14.12. Henrie the seuenth.
Henrie the seuenth.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 _TO which earle came the wi|lie priest sir Richard Simon, bringing with him a lad that Henrie the se|uenth. Sir Richard Simon priest. Lambert counterfeit to be the earle of warwike. was his scholer, named Lam|bert, whome he feined to be the sonne of George earle of Cla|rence, latelie escaped foorth of the tower of London. And the boie could reckon vp his pedegrée so readilie, & had learned of the priest such princelie behauiour, that he lightlie mooued the said earle, and manie others the nobles of Ireland (tendering as well the linage roi|all of Richard Plantagenet duke of Yorke, and his sonne George their countrieman borne, as also ma|ligning the aduancement of the house of Lancaster in Henrie the seuenth) either to thinke or to faine, that the world might beléeue they thought verelie this child to be Edward earle of Warwike, the duke of Clarence his lawfull sonne.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 And although king Henrie more than halfe mar|red their sport, in shewing the right earle through all the stréets of London, yet the ladie Margaret duches of Burgongne, sister to Edward the fourth, hir ne|phue The lord Louell. Sir Thomas Broughton. Iohn de la Poole, the lord Louell, sir Thomas Broughton knight, and diuers other capteins of this conspiracie, deuised to abuse the colour of this yoong earles name, for preferring their purpose: which if it came to good, they agréed to depose Lambert, and to erect the verie earle indéed, now prisoner in the tow|er, for whose quarrell had they pretended to fight, they déemed it likelie he should haue béene made awaie. Wherefore it was blazed in Ireland, that the king to mocke his subiects, had schooled a boie to take vpon him the earle of Warwikes name, and had shewed him about London, to blind the eies of the simple folke, and to defeat the lawfull inheritour of the good duke of Clarence their countriman and pro|tector during his life, vnto whose linage they also deriued title in right to the crowne.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 In all hast they assembled at Dublin, and there Lambert crowned. in Christs church they crowned this idoll, honoring him with titles imperiall, feasting and triumphing, raising mightie shouts and cries, carrieng him from thense to the castell vpon tall mens shoulders, that he might be seene and noted, as he was sure an ho|norable child to looke vpon. Heerewith assembling their forces togither, they prouided themselues of ships, and imbarking therein, they tooke the [...]a, and landing in Lancashire, passed forwards, till they came to Newarke vpon Trent. Therevpon insued the battell of Stoke, commonlie called Martin Swarts field, wherein Lambert and his maister were taken, but yet pardoned of life, and were not executed. The erle of Lincolne, the lord Louell, Mar|tin Swart, the Almaine capteine, and Maurice Fitzthomas capteine of the Irish, were slaine, and all their power discomfited, as in the English histo|rie it may further appeare. Iasper duke of Bedford, 1460 Iasper duke of Bedford lieutenent. and earle of Penbroke lieutenant, and Walter arch|bishop of Dublin his deputie.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 In this time befell another like Irish illusion, procured by the duchesse aforesaid, and certeine no|bles in England, whereby was exalted as rightfull king of England, and vndoubted earle of Ulster, the counterfeit Richard duke of Yorke, preserued from king Richards crueltie (as the adherents faced the matter downe) and with this maigame lord, named indéed Peter (in scorne Perkin) Warbecke, they flattered themselues manie yeares after. Then was Perkin War|becke. sir Edward Poinings knight sent ouer lord depu|tie, with commission to apprehend Warbecks princi|pall 1494 Sir Edward Poinings lord deputie. parteners in Ireland: amongst whom was na|med Girald Fitzgirald, whose purgation the king (notwithstanding diuerse surmising and auouching the contrarie) did accept. After much adoo, Perkin be|ing Perkin War|becke taken. taken, confessed by his owne writing the course of his whole life, and all his proceedings in this en|terprise, whereof in the English historie, as we haue borowed the same foorth of Halles chronicles, yee may read more, and therefore héere we haue omitted to speake further of that matter.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 In the yeare 1501, king Henrie made lieutenant 1501 Henrie duke of yorke, after king Henrie the eight, lord lieutenant. of Ireland his second sonne Henrie, as then duke of Yorke, who after reigned by the name of Henrie the eight. To him was appointed deputie the foresaid Girald erle of Kildare, who accompanied with Iohn Blake maior of Dublin, warred vpon William le Burgh, Obren, and Mac Nemarre, O [...]arroull, and fought with the greatest power of Irishmen that had béene togither since the conquest, vnder the The field of Knocktow. hill of Knocktow, in English the hill of the axes, six miles from Galowaie, and two miles from Bel|liclare Burghes manour towne. Mac William and his complices were there taken, his souldiers that escaped the sword were pursued fleeing, for the space of fiue miles: great slaughter was made of them, and manie capteins caught, without the losse of one Englishman. The earle of Kildare at his returne was made knight of the noble order of the garter, The earle of Kildare, knight of the garter. and liued in worthie estimation all his life long, as well for this seruice, as diuerse other his famous ex|ploits.
