RICHARD, the second of that name, and sonne to prince Edward, called the blacke prince, the sonne of king Edward the third, a child of the age of eleuen yeares, began to reign ouer the realme of England the two and twentith daie of Iune, in the yeare of the world 5344, of our Lord 1377, after the conquest 310, about the two and thirtith yeare of the emperour Charles the fourth, and in the fouretéenth yeare of Charles the fift king of France, and about the seuenth yeare of the reigne of Robert the |712| second king of Scotland: he was named Richard of Burdeaux, bicause he was borne at Burdeaux in Gascoigne, whilest his father ruled there. The day before it was vnderstood, that his grandfather king Edward was departed this life, being the one and twentith of Iune (on which daie neuerthelesse he deceassed) the citizens of London hauing certeine knowledge that he could not escape his sicknesse, sent certeine aldermen vnto Kingston, where the prince with his mother the princesse then laie, to declare vnto the said prince their readie good wils, to accept him for their lawfull king and gouernour, immediatlie after it should please God to call to his mercie his grandfather, being now past hope of recouerie of health. Wherefore they besought him, to haue their citie recommended vnto his good grace, and that it would please him to visit the same with his presence, sith they were readie in all sorts to honour and obeie him, and to spend both liues and goods in his cause, if need required.
Iohn Philpot.
The duke of Lancaster & the Lōdoners submit their quarels to the kings order.
Moreouer, they besought him, that it might please his grace to make an end of the discord betwixt the citizens, and the duke of Lancaster, which through the malice of some had béene raised, to the commoditie of none, but to the discommoditie of diuerse. When Iohn Philpot, one of the foresaid aldermen, that had the words in all their names, had ended his oration, he was answered by the prince and his councell, that he would indeuour himselfe in all things to satisfie their requests, and so were they sent home to bring a ioifull answer of their messege to the citie. The morrow after, there were sent to London from the king, the lord Latimer, sir Nicholas Bond, sir Simon Burlie, & sir Richard Adderburie, knights; to bring them sorowfull newes of the assured death of king Edward, who (as we haue said) deceassed the day before; but comfortable newes againe, of the great towardlinesse and good meaning of the yoong king, who promised to loue them and their citie, and to come to the same citie, as they had desired him to doo. And further, that he had spoken to the duke of Lancaster in their behalfe, and that the duke had submitted himselfe to him in all things touching the cause; wherevpon the kings pleasure was, that they should likewise submit themselues, and he would doo his indeuor, that an agreement might be had to the honor of the citizens, and profit of the citie.
The citizens liked not of this forme of procéeding in the dukes matter, bicause the king was yoong, and could not giue order therein, but by substitutes: yet at length with much adoo, they were contented to submit themselues, as the duke had doone before, though not, till that the knights had vndertaken vpon their oth of fidelitie and knighthood, that their submission should not redound to the temporall or bodilie harme of any of them, consenting to the kings will in this point. And so with this caution they tooke their iournie towards Sheene, where they found the new K. with his mother, the duke of Lancaster & his brethren, vncles to the king, and diuerse bishops, about the bodie of the deceassed king. When it was knowen that the Londoners were come, they were called before the king, by whom the matter was so handled, that the duke and they were made fréends. After this, when the king should ride through the citie towards the coronation, the said duke and the lord Percie riding on great horses before him, as by vertue of their offices appointed to make way before, vsed themselues so courteouslie, modestlie, and pleasantlie, that where before they two were greatlie suspected of the common people, by reason of their great puissance in the realme, and huge rout of reteiners, they ordered the matter so, that neither this day, nor the morrow after, being the day of the kings coronation, they offended any maner of person, but rather by gentle and swéet demeanour they reclaimed the harts of manie, of whome before they were greatlie had in suspicion, and thought euill of. ¶ But now, sith we are entred into the matter of this kings coronation, we haue thought good breefelie to touch some particular point thereof (as in Thomas Walsingham we find it) though nothing so largelie here, as the author himselfe setteth it foorth, bicause the purpose of this worke will not so permit. |713|
The maner & order of the kings coronation.
The king, in riding thorough the citie towards Westminster, on the 15 daie of Iulie being wednesdaie, was accompanied with such a traine of the nobilitie and others, as in such case was requisite. Sir Simon Burlie bare the sword before him, and sir Nicholas Bond lead the kings horsse by the bridle on foot. The noise of trumpets and other instruments was maruellous, so that this seemed a day of ioy and mirth, a day that had béene long looked for, bicause it was hoped, that now the quiet orders and good lawes of the land, which thorough the slouthfulnesse of the aged king deceassed, and couetousnesse of those that ruled about him, had béene long banished, should now be renewed and brought againe in vse. The citie was adorned in all sorts most richlie. The water conduits ran with wine for the space of thrée houres togither. In the vpper end of Cheape, was a certeine castell made with foure towers, out of the which castell, on two sides of it, there ran foorth wine abundantlie. In the towers were placed foure beautifull virgins, of stature and age like to the king, apparelled in white vestures, in euerie tower one, the which blew in the kings face, at his approching néere to them, leaues of gold; and as he approched also, they threw on him and his horsse florens of gold counterfeit.
When he was come before the castell, they tooke cups of gold, and filling them with wine at the spouts of the castell, presented the same to the king and to his nobles. On the top of the castell, betwixt the foure towers, stood a golden angell, holding a crowne in his hands, which was so contriued, that when the king came, he bowed downe & offered to him the crowne. But to speake of all the pageants and shewes which the citizens had caused to be made, and set foorth in honour of their new king, it were superfluous; euerie one in their quarters striuing to surmount other, and so with great triumphing of citizens, and ioy of the lords and noble men, he was conueied vnto his palace at Westminster, where he rested for that night. The morrow after being thursdaie, and the 16 day of Iulie, he was fetcht to the church with procession of the bishops and monks, and comming before the high altar, where the pauement was couered with rich clothes of tapistrie, he there kneeled downe and made his praiers, whilest two bishops soong the Letanie, which being finished, the king was brought to his seat, the quéere singing an antheme, beginning, Fermetur manus tua.
That doone, there was a sermon preached by a bishop touching the dutie of a king, how he ought to behaue himselfe towards the people, and how the people ought to be obedient vnto him. The sermon being ended, the king receiued his oth before the archbishop and nobles: which doone, the archbishop hauing the lord Henrie Percie lord marshall going before him, turned him to euerie quarter of the church, declaring to the people the kings oth, and demanding of them, if they would submit themselues vnto such a prince & gouernor, and obeie his commandements: and when the people with a lowd voice had answered that they would obeie him, the archbishop vsing certeine praiers, blessed the king; which ended, the archbishop came vnto him, and tearing his garments from the highest part to the lowest, stripped him to his shirt. Then was brought by earles, a certeine couerture of cloth of gold, vnder the which he remained, whilest he was annointed.
The archbishop (as we haue said), hauing stripped him, first annointed his hands, then his head, brest, shoulders, and the ioints of his armes with the sacred oile, saieng certeine praiers, and in the meane time did the quéere sing the antheme, beginning, Vnxerunt regem Salomonem, &c. And the archbishop added another praier, Deus Dei filius, &c. Which ended, he and the other bishops soong the hymne, Veni creator spiritus, the king knéeling in a long vesture, & the archbishop with his suffraganes about him. When the hymne was ended, he was lift vp by the archbishop, and clad first with the coate of saint Edward, and after with his mantell, a stoale being cast about his necke, the archbishop in the meane time saieng certeine praiers appointed for the purpose. After this, the archbishop and bishops deliuered to him the sword, saieng, Accipe gladium, &c. |714|