Miscellany 42

MISCELLANY 42

THE P1TIFULL LIFE

OF KYNG EDWARD THE. V.

Part VIII Buckingham attempts to rouse the rabble

Richard’s Next Step is to employ the tame Duke of Buckingham to give a similar speech in the Guild Hall, culminating in a rousing admonition to the citizenry to go to Richard’s Palace and call upon him to be king.  Unfortunately, in the other slightly lighter moment (both of which are designed by Hall to show how amateurish and pathetic these stratagems were), the citizens of London, instead of cheering Buckingham and marching off to Richard’s palace, mutter and discuss what to do, and the rabble resolutely refuse to be roused.  Nevertheless Buckingham arranges that tomorrow they will go to proclaim Richard.

Then on the tuesday after next foloyng this sermond, beyng the. xvii. day of Iune, there came to the Guyld hall of London the duke of Buckyngham and diuerse lordes and knightes who then happely knewe the message that they brought. And at the east ende of the hal where the hoystynges be kepte, the duke and the maire and the other lordes sat downe, and the aldermen also, all the commons of the citee beeynge assembled and standyngc before theim. After scilence commaunded vpon agreate paine in the protectoures name: The duke stode vp and as he was well learned and of nature merueilously well spoken, he sayed to the people with a cleare and a lowde voyce: Frendes, for the zeale and hertie fauoure that we beare you we be come to breke of a matter righte greate and weightie, and no lesse weightie then pleasyng to God and profitable to all the realme, nor to no parte of the realme, more profitable, then to you the citezens of this noble citee. For why, the thynge that you haue long lacked and as we well know sore longed for that you would haue geuen greate good for, that you would haue gonne farre to fetche: that thynge be we come hether to bryngyou, without your labour pain, coste, auenture or ieoperdye. What thynge is that? Certes the surety of your awne bodies, the quiete of your wiues and daughters and the sauegarde of your goodes. Of all whiche thynges in tyme passed you stoode in doubte. For who was he of you all that could recon hym selfe lorde of his awne good emongest so many gynnes and trappes wer set therfore emong so much pyllyng and pollynge, emonge so many taxes and talliages, of the which there was neuer ende, and oftymes no nede, or yf any were, it grew rather of riote or of vnreasonable waste, then any necessary honourable charge, so that there was daily plucked and pilled from good and honeste menne greate substaunce of goodes, to be lashed out emong vnthriftes, so far furthe that fiftenes suffised not, nor any vsuall termes of knowen taxes, but vnder an easy name of beneuolence and good will, the commissioners so much of euery manne toke, as no manne woulde with his good will haue geuen. As though the name of beneuolence had signified that euery manne shoulde paie, not what he of hym selfe of his good will lust to graunte, but what the king of his good wil lust to take, who neuer asked litle, but euery thing was haunsed aboue the measure, amercimentes turned into fines, fines into raunsomes, small trespaces into mesprision, mesprision into treason, where of I thynke that no manne looketh that we shall remembre you of examples by name, as though Burdet were forgotten whiche was for a worde spoken, in hast cruelly behedded. (This Burdet was a marchaunt dwellyng in Chepesyd at ye signe of ye croune which now is ye signe of ye flowre de luse ouer against soper lane: This man merely in ye rufflyng tyme of kyng Edwarde ye iiij. his rage, saied to his awne sonne that he would make hym inheritor of ye croune, meanyng his awne house: but these wordes king Edward made to be mysconstrued, & interpreted that Burdet meant the croune of the realme: wherfore within lesse space then. iiij. houres, he was apprehended, iudged, drawen and quartered in Chepesydc) by the mysconstruynge of the lawes of the realme for the princes pleasure, with no lesse honoure to Merkam chiefe Iustice then, which lost his office rather then he would assent to that iudgement: then to the dishonesty of those that either for feare or flattery gaue that iudgement. What nede I to speke of syr Thomas Cooke Aldcrman and mayre of this noble citee, who is of you either for negligence that wotteth not, or so forgetfull that he reincmbreth not, or so harde harted that he pitieth not that worshipfull manncs losse? what speke I of losse, his wonderfull spoyle and vndeserued distruction, oncly because it happened him to fauour them whom the prince fauoured not. We nede not rcherse of these any mo by name, sithe I doubte not that here be many presente that either in theim selucs or their nigh frendes, aswell their goodes as their personcs were greately endaungered either by faincd querels or small matters aggrauated with heinous names, & also there was no crimeso great, of which there could lacke a pretcxte. For sithe ye king preuentyng the tyme of his inheritaunce attained the croune by battail, it suffised in a riche man for a pretext of treason, to haue been of kindred or aliaunce, nere of familiarite, or longer of acqnaintaunce with any of those, that were at any tyme the kynges enemies which was at one time or another more then half the realme. Thus were neither your goodes, neither landes in suretie, and yet they brought your bodies in ieoperdye, beside the comen auenture of open warre, which albeit, that it is eucr the well and occasion of much mischief, yet is it neuer so mischeuous aswher any people fal in deuision, and at distaunce emong theimselues: and in no realm earthly so dedly and so pestilent as when it happeneth emongest vs... And in that poinct whiche in good faithe I am sory to speake of, sauynge that it is vain to kepe in counsaill that thynge that all men knoweth, ye kyng [Edward IV] his gredy appetite was insaciable, and euery where ouer all the realme intollerable. For no women was there any where, young or old, poore or riche, whom he sette his yie vpon, whom he any thynge liked either for persone or beaulie, speche, pace or countenaunce, but without any feare of God, or respecte of his honour, murmure, or grudgyng of the world, he woulde importunately pursue his appetite and haue her, to the great distruction of many a good woman, and great dolour to their husbandes and frendes, whiche beynge honest people of theim selues, so muche regarded the clenesse of their houses, the chastitee of their wiues and children, that theim wer leuer to lose all that thei haue beside, then to haue suche a vilanie done to theim. And albeit that with this and other importable dealing, the realme was in euery place anoyed yet specially you the citezens of this nobilite, as for that emongest you is most plentie of such thynges as minister matter to such iniuries, as for that you were nerest hande, sithe that nere here about was his moste common abidyng. And yet be ye people whom he had as synguler a cause wel and truly to intreate, as any part of his realme: not onely for that the prince by this noble citee, as of his speciall chambre and renoumed citee of this realme, muche honourable fame receiueth emongest all other nacions, but also for that, you not without your greate coste and sondrye fauoures and ieoperdyes in all his warres bare euer your especiall fauoure to his parte: whiche your kynde myndes borne to the house of Yorke.

