devoured Alsatia the Switzers and Lorrein so as he may be compared to those who grasping at all have made nothing sure but a miserable end unto themselves Had he not dreamt of all the rest but onely applied himself to Lewis his cunning would not have been able to have saved him Edward spent much time in putting himself in order for this Voyage having spent the Money given unto him for the War upon his own occasions so as not knowing any more expedient means he caused a List to be made of all the richest and ablest men in London of what condition soever and calling them before him he by his perswasions wrought so well upon them shewing them the necessity of his Undertaking the honour of the Kingdom the profit that would redound and the extraordinary charge required thereunto as they all willingly suffered themselves to be assessed some to gratifie him some for example some for fear so as he got more Money then he needed for that purpose A reverend old rich widow being by the King demanded what she would contribute upon so urgent an occasion answered Your Majesties Royal and amiable presence exacts from me twenty pounds sterling The King was pleased with the answer and with the gift which he witnessed by kissing her wherewithal the old womâ—…n was so well pleased as she gave him Twenty pounds more When he was come to Dover he there found fifty Ships sent by the Duke of Burgondy from Holland and Zeland for transportation of Horse which was the diligence he used in this Enterprise but such was the abundance of all things there as they could not be past over to Calais in lesse then Three weeks so as if the King of France had had any Ships as he had not he had easily hindred them or else have forced Edward to a double charge in securing their passage by a Fleet at Sea The Army consisted of One thousand five hundred Horsemen most of the Horses barded with Trappings and each Horseman had sundry led
thereunto departed so much distasted as there never was after this any good Intelligence between them If Charles were angry at this Truce it amazed the Constable much more before he knew the certain conclusion thereof and when he knew it he sent his Confessor to Edward to intreat him not to give belief to Lewis his words or promises That he would be pleased to accept of the two Towns of Eu and S. Valleri which should be delivered up unto him That he might lodge there the beginning of the Winter promising him better Towns within two moneths space but he named them not He offered likewise to lend him Fifty thousand Crowns to the end that he might not be necessitated to make the Agreement But Edward answered The Truce was concluded and was to be observed if he were displeased thereat he might thank himself for if he had kept his promise to him he had not done it The place of Parley between the two Kings was Pichines a Town belonging to the Vidame of Amiens three Leagues distant from the Citie where whilst a wooden Bridge was cast over the River of Some and parties from either side were sent to view it Edward came within half a League of Amiens and was by Lewis presented with Three hundred Cartload of the best Wines that could be found and his people had in the City free egresse and regresse Lewis had caused many Tables laden with all sorts of salt-Meats which might provoke to drink to be set at the entring in of the Gate they were guarded by the best drinkers of France Besides all this he gave Commission to all the Innes and Taverns that they should feast the English and not suffer them to pay a peny Upon which occasion Nine thousand English came into the Town Some of the more cautelous French seeing this were not void of suspition in somuch as they did advertise Lewis thereof who having set people to observe their behaviours Finding them all singing and making merry and the most part of them drunk he found no cause of fear 'T was a wonder that in three days all which time this open Court was kept there hapned not any falling out or quarrel amongst so many drunkards Assoon as the Bridge was fully finished Edward marched towards it with his Army in a glorious manner Lewis his Army being nothing in comparison to his Lewis was come thither before Edward Amongst the Orders of the Parley one was That each of them shoule send Four of their men into the company of the others to have an eye upon what should be done to the end that if they should finde any cause of suspition they might advertise their Masters But this was needlesse The two Kings were to be attended upon the Bridge by Twelve men onely of which those that are named were Iohn Duke of Burbon the Cardinal of Burbon his Brother and Commines Lord of Argenton who had a Suit upon him like to that which King Lewis wore for it was his custom oftentimes to have some-body neer him clad in like manner as he himself was Commines writes that when Edward appeared his very presence spoke him a King and that though he begun to grow somewhat fat he was notwithstanding very handsom though not altogether so comely as when Warwick made him flee to Flanders at which time he was the handsomest and most comely man that ever he saw There were with him his Brother the Duke of Clarence the Earl of Northumberland the Lord Hastings his Chamberlain the Bishop of Ely his Chancellor and others to the number of Twelve The Duke of Gloucester came not thither for that having not given his consent to the Truce he would not be present when it was to be sworn unto When Edward was come within Five spaces of the Grate he took off his Cap which was of black Velvet whereon was a rich Jewel of Diamonds they made â—…owe Reverences each to other and embraced each other thorow the partitions of the Grate Lewis was the first that spoke he said He never coveted any sight so much as this and that he blessed God that had brought them together to so good an End Edward having courteously replied in French the Chancellor of England read the Treaty asking Lewis whether it were the same that he had sent and if he were therewithal content he answered Yes as likewise with that which was sent him from the King of England Hereupon the Masse-book and the Crosse being brought they laid their hands thereon and swore to observe the Truce of Nine yeers comprehending therein those that were within named and the Marriage between their children This being done Lewis said merrily to Edward He might do well to come to Paris to see the fair Ladies there and take his pastime and that if he should chance to commit some trivial trangressions he would assigne the Cardinal of Burbon to him for his Confessor This Cardinal was a young Prince no enemy to good-fellowship So as Edward being well pleased with the complemental Invitation Lewis for a good while play'd upon them both Lewis after this commanded his men to retire and Edwards men forth with withdrew uncommanded They discoursed a pretty while together it not being well known whereon but as it is believed to the prejudice of the Constable Lewis asked him what he would advise him to do if the Duke of Burgundy should not accept of the Truce as it was likely he would not in regard of the proud terms he had used to him Offer it him the second time replied Edward and if he shall not then accept of it do what you think best Lewis made this enquiry concerning Burgundy onely that he might enquire of Edward as he did and discover what his opinion was of the Duke of Bretaigne Edward said The Duke of Bretaigne was his friend and such a one as he had not found the like in his need that therefore he desired Lewis not to molest him but suffer him to live in quiet Lewis was not well pleased with this answer for his intentions were not good towards that Prince and he was the worse pleased for that he knew not the reason of it which was his detaining of the Earl of Richmond for it was in Bretaigne's power to trouble Edward if he listed for though he should neither have assisted Richmond with Men nor Money yet the permitting him to return to England would be sufficient to shake all the foundation of that Kingdom Lancasters faction was ready to rise hearing of his name and to trouble the possession of the Crown the which he having peaceably enjoy'd since Henry's death he was not likely to do so long so opposed Lewis was ignorant of these interests but cloking his dislike they took leave each of other having embraced such Lords and Princes as were there Edward returned to his Camp and Lewis to Amiens from whence he sent to Edward whatever he thought behoveful for him even to
