66 66 "himself with importune and incessant labour and "industry, to compass my death and ruin, if I had "been such a feigned person. But the truth of my cause being so manifest, moved the most Christian King Charles, and the lady Duchess Dowager of Burgundy, my most dear aunt, not only to acknowledge the truth thereof, but lovingly to assist "me. But it seemeth that God above, for the good "of this whole island, and the knitting of these two 66 66 kingdoms of England and Scotland in a strait "concord and amity, by so great an obligation, "hath reserved the placing of me in the imperial "throne of England for the arms and succours "of your grace. Neither is it the first time that a King of Scotland hath supported them that were "bereft and spoiled of the kingdom of England, as "of late, in fresh memory, it was done in the person 66 66 of Henry the Sixth. Wherefore, for that your grace "hath given clear signs, that you are in no noble quality inferior to your royal ancestors, I, so dis"tressed a prince, was hereby moved to come and put myself into your royal hands, desiring your "assistance to recover my kingdom of England; promising faithfully to bear myself towards your 66 grace no otherwise, than if I were your own na"tural brother; and will, upon the recovery of mine ❝ inheritance, gratefully do you all the pleasure that "is in my utmost power." After Perkin had told his tale, King James answered bravely and wisely; "That whatsoever he were, he should not repent him of putting him 66 "self into his hands." And from that time forth, though there wanted not some about him, that would have persuaded him that all was but an illusion; yet notwithstanding, either taken by Perkin's amiable and alluring behaviour, or inclining to the recommendation of the great princes abroad, or willing to take an occasion of a war against King Henry, he entertained him in all things, as became the person of Richard, Duke of York; embraced his quarrel; and, the more to put it out of doubt, that he took him to be a great prince, and not a representation only, he gave consent that this duke should take to wife the Lady Catharine Gordon, daughter to the Earl of Huntley, being a near kinswoman to the king himself, and a young virgin of excellent beauty and virtue. Not long after, the King of Scots in person, with Perkin in his company, entered with a great army, though it consisted chiefly of borderers, being raised somewhat suddenly, into Northumberland. And Perkin, for a perfume before him as he went, caused to be published a proclamation* of this tenor following, in the name of Richard, Duke of York, true inheritor of the crown of England: "It hath pleased God, who putteth down the mighty from their seat, and exalteth the humble, "and suffereth not the hopes of the just to perish * The original of this proclamation remaineth with Sir Robert Cotton, a worthy preserver and treasurer of rare antiquities: from whose manuscripts I have had much light for the furnishing of this work. "in the end, to give us means at the length to show "ourselves armed unto our lieges and people of 66 England. But far be it from us to intend their "hurt or damage, or to make war upon them, other"wise than to deliver ourself and them from tyranny "and oppression. For our mortal enemy Henry "Tudor, a false usurper of the crown of England "which to us by natural and lineal right appertain"eth, knowing in his own heart our undoubted right, "we being the very Richard, Duke of York, younger "son, and now surviving heir male of the noble and "victorious Edward the Fourth, late King of England, hath not only deprived us of our kingdom, " but likewise, by all foul and wicked means, sought "to betray us, and bereave us of our life. Yet if "his tyranny only extended itself to our person, 66 66 although our royal blood teacheth us to be sensi"ble of injuries, it should be less to our grief. But "this Tudor, who boasteth himself to have over"thrown a tyrant, hath, ever since his first entrance into his usurped reign, put little in practice, but "tyranny and the feats thereof. "For King Richard, our unnatural uncle, although "desire of rule did blind him, yet in his other actions, "like a true Plantagenet, was noble, and loved the "honour of the realm, and the contentment and "comfort of his nobles and people. But this our "mortal enemy, agreeable to the meanness of his "birth, hath trodden under foot the honour of "this nation: selling our best confederates for 66 money, and making merchandize of the blood, "estates, and fortunes of our peers and subjects, 66 by feigned wars and dishonourable peace, only to "enrich his coffers. Nor unlike hath been his "hateful misgovernment and evil deportments at "home. First, he hath, to fortify his false quarrel, "caused divers nobles of this our realm, whom he "held suspect and stood in dread of, to be cruelly "murdered; as our cousin Sir William Stanley, "lord chamberlain, Sir Simon Mountford, Sir Ro"bert Ratcliffe, William D'Aubigny, Humphrey "Stafford, and many others, besides such as have dearly bought their lives with intolerable ran"soms: some of which nobles are now in the 66 sanctuary. Also he hath long kept, and yet keepeth in prison, our right entirely well"beloved cousin, Edward, son and heir to our "uncle Duke of Clarence, and others; withholding "from them their rightful inheritance, to the intent they should never be of might and power, to aid "and assist us at our need, after the duty of their legiances. He also married by compulsion, cer"tain of our sisters, and also the sister of our said "cousin the Earl of Warwick, and divers other ladies " of the royal blood, unto certain of his kinsmen and "friends of simple and low degree; and, putting 66 apart all well disposed nobles, he hath none in "favour and trust about his person, but Bishop "Fox, Smith, Bray, Lovel, Oliver King, David "Owen, Risely, Turbervile, Tiler, Chomley, Emp"son, James Hobart, John Cut, Garth, Henry Wyat, "and such other caitiffs and villains of birth, which by subtile inventions, and pilling of the people, have been the principal finders, occasioners, and "counsellors of the misrule and mischief now reign 66 66 ing in England. "We remembering these premises, with the great and execrable offences daily committed and "done by our foresaid great enemy and his adhe"rents, in breaking the liberties and franchises of "our mother the holy church, upon pretences of "wicked and heathenish policy, to the high displea"sure of Almighty God, besides the manifold treasons, abominable murders, manslaughters, rob. "beries, extortions, the daily pilling of the people by "dismes, taxes, tallages, benevolences, and other "unlawful impositions, and grievous exactions, with 66 many other heinous effects, to the likely destruc❝tion and desolation of the whole realm; shall by 66 God's grace, and the help and assistance of the great lords of our blood, with the counsel of other "sad persons, see that the commodities of our realm "be employed to the most advantage of the same; "the intercourse of merchandise betwixt realm and "realm to be ministered and handled as shall "more be to the common weal and prosperity of 66 our subjects; and all such dismes, taxes, tallages, "benevolences, unlawful impositions, and grievous "exactions, as be above rehearsed, to be foredone " and laid apart, and never from henceforth to be "called upon, but in such cases as our noble proge 66 nitors, Kings of England, have of old time been "accustomed to have the aid, succour, and help of "their subjects, and true liege-men. "And further, we do, out of our grace and cle |