Sithe he hath nothynge worthely requited you, there is of the house now which by God his grace shall make you full recompence, which thyng to shew you, is the whole some and effect of our errande. It shall not, I wote well nede, that I reherse vnto you again that you al redy haue hearde of hym that can better tell it, and of whom I am sure ye will better beleue it (and reason it is that it so be) I am not so proud too looke therfore that you should receiue my wordes of so great aucthorite as the preachers of the word of God, namely a man so conninge and so wise, that no manne wotteth better what he should do and say, and therto so good and vertues that he would not say the thing, which he wist he should not say in the pulpit, namely, into the which no honest man cometh to lie: whiche honourable preacher ye well remembre, substancially declared to you at Paules crosse on Sondaie laste paste, the right and title of the most excellent prince Richard duke of Gloucester now protector of this his realme which he hath vnto the croune of the kyngdome of the same. For that worshipfulman made it perfectely and groundely open vnto you. The children of kynge Edward the fourth wer neuer laufully begotten, for as muche as the kynge (liuynge his verie wife dame Elizabeth Lucy) was neuer laufully maried to the quene their mother whose bloud sauyngc he set his volupteous pleasure before his honour, was ful vnmetely to be matched with his (the mynglyng of which two bloudes together hath been the effusion of a great part of the noble bloud of this realme) wherby it may well be seen, that mariage was not well made of which there is so much mischiefe growen. For lacke of which lawefull copulacion and also of other thynges whiche the saied worshipfull doctor rather signified then fully explaned, and whiche thyng shall not be spoken for me, as the thyng that euery manne forbearelh to saie that he knoweth, in auoidyng the displeasure that my noble lorde protector bearyng as nature requireth a filial reuerence to the duches his mother. 

