Part 15

The Scotish lords, vpon this answer and demands of the duke of Glocester, sent to him the elect of Murreie, and the lord Dernleie, which excused the matter touching the repaiment of the monie: for that the time of the lawfull contract of the said marriage was not yet come, and no daie appointed for the monie to be paied before the contract begun. But for further assurance either for the contract to be made, or for the paiment of the monie, they promised therevnto accordinglie (as reason should require) to agrée. Secondarilie, as touching the castell of Berwike, they alledged, that it apperteined to the realme of Scotland, as the old inheritance of the same.

The duke, notwithstanding all that they could saie, would agrée to no peace, except the castell of Berwike might be deliuered to the K. of England. And so the messengers departed. The same daie the archbishop of S. Andrews, the bishop of Dunkeld, Colin earle of Argile, lord Campbell, and lord Andrew lord of Anandale chancellor of Scotland, wrote to the duke of Albanie, a solemne and an autenticall instrument, signed and sealed with their hands and seales, concerning a generall pardon to him and his servants, vpon certeine conditions to be granted; which conditions seemed to be so reasonable, that the duke of Albanie, desirous to be restored to his old estate, possessions, and natiue countrie, willinglie accepted the same.

[Sidenote: The duke of Albanie restored home.]

[Sidenote: He is created great lieutenant of Scotland.]

But before he departed from the duke of Glocester, he promised both by word and writing of his owne hand, to doo and performe all such things, as he before that time had sworne and promised to king Edward: notwithstanding anie agréement now made, or after to be made with the lords of Scotland. And for performance of the effect hereof, he againe tooke a corporall oth, and sealed the writing before the duke of Glocester, in the English campe at Leuington besides Hadington, the third daie of August, in the yeare 1482. After he was restored, the lords of Scotland proclamed him great lieutenant of Scotland; and in the kings name made proclamation, that all men within eight daies should be readie at Craushaus, both to raise the siege before the castell, and for the recouering againe of the towne of Berwike.

The duke of Albanie wrote all this preparation to the duke of Glocester, requiring him to haue no mistrust in his dealings. The duke of Glocester wrote to him againe his mind verie roundlie, promising that he with his armie would defend the besiegers from all enimies that should attempt to trouble them, or else die in the quarell. To be briefe, when the lords of Scotland saw that it booted them not to assaie the raising of the siege, except they should make account to be fought withall, they determined to deliuer the castell of Berwike to the Englishmen, so that therevpon there might be an abstinence of warre taken for a season.

And herewith they sent to the duke of Glocester a charter indented, which was dated the foure and twentith daie of August, in the said yeare 1482 contracted betwéene the duke of Glocester lieutenant generall for the king of England, & Alexander duke of Albanie lieutenant for Iames king of Scots; that an especiall abstinence of warre should be kept betwixt the realmes of England and Scotland, as well by sea as by land, to begin the eighth daie of September next comming, & to indure till the fourth daie of Nouember next following. And in the same season, the towne & castell of Berwike to be occupied and remaine in the reall possession of such, as by the king of Englands deputie should be appointed.

[Sidenote: The castell of Berwike deliuered.]

Herevnto the duke of Glocester agreed, and so then was the castell of Berwike deliuered to the lord Stanleie, and other thereto appointed; who therein put both Englishmen and artillerie, sufficient to defend it against all Scotland, for six months. The duke of Albanie also caused the prouost and burgesses of Edenburgh, to make a sufficient instrument obligatorie to king Edward, for the true satisfaction and contentation of the same monie, which he also sent by the said prouost to the duke of Glocester to Alnewike; the verie copie whereof hereafter followeth.

The true copie of the said instrument obligatorie.

