of necessitie to bee followed Letters are secretly dispatched to the Duke whose speedy returne into England they importune affirming that aswell for the publike good of the Realme as for their owne particular safeties they were forced to use force against their King soliciting him to be pleased but to make the head and they would furnish the body with an able army to expell the misgoverned King from his unbefitting government and to settle the Crowne upon his head who was more apt and able to manage the same That they would not only helpe him in bare wishes and advise but would joyne hearts and hands to adventure their lives so that the perill should bee common to all the glory only his These Letters were cunningly compilde and closely conveyed by such as had more then common interest in the Dukes respect Amongst whom was principall Thomas Arundel late-Archbishop of Canterbury the sonne of Robert Earle of Arundel and Warren who had beene first Bishop of Ely and then Archbishop of Yorke and lastly of Canterbury who being amongst others the Bishops in the higher house of Parliament at what time the Duke of Glocester the Earle of Warwicke and the Earle of Arundel the brother to the Archbishop were convented at least questioned because Clergie men by the Canons are commanded not to be present at any tryall or judgement of life and death hee with the rest as they before had used departed the house upon this occasion being absent hee with his brother were condemned of high treason and after his brothers execution the Archbishop was banished the Realme his goods forfeited and seized and his place conferd upon Roger Walden The Archbishop with his Confederates by severall wayes and in strange disguises came to Paris and in the house of one Clomigey where the Duke sojourned met together where having obtained privacie and silence the Archbishop used these words or the like in sense Wee are sent unto you right high and most noble Prince from the chiefe Lords and Peeres and people of our kingdome who grone under the burden of tyrannous oppression Yet not to vindicate injuries against our Soveraigne upon private wrongs or displeasures nor upon desperate discontent to set the State in combustion to put the King in feare the kingdome into a flame nor to second the ambitious designes of any particular person But to open unto you the deformities and decayes of our dissected estate and to implore your ayde for the stay of the precipitate ruine of the same The remembrance of your honourable atchievements and your deserved reputation thereby gained in our country doth nothing else but make remembrance of our present basenesse bitter unto us Our victorious Armies have heretofore beene famous and renowned not only in the Ilands adjoyning but in all parts of Europe yea in Asia and Africa against the Infidels and Barbarians so that all Christian Princes have beene willing to imbrace our friendship or unwilling to provoke us to hostilitie But now both Welch and Scots whom wee have so often beaten and brought upon their knees doe not only scorne and deride us but the weake and miserable Irish have shaken off their shackles and glutted and enriched themselves with our blood and spoyles with these wee are now enforced to fight not for glory but for leave but to live in so much as we are pittied by our friends flouted by our enemies and hated of our selves it is confest that King Richard hath led and sent great powers into these Countreys but after such a manner that they have much wasted the kingdome with their maintainance but have by armes neither relieved our friends or revenged us on our enemies And no marvaile since all our discreet and diligent Commanders the sinewes and nerves of an Army are either beheaded banished or buried in disgrace and obscuritie and the managing of martiall affaires is committed without respect of abilities or desert to the conduct and counsell of such as can best comply with the Kings variable disposition Amongst whom antient Nobilitie is esteemed but as a vaine bubble vertue and sufficiencie are but a trappe to ensnare their possessours it is a griefe to mee to speake it but it helpeth not to hide that which every one seeth our Ancestours lived in the highest pitch of perfect liberty and wee of dejected servilitie being used not like subjects but abjects yea flat slaves not to one onely unrespective Prince but to many his proud and presumptuous favourites not alwayes the same but every day fresh ones And no sooner have we contented one but new greedy stomacks are provided whose extortion and exactions have devoured more by bribes then the enemy with the sword what unwonted nay what unheard-of projects are now invented and daily practised without either measure or end yea oftentimes without need but if any bee it proceedeth rather from riotous expence then necessary charges great summes of money are every minute pilled and pulled from the honest minded subject to bee unprofitably wasted upon prodigall spendthrifts and if any man impugne these most insupportable taxations or but speake in the defence of the libertie of a subject Then either by surmised imputation of capitall crime or by aggravation of small causes by far-fetcht circumstances and strayned constructions or else by open crueltie and force his life or libertie or both is called in question it were too tedious too odious too frivolous to produce particular examples The lamentable losse of your noble Vncles and other honourable friends and your owne present estate cannot easily bee forgotten nay I presume there is no man of ranke or fashion within the Realme who either in his owne person or children or in his deere friends or neere allyes but may easily finde that no man hath certaintie to enjoy the safeguard of his goods or the use of his liberty or suretie of his head but rich men of the one and good men in the other are continually in hazard This is our case but what is the remedie wee have patiently suffered and sued humbly for ease But our patience hath procured increase of punishment and our complaints more stripes By the one our livings by the other our liues are daily devoured Now therefore are wee unwillingly compelled to endevour to shake from our shoulders this too too uneasie yoke and submit our lives and estates to the command of some more moderate and worthy person not so much for the griefe of our miseries which are past nor for the paine of our present distresses as for feare of worse dangers which are most likely to follow the chiefe of the antient Nobilitie The King hath cut off the Commons hee hath pared to the quick and still he harroweth the Countrey as if now but newly conquered whereby our nakednesse is bared to our Adversaries and wee are made utterly unable either to recover that which is lost or to retaine that little that is left To whom shall wee now complaine from
more strong in King Stephen then they are now in the Duke of Lancaster for King Henry the first being at libertie neither restrained nor constrained the people assented to this designement and thereupon without feare or force he was annointed and crowned King Yet Henry Fitzempresse having a neerer right to the Crowne by his Mother notwithstanding his Father was a stranger and hee borne beyond the Seas never ceased the prosecution of bloody warres to the great effusion of blood and spoyling the Countrey untill his lawfull inheritance was assured him It terrifieth mee but to thinke how many flourishing kingdomes have beene by such contentions either rent by intestine division or subdued to forraine Princes under pretence of assistance and aide This Kingdome hath had too wofull experience of these severall mischieves and yet neither examples of other Countries or miseries of our owne are sufficient to make us bee wary Certainly I feare it will betide us as it did to Esops Frogges who being desirous to have a King had a beame given them the first fall whereof affrighted them but when they saw it lie still they contemptuously insulted thereon and desired a King of more active spirit Then a Storcke was sent them which stalking amongst them daily devoured them King Richards mildnesse hath bred in us this scorne interpreting it to bee cowardise and dulnesse of nature I dare not say yet give mee leave to suspect with greater courage wee may finde greater crueltie And thus have I declared my opinion with more words you may perhaps conjecture then wisdome yet fewer then the waight of the cause doth require and I doe resolutely conclude that wee have neither power nor pollicie either to Depose King Richard or in his place to Elect Duke Henry That King Richard remaineth still our Soveraigne Lord and therefore it is not lawfull for us to give judgement against him That the Duke whom you are pleased to stile King hath more transgressed the King and Realme then Richard hath done either against him or us For hee being banished the Realme for tenne yeares by the King and Councell amongst whom his owne Father was chiefe and given oath not to returne without speciall licence Hee hath not only broken his oath but disturbed the peace of the Land dispossessed the King of his Royall estate and now demandeth judgement against his person without offence proved or defence heard if this perjurie and this injury move not yet let both our private and publike dangers somewhat withdrawe us from these violent proceedings This speech was diversly taken as mens affections were diversly hurried betwixt hope feare and shame but the most part did seeme to stand for Duke Henry Whereupon the Bishop was attached by the Earle Marshall and committed to the keeping of the Abbot of Westminster but presently after to Prison in the Abby of Saint Albones His Counsell and conjecture then contemned was after approved of when too late both in the Kings time during whose raigne no yeare passed without slaughter and executions but more in the time succeeding when within the space of thirty sixe yeares twelve set battells upon this quarrell were fought within the Realme by natives only and above fourescore Princes of the blood Royall fell by each others sword It was concluded notwithstanding what the Bishop had spoken that King Richard should bee kept in a large Prison with all manner of Princely maintenance And if any should attempt to rere warre for his deliverance that hee should bee the first man should suffer for that attempt The Acts of Parliament of the eleventh yeare of King Richard were revived and those of the one and twentieth wholly repealed and all in that Parliament attainted were restored to their Titles and inheritances without suing livery And also to such goods whereof the King had not beene answered except the rents and issues of their lands Hereupon Richard Earle of Warwicke is delivered out of prison and the Earle of Arundels sonne restored to his inheritance others also that stood banished or were in prison recovered their libertie and estate it was enacted that none that came with Henry against Richard should bee impeached or troubled To the Earle of Westmerland the King gave the Countie of Richmond to the Earle of Northumberland the Isle of Man to hold of him by the service of bearing the Sword wherewith hee entred into this Kingdome before him Divers others his followers hee advanced to places of highest note some for desert but most to win their favour and perhaps projecting a plot for partakers if times should change For in many actions men take more care to prevent revenge then to lead an innocent life It is likewise ordered that the plotters and procurers of the Duke of Glocesters murther should bee strictly enquired after and severely punished And judgement was given against the Appellants of the Earles of Warwick and Arundel and that the Dukes of Aumerles Sussex and Exceter the Marquesse Dorset and the Earle of Glocester who were there present should lose their Titles of Honour and forfeit their estate in all the lands they had which was formerly belonging to the Appellees and that all their Letters patents concerning the same should bee surrendred into the Chancery to bee cancelled and for their owne inheritance to bee at the mercy of the King That they should give no Liveries to retainers nor keepe more then should bee necessary That if any of them did adhere or assist the Deposed King Richard against the Decree of his Deposition That they should suffer as in high treason And for that many of the common people did murmure That many the Officers had grievously extorted either by connivency or secret support of the Lords those Officers were removed and the corruption purged Then were Proclamations made that if any man had by strong hand beene oppressed by any of the Lords or by any under-officers to them beene wronged or abused his complaint proved the delinquent should give him plenary recompence The execution of these Nobles was much questioned The importunitie of the people and the perswasions of many great ones drew that way but pollicie was against it especially the opinion of Clemency which seemed needfull in a new not well settled estate In this Parliament the Lord Fitzwater appealed the Duke of Aumerle upon points of high Treason the like did the Lord Morley to the Earle of Salisbury and above twentie Appellants more gaged battell but the King purposing to lay the foundation of his government by favour and not by force gave pardon and restitution alike to all upon securitie for their allegiance and moderately admonished and as it were intreated the one part that old griefes and grudges should not bee renewed but altogether buried The other part hee desired to bee afterwards more circumspect of their actions and for the time past rather to forget they ever were in fault then to remember that they were pardoned No punishment was
