tricked vp a Boy in the likenesse of EDWARDPLANTAGENET and shewed him to the people not sparing to prophane the Ceremony of a Procession the more to countenance the Fable The Generall-Pardon likewise neere the same time came forth and the King therewithall omitted no diligence in giuing straight order for the keeping of the Ports that Fugitiues Male-contents or suspected Persons might not passe ouer into Ireland and Flanders Meane while the Rebels in Ireland had sent priuie Messengers both into England and into Flanders who in both places had wrought effects of no small importance For in England they wonne to their Partie IOHN Earle of Lincolne sonne of IOHN DE LAPOLE Duke of Suffolke and of ELIZABETH King EDWARD the Fourths eldest sister This Earle was a man of great wit and courage and had his thoughts highly raysed by Hopes and Expectations for a time For RICHARD the third had a Resolution out of his hatred to both his Brethren King EDWARD and the Duke of Clarence and their Lines hauing had his hand in both their blouds to disable their Issues vpon false and incompetent pretexts the one of Attaindor the other of Illegitimation and to designe this Gentleman in case himselfe should die without Children for Inheritor of the Crowne Neither was this vnknowne to the King who had secretly an Eye vpon him But the King hauing tasted of the Enuie of the people for his imprisonment of EDWARD PLANTAGENET was doubtfull to heape vp any more distasts of that kind by the imprisonment of DE LAPOLE also the rather thinking it Policie to conserue him as a Corriuall vnto the other The Earle of Lincolne was induced to participate with the Action of Ireland not lightly vpon the strength of the Proceedings there which was but a Bubble but vpon Letters from the Lady MARGARET of Burgundie in whose succours and declaration for the Enterprise there seemed to be a more solid foundation both for Reputation and Forces Neither did the Earle refraine the Businesse for that he knew the pretended PLANTAGENET to be but an Idoll But contrariwise hee was more glad it should be the false PLANTAGENET then the true because the False being sure to fall away of himselfe and the True to be made sure of by the King it might open and paue a faire and prepared way to his owne Title With this Resolution hee sayled secretly into Flanders where was a little before arriued the Lord LOVEL leauing a correspondence here in England with Sir THOMAS BROVGHTON a man of great Power and Dependencies in Lancashire For before this time when the pretended PLANTAGENET was first receiued in Ireland secret Messengers had beene also sent to the Lady MARGARET aduertising her what was passed in Ireland imploring Succoures in an Enterprise as they said so pious and iust and that God had so miraculously prospered the beginning therof and making offer that all things should be guided by her will and direction as the Soueraigne Patronesse and Protectresse of the Enterprise MARGARET was second sister to King EDWARD the Fourth and had beene second Wife to CHARLES surnamed the HARDY Duke of Burgundie by whome hauing no Children of her owne she did with singular care and tendernesse intend the Education of PHILIP and MARGARET Grand-children to her former Husband which wonne her great loue and authority among the Dutch This Princesse hauing the Spirit of a Man and Malice of a woman abounding in Treasure by the greatnesse of her Dower and her prouident Gouernment and being childlesse and without any neerer Care made it her Designe and Enterprise to see the Maiestie Royall of England once againe re-placed in her House and had set vp King HENRY as a Marke at whose ouerthrow all her actions should ayme and shoote insomuch as all the Counsells of his succeeding troubles came chiefly out of that Quiuer And shee bare such a mortall hatred to the House of LANCASTER and personally to the King as she was no wayes mollified by the Coniunction of the Houses in her Neeces marriage but rather hated her Neece as the meanes of the Kings ascent to the Crowne and assurance therein Wherefore with great violence of affection she embraced this Ouerture And vpon Counsaile taken with the Earle of Lincolne and the Lord LOVEL and some other of the Partie it was resolued with all speed the two Lords assisted with a Regiment of two thousand Almaines being choice and Veterane Bands vnder the command of MARTIN SWART a valiant and experimented Captaine should passe ouer into Ireland to the new King Hoping that when the Action should haue the face of a receiued and setled Regalitie with