Miscellany 38

MISCELLANY 38

THE P1TIFULL LIFE

OF KYNG EDWARD THE. V.

III: The Queen in Sanctuary

The Queen discovers Richard’s trick in taking control of Edward V, and, quite rightly fearing for the succession, claims sanctuary in the monastery of Westminster Abbey with her younger son, the ten-year-old Richard, Duke of York.  At the time anyone could claim sanctuary in such a way, and could not be touched by anyone pursuing them.  She is reassured by the Archbishop of York that she is worrying unduly.  Edward V arrives in London with his ‘loving and supportive’ uncle Richard of Gloucester, who pubicly treats him with all due deference while setting about somehow persuading the Queen to leave Sanctuary, arguing that the young king is lonely without his little  brother.  The Archbishop of Canterbury is deputed to go to the Queen and try to persuade her to give up herself and her younger son, and if she will not do so voluntarily, then by force; the Archbishop agrees to try to persuade her but rightly refuses to break Sanctuary by using force if she refuses to move.

With this heauy tidynges the queue bewayled her chyldes ruyne, her frendes mischaunce, and her owne infortune, curssyng the tyme that euer she was perswaded to leaue the gatherynge of people to brynge vp the kynge with a greate powre, but that was passed, and therefore nowe she toke her younger sonne the duke of Yorke and her doughters and went out of the palays of Westminster into the sanctuary, and there lodged in the abbotes place, and she and all her chyldren and compaignie were regestred for sanctuarye persons. The same night there came to doctor Rotheram Archebyshop of Yorke and lorde Chauncelour, a messenger from the lord Chambrelayne to Yorke place besyde Westminster: the messenger was brought to the bishoppes bedsyde and declared to him that the dukes were gone backe with the young kyng to Northampton, and declared further, that the lorde Hastynges his maister sent him worde that he shoulde feare nothyng for all should be well. Wel (quod the archebishop) be it as wel as it wyl, it wyll neuer be so wel as we haue sene it, and then the messenger departed. Wherupon the bishop called vp all his seruauntes and toke with hym the great scale and came before day to the quene, about whom he found much heauynesse, rumble, haste, businesse, conueighaunce and cariage of hir stuffe into sanctuarye, euery man was busye to carye, beare and conueigh stuffe, chestes & fardelles, no man was vnoccupicd, and some caried more then they were commauuded to another place. The quene sat alone belowe on the rushes all desolate & dismayde, whom the Archebishoppe conforted in the best maner that he coulde, shewyng her that the matter was nothyng so sore as she tooke it for, and that he was putte in good hope and out of feare by the message seme to hym from the lorde Hastynges. A wo worth him quod the quene, for it is he that goeth about to destroy me and my blodde. Madame quod he, be of good comfortc and 1 assure you, yf they crovvne any other kynge then your sonne whom they nowe haue, we shal on the inorow croune his brother whom you haue here with you. And here is the great seale, which in lykewisc as your noble husband deliuered it to me, so I deliuer it to you to the vse of your sonne and thcrwith deliuered her the greate seale, and departed home in the dawning of the day. And when he opened his wyndowes and loked on the Temys, he might see the riuer full of boates, of the duke of Gloucester hs seruauntes watching, that no person should go to sanctuary, nor none should passe vnserched.

 'Iheu «as there great rumourc and commotion in the citee and in other places, the people diuerscly diuined vpon this dealyuge. .And diuerse lordes, kuightes and gentilmen, either for fauoure of the quene or for feare of them selfes, assembled compaignies and wente flockyng together in harneis. And many also, for that they recompted this demeanour attempted, not so specially against other lordes as against the kynge hym selfe in the dysturbaunce of his coronation, therefore they assembled by and by together to common of this matter at London. The Archebishoppe of Yorke fearingc that it woulde be ascribed (as it was in dede,) to ouermuch lightnes, that he so sodeinly had yelded vp the great seale to the quene, to whom the custody therof nothing apperteigned without especial commaundemente of the kynge, mete with the lordes.

