God graunt my woefull haps, too greeuous to rehearce,
May teach all states to knowe, howe deepely daungers pearce,
How fraile all honours are, how brittle worldly blisse,
That warned through my fearefull fate, they feare to doe amisse.[1161]
[This tragedy ended, another sayd: “Either you or king Henry are a good philosopher, so narowly to argue the causes of misfortunes? but there is nothing to experience which taught, or might teach the king this lesson. But to proceede in our matter, I finde mention here, shortly after the death of this king, of a duke of Excester found dead in the sea betweene Douer and Calais, but what hee was, or by what aduenture hee died, maister Fabian hath not shewed, and maister Hall hath ouerskipped him: so that except wee be friendlier vnto him, hee is like to be double drowned, both in sea, and in the gulfe of forgetfulnes.” About this matter was much talke, but because one tooke vpon him to seeke out that story, that charge was committed to him. And to bee occupied in the meane while, I haue found the story of one drowned likewise, and that so notably, though priuely, that all the world knew of it: wherefore I sayd: “Because night approacheth, and that wee will lose no time, yee shall heare what I haue noted concerning the duke of Clarence, king Edward’s brother, who all to bee washed in wine, may bewayle his infortune after this maner.”]
How George Plantagenet, third sonne of the Duke of Yorke, was by his brother King Edward wrongfully imprisoned, and by his brother Richard miserably murdered the 11 of Jan. An. 1478.[1162]
1.
The foule is fowle, men say, that files the nest:
Which makes me loth to speke now, might I chuse,
But seyng time vnburdened hath her brest,