[Original Title.] THE VNION

at THE

TWO NOBLE AND ILLUSTRE FAMELIES

LANCASTRE & YORKE,

BEETNO LONG IH CONT.NUAL B.SCENS.ON FOR THE CROUNE OF TH,S NOBLE REALME,

WITH AIL THE

ACTES DONE IN BOTHE THE TYMES OF THE PRINCES, EOTHE OF THE ONE LINAGE AND OF THE OTHER,

BEGINNYNG AT THE TYME OF KYNG HENRY THE FOWERTH,

THE FIRST AUCTHOR OF THIS DEUISION,

AND SO SUCCESSIUELY PROCEADVNO TO THE REIGNE OF THE HIGH AND PRUDENT PRINCE

KYNG HENRY THE EIGHT,

THE VNDUBITATE FLOWER AND VERY HEIRE OF BOTH THE SAYD LINAGES.

1548,

HALL'S

CHRONICLE;

CONTAINING

THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND,

DURING

THE REIGN OF HENRY THE FOURTH,

AND THE

SUCCEEDING MONARCHS,

-s

TO THE

END OF THE REIGN OF HENRY THE EIGHTH,

IN WHICH ARE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS

OF THOSE PERIODS.

CAREFULLY COLLATED WITH THE EDITIONS OF 1548 AND 1550.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR J. JOHNSON; F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON; T. PAYNE; WILKIE

OBINSON; LONGMAN, HURST, REES AND < CADELL AND DAVIES; AND J. MAWMAN.

1809.

FOR j. JOHNSON; F. c. AND j. RIVINGTON; T. PAYNE; WILKJE ~ J/ AND ROBINSON; LONGMAN, HURST, REES AND ORMJE; <\ / 1 0

Dfl

G . Woodfall, Printer." Paternoster-row.

f TO THE

MOST MIGHTIE, VERTEOUS AND EXCELLENT PRINCE

EDWARD THE SIXT,

BY THE GRACE OI GOD,

KYNG OF ENGLAND, FRAUNCE AND IRELAND,

DEFENDOROFTHE CATHOLIKE FAITH, AND VNDER GOD SUPREME HED, OF

THE CHURCHES OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND. YOUR MOSTE HUMBLE SUB-

IECT EDWARD HALLE, WISSHETH HEALTH, HONOR, AND FELICITIEj

the cancard enemie to Fame and renoune the suckyng serpet of auncient memory, the dedly darte to the glory of princes, and the defacer of all conquestes and notable actes, so muche bare rule in the firste and seconde age of the worlde, that nothyng was set out to mennes knowledge ether how the world was made either howe man and beastes wer created, or how the worlde was de- stroyed by water til father Moses had by deuine inspiracio in the third age, in- uented letters, the treasure of memorie, and set furth fiue notable bokes, to the greate comfort of all people liuyng at this daie. Likewise Mercurie in Egipte inuented letters and writyng, whiche Cadmus after brought into Grece. So euery nacio was desirous to enhaunce lady Fame, and to suppresse that dedly beast Obliuio. For what diuersitie is betwene a noble prince & a poore begger, ye a reasonable man and a brute beast, if after their death there be left of theim no remembrance or token. So that euidently it appereth that Fame is the triumphe of glory, and memory by litterature is the verie dilator and setter furth of Fame. How muche therfore are princes, gouernoures, and noble menne bounde to theim whiche haue so huely set furth the hues and actes of their parentes, that all though thei bee ded by mortall death, yet thei by writyng and Fame liue and bee continually present. If no man had written the goodnesse of noble Augustus, nor the pitie of merciful Traian, how shoulde their successours haue folowed ther steppes in vertue and princely qualit.es: on the contrarie parte, if the crueltie of Nero, the vngracious life of Ca- ligula had not beene put in remembrance, young Princes and fraile gouernors might likewise haue fallen in a like pit, but by redyng their Vices and seyng their mische-

1 ueous

VI

ueou.s ende, thei bee compelled to leaue their euill waies, and embrace the good qualities of notable princes and prudent gouernours : Tims, writyng is the keye to enduce vertue, and represse vice : Thus memorie maketh menne ded many a thou- sande yere still to Hue as though thei wer present ; Thus Fame triumpheth vpon death, and renoune vpon Obliuion, and all by reason of writyng and historic.

Alas my soueraigne Lorde, my herte lamenteth to knowe and remembre what rule this tyrante Obliuion bare in this realme, in the tyme of the Britons. For from the first habitacion of this land, no man of the Britons either set furthe historic of their begynnyng, or wrote the hole liues of their princes & kynges, excepte Gildas whiche inueighed against the euill doynges of a fewe tyrantes and euill gouer- nours. In so muche that Cesar writeth, that when he was in this realme, the people could not tel their linage, nor their begynnyng. ^ But one Geffrey of Monmothe a thousand yere and more after lulius Cesar, translated a certayn Britishe or Welshe boke, conteinyng the commyng of Brute with the sequele of his linage, tnl the tyme of Cadwalader, whiche Britishe boke if it had slept a litle lenger, Brute with al his posteritie had ben buried in the poke of Obliuion, for lacke of writyng.

The strong Saxons, after thei had gayned this lande, set vp the biiner of Fame, and had their liues notably writte by diuerse and sundery famous clerkes, euen from their firste entery into this lande, till the firste Monarchy, and so successyuely. In the Normans tyme, many notable woorkes hath been set furthe, some of one prince perticulerly, & some of mo : So that in fine, all the stories of kynges, from kyng Willyam the firste, to kyng Edward the third, bee set furthe at length by diuerse authours in the Latin toungue, as by Matthewe of Paris sometyme religious in saincte Albons and other. After whome lohn Frossart wrote the liues of kyng Edward the third, and kyng Richard the seconde, so compendeously and so largely, that if there were not so many thynges spoken of in his long woorkes, I might be- leue all written in his greate volumes to bee as trewe as the Gospell. But I haue redde an olde Prouerbe, whiche saithe, that in many woordes, a lye or twayne sone male scape. Sithe the ende of Frossarte whiche endeth at the begynnyng of kyng Henry the fourthe, no man in the Englishe toungue, hath either set furth their ho- nors accordyng to their desertes, nor yet declared many notable actes worthy of memorie dooen in the tyme of seuen Kynges, wliic*he after kyng Richarde suc- ceded : Excepte Robert Fabian and one with out name, whiche wrote the common English Chronicle, men worthy to be praysed for their diligence, but farre shptyng wide from the butte of an historic.

Wherefore moste drad and benigne souereigne Lord, lest cancarde Obliuion

should

Vll

*.*

should deface the glory of these seuen Princes, to whom you be of all sides lineall heire and very inheritour, I haue compiled and gathered (and not made) out of diuerse writers, as well forayn as Englishe, this simple treatise whiche I haue na- med the vnion of the noble houses of Lancaster and Yorke, conioyned together by the godly mariage of your moste noble graundfather, and your verteous grand- mother. CFor as kyng henry the fourthe was the beginnyng and rote of the great discord and deuision : so was the godly matrimony, the final ende of all discen- cions, titles and debates. \

Besechyng your highe Maiestie, to take this my simple and rude woorke, accord- yng to your accustomed goodnesse in good part, not regardyng the thyng, but my good will to my natiue countree, whose fame for lacke of writyng may muche be darkened and defaced, and thus I pray to the celestmll Lorde to send you victorie ouer your enemies, Peace with your confederates, loue of your subiectes : and in conclusion, perpetuall ioye & eternall fehcitee.

RICHARD GRAFTON TO THE READER,

I must craue of the most gentle reader, charitably to iudge of me the imprinter of thisworke, if ought herin shalbe sene vnto the of purpose to bee omitted either not sufficiently delated and set furth, or elles somethyng to playnly spoken, in the which might be noted affeccion, that thou wilt excuse me therin, for I professe that I haue as nere as in me lay, nether altered nor added any thyng of my selfe in the whole woorke, otherwise the the aucthor writ the same. But this is to be noted, that the Aucthor therof, who though not to al me, yet to many very wel knowe, was a man in the later tyme of his lyfe not so paynfull and studious as be- fore he had ben : wherfore he perfited and writt this historic no farther then to the foure and twentie yere of kyng Henry the eight : the rest he left noted in diuers and many pamphletes and papers, whych so diligently- & truly as I coulde, I gathered the same together, & haue in suchewise compiled them, as may after thesaied yeres, apere in this woorke : but vtterly without any addicion of myne. Therfore my re- questand desyr as aforesaied,is, that thou wilt truly and charitably iudge me: And so sone as my leasure will serue, for thine ease & ready fyndyng of any thyng herein conteyned I purpose to gather an exact table of the whole woorke.

IF The

The names of the aucthors aswell Latin as other, out of the whiche this worke was first gathered, and after compiled and conioyned.

LATIN AUCTHORS. FRENCHE AUCTHOR.S.

Polichronicon. Enguerant de Munstrellet.

Cronica Cronicarum. lean Buchet.

/- •' -' " • .' .

Nauclerus. lean Mayer de Beiges.

Polidorus. Argenton.

Paulus ^Emilius. La Mere dez Histories.

Voluteranus. Les annales de Fraunce.

Gauguinus. Les annales de Aquitayne.

Albertus Krantz. Les Croniq ; de Britayne.

Michael Ricius. Giles Corozett.

Hector Boetius. Les Croniques de Normandi.

loannes Maior. Le Rosarie.

Abbas Wyssenbergensis. Le genolagie des Roys

Carion.

Supplementum Cronicarum.

Gesta Tholosanorum.

Cronica Brabancie.

ENGLISHE "WRITERS.

Treuisa. Ihon Hardyng.

Fabian. The Chronicles of London.

Sir Thomas Moore. Ihon Basset.

Caxton. Balantyne.

And out of other diuers Pamphlettes, the names of whom are to moste menne vn- knowen.

The names of the histories coteigned in this Volume.

An introduccion into the deuision of the two houses of Lancastre and Yorke.

i. The vnquiet tyme of kyng Hery the Fowerth. ii. The victorious actes of kyng Henry the v. iii. The troubleous season of kyng Henry the vi. iiii. The prosperous reigne of kyng Edward the iiij.

v. The pitifull life of kyng Edward the v. vi. The tragicall doynges of kyng Richard the iij. vii. The politike gouernaunce of kyng Henry the vij. viii. The triumphant reigne of king Henry the viij. FINIS.

1F An

AN INTRODUCTION

INTO THE HISTORY OF

KYNG HENRY THE FOURTHE.

WHAT mischiefs hath insurged in realmes by intestine deuision, wiiat depopulacion "Tfath ensued in countries by ciuil! discencio, what detestable murder hath been comitted in citees by seperate faccions, and what calamitee hath ensued in famous regios by domestical discord & vnnaturall controuersy : Rome hath felt, Italy can testifie, Fraunce can bere witnes, Beame can tell, Scotlande maie write, Denmarke can shewe, and especially this noble realme of Englande can apparantly declare and make demonstra^ ci-on. For who abhorreth not to expresse the heynousf factes comitted in Rome, by the ciuill war betwene Julius Cesar and hardy Popey by_j^^h^ejdisc_orde^ tJ3,e__brig]it glory of the triuphant Rome was eclipsed & shadowed ? $hp can reherce what mischefes and what plages the pleasant countree of Italy hath tasted and suffered by the sedicious faccions of the Guelphes and Gebelynes ? Who can reporte the misery that daiely hath ensued in Fraunce, by the discorde of the houses of Burgoyne and Orliens : Or in Scotland betwene the brother and brother, the vncle and the nephew ? \J^ic>. can curiously endite the inani- folde battailles that were fought in the realme of Beame, betwene the eatholikes and the pestiferous sectes of the Adamites and others? WJtiat damage discencion hath clooen in

*~~*^ ^^~^ O - — - i --- i • i ui •••ay~||~"

iG_e£rnan^^_nj^J^jirnarke, all Christians at this daie can well declare. And the Turke can bere good testimony, wfiiche by the discord of christen princes hath amplified greatly His , seigniory and dominion. yBut what miserie, what murder, end what execrable plagues this famous region hath suffered by the deuision and discencion of the renoumed houses of La.ncas.tre. and YorkeJjny witte cannot comprehende nor .my toung declare nether yet iny penne fully set furthe.J

FOR what noble man liueth at this daie, or what gentleman of any auncient stocke or progeny is clere, whose linage hath not ben infested. and plaged with this vnnaturall dcui- ^IPJlh-. All the other discordes, sectes and faccions almoste liuely florishe and continue al this presente tyme, to the greate dieplesure and prejudice of all the Christian publike welth. But the olde deuided controuersie betwene the fornamed families of Lacastre aild Yorke, by the vnion of Matrimony celebrate and consummate betwene the high and mighty Prince Kyng Henry the seuenth and the lady Elizabeth his moste worthy Quene, the one beeyng indubitate heire of the hous of Lancastre, and the other of Yorke was suspended and ap- palled in the person of their moste noble, puissat and mighty heire kyng Henry the eight, and by hym clerely buried and perpetually extinct. So that all men (more clerer then the

B sonne)

i

/

V.. i

•

8( AN INTRODUCCION INTO THE HISTORY OF

sonne) male apparantly perceiue, that as by discord greate thynges decaie and fall to ruine> so the same by concord be reuiued and erected. In likewise also all regions whiche by deuisio and discencion be vexed, molested and troubled, bee by vnion and agrernent releued pacified and enriched.

BY vnion of the Godhed to the manhod, manne was ioyned to God whiche before by the temptacion of the subtle serpente, was from hym segregate and deuided. By the vnion of the catholike churche and the outworne sinagoge, not only the hard ceremonies and dedly peines of the Mosaicall law wer clerely abholished and made frustrate, but also Christian, libertie is inferred and Christes religion stablished & erected. By the vnion of man & woman in the holy Sacrament of Matrimony the generacion is blessed, and the synne of the body clene extincte & put awaie. By the vnion of manage, peace betwene realme and realme is exalted, and loue betwene countree and countree is norished. By coniunciS of matrimony, malice is extinct, amitie is embraced, and indissoluble aliance and consanguinite is procured.^VThat profile, what comfort, what ioy succeded in the realme of England by the vnion of tRe fornamed two noble families, you shall apparantly perceiue by the sequele of thjsjiu^^iid_vj]]ejaj^e^mtoryJ.>Cdnd because there can be no vnion or agrement but in respect of a diuision, it is consequent to reso that I manifest to you not onely the originall cause and foutain of the same, but also declare the calamities, trebles & miseries whiche happened and chaunced duryng the tyrne of the said contentious discencionTj

FOR the whiche you shall vnderstande (accordyng as it is in an Acte of Parhamente

made in the firste yere of the reigne of Kyng Edwarde the fourthe specified and declared.) Ti>e lyne That the highe and mightie Prince kyng Henry the third of that name, had issue Edward He*rynfhe his firste begotten sonne borne at Westminster the eleuenth Kalendes of luly in the vigile third. of Saincte Marke and Marcilian in the yere of our Lorde a thousande twoo hundrd. xxix. And Edmonde his seconde begotten sonne borne oh the dayc of saincte Marcell in the yere of our Lorde a thousande twoo hundred, xlv. Whiche Edwarde after the death of king Henry his father, was entitled and called kyng Edward the first, and had issue his first begotten sonne entitled and called after the death of kyng Edward his father, kyng Edward the second, which had issue the right noble and honorable prince kyng Edward the third whiche kyng Edward had issue Edwarde his first begotten sone prince of Wales, Willya of ' Hatfeld the second begotten sonne, "Lionell duke of Clarence the. iij. begotten sonne, Ihon of Gaunt duke of Lancaster the. iiij. begotten sonne, Edmond of Langley duke of Yorke the.'v. begotten sonne, Thomas of Wodstocke duke of Glocestre the. vj. begotten sonne, and Willyam of Wynsor the. vij. begotten sonne. The saied prince Edward died in y life of his father kyng Edward the. iij. & had issue Richard borne at Burdeaux, whiche after the death of kyng Edward the. iij. as cosin and heire to hym, that is to saie sonne to the saied Edwarde prince of Wales sonne to the saied kyng Edward the thirde succeded hym in royall estate and dignitee, lawfully entitled and called kyng Richarde the seconde and died without issue, Lionell duke of Clarence the third begotten sonne of the saied kyng Edward the third, had issue Philippe his only doughter whiche was maried to Edmond Mortymer erle of Marche and had issue Roger Mortymer erle of Marche : whiche Roger had issue Edmond Mortimer erle of Marche, Anne and Elienor, whiche Edmond and Elianor died without issue. And the saied Anne was maried to Richard erle of Cambrige sonne to Edmond of Langley duke of Yorke the fifth begotten sonne of the said kyng Edwarde the thirde whiche Richarde had issue thee famous prince Richard Plantagenet duke of Yorke whiche had issue that noble prince kyng Edward the fourth father to Quene Elizabeth vnited in matrimony to the high and sage prince kyng Henry the. vij.

If Ihon duke of Lancastre had issue Henry erle of Darby, and Ihon erle of Somersette. This Henry eile of Darby had issue, kyng Henry the fifth father to kyng Henry the sixte whiche begat prince Edwarde that was slayne at Tewkesbury, and diseased without issue. Ihon the erle of Somersette before named, sonne to Ihon duke of Lancastre, engendered Ihon duke of Somersette father to the lady Margarete Countes of Richemonde mother to the

noble

KYNG HENRY THE FOURTHE. 3

noble and haute Prince Kyng Henry the seuenth whiche espoused lady Elizabeth the heire of the "lustre family of Yorke, by the whiche manage the deu.se , or badge of the hous ot Lan astre whiche was the redde Rose, was vnite and loyned with the white Rose whiche iL the cognisance and ensigne of the noble progeny ot Yorke, as by the genealogy con- -*ei«ned in the ende of this woorke more plainly shall appere.

f This aforenamed Henry erle of Darby beeyng created alitle before duke of Herfforde, .-anrudente and police persone, but not more politike then welbeloued and ye : not .so welbeloued of all, as of some highly disdayned, began to confer with bymsel how that kyng Richarde his eosyn germaine was now brought to that trade of liuyng that he htle or nothyn* regarded the counsaill of his vncles, nor of other graue and sadde persones, but <HdalUhyn* at his pleasure, settyng his will and appetite in stede of lawe and reason. wtereforye o°n a daie beeyng in the compaigny of Thomas Mowbrey hrste duke of Norffolke and erle Marshall, beganne to breake his mynde to hym more for dolour and lamentac.on An for malice or displeasure, rehersyng howe that kyng Richarde htle estemed and lesse regarded the nobles and Princes of his realme, and as muche as laie in hym soughte occa- sions inuented causes and practised priuely howe to destroye the more part of the.m : to some thretenyng death, to other manacyng exile and banishment forgettyng and not remem- brvn* what blofte it was to his honor, and what detnmente and damage it was to the publike wealfhe to suffre his realme to lose the aunciente fame and pnstmate renoume by his sloutha'nd negligence, and that all thynges bothe in the tyme of peace and also of warre, aswellin the realme as without, waxed worsse and worsse, and had neuer prosperous successe nor fortunate conclusion. And because noble menue murmured, and the conion people grudged, and all menne wondered at his vnprincely doynges, he desired the duke of Noklke, whiche was one of the kynges priay counsaill and well heard with hym, to adu.se the kyn« to turne the lefe and to take a better lesson. When the Duke of Norffolke had heard fully his deuise, he toke it not in good parte, but rekened y he had gotten a praie bv the whiche he should obtayne greater fauor of the kyng then euer he had, ano so he at that tyme dissimuled the matter (as he was in deede bothe a depe dissimuler and a pleasaunte flaterer.) And after when he had oportunite and sawe his tyme, was very glad fas tell tales and scicophantes bee, when thei haue any thyng to instill in to the eares and heddes of Princes) to declare to the kyng what he had heard, and to agrauate and make the offence the greater, he muche more added but nothyng diminished.

« This matter somewhat quickened and more tikeled the waueryng rayed of kyng Richard,

.and brought hym into a great fury. But when the water of fumitory was well disgested in

his stomacke, he determined to here bothe the parties indifferently, and called to hym the

duke of Lancastre and his counsaill, and also the dukes of Herftorde and Norffolk, & caused

the accuser to report opely the worries' to him declared, whiche rehersed tueim again as

he had before related to the kyng. [When Duke Henry heard the tale otherwise reported

then he ether thought or saied, somewhat vnquieted for the noue tie of the^thyng, or

troubled wi£7nieltor-thevntruth of the matter, stode stil & paused a good while lokyng

5nJBay>5lhTEH^ a good corage to hym, makyng low obe.sace

besought his highnes lo^coceiue no mistrust in" hym til he had seen & herd more. Ihen

turnvno hymself to his accuser, declared worde by worde what he had said shewyng the

causi & occasion why he so spake, deniyng fiersly al the other new muecions a leged &

proponed to his charge : affirmyng y if the kyng would permit & suffre hym he would proue

his acusor vntrue, vniust & afalse forger of lies & sedicious tales by the stroke of a spere

& del of a swerd. The duke of Norffolke affirmed constantly his saiyng to be true &

refused not the cobate. The kyng demaunded of them if thei would agre betwene them-

selfes, whiche thei both denied and threw doune their gages, by my truth q the kyng, it_you

of vourselfes will not agre I will not study how to agre you: and then he grauted the the

battail! & assigned the place to be at the citee of Couentree in the moneth of August next

ensuyng, where he caused a supteous theatre and listes royal gorgeously to be prepared.

AN INTRODUCTION INTO THE HISTORY OF

of his brother the duke of Glocestre, to spoyle and robbe the soonne of his other brother. For he before this tyme asmuche as his pacience could beare, did tollerate and suflfre the deathe of his brother, the exile of his nephiew, and an hundred mo injuries, whiche for the itie and youth of the kyng, he remitted and sepulted in obliuion. And therefore con- sidering that the glorye of the publique wealthe of his natiue countree was like to apall by reason that the kyng was not moste ingenious, & had no manne nere hym that would boldely admonishe hym of his office & duetie, thought it the acte of a wise man in tyme to get hym to a restyng place, and to leaue y foloyng of suche a doubtfull capitain whiche with a leade sworde would cut his owne throte bolle. Wherfore he with the duke of Aumarle his soonne went to his house at Langley reioysyng that there was nothyng in the common wealthe mishappened either by his deuice or concent, daiely empioryng aide of almightye God to deuerte from kyng Richarde the darke clowde whiche he sawe depend- yng ouer his hed.

In this ceason kyng Richard sailed into Irelande as diuers authores testifie, but what he did there is no parte of my processe, whiche dependeth on the sequeie of this deuisio. While king Richard was in Irelande, the graue persones of the nobilitee, the sage prelates of the clergy y sad tnagestrates & rulers of the citees, tounes & commineltie perceauyng daily more £ more the realme to fall into ruyne and desolacion (in mauer irrecuperable as long as kyng Richard either liued or reigned,) after long deliberacion, wrote into Fraunce .to duke Henry, whom thei nowe called (as he was in deede) duke of Lancastre and Herf- ford, solicityng and requiryng hym w,ith all diligente celeritee to conueighe hym self into Englande, promisyng hym all their aide, power and assistence, if he expellyng kyng llichard as a manne not mete nor conueniente for so princely an office and degree, would take vpon hym the sceptre rule and diademe of his natiue countree and firste nutntiue soyle. And for that cause thei sente the reuerent father Thomas Arundell archebisshop ,of Cauntorbury with certein lordes and citezens of diuerse citees and buroghes in habite palliate and dissimuled, into the citee of Paris, some goyng one waie and some another, but all assemblyng together at the house of Clugny where the duke then soiourncd. VI hen he sawe the archebisshop his especiall frend and looked on otlier his fautoures and lowers, if be thanked God, no manne oughte to maruell, if he welcommed these ambassadors no creature can wondre; but if he reioyced and applauded not at their accesse and commyng, wise menne maie thynke folie & fooles maie laugh hym to skorne. When he was of them saluted, and thei of hyrn not onely resaluted but heartely welcommed & frendely euter- teyned. The archebisshop desiryng the duke to absent all other persons than suche as wer his copanions, eaied these or like wordes to hymA.

