Oxford he called upon his Father the Duke of York and having in his bosome the Indenture of Consederacy his Father as they sat at Dinner espyed it and asked what it was to whom his Son answering that it was nothing that concerned him by S. George saith his Father but I will see it and so snatched it from him and reading the Contents called for his Horse to ride to his Majesty now at Windsor whether his Son was before him asking pardon when the old Man knocked at Door The King not coming the Lords at Oxford suspected themselves discovered and so they stand upon their guards set up a mock King Richard one Magdalen very like him who they pretended so escaped out of Prison send to the King of France always ready to assist the Rebels of the King of England they raise an Army pursue King Henry now unprovided to London what became of them think ye why they are amazed and sometimes would do one thing sometimes another and at last nothing they march up and down they knew not whether until at Cirencester the very Townsmen were able to overthrow them so weak is guile and feare their counterfeit King is hanged the Lords are beheaded the whole Army by a rumour is dispersed in which Rebellion 916. Lords and Gentlemen perished and 16000. Families brought to a morsel of Bread the Abbot of Westminster upon the News fell suddainly between his Monastery and his House into a dead Palsey and shortly after miserably ended his life And another who had contrived to lay an Iron with three sharp pikes standing upright in the Kings Bed that when he laid Himself down he might thrust himself through with them came to this sad end a String was tyed about his neck and privy Members and so he was hanged up with a great Stone upon his Belly that broke his back bone Yet men cannot be quiet for Owen Glendover upon a private grudge between himselfe and the Lord Grey of Ruthen and a publick ambition to be Prince of Wales in the divided times of England raised all Wales and the borders of England and with the advantage of a Scots Invasion at the same time and the French Auxiliaries prospered a while but that 's well that ends well Owen is at last as all Traytors abandoned by his Followers the people are altered in their Resolutions Owen himself was famished in the Woods and Wales made desolate But at the same time Treason had all the faire and promising circumstances imaginable for the unhappy King had not only France and Scotland our old friends and Wales to deale with but the Percies of Northumberland and Worcester and Henry Hotspur who upon some private discontents enter in a leagure offensive and desentive with Glendover and an Indenture Tripartite wherein all Wales were asligned to Glendover all England South and East of Trent to the Earle of March and the rest to Northumberland a formidable design but comes to nothing Henry Hotspur is slain their Army is defeated 6000. of them left dead upon the place the chief of them are executed and 7016. Families undone in this undertaking Northumberland and others who had been pardoned ingratefully engaging again upon Yorks-wold Downes against his Soveraign where he was surprized by the Earle of Westmerland in this manner The Earle sends to know their Grievances which when they sent him he alloweth of and promiseth to joyne with them seemeth to pitty their Souldiers and his own and perswadeth them to disband as he would do himself which they no sooner do but he arresteth the chief of them who were executed at York and Durham where Northumbarland after he had wandred up and down Scotland Wales France about a year was slain likewise and 13000. Families of the Revolt were upon this sad occasion exterminated and rooted out of England Such dreadful consequence of Rebellion as awed the Lords and Commons to peace and allegiance all King Henry the Fifths Reign and the first sixteen years of Henry the Sixths § 14. When the Duke of York now aspiring to the Crown takes his opportunity to whisper and suggest to the people that the King was weak and easie the Queen was of a malignant spirit the Privy Councel was ill inclined wherewith the Common people were possessed when one Mortimer the Dukes Agent promiseth them a Reformation of all abuses freedome from Taxes who styling himself Captain Mend-all marcheth to Blackheath there exerciseth them sends their grievances to the Parliament complaining that the Kings Revenue is lavished away that he burdeneth the people that he takes their Commodities from them by his Purveyors and their Estates by his Courtiers that legal proceedings were stopped by Letters from above that extraordinary fees were exacted that freedome of Elections were denyed and Parliament men chosen by Court Letters that the faithful Counsellors the Dukes of York Exceter Buckingham Norfolk were discountenanced by the undue practices of some corrupt Courtiers and their Favourites The Parliament countenanceth them the Privy Counsel receiveth their Petition and if any plot ever prospered this was like to be one Yet see how the King though never so generally hated so considerable a thing is Royalty under the greatest disadvantages gathereth an Army of 15000. the Rebells defeat him come to London command the City to provide them Horse and Armes and other Necessaries behead the Lord Say and Sir James Cromer carry all before them when on a sudden some old Souldiers from the Tower surprize them the Rebells look