dead were left for food to the fowles of the aire for no man offered to bury them they being by Pope Vrbans Bull excommunicated The Duke now thinking he had no more enemies to molest him and that consequently he stood in no more need of the English he discharged them to the much amazement of King Henry who beleeved him to be a man of greater judgement then this action shewed him to be for he ought to have detained them had it onely been to have obliged Henry unto him and to have diverted him from joining with his enemies as he afterwards did which he had not done had he not beene free of him The Orleanists had lost many strengths so as being reduced to extremities not able to subsist of themselves they threw themselves into the protection of the King of England who willingly embraced their offers which very advantagious to him the articles of what they offered and of his protection were these The Dukes of Berry Orleans and Burbon the Counts of Alanson and Arminiacke the Lord Albret and their adherents did offer for ever hereafter to expose their persons goods and forces to the service of their King of England of his heires and successors in all his just clames as oft as they should berequired by those words his just claimes they intended his claime unto the Dutchie of Guenne and the appertenances thereof and that the said Dutchy did by right of inheritance and naturall succession belong unto him declaring that they did not staine their loyalty by assisting of him in that affaire They offered their sonnes and daughters nephewes and neeces parents allies and subjects to bee married according to the good will and pleasure of the forenamed King They offered their Cities Castles and Treasures and all their goods in the aide of him his heires and successors in his pretentions and claimes their loyalty alwaies preserved as was afterwards declared in letters written and signed apart They offered to serve him with all their friends kindred and adherents in his pretentions unto and in the restitution of the said Dutchy of Guenne They did acknowledge that the said Dutchy did belong unto the King of England and that he ought to enjoy it with the same prerogatives as any of his predecessors had done They acknowledge that as many Cities Castles and Strengths as they were masters of in the said Dutchy they held them all of the King of England as being the true Duke of Guienne offering to doe him homage in most obsequious manner They promised to give and surrender up into the hands of the King of England as much as in them lay all the Cities and Castles which belonged to the Crowne to the number of twenty as in other letters drawn to this purpose was declared For the other Cities and Forts which were not in their hands they promised to buy them out at their owne proper cost and charges and to assist the King of England and his heires with a sufficient number of men It was declared to be the King of Englands pleasure as in other letters signed apart that the Duke of Berry his loyall Uncle subject and vassall the Duke of Orleans his subject and vassall and Count Arminiacke should hold of him in fee and homage the underwritten Townes and Lordships The Duke of Berry the County of Poictou during his life The Duke of Orleans the County of Angolesme during his life and Perigord for ever Count Arminiacke the foure Castles named in the aforesaid letters upon condition and security therein declared That moreover the King of England and Duke of Guienne should succour and defend them all against all as their true Soveraigne Lord and in particular that he should helpe them to get due justice done upon the Duke of Burgundy That he should not make any confederacy or accord with the Duke of Burgundy his sonnes brothers kindred and confederates without the consent of the said Lords That he should assist them as his vassalls in any just quarrells especially in receiving satisfaction for the losse and injuries received by the Duke of Burgundy and his confederates That for the present hee should send 8000. men to assist them against the said Duke who did all he could to incite the King of France and his forces against them These Articles were signed with a caution that they were to pay the souldiers which the King should send the which being taken into pay he gave the charge of them to Thomas his second sonne who was formerly created Duke together with his other two sonnes and his brother the Earle of Dorset Thomas was made Duke of Clarence Iohn of Bedford Humfrey of Gloster and Dorset of Exceter He gave likewise order to those who governed under him in Picardy to wage warre there the which they did Whereupon the King of France who was then at Sens ready to passe into the Dutchy of Berry with an army gave order to the Count Saint Paul to make thitherward with as many people as he could get the which he did not more out of obedience then out of the mortall hatred he bore to Henry but little good came hereof fortune being alwaies averse unto him in those expeditions At his first arrivall the English retired to Bullin The Count resolved to set upon Guines and to free himselfe from further troubles the Towne was onely strong by reason of the Castle It s greatest strength was the Palissadoe and the ditch he hoped to take it by keeping it from being relieved from Caleis He planted himselfe by night betweene the two Forts with 600. horse giving an assault upon breake of day the battell was very sharpe neither side failing in their duties but their forces not sufficing the assaliants thought to helpe themselves by fire in one instant 40. houses were seene to blaze The defendants set upon both by sword and fire got into the Castle from whence they powred downe darts and stones so as the winning of the Towne not sufficient to compleat the victory and the Castle not being to be wonne by assault they retired many of them being hurt but few slaine as saith Monstrelet The King in this interim was gone from Sens and having taken some Townes which lay in his way went to encampe himselfe under Burges where the confederates were In his campe of all sorts and for all services were 100000. horse The Duke of Berry the more to incommodate the assaliants had caused all houses and Churches which were neere the wall to be beaten down and if some few remained unpulled downe they were not priviledged for the insolences of souldiers servants and freebooters is not to be termed military but rather voide of humanity and religion a lamentable thing to any one who is not blinded with passion as was the Duke of Burgony The Dolphin duly considered all these discords it greeved him that a City of such consequence the Metropolitan of two Provinces Auvergne and Berry should bee ruinated
Duke of Aubenge to maintaine himselfe in the government was forced to peacefull resolutions Wales was exhausted and Glendor dead so as having made great preparation of Ships Gallies and Treasure he thought suddenly to embarke himselfe when strucke with a sudden Apoplexy he was forced to take a further journey I beleeve that this his devotion touching Jerusalem was occasioned by a preceding prophesie if it be true that is said that hee should die in Jerusalem for being taken with this sicknesse in the Abbey at Westminster and carried into the Abbots next house as soone as hee was come unto himselfe he enquired where he was and if that chamber wherein he was had any particular name Answer was made that he was in the Abbots house and that the chamber wherein he was was called Jerusalem Here said he must I die he was put to bed and his Crowne set upon a little table by the bed side His sicknesse continuing and sezed by a violent syncope all men thought he had been dead The Prince thinking so likewise tooke the Crowne and withdrew himselfe into another chamber but shortly after he came to himselfe againe when missing his Crowne and being told that the Prince had taken it away he caused him be sent for and asked him how he durst bee so bold as to take that which did not belong unto him Sir replied the Prince forthwith I know the Crowne is none of mine so long as you live and may your Majesty live long to weare it but all wee who are here did thinke verily you were dead and I being your eldest sonne and consequently your heire took it as the chiefe thing of mine inheritance To the which words the King fetching a deepe sigh replied you say well my sonne but for what concernes the Crowne God knowes with what right I have enjoyed it Be it as it will replied the Prince you got it by the sword and by the sword will I maintaine it The King more satisfied with his sonnes noble resolution then with his reason recommended him to the protection of the Almighty and having given him good exhortations how to live well he died the 20. of March Annâ—… Domini 1413. He reigned 13. yeares and a halfe wanting five dayes He was not borne a King but did deserve to die one The end of the Second Booke THE CIVILL VVARRES OF ENGLAND IN THE LIFE OF HENRY the Fifth The third Booke NO Prince was ever borne who did better deceive the common opinion held of him then did Henry the fifth For being in his youth given to much deboychery it was thought that when hee should come unto the Crowne hee would have proved one of the most wicked Kings that ever ruled in England In his valour and daring hee deceived none but was therein alwayes the same But such qualities the more they doe increase the hopes of good in a Prince of hopefull expectation the more doe they increase the feares of evill in a Prince from whom nothing of good is expected What is vertue in the one is vice in the other from which as if illegitimate cruelty neglect and tyranny do proceed Henry was born the yeare 1388. Mary the daughter of Humfrey Bohun Earle of Hereford and Northampton high Constable of England was his mother the King his father being then but Earle of Derby Hee was first brought up at Oxford where under the tuition of his uncle Henry Bewfort Chancellor of that University and afterwards Bishop and Cardinall he grew up in learning wherein he gave signes of a good disposition by putting an esteeme upon learned men insomuch as when he came to be King he made Thomas Rodban a famous Astronomer in those dayes Bishop of Saint Davids and Iohn Carpenter a learned Divine Bishop of Worcester having knowne them both whilst he lived in the University In the twelfth yeare of his age when his father came to the Crowne hee called him from his studies giving the Earle of Worcester to him for Governour who rebelling foure yeares after together with his brother and nephew affoorded him occasion of shewing his valour in battell against them Where hee so bravely behaved himselfe as being hurt hee would not quit the field though hee was much importuned so to do by those that had the charge of him After commanded by his father to pursue Owen Glendor in Wales hee forced him as some say to dye of meere hunger By which actions having prematurely obtained the priviledge of being man and freed himselfe from the superintendencie of others he was at his owne disposall guided by passions which sprung from the heat of bloud the which in a valiant daring Prince as was he produced in the subjects feare and in the father jealousie although the relation between father and sonne ought to bee composed of lesser jealousie then any other relation of friendship But this is not to be wondred at for being borne to egregious acts and his naturall inclinations accordingly framed erring hee could not erre in a meane degree or medium mediocrity being an equall enemy to great wits as well in good as bad Whence it happens that changing humours from best they become worst and from extraordinarily bad exceeding good His deboystnesse though were not such as are common to youth nor subject to such desires as effeminating the minde and dissinewing the strength have brought many Princes to misery and to be inwardly hated by their subjects but certaine sprightly extravagancies caused by the incitations of his martiall nature which not knowing in those yeares how to employ it selfe chused lewd wayes of imployment Amongst the pure seeds of vertue which were in him were certaine graines of Darnell which did almost at the same time bud and become barren He took delight to lye lurking in high wayes to steale from himselfe for observing the times that his tenants were to bring him home his rents hee would set upon them yea sometimes to the danger of his life making them make good in their accounts as much as had been stolne from them neither could they defraud him for he himselfe knew best how much they had lost And it they chanced to hurt or evill treat him hee liked them the better Businesses which in England undergoe death are reduced to two heads Felony Treason The last hath respect to the Princes person and such things as doe depend thereon The other regards civill affairs as man-slaughter theft and such like It so fell out that one of his servants that used to accompany him in such like exploits was taken for felony he came post to London to save him and finding that at the very instant he was carried to the Kings Bench barre to be condemned hee himselfe went thither and commanded the Goalers to take off his irons and set him at liberty The Lord chiefe Justice who at his comming had not stirred from his seat wished him to remember that that was the seat of his father King and
That though it were an easie matter to convince them since they could never prove what he never dreampt of yet he was not come for that purpose That he did present himselfe as guilty since he was declared to be such not by his owne conscience but by his Majesties deluded opinion that therefore since it was impossible for him to live without insufferable anguish of mind being subject to such suspitions hee beseeched his Majesty to free him from further vexation with this weapon Then presenting unto him a dagger by the point hee added That he would willingly suffer death if it might cause such quiet unto his Majesty as his Majesty did beleeve That hee should not hold his hand out of any consideration of his soule for he had begged mercy of God and taken his Christian viaticum much lesse out of fear that this might be imputed as a sinne unto his Majesty for being already satisfied of the humane justice in punishing a guilty person worthy of whatsoever chastisement for what concerned divine justice he did promise him in the presence of those Lords who were by to be his advocate before the Tribunall of the supreame Judge in that fearefull and terrible day when the secrets of all hearts being knowne his Majesty and himselfe in the chariot of his innocency should triumph over the calumnies of other men The speech being ended the King threw away the dagger and with teares of joy imbraced and kissed him and confessed he had done amisse in beleeving otherwise of him then he ought to have done Hee assured him that for the time to come hee would be deafe to all such as should dare to speake against him But the Prince not herewithall contented humbly beseeched his Majesty to bring his accusers to the test that either they or he might receive condigne punishment The King satisfied in the innocency of his sonne and unwilling that those who were zealously his should be punished appeased his sonne saying that since this businesse was to be judged by the Peers of the Land nothing could be done therein till the next Parliament and that then he should receive such satisfaction as he justly did demand Then sweetning him with intreaties and faire speeches he made him quit his request and kept him in his good opinion as long as hee lived These and the like actions generally held dissolute afforded reason of bad presages as hath beene formerly said But assoone as he put on the Crowne he turned another leafe and became excellent in all such vertues as make a Prince famous in peace and redoubted in warre A change by how much the more rare the more admired since thereby the worst of men doe prove the best and types of vertue He first of all like a good husband purged his house of all uncleannesse and not content to have swept from thence all his deboisht companions he did not onely forbid them his sight and further company but banished them from comming within tenne miles of the Court He put in their places persons of exemplary lives Hee placed in his seates of Justice and in his Councell men worthy of such trust and joyning piety to his policy he founded Monasteries and brought the body of Richard the second from an obscure sepulchre in Langley to Westminster where he caused him with regall pompe to bee put in a tombe built at his owne charge and Lady Anne of Bohemia his first wife by him He sent Embassadours and Bishops to Constantia to endeavour in that Councell an end of the Schisme which had then a long time lasted and where not long after in stead of three Popes who reigned altogether Martin the fifth was chosen Pope to the great joy of all Christendome He referred the Lord Cobham who was accused of herefie to the Ecclesiasticall Courts having given him friendly admonitions for he had formerly loved him by reason of his valour from whence being committed over to secular Jurisdiction he was to have received his last punishment had hee not by some of his friends beene secretly conveyed out of the Tower But that which for the present befell not him happened to divers others for many of his opinion having seditiously assembled themselves and accused of conspiracy so many of them were taken as the prisons were not able to containe them and nine and twenty of the chiefest of them where one was a Priest were put to death the like befalling himselfe foure yeares after who was taken about the borders of Wales and hang'd and burnt He restored Henry Percy sonne to Henry hot spurre to his Lands Honour having sent for him back from Scotland whither he was for safety sent in the downfall of his family hee thought it not fit that so noble bloud should suffer punishment in the person of a child who being of so innocent yeares ought not to partake of his fore-fathers faults It was easie for him to restore unto him his lands which the King his father had given to Iohn his third sonne whom hee recompenced with an equivalent revenue Thus he ended the first yeare of his reigne in the beginning whereof the Duke of Clarence who was then in Aquitany hearing of his fathers death returned home to England and brought along with him Iohn Count of Angolesme together with the other hostages assigned over for the Duke of Orleans debt and was by the King received with a brotherly affection The Clergy had been practised upon in King Henry the fourths time by reason of their great revenues as being superfluously larger then was requisite for them In the eleventh year of his reigne mention was made in Parliament that they would have been cause of much scandall if the civill warres had not been The warres being at this present at an end and mens mindes more eager of this then formerly it was thought good not to lose the opportunity of time For since the King was addicted to war it behoved him to raise unto himselfe a permanent revenue to the satisfaction of the whole Kingdome A calculation was made that leaving to the Clergy what was sufficient for them the over-plus of their revenues was sufficient to maintaine fifteene Earles fifteene hundred Knights six thousand two hundred Gentlemen and an hundred Hospitalls besides twenty thousand pound a yeare reserved for the Kings Exchequer which twenty thousand pound was more then then an hundred thousand pound would now be A calculation which whether true or false proved a true danger to the Clergy The remedy was easie the combination being generall the advantage common to all for the King Nobility and Commonalty were to share in what was to bee taken from them A Parliament was called at Leicester wherein they were threatned They thought to eschew the blow by making some great offer but if it should not be accepted of for bee it what they pleased it must bee much inferior to what was expected from them they ran a hazard of defamation as corrupters
number which belonged to the kitchin when he went to Ireland he made him a horse-mans coat which cost 3000. markes according to which if you proportion all other expences the summe will not be to be estimated Hee proclaimed Tiltings and Barriers Princes and Cavalieres from all parts flocked thither who were all defraid during their being there and presented at their departing In his private family he knew not how to deny any thing he granted whatsoever was asked The easinesse of obtaining favours imbased their value for favours are then greatest and most to be esteemed of when they are conferred with most judgement and least expected so as his ordinary revenues not suffising hee was inforced to use extraordinary meanes His immoderate affection to his servants his Uncles tyranny and peoples hatred not able to undoe him his immense prodigality made the last despair without the which he could not have been ruined being in some necessity for lack of money willing perchance by a little to try whether he might rely on a greater sum upon occasion he desired to borrow of the Citie of London a thousand pound an inconsiderable summe for such a King and so rich a Citie they notwithstanding honested their deniall with pretending not to have so great a summe which answer though discourteous was not injurious But an Italian Merchant offering to lay downe the money for them hee was so cruelly beaten as that they had well nigh slaine him so as the affront reflecting upon the King who neither in justice nor reputation could sit downe by it As hee was meditating upon revenge hee met with a second insolencie more cruell and more insufferable The Bishop of Salsbury Lord Treasurer was then at the Court at Windsor having left the greatest part of his houshold at London It happened a man of his desirous to sport himselfe with a Baker who passed by with a Basket full of Bread tooke a loafe out of the Basket the Baker hereupon giving ill words he broke his head the common people would have laid hands upon this man but being defended by his companions hee got into his masters house they beset the house and were ready to have set it on fire had not the Lord Maior and the rest of his brethren come in the people demanded the delinquent threatning fire and sword The Bishops servants denied to deliver him pleading the priviledge of Ecclesiasticall immunity and certainly much mischiefe would have beene done had not the Maior what by authority what by faire speeches appeased them shewing them that faults how great soever they were ought not to bee punished in such a popular seditious way for such justice would bee more erroneous then any other fault could be The Bishop being advertised hereof made his present addresse unto the King accompanied with as many Prelates as were then at Court he so aggravated the businesse as that happening at the same time when as the Italians wounds were as yet fresh hee gave order for the imprisonment of the Maior and rest of his society as all equally guilty not for that they were authors of this sedition but for that having behaved themselves insolently before they had given example to the common people to doe the like Nor yet herewithall contented hee bereft the Citie of all its priviledges and wholly overthrowing the fabrick thereof gave the government of the Citie to a Gentleman that was his servant nor did he lessen his resolution of punishing them though they were interceded for by many of the which the Duke of Gloster was the chiefe But being importuned by so many he suffered himselfe to be perswaded to goe accompanied by his Queen to London where being met with shews arches triumphall and richly presented as if it had been the first day of his coronation he restored the Citie to its former condition the Maior and other Ministers to their former dignities and recalled the seats of justice from Yorke whither to their prejudice and disgrace they had been put over but upon this condition that they should pay unto him ten thousand pounds Sterling for the charge hee had been at in reducing them to their duties which was the chiefest cause of alienating them from him So now the thousand pound which was at first but desired to be borrowed and was denied grew to ten thousand pound by way of Fine their presents and other ceremonies at the making of his entry having cost them as much without receiving any thankes or acknowledgement This meane while the league drew to an end wherewithall neither of the Kings were well pleased The Dukes of Berry and of Burgondy were sent to Bullen in the behalfe of the French and the Dukes of Lancaster and Gloster in the English behalfe where meeting with the former difficulties they agreed upon a truce for foure yeares wherein they comprehended the King of Scots which was afterwards a step towards the long truce and affinity which ensued This yeare did Queen Anne die as likewise the Dutchesse of Lancaster the Countesse of Darby and the next yeare the Dutchesse of Yorke as if Fortune had conspired to make almost all the Princes of the bloud accompanie the King in his widowership Richard was sensible of her death as being affectionate enough but did not for all that alter his resolution of going personally into Ireland as neither did it divert Lancaster from going to take possession of his Dutchy of Guascony The King past over into Ireland with an Army of thirty thousand Bow-men and 4000 men at armes where in nine months hee wonne more then did ever the famous King Edward his grand-father who having at the same time to doe with Scotland Flanders Normandy Brittanny and Guascony could not fix his thoughts onely upon this nation as Richard might doe who made his way rather by dexterity then force For the Countrey being full of woods and marrish grounds not well stored with provisions the inhabitants accustomed to poverty to the inconveniencies of the aire to living in Cavernes to the passing over Bogges and commodious conveying of themselves from one place to another the conquering of them was likely to have proved a tedious and troublesome businesse The which fore-seen by him he endevoured to win them after a new manner He payed the Souldiers punctually to the end they might not be necessitated to injure the Countrey hee made much of such as yeelded themselves and leaving for the present the Armes which he and his predecessors had wont to beare in their Shields he tooke those which were borne by Edward the Confessor placing them in his Standards and Seales and reaped his ends thereby for by this means he purchased their love the memory of that holy King being extraordinarily reverenced by the Irish. By such like cunning as this people who are more led by blinde imaginations then by the truth are usually deluded This is one kinde of naturall not prohibited Magicke which by timely applying the
