again in England The Appeal or Charge exhibited against them in Parliament tho' long is yet remarkable and not being extant in English I shall so far presume on the Reader 's Patience as to insert it Translated from the Original as we find it in Knyghton de Eventibus Angliae Col. 2713. as follows viz. TO our Most Excellent and redoubted Lord the King and his Council in this present Parliament do shew Tho. Duke of Glocester Constable of England Henry Earl of Derby Richard Earl of Arundel and Surry Thomas Earl of Warwick and Tho. Earl Marshal That whereas they the said Duke and Earls as Loyal Subjects of our Lord the King for the profit of the King and Realm on the Fourteenth day of November last past at Waltham-Cross in the County of Hertford did before the most Reverend Fathers in God William Bishop of Winchâ—ster Thomas Bishop of Ely late Chancellour of England John Waltham then Lord Privy Seal John Lord Cobham the Lords Richard le Scrope and John Denross then Commissioners of our Lord the King Ordain'd and made in the last Parliament Appeal Accuse or Charge Alexander Archbishop of York Robert de Vere Duke of Ireland Michael de Pole Earl of Suffok Robert Tresylian the false Justice and Nicholas Brember the false Knight of London of several High Treasons by them committed against the King and his Realm and did offer to prosecute and maintain the same and sufficient Sureties to find praying the said Lords to certifie the same to their said Soveraign Lord which the same day the said Commissioners did accordingly certifie to the King at Westminster where most of the said persons so Appealed being present were fully informed and certified of such Appeal And whereas shortly after by the Assent of the King and his Council the said Thomas Duke of Glocester c. coming to Westminster in presence of the King and of his Council there for the profit of the King and his Realm did again Appeal the said Arch-bishop of York and other false Traytors his Companions appealed of High Treasons by them committed against the King and his Realm as Traytors and Enemies to the King and Realm in affirmance of their former Appeal offering to pursue and maintain it as aforesaid Which Appeal our Lord the King did accept and thereupon assigned a day to the said Parties at his first Parliament which should be holden on the Morrow after Candlemass next insuing then to have receive full Justice upon the said Appeal and in the mean time took into his safe and most special protection the said Parties with all their people Goods and Chattels and caused the same to be then proclaimed and published And whereas also on Monday next after the day of the Nativity of our Lord Christ next after the said Duke of Gloucester c. in the presence of the King in the Tower of London as Loyal Subjects of the King and his Realm did appeal the said Archbishop of York c. as false Traytors c. Whereupon the King assign'd them a day in the next Parliament to pursue and declare their Appeal and by the advice of his Council did cause Proclamation to be made in all the Counties of England by Writs under his great Seal That all the said persons so Appealed should be at the said Parliament to answer thereunto Which Appeal the said Duke of Gloucester c. the Appealors are now ready to pursue maintain and declare and do by these Presents as loyal Subjects of our Lord the King for the profit of the King and Realm Appeal the said Archbishop c. of High Treasons by them committed against our Lord the King and his Realm as Traytors and Enemies of both King and Kingdom which Treasons are declared and fully specified in certain Schedules hereunto annexed and they do pray that the said persons Appealed may be called and Right and Justice done in this present Parliament Imprimis Thomas Duke of Gloucester Constable of England Henry Earl of Derby c. do Appeal and say that Alexander Archbishop of York Robert de Vere Duke of Ireland and Michael de la Pole Earl of Suffolk false Traytors to the King and Realm seeing the tender Age of our said Lord the King and the Innocency of his Royal Person have by many false Contrivances by them without Loyalty or Good Faith imagined and suggested endeavoured wholly to Ingross his Majesties Affection and to make him intirely give Faith and Credence to what they should say though never so pernicious to himself and his Realm and to hate his Loyal Lords and People by whom he would more faithfully have been served Encroaching and assuming to themselves a power to the endefranchising our Lord the King of his Soveraignty and imparing his Royal Prerogative and Dignity making him so far obey them that he hath been sworn to be govern'd and counsel'd only by them by means of which Oath and the power they have so trayterously usurped great inconveniencies mischiefs and destructions have hapned as by the subsequent Articles will appear 2. Item Whereas the King is not bound to make any Oath to any of his Subjects but on the day of his Câ—ronation or for the common