to bothe his masters at once, with infinite benefite to the realm, by the conjunccion of those twoo bloodes in one, whose seueral titles had long enquieted the land, he fled the realm, went to Rome, neuer minding more to medle with the world til the noble prince king Henry the .vii. 5 gate him home again, made him archbishop of Canturburye and chaunceller of England, wherunto the Pope joined thonor of Cardinal.

Thus liuing many dayes in as much honor as one man mighte well wish, ended them so godly, that his death with Gods mercy wel changed his life. Thys 10 man therfore as I was about to tell you, by the long and often alternate proofe, as wel of prosperitie as aduers fortune, hadde gotten by great experience, the verye mother and maistres of wisdom, a depe insighte in politike worldli driftes. Wherby perceiuing now this duke glad to comen 15 with him, fed him with faire wordes and many pleasaunt praises. And parceiuing by the processe of their communicacions the dukes pride now and then balke oute a lytle breide of enuy toward the glory of the king, and therby feling him ethe to fal out yf the matter were well handled: 20 he craftelye sought the waies to pricke him forwarde taking alwaies thoccasion of his comming and so keping himself close within his bondes, that he rather semed him to folow hym then to lead him. For when the duke first began to praise and bost the king, and shewe how much profit the 25 realm shold take by his reign; my lord Morton aunswered; Surely, my lord, foly wer it for me to lye, for yf I wold swere the contrary, your lordship would not I weene beleue, but that if the worlde woold haue gone as I would haue wished, king Henryes sonne had had the crown and not king 30 Edward. But after that God had ordered hym to lese it, and kinge Edwarde to reigne, I was neuer soo mad, that I would with a dead man striue against the quicke. So

was I to king Edward faithfull chapleyn, and glad wold haue bene that his childe had succeded him. Howebeit if

the secrete judgement of God haue otherwyse prouided; I purpose not to spurne againste a prick, nor labor to set vp 5 that God pulleth down. And as for the late protector and

now kyng. And euen there he left, saying that he had alredy medled to muche with the world, and would fro that day medle with his boke and his beedes and no farther.

Then longed the duke sore to here what he would 10 haue sayd, because he ended with the king and there so

sodeinly stopped, and exhorted him so familiarly betwene them twain, to be bold to say what soeuer he thought, wherof he faithfully promised there should neuer come hurte, and paraduenture more good then he would wene, 15 and that himselfe intended to vse his faithful secret aduise and counsayle, whiche he saide was the onely cause for whiche he procured of the kyng to haue him in his custody, where he myght recken himself at home, and els had he bene put in the handes of them, with whome he should not 25 haue founden the lyke fauor. The bishop right humbly thanked him and said; In good faith, my lord, I loue not much to talk muche of princes, as thing not all out of peril, thoughe the word be without fault, forasmuch as it shal not be taken as the party ment it, but as it pleaseth the 25 prince to conster it. And euer I think on Esops tale, that when the lion had proclamed that on pain of deth there should none horned beast abide in that wood, one that had in his forehed a bonch of flesh, fled awaye a great pace. The fox that saw him run so faste, asked him whither he made al that hast. And he answered, in faith I neither wote nor reck, so I wer once hence because of this proclamacion made of horned beastes. What, fole, quod the fox, thou maist abide wel inough, the lyon ment not by thee,

30

Then longed the 10

for it is none horne that is in thine head. No mary, quod he, that wote I wel ynough. But what and he cal it an horn, wher am I then? The duke laughed merely at the tale, and said; My lord I warant you, neither the lyon nor the bore shal pyke anye matter at any thyng here spoken, 5 for it shall neuer come nere their eare. In good fayth, sir, said the bishop, if it did, the thing that I was about to say, taken as wel as afore God I ment it, could deserue but thank. And yet taken as I wene it wold, might happen to turne me to litle good and you to lesse. duke yet moch more to wit what it was. Whereupon the byshop said; In good faith, my lord, as for the late protector, sith he is now king in possession, I purpose not to dispute his title. But for the weale of this realm, wherof his grace hath now the gouernance, and wherof I am my 15 self one poore member, I was about to wish, that to those good habilities wherof he hath already right many, litle nedyng my prayse, it might yet haue pleased Godde for the better store, to haue geuen him some of suche other excellente vertues mete for the rule of a realm, as our Lorde 20 hath planted in the parsone of youre grace.

