part of his armie led by the Lord Fitzwalter had possest it selfe of Ferribrig a passage over the River Aire of great import All they of Lancaster began carefully to looke to their affaires King Henry the Queene and Prince who were by their severall weakenesses unfit for action retired to Yorke there to attend the event of businesses The Armie being committed to the charge of the Duke of Sommerset the Earle of Northumberland and the Lord Clifford Among these it was resolv'd that Ferribrig in regard of the consequence of the place was at any hazard to be recovered and the enterprise left to the undertaking of Clifford who early the next morning least delay might betray his designe to the enemie with a competent number made thither and with such diligence and â—ecrecie hee Marcht that before there was the least suspition of an assault the uncircumspect guard was entred upon and defeated With which tumâ—lt the Lord Fitzwalter and the Bastard of Salisbury suspecting a mutanie among their owne Souldiers role hastily from their beds and comming downe encounterd a remorselesse enemie who denyed all quarter and on the place slew them The losse of this so coÌ„modious passage slaughter of such eminent persons came first to the eare of the Earle of Warwicke who somewhat too much transported with the evill fate of their first attempt posted in all haste to King Edward in whose presence he kil'd his horse and sayd Sir God have mercy on their soules who for love of you in the beginning of your enterprise have lost their lives yet let him flye who will flye by this crosse kissing the hilts of his sword I will stand by him who will stand by me fall backe fall edge Wordt certainely though mingled with a high resolution strangely distemperd and representing so much of danger as might have troubled the courage of the Armie And howsoever partiall history in mentioning the actions of great men will not allow them to participate with the vulgar in the weakenesses incident to humane nature yet every greatest Spirit hath his allay of imbecillitie The most knowing Scholler hath found a period beyond which his curious search could not move the wisest Politician hath discovered where he err'd and blusht at the mistake and the boldest souldier at some time hath soonâ— the Coward tremble in him We may bâ—iâ—ht endâ—vâ—rs raise nature somewhat above her â—râ—iltiâ— but never triumph over her till death And certainely Warwicke was too much â—â—â—â—â— at this accident but soone he setled â—â—â—â—selfe and by his stout compoâ—ment 〈…〉 fied thâ—s â—ainting armie But King Edward whose youth was beauâ—ified with valour and wisdome eveâ— to wonder â—o bâ—â—tly entertaind this sad reportiâ— and to oppose against any feare which might shake the Souldier caus'd immediate Proclamati doâ— to be made That it was lawfull for any man whom the present losse or feare of â—inâ—â—e danger discouragd safely to depart that whosoever should performe the dutie of a Souldier and fight manfully should have a certaine and a most large reward On the contrary to any manâ— who should continue in the Armie and hereafter flye away the severest punishment and liberty for any one to kill such a coward with promise of double pay No man accepted the offer of so contem'd a safety and indeede the body of his Armie consisted of Southerne men whose â—light had perhaps beene as unsafe as the present danger Moreover the example of the valiant perswaded the rest who blushtâ—o appeare single â—â— their feares whereby not being knowne they grew afterward to have equall title with the most daring to a glorious victory The King seeing the Spirit of his Armie so bold and so devoted to his service thought the losse of time might endanger the losse of his designe and thereupon resolv'd with that first convenience to bring his Fortune to the tryall of a battell The Lord Fauconbrige and Sir Walter â—â—â—â—â— in regard the Duke of Norfolke was then disabled by sicknesse had the leading of the vaâ—â—tguard who finding the passage of Forribrigâ—mpossible â—mpossible on the suâ—â—â—n â—o â—â—taine three miles by hand at â—â—stlâ— fâ—â—d paâ—â—â—â—â— Pâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—d sonne afâ—â—â— about â—â—â—dingâ—â—â—â— dâ—â—coveâ—â—â— the Lord Cliffâ—â—d whom they suddenly â—yeâ—â—â—â—â—â— and â—â—compast in vaine â—â—boring to retirâ— to the maine battell But hee perceiving no way to lead from his Enemies but through death â—â— with â—iâ— small Forces even to the envie of them who overcâ—me till shot with an aâ—â—ow through the â—â—â—oâ—te he perisht The Lord John Nâ—â—â—â—â— Soâ—â—â—â— in the Earle of Westâ—â—â—land with alâ—â—â—â— shall thâ—se â—â—â—â— forth hâ—â—â— troopes fell there with theiâ— laâ—â—dâ—â— the Lord Cliffâ—rd Who in too milde â— manner payd theâ— the great debt hee owed the murder â—â—â— the young Earle of Râ—tâ—aâ—d Next day being â—alme Sunday early in the morâ—â—â—â— both Armies came in sight A fatall meeting which like the union of the soule with the body â—â—ver paâ—â—â—â—â—â—â— by death The field was betweene Caxton and Tâ—â—tâ—n from the latter of which thiâ— battell afterward tooke name On full Survey of King Hâ—ncâ—â—s host so dreadfull in advantage of â—â—â—â—beâ— Reclamation was made in King Edwardâ—â—â—pe â—â—â—pe â—â—â—â—â—â— quarter should be given nor prisoner taken A â—â—cessary cruelty not to be avoyâ—â—â— but with danger of his owne ruine In regard otherwise the common Souldier might in hope of â—â—â—yle of the ransome of an enemie bee wanting to his duty It was about the houre of nine when the Armies drew neere threescore thousand for Lancaster for Yorke scarce forty thousand onely the presence and courage of King Edward made an equality The Lord Eauconbrige to whom the Van was committed and who was most able for the place when the fight was ready to begin charg'd his Archers soone as they had shot to fall three strides backe and make a stand whereby they might avoyd the arrowes of the Enemie which stratagem happen'd as was expected for the Northerne men with a sudden fury answered the on set and having emptied their quivers hasted to hand blowes But the Arrowes which they had discharged having never reacht them against whom they were shot turnd novv to their annoiance and trouble so far that the splinters of them sticking in the ground pâ—irst and gauld their feet and forc'd them to a confus'd stop In this trouble the Southerne men shot another flight and the vvind conspiring vvith their cunning blevv a tempest of haile and snovv into their faces by vvhich the Vantguard of King Henry led by the Earle of Northumberland and Andrew Trollop gave backe Yet did not the maine battell tremble vvith this motion but as if the enemie had gain'd no advantage continued vvith the first constancie Ten houres victory hung in suspence equall courage on both sides equall hopes in the good equall despaiâ—es in the bad successe vv ch occasion'd so much cruelty in the fight But at length the field staind vvith blood and the earth groaning vvith the burden of so many heapes of dead
of blood hee saild not voluntarily but violently driven by the tempests of his fortune And for the crueltie laid to him in the death of the Duke of Clarence he was certainly wrought to it by practise and the mis-information of an envious faction in Court The horrour of which fratricide possest him to the last houre of his life frequently complaining against the unhappy severitie of his justice and against the hard nature of his Councellors who would not interpose one word to him for mercy whereby so blacke a deede might have beene prevented But howsoever wee may wash away much of this blood from his memory yet there continue many foule staines upon it since publique mischiefes seldome happen but that the Prince though not actually nocent as in some degree guiltie As these so many confusions at home were the misfortune of his time so was abroad that so scandalous losse of the Easterne Empire to the Turke For though King Edward were not the occasion of so great ruine to the Christian Commonwealth and that this happened before hee attained the soveraigntie his father being head of the faction yet the civill warres of England raisd upon the quarrell which he was soone after to maintaine and the universall division among Princes of the West gave courage to the Infidells and denyed succours to the miserable Emperour opprest by an over potent enemy Whereby a Citie was prophaned in which the Christian faith had flourisht without interruption for a thousand yeares But as the Sea is sayd to gaine in another if it looseth in this place So about this time religion by the singular pietie and valour of Ferdinand and Isabella wonne ground upon the Moores in Spaine whence not long after they were totally and I hope for ever expeld But when the Warre licenc'd the King to attend his government we finde the administration of Lawes just and equall and many new statutes enacted wholesome against diseases crept into the State So that he appeard dilligent both to heale up any wound the tumults of his raigne had given the commonwealth and provident for the health of future ages And certainly no Prince could husband the benefits of peace better for the outward magnificence For his glory was much in hospitalitie and a pompous celebration of the principall feasts of our redemption In which way of bravery setling much of his happinesse hee had beene doubtlesse the most fortunate of any King of the Norman line had hee not faild in expectation of his daughters marriage His buildings were few but sumptuous for that time or more properly but reparations Which are yet to bee seene at the Tower of London his house of Eltham the Castles of Nottingham and Dover But above all at Windsor where he built the new Chappell finisht after by Sr. Riginald Bray Knight of the Order and indowed the Colledge with mightie revenues which hee gave not but transferd thither taking from Kings Colledge in Cambridge and Eaton Colledge a thousand pound by the yeare to inrich this at Windsor But our buildings like our children are obnoxious to death and time scornes their folly who place a perpetuitie in either And indeed the safer kinde of fate happened to King Edward in both these felicities His posteritie like his edifices lost in other names For his two sonnes before they had survived their father the ceremonious time of mourning were themselves inhumanly murderd and as obscurely buried His eldest daughter the Lady Elizabeth was married to the Earle of Richmond knowne by the name of Henry the seventh Whose heire in a strait line not liable to any doubt or question is his most sacred Majestie now glorious in government of this Realme The younger daughters were bestowed one in a monasterie others upon inferiour Lords Cicily married John Vicount Wells Anne Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolke Briget was profest Nunne at Dartford Mary was contracted to the King of Denmarke but died before consummation Margaret died an Infant Katherine married William Courtney Earle of Devonshire But of none of these younger Princesses at this day remaines any thing but their memory All dying issulesse but the Lady Katherine whose posteritie faild likewise in the third descent Henry her sonne Marquesse of Exceter suffered by attainder in the raigne of his Cosen German Henry the Eight being not long before designd heire apparent an honour fatall in England and his sonne Edward untimely came to his death at Padua in Italy in the raigne of Queene Mary by whose favour hee had regaind his fathers honours and possessions So that all the cleare streame from the spring of Yorke flowes in the house of Scotland The troubled and impure runnes in many veines of the English Gentry For by the Lady Elizabeth Lucy he had an illigitimate Sonne named Arthur who by his wives right was Vicount Lile and dying without issue Male left to his three daughters and their posteritie some tincture of the blood royall This disease of his blood was the crime which procured both to his government and memory many hard censures For though some excuse his lust as a sinne though blacke to the eye of heaven yet no way generally injurious In regard the incontinency of one man could not be so diffusive as to wrong a multitude Neverthelesse who observes the revolutions of Kingdomes shall finde no one iniquitie in Princes so punisht The dishonour of one Lady abused extending the disgrace of severall families and mightie factions knitting together for revenge In the whole stocke of injuries none being so cruell to humane nature and which with lesse patience can bee dissembled His frequent perjurie a sinne which strikes like a Sword with two edges both against divine and humane faith was the crime which renderd him most odious to the societie of man For impiously hee appeard in this to brave heaven slighting all solemne covenants made with God and foolishly preferring before a holy promise a little profit or the satisfaction of his revenge Which crime however for the present it might stand him in some benefit yet certainly it might have indangerd him to much losse in all after enterprises which depended upon faith The deaths of Wells and Dimock of Fauconbridge of Sommerset Lord Prior of St. Iohns and others were the wounds perjury gave his soule the scarres of which remaine yet foule upon his fame But perhaps hee thought no faith was to be held with an enemy Or promist not with intention of performance An impious equivocation but then in practise with his neighbour Princes both of France and Burgundy So that the custome may in some sort seeme to priviledge the fault In his youth he was so uncircumspect and even when he had the strongest arguments for jealousie so overconfident that it engaged him to extreame difficulties and endangerd absolute ruine But his fortune almost miraculously made up all those breaches which had beene by his carelesnesse and presumption laid open and delighting something wantonly to boast her power and favour to him raisd him then highest when all the world and almost his owne hopes forsooke him For presently upon the slaughter of his father at the battell of Wakefield and the overthrow of his great supporter the Earle of Warwick at that of Saint Alban Shee inthrond him in the Kingdome Making the Queene and all the favourers of Lancaster when doubly victorious retire as overcome and the universall acclamations of the people set the regall Diadem upon his head whose fathers head at that time like a Traytors was fixt upon the Walls of Yorke scornd with a paper Crowne And afterward when from a mightie Prince hee was become a miserable Exile forc'd by the treason of his chiefest Councellors and powers of his greatest enemie to flie into Burgundy where hee likewise met with but a dissembled amitie Shee restored him to what at first shee gave And whereas his Forces were so weake upon his returne into England that despayring more hee humbly onely desired to be invested in his fathers Dutchy and vowed never to attempt the Crowne Shee violently forc'd it on him protesting by the mouthes of the Nobilitie who resorted to him at Nottingham not to afford him safetie if hee refused the soveraingtie By which amorous way of threatning shee in a manner wooed him to accept what hee durst not then hope to recover And had the appetite of glory more prevail'd with him then the sence of pleasure as farre as we may conjecture of his fortune hee might have extended his victories over the world which are now straitned with the narrow limits of our Island FINIS
the third King of England of necessity must have where women are admitted to inherit better claime to the Crowne than Henry the sixt though in the fourth descent from Edward the third by John of Gaunt being but his fourth sonne For however Casuists may dispute or civill Lawyers argue The being removed one degree further can no way prejudice succession Whereby the younger brother may come to bee prefer'd before the elder brothers sonne if by chance the elder dye during his Fathers life An injustice so against reason and custome that whosoever yet attempted it was reputed to violate the lawes of Nature From St. Johns fields the principall of the armie and Common Councell of the Cittie brought newes of this Election to Edward Earle of March remaining at Baynards Castle Who soone as he understood the intention of their addresse with such modestie as some Clergie man may have used at his consecration who by simonaicall practise hath obtaind a Bishoprick refused that a while which most ambitiously he covered But soone the animation of the Arch-bishop of Canterbury the Earle of Warwicke the Bishops of London and Exeter and divers others of eminence prevail'd and he at their request tooke on him the Royaltie That night he rested the next morning with as much ceremonie and state as the shortnesse and unquietnesse of the time could licence in solemne procession he went to Paules whence after Te Deum sung and oblation made hee rod to Westminster there seated in the most perspicuous place of the great Hall with the Scepter of St. Edward the Confessor in his hand himselfe made declaration of his double title to the Crowne First by descent as heire to the third sonne of Edward the third the Line of whose eldest sonne Edward the blacke Prince extinguisht in the deposition and parâ—icide of Richard the second procured by Henry of Bullingbrooke first King of the house of Lancaster Edward the thirds second sonne dying without issue Secondly by authority of Parlament which upon examination of the Duke of Yorkes title confer'd the possession of the Kingdome immediately on him or his heires when Henry the sixth should make forfeiture of it by death resignation or breach of that Accord sworne there so solemnely by them And that this accord was broken the slaughter of the Duke opprest with unequall numbers on King Henries partie at the battell of Wakefield did sadly manifest Neverthelesse he protested himselfe ready to forgoe the justice of his claime ratherthan to enter upon it without their free vote At which unanimously the Assembly cryed King Edward King Edward Ioyfull that their voyces might confirme him King who had daign'd them so humble a complement as to professe that he would not receive the title without their suffrage The formalitie of this second Election thus past he went in Procession to the Abbie whence after much solemnitie and homage of all the Nobility there present he returned by water to the Bishop of Londons Pallace and was immediately proclaimed King throughout the City by the name of Edward the Fourth The first fortnight of his Raigne was died I will not say stain'd with the blood of Walter Walker a Grocer who keeping shop at the signe of the Crowne in Cheapeside sayd he would make his sonne heire to the Crowne a bold jest broke in an evill time yet doe I not side with them in opinion who taxe the King of severity in this execution unlesse I could cleere this man from being particularly factious for the house of Lancaster or know that these words were uttered in innocent mirth without any scorne to King Edwards Title And however perhaps the extraordinary punishment of such saucie language was not then unnecessary to beget authority and make men