For these causes before remembred I saie, that for lake of issue lawfully commynge of the late noble prince Richard duke of Yorke, to whose royall bloud the crounes of England and of Fraunce, are by the high aucthorite of a parliament entailed, the right and title of the same is by iuste course of enheritaunce according to the common lawe of this lande, deuoluted and come vnto the moste excellent prince the lord protectoure, as to the very lawfull begotten sonne of the fore remembred noble duke of Yorke. Whiche thynge well considred and the knightely prowesse with many vertues whiche in his noble persone singulerely dooe habounde: The nobles and commons of this realme, and specially of the North partes, not willing any bastard blond to haue the rule of the land, nor the abusions in the same before vsed and exercised any longer too continue, haue fully condiscended and vtterly determined too make humble peticion vnto the puisaunte prince the lorde protectour, that it may like his grace at our humble request, to take vpon hym the guydyng and gouernaunce of this realme, too the wealth and increase of the same, accordynge to his very right and iuste title, whiche thynge I wot well he will be loth to take vpon hym as he whose wisedome well perceiueth, the laboure and study bothe of mynde and bodye that shall come therwith to hym, whosoeuer shall occupy that rome. I dare saye he will if he take it (for I warrant you that that rome is no childes office) & that the great wise man well perceyued when he sayed Vae regno, cuius Rex puer est, wo to that realme whose kyng is a child, wherfore, so muche more cause haue we to thanke God, that this noble personage, which is so righteously entitled therto is of so sad age, & therto of so great wisedome, ioyned with so great experience, which albeit, he will bee lothe as I haue saide to take vpon hym, yet shall he too our peticion in that behalf the more graciously encline, yf ye the worshipful citezens of this citee being the chief citee of the realme ioyne with vs the nobles in our saied request, whiche for your owne weale we doubte not but that ye will. And yet neuerthelesse, we pray you so to do, whereby ye shall do great profite. to all this his realme: Beside that in chosyng them so good a kynge, it shall bee to your selfe a speciall commodite, to whom his maiestie shal euer after, bcare so much ye more tendre fauour in how much he shall perceiue you the more pronc and beneuolentely mynded toward his election: wherin dere frendes, what mynd you haue we require you plainely to shewe vs?

When the duke had saied and loked that the people whom he hoped that the Maire had framed before, shoulde, after this flatterynge preposicion made, haue cried kynge Richarde, kynge Richarde, all was still and mute and not one woorde answered to: wherwith the duke was maruelously abashed, and takynge ye Maire nere to hym, with other that wer aboute hym priuy to the matter, saied vnto theim softely. What meaneth this, that the people be so still? Sir quod the Maire, percase they perceiue you not well, that shall we amend quod he, if be that wil helpe, and therwith somewhat lowdcr rehersed the same matter again, in other ordre and other woordes so well and ornately, and neuerthelesse so euidently and plaine with voice, gesture, & countenaunce so comely and so conuenient, that eucry man much marueiled that hard him and thought that they neuer harde in their liues so euill a tale so well told. But wer it for wonder or fearc, or that eche loked that other should spcake firste, not one word was there answered of all the people that stoode before, but all were as still as the midnight, not so much as rounyng emong them, by which they might seme once to common what was best to do. When the Maire sawe this, he with other partencrs of the counsaill, drew about the duke and saied that ye people had not been accustomed there to be spoken to, but by the Recorder, which is the mouthe of the citee, and happely to hym they will answere. With that the Recorder called Thomas Fitz Wyllyam, a sadde manne and an honeste, which was but newly come to the office, and neuer had spoken to the people before, and loth was with that matter to begyn, notwithstanding, there vnto cominannded by the Maire, made rehersall to the commons of that which the duke had twise purposed hym self, but the recorder so tempered his tale that he shewed euery thyng as the duke his woordes were and no parte of his owne, but all this no chaunge made in the people, whiche alway after one stoode as they had been amased. Where vpon, the duke rouned with the Maire and said, this is a marueilous obstinate scilence, and therewith turned too the people again with these woordes. Deare frendes, we come to moue you to that thyng whiche parauenture we so greatcly neded not, but that the lordes of this reahne and commons of other partes might h aue suffised, sauyng suche loue we bcare you, and so muche set by you, that we would not gladly do without you, that thyng in whiche to be parteners is your weele and honoure, whiche as to vs semeth you se not or waye not: Wherfore we require you to giue vs an answere, one or other, whether ye be mynded as all the nobles of the real me be, to haue this noble prince now protector to be your kyng? And at these wordes the people began to whisper emong them selfes secretly, that the voyce was neither loud nor base, but like a swarme of bees, till at the last, at the nether ende of the hal a busheinent of the dukes seruauntes and one Nashfeelde and other belongynge to the protectoure with some prentices and laddes that thrusted into the hall emongest the preace, began sodainly at mennes backes to crye out as lowde as they could, kynge Richard, king Richard, and there threwe vp their cappes in token of ioyc, and they that stoode before cast backe their heddes murueilynge therat, but nothing the saied. And when the duke and the Maire saw this mancr, they wisely turned it to their purpose, and said it was a goodly crie and a ioyfull to here euery man with one voyce and no man saiyng nay. Wherefore frendes (quod the duke,) sith we percciue that it is all your whole mindes to haue this noble man for your king, wherof we shall make his grace so effectuall reporte that we doubt not but that it shall redounde to your great wealth and commodite. We therefore require you that to morowe ye go with vs and we with you to his noble grace to make our humble peticion and request to him in maner before remembred. And therwith the lordes came doune and the compaignie dissolued and departed the more part all sad, some with glad sembleaunce that were not very merie and some of them that came with the duke not liable to dissemble their sorowe, were fain euen at his backe to turne their face to the wall, while the doloure of their hartes braste out of their yies.