to Dowglasse Earle George not being used to bee confronted or sit downe with disgrace could hardly enforce his patience to endure this scorne And first hee demanded restitution of his money not so much for desire to have it as to picke an occasion to breake his Allegeance The King refused to make payment or give promise but deluded him with frivolous delayes whereupon with his family hee fled to the Earle of Northumberland intending by disloyaltie to revenge the indignitie and to repaire his losses by his enemies ruine if possible the English with wide and open armes imbrace the opportunitie with whose helpe and assistance the Earle made divers incursions into Scotland where hee burnt many Townes and slew much people enriching himselfe with booty and spoyle King Robert depriveth the Earle of his honour seizeth all his lands and possessions and writes to King Henry that as hee would have the truce betwixt them longer to continue either to deliver unto him the Earle of March and his adherents or else to banish them the Realme King Henry perceiving that these warres arising had almost put the peace out of joynt was determined not to lose the benefit of the discontented subjects of his adversarie whereupon he returned answer to the Herald of Scotland that hee was neither weary of peace nor fearefull of warre and ready as occasion should change either to hold the one or hazard the other But the word of a Prince was or ought to bee of great waight And therefore sith he had granted unto the Earle of March his safe conduct it were a great impeachment to his honour without just cause to violate the same Hereupon the King of Scots did presently proclaime open warre against the King of England who thought it pollicie rather to begin the war in the enemies countrey then to expect it in his own because that land which is the seat of warre doth commonly furnish both sides with necessary supplies the friend by contribution the enemy by spoyle sending certaine troopes of horsemen before him both to espie and to induce an uncertaine terror upon the enemy hee entred into Scotland with a puissant army and with fire and sword proceeded sparing nor Castle Towne or Citie but burned Churches and religious houses so that in all places that hee passed the spectacle was ugly and grisly which hee left behinde him being such as commonly accompany the Chariot of warre They that fled before the army filled all places with feare and terror extolling above truth the English forces to diminish thereby their shame in running from them About the end of September hee besieged the Castle of Maydens in Edenbrough where Prince David and Earle Douglasse were the inconstancie of the one and the ambition of the other being the principall movers of all this losse of blood During this siege Robert Duke of Albany the Governour during the King of Scots inabilitie through sicknesse to manage the businesse sent an Harold to King Henry protesting upon his honour that if hee would abide but five dayes at the most hee would either remove the siege or lose his life The King bountifully rewarded the Harold and promised in the word of a Prince to abide there during the time by him prefixed But six times sixe dayes were past but neither Governour nor other appeared Winter came on victuall in the Campe fayled the Countrie was cold and comfortlesse it rained every day in great abundance which distemperature of weather and want of befitting sustenance caused the death of many a tall souldier it may bee these discommodities arising stayed the Governour from performing his promise for policie was against it to hazard his men to fight when Winter and want two forcible foes had given the charge upon his enemy sure it is that they moved the King to remove his siege and depart out of Scotland unfought with Both the Wardens of the Marches were all this time in Scotland with the King upon which advantage the Scots did breake into Northumberland and did some spoyle in Banborough shire the English quickly tooke the Alarum but the Scots with as much speed retired But when King Henry had discharged his Army the Scots not so desirous of life as revenge made a speedy road into England under the conduct of Sir Thomas Hahbarton of Dirleton and Sir Patricke Heborne of Hales but all the hurt they did did rather waken then weaken the English and they themselves were somewhat encouraged but nothing enriched by what they had got But Sir Patrick puft up with desire hope resolved upon a greater exployt The people which are easily led by prosperitie in great numbers resorted unto him but he was loath to have more fellowes in the spoyles then he thought should need in the danger therefore with a competent Army of the men of Loughdeane he invaded Northumberland where he made great spoyle and loded his souldiers with prisoners and prey They thought of no perill that might bee in the retrayt so they marched loosly and licentiously neither keeping themselves to their colours or rankes But the Earle of Northumberlands Vicewarden and other Borderers in good array set upon them at a Towne called Nesbyt The Scots valiantly received the charge and the battell was sharpe in the end the Scots rankes grew thin as being rather confusedly shouffled together then orderly composed which when the Vice warden felt with a company which he purposely retained about him for sudden dispatches hee charged them home and rowted them Sir Patricke bereaved of counsell and comfort ranne up and downe from place to place commanding many things and presently forbidding them And the lesse of force his directions were the oftner did hee change them at last as it hapneth in lost and desperate cases every man became a Commander but none a putter in execution so the rankes loosed and brake and could not bee reunited the Victor closely pursuing the advantage Sir Patricke thinking of nothing lesse then either flying or yeelding but thrusting himselfe amongst the thickest of the enemies honourably lost his life many of his Linage and the flower of Loughdeane were likewise slaine there were taken Sir Iohn and William Cockborne Sir William Basse Iohn and Thomas Hablington Esquires and a multitude of common souldiers on the English part no great number were slaine and none of ranke or qualitie About this time King Henry sent his eldest Daughter Blaunch accompanied with the Earle of Somerset the Bishop of Worcester the Lord Clifford and others into Almaine who brought her to Colleyne where with great triumph shee was married to William Duke of Bavier Sonne and heire to Lewis the Emperour About the midst of August the King with a great power went into Wales to pursue Owen Glendour but lost his labour for Glendour had conveyed himselfe into his lurking holes amongst the Mountaines The King through the extremitie of foule weather was enforced to retire having spoyled and burnt a great part of the Country
hee left the doing thereof to his Executours But so please those that shall seeme to move that question to observe the time of the date of his Testament and the date of the Codicill to the same annexed by which it is appointed by him that whatsoever hee in his life-time shall undertake that therewith his Executours shall not be chargeable though by the Will hee hath given them order to doe it so that notwithstanding by his Will hee appointed his Executors to repaire the Church and erect his Tombe yet hee lived to doe both himselfe And now after all these so memorable actions saith Bishop Godwine in his lives of Bishops fol. 187. hee having runne the course of a long happy and most honourable life hee ended the dayes of his Pilgrimage in peace in the yeare 1404. aged above 80. yeares when hee had sate Bishop of Winchester 37. yeares I have heard it reported that this pious Bishop did bestow upon the King many rich jewells of inestimable price And to every Officer of houshold attending upon the King to every one of them one Iewell or other And that hee likewise distributed to every Parish Church within his Diocesse of Salisbury amounting in the whole to the number of sixe hundred fiftie and foure Churches a decent Sattin Cope imbrodered with a Challice and pix of silver whereon was engraven Ex dono VVilli de VVickham but upon what ground to build the truth of this relation certainly I know not more then this That in Salisbury I saw in the house of Thomas Grafton one of the Aldermen thereof an old Challice whereon was graven Ex dono Guil de Wickham And it appeares in Howes Prosequution of Stowes abstract to 561. That Bishop VVickham gave many things to the King to his Courtiers to every Church in his Diocesse to his owne servants and to his Colledges And therefore doubts not but that hee that thus lived now liveth with God whom hee beseecheth to raise up many more such good Benefactors in this Kingdome to whose good wish with all my heart I say So be it Amen The French afresh cast anchor before the Isle of VVight and sent Messengers on shore to demand the delivery of the Isle to their possession but upon the stout answer of the Ilanders and notice of their preparation and resolution to fight the French wayde anchor and departed presently upon this Monseur Lewis the proud Duke of Orleance Brother to the French King in a vaiâ—… glorious stile sent a Challenge to King Henry requiring him with an hundred men of name and Cotearmour armed at all points with Speares Axes Swords and Ponyard to fight the Combat to yeelding every Victor to have his Prisoner and his ransome at pleasure offering to come to Angulesmâ—… if the King would come to Bourdeux to defend the Challenge The King with great moderation made him this discreet answer That his former actions in martiall exploits hee presumed had sufficiently acquited him from any the least touch of cowardise And withall that Kings sacred and annoynted as hee was ought not to bee so carelesse of the people committed to their charge for any cause to fight except for furtherance or maintenance of true Religion or for preservation of their rights or defence of their Kingdomes from depradations or to revenge injuryes obtruded or other such like important causes neither was hee by the law of Honour or Armes bound to answer in Camp-fight except upon good ground with his equall in dignitie and office But added withall that hee would be at all times prepared to repulse or represse any that unadvisedly or otherwise should attempt to offer him or his either violence or disgrace To this the Duke replies and the King rejoynes but not without some unfitting taunts and jeeres which so nettled the over-passionate Duke that with all expedition hee falls upon Vergye a Towne in Guian which for the space of three moneths notwithstanding many desperate assaults was bravely defended by Sir Robert Antfield and three hundred Englishmen insomuch that the Duke after the losse of many men despayring to carry it without honour or spoyle returned into France Presently upon that the Admirall of Britaine who the yeare before had taken from the English certaine shippes laden with wine accompanied with the Lord du Castile and some thirtie sayle of shippes attempted to land at Dartmouth but were repelled in which service the Lord Castell and two of his brethren and foure hundred of his men were slaine and two hundred taken prisoners amongst whom the Lord Baquevile Marshall of Britaine was one Five hundred men of armes five hundred Crosse-bowes and one thousand Flemmings on foot under the conduct of the Earle of Saint Paul layd siege to the Castle of Marcke three leagues from Callice Sir Philip Hall the Captaine thereof with fourescore Archers and foure and twenty other souldiers valiantly defended the same and put the first assault the next day the French entred the base court where they tooke some kyne horses and other cattell But they having notice that Sir Richard Aston Lieutenanr of the English pale under the Earle of Somerset with two hundred men of armes three hundred footmen and ten Waggons of amunition approached kept close in their trenches from whence being beaten upon by the Bowmen on both sides they were forced and fled The Earle of Saint Paul escaped to Saint Omers but left threescore most men of qualitie dead behind and fourescore Prisoners besides his Camp to be rifled by the souldiers with the spoyle whereof they retreated to Callice And within five dayes after their returne thither they issued forth in hope to have surprised Arde but by the valour of Sir Manfrid de Boyes the Captaine they retired with the losse of forty of their fellowes whose carkasses they burned in an old house that the French should not certainly know their losse The Lord Thomas of Lancaster the Kings third Sonne and the Earle of Kent the two and twentieth day of May with competent forces entred the Haven of Sluice burnt foure great Shippes ryding at anchor and in expectation to have met the Duke of Burgoigne they landed but without resistance having spoyled the Country round about they returned to the reliefe of Callice which by the French was besieged in the way they were encountred by three Carricks of Genoa one of which with winde tide and full sayle bare so hard upon the Shippe wherein the Lord Lancaster was that hadnot his Pilat beene the perfecter hee had beene in danger to have beene overborne for his vessell was much bruised the fight was doubtfull untill the Earle of Kent bare with them and then they tooke the three Carricks richly laden and brought them to the Chambet at Rye where one of them by misfortune was fired and to the gaine of neither side perished The coles of the Northerne rebellion was not so cleane extinguished but that by removing of the ashes under
