herewith, cast from him the dagger, and imbracing the prince kissed him,
and with shedding teares confessed, that in déed he had him partlie in
suspicion, though now (as he perceiued) not with iust cause, and
therefore from thencefoorth no misreport should cause him to haue him in
mistrust, and this he promised of his honour. So by his great wisedome
was the wrongfull suspicion which his father had conceiued against him
remooued, and he restored to his fauour. [Sidenote: _Exton._] And
further, where he could not but gréeuouslie complaine of them that had
slandered him so greatlie, to the defacing not onelie of his honor,
[Sidenote: The princes request to haue his accusors to answer their
wrõgful slanders.] but also putting him in danger of his life, he
humblie besought the king that they might answer their vniust
accusation; and in case they were found to haue forged such matters vpon
a malicious purpose, that then they might suffer some punishment for
their faults, though not to the full of that they had deserued. The king
séeming to grant his resonable desire, yet told him that he must tarrie
a parlement, that such offenders might be punished by iudgement of their
péeres: and so for that time he was dismissed, with great loue and
signes of fatherlie affection.
[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._ out of _Angl. præliis._] ¶ Thus were the father
and the sonne reconciled, betwixt whom the said pick-thanks had sowne
diuision, insomuch that the sonne vpon a vehement conceit of vnkindnesse
sproong in the father, was in the waie to be worne out of fauour. Which
was the more likelie to come to passe, by their informations that
priuilie charged him with riot and other vnciuill demeanor vnséemelie
for a prince. Indeed he was youthfullie giuen, growne to audacitie, and
had chosen him companions agréeable to his age; with whome he spent the
time in such recreations, exercises, and delights as he fansied. But yet
(it should séeme by the report of some writers) that his behauiour was
not offensiue or at least tending to the damage of anie bodie; sith he
had a care to auoid dooing of wrong, and to tender his affections within
the tract of vertue, whereby he opened vnto himselfe a redie passage of
good liking among the prudent sort, and was beloued of such as could
discerne his disposition, which was in no degree so excessiue, as that
he deserued in such vehement maner to be suspected. In whose dispraise I
find little, but to his praise verie much, parcell whereof I will
deliuer by the waie as a metyard whereby the residue may be measured.
The late poet that versified the warres of the valorous Englishmen,
speaking of the issue of Henrie the fourth saith of this prince (among
other things) as followeth: [Sidenote: _In Angl. præliis_, _sub. Hen._
4.]
--------procero qui natu maximus hæres
Corpore, progressus cùm pubertatis ad annos
Esset, res gessit multas iuueniliter audax,
Asciscens comites quo spar sibi iunxerat ætas,
Nil tamen iniustè commisit, nil tamen vnquam
Extra virtutis normam, sapientibus æquè
Ac aliis charus.
[Sidenote: Sir Iohn Prendergest restored to the kings fauour is sent to
sea.] About the same time, Iohn Prendergest knight, being restored to
the kings fauour, with thirtie ships scowred the seas, tooke good prises
of wine and vitels, which reléeued the commons greatlie. Amongst other
enterprises, he landed vpon the sudden at Craal on the faire day, tooke
the towne, and robbed the faire, so as they that were come thither to
sell their wares, had quicke vtterance and slow paiment. King Henrie
vnderstanding that the French king by setting on of the duke of
Burgognie in pursuing contrarie faction, [Sidenote: The duke of Clarence
sent to aid the duke of Orleance.] had besieged the citie of Burges (as
before yée haue heard) determined with all spéed to aid the duke of
Orleance, & so about the feast of the Assumption of our ladie, he sent
ouer an armie of eight hundred men of armes, and nine thousand archers,
vnder the leading of his second sonne the duke of Clarence accompanied
with Edward duke of Yorke, Thomas earle of Dorset and diuerse other
noble men and worthie capteins. They landed in the Baie de la Hogue
saint Wast, in the countrie of Constantine. The Englishmen swarmed like
bées round about the countrie, robbing and spoiling the same.
[Sidenote: _Enguerant._] Shortlie after their departure from the place
where they landed, there came to them six hundred armed men of
Gascoignes that were inrolled at Burdeaux. When newes thereof came to
the French court, being then at Auxerre, [Sidenote: The earle of Alanson
and Richmond sent to the duke of Clarence.] incontinentlie the earles of
Alanson and Richmond were dispatched to go vnto the English campe,
bicause they had euer béene partakers with the duke of Orleance, to giue
them thanks for their paines, and to aduertise them of the peace that
had beene latelie concluded betwixt the parties, and therefore to take
order with them, that they might be satisfied, so as they should not
spoile & waste the countrie, [Sidenote: The duke of Clarence marcheth
toward Guien.] as they had begun. But whereas the Englishmen were
gréedie to haue, and the duke of Orleance was not rich to paie, they
marched on towards Guien in good order, and what by sacking of townes,
and ransoming of rich prisoners, they got great treasure, and manie good
preies and booties.
