Windsore, entered the castell, and vnderstanding that the king was gon
from thence to London, determined with all spéed to make towards the
citie: but changing that determination as they were on their waie, they
turned to Colbroke, [Sidenote: The king goeth foorth against them.] and
there staied. King Henrie issuing out of London with twentie thousand
men, came streight to Hunslo heath, and there pitched his campe to abide
the comming of his enimies: but when they were aduertised of the kings
puissance, [Sidenote: They retire.] amazed with feare, and forthinking
their begun enterprise, as men mistrusting their owne companie, departed
from thence to Berkhamstéed, [Sidenote: They come to Circester.] and so
to Circester, & there the lords tooke their lodging. The earle of Kent,
and the earle of Salisburie in one Inne, and the earle of Huntington and
lord Spenser in an other, and all the host laie in the fields,
[Sidenote: The bailiffe of Circester setteth vpon them on their
lodgings.] wherevpon in the night season, the bailiffe of the towne with
fourescore archers set on the house, where the erle of Kent and the
other laie, which house was manfullie assaulted and stronglie defended a
great space. [Sidenote: The lords set fire on their lodgings.] The earle
of Huntington being in an other Inne with the lord Spenser, set fire on
diuerse houses in the towne, thinking that the assailants would leaue
the assault and rescue their goods, which thing they nothing regarded.
The host lieng without, hearing noise, and seeing this fire in the
towne, [Sidenote: _Hall._ _Froissard._] thought verelie that king Henrie
had béene come thither with his puissance, and therevpon fled without
measure, euerie man making shift to saue himselfe, and so that which the
lords deuised for their helpe, wrought their destruction; for if the
armie that laie without the towne had not mistaken the matter, when they
saw the houses on fire, they might easilie haue succoured their
chéefeteins in the towne, that were assailed but with a few of the
townesmen, in comparison of the great multitude that laie abroad in the
fields. But such was the ordinance of the mightie Lord of hostes, who
disposeth althings at his pleasure.
The earle of Huntington and his companie seeing the force of the
townesmen to increase, fled out on the backside, intending to repaire to
the armie which they found dispersed and gone. Then the earle seeing no
hope of comfort, fled into Essex. The other lords which were left
fighting in the towne of Circester, were wounded to death and taken, and
their heads stricken off and sent to London. Thus writeth Hall of this
conspiracie, [Sidenote: _Thom. Wals._] in following what author I know
not. But Thomas Walsingham and diuerse other séeme somewhat to dissent
from him in relation of this matter; for they write that the
conspiratours ment vpon the sudden to haue set vpon the king in the
castell of Windsore, [Sidenote: A maske.] vnder colour of a maske or
mummerie, and so to have dispatched him; and restoring king Richard vnto
the kingdome, to haue recouered their former titles of honour, with the
possessions which they had lost by iudgement of the last parlement. But
the king getting knowledge of their pretensed treasons, got him with all
spéed vnto London.
The conspirators, to wit, the earles of Kent and Salisburie, sir Rafe
Lumlie, and others, supposing that the king had not vnderstood their
malicious purpose, [Sidenote: 1400.] [Sidenote: _Harding._] the first
sundaie of the new yeare, which fell in the octaues of the Innocents,
came in the twilight of the euening into Windsore with foure hundred
armed men, where vnderstanding that the king was withdrawne upon warning
had of their purposed intention, they forthwith returned backe, and came
first vnto Sunnings, a manor place not farre from Reading, where the
quéene wife to king Richard then laie. [Sidenote: The words of the earle
of Kent.] Here setting a good countenance of the matter, the earle of
Kent declared in presence of the queenes servants that the lord Henrie
of Lancaster was fled from his presence with his children and fréends,
and had shut up himselfe & them in the Tower of London, as one afraid to
come abroad, for all the brags made heretofore of his manhood: and
therefore (saith he) my intention is (my lords) to go to Richard that
was, is, and shall be our king, who being alreadie escaped foorth of
prison, lieth now at Pomfret, with an hundred thousand men. And to cause
his spéech the better to be beléeued, he tooke awaie the kings
cognisances from them that ware the same, as the collars from their
necks, and the badges of cressants from the sleeues of the seruants of
houshold, and throwing them awaie, said that such cognisances were no
longer to be borne.