An oracion When your louyng and naturall kynsmen and patricians moste noble and mightie prince,

ThomLy had muche and long tyme considred and debated with theiselues of their affaires and

Arundeii busines in this tempesteous world and ceason (in the whiche no manne of our nacion is

bishoppeof sure of his life, nor enioyeth his landes and seigniories withoute dreade nor possedeth his

Cauntorbu- niouables without terrour or feare, whiche outragious dooynges many yeres occupied hath

dukerf?ry brought the publique wealthe of our aboundat countree almoste to wrecke and vtter exter-

Laucaster. minion) their last ankerholde refuge and conforte was to studye and inuestigate howe to

haue a gouernour and ruler whiche should excell and florishe in wisedome, policie and

justice aboueall other. By whiche reason a greate nombre of the nobilitee and in maner

all the comminaltie, beyng led and persuaded (whe thei had well cast their iyes and marked

all the peres and nobles of the realme of Englande) thei could fynde no duke, nor marques,

no erle nor other potentate within all the realme, to whose empire and authoritye thei

would bee subiect and vassalls so gladly as to yours. For this I assure you (and you

knowe it aswell as I) that wee miserable subiectes haue so long borne the yoke of waton

vnwitty kyng Richard, and haue paciently tollerate the pernicious persecucion of his gredy

and auaricious councellers, and haue wynked at the pollyng and extorcion of his vnmeasur-

able officiers, that oure backes bee so galde that we can- no more suifre, and our chynne

6 bones

KYNG HENRY THE FOURTHS.

bones so weake that wee can no lenger cary. And thcrfore necessitee and not will, reason__ and not affeccion, constancy and not leuytie enforceth vs to implore and desire youre aide and comforte, to whom wee bee sent by the moste part of the nobilitee and also of the more parte of the vniuersall comminaltie, to desire and require you to take vpon you the high power, gouernaunce and sceptre of your natiue countree and paternall inheritaunce, and the same to gouerne, rule and defende accordyng to your approued wisedome and long experimeted pollecie, whom wee haue euer knowen to bee of that Justice, of that prudence and of that integritee that you will commaunde, admonishe or attempt eny thyng whiche shall not bee iust, honest and laudable. Whiche request if you well considre and diligently pondre preuely with yourself, you shall facilye perceaue that nothyng more profitable, more honest, or more glorious can by eny waies happen or chaunce to you then to accepte and concorde to the same. For what can you more expecte and wishe, then to commaude and dooe all thynges accordyng to right, reason and honestie ? Wee offre not to you golde, siluer, perle or precious stone, but p_ur countree, qur bodies, goodes and vs all to vse as youres and not as cures, desiryng you to geue to vs in recompence, indifferecy quietnes and peace, and to restore to her seate and trone again, the lady iustice, whiche hath so long been banished out of our nacion, to thentent that wise, sage and good persones (whose desire and appetite is euer to Hue well) maie honour, loue and embrace you as a gouernour and kyng sent from God, and that malicious and obstinate persones (whose conscience is grudged with daily offences, and whom the feare of iustice and ponishement dooth continu- ally vexe and perturbe, fearyng you as the skourge and plague of their facinorus dooynges and mischeueous actes) maie either sone amende, or shortely auoyde your countree and region. Nowe occacion is offred, refuse it not, by the whiche your wisedome, pollecie and valiantnes shall apere to the vniuersall worlde, by the whiche you shall not onely bryng vs into an vnitie and monacord, but also represse all sedicion and cancard dissimulacion : then the noble men shall triumphe, the riche men shall liue without feare, the poore and nedy persones shall not bee oppressed nor confounded, and you for your so doyng, shall obtein thankes of your creatour, loue of your people, fauour of your neighboures, fame and honoure sempiternall. _TWhe the bishop had ended, the duke pawsed awhile, and then put of his hood and saiedT]

My lorde of Cauntourbury and you my other frendes and louers, your commyng to vs Theau is verie pleasaunt, but more ioyous is your message, for wee of our owne naturall disposi- cion for the good will and synguler aft'eccion that you haue euer borne to vs, haue loued, embraced and highly estemed you and all your dooynges. Surely we would you knewe ^n,n with what sorowe and agony of mynde wee haue borne your vexacions, calamities and Wfho oppressions (as for the manifest iniuries and opprobrious offences dooen and committed C"torbur3'- against vs as you knowe well inough, wee wolle not speake at this tyme) of the whiche wee estemed oure selfe a partener, as a thyng common betwene vs. TTor as it is heard that the hed shall not feele when the hand or eny other meinbre is greued or sickeA so it is vnlike that eny displeasure or discommoditee should happen to you with whiche wee should not taste in parte, suche vicinetie is emong membres, and suche communitie is emong frendes. tJVherfore, neither for atnbicion of worldly honour, nor for desire oF Empire or rule, or for affeccion of worldly riches and mucke of the worlde, we wolle agree to your peticio, but onely to relieue your miserable calamitie, to restore iustice to her auncient rome & preheminence, & to defend the poore innocet people from the extorte powre of the gredy cormerates & rauenous oppressours, requiryng you to ioyne with vs & we with you in aduaucyng forward this our incepted purpose & pretesed entrepricel

When the duke was condiscended to the bishoppes request, the bisshop and his complices departed into Englande, makyng relacion to their confederates of the dukes agremet and pleasure, exhortyng euery manne to be prest and ready at his arryuall.

After their departure, the duke fayned to the Frenche kyng that he would go into Brytein to visite his frende duke Ihon of Brytein. The Frenche kyng tbynkyng him to

meane

AN 1NTUODUCCION INTO THE HISTORY OF

meane inwardly as he outwardly dissimuled, -sent' to the duke of Brytein letters of com- niendacion in fauour of the duke of Lancastre. But if he had knowcn that his entent was to transfret -into Englande and depose his soonne in lawe kynjg Richard, he would surelj haue stopped hym a .ty.de, and let his purpose and passage. ' What should I_jJaie ? tliat -aJialbe. The duke passed into Brytein and there condu^e3~~anch'wagcd

certeync menne of warre and shippes, and with good wynde and better spede sailed in to Englad and landed at Rauespurre in holdrenes as moste wryters affirme. But some sale that he landed at Plynimoth, and other at Portesmouth, but where soeuer he^arryued, sure

it is that he tooke lande peaceably without any againsaie or interrupcion. (I will not bee tedyous to you in rehersy tig 'howe the erles of Northumbrelande and Westmerlancfe, ~fKe lordes Percy, Rose, Willoughby and other resorted 'to hym, and'taking an othe of hym that he should not dooe to kyng Richard any bodelye harme, and made to hym homage and became his liege men. I omit howe children applauded, howe wemen reioyced, and howe inenne cryed oute for ioye in euery toune and village where he passed. I j^limjuishe farther the concourse of people, the number '• of horses, whiche occurred to hym as he journeyed toward London, reioysyng at his repaire and commyng to the Citie. Ijviljiot speake of the procession and singing of the Cleargie, nor of the pleasant salutacibns nor eloquent oracions made to hym by the Prelacie, nor of the presentes, welcomynges, laudes, gratificacions made to hym by the citiesens and comminaltee of the citie of London, but I wil go to the purpose. Whe he was come to London he consulted with -his frendes diuers

v _dayes, to whome came Thomas Earle of Arundell sone to Richard of ArundelLby kyng Richard a litell afore put to deathe, whiche had lately escaped out of prison. /When the Duke had perceaued the fauour of the \$6bilitie, the affection of the Cleargie and the sincere loue of the comminalte toward e hyrh and his procedynges, he marched foreward with a greate company toward the West coflntrey, and in passyng by the waie, the people assembled in great and houge multitudes^as the nature of the common people is, euer desirous of newe Changes) callyng him their UVng, deprauyng and railyng on kyug Richard, as an innocent a dastarde, a meicocke and n6pworthy to'beare the name of a kyng. When he had assembled together a conuenient nomber of people for his purpose and was clerely determyned to depose kynge Rycharde from his rule and dignitie, he proclaimed open •warre agaynst hym and all his partakers fautours and frendes. 'Kyng Richarde toeyng in Irelande was certified of the Dukes arriuall, from whence (when he had pacified the sauage and wilde people) he retourned agayne into England, entending to resiste and defend the eminent peril and apparant ieopardy, and for the more tuicio and safegard entred into the strong caste! of Flinte in North Wales, x. myles distaunt from Chester. J

en kyng Richard perceued that the people by plumpes fled from him to Duke Henry, he was amased and doubted what councell sodeinlie to take, far on the one part he sawe his title iust, trewe, and vnfallible, and beside that he had no small truste in the Wfclshemen, his conscience to be cleane rjm-e imjcaajjulate without spot or enuy : on the other side, he sawe the puissaunce^of~his aduersaries, the soda!*) departyng of them that he niooste trusted, and all thynges turned vpsydoune, with thAr^binges he beyng more abashed then encouraged, compelled by necessitie, determined tcMyfoe hym selfe in that castell till he xnyghte see the worlde stable and in more suretieT""fFor nowe he euidentely espied and manifestly perceaued that he was lefte, lowted and forsaken of theym by whom in tyme he myght haue bene ayded and relieu-ed, and whiche nowe was to late and to farre ouerpassed : and this thing is worthy to be noted with a whitestone, of al princes rulers and men set in auctoritee and rule, that this Duke Henry of Lancastre shoulde be thus called to the kyngdome and haue the healpe and assistence all most of all the whole realme, whiche perchaunce neuer thereof once thoughte or yet dreamed : and that kyng Richard shuld thus be lefte desolate void and desperate of all hope and comforte, in whom if there were any

^offence, it ought more to be imputed 'to the frailtee of his wanton youth then to the ma'lice of his heart or cankerdnesse of his stomacke, but suQhe is the frayle iudgement of mortall

men

KYNG HENRY THE FOURTHE. 9

men whiche vilcpendyng and not regardyng thynges presente before their eies, do euer tliincke all thynges that are to come to haue a prosjper^nsjaccejsejuida jlelectablesec[uejen When the Duke of Lancastre knewe that king Riclia7def"was coime~to the~castel oTFlinte, whiche a man maye call the dolorous Castell, because there king Richarde declined from his dignitie and lost the tipe of his glorie and preheminence, he assembled together a great armie in small space lest he myght geue his .enemies time- to preuent his purpose and so to lose the good occasion of victory to him geuen, came to the towne of Bristowe where he ^ ' apprehended Willyam lord Scrope the kinges treasurer sir Iho Busshe and sir Henri Grene knyghtes, and caused their heddes to be striken of, and from thence toke his iourneie directly to Chester. When Thomas Percy Earle of Worceter and great Master or lord Stuard of •the kynges houshold beyng brother to the Earle of Northumberland hard tell of the dukes approch, bering displeasure to the king because he had proclaimed his brother a trailer, brake before al the kinges houshold his white staffe, which is the ensigne and token of his office and without delay went to duke Henry. Whe the kinges familier seruitours per- ceiued this, they dispersed them selfes some into one countrey and some into another.

If The Duke came toward the castell of Flinte wherof king Richard beyng aduertised by councell of Ihon Pallet and Richarde Seimer his assured seruauntes departed out of 'the castell and toke the sandes by the ryuer of Dee trusting to escape to Chester and there to haue refuge and succoure, but or he had farre passed he was forelayed and taken and brought to the Duke, which sent hym secretly to the Towre of "London. When the Duke had thus possessed his longe desyred praye, he came to London in solempne estate and there called a Parliament in the kynges name, to the whiche many of the kynges frendes, but more of his there appeared. There was declared howe vnprofitable kyng Richarde had bene to the realme duryng his reigne, howe he subuerted the lawes, polled the people and ministred Justice to no man but to suche as pleased hym. And to the entent that the commons should bee perswaded that he was an vniust and vnprofitable Prince and a tiraunte ouer his sub- iectes, and worthy to bee deposed. There were set forthe. xxxv. solempne articles very heynous to the eares of men, and to some almost vncredible : The very effecte of whiche articles I will truely reporte hereafter accordyng to my copie.

^[ Fyrst that kyng Richard wastfully spent the treasure of the realme and had geuen the \\ possessions of the Croune to men unworthy, by reason wherof daily newe charges more and more were layd in the neckes of the poore comminaltie. And where diuerse lordes as well spiritual as temporall, were appointed by the highe court of Parliament to comonand treate of diuers matters concernyng the common wealth of the same, which beyng busie about the same commission, he with other of his affinitie went about to empeach of treson, and by 3. force and menace compelled the Justices of the realme at Shrewsburie to condiscend to his opinion, for the destruction of the said Lordes: in so muche that he began to reise war 3. against Ihon duke of Lancastre, Thomas Erie of Arundell, Richarde Erie of Wanricke, and other lordes contrary to his honour and promyse.

If Item that he caused his vncle the Duke of Glocester to be arrested without lawe, and 4. sent him to Caleis, and there without iudgemente murdered hym. And although the Erie of Arundell vpon his arainement pleaded his charter of pardon, he could not be heard, but was in most vile and shamefull maner sodainly put to death.

^[ Item he assembled certain Lancashire and Cheshire men to the entent to make warre 5. on the foresaid Lordes, and suffered them to robbe and pill without correction or reprefe.

If Item although the king flateringly and with great dissimulacion made proclamacion 6. throughout the realme, that the lordes before named were not attached for any crime of treason, but onely for extorcions and oppressions done in this realme, yet he laied to theym in the parliament, rebellion and manifest treason.

If Item he hath compelled diuers of the saied lordes seruauntes and frendes by menace & 7. extreme paimentes, to make great fines to theyr vtter vndoyng. And notwithstandyng his pardon to theim graunted yet he made them fine of newe.

C Item

10 AN INTRODUCCION INTO THE HISTORY OF

8. If Item where diners were appointed to common of the estate of the realme, and the com- , mon welthe of the same. The same king caused al the rolles and recordes to be kept from

them, contrary to his promise made in the parliament, to his open dishonour.

9. 1f Item he vncharitably comaunded that no man vpon paine of losse of life and goodes should once entreate him for the retourne of Henry nowe duke of Lancastre.

10. H Item where this realme is holden of God, and not of the Pope or other prince, the said kyng Richard after he had obteined diuers actes of parliament for his owne peculiar profile and pleasure, then he obteined Dulles and extreme censures from Rome, to compell al menne straightcly to kepe the same, contrary to the honour and auncient priuileges of this realme.

11. If Item although the duke of Lancastre had done his deuoir against Thomas duke of Nor- ffolke in profe of his quarel, yet the saied kyng without reason or ground banished him the realme for ten yeres contrary to all equitee.

12. If Item before the dukes departure, he vnder his brode scale licenced him to makeattour- neis to prosecute and defend his causes: The saied kyng after his departure wold suffre none attourney to apere for him but did with his at his pleasure.

13. If Item the same kyng put oute diuers shriues lavvefully elected and put in their romes, diuers other of his owne minions subuertyng the lawe contrary to his othe and honour.

14. «f Item he borowed great somes of money, and bound him vnder his letters pattentes for the repaimet of the same, & yet not one peny paid.

15. If Ite he taxed men at the wil of him & his vnhappy councel, & the same treasure spentin folie, not paiyng pore men for their vitail & viande.

16. ^f Item he said that the lawes of the realme were in his head, and som time in his brest, by reason of whiche fantasticall opinion, he destroied noble men and empouerished the pore commons.

17. *fj Item the parliament settyng and enacting diuers notable statutes for the profile and ad- uauncemenl of the common welth, he by his priuie frendes and soliciters caused to be enacted that no acte then enacted shuld be more pieiudiciall to him than it was to any of his pre- decessors, through whiche Prouiso he did often as he liste and not as the lawe ment.

jg. If Ite for to serue his purpose he wold suffer the Shrefes of the shire to remaine aboue

one yere or two. ]<)_ ^ Item at the sommons of the parliament when knightes and burgesses should be electc

that the election had bene full proceded, he put out diners persones elected, and put in

other in their places to serue his wyll and appetite, go. If Item he had priuie espialles in every shire, to here who had of him any communica-

cion, and if he commoned of his lasciuious liuyng or outragious doyng, he streighte waies

was apprehended and made a greuous fine,

21. ^[ Item the spiritualtie alledged againste hym that he at his goyng into Ireland exacted many notable somes of money, beside plate & iuels, without law or custome, contrary to his oth take at his coronacio.

22. f Item when diuers lordes and Justices were sworne to say the truthe of diuers thinges to them committed in charge both for the honor of the realme and profile of the kyng, the said kyng so menaced theym with sore thretenyngcs, that no man wold or dursle sale the ryght.

23. f Item that with out the assent of the nobilitee, he caried the iewels and plate and treasure ouer the see into Irelande, to the great empouerishyng of the realme. And al the good recordes for the comon welthe and against hie extorcions, he caused priuely to be embesiled and conueied away.

34.. H Item in all leages and letters to bee concluded or sent to the see of Rome or other regions : His writyng was so subtill and so darke, that no other prince durst once beleue him, nor yet his owne subiectes.

K Item

A • KYNG HENRY THE FOURTHE.

f Item he mooste tirannously and vnprinccly said that the Hues and goodes of al his 25. subiectes were in the princes bads & at his disposicio.

>fl Item that he contrary to the great Charter of England caused dyucrs lustie men to 26. appele diuers olde men, vpon matters determinable at the common law, in the court -martial, because that in that court is no triall br.t onely by battaile : Whervpon the said aged per- sonnes fearyng the sequele of the matter submitted theym selfes to his mercy whom lie fined and raunsomed vnreasonably at his pleasure.

5f Item he craftely deuised certain priuie othes contrary to the lawe, & caused diuers of 27. his subiectes first to be sworne to obserue the same and after bounde them in bondes for former keping of the same, to the great vndoyng of many honest men.

f Item where the Chauncellour accordyng to the lawe woulde in no wise graunt a 28. prohibition to a certain person : the king graunted it vnto the same person vnder his priuie scale with greate thretnyngcs if it shuld be disobeied.

f Item he banyshed the l>ishop of Canterbury without cause or iudgement and kept him 29.. •in the parliament chamber with men of Armes.

^f Item the bishops goodes he graunted to his successour vpon condition that he shuld 30. mainteine al his statutes made at Shrewsburie, Anno. xxi. and the statutes made. Anno, icxii. at Couentree.

f Item vpon the accusation of the Archbishop, the king ceaftely perswaded the saied 31. byshop to make no answere, for he would be his warrant, and aduised him not to come to the parliament. And so withoute answere he was condemned and exiled, and his goodes seazed.

These bee the articles of any effecte whiche were laied against him, sauyng fowre concern- ~yng the bishoppe of Caunterbury, whiche onely touched hi, but his workyng vnwrought king Richard fro his croiie.

AND for as much as these articles, and other heinous and detestable accusations were laied against him in the open parliamentjTn was thought by the most parte that kyng Richard was worthy to be deposed of al honor, rule and Pryncely gouernanceTj And instruments ..autentike and solempne to depose, and other instrumentes were madeTo certain persons for them, and all homagers of the realme to resigne to hym all the homages and fealties dewe to him as kyng & soueraigne.

But or this deposition was executed in tyme, he came to Westminster and called a great councell of all the nobilitie and commons to the entente to conclude and make expedition of all thynges whiche before were purposed and set forward.

If In the meane season diuerse of king Richardes seruauntes which by licence had accesse to his person, comforted, animated and encouraged him beyng for sorowe withered, broken and in maner halfe deade, aduertisyng and exhortyng him to regard his welthe and to saue his lyfe. And firste they aduised him willyngly to suffer him self to be deposed bothe of his dignitie, & dcpriued of his riches: so that the duke of Lancastre might without murdre or battail obteine the scepter and Diademe, after the whiche they well percciued he gaped and thrubted by the mene wherof they thought he shuld be in perh't assurance of his life long to continue, & therfore might commit him selfe to good hope, which is the best felowe & companio that a man in aduersitie can associat or ioyne him self withal. FSurely this councel was both good and honeste in so great an extremitie, but yet the full effect folowed not as the sequele of the thyng sheweth and apparantely declarethT^f What profite, what honoure, what suretie had it bene to kyng Richarde, if he when he myght, whiche professed the name and title of a kyng, whiche is as much to saie, the ruler or keper of people, had excogitate or remebrcd to haue bene a keper of his owne hedde and lyfe, whiche nowe be- yng forsaken, reiect and abandoned of al such as he, being an euil sheperd or herdeman, before time did not plie, kepe and diligently ouerse was easily reduced and brought into the hades of his enemies. Nowe it was no mastery to perswade a man beyng desperate pensife and ful of dolour, to abdicate him selfe from his empire and imperiall preheminence : so that

C 2 in

12 AN INTRODUCCION INTO THE HISTORY OF

in onlie hope of his life and sauegard, he agreed to al thynges that of hym were demanded, and desired his kepers to shewe and declare to the duke, that if he wold vouchsafe to accord and cotne to hym, he wolde declare secretely thynges to hyrn both profitable and pleasant. His kepers sent word of all his saiynges to the duke, whiche incontinent repaired to his cham- ber. There kyng Richard comoned with him of many thingcs, and amongest all other affirmed those accusacions to be to muche trewe whiche the cornminaltie of the realme allcdged against him : that is to say, that he had euel gonerned his dominion and kingdome, and therfore he desyred to be disburdened of so great a charge and so heauy a burdein, besech- yng the Duke to grant to him the safegarde of his lyfe, and to haue compassion of hym, nowe as he before that time had bene to him bountifull and magnificent.

^f The duke biddyng him to be of good comfort and out of fear warranted him his lyfe, so that he wold resigne to him his scepter croune & dignitie : also nether to procure nor consent to any thyng or act whiche myght be hurtfuil or preiudiciall to his person or succession, to the whiche demaundes he graunted and frely condiscended and agreed.

THE Duke of Lancastre the nexte daie declared al kyng Richardes hole mind to the coucel, but especially to his vncle Edmunde duke of Yorke (whose helpe he much vsed) whiche hearyng al thynges to be in a broyle, a fewe daies before was come to London. The nobles and commons were well pleased that kyng Richard shoulde frankely and frely of his owne mere mocion, whiche they much desired (lest it shuld he noysed and reported that he therevnto were inforced and by violence constrained) resigne his croune and depart from his regalitee. <

Not long after he caused a great assemble to be apointed at the Towre of London, where kyng Richard appareled in vesture and robe royall the diademe on his head, & the scepter in his hand, came personally before the cogregacion and said these wordts in eftecte. I Richard king of England Duke of Fraunce, Aquitaine, and Lorde of Ireland, cont'essc and say before you my lordes and other our subiectes, that by the hole space of. xxii. yere in the whiche 1 haue obteined and possessed the rule and regiment of this famous realme of Eng- land, partely ruled and misauised by the euell & sinister councell of peruerse & flatteryng persons : and partely led by the frailtie of young waueryng and wanton youth, and with delectacion of worldly and volupteous appetite, haue omitted and not executed my royall office and bounden dutie accordyng as I oughte to haue dooen, in ministeryng iustice and prefermente of the comon wealthe, whiche negligence I more than any of you as I thynke my selfe, doo sore repente and bewayle, and specially because I am brought to this poyncte, that I knowledge and confesse my self, not worthy longer to reigne nor to haue any farther rile. So that now I can nother amende my misdedees, nor correcte my offences whiche suerly I entended to dooe, and especially in my olde age, in the whiche euill thynges be accustomed to be amended, and the fautes and offences of youth, to be corrected and reformed. For what young man comonly can be founde indued with so muche vertue and so good qualities, whiche agitate & pricked with the heate of youth, shall not turne and decline from the right pathe and direct waie, and yet when he cometh to the more ripenes of yeres and greate grauitie, doth not amend and change into better his olde errates and wanton actes, for experience teacheth, that of a rugged colte, commeth a good horse, and of a shreude boye, proueth a good man. But sithe Fortune doth not permit and suffre me so to do, to thentent that the publike welth of this realme maie bee holpen and auansed by my rneane, and after this not like again to declyne and decaye. And to the intent that it shall bee lefull to you, to elect and chose my cosyn germayne, Henry duke of Lancastre, a man mete for a realme, and a prince apt for a kyngdom, to your kyng and souereigne lorde. I of my owne mere mocion and frewill, do putte and depose my self out of all royall dignitie, preheminence and softerai- gnitee, and resign the possession, title and vse of this realme, with all rightes there vnto apperteigyng, into his handes and possession. And then with a lajnj;njteble_voyce and a sorowfull countenance, deliuered his sceptre and croune to the duke of Ltmcastre, requiryng euery persone seuerally by their names, to graunte and assente that he might

Hue

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ.

