houshold and Doctor Stephen Gardiner his new Secretarie so to gard and so to watch his House and Palace at Westminster that none of his moueables whatsoeuer might bee imbeaseled or purloined or carried away from thence And the Cardinall himselfe being confined to Asher He is confined not farre from Kingston and most of his Attendants being displaced and remoued from him a small allowance of things needfull was appointed to him for his necessarie vse whereat hee infinitely greiued Then was he required by the King He confesseth this indictment His dignities taken from him to plead to the said indictment but by his Atturnie sufficiently authorized vnder his hand and seale he confessed euery materiall point thereof Then the king conferred the Abbie of Saint Albones vpon the Prior of Norwich the Bishoprick of Durham vpon Doctor Tonstall and the Chancellorship was ratified to Sir Thomas Moore But the king of his gentlenesse and in regard of his former fauours towards the Cardinall left vnto him the Arch bishoprick of Yorke and the Bishoprick of Winchester and sent vnto him much plate housholdstuffe and many other things part of that which had bin taken from him to a great value Yet in his heart he remained vnthankfull grudging and malitious towards the king The king in former times had intermedled very litle with the gouernment of this Common-weale for hee was almost altogether ruled and directed by the Cardinall and by the Cleargie of this Land But he now began to be sensible of that errour and to cast away that yoke so that he tooke the raines into his owne hand And first of all he assembled his high Court of Parliament in which the Commons of the Lower house sharply complained of the misdemeanors of the Cleargie But especially in these six things Articles against the Cleargie FIrst because with great extremitie they exacted vnreasonable summes of monie as due fees for the Probate of mens last Wills and Testaments 2 Secondly Because they were excessiuely couetous and cruell in demanding for Mortuaries especiall of such poore people as skarsly left two kine for the maintenance of their wiues and children 3 Thirdly Because their full purses made them to become Farmors of great Granges Bartons and temporall farmes taking them in lease in euery Shire and become Husbandmen and Graziers to the preiudice and hurt of such as were trained and brought vp only to be husbandmen 4 Fourthly Because many of them kept Tanning houses for their priuate gaine and were Brokers Buyers and Jngrossers of Wooll Cloth and other marchandizes snatching vp all and enforcing tradesmen and clothiers to buy those commodities at the second or third hand and at vnreasonable prices 5 Fiftly Because such Clergie men as had the best and the greatest Spirituall liuings did with great extremitie take the vtmost of their rights And yet they liued in the Court or in the houses of Noblemen and Bishops so that they spent nothing in Hospitalitie among their Neighbours Nor did feede their flocke with the milke of Gods most holy and sacred Word 6 And last of all Because diuers ignorant men among them held and enioyed eight ten twelue yea more Benefices and Spirituall promotions to themselues seuerally and yet liued not vpon any one of them but kept great Schollars and learned men at a short commons in one of the Vniversities who were better able to doe more good then they Doctor Fisher wrongeth the lower house of Parliament The Bishops perceiuing that these matters much concerned them and the whole Clergie of this Land strongly opposed themselues against such as exhibited the same complaints In so much that Doctor Fisher Bishop of Rochester being more earnest then well aduised desired the Lords to remember well and to consider that when the Bohemians abused the estate and dignitie of their Clergie they then ruinated and destroyed their Kingdome and Common weale Wherefore hee instantly requested them to bee well aduised before they entertained these obiections For quoth he they are not religious nor doe proceed from Faith When the Commons had vnderstood what the Bishop of Rochester had spoken Then by Thomas Audley their speaker and by thirtie others of the house They informed the King of the said iniurie and wrong Alleaging that if the lower house of Parliament were reputed to want Faith then they were esteemed to bee Heretikes and consequently that all such Bills as they preferred or did passe should bee preferred and concluded on by Panims Pagans and Faithlesse men and so were vnlawfull and vnfit to rule and to gouerne Christians and such as truly and sincerely honored and adored God The King who was much offended They complaine to the King and grieued at the Bishops speech gaue them this gentle answere That hee would vnderstand his meaning concerning those wordes and that with all convenient expedition hee would informe them of his answere And within a day or two after the said Bishop and six others were sent for and the Bishop of Rochester was reprehended by the King But with many solemne protestations hee assured the King that he referred those wordes They proceeded not from faith to the doing deedes and actions of the Bohemians and not to the doings of the lower House which likewise was affirmed by the rest This his excuse was by the King sent to the Commons who spake liberally of the Bishop and repaied their debt with vnseeming termes A bad 〈◊〉 In so much that at a Committee in which the Bishops strongly persisted to maintayne and to iustifie the taking of their Fees for probates of Testaments to be lawfull because the same paiments had beene of a long time vsed a Gentleman of the lower House replyed to the Archbishop of Canterbury That Theeues on Shooters Hill vsed to take purses there Ergo it was lawfull This speech pleased the Commons well For they thought That they had now angred the Bishops as the Bishop of Rochester had angred them Then were the matters aforesaid comprised in the same complaint reduced into formall Bill which being long and substantially disputed on and in some points qualified were assented vnto by both the Houses and afterwards for Lawes established by the King The Booke also which contayned the Articles The articles against Wolsey which were drawne against the Cardinall was sent by the Lords to the lower House In which among diuers other things he was principally accused of these great faults 1 FIrst That by dishonest and cunning reasons hee had deceitfully induced the King to consent that hee should bee made a Legate to the Pope which authoritie did indeede and in effect frustrate and make void all the authoritie and iurisdiction of all other Bishops and Clergie men within this Kingdome and also the authoritie of the King in Ecclesiasticall things and causes 2 Item That in all his letters and other passages to forren Estates and Princes his phrase in writing was Ego Rex meus I and my King
rich Townes of Cheirbrough Mount-brough and Quarenâ—ue and the Castle there Then King Edward marched foorth in great strength through that Countrie Normandie harrowed by King Edward being hedged in on the one side by his Marshall the Lord Harcourt and fiue hundred chosen men of warre which hee commanded and by his other Marshall on the other side with a like number And with such seueritie ransacked spoiled burned and haâ—owed all places as he passed by The English Armie is rich The English Armie increaseth that euerie coÌ„mon souldier was now a rich man and the Kings Armie was encreased and now consisted of nineteene thousand fighting men with which he pitched before the city of Cane in which were the Earles of Tankeruile and of Ewe Besides the Earle of Guyens who being high Constable of France had gathered and brought vnto that place manie braue and approued men at Armes and made a flourishing shew as if hee meant to issue forth and to giue battaile to the King But feare possessing his heart he made but a faint resistance The Citie of Cane is taken and in short time and with litle losse the Citie was taken and ransacked by the English souldiers who conueighed all their spoiles into England Sir Thomas Holland Loureys is taken Why King Edward medled with no walled Townes nor Castles in the Prouince of Eureux In the yeelding vp of this Citie First the three Earles submitted their fortunes to Sir Thomas Holland a valiant English Knight who had but one eye of whom the King bought them for tenne thousand markes in Gold and receiuing them as prisoners into his Armie hee marched to the Towne of Loures which hee quickly won and then entred into the Prouince of Eureux all which he wasted spoiled and burned without pittie the walled Townes Cities and Castles only excepted with none of which hee medled â—east by them his strength should bee deminished before hee met with the French King who had solemnely sworne and protested that King Edward should not returne into England before a battaile fought between them Many towns wonne by the English After this King Edward in his march wonne Gisours Vernon Saint Germans in Lay Mountrell Saint Clowde Rely and the whole Countrie about Roan Pont de' Larch Nants Newlench Robboys Fountaine Poys and Vimew in all which places he found but weake resistance King Philip of France hauing true intelligence that King Edward with al his Armie was within two leagues of Paris The French King forsaketh the Parisians left that Citie and went to S. Dennis where his Armie lay perswading the Parisians that King Edward dared not to looke them in the face but they beleeued him not and feare made them greatly displeased with their king Those of Amyens are slaine and taken Neere about the same time Sir Godfrey Lord Harcourt being one of King Edwards Marshals encountred with certaine Burgesses of Amyens whom the French king had appointed to come vnto Paris for the better defence therof if neede should so require and though they defended themselues with much valor yet at length twelue hundred of them were slaine and the rest being taken prisoners were brought vnto the king The English Armie so eagerly pursued the happinesse of their fortune That they possessed the whole countrie through which they passed yea euen to the gates of Aubeuile The English Armie is inuironed on the suddaine and of Saint Valary yet were they