too weake for warre did many times preuaile by peace that now they had got into their handes many Townes and Holdes appertaining to the crowne of England they were willing to conclude a peace to exclude the King thereby from his possessions but whensoeuer occasion shoulde change for their aduantage they would be then as ready to start from the friendshippe as at that present they were to strike it that the French Kings daughter being but a child was very vnmeet for the marriage of King Richard as well for disparitie of age as for that the King had no issue by his first wife and was not like to haue any by this except perhappes in his olde and withered yeeres When the Duke saw that with these motiues he did nothing preuaile he suborned the Londoners to make petition to the King that seâ—â—g there was peace with France he would release them of the Subsidie which they had graunted to him in regard of those warâ—es This suite was instantly followed and much perplexed the King vntill the Duke of Lancaster declare to the people that the King had beene at the charge and dispense of three hundred thousand poundes in his voyage into France for the procuring of this peace whereupon they were pacified and desisted from their demaund The yeere following Guido Earle of S. Pauls was sent into England by Charles King of Fraunce to visit and salute in his name King Richard and Queene Isabell his wife the French Kings daughter To this Earle the King did relate with what feruencie the Duke of Gloucester contended to make disturbance of the peace betweene England and France how because his minde was not therein followed hee mooued the people to seditious attempts bending himselfe wholly to maintaine discord and disquiâ—t rather in his owne countrey then not at all He further reported what stiffe strifes in formertâ—â—es the Duke had stirred which howsoeuer they were done yet as they were declared they sounded very odious and hard When the Earle heard this he presently answered that the Duke was too daungerous a subiect to be permitted to liue that greatnesse was neuer safe if it grow excessâ—ue and bolde that the King must not affect the vaine commendation of clemency with his owne perill and that it touched him both in honour to reuenge the disgraces which he had receiued and in policy to preuent the daungers which he had cause to feare These words of sharpened the Kings displeasure that from thencefoorth he busied his braines in no one thing more then how to bring the Duke to his end Now he began to pry more narrowly into his demeanour to watch his words to obserue actions adn alwayes to interpret them to the woorst framing himselfe to many vaine and weedlesse feareâ— Often times he would complaine of him to the Duke of Laâ—ster and the Duke of Yorke how fierce and violent he was in his speeches and crosse to him in all matters The Dukes would make answere that the Duke of Gloucester their brother was in deed more hoat and vehement then they did commend yet his fiercenesse was ioyned with faithfulnesse and his crosnesse proceeded from a care least the Common-wealth should decrease either in honour or in possessions and therefore the King had neither need to feare nor cause to disslike About that time the Dukes of Lancaster and of Yorke withdrewe themselues from the court to their priuate houses the duke of Gloucester also went to ly at Plashey neere Chelmessorde in Essex vpon aduantage of which seperation the King stoode distracted in minde betweene feare to differ and shame to auow the destruction of the Duke least he might happily bee disapointed by the one or dishonoured by the other Hereupon he entred into counsaile with Iohn Holland Earle of Huntington his halfe brother and Thomas Mowbray Earle of Notingham howe the Duke of Gloucester might be suppressed or oppressed rather the cruclty which was but wauering in the King yea wanting by nature was soone confirmed by euill aduise and being once inclined to bloud he did not faile either of example ofâ—ewd action to followe or direction of cruell counsaile what to doe so the plotte was contriued and according thereto the King and the Earle of Noâ—tingham rodâ— together into Essex as though it were to disporte themselues in hunting when they were in the middest of the Forrest the Earle made stay and the King passed forth with a smal and vnsuspicious company to the Duke lying at Plashey there he stayed dinner and then pretending occasion of present returne he desired the Duke to accompany him to London the faire entreatie of a Prince is a most forceable commaunde therefore the Duke supposing that onely to bee intended in deede which was pretended in shewe 〈◊〉 to horse-backe with the King taking such small attendance as vpon the sudden could be in a readinesse and appointing the rest to come after him to London So they rode together vsing much familiar talke by the way vntill they came neere the place of await then the King put his