A mis-leâ— King and a memorable PARLIAMENT THis present occasion so opportunely befitting me I am resolved to treat of that which hath been omitted and slipped out of memory long since concerning divers and sundry changes and alterations in England in former times Nor will it be any wayes burthensome to write of that whereby every good and carefull Reader may learne to avoid diversities of miseries and the danger and feare of cruell death I will therefore speake of that which hath laine hid in the darksome shade of forgetfulnesse concerning men who have been led away by the deceitfull path oâ— Covetousnesse and have come to a most shamefull and ignominious death a famous example to deterre all men from practising those or the like courses ABout the yeare of Christ 1386. at such time as Richard the second of that name then in prime of his youth swayed the Imperiall Sâ—â—â—â—er of our Realme there flourished famous in his Court certaine Peeres though some of them not of any honourable descent yet favoured by fortunes by name Alexander Neâ—il Archbishop of Yorke Robert Veeâ—e D. of Ireland Michael de la Poole Earle of Suffolke then Lord Chancellour Robert Tressilian Lord chiefe Justice of England and Nicholas Brambre sometimes Major of London These men being raised from mean estates by the speciall favour of the King and advanced to the degree of privie Counsellours were the men who had the only rule of the Common-wealth which they under the King governed for some small space with carefull diligence meriting thereby deserved commendations But not long did they thus steere the Ship of the Kingdome for many of them being of inferiour ranke by birth not having their veines dignified with the streames of noble blood they were the sooner enticed with the fibidinous baits of voluptuousnesse and infected with insatiable itch of avarice insomuch that despising the authority of the King and neglecting the commodity of the Realme but onely desiring to keep up the Revenues of the Kingdome so wrought that by their policie the King is impoverished the Treasury exhausted the Commons murmure at the multiplicity of Tenths Levies and Subsidies the Peeres repine to see themselves disgraced and their inferiours honored and in a word the whole Kingdome endures an universall misery The Nobility seeing the miserable estate wherein the Kingdome lay bleeâ—ing as it were to death urged their King to summon a Parliament which was done shortly after In which amongst many other Acts the afore-named Michael de la Poole is dismist of his Chancellorship and being accused of divers and many points of injustice as Bribery Extortion and the like he was soon cast into the Castle of Windsor and all his lands which were of no small Revenue were consiseated to the King Neither did the Parliament here give over but provided further for the whole State by the mutuall consent of the King and Prelates Barons and Commons with an unanimous conjunction they constitute and give plenary and absolute power to certaine Commissioners as well of the Spiritualty as Temporalty for the ordering and disposing of the publique affaires according as shall seem best and most necessary for the desperate estate of the Common-wealth to depresse civill dissentions and to pacisie and appease the grudgings of the people Of the Spiritualty were chosen the Archbishop of Canterbury the aforenamed Bishop of York the Bishop of Ely lately made Chancelor of England the Bishop of Winchester Bishop of Hereford Lord Treasurer Bishop of Exeter Abbot of Waltham and the Lord Iohn of Waltham Of the Laity were elected the Duke of York the Earle of Arundel the Lord Goltham the Lord Scroop and Iohn Devoureux Knight these as men eminent in vertue were chosen by the generall Suffrage and sworn to carry themselves as dutifull and obedient subjects in all their actions And it was further enacted That if any should refuse or disobey the Ordinances so made for publick good the punishment of his first offence should be the cosiscation of his goods and for the second the losse of life Thus disposing of all things for the best the Parliament being dissolved euery man returned to his owne house Soon after the afore-named Chancelor with others of their consederates being moved with implacable fury against the Statute of the late Parliament they buzzed into the Kings eares that the Statutes lately enacted were very prejudiciall to the honour of his Crowne and much derogatory to his Princely Prerogative insomuch that he should not have power without the consent of the new-appointed Commissioners to doe any thing befitting a King no not so much as to bestow a largesse a principall meanes to gain the peoples love upon any though never so well deserving By these and other the like impious instigations with which the Divel as never unmindful of the end of those who by their lives do prove themselves did continually supply them they practised to annihilate and disanull these Acts of the Parliament which seemed any wayes to abbreviate or curb their usurped authority And first by their serpentine tongues ambitious projects flattery painted out with glosing discourses and