and shame abash me to reherce My lothsome lyfe and death of due deserued Yet that the paynes thereof may other pearce To leaue the like least they be likewise serued Ah Baldwin marke aud see how that I swerued Dissemblinge enuy and Flattery bane that bee Of al their Hosts haue shewed their power on mee A blame not fortune though she did her part And true it is she can do little harme She guideth goods she hampreth not the hart A minde well â—ent is safe from euery charme Vice onely vice with her stout strengthlesse arme Doth cause the heart from good to ill encline Whych I alas do finde to true by myne For where by birth I came of noble race The Mowbreys heyre a famouse house and olde Fortune I thanke gaue me so good a grace That of my Prince I had what so I wolde Yet neyther was to other greatly holde For I through flattery abusd his wanton youth And his fond trust augmented my vntruth Hee made mee first the Earle of Notingham And Marshall of England in which estate The Pieres and people ioyntly to mee came With sore complaint against them that of late Made officers had brought the kinge in hate By makinge sale of Iustice right and Lawe And liuinge naught without all dreade or awe I gaue them ayde these euils to redresse And went to London with an army strong And caused the king against his will oppresse By cruell death all such as led him wrong The Lord chiefe Iustice suffered these among So did the Steward of his houshold head The Chauncellor scapt for he aforehand fled These wicked men thus from the king remoued Who best vs pleased succeeded in their place For which both Kinge and Commons mutch vs loued But chiefly I with all stoode high in grace The Kinge ensued my rede in euery case Whence selfe loue bred for glory maketh proude And pryde ay looketh alone to bee allowde Wherefore to th' ende I might alone enioy The Kinges fauour I made his lust my lawe And where of late I laboured to destroy Sutch flatteringe folke as thereto stode in awe Now learned I amonge the rest to clawe For pride is sutch if it be kindly caught As stroyeth good and stirreth vp euery naught Pryde prouoketh to flatter for the pray To poll and oppresse for maintenaunce of the same To malice such as match vnethes it may And to be briefe pride doth the hart enflame To fyre what mischiefe any fraud may frame And euer at length the euils by it wrought Confound the worker and bring him vnto nought Behold in me due proofe of euery part For pryde prickt me first my prince to flatter So much that who so euer pleased his hart Were it neuer so euil I thought it a lawfll matter Which caused the Lordes afresh against him clatter Because of Holdes beyond the sea that â—e solde And seene his souldiers of their wages polde Though all these ills were done by myne assent Yet such was lucke that ech man deemed no For see the Duke of Glocestre for me sent With other Lordes whose hartes did bleede for woe To see the Realme so fast to ruine goe In fault whereof they sayd the two Dukes were The one of Yorke the other of Lancaster On whose remoue from place about the king We all agreed and sware a solemâ—ne oth And whilst the rest prouided for this thing I flatterer I to wyn the prayse of troth Wretch that I was brake fayth and promise both For I bewrayed the King their whole intent For which vnwares they all were tane and shent Thus was the warder of the Common weale The Duke of Glocester giltlesse made away With other moe more wretch I so to deale Who through vntruth their trust did ill betraye Yet by this meanes obteyned I my praye Of king and Dukes I found for this such fauour As made me Duke of Northfolke for my labour But see how pryde and enuye ioyntly runne Because my Prince did more then me preferre Syr Henry Bolenbroke the Eldest sonne Of Iohn of Gaunt the Duke of Lancaster Proude I that would alone be blazing sterre Enuied this Duke for nought saue that the shyne Of his desertes did glister more then mine To thend therfore his light should be the lesse I slylye sought al shiftes to put it out But as the poyze that would the palmetree presse Doth cause the bowes sprede larger round about So spite and enuye causeth glory sproute And aye the more the toppe is ouer trode The deeper doth the sound roote spreade abrode For when this Henrye Duke of Hereford sawe What spoyâ—e the King made of the noble blood And that without al Iustice cause or lawe To suffer him so be thought not sure nor good Wherefore to me twofaced in one hood As touching this he fully brake his mynde As to his frend that should remedye fynde But I although I knewe my Prince did ill So that my heart abhorred sore the same Yet mischiefe so through malice led my will To bringe this Duke from honour vnto shame