Also this yeare Thomas Burdet an esquier of Ar|row in Warwikeshire,Burdet for a word spoken beheaded. sonne to sir Nicholas Bur|det (who was great butler of Normandie in Henrie the sixt daies) was beheaded for a word spoken in this sort. King Edward in his progresse hunted in Thomas Burdets parke at Arrow, Enguerant. and slue manie of his deere, amongst the which was a white bucke, whereof Thomas Burdet made great account. And therefore when he vnderstood thereof,Register of the Greie friers. he wished the buckes head in his bellie that moued the king to kill it. Which tale being told to the king, Burdet was apprehended and accused of treason, for wishing the buckes head (hornes and all) in the kings bellie: he was condemned, drawne from the Tower of Lon|don to Tiburne, and there beheaded, and then buried in the Greie friers church at London. Wherefore it is good counsell that the wiseman giueth, saieng: Kéepe thy toong & kéepe thy life, for manie times we sée, that speech offendeth & procureth mischéefe, where silence is author neither of the one nor the other, as it is trulie and in praise of silence spoken by the poet:

-nulli tacuisse nocet, nocet esse loquutum.]

Compare 1577 edition: 1 About this season, through great mishap, the sparke of priuie malice was newlie kindled betwixt the king and his brother the duke of Clarence, insomuch that where one of the dukes seruants was suddenlie accused (I can not saie whether of truth, or vntrulie suspected by the dukes enimies) of poisoning, sorcerie or inchantment, and thereof condemned, and put to execution for the same; the duke which might not suf|fer the wrongfull condemnation of his man (as he in his conscience iudged) nor yet forbeare but to mur|mur and reproue the dooing thereof, mooued the king with his dailie exclamation to take such displeasure with him, that finallie the duke was cast into the Tower, Anno Reg. 17. George duke of Clarence drowned in a butt of mal|mesie. and therewith adiudged for a traitor, and pri|uilie drowned in a butt of malmesie, the eleuenth of March, in the beginning of the seuententh yeare of the kings reigne.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 Some haue reported, that the cause of this noble mans death rose of a foolish prophesie, which was, that after K. Edward one should reigne, whose first let|ter of his name should be a G. Wherewith the king and quéene were sore troubled, and began to conceiue a greeuous grudge against this duke, and could not be in quiet till they had brought him to his end. And as the diuell is woont to incumber the minds of men which delite in such diuelish fantasies,Prophesies diuelish fan|tasies. they said after|ward, that that prophesie lost not his effect, when after king Edward, Glocester vsurped his kingdome. O|ther alledged, that the cause of his death was for that the duke, being destitute of a wife, by the meanes of his sister the ladie Margaret, duchesse of Burgognie, procured to haue the ladie Marie, daughter and heire to hir husband duke Charles.