01 May 1464. And while the said Earl of Warwick (age 35) was in France, the King was wedded to Elisabeth Gray (age 27)¹, widow, the which Sir John Gray that was her husband was slaine at York field¹ in King Harry's party, and the same Elisabeth was daughter to the Lord Rivers, and the wedding was privately in a secret place, the first day of May the year above said. And when the Earl of Warwick (age 35) came hame and heard thereof, then was he greatly displeased with the King, and after that rose great dissension ever more and more between the King and him, for that and other, &c, And then the King put out of the Chancellorership the Bishop of Exeter (age 32)², brother to the Earl of Warwik (age 35), and made the Bishop of Bath (age 44)³ Chancellor of England. After that the Earl of Warwick (age 35) took to him in fee as many knights, squires, and gentlemen as he might, to be strong, and King Edward did that he might to feeble the Earl's power⁴. And yet they were accorded diverse times, but they never loved togedere after.

Note 1. The Kynge was wedded to Elizabethe Gray. See a most quaint narrative of this marriage in William Habington's Historie of Edward the Fourth, fol. 1640, pp. 33-35. I find it stated in one place (MS. Harl. 2408.) that Edward's mother attempted to hinder the marriage, by causing "another contract to be alleadged made by him with the Lady Elizabeth Lucy, on whom he had begot a child befor." She seems, indeed, to have been most hostile to this imprudent and unpopular connexion:

Married a woman? married indeed!

Here is a marriage that befits a king!

It is no marvaile it was done in hast:

Here is a bridall, and with hell to boote,

You have made worke."

Heywood's First Part of Edward IV. Sig. A. ij.

The author of Hearne's fragment, however, speaks in praise of the marriage, "Howbeit that lewde felow that drew this last brent cronicles, abusid himsel gretely in his disordrid wrizting for lakke of knowlege." (P. 293.)

Note 1. Slayne at Yorke felde. Sir John Grey² was slain at the second battle of St. Alban's, fought on the 17th Feb. 1460-1. - J.G.N.

Note 2. The Bysshope of Excetre. George Neville (age 32), made Chancellor the 25th July 1460. He was translated to the archbishopric of York, 17th June 1465. - J.G.N.

Note 3. The Bysshope of Bath. Robert Stillington (age 44). He did not receive the seal until the 8th June 1468, previously to which Robert Kirkham had been Keeper. - J.G.N.

Note 4. Kyng Edwarde dide that he might to feble the Earls powere. We have, however, in an act passed subsequently to this period, an especial clause that the same act "be not prejudiciall or hurtyng unto Richard Neville, Earl of Warrewyk.” — Rot. Parl. 4 Edw. IV.

15 May 1464. Also in the iiij^th yere of the Kynge Edwarde, the monethe of Maij, the Duke of Somersett, the Lorde Roos (deceased), the Lorde Moleyns (age 33), Talboys the Earl [Baron] of Kyme (age 49), Sire Phylippe Wenterworth (age 40), Sire Thomas Fynderne, gadred a grete peple of the northe contre¹. And Sere Jhon Nevelle, that tyme beynge Earl of Northumberlonde, with 10,000 men come uppon them, and there the comons fleede that were with them, and ther the forseide lordes were takene and afterward behedede³. But thenne the Lorde Montagu (age 33), the Earl of Warwick (age 35)s brothere, whiche the Kynge had made Earl of Northumberlonde, was mighty and strong by the same, &c. And for so moche as the Kynge and his counselle thought that he wolde holde with his Earl of Warwick (age 35), therfor the Kyng and his counselle made the countre to desire that they might have the ryghtfull heyre Percy, sonne to Henry Percy that was slayne at Yorke Feld, to be the Earl of Northumberlond, and so it was doone. And after this the Kynge made Lorde Montagu (age 33), Marquyus Montagu, and made his sonne (age 3) Duke of Bedford, whiche schulde wedde the princesse, the Kynges heldest doughter, whiche, by possibylite, schuld be Kynge of England, and so he hade many fayre wordys and no lordeschyppys, but alwey he promysed he wuld do, &c,

Note 1. Gadred a grete peple of the northe contre. The following very curious document is from a MS. in the College of Arms (L.9):— "Anno Edwardi quarti quarto et mensis Maij die xxvij. scilicet in die san[c]te Trinitatis.

