true Degree as it was and saw plainly that his Kingdome must againe be put to the Stake and that he must fight for it And first he did conceiue before he vnderstood of the Earle of Lincolnes sayling into Ireland out of Flanders that he should be assailed both vpon the East-parts of the Kingdome of England by some impression from Flanders and vpon the North-west out of Ireland And therefore hauing ordered Musters to be made in both Parts and hauing prouisionally designed two Generals IASPER Earle of Bedford and IOHN Earle of Oxford meaning himselfe also to goe in person where the Affaires should most require it and neuerthelesse not expecting any actuall Inuasion at that time the Winter being farre on he tooke his iourney himselfe towards Suffolke and Northfolke for the confirming of those parts And being come to S. Edmonds-bury hee vnderstood that THOMAS Marquesse Dorset who had beene one of the Pledges in France was hasting towards him to purge himselfe of some Accusations which had beene made against him But the King though hee kept an Eare for him yet was the time so doubtfull that hee sent the Earle of Oxford to meet him and forth with to carry him to the Tower with a faire Message neuerthelesse that hee should beare that disgrace with patience for that the King meant not his hurt but onely to preserue him from doing hurt either to the Kings seruice or to himselfe and that the King should alwayes be able when hee had cleared himselfe to make him reparation From S. Edmonds-bury he went to Norwich where he kept his Christmas And from thence he went in a manner of Pilgrimage to Walsingham where hee visited our Ladies Church famous for miracles and made his Prayers and Vowes for helpe and deliuerance And from thence he returned by Cambridge to London Not long after the Rebels with their King vnder the Leading of the Earle of Lincolne the Earle of Kildare the Lord LOVEL and Colonell SWART landed at Fouldrey in Lancashire whither there repaired to them Sir THOMAS BROVGHTON with some small companie of English The King by that time knowing now the Storme would not diuide but fall in one place had leuied Forces in good number And in person taking with him his two designed Generals the Duke of Bedford and the Earle of Oxford was come on his way towards them as farre as Couentry whence he sent forth a troupe of Light-Horsemen for discouerie and to intercept some straglers of the Enemies by whom he might the better vnderstand the particulars of their Progresse and purposes which was accordingly done though the King otherwise was not without intelligence from Espials in the Campe. The Rebels tooke their way towards Yorke without spoyling the Countrie or any act of Hostilitie the better to put themselues into fauour of the people and to personate their King who no doubt out of a princely feeling was sparing and compassionate towards his Subiects But their Snow-ball did not gather as it went For the people came not in to them Neither did any rise or declare themselues in other parts of the Kingdome for them which was caused partly by the good taste that the King had giuen his People of his Gouernement ioyned with the reputation of his Felicitie and partly for that it was an odious thing to the people of England to haue a King brought in to them vpon the shoulders of Irish and Dutch of which their Armie was in substance compounded Neither was it a thing done with any great iudgement on the Party of the Rebels for them to take their way towards Yorke Considering that howsoeuer those parts had formerly beene a Nurserie of their friends yet it was there where the Lord LOVEL had so lately disbanded and where the Kings presence had a little before qualified discontents The Earle of Lincolne deceiued of his hopes of the Countries concourse vnto him in which case he would haue temporized and seeing the businesse past Retract resolued to make on where the King was and to giue him battaile and therupon marched towards Newarke thinking to haue surprized the Towne But the King was somewhat before this time come to Nottingham where he called a Councell of Warre at which was consulted whether it were best to protract time or speedily to set vpon the Rebels In which Councell the King himselfe whose continuall vigilancie did sucke in sometimes causelesse suspitions which few else knew inclined to the accelerating a Battaile But this was presently put out of doubt by the great aides that came in to him in the instant of this Consultation partly vpon Missiues and partly Voluntaries from many parts of the Kingdome The principall persons that came then to the Kings aide were the Earle of Shrewesburie and the Lord STRANGE of the Nobilitie and of Knights and Gentlemen to the number of at least threescore and tenne persons with their Companies making in the whole at the least six thousand fighting men besides the Forces that were with the King before Wherupon the King finding his Armie so brauely re-enforced and a great alacritie in all his men to fight was confirmed in his former resolution and marched speedily so as hee put himselfe betweene the Enemies Campe and Newarke being loth their Armie should get the commoditie of that Towne The Earle nothing dismayed came forwards that day vnto a little Village called Stoke and there encamped that night vpon the Brow or hanging of a hill The King the next day presented him Battaile vpon the Plaine the fields there being open and champion The Earle couragiously came downe and ioyned Battaile with him Concerning which Battaile the relations that are left vnto vs are so naked and negligent though it be an action of so recent memorie as they rather declare the Successe of the day then the Manner of the fight They say that the King diuided his Armie into three Battailes whereof the vant-guard onely well strengthened with wings came to fight That the Fight was fierce and obstinate and lasted three houres before the victorie inclined either way saue that Iudgement might be made by that the Kings Vant-guard of it selfe maintained fight against the whole Power of the Enemies the other two Battailes remaining out of action what the successe was like to bee in the end That MARTIN SWART with his Germanes performed brauely and so did those few English that were on that side neither did the Irish faile in courage or fiercenesse but being almost naked men only armed with Darts and Skeines it was rather an Execution then a fight vpon them insomuch as the furious slaughter of them was a great discouragement and appalement to the rest That there died vpon the place all the Chiefetaines That is the Earle of Lincolne the Earle of Kildare FRANCIS Lord LOVEL MARTIN SWART and Sir THOMAS BROVGHTON all making good the fight without any ground giuen Onely of the Lord LOVEL there went a report that he fled and swam ouer Trent on
