The chronicle of Ihon Hardyng in metre, fro[m] the first begynnyng of Engla[n]de, vnto ye reigne of Edwarde ye fourth where he made an end of his chronicle. And from yt time is added with a co[n]tinuacion of the storie in prose to this our tyme, now first emprinted, gathered out of diuerse and sondrie autours of moste certain knowelage [et] substanciall credit, yt either in latin orels in our mother toungue haue writen of ye affaires of Englande.

¶ Edward the fyfth. (Book Edward V)

WHEN ALMIGHTIE GOD had called to his mercye the noble prince kyng Edwarde the fourth of that name, Ed∣ward his eldest sonne (prynce of Wales) began his reygne the .ix. daye of Aprill, in y^t yere of oure Lorde a. M .CCCC .lxxxiij. and in the .xxij. yere of Lewes the .xi. then Frenche kyng. Whiche younge prince reigned a smal space and lytle season ouer this realme, other in pleasure or libertee, for his vncle Richard duke of Gloceter, within .iij. monethes depriued hym, not only of his croune and regalytie, but also vnnaturally bereft hym his naturall life, and for the declaracion by what craftie engine he first at∣tempted his vngracious purpose, & by what false colourable & vntrue allegaciōs he set forth openly his pretensed enterprise, & fynally by what shame∣full cruell and detestable acte he perfourmed the same: Ye muste fyrst consyder of whom he and his brother descended, there natures condicions & in∣clynacions, and thē you shall easely perceaue, that there could not be a more crueller tyraunt appoyn¦ted to acheue a more abomynable enterpryse.

There father was Richard Plantagenet duke of Yorke, whiche began not by warre but by lawe to chalenge the croune of Englande, puttyng his clayme in the parliamēt, holden y^t .xxx. yere of kyng

Henry the .vi. where ether for right or for fauoure his cause was so set forthe and auaunced that the bloodde of the sayd kyng Henry, although he had a goodly sonne was clerely abiected, and y^t croune of the realme (by autorytee of parliamente) entay∣led to the duke of Yorke and his heyres after the discease of the sayd kyng Henrye the .vi. But the duke not entendyng so long to tary, but myndyng vnder the preterte of discencion growen and ary∣sen within the realme, and of couenauntes made in the parliament, not kepte but broken, to preuēte the tyme and to take vpon hym the gouernaunce in kyng Henryes life, was by to muche hardynes slayne at the battayle of Wakefylde, leuynge be∣hynde hym three sonnes, Edwarde, George & Ri∣chard. Al these three as they wer greate estates of byrth, so were they greate and statelye of stomake, gredy of autoritee and impaciēt parteners of rule and autoritee. This Edward reuēged his fathers death and deposed kyng Henry the .vi. and attey∣ned the croune and sceptre of this realme. George duke of Clarence was a goodlye and well feautu∣red prince, in all thynges fortunate, yf ether his owne ambiciō had not set him against his brother or thenuie of his enemies had not set his brother agaynst hym, for were it by the quene or y^e nobles of her bloode, which highly maligned the kynges kynred (as women cōmenlye, not of malyce but of nature, hate suche as theyr husbandes loue) or wer it aproude appetite of the duke hym selfe, enten∣dyng to bee kyng, at the leaste wise heynous trea∣son was layde to his charge, and finally were he in faute or were he fautelesse, attaynted was he by

parliament and iudged to deathe, and thereupon hastely drouned in a butte of malmesey, within y^e towre of Londō. Whose death kyng Edward (al∣though he commaunded it) when he wyste it was done, pyteouslye he bewayled and sorowfullye he repented it. Richard duke of Gloucestre the .iij. sonne (of whiche I muste mooste entreate) was in * 1.1 witte and courage eguall with the other, but in beautee and lyniamentes of nature farre vnder∣neth both, for he was lytle of stature, euill feaute∣red of lymmes, croke backed, the lift shulder much higher then the right, harde fauoured of vysage suche as in estates is called a warlike vysage, and amonge commen persons a crabbed face. He was malycious, wrothfull and enuyous, and as it is re¦ported, his mother the duches had much a dooe in her trauayle, y^t she could not be delyuered of hym vncutte, and that he came into the worlde the fete forwarde, as men be borne outwarde, and as the fame ranne, not vntothed, whether that men of ha¦tred reported aboue the truthe, or y^t nature chaun∣ged his course in his begynnyng, which in his life many thynges vnnaturally cōmytted, this I leue to Goddes iudgemēt. He was none euell capitayn in warre, as to whiche, his disposicion was more enclyned to then to peace. Sōdry victories he had & some ouerthrowes, but neuer for defaute in his owne person, either for lacke of hardynes or poly∣tike order. Fre he was of his dispences & somwhat aboue his power lyberall, w^t large giftes he gatte hym vnstedfast frēdship, for whiche cause he was fayn to borowe, pil & extorte in other places, which gat hym stedfast hatred. He was close & secrete, a

depe dyssymuler, lowly of coūtenaūce, arrogāte of herte, outwardly famylyer, where he inwardly ha∣ted, not lettyng to kysse whome he thought to kyll dispiteous and cruell, not alwaye for eiuyll wyll, but after for ambycion and to serue his purpose, frende & fooe wer all indifferent, where his auaū∣tage grewe, he spared no mānes death whose lyfe withstode his purpose. He slewe in the towre kyng Henry the .vi. (saiyng: nowe is there no heyre male of kyng Edward the thyrde, but we of the house of Yorke) whiche murder was done without kynge Edwardes assent, whiche would haue appoynted that bocherlye office to some other, rather then to his owne brother. Some wise mē also wene, y^t hys drift lacked not in helpyng forth his owne brother of Clarence to his death, whiche thyng in all ap∣paraunce he resisted, although he inwardly myn∣ded it. And the cause thereof was, as men notynge his doynges and procedynges did marke (because that he longe in kyng Edwardes tyme thought to opteyne the croune, in case that the kyng his bro∣ther whose life he loked that euyl dyet would sone shorten) should happē to disease (as he did in dede) his chyldrē beyng yoūg. And then y^t if duke of Cla¦rence had lyued his pretensed purpose had been farre hyndered. For yf the duke of Clarence had kept hym self true to his nephewe the yong kyng, or would haue takē vpō him to be kyng, euery one of these castes had been a troumpe in the duke of Gloucesters waye: but when he was sure that hys brother of Clarence was dead, then he knewe that he might woorke without ieopardye. But of these poyntes there is certentie, and whosoeuer deuy∣neth

or cōiectureth maye as well shote to ferre as to shorte, but this cōiecture afterward toke place (as fewe dooe) as you shall {per}ceaue here after. But afore I declare to you howe this Rychard duke of Gloucestre began his mischeuous imagened & pretenced enterprise as ap{per}antly shalbe opened. I must a litle putte you in remēbraūce of a louyng and charitable acte no lesse profitable thē amiable to y^t whole cōmynaltie (if it had been so inwardely thought as it was outwardly dissimuled) whiche kyng Edward did liyng on his deathe bedde not long before he dyed, for in his life althoughe that the deuision emongest his frendes somewhat gre∣ued & yrked hym, yet in his helth he lesse regarded & tooke hede to it, by reason y^t he thought y^t he was hable in all thynges to rule bothe {per}ties, were thei neuer so obstinate. But in his last sickenesse (whi∣che cōtinued longer then false & fantasticall tales haue vntruly & falsely surmised as I my self that wrote this pamphlet truly knew) whē he percei∣ued his natural strēgth was gone, & hoped litle of recouery by the artes of al his phicysyans whiche he perceaued onely to prolong his life. Thē he be∣gan to consider the youth of his children, howe be it, he nothyng lesse mistrusted then that that hap∣pened, yet he wisely forseyng and consideryng that many harmes might ensue by y^t debate of his no∣bles while y^e youth of his children should lacke dis¦crecion and good counsaill of their frendes, for he knew well that euery part would woorke for their owne cōmoditee, and rather by plesaunt aduise to wynne theim selfes fauour, thē by {pro}fitable aduer∣tismēt to do y^t childrē good, wherfore, liyng on his

death bed at Westminster he called to hym suche lordes as thē wer aboute hym whō he knewe to be at variaunce in especiall the lord marques Dorset soonne to the quene, & the lord Hastynges against whō y^e quene especially grudged for y^t fauor y^t the kyng bare hym, & also she thought him familier w^t the kyng in wāton cōpaignie, hir kynne bare hym sore, aswel for y^t y^e kyng made hym capitain of Ca∣leys which office y^e lord Riuers brother to y^e quene claimed of y^t kynges former promise, as of diuerse other giftes whiche he receaued y^t thei loked for. & when these lordes w^t diuerse other of both parties were come vnto y^t kynges presens, he caused hym∣self to be raised vp w^t pillous, & as I cā gesse saied * 1.2 thus or muche like in sētēce to theim. My lordes & my dere kynsmē & alies, in what plight I nowe lye you se & I {per}fectly fele, by y^t whiche I looke y^t lesse while to liue w^t you, therfore y^t more depely I am moued to care in what case I leue you, for suche as I leue you, suche are my children like to fynd you, whiche if thei shuld fynd at variaūce (as god forbid) thei theim felfes might hap to fall at werre or their discresiō wuld serue to set you at peace, you s•• their youth, of whiche I rekē the onely suerty to rest in your concord. For it suffiseth not all you to loue theim, if eche of you hate other, if thei wer mē your feithfullnes might hap to suffice, but child∣hod must be mainteined by mēnes autorite & slip{per} youth vnderprōpted w^t elder coūsaill, whiche thei can neuer haue except you geue it, nor you geue it except you agre, for wher eche laboureth to breake that other maketh, & for hatred eche impugneth o∣thers coūsail: ther must nedes be a lōg tract or any

good cōclusiō can forward. And ferther, while eche {per}tie laboreth to be chief flaterer, adulaciō shall thē haue more place, thē plain & feithful aduise, of whi¦che must nedes ensue y^t euill bringyng vp of y^• prīce whose mynd ī tēder youth infecte shall redily fall to mischief & riot & drawe doune this noble realme to ruyne. But if grace turne hym to wisdome (whiche god sēd hym) thē thei which by eiuill meanes plea¦sed hym best, shall after fal farthest out of fauour so y^t at y^e lēgth euell driftes driue to naught, & good plain wayes {pro}sper & florishe. Great variaūce hath euer beē betwene you, not alwais for great causes Some tyme a thyng right wel entēdid & miscōstru¦ed hath been turned to y^t woorse, or a smal displea∣sure dooē to you ether by your owne affeciō ether by instigaciō of eiuill toōges hath been sore agra∣uate. But this I wot well, you had neuer so great cause of hatred as you haue of loue, because we be men & y^t we be all christē mē. This I will leaue to prechers to tell you, & yet I wot not whether any p̄chers wordes ought more to moue you, thē y^t his gooyng by & by to y^• place y^t thei all preche of. But this shal I desire you to remēbre y^t the one part of you beyng of my blod y^t other of my alies, & eche of you w^t other either of kynred or affinite, whiche is y^t very spirituall affinitie & kynred in christ as all {per}takers of y^t sacamentes of christes churche. The weight of whiche cōsanguynite if we did beare as would to god we did, then should we more be mo∣ued to spirituall charite then to fleshly cōsangui∣nyte. Our lord forbid y^t you loue y^t woorse together for y^• self same cause y^t you ought to loue y^• better & yet y^t oftē happeneth, for no wher fynd we so dedly

as emōgest theim whiche by nature & lawe moost ought to agre together. Suche a serpent is ambi∣ciō & desire of vanyne glory & souere ingtie, whiche emōgest estates when he is once entered he crepith foorth so ferre, till w^t deuision & varyaunce he tur∣neth all to mischief. First longyng to bee next to y^t best, afterward egall w^t the beest, & at the last chief & aboue y^t beest. Of whiche immoderate appetite of woorship & the debate & discencion y^t grewe there by, what losse, what sorowe, what trouble hath w∣in these fewe yeres growen with in this realme, I praye God as well to forget as we well remēbre, whiche thyng if I could aswell haue forsene as I haue w^t my more pane thē pleasure proued, by god des blessed lady (y^t was his commō othe) I would neuer haue wonne the curtesyes of mennes knees with the losse of so many heddes. But sith thynges passed can not be called agayn, muche more ought we to bee ware, by what occasion we haue taken so great hurte before, that we eftsones fall not into y^t occasion again. Nowe bee these greues passed and all is quiet thanked bee God, & likely well to pros∣per in welthfull peace, vnder your cousins my chil¦dren, if God send theim life, and you loue and cō∣cord. Of whiche .ii. thynges y^t lesse losse wer thei by whō all though God did his pleasure, yet should this realme alwayes fynd kynges, & {per}aduētur as good kynges as thei. But if you emōgest your sel∣fes in a childes reigne fall at debate, many a good manne shall innocently perishe, & happely he & you also, or it is long fynd peace & quiet again, wher∣fore in these last woordes y^t euer I looke to speake to you, I exhort and require you all, for the loue

that you haue borne to me, and for y^t loue that I haue borne to you & for the loue y^t our lord bereth to vs all. Frō this tyme forward all greues forgot¦tē, eche of you loue other, which I verely trust you wyll, yf you any thyng regarde God or your kyn¦ges affinitee or kynred, this realme your owne coū¦tre or your owne suretie & wealthe. And there with al, the kyng for fayntnes no longer endurynge to syt vp, layde hym downe on his right side his face toward theim. And ther was none presente y^t could forbeare wepyng, but y^t lordes cōfortynge hym w^t as good woordes as thei could, & answeryng for y^t tyme, as they thought should stande with his plea¦sure. And there in his presence (as by theyr wordes appeared) eche forgaue other, and ioyned theyr hā∣des together, when as it after appeared by theyr dedes there hartes were farre asōder. And so with in a fewe dayes thys noble prynce dysceased at Westmynster the .ix. daye of Apryll, in the yere of our Lorde a. M .CCCC .lxxxiii. after that he had reygned .xxii. yeres one moneth and .viii. dayes, & was w^t great funeral pompe conueyed to Wynd∣sore, leuyng behynd hym .ii. soonnes, Edwarde the prynce (of whom this story entreateth) a chylde of xiii. yeres of age, Richarde duke of Yorke .ii. yeres yonger then the prince, and fiue doughters, Eliza∣beth, which by goddes grace was maryed to kyng Henry the .vii. and mother to kyng Hēry y^e eyght, Cycile not so fortunate as fayre, fyrst wedded to y^e vycoūt Welles, after to one Kyne and lyued not in great wealth, Brydget professed her selfe a close nonne of Syon, Anne was maryed to lorde Tho∣mas Hauwarde after erle of Surrey and duke of

Norffolke, Katheryne y^t yōgest doughter was ma∣ryed to lorde Willyā Courtney, sonne to y^t earle of Deuōshire, which lōgtyme tossed in other fortune somtyme in welth after in aduersitee, tyl y^t benigni¦tee of her nephewe kyng Hērye y^e .viii. brought he•• into a sure estate accordyng to her degre & {pro}geny. This kyng Edward was suche a prince of gouer∣naunce and behaueour in the tyme of peace (for in * 1.3 tyme of warre, eche must be others enemye) y^t ther was neuer any kyng in this realme, in attaynyng the croune by warre and battayle so hartely belo∣ued with the more substaunce of his people, nor he hym selfe so specially fauoured in any parte of his life, as at y^t tyme of his death, whiche fauoure and affeccion yet after his death, by the crueltie, mys∣chiefe & trouble of the tempesteous world that fo∣lowed, highlye towardes hym more encreased. At suche time as he died, the displeasure of those that bare hym grudge for kyng Henry y^t .vi. sake (whō he deposed) was wel assuaged & in effect quenched within y^t space of .xxii. yeres (which is a great part of a mans life) and some wer reconsiled & growen into his fauour (of y^• which he was neuer straūge) when it was with true harte demaunded. He was goodly of personage & princely to beholde, of hert couragious, politike in councell, and in aduersitee nothyng abashed, in prosperitee rather ioyful then proude, in peace iuste & mercyfull, in warre sharpe and fearce, in the felde bold and hardie, & yet neuer thelesse no farther then reason and policie woulde aduenture, whose warres whosoeuer circumspect∣ly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 aduisedly considereth, he shal no lesse cōmend his wisdome & policie where he auoyded theim.

then his manhode where he vanquished theim. He was of visage full faced & louelie, of bodie migh∣tie, stronge & cleane made, with ouer lyberall and wātō dyet, he waxed somewhat corpulēt & bourly, but neuerthelesse not vncomely. He was of youth greatly geuen to fleshely wantōnes, from y^t which health of bodie in great prosperitee & fortune with out an especiall grace hardlye refrayneth. Thys faulte litle greued his people, for neyther coulde any one mannes pleasure stretche or extende to the displeasure of veraye many, nor a multitude bee greued by a priuate mannes fantesie or volupte∣ousnesse, whē it was doē w^tout violēce. And in his latter dayes he left al wild daliaūce & fel to graui∣tee, so y^t he brought his realme into a wealthie & {pro}∣sperous estate, al feare of outwarde enemies were clerely extinguished, & no warre was in hande nor none toward, but suche as no mā looked for. The people wer toward their prince not in a cōstrayned feare, but in a true louyng and wylfull obedience emongest theimselfe, and y^e commons wer in good peace. The lordes whome he knewe at variaunce, he in his death bed (as he thought) he brought to good concord, loue and amytee. And a lytle before his death, he left gatheryng of mony of his subiec∣tes, whiche is the only thyng that draweth y^t hear∣tes of Englyshmē frō their kynges & prynces, nor nothyng he ether entreprysed ndr toke in hād, by y^t which he shuld be dryuē thereunto. For his tribute out of Fraūce he had a litle before recouered & ob∣teyned. And y^t yere before he dyed he recouered the toune of Berwike against y^t kyng of Scottes. And albeit y^t all y^t tyme of his reigne he was so benigne

courteous and famylyer, that no parte of his ver∣tues was estemed more thē those high humilitees. Yet that condycion in thende of his last dayes de∣cayed not, in the whiche many princes by a longe cōtinued souereingtie, declyne to a proude porte & behaueoure from theyr condicions accustomed at their begynnyng. Yet lowlynes and gentlenes so farre forth in hym encreased that the sōmer before died, he beyng at the haueryng at the bowre, sente for the mayre and aldermenne of London thyther only to hunte and make pastyme, where he made theim not so hartie but so famylyer and frendlye chere, and sent also to theyr wyues suche plentie of venyson, that no one thyng in many dayes before gatte hym eyther mo heartes or more hartie fa∣uoure emongest the commen people, whiche often tymes more esteme and take for greate kyndnes a lytle courtesye, then a greate profyte or benefyte. And so this noble prynce deceassed, as you haue hearde in that tyme when his lyfe was mooste de∣syred, & whē his people moste desyred to kepe hym. Whiche loue of his people & their entiere affecciō towarde hym, had bene to his noble chyldren, (ha∣uyng in theim selfes also as many gyftes of na∣ture, as many princely vertues, as much good to∣wardnesse as their age coulde receaue) a merue∣lous fortresse and a sure armoure, yf the deuysion and dissencion of their frendes had not vnarmed them & left them destitute, & the execrable desyre of souereingtie {pro}uoked him to their destrucciō, which if either kynd or kyndnesse had holdē place muste nedes haue beē their chiese defence. For Richarde duke of Glouceter, by nature their vncle, by office

their protectoure, to their father greatly beholden and to theim by othe and allegeaunce bounden all the bandes broken and violated, that bynde manne and manne together, withoute anye res∣pecte of God or the worlde, vnnaturally contry∣ued to bereaue theim not onely of their dignytee and preheminence, but also of their natural lyues and worldely felicytee.

