An. Reg. 33. which was fought vpon the thursdaie next before the feast of Penthecost, being the thrée and twentith day of Maie, in this three and thirtith yeare of the kings reigne. The bodies of the noble men were buried in the monasterie in our ladies chappell, and Foure of thē to wit, the duke of Sūmerset, the earle of Northumberland, and the lord Clifford, were buried in our ladie chapell. Whethamsted. the meane people in other places. This Edmund duke of Summerser left behind him thrée sonnes, Henrie, Edmund and Iohn, which to the extremitie of death tooke part with the line of king Henrie.
[There was this yeare a great fight & fraie vpon Clift heath, distant about two miles from Excester, betwéene Thomas Courtneie earle of Deuonshire, against William lord Bonuile of Shut, and sundrie men of both parts were slaine. But yet the lord Bonuile Iohn Hooker aliàs Vowell. preuailed & had the victorie, who foorthwith came to this citie, and the gates before being shut, were opened and he receiued; which thing so gréeued the earle, that he continuallie sought thencefoorth to be reuenged. But not long after in the quarell betwéen king Henrie the sixt, and king Edward the fourth, he ended his daies, and was beheaded at Yorke, and was the last of that line.]
The duke of Yorke, hauing gotten the victorie, remembred well, that he had published abroad how the onelie cause of this warre was, for the aduancement of the common-wealth, and therefore vsing all courtesie, would not touch the kings person after anie violent sort; but with all honour and due reuerence conueied him to London and so to Westminster. To which place was summoned a parlenment, which began A parlement. the ninth daie of lulie, in the which session, the late duke of Glocester was openlie declared a true subiect, both to the king and to the realme. Beside this, it was enacted, that no person should either iudge or report anie point of vntruth of the duke of Yorke, the earles of Salisburie and Warwike, or of anie knight, esquier, archer, or other, for comming in warlike araie against the king, at saint Albons; considering their enterprise was onelie to sée the kings person in safegard.
But all the blame was put vpon the duke of Summerset, Thomas Thorp, baron of Whethamsted. Collaterall. A letter kept from the king of purpose. the escheker, and William Iosep esquier, the kings collaterall companion; bicause that they, vpon malicious purpose, kept a certeine letter from the kings knowledge, and would in no wise suffer it to be deliuered vnto him, notwithstanding the same made to the aduancement of some good peace, had it béene throughlie and aduisedlie read, weied & considered. In which letter they declared, that as faithfull and humble subiects, they required onelie, that it would please the king (whose honor, health, suertie, and preseruation, they chéefelie wished) not to giue credence to their aduersaries malicious suggestions, till their comming to his presence, vnto the which they humblie besought him that they might be admitted as his faithfull liege people, to shew the intent and purpose of their commings; which was to none other end, than to declare their fidelitie and allegiance towards his most roiall person, intending to put themselues with as much diligence and trauell in all things that might aduance his honour, health, and safegard, as any subiect he had liuing.
The kéeping backe of this letter from the kings sight and knowledge, did minister matter sufficient vnto the parlement, to colour and iustifie for well doone all transgressions committed in the late battell and chase at saint Albons. In this parlement also, The duke of Yorkes comming against the king justified. the duke of Yorke was made protector of the realme, and the earle of Salisburie was appointed to be lord chancellour, and had the great seale to him deliuered, and the The duke of Yorke made protector of the realme. earle of Warwike wss elected to the office of the capteineship of Calis, and the territories of the same; and thus the rule of the realme rested in the orders of the duke and chancellour, and all warlike affaires remained, principallie in the earle of Warwike. And so amongest them it was agréed, that king Henrie should reigne still The king to reigne in name but not in authoritie. in name and dignitie, but neither in déed nor in authoritie; not minding to destroie him, least they might suddenlie prouoke the furie of the common people against them, bicause that of the simple sort of people he was for his holinesse of life, and abundant clemencie, much fauoured and highlie estéemed.
In this parlement also it was enacted, that the king should resume, take into his Whethamsted. An act for the K. to reuoke certeine grants. hands againe, haue and reteine into his possession, all honours, castels, lordships, townes, villages, manours, lands, tenements, wasts, forests, chases, rents, reuersions, fees, farmes, seruices, issues, profits, counties, aduousons of priories, churches, hospitals, and free chapels, and all other reuenues with their appurtenances, the which had passed from him since the first daie of his reigne vnto that present; either by his letters patents, or authoritie of parlement, and manie other meanes, whether by grant, confirmation, or release from him made in fée simple, or fée taile, for tearme of life or yeares, to anie maner of person and persons in England, Wales, Scotland, or the marches; in Ireland, or in the townes of Calis, & Guisnes, & the marches there. And likewise all grants made of such things as are aboue mentioned, being parcell of the duchie of Lancaster; and further all grants of offices, roomes, fées, wages, or commodities, not accustomed to belong to anie office or charge before the said first daie of the kings reigne, were likewise reuoked.
