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his owne, and then rested nothyng but if he hym selfe might finde the meanes afterward to mary one of the same daughters, whereby he thought he should make all sure and safe to the vtter disapoyntyng of Henry. Where vpon he sent vnto the quene, then beeyng in the sainctuary, diuerse and sondry 5 messengers that should excuse and pourge hym of his facte afore dooen towardes her, settyng furthe the matter with pleasaunte woordes and high promises bothe to her and also her sonne Thomas lorde Marques of Dorset, of all thynges that could bee desired. These messengers, beeyng menne 10 of grauitee, handled the quene so craftely that anone she began to bee alured and to herken vnto theim fauourably, so that in conclusion she promised to bee obedient to the kyng in his requestes (forgettyng the injuries he had done to her before, and on the other parte not remembryng the 15 the promise that she made to Margarete, Henries mother). And first she deliuered both her daughters into the handes of kyng Richard, then after she sent priuely for the lord Marques her sonne beyng then at Paris with Henry (as ye haue heard) willyng him to forsake Henry with whom he 20 was, and spedely to retourne into England, for al things was pardoned and forgeuen, and she againe in fauoure and frendshyp of the kyng, and it should be highly for his aduauncement and honoure.

Kyng Richard (when quene Elizabeth was thus brought 25 into a fooles paradice) after he had receyued al his brothers daughters from the sanctuary into his palayce, thought there nowe remayned nothyng to be done, but onely the castyng awaye and destroying of his owne wyfe, whiche thyng he had wholy purposed and decreed within hym selfe. And there 30 was nothyng that feared him so muche from this most cruell and detestable murther as the losyng of the good opinion that he thought the people had conceyued of him, for as ye

haue heard before, he feigned him selfe to be a good man and thought the people had estemed him euen so. Notwithstandyng shortly after, his foresayd vngracious purpose ouercame all this honest feare. And first of all, he found him 5 selfe greued with the barrennes of his wife, that she was vnfruitful and brought him furth no chyldren, complainyng therof very greuously vnto the nobles of his realme, and chiefly aboue other vnto Thomas Rotheram, then archebishop of Yorke (whom he had deliuered a lytle afore out of prison), the 10 whiche bishop dyd gather of this, that the quene should be ryd out of the way, ere it were long after (suche experience had he of kyng Richardes compleccion, who had practised many lyke thynges not long before) and the same tyme also he made diuerse of his secrete frendes preuy of the same his 15 conjecture.

After this he caused a rumour to runne among the commen people (but he would not haue the aucthor knowen) that the quene was dead, to thentent that she heryng this merueilous rumoure, should take so greuous a 20 conceyte that anone after she should fall into some great disease, so that he would assay that way, in case it should chaunce her afterward to be sicke, dead or otherwyse murdred, that then the people might impute her deathe vnto the thought she toke, or els to sickenesse. But when 25 the quene heard of so horrible a rumour of her death sprong

abroade among the common people, she suspected the matter and supposed the world to be at an ende with her, and incontinently, she went to the kyng with a lamentable countenaunce, and with wepyng teares asked him, whether 30 she had done any thyng whereby he might judge her worthy to suffer death. The kyng made answere with a smilyng and dissimulyng countenaunce and with flatteryng wordes, byddyng her to be of good comforte and to plucke vp her

heart for there was no suche thyng toward her that he knewe. But howe soeuer it fortuned, either by sorowe or els by poysonyng, within fewe dayes after the quene was dead and afterwarde was buryed in the abbey of Westmynster. This is the same Anne, one of Rycharde the earle of Warwickes 5 daughters, which once was contracted to prince Edwarde, kyng Henry the sixt his sonne.

This kyng beyng thus deliuered of his wyfe fantasied apace Lady Elizabeth his nece, desiryng in any wyse to mary with her, but because that al men, yea and the mayden her 10 selfe, abhorred this vnlawful desire, as a thyng moost detestable, he determined with him selfe to make no great haste in the matter, chiefly for that he was in a pecke of troubles, fearyng least that of the noble men some would forsake him and runne vnto Henry his part, the other at the 15 least would fauoure the secrete conspiracy made againe him, so that of his ende there was almost no doubte. Also the more part of the commen people were in so great dispayre, that many of them had rather to be accompted of the nombre of his enemies, then to put them selfes in 20 jeopardy both of losse of body and goodes in takyng of his part.