And fyrste to shewe you that by coniecture he pretended this thing in his brothers lyfe, ye shall vnderstande for a trueth that the same nyght that king Edward died, one called Mistelbrooke, long ere the daye sprange came to the house of one Po∣tier dwelling in Redcrosse strete withoute Creple gate of London, and when he was with hastie rap¦ping, quickely let in, y^• saied Mistelbrooke shewed vnto Potier that kyng Edward was y^t nighte de∣ceased: by my trueth {quod} Potier, then wil my master the duke of Gloucetre be kyng and that I warrāt the. What cause he had so to thinke, harde it is to say, whether he being his seruaūt knewe any such thing prepensed or otherwise had any inklingther of, but of all likelihode he spake it not of naughte.

But nowe to retourne to the trewe history, wer it that the duke of Gloucetre had of olde sore prac¦tised this conclusyon, or was before tyme moued therunto and put in hope by the tender age of the young princes his nephewes, as oportunitee and likely of spede putteth a manne in courage of that that he neuer entended. Certen it is, that he being in the Northe partyes for the good gouernaunce of the countrey, being aduertised of his brothers deathe contriued the destruccion of his nephewes

with y^t vsurpacion of the roiall dignitee & croune And for asmuche as he well wyste, and had holpe to maynteine, a long continued grudge and harte burnynge betwene the Quenes kynred and the kynges bloodde (either parte enuiyng others au∣thorytee) he nowe thought (as it was in dede) a fer¦therly beginning to the pursute of his entent and a sure grounde & situacion of his vnnaturall buil¦ding, if he might vnder the pretence of remēbring of olde dyspleasures abuse the ignoraunce & an∣gre of the one partie to the destruccion of y^t other, and then to wynne to his purpose as many as he coulde, and suche as coulde not bee wonne, might bee loste or they looked therfore. But of one thing he was certaine, that if his intent wer once percea¦ued, he should haue made peace betwene both par¦ties with his owne bloodde, but all his intente he kept secrete tyll he knewe his frendes, of y^e whiche Henry the duke of Buckingham was the fyrste y^t sent to hym after his brothers deathe a trusty ser∣uaunt of his called Persall to the cytee of Yorke, where the Duke of Gloucetre kepte the kyng his brothers funeralles. This Persall came to Iohn Ward a secrete chaumberer to the duke of Glou∣cetre, desiryng that he in close and couerte manier might speake with the duke his maister: wherupō in the deed of the nyght the duke sente for Persall (all other beyng aduoyded) whiche shewed to the duke of Gloucetre that the duke of Buckingham his maister in this newe worlde would take suche parte as he woulde & woulde farther wayte vpon hym with a. M. good fellowes yf nede were. The duke sent backe y^t messanger with great thankes

and diuerse preuey instruccions by mouthe, which Persall did somuche by his trauaile that he came to the duke of Buckyngham his maister into the marches of Wales, & eftsones with newe instruc∣cions met with the duke of Gloucetre at Noting∣ham, whiche was come oute of the Northcoūtrey with many knightes & gentylmenne to the noum¦bre of .vi. C. horse & more, in his iourney towarde London. And after secrete meting and cōmunica∣cion had betwene hym & the duke of Gloucetre he retourned with suche spede y^t he brought the duke of Buckingham his master to mete w^t the duke of Gloucetre not farre from Northampton with .iii. C. horsses, & so they twoo came together to North¦ampton where they fyrst beganne their vnhappy enterprice, and so the duke of Buckingham conty¦nued stil w^t the duke of Gloucetre till he was crou¦ned kyng, as ye shall plainly perceaue hereafter.

The younge kyng at the deathe of his father kepte housholde at Ludlowe, for his father had sente hym thyther for Iustice to bee doone in the marches of Wales, to the ende that by the autho¦ritee of his presence, the wylde Welshemenne and euell dysposed personnes shoulde refraine frome their accustomed murthers and outerages. The gouernaunce of this younge Prynce was cōmit∣ted to Lorde Anthony Wooduile, Earle Riuers & Lorde Scales, brother to the Quene, a wise, har¦dye and honourable personage, as valyaunte of hande as pollitick of counsell, and with him were assocyate other of the same partye, and in effecte euery one as he was nere of kinne vnto the quene so was he planted nexte aboute the Prynce.

That dryfte by the Quene semed to bee deuysed, whereby her bloodde myghte of ryghte in tender youth bee so planted in the prynces fauoure, that afterwarde it shoulde hardely bee eradicated oute of the same.

The duke of Gloucetre turned all this to their distruccion, and vpon that grounde sette the foun¦dacion of his vnhappy building. For whome soe∣uer he perceaued to bee at varyaunce with theim, or to beare toward hym self any fauoure, he brake vnto theim, some by mouthe, some by writing and secrete messengers, that it was neither reason nor yet to bee suffered that the younge kyng their mai¦ster and kinsmanne should bee in the handes and custody of his mothers kinrede, sequestred in ma∣ner frome their company & attendaunce, of which euery one ought hym as faithfull seruice as they, and many of theim of farre more honorable parte of kynne then his mothers syde, whose bloodde {quod} the Duke of Gloucetre sauyng the Kynges plea∣sure, was farre vnmete to bee matched with his, whiche nowe to bee remoued frome the kyng and the least noble to bee lefte aboute hym is, {quod} he ney¦ther honourable to his maiestie nor to vs, & also to hym lesse suretye, to haue the noblest and migh∣tiest of his frendes frome hym, and to vs all no ly¦tle ieopardye to suffer, and specially oure well pro∣ued euel willers to growe in too too greate autho¦rytee w^t the king in youth, namely whiche is light of belefe and soone perswaded. Ye remembre that kyng Edward hym self, albeit he was both of age and discrecion, yet was he ruled in many thinges by y^t bende more then stoode either w^t his honoure

or oure profyte, or wyth the commoditee of anye manne elles, excepte onely the immoderate aduaū¦cemente of theim selues, whiche whether they thri¦sted sore after theyr owne wele or no, it were harde I thynke to gesse. And yf some folkes frendshype had not holden better place wyth the kynge then anye respecte of kynred, they myghte (paraduen∣ture) easely haue trapped and brought to confusy¦on some of vs or thys, & why not as easly as they haue done some other or thys as nere of the blood royall, but oure lorde hathe wroughte hys wyll, and thanked be hys grace that perell is past, how beit, as greate is growing if we suffer this young kynge in his enemyes handes, whyche wyth∣oute his wyttinge myghte abuse the name of hys commaundemente to any af our vndoing, which thynges God & good prouysion forbyd, of whych good prouysion none of vs hathe any thynge the lesse nede for the late attonemente made, in which the kynges pleasure had more place then the par¦ties heartes or willes, nor none of vs is so vnwise ouersone to truste a newe frende made of an olde fooe, or to thynke that anye onely kyndenes so so¦denly contracted in an houre, contynued scantlye yet a fortnyght, shoulde be deper set in our stoma¦ckes then a longe accustomed malice many yeres rooted.

With these perswasions and wrytinges, y^t duke of Glouceter set a fyre theim whiche wer easye to kindle, & in especyall twayne, Henry duke of Buc¦kyngham and Wyllyam Lorde Hastynges and Lorde Chamberlayn, both menne of honour and of great power, the one by lōg sucecessiō from his

aunceters, the other by hys offyces and the kyn∣ges fauoure. These two not bearynge eache to o∣ther so muche loue as hatred, both to the quenes bloodde accorded together with the duke of Glou¦ceter that they would remoue frome the kyng all his mothers frēdes, vnder the name of theyr ene∣myes.

Wherupon the duke of Glouceter beynge ad¦uertysed that the lordes about the kyng entended to brynge him to London to hys coronation, accō¦panyed wyth such a nomber of theyr frendes that it shoulde be harde for hym to bryng hys purpose to passe wythoute the assemblinge and gathering of people and in maner of open warre, wherof the ende he wyst was doubtefull, and in the whyche, the kynge beynge on the other syde, he shoulde haue the name and face of rebellion.

He secretelye therefore by dyuers meanes, cau¦sed the quene to be perswaded that it was nether nede and shoulde also bee ieopardeous the kinge to come vp so stronge, for as nowe, euery lorde lo∣ued other and none other thynge studyed for, but the tryumphe of his coronation and honoure of y^t kyng. And the lordes aboute the kyng, should as∣sēble in the kinges name much people, they shuld geue the lordes betwyxte whome and theim there had bene some tyme debate, to feare and suspecte leaste they shoulde gather thys people, not for the kynges sauegarde, whom no man impugned, but for theyr destruccyon, hauynge more regarde to theyr olde varyaunce then to theyr newe attone∣mente, for the whyche cause they on the other part myght assemble men also for theyr defence, whose

powres she wyste well farre stretched, and thus should al the realme fall in a roare, and of the mis¦chiefe that thereof shoulde ensue (whiche was lyk¦ly to be not a lytle) the most harme was lyke to fal where she leaste woulde, and then all the worlde woulde put her and her kynred in the blame, sai∣ynge that they had vnwselye and vntruely bro∣ken the amytie and peace whyche the kynge her husbande had so prudently made betwene her kin¦red & hys, whyche amytee hys kinne had alwaies obserued.

The quene beyng thus perswaded sente worde to the kynge and to her brother, that there was no cause ner nede to assemble anye people, and also the duke of Glouceter and other lordes of his bēd wrot vnto the kinge so reuerently and to the que∣nes frendes there so louyngely, that they nothing earthlye mystrustyng, broughte the young kyng toward London w^t a sober compaignie in greate hast (but not in good spede) til he came to Northāp¦ton, and frō thēce he remoued to Stony stratford On whyche daye, the two dukes and theyr bende came to Northampton, faynynge that Stonye stratforde coulde not lodge theim all, where they founde the Earle Ryuers, entendynge the nexte moruynge to haue folowed the kynge, and to bee wyth hym earely in the mornyng. So that nyght the dukes made to the earle Riuers frendly chere but assone as they were departed verye famylier wyth greate curtesie in opē syghte and the erle Ri¦uers lodged, the .ii. dukes with a few of theyr pry∣uye frendes fell to councell wherein they spente a greate part of the nyght, and in the dawning of

the daye they sente about pryuely to ther seruaun¦tes in theyr lodgynges to haste to horsebacke for theyr lordes were in maner redy to ryde, wherup∣pon all theyr seruauntes were ready or the Lorde Ryuers seruauntes wer awake. Nowe had the du¦kes taken the keyes of the ynne in to theyr possessi¦on, so that none shoulde yssue oute wythout their concente. And ouer thys in the hygh way toward Stony stratforde they set certaine of theyr folkes that shoulde cause and compell to retourne again all persons that were passinge frome Nōrthamp∣ton to Stony stratforde, sayinge that the dukes theim selfes woulde be the fyrst that should come to the kynge from Northampton, thus they bare folkes in hande. But when the earle Ryuers vn∣derstode the gates closed and the wayes on euery syde beset, nether hys seruauntes, nether hym self suffered to goo oute, perceauinge so great a thing wythoute his knowledge, not begon for noughte, comparyng thys preasent dooynge wyth the laste nyghtes cherein so fewe houres, so great a chaūce marueleously myslyked it. Howbeit, syth, he could not get awaye, he determined not to kepe him self close, leaste he shoulde seme to hyde hym selfe for some secret fear of hys owne faute, wherof he saw no such cause in him selfe, wherfore, on the suretie of hys owne consience he determyned to go to thē and to inquire what thys matter myghte meane. Whome assone as they saw, they beganne to qua¦rell wyth hym, affyrmyng that he pretended to set dystaunce betwene the kyng and theim to bryng theim to confucyon, whyche should not lye in his powre and when he began as he was an el oequēt

manne) in godly wise to excuse hym self thei would not here his aunswer but tooke hym by force and putte hym to ward. And then he mounted on hors¦back and came in Stony stratford wher the kyng was goyng to horsbacke, because he would leaue y^• lodgyng for theim, for it was to strayte for bothe the compaignies. And when thei came to his pre∣sence thei alighted and their compaignie aboute theim, and on their knees saluted hym, and he theim gētely receaued, nothyng erthely knowyng ner mistrustyng as yet. The duke of Buckyng¦ham saied aloude, on afore gentlemenne and yo∣menne kepe your roumes, and therwith in y^t kyng his presence thei picked a quarell to the lord Ry∣chard Grey the quenes soonne and brother to the lord marques & halfe brother to the kyng, saiyng that he and the marques his brother and the lorde Ryuers his vncle had cōpassed to rule the kyng & the realme and sette varyaūce betwene thestates, and to subdewe and destroye the noble bloodde of the realme. And toward thaccomplishment of the∣same, thei saied y^• lord marques had entred into the toure of London, & thence had takē oute treasure and sent mēne to the sea, whiche thynges these du∣kes knewe well were dooen for a good purpose & as very necessary, appoincted by y^t whole counsail at Londō, but somewhat thei must haue saied, vn∣to the whiche woordes the kyng aunswered: what my brother Marques hath dooen I cannot saie, but in good faith I dare well aunswer for myne vncle Ryuers and my brother here, that thei bee innocent of suche mattiers, yee my leege {quod} the du∣ke of Buckyngham, thei haue kepte y^e dealyng of

these matters farre from the knowledge of your good grace, and foorthwith thei arrested the lord Rychard and sir Thomas Vaugham and sir Ry∣chard Hawte in the kyng his presence & brought the kyng and all to Northāpton, where thei tooke ferther counsaill in their affaires. And there thei sent from the kyng whom it pleased theim, and set aboute hym suche seruauntes as better pleased theim then hym. At whiche dealyng he wept, but it booted not. And at dynner the duke of Glouce∣ster sent a dyshe from his owne table to the lorde Ryuers, praiyng hym to bee of good chere and all should bee well, he thanked hym and prayed the messenger to beare it to his nephiewe the lord Ry∣chard with like woordes, whom he knewe to haue neede of conforte, as one to whom suche aduersite was straunge, but he hym self had been all his dayes ennured therwith and therfore could beare it. But for all this message, the duke of Gloucester sent the lord Ryuers, y^e lord Rychard and sir Tho∣mas Vaughm̄ and sir Rychard Hawte into the Northparties into dyuers prisones, but at last all came to Poumfrette where thei all foure were be∣hedded without iudge••et.