Countreys I have seeâ—… the relicks of that Victory If my memory deceive me not there is upon the brink of the Lake a Chappel neer unto which lies a great heap of dead mens bones but there having perished in the Battel Eighteen thousand and as some will have it Two and twenty thousand methought those bones though very many were not answerable to so great a number Here I was like wise told and the place was shewed me where Charles on horseback swam over the Lake and where one of his Footmen fastning himself to his Masters horses tail assoon as he came â—…n shore was by Charles slain for having endangered his drowning since 't was sufficient for a horse to swim so far with an armed man upon his back without the dragging another at his tail But I meet not with this relation in any History He retired himself to Rivieres upon the confines of Burgundy where he lived secretly six weeks in which time the Duke of Lorrein being come to the Siege of Nanci the Town was surrendered to him two days before Charles came thither from whom they had demanded succour and expected his coming till the last minute The Duke of Lorrein who found himself weak would not contest with him but leaving him to besiege the Town again retired himself for aid to the Switzers from whom he had forthwith what he desired for King Lewis paid to him Fourty thousand Franks for this end and many French came Voluntiers to him with this Army he came to S. Nicholas Two Leagues distant from Nanci in the coldest Winter-season that had been known many yeers before Charles his Army was in a very bad condition and became yet worse when the Count de Campo Basso a Neopolitan and of the Aniovin-Faction and therefore banished that Kingdom had relinquished him having had intelligence long before with the Duke of Lorrein but when he would with his men have come over the Switzers abhorring the assotiation of a Traytor would not admit of him Charles seeing his affairs brought to so bad an exigent contrary to his custom listned after the opinion of others he was advised not to fight since his men were few and no ways valiant he not having upon a true Muster Twelve hundred good men they advised him to retire to Pont-Mousson since the Duke of Lorrein being onely able to victual the Town for a small time and the Switzers being likely to depart for want of pay he might with a better choice of men return thither the next Spring A most excellent counsel had he embraced it but he would fight The Conflict was short a handful of men wearied with a Siege disheartned by former Defeats and by the present unadvisednesse the readier now again to be defeated many of them were cut in pieces many fled away and but few of them were saved the Duke endeavoured to save himself but was slain in his flight wounded twice by the Pike and once by the Halberd he was rifled and left naked not known by any one save some-while after by a Page of his by certain private marks for it was impossible to know him by his face The circumstances of this Defeat are at large set down by Commines and the French Writers to whom I refer my self I may perchance touch upon something again in its proper place whilst returning for the present to our Story we shall meet with a Tragicall adventure no lesse strange nor compassionate then what we have but now heard The Duke of Clarence second brother to King Edward a Prince of greater spirit then did become a brother and a subject ended his days in the Tower leaving it to dispute whether his death were occasioned through his own default or through the Malice of his enemies for though he were condemned by ordinary course of Justice yet was there not any one full fault found in him so as it was thought there was nothing of Justice in it more then the name and that Malice was indeed that which took away his life Three things were of most consideration in this affair The Kings Suspition The Queens Hatred and Suspition and His own Fault which was not sufficient to have condemned him had it not been for the former Two His having rebelled made Confederacie with the Earl of Warwick and contracted Alliance with him to bereave his brother of the Kingdom were faults which though they were old and freely forgotten 't was feared that his old inclinations laid aside more in respect of his own concernment then out of reason or love to his brother might be reassumed by him and he thereunto provoked by pretence of the Agreement made at Paris that he should succeed unto the Crown if Henry the sixth his Heirs should fail as already they had done This consideration wounded the Queen to the very soul she thought that if her husband should die before her her children should not succeed to their father she was confirmed in this opinion by a Prophecie I know not how divulged That G should be the first letter of his name that should succeed Edward and the Duke of Clarence his name being George 't was thought he should be the Butcherer of Edwards sons which Gloucester afterwards proved to be With such like equivocations doth the devil delude our simplicity if it be granted that he knows any thing of what is to come To these were other reasons added which made the former the more suspected his having pretended to marry Mary the onely daughter to the late Duke of Burgundy and indeed he had written to that effect to the Dowager Dutchesse who was mother-in-law to the said Mary but the Queen crossed him therein and did what in her lay to have her married to her brother the Earl Rivers so as their distastes and the Kings jealousies were augmented But the imputations which gave some colour to the justification of this his death were That he caused a rumour to be raised among the people that Thomas Burdet was unjustly put to death That the King used Necromancy and Poyson to bring such as he hated to their ends That Edward was a Bastard and not begotten by the Duke of York That he had procured many to swear obedience to him and his Heirs not reserving the due obedience he ought unto his Brother and That he had pretended to the Crown by vertue of the Contract made with Henry the sixth These Accusations being brought into the Parliament and by the Parliament judged guilty thereof he was condemned to die and chose as the easiest death to be drowned in a Butt of Malmsey But howsoever 't was generally thought that the malice of his enemies the Queens and her kinreds fears and the Kings jealousie were the causes of his so miserable end of the which Edward did afterwards repent insomuch as when he pardoned the life of any at the importunacie of some one or other he was wont to say O my unfortunate brother that
