goodly monasteries and churches and dying left as famous a sonne behynde him as himself which was Edward the first surnamed the senior or elder This king Edward dying left two sonnes lawfully begotten of his wife Edgina the one named Prince Edmund and the other Eldred a third illegitimate whose name vvas Adelstan whom he had by a concubine But yet for that this man vvas estemed to be of more valor then the other he was preferred to the crowne before the two other Princes legittimate for so restifieth Polidor in thes wordes Adelstanus ex concubina Edwardi films rex a populo consalutatur atque ad king stonum opidum more maiorum ab Athelmo Cautuariensi Archiepiscopo coronatur vvhich is Adelstan the sonne of king Edward by a concubine vvas made king by the people and vvas crowned according to the old custome by Athelme Archbishop of Caterbury at the towne of kingston Thus far polidor and Stow addeth further thes words His coronation was celebrated in the market place vppon a stage erected on high that the king might better be seene of the multitude he was a Prince of worthy memorie valiant and wife in al his acts brought this land into one perfect monarchie for he expelled vtterly the danes and quieted the welchme Thus much Stow of the successe of chusing this king bastard to reigne To whose acts might be added that he conquered Scotland and brought Constantine their king to do him homage and restored Luys d'Outremer his sisters sonne to the kingdome of France as before hath bin signified This man dying without issue his lawful brother Edmond put back before was admitted to the crowne who being of excellent expectation died after 6. yeares and left two lawful sonnes but yet for that they were yonge they were both put back by the realme and their vncle Eldred was preferred before them so faith Polidor Genuit Edmondus ex Egilda vxore Fduinum Edgarum qui cum etate pueri essent post Eldredum deinde regnarunt King Edmond begat of his wife Egilda two sonnes named Edwin and Edgar who for that they were but children in yeares were put back and reigned afterward after ther vncle Eldred The like saith Stow and yealdeth the same reason in thes wordes Eldred succeded Edmōd his brother for that his sonnes Edwin and Edgar were thought to yong to take so great a charge vppon them This Eldred though he entred as you see against the right of the nephewes yet saith Polidor and Stow that he had al mens good will and was crowned as his brother had bin at kingston by Odo Archbishop of Canterbury and reigned 9. yeares with great good wil and praise of al men He dyed at last without issue and so his elder nephew Edwin vvas admitted to the crowne but yet after foure yeares he was deposed agayne for his leude and vitious life and his yonger brother Edgar admitted in his place in the yeare of Christ 959. This king Edgar that entred by deposition of his brother vvas one of the rarest princes that the world had in his tyme both for peace and vvar iustice pietye and valor Stow sayeth he kept a nauie of three thousand and 6. hundreth shippes distributed in diuers partes for defence of the realme Also that he buylt and restored 47. monasteries at his owne charges and did other many such acts he vvas father to king Edward the martir grand father to king Edward the confessor though by two different wiues for by his first wife named Egilfred he had Edward after martirized and by his secōd vvife Alfred he had Etheldred father to Edvvard the confessor to the end that Etheldred myght raigne his mother Alfred caused King Edward the sonue of Egilfred to be stayne after king Edgar her husband was dead After this so shameful murther of king Edward many good men of the realme vvere of opinion not to admit the succession of Etheldred his half brother both in respect of the murther of king Edward his elder brother cōmitted for his sake as also for that he semed a man not fir to gouerne and of this opinion among others vvas the holy man Dunston archbishop of Canterbury as Polidor sayeth who at length in flat words denyed to consecrate him but seing the most part of the realme bent on Etheldreds side he foretould them that it would repent them after and that in this mās life the realme should be destroyed as in deede it vvas and he rann away to Normandy and left Sweno and his danes in possession of the realme though afterward Sweno being dead he returned agayne and dyed in London This Etheldred had two wiues the first Ethelgina an Inglish womā by whom he had prince Edmund surnamed Ironside for his great strength and valor vvho suceeded his father in the crowne of Ingland for a yeare and at his death left two sonnes which after shal be named and besides this Etheldred had by his first wife other two sonnes Edwin and Adelston and one daughter named Edgina al which were ether slayne by the danes or dyed without issue The secōd wife of Etheldred was called Emma sister to Richard Duke of Normandie vvho was grand father to William