horse forwarde and the Duke comming behinde was suddenly intercepted and stayed crying aloud and calling to the King for his helpe the King continued his iourney as though he had not heard and the Duke was violently carried to the Thames and there shipped in a vessell layed for the purpose and from thence conueyed ouer to Calice When the King came to London he caused the Earle of Warwicke also to be arrested and sent to prison the same day that hee had inuited him to dinner and shewed good countenance and promised to be gracious Lord vnto him Vpon the like dissembled shewe the Earle of Arundell and his sonne and certaine others were arrested also and committed to prison in the Ile of Wight The common people vpon the apprehending of these three noble men whome they chiefely and almost onely fauoured were in a great confusion and tumult and there wanted but a head to drawe them to sedition euery man sorrowed murmured and threatned and daring no further stood waiting for one to leade them the way all being readie to followe that which any one was loath to beginne The Duke of Lancaster and of Yorke gathered a strong armie and came therewith to London where they were readily receiued by the citizens although the King had commaunded the contrarie but this seemed to be done rather for garde to themselues then regarde to any others The king all this time kept at a village called Helhame within foure miles of London hauing aboute him a great power of armed men which he had gathered out of Cheshire and Wales and to paciâ—â—â— the common people hee caused to be proclaimed that the Lordes were not apprehended vpon olde displeasures but for offences lately committed for which they should be appealed by order of law and receiue open triall in the Parliament next following the like message was sent to the Duke of Lancaster and the Duke of Yorke lying
hee should vnder-take the warre in person or commit it to coÌ„manders of lower degree Some perswaded him that wholly to subdue Ireland stoode neither with pollicie nor yet almost with possibilitie for if it were fully and quietly possessed some gouernour might hap to growe to that greatnesse as to make himselfe absolute Lord thereof and therfore it was better to hold it certaine by weake enemies then suspected by mightie friendes and yet by what meanes should those bogges those woods bee ouercome which are more impregnable then the walled Townes of other countries Then if the purpose were onely to represse the sauage people the war was of no such weight as should draw the King to stand in the fielde and therefore he might stay in the west partes of England and from thence make shew of the princely puissance and state neither venturing his person without cause and ready at hand if neede should require Others were of opinion that to subdue and replenish Ireland was a matter neither of difficultie nor daunger but both profitable and honourable to the King and to God very acceptable For if credite might bee giuen to auncient histories this realme of England was once as insuperable with bogs and woods as Ireland was then but the Romane conquerors kept not their presidiarie Souldiers in idle garrison whereby many times the minde grew mutinous and the body diseased and both vnable for the labour and hardnesse of the field but they held as well them as the subdued Britaines continually exercised either in building of townes in places of best aduantage or in making of high waies else in drayning and pauing of bogs by which meanes the countrie was made fruitfull and habitable and the people learned the good maners not rudely to repulse the flattering assaults of pleasure preferring subiection with plentie before beggerly and miserable libertie That the same Romaines also kept many larger countries in quiet obedience so long as they were quiet among themselues without either feare or danger of any gouernours first by deuiding them into smal prouinces Secondly by constituting in euery prouince diuers officers as Lieutenants and procurators whereof one was able to restraine the other the first hauing power ouer the bodies of the subiects the second ouer their goods thirdly by changing these officers euery yeare which was too short a time to establish a soueraigntie Lastly by retaining at Rome their wiues and children and whole priuate estate as pledges for their true demeanure That the daunger was rather to bee feared least a weake enemie whilest hee was cuntemned should gather strength and be able to stand vppon termes of withstandiâ—g example hereof happened wheÌ„ the Romaines ouercame this Iland for many Britanes who vpon no coÌ„ditious would abide boÌ„dage withdrew theÌ„selues into the Northparts of the land by maintaining their auncient custome of painting their bodies were called of the Romanes Picti these were neglected along time and held in scorne as neither of force nor of number to bee thought worthy the name of enimies but