Part 2

Yée remember (I trow) king Edward himselfe, albeit he was a man of age & discretion, yet was he in manie things ruled by the bend, more than stood either with his honor, or our profit, or with the c[=o]moditie of any man else, except onlie the immoderate aduancement of themselues. Which, whether they sorer thirsted after their owne weale, or our wo, it were hard (I wéene) to gesse. And if some folks fréendship had not holden better place with the king, than anie respect of kinred, they might peraduenture easilie haue betrapped and brought to confusion some of vs yer this. Why not as easilie as they haue doone some other alreadie, as néere of his roiall bloud as we? But our Lord hath wrought his will, and (thanks be to his grace) that perill is past. Howbeit as great is growing, if we suffer this yoong king in our enimies hand, which without his witting might abuse the name of his commandement, to anie of our vndooing, which thing God [defend] and good prouision forbid.

[Sidenote: A consent to worke wickednesse.]

Of which good prouision none of vs hath anie thing the lesse néed, for the late made attonement, in which the kings pleasure had more place than the parties willes. Nor none of vs (I beléeue) is so vnwise, ouersoone to trust a new fréend made of an old fo; or to thinke that an hourlie kindnesse, suddenlie contracted in one houre, continued yet scant a fortnight, should be déeper settled in their stomachs, than a long accustomed malice manie yeares rooted. With these words and writings, and such other, the duke of Glocester soone set on fire them that were of themselues easie to kindle, & in speciallie twaine, Edward duke of Buckingham, and William lord Hastings then chamberleine, both men of honour & of great power; the one by long succession from his ancestrie, the other by his office and the kings fauour. These two, not bearing ech to other so much loue, as hatred both vnto the quéenes part: in this point accorded togither with the duke of Glocester, that they would vtterlie remoue from the kings companie all his mothers fréends, vnder the name of their enimies.

Vpon this concluded the duke of Glocester, vnderstanding that the lords, which at that time were about the king, intended to bring him vp to his coronation acc[=o]panied with such power of their fréends, that it should be hard for him to bring his purpose to passe, without the gathering and great assemblie of people and in maner of open warre, whereof the end (he wist) was doubtfull, and in which the king being on their side, his part should haue the face and name of a rebellion: he secretlie therfore by diuers means caused the quéene to be persuaded and brought in the mind, that it neither were néed, and also should be ieopardous, the king to come vp strong.

For whereas now euerie lord loued other, and none other thing studied vpon, but about the coronation and honor of the king: if the lords of hir kindred should assemble in the kings name much people, they should giue the lords, betwixt whome and them had béene sometime debate, to feare and suspect, least they should gather this people, not for the kings safegard, whom no man impugned, but for their destruction, hauing more regard to their old variance, than their new attonement. For which cause they should assemble on the other partie much people againe for their defense, whose power she wist well far stretched: and thus should all the realme fall on a rore. And of all the hurt that thereof should insue, which was likelie not to be little, and the most harme there like to fall where she least would, all the world would put hir and hir kindered in the wight, and saie that they had vnwiselie and vntrulie also broken the amitie & peace that the king hir husband so prudentlie made, betwéene his kin and hirs in his death bed and which the other partie faithfullie obserued.

The quéene, being in this wise persuaded, such word sent vnto hir sonne, and vnto hir brother being about the king, and ouer that the duke of Glocester himselfe and other lords the chiefe of his bend, wrote vnto the king so reuerentlie, and to the quéenes fréends there so louinglie, that they nothing earthlie mistrusting, brought the king vp in great hast, not in good spéed, with a sober companie. Now was the king in his waie to London gone from Northampton, when these dukes of Glocester and Buckingham came thither, where remained behind the lord Riuers the kings vncle, intending on the morrow to follow the king, and to be with him at Stonie Stratford [certeine] miles thence earlie yer he departed. So was there made that night much fréendlie chéere betwéene these dukes & the lord Riuers a great while, but inc[=o]tinent, after that they were openlie with great courtesie departed, and the lord Riuers lodged, the dukes secretlie with a few of their most priuie fréends set them downe in councell, wherein they spent a great part of the night.