cautious to dispute the descent of Princes when the question was so nice and arguments not improbable on either side But here in her very first curtesie Fortune raisd King Edward higher than the endeavours of a long ambition had done his Father For now was he consecrated King in the Imperiall City of this Realme adornd with every circumstance of Soveraigntie and all his enterpises hitherto so flattered with successe that he could promise nothing but prosperity to his hopes Yet was the ground whereon he built uncertaine and his state brought into comparison with his Competitor fraile and obnoxious to ruine For Henry had equall dignity with the advantage of a long Raigne an uninterrupted descent in Majestie for threescore yeares a soveraigntie acknowledg'd abroad by all Christian Princes and obeyd at home by all Engilshmen without dispute a title according to the Law Salique indubitable and which had beene confirmed at the first entry of his Grandfather Henry the fourth into the Kingdome not onely by resignation of Richard the second by generall acknowledgement of all the Nobilitie and by authority of Parliament but even by approbation nay particular negotiation of Edmond Duke of Yorke Edward Duke of Aumerle Richard Earle of Cambridge Grandfather Great Vncle and Great Grandfather to the late anointed King Edward the Fourth Onely a feeble judgement and a long evill fortune rendred Henry the sixt inferiour to counterpoise which Queene Margaret and the Lords of her side were daring and vigilant omitting on stratagem or endeavor that might adde to the honour or safety of their designes Whereupon slie continued still in the North and oblieging that people every day more to her devotion labourd to prepare such an armie as might upon the worst of fortune be able enough for defence And soone she found how much her owne and the authoritie of the great Lords of her side prevail'd having rais'd threescore thousand fighting men and they all resolv'd with expence of their blood to buy backe that Majestie which the house of Lancaster by evill fate had lost An armie if arm'd and order'd well able to oppose the mightiest enemie or undertake the boldest enterprise On sight of which the Queene entertain'd a confidence easily to scatter the Forces of the new Mushrome King who in a night seem'd to have sprung up to Majestie Especially when she understood how with unequall power hee marcht Northward A clime not unlikely to prove as distastrous to him as to his Father For King Edward soone as the voyce of the people had saluted him Prince resolv'd with hazard of his new gain'd Soveraigntie to extirpate his great opposer For while the side of Lancaster was supported with the devotion of so large a portion of the Kingdome as yet adhear'd to Henry he could be King but at the curtesie of his Faction and the body of the Land must of necessitie grow monstrous being charg'd with two heads each of which look'd divers wayes He therefore while his men had yet the memorie of their late good fortune fresh in their courage marcht toward the Queene and chose rather as worthier his spirit to provoke than expect an enemie Of his arrivall at Pomfret Castle when it was understood and that
and dying bodies the Northerne men began to hope for safety onely in flight Neither did they â—eeld to the prevailing Fortune of the Enemie untill their courages vvere dismayd vvith sight of so many eminent persons slaine before their eyes For the Earles of Northumberland and Westmerland the Lords Beaumont D'acres Gray and Wells with divers others of greatest reputation for Nobility and courage had already falne and in their slaughter taught the survivers what to expect The Dukes of Sommerset and Exeter seeing all things desperate the greater part of the Armie slaine the rest broken and flying poasted to Yorke to carry the fatall newes of this overthrow to the unfortunate King whose vertue yet had a patience greater than his ruine In no battle was ever powred forth so much English Blood for in this and the two precedent dayes were slaine sixe and thirty thousand seven hundred seventy sixe persons all of one nation many neere in alliance some in Blood fatally divided by faction yet all animated with the same zeale to maintaine their Princes right which being so difficult to resolve doubtlesse made the quarrell on either side how ruinous soever to their famelies not unsafe to their Consciences And it is worthy observation that in this so long and cruell conflict betweene the two houses never any stranger of name was present at our battels as if we had disdaind to conquer or perish by other weapons than our owne Kind Henry perceiving how desperate his hopes were in England with the poore remaines of his partie secured himselfe by flight into Scotland And with such hast that before King Edward got to Yorke where he hoped to have surpris'd him dismaid with the late discomsiture nothing was there left but the Citie humbly devoted to the dispose of the Conqueror But on the walls yet remaind the heads of Richard Duke of Yorke and his friends an ignominious spectacle unluckily there standing to inâ—ence him to cruelty For on sight of so barbarous an injurie he gave present command that Thomas Earle of Deâ—â—aâ—â—iâ—â— should be beheaded with three others taken in the former battle that these new heads might râ—leeve them who had stood centinell so long and that his father and friends might not want that busie part of the body to be inclosed with them in the grave An action too much savouring of the ancient Heathen the soules of Christians no way requiring their murders to be revengd or their injuries appear'd with such an offering After this dire oblation he sent part of his Forces to cleere the coast toward Scotland from the dregges of warre where to terrifie that people prone to innovation in King Henries quarrell some examples of severitie were made In the interime he with as glorious triumph and large joy as victory could beget which begot no lesse to him than absolute Soveraignety marcht toward London By the inhabitants whereof who were deepely interessed in his Fortune he was with all the solemnity of a secure gladnesse entertaind To the triumph of his entrance soone succeeded that of his Coronation perform'd with usuall ceremonies but most unusuall congratulations Immediately that no circumstance of Soveraintie might be wanting a Parlament was Summond By which his title might be reconfirm'd his partakers rewarded his enemies punisht And though private respects were his chiefe businesse desiring to disaâ—â—ll all acts made heretofore in prejudice to the house of Yorke and its adherents yet the outward pretention was the safety and quiet of the Realme For he publickly profest his onely care to bee that such wholesome lawes might be enacted as might redresse disorders crept into the state by free licence given to rapin in the former troubles By which apparence of solicitude for quieting the republique he gain'd authority among the wise and created a beleefe in all that his government in peace vvould be as fortunate as his successe in warre Having by his wisedome and providence thus won opinion upon the generality he bestowed his graces on particular persons whom blood in merit rendred deare to him His brothers George and Richard he created Dukes the elder of Clarence the younger of Glocester Iohn Lord Nevill the Earle of Warwickes brother he made Vicount Mountague Henry Bourchier brother to the Archbishop of Canterbury Earle of Essex and William Lord Fauconbrige Earle of Kent He erected divers others to the Title of Barons and honour'd many with Knighthood The conclusion of this great assembly was punishment for John Earle of Oxford Aubery Vere his sonne Sir John Tiddenham Knight William Tirrell and Walter Mountgomery Esquires were without anâ—were convict ofâ— reason and behended A rough proceeding which favord something too much of the Conqueror Bâ—sinesses thus happily setled at home to check the â—udaciousnesse of our transmarin neighbours who had throwrie injuries on our Nation weakned by discord the Earles of Esseâ— and Kent with the Lord Audley were sent with ten thousand souldiers to scowre the narrow Seas who first landing in Britaine tooke the Towne of Conquest and afterward in the Islâ— of Râ—â— pillâ—g'd that little Country and with victory returned By vvhich enâ—erprise though of nâ— signall consequence to his affaires yet King Edward gave the French to understand hoâ—â— unfaâ—â—â— it vvas to â—â—â—â—tate the English govern'd by â—â—â— active Princeâ— vvho might perhaps 〈◊〉 in person appâ—â—â—e abroade for the recovery of â—â—â—ose Provinces nothing but â—â—â—â— dissâ—â—sion â—â—ould have losâ—o As likevvise to tâ—â—rifie all 〈◊〉 states from adhering to King Henry vvho both in câ—â—rage and fortune vvas â—o â—aâ—â—e inferioâ—â— And noâ—â— vvas the prosperitie of Edwardâ—n â—n so full splendor and so darke a cloud hung over the house of Lancaster that Henry Duke of Sommâ—rset and Sir Ralph Percie for â—â—â—â—e the â—â—ineâ— of that family they had â—â— long endeavour'd to support To King Edward the submission of tvvo so eminent persons appear'd vvelcome as a victory and they by his favour were presently restored to full possession both of honour and â—â—tarâ— the same grace promist to any who mighâ—â—â— example should perswade Yet did not the indefatigable Queene loose any thing from her sprit on endeavours Hâ—qlate so sad discomfiture and revolt now of her chiefe adherents able perhaps to 〈◊〉 forâ—â—â—â— not her And having upon full reckoning perceived that she must account of no powre at home she made her addresses to all Princes abroad whom allianee reason of state or compassion of so great a disaster might move to her assistance But as it is in the fate of all women who usurpe on their husbands she had beene â—o happie in mannage of his prosperitie and Towâ— wâ—somuch morâ—â—â—capable to â—â—gole against christ forâ—â—â— and 〈◊〉 in felicityâ— Gâ—â—â— undertakings being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 succesfull in 〈◊〉 whose government 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selfe in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 beene disorderly and 〈◊〉 But certainely how erronious hovvever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she â—â—â— now defective onely in thâ—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not ruled by ours but by a high
two of Holland presently imbarked having in his company the Duke of Glocester the Earle Rivers the Lords Scales and Say and in retinue about one thousand As soone as they were put to Sea the King encounterd dangers great as he had escapt at Land For the Easterlings a people ever famed for Sea affaires and then at enmitie both with France and England had set forth not long before some men of warre Who having descrted these shippes and guessing them to be English made saile after them The King by benefit of the wind got first to the coast of Holland and in regard it was ebbing water cast Anchor so neare the shore the Easterlings being shippes of farre greater burthen could not reach them But the next tide infallibly had exposed them a prize to the enemy had not the Lord Gronteere Lievetenant for the Duke in Holland by meere accident beene at that time at Alquemare a Sea towne close joyning to them He soone as he understood that those three small vessels carried in them the fortune of England commanded the Easterlings to forbeare hostility and licence those passengers a quiet landing And presently himselfe came abord the Kings shippe expressing in the obsequiousnesse of his respects as much ceremony and love as was due to so great a Majestie and the brother in law to his Prince And no sooner had he attended the King ashore and found how unprovided of all things necessary the suddennesse of his flight had made him and his followers but he furnisht him and them according to their quality and want For the Kings escape was so hasty that not onely his apparell and other furniture were lost or left behind but even his treasure So that to defray the charge of his transportation he was necessitated to give the Master of the ship a Gowne furr'd with Martins And remaine beholding to the Lord Gronteere for his expences to the Hâ—ge whether hee was conducted to expect the comming of the Duke Who soone as he had perfect knowledge of the Kings so ruinous successe in England and arrived in Holland as to a Sanctuary began to repent his so neare alhance and cast about how to close with the adverse faction And now indeede his time was to act the most cunning part of subtletie by endeavouring to retaine the good opinion of his brother in Law and yet secure himselfe from hostilitie with the Earle of Warwicke Whereupon before ever hee came to the Hage he dispatcht his Agent to Callice to show the chiefe of the towne that the peace heretofore concluded betweene King Edward and himselfe was no way personall But betweene whatsoever Princes should rule in either dominions and betwixt nation and nation and therefore by no change of King or length of time dissolvable Vpon which consideration hee intreated for loath he was at the same time to wrastle both with France and England that the name of Edward might bee changed into Henry and the former league continue sacred as before The unsetled state of England and the universall desires of the Merchants of the Sâ—aple at Callice soone affected the Dukes purpose For they who had continuall traffique into the Low Countries and vented all their wooll to the subjects of the Duke had beene unabled to pay their usuall tribute to the King if free intercourse had beene denyed Whereupon unwilling to discontent and impoverish so great a body at home and too hastily to run into a dangerous quarrell with a most potent enemy abroad the Earle for the present dissembled his inveterate hatred and recal'd his Souldiers who had spoyld all the Dukes territory bordering upon Callice And that the Duke might make himselfe strong in a faction potent with the present time hee renewed his friendship with the Dukes of Sommerset and Exceter whom hee solicited earnestly to endeare him to King Henry and revive in him the memory of their so neare kindred To acquaint him how zealous himselfe and his father had ever beene for the honour and safetie of the family of Lancaster in which himselfe did so much participate As likewise to promise all the perfect offices of a consederate and neighbour if so bee that his faithfull intentions might receive a true interpretation This did the Dukes voluntarily offer to negotiate Sommerset in respect of propinquity in blood Exceter of those many favours received in the Low Countries during his so miserable exile Both out of an extreame malice to the Earle of Warwicke who had subverted their families and to whose ayde they envied the King should owe his restitution And easily was the Duke brought upon good termes with King Henry his neighberhood and friendship being of so notable consequence and the very apparence of disclayming the adverse partie what secret ayde soever hee afforded being so disadvantageous to any pretence King Edward might have to renew the warre This aspect full of a smiling flattery did the Duke of Burgundy beare to the present fortune of the state While upon King Edward he cast such a supercilious look as the worlds wise men usually doe upon men in adversitie Often sharpely hee reprehended his so great carelesnesse and neglect of wholesome advice which had ruin'd him to this so wretched flight Hee objected the much contempt this misfortune would throw upon his quarrell and how loath friends would bee to adhere to his present necessities since hee knew so ill to manage profperitie Yet remembring that hereafter there might happily be a change in fortune he often chang'd his humour and amid these reprehensions mingled some passionate complements of love Hee protested seriously that hee wisht all happinesse to his affaires to advance which he would neglect no industry yet he desired his pardon if for the present hee dissembled Considering it might at once draw on a warre from his two most dangerous neighbours England and France Against both which nations should he be necessitated to a quarrell hee should be very unable to defend himselfe much lesse to serve another And when a Proclamation was set forth by the Duke prohibiting his subjects any way to ayde the pretences of King Edward or his faction and that it was with much indignation received by the King he protested the intention of it to be onely to betray King Henry to an unsafe security that in the interim he might without suspition levie a greater ayde for his designes King Edward whom a short adversitie had already instructed much appeard to take the false coine of these excuses for currant and by example of the Duke practis'd to dissemble But after this time it was noted that he never bore the Duke so sincere affection as before Princes best maintaining a nere friendship by keeping at large distance jealousie and aemulation take their growth with familiaritie and if eyther be necessitated to demand supply reason of state oftentimes weakens love and roots up good nature To increase King Edwards discontent abroad no newes came from England but what spoke
