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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45326	The life & death of that renowned John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester comprising the highest and hidden transactions of church and state, in the reign of King Henry the 8th, with divers morall, historicall and political animadversions upon Cardinall Wolsey, Sir Thomas Moor, Martin Luther : with a full relation of Qu. Katharines divorce / carefully selected from severall ancient records by Tho. Baily ...	Hall, Richard, 1535 or 6-1604.; Henry VIII, King of England, 1491-1547. Testamentum.; Bayly, Thomas, d. 1657?	1655 (1655)	Wing H424; ESTC R230	97,933	254

some of you my old acquaintance I know you wish me no hurt but a great deale of good and I doe believe that upon the termes you speak of might have the Kings favour as much as ever Wherefore If you can answer me to one question I will p●rform all your desires What 's that my Lord said one and all of them It is this said the Bishop What will it gain a man to win the whole world and to lose his own soule Whereupon after some little talk to no purpose they all left him some of them wishing for their owne security that either they had him in the same danger that they were in or else that they were endued with the same constancy of minde that he was of Now the same God which refused him comfort in his Visitants sent him the consolation of a fellow Sufferer which was Sir Thomas Moore the fame of the world who was now sent to the same prison where he was and for the same cause whereat he seemed to conceive no small joy to whom as soon as opportunity would give leave he sent by his man his most loving and heartly commendations and received the like from him between whom to their comforts there passed sundry Letters for a while untill such time that there was notice taken thereof and one of their Letters intercept●d and carried to the K●ng● Councel which being read although there was not in any part of 〈◊〉 least part of evil yet was it taken in ●vil part and a great charge was given unto their Keepers to restraine them from that lib●rty The B●sh●ps man being clapt up ● close prisoner and threatned to be hanged for carrying L●tters to Sir Thomas Moore asked the Keeper if there were another Act of Parliament come forth whereby a man should be hanged for serving his Master Which coming from a man that was so noted for simplicity set them into such ● laughter that after a little examination as how many Letters he had carried c. he was set at liberty with a strict charge given him that he should carry no more Letters After the King had tried all other waies he sent the Lord Chancelour Audely together with the Duke of Suffolk the Earle of Wiltshire Secretary Cromwell and divers others of the Councel to the B●shop of Roch●ster to certifie him of the new Law that was lately made concerning the Kings Supremacy and the penalty thereof to them that should gainsay it or withstand it and to know in his Maj●sty's name whether he would acknowledge it as the rest of the Lords both spirituall and temporall had done or not to which the B●shop after some pause replied unto them My Lords you present b●fore me a two-edged sword for if I should answer you with a disacknowledgement of the Kings Supremacy that would be my death and if I should a●knowledge the same perhaps contrary to my owne conscience that would be assuredly unto me worse than death wherefore I make it my humble request unto you that you would beare with my silence for I shall not make any direct answer to it at all Whereupon the Commissioners were nothing satisfied but urged him more and more to answer one way or other directly telling him how displeasing such kinde of shiftings will appeare unto his M●j●sty how much the King was formerly displeased with his correspondence with S●r Thomas Moore wherefore said the Lord C●ancelour if you should now thus use him you would exasperate his grievous indignation against you more and more and give him just cause to think that ye deal more stubbornly with him than well becomes the duty of a good Subj●ct To which the Bishop replied That as concerning the Letters which had passed between him and Sir Thomas Moor he wish●d with all his heart they were now to be read which if they were said he t●ey would declare more innocence than hurt on our behalfe most of them being onely friendly salutations and encouragements to patience Indeed I was a little curious knowing the great learning and profound w●t that is in the man to know what answer he had made to the questions which were asked him concerning the Statute which answers he sent unto me as I had sent unto him mine And this is all the conspiracy that was between us upon that conscience which I suffer for and will suffer ● thousand deaths before ever it shall be called upon by me to justifie the least untruth And whereas you tell me that his Majesty will be much displeased with me for this doubtful kind of answer truly my Lords no man shall be more sorry for the Kings displeasure