[Sidenote: The practices of the duke of Buckingham & Glocester.]

And at their rising in the dawning of the daie, they sent about priuilie to their seruants in their Ins & lodgings about, giuing them commandement to make themselues shortlie readie, for their lords were to horsse backeward. Vpon which messages, manie of their folke were attendant, when manie of the lord Riuers seruants were vnreadie. Now had these dukes taken also into their custodie the keies of the In, that none should passe foorth without their licence. And ouer this, in the high waie toward Stonie Stratford, where the king lay, they had bestowed certeine of their folke, that should send backe againe, and compell to returne, anie man that were gotten out of Northampton, toward Stonie Stratford, till they should giue other licence. For as much as the dukes themselues intended for the shew of their diligence, to be the first that should that daie attend vpon the kings highnesse out of that towne. Thus bare they folke in hand.

But when the lord Riuers vnderstood the gates closed, and the waies on euerie side beset, neither his seruants nor himselfe suffered to gone out, perceiuing well so great a thing without his knowledge not begun for naught, comparing this manner present with this last nights chéere, in so few houres so great a change, maruellouslie misliked. Howbeit, sith he could not get awaie, and kéepe himselfe close, he would not, least he should séeme to hide himselfe for some secret feare of his owne fault, whereof he saw no such cause in himselfe; he determined vpon the suertie of his owne conscience, to go boldlie to them, and inquire what this matter might meane. Whom as soone as they saw, they began to quarrell with him and saie that he intended to set distance betwéene the king and them, and to bring them to confusion, but it should not lie in his power.

[Sidenote: The lord Riuers put in ward.]

And when he began (as he was a verie well spoken man) in goodlie wise to excuse himselfe, they tarried not the end of his answer, but shortlie tooke him, and put him in ward, and that doone, foorthwith went to horssebacke, and tooke the waie to Stonie Stratford, where they found the king with his companie, readie to leape on horssebacke, and depart forward to leaue that lodging for them, bicause it was too streight for both companies. And as soone as they came in his presence, they light adowne with all their companie about them. To whome the duke of Buckingham said; Go afore gentlemen, & yeomen kéepe your roomes. And thus in a goodlie araie, they came to the king, and on their knées in verie humble wise saluted his grace, which receiued them in verie ioious and amiable manner, nothing earthlie knowing nor mistrusting as yet.

[Sidenote: The lord Greie is quarrelled against.]

But euen by and by in his presence they piked a quarrell to the lord Richard Greie; the kings other brother by his mother, saieng, that he with the lord marquesse his brother, & the lord Riuers his vncle, had compassed to rule the king and the realme, and to set variance among the states, and to subdue and destroie the noble bloud of the Realme. Toward the acc[=o]plishing wherof they said that the lord marquesse had entered into the Tower of London, & thence taken out the kings treasure, and sent men to the sea. All which things these dukes wist well were doone for good purposes and necessarie, by the whole councell at London, sauing that somewhat they must saie.

Vnto which words the king answered; What my brother marquesse hath doone I cannot saie, but in good faith I dare well answer for mine vncle Riuers and my brother here, that they be innocent of anie such matter. Yea my liege (quoth the duke of Buckingham) they haue kept their dealing in these matters farre fro the knowledge of your good grace. And foorthwith they arrested the lord Richard and sir Thomas Vaughan knight, in the kings presence; and brought the king and all backe vnto Northampton, where they tooke againe further councell. And there they sent awaie from the king, whom it pleased them, and set new seruants about him, such as liked better them than him. At which dealing he wept, and was nothing content; but it booted not.

[Sidenote: The death of the lord Rivers & other.]

