Inconstancie or Inequalitie but either to some Reason which we do not now know or to a Principle hee had set vnto himselfe That hee would varie and try both wayes in turne But the lesse Bloud hee drew the more hee tooke of Treasure And as some construed it hee was the more sparing in the One that hee might bee the more pressing in the Other for both would haue beene intollerable Of Nature assuredly hee coueted to accumulate Treasure and was a little Poore in admiring Riches The People into whom there is infused for the preseruation of Monarchies a naturall Desire to discharge their Princes though it bee with the vniust charge of their Councellours and Ministers did impute this vnto Cardinall MORTON and Sir REGINOLD BRAY. Who as it after appeared as Councellours of ancient Authoritie with him did so second his Humours as neuerthelesse they did temper them Whereas EMPSON and DVDLEY that followed beeing Persons that had no Reputation with him otherwise than by the seruile following of his Bent did not giue way onely as the first did but shape him way to those Extreamities for which himselfe was touched with remorse at his Death and which his Successour renounced and sought to purge This Excesse of his had at that time many Glosses and Interpretations Some thought the continuall Rebellions wherewith hee had beene vexed had made him grow to hate his People Some thought it was done to pull downe their Stomackes and to keep them low Some for that hee would leaue his Sonne a Golden fleece Some suspected he had some high Designe vpon Forraine parts But those perhaps shall come nearest the truth that fetch not their reasons so far off but rather impute it to Nature Age Peace and a Minde fixed vpon no other Ambition or Pursuit Whereunto I should adde that hauing euery day Occasion to take notice of the Necessities and Shifts for Money of other great Princes abroad it did the better by Comparison set of to him the Felicitie of full Cofers As to his expending of Treasure he neuer spared Charge which his Affaires required and in his Buildings was Magnificent but his Rewards were very limitted So that his Liberalitie was rather vpon his owne State and Memorie than vpon the Deserts of others Hee was of an High Minde and loued his owne Will and his owne VVay as One that reuered himselfe and would Reigne indeed Had hee beene a Priuate-man hee would haue beene termed Proud But in a wise Prince it was but keeping of Distance which indeede hee did towards all not admitting any neare or full Approach neither to his Power or to his Secrets For hee was gouerned by none His Queene notwithstanding shee had presented him with diuers Children and with a Crowne also though hee would not acknowledge it could doe nothing with him His Mother hee reuerenced much heard little For any Person agreeable to him for Societie such as was HASTINGS to King EDWARD the Fourth or CHARLES BRANDON after to King HENRY the Eight hee had none Except wee should account for such Persons FOXE and BRAY and EMPSON because they were so much with him But it was but as the Instrument is much with the VVorke-man Hee had nothing in him of Vaine-glorie but yet kept State and Maiestie to the height Being sensible That Maiestie maketh the People how but Vaine-glorie boweth to them To his Confederates abroade he was Constant and Iust but not Open. But rather such was his Inquirie and such his Closenesse as they stood in the Light towards him and hee stood in the Darke to them Yet vvithout Strangenesse but with a semblance of mutuall Communication of Affaires As for little Enuies or Emulations vpon Forraine Princes which are frequent with many Kings hee had neuer any but went substantially to his owne Businesse Certaine it is that though his Reputation was great at home yet it was greater abroad For Forrainers that could not see the Passages of Affaires but made their Iudgements vpon the Issues of them noted that hee was euer in Strife and euer a Loft It grew also from the Aires which the Princes and States abroad receiued from their Ambassadours and Agents here which were attending the Court in great number Whom hee did not onely content with Courtesie Reward and Priuatenesse but vpon such Conferences as passed with them put them in Admiration to finde his Vniuersall Insight into the Affaires of the World Which though hee did sucke chiefely from themselues yet that which hee had gathered from them all seemed Admirable to euery one So that they did write euer to their Superiours in high tearmes concerning his Wisedome and Art of Rule Nay when they were returned they did commonly maintaine Intelligence with him Such a Dexteritie hee had to impropriate to himselfe all Forraine Instruments Hee was carefull and liberall to obtaine good Intelligence from all parts abroad Wherein hee did not onely vse his Interest in the Leigers here and his Pensioners which hee had both in the Court of Rome and other the Courts of Christendome but the Industrie and Vigilancie of his owne Ambassadours in Forraine parts For which purpose his Instructions were euer Extroame Curious and Articulate and in them more Articles