And toward my selfe my Soueraygne to enflame That I bewrayeâ— his Words vnto the King Not as a reade but as a most haynous thing Thus where my duty bounde me to haue tolde My Prince his fault and wild him to refrayne Through flattery loe I did his ill vpholde VVhich turnd at length both him and mee to payne VVo wo to Kinges whose counsaylours do fayne VVo wo to Realmes where sutch are put in trust As leaue the lawe to serue the Princes lust And wo to him that by his flatteringe rede Maynteyns a Prince in any kinde of vice VVo worth him eke for enuy pryde or mede That misreportes any honest enterprise Because I beast in all these poynctes was nice The plagues of all together on me light And due for ill All doers doth acquite For when the Duke was charged with my plaint Hee flat denied that any part was true And claymde by Armes to aunswere his attaint And I by vse that Warly feates well knewe To his desire incontinently drewe VVherewith the Kinge did seeme right well content As one that past not mutch with whom it went. At time and place appoyncted wee appeard At all poynctes Armed to proue our Quarelles Iust And whan our Freendes on ech part had vs cheard And that the Harolds had vs do our lust With speare in rest we toke a course to iust But ere our horses had runne halfe theyr way A shoute was made the Kâ—ng commaunded staye And for to auoyde the sheddinge of our bloud VVith shame and death which one must needes haue had The Kinge through counsayle of the Lordes thought good To banishe both wich iudgement strait was rad No maruayle than though both were wroth and sad But chiefly I that was Exild for aye My Enmy straungd but for ten yeares daye The date expird whan by this doubtfull dome I should depart to liue in banisht hand On payne of death to
⧠THE LAST part of the Mirour for Magistrates wherein may be seene by examples passed in this Realme vvith how greeâ—ous plagues vyces are punished in great Princes Magistrats and hovv frayle and vnstable vvorldly prosperity is founde where Fortune seemeth most highly to Fauour Newly corrected and enlarged Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum IMPRINTED at London in Fleetstreete neere vnto Sainct Dunstanes Church by Thomas Marsh. 1578. Cum Priuilegio Loue and Liue. TO ALL THE NOBIlitie and all other in office God graunte wisedome and all thinges nedefull for the preseruation of their Estates Amen PLato among many of his notable sentences concernyng the gouernement of a common weale hath this well is that Realme gouerned in which the ambicious desire not to beare office Whereby you may perceiue right honourable what offices are where they be duely executed not gainfull spoyles for the gredy to hunt for but painefull toyles for the heady to bee charged with You may perceiue also by this sentence there is nothing more necessary in a common weale then that Magistrates be diligent and trusty in their charges ¶ And sure in whatsoeuer Realme such prouision is made the officers be forced to do their duties there is it as hard a matter to get an officer as it is in other places to repulse shift of those that with flattery brybes and other shiftes sue preace for offices For the ambitious that is to saye prollers for power or gayne seeke not for offices to helpe other for whych cause officers are ordained but with the vndoing of other to enrich themselues And therfore â—ar them once of this bayt force them to do their dueties then will they geue more to be rid from their charges than they did at that first to come by eâ—eÌ„ For they seeke onely their priuate profite And therfore where the ambitious seeke no office there no doubt offices are duely ministred And wheâ—e offices are duely ministred it cannot be chosen but the people are good whereof must nedes follow a good common weale For if the magistrates be good the people cannot be ill Thus the goodnes or badnes of any Realme lieth in the goodnes or badnes of the Rulers And therfore not without great cause do the holy Appostles so earnestly charg vs to pray for the magistraâ—es For in dede the wealth quiet of euery common weale the disorder also and miseries of the same come specially thorough them I neede not go eyther to the Romaines or Greekes for the profe hereof neither yet to the Iewes or other nations whose common weales haue alway florished whyle their magistrates were good and decayed and raâ— to ruyne when viciâ—us men had the gouernement Out countrey stories if we reade and marke them wil show vs examples enow would God we had not sene mo thaÌ„ enow I purpose not to stand herevpon the particulars because they be in parte setforth in the tragedies folowing Yet by the waye this I note wishing all other to doe the like namely