...

When the kynge approched nere the cytee, Edmonde Shawe Goldcsmythe then Mayre of the cytie with the Aldermenne and shreues in skarlet, and fyue hundreth commoners in murraye reccyued his grace reuerently at Harnesay Parke [Now Hornsey Park, in north London], and so conueighed him to the cytee, where he entred the fourth day of May, in the fyrst and last yere of his reigne, aud was lodged in the bishoppe of Londons Palayce: but ye duke of Gloucester bare him in open sight so reuerently, saying to all men as he rode behold your prince and souereigne lord, and made such sembleaunce of lowlynes to his prince, that from the great obloquy that he was in so late before, he was sodenly fallen in so great trust that at the councel next assembled he was made the onely chiefe ruler, and thought most mete to be protectoure of the king and his realme:so that, were it destiny or were it foly, the lambe was betaken to the wolfe to kepe. At whiche councell the Archebishop of Yorke was sore blamed for deliueryng the great seale to the quene, and the seale taken from him and deliuered to doctor Ihon Russel bishop of Lyncolne, a wyse man and a good and of much experience, and diuerse lordes and knyghtes were appointed to diuerse roumes, the lord Chamberlayne and some other kept the roumes that they wer in before, but not many.

Now were it so that the protectour (which alwayes you must take for the duke of Gloucester) sore thristed for the acheuynge of his pretensed enterpryse and thought euery daye a yere tyll it were perfourmed, yet durste he no further attempt as long as he had but half his pray in his hand, well wittyng that yf he deposed the one brother, all the realme woulde fall to the other, yf  he remayned either in sanctuarye or shoulde happely be shortly conueighed to his fathers libertie. Whcrfore incontinent at the next metynge of the lordes in councel he purposed to them that it was an heynous thyng of the quene, and procedyng of great malice  toward the kynges councelers that she shoulde kepe the kynges brother in sanctuarye from him whose speciall pleasure and comfort were to haue his brother with him, and that to be done by her to none other intent, but to brynge all the lordes in an obloquy and murmoure of the people, as though they were not to be trusted with the kynges brother, whiche lordes were by the whole assent of the nobles of the realme appointed as the kynges nere frendes to the tuycion of his royall person, the prosperitee wherof (quod he) standeth not alonely in kepynge from enemies and euill dyate, but partly also in recreacion & moderate pleasure, whiclie he cannot take in his tendre youth in the cotnpaignye of old and auncient persones, but in the familiare conuersacion of those that be not far vnder nor farre aboue his age, and neuerthelesse, of estate conueniente to accompany his maiestie, wherfore with whom rather then with his owne brother? and yf any man thynke this consideracion lighte (I thynke no man so thynketh that loueth the king) let hym consider that somtyme without smal thynges, greater cannot stand, and verely it redouneth greatly to the dishonour of the kynges highnes and of all vs that be about his grace to haue it come in any mans mouth, not in this realme onely, but also in other landes (as euill wordes walke far) that yr kynges brother should be fayne to kepe sanctuary. For euery man wyll iudge that no man wyll so do for nought, and such opinions fastened in mens hartes be harde to be wrested out, and may grow to more grief then any man here can diuine. Wherfore me thinketh it were not ye worst to send to the quene some honourable and trustie personage, such as tendreth the kings weale and the honour of his councell, and is also in credite and fauoure with her: for which consideracions none semeth more metely to me then the reuerend father my lorde Cardinall archebishop of Cauntorbury, who may in this matter do most good of all men yf it please him to take the payne, whiche I doubt not of his goodnes he will not refuse for the kings sake and ours and wealth of the young duke him selfe the kings most honorable brother, and for the conforte of my souereigne lorde hym self my most dearest nephiewe, considcryng that therby shalbe ceased the slaunderous rumore and obloquy now going abrode, and the hurtes auoyded that therof might ensue, and then must rest and quietnesse growe to all the realme. And yf she percase be so obstinate and so precisely set in her own will and opinion, that neither his wyse and faithfull aduertisemente can moue her nor any mans reason satisfye her, then shall we by myne aduice by the kynges authorytee fetch hym out of that prison and brynge him to his noble presence, in whose continuall compaignye he shalbee so well cheryshed and so honorably intreated that all the worlde shall to our honour and her reproche perceiue that it was onely malice, frowardnesse and foly, that caused her to kepe him there. This is my mind for this time, except that any of you my lordes any thyng perceyue to the contrari, for neuer shal I by Gods grace so wed my self vnto myne owne wil, but I shalbe redy to chaunge it vpon your better aduices.

