yeres Not nature but murder abridged my yeres This acte was odious to God and to man Yet rygour to cloke in habyte of reason By crafty compas deuise they can Articles nyne of ryght haynous treason But doome after death is sure out of season For who euer sawe so straunge a presydent As execucion doen before iudgement Thus hate harboured in depth of mynde By sought occasyon burst out of newe And cruelty abused the lawe of kynde whan that the Nephewe the Uncle slewe Alas king Rycharde sore mayst thou rewe whiche by this facte preparedst the waye Of thy harde destynie to hasten the daye For blood axeth blood as guerdon dewe And vengeaunce for vengeaunce is iust rewarde O ryghteous God thy iudgementes are true For looke what measure we other 〈◊〉 The same for vs agayne is prepardâ— Take heed ye princes by examples past Blood wyll haue blood eyther fyrst or last WHan maister Ferrers had ended this fruytfull tragedye because no man was readye with another I hauyng perused the story whiche cam next sayd Because you shall not say my maisters but that I wyll in sumwhat do my parte I wyll vnder your correction declare the tragedy of the Lord Mowbray the chiefe wurker of the Dukes destruction who to admonysh all Counsaylers to beware of flattering princes or falsely enuying or accusyng theyr Peregalles may lament his vices in maner folowyng Hovve the Lorde Movvbray promoted by Kyng Richarde the seconde vvas by hym banyshed the Realme â–ª and dyed miserably in exyle THough sorowe and shame abash me to rehercâ— My lothsum lyfe and death of due deserued Yet that the paynes thereof may other perce To leaue the lyke least they be lykely serued Ah Baldwin marke I wil shew thee how I swarued Dyssemblyng Enuy and Flattery bane that â—e Of all their hostes haue shewed their power on me I blame not Fortune though she dyd her parte And true it is she can doo lytell harme She gydeth goods she hampreth not the harte A vertuous mynde is safe from euery charme Uyce onely vyce with her stoute strengthles arme Doth cause the harte to euyll to enclyne Whiche I alas doo fynde to true by myne For where by byrth I came of noble kynde The Mowbrayes heyre a famous house and olde Fortune I thanke her was to me so kynde That of my prince I had what so I wolde Yet neyther of vs was muche to other holde For I through flattery abused his wanton youth And his fonde trust augmented my vntruth He made me fyrst the earle of Notyngham And Marshall of the realme in whiche estate The Pâ—eâ—s and people sayntly to me came with sore complaynt against them that of late Made offycers had brought the king in hate By makynge sale of Iustice ryght and lawe And lyuyng nought without all dreede or awe I gaue them ayde these euyls to redresse And went to London with an army strong And caused the king against his wyll oppresse By cruell death all suche â—â—led hym wrong The lorde chiefe Iustice suffred these among So dyd the Stuarde of his housholde head The Chauncelour scapte for he aforehande fled These wicked men thus from the king remoued who best vs pleased succeded in theyr place For whiche both kyng and commons muche vs loued But chiefely I with all stoode high in grace The kyng ensued my rede in euery case whence selfe loue bred for glory maketh proude And pryde aye looketh alone to be allowde wherfore to thende I might alone enioyâ— The kinges good wyll I made his lust my lawe And where of late I laboured to destroye Suche flatryng folke as thereto stoode in awe Nowe learned I among the rest to clawe â–ª For pride is suche yf it be kindely caught As stroyeth good and styrreth vp every nought Pryde pricketh men to flatter for the pray To oppresse and pol for mayntenaunce of the same To malyce suche as matche vnâ—thes it may And to be briefe pride doth the harte enflame To fyer what myschief any fraude maye frame And euer at length the euyls by it wrought Confounde the wurker and bring him vnto nought Beholde in me due proofe of euerye parte For pryde fyrst forced me my prince to flatter So muche that what so euer pleased his harte Were it neuer so evyll I thought a lawfull matter Wâ—â—che caused the lordes afresh against him clatter Because he had his holdes beyonde sea â—olde And seen his souldiers of theyr wages polde Though all these yls were doen by my assent Yet suche was lucke that eche man deemed no For see the duke of Glocester for me sent With other lordes whose hartes did blede for wo