Also at his place in Essex named Giddihall, were set an other sort to kéepe that place, the which destroied his déere in his parke, his conies, and his fish without reason, and spared not brasse, pewter, bedding, & all that they might carie, for the which might neuer one penie be gotten in recompense, yet could not sir Thomas Cooke be deliuered, till he had paied eight thousand pounds to the king, and eight hundred pounds to the quéene.
Abr. Fl. ex Edw. Hall. in Edw. 4. fol. cxcviij, &c.
In this meane time, the earle of Warwike bearing a continuall grudge in his hart toward king Edward, since his last returne out of France, persuaded so with his two brethren, the archbishop, and the marques, that they agreed to ioine with him in anie attempt which he should take in hand against the said king. The archbishop was easilie allured to the earles purpose, but the marques could by no meanes be reduced to take anie part against king Edward of a long time, till the earle had both promised him great rewards and promotions, and also assured him of the aid and power of the greatest princes of the realme. And euen as the marques was loth to consent to his vnhappie conspiracie, so with a faint hart he shewed himselfe an enimie vnto king Edward which double dissimulation was both the destruction of him and his brethren. ¶ And that they were persuasions of no small force, which the earle of Warwike vsed to the archbishop and marques, I haue thought good here to interlace, as I find remembred by Edward Hall in forme following.
The persuasions of the earle of Warwike vnto his two brethren against king Edward the fourth.
My deere and welbeloued brethren, the incredible faithfulnesse, the secret sobernesse, and the politike prudence that I haue euer by long continuance of time experimented in you both, dooth not onelie incourage my heart, yea and setteth me in great hope of obteining my purpose, but also putteth me out of all dread and mistrust, firmelie beléeuing, and suetlie iudging, that you both will with tooth and naile endeuour your selues, to the vttermost of your power, to bring to effect and purpose the thing that I now shall declare vnto you. Suerlie, I would in no wise that you should thinke, that that which I shall speake to you of king Edward and king Henrie, should rise of any lightnesse or phantasie of my mind, or anie trifeling toie latelie fallen into my imagination; but the true experience and iust iudgement that I haue of them both, their qualities and conditions, in manner compell and constraine me to saie as I say and to doo as I doo.
For suerlie, king Henrie is a godlie, good, and a vertuous person, neither forgetting his freends, nor putting in obliuion anie benefit by him of a meane person receiued, nor yet anie paine for his causes susteined hath he left vnrewarded: to whome God hath sent a sonne, called prince Edward, borne to be of great worthinesse and praise, of much bountifulnesse and liberalitie, of whome men may manie laudable things coniecture, considering the paine, labour, and trauell, that he taketh to helpe his father out of captiuitie and thraldome. King Edward on the contrarie side, is a man contumelious, opprobrious, and an iniurious person; to them that deserue kindnesse he sheweth vnkindnesse, and them that loue him he deadlie hateth, now detesting to take anie paine for the preferment or maintenance of the publike wealth of this realme, but all giuen to pastime, pleasure, and daliance; sooner preferring to high estate men descended of low bloud and base degree, than men of old and vndefiled houses, which haue both supported him and the common-wealth of his realme.
So that I now perceiue, that it is euen come to this point, that he will destroie all the nobilitie; or else the nobilitie must shortlie of verie necessitie destroie and confound him. But reason would, that we that were first hurt, should first reuenge our cause: for it is not vnknowen to you both, how that he, immediatlie after he had obteined the crowne, began first secretlie, and then openlie to enuie, disdaine, and impugne the fame, glorie, and renowme of our house and familie; as who said, that all the honor, preferment, and authoritie that we haue, we had onelie receiued at his hands, and that we had neither obteined dignitie nor rule by our great labour, aid and trauell. Which to all men may seeme vntrue, that consider that our name, chiefe title, and principall authoritie, was to vs giuen by king Henrie the sixt, and not by him. But if euery man will remember, who first toke part with his father, when hee claimed the crowne (who at that time, for that cause was in great ieopardie, and almost slaine by the kings meniall seruants, and who neuer left this man in prosperitie nor aduersitie, till he had the garland, and the realme in quietnesse) shall manifestlie perceiue, that we and our bloud haue shewed our selues more like fathers to him, than he like a freend to vs.
If we haue receiued any benefits of him, suerlie they be not so much as we haue deserued, nor so much as we looked for; and yet they be much more than he would we shuld inioy, as ye both well perceiue and know. Let these things ouerpasse, and speake of the vngentle, vntrue, and vnprincelie handling of me in the last ambassage, being sent to the French king for to treat a mariage for him, hauing full authoritie to bind and to lose, to contract and conclude. Which thing when I had finished & accomplished: how lightlie his mind changed, how priuilie he vowed, and how secretlie he maried, both you know better than I. So that by this meanes, I was almost out of all credence in the court of France, both with the king and queene, as though I had come thither like an espiall, to moue a thing neuer minded; or to treat of a mariage determined before neuer to take effect. Whereby the fame of all our estimation, which all kings and princes haue conceiued in vs (partlie obteined by the vertue & prowesse of our noble ancestors, and partlie atchiued by our owne paines & forward acts) shall now be obfuscate, vtterlie extinguished, and nothing set by.
What worme is touched, and will not once turne againe? What beast is striken, that will not rore or sound? What innocent child is hurt that will not crie? If the poore and vnreasonable beasts, if the selie babes that doo lacke discretion, grone against harme to them proffered; how ought an honest man to be angrie, when things that touch his honestie be dailie against him attempted? But if a meane person in that case be angrie: how much more ought a noble man to fume & stirre coales, when the high type of his honour is touched, his fame in maner brought to infamie, and his honour almost blemished & appalled, without his offense or desert? All this brethren you know to be true, the dishonor of one is the dishonor of vs all, and the hurt of one is the hurt of all: wherefore, rather than I will liue vnreuenged, or suffer him to reigne, which hath sought my decaie and dishonor, I will suerlie spend my life, lands, and goods, in setting vp that iust and good man king Henrie the sixt: and in deposing this vntrue, vnfaithful, and vnkind prince (by our onelie means) called king Edward the fourth.