The duke of Lancaster laieth challenge or claime to the crowne.
IN the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, & of the Holie-ghost. I Henrie of Lancaster claime the realme of England and the crowne, with all the appurtenances, as I that am descended by right line of the blood comming from that good lord king Henrie the third, and through the right that God of his grace hath sent me, with the helpe of my kin, and of my freends, to recouer the same, which was in point to be vndoone for default of good gouernance and due iustice.
The demand of the archbishop of Canturburie to the commons.
Thom. Wals.
The duke of Hereford placed in the regall throne.
The archbishop preached.
After these words thus by him vttered, he returned and sate him downe in the place
where before he had sitten. Then the lords hauing heard and well perceiued this claime
thus made by this noble man, ech of them asked of other what they thought therein. At
length, after a little pausing or staie made, the archbishop of Canturburie hauing notice of
the minds of the lords, stood vp & asked the commons if they would assent to the lords,
which in their minds thought the claime of the duke made, to be rightfull and necessarie
for the wealth of the realme and them all: whereto the commons with one voice cried,
Yea, yea, yea. After which answer, the said archbishop going to the duke, and knéeling
downe before him on his knee, addressed to him all his purpose in few words. The which
when he had ended, he rose, & taking the duke by the right hand, led him vnto the kings
seate, the archbishop of Yorke assisting him, and with great reuerence set him therein,
after that the duke had first vpon his knées made his praier in deuout manner vnto
almightie God. When he was thus placed in his throne to the great reioising of the people,
the archbishop of Canturburie began a breefe collation, taking for his theme these
words, written in the first booke of kings the ninth chapter; Vir dominabitur in populo,
&c: handling the same, & the whole tenour of his tale to the praise of the king, whose
setled iudgement, grounded wisedome, perfect reason, and ripe discretion was such (said
he) as declared him to be no child, neither in yeares, nor in light conditions, but a man
able and méete for the gouernement of a realme: so that there was no small cause of comfort
ministred to them through the fauourable goodnesse of almightie God, which had
prouided them of such a gouernor, as like a discréet iudge shall déeme in causes by
skilfull doomes, and rule his subiects in vpright equitie, setting apart all wilfull pleasures,
and childish inconstancie. This is a summarie of his oration. But because the qualitie
of this volume is such, as that it hath set foorth matters at large: I will laie downe
the archbishops words, as they are recorded by Fabian in ample manner as followeth.