In this maner as you haue heard, the duke of Gloucester tooke on hym the gouernaunce of the younge kyng, whom with muche reuerence he con¦ueighed towardes London. These tidynges came hastely to the quene before mydnight by a very sore reporte, that the kyng hir soonne was taken and that her brother and her other soonne and other hir frendes were arested and sent, no manne wyst whither. With this heuye tydynges the

quene bewayled her childes ruyn, hir frendes mis∣chaunce and her awne infortune, curssyng the tyme that euer she was perswaded to leaue the ga¦theryng of people to bryng vp the kyng with a greate powre, but that was passed, and therfore nowe she tooke hir younger soonne the duke of Yorke and hir doughters and went oute of the pa∣lais at Westminster into the sanctuary and there lodged in the abbotes place, and she and all her children and compaignie were regystred for sanc∣tuary persones. The same night there came to doc¦ter Rotheram archebysshop of Yorke and lorde chauceloure a messenger from the lorde chambre∣layne to Yorke place besyde Westminster, the messenger was brought to the bysshoppes bed syde and declared to hym that y^t dukes were gone backe with the younge kyng to Northamptō, and declared ferther, that the lorde Hastynges his ma∣ster sent hym woord that he should feare nothyng for all should bee well. (Well {quod} the bisshop,) bee it as well as it will, it will neuer bee so well as we haue seen it, and then the messenger depar••∣ted. Whereupon the bysshop called vp his ser∣uauntes before daye light, and tooke with hym the greate seale and came before daye to the quene about whom he founde muche heuynesse, rumble, haste, busynesse, conuerghaunce and caryage of hir stuffe into sanctuary, euery manne was busye to carye, beare and conueigh stuffe, chestes and fer¦delles, no manne was vnoccupied, and some ca∣ryed more then thei were commaunded to another place. The quene sat alone belowe on the russhes all desolate and dysmaied, whom the archebisshop

conforted in the best maner that he coulde, shew∣ynge her that the matter was nothynge so sore as she tooke it for, and that he was put in good hope and oute of feare by the message sente to hym frō the lorde Hastinges. A wo worth him {quod} the quene for it is he that goeth aboute to destroye me and my bloodde. Madame {quod} he, be of good comforte and I assure you, yf they crowne anye other king then your soonne whome they nowe haue, we shal on the morowe croune his brother whō you haue here with you. And here is the greate seale, which in lykewise as your noble husbande delyuered it to me, so I deliuer it to you to the vse of your sōne and therewyth delyuered her the greate seale, and departed home in the dawnynge of the daye, and when he opened his windowes and looked on the Themys, he myghte see the riuer ful of boates of the duke of Glouceter hys seruauntes watchyng that no person shoulde goo to sanctuary ner none shoulde passe vnserched.

Then was there great rumoure and commocion in the citee and in other places, the people diuers∣ly deuined vpō thys dealyng. And dyuerse lordes knyghtes and gentylmen, ether for fauour of the quene or for feare of them selues, assembled com∣paignies together and went flockyng together in harneyes And many also, for that they recompted thys demeanour attempted, not so especyallye a∣gaynst other lordes as agaynst the kyng him self in the dysturbaunce of hys coronat ion, therefore they assembled by and by together to common of thys matter at London. The archebyshoppe of Yorke fearynge that it woulde be ascrybed (as it

was in dede) to ouermuche lightnes that he so so∣deynly had yelded vp the great seale to the quene, to whome the custodie therof nothyng apperteig∣ned without especiall commaundement of y^t kyng secretly sent for the seale agayn & brought it wyth hym after the accustomed maner to mete with the lordes.

At this metyng was the lord Hastynges, whose truthe towarde the kyng no manne doubted nor neded not to doubte, perswaded the lordes to be∣leue, that the duke of Glouceter was faythfull & sure towardes his prince, and that y^t lord Ryuers, the lorde Richard and other knyghtes apprehen∣ded, wer for matters attempted by theim agaynste the dukes of Gloucetre & Buckyngham put vn∣der arest, for their suretie, and not for the kynges icopardye, and that they were also in sauegarde there to remayne, tyll the matter were (not by the dukes only) but also by all the other lordes of the kynges councell indifferentlye examyned, and by their discrecions ordred and eyther iudged or ap∣pesed. And one thyng he aduysed theim to beware of, that they iudged not the matter to farreforth or they knewe the truthe, nor turnyng theyr pryuate grudges into the commen hurte, irrityng and pro¦uokyng men vnto angre, and disturbyng the kyn∣ges coronacion, toward whiche the dukes wer cō∣myng, for that then might paraduenture bryng y^t matter so farre out of ioynte, that it shoulde neuer bee brought in frame agayne, whiche yf it should happe as it were lykely to come to a felde, though all parties were in all other thynges eguall, yet shoulde the autoryte bee on that syde, where the

kynge is hym selfe, with these persuasyons of the lorde Hastynges, whereof parte he hym selfe belc∣ued, and of parte he wyste well the contrarye, these commocyons were somewhat appeased. But in e∣speciall, because the dukes of Buckyngham and Glouceter wer so nere and came on so shortly with the kynge, in none other maner, nor none other voyce or sembleaunce then to his coronacion, cau∣syng the fame to be blowen about that suche per∣sones as were apprehended had contryued the di∣struccion of the dukes of Gloucetre and of Bue∣kyngham and other of the noble bloodde of thys realme, to thentent that thei alone would rule and gouerne the kyng. And for the coloure therof, such of the dukes seruauntes as rode with the cartes of their stuffe which wer taken, amonge the which stuffe no maruayle thoughe some were harneyes whiche at the brekynge vp of suche an housholde muste be brought awaye or caste awaye, they she∣wed to the people, and as they went sayde: lo, here be the barrelles of harneyes that these traytoures hadde preuely conueighed in their caryages to destroye the noble lordes withall. This dyuerse, (although it made the matter to wise menne more vnlykely) well perceauyng that thentendoures of suche a purpose woulde rather haue had theyr harnesse on theyr backes, then to haue bounde theim vp in barrelles, yet muche parte of the com∣men people were therewith ryght well satisfyed.

When the kyng approched nere the cytie, Ed∣monde Shawe Goldesmythe then Mayre of the cytie with the aldremenne and shreues in skarlet, and fyue hundreth commoners in murraye recea∣ued

his grace reuerently at Harnesaye parke, and so conueighed hym to the cytee, where he entred the fourthe daye of Maye, in the fyrste and laste yeare of his reigne, and was lodged in the bis∣shoppes palayce, but the duke of Goucetre bare hym in open sight so reuerently, saiyng to all men as he rode, beholde youre prynce and souereygne lorde, and made suche sembleaunce of lowlynes to his prince, that frome the greate obloquy that he was in so late before, he was sodeynly fallen in so greate truste, that at the councell next assembled he was made the onlye chiefe ruler and thoughte mooste mete to bee protectoure of the kynge and his realme, so that, were it desteny or were it folye, the lambe was betaken to the wolfe to kepe. At whiche councell the archebyshoppe of yorke was sore blamed for delyueryng the greate seale to the quene, and the seale taken from hym and delyue∣to docter Iohn Russell byshoppe of Lyncolne, a wyse manne and a good and of muche expery∣ence, and dyuerse lordes and knightes were ap∣poynted to dyuerse roumes, the lorde chamber∣layn and some other kepte the roumes y^t they were in before, but not many.

Nowe were it so that the protectour (whiche al∣wayes you muste take for the duke of Gloucetre) sore thristed for the acheuyng of his pretensed en∣trepryse and thought euerye daye a yere tyll it were perfourmed, yet durste he no ferther at∣tempte aslong as he hadde but halfe his praye in hys hande, well wyttynge that yf he deposed the one brother, all the realme would fall to the other, yf he remayned in sanctuary or should happely be

shortelie cōueyghed to his farther libertee. Wher∣fore in continēt at the next metyng of the lordes in councell, he purposed to theim that it was an hey∣nous thyng of the quene, & procedyng of great ma lyce toward the kynges councelers y^t she shoulde kepe the kynges brother in sanctuarye from hym whose special pleasure & conforte wer to haue his brother w^t hym, and that to be done by her to none other intēt but to bryng all y^e lordes in an obloquy and murmoure of the people, as though they wer not to be trusted w^t the kynges brother, which lor∣des wer by y^t whole ass••t of the nobles of y^t realme appoynted as y^t kynges nere frendes to y^e tuycion of his royall person, the prosperitee wherof ({quod} he) standeth not alonely frō the kepyng of enemyes & euill dyate, but partely also in recreacion & mode∣rate pleasure, whiche he cannot take in his tendre youth in the cōpany of old & auncient persons, but in the famylyer conuersacion of those that be not farre vnder nor farre aboue his age, & neuerthe∣lesse of estate cōueniēt to accompany his maiestie wherfore w^t whom rather then with his owne bro∣there and if any man thinke this cōsyderaciō light (I thynke no man so thinketh that loueth y^e kyng) let hym cōsyder y^t sometyme that w^t out smal thyn∣ges, greater cannot stande, and verelye it redoun∣deth greatly to y^e dyshonoure of the kynges high∣nes and of all vs that bee about his grace to haue it come in any mannes mouthe, not in this realme onely, but also in other landes (as euell woordes walke farre) y^t the kynges brother should be fayne to kepe sāctuary. For euery mā wyl iudge that no man wil so do for nought, & such opiniōs fastened

in mennes hertes be harde to be wrested oute, and many growe to more grefe then any manne here can diuine. Wherfore me thinketh it were not the worste to sende to the quene some honourable and trustye personage, suche as tendereth the kynges weale and the honoure of his counsell, and is al∣so in credite and fauoure with her, for whiche con∣sideracions none semeth more meately to me then the reuerende father my Lorde Cardinall archbi∣shop of Cauntourbury, who maye in this matter doo mooste good of all menne yf it please hym to take the paine, whiche I doubte not of his good∣nesse he wil not refuse for the kynges sake & oures and wealth of the younge duke hym selfe the kyn ges moost honorable brother and for the comforte of my souereigne Lord hym selfe my moost derest Nephiewe, considering that therby shalbe ceassed the sclaunderous rumour & obloquy nowe goyng abroade, and the hurtes auoyded y^t therof myght ensue, then must reste and quietnesse growe to all the realme. And if she percase bee obstinate and so precisely sette in her owne wyll and opynion, that neither his wyse and feithfull aduertysement can moue her, nor any mannes reason satisfye her, thē shal we by myne aduice by the kynges authoritee fetche hym oute of that prysone and bring hym to his noble presence, in whose continuall companye he shalbe so well cheryshed and so honorablye in∣treated that all the worlde shall to oure bonoure and her reproche perceaue that it was onely ma∣lyce, frowardnesse & foly, that causeth her to kepe hym there. This is my minde for this tyme, ex∣cepte that any of you my Lordes anye thinge per

ceaue to the contrarye, for neuer shall I by God∣des grace so wedde my selfe vnto myne owne wyll but I shalbe redye to chaunge it vpon youre bet∣ter aduice.

When the Protectoure had saied, all the coun cell affirmed that the mocion was good and rea∣sonable, and to the kyng and the duke his brother honorable, and a thing that shoulde ceasse great murmoure in the realme yf the mother myght by good meanes bee induced to deliuer hym, whiche thing the Archbishop of Cauntourburye, whome they all agreed also to bee moost conuenient ther∣vnto, tooke vpon hym to moue her, and therto to dooe his vttermoste endeuoure. How be it yf she coulde in no wise bee intreated with her good wil to delyuer hym, then thought he and suche of the spirytualtye as were presente, that it were not in anye wyse to bee attempted to take hym oute a∣gaynste her wyll, for it woulde bee a thyng that should turne to the grudge of all menne and high displeasure of God, if the pryuiledge of that place should bee broken which had so many yeres been kepte, whiche bothe kynges and bishoppes had graunted and confyrmed, whiche grounde was sanctifyed by sainct Peter hym selfe more then. v hundreth yeres agone, and syth that tyme was neuer so vndeuoute a kynge that euer enterpry∣sed that sacred priuyledge to vyolate, nor so holy a bishoppe that durste presume the churche of the same to consecrate, and therfore {quod} the Archbys∣shoppe, God forbyd that any manne shoulde for any erthely enterpryse breake the immunyte and libertee of that sacred Sanctuary that hath bene

the sauegard of so many a good mannes lyfe, but I truste {quod} he, we shall not nede it, but for any ma¦ner of nede I would we should not doo it, I trust that she with reason shalbe contented & all thyng in good maner obteigned. And yf it hap that I bring it not to passe, yet shal I further it to my best power so that you all shall perceaue my good wyl diligence & indeuoure. But the mothers dreade & womannishe feare shalbe the let yf any bee.

Naye womannish, frowardnesse {quod} the duke of Buckingham, for I dare take it on my soule y^t she wel knoweth y^t she nedeth no suche thyng to feare either for her sonne or for her selfe. For as for her, here is no manne that wyll be at warre with wo∣menne, would God some menne of her kynne wer womenne to, and then should all bee sone in rest. How be it, here is none of her kynne the lesse loued for that they bee of her kynne, but for their owne euell deseruing. And put the case that we nether lo¦ued her nor her kinne, yet there were no cause why we should hate the kinges noble brother to whose grace we oure selues be kynne, whose honoure yf she desyred as oure dyshonoure, and asmuche re∣garde tooke to his wealthe as to her owne wyll, she coulde bee as lothe to suffer hym to be absente from the kyng as any of vs, yf she had any wytte as woulde God she had as good wyll as she hath frowarde wytte. For she thynketh her selfe no wi∣ser then some y^t are here, of whose feithful myndes she nothing doubteth, but verely beleueth & know legeth that they woulde bee as sorye of his harme as her owne selfe, and yet they woulde haue hym frome her, yf she abyde there.

And we all I thinke bee content that bothe her children bee with her if she came frome thence and bee in suche place where they maye bee with theyr honoure. Nowe yf she refuse in the deliueraunce of hym to folowe the wisdome of theim, whose wis¦dome she knoweth, whose approbate fidelitee she trusteth: it is easye to perceaue that frowardnesse letteth her, and not feare. But goo to, suppose that she feareth as who maye let her to feare her owne shadowe, the more she feareth to deliuer hym, the more we oughte to feare to leaue hym in her han∣des, for yf she caste suche fonde doubtes that she feare his hurte, then wyll she feare that he shall be fette thence, for she wyll soone thynke that yf menne were sette (whiche God forbydde) on so greate a mischief, the Sanctuarye wyll lytel lette theim whiche sanctuary good menne as me thin∣keth myghte withoute synne: somewhat lesse re∣garde then they dooe. Nowe then yf she doubte leaste he might bee fetched from her, is it not lick∣lye that she will sende hym some where oute of the realme? verely I looke for none other. And I doubte not but she nowe as sore mindeth it, as we mind the let therof. And if she might hap to bring that purpose to passe (as it were no great mastery to doo we letting her alone) all y^t world would say that we were a sorte of wyse councelers aboute a king to let his brother to bee cast away vnder our noses. And therfore I ensure you feithfully for my minde, I wyll rather maugre her stomacke fetche hym awaye, then leaue hym there tyll her feare or fonde frowarde feare conuey hym awaye, and yet wyll I breake no sanctuarye, for verely sithe the

priueledge of that place & other of y^t sorte haue so long contynued I woulde not go about to breake yt, but yf they were nowe to begynne I would not be he that shoulde make theim, yet wyl not I saye nay, but it is a deede of pitie, that such men as the chaūce of y^• sea or theyr euil debters haue brought into pouertee, shoulde haue some place of refuge to kepe in theyr bodies out of the daūger of theyr cruel credytoures. And yf it fortune the croune to come in question as it hath done before thys time whyle eatch parte taketh other for traytoures, I thyncke it necessarye to haue a place of refuge for both. But as for theues and murtherers, whereof these places be full, and whyche neuer falle from theyr crafte after they once fall therunto, yt is py∣tee that euer sanctuarye shoulde saue theim, and in especyall wylfull murtherers, whom God com¦maundeth to be taken from the aulter and to be putte to death. And where it is other wyse then in these cases, there is no nede of sayntuaryes, apoin¦ted by God in the olde law. For yf necessite of his owne defence or mysfortune dryued hym to y^t deed then a pardon serueth hym, whyche ether is graū¦ted of course, or the kynge of pytee and compassy∣on geueth. Nowe looke howe fewe sanctuary mē there be whom necessyte or mysfortune compelled together? And then see on the other syde, what a sorte there bee commonlye therin of suche, whom wylfull vnthryftines hathe broughte to naughte what a rable of theues, murtherers and malycy∣ous heynous traytours bee, and that in two pla∣ces specyallye, the one at the elbowe of the cytee, & the other in the very bowels, I dare wel a vowe it

yf you waye the good that they do wyth the hurte that commeth of theim ye shall fynde it much bet¦ter to lese both, then to haue both. And thys I say although they were not abused (as they nowe bee and so longe haue bene) that I feare me euer they wylbe while men be a feard to set to theyr handes to the a mēdement, as though God and saynt Pe¦ter were the patrons of vngratious lyuing. Now vnthryftes riot, and ronne in debte vpon boldnes of these places, yea, and rytch men ronne thyther with poore mens goodes, there they buylde, there they spende and byd theyr creditours go whystel. Mens wyues ronne thether with theyr husbādes plate, & say they dare not abide with theyr husban¦des for beting, theues bring thether stollē goodes & lyue thereon. There deuise they newe robberies nightly & stele out & robbe, reue, & kyl men & come agayne into those places, as though those places gaue thē not only a sauegard for the harme y^t thei haue done, but a licēce also to do more myschiefe, howbeit, much of this great abusion, (yf wyse mē woulde set theyr handes thereunto) myghte bee a mended, with great thankes of god and no breche of the priuiledge. The conclusion is, sythe it is so long a go I wote not what pope and what prynce more piteous then polityke, hath graunted it, & o∣ther men sence of a relygious feare haue not bro∣ken yt, let vs take a payne with it, & let it stande a Goddes name in hys force, as ferforth as reason wyl, whyche is not so ferfourth as maye serue to let vs of the fetchynge forth of thys noble manne to hys honoure and welth out of that place in the whyche nether is nether can be a sanctuary or pri¦ueledged

mā. A sanctuarye euer serueth to defend the bodye of that man that standeth in daungers abrode, not of great hurt only, but of lawful hurt. For agaynst vnlawful hurtes & harmes no pope ner kynge entended to priueledge anye one place wherin it is lawful for one man to do another mā wrong. That no man vnlaufully take hurte, that lybertye the kynge, the lawe and verye nature for biddeth in euery place and maketh to that regard for euery man euery place a sanctuarye: but wher a man is by lawful meanes in parel, there nedeth he the tuycion of some specyall priueledge, which is the only ground of al sanctuaries, from which necessitee thys noble prince is farre, whose loue to his kyng, nature and kynred proueth, whose inno¦centie to al the world, hys tender youth affyrmeth & so sāctuary as for him is not necessary ner none he cā haue. Men com not to sāctuary as they com to baptim to require it by his godfathers, he must aske it him self y^t must haue it, & reason sith no mā hath cause to haue it, but whose consyence of hys own faut maketh him hauened to require it, what wyl thé hath yōder babe, which if he had discretiō to require it yf nede wer, I dare say wold be right angry w^t theim y^t kepe him ther. And I wold thīk w^tout any scruple of consciēce, w^tout any brech of priueledge to be sōwhat more homly w^t them y^t be ther sāctuary mē in ded y^t yf one go to sāctuary w^t another mās goodes, why shold not y^e king leuīg his body at liberty satisfye y^• party of his goodes euē wⁱn y^e sāctuary, for nether kyng nor pope can geue anye place such a priueledge that it shal dis∣charge a man of his debtes beynge hable to pay.

