Part 14

Which marriage king Edward (enuieng the prosperitie of his brother) both gaine said and disturbed, and thereby old malice reuiued betwixt them: which the quéene and hir bloud (euer mistrusting, and priuilie barking at the kings linage) ceassed not to increase. But sure it is, that although king Edward were consenting to his death; yet he much did both lament his infortunate chance, & repent his sudden execution: insomuch that when anie person sued to him for the pardon of malefactors condemned to death, he would accustomablie saie, & openlie speake: "Oh infortunate brother, for whose life not one would make sute." Openlie and apparantlie meaning by such words that by the meanes of some of the nobilitie he was deceiued and brought to confusion.

[Sidenote: Edward erle of Warwike sonne & heire to George duke of Clarence.]

[Sidenote: Margaret duchesse of Salisburie.]

This duke left behind him two yoong infants begot of the bodie of his wife, the daughter of Richard late earle of Warwike: which children by destinie as it were, or by their owne merits, following the steps of their ancestors, succéeded them in like misfortune and semblable euill chance. For Edward his heire, whome king Edward had created earle of Warwike was thrée and twentie yeares after, in the time of Henrie the seauenth, atteinted of treason, and on the Tower hill lost his head. Margaret his sole daughter maried to sir Richard Pole knight, and by Henrie the eight restored to the name, title, & possessions of the earldome of Salisburie, was at length for treason committed against the said Henrie the eight atteinted in open parlement; and sixtie two yeares after hir father had suffered death in the Tower, she on the gréene within the same place was beheaded. In whose person died the verie surname of Plantagenet, which from Geffrie Plantagenet so long in the bloud roiall of this realme had florished and continued.

[Sidenote: A great pestilence.]

After the death of this duke, by reason of great heat and distemperance of aire, happened so fierce & quicke a pestilence, that fiftéene yeares warre past consumed not the third part of the people, that onelie foure moneths miserablie and pitifullie dispatched & brought to their graues. So that if the number had béene kept by multiplieng of vnities, & out of them to haue raised a complet number, it would haue mooued matter of verie great admiration. But it should séeme that they were infinit, if consideration he had of the comparison, inferred for the more effectuall setting foorth of that cruell and ceaselesse contagion. And suerlie it soundeth to reason, that the pestilence should fetch awaie so manie thousands, as in iudgement by proportion of fiftéene yeares warre one maie gather; and manie more too. For euerie man knoweth that in warres, time, place, persons, and meanes are limited: time of warre begun and ended; place circumscribed; persons imbattelled, and weapons also whereby the fight is tried: so that all these haue their limitations, beyond which they haue no extent. But the pestilence, being a generall infection of the aire, an element ordeined to mainteine life, though it haue a limitation in respect of the totall compasse of the world; yet whole climats maie be poisoned: and it were not absurd to saie, that all and euerie part of the aire maie be pestilentlie corrupted; and so consequentlie not limited: wherefore full well it maie be said of the pestilence (procuring so great a depopulation) as one saith of surfetting:

[Sidenote: _Auson._]

Ense cadunt multi, perimit sed crapula plures.

[Sidenote: 1478]

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 18.]

The councellors of the yoong duchesse of Burgognie sent to K. Edward for aid against the French king. About the same time had the queene of England sent to the ladie Margaret duchesse of Burgognie, for the preferrement of hir brother Anthonie erle Riuers to the yoong damsell. But the councell of Flanders, considering that he was but an earle of meane estate, and she the greatest inheritrice of all christendome at that time, gaue but deafe eare to so vnméet a request. To which desire, if the Flemings had but giuen a liking eare by outward semblance, and with gentle words delaied the sute, she had beene both succoured and defended. Whether king Edward was not contented with this refusall, or that he was loth to breake with the French king, he would in no wise consent to send an armie into Flanders against the French king: but yet he sent ambassadours to him with louing and gentle letters, requiring him to grow to some reasonable order & agréement with the yoong duchesse of Burgognie, or at the least to take a truce with hir at his request.