To see the Realme so fast to ruyne go In faulte whereof they sayde the two dukes wer The one of Yorke the other of Lancaster On whose remove fro beyng aboute the king We all agreed and sware a solempne oth And whyle the rest prouyded for this thyng I flatter I to win the prayse of troth Wretche that I was brake fayth and promise both For I bewrayed the king theyr whole intent For whiche vnwares they all were tane and shent Thus was the warder of the common weale The Duke of Glocester gyltles made awaye With other moo more wretche I so to deale Who through vntruth their trust dyd yll betraye Yet by this meanes obteyned I my praye Of king and Dukes I founde for this suche fauour As made me Duke of Norfolke for my labour But see howe pride and envy ioyntly runne Because my prince dyd more than me preferre Syr Henry Bolenbroke the eldest sunne Of Iohn of Gaunte the Duke of Lancaster Proude I that would alone be blasyng sterre Envyed this Earle for nought saue that the shine Of his desertes dyd glyster more then mine To the ende therfore his lyght should be the lesse I slyly sought all shyftes to put it out But as the pryze that would the palme tree presse Doth cause the bowes sprede larger rounde about So spyte and enuy causeth glory sprout And aye the more the top is ouertrode The deper doth the sounde roote sprede abrode For when this Henry Erle of Harforde sawe What spoyle the kyng made of the noble blood And that without all Iustice cause or lawe To suffer him so he thought not sure nor good Wherfore to me two faced in a hood As touching this he fully brake his mynde As to his frende that should remedy fynde But I although I knewe my prince dyd yll So that my heart abhorred sore the same Yet myschief so through malyce led my wyll To bring this Earle from honour vnto shame And towarde my selfe my souerayne to enflame That I bewrayed his wurdes vnto the king Not as a rede but as a most haynous thyng Thus where my duty bounde me to have tolde My prince his fault and wylde him â—o refrayne Through flattery loe I dyd his yll vpholde whiche turnde at length both hym and me to payne Wo wo to kynges whose counsaylours do
wield and furnysh so weighty an enterpryse thinkyng euen so to shut my handes But he earnest and diligent in his affayres prâ—â—iued Aâ—hles â—o set vnder his shoulder for shortly after dyuers learned men whose many giftes nede fewe praises consented to take vpon theym parte of the trauayle And whan certayne of theym to the numbre of seuen were throughe a geneâ—all assâ—nt at aâ— apoynted time aâ—d place gathered together to deuyse therupon I resorted vnto them bering with me the booke of Bochas translated by Dan Lidgate for the better obseruacion of his order whiche although we lyked well yet woulde it not cuâ—nâ—â—ly serue seynge that both Bochas and Lidgate were dead neyther were there any alyue that meddled with lyke argâ—ment to whom the vnfortunat might make their moue To make therfore a state mete for the matter they al agreed that I shoulde vsurpe Bochas rowme and the wretched princes complayne vnto me and tooke vpon themselues euery man for his parte to be sundrye personages and in theyr behalfes to bewayle vnto me theyr greuous chaunces heuy destunes wofull misfortunes This doen we opened suche bookes of Cronicles as we had there present and maister Ferrers after he had founde where Bochas left whiche was about the ende of king Edwarde the thirdes raigne to begin the matter sayde thus I meruaile what Bochas meaneth to forget among his myserable princes such as wer of our nacion whose numbre is as great as their aduentures wunderful For to let passe all both Britons Danes and Saxons and to cum to the last Conquest what a sorte are they and sum euen in his owne tyme As for example king Rycharde the fyrste slayne with a quarlle in his chiefe prosperitie also king Iohn his brother as sum saye poysoned are not their histories rufull and of rare example But as it shoulde appeare he beynge an Italien mynded most the Roman and Italike story orels perhaps he wanted our countrey chronicles It were therfore a goodlye and a notable matter to searche dyscourse oure whole storye from the fyrst beginning of the inhabitynge of the yle But â—eâ—nge the printers mynde is to haue vs followe where Lidgate left we wyll leaue that great laboure to other that maye intende it and as blinde bayarde is alway boldest I wyll begin at the tyme of Rycharde