And with that dyuerse of the clergie that were there p̄sēt, whether thei saied it for his pleasure or as thei thought, agreed plainly by y^t lawe of God & of y^e churche y^t the goodes of a sanctuary manne should bee delyuered in paymēt of his debtes, and stollen goodes to the owner and onely lybertie re∣serued to hym to gette his lyuyng with the labour of his handes. Verely {quod} the duke I thynke ye saie very truth. And what if a mannes wife take sanc∣tuary because she list to ronne from hir husband? I would thinke if she cā alledge none other cause he maye laufully without any dyspleasure dooen to sainct Peter, take hir oute of sainct Peters chur¦che by the arme. And if no bodye maye bee taken oute of sanctuary because he saieth he will abyde there, then if a chylde will take sanctuary because he feareth to goo to schoole, his master must lette hym alone, and as symple as that example is, yet is there lesse reason in oure case then in it, for there though it bee a chyldyshe feare, yet is there at the least some feare, and herein is no feare at all And verely I haue heard of sanctuary menne, but I neuer harde before of sanctuary chyldren, & ther fore as for the conclusiō of my mynde, whoso euer maye deserue to haue nede of it, if thei thinke it for their suretye let theim kepe it, but he can bee no sāc¦tuary manne that hath nother discresion to desire it, ner malice to deserue it, whose life ner lybertie can by no laufull processe stande in ieoperdie, and he that taketh one oute of sanctuarye to dooe hym good, I saye plainlye he breaketh no sanctuarye.

When the duke had dooen, the temporall mēne wholy, and the mooste parte of the spirituall mēne

also thynke no hurte earthely mente towarde the baby, condiscended in effecte, that if he were not delyuered he should bee fetched out. Howbeit thei thought it best in aduoydyng of all maner of ru∣moure, that the cardynall should first assaye to gette hym with her good will. And therupon all the counsaill came to the starre chamber at West∣mynster, and the cardinall leauyng the protectour and other lordes in the sterre chaumber departed into the sanctuarie to the quene accompaignied w^t certain lordes, were it for y^t respecte of his honour or that she should by the personnes of so many per¦ceaue that his arrande was not onely one mānes mynde, or were it for that the protectoure entended not in this matter to trust one manne alone, or els if she finally were determined to kepe hym, some of the compaignie had paraduenture some secrete instrucciō incontinēt maugre her will to take hym and to leaue her no respyte to conueigh hym.

When the quene and the lordes were come to∣gether in presence, the Cardynall shewed vnto her that it was thought to the lord protectour and the whole caunsaill y^t hir kepyng of y^t kynges brother in that place highly soūded, not onely to y^t grudge of the people and their obloquy, but also to the un∣portable greefe and displeasure of y^t kyng his roy¦all maiestie, to whose grace it were a synguler cō∣forte to haue his naturall brother in compaignie, and it was their bothes dishonoures and theirs & hirs also to suffre hym in sanctuarye, as though the one brother stoode in daungier and perell of the other. And he shewed her ferther that the whole counsaill had sent hym to requyre of her the dely∣uerye

of hym that he might bee brought to y^t kyng his presence at his libertie oute of y^t place whiche meune reconed as a prisone, & there should he bee demeaned accordyng to his estate and degree, and she in this doyng should bothe dooe greate good to the realme, pleasure to the coūsaill, profite to her self, succoure to her frendes that were in destresse, & ouer y^t, whiche he wist well she speciallye tendered, not onelye greate conforte & honoure to the kyng but also to the younge duke hym self, whose bothe greate wealthe it were to bee together, aswell for many greater causes as also for their bothe dys∣porte & recreacyon, whiche thynges the lordes e∣stemed not sleight, though it semed light, well pōde ryng y^t their youthe without recreacion and playe cānot endure, ner any estraunger for the conueniē¦cie of bothe their estates so metely in y^t poinct for any of theim as the either of theim for theother.

My lorde ({quod} the quene,) I saie not naye but that it were very conueniente y^t this gentlemanne whom you requyre were in the compaignie of the kyng his brother, and in good faith me thynketh it were as greate commodite to theim bothe, as for yet a while to bee in the custodie of their mother the tendre age consydered of the elder of theim bothe, but in especiall the younger, whiche besydes his infancye that also nedeth good lookyng too, hath awhyle been so sore deseased with syckenesse and is so newlye rather a lytle amended then well recouered, that I dare putte no persone earthely in trust w^t his kepyng, but my self onely, consyde∣ryng there is as phisicians saie, and as we also fynde) double y^t perell in the resylynacion y^t was in

the first syckenesse, with whiche desease nature be∣yng sore laboured, forweried & weaked, waxeth the lesse hable to bear oute a newe surfett〈…〉〈…〉 And albeit there might bee foūden other that would happely dooe their best vnto hym, yet is there none y^t ether knoweth better howe to ordre hym then I y^t so lōg haue kepte hym, or is more tendrely like to cherishe hym then his owne mother y^t bare hym. No māne denieth good madame ({quod} y^• cardinall) but y^t your grace of all folke were moost necessarie aboute your chyldrē, & so would all y^t coūsaill not only bee content but also glad y^• it were if it might stand w^t your pleasure to be i suche place as might stāde w^t their honour. But if you apoinct your self to tarie here, thē thynke thei it more cōueniēt the Duke of Yorke were with y^t kyng honorably at his lybertie to the cōforte of theim bothe, then here as a sanctu¦ary māne to their bothe dishonoure and obloquy, sith there is not alwaie so greate necessite to haue y^t childe with the mother, but that occaciō sometyme maye bee suche that it should bee more expediēt to kepe hym els where, whiche in this well apereth, y^t at suche tyme y^t your moost derest soonne thē prince & nowe kyng should for his honour & good ordre of the countre kepe houshold in Wales farre out of your kepyng, your grace was well cōtent ther∣w^t your self. Not very well content ({quod} the quene) & pet the case is not like, for theone was then in helth & theother is nowe sicke, in whiche case I meruell greatly why my lord protectour is so desierous to haue hym in his kepyng, where if the childe in his sickenesse miscaried by nature, yet might he rōne into slaunder and suspicion of fraude. And thei

call it a thyng so sore against my childes honoure and theirs also that he abideth in this place, it is all their honoures there to suffre hym abide wher no manne doubteth he shalbe best kepte, and that is here while I am here, whiche as yet entend not to come foorth and ieopard my selfe after other of my frēdes, whiche would God were rather here in suertie with me, then I were there in ieoperdie w^t theim. Why Madame ({quod} y^e lord Hawarde) knowe you any thyng why thei should bee in ieopardie? Naye verely ({quod} she,) nor why thei should bee in pri¦sone neither as thei nowe bee, but I trowe, it is no greate maruell though I feare leaste those y^t haue not letted to put theim in duraunce w^t out coloure, will let as litle to procure their distrucion without cause. The cardinall made a countenaunce to the lord Haward that he should harpe no more vpon y^t stryng, and thē saied he to the quene, y^t he nothyng doubted but those lordes of her kynne the whiche remeyned vnder a rest should vpon the matter ••ra¦mined dooe well ynough, and as toward her noble persone, was, neither could bee any maner of ieo∣pardie. Wherby should I truste that ({quod} y^t quene) in y^t I am guyltlesse, as though thei were guyltie, in y^t I am with their enemies better beloued then thei, whē thei hate theim for my sake, in that I am so nere to the kyng, and howe ferre bee thei of that would helpe, as God sēde grace thei hurt not. And therfore as yet I purpose not to departe hence, as for this gentlemanne my soonne, I minde he shall be wher I am till I se further, for I se some mēne so gredy whthout any substanciall cause to haue hym, whiche maketh me muche more afrayd and

scrupulous to delyuer hym. Truly madame ({quod} the cardynall) the more afrayde that ye bee to delyuer hym, the more other menne feareth to suffre you to kepe hym, leaste youre causelesse feare, mighte cause you farther to conueye hym, & many thynke he can here haue no pryuiledge whiche can haue neyther wyll to aske it, nor yet malyce or offence to nede it. And therfore, they recon no priuiledge broken, although they fetche hym out of sanctua∣rye, whiche yf you fynallye refuse to delyuer hym, I thynke verely y^e councel wil enfraunchese hym, so muche drede hathe my lorde his vncle, for the tēdre loue he beareth hym, least your grace should sende hym awaye. Ah ({quod} the quene) hath he so ten∣dre a zele to hym that he feareth nothyng, but least he should escape hym? Thynketh he that I would sende hym hence, whiche is neyther in the plight to sende oute? and in what place coulde I recone hym sure, if he bee not sure in sanctuarye? whereof was there neuer tyraunte yet so deuelyshe, that durste attempte to breake the priuiledge, and I truste God is nowe as stronge to wythstande his aduersaries as euer he was. But my soonne can deserue no sanctuarye (you saye) and therfore he cannot haue it, forsothe the lorde protectoure hath sente a goodly glose, by the whiche that place that may defend a these may not saue an innocent: but he is in no ieopardye nor hath no nede thereof, I woulde God he had not. Troweth the protectoure I praye God he maye proue a protectour, rather then a destroyer, whereunto his peynted processe draweth. Is it not honourable that the duke byde here? it were confortable to theim bothe that he

were with his brother, because the kyng lacketh a playe feloe, yea bee you sure, I praye God sende hym better playefelowes then hym that maketh so hyghe a matter vpon suche a tryfleynge pre∣texte, as though there coulde none bee founde to playe with the kynge, but yf his brother whiche hathe no lu〈…〉〈…〉 to playe for syckenesse, muste come oute of Sanctuarye, oute of his sauegarde to playe with hym, as though that prynces so young as they be••, coulde not playe without their peres, or chyldrē coulde not playe without theyr kynred, with whome for the more parte they agree muche woorsse then with straungiers. But the chyld you saye cannot require the priuiledge, who tolde the protectoure so? Aske hym and you shall here hym aske it and so shall he if ye wyll. Howebeit this is a straunge matter, suppose he coulde not aske it and thynke he woulde not aske it, and ymagene he woulde aske to go oute, yf I saye he shall not. Note if I aske the priuiledge, but for my selfe, I saye that he that agaynst my wyll taketh out hym, breaketh Sanctuarye. Serueth thys lyberty for my personne onlye or for my goodes too? you maye not frome hence take my horsse frome me, yf I stale hym not nor owe you nothynge, then fo∣loweth it, that you maye not take my chylde from me, he is also my ward, for as farre as my learned councell sheweth me, he hath nothyng by dyssente holden by knyghtes seruage, but by socage, then the lawe maketh me his garden, then maye no manne lawfully (I suppose) take my warde frome me oute of thys place, wythoute the breche of

Sanctuarye, and yf my pryuyledge coulde not serue hym, nor he aske it for hym selfe, yet sythe the lawe commytteth to me the custodye of hym, I maye requyre it for hym, excepte the lawe geue the infaunte a garden onelye for hys gooddes, dyschargynge hym of the cure and sauekepynge of his bodye, for whiche onely, bothe goodes and landes serue. Wherfore here entende I to kepe hym, sithe mannes lawe serueth the garden to kepe the infaunte, and the lawe of nature wyl∣leth the mother to kepe y^t chyld, and Goddes lawe priuiledgeth the Sanctuarye, and the Sanctua∣rye pryuyledgeth my soonne, sythe I feare to putte hym to the protectoures handes, that hathe his brother already, whiche is (yf bothe fayled) in∣heritoure to the croune as heyre male, as he sayth. The cause of my feare no man hath to dooe to ex∣amen, and yet feare I no further then the law fea∣reth, whiche as learned menne tell me, forbyddeth euery manne the custody of theim, by whose death he maye enheryte lesse lande then a kyngdome, I can saye no more, but whosoeuer he bee that brea∣keth this holy sanctuary, I praye God sende hym shortelye nede of Sanctuary, when he maye not come to it, for I woulde not that my mortall ene∣mie should be taken out of Sanctuary.

The Cardynal perceaued that the quene euer y^t lenger the farther of, and also that she beganne to kyndle and chafe and spake sore bytynge woordes agaynst the protectoure, and suche as he neyther beleued & also was lothe to here, he sayd to her, for a finall conclusion, that he would no more dispute

the matter, and if she were contente to delyuer the duke to hym and to the other lordes there present, he durste laye his owne bodye and soule bothe in pledge, not onlye for his suretie, but also for hys estate, and surely he knewe nor suspected no cause but he might so dooe (but he knewe not all.) And further he saide, if she would geue hym a resolute aunswere to the contrarye he would therewith de∣parte incontinent, and shifte who so woulde wyth this busynesse afterwarde, for he neuer entended further to moue her in the matter, in the whiche he thought that he and all other also, saue her selfe, lacked eyther wytte or truthe. Wytte if they were so dull, if they nothyng coulde perceaue what the protectoure entended, and yf they should procure her soonne to bee delyuered into his handes, in whome they shoulde perceaue towardes the chyld any euell wyll entended, then she myghte thynke all the councell bothe euel aduysed and of lytle fy∣delyte to theyr prince.

The quene with these wordes stoode in a great studye, and forasmuche as she sawe the lord Car∣dynall more redyer to departe then the remanaūt, and the protectoure hym selfe redye at hande, so that she verelye thought that she coulde not kepe hym there, but he shoulde bee incontynente taken thence, and to conueye hym elles where, neyther had she tyme to serue her, nor place determyned, nor personnes appoynted to conueygh hym, and so all thyng was vnreadye, when this message came so sodenly on her, nothyng lesse lookyng for then to haue hym out of sanctuarye, whiche she knewe nowe menne to bee set in all places about

that he coulde not bee conueyghed oute vntaken, and partely as she thought, it myghte fortune her feare to bee false: so well she wist it was ether nede lesse or botelesse. Wherfore, yf she should nedes go from hym, she demed best to deliuer hym, & special¦ly of y^t Cardinalles faith she nothing doubted nor of some other lordes whome she sawe there, which as she feared least, they might be deceaued, so well was she assured y^t they woulde not bee corrupted, then thoughte she that it woulde make theim the more warely to looke to hym, and the more circum spectly to see his surety, yf she with her owne han∣des betooke hym theim by truste, and at the laste she tooke the young duke by the hande and saied vnto the Lordes, my Lorde {quod} she and all my lor∣des, nether am I so vnwise to mistruste youre wit∣tes nor so suspicyous to mistruste your truthes: of which thing I purpose to make such a proofe that yf either of bothe lacked in you, might turne both me to greate sorowe, the realme to muche harme and you to greate reproche. For lo, here is {quod} she this gentilman, whome I doubte not but I could kepe salfe if I would, whatsoeuer any manne saye and I doubte not also but there bee some abrode so deedly enemies vnto my bloodde, that yf they wiste where any of it laye in theyr owne body they woulde lette it oute, we haue also experience that the desyre of a kingdome knoweth no kynred, the brother hath bene the brothers bane, and may the nephewes bee sure of the vncle? eache of these chil¦dren are others defence whyle they bee a sunder, and eache of their liues lyeth in others body, kepe one salfe and bothe bee sure, and nothing to bothe

more perylous, then bothe to bee in one place, for a wise marchaunt neuer auentureth all his good des in one shyp, all this notwithstanding, here I deliuer hym & his brother in hym to kepe, to your handes, of whome I shall aske theim bothe before God and the worlde. Feithfull you bee and that I wot well, and I knowe you be wyse and of power and strength if you list to kepe hym, for you lacke no helpe of your selues, nor nede to lacke no helpe in this case, & yf you cannot elles where, then may you leaue hym here. But onely one thing I besech you, for the trust that his father putte you in euer and for the truste that I put you in nowe, that as farre as you thincke that I feare to muche, ye bee well ware that you feare not to lytle. And ther∣with all she saied to y^t childe, fare well myne owne swete soonne, God sende you good kepyng, let me once kysse you or you gooe, for God knoweth whē we shall kisse together againe, & therwith she kys∣sed hym and blessed hym and tourned her backe & wepte, gooing her waye, leauyng the poore inno∣cent chylde wepyng as faste as the mother.