the conqueror to witt father to Duke Robert that was father to VVilliam so as Emma vvas great aunt to this VVilliam and she bare vnto king Etheldred two sonnes the first Edward who was afterward named king Edward the Confessor and Alerud who was slayne traiterously by the Earle of kent as presently we shal shew After the death also of king Etheldred Queene Fmma was maried to the Dane king Canutus the first of that name surnamed the great that was king of Ingland after Etheldred Edmond Ironside his sonne and to him she bare a sonne named Hardicanutus vvho reigned also in Ingland before king Edvvard the Confessor New then to come to our purpose he that wil consider the passing of the crowne of Ingland from the death of Edmonde Ironside elder sonne of king Eltheldred vntil the possession therof gotten by VVilliam Duke of Normandie to wit for the space of 50. yeares shal easely see what authority the common wealth hath in such affaires to alter titles of succession according as publique necessity or vtility shal require for thus briefly the matter passed King Eltheldred seing himselfe to vveake for Sweno the king of Danes that vvas entred the land fled with his wife Emma and her two children Edward and Alerud vnto her brother Duke Richard of Normandie ther remayned vntil the death of Sweno and he being dead Etheldred returned into Ingland made a certayne agrement and diuision of the realme betweene him Canutus the sonne of Sweno and so dyed leauing his eldest sonne Edmond Ironside to succed him who soone after dying also left the whole realme to the said Canutus and that by playne couenant as Canutus pretended that
the house of Yorke their was yet no question as appereth also by Stow in his chronicle vvho setteth downe how that after the said deposition of Richard the Archbishop of Canterbuty asked the people three tymes whom they would haue to be their king vvhether the duke of Yorke their standing present or not and they answered no and then he asked the seronde tyme if they vvould haue his eldest sonne the duke of Aumaile and they said no he asked the third tyme yf they would haue his yongest-sonne Richard earle of cambridge and they said no. Thus writeth Stow vvher-by it is euident that albeit this earle of Cabridge had married now the sister of Edmōd Mortimer by whom his posterity claymed afterward yet could he not pretend at this tyme her brother being yet aliue who after dying vvithout issue left al his right to her by her to the house of Yorke for albeit this earle Richard neuer came to be duke of Yorke for that he vvas beheaded bv king Henry the fift at Southampton as before hath 〈◊〉 said vvhile his elder brother vvas a lyue yet left he a sonne named Richard that after hym came to be duke of Yorke by the death of his vncle Edmund duke of Yorke that dyed vvithout issue as on the other side also by his mother Anne Mortimer he vvas earle of March and was the first of the house of Yorke that made title to the crowne So that the question now is whether after the deposition of king Richard Edmond Mortimer nephew remoued of Leonel which Leonel vvas the second sonne to king Edward or els Henry duke of Lancaster sonne to Iohn of Gaunt which Iohn vvas third sonne to king Edward should by right haue succeded to king Richard and for Edmond is alleaged that he was heyre of the elder brother and for Hēry is said that he vvas neerer by two degrees to the stemme or last king that is to say to king Richard deposed then Edmond was for that Henry vvas sonne to king Richards vncle of Lancaster and Edmond was but nephew remoued that is to say daughters sonnes sonne to the said king Richards other vncle of Yorke And that in such a case the next in degree of consanguinitie to the last king is to be preferred though he be not of the elder lyne the fauourers of Lancaster alleage many proofes wher of some shal be touched a litle after we haue seene the same practized in our dayes in France where the Cardinal of Burbone by the iudgement of the most part of that realme was preferred to the crowne for his propinquity in blood to the dead king before the king of Nauarre though he were of the elder lyne Moreouer it is alleaged for Henry that his title came by a man and the others by a vvoman vvhich is not so much fauoured either by nature law or reason and so they saye that the pretenders of this title of lady Phillippe that vvas daughter of duke Leonel neuer opened their mouthes in those dayes to clayme vntil some 50. yeares after the deposition death of king Richard Nay more ouer they of Lancaster say that sixteene yeares after the deposition of king Richard vvhen king Henry the fift vvas now in possession of the crowne cerrayne noble mē especially Richard earle of Cambridge that had marryed this Edmond Mortimers sister offred to haue slayne king Henry and to haue made the said Edmōd Mortymer kinge for that he was discended of duke Leonel but he refused the matter thinking it not to be according