although the French seemed to speake reason yet Arguments are euer with multitudes too weake for Suspitions Wherefore they did aduise the King roundly to embrace the Britons quarrell and to send them speedy aides and with much alacritie and forwardnesse granted to the King a great rate of Subsidie in contemplation of these aides But the King both to keepe a decencie towards the French King to whom he profest himselfe to be obliged and indeed desirous rather to shew Warre then to make it sent new solemne Ambassadors to intimate vnto him the Decree of his Estates and to iterate his motion that the French would desist from Hostilitie or if Warre must follow to desire him to take it in good part if at the motion of his people who were sensible of the cause of the Britons as their ancient Friends and Confederates hee did send them succours with protestation neuerthelesse that to saue all Treaties and Lawes of Friendship hee had limited his Force to proceed in aide of the Britons but in no wise to warre vpon the French otherwise then as they maintained the possession of Britaine But before this formall Ambassage arriued the Partie of the Duke had receiued a great blow and grew to manifest declination For neere the Towne of Saint Alban in Britaine a Battaile had beene giuen where the Britons were ouerthrowne and the Duke of Orleance and the Prince of Orange taken Prisoners there being slaine on the Britons part six thousand Men and amongst them the Lord WOODVILE and almost all his Souldiers valiantly fighting And of the French part one thousand two hundred with their Leader IAMES GALEOT a great Commander When the newes of this Battaile came ouer into England it was time for the King who now had no subrerfuge to continue further Treatie and saw before his Eyes that Britaine went so speedily for lost contrarie to his hopes knowing also that with his People and Forreiners both he sustained no small Enuie and disreputation for his former delayes to dispatch with all possible speed his succours into Britaine which hee did vnder the conduct of ROBERT Lord BROOKE to the number of eight thousand choise Men and well armed who hauing a faire wind in few houres landed in Britaine and ioyned themselues forthwith to those Briton-Forces that remained after the Defeat and marched straight on to find the Enemie and incamped fast by them The French wisely husbanding the possession of a Victorie and well acquainted with the courage of the English especially when they are fresh kept themselues within their Trenches being strongly lodged and resolued not to giue battaile But meane while to harrasse and wearie the English they did vpon all aduantages set vpon them with their Light-Horse wherein neuerthelesse they receiued commonly losse especially by meanes of the English-Archers But vpon these atchieuements FRANCIS Duke of Britaine deceased an accident that the King might easily haue foreseene and ought to haue reckoned vpon and prouided for but that the Point of Reputation when newes first came of the Battaile lost that somewhat must bee done did ouerbeare the Reason of Warre After the Dukes decease the principall persons of Britaine partly bought partly through faction put all things into confusion so as the English not finding Head or Bodie with whom to ioyne their Forces and being in iealousie of Friends as well as in danger of Enemies and the Winter begun returned home fiue moneths after their landing So the Battaile of Saint Alban the death of the Duke and the retire of the English succours were after some time the causes of the losse of that Duchie which action some accounted as a blemish of the Kings Iudgement but most but as the misfortune of his times But howsoeuer the temporarie Fruit of the Parliament in their aid and aduice giuen for Britaine tooke not nor prospered not yet the lasting Fruit of Parliament which is good and wholsome Lawes did prosper and doth yet continue to this day For according to the Lord Chancellours admonition there were that Parliament diuers excellent Lawes ordained concerning the Points which the King recommended First the authoritie of the Star-chamber which before subsisted by the ancient Common-Lawes of the Realme was confirmed in certaine Cases by Act of Parliament This Court is one of the sagest and noblest Institutions of this Kingdome For in the distribution of Courts of Ordinarie Iustice besides the High-Court of Parliament in which distribution the Kings-Bench holdeth the Pleas of the Crowne the Common-Place Pleas Ciuill the Exchequer Pleas concerning the Kings Reuenue and the Chancery the Pretorian power for mitigating the Rigour of Law in case of extremitie by the conscience of a good man there was neuerthelesse alwaies reserued a high and preheminent power to the Kings Counsell in Causes that might in example or consequence concerne the state of the Common-wealth which if they were Criminall the Counsell vsed to sit in the Chamber called the Star-Chamber if Ciuill in the White-Chamber or White-hall And as the Chancery had the Pretorian power for Equitie so the Star-chamber