Abr. Fl. ex I. S. pag. 746, 749.
Fiue théeues for sacrilege seuerelie executed.
¶ On the two and twentith of Februarie were fiue notable théeues put to death, for robbing the church called saint Martins le grand in London, and other places; thrée of them were drawne to the Tower hill, hanged & burnt, the other two were pressed to death. A sore and seuere kind of execution no doubt, but yet thought by iustice meritorious in the malefactors, for their offences of sacrelege. Heinous enough had it beene to spoile a priuat man of his goods, and by law of nations punishable with death; but much more horrible, that prophane persons with polluted hands should priuilie or openlie so touch holie & consecrated things, as to take them out of a sacred place, whereto (for holy vses) they were dedicated, & applie them to the satisfieng of the corrupt concupiscences of their owne hearts, the bottomlesse gulfe whereof bicause no booties nor spoiles could satisfie; it stood with the high praise of iustice that they and their ceaselesse desires were seuered by deserued death; wherefore it is wiselie said by the comicall poet of such gréedie guts:
Plaut. in Rud.
Quam quis auidus poscit escam auariter,
Decipitur in transenna perítque auaritia.
Scala temporum.
In this yeare king Edward required great sums of monie to be lent him. The citizens of London granted him fiue thousand marks, which were seized of the fiue and twentie wards: which fiue thousand marks was trulie repaid againe in the next yeare following. ¶ Also this yeare on Whitsundaie K. Edward the fourth created the lord Berkleie, vicount Berkeleie, at Gréenewich. ¶ In this yeare also an house on London bridge called the common siege, or priuie, fell downe into the Thames, where thorough it fiue persons were drowned. ¶ This yeare the king with his quéene kept a roiall Christmas at Windsor.
The king feasteth the maior and aldermen.
Fabian pag. 512.
Also this yéere was one Richard Chawrie maior of London, whome king Edward so greatlie fauoured, that he tooke him (with certeine of his brethren the aldermen, & commons of the citie of London) into the forrest of Waltham, where was ordeined for them a pleasant lodge of gréene boughs, in which lodge they dined with great chéere; & the king would not go to dinner vntill he saw them serued. Moreouer he caused the lord chamberlaine, with other lords, to cheere the said maior and his companie sundrie times whilest they were at dinner. After dinner they went a hunting with the king, and slue manie deare, as well red as fallow, whereof the king gaue vnto the maior and his companie good plentie, and sent vnto the ladie mairesse and hir sisters the aldermens wiues, two harts, six bucks, and a tun of wine to make them merrie with, which was eaten in the drapers hall. The cause of which bountie thus shewed by the king, was (as most men did take) for that the maior was a merchant of woonderous aduentures into manie and sundrie countries. By reason whereof, the king had yearelie of him notable summes of monie for his customes, beside other pleasures that he had shewed vnto the king before times. ¶ This yéere the Scots began to stir, against whom the king sent the duke of Glocester & manie others, which returned againe without any notable battell.