about them and consider their danger are weary of their service and upon the Kings pardon submit and leave Jack Cade to shift for himself who fled away in a disguise and Proclamation being made that whosoever should bring him dead or alive should have a thousand Markes for his paines a while after was attached by one Eden and making resistance in a Garden at Hothfield in Sussex was there slain his Body was brought to London beheaded Quartered his Head set upon London Bridge his Quarters dispersed in divers places in Kent and his Followers to the number of 500. arraigned to the utter ruine of 4000. Families who perished in this gain-saying of Kore as did the Prentices and Commons of London of whom 2000. died in a commotion the year following the Duke of York flieth to Ireland Owen Teuther and divers Welsh Gentlemen are beheaded and the King who had usurped the Throne never prospered and the Duke of York slain at Wakefield and his Head put over the great Hall of York § 15. Edward the 4th is Crowned but with cares and troubles for the Kingdome was in a Combustion King Henry was at the Head of 40000. to try it with him for that Crown seconded both by the French and Scots but see the fate of Rebellion the Armies approach each other the Lord Fauconbridge gives the Archers direction upon a signal given by him to shoot every Man a flight Arrow
brought upon that occasion under an English Prince who established the Government thereof according to the Lawes of England § 11. Edward the Second goeth on in his Fathers exorbitant wayes entertaineth evil Councellors viz. Gaveston and Spencer to the great grievance of the Lords and Kingdome Upon this the Lords arme and rebell the Pope writes to them they would not read his Letters saying That they were men of the Sword the Bishops treat with them but they would not hear affronts are put upon the King by the Lords as that of the mad woman who brought him all his faults in Writing and upon the Lords by the King as that of the Duke of Lancaster's Wife being challenged from him by an ugly fellow who made it good he was Married to her the Lord Baldesmers Keeper is hanged and his Wife and Children in prison for holding the Castle of Leedes against the King many of the Barons fall off and submit to his Majesty the whole Kingdome is dissatisfied yet the King defeates Lancaster takes him and many of his Followers prisoners condemnes and beheads him as he doth the Lord Clifford the Lord Lisle the Lords Tuchet Cheyney Mowbray Danell Teyes Aldenham Baddlesmore the last of whom with many noble Knights are hanged drawn and quartered as thousands more upon that occasion came to a miserable end And afterwards when the Queen and the Barones by a joynt interest prevailed so far as to depose the King yet first within three years after was she in Parliament voted uncapable of her Jointure put to a Pension of a 1000 l. a year and kept a Prisoner 30. years to her dying day 2. And her Minion Mortimer seized after this manner the King her Son takes a Torch light and two or three to attend him and steales privately under ground into the Queens Chamber about Bed time where the Wanton undressing himself for her Bed they immediately carry him away notwithstanding the Queen shreeks Bel fils bel fils ayes pity du Gentile Mortimer good Son good Son pitty Gentle Mortimer he is commited to the Tower and hanged drawn and Quartered by Tyburn where his body remained two dayes an opprobrious espectacle to all Beholders And in a word so remarkable were the disasters that befell those that contrived any thing against the Government in this Kings Reign that we hear of no more treasons in the others who lived fifty years in perfect peace all men looking upon the former examples Seeing and fearing and not daring to do any more presumptuously § 12. Untill the beginning of Richard the Seconds Reign when by reason of some extravagances by the exactors of Poll-money the common people at Deptford and indeed all over the Kingdome rising as one man Upon this occasion a Collector of Pollmoney comes to one John Tylers house demands Pollmoney of his Wife for her Daughter and she saying that her Daughter was not of age to pay the rude fellow said he would see whether that were so or not and thereupon forcibly turned up her Cloaths whereat the Mother cryed out the Father being at Work hard by upon that comes in and with a Lathingstaffe which he had in his hand knocked the fellow on the head upon Tylers complaint among his Neighbours and one Ball a Priests seditious discourses of Liberty levelling c. whose saying was When Adam dug and Eve span where was then the Gentleman the Commons of Kent Essex Hertfordshire Sussex Suffolk Norfolk Cambridgeshire are up 100000. declaring for the King and the Commons and resolving to have no King John entered the City besiege the Duke of Lancasters house at the Savoy abuse the Kings Mother in the Tower behead the Lord Chancellour and the Lord Treasurer the Lord Chief Justice they pull down Lawyers houses they compell many Noblemen and Gentlemen to ride with them their Leaders keep the state of Kings they resolve to destroy all Knights and Gentlemen But what was the issue 1. Two and thirty of them are burnt in the Duke of Lancasters Cellar 2. Fear and trembling siezed on several of them who deserted their brethren 3. Their Leader is stabbed to death by the Lord Mayor Sir W. Walworth for whose sake