¶ 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.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 In the thrée and twentith yeare of his reigne, Anno Reg. 23. 1239 king Henrie held his Christmasse at Winchester, where a great grudge arose betwixt him and Gilbert the earle of Penbroke, Matth. Paris. Uariance be|twixt the king and the earle of Penbroke. by reason that the said earle with his seruants (hauing tipstaues) in their comming to the court, were not suffred to enter within the gates but were kept backe by the porters and other. Of which iniurie when he had complained, the king made him such an ouerthwart answer, that the earle per|ceiuing him not to like verie well of his seruice, de|parted foorthwith, and rode into the North countrie, so that from that day foorth, neither he nor his brother Walter loued the king as they ought to haue doone. Soone after this departure of earle Gilbert, vpon Candlemas day the king gaue the earldome of Lei|cester vnto Simon de Mountford, and inuested him thereinto, hauing first pacified earle Almerike that was elder brother to the same Simon. Yet about the beginning of the next August,Simon earle of Leicester fled ouer into France. the king was so in|censed against earle Simon, that both he and his wife were glad to get them ouer into France, till the kings wrath were more pacified.