When the Cardinall and the other lordes had receaued the younge duke, they brought hym in∣to the starre chaumbre, where y^t protectoure tooke hym in his armes and kyssed hym with these wor¦des, nowe welcome my lorde with all my very hert and he saied in y^t of likelihode euen as he inward∣ly thought, and therupon, forthwith brought him to the king his brother into the bishoppes palaice at Powles, and from thence thorowe the citee ho∣nourably into the towre, oute of whiche after that daye they neuer came abrode. Whenne the Pro∣tectoure

had bothe the chyldren in his possessy∣on, yee and that they were in a sure place, he then beganne to thryste to see the ende of his enterprise and to auoyde all suspicion, he caused all the Lor∣des whiche he knewe to bee feythfull to the kyng to assemble at Baynardes castell to cōmen of the ordre of the coronacyon whyle he and other of his complyces and of his affinitee at Erosbyes place contriued the contrary & to make the Protectours kyng, to whiche counsel there were adhibite very fewe, and they very secrete. Then beganne here & there some maner of muttering amongest the peo¦ple as though all thing should not longe bee well though they wyste not what they feared nor wher¦fore: were it, that before suche great thinges men∣nes hertes (of a secrete instyncte of nature) misge∣ueth theim, as y^t southwinde somtime swelleth of hym selfe before a tempeste, or were it that some one manne happely perceauing, fylled many men with suspicyon, thoughe he shewed fewe menne what he knewe, howbeit, the dealing it selfe made to muche on the matter, thoughe the counsayle were close, for lytle and lytle all folke drewe from the towre where the kyng was, and drewe to Cros byes place, so that the Protectoure had all the re∣sorte, and the kyng in maner desolate, while some made suyte vnto theim that had the doyng, some of theim were by theyr frendes secetely warned, that it myghte happely tourne theim to no good to bee to muche attendaunte on the Kyng with∣oute the Protectoures apoyntmente, whiche re∣moued dyuerse of the kynges olde seruauntes frō hym, and set newe in theyr romes aboute hym.

Thus many thinges comming together, part¦ly by chaunce and partely by purpose, caused at length, not cōmon people onely whiche wauer w^t the winde, but wise menne also and some Lordes to marke the matter & muse therupon, in so much as the lorde Stanley whiche afterward was erle of Derby wisely mistrusted it and saied to y^t lorde Hastinges, that he muche misiyked these two seue¦ral coūselles, for while we {quod} he talke of one mat∣ter at y^t one place, lytle wot we wherof they talke in the other place. Well {quod} the Lorde Hastynges, on my lyfe neuer doubte you, for whyle one man is there whiche is neuer thence, neither can there bee any thing once mynded that shoulde sounde amisse towarde me, but it shoulde bee in mine ea∣res or it were well oute of their mouthes. This ment he by Catesby whiche was nere of his secret councell, and whome he familyerly vsed in his moost weightye matters, putting no manne in so speciall trust as hym, sith he wiste well there was no manne to hym so muche beholdyng as was this Catesbye, whiche was a manne well learned in the lawes of this lande, and by the speciall fa∣uoure of the lorde Hastynges in good authorytee and muche rule bare in the countrees of Leicestre and Northampton where y^t lorde Hastinges pow¦er laye. But surely greate pitie was it that he had not had either more trueth or lesse wit, for his dissi¦mulacyon onely, kepte all that myschiefe vp, in whome yf the lorde Hastinges had not put so spe¦cial trust, y^t lord Stanley and he w^t diuers other lordes had departed into their coūtrees & broken al y^e daunce for many euel signes y^t he sawe, which

he now construed al for the best, so surely thought he that there coulde be no harme towarde hym in that counsayle entended where Catesbye was.

And of truth the protectour and the duke of Buc¦kyngham made very good sembleaunce vnto the lorde Hastynges and kepte hym muche in theyre compaignie. And vndoubtedlie the protectour lo¦ued hym well, and lothe was to haue loste hym sa¦uynge for feare least hys lyfe shoulde haue quay∣led theyr purpose, for the whyche cause he moued Catesby to proue wyth some wordes caste oute a farre of, whether he coulde thyncke it possible to wynne the lorde Hastynges to theyr part. But Ca¦tesby, whether he assayed hym or assayed hym not reported vnto hym that he founde him so fast, and heard him speake so terrible wordes that he durst no farther breake, and of a truth the lorde Hastin¦ges of very truste shewed vnto Catesby the mys∣trust that other began to haue in the matter. And therfor, he fearyng least theyr mocyons myght w^t the lorde Hastynges haue mynished his credence, wherunto only al the matter leaned, procured the protectour hastly to ryd hym, & muche the rather, for he trusted by hys death to obtayne much of y^t rule whyche the lorde Hastynges bare in hys coū¦tree, the onelye desyre whereof, was the thynge that enduced hym to be procurer & one of the spe∣ciallest contriuers of al thys treason. Wherupon the lorde protectoure caused a counsayle to be set at the towre on the frydaye the .xiii. daye of Iune, were was much commonyng for the honourable solempnytee of the coronation, of the whyche the tyme appoynted aproched so nere that the pageaū¦tes

were a making day & nyght at Westminster & vytayle kylled which afterwarde was cast awaye

These lordes thus sittyng commoning of this matter, the protectoure came in emong thē about ix. of the clocke salutynge theim curteously excu∣synge hym selfe that he had bene frome theim so longe, saiynge merely that he had bene a sseper y^t daye. And after a lytle talkynge wyth theym he sayd to the bishop of Ely, my lorde you haue very good strawberies in your garden at Holborne, I requyre you let vs haue a messe of theim. Gladly, my lorde {quod} he, I would I had some better thyng as redy to youre pleasure as that, and wyth that he sente his seruaunte in al the haste for a dysh of strawberyes. The protectoure set the lordes faste in commonynge and thereupon prayed theim to spare hym a lytle, and so he departed and came in agayn betwene. x, and .xi. of the clocke into the chā¦ber al chaunged with a sowre angry countenaūce knyttynge the browes, frownynge and frettynge and gnawynge on hys lyppes & so set him downe in hys place. All the lordes were dysmayed & sore marueyled of thys maner and sodayne chaunge and what thynge should hym ayle. When he had sytten a whyle thus he beganne. What were they woorthy to haue that compasse and ymagyne the dystruccyon of me beynge so neare of bloodde to the kynge and protectoure of this hys royal real∣me? At whyche questyon all the lordes sat sore a∣stonned, musynge muche by whom thys questyon shoulde be ment, of whych euery man knewe hym¦selfe clere.

Then the lord Hastynges as he that for the fa∣miliaritee

that was betwene them, thoughte he myght be boldest wyth hym, answered & sayd that they were worthye to bee punyshed as heyneous traytours what so euer they were, and all the o∣ther affyrmed the same, that is {quod} he yonder sorce∣ces my brothers wyfe and other wyth her, mea∣nynge the quene, at these wordes manie of the lor¦des were sore abashed whyche fauoured her, but the lorde Hastynges was better contente in hys mynde that it was moued by her then by anye o∣ther that he loued better, albeit hys hearte grud∣ged that he was not afore made of councel in this matter as well as he was of the takynge of her kynred and of theyr puttynge to deathe, whyche were by hys assente before deuised to be behedded at Pomfrete, thys selfe same daye, in the whyche he was not ware y^e it was by other deuysed that he hym selfe shoulde the same daye be behedded at London: then sayde the protectoure in what wyse that y^e sorceresse and other of hys counsayle, as Shores wyfe wyth her affynitee haue by theyr sorcerye and wychcrafte thys wasted my bodye, and therewyth plucked vp hys doublet cleane to hys elbowe on hys lyfte arme, where he shew∣ed a weryshe wythered arme and small as it was neuer other. And thereupon euery mannes mynd mysgaue theim, well perceauynge that thys mat∣ter was but a quarell, for well they wyste that the quene was boothe to wyse to goo aboute anye suche foly, and yf she woulde, yet woulde she of al folke make Shores wyfe leaste of councel whom of all womenne she most hated as that concubin•• whom the kyng her husband most loued

Also, there was no manne there but knewe that hys arme was euer such syth the day of hys byrth Neuerthelesse the lorde Hastynges whyche from the death of kyng Edward kept Shores wyfe, on whom he somewhat doted in the kynges, lyfe, sa∣uynge it is sayd that he forbare her for reuerence towarde hys kynge, or elles of a certayne kynd of fydelitee towarde hys frende. Yet nowe his heart somwhat grudged to haue her whom he loued so hyghly accused, and that as he knewe wel vntru¦lye, therefore he aunswered and sayde, certaynlye my lord, yf they haue so doone, they be worthie of heynous ponyshemente, what {quod} the protectoure, thou seruest me I wene wyth yf, and wyth and, I tell the they haue doone it, and that I wyll make good on thy bodye traytoure. And therewith (in a greate anger) he clapped his fyste on the boorde a great rappe, at whych token geuen one cryed trea¦son withoute the chamber, and therewyth a doore claped, and in came rushing men in harneyes as many as the chamber coulde holde. And anone y^t protectoure sayd to the lorde Hastynges, I arrest the traytoure, what me lord {quod} he? yea the traitour {quod} the protectour. And one let flye at the lord Stā¦ley, whyche shroncke at the stroake and fell vnder the table, or elles his hed had bene cleft to the teth for as shortly as he shrancke, yet ranne the blood aboute hys eares. Then was the archebyshoppe of Yorke and doctoure Morton byshoppe of Ely and the lorde Stanleye taken and dyuers other whyche were bestowed in dyuers chambers, saue the lorde Hastynges (whome the protectoure com¦maunded to spede and shryue hym apace) for by

saint Poull ({quod} he) I will not dyne till I se thy hed of, it booted hym not to aske why, but heuilie he tooke a preeste at auenture & made a shorte shrift, for a lenger would not bee suffred, the protectoure made so muche haste to his dyner, whiche might not goo to it till this murther were dooen for sa∣uing of his vngracious othe. So was he brought foorth into the grene beside the chapell within the towre, and his hed layde dowe on a logge of tym∣ber that laye there for buyldyng of y^e chapell, and there tyrannously stryken of, and after his bodye & hed were enterred at Wyndesore by his mayster kyng Edward the fourth, whose soules Iesu par∣don, Amen.

A merueleous case it is to here, either the war∣nynges that he should haue voyded or the tokens of that he could not voyde. For the next nyght be∣fore his deathe, the lorde Stanley sent to hym a trusty messenger at mydnight in all the hast, requi¦ryng hym to ryse and ryde awaye with hym, for he was disposed vtterlye no lenger for to abyde, for he had a fearfull dreame in the whiche he thought that a bore with his tuskes so rased theim bothe by the heddes that the bloodde ranne aboute bothe their shoulders, and for asmuche as the protectour gaue the bore for his cognisaunce, he ymagened that it should bee he. This dreme made suche a fearfull impressiō in his hearte, y^t he was through¦ly determined no lēger to tarye but had his horsso readie, if the lord Hastynges would goo with hym So that thei would ryde so ferre that night, that thei should bee oute of daungere by the next daye. A good lord ({quod} the lord Hastynges) to the messen∣ger,

leaneth my lord thy master so muche to suche trifles and hath suche faith in dreames, whiche ei∣ther his awne feare fātesieth, or doo rise in y^t nigh∣tes rest by reason of the dayes thought. Tell hym it is plaine witchcraft to beleue in suche dreames, whiche if thei were tokens of thynges to come, why thynketh he not y^t we might as likely make theim true by our goyng if we were caught and brought backe (as frendes fayle flyers) for then had the bore a cause lykely to race vs with his tus¦kes, as folkes that fled for some falshed, wherfore either is their perell, nor none there is deede, or if any bee, it is rather in goyng then abydyng. And if we should nedes fall in perell one waye or other yet had I leuer that menne should se it were by other mennes falshed, then thynke it were either our awne faute or faynte and feble heart, and ther¦fore goo to thy master and commende me to hym and I praye hym to bee mery and haue no feare, for I assure hym, I am assured of y^t māne he wot∣teth of as I am of myne owne hande. God sende grace ({quod} the messenger,) and so departed. Certen it is also that in rydyng toward the towre thesame mornyng in whiche he was behedded, his horsse that he accustomed to ryde on stombled with hym twise or thrise almost to the fallyng, whiche thyng although it happeneth to theim daylye to whom no myschaunce is towarde, yet hath it been as an olde eiuill token obserued as a gooyng toward myschief. Nowe this y^t foloweth was no warnyng but an enuyous scorne, thesame mornyng ere he were vp from his bed where Shores wife laye w^t hym all night, there came to hym sir Thomas Ha¦warde

soonne to the lorde Hawarde (the whiche sturryng that mornyng very earlye) as it were of courtesie to accompaignie hym to the counsaill, but forasmuche as the lorde Hastynges was not readye, he taried awhile for hym and hasted hym awaye.

This sir Thomas, while the lorde Hast∣ynges stayed awhile commonyng with a preest whom he met in the towre strete, brake the lordes tale, saiyng to hym merely, what my lord I praye you come on, wherfore talke you so long with that preest, you haue no nede of a preest yet, and laugh∣ed vpon hym, as though he would saie, you shall haue nede of one sone. But lytle wist the other what he meant (but or night these woordes were well remembred by theim that heard theim) so the true lorde Hastynges litle mistrusted, and was ne∣uer merier, ner thought his life in more suretye in all his dayes, whiche thyng is often a sygne of chaunge, but I shall rather lette any thyng passe me then the vayne suretye of mannes mynde so nere his deathe: for vpon the towre wharffe, so nere the place where his hedde was of so sone af∣ter, as a manne might well cast a balle, a pursy∣uan̄t of his awne called Hastynges mette w^t hym, & of their metyng in y^e place he was put in remem∣braūce of another tyme, in whiche it had happened theim to mete before together in y^e same place, at whiche tyme y^e lord Hastynges had beē accused to kyng Edward by y^t lord Ryuers the quenes bro∣ther, in somuche y^t he was for awhile which lasted not long highly in y^t kynges indignacion & stode in great feare of hymself, & forasmuch as he nowe

met thesame pursyuaunt in thesame place the ieo∣pardy so well passed, it gaue hym greate pleasure to talke with hym therof, w^t whō he had talked in thesame place of that matter, and therfore he saied Ah Hastynges, arte thou remembred when I met the here once with an heuy herte? Ye my lord ({quod} he) that I remembre well, and thanked bee God thei gatte no good ner you no harme therby, thou wol¦dest saie so ({quod} he) if thou knewest so muche as I dooe whiche fewe knowe yet, and mo shall shortly, that meant he that the erle Ryuers and y^t lord Ri∣chard and sir Thomas Vaughm̄ should y^t daye bee behedded at Pomfrette, as thei were in deede, whiche acte he wyst well should bee dooen, but no∣thyng ware that y^t axe honge so nere his owne hed. In feith manne ({quod} he) I was neuer so sorye ner neuer stoode in so greate daungier of my life as I did when thou and I mette here, and loe the worlde is turned nowe, nowe stande myne enemi∣es in the daungier as thou mayst happe to heare more hereafter, and I neuer in my life meryer nor neuer in so greate suertie, I praye God it proue so ({quod} Hastynges proue {quod} he? dowtest thou that,) naye naye I warraunt the, and so in maner dys∣pleased he entered into the towre, where he was not long on lyue as you haue hearde. O lord God the blyndenesse of our mortall nature, when he mooste feared, he was in moost suretie, and when he reconed hym self moost surest, he loste his life & y^t within .ii. houres after. Thus ended this hono∣rable manne a good knight and a gentle, of great autorite w^t his prīce, of liuyng somewhat dissolute plain and open to his enemie, and sure and secrete

to his frende, easye to beguyle, as he that of good herte and courage foresawe no perelles, a louyng manne and passyng welbeloued, verye faythfull & trustie ynough, but trustyng to much was his de∣struccion as you maye perceaue.

