the Sixt King of England and by this Marriage the Truce was continued between two Neighbors the greatest Enemies in the whole World the most jealous of each other The poor Princess did not long enjoy the Repose she give to the Publike and it hapned to her as to Victims which bear the Sorrows of the People for whom they are Sacrificed The Nuptials were Celebrated at Nancy with great Preparations of Carâ—ousels and Tournaments according to the Mode of the 〈◊〉 of that time who were only acquainted with Valiant and Manly Delights with Pastimes which equalled Battels and produced 〈◊〉 Victories Wherein surely to speak this by the way they were more Cavaliers and Men at Arms then those of our days who know no other 〈◊〉 then Racing nor other Tournaments then Dancing who have â—ffeminated Magnificence and taken away from Sports and Divertiâ—ements all that they had of Noble and Military Margaret being passed into England found not there the same Sweetness and Tranquility she had left in France Not that she was one of those ill lodgâ—d Persons who have always either Rain or Smoak in their Houses And Her Marriage was none of those Tyrannical Yoaks and Torturing Chains which a certain Person wished to his Enemy instead of a Gibbet and â—alter She enjoyed at Home a most pure Calm and without Confusion and her Marriage felt nothing Heavy or Incommodious The King her Husband had all the Qualities of a good Man and a good Prince But being born under a very Contagious Constellation and of a very Malâ—volent Influence the Queen his Wife failed not to he involved therein and to have her share of the Poison and bad Fortune She patiently received all that fell upon her Besides she joyned Grace with Patience And being induâ—d with a pleasing Humour and a Gallant Spirit she made Answer to such as lamented her Condition That having taken upon her Marriage Day the Rose of England she ought to bear it intire and with all it s I horns Moreover King Henry had a great inclination to Repose and no Aversion to Pleasure The Mildness and Indifferency of his Spirit did not Correspond with the Functions of Regality which required Courage and Resolution Noise and Stirs made him wâ—y his Head and when things were in his own choice he contented himself to have Ease and Repose for his part and left to his Favourites and Ministers of State the Authority with the Trouble and Affairs with the Tumult This Soft and Slothful Life afflicted the Queen who had a High and Active Spirit Noble and Manly Thoughts and a Head as Capable to fill a Crown as any Prince of Her Time Not that she did not affect the Repose of her Husband and wished him his Hearts Content But her Love being Magnanimous and of the Complection of her Heart she would have rather liked in him a Glorious Activeness and accompanied with Dignity then this stupid Repose and these mis-becoming Eases which Dishonoured him Truly this Prince though otherwise good was not beloved by his Subjects And his Reputation bore the brunt of all the Faults of his Favourites and Ministers of State The Revolt of the Grandees the Seditions of the People the Mutinâ—es of the Mayor of London who was then a Popular Soveraign and a King of the third Estate and generally all the Disorders of his Kingdom were cloaked with this Pretence All these Commotions grieved the Queen But they did not affright her She hastned still with the first to the most wavering Places and where Power and Authority might stop any Disorder Her principal Effort was upon the Kings Spirit She continually represented to him and with Pressing and Efficacious Terms that the Repose of Kings consisted not in the softness of their Bed but in the stability of their Thrones That the Throne could not be secure if Esteem and Authority do not Support it And that Esteem which ariseth from Action and Authority which grows from Courage are lost by Sloth and Softness that Affairs are truly very ponderous but that this Weight procures the Stability of Affairs And that there could be nothing more Fickle and Tottering then a King who discharges himself of all that lies heavy upon him That it were to Act a very bad part to play the Titulâ—r King and to Reign by Agents and Deputies That Authority Substituted and out of its Place is weak and without vigour And the Scepter which hath Force and begets respect in the Hand of a Prince is easily broken in the hands of a Subject and Resembles a Scepter in a Play These and other like Remonstrances accompanied with the Eloquence of Beauty and the Perswasion of Love Fortified the Kings Spirit and made him take a firm Resolution to Reign for the Future without a Substitute and to Act of himself He Resumed that Authority which he had conâ—erred on his Uncle Hâ—â—pâ—â—y Duke of Glocester And he called back all Affairs to his own Conduct And thereby it appeared how Imployments Protect those whom they burthen And how Authority Supports and Settles those whom it Loads The poor Duke of Glocester was no sooner put out of Office and Authority but his Enemies