19.1. The confession of Perkin as it was writ|ten with his owne hand, which he read openlie vpon a scaffold by the standard in Cheape.
The confession of Perkin as it was writ|ten with his owne hand, which he read openlie vpon a scaffold by the standard in Cheape.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 Perkin ma|keth an ana|tomie of his descent or li| [...]age._IT is first to be knowne, that I was borne in the towne of Tur|neie in Flanders, and my fathers name is Iohn Osbecke, which said Iohn Osbecke was controllor of the said towne of Turneie, and my moothers name is Katharine de Faro. And one of my grandsires vpon my fathers side was named Diricke Osbeck, which died. After whose death my grandmoother was mar|ried vnto Peter Flamin, that was recei|uer of the forenamed towne of Turneie, & deane of the botemen that row vpon the water or riuer called le Scheld. And my grandsire vpon my moothers side was Pe|ter de Faro, which had in his keeping the keies of the gate of S. Iohns within the same towne of Turneie. Also I had an vn|cle called maister Iohn Stalin, dwelling in the parish of S. Pias within the same towne, which had maried my fathers si|ster, whose name was Ione or Iane, with whome I dwelt a certeine season.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 And after I was led by my moother to Antwerpe for to learne Flemish,Perkins e|ducation or bringing vp. in a house of a cousine of mine, an officer of the said towne, called Iohn Stienbecke, with whome I was the space of halfe a yeare. And after that I returned againe to Tur|neie, by reason of warres that were in Flanders. And within a yeare following I was sent with a merchant of the said towne of Turneie, named Berlo, to the mart of Antwerpe, where I fell sicke, which sickenesse continued vpon me fiue moneths. And the said Berlo set me to boord in a skinners house, that dwelled be|side the house of the English nation. And by him I was from thense caried to Barow mart, and I lodged at the signe of the old man, where I abode for the space of two moneths.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 After this, the said Berlo set me with a merchant of Middle borow to seruice for to learne the language, whose name was Iohn Strew, with whome I dwelt from Christmasse to Easter, and then I went in|to Portingall in companie of sir Edward Bramptons wife, in a ship which was cal|led the queens ship. And when I was come thither, then was I put in seruice to a knight that dwelled in Lushborne, which was called Peter Uacz de Cogna, with whome I dwelled an whole yeare, which said knight had but one eie. And bicause I desired to see other countries,Perkin a no|table land|loper. I tooke li|cence of him, and then I put my selfe in ser|uice with a Britan, called Pregent Meno, which brought me with him into Ireland. Now when we were there arriued in the towne of Corke, they of the towne (bicause I was arraied with some cloths of silke of my said maisters) came vnto me, & threat|ned vpon me that I should be the duke of Clarences sonne, that was before time at Dublin.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 But forsomuch as I denied it,The Irish would haue Perkin tak [...] vpon him to be the duke of Clarences sonne. there was brought vnto me the holie euangelists, and the crosse, by the maior of the towne, which was called Iohn Leweline, and there in the presence of him and others, I tooke mine oth (as the truth was) that I was not the foresaid dukes sonne, nor none of his bloud. And after this came vnto me an Englishman, whose name was Stephan Poitron, and one Iohn Water, and laid to me in swearing great oths, that they knew well that I was king Richards ba|stard sonne:They bear [...] Perkin downe with oths that he is king Ri|chards ba|stard. to whome I answered with like oths, that I was not. Then they aduised me not to be afeard, but that I should take it vpon me boldlie: and if I would so doo, they would aid and assist me with all their power against the king of England; & not onelie they, but they were well assured, that the earle of Desmond & Kildare should doo the same.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 For they forced not what part they tooke, so that they might be reuenged on the king of England: and so against my will made me to learne English, and taught me what I should doo and saie.They call hi [...] duke of yorke. And after this they called me duke of Yorke, second sonne to king Edward the fourth, bicause king Ri|chards bastard sonne was in the han [...]s of the king of England. And vpon this the said Water, Stephan Poitron, Iohn Tiler, Hughbert Burgh, with manie o|thers, as the foresaid earles, entered into this false quarell, and within short time o|thers. The French K. sent an ambassador into Ireland, whose name was Loit Lu|cas, and maister Stephan Friham, to ad|uertise me to come into France. And thense I went into France, and from thense into Flanders, & from Flanders into Ireland, and from Ireland into Scotland, & so into England.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 EEBO page image 787When the night of the same daie (being the fif|teenth of Iune) was come, after he had stood all that daie in the face of the citie, he was committed to the Tower, there to remaine vnder safe kéeping, least happilie he might eftsoones run awaie, and escape out of the land, to put the king and realme to some new trouble. For he had a woonderfull dextèritie and rea|dinesse to circumuent, a heart full of ouerreaching imaginations, an aspiring mind, a head more wilie (I wisse) than wittie; bold he was and presumptuous in his behauiour, as forward to be the instrument of a mischeefe, as anie deuiser of wickednesse would wish; a féend of the diuels owne forging, nursed and trained vp in the studie of commotions, making of|fer to reach as high as he could looke; such was his inordinate ambition, wherewith he did swel [...] as co|ueting to be a princes peere: much like the tode that would match the bull in drinking, but in the end she burst in péeces and neuer dranke more; as the poet telleth the tale (by the imitation of the fabler) saieng:
—cupiens aequare bibendoRana bouem, [...]. Pa [...]. in Virg. rupta nunquam bibit ampliùs aluo.
Compare 1577 edition: 1 In this yeare was an Augustine frier called Pa|trike in the parties of Suffolke, Anno Reg. 15. Patrike an Augustine Frier. the which hauing a scholer named Rafe Wilford (a shoomakers sonne of London as Stow noteth) had so framed him to his purpose, that in hope to worke some great enter|prise, as to disappoint the king of his crowne and seat roiall, tooke vpon him to be the earle of Warwike, insomuch that both the maister and scholer hauing counselled betwéene themselues of their enterprise,Rafe Wilford the counter|feit earle of Warwike. they went into Kent, & there began the yoong maw|met to tell priuilie to manie, that he was the verie earle of Warwike, and latelie gotten out of the Tower, by the helpe of this frier Patrike. To which saiengs when the frier perceiued some light credence to be giuen, he declared it openlie in the pulpit, and desired all men of helpe. But the danger of this sedi|tious attempt was shortlie remooued and taken a|waie, the maister and scholer being both apprehended and cast into prison and atteinted.