To be continued

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Miscellany 41

MISCELLANY 41

THE P1TIFULL LIFE

OF KYNG EDWARD THE. V.

VI: Denouncing the Princes

Richard now announces that  Edward V’s Coronation is to be postponed, to the great puzzlement of the citizenry.  He then uses a tame priest to preach a sermon stating that Edward and his brother are illegitimate and that he, Richard, is therefore the king.  In one of only two slightly lighter moments of the account, Hall describes how the preacher was supposed to proclaim Richard at just the moment that Richard himself was coincidentally ‘discovered’ in the listening crowd, which would  allow him to say There’s the real king, miraculously appearing among  us.  But Richard turned up late, and the preacher had gone past that bit of his sermon, and though he repeated it word for word, the magic moment was lost

.Admire the wonderfully charming homespun  sailing/surfing analogy in which Hall, right at the beginning of this chapter, describes what had just happened, the bloody execution of several members of the king’s family and supporters: they had rid (or ridden) out of the wave. This is presumably the forebear of  our saying: to get rid of someone or something. 

When the lord Hastynges and these other lordes and knightes were thus beheaded and ryd out of the wave, then the protectour caused it to be proclaymed that the coronacion for diuers great and vrgent causes should be deferred till the seconde daye of Nouember, for then thought he, that whyle men mused what the matter meant, and while the lordes of the realme were about him, out of their awne strengthes, and whyle no man wyste what to thynke nor whom to truste, or euer they should haue tyme and space to digest the matter, and make partes, it were best hastely to pursue his purpose and put hym self in possession of the croune, or menne could haue tyme to deuyse any wyse to resyste. But nowe was all the study, this matter beyng of it selfe so heynous might be first broken to the people in suche wyse as it might well be taken. To this counsaile they toke diuerse such as they thought mete to be trusted and likely to be enduced to that parte and hable to stand theim in steade, eyther by powre or by polycye. Enong whom, they made a counsaile Edmond Shaa then Mayre of London, whiche vpon trust of hys awne auauncement, where he was of a proude harte highly desirous, toke on him to frame the cytie to their appetite. Of spirituall men they toke suche as had wytte, and were in aucthority emongest the people for opinion of their learnyng, and had no scrupulous conscience. Emongest these had, they toke Raffe Shaa clearke brother to the Mayre, & Freer, Pynkie prouinciall of the Augustine Freers, bothe doctours in diuinitie, bothe great preachers, bothe of more learnyng then vertue, of more fame then learnyng, & yet of more learnyng then trueth. For they were before greatly estemed emong the people, but after that, neuer none of these two were regarded. Shaa made a sermonde in prayse of the Protectour before the coronacion, and Pynkye made one after the coronacion, bothe so full of tedious fla tery, that no good mans eares coulde abyde them,  Pynkye in his sermonde so loste his voyce that he was fayne to leaue of and come doune in the iniddest, Doctoure Shaa by his sermonde loste his honesty, and sone after his lyfe, for very shame of the worlde, into the whiche he durst neuer after muche come abroade, but the Freer forced for no shame, and so it harmed hym the lesse. Howbtit, some doubt and many thynke that Pyn- key was not of counsaill before the coronacion, but after the common maner fell to flat- tery after, namely because his sermond was not incontinent vpon it, but at sainct Mary Spittle the Easter after. But certayne it is that doctourShaa was of counsail in the beginnyng, in so much that they determyned that he should fyrst breake the matter in a sermond at Poules crosse, in whiche he should by the aucthoritie of hys preachyng induce the people to encline to ye protectours ghostly purpose. But now was all the laboure and study in the deuise of some conuenient pretexte, for which the people should be content to depose the prince & accept the protectour for kyng. In which diuerse thinges they deuised, but the chief thyng, & the weight of all that inuencion rested in this, that they shoulde allege bastardy in kyng Edwarde hym selfe, or in his chyldren, or bothe, so that he should seme disabled to enherite the croune by the duke of Yorke and the prince by him. To lay bastardy in kyng Edward sounded openly to the rebuke of the protectours awne mother, whiche was mother to them bothe. For in that poinct could be none other coloure, but to pretende that his awne mother was an adoutresse, but neuerthelesse he would that poinct should be lesse and more fynely & closely handled, not euen fully playne and directely, but touched a slope craftely, as though men spared in that poinct to speake all the trueth for feare of his displeasure. But that other poincte concernyng the basterdy they deuised to surmysse in kyng Edward his chyldren, that would [and] should be openly declared and enforced to the vttermost.

