he knewe that it was onely he that might deliuer hym from all his trouble by deliueryng or imprisonyng the saied Henry. Wherefore incontinently he sente vnto the duke certain ambassadoures the whiche should promise vnto hym, 5 beside other greate rewardes that thei brought with theim, to geue hym yerely all the reuenewes of all the landes of Henry and of all the other lordes there beyng with hym, if he would after the receite of the ambassadoures put theim in prisone. The ambassadoures, beeyng departed and come I where the duke laie, could not haue communicacion with hym, for as muche as by extreme sicknesse his wittes were feble and weake. Wherfore one Peter Landose his treasurer a manne bothe of pregnaunt wit and of greate autoritee, tooke this matter in hande. For whiche cause he was 15 afterwarde hated of all the lordes of Britain. With this Peter the Englishe ambassadoures had communicacion, and declaryng to hym the kyng his message desiered hym instantly, forasmuche as thei knewe that he might bryng their purpose to passe, that he would graunt vnto kyng 20 Richard his request, and he should haue the yerly reuenues

of all the landes of the saied lordes. Peter, consideryng that he was greately hated of the lordes of his owne nacion, thought that if he mighte bryng to passe through kyng Richard to haue all these greate possessions and yerly 25 reuenewes, he should then bee hable too matche with theim well inough and not to care a rushe for theim, where vpon he answered the ambassadours that he would dooe that kyng Richard did desire, if he brake not promise with hym. And this did he not for any hatred that he bare vnto Henry, for 30 he hated hym not, for not long before he saued his life where the erle Henry was in greate jeoperdy. But suche was the good fortune of Englande, that this craftie compacte took no place, for while the letters and messengers ranne betwene

Peter and kyng Richard, Jhon bishoppe of Ely beeyng then in Flaundres was certified by a prieste, whiche came out of Englande whose name was Christopher Urswicke, of all the whole circumstaunce of this deuise and purpose. Where vpon with all spede the saied bishop caused the saied priest 5 the same daie to cary knowledge thereof into Britain to Henry erle of Richemond, willyng hym with all the other noble menne to dispatche theim selfes with all possible haste into Fraunce. Henry was then in Venetie, when he heard of this fraude without tariaunce sent Christopher vnto 10 Charles the Frenche kyng desiryng licence that Henry with the other noble menne might safely come into Fraunce, the whiche thyng beeyng sone obteigned, the messenger returned with spede to his lorde and prince.

Then therle Henry settyng all his businesse in as good 15 staie and ordre as he mighte, talked litle and made fewe a counsaill herof, and for the more expedicion, he caused the Erle of Penbroucke secretely to cause all the noble menne to take their horses, dissemblyng to ride vnto the duke of Brytain: but when thei came to the vttermoste partes there 20 of, thei should forsake the waie that led them towarde the duke, and to make into Fraunce with al that euer thei might. Then thei, doyng in euery thyng as thei wer bidden, lost no tyme but so sped theim that shortely thei obteigned and gatte into the countie of Angeow. Henry then within 25 twoo daies folowyng, beyng then still at Venety tooke foure or fiue of his seruauntes with hym and feigned as though he would haue ridden thereby to visite a frende of his; and forasmuche as there wer many English menne lefte there in the towne, no manne suspected any thyng, but after that he 30 had kepte the right waie for the space of fiue miles, he forsoke that and turned streight into a wood that was thereby, and toke vpon hym his seruauntes apparell, and

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put his apparell vpon his seruaunt and so tooke but one of theim with hym, on whom he waited as thoughe he had been the seruaunte and the other the maister. And with all conuenient and spedy haste so set furthe on their journey that no tyme was lost, and made no more tariaunce by the waie, then onely the baityng of their horses, so that shortely he recouered the coastes of Angeow, where all his other compaignie was.

But within foure daies after that the erle was thus escaped 1 Peter receiued from kyng Richarde the confirmacion of the graunte and promises made for the betraiyng of Henry and the other nobles. Wherefore the saied Peter sent out after hym horses and menne with suche expedicion and spede to haue taken hym, that scacely the erle was entered Fraunce 15 one houre but thei wer at his heles. The English menne then beyng aboue the numbre of three hundred at Veneti, hearyng that the erle and all the nobles wer fled so sodainly and without any of their knowledge, were astonied and in maner despaired of their liues.

