The vnion of the two noble and illustre famelies of Lancastre [and] Yorke, beeyng long in continual discension for the croune of this noble realme with all the actes done in bothe the tymes of the princes, bothe of the one linage and of the other, beginnyng at the tyme of kyng Henry the fowerth, the first aucthor of this deuision, and so successiuely proceadyng to the reigne of the high and prudent prince kyng Henry the eight, the vndubitate flower and very heire of both the sayd linages.

¶A complaint made to Kyng Henry the .vj. by the Duke of Gloucester, vpon the Cardinall of Winchester.

THese bee in parte, the poyntes and Articles, whiche I Hum∣frey [ 1] Duke of Gloucester, for my trouthe and acquitall, saied late, I would geue in writyng (my right doubted Lorde) vn∣to your highnes, aduertisyng your excellēce, of suche thinges in partie, as haue been doen in your tendre age, in derogacion of your noble estate, & hurt of both your realmes, & yet be doen and vsed daily.

FIRST the Cardinall, then beyng bishop of Winchester, toke vpō [ 2] hym the state of Cardinall, whiche was nayed and denayed hym, by the kyng of moste noble memory, my lorde your father, (whō God assoyle) saiyng, y^t he had as lefe set his croune beside hym, as to se hym weare a Cardinal hat, he beyng a Cardinal: for he knewe full wel, the pride and ambicion that was in his person, then beyng but a bishop, should haue so greatly extolled hym into more intollerable pride, when that he were a Cardinall: And also he though it against his fredome, of the chiefe Churche of this realme, whiche, that he worshipped, as duely as euer did prince, that blessed be his soule. And howbeit, that my saied Lorde your father, (whom God assoyle), would haue agreed hym to haue had certain clerkes of this land Cardinals, & to haue no bishoprikes in En∣glande, yet is intent was neuer to do so great derogacion to the Chur∣che of Cāterbury, to make them that wer his suffraganes, to set aboue their Ordinary and Metropolitan, but the cause was that ingenerall, and in all matters whiche might concerne the weale of hym, and of his realme, he should haue proctors of his nacion, as other kynges Chri∣sten had, in the courte of Rome, and not to abide in this lande, nor to be in any parte of his counsailes, as been all the spirituall and temporall, at parliamentes and other great counsailes, when you list to cal them: and therfore, though it please you to do hym that worship, to set hym in your priuie counsaill after your pleasure, yet in your parliament, wher euery Lorde bothe spirituall and temporall, hath this place, he ought to occupie but his place as a bishoppe.

ITEM thesaied bishoppe, now beyng Cardinall, was assoyled of his [ 3] bishopricke of Wynchester, wherupon he sued vnto our holy father, to haue a bulle declaratory, notwithstandyng he was assūpt to the state of

Cardinal, that the sea was not voyde, where in deede it stode voyde by a certain tyme, or thesaied bulle were graunted, and so he was exempte from his ordinary, by the takyng on hym the state of Cardinal, and the churche bishopricke of Winchester, so standyng voyde, he tooke again of the Pope (you not learned therof ne knowyng wherby he was fallen into the cace of prouision) so that al his good was lawfully and clearly forfeited, to you my right doubted Lorde, with more as the statute de∣clareth plainly for your aduauntage.

[ 4] ITEM it is not vnknowen to (you doubted lord) how through your landes it is noysed, that thesaied Cardinal and tharchebishop of Yorke had and haue the gouernaunce of you, and all your lande, the whiche none of your true liege men, ought to vsurpe nor take vpon them. And haue also estranged me your sole vncle, my cosyn of Yorke, my cosyn of Huntyngdon, & many other lordes of your kin, to haue any knowledge of any greate matter, that might touche your high estate, or either of your realmes. And of Lordes spirituall, of right, the Archebishoppe of Cantorbury, should be your chief counsailer, the whiche is also estran∣ged and set a side. And so be many other right sad Lordes, and well ad∣uised, aswell spirituall as temporall, to the great hurt of you my right doubted lorde, and of your realmes, like as the experience and workes shewen clerely and euidently, more harme it is.

