A treatise tovvching the right, title, and interest of the most excellent Princess Marie, Queene of Scotland, and of the most noble king Iames, her Graces sonne, to the succession of the croune of England. VVherein is conteined asvvell a genealogie of the competitors pretending title to the same croune: as a resolution of their obiections. Compiled and published before in latin, and after in Englishe, by the right reuerend father in God, Iohn Lesley, Byshop of Rosse. VVith an exhortation to the English and Scottish nations, for vniting of them selues in a true league of amitie.

A DECLARATION OF THE TABLE folovveing, touching the rase & progenie of suche per∣sones as, descēding from the Princely families of Yorke and Lacastre, doe eyther Iustlye clame, or vniustlye aspire vnto the Croune of England: set foorthe for this speciall intent, that all men may clearlye see (as by a plain demonstration, and by the best proofe that can be of a true and laufull succession) hovv the most Graciouse Princesse, Marye Queene of Scotland, and from & by her, the most noble King Iames, the sixt of that name, her Graces sonne, ought Iustlye to barre all others, con∣tending to intrude them selues into the Royal Throne of the Realme of England, before their time.

CERTAINE IT IS, and assuredlie tried and knowen to all men, that (after the decease of Elizabeth, now Queene of England, without laufull yssue of her bodie) the Soueraigne Gouernement of that Realme (by right and iust title of a laufull suc∣cession) is to remayn and come to Marie, the most noble Queene of Scotland, and from her to the sayd Kyng Iames. And this is suche an vndoubted truthe, as the Aduersaries them selues are not able to denye it, yf they will cast away all partiall affe∣ction of priuate quarrelles, and sincerely discouer their owne consciences. For, (to let passe as suffi∣ciently by others aunswered and clearly confuted, that absurde paradox, & heretical assertion blowen abrode, by vndiscrete and seditiouse libells, against the regiment of women) I make this full accoumpt and reckening, as of a thing most clearly knowne, and confessed in the hartes and myndes of euery true English man, and as agreable with the lawes of God and nature: that for default of heyr male, in∣heritable to the Croune of England, the next heir

female in an ordinary course of inheritance & suc∣cession, is to be inuited & called to the laufull pos∣session of the Croune: And that, aswell by the aun∣cient common lawe and custome of England, yet in force: as also by the Statutes and actes of Parlia∣ments of that Realm, and by the vsuall construction and continuall practise of the same.

In like manner it is euident and playne, that the right noblye renoumed Princesse, of famouse memorye, Lady Margaret, some tyme Queene of Scotland, & eldest daughter of the seuenth Henry, King of England, and of his most noble wyfe, Queene Elizabeth, the vndouted heir of the howse of Yorke, was maried to Iames, King of Scotland, the fowerth of that name: by whome she had one only sonne called king Iames the fift: & that the said most excellent Princesse, Marye, now Queene of Scotland, is the sole daughter of the same King Iames the fift. VVherupon it falleth owt, that after the decesses of the heirs males of the bodies of the sayed kyng Henry the seuenth and Queene Eliza∣beth his sayd wyfe, whithout laufull issue of their bodies, then the right, title, and interest to the Croune of England ought to descend, and come, by a laufull course of inheritaunce and succession, first & before all others, to the sayd most gracious Lady, Marie Queene of Scotland, as next heir, in a laufull descent, from her sayd graundmother, the sayd Queene Margaret, eldest daughter of the sayd King Henry the seuenth, and of Queene Elizabeth his sayd wyfe.

Now, this is a briefe narration of suche an vn∣doubted truthe, as should nede no further explica∣tion, if men were deuoutlye inclined to credit a truthe. But because some men are by ambition so blynded, & caried away with their own phantasies,

as they mynd nothing more, than with cōtentiouse quarrelles, to obscure and deface this matter: I must fet a further course: and though the thing be playn enough of it selfe: yet must it be delated with a lar∣ger discourse of many proofes, experimentes and examples: to the intent that all those Competitors and Chalengers, whiche oppose them selues against her Maiesties right (albeit of them selues they will not yeeld to reason) may neuerthelesse be so con∣uinced, and daunted, as they shall haue nothing left to gaynsaye, when the truthe of the cause shalbe clearlye reuealed, and sincerely layd open, to the vewe of Princes, and people of all nations.