the Dagger is in the City Armes to this day 4. The rest of them laying down their Armes upon Sir Rob. Kuolles his approach to them submitted to the Kings mercy who executed 1500. of them in divers places in which exploit 25000. Families perished Not long after the City of London that dares do any thing for a Riot against the Lord Treasurers servants in pretence but indeed a plot against the Kings Government had their Liberties seized on their Charter taken from them their Lord May or removed and a Warden set over them and a fine of 15000 set upon them All this would not allay the discontents and ambitions of men for the Duke of Glocester and other Lords upon an Abbots Vision of the Destruction of the Kingdome by the misgovernment of King Richard and was there ever Treason without a Clergy man consult about seizing and deposing K. R. and executing the Lords of the Councel at Arundel Castle where they received the Sacrament and took upon it an Oath of Secrecy by the hands of the A. B. Canterbury now the Earle Marshall Deputy of Callice discovered all the Plot to the King who thereupon by a stratagem devised by his Counsel took the Duke of Glocester a Bed who hearing of his coming cast his Cloak about his shoulders and with all reverence bid him welcome the King courteously requesting him to make himself ready to ride with him a little way within a mile of his House he was arrested by the hands of the Earl Marshall and sent to Callice where he dyed a miserable death the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury is banished the Earle of Arundel and the Lord Treasurer are beheaded and 1500. Families of their brethren and adherents perished § 13. Anno 1399. Henry the 4th was in full Parliament declared King of England but having let fall an expression to this purpose when he was Earle of Darby viz. That Princes had too little and religious men too much the politick Abbot of Westminster laid hold of the words and inviting to his House the discontented Dukes of Surrey Exeter Albemarle the Earles of Salisbury and Glocester with many more communicated their grievances to each other and lay a Plot to invite his Majesty to asolemn Just at Oxford where he was to be murthered by an unknown hand in the heat of the pleasure and action taking oaths of secrecy and sealing Indentures Sextipartite for the performance of Conditions on all sides the Justs are proclaimed the King is invited and promiseth to come secrecy on all hands kept most firmly to that very day but there is a God in Heaven that revealeth secrets unto Kings for it happened that as the Duke of Albemarle rid to
Earle of Northumberland President of the North Parts collecteth it by force but he is murthered an insurrection is made and in defence of their Liberties the people would give the King Battle what followed Liberty No the multitude is discomfited by the Earle of Surrey their Leader with many of his accomplices hanged drawn and quarted at Yorke and 3564. Families turned upon this occasion out of doors to the wide World This device failing one worth two of it is thought upon by the Countesse of Burgundy and that is that one Perkin VVorbecke should counterfeit Richard the younger Son of Edward the 4th who was now dead and could not be shewed to the people as the Earle of VVarwicke was and being Brother to the Queen could not be prejudiced in his right by her this Perkin is entertained by the King of France flocked to by the English Malecontents the people of England generally respect him Sir Rob. Clifford and Rob. Barley are sent to attend him the Lord Fitzwater Sir Simon Montford Sir Tho. Thwaits Doctor Richford Doctor Sutton Doctor VVorsky conspired with him he gets an Army marrieth the Earl of Huntleyes Daughter and engageth the King of Scots in his Quarrel he goeth to Ireland landeth in Cornwall with very considerable Forces Doth he prosper no his Confederates are discovered by King Henryes espialls in Flanders and executed particularly Sir VVilliam Stanley Sir Simon Montford c. an hundred and sixty of his Followers were hanged drawn and quartered in London and along the Sea-Coast Scotland is laid waste his friends leave him he submits to the Kings mercy and upon his attempt to escape out of the Tower three times was hanged drawn and quartered at Tyburn and Edward Earle of VVarwicke for his sake is beheaded In these troublesome times the people refuse to pay their Subsidies and in Cornwall they rise under one Flammocke a Lawyer and Joseph a Smith and draw a formidable Company towards London upon Black-heath do they now ease themselves and their fellow subjects no they are invironed by the Kings Forces three thousand of them perish upon the place my Lord Audley Flammocke and Joseph were hanged drawn and quartered their Estates bestowed among the Courtiers and some hundreds of Families bound to curse them to this day To which we may adde the dismal end of VVillford another pretender set up by an Augustin Frier who was hanged drawn and quartered and made an example to rash and inconsiderable Traytors for the following Generations as were Sir James Tyrrell Sir John Windam the Earle of Suffolke and others in the following year to the ruine of many Families who rued their Treasons many years after § 18. In the 8th year of King Henry the 8th there happened in London an Insurrection against strangers especially Artificers who exercised Handicraft and