view of the greater part of the Citie And thereby from time to time did informe themselues The valiant Earle of Salisburie slaine in what case and in what plight the Townesmen stoode And at the same window about two Monethes after the first besiedging of the Citie the Noble Earle of Salisburie looking into the Towne was with a great shot vnfortunately slaine and with his death the Triumphs of the English Nation in France waxed more thinne and the Frenchmen became more victorious then they had beene The Earle of Suffolke maintayneth the siege He being dead the Earle of Suffolke was made Generall in that siedge who finding that all prouisions waxed exceeding scant sent Sir Iohn Fastolfe to the Regēt for new supplies who furnished him at the full and dispatched him and his companies with all speede But in his returne towards the siege the Lord Delabreth with sundrie other Barons Knights and common Souldiers The Frenchmen are defeated Policie to the number of nine thousand at the least intending their ouerthrow presented themselues vnto their view who placing their Cartes and Carriadges furthest backe their Horses next and themselues before and pitching their Stakes behind their Archers vpon the first encounter retyred behinde their stakes On which the Frenchmen on horse-back were receiued goared and miserably slaine And by these meanes their Armie being disordered began to flie So that in the fight and in the chace The Lord Dalabreth and the Lord William Steward Constable of France with two thousand and fiue hundred men were slaine and eleuen hundred were taken prisoners with whom and with rich supplies the valiant Knight and his companions repayred honorably vnto the siege The Battaile of Herrings And this battaile was by the Frenchmen called the Battaile of Herrings because the chiefest prouisions which those Englishmen then had were Lenten stuffes When the besieged heard of this newes and were hopelesse of any succours to be sent for their reliefe from the French King Orleance is offered to the Duke of Burgoine by letters they entreated the Duke of Burgoine to receiue them into his protection as his owne who made them answere That hee would so doe if the Regent would thereunto agree This motion pleased manie of the Regents friends and counsellors because thereby the Dolphin surnamed the French King should not onely be dispossessed of so rich and of so strong a Citie but also because it should be enjoyed by their chiefest friend But the Regent himselfe and some others The Regent will not consent thereto were of another minde and returned this answere to the Duke That seeing for so long a time such great expences and charges had beene consumed by King Henrie to bring that Citie into such extremities as that the besieged became wearie anie longer to be troubled it would sound much to his dishonour and disgrace if any Prince besides him should enjoy the Lordship and the Siegnorie thereof This Answere pierced the Duke of Burgoine at the heart The Duke of Burgoine falleth from the English so that from thenceforth his affections dayly waxed cold and occasioned him in secret to become a well-willer vnto the French King When this Project was reuealed and became fruitlesse The Duke of Alanson relieueth Orleance the Citizens of Orleance craued present succours from the Duke of Alanson who did his best to inspire a new spirit of courage into the French King And so sensible was he of their extremities and so readie to releiue them and so extreamely negligent was the English Armie to attend their Watches in the night The fond securitie of the English because they dayly expected the surrendring of the Citie that in the depth and darknesse of the night he conueyed many thousand men and store of all sorts of prouisions into the Towne And within few daies after the besieged issued forth being brauely resolued to attempt much The Frenchmen preuaile and are beaten These men with strong blowes wonne the Bulwarke at the Bridges end and one more and slew six hundred men whom they found there They also assaulted the Bastyle wherein the Lord Talbot was But with such a wonderfull courage and resolution he issued out vpon them that he massacred their companies on euerie side and enforced them to flye like Sheepe before the Wolfe so that with much losses they hardly recouered into the Towne The siege of Orleance abandoned But the next day the Earle of Suffolke quited the Siege seuered his Armie and sent each companie to his owne Garrison And in their returne the Lord Talbot by maine assault wonne the strong Castle and Towne of Lauall And thus was the faire and the strong Citie of Orleance deliuered from a long and from a sharpe Siege And within few dayes after the Duke of Alanson besieged and wonne the Towne of Iargeaux wherein among others he tooke prisoner the Earle of Suffolke The Earle of Suffolke taken prisoner and one of his brothers and slew Sir Alexander Pole another of his brethren All which prisoners except the former two were slaine by the Frenchmen who contended among themselues to whome those prisoners did in right belong 1428. 7 The Englishmen are ouerthrowne To the Dukes Armie which consisted of three and twentie thousand men there repaired Arthur of Britaine the Earle of Vandosme and sundrie other Noblemen with great and strong troups All these fortuned to meet with the Lords Talbot Scales and Hungerford who conducted fiue thousand men to fortifie the Towne of Meum Betwixt them there were exchanged manie bloudie blowes so that in the end the said three English Lords were taken prisoners Prisoners twelue hundred of their companies were slayne and the rest which escaped hasted vnto Meum and replenished that Towne with abilitie of Strength to resist future Dangers This vnfortunate disaster was accompanied with another mischiefe For no sooner was it published and knowne abroad but that diuers Cities Reuolts to the French King Townes Castles and strong Holds treacherously fell off and submitted themselues to the French king whom these vnexpected good chances not onely elated and made proud but also augmented his good hopes of a speedie end of all his troubles English prisoners especially because the Earle of Salisburie was slaine and the Earle of Suffolke and the Lords Talbot Scales Hungerford and manie other valiant English Captaines were then his prisoners and could not assist the Regents part The French King being thus stomacked and put in heart would not anie longer retayne anie meane or base thoughts but in stead of them he now consulted and deuised how he might recouer the Citie of Rhemes Rhemes that in it hee might with all Solemnities and Prince-like Requisites be crowned King according to the manner and custome of his Ancestors Kings of that Kingdome And to effect those his desires with all conuenient speede he forthwith passed into Champaigne with a great Armie where hee
suddaine feare to be swallowed vp betwixt the English Armie and the Towne he remoued from thence in the night leauing to the Protector who landed with his companies the day before all his Tents Ordnance Armour and Prouisions being of great worth The Protector who brought with him thither fiue and twentie thousand men entred into the Dukes Countries of Flanders and Arthois where he slew burnt ransacked and wonne rich booties at his owne pleasure And without resistance he returned vnto Callice and with such superfluities as he had gotten abundantly and plentifully he supplyed it with all things which they wanted and then hee returned into England where hee found the State much troubled For Iames the first being King of Scots forgetting quite the manifold fauors and Princely education which Rosbrough besieged by the Scots being a prisoner he found within the Kingdome of England with thirtie thousand men had for manie weekes besieged the Castle of Rosborough which was valiantly defended by Sir Ralph Grey But the Earle of Northumberland as hee was appointed prepared to giue him battaile and to remoue the Siege Whereof when notice was giuen to the Scottish Armie they remoued The Scots flye and fled with extraordinarie speede into their owne Countrey About the same time died Queene Katherine mother to the King who after her husbands death fancying more her owne pleasure and contentment than the supporting of her high and honorable estate married a goodly Gentleman named Owen Tuthar who though his meanes were but small yet was he discended from Cadwallader the last King of the Britons And by her hee had issue two sonnes halfe brothers to the King that is to say Edmund and Iaspar This Edmund was by King Henrie created Earle of Richmond and tooke to wife the Ladie Margaret sole Daughter and Heire vnto Iohn Duke of Somerset and begot on her King Henrie the seuenth And Iaspar was created Earle of Pembroke Likewise the Ladie Iaquet sister vnto the Earle of Saint Paule and Duchesse Dowager to Iohn Duke of Bedford the late Regent of France contrarie to her friends liking yet to please her selfe married a gallant Gentleman who was much inferiour to her estate named Sir Richard Wooduyle Sir Richard Wooduyle made Baron Ryuers and afterwards Earle Ryuers whome afterwards the King made Baron Ryuers and then Earle Ryuers And by him among manie other children she had issue Elizabeth who was after the wife of King Edward the fourth and was mother to the Ladie Elizabeth whome King Henrie the seuenth espoused and tooke to wife It pleased the Kings Councell of this Realme to discharge Richard Duke of Yorke of his Regencie in France The Earle of Warwike is made Regent 1437. 16 and to establish the Earle of Warwike in his place Who embarked himselfe seuen times before he could set one foot in Normandie But at last his arriuall was fortunate and happie And hauing intelligence that the Duke of Burgoine with tenne thousand men lay strongly entrenched before Crotoy hee sent the Lords Talbot and Fawconbridge Sir Thomas Kyriell and manie other valiant Captaines Crotoy is besieged with fiue thousand Englishmen to rayse that Siege But the Duke fearing with his double number to encounter with his enemies fled with his whole Armie vnto Abbeuyle From whence hee being eagerly pursued and hourely dared to make a stand and to play the man The Duke of Burgoine will not fight he posted vnto Amiens where the Englishmen who daily hunted after him found him and his companies strongly enclosed within the walls But because he played the coward and would not fight the Lord Talbot entred into Picardie and Arthois where vnresisted he wasted and consumed the whole Countrey the walled Townes Castles and Forts onely excepted and enriched all his Armie with Cattell Money Plate and many other things of great worth and value Sir Thomas Kyriels valor Sir Thomas Kyriel also surprized the Dukes Carriages and his Ordnance all which booties were brought vnto Crotoy with as much victuals as would maintaine six hundred men for one whole yeare And all the residue of those spoyles he sent to the Earle of Warwike which abundantly supplyed his great wants Periurie punished The Earle of Mortayne sonne to Edmund Duke of Somerset by violent assaults tooke the Castle of Saint Auyan in Mayne and slew therein three hundred Scots and hanged all the Frenchmen whom he found there because hauing once beene sworne to King Henrie they reuolted and became French Thus Fortune euerie day turned her Wheele making him who yesterday wonne much to day to lose all and suddainely aduancing those to great honour whome former disasters had made miserable and bare The French King winneth by trecherie not by valour But the Frenchmens Treasons and Trecheries daily betrayed more Cities Townes and Castles to the French King than either the Englishmen could hold by Policie or gaine by Strength The Dolphin rebelleth against his father And albeit that by reason thereof he comforted himselfe and prosperous successe accompanied most of his Attempts yet was he on a suddaine checked by the open Rebellion of his eldest sonne the Dolphin of Vyen Who being assisted by the Dukes of Alanson and of Burbon vsurped the Gouernment of France and by publike Edicts diuulged the insufficiencie of his Father to rule that Kingdome The Rebellion is appeased This Clowd threatened a shrewd storme and begat this Question in his Father and in his Councellors of State Whether it were better to attempt the curing of this Maladie by Ciuill Warre and by letting of Bloud or by Discretion and by Policie without blowes The later Project being entertained publike Proclamations were made in the French Kings Name by which he prohibited all his subiects vpon the paines of death to yeeld anie subiection to the Dolphins Commands and pardoned all such as by his persuasions had deuoted themselues to his seruice And moreouer sundrie Letters were written diuers Messengers were sent and manie powerfull Mediators so preuayled that the Dolphin with his confederates were quickly reconciled and joyfully receiued into the Kings fauour Whilest these vnnaturall broyles breathed fresh hopes into the English Nation that Paris might bee regayned The regayning of Paris attempted they prepared a great Armie for that purpose But by meanes of the said Reconciliation and Agreement those their designes were strangled in their birth their Armie was dissolued and beeing enforced to sayle by a smaller Compas they endeuoured to effect such things as were proportionable to their strength Ponthois surprized and to win those things which were within their reach About the same time the ground being couered with a thicke Snow which was much hardened by a suddaine Frost Iohn Lord Clifford clothing himselfe and his followers all in white passed in the night season ouer the Ditches of Ponthois which not long before was treacherously yeelded to the French King Policie the Walls they scaled entred in
Burgoine he with all celeritie and speed possible hasted to King Edward and in his melancholie mood he told him His obiections that it was in a high measure dishonourable for him to returne into England not hauing burnt in France one poore cottage nor hauing slaine as much as a flie with his whole Armie He told him also that his Ancestors King Edward the Third and King Henry the fifth neuer passed into France to demand their right but that they obtained and won it victoriously with their swords and swore that King Edward had lost more glorie and honour by his infamous peace made with France then he had won by all his victories in nine battailes which he had fought and that he himselfe so scorned the French Kings malice and his power that he would and did absolutely refuse to be included in the said dishonourable league vntill six moneths were fully ended after King Edwards Armie was landed againe in England The King seeing the vnfaithfull Duke so angrie The Kings answere made him this replie That King Edward the Third and King Henry the Fifth entred into France with their Armies of their owne accord to gaine their inheritance and not otherwise nor for any other purpose which they performed with true valour and wisdome And that hee himselfe would neuer haue departed out of that Kingdome vntill he had done the like if hee had come thither in that manner of his owne accord But quoth hee I vndertooke this iourney vpon your request for your aide and to assist you and your Territories by plucking downe the pride of France and the claime which I made to that kingdome was at this time only published to giue mee some colour to helpe you And albeit you vaunt much of your owne strength and doe seeme little to regard the French King and his anger yet me thinkes you cannot well forget how by his strength and power he hath wonne from you the faire Citie of Amyens and the strong pile of S. Quintens and other Castles and Townes within your dominions which notwithstanding all your crakes and brags you neither dare to attempt nor can againe winne You know likewise that your selfe and mine Vncle of Luxenburgh to traine mee into France promised to mee mountaines of gold but they quickly changed into snow and are now dissolued into water If your faith your offers and your promises had beene honestly performed I would sooner haue lost my life and haue aduentured for you my Crowne and Kingdome rather then I would haue beene found vnfaithfull or vnthankfull to you But if any thing be amisse you your selues haue beene the occasioners thereof and therefore you may thanke none others And so farewell Hereupon the angrie Duke in a pelting chafe tooke his horse and rode away And from that time forward they neither loued nor saw one another The French Kings bountie to the English Armie After the aforesaid Articles were concluded and sealed and a little before the enteruiew betweene the two Kings the French King of his owne bountie sent into the English Armie one hundred Wagons loaden with the best wines which he could procure and licenced the souldiers for the space of three or foure daies to disport and recreate themselues within the Citie of Amyens and at their comming thither they found many Tables thorowout both sides of the streets richly and plentifully furnished with great store of costly dishes both of flesh and fish and many Gallants and Bon-companions of purpose were chosen to make them mirth and to attend them so that nine thousand English armed men were within the same Citie at one time But when the French King was informed how great a number of them were within the walles of so strong a Towne hee reproued and condemned his owne kindnesse and feared lest hee might loose it by reason of his great loue and by that meanes might occasion more iarres betwixt England and his Kingdome of France But the Englishmen disdaining to be found false or vnthankfull merily passed away the time with the Frenchmen and hauing sufficiently solaced and refreshed themselues they departed out of the Citie and quietly returned to their owne Campe. And the French King being well pleased with this their honest and plaine dealing The French Kings bountie to the English Captaines The King arriueth in England sent vnto the English Captaines rich presents in plate and in coined siluer and gold And then King Edward with his whole Armie returned to Calice and from thence into England where hee was cheerefully receiued with much ioy And thereupon the aforesaid Hostages receiuing great gifts and honourable vsage were set at libertie and returned home The French King if hee might would faine haue excluded the Duke of Britaine out of the former league But in regard that the young Earle of Richmond was in his possession and whose returne into England to make challenge to the Crowne King Edward euer feared he would not in any sort agree thereunto And not long after Henry Earle of Richmond deliuered by the Duke of Britaine to K. Edwards Ambassadors King Edward by his Ambassadours with much entreatie rich gifts and vpon solemne protestation that he only intended to marie one of his owne daughters to the said Earle obtained his deliuerie to those messengers who being glad at the heart that they had obtained what King Edward so instantly desired tooke their leaue of the Duke of Britaine and brought the young Earle of Richmond to S. Malloes where they were enforced to stay expecting a faire and a good winde But in the meane time Good counsell the Duke being informed by Iohn Cheuelet his true and faithfull seruant that the said mariage was but colourably pretended to get the young Earle into King Edwards hands and that his death was certainly pretended if hee could bee brought home and being also told that his honour would perpetually be obscured by so foule a deede the said Duke could neuer be at rest vntill Peter Landoys his chiefest Treasurer attempted the repossessing of him with the said young Earle Whereupon the said Peter repaired to S. Malloes Peter Landoys recouereth the Earle of Richmond into the Duke of Britaines possession and pretended much loue and familiaritie with the English Ambassadours with whom hee pleasantly conuersed and spent his time But in the meane season the seruants of the said Peter being thorowly instructed for that purpose conueied the said Earle into a Sanctuarie whose priuiledges might not by any meanes be infringed The Englishmen vnderstanding what had hapned were much displeased and condemned the said Treasurer for this vnfriendly practise and too much skill But hee on the other side assigned the whole fault to their owne negligence and follie And by this meane the harmelesse and sillie Sheepe was deliuered from the Woolfe And thus was King Edward defrauded and beguiled of his money and of his hopes But vpon the Dukes faithfull promise that the
defend themselues that poore Perkin began to hang downe his head and being troubled with melancholicke passions filled the aire with sighes and groanes and was perplexed at the heart being weary of his match The King commeth into the West Countrey with an Armie The King who had beene speedily informed how violently that Citie was enuironed and how couragiously the Rebels were resisted so carefully regarded it and the inhabitants thereof that with a faire Armie he himselfe in his owne person marched towards the Rebels with all speede But before hee could come neere vnto them Edward Courtney Earle of Deuonshire and the Lord William his sonne Sir Wymond Carew Sir Thomas Trenchard Sir William Courtney Sir Thomas Fulford Sir Iohn Halwell Sir Iohn Crocker Walter Courtney Peter Edgecombe and their lustie followers repaired to the said Citie of Exeter and intended to giue such good helpe and assistance to the inhabitants thereof that the Rebels leauing the siege marched into Somersetshire The siege of Exetâ—r is â—ed Perkin Wâ—â—beâ—â—â—â—â—egâ— Tawnton where they besieged the Towne of Tawnton But the King vnderstanding that they were remoued from the Citie and where they then were directed his course towards Tawnton he hauing with him in his Armie Edward the young Duke of Buckingham who was a Prince of haughtie courage and of a gallant resolution Giles Lord Dawbeney his chiefest Chamberlaine Robert Lord Brooke Lord Steward of his house Sir Alexander Baynam Sir Maurice Barkley Sir Robert Tame Sir Iohn Guise Sir Robert Poynts Sir Henry Vernon Sir Iohn Morâ—â—mer Sir Thomas Tremaile Sir Edward Sutton Sir Amias Paulet Sir Iohn Sapcots Sir Hugh Lutterel Sir Francis Cheyney and sundrie other Knights and Gentlemen of great place and valour Perkin and the Rebels site But when Perkin Warbecke and his fellow Captaines heard of the Kings approche they fled with threescore horse vnto Beauly neere to South-hampton where poore Perkin and most of those his companions entred into the Sanctuarie and registred their names there but the residue of them were taken prisoners by the Kings light horsemen and being brought into the Kings Armie for examples sake vnto others they were ordered and executed by the martiall law in sundrie places in the Westerne parts But the rude rabble which were left behinde perceiuing that their Ring-leaders had left them The common sort of Rebels are pardoned and were run away fell downe vpon their knees craued mercie promised faith and loyaltie in future times and not only receiued the Kings pardon but were reuiued by his expressing of much fauour and graâ—e towards them This victory being thus obtained without blowes the King King Henry commeth to the Citie of Exeter with his greatest Lords and the brauest Gallants in his trayne came to the City of Exceter and was lodged in it certaine daies where he commended and thanked the inhabitants for their faithfull and valiant seruice promised them the fulnesse of his fauour The King giues his Sword to the Citie of Exeter and for an addition of Honour to that City gaue vnto them his sword from his owne side and commaunded that in future times and in all publike places within that Citie it should bee borne before the Maior as formerly and for the like purpose his noble predecessor King Edward the fourth had done Then the King intending to make a finall end of these ciuill warres sent some of his chosen Captaines Perkin Warbecke is brought to the King with certaine bands of armed men to apprehend poore Perkin who compassed the Sanctuarie at Bewly round about so that he recounting with himselfe his sundrie mishaps and his hopelesse fortunes to be a King yeelded himselfe and was brought vnto the King who carried him as his prisoner vnto London where albeit hee was closely kept and narrowly watched by diuers of the Kings Guard yet hee escaped But being daily and hourely searched for Perkin escapeth and is taken againe hee voluntarily committed himselfe to the Abbot of Shene neere to the Kings Palace of Richmond intreating him to haue compassion on him and to procure for him the Kings pardon He is stocked He is committed to the Tower which hee did Then was hee brought to the Kings Court at Whitehall where all his base descent and ignoble pedegree being in a paper fully written and pinned vpon his backe hee was stocked one whole day so was he the next morning vpon a high scaffold in Cheape-side within the Citie of London from whence hee was committed a close prisoner to the Tower He practiseth to escape and to conuey away the young Earle of Warwicke Hee being in prison there corrupted by infinite promises of honourable aduancement the seruants of Sir Iohn Digbie Lieutenant of the Tower to suffer him and Edward the young Farle of Warwicke who had been a prisoner from his infancie to escape But this plot being discouered Perkin Warbecke was shortly after by the due course of Law condemned for High Treason Perkin Warbecke beheaded and was executed at Tyburne within two daies after and the young Earle of Warwicke who consented to haue escaped likewise being altogether innocent of all crime and onely affecting libertie which men beasts birds and fishes doe naturally desire was indicted arraigned conuicted and adiudged guiltie of the like offence and was executed on a Scaffold at the Tower Hill The young Earle of Warwicke is beheaded His death much blemished the fame and reputation of King Henry who being mercifull and compassionate by nature and hauing extended it oftentimes vnto notorious malefactors now to worke his owne securitie and without any iust offence would not pardon him who all his life time had beene so secret a prisoner restrained from all companie and from the view of this vaine and transitorie world that he scarcely knew a Capon from a Goose nor euer attempted any thing which might offend the King sauing only to set himselfe at large 1500. As soone as these businesses were thus ended Arthur the noble Prince of Wales being of the age of fifteene yeares was by an honourable deputation betrothed to the Ladie Katherine daughter to Ferdinando King of Spaine Prince Arthur marieth Katherine daughter to Ferdinando King of Aragon shee being of the age of eighteene yeares and the next yeare after with triumphant ioy and princely entertainment he receiued her into England and was maried to her in Pauls Church within the Citie of London And not long after Iames the Fourth King of the Scots vsed the mediation of Richard Fox 1501. then Bishop of Durham but shortly after translated vnto Winchester that hee might haue to wife the Ladie Margaret the eldest daughter of King Henry the Seuenth The Kings eldest daughter affied and after maried to Iames the fourth King of Scots And though the King for many important reasons might haue bestowed her vpon the greatest and most honorable Kings or Potentates in the Christian world yet for these