The King had appointed to him for his Governour his Uncle the Earle Rivers Brother to the Queene a wise and valiant man he had likewise given him for his attendants almost none save such as were of Her kindred to the end that when he should die shee by their assistance might the better preserve her selfe against the Dukes authority and force A wise foresight too but which succeeded ill for this extraordinary preferment as it made them be hated and envy'd so was it the cause of their Ruine The Queene and her Brother Rivers had declared themselves enemies to the Lord Chamberlaine Hastings the Queene reputing him to be an instrument of her Husbands disorders and Rivers for that the King having promised unto him the Governours place of Callice had recalled his word to bestow it upon Hastings so as Edward doubting least these distastes might breed an ill effect in his Sonnes service though not the very bad one which it did produce did on his Death-bed make that exhortation to Peace which hath beene sayd at the which Rivers who was gone with the Prince into Wales not being present the Marquesse Dorset Son to the Queene by the first Husband did in his Unkles behalfe shake hands with Hastings both parties having the same end in this Act which was to satisfy the King but not to make a reall friendship for Hatred had taken formerly so great a rooting as there was no place left for true Friendshippe All these things made for Glocesters designes wherein not likely to prosper but by their ruine since in processe of time 't was likely they would be equally His enemies he thought that by seting them together by the eares they would undoe one another and that the one of them being borne downe would make way to the others overthrow But the sequell shewed that such fabricks of Government as are grounded on machinations are for the most part ruinous And if there were no other proofe of this to live free from suspition and to secure ones selfe from successive contentions within the Haven of a quiet life ought to weigh against whatsoever Ambition or Avarice can produce since They afford us nothing but injustice and the more they be practised the farther are they from God and Nature whose chiefest Law is the Peoples Safety and if humane mutability inamour'd on phantasticall opinions hath caused an eare to be lent to such as maliciously and ignorantly have taught the contrary consider that the Idea propounded by these Doctours is of such Princes as have come to ill ends not any one of them by their rules having had good successe I know that this my opinion will not be imbraced by Many it will suffice mee if by a Few so they be Good and if any man doe believe the World is not to be governed by Philosophy let him observe that Usurpation and Tyranny are the Foldes or Plyes of a more intricate philosophy and as the First arising from God and Nature doth by the meanes of Justice and other vertues leade us to live happily so the Second procreated by Force and Pride promise nothing to us but perturbations Injustice and her attendants producing onely such effects as are conformable to themselves The Duke might easily contrive his designe considering the hatred the chiefest Lords bare to the Queenes kindred so as treating thereof with those that were present and communicating his minde by writing to those that were absent hee shewed them How that the dangers were remedilesse if the Kings tender yeares were to be governed by those people that all Honours and places of Account would be conferred on them that Their authority would ecclipse the authority of all other men especially if the Sonne resembling his Father as by some signes already in him might be imagined he would should suffer himselfe to be governed by Them so as in stead of One King they should have many that old injuries are not apt to be forgotten that by the increase of authority remembrance thereof would be increased and that they would pretend offence if they were not more observed then formerly that the consideration of the Queenes no so great blood being onely made worthy of that degree because the King would have it so had not made them any whit the lesse proud the rather being come to the height of their presumptions while the King should be at their disposall they would become insufferable they would cloake their covetousnesse with the Royall Robe and the Crowne which the King wore onely for show served really to honour Them to the shame of Nobility and Scorne of the Blood-Royall and though their Birth and the Lawes did lesse priviledge Them then Others there being so many Lords both by Descent and Desert worthyer then They yet their unlawfull Authority was likely to cause such mischiefe as the deepest wisdome would not be able to Prevent it if they were suffered to continue in the same posture they now were in with the King Whether these perswasions tooke effect as being apparantly usefull or for that Envy was the cause thereof I know not The first that were hereunto perswaded was the Duke of Buckingham and Hastings the Lord Chamberlaine who though they were not very great Friends the likelier were they to joyn in Enmity against the Others They resolved to remove them from about the King if they could finde no other pretence as none other they had to declare that being their enemies they could not suffer them to be about His Majesty without apparant danger to their Owne persons They this meane while ignorant of their Practises put themselves in order to bring the King up to London and to the end that his traine might be answerable to his Regall dignity they got togither a great many men Whereat the Duke of Gloucester doubting that if hee should come so attended on hee should not without noyse be able to effect his wickednesse hee found meanes whereby to represent unto the Queene That so great an Assembly of men would be dangerous For the King not needing them it would stirre up jealousy in such who formerly having had some difference with those of Her bloud might believe it to be done against Them since the King by reason of his tender Yeares not being like ly to be the Authour of it it would be attributed to those that were about him and it would be believed that they did yet retaine the hatred pretended to be washt away at his Fathers death that her sonne was to meet with no oppositions for all the Lords strove who should shew him most affection and obedience so as to appeare armed and in an awfull manner would together with the memory of ancient fewdes raise so great jealousies as those who could not thinke themselves safe would take up Armes and disturbe the Peace the which if at all times it be to be desired certainly it is chiefely to be coveted in the succession of an Infant King These
that sided with him whereas Valentine on the contrary had Provinces Princes and Republiques for his enemies the wary wickednesse of the one will be the more remarkable who knew his advantage and the unwary rashnesse of the other who assisted onely by Ecclesiasticall forces terminable with the Popes death undertooke what was not to be effected or at least not long to be made good The ambition of getting the Kingdome began in Richard during his brothers life and having formerly plotted the whole affaire he laid the first ground-worke thereof by the death of Henry the sixth and the Duke of Clarence and in processe of time he finished the Fabrick by putting those to death who were likely to oppose him and by terrifying the rest he made his election which was made by the baser sort of people be as available as if it had been legally resolved upon by the whole Kingdome and which is further observable he pretended not to accept of it till intreated and enforced Arguments of a head-piece which had it been imployed in good enterprises instead of proving the most lewd might have been the wisest then to be found For all things else there was no evill which he committed not He betrayed his Nephews and then slue them he cheated his brothers wife and together with her those whom he made use of as instruments to remove the little Duke of Yorke from the Sanctuary in the height of cruelty and irreligion he counterfeited the perfection of piety and tendernesse of blood All his actions were larded