Here begynneth the thirde and fourthe boke of sir Iohn̄ Froissart of the cronycles of Englande, Fraunce, Spaygne, Portyngale, Scotlande, Bretayne, Flaunders, and other places adioynyng, translated out of Frenche in to englysshe by Iohan Bourchier knyght lorde Berners, deputie generall of ye kynges towne of Calais and marchesse of the same, at the co[m]maundement of our most highe redouted souerayne lorde kyng Henry the eyght, kynge of Englande and of Fraüce [sic] [and] highe defender of the Christen faithe. [et]c

¶Howe the duke of Gloucestre sub∣telly sought out the meanes / howe to dystroye kynge Rycharde of En∣glande his nephue. Cap. CC.xxii. (Book 222)

IT is long syth I spake of the duke of Gloucestre / yongest sonne to the kynge of England Edwarde the thyrde / I had no tyme to speke of him tyll nowe / and bycause his herte coude ne¦uer loue the frenche men / therfore of the losse that the frenche men had in Turkey / he was rather gladde than sory. The same seasone he had a knyght with hym called syr Iohan La∣quyquay / chiefe of his counsayle (as it was knowen after) he sayde to his lorde. Syr the fumes and pride of the frenche men are well a bated / by reasone of their iourney in to Hun∣gery and Turkey. they be so full of pride and brages that they canne come to no good con∣clusion of any enterprise y^t they take in hande. That is trewe quod the duke / and that ape∣red right well / duryng the warre in the dayes of the kynge my father / and of my brother the prince of Wales / for as than they coulde neuer atayne to any iourney agaynst the Englysshe men / therfore I canne nat tell why we shulde haue trewce with them / for if the warre were open / and by reason of our good tytell togy∣ther / we shulde nowe make them better warre than euer was made before. for as nowe all the floure of chyualry of Fraunce is outher taken or slayne / and the men of Englande de∣syre to haue warre rather than peace / for they canne better lyue in warre than peace / for in lyenge styll is none aduauntage. and I swere by god if I may lyue two yere in good helth / the war•• shalbe renewed / I wyll nother spare for trewce / respyte / nor assuraunce / for in tyme paste the Frenche men haue kept no promesse with vs / but haue falsely and craftely taken a¦way the herytage of the duchy of Acquytayn / whiche was gyuen and delyuered by agre∣ment of good treatie of peace to the kynge my father / whiche often tymes I haue shewed to the counsayle of Fraunce / whan we met and comuned togyther in the fronter of the mar∣chesse of Calays / but alwayes they florysshed their entētes with so swete wordes / that myne opynion was nat regarded nor belyued / nou∣ther by the kynge my nephewe nor by my bre∣therne / but if there were a good heed kynge of Englande / that desyred the warre as well as I do / and wolde put to his payne to recouer his herytage / whiche craftely and falsely hath been taken fro hym without any good tytle of reasone / he shulde fynde in Englande a hun∣dred thousande archers / and syxe thousande men of armes redy aparelled to serue him and to passe the see / and to put their goodes and ly¦ues in aduenture in his seruyce. But it is nat so / there is no suche Kynge in Englande as nowe that loueth any dedes of armes / if there were / he wolde shewe hym selfe in Fraunce. there was neuer so good tyme to make warre in Fraūce as now / for who soeuer goeth nowe shalbe fought withall / whiche is all the desyre

