'My Chaplaine to no Creature liuing, but [Buckingham asked Knyvet what the Londoners said of Henry's journey.] [Knyvet's answer.] The duke discouereth the secrecie of all the matter to his owne vndooing. 66 "To me, should vtter, with demure Confidence "This pausingly ensu'de: 'Neither the King, nor's Heyres 6 (Tell you 'To gain 2 the loue o'th' Commonalty: the Duke 'Shall gouerne England.'" 4 One of the charges in Buckingham's 3 indictment was that 168 [Hol. iii. 864/2/12. Stow, 861.] the same duke, the tenth of Maie, in the twelfe yeare of the kings reigne [1520], at London in a place called the Rose, within the parish of saint Laurence Poultnie in Canwike street ward, demanded of the said Charles Kneuet esquier, what was the talke amongest the Londoners concerning the kings iourneie beyond the seas? And the said Charles told him, that manie stood in doubt of that iourneie, least the Frenchmen meant some deceit towards the king. Whereto the duke answered, that it was to be feared least it would come to passe according to the words of a certeine holie moonke: "For there is" (saith he) "a Chartreux moonke, that diuerse times hath sent to me, willing "me to send vnto him my chancellor and I did send vnto him "Iohn de la Court my chapleine, vnto whome he would not declare "anie thing, till de la Court had sworne vnto him to keepe all 'things secret, and to tell no creature living what hee should "heare of him, except it were to me. 1 Confessions] Theobald. Commissions F. Theobald justified his emendation by quoting Hol. iii. 863/2/52: “The duke in talke told the monke [Hopkins] that he had doone verie well to bind his chapleine Iohn de la Court, under the seale of confession, to keepe secret such matter": 2 gain] F4. om. F. Malone supported this insertion by quoting "that I should indeuor my selfe to purchase the good wils of the communaltie of England" (see close of next excerpt). 3 On July 20, 1517, Hopkins prophesied "that before Christmas next there should be a change, & that the duke should haue the rule and gouernement of all England."-Hol. iii. 864/1/31. Stow, 860. The indictment, as it appears in Stow, is prefaced by the remark that he had " seen and read " it (859). prophecy.] "And then the said moonke told de la Court, that neither the [Hopkins's "king nor his heires should prosper, and that I should indeuour my "selfe to purchase the good wils of the communaltie of England; "for I the same duke and my bloud should prosper, and haue the "rule of the realme of England." At this point Queen Katharine interposes with an appeal to Knyvet's conscience (11. 171-175): If I know you well, You were the Dukes Surueyor, and lost your Office In 1520 172 ham's tenants complained [Hol. iii. 856/1/7. Polyd. Verg. 660/33.] it chanced that the duke, comming to London with his traine of men, to attend the king into France, went before into Kent vnto a manor place which he had there. And, whilest he staid in that countrie till the king (Buckingset forward, greeuous complaints were exhibited to him by his farmars and tenants against Charles Kneuet his surueiour, for such bribing as he had vsed there amongest them. Wherevpon the duke tooke such displeasure against him, that he depriued him of his office; not knowing how that in so dooing he procured his owne destruction, as after appeared.1 Resuming his evidence Knyvet says (11. 178-186): I told my Lord the Duke, by th' Diuels illusions The Monke might be deceiu'd; and that 'twas dangerous for him 2 To ruminate on this so farre, vntill It forg'd him some designe, which, being beleeu'd, It was much like to doe: he answer'd, "Tush! "It can doe me no damage "; adding further, 180 184 To illustrate these lines I quote the rest of the charge concerning Buckingham's talk with Knyvet on May 10, 1520: 1 The excerpt "it chanced... appeared" is preceded by the following passage: "Now in this meane while [Spring of 1520], the cardinall ceassed not to bring the duke out of the kings fauour by such forged tales and contriued surmises as he dailie put into the kings head: insomuch that (through the infelicitie of his fate) diuerse accidents fell out to the aduantage of the cardinall; which he not omitting, atchiued the thing whereat he so studiouslie (for the satisfieng of his canckered & malicious stomach) laid full aime.”— Hol. iii. 855/2/732 him] Rowe. this F. of Knyvet, duke dis and the charged him.] [Knyvet said that Hopkins might be deceived by the devil.] But the end of that ioy [of Bucking ham] was heavinesse ; though he said that the prophecy could do him no harm]. [If Henry had died, Buckingham would have chopped off the heads of Wolsey and Lovel.] [Hol. iii. 864/2/37. Stow, 862.] Then said Charles Kneuet: "The moonke maie be deceived through the diuels illusion:" and that it was euill to meddle with such matters. "Well" (said the duke) "it cannot hurt me;" and so (saith the indictment) the duke seemed to reioise in the moonks woords. And further, at the same time, the duke told the said Charles, that, if the king had miscaried now in his last sicknesse, he would have chopped off the heads of the cardinall, of sir Thomas Louell knight, and of others; and also said, that he had rather die for it, than to be vsed as he had beene. Questioned by Henry, Knyvet gives an instance of Buckingham's truculent mood: Sur. "If" (quoth he) "I for this had beene committed, A Gyant Traytor! 