Part 3
The king riding after to sée hir shipping, on the first of Iulie, she tooke the sea at Margate, and there tooke leaue of the king hir brother, and departed. There returned backe againe with the king, the duke of Clarence, the duke of Glocester, the earles of Warwike, Shrewesburie, and Northumberland. And there abode with hir in the ship, the lord Scales, the lord Dacres, hir chamberlaine, sir Iohn Wooduile, sir Iohn Howard, and manie other famous knights and esquiers. She was shipped in the new Ellen of London, and in hir nauie the Iohn of Newcastell, the Marie of Salisburie, and manie other roiall ships, and on the morrow landed at Sluis in Flanders. Now as soone as hir ship & companie of ships were entered into the hauen, there receiued hir sir Simon de Lelein and the water bailiffe, in diuerse boats and barks apparelled readie for hir landing.
The first estate that receiued hir was the bishop of Utright well accompanied, and the countesse of Shorne bastard daughter to duke Philip of Burgognie, and with hir manie ladies and gentlewomen; and so procéeding in at the gate of the towne, the same towne was presented to hir, she to be souereigne ladie thereof: also they gaue to hir twelue marks of gold Troie weight, the which was two hundred pounds of English monie: and so procéeded thorough the towne to hir lodging, euerie housholder standing in the street with a torch in his hand burning. On the morow the old duchesse of Burgognie came to hir, accompanied with manie great estates. On the third of Iulie came the duke of Burgognie to Sluis, with twentie persons secretlie, and was there openlie affianced to the ladie Margaret, by the bishop of Salisburie and the lord Scales, in presence of the lord Dacres, the duchesse of Norffolke, the ladie Scales, and all the knights & esquiers, gentlewomen inuironing the chamber.
On the 8 of Iulie (being saturdaie) by the duke of Burgognies appointment, the lady Margaret remoued by water to the Dame. And on the sunday in the morning betwixt fiue and six of the clocke, the mariage was solemnized betwixt them, by the bishops of Salisburie and of Turneie; there being present the old duches of Burgognie, the lord Scales, the lord Dacres, with the knights, esquiers, ladies and gentlewomen that came out of England. The great triumphs, feastings, shewes of pageants, with other strange deuises, and iustings, were such as I haue not read the like, and would be ouer long in this place to set downe.
[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._]
¶ Of this aliance with other more mention is honorablie made in the [1]declaration of the causes that moued the Quéene of England to giue aid to the defense of the people afflicted & oppressed in the low countries by the Spaniards, namelie for the maintenance of perpetuall amitie. Which declaration is so set foorth in this booke, as the same in the seuen and twentith yeare of hir maiesties reigne was published: vnto which yeare I remit the reader (for the further search thereof) for that it conteineth much memorable matter, touching the manifest causes of concord to be continued betwéene them of the low countries and vs English.
[1] Giuen at Richmont on the first of October. _An. Dom. 1585. & An. Reg. 27._
[Sidenote: _Fabian. 497._]
[Sidenote: Sir Thomas Cooke.]
Sir Thomas Cooke late maior of London, was by one named Hawkins appeached of treason, for the which he was sent to the Tower, and his place within London seized by the lord Riuers, and his wife and seruants cleerelie put out therof. The cause was this. The forenamed Hawkins came vpon a season vnto the said sir Thomas, requesting him to lend a thousand markes vpon good suertie, wherevnto he answered, that first he would know for whome it should be and for what intent.
At length, vnderstanding it should be for the vse of queene Margaret, he answered he had no currant wares whereof anie shifts might be made without too much losse: and therefore required Hawkins to mooue him no further in that matter, for he intended not to deale withall: yet the said Hawkins exhorted him to remember, what benefits he had receiued by hir when she was in prosperitie, as by making him hir wardrober, and customer of Hampton, &c.
But by no meanes the said Cooke would grant goods nor monie, although at last the said Hawkins required but an hundred pounds, he was faine to depart without the value of a penie, and neuer came againe to mooue him, which so rested two or three years after, till the said Hawkins was cast in the Tower, and at length brought to the brake, called the duke of Excesters daughter, by meanes of which paine he shewed manie things, amongst the which the motion was one that he had made to sir Thomas Cooke, and accused himselfe so farre, that he was put to death.
