No. III.

Extract from the Act of Attainder of 1st Henry VII., passed against the Yorkists who had taken part in the Battle of Bosworth.—Rot. Parl. 1st Henry VII. (A.D. 1485), vol. vi. fos. 275 and 276.

“Forasmoche as every king, prince, and liege lord, the more hie that he be in estate and prehemenence, the more singularly he is bound to the advancement and preferring of that indefferent vertue justice; and promoteinge and rewardinge vertue, and bi oppressinge and punishinge vice: Wherefore oure soveraigne lord, calleinge unto hys blessed remembraunce thys high and grete charge adjoyned to hys royall majestie and estate, not oblivious nor puttinge out of hys godly mind the unnaturall, mischeivous, and grete perjuries, treasons, homicides and murdres, in shedding of infants blood, with manie other wronges, odious offences, and abominac̃ons ayenst God and man, and in es̃pall oure said soveraigne lord, committed and doone by Richard late Duke of Glouc’, callinge and nameinge hymself, by usurpac̃on, King Richard the III^d; the which, with John late Duke of Norff’, Thomas Erle of Surrie, Francis Lovell Kñt Visc’ Lovell, Walter Devereux Kñt, late Lord Ferrers, John Lord Zouche, Robert Harrington, Richard Charleton, Richard Ratcliffe, William Berkley of Welley, Robert Brakenbury, Thomas Pillkinton, Robert Midletoune, James Harrington, Kñts, Walter Hopton, William Catesby, Roger Wake, William Sapcott, Humfrey Stafford, William Clerke of Wenlocke, Jeffrey St̃ Jermin, Richard Watkins, Herrauld of Armes, Richard Revell of Derbishyre, Thomas Poulter of the countee of Kent the younger, John Walsh otherwyse called Hastinges, John Kendale, late secretarie to the said Richard late Duke, John Buck, Andrew Ratt, and William Bramton of Burford, the XXI^st daie of August, the first yere of the reigne of oure soveraigne lord, assembled to theyme atte Leicestre in the countee of Leicestre a grete hoste, traiterously intendinge, imagininge and conspireinge the destrucc̃on of the kinges royall ps̃oune, oure soveraigne leige lord. And they, with the same hoste, with banners spred, mightyly armed and defenced with all manner armes, as gunnes, bowes, arrowes, speres, gleves, axes, and all other manner articles apt or needfull to gef and cause mightie battaille agen oure said soveraigne lord, kept togedre from the said XXII^d daie of the said month thanne next followinge, and theyme conduced to a feld within the said shyre of Leicestre, there bi grete and continued deliberacõne, traiterously levied warre ayenst oure said soveraine lord, and his true subjects there being in his service and assistance under a banner of oure said soveraine lord, to the subversion of this realme, and com̃on weale of the same.”

The act then proceeds to declare Richard Duke of Gloucester otherwise called King Richard III., and all the noblemen, knights, and other persons comprised in the act, convicted of high treason, and disabled and forejudged of all honours, dignity, pre-eminences, &c. &c., and all their castles, manors, lordships, lands, goods, &c., forfeited to the King.