And amongest those noble men whom he feared, fyrst was Thomas Standley and Willyam his brother, Gilberte Talbote, and other a great nombre, of whose purpose though 25 kyng Rychard was ignoraunte, neuerthelesse he trusted not one of them, and least of all Thomas Standley, because he had maryed Henryes mother, as it may well appeare by this that foloweth. For when the sayd Thomas would haue departed from the courte vnto his owne mansyon for his 35 recreacion (as he sayd) but the trueth was, because he would be in a readynesse to receyue Henry and ayde him at his commyng into the realme. But the kyng dyd let him, and

would not suffre him to departe, vntyll suche tyme he had lefte in the courte behynde him George Strange, his sonne and heyre, for a pledge. And whyle kyng Rycharde was thus wrapped in feare, and care of the tumulte that was to come, 5 lo, euen then tidynges came that Henry was entered into the land, and that the castell of Hammes was prepared to receyue Henry by the meanes of the erle of Oxenforde whiche then was fled, with James Blunte keper of the castel, vnto Henry.

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Then kyng Rycharde, thynkyng at the begynnyng to stey all this matter, sent furth with al hast the greatter part that were then at Calyce to recouer the sayd castell agayne. Those that were in the castel, when they sawe their aduersaries make towardes them, spedely they armed them selfes 15 to defence, and in all hast sent messengers to Henry, desiryng him of ayde. Henry furthwith sent the erle of Oxenforde with a chosen sorte of menne to assyst them, and at their fyrst commyng they layde siege not farre from the castel. And whyle kyng Rychardes menne turned backe 20 hauing an eye towardes them, Thomas Brandon, with thirty valeaunt menne of the other syde, gatte ouer a water into the castel, to strength them that were within. Then they that were within layde harde to their charge that were without; on the other syde, the erle of Oxenford so valiantly 25 assayled them of the backe side that they were glad to make proclamacion to them that were within, that yf they would be content to geue over the castel, they should haue fre lybertie to depart with al that euer they had. The erle of Oxenford hearyng this, whiche came onely to saue his 30 frendes from hurte, and namely James Bluntes wyfe, was contented with this condicion and departed in saufegard with all his frendes, returnyng backe to Henry, whiche was at Paris. After this, kyng Rychard was enfourmed that the

Frenche kyng was wery of Henry and his company, and would do nothyng for him, wherby Henry was now not able in maner to healpe him selfe, so that it was not possible that he should preuaile or go forwarde in thenterprise that he thought to haue taken in hand against kyng Rychard. 5 Kyng Rychard beyng brought thus into a fooles paradice, thought himself to be out of all feare, and that there was no cause why he should, beyng so sure, once to wake out of his slepe or trouble him selfe any furder, and therfore called backe his nauy of shyppes that then was redy upon the sea, 10 whiche was fully furnyshed to haue scoured the seas. But yet for the more suretie, least he should be sodenly oppressed, he gaue commaundement to the great men dwellyng by the sea syde (and specially the Welshmen) to watche night and day, least his aduersaries should haue any oportunitee to 15 entre into the lande. As the fashyon is in tyme of warre that those that dwel by the seas syde should make becons in the highest places there aboute, whiche might be sene afarre of, so that when it should chaunce their enemies to ariue toward the lande, by and by they should fyre their 20 bekyns and rayse the countrey, to the entent that quickely from place to place they might be ascerteyned of al the whole matter, and also to arme them selfes spedely against their enemies.

And so to come to our purpose againe, kyng Richard 25 through the aforesayd tidynges, beganne to be more carelesse and rechelesse, as who say, he had no power to withstand the desteny that hong ouer his head. Such is the prouident justyce of God, that a man doeth leste knowe, prouide and beware when the vengeaunce of God is euen at 30 hand for his offences. And to go furth, at that tyme when Henry the erle of Rychemond remained in Fraunce entreatyng and suyng for ayde and helpe of the Frenche men,

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