By meane of which confession, the said sir Thomas was troubled (as before is shewed) when the said sir Thomas had laine in the Tower from Whitsuntide till about Michaelmas, in the which season manie inquiries were made to find him guiltie, and euer quit, till one iurie (by meanes of sir Iohn Fog) indicted him of treason, after which an oier and terminer was kept at the Guildhall, in which sat with the maior the duke of Clarence, the earle of Warwike, the lord Riuers, sir Iohn Fog, with other of the kings councell.
To the which place the said Thomas was brought, and there arreigned vpon life and death, where he was acquited of the said indictement, and had to the counter in Bread street, and from thence to the kings bench. After a certeine time that he was thus acquited, his wife got againe the possession of hir house, the which she found in an euill plight; for such seruants of the lord Riuers and sir Iohn Fog, as were assigned to kéepe it, made hauocke of what they listed.
Also at his place in Essex named Giddihall, were set an other sort to kéepe that place, the which destroied his déere in his parke, his conies, and his fish without reason, and spared not brasse, pewter, bedding, & all that they might carie, for the which might neuer one penie be gotten in recompense, yet could not sir Thomas Cooke be deliuered, till he had paied eight thousand pounds to the king, and eight hundred pounds to the quéene.
[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl. ex Edw. Hall. in Edw. 4. fol._ cxcviij, &c.]
In this meane time, the earle of Warwike bearing a continuall grudge in his hart toward king Edward, since his last returne out of France, persuaded so with his two brethren, the archbishop, and the marques, that they agreed to ioine with him in anie attempt which he should take in hand against the said king. The archbishop was easilie allured to the earles purpose, but the marques could by no meanes be reduced to take anie part against king Edward of a long time, till the earle had both promised him great rewards and promotions, and also assured him of the aid and power of the greatest princes of the realme. And euen as the marques was loth to consent to his vnhappie conspiracie, so with a faint hart he shewed himselfe an enimie vnto king Edward which double dissimulation was both the destruction of him and his brethren. ¶ And that they were persuasions of no small force, which the earle of Warwike vsed to the archbishop and marques, I haue thought good here to interlace, as I find remembred by Edward Hall in forme following.
The persuasions of the earle of Warwike vnto his two brethren against king Edward the fourth.
My deere and welbeloued brethren, the incredible faithfulnesse, the secret sobernesse, and the politike prudence that I haue euer by long continuance of time experimented in you both, dooth not onelie incourage my heart, yea and setteth me in great hope of obteining my purpose, but also putteth me out of all dread and mistrust, firmelie beléeuing, and suetlie iudging, that you both will with tooth and naile endeuour your selues, to the vttermost of your power, to bring to effect and purpose the thing that I now shall declare vnto you. Suerlie, I would in no wise that you should thinke, that that which I shall speake to you of king Edward and king Henrie, should rise of any lightnesse or phantasie of my mind, or anie trifeling toie latelie fallen into my imagination; but the true experience and iust iudgement that I haue of them both, their qualities and conditions, in manner compell and constraine me to saie as I say and to doo as I doo.
For suerlie, king Henrie is a godlie, good, and a vertuous person, neither forgetting his freends, nor putting in obliuion anie benefit by him of a meane person receiued, nor yet anie paine for his causes susteined hath he left vnrewarded: to whome God hath sent a sonne, called prince Edward, borne to be of great worthinesse and praise, of much bountifulnesse and liberalitie, of whome men may manie laudable things coniecture, considering the paine, labour, and trauell, that he taketh to helpe his father out of captiuitie and thraldome. King Edward on the contrarie side, is a man contumelious, opprobrious, and an iniurious person; to them that deserue kindnesse he sheweth vnkindnesse, and them that loue him he deadlie hateth, now detesting to take anie paine for the preferment or maintenance of the publike wealth of this realme, but all giuen to pastime, pleasure, and daliance; sooner preferring to high estate men descended of low bloud and base degree, than men of old and vndefiled houses, which haue both supported him and the common-wealth of his realme.