touching Inquisition than touching Negotiation Requiring likewise from his Ambassadours an Answer in particular distinct Articles respectiuely to his Questions As for his secret Spialls which hee did imploy both at home and abroade by them to discouer what Practices and Conspiracies were against him surely his Case required it He had such Moles perpetually working and casting to vndermine him Neither can it bee reprehended For if Spialls bee lawfull against lawfull Enemies much more against Conspirators and Traitors But indeede to giue them Credence by Othes or Curses that cannot bee well maintayned For those are too holy Vestments for a Disguise Yet surely there was this further Good in his employing of these Flies and Familiars That as the vse of them was cause that many Conspiracies were reuealed so the Fame and Suspition of them kept no doubt many Conspiracies from being attempted Towards his Queene hee was nothing Vxorious nor scarce Indulgent but Companiable and Respectiue and without Iealousie Towards his Children bee was full of Paternall Affection Carefull of their Education aspiring to their High Aduancement regular to see that they should not want of any due Honour and Respect but not greatly willing to cast anie Popular Lustre vpon them To his Councell hee did referre much and sate oft in Person knowing it to bee the Way to assist his Power and informe his Iudgement In which respect also hee vvas fairely patient of Libertie both of Aduise and of Vote till himselfe were declared Hee kept a strait hand on his Nobilitie and chose rather to aduance Clergie-men and Lawyers which were more Obsequious to him but had lesse Interest in the People which made for his Absolutenesse but not for his Safetie In so much as I am perswaded it was one of
Aduertisement touching MAXIMILIAN'S pouertie and disabilitie By this time was drawne together a great and puissant Armie into the Citie of London In which were THOMAS Marquesse Dorset THOMAS Earle of Arundell THOMAS Earle of Derby GEORGE Earle of Shrewsbury EDMOND Earle of Suffolke EDWARD Earle of Deuonshire GEORGE Earle of Kent the Earle of Essex THOMAS Earle of Ormond with a great number of Barons Knights and Principall Gentlemen and amongst them RICHARD THOMAS much noted for the braue Troupes that hee brought out of Wales The Armie rising in the whole to the number of fiue and twenty thousand Foot and sixteene hundred Horse Ouer which the King constant in his accustomed trust and imployment made IASPER Duke of Bedford and IOHN Earle of Oxford Generals vnder his owne Person The ninth of September in the eighth yeere of his Reigne he departed from Greenwich towards the Sea all men wondring that hee tooke that Season beeing so neare winter to begin the Warre and some thereupon gathering it was a Signe that the Warre would not beelong Neuerthelesse the King gaue out the contrarie thus That he intending not to make a Summer businesse of it but a resolute Warre without terme prefixed vntill bee recouered France it skilled not much when bee began it especially hauing Calice at his backe where he might winter if the reason of the Warre so required The sixt of October hee imbarqued at Sandwich and the same day tooke land at Calice which was the Rendezvous where all his Forces were assigned to meet But in this his Iourney towards the Sea side wherein for the cause that we shall now speake of he houered so much the longer hee had receiued Letters from the Lord CORDES who the hotter he was against the English in time of Warre had the more credit in a Negociation of Peace and besides was held a man open and of good faith In which Letters there was made an Ouerture of Peace from the French King with such Conditions as were somewhat to the Kings Taste but this was carried at the first with wonderfull secrecie The King was no sooner come to Calice but the calme windes of Peace began to blow For first the English Ambassadors returned out of Flanders from MAXIMILIAN and certified the King that he was not to hope for any aide from MAXIMILIAN for that he was altogether improuided His will was good but he lacked mony And this was made knowne and spread through the Army And although the English were therewithall nothing dismaied and that it bee the manner of Souldiers vpon bad newes to speake the more brauely yet neuerthelesse it was a kind of Preparatiue to a Peace Instantly in the neck of this as the King had laid it came newes that FERDINANDO and ISABELLA Kings of Spaine had concluded a Peace with King CHARLES and that CHARLES had restored vnto them the Counties of Russignon and Perpignian which formerly were Morgaged by IOHN King of Arragon FERDINANDOES Father vnto France for three hundred thousand Crownes which debt was also vpon this Peace by CHARLES clearely released This came also handsomely to put on the Peace both because so potent a Confederate was fallen off and because it was a faire example of a Peace bought so as the King should not bee the sole Merchant in this Peace Vpon these Aires of Peace the King was content that the Bishop of Excester and the Lord DAVBIGNEY Gouernour of Calice should