“And also where John Veer late Erl of Oxford, late of Wyvenho in the counte of Essex Knyght, George Veer, late of the same toune Knyght, Thomas Veer late of the same toune Knyght, Robert Harlyston, late of Shymplyng in the counte of Suffolk Squyer, William Godmanston, late of Bromle in the counte of Essex, Squyer, John Durraunt, late of Colleweston in the counte of Northampton Yoman, and Robert Gybbon, late of Wyngfeld in the counte of Suffolk Squyer, in the solempne and high fest of Ester Day, the which was the XIIIIth day of Aprill, the XIth yere of the reigne of our said sovereigne liege Lord, at Barnet in the counte of Hertford, and there and thenne togider assembled theym, with grete multitude of his innaturall subgiettes, rebelles and traytours, felonsle falsle and traiterousle, levied werre agayns Kyng Edward the IIIIth, their naturall liege Lord, his roiall persone then and there beyng, and his baner displayed, entendyng traiterousle then and there the fynall distruction of his said moost roiall persone, purposyng to have distroyd’ hym, and deposed hym of his roiall astate, corone and dignitee, and there and then falsle and traiterousle made and reared werre agayns his astate, sheddyng there the blode of grete nombre of his subgiettes; in the which bataill, it pleased Almyghty God to gyf hym victorie of hys ennemyes and rebelles, and to subdue the effecte of their fals and traiterous purpose. And also where Thomas Tresham late of Sywell in the counte of Northampton Knyght, John Delves, late of Uttokeshater, in the counte of Stafford Squyer, and Robert Baynton, late of Farleston in the counte of Wilteshire Knyght, with grete nombre of rebelles and traytours, assembled theym the IIIth day of the moneth of May, the said XIth yere of the reigne of oure said sovereigne Lord, at Tewkesbury in the counte of Gloucestr’, and there and then felonsle falsle and traiterousle levied werre agayns Kyng Edward the IIIIth, their naturall liege Lord, his roiall persone then and there beyng, and his baner displaied, entendyng traiterousle then and there the fynall destruction of his said moost roiall persone.”

The act then declares the persons comprised in it convicted of high treason, and all their castles, manors, lordships, lands, &c., forfeited to the King, and also declares that they were disabled from having or enjoying any name of dignity, pre-eminence, &c. &c.

No. III.

Extract from the Act of Attainder of 1st Henry VII., passed against the Yorkists who had taken part in the Battle of Bosworth.—Rot. Parl. 1st Henry VII. (A.D. 1485), vol. vi. fos. 275 and 276.

“Forasmoche as every king, prince, and liege lord, the more hie that he be in estate and prehemenence, the more singularly he is bound to the advancement and preferring of that indefferent vertue justice; and promoteinge and rewardinge vertue, and bi oppressinge and punishinge vice: Wherefore oure soveraigne lord, calleinge unto hys blessed remembraunce thys high and grete charge adjoyned to hys royall majestie and estate, not oblivious nor puttinge out of hys godly mind the unnaturall, mischeivous, and grete perjuries, treasons, homicides and murdres, in shedding of infants blood, with manie other wronges, odious offences, and abominac̃ons ayenst God and man, and in es̃pall oure said soveraigne lord, committed and doone by Richard late Duke of Glouc’, callinge and nameinge hymself, by usurpac̃on, King Richard the IIId; the which, with John late Duke of Norff’, Thomas Erle of Surrie, Francis Lovell Kñt Visc’ Lovell, Walter Devereux Kñt, late Lord Ferrers, John Lord Zouche, Robert Harrington, Richard Charleton, Richard Ratcliffe, William Berkley of Welley, Robert Brakenbury, Thomas Pillkinton, Robert Midletoune, James Harrington, Kñts, Walter Hopton, William Catesby, Roger Wake, William Sapcott, Humfrey Stafford, William Clerke of Wenlocke, Jeffrey St̃ Jermin, Richard Watkins, Herrauld of Armes, Richard Revell of Derbishyre, Thomas Poulter of the countee of Kent the younger, John Walsh otherwyse called Hastinges, John Kendale, late secretarie to the said Richard late Duke, John Buck, Andrew Ratt, and William Bramton of Burford, the XXIst daie of August, the first yere of the reigne of oure soveraigne lord, assembled to theyme atte Leicestre in the countee of Leicestre a grete hoste, traiterously intendinge, imagininge and conspireinge the destrucc̃on of the kinges royall ps̃oune, oure soveraigne leige lord. And they, with the same hoste, with banners spred, mightyly armed and defenced with all manner armes, as gunnes, bowes, arrowes, speres, gleves, axes, and all other manner articles apt or needfull to gef and cause mightie battaille agen oure said soveraigne lord, kept togedre from the said XXIId daie of the said month thanne next followinge, and theyme conduced to a feld within the said shyre of Leicestre, there bi grete and continued deliberacõne, traiterously levied warre ayenst oure said soveraine lord, and his true subjects there being in his service and assistance under a banner of oure said soveraine lord, to the subversion of this realme, and com̃on weale of the same.”