Nowe flewe the fame of this lordes death tho∣rough the cytie and farther about like a wynde in euery mannes eare, but the protectoure immedia∣tly after dynner (entendynge to set some coloure vpon the matter) sent in all the hast for many sub∣stanciall menne out of the cytie into the towre, and at their commynge, hym selfe wyth the duke of Buckyngham stoode harnessed in olde euell fa∣uoured bryganders▪ suche as no manne woulde wene that they would haue vouchesalued to haue putte on their backes, excepte some sodeyne neces∣sitee had constreigned theim. Then the lorde pro∣tectoure shewed theim, that the lorde Hastynges and other of his conspyracye hadde contryued to haue sodenly destroyed hym and the duke of Buc∣kyngham there thesame daye in councell, & what they entended farther, was as yet not wel knowen of whiche their treason he had neuer knowledge before ten of the clocke thesame fornoone, whiche sodeyne feare draue theim to put on suche harnesse as came nexte to theyr hādes for their defence, & so God holpe theim, that the mischiefe turned vpon theim that would haue done it, and thus he requi∣red theim to reporte. Euerye manne aunswered fayre, as thoughe no manne mystrusted the mat∣ter, whiche of truthe no manne beleued. Yet for the farther appeasyng of the peoples myndes, he sent immedyatlye after dynner an Heralde of armes

with a proclamacion through the citee of London whiche was proclamed in the kynges name, that the lord Hastynges with dyuerse other of his trey∣terous purpose had before cōspired, thesame daye to haue slain the protectoure and the duke of Buc¦kyngham sittyng in counsaill, & after to haue takē vpon theim the rule of the kyng and the realme at their pleasure, and therby to pill and spoyle whom thei list vncomtrolled, and muche matter was de∣uised in thesame proclamacion to the sclaunder of the lord Hastynges, as that he was an eiuill coun∣saillour to the kynges father, entisyng hym to ma∣ny thynges highly redoundyng to the minisshyng of his honoure and to the vniuersall hurt of his realme, by his eiuill compaignie and synister pro∣curyng and vngracious exsample, aswell in many other thynges as in vycious lyuyng and inordy∣nate abusyon of his bodye, bothe with many other and in especiall with Shores wife whiche was one of his secrete counsaill of this heynous trea∣son, with whom he laye nyghtlye, and namely the nyght passed next before his deathe, so that it was the lesse maruell yf vngracyous lyuyng brought hym to an vnhappie ende, whiche he was nowe putte to by the commaundement of the kyng his highnes and of his honourable and faithfull coū∣saill, bothe for his demerytes beyng so openly ta∣ken in his false contriued treason, and also least the delaiyng of his execucion myght haue encora∣ged other myscheuous persones parteners of his conspiracye, to gather and assemble theim selues together in makyng so greate commocyon for his delyucraunce, whose hope nowe beeyng by hys

well deserued deathe pollytickelye repressed, all the realme shall by Goddes grace reste in good quyet and peace. Nowe was this proclamacion made within twoo houres after he was behed∣ded, and it was so curyously endited and so fayre wrytten in parchement in a fayre sette hande, and therwith of it selfe so long aprocesse, that euery chylde myght perceaue that it was prepared and studyed before (and as some menne thought, by Catesby) for all the tyme betwene hys deathe and the proclamacyon proclaymynge, could skante haue suffysed vnto the bare wrytynge alone, albe∣it that it had been in paper and scrybeled foorthe in haste at aduenture. So that vpon the proclay∣mynge therof, one that was schoolemaster at Pau¦les standyng by and comparyng the shortenesse of the tyme wyth the lengthe of the matter sayed to theim that stoode aboute hym, here is gaye goodlye cast, fowle caste awaye for hast. And a∣marchaunte that stoode by hym sayed that it was wrytten by inspyracyon and prophesye. Nowe then by and by as yt were for anger and not for coueteous, the protectoure sent sir Thomas Ha∣warde to the hous of Shores wyfe (for her hus∣bande dwelt not wyth her) whyche spoyled her of all y^t euer she had, aboue the valure of twoo or thre thousande markes, and sente her bodye to pryson. And the protectoure had laide to her for the maner sake y^t she entended to witche hym, and y^t she was a coūsaill w^t the lord Hastynges to destroye hym In conclucion, whē no coloure could fasten vpō these matters, the he leyed heinously to her charge that

thyng that she coulde not denye, for all the worlde knewe that it was true, and that not wythstan∣dyng euery manne laughed to here it then so so∣deynly, so highly taken, that she was noughte of her body. And for this cause as a Godly continent prince clene and faultlesse of hym selfe, sent oute of heauen into this vicious worlde, for the amende∣ment of mennes maners, he caused the byshop of London to put her to open penaunce, goynge be∣fore a crosse on sondaye at procession with a taper in her hande. In the which she went in coūtenaūce and pace so womanly, and albeit she was out of al her araye sauyng her kyrtell onelye, yet wente she so fayre and louely, and namelye when the won∣dryng of the people cast a comelye rud in her che∣kes of the whiche she before had moste mysse, that her greate shame wanne her muche prayse amon∣gest theim that were more amorous of her bodye then curyous of her soule, & many good folke that hated her lyuyng and wer glad to see synne correc∣ted, yet petied they more her penaūce then reioysed it, whē they consydred y^t the protectour dyd it more of a corrupt mynde then any verteous affeccion.

This woman was borne in London, well fren∣ded, * 1.4 honestly brought vp, and verye well maryed, sauyng somwhat to sone, her husband an honest & a young citezen, godlye & of good substaunce, but forasmuche as they were coupled or she were well rype, she not very feruētly loued for whō she neuer longed, whiche was the thyng (by chaunce) that y^t more easely made her to encline to y^t kynges appe∣tite, when he requyred her. Howbeit the respect of his royaltee, y^t hope of gaye apparel, ease, pleasure

and other wantonne wealthe was hable soone to perce a softe tender harte, but when the kyng had abused her, anone her husbande being an honest manne and one that coulde his good, not presu∣ming to touche a kynges concubyne lefte her vp to hym all together. When the kyng dyed, y^t lorde Hastynges tooke her, which in the kynges dayes albeit that he was sore enamoured with her, yet he forbare, either for a pryncelye reuerence or for a certen frendely faythfulnesse. Propre she was & fayre, nothing in her bodye that you coulde haue chaunged, but if you would haue wished her som¦what hygher. This saye they that knewe her in her youthe, some saied and iudged y^t she had bene well fauoured, and some iudged the contrarye, whose iudgement semeth lyke as menne gesse the bewtye of one longe before departed, by a scalpe taken oute of a chanell house, & this iudgemente was in the tyme of kyng Henry the eyghte, in the xviii. yere of whose reygne she dyed, when she had nothing but a reueled skynne and bone. Her beau¦tye pleased not menne so muche as her pleasaunt behaueoure, for she had a propre wytte and could bothe reade and wryte, mery in compaignye, redy and quicke of aunswer, nether mute nor full of ba¦ble, sometime taunting withoute displeasure, but not without disporte. Kyng Edward woulde saye that he had thre concubines, which in diuerse pro∣perties diuerslye excelled, one, the meriest, y^t other the wiliest, the third the holyest harlot in y^• realme as one, whom no man could get oute of y^• churche to any place lightlye, but yf it were to his bed, the other two were somwhat greater personages thē

mastres Shore, & neuerthelesse of their humilyte were content to bee namelesse and to forbeare the praise of these properties. But the meryest was Shores wyfe in whome the kyng therfore tooke greate pleasure, for many he had, but her he loued whose fauoure to saye the truthe (for it were synne to lye on the deuel) she neuer abused to any man∣nes hurte but to many mennes comforte & releefe For where the kyng tooke displeasure she would mitigate & apeace his mynde, where menne were oute of fauoure, she woulde bring theim into his grace, for many that had highly offended, she op∣teygned pardone, and of greate forfeatures she gat remissyon, and finally, in many weightye su∣tes she stoode many mēne in greate steade, either for none or for very small rewardes & those rather gaye then ryche, either for that she was contente with the dede well done, or for that she delyghted to be sued vnto, and to shewe what she was hable to doo with the kyng, or for that that wanton we∣menne and welthye bee not alwayes couetous. I doubte not but some manne wyll thynke this wo∣manne to bee to slyghte to bee writen of, amonge graue & weightie matters, whiche they shall spe∣cially thynke y^t happely sawe her in her age & ad∣uersite, but me semeth y^t chaūce so much more wor¦thy to be remēbred, in howe muche after welth she f••ll to pouerte, & frō richesse to beggerie, vnfrēded oute of aquayntaunce, after great substaūce after so great fauoure w^t her prince, after so great suite and seking to, as many other menne were in their times, whiche be nowe famous onlye by the infa∣mye of theyr euell dedes, her doinges were not

muche lesse remembred because they were not so euell, for none vse to wryte an euell turne in mar∣ble stone, but a good turne they write in the duste, whiche is not worste proued by her, for after her welthe she wente begginge of manye that hadde begged theim selfes yf she had not holpen theim, suche was her chaunce.

Nowe was it deuysed by the protectoure and his counsayle, that the same daye that the lorde chaumberlayne was behedded in the towre of Lō¦don and aboute the same houre should be behed∣ded at Poumfret the earle Riuers & the lorde Ri∣chard the quenes soonne, sir Thomas Vaugham and syr Richard Haute, which as you haue harde were taken at Northampton and Stonye Strat¦forde by the consent of the lorde Hastinges, which execucion was done by the ordre & in the presence of sir Richard Ratcliff knight, whose seruice y^• pro¦tectoure specially vsed in the councell & in the exe∣cucion of suche lawlesse enterprises, as a manne y^t had bene longe secrete wyth hym, hauynge expe∣ryence of the worlde and shrewed wytte, shorte & rude in speche, rough and boysterours of behaue oure, bold in myshiefe, as farre from pitie as from feare of God.

Thys knyghte broughte these foure per∣soonnes to the scaffolde at the daye appoynted, and shewed to all the people that they were tray∣toures, notsufferynge the lordes to speake, and to declare theyr innocencye, leaste their wordes myghte haue inclyned menne to pytie theym and to hate the protectour and hys part, and so wyth oute iudgemente and processe of the lawe caused

theim to bee behedded withoute other erthly gylt but onely that they were good menne & true to the kyng and to nye to the quene, insomuche as Syr Thomas Vaughan going to his deathe saied, A wo woorth theim that tooke the prophecie that. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 should destroy kyng Edwardes children, mea〈…〉〈…〉 that by the duke of Clarence lorde George which for that suspicion is nowe dead, but nowe remay∣neth Richard. G. duke of Gloucetre, whiche nowe I see is he that shall & wyll accomplishe the pro∣phecye and destroye kyng Edwardes chyldren & all theyr alyes and frendes, as it appereth by vs this daye, whom I appele to the hygh tribunal of God for his wrongful murder and oure true inno¦cencye, and then Ratclyffe saied, you haue well a∣peled, laye downe your hed, ye {quod} Syr Thomas, I dye in ryght, beware you dye not in wrong, and so that good knight was beheded and y^t other .iii. and buried naked in the monastery at Pomfret.

When the lorde Hastinges and these other lor¦des and knyghtes were thus behedded & ryd oute of the waye, then the Protectoure caused it to bee proclaimed that the coronacyon for dyuerse great and vrgent causes shoulde be deferred tyll the se∣cond day of Nouembre, for then thought he, that whyle men mused what the matter ment, & whyle the lordes of the realme were aboute hym, oute of their owne strengthes, and while no manne wyste what to thynke nor whome to truste, or euer they should haue tyme and space to digest the matter, and make partes, it were best hastely to pursue his purpose and put hym selfe in possessyon of the croune, or menne coulde haue tyme to deuise any

wyse to resyst. But nowe was all the studye, thys matter beynge of it selfe so heynous myghte bee fyrst broken to the people in such wise as it might be well taken. To thys counsayle they tooke dy∣uerse suche as they thoughte metely to be trusted and lykelye to be enduced to that parte and hable to stande them in stede, ether by powre or by polly¦cy. Amonge who••e, they made a counsayle Ed∣mounde Shaa then mayre of Londō, whych vpō truste of his owne auauncement, wher he was of a proude heart, hyghly desyreous, toke on hym to frame the cyte to theyr appetite. Of spirituall mē they tooke suche as had wyt and were in auctory¦tee emongest the people for opynion of theyr lear¦nynge and hadde no scrupulous conscyence. E∣mongest these, had they tooke Raffe Shaa clerke brother to the Mayre, and Freer Pynkie prouyn¦cyall of the Augustyne Freers, both doctoures in diuinitee, both great preachers, both of more lear¦ning then vertue, of more fame then learnyng, & yet of more lernyng then truthe. For they wer be∣fore greatelye estemed emonge the people, but af∣ter that, neuer none of these two were regarded Shaa made a sermonde in prayse of the protec∣tour before the coronacion, and Pynky made one after the coronation, bothe so full of tedious flat∣terye, that no good mans eares coulde abyde thē Pynkye in hys sermonde so lost hys voyce that he was fayne to leaue of and come downe in the myddest. Doctoure Shaa by hys sermonde loste hys honestye, and soone after hys lyfe, for verye shame of the worlde, into the whyche he durst ne∣uer after much come abrode, but the Freer forced

for no shame, and so yt harmed him the lesse. How beit, some doubte and many thyncke that Pinkey was not of counsayl before the coronation but af∣ter the common maner fell to flattery after, name¦ly, because his sermounde was not incontinente vpon it, but at Saynt Mary Spittle the Eastre after. But certayne it is that Doctoure Shaa was of counsayle in the begynnynge, in so muche that they determyned that he shoulde fyrst breke the matter in a sermōd at Paules crosse, in which he shulde by the authorytee of hys preachyng in∣duce the people to enclyne to the protectoures ghoostly purpose. But nowe was all the laboure and studye in the deuyse of some conuenyent pre∣texte, for whyche the people shoulde be contente to depose the prynce and accepte the protectoure for kyng. In whyche dyuerse thynges they deuy∣sed, but the chiefe thynge and the weyghte of all that inuention rested in thys, that they shoulde alledge bastardy in kynge Edwarde hym selfe, or in his chyldren, or both, so that he should seme dis¦abled to enherite the crowne by the duke of yorke and the prynce by hym. To laye basterdy in king Edward sounded openly to the rebuke of the pro¦tectoures owne mother, which was mother to the bothe. For in that poynte coulde bee none other colour, but to pretend that hys owne mother was an auoutresse, but neuerthelesse he woulde that poynt should be lesse and more fynely and closely handled, not euen fully playne and dyrectlye, but touched a slope craftely, as though menne spared in that poynte to speake all the truthe for feare of his displeasure. But that other poynt concerning

the basterdy that they deuysed to surmise in king Edwardes children, that woulde he shoulde be o∣penly declared and enforced to the vttermost. The coloure and pretexte wherof cannot be wel percea¦ued excepte we report some thynges longe before done aboute kynge Edwardes maryages.

After king Edwarde the .iiii. had deposed king Henry the .vi. & was in peasyable possession of the realme, determyning him selfe to mary (as was re¦quisite) both for him self and for the realme, he set the earle of Warwike and diuerse other noble mē in ambassade to the Frenche kynge to entreate a maryage betwene y^t kyng and Bona syster to the Frenche kyng. In whych the Earle of Warwike founde the parties so towarde and wyllinge that he spedely wythout anye dyfficultie according to hys instruccyons broughte the matter to a good conclusion. Nowe happened yt in the meane sea∣son, there came to make a sute to the kynge by pe∣tycyon dame Elyzabeth Greye (whyche after was hys quene) then a wyddowe, borne of noble blood specyallye by her mother, whyche was Duchesse of Bedforde, and she was maryed to syr Rychard Wooduyle, Lorde Ryuers her father.

Howebeit, thys Elyzabeth beynge in seruyce wyth quene Margarete wyfe to kynge Henrye the syxt, was maryed to one Ihon Greye Esquyre whome kynge Henrye made knyghte at the last hattayle of Saynte Albons, but lytle whyle he enioyed hys knyghtehoode for at that feelde he was slayne.