than he that tells you he is s●rry to displease the King but when the case so stands that in speaking I cannot please him except I displease Almighty God I hope his M●j●sty will be well satisfied with my silence Then said Mr. Cromwell Wherein do you more than other men who have satisfi●d the Kings desires herein think you sh●ll displ●ase Almighty God B●cause said the B●sh●op I know how my own conscience dictates to me but do not how anothers may inform him If your conscience be so setled said my Lord Chancelour I doubt not but you can give us some good reasons for it Ind●e● my Lord said the B●shop I think I am able to give your Lordships reasons that p●rhaps may seem sufficient why my conscience stands affected as it doth and could be well contented that you heare them could I declare my minde with safety and without offence unto his Majesty and his Laws After which not a word more was spoken for that time but calling for the Lieutenant they re-delivered him unto his custody giving the Lieutenant a strict charge that no further conference or messages should pass between him and Sir Thomas Moore or any other All which being related to the King upon their returne to Court the King swore they were all fooles and asked them if there wer● not more waies to the wood than one they told his Majesty that they had tried all the wai●s that they could finde or think upon advising his Majo to send some of his own Coat unto him to perswade him further as thinking it more proper for them but the King swore Mother of God both Moore and he should take the Oath or he would know why they should not and they should make them do it or he would see better reasons why they could not wishing them to see his face no more untill it were done CHAP. XXI 1. The notable slights which the Councel used to procure the two Prisoners Fisher and Moore to take the Oath 2. The King sends the most grave and learnedst Bishops unto him 3. How the Bishops Man set upon his Master to perswade him after such time as the Bishops were gone and could not pr●vaile with him 4. Bishop Fisher is created Cardinall by Paul the third Pope of Rome 5. The Cardinalls Hat was sent as far

businesse which w●● no lesse than what the said Percy had said before he en●ouraged her in the prosecution who for some reasons best known unto her self a● she said to the Cardinall better liked of the Marriage of her daughter with the said Lord Percy than if the King should marry her The Cardinall finding a backwardnesse in this Lady that her daughter should be wedded to the King and hearing what fame had formerly spread abro●d con●erning the Kings former familiarity with her gu●shed at the cause and therefore advised her to go unto the King and deale freely with him in that particular lest hereafter she might otherwise repent The Lady takes his advise and addresses her self to the King who communing with him awhile upon that subject between jest and earnest she uttered these words Sir For the reverence of god take ●eed what you do in marrying my daughter for if you record your conscience well she is your own daughter as well as mine The King replied Whose daughter so●ver she is she shall be my Wife But When she proceeded to acquaint him with the Contract and told him how that her daughter and the Lord Percy were already man and wife before God ●olemnly contracted in the presence of s●ch and such the King was exceeding angry and swore by his wonted oath that it was not so and it should not be so and sent immediately for the Lady her self to come before him to whom as soon as ever she came into the presence and before ever she had heard of the business the King with a frowning conntenance said unto her Is it so Nan is it so hoh what say'st thoss to it To what said Anne Bullein Mother of God said the King they say that thou hast promised to marry young Per●y Mrs. Anne nothing at all abashed returns him this answer Sir When I knew no otherwise but that it was Lawfull for me to make such promises I must confesse I made him some such promise but no good subject makes any promises but with this proviso that if his Soveraigne commands otherwise it shall be lawfull for him to obey Well said my own Girle said the King and turniug himself to the Countess he said I told you that there was no such thing Thus you see concerning the first particular the King cared not who he married so that he might be wedded to his own will and concerning the second the King presently after sent for the Cardinall and him for to undo the former kno● with his own teeth enjoyning him to procure his servant to release his Mistress of her engagement which he did CHAP VIII 1. The first occasion of the Cardinalls ruine 2. The King sends divers Orators to the Vniversiti●s beyond the Seas to procure their ass●ntments to the Divorce 3. The return with satisfaction but it proves fruitlesse 4. Embassadours are sent to Rome 5. The Cardinall aspireth to be Pope 6. Ho useth strange meanes to accomplish the same Now it is the Queen● bed must be taken down that her palat may be advanced but from this