[ 5] ITEM in the tendre age of you, my right doubted Lorde, for the ne∣cessitie of an armie, thesaied Cardinal lent you .iiii.M.l. vpon certain Iuels, preised at .xxii.M. marke, with a letter of sale, that and thei wer not quited at a certain daie, you should lese them. The saied Cardinall seyng your money redy to haue quited your Iuels, caused your treaso∣rer of Englande, at that daie beyng, to paie thesame money, in parte of another armie, in defraudyng you, my right doubted lord, of your said Iuels, kepyng theim yet, alwaie to his awne vse, to your right greate losse, and his synguler profite and auaile.

[ 6] ITEM thesaid Cardinal, then beyng bishop of Winchester, & Chaū∣cellor of Englād, deliuered the kyng of Scottes, vpō certein appoynt∣mentes (as maie be shewed,) presumpteously, & of his awne authoritie contrary to the acte of Parliament. I haue heard notable men of lawe say, that thei neuer heard the like thyng doen emong thē, whiche was to great a defamaciō to your highnes, & also to wedde his niece to thesaid kyng, whom y^• my lord of notable memory, your father, whō God assoile would neuer haue so deliuered. And there as he should haue paied, for his costes .xl.M.l. thesaied Cardinall, Chauncellor of Englande, cau∣sed you to pardon hym therof .x.M. marke, wherof the greater some he paied you, right alitle, what, I report me to your highnes.

[ 7] ITEM, where thesaid Cardinal lent you, my redoubted lord, great & notable somes, he hath had & his assignes, the rule & profite of the porte of Hāpton, wher the Customers been his seruaūtes, wher by likelihode & as it is to be supposed, he standyng the chief marchaunt of wolles of

your lande, that you bee greately defrauded, and vnder that rule, what Wolles and other marchaundise haue been shipped, and maie be from tyme to tyme, hard is to esteme, to the great hurte, and preiudice of you my right doubted Lorde, and of all your people.

ITEM, howbeit that thesaid Cardinall, hath diuerse tymes, lent you [ 8] greate sommes of money, sithe the tyme of your reigne, yet his loene hath been so differred and delaied, that for the moste part, the conuena∣ble season, of themployng of the good lente, was passed. So that litle frute or none come thereof, as by experience, bothe your realmes, haue sufficiently in knowledge.

ITEM, where there was Ieuelles and plate, preised at a .xi.M.l. in [ 9] weight, of thesaied Cardinall, forfeited to you my right doubted lorde, he gat hym a restorment therof, for a loene of a litle percell of thesame, and so defrauded you wholy of theim, to your greate hurte, and his a∣uaile, the whiche good might greately eased your highnes, in sparyng asmuche of the poore commons.

ITEM, the Cardinall beyng feoft of my said lorde your father, (whō [ 10] God assoyle) against his entent, gaue Elizabeth Beauchampe, thre .C. markes of liuelod, where that his will was, that and she wer wedded, within a yere, then to haue it, or els not, where in deede it was twoo or iii. yeres after, to your great hurt, & diminishyng of your inheritaunce.

ITEM, notwithstandyng y^t thesaid Cardinall, hath no maner of au∣thoritie [ 11] nor interest into the croune, nor none may haue by any possibi∣litie, yet he presumeth and taketh vpon hym in partie, your estate roy∣al, in callyng before hym, into greate abusion of al your lande, and de∣rogacion of your highnes, whiche hath not been sene nor vsed, in no daies heretofore, in greater estate then he is, without your expresse or∣denaunce and commaundement.

ITEM, thesaid Cardinal, nothyng consideryng the necessitie of you [ 12] my right doubted Lorde, hath sued a pardon of dismes, that he should paie for the Churche of Wynchester, for terme of his life, geuyng ther∣by occasion to all other Lordes spirituall, to drawe their good will for any necessitie, to graunt any disme, and so to laie all the charge vpon the temporaltie, and the poore people.

