to Britain ward, that if Henry should come that waie, he might either bee taken before his arriuall, or els might bee kepte from landyng in any coaste of Englande. And furthermore in euery coaste and corner of the realme, laied wounderfull waite and watche to take partely any other of 5 his enemies, and specially the saied duke of Buckyngham. Where vpon the saied Homffrey Banaster (were it for mede or for losyng his life and goodes,) disclosed hym vnto the kynges inquisitours, who immediately toke hym, and furthwith all brought him to Salisbury where kyng Richard was. 10 The duke beyng diligently examined vttered without any maner refusall or stickyng, all suche thynges as he knewe, trustyng that for his plain confession he should have libertie to speake with the kyng, whiche he made moste instaunt and humble peticion that he might doo. But as sone 15 as he had confessed his offence towardes kyng Richarde, he was out of hande behedded. And this death the duke receiued at the handes of kyng Richarde whom he had before holpen in his affaires and purposes beyonde all Godes forbode.

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While these thynges wer in hande in Englande, Henry erle of Richemond made redy his hoste and strength to the number of fiue thousand Britons and fiftene shippes, the daie appoincted of his departure beeyng now come, whiche was the twelfe daie of the monethe of Octobre, in the year of 25 our lorde God a thousande foure hundred foureskore and foure, and the seconde yere of the reigne of kyng Richard and hauyng a faire wynde, hoysed vp the sailes and set forwarde, but toward the night came suche a tempest that thei wer dispersed one from another, some into Briten and some into Normandy. But the ship in whiche Henry was, with one other ship, tossed all the night with the waues of the sea and tempest, when the mornyng came, it waxed

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somewhat calme and faire weder, and thei wer come toward the Southe parte of Englande, by a hauen or porte called Poole, where the saied Henry saw all the shores and bankes sette full of harnessed men, whiche were souldiours apoincted 5 there to waite by kyng Richard, as wee haue saied before, for the comyng and landyng of the erle. While Henry ther abode he gaue commaundement, that no manne should lande before the comyng of the other shippes. And in the meane tyme that he waited for them, he sent a little bote 10 with a few in it aland to knowe what thei wer that stoode on the shore, his frendes or enemies. Too whom those souldiours, beeyng before taught what thei should saie, answered that thei were the frendes of Henry, and wer appoincted by the duke of Buckyngham there too abide his 15 commyng and to conducte hym to those castelles and holdes, where his tentes pauilions and artillary for the warre laie, and where remaigned for hym a greate power that entended nowe with all spede to set vpon kyng Rychard while he was nowe fled for feare and cleane without 20 prouision, and therefore besought hym to come alande.

Henry suspectyng this to bee but fraude, after that he sawe none of his shippes apered, hoised vp the sailes, hauyng a meruelous good wynde, euen appoincted hym of God to deliuer hym from that greate jeoperdy, and sailed 25 backe again into Normandye. And after his landyng there, he and his compaignie after their laboures, arested them for the space of three daies, determinyng too go from thence afoote into Britain, and in the meane while sente messengers vnto Charles the Frenche kyng, the sonne of Lewes that 30 a little before departed, besechyng hym of libertee and licence too passe thorough Normandy into Britain. The young kyng Charles, beeyng sory for his fortune, was not only ready and well pleased to graunte his passage, but also

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sente hym money to helpe hym furthe in his journey. Henry before that he knewe the kyng his mynde (not doubtyng of his greate humanitee and gentlenesse), had sente awaie his shippes towardes Britain, and had sette hym self forewardes in his journey, but made no greate haste till 5 the messengers returned, which greate gentlenesse when he receiued from the kyng, rejoysed his hert and with a lusty stomacke and good hope sette forwarde into Britain, there to take farther counsaill of his affaires.

