King Henrie hauing thus got the victorie at Bosworth, and slaine his mortallenimie there in the field, did send before his departure from Leicester, sir RobertWilloughbie knight, to the manour of Sheriffehuton in the countie of Yorke, forEdward Plantagenet earle of Warwike, sonne and heire to George duke of Clarencethen being of the age of fiftéene yeares; whome king Richard had kept there as prisonerduring the time of his vsurped reigne. Sir Robert Willoughbie receiuing the yoongearle of the constable of that castle conueied him to London where he was shut vp inthe Tower, for doubt least some vnquiet and euill disposed persons might inuent someoccasion of new trouble by this yoong gentleman: and therefore king Henrie thoughtgood to haue him sure.
There was beside him in the castell of Sheriffehuton the ladie Elizabeth eldestdaughter to king Edward the fourth, whome king Richard (as ye haue heard) meantto haue married: but God otherwise ordeined for hir, and perserued hir from thatvnlawfull copulation and incestuous bed. Shortlie after, she being accompanied witha great number as well of noblemen, as honourable matrons, was with good spéedconueied to London, and brought to hir moother. In the meane season king Henrieremooued forward by soft iournies towards London, the people comming in from allsides to behold him, and excéedinglie reioising at his presence, as by their voices andgestures it well appeared.
At his approching néere to the citie, the maior and his brethren, with other worshipfullcitizens, being clothed in violet, met him at Shordich, and reuerentlie saluted him:and so with great pompe and triumph he rode thorough the citie to the cathedrallchurch of S. Paule, where he offered thrée standards. In the one was the image ofsaint George, in an other was a red fierie dragon beaten vpon white and gréene sarcenet,[Pg 480]and in the third was painted a dun cow vpon yellow tarterne. After his praierssaid, and Te deum soong, he departed to the bishops palace, and there soiourned a season.Anon after, he assembled togither the sage councellors of the realme, in whichcouncell like a prince of iust faith, and true of promise, to auoid all ciuill discord, heappointed a daie to ioine in marriage with the ladie Elizabeth, heire of the house ofYorke; with his noble personage, heire to the line of Lancaster. Which thing notonelie reioised the hearts of the nobles and gentlemen of the realme, but also gainedthe fauours and good wils of all the commons.
After this, with great pompe he rowed vnto Westminster, & there the thirtith daie ofOctober he was with all ceremonies accustomed, annointed, & crowned king, by thewhole assent as well of the commons as of the nobilitie, & called Henrie the seauenthof that name: which was in the yeare of the world 5452, and after the birth ofour Lord 1485, in the fortie and sixt yeare of Frederike the third then emperour ofAlmaine, Maximilian his sonne being newlie elected king of the Romans, in thesecond yeare of Charles the eight then king of France, and in the fiue and twentith ofking Iames then ruling the realme of S