when hee found his souldiers thorugh wearinesse begin to faint and the Kings battaile came on and that the Lord WENLOCKE which had the conduct of the battaile on the Queenes part moved not So nerset rode unto him and upbraiding him with Cowardise with his Pollax beare out his braines But before hee could bring in his men to the reskues their Voward was rowted and Iohn Earle of Devon who had no issue with three thousand and odde of the Queenes part were slaine Queene MARGARET Iohn Beauford the Duke of Somersets Brother the Prior of Saint Iohns Sir Jervis Clifton and divers others were taken Prisoners which all except Queene MARGARET were beheaded the next day At which time Sir Richard Crofts presented to King EDVVARD Prince EDVVARD whom hee had taken Prisoner King EDVVARD did at first receive him with a kind of countenance expressing more signes of reioycing to see a friend then triumph of taking an enemy and began to move familiar questions unto him but not receiving such submissive satisfactory answers as hee required and it may bee some of riper yeares upon the like occasion would have done hee disdainfully thrust him from him when presently the Dukes of Yorke and Clarence Thomas Marquesse Dorset and the Lord Hastings the Kings backe being but turned with their Poniards barbarously stabd into the breast and inhumanly murdered against the law of God Nature and Nations which occasioned the revenge of his bloud afterwards in generall upon them all and in particular upon every one of them The King having made conquest now in twenty dayes of what great Warwicke had done before in eleven with Queene MARGARET his prisoner triumphantly marcheth towards London from whence as being assured as long as there remained any of the partakers of King Henry at liberty and in life his death should bee alwayes plotting hee sent Roger Vaughan a potent Gentleman and much reckoned of in his owne Countrey to entrap Jasper Earle of Penbrooke who had escaped with the Earle of Somerset from the last encounter But Penbrooke having premonition of the plot prevented the mischiefe by giving Vaughan meanes to taste the same sauce and strooke off his head King EDVVARD lingreth about Coventry expecting newes from Vaughan but at once received notice both of Vaughans defeate and newes that Thomas Bastard Fauconbridge employed by King HENRY at the appointment of great Warwicke to skowre the narrow Seas had irritated new sedition And true it was that this Fauconbridge having at Sea encountred with many that had escaped from Tewkesbury battell and were making for France and by them being informed of the murther of Prince EDVVARD and the incarcerating of Queene MARGARET hee made all fish that came to net and robbed and spoyled all that hee could come at of amunition and able men aswell Natives as Aliens and had perswaded many of the old garrison souldiers of Callice to the number of three hundred under the conduct of Sir George Brooke to joyne with him and had now drawne from all parts all such as had escaped the former encounters or were willing to purchase boote and pillage and now did intend to worke some stratagem against King EDVVARD and the kingdome And with a well accomplisht Army of seventeene thousand men came to London and in hostile manner commanded admission into the Citie and the releasement of King HENRY out of prison But was resisted and denyed by the Maior and Citizens on the one side and the Lievtenant of the Tower on the other King Edward upon the first newes knowing how dangerous delayes are in matters of this nature presently dispatched Marquesse Dorset with some competent troopes of Horse to secure London whilst himselfe upon the sixteenth day of May followes with his owne power laying all the wayes to intercept any intelligence that might bee sent or received betwixt the Bastard and Penbrooke Fauconbridge thus denyed entrance brings up his shipping to Saint Katherines and leaving in them but men sufficient to receive the boot brought takes out the most desperate and dangerous and with them marcheth to Kingstone bridge promising his souldiers by the way to give them the plundering of Westminster for their dinners and of the Suburbes of London for their suppers but London it selfe should bee their breakfast in the next morning But finding King stone bridge broken downe and all the places of passage guarded ascertained of the Kings approach and doubting to bee enclosed hee altered his resolution and with all his forces withdrew into Saint Georges field from whence hee prepared to assault the Citie of London For the effecting whereof hee landed all his ship Ordnance and planted them all alongst the bankes side and therewith battered downe many houses and much annoyed the Citie but having some religion in his rage he gave order to the Cannoneeres to spare Churches and houses of religion From Saint Katherines by Boat hee past over three thousand men giving them directions to divide themselves and with one moitie to assault Algate and with the other Bishopsgate whilst he with the residue laboured to gaine entrance by London bridge The houses round about which he fired all these places at once were desperatly attempted threescore houses being fired upon the Bridge they followed the fire and recovered the draw-bridge and then hee brought on his desperate Sea-men that inured to the water would adventure farre in the fire but by the directions of the Earle of Essex who with divers Gentlemen were come in ayde of the Citizens and were there quartered with their men they had so barricadoed up the Bridge-foot and planted great Ordnance to scowre the entrance that way that the forward Bastard seeing no possibilitie of further approach without apparant destruction having wit in his anger made a faire retreate The Marquesse Dorset in the meane time from the waters side had droven the Cannoneeres from their Ordnance But Captaine Spicing at Algate wonne the Bulwarke and drove the Citizens from the Gate entring pel mell with them untill the Portcullis was let fall when those had adventured too farre payed the price of their folly Alderman Basset and the Recorder Vrswicke who with a volant Regiment awaited to succour where need should require came to the reskew and causing the Portcullis to be drawne up made a brave sally forth and drove the Rebells backe beyond Saint Buttolphs Church which Earle Rivers Lieutenant observed well having all the day awaited with his men for advantage to give assistance issued out of the Posterne with five hundred well-appointed Bow-men who saluted the Rebells at their backes with such a showre of Arrowes that they all amazed fled to their shippes but were pursued and seven hundred of them were cut off in their flight Those that assayled Bishopsgate hearing of their fellowes ill successe shrunke disorderly away having first fired the Citie in many places the stay to quench the rage of the fire gave the assaylants the quieter meanes of retreate The fire
onward so swiftly and maketh forward so fast and so farre that shee seldome stops nor leaves wrigling and wrangling untill by dissention and division shee have infected all that are neere her And first those that bee poysoned by her are carried away with a vehement desire to bee next the best then to walke hand in hand with the best and lastly to transcend the best not brooking any equall or allowing any superiour Through this immoderate affecting of titular worship and borrowed respect of popularitie and thereby of debate and separation what detriment what trouble what sorrow within these few yeares hath growne in this Realme I pray God aswell forget as wee have too much cause to our griefe to remember which events if I could then aswell have foreseene as I have with my more paine then pleasure now proved By Gods blest Lady I would never have wonne the courtesies of mens knees with the losse of so many their friends heads but since what is past cannot bee recalled we ought to bee the more circumspect that by that occasion wee have suffered such infinite mischiefes before that wee eftsoones fall not into the like againe Intestine broyles are now passed and the Lord bee praised the republike is at quiet And this kingdome in outward appearance in a faire likelyhood to prosper in wealth and peace under my children your Cousins if God send them life and you reciprocall love of which two things the lesse losse would be they by whom though God did his pleasure yet should the kingdome alwayes find Kings and peradventure as good Kings But if you amongst your selves in an Infants raigne fall at variance many a good Christian shall perish and happily hee and you too before this land shall againe find the sweetnesse of peace Therefore in these last words that your dying King shall ever deliver unto you I earnestly exhort you and instantly adjure you and every one of you for the love that I have ever borne you for the love of your owne soules and for the love that our blessed Saviour beares unto us all That from this time forward all discontents drowned unkindnesses buried and grudges forgotten each of you embrace one anothers friendship and unfeignedly love each the other which I am confidently perswaded you will if you regard any earthly thing that is good if you respect God your King your Native countrey the quiet of the Kingdome kindred or affinitie nay your owne safetie and soules health And so unable to use any longer speech hee sunke downe into his bed turning his eyes towards them and by his countenance exprest how desirous hee was to have that which hee had imparted unto them imprinted in their memory and that hee would have added more if able to perswade their mutuall atonement and reciprocabilitie of reall abolition of all former disagreement and unfeyned entertainment of future loving affection The hearers as the sequell proved more at that time to give him content then performe what hee with so great and good affection had so Christianly requested embrace each other and who so forward to make faire expression of his good intention as the Duke of Glocester and to that end hee with low obeysance first importunes the Queene to blot out of her remembrance any discurtesie or neglect hee had offered unto her protesting upon his faith to God and honour to his house to bee for ever her observant and affectionate servant and then turning about to those that were present hee said My Lords I desire to be entertained in your good affections and I here freely forgive whatsoever unkindnesse discourtesie or abuse I have received from any of you and desire the like from you to mee and so courteously shaking them all by the hands made show of reconcilement when all was counterfeit THE LIFE AND RAIGNE OF KING EDVVARD THE FIFT THE young Prince was at Ludlowe when his Father died being not long before sent thither with his Presence to curbe the exorbitant licentiousnesse of some of the unruly Welch who taking advantage of the great distance that was betwixt their Countrey and the Courts of Iustice which were then settled at Westminster would divers times in assurance of impunitie attempt many disorderly pranckes For his better proceeding in