Venturum virtutis indelebile lumen Celso animâ— prorsus leni quoque pectore ciues Nâ—n solum at iustos hostes fideÃquâ— probatae Dilexit niueo raro iraâ—undior ore Of learned men and writers these I find remembred by Bale and others to haue liued in the daies of this noble and valiant king Henrie the fift First Alaine de Lin borne in Lin and professed a Carmelite frier in that towne he at length became prior of that conuent proceeded doctor of diuinitie in Cambridge and wrote manie treatises Thomas Otterborne that wrote an historie of England is thought to liue about this season he was a Franciscan or graie frier as they called them a great student both in diuinitie and philosophie Iohn Seguard an excellent poet and a rhetorician kept a schoole and read to his scholers in Norwich as is supposed writing sundrie treatises reproouing as well the profaning of the christian religion in monks and priests as the abuse of poetrie in those that tooke vpon them to write filthie verses and rimes Robert Rose a frier of the Carmelites order in Norwich commonlie called the white friers both an excellent philosopher and diuine procéeded doctor at Oxenford promoted to be prior of his house and writing diuerse treatises amongst all the sophists of his time as saith Bale he offended none of the Wickleuists who in that season set foorth purelie the word of God as maie appeare by his workes Moreouer Iohn Lucke a doctor of diuinitie in Oxenford a sore enimie to the Wiekleuists Richard Caister borne in Norfolke vicar of saint Stephans in Norwich a man of great holinesse and puritie in life fauouring though secretlie the doctrine of the Wickleuists and reproouing in his sermons the vnchast manners and filthie example that appeared in the cleargie Of sir Iohn Oldcastell lord Cobham ye haue heard before William Walleis a blacke frier in Lin and prouinciall of his order here in England made a booke of moralizations vpon Ouids Metamorphôseis comparable to postils vpon Aesops Fables Richard Snetisham a student in Oxenford where he profited so greatlie in learning and wisedome that he was accounted the chéefest in all that vniuersitie in respect whereof he was made chancellor of the same chosen also to be one of the twelue to examine and iudge vpon Wickliffes doctrine by the archbishop of Canturburie Iohn Langdene a monke of Christes church in Canturburie an other of those twelue William Tailor a priest and a master of art in Oxenford a stedfast follower of Wickliffes doctrine burnt for the same in Smithfield at London the second day of March in the yeare of our Lord 1422 last of king Henrie the fift his reigne Furthermore Richard Grasdale student in Oxenford one of those twelue also William Lindwood a lawier excellentlie learned as well in the ciuill as canon lawes aduanced to the seruice of this king and made by him kéeper of the priuie seale sent in ambassage both to the kings of Spaine and Portingale about businesse of most weightie importance It is said that he was promoted to the bishoprike of saint Dauid Bartholomew Florarius supposed as Bale saith by Nicholas Brigham to be an Englishman wrote a treatise called Florarium whereof he tooke his surname and also an other treatise of abstinence in which he reprooueth certeine corrupt manners in the cleargie and the profession of friers mendicants Adam Hemmelington a Carmelite frier studied both in Oxenford and Paris William Batecombe is placed by Bale about the time of other learned men that liued in this kings time he was an excellent mathematician as by the the title of his works which he wrote it should appeare Titus Liuius de Foro Luuisiis liued also in these daies an Italian borne but sith he was both resiant here and wrote the life of this king I haue thought good to place him among other of our English writers One there was that translated the said historie into English adding as it were by waie of notes in manie places of that booke sundrie things for the more large vnderstanding of the historie a copie line 10 whereof I haue séene belonging to Iohn Stow citizen of London There was also about the same time an other writer who as I remember hath followed the said Liuius in the order of his booke as it were chapter for chapter onelie changing a good familiar and easie stile which the said Liuius vsed into a certeine poeticall kind of writing a copie whereof I haue séene in the life of this king partlie followed belonging to master Iohn Twine of Kent who as I was informed meant to leaue to posteritie some fruits of his labours for the due vnderstanding thereof Thus farre Henrie the fift sonne and successor to Henrie the fourth Henrie the sixt sonne and heire to Henrie the fift AFter that death had bereft the world of that noble prince king Henrie the fift his onelie sonne prince Henrie being of the age of nine moneths or thereabouts with the sound of trumpets was openlie proclamed king of England and France line 20 the thirtith daie of August by the name of Henrie the sixt in the yeare of the world fiue thousand three hundred eightie and nine after the birth of our Sauiour 1422 about the twelfe yeare of the emperour Frederike the third the fortith and two and last of Charles the sixt and the third yeare of Mordaks regiment after his father Robert gouernour of Scotland The custodie of this yoong prince was appointed to Thomas duke of Excester to Henrie Beauford bishop of Winchester The duke of Bedford was line 30 deputed regent of France and the duke of Glocester was ordeined protectour of England who taking vpon him that office called to him wise and graue councellors by whose aduise he prouided and tooke order as well for the good gouernment of the realme subiects of the same at home as also for the maintenance of the warres abroad and further conâ—uest to be made in France appointing valiant and expert capteins which should be readie when need required Besides this he gathered great summes of line 40 monie to mainteine men of warre and left nothing forgotten that might aduance the good estate of the realme While these things were a dooing in England the duke of Bedford regent of France studied most earnestlie not onelie to keepe and well order the countries by king Henrie late conquered but also determined not to leaue off warre trauell till Charles the Dolphin which was now assâ—te because king Charles his father in the moneth of October in this present yeare was departed to God should either be subdued or brought to obeisance And suerlie the death of this king Charles caused alterations in France For a great manie of the nobilitie which before either for feare of the English puissance or for the loue of this king Charles whose authoritie they followed held on the English part did now reuolt to the Dolphin with all indeuour
with all funerall solemnitie buried in the cathedrall church of our ladie in Rone on the north side of the high altar vnder a sumptuous and costlie monument Which toome when king Lewes the eleauenth by certeine vndiscreet persons was line 50 counselled to deface affirming that it was a great dishonour both to the king and to the realme to see the enimie of his father and theirs to haue so solemne and rich a memoriall he answered saieng What honour shall it be to vs or to you to breake this monument and to pull out of the ground the dead bones of him whome in his life neither my father nor your progenitours with all their power puissance and fréends were once able to make flée one foot backward but by his strength wit and policie kept them line 60 all out of the principall dominions of the realme of France and out of this noble and famous duchie of Normandie Wherefore I saie first God haue his soule and let his bodie now lie in rest which when he was aliue would haue disquieted the proudest of vs all And as for the toome I assure you it is not so decent nor conuenient as his honour and acts deserued although it were much richer and more beautifull The frost was so extreame this yeare beginning about the fiue and twentith daie of Nouember and continuing till the tenth of Februarie that the ships with merchandize arriuing at the Thames mouth could not come vp the riuer so their lading there faine to be discharged was brought to the citâ—e by land After the death of that noble prince the duke of Bedford the bright sunne in France toward Englishmen began to be cloudie and dailie to darken the Frenchmen began not onelie to withdrawe their obedience by oth to the king of England but also tooke sword in hand openlie rebelled Howbeit all these mishaps could not anie thing abash the valiant courages of the English people for they hauing no mistrust in God and good fortune set vp a new saile began the warre afresh and appointed for regent in France Richard duke of Yorke sonne to Richard earle of Cambridge Although the duke of Yorke was worthie both for birth and courage of this honor and preferment yet so disdeined of Edmund duke of Summerset being cousine to the king that by all means possible he sought his hinderance as one glad of his losse and sorie of his well dooing by reason whereof yer the duke of Yorke could get his dispatch Paris and diuerse other of the cheefest places in France were gotten by the French king The duke of Yorke perceiuing his euill will openlie dissembled that which he inwardlie minded either of them working things to the others displeasure till through malice diuision betwéene them at length by mortall warre they were both consumed with almost all their whole lines and ofspring The Normans of the countrie of Caux being heartened by the death of the duke of Bedford began a new rebellion slue diuerse Englishmen robbed manie townes that were vnder the English obeisance and tooke the towne of Harflue by assault and diuerse other townes But the lord regent being aduertised sent foorth the lord Scales sir Thomas Kiriell and the lord Hoo which so afflicted those rebels of Caux that they slue aboue fiue thousand persons and burnt all the townes and villages in the countrie not being walled so that in that part was neither habitation nor tillage for all the people fled into Britaine and all the beasts of the countrie were brought to Caudebecke where a good sheepe was sold for an English penie and a Cow for twelue pence Dailie was skirmishing and fighting in euerie part in so much that the lord Scales at the Rie beside Rone discomfited the Hire and fiftéene hundred valiant Frenchmen of the which aboue thrée hundred were taken prisoners beside the gaine of seauen faire coursers Amongst other of the prisoners were sir Richard Reginald de Fountaines sir Alain Gerond Alain Monsaie and Geffrie Grame capteine of the Scots But yet this victorie and others the like staied not the Frenchmen from working treason dailie insomuch that diuers townes turned to the part of K. Charles and some were taken by practise as Diepe Bois Uincennes and others ¶ So that here partlie was accomplished the prophesie of Henrie the fift giuen out