which before did not so much as shake him did now overthrow him And within a short time after his â—all he was strangled in Prison by a Sudden and Illegâ—l â—â—â—cution The Faction of the White Rose which could not endure the Odour of the â—lower de â—uâ—e and beheld with regret a French Woman so absolute in England â—ailed not to charge her with the Contrivance of this Death Andâ—while after the Danger of Richard Earl of Warwick who was Assaulted neer London by the Kings Guards and thrust into the Tâ—ames gave Occasion and Authority to this Calumny The â—arl of Salisbury his Father and Richard Duke of York Head of the White Rose made thereupon several Manifests by Word of Mouth and Published in the Country and Cities that this piece was devised by the Queen who had undertaken to cut off the Arms of England and to deprive it with its best â—lood both of Strength and Spirit to the end she might deliver it up to France That she began not her Work amiss And that if the end of the Enterprise should Correspond with the beginning if the Great Ones did not look better to themselves then the Duke of Glocester and the Earl of Warwick had done in a short time not one drop of good Blood not one single Noble part would be left in the Body of the State The good Queen was very far from entring into these Tragical Thoughts And though she truly wished Authority and Power to the King her Husband yet she did not wish him such an Authority as might be hated and lamented not sâ—ch a Power as might cause Desolation and Ruines Besides less was it in her Thoughts to procure the Destruction of that â—ree upon which she her self was Grafted And if she bore much Affection to the Stem of
her Race which was in France she had much more for its Flower and Fruit which were in England She opposed nothing to these Rumors but the voice of her own Conscience which spake lowder then Calumny and justified her before God against the Impostures of Men. Nevertheless Calumny found so much Matter prepared to take Fire and blew so hotly and effectually upon this Matter as it grew into a great â—lame which was like to burn all England if France had known how to entertain it and make Advantage of this Occasion and Disorder The Accident befallen the Earl of Warwick and the new Authority of the Duke of Somerset served for a Pretence to Ambition and were the Specious and Superficial Causes of the War The Duke of York accompanied by the Earl of Salisbury and followed by all the Faction of the White Rose raised a powerful Army and ordered it to march directly to London The King took the Field on his part with the Party of the Red Rose and with all the Forces he could draw together The Battel was Fought at Northampton And God who is not pleased that just Right should always prevail and that Fortune should follow Vertue every where permitted the Royal Army to be Defeated and the King himself to be taken Prisoner by the Rebels The Duke of York grown insolent by his Victory brought him in Triumph to London and caused him to be shut up in the Tower Seeing himself secured on that side he put off his Mask of colourable Pretences wherewith he began the War And Represented to the Parliament the double Right his House and Fortune gave him to the Crown Force in like Occasions is a powerful Piece and Victory an Eloquent Advocate However the Parliament yielded not wholly to Force and Victory It respected the Vanquished Right and durst not Degrade Majesty though devested and loaden with Chains The Resolution of the Parliament was that during the Life of Henry the Duke should rest satisfied with the Title and Functions of Lieutenant General of the Kingdom and that the Crown should pass by Succession to his Son Edward Earl of Maâ—â—â—â— to the Exclusion of the House of Lancaster A greater Affliction could not befall the Queen she saw her Enemies upon the Throne the King her Husband in Prison and under the hands of an Executioner the Prince her Son publikely Degraded and Excluded from the Crown by a Solemn Decree All that could have Supported her in this Revolution was either fallen or tottering And except her Courage and Hopes which Fortune was not able to cast down there was nothing about her but Shipwrack'd pieces of a ruined Greatness But afflicted Vertue doth not waste her self in outcryes and tearing her hair She knows how to Discipline Affliction and animate Grief she knows how to set together broken pieces and contest with Ruins The Couragious Queen made this use of it And instead of exhausting her self by vain Complaints and Superfluous Tears Instead of Imputing her Mishap to the Planets or accusing Fortune she thought to overcome in Despite of the Planets and Fortune and began to Levy new Troops To supply the Defect of Money which she wanted the grace of her Speech and Countenance served in lieu of Pay to the Souldiers And this Honourable Payment left a sting in the most benummed Souls and infused Boldness into the most Fearful Not believing that she might handsomly commit to Lieutenants