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883 [883]

K. Edward. 5. The tyranny of the Protectour. Duke of Buckingham. L. Hastynges.

cleft a sonder: MarginaliaLord Stanley wounded.notwithstandyng hee receaued such a wounde, that the bloud ranne about his eares. There were in that counsaile the same tyme, the Archbyshop of Yorke, & MarginaliaBish. Morton.Doctour Morton byshop of Eley (by whose procurement afterwarde kyng Henry the. vij. was sent for into England, and he made Archbyshop after that of Canterbury) these with the Lorde Stanley diuerslye were bestowed in diuers chābers. MarginaliaThe tyrannye of the protectour.The Lord Hastinges  

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The remainder of the this account of the reign of Edward V is based on The History of King Richard III, ed. Richard S. Sylvester in The Complete Works of St. Thomas More 2 [New Haven, CT, 1963], pp. 49, 58-68 and 75-82.

was commaunded to spede and shryue hym a pace, for before dyner the protectour sware by S. Paule, that hee should dye: MarginaliaThe Lord Hastynges beheaded.and so incontinently, without farther iudgement, his head was stricken of: by whose counsaile the Quenes kyndred were at the same time and day, beheaded at Pomfret.

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After this tyrannous murder accomplished, the mischieuous protectour aspiryng still to the crowne, to set his deuises forwarde, first through giftes and fayre promises, did subornate Doctor Shaw a famous preacher then in London, at Paules Crosse to insinuate to þe people, MarginaliaThe beastly protectour accuseth hys own mother.that neither kyng Edward with his sonnes, nor the Duke of Clarence were lawfully begotten, nor the very children of the Duke of Yorke, but begotten vnlawfully by other persons in aduoutrye on the Duches their mother, and that he alone was the true and onely lawfull heyre of the Duke of Yorke: MarginaliaDoct. Shawes impudent sermon at Paules crosse.Moreouer to declare & to signifie to the audience, that kyng Edward was neuer lawfully maryed to the Quene, but his wife before was Dame Elizabeth Lucy: & so the. ij. children of kyng Edward to be base and bastardes, and therfore the title of the crowne most rightly to perteine to the Lord protectour. Thus this false flatterer, and loude lyeng preacher, to serue the protectours humour, shamed not most impudently to abuse that holy place, that reuerent auditorie, the sacred worde of God, takyng for his theame, Adulteræ plātationes nō dabunt radices altas. &c. MarginaliaSap. 4.whiche he most impeously did applye agaynst the innocent children, and right heyres of this realme. MarginaliaExample for all flattering preachers to beware.Whereupon such grudge and disdaine of the people with worldly wōder, folowed him, that for shame of the people creyng out of him, in few dayes after he pyned away.

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MarginaliaThe duke of Buckyngham an other minister for the protectours furye.When this sermon would take no effect with the people, the protectour vnmercyfully drowned in ambition, rested not thus, but within. ii. daies after, excited þe duke of Buckyngham, first to breake the matter in couert talke, to the Maior and certeine of the heades of the Citie, pyked out for the purpose: that done to come to the Guilde Hall, to moue þe people by all flattering & lyeng persuasions, to the same, whiche shameles Shaw had preached before at Paules Crosse. MarginaliaThe Duke of Buckyngham speaketh for the protectour in the Guild hall.Which þe duke, with all diligence and helpes of eloquence, being a man both learned and well spoken, endeuored to accomplish, makyng to the people a lōg and artificiall Oration, supposing no lesse, but that the people allured by his crafty insinuations, would crye, kyng Richard, kyng Richard. But there was no kyng Richard in their mouthes, lesse in their hartes. Wherupon the Duke lookyng to þe Lord Maior, and askyng what that silence ment, contrary to the promise of the one, and the expectatiō of the other: It was then aunswered of the Maior, that the people peraduenture well vnderstode him not: wherfore the Duke reiteratyng hys narration in other wordes, declared agayne that he had done before. Likewise the third tyme he repeted his Oration agayne & agayne. MarginaliaAn hard thing to make the tounge speake agaynst the harte.Then the cōmons, which before stoode mute, beyng now in a mase, seyng this importunitie, began to mutter softly among them selues, but yet no kyng Richard could sounde in their lyppes, MarginaliaA stolne consent in the Guild hall.saue onely that in the nether ende of the Hall, certaine of þe Dukes seruauntes, with one Nashfield, and other belonging to the protectour, thrusting into the Hall among the preasse, began sodeinly at mens backes, to crye king Richard, kyng Richard, throwyng vp their cappes: wherat þe Citizens turnyng backe theirheades, merueled not a litle, but sayd nothyng.

