Populo justitiam vellet, et habere
Regni cancellarium thesaurariumque.
Suum ad arbitrium voluit quemcumque,
Et consiliarios de quacumque gente,
Et ministros varios se præcipiente,
Non intromittentibus se de factis regis
Angliæ baronibus, vim habente legis
Principis imperio, et quod imperaret
Suomet arbitrio singulos ligaret.”
[(57)] Take for example the Act passed after Edward the Fourth’s success at Towton. Rot Parl. v. 466. Among other things, poor Henry the Sixth is not only branded as an usurper, but is charged with personally stirring up the movement in the North, which led to the battle of Wakefield and the death of Richard Duke of York. “The seid Henry Usurpour, late called Kyng Henry the Sixt, contynuyng in his olde rancour & malice, usyng the fraude & malicious disceit & dissimulacion ayenst trouth & conscience, that accorde not with the honoure of eny Cristen Prynce, ... with all subtill ymaginacions & disceitfull weyes & meanes to hym possible, intended & covertely laboured, excited & procured the fynal destruction, murdre & deth of the seid Richard Duc, and of his Sonnes, that is to sey, of oure seid nowe Soverayne Lord Kyng Edward the fourth, then Erle of Marche, & of the noble Lord Edmund Erle of Ruthlande; & for th’ execution of his dampnable & malicious purpose, by writing & other messages, mowed, excited, & stured therunto the Duks of Excestr’ & Somerset, & other lordes beyng then in the North parties of this Reame.”