Diuerse other things were also conteined within this reuocation and generall resumption; with certeine exceptions yet and prouisoes had, as were thought coiuenient, and as by the same act it dooth appeare. Moreouer, now that the duke of Yorke and his adherents had wrested the whole rule & gouernement into their hands; all such persons as the king either loued, or the quéene fauoured, were put beside the priuie councell; and such put in their places, as were knowne to fauour the house of Yorke. Also the officers were changed thoroughout the realme, at the will and disposition of Shifting of officers. the protector, chancellour, and capteine of Calis; so that they constituted as it were a triumuirat, ruling all things at discretion of these thrée. And yet in all their rule I find not that anie mention is made of their deferring of iustice, or of anie polling or briberie: as was openlie prooued by such as gouerned before their time. Onelie they were noted of diuerse spirituall persons, and namelie of the abbat of Westminster and his moonks, for a great offense: bicause they tooke out of the sanctuarie at Westminster, Iohn Holland duke of Excester, all against the order taken in the last parlement, and sent him to the castell of Pomfret.
But now the lord Henrie Beauford, newlie duke of Summerset by the death of luke Henrie duke of Summerset. Edmund his father, slaine at the battell of saint Albons (as aboue is rehearsed) and Humfrie duke of Buckingham (who then & there lost his sonne and heire) and other of estate taking the part of king Henrie, whose case they did much bewaile & doubt, as perceiuing whereto the courtesie of the duke of Yorke did draw: they therefore thinking it necessarie to purueie for a remedie yer the mischeefe happened, consulted with the quéene. By whose aduise was a great councell called at Greenewich, where The duke of Yorke discharged of his office. the duke of Yorke was discharged of his protectorship, & the earle of Salisburie depriued also of his office. ¶This sudden change amongst the nobilitie caused alterations, and seditious attempts in the commonaltie, and in especiall within London: whereof 1456 this was one. A yoong merchant, which before time had béene in diuerse cities of Italic, and there forbidden by the magistrats (as the law and maner is) to weare anie weapon, now challenged an Italian in Cheapside for wearing a dagger, telling him it was against his owne countrie lawes: wherto bicauae the Italian answered somewhat disdainefullic, the merchant not onelie tooke by force from him his dagger, but also with the same brake his pate.
This Italian in great hast complained to the maior, so that at the next court holden at the Guildhall, the merchant was sent for, and vpon charge of his offense, he was commanded to ward. Wheresvpon diuerse other light persons within the citie, assembled An vprore in the citie of London. togither in great plumps, by force constreined the maior to deliuer theprisoner out of Newgate: and not so satisfied, like mad men ran to the seuerall houses of diuerse Venetians, Lucases, and Florentins, and them spoiled, robbed, and rifled without reason A foule disorder. or measure. The maior, perceiuing this enormious dooing, assembled a number of substantiall and graue citizens; who (not without bloudshed and maiming of sundrie) appeased the rage, and caused the misruled people to depart to their houses. The beginner of this vprore got him to Westminster, and there registred himselfe fol a sanctuaric man.
The quéene, which now againe ruled all, being aduertised of this vnlawfull misdemeanour, sent the dukes of Excester and Buckingham, with other noble men to London, with a commission oier and terminer, for the inquirie and punishment of so seditious an offense. But when the maior, the two dukes, and the two cheefe iustices were set in the Guildhall vpon their commission, intelligence was giuen, that a number of light persons were approching in armor to rescue the prisoners appre hended for the late robberie and riot, as they were caried to their arraignement. The two dukes and the other commissioners quickelie thense departed, and left their inquirie for that daie, though in deed in no such danger as they doubted: for certeine discréet and sage citizens so handled the matter, that no misorder followed of that furie.
The maior on the next daie called a common councell, whereof the number was an A common councell called. hundred fourescore and od, who ordeined that all wardens of mysteries shuld assemble their companies in their halles, where exhortation should be to the obseruation of peace; and if they spied any man either readie to stirre a rumor, or make to the deliuerance of such as were in prison, their names should be secretlie written, and so deliuered to the maior: which policie well appeased this outrage. Wherevpon after the commissioners sat in Guildhall, where manie of the robbers were attainted & put to execution, beside diuerse great fines set on the heads of diuerse merchants, & paid, for winking at the matter. ¶This yeare Iohn Kempe archbishop of Canturburie departed this life, & Thomas Burstlier bishop of Elie remooued to his place, being the threescore and third archbishop of that see.
¶In the moneth of Nouember, in the Ile of Portland not farre from the towne of Abr. Fl. ex I. S. 681. Weimouth, was seene a cocke comming out of the sea, hauing a great crest vpon his head, and a great red beard, and legs of halfe a yard long: he stood on the water & 1457. crowed foure times, and euerie time turned him about, and beckened with his head, Fabian. toward the north, the south, and the west, and was of colour like a fesant, & when he had crowed thrée times, he vanished awaie. And shortlie after were taken at Erith within twelle miles of London, foure great and woonderfull fishes whereof one was called Mors marina, the second a sword fish, the other two were whales.]
The French nation, hearing of the ciuall dissention within the realme here, and for
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Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Raphaell Holinshed. William Harrison. Richard Stanyhurst. John Hooker. Francis Thynne. Abraham Fleming. John Stow. Henry Ellis. Ellis Edition. J. Johnson. London. 1807.
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