BOOK I. POLITICAL.

A.

[Letter from Richard III. to Henry Vernon, squire for his body, 11 August, 1485. Hist. MSS. Comm., 12th Report, App. iv. p. 7.]

Trusty and welbeloved we grete you wele. And forasmuche as our rebelles and traitours accompanyed with our auncient enemyes of Fraunce and othre straunge nacions departed out of the water of Sayn (Seine) the furst day of this present moneth making their cours westwardes ben landed at Nangle besides Mylford Haven in Wales on Soneday last passed, as we be credibly enfourmed, entending our uttre destruccion, thextreme subversion of this oure realme and disheriting of oure true subgiettes of the same, towardes whoes recountring, God being our guyde, we be utterly determined in oure owne persone to remeove in all hast goodly that we can or may. Wherfor we wol and straitely charge you that ye in your persone with suche nombre as ye have promysed unto us sufficiently horssed and herneised be with us in all hast to you possible, to yeve unto us youre attendaunce without failling, al manere excuses sette apart, upon peyne of forfaicture unto us of all that ye may forfait and loose. Yeven undre our signet at oure logge of Beskewode the xj day of August.

2.

[Battle of Bosworth. (a) Chronicle of Calais (Camd. Soc.), p. 1. (b) Kingsford, Chronicles of London, p. 193.]

(a) On seint Bartilmew's even he [Henry] went to the filde at Bosworthe hethe, and there was kynge Richarde slayne and the duke of Norfolke slayne, and the erle of Surrey the duke of Norfolkes sone taken prisoner, and the erle of Northumbarland taken prisoner, the lorde Sowche taken prisoner, and there was slayne Ratclife, Catesby, and gentle Brakenbery, and the erle of Shrowsbery was taken prisoner, and the lorde Lovell escaped and fled; and there was slayne of kynge Henry's party ser William Brandon, who bare kynge Henry's standard that day.

(b) And after the ffeeld doon, the said Kyng Richard was caried vpon an hors behynd a man all naked to Leyciter, fast by the ffeeld; and there buryed wt in the ffreres. And the xxvij day of August was the said kyng Henry brought in to the Cite, wt the Mayr, Aldermen and the ffelishippys clothed in violet; and so to the palays at powles, and there loged.

3.

[Some methods whereby Henry consolidated his position. (a) Grants to his supporters, 23 September, 1485. Campbell, Materials, i. p. 39.]

Grant, for life, to Robert Skerne, esq. (in consideration of the singular affection the king bears him and of the good and acceptable service he has performed, as well in parts beyond the sea whilst the king was abroad as in a variety of ways within the kingdom of England, not only by favouring the king's royal right and title, by force and

authority whereof, with the help of God, the king not long since arrived at the crown of the realm of England, but also by resisting and repressing the king's rivalling enemy and adversary, Richard, late duke of Gloucester, the usurper of the king's right and crown aforesaid, and his accomplices and adherents, who had some time since stirred up wars and commotions against the king within his kingdom), of the offices of keeper of the manor and garden of Shene, co. Surrey, and of the park there called le Newe Parc, and seven acres of meadow lying near Chertsey Bridge, co. Midd., kept for the feeding of the king's deer within the said park in winter time;

[(b) The creation of the Yeomen of the Guard. A grant made, 18 September, 1485. Ibid., i. p. 8.]

Grant, during pleasure, to William Brown, yeoman of the king's guard (in consideration of the good service that oure humble and feitheful subgiet William Browne, yoman of oure garde, hath heretofore doon unto us, as wele beyond the see as at oure victorieux journeye), of the office of bailiff of Brailles, co. Warwick.1

[(c) The king's pardon, 24 September, 1485. Printed from the municipal archives of York. Gentleman's Magazine, xxxv. (1851), p. 165.]

Forasmoche as many and diverse persones of the North parties of this our land, knyghtes, esquires, gentilmen, and othre have doone us now of late grete displeaser, being ayenst us in the feld with the adversarye of us, enemy of nature and of all publique wele, which, as we be enfourmed, repenting their defaultes, desiring to doo us suche pleasir and service as might reduce them unto our grace and

1 Italian Relation (Camd. Soc.), p. 47, "and the military escort who compose his guard and are from 150 to 200 in number."

favour, We, moved aswell of pitie as for the grete damiges, perelles, lossys of goodes and lives, that the auncestours of thinhabitauntes of that cuntrie have bourne and sufferd for the quarell and title of the moost famous prince and of blissed memorye King Henry the sixt our uncle: and also for that they of thoos parties be necessarye and according to there dutie most defend this land ayenst the Scottes, of our especiall grace pardon to all persones within our counties of Notingham, York, Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland, our citie of York and the bishopricke of Durham, and the towne of Hull, almaner riottes, murders, tresons, felonyes, insurreccons, conspiracies ayenst there liegeauncies doone and committed, and all other offenses and trespasses, what so ever they be, by theme or by any of theme doone ayenst us before the xxij. day of Septembre, in the furst yere of our reigne; except Sir Ric. Ratcliffe, Sir James Haryngton, Sir Robert Haryngton, Sir Thomas Pilkyngton, Sir Thomas Broghton, Sir Robert Medilton, Thomas Metcalf, and Miles Metcalf.

4.

[The Sweating Sickness, September, 1485. Registrum Annalium Collegii Mertonensis (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), p. 72 (Latin).]

In the same year, about the end of August and the beginning of September, a marvellous and unprecedented sickness broke out in the University, which, beginning suddenly with an unexpected sweat, deprived many of their lives. By about the end of September this mortality was spread abroad almost without warning through the whole country. In the city of London three mayors died within ten days: and so borne on the breeze from east to west it

struck down with extraordinary slaughter almost all the nobility, except however the lords spiritual and temporal. All either died or escaped within the twenty-four hours: but so great and so cruel a massacre of wise and prudent men has not been heard of in our history for many centuries. This mortality did not last for more than a month or six weeks, at any rate with the exception of a few cases.

5.

[Writ to the sheriff of Surrey and Sussex ordering him to proclaim the truce for one year concluded with France, 12 October, 1485. Rymer, Fodera (3rd ed.), V. iii. p. 166.]

Forasmoche as certeyn appoyntements and conclusyons of trues and abstinences of werre be had, made, and concludid betwene the Kyng our Soverayne Lord of that one partye, and his most derrest cousyn Charles of France of that other partye, to begynne the first daye of this present moneth of Octobre, and to endure unto the last day of Septembre next ensuyng,

The Kyng our seid Soverayne Lord straytly chargeth and commandeth all and everyche his subgettis and true liege men, that they ne none of theym move, ne cause to be moved any maner werre or hostylite ayenst his seid. cousyn, or any of his subjetts, be land, see, ne fresshe waters; but that they and everych of theym peasybly suffre the seid subjects of his seid cousyn, aswell marchaints as other, to entre, come, passe, and repasse into and fro any porte or portis or other place or placis withyn this his realme, there to charge and recharge, and to make fre entrecourse of merchandyse, from tyme to tyme, as oft as it shall please theym, duryng the terme afore expressid, withoute any saufconducte, licence, or saufgard, and