vnawares enuironed with the Riuer of Some on the one side and with the French Kings armie consisting of more then an hundred thousand men on the other side The place wherein he was promised him no manner of aduantage if he should fight but many inconueniencies presented themselues vnto him So that hee consulted with his Prisoners if anie of them could direct him to any Ford where he might transport his Armie among whom one who was named Gobyn of Grace Gobyn of Grace directed him to a conuenient passage But when the King came thither it was defended by twelue thousand of the French Kings Armie Yet notwithstanding when the Sea was ebbed King Edward with the Prince and the whole Armie did put themselues into the water and so did the French men on the other side King Edward passeth through the riuer of Some and slaughtereth the French so that they all encountred pell mell in the midst of the Riuer and fought with such desperate resolution on either part that manie a man was striken downe being slaine or by that meane was drowned But at length the Frenchmen being much wasted by the sword fled and the Englishmen slaughtered them in the Chase a full league and more And now approached the time in which this journie made by king Edward and his sonne was to be blessed with much honor and happinesse or to be vnfortunate The famous and victorious Battaile of Cressey though hitherto it had proceeded well For the French king being resolued to bee reuenged without pitie and in regard that his Armie contained in number more then six times as manie fighting men as king Edward had and making no doubt Great oddes but that a triumphant victorie should preuent all future danger of Englands claime to the French Crown marched with all his strength in good order of battaile against king Edward Who knowing that only the sword was then to decide the controuersie and to pronounce the judgement entred into a spacious field neere vnto Cressey where he did set his whole Armie in good order and diuided it into three battailes All which hee so imparked behind with carriages and carts that no man was easily able to interrupt or to endanger them in the Reareward The Battaile of the Blacke Prince And when the battaile should begin the first Companies were conducted by the yong Prince who was assisted by the Earles of Warwicke and of Canford and by the Lords of Harcourt Stafford Manny De Lauarre Chandoys Clifford and Bourchier Sir Reynold Cobham Sir Thomas Holland Sir Roger Neuill and manie other Lords knights and Gentlemen of name And in that battaile were eight hundred men at Armes Two thousand Archers and one thousand other lustie and good Souldiers The second battaile was directed by the Earles of Northampton The second Battaile of the English and of Arondel who were accompanied with the Lords Rose Lygo Willoughby Basset Saint Awbin Myleton and De La Sell and by manie other Lords knights and Gentlemen And in this battaile there were eight hundred men at Armes and twelue hundred Archers And the third and maine battaile being placed betwixt the other two was led by the king himselfe who was assisted by many Earles Lords knights Esquires and Gentlemen of the best ranke The Kings Battaile And in that battaile there were seuen hundred men at Armes Two thousand Archers and tenne thousand other common souldiers well approued and expert men of warre The English Armie hauing exercised
field where was fought a long and a sharp battaile vntill King Dauid by an Esquire named Iohn Copland was taken prisoner and secretly conueyed out of the armie There were also at that time slaine of the Scots diuers Earles Lords Knights and Gentlemen besides more then fifteene thousand souldiers of the common ranke And the residue of them being defeated returned by continuall flight into Scotland The Queene much importuned Iohn Copland for the deliuerie of his Prisoner king Dauid But hee making challenge vnto him as to his onely behoofe by the Lawes of Armes made answere that hee would not deliuer him vnto any but to the King himselfe So that the Queene being highly displeased with him certified the king both of her Victorie and also in what sort Iohn Copland had answered her touching the deliuerie of the Scottish king Whereupon Iohn Copland being sent for went vnto Callice Iohn Copland is thanked and rewarded where hee was graciously and louingly welcomed by the king who thanked him hartily for his great seruice and made him an Esquire of his owne bodie and recompenced his trauailes King Dauid and others are committed to the Tower and his good fortune with the gift in Fee simple of fiue hundred pounds by the yeare in good Land and commanded him to deliuer his Prisoner to the Queene at his returne which hee performed accordingly And then the Queene committed the said king and the Earle of Morret and manie others Prisoners to the Tower of London where they remained long after The Queene passeth ouer to Callice And then the Queene being accompanied with a faire troupe of faire Ladies and beautifull Gentlewomen whose husbands fathers brothers and kinsfolkes had for a long time beene emploied in the French warres came vnto the king as he lay before Callice and were by the king and his whole armie receiued and entertained with much joy The Callicians craue mercie And now the distressed and the besieged Towne of Callice trauelling with many wants and being destitute of all hope to be relieued because the French King not long before had cashired and dismissed his whole Armie craued pardon A hard condition and mercie of King Edward Who in regard of their peruerse and long continued obstinacie and for that they had spoyled and robbed many of his English Marchants vpon the Sea before they were besieged would in no sort hearken to their request and submission except sixe of their worthiest Inhabitants did come vnto him Bare-legged Bare-headed in their Shirts and with Halters about their neckes to be corrected and disposed of as the king should please Ingens telum necessitas And though this condition was full of terrour and of bitternesse yet necessitie compelled them to accomplish the kings demaund So that they sent him the keyes both of the Towne and Castle by those sixe A heauie sentence who presented them to the king The keyes he receiued but forthwith commanded that the said Townesmen should bee hanged Whereupon all such in the kings Armie Intercession for the liues of the Callicians as were either Honourable by birth or had for their seruice deserued well or were graced by the kings especiall loue and fauour became earnest Petitioners to the king for the Pardon of those distressed men But such was the kings resolution and full determination to make them examples to the rest for the iniuries and for the wrongs which formerly they had done to the English Nation The Queene only procureth their Pardon that all their meanes was insufficient and vnable to deliuer them from death Which when the Queene perceiued on bended knees with Prayers and with Teares and with importunate request shee neuer ceased to vrge the king vntill shee had procured their Pardon and their inlargement from that danger Callice is yeelded to King Edward in An. Dom. 1347. and in the 22. yeere of King Edwards raigne A stranger made Captaine of Callice The King returneth into England Londoners are sent to dwell in Callice The chiefe Captaine named Sir Guy of Vyen and such knights and Gentlemen as were in the Towne and in the Castle were sent Prisoners into England where they remained about sixe monethes and were then ransomed by the French king Thus when the king was quietly and fully possessed of Callice the keye to France and had without sparing of any cost in wonderfull sort strengthned and fortified it He left none to remaine there but Englishmen the Captaine onely excepted Who being a Lombard by birth was named Sir Andrew de Pauye an especiall fauourite of the kings whom the king vpon the vndoubted trust and confidence which hee reposed in him placed chiefe Captaine and Commander there These things being thus setled in good order the king with the Queene and all his troupes returned into England and were receiued into London with extraordinarie Triumph and great joy And from thence hee sent sixe and thirtie rich wise and graue Cittizens with ther Wiues and Families to Callice to inhabite and to trade and traffique there Great priuiledges granted to the Callicians and gaue to the said Towne and Castle such profitable and large immunites priuiledges liberties and franchesses that they thought themselues to be very happy whom the king would licence to dwell there The Pope mediates a Truce Pope Clement the sixt hauing manie yeares laughed in his sleeue to see these two potent and mightie kings so busily to imploy themselues each against other in those bloudie Warres at length mediated a Truce betwixt them which on his motion was concluded for two yeares Callice should haue been betraied And in the meane time king Edward was informed that Sir Andrew de Pauie his chiefe Captaine of Callice for twentie thousand Crownes to him promised by the Lord Charney Captaine of Arras had conspired to betray the Towne and Castle into his hands Whereupon king Edward to make a triall of this newes and to surprise the said Lord The King passeth secretly vnto Callice and all his Companie if hee might when hee should come to take the possession of Callice departed secretly out of England with three hundred selected men at armes and in the depth of the night landed at Callice and was quickly receiued in where hee sharply reprehended the Lombard who vnder the pretext of honest dealing for the king excused himselfe of anie treacherous intent But within a night or two after the Lord Charney at the appointed time repaired thither with twelue hundred armed men to surprise both the Castle and the Towne The monie in good Gold was by the Captaine receiued at a posterne gate of the Castle The Money is receiued and one hundred only of that Company were suffred to enter in But they finding quickly that they were beguiled and betraied without noyse or resistance yeelded themselues and were closed vp in a strong Dungeon And then the king himselfe King Edwards valour and courage