the second a tyme as vnfortunate as the ruler therein And forasmuche frende Baldvvin as it shalbe your charge to note and pen orderly the whole proces I wyll so far as my memorie and iudgement serueth sumwhat further you in the truth of the story And therefore omytting the ruâ—â—le made by Iacke Strawe and his meyny and the mourder of many notable men which therby happened for Iacke as ye knowe was but a poore prince I will begin with a notable example whiche within a whyle after ensued And althoughe he be no great prince yet sythens he had a princelye offyce I wyll take vpon me the miserable person of syr Robert Tresilian chiefe Iustice of Englande and of other which suffred with him thereby to warne all of his authorytie and profession to take heed of wrong Iudgementes mysconstruyng of lawes or wrestyng the same to serue the princes tuâ—nes whiche ryghtfullye brought theym to a myserable ende whiche they may iustly lament in maner ensuyng The fall of Robert Tresilian chiefe Iustice of Englande and other his felovves for misconstruyng the lavves â–ª and expounding them to serue the Princes affections IN the rufull Register of mischief and mishap Baldwin we beseche thee w t our names to begin Whom vnfrendly Fortune did trayne vnto a trap When we thought our state most stable to haue bin So lightly leese they all which all do ween to wyn Learne by vs ye Lawyers and Iudges of the lande Uncorrupt and vpryght in doome alway to stande And print it for a president to remayne for euer Enroll and recorde it in tables made of brasse Engraue it in marble that may be razed neuer Where Iudges and Iusticers may see as in a glasse What fee is for falshode and what our wages was Who for our princes pleasure corrupt with meed and awe wittyngly and wretchedly did wrest the sence of lawe A chaunge more newe or straunge seldome hath he seen Then from the benche aboue to cum downe to the bar was neuer state so turned in no tyme as I weeâ— As they to becum clyeâ—tes that counsaylours erst were But such is Fortunes playe which featly can prefer The iudge that sate aboue full lowe beneth to stand At the bar a prisoner holdynge vp his hand Whiche in others cause coulde stoutly speake and plead Both in court and countrey careles of the tryall Stande mâ—â—t lyke mummers without aduyse or read Unable to vtter a true plea of denyall Whiche haue seen the daye when that for halfe a â—yall We coulde by very arte haue made the blacke seme white And matters of most wrong to haue appered most right Beholde me vnfortunate forman of this flocke Tresilian sumtime chief Iustice of this lande By discent a gentleman no staine was in my stocke Loketon Holt and Belknap with other of my bands Whiche the lawe and iustice had wholy in our hands Under the seconde Richarde a prince of great estate To whom frowarde fortune gaue a foule checkmate In the common lawes our skill was so profounde Our credite and aucthoritie suche and so estemed That what so we concluded was taken for a grounde Allowed was for lawe what so to vs best semed Lyle death landes goodes and all by vs was demed Whereby with easye paine so great gaine we did get That euery thing was fishe that came vnto our net At sessions and at syses we bare the stroke and swey In patentes and commissions of Quorum alway chiefeâ— So that to whether syde so euer we did wey Were it right or wrong it past without repriefe We let hang the true man somwhiles to saue a thiefe Of golde and of syluer our handes were neuer emptye Offices termes and fees tell to vs in great plentye But what thing maye suffyse vnto the gredye manâ— The more he hath in holde the more he doeth desyre Happy and twise happy is he that wisely can Content him selfe with that whiche reason doth requyre And moyleth for no more then for his needfull hyre But gredynes of mynde doth neuer kepe the syse Whiche though it haue enough yet doth it not suffyse For lyke as dropsye pacientes drinke and styll be dry Whose vâ—staunched thyrst no lyquor can allaye And drinke they neuer so muche yet styll for more they cry So couetous catchers toyle both nyght and day Gredy and euer nedy prollyng for theyr praye O endles thyrst of golde corrupter of all lawes What mischiefe is on molde whereof thou art not cause Thou modest vs forget the fayth of our profession When sergeantes we were sworne to serue the coÌ„mon lawe Whiche was that in no poynte we should make digression From approued