Hue a priuate and a solitarie life, with the swetnesse whereof, he would be so well pleased, that it should be a paine and punishement to hyin to go abrode, and deliuered all the

' goodes that he had, to the some of three hundred thousande pounde in coyne, beside plate and iuels, as a pledge and satisfaccion, for the iniuries and wronges by hyra committed and dooen. But what soeuer was promised, he was disceiued. For shortly after his resigna-

-cion he was conueighed to the castell of Ledes in Kent, & from thence to Poumffret wher be departed out of this miserable life, as you shall heare herafter.

f THE VNQUIETE TYME OF KYNG HENRY

THE FOURTHS,

WHEN the fame was dispersed abrode that Kyng Rycharde had putte hymselfc from The-1-y*re< his dignitee royall, and resigned his scepter and diademe imperiall, Henry Planta- genet borne at Bolyngbroke in the Countie of Lyncolne, duke of Lancastre and Hertford erle of Derby, Lecester and Lyncolne sonne to Ihon of Gaunt duke of Lancastre, with one voyce bothe of the nobles and comons, was published, proclaymed & declared kyng of England and of Fraunce, and lorde of Irelade, and on the daie of saincte Edward the con- fessor, was at Westminster with great solemnitee and royal pompe, sacred, enoynted and crouned king by the name of kyng Henry the fourth. •' But who so euer reioysed at this coronacion, or whosoeuer delighted at his high promocio, suer it is that Edmond Mortimer erle of Marche whiche was heire to Lionell duke of Clarence, the thirde begotten sonue of kyng Edwavde the third as you before haue heard, and Richard erle of Cabrige the sonne to Edmond duke of Yorke, whiche had maried Anne sister to the same Edmonde, wer with these doynges neither pleased nor contente. In so muche that nowe the diuisio once beyng begon, the one linage persecuted the other, and neuer ceased till the heircs males of bothe the lines wer by battaill murdered or by sedicion clerely extincte and destroyed.

At the daie of the coronacion, to thentent that he should not seme to take vpon hym the croune and scepter royall without title or lawfull clayme but by extorte power and iniurious intrusion, he was aduised to make his title as heire to Edmonde, surnamed or vntruly fayncd Crouchcbacke, sonne to kyng Henry the third, and to saie that the said Edmon4was elder brother to kyng Edward the first, and for his dcformitee repudiat and put by from the croune royalf to whom by his mother Blanche doughter and sole heire to Henry duke of Lancastre, he was next of bloud and vndoubtfull heire. But because not onely his fredes but also his priuy enemies knewe, that was hut a title and that this title was by inuentors of mischief fayncd, imagened & published and wer surely enformed not only that the said Edmond was younger sonne to kyng Henry the third accordyng as it is declared in the act of Parliament before recited. Also hauyng true knowledge that Edinod was nether Croke- backed nor a deformed persone, but a goodly gentil man and a valiante capitain, and so muche fauored of his louyng father, that he to preferre hym to the manage of the Qliene dowager of Nauerne hauyng a greate liuelode, gaue to hym the countie paliityne of Lan- castre with many notable honours, high seigniories and large priuileges. Therefore thei

2 aduised.

14 THE FIRSTE YERE OF

aduiscd hym to make some other clayme to the 'newe obteined regiment, and so caused it to be proclaimed and published that he chalenged the realme not onely by conquest, but also -because he was by kyng Richard adopted as heire, & declared successor & of hym by re- signacion had accepted the croune and scepter, & also that he was the next heire male of the bloud royall to kyng Richard.

After that he was crouned, he created his eldest sonne lorde Henry, Prince of Wales, duke of Cornwale, and erle of Chester, then beeyng of the age of. xij. yeres. This solenite finished, he called his high court of parliament, in the whiche it was demaunded by the .kynges frendes what should be doen with kyng Richard. The bishop of Carleile whiche was a man both wel lerned & well stomacked rose vp and said. My lordes I require you take hede what answere you make to this question. For I thynke there is none of you worthy or rnete to geue iudgemente on so noble a Prince as kyng Richard is, whom we haue taken for our souereigne and leige lorde by the space of. xxij. yeres, and I assure you, there is not so ranke a tray tor, nor so arrante a thiefe, nor so cruell a murderer, \\hiche is appre- hended and deteigned in prisone for his offence, but he shall bee brought before the iustice to heare his iudgemente, and yet you will proceade to the iudgemente of an anoynted kyng, and here nother his answere nor excuse. And I saie that the duke of Lancastre whom you call kyng, hath more offended & more trespassed to kyng Richard and this realme, then the kyng hath other doen to hym or to vs. For it is manifestly knowen that the duke was banished the realme by kyng Richard and his counsaill, and by the iudgemente of his owne father, for the space of tenne yeres, for what cause all you knowe, and yet without license of Kyng Richarde he is returned again into the realme, ye and that is worse, hath taken vpon hym the name, title and prehemience of a kyng. And therefore I say and affirme that you do apparently wrong, and manifest iniury to precede in any thy ng against kyng Richard, without callyng him opely to his answer and defence. When the bishop had ended, he was incontinent by therle Marshall attached & committed to ward in the Abbey of. S. Al bones.

5f And then it was concluded, that kyng Richard should continew in a large prisone, and should bee plentifully serued of all thynges necessarie bothe for viande and apparell, and that if any personcs would presume to rere warre or congregate a multitude to releue or tleliuer hym out of prisone, that then he should bee the first that should dye for that sedici- ous commocion. In this Parliamente the Lorde Fitzwater appeled the duke of Aumarle of high treason, and offered to fight with hym in listes royall. Likewise the lorde Morley uppeled therle of Salisbury, and there were more then. xx. appellantes which waged battaill in this parliamente. But the kyng pardoned all their offences sauyng the fautes of the lorde Morley and therle of Salisbury, whom he comitted to ward, and after at the request of their fredes, their offences wer remitted & thei deliuered. He punished also extremely all suche as were priuie and dooers of the homecide of Thomas his vncle late duke of Glocester, whiche was shamefully murdered before in y toune of Caleis. Besides this, he auansed his frendes, and called out of exile Richard erle of Warwike, and restored the exile of Arun- delles sonne to his owne possession and dignite, and many other. He toke into his speciall fauor Ihon Hollande duke of Exceter and erle of Huntyngdone halfe brother to king Rich- ard, whiche had espoused the lady Elizabeth his owne sister. And beeyng before capitain of Caleis, greatly moued and inwardly greued that Kyng Richarde his brother was amoued out of the seate royall, began to reyse and stirre vp newe mocions and sedicious faccions within the realme. Werfo^e to aduoyde suche pestiferus dangers, the newe kyng recociled hym to .his fauor, and made hym as he surely conjectured his perfite frende, where in deede he was inwardly his dedly enemie. In this parliament wer adnichilate al the actes passed in the parliament holden by kyng Richard in the. xxj. yere of his reigne, whiche was called the euill parliament for the nobilitee, the worse for the menaltie, but worste of all for the c5manaltee. JFor in that parliament, will ruled for reason, men aliue were con- demned without examinacion, men dedde and put to execucid by priuy murder wer adiudged openly to die, the hie prelate of the realme without answere was banished :

6 An

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ. 15

An erle arraigned could not be suffered to plede hs pardon, and consequently one counsailer did al thyng, and all counsailers did nothyng, affirmyng the saiyng of Esope, whiche hearyng his feloe to saie that he could do all thynges, saied he could do nothyng. When he had thus reconciled his nobilite, and gat the fauor of the spiritualte and wonder- fully pleased the comonaltee, but not so muche pleasyng .them, as the possessyng of the croune pleased hymself and his frendes, he of them and by the fauor of them bothe, for the auoydance of al claimes, titles and ambiguitees to be made vnto the croune and diademe of the realme had his dignitee ligne and succession enacted, confirmed and entayled by the assent of the high courte of Parliamente as foloweth worde by worde.

" At the request and peticion aswell of the nobilitie as of the comons in this parliamente assembled, it is ordaigned and established that the enheritance of the crounes and realmes of Englande and of Fraunce, and of all other lordshippes to the kyng. our souereigne lorde, aswel on this side the seas as beyond apperteignyng with their appurtenaces, shall bee vnited . and remain in the persone of our souereigne lorde the kyng, and in the heires of his body lawfully begotten. And especially at the request and assent aforsaid, it is ordeigned, estab- lished, pronounced, enacted, writen and declared, that my lorde Prince, Henry eldest sonne to our soueraigne lorde the kyng, shall bee heire apparante and successor to our saied souereigne lorde in the said croune, realmes £ seigniories, to haue £ enioy them with al their appurtenaunces after the discease of our saied soueraigne to hym and the heires of his body begotten. And if he die without heires of his body begotte, that then the saied crounes, realmes and seigniories with their appurtenances shal remain to the lorde Thomas, secod sonne to our said soueraigne lorde and to the heires of his body begotten, .and if he departe without issue of his body begotten, all the premisses to remaigne to lorde Ihon his third sonne and to the heires of his body begotten. And if he dye without issue, then the crounes, realmes, £ seigniories aforesaied with their appurtenances shal remain to the loi de Humfrey the. iiij. sonne to our said souereigne lorde, and to the heires of his body lawfully begotten."

After whiche acte passed, he thought neuer to bee by any of his subiectes molested ori troubled. £But O Lord, what is the mutabilitee of fortune ? O God what is the chaunge of worldely safetie ? O Christe what stablenes consisteth in mannes prouision ? Or what ferine suerty hath a prince in his throne and degree ? Considryng this kyng hauyng the possession of the croune and realme, and that in open parliament, agreed to by the princes, concliscended to by the Clerkes, ratified by the commons, and enacted by the three estates of the reaune, was when he thought hymself surely mortised in a ferme rocke £ immouable foundacion, sodainly with a trimbelyng quickesande £ vnstedfast grounde like to haue sonke or been ouerlhrowen. For diuerse lordes whiche wer kyng Richardes frendes, outwardly dissiivuled that whiche thei inwardly conspired and determined, to confounde this kyng Henry to whom thei had bothe sworne allegance and doen homage, and to erect again and set vp their old lorde and frend kyng Richard the second.

In this case there lacked only an orgaine and conueighance bothe how secretly to serche and knowe the myndes of the nobilitee, as all so to bryng them to an assemble and counsail, where thei might consult and comen'together, how to bryng to efficacite and effect, their long desired purpose and secrete enterprise. fSeJioJK-thgjhe deuill is as ready to set furth mischief, as the good angell is to auance vertuej At this time was an Abbot in Westminster, a man of aparant vertues. professyng openly Christ, Christian Charitee, and due subieccion and obeisance to his prince : whiche Abbot hearyng kyng Henry once saie when he was but erle of Darby and of no mature age or growen grauitee, that princes hud to litle, and religeons had to muche, imagined in hymself that he now obteinyng the cronne of the realme, if he wer therin a long continuer, would remoue the greate beame.that then greued his iyes and pricked his conscience. For you muste vnderstande that these monasticall per- sones, lerned and vnliterate, better fed then taught, toke on the to write £ regester in the boke of fame, the noble actes, the wise dooynges, and politike gouernances of kynges and {

princes

f

THE FIRSTE YERE OF

princes, in whiche cronographie, if a kyng gaue to them possessions or grauntcd them liberties or exalted them to honor & worldly dignitee, he was called a sainct he was praised without any deserte aboue the Moone, his geanelogie was written, and not one iote that might exalt his fame, was ether forgotten or omitted. But if a Christian prince had touched their liberties or claimed any part Justly of their possessions, or would babe intermitted in their holy francheses, or desired aide of the against his and their comon enemies. Then tonges talked and pennes wrote, that he was a tirant, a depresser of holy religion, an enemie to Christes Churche and his holy flocke, and a damned and accursed persone with Dathan and Abiron to the dope, pitte of helle. Wherof the prouerbe bega, geue and be blessed, take awaie and bee accursed. Thus the feare of lesyng their possessions, made them pay ycrely annates to the Romish bishop: thus the feare of correccion and honest restraint of libertee, made them from their ordinaries, yea almoste from obedience of their princes to sue dispensacions, exempcions and immunitees.

THIS Abbot that I spake of whiche could not well forgette the saiyng of kyng Henry, and beyng before in greate fauor and high estimacion with kyng Richard called to his hous •n a daie in the terme season al suche lordes & other persones whiche he ether knewe or thought to be as affeccionate to kyng Richarde, and enuious to the estate and auancement of kyng Henry, whose names wer, Ihon Hollande duke of Exceter and erle of Huntyngdon, Thomas Hollande duke of Surrey and erle of Kent, Edward duke of Aumarle and erle of Rutland sonne to the duke of Yorke, Iho Montagew erle of Salisbury, Hugh Speser erle of •Glocester, Ihon the bishop of Carleill, sir Thomas Blount and Magdalen one of kyng Hicfeardes chapell, a man as like to hym in stature and proporcion in all liniamentes of his body, as vnlike in birthe dignitee or condicions. This Abbot highly fested these greate lordes and his speciall frendes, and when thei had well dined, thei all withdrew thernselfes into a secrete chamber and sat doune to counsail, when thei wer set, Ihon Hollande duke of Exceter whose rage of reuengyng y iniury doen to kyng Richard was nothyng mitigate nor mollified, but rather encreased and blossomed, declared to theim their allegeance promised, and by othe confirmed to kyng Richard his brother, forgettyng not the high promocions and notable dignities whiche he and all other there present had obteigned by the high fauor and munificent liberalitee of his saied brother, by the whiche thei wer not onely by othe and allegeance bounde, and also by kindnes and vrbanitee insensed & moued to take part with hym and his frendes, but also bound to be reuenged for hym and his cause, on his mortall enemies and dedly foes, in whiche doyng he thought policie more meter to be vsed then force, and some wittie practise rather to be experimented then manifest hostilitee or open warre. And for the expedicion of this enterprise he deuised a solempne iustes to be enter- prised betwene hym and. xx. on his parte, and the erle of Salisbury and. xx. on his part at Oxtbrde : to the whiche triumphe, Kyng Henry should be inuited and desired, and when he were moste busely regardyng the marciall playe and warly disporte, he sodainly should bee slain and destroyed. And by this meanes kyng Richard whiche was yet a liue, should be restored to his libertie and repossessed of his croune and kyngdome, and appoincted farther who should assemble the people, the numbre and persones, whiche should accom- plishe and performe this inuented assaie and policie.

THIS deuiseso much pleased the sediciouscongregacion, that thei not onely made an in- denture sextipartite sealed with their scales and signed with their handesin the whiche eche •bounde hym-eelfe toother toendeuoure theim selfes both for the destruction of Kyng Henry and the creacion of King Richard, but also sware on the holy Euangelistes the one to be trewe and secrete to the other, euen to the houre and point of death. When all thynges were thus apointed and eoscluded the Duke of Exceter came to the kyng to Windsore, requiryng hym ~{or tbe loue that he bare to the noble actes of chiualrie, that he woulde vouchesate not onely to repaire to Oxford to see and behold their manlie feates, and warlike pastime : but also to be the discouerer and indifierente iudge (if any ambiguitee should arise) of their couragions actes and royall triumphe. The kyng seeyng hymself so effectuously desired, and that of his

•:'.': brother

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ. 17

brother in lavve, and nothing lesse imagenyng the that which was pretended, gentelly graunted and frendly condiscended to his request. Which thing obtained, Jail the lordes of this cospiracie departed to their houses (as thei noised) to set armorer? on work for trimmyng of their harneis against the solemne iustes. Some had the helme the visere the two bauiers & the two plackardes of the same curiously graue and conningly costed: Some had their collers fretted and other had them set with gilte bullions, one company had the plackard, the rest, the port the burley, the tasses, the lamboys, the backpece the tapull, and the border of the curace all gylte : And another bande had them all enameled Azure. One sorte had the vambrases the pacegardes the grandgardcs the poldren, the pollettes, parted with goldc and azure : And another flocke had theym siluer and sable : Some had the mainferres, the close gantlettes, the guissettes the tkncardes droped & gutted \viih red, and other had the spekeled with grene : one sorte had the quishes, the greues,. the surlettes, 5" sockettes on the right side and on the left side siluer. Some had the spere, the burre, the cronet al yelowe, and other had them of diuers colours. One band had the scafteron the cranct, the bard of the horse all white, and other had them all gilte. Some had their armyng sweardes freshly burnyshed and some had the conningly vernished. Some spurres wer white, some gilt, and some cole blacke. One parte had their Plumes all white, another had them all redde, and the third had them ofseuerall colours.- One ware on his beadpece his Ladies sleue, and another bare on his helme the gloue of his dearlyng : But to declare the costly Bases, the riche bardes, the pleasant trappers bothe of goldesrnithes worke and embrawdery, no lesse sumptuously then curiously wrought, it would aske a long time to declare, for euerye man after his appetite [3euised his fantasy verifiyng, the_oldfi^rouerbe, so manyheades, so majijjvittesj'

"TEelluke of Exceter came to his house & raised men on euery side and prepared horse and harneis, mete and apte for his compassed purpose. When the Duches his wife which was sister to kyng Henry perceiued this, she no lesse trouble conjectured to be prepared against her brother the was in dede eminent & ai hand, wherfore she wept & made great lamentacion. When the duke perceued her dolour, he said, what Besse, how chaunseth this, when my brother king Richard was deposed of his dignitie, and committed to harcle and sharpe prison whiche had bene kyng and ruled this realme noblie by the space of. xxii. yeres and your brother was exalted to the throne and dignitie imperial! of the same, then my hearte was heauie, my life stoode in ieopardie and my combe was clerehy cut, but you then reioysed laughed and triumphed, wherfore I pray yon be contente that I may aswell reioyce and haue pleasure at the deliueryng and restoryng of ray brother iustly to his dignite, as you were iocond and pleasaunt when your brother vniustly and vntrulie depriued and dis- seazed my brother of the same. For of this I am sure, that yf my brother prosper, you and I shal not fall nor decline : but if your brother continue in his estate and magnificece I double not your decay nor ruine, but I suspecte the losse of my life, beside the fbrfeyture of my landes and goodes. When he had sayd, he kissed his Lady whiche was sorowful and pensife, and he departed toward Oxforde with a grcate company bothe of Archers and horsemen, and when he came there, he founde ready al his mutes and confederates wel apoinled for their purpose, except the Duke of Aumerle Erie of Rutland, for whom they sent messengers in great haste. This duke of Aumerle went before from Westminster to se his father the duke of Yorke, and sittyng at diner had his counterpaine of the endenture of the confederacie wherof 1 spake before in his bosotne.

The father espied it and demaunded what it was, his sonne lowely and beningly answered that it myght not bee sene, and that it touched not him. By saint'George quod the father 3 will see it, and so by force toke it out of his bosome, when he perceaued the content and the sixe signes and scales sette and fixed to the same, whereof the scale of his sonne was one, he sodainlie rose from the table, comaundyng his horses to be sadeled, and in a greate furie saied to his sonne, thou trayter thefe, thou hast bene a traitour to kyng Richard, and wilt thou nowe be falce to thy cosen kyng Henry? thou knovvest wel inough that I am thy

D pledge

18 THE FIRSTE YERE OF

pledge borowe and mayncperner, body for body, and land for goodes in open parliament, and goestthou about to seke my death and destruction? by the holy rode 1 had leauer see the strangeled on a gibbet. And so the duke of Yorke moated on horsbacke to ride toward Windsor to the kyng and to declare the hole eftecte of his sone and his ad he rentes & par- takers. The duke of Aumerle seyng in what case he stode toke his horse and rode another way to Windsor, riding in post thither (whiche his father being an olde man could not do.) And when he was alighted at the castel gate, he caused the gates to be shut, saying that he must nedes deliuer the keies to the kyng. When he came before the kynges presence he kneled dovvne on his knees, besechyng him of mercy and forgeuenes: The kyng demanded the cause : then he declared to him plainely the hole confederacie and entier coniuracion in manner and forme as you haue harder Well saied the kyng, if this be trewe we pardon you, if it bee fained at your extreme perill bee it. While the kyng and the duke talked together, the duke of Yorke knocked at the castel gate, whom the kyng caused to be let in, and there he delyuered the endenture whiche before was taken from his sonne, into the kynges handes. Which vvrityng when he had redde, and sene, perceiuyng the signes and scales of the confederates, he chaunged his former purpose. For the daie before he heryng say that the chalengers were al ready and that the defenders were come to do their deuoir, purposed to haue departed towarde the triumphe the^ next day, but by his prudent and forecastyng councel, somwhat staied till he myght se the ayre clere and no darcke cloude nere to the place where the listes were. And nowe beyng aduertised of the truthe and veritie, howe his destruction and deathe was compassed, was not a littell vexed, but with a great and meruelous agonie perturbed and vnquieted, and therefore determined there to make his abode not hauyng time to loke and gase on lustes and tourneis, but to take hede howe to kepe and conserue his lyfe and dignitie, and in that place taried tyll he knewe what way his enemies would set forward. And shortly wrote to the Earle of Northumberland his high Costable, and to the erle of Westmerland his high Marshal, and to other his assured frendes of al the douteful daunger and perelousieopardie. The coniuratoures perceiuyng by the lacke of the duke of Aumerles coming, and also seyng no preparacion made there for the kynges commyng, imagined with them selfes that their enterpryse was intimate and published to the kyng : Wherfore that thyng whiche they attempted priuilie to do, nowe openly with speare & shilde they determined with all diligent celeritie to set forth and aduaunce. And so they adorned Magdalene, a man resemblyng muche kyng Richard in roiall and princely vesture, callyng him kyng Richard, affirming that he by fauour of his kepers was deliuered out of prison and set at libertie, and they followed in a quadrat array to the entent to destroy king Henry as the most pernicious & venemus enemy to the and his owne naturall countrey. While the confederates with this newe publyshed Idole accom- panied with a puissant armie of men, toke the directe way and passage toward Windsor : Kyng Henry beyng admonished of their approchyng, with a fewe horse in the night, came to the Tower of London about, xii. of the clocke, where he in the mornynge caused the Maire of the citie to apparell in armure the beste and moste couragious persons of the citie : which brought to him. iii. M. archers and. iii. M. bill men, beside them that were' deputed to defend the citie.

