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
