Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (3 of 6): England (4 of 9): Edward the Fourth, Earle of March, Sonne and Heire to Richard Duke of YorkeHolinshed, Raphael
History
Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (3 of 6): England (4 of 9): Edward the Fourth, Earle of March, Sonne and Heire to Richard Duke of Yorke
Holinshed, Raphael
Great Britain -- History -- Edward IV, 1461-1483; Great Britain -- History -- To 1485; Great Britain -- History -- Tudors, 1485-1603
The earle of Warwike, intending not to léese such opportunitie of
aduantage, in the dead of the night, with an elect companie of men of
warre (as secretlie as was possible) set on the kings field, killing
them that kept the watch, and yer the king was ware (for he thought
of nothing lesse than of that which then hapned) at a place called
Wolnie, foure miles from Warwike, he was taken prisoner and brought to
the castell of Warwike. And to the intent his friends should not know
what was become of him, the earle caused him by secret iournies in the
night to be conueied to Middleham castell in Yorkeshire, and there to
be kept vnder the custodie of the archbishop of Yorke, and other his
freends in those parties. King Edward being thus in captiuitie, spake
euer faire to the archbishop, and to his other kéepers, so that he had
leaue diuerse daies to go hunt. [Which exercise he vsed, as it should
séeme not so much for regard of his recreation, as for the recouerie of
his libertie: which men estéeme better than gold, and being counted a
diuine thing, dooth passe all the wealth, pleasure, and treasure of the
world; according to the old saieng:
Non bene profuluo libertas venditur auro,
Hoc coeleste bonum præterit orbis opes.]
[Sidenote: Sir William Stanleie.]
[Sidenote: K. Edward is deliuered out of captiuitie.]
[Sidenote: He commeth to London.]
Now on a daie vpon a plaine when he was thus abrode, there met with
him sir William Stanleie, sir Thomas a Borough, and diuerse other of
his friends, with such a great band of men, that neither his kéepers
would, nor once durst moue him to returne vnto prison againe. Some
haue thought that his kéepers were corrupted with monie, or faire
promises, and therefore suffred him thus to scape out of danger. After
that he was once at libertie, he came to Yorke, where he was ioifullie
receiued, and taried there two daies: but when he perceiued he could
get no armie togither in that countrie to attend him to London, he
turned from Yorke to Lancaster, where he found his chamberleine the
lord Hastings well accompanied, by whose aid and such others as drew to
him, being well furnished, he came safelie to the citie of London.
When the earle of Warwike, and the duke of Clarence had knowledge how
king Edward by the treason or negligence of them (whome they had put
in trust) was escaped their hands, they were in a wonderfull chafe:
but sith the chance was past, they began eftsoones to prouide for the
warre, which they saw was like to insue; and found much comfort, in
that a great number of men, deliting more in discord than in concord,
offered themselues to aid their side. But other good men desirous of
common quiet, and lamenting the miserable state of the realme, to
redresse such mischiefe as appeared to be at hand by these tumults,
tooke paine, and road betweene the king, the earle, and the duke, to
reconcile them ech to other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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