Nowe it was by the protector and his counsaill concluded that this doctor Shaa should in a sermon at Paules crosse signifie to the people that neither king Edwarde hymselfe nor the sduke of Clarence were lawefully begotten, nor wer the very children of the duke of Yorke, but begotten vnlawefully by other persones by aduoutry of the duches their mother. And that dame Elizabeth Lucy was the very wife of king Edward, and so prince Edward and all tbe children begotten on the quene wer baslardes. And accordyng to this deuise, doctor Sha the sondaie after at Paules crosse in a greate audience (as alwaie a great numbrc assembled to his preaching) came into the pulpit takyng for his Theme, Spuria vitulamina no dabunt radices altos. Sapien. iiii. that is to saie bastarde slippes shall neuer take depe rootes: wherupon when he had shewed the great grace that God geueth & secretely infoundeth in right generacion after ye lawes of matrimony, then declared lie that those children [bastards]commenly lacked ye grace (& for the punishment of their parentes) were for ye most part vnhappy which wer gotten in baste, and specially in aduoutry, of which (though some by the ignorauncie of the worlde and the truthe hid from knowlege) haue enherited for a season other mennes landes, yet God alwaie so prouideth that it continueth not in their bloude longe, but the truethe commynge to lighte the rightefull enheritoures be restored, and the bastard slippes plucked vp or yt can he rooted depe. And when he had laied for the proofe and confirmacion of this sentence, examples taken out of the olde testamente and other aunciente histories, then began he to discend to the praise of the lord Richard duke of Yorke, callyng him father to the protectour and declared his title to the croune bi inheritaunce and also by entaile authorised by parliament alter ye death of kynge Henry the sixte. Then shewed he that the Iorde protector, was onely the righte heire of his body lawfully begotten. Then declared he that kyng Edward was neuer lawfully maried to ye quene, but his wife before God was dame Elizabeth Lucy, and so his children wer bastardes. And besides that, that neither kyng Edward hym sclfc nor the duke of Clarence (emongest them that wer secrete in the duke of Yorkes houshoulde) were neuer reconed surely to be the children of the noble duke as those that by their fauoures more resembled other knowen menne then hym, from whose verteous conditions he saied also, that king Edwarde was far of. But the lord protector (quod he) that veraye noble prince, the speciall patrone of knightly prowes, aswell in all princely bchaucour as in the liniamentes and fauour of his visage representeth the very face of ye noble duke his father. This is (quod he) the fathers awne figure, this is his awne countenaunce, the verie print of his visage, the sure vndoubted ymage, the playne expresse likenesse of that noble duke.