had the Censorian power for Offences vnder the degree of Capitall This Court of Star-chamber is compounded of good Elements for it consisteth of foure kindes of Persons Councellors Peeres Prelates and Chief-Iudges It discerneth also principally of foure kinds of Causes Forces Frauds Crimes various of Stellionate and the Inchoations or middle acts towards Crimes Capitall or hainous not actually committed or perpetrated But that which was principally aimed at by this Act was Force and the two chiefe Supports of Force Combination of multitudes and Maintenance or Headship of great Persons From the generall peace of the Countrie the Kings care went on to the peace of the Kings House and the securitie of his great Officers and Counsellors But this Law was somwhat of a strange composition and temper That if any of the Kings seruants vnder the degree of a Lord doe conspire the death of any of the Kings Counsell or Lord of the Realme it is made Capitall This Law was thought to bee procured by the Lord Chancellor who being a sterne and haughtie man and finding he had some mortall Enemies in Court prouided for his owne safetie drowning the enuie of it in a generall Law by communicating the priuiledge with all other Councellors and Peeres and yet not daring to extend it further then to the Kings seruants in Check-rowle lest it should haue beene too harsh to the Gentlemen and other Commons of the Kingdome who might haue thought their ancient Libertie and the clemencie of the Lawes of England inuaded If the will in any case of Felonie should be made the deed And yet the reason which the Act yeeldeth that is to say That hee that conspireth the death of Councellors may be thought indirectly and by a meane to conspire the death of the King himselfe is indifferent to all Subiects as well as to Seruants in Court But it seemeth this sufficed to serue the Lord
of Estate for else hee should leaue to bee a King The Subiects of Burgundie are Subiects in Chiefe to the Crown of France and their Duke the Homager and Vassall of France They had wont to bee good Subiects howsoeuer MAXIMILIAN hath of late distempered them They fled to the King for Justice and deliuerance from oppression Justice hee could not denie Purchase hee did not seeke This was good for MAXIMILIAN if he could haue seene it in people mutined to arrect Fury and preuent Despaire My Lords it may bee this I haue said is needlesse saue that the King our Master is tender in any thing that may but glance vpon the friendship of England The amitie betweene the two Kings no doubt stands entire and inuiolate And that their Subiects swords haue clashed it is nothing vnto the publike Peace of the Crownes it being a thing very vsuall in auxiliarie Forces of the best and straitest Confederates to meet and draw bloud in the Field Nay many times there bee Aides of the same Nation on both sides and yet it is not for all that A Kingdome diuided in it selfe It resteth my Lords that Jimpart vnto you a matter that I know your Lordships all will much reioyce to heare as that which importeth the Christian Common-weale more then any Action that hath hapned of long time The King our Master hath a purpose and determination to make Warre vpon the kingdome of Naples being now in the possession of a Bastardslip of Arragon but appertaining vnto his Maiestie by cleare and vndoubted right which if hee should not by iust Armes seeke to recouer hee could neither acquite his Honour nor answer it to his People But his Noble and Christian thoughts rest not here For his Resolution and Hope is to make the Re-conquest of Naples but as a Bridge to transport his Forces into Grecia and not to spare Bloud or Treasure If it were to the impawning of his Crowne and dis-peopling of France till either hee hath ouerthrowne the Empire of the OTTOMANS or taken it in his way to Paradise The King knoweth well that this is a designe that could not arise in the minde of any King that did not stedfastly looke vp vnto GOD whose quarrell this is and from whom commeth both the Will and the Deed. But yet it is agreeable to the Person that hee beareth though vnworthy of the Thrice-Christian King and the eldest Sonne of the Church Whereunto he is also inuited by the Example in more ancient time of King HENRIE the Fourth of England the first Renowned King of the House of LANCASTER Ancestour though not Progenitour to your King who had a purpose towards the end of his time as you know better to make an Expedition into the Holy-Land and by the Example also present before his eyes of that Honourable and Religious Warre which the King of Spaine now maketh and hath almost brought to perfection for the recouerie of the Realme of Granada from the Moores And although this Enterprise may seeme vast and vnmeasured for the King to attempt that by his owne Forces wherein heretofore a Coniunction of most of the Christian Princes hath found worke enough yet his Maiestie wisely considereth that sometimes smaller Forces being vnited vnder one Command are more effectuall in Proofe though not so promising in Opinion and Fame then much greater Forces variously compounded by Associations and Leagues which commonly in a short time after their Beginnings turne to Dissociations Diuisions But my Lords that which is as a Voice from Heauen that called the King to this Enterprise is a Rent at this time in the House of the OTTOMANS I doe not say but there hath beene Brother against Brother in that House before but neuer any that had refuge to the Armes of the Christians as now hath GEMES Brother vnto BAIAZETH that reigneth the fore brauer Man of the two the other being betweene a Monke and a Philosoper and better read in the Alcoran and Auerroes then able to weild the Scepter of so warlike an Empire This therefore is the King our Masters memorable and heroicall Resolution for an Holy Warre And because he carrieth in this the Person of a Christian Souldiour as well as of a Great Temporall Monarch hee