When the Protectour had sayde, all the councell affirmed that the mocion was good and reasonable, and to the king and the duke his brother honourable, and a thyng that should ceasse great murmoure in the realme, yf the mother might by good meanes be induced to delyuer him: whiche thing the Archebishop of Cauntorburye, whom they all agreed also to be moost conuenient therunto, tooke vpon hym to moue her, and therto to do his vttermooste endeuoure.  Howbeit yf she coulde in no wise be intreated with her good wyll to delyuer hym, then thought he and such of the spiritualtie as wer present, that it were not in any wyse too bee attempted to take hym out againste her wyll, for it woulde be a thyng that should turne to the grudge of all men and high displeasure of God, yf the pryuilege of that place should be broken whiche had so many yeres bene kept, whiche bothe Kynges and Popes had graunted and confirmed, which ground was sanctifyed by Sainct Peter him selfe more then fyue hundreth yeres agone. And syth that tyrne, was neuer so vndeuoute a kynge that euer enterprised that sacred priuilege to violate, nor so holy a byshop that durste presume the church of the same to consecrate: and therefore quod the Archebishop, God forbid that any manne shoulde for any yearthely enterprise breake the immunitie and libertie of that sacred sanctuary that hath bene the safegard of so many a good mans life, but I trust quod he, we shall not ncde it, but for any maner of nede I would we should not do it, I trust that she with reason shalbe contented and all thing in good maner obteined. And yf it hap that I brynge it not to passe, yet shall I further it to my best power, so that you all shall pcrceyue my good wyll, diligence, and indeauourc: But the mothers drcade and womanishe feare shalbe the let yf any be. 

It gets worse...

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Miscellany 37

MISCELLANY 37

THE P1TIFULL LIFE

OF KYNG EDWARD THE. V.

II: The Accession of Edward V

The Accession of Edward V; His Journey towards London protected by uncles on his mother’s side of the family (Queen Elizabeth Wodville); Richard intercepts them at Nottingham and arrests the king’s maternal uncles, taking over control of the new King, Edward V, aged 13

The younge kynge at the deathe of his father kepte houshoulde at Ludlowe, for his father had sente hym thether for Iustice to be dooen in the Marches of Wales, to the ende that by the autoritee of his presence, the wilde Welshemenne and eiuell disposed pcrsonnes should refrain from their accustomed murthers and outrages. The gouernaunce of this younge Prince was committed too lord Antony Wooduile erle Ryuers and lorde Scales, brother to the quene, a wise, hardy and honourable personage, as valiaunte of handes as pollitique of counsaill and with hym were associate other of the same partie, and in effect euery one as he was nerer of kynne vnto the quene, so was he planted nexte aboute the prince. That drift by the quene semed to be diuised, whereby her bloudde mighte of righte in tender vouthe bee so planted in the princes fauoure, that afterwarde it shoulde hardely bee eradic ted out of the same.