giue a meeting vnto the Lord CORDES for the Treatie of a Peace But himselfe neuerthelesse and his Armie the fifteenth of October remooued from Calice and in foure dayes march sate him downe before Bulloigne During this Siege of Bulloigne which continued neare a Moneth there passed no memorable Action noâ— Accident of Warre onely Sir IOHN SAVAGE a valiant Captaine was slaine riding about the Walls of the Towne to take a View The Towne was both well fortified and well manned yet it was distressed and ready for an Assault Which if it had beene giuen as was thought would haue cost much Bloud but yet the Towne would haue beene carried in the end Meane while a Peace was concluded by the Commissioners to continue for both the Kings Liues Where there was no Article of importance being in effect rather a Bargaine than a Treatie For all things remayned as they were saue that there should bee payed to the King seuen hundred fortie fiue thousand Duckats in present for his Charges in that Iourney and fiue and twentie thousand Crownes yearely for his Charges sustained in the Aides of the Britons For wich Annuall though he had MAXIMILIAN bound before for those Charges yet hee counted the alteration of the Hand as much as the principall Debt And besides it was left somewhat indefinitely when it should determine or expire which made the English esteeme it as a Tribute carried vnder faire Tearmes And the truth is it was paid both to the King and to his Sonne King HENRY the Eight longer than it could continue vpon any computation of Charges There were also assigned by the French King vnto al the King 's principal Counsellors great Pensions besides rich Gifts for the present Which whether the King did permit to saue his owne Purse from Rewards or to communicate the Enuie of a Businesse that was displeasing to his People was diuersly interpreted For certainly the King had no great fancie to owne this Peace And therefore a little before it was concluded he had vnder-hand procured some of his best Captaines and Men of Warre to aduise him to a Peace vnder their Hands in an earnest manner in the Nature of a Supplication But the truth is this Peace was welcome to both Kings To CHARLES for that it assured vnto him the possession of Britaine and freed the enterprise of Naples To HENRY for that it filled his Coffers and that hee foresaw at that time a storme of inward troubles comming vpon him which presently after brake forth But it gaue no lesse discontent to the Nobilitie and principall persons of the Armie who had many of them sold or engaged their estates vpon the hopes of the Warre They stucke not to say That the King cared not to plume his Nobilitie and People to feather himselfe And some made themselues merrie with that the King had said in Parliament That after the Warre was once begun he doubted not but to make it pay it selfe saying hee had kept promise Hauing risen from Bulloigne hee went to Calice where hee stayed some time From whence also hee wrote Letters which was a Courtesie that hee sometimes vsed to the Maior of London and Aldermen his brethren halfe bragging what great summes hee had obtayned for the Peace knowing well that full Cofers of the King is euer good Newes to London And better Newes it would haue beene if their Beneuolence had beene but a Loane And vpon the seuenteenth of December following hee returned to Westminster where he kept his Christmasse Soone after the Kings returne he sent
two Sonnes EDWARD and RICHARD Duke of Yorke both very young EDWARD the eldest succeeded their Father in the Crowne by the name of King EDWARD the Fift But RICHARD Duke of Glocester their vnnaturall Vnckle first thirsting after the Kingdome through Ambition and afterwards thirsting for their Bloud out of desire to secure himselfe imployed an Instrument of his confident to him as hee thought to murther them both But this Man that was imployed to execute that execrable Tragedie hauing cruelly slaine King EDWARD the eldest of the two was mooued partly hy Remorse and partly by some other meane to saue RICHARD his Brother making a Report neuerthelesse to the Tyrant that hee had performed his Commandement for both Brethren This Report was accordingly beleeued and published generally So that the World hath beene possessed of an Opinion that they both were barbarously made away though euer Truth hath some sparkes that flye abroade vntill it appeare in due time as this hath had But Almighty GOD that stopped the Mouth of the Lion and saued little JOAS from the Tyrannie of ATHALIAH when shee massacred the Kings Children and did saue ISAACK when the hand was stretched forth to sacrifice him preserued the second Brother For I my selfe that stand heere in your presence am that very RICHARD Duke of Yorke Brother of that infortunate Prince King EDWARD the Fift now the most rightfull suruiuing Heire-Male to that Uictorious and most Noble EDWARD of that Name the Fourth late King of England For the manner of my Escape it is fit it should passe in silence or at least in a more secret Relation for that it may concerne some aliue and the memorie of some that are dead