beginneth with Humilitie and is content for this cause to begge Peace at the hands of other Christian Kings There remaineth onely rather a Ciuill Request then any essentiall part of our Negotiation which the King maketh to the King your Soueraigne The King as the World knoweth is Lord in Chiefe of the Duchie of Britaine The Marriage of the Heire belongeth to him as Guardian This is a priuate Patrimoniall Right and no Businesse of Estate yet neuerthelesse to runne a faire course with your King whom he desires to make another Himselfe and to bee one and the same thing with him his Request is That with the Kings Fauour and Consent he may dispose of her Marriage as he thinketh good and make void the intruded and pretended Marriage of MAXIMILIAN according to Justice This my Lords is all that I haue to say desiring your pardon for my weakenesse in the deliuerie THus did the French Ambassadors with great shew of their Kings affection and many sugred words seeke to adulce all matters betweene the two Kings hauing two things for their ends The one to keepe the King quiet till the Marriage of Britaine was past and this was but a Summer fruit which they thought was almost ripe and would be soone gathered The other was more lasting and that was to put him into such a temper as he might be no disturbance or impediment to the voyage for Italie The Lords of the Councell were silent and said only That they knew the Ambassadors would looke for no answer till they had reported to the King And so they rose from Councell The King could not well tell what to thinke of the Marriage of Britaine He saw plainly the ambition of the French King was to impatronize himselfe of the Duchie but he wondred he would bring into his House a litigious Marriage especially considering who was his Successor But weighing one thing with another he gaue Britaine for lost but resolued to make his profit of this businesse of Britaine as a quarrell for Warre and that of Naples as a Wrench and meane for Peace being well aduertised how strongly the King was bent vpon that Action Hauing therefore conferred diuers times with his Councell and keeping himselfe somewhat close he gaue a direction to the Chancellor for a formall answer to the Ambassadors and that hee did in the presence of his Councell And after calling the Chancellor to him apart bade him speake in such language as was fit for a Treatie that was to end in a Breach and gaue him also a speciall Caueat that he should not vse any words to discourage the voyage of Italie Soone after the Ambassadors were sent for to the Councell and the Lord Chancellor spake to them
so order as shall bee to the great comfort of both Kingdomes BVt PERKINS Proclamation did little edifie with the people of England neither was hee the better welcome for the company hee came in Wherefore the King of Scotland seeing none came in to PERKIN nor none stirred any where in his fauour turned his enterprise into a Rode and wasted and destroyed the Countrie of Northumberland with fire and sword But hearing that there were Forces comming against him and not willing that they should finde his Men heauie and laden with bootie hee returned into Scotland with great Spoyles deferring further prosecution till another time It is said that PERKIN acting the part of a Prince handsomely when hee saw the Scottish fell to waste the Countrey came to the King in a passionate manner making great lamentation and desired That that might not bee the manner of making the Warre for that no Crowne was so deare to his minde as that hee desired to purchase it with the bloude and ruine of his Countrey Whereunto the King answered halfe in sport that hee doubted much hee was carefull for that that was none of his and that hee should bee too good a Steward for his Enemie to saue the Countrie to his vse By this time beeing the Eleuenth yeare of the King the Interruption of Trade betweene the English and the Flemmish beganne to pinch the Merchants of both Nations very sore Which mooued them by all meanes they could deuise to affect and dispose their Soueraignes respectiuely to open the Entercourse againe Wherein time fauoured them For the Arch-Duke and his Councell beganne to see that PERKIN would prooue but a Runnagate and Citizen of the World and that it was the part of children to fall out about Babies And the King on his part after the Attempts vpon Kent and Northumberland beganne to haue the businesse of PERKIN in lesse estimation so as hee did not put it to accompt in any Consultation of State But that that mooued him most was that beeing a King that loued Wealth and Treasure hee could not endure to haue Trade sicke nor any Obstruction to continue in the Gate-veine which disperseth that bloud And yet he kept State so farre as first to bee sought vnto Wherein the Merchant-Aduenturers likewise beeing a strong Companie at that time and well vnderset with rich Men and good order did hold out brauely taking off the Commodities of the Kingdome though they lay dead vpon their hands for want of Vent At the last Commissioners met at London to Treate On the Kings part Bishop FOXE Lord Priuy Seale Viscount Wells KENDAL Prior of Saint IOHNS WARHAM Master of the Rolles who beganne to gaine much vpon the Kings opinion VRSWICK who was almost euer one and RISELY On the Arch-Dukes part the Lord BEVERS his Admirall the Lord VERVNSEL President of Flanders and others These concluded a perfect Treatie both of Amitie and Intercourse betweene the King and the Arch-Duke Contayning Articles both of State Commerce and Free-Fishing This is that Treatie which the Flemmings call at this day Intercursus Magnus both because it is more compleat than the precedent Treaties of the Third and Fourth yeares of the King and chiefly to giue it a difference from the Treatie that followed in the One and twentieth yeare of the King which they call Intercursus Malus In this Treatie there was an expresse Article against the Reception of the Rebels