The Lordes of the confederacie entered the castel of Windsor,where they findyng not their praie, determined with all spede to passe forthe to London : But in the waie, changyng their purpose they returned to the towne of Colbroke and there taried. These Lordes had much people folowyng them, what for feareand what for entreatie surely beleuyng that kyng Richard was there present and in company. King Hery issued out of London with twentye M. men and came to Hounsloe Heath, where he pitched his campe, abidyng the commyng of his enemies: but when they were aduertised of the kynges puissaunce, or els amased with feare, or forthinkyng and repentyng their begonne busines, or mistrustyng their owne company and felowes, departed from thence to Barkamstede and so to Aucester, and there the Lordes toke their lodgyng: The duke of 'Surrey erle of Kent and the erle of

2 Salisbury

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ. "19'

Salisbury in one ynne, and the duke of Exceter and the carle of Glocesler in another, and al the hoste laie in the feldes. The Baily of the towne with fowre score archers set on the house wher the duke of Surrey and other laie: the house was uiannely assaulted and strongely defended a great space : The Duke of Exceter beyng in another inne with the erle of Glocester set fier on diners bowses in the towne, thin kyng that the assailantes would leuc their assault and rescue their goodes, which thing they nothyng regarded. The host liyng without hearyng noise and seyng fire in the towne, beleuyng that the kyng was come thyther with his puissaunce, fledde without measure to saue them selfes. The duke of Exceter and his company seyng the force of the townes men more & more encreace, fled out of the backeside entendyng to repaire to the armie, whiche they found dispersed and retired. Then the duke seing no hope of cofort, tied into Essex, and the erle of Glocester goyng toward Wales was taken and beheaded at Brisiowe. Magdalene fliyng into Scot- land was appreheded and brought to the Tower. The lordes whiche fought still in the towne of Chichester wer wouded to deth and taken and their heades striken of and sent to London : and there were taken sir Bennet Shelley or Cell, and sir barnard Brokas and. xxix. other Lordes Knyghtes and Esqniers & sent to Oxford, where the kyng then soiourned, where sir Thomas Blonte and all the other prysoners were executed. Whe the Duke of Exceter heard that his complices wer taken, and his councellers apprehended, and his frendes and alies put in execucion, he lamented his owne chaunce, and bewepte the mis- fortune of his frendes, but most of all bewailed the fatall end of his brother kyng Richard, whose death he saw as in a mirrour by his vnhappy sedition and malicious attempte to approche, and so wanderynge lurkyng and hidyng him selfe in priuy places, was attached in Essex, and in the lordshippe of Plasshey a towne of the Duches of Glocester and there made shorter by the bed, and in that place especially because that he in the same Lordship seduced £ falsely betrayed Thomas duke of Glocester, and was the very inward auctour and open dissimuler of his death and destruction. F|p .the_comon_Prpuerbe was verified, as /. yfln ^"eL_.4QD£j-j^-AbjJJLyg!?^M^J Qh Lord J[ would jviah$ foaT ttip example, of many highlye promoted to rule, might w. had in meradne, the which mete and ineasu re their owne iniquitie and il doinges, with force auctoritie and power, to the entent that they by these examples shoulde auerte their myndes from ill doynges, and such vngodly and execrable offences./ After this Magdalein that represented the person of kyng Richard amogest the rebels, and diuerse other were put in execucion, and all the heades of the chefe conspiratoures sette on polles on London bridge, to the feare of other whiche were disposed to commit like offence. The Abbot of Westminster in whose house this traiterous confederacy was conspired, hearyng that the chefetains of his felowshippe, were espied, taken and executed, going betwene his monastery and mancion, for thoughte fell in a sodaine palsey, and shortely after without any speche ended his life : after whome the By- shop of Carlile more for feare then sickenes, rendred his spirite to God, as one rather desir- yng to die by deathes darte, then temporall swearde. But nowe was come the time when all the confederates and compaignions of this vnhappye sedicion, had tasted accordyng to their desertes, the painfull penaunce of their pleasante pastime, or rather pestiferus obstin- acy, that an innocent with a nocet, a man vngilty with a gilty, was pondered in an egall balaunce. For pore king Richard ignorant of all this coniuracion kept in miserable cap- tiuitie, knowyng nothyng but that he sawe in his chamber, was by king Henry adiudged to"! die, because that he beyng singed and tickeled with the laste craftie policie of bis enemies, i would deliuer himself out of all inward feare and discorde, and cleane put away the very \ ground wherof suche frutes of displeasure mighte by any waie be attempted againste him, ) so that no man hereafter shoulde ether faine or resemble to represente the persone of king Richarde : jwherfore some saye he commaunded, other talke that he condiscended, many write that he knewe not tyll it was done and then it confirmed. But howe so euer it was, fcvng Richarde dyed of a violent death, without any infection or naturall disease of the body.—

D 2 The

20 THE FIRSTE YERE OF

The common fame is that he was euery daye serued at the table with costely meate like a kyng, to the entent that no creature shuld suspecte any thing done contrary to the order taken in the parliament, and when the meate was set before him, he was forbidden that he shuld not once touch it, ye not to smel to it, and so died of famin : which kynd of death is the most miserable, most vnnatural, ye and most detestable that can be, for it is ten times more painefull then death (whiche of all extremities is the most terrible) to die for thirst standyng in the riuer, or starue for hunger, besette with •^twentie deintie disshes. .Qjie^wnjej: whiche semed to haue muche knowledge of kyng Rychardes affaires, saieth that kyng Henry sittyng at his table sore sighyng said, haue 1 no faithefull frende whiche will deliuer me of him whose life will be my dcth, and whose death will be the preseruacion of my life. This saiyng was muche noted of them whiche were present and especially of one called sir Piers of Exton. This knight incon- tinently departed fro the court with eight strong persons and came to Pomfret, commaun- dyng that the esquier whiche was accustomed to sewe and take the assaye before kyng Richard, shuld no more vse that maner of seruice, saiyng, let him eate we! nowe, for he shall not long eatc. Kyng Richard sate downe to dyner and was serued without cnrtesie or assay, he muche meruailyng at the sodaine mutacion of the thyng, demaunded of the Esquier why he did not his duety? sir, said he, I am otherwise comaunded by sir Pyers of Exton, which is newely come from king Henry. When he heard that worde, he toke the caruyng knife in his hand and strake the esquier on the head saiyng, the deuell take Henry Pbf Lancastre and the together : and with that worde sir Piers entered into the chamber wel / armed with. viii. tall men inharneis, euery man hauing a bill in his had. Kyng Richarde perceuyng them armed, knewe well that they came to his confusion, and puttyng the table from him, valiantly toke the bill out of the first mannes hand, and manly defended himselfc, and slewe fowre of them in a short space. Sir Piers being sowhat dismaied with his resist- yng, lepte into the chaire where kyng Richard was wonte to sitte, while the other fowre persons assailed and chased him aboute the chamber, whiche beyng vnarmed defended him against his enemies beyng armed, (whiche was a valiaunt acte) but in conclusion chasyng and trauersing fro the one side to the other, he came by the chaire wher sir Piers slode, whiche with a stroke of his Pollax felled hym to the ground, and then shortely he was rid out of the worlde, without ether confession or receit of sacrament. ^When this knight per- ceiued that he was deade, he sobbed, wept, and rent his heare criyng, Oh Lord, what haue we done, we haue murthered hym whom by the space of. xxii. yeres we haue obeied as king, and honored as our soueraigne lord, now all noble men will abhorre vs, all honest persons will disdaine vs, and all pore people will rayle and crie out vpon vs, so that duryng our naturall Hues, we shal be poincted with the finger, and our posterite shal be reproued as children of Homecides, ye of Regicides & prince quellersT]. Thus haue I declared to you the diuersities of opinions concernyng the deathe of this mfortunate prince, remittyng to your iudgement whiche you thinke most trewe, but the very trouthe isthat he died of a violent death, and not by the darte of naturall infirrnitie.

When Atropos had cut the line of his lyfe, his body was embaulmed and seared and couered with lead al saue his face (to the entent that all men might perceiue that he was departed out of this mortal lyfe) and was conueighed to London, where in the cathedrall churche of saincte Paule he had a solempne obsequie, and from thence conueighed to Lagley in Buck- yngham shire, where he was enterred, and after by kyng Henry the. v. remoued to West- minster, and there intombed honorably with quene Anne his wife, although the Scottes vn- treuly write that he escaped out of prisone, and led a verteous and solitary life in Scotlande, and there died and is buried intheblacke Friers at Sterlyng. What trust is in this worlde, what suretie man hath of his life, & what constancie is in the mutable comonaltie, all men maie apparently perceiue by the ruyne of this noble prince, whiche beeyng an vndubitate kyng, "crooned and anoymed by the spiritualtie, honored and exalted by the nobilitee, obeyed uod

worshipped

KYNG HENRY THE. II IJ. 21

worshipped of the comon people, was sodainly discerned by theim whiche he moste trusted, betraied by ttieim whom he had preferred, & slain by theim whom he had brought vp and norished : so that all menne maie perceiue and see, that fortune wayeth princes and pore men all in one balance.

WHEN ne.wes of kyng Richardes deposyng were reported into Frauce, kyng Charles and all his court wondered, detested & abhorred suche an iniurie to bee doen to an anoynt- ed kyng, to a crouned prince, & to the hed of a realme : but in especial Walt-ram erle of sent Panic whiche had maried kyng Richardes halfe sister, moued with high disdain against kyng Henry, ceased not to stirre and prouoke y Frenche kyng and his counsaill to make sharpe warre inEnglande, to reuenge the iniurie and dishonor comitted and doen to hissonne in lawe kyng Richard, & he hymself sent letters of defiance to England. Whiche thyng was sone agreed to, and an armie royall appoyncted with all spede, to innade England. But the Frenche kyng so stomacked this high displesure, & so inwardly coceiued this infor- tunate chance in his minde, that he fell into his old disease of the frensy, hat he had nede accordyng to the old prouerbe, to saile into the Isle of * Anticyra, to purge his melacholie *Anticyra humor, but by the meanes of his phisicions, he was somwhat releued & brought to know- Ast^where" ledge of hymself. This armie was come doune into Picardy, redy to be trasported into ^n^^th, Englad, but whe it was certainly certified that kyng Richard was ded, & that their enterprise purgeth S of his deliuerace was frustrate & voyd. tharmie scattred & departed a sonder. t^rof*

BUT when the certaintie of kyng Richardes death was declared to the Aquitaynes and <-s the pro- Gascons, the moste parte of the wisest men of the countree, fell into a greate bodely feare, ""1*10*° and into a dedly dreade. For some lamentyng the instabilitee of the Englishe people, Anticira, as iudged theim to be spotted with perpetuall infamie, and brought to dishonor & losse of their ^^f' auncientfaine and glory, for comittyng so heynous a cryme and detestable an offence against youreM*. their king & soueraigne lorde. The memorie wherof, thei thought would neuer be buried or extincted. Other fered the losse of their goodes and liberties, because they imagined that by this ciuill discencion and intestine deuision, the realme of England should so bee vexed and troubled, that their countree (if the Frenchemenne should inuade it) should bee destitute and lefte voide of all aide and succor of the Englishe nacion. But the citezens of Burdeaux toke this matter very sore at y stomacke, because kyng Richard was borne and; brought vp in their citee, lamentyng and criyng out, that sithe the beginnyng of the worlde, there was neuer a more detestable, a more vilanous nor a more heynous acte committed : whiche beyng sad with sorowe and enilamed with malencolie, saied that vntrue, vnnaturall and vnmercilull people had betrayed and slain, contrary to all law and iustice and honestie, a good man, a iuste prince and politike gouernor. Besechyng God deuoutly on their knees, to be the reuenger and punisher of that detestable offence and notorius crime.

WHEN the Frenchmen, whiche haue iyes of the wakyng serpent, perceiued the dolor and agony that the Aquitaynes and Gascons wer in for the death of 'heir prince, duke and countrymanne, they reioysed and aplauded in maruelous maners, thynkyng with theimselfes that (the Gascons nowe abhorryrtg and detestyng the Englishe men more than a Dogge or an Adder) they verie easely mighte obtain the whole countree and douchie of Aquitaine,with the members and territories there to apperteignyng, if they would ether by entreatie or by inua- sion moue the people beyng now amased and comfortles, as shepe without a shepeherd, or beastes without an herdman. Whin-fore in greate haste and slowe spede, Lewes clnke of Burbon was sent to Angit-rs, & wrote to diuerse citees and tounes on the confynes of Aqui- tain and Gascon, exhortyng them with large promises and flateryng wordes, to reuolte and turne from the Englishe subieccion, and become vassals to the croune of Fraunce. But all his glosyng wordes seruedlitle, and all his faire promises profited muche lesse. For the people knewe that the Englishe yoke was but a tether, & the yoke of Fraunce was more ponderus then lede, seyng daily how the I rench men vexed and molested ther miserable people with extreme exaccios and intollerable tallages, rasyng .their skinne to the very bone, and their

purses

22 THE FIRST YERE OF

purses to the veryfootome wherfore they determined rather to abide in their bid subicccion and obedience, then for a displeasure irrecurable to auenture themselfes on a newe chance and a deubtfuil parell.

KING Henry beeyng aduertised of all the Frenche alternptes and couert conueighances, sent the lorde Thomas Percy -erle of Worceter with a goodly trewe of souldiours into Aqui- tain, to aide and assist sir Robert Knolles his leuetenante there, and to perswade and exorte the people to continewe in their ancient libertie and dewc obeysance. The erle arriued there, and so wisely entreated the noble men, so grauously persuaded the mage- strates of the citees and tounes, and so gently and familiarly vscd and traded the vulgare people, that he not onely appeased their furie and malice, but brought theim to a louyng and "vniforme obeysance, receiuyng of them othes of obedience and loyall fealtie, whiclie done he retourned againe into England with great thankes. When kyng Charles of Fran nee per- ceiued that his purpose and attempte was frustrate and came to no good conclusion in Aquitayne and that kyng Richard being deade, his enterprise into England was of no value and of small purpose, he determined with him selfe to inuent some way howe to haue the Lady Isabell his doughter, sometime espoused to kyng Richard restored to him again : and for that purpose sent a solemne ambassade into England to kyng Henry, whiche gentely receiued them, and gaue in answere that he would send his commissioners shortely to Caleis, whiche shoulde farther common and coclude with them, not onely that request, but diners other matters of gret effecte and efficacie. And shortley after their departyng he sent Edward duke of Yorke, before called duke of Aumerle, whiche succeded in the said duchie his father Edmond duke of Yorke, a littell before disseased and Henry erle of Northumber- land into the countrei of Guisnes. The commissioners assembled at diuers places at sondry times. The duke of Borbon aboue al thynges required in the name of the French king his master, to haue quene Isabell to him deliuered. The Englishmen that to do continually did deny, requiryng to haue her maried to Henry Prince of Wales, a man bothe in blud and age to her in all thinges equal!. But the Frenche kyng that mariage vtterly refused, saiyng he wolde neuer ioyne affinitie after with the Englishe nacion, because that the aliance had so vnfortunate successc.

Then they began to entreate a continual! peace, whiche request the Frenchemen refused, and in conclusion they agreed that the truce whiche was taken betwene them and kyng Rich- arde, for the terme of. xxx. yeres, was renouate and confirmed. Some authors affirm that there was a newe leage concluded and confirmed betwene both the realmes duryng the Hues of bothe the princes, whiche semeth to haue a certein colour of veritie. For the kyng sent shortly after the foresaid Lady Isabell vnder the conducte of the Lord Thomas Percy erle of Worceter, associate with many noble and honourable personages, as well of women as men, hauyng with her al the lewells ornamentes & plate (with a great surplusage geuen to hir by the kyng whiche she brought into England) was sente in solemne estate to Caleis, and there deliuered to Waleran erle of saincte Paule Lieuetenant for the French king in Picar- die, and so conueighed to her father, whiche gaue her in mariage to Charles sone to Lewes duke of Orleaunce. The Frenchmen often times required king Henry to assigne to her a dower, but al was in vaine, for the Englishemen answered that the matrimony was neuer consummate, by reason wherof she was not dowable, by the very treatie of the mariage con- eluded, and so this matter seased, and was no more moued. V As the olc( prouerhe^saifhj after winde commeth jajn, &' after one ejyiil .comply easu.eth. anothert 39. duryng the time that kyng Henry was vexed and vnquieted, bothe within the realme & without..

OWEN Gtenebfr^eqtitt'e-tTf Wattes," Bslceiuyng the reaime to be. vnquieted. and the

kyng not yet to be placed in a sure and vnmouableseate, entedyng to vsurpe and take vpon

hym the principalitie of Wales, and the name and preheminence of the same, what with

faire flatteryng wordes and with large promises, soenuegled entised and .allured the wilde and

-vndiscrite Welshmen, that they toke hym as their prince and made to hym an othe of allegeance

s v , cd subieccion. By whose supportacion, he beyng elated and set vp in aucthorite, to the

'& intent

KYNG HENRY THE. HIJ. f3

intent to bee out of all double of his neighbors, made sharpe warre oft Reignolde lorde Grey of llithen and toke hym prisoner, promisyng hym libertee and dischargyng his raun- some, if he would espouse and marie his dough ter, thynkyng by that affinitie, to haue greate aide and muche power in Wales. The lorde Grey beeyng not very riche nether of substance nor of frendes, consideryng this offer to be the onely waie of his releffe and deliuerance,

1 assented to his pleasure and rnaried the damosell. But this false father in laxve, this vntre\v, vnhonest and periured persone, kept hym with his wife still in captiuitee till he died. And not content with this heynous offence, made warre on lorde Edmond Mortimer erle of Marche, and in his owne lordship of Wigmore, where in a conflict he slewe many of therles men and loke hym prisoner, and feteryng hym in chaynes, cast hym in a depe and miserable dongeon. The kvng was required to purchase his deliuerance by diuerse of the nobilitie,, but he could not heare on that side, rather he would and wished al his linage in heuen.. For then his title had been out of all doubt & question, and so vpon this cause as you heare, after ensued great sedicion.

o^THUS Owen G lender glorifiyng hymself in these twoo victories, inuaded'the Marches- of Wales on the West side of Seuerne, robbed vilages, brent tounes and slewe the people, and laden with praies and bloudy handes returned again into Wales, neuer desistyng to do euil till the next yere, that the kyng reised a greate annie and puissance to resist and defende. his malicious atfemptes and sedicious inuasions, as after shall be declared. It was not suffi- ciet in this first yere of kyng Henry, this realme to be troubled with domestical sedicion, vexed with the craftie practices and inuencions of the Frenche men, and inuaded and in- fested with thefrantike waueryngWelshemen, but also fortune hauyngenuy at the glory and fortunate procedyng of this man, muste in his saied firste yere also, arme the Scottes with spcre and shelde against hym and his realme, wherof the occasion shall bee to you declared accordyng to the Scotticall histories. A Ikle before this tyme, George of Dunbar erle of the Marches of the realme, made meanes to kyng Robert of Scotlande, that Dauid his eldest sonne might rnarie and espouse the erles doughter called Elizabeth, and deliuered for the performance of the same mariage, into the kynges handes a greate some of money. When Archebaulde erle Douglas heard of this conclucion, disdainyng therle of the Marches blud to be auaunced before his stocke, wherfore ether by faire wordes, or els by disbursyng a greter some of money, he so enuegeled Kyng Roberte of Scotlande, that Dauid his heire refusyng the first damosell,. espoused Mariell the erle Douglas doughter. Therle of Marche desired restitucion of his money, to whom the kyng gaue many friuolus and trifelyng aunsweres, wherfore he disdainyng so to bee mocked & deluded of his money, with his wife and family, fled into England, to Henry erle of Northumberlande, entendyng with dent of ?werd to reuenge the injury & displesure to hym by the kyng comitted £ doen, £ so with the help of the borderers brent diuerse tounes, £ slew many persons in the realme of Scot- land.

-^KING Robert beeyng thereof aduertised, firste deprived the Erie George of all his dignitees and possessions, and caused his goodes to bee confiscate, -and after wrote to the Kyng of Englande, instantly requiryng hym, if he would the truce any longer to continevv ether to deliuer into his possession the Erie of Marche, and other traitors and rebelles to his persone and realme, or els to banishe and exile theim out of his realme, territories and dominions. Kyng Henry discretly answered the heiault of Scotland, that the worde of a prince ought to bee kepte, and his writyng and seale ought to bee inuiolate, and consider- yng that he had graunted a saue conduite to the erle and his compaigny, he would nether without cause resonable breake his promise, nor yet deface his honor. Whiche answer declared to the kyng of Scottes, he incontinente did proclaime and intimate open warre, against the kyng of England, with bloud fire and swe'ard. Kyng Henry perceiuyng, that

--policie preuenteth chance, gathred and assembled together a greate annie, and entered into Scotlande, burnyng townes villages and castles, sparyng nothyng but religious houses and churches, and brent a greate parte of the tounes of Edenbrough and Lithe and beseged the

castle

24 THE FIRSTE YERE OF

castle of Maidens inEdenbrough, in thende of September, whereof was capitain, Dauicl duke of Rothsay and prince of the realme, and Archibalde erle Douglas, with many hardy men. Roberte duke of Albania, beyng appoyncted gouernor of the realme, because the kyng was sicke and vnapt to rule, sent vnto kyng Henry an harrold, assuryng hym on his honour that if he woulde abide and tary his coming and repaire, wlu'che should be within sixe daies at the most he would geue hym battaill, and remoue the siege, or els die for it.

The kyng beeyng glad of these ioyous good newes, rewarded the herault with a goune of silke and a chayne of gold, promisyng hym in the worde of a prince, not to depart thence but abide there, thecomyng of. the gouernor. The sixe daies passed, ye sixe and sixtene to, the gouernor nether apered nor sent worde, the winter waxed cold, vitaile failed, men died of the flixe, it rained euery daie so habundantly, that hunger and colde caused the kyng to breke vp his siege, and to departe out of Scotland, without battaill or skirmish offered. Duryng whiche tyme bothe the Wardens of the Marches beyng with the kyng, the Scottea made a rode into Northumberlande, and burned diuerse tounes in Bamborough shere, and shortly returned again, or els thei had been trapped & come to late home. When the kyng of England had dismissed his souldiers, and discharged his army, the Scottes entendyng to bee reuenged of their greate domages to theim by the Englishe uacio doen and committed by therle Douglas, appoyncted twoo armyes to inuade Englande. Of the first was chieftain, sir Thomas Halibarton of Dirlton, and Patrike Hebburne of Hales, whiche made a rode into Englande, and returned with litle losse and no greate gain. After this the forsaid sir Patrike Hebburne, encoraged & boldened with the prosperous succcsse of this first iorney, with a greate armie of the people of Lowdian inuaded Northumberlande, robbyng and spoylyng the coutree and departed homeward, not without greate gain of beastes and cap- tiues. But in the returne he was encoutered with therle of Northumberlandes vicewarden, & other gentilmen of the borders at a toune in Northumberlande called Nesbit, and there the Englishemen sore assailed, and the Scottes valiantly resisted, but after a long fight, the victory fell on the Englishe partc, and as Ihon Mayer the Scot wrireth, there wer slain the flower of all Loughdean, and especially sir Patricke Hebburne with many of his linage. There wer apprehended sir Ihon and Willyam Cockeburne, sir Robert of Bas, Ihon and Thomas Hablincton esquicrs, and a greate nomber of the comon people. The erle Douglas sore beyng greued with the losse of his nacion and frendes, entendyng a requitement if it were possible of the same, by the consente of the gouernour of Scotlande, did gather a houge armie of twentie thousande talle menne and more.

In the whiche armie was Lord Mordake earle of Fife sonne to the gouernour of Scotland, the erle of Angus, and many other erles and barons of the nobilitie of Scotland. These valiaunte capitayns and couragious souldioures entered into Northumberlande with ban- ners displayed like menne either apte or thynkyng theim selfes able to destroy the townes and spoyle the countrey and Marches of Northumberlande. When they were entered into; England thinkyng no puissaunce able to encounter with their force, out of a valey beside a toune called Homeldon issued sodainly the Lorde Henry Percie, whom the Scottes for his haut and valiant corage called sir Henry hotspur, and in his company the Lorde George of Dunbar erle of Marche before banished Scotlande, as you haue heard, with all the genii!! menne of Northumberland, and eight thousande men on horsebacke and on fote. The encounter was sharpe, the fight was daungerous, the long continuaunce was doubtfull, for some were felled and rescued, some in rescuyng other were slaine, other gredy of prave more then of strokes fled to se what baggages were kept emongest the Pages. Thus with pure fightyng of the Englishemen and fainte hertes of the bragging Scottes, the brighte beame of victory shone on sainct Georges crosse, and there were slaine of men of great renoune and estimacion sir Iho Swinton, sir Adam Gordon, sir Ihon Leuiston, sir Alexander Ransey of Dalehowse, and. xxiii. knightes moo, whose names ether for ignorance or for feare of re- proche, Hector Boece the Scottish archecbronocler kepeth in silence and dothe omitte, beside, x. M. comons. But there wer taken prisoners, Mordaeke erle of Fife, Archebald

1 erle

KYNG HENRY THE. IIU.

erle Douglas, whiche in the combat loste one of his eyes, Thomas erle of Murrey, Robert erle of Angus, and as other writers affirme, the erls of Athell und Mentethe with v. C. other.

When the Lord Percy had thus obtained this glorious victory, he sent his prisoners into diuerse fortresses, and determined to subdue or destroy all the countrcis of Lowdene and Marche, whose heades and Gouernours ether he had slain or by force taken captiues. And so with a gret power entered into Tiuedale wastyng any destroiyng the hole countrey, and they beseged the castell of Cokelaues, whereof was capitain sir Ihon Grenlowe, which seyng that his castel was not long able to be defended copouhded with the Englishmen that yf the castel wern ot suckered within, iii. monthes, that then he would deliuer it into the Eng- lishe mennes handes. The capitaine thereof wrote vnto the Gouernour, whiche callyng a great councell, the moste parte aduised hym rather frankely and frely to yeld the castel, than to put in ieopardie and caste in hasard the remnaunt of the florishyng nobihue of the realme. So muche was their courages abated and their fumishe crakes refrigerat with the remembraunce of the last conflicte and batail. But the gouernour rebukyng their tiinerous lieartes, and Feminine audacitie (whether he thought so or no was a questio) sware that if no man wold folowe of the nobilitie he woulde do his deuoire to reskewe the castell at the day. But his othe was nether kept nor broken, for he litell preparyng and lesse entendyng the oth whiche he solemply made neuer set fote forward duryng the first, ii. monethes, for the reising of the seige or reskewe of the castel. But the Englisbe men beyng sent for to go with the kyng into Wales, raised their siege and departed leauyng the noble men prison- ers styll with the earle of Northumberland and the Lord Percie his sonne, which by the kyng were commaunded to kepe them to his vse, and not to deliuer them without his as- sent.