mannaging of his place the King had appointed Anthony Earle Rivers the Queenes Brother and so by the Mothers side Vncle to the Prince to bee his Director and chiefe Councellor with whom likewise were many of the Queenes Kinred and Allies in chiefe esteeme and office whereat the Duke of Glocester tooke exception And well knowing that if these were not by some meanes or other removed and their present power abated it was in vaine for him to set on foot his new hatched stratagemicall project to disinherit the new King and to take hold of the Crowne in his owne right hee did therefore cast about to procure their amotion the one from his place the other from their Offices and attendance And to that purpose presuming on their inclination that way hee consulted first with the Duke of Buckingham and afterwards with the Lord Hastings making use of their distaste against the power of the Queenes Brother the Kings halfe Brother and his owne inveterate malice against them all To these in private conference hee first insinuates the Queenes lowe descent and her kinreds unworthy promotions and afterwards openly assures them that if these Vpstarts and mushrump nobles were but permitted to bee about the Kings Person in his youth they would afterwards by that meanes so purchase his favour that they would become so powerfull when hee should attaine to maturitie of yeares that all the Honours Possessions and lines of the ancient Nobilitie of this Realme would bee in danger to bee subject to their wills And for prevention thereof hee did perswade them to joyne with him for their amotion assuring them that that effected they might ratably proportion to themselves and share all the dignities and places and what benefit there might accrew thereby amongst themselves and their friends These insinuations of Glocester joyned to their owne ambitious and malevolent dispositions so powerfully wrought upon their yeelding natures that they not only condescended to this proposition for the amovall of the Queenes kinred but to whatsoever the Duke of Glocester should afterwards promove unto them But it is to bee observed that over and above the great wheele which moved in their fancies of envy to the eminencie of the Queenes kinred there were two other lesser rounds which not a little furthered this rotunditie for association The one Buckinghams covetous desire to encrease his revenewes by the addition of the Earledome of Hertford for his part the other in the late Chamberlaine to have so good meanes whereby to stave off such whom in King Edwards dayes hee had justly offended in transcending his authoritie in doing many actions whereof hee was reous of too too many presuming now by this way to
King that the Duke of Gloucester was raising a power against him which the King in private questioned the Duke about but upon examination it was found a tale the Duke would not have pocketted up such dangerous reports but that the King either delighting to be tickled with such false rumours or upon some particular desire to picke a quarrell to the Duke upon his allegeance injoynes him not to expostulate the matter or to question the reporters The Citizens of Geneva implore ayde against the Barbarians of Africke The King sends a company of choyce souldiers under the conduct of Henry Earle of Darby who with them passed into France and there joyned with the French forces when with might and mindes united they sayled together into Africke at their arrivall the Barbarians were ready on the shoare to impeach their landing But the Earle commanded his Archers to beate the enemy from the shoare while he landed his other forces The French seconded the English And so whilst both Companies contended the one to bee accounted an helpe and the other to seeme to need no helpe The enemies were forced to flye and leave the shore to the Christians In this conflict were slaine and taken seven Dukes of the Barbarians and an infinite number of common people The Christians marched directly to Tunis which they layd siege to and in short time tooke the English first skaling the walls and reared thereon the English colours in this Citie were taken and slaine above foure thousand Barbarians the Kings brother also was slaine but hee himselfe fled into the Castle which was strongly scite'd well fortified and furnished with men and amunition sufficient for a competent number for some good space This they besieged by the space of sixe weekes in which space they lost many of their men by sicknesse The Barbarians also were distressed for want of beverage having too too many unprofitable mouthes to consume it They sent to the Christians to desire peace offering them a great summe of money to depart their Countrey This was accepted upon condition that they might freely carry with them all their prey and prisoners and that the Barbarians should from thenceforth surcease pillaging the coasts of Italy and France This voyage had a prosperous and speedy end The only service which the English and French performed together without breach of amitie or jarre in good quarter keeping About these times certaine discontentments grew betwixt the King and the Londoners which set the favour of the one and the faith of the other at great distance The one was denying of the King the loane of one thousand pound though offered to bee lent by a Lombard which received but a harsh language for his forwardnesse another came upon the neck of that thus one of the Bishop of Salisburies servants tooke a loafe of horse-bread out of a Bakers basket in the open street and by the rude demaund of the one and the rough denyall of the other choller was kindled and the Bakers head bled the neighbours would have stayed the Bishops man but hee fled into the Bishops house The Constable came and demaunded a peaceable delivery of the offendor The Bishops men shut the gates and made resistance then many threatned to fire their way and began to use violence but the Maior and Officers upon notice presently repayred thither and partly by perswasions that it was not courage but outrage that they shewed and chiefly by their presence and authoritie they repressed the multitude and preserved the Kings peace for that time hitherto the harme was but small and all night have beene quieted without much adoe had not the Bishop kindled the fuell of unkindnesse afresh for the Londoners were not only secretly suspected but openly noted to bee favourers and followers of Wickliffs but then new broched opinions for which doing they were much maligned by the Clergie especially by Iohn Bishop of Salisburie Lord Treasurer who made a grievous complaint hereof to Thomas Archbishop of Yorke and the Lord Chancellor affirming that if upon every light pretence the Citizens might be suffered in this sort to insult upon the Bishops without reproofe and punishment they would bring into hazzard not only the dignitie and state but the libertie also of the whole Church Hereupon they went to the King and so incensed his displeasure against the Citizens being prepared thereto by former provocations that he was once resolved to make spoyle of the Citie and utterly raze it But being perswaded to some more moderation in revenge hee caused the Maior Sheriffes and Aldermen to bee convented who were at first resolved to have justified their innocencie and to that end had plighted faith each to defend other but there was falshood in fellowship and one peached the other and were all committed to prison and then all the liberties of the Citie were seized and taken into his owne hands ordaining that no Maior should from thenceforth bee elected but it should bee at his pleasure to appoint a Warden This Office was first conferred upon Sir Edward Darlington who for his gentlenesse towards the Citizens was shortly removed and Sir Baldwyne Radington a man of a more rugged disposition placed in his roome The King likewise induced by the Archbishop of Yorke did remove the termes and Courts of Iustice from London to bee kept at Yorke where they continued from Midsummer Anno 1393. untill Christmasse following to the great hindrance of the Citizens of London At last the King at the earnest entreatie of the Dukes of Lancaster and Gloucester called the Londoners before him to Windsor and there hee caused all their priviledges of the Citie both old and new to bee brought forth whereof he restored some and restrained the rest that might prove any way advantagious unto him Neverthelesse the Londoners were not fully received to favour neither recovered they at that time the Title or dignitie of their Maior But shortly after the King came to London where the Citizens entertained him with such showes of triumphs and rich presents As if it had beene the day of his Coronation for they supposed with their curtesies and cost to have removed his displeasure yet were they not fully restored to their liberties againe untill they had payed ten thousand pound Thus did they manifest in tâ—…emselves a strange diversitie of disposition the inferiors licentiously to commit offence and the Superiours patiently to endure punishment having rashnesse and rage tempered with obedience so were they at last easily punished that could not at first possiblie bee ruled The King passed over to Callice the King of France came downe to Arde betweene the two Townes a place was appointed and tents erected for the Kings meeting where after interchange of complement and expences a cessation of armes betweene them for thirtie yeares was concluded And the King espowseth Isabel the French Kings Daughter of the age of eight yeares The Duke of Gloucester was so offended both
whence shall wee seeke succour from whence expect ayde you royall Sir are only hee which in right should in wisdome can and in goodnesse wee presume will releeve us to the King in blood you are the neerest to us in love deerest you ought theresore to undertake the rule of that that his weaknesse cannot well weild Your yeares are well stayd from the loose fagaries of youth and have beene so spent that your former actions have made sufficient proofe of your full abilities for government of greatest charge nothing therein by you past needeth excuse and it is vaine to feare what is to come Your paines and perill formerly undergone for the good of your Country putteth us all in good hope that in this extremitie you will not forsake us wee are in a leaky ship ready to sinke in an old house ready to fall and therefore humbly call and crave for your helpe to succour and save us now or never show your selfe to favour your Countrey-men and free us free your selfe and the whole State from dangers and decayes by taking into your hands the Scepter and sway thereof and to reduce the now tyrannous government to a Princely freedome in combining the Soveraigntie in one with the libertie of all Omit not this occasion but make your vertue and valour appeare by relieving most miserable wretches from their unmercifull oppressours This we are constrayned to offer and intreate this is both honourable for you to accept and easie to performe being a taske worthy your toyle And so much the rather since no Prince by any people hath beene desired with greater affection nor shall more dutifully bee obeyed then your royall selfe This speech the Duke heard with attention and entertained with great moderation and modestie his answer to that part that touched the King was respective and well tempered rather lamenting his weaknesse then blaming his malice as touching himselfe hee spake so soberly that hee seemed rather worthy of a Kingdome then desirous thereof hee affirmed his life had been alwayes free from malicious and ambitious attempts that stayednesse of yeares had now settled his minde from aspiring thoughts That experience of former dangers had bred in him a wary reguard in such a waighty businesse that to cast a King out of his State was an enterprise not hastily to bee attempted nor easily effected And though the matter were neither impossible nor difficult the rarenesse of the fact as wanting president would make the action seeme injurious to all indifferent mindes And hee that shall attaine a kingdome upon opinion of desert doth charge himselfe with greater expectation and how honourable soever hee shall compare himselfe hee shall never want his deadly enviers Besides this in civill dissentions the faith of the multitude is flitting and danger is to be doubted from every particular person That it is possible that all may fall away but impossible to be safe from every one how ever friendly in semblance Therefore hee rather wisht to spend the remainder of his yeares as hee did obscurely in a safe and certaine estate then to thrust himselfe upon those pikes of perills which being once entred into are dangerous to follow and deadly to forsake whereas in private attempts a man may step and stop when and how and as often as he