These estates being come to Arundell castell at the daie appointed,
about the verie beginning of the one and twentith yeare of king
Richards reigne, they sware ech to other to be assistant in all such
matters as they should determine, and therewith receiued the sacrament
at the hands of the archbishop of Canturburie, who celebrated masse
before them the morow after. Which doone, they withdrew into a chamber,
and fell in counsell togither, where in the end they light vpon this
point; to take king Richard, the dukes of Lancaster & Yorke, and commit
them to prison, and all the other lords of the kings counsell they
determined shuld be drawne and hanged. Such was their purpose which
they ment to haue accomplished in August following. But the earle
marshall that was lord deputie of Calis, and had married the earle of
Arundels daughter, discouered all their counsell to the king, and the
verie daie in which they should begin their enterprise. The king bad
the earle marshall take héed what he had said, for if it prooued not
true, he should repent it: but the earle constantlie herevnto answered,
that if the matter might be prooued otherwise, he was contented to be
drawne and quartered.
[Sidenote: The earle of Rutland saith _R. Grafton._]
The king herevpon went to London, where he dined at the house of his
brother the earle of Huntington in the stréet behind All hallowes
church vpon the banke of the riuer of Thames, which was a right faire
and statelie house. After dinner, he gaue his councell to vnderstand
all the matter; by whose aduise it was agreed, that the king should
assemble foorthwith what power he might conuenientlie make of men of
armes & archers, and streightwaies take horsse, accompanied with his
brother the earle of Huntington, & the earle marshall. Herevpon at six
of the clocke in the afternoone, the iust houre when they vsed to go to
supper, the king mounted on horssebacke, and rode his waie; whereof the
Londoners had great maruell. After that the king began to approch the
dukes house at Plashie in Essex, where he then laie, he commanded his
brother the earle of Huntington to ride afore, to know if the duke were
at home, and if he were, then to tell him that the king was comming at
hand to speake with him.
[Sidenote: The duke of Glocester arrested.]
The earle with ten persons in his companie amending his pase (for the
king had made no great hast all the night before, as should appeare by
his iournie) came to the house, and entering into the court, asked if
the duke were at home, and vnderstanding by a gentlewoman that made him
answer, that both the duke and duchesse were yet in bed, he besought
hir to go to the duke, and to shew him that the king was comming at
hand to speake with him, and foorthwith came the king with a competent
number of men of armes, and a great companie of archers, riding into
the base court, his trumpets sounding before him. The duke herewith
came downe into the base court, where the king was, hauing none other
apparell vpon him, but his shirt, and a cloke or a mantell cast about
|837| his shoulders, and with humble reuerence said that his grace
was welcome, asking of the lords how it chanced they came so earlie,
and sent him no word of their comming? The king herewith courteouslie
requested him to go and make him readie, and appoint his horsse to
be sadled, for that he must needs ride with him a little waie, and
conferre with him of businesse. The duke went vp againe into his
chamber to put vpon him his clothes, and the king alighting from his
horsse, fell in talke with the duchesse and hir ladies. The earle of
Huntington and diuerse other followed the duke into the hall, and there
staied for him, till he had put on his raiment. And within a while they
came foorth againe all togither into the base court, where the king
was deliting with the duchesse in pleasant talke, whom he willed now
to returne to hir lodging againe, for he might staie no longer, and so
tooke his horsse againe, and the duke likewise. But shortlie after that
the king and all his companie were gone foorth of the gate of the base
court, he commanded the earle marshall to apprehend the duke, which
incontinentlie was doone according to the kings appointment.
[Sidenote: Out of an old French pamphlet.]
¶ Here we find some variance in writers. For as by an old French
pamphlet (which I haue séene) it should appeare, the king commanded
first, that this duke should be conueied vnto the tower, where he ment
to commen with him, & not in any other place: but neuerthelesse, the
king shortlie after appointed, that he should be sent to Calis, as in
the same pamphlet is also conteined. Other write, that immediatlie vpon
his apprehension, the earle marshall conueied him vnto the Thames, and
there being set aboord in a ship prepared of purpose, he was brought to
Calis, where he was at length dispatched out of life, either strangled
or smoothered with pillowes (as some doo write.) For the king thinking
it not good, that the duke of Glocester should stand to his answer
openlie, because the people bare him so much good will, sent one of his
iustices called William Kikill, an Irishman borne, ouer vnto Calis,
there to inquire of the duke of Glocester, whether he had committed any
such treasons as were alledged against him, and the earles of Arundell
and Warwike, as after shall be specified. Iustice Kikill hearing what
he confessed vpon his examination, wrote the same as he was commanded
to doo, and therewith spéedilie returned to the king, and as it hath
beene reported, he informed the king (whether trulie or not, I haue not
to say) that the duke franklie confessed euerie thing, wherewith he was
charged. Wherevpon the king sent vnto Thomas Mowbraie earle marshall
and of Notingham, to make the duke secretlie awaie.
[Sidenote: † For he was son to a king, and vncle to a king.]
The earle prolonged time for the executing of the kings commandement,
though the king would haue had it doone with all expedition, wherby the
king conceiued no small displeasure, and sware that it should cost the
earle his life if he quickly obeied not his commandement. The earle
thus as it séemed in maner inforced, called out the duke at midnight,
as if he should haue taken ship to passe ouer into England, and there
in the lodging called the princes In, he caused his seruants to cast
featherbeds vpon him, and so smoother him to death, or otherwise to
strangle him with towels (as some write.) This was the end of that †
nobleman, fierce of nature, hastie, wilfull, and giuen more to war than
to peace: and in this greatlie to be discommended, that he was euer
repining against the king in all things, whatsoeuer he wished to haue
forward. He was thus made awaie not so soone as the brute ran of his
death. But (as it should appeare by some authors) he remained aliue
till the parlement that next insued, and then about the same time that
the earle of Arundell suffered, he was dispatched (as before ye haue
heard.) His bodie was afterwards with all funerall pompe conueied into
England, and buried at his owne manor of Plashie within the church
there, in a sepulchre which he in his life time had caused to be made,
and there erected.
[Sidenote: The earle of Arundell apprehended.]
The same euening that the king departed from London towards Plashie,
to apprehend the duke of Glocester, the earle of Rutland and the earle
of Kent were sent with a great number of men of armes and archers to
arrest the erle of Arundell; which was doone easilie inough, by reason
that the said earle was trained with faire words at the kings |838|
hands, till he was within his danger: where otherwise he might haue
béene able to haue saued himselfe, and deliuered his fréends. The earle
of Warwike was taken, and committed to the tower the same day that the
king had willed him to dinner, and shewed him verie good countenance.
There were also apprehended and committed to the tower the same time,
the lord Iohn Cobham, and sir Iohn Cheinie knights. The earle of
Arundell was sent to the Ile of Wight, there to remaine as prisoner,
till the next parlement, in the which he determined so to prouide, that
they should be all condemned, and put to death. And for doubt of some
commotion that might arise amongst the commons, he caused it by open
proclamation to be signified, that these noblemen were not apprehended
for any offense committed long agone, but for new trespasses against
the king, as in the next parlement should be manifestlie declared and
prooued.
[Sidenote: The names of the appellants.