with three hundred men at armes vnder the Banner of Sir Walter of Mannie brake forth out of the Castle and furiously rushed vpon the Frenchmen who attended for better newes But when they did perceiue that they were deceiued they resolued to acquit themselues like men and for an houre and more so they did But when manie of them were slaine the rest fled and were thus depriued both of their manie and of their hope In this conflict the King himselfe encountred hand to hand with the Lord Eustace of Rybamount Sir Eustace Lord Rybamont a right hardie and valiant knight and was by him twice stooped on his knees But skorning to yeeld to anie base conceit or froward Fortune hee aduanced himselfe so nobly A noble King and in such sort redoubled his courage and his strength that in the end he tooke the said Sir Eustace prisoner with his own hand the said Lord not knowing with whom he had so sharply contended But the King making him to know all released him without Ransome promised him future fauours and dismissed him with a Princely reward About the same time the French king Philip of Valoys died The French King dieth ANNO 24. Iohn is Crowned King of France The Kings Victorie at Sea Guyens is yeelded to the Callicians ANNO. 25 ANNO. 27 A Duke of Lancaster Created How Iohn of Gaunt became Duke of Lancaster A Combate appointed betweene the Duke of Lancaster and the Duke of Brunswicke A reconciliation The Marts for England remooued from the Flemings and his sonne was crowned King In the beginning of his Raigne hee created Sir Charles a Noble man of Spaine Earle of Angolesme because he entred into the narrow Seas on the French behalfe with a powerfull Fleet and miserably spoiled robbed and rifled the English Marchants and exposed them to much crueltie With him king Edward fought and compelled him to flie hauing lost manie of his chiefest men and two and twentie of his best ships And about the same time the Castle of Guyens was yeelded to the Kings people of Callice and in the seuen and twentieth yeare of his Raigne hee created his Cousin Henrie of Bullinbrooke who was Earle of Darby Duke of Lancaster with whose daughter and heire the kings sonne Iohn of Gaunt afterwards married and was Duke of Lancaster in her right He also created Sir Roger Stafford Earle of Stafford The said Duke vpon some misinformation that hee should publish some disgracefull wordes of the Duke of Brunswicke was by him challenged to a single Combate before king Iohn of France whereof hee gladly accepted and at the appointed time they both being throughly fitted for that purpose entred with hautie courage into the Lists for the triall of their cause But they both of them were reconciled by the French King to the great contentment and honour of the Duke of Lancaster notwithstanding that he was an Englishman and a subject to his Enemie King Edward during the time of the aforesaid Truce had vsed all friendly meanes to reconcile the Flemmings and to draw them from the French to his owne part but finding that al his endeuours proued vaine and that no courtesie could winne them hee withdrew from them all his Marts for Marchandizing which Iaques Dartuell had procured for them Which thing in a short time became exceeding hurtfull and prejudiciall to the Flemmings And now the time of the former Truce with France being long since ended King Edward leuied a puissant Armie of his most expert and approued men of warre The Blacke Prince landeth in Gascoyne with an Armie which hee committed to the charge and Gouernment of his sonne the Noble and Valorous Prince of Wales sirnamed the Blacke Prince Who being accompanied with manie Earles Lords Knights and Gentlemen of name He preuaileth The French King lâ—uieth a huge armie departed out of England and landed in Gascoyne where hee ransacked spoiled burnt and consumed Villages Townes Cities Forts and Castles in all places as hee passed by without any resistance or defence But King Iohn of France intending to â—op this Torrent and making no doubt but that the multitude of his souldiers should giue him an easie Victorie ouer so small a Companie as the Prince conducted Ten thouâ—anâ— men only 〈◊〉 English Armie which exceeded not tenne thousand men Leuied a huge Armie which hee assembled from all places subiect to his Dominion And being accompanied with Philip his yonger sonne and with the Flower of all the Chiualrie of France He marched with great strength ANNo 30 1355. The Battaile of Poyters against the Black Prince whom he found neere vnto Poyters readily prepared in the field to receiue him The French armie was diuided into foure Battailes who as their turnes or lots came fought with much valour but with little vse of their great skill For the thicke shot of the English Archers galling vnmeasurably their great Horses was the cause that quickly they brake their order and their array which suddenly bred such a totall disturbance in the whole armie The French men are disordred that themselues as waues of water doe in a turbulent and in a tempestuous Sea ouerwhelmed each others so that such as were downe were troden to death by their owne friends who could not auoid them such as would presse forward to make good proofe of their valour were repressed by such as did retire And such as did recoyle were stopped and hindred of their purpose by those who could not choose but resist their comming backe Notwithstanding the French Kings owne Battaile which was better ordered then all the rest encountring with that Battaile of the English armie in which the Prince of Wales was performed most rare and wonderfull feates of Chiualrie King Iohn is a most valiant Prince which to the vtmost of their powers they encreased being extraordinarily animated thereunto by the matchlesse valour and fortitude of their King who like a worthie Knight for his surpassing valour and courage exceeded all his Nobles for performance of that day The Braue valour and resolution of the English But the Blacke Prince and his Battaile whom no disorder troubled striuing almost beyond the abilities of men to winne honour and to saue them selues remained vndaunted spirits And as dangers pressed forth so did they with incomparable manhood driue them backe againe making the Frenchmen know by their miserable experience that they could not so much as dreame of any flight The Blacke Prince his vow nor of yeelding but were so greedie of the best honour that nothing but Death or Victorie could content them The Prince himselfe vowed that through the helpe of Almightie God he would that day performe the part of a good Knight And to say the truth such were his vnmatchable deedes of armes so hautie was his spirit so pleasing was his example and so cheerefull were his encouragements to his whole armie that euery one among them striuing to imitate his valour
the Prince returned to the King The King in danger to be taken on the Thames by French Pirates The Lord of Camoys in trouble cleareth himselfe ANNO. 9. A valiant Sheriffe And now it chanced that as king Henrie passed ouer the Riuer of Thames from Kent into Essex vnder the conduct of the Lord of Camois hee was almost taken by the French Pirats for which cause the said Lord was suspected and attached as a Traitour and receiued his due triall by his Peeres but was clearely acquited of that offence and receiued into fauour In the ninth yeare of this kings Raigne the Earle of Nothumberland and the Lord Bardolfe animating the Scots to a new war entred with them into Northumberland and did much mischiefe whereupon king Henrie leuied a strong armie and by great iournies trauailed to encounter them But before his comming forth they were fought with and ouerthrowne by Sir Ralph Rokesby then Shirif of that Countie who tooke the said Lords and manie others and smote off their heads and sent them for presents to the king ANNO. 11 Thomas is made Duke of Clarence Iohn Duke of Bedford Humphrie Duke of Glocester The King prepareth to Warre in the Holy land The King falleth â—kâ— His Crowne is placed on his Pillow In the eleuenth yeare of his raigne he assembled his high Court of Parliament in which he created his three yonger sonnes Thomas Duke of Clarence Iohn Duke of Bedford and Humfrey Duke of Glocester and enacted manie Lawes which were helpefull and profitable to this Common-weale And from that time forth vntill hee died hee enioyed a happie peace and rested from all hostilitie and warres both at home and abroad And to expresse his thankfulnesse to God for all his goodnesse and great bountie towards him hee made great and costly preparations of men monie victuals and armour and shippes and all other thinges requisite and needfull and purposed to haue waged warres with the Turkes in the Holy-land But whilest he busily imploied himselfe in those affaires hee was attached by a deadly apoplexie and being neere vnto his last end hee caused his Crowne to be placed by him vpon his pillow least peraduenture in his extremitie of sicknesse it might bee deliuered to some other who had better right thereto then hee had But when his attendants verily supposed that he was dead the yong Prince of Wales seized vpon his Crowne Whereat the king started vp The Prince seized on the Crowne The Kings speech to the Prince and raysing himselfe vpon his armes he demanded who it was that had taken away his Crowne The Prince answered that it was he and then he fell backe into his bed and fetching a deepe sigh and sending forth manie pensiue groanes My sonne quoth he my sonne what right I had vnto this Crowne and how I haue enjoyed it God knoweth and the World hath seene Comfort your selfe in God good Father said the Prince The Crowne you haue and if you die The Prince has answere The King dieth I will haue it and keepe it with my sword as you haue done And within a short time after king Henrie died in the six and fortieth yeare of his age when he had raigned almost fourteene yeares And his bodie was carried to Canterburie where with all Princely and due requisites it was buried THE HISTORIE OF KING HENRIE THE FIFTH IT is well knowne That King Henrie the fifth whilest he was but a Prince associated to himselfe diuers vnthriftie and lewd companions A wilde Prince but a wise King by whose instigation among manie other vnworthie passages in his fathers dayes hee smote the Lord chiefe Iustice of