the no newes thereof were manifest signes that their plot was discovered they had no hopes of pardon having beene formerly condemned and pardon'd so that in a desperate case desperate resolutions were to be taken they endeavoured to doe that by open force which they could not effect by treachery and for their safeties sake to use deceipt They cloathed Magdalun with Princely roabes who much resembling Richard cozened the more ignorant They gave forth that assisted by his Keepers he had escaped prison thereupon they assembled together 40000. men the least part whereof came for good will the most inconsiderable for hopes and the most unusefull for feare all of them consequently changeable and inconstant for infidelity produceth feare incertitude hopes and popular inclination weaknesse and confusion there was no counsell to be had nor foundation to ground it upon so unexpectedly were they surprized They resolved to seize upon the King at Windsor but he hearing of their coming had with some few horse withdrawne himselfe from thence so as not finding him there they intended to pursue him to London and so take him unproviding which perchance was the best course they could have taken but feare put a period thereunto when wisedome was more dangerous then rash attempts The King when he was come to London fortified himselfe there the City furnishing him with souldiers and he providing himselfe of sufficient guard when he heard that they were coming he came forth to meet them with 20000. men and made his stand where they were to passe by not diffident in the small number of his men nor affrighted at the multitude of the enemy They on the other side mistrusting themselves shun'd the encounter and went towards Reading where the Queene was making her beleeve that King Richard was at Pomfret with 100000. fighting men and that Henry of Lancaster together with his children and friends had shut himselfe up in the Tower not daring to come forth and the better to colour their false report they threw down Henrie's armes and took his Cognizances from such of the Queens servants as wore them as if Richard did already rule They made no further use of Magdaluns pageant for fearing lest they should be discovered they when they were at Reading gave out that Richard was at Pomfret and elsewhere when they were elsewhere for it is usuall with such as are upon the point of perishing to make use of false rumours When they left Reading they went to Cicester Surrey and Salisbury taking up their lodging in a small village Exceter and Glocester theirs in another leaving their army in the field The Townes-men thereabouts who were informed that things were otherwise then they gave out did about midnight beset the house wherein the former two were lodged who withstood their fury for the space of fifteene houres Exceter who was advertised thereof could not possibly succour them for all his men through a sudden feare were fled away A certaine Priest of Surreys side set divers houses of that Village on fire hoping thereby to divert them from their assault which caused Exceters men to take their heeles beleeving that Henry was come and that it was he who had given battaile and fired the houses The Townes-folkes on the contrary hereby doubly inraged resolved to quench the fire with the blood of those that fought against them so as unfortunate Surrey and Salisbury forsaken by their friends and taken by their enemies likely by their many mortall wounds to live but a while were beheaded and their heads sent to London twenty nine of their company what Barons what Gentlemen were taken prisoners who being brought to Oxford where the King was had publique justice passed upon them Glocester thinking to escape was taken prisoner in Wales and beheaded at Bristow Magdalun fled into Scotland where he was taken and sent to London where he died the death of a traytour Exceter who had oft times endeavoured to get over into France and was alwayes by contrary windes beaten backe whilest he wandered up and downe unknowne was taken as he was at supper in a friends house brought into the late Duke of Glocesters hands where his head was strucken off Divine justice repaying him according to his deserts in his territories whose death he had beene the causer of the sufferings of his owne death were augmented by Richards foreseene death he being doubly the cause thereof by being at first too forward afterward too slow In all other respects he was a man of praise-worthy conditions but he stained his reputation in seconding his brothers humours and in endeavouring to ruine his brother in law he lost his life infinite was the number of the rest that dyed the high wayes were filled with men hang'd and quarter'd with heads set upon poles among which number did many innocent people suffer who under pretence of rebellion were for particular revenge by some about the King put to death The Abbot of Westminster understanding what miserable effects his counsell had taken fled from the Monastery but overtaken by a sudden Apoplexie he escaped the halter dying lesse unfortunately The like happened to the Bishop of Carlile who dyed of a violent feaver thereby mocking his worser destiny which had he lived a little longer he could not have escaped Some will have it that he was againe taken and condemned but his punishment by the King remitted which if it were true proceeded either from Henries innate humanity or else to shew unto the world that they erred in thinking him averse to the Clergie but the Bishop enjoyed not this favour long for through the labour he had taken he soone after dyed If the Conspiratours had knowne that the safety of men in despaire consists in despairing of safety they either would not have perished yet that had beene a difficult affaire or at least not so soone and unrevenged but wanting resolution in times of extremity still hoping for safety and temporizing when it was no longer time to doe so bereaving them of courage which followed them and those who were to follow them both of courage and time they by their example taught such to flye away who were already prepared for flight and such to temporize as were ready to declare themselves Innocent Richard was ignorant of all these passages reserved for the last Scene of this sad Tragedy For Henry was resolved to see his end He was carried from the Tower to a Castle in Kent from thence to Pomfret tost from post to pillar to the end that the true cause of his death might not bee knowne Three were the severall opinions of his death and none of them in my opinion true or like truth The first that when he understood of the conspiracie and death of the conspirators thinking that it would no longer availe him to keep him alive hee voluntarily famisht himselfe to death The second that being served according to his custome with choyce Cates hee was not suffered to taste thereof and
The sheep being thus delivered over to the Wolfe the Duke at the very first shut him up in Saint Andrewes Castle a jurisdiction of that Archbishopricke the which after the death of the last Archbishop hee had unduly usurped under pretence of keeping it during the vacancie of that Metropolitan See but thinking him to be there too nigh the Kings eare and the Courts eye desiring rather his death then his amendment he carried him to the strong hold of Faukland a jurisdiction of his owne where he caused him to be put into a dungeon with direction that he should there dye of hunger a commission though given in secret yet by the effect sufficiently published no preparation being made in so little a place where all that was done was seene neither for the person nor nourishment of such a prisoner He had died in a few dayes and it had been better for him since die he must had he not been kept in life by the daughter of the Keeper of the Castle and a countrey Nurse who commiserated his condition and had accesse through an Orchard to the Castle The former nourished him with oaten Cakes which by little peeces shee conveyed unto him through a chinke the other gave him sucke through a small Cane the one end whereof he tooke into his mouth whilst she squiezed her milke in at the other end His keepers marvelled to see him still alive but the meanes being discovered the two charitable women were cruelly put to death the father accusing his owne daughter to prove himselfe faithfull to him that was unfaithfull and a tyrannous Governour At last when he had torne his flesh and eaten his fingers through rage by death hee put an end to his vices miseries and life This bitter accident was generally knowne every where before the King had any notice of it every one fearing to be slaine for recompence of doing so good an office Having at last hearâ—… some whispering thereof hee could not believe otherwise then as it was Great were the complaints but the brother excused himselfe deluding justice by laying the fault upon divers who were in the castle for faults deserving death whom he accused for having murdered the Prince for which they suffered death The King not herewithall satisfied but unable to revenge himselfe he publickly besought God by some miraculous judgement to punish the author of so great a wickednesse He had yet a second sonne living named Iames he was advised to send him abroad since it was not likely he who had committed so horrid a treason would stick at the murthering of him also without the which his former mischiefe would nothing availe France was thought the safest place to send him to The young Prince was with much secrecie imbarked Henry Sincleer Earle of the Orchades being given unto him for governour but having shunned Scylla hee fell as the Proverbe sayes upon Carybdis for the Marriners having cast anchor before Flemburgh in England either driven by the windes or to refresh the Prince much afflicted with seasickenesse they were known to be Scots the Prince known to be there so as he was detained and brought to Court it was long disputed at the Councell Table whether he should be suffered to depart or no but the negative prevailed His Father fearing such an incounter had given him a letter for Henry which though full of compassion and pitty did not alter the resolution taken So as hee being old deprived of his sonnes and feebly hearted gave himselfe over to griefe would take no more meate and in three daies died for meere sorrow Scotland confirmed the government of that Kingdome upon the Duke of Auboney till such time as their new King Iames should regaine his liberty Buchanan accuses King Henry for that action his chiefe reason being that he detained him whilest there was yet a truce of eight yeares betweene the two Crownes but I finde no other truce then that of the preceding yeare already expired Edward Askew treates at large upon this you may peruse him This imprisonment by consent of all Scottish writers was more happy to him then whatsoever liberty for the King gave him such education as belonged to his birth The Scotchmen are naturally given to all discipline as well speculative as active ingenious at sciences stout and valiant in warre but this Prince out did them all in aptnesse to all these for he surpassed his teachers aswell in horsemanship as in Theologie Philosophy and other liberall sciences especially in musicke and poetry wherein he proved most expert so as that fortune which was thought unhappy crowned him with glory for besides the advantage of so good education he was free from feare of his Uncle and was in his due time an introducer of learning politenesse and such arts as were not before known in Scotland it is to be observed in him that evill fortune is the best Academy for a man to profit in A rule which suffered exception in the Earle of Northumberland whose last actions we must now treate of for though an old man he died a schollar in that Academy before he had learnt the maxime of good government not using patience but in his vast thoughts plausible but pernitious counsellors resolving rather to dye then live declined a noble resolution in a better cause or upon more mature occasion He had made many journeyes into France Flanders and Wales to raise up warre and get helpe against his King all which proved of no use to him at last he returned to Scotland from whence accompanied by Bardolf he fell with great troopes of men upon Northumberland he there recovered divers Castles his army much encreasing by divers who from those parts came to assist him from thence he passed into Yorkeshire where by proclamation he invited all those to side with him who loved liberty The King at the first noise hereof went to meet him but hardly was he come to Nottingham when he understood that Sir Thomas Rookesby Shirife of that Shire had given him battell slayne him and taken Bardolf prisoner who afterwards dyed of his wounds The King did not though forbeare to pursue his journey that hee might quench the yet hot ashes of that rebellion he mulcted many and put many to death answerable to the condition of their faults The Bishop of Bangor and Abbot of Ailes who were taken prisoners in the conflict met with different fortunes according to the diversity of their habits The Abbot being taken in armour was hanged the Bishop who was clothed in the habits of his profession was pardoned the heads of the two Peers were cut off put upon the top of two speares and sent to be set upon London bridge This was the miserable end of the father sonne and brother descended from one of the noblest races that came from Normandie into England all this ruine being occasioned out of a meer capritchio of wrastling with the King and detaining in his despite the Scottish
through all the City and first in Orleans house his friends and servants runne to the place where they found his body lying in a sea of bloud horribly massacred they carried the body into the next Church whither the King of Cicily and the chiefest of the Court came sorily lamenting the next morning his hand and brains being found lying in the street all durty they were put together with the body into a leaden coffin and buried in a Chappell which he himself had caused to be built At his funerall three corners of the cloth which covered the Bieare were held up by the Princes of Sicily Berry and Burbony Burgundy held up the fourth this fained charity not corresponding with his unfained cruelty for what ever inquisition could be made no newes could be heard of the assassinates The Provost being called to the Councell table said it was impossible for him to finde out any thing touching this affaire unlesse hee might be permitted to search the houses of the greatest Lords and especially the Pallaces of the Princes The King of Sicily Duke of Berry and Duke Burbon were content but not Burgundy who not knowing what to say tooke the three Princes aside and confessed that he had bin the author of that homicide whereupon filled with horror and amazement Berry exclaming that in one day he had lost two nephewes they left him keeping the secret to themselves not knowing without mature deliberation how to publish it The next day after Burgundy being come to goe to the Councell table Berry in whose house the meeting was met him at the chamber doore and told him this was no place for him wherewithall he shut the doore upon him leaving him much confused a usage he had not beene accustomed unto and what he beleeved would not now have beene used without resolutions of further consequence so as fearing to be clapt up in prison hee forthwith returned to his owne house and getting on horseback being waited on only by five men he rid to Bapomus upon the confines of Artois the place of his command and went 42. leagues not taking any rest but what was necessary either to bate or change his horses from thence having slept a while he went to Lillo in Flanders this his unexpected departure was no sooner divulged but the occasion thereof was knowne the dead Duke had 600. what Gentlemen what Knights defraied by him in Paris all which were of no use to him who trusted more in his quality then he ought to have done he imagined the Duke of Burgundy would have exercised his ill will in publicke against his power not by treachery against his person a hundred of these well horst and led by Clegnet of Brabant Admirall of France would have followed Burgundy but the King of Sicily fearing greater inconveniences hindred their designe not suffering them to goe He who formerly was thought the chiefe author of this murther was Albertus of Canni injured by the Duke who had taken from him his wife and had by her a sonne who proved afterwards one of the bravest Cavalliers in all France but the knowne truth freed him of suspition all men except the Parisians detested this fact but their rejoycing lasted but a while for the evills they received through the oppressions and misgovernment of Orleans were not the hundreth part so bad as those they suffered after by the oppression and misgovernment of the Duke of Burgundy The Assassinates having changed their apparrell left Paris likewise and went to Artois according to the order they had formerly received from their Master When Valentina Duches of Orleans heard this sad newes she hasted to Paris and kneeled downe before the King demanding justice which was likely to bee granted for he did tenderly love his brother but his weaknesse was such as suffered him to give her no other comfort save hopes and promises The Duke of Burgundy having represented the businesse to the common people after his manner he published a manifestation thereof wherein having made knowne the reasons which had inforced him to this resolution he pretended to merit thankes and praise rather then blame or punishment The two Uncles Sicily and Berry fearing lest he might joyne with the English invited him to give them a meeting at Amiens he came thither and caused two launces to be set a crosse upon his lodging doore in this manner X which fashioned forth the Burgundy crosse the one of them had a bur used in war the other such a one as is used at tilting as if he would by this Hyroglifique say it should be in their choice to chuse peace or war Their meeting was to no purpose for contrary to the Kings expresse inhibition he went with 4000. men to Paris where he was with great expressions of joy received by the Parisians where to justifie his horrid fault hee by the mouth of one Iohn Petit accused the Duke of Orleans for having aspired unto the Kingdome bewitched the King ploâ—…ed treachery against his children and for having made confederacy with the King of England to make himselfe master of the Crowne of France by the death of his brother as the other had got the Crowne of England by his Cosens death for having sowed discord betwixt the King and Queene â—…o the end that having lost her matrimoniall love her person might bee the more at his command that he had made himselfe Master of the most considerable places of the Kingdome putting out the former governours and placing others of his owne depending in their roomes that he might make use of them against his brother that he had procured Pope Benedict to declare the King incapable of the Crowne as Childericus formerly was that he himselfe might obtaine it his conclusion was that being for so many faults guilty of treason both divine and humane he was to be declared lawfully slaine and the King out of meere feare declared him as was urged justly put to death The Duke having obtained what he desired returned to Flanders from thence he went in assistance of the Bishop and Prince of Leidge against the Leigois who had rebelled against him he overcame them and gave them what Lawes he pleased whereby he wonne such renowne as France had reason to fear him now more then before for though in his absence the King had permitted the Dowager Duches to answer unto his accusations and revoked his pardon with an intention to punish him yet understanding of this victory and that his brothers and cosens had declared themselves for him he disabandoned the people who were gathered together to have forced him and those who had appeared his enemies repented themselves for having been so forward Together with this examining the continuancy of the Parisians strangely passionate for the Duke the King resolved to retire himselfe to Towres not so much to free himselfe from their danger as to revenge himselfe of them for the absence of the Court redounds much to their losse