the direction of their Generall Both Armies therefore had equall justice which made them with equall fiercenesse begin and continue the fight Six houres the victory was doubtfull advantages and disadvantages indifferent on both sides â—ill at length errour brought disorder to Warwicks Army and that a finall overthrow For the Earle of Oxford giving his men a star with streames for his device begot in the Army a mistake that they were part of the enemy whose badge was the Sunne and which mistake might easily happen by the thicke mist that morning wherefore being in the right wing and pressing forward they were thought King Edwards men flying which made their owne maine battaile fall fiercely on them in the backe Whereupon Oxford suspecting treason in Warwicke whose haughtie and reserved wayes were ever lyable to suspition fled away with eight hundred men and King Edward with certaine fresh troopes of Rutters for some such purpose reserv'd perceiving disorder in the enemy violently assaulted them and soone forc'd them to shrinke backe Warwicke opposed against their feare both with language and example but when nothing could prevaile hee rusht into the thickest of the enemies hoping either his whole Army would bravely follow or otherwise by death to prevent the misery of seeâ—ng himselfe overthrowne Mountague perceiving how farre into danger his brother was engaged ran violently after to his rescue and both presently opprest with number fell and with them the spirit of the Army In their deaths they both cleard those calumnies with which they were blemisht Warwicke of having still a swift horse in readines by flight to escape from any apparent danger in battaile Mountague of holding intelligence with King Edward or betraying at Pomfret the quarrell of his great brother For it is to be rejected as a fable forged by malice that history which reports the Marquesse having put on King Edwards livery slaine by one of Warwicks men and the Earle labouring to escape at a Woods side where was no passage kild and spoild to the naked skin by two of King Edwards souldiers Yet both of them in their deaths partaking with the common condition of men the poore being ever esteemed as vicious the overthrowne as cowards By which judgement wee impiously subject the Almighty disposer of humane bussinesse to our depraved affections as if felicity or in felicity were the touchstone by which we might discerne the true value of the inward man King Edward soone as he saw the discomfiture of the enemy and certainly understood the death of the two brothers that himselfe might bee the first reporter of his owne fortune with King Henry in his company poasted up to London He came into Saint Pauls Church at even Song and there offered up his owne banner and the standard of the Earle of Warwicke the trophies of his morning service where waited on him an universall acclamation the flattering shadow which never forsakes victory To the Duke of Clarence and the Duke of Glocester was left the care to quarter the Souldiers whose enquiry soone found that on both sides that day were slaine foure thousand six hundred and odâ—e On the Kings side of eminency onely the Lords Burcher and Barnes hee sonne and heire to the Earle of Essex this to the Lord Say On the other side were kild the Earle of Warwicke and the Marquesse Mountague attended with three and twenty Knights The Duke of Exeter who by his many wounds was reported dead recoverd life but was never more seene in action his body after some length of time being cast upon the shore of Kent as if he had perisht by shipwracke the manner of his after life and death left uncertaine in story To this violent end came the Earle of Warwick the greatest and busiest subject our later age hath brought forth And indeed how was it possible such a stormie life could expect a calmer death In his Spirit birth marriage and revenue he was mighty which raised his thoughts above proportion For all these benefits of nature and fortune serv'd him onely as instruments to execute his rage into which every small displeasure taken or mistaken from his Prince threw him head-long His bounty extended it selfe most in hospitality which was dangerous to the guest for his meate was infected with the poyson of Faction The open ayme of all his actions was at the Publicke good which made his power still recover strength though so often weakend by evill Fortune but his secret intention was to advance his owne greatnesse which he resolv'd to purchase though with sale of the publicke safety He was questionlesse valiant for a coward durst not have thought those dangers into which he entred upon the slightest quarrels His soule was never quiet distasted still with the present and his pride like a foolish builder so delighted to pull downe and set up that at length part of the â—rame himselfe had raised fell upon him and crusht him to death He was a passionate extoller of continencie in a Prince which proceeded rather from spleene than zeale because in that he tacitely made the King contemptible for his volupâ—uous life Being bred up from a child in Armes the worst schoole to learne Religion in hee had certainely no tender sence of justice and his varying so in approving contrary titles shewed either a strange levity in judgement or else that ambition not conscience ruled his actions The pretences of his revolt from King Edward were neither to the world politicke nor to himselfe honest For what greater hopes could he conceive by restoring a family himselfe had ruind since injuries make so deepe an impression that no after curtesie can take it away Or how could any violence offer'd to his Daughters honour by the King for that was then by him pretended licence him to war since no injustice in a Soveraigne can authorize the subject to Rebellion But who will give a true account of his latter attempts must looke backe upon his first familiarity with Lewis the eleventh For never had France such a Merchant to vent discord in forraigne Kingdomes and buy up the faith of all the greatest Officers to neighboring Princes But when by the most powerfull engins of pollicie and warre he had screwed up his intentions to the highest by making himselfe King in Authority though not in title the Crown being entailed upon the two Princes who had married his Daughters Almighty God in one overthrow ruin'd him and permitted his Sonnes in Law with their wives not long after to end by strange deathes none of them answering his hope but the younger Daughter and that preposterously to his designe For she indeede by marrying Richard Duke of Glocester the butcher of her husband Prince Edward became Queene to an Vsurper and soone after by poyson as it was justly suspected made resignation of her Crown His Grand-children by Clarence who arriv'd to any age dyed by the Axe upon a Scaffold and all that greatnesse he so violently labor'd to confirme in
Duke of Cornewall and Earle of Chester and his younger brother Richard created Duke of Yorke The fate of their honour and their ruine being still the same At this creation according to the ceremony many young Lords and Gentlemen of principall name were made Knights of the Bath among whom Brian chiefe Iustice of the Common pleas and Littleton that learned father of the Lawes are registred But the publicke glory of these extraordinary pompes and the wantonnesse of his private pleasures could not be maintaind with the ordinary revenue Therefore to make good the expence of his owne errours the King began to looke narrowly into those of his subjects that by this art in a manner he might sinne upon free cost And as it hath beene a certaine observation that the most delicate and voluptuous Princes have ever beene the heaviest oppressors of the people Riot being a far more lavish spender of the common treasure then Warre or magnificence so those parts of the Kings life which were wantond away with varietie of delights are noted to have bin severest But perhaps the subject repents not the free gift of the Kingdomes substance when hee sees the returne of it in triumph but repines if the least part of his contribution bee the reward of parasites or persons to whom fortune not merit gives a growth And Historians likewise have more leasure to examine the crimes of Princes in the silence of peace then in the noyse of warre Or else Princes want opportunitie to inclose their thoughts to the studie of private gaine when the Souldier in a manner layes the wealth of the kingdome open and makes a common of every mans particular treasure For now the King began to cause the Poenall Lawes to be put in execution and wanting higher aimes to looke downeward into every sordid way of enriching himselfe So that a generall feare possest the people that his after government would be both sharpe and heavie considering the first part of it was not without a foule blemish in that kind For in the seventh yeare of his raigne hee proceeded against many of the wealthiest Citizens with so much severitie that it was repoted tyranny The chiefe of them were Sr. Thomas Cooke Sr. John Plumer Knights Humphrey Hewward and other Aldermen And their crime in their having given assistance to King Henry Which considering the circumstance of things could hardly beare any capitall accusation had it beene clearely proved but against these men there was no testimony but what was forc'd with torture and even that testimony not high enough to bring them to the barre yet the King commanded them to be arraigned of high treason at Guild Hall and withall exprest an earnest desire that upon any tearmes they might bee found guiltie Their wealth being the principall witnesse that gave evidence against their lives But the Iurie well directed by Sir John Marckham Knight chiefe Iustice of the Kings Bench acquit them of their treason Which neverthelesse releast them not their estates however found guiltie and the greatest part escheated to the King VVith the offenders the Iudge was condemn'd and because hee prefer'd his integritie before a severe command made forfeiture of his dignitie The memory of these carriages heretofore in a businesse that concern'd the life of man reputed innocent drew the world into much feare that hee would now decline to rigour Neither was the King totally excused although this cruell avarice was laid to the Queene who having a numerous issue and kindred by favour raisd up to the highest titles was almost necessitated for supportance of their honours to wrack the Kingdome And happily the universall malice that waited on her and hers serv'd well for the King They being as a screene betweene him and the unwholesome ayre of envie which otherwise might have endangerd his reputation with the people From this rugged way hee was soone diverted by necessitie to looke abroad and perhaps by the gentlenesse of his nature or repentance of his former severitie For the face of the world adjoyning began von the sudden to change and while the Kings of England and France were dividing the territories of the Dutchesse of Burgundie a third stept in and got possession of her and her rich countrey Maximilian Arch Duke of Austria sonne to the Emperour Fredericke the third entertain'd heretofore politckly by Duke Charles was now seriously invited to this marriage For the Lady dispairing to receive succours from the English to the affection of whom she was perhaps inclined by the neighbour-hood of the countrey and perswasion of the Dutchesse Dowager whom deservedly shee much honourd condescended in the end to the desire of her subjects who ever labord to marry lier to some Prince of Germany in regard of the nearenesse in language and concordance in dispositions And although the hereditarie countries of this Prince lying farre remote were unlike to bee any support to her weakned state yet considering him as sonne to the Emperous and in probabilitie like to succeede for in an elective Kingdome scarce ever is the heire put by if equally deserving he might appeare necessary to her present affaires For he was young of a noble spirit strong and healthfull in constitution bold in any attempt of honour and what wonne upon the affections of the Low countreymen extraordinary affable and courteous I know both his actions and the histories of that time deliver him to us of no deepe judgement and so negligent that he ever left things imperfect oftentimes in maine businesse betrayd by his credulitie But this I impute to him as an errour of the climate under which he was borne and a certaine generous honesty which is above suspition The motion of this marriage was imbraced with much joy to accomplishment of which hee instantly prepared Neither could King Lewys with all his Engines batter the resolution of the Emperour who though a most passionate lover of peace which oftentimes hee bought with losse ran the hazard of a warre from France rather then let his sonne loose the advantage of so great a Countrey And suddenly sent him to the Dutchesse attended by many great Commanders who among a people so opprest with armes would bee the best witnesses of a marriage His presence although it did not absolutely turne the streame of Fortune yet gave a stay to the French conquests And after he appeard in the quarrell victory doubtfully inclind sometimes flattering Maximilian at other times King Lewys Maximilian by his brave valour overtaking Lewys who had the start in experience and pollicy So that frequent truces were concluded betweene them and unfaithfully observd the first opportunitie of advantage renewing the warre Lewys handled these businesses apart never admitting King Edward though hee ever officiously labord to interesse himselfe into any part of the warre of peace For as hee knew the strength of his understanding such that hee in treatie could loose nothing by the Arch-Duke so he well consider'd that the safest way to
〈◊〉 For wiâ—â— the King of Scotland with 〈◊〉 is in the neerest place of safety she lâ—â—â—â—â—er hâ—â—â—â—â—nd to confirme a secure friendship she contracted a neere alliance by promising the young Prince her sonne in marriage to his lister And that this marriage might not seeme a gift but a bargaine shee â—â—â—ght the Lady by 〈◊〉 of Barwicke into the Scotâ—â—ands â—â—â— strongest Fort 〈◊〉 English 〈◊〉 in the North. But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ever â—â—â—â—â—â—er son their 〈◊〉 and forâ—â— to â—opâ—â—ghaâ—e what otherwise they would with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perswaded to receive With Lewes the Eleventh the French King she prevail'd little though neere to him 〈◊〉 confanguinity for the discontent of his Nobility held him incontinuall suspition Otherwise she had title to promise her selfe large supplies from so potent and politicke a Prince whose interest it must no reasâ—â— have beene by fomenting discord at home to hinder us from any attempt abroad After â—uch 〈◊〉 she obtain'd that he declared himselfe â—â—â— King Henry By prohibiting all favorers of the house of Yorke accesse into the French dominions and opening them to all those of the party of Lancaster A negative kinde of helpe which rather showed there yet was Sanctuary left for Henries unhappie friends than any considerable ayde to be expected Phillip Duke of Burgundie though a mighty Prince and neere allyed to Lancaster whose wives mother was Philippa daughter to John of Gaunt by age and a passionate love to quiet was become altogether unactive Neither had Charles Earle of Charolois his sonne though of a daring Spirit and an affecter of businesse leisure to looke over into our Island being engaged to domestick troubles and suspitious of the designes of the French King With Charolois the Duke of Britaine held a strong confederacie and both of them intelligence with the discontented Lords of France The warre which was afterward so knowne by the name of the Weale-Publique being at that time among them privately in contrivance so that all these neighboring Princes to whom the affaires of England might seeme considerable were wholly taken up with attention to their owne The Emperor Frederick the third was more remote and so cautious from entring into the quarrels of other men that by any Art even with losse he would decline his owne Moreover he justly stood in continuall feare of the growing Fortune of the Turke who having lately subverted the Easterne threatned now ruine to the Westerne Empire and questionlesse had not the great God of Armies miraculously given a stop to his victories Christendome had now beene onely severall Provinces slaved to his tyrannie For pride and emulation had then turn'd our Armes upon our selves and left our bodies naked to the scourge of the common enemie Spaine was far off divided betweene a Christian and Mahometan government each labouring the extirpation of the other so that they had liberty to be Actors in no Tragoedie but their owne And indeede no conflict is so fierce and irreconciliable as when Religion animates to warre and makes it pietie to be cruell To her Father therefore who enjoyed the specious title of King of Sicily Naples and Hierusalem but possession of none of them the afflicted Queene was forc't to make a sad retreate A poore contemptible Lord living now to see his sonne in Law once the greatest Monarch of the Christian world a Prince as meerely titular as himselfe As if it had beene the Fate of these two that the one could say he might have beene the other that once he was a King Leaving therefore forraigne states intentive to their owne designes with her sonne whom to move compassion she had carried up and downe the Queene return'd to Scotland by her long but unsuccesfull labour having gathered together five hundred French a number so small and so unworthy the name of an Armie that it was but a competent retinue for so great a Princesse With these neverthelesse she sayld to Timmouth whence she was repulst by the inhabitants soone as shee landed and forc't againe to put to Sea But there for where may the unfortunate meete with friendship she found the winds her enemies whose unruly force drave her at length disorderly to Barwicke Heere some thinne regiments of Scots resorted to her in company of whom she entred Northumberland her husband 〈◊〉 in the Froâ—â— that the name and presence of King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 invite the people to their ancient service and 〈◊〉 Authority to the designeâ— Bâ—â— soone thâ—â—e 〈◊〉 her error for hope not compassion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 danger and the Commonalty fate still 〈◊〉 by rising they understood themselves onely 〈◊〉 to shaâ—â— in the Kings misfortune For having upon a just aâ—câ—ouâ—â— discoverd how warâ—â— iâ— oâ—ely necessary to the most desperate and that in the 〈◊〉 it leaves them to nothing but bâ—ggâ—ry and â—â—â—â—â—shment they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the love of 〈◊〉 and every man betookâ— himselfe to industry And for the Nobility the King had â—â—on theâ—â—â—â—thâ—t by the reputation of his fortune or teâ—râ—â— of his courage so that â—â—mâ—maâ—â—o 〈◊〉 to change subjection Onely Hâ—â—â—â—y Duke of Sommerset and Sir Ralph Percie who â—ot long before had forsooke King Hâ—nâ—y in his tempest noâ—â— upon a false hope of fairer weather stâ—â—◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it is a ridiculous â—â—â—â—ing in Historians to ascribe the action of great men â—â—râ—etually to pollicie since iâ—resolution prevailes equally â—â—â—â—â— them as with the vulgar And why might â—â—â—â— desperation be gâ—t submission in these â—â—â—â— boâ—â—ing Edward and a vaine apparence of a reâ—urâ—e of fortune to King Hentiâ—s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to this lastrevolt Vpon this so weake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Margaret perceiving 〈◊〉 friendship 〈◊〉 husbands native Country destroy'd it as if an enemie's And â—anting forcâ— to râ—ach the prosperitie of her Competitor â—â—ll â—â—â—elly 〈◊〉 the Common people 〈◊〉 â—itherto beene onely subject to his Fortune bâ—aâ—ing iâ—waâ—dly a 〈◊〉 passionate love to the famely of Lancaster But this oâ—â—rageous carriage of the Armie chang'd absolutely their affections to the Queene Who was questionlesse by necessitie compel'd to things unlawfull whereby to prevent the disbanding of her Forces which were onely payd and kept together by a licencious spoyle To oppose against this attempt which onely betray'd the weaknesse of the Enemie King Edward sent downe the Lord Mountague himselfe staying behind to raise an Armie befitting the greatnesse of his name and present quarrell Giving likewise order that his Navie should guard the Seas to hinder any succours to the Queene from forraigne confederates But this was an unnecessary caution tâ— no state abroad being so desperate as to imbarque itselfe iâ— the broken seat of her Fortune Mountague at Land had a braver occasion to shew his courage who having in the Bishoprick of Durâ—sme gathered convenient Forces marcht directly against King Henry By the way the Lords Hungerford and Rosse and Sir Ralph Percie presented themselves to hinder his farther course but perceiving the good order and courage of his Armie all fled but the