[Sidenote: _Enguerant._] Being passed the riuer of Loire they spoiled
the towne of Beaulieu, [Sidenote: The lord of Rambures.] and with fire
and sword wasted the countries of Touraine and Maine. [Sidenote: The
earles of Kent & Warwike sent ouer to Calis.] The lord de Rambures
appointed to resist such violence, was easilie vanquished. Moreouer, to
the aid of the duke of Orleance, the king of England sent ouer to Calis
the earls of Kent and Warwike, with two thousand fighting men, which
spoiled and wasted the countrie of Bullennois, burnt the towne of Samer
de Bois, and tooke with assault the fortresse of Russalt, [Sidenote:
_Fabian._ Coine changed.] and diuerse other. This yeare, the king abased
the coines of his gold and siluer, causing the same to be currant in
this realme, at such value as the other was valued before, where indéed
the noble was woorsse by foure pence than the former, [Sidenote: _Abr.
Fl._ out of _Fabian_, pag. 388. Thrée floods without ebbing betwéen.]
and so likewise of the siluer, the coines whereof he appointed to be
currant after the same rate. ¶ In this yeare, and vpon the twelfth day
of October, were thrée flouds in the Thames, the one following vpon the
other, & no ebbing betweene: which thing no man then liuing could
remember the like to be seene.
[Sidenote: _Abr. Fl._ out of _R. Grafton_, pag. 433, 434, in folio.] ¶
In this kings time, and in the eighth yeare of his reigne (as Richard
Grafton hath recorded) a worthie citizen of London named Richard
Whitington, mercer and alderman, was elected maior of the said citie,
and bare that office three times. This man so bestowed his goods and
substance, that he hath well deserued to be registred in chronicles.
First he erected one house or church in London to be a house of praier,
[Sidenote: Whitington college erected.] and named the same after his
owne name, Whitington college, remaining at this daie. In the said
church, besides certeine preests and clearks, he placed a number of
poore aged men and women, [Sidenote: Charitie.] builded for them houses
and lodgings, and allowed them wood coles, cloth, and wéekelie
[Sidenote: Newgate builded.] monie to their great reléefe and comfort.
This man also at his owne cost builded the gate of London called Newgate
in the yéere of our Lord 1422, which before was a most ouglie and
lothsome prison. [Sidenote: S. Bartholomews hospital.] He also builded
more than the halfe of S. Bartholomews hospitall in west Smithfield. He
builded likewise the beautifull librarie in the graie friers in London
now called Christs hospitall, standing in the north part of the cloister
thereof, where in the wall his armes be grauen in stone. He also builded
for the ease of the maior of London, his brethren, and the worshipfull
citizens, on the solemne daies of their assemblie, [Sidenote: Guildhall
chapell.] a chapell adioining to the Guildhall; to the intent that
before they entered into anie of their worldlie affaires, they should
begin with praier and inuocation to God for his assistance: at the end
ioining to the south part of the said chapell, he builded for the citie
a librarie of stone, for the custodie of their records and other bookes.
[Sidenote: Guildhall inlarged.] He also builded a great part of the east
end of Guildhall; and did manie other good déeds worthie of imitation.
By a writing of this mans owne hand, which he willed to be fixed as a
schedule to his last will and testament, it appeareth what a pitifull
and relenting heart he had at other mens miseries, and did not onelie
wish but also did what he could procure for their releefe. In so much
that he charged and commanded his executors, as they would answer before
God at the daie of the resurrection of all flesh, that if they found
anie debtor of his, whome if in conscience they thought not to be well
worth three times as much as they owght him, and also out of other mens
debt, and well able to paie, that then they should neuer demand it; for
he clearelie forgaue it: and that they should put no man in sute for
anie debt due to him: A worthie memoriall of a notable minded gentleman.