Thus hauing put the quéene in a vaine hope of that which was nothing so,
they departed from thence vnto Wallingford, and after to Abington,
intising the people by all meanes possible vnto rebellion, all the waie
as they went, and sending their agents abroad for the same purpose: at
length they came to Circester in the darke of the night, and tooke vp
their lodgings. The inhabitants of that towne suspecting the matter, and
iudging (as the truth was) these rumors which the lords spred abroad to
be but dreams, they tooke therevpon counsell togither, got them to
armor, and stopped all the entries and outgates of the Innes where these
new ghestes were lodged, insomuch that when they about midnight
secretlie attempted to haue come foorth, and gone their waies, the
townesmen with bow and arrowes were readie to slaie them, and keepe them
in. The lords perceiuing the danger, got them to their armor and
weapons, and did their best by force to breake through and repell the
townesmen. But after they had fought from midnight till three of the
clocke in the afternoone of the next daie, and perceiued they could not
preuaile, they yeelded themselues to the townesmen, [Sidenote: The lords
yéeld themselues.] beseeching them to haue their liues saued, till they
might come to the kings presence.
[Sidenote: A priest set fire on the houses of Circester.] This request
they had obteined, if a préest that was chapleine to one of them, had
not in the meane time set fire vpon certeine houses in the towne, to the
end that whiles the townesmen should busie themselues to quench the
fire, the lords might find meanes to escape. But it came nothing to
passe as he imagined, for the townesmen leauing all care to saue their
houses from the rage of the fire, were kindled more in furie towards the
lords, and so to reuenge themselves of them, they brought them foorth of
the abbei where they had them in their hands, [Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._ out
of _Tho. Walsin._ pag. 404.] and in the twilight of the euening, stroke
of their heads. ¶ The earle of Salisburie (saith Thomas Walsingham) who
in all his life time had béene a fauourer of the Lollards or
Wickleuists, a despiser of images, a contemner of canons, and a scorner
of the sacraments, ended his daies (as it was reported) without the
*sacrament of confession. [Sidenote *: He died vnconfessed.] These be
the words of Thom. Wals. which are set downe, to signifie that the earle
of Salisburie was a bidden ghest to blockham feast with the rest: and
(as it should séeme by his relation) the more maligned, bicause he was
somwhat estranged fro the corruption of the religion then receiued, and
leaned to a sect pursued with spitefulnesse and reuenge.
[Sidenote: The lords beheaded.] Iohn Holland earle of Huntington (as
Thomas Walsingham writeth) was not with the lords at the castell of
Windsore, but staied about London to behold the end of his businesse:
and hearing how the matter went, farre contrarie to that he wished, he
sought to flie by sea; but not able to get awaie, by reason the wind
being contrarie would not permit him, [Sidenote: _Chr. S. Alb._] he
tooke his horsse, and hauing a knight with him called sir Iohn Shellie,
he road into Essex, attempting to haue fled from thence by sea: but
still the wind was so against him, that he was continuallie driuen backe
when he was about to make saile, and so comming againe to land,
[Sidenote: The earle of Huntington taken.] he was taken one euening at
Pitwell in Essex, in a mill (that belonged to one of his trustie
fréends) as he sat there at supper, togither with the said sir Iohn
Shellie. The commons of the countrie that tooke him, brought him first
to Chelmesford, and after to Plashie, [Sidenote: He is beheaded.] where
on the daie of S. Maurie, that is the fiftéenth of Ianuarie, about sun
setting he was beheaded, in the verie place in which the duke of
Glocester was arrested by king Richard. He confessed with lamentable
repentance (as writers doo record) that diuers & manie waies he had
offended God and his prince, because that vnderstanding the purpose of
the other lords, he had not reuealed the same.
[Sidenote *: Thomas Spenser, saith _Wal._ & others.] The lord *Hugh
Spenser, otherwise called earle of Glocester, as he would haue fled into
Wales, was taken and carried to Bristow, [Sidenote: _Hall._] where
(according to the earnest desires of the commons) he was beheaded.
