AN ENGLISHMAN'S LIBRARY (circa 1475).

Source.—Paston Letters, vol. iii., No. 869.

[Note.—The original manuscript is much decayed, and the portions between brackets represent attempted reconstructions of the text.]

The inventory of the English books of John [Paston] made the fifth day of November, anno regni regis E. iiij....

  1. A book had of mine hostess at the George ... of The Death of Arthur beginning at Cassab[elaun, Guy Earl of] Warwick; King Richard Cœur de Lion;[33] A chronicle ... to Edward III.
  2. [33] A romance of the fourteenth century, first printed by Wynkyn de Worde (1509-1528).
  3. Item, a book of Troilus[34] which William Bra ... hath had near ten years, and lent it to Dame ... Wyngfeld, and ibi ego vidi.
  4. [34] Chaucer's Troilus and Cressida.
  5. Item, a black book with the legend of Lad[ies,[35] la Belle Dame] saunce Mercye; the Parliament of Bird[s;[36] the Temple of] Glass;[37] Palatyse and Scitacus; the Me[ditations]; the Green Knight.[38]
  6. [35] Possibly Chaucer's Legend of Good Ladies.
  7. [36] Possibly Chaucer's Parliament of Fowls.
  8. [37] A poem by Lydgate (circa 1370-1451). For a text of this poem see Early English Text Society, Extra Series, lx. (1891).
  9. [38] An anonymous ballad of the fourteenth century.
  10. Item, a Book in print of the Play of the [Chess].
  11. Item, a book lent Midelton, and therein is Belle Da[me sans] Mercy; the Parliament of Birds; Ballad ... of Guy and Colbronde; of the Goose ... the Disputation between Hope and Despair; ... Mare haunts; the Life of Saint Cry[stofer].
  12. A red book that Percival Robsart gave me ... of the Meeds of the Mass; the Lamentation of Childe Ypotis;[39] a prayer to the Vernicle;[40] the Abbey of the Holy Ghost.
  13. [39] In this ballad Ypotis = Epictetus (see Horstmann's Altenglische Legenden (1881)).
  14. [40] The "Vernicle," or "Veronica Kerchief" was one of the most popular legends of the Middle Ages. Veronica, a lady of Jerusalem (afterwards identified with the woman that had an issue of blood), seeing Christ sinking beneath the burden of the Cross, wiped His face with a veil. After this work of mercy the face of Christ was found imprinted on the veil.
  16. Item, in quires:—Tully de Senectute[41] in divers [places] whereof there is no more clear written.
  17. [41] Cicero's De Senectute.
  18. Item, in quires:—Tully or Cypio[42] de Ami[citia] left with William Worcester.
  19. [42] Scipio. In Cicero's dialogue, De Amicitia, the friendship of the chief speaker, Gaius Lælius, with the younger Scipio, is taken as the model of the theme. "Equidem ex omnibus rebus, quas mihi aut fortuna aut natura tribuit, nihil habeo quod cum amicitia Scipionis possim compare."
  20. Item, in quires, a book of the Policy of In[gelond].
  21. Item, in quires, a book de Sapientia[43] ... wherein the second person is likened to Sapi[ence].
  22. [43] Lydgate's Werke of Sapience.
  23. Item, a Book de Othea,[44] text and gloss ... in quires. Memorandum, mine old Book of Blazonings of Arms.
  24. Item, the new Book portrayed and blazoned.
    Item, a copy of Blazonings of Arms and the names to
    be found by letter.
    Item, a book with arms portrayed in paper....
  25. Memorandum, my Book of Knighthood and the man[ner] of making of Knights, of Jousts, of Tour[nements], fighting in lists, paces holden by so[ldiers] ... and challenges, statutes of war, and De Regim[ine Principum].[45]
  26. Item, a new Book of new Statutes from Edward IV.
  27. [44] A treatise on Wisdom. Dr. Gairdiner notes that the name is derived from the Greek Ὠ θεὰ but was used in the Middle Ages as the name for the Goddess of Wisdom (Paston Letters, vol. ii., p. 335, n. 1).
  28. [45] Thomas Hoccleve (1370?-1449) wrote the Regement of Princes, based on the De Regimine Principum of Ægidius Colonna (see Early English Text Society, Extra Series, lxxii., 1897).

DEATH OF CLARENCE (1478).

Source.—Ingulph's Chronicles, pp. 479, 480. (Bohn Edition.)

Now each began to look upon the other with no very fraternal eyes. You might then have seen (as such men are generally to be found in the courts of all princes) flatterers running to and fro, from the one side to the other, and carrying backwards and forwards the words which had fallen from the two brothers, even if they had happened to be spoken in the most secret closet. The arrest of the duke for the purpose of compelling him to answer the charges brought against him happened under the following circumstances. One Master John Stacy, a person who was called an astronomer, when in reality he was rather a great sorcerer, formed a plot in conjunction with one Burdet, an esquire, and one of the said duke's household; upon which he was accused, among numerous other charges, of having made leaden images and other things to procure thereby the death of Richard, Lord Beauchamp, at the request of his adulterous wife. Upon being questioned in a very severe examination as to his practice of damnable arts of this nature, he made confession of many matters, which told both against himself and the said Thomas Burdet. The consequence was, that Thomas was arrested as well; and at last, judgment of death was pronounced upon them both, at Westminster, from the Bench of our lord the king, the judges being there seated, together with nearly all the lords temporal of the kingdom. Being drawn to the gallows at Tyburn, they were permitted briefly to say what they thought fit before being put to death; upon which, they protested their innocence, Stacy indeed but faintly; while, on the other hand, Burdet spoke at great length, and with much spirit, and as his last words exclaimed with Susanna, "Behold! I must die; whereas I never did such things as these."

On the following day, the Duke of Clarence came to the council-chamber at Westminster, bringing with him a famous Doctor of the Order of Minorites, Master William Goddard by name, in order that he might read the confession and declaration of innocence above-mentioned before the lords in the said council assembled; which he accordingly did, and then withdrew. The king was then at Windsor, but when he was informed of this circumstance, he was greatly displeased thereat, and recalling to mind the information formerly laid against his brother, and which he had long kept treasured up in his breast, he summoned the duke to appear on a certain day in the royal palace of Westminster: upon which, in presence of the Mayor and aldermen of the city of London, the king began, with his own lips, amongst other matters, to inveigh against the conduct of the before-named duke, as being derogatory to the laws of the realm, and most dangerous to judges and jurors throughout the kingdom. But why enlarge? The duke was placed in custody, and from that day up to the time of his death never was known to have regained his liberty.

The circumstances that happened in the ensuing Parliament my mind shudders to enlarge upon, for then was to be witnessed a sad strife carried on before these two brethren of such high estate. For not a single person uttered a word against the duke except the King; not one individual made answer to the King except the duke. Some parties were introduced, however, as to whom it was greatly doubted by many, whether they filled the office of accusers rather, or of witnesses; these two offices not being exactly suited to the same person in the same cause. The duke met all the charges made against him with a denial, and offered, if he could only obtain a hearing, to defend his cause with his own hand. But why delay in using many words? Parliament being of opinion that the informations which they had heard were established, passed sentence upon him of condemnation, the same being pronounced by the mouth of Henry, duke of Buckingham, who was appointed Seneschal of England for the occasion. After this, execution was delayed for a considerable time; until the Speaker of the Commons, coming to the upper house with his fellows, made a fresh request that the matter might be brought to a conclusion. In consequence of this, in a few days after, the execution, whatever its nature may have been, took place (and would that it had ended these troubles!) in the Tower of London, it being the year of our Lord, 1478, and the eighteenth of the reign of King Edward.