in the ninth yeare of his reigne when he laie at siege before Meaux that Henrie of Windsore should loose all that Henrie of Monmouth had gotten for so they are named according to the place of their natiuitie and this prediction was complet and full by that time the yeares of his regiment were expired But heere is one cheefe point to be noted that either the disdeine amongest the cheefe péeres of the realme of England as yée haue heard or the negligence of the kings councell which did not foresée dangers to come was the losse of the whole dominion of France betwéene the riuers of Sone and Marne and in especiall of the noble citie of Paris For where before there were sent ouer thousands foâ— defense of the holds and fortresses now were sent hundreds yea and scores some rascals and some not able to draw a bowe or carrie a bill for the lord Willoughbie and the bishop of Terwine which had the gouernance of the great citie of Paris year 1436 had in their companie not two thousand Englishmen Which weakenesse king Charles well perceiued and therefore by authoritie appointed the constable Arthur of Britaine the earle of Dunois the lords de la Roch and Lisle Adam with other valiant capteins and men of warre as well Burgognions as French to go before Paris trusting by fauour of line 10 certeine citizens with whome he had intelligence shortlie to be lord of the citie without great losse or battell So these capteins came before the citie of Paris But perceiuing that all things succeeded not according to their expectation they returned to Mont Martyr and the next daie suddenlie set on the towne of saint Denis and constreined the Englishmen that kept it to flée into the abbeie and into the tower Uenin In this conflict two hundred Englishmen were slaine the residue vpon reasonable composition line 20 rendered vp the place and departed to Paris Thomas lord Beaumont who of late was come to Paris with eight hundred men issued foorth with six hundred souldiers intending to view the dooings and number of the French armie but suddenlie compassed about within a small space was discomfited and taken with him fourescore prisoners beside two hundred slaine in the field the remnant chased to the verie gates of the citie The Parisiens and especiallie line 30 the maister of the halles and some of the vniuersitie and Michaell Lallier and manie notable burgesses of the citie who euer with an English countenance couered a French hart perceiuing the weaknesse of the Englishmen and force of the French signified to the French capteins their toward minds
were persuaded than vanquished taught than ouerthrowne quietlie pacified than rigorouslie persecuted Ye require to haue the statute of six articles reuiued And know you what ye require Or know ye what ease ye haue with the losse of them They were lawes made but quicklie repented too bloudie they were to be borne of our people yet at the first in deed made of some necessitie Oh subiects how are ye trapped by euill persons We of pitie bicause they were bloudie tooke them awaie and you now of ignorance will aske them againe You know full well that they helped vs to extend rigour and gaue vs cause to draw our sword verie often And since our mercie mooued vs to write our lawes with milke and equitie how are ye blinded to aske them in bloud But leauing this maner of reasoning and resorting to the truth of our authoritie we let you wit the same hath béene adnulled by parlement with great reioise of our subiects and not now to be called in question And dareth anie of you with the name of a subiect stand against an act of parlement a law of the realme What is our power if lawes should be thus neglected Or what is your suertie if lawes be not kept Assure you most suerlie that we of no earthlie thing vnder the heauen make such reputation as we doo of this one to haue our lawes obeied this cause of God to be throughlie mainteined from the which we will neuer remoue a heares bredth nor giue place to anie creature liuing but therein will spend our whole roiall person our crowne treasure realme and all our state whereof we assure you of our high honor For herein resteth our honor herein doo all kings knowledge vs a king And shall anie one of you dare breath or thinke against our kingdome and crowne In the end of this your request as we be giuen to vnderstand ye would haue them stand in force till our full age To this we thinke that if ye knew what ye spake ye would not haue vttred the motion nor neuer giuen breath to such a thought For what thinke you of our kingdome Be we of lesse authoritie for our age Be we not your king now as we shall be Shall ye be subiects hereafter and now are ye not Haue we not the right we shall haue If ye would suspend and hang our dooings in doubt vntill our full age ye must first know as a king we haue no difference of yeares but as a naturall man and creature of God we haue youth and by his sufferance shall haue age We are your rightfull king your liege lord the souereigne prince of England not by our age but by Gods ordinance not onelie when we shall be one and twentie yeares of age but when we were of ten yéers We possesse our crowne not by yeares but by the bloud and descent from our father king Henrie the eight If it be considered they which mooue this matter if they durst vtter themselues would denie our kingdome But our good subiects know their prince and will increase not diminish his honor inlarge his power not abate it knowledge his kingdome not deferre it to certeine yeares All is one to speake against our crowne and to denie our kingdome as to require that our lawes maie be broken vnto one and twentie yeares Be we not your crowned annointed and established king Wherein be we of lesse maiestie of lesse authoritie or lesse state than our progenitors kings of this realme except your vnkindnes your vnnaturalnesse will diminish our estimation We haue hitherto since the death of our father by the good aduise and counsell of our deare and intirelie beloued vncle the duke of Summerset and gouernor and protector kept our estate mainteined our realme preserued our honour defended our people from all enimies We haue hitherto béene feared and dread of our enimies yea of princes kings and nations Yea herein we be nothing inferiour to anie our progenitors which grace we acknowledge to be giuen vs from God and how else but by good obedience line 10 good counsell of our magistrates and by the authoritie of our kingdome England hitherto hath gained honour during our reigne it hath woone of the enimie and not lost It hath béene maruelled that wée of so yoong yeares haue reigned so noblie so roiallie so quietlie And how chanceth that you our louing subiects of that our countrie of Cornewall and Deuonshire will giue occasion to slander this our realme of England to giue courage to the enimie to note our realme of line 20 the euill of rebellion to make it a preie to our old enimies to diminish our honour which God hath giuen our father left our good vncle and councell preserued vnto vs What greater euill could ye commit than euen now when our forren enimie in Scotland and vpon the sea seeketh to inuade vs to doo our realme dishonour than to arise in this maner against our law to prouoke our wrath to aske our vengeance and to giue vs an occasion to spend that force vâ—on you which we meant to bestow vpon our enimies to line 30 begin to slaie you with that sword that we drew forth against Scots and other enimies to make a conquest of our owne people which otherwise should haue beene of the whole realme of Scotland Thus farre we haue descended from our high maiestie for loue to consider you in your simple ignorance and haue béene content to send you an instruction like a father who of iustice might haue sent you your destructions like a king to rebels And now we let you know that as you sée our mercie abundantlie line 40 so if ye prouoke vs further we sweare to you by the liuing God ye shall féele the power of the same God in our sword which how mightie it is no subiect knoweth how puissant it is no priuat man can iudge how mortall no Englishman dare thinke But suerlie suerlie as your lord and prince your onlie king and maister we saie to you repent your selues and take our mercie without delaie or else we will foorthwith extend our princelie power and execute our sharpe sword against you as against infidels line 50 and Turks and rather aduenture our owne roiall person state and power than the same should not be executed And if you will proue the example of our mercie learne of certeine which latlie did arise as they perceiuing pretended some griefes and yet acknowledging their offenses haue not onelie most humblie their pardon but féele also by our order to whome onelie all publike order apperteineth present redresse of their griefes In the end we admonish you of line 60 your duties to God whome ye shall answere in the daie of the Lord of your duties toward vs whom ye shall answere by our order and take our mercie whilest God so inclineth vs least when ye shall be constreined to aske we shall be two much hardened in heart to grant it
before the citie of Mauns were aduertised that our mother was besieged in Mirabeau and therfore we hasted so fast as we possibly might so that we came thither on Lammas daie and there we tooke our nephue Arthur Hugh le line 20 Brun Andrew de Chauenie the vicount of Chateau Erald Raimond de Touars Sauerie de Mauleon and Hugh Bangi and all other enimies of Poictou that were there assembled against vs to the number of two hundred knights and aboue so that not one of them escaped Giue God therefore thanks and reioise at our good successe The French king at the same time lieng in siege line 30 before Arques immediatlie vpon the newes of this ouerthrow raised from thence and returned homewards destroieng all that came in his waie till he was entred into his owne countrie It is said that king Iohn caused his nephue Arthur to be brought before him at Falais and there went about to persuade him all that he could to forsake his freendship and aliance with the French king and to leane and sticke to him being his naturall vncle But Arthur line 40 like one that wanted good counsell and abounding too much in his owne wilfull opinion made a presumptuous answer not onelie denieng so to doo but also commanding king Iohn to restore vnto him the realme of England with all those other lands and possessions which king Richard had in his hand at the houre of his death For sith the same apperteined to him by right of inheritance he assured him except restitution were made the sooner he should not long continue quiet King Iohn being sore mooued with line 50 such words thus vttered by his nephue appointed as before is said that he should be straitlie kept in prison as first in Falais and after at Roan within the new castell there Thus by means of this good successe the countries of Poictou Touraine and Aniou were recouered Shortlie after king Iohn