such a second Person as the Earle of Lincolne and the Coniunction and reputation of forraine succours the fame of it would imbolden and prepare all the Partie of the Confederates and Malecontents within the Realme of England to giue them assistance when they should come ouer there And for the Person of the Counterfeit it was agreed that if all things succeeded well he should be put downe and the true PLANTAGENET receiued Wherein neuerthelesse the Earle of Lincolne had his particular hopes After they were come into Ireland and that the Partie tooke courage by seeing themselues together in a Bodie they grew very confident of successe conceiuing and discoursing amongst themselues that they went in vpon farre better Cards to ouerthrow King HENRY then King HENRY had to ouerthrow King RICHARD And that if there were not a Sword drawne against them in Ireland it was a Signe the Swords in England would be soone sheathed or beaten downe And first for a Brauery vpon this accession of power they crowned their new King in the Cathedrall Church of Dublin who formerly had beene but proclaimed onely and then sate in Councell what should further be done At which Councell though it were propounded by some that it were the best way to establish themselues first in Ireland and to make that the Seat of the Warre and to draw King HENRY thither in person by whose absence they thought there would be great alterations and commotions in England yet because the Kingdome there was poore and they should not be able to keepe their Armie together nor pay their Germane Soldiers and for that also the sway of the Irish-men and generally of the Men-of-warre which as in such cases of Popular tumults is vsuall did in effect gouerne their Leaders was eager and in affection to make their fortunes vpon England It was concluded with all possible speed to transport their forces into England The King in the meane time who at the first when he heard what was done in Ireland though it troubled him yet thought hee should bee well enough able to scatter the Irish as a Flight of Birds and rattle away this Swarme of Bees with their King when hee heard afterwards that the Earle of Lincolne was embarqued in the action and that the Lady MARGARET was declared for it he apprehended the danger in a
the King might appoint him Keepers to looke to him in Sanctuarie The King also for the better securing of his estate against mutinous and malecontented Subiects wherof He saw the Realme was full who might haue their refuge into Scotland which was not vnder Key as the Ports were For that cause rather then for any doubt of Hostilitie from those parts before his comming to London when he was at Newcastle had sent a solemne Ambassage vnto IAMES the third King of Scotland to treate and conclude a peace with him The Ambassadors were RICHARD FOXE Bishop of Excester and Sir RICHARD EDGCOMBE Comptroller of the Kings House who were honourably receiued and entertained there But the King of Scotland labouring of the same disease that King HENRY did though more mortall as afterwards appeared that is Discontented Subiects apt to rise and raise Tumuh although in his owne affection hee did much desire to make a Peace with the King Yet finding his Nobles auerse and not daring to displease them concluded onely a Truce for seuen yeeres giuing neuerthelesse promise in priuate that it should bee renewed from time to time during the two Kings liues HItherto the King had beene exercised in setling his affaires at home But about this time brake forth an occasion that drew him to looke abroad and to hearken to forraine businesse CHARLES the eight the French King by the vertue and good fortune of his two immediate Predecessors CHARLES the seuenth his Grand-father and LEWES the eleuenth his Father receiued the Kingdome of France in more flourishing and spread Estate than it had beene of many yeares before being redintegrate in those principall Members which anciently had beene portions of the Crowne of France and were after disseuered so as they remained onely in Homage and not in Soueraigntie being gouerned by absolute Princes of their owne Angeou Normandy Prouence and Burgundie There remained only Brittaine to be revnited and so the Monarchie of France to be reduced to the ancient Termes and Bounds King CHARLES was not a little inflamed with an ambition to repurchase and reannex that Duchie Which his ambition was a wise and well weighed Ambition not like vnto the ambitions of his succeeding enterprizes of Italie For at that time being newly come to the Crowne he was