valiant Percie Who disdaining to reprive his life beyond his honour or to shew the least weakenesse beneath his name or Spirit fought it out with his 〈◊〉 till overpâ—est with number he and his were all cut to peeces Encourag'd with his successe Mountague attempts without expectation of any farther succour or direction to finish the presenâ— warâ—e and immediately marches to a plaine neere the River Dowell in Hexam-shire where King Henries Armie lay encampt The Campe he suddenly assaults in the night and had taken it without any losse had not the enemie beyond reason gathered themselves into some order and valiantly oppos'd But no courage could withstand the Fortune and spirit of Mountague for the Queenes Campe at length was lost and in it taken the Duke of Sommerset the Lords Hungerford Rosse Moulins and Hussie with Wentworth and Finderne Knights Sommerset on the place lost his head the rest sent to Newcastle to suffer there the same punishment But King Henry and the Queene escap'd at the first on set whose Tragoedy drew not yet nere the last Act. King Edward whose Fortune fought for him even in his absence encounter'd the newes of this victory in his march toward Durisme so that finding the presence of his person and Armie needlesse he return'd toward Yorke Giving command to Warwicke to take in all the Forts and Castles which yet in the North held out On the way he was certified of the apprehension of King Henries person who was surprized as he endeavord by shifting from place to place to have recovered Scotland With the joy of which report King Edward returnd to London whether as yet hee never came but glorious in the accession of some new Triumph The sonne of Sir Edward Talbot of Lanca-shire apprehended King Henry as he sate at dinner at Waddington Hall and forgetting all respect due to so great a Prince like a common malefactor with his legges tyed under the horse belly guarded him up toward London By the way the Earle of Warwick met him who adding indignities to his affliction with the generall reproaches of the people the acclamations they give to the unfortunate led him prisoner to the Tower The onely companions of his present calamity were Doctor Manning Deane of Windsore and Doctor Bedle both of so divine a calling as shewed no misfortune could seperate him from his Pietie The miserable Queene seeing the desolation of her greatnesse her husband imprison'd all her great partakers fled or slaughter'd made againe her retreate into France and with her sonne whose preservation flatter'd her with some hope that one day he might rebuild the now ruin'd house of Lancaster fled to her fathers Court. A most wretched Sanctuary to her feares where she had onely leisure by long sufferance to prepare her minde for future misery But this her dejection rais'd Edward up to an unsuspicious Soveraigntie so that now he began to set strong the disjoynted body of his Kingdome And knowing liberalitie the onely ligament that ties affection to a Prince he resolv'd by attaindor of his enemies to enable himselfe to reward the services of his friends And though hee pretended the gate of mercie ever to stand open to the submission of the Lancastrians yet few or none accepted the favour either distrustfull of his reallitie or feeding their hopes with imagination that the tide of Fortune would not still flow with so impetuous a torrent But King Edward disdaining a faction so contemptible in their ruine should disdaine his clemencie proceeded to punishment The Earledome of Pembrooke an honour heretofore enjoy'd by Jasper Teuther halfe brother to Henry the sixth he bestowed on Sir William Herbert a Knight of Wales both for descent and power most eminent and to whose ayde a great part of the present felicitie was owing To the Lord Mountague whose person and service he equally lov'd he gave the opulent possessions belonging to the family of the Percies But the most open hand cannot satisfie the expectation of great deservers who set so high a price upon their merits that they leave their Princes no power of reward The greatest benefit being received in the degree of a debt not a gift And certainely Mountague and his brother Warwicke had by too much merit even disobleig'd the King what honour soever they were in future to have being so little able to cancell the obligation it could scarce defray the interest And in that way was this title and inheritance accepted which gave the King occasion to distaste whom otherwise he would with passion have embrac'd Whereupon reflecting on the danger of adding power to them who wanted onely will to doe mischiefe and knowing how easily innovation might be resolv'd on when nothing but the conscience was to be perswaded he began seriously to wish the mightinesse of that family hee owed the crowne to in some degree lessend Yet that hee might no way appeare unthankefull to so great deserts he thought fit to weaken their strength and yet to adde to the spender of their title Whereupon he willingly admitted the friends of Percie to interced for restitution both of honor and revenue and soone granted it Rewarding Mountague with the more specious stile of Marquesse But this state-tricke was by the brothers easily understood and accepted with the same brow they would have entertaind an injurie Which the King dissembled and to build his estimation high in the ayre of popular applause endeavord by all the Arts of humble greatnesse to endeare himselfe into the opinion of the multitude His presence was easie to any mans love or curiositie his aspect cleere and smiling his language free and familiar And to the Ladies who have also their share in the motion of states he applyed a generall courtship which used by a Prince and of so amiable a personage made them usually the Idolls of others Idolaters of him Among his Nobility he was so supple in gesture and liberall in affability that he appeard King not in his assumption of state but in their application of duty This to winne outward applause while to settle an inward sence of his wisdome he looked into abuses of Officers and reformed them Neither was there any oppression or mistake in government but what he releiv'd or corrected And that it might appeare how zealously â—ee sought due administration of justice he in person sate three dayes together on his Bench at Westminster Hall which though it little advanced the uncorcupted execution of the lawes yet it serv'd happily for example and created what hee then most courted opinion Thus he grew upon his people at home while abroade the neighbouring states began to decline the danger of his future enmitie who ever measure the power of Princes by that sway and affection they have among their subjects Charles Earle of Charolois a widdower but without heire male heire to a large and opulent territory the seventeene Provinces with the Duchie and County of Burgundie and the greatest part of Picardie being subject
backe His Ambassadors in the Low Countries urged the Duke of Burgâ—ndie to â—â—â— accomplishment of the marriage betweene his sonne the Earle of Charolois and the Lady Margaret the Kings sister And so happie successe had thiâ— nâ—gotiation that though for some yeares it had hung â—n suspence it was now absolutely agreede on and the Bastard of Burgundy sent over with full instructions and power to give the Treaâ—ie a finall conclusion For whatsoever dissimulation the Earle of Charolois used at first he now intâ—â—â—â—â— thâ—s marriage seriously In regard hee found himselfe lye open to the maâ—ice of King Lewis a most dangerous Neighbour who by pollicie or 〈◊〉 had broken all those great confederacies the Earle had before in France Wherefore â—here was now no â—afeâ—y but in arâ—ing himselfe by a â—â—â—â—â—â— amity with the English a Nation forward and fierce to attempt any thing upon the French and in their attempts scarce ever but prosperous Neither was the courage of the Kings youth and his continuall good successe in warre a small inducement considering it gave a certaine hope that he upon any invitation of honour or profit might be perswaded to crosse the Seas undertake the ancient national quarrel And for the danger of any alteration in the government there was then no ground for suspition the King honour'd and loved by his people the adverse faction of no power and the Earle of Warwicke having never yet declared himselfe but most passionately affected to the house of Yorke Wherefore in reason of staâ—e being no impediment the marriage was soone ageeed on and upon the agreement many triumphs glorious but martiall according to the nature of that time so devoted to Armes But to interrupt the jollity of these Triumphs an expresse came from the Low-Countries with the newes of the death of Duke Phillip Presently the Bastard returnd and our Councell stood at a gaze being in some suspence what alteration the businesse might receive the Earle now absolute in possession of his Fathers dominions But that scruple was soone taken away by an Ambassador sent to hasten the full performance of the marriage Whereupon the Lady was carried over with all the ceremonies of greatnesse and at Burges married to Duke Charles that Nation which then exceeded all the World in bravery and riot exceeding even it selfe at this tiumph in the wantonnesse of a superfluous pompe In those Countries she lived some while his wife though ever barren with as much love from him as hee could spare from his ambitious warres but she continued long his widdow in much reputation among the Natives and good esteeme with neighboring Princes Two things rendred her much the discourse of those times An extraordinary love and care in the education of the posterity of her husband and an extreame malice against Henry the seventh To supplant whom because there wanted true she countenanc'd the suppositious Princes of the house of Yorke and by continuall practises revenged in part the injury of that disrespect he ever cast upon her family This so potent alliance and his confederacies with forraigne states made King Edward imagine himselfe in great security when indeede hee was most unsafe For during these treaties abroade and triumphes at home the Earle of Warwicke quickned so farre his designes that now there appear'd a dangerous life in them The body of his Faction was grown mighty but monstrous being compacted of severall natures For into conspiracie of this great enterprise he had drawne off the Clergie and the Laity and most of them of affections most opposite The Archbishop of Yorke was the principall mover because he moved upon the soule and made treason an act of Religion The easie multitude who builde their faith upon the man not the Doctrine thinking it meritorious to rebell in regard his function seem'd to give authority to the action With the Archbishop the Marquesse Mountague consented but secretly either cunningly dissembling mischiefe or else wishing well to both sides being in himselfe devided betweene a naturall love to a brother and an alleigance to a Prince or perhaps projecting to make his benefit out of which party soever should prevaile With these agreed many eminent persons of King Edwards Court whom either desire of warre having never lived but in the troubled streame of discord or want of expected recompence renderd discontent All the partakers in the calamity of the house of Lancaster most passionately at first overture embrac'd this motion as men whom desperation had prepar'd fit for the mostruinous attempt And who having found nothing but evill fortune at home and contempt abroad were instructed in a pacience ready with joy to suffer a not inglorious death Among whom Henry Holland Duke of Exceter was a sad example who after his ruine with the fal of Henry the sixth was reduc'd to so miserable a condition that all ragged and bare footed he begg'd for his meate in the Low-Countries the absolute Prince whereof and he married two sisters the daughters of Richard Duke of Yorke With this so unfortunate Lord all the rest who shared with him in misery ranne violently into this warre But the wonder of the world then was at the powerfull sorcerie of those perswasions which bewitcht the Duke of Clarence the Kings brother to this conspiracie but hee was young purblind in foreseeing the event of things Profuse in expence beyond his revenue and almost beyond the Kings power to supply grudging the favours confer'd upon the Queene and her kindred Valuing his birth too high as who forgot the brother of a King is but a subject forward upon any termes to make himselfe greater easily lending eare to dangerous whispers and as rashly giving consent These preparatives made this young Prince fit to take any mischiefe which the Earle of Warwicke ministred most plentifully And first to apply to the narrownesse of his present fortune a humor most troublesome at the instant he gave him in marriage the Lady Isabell his daughter and ooheire to the rich Earledome of Warwicke In hatred against the Queene he concurd and in discontent against the Kings so slender rewards but in promising greatnesse to Clarences ambition he exceeded even proportion though not probability considering the Earles unlimitted power But first to make the friendship strong by a neere alliance they saild over for the consummation of this marriage to Callice of which town the Earle of Warwicke was Captaine and in which the young Lady then remain'd with her mother Soone was this ceremony past and soone did the Earle invite his Sonne-in-Law from the softnesse of the nuptiall dalliance as who had contrived this marriage for businesse not for pleasure and design'd the first issue of their embraces to bee a monster and the most unnaturall one Warre betweene brothers He acquainted therefore his Sonne-in-Law by what line he had sounded the depth of the peoples affection to the present King and what a tempest he was able to raise when ever he should
blood By which Act they rais'd so feirce an appetite oâ— revenge in the enemie that the next day they gave the Earle battell and the fight was long and cruell Neither â—ad the victory fallen so absolutely to the Northerne men but that John Clopton reâ—ainer to the Earle of Warwicke appearing upon the top of a neighbouring hill with five hundred ragged and disordred men uâ—der Warwickes standard and the Northerne men at their approach crying out a Warwicke a Warwickeâ— made the Welch beleeve all the Rebell Forces were there and that it would be but foolish desperation to fight it out against an enemie fresh and so farre superior in number whereupon they â—â—ed In the battell and the flight five thousand of the Welch were slâ—ine and among the few prisoners the Earle of Pembrooke and Sir Richard Herbert were taken whose heads soone after were sacrific'd upon the Scaffold to the Ghost of Nevill Their valour and brave direction begetting an universall sorrow to the Kings partie in their deaths and even an envie in the conquering Enemie Neither did the Lord Sâ—afford the author of this overthrow escape condigne punishment for by diligent inquiry found in Devonsâ—ire without processe at Bridgewater hee lost his head Having so inconsiderately managed his businesse that he betrayd King Edwards Armie upon a false apprehension of an affront and yet provided not thereby to wâ—nne favour so far with the enemie as by their Armes to protect himselfe from the Kings just indignation This victory added yet a bolder courage to the attempt of Warwicke but into the Northerne multitude it infused a madnesse not to be cured by any councell or direction For immediately some companies of them retired into Northampton shire where associating to them certaine of the most desperate inhabitants no mischiefe was left unacted The name they gave their Commander if such a disorder'd rabble could obey any was Robin Riddisdale and their first assault on Graâ—ton a seate belonging to King Edwards Father-in-Law the Earle Rivers The place their wilde rage soone possest and among the other spoyles violently taken there were the Earle himselfe and Sir John Widdevill his younger Sonne These they prosently led to Northampton and there beheaded without any forme of Law that deform'd body having no eare open to any discourse but to that of blood and fury An envied life and cruell death was the Summe of all those favours confer'd by Fortune on this Lord esteem'd so happie in his owne marriage with Jaquet widdow of John Duke of Bedford and daughter to Peter of Luxenburgh Count St. Paul and in his daughters with the present King For as the assent to these strange heights are ever malign'd so the desent is ruinous and fatall Not any one of seven sonnes which this Lord was Father â—o leaving behind him issue to perpeâ—uate the â—ame some of them likewise extinguishing violently A misery either seldome happening oâ— not observ'd in meaneâ— families This great dâ—lâ—ate and these inâ—olencies â—o beyond the sufferance of a Prince together with the Earle of Warwickes openly professing himselfe head to this vaste body of Rebells strooke an astonishment in the Kings Armie and I will not say feare but strange diffidence in the King himselfe Which inclin'd him to listen to the safer though lesse noble advice of them who perswaded him to end all dissention with the Earle by treaty For in this so universall disease of the Kingdome there was some sound men both of the Clergie and Nobility yet left whom faction did not interesse in mischiefe and who out of experience of past miseries were willing to prevent future By their mediation though the Armies by this time were so neere encampt that they could hardly part without battell were every houre made new overtures of peace and on both sides not un willingly received The Earle of Warwicke whose pretence was that of all Rebels The good of the Kingdome entertain'd these Treaties with a humilâ—ty beneath his nature and late advantages neither appear'd stubborne to bend downe to the lowest submission so provision might bee made for the publique benefit Yet never in all these apparences of a calme did he neglect to prepare himselfe against the roughest storme of warre knowing the best way to bee recoâ—cil'd upon safe termes to an enemie is not to be necessitated to peace But the King of a waâ—en nature apt to receive any impressâ—ons best pleas'd his present humour would not trouble his quiet to believe there might be fallacie in Warwickeâ— pretensions Whereupon imagining that had received perfection which was then but in â—â—itation â—hee neglected the order of warre and began in his Campe to taste the pleasures of Court Which evill discipline observ'd by the Earle hee takes the advantage suddenly sets on the Kings field kills the watch and in the dead of night at Wollny within foure miles of Warwicke surpriseth his person buried in a carelesse sleepe So that hee no sooner waked but found how false his dreame had beene which flatter'd him with peace This so unhappie negligence betray the King to an insulting enemie who up brayded his prisoner in the most insolent termes with ingratitude to his great merits and boasted it was now both in his power and resolution to plaine that mountaine he had rais'd and raise the humbled vally of King Henries fortunes up to the throne he once possest And presently sent away the King prisoner to Middleham Castle in Yorke-shire there to be kept by his brother busie Archbishop of that Sea Not daring to retaine him longer least his Armie might unite and hazzard the recovery of their Prince In this middle and unsafe course of managing his great fortune questionlesse the Earle committed a maine oversight For either by a free delivery with some conditions advantagious for himselfe and friends and what conditions would the King then not have sign'd hee should have cast a perpetuall obligation upon him or else by destroying him have secured his designe from after hazzard knowing that no prison could hold a Prince which would not open to corruption or battery and no brother could have a faith so strong which would not bee in danger to bee weakned either by threates or promises But perhaps this way of pollicie was onely beaten by that time and the proud Earle tooke a glory to keepe the whole Kingdome at his devotion and the two Competitors his Captives for both of them his Fortune had imprison'd But King Edward grew soone weary of the restraint as whom a long practise in the liberty of pleasure had not endued with such a tamenesse as armed King Henry He therefore presently casts his eye about to finde some way so redeeme his person from captivitie and his honour from so darke an errour as by negligence to have beene surprised And having upon pretence of necessary exercise for health obtained licence to hunt in the adjoyning Parke he so contrived with Sir William Stanley and Sir Thomas Burgh that unexpected