comming ouer into England caused himselfe to be crowned againe at Canturburie by the hands of Hubert the archbishop there on the fourteenth day of Aprill and then went line 60 backe againe into Normandie where immediatlie vpon his arriuall a rumour was spred through all France of the death of his nephue Arthur True it is that great suit was made to haue Arthur set at libertie as well by the French king as by William de Riches a valiant baron of Poictou and diuerse other Noble men of the Britains who when they could not preuaile in their suit they banded themselues togither and ioining in confederacie with Robert earle of Alanson the vicount Beaumont William de Fulgiers and other they began to leuie sharpe wars against king Iohn in diuerse places insomuch as it was thought that so long as Arthur liued there would be no quiet in those parts wherevpon it was reported that king Iohn through persuasion of his councellors appointed certeine persons to go vnto Falais where Arthur was kept in prison vnder the charge of Hubert de Burgh and there to put out the yoong gentlemans eies But through such resistance as he made against one of the tormentors that came to execute the kings commandement for the other rather forsooke their prince and countrie than they would consent to obeie the kings authoritie héerein and such lamentable words as he vttered Hubert de Burgh did preserue him from that iniurie not doubting but rather to haue thanks than displeasure at the kings hands for deliuering him of such infamie as would haue redounded vnto his highnesse if the yoong gentleman had béene so cruellie dealt withall For he considered that king Iohn had resolued vpon this point onelie in his heat and furie which moueth men to vndertake manie an inconuenient enterprise vnbeseeming the person of a common man much more reprochfull to a prince all men in that mood being meere foolish and furious and prone to accomplish the peruerse conceits of their ill possessed heart as one saith right well pronus in iram Stultorum est unimus facilè excandescit audet Omne scelus quoties concepta bile tumescit and that afterwards vpon better aduisement he would both repent himselfe so to haue commanded and giue them small thanke that should sée it put in execution Howbeit to satisfie his mind for the time and to staie the rage of the Britains he caused it to be bruted abroad through the countrie that the kings commandement was fulfilled and that Arthur also through sorrow and greefe was departed out of this life For the space of fiftéene daies this rumour incessantlie ran through both the realmes of England and France and there was ringing for him through townes and villages as it had béene for his funerals It was also bruted that his bodie was buried in the monasterie of saint Andrewes of the Cisteaux order But when the Britains were nothing pacified but rather kindled more vehementlie to worke all the mischeefe they could deuise in reuenge of their souereignes death there was no remedie but to signifie abroad againe that Arthur was as yet liuing and in health Now when the king heard the truth of all this matter he was nothing displeased for that his commandement was not executed sith there were diuerse of his capteins which vttered in plaine words that he should not find knights to keepe his castels if he dealt so cruellie with his nephue For if it chanced any of them to be taken by the king of France or other their aduersaries they should be sure to tast of the like cup. ¶ But now touching the maner in verie deed of the end of this Arthur writers make sundrie reports Neuerthelesse certeine it is that in the yeare next insuing he was remooued from Falais vnto the castell or tower of Rouen out of the which there was not any that would confesse that euer he saw him go aliue Some haue written that as he assaied to haue escaped out of prison and proouing to clime ouer the wals of the castell he fell into the riuer of Saine and so was drowned Other write that through verie gréefe and languor he pined awaie and died of naturall sicknesse But some affirme that king Iohn secretlie caused him to be murthered and made awaie so as it is not throughlie agréed vpon in what sort he finished his daies but verelie king Iohn was had in great suspicion â—â—ether worthilie or not the lord knoweth Yet how extreamelie soeuer he delt with his nephue he released and set at libertie diuerse of those lords that were taken prisoners with him namelie Hugh le Brun and Sauerie de Mauleon the one to his great trouble and hinderance and the other to his gaine for Hugh le Brun afterwards leuied and occasioned sore warres against him but Sauerie de Mauleon continued euer after his loiall subiect dooing to him verie agréeable seruice as hereafter may appeare The Lord Guie sonne to the vicount of Touars who had taken Arthurs mother Constance
king Iohn also came the 15 daie of Iune and shewed such friendlie countenance towards euerie one of them that they were put in good hope he meant no deceipt Being thus met they fell in consultation about an agréement to be had On the kings part as it were sate the archbishops of Canturburie and Dublin the bishops of London Winchester Lincolne Bath Worcester Couentrie Rochester and Pandulph the popes Nuncio with Almerike master of the knights templers the earles of Penbroke Salisburie Warren Arundell Alane de Galoway William Fitz Gerald Peter Fitz Herbert Alane Basset Hugh de Neuill Hubert de Burgh seneschall of Poictou Robert de Ropley Iohn Marshall and Philip de Albenie On the barons part there were innumerable for all the nobilitie of England was in a maner assembled there togither Finallie when the king measuring his owne strength with the barons perceiued that he was not able to resist them he consented to subscribe and seale to such articles concerning the liberties demâ—nded in forme for the most part as is conteined in the two charters Magna Charta and Charta de Foresta beginning Iohannes Deigratia c. And he did not onlie grant vnto them their petitions touching the forsaid liberties but also to win him further credit was contented that they should choose out certeine graue and honourable personages which should haue authoritie and power to sée those things performed which he then granted vnto them There were twentie fiue of those that were so elected namelie these The earles of Clare Albemarle Glocester Winchester and Hereford also earle Roger earle Robert earle Marshall the yoonger line 10 Robert Fitz Walter the yoonger Gilbert de Clare Eustace de Uescie Hugh Bigot William de Mowbray the maior of London Gilbert de la Uale Robert de Roos Iohn constable of Chester Richard de Percie Iohn Fitz Robert William Mallet Geffrey de Saie Roger de Mowbray William de Huntingfield Richard de Mountfichet and William de Albenie These fiue and twentie were sworne to sée the liberties granted and confirmed by the king to be in euerie point obserued but if he went against line 20 the same then they should haue authoritie to compell him to the obseruing of euerie of them Moreouer there were other that were sworne to be obedient and as it were assistant vnto these fiue and twentie péeres in such things as they should appoint which were these The earle of Arundell the earle Warren by his attornie Henrie Doilie Hubert de Burgh Matthew Fitz Herbert Robert de Pinknie Roger Huscarle Robert de Newburgh Henrie de Pont Audoin Rafe de la Hay Henrie line 30 de Brentfield Warren Fitz Gerald Thomas Basset William de Buckland William de saint Iohn Alane Basset Richard de Riuers Hugh de Boneuale Iordain de Sackuille Ralfe Musgraue Richard Siflewast Robert de Ropeley Andrew de Beauchampe Walter de Dunstable Walter Folioth Foukes de Brent Iohn Marshall Philip Daubnie William de Perca Ralfe de Normandie William de Percie William Agoilum Engerand line 40 de Pratellis William de Cirenton Roger de Zuche Roger Fitz Barnard and Godfrie de Grancombe It was further ordered that the chatelains or constables as I may call them of the foure castels of Northampton Killingworth Notingham and Scarborow should be sworne to the fiue and twentie péeres to gouerne those castels in such wise as they should haue in commandement from the said fiue and twentie péeres or from the greater part of them and that such should be placed as chatelains in the same as were thought to be most true and line 50 faithfull vnto the barons and the realme ¶ It was also decreed that certeine strangers as Flemings and other should be banished out of England The king herevpon sent his letters patents vnto the shiriffes of all the counties of this realme commanding them to see the ordinances and liberties which he granted and confirmed to be diligentlie obserued And for the more strengthening of this his grant he had gotten the pope to confirme a like charter line 60 granted the yeare before For the pope sith king Iohn was become his obedient vassall and the apostolike king easilie granted to gratifie both him and his lords herein and so was the grant of the liberties corroborated made good with a double confirmation and so sealed that it was impossible for them to be separated in sunder the kings grant being annexed to the popes bull Immediatlie also vpon the confirmation now made by the king diuerse lords came to him and required restitution of such possessions lands and houses as he had in his hands the right whereof as they alledged apperteined to them but he excused the matter and shifted them off till by inquest taken it might appeare what right euerie man had to those things which they then claimed and furthermore assigned them a daie to be holden at Westminster which was the sixtéenth day of Iulie But yer he restored at that time the castell of Rochester vnto the archbishop of Canturburie the barons hauing obteined a great peece of their purpose as they thought returned to London with their charter sealed the date whereof was this Giuen by our owne hand in the medow called Kuningsmede or Rimemede betwixt Stanes and Windsore the fifteenth of Iune in the eighteenth yeare of our reigne Great reioising was made for this conclusion of peace betwixt the king and his barons the people iudging that God had touched the kings heart and mollified it whereby happie daies were come for the realme of England as though it had béene deliuered out of the bondage of Aegypt but they were much deceiued for the king hauing condescended to make such grant of liberties farre contrarie to his mind was right sorowfull in his heart curssed his mother that bare him the houre that he was borne and the paps that gaue him sucke wishing that he had receiued death by violence of sword or knife in stéed of naturall norishment he whetted his teeth he did bite now on one staffe and now on an other as he walked and oft brake the same in péeces when he had doone and with such disordered behauiour and furious gestures he vttered his gréefe in such sort that the Noble men verie well perceiued the inclination of his inward affection concerning these things before the breaking vp of the councell and therefore sore lamented the state of the realme gessing what would follow of his impatiencie and displesant taking of the matter Herevpon they said among themselues Wo be to vs yea rather to the whole realme that wanteth a sufficient king and is gouerned by a tyrant that séeketh the subuersion therof Now hath our souereigne lord made vs subiect to Rome and to the Romish court so that we must henceâ—oorth obteine our protection from thence It is verie much to be feared least we doo féele hereafter some further peece of mischéefe to light vpon vs suddenlie