of either Prince by other purporting that if any such Rebell should bee required by the Prince whose Rebell hee was of the Prince Confederate that forthwith the Prince Confederate should by Proclamation command him to auoyde the Countrey Which if hee did not within fifteene daies the Rebell was to stand proscribed and put out of Protection But neuerthelesse in this Article PERKIN was not named neither perhaps contained because hee was no Rebell But by this meanes his wings were clipt of his Followers that were English And it was expresly comprised in the Treatie that it should extend to the Territories of the Duchesse Dowager After the Intercourse thus restored The English Merchants came againe to their Mansion at Antwerpe where they were receiued with Procession and great Ioy. The Winter following beeing the Twelfth yeare of his reigne The King called againe his Parliament where hee did much exaggerate both the Malice and the cruell Predatory Warre lately made by the King of Scotland That that King being in Amitie with him and no wayes prouoked should so burne in hatred towards him as to drinke of the Lees and Dreggs of PERKINS Intoxication who was euery where else detected and discarded And that when hee perceiued it was out of his reach to doe the King any hurt hee had turned his Armes vpon vnarmed and vnprouided People to spoyle onely and depopulate contrary to the Lawes both of Warre and Peace Concluding that hee could neither with Honour nor with the safety of his People to whom he did owe Protection let passe these wrongs vnreuenged The Parliament vnderstood him well and gaue him a Subsidie limited to the summe of one hundred and twentie thousand Pounds besides two Fifteenes For his Warres were alwaies to him as a Mine of Treasure of a strange kind of Ore Iron at the top and Gold and Siluer at the bottome At this Parliament for that there had beene so much time spent in making Lawes the yeare before and for that it was called purposely in respect of the Scottish Warre there were no Lawes made to bee remembred Onely there passed a Law at the Sute of the Merchant-Aduenturers of England against the Merchant-Aduenturers of London for Monopolizing and exacting vpon the Trade Which it seemeth they did a little to saue themselues after the hard time they had sustained by want of Trade But those Innouations were taken away by Parliament But it was fatall to the King to fight for his money And though hee auoyded to fight with Enemies abroad yet hee was still enforced to fight for it with Rebels at home For no sooner beganne the Subsidie to bee leuied in Corne-wall but the People there began to grudge and murmure The Cornish being a Race of Men stout of stomacke mighty of Bodie and Limme and that liued hardly in a barren Countrey and many of them could for a neede liue vnder ground that were Tinners they muttered extreamely that it was a thing not to be suffered that for a little stirre of the Scots soone blowne ouer they should be thus grinded to Powder with Payments And said it was for them to pay that had too much and liued idly But they would eate the bread they got with the sweat of their browes and no man should take it from them And as in the Tides of People once vp there want not commonly stirring Windes to make them more rough So this People did light vpon two Ring-leaders or Captaines of the Rout. The one was one MICHAEL IOSEPH a Black-smith or Farrier of Bodmin anotable
his Raigne the King called his Parliament Wherein a man may easily guesse how absolute the King tooke himselfe to bee with his Parliament when DVDLEY that was so hatefull was made Speaker of the House of Commons In this Parliament there were not made any Statutes memorable touching publike Gouernement But those that were had still the Stampe of the Kings Wisedome and Policie There was a Statute made for the disanulling of all Patents of Lease or Grant to such as came not vpon lawfull Summons to serue the King in his Warres against the Enemies or Rebels or that should depart without the kings license With an Exception of certaine Persons of the Long-robe Prouiding neuerthelesse That they should haue the kings Wages from their House till their Returne home againe There had beene the like made before for Offices and by thin Statute it was extended to Lands But a man may easily see by many Statutes made in this kings time that the king thought it safest to assist Martiall Law by Law of Parliament Another Statute was made prohibiting the bringing in of Manufactures of Silke wrought by it selfe or mixt with any other Threed But it was not of Stuffes of whole piece for that the Realme had of them no Manufacture in vse at that time but of Knit-Silke or Texture of Silke as Ribbands Laces Caules Points and Girdles c. which the People of England could then well skill to make This Law pointed at a true Principle That where forraine materials are but Superfluities forraine Manufactures should bee prohibited For that will either banish the Superfluitie or gaine the Manufacture There was a Law also of Resumption of Patents of Gaoles and the Reannexing of them to the Sherifwicks Priuiledged Officers beeing no lesse an Interruption of Iustice than priuiledged Places There was likewise a Law to restraine the By-lawes or Ordinances of Corporations which many times were against the Prerogatiue of the King the Common-law of the Realme and the Libertie of the Subiect beeing Fraternities in Euill It was therefore Prouided that they should not bee put in Execution without the Allowance of the Chancellor Treasurer and the two Chiefe-Iustices or three of them or of the two Iustices of Circuit where the Corporation was Another Law was in effect to bring in the Siluer of the Realme to the Mint in making all clipped minished or impayred Coines of Siluer not to bee currant in payments without giuing any Remedie of weight but with an exception onely of a reasonable wearing which was as nothing in respect of the