Fyrst therefore, I will set downe a Genealogie, and Pedegrue of the Kinges of England: And I will deriue the same frome king Edward the thirde: And so frome the most noble houses of Yorke and Lancastre, in manner of an historie, vntil these our dayes. Then will I duelie examin suche argumētes, as the Competitours doe alleige for their proofe, to the ende that by suche discourse on bothe par∣ties, the trueth may better appeare.

King Henry the seuenth, being descended of the house of Lancastre, had for his wyfe, Elizabeth eldest daughter of kyng Edward rhe fowrth, and right heyr of the house of Yorke, By which marie∣age, the bloodye broyles & cruell factions of those two noble howses, which so many yeres had mise¦rably afflicted the state of England (being called the factions of the white Rose and the reade: mea∣ning by the white Rose, the house of York, and by the reade Rose, the house of Lancastre: vpon that diuersitie in Armurie) were by the mercifull pro∣uidence of God broken and ended, For those two mightie families (descending, thone from Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancastre, the other from Edmond

Duke of Yorke, two of the sonnes of king Edward the thirde) striuyng for the kyngdome, did drawe after them, in contrary parties, all the nobles and Cōmons of that Realme. And no ende nor measure of ciuile dissentions, slaughters, and morders could be founde, vntill suche tyme as the titles & interests of those two houses, were by the sayd mariage cō∣byned in one, and closed together: and thereby all factions, and domesticall dissentions ceased and de∣termined. The originall cause of those dissentions was, as here after foloweth.

Kyng Edward of England the third had fower sonnes, of whome there was yssue: to witt, Edward Prince of wales, whiche was the eldest sonne: Lio∣nell duke of Clarence, the next: Iohn of Gaunt duke of Lancastre, the thirde: And Edmund of Langley, Duke of Yorke the fowerth sonne.

Edward Prince of wales dyed before his father & left a sonne which succeded his Graund father, & was called king Richard the second. This Richard was, by his cousin germain, Henry (sonne of the said Iohn of Gaunt by Blanche his wyfe) deposed from hys kyndome, and dyed in prison, without yssue. And then the kyngdome was translated to the heirs of the thyrd brother: and so to the house of Lanca∣stre▪ by this meanes.

Lionell, the second of the sayd fower brothers, Duke of Clarence, had one onely daughter, & heir, called Philippe: she was Maried to Edmund Morti∣mer Erle of Marche: and by him had a sonne called Roger Mortimer Erle of Marche: whose daughter and sole heir, called Anne, was the wyfe of Richard Erle of Cambringe: And by him had yssue, Richarde Plantagenet. Duke of Yorke, heyr in descent to Edmund of Langley, the fowerth brother before named. Thus the house of yorke, by mariage of the

sayd Anne, heir of the house of Clarence, gained a nearer title to the Croune of Englād. And therupō folowed priuie grudge, malice, & hatred: and after∣ward horrible warres betwene those two families.

The thirde brother, Iohn of Gaunt had to his first wyfe, the Ladie Blanche daughter and sole heir of Henry Duke of Lancaster, descēded of Edmond Erle of Lancastre, called Edmonde crowcheback, sonne of king Henry the third. Some there were (as Polidor writeth) which afterward reported that this Edmond crowchebacke was the eldest sonne of the sayd king Henry the third, and therfore his heir, but by reason of his deformitie his brother Edward was perferred to the Croune: In so muche as vnder pretense hereof the before named Henry, sonne of Iohn of Gaunt by the sayd Blanche (which deposed king Richard the second) as is before men∣sioned, to shewe some coloure of good title to the Croune, and for to auoyde suspicion of iniuriouse intrusion, was aduised by his freends at the tyme of his coronation to clame that kyngdome in the right of his mother, the sayd Ladye Blanche. But bycause that pretense was misliked, the same kyng Henry the fowerth deuised other matter▪ of title, and pub∣lished the same by proclamation, as Polidor also writeth: and vnder pretense thereof clamed the kyngdome, and called hym selfe kyng Henry the fowerth. After hym succeded his sonne, king Henry the fyft: maryed the Ladye Catharin, the onely daughter of the sixt kyng Charles of France: and by her had a sonne called Henry the sixt: whome king Edward the fourth, descēded of the house of Yorke, dyd cast into prison (where he dyed) recouered the kyngdome to hym selfe: and after the battail of Teukesbury, caused Edwarde, sonne of the same king Henry the sixt, priuilye to be put to death.