Maudelen fléeing into Scotland, was taken by the waie, and brought to
the Tower. Manie other that were priuie to this conspiracie, [Sidenote:
Execution.] were taken, and put to death, some at Oxford, as sir Thomas
Blunt, sir Benet Cilie knight, and Thomas Wintercell esquier; but sir
Leonard Brokas, and sir Iohn Shellie knights, Iohn Maudelen, and William
Ferbie chapleins, were drawne, hanged, and beheaded at London.
[Sidenote: _Tho. Walsing._ _Hall._] There were ninetéene in all executed
in one place and other, and the heads of the cheefe conspirators were
set on polles ouer London bridge, to the terror of others. Shortlie
after, the abbat of Westminster, [Sidenote: The abbat of Westminster
dieth sudd[=e]lie. _Thom. Wals._] in whose house the conspiracie was
begun (as is said) gooing betweene his monasterie & mansion, for thought
fell into a sudden palsie, and shortlie after, without speech, ended his
life. The bishop of Carleill was impeached, [Sidenote: The bishop of
Carleill dieth through feare, or rather thorough gréefe of mind, to sée
the wicked prosper as he tooke it. _Hall._] and condemned of the same
conspiracie; but the King of his mercifull clemencie, pardoned him of
that offense, although he died shortly after, more through feare than
force or sicknesse, as some haue written. Thus all the associats of this
vnhappie conspiracie tasted the painefull penance of their plesant
pastime.
Thus haue yee heard what writers haue recorded of this matter, with some
difference betwixt them that write, how the king should haue béene made
awaie at a iusts; and other that testifie, how it should haue béene at a
maske or mummerie: but whether they meant to haue dispatched him at a
mumming, or at a iusts, their purpose being reuealed by the earle of
Rutland, they were brought to confusion (as before yée haue heard.) And
immediatlie after, king Henrie, to rid himselfe of anie such like danger
to be attempted against him thereafter, caused king Richard to die of a
violent death, that no man should afterward faine himselfe to represent
his person, [Sidenote: The sundrie reports of K. Richar. death.] though
some haue said, he was not priuie to that wicked offense. The common
fame is, that he was euerie daie serued at the table with costlie meat,
like a king, to the intent that no creature should suspect anie thing
done contrarie to the order taken in the parlement; and when the meat
was set before him, he was forbidden once to touch it; yea, he was not
permitted so much as to smell to it, and so he died of forced famine.
[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._ out of _Thom. Walsi._ pag. 404, 405.] ¶ But Thomas
Walsingham is so farre from imputing his death to compoulsorie famine,
that he referreth it altogether to voluntarie pining of himselfe. For
when he heard that the complots and attempts of such his fauourers, as
sought his restitution, and their owne aduancement, annihilated; and the
chéefe agents shamefullie executed; he tooke such a conceit at these
misfortunes (for so Thomas Walsingham termed them) and was so beaten out
of hart, that wilfullie he starued himselfe, and so died in Pomfret
castell on S. Valentines daie: a happie daie to him, for it was the
beginning of his ease, and the ending of his paine: so that death was to
him daintie and swéet, as the poet saith, and that verie well in bréefe,
[Sidenote: _Corn. Gall._]
Dulce mori miseris,
Neque est melius morte in malis rebus.
[Sidenote: _Thom. Walsin._ Sir Piers de Exton a murtherer of King
Richard.] One writer, which séemeth to haue great knowledge of king
Richards dooings, saith, that king Henrie, sitting on a daie at his
table, sore sighing, said, "Have I no faithfull fréend which will
deliuer me of him, whose life will be my death, and whose death will be
the preseruation of my life;" This saieng was much noted of them which
were present, and especiallie of one called sir Piers of Exton. This
knight incontinentlie departed from the court, with eight strong persons
in his companie, and came to Pomfret, commanding the esquier that was
accustomed to sew and take the assaie before king Richard, to doo so no
more, saieng; "Let him eat now, for he shall not long eat." King Richard
sat downe to dinner, and was serued without courtesie or assaie,
wherevpon much maruelling at the sudden change, he demanded of the
esquier whie he did not his dutie; "Sir (said he) I am otherwise
commanded by sir Piers of Exton, which is newlie come from K. Henrie."
When king Richard heard that word, he tooke the keruing knife in his
hand, and strake the esquier on the head, saieng The diuell take Henrie
of Lancaster and thée togither. And with that word, sir Piers entred the
chamber, well armed, with eight tall men likewise armed, euerie of them
hauing a bill in his hand.