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But it happened contrary to their expectacion for the duke of Britain, takyng the matter so vnkyndely that Henry should bee so vsed with hym that for feare he should bee compelled to flee his land, was not a litle vexed with Peter, too whom (although that he was ignoraunte of the fraude and crafte that had been wrought by hym) yet he laied the whole faute in hym, and therefore called vnto hym Edward Poynynges and Edward Wooduille, deliueryng vnto theim the foresaied money that Henry before had desired the duke to lende hym towarde the charge of his journey, and com30 maunded theim to conueigh and conducte all the Englishemen his seruauntes vnto hym paiyng their expenses, and to deliuer the saied some of money vnto the erle. When the erle sawe his menne come and heard the comfortable newes,

he not a litle rejoysed, desiryng the messengers that returned to shewe vnto the duke, that he trusted ere long tyme to shewe hymself not to bee vnthankfull for this great kindnesse that he now shewed vnto him. And within fewe daies after, the erle wente vnto Charles the Frenche kyng, too whom 5 after he had rendred thankes for the great benefites and kindnesse that he had receiued of hym, the cause of his commyng firste declared, then he besought hym of his helpe and aide, whiche should bee an immortall benefite to hym and his lordes, of whom generally he was called vnto the ΙΟ kyngdome, forasmuche as thei so abhorred the tiranny of kyng Richard. Charles promised hym helpe and bade hym to bee of good chere and to take no care, for he would gladly declare vnto him his beneuolence. And the same tyme Charles remoued and took with hym Henry and all 15 the other noble menne.

While Henry remained there, Jhon erle of Oxenforde (of whom is before spoken) whiche was put in prisone by kyng Edward the fourthe in the castle of Hammes with also James Blount capitain of that castle, and Jhon Forskewe 20 knighte, porter of the towne of Caleis, came vnto hym. But James the capitain, because he lefte his wife in the castle, did furnishe the same with a good garison of menne before his departure.

Henry, when he sawe theṛle, was out of measure glad 25 that so noble a manne and of greate experience in battaill, and so valiaunt and hardy a knighte, whom he thought to bee moste faithfull and sure, for somuche as he had, in the tyme of kyng Edward the fourthe, continuall battaill with him in defendyng of king Henry the sixt, thought that now ၁၁ he was so well appoincted that he could not desire to bee better, and therefore communicated vnto hym all his whole affaires, to bee ordred and ruled only by hym. Not long

after Charles the Frenche kyng remoued again to Paris, whom Henry folowed, and there again moued and besoughte the kyng as he had moste fauourably and kyndly entreteigned hym all this tyme, not onely in wordes but also in dedes, 5 that it would likewise please him yet so muche further to extend his fauoure and beneuolence vnto hym, that now he would aide and helpe hym forwarde in his journey, that not onely he, but also all the lordes and nobilitee of England mighte justely haue cause to knowledge and confesse that 1 by the meane of his fauoure and goodnesse thei were restored again to the possession of their enheritances, whiche without him thei could not well bryng to passe.

In the meane while, his fortune was suche, that many Englishe menne came ouer dayely out of Englande vnto 15 hym, and many whiche then were in Paris, emong whom were diuerse studientes that fell vnto his parte bothe more and lesse, and specially there was one, whose name was Richard Foxe a prieste, beeyng a manne of a synguler good witte and learnyng, whom Henry streight waie retaigned 20 and committed all his secretes unto hym and whom also afterwarde he promoted too many high promocions, and at the laste he made hym bishop of Winchester.

Kyng Richard then, hearyng of all this conspiracie and of the greate aide that daily wente ouer vnto Henry, thought 25 yet for all this, that if he might bryng to passe that Henry

should not couple in mariage with the bloud of king Edward, that then he should dooe well inough with hym and kepe hym from the possession of the croune. Then deuised he with hym self al the waies and meanes that might be how 30 to bring this to passe. And first he thought it to bee best with faire and large promises to attempte the quene, whose fauoure obteigned, he doubted not but shortely to finde the meanes to haue bothe her daughters out of her handes into