earle of Winchester being an earnest meane for him that he might so easilie escape About the same time was a generall truce taken betwixt the king and Lewes and all their partakers till the 20 day after Christmasse for the obteining of which truce as some write the castell of Berkehamstéed was surrendered vnto the same Lewes as before ye haue heard After Christmasse and whilest the truce yet dured year 1218 Lewes and the barons assembled at the councell which they held at Cambridge the lords that tooke part with the king met likewise at Oxford and much talke there was and great trauell imploied to haue concluded some agréement by composition betwixt the parties but it would not be nor yet anie longer truce which was also soâ—ght for could be granted wherevpon Lewes besieged the castell of Hidingham the which togither with the castels of Norwich Colchester and Oxford were surrendered vnto him to haue a truce granted vntill a moneth after Easter next insuing And so by this meanes all the east part of the realme came vnto the possession of Lewes For the I le of Elie was woon by his people a litle before the last truce whilest he himselfe lay in siege at Berkehamstéed except one fortresse belonging to the same I le into the which the souldiers that serued there vnder the king were withdrawen But yet although Lewes might seeme thus partlie to preuaile in hauing these castels deliuered into his hands yet being aduertised that dailie there reuolted diuerse of the barons of England vnto king Henrie which before had taken part with him he stood in great doubt and feare of the rest and therefore furnished all those castels which he had woone with conuenient garrisons and namelie the castell of Hertford and after went to London there to vnderstand what further trust he might put in the rest of the English lords and barons for as diuerse had alreadie forsaken him as it is said so the residue were doubtfull what they were best to doo For first they considered that the renouncing of their promised faith vnto Lewes whome they had sworne to mainteine as king of England should be a great reproch vnto them and againe they well saw that to continue in their obedience towards him should bring the realme in great danger sith it would be hard for any louing agréement to continue betwéene the French Englishmen their natures being so contrarie Thirdlie they stood somewhat in feare of the popes cursse pronounced by his legat both against Lewes and all his partakers Albeit on the other side to reuolt vnto king Henrie though the loue which they did beare to their countrie and the great towardnesse which they saw in him greatlie mooued them yet sith by reason of his yoong yeares he was not able either to follow the wars himselfe or to take counsell what was to be doone in publike gouernement they iudged it a verie dangerous case For whereas in wars nothing can be more expedient than to haue one head by whose appointment all things may be gouerned so nothing can be more hurtfull than to haue manie rulers by whose authoritie things shall passe and be ordered Wherefore these considerations staâ—ed and kept one part of the English lords still in obedience to Lewes namelie for that diuerse of the confederats thought that it stood not with their honours so to forsake him till they might haue some more honorable colour to reuolt from their promises or that the matter should be taken vp by some indifferent agréement to be concluded out of hand betwixt them Hervpon they resorted in like maner vnto London and there with Lewes tooke councell what was to be doone with their businesse touching the whole state of their cause ¶ Here ye shall note that before the concluding of this last truce Fouks de Brent the capteine of the castell of Bedford gat togither a number of souldiers out of the garrisons 〈◊〉 the castels of Oxford Northampton Bedford and Windsor and comming with them to S. Albons the 22 of Februarie he spoiled the towne abbie in like maner as he line 10 had doone all the townes and villages by the way as he passed through the countrie from Bedford vnto S. Albons The messengers which Lewes had remaining in the court of Rome signified vnto him about the same time that except he departed out of England the sentence of excommunication which Gualo or Walo the legat had pronounced against him should be confirmed by the pope on Maundie thursdaie next insuing Wherevpon Lewes was the more inclined line 20 to yéeld to the truce before mentioned that he might in the meane time go ouer into France to his father who had most earnestlie written and sent in commandement to him that in any wise he should returne home to talke with him and so about midlent after the truce was concluded he prepared himselfe and sailed ouer into France and as Polydor saith but with what authoritie I know not the king of Scots went also with him After his departure ouer William earle of Salisburie line 30 William earle of Arundell William earle Warren and diuerse other reuolted to king Henrie Moreouer William Marshall earle of Penbroke so trauelled with his son William Marshall the yoonger that he likewise came to take part with the yoong king whereby the side of Lewes and his Frenchmen was sore weakened and their harts no lesse appalled for the sequele of their affaires Lewes returned yet into England before the truce was expired The lords that held on the kings part in the absence line 40 of Lewes were not forgetfull to vse opportunitie of time for beside that they had procured no small number of those that before time held with Lewes to reuolt from him to the kings side they at one selfe time besieged diuerse castels and recouered them out of their aduersaries hands as Marlebrough Farneham Winchester Cicester and certeine other which they ouerthrew and raced bicause they should not be taken and kept againe by the enimie For ye must vnderstand that the going ouer of line 50 Lewes now at that time when it stood him most vpon to haue beene present here in that troublesome season which he ought to haue regarded with singular circumspection and warilie to haue watched for Virtus est vbi occasio admonet dispicere brought no small hinderance to the whole state of all his businesse in so much that he was neuer so highlie regarded afterwards among the Englishmen as before About the same time Ranulfe earle of Chester line 60 William earle of Albermarle William earle Ferrers Robert de Ueipount Brian de Lisle William de Cantlow Philip de Marc Robert de Gaugi Fouks de Brent others assembled their powers and comming to Mountsorell beside Loughborough in Leicestershire besieged the castell there the capteine whereof was one Henrie de Braibroke This Henrie defended the place right manfully and doubting to be in
Scots in great number entring England wasted the countrie with fire and line 30 sword whersoeuer they came The English lords that were left in trust with the keeping of those parties of the realme raised the whole power of the countries so that there came togither the number of an hundred thousand men vpon Baw moore where the generall assemblie was made and as it chanced the duke of Excester vncle to the king who had latelie before mustered a certeine number of men to conueie them ouer to the king as a new supplie to his armie there was the same time in the north parts on pilgrimage at Bridlington and hearing of this inuasion made line 40 by the Scots tooke vpon him to be generall of the armie prepared against them and to giue them battell Also the archbishop of Yorke although he was not able to sit on horssebacke by reason of his great age caused himselfe to be caried foorth in a charet in that iournie the better to incourage other But the Scots hearing that the Englishmen approched toward them with such a puissance withdrew backe into their countrie and durst not abide the bickering line 50 either because they mistrusted an infortunat euent on their side by reason of the English prowesse or else for that they had learned by others ouerthrowes to auoid the like wherein standeth a profitable point of wisedome as the poet verie sententiouslie saith Feliciter sapit qui in alieno periculo sapit The same time the lord Cobham sir Iohn Oldcastell whilest he shifted from place to place to escape the hands of them who he knew would be glad to laie hold on him had conueied himselfe in secret line 60 wise into an husbandmans house not farre from S. Albons within the precinct of a lordship belonging to the abbat of that towne The abbats seruants getting knowledge hereof came thither by night but they missed their purpose for he was gone but they caught diuerse of his men whome they caried streict to prison The lord Cobham herewith was sore dismaied for that some of them that were taken were such as he trusted most being of counsell in all his deuises In the same place were found books written in English and some of those books in times past had beene trimlie gilt liuined and beautified with images the heads whereof had béene scraped off and in the Letanie they had blotted foorth the name of our ladie and of other saints till they came to the verse Parce nobis Domine Diuerse writings were found there also in derogation of such honour as then was thought due to our ladie The abbat of saint Albons sent the booke so difigured with scrapings blottings out with other such writings as there were found vnto the king who sent the booke againe to the archbishop to shew the same in his sermons at Paules crosse in London to the end that the citizens and other people of the realme might vnderstand the purposes of those that then were called Lollards to bring them further in discredit with the people In this meane time that the king of England was occupied about Caen the Frenchmen had neither anie sufficient power to resist him nor were able to assemble an host togither in their necessitie by reason of the dissention among themselues for their king was so simple that he was spoiled both of treasure and kingdome so that euerie man spent and wasted he cared not what Charles the Dolphin being of the age of sixtéene or seauentéene yeares bewailed the ruine and decaie of his countrie he onlie studied the reléefe of the common-wealth and deuised how to resist his enimies but hauing neither men nor monie was greatlie troubled and disquieted in