that englysshmen haue in trust of wynnyng / as they had in tyme paste in the dayes of good kynge Edwarde my father / & in my brothers dayes the prince of Wales. I am y^e yongest of all the bretherne of Englande / but if I may be beleued I shall be the fyrst e y^t shall renewe the warre / and trust to recouer the wronges that the frenchmen haue done to vs / and dayly do / and all by the symple slouthfulnesse that is a monge vs / and specyally our heed the kynge my nephue / who wyll nowe alye hymselfe by maryage to the frenche kinges doughter / this is no token that he wyll make warre. his eyen be to heuy / he careth for nothyng but for meate and drinke / and reste / and dalyenge with la∣dyes and damoselles. This is no lyfe for men of warre that wyll deserue to haue honour by prowes of dedes of armes. yet I remembre me of the last iourney y^t I made into Fraunce. I thynke I had in my company but two thou sande speares and eyght thousande archers / and so passed the see / and entred in to the re∣alme of Fraunce fro Calayes{is} and so wente a longe in to the realme / and foūde none to with stande me / nor none that durst fyght with me / in lyke wyse so dyd syr Robert Canoll and sir Hugh Caurell / and Thomas of Graūtsome / and syr Phylyppe Gyssarde / and yet they had nat the nombre that I had with me / and yet they were before Parys and demaunded ba∣tayle of the frenche kynge / but they coulde ne∣uer be aunswered / nor founde any person that sayd any thyng to them / and so they rode into Bretayne / and so a longe through the realme of Fraunce / fro Calais to Burdeaux / without hauynge of any batayle or rencountre. but I thynke surely / who so wolde nowe make any suche iourney they shulde be fought with all / for he that calleth hym selfe kynge in Fraunce is yonge / hote / and of great corage and enter∣prise / he wolde surely fight / what ende so euer fell therof / and that is the thynge we desyre / for we loue nothynge so well as to haue ba∣tayle / for without it be by batayle and victory vpon the frenche men (who be ryche) els we shall haue no recouery / but suffre with the losse as we haue done euer sythe my nephewe was kyng of Englande. This thyng can nat longe endure in this estate / but at laste the realme of Englande shall perceyue the mater & repente it / for the kyng taketh and shall take and reyse great tayles of y^e marchauntes / wherwith they be nat content / and yet they can nat tell where the good becometh. Thus the kynge enpoue∣reth the realme of Englande / and gyueth to one and other largely / and there as it is but y∣uell bestowed / and his people vyeth the bar∣gayne / whiche shortely wyll growe to a rebel∣lyon within the realme / for the people begyn to clater and to murmure therat / sayeng howe they wyll no lēger suffre nor beare it / he sayeth to stoppe the peoples rumure that the trewce ones concluded bytwene him & Fraunce / that than he wyll make a voyage in to Irelande / and enploye there his men of armes and ar∣chers / and there he hath ben but with a small conquest / for Irelāde is no lande of great con¦quest nor profyte / the people they are but rude and yuell / and a right poore countrey and in∣habytable / and looke what is wonne there in one yere / is loste in another. Laquynay La∣quynay quod the duke / all that I haue sayde is of trouth.

THus the duke of Gloucestre deuysed with his knyght with suche wordes and other / as it was well knowen af∣ter. He hated the kynge / and coulde speke no good worde of him / and though he were with his brother the duke of Lācastre / as one of the greatest rulers of the Realme / he toke no care therof. And whan the kyng dyd sende for him he wolde come at his pleasure / and sometyme nat a whyt. And whan he came to the kynge / he wolde be the laste shulde come / and the first that wolde departe / and in counsayle what he had ones sayd of his opynion / he wolde haue it taken and accepted / els he wolde be displea∣sed / and somtyme take his leaue and departe to his maner in Essex called Plasshey / there was his chiefe abydynge. This duke was a great prince / and might well spende by yere a threscore thousande ducates / he was duke of Gloucestre / erle of Essex and of Buckingham and constable of Englande. He was of so mar¦ueylous condycyons / that the kynge douted hym more than any other of his vncles / for in his wordes he wolde nat spare nor forbeare the kynge. The kynge alwayes was humble and meke to hym / and whatsoeuer he wolde demaunde the kynge wolde graunte it hym. This duke had caused in Englāde to be done many cruell and hasty iugementes / for he had caused to be beheeded withoute tytell of any