to equitie and so vvent and discouered the whole treason to the king wheruppō they vvere al put to death in Southampton within fowre or fiue dayes after as before hath bin noted and this hapened in the yeare 1415. and from hence foreward vntil the yeare 1451. and thirreth of the reigne of king Henry the sixt vvhich vvas 36 yeares after the execution done vppon these conspirators no more mention or pretēce was made of this matter at vvhat tyme Richard duke of Yorke began to moue troobles about it againe Thus say those of the house of Lancaster but now these of Yorke haue a great argument for themselues as to them it seemeth vvhich is that in the yeare of Christ 1385. and 9 yeare of the reigne of king Richard the second it vvas declared by act of parlament as Polidor writeth that Edmond Mortimer vvho had marryed Phillip daughter heyre of Leonel duke of Clarence and was grandfather to the last Edmond by me named should be heyre apparent to the crowne if the king should chance to dye without issue To which obiection those of Lancaster do answere first that Polidor doth err in the person when he sayeth that Edmond husband of lady Philippe was declared for heyre apparent for that his Edmond Mortimer that married lady Philippe dyed peacably in Ireland three yeares before this parlament vvas holden to witt in the yeare of Christ 1382. as both Hollings head Stow and other chroniclets do testifie and therfore Polidor doth erre not only in this place about this man but also in that in an other place he sayeth that this Edmond so declared heyre apparent by king Richard vvas slayne by the Irish in Ireland 12. yeares after this declaration made of the succession to vvit in the yeare 1394. vvhich vvas in deede not this man but his sonne Roger Mortimer heyre to him and to the Lady Phillip his wife vvho vvas declared heyre apparent in the parlament afore said at the instance of king Richard and that for especial hatred malice as these men say vhich he did beate against his said vncle the duke of Lancaster and his sonne Henry vvhom he desired to exclude from the succession The cause of this hatred is said to be for that presently vppon the death of prince Edvvard father to this Richard which prince dyed in the yeare of Christ 1376. and but 10. monethes before his father king Edward the third their vvanted not diuers learned and vvise men in Ingland that were of opinion that Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancaster eldest sonne then liuing of the said king Edward should haue succeded his father iure propinquitatis before Richard that vvas but nephew and one degree further of then he but the old king vvas so extremly affectionate vnto his eldest sonne the blacke prince Edward newly dead that he vvould not heare of any to succede him as Frosard saith but only Richard the said princes sonne Wherfore he called presently a parlament vvhich vvas the last that euer he hold and therin caused his said nephew Richard to be declared heyre apparent and made his three sonnes then liuing that were vncles to the youth to vvitt Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancaster and Edmond Langhly duke afterward of Yorke and Thomas woodstock duke of Glocester to sweare fealtie vnto Richard as they did And albeit Iohn of Gaunt al his life
vvoman vvho ought not to be preferred before so many men as at this tyme do or may stand for the crowne and that it vvere much to haue three women to reigne in Ingland one after the other vvher-as in the fpace of a-boue a thousaid yeares before them there hath not reigned so many of that sexe nether together nor a sunder for that from king Cerdick first king of the vvest Saxons vnto Egbright the first monarch of the Inglish name and nation conteyning the space of more then 300. yeares no one vvomā at al is founde to haue reigned and from Egbright to the Conquest which is almost other 300. yeares the like is to be obserued and from the conquest downeward vvhich is aboue 500. yeares one only vvoman was admitted for inheritrix vvhich was Maude the Empresse daughter of king Henry the first vvho yet after her fathers death vvas put back and king Stephen vvas admitted in her place and she neuer receaued by the realme vntil her sonne Henry the second vvas of age to gouerne himselfe then he vvas receaued vvith expresse condition that he should be crowned and gouerne by himselfe and not his mother which very conditiō vvas put also by the spaniards not long after at their admitting of the lady Berenguela yonger sister of lady Blauch neese to king Henry the second vvherof before often mention hath bin made to vvit the condition vvas that her sonne 〈◊〉 should gouerne and not she though his title came by her so as this circumstance of being a woman hath euer bin of much consideration especially where men do pretend also as in our case they doe An other consideratiō of these men is that if this lady should be aduanced vnto the crowne though she be of noble