The plain Englishman's historian, or, A compendious chronicle of England from its first being inhabited to this present year 1679 but more especially containing the chief remarques of all our Kings and Queens since the conquest, their lives and reigns, policies, wars, laws, successes, and troubles : with the most notable accidents, as dearths, tempests, monstrous births, and other prodigies that happened in each of their times respectively / by H.C.

CHAP. XVII. King Edward the Fourth.

DUke Edward being acknowledg'd King, was not at leisure to attend the Ce∣remony of Coronation, but must once more fight for a Crown before he wears it. For King Henry had got together an Army in the North of threescore thousand, against whom King Edward marcht, having not forty thousand, and therefore being inferi∣or in number, ordered no Quarter to be given; which occasion'd a mighty slaughter, there being slain that day six and thirty thousand seaven hundred threescore and sixteen Persons, whereby King Henry's Ar∣my being totally routed, he with his Queen and Prince fled to the King of Scots for Aid, and soon after the Queen went on the same Errand into France; in the mean time Edward is triumphantly Crown∣ed the twenty eighth of June 1461.

Some time after King Henry (on what occasion is not known, unless led by the Ill hand of Destiny) venturing in disguise in∣to England, is taken in Lincoln-shire, and brought Prisoner to the Tower of London;

but is once more to be made the sport of treacherous Fortune. For King Edward sending his great Champion the Earl of Warwick into France to treat about a Mar∣riage for him with the Lady Bona Sister to that Queen, who having proceeded far therein, the King in the mean time falls in Love with and marries the Lady Elizabeth Gray, Widdow of Sir John Gray of Groby. This odd Action so far disobliged the Earl of Warwick at his return, finding his Em∣bassy frustrated, the Lady Bona deluded, the French King deluded, and himself made the Instrument of all this; that he resolves to set up King Henry once again, whom he had before pull'd down; to which Purpose he confederates with the Duke of Clarence, King Edward's Brother, but at that time affronted; these raise Forces, and surprize King Edward in his Bed, near Berwick; but he soon makes shift to escape from them, and forces Warwick to fly the Land, but, being invited by the People, returns, and gathers so great a Strength, that King Edward, unable to resist it, is himself for∣ced to fly beyond Sea to the Duke of Bur∣goine.

Now the victorious Earl of Warwick re∣leases King Henry from his Imprisonment

in the Tower, where he had lain almost nine Years; and Edward is every where proclaim'd a Traitor, yet by and by assisted by the Duke of Burgoine, lands in Yorkshire, declaring on Oath, that he came only to recover his own Inheritance; whereby the People thought he meant only his Duke∣dome, and therefore would not oppose him, whereas the sequel shew'd he intend∣ed the Crown. For the Duke of Clarence being reconciled to him, he marches for London (Warwick at Coventry being unable to fight him.) Here King Henry, who seem'd rather wholly passive than active in all these turmoils, is delivered into his hands; and the Earl of Warwick coming to Barnet is engaged by King Edward, and kill'd, but not without ten thousand Lives to accompany him. All this time Queen Margaret was detained by tempests in France, but when 'twas too late, landed at Wey∣mouth, but is defeated in Glocestershire, and taken, with her Son, who being bold in his Answers to King Edward was kill'd by crookback'd Richard, the King's Brother. Queen Margaret was afterwards ransom'd by her Father for great Sums of Money, and the pious but unfortunate King Henry, soon after this Overthrow of his Friends,

struck to the Heart with a Dagger by the said Crookback'd Duke of Gloce∣ster.

King Edward being thus at Peace at home Anno 1474, goes over with an Ar∣my into France, demanding that Crown; but the Duke of Burgoine failing in his Pro∣mises, a Peace was concluded, on Condi∣tion that the French King should pay fifty thousand Crowns a Year during the Life of King Edward; who on the nineteenth of April 1483, preparing for a second War with France for Non-payment of that Tri∣bute, dyed at Westminster, leaving two Sons under age and several Daughters. He was one of the Goodliest Personages in the World, exceeding tall and majestical, ne∣ver any man that married purely for Love, did so little love marriage says Sir Richard Baker; for he took as much Pleasure in other mens Wives as his own; being wont to say, that he had three Concubines that in their se∣veral Properties were excellent, one the merry∣est, another the subtilest, and the third the Holi∣est Harlot in his Realm, as one whom no man could lightly get out of the Church to any place unless it were to his Bed. The merriest here intended was Jane Shore, a Cittizen's Wife, who afterwards died miserably.

This King Reigned twenty two Years and one Moneth, in which time though there were wonderful Slaughters by Wars, yet two Pestilences happen'd that swept away more than the Sword.