time forward though the Card. was seemingly forward yet was covertly slow in the prosecution of the Divorce which afterwards proved to be his ruine Wherefore the King was advised by the Cardinalls and the rest of the b●shops as the only way of dispatch to send certaine Orators to forreine Universities as well as to those at home and so without any more ado to rest in their judgements The King having made choice of men fi● for his purpose gave them instructions and sent them several ways to the most renowned Universities of Christendome there to dispute the case viz. whether it was lawfull for a man to marry his brothers wife or not without acquainting them with the particulars either of the former brothers having no carnall knowledge of the said wife or the Popes dispensation thereupon so that by this slight and subtil●y they easily obtained determinations from all the Universities viz. that it was not lawfull whereupon not knowing whose case it was nor the case it selfe rightly the O●atours procured those determinations under the common S●ales of all the forraigne U●iversities whereupon they returned with great triumph to the great contentment of the King who rewarded them highly for their paines and it must not be thought that our Universities at home though they onely understood the case sh●uld be wiser than all the Universities of Christendome All these S●ales were all delivered into the C●rdinalls hand with a strict charge speedily to convene all the Bishops before him and to determine upon the businesse but this quick fire could not make this sweet malt for it was determined by whose means you may easily guesse that although the Universities had thus determined under th●ir Seales yet the businesse was too weighty for them to determine thereupon as of themselv●s without the authority of the Sea Apostolike but they all fell upon this agreement among themselves that Orators should be sent with these Seales of the Universities to Rome to treat with the Pope for procuring his confirmation therein thus the King was shov'd off with another wave from the Shore of his desired purpose With much reluct●ncy and sensibility of the tediousnesse of the delay no other remedy appearing A mbassadours were dispatched in all hast to Rome Cl●ment the seventh being Pope at that time The Ambassadours names were St●phen Gardiner the Kings Secretary Sir Francis Brian Knight one of the Gentlemen of the Kings Pr●vy Chamber Sir Gregory de Cassalel an Italian and Mr. P●ter 〈◊〉 a Venetian who being arrived at Rome having propounded the cause of their coming and rested themselves there awhile letters were come unto them from the King and the● Cardinall with further instructions how to deale with the Pope and to make all possible dispatch that could be made in the businesse But the Ambassadours were not half so hasty in demanding as the Pope was slow in expedition and that by reason of the Gout which then afflicted him and perhaps of an unwillingnesse of the minde as well as a debility of the body the Emb●ssadours by the return of their Letters having made knowne unto the King the Popes slownesse by reason of his great infirmity the Cardinall layes hold upon this occasion and in●ormes the King how that if he were Pope if it should so happen that the Pope should die all should goe well and speedily on his side To this purpose Letters were sent thick and three-fold to Rome both from the King and Cardinall with instructions that they would the more earnestly and often call upon the Pope for a finall determination hoping that he would the more easily be drawn thereto that he might by reason of his paine be rid of their importunity as also that if the Pope should chance to die of this present disease that by all meanes they should devise some way or other how the Cardinall of York should be elected to succeed in his

place and to promise mountaines of Gold to procure their suffrages in his behalfe and in case they could not prevaile but that the Cardinalls were likely to choose some such man as was not likely to further the Ki●gs designes that they should take up what summes of money they could upon the Kings credit and therewith to raise a presidie as it is termed both in the King Cardinals letters or power of men and taking with them such Cardinals as could be brought to favour their purposes to depart out of the City into some out-place not farre off and there to make a Schisme in the behalf of the Cardinal But there was no need of that advise for the Pope recovered health and lived to finish the businesse though contrary to the Kings expec●●tion wherefore CHAP. IX 1. Cardinall Camp●ius is sent Legate into England to determine the business of Divorce 2. The Embassadours are returned 3. Cardinall Wolsey joyned in Commission with the other Cardinall 4. The Court sits 5. Couns●ll is assigned to both the parties 6. Queen Catharine's speech in her own defence TH Embassadours finding the Pope to be the same man for slownesse as he was when he was tyed by the leg Requested of his Holinesse that he would be pleased to send