that as good gouernours haue neuer lacked their deserued praises so haue not the bad escaped infamy besides such plagues as are horrible to heare of For God the ordeiner of offices although he suffer them for punishment of the people to be often occupied of such as are rather spoilers and Iudasses than toilers or Iustices whom the scriptures cal Hypocrits yet suffereth he them not to scape vnpunished because they dishonour him For it is Gods own office yea his chief office which they beare and abuse For as Iustice is the chief vertue so is the ministration thereof the chiefest office and therfore hath God established it with the chiefest name honouring and calling Kinges and all officers vnder them by his owne name Gods. Ye be al Gods as many as haue in your charge any ministration of iustice What a foule shame were it for any nowe to take vpon them the name and office of God and in their doings to shew themselues deuils God cannot of Iustice but plague suche shamelesse presumption and hipocrisie and that with shamful death diseases or infamye Howe he hath plagued euil rulers from time to time in other nations you may see gathred in Bochas boke intituled The fall of Princes traÌ„slated into English by Lydgate a Monke of y Abbey of Bury in Suff. How he hath delt with some of our countrymen your auncestours for sundry vices not yet left this boke named A Mirrour for Magistrates shall in parte plaâ—inye set forth before your eyes which boke I humbly offer vnto your honours beseching you to accept it fauorably For here as in a mirror or lokiÌ„g glasse you shal se if any vice be fouÌ„d how the like hath ben punished in other heretofore wherby admonished I trust it will bee a good occasioÌ„ to moue meÌ„ to the soner ameÌ„dmeÌ„t This is the chief end why this booke is setforth which God grauÌ„t it may talke according to the maner of the makers The worke was begâ—Ì„ part of it printed in quene Maries time but staid by such as theÌ„ were chief in office neuertheles through the meanes of the right honorable HeÌ„ry Lord Stafford the first part was liceÌ„ced imprinted the first yeare of the raign of this our most noble and vertuous Quene dedicated to your honours with this preface Since with time although I waÌ„ted such help as before yet the said good Lord Stafford hath not ceased to cal vpoÌ„ me to publish so much therof as I had gotteÌ„ at other meÌ„s hands so that through his Lordships earnest meanes I haue now also setforth another part conteining as much as I could obtaine at the hands of my frends Which in the name of al the authours I huÌ„bly dedicate vnto your honours instaÌ„tly wishing that it may so like deâ—â—te your minds y your chereful receiuiÌ„g thereof â–ª may encourage worthy wiâ—s to enterprise performe the test Which assone as I may procure I enteÌ„d through Gods leaue your fauorable allowance to publish with all expedicion In the meane whyle my Lordes and Gods for so It may cal you I moste humbly besech your honours fauorably to accept this rude worke and diligentlye to reade and consider it And although you shal find in it that some haue for their vertue bin enuied and brought vnto misery yet cease not you to be vertuous but do your office to the vttermost Embrace vertue and suppresse the contrary both in your selues and other so shall God whose officers you are eyther so maintaine you that no malice shall preuaile or if it do it shall be for your good to your eternall glory both here and in heauen which I beseech God you may both seeke and attaine Amen Yours most humble VV. B. A TABLE OF THE Contentes of this Booke 1. Robert TresiliaÌ„ chief Iustice of EnglaÌ„d haÌ„ged at Tyburn his fellows Iustices banished for miscoÌ„struiÌ„g the lawes Fol. 1 2. The infortunate ende of the two
murder of many notable meÌ„ which thereby happened for Iacke as yee knowe was but a poore Prince I wil begin with a notable example which within a while after ensued And although the person at whom I beginne was no kinge nor Prince yet sithens he had a Princely office I wil take vpon mee the miserable person of Syr Robert Tresilian chiefe Iustice of Englande and of other his fellowes learned in the Law that were plagued with him thereby to warne all of theyr callinge profession to be ware of wronge Iudgementes miscoÌ„struinge of Lawes or wrestinge the same to serue the Prynces turne which rightfully brought them to a myserable ende which they may iustly lament in maner ensuinge * ⎠* ⧠THE FALL OF SIR Robert Tresilian chief Iustice of England and other his fellowes for misconstruinge the Lawes and expoundinge them to serue the Prynces affections Anno. 1388. IN the rufull Regester of mischifee and mishap Baldwin we besech thee with our names to begin