HISTORY OF KING HENRY VII. 129 



daughters out of sanctuary to King Richard, con 

 trary to promise. Which proceeding being even at 

 that time taxed for rigorous and undue, both in 

 matter and manner, makes it very probable there 

 was some greater matter against her, which the king, 

 upon reason of policy, and to avoid envy, would not 

 publish. It is likewise no small argument that there 

 was some secret in it, and some suppressing of 

 examinations, for that the priest Simon himself, after 

 he was taken, was never brought to execution ; no 

 not so much as to public trial, as many clergymen 

 were upon less treasons, but was only shut up close 

 in a dungeon. Add to this, that after the earl of 

 Lincoln, a principal person of the house of York, 

 was slain in Stoke-field, the king opened himself to 

 some of his council, that he was sorry for the earl s 

 death, because by him, he said, he might have 

 known the bottom of his danger. 



But to return to the narration itself: Simon did 

 first instruct his scholar for the part of Richard, 

 duke of York, second son to King Edward the 

 Fourth ; and this was at such time as it was voiced, 

 that the king purposed to put to death Edward 

 Plantagenet, prisoner in the Tower, whereat there 

 was great murmur. But hearing soon after a ge 

 neral bruit that Plantagenet had escaped out of the 

 Tower, and thereby finding him so much beloved 

 amongst the people, and such rejoicing at his escape, 

 the cunning priest changed his copy, and chose now 

 Plantagenet to be the subject his pupil should per 

 sonate, because he was more in the present speech 