a Legate into England with full authority to heare and determine the businesse there according to right as he should see cause which was granted and accordingly one Laurence Campeius a well learned man and of undaunted courage to whom the King about ten yeares before had given the Bishoprick of Bath at his being in England upon another occasion was appointed for that negotiation The Embassadours thus returning with a conclusion of a new b●ginning the Kings patience must now rest satisfied with the expectation of the Legates coming which after long expectation he arrived here in England who coming to Lond. was lodged in his own Palace then called B●th-house but before his arrivall a new Comm ssion from the Pope overtooke him at Callis wherein the Cardinall of York was joyned with him in Commiss●on and this was procured by the King wh●reby as he thought his businesse should be ●a●e to meet with the fewer rubber The Cardinals met Audience was given the Commssion was opened the Place assigned the assignement was at the Dominick F●●yers in Lon●on the King and Queene were to be close by at their lodgings at Bridewell The learned Counsell on both sides were appointed The King b●cause he would seeme ind●fferent willed the Q●eene to chuse her Cou●sell the Q●eene would chuse none at all as suspect●ng the indifterency of such as were his owne subjects Wherefore for fashion sake these Counsellours were assigned her Iohn Fisher B●shop of Rochester Henry Staindish Bishop of St. Alaph Thomas Abel Richard Fetherstor Edward Powell all Doctors in Divinity and of C●vili●ns and Canonists William Warham Archbishop of Canterbury Cuthbert Tunstall Bishop of London Nichol●s West Bish of Ely and Iohn Clerk Bishop of Bath for at Campeius his arivall he was translated to the Bishoprick of Salisbury on the Kings part the like number of profound and learned Doctors as well Divines as Civilians and Canonists Silence being proclaimed in the Court and the Commission read the Bishop of Rochester presented the two Legates with a Booke which he had compiled in defence of the Marriage making therewith a grave and learned Oration wherein he desired them to take good heed to what they did in so weighty a businesse putting them in minde of the great and manifold dangers and inconveniences which were ready to ensue thereupon not onely to this Realm but to the whole state of Christendome After this Oration was ended the King was called by name who answered HERE After that the Queen who made no answer but rose immediately out of her chaire and coming about the Court she kneeled downe before ●●he King openly in the sight of both the Legates and the whole Court and spake as followeth Sir I beseech you do me justice and right and take some pity upon me for I am a simple woman and a stranger born out of your dominions and have no friend but you who now b●ing become my adversary Alas what friendship or assurance of indifterency in ●●y counsel can I find hope to amongst your subjects What have I done Wh●rein have I off●nded you How have I given you any occasion of displeasure Why will you put me from you in this sort I take God to my judge I have bin a true humble faithful wife unto you alwaies conformable to your will and pleasure Wherein did I ever contradict or gainsay whatever you said When was I discontented at the thing that pleased you Whom did I love but those whom you loved whether I had cause or not I have been your wife this twenty yeares you have had divers Children by me when you took me first into your B●d I take God to be my witnesse I was a Virgin and whether that be true or no I put it to your conscience N●w if there be any just cau●e that you can alleadge against me either of dishouesty or the l●ke I am contented to depart the Realm and you with sh●me and insamy but if there be no such cause then I pray you let me have justice at your hands The King your Father was in his time of such an excellent wit as that for his wi●domes sake he was accounted a second Solomon and Ferdinand my Father was reckoned to be one of the wisest Princes that reigned in Spaine for many yeares before his daies These being both so wise P●ince● it is not to b● doubted but they had gathered unto them as w●se Counsellours of both Realmes as they in their wisdomes thought most meet and as I take it there were in those dayes as wise and learned men in both kingdomes as there are now to be found in these our times who thought the M●rriage between you and I to be good and la●full but for this I may thank you my Lord C●rdinall of York then her best friend though she knew it not or perhaps was secretly advised to be thus b●tter against him who having sought to make this di●sention betweene my Lord the King and me because have so often f●und f●ule with your pompous v●nity and aspring minde yet I doe not think that this your malice proceeds from you meerly in respect of my self but your chief displeasure is against my Nephew the Emperour because you could not at his hands attaine unto the B●th ●p●ick of Toledo which greedily you desired and after that was by his meanes put by the chief and high Bishoprick of Rom● 〈◊〉 you most ambitiously aspired whereat being sore offended and yet not able to revenge your quarrel upon him the heavy burden of your indignation must be laid upon a female weakness for no other reason but because sh● is his Aunt And these are the manly wayes you take to ease your minde