good reasone that noble knyght syr Symon Burle / and dyuers other of the kynges coun∣sayle. and chased out of Englande the arche∣bysshop of yorke and the duke of Irelande / bycause they were so nygh of the kinges coun¦sayle / and layde to their charge that they had counsayled the kynge wronge / and ledde hym as they lyst / and had spente the reuenewes of Englande at their pleasures. This duke had two bretherne / the duke of Lancastre and the duke of yorke. These two were euer about the kynge / wherat this duke of Gloucestre hadde great enuy / & wolde say to dyuers / as to suche as he trusted (as Robert bysshop of London and to other / whan they came to him to Plas∣shey) Frendes / my two bretherne ouerchar∣geth greatly the kynges house / it were better they were at home at their owne houses. this duke by subtyle couerte wayes / drewe to his acorde y^e londoners / for he thought if he might be sure of them / he shulde sone haue all the rest of the realme to his acorde. This duke had a nephue / sonne to the doughter of his elder bro¦ther / called Lyonell duke of Clarence / whiche doughter was maryed into Lombardy to the sonne of syr Galeas duke of Myllayne. This duke Lyonell dyed in the cytie of Aste in Pie∣mounte. So this duke of Gloucestre wolde gladly haue sene his nephue sonne to y^e dough¦ter of the duke of Clarence / called Iohan erle of Marche / to haue ben kynge of Englande / and to haue had his nephue kynge Rycharde deposed / for he sayd howe the kynge was nat worthy to holde nor to gouerne the realme of Englande. This he wolde say to them that he trusted / and he dyd so moch that he caused the erle of Marche to come to his house / and than and there he dyscouered to hym all his entent and secretnesse and sayde / howe he had deter∣myned to make hym kynge of Englande / and kyng Richarde to be put downe and his wyfe also / and to be kept in prison dutynge their ly¦ues / and so he desyred effectuously the erle to accept his offre and good wyll / sayenge howe he wolde do the beste he coulde to bringe it a∣boute / and that he had of his acorde and aly∣aunce the erle of Arundell and therle of War∣wyke / and dyuers other prelates and lordes of Englande. The erle of Marche was sore abasshed / whan he herde the duke his vncle speke suche wordes / howe be it lyke a yonge man he dissymuled the mater / and aunswered wysely / to thentent to please the duke / and said howe he wold be glad to be ruled as he wolde haue hym / but he sayd he wolde be well aduy∣sed or he accepted suche promisse to sone / and wolde take therin aduyse and delyberacyon. And whan y^e duke of Gloucestre sawe the ma¦ner of the erle / than he desyred him to kepe the mater secrete. The erle answered so he wolde do. Than therle departed as sone as he coude and so wente in to Irelande to his herytage / and after he wolde neuer entende to the dukes treatie / but alwayes excused him selfe wysely / yet euer he kept the mater secrete / for he sawe well the conclusyon shulde nat be good.

IT was sayd howe the duke of Glou¦cestre sought all the wayes he coude to set a trouble in Englande / and to styrre the londoners agaynst the kynge. So it was the same yere that the truce was made bytwene Englande and Fraunce / to endure for thyrty yere / and that the kynge was retour¦ned agayne in to Englande with his yonge wyfe / than the duke of Gloucestre enfourmed the Londoners and sayd. Syrs / make ye a re¦quest to the kynge and it shall be reasonable / desyre that seynge he hath peace with his ene¦myes / that ye may be franke and fre fro all sub¦sydies and aydes that hath ben graunted this twenty yere past / affyrmyng howe they were nat graunted but durynge the seasone of the warre / for ye syrs (quod the duke that be mar¦chauntes are yuell entreated and sore oppres∣sed / to pay of euery hundred florens .xiii. and all these goodes are spent in ydlenesse / in daū∣synge and makynge of feastes / and eatynge and drinkynge / and all ye pay for / wherby ye be sore traueyled. and shewe you to the kynge howe ye wolde that the realme of Englande shulde be gouerned acordinge to the auncyent customes / and ye may say that whan the kyng hath any nede or the realme / or for the honour of the coūtrey / and for the defence therof / howe that ye wyll be redy to ayde it / in suche wyse that the kynge and his counsayle shall holde them content. Thus by the settynge on of the duke of Gloucestre / the Londoners and the counsayles of dyuers other cyties and tow∣nes of Englande / assembled theym togyther / and on a day came to Eltham a seuen myle fro London / where the kyng was / and whan they came before the Kynge they made a request