afterwardes they confederated themselues with other people and so sharply assaulted the subdued Britaines that being vnable to resist the Romanes shrincking from theÌ„ they were constrained to desire helpe of the Saxons and so betweene their enimies their aides being set as it were betwixt the beetle and the block they lost the possession of the best part of their land That it was a pittifull pollicy for assurance of peace to lay all waste as a wildernes and to haue dominion ouer trees and beasts and not ouer men That hereby the King did loose the reuenue of a fruitfull countrie the benefit of wealthy subiects which are the surest treasure that a Prince can haue That hereby also the maiesty of his estate was much impaired for as SalomoÌ„ saith The honour of a king coÌ„sisteth in the multitude of subiectes That the country being vnfurnished of people was open to al opportunity of forraine enimies That if none of these respectes would moue yet the King was bounde in duty to reduce those sauages to the true worshippe of God who did then either prophanely contemne him or superstitiâ—usly serue him These reasons so weighed with the King that he gathered a mighty armie determining to goe in person into Ireland to pacifie the country before his returne but al his prouision was at the charge of the subiâ—cts and wheras in time of sedition a wise Prince will least grieue his people As seeming to stand in some sort at their curtesie hauing to imploy their bodies beside the King in peace no stoarer for war was forced to offend when hee should haue bene most carefull to win fauour So about Whitsontide he set forth on his voyage with many men and fewe soldiours being a dissolute and vntrained company and out of all compasse of obedience hee caried with him his whole treasure and all the goods and auncient Iewels appertaining to the crowne In his company went the Duke of Aumerle and the Duke of Exceter and diuers other noble men and many Bishops and the Abbot of Westminster He also tooke with him the sonnes of the Duke of Gloucester and of the Duke of Hereford whose fauourours he chiefly feared When hee came to Bristowe hee was put into suspicion whether vpon some liklyhood or meere mallice that Henry Percy Earle of Northumberland and certaine others entended some disloyall enterprise against him and for that cause did not folow him into Ireland but had fastned friendship with the king of Scots vpon purpose to retire theÌ„selues into his country if their attempts should faile Hereupon the king sent message that the earle should forthwith come vnto him with all the power that he could conueniently make The earle returned answere that it was vnnecessary in respect of that seruice to draw men from such distant places for the Irish rebels were neither so many nor so mighty but the King had strength at hand sufficient to suppresse them that it was also daungerous to disfurnish the North-parts of their forces and to offer opportunity to the Scottish borderers who were alwayes vncertaine friends in their extremities and assured enemies vpon aduantage The King seeing his commaundement in these termes both contemned and controulled would not stand to reason the matter with the Earle neither had he the reason to defer reuenge vntill hee had full power to worke it but presently in the violence of his fury caused the Earle and his confederates to be proclaimed traitors and all their lands and goods to be seized to his vse The Earle tooke grieuously this disgrace and determined to cure close vp his harme with the disturbance of the common state And thus the King hauing feathered these arrowes against his owne brest passed foorth in his iourney into Ireland This expedition at the first proceeded and succeeded exceedingly well and the king obtained many victories euen without battell as leading his men to a slaughter
by the commaundement or conâ—iuence of King Edward the fourth And hee also escaped not free for hee dyed not without many 〈…〉 suspicions of poisonâ— and after his death his two sonnes were disinherited imprisoned and butchered by their cruell Vnckle the Duke of Gloucester who beeing a tyrant and vsurper was lawfully slaine in the field and so in his person hauing no issue the tragedie did end Which are most rare and excellent examples both of comfort to them that are oppressed and of terrour to violent dealers that God in his secret iudgement dooth not alwayes so certainely prouide for our safetie as reuenge our iniuries and harmes and that all our vniust actions haue a daye of payment and many times by waye of retaliation euen in the same manner and measure wherein they were committed And thus was King Richard brought to his death by violence and force as all wrighters agree although all agree not vppon the manner of the violence Hee was a man of personage rather well proportioned then tall of great beautie and grace and comlinesse in presence hee was of a good strength and no abiect