And at dinner, the duke of Glocester sent a dish from his owne table vnto the lord Riuers, praieng him to be of good chéere: all should be well inough. And he thanked the duke, and praied the messenger to beare it to his nephue the lord Richard, with the same message for his comfort, who he thought had more néed of comfort, as one to whome such aduersitie was strange. But himselfe had béene all his dates in vse therewith, & therefore could beare it the better. But for all this comfortable courtesie of the duke of Glocester, he sent the lord Riuers, and the lord Richard, with sir Thomas Vaughan into the north countrie, into diuerse places to prison, and afterward all to Pomfret, where they were in conclusion beheaded.

[Sidenote: The quéene taketh sanctuarie.]

In this wise the duke of Glocester tooke vpon himselfe the order and gouernance of the yoong king, whome with much honor and humble reuerence he conueied vpward towards the citie. But anon, the tidings of this matter came hastilie to the quéene a little before the midnight following, and that in the sorest wise; that the king hir son was taken, hir brother, hir sonne, & hir other fréends arrested, and sent no man wist whither, to be doone with God wot what. With which tidings the quéene in great flight & heauinesse, bewailing hir childes reigne, hir fréends mischance, and hir owne infortune, damning the time that euer she dissuaded the gathering of power about the king, gat hir selfe in all the hast possible with hir yoonger sonne and hir daughters out of the palace of Westminster, in which she then laie, into the sanctuarie, lodging hir selfe and hir companie therein the abbats place.

Now came there one in likewise not long after midnight from the lord chamberleine, to doctor Rotheram the archbishop of Yorke, then chancellor of England, to his place not farre from Westminster, and for that he shewed his seruants that he had tidings of so great importance, that his maister gaue him in charge, not to forbeare his rest, they letted not to wake him, nor he to admit this messenger in, to his bed side. Of whom he heard that these dukes were gone backe with the kings grace from Stonie Stratford vnto Northampton. Notwithstanding sir (quoth he) my lord sendeth your lordship word, that there is no feare: for he assureth you that all shall be well. I assure him (quoth the archbishop) be it as well as it will, it will neuer be so well as we haue séene it.

And therevpon, by and by after the messenger departed, he caused in all the hast all his seruants to be called vp, and so with his owne houshold about him, and euerie man weaponed, he tooke the great seale with him, and came yet before daie vnto the quéene. About whom he found much heauinesse, rumble, hast and businesse, carriage and conueiance of hir stuffe into sanctuarie, chests, coffers, packs, fardels, trussed all on mens backs, no man vnoccupied, some lading, some going, some discharging, some comming for more, some breaking downe the walles to bring in the next waie, and some yet drew to them that holpe to carrie a wrong waie: such made their lucre of others losse, praising a bootie aboue beautie, to whome the poets verse may be well applied, to wit:

[Sidenote: _Tibul. lib. 2. eleg. 3._]

Ferrea non Venerem sed prædem sæcula laudant.

[Sidenote: The desolate state of the quéene.]

The quéene hir selfe sate alone alow on the rushes all desolate and dismaid, whome the archbishop comforted in best manner he could, shewing hir that he trusted the matter was nothing so sore as she tooke it for, and that he was put in good hope and out of feare by the message sent him from the lord chamberleine. Ah wo woorth him (quoth she) for he is one of them that laboureth to destroie me and my bloud. Madame (quoth he) be yée of good chéere, for I assure you, if they crowne anie other king than your sonne, whome they now haue with them, we shall on the morrow crowne his brother, whome you haue here with you. And here is the great seale, which in likewise as that noble prince your husband deliuered it vnto me; so here I deliuer it vnto you, to the vse and behoofe of your sonne: and therewith he betooke hir the great scale, and departed home againe, yet in the dawning of the daie.

By which time, he might in his chamber window sée all the Thames full of boates of the duke of Glocesters seruants, watching that no man should go to sanctuarie, nor none could passe vnsearched. Then was there great commotion and murmur, as well in other places about, as speciallie in the citie, the people diuerslie diuining vpon this dealing. And some lords, knights, and gentlemen, either for fauour of the quéene, or for feare of themselues, assembled in sundrie companies, and went flockmele in harnesse: and many also, for that they reckoned this demeanor attempted, not so speciallie against the other lords, as against the king himselfe in the disturbance of his coronation. But then by and by the lords assembled togither at [a certeine place.]

