The Holinshed Project

Holinshed Project Home

The Texts
1587

Previous | Next

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Sir Thomas thus dispatched, with great spéed ar|riued EEBO page image 976 at Bullogne immediatlie vpon the opening of the gates at after noone. His letters and message deliuered, the lord Greie streight assembled the coun|cell, shewed them the kings letters, which read, he caused sir Thomas to pronounce before them the message also. Euerie man was to saie his aduise: it went roundlie through the boord without anie que|stion, that the letter was to be followed, the message not to be staied on. The lord Greie hauing heard, and not replieng anie thing, willed sir Thomas to be cal|led in againe, bad him repeat his message, and ther|whilest made a clearke of the councell to write the same Verbatim. This doone, he praied the whole table to set their hands vnto it, which they did, and the lord Greie taking the same into his hands, without fur|ther opening, declaring his resolution, brake vp councell, commanded streight the gates to be shut, gaue priuie warning, that certeine bands with ar|mour and weapon, and likewise pioners should that night by an houre be in a readines.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The houre came, himselfe with the warned com|panie issued out, passed ouer the water, and without anie alarum of the enimie,Chattilons garden ouer|throwen and rased downe. did ouerthrow in thrée or foure houres, what in two or three moneths had bin raised, and so in great quietnesse returned into the towne. Presentlie he dispatched sir Thomas Pal|mer backe againe to the king with the newes, whose returne was so sudden, as the king himselfe being in the chamber of presence, & séeing him, said alowd: What? Will he doo it or no? Sir Thomas giuing no other answer, but presenting his letters, and saieng, that thereby his maiestie should know. The king againe in earnest mood, Naie tell vs I saie, whether he will doo it or not? Then sir Thomas told him that it was doone, and the whole fortification cleane rased. Whereat the king taking great ioy, presentlie called to certeine of the lords of the councell that were by, and said: How saie you my lords, Chatillons garden the new fort is laid as flat as this floore. One streight amongst them gaue iudgement, that he that had doone it,The lord Greies ser|uice verie ho|norablie ac|cepted of the king. was worthie to lose his head. The king streight replied, he had rather lose a dozen such heads as his was that so iudged, than one such seruants as had doone it: and herewith he commanded, that the lord Greies pardon should presentlie be made, the which with a letter of great thanks, and promise of reward, was returned by the said sir Thomas Palmer to the said lord Greie; but the reward fai|led, the king not continuing long after in life: the like hap whereof had oftentimes happened vnto di|uerse of his worthie ancestors vpon their due deserts to haue béene considered of, and therefore the case the lesse strange.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2

This haue I set downe the more willinglie, for that I haue receiued it from them, which haue heard it reported, not onlie by the lord Greis owne mouth, but also by the relation of sir Thomas Palmer, and others that were present: the same not tending so much to the lord Greies owne praise, as to the be|tokening of the kings noble courage, and the great secret trust which he worthilie reposed in the said lord Greie.
Here is to be noted also, lest any man should mistake the matter, as if the king dealt indirectlie herein, that his maiestie knowing how the French|men in going about to build this fort, did more than they might by the couenants of the peace; and there|fore was resolued at the first aduertisement thereof, to haue it rased. But yet for that it might happilie haue béene signified ouer vnto the Frenchmen, be|fore my lord Greie could haue accomplished the feat, he therefore wiselie wrote one thing in his let|ters, wherevnto manie might be priuie, and [...]en [...] se|cret knowledge by words contrarie to the contents of the same letters, so as if the messenger were tru|stie, his pleasure might not be discouered to the hin|derance or dispappointing of the same. But now to our purpose.

Previous | Next