This tragicall example was of all the company well liked, howbee it a doubt was found therein, and that by meanes of the diuersity of the chronicles: for whereasHall(whose chronicle in this worke wee chiefly followed) makethMowbreyappellant andBolinbrokedefendant,Fabianreporteth the matter quite contrary, and that by record of the parliament roll, wherein it is playne thatBolinbrokewas appellant andMowbreydefendant.[372]Wherefore whatsoeuer shall bee sayde here in the person ofMowbrey, (who being a most noble prince, had too much wrong to bee so causeles defamed after his death) imagine that to bee spoken agaynst his accuser. Which matter[373]sith it is more hard to decide than needefull to our purpose, which minde only to disswade from vices and exalt vertue, wee referre to such as may come by the recordes of the actes of the parliament,[374]contented in the meane while with MaisterHalle’siudgement, which maketh best for[375]our forshewed purpose. This doubt thus let passe. “I would,” sayde MaisterFerrers, “say somewhatfor kingRichard,[376]after whose depriuing, his brother[377]and diuers others made a maske, minding by king[378]Henrye’sdestruction to haue restored him, which masker’s matter so runneth in this, that I doubt which ought to goe before, but seeing no man is ready to say ought in theyr behalfe, I will giue (who so listeth) leasure to looke[379]therevpon, and in the meane time to furder your enterprise, I will in kingRicharde’sbehalfe[380]recount such part of his story as I thinke most necessary. And therefore imagineBaldwinethat you see the corps of this prince all[381]to be mangled with blewe woundes, lying pale and wan, all naked vpon the cold stones in[382]Paule’schurch, the people standing round about him, and making his complaynt in manner as followeth.”[383]
This tragicall example was of all the company well liked, howbee it a doubt was found therein, and that by meanes of the diuersity of the chronicles: for whereasHall(whose chronicle in this worke wee chiefly followed) makethMowbreyappellant andBolinbrokedefendant,Fabianreporteth the matter quite contrary, and that by record of the parliament roll, wherein it is playne thatBolinbrokewas appellant andMowbreydefendant.[372]Wherefore whatsoeuer shall bee sayde here in the person ofMowbrey, (who being a most noble prince, had too much wrong to bee so causeles defamed after his death) imagine that to bee spoken agaynst his accuser. Which matter[373]sith it is more hard to decide than needefull to our purpose, which minde only to disswade from vices and exalt vertue, wee referre to such as may come by the recordes of the actes of the parliament,[374]contented in the meane while with MaisterHalle’siudgement, which maketh best for[375]our forshewed purpose. This doubt thus let passe. “I would,” sayde MaisterFerrers, “say somewhatfor kingRichard,[376]after whose depriuing, his brother[377]and diuers others made a maske, minding by king[378]Henrye’sdestruction to haue restored him, which masker’s matter so runneth in this, that I doubt which ought to goe before, but seeing no man is ready to say ought in theyr behalfe, I will giue (who so listeth) leasure to looke[379]therevpon, and in the meane time to furder your enterprise, I will in kingRicharde’sbehalfe[380]recount such part of his story as I thinke most necessary. And therefore imagineBaldwinethat you see the corps of this prince all[381]to be mangled with blewe woundes, lying pale and wan, all naked vpon the cold stones in[382]Paule’schurch, the people standing round about him, and making his complaynt in manner as followeth.”[383]