Part 7

"Moreover, gracious Lord, please it your Majesty Royal of your great goodness and righteousness to incline your will to hear and feel the righteous party of us your subjects and liegemen; first, praying and beseeching to our Lord Jesus of his high and mighty power to give unto you virtue and prudence, and that through the mediation of the glorious martyr Saint Alban to give you very knowledge to know the intent of our assembling at this time; for God that is in Heaven knoweth that our intent is rightful and true. And therefore we pray unto Almighty Lord Jesus, these words--_Domine sis clipeus defensionis nostræ_. Wherefore, gracious Lord, please it your high Majesty to deliver such as we will accuse, and they to have like as they have deserved and done, and ye to be honoured and worshipped as most rightful King, our governor. For and we shall now at this time be promised, as afore this time is not unknown, of promises broken which full faith fully hath been promised, and there upon great oaths made, we will not now cease for none such promise, surety, nor other, till we have them which have deserved death, or else we to die therefore."

And to that answered the King our sovereign Lord and said: "I, King Henry, charge and command that no manner of person, of what degree, or state, or condition that ever he be, abide not, but void the field, and not be so hardy to make any resistance against me in mine own realm; for I shall know what traitor dare be so bold to raise a people in mine own land, wherefore I am in great distress and heaviness. And by the faith that I owe to Saint Edward, and to the Crown of England, I shall destroy them every mother's son, and they be hanged, and drawn, and quartered, that they may be taken afterward, of them to have example to all such traitors to beware to make any such rising of people within my land, and so traitorously to abide their King and governor. And for a conclusion, rather than they shall have any Lord here with me at this time, I shall this day, for their sake, and in this quarrel myself live or die."

Which answer come to the Duke of York, the which Duke, by the advice of the Lords of his Council, said unto them these words: "The King our sovereign Lord will not be reformed at our beseeching nor prayer, nor will not understand the intent that we be come hither and assembled for and gathered at this time; but only his full purpose, and there none other way but that he will with all his power pursue us, and if taken, to give us a shameful death, losing our livelihood and goods, and our heirs shamed for ever. And therefore, since it will be none otherwise but that we shall utterly die, better it is for us to die in the field than cowardly to be put to a great rebuke and a shameful death; moreover, considering in what peril England stands in at this hour, therefore every man help to help power for the right thereof, to redress the mischief that now reigneth, and to quit us like men in this quarrel; praying to that Lord that is King of Glory, that reigneth in the Kingdom celestial, to keep us and save us this day in our right, and through the help of His holy grace we may be made strong to withstand the great, abominable and cruel malice of them that purpose fully to destroy us with shameful death. We therefore, Lord, pray to Thee to be our comfort and Defender, saying the word aforesaid, _Domine sis clipeus defensionis nostræ_."

And when this was said, the said Duke of York, and the said Earl of Salisbury, and the Earl of Warwick, between eleven and twelve of the clock at noon, they broke into the town in three divers places and several places of the aforesaid street. The King being then in the place of Edmond Westby hundredor of the said town of Saint Albans, commandeth to slay all manner men of lords, knights, and squires and yeomen that might be taken of the foresaid Duke of York. This done, the foresaid Lord Clifford kept strongly the barriers that the said Duke of York might not in any wise, with all the power that he had, enter nor break into the town. The Earl of Warwick, knowing thereof, took and gathered his men together, and furiously brake in by the garden sides between the sign of the Key and the sign of the Chequer in Holwell street; and anon as they were within the town, suddenly they blew up trumpets, and set a cry with a shout and a great voice, "A Warwick! A Warwick! A Warwick!" and unto that time the Duke of York might never have entry into the town; and they with strong hand kept it, and mightily fought together, and anon, forthwith after the breaking in, they set on them manfully. And of them that were slain and buried in Saint Albans, forty-eight. And at this same time were hurt Lords of name--the King, our sovereign Lord, in the neck with an arrow; the Duke of Buckingham, with an arrow in the visage; the Lord of Stafford in the hand, with an arrow; the lord of Dorset, sore hurt that he might not go, but he was carried home in a cart; and Wenlock, knight, in like wise in a cart sore hurt; and other divers knights and squires sore hurt. The Earl of Wiltshire, Thorpe, and many others fled, and left their harness behind them cowardly, and the substance of the King's party were despoiled of horse and harness. This done, the said Lords, that is to wit, the Duke of York, the Earl of Salisbury, the Earl of Warwick, come to the King, our Sovereign Lord, and on their knees besought him of grace and forgiveness of that they had done in his presence, and besought him of his Highness to take them as his true liegemen, saying that they never intended hurt to his own person, and therefore the King our sovereign Lord took them to grace, and so desired them to cease their people, and that there should no more harm be done; and they obeyed his commandment, and let made a cry in the King's name that all manner of people should cease and not so hardy to strike any stroke more after the proclamation of the cry; and so ceased the said battle, _Deo gratias_.