mind In conclusion by the aduise and counsell of the earle of Arminacke the constable of France he found a meane to get all the treasure riches which his moother queene Isabell had gotten and hoorded in diuerse secret places and for the common defense and profit of his countrie he wiselie bestowed it in waging souldiers and preparing of things necessarie for the warre The quéene forgetting the great perill that the realme then stood in remembring onelie the displeasure to hir by this act doone vpon a womanish malice set hir husband Iohn duke of Burgognie in the highest authoritie about the king giuing him the regiment and direction of the king and his realme with all preheminence souereigntie The duke of Burgognie hauing the sword in his hand in reuenge of old iniuries began to make warre on the Dolphin determining that when he had tamed this yoong vnbrideled gentleman then would he go about to withstand and beat backe the common enimies of the realme The like reason mooued the Dolphin for he minded first to represse the authours of ciuill discord before he would set vpon forreine enimies and therefore prepared to subdue and destroie the duke of Burgognie as the cheefe head of that mischeefe whereby the realme was vnquieted decaied and in manner brought to vtter ruine Thus was France afflicted and in euerie part troubled with warre and diuision and no man to prouide remedie nor once put foorth his finger for helpe or succour King Henrie in the meane time following victorie and his good successe sent the duke of Clarence to the sea coast where with great difficultie he got the towne of Baieux whereof the lord Matreuers was appointed capteine The duke of Glocester also finding small resistance tooke the citie of Liseaux of which citie sir Iohn Kirkleie was ordeined capteine King Henrie himselfe taried still at Caen fortifieng the towne and castell and put out fiftéene hundred women and impotent persons replenishing the towne with English people Where while the king soiourned he kept a solemne feast and made manie knights beside that he shewed there an example of great pitie and clemencie for in searching the castell he found innumerable substance of plate and monie belonging to the citizens whereof he would not suffer one penie to be touched but restored the same to the owners deliuering to euerie man that which was his owne When the fame of his mercifull dealing herein of his bountie to captiues and of his fauourable vsing of those that submitted themselues to his grace was spred abroad all the capteins of the townes adioining came willinglie to his presence offering to him themselues their townes and their goods whervpon he made proclamation that all men which had or would become his subiects and sweare to him allegiance should inioy their goods and liberties in as large or more ample maner than they did before line 10 which gentle interteining of the stubborne Normans was the verie cause why they were not onlie content but also glad to remooue and turne from the French part and become subiects to the crowne of England When the king had set Caen in good order he left there for capteins the one of
to driue the English nation out of the French territories Whereto they were the more earnestlie bent and thought it a thing of greater facilitie because of king Henries yoong yeares whome because he was a child they estéemed not but with one consent reuolted from their sworne fealtie as the recorder of the Englishmens battels with forren nations verie aptlie doth note saieng Hîc Franci puerum regem neglectui habentes Desciscunt violátque fidem gens perfida sacro Consilio ante datam The duke of Bedford being greatlie mooued with these sudden changes fortified his townes both with garrisons of men munition and vittels assembled also a great armie of Englishmen and Normans and so effectuouslie exhorted them to continue faithfull to their liege and lawfull lord yoong king Henrie that manie of the French capteins willinglie sware to king Henrie fealtie and obedience by whose example the communaltie did the same Thus the people quieted and the countrie established in order nothing was minded but warre and nothing spoken of but conquest The Dolphin which lay the same time in the citie of Poitâ—ers after his fathers deceasse caused himselfe to be proclamed king of France by the name of Charles the seuenth and in good hope to recouer his patrimonie with an haultie courage preparing war assembled a great armie and first the warre began by light skirmishes but after it grew into maine battels The Dolphin thinking not to lose anie occasions of well dooing sent the lord Grauile to the towne of Pont Meulan standing on the riuer of Seine who comming to the same vpon the sudden the fouretéenth of Ianuarie year 1423 tooke it and slue a great number of English souldiors which he found within it When the duke of Bedford the regent aduertised of this sudden surprise appointed the lord Thomas Montacute earle of Salisburie a man both for policie and courage liker to the old Romans than to line 10 men of his daies accompanied with the earle of Suffolke the lord Scales the yoong lord Poinings sir Iohn Fastolfe maister of the houshold with himselfe and diuerse others to besiege the said towne of Pont Meulan which after two moneths siege was rendred to the said earle and the lord Grauile sware â—o be true to the king of England euer after that day but shortlie after forgetting his oth he turned French againe The earle of Salisburie appointed sir Henrie line 20 Mortimer and sir Richard Uernon capteins of the towne and from thence went into Champaigne and there besieged the towne of Sens tooke it and sir William Marin the capteine within it and slue all the souldiors that kept it made capteins there sir Hugh Godding sir Richard Aubemond ¶ In this season Humfrie duke of Glocester either striken in loue or vpon some other occasion maried the ladie Iaquet or Iaquelin daughter and sole heire to William of Bauier duke of Holland which was lawfull line 30 wife to Iohn duke of Brabant then liuing who afterwards as after ye shall heare recouered hir out of the dukes hands The chances thus happening as you before haue heard Iohn duke of Bedford Philip duke of Burgognie and Iohn duke of Britaine made a fréendlie méeting in the citie of Amiens where they renewed the old league and ancient amitie made betwéene the noble prince king Henrie the fift and them adding thereto these conditions and agréements ech of them line 40 to be to the other fréend and aider and the enimie of the one to be enimie to the other and all they to be fréends and aiders to the king of England welwiller to his welwillers and aduersarie to his aduersaries And bicause that affinitie is commonlie the bond of amitie there was concluded a mariage betwéene the duke of Bedford and the ladie Anne sister to the duke of Burgognie which was after solemnized at Trois in Champaigne in the presence of the duke of Burgognie brother to the bride and of hir line 50 vncle the duke of Brabant the earles of Salisburie and Suffolke and of nine hundred lords knights and esquiers with such feast and triumph as before that time had not béene séene of the Burgognions Whilest these matters were in hand the Parisiens thinking to blind the eies of the duke of Bedford wrote to him how diuerse castels and fortresses lieng about their territories were replenished with their enimies dailie stopping their passages and robbing their merchants to their vtter vndooing if they line 60 by his helpe were not relieued But this was but a glose of the Parisiens meaning to cause him to go about the winning of some strong hold whilest they in his absence might bring into the citie Charles the Dolphin that then called himselfe French king for so had they appointed assigning to him the daie of his comming and the post of his entrie But their practise being discouered to the duke of Bedford he with a great power entered into Paris one daie before the faire was appointed two nights before he was looked for of his enimies being vnprouided and suddenlie caused the conspirators within the citie to be apprehended and openlie to be put to execution This doone putting a mistrust in the Parisiens he caused the castels and fortresses neere and adioining to the citie to be furnished with Englishmen And to auoid all night-watchers about Paris and the confines thereof he first tooke into his possession either by assault or composition the towne of Trainelle and Braie vpon Seine And bicause two castels the one called Pacie and the other Coursaie were also euill neighbors to the Parisiens he sent sir Iohn Fastolfe great maister of his houshold with a notable armie to win the same castels which he did and with preie and prisoners returned backe againe to his maister the regent In this verie season the Dolphin sent the lord William Steward earle of Buchquhane that was constable of France and the earle of Uentadour in Auuergne and manie other noble men of his part to laie siege to the towne of Crauant in the countie of Auxerre within the parts of Burgognie Wherof hearing the lord regent and the duke of Burgognie they assembled a great armie and appointed the earle of Salisburie to haue the guiding thereof who with his capteins and men of warre English and Burgognions came in good arraie to giue battell to the besiegers And bicause the riuer of Yonne which runneth by the said towne was betweene the English armie and their aduersaries they could not well assaile their enimies which defended the bankes and passages verie stronglie yet notwithstanding both horssemen and footmen of the English part couragiouslie put themselues into the riuer and with fine force recouered the banke whome the Burgognions incontinentlie followed When they were all gotten into the plaine the archers shot the bill men strake and long was the fight in doubtfull balance But in conclusion the Frenchmen not able to resist the force of the English nation were