by reason of the profit they receive by its residency with them at the which being lesse satisfied and more offended then ever they sent for Burgundy who came to them well accompanied but his conscience pointing out unto him his injustice and keeping him in perpetuall agitation he sent his cosen William Duke of Baviers to Towres to make him some agreement for him not out of any acknowledgement of repentance but out of a desire which guilty people have to bury their shame and because a warre in such a case alwaies blameable and unjust brings ruine if it be lost and if wonne it doth but erect Trophies of shame and infamy the King sent Lodovick Duke of Baviers the Queens brother to meet him and Montaigne Lord high Steward of the houshold with the articles of agreement The Duke hated Montaigne as a maine Orleanist and gave him bitter words which he took patiently but the articles not being according to his liking he regulated them and though they were not afterwards agreed upon according to his corrections they were yet so handled as that he was contented for his adversaries having lost all their defence by the death of their mother Valentina who died of griefe not long before there was none to oppose him They being all yong orphans unexperienced and for want of direction abandoned by all Peace being concluded the parties met at Shartres where in the presence of the King Queene and Dolphin and Princes they swore the peace though the yong Duke of Orleans and the Count Vertu the Count of Anguleine the third brother not being present by reason of his infancy were observed to weepe in the doing of it being inforced by the King and of yeares and power not fit to make refusall The Duke of Burgundy being together with the Court returned to Paris and knowing that what was done was not likely long to continue he resolved to work his own establishment by the ruine of such as favoured the house of Orleans but being to guild over his unjust intention with the title of justice directly opposite to the sworne peace and resolute not to suffer Montaigne live as one of the chiefe of them he caused him to be questioned before the Magistracy for the administration of the Kings monies where in his account between figures and cyphers his head was struck off and his life was made a cypher The Duke of Berry who was a Courtier born well verst in Court policies guest at his designes and not able to indure affronts as one who had formerly lived with as much or more authority in the government then any other Prince withdrew himselfe to Angeires whither unsent for all the malecontents did presently flock this unexpected assembly caused a speedy confederacy between the Duke of Berry the Duke of Orleans and his brother the Count Cleremont now Duke of Burbony by his fathers decease the Count Alanson and Count Arminiacke so as the peace of Shartres proved a short lived Ephemera which died the day it was borne and indeed it was never thought other by the wisest sort the newes of this conjunction did more and more exasperate the Duke of Burgundy he willed the Lord Albret constable of France to raise as many men as possibly he could making use of the name of the Kings safety to save himselfe since he not the King was the marke that was aimed at Albret obeyed as not able to doe otherwise hee was no friend to Burgundy and a great friend to his enemies as the successe demonstrated France like a firebrand newly extinguished tooke fire againe at the approaching of this sudaine blaze Count Richmonte hearing that the colleagues were retired to Shartres came thither likewise with a great number of men They first demanded audience of the King but they wished him to come armed with patience whilest they pretended to appeare before him armed with iron The Queen who did both hate and feare Burgundy did what in her lay to appease them having to this purpose made two journeyes her selfe in person but it was not in her power to keep them from comming to Paris of so much force is desperation when it hath usurped the place of reason and advice They came to the very Suburbes of Marcelles strange were the disorders which were every where committed by the souldiers aswell of one side as of the other But the incommodities and difficulties equally divided after many too 's and fro's caused a second peace called the peace of Winchester wherein was concluded that both Berry and Burgundy were to withdraw themselves from the Court that when the one should be sent for the other should bee sent for likewise and that the meane while they should all withdraw themselves which gave but small satisfaction to the three brothers for Berry made use of them for his own particular ends which when he had compassed he cared no longer for them and it being a thing usuall for the parties offended not to forgive unlesse some satisfaction be made they pretended not to be included in this peace since in their particular they had received no manner of satisfaction so as if they swore unto the peace of Shartres it was to obey the King and if they consented unto this it was for that they could not doe otherwise being abandoned by all The Duke of Berry was returned to Burges and the Duke of Burgundy desirous to calme all the former distastes sent unto him three Embassadors of which the Lord of Croy was chiefe They went on their intended way when met by certaine of the Duke of Orleans his people betweene Orleans and Burges the Signeur de Croy was stayed by them and all the rest suffered to passe the next day being questioned concerning the Duke of Orleans death hee confessed nothing of prejudice though he suffered terrible torment The other two complaining hereof to the Duke of Berry to whom the affront appertained required his freedome wherein though the King joyned with him neither protestation threats nor reason could prevaile with the brothers They pretended the peace of Shartres to be invalid as pursued contrary to the order of Law and Justice and that the King was compelled thereunto that the Duke of Burgundy had violated the same by pursuing undoing and putting to death as many of their friends as he could that the peace of Winchester had been likewise by him in many points broken that those who had murthered their father though condemned and banished did live securely in his territories and did likewise come at their pleasure into France no notice being taken of them and that they were pensioned by him and that no Councellors nor Officers depending upon either of the parties being to tarry near the Kings person his Majesty was not only waited upon by such as had dependency upon Burgundy The Queene and Duke of Berry did what they could to make a new accord betweene them But Burgundy resolute not to recede
out of private humours and that it should be defaced and destroied since it was one day to be his so as remooving the campe after a months siege he commanded the cannoniers upon paine of life not to shoote one shot more without his command At which the Duke of Burgony being troubled beleeving that he had compassion on his enemies did what he could to perswade him that violence was the onely meanes to reduce rebells to obedience But being severely answered that too much had already beene done and that it was time to forbeare those who desired an agreement were much encouraged and concluded an agreement upon these conditions That the peace at Shartres should remaine in its vigour and force that the Count Vertu should marry the daughter of the Duke of Burgony that the Duke of Berry and his confederates should surrender up all such Cities and other places as the King should desire that he should renounce all confederacies as well at home as forreiny made against the Duke of Burgony that the King should restore all their Cities and strong holds not obliged to repaire what was demolished that their officers and servants should be readmitted into their offices and possessions And because the brothers of Orleans were not present their Agents promised for them The peace being sworne and proclaimed command under paine of great punishment was made that the two factious names of Burgonians and Arminiackes should be no more used The Orleanists were so called for when Count Arminiack joyned with them his people and all that faction were by the common people called by this name This businesse being for this time thus still'd the King went to Auxerres whither the Duke of Orleans and his brother the Count Vertu came They then swore the peace they renounced all confederacy with England they accepted of the above said marriage and shewed tokens of reciprocall good will insomuch that the two enemy Dukes were seen to ride upon one the self same horse Their former charges were to some restored But Count Saint Paul would not surrender up the Constables place Whereupon the Lord Albret withdrew himselfe ill satisfied from the Court This peace was agreed upon before the English landed in France which was wisely foreseene by the Dolphin for agreement would not so easily have beene made if both the Nations joyned together had tasted the sweetes of any fortunate successe Their arrivall was first heard of in Normandy next in the parts neere Constantina from thence in du Mayne and from thence in Touraine all which places suffered such inconveniences as are usually caused by enemies Souldiers were every where raised whilst they onely desired to be payed the onely meanes to make them returne home But the Dukes of Berry and Orleans were so exhausted as they knew not how nor where to raise 200000. Crowns which they ought them The King of Sicily left the Court and went to defend his Countrey of Aniou from their incursions The Earles of Warwicke of Kent arrived at the same time with 2000. men at Caleis who taking the garrisons of that Towne to them scoured over all the Countrey of Bullen and the parts adjacent and although the Counts Saint Pauls Ramburres and others came thither with great numbers of men they were rather a greevance then a helpe to the poore people of those parts who suffered such harme by them as they could not doe by the enemy The King being come to Paris the Dukes of Berry and of Orleans remained with the Queen at the Bois de Saint Vincennes from whence waiting upon her to Paris Orleans not entring into the Towne passed into the Country of Beaumont to raise monies And though all other places were restored to him yet could he by no meanes get repossession of Perefont and Cousie the which were held by the Count Saint Paul who denied to surrender them without a great summe of money due as he said to the garrisons there Pretences are never wanting where men proceede not with cleare intentions but being necessitated to acquit himselfe of the Duke of Clarence he set aside all other affaires and not able to pay unto him the whole debt he assigned over unto him in pawne for 209000. francks which remained due to him his brother the Count of Angolesme who was great grandfather to Francis the first and some other Lords who being brought into England remained there divers yeares for lacke of ransome This being done he sent unto the King for the restitution of the aforesaid places and obtained letters and directions to that purpose yet were they not delivered up unto him moreover fire breaking forth in Perefont it was almost burnt to the ground To this distaste others were added The Duke of Burgundy caused Bordinus of Saligni formerly his favourite to be carried prisoner into Flanders suspecting that he had revealed some of his secrets The bastard of Burbon ran a danger in Paris the City rising up against him in favour of certaine insolences committed by a butcher Offices which were to be restored were not so as the conditions of peace thus ill observed men rather inclined to breake it againe then to see it thus unworthily peeced The Dolphin who well weighed these alterations grew somewhat coole towards his father in law the rather for that hee was continually sollicited by the Dukes of Bar and Bavieres and by the Count Vertu to take the government wholly upon himselfe and free himselfe from the servitude of being directed by others These broiles grew to no ripenesse during Henries life and had they ripened he perchance would not have delighted in them for hee had changed his thoughts and was returned to the same inclinations of nature wherewith he was borne for having reduced his Kingdome to quiet condition having no more occasion of being bloudy or detested his actions were growne to that degree of temperance as there remained nothing more to be desired in him Justice was administred without distinction of persons He was affable liberall courteous and pious so as the Nobility and Commonalty did now as much love as they had formerly hated him and having set his thoughts wholly upon God he resolved to spend the remainder of his life in his service in the recovery of the holy land judging all other warfare misbecomming a Christian Prince He had no impediments likely to disturbe him from his resolution hee was free from the affaires of France which he esteemed quieted by reason of the last peace a peace not likely to prejudice him that Kingdome being so divided within it selfe as it could not hurt him his owne Kingdome was so well united as hee had no reason of feare there The occasions of former seditions were ceased by the losse of their lives who were the chiefe occasioners thereof all ill humours were appeased by the death of such as were the raisers of them He had foure sonnes all of them of great hopes Scotland had no King The
Soveraigne That his authority was not yet such as might force the freedome of the Prisoner Not that hee did not know him to be Prince and the Kings eldest sonne an high and powerfull quality but of no consequence in a businesse of this nature it being impossible for him to take from the hand of justice to the breach of the Law one who was condemned to die and more impossible for himselfe to give way thereunto he told him therefore he should doe well to goe the usuall way of obtaining pardon from the King The Prince impatient of contradiction and who was naturally given to blows insomuch as he would disguise himselfe to seek occasion for them gave the Judge such a cuffe in the ear as would have stunned any one who had beene lesse resolute then he but the Judge neither frighted with the blow nor losing his former gravity said unto him That the misery done unto him sitting on that seate was an offence done unto the King to whom to whose Laws he the Prince was doubly obliged as a subject and as a son That though the offence was great in it self yet was it greater in his person and of more dangerous consequence for when he should be King he was not likely to finde any subject that would obey him nor Judge that would execute those Laws which he should enact if he should permit his sonne and heire to violate them as it seemed he presumed the King his father would permit him to do that therefore to the end so enormous an example might not be alledged for an example as not punished he did in his Majesties name commit him to the prison appropriated to that bench during his Majesties pleasure The lookers on who were somewhat scandalized and surprised at the Princes action and the Judges boldnesse wondred when they saw the Prince blush for shame and yeeld himselfe prisoner The King who equally commended his sonnes obedience and the Judges integrity for this and other his misdemeanours suffered him to tarry a good while in prison and the more to humble him excluded him from the Councell table and made his brother the Duke of Clarence President thereof But shortly being set at liberty he betooke himselfe to his former fashions insomuch as his house being frequented by many great men and such as were most refractory his father apprehended danger of an insurrection in him a suspition fomented by such as know not how otherwise to winne the Kings favour but by backbiting nor better how to make use of their flattery then by a fained zeal of their safeties the which the more detestable it is the more dangerous is it for such as are innocent as likewise by his owne remorse of conscience which objected unto him his usurping the Crowne the mischiefes miseries and so many deaths which had thereon ensued all which might open the way to any one much more to his sonne his presumed and declared heire to bereave him of his Crowne And though the reasons of aspiring thereunto were no better then those he had made use of to atchieve it yet the detestation of things past which had respect onely to him made him thinke it feasable And his unjust jealousies falsly grounded upon the Prince his ill nature seemed unto him consonant to reason when they represented unto him the true reasons of his owne misdeserts and since no love can be there where feare is the signes of his hatred conceived against some were soone discovered by all men but he who set his private deboycheries aside never imagined any thing of evill neither against his father nor the State being advised by some of the privy Councell that loved him what ill offices were done him resolved to justifie himselfe the which he did in the most strange and oddest manner that was ever heard of He was cloathed in a sute of skie coloured sattin all full of oylet holes and every oylet hole had a needle hanging at a peece of silke of the same it was wrought withall He had upon one of his armes a masty dogges collar studded thus S. S. which were of massy gold with buckles of the same What he thereby intended I know not nor have I met with any who doth explane the Allegory He was attended on by a great many whereof some were Peers the rest of the best families of the land Being come to Court he left the most part of his followers in the great Hall with directions that they should come no further then the chimney attended on onely by such as did belong unto the Court hee did at unawares present himselfe before the King who through his infirmities had almost lost the use of his legges He would have spoken unto him at his first arrivall as he had formerly begged leave to doe but the King considering the extravagancy of his habit and not able to make any good interpretation thereof caused himselfe to be carried into a more inward roome followed by such Lords as casually were at that time about him the which I thinke he rather did to gain time to thinke upon the businesse then for any feare he had when his chaire was set downe the Prince kneeling downe before him said these or the like words That the generally spread rumour of some evill impressions his Majesties had of him caused by some who had deciphered him unto his Majesty as one that had some plots upon the Crowne and State had forced him thus to present himselfe to the end that hee might receive such resolutions from him as might seeme fittest for his service That his past behaviour had beene very bad he did confesse for he would not deny a truth but since truth did permit him to gainesay those things which were now objected unto him he did deny them for he could not affirm a falshood That his obligations unto his Majesty were greater then were those of his other subjects so as where he should have deserved the highest punishment if he should have offended him as a private subject no sufficient punishment could be invented for him if being his sonne he should together with the Lawes of God and man have violated the Lawes of nature That worldly Lawes being grounded upon punishment and fear and the Laws of nature grounded onely upon love he deserved not to have any share in the world who destitute of love should abuse the subsistance and constitution of nature That therefore if there were neither Law humane nor divine this onely Law of nature would bee sufficient to make him be the most detested creature in the world if he should not with sincere love reverence and with reverend respect love his Majesty his gracious father The which he did not say to justifie but rather to condemne himself if he should be arrived at such a height of wickednesse as not to detest the unspeakable wickednes which never having entred his breast was by the malice of his accusers hellishly invented against him
towne By battery mines and trenches the assailants got shortly underneath the ditch The Duke of Burgony who had made himselfe master of a Bulwarke did fortifie it much to the prejudice of the besieged The King built a bridge over the Seene to serve for commerce between the two Campes securing the Bankes on both sides with good corps de guard and to free his quarters from danger of surprise he cut some trenches on the outside of them and raised some workes upon each end thereof that so they might not bee assailed without great danger to the assaylors The breaches made by battery were made good by earth and bavens the besieged omitted nothing wherein either diligence or foresight might stand them in stead one ruine was answered by another wherein they fought at push of pike and wherein the King and Duke of Burgony managed theirs King Charles was come unto the Campe and together with him the Queene accompanied by the Dutches of Clarence newly arrived from England with a great traine of Ladies who were lodged by King Henry in a house erected of purpose neare to his owne tents without the reach of Canon so as making use of this occasion he would trie whether the besieged would yeeld to their King or no but being questioned thereupon they answered that if Charles King of France would vouchsafe to enter there he should be received with all due respects unto his Majesty but not Henry King of England nor Philip Duke of Burgony their professed enemies he sent this meane while the Duke of Clarence to Paris giving him the chiefe command of the City to the end that taking possession thereof he might by English forces secure the most considerable places therein as the Basteille the Louvre the house of Neele and forth there of the Boys de St. Vicenne the Count of St. Paule who was chiefe commander there was sent to Picardy to receive the oathes of the Cities of that Province touching the peace with England and to except of King Henry as Regent and heire the which was done without any opposition the besieged and besiegers were both but in bad condition the one being reduced for lacke of better nourishment to eate all manner of uncleanesse the other by reason of the Prince of Orenges departure who was gone with his people into Provence to defend his own affairs by the rage of a violent pestilence which had much lessened their numbers insomuch as the Duke of Burgony was forced to send the Signior de Luxenburg to Picardy to raise more men who returning shortly after with them appeared in so handsome aray before Melune as that the inhabitants beleeving they had beene the succour they had so long expected did not onely shew signes of joy by the ringing of bells but growne insolent did mocke the besiegers an error of small continuance yet not sufficient to have made them yeeld if the Dolphin had not at the same time advertised them that he could not succour them This Prince was governed by the wisdome and upheld by the purse of the Count de Vertu brother to Orleans and Angolesme prisoners in England but he being at this instant dead he was like a ship without sailes he could not move towards the preservation of a place of so great importance The Town was surrendred the eighth of September upon disadvantageous tearms those who were guilty of the Dukes death were condemned a prime article not to be forgotten the souldiers were to be forthcomming till they could put in good security not to beare armes under the enemies of either of the two Kings that inhabitants submitted to pleasure their weapons and moveables were put into the Castle Monsieur de Barbasan who was accused of being guilty of the Dukes death was saved for that there appeared no proofes thereof against him save onely insomuch as he was the Dolphins servant This notwithstanding he was sent prisoner to Paris and from thence to Chasteau Galliarde where after nine yeares space he had the good lucke to recover his liberty the place being then taken by the Dolphins forces who his father being dead called himselfe King Monsieur de Preaux together with five or six hundred Gentlemen and Gentlewomen and Citizens were likewise sent to Paris put into severall prisons the chiefest of them into the Basteile those who were put to death were few amongst which was one Bertrand of Chaumont a Gascoine a naturall subject of England for that he was bribed to save Amicron de Lau an accessory in the Duke of Burgonies death though the Kings brother did intercede for him for he had alwaies beene valiant yet could they not obtaine his pardon for reason of State would not permit Henry to give way unto passion and to be partiall in the Duke the sonnes just revenge moreover in right he was to lose his life who saved the life of a delinquent not through pity but avarice Winter growing on the souldiers requiring rest after having been so long in field the two Kings retired themselves to Paris being met by the people and Clergy with great magnificency they rid together the King of France on the right hand they lighted at the Church of nostre Dame and from thence Charles went to l'Hostell de Saint Paul Henry to the Louvre and the Duke of Burgony to his owne house l'Hostelle de Artois the next day the two Queenes made their entry in the like manner and were received by the City with great expressions of joy and met by the brothers of the Kings and Duke of Burgony followed by all the Nobility richly presented by the Citizens particularly the Queene of England and the King her husband The Dolphin had beene set upon all this while onely by the way of war now they endeavour to opugne him by the Law a businesse which did nothing at all import Henries pretences his foundations were of another sort not supported by these formalities for without them without his marriage with Catherine or his being adopted by Charles all of them workes of supererrogation in this case he was lawfull King but it redounded to his advantage to second the Duke of Burgonies desires that thereby or by what ever other meanes the Dolphin might be by the people abandoned Princes are subject to no seate of justice save that of conscience all others are but phansies and tricks fansies and therefore not to be despised for such are oft times more embraced by the people then is reason whence it happens that their authority being darkened and deprived of its lustre by contrary opinions they are subject to the eclipses of their subjects disobedience Burgony endeavoured the Dolphins ruine his fathers murtherer he was to open the way thereunto by the peoples fury perswade them hee could not for though the fault were very hainous the guilty party was by the common Law and Law of nature of too great authority with them being borne their Prince yet men alwaies