with fraud and lyes the Queen and her brother were by him perswaded to lay downe their armes the later whereof he imprisoned and beheaded in like manner he incensed and slue the Chamberlaine He sacrilegiously divulged his mother to be an Adultresse in a place appropriated for preaching the Word of God declared his nephews to be Bastards counterfeited the good he had not conceal'd the evill he had was like to none but to himselfe Encomiums worthy of such qualities and qualities unworthy of that Crowne which consisting of Honour was whilst he wore it dishonoured by his wickednesse He omitted not any shew of sorrow at his brothers death he solemnised his Funerals at Yorke with the rites of mourning But whilst aiming at usurpation he seemed to be fond of his nephews whom he intended to betray he minded not divine admonitions which manifesting themselves by sundry waies are wont by way of observation to advertise us of dangers to the end that reforming our selves we may change our lives and thoughts from bad to good for Christian vertues are able to frustrate that which the Ancients called Fate by withdrawing us from vice and procuring the divine Providence to protect us The observations here meant are that all the Kings Richards and all the Dukes of Gloucester came to violent ends an observation redoubled in him being by name Richard and by title Duke of Gloucester Such like observations though they be not superstitiously to be believed yet are they not slightly to be despised But the proud man considers no other interest no not the concernment of his life so his ambition may be satisfied upon which his spirits were wholy bent and upon the arriving whereunto he out did himselfe He made his vices vertues He became courteous liberall and affable especially to Lawyers he studied nothing but justice observance of the Lawes and the peoples indempnity by which arts he prevailed so farre as the Crown which was tumultuously conferred upon him was legally offered him by the Parliament which with base flattery intreated him to accept of it out of these reasons That the Kingdome of England had been very happy under the government of wise Kings assisted by understanding Counsellors but when their successors began to governe themselves according to their owne fancies she fell into all manner of misery The chiefest of which and from which all the mischiefes of the present time did derive was Edward the fourths unfortunate praetended marriage with Elizabeth widow to Sir Iohn Gray who did still assume to her selfe the title of Queen which had perverted all the orders not onely of God and the Church but of nature and the Kingdome there being now no more propriety nor any condition which was not subject to feares since the Lawes either abandoned or abused were rendered uselesse and of no protection Hence proceeded faults of all sorts murthers extortions and such oppressions as men had no security neither of their lives nor fortunes much lesse of their wives or daughters all women were subject to violence nor was any one though she should refuse safe in her Honour To this might be added the blood of so many of the Nobility of hundred thousands of the Communalty shed in the late warres to the universall prejudice of all men and to the greatest sufferance of the most innocent That the forenamed pretended marriage was Clandestine made without the knowledge or consent of the Nobility the Devill was the authour thereof witchcraft the meanes Elizabeth the chiefe agent and her mother the Dutchesse of Bedford her coadjutrix that so it was believed and when time and place should serve it would be proved But that which chiefly aggravated this businesse was That King Edward was long before married to another Lady when he tooke her to his wife so as in living with her contrary to the Lawes of God and of the Church in continuall adultery his sonnes by her were bastards and as such incapable of succession That by this so heinous sinne and to the prejudice of the true heire hee had provoked Gods anger who had therefore forsaken him and brought the Kingdome into all those miseries For these and other reasons they were inforced to elect a King who by nature and by the Law was undoubted heire unto the Crown And because the Duke of Clarence convict of high treason in the seventeenth yeere of the reigne of his brother Edward had by his Attainder rendred his issue incapable of succession therefore the Protector being the onely undoubted sonne and heire of Richard Duke of Yorke He and no other was undoubted successour not reckoning in his vertues which were such as of themselves made him worthy of the Crowne he being so richly indowed especially with justice wisedome and valour witnessed in so many actions and battels wherein he had personally beene shewing his naturall inclination to the common good Whereupon having no other respect but the peace and tranquillity of the Kingdome his prosperity and ancient reputation they had chosen him their King and Soveraigne Lord. Intreating him to accept the charge as well by Title of Inheritance as of Election they promising for their parts that they would be his good and faithfull Subjects ready upon this and any good occasion to live and die with him for the oppressions and extortions they had suffered contrary to the Lawes of God and the Kingdome had made them resolve to runne what ever danger
rather then to live in the miseries they hitherto had done They cal'd upon Alinighty God the King of Kings to inspire him with his light and to continue unto him in his Regall dignity those praise-worthy parts by meanes whereof he deserved to be King though he were not And that though his right needed not any publique Acts of Parliament he being King and heire unto the Crowne without them yet in regard the people might be ignorant of the cause of the deposing the one and assuming the other for this cause and to remove all doubts that might arise the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and Commons assembled in Parliament had in full Parliament pronounced decreed and declared that Richard the third their Soveraigne Lord was whilest hee should live the undoubted King of England and of all that within or without belonged thereunto and after him his heires That the high and mighty Prince Edward his sonne was his heire apparant and after him those who should discend from him This decree being registred among the Acts of Parliament and approved of by King Richard with order to be held authenticall in all the parts thereof made it be understood that the Kings of England have power to doe what they will when they are either loved for their vertues or feared for their force For what concernes love there is no proof in this present case but of feare sufficient feare being the prinium mobile of this businesse Richard having by the assistance of the Duke of Buckingham and their adherent raised a powerfull faction the lawfull King being a Child and prisoner the Tyrant a man of braines wel-spoken and of reputation in armes not likely to undertake such a businesse unlesse certaine to effect it all men doubting themselves since their forces being cut off and those put to death which might have re-united them they were exposed to the violence of so cruell a man as Richard who had given proofe of his cruelty by his detaining the King by his taking the Duke of York from the Sanctuary by his impudence in declaring them to be Bustards and by his shamelesnesse in publishing his mother to be a whore to boote with the death of so many Peeres This feare was that which gave a maske to the flatteries of Parliament and which furnisht it with some colour of pretence drawne from Doctor Shaw's Sermon and the speeches made by the Duke of 〈◊〉 in the City-Hall Richard being thus confirmed and