The ambassadours of England were highlie receiued, bountifullie feasted, and liberallie rewarded, but answer to their desire had they none; sauing that shortlie after, the French king would send ambassadours, hostages, and pledges to the king of England their maister, for the perfecting and concluding of all things depending betweene them two; so that their souereigne lord & they should haue cause to be contented and pleased. These faire words were onelie delaies to driue time, vntill he might haue space to spoile the yoong damsell of hir townes and countries. And beside this, to staie king Edward from taking part with hir, he wrote to him, that if he would ioine with him in aid, he should haue and inioie to him and his heires the whole countie & countrie of Flanders, discharged of homage, superioritie and resort, to be claimed by the French king, or his successors.

[Sidenote: Large offers made to the king of England by the French king.]

He also wrote that he should haue the whole duchie of Brabant, whereof the French king offered at his owne cost and charge to conquer foure of the chiefest and strongest townes within the said duchie, & them in quiet possession to deliuer to the king of England: granting further to paie him ten thousand angels toward his charges, with munitions of warre and artillerie, which he promised to lend him, with men and carriage for the conueiance of the same. The king of England refused to make anie warres against those countries that were thus offered to him: but if the French king would make him partner of his conquest in Picardie, rendering to him part of the townes alreadie gotten, as Bologne, Monsterell, and Abuile, then he would suerlie take his part, and aid him with men at his owne costs and charges.

[Sidenote: 1479]

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 19]

Thus passed faire words and golden promises betwéene these two princes: and in the meane time the yoong duchesse of Burgognie was spoiled of hir townes, castels & territories, till at length for maintenance she condescended to marrie with Maximilian sonne to the emperour Frederike, that he might kéepe the woolfe from the fold. King Edward in the ninetéenth yeare of his reigne began (more than he was before accustomed) to serch the forfeiture of penall lawes and statutes, as well of the chéefe of his nobilitie as of other gentlemen, being proprietaries of great possessions, or abundantlie furnished with goods; likewise of merchants, and other inferior persons. By reason whereof, it was of all men iudged that he would proue hereafter a sore and a rigorous prince among his subiects. But this his new inuented practise and couetous meaning (by reason of forreine aifaires and abridgement of his dales in this transitorie life, which were within two yeares after consumed) tooke some (but not great) effect.

[Sidenote: _Abr. fl. ex I.S. pag. 747, 748._]

[Sidenote: Pestilence.]

[Sidenote: Vnaduised & vnséemelie demeanor punished with a fine.]

[Sidenote: Conduit in Cheape builded.]

¶ In this yeare was great mortalitie and death by the pestilence, not onelie in London, but in diuerse parts of the realme, which began in the latter end of September in the yeare last before passed, and continued all this yeare till the beginning of Nouember, which was about fourtéene moneths: in the which space died innumerable of people in the said citie & elsewhere. ¶ This yeare also the maior of London being in Paules, knéeling in his deuotions at saint Erkenwalds shrine, Robert Bifield one of the shiriffes vnaduisedlie knéeled downe nigh vnto the maior: whereof afterward the maior charged him to haue doone more than becomed him. But the shiriffe answering rudelie and stubbornlie, would not acknowledge to haue commited anie offense: for the which he was afterward by a court of aldermen fined at fiftie pounds to be paid toward the reparations of the conduits in London, which was trulie paid. ¶ This yeare Thomas Ilam one of the shirifs of London newlie builded the great conduit in Cheape, of his owne charges. ¶ This yeare also king Edward began his Christmasse at Waking, and at fiue daies end remooued to Gréenewich, where he kept out the other part of his Christmasse with great roialtie.

[Sidenote: 1480]

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 20.]

Ambassadours were sent to and fro betwixt the king of England and France, and still the French king fed the king of England with faire words, putting him in hope to match his sonne and heire the Dolphin with the ladie Elizabeth daughter to the king of England, according to the conclusions of agréement had and made at Picquenie betwixt them, although in verie déed he meant nothing lesse. His ambassadours euer made excuses if anie thing were amisse, and he vsed to send change of ambassadours; so that if those which had béene here before, and were returned, had said or promised anie thing (though they were authorised so to doo) which might turne to their masters hinderance, the other that came after, might excuse themselues by ignorance of that matter; affirming that they wanted commission once to talke or meddle with that matter: or if he perceiued that anie thing was like to be concluded contrarie to his mind, for a shift he would call his ambassadours home in great hast, and after send an other with new instructions nothing depending on the old.