Afterwarde that kynge Edwarde was kynge & the Earle of Warwyke being on his ambassad

this poore ladye made sute to the kyng to be resto¦red to such small landes as her husbande had ge∣uen her in ioyntour, whom when the kyng beheld and heard her speake, as she was bothe fayre and of a good fauoure, moderate of nature, well made and very wyse, he not alonlye pytied her, but also wexed enamored on her, and takynge her secretly a syde beganne to enter into talkynge more famy¦lyerly, whose apetite when she perceaued, she ver¦tuoslye denyed him, but that dyd she so wyselye & that with so good maner & wordes so wel set, that she rather kyndled hys desyre then quenched it. And fynally, after manye a metynge and muche wowynge and manye great promyses she well es∣pyed the kynges affeccyon towarde her so greate¦lye encreased that she durstesomewhat the more boldly say her mynde, as to hym whose hearte she perceaued more feruently set then to fall of for a word. And in cōclusiō she shewed hym playn y^t as she wyst her self to sīple to be his wife, so thought she her selfe to good to be hys concubyne. The kyng much maruelyng of her constancy, as he y^t had not bene wont elles where so styfly sayd nay, so much estemed her continencye & chastitee, that he set her vertue in stead of possessiō and rychesse. And this taking councel of his owne desyre deter¦myned in hast to mary her. And after that he was thus apoīted & had betwene thē twayn ēsured her thē asked he the coūcel of his secret frēdes, & that in such maner y^t they myght easly perseaue y^t it bo¦ted not to say nay, Notwythstandīg, the duches of york his mother was so sore moued ther w^t y^t she di¦swaded y^t mariage as much as she possible might

Alledgyng that it was his honour, profite & sure∣tie to marye in some noble progenie oute of the re∣alme, wherupon depended greate strength to his estate by that affinitee and greate possibilite of en∣creace of his dominions. And y^t he could not well otherwise dooe, consideryng the erle of Warwike had so ferfoorth entered into the matter all readie, whiche was not like to take it well if all his voy∣age were in suche wise frustrate & his apointment deluded. And she saied ferther that it was not prin¦cely to marye his owne subiect, no greater occaciō ledyng therunto, no possessions nor other commo∣dyte dependyng therupon, but only as a riche mā would mary his maydē onely for a litle wāton do∣tage vpon her persone. In whiche maryage many menne commende more the maydens fortune then the mannes wysedome, and yet she saied that there was more honestye then honoure in this maryage forasmuche as there is not betwene a marchaunt and his mayde so greate a dyfference as betwene a kyng and his subiect, a great prince and a poore wydowe. In whose persone, although there were nothyng to bee mislyked, yet was there saied she, nothyng so excellent but that it might bee founde in dyuerse other that were more metely ({quod} she) for your estate, yee and maydens also, the onely wy∣dowhead of dame Elizabeth Grey (although she were in all other pointes and thynges conuenient for you) should suffise as me thynketh to refrayne you frō her maryage, sith it is an vnsittyng thyng and a greate blemishe to the sacred maiestie of a prince that ought as nere to approche prestehoode in clennesse, as he dooth in dignitee, to bee defiled

w^t bigamy ī his first mariage. The kyng made his mother an aūswere parte in earnest & parte in plaie¦merely, as he y^t wist hym self oute of rule, & albeit he would gladly y^t she should take it well, yet was he at apoynct in his awne mynde, tooke she it well or otherwise. Howbeit, somewhat to satisfie her he saied, y^t albeit maryage beyng a spirituall thyng ought rather to bee made for the respecte of God where his grace enclineth the parties to loue toge¦ther (as he trusted it was in his case) rather then for y^t regard of any tēporall aduaūtage, yet neuer thelesse hym semed this maryage well consydered not to bee vnprofitable, for he reconed the amytee of no earthely nacion to bee so necessary for hym as y^t frendship of his owne, whiche he thought ly∣kely to beare hym somuche y^t more hartie fauoure in y^t he disdayned not to mary w^t one of his awne land, & yet if outward aliaunce were thought so re¦quisite, he would finde y^e meanes to enter therunto muche better by other of his kinne where all y^t par¦ties could bee contented, then to marye hym selfe wherein he should neuer happely loue, & for y^e pos∣sibilite of possessiōs lese y^t fruyte & pleasure of this that he had alreadie. For small pleasure taketh a māne of all y^t euer he hath besyde, if he bee wiued against his appetite, and I doubte not ({quod} he,) but ther be as you saie other y^t bee in euery poinct com∣parable with her, & therfore I let not theim y^t like theim to mary theim, no more is it reason y^t it mis∣like any manne that I marye where it liketh me. And I am sure that my cousyn of Warwike, nei∣ther loueth me so litle, to grudge at y^t that I loue, ner is so vnreasonable to look y^t I should in choise

of a wife rather bee ruled by his yie then by myne owne, as though I were a warde y^t were boūdē to mary by a garden. I would not bee a kyng with y^t cōdicion to forbeare myne owne libertie in choyse of myne awne maryage, as for possibylyte of more inheritaunce by newe affinite in straūge landes, is ofte y^t occasiō of more trouble thē proffite. And we haue already title by y^t meanes, as lustiseth to get & kepe well in one mannes daye. That she is a wi∣dowe & hath already children. By goddes blessed ladye, I am a bacheler & haue some too, & so eche of vs hath a proofe y^t nether of vs is like to be bar¦ren. And therfore madame I praie you bee cōtēt, I trust to God she shall bryng foorth a yoūge prince y^t shall please you. And as for the bigamy, let the bisshop hardely laie it to my charge whē I come to take ordres, for I vnderstād it is forbiddē a preest but I neuer wist y^t it was forbidden a prince. The duches w^t these woordes nothing apeased & seyng y^t kyng so set on y^t she could not plucke hym backe, so highly she disdeined it, that vnder pretext of her dutye to Godwarde she deuised to dysturbe this maryage, and rather to helpe that he should mary one dame Elizabeth Lucye, whom the kyng not long before had gotten with chylde, wherfore the kyng his mother obiected openlye against this maryage (as it were in dyscharge of her conscy∣ence) that the kyng was sure to dame Elizabeth Lucye and her housbande before God, by rea∣son of whiche woordes suche obstacle was made in that matter, that either the bysshoppe durste not or the kyng woulde not proceade to the so∣lempnisacion of the mariage, till this fame were

clerly purged, and the truth well and openly testi∣fied) wherupon dame Elizabeth Lucye was sent for, and albeit she was by the kynges mother and many other put in good comforte to affirme that she was assured to the kyng, yet when she was so∣lemply sworne to saie the truthe, she confessed that thei were neuer ensured. Howbeit she said his grace spake suche louyng woordes to her, that she verely hoped that he would haue maryed her, and y^t if suche kynde woordes had not been, she would neuer haue shewed suche kyndenesse to hym, to let hym so kyndely to gette her with childe. This exa∣mynacion solemply taken, it was clerely proued that there was no impedyment to lette the kyng to marye, wherfore he shortlye after at Grafton beside Stonye stratforde maryed the ladye Eli∣zabeth Grey verey priuelye, whiche was his ene∣myes wife and had prayed hartely for his losse, in the whiche God loued her better then to graunte her bone, for then had she not been his wife. And alter that she was crouned quene, and her fa∣ther was created Erle Riuers and her soonne cre∣ated Marques Dorset. But when the Erle of 〈…〉〈…〉arwike vnderstoode of this maryage, he tooke it so highly, that therof ensued muche trouble and 〈…〉〈…〉ate blooddshed as is declared before in the sto∣rye of Edward the fourth.

I haue rehersed this mariage somewhat the 〈…〉〈…〉 at length, because it might therby the better 〈…〉〈…〉 vpon howe fleight aground the protectoure 〈…〉〈…〉 coloure, by whiche he pretended kyng 〈…〉〈…〉ldren to bee bastardes, but the in∣〈…〉〈…〉le as it was lyked theim to

whom it suffyseth to haue somwhat to saye, whyle they were sure to bee compelled to no larger proffe then theim selues lyst to make.

Nowe to retourne where I lefte, as I beganne to shewe you, it was by the protectoure & his coun¦cell concluded that this doctour Shaa shoulde in a sermond at Paules crosse signifie to the people that neyther kyng Edward hym selfe ner the duke of Clarence were lawfullye begotten, nor were the very children of the duke of Yorke, but begotten vnlawfullye by other personnes by aduoutrye of the duches theyr mother. And dame Elizabeth Lucye was the very wyfe of kyng Edwarde, & so prynce Edward & all the chyldren begotten on the quene were bastardes. And accordyng to this de∣uyce, doctor Shaa y^e sōday after at Paules crosse in a greate audience (as alwaye a greate nombre assembled to his preachyng) came into the pulpet takyng for his Theme. Spuria Vitulamina non dabunt radices altos. Sapiencie quarto. that is to saye: Bastarde slyppes shall neuer take depe rootes, whereupon when he had shewed the great grace that God ge∣ueth and secretlye infoundeth in right generacion after the lawes of matrymony: Then declared he that those chyldren commenlye lacked that grace (and for the punyshement of their parentes) were for the moste parte vnhappye whiche were gotten in baste, and speciallye in aduoutrye, of whiche (thoughe some by the ignorauncye of the worlde and the truthe hid from knowledge) haue enhery∣ted for a season other mennes landes, yet God alwaye so prouydeth that it contynueth not in their bloodde longe, but the truthe commyng to

lyght the rightfull enheritoures be restored, and the bastard slyppes plucked vp or it can bee roo∣ted depe. And when he had layd for the proofe and confirmacion of this sentence, examples taken out of the olde testamente and other auncient history∣es, then beganne he to discende to the prayse of lorde Richarde duke of Yorke, callyng hym father of the protectoure: and declared his tytle to the croune by inherytaunce, and also by an entayle autorysed by parliament after the death of kyng Henry the syxte. Then shewed he that the lorde protectoure was onlye the right heire of his body lawfullye begotten, then declared he that kynge Edward was neuer lawfully maryed to the quene but his wife before God was dame Elizabeth Lu¦cye, and so his chyldren were bastardes. And be∣sydes that, that neyther kyng Edwarde hym selfe nor the duke of Clarence (amongest theim y^t wer se¦crete in the duke of Yorkes houshold) were neuer reconed surelye to bee the chyldren of the noble duke, as those that by their fauoures more resem∣bled other knowen menne then hym, from whose verteous condicions he sayde also that kyng Ed∣warde was farre of. But the lorde pretectoure ({quod} he) that veray noble prince, the specyall patrone of knightly prowes, aswell in all princely behaueour as in the lyniamentes and fauoure of his vysage representeth the veraye face of the noble duke his father. This is ({quod} he) the fathers owne fy∣gure, this is his owne countenaunce, y^t very print of his vysage, the sure vndoubted ymage, y^t playn expresse likenesse of y^t nobble duke. Now was it be∣fore deuysed y^t in the speakyng of these wordes, the

protectour shuld haue come in amongest y^e people to the sermond ward, to thende y^t these woordes so metyng with his presence, might haue bene taken amongest the herers, as though the holye ghoste had put theim in the preachers mouthe, & shoulde haue moued the people euen there to haue cryed kyng Richard, that it might haue bene after sayde that he was specially chosen by God, and in ma∣ner by myracle, but this deuyce quayled eyther by the protectoures neglygence or the preachers ouer hasty dilygence. For whyle the protectoure founde by the waye tariynge leaste he shoulde haue pre∣uented these woordes, the doctoure fearynge that he shoulde come or his sermon coulde come to those wordes hastyng his matter thereto, he was come to theim & paste theim, and entred into other matters or the protectoure came, whome when he behelde cōmyng, he sodenly left the matter whiche he had in hande, and without any deduccion ther∣unto, out of al ordre and out of all frame beganne to repete those woordes agayne. This is the ve∣ry noble prince, the especyall patrone of knyghtlye prowes, whyche aswell in all pryncely behaueoure as in the lyniamentes and fauoure of his vysage representeth the veraye face of the noble duke of Yorke his father. This is the fathers owne fy∣gure, this is his owne countenaunce, the veraye prynte of his visage, the sure vndoubted ymage, the playne expresse lykenesse of that noble duke, whose remembraunce can neuer dye whyle he ly∣ueth. Whyle these wordes were in speakynge the protectour accompanyed with the duke of Buc∣kyngham, wente throughe the people vp into the

place where the doctors stande and there hearde they out the sermond: but the people were so farre from cryenge kynge Richard that they stoode as they had bene turned into stones for wonder of this shamefull sermond, after whiche once ended the preacher gate him home and neuer after durst looke out, and when he asked any of his olde fren¦des, what the people talked of hym, although that his owne conscience well shewed hym that they talked no good, yet whē the other aunswered hym, that there was in euerye mannes mouthe of hym muche shame spoken, it so strake hym to his heart that in fewe dayes after he wythered awaye.

Then on the tuysdaye after nexte folowynge this sermonde, beeynge the. ••vii. daye of Iune there came to the Guylde hal of London the duke of Buckyngham and dyuerse lordes and knigh∣tes mo then happely knewe the message that they brought. And at the east ende of the hall where the hoystynges be kepte, y^t duke and the mayre and y^e other lordes sate downe, and the aldermen also, all the commons of the cytee beyng assembled & stan∣dynge before theim. After sylence commaunded vpon a greate payne, in the protectoures name. The duke stoode vp, and as he was well learned and of nature meruel cously well spoken, he sayde * 1.5 to the people wyth a cleare and a lowede voyce. Frendes, for the zeale and hertie fauoure that we beare you, we be come to breke of a matter ryghte great & weightie, and no lesse weyghtye then plea∣syng to God and profitable to all the realme, nor to no part of y^e realme more proffitable thē to you the cytezens of thys noble cytee. For why, the

thinge that you haue longe lacked and as we wel¦knowe sore longed for, that you woulde haue ge∣uen greate good for, that you woulde haue gone farre to fetche, that thyng bee we come hether to bring you, withoute youre laboure, payne, coste, aduentnre or ieopardy. What thing is that? Cer∣tes the suretie of youre owne bodies, the quiet of youre wiues and doughters and the sauegard of your goodes. Of all whiche thinges in times pas¦sed you stoode in doubte, for who was he of you al that coulde recone hym selfe Lorde of his owne good amongest so many gynnes and trappes as were set therfore, amonge so muche pilling & pol∣ling, amongest so many taxes and talliages, of y^e which there was neuer ende, and oftimes no nede and yf any were, it grewe either of ryot or of vn∣reasonable waste then any necessarye honourable charge, so that there was daily plucked and pyl∣led from good and honest menne great substaūce of goodes, to be lashed oute amonge vnthryftes, so farforth that fiftenes suffised not nor any vsual termes of knowen taxes, but vnder an easy name of beneuolence and good will, the cōmissioners so muche of euery manne tooke, as no manne would with his goo wyll haue geuen. As though y^t name of beneuolence had signifyed, y^t euery man should paye, not what he of hym self of his good will lust to graūt, but what y^t Kyng of his good wyl lust to take, who neuer asked lytle, but euery thyng was haunsed aboue the measure, amercyamentes tur∣ned into fines, fines into raunsomes, small tres∣paces into misprision, misprision into treasō, wher of I thynke that no manne looketh that we shall

remēbre of examples by name, as though Burder were forgotten that was for a woorde spoken, in hast cruelly behedded by the misconstruing of the lawes of the realme for the princes pleasure, with no lesse honoure to Merkam chiefe Iustice then (whiche loste his office rather then he would assēt to that iudgement) to the dishonestie of those that other for feare or flatterie gaue that iudgemente: what nede I to speake of Thomas Cooke Aldre∣manne & maire of this noble cytee, who is of you ether for negligence that wotteth not, or so forget full that he remēbreth not, or so heard harted that he petieth not that worshipful mannes losse? what speke I of losse, his wounderfull spoile and vnde∣serued distruccion, onely because it happed theim to fauoure hym whome the Prince fauoured not. We nede not reherse of these any mo by name, sith I doubte not y^t here bee many presēt that either in theim selfes or their nyghe frendes, aswell their goodes as persones were greatly endaungered o∣ther by fained quarels or smal matters aggreued with heinous names, and also there was no crime so great of which there could lacke a pretexte. For sith the king preuenting y^e time of his inheritaūce atteined the croune by battail, it suffised in a riche manne for a pretext of treason, to haue been of kin¦red or aliaunce, nor of familiarite or lenger of ac∣quaintaunce w^t any of those, y^t wer at any time the kīges enemies, which was at one time or another more then halfe y^e realme. Thus were nether your goodes, nether lādes, in suerte, & yet they brought your bodies in ieopardie, beside y^t comen aduēture of opē war, which albeit, y^t it is euer y^t well & occasi¦on

of much mischief, yet is it neuer so mischeuous as where any people fal in deuisiō, & at al distaūce among theim selues, & in no realme erthly so dead¦ly and so pestylēt as when it happeneth amongest vs. And among vs neuer continued so long discē¦cion nor so many batailes in any season, nor so cru¦el nor so deadly foughtē, as wer in y^t kinges daies y^t dead is, god forgeue it his soule. In whose time and by whose occasiō, what about y^t getting of the garland, keping it, lesing & winning again, it hath coste more English blood then hath the twise win∣ning of Fraūce. In which inward war amongest our selues hath bene so great effusion of y^• aunciēt noble blood of this realme, y^t scacely the halfe re∣maineth, to y^e great enfebling of this nobleland, be¦side many a good toune ransaked & spoiled by thē that haue been going to y^t feld or retourning from thence, & peace after not much surer then war. So that no tyme was there in the which riche men for theyr money, & great men for their landes or some other, for some feare or for sōe displeasure wer out of perell. For whom mistrusted he y^t mistrusted his owne brother? Whom spared he y^t killed his owne brother? Could not such maner of folke y^t he moste fauoured dooe somwhat (we shall for his honoure spare to speke) howbeit, this ye wote wel all, y^t who so was best bare euer the least rule, & more suite in his daies was to Shores wife, a vile & abhomina¦ble strompet then to all the lordes in England, ex∣cepte vnto those that made her their Protectoure, which simple woman was yet wel named & honest tyll the Kynge for his luste and synfull affeceyon berefte her from her husband, a right honest man

and substanciall amongest you. And in that point whiche in good fayth I am sorye to speake of, sa∣uing that it is vayne to kepe in councell y^t thyng that all menne knoweth, the kynges gredy appe∣tite was insaciable, and euerye where ouer all the realme intollerable. For no womanne was there any where, younge or olde, poore or ryche, whome he set his iye vpon, whome he any thing liked ey∣ther for persone or beautie, speche, pace or counte∣naunce, but without any feare of God, or respecte of his honoure, murmoure, or grudgyng of the worlde, he would importunately pursue his appe tite & haue her, to the great distruccion of many a good womanne, and greate doloure to theyr hus∣bandes and frendes, whiche being honest people of theim selues, so much regarded the clennesse of their houses, the chastitee of their wiues and chil∣dren, that theim were leuer to loose all y^t they haue beside, then to haue suche a vilame done to theim. And albeit that w^t this and other importable dea∣ling, y^e realme was in euery place anoyed, yet speci¦ally you the citezens of this noble citee, as for y^t a∣mongest you is moost plentie of suche thinges as minister matter to suche iniuries, as for y^t you wer nerest hand, sith y^t nere here about was his moost cōmon abidyng. And yet bee ye people whome he had as synguler a cause well and trewelye to in∣trete, as any parte of his realme, not only for that the Prynce by this noble citee, as of his speciall chaumbre and renoumed citee of this realme, muche honourable fame receaueth amongest all other nacyons, but also for that, you nowe with∣oute youre greate coste and sondrye fauoures