reserving some seeds of equity in them hee hoped that by objecting this case cloathed with the habit of justice dyed in the colours of so many perjuries treasons and breach of faith hee might cancell the respect the people bore him and by degrees draw them from pitty and commiseration to hatred and from hatred to armes Charles the Dolphin according to the pretended Law Salique set aside that Henries pretences were by the people repulsed that so they might repulse his person not onely as a stranger but as an English man was presumed heire to the Crowne Moreover the murther of the Duke of Orleans set aside the circumstances was in its originall more wicked then this if the Duke of Burgony had then beene punished as of right he ought to have beene in his estate the Dolphin had had no occasion to bereave him of his life so as the parity of fault requiring parity of punishment it was against reason the second should be punished by justice when by injustice the former scaped unpunished whilst having no respect to the diversity of the delinquents qualities the Dolphin being a priviledged person as Soveraigne should be punished for being so rather then the Duke for being a subject let us learne by this that mens particular interest is that which ever hath ever doth pretend and that severity is quick sighted when the question concerneth others but blind when we are our selves concerned This cause was pleaded in the presence of both the Kings the Princes and Judges in the low Hall of l'Hosteile de Saint Paul by the dowager Dutches of Burgonies advocate and the Duke her sonnes who accused Charles who tearmed himselfe Dolphin the Vicount of Narbone Monsieur de Barbasan Tannigues de Chasteau William Butler Iohn Lovet President of Provence Robert de Loyre Olâ—…ver Laiet and others of this murther he demanded justice and particularised in what punishment this plea was seconded by a Doctor of Sorbonne sent thither for this purpose by that Colledge who by many allegations drawne from the Scripture laboured to perswade the two Kings to punish those who had had their hands in so grievous a fault but no declaration being forthwith to be made without the due proceedings in Law the Chancellor answered in the Kings name that by the advice of the King of England Regent of France and his declared heire all should bee done that was requisite in so important a businesse so as the Dolphin being cited to the marble table with the accustomed solemnities and not appearing he was for his contumacy declared guilty of the aforesaid murther falne from the Crowne incapable of what ever present or future succession and banished the Kingdome the Dolphin hearing this appealed to his sword the which was that alone which afterwards by the helpe of the Duke of Burgony his chiefest enemy did annull the proces decide the question and cut in two the sentence King Henry was to go for England after Christmas to make new provision or warre and to cause the Queene his wife to be crowned so as having licenced the three estates who all had sworne obedience to him he went his way having the Duke of Exeter with five hundred fighting men in Paris and in other places good and faithfull governours he stayed a while in Roan to give order for things belonging to the Dutchy and left therein the Duke of Clarence his generall from thence he together with his other brethren tooke his way towards Callice and were received in England with such joy as Kings use to receive who returne crowned with victory and accompanied by wives rich in dowry grace and beauty as was his she was crowned at Westminster on Saint Matthews day where whilst the pompe and solemnity exceeded whatsoever of former times fortune prepared funerall solemnities for the Duke of Clarence in France a businesse which being very diversly reported by authors forces me first to recount what the English say thereof then how others relate it for passion within circumstances of winning or losing is very great amongst them makes them to contradict one another who doth not joyne them together will hardly be able to extract the truth This Prince had made a select choyce of Soldiers out of all the garrisons of Normandy hee entred Umena and passed over Loire placing himselfe underneath Angiers hoping that those of the Towne would have fought with him but they not issuing forth hee spread himselfe over the countrey where after having enriched his people with prey and prisoners he returned for Normandy Being come to Bewford he understood that a great number of enemies were at Beuges conducted by the Duke of Allanson the Dolphins Lieutenant who had in company with him 26 French Lords one Spanish Captaine Iohn Earle of Bow han Robert his brother sonnes to the Governour of Scotland Archibald Dowglas Earle of Vigtonia Alexander Linsay brother to the Earle of Crayford and eighteene Scottish Gentlemen lately come from Scotland with 700 Souldiers Buchanan saith seven thousand hee was about to set suddenly upon them but did not for to assaile an enemy not knowing his forces is like walking in a darke night in unknowne wayes He had at that time one Ardrea Fregosa an Italian who had been with the French and who assured him that the enemy was so few in number that halfe his company was sufficient to rout them so as beleeving this mans relation who did abuse him being desirous of glory hee took only the horse along with him commanding the Bowmen not to stirre and leaving them under the command of his sonne Iohn called the Bastard of Clarence betweene him and the enemy there was an uneasie and a narrow passage through which when without any opposition hee had passed he discovered the enemy not farre off and contrary to the relation made unto him in full and well ordered troops whilst hee not able to retire the passage being taken which if it had not been he could not passe over it againe in File as he did before without danger it did more availe him to hazard himselfe by making a stand then by giving backe to venture the being shamefully cut in pieces The one side fought desperately the other bravely but the English not being above one for foure were discomfited the Duke himselfe being slaine the Earle of Tancherville Gilbert Vmfreville Earle of Kent the Lord Ros Sir Iohn Lumblâ—…y and Sir Robert Verend and neare upon two thousand others the Earles of Somerset and Suffolke the Lord Fitzwalter Sir Iohn Barckley Sir Ralph Nevil Sir Henry Iuglos Sir William Bowes Sir William Longiton Sir Thomas Burrowes and many others were taken prisoners Of the French were slaine about twelve hundred of the best of the Army The Bastard of Clarence who after the Dukes departure was informed of the number of the enemies marched with all possible diligence to succour him but came too late and the French having notice thereof retired themselves with their
was come from Paris to goe to Shartres and to fight with the enemy to this purpose he added some French troopes to his owne men when he was come to Mantes the Duke of Burgony met him with 3000. fighting men the Dolphins forces consisted then of 7000. men at armes 4000. crossebow men and 6000. archers but finding himselfe much inferior to the Kings forces he raised the siege and retired himselfe to Turin for one defeat would have beene sufficient to have ruinated all his fortune the hopes of battell being thus vanished the Duke past into Picardy this Province was held in much disorder by Messuers de Harcourt â—…'Offemont and other Captains he and his men marched without any manner of order looking for nothing lesse then to be set upon so as being assaulted at unwares not farre from Mons the Dukes Banner born by his servant who should have borne it fled suddenly away and two thirds of the Army beleeving that the Duke had been gone with it fled likewise after it and Pieron de Luppes pursuing them with an hundred and twenty horse did so weaken his companions as that the Duke accompanied by valiant Gentlemen overthrew those who remained killing foure hundred of them and taking an hundred prisoners This good fortune was accompanied by the gaining of St. Requier which was surrendred to him by Monsieur de Offemont in change for the prisoners he had taken The King on theother side made himself master of Dreux Beaugensy and other places upon composition and returning by Beause tooke Rougemont by force and Villeneue upon articles having here made fitting preparations for the siege of Meaux he passed thither in Boats over the river Marna invironed it with workes and trenches This place was defended by brave Captaines under the command of the bastard of Vaures and by a thousand Souldiers besides the inhabitants who were all ready to defend it here did the King receive newes that his Queen was delivered of a sonne at Windsor baptized Henry the place of his birth and name did allay his joy for hee called to minde an unlucky prediction the which though hee did not beleeve yet it is incident to man to doubt of happinesse and feare calamities for evill events happening oftner then good wee doe rather beleeve such predictions as foretell bad events because they are likeliest to ensue So as turning to his Chamberlaine hee said that to himselfe who was borne at Monmouth great conquests were fore told and a short life but to his sonne borne at Windsor a long but miserable life and a declining fortune that he left the sequell to Gods disposall but if the predictions were such they were too true for just so it fell out Mr. d'Offemont was to goe to Meaux to take order for defence of that place and the besieged had writ unto him the name of the place by which he was to enter giving him downe a ladder at the walles foot that hee might the readier climbe up hee came accompanied with fourty Souldiers hee slew some Centinels which were in his way and passed quietly into the ditch but whilst his men clome up the ladder that he himself might be the last it so fell out that as he was passing over a boord which crossed some kinde of concavity his foot slipt and hee armed as he was fell in and not able to be got out without noyse having broken two Lances which were by his men let downe to help him out the besieged ran thither and setting upon those who were not yet gotten up tooke him wounded and by direction from the King hee was carefully dressed and looked unto This chance did much trouble the besieged who not able to defend the Citie without infinite labour their number not being sufficient to defend so great a circuit they abandoned it and retired themselves to the Fort in the Market-place where having broken their Lances in their daily bickerings they made use of Spits and the English who were lodged in the Citie enjoyed the like advantage for they were freed from infinite guards which the great circumference of the place inforced them to keep The King caused Artillery to be planted in fitting places beating downe the walles houses and the onely Mill which was within that compasse winning the which hee did so incommodate them that if they had been succuored they could have received no comfort without a counter-siege This onely difficulty had been sufficient to have made them whilst time served thinke upon their safeties but their vain-glory to be buried in the ruines made them lend no eare to the perswasions of an enemy King who did friendly admonish them Whereupon force being the onely cure for their obstinacie hee set upon them with a generall assault which was valiantly performed and more vigorously oppugned the defendants being inforced after much losse of bloud and lives of both sides to retire and the defendants esteeming themselves victors in as much as they were not overcome were so puft up with pride as after divers opprobrious and scornfull speeches they did drive an asse to the top of the walles which incompassed the Market place in sight of the besiegers and causing him by blowes to bray they incited his assistance to the besieging King the which hee made a lesse esteem of then the losse of the sonne of the Lord Cornwalle a young youth who being hardly out of his nonage had through his wisedome and valour raised such an expectation in every one as had not a Cannon shot bereaved him of life he in a short time was likely to have been numbred amongst the worthiest Captaines of that age But these the besigeds uncivill rusticke insolencies were but of short continuance like the last blasts of a candle ready to goe out for they surrendred themselves at the Victors wills the lives of the meaner people being onely secured The King used such justice as they had deserved The bastard Vaurus was beheaded and his body hung upon a tree without the Citie upon the which hee had formerly caused a many English and Burgonians to bee hanged whereupon it was afterwards called Vaurus his tree Dionegius Vaurus and Lewis Ghast were afterwards put to death in Paris the rest which were betweene seven and eight hundred were imprisoned and their goods divided amongst the souldiers the taking in of Meaux drew after it the surrendring up of many other places amongst which that of Crespi in Valesia of Pierrapont Mertean Offemont Compeigne Remy Gurney Mortemer Neville Montaigne and others Moy Montecurt and Bressii were set on fire by their owne garrisons as unable to hold out any longer the garrisons of Moy retired themselves to Guise and the rest elsewhere King Henry was no sooner gone from Meaux but the Queene his wife came into Normandy with a puissant army of horse and archers under the conduct of the Duke of Bedford she passed on from Hafew to Roan and from thence to the Boys de Saint Vincent where
condition that herein hee humbly intreated the Duke of Bedford and all the lords spirituall and temporall of that Parliament since they were the lawfull Judges for the administration of justice especially in this case and because the aforesaid letter written to the Duke of Bedford suffered a sinister interpretation hee interpreted it according to its naturall sence the end for which it was written not admitting of any other If this busines had hapened betweene private men or that it had beene judgeable where Lextalionis is practised it would not have beene so easily ended but being betweene two great Lords almost equall in authority bloud and followers and where hee who layes treason to anothers charge though calumniously undergoes no punishment but the hazard of single Duell the remedy was easy the condition of the times the necessity of peace at home and the evils which by doing otherwise were likely to ensue being considered for the cure of a Fistula differs from the cure of a wound the one as soone as cut must bee suddenly closed the other being newly made must bee kept open to the end it may purge But there was no probability in this accusation the 3. first articles though they had some shew yet was there no proofe of them and that appearance wiped away by a more solid recremination the fourth and fifth not to bee spoken of since the dead are not call'd to witnesse nor cited before Earthly Tribunals they were alleadged onely to make the party accused ill thought of not that there was any reason to condemne him for them Moreover it is not likely that in England where the accusation witnesses defence and judgement are all made in publique and in face of the Court an accessary should bee privately drowned by night the King not being advertis'd thereof the party not delivered up into the hands of justice nor confronted with his accuser whilest the Prince who could not love the Bishop seing the ill will hee bore him had so large a field to revenge himselfe in by Iustice not being withstood either by any interest of feare or want of proofe the case being cleare the guilty convinc't the fault inexcusable treason in the highest degree The order which was taken in this busines was to sweare all the Lords as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall to proceed therein without passion and with secresy it was by them put over to the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury the Dukes of Exceter and Norfolke the Bishops of Durham Worcester and Bath the Earle of Stafford the Lo. Privy Seale and the Lo. Cromwell who after having made them promise to stand to their judgements as well themselves as their adherents Glocester in the word of a Prince and sonne of a King and the Bishop in the bare word of a Priest they framed certaine words which they were to speake one to another causing them the King being present to come to the Parliament The Bishop seeming much grieved at the scandalous speeches layd to his charge pressed much either to bee declared innocent of what hee stood accused concerning the two last Kings since hee was not nor could not bee convinst thereof or else that he might be permitted to justifie himself and being gone out of the house to allow them time to consider hee was shortly after cald in againe and Bedford in name of the whole house sayd unto him that upon the examination of his request the King and all the Lords declared him to be an honest man and faithfull to both the Kings which declaration was ordered to bee regestred amongst the Acts of Parliament then saying the conceived words one to another and having shaken hands the businesse was ended and they pacified The King was willing to witnesse his gladnesse of this accord by solemne mirths and Court solemnities he created Richard Plantagenet sonne to the Earle of Cambridge beheaded at Antona Duke of Yorke This title ceased in this family through the death of Edward Plantaginet slaine in the battle of Aiencourt elder brother to the forenamed Earle of Cambride and not to bee ransomed by this Richard his nephew and next heire without his being restored in blood as now hee was this was hee who afterwards deposed the King and who was the first cause of exturpating the house of Lancaster having boldnesse enough to contest for the kingdome with him and to lay claime thereunto in full Parliament as wee shall hereafter see in its due place neither was hee likely to have arrived at so immense a bouldnesse had he not beene promoted to this honour and honord by those high places of trust which by the King he afterwards was But God governes things here below by meanes contrary to wordly reason for whilst men foolishly beleeve that good turnes make past offences be forgotten examples shew us that the correspondencies due to vertue and reason ought not to be expected from men but such as the interest of profit dayly produceth profit is that alone which surpassing vertue or reason spurnes at any other gratitude the which though it ought not alwayes to be supposed 't is notwithstanding a want in judgement to thinke otherwise in great offences especially such as were these of this Richard on whom no benefit being to be conferred which was not inferior to the kingdome usurped from him it was the chiefest of all others to chalke out vnto him the wayes to the conquest thereof and by conferring upon him honors riches and power to indow him with an ability of doing what he did An errour whereunto the best of men are onely subject who expect not that from others which they themselves would not doe this creation was accompanied with another of Iohn Moubray who being Earle Marshall was made Duke of Norfolke which title was unluckily enjoyed not above three yeares by his Father who died in Venice being banished for England the first yeare of Henry the fourth this solemnitie was concluded by the order of knighthood which the Duke of Bedford gave into the King accompanied by 35 great Lords or some of great Families and the liberall contribution which by way of subsidie was given in Parliament in consideration of the warre with France no one City being exempt from the payments of monies or raysing of souldiers At this time the Duke of Exceter died a man of great wisedome who having no sonnes made the King his heire though besides the Bishop his brother and the Countesse of Westmerland his Sister hee had by her a great many Nephewes Richard Beauchamp Earle of Warwicke whom the Duke of Bedford had left his Lievtenant in France was not this meane while faultie in what belonged unto his charge for entring the County of Maine hee tooke there many townes and being returned to Paris met with this newes of his being chosen to the government of the King in place of the deceased Duke of Exceter though he went not into England till a good while after advancing in the meane while by