KYNG Henry jkw^atnot,his enterprise into Wales, but made provision for menne, mu- The nicions and artillary me!e~and conuenient for so great a businessc, whereof the Frenche kyng beyng aduertised, sente priuilie Lorde lames of Burbone earle of Marche and his two bre- thren Ihon and Lewes, with xii. C. knightes and esquiers to aide Owen Glendor against the inuasions of kyng Henry, he toke shippyng with. xxx. saile at the mouthe of Seine, and the wynd was not fauourable to his purpose for he coulde neuer approche the coaste of Wales but came before the towne of Plimmouthe in Deuonshire, and there leauyng his great shippes liyng at ancre, in the nyghte toke land and brent, spoiled and destroied diuers small villages, and poore cotages, arid robbed, v. or vi. littel Craiers and fisher botes laden with fysshe and come. But while he and his companie like gredy wolfes were sekyng after their praie, the winde rose highe and a great tempesteous rage and furious storme sodainely flushed and drowned, xii. of his great shippes whiche laie in the mouth of the hauen for his safegard and defence. Whereof when the erle was aduertised, and pcrceuyng by the fi- ryng of the beacons that the people began to assemble in plumpes to encounter with him, and also seyng his power sore diminished as well by the slaughter of suche as ranged abrode in hope of spoyle and praye, as by the furious rage of the vnmercifull see and hydeous tem- pest, with muche paine and great labour toke his shippes againe, and was notwithout ieo- pardie ef his lyfe driuen on the coast of Britaine and landed atsainct Malos. L The French kyng perceiuyng that this chiice had il successe ; appointed one of his Marshals called Me- morancie, and the master of his Crosbowes with. xii. M. men, to saile into Wales, which toke shippyng at Brest and had the winde to them so prosperous that they landed at Milfoid hauen, and leauing the castel of Penbroke vnassaulted, because it was well fortified, man- red, and vitailed, besieged the towne of Harforde West whiche was so well defended by the erle of Arundell and his power that they much more lost then gained."\ And from thence they departed towarde Owen Glendor whome they nominated prince of "Wales, and founde him at the towne of Denbigh abidyng their comyng with ten thousand men. They wer of him louingly receiued, andjgentelly enterteined, and when all thynges were prepared, they passed by Glamorgan shire toward Worcester and there brent the suburbes, but hearyng of

E the

5<S THE SECOND YERE OF

Ihekynges approchyng sodainly returned into Wales. The king with a great puissau nee fo- lowed and founde them embattailed on a highe mountaine, and a gret yaley betwene bothe ,.; ' the armies, so that eche armie plainely perceiued other, and euery hoste loked to be assau-

ed of liis aduersary, and of the groud to take the most aduautage : thus they cotinued eight daies fro mornyng to nyght ready to abide but not to geue battaile. There wer many fcarce skirmishes and many propre feates of armes daily done, whiche the French Croniclers more then the Englishe writers can reporte. For there were slaine the Lorde Patrioles of Tries, brother to the Marshall of France, the Lord Mattelone and the Lord Vale and the bastarde of Burbon, with, v. hundred gentelmen.

The Frenche men and Welshe men were sore trobeled and afflicted with famine, that their hertes were appalled and their corages sore abated, for the kyng had so stopped the passages that nether vitayl nor succour could by any way be conueighed to the. Wherfore of very necessitie they were compelled eyther to fyghte or flee : And so by the aduisement and coun- cell of the Marshall of Fraunce, whiche put not to muche confidence in the waueryng Welshemen, the hole hoste departed theight day at midnight in the most secretes maner that they could deuise. The Frenche men with littel rewardes and no gaine returned into Bri- tayne makyng small boast of their painfull iourney.

THE kyng seyng them departed, folowed the into Wales, and chasing them from hilles to dales, from dales to woddes, from woddes to marishes, and yet could neuer haue them at any aduauntage. A world it was to see his quctidiane remouyng, his painfull and busy wan- deryng, his troblesome and vncertaine abidyng, his continual mocion, his daily peregrina- cion in the desert, felles and craggy mountains of that bareine vnfertile and depopulate countrey. And thus beyng tossed from countrey to countrey, from hill to vale, from nia- rishe to wod, from noughte to worsse, without gaine or profile, withoute vitayle or succour, he was of necessitie copelled to retire his armie and retourne againe to Worcester, in whiche retournyng the Welshemen knowing the passages of the countrey, toke certaine cariagesof his laden with vitayle to his great displeasure, and their great comforte. When he came to Wor- cester perceiuyng winter to approche which season of the yere is not conuenient and proper for men of warre to lie in the feldes, and specially in suche a barraine and hilly countrey as Wales is, dispersed his armie for that time and returned to London. In the meane time while the kyng was thus occupied in Wales, certain malicious and cruel persons enuiyng and malignyng in their heartes that king Henry contrary to the opinion of many, but against the will of rno had so shortely obteigned and possessed the realme and regalitie, biased abrode & noised daily amongest the vulgare people that kyng Richard (whiche was openly senc dead) was yet liuyng and desired aide of the common people to repossesse his realme and roiall dignitie. And to the furtheraunce of this fantasticall inuencion partly inoued with indignacion, partely incensed with furious malencolie, set vpon postes and caste aboute the stretes railyng rimes, malicious meters and tauntyng verses against kyng Henry and his pro- cedynges. lie beyng netteled with these vncurteous ye vnucrtuous prickes & thornes, serched out the authours, and amongest other were found culpable of this offence and crime, sir Roger Claryngdoh, knight, and eight gray Friers whiche according to their me- rites and desertes were strangeled at Tiborne and there put in execution. I may not here t forget to shewe you howe that kyng Henry sekyng nowe aranitie and frendshippe in G.er* manie sent this yere his eldest doughter Blaunche accompanied with the Erie of Sommerset,. the Bishop of Worcester, and the Lord Clifforde, and other noble personages into AL- niaine, whiche brought her to Coleyne, and there with great triumphe she was maried to Willyam Duke of Bauier, sonne and heire to Lewes of Bauier the Emperour, in whiche yere also died Lady Katherine Swinsforct the thyrde wife of Ihon of Gaunt duke of Lan- castre father to this kyng Henry, & was buried at Ltncolne. In the saiue yere kyng Henry maried lane Daches of Britaine late wife to Ihon duke of Britaine at the citie of Win- chester and with triumphal pompe conueighed her thorow the citie of London, to West* miuster, and there she was crowned Quene.

While

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ.

While these thynges were thus doyng in England Waleran Eric of sainct Paulo whiche had inaricd t!ie iialle sinter of Richard, hauyng a malicious lieart and a deadly hatred to kyng Henry, a'ssebled a great number of men of warre to the number of. xvi.. or. xviii. C. whert-of the greatest pane were noble men, and made great prouisio of all thingrs neces- sary for his feate and enterprise. And on sainct Nicholas day entered into his bhippes at Harrlete and landed in .the Isle of Wight, and when he sawe no apperaunce of defence, he burned two poore villages and. iiii. simple cottages, and for great triumphe of this noble acte he made iiii. knightes: but sodainly when he was aduertysed by his espials that th» people of the Isle vver assembled and approched to fight with hym. He with aUmste pos- sible toke his shippes and retourned home againe, wherwith the noble men of his company •were much discontente and displeased, consideryng that his prouision was great and, his gaine small or none. And in the same very season Ihon Erie of Cleremount sonne to the Duke of Burbone, wonne in Gascoigne the castelles of sainct Peter, saincte Marie and the newe castell, and the Lord Delabrethe wonnc the castell of Carlaffin, whiche was no small losse to the Englishc naciori : Duryng which time died Philippe duke of Burgoin, and duke Albert of Bauier Erie of Henault.

H THE THIRDE YERE. '

IN this yere appered a comete or btasyng Starre of a houge quantitie by a long season The.Hi which as the Astronomers affirmed, signified great effusion of mannes blud, which iudge- ycr' ment was not frustrate as you shall perceiueTj Eor Henry erle of Northumberland and Thomas erle of Worcester his brother, arirtms sonne Lord Henry Percy called hotspur, which were to king Henry in the beginnyng of his reigne bothe fautours frendes and aiders, perceiuing nowe that he had pacified all domesticall sedicion and repressed his enemies, and reduced his realm to a conuenient quietnes, began somwhat to enuie the glory of hyrn, and grudged againste his welthe and felicitie. And specially greued, because the kyng de- inaunded of the Earle and his sonne suche Scottishe prisoners as they had taken at the con- flictes fought at Homeldon and Nesbit as you before haue heard. For of all the captiues whiche were there taken, ther was deliuered to the kynges possession onely Mordake earle of Fife sonne to the duke of Albanie Gouernour of Scotland, for the king them diuerse aad sondry times of therle and his sonne required. But the Percies affirmyng them to be their owne propre prisoners and their peculiar praies, and to deliuer theym vtterly denaied, in so muche that the kyng openly saied that if they wolde not deliuer them, he woulde take them without deliuerance. Wherwith they bcyng sore discotent, by the councell of Lord Thomas Percy erle of Worcester, whose study was euer to procure malice, and to set al thynges in broile and vncerteintie, fainyng a cause to proue and temple the kyng, came to him to Wyndsor, requiryng him by raunsome or otherwise to cause to bee deliuered out of prison Edmond Mortimer erle of Marche their cosyn gcrmain whome (as they reported) ,Owen Glendor kept in filthy prison shakeled with yrons, onely for that cause that he toke his parte, and was to hym faithful and trcwe. ^The kyng began not a litell to muse on this request, and not without a cause, for in dode it touched him as nere as his shcrte, as you well may perceiue by the Genealogy rehersed in the beginnyng of this story. For this fed-/ inond was sonne to Earle Roger whiche was sonne to Lady Philip doughter to Lionel! Duke of Clarence, the third sonne to kyng Edward the third, whiche Edmonde at kyng Richardes -going into Ireland, was proclaimed heire apparant to the crounc and realme, whose Aunt called Elinor this Lord Henry Percie had Maried. i And therfore the kyng litell forced al- though that that lignage were clerely subuerted and vtterly extincte.j < J^WHEN the Jymgiiad long digested anijstudiedon this matter, he made aunswere and sayd that the EarleoT Marche was not taken prisoner nt'itllUi1' for his cause nor in his ser- uice, but willyngly suffered him selfe to be taken, because he woulde take no partc against* Owen Glendor and his complices, and therfore he woulde nether raunsome nor releue hym,

E 2 which*

58 THE THIRD YERE OF

whiche fraude the kyng caused openly to be published and diuulged, with whiche aunswere if the parties were angry doubt you not. But with the publyshyng of the cautell, that the Earle of Marche was willyngly taken, they ten times more fumed and raged in so imiche that sir Henry hotspur said openly: Behold the heire of the realme is robbed of his righte, and yet the robber, with his owne, vvyl not redeme hym. So in this fury the Percies depart- ed, nothyng more mindyng then to depose kyng Henry from the high tipe of his regalitie, and to deliuer and set in his trone their cosyn frende & confederate Edmonde Earle of Marche, whome they not onely deliuered oute of the captiuitie of Owen Glendor, but also entered into a leage and amitie with the said Owen against king Henry and all his frendes and fautours, to the great displeasure and long vnquieting of kyng Henry and his partakers. Here I passe ouer to declare howe a certayne writer writeth that this earle of Marche, the Lorde Percy and Owen Glendor wer vnwisely made belieue by a Welch Prophecier, that king Henry was the Moldwarpe, cursed of Goddes owne mouth, and that they thre were the Dragon, the Lion and the WolfFe, whiche shoulde deuide this realme bebvene them, by •/ the deuiacion and not deuinatio of that mawmet Merlin. ^ I wyll not reberse bowe they by their deputies injhehowse of the Archdeacon of Bangor, seduced witii that falce.faiucd Proph£aie-.xkjLikled the realme amongest thef nojQ^~wTtteriioWB by U. ffipartie encteoture sealed with their scales., all En.gl.an.tle from Seuerne and Trent South and Eastward, was ^assigne'd to the^ejJe^pJt^J^rj^^JliuEjiow all WaleV^i^QKeTanc[e£|bey^Kr^Tie*rne "West- ward, were appoincted to Owen Glendor, ancTairthe remnaunt from Trente'Nortlnvardo to"tl!i£JUl!tltLil<j|f6itr.' /But j wilr JecTare" to you that^whTcne' waS*B8n5?8pBe3led, that is the confusion destruccion and perdicion of these persones, not onely geuyng credite to suche a vain fable, but also settyng it forwarde and hopyng to attaine to the effecte of the same whiche was especiall of the lorde Percie and Owen Glendor. For the erle of Marche was euver kepte in the courte vnder suche a keper that he could nether doo or attempte any thyng againste the kyng without his knowledge, and died without issue, leuyng his righte title and interest to Anne his sister and heire, maried to Rycharde erle of Cambrige father to the duke of Yorke, whose ofspryng in continuaunce of tyme, obteigned the game and gat the garland. O ye waueryng Welshmen, call you these prophesies? nay call theim vnprofitable practises. Name you them diuinacions? nay name them diabolicall deuises, say you they be prognosticacions? nay they be pestiferous publishinges. For by declaryng & credite geuing to their subtil & obscure meanynges, princes haue been deceiued, many a noble nianne hath suffred, and many an honest man hath been begyled & des- troyed.

KYNG Henry knowyng of this newe confederacy, and nothyng lesse myndyng then that happened after, gathered agreatearmye too goo agayne into Wales: whereof the Erie of Northumberlande and his sonne wer aduertised, by lorde Thomas erle of Wocester, and with all diligence raysed all the power that they could make and sent to the Scottes whiche before wer taken prisoners at Hamaldon for aide" and men, promisyng the erle Douglas the tonne of Barwicke and a parte of Northumberlande: and to other Scotishe lordes greate lordshippes and segniories, if they obteigned the vpper hande and superioritee. The Scot- tes allured with desire of gain, and for no malice that they bare to kyng Henry, but some-- what desirous to be reuenged of their olde greues, came to the erle with greate compaignie, and to make their cause seme good and iuste, they deuised certain articles by the aduise of Richard Scrope Archebishop of Yorke, brother to the lorde Scrope, whom kyng Henrv caused to bee beheded at Bristow as you haue heard before. Whiche articles thei shewed to diuerse noble men and prelates of the realme, whiche fauouryng and concentyng to their purpose, not onely promised them aide and succor by wordes, but by their writyng and scales confirmed the same. Howbeit, whether it wer for feare, ether for that thei would be lokers on and no dede doers, nether promise by worde or by writyng was performed; For all y confederates them, abadoned, & at the daie of the conflict left alone the erle of Stafford

only 1

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ. 29

only excepte, which beyng of a haute corage and hye storaacke, kept his promise & Joined with the Fercies to his destructi5.

THE lorde Percy with therle Douglas and other erles of Scotlad with a greate armie, de- parted out of the Northparties, leuyng his father sicke (whiche promised vpon his amend- ment & recouery without delay to folowe) and catue to Stafford where his vncle therle of Worcester and he met, and there began to consult vpon their great affaires and high at- tempted enterprice, there they exhorted their souldiers and compaignions to refuse no pain for the auauncemente of the common wealth, nor to spare no trauell for the libertie of their countree : protestyng openly that they made warre onely (to restore the noble realme of ^England to his accustomed glory and fredo, which was gouerned by a tirant and not by his / law-full and right kyng. The capitaines s\vare and the souldiers promised to fight, ye & to* dye for the libertie of their countree. When all thynges was prepared, they set forwarde to- warde Wales, lokyng euery houre for new aide and succors, noysyng abrode that they came to aide the kyng against Owen Glendor. The kyng heryng of the erles approachyng, thought it policie to encounter with the before that the Welshme should ioyne with their armie, and so include hym on both partes, and therefore returned sodainly to the toune of Shrewesbury. He was skantely entered into the toune, but he was by his postes aduertised that the erles with baners displaied and battailes ranged, wer comyng towarde hym, and were so hole and so coragious, that they with light horses began to skirmishe with his hoste. The kyng'perceiuyng their dooynges, issued out and encamped hymself without the Estgate of the toune. Therles nothing abashed although their succors theim deceiued, embattailed themselfes not farr from the kynges armie. And the same night thei set the articles whereof I spake before, by Thomas Kaiton and Thomas Saluaine esquiers to kyng Henry, signed with their handes and sealed with their scales, whiche articles (because no Chronicler saue one, maketh rnecion what was the very cause and occasion of this great bloudy battaile, in the whiche on bothe partes wer aboue fourty thousande men assembled) I \vorde for wordeaccorolinff to my copie do here rchcrce.

WE Henry! Percy erle of Northumberland, high Constable of England, and Warden of the West Marches of England toward Scotlande, Henry Percy our eldest sonne Wardein of the Easte Marches of Englandc toward Scotlande, and Thomas Percy erle of* Worcester beyng proctours and protectours of the comon wealth, before our Lorde Jesu Christe our supreme iudge doo allege, saie and entende to prone with our handes personally this instante daie, against the Henry duke of Lancastre, thy complices and fauorers, vniustly presuming and named kyng of Englande without title of right, but onely ofthy guyle and by force of thy fautors : that when thoufjifter thyne exile diddest entre Engfaude, thou< madest an_olhe_to_ vs vpon the holy Gospelles bodely touched and kissed by thee at Dan- castre that thou wouldest neuer claime the croune, kyngdom or state royall but onlv thyne owne propre inheritance, and the inheritance of thy wife in EnglandeJ and that Richard our soueraigne lord the kyng and thyne, should raigne during the terme of his life, gouerned by the good counsail of the lordes spirituall and temporal!. Thou hast imprisoned the same thy soueraigne lorde and our kyng within the toure of London, vntil he had for feare of death, resigned his kyngdomes of Englande and France, and had renounced all his right in the forsaid kyngdomes, and others his dominions and landes of beyonde the sea. Vnder coulor of whiche resignacion and renunciacion by the counsaile ofthy frendes and complices, and by the open noysyng of the rascall people by thee and thy adherentes assembled at West- minster, thou hast crouned thy self kyng of the realmes aforsaid, and hast seazed and enter- ed into all the castles and lordshippes perteignyng to the kynges croune, contrary to thyne othe. Wherfore thou art forsworne and false.

ALSO we do alledge, saie and entend to proue, that wher thou sworest vpo the same Gospelles in the same place and tyme to vs, that thou wouldest not suffre any dismes to be leuied of the Clergie, nor fiftenes on the people, nor any other tallagies and taxes to be leuied in the realme of Englande to the behoffe of the realme duryng thy life, but by the

consideracion

SO THE THIRD YERE OF

consideration of^the thre estates of (.119 realme, except for great nede in causes of impor- tance or for the resistance oc our enemies, onely and none otherwise. Thou contrary to thyne othe so made, hast done to bee leuied right many dismes and fif'tenes. and other im- posicios and tallagies, aswel of the Clergie as of the comonaltee of the real ne of Engiande, & of the Marchauntes, for feare of thy magestie royall. Wherfore thou art periured and false.

"^ALSO we do allege, saie & entede to proue, that were thou sworest to vs vpon the same Gospelles in theforsaied place and tyme, that our soueraignelorde and thyne, kyng Richarde, should reigne duryng the terme of his life in his royall prerogatiue and dignitee : thou hast caused the same our soueraigne lorde and thine, traitorously within the castell of Poumfret, without the cosent or lodgement of the lordes of the realme, by the space of fiftene daies and- so many r.ightes (whiche is horible etnong Christian people to be heard) with honger, thirst and colde to perishe, to be murdered. Wherefore thou art periured and false.

ALSO we do alledge, saie & entend to proue, that thou at that tyme when our soue- raigne lorde and thyne, kyng Richarde, was so by that horrible murder ded as aboue saied, thou by extorte power, diddest vsurpe and take the kyngdome of Engiande, and the name and the honor of the kyngdome of Fraunce, 'vniustly and wrongfully, contrary to thyne othe, from Edmonde Mortimer Earle of Marche and of Ulster, then next and direct heire of England and of Fraunce iniediatly by due course of inheritaunce after the deceasse of of theforsaied Richard. Wherfore thou art periured and false.

ALSO we do alledge, saie & entend to proue as aforsaid, that where thou madest an othe in the same place and tyme, to supporte and maintein the lawes and good customes of the vealme of Engiande, and also afterward at the tyme of thy coronacion thou madest an othe, thesaied lawes and good customes to kepe and conserue inuiolate. Thou fraudulently and contrary to the lawe of Engiande and thy fautors, haue written almoste through euery shire in England to chose such knightes for to hold a parliament as shalbe for thy pleasure and purpese, so that in thy parliamentes no Justice should be ministered against thy mynde ir» these our complaintes now moued and shewed by vs, vvherby at any tyme we might haue any perfight redresse, notwithstanding that wee according to our conscience (as we truste ruled by God) haue often tymes therof complained, as well can testifie and bere witnes the right reuerend fathers in God Thomas Arundell archbishop of Canterbury, and Richarde Scrope, archebishop of Yorke. Wherfore nowe by force and strength of hande before our Lorde Jesu Christ we must aske our remedy and helpe.

-A ALSO we do alledge, saie and intende to proue, that where Edmod Mortimer erle of Marche and Ulster, was taken prisoner by Owen Glendor in a pitched and foughten feld, and cast into prisone and lade with yron fetters, for thy matter and cause, whom falsely thou hast proclaymed willyngly to yelde hymself prisoner to thesaied Owen Glendor, and nether wouldest dcliuer hym thy self, nor yet suffre vs his kinsmen to raunsome and deliuer hym: Yet notwithstanding, we haue not onely concluded and agreed with thesame Owen for his raunsome atourpropre charges and expences, but also for a peace betwene thee and the said Owen. iWhy hast thou then not onely published and declared vs as traytors, but also craftely and deceitfully imagened, purposed and conspired the vtter destruction and confu- sion of our persones. For the whiche cause we defy thee, thyj^iutoures and complices as co- men traytoures and destroyers of the realme, and the inuadours, oppressoures and confound- crs of theverie true and righte heires to the croune of Engiande, whiche thyng we entend with our hades to proue this daie, almightie God helpyng vs.

WHEN kyng Henry had ouerseen jheir_aEtide*4uid defiance*, he answered the esquiers that he was redy with dent of swerde and fierce battaill to proue their quarell false'Jmd fayned, and not with writyng nor slanderous wordes, and so in his righteous cause anertust quarell he doubted not but God would bothe aide and assiste hym, against vntrue persones and false forsworne traytours: with whiche answere the messengers departed. The next daie ,in ihe mornyng early, whiche was the vigile of Mary Magdalene, the kyng perceiuyng

that

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ. 51

magfle battaill was nerer than he ether thoughte or loked for, leste that long tariyng might imagninishyng of his strength, set his battailles in good ordre : likewise did his enemies, conne bothe in puissance and courage were nothyng to hym inferiour. Then sodainly the -_ hisjpettes blew, the kynges parte cried sainct George vpon them: The aduersaries cried -llsperaunce Percie, and so furiously the armies ioyned. The Scottes whiche had the for- ward on the lordes side, entendyng to bee reuenged of their old displeasures done to them by the Englishe nacion, set so h'ersely on the kynges forward, that they made them drawe backe, and had almost broken their arraie. The Welshemen also vvhiche sithe the kynges departure out of Wales, had lurked and lien in woodes mountaignes and marishes, heryng of this battaill towarde, came to the aide of the erles, and refreshed the wery people with new succurs. When a fearful messenger had declared to the kyng, that his people were beaten doune on euery side, it was no nede to bid hym stirre, for sodainly he approched with his freshe battaill, and comforted, hertened and encouraged his part so, that they toke their hertes to theini, and manly fought with their enemies. The prince Henry that daie holpe muche his father, for although he wer sore wouded in the face with an arow, yet he neuer ceased ether to fight where the battail was moste strongest, or to courage bis'— , men where their hertes was moste danted. This greate battail cotinued thre Ip»g4ioures with indifferet fortune on bothe partes. That at the last the kyng criyng sainct George, victory,~brake the arraie and entered into the battaill of his enemies and fought fiersely, and auentered so far into the battaill, that the erle Douglas strake hym doune and slewe si? Water Blonte, and three other appareled in the kynges suite and clathyng saiyng: I mar- uaill to see so many kynges so sodainly arise again, the kyng wa& reised and did that daie many a noble feate of armes. For as the Scottes write and Frenche men affirme, all though that Englishemen kepe silence, that he hymself slewe with his handes that daie xxxvj. persones of his enemies, the qther of his parte encoraged by his doynges, fought valiantly and slew the lorde Percie called sir Henry hotspurre, the best capitain on the- parte aduerse. When his death was knowen, the Scottes fled, the Welshemen ran, the traitors wer ouercome, then nether wooddes letted, nor hilles stopped the fearfull hertes of theim that were vanquished to flie, and in that flighte therle Douglas, whiche for hast fall- yng from the cragge of amountagnie brake one of his genitals and was taken, and for his valiantnes of the kyng frely & frankely delhier-ed. There was taken also sir Thomas Percie erle of Worcester & diuerse other, oa the kyages parte wer slain sir Walter Blount and. xvi. C. other persones, but on the parte of the rebelles were slain the erle of Stafford, Che lorde Percie and aboue fi.ue thousand other, and as for the Scottes few or none escaped aline. AIlTJlltabi^glariou3.yie^^^ kyng_ obte.igoed,-.b.fi ... Knde.rjjdJta.almigluje^ God his*

and hertie^-tliaftkesr-wuicaused tfieiie-flf .Worcester the innrg wa g\ffer_Mfl ry

ieine. at Shreweflbory-to-be-draweifttaBgeil aj^t^uartgred, anijjiisjied to be se n t_to_ Lo ndon, at whicbe.,place oiany joao cajjitaines fiSL-fiiiSiSdD After this greate battaill, he like a triumphante conqueror returned with greate pompe to London, where he was by the se- nate and magestrates solemply receiued, not a little reioysyng of his good fortune and for- tunate victorye. But before his departure from Shrewesbury, he not forgettyng his enter- prise against Owen Glendor, sent into Wales with a great army prince Henry his eldest sonne against thesaid Owen and his seclicious fautors, whiche beyng dismaied and in maner desperate of all comfort by the reason of the kynges late victory, fled in desert places and so- litary caues, where he receiued afinall reward mete and prepared by Goddes prouidence for- suche a rebell and sedicious seducer. 'For beyng destitute of all cornforte, clreadyng to shewe his face to any creature, lackyng meate to sustain nature, for pure hunger and lacke of fode miserably ended his wretched life.' This ende was prouided for suche as gaue cre- dence to false prophesies. This ende had they that by diabolical deuinacions were promised' great possessions and seigniories. This ende bappeneth to suche as beleuyng such fantasticall iblies, aspire and gape for honor and high promocions. WThen the prince with litle labor and lesse losse, bad tamed & bridtled the furious rage of the wild and sauage Welshemen,, •

and!