AN UNRULY NOBLE (1455).

=Source.=--_Rotuli Parliamentorum_, vol. v., p. 285.

... There be great and grievous riots done in the West Country at the city of Exeter by the earl of Devonshire, accompanied with many riotous persons, as it is said, with eight hundred horsemen and four thousand footmen, and there have robbed the church (cathedral) of Exeter, and taken the canons of the same church and put them to ransom, and also have taken the gentlemen in that country, and done and committed many other great and heinous inconveniences; that in abridging of such riots ... a Protector and Defensor must be had ... and that he, in abridging of such riots and offences, should ride and labour into that country, for but if the said riots and inconveniences were resisted, it should be the cause of the loss of that land, and if that land were lost, it might be the cause of the subversion of all this land.

THE LITIGIOUSNESS OF THE AGE (_circa_ 1455).

=Source.=--Gascoigne's _Loci e Libro Veritatum_, edited by Rogers, pp. 108, 109. (Oxford: 1881).

Formerly, when there were many good and mature rectors of churches resident there, the quarrels and dissensions which arose within a parish or between parishioners, were generally settled by the good handling and advice of such rectors, and there were few pleas and actions through lawyers.... But now, by the lack of such good rectors, strifes, quarrels, dissensions, actions and pleas are multiplied and prolonged, and thus the money, which might have gone to good works, owing to the number of the quarrels goes to the lawyers, advocates, and counsel; whence by the multiplication of such dissensions and actions, the number of these lawyers, jurists, advocates and defenders of evil (who defend evil for love or for fear of evil) is far greater than it need be. And yet many times the cause which has been pleaded long and at great expense is settled and concluded by the interference of the great.

THE TRIAL AND RECANTATION OF BISHOP PECOCK (1457).

=Source.=--_An English Chronicle_, edited by Davies, pp. 75-77. (Camden Society, 1856.)

And this same year, and the year of our Lord 1457, master Reginald Pecock, bishop of Chichester, a secular doctor of divinity that had laboured for many years for to translate Holy Scripture into English; passing the bonds of divinity and of Christian belief, was accused of certain articles of heresy, of the which he was convicted before the archbishop of Canterbury and other bishops and clerks, and utterly abjured, revoked and renounced the said articles openly at [St.] Paul's Cross in his mother tongue, as followeth hereafter: "In the name of the Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I, Reginald Pecock, bishop of Chichester unworthy, of my own power and will, without any manner of coercion or dread, confess and acknowledge that I here before this time, presuming of my natural wit, and preferring my judgement and natural reason before the New and the Old Testament, and the authority and determination of our Mother, Holy Church, have held, written and taught otherwise than the holy Roman and universal church teacheth, preacheth or observeth ... and specially these heresies and errors following, that is to say:

'In primis, quod non est de necessitate fidei credere quod Dominus noster Ihesus Christus post mortem descendit ad inferos.

'Item, quod non est de necessitate salutis, credere in sanctorum communione.

'Item, quod ecclesia universalis potest errare in illis quæ sunt fidei.

'Item, quod non est de necessitate salutis credere et tenere illud quod consilium generale et universalis ecclesia statuit, approbat, seu determinat in favorem fidei et ad salutem animarum, est ab universis Christi fidelibus approbandum, credendum et tenendum.'[17]

[17] "First, that it is not necessary to faith to believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, after His death, descended into hell.

_Item_, that it is not necessary to salvation to believe in the communion of saints.

_Item_, that the Church universal can err in matters of faith.

_Item_, that it is not necessary to salvation to believe and to hold that whatever a general Council of the Church ordains, approves, or determines in matters of faith and for the salvation of souls, ought to be approved, believed, and held by all faithful Christians."

"Wherefore I, miserable sinner which here before long time have walked in darkness, and now by the mercy and infinite goodness of God reduced into the right way and light of truth, and considering myself grievously to have sinned and wickedly have informed and infected the people of God, return and come again to our Mother, Holy Church; and all heresies and errors written and contained in my said books, works and writings here solemnly and openly revoke and renounce ... submitting myself, being now very contrite and penitent sinner, to the correction of the Church and of my said lord of Canterbury.... And over this declaration of my conversion and repentance, I here openly assert that my said books, works and writing, for declaration and cause above rehearsed, be deputed unto the fire and openly burnt in example and terror of all other.