Whom vnfrendly Fortune did trayne vnto a trap WheÌ„ we our state estéem'd most stable to haue bin So lightly léese they all which all do weene to winne Learne by vs yee Lawyers and Iudges of the Lande Vpright and vncorrupt in dome alway to stand And print yee this president to remayne for euer Enroll and recorde it in tables made of Brasse Engraue it in Marble that may bee razed neuer Where Iudges of the Lawe may sée as in a Glasse What guerdon is for guile and what our wages was Who for filthy lucre corrupt with meede and awe Wittingly and wretchedly did wrest the sence of Lawe A chaunge more new or straunge when was there euer séene Then Iudges from the Bench to come downe to the Barre And counsaylours that were most nigh to King and Quéene Exiled their countrey from Court and counsayle farre But such is Fortunes play that can both make and marre Exaltinge to most highe that was before most lowe And turning tayle agayne the lofty downe to throwe And such as late afore could stoutly speake and pleade Both in Court and Countrey carelesse of the triall Stand muet as Mammers without aduice or reade All to seeke of shiftinge by trauerse or deniall Which haue seene the day when for a golden Riall By finesse and cunning could haue made blacke seeme whit And most extorted wronge to haue appeared righte Whilst thus on bench aboue wee had the highest place Our reasons were to strong for any to confute But when at barre beneath we came to pleade our case Our wittes were in the wane our pleadinge very brute Hard it is for Prisoners with Iudges to dispute When many against one and none for one shall speake Who weenes himselfe most wyse shall haply be to weake To you therefore that sit these fewe wordes will I say That no man sits so sure but may be brought to stand Wherefore whilst you haue place beare the swing sway By fauour without rygor let poincts of Law bee skand Pitty the poore Prysoner that holdeth vp his hand Ne lade him not with Law who least of Law hath knowne Remember ere yee dye the case may bee your owne Beholde mee vnfortunate Foreman of thys Flocke Tresilian sometime chiefe Iustice of this Lande A Gentleman by byrth no stayne was in my Stocke Locketon Hâ—lt and Belknay with other of my bande Which the Lawe and Iustice had wholly in our hande Vnder the second Rychard a Prince of great estates To whom and vs also blinde Fortune gaue the mate In the common Lawes oure skill was so profounde Oure credit and aucthority such and so estéemed That what that we concluded was taken for a grounde Allowed was for Lawe what so to vs best seemed Lyfe Death Landes goods and all by vs was deemed Whereby with easy payne great gaine we did in fet And euery thinge was fishe that came vnto our net At Sessions and Sises we bare the stroke and sway In pantents and commission of Quorum alway chiefe So that to whether side soeuer we did way Were it by right or wronge it past without represe The true man we let hang somwhiles to saue a Thiefe Of Golde and of Siluer our handes were neuer empty Offices Fâ—rmes and Fees fell to vs in great plenty But what thinge may suffice vnto the greedy man The more he hath in hold the more he doth desire Happy and twyce happy is hee that wisely can Content himselfe with that which reason doth require And moyleth for no more then for his needefull hyre But greedinesse of minde doth seeldome keepe the syse To whom enough and more at no time doth suffise For like as Dropsy pacients drinke and still be drye Whose vnstaunched Thirst no Liquor can Alaye And drincke they nere so mutch yet Thirst they by and by So Catchers and Snatchers toyle both night and day Not néedy but gréedy still prollinge for their Praye O endelesse Thirst of Gold â–ª corrupter of all Lawes What mischiefe is on mould whereof thou art not cause Thou madest vs forget the fayth we did professe When Sergeants we were sworne to serue the coÌ„mon Law Makyng a solempne oth in no paynt to dygresse From approued Principles in sentence nor in sawe But we vnhappy wyghts without al dread and awe Of the Iudge eternall more high to be promoted To Mammon more then God all wholly were deuoted The Lawes we did interprete and statutes of the Land Not truely by the Text but newly by a gloase And wordes y were most plaine when they by vs were scand Wee turned by construction like a Welshmans hoase Whereby many a one both life and Land did loose Yet this we made our meane to mount a loft on Mules And seruing times and turues peruerted Lawes and rules Thus clyming and contending alway to the toppe From hie vato higher and than to be most hye The honny dew of Fortune so fast on vs did droppe That of King Richards counsayle we came to be most nye Whose fauoure to attayne we