of all these foresayd thynges / and wolde that it shulde haue ben acomplysshed incontynent. And whan this request was made there was with the kynge no mo of his vncles but two / the dukes of Lancastre and of yorke. Than the kynge charged the Duke of Lancastre to make theym an aunswere / and than the duke sayd to them. syrs / the kynges pleasure is that ye departe home euery man to his owne / and within a moneth assemble agayne togyder at London or at Westmynster / & there the kynge wyll be with his counsayle / and his nobles / prelates and other / and they they wyll be redy to here your requestes / and loke what shall be thought necessary by his counsayle / the kynge wyll graunt it you / in suche wyse that ye shall all be well contente. This aunswere pleased many of them / but nat all / for there were some that were of the opinyon of the duke of Glou∣cestre / who wolde haue had a shorter answere / but the dukes of Lancastre and of yorke apea∣sed them with fayre swete wordes / and so they departed for that tyme. But for all that they left nat their pursute / so that the next moneth after they assembled at Westmynster / there be ynge the kynge with his counsayle / and than there was present the duke of Gloucestre / who greatly enclyned to their demaundes / but at makinge of the aunswere he spake nat all that he thought in his hert / but dissymuled the ma∣ter / to the entent that the kynge nor his bre∣therne shulde nat perceyue his mynde. Than the duke of Lancastre made the aunswere to the londoners for the kynge and sayd. ye syrs of London and other / the kynge hath cōmaun¦ded me to gyue you a determynable answere to your requestes in his name and his coun∣sayle / and by the consent of other prelates and noble men of his realme. Sirs ye knowe well to the entent to eschewe all parelles and daun∣gers that myght come to this Realme / there was a generall graunt made by you and other of the good cyties and townes of Englande / that there shulde be raysed a tayle on the state of marchaundyse / in maner and fourme as it hath tynne nowe vpon a syxe yere / that was to paye of euery hundred .xiii. and by reason therof the kynge graunted and sealed to you certayne fraunchesses / the whiche he is nat in mynde to take fro you / but rather to encrease it dayly acordyng to your desertes. but where as ye nowe wolde repell agayne that ye ones wyllyngly agreed vnto and graunted / ther∣fore here openly he repelyth agayne all suche graces and grauntes as he hath made to you before this tyme. Beholde here all these noble men and prelates haue sworne and promessed to the kynge to ayde and sustayne all thynges lawfully gyuen and graunted. therfore syrs considre well that the state of the king is great and chargeable / and if it augment in one ma∣ner / it mynyssheth in another / for the rentes and reuene was turneth nat to the kynges pro¦fyte as moche as it hath doone in tyme paste / the kinge and his counsayle hath ben at great coste and charge / sythe the warres renewed bytwene Englande and Fraunce / and great charge it hath been to the kynge for suche am∣bassadours as haue treated bytwene the par∣ties / as well here as beyonde the see / also the pursuynge of the kynges maryage hath coste gret goodes. And though there be nowe peace bytwene the realmes / yet the charge is great of kepynge of the garysons in townes and ca∣stelles / beynge vnder the kynges obeysaunce as well in Gascoyne / Burdeloys / Bayonois / Bygore / and the marches of Gyan and Ca∣lays / also in kepyng the see and the portes and hauens of Englande. in lykewyse it is charge¦able the kepyng of the fronters of Scotlande whiche may nat be vnprouyded / and also the marchesse of Irelande. All these thynges and other consernynge the kynges estate and ho∣nour of the realme / draweth yerely great coste and charge / whiche is farre better knowen by the noble men of y^e realme / than by any of you that medeleth but with your marchaundyse. Thanke god••irs that ye be thus in peace / and take hede that none paye without he be wor∣thy and occupye the feate of marchaundyse / and as well payeth the straungers / as ye do. ye be at a freer marte than they of Fraunce or Lombardy / or other Realmes / whyther as youre marchaundyse repayreth / for they be tayled and retayled agayne two or thre ty∣mes in a yere / and ye passe by a reasonable or∣dynaunce sette and assessed vpon your mar∣chaundyse.

THese wordes or suche lyke spoken by the duke of Lancastre apeased great¦ly the people / who were sette to do y∣uell / by the settynge on of other. Thus they departed at y^t tyme without any other thynge

doynge / and the moste parte of theym were well content / and suche as wolde the contrary made no semblante therof at that tyme. The duke of Gloucestre retourned to his maner of Plasshey / and he sawe well as at that tyme he coulde nat brynge his purpose to passe / but styll he studyed howe to make trouble in En∣glande / and to fynde the wayes howe to re∣newe the warre in Fraunce and he had of his acorde his wyfes vncle the Erle of Arundell / who desyred nothynge but warre / and they had doone so moche that they had drawen to their acorde the erle of Warwyke.