enemy he was with all appearing respect carried from thence and comforted and made beleeve that the Duke of Somersets death had established the Crowne upon his head being come together with them to London A Parliament was called wherein all things were decreed directly opposite to what had beene enacted in former Parliaments to testifie that the late government had beene unjust and the King abused by the malice of those that councelled him Humphery Duke of Glocester was declared to have beene Loyall unto the King and faithfull unto his Country all Donnatives howsoever made whether by patent from the King or by Parliament were revoked beginning from the very first day of his raigne to the present time as things which impoverishing the Crowne bereaved the royall dignity of lustre and that the now spoken of insurrection though condemned by all lawes might bee thought meritorious declaration was made that the Duke of Somerset Thomas Thorp Lord chiefe Justice and William Ioseph the third that governed the Kings will were the occasioners thereof by detaining a letter which if it had beene delivered unto the King his Majesty would have heard the complaints and so taken away the occasion of the aforesaid disorders that therefore the Duke of Yorke the Earle of Salisbury Warwick and their associates should not for the future be blamed for it since the action was necessary to free the King from captivity and bring health to the common weale These pretences thus past over they came roundly to their worke by framing a Triumveâ—…at the ground worke of the designed monarchy Yorke caused himselfe to be created protectour of the Kingdome Salisbury Lord Chancellor and Warwick Governour of Callais so as the politique authority remained in the first the civill in the second and the military in the third whilest Henry King onely in name was bereft of all authority and safety all that had dependency upon the King and Queene were put from the Councell bereft of whatsoever charge they bore in the City or Kingdome and Iohn Holland Duke of Exeter was by force taken from Westminster whither he was fled for sanctuary and sent prisoner to Pompheret a sacriledge not formerly ventered on that I know of by any King They now thought no more needed to the establishing of their power whilest tyrannies are not established without meanes much more abominable the Duke of Yorke should have done that wickednes then which once was to be done and which not long after was done by his sonne Edward A Kingdome cannot brooke two Kings and if experience had made knowne unto him his errour in preserving Henries life his carelessenes was very great to stumble the second time upon the same stone and thereby loose his owne life as hee did Moderate evills in such like cases have alwayes beene their authours overthrowe The respect due to Henry was not yet so much diminished nor his Majesty so much darkened but that Henry the now Duke of Somerset Humphery Duke of Buckingham and other Lords that sided with him resolved no longer to endure the injury that was done unto him and together with them to quit themselves of the eminent danger that hung over them for every man saw Yorkes end to be the usurpation of the Crowne and that his delay proceeded from the feare of danger for the King being by reason of his sanctifie reverenced by the â—…est hee thought hee could not on a sudden compasse his ends without scandall and the being oppugned by the greatest part of the Kingdome the â—…ch if it should happen he should for the present ruine and for the future totally loose all his hopes So as consultation being had with the Queene who being highly spirited did with impatiency endure the present subjection a great Councell was called at Greenwitch wherein it was resolved that since he was now no child and consequently needed not a Protectour nor was so void of wit as that he was to be governed by other mens discretions that therefore the Duke of Yorke should be understood to be freed from his protectorship and the Earle of Salisbury from his being Chancellour and that he should surrender the great seale to whom the King should please Yorke could not fence himselfe from this blow being taken unprovided and it selfe strengthened with reasons not to be gainsaid without a note of rebellion so as he was enforced to endure it but not without the dislike of such as sided with him who were not wanting in adding fuell to the fury of the people by making them rise up in tumult occasioned by a dissention betweene a Marchant and an Italian which though they did yet did not things succeed as they would have them for after having pilledged many houses of the Venetians Florentines and Lutchesses thetumult was appeased and the chiefe authours thereof punished but the present remedy had nothing to doe with the threatning mischiefe and both sides failed therein The Duke of Yorke since that he did not quit himselfe of his enemy when he might have done it in expectation of an opportunity to doe it with lesse danger to so horrid a cruelty and those of the Kings side in that they durst not venter upon the Duke of Yorks life for feare of some insurrection since the City was for him and the greatest part of the greatest adhered more to the hopes of a profitable tumultuous change then to the preservation of a quiet condition whereby they could not be advantaged for the King did no more distinguish of deserts then doth a distasted pallate of tastes and the Queene so jealous as that shee durst onely trust those who being injured were to run the like fortune with her Husband But where last extreames are in question extremities are to be chosen for chance may doe that which councell cannot Yorke left the Court confirmed in his former designes by this new affront whilest the Scotts entered England in one part and the French in two the Scotts having endamaged the confines retired themselves with their booty into Scotland the French pilledged some houses surprised Sandwich tooke some ships and returned to Normandy the surprise of Sandwich did but little availe them for they went away and quitted it it not being to be made good by small forces against many enemies England was like a body oppressed by a general distellation humours disperst themselves every where abroad the vitall faculties which are the lawes had not force enough to repulse them Thomas Percy Baron of Egremont one who was an enemy to the Earle of Salisbury sonnes fought with them in open field and slew many of their followers he thought to have escaped but could not for the King who would not have the fault to goe unpunished had used meanes to have his body seised upon and the offended parties being of the contrary party he as not willing to be thought partiall in justice caused him to be roundly fined and imprisoned from whence hee escaped to the much trouble
with feare with hands held up and a submisse countenance did tacitely pray for mercy and pardon the Chaplain who by naming him thought to save him told him who hee was and that if he would save his life he would spend it in his service but Clifford swore fearefully that as his Father had slaine his so would he doe him and all his race then struck his dagger to his heart and went his way rejoycing at the most barbarous and inhumane revenge that ever cruell man tooke Then casting himselfe upon the Dukes dead body hee cut off the head and crowning it with a Crowne of paper he presented it upon the point of a lance to the Queene the Earle of Salisbury and other prisoners were beheaded at Pumfret and their heads together with the Dukes set upon the Gates of Yorke whilest they rejoyced who not many dayes after bewailed their owne calamity as did the Queene or shared in the like fortune as did Clifford The Earle of Marsh in Glocester received the newes of his Fathers defeate and death but being comforted by those of the City and such as lived along the River Seaverne who were infinitely affectionate to the house of Mortimer of the which he was heire he with 23000. men ready to spend their lives in his quarrell as they did very well demonstrate resolved upon revenge he was ready to be gone when he understood that Iasper Earle of Pembrook brother by the Mothers side to the King and Iames Butler Earle of Ormonde and Wiltshire followed by great troopes of Irish and Welsh were joyned together to surprise him changing resolution he made towards them and met them not farre from Hereford on Candlemas-day he defeated them and slew 3800. of their men the two Earles fled away and Owen Teudor the second Husband of King Henries Mother and Father to the Earle of Pembrook was taken prisoner and with others that were taken with him immediately beheaded though some will have him to be dead many yeares before by the command of the Duke of Glocester The Queene at the same time with an army of Irish Scots and people of the North parts of England went towards London with intention to set her Husband at liberty and to undoe what in the preceding Parliament was done by the Duke of Yorkes authority to the prejudice of her sonnes succession The ill opinion the Citizens had of her and the feare of being pillaged by those stranger people made them not onely resolve to put an extraordinary guard into the City but to take up armes under the conduct of the Duke of Norfolke and the Earle of Warwick who carrying the King along with them did not remember that his presence brought alwayes ill fortune along with it They came to handy blowes neere to Saint Albans where though they were not wanting unto themselves the Queene not withstanding had the victory the two Lords fled away leaving the Lord Bonneveile and Sir Thomas Terrill with the King who might have fled with the rest had they not thought the Kings authority sufficient for their safe guard in this Batttell 2300. persons dyed amongst which no person of note except Iohn Graye who that very day was Knighted The Queene having recovered her Husband made him Knight Prince Edward her sonne a Child of eight years old and 30. more of those who had valiantly behaved themselves in the Battell and perswading herselfe that having caused the principalls to flie dissipated their partakers and recovered the King London would bee obedient to her shee sent command to the Major to send her in victualls for her men the which hee obeyed but the people opposed him and stayed the cartes at the City gates This examples shewes the errour which some time Princes run into when flattering themselves they promise themselves obedience from a distasted people and who without feare of punishment have already begun to disobey The Magistrate for all hee could say to shew the evill that might ensue could not prevaile for they still cried out the more that the City had not need to succour them who came with an intention to pillage it This disobedience grew yet more obstinate by reason of an insolent troope of horse who at the same time came from Saint Albans to pillage the Suburbs and many of them hasting to Criple-gate the Gate whereat the cartes were stayed and endeavouring to enter they were beaten back and three of them slaine to the great trouble of the wisest sort for it was to bee feared that the Queene being in armes and so many severall wayes offended would rigorously resent it The Major sent to excuse himselfe to the Councell which lay at Barnet and the Dutchesse of Bedford accompanied by the Lady Scales and some Prelates went to the Queene to pacifie her they perswaded her that some Lords might beesent with 400. armed men who riding about the streets might appease the tumult and that part of the Aldermen should come to meet her at Barnet to bring her and the King peaceably into the City but all these appointments did on a sudden proove vaine for whilest they whereupon the execution thereof came the newes of Pembrooks and Wilshires defeate how that the Earle of Marsh and Warwick were met and making towards London so as shee not affying in the neighbouring Countries and lesse in London went presently towards the Northerne parts which were affectionate to her having before her departure caused the Lord Bonnaveile and Sir Thomas Terrill bee beheaded though the King had promised them safety whilest shee should have used clemency to winne upon the enemy not cruelly to make him desperate The Earle of March on the contrary who for his amiable conditions was in every mans mouth and desires understanding the Kings retreat rid streight to London where being received with universall applause and all the Inhabitants of the neighbouring Countries gone to make offer unto him of their persons lands and goods hee caused a great assembly of Lords Ecclesiasticall and Temporall to bee made and joyned unto them the chiefest of the Commons wherein when hee had laid open his ancient pretences and the late agreement made in Parliament betweene King Henry and the Duke of Yorke his Father hee desired that since that agreement was broken by Henry Henry might bee declared not to have any right thereby to the Crowne whereas hee was onely King by vertue thereof and that hee might bee substituted in his place according to the said agreement and the justice of his claime the which being by the assembly considered and the title of the honour of Yorke judged ligitimate it was declared that Henry having violated the oath and broken the accord made by the authority of the last Parliament had made himselfe unworthy of the Crowne and was by the same authority deprived of all regall honour and title being thereof incapable and a prejudice to the Common wealth that instead of him Edward Earle of March sonne and heire to
increased and finding no place safe for him since hee wanted forces hee went not without great danger to Linne where he found two Holland ships and one English hee imbarkt himselfe and was waited upon by the three said ships and seven hundred men without any manner of baggage or one penny of money A great and unexpected misfortune but that which immediately after presented it selfe was farre worse had hee not luckily eschewed it For had hee been taken hee had none to ransome him so would have lost both liberty and Kingdome Eight of the Easterlings ships the Easterlings were then great enemies to the English and did them all the mischiefe they could discovering these three Ships and believing them to be English gave them chase but could not come up unto them till they had cast Anchor before Alchemar in Holland the ebbe being so low as they could not winne the Haven The Easterlings cast Anchor likewise but a good way from them the burden of their Ships not permitting them to doe otherwise so as they were inforced to expect the returne of the tide to board them But Monsieur de Gretures Governour under the Duke of Burgundy in Holland being luckily at that time in Alchemar and understanding of Edwards being there by some whom hee had sent of purpose unto him in flat bottom'd Boats forbade the Easterlings to use any manner of hostility and went himselfe to bring him and all his men into the City Edward was at this time so bare of money as not having wherewithall to pay for his wastage hee gave the Captaine a rich vestment lined with Sables promising not to forget the curtesy and to satisfie him better afterwards A strange change of Fortune happened in a few houres to such a Prince meerly out of negligence and carelesnesse Hee lost a Kingdome without one blow striking and was forced to have recourse unto a Prince whose onely presence did upbraid unto him his carelesnesse lust and bad government Charles hearing of this was very much displeased finding himselfe charged with so needfull a King and so great a retinue whom hee could not bee wanting unto in assistance not out of any humanity or alliance but for that Warwicke enjoying the Kingdome it behooved him to maintaine the contrary party and drive him out or else to suffer the incommodities of a long War Queene Elizabeth the originall of these alterations seeing her selfe abandoned without succour and the enemy upon her back tooke Sanctuary at Westminster where with small attendance she was brought to bed of a Sonne named Edward hee who for some few weekes after his Fathers death was the V. King of that name and who symbolized in birth name and death with his cousin the Sonne of the Dutchesse of Clarence borne a Shipboard before Calleis The pompe of Baptisme had nothing in it of royall save the Mothers teares accompanyed by many mens commiseration which is then greatest when most concealed Many of her best friends betooke themselves likewise to sundry other Sanctuaries who proved afterwards serviceable to her at Edwards returne The Kentish-men prone to insurrections seeing there was now no King of two the one being fled the other a prisoner came to London and sack't the Suburbs and it may be would have sack't the City it selfe had not the Earle of Warwicke diverted them whose comming thither was noysed and who punished the Complices of the insurrection This piece of Justice added to his reputation and the peoples love Upon the 6 of Octob. he entered the Tower accompanied by many Lords in particular his brother the Archbishop of Yorke the Prior of St. Iohns the Duke of Clarence and the Earle of Shrewsbury some of them drawne by affection some by feareâ—… he set King Henry at liberty after nine yeares captivity he brought him to the Bishop of Londons house where hee tarried till the thirteenth day and then brought him in person and in royall attire to Pauls carrying his traine himselfe and the Earle of Oxford the sword accompanied with the peoples acclamations who cried out God save the King forgetting that a little before they had prayed for Edward against him A Parliament was summoned wherein Edward was declared a Taytour to his Countrey and an usurper of the Crown his goods confiscate all Statutes made in his name and by his authority annull'd the Crownes of England and France confirmed upon Henry and the heires male of his body and for want of such upon the Duke of Clarence and his posterity who hereafter was to be acknowledged the next heire to his Father Richard Duke of Yorke and Edward for his faults committed deprived of his birth-right and the prerogatives thereof The Earles of Pembrooke and Oxford were restored in bloud and to their dignities and goods The Earle of Warwick and the Duke of Clarence declared Governours of the Kingdome Marquesse Mountague was received into grace and his fault pardoned since revolting against Edward hee was the chiefe cause of his quitting the Kingdome those who sided with him were deprived of their Honours Titles and Faculties and such punished as in this quarrell had taken up Armes against Henry Whereupon Iohn Tiptoft Earle of Worcester Lord Deputy of Ireland for Edward was found in a hollow Tree brought to London and beheaded in the Tower The Parliament being ended the Earle of Pembrooke went into Wales to take Order for such Lands as hee possest before his confiscation and finding there Henry the Sonne of Edmond Earle of Richmond with the Widow of William Earle of Pembrooke his brother that was beheaded at Banbury who though held as a prisoner by this Lady was alwayes nobly entreated hee tooke him from her when hee was not yet full ten yeares old and brought him to London where hee presented him to King Henry who after hee had ey'd him a while said to the standers by that this child should succeed him and put a period to all the quarrells which afterwards happening confirmed the opinion that was held of his sanctity since by the spirit of prophecy hee foresaw the succession of Henry the seventh Queene Margaret who was then in France being advertised by Letters from Henry of the regainment of the Kingdome did together with her Sonne forthwith put to Sea but the windes being contrary drove her on Land and kept her there a long time and had they forever kept her there they had beene the more favourable for then shee had not met with the mischiefe shee did in the losse of her Sonne When Warwicks returne to England and King Henries re-establishment was knowne at Callis every one tooke unto him the Earles Impressa Vauclere was the first that did so His Impressa was a ragged staffe made of Gold Silver Silk or Cloath according to his condition that wore it As this unexpected inclination made the Duke of Burgondy more sollicitous so did it inwardly displease the Duke of Clarence who had already alter'd his opinion Neither did nature and
aid given by England did not much burden the Countrey which did abound in men and all things else the now-expences were to be drawn from England onely which being exhausted by Civil Wars could not well furnish things needful to so important an Expedition so as it was great wisedom in Edward if failed by the Duke cheated by the Constable and allured by Lewis with Moneys Pensions and chiefly with the promise of so honourable and advantageous a Match he did withdraw himself shunning thereby such snares as the contingencies of War might make him fall into as well at home as abroad Edward was not well landed when Lewis began to rid his hand of what other businesse he had to do which was the Truce with Charles and the Constables ruine The later was now no longer to be evaded his wife Mary of Savoy sister to the Queen of France she who always made up the breaches between her husband and brother-in-law was dead and his friends of all sides forsook him amongst which the Count Dammartin and Messieurs de Tremoville and Lude who were very powerful at Court so as imagining the King would come to S. Quintines as he did he withdrew himself from thence and abandoned that place not affying in the Garison which immediately yeelded up the Town Passing from hence to Varuins he there received Charles his Ambassadours who were come to treat of the Truce and were waited upon by handsom and well armed Troops There were in the Kings train besides the English Hostages many Gentlemen of the same Nation who bare them company and who wondering to see the Ambassadours so well attended one of them said to Monsieur de Commines that if the Duke of Burgundy had been accompanied with such men when he came to Calais Edward would not so easily have made an Agreement Monsieur de Narbone who was then present in a jesting manner replied They were too simple to believe that the Duke of Burgundy wanted such men as those but that their desire to return into England Six hundred Tun of Wine and a Pension had made them believe any thing This sort of jesting pleased not the English Gentleman who answered that it was true that he had heard that the French gybed at the English but they might gybe so long that their being gone might not hinder them from returning back again and although Monsieur de Commines would have smoothed over the businesse the English-man did notwithstanding complain thereof unto the King who being of a contrary humour to Narbone chid him as detesting his ill-advised indiscretion After much Dispute the Truce was at last concluded for nine yeers and all who had forfeited their estates by following the contrary party were suffered to return and take possession of them except Messieurs de Commines de Renti de Chasse and de Baldwin a Bastard of Burgundy the Duke who was inexorable in the behalf of such as had once quitted him would not be perswaded to suffer them enjoy any such priviledges as others did The chiefest Articles of the Truce were That the King should renounce his League with the Emperour and City of Collen should slight some forts that he should proceed against the Constable by way of justice according to the Treaty of Bovines that he should restore S. Quintines to the Duke and that he should not assist the Duke of Lorrein When Edw. understood that Charls would not accept of the Truce made by him he sent Sir Tho. Montgomery to intreat Lewis not to make any league with him save what was answerable to that which was made between them two and that he should not restore unto him S. Quintines and that if he were to make War against him he would crosse the Seas again to fight on Lewis his behalf on two Conditions the one That he should satisfie him for the losse he should have in his Customs of Wools at Callis which being taken from the Commerce of Dutch-men who were Charles his Subjects were worth unto him Fifty thousand Crowns a yeer the other that he should pay half the men which Edward should bring over But Lewis thanking him for his offer said he had already made the same Truce for nine yeers with him without any difference save the giving of Letters apart With this answer did Montgomery return and together with him the Hostages But Lewis would never have accepted of this offer though he had stood in need of it he thought it ominous to have the English in France besides the Commerce with Flanders and the ancient pretence to France might haply without much difficulty make Edward joyn again with Charles against them The Constable this mean while sinding himself abandoned by them who foreseeing his ruine absented themselves he knew not what to resolve upon nor whither to retire himself he durst not trust himself in Han though it were a very strong Fort and for the like occasions so fortified by him as it was thought almost impregnable because the Garison thereof were all Burgonians and French to flee into Germany with Moneys and Jewels would be dangerous at last after many consultations privately with himself he resolved to have recourse to Charles to demand safe-Conduct and under colour of important affairs to get accesse to him and win his ear Having got it he went to Mons with not above Fifteen or Twenty Horse where contrary to all faith he was at Lewis his request detained and sent to Peron The Duke according to the tie of his Articles was either to deliver him up unto the King within eight days after he should be his prisoner or else to see justice done upon him himself but he detained him longer cavilling from one day to another for above the space of a moneth not out of Charity but for fear lest when the King should have him he might break his word with him and hinder him in the taking of Nanci which he then besieged but making his account to take it on such a day he gave order that on the same day he should be delivered to the Kings Officers as he was Perceiving afterwards that he had cast up his accounts amisse Nanci holding still out he revoked his direction the very same day by an expresse Post who though he made all possible haste came three hours after the Constable was delivered up who being brought to Paris examined and out of his own Letters to the King of England and Duke of Burgundy convinced of high Treason he was beheaded in the Greve a place where malefactors are put to death paying so at once sufficiently what he ought sundry times to have done for his so many deceits He was descended from the most illustrious Families of Christendom the Families of Emperours and Kings allied to the chiefest Princes son-in-law to the Duke of Savâ—…y brother-in-law to the King of France and Duke of Millan Uncle to the Queen of England rich in Fee farms Copie-holds Rents and Moneys