were full fine and slye Alway to his auayle where any sense might sound That way were it all wrong â—he Lawes we did expound So workinge Lawe like waxe the subiect was not sure Of Life Land nor goods but at the Princes will Which caused his kingdome the shorter time to dure For clayminge power absolute both to saue and spill The Prince thereby presumed his people for to pill And set his lustes for Lawe and will had reasons place No more but hange and draw there was no better grace The King thus outleaping the limits of his lawe Not raygning but raginge as wyll did him entice Wyse and worthy persons from Court did daylye drawe Sage counsell see at naught proud vaunters were in price And roysters bare the rule which wasted al in vyce Of ryot and excesse grew scarcitie and lacke Of â—acking came taxing and so went wealth to wracke The Barons of the Land not bearing this abuse Conspiring with
the commons assembled by assent And seing no reason nor treaâ—ye could induce The king in any thing his rigour to relent Maugre his princely mynde they cald a Parliament Francke and free for all men vnchecked to debate Aswell for weale publique as for the Princes state In which high assemblye great thinges were proponed Touching the Princes state his regally and crowne By reason that Richard which much was to be moned Without regard at all of honour or renowne Misled by ill aduise had turnde al vpside downe For sureâ—ie of whose state them thought it did behooue His counsailours corrupt by order to remoue Among whom Robert Veer called Duke of Ireland With Mighel Delapoole of Suffolke new made Earle Tharchbyshop of Yorke was also of our hand With Brembre of London a ful vncurteous churle Some learned in the law in exile they did hurle But I iudge Tresilian because I was the chiefe Was damâ—ned to the Gallowes to dye there as a thiefe Lo the fyne of falshoode the stipend of corruption The â—ickle fâ—e of fraud the fruites it doth procure Ye iudges now liuing let out iust punition Teach you to shake of brybes and kepe your hâ—ndes al pure Riches and promocion be vayne thinges and vnsure The fauour of a Prince is an vntrustie staye But Iustice hath a fee that shal remayne alwaye What gloryis more greater in sight of God or man. Then by pathes of Iustice in Iudgement to procede So duelye and truely the lawes alway to skan That Iustice may take place without reward or meede Set apart all flattery and vayne worldly dreede Set God before your eyes the righteous Iudge supreme Remember wel your reckening at the day extreame Abandon all affray be soothfast in your sawes Be constant and carelesse of mortall mens displeasure With eyes shut hands closde you should pronouÌ„ce the lawes Way not this worldly mucke thincke there is a treasure More worth then Gold or stone a thousand times in valure Reposed for all such as righteousnes ensue Wherof you cannot fayle the promise made is true If Iudges in our dayes would ponder wel in mynde The fatall fall of vs for wresting lawe and right Such statutes as touch lyfe should not be thus definde By sences constrained against true meaning quite Aswel they might affirme the blacke for to be whyte Wherfore we wish they would our act and end compare And waying wel the case they wyl we trust beware Finis G. F. WHen finished was this Tragedy which semed not vnfyt for the persons touched in y same Another which in the meane tyme had stayde vppon syr Roger Mortimer Earle of March and heyre apparaunt of Englande whose miserable end as it should appeare was somwhat before the others sayd as foloweth Although it be not greatlye appertinent to our purposed matter yet in my iudgement I thincke it would do wel to obserue the tymes of these great infortunes and as they be more auncient in tyme so to place their seuerall plaintes For I fynde that before these of whoÌ„ maister Ferrers here hath spoken there were two earles of the name of Mortimer the one in the tyme of king Edward the third out of our date another in Richard the secondes time slayne in Ireland a yeare before the fal of these Iustices whose hystorie syth it is notable and thexample fruitful it were not good to ouerpasse And therfore by your lycence and fauours I wyl take vpon me the personage of the earle Mortimer called Roger who full of bloudye woundes mangled with a pale countenaunce and grieslye looke may make his moane to Baldwin in this wise HOVV THE TWO ROGERS surnamed Mortimers for their sundrye Vyces ended theire lyues vnfortunatelye the one Anno. 1329. the other Anno. 1387. AMong the ryders on the rolling wheele Which lost their holdes Baldwyn forget not mee Whose fatall thred vntimelye death dyd reele Ere it were twisted by the Sisters threee All folke be â—rayle