TTHe kinge of Englande had two bretherne by his mother / one cal∣led Thomas Erle of Kente / and the seconde sir Iohan of Holande a valyaunt knyght / who had to his wyfe the doughter of the duke of Lācastre / he was erle of Huntyngdon and chamberlayne with the kynge / it was he that slewe the sonne of Ry∣charde erle of stafforde / as ye haue herde here before in this hystorie. The sayde Rycharde erle of Stafforde had a squyer to his sonne / who was with the duke of Gloucestre. This erle of Huntyngdon moste cōmonly was euer in the courte with the kynge his brother / and he knewe more of the dealynge of the duke of Gloucestre than any other dyd / for couertely and wysely he made enquery / and also he dou∣ted greatly the duke / for he knewe he was fell and sodayne / and hyghe mynded / and sawe howe he kept his enemye aboute hym / for the dethe of the yonge Stafforde / and the peace therof was neuer made / but the grudge ther∣of contynued styll. The kynge loued well his brother / and bare him against euery man. and the kynge sawe well howe his vncle the duke of Gloucestre was euer contrary to hym / and was euer about to conspyre agaynst him / and to styrre the realme to rebellyon. so the kynge and his brother of Holande wolde often ty∣mes comune togyther. The same seasone the frenche kyng had sent the erle of saynt Powle in to Englande to se the kyng and his dough∣ter the quene and to norisshe loue / for the truce was made in suche maner and cōdycion / that their subgiettes myght repayre eche to other in dyspyte of all their yuell wyllers. the kynge and the erle of Huntyngdon made them good chere / as well for the honoure of the Frenche kynge / as for that he had wedded their suffer. At that tyme the Dukes of Lancastre nor of yorke were nat with the kynge / for they be∣gan somwhat to dissymule / for they sawe well that the people in Englande beganne to mur∣mure in dyuers places / on the state and rewle that the kynge kept / and that the maters were lykely to go yuell. They thought they wolde nat be at the kinges cōmaundement nor at the peoples. And all this came by reasone of the duke of Gloucestre and his company. The kynge of Englande spared nat to shewe therle of saint Powle the state that Englande stode in / and howe he founde alwayes his vncle the duke of Gloucestre harde and rebell agaynst hym / and shewed hym all thynge y^t he knewe. Whan the erle of saynt powle herde the kynge say in that wyse / he had great marueyle ther∣of / and sayde howe it ought nat to be suffred / and sayd. Syr if ye suffre this / they wyll dy∣stroy you / it is sayd in Fraūce howe the duke of Gloucestre entendeth to nothynge / but to breake the peace and to renewe the warre a∣gayne / and that lytell and litell he draweth the hertes of yonge men of the realme to his parte for they desyre rather warre than peace / so that the auncyent wyse men / if the warre beganne to styrre / they shulde nat be herde nor beleued / for reason / right / nor iustyce hath no place nor audyence / where as yuell reygneth / therfore prouyde therfore rather betymes than to late. it were better ye had theym in daunger / than they you. These wordes of the erle of saynte Powle entered greatly in to the kynges hert / and made hym sore to muse / and after that the erle of saynt Powle was retourned in to Fraunce / y^e kyng of Englande shewed all this mater to his brother the erle of Huntyngdon / who said to the kynge. Syr / my fayre brother of saynt Powle hath shewed you the trouth / therfore take good aduyse in this mater.

ANd as I was enfourmed / aboute a moneth after that the erle of saynte Powle had ben in Englande and re¦tourned in to Fraunce / a paryllous fame and renome ranne vpon the kynge in Englande / and in a maner there was a generall brewte that the erle of saynt Powles cōmynge in to Englande was to treate with the the kynge / that the frenche men myght haue Calayes in to their handes. This brute greatly troubled

and moued the people in Englāde / in so mo∣che that certayne of London roode to Plas∣shey to the duke of Gloucestre / and shewed hym of that matter. The duke apeased nat their wordes / but rather augmented it more and more. Sayenge howe he coulde nat do therwith / But sayd he was sure that the frē∣che men wolde it hadde coste theym all their kynges doughters / so that they might haue Calais at their pleasure. This answere set the Londoners a fyre / and sayde / howe they wolde speke with the kynge / and shewe hym howe the realme was nat cōtent. Well quod the duke shewe it hym in good maner / and make doute that the people wyll nat be con∣tente. And marke well what answere he ma∣keth / and shewe me therof the nexte tyme I speke with you / and thervpon I shall gyue you counsayle what ye shall do farther. It maye well be / that there be some false tray∣tours / counsayleth the Kynge to the same. There is the erle Marshall who is Capy∣tayne of Calays / who hath been two tymes in Fraūce and taryed at Parys / and he was one of the chiefe procurers in the treatie for the kynges maryage with the doughter of Fraunce. And these Frenche men are ryght subtyle / and can driue their purpose a farre of / and lytell and lytell pursue their ententes and wyll gyue largely to bringe about their purpose.