the year of our Lord God 1534. Two men must be thanked for this Wolsey and Fisher and these two men must be met withall whereby they may receive their payment for the first we leave him to his owne story or some others on his behalf The second is the subject of my pen and how they found out him the following Chapter must relate CHAP. XVIII 1. The various rumour of the people concerning the Divorce 2. The History of the Holy maid of Kent 3. Div●rs persons of quality executed as traitors concerning her and the Bishop of Rochester c. convicted of misprision of Treason for the same cause 4. A new Parliament called 5. The Marriage between the King and Queen Katharine pronounced null by Archbishop Cranmer 6. A new Oath made and tendred to both houses of Parliament c. all take it excepting the Bishop of Rochester AT the time when the Kingdome began to be divided when the King was about to make the Divorce between him and his wife as the first act of his Supremacy and to talk too busi●● some in favour of the King but most of the Queen it happened that one Elizabeth Barton a young maiden borne in Kent at a plac● called Court at Street declared unto sundry persons that she had lately received certain Visi●ns and Revelations concerning the Kings proceedings in this matter of D●vorce and as sh● thought they came from God and often falling into a trance she would declare how that the K●ngs 〈◊〉 away his wife would be a m●anes to bring in 〈…〉 Land and that 〈…〉 〈…〉 his wife should never have co●fo●t in any other that whatsoever he did yet the daughter of this Q●een should reign and bec●use he deprived 〈◊〉 mother the 〈◊〉 Cathol que Church of so many chi●dren all his child●●n should die 〈◊〉 and himselfe comfortlesse leaving an ●●nominious name and fame 〈◊〉 him to the w●rlds end To this and the like 〈◊〉 she would ●tter words which were too wonderfull to proceed ordinarily from so simple a reputed woman First she communicated these V●sions c. to one M Richard Mayster Parson of Aldington in Kent whose Penitent she was This Al●ington advised her to go to Mr. Edward Bocking Dr. of D●vinity and a Monk of Christ-church in Canterbury a man that was ●amous both for Learning and Devotion who sent for one Mr. Iohn Deering another Monk of the same house all these advised her to go● to the Archbishop of Canterbu●y Doctor Warham and to take his adv●se therein and to follow his direction who as it was conceived being conscious of the great ill-w●ll of the people which he had drawn upon h●mself by being so great a furtherer of the D●vorce and of the inevitable changes and alterations in R●ligion which he then saw evidently to ensue ●●rough his so much compliance with the King shortly after discoursed with this Maid died of grief After whose departure from this life the King by vertue of his Supremacy appointed ●ranmer to be Archb●shop of Canterbury This womans fame did so spread it self abroad over the whole Kingdome as that she was resorted unto by multitudes of p●ople and called by them the holy Maid of K●nt whose vertues were exceedingly ex●olled by the preachings of Mr. Henry Gold Bachelour in Divinity and a learned man Father Hugh Rich Warden of the ●riars Observants in Canterbu●y and Richard Risby of the same house and having gone her Perambulation to the Charter-house of London and Sheane thence to the Nunnery of Sion and thence to the Friars of Richmond Canterbury and Greenwich at last she came to the King himself and before him declared her minde fully and plainly with whom as she had quiet audience so she had peaceable departure at last she came unto the Bishop of Rochester Dr Iohn Adeson his Chaplain and Dr. Thomas Bell sometimes the Queenes Chaplaine who as a rarity admitted her to come before them to heare what she would say as all men else had done and now and not till now was this businesse looked upon as a matter of dangerous consequence the Kings Counsel were call'd together to consult about it who were divided amongst themselves concerning her some were for letting her alone as knowing not what to make of her others were for rigour and cruelty to be shewed against her in the end forbearance was laid aside and severity was to take its place which sentenced it to be a traiterous conspiracy between the Maid and some that were chief of the Clergie to bring the King and his Government into contempt and hatred with his people whereby to encourage them to tumults and insurrections wherefore the King sent for his Judges and certain others which were servient to the Law and propounded the case unto them acquainting them with that which every one had done desiring to know their opinions therein who sitting in long consultation at last they made result that Elizabeth