ing that all, who had been concerned in the delivery of Normandy to the French, might be punifhed. The Queen's Fears were now renewed, and fhe prevailed upon the King inftantly to banish the Duke for five years, which he did; and the Duke very foon embarked with an intention of going to France, where his Friend the Duke of Somerfet was Regent. neceffary fteps by the York Party, towards carrying this meditated Claim into execution; the having him therefore put to Death, must be a very defirable circumftance to the Duke of York and his Friends. The Arrival of the Earls of Devonshire and Warwick, at this critical time, at Leicefter, with fuch large Retinues of Men "well by"feen," furnishes very fufficient reafons for thinking, that the Murder From the plain State of this hif of the Duke of Suffolk was a pretorical Fact, delivered down to us meditated scheme; and that thefe in thefe Letters, the following ob- Noblemen came, thus attended, to fervations are deduced, firft pre- prevent any proceedings which might mifing that, in 1447, the Duke of have been adopted by the Queen Suffolk, in conjunction with the and her Party, on their knowledge Queen and her Ministry, had been of this Event being accomplished; one of the principal Agents in the for these two Noblemen could not Murder of the Duke of Gloucefter; arrive at Leicester in confequence an Event which, in all human pro- of the Murder, as it was impoffible bability, was the immediate occa- for them to know of it, to get their fion of the Duke of York's Thoughts men together, and to enter Lei. of afferting his Claim to the Crown, cefter, the one on the 4th, the other a Claim, in which he could have had on the 5th of May, the account of little hopes of fuccefs during the it not arriving in London till the life of a Prince, the Uncle of the 4th; they therefore most probably reigning King, and the Brother came in confequence of their preand Son of the two preceding Sove- vious knowledge of the plan that reigns. was laid, to wait the event of it, and to act as circumstances might require. A Prince likewife well beloved by the People, and endowed with abilities which would have adorned a Throne. The Duke of York at this time moft certainly had a perfonal hatred to the Duke of Suffolk, as by him he had been not long before difmiffed from the Regency of France, and was very lately fent into Ireland, to quell a Rebellion with a Force inadequate to the purpose. The Duke of Suffolk's undoubt. ed attachment to the Houfe of Lancafter, muft be, at all times, a great impediment to the taking of many The fentence of Banifhment feems to have been almost inftantaneous; this method therefore of taking him off, muft have been as inftantane oully refolved upon, by thofe of the Party then near the Court; for though the People in general, and the Commons, hated the Duke, it no where appears, that he was thus taken off by any generally concerted plan for that purpose, but by a Party; and as thefe two Noblemen, both at that time profeffed Friends to the Duke of York, arrived thus critically critically with fuch numerous Attendants fo well arrayed and accoutred, it gives the greatest reafon to fufpect that it was by their Party. What Captain of a Ship that had met the Duke on the Sea, unless his Ship had been sent out on purpofe to take him, could have known what had paffed at Leicester, otherwife than from the Duke's own people in the Spinner, and from that ac count only would have dared to take and murder him? This Force too, the Nicholas, with the other Ships waiting on him, was certainly much fuperior to the Duke's two Ships and one little Spinner; otherwife, how can we account for his own Shipmen not holding with him; for however lowly fallen in the public efteem, a Nobleman, of his confequence and poffeffions, must have ftill had faith ful Adherents enough to have defended him, and to have accompanied him to France, unless they found that refiftance in their fituation to fuch fuperior force (a force fent out on purpofe to take him) could be of no fervice, but would most probably have haftened his fate. The Words "God fave the Kyng, " and fende us pees," feem to infinuate a fufpicion of the King's perfonal fafety at this time, and a fear that the disturbances which then overspread the land might be productive of civil wars; for the Prayer for Peace being coupled with that for the King's fafety, plainly refers to the difturbances at home, and not to thofe in France. From thefe, and all other circum. ftances, therefore, as ftated in the two preceding Letters, it may be justly concluded, that the York Party not only contrived, but perpetrated the Murder of this Nobleman; who thus fell a terrible Example, that Blood requires Blood; and had it been the only, inftead of the first blood, fpilt by the Yorkifts, happy had it been for England, who would not then have had to lament those Deluges of it, which foon after flowed, in the dreadful Civil Contests between the two Houses of York and Lancaster. The following Letter prefents to us a certain and curious Account of the Commons of Kent, when affembled at Blackheath under Cade, in 1450, and was written by J. Payn*, who was taken by them, carried about with them, and threatened to have been beheaded, &c.