For euery whyt, By his owne wyt, And toke an other way: Be dygged it in a pot, And there he left it not. He supped it fayre vp, His money to enclose, He could it neuer lose. He borrowed then, Money and marchaundise: Neuer payd it, Up he laid it, In like maner wyse. Yet on the gere, He reight not what he spent, So it were nyce, As for the price, Could him not miscontent. With lusty sporte, And with resort, Of ioly company, In mirth and play, He liued merely. To have a lucky howre, And so was he, He gat and suche honour, A sergeaunt well and fayre, As sone as on the mayre. But he doubtlesse, Of his mekenesse, Hated such pompe and pride, And would not go, Companied so, But drewe himself a side, To saint Katharine, Streight as a line, He gate him at a tyde, Depart againe, But that he wist not whither. Than after this, To a frende of his, He went and there abode, He myght not come abrode. It happed than, A marchant man, That he ought money to, Of an officere, That gan enquere, What him was best to do. And he answerde, Be not aferde, Take an accion therfore, I you beheste, I shall hym reste, And than care for no more. I feare quod he, It wyll not be, For he wyll not come out, It shall be brought about. Haue I bene well in vre, Let me be bake, But yf I do this cure. Thus part they both, And foorth then goth, A pace this officere, And for a day, All his array, He chaunged with a freze. That no man might, He toted and he peered, To see how well he freered. Unto the place, He goeth withouten shame To do this dede, But now take hede, For here begynneth the game... But I would now, Comen with you, In counsayle yf you please, Or ellys nat Of matters that Shall set your heart at ease. No say on gentle frere, I long full sore to here. The frere with euyll grace, Sayd, I rest the, Come on with me, And out he toke his mace: Thou shalt obay, Come on thy way, I have the in my clouche, Thou goest not hence, For all the pense, The mayre hath in his pouche. This marchaunt there, For wrath and fere, He waxyng welnygh wood, Sayd horson thefe, Who hath taught the thy good. And with his fist Vpon the lyst, He gaue hym such a blow, That backward downe, Almost in sowne, The frere is ouerthrow. Yet was this man, Well fearder than, Lest he the frere had slayne, Till with good rappes, He dawde hym vp agayne. And vp he starte, And well he layde about, And claue togyder fast, They fell downe bothe at last. With many a sadde stroke, They turne and tumble, Fast by her syde doth wery labour stand, His eyes drowsy and Ickyng as he slept. He forceth not so he may money haue, Lo thus ye see diuers heddes, diuers wittes. Not to all men, as commeth sonne or dewe, And yet her brotell gifts long may not last. He that she gaue them, loketh prowde and hye. She whirlth about and pluckth away as fast, He wepeth and wayleth and curseth her full sore. But he that receueth it, on that other syde, Alas the folysh people can not cease, In chaungyng of her course, the chaunge shewin this, Vp startth a knaue, and downe there falth a The beggar ryche, and the ryche man pore is. Great beste she maketh yf one be by her Welthy and wretched both within an howre. take, Wyth mery chere, looketh vppon the prece, Fast by her standeth the wyse Socrates, sonne Bekyth hym poore Diogenes in his tonne. With her is Byas, whose countrey lackt de- And whylom of their foes støde so in dout, Of this poore sect, it is comen vsage, Ne voyd her trayne, tyil they the harme do The secrete draughtes of nature to beholde. fele. About her alway, besely they preace. But lord how he doth thynk hym self full That may set once his hande vppon her whele. Thus fell Julius from his mighty power. She sodeinly enhaunceth them aloft. Set fortunes servauntes by them and ye That one is free, that other euer thrall, shall, As great difference between them as we see, Now haue I shewed you bothe: these whiche ye lyst, Stately fortune, or humble pouertee: If that ye thynke your selfe to well at ease. And fyrst vppon the louely shall she smile, And frendly on the cast her wandering eyes, Embrace the in her armes, and for a whyle, Put the and kepe the in a fooles paradise: And foorth with all what so thou lyst deuise, She wyll the graunt it liberally perhappes: But for all that beware of after clappes. Recken you neuer of her fauoure sure: Ye may in clowds as easily trace an hare, Or in drye lande cause fishes to endure, And make the burnyng fyre his heate to spare, And all thys worlde in compace to forfare, As her to make by craft or engine stable, That of her nature is euer variable. Serue her day and nyght as reuerently, Vppon thy knees as any seruaunt may, And in conclusion, that thou shalt winne thereby Shall not be worth thy servyce I dare say. And looke yet what she geueth the to day, With labour wonne she shall happly to RICHARDE the third sonne, of whom we nowe entreate, was in witte and courage egall with either of them, in bodye and prowesse farre vnder them bothe, little of stature, ill fetured of limmes, croke backed, his left shoulder much higher than his right, hard