the common enimie abroad as by that which followeth you may plainelie perceiue For whilest the French thus triumphed in Normandie thrée cruell enimies among manie as by ciuill warre and sedition insuing appeared sore vrged the vtter ruine of this reame at home One was presumption in gouernance by some that were most vnméet to rule as the queene with hir priuie counsellors and minions then the deadlie malice and pride with insatiable couetise in the states both spirituall and temporall and lastlie the generall grudge of the people for the vniuersall smart that through misgouernment euerie where they suffered who thus forweried with the peise of burthens too heauie for them line 10 anie longer to beare Heerewith perceiuing how through want of prouident wisedome in the gouernour all things went to wracke as well within the realme as without they began to make exclamation against the duke of Suffolke charging him to be the onelie cause of the deliuerie of Aniou and Maine the chéefe procuror of the duke of Glocesters death the verie occasion of the losse of Normandie the swallower vp of the line 20 kings treasure the remoouer of good and vertuous councellours from about the prince and the aduancer of vicious persons and of such as by their dooings shewed themselues apparant aduersaries to the common-wealth The quéene hereat doubting not onelie the dukes destruction but also hir owne confusion caused the parlement before begun at the Blackfriers to be adiourned to Leicester thinking there by force and rigor of law to suppresse and subdue all the malice and line 30 euill will conceiued against the duke hir At which place few of the nobilitie would appeare wherefore it was againe adiourned to Westminster where was a full appearance In the which session the commons of the nether house put vp to the king and the lords manie articles of treason misprision and euill demeanor against the duke of Suffolke the effect whereof with his answers héere insueth Articles proponed by the commons line 40 against the duke of Suffolke line 1 FIrst they alleged that he had traitorouslie excited prouoked and counselled Iohn earle of Dunois bastard of Orleance Bertram lord Presignie William Cosinet enimies to the king and fréends and ambassadours to Charles calling himselfe French king to enter into this realme and to leauie warre line 50 against the king and his people to the intent to destroie the king and his freends and to make Iohn his sonne king of this realme marieng him to Margaret sole heire to Iohn duke of Summerset pretending and declaring hir to be next heire inheritable to the crowne for lacke of issue of the kings bodie lawfullie begotten 2 Item the said duke being of the kings priuie and néere councell allured by great rewards and line 60 faire promises made by the said earle of Dunois caused the king to deliuer and set at libertie Charles duke of Orleance enimie to the king and the kings noble father which deliuerance was prohibited by expresse words in the last will of the kings most victorious father 3 Item that before the departing of the said duke of Orleance the aforenamed duke of Suffolke traitorouslie fast cleauing to Charles called the French king counselled prouoked and intised the said duke of Orleance to mooue the same king to make warre against England both in France and Normandie According to which procurement counsell the said French king hath recouered the whole realme of France and all the duchie of Normandie and taken prisoners the earle of Shrewesburie the lord Fauconbridge and manie other valiant capteins ¶ These thrée articles aforenamed he denied either for fact or thought 4 Further it was alleged that he being ambassadour for the king of England to Charles calling himselfe the French king promised to Reiner king of Sicill and to Charles d'Angiers his brother enimies to the king the release of Aniou with the deliuerance of the countie of Maine and the citie of Maunt or Mans without the knowledge of the other ambassadours with him accompanied Which promise after his returne he caused to be performed to the kings disinheritance and losse irrecouerable and to the strength of his enimies and feeblishment of the duchie of Normandie ¶ To this article he answered that his commission was to conclude and doo all things according to his discretion for the obteining of a peace bicause without deliuerie of those countries he perceiued that the truce could not be obteined he agreed to the release and deliuerance of them 5 Also they had great cause to iudge by the sequele that the said duke being in France in the kings seruice and one of the priuiest of his councell there traitorouslie declared and opened to the capteins and conductors of warre apperteining to the kings enimies the kings counsell purueiance of his armies furniture of his townes all other ordinances whereby the kings enimies instructed aforehand by his traitorous information haue gotten townes and fortresses and the king by that meanes depriued of his inheritance 6 Item the said duke declared to the earle of Dunois to the lord Presignie and William Cosâ—net ambssadours for the French king lieng in London the priuities of the kings councell both for the prouision of further warre and also for the defense of the duchie of Normandie by the disclosing whereof the Frenchmen knowing the king secrets defeated the kings appointments and they obteined their purpose 7 Item that the said duke at such time as the king sent ambassadours to the French king for the intreating of peace traitorouslie before their comming to the French court certified king Charles of their commission authoritie and instructions by reason whereof neither peace nor amitie succéeded and the kings inheritance lost and by his enimies possessed 8 Item the same duke said openlie in the Star-chamber before the lords of the councell that he had as high a place in the councell-house of the French king as he had there and was as well trusted there as here and could remooue from the French king the priuiest man of his councell if he would 9 Item when armies haue béene prepared and souldiers readie waged to passe ouer the sea to deale with the kings enimies the said duke corrupted by rewards of the French king hath restreined staid the said armies to passe anie further 10 Item the said duke being ambassadour for the king comprised not in the league as the kings alies neither the king of Aragon neither the duke of Britaine but suffered them to be comprised on the contrarie part By reason whereof the old amitie of the K. of Aragon is estranged from this realme and the duke of Britaine became enimie to the same Giles his brother the kings sure freend cast in strong prison and there like to end his daies All these obiections he vtterlie denied or faintlie auoided but none fullie excused Diuerse other crimes were laid to his charge as inriching himselfe with the kings goods and
you loue them if ech of you hate other if they were men your faithfulnesse happilie would suffice But childhood must be mainteined by mens authoritie and slipper youth vnderpropped with elder counsell which neither they can haue but ye giue it nor ye giue it if ye gree not For where ech laboureth to breake that the other maketh and for hatred of ech of others person impugneth ech others counsell there must it needs be long yet anie good conclusion go forward And also while either partie laboureth to be cheefe flatterie shall haue more place than plaine and faithfull aduise of which must needs insue the euill bringing vp of the prince whose mind in tender youth infect shall redilie fall to mischeefe and riot and draw downe with his noble relme to ruine But if grace turne him to wisedome which if God send then they that by euill meanes before pleased him best shall after fall furthest out of fauour so that euer at length euill drifts shall draw to nought and good plaine waies prosper Great variance hath there long beene betweene you not alwaie for great causes Sometimes a thing right well intended our misconstruction turneth vnto woorse or a small displeasure doone vs either our owne affection or euill toongs aggreeueth But this wot I well ye neuer had so great cause of hatred as ye haue of loue That we be all men that we be christian men this shall I leaue for preachers to tell you and yet I wot neere whether anie preachers words ought more to mooue you than his that is by by going to the place that they all preach of But this shall I desire you to remember that the one part of you is of my bloud the other of mine alies and ech of you with other either of kinred or affinitie which spirituall kinred of affinitie if the sacraments of Christs church beare that weight with vs that would God they did should no lesse mooue vs to charitie than the respect of fleshlie consanguinitie Our Lord forbid that you loue together the woorse for the selfe cause that you ought to loue the better And yet that happeneth and no where find we so deadlie debate as among them which by nature and law most ought to agree togither Such a pestilent serpent is ambition and desire of vaine glorie and souereigntie which among states where she once entereth creepeth foorth so farre till with diuision and variance she turneth all to mischeefe first longing to be next vnto the best afterward equall with the best at last cheefe and aboue the best Of which immoderat appetite of worship and thereby of debate and dissention what losse what sorow what trouble hath within these few yeares growne in this realme I praie God as well forget as we well remember Which things if I could as well haue foreseene as I haue with my more paine than pleasure prooued by Gods blessed ladie that was euer his oth I would neuer haue woone the courtesie of mens knees with the losse of so manie heads But sithens things passed can not be gaine called much ought we the more beware by what occasion we haue taken so great hurt afore that we eftsoones fall not in that occasion againe Now be those greefs passed and all is God be thanked quiet and likelie right well to prosper in wealthfull peace vnder your coosins my children if God send them life and you loue Of which two things the lesse losse were they by whom though God did his pleasure yet should the realme alwaie find kings and peraduenture as good kings But if you among your selues in a childs reigne fall at debate manie a good man shall perish and happilie he too and ye too yer this land find peace againe Wherfore line 10 in these last words that euer I looke to speake with you I exhort you and require you all for the loue that you haue euer borne to me for the loue that I haue euer borne vnto you for the loue that our Lord beareth to vs all from this time forward all greefs forgotten ech of you loue other Which I verelie trust you will if ye anie thing earthlie regard either God or your line 20 king affinitie or kinred this realme your owne countrie or your owne suertie And therewithall the king no longer induring to sit vp laid him downe on his right side his face towards them and none was there present that could refraine from weeping But the lords recomforting him with as good line 30 words as they could and answering for the time as they thought to stand with his pleasure there in his presence as by their words appeared ech forgaue other and ioined their hands togither when as it after appeared by their deeds their hearts were farre asunder As soone as the king was departed the noble prince his sonne drew toward London which at the time of his deceasse kept his houshold at Ludlow in Wales which countrie being farre off from the law and recourse to iustice was begun to be farre out of line 40 good rule and waren wild robbers and reauers walking at libertie vncorrected And for this occasion the prince was in the life of his father sent thither to the end that the authoritie of his presence should refraine euill disposed persons from the boldnesse of their former outrages To the gouernance and ordering of this yoong prince at his sending thither was there appointed sir Anthonie Wooduile lord Riuers and brother vnto the queene a right honourable man as valiant of line 50 hand as politike in counsell Adioined were there vnto him other of the same partie and in effect euerie one as he was néerest of kin vnto the queene so was he planted next about the prince That drift by the queene not vnwiselie deuised whereby hir bloud might of youth be rooted into the princes fauour the duke of Glocester turned vnto their destruction and vpon that ground set the foundation of all his vnhappie building For whome soeuer he perceiued either at variance with them or bearing himselfe their line 60 fauour he brake vnto them some by mouth some by writing Nay he sent secret messengers saieng that it neither was reason nor in anie wise to be suffered that the yoong king their maister and kinsman should be in the hands and custodie of his moothers kinred sequestred in maner from their companie and attendance of which euerie one ought him as faithfull seruice as they and manie of them farre more honourable part of kin than his moothers side Whose bloud quoth he sauing the kings pleasure was full vnméetelie to be matched with his which now to be as who say remooued from the king and the lesse noble to be left about him is quoth he neither honourable to his maiestie nor to vs and also to his grace no suertie to haue the mightiest of his fréends from him and vnto vs no little ieopardie to suffer our well prooued