Let it suffice to thinke I had then a Mother liuing a Queene and one that expected dayly such a Commandement from the Tyrant for the murthering of her Children Thus in my tender age escaping by GODS Mercie out of London I was secretly conueyed ouer Sea Where after a time the Partie that had mee in Charge vpon what new Feares change of Minde or Practice GOD knoweth suddenly forsooke mee Whereby I was forced to wander abroade and to seeke meane Conditions for the sustaining of my Life Wherefore distracted betweene seuerall Passions the one of Feare to bee knowne lest the Tyrant should haue a new Attempt vpon mee the other of Griefe and Disdaine to bee vnknowne and to liue in that base and seruile manner that I did I resolued with my selfe to expect the Tyrants Death and then to put my selfe into my Sisters hands who was next Heire to the Crowne But in this Season it happened one HENRIE TIDDER sonne to EDMOND TIDDER Earle of Richmond to come from France and enter into the Realme and by subtile and foule meanes to obtaine the Crowne of the same which to mee rightfully appertained So that it was but a Change from Tyrant to Tyrant This HENRIE my extreame and mortall Enemie so soone as hee had knowledge of my beeing aliue imagined and wrought all the subtill waies and meanes hee could to procure my finall Destruction For my mortall Enemie hath not onely falsly surmised mee to bee a fayned Person giuing mee Nick-names so abusing the World but also to deferre and put mee from entrie into England hath offered large Summes of Money to corrupt the Princes and their Ministers with whom I haue beene retayned and made importune Labours to certaine Seruants about my Person to murther or poyson mee and others to forsake and leaue my Righteous Quarrell and to depart from my Seruice as Sir ROBERT CLIFFORD and others So that euery Man of Reason may well perceiue that HENRIE calling himselfe King of England needed not to haue bestowed such great Summes of Treasure nor so to haue busied himselfe with importune and incessant Labour and Industrie to compasse my Death and Ruine if I had beene such a fained Person But the truth of my Cause beeing so manifest moued the most Christian King CHARLES and the Lady Duchesse Dowager of Burgundie my most Deare Aunt not onely to acknowledge the truth thereof but louingly to assist mee But it seemeth that GOD aboue for the good of this whole Island and the knitting of these two Kingdomes of England and Scotland in a strait Concord and Amitie by so great an Obligation had reserued the placing of mee in the Imperiall Throne of England for the Armes and Succours of your Grace Neither is it the first time that a King of Scotland hath supported them that were bereft and spoyled of the Kingdome of England as of late in fresh memorie it was done in the Person of HENRY the Sixth Wherefore for that your Grace hath giuen cleare Signes that you are in no Noble qualitie inferiour to your Royall Ancestours I so distressed a Prince was hereby mooued to come and put my Selfe into your Royall Hands desiring your Assistance to recouer my Kingdome of England promising faithfully to beare my Selfe towards your Grace no otherwise than If I were your owne Naturall Brother and will vpon the Recouerie of mine Inheritance gratefully doe you all the Pleasure that is in my vtmost Power AFter PERKIN had told his Tale King IAMES answered brauely and wisely That whatsoeuer hee were hee should not repent him of putting himselfe into his hands And from that time forth though there wanted not some about him that would haue perswaded him that all was but an Illusion yet notwithstanding either taken by PERKINS amiable and alluring behauiour or inclining to the recommendation of the great Princes abroade or willing to take an occasion of a Warre against King HENRY hee entertained him in all things as became the person of RICHARD Duke of Yorke embraced his Quarrell and the more to put it out of doubt that hee tooke him to bee a great Prince and not a Representation onely hee gaue consent that this Duke should take to wife the Lady KATHERINE GORDON daughter to the Earle Huntley beeing a neare Kinswoman to the King himselfe and a young Uirgin of excellent beautie and vertue Not long after the King of Scots in person with PERKIN in his company entred with a great Armie though it consisted chiefly of Borderers beeing raysed somewhat suddenly into Northumberland And PERKIN for a Perfume before him as hee went caused to be published a Proclamation of this tenor following in the name of RICHARD Duke of Yorke true inheritor of the Crowne of England IT hath pleased GOD Who putteth downe the Mightie from their Seate and exalteth the Humble and suffereth not the Hopes of the Iust to perish in the end to giue Us meanes at the length to shew Our Selues armed vnto Our Leiges and People of England But far bee it from Us to intend their hurt and dammage or to make Warre vpon them otherwise than to deliuer Our Selfe and them from Tyrannie and Oppression For our mortall Enemie HENRY TIDDER a false Vsurper of the Crowne of England which to Vs by Naturall and Lineall Right