Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (3 of 6): England (3 of 9): Henrie the Sixt, Sonne and Heire to Henrie the FiftHolinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (3 of 6): England (3 of 9): Henrie the Sixt, Sonne and Heire to Henrie the Fift
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- Henry VI, 1422-1461; Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
But to auoid danger of tumult that might be raised, if a prince so
well beloued of the people should be openlie executed; his enimies
determined to worke their feats in his destruction, yer he should
haue anie warning. For effecting whereof, a parlement was summoned
to be kept at Berrie, whither resorted all the péeres of the realme,
and amongst them the duke of Glocester; which on the second daie
of the session was by the lord Beaumont, then high constable of
England, accompanied with the duke of Buckingham, and others arrested,
apprehended, and put in ward, and all his seruants sequestred from
him, and thirtie two of the chéefe of his retinue were sent to diuerse
prisons, to the great admiration of the people. The duke the night
after he was thus committed to prison, being the foure and twentith of
Februarie, was found dead in his bed, and his bodie shewed to the lords
and commons, as though he had died a palsie, or of an imposteme.
[Sidenote: _Edw. Hall._]
[Sidenote: A pardon at a pinch.]
But all indifferent persons (as saith Hall) might well vnderstand that
he died of some violent death. Some iudged him to be strangled, some
affirme that an hot spit was put in at his fundament, other write that
he was smouldered betwéene two featherbeds, and some haue affirmed that
he died of verie gréefe, for that he might not come openlie to his
answer. His dead corpse was conueied to saint Albons, and there buried.
After his death, none of his seruants suffered: although fiue of them,
to wit, sir Roger Chamberline knight, Middleton, Herbert, Arteise
esquiers, and Richard Nedham gentleman, were arreigned, condemned,
and drawen to Tiborne, where they were hanged, let downe quicke, and
stripped to haue béene bowelled and quartered: but the marques of
Suffolke comming at that instant brought their pardons, shewed the same
openlie, and so their liues were saued.
[Sidenote: Dukes of Glocester vnfortunate.]
Some thinke that the name and title of Glocester hath béene vnluckie
to diuerse, which for their honours haue béene erected by creation
of princes to that stile and dignitie, as Hugh Spenser, Thomas of
Woodstoke, sonne to king Edward the third, and this duke Humfreie:
which thrée persons by miserable death finished their daies; and after
them king Richard the third also, duke of Glocester in ciuill warre
slaine. So that this name duke of Glocester is taken for an vnhappie
stile, as the prouerbe speaketh of Seians horsse, whose rider was euer
vnhorssed, & whose possessor was euer brought to miserie. But suerlie,
by the pitifull death of this noble duke and politike gouernour, the
publike wealth of the realme came to great decaie, as by sequele here
may more at large appeare.
[Sidenote: _W. P._]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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