recorder.

not one woorde was there aunswered of all the people that stode before, but al was as styl as the midnight, not so much as rowning among them, by whych they myght seme to comen what was best to doe. When the mayer saw thys he wyth other pertiners of that counsayle, drew aboute the 5 duke and sayed that the people had not ben accustomed there to be spoken vnto but by the recorder, whiche is the mouth of the citie, and happely to him they Fitz William will aunswere. With that the recorder, called Fitz Wyllyam, a sadde man and an honest, whiche was 10 so new come into that office that he neuer had spoken to the peple before, and loth was with that matter to beginne, notwithstanding thereunto commaunded by the mayer, made rehersall to the comens of that the duke had twise rehersed them himselfe. But the recorder so tem- 15 pered his tale, that he shewed euery thing as the dukes wordes and no part his owne. But all thys nothing no chaunge made in the people which, alway after one, stode as they had ben men amased, wherupon the duke rowned vnto the mayer and sayd: Thys is a maruelouse obstinate 20 silence. And therewith he turned vnto the peple againe with these wordes: Dere frendes, we cume to moue you to that thing which peraduenture we not so greately neded, but that the lordes of thys realme and the comens of other parties might haue suffised, sauing that we such 25 loue bere you, and so much sette by you, that we woulde not gladly doe withoute you that thing in which to bee parteners is your weale and honour which, as it semeth, eyther you se not or way not. Wherfore we require you giue vs aunswer one or other, whither you be mynded as all the nobles of the realme be, to haue this noble prynce now protectour to be your kyng or not. At these wordes the people began to whisper among themselfe secretely, that the

30

voyce was neyther loude nor distincke, but as it were the sounde of a swarme of bees, tyl at the last in the nether ende of the hal, a bushement of the dukes seruantes, and Nashefeldes and other longing to the protectour, with some 5 prentises and laddes that thrust into the hal amonge the prese, began sodainelye at mennes backes to crye owte as lowde as their throtes would gyue, king Richarde, kinge Rycharde, and threwe vp their cappes in token of joye. And they that stode before, cast back theyr heddes mer10 uailing thereof, but nothing they sayd. And when the duke and the maier saw thys maner, they wysely turned it to theyr purpose. And said it was a goodly cry and a joyfull to here, euery man with one voice, no manne sayeng nay. Wherfore frendes, quod the duke, sins that we par15 cejue it is al your hole mindes to haue this noble man for

your king, whereof we shall make his grace so effectuall reporte, that we doubte not but it shall redounde vnto your great weal and commoditye; we require ye that ye to morow go with vs and wee with you vnto his noble grace, 20 to make our humble request vnto him in maner before remembred. And therewith the lordes came downe, and the company dissolued and departed, the more part al sad, som with glad semblaunce that wer not very mery, and some of those that came thyther with the duke, not able to 25 dissemble theyr sorow, were faine at his backe to turne

their face to the wall, while the doloure of their heart braste oute at theyr eyen. Then on the morowe after, the mayre with all the aldermen and chiefe comeners of the citie in

The mayer commynge to 30 Baynardes

castel.

their beste maner apparailed, assembling themself together resorted vnto Baynardes castell where the protector lay. To which place repaired also according to theyr appointmente the duke of Buckingham, with dyuers noble menne with him,

beside manye knightes and other gentlemen. And thereupon the duke sent worde vnto the lord protectour, of the being there of a great and honourable coumpanye, to moue a great matter vnto his grace. Whereupon the protectour made difficultie to come oute vnto them, but 5 if he first knewe some part of theyr errande, as though he doubted and partelye dystrusted the commyng of suche noumber vnto him so sodainlye, withoute any warnyng or knowledge, whyther they came for good or harme. Then the Duke when he had shewed this vnto the maire and other, 10 that they mighte thereby see howe lytle the protectour loked for this matter, thei sent vnto him by the messenger suche louyng message againe, and therewith so humblye besought hym to vouchesafe that thei might resort to hys presence, to purpose their intent, of which they would vnto 15 none other parson any part disclose, that at the laste hee came foorth of his chamber, and get not down vnto them, but stode aboue in a galarye ouer them, where they mighte see hym and speake to him, as though he would not yet come to nere them tyll he wist what they mente. And 20 thereuppon the Duke of Buckingham fyrste made humble peticion vnto him, on the behalfe of them all, that his grace woulde pardon them and lycence them to purpose vnto hys grace the intent of their commyng withoute his displeasure, withoute whiche pardon obtayned, they durst 25 not be bold to moue him of that matter. In whiche albeit thei ment as muche honor to hys grace as wealthe to al the realm beside, yet were they not sure howe hys grace woulde take it, whom they would in no wyse offende. Then the protector as hee was very gentle of hymselfe, and also 30 longed sore to wit what they mente, gaue hym leaue to purpose what hym lyked, verely trustyng for the good minde that he bare them al, none of them ani thing would intende