Thus ends Sir Thomas More's work.

That the history of the reign of Richard III may be complete the remainder is given as in the continuation of Hardyng's Chronicle.

25

By whiche wordes the duke perceiuyng that the byshop bare unto him his good heart and favoure, mistrusted not to entre more plaine communicacion with him so farre, that at the last the bishoppe declared him selfe to be one of them that would gladly helpe that Rychard, who then 30 vsurped the croune, might be deposed, if he had knowen

howe it might conueniently be brought to passe that suche a person as had true title of inheritaunce vnto the same, might be restored therunto. Vpon this the sayd duke, knowyng the byshoppe to be a man of prudence and 5 fidelitee, opened to him all his whole heart and entent, saiyng, my lord, I haue deuised the way how the blod both of king Edward and of king Henry the sixt, that is left, beyng coupled by mariage and affinitee may be restored vnto the croune, beyng by just and true title due vnto them 10 bothe, (for kyng Rycharde he called not the brother of kyng Edward the fourth, but his enemy and mortal fooe). The way that the duke had deuised was this, that they should with al spede and celerite find meanes to sende for Henry earle of Richemonde (whom the rumour went immediatly 15 vpon knowledge of king Edwardes death to haue bene deliuered out of prison with Fraunces duke of Britayn) and the same Henry to helpe with all their power and strength, so that the sayd Henry would fyrst, by his faithfull othe, promise that immediatly vpon the obteygnyng the croune, 20 he would mary and take to wyfe Elyzabeth, the elder doughter of Edwarde the fourth. The bishop of Ely right wel alowed bothe the deuice and purpose of the duke, and also the maner and way howe the matter should be brought to effecte, and found meanes that Reynold Breye, seruaunt 25 with Margarete mother of the sayd Henry then maried to Thomas Stanley, came to the duke into Wales, and the dukes minde throughly perceyued and knowen, with great spede returned to the sayd Margarete, aduertisyng the same of all thinges whiche was betwene the duke and him con30 cernyng as wel the common weale of the realme, as also the aduauncement of her and her blood had bene debated.

Nowe it came so to passe that the duke of Buckyngham and the lady Margarete mother to the sayd Henry, had bene

in communicacion of the same matter before, and that the sayd lady Margarete had deuised the same meane and way for the deposycion of kyng Richard and bringyng in of Henry her sonne, the whiche the duke nowe brake vnto the byshop of Ely, wherupon there rested no more, forasmuche 5 as she perceiued the duke nowe willyng to prosecute and further the sayd deuice, but that she should fynde the meanes that this matter might be broken vnto quene Elizabeth, the wife of kyng Edward the fourth then beyng in sanctuary. And, hereupon she caused one Lewes that was IO her physician, in his owne name and as though it came of him selfe, to breake this matter vnto the quene, saiyng that if she would consent and agree thervnto, a meane might be found how to restore againe the blood of kyng Edwarde and kyng Henry the sixt vnto the croune, and to be aduenged 15 of kyng Richard for the murther of kyng Edwardes children, and then declared that there was beyond the sea Henry earle of Richemond, whiche was of the blood of kyng Henry the sixt, whom yf she would be content that he mary might Elisabeth her eldest doughter, there should of his syde 20 be made right many frendes, and she for her part might helpe in like maner, wherby no doubte it should come to passe that he should possesse the croune by most rightful inheritaunce. Whiche matter, when she hearde it, it liked her exceadyngly well, insomuche as she counceled the sayd 25 phisycian to breake the same vnto his mastresse the ladye Margarete and knowe her mynde therein, promisyng vpon her woorde that she would make all the frendes of kyng Edwarde to take part with the sayd Henry if he would be sworne that when he came to the possessyon of the croune, 3ɔ he would immediatly take in mariage Elisabeth her eldest doughter, or els if she lyued not that tyme, that then he would take Cicile her yongest doughter.