The kéeper killeth his maister the knight with an arrow.Then the keeper willed him to stand, which when he would not doo, the kéeper nocked his arrow and shot vnto him, and killed him; who when he perceiued that it was his maister, then he called to remembrance his maisters former commandement. And so this knight, otherwise learned and wise, being affraid to displease man, did displease God, and verie disorderlie ended his life. It is inrolled amongst the records of this citie, of a commission directed to Iohn earle of Deuonshire, & from him sent to the maior of the citie of Excester to be proclamed. The words be these: Decim [...]quarto die Aprilus, vz. in vigilia Paschae, An, 49. Hen. 6. commissio domini regis directa Iohanni comiti De|uon, missa est maiori vt proclamaretur. And likewise in an other place: Quatuor marcae sunt solutae Iohanni comiti De|uon. ex assensa maioris. Howbeit, certeine it is there was no such earle of that name, onelie there was Iohn Holland then liuing duke of Excester, where|fore something is mistaken herein.

But was this a practise (thinke you) beséeming a man of worship, Abr. Flem. learning, and iudgement, to make awaie himselfe, bicause he saw a temporall interrup|tion of his prosperitie? Suerlie how much learning so euer he had in the lawes of the land, litle at all or none (as appeareth) had he in suffering the forces of aduersitie, whom the feare of it did so terrifie, that it droue him to his end. Wise therefore is the counsell of the comedie-writer, and worthie of imitation, that a man, when he is in best case and highest degrée of welfare, should euen then meditate with himselfe how to awaie with hardnesse, with penurie, perils, losse, banishment, and other afflictions: for so shall he prepare himselfe to beare them with patience when they happen: as souldiers trained vp in militarie ex|ercises at home, are so much the forwarder for the field, & fitter to incounter their foes (with lesse dread of danger) when they come abroad to be tried: and therefore it is wiselie (& to the purpose) said of Virgil:

—superando omnis fortuna ferendo est. [...]. 5.]

Compare 1577 edition: 1 But to returne to the princes affaires. When the fame was once spred abroad that K. Edward was fled the relme, an innumerable number of people re|sorted to the earle of Warwike to take his part, but all K. Edwards trustie fréends went to diuerse sanc|tuaries,K. Edwards fréends take sanctuarie. and amongst other his wife quéene Eliza|beth tooke sanctuarie at Westminster, and there in great penurie forsaken of all hir friends, was deli|uered of a faire son called Edward,Queéne Eli|zabeth deliue|red of a prince which was with small pompe like a poore mans child christened, the godfathers being the abbat and prior of Westmin|ster, and the godmother the ladie Scroope. Ab. Flem. [But what might be the heauinesse of this ladies hart (thinke we) vpon consideration of so manie counterblasts of vnhappinesse inwardlie conceiued? Hir husband had taken flight, his adherents and hir fréends sought to shroud themselues vnder the couert of a new protec|tor, she driuen in distresse forsooke not that simple re|fuge which hir hard hap forced vpon hir; and (a kings wife) wanted in hir necessitie such things as meane mens wines had in superfluitie, & (a corosiue to a no|ble mind) a prince of renowmed parentage was (by constreint of vnkind fortune) not vouchsafed the so|lemnitie of christendome due and decent for so hono|rable a personage.]