somewhat guided by his Fathers Counsels Counsels not Counsellors for his Father was his owne Counsell and had few able men about him And that King be knew well had euer distasted the designes of Italie and in particular had an eye vpon Brittaine There were many circumstances that did feed the ambition of CHARLES with pregnant and apparant hopes of Successe The Duke of Britaine old and entred into a Lethargie and serued with Mercenarie Counsellors father of two only daughters the one sickly and not like to continue King CHARLES himselfe in the flower of his age and the Subiects of France at that time well trayned for Warre both for Leaders and Souldiers men of seruice being not yet worne out since the warres of LEWIS against Burgundie Hee found himselfe also in peace with all his Neighbour-Princes As for those that might oppose to his enterprise MAXIMILIAN King of Romans his Riuall in the same desires as well for the Duchy as the Daughter feeble in meanes and King HENRY of England aswell somwhat obnoxious to him for his fauours and benefits as busied in his particular noubles at home There was also a faire and specious occasion offered him to hide his ambition and to iustifie his warring vpon Britaine for that the Duke had receiued and succoured LEWIS Duke of Orleance and other of the French Nobilitie which had taken Armes against their King Wherfore King CHARLES being resolued vpon that Warre knew well he could not receiue any opposition so potent as if King HENRY should either vpon Policie of State in preuenting the growing greatnesse of France or vpon gratitude vnto the Duke of Britaine for his former fauours in the time of his distresse espouse that quarrell and declare himselfe in aide of the Duke Therfore hee no sooner heard that King HENRY was setled by his victorie but forth with he sent Ambassadours vnto him to pray his assistance or at the least that hee would stand neutrall Which Ambassadours found the King at Leicester and deliuered their Ambassage to this effect They first imparted vnto the King the successe that their Master had had a little before against MAXIMILIAN in recouerie of certaine Townes from him which was done in a kind of priuacie and inwardnesse towards the King as if the French-king did not esteeme him for an outward or formall Confederate but as one that had part in his affections and fortunes and with whom he tooke pleasure to communicate his businesse After this Complement and some gratulation for the Kings victorie they fell to their errand declaring to the King that their Master was enforced to enter into a iust and necessarie Warre with the Duke of Britaine for that hee had receiued and succoured those that were Traitors and Declared Enemies vnto his Person and State That they were no meane distressed and calamitous Persons that fled to him for refuge but of so great qualitie as it was apparant that they came not thither to protect their owne fortune but to infest and inuade his the Head of them being the Duke of Orleance the first Prince of the bloud and the second Person of France That therfore rightly to vnderstand it it was rather on their Masters part a Defensiue Warre then an Offensiue as that that could not bee omitted or forborne if he tendred the conseruation of his owne Estate and that it was not the first Blow that made the Warre inuasiue for that no wise Prince would stay for but the first Prouocation or at least the first Preparation Nay that this Warre was rather a Suppression of Rebels then a Warre with a iust Enemie where the case is That his Subiects Traitors are receiued by the Duke of Britaine his Homager That King HENRY knew well what went vpon it in example if Neighbour-Princes should patronize and comfort Rebels against the Law of Nations and of Leagues Neuerthelesse that their Master was not ignorant that the King had beene beholding to the Duke of Britaine in his aduersitie as on the other side they knew he would not forget also the readinesse of their King in ayding him when the Duke of Britaine or his mercenary Councellors failed him and would haue betrayed him And that there was a great difference betweene the courtesies receiued from their Master and the Duke of Britaine for that the Dukes might haue ends of vtilitie and Bargaine whereas their Masters could not haue proceeded but out of entire Affection For that if it had beene measured by a politicke line it had beene better for his affaires that a Tyrant should haue reigned in England troubled and hated then such a Prince whose vertues could not saile to make him great and potent whensoeuer he