King Richard perceiuing this, put the table from him, & steping to the
formost man, wrung the bill out of his hands, & so valiantlie defended
himselfe, [Sidenote: The desperat manhood of king Richard.] that he slue
foure of those that thus came to assaile him. Sir Piers being halfe
dismaied herewith, lept into the chaire where king Richard was wont to
sit, while the other foure persons fought with him, and chased him about
the chamber. And in conclusion, as king Richard trauersed his ground,
from one side of the chamber to an other, [Sidenote: K. Richard
murthered.] & comming by the chaire, where sir Piers stood, he was
felled with a stroke of a pollax which sir Piers gaue him upon the head,
and therewith rid him out of life, without giuing him respit once to
call to God for mercie of his passed offenses. It is said, that sir
Piers of Exton, after he had thus slaine him, wept right bitterlie, as
one striken with the pricke of a giltie conscience, for murthering him,
whome he had so long time obeied as king. After he was thus dead, his
bodie was imbalmed, and séered, and couered with lead, all saue the
face, to the intent that all men might sée him, and perceiue that he was
departed this life: for as the corps was conueied from Pomfret to
London, in all the townes and places where those that had the conueiance
of it did staie with it all night, they caused dirige to be soong in the
euening, and masse of requiem in the morning; and as well after the one
seruice as the other, his face discouered, was shewed to all that
courted to behold it.
[Sidenote: The dead bodie of K. Richard brought to the Tower.] Thus was
the corps first brought to the Tower, and after through the citie, to
the cathedrall church of saint Paule bare faced, where it laie thrée
daies togither, that all men might behold it. There was a solemne
obsequie doone for him, both at Paules, and after at Wesminster, at
which time, both at dirige ouernight, and in the morning at the masse of
requiem, [Sidenote: He is buried at Langlie.] the king and the citizens
of London were present. When the same was ended, the corps was commanded
to be had vnto Langlie, there to be buried in the church of the friers
preachers. The bishop of Chester, the abbats of saint Albons and
Waltham, celebrated the exequies for the buriall, none of the nobles nor
anie of the commons (to accompt of) being present: neither was there
anie to bid them to dinner after they had laid him in the ground, and
finished the funerall seruice. He was after by king Henrie the fift
remooued to Westminster, and there honorablie intoomed with quéene Anne
his wife, although the Scots vntrulie write, that he escaped out of
prison, and led a vertuous and a solitarie life in Scotland, and there
died, [Sidenote: Abr. Fl. out of Fabian pag. 378.] & is buried (as they
hold) in the blacke friers at Sterling. ¶ But Fabian and others doo as
it were point out the place of his interrement, saieng that he lieth
intoomed on the south side of saint Edwards shrine, with an epitaph
expressing partlie his proportion of bodie and partlie his properties of
mind, as after followeth in a rimed hexastichon:
Prudens & mundus, Richardus iure secundus,
Perfatum victus, iacet hîc sub marmore pictus,
Verax sermone, fuit & plenus ratione,
Corpore procerus, animo prudens vt Homerus,
Ecclesiæ fauit, elatus suppeditauit,
Quemuis prostrauit, regalia qui violauit.
[Sidenote: Forren princes not without cause abhorre to heare of the
shamefull murther of king Richard.] When the newes of king Richards
deposing was reported in France, king Charles and all his court
woondering, detested and abhorred such an iniurie doone to an annointed
king, to a crowned prince, and to the head of a realme: but in
especiall, Walerane earle of saint Paule, which had married king
Richards halfe sister, mooued with great disdaine towards king Henrie,
ceassed not to stirre king Charles & his councell to make warres against
the Englishmen, and he himselfe sent letters of defiance into England.