Countreys I have seeâ—… the relicks of that Victory If my memory deceive me not there is upon the brink of the Lake a Chappel neer unto which lies a great heap of dead mens bones but there having perished in the Battel Eighteen thousand and as some will have it Two and twenty thousand methought those bones though very many were not answerable to so great a number Here I was like wise told and the place was shewed me where Charles on horseback swam over the Lake and where one of his Footmen fastning himself to his Masters horses tail assoon as he came â—…n shore was by Charles slain for having endangered his drowning since 't was sufficient for a horse to swim so far with an armed man upon his back without the dragging another at his tail But I meet not with this relation in any History He retired himself to Rivieres upon the confines of Burgundy where he lived secretly six weeks in which time the Duke of Lorrein being come to the Siege of Nanci the Town was surrendered to him two days before Charles came thither from whom they had demanded succour and expected his coming till the last minute The Duke of Lorrein who found himself weak would not contest with him but leaving him to besiege the Town again retired himself for aid to the Switzers from whom he had forthwith what he desired for King Lewis paid to him Fourty thousand Franks for this end and many French came Voluntiers to him with this Army he came to S. Nicholas Two Leagues distant from Nanci in the coldest Winter-season that had been known many yeers before Charles his Army was in a very bad condition and became yet worse when the Count de Campo Basso a Neopolitan and of the Aniovin-Faction and therefore banished that Kingdom had relinquished him having had intelligence long before with the Duke of Lorrein but when he would with his men have come over the Switzers abhorring the assotiation of a Traytor would not admit of him Charles seeing his affairs brought to so bad an exigent contrary to his custom listned after the opinion of others he was advised not to fight since his men were few and no ways valiant he not having upon a true Muster Twelve hundred good men they advised him to retire to Pont-Mousson since the Duke of Lorrein being onely able to victual the Town for a small time and the Switzers being likely to depart for want of pay he might with a better choice of men return thither the next Spring A most excellent counsel had he embraced it but he would fight The Conflict was short a handful of men wearied with a Siege disheartned by former Defeats and by the present unadvisednesse the readier now again to be defeated many of them were cut in pieces many fled away and but few of them were saved the Duke endeavoured to save himself but was slain in his flight wounded twice by the Pike and once by the Halberd he was rifled and left naked not known by any one save some-while after by a Page of his by certain private marks for it was impossible to know him by his face The circumstances of this Defeat are at large set down by Commines and the French Writers to whom I refer my self I may perchance touch upon something again in its proper place whilst returning for the present to our Story we shall meet with a Tragicall adventure no lesse strange nor compassionate then what we have but now heard The Duke of Clarence second brother to King Edward a Prince of greater spirit then did become a brother and a subject ended his days in the Tower leaving it to dispute whether his death were occasioned through his own default or through the Malice of his enemies for though he were condemned by ordinary course of Justice yet was there not any one full fault found in him so as it was thought there was nothing of Justice in it more then the name and that Malice was indeed that which took away his life Three things were of most consideration in this affair The Kings Suspition The Queens Hatred and Suspition and His own Fault which was not sufficient to have condemned him had it not been for the former Two His having rebelled made Confederacie with the Earl of Warwick and contracted Alliance with him to bereave his brother of the Kingdom were faults which though they were old and freely forgotten 't was feared that his old inclinations laid aside more in respect of his own concernment then out of reason or love to his brother might be reassumed by him and he thereunto provoked by pretence of the Agreement made at Paris that he should succeed unto the Crown if Henry the sixth his Heirs should fail as already they had done This consideration wounded the Queen to the very soul she thought that if her husband should die before her her children should not succeed to their father she was confirmed in this opinion by a Prophecie I know not how divulged That G should be the first letter of his name that should succeed Edward and the Duke of Clarence his name being George 't was thought he should be the Butcherer of Edwards sons which Gloucester afterwards proved to be With such like equivocations doth the devil delude our simplicity if it be granted that he knows any thing of what is to come To these were other reasons added which made the former the more suspected his having pretended to marry Mary the onely daughter to the late Duke of Burgundy and indeed he had written to that effect to the Dowager Dutchesse who was mother-in-law to the said Mary but the Queen crossed him therein and did what in her lay to have her married to her brother the Earl Rivers so as their distastes and the Kings jealousies were augmented But the imputations which gave some colour to the justification of this his death were That he caused a rumour to be raised among the people that Thomas Burdet was unjustly put to death That the King used Necromancy and Poyson to bring such as he hated to their ends That Edward was a Bastard and not begotten by the Duke of York That he had procured many to swear obedience to him and his Heirs not reserving the due obedience he ought unto his Brother and That he had pretended to the Crown by vertue of the Contract made with Henry the sixth These Accusations being brought into the Parliament and by the Parliament judged guilty thereof he was condemned to die and chose as the easiest death to be drowned in a Butt of Malmsey But howsoever 't was generally thought that the malice of his enemies the Queens and her kinreds fears and the Kings jealousie were the causes of his so miserable end of the which Edward did afterwards repent insomuch as when he pardoned the life of any at the importunacie of some one or other he was wont to say O my unfortunate brother that
in which he govern'd himselfe so well as the more averse he shewed himselfe to what indeed he did desire the more provoked he an eagernesse in the Duke to discover what he sought to hide so as exagerating Englands happinesse falne into the government of so wise a Prince whilst under the government of a Child guided by persons interessed and hated it must have been ruinated The Bishop answered He must confesse the truth being sure that by doing otherwise he should not be believed that if things lately passed had been to be decided by Votes he should have voted that after Henry the sixths death the Crowne should have gone to his sonne Prince Edward and not to King Edward but that both of them being dead it had been great folly in him not to comply with the new King since the dead doe not revive That hee had behaved himselfe to Edward in all things as a faithfull Subject and Servant ought to doe to his King and Master That he would have done the like to his Children had they succeeded Him in His Kingdome but God having otherwise dispos'd of them his pretences were not to raise up that which God would keepe downe And for what concern'd the now King formerly Protector Here he held his peace as if he had unadvisedly falne upon that discourse but after a whiles silence he pursued to say That hee had already too much troubled himselfe with Worldly affaires 't was now time to retire himselfe and consider nothing but his Bookes and his owne quiet The silence that unexpectedly interrupted the discourse which the Duke desired to have heard finished made his desire thereof the greater so as thinking he had held his peace as not being confident of him he desired him to speake his minde Boldly assuring him he should be so farre from receiving Dammage thereby as that it might redound more to his Advantage then hee imagined That he had begg'd his Guardianship of the King for no other end but that he might better himselfe by his wise Counsels and that if He had been in any other mans custody He could not have met with one that would have set such a value upon his worth as did he The Bishop thanked him replying That it was not his desire to speake of Princes since they made the world to be not what it was but what it seem'd best to them Then when the Lyon banisht all Horn'd-beasts out of the Woods one that had a little Wen in his forehead fled away with the rest and being demanded by the Foxe why he fled he answered because of the proclamed banishment Yea but thou hast no Hornes said the Fox T is true I have none said the other animal but if the Lyon should say this Wenne were a Horne who durst say the contrary In what case should I be The Duke was well pleased with a Fable yet could hee not perswade him there was no Lyon should doe him any harme The Bishop said It was not his intention to dispute the Protectours title who was now King but since their treaty concerned the Common-wealth whereof he was a member he wisht it an addition of perfections to the many it already was endow'd withall and amongst these some of those with which God had adorned Him the Duke This being said hee held his peace much to the others displeasure who was grieved that whilst the Bishops discourse promised Much hee had said just Nothing whilst the comparison betweene the King and Him required not so darke but more intelligible explication He told him these many clouds of Diffidence injured their friendly communication assuring him that whatsoever he should say since it proceeded from a personage he so much honour'd it should be as if it had not been said at all Upon these words the Bishop resolved freely to unbosome himselfe encouraged by the Dukes vanity who loved to heare himselfe praised and by the Hatred he had now discovered he bore unto the King Whereupon he said He had read that man was not borne for Himselfe alone for his Friends or Parents but Chiefly for his Countrey that this consideration had moved him to take into his thoughts the present condition of this Kingdome his native soyle the which in comparison of former times 't was a wonder if it were not utterly ruin'd That there had been Kings under whose government it had happily flourished the love betweene them and their Subjects being reciprocall their interests being the same At home Peace Justice and Security Abroad Victory Honour and Trophees But now the world was much altered there was but onely one hope left which was in Him the Duke for considering his Publique Zeale his Learning his Wisdome Wit and so many other endowments the Kingdome in the midst of so great misery could have recourse to none but Him and that it had no Haven wherein to save it selfe during this tempest in which it was agitated but the safe Rode of His government out of which it was certaine to suffer Shipwrack That it could not be denied but that the Protector who now stiled himselfe King was endowed with Vertues which made him worthy of the Kingdome did he not reigne but that these his vertues were corrupted by so many Old and New vices that they had lost both their Quality and Name a wicked Prince converting Vertue into Vice as Vipers and Toads doe Nourishment into Poyson That there was no example in the usurping a Crown comparable with his for Wickednesse He had procured it without any pretence of Law contrary to the lawes of Humanity making his way thereunto by the Death of so many Worthy and Innocent persons contrary to the law of Nature by calumniating his Mother whom hee would have to be honest onely when shee conceived him contrary to the Laws of the Church by declaring his Nephews to be borne in Unlawfull Matrimony contrary to them All together by being their Executioner so as their Blood crying to Heaven for Revenge warn'd every man to beware of his life for if to possesse Himselfe of a Kingdome hee had not spared Their lives who were Neerest in Blood unto Him he would muchlesse spare the lives of Others that were Nothing at all unto Him so to usurpe what belonged to them To shunne therefore the Rockes they were likely to runne upon he humbly desired him That as he loved God his owne House and his native Countrey he would accept the Crowne free it from the captivity whereinto it was falne and if he would not doe this he conjured him by the obligations he ought to God that hee would doe his uttermost to change the Government since upon whomsoever it should fall it must needs redownd to the publique service but if He would assume it God would be therewithall well pleased He and his House secured the Kingdome obliged and all the World would thanke him When he had ceased speaking the Duke stood a good while pensive with his eyes fixt whereat
but he freed himselfe from any the least signe of guilt and Richard seemed not to valve his Wife least if He should embrue his Hands in the blood of a Lady of so great quality He might yet more incite the Peoples hatred He was contented shee should be committed to the custody of her Husband with order that she should be kept in some private place of her House and that none should be suffered to come to her who might conveigh Letters to her Son or Messages to any Other He also caused William Collingborne who had beene High Sheriffe of Wiltshire and Dorsetshire to be executed for having written by way of jeare That a Cot a Rat and Lovell the Dog did Governe England under a Hog alluding by Cat to Catesby by Rat to Ratcliffe and by the Dog to the Lord Lovell who gave the Dog for his Armes as did Richard the Boare for His and these three were His chiefest Favourites Some were of opinion Hee was put to death for having had Intelligence with the Earle of Richmond and with Marquis Dorset for hee was convict to have proffered Money to a certaine man to carry Letters into Britanny wherein Hee perswaded them to come Instantly and Land at Poole in Dorsetshire whilst Hee assisted by others would raise the People To keepe himselfe from troubles out of Forraine parts and that He might the betteâ—… minde his Home-broyles Richard thought necessary to hold good intelligence with the King of Scotland who often troubling Him with Inroades diverted him from his Home-affaires wherein consisted the preservation of his Life and Kingdome This businesse was treated by Commissioners who agreed upon a Truce for Three yeares each of them being to keepe what they were possest of except the Castle of Dunbarre which was given to King Edward by the Duke of Albany the last time that Hee fled from Scotland which the Scots would have restored And that he might have a double tie upon them he concluded a Marriage betweene the Duke of Rothsay Prince and Heâ—…e of Scotland and his Neece Anne of Poole Daughter to Iohn Duke of Suffolke and his Owne Sister Anne a Lady so affectionately beloved by him as his Onely Sonne the Prince of Wales being dead he made Her Sonne Iohn Earle of Lincolne be proclamed heire to the Crowne disinheriting of meere hatred his brothers Daughters and for that having declared them to be Bastards his Owne title was preserved by the continuaâ—…ce of their such repute All these precautions did noâ—… notwithstanding free his perturbed minde from those furies which leaving their naturall habitation had brought Hell into his Conscience so as though Buckingham were dead and so many others Dead and Banisht yet could not he have any Security his 〈◊〉 commited his deserved Hatred and the Earle of Richmond would not suffer him to enjoy any one houres rest And albeit in his contriving how to usurpe the Crowne hee made no account of Him whilst his brother livâ—…d his minde being then fixt upon Henry that had beene King and was then in Being yet Times and Persons being changed He likewise changed Opinion the one being Dead the other Alive and at Liberty and who was the onely man that with Right and Justice could do that to Him which he unjustly and against all Right had cruelly done to others Hee therefore indevour'd againe to have the Earle in his possession or at least that the Duke of Britanny by bereaving him of his Liberty as he had done in his brother King Edwards time would secure him from the Mischiefe that might ensue by his comming into England and not believing he was likely to obtaine a favour of this nature by way of Friendship much lesse for any Rights sake he grounded his demands upon the basis of Profit and Interest the onely meanes to obtaine ones desire from such as have no feeling of Justice He loaded his Embassadours with Monies and Presents to present unto the Duke together with Them he offered him Richmondshire and all the Revenues of the Earle as likewise all that belonged in England to all those that were fled over to him into Britanny the which being very much would have sufficed to have corrupted any other save Duke Francis the second one of the Noblest and most vertuous Princes that lived in those times as he was held by all men This is Argeâ—…es his relation who affirmes hee hath found among the Records of Britanny the grant of this County together with the Names of the Churches Monasteries and Priories therein but if the Duke should die without heires of his body the Reversion should fall to the King The Embassadours or Deputies as Hee 〈◊〉 them could not have accesse unto the Duke being come to a season that He was beside Himselfe an infirmity He was often subject unto whereupon they made their adresses to Peter Landais who had power to dispose of the Prince and State as He pleased The large sums of English money made him listen to what they propounded his base minde not valuing Honour made him accept of the Offer but not in such manner as it was propounded For He being the man that was to deliver up the Earle the Duke not being in condition either to yeild him or to detaine Him He would have Richmondshire to himselfe whereupon many Messengers were sundry times dispatcht for England which was the Earles safety for these practises being discovered in England and the Bishop of Ely being adveâ—…tised in 〈◊〉 He speedily gave the Earle notice thereof advising him immediately to depart from thence for that He was bought and sold betweene Richard and those who were of chiefe authority in that State so as if He did not sodainely save himselfe He would fall into his enemies hands The Earle received this advertisement when He was at Vennes from whence hee sent 〈◊〉 France 〈◊〉 a safe-conduct which was by the King thereof without delay sent him and it being impossible to save Himselfe and all his Partakers at the same time he feigned to send the Lords that were with him to visit the Duke at Rennes giving order to the Earle of Pembroke who conducted them that when they should be upon the Confines He should immediately quit the Countrey as he did whilst He himselfe feigning two dayes after to visit a friend of his not farre from Vannes got on horse-back waited on onely by Five servants and when He was entred the Wood He put on one of His servants Coates and got by By-wayes out of the State and arrived at Aniou whether the Earle of Pembroke with the rest were but long before come His escape was the easier in that it was not suspected having left above three Hundred English all of His Retinue behinde him in Vennes otherwise it would have gone ill with Him For Peter had already raised people and appointed Commanders over them who were within three dayes to have beene at Vennes to have detained Him hearing by what meanes I cannot
Richard Buried The onely Memoriall that remaines thereof is the Stone Coffin his Body vvas buried in which now serves for a Trough for Horses to drinke in in a Neighbouring Village They say the Body being taken from thence was with much derision buried againe at the foote of Bow-Bridge in Leicester and many other things are said of it which I rather believe to bee the Peoples Invention then that there is any thing of Truth in them In Richard the Line masculine of the House of Yorke ceased some except Edward Plantagenet Earle of Warwicke Sonne to the Duke of Clarence whom I do not account upon since fifteene Yeares after Hee likewise died without any Heires Male As vvee shall see The End of the Eighth Booke The Ninth BOOK OF THE CIVIL WARS OF ENGLAND In the LIFE of Henry the Seventh OUr Discourse leading us to treat of the Occurrences of a Kingdom the Government whereof passed now from one Family to another it will be necessary to know what pretences the present King had to lay claim to the kingdom to the end there may remain no scruple touching the Justice or Injustice of the Alteration Henry the Seventh was by his Genealogie so remote from laying any claim to the Crown by right of Blood as the common opinion is he had no right at all thereunto His father Edmund Earl of Richmond was son to Owen Teuder and Queen Katherine the widow of Henry the fifth whose Houses had no affinity nor relation of Kinred to the House of Lancaster By his mothers side somewhat may be said for him since Margaret Countesse of Richmond onely daughter to the first Duke of Sommerset and grand-childe to Iohn Duke of Lancaster the father of Henry the fourth the first King of that House pretended that in case the then-present Succession should fail she and her son were to succeed as rightly descended from the said Iohn the father as well of the house of Sommerset as of that of Lancaster But this meets with two oppositions The one That the House of Lancaster had no right at all to the Crown The other That say it had the House of Sommerset did not partake therein though sprung from the same Head The reasons why the House of Lancaster had no pretence are these Henry the fourth usurped the Crown from Edmund Mortimer descended from Philippa daughter and heir to Lionel Duke of Lancaster elder brother to the Duke of Lancaster upon whom King Richard the second dying without sons as he did the Succession fell So as the usurpation having continued from father to son in Henry the fourth the fifth and sixth 't was impossible for them to transmit that right to Others which they Themselves had not That the House of Sommerset though the Other had had right did not partake therein is thus proved The Duke of Lancaster having had three wives Blanche Constance and Katharine the due claims of his children had by them were not the same forasmuch as concern'd Inheritance in respect of the several Dowries and different Qualities of the three mothers Blanche brought with her the Dutchy of Lancaster Constance the pretences to the Kingdoms of Castile and Leon and Katharine nothing at all being but a meer Waiting-woman to the above-said Blanche So as if Henry the fourth and the daughters born of Blanche could not pretend to the kingdoms of Castile and Leon in prejudice to Katharine daughter to Constance nor Katharine to the Dukedom of Lancaster in prejudice of Henry the fourth and his sisters much lesse could the children of Katherine have any pretence at all in prejudice of the children by the former two wives unlesse what you will allow them meerly in respect of their Fathers Inheritance wherein must be considered their disadvantage of being the last born therefore not to enjoy the prerogative which the Laws give to the first-born To this may be added that they were born whilst Constance yet lived so as they were not onely Bastards but in such a degree as doth aggravate the condition they being on the Fathers side born in Adultery And though after the death of Constance he married Katharine which subsequent Marriage was made legitimate by the double legitimation both of Pope and Parliament yet they not being of the whole Blood the House of Sommerset had nothing to do with the House of Lancaster in what belonged to the Inheritance of the Crown their legitimation making them only capable of their Inheritance by the Father So as Henry the fourth being established in the kingdom by the Authority of Parliament and by the same Authority his sons such as should descend of them being declared his lawful Successors therein he in case his succession should fail made no mention at all of his Half-brothers or such as should descend from them So as let it be granted that his Usurpation was no longer an Usurpation it being allowed of by a Publike Act of Election yet had not the House of the Sommerset though descended from the same father the same pretence since not being able to pretend to the Dukedom of Lancaster much lesse could it pretend to the Crown the father having no pretence at all thereunto And if Henry his eldest son obtained the Crown it was by Purchase and so as none should enjoy after him but such descending from him as he should specifically name So as the Crown according to the Laws of England belonging to the House of York by the Marriage with Anne sister and heir to the aforesaid Edmund Mortimer there remains somewhat of doubt whether the Parliament could invest the House of Lancaster to the right of the Crown in prejudice to the first Mortimer and consequently to the House of York If it could not Then justly do it neither could it justly do it after Henry the Seventh's pretence unto the Crown and if it could do it in the same manner and by the same right as it did operate to the prejudice of Mortimer the House of York by making Henry the fourth King it might do the like to the prejudice of the House of Lancaster by making Edward the 4 King So as Henry the Seventh be it either by Election or by natural Descent is totally excluded from any right unto the Crown which exclusion notwithstanding rests onely in his Own Person not in those who have descended from him For having married Elizabeth the true Heir of the House of York his sons begotten upon her were true Heirs to the Crown And if in this particular we desire to be any thing favourable to him let us say that if the House of Lancaster had any such pretence it had it by the Mother who was Heir to the House of Sommerset and if the House of Sommerset be different from that of Lancaster so as he Thereby have no colour of Claim yet may he have it Another way being chosen King by the same power of Parliament as Henry the Fourth and Edward the 4 were