an Affair which concerned the Freedom of the King her Husband and the Destiny of her House she resolved to take part in the Danger and attempt in Person against Fortune She put her self then in the Head of her Army and marched directly to York where the Forces of the Enemy were Encamped England never saw an Army which had a more Beautiful Leader Noâ— did it ever see any one Fight with more Courage The Duke of York who Mustered above Ten thousand Men perswading himself that he might purchase a young Queen at a cheap Rate went to meet her against the advice of his Commanders and presently exposed the Business to a general Battel It cannot be express'd what the Queen effected by the Greatness and Courage of her Words by the fire of her Eyes by the boldness of her Looks and of her whole Person She infused Courage Ardour and Impetuosity into her People She seemed to give even Sense Activity and Address to their Weapons If Victory her self had Marched before them in the Equipage and Lightnings which our Imagination ascribe to her she could not have done more The Rebels received a total Overthrow The Duke of York taken with his Son the Earl of Rutland and the Earl of 〈◊〉 passed through the hands of the Executioner Their Heads were exposed upon the Walls of York on the point of three Spears To the end the Example might make a greater shew and be the more Famous and that Rebellion might be instructed afar off and with the more Terrour A Crown of Paper begitting the Dukes Head was the particular Mark and Punishment of his vain Pretensions This first Victory raised the Queens Heart without Impriding it And the new Greatness she added to it was a Solid and Modest Greatness a Greatness of Designs and Hopes and no puffed up and vain-glorious Greatness Not being able to think her self Victorious as long as the King her Husband remained a Prisoner she resolved to pass through all Dangers to break open his Prison or expire at the Gate This Resolution taken she steers her course towards London Meets the Earl of Warwick who led a gallant Army and augmented by the Defeat of the Earl of 〈◊〉 Couragiously Attaquâ—s and Routs him enters London Crowned with two Victories draws her Husband out of the Tower and replaceth him upon the Throne with the general Applause of the People Certainly if there be no Victories so pleasing as those which are blessed by the Unhappy and whereat Captives rejoyce even in their Prisons and â—â—ons surely it was with a sweet and pleasing Transport that this Victorious Princess broke her Husbands Chains drew him out of Prison and replaced the Crown upon his Head And whatever is said in order to the Glory of Ancient Triumphants though they entred Rome with more Pomp and Tumult yet certainly they did not enter with a more Pure or Lawful Joy then that of Margaret when she entred the Tower of London But the Joy of this World hath wings as well as Fortune And like her rides much way and lodges in few Places Scarce was Henry well acquainted with Liberty and his new Kingdom scarce was he replaced upon his Throne when he understood that all the Thorns of the White 〈◊〉 were not pluckt out And that Edward Earl of March Heir to the Ambition of his Father the Duke of York and Successor to his Enterprises advanced with a Powerful Army to finish what his Father had but rough-drawn He was not advised to expect him not to confide in the People of
London an uncertain Capâ—icious Monster which had too little Courage and too many Heads And he was induced to hope that he should find better Terms from Fortune then from so Inconstant and Wilde a Beast He Marched forth accompanied by his Wife the Duke of Somerset and all the Body of his Party And doubtless if he had not made the more haste to get out the least that could happen was to be shut up in the Tower of London and to behold from thence the Coronation of his Rival and the same Applauses which were before given him by all the People Edward himself though newly Crowned did not trust to the new Affection of this People and did not believe himself sure of any thing if he had not Fortune and Victory on his side He followed Henry by long Marches And Henry facing about the Armies gave each other so rude and forcible a Shock as Thirty thousand men fell on the Place Henry being totally Defeated saved himself in Scotland with the Queen And the Queen whose Heart was still Armed and Couragious passed over into France from whence a while after she returned into Scotland with two thousand Men commanded by Brezel Seneschal of Normandy Henry strengthened by this Succour and that wherewith Scotland his new Ally furnished him returned again into England with more Right and Courage then good Success He was again Defeated by the Marquis of Montagne who Commanded King Edwards Forces And his Overthrow was so great that the Queen was enforced to save her self in a Wood with her Son the Prince of Wales The Event shewed that Fortune expected her there to offer her an Affront Not being able to overcome her Honourably