England in the face for which offence he was imprisoned and dismissed of the Presidentship of the kings Councell and to his great griefe and disgrace was succeeded therein by Thomas Duke of Clarence his younger brother But when hee was crowned king hee disposed himselfe into a new course qualifying his behauiour with such heroicall vertues as might beseeme both his Person and his Honour He banisheth his loose companions and banished from his Court his loose and base consorts after he had enabled them to liue by such gifts as were proportionable to their callings He also elected for his Councell and into places of Iustice and publike Gouernment such as were wise discreet His good choice of good Gouernors He reformeth the Clergie He ruleth the Laitie learned and temperate well able to rule themselues and to command others He painefully laboured to reforme Pride Couetousnesse and such other grosse abuses as were crept into the Church among the Clergie and enjoined them strictly to frequent Praier Preaching to Hospitalitie and to the sincere seruing of Almightie GOD. And by the administration of his Lawes with moderate seueritie hee made the Laitie tractable in the performance of their duties And to settle his Estate in peace and in tranquilitie at home so that neyther the Scots nor the Welchmen should molest him when hee was busied in his Warres abroad hee erected diuers Castles He erecteth Castles in the frontiers of Scotland and of Wales Bulwarkes and other Fortifications vpon their frontiers and so disposed of them that with manie thousands of able men and skilfull Captaines to command them he was still readie and powerfull with great violence and force to suppresse and qualifie such rebellious Insurrections as they might make King Richards bodie remoued to Westminster In the first yeare of his Raigne with great pompe and solemnitie hee brought the bodie of King Richard the second from Langley vnto Westminster and buried it by Queene Anne his first wife 2. 1413. A motion in Parliament to suppresse Religious Houses In the second yeare hee held his High Court of Parliament at Leicester in which hee was importunately petitioned to suppresse the Religious Houses of this Kingdome because they being ill vsed were made the Nurseries of Idlenesse Gluttonie Lecherie and of Pride and were the Cages of vncleane birds The Reuenewes which belonged to those Houses were proportioned to yeeld vnto the Kings Cossers the annuall Rent of twentie thousand pounds and would also for the encrease of the Kings power and strength maintaine fifteene Earles fifteene hundred Knights and more than six thousand men at Armes besides a great number of Almes-houses for the poores reliefe The Clergies policie to quench this fire To diuert this streame into another Channell the fat Abbots Priors idle Monkes wanton Friers and the puling Nunnes procured Henrie Chichley then Archbishop of Canterburie in a verie learned and excellent Oration to discouer to the King his Right and his Title to the Crowne of France The Kings title to the Crowne of France set abroach to refresh him with confident hopes of good successe to direct him into a course answerable to his hopes and in the Clergies behalfe and for the furtherance of those Warres to offer vnto the King an incredible masse of money
suddaine feare to be swallowed vp betwixt the English Armie and the Towne he remoued from thence in the night leauing to the Protector who landed with his companies the day before all his Tents Ordnance Armour and Prouisions being of great worth The Protector who brought with him thither fiue and twentie thousand men entred into the Dukes Countries of Flanders and Arthois where he slew burnt ransacked and wonne rich booties at his owne pleasure And without resistance he returned vnto Callice and with such superfluities as he had gotten abundantly and plentifully he supplyed it with all things which they wanted and then hee returned into England where hee found the State much troubled For Iames the first being King of Scots forgetting quite the manifold fauors and Princely education which Rosbrough besieged by the Scots being a prisoner he found within the Kingdome of England with thirtie thousand men had for manie weekes besieged the Castle of Rosborough which was valiantly defended by Sir Ralph Grey But the Earle of Northumberland as hee was appointed prepared to giue him battaile and to remoue the Siege Whereof when notice was giuen to the Scottish Armie they remoued The Scots flye and fled with extraordinarie speede into their owne Countrey About the same time died Queene Katherine mother to the King who after her husbands death fancying more her owne pleasure and contentment than the supporting of her high and honorable estate married a goodly Gentleman named Owen Tuthar who though his meanes were but small yet was he discended from Cadwallader the last King of the Britons And by her hee had issue two sonnes halfe brothers to the King that is to say Edmund and Iaspar This Edmund was by King Henrie created Earle of Richmond and tooke to wife the Ladie Margaret sole Daughter and Heire vnto Iohn Duke of Somerset and begot on her King Henrie the seuenth And Iaspar was created Earle of Pembroke Likewise the Ladie Iaquet sister vnto the Earle of Saint Paule and Duchesse Dowager to Iohn Duke of Bedford the late Regent of France contrarie to her friends liking yet to please her selfe married a gallant Gentleman who was much inferiour to her estate named Sir Richard Wooduyle Sir Richard Wooduyle made Baron Ryuers and afterwards Earle Ryuers whome afterwards the King made Baron Ryuers and then Earle Ryuers And by him among manie other children she had issue Elizabeth who was after the wife of King Edward the fourth and was mother to the Ladie Elizabeth whome King Henrie the seuenth espoused and tooke to wife It pleased the Kings Councell of this Realme to discharge Richard Duke of Yorke of his Regencie in France The Earle of Warwike is made Regent 1437. 16 and to establish the Earle of Warwike in his place Who embarked himselfe seuen times before he could set one foot in Normandie But at last his arriuall was fortunate and happie And hauing intelligence that the Duke of Burgoine with tenne thousand men lay strongly entrenched before Crotoy hee sent the Lords Talbot and Fawconbridge Sir Thomas Kyriell and manie other valiant Captaines Crotoy is besieged with fiue thousand Englishmen to rayse that Siege But the Duke fearing with his double number to encounter with his enemies fled with his whole Armie vnto Abbeuyle From whence hee being eagerly pursued and hourely dared to make a stand and to play the man The Duke of Burgoine will not fight he posted vnto Amiens where the Englishmen who daily hunted after him found him and his companies strongly enclosed within the walls But because he played the coward and would not fight the Lord Talbot entred into Picardie and Arthois where vnresisted he wasted and consumed the whole Countrey the walled Townes Castles and Forts onely excepted and enriched all his Armie with Cattell Money Plate and many other things of great worth and value Sir Thomas Kyriels valor Sir Thomas Kyriel also surprized the Dukes Carriages and his Ordnance all which booties were brought vnto Crotoy with as much victuals as would maintaine six hundred men for one whole yeare And all the residue of those spoyles he sent to the Earle of Warwike which abundantly supplyed his great wants Periurie punished The Earle of Mortayne sonne to Edmund Duke of Somerset by violent assaults tooke the Castle of Saint Auyan in Mayne and slew therein three hundred Scots and hanged all the Frenchmen whom he found there because hauing once beene sworne to King Henrie they reuolted and became French Thus Fortune euerie day turned her Wheele making him who yesterday wonne much to day to lose all and suddainely aduancing those to great honour whome former disasters had made miserable and bare The French King winneth by trecherie not by valour But the Frenchmens Treasons and Trecheries daily betrayed more Cities Townes and Castles to the French King than either the Englishmen could hold by Policie or gaine by Strength The Dolphin rebelleth against his father And albeit that by reason thereof he comforted himselfe and prosperous successe accompanied most of his Attempts yet was he on a suddaine checked by the open Rebellion of his eldest sonne the Dolphin of Vyen Who being assisted by the Dukes of Alanson and of Burbon vsurped the Gouernment of France and by publike Edicts diuulged the insufficiencie of his Father to rule that Kingdome The Rebellion is appeased This Clowd threatened a shrewd storme and begat this Question in his Father and in his Councellors of State Whether it were better to attempt the curing of this Maladie by Ciuill Warre and by letting of Bloud or by Discretion and by Policie without blowes The later Project being entertained publike Proclamations were made in the French Kings Name by which he prohibited all his subiects vpon the paines of death to yeeld anie subiection to the Dolphins Commands and pardoned all such as by his persuasions had deuoted themselues to his seruice And moreouer sundrie Letters were written diuers Messengers were sent and manie powerfull Mediators so preuayled that the Dolphin with his confederates were quickly reconciled and joyfully receiued into the Kings fauour Whilest these vnnaturall broyles breathed fresh hopes into the English Nation that Paris might bee regayned The regayning of Paris attempted they prepared a great Armie for that purpose But by meanes of the said Reconciliation and Agreement those their designes were strangled in their birth their Armie was dissolued and beeing enforced to sayle by a smaller Compas they endeuoured to effect such things as were proportionable to their strength Ponthois surprized and to win those things which were within their reach About the same time the ground being couered with a thicke Snow which was much hardened by a suddaine Frost Iohn Lord Clifford clothing himselfe and his followers all in white passed in the night season ouer the Ditches of Ponthois which not long before was treacherously yeelded to the French King Policie the Walls they scaled entred in
