Text this colour is a link for Members only. Support us by becoming a Member for only £3 a month by joining our 'Buy Me A Coffee page'; Membership gives you access to all content and removes ads.
Text this colour links to Pages. Text this colour links to Family Trees. Place the mouse over images to see a larger image. Click on paintings to see the painter's Biography Page. Mouse over links for a preview. Move the mouse off the painting or link to close the popup.
Chronicle of John Harding is in Tudor Books.
Tudor Books, Chronicle of John Harding: Henry VI
[February 1447]. What néedeth manie words? The quéene persuaded by these meanes, first of all excluded the duke of Glocester from all rule and gouernance, not prohibiting such as she knew to be his mortall foes to inuent and imagine causes and gréefs against him and his, insomuch that by hir procurement, diuerse noble men conspired against him. Of the which diuerse writers affirme the marquesse of Suffolke, and the duke of Buckingham to be the chéefe, not vnprocured by the cardinall of Winchester, and the archbishop of Yorke. Diuerse articles were laid against him in open councell, and in especiallie one; That he had caused men adiudged to die, to be put to other execution, than the law of the land assigned. Suerlie the duke verie well learned in the law ciuill, detesting malefactors, and punishing offenses in seueritie of iustice, gat him hatred of such as feared condigne reward for their wicked dooings. And although the duke sufficientlie answered to all things against him obiected: yet because his death was determined, his wisedome and innocencie nothing auailed.
[20th February 1447] But to auoid danger of tumult that might be raised, if a prince so well beloued of the people should be openlie executed; his enimies determined to worke their feats in his destruction, yer he should haue anie warning. For effecting whereof, a parlement was summoned to be kept at Berrie, whither resorted all the péeres of the realme, and amongst them the duke of Glocester; which on the second daie of the session was by the lord Beaumont, then high constable of England, accompanied with the duke of Buckingham, and others, arrested, apprehended, and put in ward, and all his seruants sequestred from him, and thirtie two of the chéefe of his retinue were sent to diuerse prisons, to the great admiration of the people.
24th February 1447. The duke [Humphrey Lancaster 1st Duke Gloucester (deceased)] the night after he was thus committed to prison, being the foure and twentith of Februarie, was found dead in his bed, and his bodie shewed to the lords and commons, as though he had died of a palsie, or of an imposteme.
But all indifferent persons (as saith Hall) might well vnderstand that he died of some violent death. Some iudged him to be strangled, some affirme that an hot spit was put in at his fundament, other write that he was smouldered betweene two featherbeds, and some haue affirmed that he died of verie gréefe, for that he might not come openlie to his answer. His dead corpse was conueied to saint Albons, and there buried. After his death, none of his seruants suffered: although fiue of them, to wit, sir Roger Chamberline knight, Middleton, Herbert, Arteise esquiers, and Richard Nedham gentleman, were areigned, condemned, and drawen to Tiborne, where they were hanged, let downe quicke, and stripped to haue béene bowelled and quartered but the marques of Suffolke comming at that instant brought their pardons, shewed the same openlie, and so their liues were saued.
Tudor Books, Chronicle of John Harding: Henry VII
September 1485. In this year a new sickness did reign, and is1 so painfull as never was suffered before, the which was called the burning sweate. And this was so intollerable, that men could not keep their beds, but as lunatic like persons and out of their wittes, ran about naked, so that none escaped and were infected therewith. At the length, after the great death of many a thousand men, they learned a present remedy for the same disease, that is if he were sick of the sweat in the day, that he should straight lie down with his cloths and vestures; if in the night he should not rise for the space of twenty-four hours, and eat no meat at all, if he could forbear, and drink as little as he might.
This disease reigned throughout all England, whereof also ensued a plague, as a token, and as the people judged a plain argument that King Henry should never be out of fear and dread of some mischance, seeing that he was in such great vexation at the seditious tumulte that was risen at2 the claim or the crown
Note 1. that. ed. alt.
Note 2. this word appears as 'al' in the text. The editor has suggested at which makes more sense.
Also shortly after ye departing of [the earle] Philippe, George Neuel lorde of Burgeiny, and syr Thomas Grene knight, were suspected to bee giltie of the treason yt Edmond Poole had wrought, and so caste in pryson, but shortly after, when they had pourged theim selfes of that suspicyon and crime, they were deliuered. Albeit, this knight sir Thomas Grene died in pryson. The other lorde, for his sobrenes of liuinge, & true hart yt he bare to his prynce, was had in greater estimacyon then euer he was before.
1506. After this, the King had peace, aswell with foreign princes as also of civil battle for the space of three years, but then the King being diseased with a certain infirmity and weakness of body, thrice every year about the spring tide, was again stirred up by the reason of a great plague of the sweate that reigned through the whole realm, howbeit by of reason of the remedy that was invented for it the last time before it did the less hurt.
June 1528. In this nineteenth year was the sweatyng sickenesse, for the which cause there was no watch at Midsummer.