ACordynge to the dukes coun∣sayle / the Londoners on a daye wente to Eltham to the kynge / at whiche tyme there was the kynges two bretherne / the erle of Kent and therle of Huntyngdon / the erle of Salisbury / and the archebysshoppes of Caūterbury and of Duuelyn / his confessour the lorde Thomas Percy / the lorde Lysle / Richarde Credon / Iohan Boulofer / and dy¦uers other knyghtes of the kynges chambre. There these londoners right wisely shewed the kynge their ententes in a meke hūble ma¦ner / and sayde howe the brute ranne / that the kynge was about to delyuer vp Calais into the Frenche mennes handes. The kyng had great marueile of these newes / for it touched hym nere to the hert. But right sagely he dis¦symuled the mater for that tyme / and apesed the Londoners and sayd / howe all that noise was wronge / for it was nothyng so. But for trouthe / he said / the erle of saynt Poule was come in to Englande for none other entente / but to sporte hym / and was sent thider by the Frenche kynge / to se hym and the quene his wyfe: Other marchaundyse the kynge sayde there was none bytwene them / and that the kynge sware / by the faythe that he owed to god and to the crowne of Englāde / and said howe he had great marueyle / wherof suche wordes shulde ryse. Than̄e the erle of Sa∣lis∣bury sayde. Sirs / ye good men of Lon∣don. Go home to youre houses / and be well assured / that the kynge and his Counsayle wyll do nor entende to do any thynge / but that that shalbe for the honour and profite of this his realme of Englande. And who so euer hath fyrst brought vp these wordes are yuell coūsayled / and shewe well howe they wolde gladly haue this realme in trouble / & to haue the people to ryse agaynst the kyng / whiche thynge ye of London ought to feare for by reason of the laste rebellyon / ye were in great paryll / to haue been all vtterly dy∣stroyed. For whan yuell people be vp & go∣uerne / iustyce nor reason than hath no place. Those wordes apeased greatly the Londo∣ners / & were contented with the kynges an∣swere / and so retourned to the cytie of Lon∣don / And the kynge taryed at Eltham ryght pensyue / and full of displeasure / by reason of the wordes that he had herde / and had stylle about hym his two bretherne / and other su∣che as he trusted beste / for he thought hym selfe natte well assured amogne his vncles / For he sawe well howe they absented theym selfe fro his Courte / and kepte them at home at their owne houses / so that he was halfe in doute of them / and specially of the duke of Gloucestre / And so kepte dayly aboute hym a garde of a thousande archers.

YT was enformed the kynge of En∣glande of a suretie / that his vncle y^e duke of Gloucestre and the Erle of Arundell / purposed with puissaunce of peo∣ple to take the kyng and the yong quene and to putte them in to a castell / there to be kepte surely in an honest maner with meate & drin¦ke / & other necessaries. And also / howe there shulde be set four gouernours in the realme /

as the duke of Lancastre & the duke of yorke to rewle fro the Temmys northwarde / vnto the ryuers of Hūbre and Thyne / & of Thay ronnyng by the cytie of Warwyke / compre∣hendynge all the signories of Northumber∣lande / and the boundes of Scotlande. And the duke of Gloucestre had all the rule of Lō∣don and of the londoners / and of Essexe / cō∣prehendyng all the boundes of the See / and thider where as the ryuer of Hūbre entereth in to the see: and also of all the portes and ha¦uyns aboue London to Hampton / & to Corn¦wall. And the erle of Arundell / he to haue the rule of the landes mouynge fro London by∣twene Sussexe and Kent / Arundell / Sur∣rey / Deuonshyre / and Barkeshyre / and of all the hole signories / bytwene the ryuer of Thamyse and Bristowe / & the ryuer of Sy¦uerne / whiche departeth Englande and Wa¦les. And they shall holde and do iustyce and reason to euery man. But their entencyons is / if they can fynde any reasonable waye to moue agayne and to renewe the warre by∣twene Englande and Fraunce / and that if y^e Frēche kyng wolde haue agayne his dough¦ter he shulde / for sithe she is but eight yeres of age / paraduēture whan she cometh to .xii. yeres she may repente her and refuce her ma¦riage / bycause she was maryed in her youth And also it was no reason to dismary her fro the heyr of Bretaygne / as it was promised. And if whan she cometh to perfyte age / that she wyll nat refuce her maryage / Than she must abyde by right styll quene of Englāde / and to haue her dowrye / but in no wyse she shulde be crowned Quene. And that if the kynge dyed or she came to laufull age / than they purpose to sende her agayne in to Fraū¦ce to her father. This was shewed to y^e king for suche wordes were spoken by dyuers En¦glysshe men / and specially by the londoners who coude nat loue the kynge. And they re∣pented them / that whan the cōmons of Sus∣sexe / Kent / and Essexe were vp / and came to London / in that they dyde breake their pur∣pose / for as some of them cōfessed / they were in mynde to haue slayne the kyng / the erle of Salisbury / the erle of Oxenforde / and all the kynges counsayle. And if they hadde so done by meanes of the rebellyon / the londo∣ners than̄e shulde soone haue made a newe heed. And by meanes of the duke of Glouce¦stre / to haue founde some person to haue had the crowne and gouernynge of the realme / and therby to haue brought the realme into a better case than̄e it was in as than. Thus the londoners and suche other of their secte / dayly murmured and had many secrete coū∣sayls. All this the kynge was enformed of / and moost faute was layde vpon the duke of Gloucestre.