relation of his present calamitie he perswaded them to compassion So that whom they refused to serve as King which had beene an act of loyalty they condescended to aide as Duke of Yorke which was absolute rebellion It being high treason in a Subject though never so apparently injured to seeke his remedy by armes And by the sence of his owne misfortunes he made his Oratory so powerfull that all began to exclaime against the injustice of the last Parlament in conferring the Dutchy of Yorke which by right of primogeniture belong'd to Edward upon his second Brother George Duke of Clarence Which Act could not be imagined freely granted by the Parliment but extorted by the overgreat sway of Warwicke And had Edward by usurpation of the Crowne deserv'd so heavy an attainder He might yet quit himselfe from the crime having beene incenc'd thereunto not by his owne ambitious desire of raigne but by the instigation of Warwicke Who no longer would suffer the government of his King then the King knew how to obey his insolent direction And who had thus planted and supplanted Princes not out of love to Iustice but onely thereby to transplant the Soveraignety into his owne Family Thus the Commonalty argued for Edward and made him yet partake in the fortune of a Prince by not permitting him to beare the burthen of his own faults and that he might recover the â—â—â—tchy belonging to his family many persons of power and name resorted to him be solemnely swearing never to attempt hereafter the re-obtaining of the kingdome The same oath swore Henry of Bullingbrooke when pretending to the Dutchy of Lancaster he landed in the North arm'd against King Richard which he brok as Edward after did upon the like advantage So that with humilitie we ought to wonder at the judgements of the Almightie who permitted perjurie now to unbuild the great nesse of Lancaster which at first was built by perjury Leaving therefore a Garrison in Yorke a safe retreat upon the worst occasion hee marcht toward â—â—â—doâ—â— about which place he had ever found his fortune most benigne And confidently led on his Forces which could not deserve the name of Army although the Marqueâ—â—e Mountague with a farre superior power lay then â—â— Poâ—â—fret to impeach his journey Nigh which when King Edward came expecting battaile Mountague who had both abilitie and opportunitie to have destroyd him let him quietly passe not permitting any act of hostilitie to be showed or advantage taken This grosse oversight in so absolute a command received severall interpretations according to the complexion of the men discourst it The more Religious who favord King Edwards title thought Almighty God intending to set the Crowne upon the right head had infatuated the counsells of his enemies The more vulgar judged it cowardize in the Marquesse which durst not fight against that Majestie for which hee had so often â—ought and against a Prince who haâ— never beene in â—aâ—taile but victoriouâ—li But the â—â—â—â—â— in different esteemed it a peece of over cunning which in the event iâ— ever folly to let his forces passe whereby after hee might inclose him â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—â— and his brothers army and so without â—â—â—â—â—â—â— destroy him or else sonâ—e intelligence which â—â—â—ore â—â—â—â—â— held with King Edwardâ—o â—o whoâ—â— love and beâ—efâ—â—â—â—â— owed so much Whence this â—â—â—stake proceeded I will not dispute but certainly it served well to the Kings purpose had safetie and received â—omdâ— the Earle of Warwicke and his faction no other name then of falshood and treaâ—â—on King Edward was no sooner past this danger but at any of the Nobility with mightie 〈◊〉 reâ—â—â—â—â—â— to him â—â—her desâ—oâ—â—â— of another 〈◊〉 on of â—thro◠〈◊〉 having found their expectation driâ—â—â—â—â—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 â—â— directed by their better Aâ—gâ—ll to 〈◊〉 to that side which ever â—â— as â—oâ—â—â— just and suddenly more likely to be 〈◊〉 â—ortoâ—â—â—e But before they would solemnely declare themselves they intreated and soone prewail'd with him to cast off the poore intention to a Dutchy and lay his challenge to what was his inheritance the kingdome For it would lessen even to contempt the great reputation of his birth and 〈◊〉 victories to let the people perceive that a short ecclipse of fortune had made him fall so low as to depose himselfe from the Royâ—loie Neither could they justifie their taking armes to settled subject in his inheritance Since the Law is open to and such controversies and if he would subject himselfe to the Law the last Parliament â—â—â—â— forever disabled him from any such claime Weaker arguments would have beene of power enough to have perswaded his great Spirit but by these he was confirm'd in his owne thoughts and with the title of King and a â—â—â— Arm â—archt directly to Coventry fierâ—e in his desire to give Warwicke battâ—ile who lay there â—ncampâ— But no provocation could bring him from his â—renches knowing his Army divided and those forces he had there undeo his command unequall to maintaine fight with the King For the Marquesse Mountagae was not yet return'd from the North and the Duke of Clarence though often and earnestly sollicited excused himselfe and kept his power apart So reservd way in them made Warwicke begin to hold both in suspition but most of all Clarence whose Forces were so neare and in so good order that there could bee no excuse but in the unpreparednesse of his mind The King therefore perceiving no thing could force Warwicke upon uneven termes to fight marcht against Clarence and soone as hee drew neare both Armies prepared for the incounter But as a plot in a well contrived Comedy is so cunningly wrought that it discovers not it selfe till the last Scene and then expectation acknowledged her selfe deluded by invention So this reconciliation betweene the brothers agreed on long before on the sudden now broke forth when all outward apparences threatned hostilitie For the Duke of Glocester and other Lords seeming to abhorre the inhumane nature of the prepared battaile past often formally betweene the brothers and urged them by all respects both religious and polliticke to prevent a quarrell so ruinous and so scandalous to both wherein the triumph could not be but almost destruction to the Conquâ—ror After much mediation and much seeming relectation that was in the end concluded which had long before beene resolved on And the Duke of Clarence submitting himselfe to King Edward brought with him all those forces which upon Warwicks reputation much more then upon his owne he had raisd But that in this agreement he might not appeare to forget the office of a sonne in Law and a friend he joyntly with the King sent to intreat the Earle to enter league with them for confirmation of that title which himselfe had first defended and to avoid the effusion of so much blood as this quarrell must necessarily draw For conditions he himselfe should set downe his owne knowing hee would be so rationall in his demands as to require
nothing above the decorum of a subject to aske or a Prince to grant But Warwicke had a spirit too stubborne to bow downe to any conditions which himselfe had not beene the first proposer of and as an injury threw backe all offers of curtesie And now too late he began to curse the error of his indulgency which had added power to these brothers onely for his owne destruction From Edward he could expect no safetie for hee deserv'd it not having canceld all former obligations by his last revolt by which he forc'd him to so hazardous a flight and from George he could not look for a true faith considering for the only apparence of better hopes he had heretofore broke it even with a brother And from both what thought of perfect friendship unlesse and that his nature could never suffer he would fall beneath his former height in which should hee continue suspition would never let him remaine secure from danger That subject scarse never having beene reputed innocent in whose power it was to be nocent Whereupon King Edward by all the charmes of former friendship and promise of future unable to lay the spirit that raged in Warwicke left him obstinate in the prosecution of his owne designes And accompanied with his late reconcild brother and followed by a gallant Army marcht to London Where the Citizens out of conscience of their late oath taken so solemnly to King Henry made some show of resistance but soone the care of their owne safetie absolvd them from that scruple instructing them that oaths by feare retorted lay no obligation upon the soule And with much alacritie they yeelded up their City together with the person of King Henry reserv'd still to be made the sport of fortune For certainly history showes us not an example of any Prince who in so many vicissitudes never met with one fully to his advantage So that justly wee might have condemnd him for unhappy had he not beene endued with such a piety as raisd him above his fortune and united him to God At his entrance into the Citie as generall applause entertaind King Edward all those inhabitants who had covertly wisht happy successe to his affaires now openly expressing their triumph The Queene and those many of the Kings nearest followers who for the space of six moneths had secured themselves in Sanctuary running forth to congratulate their owne in his restitution And even in this generall alacritie concurd the vowes of many Merchants natives and forrainers who before had hated him and supplyed King Henry with money to his destruction For the King out of the easinesse of his naturall disposition and a desire that at this universall triumph there should not be a sad looke so much as among his enemies gave their offences a generall pardon Onely letting them understand that hee knew both the value of his owne mercy and of the greatnesse of their forfeitures their ayding the contrary faction having lost them their estates and liberties and in rigor their lives Neither was this an unhappy pollicy in him to obliege many by the forgiving that the extremity of which had he taken his businesse being then so unsetled might have endangered a mutiny in the City upon the first approach of the enemy Having therefore by his happy fortune comforted his friends and by his clemency wonne upon the affection of the rest and so setled the Town to his obedience that he suspected no danger at his backe he led forth his Army to oppose the Earle of Warwicke who having reunited his scatâ—erd forces by easie marches was come to Saint Aâ—ban The reason of bringing his power so neare London was a confidence hee had his reputation among the inhabitants would draw many to his part or at least so divide them that they should be no advantage to the King But the King jealous of their levitie as who had knowne them how affectionate soever they profitted themselves to his fortune siding still with the prevailer interposed his Army betweene the Citie and the enemy whereby he cut off even the possibilitie of intelligence And that the presence of King Henry might not be the occasion of any tumulâ— in London nor his escape adde such 〈◊〉 Warwicks quarrell oâ— hereafter â—â— danger a fâ—â—â—â—er warre hee â—â— oâ—â— hiâ— to the battaile Where by the poore disâ—â—â—st King what side so â—â—e prevaiâ—â—â— was moâ—â—lly certaine of destruction Vpon a Plaiâ—â— neare â—â—rner 〈◊〉 way betweene London and Saiâ—â— Alban the King pitcht his field The 〈◊〉 commanded by the Duke of Glocester the Rere by the Lord 〈◊〉 â—he maine battaile by himselfe To the common Souldier heeded no incouragement of words the great examples of their Leaders was the best Oratory And noâ—e of them but understood their lives estates and liberties at â—he â—take Their â—â—incâ— if overthrownâ— every day â—oâ—â—â—liloâ— to produce new troubles and new dangers 〈◊〉 a full 〈◊〉 of this warre with 〈◊〉 and triumph On the other side the Earle of Warwicke with as bol◠〈…〉 The right Wing which consisted of Horse he committed to the Earle of Oxford in whose company â—ought the Marquesse Mountague The leâ—â— to the Duke of Exeter and the maine â—arâ—â—â—lâ— which was composed of Bills and Bowes the best sinâ—â—es of oâ—â— English strength to the Duke of Sommerset Hee himselfe giving direction in every quarter And when hee had 〈◊〉 his whole hoste and liked both their order and their courage hee 〈◊〉 away his Horse resolving to figâ—â— oâ— foote and that day to try the uâ—most of his fortune prefâ—â—iâ—g 〈◊〉 his imaginations no meane betweene victory and death Then be lovingly in bear'd â—â— those great Commanders in every of whâ—â— appearid a â—â—solution equall to the cause And having by 〈◊〉 protestations declared their sincere faith and forwardnesse to the present service every man betâ—â—ke himselfe to his severall charge Nothing extraâ—â—dinary to beâ— observed in ordering the field on eitâ—er side but that neither George Duke of Clarence nor the Marquesse Mountague commanded any way in chiefe that day So impossible it was to extirpate that suspition which by their foâ—mer actions had takeâ— roote in their brothers minds It was Faster day in the morning a day too sacred to be profaned with so much blood when both Armies addrest themselves to fight That for the King tooke courage from the justice of their quarrell and the fortune of their Prince That of the Earle from the long experience and noble valour of their Leader and from the pietie of him for whose redemption that day they had brought their lives to the hazard Both fought for their Kings both Kings having beene crown d and by severall Parliamentâ— acknowledged And indeede the question was so subtill that even among Divines it had held long and at that day remained not absolutely decided No marvell then if the common souldier had on both sides the same assurance of truth since if they have any their faith for the most is led by
his posterity by violent deathes was reduced to nothing The large River of his blood divided now into many streames some so small they are hardly observ'd as they flow by Of his brother the Marquesse Mountague little can be cleerely spoken so reserv'd were his imaginations and so obscure his wayes especially to us who looke on him so farre off and with so imperfect a light Neither of himselfe can he afford much to story having never beene but second in any businesse of moment and like some poore gamster seldome or never play'd his own Cards He had certainely as much valour and dissimulation as rendred him both a perfect Souldier and Courtier He never miscarried in any battaile till the last in which he perisht so that indifferently we may ascribe to his good conduct and fortune the prosperity of his successe His affections being divided betweene a King and a brother made him suffer that misfortune that ever attends neutrality Though indeede he may be rather sayd to have beene for both than neither His nature was nothing so stubborne as his brothers which perhaps was bended to plausibility by the dependances of his fortune The comportment of men sâ—ldome swelling to a distastfull pride unlesse from the very cradle flattered with respect without the competition of an equall He abhord peace whose strict rules circumscrib'd him within the narrow limits of his owne revenue and loved warre which called not his expences to accoumpt and equal'd if not elevated him above those great men whom he must have envied in a quiet sâ—ate In a word the dispositions of these two Brothers are bâ—st discovered to us by the King himselfe of whom Warwicke was still either esteemed or hated Mountague loved or pittied The affection which King Edward boreâ— Mountague during life appeared by the good language he alwaies used of him even when in Armes against him which perhaps occasion'd some jealosie of his faith in Warwicke And after death in permitting his and for his sake his brothers bodie the honour of a convenient buriall For after they had both laine two or three dayes bare-fac'd in St Pâ—uls Church exposed a spectacle obnoctious to such passions as the beholders were inclined to either by Nature or Faction they were carryed downe to the Priory of Bisham Where among their Ancestors by the mothers side Earles of Salisbury the two unquiet brothers rest in one Tombe Queen Margaret now when it was too late Landed â—â— Waimouth having in her retinue some few French Forces the warie King Lewis loath to venture much upon an after game of fortune And here when she expected the acclamations of triumph she first received the newes of Warwicke slaine and his Armie defeated Which to her mind prepared then to have some taste of happinesse was so sad a distraction that she knew not which way to direct her resolutions At length desperation forc'd her to the common poore refuge of Sanctuary And in Bewlye in Hampshire a monastery of Cistâ—rcian Monkes she registred her selfe her sonne and followers for persons priviledg'd To her in this ago nie of soule came Edmond Duke of Sommerset who had escap'd from the overthrow at Barnet with his brother the Lord John Bewfort Iohn Courtney Earle of Devonshire brother to Thomas who taken at Towtâ—n field was beheaded at Yorke Iasper Earle of Pâ—mbrooke younger sonne of Owen Tâ—uther by Queene Katherine Dowager John Longsâ—â—other Lord Prior of St. Johns and John Lord Wenlocke who had received his first advancement to honour by his great Services to King Edwaâ—d and â—ow by the folly of his ingratitude had betray â— himselfe to a ruinous Faction These Noble personages greater farre in the reputation of what they had or might have beene than in their present power labour'd what they could by their comfort and presence to raise up the Queene sunck with the weight of her misfortunes They related to her the hopes