[Sidenote: The French king féedeth the king of England with faire words and promises.]

Thus the French king vsed to dallie with king Edward in the case of this mariage, onelie to kéepe him still in amitie. And certeinelie the king of England, being a man of no suspicious nature, thought sooner that the sunne should haue fallen from his circle, than that the French king would haue dissembled or broken promise with him. But there is none so soone beguiled, as he that least mistrusteth; nor anie so able to decieue, as he to whome most credence is giuen. But as in mistrusting nothing, is great lightnesse; so in too much trusting, is to much follie: which well appeared in this matter. For the French king, by cloking his inward determinate purpose with great dissimulation and large promises, kept him still in fréendship with the king of England, till he had wrought a great part of his will against the yoong duchesse of Burgognie. Which king Edward would not haue suffered, if he had put anie great doubt in the French kings faire promises, considering that the crowne of France was in this meane time so much increased in dominions, to the great re-enforcement of that realme.

[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 746, 749._]

[Sidenote: Fiue théeues for sacrilege seuerelie executed.]

¶ On the two and twentith of Februarie were fiue notable théeues put to death, for robbing the church called saint Martins le grand in London, and other places; thrée of them were drawne to the Tower hill, hanged & burnt, the other two were pressed to death. A sore and seuere kind of execution no doubt, but yet thought by iustice meritorious in the malefactors, for their offences of sacrelege. Heinous enough had it beene to spoile a priuat man of his goods, and by law of nations punishable with death; but much more horrible, that prophane persons with polluted hands should priuilie or openlie so touch holie & consecrated things, as to take them out of a sacred place, whereto (for holy vses) they were dedicated, & applie them to the satisfieng of the corrupt concupiscences of their owne hearts, the bottomlesse gulfe whereof bicause no booties nor spoiles could satisfie; it stood with the high praise of iustice that they and their ceaselesse desires were seuered by deserued death; wherefore it is wiselie said by the comicall poet of such gréedie guts:

[Sidenote: _Plaut. in Rud._]

Quam quis auidus poscit escam auariter, Decipitur in transenna perítque auaritia.

[Sidenote: _Scala temporum._]

In this yeare king Edward required great sums of monie to be lent him. The citizens of London granted him fiue thousand marks, which were seized of the fiue and twentie wards: which fiue thousand marks was trulie repaid againe in the next yeare following. ¶ Also this yeare on Whitsundaie K. Edward the fourth created the lord Berkleie, vicount Berkeleie, at Gréenewich. ¶ In this yeare also an house on London bridge called the common siege, or priuie, fell downe into the Thames, where thorough it fiue persons were drowned. ¶ This yeare the king with his quéene kept a roiall Christmas at Windsor.

[Sidenote: The king feasteth the maior and aldermen.]

[Sidenote: _Fabian pag. 512._]

Also this yéere was one Richard Chawrie maior of London, whome king Edward so greatlie fauoured, that he tooke him (with certeine of his brethren the aldermen, & commons of the citie of London) into the forrest of Waltham, where was ordeined for them a pleasant lodge of gréene boughs, in which lodge they dined with great chéere; & the king would not go to dinner vntill he saw them serued. Moreouer he caused the lord chamberlaine, with other lords, to cheere the said maior and his companie sundrie times whilest they were at dinner. After dinner they went a hunting with the king, and slue manie deare, as well red as fallow, whereof the king gaue vnto the maior and his companie good plentie, and sent vnto the ladie mairesse and hir sisters the aldermens wiues, two harts, six bucks, and a tun of wine to make them merrie with, which was eaten in the drapers hall. The cause of which bountie thus shewed by the king, was (as most men did take) for that the maior was a merchant of woonderous aduentures into manie and sundrie countries. By reason whereof, the king had yearelie of him notable summes of monie for his customes, beside other pleasures that he had shewed vnto the king before times. ¶ This yéere the Scots began to stir, against whom the king sent the duke of Glocester & manie others, which returned againe without any notable battell.