KIng Richarde was abasshed of tentymes whan he herde & sawe suche couert hate and yuell wyll borne against hym. Alwayes he made louynge countynaunce to his vncle of Gloucestre and to the lōdoners / but it aueyled hym nothyng. On a daye the kynge sayd to his other two vncles / of Lan∣castre and of yorke. Sirs / on goddes name I requyre you to gyue me your aduise & coū¦sayls. I am dayly enformed of asuretie / that your brother myne vncle of Gloucestre / the erle of Arundell / and their complyces / are mynded to take me {per}force / by the agrement of the londoners / and purpose to close me in a Castell / and to order my fyndynge by cer∣tayne porcion / & my wyfes in lykewise / who is but yonge / and to seperate her fro me / and to kepe her estate in another place. Fayre vn¦cles / this is a cruell maner and it ought nat to be suffred / as long as I maye withstande it. ye haue doone me homage and sworne to be trewe to me in the presence of kynge Ed∣warde of good memorie my graūtfather / at whiche tyme all the great prelates and lord{is} of this realme / sware to kepe and maynteyn me as their kynge a .xx. yere paste. Wherfore fayre vncles / for loue and charyte / and by the othe and promyse that ye haue made / coun∣sayle me trewly as ye are bounde to do. For as farre as I can ymagin / myne vncle of glo¦cestre entēdeth on none other thing / but how he might renewe agayne the warre / bitwene Englande and Fraunce / And to breake the peace / whiche we haue confyrmed / bothe you and all other of the realme / by sweryng and sealyng / and by the same composycion I am ioyned in maryage to y^e doughter of Fraūce without thynkyng of any yuell. & ye knowe well / that who soeuer dothe contrary to y^t he is sworne vnto & hath sealed to the same / & so proued / dothe yuell / & ought to be punisshed

therfore / bothe in body and goodes. And al∣so ye knowe well y^t I forbeare myne vncle of Gloucestre as moche as I may do / and take no regarde to thretnyng / whiche myght cost me derely. Vncles / ye are bounde to coūsaile me sithe I demaunde it with reason. & whan they herde the kyng speke thus / & sawe well howe the mater sore troubled his mynde and that it touched hym nere / and also they know well moche of his sayenge was trewe / they sayd. Sir / suffre and lette the tyme ryn and passe. We knowe well our brother of Gloce∣stre hath the moost paryllous heed & brayne / of any manne in Englande. But we knowe well he can do no more than a man maye do / if he buylde on the one syde we shall buylde on the other / as long as ye wyll be ordred by our coūsaile / ye shall nat nede to care for our brother. He saythe often tymes many thyng{is} wherof foloweth none effecte. He all alone / nor they of his counsayle canne nat breke the peace that is taken / nor can nat enclose you in any castell. We shall neuer suffre that / nor to be seperated fro your wyfe / For if he saye so and thinke it / he is foule abused. Therfore sir / we humbly beseche you to apeace youre selfe / euery thyng shall turne well with god¦des grace. All that a man speketh cōmeth nat to effecte / nor all that he sayth oftentymes he can nat accōplysshe. Thus the dukes of Lā∣castre and yorke / apeased their nephewe kyn¦ge Richarde.

THese two dukes sawe well / that the busynesse of Englande began to be yuell / and parceyued that gret hate∣red encreased dayly bytwene the kyng & the duke of Glocestre. And to thentent that they wolde nat entremedell bytwene them / they departed fro the kynges court with all their company and seruauntes / and so toke their leaue of y^t kyng for a tyme / and went to their owne. And the duke of Lancastre toke with hym his wyfe the lady Katheryn Ruet / who hadde ben in company with the yong quene of Englande / and went a huntyng of y^e dere: as the vsage is in Englande / and the kynge taryed about London. But afterwarde the kynges vncles repented them that they de{per}∣ted out of y^e courte / for there fell afterwarde suche maters in Englande / that all y^e realme was in trouble / the whiche had nat so fortu∣ned if they had ben about the kynge / for they wolde haue founde other prouisyon for y^• ma¦ter / than they dyde that counsayled the kyng There were none of the kynges seruauntes / but that greatly douted the duke of Glouce∣stre / and wolde gladly that he had ben deed / they had nat cared howe. the gentyll knight sir Thomas Percy had ben long souerayne squyer of the kynges house (that is in Fraū∣ce mayster and seneschall) for all the state of the kynge passed throughe his handes. He than cōsydring the great hatereddes y^t encre¦sed bitwene the kyng and his vncle of Gloce∣stre / and among other great lordes of Eng∣lande / with whom he was welbeloued. Like a sage knight he ymagined that the conclusy¦ons coude nat be good. Thā he gaue vp his offyce as honorably as he coulde / and tooke leaue of the kynge / and the kynge gaue hym leaue full sore agaynst his wyll / howe be it he made suche excusacions / that he departed and another set in his offyce. The kyng had as than but yonge counsayle about hym / and they greatly douted the duke of Gloucestre / and oftentymes wolde saye to the kynge.