TO THE RIGHT HO|norable sir Henrie Sidneie knight, lord deputie of Ireland, lord president of Wales, knight of the most noble order of the garter, and one of hir maiesties priuie councell within hir realme of England.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 _HOw cumbersome (right honorable) and dangerous a taske it is, to ingrosse & divulge the dooings of others, especiallie when the parties registred or their issue are liuing: both common reason sufficientlie acknowledgeth, and dailie ex|perience infalliblie prooueth. For man by course of nature is so parciallie affected to himselfe and his bloud, as he will be more agreeued with the chronicler for recording a peeuish trespasse, than he will be offended with his friend for committing an heinous treason. Ouer this, if the historian be long, he is accompted a trifler: if he be short, he is taken for a summister: if he com|mend, he is twighted for a flatterer: if he reprooue, he is holden for a carper: if he be pleasant, he is noted for a iester: if he be graue, he is reckoned for a drooper: if he misdate, he is named a falsifier: if he once but trip, he is tearmed a stumbler: so that let him beare himselfe in his chronicle as vprightlie and as conscionablie as he may possible, yet he shall be sure to find them that will be more prest to blab foorth his pelfish faults, than they will be readie to blaze out his good deserts. Others there be, that although they are not able to reprooue what is written, yet they will be sure to cast in his dish what is forgotten. Heere, saie they, this exploit is omit|ted: there that policie is not detected: heere this saieng would haue beene inter|laced: there that trecherie should haue beene displaied. These & the like discom|modities, with which historiographers are vsuallie cloid, haue borne backe diuers and sundrie willing minds, who taking the waie to be thornie, the credit slipperie, the carpers to be manie, would in no case be medlers, choosing rather to sit by their owne fire obscurelie at home, than to be baited with enuious toongs openlie abroad.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 3 4 5 6 Others on the contrarie side, being resolute fellowes, and trampling vnder foot these curious faultfinders, would not sticke to put themselues foorth in presse, and maugre all their hearts, to buskle forward, and rush through the pikes of their quipping nips, and biting frumps. But I taking the meane betweene both these ex|tremities, held it for better, not to be so faint and peeuish a meacocke, as to shrinke and couch mine head for euerie mizeling shoure, nor yet to beare my selfe so high EEBO page image 81 in heart, as to pranse and iet like a proud gennet through the street, not weighing the barking of currish bandogs. And therefore, if I shall be found in mine historie sometime too tedious, sometime too spare, sometime too fawning in commending the liuing, sometime too flat in reproouing the dead: I take God to witnesse, that mine offense therein proceedeth of ignorance, and not of set wilfulnesse. But as for the passing ouer in silence of diuerse euents (albeit the law or rather the liber|tie of an historie requireth that all should be related, and nothing whusted) yet I must confesse, that as I was not able, vpon so little leasure, to know all that was said or doone; so I was not willing for sundrie respects, to write euerie trim tram that I knew to be said or doone. And if anie be ouerthwartlie waiwarded, as he will sooner long for that I haue omittted, than he will be contented with that I haue chroni|cled; I cannot deuise in my iudgement a better waie to satisfie his appetite, than with one Dolie, a peintor of Oxford, his answer: who being appointed to tricke out the ten commandements, omitted one, and pourtraied but nine. Which fault espied by his maister that hired him, Dolie answered, that in verie deed he peinted but nine: howbeit, when he vnderstood that his master had well obserued and kept the nine commandements that alreadie were drawne, he gaue his word at better leisure throughlie to finish the tenth. And truelie so must I saie: I haue laid downe heere to the reader his view, a breefe discourse, wherof I trust he shall take no great surfet. And when I am aduertised, that he will digest the thin fare that heere is disht before him: it may be (God willing) heereafter, that he shall find my booke with store of more licorous deinties farsed and furnished; leauing to his choise, either nicelie to pickle, or greedilie to swallow, as much as to his contentation shall best beseeme him. Wherefore my good lord, sith I may not denie, but that the worke is painfull, and I doo forecast that the misconstruction may be perilous: the toile|somnesse of the paine I refer to my priuat knowledge, the abandoning of the pe|rill, I commit to your honorable patronage, not doubting thereby to be sheel|ded against the sinister glosing of malicious interpretors. Thus betaking your lordship to God, I craue your attentiuenes, in perusing a cantell or parcell of the Irish historie that heere insueth.
RICHARD STANIHVRST.