I fell and never after spoke Than was my carkas caried like a hog To Southwarke borow where it lay a night The next day drawen to Newgate like a dog All men reioycing at the rufull sight Than were on poales my parboylde quarters pight And set aloft for vermine to deuower Meete graue for rebels that resist the power Full litell knowe we wretches what we do Whan we presume our princes to resist We war with God against his glory to That placeth in his office whom he list Therfore was never traytour yet but mist The marke he shot and came to shamefull ende Nor never shall til God be forst to bend God hath ordayned the power all princes be His Lieutenauntes or debities in realmes Against their foes still therfore fighteth he And as his enmies drives them to extremes Their wise deuises prove but doltish dreames No subiect ought for any kind of cause To force the lord but yeeld him to the lawes And therefore Baldwin warne men folow reason Subdue theyr wylles and be not Fortunes slaues A troublous ende doth ever folowe treason There is no trust in rebelles raskall knaues In Fortune lesse whiche wurketh as the waves From whose assautes who lyst to stande at large Must folowe skyll and flye all worldly charge BY saint mary ê™ one yf Iacke wer as well learned as you haue made his oracion What so ever he was by byrth I warraunt hym a gentylman by his learnyng Howe notably and Philosopher like hath he discrybed Fortune and the causes of worldly cumbraunce howe vpryghtly also and howe lyke a deuine hath he determined the states both of officers and Rebelles For in dede officers be gods deputies and it is gods office which they beare and it is he whiche ordeyneth thereto suche as himselfe lysteth good whan he fauoreth the people and evyll whan he wyll punysh theim And therefore whosoever rebelleth agaynst any ruler either good or bad rebelleth against GOD and shalbe sure of a wretched ende For God can not but maintein his deputie Yet this I note by the waye concernyng rebelles and rebellions Although the deuyll rayse theim yet God alwayes vseth them to his glory as a parte of his Iustice. For whan Kynges and chiefe rulers suffer theyr vnder officers to mysuse theyr subiectes and wil not heare nor remedye theyr peoples wronges whan they complayne than 〈◊〉 GOD the Rebell to rage and to execute that parte of his Iustice whiche the parcyall prince woulde not For the Lord Saies a very corrupt officer one whom notwithstanding the king alwaies main temed was destroyed by this Iacke as was also the byshop of Salysbury a proude and coueitous prelate by other of the rebelles And therefore what soever prince desyreth to lyue quyatlye without rebellion must do his subiectes right in all thinges and punyshe suche officers as greue or oppresse theim thus shall they be sure from all rebellion And for the clerer opening herof it were well doen to set forth this Lord Sayes Tragedie What neede that ê™ another seyng the lyke example is seen in the duke of Suffolke whose doinges are declared sufficiently alredy Nay rather let vs go forward for we haue a great mayny behynde that maye not be omytted and the tyme as you see passeth away As for this Lorde Sayes whom Cade so cruelly kylled and spytefully vsed after his death I dare say shalbe knowen thereby what he was to all that reade or heare this storie For God would never have suffred him to haue been so vsed except he had fyrst deserved it Therefore let hym go and with hym the Bushop and all other slaine in that rebellion which was raysed as it may be thought through sum dryâ—t of the duke of Yorke who shortly after began to endeuoure all meanes to attayne the Crowne and â—â—â—refore gathered an armye in Wales and marched towarde London but the kyng wich his power taried and met him at S. Albones Where whyle the king he wer about a treatye therle of Warwyke set vpon the kings army and uewe the duke of Somerset the Erle of Northumberlande the Lorde Clyfforde and other and in conclusion got the victorie and the duke was made Lord Protector Whiche so greved the Queene and her accomplices that pryvy grutches and open dissemblyng never ceassed tyl the duke and his allies were glad to flye the field and Realme he into Irelande they to Calayes whence they came agayne with an army wherof the Erle of Salisburye was leader and marched toward Coventry where y e king than was and had gathered an armye to subdue them and encountred them at