Part 13

Although this motion séemed onelie to increase loue and continuall amitie betwéene the princes; yet the Frenchmen, hauing in their perfect remembrance the innumerable damages and hurts, which they of late daies had susteined by the English nation (whereby continuall hatred increased against them in France) thought by policie and wisedome, with faire words and friendlie countenance, to put by this request, and to motion them rather to depart homeward, than to pricke them forward to Paris; where peraduenture they might be so interteined at this time, that they would at another come thither, both vndesired and vnwelcomed. This peace was said to be made onelie by the Holie-ghost, bicause that on the daie of méeting, a white dooue sat on the top of the king of Englands tent: whether she sate there to drie hir, or came thither as a token giuen by God, I referre it to your iudgment. At this treatie and méeting was not the duke of Glocester, nor other lords which were not content with this truce, but the duke came afterwards to Amiens, with diuerse other lords of England, to the French king, which both highlie feasted them, and also presented them with plate and horsses well garnished.

King Lewes, considering what gaine the Englishmen had gotten by making warre in France; and what miserie, what calamitie, and what pouertie the French nation had suffered, and manie yeares susteined, by reason of the said warres; determined clearelie rather to pacifie and interteine the English nation by faire words and great rewards (although it were to his great charge) than by too much hardinesse to put himselfe, his nobilitie & realme in hazard, by giuing them battell, as his predecessors had vnwiselie doone at Poitiers, and at Agincourt. Wherefore to buie peace, he granted king Edward for a yearelie tribute fiftie thousand crownes, to be paied at London; which, accounting a crowne at foure shillings, amounteth to ten thousand pounds. And to haue the fauour and good will of his chiefe councellors, he gaue great pensions, amounting to the summe of sixteene thousand crownes a yeere, that is to saie: to his chancellor, to the lord Hastings his chiefe chamberleine, a man of no lesse wit than vertue, and of great authoritie with his maister, and that not without cause; for he had as well in time of aduersitie, as in the faire flattering world, well and trulie serued him: and to the lord Howard, to sir Thomas Montgomerie, to sir Thomas Sentleger, to sir Iohn Cheinie maister of the kings horsses, to the marques Dorsset, sonne to the queene, and diuerse other, he gaue great and liberall rewards, to the intent to keepe himselfe in amitie with England, while he wan and obteined his purpose and desire in other places.

These persons had giuen to them great gifts, beside yearelie pensions. For Argenton his councellor affirmed of his owne knowledge, that the lord Howard had in lesse than the tearme of two yeares, for reward in monie and plate, foure and twentie thousand crownes; & at the time of this méeting, he gaue to the lord Hastings the kings chiefe chamberleine, (as the Frenchmen write) an hundred markes of siluer, made in plate, whereof euerie marke is eight ounces sterling. But the English writers affirme, that he gaue the lord Hastings foure and twentie doozen bolles, that is to saie, twelue doozen gilt, & twelue doozen vngilt, euerie cup weieng seuentéene nobles: which gift, either betokened in him a great liberall nature, or else a great and especiall confidence that he had reposed in the said lord chamberleine. Beside this, he gaue him yearelie two thousand crownes pension, the which summe he sent to him by Piers Cleret, one of the maisters of his house, giuing him in charge to receiue of him an acquittance for the receipt of the same pension, to the intent that it should appeare in time to come, that the chancelor, chamberleine, admerall, maisters of the horsses to the king of England, and manie other of his councell, had bin in fée and pensionaries of the French king, whose yearelie acquittances (the lord Hastings onelie excepted) remaine of record to be shewed in the chamber of accounts in the palace of Paris.

When Piers Cleret had paied the pension to the lord Hastings, he gentlie demanded of him an acquittance for his discharge. Which request when he denied, he then onlie asked of him a bill of thrée lines to be directed to the king, testifieng the receipt of the pension: to the intent that the king your maister should not thinke the pension to be imbeselled. The lord Hastings, although he knew that Piers demanded nothing but reason, answered him: "Sir this gift commeth onelie of the liberall pleasure of the king his maister, and not of my request: if it be his determinat will that I shall haue it, then put you it into my sléeue; and if not, I praie you render to him his gift againe: for neither he nor you shall haue either letter, acquittance, or scroll signed with my hand of the receipt of anie pension, to the intent to brag another daie, that the kings chamberleine of England hath béene pensionarie with the French king, & shew his acquittance in the chamber of accounts, to his dishonor." Piers left his monie behind, and made relation of all things to his maister: which although that he had not his will, yet he much more praised the wisdome and policie of the lord Hastings, than of the other pensionaries, c[=o]mmanding him yearlie to be paied, without anie discharge demanding.

