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Warwik slain.

strength, what for his landes, his alliaunce and of the Etle of fauer with al the people, that he made kinges and put down kinges almost at his pleasure, and not impossible to haue attained it himselfe, if he had not rekened it a greater thing to make a king then to be a king. But 5 nothing lasteth alway, for in conclusion king Edwarde returned, and with much lesse number then he had, at Barnet on thestre daye felde, slewe the Erle of Warwik Therle of with many other great estates of that partie, and so stably attained the crowne againe, that he peassybly 10 enjoyed it vntil his dieng day: and in such plight left it, that it could not be lost, but by the discorde of his verye frendes, or falshed of his fained frendes.

I haue rehersed this busines about this mariage somwhat the more at lenght, because it might therby the better 15 appere vpon how slipper a grounde the protector builded his colour, by which he pretended king Edwardes children to be bastardes. But that inuencion simple as it was, it liked them to whom it suffised to haue somwhat to say, while they wer sure to be compelled to no larger proofe 20 then themselfe list to make. Now then as I began to shew you, it was by the protectour and his counsaile concluded, that this doctour Sha should, in a sermon at Poules Crosse, sygnifie to the people, that nei- Shawes serther king Edward himself, nor the Duke of

25 Clarence, were lawfully begotten, nor were not the very children of the duke of Yorke; but gotten vnlawfully by other parsons by thaduoutry of the duches their mother. And that also dame Elisabeth Lucy was verely the wife of king Edward, and so the prince and all his children bas- 30 tardes that were gotten vpon the quene. According to this deuise, doctour Shaa the Sonday after at Poules Crosse in a gret audience (as alway assembled gret numbre to his



preching) he toke for his tyme spuria vitulamina non agent radices altas. That is to say, bastard slippes shal neuer take depe roote. Therupon when he had shewed the great grace

that God giueth and secretly infowndeth in right generacion 5 after the lawes of matrimony, then declared he that comenly

those children lacked that grace, and for the punishment of their parentes were for the more parte vnhappie, which were gotten in baste and speciallye in aduowtrie. Of which, though

some, by the ignoraunce of the world and the trouth hid 10 fro knowlege, enherited for the season other mennes landes,

yet God alway so prouideth, that it continueth not in their blood long, but the trouth comming to light, the rightful inheritors be restored, and the bastard slip pulled vp, ere

it can be roted depe. And when he had laid for the proofe 15 and confirmacion of this sentence, certain ensamples taken

out of the olde testament and other auncient histories, then began he to descend into the praise of the lord Richarde late duke of York, calling him father to the lord

protectour, and declared the title of hys heires ynto the 20 crowne, to whom it was after the death of King Henry the

sixte entailed by authoritye of parliamente. Then shewed he that his very right heire of his body lawfully begotten, was onely the lord protector. For he declared then that

king Edward was neuer lawfully maried vnto the quene, 25 but was before God husband vnto dame Elizabeth Lucye,

and so his children bastardes. And besides that, neither king Edward himself, nor the duke of Clarence among those that wer secret in the houshold, wer reckened very

surely for the children of the noble Duke, as those that by 30 their fauours more resembled other knowen men then him.

From whose vertuous condicions he said also that kynge Edward was far of. But the lord protectour he said, that very noble prince, the special paterne of knightly prowes,


as well in all princely behaueor as in the liniamentes and fauor of his visage, represented the verye face of the noble duke his father. This is, quod he, the fathers owne figure, this is his own countenance, the very prent of his visage. the sure vndoubted image, the playne expresse likenes of 5 that noble Duke.

