boorly, and nevertheless not uncomely. He was of youth greatly given to fleshly wantonness, from which, health of body in great prosperity and fortune, without a special grace, hardly refraineth. This fault not greatly grieved the people; for neither could any one man's pleasure stretch and extend to the displeasure of very many, and was without violence, and over that in his latter days lessened and well left. In which time of his latter days, this realm was in quiet and prosperous estate; no fear of outward enemies, no war in hand, nor none toward but such as no man looked for; the people toward the prince, not in a constrained fear, but in a willing and loving obedience; among themselves, the commons in good peace; the lords whom he knew at variance, himself on his death-bed appeased. He had left all gathering of money (which is the only thing that withdraweth the hearts of Englishmen from the prince), nor any thing intended he to take in hand by which he should be driven thereto; for his tribute out of France he had before obtained, and the year foregoing his death he had obtained Berwick. And albeit that all the time of his reign he was with his people so benign, courteous and so familiar, that no part of his virtues was more esteemed, yet that condition in the end of his days (in which many princes, by a long continued sovereignty, decline into a proud port, from debonair behaviour of their beginning), marvellously in him grew and increased. So far forth, that in the summer, the last that ever he saw, his highness, being at Windsor in hunting, sent for the mayor and aldermen of London. to him, for none other errand but to have them hunt and

This noble prince deceased at his palace of Westminster, and with great funeral honour and heaviness of his people from thence conveyed, was interred at Windsor. A king of such governance and behaviour in time of peace (for in war each part must needs be others enemy), that there was never any prince of this land, attaining the crown by battle, so heartily beloved with the substance of the people; nor he himself so specially in any part of his life, as at the time of his death. Which favour and affection yet after his decease, by the cruelty, mischief, and trouble of the tempestuous world that followed, highly toward him more increased. At such time as he died, the displeasure of those that bare him grudge for King Henry VI sake, whom he deposed, was well assuaged and in effect quenched, in that that many of them were dead in more than 20 years of his reign, a great part of a long life; and many of them in the mean season grown into his favour, of which he was never strange.

He was a goodly personage and very princely to behold, of heart courageous, politic in counsel, in adversity nothing abashed, in prosperity rather joyful than proud, in peace just and merciful, in war sharp and fierce, in the field bold and hardy, and nevertheless no farther than wisdom would adventurous. Whose wars whoso well consider, he shall no less commend his wisdom where he voided, than his manhood where he vanquished. He was of visage lovely, of body mighty, strong and clean made; howbeit in his latter days with over-liberal diet, somewhat corpulent and

boorly, and nevertheless not uncomely. He was of youth greatly given to fleshly wantonness, from which, health of body in great prosperity and fortune, without a special grace, hardly refraineth. This fault not greatly grieved the people; for neither could any one man's pleasure stretch and extend to the displeasure of very many, and was without violence, and over that in his latter days lessened and well left. In which time of his latter days, this realm was in quiet and prosperous estate; no fear of outward enemies, no war in hand, nor none toward but such as no man looked for; the people toward the prince, not in a constrained fear, but in a willing and loving obedience; among themselves, the commons in good peace; the lords whom he knew at variance, himself on his death-bed appeased. He had left all gathering of money (which is the only thing that withdraweth the hearts of Englishmen from the prince), nor any thing intended he to take in hand by which he should be driven thereto; for his tribute out of France he had before obtained, and the year foregoing his death he had obtained Berwick. And albeit that all the time of his reign he was with his people so benign, courteous and so familiar, that no part of his virtues was more esteemed, yet that condition in the end of his days (in which many princes, by a long continued sovereignty, decline into a proud port, from debonair behaviour of their beginning), marvellously in him grew and increased. So far forth, that in the summer, the last that ever he saw, his highness, being at Windsor in hunting, sent for the mayor and aldermen of London. to him, for none other errand but to have them hunt and

be merry with him; where he made them not so stately, but so friendly and so familiar cheer, and sent venison from thence so freely into the city, that no one thing in many days before, gat him either more hearts or more hearty favour among the common people; who oftentimes more esteem and take for greater kindness, a little courtesy than a great benefit.

So deceased, as I have said, this noble king, in that time in which his life was most desired. Whose love of his people and their entire affection toward him, had been to his noble children (having in themselves also as many gifts of nature, as many princely virtues, as much goodly towardness, as their age could receive), a marvellous fortress and sure armour; if division and dissention of their friends had not unarmed them and left them destitute, and the execrable desire of sovereignty provoked him to their destruction, who, if either kind or kindness had holden place, must needs have been their chief defence. For Richard the duke of Gloucester, by nature their uncle, by office their protector, to their father beholden, to themselves by oath and allegiance bounden, all the bands broken that bind man and man together, without any respect of God or the world, unnaturally contrived to bereave them, not only of their dignity, but also their lives. But forasmuch as this duke's demeanour ministereth in effect all the whole matter whereof this book shall entreat, it is therefore convenient somewhat to shew you ere we farther go, what manner of man this was that could find in his heart so much mischief to conceive.

Richard duke of York, a noble man and a mighty, began not by war, but by law, to challenge the crown, putting his claim into the parliament. Where his cause was either for right or favour so far forth advanced, that King Henry's blood (albeit he had a goodly prince) utterly rejected, the' crown was, by authority of parliament, entailed unto the duke of York and his issue male in remainder, immediately after the death of King Henry. But the duke not enduring so long to tarry, but intending, under pretext of dissention and debate arising in the realm, to prevent his time, and to take upon him the rule in King Henry's life, was, with many nobles of the realm, at Wakefield slain, leaving three sons, Edward, George, and Richard. All three as they were great states of birth, so were they great and stately of stomach, greedy and ambitious of authority, and impatient of partners. Edward revenging his father's death, deprived King Henry and attained the crown. George duke of Clarence was a goodly noble prince, and at all points fortunate, if either his own ambition had not set him against his brother, or the envy of his enemies his brother against him. For, were it by the queen and the lords of her blood, who highly maligned the king's kindred (as women commonly, not of malice but of nature, hate them whom their husbands love), or were it a proud appetite of the duke himself, intending to be king; at the leastwise heinous treason was there laid to his charge, and finally, were he faulty, were he faultless, attainted was he by parliament and judged to the death, and thereupon hastily drowned in a butt of malmsey. Whose death King Edward (albeit he VOL. II.

X