small a number forth with retired and with continuall assault so sharply oppressed the besieged for many dayes that hee scarcely gaue them leasure to take breath By meanes whereof they were almost tired and so worne out that small hope of long resistance was left vnto them except they were in due time rescued and relieued by the King To giue his Highnesse intelligence whereof it was resolued That one of them in the depth of the night must giue a desperate aduenture through the Scottish Campe. This proiect seemed so full of imminent perill and danger A braue attempt with fortunate successe that euery one of the inferiors refused the attempt So that the braue Knight himselfe considering aduisedly in what case the Castle stood and pitying the distressed estate of the comfortlesse Countesse his sister who expected nothing but villainous abuse if it were yeelded with a setled resolution vndertooke the iourney And being gallantly mounted vpon a swift courser he speedily posted through all the thousands of his enemies And in the morning hee informed Dauid by such passingers as hee did meete that very quickely hee should heare newes of him againe The Castle is brauely assaulted and defended The siege is raised The Scots knowing that it was no time to linger and yet being desirous to reuenge the great disgrace which their Armie had receiued againe and againe furiously assaulted the Castle and in them they performed many braue feates of Armes which witnessed their eager longing to haue wonne it but they were still repulsed and beaten backe with many incredible slaughters of their Souldiers The King comes to late for the Scots are gone and were compelled to raise the siege and with great speede to hasten into their owne Countrie King Edward the very day of their departure had trauelled a long and wearie iourney thinking to haue met them there But he failed of his purpose for which hee was much grieued Yet by the mediation of diuers Honourable personages A Truce a Truce was concluded on for a few Moneths But to be enlarged for two yeares if the French King without whose leaue the Scots could make no Peace would consent thereto The French King liked the motion well and gaue freedome to the Earle of Salisburie For whom the Earle of Morret was by kiâ—â— Edward set at libertie And though king Edward tooke but little pleasure in this Truce The causes why the King consented to this Truce yet he was the more easily drawne to consent thereto because at the same time he had Warres in France Gascoyne Poyters Paynton Britaine and else where All which daily consumed as much Treasure as he could get The king when hee perceiued that the Scots were gone from the Castle disarmed himselfe and with ten The King makes loue to the Countesse of Salisburie or twelue Lords and Knights entred into the Castle where the excellent beautie and modest behauiour of the sweete Countesse of Salisburie so inflamed his heart that by secret and amorous wooings he endeauoured to perswade her to ease his passions with her loue But the vertuous Lady first with milde and kind intreaties Shee cares not for it and afterwards with quicke and nipping reprehensions striued to make the king to see his owne errour But such was his desire and her denials were so peremptorie and resolute That discontentedly the King left her cashired his Armie and returned backe againe And hauing for many yeares together beene vexed The King keepes a solemne Feast and toyled in sundrie Warres hee intended to recreate himselfe his Lords his knights and chiefest Martialists with such pastimes and sportings as men of Warre tooke greatest pleasure in Wherefore hee proclaimed a solemne Feast to continue many dayes and generally inuited therunto the valiant men of his owne and of forraine Nations and Kingdomes proposing the exercise of feates of Armes Strangers repaire into England at the appointed time By meanes whereof many Noblemen and such as were of best renowme for Chiualrie repaired into England from many Countries excepting France and were with all magnificence courtesie and loue receiued and entertained by the King Martiall sportings and by all his Court But in those heroicall sportings by an euill and an vnfortunate accident Sir Iohn Lord Beamount The Lord Beamount slaine a valiant Knight of this Realme who formerly had taken the last King and Sir Hugh Spencer the yonger in a fisher before the Castle of Bristoll was slaine This Royall feast and these warlike pastimes ANNO. 18. A ParliameÌ„t The Prince of Wales is Created being thus finished a Parliament was assembled at Westminster wherein the king Created his eldest Sonne Edward Prince of Wales and vnto him was giuen by a free and generall consent Commissioners for the imployment of the Subsidie money foure fifteenes by the Laitie and three by the Clergie but with this condition that no part thereof should be conuerted vnto any other vse then only to the furtherance of the warres of France And certaine Lords and some others of principall note were then selected to whom the only care and charge of that imployment should belong ANNO. 19 The next yeare following king Edward to increase vertue and valour in his Nobles to enlarge his Amitie and Friendshippe with the States and Princes of forraine Countries deuised and established a new order of knight-hood confining the number of them to twentie and six of which himselfe and his Successors were to be Presidents and called them knights of the honourable Order of the Garter The order of the Garter deuised and established The Rites and Ceremonies of which order are euery yere solemnized with Princely magnificence in the kings Castle at Windsor to Gods glorie and the honour of all such as are dignified with that degree And thus king Edward hauing a while recreated himselfe with such Princely delights as exercised his Martialists in feates of Armes to the pleasure and good contentment of his people He now beganne againe to thinke vpon his affaires with France and to make his Forces better knowne to the Frenchmen then formerly they had beene An Armie sent into Gascoyne For which purpose he leuied a faire Armie which by his Cousin the Earle of Darby was landed and directed in Gascoine with such discretion and with such valour that hee not only acquited himselfe right nobly by way of defence against Philip the French king but daily wonne from him his Cities Townes Castles and his Forts and filled his hands so full that whilest the said Earle remained there hee laboured in vaine to catch at anie thing which belonged to king Edward Iaques Dartuell At the same time Iaques Dartuel whom fortune from a low beginning had raised to the greatest command that euer any man before him had in Flanders notwithstanding that Loys their Earle then personally did liue among them secretly purposed to disherite the said Earle and to make
Armie landeth at Callice and marcheth to Burdeaux He beates the French King ANNO. 44 An other Armie sent into France The English doe preuaile with an armie into Callice who to the terror and spoyle of the Frenchmen marched from thence vntill he came to Burdeaux to the Prince his Brother without opposition or resistance wasting and hauoking in all places as he passed by sauing that he was once met with and encountred by king Charles who being soundly beaten was enforced to retire and to giue free passage to the Duke King Edward as much as in him lay though hee beganne to grow old yet he was very carefull of those affaires For as soone as his sonne Iohn of Gaunt was gone out of England hee sent another Armie vnto Saint Omers which was conducted by Sir Robert Knowles who marching through those adiacent Countries with fire and sword depopulated it yea almost vntill he came to the Citie of Paris And then hee marched into the Earledome of Angeou where hee wonne the strong Townes of Vaas and Ruylly and sundrie others thereabout But the French king being informed that there was great dissention in the English armie betwixt Sir Robert Knowles and the Lords Fitz-water and of Grauntson rushed vpon them sodainly with an armie and finding their mindes diuided and their forces by great disorder broken Dissention caused the Englishmens ouerthrow preuailed against them and slew about one thousand Englishmen Whereupon the said Townes which they had taken were againe yeelded into the French kings hands He also following the good hap of his fawning Fortune sent another armie into the Prouince of Guyan ANNO. 45 where the Prince was weakly assisted and his Townes and Castles daily reuolted from him King Edward being much perplexed with the common reports of his declining Fortune ANNO. 46 and being resolued to doe his best to preuent the worst assembled his high Court of Parliament at Westminster A ParliameÌ„t wherein to supply his wants and to giue better strength and furtherance to his French Warres the Temporaltie with much cheerefulnesse granted him a Subsidie of fifteene thousand pounds A Subsidie granted and the like summe hee requested of the Cleargie who were contented to giue him faire words but no monie Whereat he was so much displeased The Clergie will grant none The Clergie disgraced ANNO. 46 The Earle of Pembroke defeated and taken at Sea that wheras at that time the Bishops and the Cleargie men were chiefly honoured with all Places and Offices of Honour and of Profit and of Commaund disgracefully hee depriued them and dismissed them all and placed more thankfull Subjects of the Laitie in their roomes King Charles had now besieged the Towne of Rochell almost one whole yeare For whose reliefe and to remoue the siege king Edward sent the Earle of Pembroke with an armie to the Sea but hee was encountred fought with and put vnto the worst by Henrie the vsurper of Castile who in fauour of the French king and thankfully to requite his former loue when hee assisted him against king Peter kept the narrow Seas with a strong Fleet. In this fight the Earle himselfe and one hundred and threescore others were taken Prisoners manie men were slaine The French King winnes Rochell c. and the rest who escaped returned altogether discomforted into England And vpon the certaine report of this disaster The Towne of Rochell Angolesme Xants and Saint Iohns of Angley and diuers other Prouinces were giuen vp vnto the French king Sir Iohn de Mountford Duke of Brittaine perceiuing that good successe accompanied the French king in all his actions beganne to feare ANNO. 47 Iohn of Gant and the Duke of Britaine oppose themselues against the French King They waste the Countrey ANNO. 48 left in the height of his prosperitie he would attempt some quarrell against him Wherefore Hee fortified his Countries and then came into England and offred his assistance to K. Edward who forthwith leuied a strong armie and commited it to the gouernment of his sonne the Duke of Lancaster Who being accompanied with the Duke of Brittaine landed at Callice and with sword and fire wasted the whole Countrie vntill hee came to Burdeaux where the Duke of Lancaster found his brother the Prince of Wales exceeding sicke who made him Gouernour of all King Edwards Prouinces And hauing scene all such Noble men as hee could command Iohn of Gant is made Gouernour The sicke Prince commeth into England ANNO. 49 ANNO. 50 to take their solemne oathes for the performance of their duties and obedience to his brother the Duke he sailed into England After whose arriuall three parles for peace betwixt England and France were entertained vpon the motion and by the mediation of Pope Gregorie the eleuenth But not one of them was made fruitfull with any fortunate successe In the last yeare of King Edwards Raigne in a Parliament holden at Westminster the King required a Subsidie from the Cleargie and from the Temporaltie of his Kingdome towards the supporting of his warres The Lower house of the Parliâ—ment complaine vpon the K ngâ— euill Officers But the Lower house of that assembly complained grieuously against the Lord Latimer chiefe Chamberlaine to the King and of manie other of his Officers for that they not only misled the King in his old age but also vnthriftily spent and consumed the Treasure of his Kingdome Wherefore they refused to yeild vnto the kings demand except those euill Officers might bee displaced and better men setled in their roomes Which being by the king through the important perswasions of the Prince consented vnto he cheerefully obtained his demand And now approched the ends of these two famous .1376 and most worthie Princes the Father and the Sonne For the Prince of Wales died the eight day of Iune The Blacke Prince dieth in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand three hundred threescore and sixteene when hee had liued fortie yeares and lieth buried at Canterburie The King restoreth his euill Officers And no sooner was hee dead but king Edward verie vnaduisedly to his great dishonour and to the great discontentment of his people remoued from him such new Officers as in the late High Court of Parliament were established and placed neere about him and restored the Lord Latimer Richard is Created Prince of Wales Duke of Cornwall and Earle of Chester King Edward dieth and all the rest to their former Offices and places And finding himselfe exceeding weake by reason of his sharp and grieuous sicknesse he created his Nephew Richard Sonne to the Prince deceased Prince of Wales Earle of Chester and Duke of Cornwall and committed the Regencie of his kingdome to his son Iohn of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster died when he had raigned fiftie yeares and somewhat more THE HISTORIE OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND RICHARD the second being the Son and heire of the Blacke Prince ANNO. 1. 1377.
oftentimes consulted of those affaires with the Earles of Warwike and of Salisburie and with other Commissioners appointed by the King Much was demanded nothing granted nor concluded and yet those eight daies were spent The eight daies are spent The Townesmen againe earnestly entreated That the Truce might be prolonged one day more One day more of Truce craued which was frankly yeelded to them The same day the Multitude and the baser sort of the people within the Citie being informed that nothing was agreed on with hideous shouts The commons doe mutinie in the Towne and fearefull cryes and exclamations accused their Magistrates Captaines and Commanders and threatned to cut their throats because as murderers of their countreymen and brethren they suffered them to starue like dogges thereby supporting the stoutnesse of their owne stomacks and their owne particular estates The Magistrates and the Captaines fearing the euill euent of this vnruly tumult entreated all the Citizens to repaire into the Market place Which when they did they then required of them what they would haue With one consent and with one voice they cryed out That they were resolued to saue their owne liues by yeelding of the Citie to King Henrie Vpon this motion a new Petition was sent vnto the King crauing the continuance of the Truce for foure daies more Which request was granted to them And in the fourth day being about the nineteenth day of Ianuarie all matters were so throughly concluded and agreed on That the strong and faire Citie of Roan Roan is yeelded to King Henries mercie the Inhabitants themselues and all their goods and riches were yeelded to the Kings mercie The rendring of this Citie and of all the aforesaid Townes and manie more did much perplex and coole the courage of the Normans and the Duke of Burgoine who with the discontentment of the Nobilitie ruled both the King and his Countries The Regent plotteth to make peace and to be reuenged on his enemies feared much least these disasters would be layed vnto his charge Wherefore to preuent ensuing dangers which as hee suspected did secretly threaten his Estate he resolued by his best meanes and endeauours first to reconcile the two kings if possibly he could and then to auenge himselfe vpon the Dolphin vpon the Constable and also vpon all such others as he supposed were most likely to do him the greatest harme Vpon the Dukes motion king Henrie with his Nobles and greatest Commanders Many parties but nothing concluded and one thousand braue and gallant souldiors and the French Queene because the king was weake and vnable the Ladie Katherine his daughter and the said Duke with some other Noblemen of France accompanied with the like number met oftentimes and consulted much But whatsoeuer king Henrie did demaund all was denied and all their trauailes sorted to no end Whereat king Henrie was much displeased King Henrie to angrie and taking leaue hee told the Duke That hee would haue the kings daughter the Ladie Katherine for his Wife with all such Seigniories Prouinces and Countries as hee required Or otherwise hee would ere long driue both his Master and him also out of that kingdome The Duke replyed The Dukes answere That those words were spoken with great ease but that he must take much labour and toyle to make them good Now when this practise fayled the Duke vpon faire tearmes reconciled himselfe to the Dolphin The Dolphin and the Regent outwardly reconciled And this their new amitie and friendship was by publike Notaries reduced into a formall Instrument in writing confirmed with both their Seales and was proclaymed with great solemnitie in manie Townes in France yet was it fained and vnfirme as shortly after it appeared But this outward Reconciliation contented not King Henrie because hee was right well assured That their discord and their brawlings would haue giuen an easie passage to his attempts in those Countries yet like an vndaunted Prince hee resolued to trie his further Fortunes with them all King Henrie createth Earles in France Longeuyle Tankeruyle Ewe And in hope of future seruice to be honorably performed he created Giscoyne de Foys Earle of Longeuyle Sir Iohn Gray Earle of Tankeruyle and Sir Iohn Bourchyer Earle of Ewe And then in close and in secret manner hee sent Captaine Bueff brother to the said Earle of Longeuyle with fifteene hundred approued men of Warre to the strong Towne of Ponthoyse Ponthoys taken who before the day appeared with skaling Ladders resoluedly entred into the Towne and possessed the Market place without blowes Which when the Lord Lisleadame the Captaine of the Towne perceiued he fled away with eight thousand of the inhabitants who were receiued into Paris And the next day King Henries brother the Duke of Clarence The Duke of Clarence lay before Paris two daies came vnto the same Towne with fiue hundred gallant and well prepared men of Warre and hauing fortified it and diuided the chiefest of the Spoyles thereof among the braue attempters of this Exploit he marched vnto Paris and lay before it two daies But being vnable with so small a number to assault or much to trouble it hee returned vnfought with vnto Ponthoyse The Parisians are afraid The winning of this Towne immoderately vexed and appalled the Parisians because now the French King had not in his possession anie strong Towne betwixt them and the English Armie All Normandie wonne by King Henry except Mount S. Michael The Duke of Clarence had also taken the strong Townes of Gysors and of Gallyard And within few dayes after all the Townes Cities Castles and Fortresses in Normandie excepting Mount S. Michael onely which neuer was besieged nor assaulted were either taken by force or were voluntarily surrendred to King Henrie who by GODS assistance and his true valour thus reduced the whole Dutchie of Normandie to his Crowne 7 1418. and did enjoy it as his Inheritance and Right The foresaid Iohn Iohn the proud Duke of Burgoine newly seeketh reconciliation with the Dolphin Duke of Burgoine surnamed the proud perceiuing that the Kingdome of France was too too weakely vnderpropped by reason that the friendship lately contracted betwixt himselfe and Charles the Dolphin was but superficiall and not heartie determined in a more submissiue manner to humble himselfe vnto him that thereby their loue taking the deeper root might bring forth riper fruits of Vnitie and of Peace But when they met the Dolphin whose malice was irreconcilable and whom mistrustfull jealousie did stil persuade that the Duke would not be faithfull procured him treacherously to be murdered The Duke is murdered as the said Duke himselfe vpon the like enterview for friendship sake had caused Lewis the Duke of Orleance to be slaine A iust punishment in the tenth yeare of the raigne of King Henrie the fourth This horrible Accident for a while tormented with insupportable griefe Philip Earle of Carolois
owne countrey At this time the rich and proud Bishop of Winchester being at Callice according to his ambitious desires Winchester is made a Cardinall He heapeth great treasure together was inuested with the Hat Habite and Dignitie of a Cardinall and receiued from the Pope a Bull which gaue him meanes in a short time to heape together a great part of the Treasure of this Land so that all men wondered at him for his Wealth but no man had cause to commend him for his Learning or to respect him for his Vertue After the Regents returne into France the Lord Rustian Marshall of Britaine hauing strongly fortified Pontorson pitched with his Armie before the Towne of Auranches in the Prouince of Constantine A notable victorie within the Duchie of Normandie purposing to haue besieged it But such was the resolute valour of the English Garrison there that like vnto Lyons greedie of their prey they issued suddainely out of the Towne and set vpon the Marshall so successefully that he was taken prisoner and the greater part of his followers as they fled were slaine Pontorson besieged by the English This victorie gaue fresh hopes of Good-speeding elsewhere So that the Earle of Warwike and the Lord Scales being sent with seuen thousand men to Pontorson besieged it a long time where being much enfeebled through manie wants the Lord Scales for the reliefe of their necessities taking with him three thousand of their companies grieuously foraged the Countries of his enemies But in his returne with plentie of Prouisions hee was encountred by sundrie French Lords The Lord Scales defeateth the Frenchmen and six thousand other fighting men against whome so luckily he preuayled that most of those Nobles and a thousand more were taken prisoners many hundreds were slaine and the rest by a quicke flight procured their owne safetie Ramfort taken The Garrison also at Saint Susan made such a suddaine roade into Angeou that they surprized the Castle of Ramfort before any newes gaue notice of their comming But they no sooner possessed it but that they were besieged by twentie thousand men who were appointed to rayse the siege at Pontorson To these the Castle yeelded vpon composition Ramfort regained so that the Frenchmen beeing much elated with this poore conquest imagined that they were braue men and that they had done seruice sufficient for that time And this conceit made them altogether carelesse to relieue the distressed estate of Pontorson Whereupon it was yeelded to the Earle of Warwike Pontorson w nne by the English who fortified it with good Prouisions and with a strong Garrison and came with great honour to the Regent Mouns is betrayed Whilest things were thus in handling some of the Clergie and some of the Magistrates of the Citie of Mouns knowing that the Duke of Britaine was reuolted and that his brother the Earle of Richmond now wholly adhered to the French King offered by treacherie to yeeld it to King Charles if a conuenient and an able Force might be sent thither to worke that feat This Citie was eagerly longed for on the French part Wherefore that it might be gotten the Lords Dalabreth and Fayet Marshals of France with sundrie moe Barons Captaines Gentlemen and old souldiors to the number of fiue hundred came in the depth of the night to the Castle walls Crueltie and then the conspirators within without anie compassion or manlike pitie massacred all such English Guarders as then maintained the first Watch and setting wide open all the Gates the Surprizors armed with barbarous crueltie entred into the Citie murdering and killing their enemies as they pressed forth Lamentable was the fearefull crie which so suddainely amazed the English Garrisoners within the Citie And it was the more full of terror for that the cause thereof was not vnto them perfitly knowne The Earle of Suffolke who was chiefe Gouernor of the Towne and the greatest part of the English souldiors entred into the Castle and were betimes in the morning sharpely assaulted by the Frenchmen And though they were altogether vnprouided of all necessaries for a long defence yet their lustie courage againe and againe gaue their enemies the repulse who making no doubt but through Famine or by violence to be owners of the Castle carelesly disposed themselues to all ease jolitie and mirth Whereof when the Lord Talbot was aduertised he forthwith marched thither in the night with seuen hundred men Mouns is recouered by the Lord Talbot The Earle of Suffolke to whome secret intelligence was giuen of his comming left the Castle and with his companies vnlooked for and vnthought vpon rushed into the Towne lustily crying and showting Policie Saint George Talbot Saint George Talbot Which vnexpected noyse so wonderfully amazed the lazie sleepie and drunken Frenchmen that some of them vnclothed in their shirts leapt ouer the Towne walls to saue their liues but lost them So that within and without the Towne foure hundred Gentlemen being slaine and taken prisoners and the rascall pesants being enlarged thirtie Citizens Execution twentie Priests and fifteene Friers by whose conspiracie the Towne had beene treacherously betrayed were as Traytors 1427. 6 tortured with miserable deaths And thus was the Citie of Mouns brauely regayned to King Henrie Not long before this time died the Tutor of the Kings Royall Person the right Noble Thomas Duke of Exeter So that the Earle of Warwike was sent for into England to vndergoe that charge And in his stead the renowned and most valiant Captaine Thomas Mountacute A new Armie sent into France Earle of Salisburie whose former Seruices so appalled and daunted the hearts and courages of the Frenchmen that they feared no man more was sent into France with fiue thousand men To which number as manie more were added Orleance is besieged by the Earle of Salisburie And with them all the said Earle marched to besiege the strong and warlike Citie of Orleance which standeth vpon the Riuer of Loyer This Citie was newly fortified and incredibly strengthned by the Bastard and by the Bishop of that place with Towers Bulwarkes and Forts and the Suburbes together with twelue other Parish Churches foure Abbies and all Houses and Vines being within fiue leagues of the Towne they caused to be ruinated defaced and cut downe because they should not afford any helpe sustenance or succour to the Englishmen When this siedge was strongly planted The Bastard of Orleance defeated the Bastard of Orleance intending to make famous his hautie courage to his enemies brauely issued out of a strong Bulwarke which was erected vpon the Bridge But being vnable to maintaine his bold challenge hee was compelled with the losse of that Fort and with the slaughter of the greater number of his Souldiers to flie into the Towne Within this Bulwarke there was raised an high Tower with a window in it at which the Englishmen vsually pried into the Towne taking the
they knew that Perkin was a counterfet The Scots inuade England vnder a colour to aide Perkin Warbecke yet they reioiced that opportunitie had offred them that occasion to inuade England not to make a conquest thereof nor to helpe Warbecke but only by valuable booties and large spoiles to enrich themselues Whereupon the young King being accompanied with his foolish guest and many thousands of lustie and tall men marched forth and entred into Northumberland where they exercised all kinde of rigour violence and wrong burning robbing Their crueltie rifling stealing and spoiling in all places and destroying with the sword both young and old strong and feeble healthie and infirme rich and poore with such barbarous inhumanitie and strange crueltie as neuer was committed before by that Nation And as soone as they had almost desolated all that Prouince finding no helpe nor succour from the English to assist their new King they returned into Scotland and neglected to giue vnto him any more aide King Henry vnderstanding what rapine spoile and violence was done by the Scots vnto his people and being sicke vntill hee had requited those wrongs with seuere and sharpe reuenge A puissant Armie is leuied to goe into Scotland summoned his High Court of Parliament in which it was concluded that forthwith an Armie should be sent against those enemies lest perhaps long forbearance might encourage them at another time to doe the like mischiefe And for the maintenance of those warres a small taxe or subsidie was granted to the King A Taxe which occasioned a rebellion which occasioned him much trouble The King who vsed great expedition in this businesse raised a puissant Armie which hee committed to the charge and gouernment of his Chamberlaine Giles Lord Dawbeney who was a wise and a valiant man But no sooner was this Armie on foot marching towards the North but suddenly it was recalled to withstand as great a mischiefe which otherwise might giue a deadly blow to the state of this Kingdome and Common-weale For the Cornishmen who were strong stout and couragious The Cornishmen rebell yet poore and oppressed with many wants not onely refused to pay the said Subsidie and taxe but in a braine-sicke and sullen humour they accused Iohn Morton Archbishop of Canterburie and Sir Reinold Bray who were two of the grauest wisest and most honest Counsellors aboue others to the King that they as enemies to their Countrey oppressed the inferiour sort and were prollers pillers and pollers for their priuate commoditie and gaine And that they seduced the King by leaud aduice and bad directions and were the Authors of much euill And that therefore they would take it on themselues not onely to remoue them from the King but also to correct and punish them as euill doers and as foes and enemies to their Natiue Countrey and Common-weale And pleasing their vnaduised passions with this fantasticall and vntruly grounded resolution they by the prouokement and incitation of Michael Ioseph a sturdie Blacke-smith and of Thomas Flamocke a man learned in the Law yet factious and of a tumultuous disposition put themselues in Armes and determined to effect their purpose though with violence yea in the presence of the King Wherefore hauing augmented their numbers and hoping that as they marched a long iourney so their forces would daily bee increased and nothing doubting but that according to the common voice and fame the Kentishmen would bee partakers with them in their Rebellion They march towards London The Lord Audley is their chiefe Captaine they pressed and passed forth towards London and in their iourney were much comforted by Iames Twichet Lord Audley who with many others being his adherents ioined with those Rebels and gained from them the chiefest authoritie to command In this meane while the King perceiuing their intentions and hauing recalled his Armie which was trauelling towards the North handled this businesse with such policie that hee would not suffer one man to moue one foot towards the West for these especiall reasons First because that on better termes hee should encounter with them when they had wasted their best strength and tired out themselues with a wearisome and with a tedious iourney And secondly because those Rebels being so farre off from home should bee altogether destitute of kinsfolkes and of friends to releeue them and of conuenient places of Retrait if necessitie should compell them thereunto The Kentishmen are against them The Cornishmen after much labour and paine comming into Kent not onely failed of their expected aide but also found the Kentishmen armed resolued to withstand their force and by their best endeuours to subdue them Yet were not the audacious and bold Cornishmen affrighted with this checke but retired strongly to Blacke-heath Black-heath field not many miles from London intending there to abide the vtmost of their fortune and either like men to be victorious or at a deare price to sell their liues The King with his Armie drawing neere towards them diuided it into three parts Two of them hee placed vpon the sides of the Rebels and those were commanded and directed by Iohn Earle of Oxford Henry Bourchier Earle of Essex Edmund de la Pole Earle of Suffolke Sir Rice ap Thomas Sir Humfrey Stanley and diuers others The King himselfe led the third and brauely charged the Rebels in the face and the residue did the like on eyther side The Rebels are ouerthrowne and though the poore sturdie and stout Cornishmen were oppressed with multitudes on euerie part yet they fainted not but fought like men for a long time stil pressing forth and making no staie but as they were compelled by the sword The Lord Dawbenie was at length taken prisoner by them but they enlarged him incontinently of their owne accord thinking by his meanes to find some mercie This fight and battaile was couragiously maintained for some houres during which space there were slaine on the Kings part about three hundred and of the Rebels more then two thousand Their chiefest Captaines and manie hundreds besides were taken Prisoners the rest fledde and King Henrie wonne the field And within few dayes after Traitors heads and quarters set vp in Cities in townes the Ring-leaders of that rebellious insurrection were in sundrie places of this Realme executed as Traitors and their heads and quarters were sent and disposed in sundrie Townes Cities and Castles of this Realme for a terrour to all such as should attempt the like enormious offence against their Soueraigne Now must we be informed that though the King had recalled the Lord Dawbenie and his Armie to withstand these Rebels yet hee knew that the young King of Scots in the meane time expecting punishment except he could by force of Armes auoid it made great prouision and daily preparations to defend himselfe Which forces would againe inuade the Northerne parts of this Kingdome assoone as they were informed of King Henries imploiment
