And if she woulde giue them a resolute answere to the contrary, he would forthwith depart there with all, and shyfte whoso would with thys busynes afterwarde for he neuer entended more to moue her in that matter, in which she thought that he, and all other also saue herselfe, lacked 5 either wit or trouth. Wit, if they were so dul, that they coulde nothing perceiue what the protectour entended: trouthe, if they should procure her sonne to be delyuered into his handes, in whom thei shold perceyue toward the childe any euil intended.

10

The quene with these wordes stode a good while in a great study. And for asmuch her semed the Cardinall more redy to depart, then some of the remnant, and the protectour himself redy at hand, so that she verely thought she coulde not kepe him there, but that hee shoulde in- 15 continent be taken thence: and to conuay him elswhere, neyther had shee time to serue her, nor place determined, nor parsons appointed, all thinge vnredy thys message came on her so sodaynely, nothing lesse loking for then to haue him fet out of sentuary, which she thought to be 2ɔ now beset in such places about, that he coulde not be conuaied out vntaken, and partly as she thought it might fortune her fere to bee false, so well she waste it was either nedeles or boteles: wherfore if she shold nedes go from him, she dempte it beste to deliuer him. And ouer that, of 25 the Cardinals faith she nothing doubted, nor of some other lordes neither, whom she there saw. Which as she fered lest they might bee deceiuid; so was she well assured they would not be corupted. Then thought she it should yet make them the more warely to loke to him, and the more 30 sircumspectly to se to his surety, if she with her owne handes betoke him to them of trust. And at the last she toke the yong duke by the hande, and said vnto the lordes ;

15

The desire of a kingdome.

My lord (quod she) and all my lordes, I neither am so vnwise to mistrust your wittes, nor so suspicious to mistruste your trouthes. Of which thing I purpose to make you such a proofe, as if either of both lacked in you, might 5 tourne both me to great sorowe, the realme to much harme, and you to gret reproche. For loe, here is (quod she) this gentilman, whom I doubt not but I could here kepe safe if I woulde, whatsoeuer any man say. And I doubt not also but ther be some abrode so deadly enemies vnto 10 my blood, that if thei wist where any of it lay in their owne body, they would let it out. We haue also had experience that the desire of a kingdome knoweth no kinred. The brother hath bene the brothers bane. And may the nepheus be sure of their vncle? Eche of these children is others defence while they be asunder, and eche of their liues lieth in the others body. Kepe one safe and both be sure, and nothing for them both more perilouse, then to be both in one place. For what wise merchaunt aduentureth all his good in one ship? All this notwithstanding, 20 here I deliuer him, and hys brother in him, to kepe, into your handes, of whome I shall aske them both afore God and the world. Faithfull ye be, that wot I wel, and I know wel you be wise. Power and strenght, to kepe him if ye list, neither lacke ye of yourself, nor can lack helpe in this 25 cause. And if ye cannot elswhere, then may you leue him here. But only one thing I beseche you, for the trust that his father put in you euer, and for the trust that I put in you now, that as farre as ye thinke that I fere to muche, be you wel ware that you fere not as farre to little. 30 And therewithall she said vnto the child: Farewel, my own swete sonne, God send you good keping, let me kis you ones yet ere you goe, for God knoweth when we shal kis togither agayne. And therewith she kissed him, and

O dissimu

5

blessed him, turned her back and wept and went her way, leauing the childe weping as fast. When the lord Cardinal and these other lordes with him, had receiued this yong duke, thei brought him into the sterrechamber where the protectour toke him in his armes and lacion. kissed him with these wordes: Now welcome, my lord, euen with al my very hart. And he sayd in that of likelihod as he thought. Thereupon forthwith they brought him to the kynge his brother into the bishoppes palice at Powles, and from thence through the citie honorably into the Tower, cut 10 of which after that day they neuer came abrode.

This that is

here betwene

thys mark*
and this mark 15
*was not writ-
ten by M. More
in this history

written by him
in Englishe,

said

pro

but is trans-
Jated out of
this history

in Laten.