And when he was in Britain, he receiued from his 10 frendes out of Englande knowledge that the duke of Buckingham was behedded, and that the Marques of Dorcester with a great numbre of the noble men of Englande had been ther a little before to seke hym, and that thei wer now in Veneti a cite in Britain. The whiche thynges beeyng 15 knowen to therle, he on the one parte did greatly lamente the death and euill chaunce of his chief and principall frende, but yet on the other part he greately rejoysed in that he had so many and noble menne to take his parte in the battaill. And therefore conceiuyng a good hope and 20 opinion that his purpose should well frame and come to passe, determined with hym self with all expedicion to set furthward, and there vpon wente to a place in Britain called Rhedon, and from thence sent the Marques with all the other noble men that thei should come vnto hym. 25 Then when thei heard that Henry was safe returned into Britain rejoysed not a little, for thei had thoughte he had landed in Englande, and so fallen into the handes of kyng Richarde, and thei made not a little hast till thei were come vnto hym. The whiche when thei mette after greate joye 30 and gladnesse as well of their parte as of his, thei began to talke of their prepensed matters, and now was Christmasse come, on the which daie thei altogether assembled in the

churche and ther sware faith and truthe one to another. And Henry sware firste, promisyng that as sone as he should possesse the crowne of Englande, that he would marye Elizabeth the daughter of kyng Edwarde the fourth 5 and afterwarde thei sware feaultee and homage vnto hym, euen as thoughe he had already been kyng, and so from that tyme furthe did take hym, promisyng hym that thei would spende bothe their lifes and gooddes with hym, and that Richard should no lenger reigne ouer theim. When this 10 was dooen, Henry declared all these thynges to the duke of Britain, praiyng and desiryng hym now of helpe, and that he would aide hym with a greater numbre of men, and also to lende hym a frendely and honeste some of money, that he might now recouer his righte and enheritaunce of the croune 15 of Englande, vnto the whiche he was called and desired by

all the lordes and nobilitee of the realme, and whiche (God willyng) he was moste assured to possesse, and after his possession he would moste faithfully restore the same again. The duke promised hym aide, vpon the trust whereof he 20 began to make redy his shippes that thei might with all expedicion be redy to saile, that no tyme should bee lost. In the whiche tyme kyng Richard was again retourned to London, and had taken diuerse of theim that wer of this conspiracy that is to saie George Browne, Roger Clifforde, 25 Thomas Selenger, knightes. Also Thomas Ram, Robert Clifforde and diuerse other whom he caused to bee put to death.

After this he called a parliament, wherein was decreed that all those that wer fled out of the land should bee 30 reputed and taken as enemies too the realme, and all their

landes and goodes to be forfaite and confiscate. And not content with that preay, whiche was no small thyng, he caused also a great taxe and some of money to bee leuied of

the people. For the large giftes and liberalitee that he first vsed, to bye the fauoures and frendshippis of many, had now brought hym in nede. But nothing was more like then that Thomas Stanley should haue been reputed and taken for one of those enemies, because of the workyng of Margaret 5 his wife, whiche was mother vnto Henry erle of Richemonde, the whiche was noted for the chief hed and woorker of this conspiracy. But forasmuche as it was thought that it was to small purpose that women could dooe, Thomas beeyng nothyng fauty was deliuered and commaunded that he 10 should not suffre Margaret his wife to haue any seruauntes about her, neither that she should not go abrod, but bee shutte vp and that from thence furth she should sende no message neither to her sonne nor to any of her other frendes, whereby any hurte might bee wrought against the 15 kyng, the whiche commaundement was accomplished. And by the autoritie of the same parliamente a peace was concluded with the Scottes, whiche a litle before had skirmished with the borderers. Whiche thyng brought to passe, the kyng supposed all conspiracy to bee clene auoyded, foras- 20 muche as the duke with other of his compaignie wer put to death, and also certaigne other bannished. Yet for all this, kyng Richard was dailye vexed and troubled, partely mistrustyng his owne strength, and partely fearyng the commyng of Henry with his compaigny, so that he liued but in a 25 miserable case. And because that he would not so continewe any longer, he determined with hym self to putte awaie the cause of this his feare and businesse, either by policie or els by strengthe. And after that he had thus purposed with hym self, he thought nothyng better then too 30 tempte the duke of Britain yet once again either with money, prayer or some other speciall rewarde, because that he had in kepyng therle Henry, and moste chiefly, because