[Sidenote: K. Edward returneth into England.]

[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall fol._ Ccxxxvj.]

[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall fol._ Ccxxxvj.]

When the king of England had receiued his monie, and his nobilitie their rewards, he trussed vp his tents, laded his baggage, and departed towards Calis. [But yer he came there, he remembring the craftie dissimulation, and the vntrue dealing of Lewes earle of saint Paule, high constable of France, intending to declare him to the French king in his verie true likenesse and portrature, sent vnto him two letters of credence, written by the said constable, with the true report of all such words and messages as had béene to him sent, and declared by the said constable and his amdassadours. Which letters the French king gladlie receiued, and thankefullie accepted, as the cheefe instrument to bring the constable to his death; which he escaped no long season after, such is the end of dissemblers.] When king Edward was come to Calis, and had set all things in an order, he tooke ship, and sailed with a prosperous wind into England, and was roiallie receiued vpon Blackheath by the maior of London and the magistrates, and fiue hundred commoners apparrelled in murrie, the eight and twentith daie of September, and so conueied through the citie of Westminster, where for a while (after his long labour) he reposed himselfe [euerie daie almost talking with the queene his wife of the marriage of his daughter, whome he caused to be called Dolphinesse: thinking nothing surer than that mariage to take effect, according to the treatie. The hope of which marriage caused him to dissemble, and doo things which afterward chanced greatlie to the French kings profit, & smallie to his.]

[Sidenote: Sir Thomas M[=o]tgomerie.]

About the same season, the French king, to compasse his purpose for the getting of the constable into his hands, tooke truce with the duke of Burgognie for nine yeares as a contractor in the league, and not comprehended as an other princes alie. The king of England aduertised hereof, sent ouer sir Thomas Montgomerie to the French king, offering to passe the seas againe the next summer in his aid, to make warres on the duke Burgognie; so that the French king should paie to him fiftie thousand crownes for the losse which he should susteine in his custome, by reason that the woolles at Calis (bicause of the warres) could haue no vent, and also paie halfe the charges and halfe the wages of his souldiers and men of warre. The French king thanked the king of England for his gentle offer, but he alledged that the truce was alreadie concluded, so that he could not then attempt anie thing against the same without reproch to his honour.

[Sidenote: 1475.]

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 15.]

[Sidenote: Henrie earle of Richmond.]

But the truth was, the French king neither loued the sight nor liked the companie of the king of England on that side the sea; but when he was here at home, he both loued him as his brother, and tooke him as his freend. Sir Thomas Montgomerie was with plate richlie rewarded, and so dispatched. There returned with him the lord Howard and sir Iohn Cheinie, which were hostages with the French king, till the English armie were returned into England. King Edward, hauing established all things in good order, as men might iudge, both within his realme and without, was yet troubled in his mind, for that Henrie the earle of Richmond (one of the bloud of king Henrie the sixt) was aliue, and at libertie in Britaine: therefore to attempt eftsoones the mind of Francis duke of Britaine, he sent ouer vnto the said duke, one doctor Stillington, and two other his ambassadors laden with no small summe of gold.

[Sidenote: Ambassadors into Britaine.]

[Sidenote: The earle of Richmond taketh sanctuarie.]

These ambassadors, declaring their message, affirmed that the king their maister willed to haue the earle of Richmond onelie for this purpose, to ioine with him in aliance by marriage, and so to plucke vp all the leauings or discord betwéene him and the contrarie faction. The duke gentlie heard the orators. And though at the first he by excuses denied their request, yet at the length, beléeuing that king Edward would giue to the earle his eldest daughter, the ladie Elizabeth in marriage, he consented to deliuer him, and receiued of the English orators a great summe of monie. But yer they were imbarked with their preie, the duke being aduertised, that the earle of Richmond was not so earnestlie sought for, to be coupled in mariage with king Edwards daughter; but rather that his head might be chopped off with an hatchet, caused his treasuror Peter Landoise to conueie the said earle of Richmond into a sanctuarie at S. Malo, where the English ambassadors then laie, onelie staieng for a conuenient wind: who complained, that they were euill vsed, to be spoiled both of their monie and merchandize.

