OF all the Cheats, Frauds, and Impositions put upon Mankind, since Melten Calfs were set up, and Adored for Gods, the World can hardly parallel this horrid Impostor obtruded upon the Imperi­al Crown of England, for the Enslaving of a Nation.

The Arts, the Labour, the Plottings and Cabals (as shall be here made out) and in­deed all the Engines and Engineers set at Work, through the whole Management, are such a complicated Mass of Villany, as cannot be repeated without Horror and A­stonishment: Considering not only the Im­pudent falsifying with Men, whilst their mistaken Homage and Veneration, due only to the Imperial Sacred Blood of Princes, has been extorted from them, and paid to Dirt and Rubbish; but also the prevaricating e­ven with God himself, whilst publick Pray­ers, and Solemn Thanksgivings, and all, a­las but so many meer mock Oblations have been made so considerable and indeed so shameful a part of the Pagean [...]y [...] ▪

When we read the dreadful Anathema's pronounced against the general Class of Hy­pocrits, to what frightful Apprehensions of the more than common Bolts and Vials or Divine Wrath, due to the unexampled Au­thors and Com-plotters of so amazing a De­lusion, must our serious Reflections lead us▪ A Delusion so truly Tremendious, that the fatal Consequences of it, (had not the Hand of Providence been even a miraculous Deli­verer) were almost unimaginable. For In­stance:

After Heaven had Commission'd the great Henry Earl of Richmond, (afterwards Henry the Seventh) to Execute its own particular Mandate, in the Death of the Bloody Rich­ard [Page 2]the Third; a Tyrant, that had himself been the Executioner of King Henry the Sixth, (that Innocent Prince) with his own hands, the contriver of the Death of the Duke of Clarence his Brother, and the Mur­derer of his Nephews, the two young Prin­ces Edward and Richard in the Tower (one of them his Lawful King) by the Hands of his Ruffians and Hirelings: The Uniting of the White Rose, and the Red (a Dispute that had so often cost so much English Blood) by the Marriage of the King, the Heir of the Lancastrian, and Elizabeth of the House of York; seem'd to have laid a lasting Foundati­on for the future Peace of England. Never­theless, as restless Spirits, and Ambitious Minds, are never wanting to disturb the Quiet, even of the most Halcyon Reign; it is almost impossible, even in the highest Dis­pensations of Humane Blessings, and a Na­tional Felicity, to have all Men satisfied.

Henry upon his Accession to the Crown, by a State Jealousie, a natural Disease in Crown'd Heads, had taken Edward Plantagenet, Son and Heir of George-Duke of Clarence, a Male Remnant of the House of York, formerly by King Richard's Commandment, detained in in safe Custody, in a Castle in York-shire; and kept him close Prisoner in the Tower.

The severity used to this young Prince be­gat a publick Rumour, that King Henry was copying after his Predecessor Richard's Ori­ginal, and that this Princely youth had ei­ther already run the Fate of the poor Lament­ed young Princes before Murdered there, or at least that he was speedily threatned with the same untimely End.

However this popular Impression was not so Universal, but another part of mankind, were of an Opinion in the contrary extream, viz. that even young Edward, and his Bro­ther Richard; both, or at least one of them were alive still; notwithstanding the known Barbarity of their Inhumane Uncle Richard: Nor was their Credulity in that point so much to be wondered at; that two young Princes privately Butcher'd within the Tower, only by four Assassinates, might in the po­pular Faith be believed alive still: When a later Unfortunate Gentleman, that lost his Head at Noon day, upon the open Tower-bill, before Four times Four thousand Eye-witnes­ses, can hardly be believed Dead yet.

At this time (as indeed at all times) there was a subtile Priest (for such they most are) call'd Richard Simon: This Priest had to his Pupil, a youth of about 15 years of Age, Named Robert Simnel; by his Original, Born of the Body of a Bakers VVife, and possibly begotten too, by the honest Pye crust-Raiser the Baker; though in reality so well favour'd, and of that extraordinary Dignity, and Grace of Aspect, as probably might En­title him to some more Gentleman like De­rivation, then the courser Veins of his re­puted Father, the Drudg at the Oven could give him. But of the more sure Mother side, Dame Simnel more certainly claim'd her ma­ternal propriety in him.