[Sidenote: An. Reg. 14.] Yée haue heard how the duke of Clarence and his
armie did much hurt in the realme of France, [Sidenote: The Duke of
Orleance cõmeth to the English armie.] in places as he passed: wherevpon
at length, the duke of Orleance being earnestlie called vpon to dispatch
the Englishmen out of France, according to an article comprised in the
conclusion of the peace, he came to the duke of Clarence, rendering to
him and his armie a thousand gramersies, and disbursed to them as much
monie as he or his fréends might easilie spare; and for the rest being
two hundred and nine thousand frankes remaining vnpaid, he deliuered in
gage his second brother, Iohn duke of Angolesme, which was grandfather
to king Francis the first, that reigned in our daies, sir Marcell de
Burges, and sir Iohn de Samoures, sir Archembald Viliers, and diuerse
other, which earle continued long in England, as after shall appeare.
When this agreement was thus made betwixt the dukes of Orleance and
Clarence, the English armie with rich preies, booties and prisoners came
to Burdéaux, [Sidenote: The lord of Helie marshall of France.] making
warre on the frontiers of France, to their great game. In this meane
while, the lord of Helie, one of the marshals of France, [Sidenote: Sir
Iohn Blunt.] with an armie of foure thousand men, besieged a certeine
fortresse in Guien, which an English knight, one sir Iohn Blunt kept,
who with thrée hundred men that came to his aid, discomfited, chased,
and ouerthrew the French power, tooke prisoners twelue men of name, and
other gentlemen to the number of six score, and amongst other, the said
marshall, who was sent ouer into England, and put in the castell of
Wissebet, from whence he escaped, and got ouer into France, where
seruing the duke of Orleance at the battell of Agincort he was slaine
among other.
[Sidenote: _Fabian._] In this fourtéenth and last yeare of king Henries
reigne, [Sidenote: The K. meant to haue made a iournie against the
Infidels.] a councell was holden in the white friers in London, at the
which, among other things, order was taken for ships and gallies to be
builded and made readie, and all other things necessarie to be prouided
for a voiage which he meant to make into the holie land, there to
recouer the citie of Ierusalem from the Infidels. For it gréeued him to
consider the great malice of christian princes, that were bent vpon a
mischéefous purpose to destroie one another, to the perill of their owne
soules, rather than to make war against the enimies of the christian
faith, [Sidenote: The king is vexed with sicknesse.] as in conscience
(it séemed to him) they were bound. He held his Christmas this yeare at
Eltham, being sore vexed with sicknesse, so that it was thought
sometime, that he had beene dead; notwithstanding it pleased God that he
somwhat recouered his strength againe, and so passed that Christmasse
with as much ioy as he might.
[Sidenote: 1413.] The morrow after Candlemas daie began a parlement,
which he had called at London, [Sidenote: A parlement.] but he departed
this life before the same parlement was ended: for now that his
prouisions were readie, and that he was furnished with sufficient
treasure, soldiers, capteins, vittels, munitions, tall ships, strong
gallies, and all things necessarie for such a roiall iournie as he
pretended to take into the holie land, he was eftsoons taken with a sore
sicknesse, [Sidenote: The k. sick of an apoplexie. _Hall._] which was
not a leprosie, striken by the hand of God (saith maister Hall) as
foolish friers imagined; but a verie apoplexie, of the which he
languished till his appointed houre, and had none other gréefe nor
maladie; so that what man ordeineth, God altereth at his good will and
pleasure, not giuing place more to the prince, than to the poorest
creature liuing, when he séeth his time to dispose of him this waie or
that, as to his omnipotent power and diuine prouidence seemeth
expedient. [Sidenote: _Hall._] During this his last sicknesse, he caused
his crowne (as some write) to be set on a pillow at his beds head, and
suddenlie his pangs so sore troubled him, that he laie as though all his
vitall spirits had beene from him departed. Such as were about him,
thinking verelie that he had béene departed, couered his face with a
linnen cloth.
[Sidenote: The prince taketh awaie the crowne before his father was
dead.] The prince his sonne being hereof aduertised, entered into the
chamber, tooke the crowne, and departed. The father being suddenlie
reuiued out of that trance, quicklie perceiued the lacke of his crowne;
and hauing knowledge that the prince his sonne had taken it awaie,
[Sidenote: He is blamed of the king.] caused him to come before his
presence, requiring of him what he meant so to misuse himselfe.