good respects hee cheerefully consented to his request First because by all likelihood and probable coniecture this mariage would establish a perpetuall peace betwixt those two Kingdomes And secondly because if issues males and females failed of the bodies of his two sonnes then the Kingdome and the Crowne of this Realme descending to the said Ladie Margaret and to her issue would draw the Scottish King into England as vnto an estate of greater power magnificence honour and riches whereas if she were ioined to a Prince equall or exceeding her father in those respects this Kingdome would then wait vpon the greater and more worthie and so might be guided gouerned directed and commanded by a Deputie or a Substitute which would bee derogatorie from the maiestie of such a Monarchie and Common-weale These Halcyon daies Prince Arthur dieth which made King Henry fortunate and happie were suddenly exchanged into daies of heauinesse and of sorrow for Prince Arthur within fiue moneths after he was maried departed out of this troublesome and transitorie vale of miserie and was buried with great pompe and incredible lamentation both of the Nobles Gentlemen and common people in the Cathedrall Church within the Citie of Winchester by whose decease without issue his brother Henry Duke of Yorke without Creation was Prince of Wales 1502. as vnto him of right that dignitie did belong and appertaine and the next yeare after he was created Earle of Chester by his Father The King not long after by an honorable attendance of Lords Knights Ladies and men and women of especiall note and qualitie sent his eldest daughter the Ladie Margaret into Scotland to her espoused husband Iames the Fourth who receiued her vpon the limits of his owne Kingdome from the Earles of Surrey and Northumberland and was the next day maried to her in his Citie of Edenburgh 1503. to the great reioicing of the people of both those Nations Now when King Henry had thus ouercome his enemies and the Rebels and had settled himselfe in peace 1504. hee determined to plucke downe the high stomackes and stout courage of his people The King taketh aduantage of forfeitures vpon Penall Lawes supposing that their wealth and riches occasioned their rebellions and was the cause that many enormous insolencies were done and committed in the Common-weale And by that meane hee also intended to enrich himselfe And the plot whereby he intended to effect it was by taking of the aduantage of the breach of Penall Lawes Empson and Dudley And the principall charge of that polling businesse hee committed to Sir Richard Empson and Edmund Dudley men learned in the Law but ready enough to execute the Kings commands in a worser matter if occasion did so require These two being attended by troupes of base Informers Promoters Catch-poles Cheaters Knaues and cousening Rascals Many are vndone prosecuted and persecuted many of the Kings good Subiects to their vtter ruine and ouerthrow insomuch that many people in euery Shire of this Kingdome by their oppressions waxed poore and were vtterly decaied in their estates But the Kings Coffers were filled his Bagges were stuffed and those two gracelesse and cruell Cormorants got to themselues the Deuill and all But no remedie there was to cure this maladie for the King authorized them and they so rigorously and so vnconscionably executed their tyrannie that no man could assure himselfe that hee was free and without the danger of their lash 1605. In the 21. yeare of K. Henries raigne Elizabeth Q. of Castile wife to Ferdinando K. of Aragon and Spain died without issue male of her bodie so that her Kingdom not being deuidable among sisters according to the custome of that Countrie discended to her eldest daughter the Ladie Iane The King and Queene of Castile doe come into England by a storme wife to Philip Arch-Duke of Austria and Duke of Burgoine so that hee being King of Castile in her right prepared a Nauie of strong and well appointed ships and entred into the Sea purposing to take the possession of his new Kingdome But by the violence of an outragious storme himselfe with his Queene was driuen into Waymouth in Dorset shire where at his landing hee was receiued by Sir Thomas Trenchard a worthie Sir Thomas Trenchard entertaineth them at his house and a compleate Knight who instantly importuned the King to accept of the entertainment of his house vntill King Henrie were certified of his being there which courteously he did Whereof when he had louingly accepted hee was conducted thither and feasted like as hee was a King The Knight forthwith sent diuers Posters to King Henrie who being much gladded by this newes because the said King and he were vnfained and faithfull friends They are entertained by the King forthwith sent for his better direction and attendance the Earle of Arundell and some others who inuited him and his Queene and their Companie to the Kings Court which was then at his Castle of Windsor of which great courtesie he accepted with a kind hart and as he came within fiue miles of the Castle he was met by the Noble Henrie Prince of Wales who was accompanied by diuers Earles Lords Knights and Gentlemen of choice reckoning aad account and within halfe a mile of his iournies end the King himselfe with the greatest part of his Nobilitie Ladies and Personages of great worth and honour being richly apparrelled and brauely mounted met him likewise where kind salutations and friendly greetings proceeded from the heart and were performed with most exquisite complements of loue that by any could be imagined From the Kings Castle of Windsor the King conducted him and his Queene to the Citie of London where nothing was omitted that anie deuise or cost could make sumptuous thereby to expresse the heartie welcome of such beloued guests And thus when with great contentment mirth and pastime the King and he had spent some dayes they renewed the League which was betwixt them and taking kind farewels each of other the said King and Queene imbarked themselues againe lanched into the Sea and safety arriued according to their owne wils But not long after King Philip and his wife died and that Kingdome discended to Charles his eldest sonne From this time forwards King Henrie waxed sickly weake 1506. and infirme and by meanes thereof the two scourgers of the Common-weale Empson and Dudley tooke larger libertie to extend their villanies then was giuen to them and did oppresse torment and vex the People of this land But when the King perceiued that his time was short 1507. hee depriued them of their authoritie remitted and pardoned all offences committed against his penall Lawes and enlarged all prisoners The King waxeth sickly His deeds of charitie which were in durance for any offence treason and murder excepted only he also paid the debts of all such as for trifling and smal summes were prisoners in any Ward and gaue certaine
death The King not minding any longer to trifle or to dallie with the French King leuied two Armies Two Armies sent into France In the one of them were eight thousand men and in the other six thousand The former of them was commanded by George Lord Talbot Earle of Shrewesburie and the other by Sir Charles Somerset Lord Harbert Chamberlaine to the King These two Generals with their companies departing from Portsmouth arriued safely at Calice from whence they marched to the strong Citie of Tyrwyn Tyrwyn is besieged and besieged it on euery side And within few weekes after the King himselfe hauing first committed the gouernment of this Kingdome to the generall charge of the Queene his wife and the particular protection of the Northerne parts vnto the noble and worthie Lord Thomas Howard Earle of Surrey The King with a third Armie commeth before Tyrwyn if peraduenture the Scots according to their custome should in his absence beyond the Seas enter into those Countries being accompanied with many of his Nobles and Gentrie and hauing an Armie of eleuen thousand lustie and gallant men departed out of England came to his Towne of Calice and marched forth in warlike order vntill hee had ioined himselfe with all his other force which lay strongly encamped before Tyrwyn Now whilest King Henry thus lay in this siege the inhabitants oftentimes sallied out of their gates and with great resolution skirmished with their enemies but were alwaies loosers in their Retreats The French Armie attempteth to raise the siege By the Englishmen likewise daily batteries and hourely assaults were made and manfully resisted by the Citizens vntill the French King to raise the siege caused a huge Armie to be leuied which appeared and approched neere to the English Campe and made many a boasting and a proud bragge as if they were determined to doe much but still and still they trifled not doing any thing which might merit praise But in the end they being prouoked more by the taunting reproches of their owne Nation and by the daily scornes which for their want of courage they receiued from the sharpe tongues of their daring enemies then by their owne valour they attempted to raise the siege by strong blowes In so much that the two Armies met together fought stoutly and on either part performed many braue deedes of Chiualrie with great courage But the presence of King Henrie and his example of good Knighthood so animated his men of Warre that with vndaunted spirits they redoubled their strength in times and in places of greatest neede and extremities so that at the last The French Armie is ouerthrowne Tyrwyn is yeelâ—ed and burnt the Frenchmen being dissolued into many heaps of breathlesse carkasses and many of their Nobles and Gentrie being taken prisoners the rest fled and within few dayes after the Citie of Tyrwin by composition was yeelded to King Henrie who only preseruing the Bishops Palace in which hee lodged and the Cathedrall Church razed the Walls Towers Bulwarks and Fortresses thereof to the ground and consumed the rest of that Citie with fire In this siege Maximilian the Emperour The Emperor â—rueâ—l vnder King Henrie with thirtie approued men at Armes repaired to the Kings camp and after his great welcome amply expressed by his Princely entertainement hee with them were al enrolled into the Kings pay This victorie and the said Citie being thus wonne Torray is besâ—â—ged and yeelâ—ed King Henry with all conuenient expedition besieged the strong and the warlike Citie of Tournay which for a while was by the Inhabitants manfully defended and preserued But after many bitter and sharpe assaults and bloudie skirmishes when they perceiued that their hopes for succour and helpe were frustrated and in vaine they then by composition yeelded themselues to the Kings mercie who for the summe of ten thousand pounds gratiously receiued them as his owne subiects and by his Almoner Thomas Wolsey tooke the oathes of their fidelitie and alleageance as to their soueraigne Lord and King And then King Henrie leauing there a strong Garrison hee committed the gouernement and safetie of that Citie to Sir Edward Poynings who was valiant King Henrie reâ—â—â—neâ— into England The Lord Admirall vexetâ— the Freâ—h nation Iames the 4. Kâ—ng of Sâ—â—ts in the abâ—â—â— oâ— his brother kâ—ng Henrie rivâ—â—ieth England and a worthie Knight And dissoluing his Armie because the cold winter was vnfit for the continuance of warlike imployments he safely returned to England where he was receiued by his subiects with louely acclamation and great ioy Now must we vnderstand that whilst the king was thus busied in France the Lord Thomas Howard his chiefest Admirall intollerably tormented vexed and daily grieued the French Nation both by Sea and Land And likewise at the same time Iames the Fourth king of the Scots although he had maried with the Ladie Margaret the eldest sister of king Henrie made open warre and wilfull breach of his Promise and of the Peace which had been confirmed by his solemne Oath and beganne vniustly to pick quarrels against the King In so much that vpon notice giuen to the Earle of Surrey that in Scotland daily preparations and prouisions were made for warre He commanded Sir William Bulmer Sir William Bulmer a valiant Knight a valiant Knight with two hundred lustie and tall Archers to harbour in some Towne or Village neare to the Scottish Pale to the intent that hee might not only giue speedie notice and intelligence how things passed but also might doe his best to withstand and to resist their power Within few dayes after the Lord Humes Chamberlaine to the King of Scots entred with an Armie of eight thousand men into the Kingdome of England slew the Inhabitants burned their houses ransacked their goods and foraged their fields And hauing enriched himselfe and his souldiers with money and great spoyles he returned securely not thinking that any reckoning was to bee made for his good speeding But on a sodaine and vnexpectedly hee was encountred by Sir William Bulmer who with one thousand Archers and no more so thickly showred arrowes vpon the Scots and with their swords in such a desperate and strange manner assailed and assaulted them that quickly they were ouerthrowen and fiue hundred of them being slaine and foure hundred at the least taken prisoners the rest fled leauing their spoiles and their booties behinde them and so returned beggerly into Scotland The King of Scots who not only meant to reuenge this disgrace but also to worke wonders if hee might in the absence of King Henrie entred into this Realme with an Armie in which were more then one hundred thousand fighting men 100000. fighting men and besieged the strong Castle of Norham which through the Captaines prodigall expence of all his powder and shot to little or no purpose hee tooke and kept it as his owne The Earle of Surrey marcheth against the King of Scots The valiant and renowmed
of the Kings royall person And this conceit so pleased him that he now and then would babble and reueale it to some of his inward and familiar friends and some of them discouered it to his destruction and vtter ouerthrow Likewise this hope framed him to a more ambitious course in his cariage and made him negligent of his seruice and dutie to the King insomuch that his Maiestie by his Letters required him with all conuenient expedition priuately to repaire vnto the Court But as he was in his Barge vpon the Thames hee was by Sir Henry Marney Captaine of the Kings Guard who had with him an hundred of the Kings Yeomen subiect to his command attached and arrested of high treason and as a prisoner conueied to the Tower And being afterwards legally and according to the due forme of Law indicted by sundrie Knights and Gentlemen for that as much as in him lay he had conspired and contriued the Kings death to make himselfe his successour hee was brought to a Barre at Westminster Hall before the Duke of Norfolke high Steward of England and his chiefest Iudge And hauing holden vp his hand he was arraigned of treason vpon the said indictment and pleaded thereunto that hee was not guiltie and did referre himselfe for his triall to God and to his Peeres who were these the Duke of Suffolke the Marquesse Dorset the Earles of Oxford Deuon Darbie Shrewesburie Essex Worcester and Kent and the Lords De la Ware Fitz-Warren Willoughbie Harbert Cobham Brooke and Morley These Noble men in the presence of the Prisoner had witnesses face to face who were all prisoners for concealments of the same offence and deposition in writing which when they had done they arose from the Bench retired into a priuate roome and after a short absence returned againe to their places and the Duke of Buckingham being againe brought vnto the Barre the said Lords one by one protested with great solemnitie and protestations on their honour that they thought him to bee guiltie according to the indictment And thereupon the Lord high Steward with many teares pronounced against him that iudgement which against meaner offenders in that nature is giuen Whereupon hee was taken from the Barre and hauing an Axe borne before him with the edge thereof turned towards him because he had his iudgement to die he was conueied by water to the Temple staires and was there receiued on land by Sir Nicholas Vaux and Sir William Sands both Baronets who conducted him thorow the Citie of London to the Tower and within two or three daies after he was beheaded on a Scaffold at the Tower Hill About the same time the King himselfe wrote and published in the Latine tongue a booke against Martin Luthers Assertions The King writeth against Martin Luther Disputes and Arguments touching Indulgences and the Sacraments of the Church for which cause he was by the Pope enstiled Defensor Fidei Defender of the Faith Yet some doe affirme that he was so entituled in requitall of the aide and succour which by the gift of excessiue summes of money when he and his Cardinals were prisoners to the Emperour was extended to him and them Defensor Fidei We haue alreadie heard how that Cardinall Wolsey being sent to Calice to ratifie and to confirme the Peace which not long before was concluded there betwixt the Emperor the two Kings The French King first breaketh the peace did therein little good And wee must now know that the first breach of that peace was made by the French King who began to warre sharply on the Emperor both by Sea and Land And because he suspected that King Henrie partly for affinities sake and partly by reason of the condition of part-taking annexed to the said peace did secretly side with the Emperor against him therefore he dealt thus vnkindly with King Henrie 1 First of all contrarie to his faith and promise hee sent Iohn Duke of Albanie into Scotland to raise new warres The French King wrongeth King Henry and many mischiefs against this Realme to the end that the King might not haue any leisure to ioyne with the Emperour and to make warre vpon him 2 Secondly he detayned and kept from the King that yearely Tribute which for Normandie Aquitaine and other the Kings inheritance in those Countries was due and payable by the Kings of France 3 Thirdly contrarie to his promise and safe conduct giuen to the Marchants of England no warre betwixt the two Kings being proclaimed he seised on all their wares and marchandizes in Burdeaux and committed them to prison 4 Fourthly vpon the Seas he riffled robbed and spoiled the Marchants of England daily and vpon complaints promised liberall restitution but made none 5 Fiftly he refused to pay to Queen Mary Dowager of France her yearly pension contrarie to the agreement made betwixt king Henrie and the whole estate of France 6 And last of all neglecting his Hostages and making a wilfull breach of his promise he would not pay those summes of money which were concluded to be paid for the surrendring and yeelding vp of the Citie and Castle of Tourney into his hands King Henries course for requitall These iniuries and wrongs first of all procured the King to make generall Musters through his whole kingdome and then to apparell prouide and furnish his Nauie Royall and to commit them to the charge and gouernment of the Earle of Surrey his high Admirall the scourger of the French King for all his faults To him hee gaue ample and large commission to vexe and to annoy the French King and his Subiects both by Sea and Land He also restrained the French Embassador of his libertie not permitting him to goe abroad without his leaue He also caused the marchandizes wares goods and money of all Frenchmen within his kingdome not being Denizens to be attached to his owne vse Also hee committed their bodies to Gaoles and Prisons vsing them in the like sort as his Subiects and Marchants were misvsed in France A French Armie vanisheth King Henrie being informed that the French King hauing leuied an Armie houered vp and downe neare vnto the marches of Calice to preuent danger and to meet with him at all assaies sent many thousands of gallant and braue Souldiers to the Sea which were by the Admirall receiued into his Fleet so that vpon any occasion or neede they might quickly bee set on land But when they perceiued that Calice was not in any hazard for that the French Armie was vanished and dissolued then the Admirall because he loathed to be idle landed many of his men vpon the coast of Brittaine Morleys taken burnt and with great confidence and resolution conducted them to Morleys where a principall gate of the Citie being battered and beaten open with some great shot the braue English men boldly entred in riffled ransacked and spoiled the town and by the cōmandement of the Admirall they consumed it
grieuously afflicted the Kings Armie with mortalitie and death that not hauing performed anie thing worthie a Kings care and trauaile he began to retyre which when the Scots perceiued they pursued and hunted him with much crueltie and violence So that finding his forces to be broken The King is pursued and flyeth and his Armie scattered the Scots gaue a bold onset vpon the King himselfe and enforced him to saue his life by an ignominious flight and to leaue behinde him his Treasure The King loseth his Treasure and prouisions Ordinance and all his best prouisions whereat they made great jolitie and mirth This last disaster and this last danger which King Edward by a shamefull flight escaped was principally occasioned by Sir Andrew Harkley Sir Andrew Harkley Earle of Carlile beheaded whome the King had created Earle of Carlyle for his great seruice in his behalfe against his Barons in their late ouerthrow for hee hauing secretly receiued from the Scots a great summe of money for a bribe practised to betray the King for which offence he lost his head The Queene flyeth into France and carrieth the prince with her The Queene knowing that the two Spencers enuied her deepely at the heart and that by their persuasions the King refused to keepe her companie and solaced himselfe too too wantonly with lewd and lasciuious strumpets and pitying the late slaughter and bloudie executions of verie manie of the Nobilitie and perceiuing that the affaires and businesse of the Commonweale were made slauish and seruile to all misfortunes taking with her the young Prince Edward her sonne fled into France to her brother King Charles She is kindly entertained by her brother the King by whome shee was receiued louingly and was recomforted by earnest promises and oaths That by his assistance and at his costs her wrongs and this whole Kingdomes ruines should be repaired And not long after the Barons by their letters offered their best seruice to her and to the Prince her sonne The Barons doe offer her their seruice and did protest That if shee could returne strengthened onely with the helpe of one thousand valiant men at armes they would thereto adde so great a strength as should suffice to make the two Spencers feele the smart of their vnsufferable follies This proffer exceedingly rejoyced the Queene The Spencers do bribe the French King with the Kings Money and Iewels The French King checketh the Queene his sister The Pope and his Cardinals are bribed Sir Robert Earle of Arthois a friend to the Queen The Queene and Prince flye into the Empire They are kindly entertained by the Earle of Henault The Queene and Prince doe land in England ANNO 19. 1325. The Nobles Commons doe repaire to the Queene and Prince The Bishop of Exeter beheaded by the Londoners The King goeth toward Wales The Londoners take the Tower and daily fedde her conceits with fresh hopes of fortunate successe at the last But the two Spencers greatly fearing the euent of her returne if the French King should take her part and making the Kings Coyne and his Treasure their best Aduocates to plead their case so corrupted King Charles and his Councell of Estate with vnvaluable presents of Gold of Siluer and of rich Iewels that not onely all aide and succour was denyed to her by her owne brother but in verie sharpe and in quicke manner shee was by him reproued and blamed as being foolishly afraid of her owne shadow and as hauing vnwisely and vndutifully forsaken the companie of her Lord and kinde husband The Pope likewise and manie of his chiefest Cardinals being by like rewards engaged by the two Spencers required the French King vpon the penaltie of Cursing to send the Queene and the young Prince her sonne to King Edward And doubtlesse shee had vnnaturally beene betrayed by her owne brother if secretly and speedily her selfe and her young sonne had not been conueyed into the Empire by Sir Robert of Arthois her neere and kinde cousin and friend where they were with vnexpected and extraordinarie joy receiued and welcommed by the Earle of Henault and by Sir Iohn of Henault Lord Beaumont his brother who being accompanied with three hundred Knights and selected men of Armes went with her and with her sonne into England Vpon the first intelligence giuen of their landing the Lords and Barons with gladded hearts and lustie troupes of resolued Gallants who were soundly and at all points armed repaired euerie day to the Queene and Prince and hourely their forces were encreased So that the King hauing notice of these new troubles left the Gouernment of the Citie of London to his chiefest Treasurer Walter Stapleton then Bishop of Exeter who was an inward friend to the two Spencers and a professed enemie to the Queene and hated generally by the inhabitants of that Citie and the King hasted vnto the Marches of Wales for the present leuying of an Armie But hee was no sooner on his journey but the Londoners skorning the Gouernment of their prowd and insolent Commander apprehended him and without anie lawfull proceedings or judiciall Sentence caused his head to be smitten off at the Standard in Cheape and then they suddenly and with great violence rushed into the Tower of London where they slew all such as they found there and kept both it and that Citie to the vse of the Queene and of the young Prince her sonne The King changeth his purpose The King fortifieth Bristoll The Queene winneth Bristoll The King is besieged in the Castle Est ineuitabile Fatum A strange matter The King and Sir Hugh Spencer the younger are taken The Castle of Bristoll yeeldeth Sir Hugh Spencer the father and the Earle of Arundell are beheaded The Queene and Prince doe march toward London The younger Spencer is publikely derided He is cruelly executed As soone as King Edward was resolued and informed of this Reuolt hee desisted from his intended purpose and posted vnto Bristow and fortified it in the strongest manner that hee was able and committed the defence thereof to the Earle of Arundell and to Sir Hugh Spencer the father and himselfe with Sir Hugh the sonne entred into the Castle there and were determined to defend it with all their strength But within few dayes after the said Citie was besieged assaulted and wonne by the Queene and by the Barons who committing the two Earles and diuers others of the chiefest note vnto safe keeping besieged the Castle in such sort that the King and his Minion distrusting the euent stole away secretly in the night and put themselues into a little Fisher-boat Yet such was the will and pleasure of GOD to make them to know him by their future miseries that euerie day for a weeke and more the same Boat by reason of a contrarie winde was driuen backe neare to the said Castle Which being at length perceiued and obserued by the Lord Beaumont hee chased the Fisher-boat with a small vessell