The Kyng lay in the Palois of York, and kept his astate solemply; and tho there create he Sir John Nevelle, Lord Mowntage, Earl of Northumberland. And than my lorde of Warrewike toke upon hym the jorney, by the Kynges commandement and auctoritee, to resiste the Rebellions of the Northe, acompanyed with hym my sayde Lorde of Northumberland his brother.

"Item, the xxiijti, day of Juyne, my saide Lorde of Warrewike, with the puissaunce, cam before the castelle of Alwike, and ad it delivered by appointement; And also the castell of Dunstanboroughe, where that my said Lord kept the feest of Saint John Baptist."

"Item, my said Lorde of Warrewike, and his broder Earl of Northumberland, the xxv. day of Juyn, leyede siege unto the Castelle of Bamburghe, there within being Sir Rauf Grey, with suche power as attendid for to keepe the said castelle ayen the power of the Kinges and my said Lord, as it apperith by the heroudes reporte, by the whiche my Lord sent to charge them to delyvere it under this forme, as ensewithe; Chester, the Kinges heroude, and Warrewike the heroude, had this commaundement, as foloweth, -to say unto Sir Rauf Gray, and to other that kept his Rebelliouse oppynyon, that they shule delivere that place contynent aftyr that summacion, and every man for the tyme being disposed to receyve the Kynges grace, my said Lord of Warrewike, the Kinges lieutenant, and my Lord of Northumbreland, Wardeyn of themarches, grauntith the Kyng['s] grace and pardon, body, lyvelodes, reservyng ij. persounes, is understoude, Sir Humfrey Neville and Sir Rauf Grey, thoo tweyn to be oute of the Kinges grace, without any redempcion. Than the answere of Sir Rauf Grey followithe unto the said heroudes, he clerely determynyng withinne hymself to liffe or to dye within the said place; the heroudes, according to my Lordes commandement, charged hym with all inconveniences that by possible might fall in offence ayenst Allemighty God, and sheding of bloode; the heroude saying in this wise, My Lordes ensurithe yow, upon their honour, to susteyne siege before yowe these vij. yeres, or elles to wynne yowe."

Item, my sayde Lorde Lieutenant, and my Lord Wardeyn, hath yeven us ferther comaundement to say unto yowe, if ye deliver not this Juelle, the whiche the king our most dradde soverain Lord hath so gretly in favour, seing it marcheth so nygh hys awncient enemyes of Scotland, he specially desirethe to have it, hoole, unbroken, with ordennaunce; if ye suffre any greet gunne laide unto the wal, and be shote and prejudice the wal, it shall cost yowe the Chiftens hede; and so proceding for every gunne shet, to the leest hede of any persoune within the said place. Than the saide Sir Rauf Grey deperted from the saide heroud, ant put hym in devoir to make deffence.

And than my Lorde lieutenant had ordennede alle the Kinges greet gonnes that where charged at oons to shute unto the said Castelle, Newe-Castel the Kinges greet gonne, and London the second gonne of irne; the whiche betyde the place, that stones of the walles flewe unto the see; Dysyon, a brasin gonne of the Kinges, smote thouroughe Sir Rauf Grey's chamber oftentimes; Edward and Richard Bombartell, and other of the Kinges ordennaunce, so occupied by the ordonnaunce of my said Lord, with men of armes and archirs, wonne the castelle of Bamburg with asawte, mawgrey Sir Rauf Grey, and tooke hym, and brought hym to the Kynge to Doncastre, and there was he execut in this fourme as followith. My lorde Earl of Worcestre, Connestable of Englond, sitting in jugement, told hym jugement, and remambrid hym, saying unto hym; "Sir Rauf Grey, thou hast take the ordir of Knyghthode of the Batthe, and any soe taking that ordir ought to kepe his faithe the whiche he makes; therfor remembre the[e] the lawe! wilt thou shall procede to jugement? thees maters shewith so evidently agayn the, that they nedithe not to examyn the of them, by certein persounes of the Kinges true subgettes, the whiche thou hast wounded, and shewithe here that thou canst not deny this; thou hast drawen the with force of armes unto the Kyng oure most natural soverain Lorde, the whiche tho wotest wele yave unto the suche trust, and in suche wise mynystred his grace unto the, that thou haddist his castels in the Northe partie to kepe; thou hast betraied Sir John Asteley Knyght, and brother of the gartier, the whiche remaignethe in the hand of the Kynges oure soverain Lord enemyes in Fraunce.

