Henry IV’s Apoplexy in the Tudor Chronicles

William Caxton, The Cronicles of Englond (Westminster: William Caxton, 1480):

All these thinges {per}formed this noble kyng [Henry V] for his fadre / for kyng henry the iiij. his fadre {per}formed it not ducing his lyfe / whom as it is said god touchid and was a lepre er he diede. (Ch. ccxlvi)

Edward Hall, The Vnion of the Two Noble and Illustre Famelies of Lancastre Yorke (London: Richard Grafton, 1548):

After these great and fortunate chaunces happened to kyng Henry, he perfightly remembring that there could be no more praise geuen to a prince then to execute his office in administryng Iustice whiche aboue al thyng is the very necessary minister to al people, entendyng to liue in quietenes, beyng now deliuered of al Ciuill deuision and intestine discencion, with the which almost al Christendom was infected and disturbed, not onely to the gret decay of Christes religion and Christian creatures but to the great exaltacion of Painim princes, by the dilatyng of the pestiferus sect of the false counterfait prophet vainglorious Mahumet: called a great counsail of the thre estates of his realme, in the whiche he deliberately consulted and concluded aswel for the politike gouernaunce of his realme as also for the war to be made against the Infidels, and especially for the recouery of the holy Citie of Ierusalem, in whiche Christian warres he entended to ende his transitory life, and for that cause he prepared a great army, and gathered muche treasure, entending to set forward in the same spring time? But se the chaunce, what so euer man intendeth God sodainly reuerseth, what princes wil, god wil not, what we thinke stable, God sodainely maketh mutable, to the entent that Salomons saiyng might be found trewe, which wrote that the wisdome of men is but folishnes before God. When this Prince was thus furnyshed with treasure sufficient, with valiant capitaines and hardy souldiers, with tall shippes furnished with vitayles municions and all thynges ne|cessary for suche a iourney roiall, he was taken with a sore sodain dis|ease and aied in his bed: whiche disease was no Lepry stryken by the handes of God as folish Friers before declared, for then he nether wold for shame, nor for dehilitie was able to enterprise so gret a iorney as in to Iewrie in his own person, but he was taken with a sore Apoplexye of the whiche he languished tyll his appoyncted howre, and had none other grefe nor malady. Duryng whiche lickenes as Auctors write he caused his crowne to be set on the pillowe at his beddes heade and so|dainly his pange so sore trobeled him that he lay as though al his vi|tall sprites had bene from him departed: suche chamberleins as had the cure and charge of his bodye thinkyng him to bee departed and deade couered his face with a linnen cloth. The prince his sonne being therof aduertised, entered into the chamber and toke away the crowne & departed: the father being sodainly reuiued out of his traunce quick+ly perceiued the lacke of his crowne, and hauyng knowledge that the prince his sonne had possessed it, caused hym to repaire to his presence, requiryng of him for what cause he had so misused hi~selfe. The prince with a good audacitie answered, sir to mine and al mennes iudgementes you semed deade in this world, wherfore I as your next & aparant heir toke that as mine own & not as yours: wel faire son said the kyng (with a gret sigh) what right I had to it & how I enioyed it God knoweth, wel {quod} the prince if you die kyng I wil haue the garland & trust to kepe it with the swerd against al mine enemies as you haue done: wel said the kyng I comit al to god & remember you to do wel, and with that turned himself in his bed & shortly after departed to god, in a chamber of the abbotes of westminster called Ierusalem. (xxxii)

Raphael Holinshed, The Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande (London: Henry Bynneman and Henry Denham, 1577):

Hee helde his Christmas this yeare at Eltham, beeing sore vexed with sicknesse, so that it was thought sometime, that he had bene dead: notwithstanding it pleased God that hee somewhat recouered his strength againe, and so passed that Christmas with as much ioy as hee might. (1161)

Hee was soones taken with a sore sicknesse, which was not a leprosie, striken by the hand of God (saith ma|ster Hall) as foolishe Friers imagined but a verie apoplexie, of the which he languished till his ap|poynted houre, and hadde none other griefe nor maladie, so that what man ordeyneth, God altereth at his good will and pleasure, not gyuing place more to the Prince, than to the poorest crea|ture liuing, when hee seeth his time to dispose of him this way or that, as to his omnipotent power and diuine prouidence seemeth expedi|ente. (1161-62)

We fynde, that hee was taken with his last sicknesse, while hee was making his prayers at Sainte Edwardes shrine, there as it were to take his leaue, and so to proceede forthe on hys iourney: hee was so suddaynely and greeuouslie taken, that suche as were about him, feared least he woulde haue dyed presently, wherefore to re|lieue him if it were possible, they bare him into a chamber that was nexte at hande, belonging to the Abbot of Westminster, where they layde him on a pallet before the fier, and vsed all reme|dyes to reuiue him: at length, hee recouered hys speeche, and vnderstanding and perceiuing him selfe in a strange place which he knewe not, hee willed to know if the chamber had any perticu|lar name, wherevnto aunswere was made, that it was called Ierusalem. Then saide the king, landes bee gyuen to the father of Heauen, for nowe I knowe that I shall dye heere in thys chamber, according to the prophecie of me de|clared, that I shoulde depart this life in Ierusalem. Whether this was true that so hee spake, as one that too much gaue credite to foolish pro|phecies and vaine tales, or whether it was fay|ned, as in suche cases it commonly happeneth, we leaue it to the aduised Reader to iudge. (1162)

John Fox, Actes and Monuments (London: John Daye, 1583):

King Henry the 4. after that hee had sent a little before a certaine company of captaines & soul|diours to aide the duke of Burgundy in Fraunce (among whome was the Lord Cobham) keping his Christenmas at Eltham, fell greeuously sicke. From thence, he was con|neied to London, where he began to call a parliament, but taryed not the end. In the meane time, the infirmitie of the king more and more increasing,  he was take~ and brought into a bed in a fair chamber at Westminster. And as he lay in his bed, he asked how they called the same chamber: and they answered and sayde, Ierusalem. And then he sayde it was his prophecie, that he should make his ende in Ieru|salem. And so disposing himselfe towarde hys ende, in the foresayd chamber he died: vpon what sicknesse, whether of leprosie, or some other sharpe disease, I haue not to affirm. (557)