32 THE. IIIJ. YERE OF

atid lefte gouernors to rule and gouerne the countree, he returned to

honor & no small praise. The erle of Northumberland heryng of the

brothf-r andsonne, came of his owne free will to the kyng, excusyng hym..

party nor knowyng of their doyng nor enterprice : the kyng nether accused h»

excused, butdissimuled the matter for. ii. causes, one was he had Berwicke in his possession,

which the kyng rather desired to haue by polici then by force: the other was that therle

had his castellesof Alnewicke, Warkeworth and other fortified with Scottes, so that if therle

wer appreheded, all Northumberland wer in ieopardy to become Scottish. For jjiese causes

t kyng gaue hymjaire worries & let hym fflenart homq. whe^ he yontinaed inpeace a .while.

T>ut after he r^be}ied-aaj»a*i^iiMU^«<NMi»p^»4bajeflael£^f Lthis story. \'

f THE FOURTH YERE.

The. iiii. This yere \Valeram erle of sent Pole, considryng that he had defied kyng Henry, and yere- also that he had made diuerse voyages, and done litle damage to the English nacion, and susteigned rnuche losse, continuyng in his olde malice against the kyng of England, by the assent of the Frenche kyng assembled a great numbre of men of warre, as. v. C. men of armes. v. C. Genewaies with Crosebowes, and a. M. Flemynges on fote, and laied siege to the Castell of Marke thre leages fro Caleis, within the territory of the kyng of Englande, the. xvi. daie of July, wherof was capitain Philip Halle esquier, with. Ixxx. archers and. xxiiii. other souldiers. Therle raised against the Castle diuerse engines but they preuailed not, for they within shot so fersly, and cast out stones so incessantly, and toke suche pain'e that to the hearers it is almoste incredible. The erle perceiuing that his feate had suche successe as he loked for, retired with his men lodged in the toune, fortifiyng thesame for fere of rescous that might issue from Caleis, the next day he gaue a sore assaute again, and with great force entered the vtter court of the castle, and toke therein a great number of hsrse kyen and catell, at the whiche assaut sir Roberte Barenguile cosin to therle was slain. The same daie a. C. Archers on horseback comyng out of Caleis, sawe and percci- ued the dooynges & demeanure of therle and his compaignie, and toward night theysentan Heraulte certefiyng him that they would dine with him the next daie : to whom he proudly answered, that he would gladly receiue them, and their dinnar should at their comyng be ready prepared. The nexte daie ensuyng issued out of Caleis. CC. rnen of armes. CC. ar- chers. CCC. me on fote with. x. or. xii. CharioUes laden with vitail and artillery, conducted by sir Richard Astone knight, leuetenant of the Englishe pale for the erle of Somerset ca- pitain generall of those marches: whiche in good ordre of battaill marched toward their enemies, which before by their espials wer aduertised of their comyng, but that notwith- standyng they issued not out of their lodginges to encounter with them, but kept them self within their closure. f^The Englishmen shot so sharply and so closly together, that the Fle- mynges and fotemen oegan to flie, the men of arrnes feryng the slaughter of their horses ran awaie with a light gallop the Genowais whiche had spent the most part of their shot at thassaut made litle defence and small resistence and so all were slain and put to flight. The hasty & rashe erle of sent Paul & diuerse other without any stroke geuen to their enemies fled to sent Omers, and there wer taken of the best of the armie, as the Frenche and Duche Chronicle reporteth thre or foure score persones, emongest whom the capitain of Bullayne was one, and many lordes and knightes slain. \ After that the Englishmen had taken all the cartes munitions & vitailes that their enemies had brought thither, they returned to Caleis in great triumphe, and within fiue daies after there issued out of the Englishe pale, about the numbre of. v. C. men towarde Arde by night tyme, thynkyng to haue found the toune vn- prouided, but sir Mansard de Boys and the lord Kygnie defended it and let the Englishe- men of their purpose, and so with losse of fourty men they returned to Caleis : whiche dedde persones wer brent in an old hous, because their enimies should be ignorate of the da-

mage

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ. 33

mage that the Englishemen had by them sustained. Therle of sent Paule beyng at Terwin, imaginyng how to recouer somewhat of his losse but more of his honor, sente for a greate compaignie of noble men and valiant personages, and cocluded to inuade the Marches of his enemies. But the Frenche kyng consideryng the erles euil fortune and vnfoi tunate chance, comauded hym to leue of his enterprise, with whiche he was sore displeased. Yet to auoyd perelles, the Frenche kyng laid in garrison at Bullein and other places, the Mar- ques of Pownt sonne to the duke of Barr, and therle of Dampnay, and sir Ihon IJarpadane a knight of greate renoune and high estimacion. The kyng of England circuspectly for- seyng thynges to come, and imagenyng that the Frenchemen attempted some newe enter- price, against hym or his dominions beyonde the sea, sent. iiii. M. men to Caleis and to the sea, whereof, iii. M. landed at Sluce, whiche besieged a castle standyng at the mouthe of the hauen, and made diuerse assautes and lost diuerse of their compaignie, but newes were brought to theirn, that the duke of Burgoyne had required licence of the Frenche kyng to besiege the toune of Caleis, for whiche cause thei raised their siege, and returned to the defence of that fortresse and desired praie of the Frenche nacion.

U THE FIFTHE YERE.

ABOUTE this season Loys Duke of Orliaunce brother to the Frenche Kyng, a man of The. v. no lesse pryde then haute courage, wrote letters to Kyng Henry aduertisyng hym, that he >er for the perfighte loue whiche he bare to the noble feates of chiualrie and rnarciall actes, in auoidyng the slowe worme and deadely Dormouse called Idlenes, the ruiue of realmes and confounder of nobilitie, and for the obteignyng of laude and renoune by deades of armes and manly enterprises, coulde imagine or inuent nothyng either more honorable or laudable to them both, then to mete in the feld eche parte with an hundred Knightes and Ksquiers, all beyng Gentlemen bothe of name and armes armed at all pointes and furnished with speares, axes, swerdes and daggers, and there to fighte and combate to the yeldyng, and euery person to whom God shal send victory to hnue his prisoner, and him to raunsome at his pleasure, offeryng hyin sclfe with his company to come to his citie of Angulesme, so that the kyng of England wolde come to the laundes of Burdeaux and there defend this cha- lenge. .The L kyng of England whiche was as graue and wittie as the duke was light and cou- ragious, wrote to hym againe that he net a litell mused hut muche more rneruailed that the duke beyng sworne as well to him as to kyng Richard to mainteyne the peace betweene his brother the Frenche kyng and theym concluded, and to that had set his signe and great scale, wolrie nowe for vainglory vnder colour of doyng dedes of Armes not onely violate the peace and breake the amitie betwene them before concluded, but also gene an occasion of displeasure and ingratitude, by the whiche in conclusion might rise mortall war and deadely enernitie, affirmyng farther that no kyng anointed of very dutie was ether bound or obliged to answere any chalenge but to his pere of egall estate and equiuolent dignitie, and that~no Christian prince ether ought or shoulde consent to warre or effusion of christen bind but ( onely for the defence of his realme, or for conquest of his right, or for amplifiyng of Christes faithe and chrhtian religion, and not for pride, worldly fame and vainglory, declaryng also '• that when opportunity of time and conuenient leisure serueo\_jie would transfret and passe the sea himselfe with suche company as he thought most conuenient into his countrey of Gascoigne, at whiche time the Dukemyght set forward with his band for the attainyng of Honour nnd accomplishing of his couragious desire and haute enterprise, promising in the worde of a prince not thence to depart till the duke either by fulfillyng his owne desire, or , by singuler combate betwene them two, onely for auoidyng the effusion of Christen bloud, shoulde thinke himself satisfied and fully answered. [Howbeit, at that time he beyng enbu- sied with weightie affaires & vrgent causes concernyng the publike welthof his realme could neither apoint time nor place, protestyug that the, deferryng of time was nether for disdaine

F nor

34 THE. VI.' YF.RE OF

. nor yet for cowardnes, hut only to abate the pride of him whiche knowyng not himself, nor fering reproche, regarded not his othe writyrig nor scale. To this answere the duke of Or- leaunce replied and kyng Henry reioyned, which doynges what for the vnprincely launtes and vncharitablc checkes in them coteigned, and what for rehersyng againe thinges to you -here before declared I omitte and put in obliuion. The duke of Orleaunce not content with the king of England, assembled an armie of. vi. M. men and entered into Guien and besieged the town of Vergy, wherof was Capitaine sir Robart Antelfelde a valiant knight and an hardy captain, hauyng with him onely thre hundred Englishmen. The duke almostc euery day assaulted the towne fiersely, but th«y within the towne couragiously defended the same : In so much that when he had lien there thre monethes & had lost many of his men and nothyng gotten, without honour or spoile returned into Fraunce. After this the Ad- miral of Britayne whiche beyng highly elated and'muche encouraged because the laste yere he had taken certaine Englishe shippes laden with wine accompanied with the Lord CastyH a valiant baron of Britaine, and xii. C. men of armes, & xxx. shippes, sailed from sainct Malovyes and came before the towne of Darthtnouthe and woulde liaue landed, but by the puissaunce of the townsmen and aide of the countrey, they were repulsed and put backe in whiche conflicte the Lorde of Castell with his two brethren with foure hundrcdc other were slain, and aboue two hundred prisoners taken and raunsomed, wherof the Lord of Baque- uile high Marshall of Britaine was one, whiche was brought to the kyns and after redemed. The Admiral sory of this intbrtunate enterprise with muche Josse and no gain returned hastely into his countrey. Kyng Henry being aduertised of this attempt, sent the Lord Thomas his sonne whiche after was duke of Clarence to the sea with a gret nauie of shippes to the entent eyther with battaill or depopulacion of the sea coastes bothe of Britaine and' of Fraunce to reuenge this iniurie and inuasion he sailyng by the seacostes landed diuers times •and fiered shippes & brent townes and destroied people without fauoure or mercie, and when he thoughtehis quarell well reuenged lie sailed toward England, and in hisretournynghecncountred with two great Carickes of leane laden with riche marchandise and substantial stuf betwene whom was a greate confh'cte and a blouddy battell, but after long fightyng, the Englishemen preuailed and brought bothe the Carickes into Camber before Rye, where one of them by mis- auenture of fier perished to the losse and no gaine of bothe the parties. About this time Ilion- duke of Burgoin whiche had long laboured and now obteined licence to besiege the towne of Caleis, preparyng enginnes, ladders, cartes, and all other instrumentes necessary and conuenient for so great a feate and notorious siege, and assembled at S. Omers vi. M. men of armes, xv. C. Crosbowes, beside, xii. M. fotemen, hauyng vitail Bumbarde.s and other municions of warre sufficient ami conuenient for his abrode blowen enterprise. But when all thynges wer prepared and the hole army assembled lie was by the French kyng and his councell (whiche put diffidence in the exploite of his glorious busines) counterrnaunded £ prohibited farther to precede in that weightie purpose : for the which cause he conceiued so great an hatred and deadely malice against the Duke of Orleaunce (as the onely stop and let of his glory and renoume) that he euer after not only maligned and grudged against him and his procedynges, but also (as you shall shortly heafe) brought him to death and finall destruction. i

•f THE SIXT YERE.

•rhc.vi. I'N tnis yere tfie Earle of Northumberland whiche bare still a venemouS scorpion in his ?<*<>• cankered heart, and coulde not desist to inuent and deuise waies and meanes howe to be re- uenged of kyng Henry and his fautours, began secretely to communicate his interior imagi- nacions and priuie thoughtes with Richard Scrope Archebishop of Yorke brother to Willia. lord Scrop treasorer of England whom- kyng Henry (as you haue hearde) beheaded at the iowne of Bristow, and with Thomas- Mowbrey erle Marshal sonne to Thomas duke of Norffolke, for kyng Henries cause before banished the realme of England, and with the

lordes

KYNG HENRY THE, IIIJ. 35

lordes, Hastynges, FauconbBidge, Bardolfe and cliuerse other. whiche he knewe to beare deadely liate and inward grudge toward the kyng. After long consultation had, it was fil nally concluded and determined amongest theyiu that all they, their frendcs and alies witli all their power shoulde mete at Yorkcs wold at a day appointed and that therle of Northum- berlad should be chefetaine and supreme gouernour of the armie, which promised to bryng with him a great nomber of Scottes.

THIS sedicious conspiracy was not so secretely kept nor so closely cloked but that the kyng thereof had knowledge, and was fully aduertised. Wherefore to preuent the time of their assembly, he with suche power as he could sodainly gather together with all diligece marched toward the North parties and vsed such a celeritie in his iourney that he was thither come with all his hosteand power before the confederates hearde any inkelyng of his march- yng forward, and sodainly there wer apprehended the Archebishop, the earle Marshal, sir- Ihon Lampley, and sir llobart Plumpton. These personnes wer arrained, atteinted and adiudged to die, and so on the Monday in Whitson weke all they withoute the Citie of Yorke were beheadded. Here of nccessitie I oughte not nor will not forgeate howe some^f folishe and fantastical! personnes haue written, howe erronius Ipocrites and sedicious Asses haue endited, howe supersticious Friers and malicious Monkes haue declared and diuulged both contrary to Goddes doctrine the honour of their prince and comrnen knowen veritie that r , at the howre of the executio of this Bishop (which of the Executioner desired to haue fiue • strokes in remembraunce of the fiue woundes of Christ) the kyng at the same time sittyng at diner had v. strokes in his necke by a person inuisible, & was incontinently strike with a leprey, whiche is a manifest lye as you shall after plainely perceiue. What shall a man say of suche writers whiche toke upon them to knowe the secretes of Goddes Judgement? what shall men thinke of such beastly persons whiche regardyng not their bounden .du.tie, and obeisance to their prince & souerain Lord enuied the punishment of trailers and torment of offeders ? But what shall all men coniecture of suche whiche fauouryng their own worldly dignitie, their own priuate auctoritie, their own peculiar profit, wil thus iuggle raile and imagine fantasies against their soueraigne lord and Prince, and put theim in memorye as a miracle to his dishonor and perpetual infamy: Wei let wise men iudge what I haue said. Beside these persons, diuers other of thesaid conspiracie and faccio, the lorde Hastinges, the lord Fauconbridge, sir Ihon Coluile of the dale, sir Ihon. Griffith were beheaded at Durham. Therle of Northumberland hearyng his councelto be reueled and his confederates to be put to execution and shameful death, fled into Scotland to his old frend George of Dunbarre earle of the Marche, which the yere before was reuoked out of exile and restored to his possessions name and dignitie, where he taried till the next Somer & then sailed into France and after into Flaunders desyryng aide and assistence againste kyng Henry, but when he sawe littel hope of comfort and that fevve willyngly were ententife to his request, he accompanied with the Lorde Bardolffe muchc dismaied and more desperate returned again to his trew frendes into Scotlande and there made his abode the hole yere abydynf the fauour of Fortune and chaungc of his vnfortunate chaunce duryng whiche tyme the kyng withoute any difncultie toke into his possession the towne of Barwicke, the castelles of Alnewyke and all other Fortresses appertainyng to the Earle : and liyng at Berwycke he caused to be put to death the Barons sonne of Greystocke, sir Henry Beynton, and Ihon Blenkensoppe and fiue other as fautoures and workers of this newe inuented conspiracy. When the kyng had thus appeased and asswaged that late begonne commotion, he sent his son the prince of Wales accompanied with Edward duke of Yorke and a great puissance, to encounter with the Scottes which by promise wer bound to ayde and assiste the confede- rates and rebelles. But thei hearyng that the founders of the warre were apprehended and put to deathe, made no haste forward but taried peacibly at home. So that the prince entryng into Scotland and findyng no resistence, brent tounes spoyled villages and wasted the countrey euery where as he passed, which thyng so muche,amased the kyng of Scottes and his councel, that notwithstandyng that he had gathered and appoincted a greate hoste vn-

F 2 dcr

36 THE VII. YERE OF

der the conducte of the Erles of Douglas and Bowgham to resist the prince and his inuasions, yet they sente Ambassadors to hym requiryng hym of peace and finall concord, whiche requeste he vtterly denaied, but at their humble peticion he graunted them a truce for certaine monethes, of the whiche they were botheglad and ioyous, and so the prince laden with pray and spoile retourned with great gain to his father. While the prince thus infected the countrey of Scot- lad on the land, sir Robart Vmfreuile vice Admiral! of England vexed the coutreys of Fyffe and Loghdian on the sea coast, for he liyng in the Scottishe sea. xiiii. daies and etiery daie landed on the one side or the other and toke praies spoyles and prisoners matigre the gret powers of the duke of Albanie and the Erie Douglas, insomuche that he brent and toke the town of Peples on their faire day and caused his men to mete Clothe with their bowes : and with great gain retournyng to his shippes brent the Galiet of Scotland with many other ves- sels, and sente Clothe vitail and diuers Marchandises to euery towne in Northumberland, seltyng thereon no great price: Wherefore the Scottes called hyrn liobyn niendmarket. The kyng about this time was newely vnquieted and perturbed, for notwithstandyng this fortunate successe that he had obteigned in all his outward warres and interiour affayres, yet some of his people bare suche a cankered hearte to warde hym that to expell hym from hi» rule and dignitie they left no occasion vnsought nor deuise vnattempted. For sodainty sprage out a fame of an vncertain auctour that king Richard was yet liuing in Scotland, to whiche fable suche credite was geuen that if prudente policie had not forsene the sequele, it had kendeled a greatter flame then within short space might haue well bene quenched or cxtincte.

IT THE SEUENTH YERE.

Th«.vii, IN this sommer, the Pestilenciall plage so infected the Citie of London and the countrei ycre. rofid about that the king durst not repaire thither nor yet nere to the confines of the same, wherfore he departyng from the castel of Ledes, determined to take ship at Quinboroughe in the Isle of Shepey, and to sail ouer to Lye in Essex and so to Plasshey, there to passe his time till the plage were seased: and because certain pyrates of Fraunce were lurkyng at the Temmes mouthe waityng for their pray, Thomas Lord Camois with certaine shippes of warre was appointed to wafte ouer the king. When the kyng was on the sea, in the middest of his iourney, whether the wind turned, or that the Lord Camois kept not a directe course^ or that his shippe was but a slugge. The Frenchemen whiche by all similitude had knowledge of the kvngcs passage entered amongest the kynges nauie and tokefowre vcsselles nexte to the kynges shippe and in one of the sir Thomas Rampston knight the kiuges vice chamberlain with all his chamber sturFeand apparel, and folowed the kyng so nere that if his shippe had. nat bene swift he had landed sooner in Fn;ce then in Essex, but by Goddes prouision and fortunate chauuce he escaped the daunger and arriued at his appointed porte. The kyng beyng sore moued with the lord Camois, caused him to be attached and endited that he con- discended and agreed with the Frenchemen that the kyng in his iourney should be intercepted and taken. On this poinct he was arraigned the last dajjatVQctober before Edmond erle of Kent that day high stuard of the realnie, on which day were he giltie or giltless, fautie or clore, culpable or innocent of that fact and doyng, he was by his peres found not giltie and dismissed at the barre, hauyng restitucion bothe of his landes goodes and offices. In this yere kyng Henry not onely desiryng newe affinitie with forein princes but also the preferment of his line and progeny, sent the Lady Phylip his yonger doughter to Ericke kyng of Den- marke, Norwey and Swethen which was conueighed thither with great pompeand therewith muche triumphc maricd to the said kyng, where she tasted bothe welthe, and wo, ioye & pain. About this season died sir Robert Knolles knight a man of great policie, wisclome and experience in war which had bene a Capitayn from the time of Kyng Edward the. iii. till his latter dayes, iu the whiche he beyng Gouernour of Aquitayne encombred with age resigned

1 his

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ. 37

his office to sir Thomas Belfford a valiaunt capytaine and returned to London, where he disseased and was honorably buried in the Churche of the White Fryers.

f THE EYGHT YERE.

YOU haue heard before how kyng Robert of Scotlande being very aged and impotent, was The. via.. notable to rule and gouerne his realme, and how Walter his brother, beyingby hym created dukeyer< of Albanie, (whiche was the firste duke that euer was in Scotlande) was made gouernor of his brothers countree and dominion. After whiche office and preheminece by hym obteigned, he so sore thirsted after the croune and scepter royal that he cared litle though the kyng his brother and his two sones had been at Christes fote in heuen. And somwhat to further his purpose, it vnfortunatly chaused that Dauy of Rothesay prince of the realme and eldest sonne to the kyng, was accused to his father of diuerse heynous crimes, and in especiall of lasciuious & dissolute liuyng, as rauishyng of wiues, deflouryng of virgins, and defyling of maidens, •w her fore the kyng deliuered hym to his brother the gouernor, trustyng that by his good coiMsaill and discrete aduertisemente he would not onely amend his life, but also to fall to wisedom prudence and grauitie. Whe the duke had possessed part of his desired pray, he sent his nephewe fro castle to castle, from prisone to prisone, from place to place, and in conclusion lodged him in a toure within the castle of Franckelande, where with fa- inyne he caused miserably to ende his life, puttyng a poore woman to painfull death, whiche gaue to the Prince the milke of her brestes by a rede into the prisone. His death was long, hidden from the king his lather, but in conclusio, the gouernor shewed to the king how diuerse persones traiterously had murdered hym whiche wer apprehended and iudged to die, & yet in their l;ues they neuer knew nor yet saw hym. The kyng notwithstandyng his bro- thers excuse, doubted much thend of his other sonne named larnes, wherfore he priuely prouided a shi[>, in the whiche he put the child beyng then of the age of. ix. yeres, under the tuicion of the lorde Hery Senclere erle of Orkeney, willyng him to couey the prince into f. realme of France if by any possibilitie he could thether attain. And if fortune should driue hym on ^ cost of England, he wrote letters to the kyng of England, y tenor wherof in- sueth.

