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, cåst back theyr heddes merIo 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 ceiue 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 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,

The mayer commynge to 30 Baynardes castel.

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 woulde 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 auns were 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

taketh uppon him to be kynge.

earthly can gouerne again their willes, and we wel also perceue, that no manne is there, to whom the crowne can by so just tytle appertayn as to our self, as verye ryghte heyre lawfullye begotten of the bodye of oure moste deere father 5 Rycharde late Duke of Yorke, to whiche tytle is nowe joyned your elleccion, the nobles and comons of this realm, whiche wee of all titles possible take for most effectual: we be content and agre fauourably to incline to your peticion The protector and request, and accordyng to the same, here we take vppon vs the royall estate, preeminence and kyngdome of the twoo noble realmes, England and Fraunce, the tone fro this day forward by vs and our heires to rule, gouerne and defend, the tother by Goddes grace and youre good helpe to geat again and sub15 dewe, and establish for euer in due obedyence vnto this realme of Englande, thaduancement wherof we neuer aske of God longer to lyue then we entende to procure. With this there was a great shout, crying, kyng Richard, king Rychard. And then the lordes went vp to the kyng (for 20 so was he from that time called) and the people departed, talkyng diuersly of the matter euery man as his fantasye gaue hym. But muche they talked and marueiled of the maner of this dealing, that the matter was on bothe partes made so straunge, as though neither had euer communed 25 with other thereof before, when that themself wel wist there was no man so dul that heard them, but he perceiued well inough, that all the matter was made betwene them. Howbeit somme excused that agayne, and sayde all must be done in good order though. And menne must 30 sommetime for the manner sake not bee a-knowen what they knowe. For at the consecracion of a bishop, euery man woteth well by the paying for his bulles, that he purposeth to be one, and thoughe he paye for nothing elles.