Shortlie after, to wit, the morrow after the Purification of our
ladie, the parlement began, the which was named the parlement that
wrought woonders. The king would gladlie haue proroged the time of
this parlement, if by anie meanes he might. The lords came to the same
parlement, with a sufficient armie for their owne safeties. On the
first day of this parlement, were arrested as they sat in their places,
all the iustices (except sir William Skipworth) as sir Roger Fulthrop,
sir Robert Belknap, sir Iohn Carie, sir Iohn Holt, sir William Brooke,
and Iohn Alocton the kings sergeant at law, all which were sent to the
tower, and there kept in seuerall places. The cause whie they were
thus apprehended, was for that, where in the last parlement, diuerse
lords were made gouernours of the realme, both by the assent of the
same parlement, and also by the aduise and counsell of all the iustices
then being, and indentures tripartite thereof made, of the which one
part remained with the king, an other with the lords so chosen to
gouerne the realme, and the third part with the iustices: and yet
notwithstanding, the said iustices at a councell holden at Notingham
(as yee haue heard before) did go contrarie to that agreement.
Wherevpon it was now determined, that they should make answer to their
dooings.
[Sidenote: The duke of Ireland & his associats attainted of treson by
this parlement.
Trisilian chéefe iustice descried by his owne man is executed at
Tiburne.]
Moreouer, in the beginning of this parlement, were openlie called
Robert Véer duke of Ireland, Alexander Neuill archbishop of Yorke,
Michaell de la Poole earle of Suffolke, sir Robert Trisilian lord
cheefe iustice of England, to answer Thomas of Woodstoke duke of
Glocester, Richard earle of Arundell, Henrie earle of Derbie, and
Thomas earle of Notingham, vpon certeine articles of high treason,
which these lords did charge them with. |794| And forsomuch as none of
these appeared, it was ordeined by the whole assent of the parlement,
that they should be banished for euer, and their lands and goods
mooueable and vnmooueable to be forfeit and seized into the kings
hands, their lands intailed onelie excepted. Shortlie after was the
lord chéefe iustice, Robert Trisilian found in an apothecaries house
at Westminster, lurking there, to vnderstand by spies dailie what was
doone in the parlement: he was descried by one of his owne men, and so
taken and brought to the duke of Glocester, who caused him forthwith
the same daie to be had to the tower, and from thence drawne to
Tiburne, and there hanged.
[Sidenote: Sir Nicholas Brambre executed with an axe of his owne deuise.
_Ouid. li. I. de art._]
On the morrow after, sir Nicholas Brambre, that sometime had beene
maior of London, was brought foorth to iudgement and condemned,
although he had manie fréends that made sute to saue his life. This
man had doone manie oppressions within the citie of London (as was
reported.) In his maioraltie, he caused great & monstruous stocks to
be made to imprison men therein, and also a common axe to strike off
the heads of them which should resist his will and pleasure, for he
was so highlie in the kings fauour, that he might doo what he would.
And the report went, that he had caused eight thousand or more to be
indicted, which before had taken part with the lords, intending to haue
put them all to death, if God had not shortened his daies. Manie other
euill fauoured reports went abroad of him, as that he meant to haue
changed the name of London, and to haue named it little Troie, of which
citie baptised with that new name, he purposed to be intituled duke.
But these were forged rumors deuised and spred abroad in those daies,
as manie other were, partlie by the vaine imagination of the people,
and partlie of purpose, to bring those whome the king fauoured further
out of the peoples liking. But now touching sir Nicholas Brambre: in
the end being thus called to answer his transgressions, he was found
giltie, and had iudgement, neither to be hanged, nor drawne, but to be
beheaded with his owne axe which before he had deuised: seruing him
heerein as Phalaris the tyrant sometime serued Perillus, the inuentor
of that exquisite torment of the brasen bull, wherein the offendor
being put (and the counterfet beast by force of fier made glowing hot)
hauing his toong first cut out, through extreamitie of paine made a
bellowing alwaies as he cried, as if it had béene the verie noise of a
naturall bull. Of which strange torment Perillus himselfe first tasted,
suffering death by an engine of his owne deuising, which he thought
should haue purchased him a good liuing, whereof the poet saith:
Vt Phalaris tauro violentus membra Perilli
Torruit, infelix imbuit autor opus.
[Sidenote: Diuerse that stood against the lords executed.
The duke of Glocester a seuere man.