spirit but the one by ease the other by flatterie were much abased He deserued many friends but found fewe because hee sought them more by liberalitye then vertuous dealing He 〈◊〉 merueilous 〈◊〉 in all his actions which may verye well bee 〈◊〉 to his negligence and sloath for hee that is not prouident can seldome prosper but by his loosenesse will loose whatsoeuer fortune or other mens 〈…〉 hee was driuen is such distresse that 〈…〉 it as a benefite to bee disburdened of his royall dignitie for which other men will not sticke to put theyr goods and liues and soules in hazarde Hee liued three and thirtie yeares and reigned two and twentie His dead body was embaulmed and 〈…〉 couered with Lead all saue his face and carryed 〈…〉 and in all the chiefe places by the waye his face was 〈…〉 that by viewe thereof no doubt should bee made concerning his death At London hee had a solemne obsequie kept in the Cathedrall Church of Saint Paulâ— the King beeing present and all the chiefe 〈…〉 Then hee was conueyed to Langley Abbey in Bucking ham shire about 〈…〉 myle from London and there obscurely 〈◊〉 by the Bishop of Chester the Abbot of S. Albones and the Abbot of Waltham without presence of noble men without coâ—â—â—uence of the common people and without the charge of a dinner for celebrating the 〈…〉 but afterward on the commaundement of King Henry the fifth his body was taken vp and remooued to Westminster and honourably entombed amongst his auncesters with Queene Anne his wife in expiation as it is like of his Fathers violent and vnfaithfull dealing So hee whose life was alwaies tumultuous and vnquiet could not readily finde rest for his bones euen after death It was not amisse in regard of the common wealth that he was dead yet they who caused his death had small reason to reckon it among theyr good deedes And thus doe these and the like accidents dayly happen to such Princes as will be absolute in power resolute in will and dissolute in life This yeere Hunfrey the sonne and heyre of the Duke of Gloucester dyed of the plague as he returned out of Ireland where King Richard had 〈◊〉 him prisoner and shortly after the Duchesse his mother with violence of griefe ended her dayeâ— this yeere also dyed Thomas Moâ—bray the exiled duke of Norfolke whose death would much haue been lamented if he had not furthered so many lamentable deaths but he ouerliued his honour saw himselfe accounted a person infamed and of no estimation Likewise about this 〈…〉 Duke of Brittaine deceased who had taken to wife Mary daughter to King Edward the third and by her had no issue but by Ioan his second wife he left behinde him three sons Iohn Richard Arthur this Ioan was afterwards maried to K. Henrie as hereafter shall appeare Also this yeere Edmund Duke of Yorke departed this life his honour not stayrred his fame not touched he was a man very circumspect and wary in his cariage not carelesse of a good fame nor greedy after a great of other mens wealth not desirous liberall of his owne and of the common sparing he did not by obstinate opposing himselfe against the current of the time rashly hasten eyther his fame or his fall but by moderation attayned safely that degree of praise and honour which others aspiring vnto by desperate courses wanne with ambitious death without any other profit at all He left behinde him two noble sonnes expresse resemblencers of his integritie Edward who succeeded in his dignitie and before was called Duke of Aumerle and Richard Earle of Cambridge Edward in the change of the state neither constantlye kept his fidelitie nor stoutlie maintained his treason Richard tooke to wife the daughter and heyre of Roger Mortimer whose mother Phillip was sole daughter and heyre to Lionell Duke of Clarence the third sonne of King Edward the thyrd by which title and discent his posteritie claimed the Crowne and kingdome of this realme from the successours of King Henrie as heereafter more at large shall be declared Charles King of Fraunce lost no time all this while in making preparation to inuade England and to that end had now raysed an armie royall which was brought downe into Picardie and in a readinesse to haue beene transported But it is verye like that this hast for the deliuerance of King Richard did the more hasten his death vppon newes whereof the Frenchmen perceiuing their purpose for his restitution to be to no purpose gaue ouer the enterprise some being grieued that the occasion was lost of making spoile of so plentifull a countrie others being well content to be discharged of that hope together with the hazard whervpon it depended Shortlie after the French King sent a solemne Embassage into England to treate or rather intreate that Lady Isabell his daughter who had bin espoused to King Richard might with her dowrie bee restored to him againe King Henrie most honourablie receiued these Embassadours and gaue in answere that he would speedelie send his Commissioners to Calice