When the barons had hard the words of the king, being therewith
astonied, they made answer, that there should be no right abridged from
him, but that he might take vpon |799| him the gouernment as of reason
was due. Well said he, yée know that I haue beene a long time ruled by
tutors, so as it hath not béene lawfull to me to doo anie thing, were
it of neuer so small importance, without their consents. Now therefore
I will, that they meddle no further with matters perteining to my
gouernment, & after the maner of an heire come to lawfull age, I will
call to my councell such as pleaseth me, and I will deale in mine owne
businesse my selfe. And therefore I will first that the chancellor
resigne to me his seale. When the archbishop of Yorke (who in the yeare
last past had béene remooued from Elie vnto Yorke, and Alexander Neuill
displaced) had deliuered vnto him the seale, the king receiuing it of
him, put it in his bosome, and suddenlie rising, departed foorth of
the chamber, & after a little while returning, sat downe againe, and
deliuered the seale to the bishop of Winchester, William Wickham, and
so made him chancellor, although sore against the same bishops will. He
made also manie other new officers, remoouing the old, and vsed in all
things his owne discretion and authoritie. The duke of Glocester, the
earle of Warwike, & other honorable and worthie men, were discharged
and put from the councell, and others placed in their roomes, such as
pleased the king to appoint. At the same time he made fiue new iustices.
[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._ out of _Henrie Knighton_ canon of Leicester
abbeie.]
¶ Of this assuming the regiment to himselfe, as diuerse diuerslie
report: so Henrie Knighton a man liuing in those daies, and committing
to writing the occurrents of that tumultuous time, saith as followeth.
In the moneth of Maie, the king held a councell at Westminster, and
in the feast of the Inuention of the crosse, comming personallie to
the councell house he remooued all the great officers (contrarie to
expectation and thinking) from their offices, and at his pleasure
placed in their roomes whome he list. He remooued the archbishop of
Yorke lord chancellor, and put in his place the bishop of Winchester:
he remooued the bishop of Hereford lord treasuror, and put another
in his place: he remooued the clearke of the priuie seale, and all
other: so likewise did he the iustices of either bench. But least
the affaires of the realme should in the meane while be hindered, he
commanded the iustices of law to follow and prosecute things requisite
as they were woont, till such time as he was better aduised touching
the prouiding of other iustices. The erle of Arundell likewise, vnto
whome the gouernment of the parlement was committed, and the admeraltie
of the sea, was remooued; and the earle of Huntington put in his roome.
In like sort dealt the king with the residue of his officers, saieng
that he ought not to be inferior in degree & of lesse account than an
other ordinarie heire whatsoeuer within the realme of England; sith the
law and custome of the realme of England auerreth, that euerie heire
being in the gardianship of anie lord, when he is growne to be one and
twentie yeares of age, ought presentlie to inioy the inheritance left
him by his father, and is lawfullie to possesse his patrimonie, and
freelie to dispose and order his owne goods and chattels to his liking.
But now it is come to passe, that I thus manie yeares haue liued vnder
your counsell and gouernement; and now first to God, secondlie to you,
I giue manifold thanks, that you haue gouerned and supported me, mine
inheritance, and my realme of England, as well within as without, &
speciallie against our enimies round about vs, all renowme of honour
and praise to vs and our kingdome alwaies safelie reserued. But now God
hath so dealt for vs, that we are of full age, so that we are two and
twentie yeares old at this present: and we require that we may fréelie
and at libertie from this time forward rule and gouerne both our selues
and our inheritance; and we will haue our kingdome in our owne hands,
and officers and seruitors of our owne appointing at our pleasure;
secondlie, as shall seeme to vs more auaileable, by Gods grace, to
elect, choose, and preferre vnto offices such as we doo well like of,
and at our pleasure to remooue such as be presentlie resiant, and in
their roomes to substitute and set others wheresoeuer and whomsoeuer we
list. The king hauing thus spoken, there was not one that went about to
breake him of his will, but they all glorified God, who had prouided
them such a king as was likelie to prooue discreet and wise. |800|
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 13.