rich Townes of Cheirbrough Mount-brough and Quarenâ—ue and the Castle there Then King Edward marched foorth in great strength through that Countrie Normandie harrowed by King Edward being hedged in on the one side by his Marshall the Lord Harcourt and fiue hundred chosen men of warre which hee commanded and by his other Marshall on the other side with a like number And with such seueritie ransacked spoiled burned and haâ—owed all places as he passed by The English Armie is rich The English Armie increaseth that euerie coÌ„mon souldier was now a rich man and the Kings Armie was encreased and now consisted of nineteene thousand fighting men with which he pitched before the city of Cane in which were the Earles of Tankeruile and of Ewe Besides the Earle of Guyens who being high Constable of France had gathered and brought vnto that place manie braue and approued men at Armes and made a flourishing shew as if hee meant to issue forth and to giue battaile to the King But feare possessing his heart he made but a faint resistance The Citie of Cane is taken and in short time and with litle losse the Citie was taken and ransacked by the English souldiers who conueighed all their spoiles into England Sir Thomas Holland Loureys is taken Why King Edward medled with no walled Townes nor Castles in the Prouince of Eureux In the yeelding vp of this Citie First the three Earles submitted their fortunes to Sir Thomas Holland a valiant English Knight who had but one eye of whom the King bought them for tenne thousand markes in Gold and receiuing them as prisoners into his Armie hee marched to the Towne of Loures which hee quickly won and then entred into the Prouince of Eureux all which he wasted spoiled and burned without pittie the walled Townes Cities and Castles only excepted with none of which hee medled â—east by them his strength should bee deminished before hee met with the French King who had solemnely sworne and protested that King Edward should not returne into England before a battaile fought between them Many towns wonne by the English After this King Edward in his march wonne Gisours Vernon Saint Germans in Lay Mountrell Saint Clowde Rely and the whole Countrie about Roan Pont de' Larch Nants Newlench Robboys Fountaine Poys and Vimew in all which places he found but weake resistance King Philip of France hauing true intelligence that King Edward with al his Armie was within two leagues of Paris The French King forsaketh the Parisians left that Citie and went to S. Dennis where his Armie lay perswading the Parisians that King Edward dared not to looke them in the face but they beleeued him not and feare made them greatly displeased with their king Those of Amyens are slaine and taken Neere about the same time Sir Godfrey Lord Harcourt being one of King Edwards Marshals encountred with certaine Burgesses of Amyens whom the French king had appointed to come vnto Paris for the better defence therof if neede should so require and though they defended themselues with much valor yet at length twelue hundred of them were slaine and the rest being taken prisoners were brought vnto the king The English Armie so eagerly pursued the happinesse of their fortune That they possessed the whole countrie through which they passed yea euen to the gates of Aubeuile The English Armie is inuironed on the suddaine and of Saint Valary yet were they vnawares enuironed with the Riuer of Some on the one side and with the French Kings armie consisting of more then an hundred thousand men on the other side The place wherein he was promised him no manner of aduantage if he should fight but many inconueniencies presented themselues vnto him So that hee consulted with his Prisoners if anie of them could direct him to any Ford where he might transport his Armie among whom one who was named Gobyn of Grace Gobyn of Grace directed him to a conuenient passage But when the King came thither it was defended by twelue thousand of the French Kings Armie Yet notwithstanding when the Sea was ebbed King Edward with the Prince and the whole Armie did put themselues into the water and so did the French men on the other side King Edward passeth through the riuer of Some and slaughtereth the French so that they all encountred pell mell in the midst of the Riuer and fought with such desperate resolution on either part that manie a man was striken downe being slaine or by that meane was drowned But at length the Frenchmen being much wasted by the sword fled and the Englishmen slaughtered them in the Chase a full league and more And now approached the time in which this journie made by king Edward and his sonne was to be blessed with much honor and happinesse or to be vnfortunate The famous and victorious Battaile of Cressey though hitherto it had proceeded well For the French king being resolued to bee reuenged without pitie and in regard that his Armie contained in number more then six times as manie fighting men as king Edward had and making no doubt Great oddes but that a triumphant victorie should preuent all future danger of Englands claime to the French Crown marched with all his strength in good order of battaile against king Edward Who knowing that only the sword was then to decide the controuersie and to pronounce the judgement entred into a spacious field neere vnto Cressey where he did set his whole Armie in good order and diuided it into three battailes All which hee so imparked behind with carriages and carts that no man was easily able to interrupt or to endanger them in the Reareward The Battaile of the Blacke Prince And when the battaile should begin the first Companies were conducted by the yong Prince who was assisted by the Earles of Warwicke and of Canford and by the Lords of Harcourt Stafford Manny De Lauarre Chandoys Clifford and Bourchier Sir Reynold Cobham Sir Thomas Holland Sir Roger Neuill and manie other Lords knights and Gentlemen of name And in that battaile were eight hundred men at Armes Two thousand Archers and one thousand other lustie and good Souldiers The second battaile was directed by the Earles of Northampton The second Battaile of the English and of Arondel who were accompanied with the Lords Rose Lygo Willoughby Basset Saint Awbin Myleton and De La Sell and by manie other Lords knights and Gentlemen And in this battaile there were eight hundred men at Armes and twelue hundred Archers And the third and maine battaile being placed betwixt the other two was led by the king himselfe who was assisted by many Earles Lords knights Esquires and Gentlemen of the best ranke The Kings Battaile And in that battaile there were seuen hundred men at Armes Two thousand Archers and tenne thousand other common souldiers well approued and expert men of warre The English Armie hauing exercised
Gentlemen of great valour and much worth Iohn Duke of Bedford rayseth the siege The Duke shortly after his departure being happily conducted by a pleasing wind fell vpon the French fleet who in the view of the Towne of Harflew fought couragiously as men resolued to winne honour But being vnable to make good what they intended they were at length vtterly vanquished and ouerthrowne with an incredible slaughter of their men and great numbers of them being taken were sent Prisoners into England And thus was the Towne of Harflew happily rescued and deliuered from the Frenchmen For when the Constable perceiued that all their Sea-forces were defeated and in a manner consumed hee raysed his Siege and with a heauie heart marched dishonorably vnto Paris and the Duke of Bedford hauing new victualled manned and fortified the Towne returned with great applause and much honor into England These disasterous misfortunes rushing euerie day vpon the French Nation Secret quarrellings among the French Nobilitie rather animated the Nobilitie of France to seeke meanes to reuenge their priuate quarrels and grudges one against the other then as prouident and worthie Peeres to vnite their forces for the defence and protection of their Countrey by means whereof King Henrie fares the better a wide Gappe was opened to King Henrie with lesser danger to attempt great matters against the Peace and Estate of that Kingdome And to further his designes in those Negotiations hee assembled his High Court of Parliament at Westminster A ParliameÌ„t In which he himselfe pithily and effectually discouered his Right and Title to the Crowne of France The Kings Speech the often Injuries which the Frenchmen had done from time to time to the English Nation his blessed and fortunate Successes in those Warres the new Dissentions and secret reuengefull Grudges which diuided the hearts and the strength of the Frenchmen and his vndoubted hopes of winning both honour and profit if by the sufficient disbursement of Money and of Treasure his preparations might be furthered and supported with all speed This Speech being graciously and artificially contriued was so plausible and pleasing Great sums of monie quickly anâ—â—arefully raised and the Kings heroicall intendements were so well receiued and digested by all sorts of people who were then present that not onely a great summe of money with franke and free consent was granted to him but the same was quickly leuied with great loue and much ease The King being much encouraged in his French businesse by the forward bountie of his louing subjects prepared a strong Fleet furnished it with men and all things needfull and embarked therein a strong Armie of lustie experienced souldiors but sent before him to skowre the Seas Iohn Earle of Huntingdon sonne to that Duke of Exeter Another victorie at sea by Iohn Holland Earle of Huntingdon who was beheaded in the daies of King Henrie the fourth This lustie Gallant being at all points readily prouided met luckily with nine Carricks of Genoa which for money were waged to serue the French King with those he encountred and fought stoutly yet for a while with variable hopes of the successe but in the end hee sunke into the Sea six of them and tooke the other three being stored with great store of Money and much Treasure and brought them with his prisoners to the King The King with his Armie landed in Normandy This argument of good speeding much encouraged King Henrie who with his copious Armie of gallant and lustie Lads departed out of England and landed safely in Normandie before the strong Castle of Tonque which by him was besieged and wonne by strong assaults Tonque is taken by assault and yet hee receiued the besiedged to his mercie When the Normans knew that King Henrie was arriued in their Countrie The Normans flye into the walled Townes and of his taking of that Castle they fled as men amazed with bagge and baggage into their walled Townes and so did all the souldiors which were placed euerie where for the defence and protection of those Countries so that without resistance King Henrie marched forth and pitched before the Citie of Cane The Citie of Cane is besieged which was exceedingly well manned and throughly prouided of Victuals Armour and Munition of all sorts for manie moneths Diuers assaults were fiercely made and the walls were oftentimes skaled with desperate resolution by the English and the Normans with no lesse valour and stout courage defended the Towne to the great damage of their enemies vntill at length King Henrie to saue the liues of manie valiant men who otherwise must needes haue died in that Seruice proclaimed Mercie to the besieged if they would yeeld The Citie refuseth all compositions But their hopes to bee relieued and the trust which they reposed in their owne valour persuaded them to refuse all compositions whatsoeuer Whereupon many terrible assaults were fiercely made and repulsed The walls of the Citie were in many places vndermyned the Englishmen with vndaunted courage rushed into the Towne partly through the walls and partly ouer them Cane taken by assaults so that in the end although the Normans to their continuall praise and commendation performed the parts of worthie and faithfull souldiors yet their Towne was wonne and all of them forsaking their armour and their weapons fell vpon their knees and humbly craued mercie of the King Which was not by and by granted to them because they had obstinately refused it before yet some refreshing words of comfort gladded their heauie hearts so that they hoped the worst was past Then the King caused all the Townesmens Armour to be heaped together in the Market place and to be defended by a strong Guard Thanks giuen vnto God which being done with all the residue of his Armie hee entred with great solemnitie and reuerence into the chiefest Church and on their knees with true humilitie and deuotion they yeelded their heartie thanks vnto Almightie GOD for that Victorie This dutie being thus performed Townesmen executed and strong Watches being placed in euerie quarter of the Citie the King vpon the next morning assembled all the inhabitants at their Senate or Councell-house where he censured the principals of such as obstinately refused his fauour when it was offered to sundrie deaths fined and ransomed others and diuided the riches and the best things which were found there among his souldiors The souldiors are enriched who in those assaults had made sufficient triall of their vndaunted courage and bold valour At this time the Earle of Arminack High Constable of France The Dolphin wanting money taketh it from the Queene his mother together with Charles the Dolphin who was much grieued for his troubled Countrey proposed to themselues sundrie projects for the defeating of King Henrie and finding the want of money to be their chiefest impediment the Dolphin by the Constables aduise tooke from the Queene his mother a
great Masse of siluer and of gold which for many yeares she had scraped scratched and hoorded vp together This Act so inwardly vexed and enraged the Queene She voweth deepe reuenge that in her heart she vowed to be reuenged vpon them both and knowing that Iohn the Duke of Burgoine was their capitall and greatest enemie especially to the Constable of France She procureth Iohn Duke of Burgoine to be Regent Protector and because the king her husband by much sicknesse was weakened both in his bodie and in his vnderstanding she procured him to be made and to be established the Protector of the Kings Person and the Regent of his whole kingdome Now when the said Duke had obtained this authoritie and power He intendeth reuengement on the Constable he forthwith resolued to reuenge his old displeasures vpon the said Constable and afterwards to bend his whole strength against king Henrie The Dolphin likewise and the Constable employed their chiefest care how they might enfeeble the new Regent and his adherents The Dolphin and the Constable arme their wits against the Regent and to oppose themselues against the English forces it was their smallest thought So blind is Enuie and so reuengefull is proud Ambition that the Countries good is nothing at all respected when men resolue to pursue their priuat hatred and contention And hereby all men might plainely see That these dissentions and these discords did more further the English Armie in their proceedings This Discord furthered King Henries proceedings than did their owne policie and their owne strength For the Normans being vtterly dismayed and hopelesse to be assisted because the Malice which bare sway among the French Nobilitie was too too great fled as men amazed and as not being the commanders of their owne wits from place to place from village to village and from towne to towne and in the meane time the English Armie commanded as it pleased King Henrie beholding their feare and seeking rather to winne their Castles Townes and Cities by Policie than by the Sword proclaymed in all places King Henries proclamation That such of them as would yeeld and sweare to become his subjects should not onely enjoy freely all their Lands Goods Liberties and Liues but should also bee protected and defended by his strength and be receiued into his Princely loue The greatest Townes in Normandie are yeelded to King Henrie This practise quickly procured the surrendring into his hands without blowes the strong Townes of Alanson Argenton Boyeux Camboy Conde Crewly Essay Faloys Thorygny and Vermoyle And vnto the kings brother the Duke of Clarence were quietly yeelded the Townes of Auellyers Barney Bethelvyn Chambroys Cowrton Crevener Fangermon Freshney Harcort Lysoeux and Ragles And into the hands of the kings other brother the Duke of Glocester were giuen vp and deliuered these Townes in the Countie of Constantine that is to say Auranclies Briquevile Cuventon Chiergurge Constance Hambery Hay du Pays Pontorson Pontdone S. Sauior S. Iames S. Clow Vire and Valoignes in all which the king and his brothers placed valiant English Captaines strong Garrisons to defend them King Henrie fortifieth all those Townes if the French should attempt to regaine them to his owne power Cane is repaired and fortified The Citie of Cane also was newly repaired fortified and inhabited by English souldiors and traders of all sorts Sir Gilbert Vmfreuyle being made Captaine of the Castle Sir Gilbert Talbot of the Towne and Sir Iohn Popham was made Bailife there 6 1417. Roan is walled round Whilest King Henrie and his companies were thus busied in Normandie hee was informed That the Citizens of Roan had compassed their Citie with a strong wall and had strengthened it with extraordinarie Fortifications Towers Bulwarkes and Ditches and that the whole Wealth and Treasure of a great part of the Countries round about it was brought thither The countries treasure is brought into Roan Whereupon he marched with his whole Armie towards that Citie and in his passage by strong assaults he tooke Pontlarch Louyers and Eureux and came before the strong Citie of Roan the last day of Iuly and compassed it round about vpon the Land parts with a strong siege Roan is besieged by land and by water And at Pontlarch he placed ouer the Riuer vpon Pyles a mightie Chayne of Iron and a Woodden Bridge which prohibited all succours by water to come vnto the Citie And the Earle of Warwike hauing the command of an hundred gallant shippes well manned victualled Cawdebeck giueth passage to the English fleet and prouided for the Warre entred into the Riuers mouth and came before the Towne of Cawdebeck and so fiercely pressed on it that by way of composition they suffered him quietly to passe towards Roan with faithfull promise to yeeld it into King Henries hands Conditions if hee fortuned to winne Roan but if hee did not then to giue the said Earle and his whole Fleet a safe and a peaceable returne And for the due performance thereof they sent him sufficient hostages Hostages whom he receiued louingly and carried them with him before Roan Thus was this Citie girded round about on euerie part so that no man could passe in or out At this Siege there repaired voluntarily to the King 1600 Irishmen repaire to the King and doe him great seruice the Lord of Kylmay of Ireland with sixteene hundred tall lustie swift and strong men of that Nation they all beeing cloathed in Coats of Mayle and armed with Darts whom the King entertained cheerefully and was extraordinarily furthered by their help and assistance in those his Expeditions Daily the King gaue terrible assaults vnto the Citie The Towne assaulted and defended which with admirable resolution and manlike valour was brauely defended by the Normans But when force and violence preuailed not the king to spare his men and because hee vnderstood 210000 souls in Roan That there were aboue two hundred and tenne thousand men women and children within the Towne determined if he might to gaine it by famine without blowes The King intends to win Roan by famine For which purpose he cast a deepe Ditch about the Land parts of the Citie The Kings fortifications and pitched it plentifully with sharpe stakes and guarded them with his Archers so that the inhabitants could not issue out eyther to offend him or to relieue themselues Thus this Siege continued from Lammas vntill the whole Christmas was ended during which time A great Famine the Famine so grieuously encreased that the Citizens dranke nothing but vineger and water and multitudes of them were enforced to prolong their liues by eating of Rattes Mice Cattes Dogges Horses and such like Great numbers also of the poorer sort vncharitably were thrust out of the Citie The poore are thrust forth and die because they spent their victuals and could not fight and because they were not
suffered to passe through the English Armie they miserably perished for want of food betwixt the Gates and the Trenches of their enemies And vpon New-yeares day after the Citie had beene long visited with this famine there issued out at the Bridge-Gate certaine Commissioners Commissioners craue conference with the king who craued conference with some man of authoritie in the English Armie vnto whome the Earle of Huntingdon who was quartered in that part of the Citie sent Sir Gilbert Vmfreuyle their errand was To procure speedie accesse and free returne from King Henrie The commissioners repaire to the King The King was well pleased that twelue of them should bee kindly entreated if they came So the next morning foure Knights foure learned men and foure of the choisest Burgesses of the Towne being all clothed in blacke repaired to the King who beheld them with a countenance beautified with extraordinarie Majestie and Grace and vnto him one of them boldly spake as followeth A proud Speech of a Frenchman to King HENRIE REnowned and great Prince the world is taught to know by good Experience that Kings and Noble Captaines doe winne their chiefest Reputation for their valour and for their fortitude by mastring and subduing of proud enemies and of valiant men by martiall violence and with the Sword and that it is and euer hath beene a notorious Badge of cowardly basenesse in a Prince to make them seruile by Famine and by the scarsitie of food in which kind of crueltie there is neither found Manhood to praise him nor Wit which may in anie sort commend him To the end therefore that your Highnesse may make your selfe equally famous with the greatest Princes for your generous disposition in taming of vs the Souldierie of this Citie by the Sword suffer I pray you the multitude of our diseased and sick folkes and the weaker sort of our men women and Children safely and charitably to passe through your Armie and then if you dare assault our Fortresses and our Walls and if by your valour you fortune to become our Lord you may vse vs at your pleasure and make your self truly and heroically famous among great Men who doe scorne all base attempts and can rellish nothing but vnspotted honor When the King with a troubled mind had heard and considered of this bold bragge he stoutly made this answere The KINGS discreete ANSVVERE FAntasticall and fond Frenchmen thinke you that I am so weake a Scholer in the Art of Warre that I haue not yet learned the Principles in that Science Are not the Sword Fire and Famine the three Instruments with which worthie and renowned Kings Princes and the best Captaines euer haue done and doe still endeuour to subdue their Enemies Doe not all Histories accord in one That the greatest Monarchs and the Grand Commanders of the World haue still atchieued their chiefest Conquests by those three Is not either of them powerfull and able to torment and to afflict the proudest foes And are they not all three being ioyned together of sufficient force to ouercome and to ouerthrow the greatest Nation in the world It was my clemencie and gentlenesse to forbeare to assault your walls because I would not willingly hasten the death of anie except they would wilfully further their owne destruction Neither doe I intend to consume so faire a Iewell as this Citie is in the fire because I desire to preserue it the same being mine owne Inheritance and my Right If then I vse the mildest of these three namely Famine to correct you and to frame and fashion you to my will then may you redeeme your selues from her seueritie if you be so disposed by surrendring of this mine owne Citie into my hands Which thing if obstinately you refuse to doe then would I haue you know That Kings may not bee instructed in Martiall Policies by euerie bold companion who dareth impudently to speake Neither may they permit a Bookish vnexperienced souldior to read vnto them a Lecture of warlike proceedings especially if he be their Enemie as you are mine You desire nay sawcâ—y you require That with my leaue and fauour your sick and starued people may passe into the Countrey through mine Armie and that then I should if I dared by meane assaults attempt the winning of your Towne The world will wonder at your crueltie who haue barbarously and vncharitably thrust out of your Gates multitudes of harmelesse poore and distressed People beeing of your owne Bloud Kindred and Countrey to the intent that I should mercilessely slay and consume them yet such hath beene my clemencie and gentlenesse towards them that oftentimes I haue relieued them with mine owne store But because I doe now finde that your obstinacie is not yet qualified and corrected I will from henceforth abstaine from giuing vnto them anie further comfort and if they perish with extreame famine as they needes must doe their bloud will be required by GOD at your hands who doe most wickedly expose them to those calamities and not at mine who would willingly preserue them if my fauors in that behalfe would not hinder mee from the recouering of my Right Resolue your selues therefore that seeing you remaine still froward they shall not passe through mine Armie but die at your Gates except your hearts beeing mollified you will relieue them and suffer them to spend some part of your victualls And when I shall see cause your Towne shall be assaulted to your paine But your aduise and directions shall not appoint the time for it shall be and rest wholly and only at my pleasure And in the meane time I would haue you know That he who dareth to enter into and thus to passe through all your Countries He who hath alreadie taken though not as large yet as strong Townes as this and hee who by the destruction of your Nobles Captaines and brauest men at Armes hath opened the way thus to besiege your Towne dares also to assault it and little doubts to winne it when he will Thus when the King had spoken and ended his Speech he commanded that those French Commissioners should dine among his great Officers of State and with a frowning countenance hee departed from them and went into his chamber They desire to speake with the King againe When Dinner was fully ended vpon a new consultation had betwixt themselues the Frenchmen became humble Sutors to speake once more with the King who gently admitted them to his presence and then with much submission and humilitie they craued a stay from further violence and a Truce for eight daies that more deliberate aduise might instruct them to resolue what course was fittest for the Towne to take A Truce granted for eight daies the King who loathed all seueritie if mildnesse might obtaine him victorie granted their request and then they departed being thereby much comforted into the Citie Daily and hourely throughout those eight daies the Frenchmen resorted vnto the English Armie and
of that Towne in the siege whereof hee spent three moneths Pont-Melance regained but at length it was yeelded into his hands and the Lord Grandeuyle by a solemne Oath promised his faithfull and perpetuall seruice to King Henrie but reuolted as soone as he was set at large Sens is taken From thence the said Earle marched into Champaigne besieged and tooke the Towne of Sens and deuoured the surprized souldiors with the Sword The Parisians craue protection The vnconstant Parisians more coueting to make an outward shew of their fidelitie to the English than to be true indeede sent diuers of their greatest and grauest Citizens into England to craue protection and defence against King Charles Who were receiued not onely with a chearefull welcome heartie thankes and bountifull entertainement but also were promised the fruition of much happinesse if they persisted loyall vnto King Henrie About that time the Regent meeting at Amiens with the Dukes of Burgoine and of Britaine 1423. 2 A League renewed The Regent marrieth renewed the League formerly concluded betweene them And to make it the more firme and sure hee married the Ladie Anne of Burgoine sister vnto the Duke The triumphant Shewes and Pastimes which were prepared to augment the honour of this Match The Parisians are vnfaithfull and conspire with the French king persuaded the Parisians in his absence that the Regent attended nothing but Iolitie and Mirth Which conceit of theirs made them trecherously to inuite their longed for King Charles to come vnto them and to receiue that Citie into his hands This newes brought comfort to his soule The trecherie discouered So that hee appointed the day when his desire should bee effected in that businesse But as it euer falleth out where many are of counsell nothing can be secret so some of those Conspirators acquainted the Regent with euerie particular of this Plot Who with his Armie posted vnto Paris with greater expedition than may well be credited and entred into the Citie gates before anie notice was giuen of his repaire thither For this Conspiracie manie of the chiefest confederates were executed publikely with sundrie kinds of death And from thenceforth he mastred the Parisians with English Garrisons The Regent curbeth the Parisians and replenished their Castle Towers Fortresses and Places of Defence and Strength with such English Souldiors as solaced themselues in being froward Commanders and imperious Rulers of the inhabitants of that Citie And likewise by strong Assaults and enforced Compositions hee wonne the two Castles of Pacy and Coursay Pacy and Coursay wonne by the English which were not farre from it both which hee strengthened in like manner Whilest these things were thus acted the Lord William Steward Constable of Scotland the Earle of Ventadore The siege of Crauant is raysed and manie others with a strong Armie besieged the strong Towne of Crauant within the Territories of Burgoigne But the Earle of Salisburie with an Armie of fifteene thousand men rushed fiercely vpon the besiegers and with the losse of one and twentie hundred of his companies and with the slaughter of eight thousand of his enemies hee raysed the Siege and gayned libertie to the Towne The Earle vpon his returne to Paris was substituted vice-Regent of the Countries of France Bry Champaigne and Sir Iohn Fastolfe an approued Knight in Arms was appointed to be Deputie in the Duchie of Normandie Which worthie Captaines performed such noble deedes of Chiualrie and obtayned such vnexpected victories as made them famous their Followers rich and their Countrey renowned in all Kingdomes In the meane time whilest the Protector prouidently endeuoring to preuent the encreasing strength of the Kings enemies in France and to secure the tranquilitie and peace of this Common-weale at home The King of Scots ransomed for a small ransome hee enlarged Iames the young and martiall King of Scots who for manie yeares had beene a prisoner And receiuing of him in the Kings behalfe his homage and his fealtie for Scotland He doth homage for Scotland hee gaue to him in marriage by the consent of all the English Nobilitie the Ladie Iane daughter to the deceased Earle of Somerset and cousin german to the King He is an excellent Prince but vnfaithfull and vnthankefull This gallant Prince by meanes of his excellent Learning and Education in feats of Armes vnder the last King Henrie was better enabled to rule a Kingdome than any of his progenitors did before him In so much that making the best vse of those heroicall vertues with which he was adorned he reduced that Realme into extraordinarie Ciuilitie made his souldiors expert in warlike discipline and his Nation more learned than euer they had been before his dayes Yet was he altogether vnfaithfull and vnthankfull to England his nearest and his dearest friend Prouision an Armie sent into France The Protector who was wise and industrious neuer suffered the Regent in France to complaine of any want For as in former times so now he sent vnto him an Armie of tenne thousand men with much Treasure The Regent and his assistants daily wonne Townes Cities Castles and Forts with prouident policie and true valour But the French King by grosse Flatterie cunning Deuises secret Treacherie Valour was encountred by trecherie and couert Dealings among others possessed himselfe of the strong Townes of Crotoy and some others which were suddainely regayned for true Manhood was encountred with Subtletie and approued Valour with Treacherie and Craft The Duke of Britaine and his brother doe reuolt The Duke of Britaine fearing least the Regent growing strong would at length be Lord of his Countrey basely and perfidiously reuolted to the French King And so did his brother Arthur Earle of Richmond who by King Henrie the fifth was created Earle of Yurye in Normandie Yury in Normandie besieged and made Gouernor of that Towne Whereupon the Regent besieged it and with many secret Mynes violent Batteries and fierce Assaults made it so subject to apparant dangers that the besieged concluded to yeeld it vp if at an appointed day they were not relieued by the French King The Regents resolution For the Regent being throughly resolued to purchase his peace with a short and with a sharpe warre determined to abide battel what force soeuer should be sent to relieue the miseries of that distressed Towne And to further his purpose in that behalfe hee freely permitted messengers to be sent vnto his enemies to informe them of the conclusion which he had made Within few dayes after the Duke of Alanson with sixteene thousand Frenchmen approched neare to the English Campe A cowardly French Armie who did put themselues into a readinesse to receiue him But according to the French fashion he made manie bragging shewes to performe much but on a suddain he cowardly quited the place Vernoyle besieged and wonne by a false report not giuing any one blow and pitched