 The duke of Gloucester turned all this to their distruction, and vpon that grounde set the foundacionof his vnhappy buyldyng: For whom soeuer he perceiued too bee at variaunce with theim, or to beare toward hym selfe any fauoure, he brake vnto theim, some by mouthe, some by writynge and secrete messengers, that it was neither reason nor yet to be suffered that the younge kynge their master and kynsman shoulde bee in the handes and custody of his mothers kynrede, sequestered in maner from their compaignic and attendaunce, of whiche euery one oughtc hym as faithefull seruice as they, and many of theim of fane more hono- rable parte of kynne then his mothers side, whose bloud quod the duke of Gloucester sauyng the kyng his pleasure, was farre vnmete to bee matched with his, which now to bee remoued from the kyng and the leaste noble to bee lefte aboute hym, is quod he neither honourable to his maieslie nor too vs, and also too hym lesse suretie, to haue tlie nobles and mightiest of his frendes from hym, & to vs all no litle ieopardie to suffre, and specially our well proued euill willers too growe into greate autoritee with the kynge in youthe, namely whiche is lighte of belefe and soone perswaded. Ye remembre that kyng Edward hym self, albeit he was bothe of age and discrecion, yet was he ruled in many tliynges by that bende, more then stode either with his honour or our profite, or with the comoditee of anye man els, excepte ouely the immoderate auauncemente of theim selues, which whether they thirsted sore after their owne weale or no, it were harde I thynke to gesse. And yf some folkes frendeshipe had not holden better place with the kynge then any respecte of kynrede, they might, paraduenture, easely haue trapped and broughte to confusion some of vs or this: and why not as easely as thei haue dooen other or this as nere of the blud royal I, but our loide hath w rough te his will, and thanked bee his grace that perell is paste: howebeit as greate is growyng if we suffre this young kyng in his enemies handes, whiche, without his wittyng might abuse the name of his commaundemente to any of our vndoyng, whiche tliinges God and good prouision forbid, of whiche good prouision none of vs hath any thynge tae lesse nede for the late attone- mete made, in whiche ye kyng his pleasure had more place then the parties hertes or willes, nor none of vs is so vnwise or somuch ouersene as to trust a newefrend made of an old foo, or to thinke that any onely kindenesse so sodenly contracted in an houre, continued scantly yet a fourtnight, should bee deper set in our stomackes, then a longe accustomed malice many yeres rooted.

With these perswasions and writinges, the duke of Gloucester sette afire theim whiche were casie to kyndle, and in especial twain, Henry duke of Buckyngham, and Willyam lord Hastynges, and lord Chamberlain, bothe menne of honoure and of greate power, the one by longe succession from his aunceters, thother by his offices and the kynge his fauoure. These two not bearynge eache to other so much loue, as hatred both to ye quenes bloud, accorded together with the duke of Gloucester that thei would remoue from the kyng all his mothers frendes, vnder the name of their enemies.

Where vpon the duke of Gloucester beynge aduertised that the lordes aboute the kynge entended to brynge hym to London to his coronacion, accompaigned with suche a number of their frendes that it shoulde be harde for hym to brynge his purpose to passe without the assemblyng and gatheryng of people & in maner of open wane, wherof the ende he wyst was doubtful!, and in the which the kyng beyng on the other syde, his parte shoulde haue the name and face of rebellion.

He secretely therefore by diuerse meanes caused the quene to be perswaded that it was neither nede & should also be ieoperdeous for ye kyng to come vp so strong, for as now euery lord loued other and none other thyng studied for, but the triumphe of his coronacion & honoure of the kyng. And the lordes about the kyng, should assemble in the kyngea names muche people, thei should geue ye lordes betwixt whom & them ther had bene some tyme debate, an occasion to feare and suspecte least they should gather this people, not for the kynges saue guard, whom no man impugned, but for their destruction, hauyng more regarde to their olde variaunce then to their new attonement, for the which cause they on the other parte might assemble men also for their defence, whose powres she wyst well farre stretched, and thus should all the realme fal in a roare, & of the mischiefe that therof should ensue (whiche was likely to be not a litle) ye moste harme was like to fal where she least woulde, & then all the world would put her & her kynred in the blame, saiyng that they had vnwysely and vntruely broken the amytie and peace whiche the kynge her husband had so prudently made betwene her kynred and his, whiche amyte his kynne had alwaics obserued.