'Why wonder that reason not tell can, How a maid is a mother, and God is man, Flee reason and follow the wonder, For belief hath the mastery, and reason is under.'"

This made the said Pecock, as it was said.

And after this he was deprived of his bishopric, having a certain pension assigned unto him for to live on in an abbey, and soon after he died.

A SEA FIGHT (+June 1, 1458+).

=Source.=--_Paston Letters_, vol. i., No. 317.

_John Jerningham to Margaret Paston._

... Right worshipful cousin, if it please you for to hear of such tidings as we have here, the embassy of Burgundy shall come to Calais the Saturday after Corpus Christi day, as men say five hundred horse of them. Moreover, on Trinity Sunday in the morning, came tidings unto my Lord of Warwick that there were twenty-eight sails of Spaniards on the sea, and whereof there was sixteen great ships of forecastle; and then my Lord went and manned five ships of forecastle, and three carvels, and four pinnaces, and on the Monday, on the morning after Trinity Sunday, we met together afore Calais at four at the clock in the morning, and fought that gathering till ten at the clock; and there we took six of their ships, and they slew of our men about four score, and hurt two hundred of us right sore; and there were slain on their part about twelve score; and hurt five hundred of them.

And it happed me, at the first aboarding of us, we took a ship of 300 ton, and I was left therein and twenty-three men with me; and they fought so sore that our men were fain to leave them, and then come they and boarded the ship that I was in, and there I was taken, and was prisoner with them six hours, and was delivered again for their men that were taken before. And as men say, there was not so great a battle upon the sea this forty winter. And forsooth, we were well and truly beat; and my Lord hath sent for more ships, and like to fight together again in haste.

THE EVILS IN THE CHURCH (+Written before+ 1458).

=Source.=--Gascoigne's _Loci e Libro Veritatum_, edited by Rogers. (Oxford: 1881.)

_Unworthy promotions_ [pp. 13, 14].

It is notorious now in the realm of England that boys, youths and men dwelling in the courts of the worldly are placed in churches, in high offices and in prelacies, others being set aside who have long been occupied in study and preaching and in the guiding of the people without thought of worldly lucre.... Among others unworthily promoted, one foolish youth, eighteen years of age, was promoted to twelve prebends and a great archdeaconry of the value of a hundred pounds, and to one great rectory, and a certain layman received the rents of all the said benefices, and spent upon the youth just as much as he, the layman, pleased, and never rendered an account, and that youth was the son of a simple knight, and, like an idiot, was drunk almost every day.

_Non-residence_ [pp. 3, 149].

Some never or seldom reside in their cures, and he to whom a church is appropriated and who is non-resident, comes once a year to his cure, or sends to the church at the end of the autumn, and having filled his purse with money and sold his tithes, departs again far away from his cure to the court where he occupies himself in money-making and pleasures.... O Lord God! incline the heart of the Pope, Thy vicar, to remedy the evils which arise through the appropriation of churches, and by the non-residence of good curates in the same. For now in England a time draweth nigh when men will say, "Formerly there were rectors in England, and now there are ruined churches in which cultured men cannot decently live...."

_Church dues oppressive_ [p. 13].

For Rome, like a singular and principal wild beast, hath laid waste the vineyards of the church, reserving to herself the elections of bishops, that none may confer an episcopal church on anyone unless they first pay the annates or first-fruits and rent of the vacant church. Also she hath destroyed the vineyard of God's church in many places, by annulling the elections of all the bishops in England. Also she destroys the church by promoting wicked men according as the King and the Pope agree.

_The abuse of the Sacraments_ [pp. 197].

It is now known that many infants die without baptism because the parish churches have no fonts, and divers abbeys have licence and custom that everyone of certain parishes should baptise in their monasteries, and yet they cannot come conveniently by night, or at other times to the font there.

_Proud Prelates_ [pp. 22, 23].

Bishops were wont, as is manifest in the Life of St. Cuthbert, to talk humbly and familiarly with their inferiors and every day to give everyone of their flock an audience if he sought to speak with his bishop. Recently a poor man came to the servant of a certain archbishop, the son of a lord, and said "I marvel that the archbishop does not give audience in his own person to his flock as his predecessor was wont to do." The servant replied "My lord the present archbishop was not bred in the same way as his predecessor" (meaning by this that his lord the archbishop, who was so strange and distant to his flock, was the son of a lord, and his predecessor was the son of a poor man); the poor man answered the said servant, "Truly the present archbishop and his predecessor were bred in different fashions, but it is manifest that the predecessor was the better man and more useful to his flock and to their souls and to the whole diocese."

THE EVILS OF MISGOVERNMENT (1459).

=Source.=--_An English Chronicle_, edited by Davies, pp. 79, 80. (Camden Society, 1846.)