with his whole strength before the Towne of Vernoyle in the prouince of Perch where he falsely informed the inhabitants That at Yurye hee had fought with the Regent defeated his Armie slaine thousands Policie taken many prisoners freed that Towne and had compelled him by swift riding to prouide for the safetie of his owne life This false report soone made the Duke owner of that Towne Yury wonne and his Retreat made the Regent Lord of Yurye and as soone as sound prouisions were made to strengthen it the Regent with his whole Armie marched vnto Vernoyle where meeting with the French cowards and with diuers Scots who did assist them hee compelled them to engage their fortunes by a bloudie battaile in a pitched field The fight was cruelly maintained for the space of three houres But in the end the Englishmen The battaile of Vernoyle with the losse of one and twentie hundred of their common souldiors wonne the honour of that day and slew of their enemies fiue Earles two Vicounts one and twentie Barons and more than seuen thousand other men besides two thousand and seuen hundred Scots who were sent thither by their King But the Duke of Alanson himselfe with many Lords Knights and Gentlemen of Name The Frenchmen are ouerthrowne were taken prisoners And the Towne of Vernoyle without Assault or Batterie was surrendred into the Regents hands Vernoyle is regayned who hauing fortified it with a strong Garrison commanded by their worthie Captaine Sir Philip Hall marched to the Citie of Roan where hee was receiued with many triumphant Shewes And from thence he came to Paris where his kinde entertainment proclaymed his welcome and his honour This ouerthrow so weakened the French King that none other Prouinces or Territories but onely Burbon Aluerne Berry The English doe preuaile Poytou Towrayne part of Angeou and Languedoc could giue vnto his Royall Person anie warrant of safetie and assurance Yet least he should want the true honors belonging to a King in the Citie of Poytiers hee established his High Court of Parliament and his Chancerie The French King laboureth his owne establishment with the publike vse of his broad Scale and of all other things needfull and requisite for the due administration of his Lawes and the distribution of Iustice The Earle of Salisburie winneth many Townes The Regent taking the aduantage of his late victorie sent into the Countrey of Mayne an Armie of tenne thousand men which with great resolution were brauely conducted by the valorous and prudent Earle of Salisburie who quickly wonne the strong Citie of Mauns and the Townes of Saint Susan le Fort Saint Barnard and manie others And from thence he went into Angeou where with the Sword hee performed such and so manie wonders His name is feared that the verie Name of Salisburie became terrible in all France 1425. 4 The perfidious Earle of Richmond whome King Charles had newly made High Constable of France intending to make himselfe famous in the minoritie of his Gouernment raised an Armie of fortie thousand men which consisted of Britons French and Scots The Siege of Saint Iames. with which he besieged the strong Towne of Saint Iames in Beuyon which was defended only by six hundred Englishmen who hauing resolutely endured many sharpe assaults and hard bickerings A miraculous ouerthrow vpon a suddaine issued boldly out of the Towne and proclaymed their approach with an hideous shout of Saint George Salisburie Saint George Salisburie and fell vpon the multitude of their enemies like a storme This terrible crie and the inconsolable feare and terror which made them thinke that the Earle of Salisburie with his Armie had secretly conueyed himselfe into the Towne for their rescue so amazed and daunted the faint-hearted multitude that casting away their Armour abandoning all Order and entertaining nothing but Despaire they leapt headlong into the Riuer In which many of them were drowned more were slaine some were taken prisoners and the rest who ranne away left vnto this little handfull all their Tents foureteene Peeces of Ordnance fortie barrels of Powder three hundred Pypes of Wine two hundred Pypes of Bisket and of Flower and two hundred Peeces of Raisins and Figges fiue hundred Barrels of Herrings much Armour and manie other things A poore reuenge The New Constable intending to redeeme his honour with some better fortune recollected and furnished his Armie with which hee marched into the Countrey of Angeou where without resistance hee burnt a few of the smallest poorest and most vnworthie Villages of that Prouince This childish Seruice puft him vp with much pride and made him to imagine that he was now a warlike man though his owne Nation and all others did publikely mocke and scoffe at his grosse follie Whilest thus the Regent and his Captaines daily triumphed in France a dangerous and an vnkind jarre brake forth at home Variance betweene the Protector and his vncle the Bishop of Winchester betwixt the Protector and his vncle Henrie Bishop of Winchester and Lord Chancelor of England which threatened the breach of the Peace and Tranquilitie of this Kingdome and Commonweale For the appeasing whereof the Regent hauing made the Earle of Warwike his Lieutenant Generall and hauing set his affaires and businesse in good order came into England Where in a Court of Parliament the differences betwixt them were discouered arbitrated and the quarrell ended to the great comfort and contentment of their friends In honour whereof It is appeased the King kept a solemne Feast in which the Regent dubbed the King a Knight The King is dubbed Knight The King also inuested manie of his Great subjects with the same Dignitie and created his cousin Richard sonne to Richard late Earle of Cambridge Duke of Yorke and restored Iohn Mowbray who was Earle Marshall to his fathers Duchie of Norfolke Creation of Lords And in this meane time the Earle of Warwike approued himselfe to be a worthie Commander ouer his great charge and conquered manie things in Mayne and prepared to fight a set battaile whereunto he was challenged by the French But their threatnings were but brags and their courage fell downe into their heeles For A French bragge a little before the appointed time they basely and cowardly ranne away When all things were thus quieted at home the noble Regent being accompanied with his vncle the Bishop of Winchester returned into France And vpon the request of his brother in law 1426. 5 The Duke of Alanson is ransomed the Duke of Burgoine hee set at libertie the Duke of Alanson for the ransome of two hundred thousand crownes The most part of which money he would haue giuen backe againe A worthie Duke if the said Duke would haue sworne his homage to King Henrie which he refused to doe and did affirme That the whole world should not alienate his faith from King Charles nor his dutie from his
besieged and by composition wonne Troys the chiefest Citie in that Prouince And the inhabitants of Challons being thereof informed Troys wonne Challons Rhemes c. yeelded perfidiously did rebell and compelled their Captaine to yeeld the Towne By which example the Citizens of Rhemes being induced did the like And thus King Charles obtayned his hearts desire and was crowned there Charles is crowned King of France and is therby furthered in his future attempts And as by that high Title hee was chiefely dignified so was hee thereby exceedingly furthered in all his future attempts For vpon the first report that he was crowned King it cannot easily winne credit how manie Forts Cities Townes and Castles were without blowes deliuered into his hands The Regent perceiuing that his proceedings would bee but vaine except he speedily checked this good fortune resolued The Regents braue resolution that a pitched Field should make him prosperous or vnhappie For which purpose hee marched with a strong Armie from Paris towards the new King and by his heralds hee proclaymed Charles to be an Vsurper and a counterfeit King and an arch-Traytour to King Henrie and summoned him to a battaile The Regent summoneth the French King to a pitched field that thereby hee might receiue punishments agreeable to his deserts The French King not acknowledging any such offence seemed willingly to accept of this Chalenge yet for a while hee trifled and lingered vp and downe and in the end diuerted his course and marched another way But the Regent so closely followed after him that to defend him selfe hee was enforced to marshall his companies and to make bragging shewes of resistance The French King departeth and is pursued But outward apparances of valour were his best performances for two dayes space For in the depth of the night with great silence he raysed his Campe and ranne away But when the morning had discouered this his cowardly departure He runneth from the Regent the Regent with much trauaile and great paine endeauoured to enforce him to looke backe But because he alwaies fled and would not aduenture the exchange of blowes therefore he returned to the Citie of Paris The Regent hunteth him but in vaine to shew himselfe carefull of his charge there And so much the rather because those Citizens were euer vnconstant variable wauering perfidious and vntrue Daily after the Regents returne his cares were filled with fresh reports of trayterous Reuolts which made him once more to attempt to make his estate more stable and more sure by exposing of himselfe and his vnto some present danger For which cause The French King once more runneth away he marched againe towards the French King with an Armie of ten thousand gallant men who met him with more than that double number But when all outward appearance presented good assurance of a deadly fight King Henrie is crowned 1429. 8 the French King did once more shamefully runne away And neere about the same time King Henrie with all Princely Honour and Solemnitie was crowned King Reuolts to the French King And albeit that daily experience made it manifest that King Charles was a dastardly and a fearefull coward yet the Townes of Champaigne Senlys Beauois Gaylard and manie others trecherously yeelded themselues into his hand Whereupon the Regent resolued to cast his anchor in Normandie and to secure the fidelitie and loue of the inhabitants of that Prouince howsoeuer the game should chance to runne elsewhere For which purpose hee went thither The Regent establisheth Normandie and in an honourable and full Parliament he related artificially the Lineall Discent of his Lord and Master King Henrie the sixt from Rollo the Hardie who was the first Duke of that Countrey He also minded them of those miseries which too too commonly and with ouer-much seueritie had beene inflicted on their Nation by the Natiues of the Kingdome of France And remembred them of those Immunities and Royall Priuiledges which vnder the English Gouernment they had long and liberally enjoyed by which they were made fortunate and rich Whereof he promised them not onely a sure and a firme continuance but also a daily enlatgement with all fauor Thus and by these means he confirmed and ratified to King Henrie and to himselfe the affections and friendship of that people The French King woeth the Duke of Burgoine But whilest the Regent thus busily employed himselfe in Normandie the French King attempted by all subtile and cunning meanes to lessen and to weaken his power For the effecting whereof first of all he endeauoured to dissolue that knot of Loue and Amitie which conjoyned the Regent and the Duke of Burgoine in an indifferent liking of each other by excusing himselfe to the said Duke touching the murdering of his Father and by solemne Promises and Oathes vowing to giue vnto him mountaines of Wealth manie Honours and his inward fauour if hee would be firmely reconciled and become his friend And albeit that the Duke was not well pleased for that the Regent would not consent The French King assaulteth Paris and is beaten that the Citie of Orleance when it was besieged and grieuously distressed should be yeelded into his hands yet in a friendly manner hee acquainted the Regent with this cunning Plot. So when King Charles perceiued that this deuise was fruitlesse he brought his whole Armie before the Citie of Paris of whose reuolt if the Multitude had dared the Regent had beene right well assured But when hee perceiued that nothing but blowes could make him hopefull of good successe Hee battered and scaled the walls and assaulted the Citizens with sharpe furie But by the braue valour and courage of the English Garrisons which were well assisted by such of the Townsmen as were faithfull to King Henrie he was repulsed many times with great losse and slaughter of his men and at last was compelled shamefully to depart from thence The Regent at his returne thanked and praised them exceedingly but especially such of the Parisians as had well testified their faith and loyaltie to King Henrie in his absence Whereat they seemed publikely to take so much ioy that hypocritically they stiled themselues thus Friends to the English and friends to the Parisians Enemies to the English and enemies to the Parisians The Parisians flatter and are trecherous yet were they trecherous and vnconstant as in this future discourse it shall manifestly appeare It will be to tedious to make an ample Relation of euery light skirmish that was made and of euery Reuolt and Martiall gayning which strengthned the English in some places and weakned them in others Wherefore it shall suffice that we be well informed that either part did sometimes winne and sometimes loose But to say the truth The English forces and strength in France did not encrease because such was the inconstant leuitie of the French Nation That they gladded their hearts at euery opportunities which enabled
league and friendship with the French King who had before murdered his Father Which falling off from the English aduantaged not him nor sounded to his honour 1434. 13 Saint Dennis trecherously betrayed About the same time the Towne of Saint Dennys neere vnto Paris was treasonably yeelded to the French King by the secret practise of the Bastard of Orleance who was surnamed the Earle of Dumoys But the Lord Talbot and some other Lords accompanied with fiue thousand men compassed it round about with a strong Siege Whereof when the Earle of Dumoys was informed to remoue the Siege he collected a strong power of chosen horsemen But ere he came thither the Towne by composition was surrendred Saint Dennis is recouered and the Walls and Towers thereof were beaten to the ground And though in this place the English gayned yet the inhabitants of Ponthoys which standeth on the Riuer betwixt Normandie and Paris did rebell Ponthois reuolteth and thrust the English Garrison out of the Towne which from that time forward animated the inhabitants of Paris to thinke on nothing more than how they might by Treason or by Violence reduce themselues to the subjection of the French King But behold a greater mishap than the losse of manie Townes and Cities did vnexpectedly weaken King Henries part For now the most renowned The Regent dieth wise politike and worthie Regent of France died and was with all Princely Ceremonies and Solemnities buried in a stately Monument which was erected for him in our Ladie Church He was buried in Roan within the Citie of Roan Whereat the mutable and vnconstant Nobilitie of the Duchie of Normandie who had receiued from him manie benefits and fauors much repined And within few yeares after they instantly requested the French King Lewis the eleuenth who was the sonne of King Charles the seuenth to plucke it downe His Sepulcher enuied and to cast the Regents carkasse into the open fields alledging That it was much dishonourable and a great disgrace for them to suffer such an enemie as hee was to them and to the Kings of France to be so richly interred within the Metropolitan Citie of that Prouince But King Lewis who worthily withstood their base attempt affirmed did publikely protest A Kingly Speech That a more sumptuous Sepulcher was too too bad to couer the dead corps of him who in his life time scorned vpon anie occasion whatsoeuer to step one foot backe for all the power and souldierie of France and who in all his proceedings and in all his Gouernment had approued himselfe to be so wise politike faithfull and hardie that all heroicall and generous spirits should rather endeuour to immortalize his Fame and with the Trumpet of Honor to proclaime his manlike acts than in the least measure labour to shadow or to eclipse them with Enuie or Disgrace And that there was no stronger an argument or proofe of basenesse and of cowardise than to insult ouer the dead bodie of him who whilest he liued was amiable and courteous in time of Peace 1435. 14 Richard Duke of Yorke made Regent but bold and terrible in Armes The death of this renowned Prince was the cause of infinite alterations and changes within the Kingdome of France and elsewhere For after his death Richard Duke of Yorke was made Regent against the liking and good will of Edmund Duke of Somerset cousin to the King who for himselfe inwardly affected that authoritie and place The treacherous Citie of Paris also and manie other Townes Paris reuolteth and is cruell to the English Castles and Forts rebelliously yeelded themselues and wholly became French And not onely so but villanously they murdred taunted and scoffed the English Nation whom in outward shew and with faire words they seemed not long before to honor and extraordinarily to respect The Normans also reuolted and tyrannized ouer the Englishmen whome with the Sword and by a thousand meanes The rebellious Normans are subdued they consumed vntill by the slaughter of fiue thousand of their companies they were subdued by the Lord Talbot the Lord Scales Sir Thomas Kyriel and by some others When Paris Saint Dennys Saint Germans in Ley and manie more Cities and Townes were lost the new Regent Priuate enuie hindered the publike good with eight thousand souldiors landed at Harflew and from thence came to the Citie of Roan where his Presidents for Iustice were much admired and commended But in the whole course of his Gouernment he effected nothing else to be wondered at by reason that the Duke of Somersets secret grudgings hindered those Expeditions which might haue made him famous and his Countrey fortunate and happie The reuolted Duke of Burgoine who not long before had falsified his Oath and Promise to King Henrie The Duke of Burgoine besiegeth Calice and to his Father pretending a rightfull Title vnto the Towne of Callice besieged it with an Armie which consisted of fortie thousand men This Towne was newly strengthened with manie hundreds of braue souldiors who by Henrie Earle of Mortayne and by the Lord of Cammoys from England were brought thither The Duke attempted to winne the Towne by three terrible assaults but he was a great loser by them all And the incredible strength of the place and of his enemies depriued him vtterly of all hope to winne it by any other meanes than onely by Famine and scarsitie of foode But that course he was not able to pursue because the English Nauie was Master of the Sea But yet to shut vp the Hauen and then for a while to attempt what might bee done hee prepared foure great Hulkes and filled them with square and massie stones semented and joyned close together with Iron and with Lead because they should as a Rock remayne together and not be beaten in sunder by the Sea But so vnskilfull were they who had the charge to sinke them that they missed the Channell So that when the water was at an ebbe the shippes lay drie and were by the Callicians torne all abroad and the Stones and Timber being taken in serued for the prouision and fortifications of the Towne The Dukes Bastyle taken by the English The Duke also built a strong Bastyle which he furnished with foure hundred fighting men Which though for a few dayes it prejudiced the besieged yet it did them no memorable harme For not long after it was erected certaine Troupes of horsemen issued out of the Towne who fought proudly with the Dukes Forces and in the mean time the Bastyle was assaulted and wonne by others who tooke all such prisoners as were not slaine therein burned the Fort and returned with verie little losse into the Towne The Duke of Burgoine flyeth in the night The Duke of Burgoine who seemed much to rejoyce because the Protector had promised to attempt the raysing of the Siege within few dayes made great preparations to withstand it But being surprized with a
slew the Watch wonne the Towne killed the greater part of all the men found there and tooke manie prisoners which yeelded them good ransomes in a short time This bold Attempt so passionately vexed the French King The French King besiegeth Ponthois that in his owne Person he came before the Towne with a great Armie with which and with manie Trenches Bastyles Forts and Rampiers hee compassed it round about and gaue vnto it manie fierce assaults In all which he lost much and was scorned by the besieged And whilest he thus lay before the Towne Richard Beauchampe Earle of Warwike and Regent of France died and Richard A new Regent Duke of Yorke was the second time made Regent of that Kingdome Who being accompanied with the Earle of Oxford the Lord Bourchier Earle of Ewe the Lord Talbot and manie others raysed a great Armie repayred to the Siege and dared the French King into the field Which he refused and leauing his Ordnance in the strongest Bastyle of Saint Martyn which he had erected He runneth away in the night he raysed his Siege in the middest of the night and went vnto Poysy But in the morning when the English Armie perceiued that their enemies had fearefully abandoned the place and had left their Tents behinde them they possessed them with much joy and found much riches and store of all prouisions with which they comforted themselues and the Towne And leauing there Sir Geruase Clifton with a thousand valiant men to defend it and neglecting the Bastyle which neither could without much losse be suddenly gotten nor was able to doe any harme The Regent with all his Companies directed his iourney towards Poysie and being come thither he set his Armie in a warlike maner nothing doubting He is dared yet playes the Coward but that the French King whose strength was much increased by the repaire of the chiefest Lords and gallantrie of France would haue answered him in the open field but hee kept himselfe close within the Towne In so much that when the Regent perceiued that no bold bragging nor scornefull tauntings could moue his patience nor make him valiant Hee left him there and by easie Marches he came to Roan Ponthoys besieged the second time The French King as soone as hee heard that the English Armie was so farre off entred into a serious consideration of his estate And being mindfull that the Parisians by often scandals had reproued his faint heart and that the Towne of Ponthoys was an euill enemie to that Citie To regaine his reputation and Honor by winning of that Towne he vsed extraordinarie expedition It is valiantly defended and with a puisant Armie hee besieged it round about And because hee feared least small delayes might depriue him of his hopes he assaulted it almost euery houre and lost before it aboue three thousand men It is taken But in the end he wonne the Towne and slaughtered foure hundred Englishmen the rest of them were taken Prisoners and ordered according to the French Kings will And when he had thus preuailed diuers other Cities and townes greedily embracing all reportes of their Kings valour treacherously reuolted and became French Naturalists haue taught vs that when two Lions haue by Combate tired themselues they doe depart proudly each from the other neither of them seeming to yeeld and both of them expressing many signes of much triumph A Parley And our Histories doe report that both King Henrie and King Charles being wearied with the infinite vexation of their Warres and with their daily trauailes seemed both of them to be Conquerours yet were they both easily perswaded to harken to such indifferent motions for a Truce as were proposed by their friends For this conference Callice was appointed the place to meete in which Towne was chosen before any other because Charles the noble Duke of Orleance who euer since the Battaile of Agencourt had continued a Prisoner in England was to bee conueied ouer that for his Ransome of three hundred thousand Crownes if it could be gotten he might be enlarged and set free The Ambassadours which met there about this businesse consulted often times but at length they adiourned those negotiations vntill some other time King Henries demands because the demands of King Henrie were thought to bee vnreasonable in three points FJrst in regard of the ouer-great summe of Money which was demanded for the Dukes Ransome Secondly for that the peaceable and the quiet possession of the whole and entire Dutchies of Aquitaine and of Normandie was required and to bee inioyed freely without any acknowledgement of Homage or of Soueraigntie of the Crowne of France And thirdly because the surrendring and yeelding vp into King Henries hands was vrged of all such Cities townes Castles Forts and Territories in France The Parley is dissolued as the English Nation had enioyed at any time within the space of thirtie yeares then last past Yet not long after this meeting was dissolued Philip Duke of Burgoine pitying the enthrals estate of the Duke of Orleance The Duke of Orleance is Ransomed and remembring Iohn his father had cruelly murdered Lewys the father of the said Duke paide his Ransome and at his own charge transported him with honourable attendance into France And now the Regent purposing to preuent the Frenchmans Warres 1440. with which they intended to disturbe the Peace of the Duchie of Normandie diuided all his Companies into foure Troopes which were seuerally commanded by himselfe Cruell Warres by the Duke of Sommerset by Robert Lord Willoughby and by Iohn Lord Talbot All these in seuerall places inuaded the Territories of France and of Britaine and preuailed euery where sauing at the Towne of Deepe which though they long besieged yet was it cleared in the end And in the meane time the French King with his Sonne the Dolphin of Vyen with the Bastard of Orleance A huge Armie surnamed the Lord Dumoys entred into Aquitaine and Guyan with an Armie of threescore thousand men and receiued many Castles Townes and Cities into their bands which voluntarily and without blowes were yeelded vnto them but they were not long inioyed For the French Armie being very great Much is gotten and lâ—st againe and pinched with extreame Famine and diuers wants was broken vp And immediatly after their departure into France the Englishmen recouered whatsoeuer was formerly gotten by the French King About the same time the good Duke of Glocester Protector of the Kings person and of this kingdome Disliked much the vndue proceedings of his Vncle Dissention betweene the Protector and the Cardinal No redresse the rich Cardinal of Winchester and of the Archbishop of Yorke Who without his consent or the Kings Warrant attempted and did many publike things for their owne profit and priuate gaine For the reformation whereof hee preferred vnto the King certaine Articles against them The consideration of which was referred to the Priuie