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

Be it knowne to all men by these present letters, vs Walter Bertraham, prouost of the towne of Edenburgh in Scotland, and the whole fellowship, merchants, burgesses, & communaltie of the same towne, to be bound and obliged by these presents, vnto the most excellent, and most mightie prince Edward, by the grace of God king of England. That where it was communed and agreed betweene his excellencie on the one part, and the right high & mightie prince our souereigne lord, Iames king of Scots on the other part, that mariage and matrimonie should haue beene solemnized and had betwixt a mightie and excellent prince Iames the first begotten sonne and heire apparent to our souereigne lord aforesaid, & the right noble princesse Cicilie, daughter to the said Edward K. of England; and for the said mariage to haue beene performed, certeine and diuerse great summes of monie bene paid and contented by the most excellent prince, vnto our souereigne lord aforesaid, as by certeine writings betwixt the said princes therevpon made more at large plainlie appeares.

That if it be the pleasure of the said Edward king of England, to haue the said mariage to be performed and completed, according to the said communication in writing, that then it shall be well and trulie, without fraud, deceipt, or collusion obserued, kept, and accomplished on the partie of our souereigne lord aforesaid, & the nobles spirituall and temporall of the realme of Scotland. And if it be not the pleasure of the said excellent prince Edward king of England, to haue the said mariage performed and completed; that then we Walter, prouost, burgesses, merchants, and commons of the aboue named towne of Edenburgh, or anie of vs, shall paie and content to the king of England aforesaid, all the summes of monie that was paied for the said mariage, at such like termes & daies immediatlie insuing after the refusall of the said mariage, and in such like maner & forme as the said summes were afore deliuered, contented and paied; that then this obligation and bond to be void, and of no strength. Prouided alwaies, that the said Edward king of England, shall giue knowledge of his pleasure and election in the premisses in taking or refusing of the said mariage, or of repaiment of the said sums of monie, to our said souereigne lord, or lords of his councell, or to vs the said prouost, merchants, or any of vs, within the realme of Scotland, being for the time, betwixt this & the feast of Alhalowes next to come.

To the which paiment well and trulie to be made, we bind and oblige vs, & euerie of vs, our heires, successors, executors, and all our goods, merchandizes, & things what soeuer they be, where soeuer, or in what place, by water or by land, on this side the sea or beyond, we shall happen to be found, anie league, anie truce or safegard made or to be made, notwithstanding. In witnesse whereof to this our present writing, and letters of bond, we, the said prouost, burgesses, merchants, and communitie, haue set our common seale of the said towne of Edenburgh, the fourth daie of Aueust, the yeare of our Lord God, 1482. Giuen in the presence of the right miehtie prince Richard duke of Glocester, Alexander duke of Albanie, the reuerend father in God Iames bishop of Dunkeld, & the right noble lord Henrie earle of Northumberland, Colin earle of Argile, Thomas lord Stanleie, maister Alexander English, and others, &c.

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[Sidenote: Gartier king of armes is sent into Scotland.]

So that you see it was conteined in the said instrument or writing, that king Edward should intimate his pleasure vnto the said prouost and burgesses of Edenburgh, before the feast of Alsaints next following, whether he would the mariage should take place, or that he would haue the paiment of the monie. According to which article, king Edward sent Gartier his principall king of armes, and Northumberland herald, to declare his refusall of the mariage, and the election and choise of the repaiment of the monie. They came to Edenburgh eight daies before the feast of Alsaints, where (according to their commission and instructions) Gartier declared the pleasure of the king his maister vnto the prouost and burgesses of Edenburgh, to whom he openlie said as followeth.

The intimation of Gartier king of armes to the Edenburghers.

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

I Gartier king of armes, seruant, proctour and messenger vnto the most high and mightie prince, my most dread souereigne lord Edward, by the grace of God king of England and of France, and lord of Ireland, by vertue of certeine letters of procuracie here readie to be shewed to me, by my said souereigne lord made and giuen, make notice and giue knowledge vnto you prouost, burgesses, merchants and communaltie of the towne of Edenburgh in Scotland, that whereas it was sometime communed and agreed betweene my said souereigne lord on the one partie, and the right high & mightie prince Iames king of Scots on the other partie, that mariage and matrimonie should haue beene solemnized, and had betweene Iames the first begotten sonne of the said king of Scots, and ladie Cicilie, daughter to my said souereigne lord the king of England.