believing to settle his tyranny by resting it upon un-accustomed circumstances hee went into Westminster-hall sate him downe in the Kings Bench where in doubtfull cases the Kings of England had wont antiently to sit and where hee avowed his accepting of the Crowne the which hee exprest in a formall Oration and in a manner so well composed as those who had not knowne him would have thought England had never beene blest with so good a King and to colour with the shew of clemency his innate cruelty hee caused one Fogge who had taken Sancturary and whom he had alwayes mortally hated to be brought before him hee tooke him by the hand in fight of all the people and made professions of loving him now as much as he had formerly hated Him by which act he made a great impression in the simpler sort but those who were better advised knew that this was but a Bait wherewith to catch better fish In his returne to his Palace Hee courteously saluted such as Hee knew loved Him not thinking by this servile flattery to infatuate their mindes and to establish his government Yet for all this he durst not rely upon his present fortune He ascertained His Coronation by unaccustomed forces causing five thousand men to come from the Northerne parts of the Kingdome in whom hee trusted aswell for that they tooke part with the House of Yorke as likewise that living in remote parts they were not acquainted with his actions as were the Londoners who having him alwayes in their eye abhorred Him These Northern men appeared ill clad and worse arm'd which made them be but laught at for t was thought that if He should have occasion to make use of them they would not serve His turne and that t was neither these forces not yet greater but a meere Fatality which had precipitated England into so dire and miserable a subjection The last act of His possessing the Crowne was His Coronation all things thereunto belonging being ready as prepared for His Nephews Coronation Hee went with his Wife and His Sonne to the Tower where the next day Hee created the Lord Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Thomas Howard Sonne to the same man Hee created Earle of Surrey Hee made William Barckley Earle of Nottingham and the Lord Francis Lovell Viscount and Lord Chamberlaine and Hee made seventeene Knights of the Bath The Archbishop of Yorke the Lord Stanley and the Bishop of Ely had beene prisoners in the Tower ever since the Chamberlaine lost his Head Hee set the first at liberty finding himselfe peaceably possest of the Kingdome otherwise Hee would not have done it for being an honest man hee would never have given his consent to the deposing of the true King Hee freed the second out of feare for His Sonne the Lord Strange was raysing great forces in Lancashire a place wherein Hee had great Power and was mightily followed it behooved him to appease Him but Hee did not set the Bishop of Ely at liberty who was a faithfull servant to King Edward for Hee was certaine Hee would never condescend to his Childrens deprivation nor to the unjust wayes whereby Hee usurped the Kingdome whereof Hee had made tryall in the Councells held in the Tower whilest by oblique meanes He set the businesse on foot The Bishop was of no great birth but having lived a long time in good repute in Oxford hee was taken from thence being but bare Doctor by Henry the sixt and made a Privy-Counsellour Edward knowing his integrity kept him still in that condition and chose Him at His death to be one of his Executors Richard therefore fearing Him would have kept Him still in Prison though Hee set the others at liberty had not the Vniversity of Oxford which Hee did alwayes very much favour interceded for Him so that desirous in part to satisfy the Vniversity Hee was content to take him from the Tower as being too publick a place but that Hee might not have His free liberty Hee committed him to the custody of the Duke of Buckingham who sent Him to a Castle of His in Brecknockshire where they joyntly laid the first ground-worke of Richards ruine Hee together with his Wife was Crowned in great pompe the sixteenth of Iuly his Wife was daughter to the great Earle of Warwicke who had made and unmade the two preceding Kings and Widow to Edward Sonne to Henry the Sixt Prince of Wales to whom she was give in marriage when Edward the Fourths ruine was agreed upon in
the bishop was much astonished insomuch as his colour changed In such like matters men are not satisfied with silence nor mentall replies which argue perill and prejudice But supper time broke off their discourse which the Duke adjourned till the morrow morning and perceiving the bishop to be much troubled he intreated him not to be disquieted at this delay assuring him hee would keepe promise with him which did not notwithstanding satisfie the Bishop who was as desirous to know the Dukes intention now as the Duke was earnest to know his the day before But he failed him not in what he had promised him for having handsomely and methodically gone over all that the other had said he laid his Hat upon the Table and calling devoutly upon God he thanked him for that they being amidst so many tempests and dangers in a good but ill-governed ship he had been pleased to enlighten them by affording them a meanes how to provide themselves of a Steersman who being one that would give satisfaction would bring safety and welfare to the Kingdome Then taking up his Hat and putting it on his head he thanked the Bishop for the affection he had ever found in him especially at this time in this their weighty and trusty communication his fidelity and zeale unto his Country together with so many other unfained circumstances and voyd of selfe-interest rendering him worthy to be esteemed the honest man that all men thought him He was sorry his deserts had not met with a fortune worthy of him but he assured him that if God should at any time blesse him with meanes to shew his gratitude he would not faile therein but give it the precedency of all other duties That now he came to his answer wherein he would conceale nothing being so taught and obliged to doe by his example He wish him then to know that the reason of his alienation from King Edwards children was their fathers discountenancing of him upon all occasions without any cause given whilst they two having married two sisters he might have expected to have been more friendly treated he therefore thought himselfe free from all bands of humanity since the King used none to him having not onely excluded him from all Offices and Honours but treated him after a manner not worthy of his quality The first thing then that after his death came into his thoughts was the miserable condition of the Kingdome under the government of a woman and of a child not so much in respect of the ones sex and the others age as that her brother the Earle Rivers and the Marquesse Dorset her sonne were to exclude from all authority and preeminence not onely the Dukes and great men of the Kingdome but even the brother to the deceased King He thought it therefore requisite for him as well for the publique as his owne private good to joyne with the Duke of Gloucester whom hee then thought as free from all dissembling injury and cruelty as hee now knew him to be most dissembling injurious and cruell man that ever was borne Upon this false opinion at the first Councell held in London hee was by his meanes created Protector of the King and Kingdome and after having by fraudulent pretences gotten the Duke of Yorke out of the Sanctuary he had the boldnesse not without sprinkling some threats to demand the Crown of him and the other Lords that were then in Councell till such time as the King being full foure and twenty yeeres old should be of age to governe it but that meeting with some difficulties