was taken away in like sort as it was done at Fongyers Thus was the Truce violated on both Parts And thus were those bloudie warres renewed which were daily fed with the slaughters of the brauest and of the most valiant men The French King perceiuing that the Englishmen were not now as puisant in those Countries as they had beene in former times The French King preuaileth and being minded to hold fast his good Fortune which drew him by the hand into great hope of prosperous successe diuided his huge Armie into three parts with which in few daies he tooke the townes of Louyers Gerbory and Vernoyle The Inhabitants also of Constance Gysours Castle Gayllard Ponteau-du mere S. Loy Fesampe and many others in Normandie and in Guyan who were swayed by their Garrisons surrendred themselues into his hands Roan is yeelded to the French King The Duke of Sommerset likewise and the Earle of Shrewesbury being therevnto violently enforced by the Roanists by composition yeelded vnto him that Citie and departed with all their goods substance to the Citie of Cane vpon Hostages left behinde them that sundrie other Castles and Townes according to their agreement and promise should also bee giuen vp without blowes to the French King So that within few dayes Har-slew is yeelded the Castle and Towne of Har-flew and many others became French The vnhappie newes of daily losses in Normandie and in Aquitaine much appaled King Henrie and troubled his Counsell A Rebellion in Ireland who being vnable to direct as they had done whilst the good Duke of Glocester liued and did assist them knew not what course was best to be taken and they were the more perplexed in those affaires by meanes of a lewd and dangerous Rebellion which at the same time hapned in Ireland For the speedie suppressing whereof King Henrie was constrained to transport the Duke of Yorke with an Armie thither In which seruice he so successefully preuailed The Duke of Yorke appeaseth it that hee not only appeased that tumult but by his wisedome courtesie and valour wonne the fauour and the heartie loue of that Nation This Expedition much hindred the Kings preparations for the defence of his Duchie of Normandie yet he sent thither Sir Thomas Kyriel a prudent and a valiant man accompanied with fourteene hundred Souldiers who with so small a handfull did as much as could in reason bee expected For hee recouered diuers Townes and Castles which had beene lost And had his strength consisted of a greater number hee would assuredly by his valour haue performed much more This worthie Captaine finding himselfe to be too weake to encounter many thousands of his Enemies Vnited his forces with Matthew Gough Cane is besieged Sir Henrie Norbery Sir Robert Vere and some others So that their Armie consisted of fiue thousand approued valiant men all which with haughtie courage and resolued minds to winne honour encountred with an Armie of seuen thousand of their Enemies as they marched strongly to the siege of the Citie of Cane In the beginning of this fight the Englishmen preuailed according to their hearts desire The English are ouerthrowne But in the middest of all their hopes they were deceiued For being grieuously oppressed by Arthur Earle of Richmont high Constable of France Iames of Luxenburgh Earle of Laualt and by many other Noble men of France who trauailed with many Cornets of Horsemen towards the same siege and finding their Countrie-men beaten downe fainting and on the point to runne out of the field relieued them with their fresh supplies and so furiously assaulted the tyred English Armie The first victorie in open field which the French in many yeares obtayned that it was quickly ouerthrowen foure thousand of them beieg slaine Sir Thomas Kyriel Sir Robert Norbery with eight hundred more were taken prisoners but Matthew Gough and Sir Robert Vere and the suruiuors of their Companies saued themselues by flight Thus were the Englishmen ouerthrowen and miserably wasted and this was the first Battaile in open field which the Frenchmen wonne of the English in many yeares before whereof their Historians doe not a little bragge Cane is bâ—ttred assaulted stâ—â—â—ly defended This victorie being thus obtayned the Citie of Cane in Normandie was closely besieged by the French King and oftentimes her walls were aduenterously scaled The assaylants made many braue and bold attempts but were manfully repulsed and beaten back with the losse of their limbs and of their liues Then were the walls daily battered and the Frenchmen eagerly endeuoured to enter in but their presumption was sharply checked by the besieged who did cast them off as fast as they enterprized to come in Thus euery man contended to buy Honour but none other paâ—ment for it but bloud was currant in that place The Duke of Somerset being daily importuned by the fearfull exclamations of his wife and children to surrender the towne debated thereof seriously with Sir Dauid Hall The Duke of Somerset would surrender Canc. Sir Dauid Hall will not suffer it A valiant Knight who was appointed to be the chiefe Captaine and Commander of that Citie by the Duke of Yorke whose Towne it was But the couragious Knight would not in any sort consent to the Dukes will whereat he was much displeased and demanded whether the Kings Lieutenant Generall of that Dutchie had not sufficient authoritie and power of himselfe without his leaue to dispose of the Townes and Castles of that Prouince No quoth the Knight the Kings Lieu-tenant here may not nor can sell or yeeld vp any mans right but his only whose person he doth represent and this Citie being my Lord the Duke of Yorkes quoth he A Mutinie you haue no power to surrender it to the French King nor shall on any composition whatsoeuer The Duke being highly displeased with this bold and peremptorie answere informed the inferiour Captaines common souldiers and the poorer sort of the Inhabitants of the approching dangers which would vndoubtedly be the destruction of them all and aduised them not to be depriued of their liues and of their liberties through the desperate follie and wilfulnesse of their obstinate and indiscreet Captaine This caueat made them clamorous and this counsell so hardned their hearts against Sir Dauid Hall that they resolued in despight of him to yeeld the Citie vpon composition to the French King Cane is lâ—st Thus was the peoples obedience seuered and diuided from him and thus was their courage conuerted into feare and on a sudden vpon certaine Articles agreed on the Citie was abandoned and became French All Normandie is lâ—st and so is France so that Roan and Cane being the chiefest Cities of the Dutchie of Normandie being lost all the whole Dutchie in a short time after reuolted from King Henry and was lost likewise The noble Captaine Sir Dauid Hall being thus wronged and disgraced forsooke Normandie and sailed into Ireland where hee informed
assistance Andrew Trollop and Iohn Blunt two of the most approued English Captaines which then liued and had beene best exercised in the warres of France And when they had plentifully increased their Armie partly in Wales and in the Marches thereof and partly by such companies as resorted daily out of the North vnto them The Kings armie they set onwards and came vnto a little Towne called Lud low where the King and diuers of his Nobilitie presented a strong Armie to the view of the Yorkish Faction so that they lay not farre asunder that night But in the euening the two braue Captaines Trollop and Blunt surueying the Kings forces Andrew Trolop and Iohn Blunt flie into the Kings armie and discouer all espied a certaine way and meanes to endanger the King and all his so that it was resolued by the Duke and Earles that their aduice counsell should fiercely be executed the next morning before the King should be able to set his Armie in a readinesse to fight But in the first watch those two Captaines making it a matter burdensome to their consciences not onely to fight against their Soueraigne Lord and King but also to betray him into the hands of his owne subiects secretly fled and came vnto the King to whom they plainly discouered the proiect and the intention of his enemies and aduised him of the best and chiefest meanes how not onely they might be resisted but driuen to the worst And for this seruice they were gently receiued and pardoned and rewarded by the King The Duke and Earles being certified of their Reuolts beganne to be diffident of their good successe and not daring to set vp their rest on the next daies fight they determined to expect another time which might affoord them more suretie and better hopes And taking aduantage by the darknesse of the night The Lords flie in the night they departed from their Armie into seuerall places for the Duke with his younger sonne Edmund Earle of Rutland retired into Wales and from thence they sailed into Ireland The other two with Edward Earle of March eldest sonne to the Duke of Yorke came into Deuonshire and being safely shipped in Ex-mouth Hauen by the fauour and procurement of a worthy Gentleman named Iohn Dynham they sailed to Calice where notwithstanding their misfortunes they were receiued with much ioy The King who reioiced much at their departure coasted the Countries with multitudes of Horsemen to ouertake them but all their labours were in vaine For the present feare which alwaies remained with them gaue them wings to flie He also pardoned the ordinarie souldiers of the Yorkish Faction which were forsaken by their chiefest guides and as sheepe were exposed to a slaughter But their Captaines who were deliuered vp into the Kings hands were executed in sundry places within this Realme Hee also proclaimed the said Lords to be Arch-traitors to him and to his Kingdome confiscated their goods offices The Lords are proclaimed Traitors and their lands committed the gouernment of the Northerne parts to the Earle of Northumberland to the Lord Clifford his trusty friends and made Henry the young Duke of Somerset Captaine and chiefe Commander of his Towne and Castle of Calice Henry Duke of Somerset is made Captaine of Calice Hee was coursly entertained and of the Marches thereof who sailing thither with a purpose to take possession of his new charge and not suspecting that his enemies were there was on his first arriuall well beaten and battered with the great shot and ordinance which from the Castle plaied on him and by those meanes he was compelled to retire and to keepe off The Queene hauing intelligence of this rude and vnkinde entertainment of her new Captaine and great fauourite resolued to send vnto him fresh and new supplies for which purpose some ships of the Nauie Royall were made ready within the Hauen of Sandwich Iohn Dynham taketh some of the Kings ships But the before-named Iohn Dynham disposing himselfe to all seruices which might support the Yorkish Faction and being furthered by the Mariners who highly fauoured and inwardly loued the young and lustie Prince Edward Earle of March and being accompanied with many gallant spirits and braue men boorded the said ships as they lay there at anchor took the Lord Ryuers who was appointed Admirall to conduct them and carried him and those ships to Calice from whence the Earle of Warwicke sailed in them into Ireland The Earle of Warwicke saileth into Ireland and conferred largely with the Duke of Yorke concerning those affaires But in his returne the Duke of Exeter being Admirall of the Seas and hauing vnder his charge a warlike and a strong Fleet making no doubt to haue taken him was much deceiued for his owne Mariners more adhered to the Yorkish faction then to the Kings and shewed themselues to bee exceeding cold and sparing in the performance of their duties He returneth to Calice when neede required their seruice so that the Earle of Warwicke returned back againe safely vnto Calice And now the King vpon good aduice assembled his high Court of Parliament A Parliment Attainders for Treason Preparations against the laâ—â—ing of the Lords in which hee caused all the Lords of the Yorkish Conspiracie to bee attainted of High Treason And lest this Realme might be disturbed by their inuasion or secret entrance diuers Captaines with their companies were lodged in all Townes and Ports which neare adioined to the Sea and were the best likely places for their landing Sir Simon Mountfort likewise who was a right worthie and a valiant Knight hauing vnder his charge diuers of the Kings ships was appointed to keepe and to defend the Cinque-ports But nothing was done in the Kings Chamber or in any other place of greatest secrecie or counsell whereof the said Earles had not certaine and quicke intelligence at Calice wherefore they prouided furnished and strongly manned such of the Kings ships as formerly by the said Iohn Dynham had beene brought thither The Kings Fleet taken in Sandwich in which they sailed and safely arriued within the Hauen of Sandwich and suddenly they tooke Sir Simon Mountfort prisoner vanquished the towne and caried away with them such of the Kings ships as they found there And hauing receiued good intelligence from their friends that nothing was more expected then their returne into England The Lords doe land at Sandwich they prepared for their iourney and arriued the second time at Sandwich and were within few daies assisted by the Lord Cobham and by many Gentlemen and braue souldiers insomuch that their Armie consisted of more then fiue and twenty thousand men with which they marched towards London Their Army But the Lord Scales was sent against them with a small companie to that Citie to defend it and to secure the King of the fidelitie of the Inhabitants thereof when time should serue But the Lord Maior refused to receiue
new Gentlemen as vnworthily doe rule and gouerne all to our dishonour and reproach The Earle of Warwicke finding the Duke of Clarence thus tractable The plot is strengthened by a mariage and inclining to his humour consulted with him oftentimes touching this businesse And to tie him vnto himselfe by a fast bond of friendship and of loue He offered to him in marriage one of his daughters who was named Isabel with halfe the inheritance of his wife Whereof the Duke in all kindly and friendly sort accepted And thereupon the plot was contriued thus The plot against King Edward The Earle himselfe with the Duke of Clarence would goe vnto Calice where the yong Lady who was there should bee married And in their absence as if it hapned without their knowledge or consent the Earles two brothers the Archbishop of Yorke and the Marques Montacute were appointed with their friends to raise a Rebellion in the Countie of Yorke And this proiect was put into Execution in this maner The Husbandmen of Yorke-shire by an ancient custome in the end of Haruest The cause of the Rebellion vsed yearely to giue a certaine quantie of Corne and Graine towards the maintenance and reliefe of diuers poore people who liued in the Hospitall of Saint Leonard within the Citie of Yorke Now the Earles friends scandalously and falsely reported in the Countrie thereabout That the said poore people were not relieued by the said Almes but that the Gouernour and Priests of the said Hospitall enriched and fatted themselues therewith So when the Proctors according to their wonted fashion came abroad to collect the peoples deuotion in that kind they were shrewdly beaten by the Rustickes and misused beyond measure Hereupon many Religious and well disposed people tooke part with the Proctors and with rough words and some blowes they requited the iniurie which was done vnto them From this beginning sprang forth a dangerous Insurrection So that within few dayes there were vp in Armes more then fifteene thousand men This was done by him in fauour of the King as it seemes afterwards Who with their ring-leaders came proudly before the Citie of Yorke and with vnciuile and rude tearmes they threatned the ruine and destruction of it But in the darkenesse of the night the Marques Montacute being accompanied with many lustie and braue men set vpon the Rebels slew many hundreds of them and strake off the Captaines head and strongly fortified that Citie When the King who was truely informed of this Rebellion was told this newes hee rested doubtfull whether his old friend the Marques had done this seruice to make an amends for his reuolt Sir Iohn Conyers captaine of the Rebels or else to colour his ill intendements thereby The Rebels who still increased perceiuing that they should loose their labour to linger about the Towne left the Citie and marched towards London being then conducted by Sir Iohn Conyors a worthie and a valiant Knight The King being hereof aduertised commanded the Lord William Herbert Earle of Pembroke and Humphrie Lord Stafford of Southweeke who was nominated in hope of future good seruice but not indeed created Earle of Deuonshire to leauie a strong power in Wales and with all expedition to fight with the Rebels And hee himselfe promised to assist them with a faire Armie The Lord Stafford ouerthrowne These Lords with eight or nine thousand men right well ordered and apointed marched towards these Rebels And as they drew neere to Northampton they vnderstood that they were not farre off Whereupon the Lord Stafford and Sir Richard Herbert a valiant Knight and brother to the Earle of Pembroke taking with them out of the whole Armie two thousand strong skilful Archers plotted a secret Ambush to take a view of the Northren Rebels as they passed by but as soone as they were gone beyond them these Archers rushed violently vpon their Rereward But the Rebels who were nimble and well ordered by their carefull Generall turned about stuck to their tacklings and with their greater numbers slew most of those Welchmen and the rest fled hastily to their owne Campe. An vnfortunate dissentiō And the next night by reason of an vnkind diuision which hapned betwixt the Lord Stafford and the Earle of Pembroke who at Banburie remoued him from a common Inne where hee vsed to lodge with an vnchaste Queane the Lord Stafford with his Archers departed from the Armie and left them to their fortunes among their foes This froward slinking away nothing at all dismaied the noble Earle though as he had iust cause he were much displeased thereat Banburie field but made him to resolue with the more alacritie and courage to set vpon the Rebels with whom hee fought the next day and with his Welshmen saw many tokens of victorie neere at hand But suddenly a Gentleman named Iohn Clapham and seruant to the Earle of Warwicke hauing his masters Banner with the white Beare trouped towards the battaile with fiue hundred men who were by him collected of the off-skumme of the rascall and basest sort of the inhabitants of the Towne of Northampton and of the villages thereabout All these presenting themselues afarre off and aduancing their Standard and crying A Warwicke A Warwicke A policie so incredibly daunted and confounded the Welshmen who supposed that the Earle of Warwicke was come thither with another Armie The Kings forces are ouerthrowen 5000. men slaine that they began to flie and were on the sudden ouerthrowen and more then fiue thousand of them were slaine And Sir Richard Harbert and eight others being taken prisoners were beheaded at Banburie by the Rebels This fortunate successe animated sundrie leaud and ill disposed people of Northamptonshire to enter into new broiles insomuch that they making a notorious Rascall named Robin of Riddisdale The Queenes father is beheaded by the Rebels their Captaine entred into the Manour of Grafton where they apprehended the Earle Ryuers whom they loued not and Sir Iohn his sonne caried them to Northampton and without questioning with them or any legall proceeding smote off their heads The Lord Stafford beheaded The King marcheth towards the Rebels The Duke of Clarence and the Earle of Warwicke doe some with the Rebels And the Lord Stafford being by the Kings directions taken at Brentmarsh in Somersetshire was caried to Bridgewater and was there executed because hee trecherously departed with his companies from the Earle of Pembroke as formerly we haue heard The King notwithstanding these troubles was so full of courage and heroicall magnanimitie that hee was not any thing at all dismaied with any crosse or ill newes but marched confidently with his Armie against the Northerne Rebels to whom the Earle of Warwicke had ioined himselfe with a great power and likewise the Duke of Clarence brought all his forces to the Earle so that now a fearfull expectation of vnchristian crueltie disquieted the vast and great body of the
endeuours and so industrious was King Edward who was compelled by necessitie to make prouision for his owne safetie that hee leuied a strong Armie and went forth with an high courage and with princely valour against the Rebels of his Countrie But being informed that all the Countries Cities Townes and places thorow which his enemies passed were aiders to their fortunes and hearing them oftentimes with loud voices to crie King Henry King Henry A Warwicke A Warwicke and distrusting vtterly the inconstant mindes and dispositions of his owne souldiers his heart failed him The King flieth in the night so that in secret manner and in the night with eight hundred of his best friends he left his Armie and posted into Lincolnshire and when all his hopes of helpe and succour there were spent in vaine they being altogether destitute of money and other prouisions needfull for a iourney into a forraine Countrey tooke shipping and sailed into Holland purposing to remaine with the Duke of Burgoine vntill they might haue good meanes for their returne and to be reuenged on the Earle of Warwicke and of all other their mortall enemies As soone as it was certainly knowen that King Edward was fled a rude multitude of factious Kentishmen delighting tumultuously and in a braine-sicke manner to fish in troubled waters came to the Gates of the Citie of London and would haue entred it A rebellion in Kent but being resisted in their purpose they rifled and robbed the Suburbes burnt diuers houses murdered many people and at Radcliffe and Lime-house they did the like Warwicke subdueth them But by the Earle of Warwickes power and endeuours they were quickly ouerthrowen and punished sharply for their offence which wonne him much fauour and loue among the better sort of the common people The Earle afterwards came to the Tower King Henry is enlarged where he not onely enlarged the deposed King Henry but in most triumphant fashion conducted him thorow the Citie of London to Pauls Church And when he had concluded his deuotions and performed his offrings as the Kings of this Realme haue beene accustomed to doe hee was brought to the Bishops Palace where he kept his Court with great magnificence and much bountie Hee also assembled his high Court of Parliament at Westminster A Parliament Aâ—taindors in which the late King Edward the Fourth and all his principall adherents were attainted of High Treason and all their goods and possessions were confiscate and giuen to the King The Duke of Clarence was by the same authoritie published to be the next heire of the deceased Richard late Duke of Yorke The Duke of Clarence aduanced his father And albeit that hee was but his second sonne yet all that Duchie was settled in him and in his heires The Crowne entailed The Crowne also was entailed to King Henry and to the heires males of his bodie and for default of such issue to the said Duke of Clarence and to his heires Iaspar Earle of Pembroke was also restored to his honour and his lands and so was Iohn Earle of Oxford and many others And the Earle of Warwicke and the Duke of Clarence who were enstiled friends to the King and friends to the Common-weale were established and made chiefe rulers in all things vnder the King The Queene dares not to put into the Sea When these affaires were thus ordered Queene Margaret with the Prince her sonne and their whole traine shipped themselues But so violent were the raging stormes and so furious was the troubled sea that albeit many profers were made yet durst they not to aduenture for that time Whereupon the common people of this Realme of whom the Queene was not beloued murmured and muttered saying that God was not pleased that such a woman as had occasioned so many battailes and such slaughters and executions in England should returne thither to plot more trecherie and to deuise more mischiefe The Duke of Burgoine furnisheth King Edward with money men munition and ships The Duke of Burgoine although he entreated King Edward and his friends kindly yet because hee himselfe had warred with France and feared lest the Earle of Warwicke would busie him with a new warre sent word to King Henry that hee would not in any sort assist his enemie for his returne into England Yet not long after when he vnderstood that King Edwards friends by daily messengers and by letters importunated his returne and had by their faire promise strengthned him with good hopes of fortunate successe hee deliuered to him fiftie thousand Floreines of gold and furnished him with eighteene tall and warlike ships in which he had only two thousand souldiers for seruice on the land 1470. With these small forces hee sailed into England and landed at Rauen-spurre in the Countie of Yorke where his expectation failed him very much King Edward landeth in England A small hope For few or none resorted to him for his helpe but all men there acknowledged themselues to be the friends and subiects of King Henrie This checke though it much troubled him yet was hee not vtterly dismaied thereby for meere necessitie and danger enforced him to march to the Citie of Yorke And in his passage thither He only claimeth his Duchie of Yorke he published to the people and to the inhabitants of that Citie that he came not to lay any claime or to make any challenge to the Crowne but intended only to possesse himselfe of his Duchie of Yorke of which vniustly hee was depriued wherein he affirmed hee ought by the lawes of equitie and right to be assisted and succoured by them and by all good men He sweareth it to the Citizens of Yorke They receiue him and releeue him The Citizens at his first repaire denied his entrance but by reason of a solemne oath which he tooke before them that he only intended the regaining of his Duchie and would remaine a true faithfull and an obedient subiect to King Henry he was receiued entertained and monied at his owne will But when he had staied in that Citie a day or two hee forgat the oath which so lately hee had sworne for hee placed a strong Garrison within the Towne He breaketh his oath He getteth money and wogeth souldiers He had neuer risen by all likelihood if he had beene defeated by the Marquesse and enforced the inhabitants to furnish him with many requisites and prouisions for an Armie And then leauing the Citie which was by strength reserued to his vse he hired souldiers euery where for money as he passed by towards London And in his march he came within foure miles of the Marquesse Montacute his old familiar and trustie friend who being accompanied with braue troupes and companies of valiant men of warre to encounter him gaue vnto him free passage without resistance to march forth so that by easie iournies hee came to Nottingham where diuers Nobles and Gentlemen who fauoured his
proceedings made him liberall offers and tenders of their seruice if he would resoluedly take vpon him the stile and title of the King which he then did He stileth himselfe King He hath a powerfull Armie And thus as a riuer by running farre is still augmented by the accesse of other brookes and streames which fall into it so King Edwards small forces still increased as he marched forwards vntill they were indeed a strong Armie The Earle of Warwicke hauing in his companie the Earle of Oxford many other Nobles and a puissant Armie came to the Citie of Warwicke and intending to giue battaile to King Edward directed and sent his letters and messengers with all speede to the Duke of Clarence certifying him of his purpose Clarence faileth Warwicke in his neede and praying him quickly to come forward with his forces and to ioine with him Yet for all this the Duke passed on with a lingring pace so that the Earle suspecting his fidelitie went with his Armie into the Citie of Couentrie and King Edward with all his Companies came before the Towne and dared the Earle into the field Warwicke keepeth close in Couentrie with all his Armie The King and his brother their Armies are made friends But because hee purposed to make some triall what the Duke of Clarence would doe he therefore kept close within the walles The King perceiuing that he would not fight bent his course towards his brother the Duke of Clarence who with his Armie did the like towards the King so that a great shew was made betwixt them that many blowes should be giuen But the Duke of Glocester being brother to them both became an earnest mediator to reconcile them each to other wherein he so well preuailed that being vnarmed they courteously met and publikely proclaimed that they and their Armies were good friends The three brothers hauing thus combined themselues Warwicke wil not be allured to loue by faire promises made triall whether they could by any faire meanes and liberall promises allure the Earle of Warwicke to their loue But he who with many curses and disgracefull speeches published the Dukes periurie in forsaking his Confederates His answere and friends returned them answere That he would rather die like himselfe then cease to make ciuill warre vntill hee had confounded them as his mortall Enemies The King who knew well enough that the Earle was as valiant as he himselfe was resolute feared not his power but wisely considered The causes why London receiued King Edward That the daily encreasing of his owne strength would be his best meanes to winne the victorie Wherefore he departed from Couentrey and marched towards London where for a time hee was kept out But when the Citizens had duly considered of the Rightfulnesse of his Title to the Crowne Of his skill and noble courage in feats of warre Of his discretion which enabled him of himselfe to rule wisely And of his puisant Armie which he then commanded And on the other side when they had meditated vpon the soft Nature of King Henrie his small reach shallow wit insufficiency to raign and of the continuall dangers which would still assault them if the Lancastrian faction were maintained They opened their gates ranne out in troupes to meet him Saluted him for their King and brought him triumphantly into the Citie Inconstant Multitude King Henrie againe is imprisoned where he seized againe vpon King Henrie and committed him to the Tower Thus may we see vpon what vnsure foundation they build who doe relie vpon the Peoples loue and that nothing is more variable and vnconstant then the Multitude who like vnto Weather-cocks are turned about with euery winde Warwicks last resolution The Earle of Warwick when hee perceiued that King Edward was gone from Couentrey followed after him with his Armie purposing to haue set vpon him before hee should haue recouered London But when hee perceiued that his intendments were preuented he resolued to set his whole fortunes vpon one Battaile For which purpose he marched fourth vntill he came to the towne of Barnet which by an equall distance of ten miles lyeth betwixt London and S. Albons there hee stayed rested and refreshed his Armie for a while The Kings resolution The King also being perswaded that nothing could better procure his future right and safetie then once more to trie his manhood in the field and taking King Henrie with him marched with his armie which by the Citie of London was frankely furnished with all things needfull vnto Barnet Barnet field and encamped him selfe neare to the Earle all that night and early in the morning the Earle of Warwick diuided his forces into three parts The right wing was commanded by his Brother the Marques Montacute whom by necessitie he was enforced to trust and by the Earle of Oxford The left wing was directed by himselfe and by the Duke of Exeter And his maine battaile was led by the Duke of Somerset and some others All these the Earle manfully encouraged The Earles encouragements to his Armie by telling them that they were to fight for their soueraigne and lawfull King for a good man and for their natiue Countrey against an Vsurper a Tyrant a mercilesse and an vngodly wretch whom neither respect of Conscience Iustice Obedience nor Honestie could reclaime and against such a one as if hee liued would be the confounder and the destroier of them all The King on his part made the Duke of Glocester chiefe leader of his Vant-guard himselfe and the Duke of Clarence ordered the Maine Battaile in which King Henry the Sixth was and the Rereward was conducted by the Lord Hastings Chamberlaine to the King What the King said by way of encouragement to his souldiers we may easily coniecture for as hee had a wit and a tongue which neuer did deceiue him so he wanted not matter nor arguments to maintaine his quarrell to be good The Fight after it was begunne was so desperately continued on either part for the space of fiue or six houres The victorie was vncertaine that no man could coniecture to whom the victorie would incline so that some of those horsemen who were lookers on and fought not gallopped amaine to the Citie of London and affirmed that King Edward was ouerthrowen But among them by and by some others posted with countermanding reports and assured the Citizens that the Earle of Warwicke had lost the Field And thus many men in few houres related what they wished for and in the meane time such as were most valiant soonest lost their liues and the best men lay breathlesse vpon the ground But when the Earle perceiued that fresh supplies continually oppressed and pressed vpon his wearied and tired friends and souldiers who would not yeeld because he could not then be safe The Earle of Warwicke is slaine So is the Mâ—rquesse his brother whâ—m King Edward loued The King hath the victorie hee