Sanctuary her husband not many months after returning home Victorious and Triumphing she likewise returned with him and during his life lived in her former Greatnesse and Felicity when he died she fell upon the like necessity as formerly of taking Sanctuary her Brother-in-law having usurped the Kingdom from her Sons declared them to be Bastards and cruelly put them to Death for her yet greater grief her Brother and one of her sons had by her Former husband died under the Hangmans hands in lesse then Three months space she was wounded with the death of Three Sons and a Brother her eldest Daughter being married to the new King moved by her womanish anger to practise uneffectible Chimaera's she lost her Honour Goods and Liberty and shortly after died unhappie not visited by any whilst she lived abandoned by her friends She was endued with Rare Qualities but her ruine proceeded from her abuse in the Choice of them Wisedom and Wylinesse being of the like Habit and Aspect are easily mistaken One for Another she took the Later for the Former which she would not have done had she well considered them for they are of Differing Liveries the one's is border'd about with Vertue the other 's with Deceipt Queens Colledge in Cambridge is her foundation and so call'd from her at this hour The Earl of Lincoln fled at this same time into Flanders he was son to Iohn de la Poole Duke of Suffolk and Elizabeth Eldest sister to the Two Brothers Edward and Richard Richard had declared him to be his Successor in case he should die without Children for having published King Edward and the Duke of Clarence to be born in Adultery he could not if he would maintain the pretended justice of his Own cause to the Crown but reject their issue especially having injured them so heinously The Earl upon these hopes flew High in his conceipts he was a man so well conditioned as had his Title been just he deserved to have attain'd at what he aim'd His designes which were born to the ground by Henry who by his Uncles death had gotten the Crown began to renew again at this Irish news for knowing the pretended Plantagenet's falshood he thought the troubles that were thereupon like to arise would bring him to what he desired for Henry being once overcome it would be easie for Him to bear down the Impostor The King had oft-times had him in his thoughts for being a Bird fit for the Cage to let him fly loose Abroad might prove pernicious to Himself and to the State but the Earl of Warwick's imprisonment at which the People were offended was the cause why he imprisoned not Him which should he do they would take yet greater offence and he hoped though He were at Liberty he could not hurt him so long as the Other was in Prison Warwick's pretension was Just and according to the Laws Lincoln's was Illegal obtained from one who had no Power to give it and the more it was Questionable the lesse was it to be Feared for it was not likely that by the difference of Two disagreeing Pretendants any One of the parties might by Concord be established In which if he was deceived it was not to his Prejudice For Lincoln being fled not without the knowledge and appointment of Sir Thomas Broughton he went to his Aunt the Dutchesse who after divers consultations sent him into Ireland accompanied by the Lord Lovel and other Fugitives with a Regiment of Two thousand choice Dutchmen commanded by Martin Swart a Valiant Captain She thought this ready succour would produce many good effects as the Confirming of the Rebels in their Obstinacy the Securing the Counterfeit King in Possession and the Encouraging of his Party in England by making them Ready at their arrival to set upon Henry to fight with him and to put him to flight for the Feigned Edward the Sixth was to be Held up as long as need required and not Yet to be cashiered and the True Edward which was in the Tower put in his place She had no thought at all of Lincoln in this businesse knowing he had no Right of Pretence unlesse she would have Seconded her brother Richard in his Declarations to the Shame of her House which she was very far from The King when he understood of his flight was much perplext he saw that the Dutchesse having declared her self in the behalf of the Rebels he must defend his Crown with the Sword The first provisions he made was to make the Sea-coasts on that side be well guarded to the end that Others might not follow Lincoln's example He raised a Great Army and divided it under Two Generals the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Oxford believing to be set upon at one and the same time both from Ireland and Flanders And though he expected not this before the Spring yet forbore he not to make a journey almost in the midst of Winter into Suffolk and Norfolk to take order for necessary provisions And understanding by the way that Marquesse Dorset was coming to him to clear himself of some imputation which was falsly laid upon him he dispatched away the Earl of Oxford to meet him by the way with order to carry him to the Tower and to tell him That this was not done for that he had Deserved it or that the King had any Ill opinion of him but to Free him from the Danger of being Perswaded to undertake any thing which might redound to his Prejudice so as though he could not chuse but think such a provision very Hard he wished him to take it Patiently promising him he should have Honourable and Satisfactory reparation The King kept his Christmasse at Norwich and went from thence by way of Devotion to our Lady of Walsingham and from thence returned by Cambridge to London The Earl of Lincoln's arrival in Ireland with so many good men with him added to the Rebels hopes they were very proud to see themselves favoured by the Dutchesse by her sending of such ready Helps and Two so great Lords as were Lincoln and Lovel At their coming King Lambert was Crowned being formerly but Proclaimed King Being in Council they differ'd in Opinions whether the war were to be made in Ireland or England Those who would have it made in Ireland alleadged for their reasons That Henry being necessitated to passe over thither in Person lest he might lose that Kingdom he would meet with many disadvantages amongst which the most Considerable would be his giving way for the Faction of York to Spread it Self the which being already Great would Encrease and grow Greater in the Absence of the King and such Forces as he must carry along with him so as the Faction of Lancaster consequently growing Weaker it would run danger of being Destroy'd and divers would be encouraged to Abandon it who Already were prettily well Enclined so to do which if it should fall out he would be able to do but
Little good in Ireland since he would want Supplies being likely to have None from England which peradventure he might Lose They were but Few that were of this opinion for they wanted there all the chief Ground-works of War strong Holds Arms Money and Souldiers an Enemy could not be Stopped without strong Holds nor Themselves Secured without Money Souldiers were not to be had nor could they encamp themselves in Open field without Arms. Reason perswaded to passe the Seas and make the war in England Henry had done the same with Greater Lesser company and yet had had Good successe it was to be believed that not having any One that sided with him in Ireland he would have but Few in England where if the Greatest part were affectionate to the House of York whilst they had No Head to follow what would they when they should have a lawful King attended on by a whole Kingdom an agreement which would invite and encourage England to do the like But all these arguments though Sufficient were not efficacious enough to make this resolution be taken the onely reason which bare sway to have the war in England was the Want of Money wherewithal to pay the Dutchmen and their no hopes of Enriching themselves by fighting in Ireland The needier sort of people flockt to the beating of the Drum those who had nothing but their Lives to lose were contented to venture them upon hopes to better their fortunes in so Rich a Countrey They embarqued themselves better furnished with Hopes then with Weapons and landed with Lambert clad in kingly apparel at the Pile of Fowdray in Lancashire they were conducted by the Earls of Lincoln and Kildare and Viscount Lovel followed by the Dutchmen under Colonel Swart Broughton met them at their landing with but a few men they marched towards York and passed peaceably where they went to shew that Lawful Kings come to Ease not to Oppresse their Subjects but shortly after their hopes began to grow cool when they saw not any one come in to them in their Solitary March especially since they could not with more reason expect any to side with them in any Other Countrey then in that which was so much enclined to the House of York and to Richard But Viscount Lovel not having found any safety there the yeer before they might believe They were not now likely to fare better Some were of opinion that the Alienation of those people proceeded from a Distaste they took that Two Forreign Nations the Dutch and Irish should pretend to present them with a King made by them and though Henry the 4 and Edward the 4 and the Now-King had in the like manner been presented by Strangers yet the case differ'd They the first and last were call'd in by a Part of the Kingdom to free them from the two Richards the 2 and the 3 the One for divers reasons more hated then the Other and Edward came of himself building upon the People's Love neither had Henry the 7 given any occasion of Hatred whereby to be driven out rather the opinion of his Worth and his having Matcht with the House of York had established him moreover the Procession made to Paul's wherein the True Plantagenet was seen made them not minde the False one Lincoln being brought to that passe as he could not retire without ruine resolved to perish generously by hazarding a Battel He marched towards Newark minding to make himself master thereof but Henry who at the first news of their landing was advanced to Coventry sent some Troops of Light-horse abroad to take Prisoners that he might learn News a superfluous diligence for he had Spyes amongst them who advertis'd him of all their proceedings Being come to Nottingham a Counsel of War was held wherein it was discust where 't were better to protract time or to Fight the King was for giving Battel being encouraged by the accesse of 6000 fighting men most of them Voluntaries under 70 Colours the Earl of Shrewsbury and the Lord Strange were the chief Commanders and that the enemy might not take the advantage of Newark the King encamped himself between them and the Town Lincoln seeing himself so closely pursued went to Stoke planting himself upon the side of a little hill from whence he descended assoon as the King presented him Battel the which was valiantly fought on Both sides but of the Manner how there is but Small or very Obscure knowledge 'T is held that of the King 's Three Battallions the Vantguard onely fought the other Two moved not at all which seems the Stranger for that having fought even to the Last man the one Half of the said Vantguard being Slain the King would purchase the Victory at so Dear a rate which if he would have suffer'd All his men to have fought he might have had it better Cheap All the Chief of the Enemy were slain Lincoln Kildare Lovel Broughton and Colonel Swart great slaughter was made of the unarmed Irish who budged not one foot from the posture they put themselves in at the Beginning of the fight the Dutch who were well armed and understood their work died not unrevenged The Conflict endured Three hours not likely to have endured so Long had the Main-battel and the Rere-ward fought 'T is said the L. Lovel sought to save himself but finding the Banks of Trent too high for his horse they were both drowned as not able to clammer up Others will have it that he got over the River and that he lived a long time in a Cave The King was displeas'd at the Earl of Lincoln's death not that he Loved him or out of desire of further Revenge but that thereby he was bereaved of the means of working out of him what Correspondency the Dutchesse Margaret had in England There died Four thousand of the Enemy the One Half of the Kings Vant-guard and the Other half were work for the Chirurgions So roundly were they dealt withal Not any one of Quality was slain on the King's side They took many Prisoners amongst which king Lambert Symnel otherwise called Edward the Sixth and Simond his Tutor and Seducer 't was thought he should have been rigorously proceeded against but his yeers he not being full Sixteen yeers Old freed him from the Highest of faults He confest who he was and the Meannesse of his Birth that the fault proceeded from his Governour whom he was not wont to disobey His punishment was the Kitchin where he was put to the vilest employments his Scepter and Crown were turned to Spits and Fire-forks he continued in the office of a Scullion till by what means I know not he was preferred to be one of the King's Falconers in which condition he died not giving any further occasion of Story The King shewed herein his Wisedom for had he put him to Death being so Young and for a fault not of his Own Chusing Severity might have had the face of Cruelty and Justice of
for that the war with Britanny might move some jealousies in him the true Reasons whereof not being known he gave him to understand that that Countrey being Feudatary to him it became him in his reputation to preserve his rights therein amongst which one was that the Heir could not marry without his Consent that the Dutchesse having done otherwise in freely disposing of her self without the Consent of Him her Soveraign it behoved him with his good leave to match her so as might not be prejudicial to his Crown to the which he hoped He would give way as to a thing becoming the reason of State and Justice Henry perceiving that the King of France would have him swallow up a bitter Pill wrapt up in Leaf-gold caused answer to be made to the Ambassadours That Peace ought not to be treated of thereby to make War upon one's Friends that to Demand it was Unjust Most unjust to Grant it He had too much of interest with Britanny to abandon it That the proceedings held by Charles were not like those of a Lord who intends to keep his right of Fee-farm but like those of an Enemy which intends Usurpation That his Correction say it were just and necessary needed not to be imposed by so Unjust means and such Unnecessary Arms against a Maiden That he did not dispute whether it were Charles his Right to marry her as he pleased or no though he thought few Presidents could be given thereof That Britanny's tenure in Fee was not subject to the Justice Laws and Will of the Lord thereof as were Other Common tenures That Gascoigne and Normandy in Former times and Flanders at the Present were not under so Servile a Subjection but say they were Marriages ought to be Free not made by Force the parties not Constrain'd otherwise they would be against the Laws both Humane and Divine and suppose his disposal of her did not contradict the Laws it might yet be averse to the interest of Other Princes who peradventure might be content he should marry her to some Other and not unto Himself As for Flanders he wonder'd so Wise a King as Charles should use such slight Arguments in so weighty a matter that he should term the Oppression of the Prince the People's Oppression the Rebellion of the One the Injustice of the Other that after having so many months detained him prisoner slain his ser vants bereft him of his Son and injuriously put him under their own Government they should pretend by Injuring to be injured being protected and confirmed in their Rebellion by Charles himself A thing which had not formerly happened and which now fell out opposite to the Interest and Dignity of All Princes for in time that might happen to Each of them which now befel This so as all Princes were bound upon such like occasions reciprocally to Help one another the which if it became Others much more did it become Charles who being Soveraign ought to chastise Rebellion in the people not to Authorize and Nourish it He thanked him for his acquainting him with his Secret designes which were So secret as not onely Italy but the whole World knew of them For his ends of Passing into Macedonia to make war upon the Turks they were not onely Christian but Generous so as if in stead of his demanding Peace he would grant his request in accepting of Him for a Companion in so holy an Enterprise he should think himself happie but that his arguments were of too Repugnant a Construction God did not command Evil to be done that Good might come thereof nor that what is offer'd on His Altars should be taken from Another's flock Yet if he thought he might with Justice set upon the Kingdom of Naples and that his pretended right thereunto was good meerly by the Renunciation of the House of Anjou what might He think of himself that was bereft of Normandy Anjou Gascoigne and All France which falling upon his person by natural Inheritance not by Anothers Renounsal was his Legal Patrimony if being instructed by him He should not do the like He would therefore follow his example and run the same carreer he had traced out to him Therefore if he would have Peace he might have it upon condition either that he would Renounce that which by an unjust title he Possessed or else pay such a Tribute as might be proportionable to what he should hold The Ambassadours not expecting such an Answer said They had no Commission to any such purpose but that they were sure their King's Sword was able to defend his Crown from losing any the least of his Flower-de-Luces that for what concern'd his marriage with the Dutchesse he never had any such Thought being already married to Maximilian's daughter To which the King reply'd He lookt for such an Answer and that he would send Ambassadours to him the better to be satisfied therein whereupon he dismissed them and Gaguine stayed in England till he had dispatcht Thomas Earl of Ormond and Thomas Goldenstone Prior of Christs-Church in Canterbury Ambassadours into France for that purpose Charles this mean while labour'd to remove from the Dutchesse Ann all scruples and detestations which withheld her from taking him for her husband He employed people of all conditions Divines Ladies Lords Counsellours and all such as had accesse unto her The Duke of Orleans and the Prince of Orange newly freed from their imprisonment pleaded for him so did the Count Dunois who after Orleans was tane prisoner turn'd again to the King's party The Marshal de Rieux Chancellour Mountalban the Ladies and Gentlewomen that were familiar with her and almost the whole Counsel were his instruments herein Madame de Laval her Governesse and Lady of Honour took more pains herein then All the rest Much ado there was to perswade the Dutchesse to forget how unworthily she had been dealt withal for Three yeers together how the Agreements made with the Duke her father and after with her Self had never been observed that Charles had destroy'd and sackt her Countrey that he was married to the Daughter of the King of the Romanes and the King of the Romanes married to Her So that if the Divines were troubled to remove from her her Scruples of Conscience Madame de Laval was no lesse troubled to rid her of the Hatred she had conceived against his Person She at the last yeelded thereunto upon the remonstrance of Peace the Necessity of embracing it and that there was no other way to compose it then by this Marriage Maximilian being Far off and reduced to such Poverty as in a time of so great need he could assist her with but Two thousand men Charles on the contrary was Neer at hand Powerful and not likely to give over till he had bereft her of her Countrey and brought her to Poverty and Misery the which if it should so fall out Maximilian would no longer care for her whose end was to possesse himself of Britanny
