Source.—Rutland Papers, p. 12. Published by the Camden Society, 1842.
THIS DONE, THE CARDINAL, AS Archbishop of Canterbury, shewing the King to the people at the iiij parties of the said pulpit, shall say in this wise; “Sirs, I here present Henry, true and rightful, and undoubted inheritor of the laws of God and man, to the crown and royal dignity of England, with all things thereunto annexed and appertaining, elect, chosen, and required by all three estates of the same land, to take upon him the said crown, and royal dignity, whereupon ye shall understand that this day is prefixed and appointed by all the peers of this land for the consecration, enunciation, and coronation.” Whereunto the people shall say, with a great voice, “Yea. Yea. Yea. So be it King Henry! King Henry!”
Soon upon the said Cardinal, as Archbishop of Canterbury, being reuysshed as appertaineth for celebration of mass and also the foresaid Bishops of Exeter and Ely on both sides as above, with other Bishops, and with the Abbot of Westminster, who oweth always to be near the King for his information in such things as concerneth the solemnity of the coronation, the King shall be brought honourably from his said seat unto the high altar, where the Chancellor of England shall set down the chalice, and likewise the Bishop of Chichester his patten.
The Queen following the King thither, going afore her the lords as above bearing her crown, sceptre, and rod, and the abovesaid Bishops sustaining her, for her shall be ordained, on the left side of the high altar, a folding stool wherein she shall sit while the King shall be required of the keeping of the customs and laws of England, and that done, whilst “Veni Creator Spiritus” is a singing, and all the while the King is anointed, she shall kneel praying for the King and her self.
At the which altar the King ought to offer a pall, and a pound of gold, xxiiijli in coin, which shall be delivered unto him by the Chamberlain; and, forthwith, the pavement afore the high altar worshipfully arrayed with carpets and cushions, the King shall then lie down grovelling, whilst the said Cardinal as Archbishop, say upon him, “Deus humilium,” which done, the said Cardinal may, at his pleasure, command some short sermon to be said, during the which the said Cardinal shall sit before the altar, his back towards the same, as is the custom, and the King shall sit opposite him, face to face, in a chair prepared as to his high estate accordeth.
The sermon ended, if any such be, the Cardinal and the King that is to be crowned so sitting as is above said, the same Cardinal with an open and distinct voice shall ask the King under this form: “Will ye grant and keep, to the people of England, the laws and customs to them as of old rightful and devout kings granted, and the same ratify and confirm by your oath and especially the laws, customs, and liberties to be granted to the clergy and people by your noble predecessor and glorious King Saint Edward?” The King shall answer, “I grant and promise.” And when the King, before all the people, hath promised truly to grant and keep all the promises, then shall the said Cardinal open unto him the special articles whereunto the King shall be sworn, the same Cardinal saying as followeth: “Ye shall keep, after your strength and power, to the Church of God, to the clergie, and the people, whole peace, and goodly concord.” The King shall answer, “I shall keep.”
“Ye shall make to be done after your strength and power, equal and rightful justice in all your dooms and judgements, and discretion with mercy and truth.” The King shall answer, “I shall do.” “Do ye grant the rightful laws and customs to be holden, and promise ye, after your strength and power, such laws as to the worship of God shall be chosen by your people by you to be strengthened and defended?” The King shall answer, “I grant and promise.”
Source.—Holinshed’s Chronicle, Vol. III., p. 482. (London, 1808.)
SHORTLY AFTER FOR THE BETTER preservation of his royal person, he constituted and ordained a certain number as well of archers, as of divers other persons, hardy, strong, and active to give daily attendance on his person, whom he named yeomen of his guard, which precedent men thought that he learned of the French king when he was in France. For it is not remembered that any king of England before that day used any such furniture of daily soldiers. In this same year a kind of sickness invaded suddenly the people of this land, passing through the same from the one end to the other. It began about the one and twentieth of September, and continued until the latter end of October, being so sharp and deadly that the like was never heard of to any man’s remembrance before that time.