covered over with the shadow of vigilanâ—â—â— for the good of the Kingdome they so be witched the noble inclination of the youthfull King whom they induced to beleeve that all the ill they did was a generall good that he began to distalte and at last to abhorte the last passed Acts as treacherous plots and most wicked devices Next they studied how to ingrosse all or the most part of the wealth and riches of the Kingdome into their own coffers and to the same end dealt so cunningly yet pleasingly with the King that hee gave to the D. of Ireland Iohn of Bloys the heir of the Dutchy of Britaine and his ransome to others Townes to others Cities to others Lands to others Money amounting to the summe of 100000 Markes to the great impoverishment both of King and Kingdome neither did these King-eaters and Realm-devourers any thing regard it but setting unskilfull and insufficient Captaines and Governours over Townes and Forts so obtained gave occasion to the enemies of the Crowne to surprise them and dispossesse the King of them Thirdly vilifying the dignity of the King contrary to their allegeance they drew the King to sweare that with all his power during his life hee should maintain and desend them from all their enemies whether forraigne or domestick Fourthly whereas it was enacted by the last Parliament that the King at certain seasonable times and when his leasure would permit him should sit at Westminster with his Councell there to consult of the publique affaires through the perswasions of the aforesaid Conspirators hee was drawne into the most remotest parts of the Realme to the great disparagement of the fidelity of those honorable grave and faithfull Peeres late made joynt Commissioners in whose hands the whole safety and prosperity of the Common-wealth did recide And when as the Lord Chancelour the
like a Hive of Bees or a flocke of Cattell without a head without any stroke given they flung down their Armes and yeelded themselves to the mercy of the Appellants and a few being slaine and some drowned in the river gave an easie victory to the Conquerours When the newes of the victory was blowne to the eares of the rest of the conspirators who were then stricken with feare and carefull for their preservation under covert of the night they fled by water to the Tower drawing the King along with them On the other side Nicholas Brambre with a bold and resolute courage in the Kings name caused all the gates of the Citie to be shut against the Apellants and to be guarded with an able and sufficient Watch But these worthy and dauntlesse members of the Common-wealth marched towards London to confer with the King but when they heard that the said Nicholas Brambre had caused the gates of the Citie to be shut against them and to be strongly guarded and that the whole Citie did purpose to keep them out they stayed their resolution On the 27 day of September they encamped themselves in Clarkenwell within the liberties of the Citie of London And when as the Major with the Citizens came unto them with pleasing words promising unto them all that the Citie could affoord with reason and equity the Duke of Glocester said Now I know that liers speak nothing but lies neither can any man hinder them from the relating whereupon by a joynt consent in the evening they removed their tents and pitched them before divers gates of the Citie On the morrow there happened an enterview between the King and the Appellants so far that they opened their mindes one to the other but because the King loathed to speak with them with such a rabble of men and in regard of an intolerable boldnes some quarrell which was like to arise and on the other side refusing to go out of the Tower to speak with them and the Appellants fearing some violence or wrong to be offered to them would not speak with the king without a strong guard of valiant warriors Therefore the most wise of the Appellants after divers disputations had resolved to go and confer with the King but first they sent a strong Troop well armed to search al the Corners Caves of the Tower and relation being made of the safety of the place with a selected band of valiant Cavaliers they entred the Tower and seizing the gates placing a guard appeared before the King and there the third time appealed the aforesaid conspirators in the same sort and forme as before which appellation being ended the King swore That he would adhere to their counsell as a good King and a just Judge so farre as the rule of Law Reason and Equity did require Then it was published and made knowne in the presence of the King and throughout the Dominions that on the morrow after Candlemas day the aforesaid conspirators should personally appeare to answere to the appellation whereby they were charged of so many treasons They expulsed divers of the Officers of the Houshold viz. in the place of John Beauchamp Steward of the Houshold they appointed John Devonvex Knight one of the Commissioners Peter Courtney Knight was made Chamberlaine in stead of Robert Duke of Ireland And the foresaid John de Beauchamp Simon de Burleigh Vice Chamberlaine Iohn Salisbury Thomas Trynet Iames Barats William