[Sidenote: Neuerthelesse he was depriued thereof shortlie after.]

Toward which méeting, the archbishop of Yorke fearing that it would be ascribed (as it was indéed) to his ouermuch lightnesse, that he so suddenlie had yéelded vp the great seale to the quéene, to whome the custodie thereof nothing perteined, without especiall commandement of the king, secretlie sent for the seale againe, and brought it with him after the customable maner. And at this méeting the lord Hastings (whose truth toward the king no man doubted, nor néeded to doubt) persuaded the lords to beléeue, that the duke of Glocester was sure and fastlie faithfull to his prince, and that the lord Riuers, and lord Richard with the other knights, were for matters attempted by them against the duke of Glocester and Buckingham, put vnder arrest for their suertie, not for the kings ieopardie: and that they were also in safegard, and there no longer should remaine, than till the matter were, not by the dukes onelie, but also by all the other lords of the kings councell indifferentlie examined, & by others discretions ordered, and either iudged or appeased.

But one thing he aduised them beware, that they iudged not the matter too farre foorth, yer they knew the truth; nor turning their priuate grudges into the common hurt, irriting and prouoking men vnto anger, and disturbing the kings coronation, towards which the dukes were comming vp, that they might peraduenture bring the matter so farre out of ioint, that it should neuer be brought in frame againe. Which strife if it should hap (as it were likely) to come to a field, though both parties were in all other things equall; yet should the authoritie be on that side where the king is himselfe. With these persuasions of the lord Hastings, whereof part himselfe beléeued, of part he wist the contrarie, these commotions were somewhat appeased. But speciallie by that, that the dukes of Glocester and Buckingham were so néere and came so shortlie on with the king, in none other manner, with none other voice or semblance than to his coronation, causing the fame to be blowen about, that these lords and knights which were taken, had contriued the destruction of the dukes of Glocester and Buckingham, and of other noble bloud of the realme, to the end that themselues would alone demeane and gouerne the king at their pleasure.

And for the colourable proofe thereof, such of the dukes seruants as rode with the carts of their stuffe that were taken (among which stuffe, no maruell though some were harnesse, which at the breaking vp of that houshold must néeds either be brought awaie or cast awaie) they shewed vnto the people all the waies as they went; "Lo here be the barrels of harnesse that these traitors had priuilie conueied in their carriage to destroie the noble lords withall." This deuise albeit that it made the matter to wise men more vnlikelie, well perceiuing that the intendors of such a purpose would rather haue had their harnesse on their backs, than to haue bound them vp in barrels, yet much part of the common people were therewith verie well satisfied, and said it were almesse to hang them.

[Sidenote: The king's comming to London.]

[Sidenote: The duke of Glocester made protector.]

When the king approched néere to the citie, Edmund Shaw goldsmith, then maior, with William White, and Iohn Matthew shiriffes and all the other aldermen in scarlet, with fiue hundred horsse of the citizens, in violet, receiued him reuerentlie at Harnesie; and riding from thence accompanied him into the citie, which he entered the fourth daie of Maie, the first and last yeare of his reigne. But the duke of Glocester bare him in open sight so reuerentlie to the prince, with all semblance of lowlinesse, that from the great obloquie in which he was so late before, he was suddenlie fallen in so great trust, that at the councell next assembled he was made the onelie man, chosen and thought most méet to be protector of the king and his realme, so that (were it destinie or were it follie) the lambe was betaken to the woolfe to kéepe.

[Sidenote: The bishop of Lincolne made lord chancellor.]

At which councell also, the archbishop of Yorke chancellor of England, which had deliuered vp the great seale to the quéene, was thereof greatlie reprooued, and the seale taken from him, and deliuered to doctor Russell bishop of Lincolne, a wise man and a good, and of much experience, and one of the best learned men vndoubtedlie that England had in his time. Diuerse lords and knights were appointed vnto diuerse roomes. The lord chamberleine and some other kept still their offices that they had before. Now all were it so that the protector so sore thirsted for the finishing of that he had begun, that thought euerie daie a yeare till it were atchiued; yet durst he no further attempt, as long as he had but halfe his preie in his hand.