ITEM, by the gouernaunce and labor of thesaied Cardinal, and ar∣chebishop [ 13] of Yorke, there hath been loste and dispended, muche notable and greate good, by diuerse Ambassadors sent out of this realme. First to Arras, for a feined colourable peace, where as by likelinesse it was thought & supposed, that it should neuer turne to theffectual auaile, of you my right doubted Lorde, nor to your saied realmes, but vnder co∣lour thereof, was made the peace of your aduersary, & the duke of Bur∣goyn. For els your partie aduerse, & thesaid duke, might not well haue foūd meanes nor waies, to haue cōmoned together, nor to haue conclu∣ded with other, their cōfederaciōs & conspiraciōs, made & wrought ther then, at y^• tyme, against your highnes, whereby you might haue (right

doubted lorde, the greater partie of your obeysaunce, aswell in your re∣alme of Fraunce, as in your Duchie of Normandy, and muche other thyng gone greatly, as through thesaid colourable treatie, and other∣wise, sithe the death of my brother of Bedford, (whom God assoyle.)

[ 14] ITEM, now of late was sēt another Ambassador to Calice, by the la∣bor and counsaill of thesaied Cardinall, and Archebishop of Yorke, the cause why of the beginnyng, is to me your sole vncle, & other lordes of you kyn and counsaill vnknowen, to your greate charge, and against the publique good of your realme, as it openly appeareth. The whiche good if it bee imployed, for the defence of your landes, the marchaun∣dises of thesame, might haue had other course, and your said lādes not to haue stande in so greate mischief as thei do.

[ 15] ITEM after that, to your greate charge and hurte, of bothe your re∣almes, thesaid Cardinall and Archbishop of Yorke, went to your saied toune of Calice, and diuerse Lordes of your kyn, and of your counsaill in their felowship, and there, as there was naturall warre, betwene the duke of Orleaūce, & the duke of Burgoyn, for murder of their fathers, a capitall i••nemnitie like to haue endured for euer, thesaid Cardinall & Archbishop of Yorke, licenced and suffered, thesaid duke of Orleaunce, to entreate and common a part, with the counsaiell of your said aduer∣saries, aswell as with the Duchies of Burgoyne, by whiche meane, the peace and alliaunce was made, betwene the two dukes, to the greatest fortifiyng of your said capital aduersaries, that could be thought, and cōsequently (my deare redoubted lorde,) to your greatest charge, & hurt to both your realmes. Under colour of whiche treatie, your said aduer∣saries, in meane time wan your citee of Meulx, & the coūtrey therabout and many diuerse rodes made into youre Duchie of Normandy, to the great noysaunce and destruccion of your people, as it sheweth openly.

[ 16] ITEM thesaid Archebishop of Yorke, sent with other into this your realme, from thesaied Cardinall, after communicacion had with your aduerse partie, at your saied toune of Calice, made at his commyng in∣to your notable presence at Wyndsore, all the swasions and colour, all mocions in the most apparaūt wise that he could, to induce your high∣nes to your agrement, to the desires of your capitall aduersaries, as I saw there in your noble presence, of his writyng, at whiche tyme, as I vnderstode, it was his singuler opinion, that is to say: that you should leaue your right, your title, & your honor of your croune, & nominaciō of you kyng of Fraūce, duryng certain yeres, and y^• you should vtterly abstain you and be content, onely in writyng, with, rex Anglie, &c. to the greate note of infamie, y^• euer fell to you, or any of your noble progeni∣tors, since the takyng of them first, thesaid title & right, of your realme and croune of Fraunce, to which matter in your presence ther, after y^• it had liked your said highnes, to aske myne aduise therupon, with other of your bloud and coūsaill, I aunswered and said, that I would neuer agree me therto, to die therfore, and of thesame disposicion I am yet, &

be while I liue, in conseruacion of your honor, and of your othe made vnto your saied croune, in tyme of your coronacion there.

ITEM thesaied Cardinall & Archebishop of Yorke, haue so labored [ 17] vnto your highnes, that you should entende to a newe daie of conuen∣cion, in Marche or Aprill next commyng, where it is noysed to be more against your worship, then with it. And where it was euident to all the world, that the rupture and breakyng of thesaid peace, should haue fal¦len heretofore, of your aduerse partie, because of the great vntrouthes: Now by that meane it is like peraduenture, to be laied vnto the verie greate slaundre of you my doubted Lorde, like to come to none other purpose nor effecte, then other conuencions haue doen afore tyme. And so by subtilities and counsaill of your saied enemies, your lande (thei in hope and trust of thesaid treatie, not mightely nor puyssauntly purue∣yed for,) shalbe like vnder the coloure of thesame treatie, to be brent vp and destroyed, lost and vtterly turned from your obeysaunce.