blood by her fathers side yet in respectt of alliance with the nobility of Ingland she is a meere strainger for that her kyndred is only in Scotland and in Inglād she hath only the Candishes by her mothers side vvho being but a meane familie might cause much grudging amōg the Inglish nobility to see them so greatly aduanced aboue the rest as necessarily they must be yf this womā of their linage should come to be Queene vvhich how the nobility of Ingland vvould beare is hard to say and this is as much as I haue heard others saye of this matter and of al the house of Scotland vvherfore vvith this I shal end and passe ouer to treat also of the other houses that do remayne of such as before I named OF THE HOVSE OF SVFFOLK CONTEYNING THE CLAYMES OF THE COVNTESSE OF Darby and her children as also of the children of the earle of Hartford CAP. VI. IT hath appeared by the genealogie set downe before in the third chapter and oftētymes mentioned since how that the house of Suffolk is so called for that the lady Mary secōd daughter of king Henry the seuenth being first married to Lewis the 12. king of France vvas afterward married to Charles Brandon duke of Suffolke who being sent oner to condole the death of the said king gat the good will to marry the widow Queene though the common fame of al men vvas that the said Charles had a vvife lyuing at that day and diuers yeares after as in this chapter vve shal examine more in particuler By this Chatles Brandon then duke of Suffolk this Queene Mary of France had tvvo daughters first the lady Francis married to Syr Henry Gray marques Dorset and aftervvard in the right of his vvife duke also of Suffolke vvho vvas afterward be-hedded by Queene Mary and secondly lady Elenor married to Syr Henry Clifford earle of Cumberland The lady Francis elder daughter of the Queene and of Charles Brandon had issue by her husband the said last duke of Suffolke three daughters to wit Iane Catherin and Mary which Mary the yongest vvas betrothed first to Arthur lord Gray of wilton and after lefte by hym she was marryed to one M. Martin keyes of kent gentlemā porter of the Queenes housholde and after she dyed without issue And the lady Iane the eldest of the three sisters was married at the same tyme to the lord Guylford Dudley fourth sonne to Syr Iohn Dudley duke of Northumberland and vvas proclaymed Queene after the death of king Edward for which acte al three of thē to vvit both the father sonne and daughter in law were put to death soone after But the L. Catherin the second daughter vvas married first vppon the same day that the other two her sisters vvere vnto lord Henry Herbert now earle of Penbroke and vppon the fal and misery of her house she was left by him and so she liued a sole vvoman for diuers yeares vntil in the begining of this Queenes dayes she was found to be vvith child which she affirmed to be by the lord Edward Seymer earle of Hartford vvho at that tyme was in France vvith Syr Nicholas Throgmorton the Embassador and had purpose and licence to haue trauailed into Italie but being called home in haste vppō this new accident he cōfessed that the child vvas his and both he and the lady affirmed that they were man and vvife but for that they could not proue it by witnesses for attempting such a match with one of the blood royal without priuity and licence of the prince they were committed both of them to the tower vvhere they procured meanes to meete againe afterward had an other childe vvhich both children do yet liue and the elder of them is called lord Henry Beacham and the other Edward Seymer the mother of whom liued not long after nether married the earle againe vntil of late that he married the lady Francis Howard sister to the lady Sheffeild and this is all the issue of the elder daughter of Charles Brandon by lady Mary Queene of France The second daughter of duke Charles and the Queene named L. Elenor vvas married to Henry lord Cliford earle of Cumbeiland and had by him a daughter named Margaret that married Syr Hēry Stanley lord Strāge after earle of Darby by vvhom the said lady who yet liueth hath had issue Fernande Stanley now earle of Darby William and Francis Stanley this is the issue of the house of Suffolk to vvit this Countesse of Darby with her children and these other of the earle of Hartford of al whose clayme 's and titles vvith their impediments I shal here briefly giue accompt and reason First of al both of these families do ioyne together in this one pointe to exclude the house of Scotland both by foraine birth and by the foresaid restament of king Henry authorized by two parlaments by the other exclusions which in each of the titles of the king of Scots and of lady Arbella hath bin before alleaged But then secondly they come to vary betweene themselues about the priority or propinquitie of their owne succession for the children of the earle
