Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 His chance verelie was greatlie infortunate, which fell into such calamitie, that he tooke it for the best waie he could deuise to renounce his kingdome, for the which mortall men are accustomed to hazard EEBO page image 508 all they haue to atteine therevnto. But such misfor|tune (or the like) oftentimes falleth vnto those prin|ces, which when they are aloft, cast no doubt for pe|rils that maie follow. He was prodigall, ambitious, and much giuen to the pleasure of the bodie. He kept the greatest port, Harding. and mainteined the most plentifull house that euer any king in England did either be|fore his time or since.The noble house-kéeping of king Ri|chard. For there resorted dailie to his court aboue ten thousand persons that had meat and drinke there allowed them. In his kitchen there were thrée hundred seruitors, and euerie other office was furnished after the like rate. Of ladies, chambe|rers, and landerers, there were aboue thrée hundred at the least.Excesse in apparell. And in gorgious and costlie apparell they exceeded all measure, not one of them that kept with|in the bounds of his degrée. Yeomen and groomes were clothed in silkes, with cloth of graine and skar|let, ouer sumptuous ye may be sure for their estates. And this vanitie was not onelie vsed in the court in those daies, but also other people abroad in the towns and countries, had their garments cut far otherwise than had beene accustomed before his daies, with im|broderies, rich furres, and goldsmiths worke, and eue|rie daie there was deuising of new fashions, to the great hinderance and decaie of the common-welth.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Moreouer, such were preferred to bishoprikes, and other ecclesiasticall liuings,Ignorant prelats. as neither could teach nor preach, nor knew any thing of the scripture of God, but onelie to call for their tithes and duties; so that they were most vnworthie the name of bishops, being lewd and most vaine persons disguised in bi|shops apparell. Furthermore, there reigned abun|dantlie the filthie sinne of leacherie and fornication, with abhominable adulterie, speciallie in the king, but most chéefelie in the pre [...]acie, whereby the whole realme by such their euill example, was so infected, that the wrath of God was dailie prouoked to ven|geance for the sins of the prince and his people. How then could it continue prosperouslie with this king? against whom for the [...]owle enorm [...]ties wherewith his life was defamed, the wrath of God was whetted and tooke so sharpe an edge, that the same did shred him off from the scepter of his kingdome, and gaue him a full cup of affliction to drinke; as he had doone to other kings his predecessors, by whose example he might haue taken warning. For it is an heauie case when God thundereth out his reall arguments ei|ther vpon prince or people.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Thus haue ye heard what writers doo report touch|ing the state of the time and doings of this king. But if I may boldlie saie what I thinke: he was a prince the most vnthankfullie vsed of his subiects, of any one of whom ye shall lightlie read. For although (tho|rough the frailtie of youth) he demeaned himselfe more dissolutelie than séemed conuenient for his roi|all estate, & made choise of such councellors as were not fauoured of the people, whereby he was the lesse fauoured himselfe: yet in n [...] kings daies were the commons in greater wealth, if they could haue per|ceiued their happie state: neither in any other time were the nobles and gentlemen more cherished, nor churchmen lesse wronged. But such was their ingra|titude towards their bountifull & louing souereigne, that those whom he had chéeflie aduanced, were rea|diest to controll him; for that they might not rule all things at their will, and remooue from him such as they misliked, and place in their roomes whom they thought good, and that rather by strong hand, than by gentle and courteous meanes, which stirred such ma|lice betwixt him and them, till at length it could not be asswaged without perill of destruction to them both.