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THE HISTORIE

OF

KYNG RYCHARDE THE THIRDE.

YNG Edwarde of that name the fowrth, after that hee hadde lyued fiftie and three yeares, seuen monethes, and sixe dayes, and thereof reygned

two and twentye yeres, one moneth, and eighte dayes, dyed at Westmynster the nynth daye of Aprill, the 5 yere of oure redempcion a thowsande foure houndred foure score and three, leauinge muche fayre yssue, that is to witte, Edwarde the Prynce, a thirtene yeare of age: Richarde duke of Yorke, two yeare younger: Elizabeth, whose fortune and grace was after to bee Quene, wife unto kinge Henrie 10 the seuenth, and mother unto the eighth: Cecily not so fortunate as fayre: Brigette, whiche representynge the vertue of her whose name she bare, professed and obserued a religious life in Dertforde, an house of close Nunnes: Anne, that was after honourablye maryed unto Thomas, 15 than Lorde Hawarde, and after Earle of Surrey. And Katheryne whiche longe tyme tossed in either fortune, sommetime in wealth, ofte in aduersitye, at the laste, if this bee the laste, for yet she lyueth, is by the benignitye of her Nephewe, Kinge Henrye the eighte, in verye prosperous estate, 20 and woorthye her birth and vertue.

This noble Prince deceased at his palice of Westminster, . and with greate funerall honoure and heauynesse of his people from thence conueyde, was entered at Windesor.

RICH.

I

people.

A Kinge of suche gouernaunce and behauioure in time of peace (for in war eche parte muste needes bee others eneThe loue of the mye) that there was neuer anye Prince of this lande, attaynynge the Crowne by battayle, so 5 heartely beloued with the substaunce of the people; nor he hymselfe so speciallye in anye parte of his life, as at the time of his death. Whiche fauour and affeccion yet after his decease, by the crueltie, mischiefe, and trouble of the tempestious worlde that folowed, highelye towarde hym 10 more increased. At suche time as he died, the displeasure of those that bare him grudge, for kinge Henries sake the sixte, whome he deposed, was well asswaged, and in effecte quenched, in that that manye of them were dead in more then twentie yeares of his raigne, a great parte of a longe 15 lyfe. And many of them in the meane season growen into his fauoure, of whiche he was neuer straunge. He was a goodly parsonage, and very Princely to behold, of hearte couragious, politique in counsaile, in aduersitie nothynge abashed, in prosperitie 20 rather joyfull then prowde, in peace juste and mercifull, in warre sharpe and fyerce, in the fielde bolde and hardye, and nathelesse no farther then wysedome woulde aduenWhose warres who so well consyder, hee shall no lesse commende hys wysedome where hee voyded, than 25 hys mannehoode where he vainquisshed. He was of visage louelye, of bodye myghtie, stronge, and cleane made: howe bee it in his latter dayes, wyth ouer liberall dyet, sommewhat corpulente and boorelye, and nathelesse not vncomelye; hee was of youthe greatlye geuen to fleshlye wantonnesse, from 30 whiche healthe of bodye, in greate prosperitye and fortune,

Descripcion of Edwarde the fourth.

turouse:

wythoute a specyall grace hardelye refrayneth. Thys faute not greatlye gryeued the people: for neyther could any one mans pleasure stretch and extende to the dyspleasure of

Trybute.

5

15

verye manye, and was wythoute violence, and ouer that in hys latter dayes lessyd and wel lefte. In whych tyme of hys latter daies thys Realm was in quyet and prosperous estate: no feare of outewarde enemyes, no warre in hande, nor none towarde, but such as no manne looked for; the people towarde the Prince, not in a constrayned feare, but in a wyllynge and louynge obedyence: amonge them selfe, the commons in good peace. The Lordes whome he knewe at varyaunce, hymselfe in hys deathe bedde appeased. He hadde lefte all gatherynge of money (which is the onelye 10 thynge that withdraweth the heartes of Englyshmenne fro the Prynce) nor anye thynge entended hee to take in hande, by which hee shoulde bee dryeuen theretoo, for hys trybute oute of Fraunce hee hadde before obtayned. And the yere foregoynge hys deathe hee hadde obtayned Barwycke. And al bee it that all the tyme of hys raygne hee was wyth hys people soo benygne, courteyse, and so familyer, that no parte of hys vertues was more estemed; yet that condicyon in the ende of hys dayes (in which many princes, by a long continued souerainty, 20 decline in to a prowde porte from debonayre behauioure of theyr beginning) meruaylouslye in him grewe and increased; so farrefoorthe that in the sommer the laste that euer he sawe, hys hyghenesse beeyng at Wyndesore in huntynge, sente for the Mayre and Aldermenne of London to hym. 25 For none other eraunde, but too haue them hunte and bee mery with hym, where hee made them not so statelye, but so frendely and so familier chere, and sente venson from thence so frelye into the Citye, that no one thing, in many dayes before, gate hym eyther moe heartes or more heartie 30 fauoure amonge the common people, whiche oftentymes more esteme and take for greatter kindenesse a lyttle courtesye, then a greate benefyte.