dismounted himselfe quickly from his horse and making an incredible slaughter of his enemies he pressed so farre into their battaile to be reuenged on his chiefest aduersaries that hauing no power nor meanes to returne againe he was slaine and the Marquesse Montacute who euer honoured King Edward and was his secret friend rushing into King Edwards Armie not to doe it any harme but to rescue and to releeue his brother met with the like fortune Thus both of them being dead their whole Armie ran away and King Edward was master of the Field And in the afternoone of the same day carrying with him King Henry as his prisoner hee returned triumphantly like a Conquerour into the Citie of London and in Pauls Church hee offred vp his Standard A thankesgiuing to God 10000. men slaine Sir Humfrey Bourchier and rendred thankes to Almightie God for his victorie thus happily obtained In this battaile there were slaine at the least ten thousand men but none other of any noted name sauing only on the Kings part Sir Humfrey Bourchier sonne to the Lord Barnes who was a right valiant and an approued man in Armes The King sorrowed much and was greeued exceedingly at the death of the Marquesse Montacute because hee had lost a faithfull and a deare friend Yet to assure the people that those two brothers were dead indeed The dead bodies of the two brethren laid open in Pauls Church Queene Margaret landeth too late Noble men doe repaire to her he caused them to be brought into London in one coffin and for the space of three daies to lie open faced in Pauls Church and then among their honourable Ancestors in the Priorie of Bissam they were both buried in one graue Queene Margaret not hearing of this newes but intending to bring some succours to the Earle landed at Waymouth where these tidings appalled her sences and depriued her of all future good hope or good hap Wherefore in the Abbey of Beawly in Hampshire shee with the Prince her sonne tooke Sanctuarie and thither repaired to her the Duke of Somerset Iaspar Earle of Pembroke Thomas Courtney Earle of Deuonshire Iohn Lord Wenloke and diuers others And when the Queene and they had thorowly debated what course was fittest to be taken They raise a new Armie they resolued once more to aduenture their fortunes in the Field for which purpose euery one of those Noblemen resorted into their own Countries where they prepared such men and furnitures for the war as they could get The Queene and the Duke of Somerset leuied an Armie about Bristow and Glocester and from thence they endeuoured to goe into Wales to ioine their forces with such companies as the Earle of Pembroke had raised there The King preuenteth them The King who was more strong then they purposed to preuent their meeting if he might and so closely followed them that though the Queene and most of her associates supposed it to bee best to flie disordered into Wales yet the Duke of Somerset would not consent thereunto The Duke of Somersets resolution to fight Tewkesburie field by reason whereof both those Armies met neere vnto Tewkesburie in Glocestershire and after a long fight which with a small companie the Duke of Somerset had maintained against the Duke of Glocesters battaile he not being seconded by the Lord Wenloke by whom their middle Ward was commanded retired towards the said Lord and with cursed words hee bitterly reuiled him for his base cowardlinesse and with his Pole-axe he suddenly strake out his braines But within one houre after King Edward ouerthrew them all The King getteth the victorie hauing slaine aboue three thousand of them among whom were the Earle of Deuonshire the Lord Iohn brother to the Duke of Somerset Sir Iohn Lewknor Sir Iohn Delues and many others Great Prisoners There were also taken prisoners the Queene the Duke the Prior of S. Iohns of Ierusalem Sir Geruase Câ—ifton Sir Thomas Tresham and twelue others of eminencie and of note all which Queene Margaret only excepted were beheaded the next day Execution Prince Edward cruelly murdered And the young Prince Edward who was taken prisoner by Sir Richard Crofts was presented to the King and because he answered him stoutly to some questions which he demanded of him hee was slightly stricken by the King and suddenly murdered by the Dukes of Clarence and of Glocester Queene Margaret is a prisoner and by Thomas Marquesse Dorset and the Lord Hastings And this was the last Ciuill Battaile which was fought in England in King Edwards daies When the King had thus obtained this victorie hee returned to London carrying with him Queene Margaret as his prisoner and was with triumphant ioy receiued into the Citie from whence he sent one Roger Vaughan a powerfull Gentleman into his Countrey of Wales requiring him by some secret traine or other to entrap the Earle of Pembroke and to behead him if he could Râ—gâ— Vaugâ—an is 〈◊〉 and bâ—â—â—aded But the Earle being informed of his comming and of his errand caused him suddenly to bee apprehended and put to death And then the said Earle with his nephew Henry the young Earle of Richmond who was but ten yeares old sailed into Britaine and were courteously receiued and louingly entertained by Francis the Duke of that Prouince Not long after Reyner the Titularie King of Naples Sicilie Queene Margaret is ransomed and of Ierusalem with the sale of the Kingdomes of Naples and of Sicilie for money ransomed Queene Margaret his daughter and vpon that Title and none other Charles the Eighth King of France conquered Naples as in the Historie of those warres it appeareth King Henry is found dead in the Tower The Duke of Glocester murdered him King Henry brought open faced into Pauls Church Now when no man by reason of King Edwards peace and prosperitie thought of any euill tidings suddenly it was noised thorowout the Citie of London that King Henry was found dead in his chamber within the Tower and so he was indeed being cruelly and wickedly murdered and stabbed with a dagger by Richard Duke of Glocester brother to King Edward as the report commonly went And his bodie was brought into Pauls Church where his face lay vncouered one whole day that thereby the people might bee assured that he was dead And thus was King Edward freed from his great enemies But his two brothers of Clarence and of Glocester being for their periuries murders and euill courses punished by Almightie God embrewed their hands in their owne bloud not long after When King Edward for two or three yeares had enioied an happie peace his brother in law Charles Duke of Burgoine heartily detesting the French King The Duke of Burgoine animateth K. Edward to worre for his title to France Reasons mouing the King so to doe and secretly intending to worke him some despight perswaded King Edward to renew his French warres for the recouering of his
subiect to their willes And therefore he aduised them to ioine with him for their remoue and to diuide and share betwixt themselues all such benefits as by those meanes should be atchieued These faire perswasions and their owne ambitious humours quickly wrought the said two great Lords His practise against the Queenes kindred not onely to hearken willingly to this discourse but also to bee confederates with the Duke of Glocester in that practise which quickly was attempted in this manner The Queene with the Earle Ryuers her brother and with her sonne Richard Lord Grey and with her other friends being guarded with a strong power of armed men and souldiers intended to bring the young King from Wales towards London to be crowned And the Duke of Glocester knowing that if his feat were not wrought before that time it could not easily be effected after and considering likewise that if he with his confederates should come armed against the King to meet him and by open violence attempt to get the Kings person into their possession their said enterprise would be censured and adiudged to be a rebellious action and no lesse then Treason Wherefore he cunningly directed and sent his letters to the Queene and called to her remembrance the heartie loue and friendship which the late King her deceased husband in his death-bed had ratified and confirmed betwixt the Lords of his owne bloud and alliance and the kinsfolkes of the Queene He likewise informed her that it was commonly reported that her brother and her friends which were neere about the Kings person intended with a strong power and with many armed men to conduct his Maiestie for his Coronation from Wales to the Citie of London He protested and swore vnto her that his humble dutie to his Soueraigne and his vnfained loue to her and to her kinsfolkes and children incited him seriously and earnestly to aduise and counsell her and them to dismisse those companies of armed men for that he feared much lest the gathering of them together would be the occasion of new broiles and of ciuill wars For seeing quoth he that many former battailes triumphing in bloud haue now made peace and seeing that the state of the whole Kingdome hateth Armes and seeing that the King hath no Competitor for his Crowne and that loue and friendship hath vnited and knit together the mindes and the hearts of all his Nobles and seeing that perfect tranquillitie and a secure reconciliation hath quieted and gladded all the people certainly the Kings comming towards the Citie of London with an armed traine will make the Lords of the deceased Kings bloud and many others exceeding iealous of their intention and to be fearfull lest some secret plot be cunningly contriued to surprise them when in dutie and for seruice they shall make their accesse vnto the King and that such feare and iealousie will occasion them for their defence and safetie to raise the like forces whereof might ensue much danger discontentment and perhaps blowes The Queene and her friends who meant none ill taking much comfort in this aduice The Kings strength is sent away because she supposed it sprang from heartie loue and also because the Duke of Glocester had at the same time with all respectiue dutie and reuerence likewise written vnto the King and louingly to the Earle Ryuers her brother and vnto Richard Lord Grey her sonne caused all such strength of armed men as was prouided for the Kings conduction towards London to bee dismissed and sent away And the said Earle and Lord and some others of their friends brought the King forth in his iourney to the Citie of Northampton and the next day to Stony Stratford being ten miles from thence And because that little Towne was not capable of the whole traine the Earle Ryuers and his priuate followers remained that night in Northampton The Queens kindred is betraied But on the sudden and vnlooked for the Dukes of Glocester and of Buckingham being strongly accompanied with great store of resolute attendants dismounted themselues in the Earles Inne and with all complements of loue and friendship they passed the time with him and by reason of their extraordinarie familiaritie he secured himselfe of their heartie and vnfained loue But assoone as their companies were in their beds the two Dukes seised vpon all the keies of the same Inne and caused all the waies betwixt those two Townes so to be watched and warded that no person of what degree or qualitie soeuer he were could haue any passage there And they reuealead that the pretence of their so doing was because no man before them should in the morning preuent them for diligence to attend vpon the King Whereof when the Earle Ryuers had intelligence necessitie compelled him to dissemble and to seeme as if he suspected none euill although he knew that by the Dukes policie and craftie cunning he was ouertaken and beguiled Yet in friendly and in a iocund manner he came vnto the two Dukes and asked them why they had so done But suddenly they entred into a needlesse and causelesse quarrell with the said Earle They are imprisoned surprised his person and committed him to safe keeping And then in good and quiet manner the two Dukes rode to Stony Stratford and humbly presented their duties and their seruice to the King who being altogether ignorant of that which so newly had hapned receiued them with a cheerfull countenance and with much ioy But presently they also seised vpon Richard Lord Grey the Kings halfe-brother and vpon Sir Thomas Vaughan and some others all which they sent vnder a strong Guard to the Castle of Pomfret in the North where without any iudiciall sentence or legall proceeding against them they were beheaded vpon the same day that the Lord Hastings Lord Chamberlaine who conspired in that action with the two Dukes did lose his head The Kings seruants are remoued The two Dukes also and the Lord Chamberlaine remoued from the King all his other Officers and most of his meniall seruants informing all men which attended the King or expected the sequell of this businesse that the said Earle Lord and Knight with some others had resolued to destroy all the Lords of King Edwards bloud and to rule both the King and Common-weale according to their owne will The Queene with her children take Sanctuarie When the Queene who at that time lay with the Kings brother the young Duke of Yorke and with her fiue daughters at Westminster heard of these tumults and what had hapned to her brother sonne and friends it repented her much that she had aduised them vpon the Duke of Glocesters cunning letters to dismisse and to discharge their souldiers and men of warre And because she had good cause to feare the euent thereof shee with her children entred into the Sanctuarie there The young King also mourned grecuously to see the wofull tragedie wherein his friends misfortunes were so vnexpectedly acted
But the two Dukes recomforted him with the expression of their humble duties and seruice and with a thousand protestations of their fidelitie and troth towards his Highnesse during their liues The King is brought to London and then they brought him with great honour neere to the Citie of London where he was met by the Lord Maior and fiue hundred graue Citizens more in whose presence the Duke of Glocester vsed such humble dutie and reuerence to the King and so discreetly demeaned himselfe towards him that none of them suspected that any thing was done but for the Kings preseruation and for his good yea the Nobilitie and Counsellors of Estate were so inwardly perswaded to rest in the same beleefe that by their generall consent they forthwith made him the Protector both of the Kings royall person The Duke of Glocester is made Protector and of his Kingdome When the Duke of Glocester had procured and obtained this high place which his heart infinitely desired the same being an office of greatest honour He possesseth himselfe of the Kings brother the Duke of Yorke of confidence and of trust hee made no doubt but that his purpose would quickly though wickedly bee brought to passe as himselfe wished if he could also get the young Duke of Yorke into his hands And to the end that his desires might not remaine fruitlesse hee greeuously complained to the Kings Counsell of the froward obstinacie of the Queene who detained the said young Duke dishonourably in the Sanctuarie as an offender and in prison causing thereby the gouernment of the whole Kingdome and the Nobles and officers thereof to be exceedingly blamed and taxed not only at home but also in all other Christian Prouinces and Kingdomes He vrged also that his Grand-master the young King was infinitely wronged and disheartened for that he was not permitted to enioy the societie and the companie of his owne and only brother whom aboue all other creatures in the world he respected and longed for The Lords hauing considered of the Dukes motion resolued that he had spoken well and that it was fitting it should be hearkned vnto And thereupon they made especiall choice of the Cardinall Archbishop of Yorke vpon whose fidelitie and loue the Queene did not a little relie to goe to her and to pray her without further trouble to send the yong Duke her Sonne to the king his brother That he might be comforted with his sight and bee made merrie and iocund with his companie And withall they required him to tell her that for many reasons the young Duke might not be detained there 1. First Reasons why the young Duke ought not to be in the Sanctuarie because the whole estate of this Kingdome would be slandered at home and among forraine Nations if it should permit so young a childe by birth so noble so neere vnto the King and so innocent to liue in prison for euery Sanctuarie is a prison 2. Secondly because none could claime the benefit of such a place but he whose conscience did accuse him of some offence for which he feared to be punished by the law But the conscience of this young Duke cannot be so burdened because his infancie and his innocencie doe excuse him of any such fault and therefore hee needed no protection there 3. Thirdly that none might enioy the priuilege of a Sanctuarie but such a one as is enabled by true discretion to demand it But the young Duke by reason of his infancie hath not sufficient discretion to require it and therefore hee is not capable of it nor may enioy it 4. And last of all hee was required to assure her that any person might be taken out of a Sanctuarie if it bee for his good and welfare and not to his hurt or to punish him and that therefore if the Queene did obstinately refuse to deliuer him it was resolued and determined that hee should be taken from thence and from her without her leaue and the rather for that great suspition and feare was iustly conceiued that her frowardnesse or her iealousie would perswade her to send him beyond the Sea as if hee should bee more safe there then in his brother the Kings Court. When this round message was done vnto the Queene though it so nipped her at the heart that willingly she would not let him goe alleadging that none but his owne mother was more fit to tutor him or to attend him hee being so young sickly and very weake and that each of those two brethren was the others safetie so long as they were kept asunder and that the life of the one was maintained in the bodie of the other and that if one of them did well the other was in no perill or danger and that nothing was more hazardous then to keepe them both in one place together yet when shee perceiued which way the game went and that it was resolued by the Protector and by his friends that arguments should not preuaile shee embraced the louely young Duke in her armes she kissed him many times she wept bitterly and praying Almightie God to preserue and to defend him from all iniurie and dangers she deliuered him to the Arch-bishop telling him that shee would require that poore and innocent childe at his hands And thus vnwillingly and sorrowfully she did let him goe A monstrous dissembler When the harmelesse infant was by the Arch bishop deliuered into the Protectors hands who with many other Lords attended the Queenes answere in the Starre-chamber he tooke him before the whole assemblie in his armes he hugged and embraced him and kissed him once and twice and againe and againe protesting vpon his soule that no worldly thing his Maiestie only excepted was so deare vnto him as that young childe when as indeede hee meant nothing more then the destruction and ruine of them both And hauing brought him to the King who was infinitely ioied with his presence and companie hee conueied them within few daies after with princely pompe and attendance thorow the Citie of London to the Tower The King and his brother sent to the Tower vnder the pretence of an especiall care and prouidence that they should in safetie remaine there vntill the Common-weales troubles were thorowly quieted and appeased whereas in truth and in deede nothing was out of frame nothing was ill ordered but by himselfe and by some other great Lords who wholly applied themselues to his will A bloudie conspiracie When the Protector had thus couped vp those two young Princes he then beganne more seriously to determine how hee might speedily make himselfe a King And though for a while he staggered whether or no hee might make the Duke of Buckingham acquainted with his purpose yet in regard that hee stood assured of his loue and knew that his proiect could not be effected without his priuitie and assistance because he was so mightie and so powerfull therefore hee found a fit time
against his owne Subiects Prouision against the Scots wherefore to preuent that emminent and like danger he by his letters required Thomas Lord Howard Earle of Surrey and Richard Fox sometimes Bishoppe of Exeter and then promoted to the See of Durham to raise a strong Armie and to withstand the Scots if they endeauoured to attempt any such thing vntill he sent another power to aid and to assist them which thing should with all celeritie and diligence be performed assoone as hee had vanquished the Cornishmen who so desperately opposed themselues against him Now as the King imagined so fell it out true indeede The Scots inuade England For the Scots proudly insulting at his troubles and expecting the worst that hee could doe when hee should bee in peace at home resolued by anticipating warre to enrich themselues with new Rapines and Spoiles and to make hauocke vpon the Borderers that by meanes thereof they might the more weaken him and the better enable themselues to make resistance when time and opportunitie should serue With the same resolution the King of Scots and his Armie againe entred vpon the English Pale But ere they could proceede farre or doe much harme the aforesaid Earle and Bishoppe and manie other Nobles Knights and Gentlemen of the North assembled themselues and their friends to the number of twentie thousand fighting men and marched boldly towardes the Scottish Armie vnto which when they drew neare their King vpon good occasion being timerous and feareful retired hastily The Scots flie and fled into his owne Countrie But the English forces with braue courage and manly resolution entred into his Kingdome The English Armie hauaketh in Scotland and battered assaulted wonne and razed to the ground many of his strongest Townes Castles and Holds and were not resisted albeit the Scottish King with all his Armie was not distant from them aboue one mile Only hee challenged the field the next daie which was accepted but in the night before hee raised his Armie and dispersed them who ranne into the Woods and high Mountaines and were to no purpose pursued and hunted by the Englishmen six or seuen daies But so barren was that Countrie and so poore and destitute of all good things and so vnseasonable was the weather there which abounded with continuall Raine Wind Snow Haile Thunder and Hideous stormes and tempests that the Earle and the Bishop returning brake vp their Armies and themselues went to Barwick where they attended directions from the King Whilest these thinges were thus in action Peter Hyalus who was sent Embassador from Ferdinando King of Castile to mediate a peace betwixt the kings of England and of Scotland A truce with Scotland Perkin Warbeck is sent out of Scotland The peace with France newly ratified could not effect that businesse according to his mind Yet a Truce was concluded betwixt them to endure for certaine yeares conditionally that Perkin Warbecke were forthwith banished and exiled out of that Countrie The French King also at the same time sent his Embassadors into England to ratifie the former peace established betwixt the King and him which was performed with much honour and solemnitie to the great contentment and ioy of all the People of both those Kingdomes The English trade is restored to the flemings and their ioy thereas Likewise Philip the Arch-Duke of Austria and Duke of Burgoine sonne to Maximilian King of the Romans by his Embassadors importuned the restitution of the English trade and the returne of the Marchants into his Countrie of Flanders because his subiects were exceedingly impouerished by them did obtain his sute whereat such comfort was conceiued that when the Englishmen were for trade returned againe vnto Antwerpe they were receiued into the Citie with solemne Processions Princely Triumphs Sumptuous Feastings Rare Banquettings and with the expression of great loue and of much ioy And thus was King Henrie at this time made fortunate and happie for he enioyed peace and friendship both at home and abroade sauing only with Perkin Warbeck Perkin Warbeck saileth into Cornwal who ceased not to vexe and trouble him for a while to his owne ouerthrow and destruction For being compelled to forsake Scotland and vnderstanding that though the Cornishmen had lately been ouerthrowne yet were they not pacified or appeased he with foure ships only and with sixe score ragged landing Souldiers and no more sailed into Cornwall where hee was receiued by the rusticke The Cornish men rebell and doe take Perkin Warbecks part Exeter is befieged and meanest sort of the Inhabitants of that Prouince with ioyfull acclamations and with good welcome And within few dayes after they aided him with three thousand men With these and with some others he marched Eastwards and came as farre as the Citie of Exeter where hee vsed manie persuasiue and rethoricall arguments and speeches to incite the Inhabitants voluntarily to become his subiects and to surrender the Citie into his hands But finding that the fidelitie of the Cittizens was constant and vnremoueable from their King And that their resolutions to indure extremities if otherwise they could not be auoided was strongly setled and vnchangeable they besieged the Citie round about And because they wanted artillerie and great Ordinance to make batteries vpon their walles therefore with Ladders Crookes Ropes and other Engines they desperately attempted to scale them in manie places at one instant But still and euery where with manlike Courage and with approoued Valour they were repulsed ouerborne and tumbled into the Ditches and deepe Trenches with which that Citie is enuironed on all parts So that in those assaults many of those Rebels with great obstinacie lost their liues Now when they perceiued Fire encountred by fire that those their attempts daily failed and succeded not they desperately approached vnto the Citie gates which they endeuored by manie slights to open or to ouerthrow But when none of their practises could preuaile then they caused great fires to be kindled against thē so that by consuming of them they might make an easie passage entrance into the Citie This stratagem of warre because it was vnusuall did at the first somewhat abash the Cittizens But they considering with themselues that base cowardlinesse was the betraier of true manhood and that perfect valour despaired not in any danger assumed the hearts of vndaunted men and by their endeuourous attempts and imploiments they ceased not to prouide for their owne present safetie insomuch that with fire they encountred fire and made greater fires within their Gates then the Rebels did without which they maintained by adding store of matter and of fewell for a long time vntill that with rampiers bankes bulwarks and other defensiue fortifications they had secured those places from the entrie of their enemies When this their practise auailed not then they againe busied the Citizens with daily scalings and climings against their walles But the inhabitants so confidently persisted to
her vpon the bodie of the Ladie Katherine Aunt to the Emperour and who had sometimes beene his brother Prince Arthurs wife And from this doubt and from this scruple which before that time was not thought on infinite vexation and trouble did ensue as in this discourse it shall appeare For thereupon the Kings Confessor Doctor Longland Bishop of Lincolne and many other profound Diuines informed the King that almost twentie yeares hee had liued incestuously with the Queene and that now for his conscience sake he ought truly and heartily to repent for that great sinne and to leaue her bed The Cardinallis Ambassador for France The Cardinall who as hee thought had a long time laien lazily at home would now be gadding into France in an Ambassage to the French King the substance whereof was only knowen to the King and him And at his departure the King in the presence of all his Lords embraced him as his familiar friend He is made proud And at that time such was his great estate that passing thorow the Citie of London he was attended by twelue hundred horse And when he came to Calice hee was receiued with as much honour as by the Towne and Garrison could be presented vnto him And at Bulleine among many other deuices to magnifie his greatnesse hee was entertained with two ridiculous Pageants Two ridiculous Pageants 1. In the one of them there was a Nunne called the holy Church vnto whose person and chastitie three Spaniards and three Amaines attempted to offer violence but by a Cardinall she was rescued and deliuered from them all 2. And in the other there was represented a Pope lying on the ground and an Emperour sitting in an Imperiall Throne but a Cardinall plucked him from his seat raised the Pope and placed him therein The French king meeteth him From Bolleine as he came towards Amyens he was met vpon the way by the Prouost and the most substantiall Citizens on horsebacke and by them he was saluted and reuerenced as a King And when he came within halfe a mile of the Citie the King himselfe with his Nobles met him cheerefully embraced him and in a wonderfull and magnificent pompe conducted him to his lodging on the gates whereof was written in large and faire letters Cardinalis pacificus The peaceable Cardinall or The Cardinall of peace And at their departure the proud Cardinall would haue vouchsafed to haue brought the King to his Court but the King would not suffer him so to doe Thus Kings Nobles Times and Places conspired if it had beene possible to haue made him more proud whose heart was so haughtie that he supposed he could neuer be humbled and brought low Then daily almost for the space of three weekes together the French King his Counsell and the Cardinall with his Associates who were obscured by his greatnesse He concludes a peace as the Moone is by the direct opposition of the Sunne conferred seriously and in the end he concluded a peace betwixt the two Kings in the honour whereof and of the proud Cardinall the instrument in which the Articles of the said peace were contained was sealed with a seale purposely made of fine gold whereof he boastingly bragged the next Terme in the Starre-chamber affirming before the whole Assemblie that the peace which by him was concluded was such an absolute perfect and sound peace that it would continue in secula seculorum world without end But the people mutteringly repined thereat saying that England neuer long enioied any benefit by any peace which was concluded with the French whose propertie it was for their aduantage without cause to start aside from any thing which they had said and sworne to performe They also said that to enter into a fained league with the French King the Emperour and his friendship was abandoned and that old enemies were entertained and old friends were vnaduisedly by the Cardinals meanes cast off And therein they spake truly for by the Cardinals enticement and secret perswasions the King without good cause shewed himselfe an enemie to the Emperour and to the Flemings and vnto others of his people although the Emperour by all fitting and beseeming meanes had wooed him to obtaine and to keepe his loue By these iarres thus cunningly broached by the Cardinall in fauour of the Pope and of the French King the question touching the lawfulnesse or nullitie of the Kings mariage was smoothered for a while But not long after The mariage in question such as seemed to bee tender ouer the Kings conscience and prouident to establish the true succession of this Kingdome in a lawfull heire reuiued the scruple and therewithall so busied the Kings cogitations and thoughts that a religious sorrow began to seise vpon him And to auoid the continuance in that incestuous sinne vntill by a iudiciall sentence the doubts were cleared hee refrained from the Queenes bed And the Cardinall to make himselfe more great then he was procured a commission from the Pope to bee directed to him A power Legantine is granted and vnto his ancient brother Campeius that before them as supreme Iudges that question by legall processes and proceedings might bee heard debated on and censured according to the Lawes of God and the Lawes of man These two Legates hauing receiued this commission informed the Queene of their authoritie and power Wolsey is accused and shee in some passion accused Wolsey as the principall brocher of that doubt and the maintainer of that contention partly to bee reuenged thereby vpon her Nephew the Emperour because he would not make him Pope as secretly he had requested him and partly because often times in a most secret louing and gentle fashion shee had admonished and warned him of his couetousnesse and tyrannie of his extortions and oppressions and of his pride and lecherie But hee excused himselfe as if he had beene an honest man The Queene chooseth Counselors The King pretending nothing in this businesse but Truth sinceritie and iustice according to the Lawes of God and Man was well contented that the Queene should make choise of the greatest Clerkes and of the best learned men within his Kingdome to defend and to maintayne her cause Whereupon hee elected William Warham Archbishop of Canterburie And Nicholas West Bishop of Ely who were Doctors of the Lawes and Iohn Fisher Bishop of Rochester and Henrie Standish Bishop of Alssaph who were Doctors of Diuinitie and some others And they as occasions did require did for her asmuch therein as by wit and learning could be done Now for the prosecuting of this businesse the two Legates caused a stately Court to be erected at the Black-fryers in the great Hal In which for them were placed two Chaires and two great Cushions The King and Queene are summoned couered ouer with cloth of gold And at the appointed day the two Legates tooke their places but the Cardinal of Yorke as his custome was preferred his