Now was it before deuised that in the speakynge of these wordes, the protector shoulde haue conie in emongest the people to ye sermond ward, to thende that these wordes so metynge with his presence, might haue been taken emongest the hercrs, as though the holy ghost had put theim in the preachers mouthe, and shoulde haue moued the people euen there to haue cried, kynge Richard, that it might haue been after sayed that he was specially chosen by God, and in maner by miracle: but this deuise quayled, either by the protectoures negligence or the preachers ouer hasty diligence. For while the protectoure, founde by the waye tariynge, leaste he shoulde haue preuented these woordes, the doctour fearynge that he shoulde come or his sermon could come to those woordes hastynge his matter thereto, he was come to theim and paste theim, and entred into other matters or the protectour came, whom when he beheld commynge, he sodninly lefte the matter whiche he had in hand, and without any deduccyon therunto out of all ordre, and out of all frame began to repete those woordes agayne. This is the very noble prince the especiall patrone of knightely prowes, whiche aswell in all princely behaueoure as in the liniamentes and fauour of his visage representeth the veraye face of the noble duke of Yorke his father. This is the fathers awne figure, this is his owne countenaunce, thc very print of his visage the sure vndoubted image, the plain expresse likenesse of that noble duke, whose remembraunce can neuer die while he liucth. While these wordes were in speakynge, the protectour accompaignied with the duke of Buckyngham, went through the people vp into the place where the doctors stand where they harde oute the sermond: but the people wer so far from criynge kynge Richard that they stoode as they had been turned into stoones for wonder of this shamefull sermonde: after whiche once ended ye precher gat hym home and neuer after durst loke out for shame but kept him out of sighte as an owle and when he asked any of his old frendes, what the people talked of him, although that his awne conscience well shewed hym that they talked no good, yet when the other answered hym, that there was in euery mannes mouthe of hym muche shame spoken it so strake him too the harte that in fewe dayes after he withered awaie.

Further base shameful stratagems from Richard next week

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Miscellany 40

MISCELLANY 40

THE P1TIFULL LIFE

OF KYNG EDWARD THE. V.

V: Richard’s Next Step

Richard now moves against those that support the young king, especially Lord Hastings, whom Richard suddenly accuses, at a meeting of the Council, of witchcraft and treason, and within minutes hauls him out and has him executed in the yard outside.  On the same day Richard arranges for the king’s supporting uncles from the Woodville family (who were arrested in Nottingham) to be executed.