new Gentlemen as vnworthily doe rule and gouerne all to our dishonour and reproach The Earle of Warwicke finding the Duke of Clarence thus tractable The plot is strengthened by a mariage and inclining to his humour consulted with him oftentimes touching this businesse And to tie him vnto himselfe by a fast bond of friendship and of loue He offered to him in marriage one of his daughters who was named Isabel with halfe the inheritance of his wife Whereof the Duke in all kindly and friendly sort accepted And thereupon the plot was contriued thus The plot against King Edward The Earle himselfe with the Duke of Clarence would goe vnto Calice where the yong Lady who was there should bee married And in their absence as if it hapned without their knowledge or consent the Earles two brothers the Archbishop of Yorke and the Marques Montacute were appointed with their friends to raise a Rebellion in the Countie of Yorke And this proiect was put into Execution in this maner The Husbandmen of Yorke-shire by an ancient custome in the end of Haruest The cause of the Rebellion vsed yearely to giue a certaine quantie of Corne and Graine towards the maintenance and reliefe of diuers poore people who liued in the Hospitall of Saint Leonard within the Citie of Yorke Now the Earles friends scandalously and falsely reported in the Countrie thereabout That the said poore people were not relieued by the said Almes but that the Gouernour and Priests of the said Hospitall enriched and fatted themselues therewith So when the Proctors according to their wonted fashion came abroad to collect the peoples deuotion in that kind they were shrewdly beaten by the Rustickes and misused beyond measure Hereupon many Religious and well disposed people tooke part with the Proctors and with rough words and some blowes they requited the iniurie which was done vnto them From this beginning sprang forth a dangerous Insurrection So that within few dayes there were vp in Armes more then fifteene thousand men This was done by him in fauour of the King as it seemes afterwards Who with their ring-leaders came proudly before the Citie of Yorke and with vnciuile and rude tearmes they threatned the ruine and destruction of it But in the darkenesse of the night the Marques Montacute being accompanied with many lustie and braue men set vpon the Rebels slew many hundreds of them and strake off the Captaines head and strongly fortified that Citie When the King who was truely informed of this Rebellion was told this newes hee rested doubtfull whether his old friend the Marques had done this seruice to make an amends for his reuolt Sir Iohn Conyers captaine of the Rebels or else to colour his ill intendements thereby The Rebels who still increased perceiuing that they should loose their labour to linger about the Towne left the Citie and marched towards London being then conducted by Sir Iohn Conyors a worthie and a valiant Knight The King being hereof aduertised commanded the Lord William Herbert Earle of Pembroke and Humphrie Lord Stafford of Southweeke who was nominated in hope of future good seruice but not indeed created Earle of Deuonshire to leauie a strong power in Wales and with all expedition to fight with the Rebels And hee himselfe promised to assist them with a faire Armie The Lord Stafford ouerthrowne These Lords with eight or nine thousand men right well ordered and apointed marched towards these Rebels And as they drew neere to Northampton they vnderstood that they were not farre off Whereupon the Lord Stafford and Sir Richard Herbert a valiant Knight and brother to the Earle of Pembroke taking with them out of the whole Armie two thousand strong skilful Archers plotted a secret Ambush to take a view of the Northren Rebels as they passed by but as soone as they were gone beyond them these Archers rushed violently vpon their Rereward But the Rebels who were nimble and well ordered by their carefull Generall turned about stuck to their tacklings and with their greater numbers slew most of those Welchmen and the rest fled hastily to their owne Campe. An vnfortunate dissentiō And the next night by reason of an vnkind diuision which hapned betwixt the Lord Stafford and the Earle of Pembroke who at Banburie remoued him from a common Inne where hee vsed to lodge with an vnchaste Queane the Lord Stafford with his Archers departed from the Armie and left them to their fortunes among their foes This froward slinking away nothing at all dismaied the noble Earle though as he had iust cause he were much displeased thereat Banburie field but made him to resolue with the more alacritie and courage to set vpon the Rebels with whom hee fought the next day and with his Welshmen saw many tokens of victorie neere at hand But suddenly a Gentleman named Iohn Clapham and seruant to the Earle of Warwicke hauing his masters Banner with the white Beare trouped towards the battaile with fiue hundred men who were by him collected of the off-skumme of the rascall and basest sort of the inhabitants of the Towne of Northampton and of the villages thereabout All these presenting themselues afarre off and aduancing their Standard and crying A Warwicke A Warwicke A policie so incredibly daunted and confounded the Welshmen who supposed that the Earle of Warwicke was come thither with another Armie The Kings forces are ouerthrowen 5000. men slaine that they began to flie and were on the sudden ouerthrowen and more then fiue thousand of them were slaine And Sir Richard Harbert and eight others being taken prisoners were beheaded at Banburie by the Rebels This fortunate successe animated sundrie leaud and ill disposed people of Northamptonshire to enter into new broiles insomuch that they making a notorious Rascall named Robin of Riddisdale The Queenes father is beheaded by the Rebels their Captaine entred into the Manour of Grafton where they apprehended the Earle Ryuers whom they loued not and Sir Iohn his sonne caried them to Northampton and without questioning with them or any legall proceeding smote off their heads The Lord Stafford beheaded The King marcheth towards the Rebels The Duke of Clarence and the Earle of Warwicke doe some with the Rebels And the Lord Stafford being by the Kings directions taken at Brentmarsh in Somersetshire was caried to Bridgewater and was there executed because hee trecherously departed with his companies from the Earle of Pembroke as formerly we haue heard The King notwithstanding these troubles was so full of courage and heroicall magnanimitie that hee was not any thing at all dismaied with any crosse or ill newes but marched confidently with his Armie against the Northerne Rebels to whom the Earle of Warwicke had ioined himselfe with a great power and likewise the Duke of Clarence brought all his forces to the Earle so that now a fearfull expectation of vnchristian crueltie disquieted the vast and great body of the
in law Charles Duke of Burgoine to prohibit his subiects and his friends from giuing to the said Earle any aide Warwicke is enuied by the Duke of Burgoine helpe or succour and with a Nauie to surprise him The Duke willingly consented to the Kings request First because the said Earle opposed himselfe against his mariage with the Ladie Margaret the Kings sister Secondly because the said Earle loued Lewys the French King whom the Duke mortally hated And lastly because the Earle was so generally beloued of the English Nation that when he was at home he clipped the wings of the Kings authoritie in his owne Kingdome When the Duke of Clarence and the Earle of Warwicke came before Calice Clarence and Warwicke â—eateaâ—â—â—â— at Calice The Duchesse deliuered 〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 the 〈…〉 Mâ—nsieur de Vawcler made Câ—ptaine of Calice A peâ—â—iâ—n is giuen him hauing their wiues and many other Ladies and Gentlewomen with them in stead of friendly entertainment the Earles vnkinde Deputie Monsieur de Vawcler kept their ships off with the great Ordinance of the Castle And though the Duchesse was in ship boord deliuered of a sonne yet would hee not permit that it should be landed or Christned there neither would hee affoord any thing needfull and necessarie in that extremitie to the said distressed Ladie The King tooke so much ioy to heare of this good newes that forthwith by his Letters Patents hee granted the chiefe Captainship of that place to the said Deputie And the Duke of Burgoine so thanked him that he gaue him an yearely pension of one thousand Crownes Yet for all this Monsieur de Vawcler was so vncertaine in all his dealings towards the King that hee aduised the said Earle to direct his course to the King of France and promised to yeeeld vnto him a good account for Calice when time and opportunitie should it require This counsell gaue some hope and contentment to the Earle who intending to do as he directed lanched his ships into the sea The Earle of Warwicke taketh the Duke of Burgoines subiects at Sea The French King is gratious to the Lords where hee met with diuers of the Duke of Burgoines subiects fully loaden with great varietie of rich merchandises of all sorts all which he rifled and tooke away and landed at the Towne of Deepe and from thence by the French Kings inuitation they came to the Castle of Amboys which standeth vpon the riuer of Loyer where hee met them receiued them cheerefully feasted them with great bountie supplied their present wants and faithfully promised to aid and to assist them when time should serue with his best meanes all which hee did not in regard of any grounded loue towards them but because he knew that they were enemies to his enemies King Edward the Duke of Burgoine Queene Margaret and Prince Edward her son together with Iaspar sometimes Earle of Pembroke some others who with him had broken prison in England were fled into France vnderstanding that the Duke of Clarence the Earle of Warwick and others of their friends were friendly entertained in the French Court repaired to them New plotting against K. Edward where they entred into new conferences and communications for the restoring of K. Henry to his Crowne Kingdome and solemnly tooke their oathes neuer voluntarily to leaue each other vntill they had done their best to effect the same And the Earle of Warwicke to make his