vnto hym warde, where with he ought to be greued. When the duke had this leaue and pardon to speake, then waxed he bolde to shewe hym theyr intent and purpose, with all the causes mouing them thereunto as ye before haue harde, 5 and finally to beseche hys grace, that it wold lyke him of his accustomed goodnes and zeale vnto the realm, now with his eye of pitie, to beholde the long continued distres and decay of the same and to sette his gracious handes to the redresse and amendement therof, by taking vppon him the 10 crowne and gouernaunce of this realme, according to his right and tytle lawfully descended vnto hym, and to the laude of God, profyte of the land, and vnto his grace so muche the more honour and lesse paine, in that that neuer prince raigned vpon any people, that were so glad to liue 15 vnder hys obeysaunce as the people of this realme vnder his.

When the protector had hard the proposicion, he loked very strangely therat, and answered: That all were it that he partli knew the thinges by them alledged to be true; 2 yet such entier loue he bare vnto king Edward and his children, that so muche more regarded hys honour in other realmes about, then the crowne of any one, of which he was neuer desyrous, that he could not fynde in his hearte in this poynte to enclyne to theyr desyre. For in all other nacyons 25 where the trueth wer not wel knowen, it shold paraduenture be thought, that it were his owne ambicious minde and deuise, to depose the prince and take himself the crown. With which infami he wold not haue his honoure stayned for anye crowne. In which he had euer parceyued muche 30 more labour and payn, then pleasure to hym that so woulde so vse it, as he that woulde not were not worthy to haue it. Notwithstanding he not only pardoned them the mocion. that they made him, but also thanked them for the loue and

hearty fauoure they bare him, prayinge them for his sake to geue and beare the same to the prynce, vnder whom he was and would be content to lyue, and with his labour and counsel as farre as should like the kyng to vse him, he woold doe his vttermost deuor to set the realm in good state. 5 Whiche was alreadye in this litle while of his protectorship (the prayse geuen to God) wel begon, in that the malice of such as wer before occasion of the contrary, and of new intended to bee, were nowe partelye by good policye, partly more by Goddes special prouidence then mans prouision 10 repressed. Vpon this answer geuen, the Duke by the protectours lycence, a lytle rouned, as well with other noble men about him as with the mayre and recorder of London. And after that vpon lyke pardone desyred and obtayned, he shewed aloude vnto the protectour that for a fynal conclu- 15 sion, that the realm was appointed king Edwardes lyne shoulde not any longer reigne vpon them, both for that thei had so farre gone, that it was now no surety to retreate, as for that they thought it for the weale vniuersal to take that wai although they had not yet begonne it. Wherfore yf it 20 would lyke hys grace to take the crowne vpon him, they woulde humblye beseche hym thereunto. If he woulde geue them a resolute aunswere to the contrarye, whyche they woulde bee lothe to heare, than muste they needes seke and shold not faile to fynd some other noble manne 25 that woulde. These wordes muche moued the protectoure, whiche els, as euery manne may witte, would neuer of likelyhoode haue inclyned therunto. But when he saw ther was none other way, but that eyther he must take it or els he and his bothe goe fro it, he saide vnto the lordes and 30 commons: Sith we parceiue wel that al the realm is so set, whereof we be very sorye that they wil not suffer in any wise king Edwardes line to gouerne them, whom no manne