of Hartford and their frendes do alleage that they do discend of lady Francis the elder sister of lady Elenor and so by law and reason are to be preferred but the other house alleageth against this two impediments the one that the lady Margaret countesse of Darby now lyuing is neerer by one degree to the stemme that is to king Henry the seuenth then are the children of the earle of Hartford and consequently according to that which in the former fourth chapter hath bin declared she is to be preferred albeit the children of the said earle vvere legitimate Secondly they do affirme that the said children of the eatle of Hartford by the lady Catherin Gray many waies are illegitimate First for that the said lady Catherin Gray their mother was lawfully married before to the earle of Penbrok now liuing as hath bin touched and publike recordes do testifie and not lawfully seperated nor by lawful authority nor for iust causes but only for temporal and wordly respects for that the house of Suffolk was come into misery disgrace vvherby she remayned stil his true wife in deede and before God so could haue no lawful children by an other whiles he liued as yet he doth Agayne they proue the illegitimatiō of these children of the earle of Hartford for that it could neuer be lawfully proued that the said earle and the lady Catherin were married but only by their owne assertions vvhich in law is not holden sufficient for which occasion the said pretended marriage vvas disanulled in the court of arches by publique definitiue sentence of Doctor Parker archbishop of Canterbury and prymate of Ingland not long after the birth of the said children Further-more they do add yet an other bastardy also in the birth of lady Catherin her selfe for that her father lord Henry Gray marques of Docset was knowne to haue a lawful wife aliue vvhen he married the lady Francis daughter and heyre of the Queene of France of Charles Brandon duke of Suffolke and mother of this lady Catherin for obteyning of which great marriage the said marques put away his foresaid lawful vvife vvhich was sister to the L. Henry Fytzallen earle of Arondel vvhich disorder was occasion of much vnkindnes and hatred betweene the said marques and earle euer after But the power of the marques and fauour vvith king Henry in womens matters vvas so great at that tyme as the earle could haue no remedie but only that his said sister vvho liued many yeares after had an annuitye out of the said marques lands during her life liued some yeares after the said marques aftervvards made duke vvas put to death in Queene Maries tyme. These then are three waies by vvhich the family of Darby do argue the issue of Hartford to be illegitimate but the other two houses of Scotland and Clarence do vrge a former bastardy also that is common to them both to wit both against the lady Francis and the lady Eleanor for that the lord Charles Brandon also duke of Suffolk had a wife a liue as before hath bin signified when he married the lady Mary Queene of France by vvhich former wife he had issue the lady Powyse I meane the vvife of my lord Powyse of Poystlandes in VVales how long after the new marriage of her husband Charles Brandon this former vvife did liue I cannot set downe distinctly though I think it were not hard to take particuler information therof in Ingland by the register of the church wherin she vvas buried but the frēdes of the countesse of Darby do affirme that she died before the birth of L. Eleanor the second daughter though after the birthe of lady Francis and thereby they do seeke to cleare the familie of Darby of this bastardye and to lay al foure vppon the childen of Hartford before mentioned but this is easy to be knowne verified by the meanes before signified But now the frendes of Hartford do answere to al these bastardies that for the first two pretended by the marriages of the two dukes of Suffolk they saye that either the causes might be such as their deuorces with their former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be lawful and proue them no marriages and so giue them place to marrie againe or els that the said former wiues dyd dye before these dukes that had bin their husbands so as by a post-contract and second new consent giuen betweene the parties vvhen they vvere now free the said later marriages vvhich vvere not good at the begining might come to be lawful aftervvards according as the law permitteth notwithstanding that children begotten in suche pretēded marriages where one partye is alredy bounde are not made legitimat by subsequent trew marriage of their parentes this for the first two bastardies But as for the third illegitimation of the contract betweene the lady Catherin and the earle of Hartford by reason of a precontract made betweene the said lady Catherin and the earle of Penbroke that now liueth they saye and affirme that precontract to haue bin dissolued afterward lawfully and iudicially in the tyme of Queene Mary There remayneth then only the fourth obiectrō about the secret marriage made