vented Wares to the great dammage of the Kings Subjects the Prentices and others assembled cryed up Privileges Privileges what was the end of it twelve of them were hanged and four hundred more drawn in their shirts with Ropes and Halters about their Necks to Westminster to submit to the Kings mercy as VVeakely did many of all Professions hearken to the enthusiasmes of the holy Maid of Kent who would needs perswade men that King Henry could not continue long who lived to hang her and to ruine five hundred of her Complices But Religion is altered and Treason that hereto served the Interest of Men is now hallowed and become the cause of God K. Henry sets forth injunctions for translating the Lords Prayer the Creed the ten Commandments into the English Tongue and requiring all Parsons and Curates to teach them so translated to their Parishioners this Innovation was not to be endured twenty thousand assemble at Lincolne and forty thousand at York taking Armes as they said for the faith of Christ and deliverance of the Holy Church now oppressed sixty thousand in Lancashire 15000. at Hull indeed all the Kingdome here is a general Plot and this Plot for Conscience sake but doth God blesse it or doth the spreading nature of it prevaile nothing lesse for thirteen of the Ringleaders at Lincolne 300. of the chief at York and the Northern parts 60. of the principal at Hull were hanged drawn and quartered and the rest undone by the Lords Derby Shrewsbury Pembrooke and others to the number of 6000. Families besides the Lords Darcey and Husley both executed Sir Rob. Constable who was hanged in Chaines at Hull and Sir Jo. Bulmers Laly who was burned in Smith-field Henry Marquesse of Exeter H. Lord Mountacute Sir Nicolas Carew Sir VVill. Nevill who came all to miserable ends upon the same score § 19. But the Reformation of Religion proceedeth in King Edward the Sixths dayes and the people are more and more enraged for Conscience sike the Kings Commissioners were stabbed the multitude arme themselves and commit many outrages they increase to the number of 50000. a terrible number they declare for Religion against Inclosures Lawyers Courts c. besiege rich Cities as Exeter Norwich c. but to what end they are defeated before those Cities most of them slain upon the place 500. of them were executed at London and as many with their Ringleaders hanged up and down the Country But there was a Prophecy that the time should come when there should be no King when the Nobility and Gentry should be destroyed when the kingdome should be ruled by four Governours elected by the Commons c. and now sure was that time Up must Ombler a Gentleman and Dale a Parish Clerk with 5000. more to fulfill this Prophecy but was this Prophecy fulfilled no such matter they found to their sorrow a King Nobility Gentry and a Government that brought them to Justice executed sevenscore of them and brought 600. Families deeply engaged in the Rebellion to a morsel of Bread The King I mean Edward the Sixth is a dying and Religion is like to die with him for the glory of God the preservation of the Gospel the Ladies Mary and Elizabeth are put by their known right and the Lady Jane Grey set next his Majesty in the Royal Succession the King makes his Will the Privy Councel confirme it the Mayor and Aldermen swear Allegiance to the Lady Jane who is proclaimed Queen the Privy Councel refuse Queen Mary they sent an Army against her under the Duke of Northumberland but see the end of it the Privy Councel notwithstanding their protestations to the Duke of Northumberland relent and proclaime Queen Mary the Earle of Huntington entrusted by the said Duke with four thousand men deserts him the people all over the Kingdome discountenance him six Ships ordered to Intercept the Lady Mary he revolts to her yea the Duke of Northumberland himself is glad to proclaime her Queen Jane and the said Duke are arraigned and executed § 19. Queen Mary altereth Religion again the Earle of Suffolk Sir Tho. Wyat and others for
Maud the Empress the Oath of Allegiance which the people had taken to her was countenanced by very few at his Coronation yet such is the futality of conspiring against a setled Government that divers Lords having the Empress of their side to justisie and Scotland without which no Rebellion can prosper in England to assist them several Castles to secure them a general discontent to second them all England in a combustion to advantage them were yet strangely suppressed by the Usurper their Castles dismantled their Children disinherited their heads taken off no less then 3000. Families undone in their cause the Empress Maud is streightned at Oxford and the whole combination dispersed King Steven dying quietly in his Bed § 6. Upon Stevens death King Henry the Second the right Heir is established upon the Throne but troubled first with the Welsh who cunningly invited all the Male-contents of England to their inaccessible Mountaines where his Majesty no sooner sheweth his Sword but they desert their Leaders who are utterly ruined and their Country made Tributary to England And then by Robert Earle of Leicester who thought to have surprized the Generals at their own houses and his Majesty at Court when poor man he was overthrown himself and though afterward he was furnished by the French King who waiâ—ed all opportunities to invade England with an Army yet he perished and 12000. men