the like thing not having been formerly heard of and that it was unlikely any man would be found so moderate as to lay downe the Crowne become a Subject and submit himselfe to Anothers government after He had governed of Himselfe so long hee presented them with certaine Writings authenticated by Doctors Notaries and Witnesses by which it appeared Edwards sonnes were Bastards which was then believed to be as True as it is Now knowne to be notoriously False the false witnesses being by recompences and promises drawne to so great a treachery This writing being read he said unto the Counsellors My Lords I am assured that being Wise and Faithfull you will not suffer my Nephew to receive any injury but I am likewise confident that being Just you wil see no wrong done to Me. That which you have heard is either true or false if you believe it not cleare your selves in the point and if you believe it which of you will deny Mee to be the undoubted Heire to Richard Plantagenet Duke of Yorke declared by the Authority of Parliament to be heire unto the Crowne since the Duke of Clarence's Sonne is by his Fathers Delinquency made incapable thereof and his Father more then He being reputed a Bastard and upon good presumptions held for such a one in the house of Yorke Not any one answering him much lesse opposing him he was chiefly by the assistance of Him the Duke of Buckingham of Protector made King hee having first received his plighted faith there which afterwards was confirmed to him by giving of him his hand in Baynards-castle that he would provide for the Lives of the two Princes in so good a manner that He and All the world should be therewith satisfied Now where is that Prince that after such a Service would not of his owne free will have sought out some meanes how to have gratified him unlesse it were Richard who being demanded a thing which was not His and which was not in Justice to be denied denied it him out of meere ingratitude The things hee required of him were the Office of High-Constable of England which having been enjoyed by his Fore-fathers it was a shame for Him to goe without it and the Lands belonging to the Earle of Hereford which had beene wrongfully detained from him by his brother King Edward the which hee did not sodainely deny unto him but held him a while in Hope till being constantly solicited therein hee absolutely denied him objecting that such a demand pretended to set on foote againe the pretences of the house of Lancaster since Henry the fourth who was heire thereunto having wrongfully usurped the Crowne and by his usurpation united them to the same they were not againe to be taken from the Crowne unlesse that together with them pretence were had unto the Kingdome the which it should seem was by him intended since that being falne by the death of Henry the sixth upon him Buckingham according to the Common-law in what concernes private men but not the State he did againe revive the tacit pretence thereunto Of the which in good faith Hee never had the least thought Whereupon suppressing within himselfe the base injustice of so ungratefull a man hee had much a doe to keepe himselfe within the bounds of Patience till he heard of the Death of the two dispossessed and innocent Princes of the which he tooke God to witnesse
to her owne Honour to the safety of her Daughters to the Generosity of her past actions and to her conscience not regarding Oathes when put in balance with the Perswasions of him vvho had alwayes done her mischiefe Being thus abused shee dispatcht away a Messenger to her Son Dorset vvho vvas in France commanding him that he should leave the Earle and come for England telling him that all past injuries vvere forgotten and forgiven and were to be repairâ—…d with Honours and Preferments for that the King desired nothing more then how to give him satisfaction Richard having obtained the First of his three designes having reconciled his Sister in Law and his Neeces being come to the Court where they were by him with great Solemnity received the other Two remained the Second would bee imperfect without the Third and the Third vvas impossible without the Second Hee could not marry his Neece except his VVife were dead upon this therefore hee wholly bent his thoughts Hee considered that by putting her to a Violent death hee might alienate his peoples hearts which hee somewhat gained upon by his hypocriticall proceedings which made them believe he was changed in life and disposition so as a Relapse would prove dangerous to him and make him not to be believed in what for the future he was to counterfeit He lighed upon a meanes never dreamt of any Divell in Hell that Griefe Melancholy and Feare might joyntly worke that effect in her without Scandall which Sword nor Poyson could not doe but with Scandall He forbare her bed nor would he Speake with her not onely denying her his Company but his Sight He began to bewaile his misfortune in that he had a wife that was Barren who would beare him no Children a curse which did so wound his Soule as it would in short time cost him his Life he made knowne this his great sorrow to the Archbishop of Yorke whom he had newly set at liberty being sure he would acquaint his wife with it and hoping it might worke the Effect he desired The Archbishop who was a wise man and very well knew Richards disposition spake hereof with some of his most intimate friends judging the unfortunate Ladies life to be of no long durance The King shortly after made it to be noised abroad that she was Dead to the end her death when it should happen might be the lesse strange mens eares being accustomed thereunto and he made the bruite of her death arrive at her owne eares all this was done in hope that the violence of Griefe would kill her or if not that he might with the lesse Noise make her away who had been so Often thought Dead The Queen who was a Tender Lady and not able to resist so many machinations was hereat much dismayde knowing that Tempests use to follow Thunder especially in so perverse a Climate as that of her Husbands she ran much afflicted to him to know wherein she had so Highly offended him as that he thought her not onely worthy of his Hatred which was apparently seene but of the Punishment which being to befall her the world thought her dead Already His answer was pleasant in words but of sad Sense mingled with Smiles which gave her more cause of Suspition then of Comfort She went backe to her owne lodgings where not many daies after she departed this life whether of Griefe or Poyson it is not certaine those who judge by likelihood thinke the last This Princesse was borne under an unhappy Constellation as well in respect of her Selfe as of those who did any waies appertaine unto her She was daughter to Richard Nevill Earle of Warwicke and Salisbury a Peere of greatest Power and Repute that ever England had her Grand-father was beheaded her Father and her Unkle were slaine in the battell at Barnet her Nephevv Son to her Sister the Dutchesse of Clarence vvas beheaded by Henry the Seventh and her Neece his Sister by Henry the Eighth both her Husbands came to violent ends the First Sonne to Henrys the sixt slaine by this her second Husband and He by others as wee shall shortly see She was in her Life time bereft of the onely sonne she had by him Lastly as for her owne death what ever it was it could not but be happy for Her she being thereby freed from the hands of so cruell a Monster Two of Richards designes being obtained the Third yet remained his marriage with his Neece He began to make love unto her but it was not love that troubled him though he would have it so believed hee was troubled with thoughts of another nature To see so many of the prime Nobility fled into France to the Earle of Richmond to see himselfe