Yet neuerthelesse, the house of Lancastre did stand. For Iohn of Gaunt before named, by his third and last wyfe, had a sonne, called Iohn Erle of So∣merset, and Marques of Dorcestre. And this Iohn had a sonne, named Iohn Duke of Somerset, and Erle of Montague: and a daughter called Ioan: she was maried to the first Iames king of Scotland, the third of the house of Stewards, after the two Ro∣berts, the second and third. This Iames the first was father to Iames the secōd, father of Iames the third, father of Iames the fowerth, kynges of Scotland. VVhich Iames the fowerth maried the said Queene Margaret, eldest sister to kyng Henry of England the eight: and by her had Iames the fyft, father of Marie now Queene of Scotland.

The sayd Iohn Duke of Somerset and Erle of Montague had one onely Daughter called Marga∣ret, Duchesse of Somerset: whiche was maried to Edmond, afterward Erle of Richemond brother, of the halfe blood, to king Henry the sixt, by one & the same mother, the sayd Queene Catharin: for his fathers name was Owen Teuther, the second hus∣band of the same Queene Catharin. This Edmond had, by the said Lady Margaret, Duchesse of Somer∣set, a sonne called Henry, who vpō the death of that Tyranne, the third kyng Richard, obteyned the kyndome of England, and was named king Henry the seuenth.

But (to come to the house of york, descended of the fowerth sonne of kyng Edward the third) so it is that Richard the before named Erle of Cambridge, by his sayd wyfe the Lady Anne mortimer before named the only heir of the house of Clarence, had (as is before sayd) a sonne called Richard Duke of York. This Richard, (the principal persone of the faction whiche dyd beare the white Rose) after

great warres with king Henry the sixt) the cheefe of that syde whiche dyd beare the read Rose (was slayne in the battail of VVakefeild: And had three sonnes) Edward Duke of Yorke, George Duke of Clarence: and Richard Duke of Glocestre. This Edward Duke of York (as is before mentioned) put the sixt king Hēry in prison, obteined the king∣dome, and so brought the Croune to the house of York, and was called king Edward the fowerth. He had a sonne whiche succeded hym, and was called kyng Edward the fyft: and a Daughter, the Lady Elizabeth, afterward wyfe to king Henry the se∣uenth. The second brother George Duke of Cla∣rence was by his brother kyng Edward the fowerth put to death: he had a daughter, the Lady Margaret, Countesse of Sarisburie, afterward maried to Pole. The third brother, Richard duke of Glocestre, after the deceasse of his brother King Edward the fo∣werth, caused the yong kyng, Edward the fyft, his said brothers sonne, traiterously to be mordered: & lyke a Tyranne vsurped the Croune, and called him selfe king Richard the third: but (as he iustly de∣serued) he dyed dishonorably, and was slain in the battail beside Bosseworth, by king Hēry the seuēth, & so dyed without issue. This seuenth king Henry, descended of the house of Lancastre, was then the principal persone of the other partie agaynst the house of York. But (to take away the matter of that contention) he maried the said Elizabeth daughter to the sayd King Edward the fouerth, then right heir of the house of York: and so by vniting those two houses, he dyd cut of all those long and perni∣ciouse broyles: Thus I haue brieflye: set downe the original cause, and the finall ende also, of that so great and troublessome faction.