The act then proceeds to declare Richard Duke of Gloucester otherwise called King Richard III., and all the noblemen, knights, and other persons comprised in the act, convicted of high treason, and disabled and forejudged of all honours, dignity, pre-eminences, &c. &c., and all their castles, manors, lordships, lands, goods, &c., forfeited to the King.

No. IV.

Proclamation by Henry VII., for enforcing order and discipline in his Army; and Extract from a Journal of the March and Proceedings of Henry VII. previously to the Battle of Stoke; from a manuscript in the Cottonian Library.—Lelandi Collectanea, vol. iv. p. 210.

“The King our souveraigne lorde straytly charge and comaunde, that no maner of man, of whatsoever state, degre, or condition he bee, robe ne spoyle any chyrche, ne take oute of the same any ornament theron belonging, nor touche ne sett hande on the pixe wherein the blessed sacrament is conteynede, nor yet robbe ne spoyle any maner man or woman, upon peyne of deth. Also that no maner of persones ne persones whatsoever they bee make no quarell to any man, nor sease nor vex ne troble any man by body or goodes for any offense, or by color of any offence hertofor doon or comyttede agenst the roial Majestie of the King our saide souveraigne lorde, withoute his auctoritie and especial comaundement geven unto hym or theym, that so doon in that behalfe upon peyne of deth. Also that no maner of persones ne persones whatsoever they bee, ravishe no religios woman, nor mannes wiff, doughter, maydene, ne no mannes ne womans servaunt, or take, ne presume to take, any maner of vytayll, horsemet, nor mannes mete, withoute paying therfor the reasonable pryce therof, assisede by the clerke of the market or other the king’s officers therfor ordeynede, upon peyne of deth. Also that no maner of persones ne persones, whatsoever thay bee, take uppon theym to logge theymsilfs, nor take no maner of logging, ne harbygage, but suche as shal be assignede unto hym or theym by the King’s herbygeours, nor disloge no man, nor chaunge no logging after that he be assignede, without advyse and assent of the said harbygeours, uppon peine of imprisonment and to be punyshede at the wille of our saide souveraigne lorde. Also that no maner of man, whatsoever he bee, make no quarell with any other man, whatsoever be bee, for no maner of cause, old ne newe; ne make no maner of fray, within the hooste ne withoute, upon peyne of imprisonment and to bee punishede according to ther trespas and defautes. And if ther happen any suche quarell of affray to be made by any evyll disposede personnes, that then no maner of man, for any acquentaunce or filiship that they bee of, take noo parte with no suche mysdooers in any suche affrayes or quarells, upon peyne of imprisonment and to be punyshed at the King’s wille. But that every man endevor hymsilf to take al suche mysdooers and brynge theym to the marshalls ward, to be punyshed according to ther desertes. Also that no maner of personne, whatsoever he bee, hurte, troble, bete, ne lette no maner of personne, man, woman, or childe bryngyng any vitayle unto the Kings hooste, upon payne of imprisonment and his bodye to bee at the Kings wille. And over this, that every man, being of the reteyne of our saide souveraigne lorde, at the furste sounde or blaste of the trumpet to saddil hys hors; at the 2d doo brydell; and at the 3d be redy on horsebake to wayte upon his highnesse, upon peyne of imprisonment. Also, that no maner of personne, whatsoever he bee, make no skryes, showtings, or blowing of hornesse in the Kings hooste after the wache bee sett, upon peyne of imprisonment and his bodye to be at the Kings wille. Also, that no vagabonde, nor other, folowe the Kings hooste, but suche as be reteynede, or have maisters within the same, upon peyne of imprisonment and to bee punyshede in example for other; and that no coman wooman folow the Kings hooste, upon payne of imprisonment and openly to be punyshede in example of al other. Also, whansoever it shall please the King our souveraigne lorde to comaunde any of hys officers of armes to charge any thing in his name, by hys high comaundement, or by the comaundement of his counstable or marshall, that it be observed and kept, upon payne of imprisonment and his body to be punyshed at the Kings pleasure.

