of which eueri one ought him as faithful seruice as they, and manye of them far more honorable part of kin then his mothers side; whose blood (quod he) sauing the kinges pleasure, was ful vnmetely to be matched with his; whiche nowe to be as who say remoued from the kyng, and the 5 lesse noble to be left aboute him, is (quod he) neither honorable to hys magestie, nor vnto vs, and also to his grace no surety, to haue the mightiest of his frendes from him, and vnto vs no litle jeopardy, to suffer our wel proued euil willers to grow in ouer gret authoritie with the prince 10 in youth, namely which is lighte of beliefe and sone perswaded. Ye remember, I trow, king Edward himself, albeit he was a manne of age and of discrecion, yet was he in manye thynges ruled by the bende, more then stode either with his honour, or our profite, or with the commo- 15 ditie of any manne els, except onely the immoderate aduauncement of them selfe. Whiche whither they sorer thirsted after their own weale, or our woe, it wer hard I wene to gesse. And if some folkes frendship had not holden better place with the king, then any respect of 20 kinred, thei might peraduenture easily haue betrapped and brought to confusion somme of vs ere this. Why not as easily as they haue done some other alreadye, as neere of his royal bloode as we? But our Lord hath wrought his wil, and thanke be to his grace that peril is paste. Howe 25 be it as great is growing, yf wee suffer this yonge kyng in oure enemyes hande, whiche without his wyttyng, might abuse the name of his commaundement, to ani of our vndoing, which thyng God and good prouision forbyd. Of which good prouision none of vs hath any thing the lesse 30 nede, for the late made attonemente, in whyche the kinges pleasure hadde more place then the parties willes. Nor none of vs I beleue is so vnwyse, ouersone to truste a

newe frende made of an olde foe, or to think that an houerly kindnes, sodainely contract in one houre, continued yet scant a fortnight, shold be deper setled in their stomackes then a long accustomed malice many yeres 5 rooted.

With these wordes and writynges and suche other, the Duke of Gloucester sone set afyre them that were of themself ethe to kindle, and in especiall twayne, Edwarde Duke of Buckingham, and Richarde Lorde Hastinges and chaum10 berlayn, both men of honour and of great power. The tone by longe succession from his ancestrie, the tother by his office and the kinges fauor. These two, not bearing eche to other so muche loue, as hatred bothe vnto the Quenes parte, in this poynte accorded together wyth the Duke of Glou15 cester, that they wolde vtterlye amoue fro the kynges companye all his mothers frendes, vnder the name of their enemyes. Upon this concluded, the Duke of Gloucester vnderstandyng that the Lordes whiche at that tyme were aboute the kyng entended to bryng him vppe to his Coro20 nacion, accoumpanied with suche power of theyr frendes, that it shoulde bee harde for him to brynge his purpose to passe, without the gathering and great assemble of people and in maner of open warre, wherof the ende he wiste was doubtuous, and in which the kyng being on their side, his 25 part should haue the face and name of a rebellion; he secretly therefore, by diuers meanes, caused the Quene to be perswaded and brought in the mynd, that it neither wer nede, and also shold be jeopardous, the king to come vp strong. For where as nowe euery lorde loued other, and 30 none other thing studyed vppon, but aboute the Coronacion and honoure of the king; if the lordes of her kinred shold assemble in the kinges name muche people, thei should geue the lordes, atwixte whome and them hadde bene

sommetyme debate, to feare and suspecte, leste they shoulde gather thys people, not for the kynges sauegarde, whome no manne enpugned, but for theyr destruccion, hauyng more regarde to their olde variaunce, then their newe attonement.

likely not to be litle,

For whiche cause thei shoulde assemble 5 on the other partie muche people agayne for their defence, whose power she wyste wel farre stretched. And thus should all the realme fall on a rore. And of al the hurte that therof should ensue, which was and the most harme there like to fal wher she lest would, 10 all the worlde woulde put her and her kinred in the wyght, and say that thei had vnwyselye, and vntrewlye also, broken the amitie and peace that the kyng her husband so prudentelye made betwene hys kinne and hers in his deathbed, and whiche the other party faithfully obserued.