so nauseous to his People as they were ready to vomit him out and that the Conspiracy Discovered but not Extinct had made the Conspirators the more wary these were the businesses which excluded his feyned love love being fed by Idlenesse Delights and want of other affaires whereon to imploy ones thoughts He was jealous of none more then the Lord Stanley father in law to the Earle his brother Sir William Stanley Gilbert Talbot and hundreds of others did not so much trouble him as did He alone insomuch as this Lord Stanley being desirous to returne to his Countrey-house under pretence of some domesticall affaires but in effect that hee might be ready at the arrivall of his sonne in Law whom he daily expected he would not suffer himto goe unlesse hee would leave his Eldest sonne George Stanley in Court reputing him a sufficient hostage for his Fathers loyalty When he understood of Blunts rebellion how that the Earle of Oxford had escaped out of prison and how that Both of them having betaken themselves to the Earle of Richmond they had delivered up unto him the Castle of Hammes hee gave order to have it besieged by the garrison of Calais and Richmond sent the Earle of Oxford with a great many Souldiers to raise the siege who having encamped himselfe not farre from the Besiegers passed Thomas Brandon with Thirty commanded men into the Town which so encouraged the Besieged as that the Enemy being shot at at the same time from the Town from the Castle and from Oxfords campe offered a Blanke paper into which they might enter what Conditions they pleased so as they would surrender up the place The Earle of Oxford who considered that the possession of Hammes was not of any consequence to the getting of the Kingdome which they were in pursuit of and that it was succoured onely out of a desire to save the Garrison and Iames Blunts wife together with their Goods willingly surrendred up the place taking from thence the Men Munition Victuals Cannon and all that was there of any value which he brought all safe to Baâ—…is Richard was so puft up with this appearance of victory as he believed that to be true which was falsely informed him That he Earle of Richmond
as had their Husbands for if they were endowed with Absolute Soveraignty and Dominion they might wage War put the State into Combustion and utterly lose it but having learn'd that she had great power in the Council and that the Archduke could do no otherwise whilst the world would believe that Perkin was protected in Despite of Him he recalled the English Merchants from Flanders and banisht the Flanders Merchants out of England and transported the Staple of Cloth and Wooll from Antwerp to Callis the which though it were to the great losse of the People and that Philip knew they would exclaim against it yet did not he forbear doing the like by driving the English out of his Dominions The King moreover upon advertisements from Clifford imprisoned the Lord Fitz-water Sir Simon Montfort and Sir Thomas Thwaites William d'Aubeny Robert Ratcliff Thomas Cressenor Thomas Astwood William Worseley Dean of Pauls and certain Friers amongst which two Dominicans he would have shut up More but the scandal would have been too great Montfort Ratcliff and d'Aubeny were convinc'd of High Treason and beheaded the Lord Fitz-water being sent prisoner to Callis not in despair of Life by his endeavouring to escape lost both his hopes and life the rest were pardoned The King had created his second son Henry Duke of York in Westminster where as is usual at such Solemnities divers Knights of the Bath were made but when he heard that Clifford was landed in England he withdrew himself to the Tower that he might hear him There to the end that if he should accuse any of extraordinary quality they might be imprisoned without any great noise Clifford being admitted to his presence threw himself at his feet and begg'd his pardon the which being formerly granted he again confirmed unto him and being commanded to speak if he had any more to say concerning the Conspiracy he named the Lord Chamberlain Sir William Stanley at whose name all the standers by were startled it not being likely that a man of his quality rich the Favorite neerest to the King and the chief instrument of his Assumption to the Crown should be a Traitour whereupon being advised to think Better what he said he without Haesitation or Altering his Colour accused him as Before Stanley was shut up in his Chamber and was the next day examined by the Council he denied some few Circumstances but confess'd the Fault affying his Former actions for which he presumed the King would pardon him but he was deceived Deserts and Mis-deserts weigh not alike when they are of a like Excesse though he had Put the Crown upon his head by negotiating how to take it Away again he nullified his Former deserts his Repenting for the Service done cancell'd the Obligation the which though it were very great was in some sort rewarded Recompence cannot be given for a Kingdom by conferring Another Kingdom to the Donour or by resigning over to him the Same the Inequality of the Persons equals the Disparity of the good turn the Riches and Honour he received from Henry were equivalent to the Crown which Henry received from Him if it may be Formally said that he did receive it from him the one was Born for It the other for Meaner things Yet was Henry in great doubt with himself whether he should put him to death or no the love and reverence which he bare to his Father-in-law pleaded for Clemency Example and the Condition of the Times put in for Severity but if it be true which some Authors write his Riches bore down the balance he being esteemed one of the greatest money'd men in England Neither were men deceived in this their opinion for in his Castle of Holt were found Fourty thousand Marks in ready money his Jewels and Moveables not therein comprehended and in Revenues and Pensions he had Three thousand pounds a yeer a considerable sum in those days Whereupon after having deferr'd this businesse some Six weeks to the end that his Brother and the People might have time to Examine it he was condemn'd to die and lost his head His execution afforded matter of diversity of discourse those that were not of the Court who were ignorant of the Secrets of Government and made their conjectures upon Circumstances and doubtful Relations esteemed the case if not wholly void of Fault at least not worthy of the Highest punishment a belief which was occasioned by reason of a Rumour that was spread abroad That in his discourse with Clifford concerning Perkin he should say unto him That if he should for certain know he were the Duke of York son to Edward the Fourth he would not take up Arms against him A manner of Speech which though it did not Openly declare any ill-will to the King's Person yet such was it as did not sound well in His mouth his Example being sufficient to alter the whole Kingdom and the words not admitting of any other interpretation then his Opinion of Henry's unjust title to the Crown which derogated from the Pretences of the House of Lancaster and from the Authority of Parliament The reason which alienated him from the King is said to be That he desiring the King to make him Earl of Chester a Title and County which the Kings of England do for the most part give to the Princes of Wales their first-born Sons the King did not onely Deny his request but was Offended with him for it thinking him now arrived to those pretences which did exceed the condition of a Subject after he had rewarded his services with equivalent rewards having made him Privy Counsellour Lord Chamberlain given him daily whatsoever he demanded assigned Pensions to him and in the day of Battel wherein Richard was slain seemed not to take notice that he appropriated unto Himself the Prey and Booty of the whole Camp of which He himself stood in Need being but a New King permitting all things to him to the end that when he was grown Rich he might satisfie his own thirst of having This man's death put all the Court in a Quandary one man durst not trust another each one feared lest all his friends might prove Cliffords Yet such was the spirit of Back-biting that they made use of pen and paper to utter what for fear of danger they durst not do with their tongues Libels were written against some of the Council and against the King himself the authors whereof could not so well conceal themselves but that Five of them miscarried paying for their Errour with the losse of life Perkin's party this mean while decreased no man durst so much as think any more of him and they were but very few that tarried with him in Flanders amongst which Clifford's companion was the chiefest who notwithstanding afterwards alter'd his opinion and together with his Pardon got leave to return home But the death of the Conspirators and the dissipation of the Complices were not sufficient to make Henry rest in quiet unlesse