Nowe was it before deuised, that in the speaking of these wordes, the protector should haue comen in among the people to the sermonwarde, to thend that those words meting with his presence, might haue been taken among the 10 hearers, as thoughe the Holye Ghost had put them in the preachers mouth, and should haue moued the people euen ther to crie, king Richard, king Richard, that it might haue bene after said, that he was specially chosen by God and in maner by miracle. But this deuise quailed either by the protectors negligence, or the preachers ouermuche diligence. For while the protector found by the way tarying lest he should preuent those woordes, and the doctor fearing that he should com ere his sermon could come to those wordes hasted his matter therto; he was com to them and past 20 them, and entred into other matters ere the protector came. Whom when he beheld coming, he sodainly lefte the matter, with which he was in hand, and without ani deduccion therunto, out of al order, and oute of al frame, began to repete those wordes again; this is that verye noble prince, the 25 special patrone of knightly prowes, which as well in al princelye behaueor, as in the lineamentes and fauor of his visage, representeth the very face of the noble duke of York his father. This is the fathers own figure, this his own countenance, the very printe of his visage, the sure vn- 30 doubted ymage, the plain expresse lykenes of the noble duke, whose remembrance can neuer dye while he liueth. Whyle these wordes wer in speaking, the protector accom




panied with the duke of Buckingham, went thorow the people

into the place where the doctors comonly stand

in the vpper story, where he stode to hearken the sermon. But the people wer so farre fro crying king Richard, 5 that thei stode as thei had bene turned into stones, for wonder

of this shamefull sermon. After whiche once ended, the preacher gate him home and neuer after durst looke out for shame, but kepe him out of sight lyke an owle. And when

he once asked one that had bene his old frend, what the 10 people talked of him, al wer it that his own conscience wel

shewed him that thei talked no good, yet when the tother answered him that there was in euery mans mouth spoken of him much shame, it so strake him to the heart, that

within fewe daies after he withered and consumed away. 15 Then on the Tewesday folowing this sermon, there came

vnto the geld hall in London the duke of Buckingham, accompanied with diuers lordes and knightes, mo then happely knewe the message that thei brought. And there in

the east ende of the hall where the maire kepeth the hust20 inges, the maire and al the aldermen being assembled about

him, all the commons of the citie gathered before them, after silence commaunded vpon greate pain in the protectors name, the Duke stode vp, and (as he was neither vn

learned, and of nature marueilouslye well spoken) hee saide 25 vnto the people with a clere and a loude voice in this maner of wyse.

Frendes, for the zeale and heartye fauour Buckingham's

that we beare you, we be comen to breake vnto you, of a matter ryghte great and weighty, and no lesse 30 weightye, then pleasing to God and profitable to al the

realm; nor to no part of the realm more profitable, then to you the citezens of this noble citie. For why, that thyng that we wote well ye haue long time lacked and sore longed

The duke of


for, that ye woulde haue geuen great good for, that ye woulde haue

gone farre to fetche, that thynge wee bee comme hyther to bringe you, withoute youre labour, payne, coste, aduenture or jeopardie. What thynge is that? certes the suretye of your owne bodyes, the quiete of youre wiues and youre 5 doughters, the safegarde of youre goodes; of all whiche thynges in tymes passed ye stoode euermore in doubte. For who was there of you all, that woulde recken hym seife lorde of his own good, among so many grennes and trappes as was set therfore, among so much pilling and 10 polling, among so many taxes and tallages, of whiche there was neuer ende, and often time no nede; or if any wer, it rather grew of riote and vnresonable wast, then any necessarye or honorable charge? So that there was dayly pilled fro good men and honest, gret substaunce of goodes to be 15 lashed oute among vnthriftes so farforth that fiftenes suffised not, nor ani vsual names of knowen taxes; but vnder an easy name of beneuolence and good will, the commissioners so much of euery man toke, as noman would with his good wil haue giuen. As though the name of beneuolence, had 20 signified that euery man shold pay, not what himself of his good wil list to graunt, but what the king of his good will list to take. Which neuer asked litle, but euery thing was hawsed aboue the mesure ; amercementes turned into fines, fines into raunsomes, smal trespas to misprision, misprision 2

25 into treson. Wherof I thinke no man loketh that we should remembre you of examples by name, as though Burdet were forgotten, that was, for a worde spoken in hast, cruelly behedded, by the misconstruing of the lawes of thys realme for the princes plesure: with no 30 les honour to Markam then chief Justyce, that left his office rather then he would assent to that judgement, then to the dishonesty of those, that



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