Yet to procede further touching the said king

Henry the seuenth: he had by his said wyfe, Quene Elizabeth, a sonne called king Henry the eight (for his other sonnes I omit, because they died in the life tyme of their father, and without issue.) And he had also two daughters, Margaret, wyfe of the fowerth kyng Iames of Scotland, and Marie▪ the wyfe of the twelueth king Lewes of Fraunce. This king Henry the eight had for his first wyfe, Catharin daughter to Ferdinando king of Spayn: and by her he had a daughter, the Ladye Marye, afterward Queene of England. But vnder a pretence that the sayd Catha∣rin was the wyfe of his deceassed brother Arthur, he putt her awaye, and brought in Anne Bolleine, daughter of Syr Thomas Bolleine knight: and by her he had a daughter the most renowmed Lady, Elizabeth, now Queene of England: And afterward he stroke of the head of the sayd Anne, and Ma∣ryed the Ladye Iane Semer, a knyghtes daugh∣ter: by whom he had his sonne Edward: whiche afterward was Kinge Edward the sixt, and dyed without yssue. Then were called to the crown by succession, first the sayd Lady Marie: and after her, the sayd Ladye Elizabeth now Queene. After whose deceasses, without any laufull yssue of their bodyes, the next place in succession ought of right to remayn to the sayd most noble Ladye Marye, now Queene of Scotland,

But before I enter into the explication of this matter, it shall not be farre from the purpose, some∣what to speake of these other personnes that cha∣lenge the right of fuccession, as properly to them selues belonging.

King Henry therfore the seuenth, by the sayd Queene Elizabeth daughter to king Edward the fowerth had (as you haue heard) his said sonne king Henry the eight, and his sayd two daughters, the

Lady Margaret, wyfe to king Iames of Scotland the fowerth, & the said Lady Mary, wyfe to the sayd king Lewes of Fraunce the twelueth: by whom she had no yssue. And the sayd king Henry the eight had (as I haue sayd) by diuerse venters his sayd thre children, king Edward, Queene Marie, and Queene Elizabeth. Of the sayd Queene Margaret, eldest daughter to the seuenth king Henry of England, was by the sayd King Iames the fowerth, her first busband, begotten and borne, the fift king Iames of Scotland, father to the sayd most noble Ladye, Marie, now Queene of Scotland. And after the de∣cease of the sayd king Iames the fowerth, the same Queene Margaret was maried to Archebald Erle of Anguish, and by him had a daughter, called the Ladie Margaret Duglasse, sometyme the wyfe of Mathew Steward, Erle of Leneux, by whom she had two sonnes, Henry and Charles, of whom I will speake here after.

Mary the yonger daughter of king Henry the seuenth after the decease of her first husband the twelueth, king Lewes of Fraunce, by whom she had no yssue, was maried to Charles Brandon, Duke of Sulffolk: by whom she had two daughters: Frācise & Eleonor. For of her sōnes I omitt to speak, because they died without issue. The said Lady Francise was maried to Henry Gray Marquesse of Dorcestre, afterward Duke of Suffolke. This Henry Gray be∣gat of her, thre daughters, to witt, Iane, Catharin, & Mary. The same Lady Iane eldest of those thre, was maried to Gilford Dudley, the sonne of Iohn duke of Northumberland: a mariage begunne in an vn∣fortunate houre: for it brought with it destruction aswell to them bothe, as to their parents, and many others. The sayd Ladye Catharin was espoused to Henry Harbert eldest sonne of VVilliam Erle of

Pembroche. And the Ladye Marye yongest of the said three, was betrothed to Arthur Gray, sonne of VVilliam Gray: But bothe those contractes after∣ward, by the procurement and special labour of the parentes, rather than vpon good matter (as I haue heard) were in open court dissolued, and pronoun∣ced to be of no validitie in law. The like happened touching a priuie contract made betwene the same Lady Chatharin & the Erle of Hartforde, by whom she had two sonnes yet lyuing. Of whome I will speak hereafter. And thus farre touching the issue of the Lady Francise, thone of the sayd two daughters of Charles Brandon by Mary the Frenche Queene.