pleaseth But the ayme at a Kingdome hath no middle course betwixt the life of a Prince or the death of a Traytor The Archbishop replyed saying The state wherein you now stand is neither so safe or certaine as you conceive Indeed by rejecting our request you may avoyd certaine dignity and with that uncertaintie and contingent dangers But shall procure most certaine destruction both to your selfe and us For this attempt cannot be kept secret long from the King And the best Princes are tender in poynts of Soveraigntie and beare a nimble eare to the touch of that string and it prejudiceth more a subject to be thought worthy of a Kingdome then it will profit him to have refused the offer of it What then will hee doe that putteth the chiefest securitie of his Raigne in the basenesse and barenesse of his Subjects who being perpetually possessed with jealosie maketh every presumption a proofe and every light surmise a strong suspition against them And of certaintie if the generall favour and the love which the people beareth you hath as now bereaved you of your libertie This their generall desire will not leave your life untouched As for us if wee faint in our intent or faile in the enterprise farewell all wee shall but bee like lambes amongst Lyons And no losse by conquest can bee more grievous unto us then the Kings raigne over us assuredly now wee have gone on too farre to goe backe And the time is long since past when you for ambition and wee for envy might seeme to attempt against the King The possession of the Crown must now bee the sole sanctuary and refuge for us both Examples of the like attempts are neither rare nor worne out of practise nor so farre off to bee fetched Wee might instance in Germany the Emperour Adulphus In Denmarke and Swedland In the Netherlands in this Kingdome both before and since the Conquest instance were to bee given of the like that there is alwayes difficultie in things that tend to much excellency But they that are afraid of every shadow will hardly at first truly apprehend the substance And as he was about to proceed to justifie the lawfulnesse the Duke interrupted him and sayd Where necessitie doth enforce it is needlesse to use speech either of easinesse or lawfulnesse Necessitie will runne through brazen walls and cannot bee bounded by lawes I have had my full share in these calamities and I wish you knew with what griefe I have beheld you What recompence have I received for all my labour and expence in the Kings service but the death of my deare Vncles and neerest friends my owne banishment the base imprisonment of my children and the losse of my goods and inheritance And what hath beene returned unto you for your blood so often spent in these unfortunate warres but perpetuall payments of unnecessary exactions daily massacres and insupportable slavery I have tired my patience in apprehension of my owne miseries and pitying yours remedy them hitherto I could not had I beene never so willing if now I can I will not refuse to sustaine that part which your importunitie doth enforce upon mee if wee prevaile wee shall regaine our liberties If wee misse our estate can bee no worse then it is And if wee must perish either guilty or guiltlesse it is more noble to hazard our selves either to win our lives or dye in defence of our liberties And though our lives were safe which in truth they are not yet to desert the State and sleepe still in this slavery would argue either negligence or stupiditie in us or both It remaineth now that wee use secrecie and celeritie taking
bee esteemed a gayne rather then a losse Examples to prove this are those of our owne Country without seeking of others as may appeare by Kinigellus Ina Ceonulphe Eadbertus Etheldredus Kenredus Offa Sebba and Sigibertus who of their owne accord layd downe their Diadems and betooke themselues to private and solitarie lives Many Princes have held their estate with better fortune but none with greater honour did leave it others have either abandoned their Rule for ease or to avoyd danger or upon some pretended devotion but you for loue to your Countrie may seeme to forbeare to seeke your remedy to maintaine warre wherein much blood may be spilt and the Realme deprived of many able Warriours let others bee perswaded to forsake their Kingdomes when they had no longer pleasure to hold them But your prayse will bee for giving over when it is to the greatest benefit of the people and the more hope you have to prevaile if you list to contend The greater commendations will it bee to yeeld as rather being voluntary then compulsive The King commended the courage of the first but this last counsell agreed best with his faint spirit which was more inclinable to feare then forward in hope preferring abject and base safetie before hazard with honour Others thereupon earnestly assevered That all conditions of yeelding were both dishonourable and dangerous That in extremities noble spirits will not suddenly give off but labour couragiously to repell the danger or wisely to decline it alleaging that none should so little esteem honour as without battaile or blowe stricken to be crestfalne and stoope to miserable mercy Others passionately sayd if the honour of your noble house nothing move you yet let danger and despaire arme you with boldnesse neither the Duke nor his adherents dare bee so confident to thinke themselves safe so long as you shall remaine though in private state alive you may assure your selfe faire words will be given and large offers made but the performance rests in the curtesie of the Conquerour and nothing ought to be thought unlawfull to him that hath power King Edward the second one of your Progenitors could not be endured by his owne Sonne many have used violence to themselves rather then to fall into the power of their Corrivalls expect not then better fortune then others have found never bee perswaded that a Prince may live safely if knowne in a private estate betwixt Caesar and nothing the highest honour and the deadliest downfall there is no meane omit not therefore all or any meanes unassayd to maintaine your partie by armes you can but dye if vanquished and dye you shall if you yeeld but by the one you shall end your life with glory by the other with perpetuall reproch And though now you equally esteeme of both yet when you shall bee pent in prison daily in feare expecting the deadly messenger you will finde a difference in death and the weaknesse of that counsell you are now about to follow But the Kings eares were stopped against all impression of valour and being unable to governe himselfe in prosperitie hee was lesse sufficient to wind himselfe out of this labyrinth of troubles And being so beset that hee could neither escape nor stand out hee desired conference with the Archbishop and Northumberland the one hee had formerly banished the other proclaymed Traytour These came unto him but perceiving by little conference how much they were bent against him hee demanded not what he saw no likelihood to obtaine and agreed to relinquish his estate to have a competency of meanes and the lives of but eight such persons as he should nominate allowed unto him This was readily and faithfully promised by them and afterward ratified by the Duke The King desireth conference with the Duke which likewise was promised and so they departing the King removed to Flynt Castle about eight miles from Chester whither the Duke came at whose enterview the countenance and words of both were observed The King seemed abject the Duke neither insulting nor relenting but rather comforting and promising friendly The King repeated many benefits and curtesies that he had formerly shewed That hee had spared the Dukes owne life and now his Sonnes in recompence whereof he with such submisnesse as agreed rather with necessitie then honour desired the Duke to shew pittie to him from whom hee had received favour and to permit him to live with the allowance of some fitting but private estate of maintenance The Duke to comfort him gave him assurance to provide for his safetie For which hee was contented to receive thankes as for a benefit The King from that time was kept safe and sure enough from hindering the Dukes projects Neither could it so easily have beene discerned what had beene best for him to doe as that this which hee did was the very worst For the same night hee was brought to Chester and from thence secretly conveyed to the Tower of London there to remaine untill the Parliament which was appointed should be shortly after holden at Westminster The King yeelded himselfe the twentieth day of August being the fortie seventh day after the Dukes arrivall so that considering his journeyes from Holdernesse in the North to London from thence to Bristoll and so into Wales and backe againe to Chester A man shall not more easily travaile over it then hee conquered it so propitious were his starres unto him that hee either found or made a ready passage through all hinderances and obstacles And it seemed hee only needed to open his armes and Fortune would flye into his bosome All the Kings Treasure and jewells with his horse and fardage came to the Dukes hands And many that were of his company were dispoyled by the souldiers of Northumberland and Wales Some Writers barely upon conjectures affirme that the King did not yeeld himselfe but was surprised passing from Flynt to Chester But the authoritie of such as lived at that time and either saw it or had perfect intelligence of these affaires such as for their place could not but know and for their profession would not but deliver the very truth so prevailed with Sir Iohn Heywood the Penner of this History that he followed their report As the King was in his journey towards London some had conspired to lye in ambush by the way to have slaine him But the Maior of London upon intelligence thereof prevented the practise and went in person and with convenient power brought him to the Tower Shortly after the Duke came to London in solemne estate and sent forth summons in the Kings name for a Parliament to bee holden the last day of September in the same yeare In the meane time hee consulted with his deare friends and neere kindred for order to bee taken in his proceedings The Duke of Yorke who but a little before had been Governor of the Realme for the King was now the Dukes chiefe director he thought it best that King Richard should
both voluntarily resigne and also solemnly bee deposed by consent of all the States of the Realme For resignation would bee imputed only to feare deprivation to force whereof the one is alwayes pitied and the other envied But if both concurre and his desire be combined with his desert being willing to forsake that which hee is adjudged worthy to forgoe Then it will appeare that he is neither expelled his kingdome by meere constraint nor leaveth it without just cause this advise generally pleased And for execution thereof upon the Feast of Saint Michael which was the day before the Parliament should begin there assembled at the Tower Thomas Arundell Archbishop of Canterbury Richard Scroope Archbishop of Yorke Iohn Bishop of Hereford Henry Duke of Lancaster Henry Earle of Northumberland Radulph Earle of Westmerland Lord Hugh Burnell Lord Thomas Berckley Lord Rosse Lord Willowbigh Lord of Abergany the Abbot of Westminster the Pryor of Canterbury William Thirmings and Iohn Markham chiefe Iustices Thomas Stokey and Burbacke Doctors of the Law Thomas Herpingham Thomas Gray Knights William Ferly and Dionise Lophane Notary publicks and divers others neither noted nor remembred When all were set in their places King Richard was brought forth apparelled in a royall Roabe the Diadem on his head and his Scepter in his hand and was placed amongst them in a chaire of State never was Prince so gorgeous with lesse glory and more griefe To whom it was not thought disgrace sufficient to lose both the honour and ornaments of a King But hee must openly to his greater scorne renownce the one and surrender up the other After hee had sate a while and pawsed he used these words to the assembly I perswade my selfe that some here present and many more hereafter will account my case lamentable eiâ—…her that I have deserved this dejection if it be just or if it bee wrongfull that I could not avoyd it I confesse with shame and griefe that many times I have appeared both lesse provident and lesse painfull for the benefit of the republicke then I should or might or would have beene hereafter and have in many actions more respected the satisfying my owne particular humour then either in justice to some private persons or the common good of all yet did I not at any time either altogether omit dutie or commit grievance upon supine dulnesse or set malice but partly by abuse of corrupt Counsellors chiefely by error of my youthfull rash conceit without true judgement