incertaintie and so vpon the matter to set the Mint on worke and to giue way to New Coines of Siluer which should bee then minted There likwise was a long Statute against Vagabonds wherein two things may bee noted The one the Dislike the Parliament had of Gaoling of them as that which was chargeable pesterous and of no open Example The other That in the Statutes of this Kings time for this of the Nineteenth yeare is not the onely Statute of that kind there are euer coupled the punishment of Uagabonds and the Forbidding of Dice and Cards and vnlawfull Games vnto Seruants and meane people and the putting downe and suppressing of Ale-houses as Strings of one Roote together and as if the One were vnprofitable without the Other As for Riot and Retainers there passed scarce any Parliament in this time without a Law against them The King euer hauing an Eye to Might and Multitude There was granted also that Parliamemt a Subsidie both for the Temporaltie and the Clergie And yet neuerthelesse ere the yeare expired there went out Commissions for a generall Beneuolence though there were no Warres no Feares The same yeare the Citty gaue fiue thousand Markes for Confirmation of their Liberties A thing fitter for the Beginnings of Kings Raignes than the latter Ends. Neither was it a small matter that the Mint gained vpon the late Statute by the Recoinage of Groats and Halfe-groats now Twelue-pences and Six-pences As for EMPSON and DVDLEY'S Mills they did grinde more than euer So that it was a strange thing to see what Golden Showres powred downe vpon the Kings Treasurie at once The last paiments of the Marriage-money from Spaine The Subsidie The Beneuolence The Recoinage The Redemption of the Cities Liberties The Casualties And this is the more to bee marueiled at because the King had then no Occasions at all of Warres or Troubles Hee had now but one Sonne and one Daughter vnbestowed Hee was Wise Hee was of an High Mind Hee needed not to make Riches his Glorie Hee did excell in so many things else saue that certainely Auarice doth euer finde in it selfe matter of Ambition Belike hee thought to leaue his Sonne such a Kingdome and such a Masse of Treasure as hee might choose his Greatnesse where hee would This yeare was also kept the Serieants Feast which was the second Call in this Kings Dayes About this time ISABELLA Queene of Castile deceased a right Noble Ladie and an Honour to her Sexe and Times and the Corner-stone of the Greatnesse of Spaine that hath followed This Accident the King tooke not for Newes at large but thought it had a great Relation to his owne Affaires especially in two points The One for Example the Other for Consequence First hee conceiued that the Case of FERDINANDO of Arragon after the death of Queene ISABELLA was his owne Case after the death of his owne Queene and the Case of IOAN the Heire vnto Castile was the Case of his owne Sonne Prince HENRY For if both of the Kings had their Kingdomes in the right of their Wiues they descended to the Heires and did not accrew to the Husbands And although his owne Case had both Steele and Parchment more than the other that is to say a Conquest in the Field and an Act of Parliament yet notwithstanding that Naturall Title of Descent in Bloud did in the imagination euen of a Wise-man breed a Doubt that the other two were not safe nor sufficient Wherefore he was wonderfull diligent to inquire and obserue what became of the King of Arragon in holding and continuing the Kingdome of Castile And whether he did hold it in his owne Right or as Administrator to his Daughter And whether he were like to hold it in Fact or to bee put out by his Sonne-in-Law Secondly hee did reuolue in his minde that the Stateof Christendome might by this late Accident haue a turne For whereas before time Himselfe with the Coniunction of Arragon and Castile which then was one and the Amitie of MAXIMILIAN and PHILIP his Sonne the Arch-Duke was farre too strong a Partie for France hee beganne to feare that now the French King who had great Interest in the Affections of PHILIP the young King of Castile and PHILIP himselfe now king of Castile who was in ill Termes with his Father-in-law about the present Gouernment of Castile And thirdly MAXIMILIAN PHILIPS Father who was euer variable and
these Mists but contrariwise hee had a fashion rather to create Doubts then Assurance Thus was Fuell prepared for the Sparke the Sparke that afterwards kindled such a fire and combustion was at the first contemptible There was a subtill Priest called RICHARD SIMON that liued in Oxford and had to his Pupill a Bakers sonne named LAMBERT SIMNELL of the age of some fifteene yeares a comely Youth and weli fauoured not without some extraordinarie dignitie and grace of aspect It came into this Priests fancie hearing what men talked and in hope to raise himselfe to some great Bishopricke to cause this Lad to counterseit and personate the second sonne of EDWARD the Fourth supposed to be murdered and afterward for he changed his intention in the manage the Lord EDWARD PLANTAGENET then prisoner in the Tower and accordingly to frame him and instruct him in the Part hee was to play This is that which as was touched before seemeth scarcely credible Not that a False person should be assumed to gaine a Kingdome for it hath beene seene in ancient and late times nor that it should come into the mind of such an abiect Fellow to enterprise so great a matter for high Conceits doe sometimes come streaming into the Imaginations of base persons especially when they are drunke with Newes and talke of the people But heere is that which hath no apparance That this Priest being vtterly vnacquainted with the true Person according to whose patterne hee should shape his Counterfeit should thinke it possible for him to instruct his Player either in gesture and fashions or in recounting past matters of his life and education or in fit answers to questions or the like any wayes to come