he should destroy the Nest which was in Ireland seeing that Lambert first and then Perkin had been so affectionately received there It behoved him to settle his authority there in such manner as it should be undoubted he made choice of Two to serve him in Two several Offices the Prior of Langton with title of Commissioner that he might look to the Civil Government of the Kingdom making him Chancellor and Edward Poynings who was to have charge of the Militia giving him a great many Souldiers with Commission to be Marshal and Lieutenant to which the Deputy which was the Earl of Kildare was subordinate The Prior met with no difficulty the Laws being his Arms and the peaceful people the matter of his jurisdiction but Poynings who was to deal with Stubborn men and Rebels had not the like fortune for Ireland being full of Woods Boggs and Desert places the happinesse of the poor people consisting in Idlenesse in somuch as the ground is there for the most part unbroken up he was to make War just as men do Hunt for those whose consciences and courages mis-gave them retiring themselves into places inaccessible for strangers and unknown unto them he spent much time there to small purpose killing some few and taking some few prisoners which made not much for the main enterprise so as being angry with those who having no intention to withstand him had no cause to fear him he lay'd the fault upon the Earl of Kildare as if he had succour'd them underhand He sent him prisoner into England without any other Proof against him save his Own Suspition and the Earl did so fully justifie himself as that he was declared Innocent and re-established in his former Government But if Poynings had no successe with those which stood out against him yet was his fortune such with the rest as he perswaded them to accept of all Ordinances made in England till that day which in former times were not of power in that Kingdom This Declaration was and is called Poynings his Law Ireland therefore is governed by the same Laws as is England for so many as were made till the Tenth yeer of Henry but such as have been made since are not admitted of there The Conspiracy thus unsuccessefully ended did not so quell Perkin's spirit but that he thought the affections of those of his Party were rather Oppressed then quite Dead and that a new spirit would so revive them as Henry should not be so fortunate in suppressing them as he had been Thus flattering himself he assembled together certain Troops of men of desperate fortunes who either for Debts or other misdemeanours durst not shew their heads and embarking them he came to Anchor before Sandwitch landing some of his men to learn news and to discover how the people in those parts were affected giving out that he had great Forces which were coming in a Fleet after him The King at this time was gone his Progresse and was now with his Mother in her house at Latham whom he went to visit and that by his coming thither the world might know that the death of Sir William Stanley had not made his father-in-law think the worse of him here he heard of Perkin's arrival whereby he received this advantage that he having so behaved himself as his People esteemed him to be a politick Prince they thought nothing befel him which he did not foresee and that his retiring himself into the Northern parts was one of his cunning fetches for knowing he had left the South-parts free from danger he intended to allure Perkin to land that so he might be sure not to escape But whatever the matter was at the first news he resolved to return and was not well pleased at the Second which informed him that he was gone again for he perceived this trouble would continue longer then he imagined The cause of Perkin's departure was this the Kentish-men had well observed the condition of those whom he had landed and that there were but few English amongst them and those few of no worth nor consideration wherefore they took counsel with the Chief of the Shire concerning their taking Arms the which being agreed upon they shewed a part of their men upon the Sea shore to invite him to land and scatter'd the rest abroad some here some there as if they were ready to run away but Perkin perceiving their drift budged not a foot wherefore the Kentishmen gave upon them that were on the shore slew some of them took other some very few of them getting back to their Ships At this time died Cecilie Nevil Dutchesse of York who born to be unfortunate outdid the miseries of her daughter-in-law Queen Elizabeth who was very unhappie she bare to her husband Richard Plantagenet Duke of York Eight sons and Four daughters all her Sons died during her life Four of them died natural deaths while they were Young of whom we make no mention in our Genealogie because our History speaks not of them of the Other Four the Three Last came to a violent end and the First died not well for King Edward died in the strength of youth consumed by disorder Edmund Earl of Richmond was together with his Father slain at the Battel at Wakefield George Duke of Clarence was put to death in the Tower by his brother and Richard the Third was slain at Bosworth-field She had been the lesse to be pitied had the Funerals of her family ended in her Husband and Sons but they extended themselves to her Grand-children male all which she out-lived save Edward Earl of Warwick son to the Duke of Clarence who being shut up in the Tower was not to expect any other death then Violent but to share therein with the rest as he did so as being made unhappie by so many miseries any One of which had been able to have made her so fortune would yet render her fuller of calamity by making her lose her Honour her own Son declaring her to be an Adultresse thereby to make himself King and though there were no true colour for it yet was the stain true wherewithal she was asperst by a Basilisk that issued out of her own bowels which was a misery above all other miseries and of all wounds the most sensible Perkin being retired to Flanders if he should tarry there he must needs be discover'd for an Impostour and the Dutchesse of Burgundy should she detain him there must be known to be fomentresse of the Forgery so as it behoved him to be gone from thence and her to send him away to go on with the work which they had both so unluckily begun This resolution was befriended by the distaste which Maximilian and his son Philip took at Henry for taking the Commerce of England from their States and by the like distaste taken by Charles King of France for his having entred into league against him concerning his affairs in Italy But Perkin's missing of