Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 About this time, a learned esquire, or rather a clearke of the vniuersitie of Oxenford, bearing some malice toward the king, fained himselfe mad, and es|pieng thereby the secret places of his house at Wood|stoke where he then laie, Matth. Paris. A naughtie wretch meant to haue de|stroied the K. vpon a night by a window he got into the kings bedchamber, and comming to the beds side, threw off the couerings, and with a dag|ger strake diuers times into a pillow, supposing that the king had beene there, but as GOD would, that night the king laie in another chamber with the quéene. In the meane time, one of the queenes cham|bermaids named Margaret Biset, hauing espied the traitor, made an outcrie, so that the K. seruants which came to vnderstand what the matter meant, presentlie apprehended the said clearke, who being conueied to Couentrie, was there arreigned, and by lawfull proofe had of his malicious intent, was con|demned, and executed as a traitor. At his death he confessed, that he was sent from Sée his end in pag. 230. William de Ma|risch the sonne of Geffrie de Marisch to murther the king by such manner of means, not caring what had become of himselfe so he might haue dispatched his purpose.

¶ These practises of treason In summo gradu, which cannot be committed without irrecouerable detri|ment to the whole estate (speciallie where succession is vncerteine) are of an old brewing, though they be neuer so newlie broched. And trulie, if the curssed mi|screant which vndertaketh an enterprise of this qua|litie, had the grace to consider how manie murthers he committeth by implication in giuing the roiall person of the prince a deadlie wound; I doubt not, if he were a man and not a ranke diuell, he would be weaned from that outragious villanie. For, in wounding and killing the prince, he is guiltie of ho|micide, of parricide, of christicide, nay of deicide. And therefore a thousand woes light on his hart that shall stretch out his hand, naie, that shall once conceiue in thought a murther so heinous, as both God and na|ture dooth abhorre; speciallie if it be commensed a|gainst a christian prince; and such a one as to whome true and vndefiled religion is no lesse pretious and déere than life it selfe. Princes therefore had need to sée to the safegard of their persons, sithens the safetie of manie millians dependeth therevpon. For cer|teine it is, that the state of a poore priuat man is lesse perillous by manie degrées than the state of a poten|tat, which is ment by this true allegorie following.