for his owne part hee was in none And that hee might haue some good Townes vpon the Coast in Italie put into his hands for the Retrait and safeguard of his Men. With this Answer IASPER PONS returned nothing at all discontented And yet this Declaration of the King as superficiall as it was gaue him that Reputation abroad as hee was not long after elected by the Knights of the Rhodes Protector of their Order All things multiplying to Honour in a Prince that had gotten such high Estimation for his Wisedome and Sufficiencie There were these two last yeares some proceedings against Her etiques which was rare in this Kings Reigne and rather by Penances than by Fire The King had though hee were no good Schooleman the Honour to conuert one of them by Dispute at Canterburie This yeare also though the king were no more haunted with Sprites for that by the Sprinckling partly of Bloud and partly of Water hee had chased them away yet neuerthelesse hee had certaine Apparitions that troubled him still shewing themselues from one Region which was the house of Yorke It came so to passe that the Earle of Suffolke Sonne to ELIZABETH eldest Sister to king EDVVARD the fourth by IOHN Duke of Suffolke her second Husband and Brother to IOHN Earle of Lincolne that was slaine at Stocke-field being of an hastie and Cholericke Disposition had killed a man in his furie whereupon the king gaue him his Pardon But either willing to leaue a Cloud vpon him or the better to make him feele his Grace produced him openly to plead his Pardon This wrought in the Earle as in a haughtie stomacke it vseth to doe for the Ignominie printed deeper than the Grace Wherefore hee beeing discontent fled secretly into Flanders vnto his Aunt the Duchesse of Burgundie The king startled at it But being taught by Troubles to vse fare and timely Remedies wrought so with him by Messages The Ladie MARGARET also growing by often failing in her Alchymie wearie of her Experiments and partly being a little sweetned for that the king had not touched her name in the Confession of PERKIN that hee came ouer againe vpon good termes and was reconciled to the king In the beginning of the next yeare beeing the seuenteenth of the king the Ladie KATHERINE fourth Daughter of FERDINANDO and ISABELLA King and Queene of Spaine arriued in England at Plimouth the second of October and was married to Prince ARTHVR in PAVLES the foureteenth of Nouember following The Prince being then about fifteene yeares of age and the Ladie about eighteene The manner of her receiuing the manner of her Entrie into London and the Celebritie of the Marriage were performed with great and true Magnificence in regard of Cost Shew and Order The chiefe man that tooke the care was Bishop Fox who was not onely a graue Councellor for Warre or Peace but also a good Surueyour of Workes and a good Master of Ceremonies and any thing else that was fit for the Actiue part belonging to the seruice of Court or State of a great King This Marriage was almost seuen yeares in Treatie which was in part caused by the tender yeares of the Marriage-couple especially of the Prince But the true reason was that these two Princes being Princes of great Policie and profound Iudgement stood a great time looking one vpon anothers Fortunes how they would goe knowing well that in the meane time the verie Treatie it selfe gaue abroad in the World a Reputation of a straite Coniunction and Amitie betweene them which serued on both sides to many purposes that their seuerall Affaires required and yet they continued still free But in the end when the Fortunes of both the Princes did grow euerie day more and more prosperous and assured and that looking all about them they saw no better Conditions they shut it vp The Marriage Monie the Princesse brought which was turned ouer to the King by Act of Renunciation was two hundred thousand Ducats Whereof one hundred thousand were payable ten dayes after the Solemnization and the other hundred thousand at two payments Annuall but part of it to bee in Iewels and Plate and a due course set downe to haue them iustly and indifferently prized The Ioynture or Aduancement of the Lady was the third part of the Principality of Wales and of the Dukedome of Cornewall and of the Earledome of Chester to be after set forth in seueraltie And in case shee came to bee Queeene of England her Aduancement was left indefinite but thus That it should bee as great as euer any former Queene of England had In all the Deuises and Conceits of the Triumphs of this Marriage there