" ROBERT Kyng of Scottes, sendeth gretyng to Kyng Henry of Englande, although by A letter relacion of other persones I haue knowen before this tyme, what magnanirnitie, what cle- inencie, and other infinite vertues be planted and roted in your royall persone, yet in the voy- Scottes.. age that you your self personally last made into Scotlad, I haue had manifest and open expe- rience of the same. For whe you like our enemy inuaded our countrie, brent our tounes, and destroyed our people, yet by the fauor that you shewed to suche places and people whiche receined and fostered your noble father when he fled out of Englad (for feare of rebelles whiche then sore afflicted his lande) we haue receiued altnoste as muche profit and aduantage as we did hurte and damage, by your terrible warres and bloudy inuasions. Wherefore I cannot but laud and praise your highnes & Judge your noble herte mete for a kyngdo, but also I doloue and will not cease to loue you duryng my naturall life. And notwithstandyng that realmes and nacions daily contende and make warre for glory rule and empire, yet to vs bothe beyng kynges, no suche occasion is geuen to do as they do, or to folowe their steppes or progression, but we (whiche is the duetie of a kyng) oughte to striuewho shall prosecute other with moste humain fauor and continual ckmencie, and as muche as we maie to be felowes, compagnios and alies, insinguler loue and perpetual amitie. And as for suche causes as now be different and in discencion betwene vs and our realmes for my part I shall endeuor my self to bryng all thynges to a good coclusion & mutuall confor- mitie. And because that I now am in the same trouble and perplexitie for my children, that your father was with the rebelles of Englande, I am compelled of very necessitie to desire

aide

38 THE. VIII. YERE OF

aide and seke coforte of forain princes and strange nacions. And although that by the help of God and power of my people, I am able inough to kepe the same against all outwarde powers and forain attemptes. Yet from the secrete malice of suche as lurke and bee daily norished in my very bosome, I cannot kepe theim in suertie within myne owne dominion. And yet in no other place thei can bee from that pestiferous conspiracy put in any sure de- fence or perfight sauegard, except thei he preserued by the faith and fidelitie of good and iust men. The worlde this tyme is so full of malice, so replenished with rancor, that whereso- euer thatgolde or siluer (whiche bee instrumentes of mischief) maie enter or penetrate, there •shalbe founde ministers prone and redy to do and perpetrate al detestable crimes and mis- cheuous inuencions: But because I kuowe and perceiue your person to be endued with so many notable vertues, and to be adorned with such Magnanimitie, fidelitie, iustiee, cle- mencie, and finally, not onely to be replenished with the whole compaignie and felowship of the vertues Moral, but also to be of that power, riches & puyssance that no prince in our tyme, maie to your highnes be ether compared or assimuled, I beyng by your noble and notable qualities allected and encoraged, most hertely require your helpe and humbly desire your aide, relefe and comfort. For mine eldest sonne Dauid, (as I suspect and as the fame runeth, althonghe I cannot yet thereof make a perfight proft'e) is muithered, by no comen murther, by no open tliefe, by no notorious malefactor nor by no furious persone, but by my brother his vncle whiche ought to haue protected and saued him, to whom I comitted the gouernance of me, my children, my whole realme and all that I had, whiche vnnaturall .kinseman hath not only killed my child, but hath shamefully slain and murdered hym with the .moste cruell and miserable kynd of death, which Js famyne. And so he, which ought & .whose duety was to haue aduoyded and put fro me the iniuries of all other persones, hath afflicted me with the moste contumelie, the greatest iniury and manifest damage, that euer subiecte did attempt against his Prince, or brother against brother, or enemy against .kinseman. For he whom I made.gouernor to withstand the power and malice of mine outward enemies, compasseth and imagineth how to destroy myne issue, and consequently myne owne persone. Wherfore for the fauor that you here to Justice sent by God to mankinde, and for the naturall loue and fatherly affection that you here to your children and posteritie, I humbly require and hertely desire your magnificece, that this mine onely child, not onely maie safely and surely liue vnder your defence and protection but also that you of your ac- customed goodnes will vouchsaue to preserue and defende this the onely heire of my pos- teritie from the malicious attemptes of his cruell kynred and ambicious consanguinitie. And this the rather, for the remembrance both of your fathers chance, whiche in his necessitie ..found muche humanitic in our nacion, and also of the frailtie of worldly suretie, whiche : assone changcth from good to euill, and from euill to worse, as the faire and redolent flower this dale florisheth, and to morow widreth and sodainly vadeth. Requiryng you to haue in re- membraunce, that if princes put their whole confidence only in their comon people, which T>e more variable then the Wethercocke or wynd, and haue no outward frendes nor forain nmitie, their empire is fallyng and their regiment very britell. But if princes be coupled in .the chaines of indissoluble amide, and will mutually & faithfully defende their cornen ene- mies, and aduoyde their manifest iniuries, there is no power or strength of the comen people, that ether can hurte or cast theim from the throne: in suche a suretie is a kyng .that so is garnished with the loue, fauor and amitie of outward princes and louyng neigh- bors. Wherfore, if it may seme expedient to your high wisedome, to here this my lowly requeste and louyng suete (whiche I thynke your clemencie will not reiect nor retell) my desire is, that accordyng to the last truce concluded betwene yon and vs, in the whiche is .conteigned that all men conueighyng letters from the one of vs to the other, should suerly & sauely passe and repasse without any cotradiccio: That it would plese you not to breke ,nor deny the said liberty to this berer our only sone, but for your honor to kepe your pro- mise sincerly inuiolated & .faithfully obserued. And thus the gracious God preserue your noble person in your royal estate long to continew."

4 WHEN

KYNG HENRY THE. 1IIJ. S9

WHEN all thynges necessary were prepared, the mariners halsed vp their ankers and departed from Bas castle with this young prince and Henry Percie sonne to the lord Percie slain before at Shrewsbury, and by rigor pf tempest wer driuen on the cost of llolder-

-nes called Flamborough hed the. xxx. daie of Marche, where the yong prince for to re- freshe liymselfe toke lande. He wroughte not so priuily, but he was knowen and taken with all his copany, & conueighed to the kyngbeyngat Winsore, where he with dew reuerece deli- uercd his fathers letter. When the letter was redde & vnderstand, the kyng assembled his counsail to knowe what should be doen with this noble enfant. Some to whome the con- tinual warres and daily battail was bothe displeasut and odious, affirmed that there could not happen a better or a more surer occasion of peace and amide betwene bothe the realmes, whiche beyng so offred, they would in no wise should be reiected but taken, consideryng that this prince was sent thither, in trust of sauegard, in hope of refuge, and in request of aide and comfort against his euill willers and malicous enemies: other (whose opinion toke place) affirmed hyin to be a prisoner and so to bee ordered, for asmuche as he was

. taken the warre beeyng open, and that his father did not onely maintayne therle of Nor- thumberland and other rebelles within his countrie and geue them great honors, but also sent a .greate nombre of his nobilite against the kyng at- the battaill of Shrewesbery. W-herfore it was agreed that he should be deteined as a prisoner, lawfully taken and duely appreheded. When tidynges of this difinitiue sentence was shewed to his father, he tooke suche an in-* warde conceit and so sore a penciffenes, that he ended his naturall life within a few inone- thes after. Although the takyng of this young prince, was at the first tyme displeasant to the realme of Scotlande: yet surely, after he and all his region had greate cause to reioyse and thanke God of their fortunate chaunce and good lucke that insued. For where before that tyme the people of Scotlande wer rude, rustical!, without any vrbanitie, hauyng litle ler- uyng and lesse good maners, & good qualities least of all. This prince beeyng. xviij. yeres prisoner within this realme, was so instructed and taught by his scholemasters & pedagoges ,apointed to him by the onely clemencie of the kyng, that he not onely florished in good learn-'

-yng ajid freshe litterature (as the tyme then serued) but also excelled in all poynctes of Mar- ciall feates, Musicall instrumentes, Poeticall artes and liberal sciences. In so muche th;it; at his returne from captiuitee, he furnished his realme bothe with good learnyng and ciuilL. policie, whiche before was barbarous, sauage, rude & without all good nurtur. .

•f THE NYNETH YERE..

TIIERLE of Northumberland, whiche had been in Fraunce and other regions to oh- TH*. ix. . teigne aide against kyng Henry, and had missed of his purpose, now puttc his whole confidence ycre* in the Scottes, and in especiall in his olde frende George erle of Marche, and so assembled a great power of the Scottish nacion to inuade Northumberland, and recouered diuerse of his owne castles and seigniories, to whom the people without nombre daily resorted. Wher- fore he entendyng to bee reuenged of his old greues, accornpaignied with the lorde Bar- dolfte and diuerse other Scottes and Englishmen entredinto Yorke shire and there began to > destroy and depopulate the countrie. Wherof the kyng beyng aduerttsed, caused a greate army to be assembled and marched toward his enemies, but or the kyng came to -Notyng- hani, Raufe Rekesbie shrife of Yorke shire, in the middest of February with the po^er of ; the countrie, sodainlie set on therle and his compaignie, at a place called Bramhatn More, • where after long fightyng, the erle and the Lorde Bardolffe and many other-wer taken and ^ brought to Yorke and there executed, and their heddes sent to London. .

AFTER this the kyng hauing knowledge that diuerse pirates wer wanderyng on the cost of Englande, prepared a great armie furnished with men, vitaile and -.municions- of warre mete & conuenient for such1 an enterprice, and in the beginnyng. of Marche sent to the sea, lorde Edtnond- Hollande erle of Kent, chieftain of that crewe- and ar-mie. When the erle"

had-J

40 THE TENTH YERE OF

had searched all the coaste of Fraunce, and had founde not one pirate or sea robber, he vras aduertised by his espials that they heryng of his armie, wer diuerted to the partes of Britayn. Wherefore the said erle entendyng to be reuenged on them whiche he sougtit for, made his course thether, before his arriual they had conueighed their shippes into the hauens, so that he could not fight with them on the sea, wherfore lie launched out his botes and with his fierce souldiers toke land and fiercely assaulted the towne of Briake standyng on the sea side. The citiezens threwe out dartes, cast stones, shotte quarrelles and manfully defended their •walles. In wliiche conflicte the erle receiued such a wound in his head that he departed out of this world the. v. day after. The assailantes not dismaied but set a fire with the death of their captaine like men desperate styll assaulted the towne and by fine force entered into the same and set it a fier and slewe all that would make any resisteuce, and for lacke of a cap- tain, the men of warre laden with praies and prisoners returned againe into Englande.

THIS Edmond erle of Kent was in such fauour with kyng Henry that he not alonely ad- uanced and promoted him to highe offices and great preheminences, but also by his meane and MO small coste obteigned for him the eldest doughter and one of the heires of the Lord I3ar- nabo of Millaine brother to Lord Galeace whose sone also called Galeace murdervng his vncle Barnabo made himselfe first duke of Millaine, for which marriage Lord Barnabo paied to him an hundred M. Duccattes at the churche of saint Marie Oueryes in South- warke at the day of the solempnite, by doen Alphos de Caniola. This Lucie after the death of her husband by whom she had no issue, was moued by the kyng to mary with Ins bastard brother the Earle of Dorcet a man very aged and il visaged, whose person nether satisfied her fantasy nor whose face pleased her appetite, wherfore she preferring her own mind more then the kynges desire, delityng in him the whiche shoulde more satisfie her wanton pleasure then gaine her any profile, for very loue toke to husband Henry Mortimer a goodly yong Esquier and a bewtifull Bacheler. For which cause the kyng was not onely with her dis- pleased but also for mariyng withoute his licence he seassed and fined her at a great some of money, which fine kyng Henry the. v. bothe released and pardoned and also made him knyght and promoted hym to great offices both in England and Normandie, whiche sir Hen- ry had issue by this Lady, Anne maried to sir Ihon Awbemond mother to Elizabeth Chan- dos mother to Phillis maried to sir Dauie Halle capitayne of Caen, she had also issue Mari maried to Ihon Cheddar and Luce espoused to sir Ihon Cressy. fThis yere by reason of Frostr \ —^ shepe and birds died without nomber, whiche continued fiftene weekes7

*[ THE. X. YERE.

Th«. x. ABOUTE this time Ihon duke of Burgoine a man of a quicke witte, desirous of rule, &

of a haute courage, being of great auctoritie ainongest the Frenche nacion to whome ciuill discorde was more pleasure than fraternall amitie and mutuall concorde, began sore to grudge and maligne against Lewes Duke of Orleance brother to the French kyng, because that he was chefe of the kynges councell and ordered al thinges by his discrecion, because the king his brother was (as you haue heard) fallen into a frensy and tlierfore meddled in no- thyng. The duke of Orleance on the otherside beyng highly set vp in pride, began to dis- dain and froune at the duke of Burgoin, because he perceiued that he aspired & gaped to haue the supreme regimente in the publike affaires and weightie causes, thus the one would haue no superior, and the other would haue no pere. This cancard disdain in shorte space grewe to suche a hate, that all the realme of Fraunce was deuided into two faccions, thone parte fauoryng the duke of Orleauce, and the other inclinyng to the duke of Burgoyne, whiche deuisiou had almoste brought the realme of France to vtter ruineand perpetuafl confusion. The Frenche kyng beyng sornwhat amended of his dissease, heryng of this controuersie be- twene these two princes, set for theim bothe to Paris, where he reproued their pride, re- buked their malice, and taunted their vngodly dooynges, in so muche that all the nobilitie

beygn

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ.

beyng present, Judged the displeasure to haue been bothe forgotten and forgeuen. But high corages are not so sone abated, nor roted malice is not in hast plucked vp, for the duke of Burgoyne still co passing the destruccion of the duke ofOrleance, appoyncted a se- crete frende called Raft'e of Actouille, to bryng his purpose to passe. This Raft'e forgettyng not his enterprise, assembled together a compaignie of suche persons as he moste trusted, & as a Woltte gredy of his pray, when the duke of Orleance was commyng from the court in the night season, he fiersly set vpon hym and shamefully slewe hym. When this murder was published, the king lamented, the nobles grudged, and the comon people cried to God for vengeance. The duke of Burgoyne iustified this act by the mouth of Master Ihon Petit doctor in deuinite, whiche wrested scripture and doctors so far out of course, that his Justi- fication within fe\ve yeres after was adiudged heresy by the whole vniuersite of Paris. The French kyng, lest that greater mischief should ensue, was compelled to hide and cloke his inward arfeccion and dolorus herte and to dissimule the matter, doubtyng lest the duke of Burgoyne whose herte and haute corage he had well knowen before, (if he should proceade against hym for this euill acte) would ioyne and take part with the Englishe nacion against the realme of France. Wherefore after long consultacion had by the entreatie of the kyng and other Princes of the bloud royall, Charles duke of Orleance sonne to duke Lewes lately murdred, and Ihon duke of Burgoyne were reconsiled and brought to a fained concord and a fainte agremente, eche of theim takyng a corporall othe vpon the holy Euangelists, neuer after to disagre or renewe any displeasure for any thyng before passed. But what preuaileth an othe where hertes still burne & malice continually smoketh, who careth for penury when apetite of reuengyng daily encreaseth.

IN this case was the duke of Orleance whiche perceiuyng the king his vncle to beare with the duke of Burgoyne, and to let the detestable murder of his father so lightly pasee without pain or punishmet, alied and confederated hvmself with the dukes of Berry and Bur- bon, & the cries of Alaunson and Arminacke, whiche reised agreate puissance of people, and defied the duke of Burgoin and his cdplices as their mortall foo and dedly enemy. The duke of Burgoine feryng the sequele of the matter (because ther was a mocio of mariage to be had betwene the prince of Wales and his doughter) was somwhat the bolder to send to the kyng of England for aide and succors against his enemies. Kyng Henry no lesse forseyng then that whiche after ensued, whiche was that the discord of these two great princes might turne his realme to profit and honor, sent to the duke of Burgoine, Thomas erle of Arundell, sir Gilbert Vmfreuile lorde of Kyne, sir Robert Vinfreuile, and sir Ihon Grey with. xij. C. archers, whiche toke shippyng at Douer and landed at Sluce. When thenglish- men wer arriued in Flaunders, the duke of Burgoin with thenglishmen and all his power, rode daie and night til he came nere to Paris, and ther the next daie after with hard fight- yng and coragious shotyng, the Englishmen gat the bridge of saint Clow, whiche passed ouer the riuer of Saine, and toke and slewe all the souldiers whiche the duke of Orleance had left there in garrison to defend the bridge. Emongest whom sir Mansard de Boys a valiant capitain was taken prisoner by the Englishemen & highly raunsomed. But the duke of Orleace and his compainy whiche wer like to haue been compassed with their enemies, so that almost al their waies of refuge were stopped and enclosed, in the nyght tyme made a bridge ouer the riuer on the part of saint Denis strete, & so escaped & fled into the high cou- tries. And after this conflicte the duke of Burgoyn beyng now in his ruffe thin kyng no man ether in aucthorite or bloud equiuolente to his person, and blinded with a kail of vain- glory before his ieyes, toke vpo him him the hole rule and gouernance of the realme and or- dered the kyng as pleased him, and not to the kinges wil, and thinking that in so trobelous a season he had vnknit the knot of all ambiguities & doubtes perceiuingall thynges to haue better succeded for his purpose then he before imagined, dismissed Thenglishmen into their countrey geuing to them harty thankea and great rewardesj Which doyng king Hery much disalowed, consideryng that he had sent away his defence before the great brunt of the war wer ouerpassed, & shuld haue taken hede before what policie his enemies had practised or

G what

42 THE. XII. YEIIE OF

what puissance they had assembled. For he well remebred that one faire daieassufeth not a good Sommer, nor one fliyng Svvalovv prognosticated! not a good yere.

f THE ELEUENTH YEIIE.

ih.xi. Kyng Henry nowe beyng quiet & not molested with ciuil discencion nor domesticali factions called his high court of parliamente i« the whiche after he had concluded diuerse Actes mete and expedient for the publike welth of his realme and people, he exalted and promoted his thre yonger sonnes to hie honors, as lorde Thomas to the Duchie of Clarence, lorde Ihon to the duchie of Bedford, & lorde Humphrey to the cluchie of Glocester, and lord Thomas his halfe brother erle of Dorcet he made duke of Excester. Howbeit some wTherj3_sai£ he was erected to that estate and dignitie by kyng Henry the. v. in the first yere of his reigne, whiche thyng is nether materiall nor disputable consideryng he had none issue.

f

1T THE TWELFTH YERE.

The. xii. While these thynges wer thus doyng in England, Iho duke of Burgoyn which ruled the rost and gouerned both kyng Charles the Frenche kyng and his whole realme, so muche stomakedand enuied the duke of Orlifice & his fautors that he caused the Freeh kyng in per-

son to arme himself against them and their adherentes, as traitors to liym and apparat ene- mies to the comon welth, & sent diuerse eapitaines to inuade their landes and territories in the countrees of Poytiers and Angulesme, & other seigniories aperteinyng and belongyng to the homage and obeisance of the duchie of Aquitain & Guien. Wherfore the dukes of Orleance, Berre, and Bui bon with their fi edes and alies, scyng that now their onely hope consisted in the kyng of England, sent to hym Alberte Aubemound a man of no lesse lern- yng then audacite, & yet of no lesse audacitie, then wit and policie, whiche in the name of the confederates offred certain codicions as you shall here after accordyng to myne aucthor truly reported, whiche wer made & cocluded in the yere of our Lorde. M.CCCC.xij. the. viij. dale of Maie.

FIRST, thesaid lordes offred that fro thece furth thei should expose and set furth their owne persons, finances and lades to serue the kyng of England his heires and successors, when souer thei wer required or called in all hist quarelles: whiche iust quarelles the kyng of Knglade shall take to aperteigne to the duchie of Guyen with the appurtenances, affirna- yng how thesaid duchie perteigneth and ought to apertain to hym of righte by lineall heritage and lawfull succession, manifestyng from thence furthe, that thei should not blemishe nor spotte their truthe nor fidelite to assiste and aide hym in recoueryng thesame duchy.

ALSO thesaied Lordes offered their sonnes, doughters, nephewes and neces, parentes and all their subiectes, to contract mariage accordyng to the discrecion of the kyng of En- glande.

ALSO thei offred tounes castles tresures, & generally al their goodes to ayde the kyng his heires and successors for the defence of their rightes and quarels, so that the bonde of their allegiance might be saued, the whiche in another secrete apointment they before had declared.

ALSO thei offred to the kyng of England generally al their frendes adherentes alies and well willers to serue him in his quarel for the recouery of the hole Duchie of Guien.

ALSO to cease al fraude, the sayd lordes recognised that they were ready, to affirme the saied Duchie of Guien to belong to the kyng of England, in like and semblable wise in li- berty and franchises, as euer any of the said kynges predecessors held or possessed the same.

ALSO the said lordes knowledged that al the townes castels and fortresses that they had

1 within.

KYNG HENRY THE, IIIJ. 43

•within the Duchie of Guien, to holde them of the kyng of England as the very trewe duke of Guien, promisyug all seruice and homages after the best maner that in suche case might be.

ALSO they promised to deliuer to the kyng as much as laie in the all townes and castelles apperteinyng to the roialtie and seignorie of England, whiche are in 'nombcr. xx. what townes and castels, and as to the regarde of other townes and fortresses whiche were not iu their puissaunce and seigniory, they woulde healpe the kyng of England his heires and deputies to winne them with men in sufficiente number at their propre charges and cxpences.

ALSO the kyng of England was agreed that the duke of Berry his trewe Uncle and* vas- salle and the duke of Orleance his subiecte and vassalle and the Earle of Arminacke shoulde • v»m\ik holde of hym by homage and fealtie the landes and seigniores hereafter folowyng, that is to£"iVth" saye the Duke of Berry to holde the Countie of Pontiew duryng his life, and the duke ofi»°nd« or Orleaunce to hold the countie of Angulesme duryng his life onely, and the countie of Per- clfT"^" rigot for eucr, and the Erie of Annniacke to holde. iiii. castels vpon certain sureties and tie °r HO- condicions as by indenture should be appointed.

FOR the which offers couenauntes and agrementcs they affirmed that the kyng of England as Duke of Guien, ought to defende & succour them against all men as their very Lord and soueraigne, and not to conclude any treatie of leage with the Duke of Burgoine, his bre- thren, children, fi endes or alies.

FURTHERMORE, the kyng of England ought to ayde the sayd Lordes as his trewe vassals in all their iuste quarels for recoueryng of damages for iniuries to them wrongful- ly done. <)} Vi

ALSO they required the kyng of England to send to the. viii. thousand men to ayde them againste the Duke of Burgoine, whiche daily prouoked the French kyng to make open warre on them, their landes and seigniories, promisyng farther to disbouice and pay all the costes and charges whiche the sayd armie of Englishmen should expend duiyng their waire, whiche letter was written the. viii. day of May.

KYNG Henry louingly receiued & gentely enlertayned this messenger Albcrte, and when he had well debated and considered the case,:#he first detesting the abhominable mur- der of the late duke of Orliaunce and seyng no lustjce ministred nor no punishment done for so shamefull an acte, hauyng also approued experience that the Duke of Burgoine wolde kepe no longer promise then he him self listed. And secondarily consideryng what large offers these Princes had made to him bothe greatly to his honour and to the high pro- fit and commoditie of his realme and subiectes, thought that he was b'ounde by the office of aTKyiig to ayde and succour theym whiche cried for lustice and could liaue none, and in espe- ciall because they in that point beyng his subiectes and vassalles ought to be defended in maintenaunce of his superioritie and seigniorie: wherfove he louyngly promyscd them aide and relefe. This return of the messenger was to them as pleasant as is the deliuerance of a captiue fro his sore imprisonment, or of a marchant passyng by the way beset about by Thcues, beyng reskewed by his frendes or copanions. And not without cause, for the , * Ars"'- French king not of his owne courage animated, but maliciously encesed by the duke of Ari'to" °L Burgoyn, persecuted the faction of the Orliaunces from citie to citie from tovvne to towne, v-kins.of with such power and extremitie that they were bothe of force and necessitie compelled to repaire to the Citie of Bourges in Berry, and there to appoincte theym sdfes ether to ren-

enemy to the Englishmen into the parties of Picardy with nYten C. horseroe and a groat ^fcSST"" nomber of fotemen, he ordeined certain of his men to gene assaulte to the tonne of Guisnes J MI&I, while he stode in a stale to lie in w'aite for the relefe that myght come from Caleis. The fhe Poet" furious Frenchmen brake a fewe old pales about pore mens gardcins of Guisnes, but the tapem* men of warre of the Castell shotte so fiercely at them with arowes and caste oute wildeficr h?**5"'* in swche abundance that the assailantes were faine to retire. And so the erle of sainct kpses*

GS Paule

41

The. xiii, ytre.

THE. XIIII. YERE OF

Paule whiche neuer wonne gain but loste honor at the Englishe mens handes, returned no onely with losse of his people but defrauded of his desired pray, returned to the toune of Saint Quintins.

If THE. XIII. YERE.

