judge of such courage, and a son of such submission. But yet for these and some other frolics, the King displaced him from being president of the council, and placed therein his third son John. This made the prince so sensible of his father's displeasure, that he endeavoured to recover his good opinion, by as strange a way as he lost it; for attiring himself in a garment of blue sattin, wrought all with oylet holes of black silk, the needle hanging thereto, and about his arm a thing like a dog's collar, studded with S.S. of gold, he came to the court at Westminster, to whom the King, though not well in health, caused himself to be brought in a chair into his privy chamber, where in the presence of three or four only of his privy council, he demanded of the prince the cause of his unwonted habit and coming; who answered, "That being not only his subject, but his son, and a son always so tenderly beloved by him, he were worthy of a thousand deaths, if he should but intend or imagine the least offence to his majesty, and had therefore prepared himself to be made a sacrifice;" and thereupon reached his dagger, and holding it by the point, he said; "Sir, I desire not to live longer than that I may be thought to be what I am, and shall ever be, your faithful and obedient vassal,"

With this or the like answer, the King was so moved, that he fell upon his son's neck, and with many tears embracing him, confessed, "That his ears had been too open to receive reports against him, and promising faithfully, that from thenceforth no reports should cause any disaffection toward him." As soon as this young King was crowned at Westminster, he like King Saul, seemed to have a new heart given him, and became another man than he was before. For calling his old companions and brethren in evil before him, he strictly charged them not to come within ten miles of the court till they had given proof of their reformation. And to prevent their proceeding in ill courses, he gave every one of them a sufficient allowance.

Immediately after a parliament was called at Westminster, where a subsidy was granted without asking, and the commons began to harp upon the old string of taking away the lands of the clergy, which the bishops, fearing the King's inclination, endeavoured to divert, by shewing him the great right he had to the crown of France: which they made so plainly appear, that he alters his arms, and quarters the Flower de Luces like the King of France; but to do it fairly, he sends ambassadors to Charles the VIth, King of France, requiring him in a peaceable manner to surrender the crown of France. The embassy. had five hundred horse to attend them, and were at first honorably received and treated by the Court of France; but when their message

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was known, their entertainment was soon altered, and the Dauphin (who managed the affairs of state during the King's sickness) about this time sent a tun of tennis balls to King Henry, in derision of his youth, as fitter to play with them than to manage arms. Which King Henry took in such scorn, that he promised with an oath, It should not be long before he would toss such iron balls among them, that the best arms of France should not be able to hold a racket to return them."

And accordingly he went with an army into France, and utterly routed the French army at Agincourt, though they were six times as many as the English, killing about nine thousand of them, and taking fifteen hundred prisoners; and on the English part not above six hundred were slain in all.

synod for an

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ning of his reign, Wickliff greatly whom Sir John chief, who by to be Lord Cobfavor with the aecused in a for maintaining trine, the King persuaded him censure of the told the King he mission to his others, he would truth against life. Upon which appear in the which he refu demned by a heretic; in which

bishop of Canit to be ordained,

"That the holy LORD COBHAM. scriptures ought

not to be translated into the English tongue." But mark the judgment of God that fell upon his own tongue, whose roots and blade shortly after (as it is recorded) grew so big in his mouth and throat, that he could neither speak nor swallow down meat, but in horror lay languishing, till at last starved by famine, he died.

After this, Sir John Oldcastle was taken, and he, Sir Roger Acton, and twenty-eight more, were executed at St. Giles's in the Fields and in Smithfield, for heresy; and all the prisons in and about London were filled with his followers.

In the third year of this king's reign, on Candlemas Day, seven dolphins came up the river Thames, whereof four were taken. This king had such command in France, that their own chronicles testify in the Court of Chancery in Paris, all things were sealed with the seal of King Henry of England. In the second year of his reign, Moorgate, near Coleman Street, was first made by Thomas Fawkener, Mayor of London, who caused the water of this city to be turned into the Thames in Wallbrook, by causing grates in divers places.

King Henry the Fifth died in the thirty-fifth year of his age, and the ninth of his reign, leaving his son Henry to enjoy his crown, who was but eight months old when his father died, yet by the Duke of Bedford, regent of France, is proclaimed King of England and France, at Paris, and at nine years old was proclaimed King there, receiving the oaths and fealty of all the French nobility.

This king was very weak in judgement, and was ruled only by his queen, which occasioned him very great trouble; for they used his authority for the destruction of the Duke of Gloucester, and several other persons, who was much beloved of the people. Ábout which time the Duke of York began to whisper his right to the crown, as descended from Philippa, daughter and heir to Lionel, Duke of Ćlarence, elder brother to John of Gaunt, and great grandfather to the present King Henry the Sixth; and it was privately discoursed, "That King Henry was of a weak capacity, and easily abused, and the Queen who was near to the French Queen, was of a malignant spirit, and bloodily ambitious, the privy council is wise enough, yet not honest enough, regarding more their own private profit than the public good; and that through their neglect, all France was lost, and that God would not bless the usurped possessions of King Henry." With these suggestions the Kentish men seemed to be taken, which being observed by an instrument of the Duke of York, one Mortimer, he takes opportunity to tell the people, "That if they will be ruled by him, he will shew them the way to make a thorough reformation, and prevent the taxes that are upon every slight occasion laid upon them.”