was a great deale of Astronomie The Ladie beeing resembled to HESPERVS and the Prince to ARCTVRVS and the old King ALPHONSVS that was the greatest Astronomer of Kings and was Ancestor to the Ladie was brought in to bee the Fortune-teller of the Match And whosoeuer had those Toyes in Compiling they were not altogether Pedanticall But you may bee sure that King ARTHVR the Britton and the descent of the Ladie KATHERINE from the House of LANCASTER was in no wise forgotten But as it should seem it is not good to fetch Fortunes from the Starres For this young Prince that drew vpon him at that time not onely the Hopes and Affections of his Countrie but the Eyes and Expectation of Forreiners after a few Moneths in the beginning of Aprill deceased at Ludlow Castle where he was sent to keepe his Resiance and Court as Prince of Wales Of this Prince in respect hee died so young and by reason of his Fathers manner of Education that did cast no great Lustre vpon his Children there is little particular Memorie Onely thus much remaineth that hee was very studious and learned beyond his yeares and beyond the Custome of great Princes There was a Doubt ripped vp in the times following when the Diuorce of King HENRIE the Eighth from the Ladie KATHERINE did so much busie the world whether ARTHVR was bedded with his Ladie or no whereby that matter in fact of Carnall Knowledge might bee made part of the Case And it is true that the Ladie her selfe denied it or atleast her Counsell stood vpon it and would not blaunch that Aduantage although the Plenitude of the Popes power of Dispensing was the maine Question And this Doubt was kept long open in respect of the two Queenes that succeeded MARIE and ELIZABETH whose Legitimations were incompatible one with another though their Succession was settled by Act of Parliament And the times that fauoured Queene MARIES Legitimation would haue it beleeued that there was no Carnall Knowledge betweene ARTHVR and KATHERINE Not that they would seeme to derogate from the Popes absolute power to dispence euen in that Case but onely in point of honour and to make the Case more fauourable and smooth And the Times that fauoured Queene ELIZABETHS Legitimation which were the longer and the latter maintained the contrarie So
vpon whom the surest Aime that could bee taken was that hee would not be long as hee had beene last before would all three being potent Princes enter into some strait League and Confederation amongst themselues Whereby though hee should not be endangered yet hee should be left to the poore Amitie of Arragon And whereas he had beene heretofore a kind of Arbiter of Europe he should now goe lesse and bee ouer-topped by so great a Coniunction Hee had also as it seemes an inclination to marrie and bethought himselfe of some fit Conditions abroad And amongst others hee had heard of the Beautie and vertuous Behauiour of the young Queene of Naples the Widdow of FERDINANDO the younger being then of Matronall yeares of seuen and twentie By whose Marriage he thought that the Kingdome of Naples hauing beene a Gole for a time betweene the king of Arragon and the French King and being but newly setled might in some part be Deposited in his hands who was so able to keepe the Stakes Therefore hee sent in Ambassage or Message three Confident Persons FRANCIS MARSIN IAMES BRAY-BROOKE and IOHN STILE vpon two seuerall Inquisitions rather than Negotiations The One touching the Person and Condition of the young Queene of Naples The Other touching all particulars of Estate that concerned the Fortunes and Intentions of FERDINANDO And because they may obserue best who themselues are obserued least hee sent them vnder Colourable Pretexts giuing them Letters of Kindnesse and Complement from KATHERINE the Princesse to her Aunt and Neece the Olde and Young Queene of Naples and deliuering to them also a Booke of new Articles of Peace which notwithstanding it had beene deliuered vnto Doctor de PVEBLA the Leigier Ambassadour of Spaine here in England to be sent yet for that the King had beene long without hearing from Spaine hee thought good those Messengers when they had beene with the two Queenes should likewise passe on to the Court of FERDINANDO and take a Copie of the Booke with them The Instructions touching the Queene of Naples were so curious and exquisite beeing as Articles whereby to direct a Suruey or framing a Particular of her Person for Complexion Fauour Feature Stature Health Age Customes Behauiour Conditions and Estate as if the King had beene young a Man would haue iudged