[Sidenote: His answer.] The prince with a good audacitie answered;
[Sidenote: A guiltie conscience in extremitie of sicknesse pincheth
sore.] "Sir, to mine and all mens iudgements you seemed dead in this
world, wherefore I as your next heire apparant tooke that as mine owne,
and not as yours." Well faire sonne (said the king with a great sigh)
what right I had to it, God knoweth. Well (said the prince) if you die
king, I will haue the garland, and trust to kéepe it with the sword
against all mine enimies as you haue doone. [Sidenote: The death of
Henrie the fourth.] Then said the king, "I commit all to God, and
remember you to doo well." With that he turned himselfe in his bed, and
shortlie after departed to God in a chamber of the abbats of Westminster
called Ierusalem, the twentith daie of March, in the yeare 1413, and in
the yeare of his age 46, when he had reigned thirteene yeares, fiue
moneths and od daies, in great perplexitie and little pleasure [or
fourtéene yeares, as some haue noted, who name not the disease whereof
he died, but refer it to sicknesse absolutelie, whereby his time of
departure did approach and fetch him out of the world: as Ch. Okl.
saith, whose words may serue as a funerall epigramme in memoriall of the
said king Henrie:
Henricus quartus his septem rexerat annos
Ànglorum gentem summa cum laude & amore,
Iàmq; senescenti fatalis terminus æui
Ingruerat, morbus fatalem accerserat horam.]
[Sidenote: _Ab. Fl._ out of _Angl. præl._ _sub. Hen._ 4] [Sidenote:
_Fabian._] We find, that he was taken with his last sickenesse, while he
was making his praiers at saint Edwards shrine, there as it were to take
his leaue, and so to procéed foorth on his iournie: he was so suddenlie
and greeuouslie taken, that such as were about him, feared least he
would haue died presentlie, wherfore to reléeue him (if it were
possible) they bare him into a chamber that was next at hand, belonging
to the abbat of Westminster, where they laid him on a pallet before the
fire, and vsed all remedies to reuiue him. At length, he recouered his
spéech, and vnderstanding and perceiuing himselfe in a strange place
which he knew not, he willed to know if the chamber had anie particular
name, wherevnto answer was made, that it was called Ierusalem. Then said
the king; "Lauds be giuen to the father of heauen, for now I know that I
shall die heere in this chamber, according to the prophesie of me
declared, that I should depart this life in Ierusalem."
Whether this was true that so he spake, as one that gaue too much credit
to foolish prophesies & vaine tales, or whether it was fained, as in
such cases it commonlie happeneth, we leaue it to the aduised reader to
iudge. [Sidenote: He is buried at Canturburie.] His bodie with all
funerall pompe was conueied vnto Canturburie, [Sidenote: His issue.] and
there solemnlie buried, leauing behind him by the ladie Marie daughter
to the lord Humfrie Bohun earle of Hereford and Northampton, Henrie
prince of Wales, Thomas duke of Clarence, Iohn duke of Bedford, Humfrie
duke of Glocester, Blanch duchesse of Bauier, and Philip quéene of
Denmarke: by his last wife Iane, he had no children. [Sidenote: His
stature.] This king was of a meane stature, well proportioned, and
formallie compact, quicke and liuelie, and of a stout courage. In his
latter daies he shewed himselfe so gentle, that he gat more loue amongst
the nobles and people of this realme, than he had purchased malice and
euill will in the beginning.
But yet to speake a truth, by his proceedings, after he had atteined to
the crowne, what with such taxes, tallages, subsidies, and exactions as
he was constreined to charge the people with; and what by punishing such
as mooued with disdeine to see him vsurpe the crowne (contrarie to the
oth taken at his entring into this land, vpon his returne from exile)
did at sundrie times rebell against him, he wan himselfe more hatred,
than in all his life time (if it had beene longer by manie yeares than
it was) had beene possible for him to haue weeded out & remooued. And
yet doubtlesse, woorthie were his subiects to tast of that bitter cup,
sithens they were so readie to ioine and clappe hands with him, for the
deposing of their rightfull and naturall prince king Richard, whose
chéefe fault rested onlie in that, that he was too bountifull to his
fréends, and too mercifull to his foes; speciallie if he had not béene
drawne by others, to séeke reuenge of those that abused his good and
courteous nature. ¶ But now to returne to the matter present. The duke
of Clarence immediatlie vpon knowlege had of his father king Henrie the
fourth his death, returned out of Guien into England, with the earle of
Angolesme, and other prisoners.