*When the protector had both the children in his handes, he opened himself more boldly, both to certaine other men, and also chiefely to the duke of Buckingham. Although I know that many thought that this duke was priuy to al the protectours counsel, euen from the beginning, and some of the protectours frendes that the duke was the first mouer of the tectoure to this matter, sending a priuie mes- which he wrote 20 senger vnto him, streight after king Edwards death. But other again, which knewe better the suttle wit of the protectour, deny that he euer opened his enterprise to the duke, vntill he had brought to passe the thinges before rehersed. But when he had imprisoned the quenes kinse- 25 folkes, and gotten bothe her sonnes into his owne handes, than hee opened the rest of his purpose with lesse fere to them whom he thought mete for the matter, and specially to the duke; who being wonne to his purpose, he thought his strength more then halfe encreased. The matter was 30 broken vnto the duke by suttell folkes, and such as were their crafte maisters in the handling of such wicked deuises; who declared vnto him, that the yong king was offended

with him for his kinsfolkes sakes, and that if he were euer able, he would reuenge them. Who wold prick him forward therunto, if they escaped (for they would remembre their imprisonment) or els if thei wer put to death, without 5 doubte the yonge king wold be careful for their deathes, whose imprisonment was greuous vnto him. And that with repenting the duke should nothing auaile; for there was no way left to redeme his offence by benefites; but he should soner distroy himself than saue the king, who 10 with his brother and his kinsefolkes he saw in such places imprisoned, as the protectour might with a beck distroy them al; and that it were no doubte but he woulde do it in dede, if there wer any new enterprise attempted. And that it was likely that as the protectour had prouided priuy 15 garde for himself, so had he spialles for the duke, and traines to catche hym, if he should be againste him, and that paraduenture from them whom he least suspected. For the state of thinges and the disposicions of men wer than such, that a man could not wel tell whom he might 20 truste, or whom he might feare. These thinges and such like, being beaten into the dukes minde, brought him to that pointe, that where he had repented the way that he had entred, yet wold he go forth in the same; and since he had ones begon, he would stoutly go through. And 25 therefore to thys wicked enterprise, which he beleued coulde not bee voided, hee bent himselfe and went through; and determined, that since the comon mischief could not be amended, he wold tourne it as much as he might to hys owne commodite.

30

Than it was agreed that the protectour should haue the dukes aide to make him king, and that the protectours onely lawful sonne should mary the dukes daughter, and that the protectour shold graunt him the quiet possession of

the Erledome of Hertford, which he claimed as his enheritance and could neuer obtain it in king Edwardes time. Besides these requestes of the duke, the protectour of hys owne minde promised him a great quantite of the kinges tresure and of his howsehold stuffe. And when they wer 5 thus at a point betwene themselfes, they went about to prepare for the coronacyon of the yong king, as they would. haue it seme. And that they might turne both the eies and mindes of men from perceiuing of their driftes other where, the lordes, being sent for from al parties of the realme, came 10 thick to that solemnite. But the protectour and the duke, after that that they had set the lord Cardinall, the Archebishoppe of Yorke than lorde Chauncellour, the Bishoppe of Ely, the lord Stanley and the lord Hastinges than lord chamberleine, with many other noble men, * to commune 15 and deuise about the coronacion in one place; as fast were they in an other place contryuyng the contrary, and to make the protectour kyng. To which counsel, albeit there were adhibit very few, and they very secret; yet began there, here and there about, some maner of muttering amonge the people, 20 as though al should not long be wel, though they neither wist what thei feared nor wherfore; were it that before such great thinges mens hartes of a secret instinct of nature misgiueth them, as the sea without wind swelleth of himself somtime before a tempest; or were it that some one man, 25 happely somwhat perceiuing, filled mani men with suspicion, though he shewed few men what he knew. Hobeit somwhat the dealing self made men to muse on the mater, though the counsell were close. For litle and little all folke withdrew from the Tower, and drew to Crosbies place in 30 Bishops gates strete wher the protectour kept his household. The protectour had the resort, the king in maner dessolate. While some for their busines made sute to them that