ciuill dissention and warres that rose betwixt the house of Guise and other of that faction vpon the one side and the prince of Conde and other that tooke part with him on the contrarie side the quéenes maiestie informed how that the duke of Guise and his partakers hauing got into their possession the person of the yoong king vnder pretext of his authoritie sought the subuersion of manie noble men and good subiects of the crowne of line 30 France namelie such as were knowne or suspected to be zealous for a reformation to be had in matters of religion hir maiestie thervpon considering that if their purpose might be brought to effect it was to be doubted that they would not so rest but séeke to set things in broile also within this hir realme of England and other countries néere to them adioining first as one that had euer wished quietnesse rather than the troubles of warre sent ouer sir Henrie Sidneie at that present lord president of Wales line 40 a man of such estimation as his word ought to haue deserued credit to trie if he might doo anie good to bring the parties to some attonement But such wilfull headinesse séemed to rest in some that were chiefe of the one faction that their desire seemed altogither bent to enter into wars Hir maiestie yet hoping the best appointed to send another honourable ambassage which by their wisedoms and good aduise might persuade the parties vnto concord whereby all due line 50 authoritie honor dignitie might be restored to the king and euerie other degree keepe their roomes and places as to them apperteined but all in vaine For this motion of a pacification to be had could take no place neither might the will of the yoong king or of his timorous mother as it then seemed be regarded otherwise than as stood with the pleasure appointment of those that were knowne to be the chiefe authors and furtherers of all those troubles Whilest the quéenes maiestie therefore did thus line 60 trauell in respect of the suertie which hir grace bare to hir welbeloued brother the said king and to the commoditie and quietnesse of both the factions an open iniurie was offered to hir maiestie so as it might appeare what minds they bare towards hir that had thus excluded and refused all offers means to grow to some good and indifferent conclusion of peace For whereas manie merchants as well of London as of Excester and other the west parts of hir realme were soiourning for cause of traffike in diuerse ports and hauens of Britaine and hauing dispatched their businesse and got their lading aboord their ships were readie to hoise vp sailes and to returne each one towards the place from whence hée came they were suddenlie arested their goods seized vpon and they themselues cast in prison and some that in reuenge of such offered iniurie attempted to make resistance were cruellie slaine their ships conueied awaie their goods confiscat without other pretense but onelie that it was said to them that they were Huguenots Neither was this doone by priuat persons but by open violence of the gouernors magistrats of those places where the same disorder was executed so that it appeared from whence they had their commission to vse such wrongfull dealing and how farre the same would extend if they might once haue time and occasion to accomplish their purposed intentions Moreouer when complaint of such iniuries was made vnto the lawfull magistrats there they found no redres at all For what might the poore merchants profit by their plaints when the packets of the ambassadors leters directed to hir maiestie were taken from the bearer no punishment had against those that committed so vnciuill an outrage A thing that offended hir maiestie so much more for that as she tooke the matter there wanted no good will either in the king or his mother or in the king of Nauarre the kings generall lieutenant to sée such a presumptuous and vnrulie part punished of their people but rather that there lacked in them authoritie to haue it redressed Furthermore it greatlie gréeued hir that the yong French king hir déere brother was brought to such a streict that he was nether able to defend the libertie of his people nor the authoritie of his lawes nor to deale vprightlie with other princes and potentats accordinglie as by the bonds of leagues and of couenanted aliances had bene requisite Neither did such disorder in gouernement of the kingdome of France touch anie so much and particularlie as the queens maiestie of England She therefore lamenting that the king and quéene mother should be thus in the hands of them that procured all these troubles and led vp and downe at their pleasures and driuen to behold the spoile and sacking of diuerse his cities and miserable slaughter of his subiects and againe hir grace thinking it expedient to preuent that such as were knowne to beare no good will either to hir or hir realme should not get into their possessions such townes and hauens as laie against the sea coasts of hir said realme whereby they stuffing the same with garrisons and numbers of men of warre might easilie vpon occasions seeke to make inuasions into this hir said realme to the great annoiance of hir and hir louing subiects at the request of the French themselues thought it expedient to put in armor a certeine number of hir subiects to passe ouer into Normandie vnto such hauens as néere approched vnto this hir realme of England as well for the safegard of the same as also for the reliefe and preseruation of the inhabitants there and other that professed the gospell liuing in continuall danger to be murthered and oppressed and therefore crauing hir aid to saue and deliuer them out of the bloudie hands of their cruell aduersaries that sought their hastie destruction For the conduction therefore of such forces as she meant to send ouer at that present she ordeined the lord Ambrose Dudleie earle of Warwike to be hir principall lieutenant capteine generall chiefe leader and gouernor of hir said subiects that should in such wise passe ouer into Normandie Herevpon the said erle the seuenteenth of October in this fourth yeare of hir maiesties reigne tooke shipping at Portesmouth in the hauen there at one a clocke in the after noone being aboord himselfe in the quéens ship called the New barke and setting forward sailed all that after noone and the night following directlie towards Newhauen but in the morning about eight a clocke when his lordship was within twentie miles of the town of Newhauen the wind suddenlie changed cleane contrarie to his course so that being driuen to returne about the next midnight he arriued in the downes and there remained at anchor till about eight of the clocke in the next morning being mondaie and then was set on land by bote at Sandon castell besides Deale and the same daie at night
palace of S. Michaell the next thursdaie being the two and twentith daie of the same moneth line 40 at which place they made humble sute vnto his highnesse that as he had vouchsafed to giue his oth to the states of Brabant and the marquesdome of the sacred empire and likewise to receiue theirs so it might please him to giue his oth that daie peculiarlie to the citie of Antwerpe and likewise to take theirs at the place of old time accustomed Wherevnto when the duke had assented they tooke their waie in the same order that had beene obserued at line 50 his entring into the towne sauing that the lord Edward de Clastro ambassador for Don Antonio king of Portugall was that daie in the latter companie of the princes and lords And so they marched along the said stréet of saint Michaell to the great marketsted where the sumptuous common house of the citie is And bicause that on the daie of his entrance in it was not possible for him to take a perfect view of all the shews by reason that the night ouertooke them they were presented vnto his highnes againe line 60 as well in the place before the mint as in other places Also there were two pageants more prepared which were deuised both in one daie the one was mount Parnassus wheron sat Apollo apparelled like the sun and accompanied with the nine muses plaieng vpon diuerse kinds of instruments and with sweet voice singing a certeine ditie togither written in commendation of his highnesse This pageant was in the stréet called the High stréet ouer against the stréet named Reiner stréet Right ouer against this pageant was an other on the side of the stréet called the Flax market which was a mossie rocke ouergrowen with drie and withered trées wherin appeared a caue verie hideous darke and drierie to behold in the same laie lurking the three helhounds Discord Uiolence and Tyrannie who féeling Apollos beames and hearing the sweetnesse and harmonie of the voices and instruments shroonke awaie and hid themselues in the déepest of the dungeon and afterward péered out againe to harken whether that melodie and harmonie continued still or no minding to haue come foorth againe and to haue troubled the common wealth if the same had ceassed His highnesse passed on and with verie much adoo came to the great market place by reason of the infinit multitude of people which could not be put asunder without great paine As soone as he was alighted from his horsse he went vp a scaffold which had béene set vp for the same purpose in the middest of the market place hard by the towne house before whome went the magistrate of the citie and a great number of princes lords and gentlemen This