It came into this Priests Fancy (as Em­broyling of Kingdoms, are seldom out of their Fancies) to set up this Lad, for a Prince of Wales, or a Duke of York; either for the first or second Son of King Edward the Fourth, before Murdered; though by Vulgar Tradi­tion received for Living. This projection was first Hammered, and resolved upon; but an Accident happening, made him change his first measures, and afterwards designed him to personate Edward Plantagenet, the above­named present Prisoner in the Tower. And why? because about this time a General Bruit arose, that Edward Plantagenet had pre­vented King Henry's: Bloody purpose, by an Escape from the Tower; and thereby finding him so much beloved amongst the People, and such rejoycing at his reported Deliverance, the cunning Priest changed his first Copy; the young Plantagenet being more in the present Speech, and Votes of the People; and so it pelced better, and followed more close and handsomely to appear a Plantagenet, after a [Page 3]Resurrection from so many Years lying Bu­ried in Prison walls; then an Edward, or a Richard now almost forgotten.

Accordingly the Ghostly Prince-maker, big with wonderous hopes of preferment, by the Idol he resolved to set up. expecting to be a Bishop at least, if his Game was once play'd out; began to instruct his young Pupil, in all the magisterial Graces and Behaviours of his intended Soveraignty, and what by his own, and the Queen Dowagers Assistanee, from whom this Action had the principal sourse and motion; they held the Book so well, and and so prompted him in the whole Stage-play, that they equipt him for a compleat true Roy­al-Born immediately; and furnisht him with all and all manner of Answers fitted to all Questions and Interrogatories.

And indeed there was very good Reason for a more than ordinary care and caution, in acting so critical a part. For alas, our new made Prince was not to personate one that had been long before taken out of his Cradle, or conveyed away in his Infancy, and so al­most unknown, or at least forgotten, but a youth that till the Age of almost Ten years, had been brought up in a Court, where in­finite Eyes had been upon him.

However as bold a Masquerader as this Attempt would make him, the Hazard shall be no Barr to the Design. For that enter­prize must be very hardy indeed, where the Forehead of a Priest shall redden at the under­taking.

However, for the fore-mentioned Reasons it was not thought convenient that he should make his first Entry upon the English Stage, least the too curious English Opticks, should pry a little too narrowly, and too near into the Disguise; and therefore 'tis Decreed to give him his first start in Ireland; where not only the distance would give Credit to the Figment, but also the strong Bent of the I­rish Inclination to the House of York, would yield him the more favourable Countenance and Reception.

Accordingly our Priest, and his Imper [...]l Nursling, Embark'd for Ireland, where th [...] no sooner Landed, but all things were so rea­dy prepared for Revolt and Mutiny (the Natural Distemper of the Clime) as if his Success and Tryumph, had been the Study, not the Lottery of his good Fortune: all things seemed Plotted before hand. Simon [...] First Address was to the Lord Deputy of Ire­land, before whose Eyes, and Irish Under­standing, our Prince-look'd Puppit cast such a Mist, as joyn'd perhaps with some inward Vapours of Ambition, left him fully possest that it was the true Plantagenet. The Depu­ty communicated the Matter to the Irish No­bles, and finding their Pulses beat so exactly with his own, they resolved to take a taste of the Peoples Inclinations. But if the more Noble Irish Grandees were in so much for­wardness, no wonder that the meaner Teague, those thinner Sould Dear Joys, were all Fury, and Transport: Insomuch, that with a mar­vellous consent and applause, this counter­feit Plantagenet was brought with great So­lemnity to the Castle of Dublin, and there Saluted, Served, and Honoured as King; and in a few Days after Proclaimed in Dublin, by the Name of King Edward the Sixth; there being not one Sword drawn in King Henry's Quarrel.