[Sidenote: The protectors oration.]

And why? Well did he wéet, that if he deposed the one brother, all the realme would fall to the other, if he either remained in sanctuarie, or should happilie be shortlie conueied to his fathers libertie. Wherfore incontinent at the next méeting of the lords at the councell, he proposed to them, that it was a heinous déed of the quéene, & procéeding of great malice toward the kings councellors, that she should kéepe in sanctuarie the kings brother from him, whose speciall pleasure & comfort were to haue his brother with him. And that by hir doone to none other intent, but to bring all the lords in obloquie and murmur of the people.

As though they were not to be trusted with the kings brother, that by the assent of the nobles of the land, were appointed as the kings néerest fréends, to the tuition of his owne roiall person. The prosperitie whereof standeth (quoth he) not all in kéeping from enimies, or ill viand, but partlie also in recreation, and moderate pleasure: which he cannot (in this tender youth) take in the companie of ancient persons, but in the familiar conuersation of those that be neither farre vnder, nor farre aboue his age: and neuerthelesse of estate conuenient to accompanie his noble maiestie. Wherefore, with whome rather, than with his owne brother?

And if anie man thinke this consideration light (which I thinke none thinks that loues the king) let him consider, that sometime without small things, greater cannot stand. And verelie, it redoundeth greatlie to the dishonor both of the kings highnesse, and of all vs that béene about his grace, to haue it run in euerie mans mouth, not in this realme onlie, but also in other lands (as euill words walke far) that the kings brother should be faine to kéepe sanctuarie. For euerie man will wéene, that no man will so doo for naught. And such euill opinion once fastned in mens harts, hard it is to wrest out, and may grow to more gréefe than anie man can here diuine.

[Sidenote: The lord cardinall thought the fittest man to deale with the quéene for the surrendring of hir sonne.]

Wherefore me thinketh it were not worst to send vnto the quéene, for the redresse of this matter, some honorable trustie man, such as both tendereth the kings weale and the honour of his councell, and is also in fauour and credence with hir. For all which considerations, none séemeth more méetlie, than our reuerend father here present my lord cardinall, who may in this matter doo most good of anie man, if it please him to take the paine; which I doubt not of his goodnesse he will not refuse for the kings sake and ours, and wealth of the yoong duke himselfe, the kings most honorable brother, and (after my souereigne lord himselfe) my most déere nephue, considered that thereby shall be ceassed the slanderous rumor and obloquie now going, and the hurts auoided that thereof might insue, and much rest and quiet grow to all the realme.

And if she be percase so obstinate, and so preciselie set vpon hir owne will, that neither his wise and faithfull aduertisement can not mooue hir, nor anie mans reason content hir; then shall we by mine aduise, by the kings authoritie fetch him out of that prison, and bring him to his noble presence, in whose continual companie he shall be so well cherished and so honorablie intreated, that all the world shall to our honour and hir reproch perceiue that it was onelie malice, frowardnesse, or follie, that caused hir to kéepe him there. This is my purpose and mind in this matter for this time, except anie of your lordships anie thing perceiue to the contrarie; for neuer shall I (by Gods grace) so wed myselfe to mine owne will, but that I shall be readie to change it vpon your better aduises.

When the protector had said, all the councell affirmed, that the motion was good and reasonable; and to the king and the duke his brother, honorable; and a thing that should ceasse great murmur in the realme, if the mother might be by good means induced to deliuer him. Which thing the archbishop of Yorke, whome they all agréed also to be thereto most conuenient, tooke vpon him to mooue hir, and therein to doo his vttermost deuoir. Howbeit, if she could be in no wise intreated with hir good will to deliuer him, then thought he, and such other as were of the spiritualtie present, that it were not in anie wise to be attempted to take him out against hir will.

[Sidenote: Reasons why it was not thought méet to fetch the quéens son out of sanctuarie.]