with him as did Biggot and Ferris who tried the old way of Scotland in the head of 16000. Scots who with all their Confederates threw themselves upon the Kings mercy § 7. In the year 1189. Richard the First succeeding his Father with the consent and applanse of all his people had you some desperadoes who would teach the World what providence alwaies secures Government and what disasters and mischiefes attend Rebellion for proud Long shorope Bishop of Ely in the Kings absence who was now deep in the Holy Warr made a faction in the Kingdome entertained all the discontented complaints of ill Councellors promiseth liberty and 〈…〉 to the people sets up for the Pope and Religion is opposed by the Lord St. John trepanned by two Women banished his native Country derided by the French and comes to a miserable end § 8. Anno 1199. King John upon Richards death usurped the Crown yet none durst contradict him dispossessed Arthur yet none durst say to him What dost thou peoples business being the performance of their own duties rather then discourses of other mens Titles The English more troubled with his Tyranny 〈…〉 his Usurpation suborne the Welsh and Irish to perplex him as the embroyling of Ireland or Scotland is the surest way to gain England the plot is discovered to him he sends his own Courtiers to ripen it they discover to him all the methods steps and proceedings of it so that he surprized the Welsh putteth 3000. of them to the Sword taketh 28. Pledges of the best Families among them for their good behaviour for the future with whom upon their second Revolt he was so angry that the day he heard of it he would not dine untill the 28. pledges were hanged before his face But the Barons forsooth stand for the Liberty of the Subjects assert the ancient Franchises of England make a general party debauch the whole Nation secure all the stronge Holds engross all the Treasure draw over the French King to their party yet the odious weak King John so sacred a thing is Soveraignty in the meanest person recovereth their Castles excommunicates their persons layeth wast their Estates undoeth their adherents cutteth off their posterity and makes them wander up and down poor and destitute exiles in the Earth § 9. Anno 1216. King Henry the Thrid though a Child had that success against Rebells that were not that sin a sin of Witchcraft no such thing as treason would ever shew its self in the world for although the Child could not secure the government to weak he was yet the Government protected the Child so sacred that is Lewis the Fair King of France indeed as it was his interest set up some Lords against this Child viz. the Bishops of Winchester Salisbury and Chester the Earles of Salisbury Ferrers and Albemarle who bore great sway in the Kingdome stopped Trading were favoured by the Pope yet they and their French Auxiliaries were cooped up in Lincoln before which City the Kings Forces doubling their Ensignes appeared twice more then they were awed the besieged brought to an humble submission to the Kings mercy who at that time degraded 18. Barons 300. Knights ruined 6000. Families who were sad instances of the miserable event and issue of Rebelsion and treason King Henry disposeth of Barhainstead Castle which belonged to the Duke of Cornwall to a Dutchman whereupon the Duke in revenge consults with the Earle Marshall the Earles of Chester Glou ester Hereford and Warwicke who declare for their Liberties the great Charter and the Charter of the Forrest with whom some great Officers lately displaced joyne themselves they gain the whole Kingdome win over all the people declare against evil Counsellors yet the King providence still appearing in the behalf of that great Ordinance of God sends for a few Poutovins Summons a Parliament at Oxford to which the Lords refuse to come and another at Winchester whither they will not come neither they are proclaimed Out-lawes their Estates are seized the Earle Marshall is trepanned into Ireland to save his own stake and there circumvented and slain the other Lords are won over by the Bishops with money the Earle of Pembrook is dispossessed of his Estate money is raised by force the King put by the peevishness of his Subjects upon rigour tyranny and strange Levies so that 4000. Families are undone The great Earle of Leicester with other Lords declare for the Liberty of the Subject indeed they prevaile a little against the King but at last the Earles of Gloucester and Leicester fall out the Rebells are divided the Earle of Leicester and 7000. of his Followers fall at a pitch battel near Evesham his Sons flee the Kingdome his Estate is confiscated all his complices undone and most of the Rebellious Barons disinherited and the whole Kingdome desolate § 10. King Henry is dead his Son Edward is absent in the Holy Land Leolin Prince of Wales disputes his Homage but see how his dear Lady is taken by the English and he glad to submit for her sake upon any termes after her death he revolteth again goeth on and prospereth untill the Earle of Pembroke slew him before his own House at Bere Castle and a Common Souldier brought his Head to the King who Crowned it with Ivy and set it upon the Tower of London And not long after his brother David is taken in Wales and judged in England to that ignominious death that Traytors usually come to And as alwaies Subjects lose and Princes gain by Rebellion all Wales was