betweene the said lady Catherin and the earle of Hartford before the birth of their eldest sonne now called L. Beacham vvhich to say the truth seemeth the hardest pointe to be answered for albeit in the sight of God that marriage might be good and lawful if before their carnal knowledge they gaue mutual consent the one to the other to be man and vvife and vvith that mynde and intention had carnal copulation vvhich thing is also allowed by the late councel of Trent it selfe which disanulleth otherwise al clandestine and secret contracts in such states and countries vvher the authoritie of the said councel is receaued and admitted yet to iustifie these kide of marriages in the face of the church and to make the issue therof legitimate and inheritable to estates and possessions it is necessary by al law and in al nations that there should be some vvitnes to testifie this consent and contract of the parties before their carnal knowledge for that otherwise it should lye in euery particuler mans hand to legitimate any bastard of his by his only woord to the preiudice of others that might in equitie of succession pretend to be his heyres and therfore no doubt but that the Archbishop of Canterbury had great reason to pronounce this contract of the lady Catherin and the earle of Hartford to be insufficient and vnlawful though themselues did affirme that they had giuen mutual consent before of being man vvife and that they came together animo maritali as the law of wedlock requireth but yet for that they were not able to proue their said former consent by lawful vvitnesses their saide coniunction was rightly pronounced vnlawful and so I conclude that the first sonne of these tvvo parties
anno Domini 1397. he caused al his said issue to be legitimated which he had begotten vppon this lady Swinford before she vvas his wife But now to go foreward to declare the issue of thes three sonnes of Iohn of Gaunt by Catherine Swinford two of them that is Thomas duke of Excester and Henry Cardinal and Bishop of Winchester dyed vvithout issue Iohn the eldest sonne that vvas earle of Somerset had issue two sonnes Iohn and Edmond Iohn that vvas duke of Somerset had issue one only daughter named Margeret vvho vvas married to Edmond Tidder earle of Richmond by whom he had a sonne named Henry earle also of Richmond vvho after vvas afterward made king by the name of Henry the seuēth was father to K. Henry the eight and grand father to the Q. maiestie that now is this is the issue of Iohn the first sonne to the duke of Somerset Edmōd the secōd sonne to Iohn earle of Somerset was first earle of Mortaine and then after the death of his brother Iohn vvho dyed vvithout issue male as hath bin said vvas created by king Henry the sixte duke of Somerset and both he and almost al his kyn vvere slayne in the quarrel of the said king Henry the 6. and for defence of the house of Lācaster against York For first this Edmōd himselfe was slayne in the battel of S. Albanes against Richard duke and first pretender of Yorke in the yeare 1456. leauing behind him three goodly sonnes to wit Henry Edmond Iohn vvherof Henry succeded his father in the duchy of Sommetset and vvas taken and beheaded in the same quarrel at Exham in the yeare 1463. dying vvithout issue Edmond likewise succeded his brother Henry in the duchy of Sommerset and vvas taken in the battel of Tewkesbury in the same quarrel and ther beheaded the 7. of May 1471. leauing no issew Iohn also the third brother marques of Dorset vvas slayne in the same battel of Tewkesbury and left no issue and so in these tvvo noble men ceased vtterly al the issue male of the line of Lancaster by the children of Iohn of Gaunt begotten vppon lady Swinford his third vvife so that al vvhich remayned of this vvoman vvas only Margeret Countesse of Richmond mother to king Hēry the 7. which king Henry the 7. and al that do descende from him in Ingland or out of Inglande do hold the right of Lancaster only by this third mariage of Catherine Swinford as hath bin shewed and no wayes of Blanch the first vvife or of Constance the second and this is enough in this place of the discents of Iohn of Gaunt and of the house of Lancaster and therfore I shal now passe ouer to shew the issue of the howse of York I Touched breefly before how Edmond Langley duke of Yorke fourth sonne of king Edward the third had two sonnes Edward earle of Rutland and duke of Aumatle that succeded his father afterward in the duchy of Yorke and vvas slayne vvithout childrē vnder king Henry the 5. in the battayle of Egencourt in France and Richard earle of Cambridge vvhich marryed lady Anne Mortimer as before hath bin said that was heyre of the house of Clarence to wit of Leonel duke of Clarence second sonne to king Edward the third by vvhich marriage he ioyned together the two titles of the second fourth sonnes of king Edward and being himselfe conuinced of a conspiracy against king Henry the 5. vvas put to death in