[Sidenote: Ambassadors foorth of Scotland.]

In this verie season Iames the third of that name king of Scots sent into England a solemne ambassage for to haue the ladie Cicilie, king Edwards second daughter, to be married to his eldest sonne Iames, prince of Scotland, duke of Rothsaie, and earle of Caricke. King Edward and his councell, perceiuing that this affinitie should be both honourable and profitable to the realme, did not onelie grant to his desire; but also before hand disbursed certeine summes of monie, to the onelie intent that the marriage hereafter should neither be hindered nor broken. With this condition, that if the said mariage by anie accidentall meane should in time to come take none effect; or that king Edward would notifie to the king of Scots, or his councell, that his pleasure was determined to haue the said marriage dissolued: then the prouost and merchants of the towne of Edenburgh, should be bound for repaiment of the said summes againe. All which things were with great deliberation concluded, passed, and sealed, in hope of continuall peace and indissoluble amitie.

But king Iames was knowne to be a man so wedded to his owne opinion, that he could not abide them that would speake contrarie to his fansie: by meanes whereof, he was altogither led by the counsell and aduise of men of base linage, whome for their flatterie he had promoted vnto great dignities and honourable offices. By which persons diuerse of the nobilitie of his realme were greatlie misused and put to trouble, both with imprisonment, exactions, & death; insomuch that some of them went into voluntarie exile. Amongst whome Alexander duke of Albanie, brother to king Iames, being exiled into France, & passing through England, taried with K. Edward: and vpon occasion mooued him to make warre against his brother, the said king Iames, for that he forgetting his oth, promise, and affinitie concluded with king Edward, caused his subiects to make roads and forraies into the English borders, spoiling, burning, and killing king Edwards liege people.

[Sidenote: Preparations for warre against Scotland.]

[Sidenote: 1482]

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 22.]

[Sidenote: An armie sent into Scotland.]

King Edward, not a little displeased with this vnprincelie dooing, prouoked and set on also by the duke of Albanie, determined to inuade Scotland with an armie, as well to reuenge his owne injuries receiued at the hands of King Iames, as to helpe to restore the duke of Albanie vnto his countrie and possessions againe. Herevpon all the Winter season he mustered his men, prepared his ordinance, rigged his ships, and left nothing vnprouided for such a iournie: so that in the begining of the yeare, all things appertaining to the warre, and necessarie for his voiage, were in a readinesse. To be the cheefteine of his hoast, and lieutenant generall, Richard duke of Glocester was appointed by his brother king Edward; and with him were adioined as associats, Henrie the fourth earle of Northumberland, Thomas lord Stanleie lord steward of the kings house, the lord Louell, the lord Greiestocke, and diuerse other noblemen and worthie knights.

These valiant capteins came to Alnewike in Northumberland, about the beginning of Iulie, where they first incamped themselues, & marshalled their hoast. The fore-ward was led by the earle of Northumberland, vnder whose standard were the lord Scroope of Bolton, sir Iohn Middleton, sir Iohn Dichfield, and diuerse other knights, esquiers, & souldiers, to the number of six thousand and seauen hundred. In the midle-ward was the duke of Glocester, and with him the duke of Albanie, the lord Louell, the lord Greiestocke, sir Edward Wooduile, and other, to the number of fiue thousand & eight hundred men. The lord Neuill was appointed to follow, accompanied with thrée thousand. The lord Stanleie led the wing on the right hand of the dukes battell with foure thousand men of Lancashire & Cheshire. The lord Fitz Hugh, sir William a Parre, sir Iames Harrington, with the number of two thosand souldiers, guided the left wing. And beside all these, there were one thousand appointed to giue their attendance on the ordinance.

[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 749._]

[Sidenote: Creplegate builded.]