The earles sute was easilie agréed vnto, and an armie roiall appointed
with all speed, to inuade England. The armie was come downe into
Picardie, redie to be transported into England: but when it was
certeinelie knowen, that king Richard was dead, and that the enterprise
of his deliuerance (which was chéeflie meant) was frustrate and void,
the armie was dissolued. But when the certeintie of K. Richards death
was intimate to the Gascoignes, [Sidenote: How the Gascoignes tooke the
death of K. Richard.] the most part of the the wisest men of the
countrie were right pensiue: for they iudged verelie, that hereby the
English nation should be brought to dishonour, and losse of their
ancient fame and glorie, for committing so heinous an offense against
their king and souereigne lord, the memorie whereof (as they thought)
would neuer die: and cheeflie, the citizens of Burdeaux tooke the matter
verie sore at the stomach: for they bare excéeding fauour to king
Richard, because he was borne and brought vp in their citie, and
therefore more than all the residue they shewed themselves to abhorre so
heinous a déed.
The Frenchmen hauing understanding hereof, thought with themselues that
now was the time for them to practise with the Gascoignes to reduce them
from the English obeisance, vnder their subiection. [Sidenote: The duke
of Bourbon.] Herevpon came Lewes duke of Burbon vnto Agen, and wrote to
diuerse cities and townes, on the confines of Guien, exhorting them with
large promises, and faire sugred words, to reuolt from the Englishmen,
and to become subiects to the crowne of France; but his trauell
preuailed not: for the people vnderstanding that the English yoke was
but easie in comparison to the French bondage, determined to abide
rather in their old subiection, [Sidenote: _Froissard._] than for a
displeasure irrecouerable to aduenture themselues on a new doubtfull
perill; yet it was doubted, least the cities of Burdeaux, Dar, and
Baion, would haue reuolted, if the lords of the marches about those
places had leaned to them in that purpose, for they sent their
commissioners to Agen, to treate with the duke of Burbon. But forsomuch
as the lords, Pomiers, Mucident, Duras, Landuras, Copane, Rosem, &
Langurant, were minded to continue still English, those cities durst not
without them turne to the French obeisance, for they could not haue
stirred out of their gates, but those lords would haue béene readie at
their elbowes, to haue caught them by the sléeues.
King Henrie being aduertised of the Frenchmens couert meanings, and also
of the wauering minds of the Gascoignes, sent Thomas Persie earle of
Worcester with two hundred men of armes, and four hundred archers into
Guien, to aid and assist sir Robert Knols, his lieutenant there.
[Sidenote: _Polydor._ _Froissard._] The chiefest capteines that
accompanied the earle in this iournie were these: first, his nephew sir
Hugh Hastings, sir Thomas Colleuill, sir William Lisle, Iohn de Graillie
base sonne to the capitall de Boeuf, sir William Draiton, sir Iohn
Daubreticourt: also there went with him the bishop of London and master
Richard Doall or Dolleie. [Sidenote: The earle of Worcester sent into
Gascoigne.] The earle at his arriual so wiselie intreated the noble men,
so grauelie persuaded the magistrats of the cities and townes, and so
gentlie and familiarlie vsed and treated the commons, that he not onelie
appeased their furie and malice, but brought them to louing and vniforme
obeisance, receiuing of them othes of obedience, & loiall fealtie, which
doone, he returned againe into England with great thanks.
The French king perceiuing he could not bring his purpose about,
[Sidenote: Ambassadors from the French king.] neither by inuading
England, nor by practising with the Gascoignes, sent a solemne ambassage
into England, requiring to haue his daughter the ladie Isabell, sometime
espoused to king Richard, restored to him againe. King Henrie gentlie
receiued those that were sent to him about this message, [Sidenote:
_Abr. Fl._ out of Fabian, pag. 364.] and for answer, promised to send
his commissioners vnto Calis, which should further commune and conclude
with them. ¶ This séemeth dissonant from the report of Fabian deriued
out of Gagwine. For he saith that Charles hearing of the suppression of
K. Richard, sent 2 of his houshold knights into England, requiring king
Henrie the fourth, then newlie made king, to send home his daughter
Isabell, latelie married vnto king Richard, with such dowrie as with hir
was promised. In dooing of which message king Henrie took such
displeasure, that he threw the said two knights in prison; where through
one of them (named Blanchet) died in England, and, the other called
Henrie, after great sicknesse returned into France: wherefore if Fabian
plaie not the fabler, those that were sent on the said message were not
gentlie receiued of king Henrie; vnlesse to be cast in prison and
discourteouslie dealt withall stand countable for beneuolence & gentle
interteinment. But to remit this and the like variances among writers to
such as can reconcile them, let vs returne to the storie.