Southampton in the yeare of Christ 1415. and third of the reygne of king Hēry the 5. and fift day of August This Richard had issue by lady Anne Mortimer a sonne named Richard vvho succeded his vncle Edward duke of Yorke in the same duchy and afterward finding himselfe strong made clayme to the crowne in the behalfe of his mother and declaring himselfe chiefe of the faction of the white rose gaue occasion of many cruel battailes against them of the red rose and house of Lancaster and in one of the battels vvhich vvas giuen in the yeare 1460. at Wakfilde himselfe was slayne leauing behind him three sonnes Edward George and Richard wherof Edward vvas afteward king of Ingland by the name of Edward the fourth George was duke of Clarence and put to death in Calis in a butte of secke or malmesie by the commandement of the king his brother Richard was Duke of Glocester and afterward king by murthering his owne two nephewes and was called king Richard the third Edward the eldest of these three brothers which afterward was king had issue two sonnes Edward Richard both put to death in the tower of London by ther cruel vncle Richard he had also fiue daughters the last fowre wherof I do purposly omitt for that of none of them ther remayneth any issue but the eldest of al named Elizabeth was marryed to king Henry the 7. of the house of Lancaster and had by him issue king Henry the 8. and tvvo daughters the one marryed vnto Scotlād vvherof are discended the king of Scots and Arbella the other matryed to Charles Brandon duke of Suffolk vvherof are issued the children of the earles of Hartford and Darby as after more at large shal be handled and this is the issue of the first brother of the house of Yorke The second brother George duke of Clarence had issue by his wife lady Isabel heyre to the earldomes of Warwick and Salisbury one sonne named Edward earle of Warwick vvho vvas put to death afterward in his youth by King Henry the 7. and left no issue this duke George had also one daughter named Margaret admitted by King Henry the eight at what tyme he sent her into wales with the princesse Mary to be coūresse of Salisbury but yet marryed very meanely to a knight of vvales named Syr Richard Poole by whom she had foure sonnes Henry Arthur Geffrey and Renald the lastvvherof vvas Cardinal and the other two Arthur and Geffrey had issue for Arthur had two daughters Mary and Margaret Mary was married to Sir Iohn Stanny Margaret to Sir Thomas fitzharbert Sir Geffrey Poole had also issue an other Geffrey Poole and he had issue Arthur and Geffrey which yet liue Now then to returne to the first sonne of the countesse of Salisbury named Henry that vvas Lord Montague and put to death both he and his mother by king Henry the 8. this man I say left two daughters Catherine and vvenefred Catherine was married to Sir Francis Hastings earle of Huntington by vvhich marriage issued Sir Henry Hastings now earle of Huntington and Sir Georg Hastings his brother who hath diuers children And Wenefred the yonger daughter vvas married to Sir Thomas Barington knight vvho also wanteth notissue and this is of the second brother of the house of Yorke to vvit of the duke of Clarence The third brother Richard duke of Glocester and afterward king left no issue
might be legitimate before God and yet illegitimate before men and consequently incapable of al such succession as otherwise he might pretend by his said mother And this now is for the first begotten of these two persons for as touching the second childe begotten in the tower of London diuers learned men are of opinion that he may be freed of this bastardy for that both the earle and the lady being examined vppon their first child did consesse and affirme that they vvere man and wife and that they had meaning so to be and to continew vvhich confession is thought to be sufficient both for ratifying of their old cōtract and also for making of a new yfthe other had not bin made before And seeing that in the other former pretended contract and marriage their wanted nothing for iustifying the same before men and for making it good in law but only external testimony of witnesses for prouing that they gaue such mutual consent of myndes before their carnal knowledge for the presence of priest or minister is not absolutly necessary no man can say that their wanted witnesses for restifying of this consent before the second copulation by vvhich vvas begotten their second sonne for that both the Queene herselfe and her councel and as many besides as examined these parties vppon their first acte and child birth are vvitnesses vnto them that they gaue their ful consents and approbations to be man vvife vvhich they ratified afterward in the tower by the begetting of their second child and so for the reasons afore-said he must needes seeme to be legitimate vvhatsoeuer my lord of Canterbury for that tyme or in respect of the great offence taken by the estate against that act did or might