196 Kin. Kin. Ther's somthing more would out of thee; what say'st? Sur. After" the Duke his Father," with "the knife," He stretch'd him, and, with one hand on his dagger, 204 Another spread on's breast, mounting his eyes, He did discharge a horrible Oath; whose tenor Was, were he euill vs'd, he would outgoe His Father, by as much as a performance Do's an irresolute purpose. In his indictment Buckingham was accused of having, 208 [Hol. iii. 864/1/64. Stow, 861.] on the fourth of Nouember, in the eleventh yere of the kings reigne [1519], at east Greenwich reproved in the countie of Kent, said vnto one Charles Kneuet esquier, [Henry Buckingham for retaining (after that the king had reprooved the duke for reteining William Sir William Bulmer.] Bulmer, knight, into his seruice,2) that, if he had perceiued that he Bulmer] Hol. Blumer F. In November, 1519, "the king speciallie rebuked sir William Bulmer, ham ex committed historie of third, pag. should haue beene committed to the Tower (as he doubted hee should [Buckinghaue beene), hee would haue so wrought, that the principall dooers pected to be therein should not haue had cause of great reioising: for he would tower. haue plaied the part which his father intended to haue put in practise against king Richard the third at Salisburie; who made see the earnest sute to haue come vnto the presence of the same king Richard the Richard: which sute if he might haue obteined, he hauing a knife 744. secretlie about him, would have thrust it into the bodie of king Richard, as he had made semblance to kneele downe before And, in speaking these words, he maliciouslie laid his hand vpon his dagger, and said, that, if he were so euill vsed, he would doo his best to accomplish his pretensed purpose; swearing to confirme his word by the bloud of our Lord. him. Act I. sc. iii.-The Lord Chamberlain and Lord Sandys censure the As farre as I see, all the good our English For when they hold 'em, you would sweare directly, 8 [He would then have king what ham meant Richard III. done to the Henry duke of Bucking to do to Lou. The reformation of our trauel'd Gallants, That fill the Court with quarrels, talke, and Taylors. L. Cham. I'm glad 'tis there: now I would pray our Monsieurs And neuer see the Louure. 20 Mr. Boyle supposes the "trauel'd Gallants" of James I.'s reign to be ridiculed in this scene (Henry VIII. in New Sh. Soc.'s Trans., 188086, p. 461), but the following excerpt shows that they had their predecessors. When, in 1519,1" diuerse yoong gentlemen of England," who resided awhile at the French Court, [Hol. iii. 850/1/17. Halle, 597.] came againe into England, knight, bicause he, being his seruant sworne, refused the kings seruice, and became seruant to the Duke of Buckingham."-Hol. iii. 852/2/72. Halle, 599. 1 After recording our surrender of Tournay on February 8, 1519, Halle describes the conduct of these young gentlemen at Paris, "during this time"; and then speaks of their behaviour when they returned to England (597). [Gallicized Englishmen.] they were all French, in eating, drinking, and apparell, yea, and in French vices and brags, so that all the estates of England were by them laughed at, the ladies and gentlewomen were dispraised; so that nothing by them was praised, but if it were after the French turne; which after turned them to displesure, as you shall heare. In May 1519 Henry's Council complained to him of "certeine yoong men in his priuie chamber," who, "not regarding his estate or degree, were so familiar and homelie with him, that they forgat themselues." [Hol. iii. 852/2/7. Halle, 598.] To whome the king answered, that he had chosen them of his councell, both for the maintenance of his honour, and for the defense of all things that might blemish the same wherefore, if they saw anie about him misuse themselues, he committed it vnto their reformation. Then the kings councell caused the lord chamberleine to call before them diuerse of the priuie chamber, (which had beene in the French court,) and banished them the court for diuerse considerations; laieng nothing their roome particularlie to their charges, & they that had offices were commanded to go to their offices. Which discharge out of court greeued sore the hearts of these yoong men, which were called the kings minions. Certeine of the priuie chamber [-who had been in the French Court,-] remooued and others in appointed. [Henry's minions In a passage omitted by Holinshed, Halle adds (598): These young minions, which was thus seuered from the kyng, were high in had bene in Fraunce, and so highly praised the Frenche kyng and love with the French Court.] his courte, that in a maner they thought litle of the kyng and his court in comparison of the other, they were so high in loue with the Frenche court; wherefore their fall was litle moned emong wise men. Act I. sc. iv.-Towards the close of sc. iii., Act I., the Lord Chamberlain remembers an invitation of Wolsey: This night he makes a Supper, and a great one, To many Lords and Ladies; there will be The Beauty of this Kingdome, Ile assure you. 52 While going out to his barge, accompanied by Lord Sandys, the For I was spoke to, with Sir Henry Guilford, |