Selected quad for the lemma: prince_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
prince_n	cornwall_n	duke_n	wales_n	2,321	5	10.3906	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02454	The historie of Edvvard the Fourth, King of England. By Wm. Habington Esquire	Habington, William, 1605-1654.; Elstracke, Renold, fl. 1590-1630, engraver.	1640 (1640)	STC 12586; ESTC S120588	129,268	238

grounded were inconsiderate words by which upon report that white Bucke was killd as the King was hunting in his Parke hee wisht the head and hornes and all in the Kings belly whereas indeed he wisht it onely in his belly who counsaild the King to kill it With this accusation were mingled many other of poisoning sorceries and inchantments Crimes which every judicious man easily perceiv'd were onely put in the scale like graines to make his rash language full weight which otherwise would have beene too light to deserve the sentence of death These proceedings Clarence resented as they were intended and expostulated with the King the injustice to his servant and injury to himselfe And according to the custome of expostulations his words were bold and disorderly and having receiv'd an apparent injury built too much on the right of his cause and provoked the King too far into indignation So that soone after hee was committed close prisoner to the Tower where by Act of Parliament attainted he was secretly put to death the manner as it is generally receiv'd was by thrusting his head into a But of Malmesey by which he was stifled In his attainder according to the forme are crimes enough to make his death have apparence of justice the execution of which the King seem'd rather constrain'd to then to have sought For there are reckon'd how the Duk of Clarence to bring the present government into hatred with the people and thereby the present state into trouble had not onely in his speeches frequently laid injustice to the Kings charge in attainting Thomas Burdet falsely convict of many notorious treasons but subornd many of his servants and divers others corrupted with money to divulge the like seditious discourses That he had spread abroad impious rumors that the King dealt by Necromancy and upon offence against such of his subjects whom by order of Law he could not destroy hee was accustomed to take away by poyson That he had not rested there but whereby to advance himselfe to the Kingdome and for ever to disable the King and his posteritie from the Crowne had contrary to truth nature and Religion Viper-like destroying her who gave him life publish● that the King was a bastard and no way capable to reigne That to make this his so monstrous ambition more successefull and already to begin his usurpation he had caus'd many of the Kings subjects to bee sworne upon the most blessed Sacrament to bee true to him and his heires without any acceptation of their alleigance After which so solemne oathes hee discovered to them his resolution to right himselfe and his followers who had both suffer'd by the Kings violent wresting away their estates And in particular to revenge himselfe upon the King who as hee most impiously and falsly suggested had by art Magicke order'd to consume him as a Candle consumeth in burning And what most exprest that treason of his designes that he had got out an exemplification under the great Seale of Henry the sixt late King wherein was shewed how by the Parliament it was enacted that if the said Henry and Edward his sonne should dye without issue male the kingdome should descend upon the Duke of Clarence and his heires Whereby clearely appeared his intention immediatly to possesse himselfe of the Crowne with destruction of King Edward and his children by pretention of a generall election of the Commonweale This was the summe of his attainder which wee may well beleeve had not so easily past but by the Kings publike declaring himselfe the secret working of the Duke of Glocester and the passionate urging of the Queenes kindred But this Attainder hath in it one thing most remarkeable that Clarence here falsly was accused by laying bastardie to the King to endeavour possession of the Crowne Which afterward was alledged indeed by Richard Duke of Glocester to the absolute disinherit of the Kings Sonnes Whereby Gods severe judgement manifests how unsafe it is in a Prince by false accusations to condemne an innocent or but to aggravate the fault of one lesse guilty to the end that crueltie may be reported an act of justice The death of this Prince sudden and extraordinary begot every where an extraordinary censure the unnaturall severity taking away all excuse even from their discourse who most fa vour'd the King At home it was generally condemn'd both in regard of the manner it being prodigious to be drowned without water upon dry ground and the quality of the person He being the first brother to a King in this Country that ever was attainted And what increased the murmure a faction appeard at Court triumphing in his ruine all the accusations were strangely wrested and no matter of fact scarce an intention proved against the state Whereupon this punishment was thought to have beene inflicted upon him for no new attempt His first taking part with Warwicke being his onely crime For which warre though somewhat against nature he had many examples in France Spaine and other parts of Christendome Whereas for the death of a younger Brother upon bare suspition the King could borrow no precedent neerer then the Turkish governement But Clarence imagined the prerogative of his birth a sufficient defence against danger and omitted to fortefie himselfe with faction which laid him open to every assault of envy And because hee had heretofore beene in opposition against the King the libertie in censuring any defect in government was interpreted a desire to be in armes agen Every word of distaste being held criminall in him for whom the King was alienated by his owne disposition open invectives of the Queenes kindred and secret traines of the Duke of Glocester who now began to looke high over all respects of nature and religion Hee was certainly ambitious beyond proportion which made him so attentive to any new counsailes and of an easie nature which renderd him apt by practise to be wrought to mischiefe He was a good Master but an uncertaine friend which delivers him to us to have beene according to the nature of weake men sooner perswaded by an obsequious flattery then a free advice We cannot judge him of any evill nature onely busie and inconstant thinking it a circumstance of greatnesse to be still in action Hee was too open brested for the Court where suspition lookes thorough a man and discovers his resolutions though in the darke and lockt up in se. crecie But what was his ruine hee was whether the house of Yorke or Lancaster prevailed still second to the Crowne So that his eye by looking too stedfastly on the beautie of it became unlawfully enamord And that being observd by the Kings jealousie hee sufferd as if hee actually had sinned While this mischiefe was secretly in contrivance against Clarence in the Court appeard no face but that of jollity and magnificence For at that time was Edward eldest son to the King during Christmas to mingle the solemnitie with libertie inaugurated Prince of Wales

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