Northhampton and fought and lost the fyelde and was taken hym selfe the duke of Buckingham the erle of Shrewesbury the vicounte Beaumount the Lord Egermount and many other of his retinue slayne Yf no man haue any minde to any of these noble personages because they were honourably slaine in battayâ—e let sum man els take the Booke for I mynde to say sumwhat of this duke of Somerset ☞ Whyle he was deuisyng thereon and every man seking farder notes I looked on the Cronicles and fynding styl fyelde vpon fyelde manye noble men slayne I purposed to haue ouerpassed all for I was so wearye that I waxed drowsye and began in dede to slumber but my imaginacion styll prosecutyng this ragicall matter brought me suche a fantasy me thought there stode before vs a tall mans body full of fresshe woundes but lackyng a head holdyng by the hande a goodlye childe whose brest was so wounded y t his hearte myght be seen his louely face and eyes disfigured with dropping teares his heare through horrour standyng vpryght his mercy cravyng handes all to bemangled all his body embrued w t his own bloud And whan through the gastfulnes of this pyteous spectacle I wared afeard and turned awaye my face me thought there came a shrekyng voyce out of the weasande pipe of the headles bodye saying as foloweth Hovv Richard Plantagenet duke of York vvas slayne through his over rash boldnes and his sonne the earle of Rutland for his lack of valiauns TRust Fortune ê™ he in whoÌ„ was neuer trust O folly of men that haue no better grace All rest renowne and dedes lie in the dust Of al the sort that sue her slipper trace What meanest thou Baldwin for to hide thy face Thou nedest not feare although I misse my head Nor yet to mourne for this my sonne is dead The cause why thus I lead him in my hand His skin with blud and teares so sore bestaynd Is that thou mayst the better vnderstand How hardly Fortune hath for vs ordaynde In whom her love and hate be hole contaynde For I am Richard prince Plantagenet The duke of Yorke in royall rase beget For Richarde erle of Cambridge eldest sonne Of Edmund Langley third sonne of king Edward Engendred me of Anne whose course did runne Of Mortimers to be the issue garde For when her brother Edmund died a warde
A MYRROVRE For Magistrates Wherein may be seen by example of other with howe greuous plages vices are punished and howe frayle and vnstable worldly prosperitie is founde even of those whom Fortune seemeth most highly to fauour Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum Anno. 1559. LONDINI In aedibus Thomae Marshe Love and Lyve To the nobilitye and all other in office God graunt vvisedome and all thinges nedeful for the preseruacion of theyr Estates Amen PLATO Among many other of his notable sentences concerning the government of a coÌ„mon weale hath this Well is that realme governed in which the ambicious desyer not to beare office Wherby you may perceive right honorable what offices are where they be duely executed not gaynful spoyles for the gredy to hunt for but payneful toyles for the heedy to be charged with You may perceyve also by this sentence that there is nothing more necessary in a common weale than that officers be diligent and trusty in their charges And sure in whatsoever realme such provision is made that officers be forced to do their duties there is it as harde a matter to get an officer as it is in other places to shift of and put by those that with flattery brâ—bes and other shiftes sue and preace for offices For the ambicious that is to say prollers for power or gayne seeke not for offices to helpe other for whiche cause offices are ordayned but with the vndoing of other to pranke vp them selves And therfore bar them once of this bayre and force them to do their duties they will geve more to be rid fro their charges than they did at the first to bye them For they seke only their commodity and â—ase And therfore where the ambicious seeke no office there no doubt offices are duly ministred and where offices are duly ministred it caÌ„ not be chosen but the people are good whereof must nedes folow a good common weale For if the officers be good the people can not be yll Thus the goodnes or badnes of any realme lyeth in the goodnes or badnes of the rulers And therfore not without great cause do the holy Apostels so earnestly charge vs to pray for the magistrates For in dede the welth and quiet of everye common weale the disorder