own part the stronger gaue his second daughter in mariage to Prince Edward Prince Edward maried to Warwickâ—s second daughter This mâ—riage mâ—keth Clarence a secret enemie to Warwicke whereof when the Duke of Clarence had deliberately considered and thought what might be the sequell of this businesse hee euidently foresaw that this mariage and their newly intended warres would be the vtter confusion of him and of the whole familie and house of Yorke For Kings doe alwaies looke with a iealous eie vpon all such as by any possibilitie may lay any leuell towards their Crowne This consideration not without good cause made him very distrustfull of his own fortunes And to preuent a great mischiefe which as hee thought began to threaten him and his estate his loue his heart began secretly to forsake the Earle of Warwicke and that Faction insomuch that hee gaue priuate intelligence to his brother King Edward Clarence his mâ—ssage to the King that at their landing within the Kingdome of England he would be but a faint and a weake enemie in those affaires Thus when those Lords had concluded to returne The Lâ—rds prâ—â—â—â— fâ—rth for England they were with all expedition well furnished with men munition money ships and all things fitting by the French King But being in a readinesse to passe out of the Riuer of Seyne the Burgundians met them with a strong Fleet at the mouth of that Riuer and purposed to defeat them if they might But an euening storme approching with vnwonted rage and furie The Burgundians drowned compelled the Burgundians to runne into the Sea where many of them were drowned some were driuen into Scotland and the rest being all dispersed laboured and toiled hardly to saue themselues The Earle of Warwicke who by letters some few daies before receiued from his friends was certified that his landing was hourely expected and sufficient strength prouided to backe him and his although they came destitute of all other helpes and succours determined to loose no time but making a present benefit to himselfe and his of the Burgundians mishap and hard fortune and leauing the Queene and the Prince her sonne behinde him the next morning entred into the Sea and with much speed and safetie he landed with all his companies and friends at Dartmouth in Deuonshire The Lords doe land at Dartmouth The King was too secure from whence hee gaue speedie notice of his arriuall to his dearest and nearest friends The King so much relied vpon the bold seruice intended by the Burgundians Fleet and not knowing what shipwracke and dammage it had receiued made no preparation at all either to withstand their arriuall or to encounter them after they were landed but hauked hunted and solaced himselfe according to his humour and wonted fashion in the societie and companie of young Ladies and faire maidens to whom his affections were more obliged then to the warres Warwickes Proclamation But the Earle of Warwicke marshalled his small companie in good order and by publike Proclamations which he made in King Henries name he required all men to repaire vnto his aide with money victuall armour and all things needfull for that purpose and valiantly to fight against the Duke of Yorke who as hee affirmed by meere vsurpation and bloudie tyrannie vntruly and falsly called himselfe King He hath a â—uge Armie This politicke practise within few daies increased his small companies to a huge Armie with which they marched towards London And such were the quicke
and had finished his owne troubles and that he would with carefull diligence make good prouision to defend himselfe Thus liuing in hope of her liking and pleasing himselfe by yeelding to her request hee disposed himselfe wholly in making all needfull preparations to resist But whilest he was thus busied hee was informed by such Flatterers as neuer ceased to abuse him that his Arch-enemie the Earle of Richmond and his coadiutors receiued such small comfort of the French King that all their hopes were vanished and that they were so infinitely oppressed with many wants that hee needed not to feare any opposition which they could make This newes was by him so quickly credited False newes makes him secure that too much securitie made him carelesse to proceed nay he discharged all his Garrisons which formerly with great charge and trauaile he had placed neere vnto the Sea-coasts so that we may by the way make this profitable vse thereof A note that such is the strength of Gods iudgements and iustice that wicked and vngodly men are euermore least heedfull and vigilant for their own safetie and good when punishments are neerest at hand to correct them for their greeuous offences and transgressions against God Whilest these things were thus acting in England the Earle of Richmond was informed that his Ladie and her sisters were by their mother deliuered into King Richards hands that his own Queen was suddenly found dead and that the old Lecherer made loue and daliance to the Ladie Elizabeth who was the anchor and the stay of all his hopes Richmond saileth into England being aided by the French King Wherefore it is not to be wondred at that now with more then wonted importunitie he sollicited the young French King and his Counsell for present aid And to say the truth so gratiously was he fauoured by them all that he obtained a quicke supplie of money ships armour artillerie and two thousand men to make triall if his fortune had determined that he should weare a Crowne With this little but resolued companie hee arriued and landed at Milford Hauen in Waies when he was least thought on He landeth where hee saw no great appearance of such succours as he hoped for But when the Welshmen were put in minde that being the sonne of Owen Tuthar hee was of their owne bloud The Welshmen do sticke vnto him and would bee an especiall fauourer of them all and that his mariage with the Ladie Elizabeth would settle the whole estate of this Kingdome in perfect vnitie and in peace they flocked vnto him and thronged about him with resolued mindes and willing hearts vnder their skilfull and hardie Captaines among which Iohn Sauage Arnold Butler Richard Griffith Iohn Morgan and Rice Aâ— Thomas were the chiefe To him also repaired Sir George Stanley More aid who conducted the power and strength of the young Earle of Shrewesburie he being then in ward which consisted of two thousand men Sir Walter Hungerford and Sir Thomas Bourchier two valiant and worthie Leaders of many a lustie man presented vnto him their seruice so did Thomas Lord Stanley father in law to the said Earle of Richmond who was accompanied with fiue thousand fighting men K. Richards people reuolt All these forces were first leuied and prouided for King Richards aide but God who purposed to correct and punish him for his fore passed wicked deeds conuerted their hearts made them to reuolt from a Tyrant and to submit themselues to a more lawfull power whereat King Richard greeued and tormented him selfe in vaine Yet hauing leuied an Armie of more then twentie thousand few of which besides his true friend Iohn Duke of Norfolke and his followers remained firme and faithfull he marched against his enemies fully resoluing to cast all his fortunes in the aduenture of one battaile K Richard is deâ—perate thereby to establish himselfe without further feare in his Kingdome or else by his death in the open field to conclude the wofull tragedie of his wicked life Iohn Duke of Norfolke And albeit that many practises were daily vsed to haue withdrawen the Duke of Norfolke from King Richards seruice yet none of them preuailed Wherefore to make him iealous and diffident of the case wherein he stood the night before the two Armies ioined this ryme was fixed vpon his chamber doore Iacke of Norfolke be not too bold For Dickon thy master is bought and sold Yet for all this he persisted loyall vntill his death and the next morrow being the two and twentieth day of August and in the third yeare of King Richards raigne Bosworth field at Bosworth in Lecestershire the two Armies met and encountred each other and fought for the space of two houres But when King Richard perceiued that the smallest number of his souldiers contended to winne the victorie and that the residue of them either cowardly left the field or reuolted to his enemie or stood as Neuters intending to ioine with him who was best likely to ouercome despairing of his fortune and knowing that death was readily prepared to attache him K. Richard is valiant he left his owne Armie and dashing his spurres into his horses sides he rushed furiously into the Earles battaile and with his sword he desperately made himselfe a free passage vntill he was strongly encountred by Sir William Brandon who was Standard-bearer to the Earle him he slew valiantly And then singling out Sir Iohn Cheyney a right hardie man in armes by meere courage and fine strength he tumbled him to the ground and came to the Earle of Richmond The Earle of Richmond staieth King Richard with whom he fought with desperate resolution hand to hand vntill hee was by him slaine And thus by his death this mortall quarrell ended the Earle hauing lost in this battaile not aboue one hundred men and King Richard about one thousand among which the Duke of Norfolke was the chiefe When King Richard was thus slaine his carrion carcase being found starke naked in the field His bodie rudely vsed and being wounded and filthily polluted with dirt and goarie bloud was cast vpon a horse backe behinde a Pursuiuant at Armes Gods iudgement on a wicked murderer to bee carried to the Towne of Lecester his head and his hands hanging downe on the one side and his legges on the other side like a calfe and there it was interred with as base a funerall as was bestowed vpon his two Nephewes in the Tower His Crowne being found among the spoiles and dead men in the field The Earle of Richmond is crowned in the field was brought to the Earle of Richmond by his father in law the Lord Stanley who with the generall acclamations of the people who shouted for ioy and cried King Henrie King Henrie crowned him therewith in the open field And then the Earle with all his Armie in the field gaue heartie and humble thankes to Almightie God for this