theyr blisses brittle bee For proofe whereof although none other were Suffice may I Sir Roger Mortimer Not he that was in Edwardes dayes the third Whom Fortune brought from boote to extreme bale With loue of whom the Queene so much was stird As for his sake from honour she did scale And whilest Fortune blew on this pleasaunt gale Heauing him high on her triumphall Arch By meane of her hee was made Earle of March. Whence pryde out sprang as doth appeare by manye Whom soden hap aduaunceth in excesse Among thousandes scarse shal you fynde anye Which in high wealth that humor can suppresse As in this earle playne proofe did wel expresse For whereas hee too loftye was before His new degree hath made him now much more For now alone he ruleth as him lust Respecting none saue only the Queene mother Which moued malice to foulder out the rust Which deepe in hate before did lye and smother The Peeres the People aswel the one as other Against him made so haynous a complaint That for a traytour they did the Earle attaynt Than al such crimes as hidden lay before They skower a fresh and somwhat to them adde For hydden hate hath eloquence in store Whan Fortune biddes small faultes to make more bad Fyue haynous crymes against him soone were had Causing the king to yeld vnto the Scot Townes that this father but late afore had got And therewithall the Charter called Ragman Yeuen to the Scots for brybes and priuie gayne That by his meanes sir Edward of Carnaruan In Berckley Castel most cruelly was slayne That with his princes mother he had layne And last of all by pyllage at his pleasure Had spoyld the kyng and commons of their treasure For these thinges lo which erst were out of mynde Dampned he was and honged at the last In whom dame Fortune fully shewed her kynde For whome she heaues she hurleth downe as fast It men to come would learne by other past My coosius fall might cause them set asyde High clymim brybing adultery and pryde The fynal cause why I this processe tell Is that I may be knowen from this other My like in name vnlike me though he fel. Which was I wene my graund sire or his brother To count my kin Dame Philip was my mother Eldest daughter and heire of Lyonell Of King Edward the third the second sequele My Father hight sir Edmund Mortimer Cald Earle of March whence I was after Earle By true discent these two my parentes were Of whih the one of knighthood bare ferl Of Ladies all the other was the pearle After whose Death I onely stoode in plight To be next heyre vnto the crowne by right Touching the case of my cousin Roger Whose ruful end euen now I did relate Was found in tyme an vndue atteindre Against the law by those that bare him hate For where by lawe ech man of free estate Should be heard speake before his iudgement passe That common grace to him denyed was Wherfore by doome in Court of Parliament
England not to come I went my way the Kinge seaâ—d in his hand Myne Offices my Honours Good and Land To paye the due as openly hee tould Of mighty summes which I had from him pold See Baldwin see the salary of sinne Marke with what meede vile vices are regarded Through Pride and Enuy loose both kith and kinne And for my flatteringe plaint so well rewarded Exile and slaunder are iust to mee awarded My Wyfe and Heire lacke Laudes and lawfull Right And mee theyr Lord made Dame Dianais Knight If these mishaps at home bee not enough Adioyne to them my Sorrowes in Exile I went to Almayne first a Land right rough In which I founde sutch churlishe Folke and vile As made mee lothe my life ech otherwhile There lo I learnd what it is to bee a gest A broade and what to liue at home in rest For they esteeme no one man more than ech They vse as well the Lackey as the Lorde And like their maners churlishe in their spech Their lodging hard theyr bourd to bee abhord Their pleityd Garments herewith well accord All Iagde and Frounst with diuers coulours deckt They sweare they curse and drincke till they be flekt They hate all such as these their maners hate VVhich reason would no Wiseman should allowe VVith these I dwelt lamentinge myne estate Till at the length they had got knowledge howe I was exilde because I did auowe A false complaint agaynst my trusty freende VVhich made them thinke mee worse then any feende That what for shame and what for other griefe I parted thence and went to Venice towne VVhereas I found more pleasure and reliefe VVhich was not longe for now the great renowne Of Bolenbroke whom I would haue put downe VVas waxt so great in Britayne and in Fraunce That Venice through ech man did him Auaunce Loo thus his Glory grewe great by my dispite And I thereby increased in defame So enuy euer her hatred doth acquite VVith Trouble Anguishe