scaffold being great and large of the heigth of fortie foot was hanged with scarlet Upon it was a cloth of estate the backe whereof was cloth of gold frized vnder the which was a chaire of the same The daie of his first comming thither there had béene presented vnto him on the right side Wisedome offering him a golden scepter on his left side Iustice offering him the sword of iustice from aboue the chaire and behind him Clemencie offering him the cap of the dukedome Before the chaire as it were at the foot of it were Obedience Faithfulnes Loue of God Reuerence And by the chaire sides there were with them Concord Sagenesse Ualiantnes Good will Truth Pitifulnesse Perseuerance and Reason of whome two on either side held ech of them a torch of virgin war they were all appareled like nymphes But on this daie when his highnesse went vp to this stage the nymphes were awaie and in stéed of them the chaire was garnished on both sides with pillers On the right side betwéene the pillers was a lion holding a naked sword to betoken the authoritie of the magistrate Aboue the lion was an egle féeding hir yoong and turning hir selfe towards the shining of the sunne as taking hir force of the prince On the left side was an ox with a yoke on his necke and aboue him a hen brooding hir chickens and by hir a cocke The ox with his yoke signified obedience and the cocke and the hen betokened the watchfulnesse care and defense of the superior The said scaffold was garnished with banners of azure beaten with the armes of Aniou and with banners of gewles beaten with the armes of Antwerpe and with cressets and torches And aboue among the armes were writte◠these verses in verie faire legible letters At length thou art come and ioifull we bee Thy presence long lookt for here present to see 1 Of triumphs though statelie kings boast but in vaine Vnlesse they by iustice vprightlie doo raine 2 Nought booteth law authoritie or sage forecast of wit Vnlesse to lawfull gouernement folke doo their force submit 3 God God is he the harts of kings which holdeth in his hand He He it is that highest things dooth make too fall or stand When he with gratious looke beholds a people they inioy A goodlie ruler vnder whom no troubles them annoy But if misliking make him frowne then makes he them a preie To tyrants vnder whom they tast of sorrow euerie daie From this scaffold he might behold before him an infinit number of people readie to be sworne vnto him and also thrée companies of banished and condemned men in fetters and bareheaded crauing mercie at his hand which was granted vnto them Moreouer all the houses about the market line 10 stead had cressets burning on high before them Now then after that roome and silence was made their councellor and recorder Uanderwerke propounded the matter as followeth Right gratious lord and prince the markegraue the amptman the boroughmasters the skepons the treasurors the receiuers the old deputies the chiefe burgesses the quartermasters the wardens the ancients of the handicrafts the coronels the wardens of the guilds and the capteines of the citie your highnesses most humble and line 20 obedient subiects are excéeding glad to see that you whome they haue alreadie receiued for duke of Brabant and for their souereigne lord and prince are readie to make your oth vnto this citie and to receiue it at the hand of the magistrats burgesses and citizens thereof in respect of the citie it selfe and of the marquesdome of the sacred empire assuring themselues that your highnesse will be vnto them a good righteous and lawfull prince to gouerne them according to their franchises lawes and customes line 30 and promising mutuallie on their behalfe to your highnesse to be good loiall and faithfull subiects vnto you to spend all their goods yea and their liues in your seruice and in the maintenance of your dignities rights and preheminences And like as God hath put into your highnes mind to take vpon you first the protection and defense and secondlie the whole souereingtie of the low countries and prouinces which haue
〈◊〉 The lord Greie is quarelled against The death of the lord Riuers other The quéene taketh sanctuarie Tâ—â—ul lib. 2. eleg 3. The desolate state of the quéene Neuerthelesse he was depriued thereof shortlie after The kings comming to London The duke of Glocester made protector The bishop 〈◊〉 Lincolne made lord chancellor 〈◊〉 protecâ—ors oration The lord cardinall thought the fittest man â—â— deale with â—he queéne for 〈◊〉 surrenâ—â—â—ing of hir 〈◊〉 Reasons why it was not thought méet to fetch the quéens son out of sanctuarie The duke of BuckinghaÌ„s words against the quéene Of sanctuaries Westminster and saint Martins The abuse of sanctuaries The vse of sanctuaries Protector The quéenes answer The quéene is loth to part with hir son The quéenes mistrust of the lord protector The lord Howard saith Edw. Hall The quéenes replie vpon the lord cardinall This that is heere betwéen this marke * this marke * was not writâ—eÌ„ by him in English but is translated out of this historie which he wrote in Latine The lord cardinall vseth an other waâ—â— to persuade the queéne She falleth 〈◊〉 a resolution touching hâ—r sonnes deliuerie O dissimulation This that is here betwene this marke * this marke * was not written by him in English but is translated out oâ— his historie which he wrote in Latine The dukes full resolution to go thorough with his enterprise Catesbie and his conditions described An assemblie of lords in the Tower The behaâ—â—â—â— of the lord pâ—â—â—tector in the assemblie of the lords The lord Stanleie wounded Lord Hastings lord chamberleine beheaded 〈◊〉 in psal â—â— The lord Stanleies dreame 〈…〉 misfortune to the lord Hastings Mani lib. 4 Astro. The description of the lord Hastingâ— The protectors proclamation The life and déeds of the lord chamberleine laid open Shores 〈◊〉 spoiled of 〈◊〉 that she had Shores 〈◊〉 put to open penance The descriptioÌ„ of Shores wife Eob. Hess 〈◊〉 cles Sal. * 〈◊〉 when this storie was written K. Edwards three concubines Sir Richard Ratcliffe The lord Riuers other beheaded Edmund Shaw maior of London Doct. Shaw Frier Penker The chiefest deuise to depose the prince Sée before pag. 667 668. Dame Elizabeth Greie A wise answer of a chast and continent ladie The kings mother The kings answer to his mother Libertie preferred before â— kingdome 〈◊〉 Elâ—zabeth Lucie The kings mariage The king fled The prince borne king Henrie the sixt set vp Of the earle of warwike The earle of warwike sâ—aine Doc. Shawâ— sermon This preacher was taught his lesson yer he came into the pulpit K. Edward sâ—andered in a sermon A maruelous deuise to mooue the assemblie K. Richard commended by the preacher Note the course of Gods iudgement Ouid. lib. 3. met A notable persuaâ—â—n Burdet Markam Cooke Open warre not so ill as 〈◊〉 Ciuill warre the occasion of manie great inconueniences Shores wife more sued vnto than all the lords in England He directeth his spéech to the communaltie of the citie London the kings especiall chamber Doct. Shaw commended by the duke of BuckinghaÌ„ A slanderous lie confirmed The title of K. Richard to the crowne The dignitie and office of a king full of care studie The election of K. Richard hardlie to be preferred Fitz William recorder K. Richards election preferred by â—â—â—ces of confederacie The maiors comming to Bainards castell vnto the lord protector O singular dissimulation of king Richard K. Richard spake otherwise than he meant The protectoâ— taketh vpon him to be king A made match to cousen the people Iuuenal sat 2. Anno Reg. 1. 1483 (*) This that is here betwéene this marke this marke * was not written by maister More in this historie written by him in English but is translated out of this historie which he wrote in Latine From this marke * to this * is not found in sir Thomas More but in maâ—â—â—eâ— Hall and Grafton Seuentéene knights of the bath created by king Richard What â—eers stâ—tes were attendant on him going to his coronatâ—â—n The solemne ceremonies vsed at king Richards coronation Quéene Anne wife to king Richard and daughter to Richard earle of Warwike and hir traine The king queene crowned Sir Robert Dimmocke the kings champion his challenge in the behalfe of king Richard A gaâ—e pretense of iustice and equitie Sir Thomaâ— More agaiâ—â— Perkin Werbecke Close dealing is euer suspected Iohn Gréeâ—â— Robert Brakenberie constable of the Tower The murther of the two yoong princes set abroch Sir Iames Tirrell described Authoritie â—â—ueth no partners The constable of the Tower deliuereth the keies to sir Iames Tirrell vpon the kings commandement The two princes shut vp in close 〈◊〉 The two murtherers of the two princes appointed The yoong K. and his brother murthered in their beds at midâ—ight in the Tower The murther confessed The iust iudgement of God seuerelie reuenging the murther of the innocent princes vpon the malefactors Pers. sat 3. The outward and inward troubles of tyrants by meanes of a grudging conscience * Persinall saith Ed. Hall Causes of the duke of Buckingham and K. Richards falling out The duke of Buckingham and king Richard mistrust each other Doctor Nâ—â—â—ton bishop of Elie what pageants hâ— plaied The high â—â—â—nour of 〈◊〉 Morton Bishop Nâ—â—â—tons subâ—â—ll vnderminiâ—â— of the duâ—e Princes matters perillous to meddle in Here endeth sir Thomas Moore this that followeth is taken out â—â— master Hall Bishop Morton buildeth vpoÌ„ the dukes ambition The duke of Buckingham highlie commended Dispraise of the lord protector or king messe Suspicion in a prince how mischéefous it is The bishop adiureth the duke to release the realme by some deuise from the present euill state A new confereÌ„ce betweene the bishop and the duke The duke openeth himselfe and his secrets to the bishop The duke complaineth of want of preferment in king Edwards daies * An vnhappie policie tending to slaughter bloushed The principall cause why the duke of Buckingham coÌ„ceiued such inward grudge against king Richard The imaginations of the duke of Buckingham to depriue K. Richard Note the working of ambition in the duke The office of a king verie hard to discharge The dukes resolution not to medle in seéking to obteine the crowne The duke of Buckinghâ—â— resolued to helpe to depose king Richard and to prefer the 〈◊〉 of Richmond to the crowne * The duke of Glocester now king The 〈◊〉 of the dukâ—s purpose The motion for the coniunction of the two houses of Lancaster Yorke deuised by the duke furthered Bishop Mortons deuise for to be at his owne libertie in his bâ—shoprike of Elie. The bishop of Elie saileth into Flanders to the earle of Richmond Lewes the physician sheweth the quéene the whole conceipt and deuise of the matter The coniunction of the two families mooued to the Q. by the physician The quéenes readinesse to sâ—t forward this coÌ„clusion The countesse of Richmond vttereth the matter to Urswike hir chapleine swearing him to be secret