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this dame Elizabeth her self, being in seruice with quene Margaret, wife vnto king Henry the VI., was maried vnto one -Gray a squier whom king Henry made knight vpon the field that he had on—at—against king Edward. And litle while enjoyed he that knighthod, for he was at that same field 5 slaine. After which done, and the Erle of Warwik being in his embassiate about thafore remembred mariage, this pore Lady made humble sute vnto the king, that she might be restored vnto such smal landes as her late husband had giuen her in jointure. Whom when the king beheld, 10 and hard her speke, as she was both faire, of a good fauor, moderate of stature, wel made and very wise: he not only pitied her, but also waxed ennamored on her. And thus taking counsaile of his desyre determined in al possible hast to mary her. And after he was thus appointed, and 15 hadde betwene them twain ensured her; then asked he counsel of his other frendes, and that in suche maner, as thei might ethe perceiue it boted not greatly to say nay. Notwithstanding the Duches of York his mother The kinges was so sore moued therewith, that she diswaded mother. the mariage as much as she possible might, alleging that it was his honor, profite, and surety also, to mary in a noble progeny out of his realm, whereupon depended gret strength to his estate by the affinytie and great possibilitie of encrease of his possessions. And that he could not well otherwise do, 25 standing that the Earle of Warwik had so far moued already. Whiche wer not likely to take it well, if al his viage were in suche wise frustrate, and his appointmentes deluded. And she said also that it was not princely to mary hys owne subject, no gret occasion leading thervnto, no possessions 30 or other commodityes depending thervpon, but onely as it were a rich man that would mary his mayde, onely for a litle wanton dotage vppon her parson. In which mariage

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manye moe commend the maidens fortune then the maisters wisdom. And yet therin she said was more honesty, then honor in this mariage. Forasmuch as there is betwene no merchant and his own maid so gret difference, as 5 betwene the king and this widowe. In whose parson albeit ther was nothing to be misliked, yet was there, she saide, nothing so excellent, but that it might be founden in diuers other, that wer more metely (quod she) for your estate, and maydens also, wher as the only widowhed of Elizabeth 10 Gray, though she wer in al other thinges conuenient for you, shold yet suffice, as me semeth, to refrain you from her mariage, sith it is an vnfitting thing, and a veri blemish, and highe disparagement, to the sacre magesty of a prince, that ought as nigh to approche priesthode in clenes as he 15 doth in dignitie, to be defouled with bigamy in his first mariage.

The kynges 20 answer to his mother.

The king when his mother had said, made her answer part in ernest, part in play merely, as he that wiste himself out of her rule. And albeit he would gladly that she shold take it wel, yet was at a pointe in his owne mynde, toke she it wel or otherwise. Howbeit somwhat to satisfy her he saide, that albeit mariage being a spiritual thing, ought rather to be made for the respecte of God where his grace enclineth the parties to loue together, as 25 he trusted it was in his, then for the regard of any temporal aduauntage; yet natheles him semed that this mariage euen worldly considred was not vnprofitable. For he reckened the amitye of no earthly nacion so necessari for him, as the frendship of his own. Which he thought likely to beare him so muche the more herty fauor in that he disdayned not to marye with one of his own land. And yet yf outeward aliance wer thought so requisite, he wold find the meanes to enter therinto, much better bi other of his kin,

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wher al the parties could be contented, than to mary himself, whom hee shoulde happelye neuer loue, and for the possibility of more possessions lese the fruit and pleasure of this that he had alredy. For smal pleasure taketh a man of al that euer he hath beside, yf he bee wiued 5 against his appetite. And I dout not, quod he, but there be, as ye saye, other that be in euery point comparable with her. And therfore I let not them that like them to wedde them. No more is it reason that it mislike any man, that I mary where it liketh me. And I am sure that 10 my cosein of Warwik neither loueth me so litle, to grudge at that I loue, nor is so vnresonable to loke that I shold, in choise of a wife, rather be ruled by hys eye, then by mine own; as though I wer a ward that wer bound to mary by thapointment of a gardain. I wold not be a kyng with 15 that condicion, to forbere mine own lyberty in choise of my own mariage. As for possibilitie of more inheritaunce by new affinity in estraunge landes, [it] is ofte the occasion of more trouble then profite. And we haue alredy title, by that meanes, to so much as suffiseth to get and kepe wel 20 in one mans daies. And as for the bigamy, let the bishop hardely lay it in my wai, when I come to take orders. For I vnderstand it is forbidden a prieste, but I neuer wiste it yet that it was forbidden a prince.