which should fullye commune and conclude with them both of this and other weightie affayres concerning both the realmes Not long after he sent Edward Duke of Yorke and Henrie Earle of Northumberland to Calice Also the French King sent the Duke of Burbone and certaine others to Bulleine These Commissioners did often meete sometimes at one place and sometimes at another the Frenchmen especially required that Lady Isabell should be restored shewing that King Charles her Father had giuen in charge that this before all matters and without this nothing should be concluded On the other side the Englishmen desired that she might be married to Henry Prince of Wales King Henries eldest Sonne a man answerable to her in equall degree both of bloud and of yeeres but the French King denyed that
therefore sithe hee had graunted a safe conduct to the Earle of Marche and his companie it were an impeachment to his honour without iust cause to violate the same Vppon this answere the King of Scottes did presently proclaime open warre against the King of England with bloud fire and sworde King Henry thought it policie rather to begin the warre in his enemies countrie then to expect it in his owne because the land which is the 〈◊〉 of the warre dooth commonly furnish both sides with necessarie supply the friend by contribution and the enemie by spoyle Therefore sending certaine troopes of horsemen before him both to espie and to induce an vncertaine terrour vppon the enemie hee entred into Scotland with a puissant armie wherewith hee burnt many Villages and Townes cast downe diuerse Castles and ruined a great part of the Townes of Edenborough and Lith sparing nothing but Churches and religious houses so that in all places as he passed the spectacle was ouglie and grislie which hee left behind him bodyes torne in peeces mangled and putrified limmes the ayre infected with stincke the ground imbrued with corruption and bloud the countrie wasted the Grasse and Corne troden downe and spoyled insomuch as a man would haue sayde that warre is an exercise not of manhood but of inhumanitie They that fledde before the armie filled all places with feare and terrour extolling aboue truthe the English foreces to deminish thereby their shame in running from them In the end of September the King besieged the Castle of Maydens in Edenborough wherein were Dauid Duke of Rothsaye Prince of the realme and Archibaldâ— Earle Dowglasle the inconstancie of the one and ambition of the other were principall causes of all this warre During this siege Robert Duke of Albonye who was appointed gouernour of the Realme because the King was sicke and vnable to rule sent an Herauld vnto Henrie assuring him vppon his honour that if hee would abyde but sixe dayes at the most hee would giue him battaile and eyther remooue the siege or loose his life The King was well pleased with these tidings and rewarded the Herauld with a gowne of silke and a chaine of gould and promised him in the worde of a Prince to abide there and expect the gouernour during the tyme by him prefixed The sixe dayes passed almoste sixe tymes ouer and no more newes was heard of the Gouernour eyther by presence or by messenger Winter came on and victuaile fayled the Country was colde and fruitelesse and it rayned euery day in great aboundance so that partly by hunger partlye by distemperature of the weather the Soldiers began to dye of the Flixe it is verie like that these accidentes stayed the Gouernour from performing his promise for pollicy was against it to hazard his men in the fielde when winter and want two forceable foes had giuen the charge vpon his enemyes certaine it is that they mooued the King to remooue his fiege and to depart out of Scotland without any battaile or skirmish offred Both the Wardens of the Marches were all this time in Scotland with the King vpon which aduantage the Scots did breake into Northumberland and burnt certaine townes in Bamborough shire The English men were speedilie vp in armes but the Scottes more speedily made theyr returne or else no doubt they had been met with and encountered Agayne when King Henry had discharged his armie the Scottes beeing desirous not so much of lyfe as of reuenge made a sodayne roade into England vnder the conduct of Sir Thomas Halsbarton of Dirleton and Sir Patricke Hebburne of Hales but all the harme which they wrought dyd rather waken then weaken the Englishmen and they themselues were somewhat encouraged but nothing enryched by that whych they got Not long after Sir Patricke Hebburne beeing lifted vp in desire and hope resolued to vndertake a greater enterprise the people which are 〈…〉 by prosporous successe in great companies resorted to him but hee was loath to haue more fellowes in the spoyle then hee thought should neede in the daunger therefore with a competent armie of the men of Loughdeane he inuaded a Northumberland where hee made great spoile and loaded his Souldiours with