When the protectour had both the chyldren in his possession, yea & that they were in a sure place, he then began to thrist to se the ende of his enterprise. And to auoyde al suspicion, he caused all the lordes whiche he knewe to bee faithfull to the kyng to assemble at Baynardes castle to commen of the ordre of the coronacion, whyle he and other of his complices & of his affinitee at Crosbies place contriued the contrary and to make the protectour kyng: to which counsail there were adhibite very fewe, and they very secrete. Then began here & there some maner of mutterynge emongest the people, as though all thyng should not long be well, though they wyst not what they feared nor wherfore: were it, that before suche greate thynges, mennes hertes (of a secrete instinct of nature) misgeueth theim, as the southwynde sometyme swelleth of hym selfe before a tempeste, or were it that some one manne happely somewhat perceiuyng, filled many men with suspicion thoughe he shewed fewe men what he knewe: howbeit, the dealing it selfe made men to muse on the matter, though the counsaill were close, for litle and litle all folke drewe from the tower where the kyng was and drewe to Crosbies place, so that the protectoure had all the resorte, and the kyng in maner desolate. Whyle some made suyte vnto theim that had the doyng, some of theim were by their frendes secretly warned, that it might happely turne them to no good to be to muche attendaunt on the kyng without the protectoures apoinctemente, whiche remoued diuersc of the kyng his olde seruauutes from him, and sette newe in their roumes aboute hym. Thus many thynges comyng together, partly by chaunce and partly by purpose, caused at length not comon people onely, whiche wauer with the wynde, but wyse men also and some lordes to marke the matter and muse ther vpon: in so much as the lorde Stanley whiche afterwarde was erle of Derby wysely mistrusted it and saied to the lord Hastynges, that he muche misliked these two seuerall coun[s]ailes, for while we, quod he, talke of one matter at the one place, litle wote we whereof they talke in the other: peace my lorde quod the lorde Hastynges, on my lyfe neuer doubte you, for while one man is there, which is neuer thence, neither can there be any thing once mynded that should sounde amisse to- warde me, but it should be in myne eares or it were well out their mouthes. This ment he by Catesby whiche was nere of his secrete counsail, and whom he familierly vsed in his most waightie matters, puttyng no man in so speciall truste as him reconyng him selfe to no man so liefe sith he wiste well there was no man to hym so much beholdyng as was this Catesby, which was a man wel learned in the lawes of this lande, and by the speciall fauoure of the lorde Hastynges in good aucthoritie and muche rule bare in the counties of Lecestre & Northampton where the lorde Hastynges power laye. But surely great pitie was it that he had not either more trueth or lesse wit, for hys dissimulacion onely, kept all that mischief vp, in whom if the lorde Hastynges had not put so speciall truste, the lorde Stanley and he with diuerse other lordes had departed into their countrees and broken all the daunce, for many euill signes that he sawe, whiche he nowe construed all for the beste, so surely thought he that there could be no harme towarde hym in that counsaill entended where Catesbye was. And of trueth the protectoure and the duke of Bukyngham made very good sembleaunce vnto the lorde Hastynges and kept hym muche in their compaignye. And vndoubtedly, the protectour loued hym well, and lothe was to haue loste him sauyng for feare leste his lyfe should haue quayled their purpose, for the whiche cause he moued Catesby to proue with some wordes cast out a farre of, whether he could thinke it possible to wynne the lorde Hastynges to their parte. But Catesby, whether he assayed him or assayed him not, reported vnto hym that he found him so fast, and herde him speake so terrible wordes that he durst no farther breake: and of a truth the lord Hastynges of very truste shewed vnto Catesby the mistruste that other began to haue in the matter. And therefore, he fearyng leste their mocions might with the lord Hastynges minishe his credence, where vnto onely all the matter leaned, procured the protectour hastely to ryd hym & much the rather, for he trusted by hys death to obtayne muche of the rule whiche the lord Hastynges bare in hys countree, the onely desyre whereof, was the thyng that enduced him to be procurer and one of the speciallest contriuers of all thys horrible treason. Where vpon the lorde protectour caused a counsaill to be set at the tower on the fridaye the thirtene daye of Iune, where was muche commonyng for the honourable solemnitee of the coronacion, of the whiche the tyme appoincted aproched so nere, that the pageauntes were a makyng daye & night at Westminster, and vitaile killed whiche afterwarde was caste awaye. These lordes thus sittyng comonyng of this matter, the protectour came in emong theim about nyne of the clocke salutyng theim curteously, excusyng him self that he had been from theim so long saiyng merely that he had been a sleper that daye. And after a litle talkyng with them he sayed to the bishopp of Ely, my lorde you haue verye good strawberies in youre garden at Holborne, I require you let vs haue a messe of theim. Gladly my lord (quod he) I would I had some better thing as redy to your pleasure as that, and with that in all hast he sente his seruaunt for a dishe of strawberies. The protectour set the lordes faste in comonyng and there vpon prayed theim to spare him alitle, and so he departed and came agayn betwene. x. and eleuen of the clocke into the chambre all chaunged with a sowre angry countenaunce knittyngthe browes, frownyng and fretyng and gnawyng on his lips and so set hym doune in his place. All the lordes were dismaied and sore marueyled of this maner and sodeyne chaunge and what thyng should hym ayle. When he had sitten a whyle, thus he began: What were they worthy to haue that compasse and ymagine the distruccion of me beyng so neare of bloud to the kyng & protectoure of this his royall realme: At which question, all the lordes sate sore astonyed, musyng muche by whom the question should be ment, of which euery man knew him self clere. Then the lorde Hastynges as he that for the familiaritie that was betwene theim, thought he might be boldest with him, aunswered and sayd that they were worthy to be punished as heynous traytours what soeuer they were, and all the other affirmed the same, that is (quod he) yonder sorceres my brothers wife and other with her, menyng the queue, at these woordes many of the lordes were sore abashed whiche fauoured her, but the lorde Hastynges was better content in hys mynde that it was moued by her then by any other that he loucd better, albeit hys hart grudged that he was not afore made of counsail of this matter as well as he was of the takyng of her kynred and of their puttyng to death, whiche were by hys assent before deuysed to be beheaded at Pomfrete, this selfe same daye, in the whiche he was not ware that it was by other deuised that he hym selfe should the same daye be beheaded at London: then sayed the protectour in what wyse that sorceresse and other of her counsayle, as Shores wyfe with her afiinilie haue by their sorcery and witche- crafte this wasted my body, and therwith plucked vp his doublet sleuc to his elbowe on hys lefte arme, where he shewed a weryshe wythered arme & small as it was neuer other. And therupon, euery manues mynde mysgaue theim, well pcrceyuyng that this matter was but a quarell, for well they wist that the quene was both to wyse to go about any such folye, & also if she would, yet would she of all folke make Shores wyfe least of her counsaile whom of all women she most hated as that cocubine whom the kyng her husband most loued. Also, there was no manne there but knewe that hys arme was euer such sith the day of his birth. Neuerthelcsse the lorde Hastynges, which from the death of kyng Edward kept Shores wife, whom he somwhat doted in the kynges lyfe, sauyng it is sayed that he forbare her for reuerence towarde his kyng, or els of a certayne kynde of fidelitie towarde his frend. Yet nowe his hart somewhat grudged to haue her whom he loued so highly accused, and that as he knewe well vntruely, therefore he aunswered and sayed, certaynly my lorde, yf they haue so done, they be worthy of heynous punishement. What, quod the protectour, thou seruest me I wene with yf and with and, I tell the they haue done it, and that wyll I make good on thy bodye traytour. And therewith (as in a great anger) he clapped his fyste on the borde a great rappe, at whiche token geue, one cried treason without the chamber, and therwith a doore clapped, and in came rushyng men in harncyes as many as the chamber could hold. And anone the protectoure sayed to the lorde Hastynges, I arrest the traytoure, what me my lorde quod he: yea the traytoure qd the protectour. And one let flye at the lorde Stanley, which shroncke at the stroacke and fell vnder the table, or els, hys head had bene cleft to the teth, for as shortly as he shrancke, yet ranne the bloud aboute his eares. Then was the Archebishop of Yorke and doctour Morton bishopp of Ely & the lorde Stanley taken and diuers other whiche were bestowed in dyuers chambers, saue the lorde Hastynges (whom the protectour comaunded to spede and shryue him apace) ['shrive' is to perform th act of Confession of Sins followed by Absolution by a priest, particularly when near death] for by sainct Poule (quod he) I wyll not dyne tyll I se thy head of, it boted hvm not to aske why, but heuily he toke a priest at auenture and made a shorte shrift for a lenger woulde not be suffered, the protectour made so much hast to his dyner, which might not go to it tyll this murther were done, for sauyng of hys vngracious oathe. So was he brought furthe into the grene besyde the chapel within the towre, and his head layed doune on a logge of tvmber that lay there for buildyng of the chapel, & there tyrannously striken of, and after his body and head wer enterred at Wyndcsore by his maister kyng Edward the forth, whose soules Iesu pardon. Amen.