ITEM it is saied, that the deliueraunce of thesaied Duke of Orle∣aunce, [ 18] is vtterly appointed by the mediacion, counsaill, and steryng of thesaied Cardinall and Archebishoppe of Yorke, and for that cause di∣uerse persons been come from your aduersaries, into this your realme, and thesaied duke also brought to your citee of London, where as my lord your father (whom God assoile) peisyng so greatly the inconueni∣ences, and harme that might fal, onely by his deliueraunce, concluded, ordened and determined in his last wil, vtterly in his wisedome, his cō∣quest in his realme of Fraūce. And yet then it is to be doen, by as great deliberacion, solempnitie and suretie, as maie be deuised or thought, and seyng now the disposicion of your realme of Fraunce, the puissaūce and might of your enemies, & what ayde thei haue gotten against you there, aswel vnder the colour of thesaid treatie, as otherwise, what maie or ought to be thought or said, for that laboryng thesaid duke (al thyn∣ges considered) by suche perticular persones, the lordes of your bloud not called therunto, I report me vnto your noble grace and excellencie, and vnto thesaied wise trewe men of this your realme.

ITEM where that euery true counsailor, specially vnto any kyng or [ 19] prince, ought of trouth and of dutie, to counsail, promote, encrease, pre∣fer, and aduaunce the weale and prosperitie of his lorde: Thesaid Car∣dinall, beyng of your counsaill (my right doubted lorde) hath late pur∣chased of your highnes, certain great landes and liuelode: as the castle and lordship of Chirke in Wales, and other lādes in this your realme, vnto whiche I was called sodainly, and so in escheuyng the breakyng & losse of your armies then again, seyng none other remedy, gaue ther∣vnto myne assēt, thinkyng that who that euer labored, moued or stered the matter firste vnto your Lordeship, counsailed you neither for your worship nor profite.

MORE thesaied Cardinall hath you bounde a parte, to make hym [ 20] a sure estate of all the saied landes, by Easter nexte commyng, as

coulde bee deuised by anye learned counsaill, or elles that suretie not made, thesaied Cardinall, to haue and reioye to him, and his heires for euermore, the landes of the Duchie of Lācastre, in Norffolke, to the value of .vii. or viii.C. markes, by the yere, whiche thyng semeth right straunge and vnsene, and vnhard waies of any liege man, to seke vpon his souereigne lorde, bothe in his enheritaunce and in his Iuelles, and good. For it is thought, but if right & extreme necessitie caused it, there should, nor ought no such thynges to be doen: frō which necessitie (God for his mercy) euer preserue your noble person, wherfore my redoubted lord, seyng that ye should be so coūsailed, or stired to leaue your croune and enheritaunce in England, & also by fraude and subtile meanes, as is afore reher••ed, so to lose your Iuelles: In my trouthe and in myne acquitall (as me seameth) I maie not nor ought not, counsaill so greate an hurte to you and to all your lande.

[ 21] ITEM, it is not vnknowen to you my right doubted lorde, how of∣ten tymes I haue offered my seruice, to and for the defence of your re∣alme of Fraunce, and duchie of Normādy, where I haue been put ther∣fro, by the labor of thesaid Cardinall, in preferryng other after his sin∣guler affeccion, whiche hath caused greate parte, of thesaied Duchie of Normandy, aswell as of your realme of Fraunce to be lost, as it is wel knowen, and what good (my right doubted lord) was lost on that army that was last sent thether, whiche therle of Mortayn, your counsaill of Fraunce, hath well and clerely declared to your highnes here beforne