that time procured or which at any time from thenceforth should be procured from the See of Rome whereby the authoritie royall and prerogatiue of the King might in any iot be lessened or diminished should be vtterly void and frustrate in all respects and that the procurers of them should be punished at the Kings will The proud Cardinall Wolsey writes to Rome scorning to bee humbled and trodden downe and purposing to set new broiles and disturbances in the Common-weale to molest the King wrote secret letters to the Pope and to his Cardinals to animate and to exasperate them against the King And they vnderstanding in what a disgracefull plight the Cardinall then stood encouraged him not to faint The answere nor to shew himselfe a coward and a heartlesse man by yeelding to the peruersnesse of his present fortune promising his restauration and that for his sake the King should be effectually crossed in his weightie businesse betwixt the Queene and him Hereupon the Cardinall began to take heart His pride and nothing doubting but that hee should againe bee aduanced if not by the Kings consent yet volens nolens and against his will made great preparation for his enstalment into his Archbishopricke at Yorke which hee intended to solemnize with such magnificence and pompe as the like before had neuer beene seene in that place For which purpose he erected in that Cathedrall Church a stately seat of an extraordinarie height not much vnlike to a Kings Throne He also wrote to the Nobles Knights and chiefest Gentlemen in the North many fawning flattering and kinde letters entreating and inuiting them at a prefixed day to accompanie him at his Instalment to the Citie of Yorke where he prouided for them great cheere not sparing any cost The King who was aduertised what he had written to Rome and what answer was made thereunto and perceiuing that he intended with extraordinarie pompe and state to be installed for which his doings hee had no licence from his Maiestie imagined and therein hee was not deceiued that those great preparations were made of purpose and in an out-facing fashion to confront him Wolsey is arrested Wherefore to preuent his said instalment he sent a commission vnder his great Seale of England whereby he required Henrie the sixt Earle of Northumberland to attach and to arrest the body of the said Cardinall to bring him to the Castle of Sheffield and there to deliuer him to the safe custodie and keeping of the Earle of Shrewsbury which he did Although the Cardinall prowdly checked him and told him that hee was a member of the College of Cardinals in Rome and that neither the King nor any other temporall Prince vnder heauen could or ought to intermedle with him for any cause or matter whatsoeuer Yet for all this assoone as he was gone all his plate His goods are attached goods horses and houshold stuffe were seised on to the Kings vse his Officers were discharged and his Phisitian Doctor Augustine was by Sir Walter Welsh one of the Kings chamber convayed to the Tower Assoone as the King was informed of the executing of his commission he sent Sir William Kingston the Captaine of his Gard and Constable of the Tower with certaine Yeomen of his Gard to fetch the Cardinall to that prison The sight of this Messenger more danted and appaled the Cardinall then all the rest For now he was right well assured that his head was in great danger This feare made him to fall into a sudden sicknesse so that purposely as it was coniectured to dispatch himselfe out of this life hee tooke a purgation which was more strong He dyeth then the weaknesse of his nature could controll by reason whereof he dyed two nights after Thus liued and thus died this Cardinall who was Prowd and Ambitious Wanton and Lecherous Rich and Couetous a Lyar and a Flatterer His description a Tyrant and Mercilesse Forgetfull of his beginnings Disdainefull in his prosperitie and wretched in his end Whose death made the King ioyfull his Nobles iocund and the People glad The Clergie feared the Premunire Hee being thus dead the King by his Councell was informed that all the Clergie of England were guiltie of the Premunire because in all things they had supported and maintayned the authoritie 100000 pounds The Kings Supremacie acknowledged and power Legantine of the Cardinall Wherefore to preuent a mischiefe before it fell vpon them They gaue to the King for their redemption and for their pardon the summe of one hundred thousand pounds And by a publike instrument in writing subscribed and scaled by all the Bishops and Fathers of the Church they plainly voluntarily and willingly acknowledged the King within his owne Kingdomes and Dominions to be the supreme Head of the Church as well in all matters Ecclesiasticall as in all Temporall things and cases whatsoeuer Yet not long after the King diminished their number and their strength as hereafter it shall appeare The Cardinall being thus gone Opinions shewed the King intending nothing lesse then to dance attendance in the Court at Rome caused the said instruments procured from so many Vniuersities together with the opinions of so many learned men and of his two Vniuersities of Oxford and of Cambridge publikely to be shewed in both the houses of his Parliament which being done by diuers honourable Lords both spirituall and temporall he caused them to bee shewed to the Queene and the question to bee demanded of her whether she would relinquish her appeale to the See of Rome and referre her selfe and her cause to any Nobles and Bishops within this Kingdome whose answere was that she would not whereupon the King resoluing in his conscience The King marieth Anne Bullen that his said mariage was void in Law began to bend his loue and kinde affections to a goodly faire and beautifull Ladie in his Court named Anne Bullen Her hee created a Marchionesse of Pembroke and after tooke her to his wife And some few moneths after The King is diuorced from Queene Katherine the Arch-bishop of Canterburie being accompanied with the Bishops of London Bath Lincolne and some others together with diuers Doctors Aduocates Proctors and Officers of the Ecclesiasticall Court repaired to Dunstable where the Princesse Dowager for so shee was then called lay Her the Arch-bishop peremptorily ascited personally to appeare before him in a case of matrimonie The Author returneth to the historie which is interrupted by the relation connecting together of the deeds and actions of Cardinall Wolsey and the like he did for fifteene daies together And then vpon the default and contumacie of the said Princesse the Arch-bishop pronounced the said mariage being against the Law of God to be meerely and vtterly void the Popes dispensation notwithstanding Hauing discoursed of all things memorable which were done by Thomas Wolsey Cardinall of Yorke and concluded the contention touching the mariage of King
Henry with Ladie Katherine his brothers wife it will be very expedient and fitting that wee now returne to the narration of such other things as are worthie to bee comprised in this Storie and which were done whilest King Henry liued First therefore we may vnderstand A riot on Merchant strangers that in the end of the eighth yeare and in the beginning of the ninth yeare of his raigne the Citizens of London heartily hated such Merchant strangers and strangers Artificers as dwelt among them partly because by their great wealth and extraordinarie labour and industrie they tooke from them the greatest meanes whereby they were to liue and partly because their riches made them so proud that in derision and in scorne priuately and publikely they would depraue and abuse the Citizens with many mockes and frumpes so that they being resolued no longer to endure or to beare them vpon May day many hundreds of them riotously assembled themselues together Euill May day and with great outrage and violence rifled robbed and ransacked the houses and the shops of all strangers and intended to haue done more mischiefe if the prouident care and industrie of the Lord Maior and chiefest Citizens had not suppressed them For some of the malefactors by flying shifted for themselues and many who were most of all notoriously faultie were committed to seuerall Gaoles and prisons Treason and being afterwards indicted arraigned and found guiltie were condemned of high Treason because their iniurie and wrong tended to the breach of the League which was betwixt the King and their Soueraignes Wherefore some of them were executed as Traitors according to their iudgement and the residue of them being about foure hundred were pardoned by the King who in his owne person sate in the Guild-hall of London And then all things were againe setled in prosperitie and in peace The French King now longed to be againe owner of the faire Citie of Tourney which by conquest was possessed by King Henry Wherefore by his Ambassadors he not only desired the ratification of the peace which was betwixt the King and him A peace with the French King Tourney is deliuered vp by composition but also a restitution of the said Citie for money to be vnto him paid The King so louingly accepted of this message that forthwith the peace was confirmed and further it was concluded that for 60000. Crownes to be paid for the Towne and for 400000. Crownes more to be paid for the Castle which by King Henry was erected and almost finished and for 24000. pounds sterling to bee paid in discharge of a debt due and owing by the Citizens for the preseruation and redemption of their Liberties according to the composition and their owne agreement the Towne and Castle should be surrendred vp into the hands of the French King Whereupon foure great hostages for the true paiment of the said summes of money at the appointed daies were sent ouer Hostages and accepted by the King And then the Earle of Worcester Sir Edward Belknap and some others were sent ouer who deliuered the Towne and Castle according to both the said Kings Commissions to Monsieur Chastilion who was not suffered to make his entrie with Banners displaied but rolled vp because it was not wonne nor conquered but yeelded vp by composition The surrendring of this Citie was much disliked by many wise and prudent men for two reasons First because that the holding thereof was a curbe and a bridle to the French Nation And secondly because the Garrison of that place was a very profitable Nurserie for the training vp of Gentlemen and younger brothers in feats of Armes and in Martiall Discipline About the same time the Emperor Maximilian died Maximilian dieth Charles is elected Emperour He commeth into England and Charles King of Castile Nephew to Queene Katherine was elected in his stead who shortly after comming out of Spaine towards the Citie of Acon where he was to receiue his first Crowne came into England and was with all pompe and princely magnificence welcommed and entertained by the King and Queene to his good liking and contentment The Lords of the Counsell of Estate perceiuing that certaine Gentlemen of the Kings Priuie Chamber who were the Kings Minions were so much Frenchified A rare example that they were scoffed and derided by all wise men and that they were ouer bold saucie and malapertly familiar with the King to his great disgrace besought his Maiestie to reforme them and himselfe therein A wise King The King not only thanked them heartily for this their friendly admonition and fatherly care of his well-doing but also referred to them the absolute ordering and disposing of those metamorphized Gentlemen Wherefore they banished them from the Court and placed in their roomes Sir Richard Wingfield Sir Richard Ierningham Sir Richard Weston and Sir William Kingston who were discreet temperate and valiant men of whom the King graciously accepted and receiued them into his extraordinarie fauour The King and Queene hauing made large and costly prouision for the meeting of the French King and Queene 1520. according to promise neere vnto Arde shipped themselues at Douer The King and Queene saile into France and with their stately and honourable traine they landed at Calice and afterwards effected their iourney in princely fashion as formerly in this discourse it is more particularly set downe Within few daies after the King and Queenes returne from Arde vnto Calice The King visiteth the Emperour he with an honourable traine rode to the Towne of Graueling in the Low Countries to see and to visit the Emperour and his great Aunt the Ladie Margaret Duchesse of Sauoy by whom he was receiued with great familiaritie and bountie They come to Calice and was by them both brought backe againe to Calice where their welcome cheere and entertainment farre exceeded measure and their owne desires and expectation But this exchange of loue and of kindnesse greeued the French King at the heart The French King is angrie who was inwardly displeased and reuengefull because he practised but could not be elected Emperour according to his hopes Yet because he could flatter and dissemble therefore he sent vnto them the Lord de la Roch not only to congratulate for former courtesies receiued but also to conclude a peace betwixt them three A peace which for his part he neuer intended to obserue But the peace was fully agreed vnto A condition with this condition that he who first made breach thereof should be warred on by the other two Not long after the Kings returne into England he was secretly informed and it was true that by a Monke the haughtie and ambitious Duke of Buckingham was much abused in this The Duke of Buckinghams ouerthrow that hee was by him perswaded and did beleeue that he should be the King of this Realme which could not be but by vsurpation and the confusion
handfull so much disturbed the patient disposition of the Scottish King that with melancholy and inward griefe he dyed within few weekes after Marie queen of Scots Leauing behinde him as to succeed his only daughter and heire Queene Marie a child who was then but newly borne When the newes of this Kings death was voiced to the Scottish Prisoners it is not to be maruailed at if pensiue sorrow and anguish much appaled them for a while But at length making a vertue of necessitie and recomforting themselues with some hope which they conceaued of future happinesse they counsailed king Henrie to procure their said yong Queene to be by the State of Scotland A motion for mariage giuen in mariage vnto Prince Edward his son For the furtherance whereof they all protested swore and promised to imploy their best trauailes and their chiefest friends Scottish prisoners released The King so thankfully entertayned this their motion and profered seruice for the furtherance thereof that he not only enlarged them all without ransoms but also gaue vnto them rich and great gifts for which they were exceeding thankfull and departed ioyfully into their owne Countrie The French men breake the peace Now must we know that as the Scots without cause had made breach of the former peace so did the French King who suffered his subiects vpon the Seas to robbe and spoile the Marchants of this kingdome And thereupon King Henrie permitted his subiects to doe the like Diuers complaints for these iniuries and wrongs The Marchants are vexed were first made vnto the French King because his subiects had first transgressed but he neither afforded answere redresse or recompence therein And by reason of this debate and variance betwixt the two Kings the Marchants of either Nation were arrested and imprisoned and their goods and marchandizes were attached and seised on in each Kingdome Likewise the French and English Embassadors were for a time restrayned of their liberties but were quickly set at large againe yet still the poore Marchants on either part were compelled to pay the reckoning although they fared ill and were enforced to sustaine punishment for the faults of other men Such was the iniquitie of those times wherein Warre and Rapine did beare the chiefest sway Vnthankefull Frenchmen and such were the miseries which harmelesse men sustayned because Peace and Iustice were not suffered to moderate betwixt Right and Wrong For the French King did vtterly forget in what a desperate case his kingdome stood when King Henrie vpon the humble supplication of the Queene Regent and of his Nobles when he and his children were prisoners in Italie gaue vnto him peace Wherefore to correct his monsterous ingratitude and to be reuenged of daily wrongs The King to defie him sent his Heralds towards France But the French King would not in any sort permit them An Armie sent into France to come into his kingdome Whereupon King Henrie vnder the principall command of Sir Iohn Wallop Sir Thomas Seymour and Sir Richard Cromwel transported a strong Armie who presently vpon their landing besieged the Towne of Landersey Landersey besieged and by continuall battries and fierce assaults brought it into some necessities and danger but the French king knowing well the distressed estate in which the Towne then stood in his owne person with a huge Armie came to releeue it by meanes whereof the English Generals raised the siege The siege abandoned and made themselues strong and ready to encounter the French King in battaile of which hee made great brags This expectation of a bloudy skirmish caused the English Armie who would not then disorder nor incumber themselues with other imploiments to suffer the said Towne to be newly victualled and releeued But in the middest of the night before it was intended by the English Armie that this battaile should haue beene fought the French King being shrowded in the darke ran away and all his companies returned with speede vnto their owne Countries insomuch that for that time no more was done but by command the English Armie returned into England In this meane while A mariage concluded with Scotland the aforesaid motion concerning the mariage of the young Prince with the Infant Queene of Scotland was so well applauded and entertained by the Scots that in their Parliament it was first concluded and then confirmed by an Instrument in writing vnder the hands and seales of their Nobilitie and ratified by their oathes that the said intended match should bee effected and that their young Queene for that purpose should bee conueied into England But within few moneths after by the secret and cunning plots and practises of the French King the Nobilitie of Scotland neglected their Law their promise and their oath which occasioned King Henry with all speed to make new and vnwonted preparations and prouisions The Scots doe breake their oath not onely to inuade that Countrey but also to make warre vpon his enemie the King of France And to effect his purpose in that behalfe first he sent a puissant Armie which was transported in two hundred warlike ships into Scotland An Armie spoileth Scotland vnder the generall command by Sea of his high Admirall the Viscount Lisle and vnder the generall command by land of the noble and right valiant Earle of Hartford All these ships safely entred into the Fryth where they tooke many good Vessels which were exceeding seruiceable to their proceedings And then was the whole Armie set on land and being well ordered into three battailes and marching towards Leyth they first tooke view of six thousand Scottish horsemen with whom they encountred for a while But when the Scots perceiued that the Englishmen tooke more delight to fight with courage then to dallie as being fearefull of their liues they made a quicke retrait and suddenly fled away leauing their Artillerie and that Towne to their enemies who appropriated to themselues euery good thing which they found there and then consumed the towne with fire From thence they marched towards Edenborough the principall Citie of that Kingdome But on the way the Prouost and some of the chiefest Burgesses of that Towne made offer to the Earle of Hartford Generall of the Field to deliuer to him the keies conditionally that he would preserue it from fire and suffer the souldiers and the Inhabitants thereof with bagge and baggage to depart But the Generall made answere thus That hee was sent into that Countrey to take reuenge vpon that Nation because their Nobilitie with one consent by the peruerse and vnfriendly instigation of the French King had violated their owne Law their promise and their oath touching the mariage agreed on to be solemnized betweene Prince Edward and their young Queene And therefore if all the Souldiers and all the Inhabitants of that Citie would come disarmed into the open Field and yeeld their substance and their liues to bee ordered according to his pleasure and will he
then would doe as he thought good but if they refused so to doe he then protested to visit the Towne and them with all the extremities which were incident to such a warre This quicke answere so little pleased the Townesmen that they returned purposing to resist and so they did But by strong batteries and fierce assaults their gates and their walles were beaten downe and entred so that many thousands of the Scots were slaine their riches were possessed by the English Armie and a great part of that Citie was consumed by fire Now whilest the Armie was thus busied there came vnto them from the King foure thousand English horsemen so that when the spoiles and booties were by the souldiers imbarked and by water sent into England the English Armie coasted thorow a great part of those Countries vnfought with burning killing and foraging in all places as they pleased so that they hauing taken ransacked and burnt a good part of the Citie of Edenborough Holy-rood house and the Kings Palace there and hauing rifled and defaced the Townes of Leyth Haddington Dumbarre Dyrlaw Broughton Dudiston Beuerton Markle Hatherwike Bowland Blackborne West-Crage Chester-fels Stone-house Trauent Trapren Belton Butterden Raunto Enderleigh Crawenden Shenston the Fycket East-barne Kyrklandhill Quickwood part of Muskelborough and many other Villages besides Abbies Monasteries and Religious Houses which particularly wee cannot name they returned powerfully with rich booties and with the only losse of fortie men into England Two Armies sent into France And thus did King Henry in some sharpe measure correct and punish the vnstable dealings of the Scots Which troubles when he had finished hee then forthwith made such plentifull preparations to inuade France that he sent vnto the French Kings Dominions two strong Armies of which the one was commanded by the Duke of Norfolke and by the gentle Lord Russel who was then newly made Lord Priuie Seale who therewithall besieged the strong Towne of Muttrell where they lost much time Muttrell besieged and abandoned and much labour and were enforced to leaue it in the end And the other of the said two Armies was commanded by the Duke of Suffolke with which the said former Armie inbodied it selfe and then they all encamped about the strong and warlike Citie of Bulleine Bulleine is besieged and after many sharpe conflicts and hot skirmishes they first tooke the Old man and shortly after base Bulleine To this siege King Henry himselfe being attended by many a worthie man repaired and after his comming thither The King commeth to Bulleine so long as the light gaue leaue for the space of one whole moneth together he caused the walles of the Towne and Castle so cruelly to be battered and the Towne it selfe to be so beaten and the breaches and the trenches to be so furiously assulted that the walles in many places lay almost leuell with the ground No house escaped vnhurted and the Inhabitants with continuall labour vexation Bulleine is yeelded and trauell were almost tired and worne out so that at length vpon composition that all the Souldiers and Inhabitants should safely depart with bagge and baggage the strong and stately Towne and Castle of Bulleine was deliuered into the Kings hands out of which issued vpon the said agreement threescore and seuen horsemen fifteene hundred threescore and three footmen eight hundred Gunners fourescore and seuen men who were hurt and nineteene hundred twentie and seuen men women and children they all being in number 4444. soules But many who by reason of their greeuous wounds could not depart were found and well cherished and releeued in the Towne Now whilest the King thus lay at the siege of Bulleine King Henry returneth the Emperour without the Kings knowledge or consent secretly concluded a peace with the French King whereat King Henry much greeued so that after hee had taken an exact order for the repairing and fortifying of that Towne and Castle bee dismissed his Armie and with great ioy honour and triumph he returned into England And because his daily warres which required continuall supplies had wasted and consumed his treasure Iohn Stow. 993. which for the preuenting of future mischiefes and in especiall such as were daily offred vnto him by the Scots he endeuoured to augment hee therefore demanded a Beneuolence of all his Subiects both Spirituall and Temporall For which purpose Sir Thomas Wryothesley A Beneuolence Lord Chancellor of England the Duke of Suffolke and others of his Maiesties Counsell of Estate sitting as Commissioners in Bainards Castle in London taxed the Citizens and Inhabitants according to their wisdomes and discretions And because one Alderman whose name was Richard Read refused to pay what they had ordered Alderman Read he was therefore by them required on a great paine personally to serue the King in his warres against the Scots which cheerefully be performed and was with many others taken prisoner and detained by his enemies vntill that for his ransome hee was enlarged and set free The Dolphins successe After the King was departed home the Dolphin taking the benefit to a darke night came with a great power so suddenly into Base Bulleine that he tooke it But such as fled and had saued their liues being aided by the souldiers of the vpper Towne and Castle came fiercely on the Dolphin and so manfully assailed him that to saue himselfe and his he in all the haste departed and left the Towne with his great losse The French are ouerthrowen Within few daies after Monsieur de Bees came on the other side of the water before the Towne with an Armie of fifteene thousand men and began to erect a Fortresse there But by the valiant Earle of Hartford the Viscount Lisle the Lord Gray and diuers others they were assailed fought with and shamefully put to flight and were compelled to leaue behinde them their Ordinance Tents and other good prouisions to their great ignominie and reproch The French King intending to worke wonders in England by way of a reuenge for that his strong Towne of Bulleine was lost sent to the Sea a mightie Fleet The French Kings Nauie doth nothing of two hundred tall ships and seuen and twentie strong Gallies all which were stuffed as it was reported with threescore thousand men All these came in good order and ancoured before the Isle of Wight and were oftentimes beaten with the great Ordinance which the Admirall of England liberally bestowed on them But as the English Fleet passed out of the Hauen of Portsmouth into the Sea a stately strong and a goodly ship named the Marie Rose The Marie Rose drowned belonging to the King in which was Captaine Sir George Carew Knight with more then foure hundred men besides was drowned almost in an instant by the grosse follie of the Gunners and of the Mariners the former of them hauing left their Ordinance vntrigged and the latter hauing left the vnder port holes open