they knew that Perkin was a counterfet The Scots inuade England vnder a colour to aide Perkin Warbecke yet they reioiced that opportunitie had offred them that occasion to inuade England not to make a conquest thereof nor to helpe Warbecke but only by valuable booties and large spoiles to enrich themselues Whereupon the young King being accompanied with his foolish guest and many thousands of lustie and tall men marched forth and entred into Northumberland where they exercised all kinde of rigour violence and wrong burning robbing Their crueltie rifling stealing and spoiling in all places and destroying with the sword both young and old strong and feeble healthie and infirme rich and poore with such barbarous inhumanitie and strange crueltie as neuer was committed before by that Nation And as soone as they had almost desolated all that Prouince finding no helpe nor succour from the English to assist their new King they returned into Scotland and neglected to giue vnto him any more aide King Henry vnderstanding what rapine spoile and violence was done by the Scots vnto his people and being sicke vntill hee had requited those wrongs with seuere and sharpe reuenge A puissant Armie is leuied to goe into Scotland summoned his High Court of Parliament in which it was concluded that forthwith an Armie should be sent against those enemies lest perhaps long forbearance might encourage them at another time to doe the like mischiefe And for the maintenance of those warres a small taxe or subsidie was granted to the King A Taxe which occasioned a rebellion which occasioned him much trouble The King who vsed great expedition in this businesse raised a puissant Armie which hee committed to the charge and gouernment of his Chamberlaine Giles Lord Dawbeney who was a wise and a valiant man But no sooner was this Armie on foot marching towards the North but suddenly it was recalled to withstand as great a mischiefe which otherwise might giue a deadly blow to the state of this Kingdome and Common-weale For the Cornishmen who were strong stout and couragious The Cornishmen rebell yet poore and oppressed with many wants not onely refused to pay the said Subsidie and taxe but in a braine-sicke and sullen humour they accused Iohn Morton Archbishop of Canterburie and Sir Reinold Bray who were two of the grauest wisest and most honest Counsellors aboue others to the King that they as enemies to their Countrey oppressed the inferiour sort and were prollers pillers and pollers for their priuate commoditie and gaine And that they seduced the King by leaud aduice and bad directions and were the Authors of much euill And that therefore they would take it on themselues not onely to remoue them from the King but also to correct and punish them as euill doers and as foes and enemies to their Natiue Countrey and Common-weale And pleasing their vnaduised passions with this fantasticall and vntruly grounded resolution they by the prouokement and incitation of Michael Ioseph a sturdie Blacke-smith and of Thomas Flamocke a man learned in the Law yet factious and of a tumultuous disposition put themselues in Armes and determined to effect their purpose though with violence yea in the presence of the King Wherefore hauing augmented their numbers and hoping that as they marched a long iourney so their forces would daily bee increased and nothing doubting but that according to the common voice and fame the Kentishmen would bee partakers with them in their Rebellion They march towards London The Lord Audley is their chiefe Captaine they pressed and passed forth towards London and in their iourney were much comforted by Iames Twichet Lord Audley who with many others being his adherents ioined with those Rebels and gained from them the chiefest authoritie to command In this meane while the King perceiuing their intentions and hauing recalled his Armie which was trauelling towards the North handled this businesse with such policie that hee would not suffer one man to moue one foot towards the West for these especiall reasons First because that on better termes hee should encounter with them when they had wasted their best strength and tired out themselues with a wearisome and with a tedious iourney And secondly because those Rebels being so farre off from home should bee altogether destitute of kinsfolkes and of friends to releeue them and of conuenient places of Retrait if necessitie should compell them thereunto The Kentishmen are against them The Cornishmen after much labour and paine comming into Kent not onely failed of their expected aide but also found the Kentishmen armed resolued to withstand their force and by their best endeuours to subdue them Yet were not the audacious and bold Cornishmen affrighted with this checke but retired strongly to Blacke-heath Black-heath field not many miles from London intending there to abide the vtmost of their fortune and either like men to be victorious or at a deare price to sell their liues The King with his Armie drawing neere towards them diuided it into three parts Two of them hee placed vpon the sides of the Rebels and those were commanded and directed by Iohn Earle of Oxford Henry Bourchier Earle of Essex Edmund de la Pole Earle of Suffolke Sir Rice ap Thomas Sir Humfrey Stanley and diuers others The King himselfe led the third and brauely charged the Rebels in the face and the residue did the like on eyther side The Rebels are ouerthrowne and though the poore sturdie and stout Cornishmen were oppressed with multitudes on euerie part yet they fainted not but fought like men for a long time stil pressing forth and making no staie but as they were compelled by the sword The Lord Dawbenie was at length taken prisoner by them but they enlarged him incontinently of their owne accord thinking by his meanes to find some mercie This fight and battaile was couragiously maintained for some houres during which space there were slaine on the Kings part about three hundred and of the Rebels more then two thousand Their chiefest Captaines and manie hundreds besides were taken Prisoners the rest fledde and King Henrie wonne the field And within few dayes after Traitors heads and quarters set vp in Cities in townes the Ring-leaders of that rebellious insurrection were in sundrie places of this Realme executed as Traitors and their heads and quarters were sent and disposed in sundrie Townes Cities and Castles of this Realme for a terrour to all such as should attempt the like enormious offence against their Soueraigne Now must we be informed that though the King had recalled the Lord Dawbenie and his Armie to withstand these Rebels yet hee knew that the young King of Scots in the meane time expecting punishment except he could by force of Armes auoid it made great prouision and daily preparations to defend himselfe Which forces would againe inuade the Northerne parts of this Kingdome assoone as they were informed of King Henries imploiment
her vpon the bodie of the Ladie Katherine Aunt to the Emperour and who had sometimes beene his brother Prince Arthurs wife And from this doubt and from this scruple which before that time was not thought on infinite vexation and trouble did ensue as in this discourse it shall appeare For thereupon the Kings Confessor Doctor Longland Bishop of Lincolne and many other profound Diuines informed the King that almost twentie yeares hee had liued incestuously with the Queene and that now for his conscience sake he ought truly and heartily to repent for that great sinne and to leaue her bed The Cardinallis Ambassador for France The Cardinall who as hee thought had a long time laien lazily at home would now be gadding into France in an Ambassage to the French King the substance whereof was only knowen to the King and him And at his departure the King in the presence of all his Lords embraced him as his familiar friend He is made proud And at that time such was his great estate that passing thorow the Citie of London he was attended by twelue hundred horse And when he came to Calice hee was receiued with as much honour as by the Towne and Garrison could be presented vnto him And at Bulleine among many other deuices to magnifie his greatnesse hee was entertained with two ridiculous Pageants Two ridiculous Pageants 1. In the one of them there was a Nunne called the holy Church vnto whose person and chastitie three Spaniards and three Amaines attempted to offer violence but by a Cardinall she was rescued and deliuered from them all 2. And in the other there was represented a Pope lying on the ground and an Emperour sitting in an Imperiall Throne but a Cardinall plucked him from his seat raised the Pope and placed him therein The French king meeteth him From Bolleine as he came towards Amyens he was met vpon the way by the Prouost and the most substantiall Citizens on horsebacke and by them he was saluted and reuerenced as a King And when he came within halfe a mile of the Citie the King himselfe with his Nobles met him cheerefully embraced him and in a wonderfull and magnificent pompe conducted him to his lodging on the gates whereof was written in large and faire letters Cardinalis pacificus The peaceable Cardinall or The Cardinall of peace And at their departure the proud Cardinall would haue vouchsafed to haue brought the King to his Court but the King would not suffer him so to doe Thus Kings Nobles Times and Places conspired if it had beene possible to haue made him more proud whose heart was so haughtie that he supposed he could neuer be humbled and brought low Then daily almost for the space of three weekes together the French King his Counsell and the Cardinall with his Associates who were obscured by his greatnesse He concludes a peace as the Moone is by the direct opposition of the Sunne conferred seriously and in the end he concluded a peace betwixt the two Kings in the honour whereof and of the proud Cardinall the instrument in which the Articles of the said peace were contained was sealed with a seale purposely made of fine gold whereof he boastingly bragged the next Terme in the Starre-chamber affirming before the whole Assemblie that the peace which by him was concluded was such an absolute perfect and sound peace that it would continue in secula seculorum world without end But the people mutteringly repined