For suddenly a deadly burning sweat so assailed their bodies and distempered their blood with a most ardent heat, that scarce one amongst an hundred that sickened did escape with life; for all in manner as soon as the sweat took them, or within a short time after, yielded the ghost. Beside the great number which deceased within the city of London, two mayors successively died within eight days and six aldermen. At length, by the diligent observation of those that escaped (which marking what things had done them good, and holpen to their deliverance, used the like again), when they fell into the same disease the second or third time as to divers it chanced, a remedy was found for that mortal malady which was this. If a man on the day time were taken with the sweat, then should he straight lie down with all his clothes and garments and continue in the sweat four and twenty hours after so moderate a sort as might be. If in night he chanced to be taken, then should he not rise out of his bed for the space of four and twenty hours, so casting the clothes that he might in no wise provoke the sweat, but lie so temperately that the water might distil out softly of its own accord. And to abstain from all meat if he might so long suffer hunger and to take no more drink neither hot nor cold than would moderately quench and assuage his thirsty appetite. Thus with lukewarm drink, temperate heat and measurable clothes many escaped: few which used this order (after it was found out) died of that sweat. Marry! one point diligently above all other in this cure is to be observed, that he never did put his hand or feet out of the bed to refresh or cool himself, which to do is no less jeopardy than short and present death. Thus this disease coming in the first year of King Henry’s reign, was judged (of some) to be a token and sign of a troublesome reign of the same king, as the proof partly afterwards shewed itself.
Source.—Holinshed’s Chronicle, Vol. III., p. 484. (London, 1808.)
AMONGST OTHER SUCH MONSTERS AND limbs of the devil, there was one Sir Richard Simond, priest, a man of base birth and yet well learned, even from his youth. He had a scholar called Lambert Simnel, one of a gentle nature and pregnant wit, to be the organ and chief instrument by the which he might convey and bring to pass his mischievous attempt. The devil, chief master of such practices, put in the venomous brain of this disloyal and traitorous priest to devise how he might make his scholar the aforesaid Lambert to be reputed as right inheritor to the crown of this realm. Namely for that the fame went that King Edward’s children were not dead, but fled secretly into some strange place, and there to be living: and that Edward, Earl of Warwick, son and heir to the Duke of Clarence, either was, or shortly should be put to death.
These rumours though they seemed not to be grounded of any likehood to the wise sort of men, yet encouraged this peevish priest to think the time come that his scholar Lambert might take upon him the person and name of one of King Edward’s children. And thereupon at Oxford, where their abiding was, the said priest instructed his pupil both with princely behaviour, civil manners and good literature, declaring to him of what lineage he should affirm himself to be descended, and omitted nothing that might serve for his purpose. Soon after, the rumour was blown abroad, that the Earl of Warwick was broken out of prison. And when the priest, Sir Richard Simond heard of this, he straight intended now by that occasion to bring his invented purpose to pass, and changing the child’s name of baptism, called him Edward, after the name of the young Earl of Warwick, the which were both of like years and of like stature.
Then he with his scholar sailed into Ireland, where he so set forth the matter unto the nobility of that country, that not only the Lord Thomas Gerardine, Chancellor of that land, deceived through his crafty tale, received the counterfeit earl into his castle with all honour and reverence, but also many other noble men determined to aid him (with all their powers) as one descended of the blood royal and lineage come of the house of York, which the Irish people evermore highly favoured, honoured and loved above all other. By this mean every man throughout all Ireland was willing and ready to take his part and submit themselves to him; already reputing and calling him of all hands king. So that now they of this sect (by the advice of the priest) sent into England certain privy messengers to get friends here.
Also they sent into Flanders to the Lady Margaret, sister to King Edward and late wife to Charles, Duke of Burgoyne, to purchase, aid and help at her hands. This Lady Margaret bore no small rule in the low countries, and in very deed sore grudged in her heart that the King Henry (being descended of the house of Lancaster) should reign and govern of the realm of England, and therefore though she well understood that this was but a coloured matter, yet to work her malicious intention against King Henry, she was glad to have so fit an occasion, and therefore promised the messengers all the aid that she should be able to make in furtherance of the quarrel, and also to procure all the friends she could in other places to be aiders and partakers of the same conspiracy.