Item, thou hast withstoud and maade fences ageynst the Kynges maiestie, and his lieutenant the worthy Lorde my broder of Warrwike; it apperith by the strookes of the greet gunnes in the Kyng walles of his castell of Bamburghe. For the[se] causes, dispost the to suffre thy penaunce aftyr the lawe. The Kyng had ordenned that thou shuldest have hadd thy sporys striken of by the hard heles, with the hand of the maister cooke, that whiche is here redy to doo, as was promysed at the tyme that he tooke of thy spurres; he said to yee, as ys accustumed, that 'And thou be not true to thy soverain Lord, I shal smyte of thy sporys with this knyf herd by the helys,' and so shewne hym the maistre cooke redy to doo his office, with apron and his knyff.

"Item, Sir Rauff Grey, the Kyng had ordenned here, thou maist see, the Kynge of armes and heroudes, and thine own propre cote of armes, that whiche they shuld teere of thy body, and so thou shuldist as wel be disgraded of thy worshipp, noblesse, and armes, as of the order of Knyghthode; and also here is an oder cote of thin armes reversed, the which thou shuldest have werne of thy body, going to that dethe warde, for that belongethe aftyr the lawe. Notwithstanding, of the disgrading of knygthode, and of thine armes, et noblesse, the King pardons that for thy noble grauntfader, the whiche suffrid trouble for the Kynges moost noble predecesseurs². Than, Sir Rauf Grey, this shal be thy penaunce, -thou shalt goo on thy feet unto the towneseend, and there thou shalt be laide downe and drawen to a scaffold maade for thee, and that thou shalt have thyne hede smite of thi body, to be buriede in the freres; thi heede where it pleased the Kyng."

Note 2. Sir Ralph Grey, of Wark, Heton, and Chillingham (lineal ancestor of the Earls of Tankerville, as well as of the present Earl Grey) was the grandson of Sir Thomas Grey, beheaded at Southampton with the Earl of Cambridge, Aug. 5, 1415. See the whole sheet pedigree of Grey in Raine's North Durham. - J.G.N.

Note 3. Were takene and afterward behedede. "Quintodecimo die mensis Maij, apud Exham, decapitati sunt Dux Somersett, Edmundus Fizthu miles, Brasdshaw, Wauter Hunt, Blac Jakis. Decimo-septimo die mensis Maii, apud Novum-Castrum, decapitati sunt Dominus de Hungarforde, Dominus Roos, Dominus Thomas Fynderum, Edwardus de la Mare, Nicholaus Massam. Apud Medetham, xviijo die mensis Maii, decapitati sunt Dominus Philippus Wentworth, Willielmus Penyngton, Warde de Topcliff, Oliverus Wentworth, Willielmus Spilar, Thomas Hunt, le foteman Regis Henrici. Apud Eboracum, xxvº die mensis Maii, decapitati sunt Dominus Thomas Husye, Thomas Gosse, Robertus Merfynn, Johannes Butlerus, Rogerus Water, janitor Regis Henrici, Thomas Fenwyke, Robertus Cocfeld, Willielmus Bryte, Willielmus Dawsonn, Johannes Chapman. Apud Eboracum, xxviijo die mensis Maii, decapitati sunt Johannes Elderbek, Ricardus Cawerum, Johannes Roselle, Robertus Conqueror. [On the fifteenth day of May, at Hexham [Map], the Duke of Somerset (age 28), Edmund Fizthu, Bradshaw, Wauter Hunt, and Black Jakis were decapitated. On the seventeenth day of May, at Newcastle, the Lord of Hungerford (age 33), Lord Roos (deceased), Lord Thomas Fynderum, Edward de la Mare, and Nicholas Massam were decapitated. At Middleham Castle [Map], on the eighteenth day of May, the Lord Philip Wentworth (age 40), William Penyngton, Ward of Topcliff, Oliver Wentworth, William Spilar, Thomas Hunt, the footman of King Henry, were decapitated. At York, on the twenty-fifth day of May, Lord Thomas Husye, Thomas Gosse, Robert Merfynn, John Butler, Roger Water, the doorkeeper of King Henry, Thomas Fenwyke, Robert Cocfeld, William Bryte, William Dawsonn, and John Chapman were decapitated. At York, on the twenty-eighth day of May, John Elderbek, Richard Cawerum, John Roselle, and Robert Conqueror were decapitated.]” — MS. Arundel, Coll. Arm. 5, fol. 170, rº.