The quene beyng thus perswaded, sent worde to the kyng and to her brother, that there was no cause nor nede to assemble any people, & also the duke of Gloucester and other lordes of his bend, wrote vnto ye kyng so reuerently and to the quenes frendes there so louyngly, that they nothinge yearthly mistrustyng, brought the young kynge towarde London w ith a sober compaignie in great haste (but not in good spede) til he came to Northampton, and from thence he remoued to Stony stratford. On whiche day. the two dukes and their bende came to Northampton, fainyng that Stony stratfod could not lodge them al, where thei foud the erle Riuers, entendynge the nextamornynge to haue folowed the kynge, and to he with him earely in the mornyng. So that night, the dukes made to the erle Ryuers frendly chere, butassone as they were departed very familier with greate curtesie in open sight & therle Ryuers lodged: the two dukes with a fewe of their priuy frendes fel to councel, wherin they spent a great parte of the night, and in the dawnynge of the daye they sent aboute priuely to their seruauntes in their lodgynges to hast to horsebacke for their iordes were in maner redy to ryde, whervpo  all their seruauntes were ready or [ere] the lorde Ryuers seruauntes were awake. Nowe had the dukes taken the keyes of the ynne into their possession, so that none shoulde yssue out withoute their consent. And ouer this in the high way towarde Stony stratforde, they set certayne of their folkes that should cause and compell to retourne againe all persons that were passyng from Northampton to Stony stratforde, saiyng that the dukes them selfs would be the fyrst that should come to the kyng from Northampton: thus they bare folkes in hand. But when the earlc Ryuers vnderstode the gates closed and the wayes on euery syde beset, neither his seruauntes, neither him selfe suffered to go out, perceyuinge so great a thynge with-out his knowledge, not begon for noughte, comparynge this present doyng with the laste nightes chere, in so fewe houres so greate a chaunge, marueilously myslyked it. Howebeit; sythe he coulde not get awaye, he determined not to kepe him selfe close, least he should seme to hyde him selfe for some secret feare of his owne faute, wherof he saw no such cause in him selfe, wherfore on the suretie of his owne conscience he determined to goo to them and to inquire what this matter might meane: Whom assone as they sawe, they beganne to quarel with him, affirmyng that he pretended to set distaunce betwene the kyng and them to brynge them to confusion, whiche shoulde not lye in hys powre, and when he beganne as he was an eloquente and well spoken manne in goodlywyse to excuse hym selfe, they woulde not heare his aunswere but tokc hym by force and put hym in ward. And then they mounted on horsbacke and came in haste to Stony stratforde, where the kynge was goyng to horsebacke, because he would leaue the lodgyng for them, for it was to straight for bothe the compaignies. And when thei came to his presence, they alighted and their compaignie aboute them, and on their knees saluted hym, and he them gentely receiued, nothing yerthly knowyng ner mistrustyng as yet. The duke of Buckyngham said aloude, on afore gentlemen, and yomen kepe your roumes, and therwith in ye kynges presence they picked a quarel to the lord Richard Grey the quenes sonne, and brother to the lord Marques & halfe brother to the king saiyng that he and the Marques his brother and the lord Ryuers his vncle had compassed to rule the kyng and the realme and set variaunce betwene thestates, & to subdue and destroy the noble blonde of the realme. And towarde thacomplishemente of the same, they sayde, the lord Marques had entred into the towre of London, and thence had taken out treasure and sent men to the sea, which thynges these dukes knewe well wer done for a good purpose and as very necessary, appointed by the who!e counsaill at London, but somewhat they muste saye: vnto the whiche woordes the kynge answered, what my brother Marques hath done I cannot save, but in good faythe I dare well answere for mine vncle Riuers and my brother here, that they be innocente of suche mattiers. Yee my lieage quod the duke of Buckyngham, they haue kept the dealyng of these matters farre from the knowledge of youre good grace. And furthwith they arrested the lord Rychard and sir Thomas Vaugham & sir Richard Hawte knyghtes, in the kyngs presence, & broughte the kyng and all back to Northampton, where they toke further counsaill in their affaires. And there they sent from the kyng whom it pleased them, & set aboute him such seruauntes as better pleased them then him. At which dealyng he wepte and was rot content, but it booted not. And at dynner, the duke of Glocester sent a dyshe from his owne table to the lord Ryuers, praiyng him to bee of good chere and all shoulde be well, he thanked him & prayed the messenger to beare it to his nephicwe the lorde Richard with like wordes, whom he knewe tohaue nede of comfort, as one to whom such aduersite was straunge, but he hym selfe had bene all his daies ennured thcrwith, and therfore could beare it the better. But for al this message, the duke of Gloucester sent ye lorde Ryuers, the lord Richard and sir Thomas Vaughain and sir Richarde Ilawte into the Northparties into diuerse prisons, but at last, al came to Pomfret [Pongffact] where they all foure were beheaded without iudgement.