Yet bicause the matter was so handled, that it séemed the earle escaped into the sanctuarie through their owne negligence, after they had receiued him into their hands; they were soone answered: but yet promise was made, that the earle should be safelie kept, either in the sanctuarie, or else as prisoner in the dukes house, that they should not néed to feare him more than his shadow. And thus the king of England purchased for his monie the kéeping of his enimie, the space onelie of three daies and no more. King Edward was somewhat displeased with this chance, but yet trusting that the duke of Britaine would (according to promise) see the earle of Richmond safelie kept from dooing anie gréeuance to him or his subiects, put all doubts therof out of his mind, and began to studie how to kéepe a liberall princelie house, and therevpon storing his chests with monie, he imploied no small portion in good housekéeping.

[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl. ex Edw. Hall fol._ Ccxxxvij.]

¶ But hauing spoken thus much of the earle of Richmond, whome Edward Hall compareth to a shéepe betraied into the téeth and clawes of the woolfe, you shall vnderstand, that at such time as his troubles were set fresh abroach, and he knowing that he was going towards his death, for verie pensifenesse and inward thought, fell into a feruent and sore ague. In which verie season, one Iohn Cheulet, so estéemed among the princes of Britaine as few were in all the countrie, and in much credit, and well accepted with the duke, was (when these things were thus concluded) for his solace in the countrie. Who being hereof certified, was chafed with the abhomination of the fact, resorted to the court, and familiarlie came to the dukes presence, where he stood so sadlie and so palie, without anie word speaking, that the duke was much abashed, and suddenlie maruelled at his sad and frowning countenance, and demanded of him what should signifie that dumpishnesse of mind, and inward sighing, the which by his countenance manifestlie appeared and was euident? He modestlie answered; "Most noble and redoubted lord, this palenesse of visage and deadlie looke dooth prognosticate the time of my death to approach and be at hand, which if it had chanced to me before this daie, I assure you, it had much lesse hurt me. For then had I not beene reserued to féele the dolorous pangs and sorowfull sighings, which a fact by you doone (that I thought impossible to be obteined) hath printed in my stomach and in my heart deeplie grauen: so that I well perceiue, that either I shall lose my life, or else liue in perpetuall distresse and continuall miserie.

"For you my singular good lord, by your vertuous acts and noble feats, haue gotten to you in manner an immortall fame, which in euerie mans mouth is extolled & aduanced aboue the high clouds. But alas me séemeth (I praie you pardon me my rudenesse) that now that you haue obteined so high praise and glorie, you nothing lesse regard than to kéepe and preserue the same inuiolate, considering that you, forgetting your faith and faithfull promise made to Henrie earle of Richmond, haue deliuered the most innocent yoong gentleman to the cruell tormentors, to be afflicted, rent in péeces, and slaine. Wherefore all such as loue you, of the which number I am one, cannot choose but lament & be sorie, when they sée openlie the fame and glorie of your most renowmed name, by such a disloialtie and vntruth against promise, to be both blotted and stained with a perpetuall note of slander and infamie." "Peace mine owne good Iohn (quoth the duke) I praie thée, beléeue me there is no such thing like to happen to the earle of Richmond: for king Edward hath sent for him, to make of him, being his suspected enimie, his good and faire sonne in law."

"Well well (quoth Iohn) my redoubted lord, giue credence vnto me: the earle Henrie is at the verie brinke to perish, whome if you permit once to set but one foot out of your power and dominion, there is no mortall creature able héereafter to deliuer him from death." The duke being mooued with the persuasions of Iohn Cheulet, which either little beléeued, or smallie suspected king Edward, to desire the earle for anie fraud or deceipt, or else seduced by blind auarice and loue of monie, more than honestie, fidelitie, or wisedome would require, did not consider what he vnaduisedlie did, or what he aduisedlie should haue doone. Wherefore, with all diligence he sent foorth Peter Landoise his chéefe treasuror, commanding him to intercept and slaie the earle of Richmond, in all hast possible, as before you haue heard.

