For vpright dealing, dets payd, poore sustayned,
Is meane whereby all heartes are throwly gayned.[1143]
[As soone as the earle had ended this admonition: “Sure,” sayd[1144] one, “I thinke the earle of Warwicke (although hee were a glorious man) hath sayd no more of himselfe then what is true. For if hee had not had notable good vertues, or vertuous qualities, and vsed laudable meanes in his trade of life, the people would neuer haue loued him as they did: but God be with him, and send his soule rest, for sure his body neuer had any. And although he dyed, yet ciuil warres ceased not. For immediately after his death came queene Margaret with a power out of Fraunce, bringing with her her yong son prince Edward: and with such friends as she found here, gaue king Edward a battayl at Tewkesbury, where both she and her son were taken prisoners with Eadmund duke of Somerset her chiefe captayne: whose son lord Iohn, and the earle of Deuonshyre were slayn in fight,[1145] and the duke himselfe with diuers other immediately beheaded. Whose infortunes are worthy to be remembred, chiefly prince Edward’s, whome the king for speaking trueth cruelly stroke with his gauntlet, and his brethren tyrannously[1146] murdered. But seing the time so far spent, I will passe them ouer, and with them Fauconbridge that ioly rouer beheaded at Southampton: whose commotion made in Kent, was cause of sely Henrye’s destruction. And seing king Henry himselfe was cause of the destruction of many noble princes, being of all other most infortunate himselfe, I will declare what I haue noted in his vnlucky life: who wounded in prison with a dagger, may lament his wretchednesse in maner following.”]
How King Henry the sixte, a vertuous Prince, was, after many other miseries, cruelly murdered in the Tower of London, the 22 of May, Anno 1471.[1147]
1.
If euer woefull wight had cause to rue his state,
Or by his ruefull plight to moue men mone his fate,
My piteous plaint may please my mishap to reherse,
Whereof the least most lightely heard, the hardest hart may perce.
2.