 In this maner as you haue hard, the duke of Gloucester toke on him the eouernaunce of the yonge kyng, whom with much reuerence he conueied towardes London. These tidynges came hastely to the quene before mydnighte, by a very sore reporte that the kynge her sonne was taken and that her brother and her other Sonne and other her frendes were arrested, and sent, no man wyste whether.

To be continued

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Miscellany 36

MISCELLANY 36

THE P1TIFULL LIFE

OF KYNG EDWARD THE. V.

I: The York Family; The Death of Edward IV; The Character of his brother Richard, Duke of Gloucester

EDWARD HALL

Extracts from Edward Hall (1497–1547): The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke, commonly known as Hall's Chronicle (1548). The events here described took place in 1483, only 65 years earlier than Hall’s accounts.  Readers familiar with Shakespeare’s Richard III will find this portion of Hall’s Chronicle quite familiar.

The Eternall God callynge to his merci the noble prince Kyng Edward ye. iiij. of that  name, Edward his eldest sonne (prince of Wales) begunne his reygne the ninth daye  of April, in the yere of oure lord a thousand four hundred fourscore & thre, and in t!e xxjjj, yere of Lewes the eleuenthe then Frenche kyng: Which younge prince reigned a small space & litle season over this realme, either in pleasure or libertie. Fur his vncle Richard duke of Gloucester, within thre monethes depriued hym not onely of his croune and regalitee, but also vnnaturally bereft hym of his natural life: and for the declaracion by what craftie engine he firste attempted his vngraciouse purpose & by what false colourable and vntrue allegacions he set forth openly his pretensed enterprise, and finally, by what shamefull, cruell and detestable act he perfourmed the same: Ye must first consider of whom he and his brother descended, their natures, condicions and inclinacions, and then you shall easily perceiue, that there coulde not bee a more crueller tiraunt apoineted to acheue a more abominable entreprise.

Their father was Richard Plantagenet duke of York, whiche began not by warre, but by lawe to challenge the crowne of Englande, puttyng his claime in the parliament. Holden the thirty yere of kyng henry the sixt, were  either for righte or for fauoure, his cause was so set furthe and auaunccd, that the bloud of the saied kyng Henry the sixt althoughe he had a goodly Sonne, was clerely abdicated and the crowne of ye realme (by authorotie of parliament entayled to the duke of York and his heires after the decease of the sayed kynge Henry the syxte). But the duke not entendyng so long too tary, but mindyng vnder the pretexte of dimension growen and arisen within the realme, and of couenauntes made in the parliament, not kepte, but broken, to preuent the tyme and to take vpon hym the gouernaunce in kynge Henries life was by to muche hardinesse slaine at the battull of Wakefelde, leuyng behinde hym thre sonnes, Edwarde, George, and Richarde. All these three as thei were greate estates of full dukes birth, greate and stately of stomacke, gredy of promocions and impaciente parteners of rule and autoritee.

