ly agaynst his will to take it: yet woulde of his humility stoupe so low, as to receiue the heauy kingdome of England vpon hys shoulders.MarginaliaThe hypocrisie of the protectour, denying the crowne thrise before he would take it. At this thetr so tender request and sute of the Lordes and commone made (ye must know how) the mylde Duke seyng no other remedy, was contented at lēgth to yelde, although sore agaynst his wyl (ye must so imagine) and to submit hymselfe so low, as of a protectour to be made a kyng: not much herein vnlyke to our prelates in the Popishe Church, who when they haue before well compounded for the popes Buls, yet must they for maner sake make curtesie, and thrise deny that for which they so longe before haue gaped, and so swetely haue payd for.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaKing Richard 3. vsurper. ANd thus  

Richard Duke of Gloucester tooke vpon hym to be made and proclaymed kyng of Englande, the yeare aforesayd. an. 1483. in the month of Iune. Who then commyng 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 industry and seruice) he aduaunced to be Duke of Northfolke, and Sir Thomas Haward hys sonne, he ordeyned Erle of Surrey. Also William Lord Barckeley was appoynted Erle of Notingham. Fraunces Lord Louell, was made Vicount Louell. Lorde Stanley for feare of hys sonne, was deliuered out of the Tower and made Steward of the kynges housholde. Lykewyse the Archbishop of Yorke was set free: but Morton Bishop of Eley was committed to the Duke of Buckyngham, by whom was wrought the first deuise to bryng in Henry erle of Richemond into England, and to conioyne mariage betwene Elizabeth kyng Edwards daughter, and him: wherby the two houses of Yorke and Lancaster were vnited together.

[Back to Top]

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

The triumph and solennitie of this vsurped coronation, beyng finished, and all things to the same appertayning, this vnquiet tyraunt yet could not thinke hymselfe safe, so long as yong Edward the right kyng and hys brother, were alyue: Wherfore the next enterprise which he did set vpō was this, how to rid these innocent babes out of the way, that he might reigne kyng alone.

[Back to Top]

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

king Richard their vncle, first attempting to cōpasse his deuilishe deuise by Robert Brakenbury Constable of the tower, and could not wynne him to such a cruell facte (to dye therfore) then he got one Iames Tyrell, ioynyng with him Iohn Dighton, and MilesMarginaliaIames Tyrell, Iohn Dyghton. Myles Forest, cruell traytours & murtherers of their Prince. Forest, to perpetrate this heynous murder. Whiche Dyghton and Forest, about midnight entryng into their chamber, so bewrapped and entangled them amongest the clothes, kepyng downe the fetherbed and pillowes hard vnto their mouthes,MarginaliaThe ii. childrē of K. Edward murdered. that within a while, they smoothered and stifled them pituoslye in their bed.

[Back to Top]

And thus ended these two young princes their liues, thorough the wretched cruelty of these forenamed tormentors: who for their detestable and bloudy murder committed, escaped not lōg vnpunished by the iust hand of God.MarginaliaThe iust punishment of God vpō the murderers of the two For first Miles Forest, at S. Martins le grand, by peecemeale miserably rotted away. Iohn Dighton lyued at Calis long after so disdayned and hated, that he was poynted at of all mē, and there dyed in great misery. Sir Iames Tyrell was beheaded at Tower hill for treason.MarginaliaThe punishment of God vpon kyng Richard. Also king Richard himself within a yeare and halfe after, was slayne in the field, hacked and hewed of hys enemies handes, torne and tugged like a curre dog.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe punishment of god vpon the duke of Buckinghā. Furthermore, the sayd iustice of Gods hand left not the Duke of Buckyngham escape free, which was a greate maintayner and setter vp of this butcherly vsurper: for lesse then within a yeare after so God wrought, that he was him selfe beheaded for treason by the sayde king, whome he so vniustly before had aduaunced and set vp.  