determyne to the contrary And this is the somme of that which commonly is treated about these two families of the house of Suffolk to wit of Hartford and Darby both vvhich families of Suffolke the other two opposite houses of Scotland and Clarence do seeke to exclude by the first bastardy or vnlawful contract betweene the Queene ofFrance and duke Charles Brandon as hath bin seene of which bastardye the house of 〈◊〉 doth indeuour to auoide it selfe in manner as before hath bin declared and preferreth it selfe in degree of propinquity not only before the foresaid two houses of Scotland and Clarence but also before this other part of the house of Suffolke I meane the familie of Hartford though descended of the elder daughter for that the countesse of Darby doth hold her selfe one degree neerer in discent then are the other pretenders of Hartford as hath bin shewed And albeit their vvant not many obiections and reasons of some against this pretence of the house of Darby besides that which I haue touched before yet for that they are for the most part parsonal impediments and do not touch the right or substance of the title or any other important reason of state concerning the common vvealth but only the mistike of the persons that pretende and of their life and gouerment I shal omitt them in this place for that as in the begining I promised so shal I obserue as much as lieth in me to vtter nothing in this conference of ours that may iustly offend and much lesse touch the honor or reputation of any one person of the blood royal of our realme vvhen the tyme of admitting or excluding cometh then vvil the realme consider as vvel of their persons as of their rightes and vvil see vvhat accompt and satisfaction ech person hath giuen of his former life and doings and according to that vvil proceede as is to be supposed but to me in this place it shal be enough to treat of the first pointe vvhich is of the right and interest pretended by vvay of succession and so vvith this I shal make an ende of these families and passe ouer to others that yet do remayne OF THE HOVSES OF CLARENCE AND BRITANIE WHICH CONTEYNE THE CLAYMES OF the earle of Huntington with the Pooles as also of the lady Infanta of Spayne and others of those families CAP. VII HAVING declared the claymes rightes and pretences which the two noble houses of Scotland and Suffolke descended of the tvvo daughters of king Hēry the seuenth haue or may haue to the succession of Ingland with intention afterward to handle the house of Portugal a part vvhich pretendeth to comprehend in it selfe the whole body or at least the first and principal branch of the ancient house of Lancaster it shal not be amisse perhaps by the way to treate in this one chapter so much as appartayneth to the tvvo seueral houses of Clarence and Britanie for that there is lesse to be said about them then of the other And first of al I am of opinion that the earle of Huntington and such other pretendors as are of the house of Yorke alone before the coniunction of both houses by king Henry the seuenth may be named to be of the house of Clarence and so for distinction sake I do name them for not to confound them vvith the houses of Scotland and Suffolke which are termed also by the Lancastrians to be of the houfe of Yorke alone for that they deny them to be of the true house of Lancaster but principally I do name them to be of the house of Clarence for that in deed al their clayme and title to the crowne doth discende from George duke of Clarence as before in the third chapter and other vvhere hath bin declared which duke George being brother to king Edward the fourth and put to death by his order left issue Edward carle of Warwick and of Salisbury vvhich vvas put to death by king Henry the seuenth in his youth and Margaret countesse of Salisbury which Margaret had issue by Syr Richard Poole Henry Poole lord Montague afterward behedded and he agayne Catherin married to Syr Francis Hastings earle of Huntington by whom she had Sir Henry Hastings now earle of Huntington Syr George Hastings his brother yet liuinge others so as the earle of Huntington vvith his said bretheren be in the fourth degree from the said George duke of Clarence to wit his nephewes twice remoued The faide Margaret countesse of Salisbury had a yonger sonne also named Syr Geffrey Poole vvho had issue an other Geffrey and this Geffrey hath two sonnes that liue at this day in Italie named Arthur and Geffrey vvho be in the same degree of distance with the saide earle of Huntington sauing that some alleage for them that they do discend al by male kinde from Margaret and the earle pretendeth by a Woman vvherof vve shal speake afterward Hereby then it is made manifest how the earle of Huntingtō commeth to preteud to the crowne of Ingland by the house of York only vvhich is no other in deede but by the debarring and disabling of al other former pretēdors not only of Portugal and of Britanie as strangers but