neare the resemblance of him whom hee was to represent For this Lad was not to personate one that had beene long before taken out of his Cradle or conueighed away in his infancie knowne to few but a Youth that till the age almost of ten yeares had beene brought vp in a Court where infinite eyes had beene vpon him For King EDWARD touched with remorse of his brother the Duke of Clarences death would not indeed restore his sonne of whom wee speake to bee Duke of Clarence but yet created him Earle of Warwicke reuiuing his honour on the mothers side and vsed him honourably during his time though RICHARD the Third afterwards confined him So that it cannot bee but that some great Person that knew particularly and familiarly EDWARD PLANTAGENET had a hand in the businesse from whom the Priest might take his ayme That which is most probable out of the precedent and subsequent Acts is that it was the Queene Dowager from whom this action had the principall source and motion For certaine it is shee was a busie negotiating woman and in her withdrawing Chamber had the fortunate Conspiracie for the King against King RICHARD the Third beene hatched which the King knew and remembred perhaps but too well and was at this time extremely discontent with the King thinking her daughter as the King handled the matter not aduanced but depressed and none could hold the Booke so well to prompt and instruct this Stage-Play as she could Neuerthelesse it was not her meaning nor no more was it the meaning of any of the better and sager sort that fauoured this Enterprise and knew the Secret that this disguised Idoll should possesse the Crowne but at his perill to make way to the Ouerthrow of the King and that done they had their seuerall Hopes and Waies That which doth chiefly fortifie this Coniecture is that as soone as the matter brake forth in any strength it was one of the Kings first Acts to cloister the Queene Dowager in the Nunnery of Bermondsey and to take away all her lands and estate and this by close Councell without any legall proceeding vpon farre-fetcht Pretences That shee had deliuered her two daughters out of Sanctuarie to King RICHARD contrarie to promise Which Proceeding being euen at that time taxed for rigorous and vndue both in matter and maner makes it very probable there was some greater matter against her which the King vpon reason of Policie and to auoid enuy would not publish It is likewise no small argument that there was some secret in it and some suppressing of Examinations for that the Priest SIMON himselfe after hee was taken was neuer brought to execution no not so much as to publike Triall as many Clergie-men were vpon lesse Treasons but was only shut vp close in a Dungeon Adde to this that the after Earle of Lincolne a principall Person of the House of YORKE was slaine in Stoke-field the King opened himselfe to some of his Councell that he was sorie for the Earles death because by him hee said hee might haue knowne the bottome of his danger But to returne to the Narration it selfe SIMON did first instruct his Scholler for the part of RICHARD Duke of Yorke second sonne to King EDWARD the Fourth and this was at such time as it was voiced that the King purposed to put to death EDWARD PLANTAGENET prisoner in the Tower whereat there was great murmur But hearing soone after a generall bruit that PLANTAGENET had escaped out of the Tower and thereby finding him so much beloued amongst the people and such reioycing at his Escape the cunning Priest changed his Copie and chose now PLANTAGENET to bee the Subiect his Pupill should personate because hee was more in the present speech and votes of the people and it pieced better and followed more close and handsomley vpon the bruit of PLANTAGENETS escape But yet doubting that there would bee too neare looking and too much Perspectiue into his Disguise if hee should shew it here in England hee thought good after the manner of Scenes in Stage-Playes and Maskes to shew it a farre of and therfore sailed with his Scholler into Ireland where the Affection to the House of YORKE was most in height The King had beene a little improuident in the matters of Ireland and had not remoued Officers and Councellors and put in their places or at least intermingled persons of whom hee stood assured as he should haue done since hee knew the strong Bent of that Countrey towards the House of YORKE and that it was a ticklish and vnsetled State more easie to receiue distempers and mutations then England was But trusting to the reputation of his Victories and Successes in England hee thought hee should haue time enough to extend his Cares afterwards to that second Kingdome Wherefore through this neglect vpon the comming of SIMON with his pretended PLANTAGENET into Ireland all things were prepared for Reuolt and Sedition almost as if they had beene set and plotted before hand SIMONS first addresse was to the Lord THOMAS FITZ-GERARD Earle of Kildare and Deputie of Ireland before whose Eyes hee did cast such a Mist by his owne insinuation and by the carriage of his Youth that expressed a naturall Princely behauiour as ioyned perhaps
