[The duke of Yorks oration made to the lords of the parlement.]
My singular good lords, maruell not that I approch vnto this throne: for I sit here as in the place to me by verie iustice lawfullie belonging; & here I rest, as to whom this chaire of right apperteineth, not as he which requireth of you fauour, parcialitie, or bearing, but equall right, friendlie indifferencie, and true administration of iustice. For I béeing the partie gréeued, and complainant, can not minister to my selfe the medicine that should helpe me (as expert léeches & cunning surgians maie) except you be to me both faithfull aiders & also true councellors. Nor yet this noble realme and our naturall countrie shall neuer be vnbuckled from hir dailie feuer, except I (as the principall physician, and you as the true and trustie apothecaries) consult togither in making of the potion, and trie out the cleane and pure stuffe from the corrupt and putrified drugs.
For vndoubtedlie, the root and bottome of this long festured canker is not yet extirpate, nor the féeble foundation of this fallible building is not yet espied, which hath béene and is the dailie destruction of the nobilitie, and the continuall confusion of the poore communaltie of this realme and kingdome. For all you know (or should know) that the high and mightie prince king Richard the second, was the true and vndoubted heire to the valiant conqueror and renowmed prince king Edward the third, as sonne & heire to the hardie knight and couragious capteine Edward prince of Wales, duke of Aquitaine and Cornewall, eldest sonne to the said king Edward the third: which king was not onelie in déed, but also of all men reputed and taken for the true and infallible heire to the wise and politike prince king Henrie the third, as sonne and heire to king Edward the second, sonne and heire to king Edward the first, the very heire and first begotten sonne of the said noble and vertuous prince king Henrie the third.
Which king Richard of that name the second, was lawfullie & iustlie possessed of the crowne and diadem of this realme and region, till Henrie of Derbie duke of Lancaster and Hereford, sonne to Iohn of Gant duke of Lancaster, the fourth begotten sonne to the said king Edward the third, and yoonger brother to my noble ancestor Lionell duke of Clarence, the third begotten sonne of the said king Edward, by force and violence, contrarie both to the dutie of his allegiance, and also to his homage to him both doone and sworne, raised warre and battell at the castle of Flint in Northwales, against the said king Richard, and him apprehended, and imprisoned within the Tower of London: during whose life and captiuitie, he wrongfullie vsurped and intruded vpon the roiall power, and high estate of this realme and region, taking vpon him the name, stile, and authoritie of king and gouernour of the same.
And not therewith satisfied, and contented, compassed and accomplished the death and destruction of his naturall prince, and most worthie souereigne lord, not as a common homicide and butcherlie murtherer, but as a regicide, and destroier of his king. After whose pitious death, and execrable murther, the right and title of the crowne, and superioritie of this realme was lawfullie reuerted & returned to Roger Mortimer earle of March, sonne and heire to ladie Philip the onelie child of the aboue rehearsed Lionell duke of Clarence, vnto which Rogers daughter called Anne, my most déerest and welbeloued moother, I am the verie true and lineall heire, which descent all you can not iustlie gainesay, nor yet trulie denie. Then remember this, if the title be mine, why am I put from it? If I be true heire to the crowne (as I am in déed) why is my right withholden? If my claime be good, why haue I not iustice? For suerlie, learned men of great science and knowledge say and affirme, that lineall descent, nor vsurped possession can nothing preuaile, if continuall claime be lawfullie made, or openlie published.
For the auoiding of which scruple and ambiguitie: Edmund earle of March my most welbeloued vncle, in the time of the first vsurper, in déed but not by right called king Henrie the fourth, by his coosines the earle of Northumberland, & the lord Persie, he being then in captiuitie with Owen Glendouer the rebell in Wales, made his title & righteous claime to the destruction of both the noble persons. Likewise my most déerest lord and father, so farre set foorth that right and title, that he lost his life & worldlie ioy at the towne of Southampton, more by power than indifferent iustice. Since whose death, I comming to my full age, haue neuer desisted to pursue my title, and require my right, which by meanes of sinister counsell and vniust detention, I can neither obteine nor recouer. So that of fine force I am compelled to vse power in stéed of praier, and force in stéed of request; not (as I said before) for my priuat emolument and peculiar profit: but to restore peace, loue, and quietnesse to this our naturall region, which euer since the first vngodlie vsurpation of the aforenamed Henrie, vntrulie called king Henrie the fourth, hath béene cléerelie banished, and out of the same vniustlie exiled.
What murthers and manslaughters haue béene perpetrated and committed within this countrie, since the beginning of that vngratious vsurpation? What number of noble men haue béene slaine, destroied, & executed since that unfortunate daie? It is too lamentable and manifest. For although Henrie of Lancaster earle of Derbie tooke vpon him the scepter and the crowne, and wrongfullie bare the name and stile of a king; and was not much tickled with mine vncle the earle of March, at that time being within age: yet was he neuer in suertie of himselfe, nor had or inioied any profit & quietnesse either in mind or in bodie. "For suerlie, a corrupt conscience neuer féeleth rest, but looketh when the sword of vengeage will descend and strike." His sonne also called king Henrie the fift, obteined notable victories, and immortal praises for his noble acts doone in the realme of France: yet God (for the offense of his vntrue parent) suddenlie touched him, vnbodieng his soule in the flower of his youth, and in the glorie of his conquest.
And although he had a faire sonne and a yoong heire apparant: yet was this orphan such a one (as preachers say) that God threatned to send for a punishment to his vnrulie and vngratious people, saieng by his prophet Esaie; "I shall giue you children to be your princes, and infants without wisedome shall haue the gouernance of you." The prophet lied not, if you note all things in an order: for after this Henrie the fift (whose fame no man can iustlie reprooue or deface) succéeded his sonne, whom all we haue called our naturall prince, and obeied as his heire. In whose time and wrongfull reigne, I require you diligentlie to consider, with what great torments and afflictions God hath whipped & scourged this miserable Ile: yea with such and so manie scourges and plagues, as no nation (the Ægyptians onelie excepted) were euer tormented or afflicted withall. I will not speake of rebellious murthers and oppressions, which of late haue béene doone and exercised héere among vs. But I will declare & manifest to you, how the crowne and glorie of this realme is by the negligence of this sillie man, and his vnwise councell minished, defaced, and also dishonoured.
Is not Normandie, which his father gat, regained & conquered againe, by the insolencie of him & his couetous councell? Is not the whole duchie of Aquitaine, by two hundred and od yeares peaceablie possessed by the kings of this realme, in one yeare and a little more, gotten out of our hands & seigniorie? What should I speak of Aniou & Maine, or the losse of the Ile of France, with the rich citie of Paris. Alas it is too apparant. Neither will I molest you with the recitall of all the particulars thereof. But now in the middest of this affliction, and to make an end of the same: God of his ineffable goodnesse, looking on this countrie with his eies of pitie & mercie, hath sent me in the truth, to restore againe this decaid kingdome to his ancient fame and old renowme whereof héere in open parlement, according to my iust & true title, I haue and doo take possession of this roiall throne: not putting diffidence, but firme hope in Gods grace, that by his diuine aid, and assistance of you the péeres of this realme, I shall beautifie & mainteine the same to the glorie of him, honour of my bloud, and to the publike wealth as well of you all héere present, as of all the poore commons and subiects of this kingdome and regiment.