him to bee Amorous but being ancient it ought to be interpreted that sure he was verie Chaste for that hee meant to finde all things in one Woman and so to settle his Affections without ranging But in this Match hee was soone cooled when hee heard from his Ambassadors that this young Queene had had a goodly Ioynture in the Realme of Naples well answered during the time of her Vnckle FREDERICKE yea and during the time of LEVVIS the French King in whose Diuision her Reuenue fell But since the time that the Kingdome was in FERDINANDO'S hands all was assigned to the Armie and Garrisons there and shee receiued only a Pension or Exhibition out of his Coffers The other part of the Inquirie had a graue and diligent Returne informing the King at full of the present State of King FERDINANDO By this report it appeared to the King that FERDINANDO did continue the Gouernment of Castile as Administrator vnto his Daughter IOAN by the Title of Queene ISABELLA'S Will and partly by the Custome of the Kingdome as he pretended And that all Mandates and Grants were expedited in the name of IOAN his Daughter and himselfe as Administrator without mention of PHILIP her Husband And that king FERDINANDO howsoeuer hee did dismisse himselfe of the Name of King of Castile yet meant to hold the Kingdome without Accompt and in absolute Command It appeareth also that hee flattered himselfe with hopes that king PHILIP would permit vnto him the Gouernement of Castile during his life which hee had layed his plot to worke him vnto both by some Councellors of his about him which FERDINANDO had at his deuotion and chiefly by Promise that in case PHILIP gaue not way vnto it hee would marrie some young Ladie whereby to put him by the Succession of Arragon and Granada in case hee should haue a Sonne And lastly by representing vnto him that the Gouernement of the Burgundians till PHILIP were by continuance in Spaine made as Naturall of Spaine would not bee indured by the Spaniards But in all those things though wisely layed downe and considered FERDINANDO failed But that PLVTO was better to him than PALLAS In the same Report also the Ambassadours beeing meane men and therefore the more free did strike vpon a String which was somewhat dangerous For they declared plainely that the People of Spaine both Nobles and Commons were better affected vnto the part of PHILIP so hee brought his wife with him than to FERDINANDO And expressed the reason to bee because hee had imposed vpon them many Taxes and Tallages whith was the Kings owne Case betweene him and his Sonne There was also in this Report a Declaration of an Ouerture of Marriage which AMASON the Secretarie of FERDINANDO had made vnto the Ambassadours in great secret betweene CHARLES Prince of Castile and MARIE the Kings second Daughter assuring the king that the Treatie of Marriage then on foot for the said Prince and the Daughter of France would breake and that shee the said Daughter of France should bee married to ANGOLESME that was the Heire apparant of France There was a touch also of a speech of Marriage betweene FERDINANDO and Madame de FOIS a Ladie of the Bloud of France which afterwards indeed succeeded But this was reported as learned in France and silenced in Spaine The King by the returne of this Ambassage which gaue great light vnto his Affaires was well instructed and prepared how to carrie himselfe betweene FERDINANDO King of Arragon and PHILIP his Sonne-in-law King of Castile resoluing with himselfe to doe all that in him lay to keepe them at one within themselues But howsoeuer that succeeded by a moderate Carriage and bearing the Person of a Common-friend to loose neither of their Friendships but yet to runne a Course more entire with the King of Arragon but more laboured and officious with the King of Castile But hee was much taken with the Ouerture of Marriage with his Daughter MARIE Both because it was the greatest Marriage of Christendome and for that it tooke hold of both Allies But to corroborate his Alliance with PHILIP the Windes gaue him an Enter-view For PHILIP choosing the Winter-Season the better to surprise the King of Arragon set forth with a great Nauie out of Flanders for Spaine in the Moneth of Ianuarie the one and Twentieth yeare of the Kings Raigne But himselfe was surprised with a cruell Tempest that scattered his Ships vpon the seuerall Coasts of England And the Ship wherein the King and Queene were with two other small Barkes onely torne and in great perill to escape the Furie of the weather thrust into Waymouth King PHILIP himselfe hauing