The Duchesse with these wordes nothyng appeased, and 25 seing the king so set thereon that she coulde not pull him backe, so hyghelye she dysdained it, that vnder pretext of her duetye to Godwarde, shee deuised to disturbe this mariage, and rather to help that he shold mary one dame Elizabeth Lucy, whom the king had also not long before gotten with child. Wherefore the kinges mother objected openly against his mariage, as it were in discharge of her conscience, that the kinge was sure to dame Elisabeth

Elizabeth Lucy.

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Lucy and her husband before God. By reson of which wordes, such obstacle was made in the mater, that either the Bishoppes durst not, or the king would not, procede to the solempnisacion of this weding, til these same wer clerely 5 purged, and the trouth wel and openly testified. Wherupon dame Elysabeth Lucy was sent for. And albeit that she was by the kinges mother and many other put in good comfort, to affirme that she was ensured vnto the king: yet when she was solempnely sworne to say the trouth, she Io confessed that they were neuer ensured. Howbeit she sayed his grace spake so louing wordes vnto her, that she verely hopid he wold haue maried her. This examinacion solempnly taken, when it was clerely perceiued that there was none impediment: the king, with gret feast and honorable solempnite, maried dame Elisabeth Grai and her crowned quene that was hys enemies wife, and many time had praied full hartly for his losse. In which God loued her better, then to graunt her her bone.

15 The Kinges mariage.

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But when the Erle of Warwick vnderstode of this 20 mariage, he tooke it so highly that his embasiate was deluded, that for very angre and disdaine, he at his retourne assembled a gret puisaunce against the king, and came so fast vppon him or he could be able to resist, that he The king was faine to voide the realme and fle into Holfledde. laund for succour. Wher he remayned for the space of ii. yeres, leuing hys new wife in Westminster in sanctuary, wher she was deliuered of Edward the prince, of whom we before haue spoken. In which mene time the Erle of Warwik toke out of prison and set vp againe king Henry the vi. which was before by king Edward deposed and that much what by the power of the Erle of Warwike; which was a wise man and a couragiouse wariour, and of such

The prince borne.

30 King Henry

the vi. set up.

strength, what for his landes, his alliaunce and of the Erle of fauer with al the people, that he made kinges

Warwik.

and put down kinges almost at his pleasure, and not impossible to haue attained it himselfe, if he had not rekened it a greater thing to make a king then to be a king. But 5 nothing lasteth alway, for in conclusion king Edwarde returned, and with much lesse number then he had, at Barnet on thestre daye felde, slewe the Erle of Warwik

Therle of
Warwik slain.

with many other great estates of that partie, and so stably attained the crowne againe, that he peassybly 10 enjoyed it vntil his dieng day: and in such plight left it, that it could not be lost, but by the discorde of his verye frendes, or falshed of his fained frendes.

I haue rehersed this busines about this mariage somwhat the more at lenght, because it might therby the better 15 appere vpon how slipper a grounde the protector builded his colour, by which he pretended king Edwardes children to be bastardes. But that inuencion simple as it was, it liked them to whom it suffised to haue somwhat to say, while they wer sure to be compelled to no larger proofe 20 then themselfe list to make. Now then as I began to shew you, it was by the protectour and his counsaile concluded, that this doctour Sha should, in a sermon at Doctoure Poules Crosse, sygnifie to the people, that nei- Shawes serther king Edward himself, nor the Duke of Clarence, were lawfully begotten, nor were not the very children of the duke of Yorke; but gotten vnlawfully by other parsons by thaduoutry of the duches their mother. And that also dame Elisabeth Lucy was verely the wife of king Edward, and so the prince and all his children bas- 30 tardes that were gotten vpon the quene. According to this deuise, doctour Shaa the Sonday after at Poules Crosse in a gret audience (as alway assembled gret numbre to his

mon.

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