also and miseries of the same cum specicially through them I nede not go eyther to the Romans or Grekes for proofe hereof neyther yet to the Iewes or other naâ—ions whose common weales have alway florished while their officers were good and decayed and ranne to ruyne whan noughty men had the regiment Our owne countrey stories if we reade marke them will shewe vs examples ynow would God we had not seen moe then ynowe I purpose not to stand here vppon the particulers because they be in part set furth in the tragedyes Yet by the waye this I note wishing all other to do the like namely that as good governers have never lacked their deserved renowme fo have not the bad escaped infamy besides such plages as are horrible to hear of For God the ordeyner of Offices although he suffer them â–ª punishment of the people to be often occupied of such as are rather spoilers and Iudasses than toylers or Iustices whom the scripture therfore calleth Hipacrites yet suffâ—eth he them not to skape vnpuâ—ished because they dishonour him For it is Gods owne office yea his chiefe office whych they beare abuse For as Iustice is the chief vertue so is the ministracion therof the chiefest office therfore hath God established it with the chiefest name honâ—ring calling Kinges all officers vnder theÌ„ by his owne name Gods Ye be all Gods as many as have in your charge any ministracion of Iustice. What a fowle shame wer it for any now to take vpon them the name and office of God and in their doinges to shew them selves divyls God can not of Iustice but plage such shameles presumption and hipocrisy and that with shamefull death diseases or infamy Howe he hath plaged euill rulers from time to time in other nacions you may see gathered in Boccas booke intituled the fall of Princes translated into Englishe by Lydgate Howe he hath delt with sum of our countreymen your auncestors for sundrye vices not yet left this booke named A Myrrour for Magistrates can shewe which therfore I humbly offre vnto your honors beseching you to accept it fauorably For here as in a loking glas you shall see if any vice be in you howe the like hath bene punished in other heretofore whereby admonished I trust it will be a good occasion to move you to the soner amendment This is the chiefest ende whye it is set fâ—rth which God graunt it may attayne The wurke was begun part of it 〈◊〉 .iiii. yeare agoe but hyndred by the lord Chauncellour that then was nevertheles through y e meanes of my lord Stafford lately perused licenced Whan I first tooke it in hand I had the helpe of many graunted offred of sum but of few perfourmed sâ—arce of any So that wher I entended to have continued it to Quene Maries time I have ben â—ame to end it much sooner yet so that it may stande for a patarne till the rest be ready which with Gods grace if I may have anye helpe shall be shortly In the meane while my lords and gods for so I may call you I most humbly beseche you fauourably to accepte this rude myrrour and diligently to read and consider it And although you shall finde in it that sum haue for their vertue been enuied and murdered yet cease not you to be vertuous but do your offices to the vttermost punish sinne boldly both in your selues and other so shall God whose lieutenauntes you are eyther so mayntayne you that no malice shall preuayle or if it do it shal be for your good and to your eternall glory both here and in heaven which I beseche God you may covet and attayne Amen Yours most humble VVilliam Baldvvin ¶ A Briefe Memorial of sundrye Unfortunate Englishe men William Baldwin to the Reader WHan the Printer had purposed with hym selfe to printe Lâ—dgates booke of the fall of Princes and had made priuye thereto many both honourable and worshipfull he was counsailed by dyuers of theim to procure to haue the storye contynewed from where as Bochas lefte vnto this presente time chiefly of suche as Fortune had dalyed with here in this ylande whiche might be as a myrrour for al men as well noble as others to shewe the slyppery deceytes of the waueryng lady and the due rewarde of all kinde of vices Whiche aduyse lyked him so well that he required me to take paynes therin but because it was a matter passyng my wyt and skyll and more thankles than gaineful to meddle in I refused vtterly to vndertake it excepte I might haue the helpe of suche as in wyt were apte in learning allowed and in iudgemente aâ—d estymacion able to