[Back to Top]

In the same catalogue and order of these wicked doers afore recited, we haue also to comprehende two other as well worthy of memoriall, as the best, or rather as þ^e worst.Marginalia[illegible text] The name of the one was doctour Shaw, aboue rehearsed: The other was Doctour Pinkie, prouinciall of the Austen Friers: both famous preachers, and both Doctours in diuinitie, both of more learnyng then vertue (saith the story) of more fame then learnyng, and yet of more learninge then truth. Shaw made a Sermon in the prayse of the Protectour, before his coronation, Pinkie preached after his coronation. Both were so full of tedious flattery, that no good eares coulde abide them.MarginaliaGods iudgemēt vpon flattering preachers. Pinkie in hys sermon so lost his voyce, that he was faine to leaue of and came downe in the middest. Doctour Shaw by his sermon lost hys honesty, & soone after, his life for very shame of the world, so that he durst neuer after that, shew his face againe. But as for the Frier, he was so farre past shame, that the losse therof did litle touch him.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaThe first motion of ioyning the two houses, Yorke and Lancaster together. Mention was made a litle before, of Doctour Morton Byshop of Ely, by whose meanes the deuise was first broched for þ^e conioyning the two houses of Yorke & Lancaster together. This deuise was first broken to the Duke of Buckyngham, which soone after coste hym his lyfe. But the Byshop more crafty to saue hymselfe, incontinent fled into Britayne. Notwithstanding, the deuise once beyng broched, was so plausible, and tooke such effect, that message was sent ouer the sea to Henry Earle of Richmond, by his mother and by the Queene, mother to the Ladye Elizabeth, that if he would make his returne, and promise to mary with þ^e said Lady Elizabeth K. Edwards daughter, he should be receaued. To make a longer discourse of this mater, which is sufficiently set forth by Syr Tho. More so ornately, it needeth not.

[Back to Top]

Briefly (to contracte that in a small compasse of wordes, which was not so small a thyng in doyng) after that  

the Earle Henry, with such other banished mē, as fled out of England at the taking of the Duke of Buckingham, had perfect intelligence by his mother and by the Queene, and other frends moe out of England, how the case of þ^e realme stoode, and how it was here purposed by hys frendes, that is, that he should with all conuenient speede, hast his returne ouer into England, promising to mary wyth Ladye Elizabeth:MarginaliaEarle Hēry maketh preparation toward his iourney. he with all diligence as tyme and preparation would serue, auaunced forward his iorney, being wel helped and furnished by Fraunces Duke of Brytayne, and so shipped his men. Albeit his first viage spedde not, for that the wyndes turning contrary: by force of weather his ships were disparcled, and he repulsed backe into Fraūce againe. His setond viage was more prosperous. Who takyng the seas at Harflet, in the moneth of August. an. 1485. accompanied onely with two thousand men, and a small number of shippes,MarginaliaThe ariuing of Henry Earle of Richmond in Wales. aryued at Milford Hauen in Wales, and first came to Dale, then to Harford West, where he was ioyfully receaued, and also by the comming in of Arnold Butler and the Pēbroke men, was in power encreased. Frō thēce he remoued by Cardygan to Shrewsbery, & then to Newport, and so to Stafford, from thence to Lychfield, his armye still more and more augmented. Like as a great floud by commyng in of many small riuers, gathereth more aboundaunce of water: so to this Earle diuers noble Captaynes and men of power adioyned themselues, as Richard Griffith, Iohn Morgan. Rice ap Thomas, then Syr George Talbot, with the young Earle of Shrewsbery his warde, Syr William Stanley, Syr Tho. Burchier, and Syr Walter Hungerford, knightes. At last the said Earle hearing of the kynges commyng, conducted his whole armye to Tomworth.

[Back to Top]

MarginaliaK. Richard gathereth his power to encounter with Earle Hēry King Richard first hearing of the arriuall of the Earle Henry in the partes of Wales after such a slender sort, did geue litle or no regarde vnto it. But after, vnderstandyng that he was come to Lychfield, without resistaunce or encombraunce, he was sore moued, and exceedingly tooke on, cursing and crying out agaynst them which had so deceaued him, and in all post speede, sent for Iohn duke of Norfolke, Hēry, Earle of Northūberland, Tho. Earle of Surrey, with other his frendes of speciall trust. Robert Brakenbury also lieutenaunt of the tower was sent for, wyth Sir Tho. Burchier, and Sir Walter Hungerford, wyth other certaine knights & Esquiers, of whom he partly misdoubted, or had some suspicious gelousie. Thus K. Richard, after most forceable maner well fortified and accompanied, leauing nothing vndone þ^t diligēcr could require, set forward toward his enemis. The earle by this tyme was come to Tomworth, to whō secretly in the euening resorted Syr Iohn Sauage, sir Bryan Sanford, sir Simon Digby, and many other, forsakyng the part of kyng Richard,

[Back to Top]