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The Quene being in this wise perswaded, suche woorde sente unto her sonne, and vnto her brother being aboute the kynge, and ouer that the Duke of Gloucester hymselfe, and other Lordes the chiefe of hys bende, wrote vnto the kynge soo reuerentelye, and to the Queenes frendes there 20 soo louyngelye, that they nothynge earthelye mystrustynge, broughte the Kynge vppe in greate haste, not in good speede, with a sober coumpanye. Nowe was the king in his waye to London gone from Northampton, when these Dukes of Gloucester and Buckyngham came thither. 25 Where remained behynd, the Lorde Ryuers, the Kynges vncle, entendyng on the morowe to folow the Kynge, and bee with hym at Stonye Stratford - miles thence, earely or hee departed. So was there made that nyghte muche frendely chere betwene these Dukes and the Lorde Riuers 30 a greate while. But incontinente after that they were oppenlye with greate courtesye departed, and the Lorde Riuers lodged, the Dukes secretelye, with a fewe of their

moste priuye frendes, sette them downe in counsayle, wherin they spent a great parte of the nyght. And at their risinge in the dawnyng of the day, thei sent about priuily to their seruantes in their Innes and lodgynges about, 5 geuinge them commaundemente to make them selfe shortely readye, for their Lordes wer to horsebackward. Uppon whiche messages, many of their folke were attendaunt, when manye of the lorde Riuers seruantes were vnreadye. Nowe hadde these Dukes taken also into their custodye the 10 kayes of the Inne, that none shoulde passe foorth without theyr licence. And ouer this in the hyghe waye towarde Stonye Stratforde where the Kynge laye, they hadde beestowed certayne of theyr folke, that shoulde sende backe agayne, and compell to retourne, anye manne that were 15 gotten oute of Northampton toward Stonye Stratforde, tyll they should geue other lycence. For as muche as the Dukes themselfe entended, for the shewe of theire dylygence, to bee the fyrste that shoulde that daye attende vppon the Kynges highnesse oute of that towne; thus bare 20 they folke in hande. But when the Lorde Ryuers vnderstode the gates closed, and the wayes on euerye side besette, neyther hys seruauntes nor hymself suffered to gone oute, parceiuyng well so greate a thyng without his knowledge not begun for noughte, comparyng this maner present with this last nightes chere, in so few houres so gret a chaunge marueylouslye misliked. How be it sithe hee could not geat awaye, and keepe himselfe close hee woulde not, leste hee shoulde seeme to hyde him selfe for some secret feare of hys owne faulte, whereof he saw no such cause 30 in hym self; he determined vppon the suretie of his own conscience, to goe boldelye to them, and inquire what thys matter myghte meane. Whome as soone as they sawe, they beganne to quarell with hym, and saye that hee

25

The Lorde

in warde.

intended to sette distaunce beetwene the Kynge and them, and to brynge them to confusion, but it shoulde not lye in hys power. And when hee beganne (as hee was a very well spoken manne,) in goodly wise to excuse himself, they taryed not the ende of his aunswere, but shortely tooke him 5 and putte him in warde, and that done, foorthwyth wente to horsebacke, and tooke the waye Riuers putte to Stonye Stratforde. Where they founde the kinge with his companie readye to leape on horsebacke and departe forwarde, to leaue that lodging for them, because it ro was to streighte for bothe coumpanies. And as sone as they came in his presence, they lighte adowne with all their companie aboute them. To whome the Duke of Buckingham saide, goe afore, Gentlemenne and yomen, kepe youre rowmes. And thus in a goodly arraye thei came to the kinge, 15 and on theire knees in very humble wise salued his grace; whiche receyued them in very joyous and amiable maner, nothinge earthlye knowing nor mistrustinge as yet. But euen by and by in his presence they piked a quarrell to the Lorde Richard Graye, the kinges other brother by his mother, sayinge that hee, with the lorde Gray. Marques his brother and the Lorde Riuers his vncle, hadde coumpassed to rule the kinge and the realme, and to sette variaunce among the states, and to subdewe and destroye the noble blood of the realm. Toward the accoumplishinge 25 whereof, they sayde that the Lorde Marques hadde entered into the Tower of London, and thence taken out the kinges Treasor, and sent menne to the sea. All whiche thinge these Dukes wiste well were done for good purposes and necessari by the whole counsaile at London, sauing that sommewhat 30 thei must sai. Unto whiche woordes the king aunswered, what my brother Marques hath done I cannot saie. But in good faith I dare well aunswere for myne vncle Riuers and

RICH.

The Lord

2

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