Barton Edward Bockings Iohn Deering Monks Richard Maysters Henry Gold Priests Hugh Rich and Richard Risby Friars Minors where all by the Law in case of high Treason that my Lord of Rochester Dr. Adeston Dr. Abel c. b●cause they were not the fi●st contrivers of the Matter but concealers of the Thing were on●ly in the case of misprision of Treason viz. losse of Goods and imprisonment of their Bodies during the Kings pleasure and thus the King got the opinion of the Judges but not so home it was conceived as he expected This being done all the forementioned persons opin'd to be within the case of high Treason were attached and carried to Lambeth before the new Arch-bishop Cranmer where after they had been examined by him others of the Commissioners and charged with Treason Fiction and Hypocrisie Fa●sehood Dissimulation and Conspiracy Tumults Rebellion and Insurrection they were all sent to the Tower Thus the King got the parties into prison Which being done The King called a Parliament in the 25 year of his reigne to be held at Westminster upon the 15. day of Ianuary where they were all attainted of high Treason the Maid judged to b● hanged and head●d at Tyburne the rest to be hanged and qu●rtered alive the Bishop of Rochester Dr. Ad●son Dr. Abel Thomas Register to the Archdeacon of Cant. and E●ward Thwaites Gent. convicted of misprision of Treason of which conviction being it was no more the Bishop of Rochester for that time got himself cleared paying unto the King three hundred pounds A little before this Parliament sate the Archbishop of Canterbury Cranmer had decreed which decree was made at Dunstable that the foresaid marriage solemnized between the King and the Lady Katharine was clearly and absolutely against the Lawes of Almighty God and that it ought to be accepted reputed and taken as of no value or effect but utterly void to all intents and purposes and that the Marriage which was to be had and solemniz●d between the King and the Lady Anne Bullein ought to be

but God forgive you wherefore Sir applying her self to the King it seemes to me to be no justice that I should stand to the order of this court seeing one of my Judges to be so partiall and if I should agree to stand to the judgement of this Court what Cou●cellours h●v● I but such as are your owne Subjects taken from your own Counsell to which they are privy and perhaps dare not go against it wherefore I refuse to stand to their advic● or plea or any judgement that is here and doe appeale unto the Sea 〈◊〉 before our holy Father the Pope humbly beseeching you by the way of charity to sp●re me till I may know what further course my friends in Spaine will advise me to and if this may not be granted then your pleasure be fulfilled With that making a low obeysance to the King she d●parted the Court leaving behinde her many ●●d hearts and weeping eyes among the which this good Bishop of Rochester was most compassionate After she was perceived to be quite departed from the Court for it was supposed that she meant to have returned to her place the King commanded that she should be called back againe but she would not in any wise returne saying to those that were about her This is no place for me to expect any indifferency for they are all agreed what they will doe and the King is resolved what shall be done Soe she departed cleare away from the Court and never afterwards did she appeare there any more CHAP. X. 1. The good Character which the King gave his Queen Katharine 2. The King declares his scruple of Consc●ence 3. Shewes the danger the Kingdom is in for lack of issue Male. 4. His proc●●dings with the Bishops therein THe King peroeiving that she was thus departed spake unto the Court as followeth Forasmuch as the Queene is now gone I will declare in her absence before you all that she hath ever been to me as true obedient and conformable a wife as I could wish or any man desire to have as having al● the vertuous qualities that ought to be in a woman of her dignity she is high born as the quality of her conditions do declare yet of so meek a spirit as if her humility had not been acquainted with her birth so that if I sought all Europe over I should never finde a better wife and therefore how willing I w●uld if it were lawfull continue her to be my wife ●●ill Death make the separation ye● may all guess but Conscience Conscience is such a thing who can endure the sting and prick of Conscience alwaies stinging and pricking wit●in his breast Wherefore my Lords this woman this good woman I say sometimes b●ing my broth●rs wife as ye all know or have heard h●●h bred such a scruple within the secrets of my breast as daily doth torment cumber and disquiet my minde fearing and mistrusting that I am in great danger of Gods indignation and the rather because he hath sent me no issue Male but such as died incontinently after they were born Thus my Conscience being tossed to and fro upon these unquiet waves almost in despaire of having any other issue by her it behoveth me I think to look ● little further and to consider now the welfare