Ellingham and Nicholas Nagworth Knights and Officers of the Clergy viz. Richard Mecford Secretary Iohn Blake Deane of the Chappell John Lincolne Chancellor of the Exchequer and Iohn Clifford Clerke of the Chappell were kept under arrest too and were as partakers in the aforesaid Treason for that they knowing and having intelligence of the said Conspiracy they did not discover them And thus this hideous brood of Monsters so often shaken was quite overthrowne And on the Vigill of the Purification of Saint Mary in the Privy Chamber at Westminster be joynt consent of all the Commissioners the aforesaid Iohn _____ Iohn Holt Roger Fulthorp William Burleigh Iohn Locton and Iohn Carey were displaced from their Offices and without any further adoe arrested of Treason and by the command of the Chancelor were clapt into the Tower and Roger Carleton in the place of Belknap Walter Clapton in the place of Tressilian were constituted The great Parliament began the second of February following in this manner All the Peeres as well of the Spiritualty as of the Temporalty being assembled in the great Hall at Westminster the King soone after came and sate downe in his Throne and after him appeared the five Noblemen Appellants the fame of whose admired worth ecchoed through all the Land entred the House in their costly robes leading one another hand in hand with an innumerable company following them and beholding where the King sate all at once with submissive gestures they reverenced the King Brambre was taken a little before and cast into the Gaole of Gloucester The Clergy then placing themselves on the right hand and the Nobility on the left hand of the King according to the ancient custome of the High Court of Parliament the Lord Chancelor standing with his back toward the King by the Kings command declared the cause of their summons to the Parliament which being ended the five aforesaid Appellants arising declared their aforesaid Appellation by the mouth of Robert Pleasington their Speaker who thus spake Behold the Duke of Gloucester comes to purge himselfe of treasons which are laid to his charge by the conspirators To whom the Lord Chancelor by the command of the King answered My Lord Duke the King conceiveth so honourably of you that he cannot be induced to beleeve that you who are of affinity to him in a collaterall line should attempt any treason against his sacred Majesty The Duke with his foure Companions upon their knees humbly gave thankes to the King for his gracious opinion of their fidelity Then after silence proclaimed they arose and delivered in certain Articles in writing wherein were contained the particularity of the Treason When the Articles were read the Appellants requested the King that sentence of condemnation might be given against the Conspirators and they to receive the guerdon of their deserts which the King promised to grant And when the third day came of their proceedings against the Conspirators the Lord Chancelor in the name of the Clergy in open Parliament made an Oration shewing that they could not by any meanes be present at the proceeding whereas there is any censure of death to be passed For the confirmation whereof they delivered in a Protestation which being read they spake That neither in respect of any favour nor for feare of any mans hate nor in hope of any reward they did desire to absent themselves but onely that they were bound by the Canon not to bee present at any mans arraignment or condemnation They likewise sent their
Protestation to the Chappell of the Abbey where the Commons sate which was allowed of And then when the Appellants called for justice against the Conspirators the Lords of the Spiritualty arose and went into the Kings Chamber neere adjoyning But the King being moved in conscience and in charity perceiving that in every worke they are to remember the end and being willing contrary to the rigour of the Law to favour rather these that were guilty then the actors in that Treason if they were able to alledge any thing in their defence caused the Processe to cease but the Peeres being earnest requested That no businesse past present or to come might be debated untill this Treason were adjudged to which Petition the King graciously granted his assent On the 11. day of February when nothing could be alledged nor no witnesse produced in justification of the conspirators but that the definitive sentence of Condemnation must be pronounced against them the aforesaid Iohn Devoreux Marshall of the Court and for that time the Kings Lieutenant adjudged them this heavie doome That the said Archbishop of York Duke of Ireland Earle of Suffolke Tressilian and Brambre should be drawne from the Tower to Tyborne and there to bee hanged upon a Gibbet untill they were dead and all their Lands and Goods to be confiscated that none of their posterity might be by them any way enriched On the 12. day of February which was the first day of Shrovetide Nicholas Brambre appeared in Parliament and being charged with the aforesaid Articles of Treason he craved favour to advise of Counsell learned and some longer time for his more full answer to his accusation But