So that I now perceiue, that it is euen come to this point, that he will destroie all the nobilitie; or else the nobilitie must shortlie of verie necessitie destroie and confound him. But reason would, that we that were first hurt, should first reuenge our cause: for it is not vnknowen to you both, how that he, immediatlie after he had obteined the crowne, began first secretlie, and then openlie to enuie, disdaine, and impugne the fame, glorie, and renowme of our house and familie; as who said, that all the honor, preferment, and authoritie that we haue, we had onelie receiued at his hands, and that we had neither obteined dignitie nor rule by our great labour, aid and trauell. Which to all men may seeme vntrue, that consider that our name, chiefe title, and principall authoritie, was to vs giuen by king Henrie the sixt, and not by him. But if euery man will remember, who first toke part with his father, when hee claimed the crowne (who at that time, for that cause was in great ieopardie, and almost slaine by the kings meniall seruants, and who neuer left this man in prosperitie nor aduersitie, till he had the garland, and the realme in quietnesse) shall manifestlie perceiue, that we and our bloud haue shewed our selues more like fathers to him, than he like a freend to vs.
If we haue receiued any benefits of him, suerlie they be not so much as we haue deserued, nor so much as we looked for; and yet they be much more than he would we shuld inioy, as ye both well perceiue and know. Let these things ouerpasse, and speake of the vngentle, vntrue, and vnprincelie handling of me in the last ambassage, being sent to the French king for to treat a mariage for him, hauing full authoritie to bind and to lose, to contract and conclude. Which thing when I had finished & accomplished: how lightlie his mind changed, how priuilie he vowed, and how secretlie he maried, both you know better than I. So that by this meanes, I was almost out of all credence in the court of France, both with the king and queene, as though I had come thither like an espiall, to moue a thing neuer minded; or to treat of a mariage determined before neuer to take effect. Whereby the fame of all our estimation, which all kings and princes haue conceiued in vs (partlie obteined by the vertue & prowesse of our noble ancestors, and partlie atchiued by our owne paines & forward acts) shall now be obfuscate, vtterlie extinguished, and nothing set by.
What worme is touched, and will not once turne againe? What beast is striken, that will not rore or sound? What innocent child is hurt that will not crie? If the poore and vnreasonable beasts, if the selie babes that doo lacke discretion, grone against harme to them proffered; how ought an honest man to be angrie, when things that touch his honestie be dailie against him attempted? But if a meane person in that case be angrie: how much more ought a noble man to fume & stirre coales, when the high type of his honour is touched, his fame in maner brought to infamie, and his honour almost blemished & appalled, without his offense or desert? All this brethren you know to be true, the dishonor of one is the dishonor of vs all, and the hurt of one is the hurt of all: wherefore, rather than I will liue vnreuenged, or suffer him to reigne, which hath sought my decaie and dishonor, I will suerlie spend my life, lands, and goods, in setting vp that iust and good man king Henrie the sixt: and in deposing this vntrue, vnfaithful, and vnkind prince (by our onelie means) called king Edward the fourth.
* * * * *
Beside all this, the earle of Warwike, being a far casting prince, perceiued somewhat in the duke of Clarence, whereby he iudged that he bare no great good will towards the king his brother; and therevpon, feeling his mind by such talke as he of purpose ministred, vnderstood how he was bent, and so wan him to his purpose: and for better assurance of his faithful friendship, he offered him his eldest daughter in mariage, with the whole halfe deale of his wiues inheritance. And herevpon, after consultation had of their weightie businesse and dangerous affaires, they sailed ouer to Calis, of the which towne the earle was capteine, where his wife & two daughters then soiourned, whome the duke (being in loue with hir person) had great desire to visit.
[Sidenote: 1469.]
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 9.]
[Sidenote: A commotion in Yorkeshire.]
But the earle, hauing in continuall remembrance his purposed enterprise, appointed his brethren, the archbishop and the marquesse, that they should by some meanes in his absence stir vp some new rebellion in the countie of Yorke, and other places adioining, so that this ciuill warre should séeme to all men to haue béene begun without his assent or knowlege, being on the further side of the seas. The duke of Clarence being come to Calis with the earle of Warwike, after he had sworne on the sacrament to kéepe his promise and pact made with the said earle whole and inuiolate, he married the ladie Isabell, eldest daughter to the earle, in our ladies church there. Shortlie after, according as he had béene aforehand deuised, a commotion was begun in Yorkeshire, to the great disquieting of that countrie. The same chanced by this means.