[Sidenote: _Records._]

¶ In this yeare Edmund Shaw goldsmith and maior of London newlie builded Creplegate from the foundation, which gate in old time had bene a prison, wherevnto such citizens and other as were arrested for debt (or like trespasses) were committed, as they be now to the counters, as maie appear by a writ of king Edward the second, in these words: Rex vic' London salutem. Ex graui querela capti & detenti in prisona nostra de Creplegate, prox. li. quas coram Radulpho Sandwico, tunc custode ciuitatis nostræ London, & I. de Blackewell custode recognit. debitorum, &c. King Edward held his Christmas at Eltham, and kept his estate all the whole feast in his great chamber; and the quéene in hir chamber, where were dailie more than two thousand persons. The same yeare on Candlemas day, he with his quéene went on procession from saint Stephans chappell into Westminster hall, accompanied with the earle of Angus, the lord Greie, & sir Iames Liddall, ambassadors from Scotland. And at his procéeding out of his chamber he made sir Iohn Wood vnder-treasuror of England, & sir William Catesbie one of the iustices of the c[=o]mon plées, knights.

[Sidenote: An. Reg. 23.]

[Sidenote: 1483.]

[Sidenote: Berwike woone by the Englishmen.]

But to returne to the kings affaires concerning Scotland. The roiall armie aforesaid not intending to lose time, came suddenlie by the water side to the towne of Berwike, and there (what with force, and what with feare of so great an armie) tooke and entered the towne: but the earle of Bothwell, being capteine of the castell, would in no wise deliuer it; wherfore the capteines, vpon good and deliberate aduise, planted a strong siege round about it. When this siege was laid, the two dukes and all the other souldiers (except the lord Stanleie, sir Iohn Eldrington treasurer of the kings house, sir William a Parre, and foure thousand men that were left behind to keepe the siege before the castell) departed from Berwike toward Edenburgh; and in marching thitherward, they burnt and destroied manie townes and bastiles. King Iames hauing small confidence in his communaltie, and lesse trust in his nobilitie, kept himselfe within the castell of Edenburgh.

The duke of Glocester entered into the towne, and at the especiall desire of the duke of Albanie saued the towne, and the inhabitants from fire, bloud, and spoile, taking onelie of the merchants, such presents as they gentlie offered to him and his capteins, causing Gartier principall king at armes to make a publike proclamation at the high crosse in the market place of Edenburgh; by the which he warned and admonished king Iames, to kéepe, obserue, and performe, all such promises, compacts, couenants, and agréements, as he had concluded and sealed with the king of England, and also to make sufficient recompense vnto his subiects, for the tyrannic, spoile, and crueltie which he and his people had committed and doone, contrarie to the league, within the marches of his realme of England, before the first daie of August next insuing: and further without delaie to restore his brother the duke of Albanie to his estate, & all his possessions, offices, and authorities, in as large maner as he occupied & inioied the same before. Or else the duke of Glocester, lieutenant generall for the king of England, was readie at hand to destroie him, his people, and countries, with slaughter, flame, and famine.

King Iames would make no answer, neither by word nor writing, but kept himselfe close within the castell. But the lords of Scotland lieng at Hadington with a great puissance, determined first to practise with the duke of Glocester for a peace, and after by some meanes to allure the duke of Albanie from the English amitie. And vpon this motion, the second daie of August they wrote to the duke of Glocester, requiring that the mariage betwéene the prince of Scotland, and king Edwards daughter might be accomplished, according to the couenants: and further, that a peace from thencefoorth might be louinglie concluded betwéene both the realmes. The duke of Glocester answered againe vnto these demands; that for the article of the mariage, he knew not the king his brothers determinate pleasure, either for the affirmance or deniall of the same; but neuerthelesse he desired full restitution of all the sums of monie prested out in lone vpon the same mariage. And as for peace, he assured them that he wold agrée to none, except the castell of Berwike might be to him deliuered; or at the least wise, that he should vndertake that the siege lieng afore the same should not be troubled by the king of Scots, nor by anie of his subiects, nor by his or their procurement or meanes.

[Sidenote: The bishiop elect of Murreie sent to the duke of Glocester.]