A meruilous case it is to heard, either the warnynges that he should haue voyded, or the tokens of that he could not voyde. For the next night before his death, the lorde Stanley sent to him a trusty messenger at midnight in all the haste, requiryng hym to ryse and rvde awaye with hym, for he was disposed vtterly no lenger for to abyde, for he had a fearfull dreame in the whiche he thought that a bore with his tuskes so rased them bothe.

                                    

... Now was it deuised by the protectoure & his counsaile, that the same day that the lord Chamberlayne was headed in the towre of London and about the same houre should be beheaded at Poumfrete the earle Ryuers and the lorde Richarde the quenes sonne, syr Thomas Vaughan and sir Richard Haute, whiche as you heard were taken at Northampton and Stony Stratford by the consent of the lord Hastynges, whiche execution was done by the ordre & in the presence of sir Richard Ratclif knight, whose seruice the protectoure specially vsed in the counsail, and in the execution of suche lawlesse enterprises, as a man that had bene longe secrete with hym, hauyng experiece of the world & shrewed wytte, shorte and rude in speche, rough and boysterous of behauour, bold in mischiefe, as farre from pytie as from all feare of God. This knight brought these foure persons to the scaffolde at the daye apoincted, & shewed to all the people that they were tvaitours, not sufferyng the lordes to speake, & to declare their innocecy, least their wordes might haue enclined men to pytie them and to hate the protectour & his part & so without iudgment & processe of the lawe caused them to be beheaded without other yearthly gylt, but onely that they were good men and true to the kyng & to nye to the quene, insomuch as sir Thomas Vaughan goyng to his death sayed, A wo worthe them that toke the prophesie that G. should destroy kyng Edwardes children, meanyng that by the duke of Clarence lord George which for ye suspicion is now dead, but now remaineth Richard G. duke of Gloucester, which now I se is he that shall and will accomplishe the prophesie & destroye kynge Edwardes children & all their alyes & frendes, as it appereth by vs this day, who I appele to the high tribunal of God for his wrongful murthcr & our true innocencye. And then Ratclyfle sayed, you haue well apeled, lay doune youre head, ye qud syr Thomas, I dye in right, beware you dye not in wrong, and so that good knight was beheaded and the other three, and buryed naked in the monastery at Poumfret.

To be continued

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