prisoners and pray There was no question made what perill might bee in the returne Therefore they marched loosene and 〈…〉 as in a place of great securitie not keeping themselues to their ensignes and order but the Earle of Northumberlands Vice-warden and order Gentlemen of the borders in good arraye set vppon them at a towne in Northumberland called 〈◊〉 The scottes rallied as well as the soddainnesse did serue and valliantlie receiued the charge so that the battaile was sharpe and 〈◊〉 and continued a good time with great mortalitie In the ende the enemyes ranckes grew thinne as being rather confusedly shuffled together then orderly and firmlie compacted and when the Vice-warden 〈◊〉 them weake in the shock and yeelding vnder his hand with a companie which purposelâ—e reteyned about him for sodaine dispâ—teneâ— and chaunces of warre he flercely charged and disordered them Sir Patricke Hebburne being cleane destitute both of counsaile and courage ranne vp and downe from one place to another commaunding many things and presently forbidding them againe and the lesse of force his directions were the oftener did hee change them anone as it happeneth in lost and desperate cases euerye man became a commaunder and none a putter in execution so the ranket loosed and brake and could not bee reunited the victor hoatly pursuing the aduantage Then might you haue 〈◊〉 a grieuous spectacle pursuing killing wounding and taking and killing those that were taken when better were offered euery where weapons and dead bodyes and mangled limâ— laye scattered and sometimes in those that were slaine appeared at their death both anger and valure Sir Patricke Hebburne thought of nothing lesse then eyther fleeing or yeelding but thrusting among the thickest of his enemyes honourably ended his life Many other of his linage and the flower of all Loughdeane were likewise slaine There 〈…〉 side no great number was slaine and those of no great seruice and degree And with these troubles the first yeere of King Henrie the fourth ended ⸫ FINIS LONDON Printed by Iohn VVolfe and are to be sold at his shop in Popes head alley neere the Exchange 1599. Crastino purificationis 1388 1389 1390. 1392 1393 1397 1398 Tranquil in caligula Tacitus in proaemio Ierem. 25. 9. Ezech. 29. 18. Ierm 29. 7. Baruch 1. 11. So did Dâ—mitian put to death Epaphroditus Neroes libertine because he helped Neroe although in loue to kill himselfe So did Seuerus kill all the killers of Pertinax his prodecessour and likwise Vitellius did put to death all the murtherers of Galâ—a Theophilus Emperour of Grecia caused all those to be slaine who had made his Father Emperour by killing Leo Armenius And Alexander the great put to cruell execution those that had slaine Darius his mighty and mortall enemy Deut. 17. 12. Psal 105. Exod. 22. 28. Act. 23. 5. Rom. 13. 1. 13. Tit. 3. 1. 1 Pet 2. 13 14. 17. 1. Tim. 2 2. Rom. 1â— 2. Iohn 19. 〈◊〉 Cap. â—5 1. 2. Chro. 36. 22. 2. Chron. 19. 6. Psal. 28. Sap. 6. Quintil in declam Cic. offic lib. 1. Nehem. 9. 37. Alphons a cast in lib. de haeresi in verb. Tyrannus Dominie Soto lib. 5. de iust et iur q. 1. artic 3.
the same your parts still remaineth to be performed your vertue valure must adde strength to the goodnesse of this action We haue already attempted so farre that all hope of pardon is extinct so that if wee shoulde shrincke back breake of the enterprise no mercy is to be expected but butchery and gibbets and all extremities if wee driue of delay the accomplishment thereof we shall loose the opportunity which now is offred and open to our enimies occasion of aduantage For the peoples bloud is vp now on our side and nothing is wanting but our owne diligence care let vs not therefore trifle out the time of doing in talking deliberating it is best striking whilst the yron is hoate let vs set forth roundly and possesse our selues with speed of al the parts of the realme and so we shall bee able either to keepe out our concurrent or els to entertaine him litle to his liking So troups of men were sent into euery quarter of the realme to secure them for making strength on the part of King Richard but the people in all places as men broken with many burthens did easily entertaine the first commer and were not curious to fide with the stroÌ„ger The Duke pursued those of the Kings priuy counsaile which fled away from the duke of Yorke bearing himselfe with great cheere and courage as confident in the cause and secure of the euent When he came at Bristow he found the castle fortified against him but in short time he forced it and tooke therein Sir Iohn Bushy Sir Henrie Greene W. Scroupe L. Treasurer a ioyfull pray to the commoÌ„ people who fearing that if execution should bee deferred petitions for pardon might happen to preuaile and so their cruelties and iniuries should bee canswered with the vaine title and commendation of elemency did violently require them vnto death no respite could be obteined no