King Edward, hauing assembled an armie of thirtie thousand men (as some write) and accompanied in maner with all the great lords of England, came to London the one and twentith of Maie, being tuesdaie, where he was honourablie receiued by the maior, aldermen, and other worshipfull citizens: where euen vpon their first méeting with him he dubbed diuerse of them knights; as the maior, the recorder, & other aldermen, and worshipfull commoners of the citie, which had manfullie and valiantlie acquit themselues against the bastard Fauconbridge & his wicked companie of rebels. Moreouer, here is to be remembred, that poore king Henrie the sixt, a little before depriued (as ye haue heard) of his realme and imperiall crowne, was now in the Tower spoiled of his life, by Richard duke of Glocester (as the constant fame ran) who (to the intent that his brother king Edward might reigne in more suertie) murthered the said king Henrie with a dagger.
The nine and twentith of Maie.
Howbeit, some writers of that time, fauoring altogither the house of Yorke, haue recorded, that after he vnderstood what losses had chanced vnto his fréends, and how not onelie his sonne, but also all other his chéefe partakers were dead and dispatched, he tooke it so to hart, that of pure displeasure, indignation, and melancholie, he died the three and twentith of Maie. The dead corps on the Ascension euen was conueied with billes and glaucs pompouslie (if you will call that a funerall pompe) from the Tower to the church of saint Paule, and there laid on a beire or coffen bare faced, the same in presence of the beholders did bléed; where it rested the space of one whole daie. From thense he was caried to the Blackfriers, and bled there likewise: and on the next daie after, it was conueied in a boat, without priest or clerke, torch or taper, singing or saieng, vnto the monasterie of Chertseie, distant from London fiftéene miles, and there was it first buried: but after, it was remooued to Windesor, and there in a new vawt, newlie intoomed. He reigned eight and thirtie yeares, six moneths and od daies, and after his readeption of the crowne six moneths. He liued two and fiftie yeares, hauing by wife one onelie sonne, called Edward, prince of Wales.
He was of a séemelie stature, of bodie slender, to which proportion all other members were answerable; his face beautifull, wherein continuallie was resident the bountie of mind with the which he was inwardlie indued. Of his owne naturall inclination he abhorred all the vices as well of the bodie as of the soule. His patience was such that of all the iniuries to him doone (which were innumerable) he neuer asked vengeance, thinking that for such aduersitie as chanced to him, his sinnes should be forgotten and forgiuen. What losses soeuer happened vnto him, he neuer esteemed, nor made anie account therof; but if anie thing were doone, that might sound as an offense towards God, he sore lamented, and with great repentance sorowed for it.
So then verie vnlike it is, that he died of anie wrath, indignation, and displeasure bicause his businesse about the kéeping of the crowne on his head tooke no better successe: except peraduenture ye will saie, that it gréeued him, for that such slaughters and mischéeues as had chanced within this land, came to passe onelie through his follie and default in gouernment: or (that more is) for his fathers, his grandfathers, and his owne vniust vsurping and deteining of the crowne. But howsoeuer it was, for these before remembred, and other the like properties of reputed holinesse, which was said to rest in him, it pleased God to worke miracles for him in his life time as men haue listed to report.
Canonizing of kings, déere.
Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 730, 731, &c.
By reason whereof, king Henrie the seauenth sued to Pope Iulio the second, to haue him canonized a saint. But for that the canonizing of a king séemed to be more costlie than for a bishop, the said king left off his sute in that behalfe; thinking better to saue his monie, than to purchase a new holie daie of saint Henrie with so great a price, remitting to God the iudgement of his will and intent. ¶ But bicause princes princelie qualified, can not be too highlie praised, I will here record a collection of his commendable conditions, dooings, and saiengs, as I find them set downe to my hand, to his perpetuall renowme; and right worthie of imitation, not onelie of such as are singled out from among infinite thousands, to be magnified with roialtie; but also of priuat and meane men that conuerse and liue one with an other in the world.
This king hauing inioied as great prosperitie as fauourable fortune could afoord, & as great troubles on the other side as she frowning could powre out; yet in both the states he was patient and vertuous, that he maie be a patterne of most perfect vertue, as he was a worthie example of fortunes inconstancie. He was plaine, vpright, farre from fraud, wholie giuen to praier, reading of scriptures, and almesdeeds; of such integritie of life, that the bishop which had béene his confessour ten yeares, auouched that he had not all that time committed anie mortall crime: so continent, as suspicion of vnchast life neuer touched him: and hauing in Christmasse a shew of yoong women with their bare breasts laid out presented before him, he immediatlie departed with these words: "Fie, fie, for shame; forsooth you be too blame."
Before his marriage, he liked not that women should enter his chamber, and for this respect he committed his two brethren by the moothers side, Iasper and Edmund to most honest & vertuous prelats to be brought vp. So farre he was from couetousnesse, that when the executors of his vncle the bishop of Winchester, surnamed the rich cardinall, would haue giuen him two thousand pounds, he plainelie refused it, willing them to discharge the will of the departed, and would scarselie condescend at length to accept the same summe of monie toward the indowing of his colleges in Cambridge & Eaton. He was religiouslie affected (as the time then was) that at principall holidaies, he would weare sackecloth next his skin. Oth he vsed none, but in most earnest matters these words: Forsooth and forsooth.