The remembrance of these oversights are to no man so unpleasant as to my selfe and the rather because I have no meanes left either by injuries done or to testifie to the world my reformed affections which experience and maturitie of yeares had already begun to correct and would I assure my selfe have growne to a more perfect frame if but permitted to have continued But whether all imputed to mee be true either in substance or qualitie according as they are suggested or whether being true they be so exorbitant as to enforce these extremities or whether any other Prince especially in youthfull blood and in the space of two and twenty yeares the time of my unfortunate raigne doth not sometimes either for advantage or displeasure in as deepe manner grieve some particular subject I will notnow examine it bootes not to use defence nor much availeth to make complaint there is left no place for the one nor pitie for the other And therefore I refer all to Gods pleasure and your more collected considerations I accuse no man I blame not fortune I complaine of nothing There is no pleasure in such ayrie comforts it may bee if I had had will to have stood upon termes I could have procured great favours abroad and presume some good friends at home who would have beene ready it may be too forward on my behalfe to set up a dangerous and doubtfull war But I estimate not worldly dignitie at so high a rate to hazard the spilling of so much Christian blood and the spoyling of so flourishing a Country as thereby might have beene occasioned in my quarrell Therefore that the Common-wealth may rather rise by my fall then I stand by the ruine thereof I willingly submit to your desires and am here come to dispossesse my selfe of all Regall and publike authoritie or title And to make it free and lawfull for you to Elect and Create for your King Henry Duke of Lancaster my Vncles son whom I know to be as worthy to take that place as I see you willing to conferre it upon him Then hee read openly and distinctly the forme of his cession wherein hee did declare that he had discharged his Subjects from their obligations of Fealtie and homage and all other tyes whatsoever And of his owne will and free motion did repudiate the title dignitie and authority of a King and rendred up the possession of the Realme with the use and title thereof and all the rites thereunto appertaining and thereunto subscribed and made oath for the performance And then with his owne hands delivered the Crowne Scepter Roabe and ornaments to the Duke of Lancaster saying Cousin I wish you more happinesse herewith then ever hapned to my selfe Then did hee Constitute the Archbishop of Yorke and the Bishop of Hereford his Procurators to intimate and declare this his resignation to all the States of the Parliament Lastly hee gave all his Treasure to the summe of three hundred thousand pounds in coine besides his jewels and Plate for satisfaction of injuries done desiring the Duke and those present severally by their names not altogether to forget that hee had been their King nor yet too much to thinke upon it but to retaine a moderate remembrance of him and in recompence of the ease hee had done them by this voluntary resignation to permit him to live safely in a private life with the contemplation whereof he was so taken that from thenceforth hee would preferre it before any worldly preferment This was done with voice and countenance so consonant to his present passion that not any present not unmindfull of humane instabilitie which was not in some measure moved thereat insomuch that some few teares secretly dropped from many eyes there present in whose thoughts a confused but obscure alteration already began to take rising so prone is man-kinde to pitie misery though by themselves procured and to envie prosperitie even in those themselves have raised The Munday following the Parliament began at Westminster and there the Archbishop of Yorke and the Bishop of Hereford the late Kings Attorneys for this purpose openly declared to the States there assembled the Kings voluntary resignation and demanded whether they would assent and agree thereunto The Barons of the Realme by particular assent the Commons with generall voice accepted and admitted the fame Then it was thought requisite that some defects and misdemeanours in point of government should bee objected against the late King for which hee might
for revolting from Nabuchadnezzar after homage done unto him did not Saul put all the Priests to death because one of them did relieve holy and harmlesse David did hee not prosecute his faithfull servant and dutifull son-in-law yet was not hee spared nay protected by him And was not David much grieved for but taking away the lap of his garment and afterwards caused the messenger to bee slaine that upon request and for pitie did lend his hand as himselfe reported to hasten the voluntary death of that sacred King As for the contrary examples of Iehu They were done by expresse Oracle and revelation from God and are no more set downe for our imitation then the robbing the Egyptians or any other particular or priviledged commandement but in the generall precept which all men must ordinarily follow not only our actions but our speeches also and our very thoughts are strictly charged with dutie and obedience to Princes whether they bee good or evill The law of God ordaineth That hee that doth presumptuously against the Ruler of the people shall die And the Prophet David forbiddeth both by precept and practise to touch the Lords annointed Thou shalt not saith the Lord rayle upon the Iudges neither sbeake evill of the Ruler of the people And the Apostles doe demand further that even our thoughts and soules bee obedient to higher powers And lest any should imagine that they ment of good Princes only they speake generally of all And further to take away all doubt they make expresse mention of the evill For the power and authoritie of wicked Princes is the ordinance of God And therefore Christ told Pilat That the power which hee had was given him from above And the Prophet Esay called Cyrus being a prophane and heathen Prince the Lords annointed For God turneth the hearts even of wicked Princes to doe his will And as Iehosaphat said to his Rulers they execute not the judgement of man but of the Lord In regard whereof David calleth them gods because they have the rule and authoritie even from God which if they doe abuse they are not to bee adjudged by their subjects for no power within their Dominion is superiour to theirs But God reserveth them to their sorest triall horribly and suddenly saith the Wise man will the Lord appeare to them and a hard judgement shall they have The law of God commandeth that the childe should not bee put to death for any contumelie done unto the Parents but what if the father be a robber if a murtherer if for excesse of villanies odious and execrable both to God and man surely hee deserveth the greatest degree of punishment and yet must not the sonne lift up his hand against him for no offence can bee so great to bee punished by parricide But our Country is or ought to bee more deere to us then our Parents And the Prince is the father of the country and therefore more sacred and deare to us then our Parents by nature and must not bee violated how imperious how impious soever hee bee doth hee command or demand our purses or persons we must not shun from the one nor shrinke from the other for as Nehemiah saith Kings have dominion over the cattell of their subjects at their pleasure Doth hee injoyne those actions which are contrary to the lawes of God wee must neither wholly obey nor violently resist but with a constant courage submit our selves to all manner of punishment and show our subjection by suffering and not performing yea the Church hath declared it to bee an heresie to hold that a Prince may be slaine or deposed by his Subjects for any default or disorder of life or default in government There will bee faults so long as there bee men and as wee endure with patience a barren yeare if it happen and unseasonable weather so must wee tolerate the imperfections of Rulers and quietly expect either reformation or alteration But alas what such cruelty what such impietie hath King Richard committed examine the imputations objected with the false circumstance of aggravation and you shall finde but little of truth or of great moment it may be many oversights have escaped as who lives without offending yet none so grievous to bee termed tyrannie as proceeding rather from unexperienced ignorance or corrupt counsell then from any naturall or wilfull malice Oh! how should the world bee pestered with tyrants if Subjects might be permitted to rebell upon pretence of tyrannie how many good Princes should often bee suppressed by those by whom they ought to be supported if they but levie a Subsidie or any other taxation it shall bee judged oppression if they put any to death for traiterous attempts against their persons it shall bee exclaimed at for crueltie if they shall doe any thing against the good liking of their people it shall bee proclaimed tiranny But let it bee that without desert in him or authoritie in us King Richard must bee deposed yet what right hath the duke of Lancaster to the Crown or what reason have wee without right to give it him If hee make Title as heire to King Richard then must hee stay King Richards death for no man can succeed as heire to the living But it s well knowne to all men who are not wilfully blinde or grosly ignorant that there are some yet alive lineally descended from Lionel Duke of Clarence whose issue by the judgement of the high Court of Parliament in the eighth yeare of King Richards raigne was declared heire apparant to the Crowne in case of Richard should die without issue The claime from Edmond Crouchbacke I passe over the authors thereof themselves being ashamed of so absurd an abuse And therefore all the pretence now on foot is by right of conquest and the Kings resignation and grant and the consent of the many it is bad stuffe that will take no colour what conquest can a subject make against a Soveraigne where the warre is insurrection and the victory high treason King Richards resignation being in prison is an act of exaction by force and therefore of no force to bind him And by the lawes of this realme the King by himselfe cannot alienate the antient jewells and ornaments of the Crowne much lesse give away his Crowne and Kingdome And custome wee have none for the vulgar to elect their King but they are alwayes tyde to accept of him whom the right of succession enables to the Crowne much lesse can they make good that Title which is by violence usurped For nothing can bee said to bee freely done when libertie is restrained by feare As for the deposing of Edward the Second it is no more to bee urged then the poisoning of King Iohn or the murdering of a lawfull Prince wee must live according to lawes not examples yet the kingdome then was not taken from lawfull successors But if wee looke backe to times past wee shall finde that these Titles were