And for the said mariage to haue been performed, certeine and diuers great sums of monie beene paied and contented by my said souereigne lord, which summes of monie, in case of refusall of the said mariage, by my said souereigne lord to be made and declared, yée the said prouost, burgesses, merchants, and communaltie, and euerie one of you are bound and obliged by your letters, vnder your common seale of your towne of Edenburgh, to repaie vnto his highness vnder like forme, & at such termes as they were first paied. So that the king my souereigne lord would make notice and knowledge of his pleasure and election in taking or refusing of the said mariage, of the repaiment of the said sums of monie, before the feast of Alhalowes next to come; like as in your said letters, bearing date at Edenburgh the fourth daie of August last past, it was conteined all at large.

The pleasure and election of my said souereigne lord, for diuerse causes and considerations him moouing, is to refuse the accomplishment of the said mariage, and to haue the repaiment of all such summes of monie, as (by occasion of the said betrusted mariage) his highnesse had paied. The said repaiment to be had of you prouost, burgesses, merchants, and communaltie, and euerie of you, your heires and successours, according to your bond and obligation afore rehearsed. And therefore I giue you notice & knowledge by this writing, which I deliuer vnto you, within the terme in your said letters limited and expressed, to all intents and effects, which thereof may insue.

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When Gartier had thus declared all things giuen to him in charge, the prouost and other burgesses made answer, that they now knowing the kings determinat pleasure, would (according to their bond) prepare for the repaiment of the said summes; and gentlie interteining Gartier conueied him to Berwike, from whence he departed to Newcastell, to the duke of Glocester, making relation to him of all his dooings: which duke with all speed returned to Shrithuton, and there abode. Shortlie after Gartiers departing, the duke of Albanie, thinking to obteine againe the high fauour of the king his brother, deliuered him out of captiuitie and prison, wherin he had a certeine space continued (not without the dukes assent, which besieged him in the castell of Edenburgh a little before) and set him at large, of whome outwardlie he receiued great thanks, when inwardlie nothing but reuenging & confusion was in the kings stomach fullie setled. So that shortlie after in the kings presence he was in ieopardie of his life, and all vnprouided for dread of death, constrained to take a small balinger, and to saile into France, where shortlie after riding by the men of armes, which incountered at the tilt, by Lewes then duke of Orleance, after French king, he was with mischarging of a speare by fortunes peruerse countenance pitifullie slaine and brought to death, leauing after him one onelie son named Iohn, which being banished Scotland, inhabited and maried in France, and there died.

How dolorous, how sorrowfull is it to write, and much more painefull to remember the chances and infortunities that happened within two yeares in England and Scotland, betwéene naturall brethren. For king Edward, set on by such as enuied the estate of the duke of Clarence, forgetting nature and brotherlie amitie, consented to the death of his said brother. Iames king of Scots, putting in obliuion that Alexander his brother was the onelie organ and instrument, by whome he obteined libertie & fréedome, seduced and led by vile and malicious persons, which maligned at the glorie and indifferent iustice of the duke of Albanie, imagined and compassed his death, and exiled him for euer. What a pernicious serpent, what a venemous toade, and what a pestiferous scorpion is that diuelish whelpe, called priuie enuie. Against it no fortresse can defend, no caue can hide, no wood can shadow, no fowle can escape, nor no beast can auoid. Hir poison is so strong, that neuer man in authoritie could escape from the biting of hir téeth, scratching of hir pawes, blasting of hir breth, & filth of hir taile. Notable therefore is the Gréeke epigram in this behalfe, touching enuie of this kind, which saith, that a worsse thing than enuie there is not in the world, and yet hath it some goodnesse in it: for it consumeth the eies and the hart of the enuious. The words in their owne toong sententiouslie sound thus:

®ho phthonos esi kakiston, echei de ti kalon en autô, têka gar phthondrôn ommata kai kradian®

Although king Edward reioised that his businesse came to so good a conclusion with the Scots, yet he was about the same time sore disquieted in his mind towards the French king, whome he now perceiued to haue dallied with him, as touching the agreement of the mariage to be had betwixt the Dolphin and his daughter the ladie Elizabeth. For the lord Howard, being as then returned out of France, certified the king (of his owne knowledge) how that he being present, saw the ladie Margaret of Austrich daughter to duke Maximilian, sonne to the emperor Frederike, receiued into France with great pompe and roialtie, and at Ambois to the Dolphin contracted and espoused. King Edward highlie displeased with such double and vniust dealing of the French king, called his nobles togither, and opened to them his gréefes; who promised him for redresse thereof, to be readie with all their powers to make warres in France at his pleasure and appointment.

But whilest he was busie in hand to make his purueiance for warres thus against France, whether it was with melancholie and anger, which he tooke with the French kings dooings and vncourteous vsage; or were it by any superfluous surfet (to the which he was verie much giuen) he suddenlie fell sicke, and was so gréeuouslie taken, that in the end he perceiued his naturall strength in such wise to decaie, that there was little hope of recouerie in the cunning of his physicians, whome he perceiued onlie to prolong his life for a small time. Wherefore he began to make readie for his passage into another world, not forgetting (as after shall appeare) to exhort the nobles of his realme (aboue all things) to an vnitie among themselues. And hauing (as he tooke it) made an attonement betwixt the parties that were knowne to be scant freends, he commended vnto their graue wisedoms the gouernment of his sonne the prince, and of his brother the duke of Yorke, during the time of their tender yeares. But it shall not be amisse to adde in this place the words which he is said to haue spoken on his death-bed, which were in effect as followeth.

The words of king Edward vttered by him on his death-bed.

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

My welbeloued and no lesse betrusted fréends, councellors, and alies, if we mortall men would dailie and hourlie with our selues reuolue, and intentiuelie in our hearts ingraue, or in our minds seriouslie ponder, the fraile and fading imbecillitie of our humane nature, and the vnstablenesse of the same: we should apparantlie perceiue, that we being called reasonable creatures, and in that predicament compared and ioined with angels, be more worthie to be named and déemed persons vnreasonable, and rather to be associate in that name with brute beasts called vnreasonable (of whose life and death no creature speaketh) rather than in that point to be resembled to the angelicall societie and reasonable companie.

For while health in vs florisheth, or prosperitie aboundeth, or the glosing world laugheth, which is he, so reasonable of vs all, that can saie (if he will not er from the truth) that he once in a wéeke remembreth his fatall end, or the prescribed terme of his induring; or once prouided by labour, studie, or otherwise, to set a stedfast and sure order for the securitie, profit, and continuance either of his possessions & dominions, or of his sequele and posteritie which after him shall naturallie succéed. Such is the blindnesse of our fraile and weake nature, euer giuen to carnall concupiscence and worldlie delectations, dailie darkened and seduced with that lithargious and deceiuable serpent called hope of long life, that all we put in obliuion our duetie present, and lesse remember the politike purueiance for things to come: for blindlie we walke in this fraile life, till we fall groueling, with our eies suddenlie vpon death.

The vanities of this world be to vs so agreeable, that when we begin to liue, we estéeme our life a whole world; which once ouerpassed, it sheweth no better but dust driuen awaie with a puffe of wind. I speake this to you of my selfe, and for your selues to you; sore lamenting and inwardlie bewailing, that I did not performe & finallie consummate such politike deuises, & good and godlie ordinances, in my long life and peaceable prosperitie, which then I fullie determined to haue begun, set forward, and completlie to haue finished. Which now for the extreame paines and tortures of my angrie maladie, and for the small terme of my naturall life, I can neither perform, neither yet liue to sée either to take effect, or to sort to anie good conclusion.