Now let vs come to the sayd Lady Eleonor, the other daughter of the sayd Mary. This Eleonor was maried to George Clyfford, Erle of Cumberland: who had by her a daughter, the Lady Margaret, now wyfe to the Erle of Darby: whiche two haue issue betwene them yet liuing. And this is the true ge∣nealogie and pedegrue (forsomuch as I could euer learn) of all suche issue and ofspring descended of king Henry the seuenth, and Queene Elizabeth his wyfe, as at this day can claime any right title, or in∣terest in the Croune of England. The remayn is to adde hereunto somewhat touching the progenie of the before named king Edward the fowerth.

This king Edward the fowerth, the principall personne of the faction of the whyte Rose, had two sonnes: whom his brother Richard, aspiring to the Croune (a patern of the worst marke that euer was in the memory of man) caused to be mordred: And he had also fower daughters: the eldest was Queene Elizabeth the before named wyfe of King Henry the seuenth, the cheefe of the faction of the reade Rose, as is before mentioned. An other of the daughters was the Lady Catharin, wyfe to VVilliā

Courtney, Erle of Deuonshire. Of the other two daughters, there is left no issue, and therfore I omitt them. This Lady Catharin had by the sayd Erle of deuonshire, a sonne called Henrie Courtney, whom his Cosin germain, king Henry the eight caused to be beheaded vpon a pretense of treason. This Hen∣ry Courtney left one onlye sonne called Edward Courtney, whom in his tender yeres king Henry the eight imprisoned in the Tower of london, (where he remayned many yeres) till the death of king Edward the sixt: At whiche time that patterne of singular clemencie Queene Marie dyd not only delyuer hym, but also restored hym to his auncient estate of blood and dignitie. This yong noble man afterward dyed without issue at Padua in Italie: but if he had liued: he might with best right haue clai∣med the Croune of England, after the issues of king Henry the seuenth, and Queene Elizabeth his wyfe had bene extinguishhed.

In this Courtney now deceased, the progenie of King Edward the fowerth had bene determined, as concerning the streight line, if the ofspring of king Henry the seuenth, and Quene. Elizabeth his wyfe, were not yet liuing. But if that (at any tyme) faile: then must they seke for an heyr in the collateral line.

Therfore it is to be noted, that the before men∣tioned Richard Plantagenet Duke of York (which was slayn by Henry the sixt in the battail of wake∣feild, and of whose progenie we now speake,) had three sonnes: to witt, king Edward the fowerth: George Duke of Clarence, and Richard Duke of Glocestre. Now then, for default of issue in lineal descent from Edward the eldest brother, we must haue recourse (as is before sayd) vnto the collateral descent, that is, to George Duke of Clarenee, the

second brother, and to his succession. For to speak any more of Richard the yongest brother, whiche dyed without issue, it were superfluouse.

George then, duke of Clarēce (,yonger brother to Edward the fowerth) had by his vyfe, Isabell (Countesse of VVarwik and Sarisbury) two chil∣dren, to witt, Edward and Margaret. This George vpon suspition of treason to affect the kyngdome, was by kyng Edward his brother priuilye put to deathe: And his sonne Edward being but a child emprisoned in the Tower of lond, where he was deteined vntill at last, vpon lyke surmise, kinge Henry the seuenth stroke of his head But the sayd Lady Margaret, Countesse of Sarisburie, was maried to Sir Richard pole knight, by whom she had diuers sonnes: to wytt, Henry, Arthur, Geffray, & Reinald, the same, which afterward for his rare vertues and singular wisdome and learning, was aduaunced to the dignitie of a Cardinal, and called Cardinal Pole. Henry the eldest brother (to omitt the rest) had two daughters: Catharin Pole the elder sister, whi∣che was maried to Francise Hastinges, Erle of Huntingdon: and VVenefride the yonger sister. Of whiche VVenefride there is no nede to speak any more: because there is yet liuing, descended of the sayd Ladye Catharin, a plentifull generation. Thus it is euident and very playn that whan the lineal descent in bloode from king Henry the se∣uenth and Queene Elizabeth, his wyfe shall fayle: then must the right of the white Rose, that is to saye, of the house of Yorke, whiche dyd spring of king Edward the fowerth be transplanted, and be deriued by a collateral lyne from George Duke of Clarence vnto the house of the Poles, and so vnto the house of haftings or Hūtingdon.