THe Frenche kyng in the meane seaso by the enticement of the duke of Burgoine layd sege to the citie of Bourges in Berry where the duke of Orleance and his confederates had included and fortified themselfes. When the kyng of England was thereof aduertised, he with all diligence sent forthe his sonne Thomas duke of Clarence, and Edward duke of Yorke with. viii. C. horsrnen and. ix. thousand archers whiche toke land in the bay of Hogges in Normandy by sainct Waste in the territory of Constantine. Thenglishemen swarmed like Bees rounde aboute the countrey, robbyng Marchantes, spoilyng husbandmen and brennyng townes, and were ioyously receiued of the Erles of Alauson and Richmond fautors of the Ofliencial part. The councel of Fraunce not willing that the Englishmen should ioyne or concurre with the Dukes of Orleaunce and Berry or their complices, caused a common fame ( although it were not trewe) to be diuulged abrode that there was a finall peace and a perfit amide concluded betwene the Frenche kyng & his lordes whiche lately were to hym aduer- saries. When this fable was notified to the Englishmen whiche were by hasty iourneys passed the ryuer of Leire, they spoiled the towne and Monastery of Beauliew, and wasted with fire and swerde the countreis of Touraine and Maine. Against whom the duke of Burgoyn sent the lord of Rambures with a great armie, whiche in short time was before vanquished. The Dolphyn of Fraunce fearyng the doynges of the Englishemen concluded a fayned peace betwene the dukes of Orleaunce and Burgoyne and their adherentes, so that the duke of Orleaunce should without delay dispatche out of the dominions of Frauuce all the English armie. The duke was not rich to paie, and the Englishmen were gredy to haue, in so muche that they marchyng toward Guien in good order what by sackyng of townes & what with raunsomyng of riche persones, gat great treasure and many good prayes. Beside this to the aide of the duke of Orliaunce king Henry sent to Caleis therles of Kent and Warwike with. ii. thousand fightyng men whiche spoiled & defaced the countie of Bullenois, and brent the towne of Samer de Boys and toke with assault the fortresse of Russalte with diuers other. The duke of Orleance which was daily called on to dispatche the Englishemen out of Fraunce, came to the duke of Clarence and his army rendryng to them a M. gramercies and disbursed to them as muche money as ether he or his frendes myghte easily spare: and for two hundred and. ix. M. Frankes which remayned vnpaide he deliuered in gage his second brother Ihon erle of Angulesme whiche was Grandfather to Frances afterward French king and sir Marcell of Bourge, sir Ihon of Samoures, sir Archibault of Viliers and diuers other, which earle long continewed in Englande as you shall perceiue hereafter. When this agrement was taken, the dukes of Clarence and Yorke with gret pray (riche prisoners, and welthy hostages) came to Burdeaux makyng warre on the frontiers of Fraunce, to their greate gaine and profitable lucre. So by the onely commyng of the Englishmen into France the duke of Orliaunce was^je^tored not onely to peace and quietnes with al- persons saue the duke of Burgoyne : But also fell in suche fauour with the kyng & the realm that he was of all men welbeloued, muche honored and highly cstemed, and so continewed till wa- , ^v ^-uering^Fprtujie turned her variable whele. For after this he beyng enemy to the Englishe •"* nation was vanquished and takeiy prisoner and so remained in Englande aboue. xxiiii. yeres, till the flower of his age was passed or sore blemyshed.

1 THE FOURTENTH YERE.

Tie. *iuj. AFter these great and fortunate chaunces happened to kyng Henry, he perfightly re- membring that there could be no more praise geuen to a prince then to execute his office in

4 admin-

KYNG HENRY THE. IIIJ. 45

administryng Justice whiche aboue all thyng is the very necessary minister to all people, en- tendyng to Hue in quietenes, beyng now deliuered of al Ciuilldeuision and intestine discen- " / cion, with the which almost all Christendom was infected and disturbed, not onely to the gret decay of Christes religion and Christian creatures but to the great exaltacio of Painiin princes, by the dilatyng of the pestiferous sect of the false counterfait prophet vainglorious Mahumet : called a great cousail of the thre estates of his realme, in the whiche he delibe- rately consulted and concluded aswell for the politike gouernance of his realme as also for the war to be made against the Infidels, and especially for the recouery of the holy Citie of Jerusalem, in whiche Christian warres he entended to ende his transitory life, and for that cause he prepared a great army, and gathered muche treasure, entending to set forward in the same spring time. But se the chaunce, what so euer man intendeth God sodainly reuerseth, what princes will, god wil not, what we thinke stable, God sodainely maketh mutable, to the entent that Salomons saiyng might be found trewe, which wrote that the wis- dome of men is but folishnes before God. When this Prince was thus furnyshed with trea- sure sufficient, with valiant capitaines and hardy souldiers, with tall shippes furnished with vitayles municions and all thynges necessary for suche a iourney roiall, he was taken with a sore sodain disease and laied in his bed : whiche disease was no Lepry stryken by the handes of God asfolish Friers before declared, for then he neither would for shame, nor for debilitie was able to enterprise so great a iourney as in to lewrie in his own person, but he was taken with a sore * Apoplexye of the whiche he languished tyll his appoyncted howre, ' and had none other grefe nor malady. Duryng whiche sickenes as Auctors write he caused his crowne to be set on the pillowe at his beddes heade and sodainly his pange so sore tro- dered of beled him that as he lay as though al his vitall sprites had been from him departed : suche Sow to< chamberlains as had the cure and charge of his bodyc thinkyng him to bee departed and *i>ichcm deade couered his face with a linnen cloth. The prince his sonne being therof aduertised, oTt^r56'3 entered into the chamber and toke away the crowne and departed: the father being sodainly heade f'om reuiued out of his traunce quickly perceiued the lacke of his crowne, and hauyng know- ftiyngoftht ledge that the prince his sonne had possessed it, caused hym torepaire to his presence, re- body com- quiryng of him for what cause he had so misused hlselfe. The prince with a good audacitie therefore" answered, sir to mine and all mennes iudgemetes you semed deade in this world, wherfore jh<ywh'il'e

I-II • n II /• • • . i "aut t"ls

I as your next & aparant heir toke that as mine own & not as yours: well faire son said the disease are kyng (with a gret sigh) what right I had to it & how I enioied it God knoweth, wel qh the f/,11"1 °f prince if you die kyng I wil haue the garlad & trust to kepe it with the swerd against all mine enemies as you haue done: well said the kyng I comit all to God & remeber you to do well, and with that turned himself in his bed & shortly after departed to God, in a chamber of the abbotesof Westminster called Jerusalem the. xx. day of March in the yere of our Lord M. iiii.-C. xiii. and in the yere of his age. xlvi. when he had reigned, xiii. yeres, v. monthes & odde dales in muche perplexitie and littel pleasure, whose body with all funerall pope was co- ueighed to Canterbury, and there solemply buried, leuyng behind him by the lady Marie daughter to lord Hufrey erle of Hereford & Northapton, Henry prince of Wales, Tho- mas duke of Clarece, Iho duke of Bedford, Humfrey duke of Glocester, Blanche duches of Bauier & Philip Quene of Denmarke. for by his last wife Quene lane he had no chil- dren. This kyng was of a mean stature, wel proporcioned and formally compact, quicke and deliuer & of as tout courage. After that he had appeased all ciuile discecions he shew ed him selfe so gentely to all men that he gat him more loue of the nobles in his latter daies then he had malice and il will of them in the begin nyng. When tidynges of his death was re- lated to,the duke of Clarence beyng in Aquitayri, he with all diligent celeritie toke shipwit-h therle of Angulesme, and other his hostages & returned into England to the great cotbrt of his brethren.

The end of the vnquiet tyme of kyng Henry the fourth.

THE

THE VICTORIOUS ACTES OF KYNG HENRY

THE FIFTH.

Tke.-i.y«e. T TEnry Prince of Wales, sonne and heire to kyng Hery the. iiii. borne at Monmouth A JL on the lliuer of Wye, after the obsequies of his noble paret soleply celebrate and supteously finished, toke vpon him the high power £ regiment of this realme of Englande the xx. daie of Alarche in the yere after that Christ our sauior had entered into the immacu- late wobe of the holy Yrirgin his naturall mother a thousande foure hundred and. xii. and «-v wascrouned the. ix. dale of Aprill then nextensuyng, and proclaimed kyng by the name of V£f kyng Henry the. filth. Before whiche royall possession so by hym obteined, diuerse noble men and honorable personages did to hym homage, liege and swaredewe obeisance (whiche -^> thyng had not been before expjjrimeted) as to hym in whom they conceiued a good expecta- cion bothe of his verteous beginnynges and also of his fortunat successe in allthynges whiche shoukl be attempted or begonne duryng the tyrne of his prosperous reigne and fortunate Empire.

THIS kyng, this man was he, whiche (accordyng to the olde Prouerbe) declared and shewed that honors ought to change mariers, for incontinent after that he was stalled in the siege royall, and had receiued the croune and scepter of the famous and fortunate region, determined with hymself to put on the shape of a new man, and to vse another sorte of liuyng, turnyng insolencie and wildnes into grauitie and sobernes, and waueryng vice into constant vertue. And to thentent that he would so continue without goyng backe, & not thereunto bee allured by his familier copaignions, with whom lie had passed his young age and wanton pastime & riotous misorder (insomuche that for imprisonmente of one of his wanton mates and vnthriftie plaifaiers he strake the chiefe Justice with his fiste on the face. For whiche offence he was not onely committed tostreight prison, but also of his father put out of the preuy counsaill and banished the courle, a,nd his brother Thomas duke of Clarence elected president of the kynges counsaill to his great displeasure and open reproche) he therfore banished and seperated fro hym all his old flatterers and familier compaignions, (not vnrewarded nor yet vnpreferred) inhibityng them vpon a greate pain not once to ap- procbe ether to his speche or presence, nor yet to lodge or soiourne within ten miles of his courte or mansion. And in their places he elected and chose men of grauitee, men of witte, and men of high policy, by whose wise counsaill and prudente instruction he mighte at all tymes rule to his honor and gouerne to his profite. This prince was almost the Ara- bicall Phenix, and emogest his predecessors a very Paragon : For that he emongest all go- uernors, chiefly did remembre that a kyng ought to bee a ruler with wit, grauitie, circurn- speccion, diligence and constancie, and for that cause to haue a rule to hym comitted, not for an honor, but for an pnorarious charge and daily burden, and not to looke so muche on other mennes liuynges, as to consider and remembre his owne doynges and prOpre actes. For whiche cause, he not to muche trustyng to the readinesse of his owne witte, nor to the iudgementes of his owne waueryng will, called to his counsaill suche pmdent and politique personages, -the whiche should not onely help to ease his charge & pain in s-upportyng the burden of his realme and Empire, but also incense and instruct hym with suche good rea- •sons and fruitefull perswasions, that he might shewe hymself a synguler mirror and manifest -example of moral vertues and good qualities to his cornen people and louiog subiectes. For it is daily seen, that a vicious prince doth muche more hurtc with his pernicious exaple to

other

KYNG HENRY THE. V. 47

other, then to hymself by liis owne peculier offence. For it is not so muchc cuill as Cicero saicth (although it bee cuill in it self) a prince to do cnill, as ho by his cuill doyngeb to cor- rupt olhcr, because it is daily seen, that as princes chage, the people altercth, and as kyngcs go, the subiectes folovvc. 1'or certainly he that is preferred to high autlioritee, is therefore nuiche exalted and had in honor, that he should rule, ouerse and correct the mantrs and codicions of the people, and vigilantly to forsee and daily study how to acquire to.iiymself lauclc and glory, and to other profile and comodite, and not to delight in \vordly pleasures whichc are commen emongest the lowest sorte of the vile and rusticall people. And he that: Mill do not-hyng nor can do nothyng is more worthy to be called a sernant then a ruler, £ a subiect rather then a go«crnor. For what can bee more shame or reprociie to a prince, then he whiche ought to goueme and rule other shall by cowardncs, slouth and ignorance as a pupille not of. viii. or. x. yercs of age, but beyng of. xx. or. xxx. yores and more, shalbe compelled to obey and folowe tlie willes of other, and be ruled and beare no rule, 'like a ward and not like" a garde, like a seruant and not like a Master. Suche a gouernour was kyngllicharde the secondc, whiche of hymself bcejng not of the most euill disposition,, was not of so symple a minde, nor of suchc debilite of witte, nor yet of so litle herte and j corage, but he might haue demaunded and learned good and profitable counsaill, and after/ aduise taken, kept, retayned and folowed the same: But howsoeuer it was, vnprofitable.; counsailers wer his confusion and finall perdicion. Suche another ruler was kyng Edwarde the seconde, wliiche two before named kynges fell from the high glory of fortunes whelc.1 to exstreme misery and miserable calainittee. 13y whose infortunate chance (as I thynke) this kyng Henry beyng admonished, expulsed from hyin his old plaie felowes, his prcuie Sico- ]>hantes and viigracious gard as authors and procurers of al mischifes and .riot, and assign- ed into their, places men of grauitee, persons of actiuitee, and counsaillers of greate witte and pollicie.

AFTER (hat he had laicd this prudent and polletique foundation, . he erjtendyng in his mynd to do many noble and notable actes, and remembrynglhat all goudnee Cometh of God, and that all worldly thynges and humain Actes bee more weaker and poorer then the celestial! powers £ heuenly rewardcs, determined to begin with some thyng pleasaunt and accepta- ble to God; Wherefore he first commaunded the Clergie syncerely and truly to prcache the worde of God and to line after thesame,- so that they to the ternporaltec might be the Lan- ternes of light and mirrors of vertue. The laie men he willed to serue God and obey their prince, prohibityng to them aboue al thynges brechc of matrimony vse of sweryng & wilful penury, exhortyng bothc to loue together as man with wife or brother with brother. Be- side this he elected the best learned men ia the lawcs of the realme to the offices of iuslice, and men of good liuyng he preferred to high degrees and authoritec.

THE madnes of the Welshemen and Scottes (whose often incursions and robberies he • \vel had in his fathers daies experimented and assaied) he studied to asuage and re- presse, to the intent that he beeyng quiet in his o-wne regions, might ether make outward warre without doubte or dangier, or els for the commen wealth of his realme. to study haw. to encreace the glory of his seigniory, & so both kepe £ conseruc it.

WHEN all thynges were thus settled and framed to. his purpose, .he caused , the body of kyng Richard the second to be remoucd witliall funerall pompes conueniente for his estate, , from Langely to Westminster, where he was honorably enterred with Quene Anne his firste wife in a solempne toumbe erected and -set vp at the costes and charges of this noble prince kyng Henry.

ALTHOUGH this prudente prince and this pollitique gouernor had set and established all thynges beyng in difference and variaunce within his owne peculier realmes, countrees and territories and confines of thesame: yet he nothyng lesse forgetting nor no one thyng more myndyng or desiring, then theceassyng of the long scisme and deuision sproi>g.£ con- tinued in the catholike churche of Christian religion by the moste ambicious desire and auaricious appetite of certaine persones callyng tlicmselfes spiritual! fathers, but in dee.de

carnall

48 TIJE. L YERE OF

X

carnall couclcotirs and grcdy glottos aspiryng for honor and not for vertue to the proad see of Rome, desiryng more to pille then to profile Christes flocke or Christian religion, hauyug knowledge tlial a general! counsaill was somoned to bee celebrate and kept at the fa ire citee of Constance vpon tiie riuer of Ryne, thought that it was not his honor nor yet his duetie, beyng thereof warned bv the Emperor Sigismond to bee as a hearer and no par- taker in so high a ca.use, and in especiall in so high an assemble. Wherefore he sent the- -ther Richard erle of Warwike and three bishoppes with other famous prelates and doctors, besides knightes & esquires to the numbre of eight hundred horsses. They wer men so well appareled and their horsses so richely trapped, and all the compaignie so well furnished, that the Almaines wondred, the Italians gased, and all other nacions were astonnied to se suche an honorable compaignie come from a countree so farre distant. At this Sinody were assembled (as one authore writeth) CCC.xlvj. bishoppes, Abbottes and doctors v. C.lxiiij. noble men, knightes and esquires, xvj. M. beside seruantes whiche (not accomptyng the townes men) wer numbred. ixv. M. persones. These Ambassadours were highly receiued of the Emperor Sygismond and of the Romishe bishop called Ihon the. xxiij. whiche in thesame counsuill for greate and abhominable crimes and detestable offenses by hyni perpe- trated andcomrtted (of the whiche he could not pourge hymself nor make any defence) was by thesame Sinody accordyng to the demerites put doune and of his estate depriued. Grego- ry the. xij. was one of the Scismatical numbre, fearyng shame more then regardyng his wordly afleccion did putte doune hymself of his ovvne propre mocion from his foolishe vsurp- ed name and Fopishe dignitee. But Benedict the. xiii. still and stifly affirmyng hymself to be the very Viker of God, so muche desired honor, and so muche was wrapped in his owne folishe and fantastical opinion, that no frend could persuade hym, nor argumet entice hyrn, nor no reason refrain hym from thesame, and so accordyng to his desert by open Judge- ment, against his wil, lost bothe name and honestie. And thre yeres after Otho Columbe a noble Romainc borne was elected to the bishopricke of Rome and named Martyne the fifth.

i IN this cousaill Ihon WiclifFe borne in England, and Ihon Husse and Iherom of Prage Wer condemned to death. Duryng this firste yere, sir Ihon Old Castle, whiche by his wife was called lorde Cobhatn, a valiant capitain and an hardy gentleman, was accused to the Archbishop of Cauntorbury of certain poynctes of heresy. Whiche bishoppe knowyng hym to be highly in the kynges fauor, declared to his highnes the whole accusacio. The kvng first hauing compassion of the noble man, required the prelates that if he were a straied shepe, rather by gentlenes then by rigoure to reduce hym to his old flocke. After that he sendyng for hym, godly exhorted and louyngly admonished hym to reconcile hymself to God and his lawes. The lorde Cobham not onely thanked the kyng of his moste fauourable clemencye, but also declared firste to hym by mouthe and afterwardc by writyng the foundacion of his faith, the ground of his belefe and the botome of his stomacke, affirmyng his grace to be his supreme hed and competent iudge & none other persone, oiFeryng an hundred knightes and esquires to come to his purgatio, or els to fight in open listcs with his accusers. The kyng not onely knowing the lawes of the reame, but also persuaded by his counsaill, that hereticall accusacions ought to be tried by the spiritual prelates, sente hym to the tower of London there to abide the determination of the clergie according to the statutes in and for that cace prouided. After whiche tyine the. xxiij. daie of Septembre, a solempne session was appoincted in the Cathedrall churche of sainct Paule, and another the. xxv. da of the said moneth in the hal of the Friers prechers in London, in whiche places thesaid lorde was examined, apposed and fully heard, & in con- clusion by the archbishop denounced an hereticke and so remitted again to the toure of Lon- don : Fro whiche place, ether by help of frendes or corrupcion of kepers, he priuely escaped and cam into Wales, where he remained by the space of thre yeres and more.

AFTER this tyme in a certain vnlawfull assemble was taken sir Robert Acton knight, a man of greate wit 9c possessions, Ihon Broune Esquire, Ihon Beuerly clerke and a greate

numbre

KYNG HENRY THE. V.

mimbre of other whiche were brought to the kynges presence, and to hym declared the cause of their commocion and risyng : and accusynga greate nubre of tlieir sort and societie (_ \vhiche-cofessio because I haue not seen, I leaue at large.) After this folishe acte, so many pcrsoncs \vere apprehended that all the prisons in and about London wer replenished with' people. The chief of them whiche wer. xxix. wer condempned by the clergie of heresy, and attainted of high treason as mouers of warre against their kyng by the temporal lave in the Gnyld hall the. xii. daie of December, and adjudged for treason to be dra\vcn and hanged, and for heresy to be consumed with lire gallowes and all: Which iudgemente was executed in laniuerfolowyng on thesaied Robert Acton and the. xxviij. other.

SOME sale that the occasion of their death was the conueighance of the Lorde Cobham out of prisone. Other write that it was bothe fbr treason and heresy as the record declareth. Certain^ affinne that it was for feined causes surmised by the spiritualtie more of displea- sourthen truth: the Judgement whereof I leaue to men indifferent. For surely all coniec- tures be not true, nor all writynges are not the Gospell, & therefore because I was nether a witnes of the iacte, nor present at the deede I ouerpasse that matter and begin another,

IT THE SECONDE YERE.

KYng Henry cotinuatly studiyng for the honor of hymself and aduancement of his The- * people, called his high courte of parliament the last daie of April in the touire of Leicester y< In the whiche parliamente many profitable lawes were concluded: and many peticions moued wer for that tyrne deferred Emongest whiche requestes* one was, ttmt a bill exhi- bited m the parliamente holden at Westminster in the. xj. yere of kyng Henry the fourth (whiche by reason that the kyng was then vexed and troubled with ciuill deuision & domes- ticall dissencion, came to none effect) might now bee well studied, pondered; regarded and brought to some good conclusion. The effect of whiche supplicacion-was, that the tempo- lalllandesdeuoutely gcaen, and disordinatly spent by religious and other spiritual I persones^ might suffise to maintain- to the honor of the kyng and defence of the realme, xv. erles, xv.C. knightes,. vj.M. ii.C. esquires, and. C. almose houses for relief onely of the poore impotente and nedy persones, and the kyng to haue elerely to his cofers twentie thousande poundes, with, many other prouisions and valewes of religioushouses whiche I oueipa.sse.

THIS before remembred bill was muche noted and feared emogest the religious sort whom in effect it muche touched) uisomnche that the fat Abbotes SAvet, the proude Priors frouned, the poore Friers curssed thesely Nonnes wept, and al together wer nothyng- pleas- ed nor yet cotent. Now to nndea remedy for a mischief and a tent to stop a -wounde, the Clergy myndyng rather to-bowe then breake, agreed to offre to the kyng a greate some of nio-- ney to staye this newe moued demaund. The cause of this offre seined to some of the wise- prelates nether decente nor c.onuenient, for they wellforsawe and f)erfightly kne«e that if the commos perceiued that thei by reward or offre of money would resist their request & petiekm, that thei stirred & moued with a fury woold not onely rayle and despise theim as corruptours of Princes and enemies of the publique wealthe, but would so crye and caH on- the kyng and histemporall lordes that they were liketo lese bothe worke and oyle, cost and;- linyng: Wherefore they determined to cast all chaunces whiche mighte serue their purpose, & in especiall to replenishe the kynges brayne with some pleasante study that he should ne-- ther phantasy nor regard the serious peticion of the importunate commons.

WHERFORE on a daie when the kyng was present in the parliament, Henry Cbicheley Archebishop of Cautorbury thereto newly preferred, whiche beforetime had been a-Monke of the Carthusians, a ma whiche had professed vvilfull pouertie in religion, and yet commyng abrode muche desired honor, & a man muche regardyng Godes law, but;morc louyng liis his owne lucre. After lowe obeysaunce made to the kyng he said after this maaer in effect.

H-

$0 THE. II. YERE OF

Why I consider pur most entirely beloued and no lesse drad soueraigne lorde and naturall Prince, the louyng mynd, the daily labor and continuall study whiclie you incessantly im-

- pjore bothc for thaduancetnct of the honor of your realme and also profile of your people: 1 cannot nor ought not, except I would bee noted not onely ingrate to your royall person bcyng my patrone & preferrer, but also a neglecter of my dutye, a secrete mummer of suche thynges whiche louche both the inheritance of your croune & the honor of your realme ether holdc my peace or kcpe silence. For all authors agree that the glory of kynges consistelh not onely in high bloud and haute progeny, not in habounclant riches and superfluous sub- staunce, nor in plesant pastyme and ioyous solace: But the very tipe of the magnificence of a prince rcsteth in populous riche regions, wealthy subiectes and beautiful! citees and tounes, of the whiche thanked be God, although you be coueniently furnished both within your realmcs of England & Ireland and principalite of Wales, yet by lineal discet, by progeny of blud and by very inheritance, not onely the duchy of Normandy and Aquitaine with the counties of Aniowe and Mayne and the countrei of Gascoynare to you as true and vndubi- tate heir of the same laufully deuoluted and lineally disc-ended from the high and most noble prince of famous memory kyng Edward the third your great grandfather, but also the whole realme of Fraunce with all his prerogatiucs and preheminences, to you as heire to your great grandfather is of right belongyng and apperteiguyng. In whiche realme, to reherse what noble persons, what beautifull cities, what fertile, regions, what substancial marchates, and what plentifull riuers are conteigned and included, I assure you that time should rather faile then matter shoulde wax skant. The fraudulent Frenchmen to defraude and take away vour ryght and title to the realme of Fraunce, in the lime of your noble progenitor king Ed- ward the third, alledged a lawe, vntruly faincd, falcely glosed and Sophistically expounded, wherof the very wordes are these, In terrain salicam mulieres nesuccedant, which is to say,

e let not women succcde in the land*Salicque. This land Salicque the deceitful glosers name to be the realme of Fraunce. This lawe the Logical! interpretours a