King Henry, advertised of all these doings, was greatly vexed therewith, and therefore to have good advice in the matter he called together his council at the Charterhouse beside his manor of Richmond, and there consulted with them, by which means lest this begun conspiracy might be appeased and disappointed without more disturbance. It was therefore determined that a general pardon should be published to all offenders that were content to receive the same. This pardon was so freely granted that no offence was excepted, no not so much as high treason committed against the King’s royal person. It was further agreed in the same council for the time then present that the Earl of Warwick should personally be shewed abroad in the city and other public places; whereby the untrue report falsely spread abroad that he should be in Ireland, might be among the community proved and known for a vain imagined lie.
When all things in this counsel were sagely concluded and agreed to the King’s mind, he returned to London, giving in commandment that the next Sunday ensuing, Edward, the young Earl of Warwick, should be brought from the Tower through the most public streets in all London, to the cathedral church of St. Paul. Where he went openly in procession, that every man might see him, having communication with many noble men and with them especially that were suspected to be partakers of the late begun conspiracy, that they might perceive how the Irishmen upon a vain shadow moved war against the King and his realm. But this medicine little availed evil disposed persons. For the Earl of Lincoln, son to John de la Poole, Duke of Suffolk, and Elizabeth, sister to King Edward the Fourth thought it not meet to neglect and omit so ready an occasion of new trouble.
Wherefore they determined to uphold the enterprise of the Irishmen, so that consulting with Sir Thomas Broughton, and certain other of his most trusty friends, he proposed to sail into Flanders to his aunt, the Lady Margaret, Duchess of Burgoyne, trusting by her help to make a puissant army and to join with the companions of the new raised sedition. Therefore after the dissolution of the parliament which was then holden, he fled secretly into Flanders unto the said Lady Margaret, where Francis, Lord Lovell, landed certain days before. Here, after long consultation as how to proceed in their business, it was agreed, that the Earl of Lincoln and the Lord Lovell should go into Ireland, and there attend upon the Duchess her counterfeit nephew, and to honour him as a king with the power of the Irishmen to bring him into England.
Now they concluded, that if their doings had success, then the aforesaid Lambert (misnamed the Earl of Warwick) should by consent of the council be deposed, and Edward the true Earl of Warwick delivered out of prison and anointed king. King Henry supposing that no man would have been so mad as to have attempted any further enterprise in the name of the new found and counterfeit earl, he only studied how to subdue the seditious conspiracy of the Irishmen. But learning that the Earl of Lincoln was fled into Flanders, he was somewhat moved therewith, and caused soldiers to be put in readiness out of every part of his realm, and to bring them into one place assigned, that when his adversaries should appear, he might suddenly set upon them, vanquish and overcome them.
Thus disposing things for his surety, he went towards St. Edmund’s Bury, and being certified that the Marquis of Dorset was coming towards his majesty to excuse himself of things he was suspected to have done when he was in France, he sent the Earl of Oxford to arrest the said Marquis by the way, and to convey him to the Tower of London there to remain till his truth might be tried. From thence the King went forth to Norwich and tarrying there Christmas Day, he departed after to Walsingham, where he offered to the image of Our Lady, and then by Cambridge he shortly returned to London. In which mean time, the Earl of Lincoln had gotten together by the aid of the Lady Margaret about two thousand Almains, with one Martin Sward, a valiant and noble captain to lead them.