[Sidenote: Saint Leonards hospital in Yorke.]
There was in the citie of Yorke an old and rich hospitall, dedicated to saint Leonard, for the harbourough and reléeuing of poore people. Certeine euill disposed persons of the earle of Warwikes faction, intending to set a broile in the countrie, persuaded the husbandmen to refuse to giue anie thing to the said hospitall, affirming that the corne giuen to that good intent, came not to the vse of the poore; but was conuerted to the behoofe of the maister of the hospitall, and the preests, whereby they grew to be rich, and the poore people wanted their due succour and reléefe. And not content with these saiengs, they fell to dooings: for when the proctors of the hospitall, according to their vsage, went about the countrie to gather the accustomed corne, they were sore beaten, wounded, and euill intreated.
[Sidenote: A rebellion.]
[Sidenote: Robert Huldorne capteine of the rebels taken and beheaded.]
Shortlie after, the conspiracie of the euill disposed people grew to an open rebellion, so that there assembled to the number of fifteene thousand men, euen readie bent to set on the citie of Yorke. But the lord marquesse Montacute, gouernour and president of that countrie for the king, taking spéedie counsell in the matter, with a small number of men, but well chosen, incountered the rebels before the gates of Yorke: where (after a long conflict) he tooke Robert Huldorne their capteine, and before them commanded his head to be striken off, and then (bicause it was a darke euening) he caused his souldiers to enter into Yorke, and there to refresh them. Héere manie men haue maruelled, whie the marquesse thus put to death the capteine of those people, which had procured this their rebellious enterprise.
[Sidenote: Sir Iohn Coniers.]
Some saie he did it, to the intent to séeme innocent and faultlesse of his brothers dooings. But other iudge, that he did it, for that contrarie to his promise made to his brother, he was determined to take part with king Edward, with whome (as it shall after appeare) he in small space entered into grace and fauour. The rebels being nothing dismaied with the death of their capteine, but rather the more bent on mischéefe, by faire meanes and craftie persuasions got to them Henrie, sonne to the lord Fitz Hugh, and sir Henrie Neuill sonne and heire to the lord Latimer, the one being nephue and the other cousine germane to the erle of Warwike. Although these yoong gentlemen bare the names of capteins, yet they had a gouernour that was sir Iohn Coniers, a man of such courage & valiantnesse, as few are to be found in his daies within the north parts.
[Sidenote: The earle of Penbroke.]
After they saw that they could not get Yorke, bicause they wanted ordinance, they determined with all speed to march toward London, intending to raise such a toie in the peoples minds, that they should thinke king Edward neither to be a lawfull prince, nor yet profitable to the common-wealth. King Edward hauing perfect knowledge of all the dooings of the earle of Warwike, and of his brother the duke of Clarence, was by diuerse letters certified of the great armie of the northerne men, with all spéed comming toward London; and therefore in great hast he sent to William lord Herbert, whom (as yée haue heard) he had created earle of Penbroke; requiring him without delaie to raise his power, and incounter with the northerne men.
[Sidenote: The lord Stafford.]
The earle of Penbroke, commonlie called the lord Herbert, both readie to obeie the kings commandement, according to his dutie, and also desirous to reuenge the malice which he bare to the earle of Warwike, for that he knew how he had béene the onelie let whie he obteined not the wardship of the lord Bonneuilles daughter and heire for his eldest sonne, accompanied with his brother sir Richard Herbert, a valiant knight, and aboue six or seauen thousand Welshmen, well furnished, marched forward to incounter with the northerne men. And to assist him with archers, was appointed Humfrie lord Stafford of Southwike, named but not created earle of Deuonshire by the king, in hope that he would serue valiantlie in that iournie: he had with him eight hundred archers.
[Sidenote: The Welshmen discomfited.]