This Edwarde reuenged his fathers death and deposed kyng Henry the sixt, and attained the crowne and scepter of the realme.

George duke of Clarence was a goodly and well featured prince, in all thynges fortunate, if either his ambicion had not set hym against his brother or villany of his enemies had not set his brother againste hym: for were it by the queene or nobles of her blud, whiche highly maligned the kynges kynred (as women cominely, not of malice but of nature, hate such as their husbandes love) or were it a proud appetite of the duke hymselfe, entendyng to be kyng, at the leaste wise, heinous treason was laied to his charge, and finally were he in fault or wer he faulteless, attainted was he by parliament and iudged to death, and  there vpon hastely drowned in a butte of malmsey within the towr of London. Whose brother the iiij kynge Eduarde (although he commaunded it) when he wiste it was doen piteously he bewayled and so fully repented it.

Richard duke of Gloucester the third sonne (of whiche I must moste entreate) was a man of witte and courage egall with the other, but in beautee and liniamentes of nature far vnder, for he was litle of stature, euill featured of humes, croke backed, the left shulder muche higher than the righte, harde fauoured of visage, such as in estates is called a warlike visage, and emonge commen persones a crabbed face. He was malicious, wrothfull and enuious, and as it is reported, his mother the duches had muche a dooe in her trauaill, that she could not be deliuered of hym vncut, and that he came into the worlde the fete forwarde, as menne bee borne outwarde, and as the fame ranne, not vntothed: whether that menne of hatred reported aboue the truthe, or that nature chaunged his course in his beginnynge, whiche in his life many thynges vnnaturally committed, this I leue to God his iudgemente. He was none euill capitain in warre. as to ye whyche, his disposicion was more enclined too, then to peace. Sondry victories he had and some ouerthrowes, but neuer for defaute of his owne persone, either for lacke of hardnesse or politique order. Free he was of his dispences and somwhat aboue his power liberall, with large giftes he gatte hym vnstedfaste frendship: for whiche cause he was fain to borowe, pill and extort in other places, whiche gat hym stedfaste hatred. He was close and secrete, a depe dissimuler, lowlye of countenaunce, arrogante of herte, outwardely familier where he inwardely hated, not lettynge to kisse whom he thought to kill, despiteous and cruell, not alwaie for eiuill will, but ofter for ambicion and too serue his purpose, frende and fooe were all indifferent, where his auauntage grewe, he spared no mannes deathe whose life withstode his purpose. He slewe in the towre kynge Henry the sixte, saiynge now is there no heire male of kynge Edwarde the thirde,  but wee of the house of Yorke: whiche murder was doen without kyng Edward his assente, which woulde haue  appointed that bocherly office too some other, rather then to his owne brother. Some wise menne also wene, that his drifte lacked not in helpynge furth his owne brother of Clarence to his death, which thyng in all apparaunce he resisted, although he inwardly mynded it. And the cause therof was, as men notyng his doynges and procedynges did marke (because that he longe in kynge Edwarde his tyme thought to obtaine the crowne in case that the kynge his brother, whose life he loked that eiuil diet woulde sone shorten) shoulde happen to diseace, as he did in dede, his chyldren beynge younge. And then if the duke of Clarence had liued, his pretenced purpose had been far hyndered; For yf the duke of Clarence had kepte himselfe trewe to his nephewe the younge king, or would haue taken vpon hym too bee kynge, euery one of these castes had been a troumpe in the duke of Gloucester waye: but when he was sure that his brother of Clarence was ded, then he knewe that he might worke without that ieoperdy. But of these poinctes there is no certentie, and whosoeuer diuineth or coniectureth, may as wel shote to fer as to shorte, but this coniecture afterwarde toke place (as fewe dooe) as you shall perceiue hereafter.