and ieopardyes in al his warres bare euer youre especyall fauoure to hys parte, whych your kynd myndes borne to y^t house of Yorke, sith he hath no thīgworthely requited you, ther is of y^t house now whyche by Goodes grace shall make you full re∣compence, which thyng to shew you, is the whole somme and effecte of oure errande. It shal not, I wote well nede, that I rehersed vnto you agayne that you all redy haue hearde of him that can bet ter tell it, and of whom I am sure ye wyll better beleue it (and reason it is that it so be) I am not so proude to loke therfore, that you shoulde receaue my wordes of so greate authorytee as the prea∣chers of the worde of God, namely a man so con∣nyng & so wyse, that no man wotteth better what he should do & say, and thereto so good and ver∣tuous that he would not say the thynge, which he wyst he shoulde not saye in the pulpyt, namely, in to the whiche no honeste manne commeth to lye: which honourable preacher ye wel remember, sub¦stancyally declared to you at Poules crosse on sō daye laste past, the ryght and tytle of the most ex∣cellent prynce Rychard Duke of Glouceter nowe protectoure of thys hys realme whych he hath vn to the croune of the kingdome of the same. For y^e worshipful man made yt perfytely and groundly open vnto you. The chyldren of kynge Edwarde the .iiii. wer neuer laufully begotten, for as much as the kynge (lyuyng hys very wyfe dame Eliza∣beth Lucy) was neuer laufully maried to y^e quene theyr mother, whose blood sauyng he set hys vo∣lupteous pleasure before hys honour, was ful vn metely to be matched with his (the mynglyng of

which two bloodes together hath bene the effusiō of a gret part of y^e noble blod of this realme wher by it may well be sene, that mariage was not well made, of which ther is so much myschiefe growen For lacke of which laweful copulatiō & also of o∣ther thinges which y^e sayd worshipful doctour, ra¦ther signified thē vtterly explaned, & which thing shall not be spoke for me, as the thing y^t euery mā forbeareth to say y^t he knoweth, in aduoiding y^e dy spleasour y^t my noble lorde protectour bearing as nature requireth a filiall reuerence to the duches his mother. For these causes before remembred I say y^t for lack of yssue lawfully cōming of y^e late noble prince Richard duke of york, to whose roial blod y^e crownes of Englād & of Fraūce ar by high aucthoritee of parliament entayled, y^e right & ty∣tle of the same is by iuste course of enheritaūce ac¦cording to y^e comon law of this land, deuoluted & come vnto the moost excellent prince y^e lord protec¦tour, as to the very lawful begotten soonne of the fore remēbred noble duke of yorke, whiche thing wel cōsidered & y^e knightly prowesse w^t many ver∣tues which in his noble person singulerly do ha∣bound: The nobles & comons of this realme, and specially of y^t north partes, not willīg any bastard blood to haue the rule of the lād, nor the abusions in the same before vsed & exercised any lēger to cō¦tinue, haue fully condiscended & vtterly determy¦ned to make hygh peticiō vnto y^• puisaunt prince the lord protectour, y^t it may lyke his grace at our humble request to take vpō him the guiding & go uernaūce of this realme, to y^e welth & increase of y^e same according to his very right & iust title, which

thing I wote wel he wylbe loth to take vpon him as he whose wisdome wel perceueth, y^e labour & stu¦dy both of mynd & body y^t shal come ther w^t to hī, whosoeuer shal occupy y^e rome. I dare say he wyl yf he take it (for I warrāte you y^t that roome is no childes office) & y^t the greate wise man wel percea∣ued whē he sayd Ve regno cuius rex puer est, wo to that realme whose king is a chylde wherefore, so much more cause haue we to thank god y^t this noble per¦sonage, which is so righteously ētitled therto is of so sad age, & therto of so great wisdome ioyned w^t so gret experiēce, which albeit, he wylbe loth to ta¦ke vpon hī, yet shal he to our peticiō in y^e behalfe y^e more graciously encline, if ye the worshipful cyte∣zins of this cite beyng the chefe cite of the realme ioyne w^t vs the nobles in our sayd request, which for your owne weale we doubte not but y^t ye wyll. And yet neuerthelesse, we pray you so to do, wher∣by ye shall do great profite to all this his realme. Beside that, in chosinge then so good a kinge, yt shalbe to your selfe a special commodite to whom his maiesty shal euer after, bear so much the more tender fauour, in how much he shal perceaue you the more prone and beneuolentlye mynded tow∣ard his eleccion, wherin dere frendes, what mynd you haue, we require you playnelye to shewe vs? Whē y^e duke had said & loked y^t the people whom he hoped y^t the maire had framed before, should af¦ter this flatering p̄posicion made haue cryed kīg Richard, king Richard, all was styl & mute & not one word answered to: wher w^t the duke was mer¦uelously abashed and takyng the Mayre nere to him with other that were about hym preuy to the

matter sayde vnto theim softelye. What meaneth this that the people be so styll? Sir {quod} the Mayre percase they perceaue you not wel, y^e shal we amēd {quod} he yf that wyl helpe, & therwith somewhat low∣der rehersed the same matter again, in other ordre & other wordes so well and ordinately, & neuerthe¦lesse so euydently & plain, with voyce gesture and countenaunce so comely & so conuenient, that eue¦ry man muche marueiled y^t heard hym, & thought that thei neuer hearde in their liues so euell a tale so well tolde. But wer it for wonder or for other, y^e eache loked that other should speake fyrst, not one worde was there aunswered of all the people that stode before, but all were as styll as the midnight not so much as rounyng emong theim, by which they might seme once to commen what was beste to do. When the Mayre sawe this, he with other parteners of y^e councel, drewe about the duke and said y^t the people had not bene accustomed ther to bee spoken to but by the recorder, whyche is the mouth of the citee, & happly to hym they wyl aun∣swer. With that the recorder called Thomas Fize William a sad man & an honest, whiche was but newly come to the offyce & neuer had spoken to y^e people before, & loth was with that matter to be∣gyn, notwithstanding, therunto commaunded by the Mayre, made rehersall to the cōmons of that which the Duke had twyse purposed hys self but the recorder so tempered hys tale, that he shewed euery thyng as the Dukes wordes were, and no parte of his owne, but all this no chaūge made in the people, whych alwaye after one stoode as thei had bene amased. Whereupon the Duke rouned

with the mayre and said, this is a marueleous ob∣stynate scylence, and therwith turned to the people again w^t these woordes. Deare frendes, we come to moue you to that thyng whiche paraduenture we so greatly neded not, but that the lordes of this realme and commōs of other parties might haue sufficed sauyng suche loue we beare you, and so muche set by you that we would not gladly dooe with oute you, that thyng in whiche to bee parte∣ners is your weale and honoure whiche as to vs semeth you se not or waye not. Wherfore we re∣quire you to geue vs an aūswer one or other, whe∣ther ye bee mynded as all the nobles of the realme bee, to haue this noble prince nowe protectoure to bee your kyng? And at these woordes the people beganne to whisper emong theim selfes secretlye, that the voyce was nether lowde nor base, but like a swarme of bees, till at the last at the nether ende of the halle a bushement of the dukes seruauntes and one Nashfeelde and other belongyng to the protectoure with some prentices and laddes that thrusted into the halle emongest the preace, began sodenly at mennes backes to crye, kyng Rychard, kyng Rychard, and there threwe vp their cappes in token of ioye, and thei that stoode before caste their heddes maruelyng therat, but nothyng thei saied. And when the duke and the mayre sawe this maner thei wisely turned it to their purpose, and saied it was a goodly crye & a ioifull to here euery manne with one voyce and no māne saiyng naye. Wherfore frendes ({quod} the duke,) sith we perceaue that it is all your whole myndes to haue this no∣ble manne for your kyng, wherof we shall make

his grace effectuall report y^t we doubte not but y^t it shall redounde to your great wealth & cōmodite. We therfore requier you y^t to morowe ye go with vs & we w^t you to his noble grace to make hum∣ble peticiō & request to hym in maner before remē∣bred. And therwith the lordes came downe and y^e cōpaignie dissolued & departed the more parte all sad, some with glad sembleaunce y^e were not verye merie, and some of theim y^t came with the duke, not hable to dissemble their sorowe, were faine euen at his backe to turne their face to the wall, while the doloure of their heartes brast oute of their y••es.

Then on the morowe the mayre & aldremen and chief commoners of y^e citee in their best maner ap∣pareled, assēblyng theim together at Paules, re∣sorted to Baynardes castel where y^e {pro}tectour laye, to whiche place also accordyng to y^e apointement repaired y^e duke of Buckynghm̄ & dyuerse nobles w^t hym, besydes many knightes & gētlemen. And therupon y^t duke sent woord to y^e lord protectoure of y^e beyng there of a great honourable cōpaignie to moue a great matter to his grace. Wherupon y^• protectoure made great difficultie to come downe to theim, excepte he knewe some part of their errād as though he doubted & partly mistrusted the com¦myng of suche a noumbre to hym so sodenly, w^tout any warning or knowledge, whether thei came for good or harme Thē when y^e duke had shewed this to y^e mayre & other, that thei might therby se howe litle the protectoure looked for this matter, thei sēt again by y^t messenger suche louyng message, & ther w^t so humblie besought hym to vouchesalue y^t thei might resorte to his presence to purpose their entēt

of which thei would to none other persone disclose, at the last he came oute of his chaūbre, and yet not downe to theim, but in a galary ouer theim w^t a bi¦shop on euery hād of him, where thei beneth might se hym & speake to hym, as though he would not yet come nere theim till he wist what thei meant. And therupō the duke of Buckynghm̄ first made hūble peticiō to him on y^e behalfe of theim all, y^t his grace would pardone theim & licence theim to pur¦pose vnto his grace thētent of their cōmyng w^tout his displeasure, w^tout whiche {per}done obteined, thei durst not bee so bold to moue hym of y^t matter. In whiche, albeit thei meant asmuche honoure to his grace as wealth to al y^e realme beside, yet were thei not sure howe his grace would take it, whom thei would in no wise offende. Then y^e protectour, as he was verie gentle of hym self & also lōged sore appa¦raūtly to knowe what thei meāt, gaue him leaue to purpose what hym liked trustyng for y^e good mind y^t he bare theim all none of theim any thing would entend to hymward wherw^t he thought to bee gre¦ued. Whē y^e duke had this leaue & pardō to speake thē wexed he bold to shewe hym their entent & pur∣pose, w^t all y^e causes mouyng theim therto as ye be¦fore haue hearde. And finally to beseche his grace y^e it would like him of his accustomed goodnes••e & ze∣ale vnto y^e realme nowe w^t his yie of pite to behold y^e long cōtinued distresse & decaie of y^esame, & to set his gracious hād to redresse & amēdemēt therof by takyng vpō hym y^e croune & gouernaunce of y^e re∣alme accordyng to his right & title laufully discē∣ded vnto hym, & to y^e laude of God, profite & surete of y^e lād & vnto his grace so much y^e more honour &

lesse pain, in that that neuer prince reigned vpon any people that were so glad to liue vnder his o∣beysaunce as the people of this realme vnder his.

When the protectoure had hearde the preposi∣cion, he looked very strangely thereat and made aunswer that albeit he knewe partely the thynges by theim alledged to be true, yet suche entiere loue he bare to kyng Edward and his children, and so muche more regarded his honoure in other real∣mes aboute, then the croune of any one, of whiche he was neuer desyrous, so that he could not fynde in his hearte in this poincte to incline to their de∣syre, for in all other nacions were y^e truthe not well knowē, it should paraduenture be thought that it were his owne ambicious mynde and deuice to de¦pose the prince and to take hym self y^e croune, with whiche infamye he would in no wise haue his ho∣noure steyned for any croune, in whiche he had ne∣uer perchaunce perceaued muche more laboure & pain then pleasure to hym that so would vse it, as he that would not and were not worthy to haue it. Notwithstandyg, he not only perdoned theim the mocion that thei made hym, but also thāked theim for y^e loue and hartie fauoure thei bare hym, prai∣yng theim for his sake to beare the same to y^e prince vnder whome he was and would bee contente to liue and with his laboure and coūsaill as ferre as it should like the kyng to vse it, he would dooe his vttermost deuoyre to sette y^e realme in good estate whiche was all readye in the tyme of his protec∣tourship (lauded bee God,) well begonne, in that y^e malice of suche as were before the occasion of the contrarie and of newe entended to bee, were nowe

partely by good policie, partely more by Goddes specyall prouydence, then mannes prouysion re∣pressed and put vnder.

Vpon this aunswer geuen, the duke of Buc∣kyngham by the protectoures licence a lytle roun∣ded, aswell with other noble menne about hym as with the mayre and recorder of Londō. And after that (vpon like perdon desyred & opteyned) he she∣wed alowde vnto the protectour, for a fynall con∣clusion that the realme was apoynted that kyng Edwardes lyne shoulde no lenger reygne vpon theim, bothe that they had so farre gone that it was nowe no suretie to retreate (as for that they thought it for the weale vnyuersall to take that waye, although they had not yet begon it.) Wher∣fore if it woulde like his grace to take the croune vpon hym, they would humbly beseche hym ther∣vnto, and if he woulde geue theim a resolute aun∣swer to the contrarye (whiche they would bee lothe to here) then muste they seke and should not fayle to fynde some other noble man that would. These woordes muche moued the protectoure, whiche as euery manne of small intelligēce maye wyt would neuer haue enclyned thereto, but when he sawe there was none other waye but that he muste take it, or els he and his bothe to go from it, he sayde to the lordes and commōs, sith it is we perceaue well that all the realme is so set (whereof we be very so∣ry) that they wyll not suffre in any wyse kyng Ed∣wardes lyne to gouerne theim, whome no manne earthly can gouerne agaynste their owne wylles: And we also perceaue that no manne is there, to whome the croune can by so iuste tytle apperteyne

as to our selfe, as very right heire lawfully begot∣ten of the body of our moste dread and dere father Rychard late duke of Yorke, to which title is now ioyned your eleccion, the nobles & commōs of the realme, whiche we of all tytles possible take moste effectuall, we be content and agree fauourably to enclyne to your peticion & request, and accordyng to the same, here we take vpon vs the royall estate of prehemynence and kyngdome of the two noble realmes, Englande and Fraunce, the one frō this daye forwarde by vs and oure heyres to rule, go∣uerne and defende, the other by Goddes grace and your good helpe to get agayne, subdewe and esta∣blyshe for euer in due obedience vnto this realme of Englande, thaduauncement wherof we neuer as••e of God lenger to lyue then we entende to pro∣cure and set foorth. With this there was a greate crye and showte, criyng kyng Richard, and so the lordes went vp to the kyng, and so he was after y^e daye called. But the people departed talkyng dy∣uersly of the matter, euery manne as his fantasie gaue hym, but muche thei merueled of this maner of dealyng, that the matter was on bothe partes made so straunge as thoughe neuer the one parte communed with the other parte therof before, whē they wyst that there was no man so dul that heard theim, but he perceaued well ynoughe that all the matter was made betwene theim: Howbeit, some excused that agayne, saiyng: all thyng muste bee done in good ordre, and men must sometyme for y^e maner sake not be acknowē what thei knowe. For at the consecracion of a byshop, euery manne per∣ceaueth by payment of his bulles that he entēdeth

to bee one, yet when he is twise asked whyther he wilbe a byshop, he must saye naye, and at the third tyme take it vpon hym as compelled therto by his owne wyll. And in a stage playe, the people knowe right well that he that playeth the sowdane is per case a sowter, yet yf one of acquayntaunce per∣chaunce of lytle nurture should call hym by his name while he standeth in his maiestie, one of his tourmentours might fortune breake his hed for marryng y^e playe. And so they sayde, these matters be kynges games, as it were staige playes, and for the mooste parte played vpon scaffoldes, in which poore men be but lookers on, and they that wise be wyll medle no fer∣ther, for they y^e steppe vp w^t theim whē they can not playe their partes they disorder the playe and do theim selues no good. ☞

Notes

• * 1.1

  The descri∣pciō of Ri∣charde the thyrde.
• * 1.2

  The ex∣hortacyō 〈◊〉〈◊〉 kynge Edward 〈…〉〈…〉 〈…〉〈…〉 〈…〉〈…〉 〈…〉〈…〉 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.3

  The de∣sc••ipciō of Edward 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fourth.
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈…〉〈…〉ion 〈…〉〈…〉h••∣••••s wife.
• * 1.5

  The ora¦tion of y^t duke of Buckyn¦ghā▪ made ••o the cy∣〈…〉〈…〉 of London.