The life and death of william Long beard, the most famous and witty English traitor, borne in the citty of London Accompanied with manye other most pleasant and prettie histories, by T.L. of Lincolns Inne, gent.

Howe Willyam Long beard betraied his elder bro∣ther vnto his death, of his falling in acquaintance with the Abbot of Cadonence in Normandy and how cunning∣ly and coulourably they got authority from the Kinge to accomplish their ambitious pretences.

WHilst all the world was in vprore, and schismes raigned in the Church, when God by prodigious signes, threatened pestilent plagues: at suche time as two sunnes appéered in our Horizon in England, and three Moones were discouered in the West in Italie, William with the longe beard was borne in the famous Cittie of London, of greater minde then of high parentage, a graft of mightie hope at the first, though (as it afterwards proued) his parents spent too much hope on so little vertue. This frée Cittizen borne, tenderlie fostered in his infancie, was afterwards trained vp in good letters, wherin he profited so suddenlie, that most men won∣dered at his capacitie, and the wisest were afraid of the con∣clusion: And for that the age wherein hee was bread (being the third yeare of Henrie the Second) was full of troubles, this yoong mans rare guifts were raked vp in the embers, little regarded because not yet ripened: but at last as years increased the minde ordained for mightie thinges began to mount, the rather because ambition sealed his eies, which made him with the Doue soare so hie, till his own cunning

and labour made him be ouerturned: for when he perceiued his fathers foote alreadie prepared for the graue, his mother seazed by age, and more besotted with affection, himselfe at mans estate & without maintenance, he thus began the first fruites of his impietie, the sequell whereof exceedeth all con∣ceit, and testifieth his deuilish and damnable nature. He had a brother elder than himselfe in yeares, but yoonger in policie, who (hauing by his owne frugalitie gotten great wealth) was called to be a Burgesse of the cittie: a man be∣loued of all men for his vpright dealing, and lamented of al men for his vntimelie death. For William little regarding the benefites he had receiued of him in his youth, the bro∣therlie kindnesse, the bountifull curtesies, sought all means possible to betray him, who had trained him vp, to suck his hart bloud, who had sought his harts rest, and to that intent séeing the opportunitie fitted him, in the raigne of Richard the first, that noble Prince of famous memorie, he suborned certeine lewd and smister confederates of his to accuse him of Treason: for which cause poore innocent man being sud∣denlie apprehended, his goods were confi•…•…cate, his body im∣prisoned, his wife and children left succourlesse, whilst wic∣ked William being both complotter, informer, and witnes, wrought so cunningly with the kings councell that the goods were his, which his brother with his long labour had gotten, and the poore innocent man brought out before the Iudges with wéeping eies, beheld his yoonger brother both reuel∣ling in his ritches, and reiocing at his ruine. Many were his obtestations before God, and protestations to the Iud∣ges, manie his exhortations to his brother, and detestati∣ons of his periurie. But William whose hart was the very harbour of all impietie, ceased not in his owne person to so∣licite, and by his companions to incense the Iudges in such sort, that his brother was at last by them condemned and ad∣iudged to death, as some Writers suppose for coining. And being led forth to his execution like an harmelesse innocent, the people mustering about the place, the curssed brother the occasion and compactor of his confusion accompanie him,

with these or such like words he finished his life. Thou God that knowest the cause of my vntimelie death, canst in iu∣•…•…ice punish my vniust accusers, meane while take mercie on my poore soule, who am forsaken of my priuate friends, be thou a safeguard vnto me, whoe am left without succors, and helpe the desolate widdow with hir distressed children: This said, after some priuate conference by permission, be∣twéene his brother and him, he suffered torment.

But William hauing gotten wealth began to take vpon him state, and vnderstanding his father and mother through hartie griefe were in their extreame age committed to the graue, he seazed on their goods, carrieng such a countenance in London that all men wondered at him: In wit he was pregnant; in publike affaires pollitike; in reuenges con∣stant, in speeches affable, in countenance graue, in apparell gorgeous, yea so cunning was he to insinuate himselfe a∣mong the Commons, that as the report went, he had more Prentises clubs at his command, then the best Courtier had seruants to attend him.