shee yet might retaine in the amitie with France and authoritie she had in England multitudes yet surviving vvhom if not affection to the title desperation of their owne fortunes and safety of their persons would necessitate to take armes All overthroâ—es rather sowing then taking away the seeds of warre Neither if she lookt in differently upon the last battle had she reason to be disconsolate For if shee reflected on the number of the slaine it was not considerable Or upon the death of the Generall the Earle of Warwicke Shee might receive that losse as a benefit He having beene indeed a cruell enemy but never but an insolent friend Whose fortune had it continued prosperous as it began it might have beene a question whether the â—arle of Marches or his â—surpation would have beene the more insupportable They urged farther the authority Sommerset Devonshire the Lord Prior and Wenlooke had in England and the multitudes Pembrooke might arme in Wales But above all what a confluence of the boldest youth would be to the Prince would hee but take the field and appeare in his owne quarrell Nothing having advanc'd the title of Yorke but Marches presence in all battles or â—oâ—â—d the reputation of Laucaster but King Henries unactive piety and fighting still by Deputies The Souldier thinking it desperation for them to hazard their lives where the Prince whom it concernes timerously refuseth to stake his owne But all these arguments exemplified by the most perswasive Oratory could not recover the sad Queene to a perfect life in her spirit For either so many disasters and falling so thicke together made her despaire successe Or else the soule before a great mischiefe hath a certaine divining knowledge of future accidents And now she beganne to thinke that small time her husband had beene re-invested in the Kingdome was but a lightning before the death of all loveraignety in his Family Yet when she looked upon the Prince hope flatter'd her desires that he might hereafter revive the greatnesse of his blood but then the memory of forepast misfortunes made her a melancholly Prophetesse of future râ—ine Howsoever the objects of her thoughts were dismall shee dissembled them and was as busie in all polliticke contrivances and as forward in setting forth the armie as the most resolute Commander But when she perceived the Lords earnest to have the Prince present in the battle shee violently opposed â—n respect of his youth want of experience and the so mighty venter For if he perisht in this storme even hope it selfe would in him be shipwrack'd She therefore urged earnestly to have him reconvai'd into France where in safety hee might attend the successe of the present enterprise which if unprosperous hee might there râ—maine till by the increase of yeares and powre he might be inabled to fight his owne quarrell But the contrary opinion over-ruled in her all the passions both of a woman and a Mother and hâ—ving alreâ—dy lost so much at this play of fortune shee was perswaded like a desperate gaâ—â—â—â—â—er to haâ—â—rd at one cast the
let him enter a place sacred to our most mercifull God untill hee had granted to all there his mercy by a free pardon But this pardon betrayd them for on the Munday after they were taken out of the Church and all beheaded in the Market place at Teuxbury Among whom of principall note were the Duke of Sommerset and the Lord Prior of Saint Johns and many other Knights of great reputation and fortune By which violation of the Sanctuary he made good the opinion which the world before had conceived of him that Religion never could prevaile so farre upon his conscience as to bee any barre eyther to his pleasures or revenge The Queene halfe dead in her Chariot was taken in the battaile and not long after the Prince vvas brought prisoner to the King by Sir Richard Croft Who taking notice of the Proclamation vvhereby the revvard of a hundred pound by the yeare during life was promist to whosoever should yeeld the Princes body dead or alive up to the King with protestation not to offer any violence to his person if alive brought him unhappily to his death Which when the good Knight afterward found he repented what he had done and openly profest his service abused and his faith deluded For King Edward presently upon the delivery of the Prince caused him to be brought into his presence and intertained him with some demonstration of curtesie Mooved perhaps thereunto by the innocency of his youth compassion of his misfortune or the comelinesse of his person the composition of his body being guilty of no fault but a too feminine beauty At first it was supposed the King might have some charitable intention and resolve happily to have setled him in the Dutchy of Lancaster his Fathers inheritance a patrimony too narrow for a King and something too large for a Subject and thereupon to have enterd discourse with him whereby to make experience whether his spirit would stoope to acknowledge a Superiour He therefore question'd him what madde perswasion had made him enter into so rash an enterprise where the very attempt was rebellion being against his Soveraigne and folly being in opposition to a Prince so farre in power above him He expected an humble answer deprecatory for life or soft and gentle according to the complection either of his fortune or his face But he with a resolution bold as his Grandfather Henry the fifth would have replyed with answerd that to recover his Father miserably opprest and the Crowne violently usurped hee had taken armes Neither could he be reputed to make any unjust claime who desired no more then what had beene possest by Henry the sixt the fift and fourth his Father Grand-father and great Grandfather Kings of England And acknowledged by the approbation not of the Kingdome onely but the world and even by the progenitors of King Edward By the spirit of which language when the King perceived how much his life might threaten danger with a looke full of indignation hee turn'd from him thrusting him disdainfully away with his gantlet Which so mighty rage observ'd and his so distemper'd parting out of the roome The Dukes of Clarence and Glocester the Marquesse Dorset and the Lord Hastings seis'd suddenly upon the Prince and with their poniards most barbarously murthered him â— Of whom wee can make little mention his youth having perform'd nothing worth story though it promist much For under the governement of a Mother the worst education for a Sonne he had beene bred up untill this last sceane of life which hee acted alone and bravely so that posterity hath sence of his misfortune yet and applaudes the justice of the Almighty in punishment of his murtherers For all of them came to violent ends Glocester being executioner of the rest and of him the Earle of Richmond the next surviving kinsman of the butcher'd Prince The severity of which example holds a glasse before the eyes of the wicked and showes them how rotten is all that greatnesse which is not raised upon and maintained by vertue and as the conscience is ever after such a crying sinne inwardly tortured upon the racke of feare so seldome doth the body escape outwardly an exemplary death by violence After this generall defeate of the enemy the death of the Prince and all the great partakers with the house of Lancaster and the surprize of the Queene her selfe the King returned toward London This being the onely compleate victory he ever gain'd from which no man of eminency escaped and no man who might pretend to a competition was now preserved except King Henry and he issuelesse and in prison And to make this triumph resemble something of the Roman the King carryed with him his great captive the most afflicted Queene Margaret A woman most unfortunate to her selfe and most ruinous to this kingdome For after her marriage into England Soone finding her husbands weakenesse safe however in being directed and strengthened by sober councell she never left off inventing new machinations till she wrought him into her sole command with the destruction of his neerest friends So that to make the prospect from her greatnesse larger she broke downe and levelld his strong bullwarkes The Duke of Glocester which might perhaps a little checke her ambitious eye but being taken quite away left her open to every tempest Having therefore by fomenting dissention at home lost except onely Callice all our void territories abroad by the murther of the good Duke her Husbands Vncle shee gave liberty to the house of Yorke to make their just claime to the Crowne and in the end to put her out of that governement shee prepoâ—terously managed In her prosperity shee was rather ambitious then wanton though from the last opinion did not absolutely acquit her Which aspersion certainely was cast upon her by reason of her too intimate familiarity with some of the younger and finer Lords For the more discreete and aged either dislikt her projects or were disliked by her as persons too cautious to consult with a giddy woman Her mighty confidence in the Duke of Suffolke who wrought her marryage with England hath left the largest part of that false suspicion upon his name For who are just to her memory cannot but say beside that she was religious shee was even too busie to thinke of Love matters But perhaps the misfortune of her carriage gave some small occasion of the report Her prosperous fortune presents her to us in the worst colours a factious busie and imperious Queene â—er adverse in the best a most industrious woman to recover what her folly had lost an excellent Wife and a most indulgent Mother And had she never appear'd in action but when misfortune had compell'd her to it she had certainely beene numbred among the best examples of her Sex But now the merits of her later part of life by redeeming the errours of the former serve onely to lâ—vell her with the indifferent The time shee continued a prisoner in
owne claime to the Crowne Your Majesties onely presence being of power to raise a fuller armie in the very heart of France then yet ever King of England led to conquer France This overture tooke generally with the great Lords who in their infancyes by their Nurses having beene told no stories but of our triumphs in France and those tales imprint deepely in the memory and now for many yeares ever acquainted with the warres at home embraced danger as the onely meanes to honour Moreover an appetite of glory mingled with a noble emulation of the prowes of their Fathers made every man of name thrust forward to this action Neither were the more covetous backeward considering they were to warre with a richer and a more effeminate nation and not unlikely to returne loaden with spoyle if not to remaine there in a fertiller and a pleasanter Country The Souldier who was in a manner all the gentry of the Land for the civill warres had engaged them all to the study of armes rellisht this businesse more then the great Lords For they having beene bred up in the free licence of warre abhord to be circumscribed within the narrow bounds of the Lawes which never have absolute power but in peace So that the whole body of the Kingdome passionately affected the quarrell and by their universall acclamations in praise of it perswaded the King soone to declare his assent Whereupon sending for the Embassadors he showed his resolution to the warre which hee would undertake in person and that very Spring for it was now presently after Christmas transport his Forces into France He desired therefore to understand in what readinesse the Duke of Burgundy had his army and where he would appoint the place for the English to joyne and which way should first be taken To which the Embassadors made answer that the Duke had his Forces so well prepared that if the King would nominate a certaine time when he would be at Callice the Duke would be sure three moneths before to waste the whole Country belonging to the French and to have his men so expert that they should be able to instruct the English unacquainted with the place And as for transportation of his Souldiers they desired his Majesty not to perplex himselfe in regard his Highnesse would provide boats for that purpose Then that the King might perceive how faithfully the Duke dealt with him they showed the Articles agreed upon betweene the Dukes of Burgundy Brittaine and the Count S. Paul to joyne in a warre offensive against King Lewys As likewise a Catalogue of the names of all the great Lords of France who held secret intelligence with them and who would revolt from the French King soone as the Dukes army tooke the field With this so satisfactory answer the Embassadors returned to the Duke who in this attained the ambition of many yeares working For all the feare which troubled his busie minde was least King Edward won by the practises of King Lewys might be induced to side with France or else to remaine a neuter And indeed the last he suspected most knowing the nature of our King so prone to voluptuousnesse to which the noyse and trouble of the warres never gives free licence He therefore by continuall Embassies kept him constant to his resolution and with larger promises of supply and clearer apparences of successe prickt forward his ambition to the enterprise But all these arts were needlesse for the King was forward to the quarrell Either out of a brave emulation of Henry the fift his Predecessor of the other line or out of a confidence as easily to throw King Lewys out of the throne of France as he had King Henry out of the Soveraignety of England or perhaps not to appeare backeward in an attempt of glory when the expectation of the kingdome called upon him to arme For unlesse some malice rancord in the genius of our Nation against the French the Saxon governement having received a finall overthrow by them in the conquest of Duke William though to that great businesse conspired all the adjacent Countries it would be our wonder why the English were never sparing of their lives or treasure when any warre might be advanced against the French And of this so extraordinary forwardnesse in his people the King tooke a great advantage To compact the body of this enterprise money the nerves and sinues of warre were wanting The ordinary course for supply was by Parlament and that at this time was held difficult if not impossible In regard the King but a little before had dissolved the assembly having received for discharge of his debts a large contribution and to urge them to a second aide would probably end in distaste if not in denyall Neither could it appeare lesse then extreame exaction to force the Farmers who make up the greatest number in any payment to yeeld to asubsidie considering the precedent troubles of the Kingdome had utterly impoverisht them by hindering tillage and all good husbandry And for the Nobility who pay a large share in all generall collections they for the most prepared themselves for the expedition And it could not but rebate the edge of their courages to be at a vast charge not onely in the particular setting forth of their owne persons and their retinue but in the generall preparations There was therefore a new way found out by former ages never knowne without oppressing the Commons to supply the King the name it bore was a benevolence though many disproved the signification of the word by their unwillingnesse to the gift and it was cunningly and discreetely required onely of the better sort of people who were knowne to have a plentifull revenue And especially of such whom ease and wealth were likely to detaine at home Knowing that the heaviest burthen might be laid on them without a publicke murmur as men hated by the Souldier and upon whose prosperity ever attends a common envy In advancing this contribution no pollicy was omitted either by private menaces or publicke entreaties Some came in led by feare not knowing to what indignation a denyall might provoke the state Other cunningly perswaded to a vaine hope of enjoying the Kings particular favour by their forwardnesse Few granted it for love to the enterprise Most onely because their neighbours did it and they wanted courage to disobey example In History a Widdow is much spoke of who having freely and somewhat above the proportion of her estate contributed twenty pound received from the King a kisse Which his so extraordinary favour extraordinary to a Widdow declin'd in yeares so overjoy'd her that she doubled the summe and presented it to the Collectors By which slight passage a judgement is easie to be made of the Kings nature either of it selfe full of humanity or without difficulty bending to the lowestcurtesie when it any way concern'd the advancement of his profit By this art monies were raised and now nothing was wanting to