profit of him and his Realm the said Bishop Duke and Earl false Traytors to the King and Realm have made him swear and assent to them that he will maintain and defend them and live and die with them And so whereas the King ought to be of a free condition above any other in his Realm they have brought him more into Servitude and Bondage against his Honour Estate and Royalty contrary to their Allegiance and as Traytors unto him 3. Item The said Traytors by the Assent and Councel of Robert Tresylian the false Justice and Nicholas Brember the false Knight of London by their false Covin would not at all suffer the great Persons of the Realm nor the good Subjects of the King to speak to or approach the King to give him wholsome advice nor the King to speak to them unless in the presence and hearing of them the said Duke of Ireland c. or two of them at their will and pleasure or about such things as they thought fit to the great disgrace of the Nobles and good Counsellors of the King and to the preventing of their good will and service towards the King thereby encroaching to themselves the Royal power and a Lordship and Soveraignty over the person of the King to the great dishonour and peril of the King his Crown and Realm 4. Item The said Archbishop c. by such their false devices and pernicious Councels have diverted the King from shewing due countenance to his great Lords and Liege People so that they could not be answered in their Suits and Rights without the leave of them the said Archbishop c. Thereby putting the King besides his Devoir contrary to his Oath contriving to alienate the Heart of our Lord the King from
the Statutes Ordinances and Judgments made given and render'd in our Parliament begun at Westminster the 17th day of the Month September in the one and Twentieth Year of our Reign and in the same Parliament continued at Shrewsbury and there holden and also all the Ordinances Judgments and Establishments the 16th day of September in the 22th Year of our Reign at Coventry and afterwards at Westminster the 18th day of March in the Year aforesaid by the Authority of the said Parliament And likewise all other Ordinances and Judgments which shall hereafter happen to be made by Authority of the said Parliament But otherwise if our said Successor shall refuse to do the Premises which we do not believe Then we will that Thomas Duke of Surry Edward Duke d' Auamale John Duke of Exeter and William le Scrope Earl of Wiltshire paying first the Debts of our Houshould our Chamber and our Wardâ—obe and reserving Five or Six Thousand Marks as abovesaid shall have and hold all the said Residue above mentioned for to support and defend the said Statutes Establishments Ordinances and Judgments to their utmost power even unto Death if it be necessary Upon all which and every part we do hereby charge and burden their Consciences as they will answer in the day of Judgment By which Article it may evidently enough appear That the said King did obstinately strive to maintain and desend those Statutes and Ordinances which are erroneous and unjust and repugnant to all Law and Reason And this not only during his Life but after his Death too neither regarding the Peril of his own Soul nor yet the utter destruction of his said Kingdom or Leige People XXXII Item in the 11th Year of the said King Richard he the said King in the Chappel of his Mannor of Langley in the presence of the Dukes of Lancaster and York and very many other Lords desiring as it hath appeared that is Uncle the Duke of Glocester then there present should fully confide in the Good will of him the said King did voluntarily and of his own accord swear before the venerable Sacrament of the Lords Body there placed upon the Altar that thenceforwards he would never endammage trouble or grieve him the said Duke of Glocester for any of his deeds which are said to have been committed against the Person of him the said King But did cheerfully and totally forgive him all his offence if any were Yet afterwards notwithstanding such Oath the said King did horribly and cruelly cause the said Duke to be murdered for such the before pretended offences thereby incurring the Guilt of damnable Perjury XXXIII Item After one of the Knigots of the Shires of the said Kingdom having a voice in Parliament had Impeached the said Lord Thomas Arch-bishop of Canterbury upon certain defaults committed against the Kings Majesty as was untruely suggested And the said Archbishop presently then and there offered himself ready to answer the matters charged upon him and desired that he might be thereunto admitted by the King not doubting as he said but he shall be able sufficiently to shew his Innocence Yet the said King contriving by all the ways and means he could to oppress the said Bishop of Canterbury and ruin his Estate as the Event of the matter has declared speaking graciously and with a cheerfull countenance of the said Archbishop from his Royal Seat did advise and very earnestly request