[ 22] ITEM, my right doubted Lorde, it is not vnknowen, that it had not been possible to thesaied Cardinall, to haue comen to the greate riches, but by suche meanes, for of his Churche it might not rise, and enheri∣taunce he had none. Wherefore my right doubted Lorde, sithe there is great good behouefull at this tyme, for the weale and safegard of your realmes, the pouertie, necessitie, and indigence of your liege people, in highnes vnderstande, like it vnto your noble grace, to considre thesaid lucar of thesaid Cardinall, and the greate deceiptes, that you be decei∣ued in, by the labor of hym, and of the Archebishop, aswell in this your realme, as in your realme of Fraunce, and duchy of Normandy, where neither office, liuelode, nor capitain maie be had, without to greate a good geuen vnto hym, wherby great part of al the losse that is lost, thei haue been the causers of, for who that would geue moste, his was the price, not consideryng the merites, seruice, nor sufficiaunce of persones. Furthermore it is greatly to be considered, how, when thesaied Cardi∣nal had forfeited al his good, because of prouision, as the statute, ther∣vpō more plainly declareth, by hauyng the rule of you my right doub¦ted Lorde, purchased hymself in greate defraudacion of your highnes, a charter of pardō, the whiche good and it had be wel gouerned, might many yeres haue susteined your warres, without any talage of your poore people.

[ 23] ITEM, my redoubted Lorde, where as I write moche thyng, for the

weale of you and of your realmes, peraduenture some will say and vn∣derstande, that I woulde, or haue writen it, by waye of accusement of al your counsail, whiche god knoweth, I do not: for your highnes may well se, that I name theim, that be causers of the sayed inordinate rule wherfore, considering that the sayd Cardinal & Archebisshop of Yorke been thei, that pretende the gouernaunce of you, and of your realmes and lordshippes: Please it vnto your highnes, of your rightwisenesse to estraunge them of your counsail, to that entent, that men maye be at their fredome, to say what they thinke of trueth.

FOR truth, I dare speake of my truth, the poore dare not do so. And [ 24] if the Cardinal & the Archbisshop of Yorke, may afterward declare thē selfes, of that is, and shalbe sayed of them, you my right doubted lorde may then restore them agayn to your counsaill, at your noble pleasure.

VVHEN the kyng had heard these accusaciōs, he cōmitted the hea∣ringe therof, to his counsail, wherof the moste parte were spiritual per¦sons, so what for feare, and what for fauour the mater was wynked at, and dalyed out, and nothing sayde to it: and fayre contenaunce was made to the duke, as though no displeasure had ben taken, nor no ma∣lice borne, either in hart or in remembraūce agaynst hym. But venyme will once breake oute, and inwarde grudge will sone appeare, whiche was this yere to all men apparaunt: for diuers secrete attemptes were aduaūced forward this season, against the noble duke Hūfrey of Glo∣cester, a farre of, whiche in conclusiō came so nere, that thei bereft him both lyfe and lande, as you shall hereafter more manifestly perceyue. For first this yere, dame Elyanour Cobhā, wyfe to the sayd duke, was accused of treason, for that she, by sorcery and enchaūtmēt, entended to destroy the kyng, to thentent to aduaūce and promote her husbande to the croune: vpon thys she was examined in sainct Stephens chappel, before the Bisshop of Canterbury, and there by examinacion conuict & iudged, to do open penaunce, in .iij. open places, within the citie of Lō∣don, and after that adiudged to perpetuall prisone in the Isle of Man, vnder the kepyng of sir Ihon Stāley, knyght. At the same season, wer arrested as ayders and counsailers to the sayde Duchesse, Thomas Southwel, prieste and chanon of saincte Stephens in Westmynster, Ihon Hum priest, Roger Bolyngbroke, a conyng nycromancier, and Margerie Iourdayne, surnamed the witche of Eye, to whose charge it was laied, y^• thei, at the request of the duchesse, had deuised an image of waxe, representyng the kynge, whiche by their sorcery, a litle and litle cō¦sumed, entendyng therby in cōclusion to waist, and destroy the kynges person, and so to bryng hym to death, for the which treison, thei wer ad∣iudged to dye, & so Margery Iordayne was brent in smithfelde, & Ro∣ger Bolyngbroke was drawen & quartered at tiborne, takyng vpō his death, that there was neuer no suche thyng by theim ymagened, Ihon Hum had his pardon, & Southwel died in the toure before execucion: the duke of Gloucester, toke all these thynges paciently, and saied litle.