When these two lords were met at Cotteshold, they heard how the northerne men were going toward Northampton: wherevpon the lord Stafford, and sir Richard Herbert, with two thousand well horsed Welshmen, rode foorth afore the maine armie, to sée the demeanour of the northerne men: and at length, vnder a woods side, they couertlie espied them passing forward, and suddenlie set on the rere-ward: but the northerne men with such nimblenesse turned about, that in a moment the Welshmen were discomfited, and manie taken, the remnant returned to the armie with small gaine. The northerne men well cooled with this small victorie, went no further southwards, but tooke their waie toward Warwike, looking for aid of the earle, which was latelie come from Calis, with his sonne in law the duke of Clarence, and was raising men to aid his freends and kinsfolke.
[Sidenote: Hedgecote. B[=a]berie field.]
[Sidenote: Discord what it breedeth.]
The king likewise assembled people to aid the erle of Penbroke, but before either part receiued succour from his fréend or partaker, both the armies met by chance in a faire plaine, néere to a towne called Hedgecote, foure miles distant from Banberie, where there are thrée hilles, not in equall quantitie, but lieng in maner (although not fullie) triangle. The Welshmen got first the west hill, hoping to haue recouered the east hill also, which if they might haue obteined, the victorie had beene theirs, as their foolish prophesiers told them before. These northerne men incamped on the south hill; the earle of Penbroke and the lord Stafford of Southwike were lodged in Banberie, the daie before the field, which was saint Iames daie, and there the earle of Penbroke put the lord Stafford out of an Inne, wherein he delighted much to be, for the loue of a damosell that dwelled in the house: and yet it was agréed betwixt them, that which of them soeuer obteined first a lodging, should not be displaced.
The lord Stafford in great despite departed with his whole band of archers, leauing the earle of Penbroke almost desolate in the towne, who with all diligence returned to his host, lieng in the field vnpurveied of archers. Sir Henrie Neuill, sonne to the lord Latimer, tooke with him certeine light horssemen, and skirmished with the Welshmen in the euening, iust before their campe, where dooing right valiantlie, but a little too hardilie aduenturing himselfe, was taken and yeelded, and yet cruellie slaine. Which vnmercifull act the Welshmen sore rued the next day yer night: for the northerne men sore displeased for the death of this nobleman, in the next morning valiantlie set on the Welshmen, and by force of archers caused them quicklie to descend the hill, into the vallie, where both the hoasts fought.
[Sidenote: The valiant manhood of sir Richard Herbert.]
[Sidenote: Iohn Clappam.]
The earle of Penbroke did right valiantlie, and so likewise did his brother sir Richard Herbert, in so much that with his polax in his hand, he twise by fine force passed thorough the battell of his aduersaries, and without anie hurt or mortall wound returned. But sée the hap, euen as the Welshmen were at point to haue obteined the victorie, Iohn Clappam esquier, seruant to the earle of Warwike, mounted vp the side of the east hill, accompanied onelie with fiue hundred men, gathered of the rascals of the towne of Northampton, and other villages about, hauing borne before them the standard of the earle of Warwike, with the white beare, crieng; A Warwike, a Warwike.
[Sidenote: The Welshmen slaine.]
[Sidenote: _Abr. Flem._]
The Welshmen, thinking that the earle of Warwike had come on them with all his puissance, suddenlie as men amazed, fled: the northerne men them pursued, and slue without mercie, so that there died of the Welshmen that daie, aboue fiue thousand, besides them that fled and were taken. The earle of Penbroke, and his brother sir Richard Herbert, with diuerse gentlemen, were taken and brought to Banberie, where the earle with his brother, and other gentlemen, to the number of ten, that were likewise taken, lost their heads. But great mone was made for that noble and hardie gentleman, sir Richard Herbert, being able for his goodlie personage and high valiancie to haue serued the greatest prince in christendome. [But what policie or puissance can either preuent or impugne the force of fate, whose law as it standeth vpon an ineuitable necessitie; so was it not to be dispensed withall; and therfore destinie hauing preordeined the maner of his deth, it was patientlie to be suffered, sith puissantlie it could not be auoided, nor politikelie preuented, nor violentlie resisted: for
----sua quenq; dies ad funera raptat.]
[Sidenote: Robin of Reddesdale.]
[Sidenote: The erle Riuers and his sonne beheaded.]
[Sidenote: The lord Stafford of Southwike beheaded.]