him that at that time he would hold his Peace and expect a better and more fit time to make his defence which day being passed the said King from day to day for Five days or more did fraudulently and treacherously deceive the said Archbishop counselling him and perswading him that he would not come to the Parliament but wait at home without any fear because as the said King faithfully did promise him there should not in his absence any loss or prejudice be done or happen to him Notwithstanding all which the said King in his Parliament aforesaid did in the mean time adjudge the said Archbishop to be banished during the Kings pleasure though absent and never any way called to answer and without any resaonable cause whatsoever and also voluntarily against the Laws of the Kingdom and all Justice Confiscated all his Goods whereby he likewise became Guilty of Perjury But furthermore the said King being willing to Palliate his Malice and Subtilty by flattering discourses which he oft-times had with the said Arch-bishop did endeavour to clear himself of such injury done and make as if it were the doings of others insomuch that the Arch-bishop discoursing with the King and with the Duke of Nâ—rfolk and other Lords and great men of the Kingdom And happening to say by way of Lamenting his own Condition That he was not the first that had suffered Banishment nor should he be the last For he thought in a short time the Duke of Norfolk and other Lords would follow him and confidently aâ—erred to the King That all the Rigour of these Proceedings would finally be returned back on his own Head To which the said King as astonished incontinently replied that he verily thought it might so happen and that he himself might and indeed ought to be expell'd his Kingdom by his Leige People And further the King said that if the same should happen He would convey himself to the same place where the said Archbishop should be And that the Archbishop might the rather Credit his words He shewed him a certain great Jewel Mâ—nile a Brooch or Tablet Curiously formed underneath the skirt of his outward â—estment Intimating for certain to the said Archbishop that when ever he should send that Jewel for a Token he would not delay to come thither where the said Arch-bishop should be resident And that the said Arch-bishop might more confide in him the said King sent to him advising him that he should Privately send all his Jewels and other things of value belonging to his Chappel unto him the said King For the safe keeping thereof lest by colour of the before mentioned Judgment any one should wrongfully seize the same Which under the greatest confidence in the World being done the said King caused him to reposite the said Goods in certain Coffers and the said Coffers to be locked up and sealed by one of the Archbishops Clerks and keeping the said Coffers by him returned the Keys thereof by the said Clerk to the Archbishop Yet afterwards unknown to the said Archbishop caused the said Coffers to be broken open and disposed of the goods therein at his will and pleasure Furthermore the said King faithfully promised the said Archbishop that if he would but repair to the Port of Hampton in order to go out of the Realm he would at least by the Intercession of the Queen get him Recalled And if it should happen that he the said Archbishop should go out of the Realm he should without fail return into England before Easter next following nor should
place the said King and cause him to sit in the said Royal Seat All the people wonderfully shouting for joy and by and by the said Archbishop of Canterbury having with much ado procured silence from the over joy'd multitude made a short discourse or Oration in these words Vir Dominabitur populo A man shall Reign over my people 1 Sam. 9. 17. These are the words of the King of Kings speaking to Samuel and teaching him how a person should be qualified to Rule since the people desired to have a King given And not unfitly may they be said of our Lord the King whom we behold this day and if we but intimately consider these words they afford us matter of great Consolation for God does not threaten us as he did formerly his people by Isaiah saying Isa. 3. I will make Children to rule over them But according to his Compassion who in his wrath remembreth mercy he hath visited his people and now no more Children as heretofore shall Lord it over them For the Lord saith to them A man shall Rule Of the late Rulers of this Kingdom or any of them one might have fitly said that of the Apostle Cor. 13. I spake as a Child I understood as a Child I thought as a Child The Apostle repeats it thrice As a Child I spake I understood and thought As to speech 't is certain that a Child is unconstant in speaking he easily speaks true and as easily false is 〈◊〉 inwards to promise but what he promiâ—â—â— presâ—ntly forgets Now these are things very 〈◊〉 and dangerous in a King nor is it possible that any Realm shall stand long in happiness