... And so this noble prince [King Edward IV] deceased, as you haue hearde in that tyme when his life was moste desired, and when his people moste desired to kepe hym: Whiche loue of his people and their entiere affection towarde hym, had been to hys noble chyldren (hauynge in theim selues also as many giftes of nature, as many princely vertues, as much good towardenesse as their age coulde receyue) a merueilous fortresse and a sure armoure, yf the diuision and dissencion of their frendes had not vnarmed theim and left theim destitute, and the execrable desire of soueraingtie prouoked hym to their destruccion, whiche yf either kynde or kyndnesse had holden place muste nedes haue been their chiefe defence. For Richard duke of Gloucester, by nature their vncle, by office their protectoure, to their father greately beholden and too theim by othe and allcgiaunce bounden. all the bandes broken and violated whiche bynde man and man together, withoute any respecte of God or the worlde, vnnaturally contriued too bereue theim, not onely of their dignitee and preheminence, but also of their natural liues and worldely felicitee.

And first to shewe you, that by coniecture he pretended this thyng in his brothers life, ye shall vnderstande for a truth that the same nighte that kynge Edwarde died, one called Mistelbrooke, longe ere the daye sprong, came to ye house of one Pottier dwellyng in Red-crosse strete without Creple gate of London, & when he was with hasty rappyng quickely let in, the saied Mistlebroke shewed vnto Pottier that kyng Edward was that night deceased: by my truth quod Pottier, then will my master the duke of Gloucester bee kyng and that I warrant thee. What cause he had so too thynke, harde it is to saie, whether he beeyng his seruaunte knewe any such thyng pretensed or otherwise had any ynkelyng therof but of all likelihod he spake it not of naught.

But now too returne to the trewe historie, wer it that the duke of Gloucester had of old sore practised this conclusion, or was before tyme moued there vnto and putte in hope by the tender age of the young princes his nephewes, as oportunitee and likely of spede putteth a manne in courage of that he neuer intended, but of one thynge he was certain, that if his entent were once perceiued, he should haue made peace betwene bothe parties with his owne bloud: but all his entente he kept secrete till he knewe his frendes, of the whiche Henry the duke of Buckyngham was the firste that sente to him after his brothers death a trusty seruaunte of his called Persiuall to the citee of Yorke, where the duke of Gloucester kepte the kynge his brothers funeralles. This Persiuall came to Ihon Warde a secrete chamberer to the duke of Gloucester, desirynge that he in close and couerte maner mighte speake with the duke his master: where vpon in the dead of the nighte, the duke sente for Persiuall (all other beyng auoyded) whiche shewed to the duke of Gloucester, that the duke of Buckyngham his master in this newe worlde woulde take suche parte as he woulde, and woulde farther wayte vpon hym with a thousande good felowes yf nede were. The duke sente backe the messenger with greate thankes and diuerse priuey instruccions by mouthe, whiche Persiuall did somuche by his trauaill that he came to the duke of Buckyngham his master into the marches of Wales, and eftsones with newe instruccions met with the duke of Gloucester at Notyngham, whiche was come out of the Northecountree with many knightes and gentlemen to the numbre of sixe hundred horse and more, in his iourney towarde London. And after secrete metynge and communicacion had betwene hym and the duke of Gloucester, he returned with such spede that he brought the duke of Buckyngham his master to mete with the duke of Gloucester not far from Northampton with thre hundred horsses, and so they twoo came together to Northampton where thei first began their vnhappy enterprice, and so the duke of Buckyngham contynued still with the duke of Gloucester til he was crouned kyng, as ye shal plainly perceiue herafter.

To be continued

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