Yet is there an other braunche sprong out of

the same stock, I mean from Edward the third in a long course of descent. And that is Philip the king Catholique of Spayn descended from Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancastre, third sonne of king Edward the third. For the sayd Iohn of Gaunt had two daughters: Philipp and Catharin. This Ladye Philipp was mother to Edward king of Portugal: of whome all other the kings of Portugal, sithince that tyme till this day, are descended. This Edward king of Portugal was father to Eleonor the Empe∣resse, whiche was mother to Maximilian, the Em∣peror: father to Philipp king of Castil, father to that most victoriouse Emperour Charles the fift, father to the most prudent Prince, Philipp, the King Ca∣tholik of Spayn, now raigning, & to the most gra∣ciouse Ladye Marie, mother to Rudolphus now Emperour.

But (no to omitt any thing which appertey∣neth to the Royall succession) I think it good to adde a word or two touching the Lady Margaret Duglasse, Aunt (that is to saye, sister to the father) of my Soueraign Lady, now Queene of Scotland: her mean whiche was maried to the Erle of Leneux: a mariage verie plausible to king Henrye the eight, or he indued her with great possessiōs in England: this Ladye Margaret had by the sayd Erle two sonnes, Henry and Charles. Atferward the same Henry went in to Scotland to visit his father: and sing in the Court there, a comely yong gentlemā, verie personable, and of great expectation, fownd suche fauour in the sight of that most Gratiouse Queene of Scotland, as her Maiestie created hym Duke of Albanie & Erle of Rosse: And there with∣al she made a speciall choyse of hym to be her hus∣band: thynking therby, that (because he was born and brought vp in England) her right and title

might be more fortifyed, and all surmised defectes supplied, yf any thing there were that coulde be obiected against her Maiestie.

After this Mariage betwene that most noble Queene and the sayd Henry was solemnized and consummate: her Grace had by hym a sonne, my said Soueraign now king of Scotland, called Iames the sixt: A noble Prince, of heroical towardnesse, and of the best hope: the vndoubted laufull heir of that most gratiouse Queene: representing allwayes from his infancie a liuely Image of his mother and of her beautie, vertues and graces.

Thus muche in few woordes concerning the succession of the Croune of England, and of those persones which clame any interest therein. But (to the ende that all thinges may be more perfectlye discerned) I haue caused to be sett downe, in a table hereunto annexed, all the degrees of descents, both lineal and collaterall from king Edward the third, from whome eyther of those two families of York & Lancastre doe take their begynning: In whiche table, the whole order and pro∣cesse of that noble stocke, hanging to∣gether in a continuall course of succession, may most easily appeare at the first sight.

Here is to folowe a Table of the sayd Genealogie.

Notes

• Queene of Scots right heir appa∣rent of the Croune of England.
• A vvomā may haue the king∣dome of England.
• Margaret King Hēry the seuenth his eldest daughter, graund∣mother to the Scottish Queene.
• The argu∣mēt of this vvorke.
• The pro∣cesse of the descent of the houses of York & Lancastre, and their diuersites in Armu∣rye.
• The cause of debate, betvvene the houses of Yorke and Lan∣castre.
• Polidor li. 16 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• Polidor li. 21. in ini∣tio.
• The vnion of the hou∣ses of York and Lanca∣stre.
• The yssue of Kinge Henry the seuenth.
• The yssue of Queene Margaret of Scotlād.
• The yssue of Marye the Frēche Queene.
• The yssue of King Edvvard the fouerth
• The colla∣terall lyne of the suc∣cession.
• Cardinal Pole.
• The novv Emperor and King Philip are descended from King Edvvard the third.