the veines of both people and so many blessings of peace like to enrich both Kingdomes His congratulation was intermingled with prophesie of future happinesse which would grow stronger by the age of time touching in that upon the marriage of the Dolphin with the Lady Elizabeth of England But the good Bishop of Lincolne for in him was then the office of Chancellor in this showed himselfe a better Orator then Prophet Himselfe living afterward to disprove his owne divination After the Oration ended and the two Kings sworne to the forementioned peace King Lewys something wantonly as who knew how to tune his language best to King Edwards eare invited him to take a journey as farre as Paris where if any of the beauties should make him trespasse upon his chastitie the Cardinall of Burbon a gentle Ghostly father should easily afford him absolution The King in the pleasure of his looke approved the faceciousnesse of the discourse and found no great difficultie in himselfe to admit the offâ—r But King Lewys who never used mirth but as a preparative for something serious having wrought himselfe into the Kings good liking and as he thought facilitated him to grant any request urged that the Duke of Brittaine might not remaine in the protection of the English But that he might be left to his owne defence against the just anger of the French whom hee had so often provoked by open confederacies and secret practises To which the King answered resolutely that hee never would forsake the care of a confederate who had maintaind his faith so constantly And afterward importuned by some great Lords imployd to that negotiation by Lewys hee not onely shewed an apparent distaste to the motion but openly profest that rather then the Duke should be endangerd in his safetie he would forget all other amities and passe the Seas himselfe to his reliefe Which shewed a noble disposition in the King and an advisd judgement For the Duke had beene ever friendly to him in the worst of fortune and in his better a most faithfull neighbour and in this enterprize on France had used no dissimulation nor in the least carriage of businesse betraid that faith at first he promist In the protection therefore of him against the French the King shewed the gratitude of his memory as likewise a polliticke caution that the Crowne of France might not grow too potent by warring with a weaker Prince whose ruine could not but give to it a dangerous addition But this discourse touching the Duke was in private betweene the Kings for Lewys to show the authoritie he had over his greatest Lords had commanded them to retire when hee enterd into this speech And in treating this businesse which so nearely concern'd the pollicie of his intentions he shewed a great art not urging the King so farre as that the deniall might come off with a distaste But smoothly he gave it over when hee perceiv'd him not easily to be remov'd although with some inward difficultie to finde his affection so constant to the Duke of whom hee had resolv'd to make a spoile and to lay the first stone of his mightie building in his destruction Hee presently therefore diverted his discourse againe to ceremony and after some short intercourse of courtship they both at the same minute parted from the grate and tooke horse publickly giving very liberall commendations of each other And how ever enterviewes are generally esteem'd unsafe for Princes in regard the advantage falling of necessitie on the one part throwes a contempt upon the other yet this was both in probabilitie before and after in the successe most fortunate For both Princes though of different complexions had equall preheminences and by severall wayes came to stand upon even ground King Edward had the advantage in youth personage and behaviour which win suddenly upon estimation Lewys in the cunning of wit and authority of his carriage which although slowlier sinke deeper in opinion Edward had a daring courage ever seconded by a propitious fortune Lewys a circumspect judgement which orderd businesses so sure that he left scarce any thing to fortune Edward by his Sword had brought himselfe to the present greatnesse of his state Lewys by his pollicie had setled himselfe in his fathers conquests And indeed so apparent was the equalitie of these Princes that they both dispaired to gaine any thing by opposition which made Lewys at any rate desirous to buy King Edwards returne and Edward willing no more to traffique with Lewys from whom nothing was to be got in the way of bargaine What soever the one did by valour the other likely to undoe by cunning This peace by all conjecture was likely to suffer in opinion at home where by comparing the fortune of the present with that of former expeditions expectation promist it selfe nothing lesse then the entire recovery of France To prevent which the King had happily perhaps judiciously as who foresaw that the successe might end an accord brought over with him many from London for their wealth of most reputation in the Citie These men whom plentie endeard to the love of life soone as hee had resolved to decline the present watre hee causd to be assaulted every houre with new feares Representing to their affrighted minds the horror of a battell the many difficulties of a siege and the certaintie of a timelesse death if not by the Cannon or the Sword yet by the inconveniences of lodging and the weather which the winter comming on was likely to be most tempestious And if beyond hope death were escaped how cruell might bee an imprisonment and how deepe the ransome Then hee gave order that the Enemie should bee reported of farre more danger then indeede hee was and every night false alarums to bee given And for distrust already held of Burgundie and S. Paul hee let it bee augmented in the Army causing rumors to be spread abroad that there was treason in them from the beginning of this enterprise and that now they were prepard to unite their forces with the French to the utter destruction of the English By which frights hee so moulded them to his desires that they writ backe to their friends the impossibilitie of any successe in the present businesse and the great judgement and fortune of the King if he could conclude a peace with advantage of honour The example of this pollicie King Edward bequeath'd to Henry the seventh who left none of his predecessors arts unpractisd that might advance eyther his profit or reputation And so farre this desire of peace and delight in it spread it selfe that when upon the day of the enterview by accident a white pigeon lighted upon the Kings pavilion and there pruned it selfe after a shower of raine the Sunne shining comfortably the Souldiers cryed out it was the Holy Ghost who descended in that forme to show how gratefull the present accord was to heaven Which interpretation pleasd exceedingly the present humour of the King
Any superstition being nourisht in the subject which tended to advance the reputation of their Prince especially when his actions are doubtfull to bee understood The night that ensued the enterview many of the English nobilitie resorted to Amiens the French affabilitie and something too of curiositie inviting them The Lord Howard who was alwayes foremost in his application to King Lewys at Supper whisperd him in the eare that hee conceiv'd his Master might bee perswaded without much scruple to make a journey to Paris where by a friendly entertainement the new begun amitie might be perfected But the wary King had no desire to bid so dangerous a guest to Paris for feare the delicacies of the place might invite him either to a too chargeable continuance there or to such a love of the French aire that it might perswade him to returne hereafter thither though unbidden Hee therefore chid his owne overforward straining a complement and was forc'd to the invention of an excuse to take away discurtesie from denyall of that before ceremoniously he had offerd he answer'd the Lord Howard thereupon suddenly and to the outward judgement seriously that hee was extreame sorry the necessitie of his unsetled state would not afford him licence for so much happinesse being presently to make an expedition against the Duke of Burgundie Who was busie in his preparations against him so that with safetie yet hee could not attend the pleasures of peace Which answer gave but a halfe satisfaction but the Lord Howard was devoted to his affaires and that made the rellish of it better with the King But that the King might neither reape all the benefit not yet beare all the blame of this peace there were few Lords great in opinion of the state but shared proportionably in the bootie Even the scrupulous Duke of Glocester returnd not home without a large present both of Plate and Horses For when hee saw the whole streame of the Armie flow into King Lewys either out of curiositie or in pollicie loath to particularize an enmitie upon himselfe from so potent a Prince he went to him at Amiens where hee found a respect answerable not onely to the greatnesse of his blood but to the extent of his judgement and authoritie But with him King Lewys dealt with more circumspection knowing it impossible to winne ground upon him by any slight or strength of wit The good affection of all the other Lords he bought up according to the ordinary course in Markets As they were worth more in the Kings esteemation so were they at a higher price with him The principall men of name who were in pension as wee find them in History were the Lord Hastings Lord Chamberlaine to the King the Lord Howard Sir John Cheiney Master of the Horse S. Anthony S. Leger and Sir Thomas Montgommery Among these beside the present guifts hee annually distributed sixteene thousand Crownes and exacted from every man an acquittance for the receit Which no man refused but onely the Lord Hastings denying absolutely that ever his hand should be seene among the Kings accounts at Paris but welcom'd still the pension which without that formalitie was continued At how high a rate King Lewys prized his amitie with England by this profate liberalitie a qualitie so contrary to his parcimonious disposition is easily to bee judged But how lawfull it was in the receivers I will not too severely censure For although in this Kings raigne as likewise in the time of Henry the seventh many of the great Counsellors were in pension to Lewys and afterward to his Sonne Charles the eight yet is hard to judge how it could agree with the decorum of their dignitie It being much beneath the honour of a noble mind to owe any part of their revenue to a Prince whose safetie and advantage must never be in the first place of their care In peace it may happily not carry any apparence of disloyaltie because by their good offices they may deserve that way of gratitude but in times of jealousie and especially of enmitie it can no way bee allowed For though the Pensioner give no underhand intelligence prejudical to his Country yet by a certain necessity of gratitude it stops the freedom of advice and renders him however undeserving to the one Rewards are given for forepast merits pensions to retaine in future he therefore who receives a pension obligeth himselfe tacitly to the service of two Masters And oftentimes the second in his thoughts is that Prince to whom hee owes a naturall dutie An extrordinary way of benefit begetting an extraordinary diligence And hence proceeds that maladie in the body of a state which inclines it so totally to one side that all injuries how grosse soever are connived at from one neighbour while from another the least shadow of offence begets mortall warre But if these pensions bee receiv'd with approbation of the King certainly as they are lawfull so likewise are they lesse dangerous for then the state is armed against the advice of such whom they know to leane to one side The crookednesse of counsell being easily discern'd when not boulsterd up with simulation of integritie And questionlesse the distribution of these Crownes like a dangerous poison disperst it in some principall veines of a body infected the whole Court And though perhaps the secret resolutions of the King and state were not betray'd to him yet was his intelligence larger than convenient for so cunning a neighbour Who out of slight and triviall occurrences such as were but Chamber talke could guesse at the most reserv'd counsels Neither would those so apparent affronts offer'd by him afterward have beene so patiently dissembled especially the King knowing him a timerous Prince and who trembled at the very thought of a returne of the English into France had not they whose advice was most listend to passionately excused him in every charge the more zealous statists layd to him But these mischiefes the yeares succeeding were guiltie of for the present the King full of joy and treasure returnd toward Callice And indeed with more then ordinary haste and caution for feare the Duke of Burgundy should attempt any thing upon his retreat But with safetie hee both came thither and sayld to Dover whence in much pompe he directed his journey to London Vpon Black Heath the Lord Major and the Aldermen in Scarlet and five hundred Commoners in murrey receiv'd him and thence with all ostentation of triumph conducted him through the Citie to Westminster And perhaps hee gave order the solemnitie of his returne should bee more glorious to set off the shortnesse of his stay in France and the small or no honour purchast there The vulgar for the most part valuing the glory of the victories according to the information of the Ballad and the glittering of the Pageants The French King who ever affected the substance smild at these huge shadowes and never quarreld with King Edward what pompous titles soever
he assumed in receiving the forementioned sums of money Willing that hee should husband his actions of least worth to the greatest advantage of credit with his people While hee on the contrary in all businesses never heeded what judgement opinion gave and so his ends were effected cared not by what sordid or humble meanes Whereupon presently after the departure of the English notwithstanding the many injuries received from the Duke of Burgundy he came to treatie and suddenly to agreement with him In many points unexpectedly yeelding onely that hee might revenge himselfe upon the Count St. Paul for him hee accounted the Conjurer who by his dissembling charmes had raisd those so many and so tumultuous spirits against the Crowne of France And till hee were destroyed King Lewys conceiv'd it impossible to remaine safe from civill or forraigne warre It was therefore agreed betweene these two Princes that what places had beene wrested away in the former troubles should be immediatly restored and which of the two could first surprize the Count St. Paul should within eight dayes put him to death or deliver him up to the discretion of the other By which agreement the wretched Lord found how inevitable was his ruine And considering the vanitie of any hope that might perswade to defend himselfe against so potent enemies he enterd into discourse with his owne feares to which he might make his addresses with more probabilitie of safetie And knowing the immoveable resolutions of King Lewys and how impossible it was to deceive a Prince so cunning in the Art he resolv'd to make tryall of the Duke Who disdainefully receiv'd the first offers of his service but in the end overcome by importunitie hee granted him safe conduct Relying on which he poasted to him but soone found his ruine by the want of that faith which himselfe had never observ'd For the Duke notwithstanding the safe conduct gave command hee should be imprison'd and not long after deliver'd him up to the French King Who caus'd processe to bee made against him certaine Letters written to King Edward and by him deliver'd to King Lewys being the chiefe articles of accusation by which hee was condemn'd and for which not long after he lost his head Hee imbraced death with much resolution onely somewhat astonisht to meet it upon a Scaffold the manner not the thing it selfe amazing him But the officiousnesse of the King in delivery of those papers to the condemnation of his wives Vncle and a confederate was certainly trecherous and ignoble and makes his memory sound harsh in the eare of any worthy minde And indeede he was on the sudden become so passionate a debtor on a reconcild enemy and so passionate an enemy of his late friends That when he understood of the treatie of peace at Vervins betweene the French King and the Duke hee sent over Sir Thomas Montgomery with instructions if possible to breake it off Who urged that the Duke should not bee admitted to treate of himselfe but onely as mention'd in the King his Masters peace that if the Duke refused to treate in that manner and the King any way suspected his owne strength his Master would the next Summer crosse the Seas and joyne his forces with him Conditionally that halfe the wages of his Army might bee defraid by the French for whose service the warre was to be undertaken and that he might be allowed fiftie thousand crownes annually in respect his losse would amount to the value by reason the English Woolls at Callice could during that time have no vent into the Netherlands To such an over officious friendship did his new malice to Burgundie and the counsaile of King Lewys his great pensioners incline him that hee voluntarily offer'd without respect of glory or hope of profit to fight like a journeyman for a Prince whose growth in power could not bee but most unsafe even to him and dangerous to his kingdome This embassie King Lewys receiv'd with apparence of much content congratulating the felicitie of his owne arts that had brought the King to so obsequious a respect but he no way desired to see him any more in France especially not to pay for his presence whose absence hee had lately bought so deerely Hee therefore return'd many thankes for the offer'd favour but withall shewed how much too late it came in regard the truce was already concluded betweene him and the Duke from which being now sworne to it he could recede neither in honour nor religion But that the world might understand how scrupulous he had beene in preservation of the King of Englands reputation the present truce varyed not in one point from that sworne at Picguinie except onely that the Duke was admitted to article for himselfe apart which indeed was the maine thing the King endeavoured to have prevented since by articling apart the Duke showed his independance and that the English by their armes had no way advanced his businesse But that this answer might indanger no misinterpretation he liberally presented the Embassador and sent over with him the two hostages the Lord Howard and Sir John Chiney For King Lewys continued still in much caution to offend the King least perhaps he and the Duke of Burgundy though now asunder might like a limbe broken and set againe knit the faster Hee was therefore diligent to increase every day new discontents betweene them and to preserve the English in their amity firme upon any termes knowing the Duke by no pollicy ever to be reduced to a perfect friendship And so farre had his cunning and pensions prevailed that nothing was more in the vote of the English then to preserve King Lewys safe in his estate at home and noble in reputation with us But among all the ties which kept the King surest to him the hope of marrying the Dolphin with his Daughter and this way at least to settle the Crowne of France in his Posterity most prevailed Of the reality of which article the French permitted not the smallest occasion to be given for suspicion This intention of entering into warre with the Duke of Burgundy being crost the unquiet Nature of some Princes ever affecting to beget trouble to themselves that the King might feele no perfect rest receives the former jealousie concerning the Earle of Richmond But why the reducing him into this powre should so much perplex the state is beyond reach unlesse it were a divination of future accidents which instructed the Kings feares to expect danger from him who neither in the point of justice nor strength was for the present considerable For if we looke upon his faction at home the civill warres had ruin'd them so low that no person of authority had any relation to him except the Lord Stanley who being Father in law to him might perhaps wish his fortunes well but bore a most faithfull mind to the King in whose especiall favour he continued to the last And if we consider him as his neerenesse in blood