and not barely of her Person that Promises of Marriage yea Marriage it Self were to be dispens'd withal in cases of Necessity that the Pope would not be found difficult herein since Blood War and Desolation would otherwise ensue which by Peace might be prevented and Peace was to be had onely by this Marriage that Maximilian's daughter was no impediment since she was not of Yeers either to Consent or Dissent For her Marriage with Maximilian's Self though Promised yet was it not Consummated the Solemnities used therein were meer Ceremonies invented to dazzle the World they not being valid by whatsoever Law either Canon or Civil And if nothing else would prevail with her the Preservation of her State her 's and Charles his Proportionable Youth and Yeers and her being to be the Chief Queen of the World ought perswade her Weary at last with so many Onsets she gave way though not yet freed of the Scruple of her Promise-breach to Maximilian but he being accused of having failed in his Duty and of not having kept any one whosoever neer her which he would not have done to the meanest Princesse alive she was likewise quitted of That The Ambassadours which were sent to Charles being come to Callis met with the Bishop of Concordia sent from the Pope to reconcile the Two Kings for through the molestation of their Wars Christendom was in great danger of the Turks who made daily further progresse thereinto The Bishop having dispatcht his affairs with Charles who feigned a willingnesse to Peace came to England where he did nothing for the Marriage with Britanny being published the Treaty was broken off and each King sent for his Ambassadours home Henry not in honour able to suffer any longer dissimulation and being by Maximilian promised strong succours from the King of Spain called a Parliament and there propounded war with France not to be made any more by Deputies as was the war of Britanny but by Himself in Person to recover those Provinces lost under Henry the Sixth against a Prince who for his Pride and for his pretending over every one was unworthy of All men's Friendship since having possest himself of Britanny by Force and Fraud and maintained the Rebels in Flanders against their Prince he pretended now to bring Italy to his Subjection that he might aftewards trouble all the Princes of Christendom honesting his thirst after Rule and his conceived Usurpation of the Kingdom of Naples by saying he did it with an intent to carry his Arms against the Infidels on the other side of the Adriatick Sea he told them it would be dangerous to let him advance so much for that England being already girt about with Piccardy Normandy and this new purchase of Britanny it would be easie for him to molest her if suffering her self to be Flatter'd as hitherto she had done she should be abused as she had been that the French forces were not unknown to the English as had been witnessed by their Battels Victories and the Imprisonment of one of the French Kings and if the English had at last had unhappie successe 't was not be attributed to Their Valour but to Civil Dissention which like tempestous Hail had beaten down the Fruit upon the very point of Ripening that his claim to that Kingdom was manifest that Fortune did second Justice and Valour accompany her that Their generous resolution would serve for an Invitation and an Example unto Others to Flanders and Spain for their Own Interests and to Britanny for that being won more by Corruption then by Arms there wanted not such as were evilly affected the People were discontented and the greatest part of the Nobility not willing to subject themselves to a Prince whom they abhorr'd the Pope would joyn with them for detesting to have Italy molested Diversion was that which would free him from Danger All which were thus presented not as the Ground-work but as the Adherences of an Enterprise which was not to be resolv'd on upon hopes of Assistance from Others that England was of it Self sufficient neither did it stand in need of any other Forces then her Own it being to be supposed that by the Death of those Ancient warriers the natural courage of those which Descended from them was not extinct but that they would make it appear to the world they did not degenerate from their Predecessours and though Honour have no reward worthy of her self but Her Self yet it was to be consider'd that this was a War to be made in a Countrey full of whatsoever Nature did afford sufficient to maintain the Publike expence to adorn the Nobility with Lordships Vertue with Employments and to satisfie the Souldier with Booty and Riches Riches which were to be shared out by sundry ways as is the Blood from Vein to Vein to England in general and that those who for the present should contribute towards it were to enjoy in the future aboundant Increase for what they should Now part withal that the war was to be made not as at the First at the expence of the Kingdom but at the cost of such Cities and Provinces as they should Conquer it had been done so Formerly and should be so Now so as they that would contribute towards it he wisht they might do it Readily for he was resolved not to have any thing from the Poorer sort but from such as without any incommodity might expect the Re-imbursing of their Moneys The War with France was with much cheerfulnesse approved of in Parliament They thought the Honour of the King and Kingdom had suffer'd somewhat in the Losse of Britanny But the King's intentions were not such as he made shew of he knew Maximilian's Forces were not to be built upon nor yet those of Ferdinand for the Wars of Granada had exhausted his Coffers and the recouery of Rossillion without Cost which he aspired unto was not to be effected by fighting with Charles but with Seconding him He knew moreover the constitution of France was not Now as it had been Formerly when divided into Two Factions it made way for the advancing of the English Forces it was now United the Burgundian Faction was faln to the ground and the Orleanists depended upon the Regal authority that she hath now brought her self to a custom of encamping Leasurely and to fight no more with Violence but upon Advice so as he should Weary his people Weaken his Forces and Impoverish his Kingdom Feigning notwithstanding the contrary he seemed to Desire what he Detested he so wisely fitted himself for what might happen as satisfying his Honour with the Appearances and Beginning of War he was sure to make Peace when he listed for Charles would be Desirous of it that he might bring to passe his intended Designes and he Himself would Accept of it as not being deceived in his opinion of Maximilian's Impotency and the vain hopes from Spain Yet he was sure to make Charles buy peace Dear who had his minde
the Nation nor the Peoples Tranquillity had sold the Kingdoms best friends for ready money made dishonourable peace and not only oppressed the subject but unjustly put to death the Lord Chamberlain Stanley and divers others who were likely to have withstood his oppressions Ambition had moved Richard to tyrannie Henry Avarice Ambition had made use of cruell means Avarice not only of Cruell but Base extortive means his Cruelty was witnessed by the death of so many and by the imprisonment of the Earl of Warwick Son to the Duke of Clarence his Basenesse and Extortion by such extraordinary grievances Tenths Subsidies Taxes and Impositions under the name of Benevolences and by the wars and peace hee made only that he might heap up treasure and because his unjust possession of the Crowne made him live in perpetuall fear and suspicion not only of Men but even of Women hee had married Ladies of the blood Royall to people of mean condition amongst which a sister of Him the Duke of Yorke and a sister of his Cosin the above-mentioned Earl of Warwick that hee might have the lesse reason to fear so that as hee now came to free them from violence by such forces as God should assist him withall so by his plenary Regall authority hee did at that present free them from all Grievances by Revoking and abolishing in perpetuity All that had hetherto been imposed upon them contrary to all Law and Custom and to the end that the good will of his subjects might not be prejudiced by the Law for having illegally obeyed the Tyrant he granted to them a Generall Pardon for all their transgressions upon condition they would submit themselves to Him and acknowledge him for their King the which they that should be the Forwardest to do should be the First that should enjoy the Maidenhead of his Regall favours that he would maintain all that his Ancestors more particularly his Father Edward of glorious memory had sworn unto which was the Preservation of their Priviledges and Liberty the Franchise of the Clergy Nobility and People He promised a Thousand pound in ready money and Five Marks a yeare of Inheritance for ever whosoever should take or kill Henry he declared that the King of Scotlands assisting of him was not done out of any Bargain or Promise made Prejudiciall to the Kingdom of England but out of the near love to Justice a vertue wherein he excelled and that when he should have put him in a condition or posture that he might be able to defend himself by the forces of his own English subjects he would return to Scotland pretending to nothing else but the Honour of having Raised Him up This Declaration proved like seed sown on the sands whereupon King Iames after he had long in vain expected some Commotion be took himself to plunder and destroy with as little mercy as the Scots had wont to doe in former times and Perkin who till now had plaid his part extreamly well failed in This shewing too much Affection therein For having desired the King not to suffer his men contrary to the Laws of Arms to commit such out-rages for that no purchase whatsoever could be acceptable to him which was got with the Blood and Ruin of his own subjects the King who either had before informed himself of his being or else began to suspect it by this his so Affected and Impertinent request answered him smiling That he took too much care of what did not at all belong unto him and that to endeavour the preservation of an Enemies countrey was the most that could be done by a Perfect Christian. Having enriched his souldiers he returned back knowing that great forces were coming down upon him and that it would be dangerous for him to stay till they came finding himself encumbred by that great booty he took along with him Merchants were much troubled at the breach of Commerce between England and Flanders insomuch as meeting with a fit occasion they began to treate thereof with their severall Princes since that the reducing it to the former condition would make for the advantage of Both sides and therefore was to be desired by Both by the Arch-duke for being informed that Perkin the cause of the disorder was a Cheater he should have wronged his Reputation in favouring him any longer and have much injured his Subjects and Himself by the evill that might there hence have resulted by Henry for not valuing now Perkin any more the breach of correspondence with Burgundy was not only prejudiciall to Private men but even to Himselfe since that thereby his Customes a principall arrow in the quiver of Princes were diminished notwithstanding though he did desire it he would not seem to doe so but appeare to be drawn by the instance of others Commissioners were sent from both sides who renewed their friendship and reestablished the commerce in a better way then formerly and to the articles touching this busines and the Freedom of Fishing was added an Inhibition of either side to entertain the Rebels of one another in which article the Lands belonging to the Dutchesse Margaret were by Name inserted to the end that such as did adhere to Perkin might not be shelter'd there The affront offered by the King of Scotland stuck yet in Henrie's stomack which was not to be revenged but by war war was not to be made without money nor was money to be had without a Parliament wherefore he called a Parliament and therein acquainted them with the Losses he had suffer'd by the King of Scots in Northumberland who having no cause of enmity with Him had taken upon him for a Pretence to protect Perkin though he knew him to be an Impostour how the injury was aggravated by the Affront for finding that countrey unarmed and void of defence after having ruin'd and burnt up the countrey he had safely retired himselfe laden with booty into Scotland This busines was judged worthy of the Kings consideration such injuries not being without shame to be put up wherefore the Parliament decreed unto him good store of money to be raised according to the usuall wont which being paid in all parts else was only deny'd to be paid in Cornewall the Inhabitants thereof thought this an unjust exaction and that the Scotish Commotion was so farre from Them as they were not thereby to be obliged as were the countries thereby detrimented asif when the Head akes the Legs and Feet be not concern'd but may put over the execution of their duties to the Arms and Neck as neerer thereunto To make good this mutiny two mutinous heads appeared the one a Farrier by his trade the other an Atturney each of which had their ends Michael Ioseph the Black-smith was moved by Ambition beleeving such a seditious action would adde luster unto him and that his clownish loquacity would procure him the first place amongst the Countrey people Thomas Flammock the Atturney having gotten credit by his profession had so
former Confession the which he likewise did at Cheapside Hee was againe put into the Tower to be better looked unto but hee could not forbeare relapsing into his former errour For growing great with foure of his Keepers who were servants to Sir Iohn Digby Lieutenant of the Tower and making them beleeve he was the true Duke of Yorke he so far prevailed with them as that they perswaded the Earl of Warwick to escape away with Perkin which by their means hee easily might doe when they should have kill'd the Lieutenant and taken from him his Keyes Monies and best Moveables But the plot was discover'd and he againe put over to Commissioners At this time an other Earl of Warwick appeared in Kent in imitation of Lambert Symnell Lambert tooke upon him the person of the Earl of Warwick by the direction of a Priest and Ralph Wilford for so was this second supposititious Earl called by the direction of an Augustine Frier named Patrick but this was soon ended for the Frier puft up with a foolish confidence and beleeving that businesses of this nature ought to be fomented in the Pulpit he by inciting the People destroyed the building before the Ground-worke was lay'd so as they were both taken Wilford was executed and the Frier in respect of his Habit was condemn'd to perpetuall imprisonment This accident gave the King occasion to rid the true Earl of Warwick out of the world whereupon it was thought that Perkins first flight and this his second endeavour to doe the like were wrought by His cunning he giving way to the First that hee might put Perkin to death and stirring up means to plot the Second so to rid his hands of the Earl and Perkin both at once But howsoever it was Perkin being convinc'd of this second busines and judged to die was hanged at Tybourn where by word of mouth hee confest his Imposture The rest who were involved in the same fault suffered likewise with him And Warwick being accused before the Earl of Oxford who for this occasion was made High Constable of England to have conspired together with Perkin against the State and Person of the King being proved guilty by his owne Confession was beheaded upon Tower-hill And thus in him ended the Male Line of the Plantagenets This caused the King to be blamed and hardly thought of as having no reason to condemne him for having been Prisoner from the Ninth yeare of his age till the Twenty-fourth and always in fear of Death he was kept in so great Ignorance that hee did not know a Duck from a Capon and therefore so little capable of the fault that he was altogether incapable to Dream of it and his Confessing it was out of a beleefe he was perswaded to that by so doing he should be pardoned Henry endevoured to lay the cause of this death upon the King of Spaine shewing his Letters wherein he said He could not resolve to marry his Daughter to Prince Arthur since as long as the Earl of Warwick lived he was not certaine of the Kingdoms succession which might be a reason of State but not of Justice in so much as God would not give a Blessing to that match the which that vertuous Princesse Katharine Knew very well for Prince Arthur dying shortly after and shee being repudiated by King Henry the Eight after Twenty yeares marriage she said It was no wonder if God had made her Vnfortunate in her Marriages since they were sealed with Blood meaning thereby the Death of this Earle The King though hee were no longer subject to the Apparitions which the Dutchesse of Burgundy had raised up by her Inchantments in the Transformation of People yet was he not free from Influences common to other men the Plague raged so terribly in London that it forced him to quit the Town and afterwards by reason of its Vniversall dispersing of it selfe over the whole Land to goe over to Callice together with the Queene The Arch-duke Philip hearing of his being there sent Embassadours to him to congratulate his Arrivall and to know if hee would be pleased that he Himself should come to visit him upon condition notwithstanding that he might be received in some Open place not for that hee durst not Trust himself in Callice or in what ever other Towne but for that having refused to speake with the King of France within any Walled place hee would not by this Difference give him any occasion of Offence nor that the example might prove prejudiciall to him in the future for any thing that might happen either with the same King or with any other The Ambassadours were graciously received and the Condition fairly interpreted and St. Peters Church not far from Callice was appointed for the place Hee likewise sent Embassadours to the Arch-duke who appeared at Masse in the midst between them all of them kneeling upon the same cushion As he was comming towards Callis the King went out to meet him and he alighted suddenly from Horse-back as if hee would have held his stirrop the King likewise alighted and having imbraced him led him to the Church which was appointed for their parley The causes which brought this Prince thither were two his own Good nature for that he had offended him by Protecting an Impostour which fault though it was not His he being then a Child yet was it the fault of his Counsell depending upon the Dutchesse Margarets passion so as he omitted nothing whereby to give the King satisfaction the other the Advise of his Father and father in Law who counselled him to make firm friendship with Henry for the advantage of the Low-countries and for his own Safety against the Violences of France but most for that they both hating that King which was Lewis the Twelfth who succeeded Charles the Eighth they hoped for many Advantages by his Friendship The Arch-duke failed not to use all the art he could though by nature he was not given to Dissembling terming him his Father his Protector his Leaning-stock The things agreed on between them were the Confirmation of the former Treaties and two reciprocall Marriages the one of the Duke of Yorke the Kings Second Son with the Arch-dukes Daughter the other of Charles the Arch-dukes Eldest Son with Mary the Kings Second Daughter but all of them being either Children or Infants these marriages ensued not but did evaporate through Time and Interest The Archduke was hardly gone when the King of France sent the Governour of Picardy and the Baylife of Amiens to visit Henry acquain ting him with his Victories together with his getting of the Dutchy of Milaine and his imprisonment of Lodwick Sforza the Duke thereof The Plague being by this time ceased Henry return'd to London wel satisfied with the Testimony he had received of how good esteem he was held by the confining Princes At the same time Iasper Pons a Spaniard born a learned and well bred man came into England being sent by
Pope Alexander the Sixth upon the occasion of the year of Jubile for since they only received the benefit thereof who went to Rome he thought it fit that it should be commuted for by Remote countries the inhabitants whereof could not make so Long a journey in so much as they staying at Home might receive the same indulgences which those did that went on Pilgrimage to Rome if they would give a certain summe of money to be imployed in the wars against the Turks whose advancing Hungary Germany and Italy did much apprehend This man did so wisely negotiate this af fair as he thereby got a great summe of money without any manner of grudging or murmuring save against the Kings Person who being naturally given to Extort from his People it was thought hee would not have suffered these monies to have beene gathered had not he Himselfe had a share therein An opinion which was known to be false in the time of Iulius the Second who making it a difficult busines to grant Prince Henry a Dispensation to marry Katharine who had been wife to his brother Arthur Cardinall Adrian de Corneto who endeavoured the obtayning of it alleadged amongst the rest of the merits of King Henry his Father that he had not pretented to share in the monies raysed by Pons in that kingdom Neither was there any dissimulation used in this by Alexander at least there Appeared none for he propounded this war in the Publick Consistory in the presence of as many Emssadours as were then resident in that Court with designe to set upon the Turkish territories in Three severall places in Thracia by the Hungarians Bohemians and Polanders in Greece by the French and Spaniards and at Constantinople by him Himselfe accompanied by the King of England and the State of Venice and he sent Nuntioes to All Princes that they would joyne their Forces and Monies according to their Abilities in so pious a worke The Answer which the King gave to Pons was That he was ready to Accompany his Holinesse but that it was impossible for him to doe it in that manner the remote Distance of his countrey would put him to Double the charge of any of the rest that the Kings of France and Spaine were first to be made Friends which if it should not be effected all other designes would prove but vain that when they should be made friends 't was they that best might accompany him as being Neerest him which if they should Refuse to doe He would wait upon him Himselfe not considering either Expence or other incommodity upon Condition he might have some Cities upon the Sea-side in Italy delivered into his possession to make use of what ever chance might happen This answer and it may be the Like of other Princes made this undertaking vanish away to Nothing when the Proposition was such as might very well have beene effected Cardinall Morton who was likewise Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Chancellour of England died this year We have spoken of him formerly He was a man of great Integrity yet somewhat given to Gripplenesse which made him be ill thought of for it was beleev'd he had nourished in the King his humour of Impositions But time proved the Contrary and had he left no other laudable memory behind him his being the First agent in the uniting of the two Roses is a merit whereby to render him Glorious to all Posterity Iohn Earl of Lincolne he who was slain at the battle of Stoke left his brother Edmund Earl of Suffolke heir to his Humour and his Misfortune in so much as calling to mind that he was Son to Elizabeth who was sister both to Edward and Richard hee thought he might be as bold under This King as he had been under the Other two his Vncles He had slain a man in such a manner notwithstanding as the Circumstances did not Aggravate the fault Henry gave him his Pardon but so as he was to passe all the course of Law and Justice and to appear before the Iudges and receive Sentence of Condemnation This manner of proceeding against him did so touch him to the quick as reputing the Favour that was shew'd him Ignominy he sodainly left the Land and went into Flanders to his Ant Margaret at which though the King was offended yet was he resolved to apply Lenitive salves giving order to his Agents in those parts to offer him his Pardon at the very First so as he would return knowing that Despair in banisht men begets thoughts in them of Little service to Themselves and of much Trouble to Others It succeeded according to his imagination for accepting the Pardon he returned to England the Dutchesse not opposing him therein either for that she thought his Genius inferior to the Kings or else that she was satisfied that in Perkins publick Confession her name was conceal'd But arrogant and proud natures such as was that of this Earl leading men into Dangers brought this man at Last to his Ruin under Henry the Eighth The match between Prince Arthur and the Infanta Katherine of Spaine which had been treated on for the space of seven years received this year its maturity the King her Father sending her nobly attended into England The tediousnesse of this negotiation proceeded from Both parties for the two Kings being endued with equall wisedome before the establishing of the Affinity would see each others fortune established the Infanta had for her Portion 200000 Duckets without any covenant of Restitution either to Her selfe or her Family and in lieu thereof she had set out for Ioynture the third part of the Principality of Wales of the Dutchy of Cornewall and of the County of Chester and if she should come to be Queene she was to have as much as any other Queene before her had had The marriage was solemnized in Pauls the Bridegroome was Fifteene yeers of age the Bride Eighteene The Festivals being ended they returned to keepe their Court at Ludlow in Wales but their abode there was but for while for the young Prince died there on the second day of Aprill in the yeare 1502. five moneths after he was married having lived 15. Years 6. moneths and 13. Dayes Nothing more is to be said of him Authors write nothing of him since hee lived not long enough to be knowne All that is related of him is That being naturally given to study he was learned beyond his Age and the Condition of a Prince This his death did much molest the King the Infanta Katharine was left upon his hands and if Prince Henry were to marry Another wife he was to find out a second Joynture a thing repugnant to the merit of State and to his Frugall honour whereupon resolving to marry him to the same Katharine he wrote concerning it to Spaine and Rome Ferdinand was contented but he met with Difficulties in procuring a Dispensation from the Pope and in getting his Sonnes Good-will who though he was then but