defence admitted no answere heard yea their humble and submisse intreaty was interpreted to argue a weake broken courage vpon a guilty conscience which more incensed the rage of the people crying out that they were traitours bloud-suckers theeues and what other heinous tearmes insulting fury did put into their mouthes at which clamorous and importunant instance the day following they were beheaded Sir William Bagot came not with them to Bristowe but turned to Chester and the pursuit being made after the most he alone escaped into Ireland This execution partly because it pleased the people and partly because it excluded all hope of the Kings pardon caused them to cleaue more closely to the Duke which greatly encreased both his glory his hope hauing officers of so long aide need of so litle In the meane time this newes of the Dukes arriuall and of other occurrences part true part false and part enlarged by circumstance as fame groweth in the going was blowen ouer to the King being then entangled with other broyles in Ireland at the receipt whereof hee caused thâ—â—nnes of the Duke of Gloucester and of the Duke of Lancaster to be imprisoned in the strong Castle Trim which is in Ireland for dispatch to returne into England left many matters vnfinished and most of his prouision behind hasting and shufling vp as present necessitie did enforce So being both vnskilfull and vnfortunate himselfe deâ—oide of good direction with more haste then good hap he tooke shipping with the Duke of Aumerle Exceter Surrie the Bishops of London Lincolne and Caerliele and many other men of qualitie and crossing the seas landed at Milford hauen in Wales in which conntrimen he alwaies reposed his chiefest suretie trust but then he saw contrarie to his expectatioÌ„ that as wel there as in all other places the people by plumps flocked to the Duke fled from him yea they that came with him began for to wauer no man encouraging them to be constant but many to reuolt This suddaine chaunge not looked for not thought vpon disturbed all the Kings deuises made him irresolute what hee should doe on the one side hee saw his cause and quarell to bee right and his conscience he saide cleare from any bad demerite on the other side hee saw the great strength of his enemies and the whole power of the realme bent against him being more abashed of the one then emboldned by the other he stoode perplexed in vncertaine termes either where to stay or whether to stirre hauing neither skill nor resolution himselfe in cases of difficultie and noxious to hurtfull and vnfaithfull counsaile Some aduised him to march forward and pierce deeper into the land before his owne forces fell from him affirming that valure is seconded by fortune that this courage of his would confirme the constancie of his souldiours and his presence put the people in remembrance of their faith that in all places he should finde some who for fauour or for hire or else for duetie would adheare vnto him whereby hee should soone gather strength sufficient to ioyne issue with his enemie in the fâ—de Others perswaded him to retire againe into Ireland then if succour failed him in England to wage souldiours out of other countries But the King being no man of action in militarie affaires reiected both the counsailes as neyther venturous enough with the one nor warie enough with the other and taking a middle course which in cases of exremitie of all is the worst he determined to make staye in Wales and there to attende to what head this humour would rise The Duke vpon aduertisement that the King was landed in Wales remoued with a strong armie from Bristowe towardes Chester vsing the first oportunitie against him and which in deede was the fittest When L. Thomas Percie Earle of Worcester and steward of the Kings houshold heard of the Dukes approach he brake forth into shewe of that displeasure which before hee had conceiued against the King for proclayming his brother the Earle of Northumberlande traytour and thereupon openly in the hall in the presence of the Kings seruants he brake his white rodde the ensigne of his office and forthwith departed to the Duke willing euery man to shift for himselfe in time by which acte he lost reputation both with the haters fouourers of King Richard being accompted of the one a corrupter of the other a forsaker and betrayer of the King After this example almost all the rest more fearefull then faithfull scattered themselues euery one his way and they who in the Kings flourishing time would haue contended to bee foremost now in his declining estate equally draw backe and like swallowes forsooke that house in the winter of fortunes boysterous blasts where they did nothing but feede foyle in the summer of her sweete sunne-shine And thus betweene faint souldiers and false friends the King was abandoned and forsaken and left almost vnto himselfe looke on he might but let it hee could not as not of force to punish that which