“From thens” [Kenilworth] “the King procedede to Coventrye, wher the Bishop of Wynchester toke his leve and went to the Quene and the Prince, and the substance of his companye waytede upon the King, under the standerde of his neveu th Erle of Devonshir. From Coventrie the King remeved unto Leycester, wherby the comaundement of the mooste Reverende Fader in God, th Archbishop of Canterbury, then Chanceller of England, the Kings proclamations were put in execusion. And in especyal voydyng comen women and vagabonds, for ther wer imprisonede great nomber of both. Wherfor ther was more reste in the King’s hooste, and the better rule. And on the morow, which was on the Monday, the King lefte ther the forsaide Reverende Fader in God and roode to Loughborough; and the saide Lorde Chancellors folks were commyttede by his neveu, Robert Morton, unto the stander of th Erle of Oxinforde, in the fowarde. And at Loughborough, the stokks and prisonnes wer reasonabley fylled with harlatts and vagabonds. And after that were but fewe in the hooste unto the tyme the felde was doon. On Tewsday the King remevede and lay al nyght in the felde, under a wode called Bonley Rice. And on the Wednesday the King’s marshalls and herbigers of his hoste did not so welle ther diligence that way, for when the King remevede ther was no propre grounde appoyntede wher the Kings hooste shulde logge that nyght hen following, but it was a royal and a marvelouse faire and a wele tempered day. And the King, with his hooste, wandrede her and ther a great espace of tyme, and so came to a fayre longe hille, wher the King sett his folks in array of batell, that is to say, a bow and a bill at his bak, and al the fowarde were wele and warely loggede under the hille to Notyngham warde. And when the King hade sene his people in this fayr array, he roode to a village 3 myles a this side Notingham, on the highway syde, wher in a gentilmannes place his grace logede. And in that village, and in a bene felde to Notingham warde, lougede al his batell; whiche evening wer taken certeyn espies, whiche noysede in the contrey that the King had ben fledde. And sume were hangede on the ashe at Notyngham Brygge ende. And on the morowe, whiche was Corpus Christi day, after the King had harde the dyvyne servyce in the pariche chirche, and the trumpetts hadde blowne to horse, the King, not letting his hoste to understand his entente, rode bakewarde to see, and also welcome the Lord Strannge, whichc brought with hym a great hoste, inow to have beten al the Kings enemies, only of my Lorde his faders th’ Erle of Derbye folks and his. And al wer fayre embaytailled, whiche unknowne turnyng to the hooste, causede many folks for to marvaille. Also the Kings standerde and muche cariage folowde after the King, unto the tyme the King was advertysede by Garter King of Armes, whom the King comaunded to turne them al ageyn, whiche so dide theym al in bataile on the hef heder side of the great hille a this side Notingham, unto the tyme the King came. That nyght the Kings hooste lay under the ende of all that hille towarde Notingham to Lenton warde, and his fowarde befor hym to Notyngham Bruge warde. And th Erle of Derbyes host on the Kings lifte hand to the meadowes besides Lenton. And that evenyng ther was a great skrye, at wiche skrye ther flede many men; but it was great joy to see how sone the King was redye and his true men in array. And from thens, on the Friday, the King, understanding that his enemyes and rebelles drew towards Newarke warde, passing by Southwelle and the furside of Trente, the King with his hoste remevede thedarwards, and logged that nyght beside a village callede Ratcliff, 9 miles oute of Newarke. That evening ther was a great skrye, whiche causede many cowards to flee; but th Erle of Oxinforde, and al the nobles in the fowarde with hym, wer sone in a good array and in a fayr bataile, and so was the King and al the very men that ther wer. And in this estrye I harde of no man of worship that fledde but raskells.

“On the morne, which was Satirday, the King erly arros and harde 2 masses, wherof the Lorde John Fox, Bishop of Excester, sange the ton; and the King had 5 good and true men of the village of Ratecliff, whiche shewde his grace the beste way for to conduyt his hoost to Newark, whiche knew welle the countrey, and shewde wher wer marres, and wher was the river of Trent, and wher wer vilages or grovys for bushements, or strayt weyes, that the King might conduyt his hoost the better. Of whiche guides the King gave 2 to th’ Erle of Oxinforde to conduyt the fowarde, and the remanent reteyned at his pleasure. And so in good order and array, before 9 of the clok, beside a village called Stook, a large myle oute of Newarke, his fowarde recountrede his enemyes and rebells, wher by the helpe of Almighty God, he hadde the victorye. And ther was taken the lad that his rebells callede King Edwarde, whos name was indede Lambert, by a vaylent and a gentil esquier of the Kings howse, called Robert Bellingham. And ther was slayne th’ Erle of Lincoln John, and dyvers other gentilmen, and the Vicount Lorde Lovell put to flight. And ther was slayne of Englishe, Duche, and Irishemen M IIII. And that day the king made 13 baneretts and LII knyghts, whose names ensueth.

“Theis bee the names of the baneretts:

Sir Gilbert Talbot, Sir John Cheyny, Sir William Stow, Theis III wer made byfor the batell.