the Judges charged him to answer severally to every point in the Articles contained whereunto Brambre answered Whosoever hath branded me with this ignominious marke with him I am ready to fight in the Lists to maintaine my innocency whensoever the King shall appoint The Appellants hearing this couragious challenge with resolute countenance answered That they would willingly accept of the Combat and thereupon flung downe their Gages before the King and on a sudden the whole company of Lords Knights Esquires and Commons flung downe their Gages so thicke that they seemed like Snow in a Winters day crying out We also will accept of the Combat and will prove these Articles to be true to thy head most damnable Traytor and so they departed for that day And although the Appellants were not idle in the night yet on the next day to aggravate their Appellation against the Conspira ors there came divers companies of the City of London complaining of the manifold injuries they had suffered by Brambre and other Extortions and Exactions wherewith they had beene daily charged But before they proceed with his tryall they were stayed by most unfortunate Tressilian who being got upon the top of an house adjoyning to the Palace and had descended into a gutter onely to looke about him hee was discovered by certaine of the Peeres who presently sent some of the Guard to apprehend him who entring into the house where hee was and having spent long time in vaine in looking for him at length one of the Guard stept to the Master of the house and taking him by the shoulder with his dagger drawne thus said Shew us where thou hast hid Tressilian or else resolve thy dayes are accomplished the Master trembled ready to yeeld up the ghost for fare answered Yonder is the place where he lyes and shews him a round Table covered with branches of Bay under which Tressilian lay close covered when they had found him they drew him out by the heeles wondring to see him as Vipers use to weare his head and beard o're-grown with old clowted shooes and patched hose more like a miserable poore beggar then a Judge Tressilian being come into the Hall was asked what he could say for himselfe why judgement should not passe upon him for his treason so often committed he became as one that had beene strucke dumbe and his heart was as it were hardned to the very last and would not confesse himselfe guilty of any thing And for this cause the Parliament arose deferring Brambres tryall till the next day But Tressilian was without delay led to the Tower that he might suffer the execution of the sentence passed against him Immediately Tressilian is upon a hurdle and drawne thorow the streets of the City with a wonderfull concourse of people following him at every furlongs end he was suffered to stand still to rest himselfe and to see if hee would confesse and report himselfe of any thing but what hee said to the Fryer his Confessor is not knowne neither am I able to search it out when he came to the place of execution hee would not climbe the Ladder untill such time as being soundly beaten with bats and staves he was forced to goe up and when he was up he said so long as I doe weare any thing upon me I shall not dye wherefore the Executioner stripped him and found certaine Images painted like to the signes of Heaven and the head of a Devill painted and the names of many of the Devils wrote in parchment the exorcising toyes being taken away and he was hanged up naked and because the spectators should bee certainly assured that hee was dead they cut his throat and because the night approached they let him hang untill the next morning and then his wife having obtained a licence of the King tooke downe his body and carried it to the Grey-Fryers where it was buried On the morow sentence was likewise pronounced against Brambre who being drawne upon a hurdle from the Tower to Tyborne thorow the City shewed himselfe very penitent humbly craving mercy and forgivenesse at the hands of God and men whom he had so grievously offended and whom he had so injuriously wronged in time past and did earnestly desire them all to pray for him when the rope was about his necke ready to be turned off a certaine young man the sonne of one Northampton asked if he had done justice to his Father or not for Northampton was sometimes Maior of the City of London more wealthy and more substantiall then any else in the City him did Brambre Tresilian accuse of Treason and Conspiracie against the State and condemned him to die being dispoiled of his estate he himself at length hardly escaped to whom Brambre answered and confessed with bitter tears that what he did was most vile and wicked and with an intent onely to murder and overthrow the said Northampton for which craving pardon of the young man being suddenly turned off and the Executioner cutting his throat he dyed These men being dispatched the Parliament discontinued their proceedings against the rest of the Conspirators till a more convenient time and tooke into their considerations other more weighty affaires of the weale publicke they made the Earle of Arundell Lord Admirall giving him authority to resist