After this, sir Iohn Salisburie, & sir Iames Berneis, both knights and
lustie yoong men, were by iudgement of parlement drawne and hanged.
Then folowed Iohn Beauchampe of the Holt, lord Steward of the kings
house, that had serued king Edward the third, and his sonne Lionell
duke of Clarence: who likewise by decrée of this parlement was drawne
and hanged. Also Iohn Blake esquier, who in an infortunate houre stood
against the lords in the councell at Notingham, was now drawne and
hanged, and so was one Thomas Vske. Last of all (or as some hold,
first of all) was sir Simon Burlie beheaded, although the earle of
Derbie did what he could to saue his life, by reason whereof, great
dissention rose betwixt the said earle, and the duke of Glocester: for
the duke being a sore and a right seuere man, might not by any meanes
be remooued from his opinion and purpose, if he once resolued vpon any
matter. Some spite he bare (as was thought) towards the said sir Simon
Burlie, both as well for the faithfull fréendship, which was growne
betwixt the duke of Ireland, and the said sir Simon, as also for that
he looked to haue had such offices and roomes which sir Simon inioied,
by the kings gratious fauour and grants thereof to him made, as the
Wardenship of the cinque ports, and constableship of the castell of
Douer and the office of high chamberleine.
[Sidenote: † _Abr. Fl._ out of _Henrie Knighton_ fol. 191.]
¶ But now, bicause of all these which were condemned and executed at
this parlement, in our common chronicles there is least written; and
in Froissard, and diuerse private pamphlets I haue read most of this
sir Simon, I haue thought good to set downe some |795| part of his
life, so largelie as this volume may well beare, although a great deale
more briefe than where I found it. This sir Simon was the son of sir
Iohn Burlie knight of the garter, and brought vp in his youth vnder
his kinsman doctor Walter Burlie, who (as in the latter end of king
Edward the third you haue heard) was one of the chiefe that had charge
in the bringing vp of the Blacke prince, eldest sonne to the said king
Edward. By this occasion he grew into such fauour with the prince,
that afterwards the said prince committed vnto him the gouernance of
his sonne Richard of Burdeaux, who as he was of a gentle and courteous
nature, began then to conceiue so great loue and liking towards him,
that when he came to the crowne and was king, he aduanced him highlie
to great honours and promotions, in somuch that at one time & other he
was made knight of the garter, constable of Douer, lord Warden of the
cinque ports, lord chamberleine,† earle of Huntington, and also one of
the priuie councell to the king.
Neither was there any thing doone concerning the affaires apperteining
vnto the state without his counsell, appointment, and direction,
wherein he so much fauoured and leaned to the partie of the duke of
Ireland, that he was sore enuied, and greatlie hated of diuerse of
the rest of the nobilitie, speciallie of the kings vncle the duke of
Glocester, who vpon malice that he bare to the man, not so much for
his owne demeanour, as for his alies, and peraduenture for desire of
his roomes, more than of his life, caused him to be accused of diuerse
offenses against the crowne, realme, and church; namelie, for that
he had (as they surmized against him) spoiled and wasted the kings
treasure, and withholden the paie of the souldiers and men of warre,
wherevpon he was arrested, called to account, & hauing no clerke
allowed him to make vp the same, was found in arrerages 250000 franks.
And although for one part thereof he demanded allowance of monie, which
he had defraied and laid out in Almaine, and in Boheme, about the kings
marriage, and for the residue desired daies of paiment, yet he could
obteine neither. Further, he was accused that the duke of Ireland and
he had gathered great summes of monie, conueied the same to Douer, and
from thence sent it in the night by sea into Germanie.
[Sidenote: _Froissard._
_Thoms. Wals._]
Lastlie, the archbishop (forsooth) and the moonks of Canturburie
charged him that he sought the means to remooue the shrine of the
archbishop Thomas, otherwise called Thomas Becket, from Canturburie
vnto Douer, vnder a colour of feare, least the Frenchmen being
assembled in Flanders to inuade England, should land in Kent and take
Canturburie, and spoile it, where indeed (as they surmized against him)
he meant to send it ouer the seas vnto the king of Boheme. Herevpon
he was first committed to the tower, and before the king or his other
friends could procure his deliuerance, he was without law or iustice,
before any of the residue (as some hold) brought foorth and beheaded
on the tower hill, by commandement of the duke of Glocester, and other
of his faction, quite contrarie to the kings will or knowledge, in
somuch that when he vnderstood it, he spake manie sore words against
the duke, affirming that he was a wicked man, and worthie to be kept
shorter, sith vnder a colour of dooing iustice, he went about to
destroie euerie good and honest man. The king was also offended with
the duke of Yorke, for his brothers presumptuous doings, though the
said duke of Yorke being verelie a man of a gentle nature, wished that
the state of the common-wealth might haue béene redressed without losse
of any mans life, or other cruell dealing: but the duke of Glocester,
and diuerse other of the nobilitie, the lesse that they passed for the
kings threatening speach, so much more were they readie to punish all
those whom they tooke to be their enimies. In deed the said sir Simon
Burlie was thought to beare himselfe more loftie, by reason of the
kings fauour, than was requisite, which procured him enuie of them,
that could not abide others to be in any condition their equals in
authoritie.
It should appeare by Froissard, that he was first of all, in the
beginning of these stirs betwixt the king and the lords, committed to
the tower, and notwithstanding all the shift that either the king,
or the duke of Ireland, or anie other of his fréends could make for
him, by the duke of Glocesters commandement he was cruellie beheaded,
so greatlie to |796| the offense of the king, and those that were
his trustie councellors, that therevpon the king caused the duke of
Ireland the sooner to assemble an armie against the said duke and his
complices, therby to restraine their presumptuous proceedings. But
whether he was thus at the first or last executed, to please the king
the better, now at this parlement, amongst others that were condemned
in the same: his lands were giuen to the king, a great part whereof
he afterwards disposed to diuerse men as he thought expedient. But
yet in the parlement holden in the one and twentith yeare of this
kings reigne, the act of atteindor of the said sir Simon was repealed:
and at an other parlement holden in the second yeare of king Henrie
the fourth, all his lands which then remained vngranted and vnsold,
were restored to sir Iohn Burlie knight, sonne and heire of sir Roger
Burlie, brother to the said Simon, of whom lineallie is descended
Thomas Eins esquier, now secretarie to the queenes maiesties councell
in the north parts. And thus far touching sir Simon Burlie, of whom
manie reports went of his disloiall dealings towards the state, as
partlie ye haue heard, but how trulie the lord knoweth. Among other
slanderous tales that were spred abroad of him, one was that he
consented to the deliuering of Douer castell by the kings appointment
to the Frenchmen for monie. But as this was a thing not like to be
true, so (no doubt) manie things that the persons aforesaid, which were
executed, had béene charged with, at the least by common report among
the people, were nothing true at all; although happilie the substance
of those things, for which they died, might be true in some respect.
[Sidenote: _Grafton._
The iustices condemned to perpetuall exile.