And as the custome is whilest thus he behaued himselfe, it fortuned that hee fell in companie and conference with the Abbot of Cadonence in Normandie, a man as high min∣ded as himselfe, and more subtill than Sinon, by whose ad∣uise and directions he grew so craftilie conceited, that vnder a holie pretert he wrought more mischiefe, than either the Councell of England could for a long time remedie, or by industrie reuerse, and thus it fortuned. After that the no∣ble and warlike Richard the firste of that name, had to his immortall glorie recouered his rights in France, establi∣shed peace with the French king, and by the perswasions of his mother Dame Elianor, reconciled his brother Iohn, who had before that time béene at deadlie •…•…d with him. It ple∣sed his Maiestie, partlie for his owne recreation sake, part∣lie to remedie the discontents of his subiects, to goe on Pro∣gresse in the eight yeare of his reigne, and in the yeare of our Lord 1197. at which time the Abbot of Cadonence and William watching an occasion and oportunitie, so cunning∣lie

wrought she matter, that they had audience at his Ma∣iesties hands, and attained vnder the broad seale the whole summe of their requests. The Abbot couloured his strata∣gem vnder the coppie of conscience: assuring the king that the corruption of his officers were the chiefest groundes of publike contention, praieng him in the bounty of an heroick and princelie potentate, to take some order for she correction of them, least at the last it should turne to his owne confu∣sion.

His maiestie that had euer regard of the poore, with gra∣tious good words thanked him for his good will, giuing him warrant and authoritie to redresse those inconueniences, and promising him great promotions, if he tooke any profite by his pollicie. William now that hath the second subtiltie to enact, suted his lookes in all sobrietie, and stroaking his long beard which he curiouslie fostered euen from the begin∣ning, tolde the king of the insolence and outrage of rich men who spared their owne and pilled the poore, robbed Irus and clawed Midas: beséeching in the commons behalfe, a reme∣die for this inconuenience: wherevnto the king easilie con∣discended, so that he likewise was authorized to redresse such enormities, and both he and his fellowe Abbot, were with manie princelie fauours dismissed.

Mounted thus vpon the whéele of Fortune, which euerie waie sheweeth hir selfe as fickle as she is fauourable, as ful of gall as she hath honie, they both of them depart for Lon∣don, carrieng so high countenances as euerie one were a∣mazed at their manners. My lord Abbot first suted in his Pontificallbus called forth diuers officers, purposing to ex∣amine their accounts, taunting them with vntowarde lan∣guages, and accompanieng threates with imprisonment. But as the Giants that threatened the heauens were ouer, throwne in their most hautinesse, and as Phaeton vsurping his fathers seat was confounded for his ambitious pride by vntimelie death, so the Abbot of Cadonence, when he thoght to cauell at all accompts, was called to accompt himselfe, before she Tribunall iustice seat of God, and died in midest

of his iollitie. But William who towred with the Phaenix to burne in the sunne, and aduentured to crosse the troblesome seas of this world to perish with ouermuch wrastling in the same, now began his pageant exhorting and stirringe the commons to loue and imbrace libertie, to fight and labour for freedome, brieflie to detest and blame the excesse and out∣rage of ritch men, whoe as he tolde them reaped the sweet whilst they poore soules sweat for it. Heerevnto wrested he manie stories of antiquitie: First the Laconian state, next the popular gouernement of Athens, wherein peace neuer flourished better said he, than when the Commons had frée∣dome of speech. With these and such like honie spéech, he so animated the multitude, that like a second Hercules he drew them by the eares thorow the honie of his eloquence. And to his words he annexed action, vndertaking manie poore mens causes, who were ouerborne by the rich, handeling his matters with such pollicie, as that he was held for a second God among the poore, and for a long time esteemed for a good subiect by the Prince. Yet notwithstanding this, the mightie maligned him greatlie, for that he had informed the king that by their meanes his Maiestie lost manie forfeits and •…•…scheats which were due vnto him: and for that his dete∣sted subtleties may be more apparant, where through he clo∣ked his succéeding treacheries, I haue thought good to sette downe some one of them, which may giue a taste to those tra∣gike miseries which shall ensue.