thereat saying that England neuer long enioied any benefit by any peace which was concluded with the French whose propertie it was for their aduantage without cause to start aside from any thing which they had said and sworne to performe They also said that to enter into a fained league with the French King the Emperour and his friendship was abandoned and that old enemies were entertained and old friends were vnaduisedly by the Cardinals meanes cast off And therein they spake truly for by the Cardinals enticement and secret perswasions the King without good cause shewed himselfe an enemie to the Emperour and to the Flemings and vnto others of his people although the Emperour by all fitting and beseeming meanes had wooed him to obtaine and to keepe his loue By these iarres thus cunningly broached by the Cardinall in fauour of the Pope and of the French King the question touching the lawfulnesse or nullitie of the Kings mariage was smoothered for a while But not long after The mariage in question such as seemed to bee tender ouer the Kings conscience and prouident to establish the true succession of this Kingdome in a lawfull heire reuiued the scruple and therewithall so busied the Kings cogitations and thoughts that a religious sorrow began to seise vpon him And to auoid the continuance in that incestuous sinne vntill by a iudiciall sentence the doubts were cleared hee refrained from the Queenes bed And the Cardinall to make himselfe more great then he was procured a commission from the Pope to bee directed to him A power Legantine is granted and vnto his ancient brother Campeius that before them as supreme Iudges that question by legall processes and proceedings might bee heard debated on and censured according to the Lawes of God and the Lawes of man These two Legates hauing receiued this commission informed the Queene of their authoritie and power Wolsey is accused and shee in some passion accused Wolsey as the principall brocher of that doubt and the maintainer of that contention partly to bee reuenged thereby vpon her Nephew the Emperour because he would not make him Pope as secretly he had requested him and partly because often times in a most secret louing and gentle fashion shee had admonished and warned him of his couetousnesse and tyrannie of his extortions and oppressions and of his pride and lecherie But hee excused himselfe as if he had beene an honest man The Queene chooseth Counselors The King pretending nothing in this businesse but Truth sinceritie and iustice according to the Lawes of God and Man was well contented that the Queene should make choise of the greatest Clerkes and of the best learned men within his Kingdome to defend and to maintayne her cause Whereupon hee elected William Warham Archbishop of Canterburie And Nicholas West Bishop of Ely who were Doctors of the Lawes and Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Henrie Standish Bishop of Alssaph who were Doctors of Diuinitie and some others And they as occasions did require did for her asmuch therein as by wit and learning could be done Now for the prosecuting of this businesse the two Legates caused a stately Court to be erected at the Black-fryers in the great Hal In which for them were placed two Chaires and two great Cushions The King and Queene are summoned couered ouer with cloth of gold And at the appointed day the two Legates tooke their places but the Cardinal of Yorke as his custome was preferred his
for other lands Policie with his Nobles and Gentrie of his Kingdome many of whose Estates at this day doe wholly consist of possessions of that nature or else are greatly aduanced by those lands This hauocke thus made on Churchmen and of their possessions proceeded not as most men thought from the loue which the King bare vnto the reformation of Religion out of extraordinarie deuotion nor from the puritie of his minde desiring the extirpation of that wickednesse and sinne which indeede abundantly raigned and ruled among those irreligious religious men but from the couetous humour of his Nobles and from the secret grudge and vnreconcileable hatred which he bare vnto the Pope But thus the world then fared and thus was the Church pared and pruned and made a prey euery bird being desirous to beautifie her selfe with her faire feathers Cromwels match for the King with Anne of Cleue When the Lord Cromwel had thus effected that great businesse then he vndertooke another which in the end brake his owne necke For vpon his perswasiue motions strengthened by the view of flattering pictures and of vnmerited immoderate commendations the King tooke to wife the Ladie Anne of Cleue who was exceeding religious and replenished with many vertues but in her person and countenance she was neither well composed faire nor louely The King likes not his match Her religion and her vertues were not much respected by the King For when he first saw her he liked her not insomuch that albeit he were maried vnto her foure moneths and somwhat more yet his amorous appetite towards her was so amated and so insensible was he of wanton passions when he was priuate in her companie that he neuer did nor could know her as his wife Whereupon the Bishops and Clergie of this Land who for feare of after-claps were well pleased to daunce after the Kings pipe in their solemne Conuocation His mariage is dissolued published an authenticall Instrument in writing vnder the Scales of the two Arch-bishops by which they made it knowen to the Christian world that the Kings mariage with the said Ladie Anne of Clene was a nullitie void frustrate and of none effect because the said Ladie vnder her owne hand had vpon due examination confessed that the king neuer had nor could performe to her that beneuolence which by a husband was due vnto his wife The like sentence was enacted pronounced and published by the Parliament with these additions that it was lawfull for his Maiestie whensoeuer and with whomsoeuer to marie and to take another wife according to the Ecclesiasticall Lawe of this Realme and likewise that it was lawfull for the said Ladie Anne of Cleue to marie and take another husband when shee should please according to the Lawes of the holy Church Treason And further it was then enacted that all such as by writing printing speaking or by any other ouert act did expresse or maintaine the contrary should be guiltie of Treason and receiue punishment accordingly The King who was thus enlarged and freed from his bonds of discontented matrimonie tooke to wife within twentie daies after Katherine Howard the daughter of the Lord Edmund Howard The King marieth againe The King frowneth on Cromwel brother to the Duke of Norfolke and from thenceforth he began to alter the copie of his countenance and looked discontentedly vpon his great fauourite and inward Counsellor the Lord Cromwel who had fettered him in those his former troubles And because this alteration in the King was quickly perceiued by many who longed for his ruine and his downefall a long and a tedious Bill by some of them was vnexpectedly preferred against him into the Parliament Cromwels downefall in which rather in a generalitie then by many particulars hee was accused of sundrie Treasons Misprisions and of Heresie And among other obiections laid vnto his charge it was suggested that ioining with the last Queene Anne hee fauoured the Lutherans aboue measure and so strongly supported them against the Catholike Priests and Prelates of this Kingdome that when by some of the Clergie hee was told that they doubted not but that the King would shortly curbe their boldnesse and presumption the said Lord Cromwell did replie that the King should allow of their Religion whether he would or no. But how true or how false soeuer these surmises were the said bill was found Yet was hee not called to make his answere or defence thereto so that being by the said Parliament attainted of Heresie and of Treason He with the Lord Hungerford was beheaded on a scaffold on the Tower hill whereat his enemies did reioyce some of them attributing the cause to his haughtinesse and pride and some of them affirming that it was Gods reuenge and punishment for his hatefull defacing and wasting of the Church The Lord Leonard Gray executed And neare about the same time the Lord Leonard Gray who not long before had beene the kings deputie in Ireland was condemned for many treasons by him committed in that Countrie during the time of his Gouernement especially for that secretly he had once procured the Irish Rebels to enter into and to make havock within the English Pale all which hee of his owne accord confessed to bee true wherefore hee receaued his iudgement and lost his head The King who was but newly married to Queene Katherine was now informed by some who presumed that they knew it wel that before her mariage with the King Queene Katherine beheaded shee had liued a licentious and an euill life with a Gentleman named Francis Dyrham And furthermore it was much presumed and suspected that since shee was the Kings wife Francis Dyrham Thomas Culpeper The Lady Rochford shee had vnchastly conversed with another Gentleman whose name was Thomas Culpeper for it was fully proued that in her last Progresse the said Thomas was secretly brought by the Ladie Rochford into the Queenes chamber at eleuen of the clock in the night and that hee remayned there almost fiue hours And that at his departure he was gifted with a chaine of gold and a rich wrought cap. For these offences the said two Gentlemen at Tyborne suffered death And not long after the Queene by Parliament was attainted and so was the Lady Rochford and some others and lost their heads for the said offence And in the same Parliament King of Ireland The King marieth againe the King was proclaimed King of Ireland which Title his Predecessors neuer had The King likewise tooke to wife the Lady Katherine Parre sister to the Marques of Northampton and sometimes the wife of the Lord Lattimer who in the latter end of the Kings raigne was in a faire possibilitie to haue lost her head if her owne vertue modestie and the Kings sodaine sicknesse and death had not reserued her for a better fortune At this time Eustace the Great Oneyl and Matthias his sonne repaired to the Kings Court and with