and deprive her of Courage by a fair War she undertook to dispossess her of it by the hands of a Murtherer And peradventure she had been there Assassinated if Fortune had not meant to sport yet longer with her and reserve her for other Outrages It was no novelty with her to Dispoil a poor Queen It is her usual Pastime in all Countries and at all times And nothing is seen every where but Ransack't Kings nothing but denuded Princes nothing but Rich Men impoverished who complain of her Robberies But it hath not yet hapned that a King much less a Queen should be so unworthily Treated Certain Villains who found her in a by-corner drawn by the Dignity of her Countenance and the sparkling of her Jewels and Garments Robbed her with so little Compassion and used such Brutish Violence towards her that if any thing delivered her out of their Hands it was the Quarrel which arose amongst them about the division of the Spoil Whilst they were fighting the Queen whom all these frightful Faces and so many naked Swords could neither Terrifie nor Amaze took up the Prince her Son in her arms and cast her self with him into the thickest part of the Forrest Another was found there whom evidently Fortune had placed in Ambush to do her more Injury then all that she had already suffered But the Grace and Majesty nay the Afflicted Graces and half naked Majesty were for this once more Powerful then Fortune The Queen seeing him approach advanced with a stedfast pace and a Countenance of Authority And presenting to him her Son whom she carried said to him in Soveraign Words and with a Commanding â—one Friend receive from my hand the Son of thy King and the Heir of the Kingdom I give thee the whole State to be carryed with him save them both from Rebellion and Fortune which pursue them She said no more the Graces and Majesty spake the rest And what is wonderfull the Graces without Ornament and Majesty without a Crown and Precious stones humbled this Barbarous Fellow and perswaded him that it was a Queen who spake to him He took the little Prince into his Armes and going before the Queen guided her so happily through by-ways as he presently brought her to the Sea side Truly this was a strange Game of Fortune or to speak more Christianly it was a pleasing Spectacle to Providence to behold a Great Queen Grand childe to so many Kings a Fugitive half naked and straying in a Forrest like a Vagabond following on foot a Thief who alone served for her Querries and Guards who was all her Train and Court and in this deplorable Condition which begot pitty even in Barbarity it self to conserve her Hopes and Resignation and still bless Providence in whose â—ight she had been Despoiled As soon as she came to the Sea shore she put her self with her Son into a Fishermans Boat which carried her to Slâ—ce from thence she passed into France and Loâ—â—â—â—e And through all places where she passed she was shewn to the People as a Celebrious May-game of Fortune as a Rich piece of Shipwrack as a great Head fallen off from a great Collossus But though this great Head were fallen yet it remained Entire The Wind which threw it down had only displaced it And likewise after her Fall she kept the Dignity of her former Features and the Majesty of her Countenance Edward also feared her more thus Fugitive and Devested as she was then he did all the House of Lancaster Supported by all Scotland and by an entire Moâ—eâ—e of England She raised all the money she could in France and repass'd the Sea under the Conduct of the Earl of Warwick who Irritated by the Attempt Edward had made upon the Chastity of his Daughter released Henry out of that Prison into which he had cast himself out of the Impatience he had to return into his Kingdom before his time and in a disguised Habit. This second Voyage of the poor Queen was not more Fortunate then the first she Arrived not in England but to be present at the Defeat of her Son and at the punishment of her Husband Her Son was overthrown in his first Advance and perished in the Battel of Teâ—xbury Her Husband was strangled in the Tower of London and had the Duke of Glacester for his Executioner As for the Queen Edward Confined her to a Prison where her Courage and Constancy Acted their last Part which was no less painfull then the former though done with less Noise and in Repose And it lasted till her Father King 〈◊〉 sent fifty thousand Crowns for her Ransom which set her at Liberty For my own part I could not close this Gallery with the Picture of a more Gallant and Couragious more Active and Patient more Resplendent or Exemplar Vertue You may finde Instruction there both for Low and High Conditions for Prosperous and Afflicted Fortunes for Men as well as Women Such as are upon the Earth and in the Low Story of the World will learn from hence to Content themselves with the Repose and Security of a mean Fortune which is not subject to Agitations and Falls and not to Affect Tumult and Storms which pass over their Heads Such as remain in the high Region will learn