KNESVVORTH likewise that had beene lately Maior of London and both his Sheriffes were for Abuses in their Offices questioned and imprisoned and deliuered vpon one Thousand foure hundred pounds payed HAVVIS an Alderman of London was put in Trouble and died with Thought and Anguish before his Businesse came to an end Sir LAVVRENCE AILMER who had likewise beene Maior of London and his two Sheriffes were put to the Fine of one Thousand Pounds And Sir LAVVRENCE for refusing to make payment was committed to Prison where hee stayed till EMPSON himselfe was committed in his place It is no marueile if the Faults were so light and the Rates so heauie that the Kings Treasure of store that hee left at his death most of it in secret places vnder his owne Key and keeping at Richmond amounted as by Tradition it is reported to haue done vnto the Summe of neare Eighteene hundred thousand pounds Sterling a huge Masse of Money euen for these times The last Act of State that concluded this kings Temporall Felicitie was the Conclusion of a Glorious Match betweene his Daughter MARIE and CHARLES Prince of Castile afterwards the great Emperour both beeing of tender yeares Which Treatie was perfected by Bishop FOXE and other his Commissioners at Calice the yeare before the Kings Death In which Alliance it seemeth hee himselfe tooke so high Contentment as in a Letter which hee wrote thereupon to the Citie of London commaunding all possible demonstrations of ioy to bee made for the same hee expresseth himselfe as if hee thought hee had built a Wall of Brasse about his Kingdome When hee had for his Sonnes-in-law a King of Scotland and a Prince of Castile and Burgundie So as now there was nothing to bee added to this great Kings Felicitie beeing at the top of all worldly Blisse in regard of the high Marriages of his Children his great Renowne throughout Europe and his scarce credible Riches and the perpetuall Constancie of his prosperous Successes but an opportune Death to withdraw him from any future blowe of Fortune Which certainely in regard of the great Hatred of his People and the Title of his Sonne being then come to Eighteene yeares of age and being a bold Prince and liberall and that gained vpon the People by his very Aspect and Presence had not beene impossible to haue come vpon him To crowne also the last yeare of his Raigne as well as his first hee did an Act of Pietie rare and worthy to bee taken into Imitation For hee granted forth a Generall Pardon as expecting a second Coronation in a better Kingdome Hee did also declare in his Will that his minde was that Restitution should bee made of those Summes which had beene vniustly taken by his Officers And thus this SALOMON of England for SALOMON also was too heauie vpon his People in Exactions hauing liued two and fiftie yeares and thereof Raigned three and twentie yeares and eight Moneths beeing in perfect Memorie and in a most Blessed Minde in a great Calme of a Consuming Sickenesse passed to a better World the two and twentieth of Aprill 1508. at his Palace of Richmond which himselfe had built THis King to speake of him in Tearmes equall to his Deseruing was one of the best sort of VVonders a Wonder for VVisemen Hee had parts both in his Vertues and his Fortune not so fit for a Common-place as for Obseruation Certainly hee was Religious both in his Affection and Obseruance But as hee could see cleare for those times through Superstition so he would be blinded now and then by Humane Policie Hee aduanced Church-men hee was tender in the Priuiledge of Sanctuaries though they wrought him much mischiefe Hee built and endowed many Religious Foundations besides his Memorable Hospitall of the Sauoy And yet was hee a great Almes-giuer in secret which shewed that his VVorkes in publique were dedicated rather to GODS Glorie than his owne Hee professed alwaies to loue and seeke Peace and it was his vsuall Preface in his Treaties That when CHRIST came into the World Peace was sung and when HEE went out of the World Peace was bequeathed And this Vertue could not proceede out of Feare or Softnesse for he was Valiant and Actiue and therefore no doubt it was truely Christian and Morall Yet hee knew the way to Peace was not to seeme to bee desirous to auoyde Warres Therefore would be make Cffers and Fames of Warres till hee had mended the Conditions of Peace It was also much that one that was so great a Louer of Peace should be so happie in VVarre For his Armes eyther in Forraine or Ciuill VVarres were neuer Infortunate neyther did be know what a Disaster meant The VVarre of his Comming in and the Rebellions of the Earle of Lincolne and the Lord AWDLEY were ended by Victorie The VVarres of France and Scotland by Peaces sought at his hands That of Brittaine by accident of the Dukes death The Insurrection of the Lord LOVEL and that of PERKIN at Excester and in Kent by flight of the Rebells before they came to Blowes So that his Fortune of Armes was still Inuiolate The rather sure for that in the quenching of the Commotions of his Subiects hee euer went in Person Sometimes reseruing himselfe to backe and second his Lieutenants but euer in Action and yet that was not meerely Forwardnesse but partly Distrust of others Hee did much maintaine and countenance his Lawes Which neuerthelesse was no Impediment to him to worke his VVill. For it was so handled that neyther Prerogatiue nor Profit went to Diminution And yet as hee would sometimes straine vp his Lawes to his Prerogatiue so would hee also let downe his Prerogatiue to his Parliament For Minte and Warres and Marshall Discipline things of Absolute Power hee would neuerthelesse bring to Parliament Iustice was well administred in his time saue where the King was Partie Saue also that the Councell-Table intermedled too much with Meum and Tuum For it was a very Court of Iustice during his time especially in the Beginning But in that part both of Iustice and Policie which is the Durable Part and cut as it were in Brasse or Marble which is The making of good Lawes he did excell And with his Iustice hee was also a Mercifull Prince As in whose time there were but three of the Nobilitie that suffered the Earle of Warwicke the Lord Chamberlaine and the Lord AWDLEY Though the first two were in stead of Numbers in the Dislike and Obloquie of the People But there were neuer so great Rebellions expiated with so little Bloud drawne by the hand of Iustice as the two Rebellions of Black-heath and Excester As for the Seueritie vsed vpon those which were taken in Kent it was but vpon a Scumme of People His Pardons went euer both before and after his Sword But then hee had withall a strange kinde of Interchanging of large and inexpected Pardons which seuere Executions Which his Wisedome considered could not bee imputed to any