—It truly fhews to us the Violence and Barbarity of a Body of Men, collected chiefly from the meanest of the People, combined together for the pretended Purpofe of Reformation; but really for the Deftruction of all good Order and legal Government.— From the fame Work. * J. Payn had been formerly a Servant to Sir John Faftolf, of fome confe quence, and was now a Petitioner for fome relief, on account of his loffes and misfortunes, while a Prifoner, &c. with the Rebels, from John Pafton, one of the Executors of Sir John Faftolf's Will. To my ryght bonurabyll Maifter John To my right honourable Mafter, John Pafton. YGHT honurabyll and my ryght enterly belovyd Maif ter I recomaunde me un to you w all maner of due reu'ence, in the mofte louly wyfe as me ought to do eu mor defyryng to here of yor worshipfull ftate profp'ite and welfar the whech I befeke God of his aboundant gr'ce encrece and mayntene to his moft plefaunce and to yor hartis defyre. * Pleafyth it yo gode and gracios maifterfhipp tendyrly to confedir the grete loffes and hurts y yo por peticioner haeth and haeth jhad evyrfeth the Comons of Kent come to the Blakheath and yt is at xv yer paffed wher'as my Maift' Syr John Faftolf knyght yt is youre Teftat com'andyt yo befecher to take a man and ij of the befte orffe yt wer in his ftabyll wt him to ryde to the Comens of Kent to gete the Articles y they come for, and fo I dyd and alfo fone as I come to the Blakheth the Capteyn made the Comens to take me and for the favacion of my Maist's horse I made my fellowe to ryde a wey wt the ij horfes and I was brought forth wt befor the Capteyn of Kent and the Capteyn demaundt me what was my caufe of comyng thedyr and why yt I made my fellowe to ftele a wey wt he horfe and I feyd yt I come thedyr to cher' wt my wyves brethren and other yt wer' my alys and Goffippes of myn yt wer' p'fent ther' and yan was y' oone y' and feid to the Capteyn yt I was one of St. John Faftolfes men and Pafton. IGHT honourable and my Rright entirely beloved Mal ter, I recommend me unto you, with all manner of due reverence in the moft lowly wife as me ought to do, evermore defiring to hear of your worshipful ftate, profperity, and welfare; the which I befeek [befeech] God, of his abundant grace, increase and maintain to his moft pleafance, and to your heart's defire. Pleafeth it, your good and gracious Maftership, tenderly to confider the great loffes and hurts that your poor Petitioner hath, and hath had, ever fince the Commons of Kent came to the Blackheath, and that is at 15 years paffed; whereas my Mafter Sir John Faftolf, knight, that is, your Teftator, commanded your Befeecher to take a man, and two of the best horses that were in his ftable, with him to ride to the Commons of Kent, to get the Articles that they come for; and fo 1 did; and all fo foon as I came to the Blackheath, the + Captain made the Commons to take me: and for the favation [fav ing] of my Mafter's horfes 1 made my Fellow to ride away with the two horfes; and I was brought forthwith before the Captain of Kent; and the Captain demanded (f) me, what was my cause of coming thither, and why that I made my Fellow to fteal away with the horses; and I faid, that I came thither to cheer with my wife's brethren, and others that were mine Allies, and Goffips of mine, that * He died on the 6th of November, St. Leonard's Day, in 1459, aged 80 years and upwards. † Jack Cade, an Irishman; he called himself John Mortimer, of the House of Marche, he was likewife ftyled Captain Mend all. the * the ij horfe wer' St. John Falftolfes and then the Capteyn lete cry trefon upon me thorought ought all the felde and brought me at iiij p'tes of the feld wt a Harrawd of the Duke of Exett before me in the Dukes Cote of Armes makyng iiij Oyes at iiij p'tes of the feld p'claymyng opynly by the feid Harrawd yt I was fent thedyr for to afpy yeyre pufaunce and theyre Abyllyments of werr fro the gret tyft Tray'ir yt was in Yngelond or in Fraunce as ye feyd Capteyn made p'clay macion at yt tyme fro oone Sr. John Faftolf knyght the whech mynnyfshyd all the Garrifons of Normandy and Manns and Mayn the whech was the caufe of the lefyng of all the Kyng's tytyll and ryght of an hery tnce yt he had by yonde fee and morovyr he feid yt the feid S. John Faftolf had furnyfshed his plafe with the olde Saw. dyors of Normandy and Abyllymets of werr to destroy the Comens of Kent whan yt they come to Southewerk and yrfor he feyd playnly yt I fhulde lefe my hede and fo furthewe I was taken and led to the Capteyns Tent and j ax and j blok was brought forth to have fmetyn of myn hede and yan my Maist' + Ponyngs yot brodyr wt other of my Frendes come and lettyd ye Cap. teyn and feyd pleynly yt yr fhulde dye a Cor ij yt in cafe be yt I dyed and fo by yt meane my lyf was