of this Realm and the great danger that it standeth in for lack of a Prince to succeed me in this office and therefore I thought good in respect of the discharging of my conscience and for the quiet state of this noble Realm to attemp● the Law herein that is to know by your good and learned counsell whether I might lawfully take another wife by whom God may send me issue Male in case this my first marriage should appeare not warrantable and this is the onely cause for which I have sought thus farre unto you and not for any displeasure or disliking of the Queenes p●rson or age with whom I could be as well contented to live and continue if our marriage may stand with the Laws of God as with any woman living and in this point consisteth all the doubt wherein I would be satisfied by the sound Learning Wisdome and Judgements of you my Lords the Prelates and Pastors of this Realme now here assembled for that purpose and according to whose determination herein I am contented to submit my selfe with all obedience and that I meant not to wade in so weighty a matter of my selfe without the opinion and judgement of my Lords spirituall it may well appeare in this that shortly after the coming of this scruple into my conscience I moved it to you my Lord of Lincolne my ghostly Father and forasmuch as you your selfe my Lord were then in some doubt you advised me to ask the counsell of the rest of the Bish●ps whereupon● moved you my Lord of Canterbury fi●st to have your Licence inasmuch as you were the Metropolitan to put this matter in question as I did to all the rest the which you all have granted under your Seales which I have here to shew That is true and if it please your Grace said the Bishop of Canterbury and I doubt not but my brethren here will acknowledge the same Now you must understand that the King having won the Archbishop wholly to his designe the Archbishop had got as many of the Bishops hands unto that Deed as he could and set the rest of the Bishops hands thereto of his own accord they both imagining that none would have been so bold as to contradict or charge so openly both the King and the Archbishop of an untruth but my Lord of Rochester being of an undaunted spirit and one of the Queenes Counsell assigned whereby he might deliver his mind the better knowing the clearnesse of his own conscience said unto the Archbishop No my Lord not so under your favour all the Bishops were not so farre agreed for to that instrument you have neither my hand nor my seale No 〈◊〉 said the King and with a ●rowning counten●nc● said to my Lord of Rochester Look here Is not this your hand and seale shewing him the instrument no forsooth said the Bishop it is none of my hand nor seale How say you to that said th● King to my Lord of Canterbury Sir said he● it is his hand and his seale No my Lord said the B●shop of Rochester indeed you were in hand with me often for my hand and seal as others of my Lords have been but I alwaies told both you and them I would in no wise consent to any such act for it was much against my conscience to have any such businesse called in question and therefore my h●nd and seale should never be put to any such instrument God willing with a great deale more which I said to that purpose if you remember Indeed said my Lord of Canterbury it is true you had such words with me but after our talk ended you were at last contented that I should

taken as undoubtedly true si●cere and perfect which Marriage carrying with it the soveraign imfortunity of all second Marriages being compleated the same Parliament enacted a Statu●e which declared the establishment of the Kings succession in the imperiall Crowne to be upon the issue which he was to have by the present Queene Anne ratifying whatsoever the foresaid Archbishop of Canterbury had decreed and disinheriting the issue which the King had by the foresaid Lady Katharine from all title to the foresaid Crowne and Government or that if any person of what state and condition soever shall by writing printing or any exteriour Act or Deed procure or doe any thing to the prejudice slander disturbance or de●ogation of the said Matrimony or the issue growing of the same every such person shall be deemed and adjudged as an high Traitour and suffer such punishment as in case of high Treason is provided and for the better keeping of this Act the Kings Majesty together with his Counsellours of their owne authority framed an O●th upon the breaking up of this Parliament which was upon the 30. day of Ma●ch and tendred it the same day to all the Lords both spirituall and temporall as likewise to all the Commons and was to be tendred to whom the Commissioners for the same purpose should call before them the words of which Oath were these viz. Ye shall swear to beare Faith Truth and all Obedience onely to the Kings Majesty and to his heires of his body and of his most dear and entirely beloved wife Queen Anne begotten and to be begotten and further to the heires of our Soveraigne Lord according to the limitation made in the Statute for surety of his succession