YEOMEN OF THE GUARD FIRST BROUGHT IN. THE SWEATING SICKNESS (1486).
Source.—Holinshed's Chronicle, Vol. III., p. 482. (London, 1808.)
Shortly after for the better preservation of his royal person, he constituted and ordained a certain number as well of archers, as of divers other persons, hardy, strong, and active to give daily attendance on his person, whom he named yeomen of his guard, which precedent men thought that he learned of the French king when he was in France. For it is not remembered that any king of England before that day used any such furniture of daily soldiers. In this same year a kind of sickness invaded suddenly the people of this land, passing through the same from the one end to the other. It began about the one and twentieth of September, and continued until the latter end of October, being so sharp and deadly that the like was never heard of to any man's remembrance before that time.
For suddenly a deadly burning sweat so assailed their bodies and distempered their blood with a most ardent heat, that scarce one amongst an hundred that sickened did escape with life; for all in manner as soon as the sweat took them, or within a short time after, yielded the ghost. Beside the great number which deceased within the city of London, two mayors successively died within eight days and six aldermen. At length, by the diligent observation of those that escaped (which marking what things had done them good, and holpen to their deliverance, used the like again), when they fell into the same disease the second or third time as to divers it chanced, a remedy was found for that mortal malady which was this. If a man on the day time were taken with the sweat, then should he straight lie down with all his clothes and garments and continue in the sweat four and twenty hours after so moderate a sort as might be. If in night he chanced to be taken, then should he not rise out of his bed for the space of four and twenty hours, so casting the clothes that he might in no wise provoke the sweat, but lie so temperately that the water might distil out softly of its own accord. And to abstain from all meat if he might so long suffer hunger and to take no more drink neither hot nor cold than would moderately quench and assuage his thirsty appetite. Thus with lukewarm drink, temperate heat and measurable clothes many escaped: few which used this order (after it was found out) died of that sweat. Marry! one point diligently above all other in this cure is to be observed, that he never did put his hand or feet out of the bed to refresh or cool himself, which to do is no less jeopardy than short and present death. Thus this disease coming in the first year of King Henry's reign, was judged (of some) to be a token and sign of a troublesome reign of the same king, as the proof partly afterwards shewed itself.
LAMBERT SIMNEL (1486).
Source.—Holinshed's Chronicle, Vol. III., p. 484. (London, 1808.)
Amongst other such monsters and limbs of the devil, there was one Sir Richard Simond, priest, a man of base birth and yet well learned, even from his youth. He had a scholar called Lambert Simnel, one of a gentle nature and pregnant wit, to be the organ and chief instrument by the which he might convey and bring to pass his mischievous attempt. The devil, chief master of such practices, put in the venomous brain of this disloyal and traitorous priest to devise how he might make his scholar the aforesaid Lambert to be reputed as right inheritor to the crown of this realm. Namely for that the fame went that King Edward's children were not dead, but fled secretly into some strange place, and there to be living: and that Edward, Earl of Warwick, son and heir to the Duke of Clarence, either was, or shortly should be put to death.
These rumours though they seemed not to be grounded of any likehood to the wise sort of men, yet encouraged this peevish priest to think the time come that his scholar Lambert might take upon him the person and name of one of King Edward's children. And thereupon at Oxford, where their abiding was, the said priest instructed his pupil both with princely behaviour, civil manners and good literature, declaring to him of what lineage he should affirm himself to be descended, and omitted nothing that might serve for his purpose. Soon after, the rumour was blown abroad, that the Earl of Warwick was broken out of prison. And when the priest, Sir Richard Simond heard of this, he straight intended now by that occasion to bring his invented purpose to pass, and changing the child's name of baptism, called him Edward, after the name of the young Earl of Warwick, the which were both of like years and of like stature.
Then he with his scholar sailed into Ireland, where he so set forth the matter unto the nobility of that country, that not only the Lord Thomas Gerardine, Chancellor of that land, deceived through his crafty tale, received the counterfeit earl into his castle with all honour and reverence, but also many other noble men determined to aid him (with all their powers) as one descended of the blood royal and lineage come of the house of York, which the Irish people evermore highly favoured, honoured and loved above all other. By this mean every man throughout all Ireland was willing and ready to take his part and submit themselves to him; already reputing and calling him of all hands king. So that now they of this sect (by the advice of the priest) sent into England certain privy messengers to get friends here.
Also they sent into Flanders to the Lady Margaret, sister to King Edward and late wife to Charles, Duke of Burgoyne, to purchase, aid and help at her hands. This Lady Margaret bore no small rule in the low countries, and in very deed sore grudged in her heart that the King Henry (being descended of the house of Lancaster) should reign and govern of the realm of England, and therefore though she well understood that this was but a coloured matter, yet to work her malicious intention against King Henry, she was glad to have so fit an occasion, and therefore promised the messengers all the aid that she should be able to make in furtherance of the quarrel, and also to procure all the friends she could in other places to be aiders and partakers of the same conspiracy.