16.1. The persuasions of the earle ofWar|wike vnto his two brethren against king Edward the fourth.

The persuasions of the earle ofWar|wike vnto his two brethren against king Edward the fourth.

_MY deere and welbeloued brethren, the incredible faithfulnesse, the secret sobernesse, and the politike prudence that I haue euer by long continuance of time experimented in you both, dooth not onelie incourage my heart, yea and setteth me in great hope of obteining my purpose, but also putteth me out of all dread and mistrust, firmelie be|leeuing, and suerlie iudging, that you both will with tooth and naile endeuour your selues, to the vttermost of your power, to bring to effect and purpose the thing that I now shall declare vnto you. Suerlie, I would in no wise that you should thinke, that that which I shall speake to you of king Edward and king Henrie, should rise of any lightnesse or phantasie of my mind, or anie trifeling toie latelie fallen into my imagination; but the true experience and iust iudgement that I haue of them both, their qualities and conditions in manner compell and constraine me to saie as I say, and to doo as I doo.

EEBO page image 671For suerlie, king Henrie is a godlie, good, and a vertuous person, neither forgetting his freends, nor putting in obliuion anie benefit by him of a meane person receiued, nor yet anie paine for his causes susteined hath he left vnrewarded: to whome God hath sent a sonne, called prince Edward, borne to be of great worthinesse & praise, of much bountifulnesse and liberalitie, of whome men may manie laudable things coniecture, considering the paine, labour, and trauell, that he taketh to helpe his fa|ther out of captiuitie and thraldome. King Edward on the contrarie side, is a man contumelious, opprobrious, and an iniuri|ous person; to them that deserue kindnesse he sheweth vnkindnesse, and them that loue him he deadlie hateth, now detesting to take anie paine for the preferment or maintenance of the publike wealth of this realme, but all giuen to pastime, pleasure, and daliance; sooner preferring to high e|state men descended of low bloud and base degree, than men of old and vndefiled hou|ses, which haue both supported him and the commonwealth of his realme.

So that I now perceiue, that it is euen come to this point, that he will destroie all the nobilitie; or else the nobilitie must short|lie of verie necessitie destroie and confound him. But reason would, that we that were first hurt, should first reuenge our cause: for it is not vnknowen to you both, how that he, immediatlie after he had obteined the crowne, began first secretlie, & then openlie to enuie, disdaine, and impugne the fame, glorie, and renowme of our house and fami|lie; as who said, that all the honor, prefer|ment, and authoritie that we haue, we had onelie receiued at his hands, and that we had neither obteined dignitie nor rule by our great labour, aid and trauell. Which to all men may seeme vntrue, that consi|der that our name, chiefe title, and princi|pall authoritie, was to vs giuen by king Henrie the sixt, and not by him. But if eue|ry man will remember, who first toke part with his father, when hee claimed the crowne (who at that time, for that cause was in great ieopardie, and almost slaine by the kings meniall seruants, and who neuer left this man in prosperitie nor ad|uersitie, till he had the garland, and the realme in quietnesse) shall manifestlie per|ceiue, that we and our bloud haue shewed our selues more like fathers to him, than he like a freend to vs.

If we haue receiued any benefits of him, suerlie they be not so much as we haue de|serued, nor so much as we looked for; and yet they be much more than he would we shuld inioy, as ye both well perceiue and know. Let these things ouerpasse, and speake of the vngentle, vntrue, and vnprincelie hand|ling of me in the last ambassage, being sent to the French king for to treat a mariage for him, hauing full authoritie to bind and to lose, to contract and conclude. Which thing when I had finished & accomplished: how lightlie his mind changed, how priui|lie he vowed, and how secretlie he maried, both you know better than I. So that by this meanes, I was almost out of all cre|dence in the court of France, both with the king and queene, as though I had come thither like an espiall, to moue a thing ne|uer minded; or to treat of a mariage deter|mined before neuer to take effect. Where|by the fame of all our estimation, which all kings and princes haue conceiued in vs (partlie obteined by the vertue & prowesse of our noble ancestors, and partlie atchiued by our owne paines & forward acts) shall now be obfuscate, vtterlie extinguished, and nothing set by.

What worme is touched, and will not once turne againe? What beast is striken, that will not rore or sound? What inno|cent child is hurt that will not crie? If the poore and vnreasonable beasts, if the selie babes that doo lacke discretion, grone a|gainst harme to them proffered; how ought an honest man to be angrie, when things that touch his honestie be dailie against him attempted? But if a meane person in that case be angrie: how much more ought a noble man to fume & stirre coales, when the high type of his honour is touched, his fame in maner brought to infamie, and his honour almost blemished & appalled, with|out his offense or desert? All this brethren you know to be true, the dishonor of one is the dishonor of vs all, and the hurt of one is the hurt of all: wherefore, rather than I will liue vnreuenged; or suffer him to reigne, which hath sought my decaie and dishonor, I will suerlie spend my life, lands, and goods, in setting vp that iust and good man king Henrie the sixt: and in deposing this vntrue, vnfaithfull, and vnkind prince (by our onelie means) called king Edward the fourth.