[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl. ex. I. S. pag. 752._]

[Sidenote: Sir Iohn Crosbie his gift to the citie.]

¶ In this yeare deceassed sir Iohn Crosbie knight, (not long before this, maior of London) and was buried in the parish church of saint Helen in Bishops gate stréet, vnto the reparing of which parish church he gaue fiue hundred marks, and thirtie pounds to be distributed to poore housholders in the ward of Bishops gate: to the reparing of the parish church at Heneworth in Middlesex fortie pounds: to the repairing of London wall one hundred pounds: toward the making of a new tower of stone at the southend of London bridge, if the same were begun by the maior and communaltie within ten yeares next after his deceasse, one hundred pounds: to the reparations of Rochester bridge ten pounds: to euerie the prisons in and about London liberallie. Also he gaue to the wardens and communaltie of the grocers in London two large pots of siluer chased halfe guilt, weieng thirtéene pounds and fiue ounces of Troie weight, to be occupied in their common hall, and elsewhere, at their discretions.

[Sidenote: _I. S. pag._ 745.]

[Sidenote: Knights made by the king.]

[Sidenote: Litilton]

In this yeare were inhanced to the honour of knighthood, after the custome of England, in the time of peace the kings eldest son Edward prince of Wales, duke of Cornewall, and earle of Chester, his second sonne the duke of Yorke, and with them the earle of Lincolnes sonne and heire, the duke of Suffolke, the lord Thomas Greie, the quéenes sonne, and Richard his brother, the earle of Shrewesburie, the earle of Wilshire, master Edward Wooduile, the lord Neuill, the lord Barkleis sonne and heire, the lord Audelies sonne and heire, the lord saint Amand, the lord Stanleis sonne and heire, the lord Suttons sonne and heire, the lord Hastings sonne and heire, the lord Ferrers of Charleis sonne and heire, master Herbert brother to the earle of Penbroke, master Vaughan Brian chiefe iudge, Litilton one of the iudges of the common plées, master Bodringham, master Brian Stapleton, Kneuit, Pilkinton, Ludlow, Charleton &c. The same daie the king created the lord Thomas marquesse Dorset before dinner, and so in the habit of a marquesse aboue the habit of his knighthood he began the table of knights in saint Edwards chamber. At that time he ordeined that the kings chamberleine should go with the ancient and well nurtered knight, to aduertise and teach the order of knighthood to the esquiers, being in the baine. The king himselfe came in person and did honour to all the companie with his noble councell.

[Sidenote: 1476]

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 16.]

[Sidenote: The death of the duke of Burgognie.]

This yeare the duke of Burgognie was slaine by the Switzers, before the towne of Nancie in Lorraine, after whose death the French king wan all the townes which the said duke held in Picardie and Artois. And bicause that the towne of Bullen and countie of Bullenois apperteined by right of inheritance vnto the lord Berthram de la Toure, earle of Auuergne, the French king bought of him his right and title in the same, and recompensed him with other lands in the countie of Forests, and in other places. And bicause the forenamed towne and countie were holden of the earledome of Artois he changed the tenure, and auowed to hold the same towne & countie of our ladie of Bolongne and therof did homage to the image in the great church of Bolongne, offering there an hart of gold, weieng two thousand crownes; ordeining further, that his heires and successors at their entrie into their estates, by themselues or their deputies should offer an hart of like weight and value, as a reliefe and homage for the same towne and countie.

[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 745._]

[Sidenote: Agnes Daintie on the pillorie.]

¶ This yeare was Robert Basset maior of London, who did sharpe correction vpon bakers, for making of light bread, he caused diuerse of them to be set on the pillorie in Cornehill. And also one Agnes Daintie a butterwife for selling of butter new and old mingled togither, being first trapped with butter dishes, was then set on the pillorie. ¶ The countesse of Oxford deceassed and was buried at Windsore. ¶ Also this yeare Richard Rawson one of the shiriffes of London, caused to be builded one house in the church yard of S. Marie hospitall without Bishops gate of London, where the maior of that citie and his brethren the aldermen vse to sit and heare the sermons in the Easter holiedaies, as in times past appeared by an inscription on the front of the same house, now by wethering defaced, which I haue read in these words: Praie for the soules of Richard Rawson late Mercer and alderman of London, and Isabell his wife, of whose goods this worke was made and founded. Anno Dom. 1488.