were prefent there; and then was there one there, and [who] faid to the Captain, that I was one of Sir John Faftolf's men, and the two horfes were Sir John Faftolf's; and then the Captain let cry Treafon upon me throughout all the field, and brought me at four parts of the field, with a Herald of the Duke of * Exeter before me, in the Duke's Coat of Arms, making four Oyez at four parts of the field; proclaim. ing openly by the faid Herald, that I was fent thither for to efpy their puiffance, and their habiliments of war, from the greatest Traitor that was in England or in France, as the faid Captain made proclamation at that time, from one Sir John Faftolf knight, the which minished [diminished] all the Garrisons of Normandy, and Manns, and Mayn, the which was the cause of the lofing of all the King's title and right of an heritance, that he had beyond fea. And moreover, he faid, that the faid Sir John Faftolf had furnished his Place with the old Soldiers of Normandy and habili ments of war, to deftroy the Commons of Kent, when that they came to Southwark, and therefore he faid plainly that I should lose head; and fo forthwith I was taken, and led to the Captain's Tent, and one axe and one block was brought forth to have fmitten off mine head; and then my Mafter + Poynyngs my *It cannot be fuppofed that the Duke of Exeter, a faithful Lancaftrian, took any part in this Commotion, but it is probable his Herald might be forced into the fervice of the Rebels. Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter, though he married Anne, Sifter of Edward IV. always adhered to the Houfe of Lancaster, and after the battle of Barnet, in 1471, took Sanctuary at Weftminster; whence he privately escaped abroad, where he lived in great poverty and diftrefs. It is faid that his dead body was found in 1474, on the fea fhore, on the Coast of Kent. + Robert Poynyngs married Elizabeth, the Sifter of J. Pafton, and was Sword Bearer and Carver to Cade. favyd at yt tyme and yan I was fworen to the Capteyn and to the Comens yt I fhulde go to Southewerk and aray me in the beft wyfe yt I coude and come ageyn to hem to helpe hem and fo I gote tharticles and brought hem to my Maift' and yt coft me mor' emongs ye Comens yt day yan xxvij S. Wherupon I come to my Maift' Faftolf and brought him tharticles and enformed hym of all the mat' and counfeyled hym to put a wey all his Abyllyments of werr and the olde Sawdiors and fo he dyd and went hymfelf to the Tour and all his meyny wt hym but Betts and j Mathew Brayn and had not I ben the Comens wolde have brennyd his plafe and all his ten'ury es wherthorough it cofte me of my noune p'pr godes at yt tyme mor than vj m'rks in mate and drynke and nought wtitondyng the Capteyn yt fame tyme lete take me atte Whyte Harte in Suthewerk and y' comandyt Lovelafe to difpoyle me oute of myn aray and fo he dyd and y he toke a fyn Gowne of Muft' dewyllrs furryd wt fyn beu's and j peyr of* Bregandyrns kev't wt blew fellewet and gylt naile wt legharneyfe, the vallew of the gown and the Bregardyns viij li. Itm the Capteyn fent certeyn of his meyny to my Chamber in yor rents and y breke up my Cheft and toke a wey j Obligacion of myn yt was due unto me of xxxvj li. by a p't of Poules and j nother Obligacion of j knyght of xli and my purfe wt v ryngs of golde and xvijs vj" of golde and fylv and j herneyfe complete of the touche of Milleyn and j gowne of fyn perfe blewe fur your brother, with other of my Friends came, and letted [prevented] the Captain, and faid plainly, that there fhould die an hundred or two, that in cafe be that I died; and fo by that mean my life was faved at that time. And then I was fworn to the Cap tain, and to the Commons, that I fhould go to Southwark, and array me in the beft wife that I could, and come again to them to help them; and fo I got the Articles, and brought them to my Mafter, and that coft me more amongst the Commons that day than 275. Whereupon I came to my Master Faftolf, and brought him the Articles, and informed him of all the matter, and counfelled him to put away all his habiliments of war, and the old Soldiers, and fo he did, and went himself to the Tower, and all his meny [family] with him, but Betts and one Matthew Brayn; and had not I been, the Commons would have brenned [burnt] his Place, and all his Tenuries; where though it cost me of my own proper goods at that time more than fix marks [4] in meat and drink, and [yet notwithstanding the Captain that fame time, let take me at the White Hart in Southwark, and there commanded Lovelace to defpoil me out of mine array, and fo he did; and there he took a fine gown of Mufter' devillers furred with fine beavers, and one pair of * Brigandines covered with blue velvet and gilt nails, with leg-harnefs; the value of the Gown and the Brigandines 87. Item, the Captain fent certain of his meny to my Chamber in your * A Coat of Mail, confifting of many jointed and scale-like plates, &c. Milan, a City in Italy, famous for its works in iron and steel, &c. ryd |