For God I call to record, my heart was fullie set, and my mind deliberative determined, so to haue adorned this realme with wholesome lawes, statutes and ordinances; so to haue trained and brought vp mine infants and children in vertue, learning, actiuitie, and policie, that, what with their roiall puissance, & your fréendlie assistance, the proudest prince of Europe durst not once attempt to mooue anie hostilitie, against them, you, or this realme. But oh Lord, all things that I of long time haue in my mind reuolued and imagined, that stealing théefe death goeth about to subuert, and in the moment of an houre cléerelie to ouertred. Wherefore (as men saie) I now being driuen to the verie hard wall, haue perfect confidence and sure hope in the approued fidelitie, and constant integritie, which I haue euer experimented and knowne to be rooted and planted in the hearts of your louing bodies, towards me and mine.

So that I may saie and auouch, that neuer prince bearing scepter and crowne ouer realmes and regions, hath found or prooued more faithfull councellors, nor truer subiects, than I haue doone of you; nor neuer potentate nor gouernour put more affiance and trust in his vassals and seruants, than I, since the adeption of the crowne, firmelie haue fixed in your circumspect wisedoms and sober discretions. And now of very force compelled, lieng in a doutfull hope, betwéene liuing and dieng, betweene remembrance and obliuion, I doo require you, and instantlie mooue you, that as I haue found you faithfull, obedient, and to all my requests and desires (while I was here in health conuersant with you) diligent and intentiue: so after my death, my hope is with a sure anchor grounded, & mine inward conceipt vndoubtedlie resolued, that the especiall confidence and inward fidelitie, which so loag hath continued betwéene vs, bieing together liuing, shall not wholie by my death be extinct and vanished like smoke.

For what auaileth fréendship in life, when trust deceiueth after death? What profiteth amitie in apparent presence, when confidence is fraudulentlie beguiled in absence? What loue groweth by coniunction of matrimonie, if the ofspring after doo not agree and accord? Or what profiteth princes to aduance and promote their subiects, if after their death, the bountifulnesse by them shewed, be of the receiuers of the same and their sequele neither regarded nor yet remembred? The parents make the marriage for an indissoluble amitie. Princes promote sometime for fauour, sometime for desert, & sometime for pleasure: yet (if you will consider) the verie scope, to the which all gifts of promotions doo finallie tend, is to haue loue, fauour, faithfull counsell, and diligent seruice, of such as be by them promoted and exalted, not onelie in their owne liues, being but bréefe and transitorie: but also that they and their progenie, calling to remembrance the fauor, estimation, and aduancement, which they of so liberall and munificent a prince had receiued and obteined, should with speare and shield, toong and wit, hand and pen, continuallie studie to defend, councell and preferre, not onelie him during his life, but also to serue, assist, and mainteine his sequele and lineall succession, as the verie images and carnall portratures of his stirpe, line, and stemme, naturallie descended.

In this case am I, whome you know, not without vnspeakable trouble & most dangerous war to haue obteined the scepter and diademe of this realme and empire. During which reigne, I haue had either litle peace, or small tranquillitie: and now when I thought my selfe sure of a quiet life, and worldlie rest, death hath blowne his terrible trumpet, calling and summoning me (as I trust) to perpetuall tranqaillitie and eternall quietnesse. Therefore now, for the perfect and vnmoueable confidence that I haue euer had in you, and for the vnfeined loue that you haue euer shewed vnto me, I commend and deliuer into your gouernance, both this noble realme, and my naturall children, and your kinsmen. My children by your diligent ouersight and politike prouision to be taught, informed, and instructed, not onelie in the sciences liberall, vertues morall, and good literature: but also to be practised in trickes of martiall actiuitie, and diligent exercise of prudent policie. For I haue heard clarkes saie, although I am vnlettered, that fortunate is that realme where philosophers reigne, or where kings be philosophers and louers of wisedome.