[Sidenote: 1477]

[Sidenote: Part of L[=o]don wall new builded.]

[Sidenote: _Iohn Rouse._]

[Sidenote: Bishops gate new builded.]

By the diligence of Ralph Iosseline maior of London the wall about London was new made betwixt Algate and Creplegate: he caused the Moore field to be searched for claie, and bricke to be made and burnt there: he also caused chalke to be brought out of Kent, and in the same Moore field to be burnt into lime, for the furtherance of that worke. The maior with his companie of the drapers made all that part betwixt Bishops gate and Alhalowes church in the same wall. Bishops gate it selfe was new built by the merchants Almans of the Stilliard, and from Alhalowes church toward Moore gate a great part of the same was builded of the goods, & by the executors of sir Iohn Crosbie somtimes an alderman of London, as may appeare by his armes in two places fixed. The companie of Skinners made that part of the wall betweene Algate and Buries markes towards Bishops gate, as may appeare by their armes in thrée places fixed: the other companies of the citie made the other deale of the said wall, which was a great worke to be doone in one yeare.

[Sidenote: Burdet for a word spoken beheaded.]

[Sidenote: _Enguerant._]

[Sidenote: Register of the Greie friers.]

Also this yeare Thomas Burdet an esquier of Arrow in Warwikeshire, sonne to sir Nicholas Burdet (who was great butler of Normandie in Henrie the sixt daies) was beheaded for a word spoken in this sort. King Edward in his progresse hunted in Thomas Burdets parke at Arrow, and slue manie of his deere, amongst the which was a white bucke, whereof Thomas Burdet made great account. And therefore when he vnderstood thereof, he wished the buckes head in his bellie that mooued the king to kill it. Which tale being told to the king, Burdet was apprehended and accused of treason, for wishing the buckes head (hornes and all) in the kings bellie: he was condemned, drawne from the Tower of London to Tiburne, and there beheaded, and then buried in the Greie friers church at London. Wherefore it is good counsell that the wiseman giueth, saieng: Kéepe thy toong & kéepe thy life, for manie times we sée, that spéech offendeth & procureth mischéefe, where silence is author neither of the one nor the other, as it is trulie and in praise of silence spoken by the poet:

----nulli tacuisse nocet, nocet esse loquutum.

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 17.]

[Sidenote: George duke of Clarence drowned in a butt of malmesie.]

About this season, through great mishap, the sparke of priuie malice was newlie kindled betwixt the king and his brother the duke of Clarence, insomuch that where one of the dukes seruants was suddenlie accused (I can not saie whether of truth, or vntrulie suspected by the dukes enimies) of poisoning, sorcerie or inchantment, and thereof condemned, and put to execution for the same; the duke which might not suffer the wrongfull condemnation of his man (as he in his conscience iudged) nor yet forbeare but to murmur and reproue the dooing thereof, mooued the king with his dailie exclamation to take such displeasure with him, that finallie the duke was cast into the Tower, and therewith adiudged for a traitor, and priuilie drowned in a butt of malmesie, the eleuenth of March, in the beginning of the seuententh yeare of the kings reigne.

[Sidenote: Prophesies diuelish fantasies.]

Some haue reported, that the cause of this noble mans death rose of a foolish prophesie, which was, that after K. Edward one should reigne, whose first letter of his name should be a G. Wherewith the king and quéene were sore troubled and began to conceiue a gréeuous grudge against this duke, and could not be in quiet till they had brought him to his end. And as the diuell is woont to incumber the minds of men which delite in such diuelish fantasies, they said afterward, that that prophesie lost not his effect, when after king Edward, Glocester vsurped his kingdome. Other alledged, that the cause of his death was for that the duke, being destitute of a wife, by the meanes of his sister the ladie Margaret, duchesse of Burgognie, procured to haue the ladie Marie, daughter and heire to hir husband duke Charles.