in the Crown of this Realm mentioned and contained and not to any other within this Realme nor to any other forraign Authority or Potentate whatsoever and in case any Oath be made or hath been made by you to any person or persons that then ye doe repute the same as vaine and annihilate and that to your cunning wit and utmost endeavours ye shall observe keep maintain and defend the said Act of Succession all the whole effects and intents thereof and all other Acts and Statutes made in confirmation and for ex●cution of the same or any thing therein contained and this ye shall do against all manner of persons of what estate dignity degree or condition soever they be and in no wise do or attempt nor to your power suffer to be done or attempted directly any thing or things privily or openly to the let hindrance danger or derogation thereof or if any part of the same by any manner of meanes or any manner of pretences So help you God and all his Saints and the holy Evangelist Which Oath all the Lords both spirituall and temporall took except the Bishop of Rochester who absolutely refused it So the Parliament was ended But The said Bishop had not been 4 daies quiet within his Palace of Rochester but a Letter came to him from the Archbishop of Canterbury together with other of the Commissioners willing him personally to appear before them in the said Archbishops house by a certain day expressed within the Letter all excuses set a part And CHAP. XIX 1. The Bishop of Rochester summoned to appear before the Archbishop of Canterbury 2. Sir Thomas M●or and Dr. Wilson committed for refusing the Oath 3. The Bishop of Rochester sent to the Tower for the same cause 4. A Parliament is called wherein the Bishops imprisonment was voted lawfull 5. The Supremacy of the Church conferred upon the King c. by Act of P●●liament absolutely and w●●●out the fo●mer clause 6. An Act 〈◊〉 Parliament making i● treason to deny the King to be supreme head of the Church NOw was the thing come to passe which was no●hing terrible to him because it was foreseen wherefore he first makes his Will and leaves severall L●gacies to divers persons and uses as to Michael house in Cambridge where he received his Education to St. Iohns Colledge to the Poore to some of his 〈…〉 to all his Servants whom he leaves weeping behinde him whiles the rest followed him lam●nting his condition in his journey towards Lambeth Passing thorough the City of Rochester there were a mult●tude of p●ople gathered together both citizens and countreymen to whom he gave his benediction riding by them all the while b●●eheaded some crying that they should never see him again others denouncing woes unto them that were the oc●asions of his troubles others crying out against the wickednesse of the times and all of them lamenting and bewailing that wh●ch was their miserie and his glory Thus he passed on his way till he came to Sutors hill twenty miles from Rochester on the top whereof he rested himself descending from his horse and causing to be brought before him such victuals as he had caused to be brought thither for that purpose he said he would now make use of his time and dine in the open aire while as he might after which dinner he chearfully took his horse and came to London the same night The day of his appearance being come he presented himselfe before the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth the Lord Audely Chancelour of England Thomas Cromwell the Kings Secretary and the rest of the Commissioners authorised under the great Seale of England to call before them whom they pleased and to tender unto them the foresaid Oath then sitting at Lambeth where at the same tune the Bishop met with Sir Thomas Moore who welcomed and saluted the Bishop in these termes Well met my Lord I hope we shall meet in Heaven to which the Bishop replyed This should be the way Sir Thomas for it is a very strait gate we are in There had been Doctor Wilson sometime the Kings Confessor who together with Sir Thomas Moore had both of them refused the Oath a little before the B●shops coming for which the Knight was committed for the present to the custody of the Abbot of Westminster as the Doctor had been formerly committed to the Tower of London at which time also the Clergie of London were warned to appeare about the same businesse who all of them took the Oath at the same time Then was it that the B●shop of R●chester was called before the Archb●shop c. who putting the B●sh●p in remembrance of the Act which was made by the late Parliament wh●ch had provided an O●th to be administred to all persons within this R●alm concerning the establ●shment of the Succession c. how all the Lords both spirituall and temporall had taken the said Oath onely himself excepted how grievo●sly his Majesty was offended with him therefore how he had g●ven strict charge to himself and the rest of the Commissioners to call him before them and to tender unto him the Oath once more presented unto him the Oath laying it before him and demanded of him what he would say thereto the good man p●rusing