preching) he toke for his tyme spuria vitulamina non agent radices altas. That is to say, bastard slippes shal neuer take depe roote. Therupon when he had shewed the great grace that God giueth and secretly infowndeth in right generacion 5 after the lawes of matrimony, then declared he that comenly those children lacked that grace, and for the punishment of their parentes were for the more parte vnhappie, which were gotten in baste and speciallye in aduowtrie. Of which, though some, by the ignoraunce of the world and the trouth hid 10 fro knowlege, enherited for the season other mennes landes, yet God alway so prouideth, that it continueth not in their blood long, but the trouth comming to light, the rightful inheritors be restored, and the bastard slip pulled vp, ere it can be roted depe. And when he had laid for the proofe 15 and confirmacion of this sentence, certain ensamples taken out of the olde testament and other auncient histories, then began he to descend into the praise of the lord Richarde late duke of York, calling him father to the lord protectour, and declared the title of hys heires vnto the 20 crowne, to whom it was after the death of King Henry the sixte entailed by authoritye of parliamente. Then shewed he that his very right heire of his body lawfully begotten, was onely the lord protector. For he declared then that king Edward was neuer lawfully maried vnto the quene, 25 but was before God husband vnto dame Elizabeth Lucye, and so his children bastardes. And besides that, neither king Edward himself, nor the duke of Clarence among those that wer secret in the houshold, wer reckened very surely for the children of the noble Duke, as those that by 30 their fauours more resembled other knowen men then him. From whose vertuous condicions he said also that kynge Edward was far of. But the lord protectour he said, that very noble prince, the special paterne of knightly prowes,

as well in all princely behaueor as in the liniamentes and fauor of his visage, represented the verye face of the noble duke his father. This is, quod he, the fathers owne figure, this is his own countenance, the very prent of his visage, the sure vndoubted image, the playne expresse likenes of 5 that noble Duke.

15

Nowe was it before deuised, that in the speaking of these wordes, the protector should haue comen in among the people to the sermonwarde, to thend that those words meting with his presence, might haue been taken among the 10 hearers, as thoughe the Holye Ghost had put them in the preachers mouth, and should haue moued the people euen ther to crie, king Richard, king Richard, that it might haue bene after said, that he was specially chosen by God and in maner by miracle. But this deuise quailed either by the protectors negligence, or the preachers ouermuche diligence. For while the protector found by the way tarying lest he should preuent those woordes, and the doctor fearing that he should com ere his sermon could come to those wordes hasted his matter therto; he was com to them and past 20 them, and entred into other matters ere the protector came. Whom when he beheld coming, he sodainly lefte the matter, with which he was in hand, and without ani deduccion therunto, out of al order, and oute of al frame, began to repete those wordes again; this is that verye noble prince, the 25 special patrone of knightly prowes, which as well in al princelye behaueor, as in the lineamentes and fauor of his visage, representeth the very face of the noble duke of York his father. This is the fathers own figure, this his own countenance, the very printe of his visage, the sure vn- 30 doubted ymage, the plain expresse lykenes of the noble duke, whose remembrance can neuer dye while he liueth. Whyle these wordes wer in speaking, the protector accom

RICH.

5

Preacher.

panied with the duke of Buckingham, went thorow the people into the place where the doctors comonly stand in the vpper story, where he stode to hearken the sermon. But the people wer so farre fro crying king Richard, 5 that thei stode as thei had bene turned into stones, for wonder of this shamefull sermon. After whiche once ended, the preacher gate him home and neuer after durst looke out for shame, but kepe him out of sight lyke an owle. And when he once asked one that had bene his old frend, what the 10 people talked of him, al wer it that his own conscience wel shewed him that thei talked no good, yet when the tother answered him that there was in euery mans mouth spoken of him much shame, it so strake him to the heart, that within fewe daies after he withered and consumed away. 15 Then on the Tewesday folowing this sermon, there came vnto the geld hall in London the duke of Buckingham, accompanied with diuers lordes and knightes, mo then happely knewe the message that thei brought. And there in the east ende of the hall where the maire kepeth the hust20 inges, the maire and al the aldermen being assembled about him, all the commons of the citie gathered before them, after silence commaunded vpon greate pain in the protectors name, the Duke stode vp, and (as he was neither vnlearned, and of nature marueilouslye well spoken) hee saide 25 vnto the people with a clere and a loude voice in this maner of wyse.