to King Lewys might render him formidable from abroad Certainely there was no just ground for suspicion The French being so lately enter'd into a particular amity with England and never having afforded either comfort or countenance to the young Earles exile Then for any claime to the Crowne the King could not feare him his title being of so impure and base a mettall it could no way indure the touch His Mother by whom onely he could pretend heire indeed of the house of Sommerset but not of Lancaster in regard the streame of this descent was poisoned in the very Spring For John of Gaunt having entertained an affection to Katherine Daughter of Sir Paine de Ruet during her attendance on the Lady Blanch his first wife in the life time of his second the Lady Constance his affection grew into a neerer familiarity and so happy was he that his familiarity proved not barren his Mistris for to what a servitude doth lust betray a sinner making him Father of three Sonnes and a Daughter The Duke zealous to reward any that had so well deserved marryed his bedfellow to Sir Otes Swinford and either through impotency or conscience afterward refrained her company Some yeares past she having buryed her Knight and he his Dutchesse in gratitude to her former merits being now growne very old he tooke her againe to his bed with the lawfull ceremonies of the Church And thus his ancient Concubin became his new Bride Having righted her honour to leave no monument of their sin to posterity he laboured the ligitimation of the children and so farre in the time of Richard the second prevailed that both the sentence of the Church and Parliament pronounced them lawfull and enabled to inherit the Lands of their Father in case his issue by his former wives should faile The eldest Son of the three thus ligitimated was John created Earle of Sommerset Father of John Duke of Sommerset whose sole Daughter and heire Margaret marryed Edmond of Haddam Earle of Richmond whose Sonne Henry was now the marke at which all the arrowes of the Kings suspicion aymed By this Pedegree to the eye at first appeares so me dawning of a title but certainely it is a false light such as oftentimes deceives the credulous traveller For the legitimation by the Church was to take away as much of scandall as possibly from the children and a dispensation onely for the benefit of the bastards without prejudice to the right of any other For these bastards were not of the common nature such as after marryage may make legitimate being not Naturall but Spurious begot in adultery on the one side and consequently incapable of any benefit by dispensation Adde to this that not being of the whole blood according to the common Law of England the house of Sommerset was farther of from inheriting any title from King Henry the sixt then the most remote of the line of Yorke Lastly in the very legitimation it selfe the children were onely made capable to inherit the estate of their Father The Crowne being never mentioned and for the Dutchy of Lancaster they could not pretend that being the inheritance of the Lady Blanch his first wife from whom they no way descended Neither were the Princes of the house of Sommerset ever numberd among the Plantaginets or ever obtained so much as to be declaired heires apparent if Henry the sixt and his Son Prince Edward should extinguish without issue As Mortimer had got to be before in the raigne of Richard the second and Delapole after during the usurpation of Richard the third And if there were any cause of suspicion from the branches of that Family then was the Duke of Buckingham much more to be feared Who was by his Mother heire of Edmond Duke of Sommerset and himselfe a Prince mighty in descent otherwaies from the Crowne as being heire likewise of Thomas Duke of Glocester younger Son to Edward the third Moreover in the faction of a great kindred and dependancy of a multitude of tennants farre more to be suspected Then an exild Lord who claiming by his Mother could during her life have no colour of a Title But the King found the wound of this jealousie ranckle in him and nothing but Richmonds apprehension to heale it He therefore most earnestly sollicited the Duke of Brittaine by his Embassadors to returne him into England Their motives were the much good will the Duke owed their Master who never would forsake his protection though severall wayes and at severall times most importunately provoked That he had in answer to the French requests to that purpose protested that if the Duke were any way endangerd by them personally to crosse the seas and make the quarrell the same as if his owne kingdome were invaded Then for the innocency of the Kings intentions toward the Earle they affirmed that so far from malice the desire to have him returnd into England was that it meerely tended to his present safety and after honour In regard his Majesty would not onely restore him to the possessions of his Ancestors but endeare him in a neerer tye even by the marryage of one of his owne daughters to him and this blessed way absolutely to roote up all the ancient rancor betweene the houses of Yorke and Sommerset This was the pretention which though the King no way intended yet the Almighty afterward made good to instruct after times that the deepe misteries of cunning Princes are meere illusions compared with true wisedome and the disposition of kingdomes is the worke of Heaven By this simulation and tender of a large sum of money for the King had learnt how to traffique by example of King Lewys the poore Earle of Richmond was delivered up to the Embassadours and immediately by them conveyd to St. Malos the next haven Towne where instant preparations were made for his transportation into England Here fortune or what is lesse uncertaine the wind tooke compassion on his affliction for the very imagination of the ruine he was betrayd to had throwne him into a violent Feaver and hindred the Embassadours from taking shippe Where while they remaind joyfull in the successe of their undertaking Peter Landois Treasurer to the Duke in apparence of a ceremonious visit but indeede to contrive the Earles escape most officiously came to them For no sooner had the Duke given up this innocent victim to be sacrific'd but some of the Court sensible of the Law of Nations and their Masters reputation to himselfe related the injury and dishonour of this action And so farre aggravated the perpetuall infamy that would cloud his fame by selling his guest to whom he had promist safetie and protection that the Duke repented the delivery of him and advised Landois by some art to regaine him And indeede Landois undertooke the imployment readily willing perhaps to gaine the honour of doing one good deed among the multitude of his mischiefes and likewise to revenge himselfe upon the evill memory of
somewhat cleare Either conscience reforming him or by continuall sacietie growne to a loathing of it for the abstinence could not be imputed to age hee at his death not exceeding two and fortie But what endeard him so much to the affection of the people and especially to the Citizens of London was his being rich by his tribute from France and therefore not likely to lye heavy on them as likewise the so famed bountie of his hospitalitie Two thousand persons being daily served in his Court at Eltham where most solemnly hee celebrated the feast of the Nativitie And to recompence the great love which in both fortunes the Londoners had showed him to his last houre he used towards them a particular kindnesse Even so much that he invited the Lord Major and Aldermen and some of the principall Citizens to the Forrest of Waltham to give them a friendly not a pompous entertainement Where in a pleasant Lodge they were feasted the King himselfe seeing their dinner served in and by thus stooping downe to a loving familiarity sunke deepe into their hearts ordinary slight curtesies ordered thus to the best advantage taking more often even with sound judgements then churlish benefits And that the sex he alwayes affected might not bee unremembred he caused great plentie of Venison to bee sent to the Lady Majoresse and the Aldermens wives Thus was the outward face of the Court full of the beautie of delight and Majestie while the inward was all rotten with discord and envie For the Queene by how much shee considerd her selfe more unworthy the fortune shee enjoyed by so much she endeavord in the exterior height of carriage to raise her selfe foolishly imagining pride could set off the humilitie of her birth Shee was likewise according to the nature of women factious as if her greatnesse could not appeare cleare enough without opposition And they she opposed were the chiefest both in blood and power the weaker shee disdayning to wrastle with and they fearefull to contest with her But what subjected her to an universall malice was the rapine the necessary provision of her kindred engaged her to For they being many and great in title could not bee supplyed according to their ambition but by so common an injury as made her name odious through the kingdome Moreover the Lords of her blood by reason of their nearenesse to the Kings children being insolent and in regard of their youth indiscreet frequently ran into those errours which betraid them to the publicke scorne or hatred Against the Queene for through her kindred they aym'd at her opposed the Duke of Glocester the Duke of Buckingham the Lord Hastings and others of the most ancient nobilitie And to render odious her and hers Glocester laid the death of the Duke of Clarence which fratricide himselfe most barbarously contrived altogether upon their envie pretending a more then ordinary causion for his owne safetie least his person might by the same practise be brought in danger By which calumnie he both cleared his owne reputation and clouded the fame of a faction hee endeavord so much to ruine But this side had much the start in opinion and pollicie over the other who were young and unexperienc'd and president of whose Councell was a woman To compose these quarrells begot the King much trouble neither could he without extreame anxietie heare the continual complaints of persons so considerable both in power in the kingdome and kindred to his children not knowing to how dangerous a height this discord in time might grow But to increase his discontent everyday his jealousie increast concerning King Lewys his faith who now began to unmaske his intention and show how much hee had deluded the English For having ever since Maximilians marriage with Mary Dutchesse of Burgundie beene upon unkinde termes with him sometimes at open warre other times in an unfaithfull truce hee was now growing to an absolute peace And the conditions were whisper'd contrary to the treatie Piquignie which made the King suspicious they two might enter into some league prejudicall to the honour of the English For Maximilian having kept Lewys all the life time of his Lady from any further incroach upon her territory and by his fortune won into opinion with the French grew to bee must desired in the nearest friendship by them And he having buried his Dutchesse who owed her death to her modestie in respect that having broke her Thigh by a fall from a Horse she denied to expose it to the sight of Chirurgeons was willing to stand upon good termes with France Knowing how slender and how unfaithfull an obedience those Countries would yeeld to a Prince who was to rule by curtesie since to their naturall Lords they had ever shewed themselves insolent and rebellious These considerations prepared both sides to peace the conclusion of it to beget a more perfect amitie was that the Lady Margaret a child of two yeares old daughter â—o Maximilian and the Dutchesse of Burgundie should be affianced to the Dolphin then upon the age of twelve So that King Lewys in the marriage of his sonne was ever most disproportionable the daughter of England as much too old as this Lady too young but indeed his end was the same with Charles Duke of Burgundy and many other worldly fathers to match his sonne for the best advantage of his profit and convenience To confirme the uncertaine rumours of this perjurie in King Lewys the Lord Howard return'd out of France and made relation how hee saw the Lady Margaret brought with all pompe and ceremony to Ambois and there married to Charles the Dolphin And to heape yet more injuries not long after the tribute hitherto so carefully payd was denied The French now disclosing the innated malice they bore the English and with how little scruple they could dispence with the most solemne oath when no apparent danger threatned the crime For though the Dolphin when hee had attaind to the age of consent might have broke off this marriage and it could have beene onely term'd an act of discourtesie yet King Lewys who had sworne to this Article with so much ceremony cannot bee excused from a most foule impietie But what reason of state prevaild with him who heretofore awed by his feares had condescended in a manner to compound for his kingdome thus now to slight the English is not delivered in history And it may appeare difficult considering King Edward was now if possibly more absolute in his command at home his people better disciplin'd and no apparence of an enemy from abroad Adde to that his Coffers full increast every yeare by the tribute from France and his reputation high by the victory lately purchast against the Scots A nation though inferior to the French in the riches and extent of territory yet in martiall courage equall and in warring with whom we have found more sweat and danger It is therefore hard to know the cause of King Lewys his
to us so likewise not dangerous And as for Brittaine if his weakenesse disable him to our ayde I am confident it will continue him a neutrall Neither is it to be forgot how securely now we may leave England rather then heretofore Considering our so entire friendship with the Scots whose hostilitie was alwayes sharpe upon us at home when wee attempted victorie abroad But I detaine you by my speech too longe from action I see the clouds of due revenge gatherd in your brow and the lightning of furie break from your eyes Which abodes thunder against our enemy Let us therefore loose no time but suddenly and severely scourge this perjured coward to a too late repentance and regaine honour to our Nation and his Kingdome to our Crovvne The Lords resented the affront with an indignation high as the Kings and desired that instant preparations might be made for the warre But above all the Duke of Glocester appeard zealous in the quarrell expressing aloud his desire that all his estate might be spent and all his veines emptied in revenge of this injury All the Court was presently for the designe and the whole Kingdom with a fierce appetite desired to arme So that no language was heard but martiall and all the gallantry in new armour or other conveniences for service The King most passionatly pursued his determination and that very spring resolved to begin the warre But he was diverted on the sudden from calling King Lewys to a reckoning for this crime and summond by death to give a strict account of all his owne Death arrested him and in the respect of not many houres instracted him in more then all the oratory from pulpits had done for fortie yeares For soone as he found himselfe mortally sicke he began to consider the vanitie of all his victories which with the expence of so much blood he had purchac'd and to the heart repented his too hard bargaine He looked backe upon the beautie of his sensuall pleasures and now discernd it was onely faire in the outside inwardly rotten and deform'd He cast up the accounts of his tribute both at home and abroad and all those treasures gather'd either by proscription of his enemies or exacting from his subjects and found himselfe a banckerout For till now hee wanted leasure to search into that which most concernd him and delighted too much in the pompe pleasure of the Inne where he was not to stay forgot he had a journey and unawares was overtaken by night an endlesse night which no day succeedes Perceiving his doome inevitable and no hope of the least reprive he began to order businesse as fully as the shortnesse of the time would licence The great affaire of his soule indeede the onely that is necessary he committed to the mercy of his redeemer and by the Sacraments then in use with the Church in England and a reall contrition hee labord a full expiation of the crimes and errours of his life And as his death is described to us by an excellent author who lived neere his time Almightie God seemes to have strucke water even from the Rocke as by Moses Wand hee did for the Israelites in touching this Prince to the heart and forcing a most religious penetence from a soule obdurate in sinne as wee may conjecture by his life The revenge of the injury hee receiv'd from King Lewys he refer'd to the judgement of heaven whose worke it is to punish perjury And Lewys suffered for it according to his demerit for that sonne in marrying whom hee so busied his imaginations and slighted all faith and religion lived but a short space and died issulesse Not one branch remaining of that great tree whose roote was in perjurie and dissimulation The protection of the King and Kingdome he left to the Lords nearest in kindred to his children advising them to amitie and concord By which the nation would flourish in greatnesse abroad and safetie at home The young King bee secured from flattery and instructed in the best discipline for government And they themselves live is much honour and felicitie i◠united to advance the Commonwealth and oppose all forraine danger Whereas discord would beget civill warre and that endanger ruine So that this Christian King like Christ himselfe when he departed bequeathd peace to the world And had this doctrine beene as zealously followed as it was uttered the succeeding time had not beene guiltie of so many sad confusions But for the present a perfect reconciliation appear'd both sides lovingly imbracing and protesting all amitie in the future So that with comfort hee forsooke the world and may well be said to have deserved a generall applause in this last sceane of his life Among his words of farewell at his death it is worthy observation that he solemnly protested his repentance for obtaining the Crowne with so much blood as the necessitie of the quarrell spilt Which certainly showes a most singular pietie considering the indubitable justice of his title And withall teacheth Princes a new lesson that the power of sway great men so superstitiously adore is but the Idoll of folly and ambition Whose oracles delude the living but on our death-beds we discerne the truth and hate the irreligion of our former errour Concerning the occasion of his death there is much varietie in opinion for by severall authors it is severally imputed to poison griefe and surfeit They who ascribe it to poyson are the passionate enemies of Richard Duke of Glocesters memory Who permit not nature at that time to have beene obnoxious to decay but make thè death of every Prince an act of violence or practise And in regard this cruell Lord was guiltie of much blood without any other argument condemne him for those crimes from which he was however actually most innocent The French affirme it to have proceeded from griefe conceiv'd upon repudiation of his daughter and detention of the tribute But they looking on our affaires a farre off mistake the shadow for the substance desirous perhaps that King Lewys should kill a King of England by a new weapon And certainly Lewys did perswade himselfe that King Edward was slaine this way and congratulated his wit much in the accident But this carries not the least apparence of probabilitie Great sorrowes kill for the most part suddenly else by a languishing decay of nature whereas King Edward dyed not presently upon the report nor yet drew melancholly from this injurie but a brave anger fierce to seeke revenge Moreover griefe hath the◠bin observed most powerfull over life when the disconsolate hath no eare to which hee may expresse himselfe and no hope left for remedy whereas King Edward breath'd forth passions to his Councell and found in them a simpathy both in the sorrow and the rage And as for revenge certainly the state of England was never better prepar'd to exact it The King being a valiant and fortunate leader the people inured heretofore to the exercise