fauoured of visage, and such as is in states called warlye, in other nenne otherwise, he was malicious, wrathfull, enuious, and from afore his birth, euer frowarde. It is for trouth reported, that the duches his mother had so much a due in her trauaile, that shee coulde not bee deliuered of hvm vncutte: and that he came into the world with the feete forwarde, as menne bee borne outwarde, and (as the fame runneth) also not vntothed, whither menne of hatred reporte aboue the trouthe, or ells that nature chaurged her course in hys, beginninge, whiche in the course of his lyfe many thinges vnnaturallye committed. None euill captaine was hee in the warre, as to whiche his disposicion was more metely then for peace. Sundrye victories hadde hee, and sommetime ouerthrowes, but neuer in defaulte as for his owne parsone, either of hardinesse or polytike order, free was hee called of dyspence, and sommewhat aboue hys power liberall, with large giftes hee get him vnstedfaste frendeshippe, for whiche hee was fain to pil and spoyle in other places, and get him stedfast hatred. Hee was close and secrete, a deepe dissimuler, lowlye of counteynaunce, arrogant of heart, outwardly coumpinable where he inwardely hated, not letting to kisse whome hee thoughte to kyll: dispitious and cruell, not for euill will alway, but after for ambicion, and either for the suretie and encrease of his estate. Frende and foo was muche what indifferent, where his adnauntage grew, he spared no mans deathe, whose life withstoode his purpose. He slewe with his owne handes king Henry the sixt, being prisoner in the Tower, as menne constantly saye, and that without commaundement or knoweledge of the king, whiche woulde vndoubtedly yf he had entended that thinge, haue appointed that boocherly office, to some other then his owne borne brother. Somme wise menne also weene, that his drift couertly conuayde, lacked not in helping furth his brother of Clarence to his death: whiche hee resisted openly, how beit somwhat (as menne deme) more faintly then he that wer hartely minded to his welth. And they that thus deme, think that he long time in king Edwardes life, forethought to be king in that case the king his brother (whose life hee looked that euil dyete shoulde shorten) shoulde happen to decease (as in dede he did) while his children wer yonge. And thei deme, that for thys intente he was gladde of his brothers death the duke of Clarence, whose life must nedes haue hindered hym so entendynge, whither the same duke of Clarence hadde kepte him true to his nephew the yonge king, or enterprised to be kyng himselfe. But of al this pointe, is there no certaintie, and whoso diuineth vppon coniectures, maye as wel shote to farre as to short. Howbeit this haue I by credible informacion learned, that the selfe nighte in whyche kynge Edwarde died, one Mystlebrooke longe ere mornynge, came in greate haste to the house of one Pottyer dwellyng in Reddecrosse strete without Crepulgate : and when he was with hastye rappyng quickly letten in, hee shewed vnto Pottyer that kynge Edwarde was departed. By my trouthe manne quod Pottyer them wyll my mayster the duke of Gloucester bee kynge. What cause hee hadde soo to thynke harde it is to saye, whyther hee being toward him, anye thynge knewe that hee suche thynge purposed, or otherwyse had anye inkelynge thereof: for hee was not likelye to speake it of noughte. But nowe to returne to the course of this bystorye, were it that the duke of Gloucester hadde of old foreminded this conclusion, or was nowe at erste thereunto moued, and putte in hope by the occasion of the tender age of the younge princes, his nephues (as opportunitye and lykelyhoode of spede, putteth a manne in courage of that hee neuer entended) certayn is it that hee contriued theyr destruccion, with the vsurpacion of the regal dignitye vppon hymselfe. And for as muche as hee well wiste and holpe to mayntayn, a long continued grudge and hearte brennynge betwene the quenes kinred and the kinges blood eyther partye enuying others authoritye, he nowe thought that their deuision shoulde bee (as it was in dede) a fortherlye begynnynge to the pursuite of his intente, and a sure ground for the foundacion of al his building yf he might firste vnder the pretext of reuengynge of olde displeasure, abuse the anger and ygnoraunce the tone partie, to the destruccion of the tother: and then wynne to this purpose as manye as he coulde: and those that coulde not be wonne, myght be loste ere they looked therefore. For of one thynge was hee certayne, that if his entente were perceiued, he shold soone haue made peace beetwene the bothe parties, with his owne bloude. of Kynge Edwarde in his life, albeit that this discencion beetwene hys frendes sommewhat yrked hym: yet in his good health he sommewhat the lesse regarded it, because hee thought whatsoeuer busines shoulde falle betwene them, hymselfe should alwaye bee hable to rule bothe the parties. But in his last sicknesse, when hee receiued his naturall strengthe soo sore entebled, that hee dyspayred all recouerye, |