power was wayning and the other not yet fully waxen either being growen weak by wasting other neither was there any oddes which did prevaile sith the warre touched both alike insomuch that warre would ruine the one and victory the other and like the Vulture sitting on the tree whilst the Beare and Lyon fought they need not feare prey if either fell Thus hee exhorted them to take courage and armes And for the introduction to kill all the English within their territories for libertie and Lords were incompatible Then to resume their antient Lawes and Customes whereby more then by armes Common-wealthes are confirmed and continued established and inlarged so should they bee a Nation uncorrupt without commixture of forraine manners or blood and so forgetting servitude they might either live at libertie or be lords over others upon this many flocked unto him the better sort for love of libertie other in hope of bootie insomuch that in short time hee had under his command a competent army where with to take the field and to make some proofe of his souldiers resolution hee set upon his old adversary the Lord Gray slew many of his men and tooke him prisoner yet promised him releasement if hee would take his Daughter to wife But the Lord at first did not so much refuse as skorne the offer saying Hee was too old to bee a Ward to have his marriage obtruded upon him Well quoth Owen though you bee not my Ward yet you are in my ward and your Ouster le maine shall cost you double the Marriage money you shall procure elsewhere The Lord Gray seeing no orher meanes of his deliverance at length accepted the condition and tooke the Damsell to wife yet his death preceded his enlargement The Welchmen proceed and breake into the borders of Hereford shire doing much spoyle therein against whom Edmond Mortimer Earle of March withdrawne for his quiet to Wigmore Castle with the Gentlemen of the Countrey to him assembled did drawe head betweene whom was a cruell conflict not in forme of a loose skyrmish but making a maine stand they endevoured by might and maine to breake and beare down each other The courage and resolution on both sides was equall but the Welch exceeded in number and direction for they were commanded by one knowne Leader who with his presence every where assisted at need inciting his souldiers some with shame and reproofe others with praise and encouragement all with hope and large promises But the English had no certaine Generall but many confused Commanders yea every man was a Commander to himselfe pressing on or drawing backe as courage or feare did move Insomuch that they had taken a great blow that day by ill-governed boldnesse had not Glendor upon their beginning to rowte ceased to pursue the execution showing himselfe more able to get a victory then skilfull to use it But his men being most wounded all weary the night approching and being in his enemies country may in good judgements quit him from that aspersion The night befriended the English with liberty to retire without running away no man appearing to follow the chase They lost about a thousand men who sold their lives at such a rate that when manhood had done the worst against them some mannish or rather divellish women whose rage and malice are implacable and immortall exercised a vaine but barbarous revenge upon their dead bodyes first by stripping them then cutting off their privy parts and noses the one they stuffed into their mouthes and pressed the other betweene their buttocks yet would not suffer their carkasses thus mangled to bee buried untill they were ransomed by a summe of money by which unheard-of cruell covetousnesse the faction lost reputation and credit with the moderate sort of their owne people who had reason to suspect that it was not libertie but licentiousnesse which was desired And that subjection to such inhumane mindes would be more insupportable then any bondage In this conflict the Earle of March was taken prisoner and kept close in a darke dungeon which was cold and dampish where hee was overburdened with daily wants and much misery which were with the greater extremity and in more abundance inflicted upon him that thereby King Henry his kinsman should be the sooner perswaded to redeeme and ransome him hee was earnestly solicited by many of the Nobilitie but principally by his Kinsmen the Piercies for to procure his enlargement but the King could not heare of that eare hee could have beene well contented that his Sisters had beene with him there or that all three were in heaven For then the only blemish of his Title had beene covered over so that it appeared thereby that he more desired his destruction then to procure his deliverance Glendor by his prosperous successe was growne now more hard to bee dealt withall proceeding further to invade the Marshes on the West side of Severne where hee burnt many Townes and slew much people and returned with prey and praises of his adherents where ever hee came now hee found that weake resistance that hee seemed rather to exercise a spoyle then a warre King Henry being then detained with his chiefest forces in an other more dangerous service which besides these former vexations and hazards this first yeare of his raigne had happened unto him For the Scots knowing that changes of Princes raignes was a time most apt for depredations attempts taking advantage of the absence of all the chiefe English borderers partly by occasion of the Parliament and partly by reason of the Pestilence which was that yeare very hot in the North parts of the Kingdome They made a roade into the Countie of Northumberland and there did much harme they surprised the Castle of Waroke the Captaine whereof Sir Thomas Gray was one of the Knights of the shire for that Parliament which they held awhile and then plundred and dismantled it and departed in requitall whereof the English invaded burnt and spoyled certaine Ilands of Orckney whereupon the Scots set forth a fleet under the conduct of Sir Robert Logon with direction to attempt as occasion should bee offered he purposed to have begun upon our Fishermen but by the way hee was encountred by certaine shippes of Linne and the greatest part of his fleet was sunke or taken Thus though peace continued still betweene both the Realmes yet a kind of theevish hostilitie was daily practised which after brake forth into open warre upon this occasion George of Dunbar Earle of the Marches of Scotland had affianced Elizabeth his Daughter to David the Sonne and heire apparant of Robert King of Scots and in consideration of marriage shortly to bee celebrated hee had delivered into the Kings hands a great summe of money for his Daughters portion But Archibald Earle of Dowglasse disdaining that Donbars blood should bee preferred before his so wrought with the King that Prince David refused the Earle of the Marches Daughter and tooke to wife Mariel daughter
and the like was granted to the Queene of Ierusalem and her sonne Lewis for Anjou and Mayne the Duke of Britaine being their Proxie for the obtaining the same From Alanson the Earle of Salisbury was sent to Falays to view the strength thereof and to keepe the inhabitants from comming forth the King with his Army followed and entrenched themselves to avoide excursions and incursions The King made his approaches to his best advantage and though it was in the hard of Winter made provision sufficient for his men both against cold and hunger whereupon the besieged concluded if succour came not before the second of Ianuary next following to yeeld the Towne the succour not comming the Towne was yeelded but the Castle held out into which the Governour and most of the best able men were gotten but being fiercely followed and kept in continuall action by assaults and myning they were driven to make composition of surrender if not reskued before the sixt of February the souldiers to depart with their lives only and the Captaine to bee ransomed The prefixed time come the Castle was surrendred and the Captaine detained prisoner untill the Castle was sufficiently repaired his name was Oliver de Many The King leaving for Captaine there Sir Henry Fitzhugh returned to Cane to put in execution a Proclamation formerly made that if the inhabitants of Normandy that were fled returned not by a day to them prefixed to grant their lands to his souldiers thereupon hee gave to the Duke of Clarence during life the Vicounties of Ange Orber and Pontinz Oe Mere with all the lands of those that were not returned according to Proclamation All the whole Lent the King lay at Bayeux with part of his Army but the residue were volant upon exploits abroad The Kings Navy still kept the seas scowring the Coasts daily taking the French Bottomes they met but upon the sixteenth of Iuly such a storme took them that had they not by Gods good favor falne in with Southampton the whole Navy had beene in great danger yet in that Haven two Ballingers and two great Carrickes laden with Merchandize were drowned and the Mast of one of the great shippes was with the storme blowne over the Towne wall when the fury of the tempest was past the Earles of March and Huntington waâ—…ted over to Normandy and landing there marched up the country to the King The Earle of Warwicke and the Lord Talbot besieged the strong Castle of Dampfront The Duke of Clarence at that time tooke Courton and Burny and in the first placed Captaine Aubyn and Captaine William Houghton in the other hee likewise appointed in Chombis Captaine Iames Nevill in Bechelovin for Captaine the Earle Marshall in Harcourt Captaine Richard Woodvile in Fantgernon for Captaine Iohn Saint Albon in Crevener Sir Iohn Kirby to whom the same was after given for ever in Anvillyers Captaine Robert Hornby in Bagles Sir Iohn Arthure was made Captaine and also of Fresny Sir Robert Brent lately made Vicount was Captaine The Duke of Glocester with the Earle of March and the Lord Codnor march into the Isle of Constantine wherein hee likewise placed Captaines of such places as hee tooke in as at Corentine the Lord Botreux at Saint Lowe Captaine Reignold West at Valoignes Captaine Thomas Burgh at Pont done Captaine David Howell at Hay de paps Sir Iohn Aston at Saint Savior Sir Iohn Robsert lately made Vicount at Pantarson Sir Robert Gargraus at Hambery the Earle of Suffolke to whom afterwards the King gave that and Brokevill at Auranchos Sir Philip Hall at Vire the Lord Matreius who was likewise Captaine of Saint Iames de Bumeron And so having taken in the whole Iland except Chereburg hee returned to the King but was sent backe to the siege thereof which held out about the space of five moneths though in the meane time all warlike stratagems and meanes were used to take it at last they made composition that if not rescued within threescore and two dayes to surrender and stand to the mercy of the King In the meane time the Duke caused his Campe to bee strongly fenced with Rampiers and Bulwarkes leaving nothing for the safeguard thereof either unforeseene or unprepared And whilst hee was providing thus the Dolphin and the Duke of Burgoigne by the mediation of the Pope and his Cardinalls were fully reconciled and began to consult about the relieving their besieged Friend The King to prevent any danger that might betide his brother had taken order with the Lieutenant in the West-country of England to send over two thousand men out of those parts whom when the besieged at Chierburgh perceiued at Sea to approach they presumed of succour but their hope failing they surrendred both the Towne and Castle whereof the Lord Gray of Codnor mas made the Kings Lieutenant for the time but afterwards the King made Captaine thereof Iohn Bromley Esquire and for his hardy valour and commendable forwardnesse both at this siege and other places hee gave him the order of Knighthood gave him faire possessions in the Iland and made him Constable of Bossevile de Rosse This was the same partie that at Corby by his valour recovered the Lord Staffords Colours from the French and for the remembrance of that service had an honourable adjunct to his armes The King intending to prosecute his intendments to the full being of equall spirit to dare and power to doe had sent for his Vncle the Duke of Exceter who with fifteene thousand men within few dayes of Trinity Sunday came to the King by whom hee was commanded to besiege the Citie of Eureux which hee tooke in and appointed Captaine thereof Sir Gilbert Halsall The Earle of Ryme then also tooke in the strong Castle of Milley le Vesko The siege of Roan was the next thing attempted which place was now fully fortified and furnished for defence both with men and amunition Thither for the more safetie had all the neighbours conveyed all their riches as being their sole place of refuge now The King to have his passage cleere layed siege to the Citie of Loveirs which upon these conditions that if they were not relieved within seven dayes then the souldiers to serve King Henry the inhabitants to remaine there as subjects to England only all such Gunners as had discharged any piece of Ordnance to bee hanged no succour appearing at the day the Covenants were performed accordingly The King marched to Pont de Larch where hee arrived the seven and twentieth of Iune There was a stone-bridge which hindered the approach to Roane being exceeding strongly guarded King Henry devised therefore floates of wicker covered with beasts hides by which the Duke of Clarence with his quarter passed the River and then layd siege to the Towne on that side but to prevent the inconvenience that might come by the River dividing the Army there were more such Floates made and other devises with