Now will we rehearse what writers of our English nation liued in the
daies of this king. That renowmed poet Geffrie Chaucer is woorthilie
named as principall, a man so exquisitlie learned in all sciences, that
his match was not lightlie found any where in those daies; and for
reducing our English toong to a perfect conformitie, [Sidenote: _Iohn
Stow_.] he hath excelled therein all other; he departed this life about
the yeare of our Lord 1402, as Bale gathereth: but by other it
appeareth, that he deceassed the fiue and twentith of October in the
yeare 1400, and lieth buried at Westminster, in the south part of the
great church there, as by a monument erected by Nicholas Brigham it doth
appeare. Iohn Gower descended of that worthie familie of the Gowers of
Stitenham in Yorkeshire (as Leland noteth) studied not onelie the common
lawes of this realme, but also other kinds of literature, and great
knowledge in the same, namelie in poeticall inuentions, applieng his
indeuor with Chaucer, to garnish the English toong, in bringing it from
a rude vnperfectnesse, vnto a more apt elegancie: for whereas before
those daies, the learned vsed to write onelie in Latine or French, and
not in English, our toong remained verie barren, rude, and vnperfect;
but now by the diligent industrie of Chaucer and Gower, it was within a
while greatlie amended, so as it grew not onelie verie rich and
plentifull in words, but also so proper and apt to expresse that which
the mind conceiued, as anie other vsuall language. Gower departed this
life shortlie after the deceasse of his déere and louing freend Chaucer;
to wit, in the yeare 1402, being then come to great age, and blind for a
certeine time before his death. He was buried in the church of saint
Marie Oueries in Southwarke.
Moreouer, Hugh Legat borne in Hertfordshire, and a monke of saint
Albons, wrote scholies vpon Architrenius of Iohn Hanuill, and also vpon
Boetius De consolatione; Roger Alington, chancellor of the vniuersitie
of Oxford, a great sophister, & an enimie to the doctrine of Wickliffe;
Iohn Botrell, a logician; Nicholas Gorham, borne in a village of the
same name in Hertfordshire, a Dominike frier, first proceeded master of
art in Oxenford, and after going to Paris, became the French kings
confessor, and therefore hath béene of some taken to be a Frenchman;
Iohn Lilleshull, so called of a monasterie in the west parties of this
realme whereof he was gouernour; Walter Disse, so called of a towne in
Norfolke where he was borne, first a Carmelite frier professed in
Norwich, and after going to Cambridge, he there procéeded doctor, he was
also confessor to the duke of Lancaster, and to his wife the duchesse
Constance, & a great setter foorth of pope Urbans cause against the
other popes that were by him and those of his faction named the
antipapes; Thomas Maldon, so called of the towne of that name in Essex
where he was borne: Iohn Edo, descended out of Wales by linage, and
borne in Herefordshire, a Franciscane frier.
Adde to the forenamed, Nicholas Fakingham, borne in Norfolke, a greie
frier, procéeded doctor in Oxenford, a great diuine, and an excellent
philosopher, prouinciall of his order here in England; Laurence
Holbecke, a monke of Ramsie, well séene in the Hebrue toong, and wrote
thereof a dictionarie; Iohn Colton, archbishop of Ardmach; Iohn Marrie,
so called of a village in Yorkeshire where he was borne, a Carmelite of
Doncaster; Richard Chefer borne in Norfolke, a diuine, and an Augustine
frier in Norwich; Iohn Lathburie, a Franciscane frier of Reading;
Nicholas Poutz; Richard Scroope brother to William Scroope, lord
treasurer of England, studied in Cambridge, and proceeded there doctor
of both the lawes, became an aduocat in the court of Rome, and
afterwards was aduanced to the gouernement of the see of Couentrie and
Lichfield, and at length was remooued from thence, and made archbishop
of Yorke, he wrote an inuectiue against king Henrie, and at length lost
his head, as before ye haue heard; Iohn Wrotham, a Carmelite frier of
London, and after made warden of an house of his order in Calis.
Furthermore, Iohn Colbie, a Carmelite frier of Norwich; William Thorpe a
northerne man borne, and student in Oxenford, an excellent diuine,
[Sidenote: Acts and moments of _Iohn Fox._] and an earnest follower of
that famous clearke Iohn Wickliffe, a notable preacher of the word,
expressing his doctrine no lesse in trade of life, than in speech, he
was at length apprehended by commandement of the archbishop of
Canturburie Thomas Arundell, and committed to prison in Saltwood
castell, where at length he died; Stephen Patrington, borne in
Yorkeshire, a frier Carmelite, prouinciall of his order through England,
of which brood there were at that season 1500 within this land, he was
bishop of saint Dauids, and confessor to king Henrie the fift, about the
fift yeare of whose reigne he deceassed; Robert Mascall, a Carmelite
frier of Ludlow, confessor also to the said K. who made him bishop of
Hereford; Reginald Langham, a frier minor of Norwich: Actonus
Dommicanus; Thomas Palmer, warden of the Blacke friers within the citie
of London; Boston of Burie, a monke of the abbeie of Burie in Suffolke,
wrote a catalog of all the writers of the church, and other treatises.