Ryght dere sir / it is a perylous thyng to ser∣ue you / for we haue sene suche as haue serued you in tymes paste / and suche as were ryght synguler in your fauoure / yet they haue had but small guerdone. Sir Symon Burle / who was a sage valyaunt knight / & in good fauoure with my lorde your father / whome god pardone. He had great payne and tra∣ueyle for your fyrst maryage / yet your vncle the duke of Gloucestour caused hym to dye shamefully / his heed to be stryken of lyke a traytour before all the worlde / with dyuers other that he hath put to dethe / as ye knowe well / for all the puissaunce that ye were of ye coude nat saue them. And sir / we that sarue you nowe / looke for the same rewarde. For whan your vncle cometh to you / the whiche is nat often / we dare nat lyfte vp our eyen to loke vpon any persone / he loketh so hye ouer vs. he thynketh we do hym moche wrōg that we be so nere about you as we be. Wherfore sir knowe for trouthe / y^t as long as he liueth there shall be no peace in Englande / nor ye shall do no mā good. Also he thretneth you & yor wife to close you vp in a castell / & there to beholden vnder subiection / & to lyue by por∣cion. sir / ye be a kyng lost / if ye take nat good

hede to your self / as for your wife nedeth nat to care / she is yong and doughter to the fren¦che kynge. They dare nat displease her / for moche yuell might come therby in Englāde. your vncle of Gloucestre / to thentent to ma∣ke you to be behated with your people / hath sowen dyuers sclaūdorous word{is} vpon you throughout Lōdon and in other places / say∣eng / howe ye be nat worthy to beare y^e crow∣ne / nor to holde so noble an herytage / as is y^e realme of Englande. sythe ye haue taken to your wyfe the doughter of the frenche kyng your aduersary. Wherby he saythe / ye haue greatly febled the signorie and realme of En¦glande / and hath sore discoraged the hertes of the noble valyant knightes and squiers of the realme / who haue alwayes valyantly cō∣tynued the warre / and yet wolde do. Thus they saye / that ye haue brought the realme in great paryll and aduenture to be lost / affyr∣myng / howe it is pytie that ye haue been suf∣fred to contynue so long as ye haue done. Al¦so the Frenchemen bruteth / that ye wyll put out of your armes tharmes of Fraūce / wher¦with the people are nat conte••t / & hateth you therfore. And they thynke it trewe / bycause ye were so redy & gladde to take a truce / they thynke more rather byforce than by loue. for the noble men of y^e realme / who haue serued and maynteyned the warres / neuer agreed therto. Also they saye / that ye haue nat dily∣gently reuisyted nor ouersene the letters pa∣tentes / gyuen / accorded / sworne and sealed by kyng Iohan somtyme frenche kyng / and by his sonnes / the whiche graūt his children lyueng / was nothyng vpholden but craftely broken. And the Frenchmen founde cautels and subtelties / by wrongefull wayes / to re∣newe agayne y^t warre. And therby toke and vsurped all the right that your predecessurs had in that quarell: and hath wonne therby / landes and countreis in Acquitany / with cy¦ties / castelles / and townes. And all this they saye / ye take no hede of / but haue loste it tho∣roughe your neglygence / and hath shewed but poore corage. and that ye doute your en∣nemyes / and haue nat pursued the accyden∣tes of the mater / and the good and iuste qua∣rell that ye had / and as yet haue: the whiche quarell your predecessours had as longe as they lyued. First my lorde your father y^e prin¦ce of Wales and of Ac••tayne / and also good kyng Edwarde your graūtfather / who toke great payne and dilygence to augment their signories. Thus sir the londoners saye / and so dothe other / that a day shall come / that ye shall repent you. Therfore sir / we can no len¦gar hyde these word{is} fro you / for they be day¦lye renewed. ∴ ∴