This widow, hauing a sute to the king for such lands as hir husband had giuen hir in iointure, so kindled the kings affection towards hir, that he not onelie fauoured hir sute, but more hir person; for she was a woman of a more formall countenance than of excellent beautie; and yet both of such beautie and fauour, that with hir sober demeanour, swéete looks, and comelie smiling (neither too wanton, nor too bashfull) besides hir pleasant toong and trim wit, she so alured and made subiect unto hir the heart of that great prince, that after she had denied him to be his paramour, with so good maner, and words so well set as better could not be deuised; he finallie resolued with himselfe to marrie hir, not asking counsell of anie man, till they might perceiue it was no bootie to aduise him to the contrarie of that his concluded purpose; sith he was so farre gone that he was not reuocable, and therefore had fixed his heart vpon the last resolution: namelie, to applie an holesome, honest, and honourable remedie to his affections fiered with the flames of loue, and not to permit his heart to the thraldome of vnlawful lust; which purpose was both princelie and profitable; as the poet saith:
Ouid. de rem. am. lib. 1.
Vtile propositum est sæuas extinguere flammas,
Nec seruum vitijs pectus habere suum.
1465.
An. Reg. 5.
But yet the duchesse of Yorke his moother letted this match as much as in hir laie: & when all would not serue, she caused a precontract to be alleged, made by him with ladie Elizabeth Lucie. But all doubts resolued, all things made cléere, and all cauillations auoided, priuilie in a morning he married the said ladie Elizabeth Graie at Grafton beforesaid, where he first began to fansie hir. And in the next yere after she was with great solemnitie crowned quéene at Westminster. Hir father also was created earle Riuers, and made high constable of England: hir brother lord Anthonie was married to the sole heire of Thomas lord Scales: sir Thomas Graie sonne to sir Iohn Graie the quéenes first husband, was created marques Dorset, and married to Cicelie heire to the lord Bonuille. The French king was not well pleased to be thus dallied with; but he shortlie (to appease the gréefe of his wife and hir sister the ladie Bona) married the said ladie Bona to the duke of Millan.
The earle of Warwike offended with the kings mariage.
Now when the earle of Warwike had knowledge by letters sent to him out of England from his trustie friends, that king Edward had gotten him a new wife, he was not a little troubled in his mind, for that he tooke it his credence thereby was greatlie minished, and his honour much stained, namelie in the court of France: for that it might be iudged he came rather like an espiall, to mooue a thing neuer minded, and to treat a marriage determined before not to take effect. Suerlie he thought himselfe euill vsed, that when he had brought the matter to his purposed intent and wished conclusion, then to haue it quaile on his part; so as all men might thinke at the least wise, that his prince made small account of him, to send him on such a sléuelesse errand.
All men for the most part agrée, that this marriage was the onlie cause, why the earle of Warwike conceiued an hatred against king Edward, whome he so much before fauoured. Other affirme other causes; and one speciallie, for that king Edward did attempt a thing once in the earles house, which was much against the earles honestie (whether he would haue defloured his daughter or his néece, the certeintie was not for both their honours openlie reuealed) for suerlie, such a thing was attempted by king Edward; which loued well both to behold and also to féele faire damsels. But whether the iniurie that the earle thought he receiued at the kings hands, or the disdaine of authoritie that the earle had vnder the king, was the cause of the breach of amitie betwixt them: truth it is, that the priuie intentions of their harts brake into so many small pieces, that England, France, and Flanders, could neuer ioine them againe, during their naturall liues.
The earle of Warwike keepeth his gréefe secret.