The King alarm'd with this unexpected Accident, amongst several other Councils, to Ward against this growing Danger, caused the true Edward to be releas'd from his long Confinement, and shew'd in the most publick manner that could be devised, to disabuse and sedate the mistaken part of Mankind, and convince them of their Error and Frenzy and, thereby expose the Levity and Imposture of the proceedings in Ireland. Hereupon the true Plantagenet was upon a Sunday brought, throughout the principal Streets of I [...]nd [...], to be seen of the People; and from thence in Solemn procession conducted to St. Pauls Church; the King having taken care, that those of the Nobility that he most suspected, [Page 4]as also those that knew the person of Planta­genet best, should hold Communication with the Young Gentleman by the way; which in effect much marred the Irish Pageant with the Subjects here. Nevertheless in Ireland it wrought little, or rather no effect at all; but on the contrary, what with their Irish Intel­lects, and Irish Impudence together, they tur­ned the Imposture back upon the King; au­daciously charging him with tricking up a false Plantagenet, to Defeat the true Inheritor.

The Rebels in Ireland continuing still ob­stinate to Reason, so privily transacted with several English Nobles, as to draw them off to their party. But that which chiefly sup­ported the Reputation of this Impostor, was the countenance It received from France, from the Lady Margaret of Bergundy, the most in­veterate Enemy of the Lancastrian Family. The Earl of Lincoln, with others the Confe­derate English Lords retiring into Flanders, and succoured with some Thousands of For­ces from the Lady Margaret, immediately Embark for Ireland, where upon this new accession of Power, the Irish proceed to Grown their new King in the Cathedral Church of Dublin; and after several Debates, it was resolv'd to Transport their Army, and assert His Right, and make Their Fortunes in England,

In the mean time the King of England find­ing the Impostors cause upheld by such pow­erful Abbettors, provides and prepares accord­ingly, by making Levies suitable to oppose so formidable an Enemy.

The Irish in the mean time, headed by their Lord Deputy, the Earl of Lincoln, the Lord Lovell, &c. Landed at Fouldrey in Lan­cashire; and from thence took their March towards York; but were much deceived in their Expectation of the Countries Concourse to them; nevertheless they resolved to give the King Battle, being now past Hopes of a Retreat.

The King and his Party with all alacrity, came to the Decision upon the Plains near Newark; where the Battle was on both sides desperately fought. Nevertheless the Divine Providence was pleased to carry Victory to the Rightful Cause. The Kings Conquest was compleat; nor did the Irish and their Allies fail in Courage or Fierceness: There dyed upon the place all the Chieftains of the Re­bels, viz. the Earl of Lincoln, Earl of Kildare, Francis Lord Lovel, Martin Swart, comman­der of Two thousand Almains, all dying with­out giving Ground. Of the Irish fell 4000. and amongst the Prisoners taken, was the Counterfeit Plantagenet, now plain Lambert Simnell again, and the crafty Priest his Tutor. As for Lambert, the King disdained to take his Life, both out of magnanimity, as taking him but as an Image of VVax, that others had tempered and moulded; and also as much out of policy, as thinking by his Exe­cution he would be forgotten too soon; but being kept alive would be a continued Sub­ject of the peoples Laughter and Derision, and consequently a kind of Spell, or Antidote against all future Frensies and Infatuations. For which Reason he very prudently took him Into service in the Court, and posted him in the Office of a Scullion in the Kings Kit­chin. Thus by a Caprice of Fortune, poor Simnel comes from weilding a Scepter to turning a Spit; where behaving himself a quieter Subject, then he had raigned a Prince, he had the Honor afterwards to advance to the preferment of one of the Kings Faulconers.

The overthrow of such a Villanous Im­posture, was that National Deliverance, as is not a little worthy the English Remem­brance; and the same sort of Artifices and Machinations form'd and practised in this present Age, we have just Reason to believe, by the same over-ruling Providence are and shall be as fully, and as happily detected, frustrated, and defeated.