a meanes for him in short time to gather a great masse of money so that many wondred at his wealth but few approved his proceedings Whilst thus in France the English prosperously aided by the Almightie power in a good quarrell every where prevailed Humphry Duke of Glocester who inveigled by the enticing behaviour of an unconstant woman had married more for lust which alwayes hunts after new pleasures then for love which is contented with due delights Iaqueline of Bavier Countesse of Henolt Holland and Zeland who had formerly beene coupled in Matrimony to Iohn Duke of Brabant yet living with whom shee had lived as man and wife tenne moneths with his said Lady crost the Seas to Bergen Hennalt and tooke in her right the homage of the Countrey which not a little disquieted her former Husband and much displeased his brother the Duke of Burgoyne insomuch that the Duke of Burgoyne relying of his familiaritie with the English and their respect to Honour wrote a kind Letter unto the Duke wherein hee intimated how hee was abused by his said Lady and how great a disrepute hee would cast upon his actions if upon notice of her husbands the Duke of Brabants claime both to her and her possessions hee did not freely relinquish both unto him withall admonishing him with the danger of holding another mans wife and usurping her first husbands rights and titles But the Duke of Burgoyne perceiving that hee sowed but in the sands whilst hee wrote in that kind sends him a Challenge on part of the Duke of Britaine to fight with him body to body according to the law of armes but Glocesters hot affection being by this time somewhat slacked and remembring himselfe how much his honour by these courses was blemished he did neither accept nor deny the Challenge but only craved time to returne into England to dispose of his estate and then hee would give him requirable satisfaction In the meane time the incendiary of these turmoyles is betrayed by the Montists to the Duke of Burgoyne who conveyed her to Gaunt from whence shee escaped into Holland where shee made a defensive warre against her Husband and the Duke of Burgoine who both layed hard unto her Territories But Pope Martin having pronounced the contract of Matrimonie with Glocester utterly unlawfull made the Dukes the more earnest in the prosecution against the Lady In the meane time the Duke of Glocester though he declined his affection not willing the world should thinke hee deserted her altogether sent the Lord Fitzwalter to her ayde with a power of English-men who joyning with the Dutchesse forces about Brewers haven neere Zerix was encountred by the Duke of Brabant who gave them a great overthrow the fowlenesse of the cause and the unjustnesse of the quarrell having blunted the wonted resolution of the English the newes of that overthrow and of the Popes sentence comming together to the Duke of Glocesters eares to comfort himselfe against the one and to free himselfe from the other hee gave his old wife a discharge and forsaking Iaqueline takes for a second Elianor daughter of Lord Cobham of Sterborough his old Mistris The Constable of France with fourty thousand men besieged the Towne of St. Iames de Benuron and having planted his battery made a breach as they deemed assaultable which whilst the French were straining courtesie who should first enter Sir Nicholas Burdet with all his forces leaving the Towns-men to receive the assaylants sallyes forth both they within and those without crying aloud a Salisbury a Suffolke the names whereof stroke such a terrour amongst the besiegers that they either disorderly ranne away or stood like men amazed till their throates were cut of which sixe hundred were slaine two hundred drowned in the ditches fifty taken prisoners and eighteene Standards were taken with one Banner The Constable was glad to quit the place with great losse and retired to Fongeeres The Earle of Warwicke and the Lord Scales with seven thousand men besieged Ponterson many weekes together in which time all provision grew very scantie insomuch that the Lord Scales for the reliefe of their so pressing necessities with three thousand men forraged a great way into the enemies countrey and in his returne with plentie of provision was encountred with six thousand French but hee slew many hundreds of them and tooke a thousand and odde prisoners and so came in safetie to the Campe. The enemy had raysed a great power to raise the siege but by the way they fell upon the Castle of Ramfort which the garrison of Susan had a little before surprised and there they stayed untill Ponterson was yeelded and wel funnished and fortified by the Earle of Warwicke who was returned to the Regent A Conspiracie of the Clergie and Magistrates in Mounts so prevailed that the Marshalls by France with five hundred men about midnight came to the Towne walls where the guard of English by those that seemed their friends and of one company were suddenly massacred and setting open the gates gave way to the enemy to enter upon the alarum given the Earle of Suffolke with the surviving English according to directions formerly given in case any treachery should be plotted withdrew to the Castle wherein they were sharply assayled by the French who perceiving no good to bee done upon them by assault knowing how ill they were provided for necessaries for a siege carelesly neglected them falling to ransacking houses and making good cheere whereof the Lord Talbot having intelligence by Captaine Goffe whom the Lord Talbot who from Alanson was by night marches with some forces come within two miles of Mounts had sent to discover the state of the French hee secretly gave notice to the Earle of Suffolke who at the houre appointed sallied forth of the Castle at what time the Lord Talbot was ready with his troopes and on both sides crying Saint George a Talbot they fell upon the carelesse French who lost foure hundred of their best men the residue were all taken the Towne regained and the Conspirators thirty Citizens twenty Priests and fifteene Fryers found out condemned and executed Now the triple cord began to be untwisted and one of the great supporters of the young Kings weaknesse the right noble Thomas Beuford sonne of Iohn of Gaunt and Katherine Swyneford Duke of Exceter Protector of the King makes King Henry his heire and at East Greenwich in Kent takes leave of this mortall life This Thomas Duke of Exceter married Margaret the Daughter of Sir Thomas Nevill of Hornby Castle but had no issue by her To supply his roome as Tutor to the King was the Earle of Warwicke appointed whose place in France was supplied by the Earle of Salisbury the terrour of the French who with five thousand men came to Orleans and for an entrance to his imployment with one thousand old souldiers joyned with the new he besieged the Citie The Bastard Orleance had by
Brother Sonne and kinsfolkes the calumny of her royall husband the aspersion of adultery obtruded to her selfe the imputation of bastardy layd to her Daughters And her firme faith plighted to the contrary to the Dutchesse of Richmond the assurance thereby of her elder daughters preferment upon K. Richards glosing speeches was contented first to commit her daughters to the custody of him that was author and actor of all these calumniations and cruelties and afterwards by Letters mandatory to solicite her Sonne the Marquesse of Dorset to desert the Earle of Richmond and to encline to King Richard who shee assured him had not only granted him his free and generall pardon but had provided honourably to preferre him upon his returne This done King Richard with great solemnitie and formall show of extraordinarie affections the surest ginnes to catch women and rattlebraines entertaineth the abused Mother and seduced Daughters And presently takes order to make one Saint the more in heaven by sending his Wife thither before her time but how or by what meanes it is not made manifest Shee is with all solemnity which the shortnesse of time to prepare would permit interred at Saint Peters Church in Westminster where some few forced teares for a show are wrung from his eyes at the Funerall whilst his thoughts are plotting how to compasse incestuous copulation with his owne Brothers Daughter whom hee immoderately visiteth and entertaines with all varieties of pompous pleasures as it were by such musicke to prepare her affection the sooner to admit of his love-suite But her harmelesse innocencie not diving into his villanous purposes takes all things from him as honourable courtesies Now only feare to lose that little good Opinion which the Common-people had cast away upon him induced thereunto by his late formall show of repentance and protestation of his heartie detestation of his former bloody course of life did with-hold this monster of man-kind as yet to discover his beastly desire which was to purchase his pleasure by rape if not otherwise procurable But for that it behoved him to labour to prevent the growing storme threatned from beyond the Seas and to hinder the further growth of his enemies forces at home against his will hee prorogues the execution of his desires and leaves love-matters untill another season The Lord Stanley is commanded to levie all his forces for the Kings aide as he will justifie his integritie to him Neverthelesse cannot be permitted to go downe into his Countrey untill hee had left George Lord Strange his first begotten sonne as a sure pledge of his love and loyaltie be hind him The surrender of the Castle of Hammes to the Earle of Richmond by Captaine Blount is come to the eares of King Richard who presently giveth order to the garrison of Callice and the Forts adjoyning to reduce the same which they accordingly attempted But the Captaine at his departure having left his wife therein had sufficiently furnished it to withstand any assault untill reliefe might with conveniency be sent unto it The Earle of Richmond having notice of the siege sendeth the Earle of Oxford with some forces to remove it or relieve the besieged Thomas Brandon a servant of the Earle of Oxford with thirty resolute souldiers find the meanes to enter into the Castle carrying with them such amunition as was then most wanting whilst the Earle of Oxford with his other forces are marching thither upon notice whereof the Callicians offered the besieged that if they would surrender the Castle all that were within it should have faire and noble quarter with free liberty to depart with bagge and baggage which was accordingly readily embraced being the only end of the Earle of Oxfords journey which was to redeeme his friends in especiall the Genlewomen in the Castle out of danger And then leaving the Castle cleane bare without either men amunition or ordnance they retreated in safetie to the Earle of Richmond The shippes which King Richard had appointed to guard the Seas to debarre the Earles passage hee having beene informed though untruly that Richmond was haplesse and hopelesse of helpe from the French King are called home and all the souldiers discharged only order given for the diligent watching the Beacons Thomas Marquesse Dorset to give the better colour to the report of Richmonds backwardnesse to doe any thing suddenly and not induced thereto by his Mothers solicitation maketh a show to forsake Richmond and conveyeth himselfe toward Flaunders but by the way is overtaken by Humphry Cheney who was appointed to follow him and was not only perswaded to returne but to remaine hostage with Sir John Bourcheir for securitie of performing the Articles concluded on betwixt the Earle of Richmond and divers his friends in France and for the repayment of sundry sums of money by Richmond for this expedition borrowed But report being come into Britaine that the Vsurper laboured the speedy making up of a match betwixt him and the Lady Elizabeth and had likewise prepared and proposed an husband for her Sister Cicely There was too little time left to bee employed for longer consultation what more to doe or further expectation of aide how to doe For experience did manifest it that the longer they stayed every day the lesse ready they were for either victuall or other provision grew sowre or stinking and every houre would grow worse and worse And that all the passages and Ports were so stopped and guarded that it was a thing almost impossible to send or receive any further intelligence out of England which was the more demonstrated by the certaine relation of Morgan Kidwelly a student of the Common law of England who with great hazard had brought information to the Earle That Rice ap Thomas and John Savage two approved Commanders and most powerfull in their owne Country were ready with all the forces they could make to abet his course upon his first landing though with hazard of their lives And that his trusty Friend Reignold Bray was ready provided of money and all other necessaries to furnish Richmonds necessities and only awaited his approach And for the reasons aforesaid advised him to steere his course for Wales and further from them adjured him to make all possible festination assuring him that nothing could procure better speed then present expedition Whereupon Richmond with not much above two thousand stipendaries and but convenient Bottoms to transfreate them about the middle of August following put to Sea and on the seventh day after their departure from Harflew they arrived at Milford haven where without trouble or impeachment he landed his forces and from thence peaceably marched to Hereford where by the Inhabitants there he was joyfully received A common report is raised that Rice ap Thomas and John Savage stood out for King Richard which gave some occasion of mistrust to Richmond But the trouble was lessened when he was resolved by Captaine Arnold Butler that the Earle of Penbrooke with all