where these Conditions bear sway But from such mischiefs a Kingdom is freed whese Scepter is sway'dly a Man for it belongs to a Man to sâ—t a watch before his Tongue and such is our present happiness over whom not a Child but a Man is set and such an one as I hope we may say of him That in Eccles 9 Blessed is the man that hath not erred with his Tongue Thâ—n saith the Apostle I understood as a Child Now a Child 〈◊〉 nothing but flatteries and pleasing things and understands only Bawbles and 〈◊〉 and loves not 〈◊〉 that argues according 〈…〉 hates him beyond all 〈…〉 amongst us Truth 〈…〉 under foot so that none durst 〈◊〉 and therefore 't is plain and apparâ—â—â— enough that He that thâ—n Reign'd understood as a Child For a Man is not addiâ—â—â— to such things but understands wisdom so that by the Grace of God it may be said of him 〈◊〉 is written Eccles. 9. Blessed is the man that abideth in wisdom For as a Child is delighted in Vanity so a man has regard to Truth and Wisdâ—m Truth therefore shall enter and Vanity depart which has done so much mischiâ—f in our Nation for now a Man shall Rule who seeks after Truth and not Vanity or Flattery Thirdly It is said I thought as a Child for a Child thinks and studies only how to have his humour and do things according to his own will and not according to Reason Thereforâ— when a Child Reigns there only Self-will Reigns and Reason is banisht and Constancy is put to flight and great danger ensues from which danger wâ— are dâ—lâ—verâ—d for a Man shall rule over us to wit One that speaks not like a Child but thus as one that has the perfection of Reason I come not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me to wit of God And thâ—râ—fore of such a man we will say not only that he will abide in wisdom but also that as a Man not a Child he will meditate on the Circumspection of God that is he will every way dâ—lâ—gently observe that Gods will not his own be done and so in the stead of a Child wantoning in foâ—lish stubborn humors a Man shall Râ—ign and such a Man that it shall be said of him A King shall Reign in wisdom and he shâ—ll eâ—â—ente Judgment and do Justice in the Earth Which Harrangue being ended the said Lord King Henry to appease the minds of his Subjects did then and there utter these words Sirs I thank God and Èowe Spiritual and Temporel and all the Astates of the Lond and do Èowe to wyte it es noght my will that no man thynke that be way of Conquest I wold disherit any man of his Heritage Franches or other Ryghts that hym aght to have no put hym out of that that he has and has had by the gude Laws and Customs of the Rewme Except those persons that has ben agan the gude purpose and the commune profit of the Rewme And forthwith considering that by the former vacancy of the Royal Throne by the Cession and Deposâ—â—ion aforesaid all power of Justices Sheriffs and other Officers throughout the Kingdom was ceased therefore to the end that there might be â—â—â—failure nor delay in the administration of Justice to the grievance of the People he caused principal Officers and Justices to be made and sworn to him with the usual Oaths And it was immediately proclaimed by the Kings Command that on Monday next after the said Feast of S. Michael a Parliament should be held and celebrated And that on the Monday following that that is to say on the Feast of S. Edward should be the Coronation of the said King at Westminster and that all those that could claim any service in the said Coronation should come to the White hall of the Palace before the Steward Constable and Marshall of England on Saturday next before the day of the said Parliament to make their just demands in that behalf and receive right therein But as for the shortning the day assigned to the Parliament there was a Protestation made by the King That it was not his intent that thereby any prejudice should be brought upon the States of his Kingdom nor that the same for the future should be drawn into Example but that such Abbreviation of Time was only made for the benefit and profit of the Kingdom and especially to save the Labour and Expences of several of his people and that the Grievances of the people might be the sooner remedied After which the King arising from his Royal Throne and beholding the people with a cheerful and benign Countenance retired himself from thence all the people rejoycing And the same day in the White-hall aforesaid made a solemn Feast to the Nobles and Gentry there in a vast multitude assembled And afterwards viz. On Wednesday next following the before named Procurators so deputed as aforesaid did according as they were commanded repair into the Presence of the said laâ—e King Richard being within the Tower aforesaid and the said Sir William Thirnyng the Justice for himself and his Companions and Fellow-Proâ—urators in the Name of all the States and People aforesaid did notifie and fully declare unto the said Richard their admission of his said Renunciation and the Manner Cause and