people.

A Kinge of suche gouernaunce and behauioure in time of peace (for in war eche parte muste needes bee others eneThe loue of the mye) that there was neuer anye Prince of this lande, attaynynge the Crowne by battayle, so 5 heartely beloued with the substaunce of the people; nor he hymselfe so speciallye in anye parte of his life, as at the time of his death. Whiche fauour and affeccion yet after his decease, by the crueltie, mischiefe, and trouble of the tempestious worlde that folowed, highelye towarde hym 10 more increased. At suche time as he died, the displeasure of those that bare him grudge, for kinge Henries sake the sixte, whome he deposed, was well asswaged, and in effecte quenched, in that that manye of them were dead in more then twentie yeares of his raigne, a great parte of a longe 15 lyfe. And many of them in the meane season growen into his fauoure, of whiche he was neuer straunge. He was a goodly parsonage, and very Princely to behold, of hearte couragious, politique in counsaile, in aduersitie nothynge abashed, in prosperitie 20 rather joyfull then prowde, in peace juste and mercifull, in warre sharpe and fyerce, in the fielde bolde and hardye, and nathelesse no farther then wysedome woulde aduenWhose warres who so well consyder, hee shall no lesse commende hys wysedome where hee voyded, than 25 hys mannehoode where he vainquisshed. He was of visage louelye, of bodye myghtie, stronge, and cleane made: howe bee it in his latter dayes, wyth ouer liberall dyet, sommewhat corpulente and boorelye, and nathelesse not vncomelye; hee was of youthe greatlye geuen to fleshlye wantonnesse, from 30 whiche healthe of bodye, in greate prosperitye and fortune, wythoute a specyall grace hardelye refrayneth. Thys faute not greatlye gryeued the people: for neyther could any one mans pleasure stretch and extende to the dyspleasure of

Descripcion of Edwarde the fourth.

turouse:

Trybute.

5

15

verye manye, and was wythoute violence, and ouer that in hys latter dayes lessyd and wel lefte. In whych tyme of hys latter daies thys Realm was in quyet and prosperous estate: no feare of outewarde enemyes, no warre in hande, nor none towarde, but such as no manne looked for; the people towarde the Prince, not in a constrayned feare, but in a wyllynge and louynge obedyence: amonge them selfe, the commons in good peace. The Lordes whome he knewe at varyaunce, hymselfe in hys deathe bedde appeased. He hadde lefte all gatherynge of money (which is the onelye 10 thynge that withdraweth the heartes of Englyshmenne fro the Prynce) nor anye thynge entended hee to take in hande, by which hee shoulde bee dryeuen theretoo, for hys trybute oute of Fraunce hee hadde before obtayned. And the yere foregoynge hys deathe hee hadde obtayned Barwycke. And al bee it that all the tyme of hys raygne hee was wyth hys people soo benygne, courteyse, and so familyer, that no parte of hys vertues was more estemed; yet that condicyon in the ende of hys dayes (in which many princes, by a long continued souerainty, 20 decline in to a prowde porte from debonayre behauioure of theyr beginning) meruaylouslye in him grewe and increased; so farrefoorthe that in the sommer the laste that euer he sawe, hys hyghenesse beeyng at Wyndesore in huntynge, sente for the Mayre and Aldermenne of London to hym. 25 For none other eraunde, but too haue them hunte and bee mery with hym, where hee made them not so statelye, but so frendely and so familier chere, and sente venson from thence so frelye into the Citye, that no one thing, in many dayes before, gate hym eyther moe heartes or more heartie 30 fauoure amonge the common people, whiche oftentymes more esteme and take for greatter kindenesse a lyttle courtesye, then a greate benefyte.

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