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The Duke, and the Lord Maior with that syde, takyng this for sufficient testimonie, incontinent came blowyng for hast to the protectour, then lyeng at Baynardes Castle. MarginaliaPhy of hypocrisie.Where, the matter beyng made before, was so nowe contriued, that forsouth, humble petition was made in the name of the whole commons, and that with. iij. sundry sutes, to þe humble and simple protector, that he, although it was vtterly agaynst his will to take it: yet would of his humilitie stoupe so lowe, as to receaue the heauy kyngdome of England vpon his shoulders. MarginaliaThe hypocrisie of the protectour, denying the crowne thryse before he would take it.At this their so tender request and sute of þe Lordes and cōmon made (ye must know how) the milde Duke seyng no other remedye, was contented at length to yelde, althoughe sore agaynst his will (ye must so imagine) and to submitte him self so low, as of a protectour, to bee made a kyng: not much herein vnlyke to our prelates in the Popishe Churche, who when they haue before well compounded for the Popes Bulles, yet must they for maner sake, make courtesie, & thrise denye that for whiche they so longe before haue gaped, and so swetly haue payd for.

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¶ King Richard the. iij. Vsurper.

MarginaliaKing Richard. iii. vsurper.ANd thus  

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The accounts of Richard III's coronation, of the elevation of certain nobles, and the fates of Stanley and Morton, are all taken from Edward Hall, The union of the two noble and illustre famelies of Lancastre and York (London, 1560), STC 12723a, fo. 25v.

Richarde Duke of Gloucester tooke vpon him to be made and proclaymed king of Englād, the yeare aforesayd. an. 1483. in þe moneth of Iune. Who thē cōming to the tower by water, first made his sonne, a childe of x. yeare olde, prince of Wales, and Iohn Haward (a man of great industrie and seruice) he aduaunced to be Duke of Northfolke, & Syr Thomas Haward his sonne, hee ordeyned Earle of Surrey. Also William Lord Backeley was appointed Earle of Notyngham. Fraunces Lord Louel, was made Vicount Louel. Lord Stanley for feare of his sonne, was deliuered out of the Tower and made Stuard of the kynges housholde. Lykewise the Archbyshop of Yorke, was set free: but Morton Byshop of Eley was committed to þe Duke of Buckyngham, by whom was wrought the first deuise to bryng in Henry Earle of Richemond into England, and to conioyne mariage betwene Elizabeth kyng Edwardes daughter, and hym: whereby the two houses of Yorke, and Lancaster were vnited together.

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MarginaliaK. Kychard crowned.After the kyngdome of England, was thus alotted to kyng Richard the vsurper, as in maner aboue remēbred, he taried not long for his coronation, whiche was solemnised the moneth next ensuyng, the 6. day of Iuly.

The triumphe and solennitie of this vsurped coronation beyng finished, and all thynges to the same apperteinyng, this vnquiet tyraunt yet could not thinke hym selfe safe, so long as young Edward the right kyng and his brother, were alyue: Wherfore the next enterprise whiche hee did set vppon was this, howe to rydde these innocent babes out of the waye, that hee might reygne kyng alone.

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In the meane tyme, while all thys rufflyng was in hand, what dread and sorow the tender hartes of these fatherles and frendles children were in, what litle ioye of them selues, what small hope of life they had, it is not so hard as dolorous for tender hartes to vnderstand. As the yonger brother lyngered in thought & heuynes, so the prince which was a.xi. yeare old, was so out of hart and so fraught with feare, that hee neuer tyed hys pointes, nor ioyed good day, till the trayterous impietie of their cruell vncle had deliuered them of their wretchednes: whiche was not long in dispatchyng. MarginaliaThe truth of Robert Brakenbu-
bury to his prince.
For after  

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Foxe's account of the murders of Edward IV's sons and of the providential punishments of their murderers is drawn from The History of King Richard III, ed. Richard S. Sylvester in The Complete Works of St. Thomas More 2 (New Haven, CT, 1963), pp. 85-87.

king Richard their vncle, first attempting to compasse his deuilishe deuise by Robert Brakenbury Constable of þe tower, and could not wynne him to such a cruell facte, to dye therfore: then he got one Iames Tyrell, ioynyng with hym Iohn Dighton, and Miles Fo-

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rest,