The duke of

Buckingham's

oracion.

Frendes, for the zeale and heartye fauour that we beare you, we be comen to breake vnto you, of a matter ryghte great and weighty, and no lesse 30 weightye, then pleasing to God and profitable to al the realm; nor to no part of the realm more profitable, then to you the citezens of this noble citie. For why, that thyng that we wote well ye haue long time lacked and sore longed

for, that ye woulde haue geuen great good for, that ye woulde haue gone farre to fetche, that thynge wee bee comme hyther to bringe you, withoute youre labour, payne, coste, aduenture or jeopardie. What thynge is that? certes the suretye of your owne bodyes, the quiete of youre wiues and youre 5 doughters, the safegarde of youre goodes; of all whiche thynges in tymes passed ye stoode euermore in doubte. For who was there of you all, that woulde recken hym seife lorde of his own good, among so many grennes and trappes as was set therfore, among so much pilling and 10 polling, among so many taxes and tallages, of whiche there was neuer ende, and often time no nede; or if any wer, it rather grew of riote and vnresonable wast, then any necessarye or honorable charge? So that there was dayly pilled fro good men and honest, gret substaunce of goodes to be 15 lashed oute among vnthriftes so farforth that fiftenes suffised not, nor ani vsual names of knowen taxes; but vnder an easy name of beneuolence and good will, the commissioners so much of euery man toke, as noman would with his good wil haue giuen. As though the name of beneuolence, had 20 signified that euery man shold pay, not what himself of his good wil list to graunt, but what the king of his good will list to take. Which neuer asked litle, but euery thing was hawsed aboue the mesure; amercementes turned into fines, fines into raunsomes, smal trespas to misprision, misprision 25 into treson. Wherof I thinke no man loketh that we should remembre you of examples by name, as though

Burdet.

Burdet were forgotten, that was, for a worde spoken in hast, cruelly behedded, by the misconstruing of the lawes of thys realme for the princes plesure: with no 30 les honour to Markam then chief Justyce, that Markam.

left his office rather then he would assent to

that judgement, then to the dishonesty of those, that

either for fere or flatterie gaue that judgement. What, Coke your own worshipful neibour, alderman and

Cooke.

mayer of this noble citie, who is of you eyther so negligent that he knoweth not, or so forgetfull that 5 he remembreth not, or so harde hearted that he pitieth not, that worshipful mans losse? What speke we of losse? his vtter spoile and vndeserued distruccyon, only for that it happed those to fauour him, whome the prince fauored not. We nede not, I suppose, to reherse of these any Io mo by name, sith ther be, I doubte not, many here present, that either in themself or their nighe frendes, haue knowen as well their goodes as their parsons greatly endangered, either by fained quarels, or smal matters agreuid with heinouse names. And also there was no crime so great, 15 of whiche there could lack a pretext. For sithe the king preuenting the time of his enheritaunce attained the crowne by batayl; it suffised in a riche man for a pretext of treson, to haue ben of kinred or alliaunce, nere familiarite or leger aquaintaunce, with any of those that were at any 20 time the kinges enemies, which was at one time and other, more then halfe the realme. Thus wer nether your goods in surety and yet they brought your bodies in jubardi, besyde the comen aduenture of open warre, which albeit that it is euer the wil and occasion of much 25 mischief, yet is it neuer so mischeuouse, as where any peple fal at distaunce among themself, nor in none erthly nacion so dedely and so pestilent, as when it happeneth among vs, and among vs neuer so long continued dissension, nor so many battailes in the season, nor so cruel and 30 so deadly foughten, as was in that kinges daies that dead is, God forgiue it his soule. In whose time and by whose occasion, what about the getting of the garland, keping it, lesing and winning againe, it hath cost more Englishe blood

Open warre.