In this same time the realm of England was out of all good governance, as it had been many days before, for the King was simple and led by covetous counsel, and owed more than he was worth. His debts increased daily, but payment there was none; all the possessions and lordships that pertained to the Crown the King had given away, some to lords and some to other simple persons, so that he had almost nought to live on. And such impositions as were put to the people, as taxes, tallages and quinzimes (fifteenths), all that came from them were spent in vain, for he held no household nor maintained no wars. For these misgovernances, and for many other, the hearts of the people were turned away from them that had the land in governance, and their blessing was turned into cursing. The queen with such as were of her affinity ruled the realm as they liked, gathering riches innumerable. The officers of the realm, and especially the earl of Wiltshire, treasurer of England, for to enrich himself, peeled the poor people and disinherited rightful heirs and did many wrongs. The queen was defamed and slandered, that he that was called Prince was not her son.... Wherefore she, dreading that he should not succeed his father in the crown of England, allied unto her all the knights and squires of Cheshire, for to have their benevolence, and held open household among them ... trusting through them to make her son King.

YORK'S POPULARITY (1460).

=Source.=--_An English Chronicle_, edited by Davies, p. 93. (Camden Society, 1846.)

+Ballad set upon the Gates of Canterbury.+

Send home most gracious Lord Jesu most benign, Send home thy true blood unto his proper vein, Richard duke of York, Job thy servant insign, Whom Satan not ceaseth to set at care and disdain, But by Thee preserved he may not be slain; Set him _ut sedeat in principibus_, as he did before, And so to our new song, Lord, thine ears incline, _Gloria, laus et honor Tibi sit Rex Christe Redemptor_!

Edward Earl of March, whose fame the earth shall spread, Richard Earl of Salisbury named prudence, With that noble knight and flower of manhood, Richard Earl of Warwick, shield of our defence, Also little Falconberg, a knight of great reverence; Jesu them restore to their honour as they had before, And ever shall we sing to thine High Excellence, _Gloria, laus et honor Tibi sit Rex Christe Redemptor_!

The dead man greeteth you well, That is just true as steel, With very good intent. Also the Realm of England, Soon to loose from Sorrow's bond By right indifferent judgement.

THE BATTLE OF NORTHAMPTON (+July 10, 1460+).

=Source.=--_An English Chronicle_, edited by Davies, pp. 96-98. (Camden Society, 1846.)

The King at Northampton lay at Friars, and had ordained there a strong and mighty field in the meadows, armed and arrayed with guns, having the river at his back. The earls [March and Warwick] with the number of sixty thousand, as it was said, came to Northampton and sent certain bishops to the King beseeching him that, in eschewing of effusion of Christian blood, he would admit and suffer the earls for to come into his presence to declare themselves as they were. The duke of Buckingham that stood beside the King, said unto them, "Ye come not as bishops for to treat for peace, but as men of arms;" because they brought with them a notable company of men of arms. They answered and said, "We come thus for surety of our persons, for they that be about the King be not our friends."

"Forsooth!" said the duke, "the Earl of Warwick shall not come to the King's presence, and if he come he shall die." The messengers returned again and told this to the earls....

Then on the Thursday the x^{th} day of July, the year of our Lord 1460, at two hours after noon, the said earls of March and Warwick let cry through the field, that no man should lay hands upon the King nor on the common people, but only on the lords, knights, and squires: then the trumpets blew up, and both hosts encountered and fought together half an hour,... The duke of Buckingham, the earl of Shrewsbury, the lord Beaumont, the lord Egremont were slain by the Kentishmen besides the King's tent, and many other knights and squires. The ordinance of the King's guns availed not, for that day was so great rain that the guns lay deep in water, and so were quenched and might not be shot. When the field was done, and the earls through mercy and help had the victory, they came to the King in his tent, and said in this wise: "Most noble Prince, displease you not, though it hath pleased God of his Grace to grant us the victory of our mortal enemies, the which by their venomous malice have untruly steered and moved your highness to exile us out of your land. We come not to that intent for to inquiet nor grieve your said highness, but for to please your most noble person, desiring most tenderly the high welfare and prosperity thereof, and of all your realm, and for to be your true liegemen while our lives shall endure." The King of their words was greatly recomforted, and anon was led into Northampton with procession, where he rested him three days, and then came to London, the xvj day of the month abovesaid, and lodged in the bishop's palace. For the which victory London gave to Almighty God great laud and thanking.

THE WANDERINGS OF QUEEN MARGARET (1460).

=Source.=--Gregory's "Chronicle" in the _Collections of a London Citizen_, pp. 208, 209. (Camden Society.)