Sorrowe and selfe Shame VVhereby her Foes do shine in higher Fame Lyke Water waues which clense the Muddy stone And soyle themselues by beatinge thereupon Or eare I had soiourned there a yeare Straunge tidings came he was to England gone Had taâ—e the Kinge and that which touched him neare Emprisoned him with other of his Fone And made him yeelde him vp his Crowne and Throne VVhen I these thinges for true by search had tryed Griefe griped me so I pined a way and died Note here the ende of pryde see Flatteries fyne Marke the rewarde of enuy and false complaynt And warne all people from them to decline Least likely fault do finde the like attaynte Let this my lyfe to them be a restraynt By others harmes who listeth take no hede Shall by his owne learne other better rede FINIS T. CH. THis tragical example was of al the company wel liked howbeit a doubt was fouÌ„d therin that by means of the diuersity of the Chronicles for whereas Hall whose Chronicle in this woorke was chiefelye folowed maketh Mowbrâ—y appellant and Bolenbroke defendant Fabian reporteth the matter quite contrarye and that by recorde of the Parliament rolle wherein it is plain that Bolenbroke was appellant Morobrey defendant wherfore whatsoeuer shal be sayde in the persoÌ„ of Mowbrey who being a most noble prince had to much wrong to be so causeles defamed after his death imagine the same to be spoken agaynste his accuser Which matter syth it is more harde to decide than nedefull to our yurpose which mynde only to disswade froÌ„ vices exalt vertue we refer to such as may come by the Recordes of the Parliament contented in the meane while with Mayster Halles iudgement which maketh best for our foreshewed purpose This doubt thus let passe I would sayd M Ferrers saye somwhat for K. Rich. the 2. after whose depriuing his brother diuers other made a maske mynding by K. Henries destructioÌ„ to haue restored him which maskers matter so runneth in this that I doubt which ought to goe before but seeing no maÌ„ is ready to say ought in their behalfe I wyll geue who so listeth leasure to think thereon in the meane time to further your enrerprise I will in K. Richards behalfe recount such part of his storye as I thinke most necessary And therfore imagin Baldwin y you see y corps of this Prince al to be maÌ„gled with bloudy woundes lyinge pale and wanne naked vpon a Beere in Paules Church the People standing round about him and making his complaint in maner as foloweth HOWE KINGE RICHARDE the second was for his euil gouernaunce deposed from his seate in the yeare 1399. miserably murthered in prison the yeare folowing HApyye is the Prince that hath in wealth the grace Vertue to folow and vyces to keepe vnder But woe to him whose wyl hath wisdomes place For who so renteth right and law asunder On him at length all the world shall wonder Boast of high byrth sword scepter ne mace Can warrant King or Keyser fro the case Shame sueth sinne as rayne do drops of thunder Let kinges therfore the Lawes of God embrace That vayne delightes cause them not to blunder Beholde my hap see how the seely route On me do gaze and ech to other say See where he lyeth but late that was so stoute Loe how the power the Pride and rich aray Of mighty Princes lightly fade away The King which earst kept all the realme in doubt Dead and least dread to graue is caryed out What would be Kinges made of but earth and clay Behold the woundes his body all about Whe liuing here thought neuer to decay Mee thinke I heare the people thus deuise Wherefore Baldwin sith thou wilt now declare How Princes fell to make the liuinge wise My lawlesse life in no poynct see thou spare But paint it out that rulers may beware Good counsayle Lawe or vertue to dispise For Realmes haue rulers and rulers haue a sise Which if they breake thus mutch to say I dare That eythers griefes the other shall agrise Till one be lost the other brought to care I was a Kinge who ruled all by Lust Without respect of Iustice Right or Lawe In false Flatterers reposinge all my trust Embracinge sutch as could my vices clawe Fro counsell sage I did alwayes withdrawe As pleasure prickt so nedes obay I must Hauinge delite to feede and serue the gust Of God or man I stood no wise awe Mee liked least to Torney or to Iust To Venus games my Fansy did more drawe Which to mayntayne I gathered heapes of golde By Fines Fiftenes and loanes by way of prest Blanke Charters Othes and shiftes not knowen of olde For which the people my doinges did detest I also sould the noble towne of Brest My fault wherein because mine vncle tolde For Princes actes may no wise he controld His lyfe I tooke vntried without Quest And all sutch Lordes as did his cause vphold Wyth long exile or cruell