[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] On the morrow after, sir Nicholas Brambre, that sometime had beene maior of London, was brought foorth to iudgement and condemned, although he had manie fréends that made sute to saue his life. This man had doone manie oppressions within the citie of London (as was reported.) In his maioraltie, he caused great & monstruous stocks to be made to im|prison men therein, and also a common axe to strike off the heads of them which should resist his will and pleasure, for he was so highlie in the kings fauour, that he might doo what he would. And the report went, that he had caused eight thousand or more to be indicted, which before had taken part with the lords, intending to haue put them all to death, if God had not shortened his daies. Manie other euill fauoured reports went abroad of him, as that he meant to haue changed the name of London, and to haue na|med it little Troie, of which citie baptised with that new name, he purposed to be intituled duke. But these were forged rumors deuised and spred abroad [page 464] in those daies, as manie other were, partlie by the vaine imagination of the people, and partlie of pur|pose, to bring those whome the king fauoured further out of the peoples liking.Sir Nicho|l [...]s Brambre [...] with an oxe of his owne deuise. But now touching sir Ni|cholas Brambre: in the end being thus called to an|swer his transgressions, he was found giltie, and had iudgement, neither to be hanged, nor drawne, but to be beheaded with his owne are which before he had deuised: seruing him heerein as Phalaris the tyrant sometime serued Perillus, the inuentor of that ex|quisite torment of the brasen bull, wherein the offen|dor being put (and the counterfet beast by force of fier made glowing hot) hauing his toong first cut out, through extreamitie of paine made a bellowing al|waies as he cried, as if it had béene the verie noise of a naturall bull. Of which strange torment Perillus himselfe first tasted, suffering death by an engine of his owne deuising, which he thought should haue purchased him a good liuing, whereof the poet saith:

Ouid. li. 1. de art.V [...] Phalaris tauro violentus membra Perilli

Torruit, infelix imbuit autor opus.