With this power the Earl of Lincoln sailed into Ireland and at the city of Dublin caused young Lambert to be proclaimed and named King of England, after the most solemn fashion, as though he were the very heir of the blood royal lineally born and descended. And so with a great multitude of beggarly Irishmen almost all naked and unarmed, saving skins and mantles, of whom the Lord Thomas Gerardine was captain and conductor, they sailed into England with this new found king and landed for a purpose at the pile of Fowdreie, within a little of Lancaster, trusting there to find aid by the means of Sir Thomas Broughton, one of the chief companions of the conspiracy. The King had knowledge of the enemies’ intent before their arrival, and therefore having assembled a great army (over which the Duke of Bedford and the Earl of Oxenford were chief captains), he went to Coventry where he was advertised that the Earl of Lincoln was landed at Lancaster with his new king. Here he took advice of his counsellors what was best to be done, whether to set on the enemies without further delay or to protract time a little. But at length it was thought best to delay no time but to give them battle before they should increase their power, and thereupon he removed to Nottingham, and there by a little wood called Bowres he pitched his field.
Shortly after this came to him the Lord George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, the Lord Strange, Sir John Cheyne, right valiant captains, with many other noble and expert men of war, namely of the counties near adjoining, so that the King’s army was wonderfully increased. In this space the Earl of Lincoln being entered into Yorkshire passed softly on his journey without spoiling or hurting any man, trusting thereby to have some company of people resort unto him. But after he perceived few or none to follow him, and that it was too late now to return back, he determined to try the matter by dint of sword, and thereupon direct his way from York to Newark-upon-Trent.
Source.—Holinshed, Vol. III., p. 496.
KING HENRY, SORELY TROUBLED IN his mind therewith, determining no more with peaceable message, but with open war to determine all controversies betwixt him and the French King, called his high court of Parliament and there declared the cause why he was justly provoked to make war against the Frenchmen, and thereupon desired them of their benevolent aid of men and money towards the maintenance thereof. The cause was so just that every man allowed it and to the setting forth of the war taken in hand for so necessary an occasion, every man promised his helping hand. The king commended them for their true and faithful hearts. And to the intent that he might spare the poorer sort of the commons (whom he ever desired to keep in favour) he thought good first to exact money of the richest sort by way of a benevolence.
Which kind of levying money was first devised by King Edward the Fourth, as it appeareth before in his history. King Henry, following the like example, published abroad that by their open gifts he would measure and search their benevolent hearts and good minds towards him, and he that gave little to be esteemed according to his gift. By this it appeareth that whatsoever is practised for the prince’s profit and brought to a precedent by matter of record, may be turned to the great prejudice of the people, if rulers in authority will so adjudge and determine it. But by this means King Henry got innumerable great sums of money, with some grudge of the people, for the extremity shewed by the commissioners in divers places.
Source.—Holinshed, Vol. III, p. 514.
THESE UNRULY PEOPLE, THE CORNISHMEN, inhabiting in a barren country and unfruitful, at the first sore repined that they should be so grievously taxed and burdened by the king’s council as the only cause of such polling and pilling, and so being in their rage, menaced the chief authors with death and present destruction. And thus being in a rave, two persons of the affinity, the one called Thomas Flammock, a gentleman, learned in the laws of the realm, and the other Michael Joseph, a smith, men of stout stomachs and high courage, took upon them to be captains of this seditious company. They laid the fault and cause of this exaction unto John Morton, Archbishop of Canterbury, and to Sir Reginald Bray, because they were chief of the King’s council. Such reward have they commonly that be in great authority with kings and princes. The captains Flammock and Joseph exhorted the common people to put on harness and not be afeared to follow them in that quarrel, promising not to hurt any creature, but only to see them punished that procured such exactions to be laid on the people, without any reasonable cause, as under the colour of a little trouble with the Scots, which (since they were withdrawn home) they took to be well quieted and appeased. So these captains, bent on mischief (were their outward pretence never so finely coloured), yet persuaded a great number of people to assemble together and condescend to do as their captains would agree and appoint. Then these captains praising much the hardiness of the people, when all things were ready for their important journey, set forth with their army and came to Taunton, where they slew the Provost of Perin, which was one of the commissioners of the subsidy, and from thence came to Wells, so intending to go to London, where the King then sojourned.