These promises of reformation and freedom so wrought with the. people, that they drew to a head, and made Mortimer, otherwise called Jack Cade, their leader, who stiled himself Captain Mend-all; with whom they came to Blackheath, and lay there about a month,

sending for whom and what he pleased. He then presents the complaint of the commons to the parliament, who sent them to the privy council, but they explode them as frivolous, and charge the authors to be presumptuous rebels; and thereupon the King raiseth an army, and brings them to Greenwich; but the lords could get no followers to fight against them, who fought only for reformation of abuses, and for punishment of such traitors as they said the Lord Say was. The Lord Say is hereupon committed to the Tower, and the King and Queen retire to London; and Cade follows and comes to Southwark, where he quarters his men; and next morning marcheth to London Bridge, where he caused his followers to cut the rope of the draw-bridge, no resistance being made against him, and so in good order marched up to London-stone, upon which he struck his sword, saying, "Now is is Mortimer Lord of London." He then sent for Lord Say out of the Tower, and cut off his head at the standard in Cheapside, and also the head of Sir James Cromer, High Sheriff of Kent; but upon the King's general pardon, his followers leave him, and he is soon after slain; and and with the execution of eight more, though five hundred were found guilty, this insurrection was suppressed.

It was a custom that upon St. Bartholomew's Day, the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of London, should go to the wrestling-place near Moorfields, where at this time the Prior of St. John's likewise was to see the sport; and a servant of his being ashamed to be foiled before his master, desired to wrestle again, contrary to custom, which the Lord Mayor denied; whereupon the Prior fetched bow-men from Clerkenwell against the Mayor, and some slaughter was made; the Mayor's cap was shot through with an arrow, yet he would have the sport go on, but no wrestler's came: whereupon he said, "He would stay awhile to make trial of the citizens respect to him ;" and presently after a great party of them came with banners displayed, and fetched him home in triumph. Soon after another quarrel happened in Holborn between the gentlemen of the Inns of Chancery, and some Citizens, in appeasing whereof, the Queen's attorney and three more slain. The year after the apprentices of London, upon a very slight occasion, fell upon the foreign merchants, rifling and robbing their houses, but the Lord Mayor by his discretion appeased the tumult, punishing some of the offenders with death, and others by fine, and all things are quieted and appeased.

In the year 1460, the Duke of York comes from Ireland to London, and in the name of King Henry the VIth, called a parliament, which being assembled, he in the presence of the lords in the Upper House,

placed himself in the imperial seat, and with great boldness lay open his claim to the crown of England. And then relating the many miseries that had befallen the realm since this usurpation of the present King, his father, and grandfather; he concluded that he would not expect, nor desire possession of the crown except his descent was indisputable, and his title thereto without exception. This being a business of importance, it required deliberation, but in conclusion, the Duke having before-hand prepared the lords spiritual, and a few of nobility being present that were not of his side, the House of Commons were easily persuaded, and it was resolved, and accordingly an act of parliament was made, "That King Henry, during his life, should retain the name and honor of a King, and that the Duke of York should be proclaimed heir apparent to the crown, and protector of the King's person, his lands and dominions. And that if at any time any of King Henry's friends, allies, or favourites, should on his behalf attempt the disanulling of this act, that then the Duke should have present possession of the crown." It was observed that while the Duke of York was declaring his title in the Upper House, it happened that a crown which hung in the middle of the House of Commons, without any touch or wind, fell down; and at the same time the crown which stood upon Dover Castle fell down likewise; a sign as some thought, that the crown of the realm should be changed.

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As soon as this parliament was dissolved, the Duke sends for the Queen and some others, to come out of Scotland. But they had raised an army there, and the Duke of York met them with another; and at Wakefield Green the Duke is slain, with the loss of three thousand of his men, and being dead, had his head crowned with a paper crown, together with many other circumstances of disgrace. However his son Edward, Earl of March, prosecutes the quarrel, and puts the Queen's forces to flight, which she endeavoured to recruit; but some of her northern army having robbed the people as they came along the country, saying, "It was their bargain to have all the spoil in every place. The Londoners would not suffer any provision to be sent to them, the Commons rising about Cripplegate, and stopping the carts which the Lord Mayor was sending to the army.

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In the mean time the Earls of March and Warwick having got a considerable army, marched to London, and were joyfully received there. And soon after the Earl of Warwick drawing all his forces into St. John's field, by Clerkenwell, and having cast them in a ring, he read to them the agreement of the last parliament, and then de manded, whether they would have King Henry to reign still? who